Scientific experts warned Congress more than a decade ago that just four teaspoons of radioactive cesium-137if spread by a terrorist's "dirty bomb"could contaminate up to 10 square miles of Manhattan. The material is commonly found across the United States. Hospitals, blood banks and medical research centers use it in devices called irradiators, which sterilize blood and tissue. Hundreds of the devices are licensed for use, including at least 50 in Southern California. Each typically contains about twice as much radioactive material as the scientific panel warned could disrupt much of the nation's largest city. The panel's warning in 2008 came with blunt recommendations: The government should stop licensing new cesium-based blood irradiators, and existing ones should be withdrawn from use. Safer devices that use X-ray technology worked just as well, the panel found. But after protests from hospitals, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission declined to crack down. Instead, the number of licensed irradiators used for bloodand the risk they posehas grown, a Los Angeles Times investigation shows. Recent emergencies highlight the danger. Pennsylvania authorities in 2015 intervened after an improperly secured irradiator was found inside a downtown Philadelphia office building near the planned motorcade route for a visit by Pope Francis. In May 2019, the accidental release of a small amount of cesium from an irradiator in Seattle contaminated 13 people and caused a seven-story medical research building to be shuttered indefinitely. The cesium used for irradiators is a dry, talc-like material derived from atomic fuel left over from nuclear power production. The material is particularly feared by experts on radiological threats because its fine particles disperse easily and can migrate through air ducts and bind tightly to porous surfaces, including concrete. The potential danger is long-lasting: Cesium can keep emitting radiation for nearly 300 years. "The amount of cesium in one of these irradiators is enough to contaminate and create widespread panic over an extremely large area if dispersed by a terrorist," said Leonard W. Connell, a nuclear engineer who was among the scientific experts who issued the 2008 recommendations. Since those recommendations, several developed countries have converted away from cesium. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, by contrast, has not only continued to license new irradiators, it has also declined to require users to post financial bonds that would guarantee proper handling and eventual disposal of the material. Such performance bonds are mandatory for utilities licensed to operate nuclear power plants. In a memo to the commissioners on April 7, 2016, the commission's top staff official, Executive Director for Operations Victor M. McCree, wrote that financial assurance requirements "should be expanded" to include cesium irradiators and other similarly significant sources of radiation. The commissioners have not acted. The Times interviewed more than 50 current and former government officials, along with medical industry specialists and other technical experts and examined thousands of pages of state and federal records to study the risk posed by cesium irradiators. A dirty bomb packed with cesium would not kill large numbers of people. Instead, it would be a weapon of "mass disruption"leaving areas uninhabitable for months or even decades and increasing long-term cancer risks for people who come in contact with it, atomic experts say. Though a dirty bomb has not been successfully detonated, terrorists have voiced keen interest in doing so. For instance, in 2011 an extremist named Anders Breivik, who killed 77 Norwegians with a fertilizer bomb and firearms, released a manifesto in which he called for followers to help him acquire cesium and other components "to construct and detonate a radiological bomb." Federal law gives the NRC broad authority to restrict the use of cesium and other radioactive materials to safeguard national security "or to protect health or to minimize danger to life or property." The agency, however, has declined to take action to limit the irradiators, citing a low likelihood of immediate deaths or other physical harm. In doing so, the commission has looked past the mass evacuations, business closures and other economic losses that a dirty bomb could cause. Last year, a federal task force headed by the chair of the NRC concluded that no basis existed for more than voluntary incentives to encourage users to switch away from cesium irradiators. As Chair Kristine L. Svinicki wrote in an Oct. 17, 2018, letter to President Trump, "the Task Force concluded that there are no significant gaps in ... radioactive source protection and security that are not already being addressed." Svinicki declined through a spokesman to answer questions for this article, as did each of the other three sitting NRC commissioners, all of whom are appointed by the president. Stephen G. Burns, a former commissioner whose tenure ended on April 30, said the NRC had sought to balance public safety with the interests of the facilities using the devices, notably hospitals wary of the commission "regulating the practice of medicine." The NRC's stance toward regulating cesium contrasts with public warnings about radiological-weapon threats issued by every presidential administration since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Trump, in his own 2017 National Security Strategy report, warned that the threat of a dirty bomb "is increasing." In a series of investigative reports, the U.S. Government Accountability Office has challenged the commission's assurances that no meaningful "gaps" exist in how cesium and other radioactive materials are secured. In 2012, a GAO report described finding a cesium irradiator on an unsecured wheeled pallet near a hospital's loading dock. At a second facility, investigators found the combination to a lockintended to secure a cesium irradiator"clearly written on the door frame." The GAO's most recent report, issued in April, implored the regulatory commission to act more forcefully. David C. Trimble, the analyst who supervised the GAO's work, recalled that each time his staff has examined uses of cesium and other radioactive materials, "we have identified a vulnerability." "We hope that (the) NRC will recognize the significance of the Seattle incident, and reassesses its position to not consider socioeconomic costs," Trimble told The Times. The U.S. Department of Energy has also diverged from the NRC's hands-off stance. The department has worked with users and manufacturers to harden the devices against theft. In 2015, the department started giving incentives to convert to safer technologies, offering to pay 100% of the expense to remove and dispose of any cesium irradiator, which typically cost up to $200,000 per unit. The department says 108 of the devices have been replaced. Its announced goal is to "permanently eliminate" cesium irradiators by 2028. "Every irradiator that is replaced represents one fewer opportunity for a terrorist," the department said in a report to Congress in April. But, the report added, the "voluntary nature" of the conversions "remains a challenge" to hitting the 2028 goal. In February 2018, University of California Chancellor Janet Napolitano called for the 10-campus system to begin converting away from its cesium irradiators. Yet despite those steps, the number of licenses that the NRC has issued for operating cesium irradiators for sterilizing human blood has actually grown: The 370 nationwide represent an increase of 4% since 2011, according to statistics provided to The Times by the commission. "We were surprised," Margaret Cervera, a health physicist at the NRC, said of the increased numbers. "We expected them to be going down." The total may be larger. Cervera and a commission spokesman, David McIntyre, said the 370 leaves out irradiators that the commission suspected were being used for animal experiments or other research, rather than sterilizing human blood. In April, the Department of Energy reported to Congress that an additional 315 cesium irradiators were being "used primarily for research irradiation." A STRANGE GLOWING MATERIAL Evidence of the damage cesium could cause emerged tragically in 1987 in Goiania, Brazil, an interior city about 800 miles northwest of Rio de Janeiro. In September of that year, two people entered an abandoned site that had once housed a radiation-therapy clinic that utilized cesium. After prying loose some of the metal equipment, they loaded it into a wheelbarrow, hoping to sell pieces as scrap. That evening, both men began to vomit. It wasn't until two weeks laterafter the equipment and the strangely glowing material inside it had changed hands through two scrap yards and become a source of fascination for adults and childrenthat a local physicist persuaded authorities to take action. A monitoring station set up in a local stadium screened more than 112,000 people for possible cesium contamination. Forty-nine houses were demolished or decontaminated and about 4,500 tons of soil were hauled away, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. In the end, four people died and hundreds had to be decontaminated. Soon thereafter, the breakup of the Soviet Union increased the availability of radioactive materials at military facilities that had become neglected. As a nuclear engineer and former CIA intelligence officer, Warren Stern had traveled to the former Soviet republics, seeking to secure loose materials that could have fallen into the hands of terrorists. By Sept. 11, 2001, he was uniquely positioned to warn the U.S. government about the potential of a dirty bomb. That night, after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Stern and a colleague began composing an urgent memo to their boss, Secretary of State Colin Powell, describing this new terrorist threat. In 2002, Stern joined the staff of then-U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) as a nuclear advisor and persuaded her to try to force the NRC to phase cesium out of circulation and to seek tighter controls on other radioactive materials. The effort was quickly scaled back in the face of opposition from other senators. But that year, Clinton introduced a bill calling for the National Academy of Sciences to study whether any uses of radioactive materialsincluding cesiumcould be replaced with effective and safer alternatives. In 2005, the call for a study became law, and in 2008, the National Academy's appointed experts sent their report to the NRC and Congress. They ranked cesium as their top concern. Cesium irradiators "should be replaced," the 219-page report said, adding that effective and safer X-ray irradiators "are already commercially available as substitutes." The experts directed an additional message to the NRC, saying it "should discontinue all new licensing and importation of these (cesium) sources and devices." Users objected, citing concerns about the costs of switching and questioning whether the X-ray technology would be as effective. Among those who spoke out was Thomas M. Priselac, president and chief executive of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Without its cesium irradiator, Priselac said in an Oct. 14, 2008, letter to the NRC, Cedars might be unable to reliably irradiate high volumes of blood, possibly compromising patient safety. A Cedars spokesman declined to say whether the cesium irradiator remains in use. "What I can say is that Cedars-Sinai has strict policies and procedures in place governing the use and management of irradiation technology," the spokesman, Duke Helfand, wrote in an email. "This oversight has been reviewed and approved regularly by state and federal regulators." The NRC deferred the National Academy panel's recommendations and called for further study. In an interview, Theodore L. Phillips, the chairman of the panel, said he and his colleaguesincluding a senior American Red Cross blood-transfusion specialistfound the evidence for converting away from cesium to be overwhelming. "There are X-ray irradiators that do blood irradiation with no problem," said Phillips, a physician who for 29 years headed the radiation oncology department at UC San Francisco. The committee's conclusions, Phillips said, were influenced by studies showing the severe impact that small amounts of cesium could cause. Cesium irradiators typically contain material amounting to about 2,000 curies, a measure of radioactivity. Scientific "vulnerability assessments" performed by the Sandia National Laboratories and provided to the committee showed that a bomb with 1,000 curies, about four teaspoons of cesium, could contaminate up to 10 square miles of Manhattan if dispersed uniformly. Just 40 curies could contaminate an urban area of up to 267 acres. Members of Congress and their staffs were briefed on the details. The committee's report also cited a 2005 study of theoretical dirty bomb attacks on the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The study, paid for by the Department of Homeland Security, estimated cleanup costs and business losses ranging to more than $100 billion. Reached recently, Connell, the nuclear engineer who was a member of the committee and who had led Sandia's studies, said any inconveniences of switching away from cesium irradiators should be weighed against the potential for harm. "We simply cannot permit a large, successful dirty bomb attack involving cesium to occur," Connell said in an email. "There is no longer any reason to keep cesium irradiators in our hospitals and universities right in the middle of our major cities." 'A RISK TO PUBLIC HEALTH' From its offices in downtown Philadelphia, Avax Technologies, Inc. was aiming to develop treatments for cancerwork that utilized a cesium irradiator. But Avax fell into financial distress and as of 2014 had "essentially ceased operation," said Terry J. Derstine, a radiation program manager for the Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Department. By May 2015, the company had stopped paying its rent, according to state government records. On the afternoon of May 27, Derstine's colleagues inspected the site after learning the landlord had shut off power to Avax's offices, which disabled door alarms intended to buttress 24-hour security for the irradiator, kept inside its own room. The irradiator "was no longer being maintained in a secure manner ... and was liable to theft, removal or improper usage, consequently posing a risk to public health and safety through radiation exposure," according to a formal summary of facts, signed by Avax's director of regulatory affairs and by Derstine and another state official. The landlord restored power to the room on the afternoon of the inspection. In August 2015, state officials agreed to allow Avax to keep the device on condition that the company post a $200,000 bond to cover expenses if more trouble arose. Derstine and his colleagues also alerted city police and the FBI's Philadelphia field office. The irradiator was a matter of high concern, Derstine said, because the city was preparing for the visit of Pope Francis, whose motorcade would travel along Benjamin Franklin Parkway, just two blocks from Avax's offices. Earlier this year, Derstine told NRC commissioners that if a terrorist had set loose the cesium, "many people could have easily been exposed." The pope's visit went uninterrupted. But on May 3, 2016, state officials learned that Avax "was no longer capable of continuing operations," regulatory documents show. "Several of the security measures that were in place to protect the irradiator were in jeopardy of being terminated by the supplier for lack of payment," Derstine told the NRC. This time, Philadelphia was preparing for a second major eventthe Democratic National Convention. Soon afterward, state officials forced the removal of the irradiator. In an interview, Henry E. Schea III, who was Avax's regulatory affairs director and its radiation safety officer, acknowledged the company had been in "arrears in paying its rent" but said the irradiator had not been jeopardized. In interviews with The Times, Derstine recalled the ordeal, which has not previously been publicized. "Over the last 30 years," the incident "was probably the No. 1 thing we've had to deal with," he said. TINY SPILL, HUGE DISRUPTION Technicians confirmed the accidental release of cesium from the irradiator in central Seattle at about 9:30 p.m. on May 2. A company had been hired to remove the device, used for years in experiments on animals performed by University of Washington researchers. But while the technicians were preparing the irradiator to be loaded for transport, they nicked its protective metal shielding, causing a breach. Thirteen people were contaminated with non-life-threatening levels of cesium: eight technicians who'd been trying to remove the irradiator, a building custodian and a radiation safety officer assigned to oversee the removal, two inspectors with the state health department and an FBI agent who wound up with cesium in his hair. What unfolded that nightand over the months that followeddemonstrates the disruption caused by even a tiny, unintentional release of cesium, according to interviews with those involved and The Times' review of local, state and federal documents. City fire department specialists at first struggled to figure out how to decontaminate those who'd been inside the seven-story research and training building. Across the street, at the university's Harborview Medical Center, emergency room managersfearing that cesium could be tracked into the hospitalinitially denied entry to those needing treatment. A supervising state health physicist, Mark Henry, along with officials from the Seattle Fire Department and the National Guard, persuaded the hospital to relent. A barrier could be made from thick sheets of plastic, heavy paper and plenty of tape to protect staff and other patients, they explained. "Hospitals aren't used to dealing with radioactive contamination," said Mikel J. Elsen, the Washington health department's director of radiation protection, who commented alongside Henry and other state officials in Tumwater, Wash. The testing of all 13 individuals found their contamination levels "did not pose a health risk to any of those individuals or the general public," according to a university medical school spokeswoman, Susan Gregg. But more than seven months later, sections of six of the seven floors of the building remain off limits because of lingering cesium. Officials believed an elevator near the breached irradiator spread the cesium with "piston-like" effect. Once it entered the main ventilation system, they said, it scattered more widely. Hand-held instruments found cesium within the drywall and in other difficult-to-reach nooks and crannies. The heaviest concentrations were around the loading dock where the irradiator had been positioned; officials pointed to a portion of the concrete surface of an adjacent parking area that also was contaminated. The Energy Department is investigating to assess "the root cause of the accident," according to a spokesman, Gregory A. Wolf, who said the department spent about $8.6 million for the cleanup through Sept. 30. No date has been set for when the building might be restored to its previous uses. "This has been the worst contamination event we've had in this state in the public domain," said Elsen, the state health official. "And it could have been much worse, because that's a lot of cesium if it all got out." Henry, the state health physicist, called the event a foreshadowing of what a dirty bomb could do. "If you think that somebody couldn't get ahold of material like this and make a weapon of mass disruption, then I think you need to review that again," Henry said. "You can see the consequences right now. You've got a dead building." Explore further Distribution and origin of highly radioactive microparticles in Fukushima revealed 2019 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.2 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Kazakhstans Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development, akimat (administrative center) of Zhambyl region and one of the worlds leading mineral fertilizers manufacturer EuroChem company- have signed an investment agreement for construction and use of mineral fertilizers manufacturing plant, Trend reports with reference to the press office of Kazakhstans prime minister. The agreement signing took place during the working visit of Kazakhstans Prime Minister Askar Mamin to Zhambyl region. The value of investments into the projects implementation will be nearly $1 billion, whereas the plants capacity will by 1 million tons of fertilizers a year. "The resource base of the plant will be phosphorite deposits of Karatau. The manufacturing technology will allow to manufacturing high quality phosphoric and complex fertilizers with minimal harm to the environment and with no phosphogypsum waste," the report said. The plant will simultaneously manufacture some 120,000 tons of calcium chloride and no less than 400,000 tons of gypsum dehydrate a year, which will meet the demand of road, oil and gas, construction and agriculture industries. The venture is to be launched in 2021, and as a result some 2,000 new jobs will be created. EuroChem company is of the worlds leading mineral fertilizer producers. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Australian authorities on Thursday declared a state of emergency and forced evacuation of residents, tourists and closure of roads in the bushfire zones in the states of New South Wales and Victoria ahead of Saturday's forecast of "horrible" fire conditions due to the intensified heat wave. Catastrophic blazes ripped through the country's south-east on New Year's eve, killing at least eight people and stranding holidaymakers. New South Wales government on Thursday declared state of emergency for a week starting Friday which would mean forced evacuations and road closures for people in bushfire zones ahead of Saturday's forecast "horrible" fire conditions. Authorities have urged people to leave the impacted areas if they can as the Rural Fire Service department is expecting tough conditions over the weekend. "So we're going to have a very long, difficult day of hot, dry winds, dominating out of the north, north-west before a southerly change emits. It is going to be a very dangerous day. It's going to be a very difficult day,'' Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said. As of Thursday, NSW was struggling with 113 fires burning across the state with over four million hectares burnt. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian thanked the police for their efforts to ensure people's safety. "I want to thank in particular police, fire rescue personnel who have made sure that where people can have access to main roads, that they can let them through even monitoring them closely, with only letting a few cars through at a time," he said. "We know temperatures will be in the mid-40s in parts of the state. We also know that there are a lot of tourists on the move and allowing us to declare the state of emergency from tomorrow morning will allow us to ensure that we can provide safe access to roads when we need to," he said. "We can also provide safe access to roads when we need to, we can also provide safe access to and from destinations as we have been encouraging people to move back home, to travel safely ahead of what will been very difficult circumstances on Saturday," Berejiklian added. Berejiklian urged people to exercise caution. ''We encourage people to exercise caution. We do appreciate that for some, it is difficult to access supplies but it's much easier than what it was yesterday and the day before," he said. At least 18 people are now known to have died in one of Australia 's most devastating bushfire seasons yet, and there are growing fears the toll could rise dramatically, with officials in Victoria saying 17 people were missing in the state. As the catastrophic blaze intensified, Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said Australia's existing emissions reduction policies will do enough to protect the environment and seek to reduce bushfire risks. Morrison said the National Security Committee of the Cabinet would meet on Monday to consider bringing in more Defence Force ships and helicopters "as well as the longer-term response and some issues we have identified to consider amongst premiers after the fires". "Our emissions reductions policies will both protect our environment and seek to reduce the risk and hazard we are seeing today. At the same time, it will seek to make sure the viability of people's jobs and livelihoods," he said during a press conference. In the state of Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews declared a state of disaster across large areas of the state. "Under the provisions of the Emergency Management Act, I have declared a state of disaster for six local government areas and our Alpine resorts," Andrews said at a media conference here. He said that essentially the declaration is the first time that such powers have been used because of the unprecedented risk to life and property in the coming days. "The fires are unprecedented in their size, their scale and the risk they pose to so many people right across affected communities," he said. He urged people in the East Gippsland region to leave the bushfire zones, especially in the state's north-east and large areas of the High Country, with conditions expected to worsen on the coming weekend. Andrews confirmed Navy vessels will also commence the evacuations efforts in the region of Mallacoota on Friday early morning. One man was confirmed dead and there are ''grave concerns" regarding 17 people who are still missing in Victoria while in NSW, seven people were confirmed dead. Victoria's Deputy Emergency Commissioner Deb Abbott said people living in alpine areas of the state as well as East Gippsland and the Upper Murray region had a 24-hour window of opportunity to leave, or risk being cut off by smoke and flames. "We want them to leave now," she said. "We don't want those people to become isolated like some of the communities down at East Gippsland, so again I ask; leave now, she said. "Leave zones are also in place for the NSW south coast, from Nowra in the north to the Victorian border. The Rural Fire Service has now issued tourist "leave zone" declarations for four areas: Snowy Monaro, Shoalhaven, Batlow/Wodalga and the south coast. ''Fire dangers on Saturday will reach severe to extreme, yet again, across fire sites and communities that have already seen wide-scale devastation," Bureau of Meteorology's Jonathan How said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The federal government has begun fresh proceedings to extradite share market guru Larry Williams to the United States on tax fraud charges. But the 64 year-old American - father to Hollywood actress Michelle Williams, the partner of Australian film star Heath Ledger - is likely to again fight the extradition, his lawyer Chris Watson said outside Downing Centre Local Court. Williams is wanted by US authorities for allegedly trying to evade $US1.5 million ($A1.9 million) in taxes from 1999 to 2001. Williams was arrested on an extradition warrant last May after arriving in Australia for a speaking tour, and was due to face an extradition hearing on March 26. But that was put on hold after the Federal Court ruled that government moves to extradite him were invalid. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 EDWARDSVILLE The Bank of Hillsboro will have a new Edwardsville address starting Monday, Jan. 13. The bank will relocate its services from 2200 Troy Road to 2496 Troy Road, in front of Home Depot at the corner of Goshen and Troy roads. Bank of Hillsboro President and CEO, Misty Borrowman, said because of the branchs continued growth, a convenient new location was needed. The great news for our customers is that this should be a seamless transition that wont affect their accounts in any way, said Borrowman. All of our customer checks, credit cards, account numbers, and mobile banking options will stay exactly the same. Our safety deposit boxes will also be securely moved to the new location. She said customers will be able to bank at the old location during normal business hours on Jan. 11 and then come to the new location on Jan. 13 with no change in services. Borrowman added that the new location will offer customers more accessible parking options, contemporary office space and will be in an easier location for new customers to find. The same phone and fax numbers will continue at the new location. Bank of Hillsboro is a 150-year-old operation and is headquartered in Hillsboro, Illinois. The bank has 10 other locations: Alhambra, Altamont, Carlyle, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Keyesport, Pana, Staunton, and Vandalia. For more information, log on to www.bankhillsboro.com or call (618) 656-5804. Some airlines charge as much as 320 to change a name on return flight tickets. Photo: Getty Its cheaper to change your name by deed poll than it is to stump up the cash that some airlines charge to change your name on an airline ticket, with charges varying wildly between operators. Research by airport parking comparison site Airport Parking Shop found vast differences in the fees the 27 most popular international airlines charge to change your name on a ticket and their rationales for doing so. While some airlines will do it for free, those that charge have fees ranging from 25 to 160 per flight, meaning making changes to return flight tickets could set you back as much 320. READ MORE: Plan to overhaul airline collapse rules With the cost to legally change your name by deed poll coming in at between 9.50 and 15.99, if youre not that fussed about your actual name or the spelling of it, then this is a cheaper option than paying some of the airlines fees. When the 75.50 fee to renew your passport is added on, this takes the total to 85, which means you would be quids-in versus the fees you would have to pay to easyJet, Finnair, Flybe, Norwegian, Vueling, and Ryanair. Several airlines sit on the cusp of charging more than the 85 to change your name and passport, depending on the exchange rate at the time and flight cost these include Air Baltic, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Jet2, and WhizzAir. READ MORE: Why Are Airline Websites So Bad at Inspiring Travel? The study found that the name correction fee is often subject to a different number of criteria. Factors include ticket type, when and how the ticket was booked, how the correction is made, and if there is a requirement to pay any difference in fare or taxes. Some airlines state that changing married names could be done for free, whereas others stated that corrections simply werent allowed and that the traveller would need to cancel and rebook their ticket. The average cost to correct a name on a ticket is 27.83 each way. However Ryanair charges a massive 320 for a return flight, from just three days after a booking has been made. It is the most expensive airline for set ticket name change fees, but Ryanairs website states that it is free to correct just one letter. Story continues READ MORE: Woman complains about being slut-shamed by airline However, when Airport Parking Shop tried to change the name Steve to Steven online, the company still wanted to charge the 160 per flight. In January 2020, you can fly with Ryanair from London Stansted to Marrakesh and back again for less. The airline with the cheapest name correction fee was TUI at 25. Alice Fowler at Airport Parking Shop said: We would advise that before booking travellers check the airlines correction policies, as although some airlines make it very easy to change the name on a ticket, with the likes of TUI charging as little as 25 and easyJet 50, others, such as Ryanair, Flybe and Vueling, dont and charge a significant fee, which in some cases can be more than the cost of the flight. READ MORE: President of airline Emirates to retire - Yahoo Finance She added: Some of these fees are overly steep and it appears that the airlines are benefiting from their customers misfortunes if they can no longer travel and want to pass the ticket on to someone else. Virgin, Flybe, Norwegian and Vueling do not, under any circumstances allow customers to change the name on a ticket, and the initial booking has to be cancelled and booked again. However savvy customers can avoid these eye-watering fees by simply changing their name by deed poll. Meghan Markle's best friend Jessica Mulroney has revealed her plans to 'let go' of 'anger, grudges, extra stress or pain' in 2020. The stylist, 39, from Toronto, shared an Instagram post last night with a message about 'letting go', and her hope that the next 12 months will be 'a year of forgiveness.' It comes days after she revealed her most-liked posts of 2019 on the social media platform were 'standing up to bullies and trolls'. The mother-of-three has been vocal about her battles online over the last year, at one stage saying she felt 'angered' by trolls and the problem was 'out of control.' Meghan Markle's best friend Jessica Mulroney, 39, from Toronto, shared her intention to 'let go' of 'pent up anger, grudges, stress and pain' on Instagram last night Jessica shared a post with her 339,000 followers last night, with the lengthy message reading: 'I'm walking into 2020 with a clear heart and mind. 'If you owe me, don't worry about it - you're welcome. If you've wronged me, it's all good - lesson learned. 'If you're angry with me, you won. I've let it go. If we aren't speaking, it's cool (I love you and I wish you well). If I've wronged you, I apoligize, it wasn't intentional. It goes on: 'I'm grateful for every experience that I've received. Life is too short for pent up anger, grudges, extra stress or pain. The stylist and mother-of-three has been vocal about her ongoing battle with trolling, having been criticised throughout 2019 for sharing images of herself in a swimsuit 'Forgiveness is a gift to yourself. Make 2020 a year of forgiveness and a season of positivity.' Jessica, who met Meghan while she was living in Canada and filming Suits, has been vocal about her on-going battle with trolls. Earlier this week she revealed that many of her most liked images of 2019 were moments when she'd been combating bullying online. In November, she opened up about her experience of trolling on the platform, revealing she was 'angered' to receive hundreds of 'ridiculous' messages each day and writing: 'This culture is so out of control. Lets make it better for our children.' Meghan's best friend and former stylist shared the messages on Instagram, and declared 2020 would be 'a year of forgiveness' Throughout last year she was criticized after posting images of herself on holiday wearing bathing suits. In November, she shared a photograph of herself in a red cut-out bathing suit to Instagram, while on holiday in the Cayman Islands. Days later she posted a second image, which read: 'Note to self. Never ever post another picture of myself in a bathing suit. Only wear parkas by the beach.' She captioned the Instagram post: 'Apparently a picture in a bathing suit is offensive to my career, some followers and my children. 'So guess what I don't care. Thank you to my strong followers who get it. Everyone else, get a clue.' The mother-of-three also faced criticism after she shared an image of herself relaxing by a pool in a revealing blue bikini (pictured) And in August she hit back at trolls on Instagram after she reposted a thong photo she was forced to delete over negative comments. The mother-of-three shared a snap as she posed by the pool wearing revealing blue swimwear while enjoying an idyllic holiday in Las Vegas. But she felt forced to take it down after she received 'too many trolls attacking' her in the comments. In an act of defiance, Jessica then uploaded the snap a day later and hit back at the raft of cruel comments - as she claimed she is 'proud of her body'. Telenor Microfinance Bank Limited Job 2020 in Karachi Latest Telenor Microfinance Bank Bank Posts Karachi 2022 Telenor Microfinance Bank Limited required the service of qualified and experienced candidate for the position of Treasury Middle Office Manager in Karachi Sindh Pakistan. How to Apply on Telenor Microfinance Bank 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 an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted. The vapour cloud produced by a man with an e-cigarette (Yui Mok/PA) US health officials will ban most flavoured e-cigarettes popular with underage teenagers, but their plan includes major exceptions that benefit vaping manufacturers, retailers and adults who use the nicotine-emitting devices. The Trump administration announced that it will prohibit fruit, sweet, mint and dessert flavours from small, cartridge-based e-cigarettes that are popular with high school students. But menthol and tobacco-flavoured e-cigarettes will be allowed to remain on the market. The flavour ban will also entirely exempt large, tank-based vaping devices, which are primarily sold in vape shops that cater to adult smokers. Expand Close Flavoured vaping solutions in a window display at a vape and smoke shop in New York (Bebeto Matthews/PA) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Flavoured vaping solutions in a window display at a vape and smoke shop in New York (Bebeto Matthews/PA) Together, the two exemptions represent a significant retreat from President Donald Trumps original plan announced four months ago, which would have banned all vaping flavours, including menthol, from all types of e-cigarettes. The new policy will spare a significant portion of the multibillion-dollar vaping market. And the changes mark a major victory for thousands of vape shop owners who sell the tank-based systems, which allow users to mix customised flavours. Anti-tobacco advocates immediately condemned the decision to permit menthol and exempt tank-based vapes. They have lobbied the Trump administration to follow through on its initial pledge to ban all flavors except tobacco, arguing that teenagers who vape will simply shift to using menthol if it remains on the market. Only the elimination of all flavoured e-cigarettes can end the worsening youth e-cigarette epidemic and stop e-cigarette companies from luring and addicting kids with flavoured products, said Matthew Myers, of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a statement. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that typically heat a flavoured nicotine solution into an inhalable aerosol. They have been pitched to adults as a less-harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes, but there is limited data on their ability to help smokers quit. The Food and Drug Administration has struggled for years to find the appropriate approach to regulate vaping. Under current law, all e-cigarettes are supposed to undergo an FDA review beginning in May. Expand Close President Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP) Only those that can demonstrate a benefit for US public health will be permitted to stay on the market. We have to protect our families, Mr Trump told reporters on Tuesday, ahead of the announcement. At the same time, its a big industry. We want to protect the industry. The flavour restrictions apply to e-cigarettes that use prefilled nicotine cartridges mainly sold at gas stations and convenience stores. Juul Labs is the biggest player in that market, but it previously pulled all of its flavours except menthol and tobacco after coming under intense political scrutiny. Many smaller manufacturers continue to sell sweet, fruity flavours like grape slushie, strawberry cotton candy and sea salt blueberry. The flavour restrictions will not affect the larger speciality devices sold at vape shops, which typically dont admit customers under 21. Expand Close The official message on one of 44 websites seized by the US Drug Enforcement Administration for advertising the sale of illicit THC vaping cartridges (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The official message on one of 44 websites seized by the US Drug Enforcement Administration for advertising the sale of illicit THC vaping cartridges (AP) These tank-based systems allow users to fill the device with the flavor of their choice. Sales of these devices represent an estimated 40% of the US vaping business, with sales across some 15,000 to 19,000 shops. Even with the exemption for products sold at vape shops, industry advocates were not happy with the restrictions. Gregory Conley of the American Vaping Association said narrower flavor options for Juul and similar devices will result in more adults smoking. Still, the new policy represents the federal governments biggest step yet to combat a surge in teen vaping that officials fear is hooking a generation of young people on nicotine. In the latest government survey, more than one in four high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the previous month, despite federal law banning sales to those under 18. Late last month Mr Trump signed a law raising the minimum age to purchase all tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21 nationwide. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the administration decided to exempt menthol after reviewing new data showing the flavor was not popular with teens. As we got better data on the flavors, we modified our thinking, Mr Azar said. Survey data published in November reported that less than 6% of teens picked menthol as their top choice for vaping. In contrast, mint was the most popular flavor among sophomores and seniors. Incoming FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the governments approach attempts to balance the problem of underage vaping with the potential role that e-cigarettes may play in helping adult smokers transition completely away from regular cigarettes. When Trump officials first sketched out their plans at a White House event in September, they specifically said menthol would be banned. But that effort stalled after vaping proponents and lobbyists pushed back and White House advisers told Mr Trump that a total flavour ban could cost him votes. Industry groups including the Vapour Technology Association launched an aggressive social media campaign, #IVapeIVote, contending that the plan would force the closure of vaping shops, eliminating jobs and sending users of electronic cigarettes back to traditional smokes. Mr Trumps initial announcement came amid an outbreak of unexplained lung illnesses tied to vaping. But since then, health officials have tied the vast majority of the cases to a contaminating filler added to illicit THC vaping liquids. THC is the chemical in marijuana that makes users feel high. Makers of legal nicotine-based vaping products have tried to distance themselves from the problem. This data sends a clear message to American public health officials that we must take action and change our enforcement priorities to meet this rising challenge and ensure a new generation of children do not become addicted to nicotine Alex Azar (@SecAzar) January 2, 2020 FDA officials said on Thursday they will continue targeting vaping products that appeal to underage users in other ways, such as packaging that mimics juice boxes, cereal or kid-friendly snacks. Administration also pledged to work with the industry as the May deadline for product review approaches. Officials noted that products submitted by the deadline that dont appeal to kids will be permitted to remain on the market for up to one year pending FDA review. They also clarified that some vape flavors could return to the market if manufacturers can establish that they benefit adult smokers by helping them quit cigarettes. 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. In a time when anti-Latino hate crimes continue to surge, Luis Rodriguez gives a glimmer of hope. The poet laureate is set to release a collection of essays reckoning with xenophobia and racism in the United States, on January 28, 2020, according to an article by Remezcla. Rodriguez said the collection "From Our Land to Our Land: Essays, Journeys, and Imaginings From a Native Xicanx Writer", is a response to the a reader's comment about his 2003 short story collection The Republic of East LA saying, "You teach Mexicans a little English and now they think they can write books." The collection which takes on the form of ars poetica, explores the writer's role in a world increasingly marked by racial violence and natural disaster, reflecting his relationship with language and the way activism, faith, pop culture and identity has shaped his poetry throughout the last four decades. Remezcla reports, these essays seem like a natural extension to his critically acclaimed 1993 memoir Always Running: La Vida Loca, which reflects his life growing up in the '70s surrounded by gang culture in East Los Angeles. His essays talk about teaching in prisons, his work as a poet laureate and the violent racism he continues to experience despite his accolades. For instance, one passage shows how racism first taught him the power of language when he was still in elementary: "On my first day, I went from classroom to classroom because I couldn't speak English and teachers didn't want me among their students. A teacher finally let me stay, but she had me in a corner playing with building blocks most of the year. I'd pee in my pants since I didn't know how to say I had to go to the restroom. Whenever a Spanish word left my mouth, I was punished, including being swatted by the school's principal. I made the mistake one day of stepping into the kindergarten class my sister was in so I could pick her up. The teacher slapped me across the face in front of everyone." "Every time there's a racist person, it challenges all of us to find the language to speak out and insist that we all belong," said Rodriguez. The author also noted that this is an exciting time for Latino poets. "There are some powerful, wonderful, fantastic Latino writers coming out, young people and older writers, too. I'm very excited about where poetry is going," he said. According to FBI's recent report, the personal attacks motivated by bias or prejudice against Latinos in the U.S. is at its highest in nearly a decade, revealing 485 hate crimes against Latinos in 2018. This figure is 58 more than reported in 2017 and even outpacing a drop in assaults targeting Muslims and Arab Americans. The FBI has made a significant effort in recent years to increase awareness and response rates but still, many cities and some entire states failed to collect or report the data last year, according to an article by New York Times. The bureau also reported that more than half of all victims of hate crimes never file a complaint with the authorities in the first place. The NCLAT had directed the RoC to reverse Tata Sons' status from a 'private company' to a 'public company'. New Delhi: The hearing of Registrar of Companies' plea, seeking modifications in National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's (NCLAT) judgement in which Cyrus Mistry was reinstated as the executive chairman of Tata Sons, has been adjourned till Friday. A two-member bench headed by Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya asked the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to submit details of the definition of private and public companies under the rules of the Companies Act. Tata Vs Mistry | In separate proceeding before NCLAT, the tribunal says RoC must explain rationale behind allowing Tata Sons to convert from a Public to a Private co, must explain the due process that was followed in allowing the conversion NCLAT to hear RoC's plea on January 3 CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) January 2, 2020 The bench has also asked for clarification on the paid-up capital requirement for the same. Meanwhile, the counsel appearing for Tata Sons informed the appellate tribunal that the company has moved the Supreme Court against its order passed on 18 December. However, the petition is yet to be listed, the counsel added. In its plea, the Registrar of Companies (RoC), which functions under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, has also sought to be impleaded as a party in the two petitions and deletion of the words "illegal" and "with the help of the RoC" used by the NCLAT in its 172-page-long judgement. NCLAT, on 18 December, directed the $110-billion Tata group to reinstate Cyrus Mistry as the executive chairman of Tata Sons. The tribunal had termed the appointment of N Chandrasekaran, as "illegal" following the October 2016 sacking of Mistry as Tata Sons' executive chairman. It had also directed the RoC to reverse Tata Sons' status from a 'private company' to a 'public company'. In its urgent application, which was mentioned on 23 December, just five days after the NCLAT's judgement, RoC Mumbai has asked the appellate tribunal "to carry out requisite amendments" in Para 186 and 187 (iv) of its judgement "to correctly reflect the conduct of the RoC Mumbai as not being illegal and being as per the provisions of the Companies Act". Besides, it has also urged "to delete the aspersions made regarding any hurried help accorded by the RoC Mumbai to Tata Sons, except what was statutorily required" in para 181 of the order. "The instant application is being filed for seeking impleadment of the applicant (RoC) in company appeal.., and for further seeking amendments in the judgement dated December 18, 2019, passed there in by this appellate tribunal due to factual and legal errors, which are apparent in the body of the aforementioned judgement," the petition said. In the order, the appellate tribunal has also quashed the conversion of Tata Sons - the principal holding company and promoter of Tata firmsinto a private company from a public firm and had termed it as "illegal". The tribunal has said that the action taken by the RoC to allow the firm to become a private company was against the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, and 'prejudicial' and 'oppressive' to the minority member (Mistry Camp). "The company (Tata Sons) shall be recorded as 'public company'. The RoC will make corrections in its record showing the company as 'public company'," the NCLAT had said. In its judgement, the tribunal had said the action of Tata Sons board to hurriedly change the company from 'public' to 'private' without following the procedure under law, with the help of the RoC before filing of the appeal suggests that the nominated members of 'Tata Trusts' who have affirmative voting right over majority decision of the board and other members, acted in a manner 'prejudicial' to the members, including minority members (Shapoorji Pallonji Group) and others as also 'prejudicial' to the company. The RoC also said it has acted in "bonafide manner" in converting the status of Tata Sons as "there was no stay granted by this appellate tribunal on the operation of the judgement dated July 9, 2018 of Mumbai, NCLT, at the time when this intimation was filed by Tata Sons Ltd". In its petition, the RoC had asked "to carry out the requisite amendment in paragraphs ... of the judgement dated December 18, 2019, to correctly reflect the conduct of RoC Mumbai as not being illegal and being as per the provisions of the Companies Act along with the rules". Months after Mistry was sacked, Tata Sons had received its shareholders' nod in September 2017, to convert itself into a private limited company from a public limited company, thereby absolving it of the need to take shareholder consent in taking crucial decisions, which could be passed with just the board's approval. Tata Sons was initially a 'private company', but after insertion of Section 43A (1A) in the Companies Act, 1956, on the basis of average annual turnover, it assumed the character of a deemed 'public company' with effect from February 1, 1975, the order said. Maryfran Johnson is the host of CIO.coms CIO Leadership Live video show and former Editor in Chief of CIO magazine and Events. Contact her at maryfran@mfj.media 02.01.2020 LISTEN Seeing climate activist Greta Thunburg on the cover of Time magazine the youngest person ever named its person of the year reminded me of the courageous enthusiasm that defines the burgeoning youth movement in the global agricultural sector. In just this past year I've had the pleasure to meet many of these vibrant young champions like Rwandan agripreneur Pacifique Nshimiyimana, who wonderfully articulates how millennials are embracing technology to solve Africa's farming challenges, and Talha Masror, a Bangladeshi extension agent who is introducing an entire generation to biotechnology through his popular YouTube channel. I've seen formidable female farmers like Ruramiso Mashumba, Sussana Phiri and Slyvia Tetteh emerge as passionate champions for the motto keep calm; African women will feed the world. And I've shared a stage with science communicators like Abdullahi Tsanni, who is helping the people of Nigeria understand the innovations that promise to reshape their agricultural sector. These young people are building a dynamic movement of sustainability and food security. It's a movement founded on the solid science and humanitarian vision of those who have devoted their research to ending hunger and improving farmers' lives like the scientists at Nigeria's Institute of Agricultural Research who painstakingly bred local varieties of cowpea to successfully resist the destructive pod-borer pest. As science allies, we're all part of this exciting new movement, sharing the joy and satisfaction of the landmark decision on Bt cowpea that allows smallholder farmers in Nigeria to reap the biotech benefits of reduced pesticide use, higher yields and lower production costs while ensuring a steady supply of a protein-rich staple food that feeds millions of West Africans. In just the past week, we've also seen Golden Rice progress in the Philippines and Bt cotton advance in Kenya. Like the other young advocates on the global stage, the Alliance for Science is adding its own unique energy to the movement for real and positive change in agriculture. Though we just turned five this year, we're also building on a solid foundation the decades of collective experience that our core team and an ever-expanding global network of individual allies and organizational partners bring to the table. As we move into a new year, a new decade, events are making it even more apparent that we're all in this together young, old and in-between. And together, we're already making a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of people across the planet. I hope you will continue to support our efforts through your tax-deductible gift. Every person, and every donation, contributes to the movement that is ending hunger and improving lives. In the year ahead, I look forward to meeting more young champions, celebrating new victories in agricultural innovation and growing the Cornell Alliance for Science. Let's go all in to ensure that 2020 lays the groundwork for a decade of amazing advances in the lab and on the farm. Happy New Year! Sarah Evanega Director, Cornell Alliance for Science About Us Cornell Alliance for Science is a global communications initiative based at Cornell University the USA that is working to promote access to scientific innovation as a means of enhancing food security, improving environmental sustainability, and raising the quality of life globally. Cornell Alliance for Science notes on its website that it is building a global network of science allies to solve complex global hunger issues by leveraging advances in agriculture, including biotechnology. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are promoting the work of a journalist-run Instagram account that focuses on positive news stories globally as part of their work into the New Year. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will 'shine a spotlight' on the @goodnews_movement as they choose a different Instagram account each month to remind followers of 'all the good that is happening in the world.' It comes just one day after Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, shared an unseen picture of baby Archie in a highlight reel of their top moments of 2019. Their latest post on their official lnstagram account read: 'Happy New Year! For 2020 we will be continuing our tradition of highlighting accounts that inspire, and that remind us of all the good that is happening in the world. Harry and Meghan with their baby son Archie meeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu during their trip to South Africa The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will 'shine a spotlight' on the @goodnews_movement as they choose a different Instagram account each month to remind followers of 'all the good that is happening in the world.' They made the announcement on their Instagram account 'However, this time we will be focusing on just one account each month. For January, we would like to shine a spotlight on @goodnews_movement. 'This journalist run-page covers and celebrates acts of kindness and good news in our global community. We hope it brings you joy!' Who is the Instagram account's founder Michelle Figueroa? Michelle Figueroa is Boston correspondent for CNN's Spanish-speaking news service, CNNEE. She also contributes to a number of other outlets, including CNN, AJ+, Discovery, PBS and the New York Post. Figueroa speaks three languages, English, Spanish and Portuguese, and lists her skills as 'finding unique and sometimes untold stories'. Advertisement The goodnews_movement, which has 189,000 followers, describes itself as a journalist-run page for 'good news only' which celebrates community heroes and acts of kindness across the globe. The page was founded by Michelle Figueroa, the Boston correspondent for CNN's Spanish-speaking news service. Recent stories that it covers include plans by Greyhound to give homeless, young people free tickets to return home or to a safe place, as well as other stories about donations given to refuge shelters over the Christmas period. The Duke and Duchess rang in the New Year by hitting a staggering 10 million followers. Their Royal account broke a Guinness World Record when launching on April 2 last year. It became the fastest Instagram profile to reach one million followers in less than six hours. This was later beaten by Friends star Jennifer Aniston who gained a million followers in five hours and 45 minutes, upon joining the site in October. And the most recent picture of Harry, standing by a lake in what is thought to be their Canadian hideaway on Vancouver Island, as he smiles at a beaming Archie, has been viewed over 3.4 million times since it was posted on New Years Eve. Sharing the post, which racked up over 260,000 likes in half an hour, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrote: '2019 in review. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and thanking you for your continued support! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have shared an unseen picture of baby Archie in a highlight reel of their top moments of 2019. The first picture shows Prince Harry standing by a lake in an unknown location, which could be Canada, as he smiles at a beaming Archie Baby Archie was front and centre in the duke and duchess' Christmas card this year, pictured The goodnews_movement, which has 189,000 followers, describes itself as a journalist-run page for 'good news only' which celebrates community heroes and acts of kindness 'We've loved meeting so many of you from around the world and can't wait to meet many more of you next year. We hope 2020 brings each of you health and continued happiness. - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.' They added: 'Special thanks to Chris Martin and Coldplay for allowing us to use one of their songs'. Elsewhere a throwback to the 8th May shows Meghan and Harry introducing little Archie to the world at Windsor Palace. The video offers some retrospective of the Sussexes' busy year. A picture shows the Duchess of Sussex during her pregnancy at the National Theater, on January 30, 2019. The Instagram page founded by Michelle Figueroa, the Boston correspondent for CNN's Spanish-speaking news service In another snap, Harry proudly stands next to Sir David Attenborough, his brother William, 37 and Prince Charles, 71, at a screening at the Natural History Museum in London for the world premiere of his new Netflix series 'Our Planet'. The video fondly looks back on several of Harry and Meghan's joint engagements as expecting parents, like their Morocco visit in February, where they met with local children. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent their first Christmas with baby Archie in a $14.1 million waterfront mansion owned by a mystery multi-millionaire, DailyMail.com revealed last week. The royal family and the Duchess of Sussex's mother Doria Ragland enjoyed time in one of the most idyllic spots on Vancouver Island. Their presence in Canada had been confirmed before Christmas by prime minster Justin Trudeau. The eight-bedroom gated estate on Vancouver Island, Canada, boasts two beaches and views across the peninsula from the four acre property. Harry and Meghan's presence in North Saanich was first revealed by local restaurateur Pierre Koffel and his wife Bev, who reportedly turned away the royal couple from their high-end restaurant because of their intense security requirements. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are promoting the work of a journalist-run Instagram account that focuses on positive news stories globally as part of their work into the New Year Koffel says he was merely visited by the royals' security team and didn't decline their reservations but has still faced a backlash with 'hundreds' of emails and 'dozens' of phone calls from Harry and Meghan fans berating him for denying their favorite royals their Christmas dinner. The chef and co-owner of the Deep Cove Chalet in North Saanich told DailyMail.com that he and his wife were tricked into revealing the royals' secret getaway, and have now received 'hundreds of emails, tens of phonecalls' accusing he and his wife of being 'terrible people'. The restaurateur's wife, Bev, told the Vancouver Sun on Christmas Eve that they had been visited by Harry and Meghan's security detail, casing their restaurant for a potential dinner spot for the couple. The royals have had an action-packed year, with the high point being the arrival of baby Archie on May 6 weighing 7lb 3oz. Two days later baby Archie was introduced to the world at a photocall in the Castle's St George's Hall, with Meghan declaring: 'It's magic, it's pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy.' Keen to give him a normal life, Harry and Meghan chose not to use the courtesy title Earl Dumbarton or style him Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, making a personal decision he should be a plain Master. Just months before Archie's arrival, Harry and Meghan undertook an official royal tour of Morocco in February. Following his birth in the spring, the couple kept a relatively low profile over the summer, engaging in various charity visits. Inside Archie's first Christmas: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle treated their 'confident, social butterfly' son to 'books, building blocks and a ball pit', source claims By Jessica Green for MailOnline The Duke and Duchess of Sussex treated their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor to 'books, building blocks and a ball pit' for Christmas, according to a royal source. Meghan Markle, 38, and Prince Harry, 35, reportedly 'couldn't help' but spoil the seven-month-old for his first festive big day. Speaking to Us Weekly, the source also gave an update on the little one's budding personality, revealing Archie looks set to be a 'confident social butterfly'. The Sussexes are currently enjoying their festive break in Canada, alongside Meghan's mother Doria Ragland. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (pictured in October with their son) treated Archie Mountbatten-Windsor to 'books, building blocks and a ball pit' for Christmas, a source claims Revealing details of the family's first Christmas, the insider claimed: 'Archie is Meghan and Harrys world, and they cant help [it]. 'For Christmas, they bought him books, building blocks, a baby ball pit. Its not all about extravagant gifts for them.' They added: 'You can tell Archies going to be a confident social butterfly. He loves being entertained and interacting with people. 'Some children get shy or nervous around new people, but not Archie. Hell go to anyone without kicking up a fuss!' Harry and Meghan spent their first Christmas with baby Archie in a $14.1 million waterfront mansion owned by a mystery multi-millionaire, DailyMail.com revealed last week. The royal family and the Duchess of Sussex's mother Doria Ragland enjoyed time in one of the most idyllic spots on Vancouver Island. Their presence in Canada had been confirmed before Christmas by prime minster Justin Trudeau. The royals have had an action-packed year, with the high point being the arrival of baby Archie on May 6 weighing 7lb 3oz. Pictured: The family in South Africa in October this year The eight-bedroom gated estate on Vancouver Island, Canada, boasts two beaches and views across the peninsula from the four acre property. Harry and Meghan's presence in North Saanich was first revealed by local restaurateur Pierre Koffel and his wife Bev, who reportedly turned away the royal couple from their high-end restaurant because of their intense security requirements. Koffel says he was merely visited by the royals' security team and didn't decline their reservations but has still faced a backlash with 'hundreds' of emails and 'dozens' of phone calls from Harry and Meghan fans berating him for denying their favorite royals their Christmas dinner. The chef and co-owner of the Deep Cove Chalet in North Saanich told DailyMail.com that he and his wife were tricked into revealing the royals' secret getaway, and have now received 'hundreds of emails, tens of phonecalls' accusing he and his wife of being 'terrible people'. The restaurateur's wife, Bev, told the Vancouver Sun on Christmas Eve that they had been visited by Harry and Meghan's security detail, casing their restaurant for a potential dinner spot for the couple. The royals have had an action-packed year, with the high point being the arrival of baby Archie on May 6 weighing 7lb 3oz. Two days later baby Archie was introduced to the world at a photocall in the Castle's St George's Hall, with Meghan declaring: 'It's magic, it's pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy.' Keen to give him a normal life, Harry and Meghan chose not to use the courtesy title Earl Dumbarton or style him Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, making a personal decision he should be a plain Master. DALLAS - A Texas judge on Thursday sided with a hospital that plans to remove an 11-month-old girl from life support after her mother disagreed with the decision by doctors who say the infant is in pain and that her condition will never improve. Trinity Lewis had asked Judge Sandee Bryan Marion to issue an injunction in Tarrant County district court to ensure that Cook Childrens Medical Center doesnt end her daughter Tinslee Lewis life-sustaining treatment. Texas Right to Life, an anti-abortion group that is advocating for Tinslee, said the girls mother will appeal the judges decision. Doctors at the Fort Worth hospital had planned to remove Tinslee from life support Nov. 10 after invoking Texas 10-day rule, which can be employed when a family disagrees with doctors who say life-sustaining treatment should be stopped. The law stipulates that if the hospitals ethics committee agrees with doctors, treatment can be withdrawn after 10 days if a new provider cant be found to take the patient. In a statement issued by Texas Right to Life, which opposes the 10-day rule, Lewis said she was heartbroken over the judges decision. I feel frustrated because anyone in that courtroom would want more time just like I do if Tinslee were their baby, she said. The hospital said in a statement Thursday that in order to keep Tinslee alive, shes on a constant stream of painkillers, sedatives and paralytics. She currently has severe sepsis, which isnt uncommon when patients require deep sedation and chemical paralysis, it said. Even with the most extraordinary measures the medical team is taking, Tinslee continues to suffer, the hospital said. Efforts to find another facility to take her have been unsuccessful. The hospital said it has reached out to more than 20 facilities. Texas Right to Life and Protect TX Fragile Kids have also been trying to find a facility to take her. Prior to Thursdays ruling, both sides agreed that if Marion denied the injunction request, the hospital would wait at least seven days before taking Tinslee off life-support. In her decision, Marion said the seven-day period would give the girls mother time to file a notice of appeal and a motion for emergency relief with a state court of appeals. Tinslee has been at Cook Childrens since her premature birth. The hospital said she has a rare heart defect and suffers from chronic lung disease and severe chronic high blood pressure. She hasnt come off a ventilator since going into respiratory arrest in early July and requires full respiratory and cardiac support. Lewis testified at a hearing last month that despite her daughters sedation, she has a sense of the girls likes and dislikes, describing her as sassy. She said Tinslee likes getting her nails done but doesnt like having her hair brushed. I want to be the one to make the decision for her, Lewis said about removing her daughter from life support. At the hearing last month, Dr. Jay Duncan, one of Tinslees physicians, described the girls complex conditions and Cook Childrens efforts to treat her, which have included about seven surgeries. The cardiac intensive care doctor said that for the first five months of Tinslees life doctors had hope she might one day at least be able to go home. But Duncan said there came a point when doctors determined they had run out of surgical and clinical options, and that treatment was no longer benefiting Tinslee. Duncan said last month that the girl would likely die within half a year, and noted the hospital has made extraordinary efforts to find another facility for her. She is in pain. Changing a diaper causes pain. Suctioning her breathing tube causes pain. Being on the ventilator causes pain, he said. Duncan said there had been many, many conversations with Tinslees family about her dire condition. Tarrant County Juvenile Court Judge Alex Kim issued a temporary restraining order to stop the removal of life support on Nov. 10. But Kim was removed from the case after the hospital filed a motion questioning his impartiality and saying he had bypassed case-assignment rules to designate himself as the presiding judge. After his removal, Judge Marion, who is chief justice of Texas Fourth Court of Appeals, was assigned to hear the request for an injunction in Tarrant County district court. The case has become a rallying point for Republicans in Texas, with the attorney general stating his opposition to the 10-day rule and GOP state Rep. Tan Parker saying it doesnt fit with Texas values. The 1999 law that shields from lawsuits doctors who follow the process of going through an ethics committee was crafted by a task force that included lawmakers, attorneys, doctors and anti-abortion groups. Supporters of the law passed when George W. Bush, a Republican, was governor include the Texas Alliance for Life, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops and the Texas Medical Association. Supporters say the law provides a framework for doctors and hospitals to resolve differences and ensures that doctors cant be forced to perform medical interventions that cause harm or suffering. D ominic Cummings has posted a baffling job advert calling for "super-talented weirdos", "wild cards" and "unusual mathematicians" to work in Number 10. Boris Johnson's special adviser published a blog post on Thursday saying that Downing Street wants to hire "an unusual set of people with different skills and backgrounds". Mr Cummings said that job categories are for "weirdos and misfits with odd skills" as well as economists, communication experts and junior researchers, one of whom "will be my personal assistant". For the personal assistant role, Mr Cummings said the job would mean no "weekday date nights" and the employee will have to "sacrifice many weekends" "Frankly it will [be] hard having a boy/girlfriend at all," he added. "It will be exhausting but interesting and if you cut it you will be involved in things at the age of ~21 that most people never see." Dominic Cummings is Boris Johnson's special adviser / UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag He also warned that he would "bin you within weeks if you don't fit - don't complain later because I made it clear now". The blog says: "We need some true wild cards, artists, people who never went to university and fought their way out of an appalling hell hole. He also appealed for "weirdos from William Gibson novels like that girl hired by Bigend as a brand diviner who feels sick at the sight of Tommy Hilfiger or that Chinese-Cuban free runner from a crime family hired by the KGB." He added: "If you want to figure out what characters around Putin might do, or how international criminal gangs might exploit holes in our border security, you dont want more Oxbridge English graduates who chat about Lacan at dinner parties with TV producers and spread fake news about fake news." Applicants have been encouraged to apply with a one-page email of ideas to an unofficial Gmail account - ideasfornumber10@gmail.com. Dominic Cummings has posted a job advert for Downing Street / PA It comes after Tory adviser Rachel Wolf said the civil service is facing "seismic" changes after the Conservative Party secured a landslide win in the general election. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Ms Wolf said reported plans for merging, creating or abolishing departments are just a "tiny fraction" of the changes set to be implemented. Ms Wolf said the changes, set to begin in the spring after the UK is due to leave the EU at the end of the month, will end the "merry-go-round" of officials changing jobs every 18 months. Posting the job advert on Wednesday, Mr Cummings added: "We want to improve performance and make me much less important and within a year largely redundant. "At the moment I have to make decisions well outside what Charlie Munger calls my circle of competence and we do not have the sort of expertise supporting the Prime Minister and ministers that is needed. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Population Department has estimated that the countrys population will likely reach 65 million people in 2050. Myanmars 2014 census was the first in the country in 30 years. The last census before 2014 was in 1984 and recorded a population of 35.3 million people. The country has recently been conducting the 2019 Population By-Census, a five-year update to the 2014 survey. A new statement by the Department of Population, which falls under the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population, estimates that Myanmars population is now around 54,456,760 people. Myanmars population has increased by more than 2 million in the five years since the 2014 nationwide census, which recorded a total population of almost 52 million. YANGONMyanmars population has reached nearly 54.5 million people, according to new estimates released on Jan. 1 by the Department of Population. Residents of Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, gather to ring in 2020. Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy Residents of Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, gather to ring in 2020. Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy 'Grass' or 'VIP'? How Rural Vietnamese Make the Treacherous Journey to Europe Three Get Bail in Trial for Myanmar Comedians Death 37 Civilians Sued by MPs for Criticism Since NLD Took Power AA, Myanmar Military Blame Each Other for Death of Local NLD Chief in Rakhine Principles Should Take Precedence Over Details in Charter Reform Tourists Stay Away From Taj Mahal, Other Indian Attractions as Protests Flare Why Does the Myanmar Military Rebuff the Work of the Constitutional Amendment Committee? We do not encourage viewing this site in this width. Please increase the size of your window. NASA Parker Probe Reveals New Characteristics Of The Sun News oi-Vishal Kawadkar NASA's Parker Probe has brought new information about the Sun into the light. Scientists might now be able to understand previously theorized characteristics of the Sun. The probe uses Venus' gravity for its flybys around the Sun and gathers information about its atmosphere. The first set of results published in a series of four papers gives a detailed explanation of the processes that are responsible for solar winds and how they match up with the solar rotation. The mission has also managed to detect very small particle acceleration events that aren't detectable from Earth. The solar wind detected near our planet has a uniform flow and interacts with Earth's magnetic field resulting in space weather effects. However, near the Sun, Parker Probe observed a highly structured system that works similar to a transition zone of a river that flows into an ocean. This also marks as the first time when researchers are able to study the origin of solar winds i.e the Sun's corona, the outmost part of the atmosphere. The new observation is different from the information that scientists have gathered from the impact of solar winds on Earth. Parker's latest findings of the Sun constantly ejecting energy will help scientists revamp models used for understanding space weather and better understand the birth and evolution of a star. The study will also help build better space technology and protect astronauts, claims NASA. Parker probe is embarking on its fourth orbit around the Sun and is around 126 million km away. The probe managed to get in a 24.1 million radius of the Sun on November 6, 2018. The probe will push its limit even further in the future traveling at a speed of more than 343,000 km/h. 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 The defence in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case claimed on Wednesday that no damaged hard disk was ever recovered from Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao's residence by the Pune police last year Pune: The defence in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case claimed on Wednesday that no damaged hard disk was ever recovered from Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao's residence by the Pune police last year. Rao is one of the nine persons arrested in the case. Advocate Rohan Nahar, his lawyer, filed an application before the trial court, seeking clarification on media reports that the police were going to seek the help of US investigation agency FBI to retrieve data from a damaged hard disk seized from Rao's house. Nahar said in the application that Pune Police, in the charge sheet, annexed four panchnamas (spot reports) of search and seizure of "so-called" evidence from Rao's and other accused's houses and offices. "No mention of seizure of any damaged hard disk is found in the panchanamas," the lawyer argued. "In this backdrop it is necessary to seek a formal stand/report from the police on media reports," the plea said, requesting the court to direct the state to submit a detailed report on this "controversy". According to a police official, a hard disk seized from Rao's house in August 2018 was sent to four forensic laboratories, all of which failed to recover any data from it. The prosecution recently submitted a draft charge sheet against 19 accused, including arrested activists Rao, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Sudha Bharadwaj. According to Pune Police, the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on 31 December, 2017, was supported by Maoists, and inflammatory speeches made there led to caste violence at Koregaon Bhima war memorial in the district the next day. Conspiracy to "assassinate" Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "overthrow" the government, besides "waging war" against the Government of India, are among the charges proposed by the prosecution. North Korea's Kim Jong Un has been spotted riding his white horse into the mountains once again. Similar trips have preceded major policy decisions, and experts think 2020 could herald a return to long-range missile launches or other weapons tests. Kim says North Korea has a "new strategic weapon", and insists there is no longer reason for Pyongyang to be bound by a self-imposed suspension on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests - the strongest indication yet that the North could resume the major testing it suspended over two years ago in the run-up to diplomacy talks with the U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (January 1) he felt assured that Kim would stay true to his promises to denuclearize. U.S. military officials say they see a long-range missile launch as one of the most likely options. Others suggest the North could launch a satellite, deploy the new ballistic missile submarine it claims to be developing, or field new domestically produced "transporter erector launcher" - basically vehicles for its largest missiles. Its plans could also involve mass-producing more weapons. Essentially, all of this means North Korea could be producing faster rockets - and more warheads. In December, it said it had carried out two important nuclear tests for a weapon that could counter nuclear threats from the U.S. Analysts in Washington and Seoul said it seemed likely the North had tested rocket engines, but a final card North Korea could play would be an atmospheric test of a nuclear warhead. Experts say the latter is unlikely, as it could anger Pyongyang's backers in Beijing and Moscow. Leading property developer Pat Crean has been refused planning permission for a small development of luxury homes in an upmarket Dublin suburb on a number of grounds - including its low density. A residents' association and property management company were among objectors who appealed the decision of Dublin City Council to approve the development of 14 houses on the site of the former Highfield nursery in Rathgar. An Bord Pleanala overturned the council's decision to grant planning permission for the application by Crekav Trading, a subsidiary of Mr Crean's Marlet group, for the development of "generously sized family homes". The area, off Highfield Road and close to St Luke's Hospital, has some of the most expensive properties in Dublin. An Bord Pleanala said the proposed density of 22 housing units per hectare and the preponderance of four-bedroom houses would not provide an acceptable efficient use of serviceable land. The board said the density was contrary to ministerial guidelines, which generally recommend permission should only be granted for projects with a density in excess of 30 units per hectare in urban areas. It also refused permission because access to the site was through land not under the control of Crekav. The board rejected the recommendation of its own inspector to grant planning permission for the project. The expanding legalization of marijuana in Midwest states captured the attention of Insurance Journal readers last year. Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational cannabis when Gov. J.B. Pritzker in June 2019 signed legislation doing just that. Missouri in late 2018 passed an amendment allowing for legalized medical cannabis, becoming to the 33rd state to approve of medical usage of marijuana. Both states last year began preparing for legalization. Illinois vendors opened their doors on Jan. 1, 2020. Missouri continues to work on licensing businesses. Marijuana is also fully legal both recreational and medical in Michigan, and among the states in Insurance Journals Midwest region, only three Kansas, South Dakota and Wisconsin do not have some form of legalization or decriminalization on the books. But interest is obviously high as some of the most popular articles in the Midwest region last year addressed legalized cannabis in some form. The top three stories in IJs Midwest region for 2019 are: The most-read article in the Midwest region, published very early in the year Jan. 4, took up the issue of legalization in Illinois well before a law was passed and signed with a discussion of how the state would approach the regulation of what continues to be an illegal substance on the federal level. Other well-read Midwest region stories that ran last year on the topic of cannabis legalization include: With New, Legal Cannabis Industries, Illinois and Missouri Can Learn from Pioneer States, Indianas Governor Still Against Legalizing Marijuana, Medical or Otherwise With Governors Signature, Illinois Is 11th State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana, Wisconsin Governor to Propose Decriminalizing Marijuana; Michigan Commission: THC Level Not a Reliable Indicator of Driving Impairment; and In Midwest, Legal Marijuana Sales May Spark Interstate Tension. Its not much of a stretch to assume that cannabis legalization will continue to be a compelling topic during 2020 and for years to come. The second most widely read article in the Midwest last year covered the announcement that American Family Insurance would buy Ameriprise Auto & Home (AAH) in a transaction worth more than $1 billion. Both companies are headquartered in Wisconsin American Family in Madison and Ameriprise Auto & Home in De Pere. The acquisition was finalized in the third quarter of 2019. American Family paid approximately $1.135 billion for the purchase of AAH from Ameriprise Financial. Jessie Stauffacher, chief operating officer at American Family Insurance since 2017, was tapped to lead Ameriprise Auto & Home as president and CEO, succeeding Tom Ealy, who retired as president and CEO but served as a consultant through the end of the year. Sharena Ali joined Ameriprise Auto & Home in the newly created position of chief operating officer. Ali had been senior vice president of partner distribution at Homesite, an American Family subsidiary that sells property insurance through partners. She joined Homesite in 2016 after leadership roles at AIG, Travelers and Progressive. AAH sells its products through partners such as wholesaler Costco and Ameriprise Financial, through referrals from its financial advisors. Those partnerships will continue and AAH will actively seek new partnerships, the companies said. The problem of how to lower the high cost of auto insurance in Michigan has been a topic of debate in that state for years, but in 2019 lawmakers finally succeeded in passing legislation aimed at lowering that cost. The bill passed in May, following an agreement between Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Under the bill, drivers may choose forego a one-of-a-kind requirement to buy unlimited medical coverage for crash injuries. Whitmer said the legislation would guarantee rate reductions for every motorist and offer choices for personal injury protection, or PIP, levels. Michigan has been the only state to require unlimited PIP benefits, which critics say contributed to its status as the state with the countrys highest car premiums. The unlimited PIP benefits cover medical treatment, rehabilitation expenses, lost wages for three years and up to $20 daily for assistance with things like cooking, cleaning and other services people can no longer carry out due to their injuries. Starting in mid-2020 people will be able to forego PIP entirely if they have health insurance such as an employer plan or Medicare. Other options will include sticking with unlimited coverage or choosing either $250,000 or $500,000 worth. Those on Medicaid will have to carry at least $50,000 in PIP. Passage of a bill to cut car insurance rates was a priority for Republican lawmakers. Quicken Loans Dan Gilbert was so serious about the issue he launched a ballot drive as a failsafe in case legislation to lower rates failed. His aim was to enable GOP lawmakers to overhaul the no-fault law without having to worry about a gubernatorial veto. Other widely read Midwest stories from last year include: Topics Legislation Auto Cannabis Michigan Missouri Illinois Wisconsin The government has no option but to privatise as it has around Rs 80,000-crore debt and needs cooperation of the employees for carrying out the privatisation process, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri is said to have told the airline unions on Thursday. At a meeting with some 13 unions in Delhi, Puri also said that the government was trying to address the concerns of the employees regarding issues such as job protection post privatisation, a union representative said. "The minister said that has a debt of Rs 80,000 crore and no expert has solution to that. In this situation, privatisation is the only choice left for the government," one of the union representatives told PTI after the meeting, which lasted for an hour. He also said that Puri sought cooperation from all airline unions in carrying out the disinvestment process of the national carrier. Last week, a senior Air India official said the airline might have to go out of business in the manner similar to the now-defunct Jet Airways if a new investor does not come on board by June. Pope Francis's attempt to wrest himself from the grasp of an ardent follower this week have left some asking -- where was the pontiff's security detail? Often dubbed the "People's Pope", Francis's ability to engage with crowds -- and his apparent relish in doing so -- puts him in close proximity with the throngs who gather to greet him. Whether taking selfies with the faithful, shaking hands, or blessing children, the head of 1.3 billion Catholics around the world is protected by bodyguards from a special corps charged with the pope's security. But on New Year's Eve in Saint Peter's Square, televised images showed a woman behind a barricade grabbing Francis's hand, while three men in black can be seen in the background. The Pope swats at the woman's hand to free himself, before one of the men is seen restraining her hands. Francis later apologised for setting a "bad example". By Thursday, after the images circulated online, some people took to Twitter to question how the incident could have happened. "The guy has a literal army to protect him and has to do his own slapping?" asked one Twitter user. Another commented: "The Pope has a very lax security detail." The Vatican's security department declined to comment. One security expert however said bodyguards should have intervened earlier. "It's the Pope's security team who should be apologising," said the founder of Italy's elite special police interventions unit, whose identity is protected but who goes by the name Commandant Alfa. "The lady wouldn't let go of the Pope's hand, and he was forced to slap her hand a little bit in order to get out of the way," Alfa told the AGI agency. "But it shouldn't have gotten to that point." The pope's chief bodyguard and head of Vatican security, Domenico Giani, resigned in October after an internal security memo related to a Vatican financial probe was leaked to the press. Papal security became a top priority at the Vatican after the 1981 assassination attempt of pope Jean Paul II by Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turk, in Saint Peter's Square. Heightened security measures that followed included making the Popemobile bulletproof and the addition of metal detectors on entering the square. Francis told a Spanish newspaper in 2014 he preferred not to use the bulletproof Popemobile, likening it to a "sardine can". But even overly enthusiastic fans have posed security risks. In 2009, before a Christmas Eve Mass given by then pope Benedict XVI, a woman who later said she wanted to give the pontiff a hug jumped over a barricade and grabbed his robes, pulling the 82-year-old to the ground. Benedict was not injured but a French cardinal broke his leg in the melee. When Francis became pope in 2013, his low-key style and desire to bring the Roman Catholic Church closer to the people posed new headaches for the Vatican's elaborate security team, whose colourful Swiss Guards are the most visible members. "You have to respect the personal style of each pope," said Francis's spokesman at the time, Federico Lombardi. "It's not for the heads of security to decide these things. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Doing good deeds can help reduce pain, researchers have found. Experts found that cancer sufferers who carried out altruistic acts were less susceptible to chronic pain. Scientists at Peking University in Beijing put 287 participants through different scenarios. Experts at Peking University found that cancer sufferers who carried out altruistic acts were less susceptible to chronic pain (stock) In one, researchers recruited cancer patients living with chronic pain and asked them to cook and clean for themselves or for the benefit of others at their treatment centre. When helping others, their suffering levels dropped. But when they did the work for their own benefit, the pain-relieving effect was much smaller. In another scenario, those who volunteered to give blood after an earthquake experienced less discomfort than those who did a routine blood test in a hospital, despite the use of a larger needle. In perhaps the most telling experiment, participants felt less pain when their hands were given an electric shock if they first gave money to help orphans. Authors of the study said doctors should consider prescribing altruism to supplement current behavioural therapies to treat pain (stock) Scans showed that the pain-control centres in the brains of those who donated reacted less to the shock than those who did not give money. Acting altruistically relieved not only acutely induced physical pain among healthy adults but also chronic pain among cancer patients, concluded the authors of the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. They said doctors should consider prescribing altruism to supplement current behavioural therapies to treat pain. The Glass-Glen Burnie Foundation plans to sell 20 acres where 70 single-family homes are planned. (Duncan Slade for The Washington Post) Some Winchester residents say the project violates the wishes of the late Julian Wood Glass Jr. and the mission of the foundation created with his wealth. Carlos Ghosn, former chairman of Nissan Motor Co., sits in a vehicle as he leaves his lawyer's office in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, March 6, 2019. Fugitive former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn met Lebanon's president after fleeing from Japan, where he was smuggled out of house arrest by a private security company, two sources close to Ghosn said on Wednesday. One of the sources said Ghosn was greeted warmly by President Michel Aoun on Monday after flying into Beirut via Istanbul and was now in a buoyant and combative mood and felt secure. The plan to slip Ghosn out of Japan, which marked the latest twist in a year-old saga that has shaken the global auto industry, was crafted over three months, the two sources said. "It was a very professional operation from start to finish," one of them said. Meanwhile, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that Tokyo prosecutors on Thursday raided the residence of Ghosn after his surprise escape days ago from Japan, where he was awaiting trial on four charges of financial wrongdoing, to Lebanon. In his meeting at the presidency, Ghosn thanked Aoun for the support he had given him and his wife Carole while he was in detention, the sources said. He now needs the protection and security of his government after fleeing Japan, the sources added. The meeting between Aoun and Ghosn has not been made public and a media adviser to the president's office denied the two men had met. The two sources said specifics of the meeting were described to them by Ghosn. Ghosn could not be reached for comment on the meeting and has been silent publicly other than to issue a written statement shortly after his arrival saying he had "escaped injustice and political persecution." Lebanese officials have said there would be no need to take legal measures against Ghosn because he entered the country legally on a French passport, although Ghosn's French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports are with lawyers in Japan. The French and Lebanese foreign ministries have said they were unaware of the circumstances of his journey. Lebanon has no extradition agreement with Japan. Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faces four charges - which he denies - including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East. He has enjoyed an outpouring of support from Lebanon since his 2018 arrest, with billboards proclaiming, "We are all Carlos Ghosn" erected in solidarity with his case. Under the terms of his bail, he had been confined to his house in Tokyo and had to have cameras installed at the entrance. He was prevented from communicating with his wife, Carole, and had his use of the internet and other communications curtailed. The sources said the Lebanese ambassador to Japan had visited him daily while he was in detention. Oxygen When a stage performance is going on, all eyes are on the stage. Could someone really disappear mid-show? It's exactly what happened to Helen Mintiks. It was the night of July 23, 1980. The Berlin Ballet was performing at the famous Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. At one point during the performance, recorded music was played instead of the orchestra, which was made up of talented freelance musicians. These musicians used this period as a break. But 45 minutes later, around 9:30 p.m. T he former chairman of Nissan Carlos Ghosn has said his family played no role in his escape from Japan to Lebanon. In a statement Ghosn said he alone facilitated his exit from the country. It comes after he skipped his 1.5 billion yen (10 million) bail before a trial on financial misconduct charges in Japan and fled to Lebanon four days ago. The 65-year-old denies the charges against him. Ghosn said on Thursday: "There has been speculation in the media that my wife Carole, and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan. All such speculation is inaccurate and false." Japanese prosecutors raided his Tokyo home on Thursday / AP "I alone arranged for my departure. My family had no role whatsoever." It follows Japanese prosecutors raiding his Tokyo home earlier on Thursday. A few hours later, Lebanon received an international wanted notice from Interpol, the country's justice minister said. While authorities said that Ghosn entered legally on a French passport, Justice Minister Albert Serhan said the Lebanese prosecution "will carry out its duties", suggesting for the first time that he may be brought in for questioning. Ghosn, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, said he left for Lebanon because Japans judicial system was unjust and he wanted to avoid "political persecution. It is unclear how Ghosn avoided the surveillance he was under in Japan. Reports that he was carried out of his home in a wooden case for a musical instrument and spirited out of the country on a private jet have already been described as fiction by his wife Carole. It came after he skipped his 1.5 billion yen (10 million) bail before a trial on financial misconduct charges in Japan and fled to Lebanon. If I will die, let it ... Opinion Article 2 January 2020 In the lead up to the 2020 Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), we asked a number of industry partners how they are transforming their business for tomorrow. Advertisements As we enter a new decade in an era now dubbed the '4thIndustrial Revolution' or the '4IR', the pace of change, from advances in technology to evolving consumer demographics and preferences, continues to accelerate. In the Middle East, one of the world's most dynamic hospitality markets, this rapid evolution is even more pronounced as governments fast-track investment in new infrastructure to transform and future-proof their economies, with Saudi Arabia a leading example. In fact the kingdom has been recognised as a 4IR front runner as the fifth country globally to establish a Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a World Economic Forum (WEF) initiative. Saudi Arabia acknowledges how technologies that combine hardware, software and biology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), analytics and blockchain, as well as advances in communication and connectivity, play an essential role in driving economic development and social progress. This is crucial as the kingdom forges ahead with Vision 2030 and calls for all industries earmarked for transformation under this strategy to embrace 4IR and adapt rapidly. With the tourism and hospitality sector a focal point, the onus is on all stakeholders to align with Vision 2030 and instigate changes that will set new benchmarks, not only in the Gulf region, but globally. The kingdom has the distinct advantage of working with a blank sheet of paper, giving the public and private sector the freedom to pioneer new ways of working as the world ushers in the next step change in industrial development - managing the combined impact of several concurrent technological changes encompassing everything from AI, machine learning, the internet of things (IoT) and augmented and virtual reality, to nanotechnology, robotics, 3D printing, quantum computing and energy storage. The 4IR delivers opportunities aplenty for the hospitality industry, particularly in terms of streamlining processes that previously required manual or human intervention. It can deliver immediate advantages and generate extensive reinvention down the line. For example, IoT devices in guestrooms and other hotel areas can enhance the guest experience, from occupancy sensors that alert housekeeping when a room is ready to be cleaned to smart luggage carts that share their precise location and connected room-service trays that notify staff when they are ready to be picked up. IoT can also be used to improve security, with biometric-based technologies that support facial recognition, queue management algorithms and predictive analytics used to improve security by identifying people who might cause problems. To protect staff, non-intrusive IoT buttons give them a way to request assistance when activated.And with sustainability a priority for all hotel operators, IoT can help to manage energy more efficiently, cutting costs and improving efficiencies at the same time. Blockchain is in its relative infancy, but presents exciting opportunities for the hospitality industry and could shape its future, particularly in payment settlement and fraud prevention. Moving information from one point to another in a highly secure manner, it effectively cuts out the financial middleman, providing a direct payment to sellers and for the hospitality sector could encourage direct provider to consumer interaction and eliminate third-party costs. It is a technology disruptor that has the potential to transform hotel distribution, eliminate cyber-attack threats and simplify anything from baggage tracking to loyalty reward schemes. AI is another game-changer, with robots already being trialled at some hotels. However, given the service-driven nature of the industry, there is understandable scepticism around this type of technology - and this highlights an important consideration when future-proofing our industry. To be successful in the long term, hospitality companies must embrace technologies that streamline processes, eliminate time-consuming manual procedures and improve the guest experience, without impacting the all-important human element. Taking Saudi Arabia as an example, following recent reforms and modernisation, the country has a unique opportunity to showcase its culture and the genuine hospitality of its people to the world. As the kingdom rolls out new and unique hotels and hospitality concepts, advanced technology should be adopted, but it should be discreet, creating efficiencies that improve the guest journey rather than impede it. Guests should leave Saudi Arabia remembering the warm hospitality they received, rather than the robot that malfunctioned. The industry must adapt, differentiate and innovate, providing hospitality solutions that meet the diverse needs of future travellers. From leading-edge Central Reservations Systems and Revenue Management Solutions that optimise sales and profits, to online business intelligence platforms that drive guest engagement and loyalty and employee satisfaction management tools that combined with training, create a happier workforce, the benefits of technology adoption are endless. However, in the hospitality industry, 'transforming for tomorrow' is ultimately about how we positively impact the lives of our people - our guests, staff, business partners and communities where we operate properties. Any innovations associated with 4IR must prioritise their long-term satisfaction and wellbeing, leaving a positive legacy for future generations and preserving Saudi Arabia's unique and authentic hospitality offering. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday described the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as "mostly political" and asserted that no Indian will lose his or her nationality due to the newly enacted legislation. Shah also challenged Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to show one clause in the CAA under which anyone is going to lose Indian citizenship. "I agree that these are mostly political protests. Some people are also misguided but we are trying to convince them," he told ABP News. The Home Minister said under the CAA, the government wants to give citizenship to persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Read: Amit Shah likely to be a part of a pro-CAA rally in Jodhpur, Rajasthan "I want to say clearly that there is no provision in the CAA in which one can lose citizenship," he said. Shah said the CAA provides for granting citizenship to refugees from the three countries. "I say with full firmness that these refugee brothers who have come to India belong to us and it is the responsibility of the government of India to give them a respectable place in India," he said. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but be given Indian citizenship. The Home Minister said the Census 2021 and the National Population Register (NPR), which government plans to conduct along with the house-listing phase of census from April to September 2020, have nothing to do with the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Read: WATCH: Amit Shah clarifies rumours on links between NPR and NRC "Census and NPR take place in the country every 10 years and this time also it is happening after 10 years. Congress has done this repeatedly but today, the Congress is opposing it," he said. Replying to a separate question about the Bihar assembly elections likely to be held later this year, Shah said the NDA will contest the polls under the leadership of JD-U president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. A few years ago, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, realized that most of his colleagues were on the Left. This is not necessarily a bad thing. People are allowed to have differing political views. It is also wrong to judge the quality of scientific research on political beliefs.However, the uniformity of opinion presents institutional challenges. The academy is a church of skeptics. Progress is made when people are allowed to disagree. In the humanities and social sciences, a dominant mainstream may prevent questions that will deepen inquiry and identify errors and biases.The solution, for Haidt, is not a new orthodoxy. One does not improve the academy by forming a conservative orthodoxy to balance a liberal blockade. As they say on the schoolyard,Instead, one needs a new academic mindset, one that makes it possible to move beyond conformity and groupthink. Haidt called this mindset "heterodoxy." In this essay, I will argue for a habit of mind that heterodoxy should include: intellectual desegregation.The very first step toward a genuinely heterodox mindset is intellectual desegregation. In other words, most academics find themselves in relative "safe spaces" where they encounter people like themselves.There is an old joke about Richard Nixon that makes this point. A professor in a very liberal enclave, such as Cambridge, says,Many professors and educators live similar lives. They live politically homogeneous lives. I don't merely refer to the neighborhoods in which they reside. I also mean their intellectual lives.For example, ran an article by a sociologist who critiqued conservatives. I was very curious to read the essay, but I shook my head as I read it. In the essay, the author accused conservatives of not having any ideas beyond demeaning women and people of color:That statement shocked me. How would someone feel if he had written that men or women have the same ideas or that all people of an ethnic group lacked diverse thoughts? I doubt that this essay would have been written had the author spent time deeply reading classic texts of an opposing political tradition.The underlying issue, I think, is that it is easy for intellectuals to segregate themselves.There is so much to read and so much to do. It is very easy to say,Given a stack of papers to grade and piles of journals to read, what is to be gained by engaging with people who are so clearly wrong?This question has many answers. Like we tell our students, we don't know our own arguments until we encounter our sharpest critics. But there are also other reasons to pursue intellectual desegregation. Sometimes the other side is right. A critic may identify a genuine problem in your theory.There is also a social benefit. If society sees the academy as a disconnected enclave, they will lose faith in our mission. If we show genuine engagement with ideas, even those we find repulsive or deeply in error, people will increase their support for the institution.I've approached the problem of intellectual segregation from a lofty theoretical position. What would it mean for a professor's daily life?To start, we should drop the caricatures of the other side. For example, there is now a cottage industry of academics who are trying to prove that various conservative and libertarian scholars are all secretly racists who tried to reinstate segregation. The most infamous case is the book. Written by Nancy MacLean, the book argued that public choice economist James Buchanan inspired anti-black movements-even though his writings barely mention race and he supported the work of anti-apartheid academics. There is plenty to debate about Buchanan's work, but the book's positive reception among academic historians indicates that caricatures win the day. The first step toward intellectual desegregation is quality control-academics of all stripes need to stop relying on inaccurate smears of the other side.Second, scholars should strive toward a new self-identity that strives for dialogue and engagement rather than conflict. Currently, the US is experiencing extreme political polarization, which means that people sort themselves into rival political camps. On campus, this means that many professors strongly self-identify with one political party or tradition. In doing so, they mitigate another identity-the disinterested scholar who seeks knowledge regardless of its source and follows data wherever it may lead, even if it contradicts our values.Intellectual desegregation entails a balance of these two identities-the partisan and the disinterested scholar. We don't want partisan identities to undermine our research, nor would we want to pursue research without considering our values. Once we modify our self-perception and move from a highly partisan view of scholarship to a more balanced one, then we open ourselves up to genuine conversations with writers who hold radically different views. This approach to academic life is not to surrender to the other side. It is a sign of maturity and enlightenment.It is important to keep in mind that heterodoxy means discomfort. By dismissing caricatures and having meaningful engagement with people who disagree, we will need to accustom ourselves with some very painful feelings.I am an advocate of free migration, so that means I need to speak to people who don't feel the urgency that I do. A conservative must learn to listen to the critical race scholars who list the worst moments in our culture. The socialist professor must really sit still as they listen to the historian who documents the sins of the Iron Curtain. If we can do that, we'll build a better academy and a better culture. RED FM, one of the largest and most awarded private radio networks in India, launched its last leg of Paani Yaad Dila Denge campaign which focuses on informing people about RO water harvesting. Supporting the cause, RED FM had changed their stationality for a day on 30th December to 93.Dry RED FM. With an aim to make listeners aware about the ground-level water, RED FM placed a daily reminder during their morning show. Sensitizing the topic of water scarcity in Delhi, RED FM has been working on different aspects of this campaign for the past six months. Reports suggest that RO purifiers are essential in every urban household. However, the amount of wastewater from RO purifiers exceeds the amount of water that is purified by around three times. Additionally, due to the high content of Total Dissolved Solids, this water becomes unsuitable for drinking and is not recommended for bathing either. Nevertheless, there is a variety of areas in which one can make use of this water, such as, watering plants, cleaning floor, car/bike wash etc. The last leg of Paani Yaad Dila Denge highlights this crucial piece of knowledge with a message Hum badal rahe hain taaki aap bhi badlo aur paani save karna shuru karo. Commenting on the initiative, Nisha Narayanan, COO & Director, RED FM and Magic FM said, India is in the grip of an unprecedented water crisis with majority of Delhi NCR areas reeling under drought-like conditions. Our initiative 'Pani Yaad Diladenge' aimed to spread the message across to all our listeners. Now, as we enter the last phase of this campaign, we intend to create awareness about RO water harvesting as well. We are confident that this initiative will mark the beginning of a safe and sustainable approach towards water conservation." From listeners posting selfies with the hashtag #MugShots at Pi-Lo water ATMs to collaborating with the Delhi Government to fix water leakages, Delhiites enthusiastically participated in the campaign Paani Yaad Dila Denge. In addition to that, RJ Raunac also conversed with Mr. Arvind Kejriwal on the grave issue of water scarcity, who then extended his support to this campaign. After a 20-hour search covering 1,400 square miles, the Coast Guard called off a search for five people who were missing after the fishing boat they were on sank off Alaska, officials said. The search for the missing crew members was suspended at 6:08 p.m. local time on Wednesday, after exhausting all leads and careful consideration of survival probability, according to a statement released early Thursday morning. The decision to suspend an active search and rescue case is never easy, and its only made after careful consideration of a myriad of factors, said Rear Adm. Matthew Bell, the 17th District Commander. Our deepest condolences to the friends and families impacted by this tragedy. Two crew members were rescued after the boat, a 130-foot-long crab fishing vessel called the Scandies Rose, sank near Sutwik Island around 10 p.m. on Tuesday with seven aboard, the Coast Guard said in an statement. Undated handout photo from the Twitter feed of @NSWRFS showing Harvey Keaton, 19 months, who was presented, by NSW Fire Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, with his fatherOs posthumous CommissionerOs Commendations for Bravery and Service at the funeral of volunteer firefighter Geoffrey Keaton who died on December 19 2019 whilst on duty at the Green Wattle Creek fireground, Buxton. PA Photo. Issue date: Thursday January 2, 2020. See PA story AUSTRALIA Wildfires. Photo credit should read: NSW RFS/PA WireNOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. The 19-month-old son of a volunteer firefighter killed tackling the Australian bushfires has been presented with his fathers medal for bravery. Geoffrey Keaton and colleague Andrew ODwyer died while on duty fighting the Green Wattle Creek fire, near Buxton in south-western Sydney on December 19. The New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service said Mr Keaton, 32, and Mr ODwyer died when their fire truck was struck by a tree, causing it to leave the road and overturn. Expand Close A firefighters guard of honour to salute Geoffrey Keaton (NSW RFS/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A firefighters guard of honour to salute Geoffrey Keaton (NSW RFS/PA) His infant son Harvey wore a uniform and sucked his dummy during his fathers funeral on Thursday where dozens of firefighters formed a guard of honour to salute the coffin. Harvey was presented with his fathers posthumous Commissioners Commendations for Bravery and Service. The bravery award was given to the youngster by NSW Fire Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons at a ceremony, which was also attended by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid respects to the 'Gadduge' (final resting place) of Shivakumara Swamiji at Siddaganga Math, a prominent Lingayat seminary here, and said the Swamiji's work would continue to inspire everyone. The Swamiji, who was known as the 'Walking God' among his countless followers, had passed away last year at the age of 111. The Prime Minister, who arrived at the Yelahanka Airbase in Bengaluru, went directly to Tumakuru, where the Math is located, by a chopper along with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda among others. Modi, after offering respects to the 'Gadduge', planted Bilva plant (Aegle marmelos) on the premises of the Math and also laid the foundation for the construction of a museum dedicated to Swamiji here before addressing the gathering, largely comprising students. Speakingon the occasion, Modi said he was feeling blessed to begin 2020 from the sacred land of Siddaganga, but at the same time was feeling the "vacuum" in the absence of Shivakumara Swamiji. "It is rare see the number of people swamiji had inspired during his life time. I'm really fortunate to lay the foundation for the museum in swamiji's memory. Through this museum, his works will continue to inspire generations," he said. Also, the Prime Minister rememberedVishweshaTheerthaof Udupi's Pejawar Mathwho passed away recently. Yediyurappa and the present pontiff of the Math Siddalinga Swamiji were among the others present. Known as "trivida dasohi" for his triple sacraments - food, shelter and education - among his followers, Shivakumara swamiji was considered as the incarnation of Basavanna, the 12th century social reformer, as he accepted all irrespective of their religion or caste. There has been a growing clamour from people of different walks of life, including politicians, for conferring "Bharat Ratna" on the late Swamiji. After the Swamiji's demise, the then Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had written to Modi urging him to confer the country's highest civilian order on the late seer. Opposition Congress on Thursday questioned the Prime Minister about not conferring the"Bharat Ratna" on Shivakumara Swamiji. Questioning Modi as to why he did not visit Tumakuru when Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Math passed away, the principal opposition party in the state assembly in a tweet also sought to know why the seer was not conferred with the Bharat Ratna yet, while pointing out that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written a letter in this regard in January 2018. The present seer of the seminary Siddalinga Swamiji presented Modi a silver statue of Shivakumara Swamiji as a memento. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man who was allegedly high on methamphetamine carjacked a pickup truck with a sleeping passenger inside it and a goat in the bed, pistol-whipped the passenger and then led police on a low-speed chase before finally being caught on foot and arrested, police say. It began early on New Years Day outside an adult video store in Carthage, Missouri, which is near Joplin in the states southwestern corner. Reports say Brandon Wayne Kirby, a 40-year-old from Mannford, Oklahoma, stole the truck after the driver had gone inside the store but while the passenger was sleeping. When the passenger woke up, he saw a masked man driving and pointing a gun at his head. Police say Kirby drove the GMC Sierra Heavy Duty Duramax diesel through parts of Missouri, Kansas and into Oklahoma, holding the passenger against his will. At some point, the passenger told police, Kirby ingested meth, pistol-whipped him and continued to threaten him with the gun. The passenger said Kirby eventually let him and his pet goat out on the side of the road in a rural area, which is when he was able to call 911. Police then called OnStar, which tracked down the stolen Sierra HD and slowed it down to around 15 mph. Police eventually used stop sticks to flatten the trucks tires in the city of Sand Springs and later had to nudge the truck into a ditch to end the low-speed vehicle chase. But Kirby at that point got out of the truck and fled on foot through the woods, dropping his mask and gun, which were both later recovered by police. Kirby was jailed and had charges listed as kidnapping, pointing a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hes reportedly wanted in another county in Oklahoma for burglary and has multiple felony convictions for assault, burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle, according to KTUL-TV in Tulsa. The passenger and goat were transported back to the Creek County Sheriffs Office. The Sand Springs Police Department said on Facebook: OK 2020, it only took you 4.5 hours to get weird. Let's slow down on the carjacking-goatnapping calls for the remainder of the year. Story continues Related Video: Click here to See Video >> Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 22:38:25|Editor: ZD Video Player Close A firefighter tries to douse a fire at a factory in New Delhi, India, Jan. 2, 2020. A firefighter who was rescued hours after being caught under debris of a collapsed factory building Thursday succumbed to injuries in a hospital here, officials said. At least 14 people, including 13 firefighters, were injured in the devastating fire at Delhi's Peera Garhi area. Three people including a civilian were rescued from the debris of the building. (Xinhua/Javed Dar) NEW DELHI, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A firefighter who was rescued hours after being caught under debris of a collapsed factory building Thursday succumbed to injuries in a hospital here, officials said. At least 14 people, including 13 firefighters, were injured in the devastating fire at Delhi's Peera Garhi area. Three people including a civilian were rescued from the debris of the building. "A firefighter who was trapped underneath the debris of the collapsed building has succumbed in the hospital during treatment," a police official said. The fire inside the factory making batteries broke out at 4:23 a.m. local time on Thursday. Officials said a blast inside the factory resulted in its collapse, trapping people, mostly firefighters. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed grief over the death of the firefighter. "We have to tell with great sadness that while saving the lives of people during fire, one of our brave firemen was martyred. Our firefighters put their lives in extremely risky conditions to save trapped people. May his soul rest in peace," Kejriwal wrote on Twitter over the death of the firefighter. Authorities rushed 35 fire tenders to the spot to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading. Following the collapse of the building, the fire department officials said they were forced to conduct the firefighting from the wall of an adjacent building. The fire fighting operations were underway until the last reports poured in. The factory housed combustible materials and plastics in huge quantities, which aggravated the fire, police said. Witnesses said columns of smoke were billowing from the spot and leaping up in the sky. The cause of the fire was being ascertained. Last month, a fire inside an old building in the city killed 43 people and injured many others. Barely visible while wrapped in a white blanket and wearing a blue tuque, Winnipeg's first baby of the new year slept through most of his first news conference. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Barely visible while wrapped in a white blanket and wearing a blue tuque, Winnipeg's first baby of the new year slept through most of his first news conference. The yet-to-be-named newborn arrived at 12:18 a.m. Wednesday at HSC Women's Hospital, weighing in at seven pounds, 11 ounces concluding an extra-special New Year's Eve for the Singh family. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS New Years baby boy was photographed with his mother, Sunaina Palta Singh, father, Rupinder Singh Bhalla and his 3-year-old sister, Harkirat at HSC in Winnipeg Wednesday, January 1, 2020. The baby boy was born at 12:18am weighing in at 3.530kg (7.13lb). (John Woods / /Winnipeg Free Press) The baby boy, also the first Winnipeg baby of the decade, is the third child of mother Sunaina and father Rupinder. "We are very happy, it's a very good gift on new year's," Rupinder said Wednesday afternoon at the hospital, as Baby Singh expressed himself with occasional little squeals. Being parents to the city's first baby of 2020 wasn't part of their plan; he was supposed to be delivered Jan. 6. The Singhs moved to Winnipeg from India in 2010. They now have two children in the city and one back in India, who they are hoping can join them in Canada sometime this year. Sunaina said her family in India cried when they first got the news. "(My mother) was very excited to see her new family member," she said. Sunaina and Rupinder said their daughter, Harkirat, was very excited to have a baby brother. She showed her love Wednesday with a few kisses for the cameras. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Singhs also expressed their happiness with the hospital and its staff, saying they were very nice and co-operative. "Everything is really fantastic over here," Sunaina said. camryn.patterson@freepress.mb.ca Across the state, a quarter-million Michiganders will soon open their mailboxes to find an application to serve on the new Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Proposal 2 of 2018, approved by 61 percent of voters, established the 13-member Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to pick the lines that will define Michigans future political districts. But first, the state must pick who serves on the commission, which will be comprised of four people who affiliate with the Republican party, four who affiliate with the Democratic Party and five who dont affiliate with either. Applications are open until June 1, 2020. People can apply voluntarily, but the constitutional amendment also requires the Secretary of State to mail out applications to at least 10,000 people at random. The Secretary of States office chose to mail 250,000 applications on Dec. 30, and an accounting firm randomly selected those voters through a computer program back in November. Its a new day for democracy in Michigan, and I encourage every Michigan voter to apply for the independent commission to participate in this historic moment, said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Were mailing a quarter-million applications to help ensure all Michiganders know they have this opportunity. But even voters who dont receive an application in the mail can apply online. The online applications, open to all, are available here. In June 2020, 200 semifinalists will be randomly selected from the pool of applicants -- 60 affiliated with the Democratic Party, 60 with the Republican party and 80 not affiliated with either party. Of those selected, 100 must come from the random mailing. From there, legislative leaders will narrow down the list and the commission will be empaneled. The commission, the first of its kind in Michigan, must re-draw the states political districts in line with new population data from the 2020 census. Some 354 communities in the Upper East Region will be connected to the national grid under the second phase of the Thengashep rural electrification project, according to the Deputy Minister of Energy Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam. He noted that government has secured $140 million from Standard Chartered Bank to continue the project which is geared towards achieving universal access to electricity by 2025 and improving livelihoods of all localities across the region. The Thengashep rural electrification project started in 2012 with the target of connecting 500 communities and 88,917 households to electricity in the Upper East Region but not all the communities were connected within the four years under Phase One of the project. It is for this reason that, the government secured funding to complete the partially completed communities and connect other new communities to the grid to accelerate development in the region. Speaking at the commissioning of Bongo Street lighting system in the Upper East Region, Deputy Energy Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam disclosed that, the environmental and social impact of the project will be conducted soon for the commencement of the project. Under the Phase two of the Thengashep project, 61 partially completed communities and 182 outstanding communities under the Phase One and 111 newly co-opted communities will be connected to the national grid soon only in the Upper East Region. President Nana Akufo-Addo has instructed us (Energy Ministry) to extend electricity to any community with productive activity and get all communities in the country connected to electricity by 2025. And we need it for several reasons because without electricity everywhere in Ghana not everywhere will get the One-District-One-Factory, not everyone will benefit from Free SHS especially the teaching of ICT and without it we will not be able to accelerate development in Ghana. For his part, Bongo District Chief Executive, Peter Ayinbisa commended government for the ultra-modern automatic control cubicles street lighting system to curb social vices in the area. Many accidents involving motor and bicycle riders in the town have occurred in the night as a result of the absence of streetlights and therefore this modern street lighting system will ensure that, miscreants no longer take advantage of the darkness to commit all kinds of crime in the area. He further appealed for the timely release of electrification materials for the rural electrification project. Let me appeal for the timely release of materials for the completion of the electrification projects in Akundua, Ayelbia, Vea, Apuwongo, Goo, Asakulse, Kantia, Beo Nayikura, Sambolgo and others while work have stalled due to lack of materials. The Bongo district ultra-modern street lighting system which consists of steel galvanized poles, underground cables and automatic control cubicles is the first of its kind in the Upper East and Upper West Regions. ---citinewsroom Police in Las Vegas are searching for a kidnapping victim and suspect after a surveillance camera captured a woman banging on a stranger's door screaming for help before being dragged to a car by a man near on 1 January, 2020: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department A suspected kidnapping victim has been captured banging on a strangers door begging for help in video footage recorded on a doorbell camera. Police in Las Vegas are searching for the woman and her suspected kidnapper after a homeowner spotted the incident on their camera. In video footage released by police, a woman can be heard sobbing as she runs up a footpath to a front door while a man gets out of a white car stopped in the road behind her. The woman bangs on the door screaming help me as the man catches up with her and grabs her before throwing her to the ground. The victim can be heard shouting please as the man says why the f*** did you do that and kicks her in the stomach, sending her flying down a set of steps. The pair struggle on the ground as the attacker tells the woman to get in the car and eventually drags her off towards the vehicle. Police say the incident took place near Warm Springs Road and Interstate 215 at about 12.45am on New Years Day. The victim is described as a white woman, about 20 to 30 years in age, with dark hair and was last seen wearing blue ripped jeans, a dark long-sleeve shirt and dark boots. The suspect, who appears to speak with an American accent, is described as black, about 20 to 30 years old with short black hair, and was wearing a white shirt with dark coloured horizontal stripes, dark coloured pants, and brown dress shoes. The car involved in the incident is believed to be a white Hyundai Sonata with a sunroof and unknown registration plates. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department) The vehicle in the video is believed to be a white Hyundai Sonata with a sunroof and unknown registration plates. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department by calling 702-828-3111. To give information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 702-385-5555, or visit www.crimestoppersofnv.com. Police say tips leading directly to an arrest or indictment processed through Crimestoppers may be eligible for a cash reward. Shiny surgical gowns worn in metro Detroit hospitals turned out to be toxic. They arrived at a Downriver Detroit medical laundry in batches of dirty hospital linen. Washing cleaned them. It also flushed PFAS into the Detroit River, representing one stream among waves of the chemicals streaming into the states surface water. The reason wasnt obvious at first, but investigators soon figured it out. Some of the surgical gowns had PFAS coating on them, according to state officials summarizing their look into the discharges. That contamination illustrates results from one of hundreds of lab tests measuring the chemicals at Michigan businesses since 2018 as the state took its search for PFAS contamination into 95 of Michigans wastewater treatment plants. Michigans effort to find PFAS coming from active industry is the nations first source-reduction program in wastewater for the toxic per- and poly-fluorinated compounds, which affect the drinking water of millions of Americans. Now, as Michigans effort ends its second year, state officials point to what they call substantial drops in the amount of PFOS, one type of PFAS, washing through wastewater plants from businesses. Results, state officials say, are measurable. For environmental regulators, its easy to get caught up in the mechanics of what were doing versus the actual results of protecting water quality and improving water quality, said Jon Russell, a water resources division manager at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). In this case, we can see contaminants being taken out. PFOS is one of two types of PFAS chemicals regulated by Michigan due to health risks from the chemicals, linked to cancer and other adverse health effects. The state allows 12 parts per trillion (ppt) in surface water, and it holds a wastewater plant accountable under its federal National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permitting if discharged levels are higher. The wastewater effort originated in 2017 when a search in the Flint River for sources of PFOS affecting fish at high levels pointed to Lapeer, where the citys wastewater plant was discharging as much as 2,000-ppt into the river, or 166 times what is now allowed. That led to Lapeer Plating & Plastics, which was discharging 34,000-ppt into the system, years after it had stopped using chemicals containing PFOS. While Lapeer worked with that company on reducing the contaminants, the state started to consider what other businesses including many involved in chrome plating, which historically used PFOS could also be discharging the chemicals into waterways. Industrial customers are permitted to discharge directly into the systems, which in turn send wastewater treated for many impurities, but not filtered for PFAS back into lakes and rivers. Each of the 95 public wastewater plants with an Industrial Pretreatment Program by 2019 had to test its effluent, or the water leaving its facility. It also had to identify any significant sources of PFAS, which started with surveys and in many cases included lab tests of wastewater coming into the plant, or influent. Those lab tests told a story of the volume of PFOS reaching Michigan waterways. Todays lab tests also tell the story of how much PFOS has been stopped so far. While 68 wastewater plants showed no or very little PFOS, some were extremely high and six warranted immediate action, Russell said. Among the highest additional levels found during the hunt for industrial PFAS dischargers: Bronson, southeast of Kalamazoo, where Bronson Plating had been discharging 240,000-ppt. of PFOS. The wastewater plant reached 150-ppt; by March 2019, it tested at 11-ppt. Ionia, northwest of Lansing, saw its wastewater peak at 430-ppt of PFOS in 2018, due to discharges from Ventra of 2,300-ppt. In late 2019, it fell to under 6-ppt. Wixom, northeast of Ann Arbor, measured its discharges into the Huron River at 290-ppt in 2018, enough to eventually prompted a full-chain ban on fishing. Tribar had been sending 28,000-ppt of PFOS into its system at the same time. The system most recently tested at 33-ppt, but it has been lower. Those reductions represent single companies paying for new filtering and other changes in their facilities, officials said. We made some really remarkable progress fast in terms of their effluent because they only had one or two users that had to be brought under a treatment system, Russell said. Other systems posed more challenges. Grand Rapids is one of them, with at least 13 identified sources of PFOS that had been sending levels over 12-ppt into the system that drains into the Grand River and, ultimately, Lake Michigan. Overall results in Grand Rapids have dropped to acceptable levels, the state said, but individual companies still need to reach the states screening level of 12-ppt for PFOS. As a result, the fixes in Grand Rapids remain a work in progress. A pilot system at one Lacks Enterprises facility, for example, had to be re-engineered, leaving its other four plants still in line for a new treatment system. Three more companies all should have filter systems operational by summer 2020, according to the state. The Great Lakes Water Authority also continues its effort. Among its hundreds of industrial customers, 52 were found to be discharging PFAS. Nine now are removing the chemicals from their wastewater. Reino Linen Service is among nine contributors to the PFAS flow coming into the Downriver Utility Authority. While the plating industry and airports are expected places to find PFAS, laundry is an example of the less understood sources of PFAS in the environment. The example of the shiny surgical gowns affecting Reinos discharge shows how PFOS can still get into the environment, despite U.S. industry banning the chemicals. We began looking at potential textiles that may contain various forms of water barrier coatings (and) we also contacted vendors of products that are used in the laundering process, a Reino company representative told the state. We found several garments that were made in China that had imprints from lab results that indicated several garments contained PFAS/PFOS. Company officials did not return calls for comment, but state documents show the company no longer washes the surgical gowns, and tests show no more PFAS in its wastewater. Those results came at an undisclosed cost to the company. Solving the PFOS flow has posed both technical and financial challenges for companies affected, while the municipalities also must deal with testing and other costs. Lapeer filed a lawsuit against Lapeer Plating & Plastics to recoup some of the estimated $3 million it spent to resolve issues there, including finding a new destination for sludge that was prohibited from being used on farm fields. Learning what types of treatment and how to set it up has been a learning curve for everyone involved, Russell said. Early attempts involved cleaning fume suppressant tanks, which seemed to stir up more chemicals. Some filtering plans were ineffective, and needed to be redone, while consultants had to set up the ability to deal with multiple clients needing individual filtering solutions. There was no wide-scale industry to do that when this started, officials said. Even lab test results could take months. When this started, there was very little knowledge (about how to remove PFOS from systems), said Stephanie Kammer of EGLE. There were lots of starts and stops, and learning what they needed to do. Those stops and starts resulted in some companies continuing to send PFOS into surface water after they were identified as polluters. That has been a concern for the public, notably in situations like Wixom, where the contamination traveled down the Huron River and reached Ann Arbors drinking water supply. We are not overtly trying to balance economics and public health, but we acknowledge that it takes time, Russell said. PFAS was being discharged for a long time, whether we knew it or not, he said. I dont think its unreasonable, when our goal is source control, to take a little time to get it right at the end of the pipe. ... Theyre not going to be let off the hook." EGLE plans to keep gathering data on wastewater effluent, notably as the state moves toward establishing concentration limits for biosolids, or the solids left from the wastewater process that can be used as fertilizer. Permitting also is changing, with PFOS and a related chemical, PFOA, added to the list of chemicals that wastewater plants have to monitor. Eventually, more PFAS chemicals - including the so-called replacement products for PFOS and PFOA, could be added to the list of contaminants regulated in wastewater. Other states now are considering similar PFAS reduction plans for wastewater, based on Michigan models, Russell said. Wisconsin is the latest to announce an effort, and others are consulting with the state on its model. Meanwhile, the success of the IPP program suggests that similar approach could result in more source-reduction if applied to other regulations in Michigan, Russell said, including stormwater runoff. Hopefully we can start to consider whats next and pursue a similar methodology, Russell said. (TNS) In the aftermath of a ransomware attack earlier this year that had countywide implications, Potter County, Texas, officials said they are anticipating a formalized IT disaster recovery process in 2020 to address such occurrences."That will be a formal document that we'll get to work through," Potter County Commissioner - Precinct Two Mercy Murguia said regarding the recovery plan initiative, as well as the development of metrics outlining user concerns, computer issues and other help desk related duties. "We have all learned an important lesson in 2019 about the appreciation of some of that detail."Officials acknowledged there was no formal IT discovery process in place when the April virus attack occurred. In August the county hired Andrews & Associates IT Solutions to manage all of its IT services. The firm, which is slated to craft the IT recovery schematic, recently noted in person employee cybersecurity training is coming to a close."I have about 30 folks left to go that are either already scheduled or I'm waiting to hear back on scheduling for them to finish that up," David Blankenship, Andrews & Associates IT Solutions Chief Information Officer, said regarding the countywide effort. "Also, on the cybersecurity training, I'm working on a deal HR can use for new employees during onboarding, so that doesn't fall through the cracks. I'll also continue to roll out the online training."The online training would be ongoing, per Andrews & Associates IT Solutions, with users working at their own pace in short modules, adding the longest module is 45 minutes. Firm officials said the online training would also be used in preparation for the IT firm's phishing test, which officials said involves sending deceptive emails to staff to determine their response to such submissions. If an employee fails the phishing test, officials said more training would be required.Firm personnel previously noted a new firewall has been installed, the encryption process has begun on county IT devices and indicated another layer of protection would soon be introduced in the form of dual authentication, adding a second level of identity verification to an account log-in. New Delhi, 30 December 2019 The youth-led protests by people of all faiths has been met with the use of unduly harsh measures by the State that has so far resulted in over two-dozen deaths, injuries to hundreds and destruction of public property. This is disturbing to every right thinking Indian. The hasty enactment of the patently discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and fears on related extension of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to the whole country, have triggered these protests. The core message the protestors conveyed to Government is that the CAA, founded on religious basis of citizenship, is aimed against the nationas principal minority, violates its rights and upends the fundamentals of Indiaas constitutional nationhood. It is unlikely that the protests would fritter away over time. We believe the Government underestimated the external fallout of internal policy initiatives on citizenship based on exclusivity. Domestic impulses of counter pluralism are irreconcilable with Indiaas global reputation as a vibrant constitutional democracy, bedrock of social harmony and a potential rising power. An adverse international press is visible. There is need to counter the growing international negative perception of our domestic policies, especially in our South Asian neighbourhood. American and Western criticism could get more strident should the NRC come in. We are bewildered by the ruling dispensation, so early in its second term, opting to embark on its ideological pursuit of ashock and awea by amending Article 370, abrogating Article 35A, breaking up J&K State into two Union Territories and initiating the CAA-NRC combine when it was confronting a monumental challenge of an economy in deep crisis. GDP growth rate appears to have settled into a new normal of sub-5 per cent in the midst of adeath of demanda in rural, informal and corporate sectors and a slowdown that could persist for years. We urge the Government to consider that the cycle of peoplesa resistance and adoption of harsh counter-measures can only be broken if the CAA-NRC policy is rolled back without delay to provide relief to all sections of society. This is also the appropriate time to recall the hapless plight of the people of J&K where the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and 35A has deeply wounded the psyche of the people of Kashmir, plunging Kashmiri society into untold misery with an undercurrent of unease, depression and, with the political leadership in continuing incarceration, adeath of expectations and public politics.a The foremost fear shared by people of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh is demographic change. The education sector continues to be severely languish. Tourism is in tatters. Business and horticulture continue to suffer huge loss. Civic facilities like electric supply are in breakdown. Kashmir is witnessing the longest information technology shutdown in history. Most fear that the on-going civil disobedience could lead to a revival of violence. CCG urges the Central Government to focus its attention on these issues Government had promised while taking these draconian measures relating to J&K that it would not only integrate the state more closely with the rest of the country but would also develop J&K like the rest of India. While there is no sign of that so far, certainly the government has succeeded in repressing the rest of India like J&K. We want the people of India, especially the people of J&K all the very best in the New Year and the decade ahead. The WorldView-3 Earth observation satellite operated by Maxar Technologies captured this view of pro-Iranian protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq on Jan. 1, 2020. This annotated view labels major points of interest in the image. (Image credit: Satellite image 2020 Maxar Technologies) A Maxar Technologies satellite in orbit has spotted the protests at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, showing views of the New Year's Day demonstration from above. Maxar's WorldView-3 Earth-observation satellite captured images of crowds of demonstrators at the U.S. Embassy Compound in Baghdad on Jan. 1. The photos show protesters at the entrance of the compound, with the black plume from a small fire visible in one image. "The imagery, collected at 11:21 a.m. local time, reveals crowds of people gathered along the street adjacent to the compound and small fires burning on a building and sentry box near the compound," Maxar representatives said in an image description. More: The 100 Best Space Photos of 2019 A wider view from WorldView-3 of pro-Iranian protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq on Jan. 1, 2020. (Image credit: Satellite image 2020 Maxar Technologies) Thousands of pro-Iranian demonstrators swarmed the American Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday (Dec. 31), forcing their way into the U.S. compound and set fires on some outbuildings, according to the New York Times. Embassy personnel were trapped inside the compound during the protest. By Wednesday, the Times reported, those crowds were smaller and remained outside the compound. The demonstrators were protesting American airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias. The airstrikes were in response to a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that killed an American contractor and wounded several Iraqi and U.S. military service members. The U.S. airstrikes hit five targets in Iraq and Syria, killing at least 24 people and wounding 48 others, according to the New York Times. Iranian officials have said the airstrikes killed 31 people, the Times added. By Thursday (Jan. 2), the crowds of demonstrators had dispersed in a full withdrawal pushed by Iranian-backed militias, according to the Times. Maxar's WorldView-3 satellite that captured the new photos has been snapping Earth imagery from orbit for just over five years. The satellite launched in 2014 (then owned by DigitalGlobe, which was acquired by Maxar) and can resolve features as small as 1 foot (31 centimeters) across. Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Instagram. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison cut short a visit to a fire-ravaged town on Thursday amid a barrage of criticism from residents. Bush fires reached Cobargo, a small town near the coast in southern New South Wales, on Monday night, burning down the main street and killing a father and son. Devastated residents, some of whom had lost their houses and livelihoods, vented their frustration at Morrison, a vocal supporter of Australia's coal industry and a climate change skeptic. In a video captured by Australia's ABC news broadcaster, one resident glared at Morrison and told him she would only shake his hand if he provided more funds for Australia's fire service, which relies primarily on volunteers. "So many people here have lost their homes. We need more help," she added, as he moved on. "You control the funding, and we were forgotten," a woman in a Led Zeppelin T-shirt walking a goat shouted at Morrison. "You won't be getting any votes down here, buddy," shouted an angry man. "No Liberal [Party] votes. You're out, son. You are out." As Morrison headed to his car, one Cobargo resident had the final say. "You're not welcome here," he shouted in the video. In response to the heckling, Morrison told Australia's ABC news broadcaster: "I understand the very strong feelings people have." "They've lost everything, and there are still some very dangerous days ahead," he said. "My job is to ensure that we steady things through these very difficult days and support the states in the response that they are providing." Morrison faced criticism last month for taking a vacation to Hawaii while the fires burned. He apologized and returned home, but many Australians remain incensed at what they see as government neglect. Since September, fires have killed 18 people and destroyed over 1,200 homes in New South Wales and the adjacent Victoria state. This week, at least another 17 people in these areas were reported missing, and about 4,000 people were unable to escape a beach town in Victoria. The government has declared a state of emergency there for the first time. The fires have burned more than 14.6 million acres - an area nearly the size of West Virginia. Bush fires are a yearly occurrence in parts of dry Australia. But scientists have tied the longevity and severity of this year's fires to climate change in a country that relies heavily on carbon-producing industries such as coal. The fires began earlier than average, and heat waves in the fall and winter made for even more combustible conditions. December was one of two hottest months on record in Australia, and 2019 was the hottest and driest year yet. Dec. 18 was Australia's hottest day ever recorded, beating the record set the day before. Morrison has called on Australians to be patient and rebuffed criticisms that his government hasn't done enough to reduce emissions. "Morrison is firmly part of Liberal Party politicians who are outright opposed to taking any steps that could compromise Australia's coal economy," said Matto Mildenberger, an assistant professor of political science and environmental politics at the University of California at Santa Barbara, who is writing a book on Australia's climate politics. "He's opposed to climate reforms and committed to the fossil fuels economy." Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. In November, the prime minister pledged to outlaw climate protests, saying they disrupted the economy. Just before heading off on his Hawaiian vacation, Morrison's government announced plans to underwrite two gas-fired power stations; he also didn't rule out new coal-fired power plants. "I am quite agnostic, just as long as it is reliable and it is cheaper. . . . You deal with the environmental challenge, you make sure you keep your economy growing and get power prices down," he said, according to The Guardian, adding, "There'll be lots of shouting noises elsewhere, but I tend to listen to those quiet still voices." Morrison used similar language in May, when he praised "quiet Australians" for helping him win reelection. Morrison's Liberal Party did well in Queensland, where there's a plan in the works to build one of the world's largest coal mines. A 2019 study by Sydney University found that 78% of Australians support reducing fossil fuels and 64% approve of higher taxes to do so. Sixty-two percent of those who voted for Morrison said they support reducing fossil fuel use. The fires are among several Australian environmental crises - including the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef and an ongoing drought. Before now, though, the sentiments expressed in polls haven't had much effect on national politics. "Climate change has rarely been the ballot question," Mildenberger said. It's a trend he's noted in research around the world -- anti-climate policy politicians have been elected despite populations showing support for government action on climate. That, though, could also be shifting. For people already concerned about climate change, said Mildenberger, events like the bush fires are "going to make climate change a bigger part of the narrow set of questions that they are using to make political and electoral decisions." Pope apologizes for slapping womans hand who tugged him Pope Francis, 83, had a sharp encounter with a woman on Tuesday evening during a walkabout in St. Peters Square. Pope Francis apologized on Wednesday for having angrily slapped a womans arm when she had grabbed hold of his hand and yanked him toward her, saying he had lost his patience and set a bad example. So many times we lose patience, even me, and I apologize for yesterdays bad example, the pope told thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peters Square on Wednesday at the end of the traditional New Year Mass. HE PULLED HIMSELF FREE BY SLAPPING HER HAND A visibly indignant Pope Francis had to pull himself away from a woman in a crowd in St Peters Square on Tuesday after she grabbed his hand and yanked him toward her. Pope Francis was walking through the square in Vatican City and greeting pilgrims on his way to see the large Nativity scene set up in the huge, cobbled esplanade. After reaching out to touch a child, the pope turned away from the crowd only for a nearby woman to seize his hand and pull her toward him. The abrupt gesture appeared to cause him pain and Francis swiftly wrenched his hand free. Pope slaps hand of woman who refuses to let go WATCH The woman had made the sign of the cross as the pope had approached. It was not clear what she was saying as she subsequently tugged him toward her. The pilgrim, who has not been identified, unexpectedly seized his hand and pulled him toward her, causing him evident alarm. A clearly disgruntled Francis wrenched himself free by slapping down at her arm. President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador closed out 2019 with a parting shot at his predecessors, saying imprisoned drug kingpin Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn Loera had had the same power as the country's president. In a video message from the southern city of Palenque on Wednesday, Lpez Obrador recounted his administration's successes in its first year and highlighted its challenges foremost surging violence. He said he had already done away with the high-level corruption that was rampant in previous governments, but said it was crucial to draw a bright line between criminal elements and authorities so that the two sides do not mingle as they had in the past. "There was a time when Guzmn had the same power or had the influence that the then president had ... because there had been a conspiracy and that made it difficult to punish those who committed crimes. That has already become history, gone to the garbage dump of history," Lpez Obrador said. It appeared to be a reference to the indictment and arrest last month of Mexico's former public safety secretary Genaro Garca Luna. Garca Luna was public safety secretary in President Felipe Calderon's Cabinet from 2006 to 2012. Before joining Calderon's government, Garca Luna led Mexico's equivalent of the FBI, the Federal Investigative Agency, under President Vicente Fox. He was charged in federal court in New York with three counts of trafficking cocaine and one count of making false statements. He had been living in Florida and was arrested in Texas. US prosecutors allege he accepted millions of dollars in bribes from Guzmn's Sinaloa cartel and in exchange allowed it to operate without interference. Guzmn was convicted on drug conspiracy charges in New York. He was sentenced last year to life in prison. Lpez Obrador's public safety secretary Alfonso Durazo on Wednesday echoed the president's comments about rooting out corruption in the security forces. In a series of posts on Twitter, Durazo also said the government would recruit 21,170 people in 2020 to join the newly formed National Guard and continue to expand its presence in the country. Lpez Obrador has bet big that the new federal security force will be able to wrangle violence that generated a record-setting number of murders in 2019. John Gray's Relentless Church gives away over $30,000 to help members pay bills Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pastor John Grays Relentless Church gave away thousands upon thousands of dollars to members, volunteers, and visitors this Christmas season and plan to continue their giving into the new year. Gray, a former pastor at Joel Osteens Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, announced the gifts during the Sunday service before Christmas. Among the gifts most of them monetary contributions to help relieve families' financial burdens Gray promised that Relentless Church would give $10,000 to a family in which both parents recently found themselves jobless with over $6,000 in bills to pay and expecting another child. Another gift announced by Gray and his wife, Aventer, was a vow that the church would pay rent for an entire year to benefit a churchgoer named Rashad. The Grays also promised to take Rashad to a car dealership after the turn of the year to help him purchase a car. A video of the service shows the churchgoer falling face down to the ground in tears after hearing the news. There is an individual who serves faithfully. He is here all the time. I didnt know until just recently that he didnt have a place to stay or a vehicle to drive, Aventer Gray said of Rashad. But he is always here and he is always serving, and he is always faithful. The Grays also announced a gift of $3,000 to one church volunteer who faithfully assists the Relentless worship team. The volunteer recently earned her masters degree. Every time I come to worship rehearsal or preparation, you are there serving, always kind, unbelievable kindness and smile, sweet wonderful spirit, John Gray said. We want to bless you and let you know that we are just going to sow $3,000 into you just to let you know that we appreciate you. Is it alright if we sow into our own? Gray asked the congregation which applauded in approval. The Grays also vowed to pay the utility bill of a frequent visitor to the church named Sandra. The women, they said, faced an imminent threat of her power being cut off at home. Relentless is going to pay your power bill so you can have lights for Christmas, Aventer Gray said. The Grays also said the church would help the family of a church security guard who lost all of their possessions in a fire. Additionally, the family is facing heavy medical bills due to multiple heart surgeries. The Grays said the church would pay $2,200 for their medical bills. I dont care how good your insurance is, there is always extra bills, John Gray said. The Grays also said the church would help another church member who was involved in a motorcycle accident pay for his medical bills. Similarly, the Grays said the church would also be helping a member facing eviction and car repossession to get caught up on her bills. Not all the gifts handed out by Relentless Church were publicized. A spokesperson for Gray told The Greenville News that the gifts totaled $30,000. As the newspaper notes, the gifts are not the first acts of generosity by Relentless Church. Gray once invited members in need to take money directly from donation baskets. The church also supports a homeless ministry. The gifts come as Gray recently announced plans to move Relentless Church to another location in Greenville and open a new campus in Atlanta, following reports that the church's lease was being terminated by the buildings owners, pastors Ron and Hope Carpenter. The Carpenters passed the reigns of Redemption Church to the Grays who re-branded it as Relentless Church. The Carpenters moved to California in 2017 to lead another congregation. The Carpenters have since accused John Gray of being a shady man who is dishonest and vowed to take back their church building. Gray, who has served alongside pastors such as Osteen, the late Eddie Long and Jentezen Franklin throughout his career, defended his reputation when he addressed the accusations before his congregation in December. We served [those leaders] with honor and integrity and that should matter to you because God has not led me this far for my character to change, Gray assured. And if God can trust me with the largest platforms in this world from Singapore to Australia, to Brian Houston, to Royal Albert Hall in London, to every other place that God has trusted me from the time I said yes to Him at 13 and first preached at 21, then you can be assured that I didnt come to Greenville to fail God. Vietnams catfish exports have seen a sharp decline because of trade barriers and price fluctuations in the world market. The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) reported that Vietnams catfish exports in November decreased by 20 percent compared with the same period in 2018. The export value decreases occurred in most key markets, while China-Hong Kong was the only market that helped prevent export value from falling too sharply. By the end of November, the total catfish export turnover had reached $1.81 billion, a decrease of 11 percent compared with the same period last year. Markets The value of catfish exports to the US dropped by 60.2 percent in November and a 36 percent decrease was reported for the EU market. Vietnams catfish exports have seen a sharp decline because of trade barriers and price fluctuations in the world market. As of the end of November, the total export value to the markets had hit $258.5 million and $217.6 million, respectively. The export value to the US market decreased sharply by 47.7 percent, while the decrease was minor, 0.1 percent, for the EU market. In the second half of 2019, the catfish export turnover to some European markets, including the Netherlands, UK, Germany and Belgium, was unstable and the two-digit decline was seen in some months. This caused total export value to the EU decrease gradually from the positive growth rate in early 2019 to the minus growth rate in late November. The technical and trade barriers and the sharp fall in catfish material prices in the domestic market which have direct impact on the export prices all have also led the catfish export value to the EU decrease in the first 11 months. As for ASEAN, the total catfish export value to the market was $180.9 million, down by 1.4 percent. Meanwhile, the export value to Thailand increased by 2.8 percent, to Malaysia by 12.5 percent. China-Hong Kong remained the best export market for Vietnam in the first 11 months of 2019 with export turnover of $66.11 million, accounting for 37.8 percent of total catfish export turnover. Because of the unsatisfactory signs from many key markets, VASEP estimated that the total catfish turnover of 2019 would decrease by 15 percent compared with the previous year. Profit Nam Viet-ANV reported turnover increase of 13 percent and profit increase of 68 percent in the first nine months of the year, while IDI reported 28 percent increase in revenue and 37 percent decrease in profit. However, these werethe only companies which saw increase in revenue. Meanwhile, other companies, including Vinh Hoan (VHC), Cuu Long An Giang Seafood Import/export, Hung Vuong (HVG), Mekong-AAM, and An Giang (AGF) all reported minus growth rates. Notably, HVG and AGF still cannot escape losses. Analysts believe the situation will be better in 2020 thanks to the EVFTA. Le Ha Vietnams catfish industry loses clout, suffers lower prices in 2019 A series of problems are affecting Vietnams catfish industry, including a sharp fall in catfish material price and decrease in breeder quality. The industry has lost its monopoly. On the world market. Ukraine starts transmitting Russian gas to EU under new deal 16:00, 01.01.20 5156 Ukraine has signed agreements with all neighboring operators to ensure transit. JULY Quick-thinking mum saves life of three-year-old A quick-thinking Derry mother described the moment she save her three-year-old daughter's life when she began choking on a lollipop. Fianait Gallagher's daughter, Clodagh, started to foam at the mouth and turn grey after the sweet broke off the stick and lodged in her throat. The little girl was highly distressed and struggling to breath but luckily Fianait, who trained in paediatric first aid, knew how to remove the obstacle. I was standing doing the dishes after dinner and heard this weird noise behind me. I turned around and Clodagh was holding her throat and starting to panic. Thank God I had done my paediatric first aid and straight away I started slapping between her should blades but nothing happened. I looked in her mouth and she was starting to foam and go grey. It took the Heimlich manoeuvre at least three times and loads of vomit to clear it. Devenny family speak of RUC assault 50 years on The family of the Derry man widely regarded to be one of the fist victims of the Troubles marked the 50th anniversary of his death with a special anniversary Mass in St Eugene's Cathedral. Sammy Devenny died on 17 July, 1969, three months after a squad of RUC men burst through the front door of their William Street home and severely assaulted him, a number of his children and others present in the house. Daughter Christine was just nine-years-old when the attack took place. Speaking on the 60th anniversary of her father's death, she said: Over the years, obviously what happened affected ys greatly. There are nine of us and all of us have different views about it. The older ones in the family witnessed the whole thing. Mass times reviewed due to 'priest shorage' A Derry parish launched an extensive online survey due to what was described as the current shortage of priests it may have to review the frequency and times of Mases. Parishioners in the Waterside and Strathfoyle parish, which takes in St Columb's Church, St Mary's Oratory, St Oliver Plunkett Church and the Church of the Immaculate Conception, were asked to complete a questionnaire on the parish website. It stated there were 13 Masses between 6.00pm on a Saturday to 12.30pm on a Sunday within a three-and-a-half mile radius of St Columb's Church on Chapel Road. The survey was aimed at finding out what community support the parish should priorities such as home visits, sacramental preparation and addictions. UUP councillor suspended An Ulster Unionist councillor on Derry City and Strabane District Council was suspended from the local authority following three convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol. The Local Government Commissioner for Standards deemed that the 15th-month suspension of Alderman Derek Hussey would take effect from 16 July. Acting Commissioner, Ian Gordon, adjudicated the UUP representative who had ignored calls to resign had breached Paragraph 4.2 of the Local Government Code of Conduct for Councillors. The investigation into Alderman Hussey's conduct was launched after the Commission received two complaints that he had breached the local authority code of conduct Residents 'up in arms' over proposed housing development A group of residents in the Waterside received assurances from Derry City and Strabane District Council that their opinions would be heard over objections they had made about a proposed construction project ontheir doorsteps. Residents of Waterfoot Park took the Council to task on several points over plans to erect four semi-detached houses, two detached houses and six apartments. The objectors told the Derry News that should the development proceed, they would lose privacy due to the "overbearing dominance" of the new dwellings. AUGUST Children 'dicing with death' Parents in the Creggan area of Derry were called on to warn their children of the dangers of climbing on to roof buildings. The appeal came from Sinn Fein councillor for the area, Tina Burke, who was speaking after several young people were spotted climbing onto the roof ot he Old Library Trust building on Central Drive. Cllr Burke said she had been contacted by a number of concerned residents after they were shocked to see young people climbing onto the roof the building. She said: It is a very dangerous act these young people are involved in and that's why I would urge parents in the area to talk to their children to say that this is wrong, this is dangerous and that they are dicing with death. Historic 'Kennedy flag' donated to Foyle College An American flag last flown at the former American naval base in Derry on the day US President John F Kennedy was assassinated was donated to Foyle College as part of a new memorial to former base. The new college was built on the site of the former naval communications station on Limavady Road in the Waterside area of the city. The original flag pole from the base had been restored and re-erected to commemroate all the US Navy sailors who served there. A plaque detailing the novalhistory of the site was unveiled at a special ceremony attended by US Consul General, Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau, local Mayor Councillor Michaela Boyle and members of the United States Naval Communications Station Londonderry Northern Ireland Alumni Association which raised over 10,000 for the restoration of the flag pole and the erection of the plaque, marking 35 years of the base in the city. Springtown Camp monument unveiled A monument commemorating Derry's Springtown Camp was unveiled at a special ceremony. Several hundred people, including former camp residents, attended the unveiling which took place next to the North West Regional College Training Centre at the entrance to Springtown Industrial Estate which stands on the site of the camp. The unveiling was followed by a civic reception in the Guildhall. The art installation is in the form of a Nissan hut in which the inhabitants of the camp were house in deplorable conditions because of the policy of housing discrimination in operation at the time against the Catholic community. Derry being 'flooded' with cocaine Derry was being flooded with cocaine, the city's District Judge said. Judge Barney McElholm was speaking as he refused bail to a man, who had been granted anonymity, when he appeared at the city's Magistrate's Court charged with being concerned in the supply of the class A drug as well as cannabis over a three-year period. The man was charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis on dates between January 2016 and 11 May 2019. He was also charged with possessing cocaine on 11 May and being concerned in the offer to supply cocaine and cannabis on dates between 1 March 2017 and 11 May 2019. Anger at loyalist band support for 'Soldier F' Bloody Sunday families sought a meeting with the Apprentice Boys of Derry after a band wore uniforms in support of the British soldier facing prosecution over the 1972 atrocity. Members of the Clydvalley Flute Band, from Larne, wore a Parachute Regiment symbol with the letter F on their shirts during the annuall Apprentice Boys parade in the city. East Derry Westminsiter MP Gregory Campbell and his DUP colleagues in the city also faced criticism after they were pictured standing under a Parachute Regiment banner in the Fountain Estate prior to the parade taking place. Following the parade, several days of disorder followed in the Bogside with petrol bombs being thrown at the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall close to the city's historic walls. Soldier F, a former lance corporal in the Parachute Regiment, is being prosecuted for the alleged murder to two of those shot dead on Bloody Sunday, James Wray and William Nash. He is also facing prosecution with the attempted murders of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon and Patrick O'Donnell who were wounded on the day. A commemorative calendar has been published by the European Space Agency showcasing 12 lesser-known images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, marking 30 years since its launch. The spectacular selection of images show galactic mergers, dying stars and diamond like clusters - all taken by the telescope over 30 years. They've been dubbed 'hidden gems' by ESA. The telescope, named after American astronomer Edwin Hubble, was launched in April 1990 as a joint NASA and ESA mission. In its three decades of operation it has helped pin down the age of the universe, understand seasons on other planets and improve out understanding of planets outside of the Solar System. Here are the images: January: Hubbles colourful view of the Universe This incredible image of bright lights and colourful swirls was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2014. The image is actually a picture of about 10,000 galaxies. 'It is the most comprehensive picture ever assembled of the evolving Universe and one of the most colourful' ESA said. A Liberal councillor has lost an appeal against a ruling she vilified her neighbour on the basis of his sexuality after she compared a rainbow flag he flew outside his Sydney apartment to an ISIS banner. Inner West councillor Julie Passas was deputy mayor - installed as part of a power-sharing deal with Labor politicians - when she told Daniel Comensoli to remove the rainbow flag because it was "offensive to my culture and religion". The tribunal found Julie Passas's position as an elected official amplified her conduct. Credit:Fairfax Media Mr Comensoli had hung the flag over the balcony of his Ashfield unit to celebrate the "yes" result of the same-sex marriage survey the day on November 15, 2017. In loud remarks overheard by other residents of the complex where they both lived, Cr Passas said Mr Comensoli shouldn't be able to marry "until you could breastfeed and have children". Sudan and Egypt are seeing eye-to-eye on subjects related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and Khartoum will not allow the project to harm Cairo, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said on Thursday. "Our stance on the Renaissance Dam is the same as Egypt's, and we are with [Egypt] in every step," the Sudanese premier said. Interviewed by Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram newspaper Alaa Thabet, the Sudanese premier added that as his country lies in the middle between Egypt and Ethiopia, any impact resulting from the GERD will affect Sudan first. "Our interests are in line with Egypt's vision for the dam, and we believe in the importance of understanding between the three countries... to reach an agreement," he added. "The most remarkable aspect concerning the GERD is the operation of the dam itself which Ethiopia sees as a matter of sovereignty, and we do not oppose that," Hamdok noted, adding that the operation of the giant dam should be carried out through mutual understanding and exchange of information between the three countries. Hamdok said there should be "joint management" of the dam in order not to cause any harm to any of the countries. Ethiopia started constructing the GERD in 2011 on the Blue Nile in the northern Ethiopia highlands, from where most of the Nile's waters flow. Egypt fears that the speed of filling the Ethiopian dam will adversely diminish its share of the River Nile water. Ethiopia aims to become the continent's biggest power exporter by generating more than 6,000 megawatts through the dam. The three countries agreed to resolve the outstanding technical issues on the filling and operation of the $4 billion dam by 15 January 2020 during US-mediated talks in Washington in November. The irrigation ministers of the three countries will hold further discussions in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on 9-10 January, before they hold a third meeting in Washington on 13 January to review the results of technical meetings held between the three countries over the past two months. The US administration sponsored talks between the three sides after Egypt called for an external mediator on the issue, after it said negotiations reached a deadlock. The look, the sound, and the speech of Hollywoods Golden Age did not originate in Hollywood. Much of it came from Europe, through the work of successive waves of immigrants during the first half of the 20th century. The last several of those waves brought a group of traumatized artists who were lucky enough to escape Hitlers death trains and extermination camps. All were antifascists; a few were Communists; most were Jews. These were Hitlers gift to America prodigious individuals who enriched the film culture and the intellectual life of our nation, and whose influence continues to resonate. Plenty of writers have explored the ways these refugees, exiles and emigres managed to escape from Europe. Fewer have told about the Americans who had the courage to take them in. Of those heroic citizens, at the top of the list for her uncompromising conviction and generosity, was a too-often-forgotten screenwriter in Santa Monica named Salka Viertel. Salka Viertel was a recently naturalized American when Hitlers war began, having arrived from Berlin on a visitor visa in Hollywood with her husband during one of the earlier waves of emigrating filmmakers, in 1928. She became a proud and grateful U.S. citizen in February of 1939, only months before the official outbreak of war in Europe on Sept. 1 of that year. It was her very Europeanness that had alerted her early on to the growing conflagration across the Atlantic, well before Hitler took power in 1933. She had been raised in a well-heeled Jewish family in a garrison town in Galicia called Sambor, on the fringes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where shed been born in 1889. And she came of age as an actress on the stages of many European cities, most notably Weimar-era Berlin. Long before the advent of National Socialism made anti-Semitism official state policy in Germany, Salka Viertel was quite familiar with its lethal intentions. Thus after 1933 she was extra sympathetic to the attempts of the panicked human beings who began to launch themselves desperately, in any way they could, toward the possibility of safety in America. Story continues An estimated ten thousand refugees from Germany and Austria settled in greater Los Angeles between 1933 and 1941, a significant part of the most complete migration of artists and intellectuals in European history up to that time, according to California historian Kevin Starr. Members of Salka Viertels own family were among those refugees, as were hundreds of her friends and many more strangers. In Santa Monica, she made it her mission to provide a refuge for them in her own home and to absorb them into her social and professional network, all to help them survive in a wholly unfamiliar new world. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter Americas own deeply rooted anti-Semitism, the eruptions of homegrown fascism that emerged in the 1930s with rallies sponsored by the Silver Shirts and the German American Bund, and widespread anti-immigrant sentiments stoked by such fearmongers as Father Coughlin were factors in the Roosevelt administrations reluctance to alter strict immigration policies that had been further tightened during the Great Depression. While Roosevelt was not unsympathetic to the plight of Europes Jews, during the early years of his administration his chief concerns were domestic, focused on boosting employment and fostering an economic recovery. Later, after 1941, he concentrated almost exclusively on winning the war. And so it became clear that rescue for the Jews, as Hitler set out methodically to kill them all, was not likely to originate with U.S. government agencies. It would be individual efforts such as Salka Viertels, synchronized with organizations like Hollywoods European Film Fund and Varian Frys Emergency Rescue Committee.. But Salka Viertel has been more or less forgotten in America, because too few people believed that what she accomplished was important. To survive and flourish in the hostile environment of the Hollywood studio system; to use her influence at the studios to petition for sponsors, affidavits and jobs for refugees; to turn her home into the endpoint of a transatlantic routing network for those refugees, providing welcome, food, shelter, camaraderie and introductions to potential employers; to speak out against intolerance, censorship, political inquisitions, and the curtailing of human rights in the name of national security all seeds of fascism in the United States that threatened to sprout as poisonously as they had in Germany: in the end, none of this has been deemed thus far to be worthy of our attention. It was just one womans response to the events of her day events that, clear as they may seem in hindsight, were as bewildering in their time as those in our time are to us. What kept the luckiest of the 1930s refugees going, as Elie Wiesel wrote about Adam in the book of Genesis, is that God gave them a secret: not about how to begin, but how to begin again. Yet it was impossible to begin again without the help of people like Salka Viertel, who welcomed them into a community after their own had been eradicated. It was a personal financial crisis that had brought Salka Viertel to California in 1928, and it was another that forced her to leave, in the early 1960s, to begin a self-imposed exile in the Swiss Alps. Both predicaments had come about through a larger political context, but they were not, in the end, a political story. They were, and are, a human story. A woman, finding good fortune in a foreign land, comforted and fed and housed the survivors of an overseas genocide. In her old age, when her fortune was gone, only a few family members and friends remained to feed and comfort her, and to remember her after her death. As witnesses to this story, we might ask again: what does it say about our values that we have chosen to dismiss so large and estimable a life as Salka Viertels? Other Press Excerpted from The Sun and Her Stars: Salka Viertel and Hitlers Exiles in the Golden Age of Hollywood, coming soon from Other Press. Copyright Other Press, 2020. Reprinted by permission of Other Press. Flash At least 15 people were killed, one was missing and three were wounded as flash floods and landslides struck Indonesia's capital of Jakarta and nearby provinces, while the evacuation of affected people is underway, disaster officials said on Wednesday. Days of heavy downpours triggered waters in several rivers to overflow their banks and submerged thousands of houses in the capital city, West Java province and Banten province, the officials said. The waters disturbed business activities in Jakarta, and the evacuation for the affected people is underway, spokesman of the National Disaster Management Agency Agus Wibowo said. "For now, evacuation and rescue measures for the affected people have been put at the top priority," he told Xinhua by phone. Head of the West Java Provincial Disaster Management Agency's Emergency Unit Budi Budiman said that landslides and floods had left 10 people dead, one missing and three others injured. Soldiers, police personnel and those from the disaster agency, and the search and rescue office have been jointly evacuating the affected residents to safer grounds, Budi told Xinhua by phone. In Banten province's district of Lebak, flash floods on Wednesday killed five people and destroyed scores of houses, school buildings, bridges and other infrastructure facilities, said Kaprawi Hari, head of the disaster agency in the district. "The victims were swept away by the strong current," he told Xinhua by phone. Residents were evacuated to their relatives' houses, office buildings and mosques, he said. The wet season in Indonesia commenced in November, 2019, and will reach its peak from January to March of this year, according to the Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency. Indonesia has been frequently stricken by floods and landslides during heavy rains. PLEASANTON, Calif. Jan. 2, 2020 Pankaj M. Jain Goodyear AZ Pankaj M. Jain Dave Amerson the United States Europe Australia Canada Mexico South Korea Jake Elguicze Nicole Osmer /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- NeoTract, a wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE:TFX) focused on addressing unmet needs in the field of urology, today announced that, MD, Arizona Urology in, has been designated as a UroLift Center of Excellence. The designation recognizes that Dr. Jain has achieved a high level of training and experience with the UroLift System and demonstrated a commitment to exemplary care for men suffering from symptoms associated with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate.Recommended for the treatment of BPH in both the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology clinical guidelines, the FDA-cleared Prostatic Urethral Lift procedure using the UroLift System is a proven, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH. The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue.The UroLift Center of Excellence program is designed to highlight urologists who are committed to educating their patients on BPH and the UroLift System as a treatment option and consistently seek to deliver excellent patient outcomes and experiences."We are pleased to recognize Dr.as a UroLift Center of Excellence for his commitment to providing consistent care to BPH patients using the UroLift System treatment," said, president of the Teleflex Interventional Urology business unit. "This achievement has helped many patients experience durable, long-term relief from the burdensome symptoms of BPH while preserving sexual function*1,2."Over 40 million men inare affected by BPH, a condition that occurs when the prostate gland that surrounds the male urethra becomes enlarged with advancing age and begins to obstruct the urinary system. Symptoms of BPH often include interrupted sleep and urinary problems and can cause loss of productivity, depression and decreased quality of life.Medication is often the first-line therapy for enlarged prostate, but relief can be inadequate and temporary. Side effects of medication treatment can include sexual dysfunction, dizziness and headaches, prompting many patients to quit using the drugs. For these patients, the classic alternative is surgery that cuts, heats or removes prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. While current surgical options can be very effective in relieving symptoms, they can also leave patients with permanent side effects such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and retrograde ejaculation.About the UroLift SystemThe FDA-cleared UroLift System is a proven, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a minimally invasive transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. Clinical data from a pivotal 206-patient randomized controlled study showed that patients with enlarged prostate receiving UroLift implants reported rapid and durable symptomatic and urinary flow rate improvement without compromising sexual function*1,2. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in quality of life. Over 100,000 men have been treated with the UroLift System in the U.S. Most common adverse events reported include hematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence. Most symptoms were mild to moderate in severity and resolved within two to four weeks after the procedure. The Prostatic Urethral Lift procedure using the UroLift System is recommended for the treatment of BPH in both the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology clinical guidelines. The UroLift System is available in the U.S.,and. Learn more at http://www.UroLift.com.About NeoTract | Teleflex Interventional UrologyA wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated, the Interventional Urology Business Unit is dedicated to developing innovative, minimally invasive and clinically effective devices that address unmet needs in the field of urology. Our initial focus is on improving the standard of care for patients with BPH using the UroLift System, a minimally invasive permanent implant system that treats symptoms while preserving normal sexual function*1,2. Learn more at http://www.NeoTract.com.About Teleflex IncorporatedTeleflex is a global provider of medical technologies designed to improve the health and quality of people's lives. We apply purpose driven innovation a relentless pursuit of identifying unmet clinical needs to benefit patients and healthcare providers. Our portfolio is diverse, with solutions in the fields of vascular and interventional access, surgical, anesthesia, cardiac care, urology, emergency medicine and respiratory care. Teleflex employees worldwide are united in the understanding that what we do every day makes a difference. For more information, please visit http://www.teleflex.com.Teleflex is the home of Arrow, Deknatel, Hudson RCI, LMA, Pilling, Rusch, UroLift and Weck trusted brands united by a common sense of purpose# # #For Teleflex Incorporated:, 610.948.2836 Treasurer and Vice President, Investor RelationsMedia:, 650.454.0504 nicole@healthandcommerce.com*No instances of new, sustained erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction 1. Roehrborn, J Urology 2013 LIFT Study 2.McVary, J Sex Med 2016MAC00968-01 Rev ASOURCE NeoTract Teleflex Metro Manila (CNN Philippines. January 2) The Philippines will stop sending new household service workers to Kuwait after the killing of another Filipino helper there, a Cabinet official said Thursday. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III told CNN Philippines he will issue an order anytime soon for a "partial deployment ban" to the Gulf state pending the possible reimposition of the work ban. "[This] means hindi na muna kami magdedeploy ng bago, we will only allow the deployment of yung mga balik manggagawa, yung returning at saka yung skilled workers," Bello said. [Translation: This means we will not deploy new workers in the meantime, we we will only allow the deployment of those returning workers and skilled workers.] He said in a statement that only first-time household service workers will be prohibited from going to Kuwait. He added a complete ban may take effect if justice is not served for Jeanelyn Villavende, the overseas Filipino worker who was allegedly killed by her Kuwaiti employer. READ: PH gov't seeks justice for OFW death in Kuwait The suspect is now detained. Bello said he had received an initial report that Villavende was black and blue when brought to the hospital. The exact date of her death remains unknown days after making headlines this week. Villavende's local recruitment agency will also face an investigation for failing to take the necessary action after the victim already reported in September that she was maltreated and underpaid. Villavende also requested for repatriation, but the agency did nothing, Bello said. "We could either put them under suspension or cancel their license if they could not explain why they did not take the appropriate action," Bello said. In February 2018, the Philippines implemented a total deployment ban of Filipino workers to Kuwait, in the wake of reports Filipino workers in Kuwait have been abused and some died, including the case of Joanna Demafelis who was found inside a freezer of her employer's home. The ban was lifted in May that year. The two countries also signed an agreement for the protection of Filipino workers. Bello, however, lamented that the provisions have not been followed, including the drafting of a template employment contract that would allow Filipinos to keep their passports and cellphones which are often surrendered to employers. The working and sleeping hours should also be specified, Bello said. Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the committee on labor, warned of graver consequences if the Kuwaiti government does not address the problem. "We have already seen one OFW death in Kuwait too many. If we cannot get safety and security guarantees for our OFWs in Kuwait, a most basic and reasonable demand in our view, perhaps our government should make the ban permanent," Villanueva said in a statement. More than 200,000 Filipinos are in Kuwait, mostly household service workers. US accusations against Iran aimed at distracting attentions from Iraqis' anger toward Washington: Ravanchi ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 1 January 2020 / 15:43 Tehran (ISNA) - Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, Majid Takht Ravanchi said that US bogus accusations against Iran are aimed at distracting public opinion from their 17 years of military occupation in Iraq and killing over 300,000 innocent civilians. "The US accusations against Iran are aimed at distracting attentions from Iraqis' anger against recent brutal massacre of Iraqi people by Washington air raids," Takht Ravanchi stated. "Hashd al-Shaabi, Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces and its branches are merely Iraqi volunteers working under the inspection of legitimate and democratic government of Iraq. The group has played major role in fighting ISIS terrorists and their defeat in Iraq," he added. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Garbage collection vehicles mounted with public address systems will play messages appealing people to exercise their franchise in the upcoming Delhi polls, officials said on Thursday. These vehicles, including auto-tippers that collect household garbage, are already being used for spreading messages on sanitation in the national capital. The office of the Delhi chief electoral officer (CEO) has collaborated with civic bodies to raise awareness among voters. "Automated garbage collection vehicles, auto-tippers, carrying PA (public address) system will play a recorded message appealing voters to exercise their franchise in the Delhi elections," a senior official said. The municipal corporations -- NDMC, SDMC and EDMC -- are divided into six, four and two zones respectively. "Around 500 auto-tippers in North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) areas, 400 in South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) areas and 800 in East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) areas will be relaying the appeal message," the official said. Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh said the initiative will help spread awareness in every corner of the capital. "Auto-tippers have a wider reach as they reach door-to-door for garbage collection, which in turn will sensitise and encourage people to vote," he said. The auto tippers will also play the same message in the New Delhi Municipal Corporation and the Delhi Cantonment Board areas, the officials said. The recorded audio message targets all voters, especially those who have attained the age of 18 on January 1, 2020. It will also appeal to people to register themselves and vote. Voters will be urged to register their names online, through helpline mobile apps or while depositing Form 6 at Voter Registration Centres. An applicant can also visit the website of the Delhi CEO or make a call on helpline number '1950'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven people were killed and 24 injured, some of them critically, when a bus skidded off the road and rolled down into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Thursday, police said. The bus was on its way from Surankote to Jammu when the accident happened at Siot-Lambari in Rajouri district, they said. Seven people were killed and 24 injured in the mishap, they said. Some of the injured passengers have been shifted to the GMC hospital in Jammu for specialised treatment, they said, adding relief and rescue operations are underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unless she is a hardened scammer, she will probably feel guilty and ashamed. In my experience, this cocktail often leads to angry denials and absurd rationalization. Give her some time to explain herself honestly and apologize. We all make mistakes. Perhaps your friend can redeem herself by apologizing sincerely and repaying you. Image Credit... Christoph Niemann Ill Be There for You, Maybe My good friend and I live on opposite coasts. He didnt attend my wedding four years ago because money was tight. I wish hed budgeted better. He knew about the wedding for a year, and it hurt my feelings that he didnt prioritize it. He may not understand how special a wedding is to the person getting married. I suspect his wedding will be coming up soon. (He has a wonderful new girlfriend, and their relationship is going great.) I can afford to attend, but I feel petty about it. I should be a big girl about this, right? ANONYMOUS I get being disappointed by friends. But Im much sorrier that, over the course of four years, you havent been able to remove your bridal goggles and really see this situation from your friends position. He couldnt afford the trip! (And, apparently, you didnt offer him an airline ticket.) Yet even as you look to the future, your perspective is limited by an imaginary wedding of a couple that isnt even engaged. I urge you to broaden your outlook. If your friend is good to you, put aside this wedding nonsense. If hes not, deal with it directly, but without further reference to wedding bells. Sorry, Mom, but My P.T.O. Is Precious My mother is spending a month in Portugal. She wants me to visit for a week. The logistics are possible, but the truth is I have no interest in spending a precious week of vacation time with her. Shes lovely, but we have little in common, and I prefer to limit our time together to a few days. (I dont want to fly to Portugal for two nights!) So, I lied and told her I dont think I can get time off from work. This may be true, but really, I have no interest. Shes still pressing me to join her. Should I tell her the truth? While Forex traders were cheering the Australian Dollars breakout above the psychological 70 cents level on Tuesday, there was a bloodbath in the Australian stock market as traders swamped the Australian Stock Exchange with sell orders on the final day of the year, wiping $20 billion off the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index in the first fifteen minutes of trading. At the end of the session, the S&P/ASX 200 Index was at 6684.10, down 120.80 or -1.78%. Performance Metrics The Australian All Ordinaries was down 119.20 points or 1.72% at 6802.40, equating to a net $40 billion loss of capitalization. Overall, the S&P/ASX 200 surged 1037.7 points in 2019, or up 18.38%. This was its best year since its 30.9% climb in 2009. For December the ASX200 lost 161.8 points, or 2.36%, in just its third losing month for the year. It was flat for the quarter, with a 4.2 point loss. Some investors acknowledged the steep drop in shares, but took it in stride. Not a very good day, it was just indiscriminate selling, pure profit taking, Bell Direct market analyst Jessica Amir was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald. But zooming out, its still our best annual gain in 10 years, she added. Sector Performance The heavily weighted financial subindex fell 1.34% as shares of Australias Big Four banks saw losses. Australia and New Zealand Banking Group shed 0.69%, Commonwealth Bank of Australia fell 1.48%, Westpac slipped 0.7% and National Australia bank declined 1.04%. Telecom and tech stocks were hit the worst, dropping 3%. The mining sector suffered the least losses, with the sector down 1.1% buoyed by gold miners, the only group to rise. For the year, Avita Medical posted the biggest gains, posting a massive 696% rise after its spray-on burn treatment was approved for use in the United States. Money Laundering Accusations Hit Banking Sector One of the biggest stories of the year came out of Australia and affected its banking sector. Story continues In November, Australias Westpac Banking was accused of 23 million breaches of anti-money laundering rules, with a regulator saying the financial giant enabled payments from high risk countries and convicted child sex offenders. The oversight failure at Australias second-largest bank led to serious and systemic non-compliance with anti-money laundering laws, financial crime watchdog AUSTRAC said in a court filing. The regulator is pursuing fines of up to A$21 million ($14 million) for every transaction Westpac failed to monitor adequately or report on time. Early 2020 Outlook On Tuesday, IC Markets general manager Nick Twidale said, all the fundamentals are locked in for a strong start to the new year. Will the euphoria from the announcement of the Phase 1 trade deal continue into 2020? Or will it wear off once the details of the trade deal between the United States and China are revealed? Will China be able to comply with its agreement to buy U.S. agricultural products? Will the reduction of the tariffs move smoothly? How will the rise in the Australian Dollar to a five-month high affect Australian exports? What if the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) postpones near-term rate cuts? These are some of the important factors to consider when trying to predict the direction and performance of the Australian stock market in 2020. I think the Aussie Dollars rise, the RBA delay in cutting rates further and some issues with U.S.-China trade relations will keep a lid on stock market performance in 2020. This article was originally posted on FX Empire More From FXEMPIRE: The West Side couple met in March 2016 at a polling location in Chicago, he said. As Travis, 29, was headed into the polling place to vote, she stopped to talk to Brown, who was volunteering for a local politician. The two connected, and their relationship soon blossomed. A psychologist who has assessed the British teenager convicted of lying about being gang-raped in Cyprus has said she is experiencing 'extremely frightening' symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. Dr Christine Tizzard, of West Sussex, has been in contact with the 19-year-old woman who was found guilty of 'public mischief' by a Cyprian court this week. The woman from Derbyshire, who cannot be named for legal reasons, says she was raped by 12 Israeli men at a hotel in the party resort of Aiya Napa in July. Facing one year in prison, Dr Tizzard says the woman is likely to be experiencing 'hyper arousal, emotional numbing, flashbacks, nightmares and hypersomnia'. She told Good Morning Britain today: 'My concerns are basically that as time goes on her condition is deteriorating. It's vitally important that she can access skilled treatment.' Scroll down for video Dr Christine Tizzard (pictured on Good Morning Britain today), of West Sussex, has been in contact with the 19-year-old woman who was found guilty of 'public mischief' by a Cyprian court this week Facing one year in prison, Dr Tizzard says the woman is likely to be experiencing 'hyper arousal, emotional numbing, flashbacks, nightmares and hypersomnia' An online fundraiser entitled 'Help Teen Victim Get Justice In Cyprus' has raised more than 114,000 towards the family's legal fees so far. Yesterday, the woman's mother told the BBC her daughter is sleeping 18 to 20 hours a day, which is a symptom the condition hypersomnia. She told the Today programme: 'She needs to get back to the UK to get that treated - that's my absolute primary focus. 'She can't be treated here because hearing foreign men speaking loudly will trigger an episode. 'She's also quite withdrawn which is very sad for me to see. And she also experiences hallucinations. 'It needs resolving otherwise she's going to carry on having this for the rest of her life'. The woman (pictured centre outside court) from Derbyshire, who cannot be named for legal reasons, says she was raped by 12 Israeli men at a hotel in the party resort of Aiya Napa in July The teenager's mother also demanded Britons boycott the party resort of Ayia Napa, calling it 'unsafe', and saying any victim of crime will be at best 'laughed at' by police or in the worst cases 'treated like my daughter'. Asked about whether she thought the resort was safe for Britons, Dr Tizzard said: 'All I can say is that it's about minding yourself. 'I wouldn't want any of my female family members to be out there unaccompanied at the present time.' Probed on whether the teenager originally withdrew some of the rape allegations because she was 'under pressure', Dr Tizzard said: 'Obviously I can't comment on the precise factors of the case. Some of the Israeli men who were initially accused of rape are seen arriving in court on July 25. The woman's family say police protected them and treated her as a criminal from the start 'But what I can say is that people who are suffering from PTSD are extremely easily overwhelmed. 'When that happens they will do anything to release that psychological pressure.' She added that there more awareness needs to be raised of cases of PTSD among the civilian population outside the Armed Forces. Dr Tizzard said: 'My real concerns are that this PTSD won't resolve unless she comes home 'She would be left with enduring symptoms. She needs to be home where she can be treated as soon as possible.' An online fundraiser entitled 'Help Teen Victim Get Justice In Cyprus' has raised more than 114,000 towards the family's legal fees so far BAD AXE The Huron County Board of Commissioners is mulling whether to contribute funds to a planned Region VII wellness center for the countys senior citizens. The planned contribution for the new Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) center was originally supposed to come from the Older Citizens Fund at $750,000, but Commissioner Ron Wruble said there was not enough money in the fund to cover that amount. He said the Older Citizens Fund currently had a balance of $540,000 for 2019, with an anticipated amount of around $674,000 for 2020. The new facility would be located next to the Huron County Senior Center on Nugent Road in Bad Axe. Construction costs would be between $2 million and $3 million. Three Rivers Corporation would oversee construction using local contractors and would like to start as soon as this coming spring. Bob Brown, Region VII executive director, said tthe other counties Region VII covers want Huron County to be better served as part of a philosophy of better serving underutilized areas. The center would be for senior citizens who qualify for the PACE program, where they can see a variety of doctors without moving into a nursing home, or having them come visit the patients in their homes. Around 90% of the planned clients for the facility would come from Huron County, which Brown said expects to serve between 50 and 60 people in the first two to three years of operation. Rod Auton, the former director of the PACE Association in Michigan, said the program is based around having a one-stop shop to senior citizens medical needs and having a team-based model for care. The frail, older population is at risk of going to nursing homes, Auton said. Most want to stay at their homes. PACE works by honoring their wishes, providing a good share of care on site. Auton also said the costs associated with PACE were half as much as a nursing home and they work so seniors overcome challenges like social isolation and depression. Brown said that Region VII has over $20 million in its fund balance to cover any additional costs for the facility. The lifespan of the planned center would be between 30 and 50 years, and Brown said they plan on staying there. Commissioner Steve Vaughan voiced his support for the project and said that the countys veterans fund was interested in making a contribution to the facility. Everyone looks out for everyone else because they all have a stake in it, Vaughan said about Region VII. What most constituents want is quality of life and dignity until the end. The commissioners ultimately voted to table the resolution, with plans to revisit it with a monetary amount that reflects the various contributions. Jab removed tell-tale dementia plaques from the brains of mice. [Photo: Getty] An Alzheimers vaccine may be tested in human trials in as little as two years, scientists have claimed. A team from the University of California, Irvine, developed a jab that removed tell-tale dementia plaques from the brains of mice. READ MORE: Alzheimer's drug could reduce cognitive decline by up to 40% These plaques are formed by clumping of the naturally-occurring protein amyloid beta, as well as tangles of the protein tau. Together, these are thought to trigger neurodegeneration and ultimately cognitive decline. After administering the vaccine, levels of both amyloid beta and tau declined in the rodents. This comes as scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, found spotting tau in brain scans could diagnose Alzheimers before symptoms strike. Dementia - the umbrella term for memory disorders - affects around 850,000 people in the UK, according to Alzheimers Research UK statistics show. Alzheimers is the most common form of the disease, impacting 62% of dementia sufferers, Alzheimers Society statistics show. In the US, 5.8 million are living with Alzheimers, according to the Alzheimers Association statistics show. READ MORE: Christmas carols could trigger festive memories in dementia sufferers The complex disease is poorly understood. As a result, there are no certain ways to prevent the condition, the NHS reports. Trials have attempted to reduce either amyloid beta or tau plaques alone, which failed to delay Alzheimers progression. Animal studies suggest these two proteins act together to drive cognitive decline. A double pronged approach may therefore be necessary to combat dementia, the Irvine scientists claim. To combat this, they tested two jabs - AV-1959R and AV-1980R - in mice with amyloid beta and tau plaques. Results - published in the journal Alzheimer's Research & Therapy - suggest these generated high levels of immune-fighting proteins, reducing both amyloid and tau. Taken together, these findings warrant further development of this dual vaccination strategy for ultimate testing in human Alzheimer's disease, the scientists said. Story continues This could come about in as little as two years, they added. READ MORE: The calming effects of yoga 'help keep the brain healthy' Our approach is looking to cover all bases and get past previous roadblocks in finding a therapy to slow the accumulation of amyloid beta/tau molecules and delay Alzheimers progression in the rising number of people around the world, study author Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, from Flinders University in Adelaide, said. In 2050, 152m people worldwide are expected to have some form of dementia - a 204% jump from the 50m last year, according to Alzheimers Research UK. This has been put down to growing life expectancies, meaning people live longer than ever before. While this research was going on, the San Francisco scientists looked at 32 Alzheimers patients in the early stages of the disease. Brain scans measured amyloid beta and tau levels, with the patients then being tracked for two years. Results suggest tau may be the initial driver of brain degeneration. By tracking tau, the scientists hope patients could one day be told how their disease will progress, as well as doctors being better able to treat the individual sufferer. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Congress party and those who are protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, questioning why they are not exposing Pakistan. Pakistan was formed on the basis of religion, religious minorities were being persecuted there. The persecuted were forced to come to India as refugees. But Congress and its allies dont speak against Pakistan, instead they are taking out rallies against these refugees, PM Modi said in Karnatakas Tumakuru on Thursday. WATCH | Why not speak on Pakistans atrocities? PM Modi targets Congress over CAA Today, every countryman has a question that those who have come here from Pakistan to save their lives, to save the lives of their daughters, processions are being taken out against them, but why are these people silent on Pakistan which has committed atrocities against these people? he added. The Prime Minister is in Karnataka on a two-day visit where he will take part in various programmes. If you have to raise slogans, do it to highlight the way minorities are being tortured in Pakistan. If you have to take out a procession, do it in support of exploited Hindu minorities who have come to India from Pakistan, he said at the event at Sree Siddaganga Mutt. He also exhorted those who are against the CAA to expose Pakistan at international level. If you have to agitate, raise your voice against the exploits of Pakistan in the last 70 years, PM Modi said. In the evening, the Prime Minister will visit the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) facility to dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation. He will stay at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday. On Friday, Modi will inaugurate the 107th Indian Science Congress at the University of Agriculture Science in Bengaluru. "Ghosts" let loose by Lalu Prasad on the official residence of the Bihar chief minister after RJD lost power in the state, Thursday threatened to cast their spell on the political firmament. An anecdote shared by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in jest evoked an angry response from a top party colleague of Prasad, who claimed that the JD(U) supremo, an avowed rationalist, had himself once taken recourse to black magic to get even with his formidable arch rival. The BJP, Kumars ally, which often finds itself at the receiving end of accusations of promoting obscurantism, latched on the opportunity and berated the jailed leader (Prasad) for his vulnerability to superstition and sorcery. Reports in a section of the press here said that Kumar had at an informal get together organized on the occasion of the New Year on Wednesday, spoken of the condition in which he found the 1, Anney Marg bungalow after it was vacated by his predecessor Rabri Dev Prasads wife when the RJD was ousted in the assembly polls in 2005. The reports quoted Kumar as saying that the couple had left mounds of mud dug from the courtyard and placed pudiyas (tiny packets of paper) in various corners of the sprawling bungalow. Kumar had also reportedly said that later on he was told by Prasad himself, who was then the railway minister in the Manmohan Singh government, in a moment of ebullience characteristic of the RJD supremo We have left our ghosts behind in your house. RJD national vice president Shivanand Tiwary, who was earlier with Kumar's JD(U), did not take kindly to the banter and came out with a solemn statement Laluji had once told me that Nitish Kumar had commissioned a ritual at the Kali temple in Darbhanga House, Patna, aimed at harming him. When the priests learnt that the ritual was being conducted to harm Laluji, they informed him and, perhaps, he did something to counter the black magic. I had forgotten this anecdote since I do not believe in these things. Nitish Kumars remarks suddenly reminded me of that, Tiwary said. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi came out with a couple of tweets, recalling episodes in the RJD supremos political career that hinted at his belief in woo doo. He flayed Prasad for once appointing a 'tantric' as his partys vice president an apparent reference to UP-based Shankar Charan Tripathi whose appointment as RJDs national spokesman in 2017 had caused much public bemusement. He was expelled from the party less than a year later after he publicly criticized Rahul Gandhi, who then headed the Congress, an old ally of RJD. Sushil Modi also recalled Prasad having blamed the 2008 Kosi floods on Kumars consumption of biscuits during a solar eclipse. He also dismissed Prasads demand, raised a few years ago, of bestowing the title of 'Shankaracharya' on OBCs and Dalits as one that made the socially backward sections an object of ridicule. Prasad, however, is opposed to the Citizenship Amendment Act which will benefit a large number of dalits, said Modi about the contentious legislation that seeks to grant citizenship to refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who might have fled on account of religious persecution in these Islamic countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The non-anchor public sector banks (PSBs) have approached the government to work out a new name for the entities once they are merged, the Business Standard reported. United Bank of India, to be merged with Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), has already written to the government. Syndicate Bank, to be merged with Canara Bank, is also considering the same, the paper quoted sources as saying. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. In the previous merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda (BoB - anchor), the logos of all three were retained. However, United Bank would prefer branding that would capture the identities of all the three banks, an official told the paper. Syndicate Bank employees wanted to retain the banks identity, but the management decision is yet awaited, the banks MD and CEO Mrutunjay Mahapatra told the paper. For the Indian Bank and Allahabad Bank merger, the latter suggested retaining its logo so that the brand recall value is not impacted, a senior official at Allahabad Bank told BS. As per the PSBs merger plan announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, PNB (anchor), OBC and United Bank of India will merge to become Indias second-largest lender. Canara Bank (anchor) and Syndicate Bank will merge, Union Bank of India (anchor) will merge with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank, and Indian Bank (anchor) will merge with Allahabad Bank. Changes in PSB names require parliamentary approval for gazette notification. This is a long drawn process, and the deadline set for the merger process is April 1. Heres a new year wish: May our politicians remain clothed while there are cameras around. Just when I was silently congratulating Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin for his reserve, a photo popped up on social media on Wednesday of him emerging from the sea in Courtmacsherry, Co Cork. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan appeared in a similar pose the day before on a beach somewhere in Sligo, on a sunny New Years Eve. But my powers of recovery have been most stretched by the Christmas Day appearance of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the Forty Foot in south Co Dublin. Alongside him were his partner Matt and two of Fine Gaels general election candidates from theDun Laoghaire constituency, Barry Ward and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Perhaps the aspirant TDs were thrilled to dive into the freezing water, but were more likely prompted by Leos people to join him on this guaranteed-coverage publicity stunt. Crying off would simply not have been an option. Cruel and unusual punishment for people whose only crime is to have put themselves forward for the Dail. I imagine that many Fine Gael TDs and party candidates around the country had exactly the same reaction to the photos that I did. As they sat down to their Christmas dinner, I further imagined silent prayers of thanks being uttered by them all that they were not in a Dublin constituency where there was a large body of water and a famous swimming spot. Im conscious of my age when gauging my reaction to these things and, in this instance, my repressed Irish nature, but it all just came across as fake publicity. Its easier to imagine it garnering far more eye rolls that votes. But, hey, the young people might well disagree. But for us older people, who are more inclined to go out and vote, how much more of this sort of fur-coat canvassing are we going to witness from Leo in the general election? The attempt of politicians to get positive publicity, especially of the kind that makes them look young and energetic, has been with us through the ages. But the political failures elsewhere children having their chemotherapy treatments delayed, the collective and never ending misery of hospital emergency departments, and the failures on housing and homelessness, amongst other subjects mean that the tolerance for stunts and gimmicks is low. Micheal Martin also did the swim thing, in the company of Cork South West TD Margaret Murphy OMahony. In this case it was for a very worthy cause, being an annual fundraiser for the lifeboat in Courtmacsherry. The thing is that it is easy to imagine Micheal continuing to do it long after he leaves politics. Up in the North-West, Justice Minister Flanagan walked out of the Sligo sea smiling, with his arms raised, looking like hed had a bit of craic and would murder a hot whiskey, after the shock of the Atlantic cold. Leo did tell waiting journalists that this was his third year doing a sea swim on Christmas Day. Perhaps Im being unfair, but I wouldnt be surprised if Leo never again subjected himself to the numbingly frigid Irish Sea in December unless there was an election around the corner. Leos judgement of how best to portray himself in the general election is a key concern of his party colleagues. In his favour, he did other things on Christmas Day in Dun Laoghaire. Former Fine Gael fundraiser Anne Strain tweeted a photo of Matt and himself visiting the Dun Laoghaire Christmas Day lunch. For over 30 years, local woman Margaret Brown, with the help of volunteers, has been organising a special lunch for people who live on their own, but she also includes others, such as the homeless. Local TD and junior minister Mary Mitchell OConnor was also there. On Christmas Eve, the Taoiseach visited staff in Connolly Hospital on the outskirts of Dublin, where he once worked as a doctor. He tweeted his thanks to staff there for all that they do for the community on Christmas Day and every day. Actually, as you would expect, the Taoiseachs social media was busy over the Yuletide period. Over the course of a few days in the run-up to Christmas Day, and afterwards, there was a snapshot of what we will be hearing from Fine Gael on why exactly we should re-elect their representatives in sufficient numbers to form the next government. There was a series of tweets and retweets, mainly of members of his Cabinet, from the Taoiseach. There was reference to the minimum wage rise to 10.10 an hour in February, to the Government approval to publicy fund infertility services, to chief whip Sean Kynes enactment of 54 bills in the Oireachtas (with an accompanying video), to the appointment of a new clinical lead for Irish abortion services (as the first anniversary of its introduction approached), and reference to the Governments targeting of plastic waste. There was the video (in imitation of New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arderns) in which Leo summed up, rapid fire, what weve managed to get done since Ive been Taoiseach. (That was two and a half years encapsulated in two and a half minutes. He managed to carry it off well.) His new-year video, outlining the Varadkar priorities for 2020, began with what he knows is a strength, steering Ireland through the next phase of Brexit, and goes on to promise loads of extra jobs, houses, action on climate, investment in public transport, and new hospitals. You get the picture. Later in the day, he highlighted some of the small increases from the Budget, such as the 5 a week for pensioners. I know its not enough, he adds. Which is why, with certainty with Brexit, a well-managed economy, and the public finances back in surplus, we can do much better in the next budget. You dont have to concentrate too hard to get the message here. In between it all, we had the photographs of the visit of the entire Varadkar family to Leos Dads homeplace in India. Its the sort of thing that usually gets me going, eager to see all the photos, to discern who looks like whom, if everyone look happy, and what the weather is like. This time, it just didnt. A much-loved aunt of mine had a phrase she liked repeating to us when we were teenagers, when we used to keep asking to go out socialising. She used to say, to our annoyance: Seldom seen, more admired. Im not even sure exactly why, but it feels like Leo could have applied that maxim this Christmas. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. British Transport Police Officers are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. WARWICKSHIRE Hunt has "categorically denied" a claim that one of its hounds died after allegedly being struck by train on New Year's Day near Fenny Compton. Sam Butler, a senior member of Warwickshire Hunt said the claim made by West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs that a hound had been killed by a train was "untrue." "I rang the kennels and no hound was injured and no hound was killed. Thirty-three hounds went out and thirty-three returned to the kennels safe and uninjured," Mr Butler said. A spokesperson for West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs - who was present at the scene on Wednesday - said they'd received eye witness accounts that a hound was killed by a train on a stretch of railway line on Wednesday and the train was delayed for 30 minutes as a result. British Transport Police has issued the following statement: "Shortly before 1pm on Wednesday 1 January 2020 British Transport Police were called to the line between Leamington Spa and Banbury station following a report of a group of trespassers and a dog struck by a train." "BTP officers attended the scene and are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident." T housands of people are fleeing a massive "tourist leave zone" in Australia as they were warned devastating bushfires are likely to worsen and a state of emergency was called. New South Wales (NSW) premier Gladys Berejiklian has declared the seven-day state of emergency starting at 9am Friday local time (9pm Thursday UK time), allowing forced evacuations and road closures. Long lines of cars were seen clogging highways back to Sydney and Canberra after the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) told holidaymakers they had to leave a 260km (160-mile) stretch of coast. "If you are holidaying... you need to leave before this Saturday," the service warned. Australian wildfires on New Year's Eve 1 /26 Australian wildfires on New Year's Eve STATE GOVERNMENT OF VICTORIA/AFP AFP via Getty Images STATE GOVERNMENT OF VICTORIA/AFP KURT CRNIC via REUTERS AFP via Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images JOHN WARDLE via REUTERS Getty Images via REUTERS George Mills/via REUTERS George Mills/via REUTERS George Mills/via REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images NSW transport minister Andrew Constance called it "largest mass relocation of people out of the region that we've ever seen". Eighteen people have been killed since September by bushfires and at least 17 people remain missing in Victoria and NSW. More than 1,300 homes have been destroyed. Firefighters fear the bushfires will worsen with strong winds, scorching temperatures of up to 41 degrees C and low humidity forecast for Saturday. RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said: "There'll be real challenges and very real risks associated with what's being forecast and predicted for fire spread under the sorts of weather conditions we're expecting as we head into Saturday. The conditions on Saturday are likely to be worse than New Year's Eve and a lot of those areas in the south-east quadrant of the state have the potential to be impacted and impacted very heavily." Authorities said 381 homes had been destroyed on the NSWs southern coast this week. Over the same period, at least eight people have in the state and neighbouring Victoria, Australias two most-populous states, where more than 200 fires are currently burning. In Victoria, where 68 homes have burned over the past seven days, the military was helping thousands of people who fled to the shore as a wildfire threatened their homes on Tuesday in the coastal town of Mallacoota. Food, water, fuel and medical expertise were being delivered and about 500 people were due to be evacuated from the town by a naval ship. Australia wildfires: Death toll rises as homes destroyed by blazes We think around 3,000 tourists and 1,000 locals are there. Not all of those will want to leave, not all can get on the vessel at one time, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told broadcaster ABC. Some 12.35 million acres of land an area almost the size of Croatia have burned nationwide over the past few months, with Prime Minster Scott Morrison warning the crisis was likely to last for many months. It (fires) will continue to go on until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months, Mr Morrison told reporters on Thursday. OTTAWA, Jan. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HEXO Corp. (HEXO or the Company) (TSX: HEXO; NYSE: HEXO) today announced it has closed its previously announced registered direct offering with institutional investors (the Offering). Under the Offering, the Company sold 14,970,062 common shares at an offering price of US$1.67 per share for gross proceeds of US$25.0 million before deducting fees and other estimated offering expenses. The Company also issued to the investors common share purchase warrants to purchase 7,485,032 common shares of the Company. The warrants will have a five year-term and an exercise price of US$2.45 per share. A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as sole placement agent for the Offering. The Offering was made in the United States only under the Companys amended and restated short form base shelf prospectus dated December 14, 2018 (the Base Shelf Prospectus), filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, and the corresponding registration statement on Form F-10 (the Registration Statement) filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the U.S./Canada Multijurisdictional Disclosure System (MJDS). A prospectus supplement (the Supplement) to the Base Shelf Prospectus was filed on a non-offering basis with applicable securities regulatory authorities in Canada and with the SEC as part of the Registration Statement under the MJDS. Copies of the Supplement and the Base Shelf Prospectus are or will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and copies of the Supplement and the Registration Statement are or will be available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This press release is for information purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About HEXO HEXO Corp. is an award-winning consumer packaged goods cannabis company that creates and distributes innovative products to serve the global cannabis market. Through its hub and spoke business strategy, HEXO Corp. is partnering with Fortune 500 companies, bringing its brand value, cannabinoid isolation technology, licensed infrastructure and regulatory expertise to established companies, leveraging their distribution networks and capacity. As one of the largest licensed cannabis companies in Canada, HEXO Corp. operates facilities in Ontario and Quebec. The Company is also expanding internationally and has a foothold in Greece to establish a Eurozone processing, production and distribution centre. The Company serves the Canadian adult-use markets under its HEXO Cannabis, Up Cannabis and Original Stash brands, and the medical market under HEXO medical cannabis. For more information please visit hexocorp.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (forward-looking statements) including statements regarding the Offering and its terms, timing, potential completion and the use of proceeds of the Offering as well as statements regarding the Companys future business plans. Forward-looking statements are based on certain expectations and assumptions and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, including that the Offering may not be completed on the terms indicated or at all, the Company may be unsuccessful in satisfying the conditions to closing of the Offering and the Companys use of proceeds of the Offering may differ from those indicated. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company appears in the Base Shelf Prospectus and the Registration Statement and the Companys most recent Annual Information Form and other continuous disclosure filings incorporated by reference in the Base Shelf Prospectus and the Registration Statement, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events, or for any other reason. Investor Relations: Jennifer Smith 1-866-438-8429 invest@hexo.com www.hexocorp.com Media Relations: (819) 317-0526 media@hexo.com Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The scam-riddled Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) bank was used as a personal bank by the accused promoters of HDIL, Rakesh and Sarang Wadhawan. The Wadhawans did this with the help of top officials of the bank. PMC Bank Chairman Waryam Singh was Rakesh Wadhawan's classmate from college. Managing Director Joy Thomas stated that HDIL helped the bank when it was on the verge of collapse and in turn he felt indebted to the company when it was in need. It has been revealed that on multiple occasions, loans were given to the Wadhawans through the treasury chest by Thomas without any record or entry. During the investigation it was also found that loans were sanctioned and disbursed before forms were filled for the loan requirement. Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police have also found out that security for loans and overdraft facilities were less that 50 per cent of the value of loans extended to the company. Also read: PMC Bank loaned Rs 50 crore to HDIL days before Rs 6,300 crore scam came to light The PMC Bank-HDIL case chargesheet: The chargesheet filed by the EOW sheds light on how the bank's assets were misused by the Wadhawans with help from Singh, Thomas and other directors of the PMC Bank. The chargesheet states that HDIL that has held 44 accounts of their group companies at the bank since 2011 started defaulting on various loans but never faced any repercussions. The bank officials kept misleading the Reserve Bank of India by camouflaging these NPAs by forging Advance Master Indent and Off Site Surveillance (OSS) statements. A PMC Bank employee has said that additional fictitious accounts were created and added to hide the dues of HDIL while submitting the OSS statements to the RBI. She said that the statement was prepared on orders of senior officials of the banks, including Thomas. The employee also said that she has been preparing similar OSS statements since 2015 to hide HDIL's outstanding dues. Also read: PMC Bank scam: HDIL group firm paid Rs 70 lakh a month to Anu Wadhawan, wife of promoter Sarang Wadhawan The statement said, "It was the practice of PMC bank to show additional count of fictitious loan accounts to conceal the HDIL group companies' credit exposure. However when RBI sough the list of bank's all borrowable accounts as reported in OSS in 2015, PMC bank started preparing fictitious loan accounts firstly in excel sheet and thereafter these accounts were uploaded or created in the parallel system maintained by the bank for the purpose of RBI inspection/audit. Parallel system was prepared for CBS (Core Banking System) used by PMC i.e. OMNI for period previous to April 13, 2015 and for period after 13 April 2015". The EOW officials have seized certified copies of 21049 fictitious accounts so far. How the fictitious accounts were created at PMC Bank: PMC Bank officials brought in a list of current accounts created or closed during respective financial years on orders of Joy Thomas. Those accounts were extracted from the CBS along with the names of the account holder, account number, customer number, account opening date etc. Once the said details were extracted, the actual number of extracted current accounts was replaced with fictitious account numbers that never appeared in the CBS. This replacement was done in such a manner that they appeared as Overdrafts against fixed deposits under the scheme floated by the bank. Also read: PMC Bank scam: ED probe reveals HDIL settled company accounts from bank loans Then the outstanding amount of HDIL group companies and other accounts that were not disclosed to RBI were distributed randomly against the newly created fictitious accounts. Details such as sanction amount, sanction date, sanction limit, expiry date, security value etc of the loan accounts were also updated. The officials prepared the Advances Master file for the financial years 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. The numbers of fake accounts kept increasing every year as HDIL kept defaulting on loans. The bank had 2,500 fictitious accounts in March 2015, that increased to 12,500 in March 2016, 17,469 in March 2017 and 21,049 accounts in March 2018. The EOW chargesheet states that there were multiple deletion and alteration in electronic records of the bank during this period. ED that is looking into money laundering found that the loan amount from PMC was diverted for ever-greening of loans and to pay off loans from other financial institutions. Also read: DICGC sees Rs 14,100 crore claims amid PMC Bank crisis Also read: PMC Bank scam: ED files chargesheet against HDIL promoters We can break this cycle by passing election reform. Thats why I have proposed the Fair Representation Act in the past two sessions of Congress. It would put an end to the single-district, winner-take-all elections that have pushed our politics to the extremes. My bill would create multi-member districts and empower citizens with ranked-choice voting. Districts would be bigger, so individual lines would matter less, and theyd be crafted by truly independent commissions. Dmytro Kuleba, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, said that the country didnt grow into resuming direct gas supplies from Russia. He pointed out that the Ukrainian gas market should work only according to the EU rules and meet demands of the Third Energy Package while the countrys energy system should be integrated into European one. The European Union rules dont state that you cant buy gas of a certain country, he noted. Kuleba also stressed that Kiev cant prohibit Ukrainian companies to purchase Gazproms gas, according to the agreement between them. At the same time, Gazprom could be a participant of the Ukrainian market only according to European standards. It wont have monopoly, it wont have an opportunity to impose its conditions by bribing officials; it will be one of players, Interfax Ukraine cites its source. Moreover, the Ukrainian side didnt rule out that at some point, Naftogaz would start direct gas purchasing from Gazprom. According to Kuleba, such a scenario would meet market mechanisms eliminating blackmailing and the gas needle. I am sure that we will leave all this in the past, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration said. At the beginning of 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping convened a meeting at short notice with hundreds of top officials around the country and warned them of a long list of risks that might jeopardise the rule of the Communist Party. The list was all-encompassing, including warnings on foreign relations, ideology, the economy, social stability and technology, according to the official reports. The meeting was seen as an indication of the top Chinese leaders mounting concerns. Many of Xis warnings proved accurate, some even worse than he had predicted. He warned the officials the year would be full of black swans, or surprising events, and grey rhinos highly probable yet neglected threats. As trade tensions with Washington exploded in 2019, Beijing tiptoed through the year with a strategy aimed at containing the impacts and retaliating against salvoes from the United States, along with a narrative intended to reassure its domestic audience despite a proliferation of tweets and leaks from the White House. Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He (left) held on-and-off trade talks with the US Robert Lighthizer (centre) and Steven Mnuchin throughout 2019. Photo: AFP In June, millions in Hong Kong took to the streets, first to protest against a controversial bill that would have allowed the extradition of criminal suspects to mainland China, and then increasingly over myriad grievances with Hong Kongs government and police force. There were regular confrontations involving anti-government protesters, police and pro-Beijing supporters in the second half of the year, as the city was engulfed by its worst political crisis in decades. Meanwhile, China sparked a huge backlash around the world for its internment and extensive surveillance of mostly Muslim ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang, in the countrys far west. The US House of Representatives passed a bill almost unanimously in September calling for sanctions against Chinese officials on human rights grounds. As Beijing tried to manage its slowest economic growth in three decades, amid punitive tariffs imposed by the US, an African swine fever epidemic swept the countrys pig herd, causing immense disruption to the supply of pork the primary source of protein for ordinary Chinese. The epidemic was so damaging that rebuilding pork production was made one of the policy priorities during a top economic meeting in December attended by Xi. Story continues The year was seen by some analysts as a challenging one for Xi, who had assumed the presidency in 2013. Some suggested that the new year might be no easier for him. Riot police fire tear gas to deter demonstrators in Hong Kong. Photo: Bloomberg Beijing had set 2020 as its target year for a number of key projects. It was the deadline for the Communist Party to achieve what it called a comprehensive moderately prosperous society, with a range of specific targets to reach in poverty eradication, economic growth and urban housing. It is also the final year in which the party can prepare for a grand celebration of its 100th anniversary in 2021. The analysts interviewed felt that there was little sign of the problems that had plagued China in the preceding year going away in 2020. For example, they expected China-US relations to remain rocky in the coming year even after the agreement of an interim trade deal between Beijing and Washington. The US-China relationship is more like a constant than a variable now, and the tensions will remain in the next year, said Shi Yinhong, an international affairs expert with Renmin University and an adviser to the State Council, Chinas cabinet. Theres no de-escalation of tensions in sight, except maybe in the field of trade. An African swine fever epidemic has decimated Chinas hog herd, driving up pork prices. Photo: Tessa Chan Despite senior officials from both sides confirming a partial deal had been struck on issues including punitive tariffs, Beijing was notably cautious about disclosing what concessions had been made to Washington, including the quantity of agricultural goods it had agreed to purchase. The best-case scenario would be a further de-escalation of trade tensions, Shi said, adding that given the large agricultural purchases China needed to make to fulfil its side of the deal, trade talks could break down again. Over the past year, Washington has systematically placed restrictions on access to American technology by Chinese manufacturers, investors and scientists on the grounds of national security. Selective decoupling of the two countries will continue, especially on the technology front, Shi said. Jude Blanchette, Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, agreed. He said the tensions were expected to further fuel hawkish voices in the Chinese leadership in 2020. Voices arguing for continued engagement with the US will be drowned out by more hawkish elements in Chinas political circle, in a sense mirroring what is happening in the US, Blanchette said. Bolstered by Xis own hardline instincts, this means that the US and China will enter into a pronounced period of mutually reinforced distrust, which will further drive economic and financial decoupling. The Chinese government has responded by intensifying its efforts to achieve self-reliance in technology, pumping cash into fledgling research centres. Beijing will continue to build its own economic bloc to offset US efforts at economic containment and to assure overseas market access for Chinese firms, Huawei being one of the most important, Blanchette said, naming the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker. Meanwhile, strategic confrontation, including Washingtons support for Taiwan, would continue, Shi said, with the widely expected re-election of Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwans independence-leaning president, likely to provoke further moves in response from Beijing. Benefiting partly from the self-ruled islands growing concerns as the crisis in Hong Kong unfolded, Tsai led in most opinion polls as voters prepared to vote on January 11. If Tsai is elected and the US policy under President Donald Trump to offer more diplomatic and military support to Taiwan continues, the confrontation between Beijing and Taipei will only escalate, Shi said. Beijing opened further to investment from Taiwan in 2019, while placing tighter restrictions on the Taipei administration, suspending visits to the island by individual mainland tourists and detaining a handful of Taiwanese activists on the mainland, citing national security concerns. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened consequences if the US did not alter its approach to the hermit state. Photo: AFP Shi expected the Korean peninsula to contribute to rising US-China tensions in the next year. If [North Korean leader] Kim Jong-un grows impatient about US sanctions [on the North] and gets back to testing mid-range missiles, [we can expect] China will show greater sympathy for North Korea and be more critical in dealing with the US, he said. Russia and China last month proposed lifting some sanctions against the nuclear-armed North, on the condition of Pyongyang committing to UN Security Council resolutions on denuclearisation. Beijing toned down some assertive strategies such as its indigenous industrial policy. A continuous strategic retreat could help improve ties with the US and other developed countries, but we dont know if it will last, Shi said. In 2019, China dropped its ambitious industrial plan Made in China 2025, at least nominally, from its annual government working report. It has also played down the Thousand Talents Plan, which was aimed at attracting technology talents from the US and other developed countries to Chinese laboratories. Under attack for its debt trap diplomacy, Beijing also established a sustainability framework to support projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, its transcontinental infrastructure strategy. But those moves came alongside a growing trend among Chinese diplomats, who took a more aggressive stance in defending Chinas policies in 2019. In a speech in September, Xi called on a broad range of officials to prepare for more struggles, a term that harked back to the Mao Zedong era. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen stands for re-election on January 11. Photo: Facebook The Communist Party is done with playing nice, and 2020 will be the year in which we see the more nationalistic and chauvinistic steps come into full play, Blanchette said. Beijing will continue to keep one eye on its global reputation, but voices of restraint will be increasingly marginalised. With domestic and international challenges continuing to arise, the leaderships control over Chinese society will only grow tighter, Shi said. The party has shown little interest in scaling back its insistence on loyalty to Xi. Just after Christmas, in a two-day year-end meeting of the 25-strong Politburo, the partys most powerful body, Xi was referred to as Peoples Leader. While not translating into any specific new power, the label spoke volumes of the efforts to defend Xis personal status, against a harsh global backdrop, observers said. It seems that [the new title] aims to put to rest any negative discussion about his leadership, Beijing-based political commentator Zhang Lifan said. This is a title once used by Mao and no one else so Xi is now being put on a par with Mao. The Chinese leadership has promised measures to support employment. Photo: AFP Gu Su, a political scientist at Nanjing University, argued that the title meant little beyond an indication of symbolic power. I dont see anything coming next along this line yet; almost everything about consolidating Xis power has been done, he said. Gu believed the biggest challenges in 2020 would come from a slowing economy. The latest consumer price index was 4.5 per cent, the highest official figure in recent years, and pork prices are still high, he said. A chain reaction could affect public sentiment. Recent official directives to protect entrepreneurs had underlined Beijings concern about the private sector, the driving force of the countrys growth and job market, Gu said. Early last month, Chinas top prosecutor urged prosecutors nationwide not to prosecute or arrest business owners unless they had to. I would say this is quite an extreme precaution for the sake of the economy, Gu said. Also last month, Beijing prioritised social stability at its Central Economic Work Conference and subsequently promised measures to prioritise employment as it anticipated further pain for the economy, including from trade tensions with the US. Chinas employment rate, considered vital to social stability, became as scrutinised as the countrys GDP, which in the third quarter grew 6 per cent its slowest growth in nearly three decades. I dont see any major political risks in sight what is happening in Hong Kong seems unlikely on the mainland, Gu said. But discontent with economic causes has the potential to filter through. Sign up now for our 50% early bird offer from SCMP Research: China AI Report. The all new SCMP China AI Report gives you exclusive first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments, and actionable and objective intelligence about China AI that you should be equipped with. More from South China Morning Post: This article Beijing braced for 2020 of managing risks, with Xi Jinpings feared swans and rhinos yet to disperse first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. [January 02, 2020] Investment Platform for WealthBucket Raises Pre-Series A Round of INR 18 Cr NEW DELHI, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WealthBucket.in, which runs an online platform for mutual fund investments, has raised INR 18 Cr from NorthStar, Vinod Khatumal & other HNIs. WealthBucket was founded in 2018 by Himanshu Jain and Pulkit Jain with an initiative to provide a platform that connects the customers looking to invest in mutual funds. This platform provides option to invest in Equity mutual funds, Large cap schemes, Small cap funds, Liquid funds, etc. The founders said in a statement that the fund will be used to increase its employee strength to 100+ and expand its operations PAN India. Along with this, the funds will be usedin technology to simplify the KYC and investment process. The startup also plans to enable insurance & investment in stocks via their platform. The startup already has around 300,000 visitors and has processed around 50,000 transactions till date. The company claims to have generated investments worth 150 Cr. And more than half are investing for the first time. The application and the investments are free of cost and one doesn't need a DMAT account to do the same. "Our aim is to invest this money in building our technology and operational team. We will focus on the under-served segment of the market. That is, the people who are not investing because of complicated investment process & lack of knowledge," said Pulkit Jain, Co-founder of WealthBucket. This 1-year-old startup also plans to leverage its own employee/mutual fund distributor network to introduce MFs to tier II and tier III clients. Himanshu Jain commented, "Today, every millennial is considering a better proposition of investment to real estate and gold. Mutual funds comes on the top of the list. Previously, only high-commissioned shares and mutual funds were sold through financial advisors. Our experts create low-commission portfolios for retail investors and strive to make investment a hassle-free experience." Investors including NorthStar and Vinod Khatumal commented, "We strongly believe in the idea and the team. WealthBucket has developed a unique algorithm that connects the investor to the right type of investment." Vinod Khatumal is a veteran investor & has mentored multiple startups in India and abroad. Vinod's other investments includes India App Store and Devanagri. Himanshu Jain is an alumnus of ISB Hyderabad & a CFA. He has over 10+ years of corporate/consulting experience with McKinsey. Pulkit Jain is a CA (Chartered Accountant) with over 10+ of experience. Prior to WealthBucket, the duo founded LegalRaasta which has a 150+ member team. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Fortunately, the situation didn't require tranquilizing the bull elk as Lash was able to safely get close enough to cut the rope, freeing the elk. While the elk had thrashed some of the tree's branches with its antlers, it had not injured itself in the process and was able to run free once it realized it was no longer tied to the tree. Bhim Army members on Thursday joined the anti-citizenship law protesters at Shaheen Bagh here and demanded the release of their outfit's chief Chandrashekhar Azad. Carrying posters of Azad and B R Ambedkar, the father of India's Constitution, scores of members of the Dalit emancipation outfit raised slogans like "Bahujan-Muslim Ekta Zindabad" and "Jai Bhim". Azad was arrested on December 21 in connection with violence in Old Delhi's Daryaganj, a day after his outfit had organised a march from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens. Bhim Army's Delhi unit president Himanshu Valmiki led the outfit's supporters at Shaheen Bagh as the group raised its demands and extended support to other protesters. Manoj, who came from Rohtak in Haryana, said around 60-70 members of the Bhim Army were at the spot. "We are here to extend the message of support and solidarity to CAA and NRC protestors from Bhim Army and its chief Chandrashekhar Azad," he said. Rohit, another member of the Bhim Army, said, "We are here to demand rollback of the CAA and NRC and also to demand that Azad be released." Shaheen Bagh, near Jamia Millia Islamia, has been a protest venue for a section of people opposed to the CAA and the NRC since December 15. Besides Delhi, protests have been witnessed across the country over the contentious law. According to the amended law, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 after facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but will be given Indian citizenship. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) People educated in missionary schools do not have familiarity with Indias culture and end up eating beef when they go abroad, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh said on Thursday, triggering a fresh controversy. He also prescribed an antidote for this: the teaching of shlokas, or verses, from religious texts such as the Bhagwad Gita and the Hanuman Chalisa. I would like to say to people present here, this practice should start from the private schools since at government-run ones, we run the risk of inviting accusations of imposing the bhagwa (saffron) agenda, the BJP leader said at a religious function at his Lok Sabha constituency, Begusarai. Singh is no stranger to controversy. Recently, he has launched a tirade against people protesting against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA. He has trained his guns on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. On December 31, he said Gandhi and the tukde-tukde gang were out to re-create 1947-like situation in the country. He also said Gandhi, Congress and Owaisi were trying to do what Mughals and British were not able to achieve i.e. divide the nation. Before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he said those who dont like Narendra Modi, then the partys prime ministerial candidate, should be prepared to go to Pakistan. The remark stirred a big political controversy. At the event on Thursday, he said, Convent-educated students go on to become IITians, DMs [district magistrates] and SPs [superintendents of police]. But a number of them indulge in practices such as eating beef in foreign countries due to the lack of familiarity with countrys culture and religious traditions. He also addressed a press conference on CAA, and described the protests against the legislation as misguided. He said the Congress, which is opposing the legislation, was guided by vote bank politics. His comments on Indians eating beef drew criticism by the Opposition. Is the state of economy in India a matter of concern Sir? Rizwan Arshad, a Congress legislator from Karnataka, tweeted. Chitranjan Gagan, a leader of Congress ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), asked, [BJP-ruled] Gujarat is the biggest supplier of beef. What can one make out of it? It is questionable that whether BJP leaders such as Singh follow the teachings enshrined in Gita. They should practice it before preaching, said Gagan. The BJP refused to speak on Singhs remarks. ROME - In the last measure of 2019, the council of minister allocated over two million euros for four protected marine species: Capri, Capo Spartivento and Isola San Pietro in Sardinia and Costa di Maratea in Basilicata. Starting Thursday, the decree has become effective to reorganize the areas. A new general directorate will be created at the environment ministry and it will be exclusively in charge of the safeguard of the sea, according to a statement released by the ministry, quoting a Facebook post by Minister Sergio Costa. ''The preservation of our sea and coasts - wrote the minister - has become a priority not just in words but through concrete acts. Don't think it is only an administrative fact: it is an important tassel of a wider vision which we are building, in the spirit of service for the good of the country''. For the institution of each of these protected marine areas, a total of 500,000 euros have been allocated for 2020, for a total of 2 million this year. In addition, 700,000 euros have been pledged for 2020 and 600,000 starting 2021 for management expenses and the functioning of marine areas. ''It is an important passage - stressed Costa - because I want protected marine areas to grow across Italy and this will be an exceptional occasion of eco-sustainable development. This is the context of the law Salvamare (save the sea), which must be approved as soon as possible by the Senate after the Yes from the House''. UP Election 2022: From which seat should Yogi Adityanath contest? Here's what voters say UP assembly polls will be about '80 per cent vs 20 per cent'; BJP will win: Yogi Adityanath Rise from the grave: Man dead for 6 years served notice over CAA protests India oi-Madhuri Adnal Lucknow, Jan 02: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has started sending out notices to those who have been identified as the vandals responsible for heavy damage to public property during the CAA protests. However, one such resident, who has been served a notice, was Banne Khan who will have to raise from his grave and apply for bail to prove that he was not involved during protests in Firozabad. While speaking to a leading daily, Banne's son Mohammad Sarfaraz Khan said that a police team had visited his house located in Baze Wali Gali, Firozabad city, and handed him the notice. When he showed them his death certificate the police team shouted at him and left. Students Islamic Movement of India fanned violence in Uttar Pradesh ''My father, who died six years ago, has been booked under Sections 107 and 116 of the Code of Criminal Procedure because the police believe he is likely to disturb public tranquillity,'' Sarfaraz Khan was quoted as saying by Telegraph. "They said my father must appear before a magistrate and apply for bail within seven days, else he would be arrested. They scolded me when I showed them his death certificate," Sarfaraz said. The state government has already warned that those responsible for violence and destruction of public properties would not be spared and attachment notices would be issued against them. Over 60 people have been "identified for violence" during anti-citizenship law protests and issued notices, asking them to explain their position or pay for damage caused to public and private property. Citizenship Act Protests: Congress, AAP fanned anti-CAA violence in Delhi, says Javadekar Police had initially said that the damage incurred was worth around Rs 15 lakh but the final assessment put the figure at Rs 25 lakh, they added. Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act had broken out in several districts of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, leaving at least 17 people dead and moveable and immoveable assets damaged, mostly in arson. Noted lyricist Javed Akhtar has said that the controversy around legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faizs poem is absurd and funny. He made these remarks after Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) said it will investigate whether the poem Hum Dekhenge is offensive to Hindu sentiments. Calling Faizs poetry anti-Hindu is absurd. And so funny that it is difficult to seriously talk about it, Akhtar said on Thursday. Faiz Ahmed Faiz was a star during progressive writers movement in undivided India. India got Independence but was also partitioned. Lakhs were left homeless, and lakhs died. Faiz wrote about the pain of Partition, he spent half his life outside Pakistan because he couldnt live there. He wrote this poem against Zia-ul-Haqs government which was a regressive and fundamentalist government, he added. ALSO WATCH | Absurd: Javed Akhtar on claims that Faizs Hum Dekhenge is anti-Hindu Akhtar explained a phrase from the poem and said, He has mentioned a phrase - Goonjega an-al-haq ka naara which means aham brahma - that the creator and creation is one. It is not an Islamic thought. The complaint filed by a faculty member is based on two lines of the poem, which read: Sab takht giraye jayenge. Bas naam rahega Allah ka. Hum dekhenge. (When thrones will vanish, only Allahs name will remain). The poem was written by Faiz in reference to military dictator Zia-ul-Haq in 1979 and was against the military rule in Pakistan. Faiz, an atheist, was known for his revolutionary writings that kept him in jail for years. The faculty member has said in the complaint that the students, during a protest, sang this poem which was anti-Hindu. The students of IIT-Kanpur took out a protest march against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA on December 17 which, according to the faculty member, was in solidarity with the students of Jamia Milia Islamia. The complainant further claimed that students made anti-India and communal statements during their demonstration. The IIT-Kanpur panel will also probe whether the students violated prohibitory orders (under Section 144 of CrPC) clamped in the city by taking out a march against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on December 17, and posted objectionable content on the social media. A press freedom advocacy group has called the continuing pornography proceedings against two former Radio Free Asia reporters as grotesque and said that the charges needed to be dropped. The two former RFA reporters, Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, have been charged for espionage and a baseless pornography charge for which the prosecution has not produced any evidence so far. The content was allegedly found on one of the reporters computers and was produced with a foreign citizen. The Appeal Court on Monday agreed with the Phnom Penh Municipal Courts decision to send their pornography case for further investigation, despite completing the entire trial in August. Reporters Without Borders said the Appeal Court had a chance to recover a semblance of credibility by dismissing the grotesque proceedings into the pornography charges. This totally trumped-up charge shows that the Cambodian justice system has now gone beyond the pale, said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSFs Asia-Pacific desk. Everything indicates that the regime fabricated this case with the aim of intimidating all Cambodian journalists". The Appeal Court in on January 20 will consider a similar appeal from the two former RFA reporters, this time on the espionage charges. The two are currently on bail after serving around nine months in prison after their arrest in November 2017. Justice Ministry spokesperson Chin Malin dismissed the statement and said the court system cannot be swayed by the opinion of an international organization nor would it help the two former reporters in their case. The fact that they just accused our judiciary system of being not independent or fair cant be used as legal basis to defend the accused persons, he said. However, Yeang Sotherain said that the criticism showed that the courts had erred and dropping the charges would be a step towards correcting that. If the Cambodian courts do not pay attention to their statements, it means that our courts are spoiling the reputation of our court system, he said. A retired judge drowned in her hot tub on Christmas Day after accidentally falling and hitting her head in her new Georgia vacation home, according to investigators. Tracy Sheehan, 60, was found face down in the water by a concerned neighbor after they heard her dog barking at her cabin in Blue Ridge. Sheehan - who was also a former TV anchor and had survived breast cancer - was a judge in Hillsborough County, Florida, for 11 years until 2017. She is understood to have been dead for several hours when she was found in the home she purchased in October. An autopsy report and toxicology results are still pending. Tracy Sheehan was found face down in the water by a concerned neighbor at her cabin in Blue Ridge. She was a judge in Hillsborough County, Florida, for 11 years until 2017 Fannin County coroner Becky Callihan told The Tampa Bay Times: 'They found evidence where she had hit her nose. Her glasses had scratched her nose when she went down.' Sheehan, described by friends as 'inspiring and fierce' was known for driving a Harley Davidson to work, ABC Action News reports. Following the news of her death the Florida 13th Circuit Court tweeted: 'All the judges & staff at the 13th Judicial Circuit, we were saddened to learn about the passing of our former colleague and dear friend, retired Judge Tracy Sheehan.' They added: 'She served the people of Hillsborough with distinction, honor & great compassion. Judge Sheehan will be missed!' The State Attorney 13th added: 'Our office joins the @HillsboroughFL community in mourning the loss of retired Judge Tracy Sheehan: beloved jurist, fierce advocate for children, dog lover, former defense attorney and journalist. 'She will be missed by all who encountered her.' Sheehan - who was also a former TV anchor, left - is understood to have been dead for several hours when she was found in the home she purchased in October Friend Wendy LaTorre said: 'I talked to her on Monday several times. We had just done a trip to san Miguel de Allende in Mexico to celebrate both of our birthdays. 'That was the beginning of September, the end of October, and she had bought the cabin a week before we left. 'She was inspiring and fierce. She was one of the loudest voices and a voice that we needed. She definitely helped a lot of people be better people. We should all hope to have her legacy.' Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ WATERLOO Council 700 of the Knights of Columbus in Waterloo will host its annual spelling bee on Feb. 8 at Columbus High School, 3231 W. Ninth St. The Waterloo contest is open to any student in grades four through seven, whether public, private, parochial or home schooled, who lives in the Waterloo school district or nearby towns to the east. Students from Cedar Falls and nearby towns to the west are invited to participate in a separate contest in Cedar Falls on Feb 1. The contest starts at the local level, with the top two place winners at each grade level advancing to the regional competition in Cedar Falls on Feb. 15. The top finishers at the regional competitions will compete in the state competition in Ames in March. The word lists for each grade and contest rules are available at www.iowakofc.org/page/spelling-bee. Students are encouraged to study these words prior to their local competition. There is no fee, but registrations for the Waterloo contest need to be submitted by Jan 31. Word lists, rules, and entry forms have been distributed to public and parochial elementary and middle schools in the Waterloo, Union, Dunkerton, Denver and Jesup school districts. They are also available by contacting Tom Pfiffner at (319) 239-4732 or tom.pfiffner2@gmail.com. Parent or guardian signature is required for participation. Entry forms can be submitted by email to the above address or mailed to the address on the form. Our memorable stories of 2019 Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Seven people were killed and 24 injured, some of them critically, when a bus skidded off the road and rolled down into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Thursday, police said Jammu: Seven people were killed and 24 injured, some of them critically, when a bus skidded off the road and rolled down into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Thursday, police said. The bus was on its way from Surankote to Jammu when the accident happened at Siot-Lambari in Rajouri district, they said. Seven people were killed and 24 injured in the mishap, they said. Some of the injured passengers have been shifted to the GMC hospital in Jammu for specialised treatment, they said, adding relief and rescue operations are underway. 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. One of his best jokes is his highly successful casting of Michelle Dockery Downton Abbeys famously imperious Lady Mary as the hard-nosed Cockney wife of a drug tycoon. Admittedly, hes a gentrified drug lord. His confederates and rivals remark on his acquisition of social graces with a seriousness bordering on awe. Its not just the Savile Row suits and the leisurely air. Its the fact that gentrification has modified his methods of punishment, taking some of the barbarism out of them without diminishing their effectiveness. Played by Matthew McConaughey at his most elegant, Mickey Pearson is an American whos been in London long enough to dominate Britains marijuana trade, forging links with dirty money both old and new. The old is represented by an aristocratic Jewish multi-millionaire. And theres a joke to be found here, too, for the role has gone to Jeremy Strong, wearing the same poker-faced expression and funny little hat that characterise his performance in the TV series Succession, which is all about the money and politics of the corporate class. Loading The film is a triumphant return to home base for Ritchie, whos been busy adventuring in more wholesome genres since shaking up the crime movie 20 years ago with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and its follow-up, Snatch. A particular joy lies in the quirkiness of his casting choices, which he casually dismisses as a case of happy coincidence. More likely, however, is the possibility that his actors leapt at the prospect of working with a script that gives everybody a chance to make a mark. All eccentricities are enthusiastically indulged yet staginess is not. In a bid to hard sell the Modi government's housing scheme for slum dwellers, Delhi BJP has started putting up large hoardings of the Prime Minister in scores of jhuggi jhopri (JJ) clusters across the city. The BJP and ruling AAP are involved in a bitter contest to win over residents of JJ clusters in the city in view of the approaching Assembly polls. The hoardings have been put up by the Delhi BJP's JJ Cluster Cell. Each hoarding carries an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with "Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makan" boldly printed on it. The hoardings invite people to register for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Urban) in order to own two-bedroom houses with water, electricity and sewer connections. The party is going to open help centres to assist people in registering under the scheme, said Delhi BJP JJ Cluster Cell president Umesh Verma. "We have a target to put up large hoardings of the PMAY in 700 JJ clusters in the city, where around 20 lakh people live," Verma said. Over 1,000 hoardings have already been installed in different parts of the city including at Chandra Shekhar Azad Colony (Wazirpur), Sanjay Basti (Tughalaqbad), Karpuri Thakur Camp (Kalkaji), Bela Road Basti (Jungpura), and Sant Ravidas Camp (RK Puram), he said. The hoardings will be installed in all the JJ clusters located in 61 of the 70 Assembly constituencies in the city, he said. Large hoardings of the Prime Minister have also been put up by the BJP in unauthorised colonies to popularise the Centre's property ownership scheme. The ruling AAP has also been making efforts to gain the support of slum dwellers, with party head and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last month launching the 'Mukhyamantri Awas Yojna' for the residents of JJ clusters. Under the scheme, Kejriwal distributed ownership certificates to 65,000 families living in JJ clusters. The PMAY (Urban) has four components - Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), In Situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) and Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) under which the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry provides central assistance to beneficiaries to construct their own houses. Verma said help centres will be opened in all JJ clusters from Monday to assist people in filling up requisite forms by producing required documents. JJ Cell teams had also conducted 'padyatras' from November 26 to December 15 in the JJ clusters to make people aware about the Modi government's 'Jahan Jhuggi, Wahin Makan' scheme, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By PTI KOLKATA: The Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation, investigating different aspects of the Narada tapes scandal, will share information with each other, a senior official said on Thursday. The ED has also urged CBI to share detail on whether any chargesheet has been filed in the case or the agency has sought permission for prosecution of any of the accused in the scam, the official said. "Earlier, the ED shared its investigation evidence with CBI and is now requesting CBI to do the same", a senior ED official said. ALSO READ | Narada tapes case: Special CBI court grants bail to suspended IPS officer The official said it is a "common practice" to share information with each other in the interest of the ongoing investigation being conducted jointly by two central agencies. "Further investigation into the money laundering aspect is dependent on the probe done by the CBI," he said. In the sting operation, which was claimed to have been carried out in 2014, some persons resembling senior Trinamool Congress leaders and an IPS officer are seen accepting money from the representatives of a fictitious company in return for favours. However, the sting video footage were uploaded in the Narada News portal before the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016, creating a furor in the state politics. ALSO READ | Narada case: IPS officer SMH Mirza refutes Mukul Roy's claim of not accepting cash The only person arrested in the case is IPS officer S M H Mirza who was later released on bail. Mirza was the superintendent of police of Burdwan district when the sting operation was conducted by Mathew Samuel, CEO of the news portal. Some of the Trinamool Congress leaders accused in the case are Firhad Hakim, Madan Mitra, Suvendu Adhikari, Subrata Mukherjee, and Sovan Chatterjee and they were interrogated by both the agencies. The CBI questioned TMC MP Saugata Roy in connection with the scandal. The CBI also questioned BJP leader Mukul Roy whose name had also figured in the list of accused in the Narada case when he was with the Trinamool Congress. Roy joined the saffron party in November 2017. DAWSON CITY, YUKONThe Yukon government has opened a licensed hunt for the Fortymile caribou herd west of Dawson City for the first time in 25 years. Territorial officials have been working with Trondek Hwechin First Nation and the State of Alaska to help restore the migratory herds numbers since 1995, said Rob Florkiewicz, a fish and wildlife harvest co-ordinator with the Government of Yukon. However, the decision to open the hunt this winter has drawn the ire of Trondek Hwechin Chief Roberta Joseph. The territory acted unilaterally and prematurely, she said, since the First Nation has yet to sign off on a harvest management plan for the herd thats still being negotiated. A plan would include details such as timing, geographic areas and the allowable harvest for a particular hunting season, she said. At the turn of the century, the herds population may have numbered more than half a million caribou, said Florkiewicz. Historically, the caribou migrated as far south as Whitehorse, more than 500 kilometres southeast of Dawson City. But by the 1970s, increased hunting and predation by wolves had spurred their precipitous decline. Today, the herds population has grown to about 84,000, up from a low of 6,500, which is enough to support a respectful, sustainable harvest, the Yukon government said. Members of the Trondek Hwechin First Nation have subsistence hunting rights and do not require a permit, but they have also volunteered not to harvest from the herd for more than two decades, said Joseph. It was a huge sacrifice for our people, she said, noting that at one time, caribou from the Fortymile herd were an important food source for members. She acknowledged that the herds population has increased, but said the First Nations people are still in conservation mode. After not being able to harvest for over 20 years, its going to take some time to reconnect with the Fortymile caribou, its habitat (and) our old traditional hunting areas. On the Alaskan side, harvesting Fortymile caribou was not banned, but the state government imposed harvesting limits and carried out a wolf-culling program that ended two years ago. In the states management plan for the herd, the Yukon and Alaskan governments agreed to allocate 65 per cent of the total harvest to Alaskans, while Yukon hunters could take the rest, said Florkiewicz. In Yukon, that works out to around 1,200 animals, he said, but the territory has elected not to access its share until now. From Jan. 1 to March 31, 2020, Yukon resident hunters who have not already reached the limit for caribou in this years hunting season are eligible for a permit allowing them to harvest one male Fortymile caribou. The permits are valid for 10 days, with 25 permits available during each interval for a total of 225 permits, the government said. Hunters cannot obtain two consecutive permits. All hunters, whether they are successful or not, must report their results. According to the 1998 treaty between the Trondek Hwechin Nation and the Yukon and Canadian governments, the territory must allocate a portion of the total allowable harvest for Fortymile caribou to the nation. Its pretty clear that Yukon government is not honouring the agreement, said Joseph. There should be no licensed hunt for Fortymile caribou in Yukon without a collaboratively developed and approved harvest management plan, she said. Matthew Cameron, a spokesman for the Government of Yukon, said this years harvesting opportunities are designed to ensure Trondek Hwechin rights are honoured and sign-off is not required. The hunt is aligned with adaptive management provisions approved for the herd in 2015 as part of Yukons Wildlife Act, which are separate from the harvest management plan, he said in an email. The hunt was recommended by the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board and supported by the Dawson District Renewable Resources Council, Cameron noted. Joseph said pressure from the Alaskan government spurred the territory to open the hunt this year. The state government indicated it would seek to increase its own allocation of the harvest for the Fortymile herd if the Yukon government did not allow harvesting, she said. The federal Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife, or COSEWIC, has not assessed the Fortymile herd. A neighbouring caribou herd is doing well. But that herd is one of just two barren-ground populations increasing across the Arctic, from Alaska to Baffin Island, the committee said in its 2016 assessment of the species. Read more about: Ann Arbor, MI -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/02/2020 -- Intagent is a Michigan-based real estate tech company that's making all the difference for real estate players. Through their website solutions, the company has made a good reputation in the real estate market where they're associated with innovation, creativity, reliability, and top-notch professionalism. In essence, the agency has been able to answer the digital needs of their clients with digital solutions that gave them the traffic they need online. Their web solutions are available to real estate agents, brokers as well as big real estate companies. The solutions they provide are customized to meet the specific demands of a client. Speaking about the solutions they offer, the company's spokesperson said, "At Intagent, we always seek to meet the needs of our clientele, and that's why every solution that we offer is created with the client in mind. We understand that clients present varying needs. 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Thanks to Intagent, getting a highly effective website for realtor has been made hassle-free. Having created thousands of realtor websites for different clients, they know the dos and don'ts of different projects. All their realtor website solutions are centered on the client's requirements, and one is assured nothing short of excellence when they seek these services. About Intagent Intagent is a professional company known for their brilliant creations in the digital realm as it pertains to the real estate sector. The company offers a variety of real estate web solutions and can always be counted on to deliver the results you want. Contact Details Company Name: Intagent 1872 Stonebridge Dr. S, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Tel: (800) 209-0740 Website: www.intagent.com Reboot fever has brought many of our favorite shows back wont their original casts like Will & Grace, Mad About You, The L Word and Fuller House. When thats not possible theyve still done all new reboots like Charmed, Magnum P.I. or MacGyver. Party of Five may have the best reason to exist again. L-R: Brandon Larracuente, Elle Paris Legaspi,, Niko Guardado, and Emily Tosta | Freeform/Nino Munoz Party of Five has an all new cast and updated premise (same font though). The modern twist gives it new relevance and new ways to deal with the same idea. Party of Five premieres January 8 on Freeform. Party of Five loses their parents in a brutally modern way Gloria (Fernanda Urrejola) and Javier Acosta (Bruno Bichir) get caught without papers and deported back to Mexico. Their children, who were born in the States, get to stay but they become a party of five without their parents. Emilio (Brandon Larracuente) is the eldest. Beto (Niko Guardado) is the middle boy. Lucia (Emily Tosta) is the eldest girl. Valentina (Elle Paris Legaspi) is the younger girl. They have an infant too. However you fall on the political spectrum, this is a savvy way to update a show. The original was about a family of siblings coming together after their parents die. Family separations are happening for immigrant families so it is fertile ground to explore dramatically. Its a slightly different trauma than death, but a dramatic trauma nonetheless. Living parents change Party of Five The fact that the parents are alive immediately adds a new element to Party of Five. Emilio still has to step up as the eldest and the other teens do their part but the parents are still in the picture remotely. They can skype and call from Mexico.They can advise, but they cant control their kids from afar.. The Acosta family in Freeforms Party of Five | Freeform/Vu Ong So Emilio is parenting whether his parents like it or not. And if they disagree, the parents have no way to enforce their authority. Theres an aspect of defiance, not as in breaking the rules and throwing parties. Rather, the kids can have legitimate different views on running the business or approaching schoolwork and they now have the authority to do what they want. This is still the same Whether the parents died or got deported, the strain it puts on the kids is just as devastating. Its hard to argue with Lucia and Beto neglecting their schoolwork when they have bigger real world problems. The situation thrusts Emilio into a patriarchal role before he should have to, and skipping typical processes like having kids of his own. Hes inherited a whole family. The characters are different and they have lives in 2019 complete with the specific issues of modern day and the universal ones of growing up in any era. The cast is great and will be worth following in this new Party of Five drama. In one way, the Party of Five reboot is even more tragic. Freeforms Party of Five | Freeform/Vu Ong True, Mr. and Mrs. Acosta get to live, but if the series is success, the whole family is going to suffer through a drawn out immigration drama. It will be poignant and relevant, but nothing youd wish anyone to go through. The Salinger parents were gone for good, but the siblings were able to move on from that and heal. The prospect of years with their parents just out of reach makes the Acostas Party of Five just a little more bittersweet. Keith Urban kissed his 'baby girl' Nicole Kidman on camera after thanking her for making New Year's Eve 'super special' in a joint message wishing their fans a 'happy and safe' 2020. The couple, both 52, spent December 31 in Nashville, Tennessee, where the country star performed at the Jack Daniels' Music City Night for the fourth year in a row. After his performance, Keith took to Instagram to thank Fleetwood Mac 'goddess' Stevie Nicks for agreeing to join him and his fans for travelling 'far and wide'. Loved-up: Keith Urban kissed his 'baby girl' Nicole Kidman on camera after thanking her for making New Year's Eve 'super special' in a joint message wishing fans a 'happy and safe' 2020 He crooned: 'Stevie Nicks, you are a goddess, you just did amazing tonight. Thank you so much, it was a blast.' In a video shot in his trailer he said: 'I just wanted to take a second to say thank you to everybody that came out tonight. I have literally just come off stage. 'This is our fourth year doing it, we had the best time here tonight. Stevie Nicks, The Strutts and Ashley McBryde, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, there were so many people on the show tonight. 'It was so fun. So thank you very much to everyone who came out far and wide to the show.' 'Baby girl, thank you for making tonight super special': The couple spent December 31 in Nashville, Tennessee, where the country star performed at the Jack Daniels' Music City Night Thanks: After his performance, Keith took to Instagram to thank 'goddess' Stevie Nicks for agreeing to join him and his fans for travelling 'far and wide' Pulling wife Nicole into the camera frame, he added: 'Baby girl, thank you for coming in tonight to make it super special. Did you enjoy the show?' Nicole replied: 'I had the best time,' before turning to the camera to add 'Happy New Year everyone. 2020, here we come!' Keith wished his fans a happy new year and offered his blessings as he cuddled his wife, adding: 'Be safe in 2020.' It comes after Nicole kissed her husband on stage after his performance. The actress smooched the side of Keith's head while they were surrounded by several others ringing in the new decade. Keith grinned as he cosied up to his wife, who cupped his face as she leaned towards him. Happy New Year! The actress kissed the side of Keith's head while they were surrounded by several others ringing in the new decade The Big Little Lies star and the musician spent Christmas enjoying the sunshine on the beach in Sydney, Australia. During their trip Down Under, the loved-up pair shared a kiss in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to celebrate the holidays. 'Sydney, we had the BEST Christmas,' Keith wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of the pair on the balcony of their $15.6million penthouse in Milsons Point. 'And the shows were a blast! THANK YOU ALL! Next up, ringing in 2020 at our Nashville show. Here come OUR roaring 20's,' he added. Nicole and Keith have been married since 2006 and have two daughters, Sunday Rose, 11, and Faith Margaret, nine together. A delivery ceremony for the first littoral mission ship the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group has built for the Royal Malaysian Navy is held in Qidong, East China's Jiangsu Province on December 31, 2019. Photo: WeChat account of Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group China's shipbuilding giant has delivered the first of four littoral mission ships (LMS) to the Royal Malaysian Navy, marking the high-level military cooperation between China and Malaysia, analysts said on Wednesday. The Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group, under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, delivered the ship, named Keris, to the Royal Malaysian Navy on Tuesday at a base in Qidong, East China's Jiangsu Province, according to a statement by the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group on its official WeChat account. Wu Xiaoguang, deputy general manager of China State Shipbuilding Corporation said at the ceremony that the LMS project is the first large scale military equipment cooperation project between China and Malaysia. The delivery of the ship highlighted a new phase in the cooperation between the company and the Royal Malaysian Navy, Wu said, noting that he hopes both sides will continue to expand their cooperation. According to the contract, China will build three more of these ships for the Royal Malaysian Navy, the Xinhua News Agency reported in 2018. Construction of the first ship began on July 31, 2018, and the second ship has been under construction since October 23, 2018, according to Xinhua. These vessels reportedly are 69 meters long with a displacement of more than 700 tons and a top speed of 22 knots. They can be armed with guns and used for patrols, anti-terrorism activities, rescue missions and protection of fisheries, reports said. If Malaysia is satisfied with the Chinese-built ship, it could place additional orders for LMS or other types of warships that suit its needs, and China's shipbuilding industry will be fully capable of meeting that demand, a military expert who asked not to be named, told the Global Times on Wednesday. China can also provide ground and air equipment, like the JF-17 fighter jet, the expert added. People have been urged to immediately flee vast regions of Victoria and NSW, including some of the countrys most popular holiday spots, before horrific fire conditions at the weekend. Already, 17 people are missing and one is confirmed dead in Victoria, while seven people are confirmed dead in NSW. Another man is missing and presumed dead in NSW. A bushfire near Nowa Nowa general store in East Gippsland. Speaking in Bairnsdale on Thursday afternoon, Premier Daniel Andrews said he held grave fears for those missing. "These are very challenging circumstances and unique in many ways. To have this many people cut off from services is not something we would normally experience," he said. Tourists visiting the Tower of London have complained that it is not suitable for children because of its bloody past. 'Snowflake' visitors have been even accused its Yeomen Warders popularly known as Beefeaters of being sexist during their tours of the historic palace and fortress. And reviews posted on TripAdvisor show tourists moaning that some of the torture artifacts are too gruesome. Tourists visiting the Tower of London have complained that it is not suitable for children because of its bloody past Among the complaints include guests being given graphic details of executions carried out at the fortress - which was first built around the year 1078 and remained in use well into the 19th century. The Tower remains home to the Crown Jewels and attracts three million visitors every year. But one moaner posted online: 'We took the free tour offered at the Tower and it was entertaining but not at all suitable for children. 'The whole site should be avoided by families with children who are old enough to understand what an execution and torture are.' Another wrote: 'I was also extremely turned off by the repeated sexist language and jokes by my tour guide.' Another said: 'Great tour, marred only by some casual sexism from the presenter.' Another said: 'An impolite and disrespectful guard in a ridiculous costume allowed people with less walking problems to skip the line, yet told my wife is she can walk she can wait in line.' One said: 'The Yeoman didn't impress - they pride themselves on being rude.' Mobile city and county governments could involve themselves in an ongoing transatlantic trade war that threatens the surging productivity at Mobiles Airbus manufacturing plant. A resolution, first pitched Tuesday to the Mobile City Council, requests president Donald Trump and the U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to continue with a trade policy of not applying tariffs on imported aerospace components and assemblies from Europe. The proposed resolution is expected to be voted on by the council and the Mobile County Commission ahead of a Jan. 13 deadline for public comments on the latest list of additional European goods slated for tariffs. The stakes for Mobile are high: The citys Airbus manufacturing plant employs 1,000 people and is churning out new airplanes monthly. If a tariff if placed on the imported airplane parts, the fear is that it could slow productivity and lead to layoffs. Our goal is to bring as much political and business firepower as possible to make our shared concerns known, said Bill Sisson, president & CEO of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, which reached out to the city and county seeking the resolution. With the city of Mobile and Mobile County as major economic development partners, we did have a joint meeting with Airbus and our elected officials to build a united community and regional response. Also involved is the Alabama State Port Authority, which administers the State Docks in Mobile where airplane parts are handled and transported to the Airbus manufacturing site at the Brookley Aeroplex. Port Authority officials believe the resolutions are needed as a way to relay everyones deep concerns in Mobile to the Trump Administration. Jimmy Lyons, the ports longtime CEO, said, Were surprised and disappointed this issue has come up again. The administration is putting U.S. jobs at risk by imposing punitive measures on Airbus key components. Risk to Mobile United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 18, 2019, during a hearing hearing on 'The President's 2019 Trade Policy Agenda and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement'. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)AP The City Council, on Tuesday, briefly discussed the resolution and appeared supportive of it, although Councilman John Williams urged the city handle the matter with caution. The council is expected to vote on the resolution during its meeting next Tuesday, Jan. 7. There is a lot we dont know about the conditions of the tariffs, said Williams. There are some exemptions with regard to components coming to Mobile, Alabama, used on Airbus assemblies. And so, what maybe what we are appearing to do is defending Mobile, which is what our job is. But it may not be necessary. Indeed, Mobile appeared to be spared the brunt of the latest round of tariffs in October. The Trump Administration rolled out a list of hefty 25% tariffs on $7.5 billion of products on agricultural products such as wines, Italian cheeses and Irish and Scotch whiskies. It also imposed tariffs of 10% on large civil aircraft, but exempted airline parts imported from Europe to the United States. On Oct. 2, the World Trade Organization ruled that European-based Airbus had benefited from illegal subsidies in a case that involves its chief rival, Boeing. That case has been ongoing for 15 years. Initially, a 25% tariff was considered for imported airplane components. But the administration, in the list rolled out in October, exempted those parts fuselages and other airline sections that are crucial to the ongoing operations at Mobiles Airbus assembly plant. Last month, Lighthizers office published a new list of items the U.S. is considering replacing tariffs on, including up to 100% assessments on European products, such as whisky. Sisson said hes worried enough that the potential could exist for 100% tariffs on airline parts imported into Mobile. He said, As the voice of business, we want to express to (Lighthizers agency) that tariffs could have a detrimental effect on our local economy and the thousands of local jobs in the aviation/aerospace sector specifically related Airbus and its continued growth potential. Mobile is deeply invested with Airbus, which opened its $600 million manufacturing plant in 2016. According to Airbus spokeswoman Kristi Tucker, 25% of the companys overall U.S employment base is in Mobile, and more workers are coming: The citys resolution states that the company anticipates a 236% employment growth between December 2018-December 2020. Airbus will also physically expand at its Brookley complex during 2020 by unveiling a new $300 million assembly plant for its new A220 aircraft in the spring or early summer. The implementation of such tariffs (or even the risk of tariffs) threatens the incredible aerospace industrial expansion currently occurring along the Gulf Coast, Tucker said in an email to AL.com. As Airbus is a key part on the local Mobile Bay economy, tariffs threaten the entire community not just Airbus. Aerospace dispute President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing on drug trafficking at the southern border in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, March 13, 2019, in Washington. Trump said during the event the U.S. is issuing an emergency order grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft "effective immediately," in the wake of the crash of an Ethiopian Airliner that killed 157 people. Boeing, amid the grounding of the 737 Max, had a problematic year as it was surpassed by Airbus in airplane deliveries during 2019. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)AP But how long can aircraft parts be exempted from tariffs involving an overarching cases that involve aerospace? Steve Livingston, an associate director of Business and Economic Research at Middle Tennessee State University who has extensively researched tariff issues, said it could be difficult for the Trump Administration to continue with the exemptions while assessing tariffs on agricultural products, particularly when the genesis for the tariffs was a high-profile dispute about subsidies awarded to Airbus. At some point, heavy tariffs that exclude aircraft parts will look very strange when the judgement was over aircraft, said Livingston, who has authored much-read reports on the possible impact of tariffs on Tennessee. The EU, for instance, is vowing to retaliate with its own tariffs on American products while it awaits a separate WTO ruling in 2020 on a complaint that Boeing also received improper government subsidies. Said Tucker, at Airbus: Such a trade war benefits no one. The only real resolution to this long-running dispute is through a settlement agreement, and we are hopeful that trade representatives in the U.S. and the European Union will sit down and negotiate such an agreement quickly. Further complicating matters is the fierce battle between Airbus and Seattle-based Boeing for airline supremacy, and the attention its drawing from regulators. Competition between the two airliners is fierce. In 2019, Airbus upended Boeing from its perch atop the industry as the worlds largest planemaker for the first time since 2011. The company delivered 863 aircraft for the year, an increase of nearly 8% over the nearly 800 jets delivered in 2018, according to Reuters. Boeing, on the other hand, had a difficult year following the grounding of the 737 MAX and the removal of the companys CEO in December. Airbus scored another victory in December when United Airlines announced it was ordering 50 new jets from Airbus, with deliveries set to begin in 2024. Some of those planes could be built in Mobile. Airbus will certainly try to take advantage of this by ramping up single-aisle output, and Mobile would be part of that, said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst for the Teal Group based in Virginia. The good news could be dampened, Livingston said, if the Trump Administration removes the tariff exemption. Anything that raises the final cost is going to reduce demand for the product, he said. So tariffs would hurt, no doubt about that, especially if the EU responds with more retaliation. Aboulafia said Mobiles resolutions would be a smart reminder to the Trump Administration about the importance of a company that fuels its industrial growth. This is the heart of Trump country, and it doesnt hurt to remind the administration of Alabamas reliance on this exemption, said Aboulafia. This story was updated at 7:48 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2020, to add that, according to Airbus, the company is anticipating 236% employment growth between December 2018-December 2020. You know a movie is good when only one trailer gets everyone so excited about it. That's what's happening with A Quiet Place Part II right now. The first trailer for the sequel of the much-loved movie is finally out and it's, honestly, the perfect start to the year. The movie will have Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe reprising their roles from the first movie, with Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou joining the cast for this one. What a great cast, the movie just cannot disappoint with such great actors. While not much is known about the movie as of now, here's what Paramount Pictures have released about the storyline - "Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path." Basically, in the first one, the family was being haunted by those weird creatures who responded to sound, but the stakes are getting higher with this one; the creatures are not the only threat now, and we can't wait to see how they'll survive all the horrors that are waiting for them now. Here's the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEMwSdne6UE As I mentioned before, people have gone crazy because of how exciting the trailer is. Yep. the power of emily blunt in the a quiet place cinematic universe pic.twitter.com/uXWZYmvhvO mary (@bIuntinski) January 1, 2020 That last picture, tho. Cillian Murphy in A Quiet Place: Part II is coming to save us all in 2020 pic.twitter.com/HtYLWcpY54 (@dracarysdemon) January 1, 2020 It's going to be great. bearded, tattooed, rugged cillian murphy in a quiet place part 2 is everything i never knew i needed. pic.twitter.com/8pe5fTPJxQ kayleigh (@benscallum) January 1, 2020 For sure. A QUIET PLACE PART II IS ALREADY THE BEST MOVIE OF 2020 https://t.co/5C9XCLPVKA keeley jo (@vampirekeeley) January 1, 2020 Everyone right about now. Me: A Quiet Place doesn't need a sequel. I refuse to watch it. Releases trailer showing Cillain Murphy and Djimon Hounsou. Me: https://t.co/9RO4b5Eh7Q pic.twitter.com/An6HgqDB1Z Filmically Speaking (@Adam63754514) January 1, 2020 Same. Cillian Murphy in A Quiet Place 2 kinda makes me wanna join film Twitter cuz this is all I'm gonna be talking about for months!! pic.twitter.com/onFwL3WYfv jas (@xsunnyfx) January 1, 2020 Brilliant. I'll say this as loudly as I can on here... CILLIAN MURPHY IN A QUIET PLACE PART 2 HAS ME HYPED! Genius actor and CHILLING trailer pic.twitter.com/tyaZxian4I Angel Amaral (@BluRayAngel) January 1, 2020 Always. Very few people in Ireland, least of all those of us working in the Irish drinks industry, would have voted for Britain to leave the EU. However, in accepting the reality of Brexit many of our colleagues, just as in other sectors of the Irish economy, breathed a sigh of relief at the end of 2019 when an immediate hard Brexit was avoided. That is not to say that 2020 will be without its challenges. As a sector that exports over 1.4bn in premium products every year, to over 140 markets, we will be hoping the year that lies ahead brings clarity on our future trading relationship with Britain. Trade, and free access to world markets, is vital to the continued success of our industry and the protection of jobs in breweries, distilleries and drinks distributors around Ireland. It is not just Brexit where nervousness and uncertainty abounds for our exporters. In October, 15 international beverage alcohol associations called for an immediate end to tariffs on distilled spirits and wines as our industry became collateral damage in trade disputes that have nothing to do with the beverage alcohol sector. These tariffs are applicable to Irish cream liqueur and cordials, as well as single malt Irish whiskey from the North. The new round of tariffs on drinks has further damaged a transatlantic industry that has already been negatively impacted by the EUs retaliatory tariffs on US Whiskey. 2020 must be the year where the EU and the US work together to end this pointless trade war. We cannot risk another year of investment-damaging uncertainty. The drinks industry is resilient, however, and we continue to expand into new markets and expand those we currently trade with. We welcomed the new EU-China agreement on protection of geographical indications for Irish Whiskey the fastest growing premium spirits category in the world- in 2019 and efforts to continue this growth will redouble. So, too, will efforts to build on the exports of beer, cider and other spirits categories. All of this export activity, of course, relies on a solid home market and the adoption of the correct policies by the Government. With an election due sooner rather than later in the coming year, the next Government, regardless of its composition, must ensure it fosters an environment that not only avoids further unnecessary or counter-productive regulation but actively helps drinks businesses to thrive. Irelands new wave of microbreweries and distilleries are creating jobs, attracting tourists and exporting high quality products around the world. Politicians must protect their cost competitiveness by avoiding unnecessary taxation and regulation and ensuring that they reach their full potential. This is not just an issue for our sector- the cost of doing business in Ireland is high for everyone. We must avoid the mistake of the Celtic Tiger that saw our competitiveness fall, resulting in the need for a sharp correction once the economy began to disimprove. Many of our drinks businesses are, of course, contained in the countrys network of brewery and distillery visitor centres. Almost 2.8 million people visited these in 2018, contributing to balanced regional development and to strengthening Irelands appeal as a global tourism destination. The Government should avoid introducing Minimum Unit Pricing ahead of the North. While the drinks industry is in favour of tackling the sale of cheap alcohol to reduce alcohol misuse, we believe the introduction of MUP should only be done in conjunction with the North. This would avoid an even more dramatic price differential on alcohol products sold either side of the border. A thriving drinks industry in 2020, supported by Government, could be good news for the consumer. Unfortunately, at present Ireland has the second highest excise tax on alcohol in the EU. This is punitive for moderate drinkers, as well as producers and retailers. It also increases costs for restaurants and hotels, especially outside the cities, many of whom are suffering due to the downturn in visitor numbers from the UK. The next Government should look to bring excise into line with the majority of EU economies and give consumers and producers a break. We would all drink to that in the New Year. Patricia Callan is director of Drinks Ireland, the Ibec-affiliated representative group for alcohol industry. CITY HALL -- As the next stage of impeachment remains in limbo, Rep. Max Rose said fellow House Democrats recent vote to oust President Donald Trump was an incredibly sad occasion, but hopes the Senate will hold fair and balanced hearings on the articles of impeachment against the president. The vote for the impeachment proceedings, the impeachment vote was an incredibly sad occasion. Pleased would be completely the wrong word, Rose said at an unrelated press conference in lower Manhattan on Thursday. But I do respect the oath that I took, I do believe that Im upholding that oath and showing integrity, all the while though, continuing to work for the great people of my congressional district, the congressman added. Roses remarks come two weeks after he and fellow Democrats voted overwhelmingly largely along party lines on two articles of impeachment against the president. The articles of impeachment are now on their way to the Senate. However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has delayed sending them to the Senate in the hopes of giving Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer more leverage in talks with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Rose said the impeachment process was still in continued negotiations and that he thinks its the Senates responsibility to hold a fair and balanced hearing. I have faith that both parties in those negotiations will continue to act with the country in mind and theyll arrive at a just resolution in short time, Rose said. JEFFRIES SUPPORTS PELOSIS STANCE Fellow New York City Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, told reporters Thursday that he supported Speaker Pelosi in withholding sending off the articles of impeachment to the Senate. However, he said he could not personally comment on what types of promises Pelosi was waiting on before making a decision to send the articles of impeachment off to the Senate. Rose has tried to walk a tightrope on impeachment in a congressional district that voted for Trump in 2016. The seat was Republican for three decades until Democrat Michael McMahon, now the Islands district attorney, won a single term in office in 2008. Rose said he was opposed to impeaching the president in September, arguing that ousting Trump would not address serious issues facing the country and only tear our country further apart. But as the Ukraine controversy unfolded, he put out a series of vague official statements on his position, until he announced at a town hall on Staten Island a month later he would fully support an impeachment inquiry into the president and follow the facts. While his flip on impeachment has been welcomed by many fellow Democrats in the district, Republicans have vowed to remind NY-11 voters about Roses sudden change in position on impeachment. Republicans have criticized Rose for joining the ranks of more progressive Democrats like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Pelosi, who he voted against as speaker of the House. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. Born 25 seconds after midnight, Penelope Navarro is San Antonios first baby of 2020. Sarah Navarro, 33, cradled the newborn this morning beside her husband Robert Navarro, 33, and their 2-year-old son, Theodore, at Methodist Childrens Hospital. Penelope weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 18 inches long. I cant believe shes the New Years baby, Sarah Navarro said, surrounded by her family, hospital staff members and the media. Area hospitals have come together for 20 years to welcome the citys New Years baby to the world. The staff members of the labor and delivery units confer at midnight to determine which hospital has the first birth. According to UNICEF, an estimated 392,078 babies around the world were born on New Years Day. UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore called the beginning of a new year and decade, an opportunity to reflect on hopes and aspirations not only for our future, but the future of those who will come after us. Read about some of the gifts baby Penelope received for being the city's firstborn of 2020 at our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. We have our pair, Sarah Navarro said. A little boy and a girl, were excited! As cameras clicked and bright lights flashed upon the family, Theo rolled over on the rug, face down away from the attention. Before his grandmother walked him to play a game, he stopped and glanced at his little sister swaddled in a blanket, in his mothers arms. This little girl, Robert Navarro said, is already softening my heart. Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the Greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavis SUMMARY Since 2016 over 200 Veterans have died by suicide in Georgia. Silver Lining Villages, a Georgia Nonprofit provides suicide prevention programs for PTSD using holistic practices, job training & collaborations with supportive services partners for Veterans seeking jobs and VA benefits. (FAIRBURN, GEORGIA, December 31, 2019) - Silver Lining Villages, Inc. nonprofit for Veterans and their families, provides and teaches holistic methods for addressing post traumatic stress (PTS), military An investigation into allegedly forged documents sent from Energy Minister Angus Taylor's office has been referred to the Australian Federal Police, who are evaluating whether to continue it. NSW Police in November launched an investigation into the false documents, which were used to incorrectly accuse the City of Sydney of spending millions of dollars on travel. Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "Following an investigation by the State Crime Command's Financial Crimes Squad, the matter has been referred to the Australian Federal Police," NSW Police said in a statement on Thursday. Liberal staffer Josh Manuatu was identified last month as the person who obtained the false figures that were used in a Daily Telegraph article criticising Clover Moore, the lord mayor. A view of pipelines at the Bilche-Volytsko-Uherske underground gas storage facility, the largest in Europe, not far from the village of Bilche village, in the Lviv region of western Ukraine, on May 21, 2014. (ALEXANDER ZOBIN/AFP via Getty Images) Ukraine and Russia Avert Crisis on Gas Supplies, Deliveries to Europe Naftogaz CEO praises effect of U.S. sanctions on negotiations Ukrainian and Russian gas companies have hammered out a complex series of agreements that will see Russian natural gas supplies continue to be delivered to Europe via Ukrainian pipelines. The eleventh-hour deals mean that the Ukraine will receive around $7 billion in transit payments over the next 5 years. According to the agreement, 65 billion cubic meters (bcm) of Russian gas will transit through Ukraine in 2020, while some 40 bcm is guaranteed each year from 2021 to 2025. The agreement also foresees the possibility of a 10-year contract extension. Furthermore, Ukraines Naftogaz received $2.918 billion in payments and late payment fees from Russias Gazprom, which was awarded by a court in Stockholm in 2018. According to Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev, total transfers to Naftogaz including all settlements will amount to some $5 billion. #Russia, #Ukraine sign 5-year #natgas transit contract * Agreement includes minimum transit of 65 Bcm in 2020 * Shipments to be at least 40 Bcm from 2021 * $7 billion contract may be extended for further 10 years@boudicca83 story: https://t.co/tLD2EN0Jhn pic.twitter.com/OntIlDqeQs Platts Gas (@PlattsGas) December 30, 2019 As the agreements were signed after arbitration talks in Vienna, Austria, late on Monday, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the contracts would ensure Ukrainian energy security and well-being, while letting Europe know that we wont fail it when it comes to energy security. A press release from Russian President Vladimir Putin described how the two leaders had worked together by phone to arrive at a solution: The two presidents underscored the importance of yesterdays package deal whereby uninterrupted transits of Russias natural gas to Europe through Ukrainian territory will continue after Jan. 1, 2020. They noted the constructive nature of talks on these matters, which creates a favorable backdrop for resolving other bilateral problems. A statement from Zelensky reiterated that the negotiations could be a stepping stone to resolving other contentious issues between the countries. During the conversation, the heads of state also agreed to immediately proceed to the approval of the lists for the release of Ukrainians, including Crimeans, held in Crimea and Russia, and Russians held in Ukraine. Package of documents signed for Russian gas transit across Ukraine to continue beyond 2019https://t.co/TNeHnO2XSY pic.twitter.com/N7Nf49avxd Gazprom (@GazpromEN) December 31, 2019 The deal came just one day before existing transit contracts were due to expire on Dec. 31a scenario that could have led to Ukraine cutting off a substantial portion of Russian gas deliveries to Europe, or to Russia cutting off gas supplies to Ukraine, a country heavily dependent on Russian gas for home heating and industrial processes. Russia currently delivers gas to Europe via major pipelines that run through Ukraine and Belarus (the Yamal and Brotherhood pipelines) and directly to Germany under the Baltic Sea (the Nord Stream 1 pipeline). About 40 percent of Russian gas piped to Europe currently passes through Ukraine, and is an essential source of income (in the form of transit charges) and affordable energy for a developing country beleaguered by grinding poverty, unrest, and the 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia. Naftogaz Learning From the History Books Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said he believed the agreements restored the balance of interests between the parties, and that Gazprom has shown again that its a responsible supplier and a reliable partner. In an interview with the Kyiv Post, however, Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev said that, In order to reach the deal, it was very important to take into account the lessons of 2009. Kobolyev said that Naftogaz had been preparing for the negotiations for some time, including ensuring that Ukraines gas storage systems were filled to the tune of 21 bcmeven more. He added that if no agreement had been reached, Ukraine will survive. We would not be begging for gas as was in 2009. During a dispute over gas supplies and transit fees between the Ukraine and Russia 11 years ago, gas supplies to the Ukraine were cut off for most of January. Against this backdrop, Kobolyev said that he welcomed U.S. sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as well as signals that Germany would not make Nord Stream 2 operational until the Ukraine-Russia agreement had been reached. He went further, saying, If you ask me what is the best way for Ukraine to secure a long and proper deal with Gazprom, its the absence of Nord Stream 2. He also cast doubt on whether the pipeline could be completed if American sanctions remained in placewhich he agreed would be very good news for Ukraine. Kobolyev said that he tries to explain to his U.S. and European counterparts just how critical gas is in terms of Ukrainian national security. Gas is one of the best protectors for Ukraine as a country. As long as critically big gas flows, gas volumes are flowing through Ukraine, the likelihood of full-scale military invasion [by Russia] remains quite low. #Ukraines Naftogaz signed a new gas transit agreement with its Russian counterpart, Gazprom. https://t.co/qqLF3mznsI Kyiv Post (@KyivPost) December 31, 2019 Sanctions Take Effect Mere weeks away from the completion of Nord Stream 2, Allseas, a Swiss-Dutch specialist in offshore pipe-laying, suspended their work on the project due to the sanctions. Nord Stream 1 (completed in 2011) and Nord Stream 2 each have a capacity of 55 bcm, giving a potential total of 110 bcm of gas that could be transported directly from Russia to Germanywithout passing through a transit country. Allseas was laying the pipeline using two vesselsPioneering Spirit and Solitaireand was expected to lay 96 percent of all the pipes needed for Nord Stream 2. According to a statement from Allseas: In anticipation of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Allseas has suspended its Nord Stream 2 pipelay activities. Allseas will proceed, consistent with the legislations wind down provision and expect guidance comprising of the necessary regulatory, technical and environmental clarifications from the relevant U.S. authority. Russias Alternative Pipelines Unfortunately for Ukraine, such alternative gas pipeline projects are decreasing Russian reliance on Ukraines pipelines, and weakening its position in future price negotiations. Russias Turkstream project has seen a gas pipeline laid under the Black Sea from Russias Krasnodar region to Turkey and on to Europe, and is set for completion in early 2020. Turkstream will carry approximately 31.5 bcm of gas. Nord Stream 2, the second alternative, is believed by the Trump administration to make Europe overly reliant on Russian gas, while weakening Ukraines position at the bargaining table. According to U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Projects such as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline are a threat to European energy security and a provocation by the Russian government. Imposing sanctions that will prevent the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is an important tool to counter Russias malign influence and to protect the integrity of Europes energy sector. Passage of this legislation has been a major priority of mine over the last 12 months, and I am pleased to have secured its passage in the final NDAA. I am glad this years NDAA includes these widely supported sanctions, and I hope all parties involved will realize that stopping this project is in the best interest of our friends and allies who wish to curb Putins efforts to make Europe reliant on Russian energy. US #sanctions against #NordStream2 reinforce Ukraines position in trilateral gas talks. Upcoming sanctions helped to have Russia negotiate. The only way to guarantee whatever promises the Russian side gives us now is to ensure Nord Stream 2 is not built #StrongerTogether https://t.co/0Y8O0vthEZ Naftogaz of Ukraine (@NaftogazUkraine) December 21, 2019 German Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, said the Vienna agreement was a good and important signal to guarantee the security of our European gas supply. According to German newspaper Die Welt, Merkel has stated that the Nord Stream pipelines under no circumstances make us dependent on Russia alone, and that the intention is for Germany to diversify its gas supply with the construction of new liquid natural gas (LNG) ports and facilities, which could be served, for example, by U.S. or Qatari ships. According to Die Welt, however, Eastern European states are also concerned about the plans for Nord Stream 2, as it would make Germany the main distributor of Russian gas in Western Europe, while the status of Poland and Ukraineas transit countries for gas supplieswould be weakened. The Associated Press contributed to this article. When Seattle began raising its minimum wage five years ago, local burger joint Dick's Drive-In experienced an unintended effect. Its employees opted to work fewer hours as their wages rose, a tall order in a tight labor market. "We thought with higher wages it would be easier to get people to take more hours, but it's been the opposite," said Jasmine Donovan, president of Dick's. She added that the company has had to raise prices for the first time in its history because of the cost of labor alone, whereas in the past, food costs drove such hikes. Seattle's law, which gradually increases its minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021 from just over $9 an hour in 2014, is now at the forefront of a national debate over the impacts of progressive wage increases. It comes at a time when top Democratic presidential candidates like Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden are calling for a $15 per hour federal minimum wage as they try to appeal to working-class voters. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour and has not been increased in over a decade. "Seattle was catalytic to the entire national movement because what the Seattle City Council did by passing the law was show the entire nation that $15 was not a ridiculous demand that people were laughing at back in 2012, but an actual key piece of policy that allowed for working people all across that city to have more money in their pockets that they spent in their local neighborhoods and then grew the economy and local business as a result," said Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, which launched the Fight for $15 and a Union campaign. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray (C) signs a bill that raises the city's minimum wage to $15 an hour on June 3, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. David Ryder | Getty Images Businesses like Dick's have seen their costs go up. Dick's pays above minimum wage, with some locations starting workers at $17 and $18 an hour, and most workers are students in their 20s. Benefits like 401(k) plans and health insurance are also available to workers regardless of the number of hours worked. But higher minimum wages citywide pressure employers to increase pay even if they are already above that threshold, in order to compete for talent. Meanwhile, the Seattle law has been life changing for workers like Martin Johnson, who lobbied for higher pay with the advocacy group Working Washington. He works three minimum wage jobs as a temporary cook on game days at the city's stadiums, as a janitor at Costco on the overnight shift and as a handyman in his own small business. The raise brought with it more dignity for workers and boosted morale, he said. "Instead of being paid $9 an hour, you're getting $15 an hour to do the same work. You feel better about yourself you feel appreciated," Johnson, 54, said. Martin Johnson works three minimum wage jobs, and advocated for higher pay in the city. He says wage increases have brought workers more dignity and boosted morale. Geoff Nelson | CNBC Overall, implications for businesses and workers alike have been nuanced. While there are benefits for workers who saw higher pay, others may have seen fewer hours. Some businesses flourished, while others struggled in the face of greater regulation and intense competition in the city's hot economy. No consensus among economists Studies of the effects of the Seattle wage hike have had different findings: A 2017 University of Washington study found that while wages went up, hours worked declined, resulting in less pay for low-wage workers. But in a follow-up published last year, the authors noted that this wasn't the case for everyone, and experienced workers in low-wage jobs saw their earnings rise. Another from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley released in 2018 found that the wage hikes increased pay and have not led to job losses. The Berkeley and Washington studies measured different groups of workers, with varying results. The conflicting studies highlight a broader debate about what a $15 federal minimum wage might do for businesses and workers nationwide. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell even touched on the issue during his testimony before the House of Representatives this summer saying. "there is no consensus among economists economists are all over the place on this." One of the challenges of measuring Seattle's experience with the minimum wage hike is that the city's economy is in a period of robust growth. Since the wage increase began in 2015, Seattle/Tacoma's job growth has slightly outpaced the state of Washington as a whole, at 12.9%. The city's population has increased some 13% over 2015, according to the Washington state Office of Financial Management. Average hourly earnings were $39.38 in October, an increase of 14.5% from the same month in 2015. That prompts a question: Are higher wages necessary due to the hot economy, or has the economy continued to grow due to higher pay? Mixed results for businesses When the minimum wage increase in Seattle passed, Chad Mackay, CEO of Fire & Vine Hospitality, a Pacific Northwest hospitality group, he decided to reevaluate his business model. "When we projected out the minimum wage increases, and the loss of a tip credit [which allows employers to count tips toward minimum wage], we realized we would be functionally bankrupt if you were to fast forward seven years in the future. We decided the business model was broken, and it's time for us to change," Mackay said. Fire & Vine has long paid above minimum wage in the front and back of house due to demand for talent in the market and the company's beliefs on professional pay. The company moved to a commission-based model, with a 20% service charge for diners. Servers are paid out an hourly wage and a 15% commission and can make $70 or more per hour in the Seattle market, up from some $45 an hour earlier. Guests can also leave extra tips for servers if desired. Those in the back of the house like dishwashers begin between $17 and $20 an hour some 40% over where they were prior. The wage increases haven't hurt his business: He's nearly doubled in size, with some 600 workers today with 12 locations under management, during a time when other restaurants have closed their doors. "Once we went to that model, I have never worried about minimum wage. And I'm not sure there's a restaurateur in Washington state or in California or New York, that can say, 'We left behind minimum wage as an issue for our company,'" Mackay said. But while some businesses have thrived, others have faced challenges in the face of Seattle's changing economy. Dick's Drive-In, Seattle Source: Dick's Drive-In While listening to the Rush Limbaugh show this past Monday, I heard guest host Todd Herman interview an Australian pediatrician and professor on the issue of gender dysphoria and children. Near the end of the enlightening interview, in which the good doctor detailed the "serious and irreversible damage" done to gender-dysphoric children given radical surgeries and hormones demanded by the perverse LGBT agenda, Mr. Herman asked the important question: "Why?" I don't recall the exact wording of Mr. Herman's question, and RushLimbaugh.com does not provide a transcript for guest-hosted shows, but it was something along the lines of this: why have so many decided that the solution for children children! suffering from gender delusions is disfiguring surgeries and dangerous hormone treatments? The doctor didn't have a good answer ready, but I think I know who's really behind this evil and what the endgame is here. First of all, let it be noted the lightning speed in which we've descended down this wicked slope. With nothing in science or morality to back the notion that "gender is a spectrum" or that one can actually "transition" from one sex to another, in less than a decade we've gone from the foolish and evil notion that marriage is whatever we define it to be to sex (gender) is whatever we define it to be. As is the case with same-sex "marriage," children are again victims. Not only children, but parents of vulnerable and deceived children are victims as well. In early 2019, in Public Discourse, the journal of the Witherspoon Institute, five mothers anonymously published their concerns over their supposed "transgender" children. The first mother wrote: I was shocked when my thirteen-year-old daughter told me she was really my transgender son[.] ... Where did she get the idea she was transgender? From a school presentation at a school where over 5 percent of the student body called themselves trans or nonbinary, and where several students were already on hormones, and one had a mastectomy at the age of sixteen[.] ... I took her to a gender clinician seeking expert guidance. Instead, he accepted her new identity and told me I must refer to my daughter with masculine pronouns, call her by a masculine name, and buy her a binder to flatten her breasts. He recommended no therapy, and there was no consideration of the social factors that obviously affected her thinking. I was directed to put her on puberty blocking drugs[.] ... I have nowhere to go for proper help. Therapists are actively trained and socially pressured not to question these increasingly common identities. In Washington, DC, and many states with so-called conversion therapy bans, questioning a child's belief that she is of the opposite sex is against the law. ... Parents like me must remain anonymous to maintain our children's privacy, and because we face legal repercussions if our names are revealed. Parents who do not support their child's gender identity risk being reported to Child Protective Services and losing custody of their children. In New Jersey, the Department of Education officially encourages schools to report such parents. The other mothers detail similar horrors. They talk of children running away from home because their parents refused to use the "proper pronouns." One mother details how the state of Oregon allowed her daughter: ... at the age of seventeen, without my knowledge or consent to change her name and legal gender in court, and to undergo a double mastectomy and a radical hysterectomy. My once beautiful daughter is now nineteen years old, homeless, bearded, in extreme poverty, sterilized, not receiving mental health services, extremely mentally ill, and planning a radial forearm phalloplasty (a surgical procedure that removes part of her arm to construct a fake penis). Make no mistake: as is the case with mass shooters, as deacon Jack Wilson recently reminded us, what we are dealing with here is not mere mental illness. This is evil pure and simple evil right out of the pit of hell. We will not win this fight unless it is dealt with as such. As was the case with same-sex "marriage," this is another opportunity for those who want to rule their own world to thumb their noses at the laws of the Lawgiver. The legalization of same-sex "marriage" was never really only about giving homosexuals the opportunity to "marry." It was also always about sticking it to Christians and Christianity. In other words, as was the case with same-sex "marriage," this is a war against the truth especially when it comes to matters in the sexual realm. As I've often noted, marriage is the oldest institution in the history of humanity older than God's covenant with the nation of Israel, older than the Law, older than the church. Marriage is one of the earliest truths revealed by God. If anything is true, marriage as the union of one man and one woman is true. No doubt, having the U.S. Supreme Court along with certain lawmakers pervert such a long-held truth emboldened those who hate the truth. Thus, we shouldn't be surprised that the next step for the wicked LGBT agenda is full social and legal embrace of "transgenderism." After all, if a culture can be made to pervert something as foundational and long held as marriage, why not target elementary biology? After all, in Scripture, one of the few things that precedes marriage is the fact that "God made them male and female." Thus, to stand against the idea that male and female are immutable, irreversible facts is to strike another blow against the idea that there's such a thing as absolute truth to which we are all beholden. Note how far the radical left has already gotten with its perverse "transgender" agenda. Some of America's largest medical associations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have been duped into supporting the evil "transgender" agenda. Likewise, state and local lawmakers along with many school districts across the U.S. have decided that gender is "fluid" and anyone including the parents of children who says anything to the contrary must be brought in line. Much of Hollywood is fully on board with this wickedness. Even dictionaries (that's right: more than one!) have bought into the lies of the "transgender" agenda. If not for the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, the U.S. military (led by then-president Barack Obama) would've continued its foolish embrace of "transgender" soldiers. This "transgender" wickedness is another reason why Donald Trump was elected and why he continues to get support from those who love the truth. The sad, sorry fact is that the Democrat Party is fully on board with this evil. Virtually everywhere the "transgender" agenda has taken hold, Democrats rule. The onslaught will continue unless truth-loving Americans stop it. Otherwise, another moral domino will fall, and the left will move onto its next cause and target. Trevor Grant Thomas: At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason. www.trevorgrantthomas.com Trevor is the author of the The Miracle and Magnificence of America. tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com Amid speculations of dissent in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra over cabinet expansion, the Shiv Sena on Thursday slammed dissenters for creating alleged unrest over non-allocation of cabinet birth while asserting that an experienced and strong cabinet was on place and it should be allowed to work. In its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena on Thursday highlighted how Maharashtra Congress legislator Sangram Thopat's supporters allegedly vandalised Congress office after the Cabinet expansion following discontent over non-inclusion in the state cabinet. It also stated that the supporters of Praniti Shinde wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi with blood as they were not happy with Shinde's name not being included in the Cabinet. It also outlined that NCP and Congress have not 'paid much attention' to their constituent parties whereas Shiv Sena did so. "There are three parties in the coalition hence there is a limit of making promises. It does not look like Congress or NCP pay attention to its constituent parties. However Shiv Sena did it", the editorial read. Shiv Sena mouthpiece also mentioned that no promises were made to certain individuals of the party for making them ministers and the decision of Uddhav Thackeray remains final in this regard. The Maharashtra government which was formed after days of deliberations between Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena had its cabinet expansion earlier this week. On November 28, Uddhav Thackeray took oath as Chief Minister bringing an end to weeks of political instability in the state's after Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress stitched a post-poll coalition as Maha Vikas Aghadi. Along with the Chief Minister six other ministers -- two each from NCP, Congress, and Shiv Sena took the oath of office. On December 30, a total of 36 leaders from Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, including Ajit Pawar and Aaditya Thackeray, took oath as ministers in the Maharashtra government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One person was killed and 53 were injured throughout Syria on New Year's Eve due to indiscriminate celebratory shooting and firecrackers, Syrian state television reported on Wednesday DAMASCUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st January, 2020) One person was killed and 53 were injured throughout Syria on New Year's Eve due to indiscriminate celebratory shooting and firecrackers, Syrian state television reported on Wednesday. According to a Sputnik correspondent in Damascus, local residents celebrated the start of 2020 by shooting in the air with tracer bullets that left red marks in the sky. Last year, two people died as a result of stray bullets, and at least 85 were injured. In Damascus, shortly after midnight, a 17-year-old man was fatally hit with a stray bullet to his head, a source in the police told Syria tv. Also in the capital, 10 people were hospitalized with various injuries caused by bullets and firecrackers. Thirty-two people, including children, were injured in Latakia. Four citizens were injured in the city of Hama, two in Aleppo, three in Tartus and two in Homs. A fire-fighting operation in northwest Delhi's Peeragarhi turned deadly after a portion of the building that housed the manufacturing unit of inverter batteries collapsed, killing a 28-year-old fire service personnel and injuring his 14 colleagues. The accident happened in less than one month of the Anaj Mandi fire that killed 45 people. Delhi Fire Service director Atul Garg said the blaze started in the basement of the three-storey building in Peeragarhi around 4 am and soon engulfed it. More than 50 fire tenders and 300 personnel were deployed to douse the fire. But around 6:20 am, when the fire-fighting operation was about to end, a portion of the building collapsed due to an explosion, likely triggered by a fire in the compressor of an appliance in the building, a police official said. "We were not aware what was inside the building. The fire was completely controlled and the firemen were coming downstairs. There was a fire in the basement and firemen went to douse it. Suddenly, a blast took place leading to a partial collapse of the building," he added. This explosion jolted the building, which had already become weak due to heat, and led to its partial collapse, trapping four men, including three fire service personnel under the debris. Garg rued the main challenge often faced by fire service officials is the lack of complete information when an incident is reported to them. "We had all the resources like JCB but despite available resources, we were unable to utilise them because people were trapped inside and there was a possibility that the other portion would also collapse, which eventually happened," he said. Plumes of smoke billowed out from the building as the fire brigade personnel battled to contain the blaze. An eyewitness said several explosions were heard as the blaze gutted down the building. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer Delhi) A Koan said a PCR call was received regarding fire in Okaya battery godown-cum-factory. Teams of Delhi Fire Services, District Disaster Management Authority, National Disaster Response Force and emergency medical services CATS rushed to the spot. "One fire fighter died and seventeen people 14 fire brigade personnel and three workers were injured in the fire incident," the DCP said. Amit Kumar Balyan, the fire fighter who succumbed to injuries at a hospital, was rescued after six hours of intense efforts and admitted to the nearby Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute. Two other fire personnel who were trapped inside the building are out of danger, Garg said. A senior police official said the Crime Branch will probe the incident. An official of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation said the factory is located in a regular industrial area, adding that it falls under the jurisdiction of Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation. Delhi's Industries Minister Satyendar Jain visited the spot and ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condoled Balyan's death. "It is with deep sadness I inform you that one of our firemen was martyred while saving people from fire. Our firemen save other people's lives by putting their lives under extremely risk in difficult circumstances. May his soul rest in peace." In line with Delhi government's policy, Kejriwal also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore to the kin of Balyan. Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal also condoled the death of the firefighter. "Deeply anguished over of death of fire operator Amit Balyan along with his team members fought bravely to save lives of many people. I salute his bravery My sincere condolences to his family members. All possible assistance to be extended to the injured & bereaved family," he tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In 2020, Californians are about to feel the weight of the Democrat legislature's never-ending quest to find expensive new ways to micromanage every aspect of daily life, from increased rent control to ending "lunch shaming" to mandatory clean rooms for nursing mothers in the workplace. One of the more consequential laws, though, is especially geared to giving more California taxpayer money to illegal aliens. Starting with the New Year, California is giving illegal aliens between the ages of 19 and 26 full access to Medi-Cal (its taxpayer-funded low-income health insurance program). Before 2020, illegal aliens under 19 were already receiving full benefits under the program (preventive and primary care), while young adults had only free emergency room care. The expanded program is set to cost taxpayers another $98 million in 2020. The point of this Medi-Cal expansion is to provide health insurance parity between legal residents and illegal aliens living in California. Currently, a UCLA "health policy brief" states, "[S]ignificant disparities exist in access to health care between this group and their documented counterparts." What the Democrats ignore is that one of these disparities is the whole "benefit-burden" thing. Those promoting illegal residency in the U.S. argue that illegal aliens pay taxes in the form of sales taxes and some property taxes. However, their illegal status means that the number paying income tax is questionable. Still, one 2017 study claimed that illegal aliens contributed an estimated $3 billion in state and local taxes to the California government. Three billion sounds like a lot until you start looking at what those same illegal aliens cost California. The National Economics Editorial, an openly conservative economic analysis site, estimated in 2017 that illegal aliens already cost California taxpayers more than $30 billion every year, some of it in hard costs (education and health care) and some of it in less tangible lost money costs (remittances and crime). When it comes to potential Medi-Cal costs for the states roughly 2.5 million illegal aliens, as the UCLA study says, "the majority of undocumented residents [sic] are low-income and nonelderly adults." And while the study notes that the young adult cohort is just 7% of the illegal alien population, the 26- to 44-year-old age group is 56% of that population. How long before the California Legislature decides to extend taxpayer health care benefits to that group, too? As an aside, the Medi-Cal goodies basket isn't the only hit on California taxpayers this year when it comes to handouts to illegal aliens. Another law going into effect in 2020 (S.B. 354) gives even more education grants to illegal aliens who came to California as children. The DREAM Loan Program allows these kids to apply for grants if they are enrolled in a public university in pursuit of professional or graduate degrees. Even as California entices illegal aliens with more taxpayer-funded benefits, it's losing its actual taxpayers: According to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released on Monday, approximately 203,000 people moved out of California between 2018 and 2019 with the bulk of them heading to other western states like Arizona, Texas and Colorado, where the cost of life is less pricey. California once was America's "golden state." Now that it's a one-party Democrat state, that gold is rapidly turning to dross. Almost half of the authors we recommend this week are dead, which is bad luck for them but further proof that books can live long past their writers millenniums past in some cases, as in Sun Tzus timeless guide The Art of War, at the top of our list in a new translation. Also dead, also translated: the Croatian novelist Dasa Drndic (1946-2018), whose work began getting its due in English toward the end of her life; her latest to arrive on these shores is Doppelganger. Then we have a couple of posthumous collections: stories by Larry Brown (1951-2004) and essays by Brian Doyle (1956-2017), all of them pulsing with life. On this side of the mortal coil, we recommend a close study of Jamaicas cultural and political place in the world, a kinetic poetry collection alert to the restlessness of the digital age, a look at the ways Jewish people helped shape Western society over the course of a century, and an anthology of essays celebrating Charles M. Schulzs Peanuts comics. Finally, we go full circle with a living author who takes death as his subject: For the essays in The Depositions, Thomas Lynch draws on his long career as an undertaker in small-town Michigan. Gregory Cowles Senior Editor, Books Twitter: @GregoryCowles THE ART OF WAR, by Sun Tzu. Translated by Michael Nylan. (Norton, $24.95.) There have been many translations of this venerable guide, written some 2,500 years ago, and Michael Nylans will not be the last. Sun Tzus book seems perpetually useful because its a work of philosophy as much as tactics, and it suggests that the real art of war is not to have to go to war. Nylans translation is marvelously pointy and plain-spoken, our critic Dwight Garner writes. Each sentence is a struck match. DOPPELGANGER, by Dasa Drndic. Translated by S. D. Curtis and Celia Hawkesworth. (New Directions, paper, $15.95.) The gory, majestic work of the Croatian novelist Dasa Drndic, who died in 2018 at 71, was often concerned with Yugoslavias unacknowledged role in the Holocaust. In Doppelganger, an old man attempts to return his familys silver to the original Jewish owners. Her books are contraptions intended to produce a series of psychological and somatic responses in her readers, our critic Parul Sehgal writes. In short: panic, pity, shame, nausea, exhilaration and then, the bewildering desire to experience these very emotions again. By Baek Byung-yeul Samsung SDS CEO Hong Won-pyo The IT arms of large companies such as Samsung, SK and LG have vowed to speed up digitization efforts in 2020 to respond agilely to fast-changing industry conditions, their CEOs said Thursday. They forecast that 2020 will be a crucial year for them as companies in almost every industry sector will become more engaged in digital transformation. Samsung SDS CEO Hong Won-pyo said the company's 2020 goal is to secure growth engines with more global businesses despite the IT affiliate of Samsung Group expecting to face growing uncertainties. "Samsung SDS has been maintaining our management philosophy of 'Innovation & Synergy and Platform & Growth' since 2018. Based on this philosophy, we will expand global business in the new year," Hong said. To achieve this goal, the company will concentrate on finding new business models customized for each region or country of operation. Samsung SDS has been expanding its overseas business. In 2019, the company purchased a 25 percent stake in CMC Corporation to become the largest shareholder of Vietnam's leading IT service firm. In conjunction with the Vietnamese firm, the company will seek more business opportunities to help digitize companies in Southeast Asia. Samsung SDS also plans to expand M&A activities and partnerships, Hong added. "To achieve inorganic growth of the company, we will try to have more strategic partnerships and expand investment and M&A activities," the CEO said. LG CNS CEO Kim Young-shub Kim Young-shub, CEO of LG CNS, vowed to focus on improving the technological capabilities of employees and expanding the number of services it offers customers. "Employees are urged to improve their technological capabilities and increase experience in new information technology. We will try to nurture specialists that precisely analyze the need of our customers and help them improve their competitiveness," Kim said in a statement. LG CNS will also reform its existing business structure to increase the number of services they offer rather than only focusing on dispatching IT technicians to customer companies. SK C&C CEO Park Sung-ha - 28-year-old Shonisani Masutha from South Africa became the first black actress to star in a Bollywood series - Masutha narrated how she did not know she could earn a role in the series but got it to her own amazement - The series featuring the lass is titled Mahek Shonisani Masutha, a South African actress from Limpopo, has become the first-ever black actress to star in a Bollywood series. According to Glamour.co.za, the young 28-year-old lady auditioned for the series titled Mahek via a Skype interview and passed. READ ALSO: Betty Kyallo's new lover is somali, not mzungu or Arab as suspected by fans READ ALSO: Museveni over the moon after meeting Lingala maestro Kanda Bongoman The super-excited lady spoke in an interview with the news site, and narrated how the experience has been wonderful and what she has learned from the singular feature. According to the lass, she least expected to win any role in the Bollywood series as it is something that had never happened to anyone of her skin colour. Bollywood series which are commonly referred to as ''Indian movies'' are never seen with a black cast. To be the first to ever win such a role was a big break for Masutha. In her own words, the 28-year-old lady said: I just didn't think they were looking for me. I also didn't think I was good enough to go act in Bollywood as I hadn't booked an acting job in about seven months and my confidence was shaky again. But my agent insisted that I go and try, and so I did" READ ALSO: Meet 8-year-old neuroscientist who teaches millions online from her lab The beautiful young lady also recounted how nervous she was during the interview experience and how she was able to toughen herself through it. "I was auditioning for Zeeworld in the room and for the production company in India via Skype at the same time, it was nerve-racking but as an actress, you take those nerves and use them as fuel to keep you going and I just went for it," she said. In the Bollywood series, Mahek, Shonisani Masutha plays the role of a lady from an African family who moved to India in search for greener pastures. While trying to find her feet, the lady gets entangled in various love relationships and has to deal with all sorts of uncertainties. READ ALSO: Mahakama yaagiza kukamatwa kwa mali ya bintiye aliyekuwa Rais wa Angola Shonisani Masutha mentioned what life has taught her with the entire experience. "This experience has taught me that life starts at the end of your comfort zone and you never knows what coming so you have to stay ready," she revealed. Black women have been in the news lately for awe-inspiring unprecedented achievements. Not long ago, TUKO.co.ke reported how Ashley Roxanne Peterson, 24, became the first-ever black person in all of history to become an osteopathic doctor. Her journey to becoming a doctor started at her young age when she caught the character of serving others from her parents. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Simple boy vs Waiguru | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Four ace pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been selected for India's 2022 maiden manned mission Gaganyaan around the earth's orbit. According to IANS, the quartet will undergo training in Russia from the third week of this month for becoming the first Indian crew to go into space from native soil. Twitter "We have selected four IAF pilots for our first manned space mission in 2021-22. Three of them will go into space to orbit around the earth for a week and conduct experiments in micro-gravity and bio-science," Sivan told reporters. "The four pilots have undergone medical tests at the Indian Aviation Medicine of the IAF in Bengaluru and in Russia at the space agency, which will train them in all aspects of a manned mission in outer space," he added. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi hinted in his Independence address on August 15, 2018, from the Red Fort that three Indians, including a woman, would be sent into space, Sivan said that the crew would be all male. The names and identities of the shortlisted pilots have not been revealed yet. IAF test pilot Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian to have gone into space as a cosmonaut aboard Soyuz-T from Russia on April 2, 1984 when he was 35 years old. In the run-up to the ambitious manned mission, the space agency will launch two to three unmanned missions in 2020 and 2021 with humanoids to test the human rating of the propulsion modules, including the crew module and the escape system in the event of any emergency in the spacecraft. The country's space programme will attempt the mission after Chandrayaan 2's lander Vikram crashlanded on the moon in September last year. India is seeking to become only the fourth nation after Russia, the US and China to put men on the moon. All INPUTS: IANS Erdogan is eager to support UN-recognised govt in Tripoli as it faces renewed threat from military commander Haftar. Turkeys parliament has approved a bill to deploy troops to Libya in support of the embattled United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), paving the way for increased military cooperation despite criticism from opposition legislators. Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop said on Thursday that the legislation passed with a 325-184 vote. The government has not revealed details about the possible Turkish deployment. The motion allows the government to decide on the scope, amount and timing of any mission. President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling AK Party and its allies hold a parliamentary majority. All important opposition parties in the assembly voted against the bill. Parliament cut short its winter recess to address developments in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, where GNA-aligned forces are countering a renewed push by eastern-based, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar to wrest control of the city. Following the announcement, US President Donald Trump warned Erdogan against any interference in Libya in a telephone call. Trump pointed out that foreign interference is complicating the situation in Libya, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement. GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and President Erdogan in November signed two agreements relating to maritime border demarcation and enhanced security cooperation. Al Jazeeras Mohammed Adow, reporting from Ankara, said: The governing party has the numbers to have sail the motion through. There was strong opposition from the members of parliament, particularly from the main opposition party -the CHP, which had argued that Turkey should not get sucked into a murky quagmire. Libya in turmoil Haftars self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) launched an offensive in April, but their advances were brought to a standstill by pro-government troops along the citys southern outskirts. However, the reported introduction of Russian mercenaries from the private Wagner group in September upended the balance of power and allowed LNA troops to seize control of key towns south of Tripoli. Alongside an increase in the number of UAE air raids in support of Haftar, the Russian developments seem to have emboldened Erdogan and hastened Turkeys intervention, which in the past was limited to the sale of military equipment. It wouldnt be right for us to remain silent against all of this, Erdogan said in December, referring to the presence of Russian fighters. Since longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011, Libya has not had a stable government. Efforts to demobilise and reintegrate fighters who had helped topple Gaddafi into the formal security apparatus have largely failed. Instead, the GNA has had to rely on a number of militias to defend the city. But aside from their opposition to Haftar, analysts say authorities and the armed groups share few interests. Haftar, who enjoys the support of a rival administration in the east, says he wants to restore order in the war-torn country. But critics fear the strongman will plunge the country back into authoritarianism. For the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, key backers of the onetime Gaddafi loyalist, the 76-year-old represents a bulwark against political Islam that some in Tripoli have espoused. Fighters loyal to the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), on board a military vehicle during clashes with forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar, in Espiaa, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of the Libyan capital Tripoli on August 21, 2019 [Mahmud Turkia/AFP] Analysts said ideological sympathies play a minor role in Ankaras decision to intervene in Libya. If look at a map of the Mediterranean, youll see that to Turkeys west, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt are forming a sort of chokehold, said Sami Hamdi, a political analyst and editor in chief of the International Interest. Theyre increasingly concerned that Turkey is becoming a major player. Meanwhile, Turkey, which hosts the worlds largest refugee population with 3.7 million Syrians, remains involved in the Syrian conflict diplomatically and militarily. Ankara has called for a safe zone in northern Syria for some of the refugees in Turkey to return to. Hamdi continued: Add to that the way the US conceded to Turkish demands in Syria for a safe zone, when you see how Putin and Erdogan wrestle over Syria, the fact that Russia is keen on having good relations with Turkey that all says that Ankara is emerging from the category of second-tier power. If Libya falls under Haftar, an ally of the United Arab Emirates, which is, in turn, antagonistic to Turkey, this essentially puts all of Turkish maritime interests at the mercy of the UAE, Egypt, Greece and possibly Italy. But to intervene without coordinating with Russia would put the two countries on a collision course, a scenario that both want to avoid, Hamdi said. Efforts are already underway to reach an understanding, according to Hamdi, which might include Turkey giving up Idlib in Syria, the last rebel stronghold, where stakes are much higher for Russia. But Ali Bakeer, a Turkish political analyst, said it was possible for Ankara to reach an agreement with Moscow on Libya, without having to abandon Idlib. I rule out the swap agreement. Ankara and Moscow have to discuss options within the Libyan theatre itself, Bakeer said. It might include Turkey and Libya offering Russia economic opportunities in their newly designated areas, according to the latest maritime MoU between the GNA and the Turkish government. Both Hamdi and Bakeer, however, agreed that Tripoli is a red line for the Turkish government, without which Ankara stands to lose a major ally and power projection outpost. Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeeras senior political analyst, said the deployment of Turkish troops would alter the dynamic on the ground in Libya in favour of the government in Tripoli and against Haftar. The intention behind the intervention is not to escalate the war its actually the contrary. This is meant to end the attack on Tripoli, which has been under attack for six months. As the UN special envoy to Libya said, Haftar, and this is an understatement, is anything but a democrat. In September 2019, the Hubble team announced a social media initiative to celebrate three decades of success in discoveries with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The campaign showcased 30 hidden gems from the Hubble image archive. The 12 images that received the most likes were compiled to produce a special 30th Anniversary Calendar for 2020 (.pdf file, high-resolution print-ready .pdf file). The images featured in the Hubbles Hidden Gems 2020 Calendar are described below: Cover: the calendars cover features NGC 3256, a distorted galaxy located some 131 million light-years away in the constellation of Vela; the galaxy is approximately the same size as our own Milky Way Galaxy and belongs to the Hydra-Centaurus Supercluster complex; it is the relic of a collision between two spiral galaxies, estimated to have occurred 500 million years ago. January: this picture is the result of the Ultraviolet Coverage of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field project; it contains approximately 10,000 distant galaxies. February: this colorful image shows a small section of the Veil Nebula, one of the best-known supernova remnants; also known as NGC 6960, the Cirrus Nebula and the Filamentary Nebula, this object spans approximately 110 light-years and lies in the constellation Cygnus, about 2,100 light-years away. March: this Hubble picture shows IRAS 14568-6304, a young star that is cloaked in a haze of golden gas and dust. April: this image shows Trumpler 14, one of the largest gatherings of hot, massive and bright stars in our Milky Way Galaxy. May: this snapshot features the fine detail and exceptionally perfect spiral structure of NGC 634, a spiral galaxy located 250 million light-years away in the constellation of Triangulum. June: this composite image shows Sh 2-106, a compact star forming region in the constellation of Cygnus, which combines two images taken in infrared light and one that is tuned to a specific wavelength of visible light emitted by excited hydrogen gas. July: this image shows Saturn and six of its 82 known moons: Dione, Enceladus, Tethys, Janus, Epimetheus, and Mimas. August: this Hubble image shows NGC 5189, a planetary nebula located in the constellation Musca, some 3,000 light-years away; the intricate structure of the stellar eruption looks like a giant and brightly colored ribbon in space. September: this colorful and star-studded view of our Milky Way Galaxy was captured in 2016 when Hubble pointed its cameras towards the constellation of Sagittarius. October: in January 2002, a moderately dim star called V838 Monocerotis suddenly became 600,000 times more luminous than our Sun; a Hubble snapshot shows remarkable details in the shells of dust that were lit up during the titanic stellar eruption. November: in 2011, Hubble captured a stunning close-up shot of part of the Tarantula Nebula; this is a star-forming region rich in ionized hydrogen gas in the Large Magellanic Cloud. December: in 2002, Hubble revealed a rainbow of colors in IC 4406, a planetary nebula located 2,000 light-years away near the western border of the constellation Lupus; like many other planetary nebulae, IC 4406 exhibits a high degree of symmetry; the nebulas left and right halves are nearly mirror images of each other. _____ This article is based on text provided by the European Space Agency. Earlier on Thursday, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has set up a committee to look into the issue. New Delhi: After Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur constituted a panel to decide whether legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem 'Hum Dekhenge' is offensive to Hindu sentiments, senior lyricist Javed Akhtar on Thursday termed the incident absurd and funny. Speaking to ANI about Faiz and the recent controversy, the writer told ANI, "Calling Faiz Ahmed Faiz 'anti-Hindu' is so absurd and funny that it's difficult to seriously talk about it." The writer further said that Faiz wrote the poem 'Hum Dekhenge' against the then Pakistan government run by the former President of the country Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. "He lived half his life outside Pakistan, he was called anti-Pakistan there. 'Hum Dekhenge' he wrote against Zia ul Haq's government which was a communal regressive and fundamentalist government," Akhtar told ANI. Further rejecting the claim of the poem being 'anti-Hindu', Akhtar explained a phrase from the poem and said, "He has mentioned a phrase - 'Goonjega an-al-haq ka naara' which means 'aham brahma', which means that the creator and creation is one, it is not an Islamic thought." Earlier on Thursday, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has set up a committee to look into the issue. The move came after some faculty member complaint that the students who took out a peaceful march in the campus on December 17 against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia students, sung it as a mark of protest, which hurt the sentiments of other communities. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014. Carlos Ghosn France "will not extradite" Carlos Ghosn if the former Nissan boss, who fled Japan to avoid a trial and who has French citizenship, arrived in the country, junior economy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said Monday. "If Mr Ghosn arrived in France, we will not extradite Mr Ghosn because France never extradites its nationals," Pannier-Runacher told France's BFM news channel. MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- A suspect out on bail for a Dec. 3 drug arrest was caught with more drugs and arrested again on Dec. 30. According to Moss Point Police Chief Brandon Ashley, 37-year-old Clarence Shelton of Moss Point was arrested in early December and charged with possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. He was taken to the Jackson County Adult Detention Center, but later posted bond and was released. Apparently undeterred by the first arrest, Shelton resumed his activities. Monday night, police responded to a report of a large crowd inside a Moss Point convenience store. Shen officers arrived, the found Shelton -- and the marijuana, meth, 100 tablets of Ecstasy and loaded handgun he had with him. He was taken into custody and turned over to the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team. With this second arrest, Sheltons bond from the first has been revoked and he will remain in the ADC until trial. Anyone with information on Sheltons activities is asked to call the Moss Point Police Department at 228-475-1711 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898. AJ-got-BHP BHPian Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Calcutta Posts: 784 Thanked: 4,213 Times View My Garage An Endeavouring Drive to Rajasthan : Christmas at the Natives & New Year in Varanasi On hearing this, the reaction of the family : Kids were thrilled to make best use of the 3rd row seat as they loved to hang around there Mom was excited as she always wanted to travel with us on our road trips Dad was sceptical of the travel due to his lower back issues and that was also our concern. We all knew that the drive would be endeavouring for him and thus the title of the thread ! Talking about my father, he has traveled extensively in his earlier days by road in India, so that would not be a problem. The only issue was his age with his ailments. His love for the road and him being a foodie rather helped us to enjoy the trip to the fullest. We have done several trips with our kids, but travelling with parents is a different ball game all together as you need to take care of them and their needs by the minute. Starting from their routine, in-car comfort, food w.r.t. their medication and their frequent nature's calls. We cannot forget that their endurance and immunity level is also much lower than ours and driving to northern India in the biting cold winter season is itself challenging for them. However, keeping all the factors in mind, the plan was made and was kept simple considering their comfort levels. We did not have plan to explore much as we had already done an exhaustive Rajasthan Road Trip back in 2016 in our Etios covering the most of Rajasthan; the Link to our Travelogue : https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...rajasthan.html (East-West drive to the native land : Toyota Etios from Kolkata to Rajasthan) The Itinerary of the Trip as it was done : DAY 01 : 23rd of December : Kolkata to Allahabad DAY 02 : 24th of December : Allahabad to Jaipur DAY 03 : 25th of December : Jaipur to Nawalgarh to Jhunjhunu DAY 04 : 26th of December : Jhunjhunu to Salasar Dhaam to Sikar to Jaipur DAY 05 to DAY 07 : 27th of December to 29th of December 2019 : Jaipur DAY 08 : 30th of December : Jaipur to Varanasi DAY 09 : 31st of December : At Varanasi DAY 10 : 1st of January : Varanasi to Kolkata DAY 01 : The Endeavour was loaded with our luggage. A portion of the third row was also utilized for luggage and the rest was given to Ishanvi (my daughter) to occupy for most of the trip. The middle row was occupied by my mother and Eshita with Mivann (my son) sandwiched in between them. I had a change in navigator for this trip. Yes, it would be my father for the most of it. It was at 05:00am that we started our northwards journey. It was foggy and cold. The mood was set for a good road trip. Our first stop was at Wedlock Greens Resort, Dhanbad where we stopped for breakfast at around 10:00am. The only issue was that we had to cross over and get to the other side of the highway to get into the resort. The morning dump was important for parents and so was the breakfast. The Endeavour parked before the Thyme Restaurant : A Sugarcane Juice break at mid day for some Sugar Rush : A selfie : Lunch was on the go as we were carrying food for the car. The sun had set and a stop was desired by everyone. We reached Varanasi at around 06:30pm in the evening and decided to stop for a refreshing tea break at Satkar Dhaba. Parked alongside a Scorpio - Black & White : The Dhaba : We sipped on our cup of tea with some snacks and the Endeavour looked into our eyes : We did not want to enter the city of Allahabad and thus had chosen Club Rooms at the Heritage Resort, Allahabad which is located opposite RKBK Petrol Pump in Andanva, Prayagraj which is just a 15 minutes diversion from the Allahabad Bye Pass. This suited our purpose, and thus we had booked up this place for our night stay. At around 10:00pm we reached our resort. The Lobby Area : The Club Rooms : The Endeavour parked at the resort : Luckily, this resort had opened just a week ago so it was extremely neat and clean. It was part of a club premises where they had built around 10 rooms for outside visitors also. On reaching we got to know that they had recently tied up with OYO for promoting these 10 rooms. The rooms were big and spacious. The negative was that they did not have their kitchen running. The positive in that was that they had the Menu of Baswari Restaurant in their rooms, which looked pretty inviting when we crossed it !! We called the restaurant directly and placed our food order with them mentioning our Room Number. The food which came was piping hot and really sumptuous. After an entire day's drive, what more can one ask for ? It is our annual endeavour to visit our ancestral Haveli in Nawalgarh, Rajasthan. However, it was over 35 Years that my father had not been to our native place. It was winters and we thought that why not plan a trip to Rajasthan. My daughter's school provides for a very short winter vacation and we had to make it a crisp plan. The airfares were booming which turned us down, but Eshita (my wife) always seem to have a back up plan. She suggested that we all can drive down to Rajasthan in our beloved Ford Endeavour.On hearing this, the reaction of the family :We all knew that the drive would be endeavouring for him and thus the title of the thread ! Talking about my father, he has traveled extensively in his earlier days by road in India, so that would not be a problem. The only issue was his age with his ailments. His love for the road and him being a foodie rather helped us to enjoy the trip to the fullest.We have done several trips with our kids, but travelling with parents is a different ball game all together as you need to take care of them and their needs by the minute. Starting from their routine, in-car comfort, food w.r.t. their medication and their frequent nature's calls. We cannot forget that their endurance and immunity level is also much lower than ours and driving to northern India in the biting cold winter season is itself challenging for them.However, keeping all the factors in mind, the plan was made and was kept simple considering their comfort levels. We did not have plan to explore much as we had already done an exhaustive Rajasthan Road Trip back in 2016 in our Etios covering the most of Rajasthan; the Link to our Travelogue :DAY 01 : 23rd of December : Kolkata to AllahabadDAY 02 : 24th of December : Allahabad to JaipurDAY 03 : 25th of December : Jaipur to Nawalgarh to JhunjhunuDAY 04 : 26th of December : Jhunjhunu to Salasar Dhaam to Sikar to JaipurDAY 05 to DAY 07 : 27th of December to 29th of December 2019 : JaipurDAY 08 : 30th of December : Jaipur to VaranasiDAY 09 : 31st of December : At VaranasiDAY 10 : 1st of January : Varanasi to KolkataThe Endeavour was loaded with our luggage. A portion of the third row was also utilized for luggage and the rest was given to Ishanvi (my daughter) to occupy for most of the trip. The middle row was occupied by my mother and Eshita with Mivann (my son) sandwiched in between them. I had a change in navigator for this trip. Yes, it would be my father for the most of it. It was at 05:00am that we started our northwards journey. It was foggy and cold. The mood was set for a good road trip.Our first stop was atwhere we stopped for breakfast at around 10:00am. The only issue was that we had to cross over and get to the other side of the highway to get into the resort. The morning dump was important for parents and so was the breakfast.The Endeavour parked before theA Sugarcane Juice break at mid day for some Sugar Rush :A selfie :Lunch was on the go as we were carrying food for the car. The sun had set and a stop was desired by everyone. We reached Varanasi at around 06:30pm in the evening and decided to stop for a refreshing tea break atParked alongside a Scorpio - Black & White :The Dhaba :We sipped on our cup of tea with some snacks and the Endeavour looked into our eyes :We did not want to enter the city of Allahabad and thus had chosen Club Rooms at thewhich is located opposite RKBK Petrol Pump in Andanva, Prayagraj which is just a 15 minutes diversion from the Allahabad Bye Pass. This suited our purpose, and thus we had booked up this place for our night stay.At around 10:00pm we reached our resort. The Lobby Area :The Club Rooms :The Endeavour parked at the resort :Luckily, this resort had opened just a week ago so it was extremely neat and clean. It was part of a club premises where they had built around 10 rooms for outside visitors also. On reaching we got to know that they had recently tied up with OYO for promoting these 10 rooms. The rooms were big and spacious. The negative was that they did not have their kitchen running. The positive in that was that they had the Menu ofin their rooms, which looked pretty inviting when we crossed it !! We called the restaurant directly and placed our food order with them mentioning our Room Number. The food which came was piping hot and really sumptuous. After an entire day's drive, what more can one ask for ? Last edited by Sheel : 2nd January 2020 at 20:01 . Reason: hand - hang : Top scientists, including two Nobel laureates, will be among policy makers, academicians and other delegates to attend the 107th Indian Science Congress, to be inaugurated on Friday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The five-day event will see Nobel laureates Stefan Hell from Max Planck Institut Germany and Ada E Yonath, an expert in structural biology from Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, taking part. The president of Nanyang Technological University, Subra Suresh, a material scientist from Indonesia, and renowned cardiologist C N Manjunath, will also be present. The organizers are expecting around 15,000 people to attend the event. The event, with the theme 'Science and Technology for Rural Development', will see participants deliberate on the lack of communication between the scientific fraternity, industry and farmers which could minimize the agrarian crisis. The organisers said the last couple of decades had witnessed tremendous progress in the development of cutting edge science and technology. Many of the inventions and innovations had found applications in enhancing crop productivity, improving market access, enhancing and diversifying rural livelihood profiles. But due to the gap between the innovators and farming community, the benefits could not be explored fully,they said. The event will also provide a platform to the farmers who introduced innovations in the field of agriculture. "Many farmers in the country have become innovative and experts. We wanted to bring all of them on a single platform so their innovations and innovative ideas are discussed and deliberated for the whole day," Dr S Rajendra Prasad, Vice- Chancellor of city based University of Agricultural Sciences, had said. The other events will be Women's Science Congress, Children's Science Congress, Science Communicators' Meet, Formal Science Congress and Yoga Science. The Forum of Vice-Chancellors and IIT Directors will deliberate on challenges in the higher education sector Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the inaugural session. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A screen grab from a video provided by Hironaka Law Office, shows Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn, speaking on April 9, 2019, before he was re-arrested in Tokyo, Japan. (Hironaka Law Office via Getty Images) Lebanon Receives Interpol Arrest Warrant for Ghosn BEIRUT/TOKYOLebanon received an Interpol arrest warrant on Jan. 2 for fugitive former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, while Turkey has begun investigating his daring escape from Japan. Ghosn has become an international fugitive after revealing on Dec. 31, 2019, that he had fled to Lebanon to escape what he called a rigged justice system in Japan. The Interpol red notice, which calls on authorities to arrest a wanted person, was received by Lebanons internal security forces and has yet to be referred to the judiciary, a Lebanese judicial source told Reuters. A senior Lebanese security official said it wasnt yet clear if Ghosn would be summoned for questioning over the warrant, but said Lebanon doesnt extradite its citizens to foreign states. In past cases, where Lebanon has received red notices for Lebanese citizens resident in the country, the suspects havent been detained but their passports have been confiscated and bail has been set, the judicial source said. Ghosn has deep ties to Lebanon, the country of his childhood, where his investments include a stake in a bank, real estate, and a vineyard. Ghosn, 65, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, was smuggled out of Tokyo by a private security company, a plan that was in the works for three months and involved transit through Turkey, Reuters has reported. Journalists stand outside the Tokyo residence of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, while prosecutors raid the house, in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 2, 2020. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) Turkish police on Jan. 2 detained seven people, including four pilots, as part of an investigation into Ghosns passage through the country, a police spokeswoman said. She said the other detainees were two airport ground staff and one cargo worker and all seven were expected to give statements in court. Flight tracking data suggests Ghosn used two different planes to fly to Istanbul and then to Lebanon. People close to Ghosn said he decided to flee Japan after learning that the second of his two trials had been delayed until April 2021, and also because he hadnt been allowed to speak to his wife as part of strict bail conditions. They said they needed another whole year to prepare for it He was distressed about not being able to see or speak to his wife, one of the people said. He was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faces four charges for alleged financial crimes, including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East. He denies the charges. Japanese public broadcaster NHK said Jan. 2 that Japanese authorities allowed Ghosn to carry a spare French passport in a locked case while out on bail, potentially shedding some light on how he managed to escape, despite having his passports held by Japanese lawyers. No one was immediately available for comment at the office of Ghosns lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, or at the French embassy in Tokyo, or at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. By Samia Nakhoul and Kiyoshi Takenaka But while saving the group, Mr Cripps saw his home of 50 years go up in flames Seven children, seven adults and two dogs spent three hours in the boat The 51-year-old rescued the two families and loaded them into his small boat Brett Cripps spotted the campers stuck on the shore near Lake Conjola, NSW A man saved dozens of stranded tourists in his tinny after watching his own house burn to the ground. Brett Cripps, 51, spotted the terrified campers stuck on the shore near their caravans at Lake Conjola on the New South Wales south coast on Tuesday. 'I knew I had to help. I yelled out, 'come on, you've got to get out of here',' Mr Cripps told the ABC. He rescued the two families and loaded them into his boat before driving away from the blaze approaching the lake. But while bravely saving the families, which included seven children aged from three to 10, Mr Cripps saw his home of 50 years be engulfed by flames. Brett Cripps, 51, (wearing singlet in front) spotted two families stranded on the side of Lake Conjola. He helped put two families into his boat before driving away from the blaze approaching the lake Mr Cripps said seeing his house reduce to rubble in front of his eyes was hard to handle (pictured: his father's charred car) While saving the group of tourists, Mr Cripps watched his house of 50 years burn to the ground. Pictured: his father's car on his property The group of seven children, seven adults and two dogs spent three hours on the lake in the tiny boat, which had a capacity for just six people. While fire surrounded the boat on both sides of the lake, the group used clothing to cover their faces from the billowing smoke. 'It was like an inferno; we were about 500 yards away on the water and could still feel the immense heat,' Mr Cripps said. 'We lost everything.' After praising the young kids for their composure during the evacuation, Mr Cripps said seeing his house reduce to rubble in front of his eyes was hard to handle. 'Fifty years of memories gone. It's hard. My dad's car was incinerated. Mine was OK, but I'm going back to look for my car keys.' Smoke and wildfire rage behind Lake Conjola, on the NSW south coast on Thursday Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola Among the rescued tourists was Andrew Flaxman, who labelled Mr Cripps a 'local hero' for saving his wife and children. 'This guy saved our family,' Mr Flaxman said in an Instagram post. Before Mr Cripps's heroics, he and his 75-year-old father were packing up their tinny on New Year's Eve when they noticed embers from the bush reach the other side of the road. It then started a large blaze next to his house and four of his neighbours' properties. A 70-year-old man was found dead outside a home at Yatte Yattah, west of Lake Conjola, on Tuesday night. But an 81-year-old woman who was missing from Conjola Park was found alive on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a third state of emergency of the bushfire season was declared by the NSW government on Thursday ahead of re-elevated fire risk over the weekend. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the declaration would come into effect from Friday morning, with severe to extreme conditions forecast for Saturday. 'All our personnel, all our agencies know that from tomorrow they will be subject to forced evacuations, road closures, road openings and anything else we need to do as a state to keep our residents and to keep property safe. We don't take these decisions lightly,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Thursday. Mass evacuations from bushfire-ravaged southern NSW, meanwhile, have been hampered by massive traffic queues and petrol shortages. More than 110 blazes continue to burn across NSW on Thursday afternoon, with more than 50 burning out of control. Among the blazes are the 260,000-hectare Currowan fire on the NSW south coast, the 130,000ha Dunns Road fire in the Snowy Valleys and the 105,000ha Green Valley fire east of Albury. A total of 18 people have died during this year's horror bushfire season and more than 1,298 homes have been destroyed. Tumkuru : , Jan 2 (IANS) Slamming the Congress for opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dared the opposition party to protest against Pakistan for persecuting Hindus living as minorities in the neighbouring country. "You (Congress leaders) should protest against Pakistan for persecuting Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians living there as minorities than opposing the CAA, meant to help them return to India and live with dignity and self-respect," said Modi at a public meeting here, about 70 km from Bengaluru. Addressing hundreds of students, teachers, devotees and followers of Siddaganga Mutt's Shivakumar Swamji, the Prime Minister accused the Congress of opposing even the entry of Dalits and other persecuted Hindus from Pakistan. "The Congress is misleading other parties in opposing the Constitution, as the CAA is the law after its bill was passed by Parliament last month," said Modi in his 30-minute speech in Hindi, which was translated into the local language (Kannada) by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi, who hails from Dharwad in Karnataka. Alleging that atrocities against the Hindus in Pakistan have been rising, Modi regretted that the Congress had not raised its voice against such crimes unleashed on them. "The Congress should know Pakistan has been doing injustice to the Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. Its leaders don't have time or intention to condemn Pakistan. It's our duty to stand by those who are fleeing Pakistan to India and help them," asserted Modi. Recalling that Pakistan was founded on religion and divided its people on religious basis, Modi said it was the duty of his government to help the Hindu minorities in the neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh and Afghanistan for returning to India and make them live happily. "We cannot leave the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians fleeing from Pakistan to their fate and not worry about their welfare as they are also our brothers and sisters," reiterated Modi. Greeting the gathering and wishing them a happy new year in Kannada, Modi said he was blessed to begin 2020 from a sacred place like the mutt. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for building a museum in the memory of the late Shivakumar Swamiji in the mutt premises. Earlier, Modi arrived in Bengaluru from New Delhi in an IAF aircraft and flew to Tumakuru in a military chopper to visit the mutt and address the farmers at a rally in the town later. Authorities in Hanoi are committed to solving problems regarding the granting of land use rights and house ownership certificates to people who bought apartments in illegal projects by next year. Legal framework needs be improved to solve disputes in apartment blocks HH Linh Dam Complex in Hanoi constructed by Muong Thanh Group fails to follow the original blueprint and approved planning by the authorities. VNS Photo Doan Tung The Ministry of Construction (MoC) and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) have set up inspection teams to review the issue and put forward solutions. In Hanoi, there are many apartment building projects that violate their original plans and design, so house buyers could not be granted certificates of land use rights and home-ownership, reported the Ha Noi moi (New Ha Noi) newspaper. This has affected apartment buyers, according to the paper. Le Phong Hoan, the owner of an apartment in Ha Dong District, is one example. When refused a certificate of land use rights and ownership for the apartment, Hoan knew his apartment building was on the list of projects which violated their approved planning. I bought the apartment in 2013, and was provided all related papers by the investor, Hung told the paper. But when I submitted an application for land use rights and ownership, I was told that the authority had no documents relating to the project. Therefore, I could not be granted the certificate, said Hung. Hoans building is part of the Bemes apartments and shopping centre, which was due to comprise two buildings. But the investor built Hoans building the third without permission. This means many buyers were sold unlicensed apartments. Similarly, the Linh Dam apartment buildings in Hoang Mai District were originally designed to have 12 blocks of 27 floors each, but the investor built 36 or 40 floors without permission. Additionally, many investors had mortgaged the buildings to get loans for other projects, meaning buyers were unable to complete land use procedures or get ownership certificates. In the contract, the investor committed to complete all documents for the certificate, said Vu Thai At, who bought an apartment in Ha Dong District. But three years since receiving the apartment, the application procedures have not yet been fulfilled, he said. The lack of certificates means apartment buyers could not mortgage their property or use it as collateral for bank loans or complete inheritance procedures. Many people had to sell their apartments below their real value because they did not have the proper certificates. To implement the instructions from the Hanoi Peoples Committee, the citys Natural Resources and Environment Department has set up two inspection teams to review apartment building projects which lacked certificates of land use rights and house ownership. According to the department, as of November last year, there are 135 projects which have violated regulations; including changing approved designs or transferring the buildings to other investors without permission. The projects included a total of 62,200 apartments, of which 33,204 had received certificates, while the other 29,071 lacked necessary documents. Tran Anh Dung, director of Hanoi Land Registration Office, said that people had lived in the buildings for years. They asked many times to be granted the certificates but failed, said Dung. In fact, the municipal Party Committee had asked relevant agencies to deal with the issue. However, the current legal system on investment, construction and land still has many inconsistencies, the director said. The MoC and MoNRE have suggested measures to deal with the issue after a working session with the municipal authority. The certificates will be granted to those who have paid all money to the investors, even though the investors had not yet fulfilled their financial obligations to the State. For projects with violations of approved designs and planning, the certificates will be considered for those who bought apartments in approved areas. VNS Varanasi: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has said that the Hindus facing religious persecution in Pakistan and Bangladesh will naturally "come to India" and not go to "Italy". "Why are you protesting? Against whom you are protesting? If Hindus from Pakistan and Bangladesh will not come to India then where else they will go, Italy?" Reddy said in Varanasi on Wednesday. "Sikhs will not go to Italy," he said. "It`s our responsibility to give shelter to them and to give them citizenship," he added. Allaying fears of the Muslim community with respect to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Reddy assured the community that there is nothing against them in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. "There is nothing against Indian Muslim or other communities in the Act. The Act is not against any religion or citizen," he said. Live TV While addressing a press-conference, Reddy said, "You have full right to protest under democracy but I would like to ask why are you protesting? Against whom the Act is?" "Even if you are doing mindless protest you have the right to do so but you don`t have the right to destroy public property and set buses and other public property on fire. You don`t have the right to pelt stone," the MoS Home said. Since the enactment of CAA on December 12 last year, protests have erupted in various parts of the country including the national capital. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014. As part of privatisation policies, Indian Army's Master-General of the Ordnance (MGO) on Wednesday hired PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt. Ltd. (PwC) to evaluate whether government owned corporate operator (GOCO) model can be implemented at eight army base workshops across the country. The Army said that the move is to drive higher operational efficiencies. "As part of the process, PwC intends to hold conferences and consultations with industry participants, who may be interested in participating in the process going forward," said an Army source. The agenda of these interactions would be to "understand from interested industry participants their views on opportunities envisaged and issues and concerns if army base workshops were to be run under the GOCO model". The MGO unit has identified eight army bases workshops across Indian to ascertain whether these can be operated run under the GOCO model. In Delhi, the MGO wants to see whether a corporate operator can tackle depot level repairs and overhauling of the T-72 and T-90 tanks, including engines. The unit also wants to know whether the corporate operator can carry out component level repairs of all rotables. At Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur, the MGO wants to see whether depot level repairs and overhaul of guns, mortars and small arms can be carried out under GOCO model, and in West Bengal's Kankinara, it seeks to know if depot level repairs and overhaul of Scania and Kraz vehicles including their engines and engineer equipment be put under GOCO. In Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad, the MGO wants to put depot level repairs and overhaul of Tatra and Scania vehicles including their engines under the GOCO model and in Agra, depot level repairs and overhaul of communication systems, radars, optical systems including various sights, electronic equipment and power equipment like generators. Also at Meerut, it seeks to know whether the depot level repairs and overhaul of air defence weapons systems, guns, anti-tank guided missiles, heavy recovery vehicles, specialist vehicles and engineer equipment can be placed under this model. The Army also seeks to place a similar system for depot level repairs and overhaul of infantry combat vehicle BMP II and their variants, armoured recovery vehicles and armoured fighting vehicles' engines at Pune. At Benguluru, it wants to place manufacture of spares for indigenisation, manufacture of simulators for the field and overhaul of aviation rotables under GOCO. The Ministry of Defence has proposed privatisation of army base workshops under the GOCO model in January 2018, acting on the recommendations of the committee headed by Lt Gen D.B. Shekatkar (retd). Under the scheme, the MoD had then stated that government will provide land, infrastructure, plant and machinery, equipment system support, oversight and facilitate the contractor. 02.01.2020 LISTEN Our elders have taught us that it takes one to bring forth a child, but it takes the entire village or community to raise that child (Awuni, Manasseh. Manassehs Folder: Whos responsible for these children?. www.ghanaweb.com.). Dear Manasseh: With respect to your article, here is a response to consider. With respect to these street children, my first question, if I had a chance to meet these children would be, Na who born you? Do you know?. In truth, that is the question that should be on everyones minds when they see these children on the street. With that said, please read on . . . The truth is, children all have one daddy and one mommy, in the traditional family sense. They also have a Father in heaven. With these truths in mind, the responsibility to raise children in line with righteous principles will be discussed at this point. Righteous family government principles collectively outline how two people (of the opposite sex), who believe in righteousness, should go about their vision for family governance. The two must choose their vision carefully, and intentionally, during the beginning stages of their marital journey. This vision of family governance should also, ideally, incorporate into the picture, the vision for the moral structuring of the lives and destinies of the offspring of the marital unit. Now, despite the availability of the aforementioned principles of righteous family governance, as we all know, many are the peoples within Ghana and the rest of Africa, who have made it their prerogative to practice strange ideas about how to marry and raise children, notions that contribute not only to increased divorce rates in our generation, but also to the many improperly-raised childrenamong which are the many street children and even school-going young adultsof this generation of Ghanaians and other Africans. Having said this, let me now present my topic. Mr. Awuni, it is time to think this one through again with a little bit more depth and wisdom, divine wisdom I mean. All street children have daddies and mommies, despite their plight. This is a fact! Somehow, these parents are absent (we dont have all the facts). In that case, the real issue we must address is why these parents are absent, along with how to best enable neglected children to come out of their circumstances. In this article, I therefore seek to not only respond in part to your piece called, Manassehs Folder: Whos responsible for these children?, but I also intend to poke as many holes as I possibly can, into that ANNOYING African proverb of no substance! . . . I mean the one which tells you that when parents fail, somehow it takes a village to raise a child. This is not wisdom! This is a recipe for confusion and many other problems in society. Thank you. Manasseh, the Almighty God is Responsible for these Children, however . . . Mr. Awuni, let me respond to your article please. With that said, let me first introduce you to a term that you might very well be familiar with Manasseh. Have you ever heard of the term, father to the fatherless?. The term has some depth to it. Its origins have been brought out of Hebrew culture whereby Yahweh Elohym of ancient Yisraelite fame, takes it upon Himself to be the advocate of the children who have no helper (i.e. the fatherless). Mr. Awuni, let me also say that I am a priest by calling, so this is my jurisdiction. I can therefore speak candidly about this topic and because of experience, wade deep into the waters of testimony regarding just how evil some Ghanaian parents and elders have been in the past generation, if necessary. Candidly speaking, Mr. Awuni, I dont think the institutions of the democratic state have any real responsibility towards children whose parents do not practice the basics of what is right in the sight of God. This is partially why, I must confess, I do not believe in democracy and its notions of lumping many unspiritual ideas about what is right and wrong, into a melange of socio-political dispositions that hardly articulate anything consistent with moral truth. My lord has all authority when it comes to moral truth! He is lord and he is righteous! Amen. Having dealt with the matter of democracy, I will also say that, personally, I do not accept responsibility for the doings of silly, heathen and calculatingly calloused parents who do not think straight before dousing themselves with the anointings of sexual sin and then birthing children that they cant raise, let alone care for materially! Now, despite my previous comments, I testify that the mercy of God still propels my thinking to be inclined to the welfare of the fatherless, of which some of these street children could comprise. That is my lot in life, for which I am happy to oblige the terms of the Almighty King who sits upon the heavenly throne. I must therefore bless children. He is merciful. Amen. Now, Gods Son Yeshua ha Mashyak (Jesus Christ) knew all along that some people would not be responsible enough in life to make decisions that benefit future generations. However, as a Father should do, God made wisdom, knowledge and understanding available to every generation that ever existed, so that it could rectify the ill-doings of members of society who reject spiritual truth and as a result of this, birth children outside of righteousness. In line with this, God also provided the Church with ministers to salvage the fatherless situation among mankind. This, in effect is what it means for men to be drawn to Jesus, also known as Yeshua. Hence, not only is God Himself a Father to the fatherless, but in addition, men of wisdom like the priest or kohen of ancient Yisrael are also known to some extent as fathers to the fatherless. So then, I reiterate, the Almighty King whose name in Hebrew we know is Yahweh Elohym, He is the one who is responsible for these children whose parents may not have chosen righteousness as a way of life. Again, we do not have all the facts about these street children who have been pictured with your article. Some African Proverbs are just pieces of Unspiritual Wisdom! I will now proceed to gut the it takes a village to raise a child proverb. As a man of God who loves wisdom more than the nonsensical, base, carnal reasonings called academia that so many Ghanaians have embraced to their own detriment and disgrace, it is important that I address the matter of how wisdom instructs people to handle the plight of the fatherless. In order to do this however, I must show by explanation, the two types of wisdom that exist. In true terms, there is something called spiritual wisdom and also, there is something called worldly wisdom. They are not the same. Spiritual wisdom is much higher than worldly wisdom when it comes to its influence on the psyche and its effects on the behavioural disposition of mankind. The latter only deals with the physical realm and physical perception. Also, the first type of wisdom mentioned is from God, whereas the other, hmmm, it has NO ORIGIN that is related to what Yeshua taught to be his Fathers will. Now, let me say something about the African village that you alluded to in your piece. How can you tell me that a village is necessary to raise a child when the village elders may very well be Ghanaian and lawless for that matter? You know Ghanaian elders, right? The kind who are often unethical and dare I say UNWISE? . . . the kind who are often doing things to oppress children for no good reason? The kind who treat their own children fairly but abuse other peoples children? You get it right? Mr. Awuni, have you been to the African village setting of late? If not, let me inform you of one of the matters that still plagues the African village setting. Its called, in my father voice (or fathers language)a language of modern and ancient content known as the Evhegbe of Ghana, Togo and Benin"amtsitsi manyanu o, or better yet, just amtsitsi tsibom. This is to say, an ELDERLY FOOL. And as you know, there are many of them in Ghana today. They also exist within the greater West African sub-region. Tell me Mr. Awuni, are these the elders that you are referring as the village that you think it takes to raise a child? Elderly fools are the bane of traditional African government. Needless to say, they are also the bane of righteousness among future generations of young people. Their influence can be linked to many social ills. It is these types of elders who usually do not even use proverbs as they used to be used in African culture. And, in many instances, instead of living lives that are commensurate with wisdom of the spiritual kind, these elders often promote base reasoning that is used to get children to simply do whatever older people tell them, instead of teaching children to think critically and to make decisions for themselves, before and after they reach the age of reason. Mr. Manasseh Azure Awuni, tell me something I do not know at this time. Please, tell me another proverb that explains whose village coined the saying it takes a village to raise a child. As well, tell me, was it spiritual or unspiritual elders who coined the proverb? And then, tell me what their childrearing culture was like. Thank you. I await your response. Finally, let me counter the it takes a village proverb with one that was written by the Holy Spirit-inspired King Solomon. Solomonic wisdom provides divine insight into how to effectively deal with the plight of street children. Through Solomon, son of David, king of Yisrael, the Almighty Elohym says, My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways . . . (Mshly/Proverbs 23:26, KJV). In other words, Gods wisdom teaches us to let children know that they should give their heart to God. By so doing they will learn how to think, and of course, how to perceive the world around them using divine lenses. By the way, although the former proverb is written to my sonsons are the future fathers who will form the foundation of the family in later generations (based on Hebrew thought)it is applicable to daughters as well. Democracy versus Traditional African Governments Family Factor in Governance Manasseh, excuse me to say this, but I believe that there is something inherently stupid (or numb-minded) about this thing called democracy. You know what it is? Its the fact that it puts people with dubious family governance credentials, and questionable principles, in a position to parade their roles of father of the nation and the so called first lady garbage before our eyes on a daily basis. This is despite the fact that their principles for family governance may never have been properly checked or investigated by the people of a nation. In other words, democracy is a system in which often, we do not get to see what a president and his wife really stand for, except in their presentation of a facade, just to get elected. In contrast to the nonsense called democracy, in the traditional African government sphereat least I can speak for the Evhe and other Gb-speaking groups of West Africathere is a clear indication of what constitutes a family and what the roles of family governors and elders are supposed to be. Family governance is of utmost importance among the Evhe of West Africa. This is despite the fact that many Evhe fathers of Generation Citizen Independencethe generation that was raised in the 60s by being fed on western educationand even today are failing to properly govern the family unit in harmony with what is prescribed by the Torah (or five books of Moses). Traditional Government is more relevant to these Children than Democracy The elders who coined this proverb also remind us that even though the cock may belong to one household, its crow wakes the entire village . . . A child is born by one family, but it takes more than that family to raise the child (Awuni, Manasseh. Manassehs Folder: Whos responsible for these children?. ghanaweb.com.). Again, I dont see the wisdom in some of these proverbs that you used. They dont seem to relate well to the fact that God gave a command to honour FATHER and MOTHER for a reason. Other people in ones community may help you during your childhood, however, they DO NOT have a divine obligation to raise you to maturity or feed and clothe you until self-sufficiency sets in, as in the case of your own parents. This reality means that children who are neglected, may not have a real sense of what it means to honour the village (who raises a child) or its doctrines. God parents? Perhaps other villagers can play that role if formally appointed to do so. However, without a clearly articulated social contract that outlines the policies by which a society, or your proverbial village, gets involved in a neglected childs life, I think it is best to relegate the African village proverb to where it belongs: in the garbage! It belongs there with every other mindset that does not lend to righteous principles of family governance that emanate from the philosophy that two biological parents must righteously carry their burden! In the case where parents are struggling and need help, they must ask for it in order to receive it. In addition, they must be appreciative! By the way, in the case of democracy, it is very interesting that many people openly articulate a belief in helping neglected children but backtrack as soon as this involves funding their wellbeing. In democracy, funding the wellbeing of neglected children usually implies that hirelings like social workers, caseworkers, and the like, change the context of childrearing. This is to say that although childrearing should be based on righteous principles, these democratic state functionaries or hirelings change the context to something else, in order to suit certain agendas whereby children are sometimes educated to be misfits and further liabilities to society. For example, this is often the case in places like North America where many social workers do not give a hoot about things like wisdom and how it applies to raising the mental and moral capacity of parentless children. I will leave it there for now. Thank you, Manasseh. God bless you. NB: Based on my write-up, I do believe that Ghana has reached a place where it is necessary to scrap the not only wasteful, but HEATHEN agenda of a Gender Ministry, and to replace it with a Ministry that righteously deals with Family Affairs (father, mother and child inclusive). In addition, it is time for more African nations to address policies pertaining to a nation-wide parenting agenda, in line with the dictates of righteousness. This will go a long way to address the problems of the fatherless and motherless in society. Mawu nayra mi katan! That is, God bless you all! '20 ZIKPE PUBLISHING. All rights reserved. Apostle Mawuetornam Dugbazah is a professional designer and communications specialist. He writes on contemporary issues of faith, science, politics, economics, righteousness and reason in the Church and beyond. He is a professional who considers righteousness to be a necessity in business; he is the Principal of Dugbazah Communications (DCOMM), a communications consultancy. He can be reached at apostledugbazah[email protected] with comments. Full Spectrum Fubar By Paul Edwards January 01, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Back in the days when the Deep States diktats commanded a modicum of credibility, its stated goal was worldwide military full spectrum dominance. Twenty years of grossly humiliating failure in its murderously ineffectual floundering has rendered that idea null, even to doctrinaire NeoCon wanks. Instead, the WWII term for total situational dysfunction and chaos is now so perfectly descriptive of our national Goon Show that it seems made for it. Back then, when a major planned operation went tits up, GIs described it as Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition and the acronym stuck. Consider: America raped and bludgeoned half a dozen countries that never harmed it while financing two that injured it materially. That monumental destruction, and the funneling of billions to whore states Isreal and Saudi Arabia (much of it earmarked for death merchants Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Boeing) gorged the War Machine at the price of tens of thousands of young Americans lives, bodies, and sanity. Americans mostly dont care, of course, but that, too, is a fubar indicator. In Americas chief industry and source of psychotic pride--making weapons of war--the genius of Capitalism has diligently devised ways to gouge more and more money for less and less quality in extravagantly non-performing turkeys. The motive, Putin observed, is that while Russia makes arms for defense, America does so to maximize War Machine profits. This is why America puts billions into endless iterations of gold-plated F-35s that break down and dont work, and aircraft carriers that were gangbusters at Midway against Zeroes but are now just lumbering, gigantic pinatas Russias Kinzhal hypersonic missiles will blow the jujus out of in a Moscow minute. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Russias hypersonic, non-ballistic missiles--its phenomenal Avangard inter-continental system (Mach 27) and the Kinzhal and Zircon land and sea-based missiles that operate above Mach 9 (6000 mph)--are untrackable and indestructable by US defenses, and are generations ahead of anything America is even testing. This data isnt secret; its openly available and the US Military has it. Regarding the old days of bitter US/Russian weapons rivalry, Mr. Putin said, They didnt listen to us then; theyll listen to us now. America has lately performed the exquisitely difficult geopolitical maneuver of alienating all nations it considers friends while simultaneously actively provoking those it considers enemies. That extraordinary diplomatic Quadruple Axel had never yet been attempted, much less accomplished. America has undermined, abrogated, or withdrawn from the entire web of international nuclear arms control treaties, in addition to unilaterally and dishonestly sabotaging the nuclear JCPOA with Iran to the dismay of our partners. It did this at a time when its futile mayhem in the Arab world has made it the butt of the worlds derision, its Imperial hubris has alienated even its European vassals, and when Russia and China, which have been moderate and restrained in absorbing US rants and tantrums--knowing the mortal risk of brinksmanship as America cant--have the resolve, if forced, to go all in and show this deluded Empire what real war is all about. In addition to its military and diplomatic faceplants, the US has appalled and estranged most of the world with its oafish, braindead denial of rapidly accelerating climate change, and is leading the omnicidal charge of gross polluting nations against all science and sanity toward a blistering, toxic, inundated, and perhaps even humanly uninhabitable earth. So much for our status in the world; America is the active definition of fubar at home. A blundering Capitalist Fascist tyranny burlesquing shamelessly as a democracy, run as a Mafia Family for its vicious oligarchs and owners, with a Kshatriya class of Deep State Security thugs managing its clownish Punch-and-Judy politics to mesmerize the rubes, it has baldly stolen every benefit, every right, every security, and every source of pride from its dull people and left them with porn, dope, toons, and cage fighting in place of hopes, dreams or aspirations beyond becoming one of their own exploiters. Our Capitalist ruling class, entrenched in absolute power behind a symbolic Potemkin Government of flunkies comprised of a contemptible claque of hicks, clods, whores, and sleazy, Cracker hypocrites--our Congress--that stages infantile foodfights to cozen the gullible, rapes and robs us with the blessing of a justice system that is the black embodiment of corruption. Pathologically greedy, Capitalists have abandoned production as a less efficient way to plunder the public good than financial chicanery, bank fraud, and tax crime. Poisoned by their disease, they lack even the foresight to alter their sick voracity in the face of the climate catastrophe that is driving mass extinction and may portend the end of humanity itself. After half a century producing nothing of benefit to the American people, our Congress, fiercely divided for melodramas sake on fairytale principles neither gang respects or adheres to, focused only on doling trillions in fiat money to its masters, is fully engaged in an exercise so ridiculous and debased that a rational nation would summarily dissolve and eliminate it. A criminal sociopathic President, impeached by a criminal, sociopathic Congress, not for high crimes in which they have been deeply complicit, but on two empty, trivial, puny premises, with the charade locked in insoluble stasis while the clueless country hurtles toward catastrophe: this is what is laughingly referred to as government in this sad, stupid, criminal nation. QED, Fubar is indisputably the term that applies. Perceptive cynics will take issue, saying that because great Capitalist thieves have both hands deeper into the national till than they ever have proves that the system is working as intended. On a superficial level the argument is defensible but behind the heavy protective armor of Imperial propaganda lurks the broad insider economic awareness that the day of dollar hegemony is at sunset. Russia and China are dumping treasuries by the hundreds of billions and buying gold in unprecedented quantities. Money cognoscenti are deeply troubled by enslavement to a currency supported only by the full faith and credit of the U.S.A., in which they now have no faith whatever. Decoupling from the dollar as the world reserve currency and adoption of a basket of currencies in its place will bring a devaluation jolt that will disintegrate our massive debt-disabled national financial junkyard and bankrupt us all. Back in the days of Bill Mauldins Willie and Joe, GIs not under fire at the Front could laugh at Army disasters and joke about the fubar. We dont have that space: our Front is everywhere and we cant escape it. The plain fact is it is terrifying to live in an evil, dying, decomposing Empire. There is no joy in exposing systemic failure of ones own. There is only a profound and wounding sadness in the awareness that your country is a horror, a criminal monster, and the source of so much misery and pain to so much of the world. It is pure grief to find that all you have believed, likely loved, and certainly identified with, is false and rotten at its core. Yet life and beauty have always survived the deaths of empires, and love never dies. History, as well as Dylan Thomas, assures us that Death shall have no Dominion. Paul Edwards is a writer and film-maker in Montana. He can be reached at: hgmnude@bresnan.net The original source of this article is Information Clearing House Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here As bizarre as this may sound, one major reason the disease disseminated as rapidly as it did is because of the Chinese governments measures to combat pollution. In 2015, in order to prevent water from being contaminated by animal feces and other waste, the authorities began to heavily regulate and in some places, ban livestock breeding in certain water-rich areas in the south. Yet instead of giving industrial pig farmers enough time to upgrade their facilities in compliance with new waste-disposal standards, local governments quickly dismantled pig farms, leading to a major cutback in production in the south. But pork is Chinas favorite meat, and so, fearful of a shortage, in April 2016 the central government mapped out a strategy called nanzhu beiyang: raising pigs in the North for consumption in the South. Much of the production became concentrated in northern China, and the livestock was then transported long-distance to the south. Of the 689 million pigs that China produced for slaughter in 2017, 102 million were taken across provinces, according to the agriculture ministry a practice that posed a major biosecurity risk as soon as the first outbreak of swine fever was identified in Liaoning, in the northeast. (The disease is extremely contagious, and though it doesnt harm humans, they can spread it.) In fact, some 45 percent of the 87 outbreaks reported by mid-December 2018 involved long-distance transport. Call this problem No. 1. At that point, the spread of the disease could still have been prevented with accurate and timely reporting. This, presumably, is the reason that Chinas Law on Animal Epidemic Prevention prohibits cover-up, misreporting, late reporting and underreporting of any animal diseases. Other government regulations stipulate that once an infected pig is identified on a farm, the farms entire stock must be culled. Enter problem No. 2: The central fiscal authorities were called on to cover only part of the compensation to farmers, leaving local governments to shoulder the rest. But by the end of June 2019, Chinas local authorities had amassed a total debt of at least 21 trillion yuan (more than $3 trillion), according to the Ministry of Finance about 23 percent of Chinas gross domestic product in 2018. And so even as the authorities in Beijing instructed local governments to resolutely defend and prevent further spread and dissemination of the disease, those local governments given the financial burden they would have to bear to cover any culling of stock had an incentive to not report the disease. In Shandong Province, even though there were suspected outbreaks immediately after August 2018 and pig inventories soon dropped significantly, only one outbreak at one farm (involving 17 sick animals) had been reported by February 2019. While some farmers were saying that swine fever was spreading like fire in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province, the local authorities did not officially disclose the problem. And when they did respond to farmers requests for compensation, the authorities provided amounts that were often much lower than what the central government had stipulated. Chandigarh Sarabjit Kaur, a 27-year-old nurse working in a Mohali hospital, whose body was found in a hotel in Industrial Area, phase-2, here on Wednesday, was allegedly killed by prime suspect Maninder Singh because she refused to marry him, police investigations have revealed. Maninder Singh, already a murder convict out on bail, had complained to Sarabjits brother about her refusal to marry him as her family disapproved of their relationship because they belonged to different castes, a police official investigating the matter said. Sarabjit, working with Grecian Super Specialty Hospital in Sector 69, Mohali, was found lying on bed with her throat slit in a room in Hotel Sky. On a months leave for her brothers wedding, she had also been pursuing a course from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). She had checked into the hotel with Maninder Singh, a 2010 murder case convict out on bail, on the evening of December 30. A file photo of Maninder Singh, prime suspect in the murder of nurse Sarbjit Kaur in a Chandigarh hotel. (HT Photo) Hotel staff found Sarbjits body after opening the couples room when one answered calls for an estimated checkout time. When a room service staffer, Sumit, knocked on the door of their room, nobody responded, said Rajiv, the hotel manager. On opening the door with a master key, Sumit found the woman covered with a blanket with blood around her neck and raised an alarm. Maninder Singh had also been arrested in 2010 for the murder of a woman he had a relationship with in Karnal, Nilambari Jagadale, senior superintendent of police (SSP), had said on Thursday. After challenging his conviction in the Punjab and Haryana high court he was out on bail and had, three months aqo, resigned from his job in Industrial area, Phase-1, she said. The first ABQArtwalk of 2020, as well as the first show of the new year at the marvelously eccentric OT Circus kicks off with Chaotic Order . The exhibition sets into motion on Friday, Jan. 3 at 5pm and features the work of David S. McKee. The small, colorful gallery brings a thematic evening of bedlam to life with mixed media abstract art, nibbles available from The Munchie Truck and coffee served with optional CBD by Tunnel Springs Coffee and Market. While the Artwalk happens monthly, this display is for one night only. As always, this event is free and open to all ages . (Mayo Lua de Frenchie) The first show of the year is the fine abstract art of David S. McKee for one night only, with art raffles, The Munchie Truck and coffee from Tunnel Springs Coffee and Market. Our first show of the year happens to be during the amazing ABQ Artwalk! We are excited to present: "Chaotic Order" : The Fine Abstract Art of David S. McKee! This exhibit is up just for the night, so be sure to come by! With art raffles, and yums from The Munchie Truck, and delicious coffee + CBD from Tunnel Springs Coffee and Market! 5-9pm Friday January 3rd, 2020. David S McKee - Artist Bio My name is David McKee I was born and raised in eastern Oklahoma, I earned my BFA from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater where I primarily studied painting, drawing, mixed media, and art history. I studied painting with Marty Avrett, a former student of Richard Diebenkorn, and I studied painting and drawing with Dean Bloodgood, a former student of Adolph Gottlieb. I lived in Los Angeles for a few years, I then moved to upstate New York where my wife and I owned and operated a small private art school for children and adults. There was a lapse in my work as a painter for a few years due to a personal tragedy. I started doing photography, and I worked in graphic design, and advertising. My wife and son and I then moved to Albuquerque. A few years ago I returned to painting, my muse, the thing that Im most passionate about was there waiting for my return. Since returning to painting, I have shown in galleries in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, and the Denver area. My work is represented by David Anthony Fine Art in Taos, New Mexico. David S McKee - Artist Statement Is there a natural order to seemingly random events in our lives? The founder of Psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud believed that our lives are on a linear path and the experiences we have are based on cause and effect. Surprises, unpredictability, chance meetings, perhaps the feeling that youve met a person before is Chaos. At the other end of the spectrum lies Order. Is it possible to accept, and believe two ultimately contradictory truths? Each piece that I create has an aspect of my life and experiences ingrained into it. When creating new works, I always keep in mind that artistry is progressive and because of this, my work continues to evolve. At one time, I used oil paint, roofing tar, encaustic, and liquid enamel to create my paintings. I have since started using acrylic, cold wax, spray paint, art crayons, charcoal and oil stick. Sometimes I incorporate torn sections of photographs or various types of papers to create my paintings. Combining these materials in a mixed media collage creates something that I am truly inspired by. My intention in these pieces is to portray reflection onto of the studies and theories of chaos vs. order. This is an aesthetic that I continue to experiment within my work. Each of the materials I use allows me to create various layers and textures upon the canvas. I am fascinated with texture and surface manipulation, through this I hope to generate a sense of space and dimension by building layer upon layer using palimpsest. I believe this process has allowed my paintings to become more organic in nature. My work continues to evolve. Painting is a lifelong pursuit. I begin my painting by writing in charcoal on the canvas a few words, or thoughts of the day, observations, hopes, dreams, or regrets that I have. With a very loose framework of the image in heart and by noting compositional elements, I begin to draw on the canvas with charcoal and water-soluble art crayons, then apply paint. At this point, I do automatic drawing across the canvas. I smudge those areas with cold wax and apply more paint, and where there are large areas of color I lightly spray, sometimes heavy, with a water bottle to create paint runs and drips. I then step back for a few minutes to give thought to the piece. I need to have a silent dialogue with the painting. I dont want to impose my will onto the canvas but instead, reflect and respond to what is in front of me. I tear out portions of printed photographs or insert different papers and affix them to the canvas, then I begin to construct the image while allowing myself enough room for those ah-ha moments that I believe are so important to have when painting. Then I start the whole process all over again. This is how I build a painting. A man has been charged in the deaths of his ex-girlfriend and two of her children whose bodies were found after a house fire in Kansas City, Kansas. Prosecutors announced on Wednesday that 31-year-old Ismael Caballero is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of arson. He is jailed on $1million bond. Caballero is accused of killing his former partner, 32-year-old Yazmine Rodriguez-Santilla, her 14-year-old daughter, Amerikha Rodriguez, and 10-year-old son, Jean Carlos Rodriguez, whose bodies were discovered by firefighters battling a blaze at around 5am on Monday. Scroll down for video Ismael Caballero, 31 (left), has been charged with murder and arson in the killing of his ex, 32-year-old Yazmine Rodriguez-Santilla, and two of her four children (right) Firefighters found the bodies of the woman and children inside her home in the 100 block of North Mill Street early Monday Prosecutors allege in charging documents that Caballero set fire to the woman's house in the 100 Block of North Mill Street, as well as to a minvian. The complaint doesn't list a cause of death for the victims or a possible motive for the killings. It says the mother and children died either Sunday or Monday. Family members said Rodriguez-Santilla had two other children who were with their biological father over the winter break and were not home at the time of the fire, reported KCTV5. Hours after the house fire, Caballero took to Facebook and posted this message He also shared a short video from a party showing him laughing and joking with Yazmine Amerikha and Jean Carlos' father lives in Mexico, and relatives say he is devastated and wants to come to the US to attend his children's funerals. Rodriguez-Santilla's former sister-in-law, Yhaaira Rodriguez, told Fox 4KC she knows very little about her previous relationship with Caballero. 'She dated him for a little bit, that was pretty much it,' she said. 'I mean, we didn't talk to her about her personal life. Relatives said they tried to reach Yazmine all day on Sunday, but she never called or texted them back, which was unusual for her. The woman was a single mother raising her four children, two of whom were unharmed Relatives say the day before the bodies were found, Yazmine could not be reached by phone or text message (pictured with her daughter) 'I wish that when I was calling my niece and she wasn't answering that I would've went over to their house. But I didn't and now it's too late. She`s gone,' Zaida Rodriguez told Fox4KC. Hours after the house fire, Caballero posted a status update on his Facebook page that read, 'I swear this cant be true,' accompanied by five broken heart emojis. He later shared a short video recorded during a New Year's Eve party last year, showing him laughing and joking with Rodriguez-Santilla. Both Amerikha and Jean Carlos attended school in Kansas City. The school district posted a statement on its Facebook page on Monday notifying parents that counseling will be available. On Thursday, the district announced that a vigil for the siblings and their mother will take place at 7.30pm on North Mill Street. A family member has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the funeral expenses, which has raised more than $20,000 as of Thursday afternoon. The northern Syrian town of Kafrnabl has witnessed a horrific bombing campaign by Russia, but one activist is providing food and shelter to hundreds of stray cats writes Al-Araby al-Jadeed. In Idlib, the last embattled anti-government haven in Syria, the town of Kafrnabl houses more cats the people. The once-thriving town known as the heart of the Syrian revolution had been home to 40,000 residents but today just a hundred or so remain, a report by BBCs Mike Thomson finds. Cats number in their hundreds, possibly thousands in the area, which had recently been the victim of a Russian-led bombing on one of its hospitals. Its comforting when the cats are close, 32-year-old Salah Jaar told the publication. It makes the bombardment, the demolition, the suffering, seem much less frightening. Thousands of residents have either left Kafrnabl following an intensification of airstrikes or have died, leaving behind their animal companions. The town was once known for its revolutionary activist scene, until hardline Islamist groups and regime, Russian bombing killed many and forced others out. Sometimes when were walking in the street there are about 20 and maybe even 30 cats walking with us the whole way. Some of them even come home with us, Jaar said, who works for the local radio station despite the fact that its recording studio was bombed. Though food is scarce and medical supplies even more so, Jaar provides for the stray cats; they eat what he eats, and he looks after their health the best he can. Whenever I eat, they eat, whether its vegetables, noodles or just dried bread. In this situation I feel that were both weak creatures and need to help each other, he said. Hug with eyes filled in tears, perhaps that hug is the only good thing that happened in the past four days, months, or years! Perhaps that hug is the only way to try and let go of the land youve lived your entire life in I have a friend who has cats in his house. One of them was hit by a rocket which almost blew his front paw off. But we managed to get it to Idlib city for treatment and its now walking around as well as before, he added. Earlier this year Kafr Nabl made the news after the Syrian regime delivered air strikes in the area, killing four civilians two of which were children and damaging three hospitals. Regime warplanes again targeted three hospitals in the south of Idlib, which had been hit and damaged in raids in previous weeks, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at the time. Obeida Dandouch, who headed a rescue group in the area, said the strike in Kafrnabl damaged a large part of what was still standing at the local hospital. Fighting intensifies in the region Hundreds of Turkish-aligned rebel fighters have arrived in southern Idlib province to fight against Bash Al-Assads regime in a last stand. The Syrian National Army (SNA) is widely regarded to be a Turkish proxy force and took part in Operation Peace Spring, which had targeted Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria in October 2019, as well as Operation Olive Branch, which captured the Afrin area from the same group. Idlib has been under relentless assault from the Assad regime and Russia, prompting a mass exodus of people numbered in their thousands fleeing the area. A spokesman for the SNA, Yousef Hammoud, told the Syrian news website Enab Baladi that two brigades from the group had entered Idlib province following an agreement with the hardline Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which dominates the rebel-held province. Hammoud added that 1,000 SNA fighters would eventually arrive in Idlib province in coordination with the National Liberation Front rebel group, which according to Enab Baladi, has a presence on the ground. He said that the agreement with HTS was the result of popular pressure and negotiations by the National Liberation Front. The Syrian conflict broke out in 2011 after peaceful pro-democracy protests were brutally suppressed by the Assad regime. This led to the death of more than 500,000 and the displacement of millions in what has become this decades biggest refugee crisis. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Event Sourcing May the source be with you. I recently became intrigued by the concept of event sourcing as applied to back-end architecture, specifically a microservice-oriented approach. I have spent the last few years working predominantly on the front-end, and became enamored by the simplicity and elegance of this pattern as the backbone of front-end architecture, popularized by Redux. To better understand the trade-offs between a traditional, monolithic back-end, and a microservice-oriented, event sourced approach, I began sketching a toy architecture for the initial user flow of seemingly every web application: signing up for a user account, and receiving an activation email. Easy enough, right? Little did I realize just how alien the event sourcing pattern would feel. I quickly developed more questions than answers. I spent the next several days reading everything I could about the subject, desperately begging Google to show me the way. I learned an incredible amount during that time, and in the spirit of the great Julia Evans I felt compelled to distill and summarize what I have learned for you, my fellow traveler. This is by no means a guide indicating the correct way to do anything. My hope is that, if youre new to event sourcing, this summary might help you to start reasoning about how such a system could work. Things We Will Talk About What the hell is event sourcing? Good question! Martin Fowler can tell you: Event Sourcing ensures that all changes to application state are stored as a sequence of events. Not just can we query these events, we can also use the event log to reconstruct past states, and as a foundation to automatically adjust the state to cope with retroactive changes. But and this is true of most definitions of most things this will just leave you with even more questions. So Ill try to explain event sourcing instead of defining it. Your application produces a log of events. For example, you might log a UserAccountCreated event for each user account that is created. The log might be split into smaller, independent logs called topics, to help organize your events. event for each user account that is created. The log might be split into smaller, independent logs called topics, to help organize your events. The events are the source of truth or system of record for your application. It is common for applications to write to a database and treat it as the source of truth, but when event sourcing we write to the event log instead. Other parts of the application can read from the event log. This allows for a pub/sub style of communication, where multiple listeners can react to events they are interested in. Listeners can reconstruct their own application state by reading from the event log and applying the events to their own, private data store, such as a database. They might apply some of the events, or all of them, depending on their use case. Events are always applied in the total order that they appear in the log. What can event sourcing do for me? I can recommend two really good sales pitches for event sourced architectures (sometimes called log-oriented architectures), and a more pragmatic overview. I recommend that you read and watch these in the following order: Martin Kleppmann has an excellent write-up to whet your appetite. Greg Young gave a great talk which really helped me to understand how event sourcing can be useful even at small traffic scales. And as always, Martin Fowler will try to talk some sense into us as a part of his fantastic overview. But its not fair for me to dump two hours of educational materials into your lap, so Ill do my best to summarize the observations of the great masters. Historical Queries A typical database can answer questions about your data as it exists right now, but it struggles to answer time-series queries about the historical context and evolution of your data. For example, you can query your database to determine the number of user accounts that exist. But what if your business stakeholder wanted to know how many users create an account, delete it, and then change their mind and create it again? Your database typically will not capture this data, since it only stores the current state it only stores the user account, and not the steps that were taken to create that account. Writing events to a log naturally makes these kinds of queries possible, because the historical data is never deleted. The ability to be able to answer any question that the business asks about the history of the application is incredibly valuable. Historical queries can ask, How did we arrive at this state?, instead of, What does the current state look like? Immutable Data Modeling your data as an immutable, append-only log of events greatly simplifies reasoning about how the application works. It is harder to get yourself into a confusing situation by accidentally mutating state. This is easier to understand when we consider the utility of time-traveling debugging. Time-Traveling Debugging Dan Abramov (creator of Redux) has sung the praises of time-traveling debugging from a front-end perspective, and the same principle applies from a back-end one. Given that the event log is immutable, all changes to the applications state must be driven by appending to the event log instead of changing it. This means that when our application behaves in a confusing way, we can simply start from the beginning of time and replay events one by one until we isolate the event that is triggering the confusing behavior. This is a powerful and incredibly simple tool for debugging our application. But thats not all! Just as our version control system can check out code at a particular point in the projects history, our event log can check out a particular point in time so that we can inspect how the state looked at that moment. As Martin Fowler pointed out, instead of exclusively writing end-to-end tests we can explore a complementary approach: store and replay a sequence of events into the log, and then inspect the applications state to ensure that it matches what we expect. These are just some examples. Retaining the time-series data in our event log opens up numerous opportunities for building technical wealth. Easily Connect Data Consumers An event sourced architecture features an event log as the central hub to which data producers write, and from which data consumers read. This pub/sub architecture minimizes or eliminates the need to write custom adaptors to get data out of one system and into another. All data is published in a standardized message format (JSON, or whatever you enjoy). Writing a new consumer becomes easier and more predictable, since systems share data in a consistent way. Multiple listeners can subscribe to an event log without a problem. Systems often mutate into Frankenstein architectures as new features and use cases are bolted on accommodated. Martin Kleppmann does a great job of describing this phenomenon. Modeling data consumption as a log of events can mitigate this unsatisfactory result. Reasonable Scaling Defaults An event sourced architecture provides reasonable defaults for common scalability challenges that applications face as load increases, and after exhausting vertical scaling strategies. It isnt a silver bullet (nothing is), but we can take comfort in the fact that we are probably not painting ourselves into a corner. If writing to the event log is the bottleneck, we can split a single log into partitions spread over multiple servers, each responsible for handling writes to its fair share of the partitions. This is how Apache Kafka works. If reading from the event log is the bottleneck, we can introduce log replication and have consumers read from the replicas. If consumers cannot keep up with the volume of events, we can add more consumers and parallelize the work of processing the events. If we run out of disk space to store the log, we can explore options for long-term storage. We could write a service to read older log messages and push them into a some kind of data warehouse. Consumers which only need to keep up with processing new-ish messages read directly from the primary log. Consumers which wish to rebuild their local state by processing all log messages from the beginning of time may do so by reading from the data warehouse until they reach the most recent warehoused message, and then switch to reading from the primary log. Fault Tolerance and Resiliency This is my favourite feature of a log-oriented architecture, and the one that attracted me to event sourcing. Often, one portion of an application will need to react to a change in a different subsystem. For example, when a user account is created, we might want to send an account activation email to that user. In a traditional monolithic system, the controller which handles this logic might look something like this pseudocode: user = new User('dvader@empire.gov') user.save() MailService.sendAccountActivationEmail(user) The above logic will work 99% of the time. But every now and then the MailService will go offline. The new account will be created but the user will not receive their activation email. The user cannot activate their account! This is a tricky situation to recover from, and an example of the problem of dual writes. It would be much better if we could build an application which simply pauses when a subsystem goes down, and resumes from where it left off when that subsystem comes back online. This would provide tremendous peace of mind, save countless users from headache, and prevent us from wasting many days recovering from, debugging, and prematurely optimizing the availability problems of our MailService . Remember: we can often substitute rapid recovery for high availability. Instead of investing significant sums to achieve high availability, we can Pareto-optimize by investing a smaller amount into rapid recovery. For example, instead of buying the worlds most reliable hard drive, we could simply make frequent backups. Our system can go down frequently, but the user will never notice as long as we can recover in a reasonable amount of time. As Gary Bernhardt astutely points out, TCP is so good at this that we take it for granted! TCP is so successful at its job [packet retransmission, rapid recovery] that we dont even think of networks as being unreliable in our daily use, even though they fail routinely under normal conditions. This is a great example of the unreasonable effectiveness of defense in depth strategies. The first layer of defense is designing for availability, and the second layer is designing for recovery. A log-oriented architecture can give us these benefits! Lets rewrite our pseudocode controller: user = new User('dvader@empire.gov') event = new AccountCreatedEvent(user) EventLog.append(event) Notice how we are no longer performing dual writes. Instead, we perform a single append to the event log. This is equivalent to saving the user account in the first example. If we model our writes as single log appends, they become inherently atomic. The email service would be monitoring the log for new account creation events, and would send emails in response to those events. If the email service were to go offline, it could simply pick up from where it left off. In fact, the email service could go offline for days, and catch up on unsent emails when it comes back online. It could also contain a memory leak which causes the system to crash every hour, but as long as the email service restarts automatically, your users will not likely perceive a service interruption. Mitigation of Data Inconsistencies Kleppmann points out that systems which employ dual writes pretty much guarantee data consistency problems. For example, lets say you update a user account record in the database, and then update a cache containing the now stale data. Lets further say that the cache update operation fails. Your cache is now out of sync with your database. Have fun debugging the consequences! A read-through cache can exhibit a similar problem. Updates to a user account in the database will not be immediately reflected in its corresponding cache entry until that entry expires. Stale cache data can be very confusing to both users and developers. But what if we perform all writes to an event log? The cache can read and apply the events in order. The cache is always in sync with its source of truth, with the standard disclaimers about eventual consistency applying. But under normal circumstances, your cache could be quite consistent with its data source. Should anything go wrong, the cache can be rebuilt by simply starting from scratch and re-consuming the event log. Simplicity Nothing about software architecture is truly simple. But anyone who has been burned by the legacy of a bad decision will intuitively understand that simpler solutions are generally preferable. Simple solutions reduce cognitive overload, maximizing the chances that you will correctly predict the systems behavior. An event sourced architecture really shines as a simplifying abstraction when compared to the Frankenstein architecture which tends to evolve from modest monolithic beginnings. Producers write to a log, consumers read from the log. This simple, unifying principle allows us to reason about data flow between subsystems without becoming bogged down in their idiosyncrasies. Kleppmann described the event sourcing approach as Unix philosophy (specifically pipes) for distributed systems. The simplicity of Unix pipes is precisely what makes them so composable and powerful. Forgiving Of Mistakes We all love that feeling when we write a piece of code and it works on the first try. That feeling is so wonderful because it is so rare. It is more common to spend as much time debugging our code as we did writing it. Mistakes are by far the normal mode of software development. Anything our architecture can do to help us recover from mistakes will have a dramatic impact on our iteration speed. The traditional, stateful model of data persistence is very unforgiving in this regard. A bug in your code which mutates state in the wrong way will often require a one-off, compensating transaction to correct. And its a race against time to make the correction, since subsequent operations based on bad data will only compound the error. But what if we can fix the bug and simply rebuild the state by re-consuming events via the patched system? We wouldnt need to duct tape our state. When the application is corrected, so is the state. We can reduce instances of fixing the application and then also fixing the state. Of course, there will always be exceptions. All abstractions leak. But in general we prefer boats with fewer leaks. Ends Normalization Debate Kleppmann makes an excellent observation regarding the best practice of database normalization. There is a tension between read- and write-optimized schemas. At a certain point, in order to boost read performance, we are tempted to denormalize our database. We might also attempt to cache query results from the normalized database, usually employing some kind of error-prone, dual write strategy. A log-oriented system breaks the tension by deriving one or more read models from the log. We accept from the outset that one model cannot be great at everything. The log is write-optimized, and the derived read models can be denormalized to suit their specific usage pattern. Audit Trail Greg Young recalls that he was initially attracted to event sourcing because he needed to implement auditing. Storing a log of every event that has occurred in the history of the application provides a natural audit trail. If we arent working on, say, a financial application, we tend to think that auditing will not be an important use case for our software. Then an incident occurs in production, and what do we do? We check the logs! Better Business Agility Kleppmann sees agility enhancing benefits in this approach to building software, and I think hes on to something. Monolithic, stateful systems are optimized for consistency, not for change. At a certain point it becomes difficult to make changes, because those changes must render the system consistent when completed. Within a large system, that is no small feat! The result is that the rate of change decreases, because it becomes a huge pain to run even a small experiment. The ability to connect new consumers to the log stream opens up the possibility of bypassing existing systems to build one-off experiments. There is no need to run a migration to modify a database schema simply deploy a new service with a different database, and store the additional data there for the duration of the experiment. The same goes for new read models, which can provide denormalized views for experimental new queries. Have you ever noticed that changing an existing system tends to trigger a bikeshedding process? Adding a new system, in my experience, does not produce the same strong political reaction. My hunch is that this is because changing an existing system might break something which a colleague considers incredibly valuable, even sacrosanct. So by architecting our application to allow for the easy introduction of new subsystems, it seems reasonable to expect that we could actually reduce the amount of political debate associated with the running of experiments. What might event sourcing look like in practice? Recall the initial user flow I described earlier: the user signs up for an account, and receives an activation email. Thinking about how to implement these features in an event sourced architecture provides a surprising amount of insight into the pattern and its subtleties. Lets work through it! Signing Up For An Account Our user lands on the account sign up page and fills out the form, providing their username , email , and password . The user submits the form and an HTTP request is sent to our API Gateway service, which is the public-facing portion of our system. It might implement server-side rendered views, or it might expose an API or Backend For Frontend (BFF) for a single-page or mobile application to consume. Immediate Feedback For The User We want to build this application in a microservice style, and so we have decided to delegate ownership of all write-related user logic to a User Command service. We might be tempted to have the API Gateway publish an AccountSignUp event, which our User Command service would listen for and process. After all, this is how a lot of event-driven architectures behave the user did a thing that the system can react to. Unfortunately this creates a huge UX problem: we lose the ability to provide immediate feedback to the user. There is no guarantee that the User Command service is currently available it could be overloaded, or it might have crashed. If we publish an AccountSignUp event and some of the form data is invalid, we have no way of informing the user. The best we can do would be to display an optimistic success message, hope that the form data is valid, hope that the user account is persisted, and hope that, should any errors occur, the user would return to our website to try again. The breakthrough approach here, for me, was when I understood that in an event sourced system, all of the writes must occur to the event log. It could be interesting or useful to log some of the antecedent details (such as requests), but the only thing we really must do is ensure that all writes are modeled as log appends. If the user interface requires a synchronous response for immediate feedback, so be it. We can achieve this in the traditional, RESTful way, by having the API Gateway issue an HTTP request to the User Command service. Perhaps this would be modeled as a POST /users endpoint. The User Command service would perform any validations, write an AccountCreated event to the event log, and return a 201 Created response to the API Gateway. The API Gateway would then render a success message for the user. The user account creation is considered to be a success a historical fact at the moment the log append occurs. (Greg Young emphasizes the importance of storing only facts in our event log.) Failure Modes Lets think about how this part of the system would handle various failures: If the API Gateways HTTP request to the User Command service fails, the API Gateway can immediately render an error message for the user. The user is then able to retry their request. If any of the form validations fail, the User Command service can return a 400 Bad Request error to the API Gateway, which in turn can render field errors for the user. error to the API Gateway, which in turn can render field errors for the user. If the event log is unavailable and the User Command service cannot write to it, the User Command service can return a 500 Internal Server Error to the API Gateway. The API Gateway can then render an error message for the user, who may retry their request. to the API Gateway. The API Gateway can then render an error message for the user, who may retry their request. If the User Command service successfully writes to the event log and then dies, or its HTTP response is not delivered to the API Gateway, then the API Gateway will render an error message for the user, believing the User Command service to be unavailable. The user might then retry their request, if they dont notice their account activation email first! This could result in a second AccountCreated event being published to the log. It is therefore important that consumers of the event log implement their consumption in an idempotent way. Validation Whenever we are working with user generated data, there is always some validation that must occur. We can think of a few common constraints for our account sign up form: The username cannot be blank. The email cannot be blank. The password cannot be blank. No two user accounts should have the same username . No two user accounts should have the same email . To accommodate some of these rules, we will need to think a bit differently than we are used to. Ensuring that fields are not blank can be accomplished in the obvious way: the User Command service checks for the existence and length of these values and returns the appropriate error code to the API Gateway in the event of an invalid submission. But how can we enforce the constraints that no two accounts should have the same username or email ? If we were using an ACID-compliant relational database, this would be easily achievable by adding a UNIQUE constraint to the username and email columns the database would thereafter refuse to insert duplicates. Since our event log is not a relational database, we will have to devise another way. Naturally, the mind will wonder if the User Command service could first read from the database used to store its corresponding read model, searching for duplicate values if a duplicate is found, do not write to the event log. And this approach would appear to work at first, but due to the eventually consistent property of our system, writes to the event log are not immediately reflected in the various read models that our services maintain. A race condition has been introduced: it is possible to create two user accounts with duplicate data in rapid succession, because we cannot guarantee that the read model will be up to date with the first write at the time that the second write occurs. Maybe You Dont Need Immediate Consistency I cant remember where I first encountered the following solution, but it struck me as a novel and contrarian approach with a lot of utility: why not simply embrace the fact that the system no longer provides an immediate consistency guarantee? We could design our system to gracefully handle some the uniqueness constraints in a different way: We could allow duplicate accounts to be created with the same email address, and simply ignore all but the first creation event. If a user accidentally signs up twice, only one account will be created. The total order of our log messages ensures that these two events will always be processed in the same order. This approach has the undesirable effect of including two account creation events in the log, which might be confusing. We could allow more than one user to enjoy the same username. Why not? Social networks allow users to change their names at will. A surrogate key (e.g. universally unique identifier) can be used for internal purposes. The users email address can be used for login purposes. We could shamelessly violate CQRS and perform a kind of optimistic concurrency control by allowing the read model to detect when a duplicate username is about to be inserted, and then modify the username to preserve its uniqueness. For example, dvader might be renamed to dvader_1 . Finally, the read model would emit another event to notify the user that they should change their username. This seems like a contrived and impractical solution, but consider what happens in macOS when a file is copied and pasted on top of itself: instead of throwing an error, the operating system allows the paste, and automatically renames the second version to be file 2 . Still, I dont like the conflation of read/write concerns. For our user sign up flow, I think we can eliminate the uniqueness constraint for usernames. But what about email addresses? I would prefer not to have duplicate account creation events in the log if we can avoid it. Locks We could make judicious use of locks to enforce a uniqueness constraint for email addresses. We would add a new Lock service to our ecosystem. The Lock service does what it says on the tin: other services can use it to obtain a lock on a resource before writing to it. This could be as simple as an HTTP service wrapping a transactional data store, but probably we would want to reach for an off-the-shelf solution. When requesting a lock, services would specify a key which uniquely identifies the resource. For example, the key might be dvader@empire.gov . The corresponding value would be a unique identifier representing the service instance requesting the lock. After successfully acquiring a lock on an email address, the User Command service can safely publish an event to create an account, or change a users email address. Since only the service instance which holds the lock has permission to perform writes which involve that email address, duplicate account creation events are thereby prevented. When the write is successful, the User Command service can release the lock by sending another request to the Lock service. If this is not done, no further writes which involve that email address could be made! The lock would be stored with a time-to-live so that, in the event that the User Command service dies before it can release its lock, the lock is automatically released, preventing a deadlock. Unfortunately, there are problems with this approach. Temporal Anomalies Kleppmann does a great job of explaining why timing-based lock algorithms cannot prevent errors. As it turns out, as soon as we apply a time-to-live to the lock, it becomes unreliable. For example, a long GC pause in a service could actually exceed the time-to-live on our lock, allowing the same lock to be acquired twice! And even if only a small number of locking errors occur during the lifetime of the application, allowing a few duplicate writes to leak through, we will need to modify all event log consumers to handle that exceptional case. If the event stream contains even one duplicate, from the consumers perspective it might as well contain a million of them. If we remove the time-to-live from the lock, we will be okay until the User Command service dies immediately after acquiring the lock, but before writing the new user account. When the service restarts after this error, we will be deadlocked. The user will be unable to retry their account creation, because their email address is now permanently locked. Really, what we need to do is squeeze all the non-determinism out of the input stream. Kleppmann provides two strategies for achieving this. Fencing Tokens The first strategy is to have the Lock service implment a fencing token. Basically, each time a lock is acquired, the Lock service assigns a monotonically increasing integer to the lock. If the same lock is accidentally acquired twice due to temporal anomalies, each version of the lock will have a different integer associated with it. Requests to write must then supply the integer, and the service which handles the writes is responsible for ignoring writes whose integer is not larger than that of the previous write. Notice something about this strategy? It looks awfully similar to a totally ordered log! This implies that a log-oriented solution might be possible. It also requires a heck of a lot of plumbing, in my opinion. Each service responsible for writing to a locked resource must understand and correctly implement the monotonically increasing integer check. Filtering Duplicates Kleppmanns second strategy is a log-oriented one. Basically, services wishing to acquire a lock publish a request event to a topic within the event log. A consumer service (similar to our Lock service) reads those events and essentially filters out duplicates, finally publishing a different event (the actual write) to a different topic within the event log. If the consumer service dies, it can simply reconstruct its state by replaying log events. This is a very clever solution, built out of simple components, and it relieves the services handling writes from the responsibility of implementing a fencing token. Unfortunately the cost of this simplicity is losing the ability to provide a synchronous response to the user we cant tell them if their write was successful, because consumption of the event log might be delayed. I wonder if we can come up with a reusable solution which allows us to provide immediate feedback to the user? Uniq Service Recall the distributed-systems-as-Unix-pipes philosophy. It might be possible to create a composable Uniq service similar to the Unix uniq command which could be reused across multiple services for their event deduplication and locking needs. How would this Uniq service work? All write events subject to uniqueness constraints would be sent to Uniq for deduplication and constraint checking purposes, before being forwarded on to the event log. Uniq could expose a RESTful API for create, update, and delete operations, . An /event endpoint would do nicely. When performing user account creation, the User Command service would construct its desired log message and POST it to the Uniq service. Uniq would support a simple configuration file which maps fields of log messages to CRUD operations. For example, when Uniq receives our AccountCreated event, it would extract the email field from that event and add that email to a set it maintains in memory. If the email does not already exist in the set, Uniq writes that event to the log, and returns a 200 OK response. In this way, Uniq can provide a synchronous response to our User Command service, which facilitates immediate feedback for the user. Uniq acts as a proxy for events just another piece of the pipeline. If an email address already exists in the set, Uniq would return a 409 Conflict response, and would not forward the event to the log. Use cases involving changing or deleting an existing email address are easily supported by the HTTP PATCH and DELETE semantics. Unlike the Unix uniq , our Uniq requires these semantics because it is stateful. It isnt simply counting unique items, but rather allowing that set of unique items to be maintained in the face of change. Of course, given that Uniq will be maintaining a set in memory, we must consider what will happen in the event that it crashes. If this were to occur, Uniq can rebuild its set by re-consuming log messages. When Uniq has caught up with where it left off, it can accept write traffic again. Because our log is totally ordered, and because Uniq processes write requests serially, it should never commit a duplicate write to the log, even when recovering from an outage. If availability is a concern, a second instance of Uniq can operate in follower mode, consuming from the event log to maintain a replica of the leaders state. When the leader dies, the follower can be promoted to leader. Relational Database Envy So we have our strategy for handling concurrent requests for user accounts with the same email address: we will pipe all writes through a Uniq service, which enforces the uniqueness constraint. Couldnt we have used a relational database to enforce this constraint instead? Well, yes, we could. Michael Ploed makes the wise recommendation that we implement the level of consistency that our business domain requires. The ideal level of consistency for one subsystem may not be needed across the entire system. For example, it might be considered unacceptable for two user accounts to ever accidentally share the same email address, since this would prevent users from logging in. Therefore, we can enforce a uniqueness constraint only for email addresses, paying the complexity cost because we see it as justifiable. But for other subsystems where we might traditionally enforce a uniqueness constraint, we could employ more creative solutions. We are dialing in the amount of consistency that each part of the system requires. So it would make sense for the User Command service to write to a relational database implementing a uniqueness constraint. But this approach creates one very unfortunate side-effect: we lose atomicity. Writing a new user to the database, and then writing an event to the log, opens the possibility that the first write will succeed but the second one will fail. This situation would render our data inconsistent, and a compensating transaction would be required to reconcile the two. Dual writes strike again! It might be possible to create a second table in our relational database, and write our events to that table. We could then wrap both our user write and the event write in a transaction, regaining atomicity. But now we need a way to get those events out of the database and into the event log, and ideally without implementing a polling strategy, which would increase replication lag. The amount of plumbing required to make this happen is excessive, in my opinion. And the solution wouldnt be reusable across services. The Read Model So our User Command service is able to write an AccountCreated event to the log via the Uniq service. But how would we handle reads? One cannot simply perform queries against an event log, since query performance would decrease as the log grows in size! To support reads, we will need to implement a read model. The read model consists a service wrapping a persistence mechanism. Most likely we would choose a database which provides a good fit for the types of queries we will be performing. For our User Query service we will assume a document database which stores JSON-like documents. The read model will consume relevant events from the event log, and update its database accordingly. In the case of the User Query service, every AccountCreated event consumed would trigger the insertion of a new user document into the database. Where this pattern can become very powerful is in maintaining highly optimized, incrementally computed query results. One could imagine introducing a Friends service which maintains a list of frequently contacted friends for each user, entirely derived from log messages. Batch computing this contact frequency information could take a long time, and the results would quickly become stale. Incrementally computing with each new piece of information can provide a more consistent view, while maintaining fast query response times. Another interesting property is the potential for the elimination of schema migrations. Denormalizing the read model brings the possibility of introducing NoSQL stores. The addition of a new field would be handled in application code, and a schema rollback, if one were required, could be accomplished by reverting the application code and replaying events from the affected period. Sending Mail After our user has signed up, we want to send them an account activation email. To accomplish this, we will create a Mail service which monitors the event log for AccountCreated events, and sends activation emails to those users, probably by calling the RESTful API of a third-party email provider. But what happens if the Mail service crashes after reading a message from the log? As it turns out, this is not a problem, provided that the mail service persists the ID of the last message it consumed a checkpoint. And where better to persist this ID than to a topic within the event log! How frequently should we store checkpoints? If we store a checkpoint for every message consumed, log consumption speed will be limited by the need to write a checkpoint in between every read. If this was inadequate for our purposes, we could have the Mail service store a checkpoint every hundred writes, or every thousand, or every 60 seconds. But then wouldnt we be at risk of sending a hundred, or a thousand, or 60 seconds worth of duplicate emails if the Mail service crashes? As it turns out, the Mail service cannot guarantee exactly-once delivery of emails to users. Lets say that the Mail service has already consumed event 1, and is now consuming event 2 from the log. If an email is sent and the service crashes before checkpoint 2 can be written, when the service restarts it will begin working from the next event after its last checkpoint. The last checkpoint was 1, so event 2 will be processed again. A duplicate email will be sent! Writing the checkpoint before sending the email will only make things worse. If we store checkpoint 2 and then crash before sending email 2, when the service restarts it will begin working from the next event after its last checkpoint. The last checkpoint was 2, so event 3 will be processed. In this case, event 2 will be skipped! Since we cannot prevent the Mail service from sending duplicate emails, and since it would be a Very Bad Thing to fail to send any account activation emails, we can feel a bit better about setting a less frequent checkpoint rate. Dependency Woes It is a prudent exercise to think about what would happen if our third-party email provider were to suffer various failures. If for any reason our Mail service does not receive a response from the provider, we can retry the request. In fact, we need to retry the request, because the log-oriented nature of our system can only guarantee that all events are processed if they are handled sequentially. If we start skipping events, we would need to enqueue those skipped events into you guessed it another log for later processing. Its logs all the way down. So the system will guarantee delivery by pausing when an error occurs, polling for success, and resuming when the error condition has passed. This entails installing a circuit breaker to gate calls to the email provider. If the provider becomes unresponsive, the Mail service will retry the request repeatedly until the circuit breaker trips, at which point it will retry the request at a slower rate. When the provider comes back online, a request will eventually be successful and the Mail service can catch up with its backlog. Thats All, Folks Our toy system is now complete. Obviously this represents merely the user signup flow for what would be a much larger application. I would go on, but as you can see, even this slice of architecture requires a lengthy description. Nevertheless, I hope this has been a useful dive into the finer details how we might go implementing such a system. I know Ive learned a lot while writing it! Where do we go from here? Event sourcing is a radically different way of looking at software architecture. Predictably, this new approach is not without its learning curve. It also comes with tantalizing potential benefits. The question is how to sensibly proceed. I am reminded of Spolskys Law of Leaky Abstractions. Event sourcing is just another abstraction which seeks to simplify the complexity of the software we write. Naturally, this abstraction will leak, creating problems for us. But it is important to keep in mind that the monolithic, relational, strongly consistent style of architecture is also an abstraction. Our comfort with the abstraction we know too often spares us the terrifying advantages of new ways of doing things! One thing I have learned over the years is that I can never predict the practical consequences of introducing an unfamiliar technique into an organization. Because something always goes wrong, we actually need to implement the technique to discover where it breaks down. Only after introduction can we identify the concrete problems, and begin to devise solutions. The knowledge that something will go wrong is often used as a justification for not experimenting with new techniques at all. Well revisit this discussion later. Later effectively means never. Interestingly, this seems to be the wrong conclusion to draw from the mere possibility of risk. Problems may be unavoidable, but we have the power to control the scope of the introduction, and thereby shape the size of the problems encountered. Given that we possess a risk knob which we can dial down to comfortable levels, what justification remains for failing to experiment with new techniques? I think the most sensible course of action is to treat event sourcing as an evolutionary pattern. Incorporate this pattern into a portion of your project get your feet wet. But dont dive in, because youll probably drown. But dont stay out of the pool, because then youll never learn to swim! Learning takes time, so the sooner you can get started, the sooner you can determine how to incorporate the benefits while mitigating the pitfalls. As the famous Chinese proverb says: With more than two weeks left before her due date, Iliana Plata and her husband, Marco Aguero, arrived for a doctors appointment Tuesday expecting a routine check-up and a return home to celebrate New Years. Hours later, Plata and Aguero were in the delivery room at Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital, where just one push resulted in the arrival of Marco Jr. at a remarkable time: 20 seconds after midnight on Jan. 1, 2020. I wasnt expecting at all to be having the first newborn baby of 2020 in Houston, Plata said Wednesday afternoon as she cradled a calm, bundled Marco Jr. in her arms. The turn of the decade brought three newborns into Houston in quick succession Wednesday, as hospitals across the region playfully vied for the recognition of delivering the areas first child of the 2020s. About a minute after Marco Jr.s birth, doctors and nurses at The Womans Hospital of Texas welcomed a baby boy into the world, while Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital reported 12:07 a.m. as the time of birth for Jasmine Sophia Sixtos. For Plata, 39, and Aguero, 49, the unexpectedly early arrival marks yet another surprise for the Pasadena family. The couple already has two daughters, ages 9 and 18, and didnt have plans for a third child separated by nine years. After we found out, were just thankful that we had a new life come into our lives, Aguero said. The only thing we prayed is just for it to be healthy. Marco Jr. emerged safe and sound early Wednesday, with a New Years-themed gift basket crafted by the hospitals staff awaiting his parents, replete with sparkling grape juice and plastic champagne flutes. While Plata and Aguero spent the night unaware of the impending flip to 2020, nurses rejoiced in his fortuitous timing. Marco Jr.s youngest sister, Stephany, also cracked a smile talking about her new baby brother. At first, I just wanted a girl, Stephany said. But when I got the news it was going to be a boy, I was only a tiny bit sad. About 35 miles to the northwest, Maria Sixtos and Miguel Chavez chuckled at the timing of their first child Wednesday. Five of the couples relatives and close friends were born between Dec. 25-31, with each hoping the familys newest addition would arrive a few days before her Jan. 1 due date. Everybody was fighting because they wanted her to have the same day as them, Sixtos said. But she wanted to be special. Seven minutes after the clock struck midnight in Houston, Sixtos gave birth to Jasmine. The 7-pound and 7-ounce, on-time girl became the first newborn of the decade for the hospital system, whose staff deliver more than 25,000 babies annually. Sixtos and Chavez marveled Thursday morning at the timing of Jasmines arrival, recounting a frenzied delivery. The couple, who met while attending the Southwest Schools charter network in eighth grade, said they arrived at the hospital around 11 a.m. after Sixtos contractions grew closer. By 3 p.m., Sixtos received her own room, starting a countdown toward delivery. As midnight closed in and Sixtos labor grew more intense, Chavez and several nurses started taking note of the time. I kept my eye on the clock, Chavez, 26, said. It was about 11:50, 11:55, and the nurses were all like, New Years baby! You could feel the tension in the room. Sixtos felt something different. I wasnt thinking about the clock, because I was just so in pain, the 25-year-old mother said. Honestly, I was just so focused on pushing. That was my main concern. Amid the chaos, Sixtos and Chavez heard and spotted fireworks coming from nearby Bellaire and Stafford, a fitting celebration of a once-in-a-lifetime event. It was beautiful. I never expected it to be like this, Chavez said. jacob.carpenter@chron.com Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH), which is in the hospitality business, and is based in United States, led the NYSE gainers with a relatively large price hike in the past couple of weeks. With many analysts covering the mid-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stocks share price. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Lets examine Choice Hotels Internationals valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if theres still a bargain opportunity. View our latest analysis for Choice Hotels International What is Choice Hotels International worth? According to my valuation model, Choice Hotels International seems to be fairly priced at around 18.20% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy Choice Hotels International today, youd be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $87.51, theres only an insignificant downside when the price falls to its real value. Furthermore, Choice Hotels Internationals low beta implies that the stock is less volatile than the wider market. What does the future of Choice Hotels International look like? NYSE:CHH Past and Future Earnings, January 1st 2020 Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. With profit expected to grow by a double-digit 18% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for Choice Hotels International. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? CHHs optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuates below the true value? Story continues Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on CHH, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for the company, which means its worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on Choice Hotels International. You can find everything you need to know about Choice Hotels International in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Choice Hotels International, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. TOKYO Carlos Ghosn, the fallen head of the Nissan-Renault auto alliance, didnt know much about making movies, but he seemed willing to learn. Sitting in his rented home in a wealthy Tokyo neighborhood one day in December, he walked John Lesher, a Hollywood producer behind the Oscar-winning 2014 Michael Keaton film, Birdman, through the plot of his own story, describing what he sees as his unjust imprisonment by Japanese officials and his struggle to prove his innocence, said people familiar with the discussions. The theme was redemption. The villain was the Japanese justice system. The talks were preliminary and did not get far, the people said. And in any case, Mr. Ghosn was preparing to deliver a shocking plot twist. Mr. Ghosn, who was facing a trial later in 2020, fled Japan for Lebanon this week, avoiding criminal charges of financial wrongdoing. All the elements of a Hollywood-style thriller are there: a private plane whisking a fugitive into the sky, multiple passports, rumors of shadowy forces at work and people in power denying they knew anything about it. A tweet on tumbleweed piles blocking a US highway on New Year's eve set the Twitter abuzz with some amusing and tongue-in-cheek responses from the users.The highway -- approximately 20 km west of Richland city in Washington state -- was closed around Image Source: IANS News A tweet on tumbleweed piles blocking a US highway on New Year's eve set the Twitter abuzz with some amusing and tongue-in-cheek responses from the users.The highway -- approximately 20 km west of Richland city in Washington state -- was closed around Image Source: IANS News A tweet on tumbleweed piles blocking a US highway on New Year's eve set the Twitter abuzz with some amusing and tongue-in-cheek responses from the users.The highway -- approximately 20 km west of Richland city in Washington state -- was closed around Image Source: IANS News Washington, Jan 2 : A tweet on tumbleweed piles blocking a US highway on New Year's eve set the Twitter abuzz, drawing some amusing and tongue-in-cheek responses from the users. The highway -- approximately 20 km west of Richland city in Washington state -- was closed at around 6.30 p.m. (local time) on December 31 as giant balls of dry plants rising up to 20-30 feet high blocked both sides of the road. State Route 240 was opened only after nearly 10 hours by authorities even as some stranded drivers ushered in the New Year trapped under weeds, Sky News reported. Trooper Chris Thorson of Washington state patrol was quoted that five cars and one truck were trapped in the tumbleweeds, an incident he dubbed "tumblegeddon". Thorson posted on Twitter handle @wspd3pio: "#tumblegeddon. After 10 hours of SR 240 being closed last night on New Year's Eve, it was opened around 0430 thanks to @WSDOT_East. We still have one abandoned car trapped in the tumbleweeds that was found at daylight, luckily no one was in it." The pile-up was so thick that snow ploughs were used to clear the road. Nobody was injured and there were no collisions. The clip posted on January 1 got 159.9K views, 775 retweets and 1.8K likes. Washington State Department of Transportation tweeted: "Big thanks to our crews who spent all #NewYearsEve2020 dealing with tumbleweeds. Which, in a million years, was not something I expected to start the year tweeting about." One user commented on the incident: "Some days you just have to let it roll." Another said: "That's a first for an East Coaster here, definitely something new to me. When I first saw the plows, I thought it was an avalanche. Glad no one was injured in tumblegeddon 2020." One user tweeted: "How many are Radioactive??" A Twitter user said with his tongue firmly in his cheek: "Abandoned cars usually don't have anyone in them." "Holy smokies!!!! That's a lot of tumbleweeds," read one post. One user recalled: "I grew up east of San Diego and miss the days of watching huge tumbleweeds roll down our street. #Tumblegeddon." A user wanted to know: "Finders keepers, Trooper? Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 3:00PM by Claudio Alves Pedro Almodovar might be known for his brilliant reds, but his latest and most autobiographical film starts in blue. Submerged in blue, as it happens. In the bottom of a swimming pool tiled in shades of cyan, we find our blue-clad protagonist, underwater, pensive as he is enveloped by diluted chlorine and the memories of a distant past. They are remembrances of maternal warmth and white linens drying in the sun, shots so beautiful they seem more real than the present life for which they are prologue. Color theory has its limitations, of course, and Almodovar's brush is guided more by emotion than by dogmatic rules. Jose Luis Alcaine's photography follows the same logic Throughout Pain and Glory, blue acts like a conduit of longing for what is long gone. Its cool shades taint the liveliness of the other colors in sets and costumes, talking to them in conversations as antagonistic as they are complementary. Though, when it comes to the dialogues between blue and red, the discourse gets particularly complicated. Red burns bright with emotion but blue is the submission of the feeling, it's loss and the pain of absence. It's an old lover in red talking to an artist lost in azure sadness. To chart Almodovar's filmography is to see an aesthetic of melodramatic artifice being born out of transgressive experiments, the maturity of an old man coming from a chrysalid of wild provocation. It's red bleeding blue. Moreover, his films don't look natural, even when they are shot outside in unadorned landscapes. The light has the quality of stagecraft and the mise-en-scene is always rich with patterns and colors too bright to be anything but a dream. Alcaine has been the director's DP for decades and his technique has heavily informed this look, perfecting a style that's instantly recognizable but also rich with the evocation of raw sentiment. In Pain and Glory, these filmmakers' collaboration reaches its sublime apotheosis. Nothing could be more appropriate, for this is a story concerned with the theatre of memory but also with the evolution of artists and their visions. After all, red and blue are not only the colors of the protagonists' conflicting emotions. They are also the decor of the Spanish Filmoteca where ultramarine walls are accented by drapery in red velvet, the shade of open wounds and ripe strawberries. As mentioned before, there's also the matter of the film's photography making memory into something more real than the principal action, cinematic in opposition to the theatricality of the present. It's as if the past is more authentic than a life lived in the now. The past is concrete, stable and full of wonders. It's also a formless marvel asking to be turned into cinema by those lost in the pain of current affairs. If memory is real, the contemporaneous happenings have the stiltedness of a play directed with an eye too attuned to rigid blocking in detriment of organic motion. Notice how Alcaine shoots the interludes between mother and son with wandering cameras and a luminosity suggested by natural sources. A visit to the doctor's office in 21st century Spain, on the other hand, is a hallucination of colorful lights making paintings out of office backgrounds and foregrounding perfectly lit actord. In the cave, if you looked up, you saw the sky, but now you only see a picture of the sky. Now, a consultation with clinicians has the same look as a staged monologue. Life is a show and memory is cinema. Cinema is real. In the end, it's all autofiction. It's blue and red, Pain and Glory, it's Almodovar's heart and Alcaine's camera. In other words, it's Oscar-worthy work. The production design of Antxon Gomez is also stupendous and Alcaine's lensing wouldn't be as perfect without it. Oscars for everyone! You are here: World Flash Tunisian Prime Minister-designate Habib Jemli said on Wednesday that he had offered the lineup of his new government to President Kais Saied. "The names of the government ministers will be announced to the public on Thursday," Jemli said during a press conference in the capital city of Tunis. The government will be submitted to parliament for a vote of confidence. It has to obtain a majority of 109 out of a total of 217 possible votes. On Dec. 23, Jemli announced he would form a government of independent ministers who do not represent political parties. The announcement came after the consultations on the new government with various political parties came to a dead end. Protesters hold up black flags during the demonstration. Entering the 7th month of civil unrest, protesters marched the streets, calling for the five demands to be met. Hundreds of thousands of people packed Hong Kong streets for an annual New Year's Day protest march as the months-long pro-democracy movement extended into 2020 with further violence between police and demonstrators. At least five people were arrested for criminal damage as hard-line, black-clad youths broke off from the main group of marchers and attacked banks and ATM machines with spray paint, hammers and Motolov cocktails. They smashed crossing lights, ripped bricks from sidewalks and barricaded roads in the downtown financial district. Banks and businesses identified with mainland China have been frequent targets of hardcore protesters. Police used pepper spray, tear gas and a water cannon to drive off the demonstrators, although a government statement said officers were "deploying the minimum necessary force." March participants were asked to "disperse soon after it ends and not to take part in any illegal or violent acts that may occur." "To safeguard the rule of law and public peace, the police will enforce the law strictly," the statement said. The march was eventually called off at 6:15 p.m. at the request of police, although thousands remained in the area and many had yet to set off from the starting point at Victoria Park. The massive rally followed overnight clashes between police and protesters on New Year's Eve in a densely populated shopping district. Police also used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons to break up groups of demonstrators who blocked traffic and lit fires in the street in the working class district of Mong Kok. Hong Kong toned down its New Year's celebrations amid the protests that began in June and which have dealt severe blows to the city's retail, tourism and nightlife sectors. Eric Lai, the vice convener of the march organizer, the Civil Human Rights Front, said he hoped to avoid a recurrence of the previous night's violence. "We hope that the police can facilitate us, rather than provoking us, and to fire tear gas and water cannon at us," he said. Such marches have often devolved at their conclusion into violence. Both sides have been accused of provoking clashes, and nearly 6,500 protesters as young as 12 have been arrested in scores of incidents on streets, in shopping malls and on college campuses. School orientations are a big deal, especially for little kids. They are excited, at the same time apprehensive about going to school. As emotions run high, they want their parents by their side. Many kids are excited for their parents to tour their school, and a little Malaysian girl was among them. A picture showing a class I student giving a tour to her blind parents is going viral for all the right reasons. Nadwa Nasir, a Malaysian teacher shared a picture on Facebook showing the excited kid taking her blind parents on a tour of the school. She leads the way as can be seen in the picture and her parents follow her. Facebook Nasir wrote in the post that she was meeting a class of 30 students of grade I but she was really surprised to see the confident little girl. She wrote, My tears fell upon watching this little child leading her mum and dad who cant see to the Standard 1 orientation. This is the first day shes going to school! The post further mentioned, She herself wrote the contact numbers for her mum and dad. Even though she just learned to write. Even though the numbers are reversed. Child, you are so strong. So independent at so young an age. The little girl gave her parents an elaborate tour, told them where the canteen and the playground were, and where they could wait till she finished her classes at school. Representative Image/British Council Malaysia The picture is sure to inspire feelings of warmth and love in people. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Gisela Swaragita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, January 2, 2020 17:21 739 48be62e941b44f04afae568c3209f6da 1 City flood,Greater-Jakarta,pets,animal-rights Free Massive floods that struck Jakarta and its peripheral areas have not only affected humans: Stories of pets left in chains or cages by their vacationing owners have broken internet users hearts. Footage of the dramatic rescue of a chained dog from a heavy stream in Cinere, Bogor, West Java, was circulating online on Wednesday evening. The post was taken from an Instagram story posted by a user with the handle @galaindiga and resposted on Twitter by Twitter user @nihaqus. It shows a dog desperately trying to break free from his chain amid a heavy stream and rising floodwaters. The Instagram user wrote that he had seen the flood approach his house in Cinere on Wednesday morning from Bogor and that it was something he had never witnessed in the past 18 years. From afar I saw my neighbors house tried hard to [withstand] the heavy current. And I just realized that the dog was chained to the houses fence. Sadly, the dogs owner was not at home. The only ones seeing this incident were me and the RW head, he wrote in the caption, with reference to the community unit head. He added that he had been afraid to rescue the dog as the current was so strong and he saw heavy objects such as cars and iron gates drift away with the stream. And also, I did not know how to handle the dog in this kind of situation, he said. Finally he contacted local firefighters who came to cut the dogs chain with an axe. The dog was saved at last. Pak RW tried to shelter the dog, which was traumatized. Some locals came to feed it, @galaindiga said. Many residents have gone out of town for the year-end holiday that also coincided with a school break. A story with a less fortunate dog was reported from Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta. Twitter user @reammapu shared her mothers Facebook post that tells the story of a rescue efforts for five dogs owned by their next door neighbor. Status FB mamaku hari ini huhu sedih banget buat guguk guguk kecil ini. Buat teman teman yang punya anak anak bulu juga, semoga baik baik semua ya anak anaknya pic.twitter.com/79POkSqsJt Restya Mahara (@reammapu) January 1, 2020 The beginning of 2020 started with a rescue mission for five dogs owned by my neighbors, who were on their New Years vacation. Since last night, their dogs were very noisy. I thought they were afraid of the thunderstorm. At around five in the morning I peeped into the house, and it turned out a dog had died and was floating, Rena said in the post. Rena, her son and other neighbors then broke into the house and evacuated the remaining four dogs, who were cold and shivering. Fortunately, the four other dogs could be rescued and immediately sheltered at another neighbors house that is not flooded, Rena said. An update of the Twitter post said the dogs owner was a new resident unaware that the area was prone to flooding. Rena later provided another update to inform readers that the remaining dogs were alright as the owners had returned on Wednesday. She added that the dead dog had been older and weaker than the other four. Animal rights community Garda Satwa Foundation also took to Instagram, advising pet owners not to cage or chain pets when they leave the house. Pet owners whose houses are flooded, if it is not possible to take your pets with you [during evacuation], just make sure they are left unchained and not in a cage, whatever kind of pet you have [birds, chicken, dogs, cats], except for fish. At least if there is no one to help them, they can help themselves, the post read. (gis) We don't have to be told that the noblest of all deeds is to save a human life. Helping another being, saving their life or caring for them in times of need is, by far, the most worthwhile way of living. While this instantly conjures images of doctors and paramedics, we often overlook the blessing that is disguised in the form of firefighters or rescue workers who are usually the first respondents during moments of utter crisis. Today, let's take a few minutes to learn about one such braveheart, who braved an inferno to save innocent lives in Delhi's Peeragarhi area where a battery factory caught fire early this morning. Twitter/Rajnishtyagiji Identified as a firefighter, Amit Balyan was one of the first people from the fire department who jumped right into the blaze to rescue the people who were trapped inside the factory. However, when a portion of the building collapsed, Amit was trapped under the rubble along with other fellow firefighters and civilians. By the time Amit was rescued and taken to the hospital, he was declared dead after he succumbed to his injuries. Here is what you need to know about this daredevil of a firefighter, who made the supreme sacrifice of laying down his life in service of others: Twitter/PankhuriTOI 1. Amit Balyan was reportedly 27-years-old and a resident of Shahdara in North-East Delhi. 2. Amit had joined the Department of Fire Services just a year ago in 2019. 3. After completing his training, Amit was deployed in the Kirti Nagar fire station in August. 4. Amit was newly-married and had tied the knot in February 2019 after getting a job in the fire department. Twitter 5. Amit was trapped under the rubble for almost five hours before he was located, rescued and taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. He was the last person to be rescued from the location. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who had been monitoring the situation closely extended his condolences on Amit's martyrdom and said, "It is with deep sadness I inform you that one of our firemen was martyred while saving people from fire. Our firemen save other people's lives by putting their lives under extremely risk in difficult circumstances. May his soul rest in peace." Fire-fighter Amit Balyan died while trying to douse the fire that erupted at a factory in Peeragarhi. A blast occurred while the rescue operation was ongoing causing the building to collapse in which several people including Balyan were trapped. He was the last one to be rescued. pic.twitter.com/lYuSQSVsYu Pankhuri (@PankhuriTOI) January 2, 2020 Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal also condoled Amit's untimely demise and said, Deeply anguished over news of death of fire operator Amit Balyan Amit along with his team members fought bravely to save lives of many people. I salute his bravery My sincere condolences to his family members. All possible assistance to be extended to the injured & bereaved family." People like Amit are always standing guard to come to people's rescue without worrying about their personal well-being. Let us not overlook Amit and every other firefighter or rescue workers' sacrifice from this day onward. COLLINSVILLE They came by the thousands Wednesday, and from all walks of life, to be among the first to legally purchase cannabis in the state of Illinois. The line began well before sunrise New Years Day outside of HCI Alternatives, 1014 Eastport Plaza Dr., in Collinsville. Its the areas only current legal dispensary for recreational marijuana and related products. Customers were finally turned away around 5 p.m. with the end of the line an estimated four hours from the participants destination. Legally, sales must end at 9 p.m. Some stood in line for longer than five hours. Jacob Sedabres, of Granite City, was about three-and-a-half hours into his journey when he spoke with a Telegraph reporter. As Lynyrd Skynyrds Free Bird blared through a DJ rig set up on in the parking lot, in line with several food trucks, Sedabres guessed itd be about another hour before he got to the front door. He showed no signs of fatigue, however. Like many others in line Wednesday, scoring some good old-fashioned (or new-fashioned) wacky tobaccy wasnt hardly the point. Sedabres was there for the celebration, and to witness history. Its the end of marijuana prohibition for the State of Illinois, he said. You look in the history books and see the end of alcohol prohibition and how historic of a day that was, and this is equally historic. Its about liberty, and Americans being free, and being able to enjoy themselves in doing something thats harmless. This is something that, 20 years from now, I can say that I was part of it, he said. This is an important day. Sedabres noted how positive the environment was Wednesday. Theres lots of cool people waiting in line, he said. Were just having some cool conversations and enjoying this fairly decent weather on this day. By late afternoon, certain menu items had already run out of stock. There were no reports of unruly behavior at any point during the dispensarys business hours Wednesday, including when customers were turned away from the line. Illinois sees first legal sales of recreational marijuana By The Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) The sale of marijuana for recreational purposes became legal Wednesday in Illinois to the delight of pot fans many who began lining up hours early at dispensaries. About 500 people were outside Dispensary 33 in Chicago. Renzo Mejia made the first legal purchase in the shop shortly after 6 a.m., the earliest that Illinois new law allowed such sals. To be able to have (recreational marijuana) here is just mind-boggling, Mejia told the Chicago Sun-Times after buying an eighth of an ounce called Motorbreath. Illinois already allowed medical marijuana, but it is now the 11th state to allow its use and sale for recreational purposes. The law approved by the Democratic-controlled Legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker allows people 21 or older to possess of up to 30 grams (1.06 ounces) of cannabis flower and up to 5 grams (0.17 ounces) of cannabis concentrate. Pamela Althoff, executive director of the Springfield-based Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, told The Associated Press that she spent much of Wednesday morning in Chicago and the citys northwestern suburbs. She said wait times of up to three hours were getting shorter as the day progressed. It has been joyous and well-run, she said. People are extraordinarily courteous and civil. Police were on-hand at most shops mostly to control traffic. Althoff cautioned that recreational marijuana may not be consumed in public and added that like all new products, it may be a little expensive. We hope that down the line it will become less expensive, she said. The message from the industry is not promoting or opposing, its the state of Illinois made it legal and were here to provide a safe and a quality product for those who wish to consume. We encourage our customers to be responsible. Mary Yazel-Muska, 65, told the Chicago Tribune that she planned to celebrate her purchase from a dispensary in suburban Mundelein with champagne and edibles at home with her boyfriend. Im a responsible human being, Yazel-Muska said. I own a home. I worked for a bank as a fraud investigator for 20 years. I rescue dogs. I volunteer. I take care of my 93-year-old mother. Its not like were all a bunch of hippies. Cannabis sales could generate $250 million for Illinois by 2022, according to estimates by state officials. Neighboring Michigan made recreational marijuana legal starting Dec. 1. Missouri voters made medical marijuana legal in 2018, but the state is still working on licensing businesses. The sale and use of weed for any reason still are illegal in Indiana and Wisconsin. Michigan has 23 retailers licensed for adult-use recreational sales. Its single-transaction limit is the same for residents and nonresidents. In Illinois, nearly three dozen dispensaries have been issued licenses to sell recreational marijuana. A key part of Illinois law is the expungement of some low-level marijuana convictions. On Tuesday, Pritzker granted more than 11,000 such pardons. Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton bought pot edible gummies Wednesday from a Chicago dispensary, WBBM-TV reported. Im here to celebrate a big day in Illinois, Stratton said. Pritzkers administration said Illinois has achieved a monumental milestone with the launch of legalized cannabis. It includes communities left behind for far too long, creates good jobs and expunges thousands of records for those who have lost out on opportunities and ends prohibition, said Toi Hutchinson, senior advisor to the governor for Cannabis Control. But a national alliance that opposes marijuana legalization said Tuesday night that marijuana commercialization is a bad idea. In the end, big pot only cares about being able to peddle its addictive, highly potent products in disadvantaged communities as it takes its playbook from big tobacco, said Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. This what we have seen in every single state that has gone down this road, and we have no reason to expect Illinois experience to be any different. DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Heil, part of Environmental Solutions Group and Dover (NYSE: DOV), and one of the nation's largest refuse truck body manufacturers, announced the release of the Heil Nexteligence Connected Tech Certification Program. The Nexteligence Connected Tech Certification Program is a four-tiered system that recognizes technicians who have achieved significant technical knowledge and skill in the maintenance of Heil equipment. Certification requires a combination of: Basic to advanced-level Connected Tech training in the troubleshooting of hydraulic and electronic systems, which can be achieved using the Nexteligence Online Learning System; Specific and detailed product training on all critical systems relevant to Heil Refuse Vehicles and 3rd Eye camera/digital systems, administered either at the Heil factory or a customer location. Classes include structured classroom and hands-on modules; and Post-training "shop-time" work requirement, so that company management can provide critical feedback on work experience. Pat Carroll, President of Environmental Solutions Group, stated, "Turn-over and loss of skilled technicians can seriously impact equipment up-time. With the Nexteligence program, fleet owners now have the tools they need to train technicians in today's highly competitive job market and can choose the method of learning that works best for the technicians, including online options. The goal is to get maintenance and service technicians trained through the Gold Level, improving their knowledge of the most current line of Heil trucks and enhancing their ability to troubleshoot and repair Heil products accurately and quickly." The ability to accurately troubleshoot problems affecting modern garbage trucks means less downtime, less money expended on the wrong parts, and more uptime for the vehicles in question. "The technology in Heil products continues to evolve and we have implemented the Nexteligence Connected Tech program to help technicians improve their understanding of the hydraulic, electronic and pneumatic systems employed on Heil garbage trucks," said Jennifer Testa, Vice President of Enterprise Transformation. "The key to furthering the development of technicians is providing the foundational knowledge of these systems via the Nexteligence Online Learning System. Increasing understanding of hydraulic and electronic principles, digital controllers, and troubleshooting allows students to move faster and retain more knowledge when they get to the advanced product training courses. When these trainings are combined with shop-time experience, one of four levels of certification can be achieved." "The Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers of Connected Tech Training are designed to instruct technicians based upon experience level, enhancing their knowledge of the systems critical to trucks in their fleet. As part of the curriculum, technicians choose the training modules that apply to the specific Heil models operating in their fleet, making the training more relevant to them from day one with fleets reaping the benefits of faster repair times from more skilled technicians," continued Testa. The program also includes the Platinum tier for those who want to become expert trainers within their organization. Platinum level technicians at Heil Dealers provide factory-level technical support and can administer official Nexteligence training to their customers, keeping them ahead of changes and increasing dealer communications with their end-users. To achieve Platinum status these students are required to travel to the Heil factory for an intensive hands-on exam where they are required to troubleshoot and repair a vehicle with multiple system issues. "Reaching the Platinum tier includes a very comprehensive one-on-one exam with an expert Heil technician and will also require the demonstration of class facilitation skills. The technicians that pass Platinum level certification will represent the most thoroughly trained technicians in the refuse industry today," said Testa. The pricing of the program depends on the preferred method of training, with online courses starting at $1,074. Heil is working with their nationwide dealer network to ensure dealers have Nexteligence Connected Tech trained technicians on staff to better serve their customers. In addition, fleet owners are encouraged to enroll their technicians into the program through their dealer to increase the proficiency of their mechanics and service technicians. For more information on Nexteligence Connected Tech Training Program, please visit www.heil.com/nexteligence. About Heil: Established in 1901, Heil is one of the world's premier manufacturers of ultra-durable, high productivity, custom-configured garbage truck bodies with optimized chassis integration and automation solutions that help customers achieve the lowest cost of ownership. Their refuse collection bodies include a wide variety of front loaders, side loaders, and rear loaders. Heil bodies are known throughout the waste industry as being legendary for productivity, long life, ease of maintenance, and operator safety. Heil is a part of the Environmental Solutions Group family of companies serving the waste industry. Heil has a nationwide network of more than 40 dealers in over 60 locations across the United States. They are proud to be a leader in customer service and provide world-class training, and after-the-sale support. For more information about Heil, visit heil.com, the Heil Facebook page or follow Heil on Twitter. About Dover: Dover is a diversified global manufacturer with annual revenue of approximately $7 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, specialty systems, consumable supplies, software and digital solutions, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Fueling Solutions, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions and Refrigeration & Food Equipment. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 60 years, our team of approximately 24,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com . Environmental Solutions Group Contact: Jeffry Swertfeger (423) 648-5257 [email protected] Dover Media Contact: Adrian Sakowicz, VP, Communications (630) 743-5039 asa[email protected] Dover Investor Contact: Andrey Galiuk, VP, Corporate Development and Investor Relations (630) 743-5131 [email protected] SOURCE Dover Related Links http://www.dovercorporation.com Angela Allen was one of four women who assaulted children and shared images in a paedophile ring Vanessa George's 'truly evil' paedophile accomplice Angela Allen, who raped a three-year-old girl, will be freed from prison after serving 10 years. Allen, from Bulwell, near Nottingham, was sentenced in December 2009 after admitting four counts of sexual assault of a child, and one of distribution of indecent images of children. She had been one of four women who assaulted children and shared images in a paedophile ring run by IT consultant Colin Blanchard that included Vanessa George - who abused children at a nursery in Plymouth. When the horrific offences came to light Detective Superintendent Adrian Pearson, head of Nottinghamshire Police's Public Protection Unit, branded Allen 'sinister and evil', adding: 'She shed not one tear in custody. She showed no remorse for her actions. 'She was the most graphic of the three suspects we have dealt with. Angela Allen is truly evil.' Mr Justice John Royce had warned her she would only be released if she didn't pose a threat any more. The Parole Board for England and Wales considered Allen's case at a hearing on December 18, where it was determined whether 'it was no longer necessary for the protection of the public that Ms Allen remained confined in prison', Nottinghamshire Live reported. The Parole Board for England and Wales considered Allen's case at a hearing on December 18, where it was determined whether 'it was no longer necessary for the protection of the public that Ms Allen remained confined in prison The decision reads: 'After considering the circumstances of her offending, the progress made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearing and in the dossier, the panel was satisfied that Ms Allen was suitable for release once her designated accommodation became available.' She became eligible for consideration on June 20, 2014, and this most recent hearing was Allen's fourth Parole Board review. The Parole Board panel received oral evidence from Allen herself, her probation officer, the official who supervised her case in prison, and a prison service psychologist. Allen started her life in Manchester but was taken into care in Nottingham in the early 1970s. Indeterminate sentences - given to dangerous criminal but later ruled illegal Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences were first introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003. They were designed to safeguard the public from criminals whose crimes did not merit a life sentence but were still considered dangerous should they be released. But far more were handed out than anticipated, swamping the parole board and leaving convicts 'trapped in the system'. They have no expiry date, with the release date of the prisoner decided by the Parole Board, who must judge whether or not they pose a risk to the public. Critics of the scheme described the sentences as 'unlawful', and they were eventually scrapped in 2012 by then justice secretary Ken Clarke, who described them as a 'stain' on the justice system. While no prisoner can now be sentenced under IPP, around 2,500 people in England and Wales are still locked up under the tariff, unsure of when they will be released. Advertisement She spent time at a childrens home in the city which later found itself at the subject of abuse allegations by some former residents. Allen was later moved to another home and spent time at two schools in the city Aspley, St Teresas Catholic Primary School and then Trinity School. She became a prostitute and had some convictions for minor crimes. She first made contact with Colin Blanchard via a dating application on Facebook. They began exchanging regular text messages, and he convinced her to sexually assault young children and share the images. Some of her messages included invitations to rape a child. In September 2006 Vanessa George had started work at Little Ted's nursery in Plymouth, and by Autumn 2008 IT worker Colin Blanchard, previously caught with child sex abuse images, made contact with her. By late 2008 George, Blanchard and now Allen had exchanged child abuse images online. Detectives said they could have been participating in a competition to take the most depraved pictures. Blanchard was arrested at Manchester Airport on June 6, 2009 after his business partner fond indecent images on his computer, and two days later George was arrested, her electronic devices were seized, and she was identified from Blanchard's computers and interviews. George first appeared in court on June 11, 2009, sexual assault and making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children. In October that year George, Allen and Blanchard admitted various charges at Bristol Crown Court. In January 2011 Blanchard was jailed for at least nine years following long-running legal proceedings, and two other members of the paedophile ring - Tracy Dawber and Tracy Lyons - were also jailed. It comes after news that Vanessa George, left, is being given a new taxpayer-funded flat after serving ten years in prison. Pictured right: Colin Blanchard CCTV footage of George on the phone to her lawyer while in police custody in Plymouth Timeline of the horrific Little Ted's abuse case September 2006: Vanessa George starts working at Little Ted's nursery in Plymouth. Autumn 2008: IT worker Colin Blanchard, previously caught with child sex abuse images, makes contact with George. Late 2008/early 2009: George, Blanchard and other woman, Angela Allen, exchange child abuse images online. Detectives believe they may have been involved in a three-way contest to take the most depraved pictures. June 6, 2009: Blanchard is arrested at Manchester Airport after his business partner discovers indecent images on his computer June 8, 2009: George is arrested, her computer and mobile seized. She is identified from Blanchard's computers and interviews. June 9, 2009: Little Ted's nursery is shut. June 11, 2009: George first appears in court, sexual assault and making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children. Members of the public shout at her and spit from public gallery. October 1, 2009: George, Allen and Blanchard plead guilty to various charges at Bristol Crown Court. January 10, 2011: Blanchard is jailed for at least nine years following long-running legal proceedings. Two other members of his paedophile ring Tracy Dawber and Tracy Lyons, are also jailed. July 11, 2019: It emerges that the parole board have approved George's release. September 18, 2019: Vanessa George is freed from prison. Advertisement Lyons, who was jailed for sending child abuse pictures to Blanchard, has now been released from prison. Dawber, who had been in a year-long relationship with the ringleader, received a four-year sentence for abusing a two-year-old boy while Blanchard filmed it. On July 11 last year it emerged that the Parole Board approved George's release, and she was set free on September 19. The new revelation comes after news that George is being given a new taxpayer-funded flat after serving ten years in prison. George had been staying in a bail hostel in Birmingham since October. The 49-year-old, who is forbidden from returning to Devon or Cornwall, is believed to be still living somewhere in the Midlands, according to the Daily Record. George was jailed for a minimum of seven years in 2009 after she sexually assaulted up to 64 children as young as two before filming the abuse and sending it to other paedophiles. In July, despite outrage from her victims' parents and MPs, the Parole Board ordered her release after she'd served 10 years behind bars. George, who lost three of her 19 stone in prison, convinced the board to release her after having treatment to boost her 'self-esteem'. In 2009, George admitted 13 sexual assault charges, but maintained a silence over the names of children she assaulted. Child protection officers have visited 180 children thought to have had contact with George, and 21 families have taken up an offer of support. Allen had first made contact with Colin Blanchard through a dating application on Facebook, and the pair started exchanging text messages. Blanchard persuaded Allen to sexually assault young children and share the images - but she never met the paedophile ringleader in person. Allen was described by Nottinghamshire Police as 'sinister' and 'truly evil' when she was jailed at age 40. The ringleader of the paedophile group, Colin Blanchard, will be eligible for parole this year after being jailed in 2011 for a minimum of nine years. Sorry! This content is not available in your region (Bloomberg) -- U.K. chip designer Imagination Technologies Group Plc said its struck a new license agreement with Apple Inc., reviving a business relationship that had all but ended in recent years. The company, which was sold to Chinese buyout firm Canyon Bridge Capital Partners for 500 million pounds ($663 million) in September 2017, said Thursday it formed a new multi-year license agreement under which Apple has access to a wider range of Imaginations intellectual property in exchange for license fees. Apple previously used graphics chips or GPUs in its iPhones and iPads that were designed by Imagination Technologies, but it moved to its own internal chip designs starting with the iPhone X in 2017 and the iPad Pro in 2018. The U.S. company also uses its own graphics processors in the Apple Watch. It told Imagination Technologies in 2017 that it would stop using its intellectual property in new products within two years. When Imagination Technologies, then a public company, announced the loss of Apple as its biggest customer, its stock plummeted. The British company said in 2018 there may be material uncertainty regarding the future of the company if Apple doesnt pay any royalties on its latest generation of iPhones and iPads. Its unclear if Apple has paid those fees, but Imagination has argued it would be extremely challenging for Apple to design a GPU in a way that allows them not to pay royalties to Imagination. The company didnt specify on Thursday which intellectual property the latest agreement covers, but Imaginations IP related to graphics and artificial intelligence could be key to future Apple devices. The iPhone maker uses a combination of supplier deals and acquisitions to build up its portfolio of patents and designs. Last year, Apple acquired Intel Corp.s modem unit to design cellular chips for future devices. To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Gurman in Los Angeles at mgurman1@bloomberg.net Story continues To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net, Edwin Chan, Sam Nagarajan For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2020 Bloomberg L.P. WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Force Aid Society's (AFAS) General Henry "Hap" Arnold Education Grant application window is now open for the 2020-2021 academic year. Eligible recipients have until April 30, 2020, to submit applications. The General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant program dates back to 1988. Since the program's inception, 111,654 students have received more than $172 million in education assistance through grants ranging from $500 to $4,000 based on need. Eligible recipients include dependent children of Air Force members currently on active duty (including Title 10 reservists and Title 32 guard), in retired status or deceased. Spouses of active-duty members and surviving spouses of active or retired members are also eligible. All applicants must be enrolled as full-time undergraduates at an accredited college or university during the 2020-2021 academic year and are required to maintain a minimum 2.0 grade-point average. "Our Hap Arnold education grants are the centerpiece and gateway to all of our education programs at AFAS," said the organization's CEO and retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John D. Hopper Jr. "Applying for the grant program opens the door to our scholarship program and no-interest education loans." A select group of incoming college and university freshmen who complete the General Henry "Hap" Arnold Education Grant application with a 4.0 GPA will be notified to apply for the AFAS merit-based, $5,000 achievement scholarships. A minimum of 10 scholarships is awarded annually. To date, AFAS has awarded 275 merit scholarships totaling over $1 million. Eligible students can also apply for up to $1,000 to help fund reimbursable out-of-pocket education expenses. For more information on eligibility for all of these programs and to access the Hap Arnold Education Grant application, please visit www.afas.org. The application submittal deadline is April 30, 2020. Students are encouraged to apply early. About Air Force Aid Society The Air Force Aid Society is a 4-star Charity Navigator rated private, non-profit organization. Founded in 1942, the Air Force Aid Society's mission is to help relieve the financial distress of Air Force members and their families and assist them in achieving their educational goals and improving their quality of life by providing proactive programs. In 2018 alone, the Air Force Aid Society provided over $21.4 million to more than 37,000 Airmen and their families through emergency assistance, educational and community programs. Headquartered in Arlington, Va., the Air Force Aid Society administers assistance through Airman and Family Readiness Centers around the world and maintains cross-servicing agreements with the Army Emergency Relief, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief, the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance and the American Red Cross to offer emergency assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To learn more about the Air Force Aid Society, please visit www.afas.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Media Contact: Latoya Crowe, (703) 972-2643, [email protected] Related Images air-force-aid-society.jpg Air Force Aid Society logo Related Links http://www.afas.org SOURCE Air Force Aid Society As India's international role expands, so must our capabilities, says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd). IMAGE: General Bipin Rawat, second from right, chief of the defence staff, with the three chiefs -- Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, right, Admiral Karambir Singh and General Manoj Mukund Naravane, right, in New Delhi, January 1, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo As a growing regional power, India is being increasingly expected by its strategic partners to become a net provider of security. On its part, India appears to be more and more willing to accept such a role as a member of a cooperative security network. But, is it doing enough to acquire the military capabilities necessary for intervention in its regional neighbourhood? And, who are likely to be India's partners for such a role? A meeting in November 2018 for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue for the third time in one year, officials of Australia, India, Japan and the United States -- a group popularly known as the Quad -- agreed to expand their cooperation to establish a free, open and inclusive rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region amid growing apprehensions about Chinese military assertiveness. In June 2018, while speaking at the Shangri La Dialogue at Singapore, Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi had said that India's cooperation with its strategic partners was not 'directed against any country', and that India visualises the Indo-Pacific as a space that requires a 'common rules-based order'. A cooperative security framework will eventually emerge in the Indo-Pacific and, given China's proclivity to steadily creep forward into India's maritime neighbourhood, India must play a substantial role in putting it together. Among other security issues like cooperation for counter-terrorism, it will involve joint patrolling of the sea lanes of communications, escort operations, anti-piracy measures, search and rescue operations and providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) during natural calamities. In rare cases, cooperation for security will extend to military interventions. For example, if the Gulf was to be blocked by Iran consequent to its present stand-off and tensions with the US, Saudi Arabia and their allies, the situation could lead to a military response. Requirement of Intervention Capabilities Ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and maintaining the freedom of the sea lanes of communication for the unfettered flow of trade requires the creation of robust capabilities for military intervention. Contingences triggering such interventions could include the removal of illegal blockades, the rescue of political hostages (for example, US diplomats held hostage in Teheran, 1979-1981), the restoration of a legitimate regime after a coup (Indian intervention in Maldives, 1988), the overthrow of rogue regimes and the recapture of islands seized illegally by inimical forces. In the past India has repeatedly required such capabilities, though these were used mostly for HADR purposes. Starting with the war in Iraq in 2003, through the conflicts in Lebanon (2006), Egypt, Libya and Yemen (2011) and Ukraine and Syria-Iraq (2014), Indian armed forces and civil aviation personnel have been engaged in evacuating beleaguered Indian citizens from war zones. In the space of ten days in April 2015, India evacuated 5,600 displaced persons from Yemen under Operation Rahat (relief). Of these, 4,640 were from India and 960 from 41 friendly countries, including citizens of Britain, France and the United States. They were evacuated by air by the Indian Air Force's C-17 Globemaster aircraft flying from Djibouti, Ethiopia; by Air India aircraft flying from Sana'a; and, by sea on board ships of the Indian Navy from Aden, Al Hudaydah and Al Mukalla ports in Yemen. IMAGE: Then minister of external affairs and former army chief General Vijay Kumar Singh (retd) with Indian nationals who were evacuated from Yemen in Djibouti on April 6, 2015. Photograph: PTI Photos Force Structure Required The late General Krishnaswamy Sundarji, former chief of the army staff, had often spoken of converting an existing infantry division to a Rapid Reaction Division (RRD) with air assault capability by 2000. However, rapid reaction forces are capital intensive and the shoestring budgets of the 1990s did not allow the army to implement the concept. Now the time has come to translate General Sundarji's vision into reality. Besides being necessary for out-of-area contingencies, air assault capability is a significant force multiplier in conventional conflict. The present requirement is of at least one air assault brigade group with integral heli-lift capability for offensive employment on India's periphery by 2022. Comprising three specially trained air assault battalions, integral firepower component and combat service support and logistics support units, the brigade group should be based on Chinook CH-47 and MI-17 transport helicopters. It should have the guaranteed firepower and support of two to three flights of attack and reconnaissance helicopters and one flight of UCAVs. Simultaneously, efforts should commence to raise a RRD by 2025. The first air assault brigade group mentioned above should be a part of this force. The second brigade group of the RRD should have amphibious capability with the necessary transportation assets being acquired and held by the Indian Navy, including landing and logistics ships. One brigade group in the army's Southern Command has been recently designated as an amphibious brigade; this brigade group could be suitably upgraded. The amphibious brigade should be self-contained for 15 days of sustained intervention operations. The third brigade of the RRD should be lightly equipped for offensive and defensive employment in the plains and the mountains as well as jungle and desert terrain. All the brigade groups and their ancillary support elements should be capable of transportation by land, sea and air. Another RRD, the second, should be raised by about 2030 when India's regional responsibilities would have grown considerably. Special Forces support should be available to these RRDs on as required basis for both conventional conflict and intervention operations. A permanent tri-Service headquarters equivalent to a Corps HQ should also be raised under HQ Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) for continuous threat assessment and operational planning and to provide C4I2SR support to the RRDs and their firepower, combat service and logistics support components. Unless planning for the creation of such capabilities begins now, these elite fighting formations will not be available when these are required to be employed during a contingency affecting India's national interests. Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd) is former director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on 18 December directed the conglomerate to reappoint Cyrus Mistry as chairman of Tata Sons and three group companies TCS, Tata Industries and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Tata Sons on Thursday moved the Supreme Court against the NCLAT judgement reinstating Cyrus Mistry's as the executive chairman of Tata Sons. The salt-to-software Group has sought a stay on it in the wake of TCS board meeting scheduled to be held on 9 January. Tata Sons, the holding company of the salt-to-software conglomerate, has moved the Supreme Court, challenging Cyrus Mistry's reinstatement as chairperson and director on board of the group coshttps://t.co/a6gWF3mSvo CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) January 2, 2020 On 18 December, directed the $110-billion Tata group to reinstate Cyrus Mistry as the executive chairman of Tata Sons. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) also held the appointment of present executive chairman, N Chandrasekaran illegal. However, the tribunal had said the restoration order would be operational only after four weeks, the time allowed to Tatas to file an appeal, PTI reported. #TataSons move #SupremeCourt against reappointment of Cyrus Mistry as company's chairman. The firm seeks a stay on the NCLAT's order too in the wake of TCS board meeting on Jan 9. Tata's lawyers will seek urgent hearing from SC on Jan 6 when the court reopens | @News18Courtroom Utkarsh Anand (@utkarsh_aanand) January 2, 2020 Mistry was reappointed chairman of Tata Sons and three group companies TCS, Tata Industries, and Tata Teleservices Tata Sons sought the stay on the tribunals order till its appeal is decided in view of the TCS board meeting on 9 January. An urgent hearing has been sought on 6 January when the SC reopens after winter break. The NCLAT on 18 December directed the conglomerate to reappoint Cyrus Mistry as chairman of Tata Sons and three group companies TCS, Tata Industries and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra). Legal experts told The Economic Times the Mistry family-owned firms that hold stakes in Tata Sons can oppose an interim stay, which could force the Tatas to re-induct Mistry pending a final order. The company wants to avoid a board meeting and complicate the situation, a source was quoted as saying in the report. There is no emergency situation. It is a matter that will be pursued legally, the source said. Mistry, a scion of wealthy Shapoorji Pallonji family, was in a coup removed as Chairman of Tata Sons in October 2016. He was the sixth chairman of Tata Sons and had taken over in 2012 after Ratan Tata. He was later also removed as director on board of Tata Sons. However, Mistry and Tata family patriarch Ratan Tata had reportedly falling out over key investment decisions, including manufacturing of world's cheapest car Nano. Mistry, whose family owns 18.4 percent stake in Tata Sons, challenged his removal in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The case of oppression and mismanagement against Tata Sons and 20 others, including Ratan Tata, filed by Mistry family entities - Cyrus Investments and Sterling Investments - were however in March 2017 dismissed by the NCLT ruling that they were not eligible to pursue the allegations. Section 244 of the Companies Act, 2013 allows a shareholder of a company to bring an oppression and mismanagement case against the firm if it holds not less than one-tenth of the issued share capital. On appeal, the Cyrus Mistry firms had secured a partial win at the NCLAT, which waived the 10 percent shareholding requirement but remitted the matter to the NCLT. Earlier, the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had dismissed the petitions filed by the two investment firms Cyrus Investments Pvt Ltd and Sterling Investments Corp challenging Mistry' removal. Later, Mistry had also personally approached the NCLAT over the NCLT order. The Mistry camp had challenged the 9 July order of the Mumbai bench of the NCLT which dismissed the pleas against his removal as Tata Sons chairman, as also the allegations of rampant misconduct on part of Ratan Tata and the company's board. A special bench of the tribunal had held that the board of directors at Tata Sons was competent" to remove the executive chairperson of the company. The NCLT bench had also said that Mistry was ousted as chairman because the Tata Sons' Board and its majority shareholders had lost confidence in him". Two months after his removal, Mistry's family-run firms approached the NCLT as minority shareholders, against Tata Sons, Ratan Tata, and some other board members. Mistry in his pleas primarily argued that his removal was not in accordance with the Companies Act and that there was rampant mismanagement of affairs across Tata Sons. --With inputs from agencies The story in the June 1916 Idaho newspaper was alarming: A man suspected of brutally murdering his wife "escaped on May 18 from custody and has not been caught." He was never seen again. Now, authorities say that dismembered remains found in a remote cave 40 years ago have been identified as those of the suspected murderer - an apparent victim of frontier justice. He went by a variety of names, Charles Smith, Walter Cairns, but his real name was Joseph Henry Loveless. Loveless was born in 1870 to some of the first members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to settle in Utah. But he apparently preferred the "wild" part of the West, becoming a notorious counterfeiter and bootlegger in the dry counties of Idaho, according to the Associated Press. He was average in height and build, and his only "peculiarity of the face is the absence of eyebrows," local newspapers said at the time. Loveless was arrested regularly but never stayed in jail for long. He carried a blade hidden in his shoe, which he used more than once to saw through jail bars and escape. By 1916, he and his second wife Agnes - a first wife had obtained a rare divorce - were living in a tent on the edge of Dubois, Idaho, where he had "doing odd jobs around the railroad yards." On the morning of May 5, Agnes' body was found next to the tent, her head nearly severed and "hacked to pieces with an axe," according to newspaper accounts. Loveless fled but was caught in nearby St. Anthony some time before Agnes's funeral. He was using the name Walter Cairns, but according to news articles found by investigators, one of his children identified him as his dad, Joseph Henry Loveless. That child also predicted his dad would soon escape. He did. Fast forward to Aug. 26, 1979, when a family searching for arrowheads inside a cave about 100 miles from St. Anthony made a gruesome discovery: the torso of a man wrapped in burlap and buried in a shallow grave. The Clark County Sheriff's Office opened a homicide investigation, but at the time, the technology didn't exist to identify the remains via DNA, nor even to determine how long they had been buried there. Twelve years later, in 1991, a girl exploring the same cave found a hand. Investigators launched an excavation and found an arm and two legs wrapped in the same burlap material as the torso. The FBI, the Smithsonian Institution and researchers at Idaho State University have tried to help over the years, but the best they could determine was that the remains belonged to a white man with reddish-brown hair who had been about 40 years old at the time of his death. Then in 2019, the sheriff's office asked for help from the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit that uses the latest DNA technology to identify remains. Within four months, the mystery was solved. The DNA Doe Project obtained a detailed DNA sequence from a lab, built a genealogical tree, and located a living grandson of Loveless's whose DNA matched perfectly. "It's blown everyone's minds," forensic genealogist Lee Bingham Redgrave said at a news conference on Tuesday. "The really cool thing, though, is that his 'wanted' poster from his last escape is described as wearing the same clothing that he was found in, so that leads us to put his death date at likely 1916." The grandson, now 87, had no idea about his grandfather's criminal past. The homicide investigation remains open. Clark County Sheriff Bart May has no suspects, but he thinks he knows the motive. "Back in 1916, it was the wild West up here and most likely the locals took care of the problem," he told CNN. Loveless's head, the same body part of Agnes' that he allegedly "hacked to pieces," has never been found. The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has accused the British government and some of its nationals of being Nigerias greatest enemy. The IPOB leader accused those who are asking the group to go through appropriate channel to secure Biafra of being hypocrites. Speaking in the last edition of the 2019 radio Biafra broadcast and new year message, Kanu said, When the Jihadist in Abuja wanted Sharia law they did not go to the National Assembly or call for referendum to bote to get it, rather the twelve Sharia States went outside the Constitution of Nigeria and agreed and introduced Sharia Law, but today they are asking us why we are agitating for Biafra and telling us to go through the appropriate channel when they did not go through appropriate channel to get Sharia they are practicing today. Who in Nigeria today voted for Sharia Law to be practiced in Nigerian Northern states today, is Sharia in Nigerian Constitution, they willingly subverted the Constitution of Nigeria and imposed Sharia on the Northern Nigerians. Read Also: How I Escaped From Nigeria After Military Invasion: Nnamdi Kanu If they believe in the Constitution of Nigeria, they would not have introduced Sharia Law within Nigeria where the Constitution exist, so when they tell us not to agitate for Biafra, what is their moral right and justification for telling us that, Biafrans should ask them how they got Sharia being practised in Nigeria Northern States anytime they kick against Biafra agitation. We should ask them which channel did they use to introduce and get Sharia Law being practised in the twelve Northern States. You cannot tell us that one law operates for people in the North while another operate for the people in the South under one country that you said operate a Constitution. The greatest enemy of Nigeria is British government and some of its nationals, they are the ones perpetrating, support and financing terrorism with the people occupying Aso Rock and deceiving Nigerians that they mean well for them. The mistake the Southern Kaduna are making is that they think Biafrans hate them, but only Biafrans can save them,.no amount of peaceful resolution of intervention can save them because their Governor hates them and has confirmed that the state is divided between Muslims and Christian. The dichotomy that exist in Kaduna State between Muslims and Christians has never existed in any part of the country, El Rufai said his state is divided between Muslims and Christians and if it was IPOB that said it, they will say we are stoking crisis. The Chennai police booked former union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, BJP national Secretary H Raja, party veteran L Ganesan and 308 others, for holding a protest without permission at the Marina seafront demanding the arrest of popular Tamil orator and congress leader Nellai Kannan for his remarks against the prime minister and the union home minister. The BJP leaders and their supporters were detained near the Gandhi statue on the Marina on Wednesday and lodged in a marriage hall before their release later in the day. They were booked for unlawful assembly among other charges. Ever since the massive Jallikattu protest of January 2017, the city administration has kept Marina out of bounds for protestors. Kannan, a Congress leader and a noted Tamil scholar, landed in trouble after a video of his purported speech attacking home minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest at Tirunelveli on Saturday stirred up a hornets nest. Kannan was heard asking Muslims to finish-off PM Modi and Amit Shah in the video. The BJP had lodged a police complaint and sought Kannans arrest. The police finally arrested Kannan from a hospital on Wednesday night on charges of instigating people to indulge in violence and promoting enmity between groups. Later, he was remanded to 15 days judicial custody. Oil rose on January 2 as signs of improving trade relations between Washington and Beijing which eased demand concerns and rising tensions in the Middle East provided support. Brent crude futures were up 27 cents at $66.27 a barrel by 1456 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was 10 cents higher at $61.16 per barrel. The US military carried out air strikes against Iran-backed Katib Hezbollah militia group over the weekend. Angry at the air strikes, protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday, although they withdrew after the United States deployed extra troops. "We do not see a threat to Iraq's crude supply at the moment, other than a small wind down over the first few months of 2020 in line with its OPEC cut agreements," consultancy JBC Energy said. "Nevertheless, heightened tensions in the region involving Iranian-backed forces may introduce a certain geopolitical risk," they added. Oil was also boosted by optimism that trade talks between the world's two largest economies will support demand. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade deal would be signed on Jan. 15 at the White House. "We may need to see that economic optimism turn into better data before we see more substantial gains," analysts at OANDA said. January also marks the scheduled start of deeper output cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners, including Russia. The group agreed to cut output by a further 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) from Jan. 1, on top of their previous cut of 1.2 million bpd. The cuts come as Russia reported record high 2019 oil and gas condensate production of 11.25 million bpd, beating the previous record of 11.16 million bpd set a year earlier, Energy Ministry data showed. A fall in U.S. crude inventories last week also supported prices. U.S. crude stocks fell 7.8 million barrels in the week ended Dec. 27, compared with analysts' expectations for a decrease of 3.2 million barrels, data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed on Tuesday. Official data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) is due on Friday having been delayed by two days by the New Year's holiday. In 2020, Brent is forecast to average $63.07 a barrel, up from December's estimate of $62.50, while WTI is forecast to average $57.70 per barrel, up from December's estimate of $57.30, a Reuters poll showed. NEW YORK, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for 2020's New Year's resolutions, a fresh survey commissioned by the National Kidney Foundation shows that patients with at least one of the five risk factors of kidney disease want more information and are willing to make behavioral changes when they know what to do. The survey conducted in December by Kantar, a global data, insight and consulting company, and asked American adults about their knowledge of kidney disease and the five risk factors (diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity or family history of kidney disease) which can lead to the illness. It found that Americans in general are not talking to their doctors much about kidney disease, though most respondents who had at least one of the factors did know about the elevated risk. "We must increase our efforts to get the word out to all Americans, primary care physicians, and policy makers that people need to know more about kidney disease and why," said Kevin Longino, CEO, National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant patient. "Millions of Americans are counting on us to raise the level of discussion in the doctor's offices and around the kitchen table." The survey found that respondents were more apt to change their behaviors once educated about kidney disease and the severity; knowing that kidney disease could lead to dialysis or a transplant encouraged patients to take action sooner rather than later; two-thirds of patients who learned of this plan to visit their doctor within three months; and more than half plan to change their behavior. The poll found that: 55 percent of respondents who learned that their comorbidity increases risk of developing kidney disease are likely or very likely to ask their doctor about it; Knowing that kidney disease could lead to patients requiring dialysis or a transplant means that the majority of those at risk, 70 percent, are encouraged to take action sooner rather than later; 67 percent of patients are planning to visit their doctor in the next three months, and 52 percent plan to change their behavior. Further, the majority of the responders, 59 percent, also said they wanted their doctors to give them direction on how to prevent kidney disease. While 61 percent of men are particularly interested in education about their risk factors and support in managing kidney disease. Unfortunately, 1 out of 3 respondents (34 percent) said they have never spoken to their doctor about kidney disease and only 18 percent said they had a recent conversation with a doctor about kidney disease. Women (42 percent) were more likely than men (25 percent) to have never had a conversation with a doctor about kidney disease. Not surprisingly, younger respondents, 35-44 years old, were less likely to speak to their doctors about kidney disease, though they are more likely than older responders to change to healthier behaviors, the survey showed. In the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney diseaseand most aren't aware of it. 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for kidney disease. This survey, conducted for National Kidney Foundation, was made possible through a collaboration with Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. Methodology Kantar conducted a survey online in the United States from December 6-10, 2019 among the general population ages 30-59. Results reflect US Census for ages 30-59 against age, gender, region, household income, education, employment and marital status. Kidney Disease Facts In the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney diseaseand most aren't aware of it. 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and family history. People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. African Americans are 3 times more likely than Whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanics to develop end stage renal disease (kidney failure). The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org Facebook.com Twitter:@NKF www.kidney.org SOURCE National Kidney Foundation Related Links http://www.kidney.org Welcome Guest! You Are Here: ANN ARBOR, MI Local officials say theyre close to deciding a path forward for addressing the Gelman dioxane plume, which has plagued the areas groundwater for decades. On the Ann Arbor City Councils agenda Monday, Jan. 6, is a resolution calling for a federal Superfund cleanup of the toxic chemical pollution that originated from Gelman Sciences on Wagner Road. The vote is expected to be postponed another two weeks, said Council Member Kathy Griswold, D-2nd Ward, who is sponsoring it. Its a placeholder, she said of the resolution, which would direct City Administrator Howard Lazarus to write to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to solicit support for having the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency add the Gelman plume to the National Priorities List. Council Members Anne Bannister, Jeff Hayner and Jack Eaton are co-sponsoring the measure. Before council makes a decision, Griswold said she wants to hear what others have to say at a public forum taking place in two weeks. I feel very strongly that we need to get all of the facts, she said. U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, plans to bring local officials together Jan. 16 to talk through enforcement options available at the state and federal levels, including Superfund. Representatives from the state attorney generals office, EPA and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy are expected to be on hand to answer questions. The meeting is open to the public and scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at the countys Learning Resource Center, 4135 Washtenaw Ave. Officials from Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County and Scio and Ann Arbor townships have held three joint sessions since last June to discuss jointly seeking a remedy for the Gelman plume. There have been differing opinions on whether to fight the polluter in court or seek EPA intervention. The townships and Sierra Club petitioned the EPA for Superfund consideration in 2016, but the city and the county didnt join that effort. And without support from then-Gov. Rick Snyder, the process stalled. The city, county, Scio Township and Huron River Watershed Council, along with the state, are actively suing the polluter in Washtenaw County Circuit Court. Officials have been waiting to see if settlement negotiations prove fruitful before pursuing other options, such as taking the case to trial or turning to the EPA. Legal costs in the case have added up to more than $1 million over the last three years. After the Jan. 16 forum, City Council meets next Jan. 21 and Griswold hopes theres enough information by then to make a decision on a path forward. Shes open to a multi-pronged approach, working with both the state and EPA, she said. I believe that on the 16th we will get the actual facts and what is possible, Griswold said. Gelman used dioxane as a solvent while manufacturing medical-grade filter devices at its plant off Wagner Road between the 1960s and 1980s, discharging large amounts of it into the environment. The areas groundwater is now poisoned, with the plume spreading for miles, and its still viewed as a potential threat to Ann Arbors main drinking water supply, Barton Pond, and township residents wells. With dioxane in shallow groundwater, some also worry it could seep into home basements and pose vapor-intrusion risks. Dioxane is classified by the EPA as likely to be carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure. It also can cause kidney and liver damage, and respiratory problems. Just a few parts per billion in drinking water, with long-term exposure, poses a 1 in 100,000 cancer risk, according to the EPA. A map of the Gelman dioxane plume spreading through the Ann Arbor area, moving east through the city's west side toward West Park and branches of the Allen Creek drain system that discharge to the Huron River. Gelman Sciences is removing water from the ground using extraction wells and then treating it to remove dioxane. Treated water with lower levels of dioxane is then discharged to Honey Creek, which flows to the Huron River upstream of Barton Pond, Ann Arbor's main municipal water supply. The state initially sued Gelman in 1988, leading to a Circuit Court consent judgment in 1992 that has been amended multiple times, most recently in 2011. That essentially governs the plume and allows it to spread through the city at high concentrations to the Huron River downstream of Barton Pond. The polluter has done limited pump-and-treat remediation over the years in an effort to comply with court orders, but local officials and residents argue its not enough. Complaining about a cleanup or bust" attitude, Gelmans legal team fought all the way up to the Michigan Supreme Court to try to get the local parties removed from the legal case after they intervened as co-plaintiffs a few years ago. The states highest court rejected the polluters appeal in early 2018. Confidential settlement negotiations in Circuit Court have taken place since and officials say theyre barred from disclosing whats being discussed or what offers may be on the table. Gelman Sciences was acquired in 1997 by Pall Corp., which was acquired in 2015 by Danaher Corp., a multibillion-dollar corporation that some local officials and residents argue has the financial resources to do a better cleanup. Danahers top priority is to reduce costs, so we need to negotiate realizing that, Griswold said. Theyre not out there to do whats best for the city of Ann Arbor. Theyre out there to do whats best for their shareholders, so I am extremely frustrated. A Danaher spokesperson couldnt be reached for comment. Read more about the Gelman plume. Hance Ave., 200 block, 7:15 a.m. Dec. 25. A man driving a silver Mercedes was reported going up and down the street checking vehicle door handles. The 19-year-old Baltimore man was arrested for tampering with or theft from multiple vehicles on Hance Avenue, Mountain Road, Boulevard Place, Lake Front Drive and Patapsco Road. He was charged with seven counts of rogue and vagabond, two counts of theft less than $100, three counts of malicious destruction of property valued less than $1,000 and three counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, not marijuana. A police investigation into a fake document used in a political attack by cabinet minister Angus Taylor has been referred to the Australian Federal Police. Mr Taylor's office in November used a doctored document to attack the travel expenses of Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore. A spokeswoman for Mr Taylor said the minister would cooperate fully with the AFP investigation. Scroll down for video A police investigation into a fake document used in a political attack by cabinet minister Angus Taylor has been referred to the Australian Federal Police 'Although he fully expects they will conclude that this matter is baseless,' the spokeswoman said. The NSW Police financial crime squad launched a strike force to investigate whether 'any criminal offences' were committed in the document's creation. They have now referred the investigation to the AFP. 'Following an investigation by the state crime command's financial crimes squad, the matter has been referred to the Australian Federal Police,' a spokeswoman said in a statement to AAP on Thursday. The AFP later on Thursday confirmed the referral from NSW Police 'in relation to the alleged doctoring of a document' on December 20. NSW Police had confirmed with Mr Taylor's solicitors it had concluded its investigation, his spokeswoman said. Mr Taylor's office in November used a doctored document to attack the travel expenses of Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore 'This supports his repeated previous statements that neither he, nor any member of his office, altered the document in question.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been criticised for contacting NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller to discuss the case. A spokesman for the prime minister told AAP on Thursday it would be inappropriate to comment on a police investigation. The letter Mr Taylor sent to Ms Moore criticised her for driving up carbon emissions by spending over $15 million in council money on domestic and international travel, but the figures were false. The 2017/18 council report currently available online, as well as previously cached versions, shows international out-of-pocket travel costs such as meals and taxis were only $1728, and domestic costs were $4206. The minister has apologised to Ms Moore but has not explained where the numbers came from. The Department of Environment and Energy's original draft of the letter for Mr Taylor didn't include any mention of the council's travel figures. The false travel spend was added by the minister's office before being sent off. Mr Taylor's office has been approached for comment. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said it was a 'serious issue' and maintained he wanted Mr Morrison to take action against Mr Taylor. 'Suffice to say, I think you look at what was said and compare it with what clearly the facts are around this document and its creation and it being given to the media, and the two things don't add up,' Mr Albanese told ABC TV. 'It is an issue - misleading a parliament and whether ministers are accountable or not and under the Westminster system. If you mislead parliament you lose your position.' New proof of funds requirement to determine eligibility for Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program candidates in 2020 Canada has updated the settlement funds requirement for two Express Entry programs Canada has updated the settlement funds requirement for two Express Entry programs New proof of funds requirement to determine eligibility for Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program candidates in 2020 Canada has updated the settlement funds requirement for two Express Entry programs New proof of funds requirement to determine eligibility for Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program candidates in 2020 Canada has updated the settlement funds requirement for two Express Entry programs New proof of funds requirement to determine eligibility for Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program candidates in 2020 Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A The federal government has increased the amount of funds that certain skilled workers need in order to immigrate to Canada. Prospective immigrants need to prove that they have a certain amount of savings in order to qualify without a job offer in the Express Entry-managed Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Settlement funds are not compulsory for those applying under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and those with a valid job offer. The amount of funds needed depends on the size of the family included on the application. According to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the following family members can be included on an application for Canadian permanent residence: the principal applicant; their spouse or partner; their dependent children; and their spouses dependent children. Spouses and dependent children must be included on the application even if they are already permanent residents or Canadian citizens, or if they are not coming to Canada with the applicant. The following amounts have been updated for 2020: Number of family members Funds required (in Canadian dollars) 1 $12,960 2 $16,135 3 $19,836 4 $24,083 5 $27,315 6 $30,806 7 $34,299 Each additional family member $3,492 Canada updates the minimum settlement fund requirements every year. Though the changes may be small, they may affect the eligibility of applicants. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 2019 CIC News All Rights Reserved Were going to see some iconic nameplates getting a resurrection just as well see more and more electric cars of all shapes and sizes rushing to the market. Whats more, the sports car slash supercar world is ready to receive some exciting names, so stick with us to find out which are the most anticipated cars coming in 2020. This is not a time to dwell on what 2019 brought to the car world. Sure, it was a full year, scattered with intriguing debuts and paradigm-shifting new cars, but as things stand, 2020 will pick up where 2019 left off when it comes to debuts of all sorts. The Ford Bronco is a prime example of an iconic nameplate thats on the verge of being revived. Its also one of the most teased, hyped, discussed, and speculated upon car-related topics of 2019, on par with the sort of traction gained by the mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette C8. Previous rumors suggested the new Ford Bronco is going to bring a feature galore once it makes its debut thanks to thingamajigs such as live axles, a no-roof mechanism, and hybrid tech. Whats more, the new Broncos touted to be assembled in the US of A at Fords Michigan Assembly Plant which currently breathes life into the new Ford Ranger. The Bronco will share its T6 underpinnings with the Ranger, too, but is bound to up the ante in the personalization department. Moreover, buyers will be able to tick the box next to a hybrid powertrain similarly to what the new Defender has in store or simply go for a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 with around 325 horsepower on tap. Ford Bronco specifications Engine 2.3-liter EcoBoost 2.7-liter Ecoboost Architecture in-line four V-6 Power 270 hp 325 hp (est) Torque 310 lb-ft - 375 lb-ft (est) Transmission 7-speed manual and 10-speed automatic 0-60 mph 7.5 s (est) Top speed 120 mph (est) Read our full review on the 2020 Ford Bronco or learn what we know about 2020 Ford Bronco. Curious to see what the 2020 Bronco needs to take on the Jeep Gladiator? The supercar world will start churning out more and more pure-electric speed demons, and the yet-to-be-named Rimac C_Two is one of its hottest ambassadors. Looking back, its amazing what the Croatian startup was able to do and how it grew from the Green Monster electrically-converted BMW E30 prototype to the Concept One supercar and then on to cement partnerships and secure cash injections from the likes of Porsche, Hyundai Motor Company, and Kia Motors. Besides these collaborations, Rimac hasnt given up its original plan, that of building the next generation of insanely powerful, all-electric supercars. This description fits the C_Two like a glove: a curb weight of 1,950 kilograms (4,299 pounds) moved by a quartet of permanent-magnet e-motors good for 1,408 kilowatts (1,914 horsepower) and 2,300 Newton-meters (1,696 pound-feet) of torque. The C_Twos power reserved is stored by a 120-kWh battery pack said to offer up to 340 miles (547 kilometers) of maximum range complemented by performance figures such a 0-60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) dash done in 1.85 seconds and a top speed of 260 miles per hour (418 kilometers per hour). Mesmerized? You should be. Luckily, the Rimac C_Two is en route to a production-ready debut in March 2020, at the Geneva Motor Show. Rimac C_Two specifications Battery capacity 120 kWh Range per charge 340 mi (547 km) E-motors 4 Combined power 1,914 hp Combined torque 1,696 lb-ft 0-60 mph 1.85 s Top speed 260 mph Read our full review on the 2020 Rimac C_Two or the 2017 Concept One! Just like its ID3 compact peer, the Volkswagen ID Crozz is another electric model that embodies VWs resilience in moving away from fossil fuel and, simultaneously, putting a hefty distance between itself and Dieselgate. Surely, the crossover/SUV segment is where you want to be these days, so the ID3 compact will be joined by a stilt-sitting interpretation of Wolfsburgs electric ambitions. VW confirmed that the ID Crozz will debut in 2020 in production attire (mind you, it might be even called the ID4 and could reach US shores as well) and its set to ride on the carmakers MEB platform, too. Whats more, assembly will be carried out at the same Zwickau facility that churns out the ID3 and we assume it will inherit the same powertrain, given that its proportions are not of the gargantuan ilk. Curiously enough, the ID4 prototype teased in China some months ago looked a lot like the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport shape-wise, so one things clear: VW is going for an SUV-coupe body style rather than a boxy design. Other details are scarce, but well know more soon. Volkswagen ID Crozz specifications Motor one, electric, on the rear axle Gearbox one-speed Battery capacity 58 kWh Range up to 340 mi (547 km) Power 150 kW (201 hp) Torque 310 Nm (229 lb-ft) Top speed 160 km/h (100 mph) Read our full review on the 2020 Volkswagen ID Crozz Weve been waiting for word on the upcoming Porsche 911 (992) Turbo ever since the new 911 was unveiled in Los Angeles back in November 2018 and to be completely honest, our ears and eyes didnt have much to feast on. With so much acclaim coming the new 911s way over the past months, we cannot not be excited by the arrival of the Turbo-badged Neunelfer. And surprisingly, Porsche took to Instagram to issue a kind reminder that it is, indeed, working on the new 911 Turbo, with three images shot during a development drive around Nice, France. Elsewhere, the new Porsche 911 Turbo is expected to make an official appearance in the spring of 2020 (Geneva is a highly likely debut stage) powered in its S derivative by the familiar 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine tuned to produce in the region of 620-640 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque (799 Newton-meters), with the base Turbo having to settle for 570-580 horsepower. There are also rumors saying the 992-gen 911 Turbo wont rely on the said powerplant, but Porsche is being tight-lipped on the topic. In any case, the new 911 Turbo is looking to improve on the current ones performance credentials, so expect a 0-60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) sprint time of roughly 2.5 seconds instead of 2.8 seconds. Regardless, the new 911 Turbo is bound to be a hoot to drive and steer through bends, so you can bet were waiting for it on our toes. Porsche 911 (992) Turbo specifications Engine 3.8-liter, twin-turbo, flat-six Power 620-640 hp in the S (est), 570-580 for the base model (est) Torque 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) (est) 0-60 mph 2.5 s (est) Top speed 207 mph (est) Read our full review on the 2020 Porsche 911 992 Turbo or check out our in-depth review fo the 2020 Porsche 911! This one here is Maranellos response to the Urus super-SUV and, to some extent, Ferraris reaction to the sheer success the Urus has been enjoying sales-wise in 2019. We dont need to repeat the SUV niche is the most lucrative in the car world right now, and the likes of Bentayga and Urus have shown that theres a lot of potential to milk the One Percent when it comes to luxury, souped-up, high-riding vehicles, too. In this context, Ferrari is ready to introduce the so-called Purosangue (thats Italian for pure blood, by the way). A launch date isnt available just yet, but we estimate that Ferrari wants and needs to move quickly, so 2020 is likely the year Ferrari adds a new chapter in its history by launching an SUV. On the specs front, things are quite confusing. Theres word of a hybrid drive setup coming in conjunction with a V-6 engine, but the Purosangues architecture can be also configured to support a V-8 and a V-12. That said, its pretty obvious to us that Ferrari benchmarked the Purosangue in relation to the Urus and the DBX, so in terms of power, we expect something in the region of 600 horsepower, if not more. That aside, a Ferrari-badged SUV is a though dish to digest for most of us, but its also a good indicator of where the car industry is headed at the moment. Read our full review on the 2020 Ferrari Purosangue or check out the Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX that it will compete with! Alfa Romeo Tonales importance is a two-folded matter. Number one, its Alfa Romeos first hybrid ever offered and number two, its supposed to do what the Stelvio hasnt been able to just yet, which is boost the companys sales. Sure, the Stelvio is an SUV and SUVs sell like hot cakes these days, but its hard to beat the heavy hitters in the segment (read: the Germans). But with the Tonale, which Alfa is aiming at the compact crossover bunch in Europe, the Italians are giving themselves a second chance at greatness. Based on the Renegade, the Tonale will flaunt curvy shapes and a sleek profile, but youll still be able to identify it as a genuine Alfa Romeo. Since its based on the Renegade, Alfas Tonale is likely to pack a gasoline-electric drivetrain that combines a 1.3-liter ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) married to an e-motor. The gasoline engine makes 177 horsepower, so were guessing the overall power output should rise to anything between 200 horsepower and 250 horsepower. The pure-electric range wont go past the 30-mile mark, though. Alfa Romeo Tonale specifications Drivetrain gasoline-electric Engine power 177 hp E-motor power 70-80 hp (est) Overall system power 200-250 hp (est) Electric range 30 mi (est) Top speed 100 mph (est) 0-60 mph 7 s Read our full review on the 2019 Alfa Romeo Tonale Concept or check out the Jeep Renegade that it will be based on 2020 Tesla Roadster The Roadsters second coming has been trumpeted by surreal specs back in 2018, but we are yet to see the real thing. Slated to finally make an appearance in 2020, the Tesla Roadster can go from naught to 60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of +250 miles per hour, all while offering a maximum range of 620 miles thanks to a 200-kWh battery pack. Whats more, Tesla says that torque at the wheels will be of 7,400 pound-feet, however, besides its spectacular spec sheet, the new Roadster has another role to play for Tesla. If Elon Musks company manages to deliver the amount of performance its been bragging about, then the Roadster would also act as a powerful statement that Tesla can also produce high-performance vehicles that are closely related to the supercar/hypercar ilk, rather than sedans and crossovers. Thats a big if, however, because weve been promised things for the Cybertruck that in the end we did not get. Tesla Roadster specifications 0-60 mph 1.9 s 0-100 mph 4.2 s mile run 8.8 s Top speed +250 mph Wheel torque 7,400 lb-ft Battery 200 kWh Range 620 miles Base price $200,000 Read our full review on the 2020 Tesla Roadster or check out our coverage of the Tesla Cybertruck! Don Trump Jr has joined his father's supporters in praising President Donald Trump for the rapid U.S. military response to an assault on America's embassy in Baghdad by pro-Iran militiamen. 'It's nice to wake up in a country who once again leads like they should. When our embassy's is under attack & they ask for help they actually get it... Immediately!' Trump Jr tweeted on Wednesday. The militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Wednesday after two days of clashes with American security forces, which were quickly bolstered by 100 Marines when the attack began. The Pentagon also immediately deployed an additional 750 paratroopers to the region on Tuesday. Trump Jr and others said the U.S. response showed greater leadership than in the 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, where four Americans died in an attack by Islamic militants. Supporters and members of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force gather during a demonstration outside the US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on January 1, 2020 A man inspects the burnt entrance of the US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on January 1, 2020 after a demonstration by pro-Iran militiamen US Soldiers provide armed overwatch at the U.S. Embassy Compound in Baghdad Wednesday Don Trump Jr joined his father's other supporters in praising President Donald Trump for the rapid U.S. military response to an assault on America's embassy in Baghdad The president's eldest son blasted liberal MSNBC host Joy Reid, who on Tuesday called the attack on the embassy in Baghdad 'Trump's Benghazi.' '"Trump's Benghazi" was handled with decisive action, like an actual leader would respond,' Trump Jr tweeted. 'The response (since they actually bothered to respond, unlike Obama/Crooked) was really the anti-Benghazi response!' 'Yesterday's action vs the disgraceful response at Benghazi is all you need to know about leadership then & now!' he added in another tweet. Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal attorney, chimed in on a similar note, tweeting that Trump 'acted immediately to protect our embassy in Iraq.' 'Obama and Clinton are still figuring out what to do about Benghazi. Leadership saves lives,' he continued. The tragedy in Benghazi became a major humiliation for Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time, and subsequently took responsibility for the security lapses. Later on Tuesday, Trump Jr accused the mainstream media of responding with dejection after it became apparent that the attack in Baghdad would not become a similar embarrassment for Trump. The first contingent of a paratroop infantry battalion from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division bound for Kuwait prepare to leave Fort Bragg on Wednesday The division's rapid reaction force was ordered to send 750 paratroopers to the Middle East immediately, with up to 4,000 soldiers ready to deploy in the coming days A U.S. Army paratrooper of an immediate reaction force from the 82nd Airborne Division puts on her helmet shortly before boarding her C-17 transport aircraft leaving Fort Bragg Paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, march out to their C-17 transport aircraft The immediate reaction force marches out to a C-17 Globemaster transport on New Year's Day 'It's a sad day when you can hear it in the media's voice how upset they are that the Iraq embassy attack hasn't turned into a disaster like Benghazi because this administration had the guts to actually take action & defend Americans. At least we know whose side they're on!' he wrote. The attack and its volatile aftermath prompted the Pentagon to send hundreds of additional troops to the Middle East an d U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a European and Central Asian trip. In an orchestrated assault, hundreds of militiamen and their supporters broke into the embassy compound, destroying a reception area, smashing windows and spraying graffiti on walls to protest U.S. airstrikes against an Iran-backed militia over the weekend that killed 25 fighters. The U.S. blamed the militia for a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base in the northern city of Kirkuk last week that killed a U.S. contractor. Protesters and militia fighters gather to condemn air strikes on bases belonging to Hashd al-Shaabi (pro-Iran paramilitary forces), outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday Pro-Iranian militiamen and their supporters set a fire while U.S. soldiers fired tear gas during a sit-in in front of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday Iraqi security forces deploy during the second day of protests at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad The protesters set up a tent camp overnight and on Wednesday set fire to the reception area and hurled stones at U.S. Marines guarding the compound, who responded with tear gas. There were no injuries on either side and no American staff were evacuated from the compound. The Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of state-allied militias - many backed by Iran - called on its supporters to withdraw in response to an appeal by the Iraqi government, saying 'your message has been received.' By late afternoon the tents had been taken down and the protesters relocated to the opposite side of the Tigris River, outside the so-called Green Zone housing government offices and foreign embassies. U.S. Apache helicopters circled overhead. 'After achieving the intended aim, we pulled out from this place triumphantly,' said Fadhil al-Gezzi, a militia supporter. 'We rubbed America's nose in the dirt.' Trump has vowed to exact a 'big price' for an attack he blamed squarely on Iran. Supporters of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force hold placards depicting trampled US symbols reading in Arabic 'Welcome' during a protest outside the US embassy in Baghdad Iraqi army soldiers are deployed in front of the U.S. embassy, in Baghdad on Wednesday after Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound Iraqi security forces are deployed in front of the US embassy in the capital Baghdad US Soldiers provide armed overwatch at the U.S. Embassy Compound in Baghdad Wednesday Iran denied involvement in the attack on the embassy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted by media as saying that 'if the Islamic Republic makes a decision to confront any country, it will do it directly.' Iran later summoned the Swiss charge d'affaires, who represents American interests in Tehran, to protest what it said was war-mongering by U.S. officials. Kataeb Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia targeted by the U.S. airstrikes, initially refused to leave but later bowed to demands to disperse. The militia is separate from the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, though both are backed by Iran. 'We don't care about these planes that are flying over the heads of the picketers. Neither do we care about the news that America will bring Marines,' said Mohammed Mohy, a spokesman for Kataeb Hezbollah. 'On the contrary, this shows a psychological defeat and a big mental breakdown that the American administration is suffering from,' he said, before withdrawing from the area. Is it suddenly illegal for Californians to take a shower and do laundry on the same day? And are Californians fleeing the state because of these limits? No. Seriously no. A conservative columnist drew pushback and other reactions on social media on Wednesday when she made the declaration about ex-Californians in a column and tied it to a bogus claim that a new state law makes it illegal for people to shower and do their laundry on the same day. There are actually two new California laws that set water conservation restrictions for water agencies and municipalities but not for individuals. By Thursday, The Sacramento Bee and the fact-checking site Snopes had knocked down the bogus claim, but at that point it had become the talk of California Twitter. Heres what Snopes reported in its fact check. Neither bill carries language penalizing consumers for taking a shower and doing laundry on the same day. Instead, they outline conservation mandates for water districts and municipalities, and water agencies can be fined if they fail to meet conservation goals (but not until 2027). Overall, Californians will have to use less water in a state that has been plagued by persistent droughts, and this is not a new concept to locals. Residents had to slash water use during a historic five-year drought that ended in April 2017. Snopes sought comment from a staffer for one of the bills authors. Heres what the site found out. Jim Metropulos, legislative director for California State Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) who authored 1668, told us the legislation sets water efficiency goals for water districts and municipalities on the territorial level, but it does not regulate what individual Californians or businesses can and cant do: There is nothing in this bill to target households or companies. Water use objectives are on territory-level of a water agency. There is nothing regulating the time a person may shower or when they may or may not do laundry. So, how did these wildly erroneous claims start? What does the law actually say? Lets break it down. Heres how it all started. On May 31, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1668 and Senate Bill 606 into law. They set new water use restrictions across California, as the Sacramento Bee reported. The legislation was the result of longstanding efforts to conserve water use amid Californias cyclical drought seasons, where dry periods periodically plague the state for years. State Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Los Angeles, authored the Senate bill, and Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, authored the Assembly bill, which do in part set strict indoor water use thats the water you use to wash dishes, take a shower and, yes, do laundry. This law represents a new way of thinking in how California manages our water resources, Hertzberg told The San Diego Union-Tribune. In order to prepare California for drought emergencies and to adapt to our changing climate, the bill establishes long term water use efficiency standards, just like what we have in place for fuel and energy efficiency. All Californians will be covered, but not on a person-by-person basis. Its up to the water utilities to come up with ways to ensure everyone is using water efficiently, which may mean drip irrigation systems, toilet and shower retrofits, stopping leaks, or any other number of measures, he added. What do the bills actually say? The bills set broad restrictions on water use all over the state, but at issue is the clause about indoor water use. Heres what the AB 1668 actually says: The bill, until January 1, 2025, would establish 55 gallons per capita daily as the standard for indoor residential water use, beginning January 1, 2025, would establish the greater of 52.5 gallons per capita daily or a standard recommended by the department and the board as the standard for indoor residential water use, and beginning January 1, 2030, would establish the greater of 50 gallons per capita daily or a standard recommended by the department and the board as the standard for indoor residential water use. The bill would impose civil liability for a violation of an order or regulation issued pursuant to these provisions, as specified. Heres what SB 606 actually says on indoor water use: For indoor residential water use, 55 gallons per capita daily water use as a provisional standard. Upon completion of the departments 2016 report to the Legislature pursuant to Section 10608.42, this standard may be adjusted by the Legislature by statute. According to the legislation, heres how it boils down: From now until 2025, the limit will be 55 gallons of indoor water per person, per day. Starting in 2025, the limit will be 52.5 gallons of indoor water per person, per day. Starting in 2030, the limit will be 50 gallons of indoor water per person, per day. Then came the bogus claim. Zero Hedge, a right-wing blog known for making outlandish claims, published a post on Sunday that stated that its now against the law in California to shower and do laundry on the same day. It also claimed that Californians could be fined $1,000 a day if they showered and did laundry on the same day. The blog pointed to the two bills Brown signed, but to justify the headline, the blog author did some math to come up with this: an 8-minute shower uses 17 gallons of water, a load of laundry uses 40 gallons. The total, according to the blog, is 57 gallons just above the 55-gallon-per-person limit mentioned in the law. What the blog left out is the fact that the legislation is aimed at the water agencies and cities providing the water, not individuals. Are Californians fleeing the state because of that? Once again, nope. Tammy Bruce, a Fox News contributor, on Wednesday published an opinion analysis on the new California water-limit law on the The Washington Times. Bruce echoed the same math used by the right-wing blog. Bruces column, titled Californias new water restrictions send residents fleeing to saner states, offered no evidence for such correlation. Fox News also republished her column online. To make her connection, Bruce pointed to a misleading Fox News report saying that a whopping 46 percent of California Bay Area residents fed up with the regions high cost of living and soaring home prices are planning to pack their bags and move out in the next year. The poll this report is based on did not say Californians were planning to pack their bags but rather asked respondents whether they agreed with the statement I am likely to move out of the Bay Area in the next few years. In 2018, 46 percent of those surveyed said they totally agreed with the statement. Whats been the reaction? California Twitter and beyond has weighed in. Within 24 of Bruces column going live, many people offered a wide range of reactions. A number of them appear to have believed the erroneous statement as fact, while others have called it out as false. Others are trying to knock down the claim. The Association of California Water Agencies have also gone after the bogus claims about the new law on social media. Ultimately, Snopes did some math of its own. Given that the average shower uses about 17.2 gallons of water, while most high-efficiency clothes washers use only 15 to 30 gallons of water per load, most California residents (depending upon their personal habits and the efficiency of their home appliances and water fixtures) shouldnt find it too difficult to accommodate a daily shower and a daily laundry load while staying within the 55 gallons per person per day guideline. In a statement to The San Diego Union-Tribune, Hertzberg he said the claims are bogus and that he wasnt surprised that misleading reports had spread. I cant say Im surprised, given the cultural climate were in. Water policy is an extremely contentious issue and Ive seen how emotional it is for people. Water is fundamental to our lives; it is one of our most basic needs, said Hertzberg, one of the authors of the new law. But the information circulating about this new law is just plain false. Tell us what you think are you concerned about the new indoor water limits? Would that drive you to leave the state? How do you fact check the things you read? Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @RunGomez Read The Conversation on Flipboard. UPDATES: 2:15 p.m. update: This article was updated with a statement from State Sen. Bob Hertzberg. This article was originally published at 12:50 p.m. Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (232) New Delhi: After the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur constituted a panel to decide whether legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem 'Hum Dekhenge' is offensive to Hindu sentiments, senior lyricist Javed Akhtar on Thursday termed the incident absurd and funny. Speaking to ANI about Faiz and the recent controversy, the writer told ANI, "Calling Faiz Ahmed Faiz 'anti-Hindu' is so absurd and funny that it's difficult to seriously talk about it." The writer further said that Faiz wrote the poem 'Hum Dekhenge' against the then Pakistan dictator Zia-ul-Haq. "He lived half his life outside Pakistan, he was called anti-Pakistan there. 'Hum Dekhenge' he wrote against the Zia-ul Haq's government which was a communal regressive and fundamentalist government," Akhtar told ANI. Further rejecting the claim of the poem being 'anti-Hindu', Akhtar explained a phrase from the poem and said, "He has mentioned a phrase - 'Goonjega an-al-haq ka naara' which means 'aham brahma', which means that the creator and creation is one, it is not an Islamic thought." Earlier on Thursday, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur had set up a committee to look into the issue. The move came after some faculty members complaint that the students who took out a peaceful march in the campus on December 17 against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia students, sung it as a mark of protest, which hurt the sentiments of other communities. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014. New Delhi: Recently, PM Modi of India spoke on the telephone with the top leaders of Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives on Wednesday and gave him a warm New Year. Under the policy of 'Neighbors First', India's commitment to regional peace and security was also expressed. There is no confirmation of PM's talks with the leaders of Pakistan and China. When Modi spoke to Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. At the same time, the Prime Minister also congratulated his Bhutanese counterpart Lyonchen Lotte Tshering, Sri Lankan PM Mahindra Rajapaksa and Maldives President Ibrahim Mohammad Solih. Two opponents united at the beginning of the new year, Kunwar Pranav Singh can return to BJP According to the information received from the sources, the PM office (PMO) said in a statement that PM Modi congratulated the top leaders of the neighboring countries for the new year and gave best wishes for himself and the countrymen. It says that Modi has expressed India's commitment to the 'Neighbor First' policy. He emphasized the shared peace, security, prosperity and progress of all friendly and partner countries with India in the region. Donald Trump passes public law on gun law, church attack set example When this conversation was held, the PM also congratulated Hasina for re-electing the Awami League president for the next three years. He also mourned the demise of Syed Muazzam Ali, former Ambassador of Bangladesh to India. The PMO said that Modi said that the upcoming Bangabandhu's birth anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence and the bilateral diplomatic relations established between the two countries would prove to be milestones in the progress of close relations between India and Bangladesh. In a conversation with the King of Bhutan, Modi recalled the achievements of the previous year and also appreciated the love received from the people there. He also referred to King's visit to India. Nissan: Carlos Ghosn adopts unique way to avoid Japan's Government In the conversation, the PM also mentioned the whole of Motihari-Anlekhganj petroleum product pipeline in record time. The two leaders also agreed on the early inauguration of a housing construction project in Nepal through integrated check posts and video conferencing in Biratnagar. The Prime Minister wished President Solih of the Maldives and the people of the strategically important island of the Indian Ocean for 2020. It's time for the dreaded New Years Resolutions. And this year its a bonus round of New Decade Resolutions. So, whats it to be? New dress size? New hobby? Or more often the case, whats it not to be? No more wasting time on Facebook? No more bad-mouthing the boss? Schools often use this time of year to instil a growth mindset in their students. The philosophy behind it is worthwhile. Its a response to our previous system of rewarding students based on natural talent rather than effort and application. For my generation, you were either good at something or not; you were decidedly Honours or Pass by the time you hit secondary school. Growth mindset replaces the you cant do that attitude, with the you cant do that YET philosophy. So little Johnny cant draw? Well teach him. He just needs to try, learn from his mistakes and hell get there. Theres so much to be said for this. It recalls Samuel Becketts wonderful line Fail, fail again, fail better. Its certainly something I hold close to my heart and its essential for creative types - the good stuff comes when you feel uninhibited, unjudged. But as with everything, we must not throw the baby out with the bathwater- because theres a potential ugliness in telling kids they can do anything if they just try hard enough. With the focus on effort comes the assumption that all children are capable of getting that elusive A. Theyre not. What we really need in schools is a growth mindset combined with an understanding that were all unique learners with possible limits in certain areas. And thats ok. We need to allow kids to sit in failure for a bit, not rushing them towards the you learn from your mistakes station too soon. Some parents dont need any help with this, particularly parents of kids who are genuinely struggling. These are the parents who will focus on their childs social/emotional development in parent teacher meetings. They get the bigger picture and where their child fits within it. But some parents are a lot harder to handle. The parents of the child who seems to sport a halo of potential and talent. The parent who is adamant that their child is studying Business in UCC, even though theyve hardly done a tap in class. This is where growth mindset turns nasty. Then comes the scariest parent. The one looking for exam tips when the child is barely hitting puberty. The parent who uses growth mindset as a stick with which to beat their child. This is the student I really worry about. The one in a home where expectations are always getting higher, where the limit of success equates only to the childs effort levels. This is where you really suspect problems with mental health, anxiety and low self-worth. Our points system combined with growth mindset can be horrifically damaging. One of the biggest casualties of our modern approach is resilience. Resilience exists in a sweet spot between being overly harsh and results-orientated and being overly soft and growth mindset conscious. Most parents struggle to find it, myself included. Resilience happens when people really experience failure, the hardship of life. They are given time and space to go through it. Then they are given the support to bounce back. These days we rely too much on external supports, from teachers, parents and mental health professionals. But we dont seem to grasp that these skills, these resilience muscles, can only be flexed through genuine hardship. But we protect our children from anything unpleasant. Its a bit like teaching a baby to self-soothe. As a parent, you cant continue to lie on the floor next to their bed, holding their hand, past a certain age. You must let go. I was reminded by a student this year that I should really provide a trigger warning before I cover any topic that might upset someone whose experienced trauma. I respect the idea, but something in my gut reacts powerfully against it. As an English teacher, I sometimes want to evoke bad feelings. I dont want to forewarn students that something bad is about to happen. For one thing the writer generally does this in the creation of atmosphere and for another, I want them to feel bad, in order to connect with the text. If a student is going to find something more difficult than average, then it probably needs to happen, and they need to get help for it beyond my classroom. Students too readily talk about stress and anxiety like theyre alien feelings, deformed versions of natural states of being. Theyre not! These are perfectly normal reactions to our immediate surroundings. This year, I would like parents to throw their child into a few nettles, figuratively speaking. When they come to you, stressed about something, maybe dont jump to problem solving. Maybe dont email the teacher. Maybe just say, Its tough isnt it? or Ive felt that too; it sucks. Try a new years resolution of cutting the cord. For the teachers sake. Let your kid do the work of navigating life a little more. Sit back. Have a coffee. Ive no doubt youve earned it. Third-party logistics (3PL) are a popular method to outsource logistic functions for small and medium-sized businesses. Given Vietnams size and diversity, 3PL can help reduce costs, boost sales and build brand identity Businesses, however, should engage in a cost-benefit comparison to gauge if a 3PL meets their requirements Vietnam is a significant target for companies in the consumer goods sector. The countrys blossoming middle class, shifting spending habits, and a sizable population of over 90 million is rapidly becoming the focal point for investors building up brand identity and sales networks throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As the fundamentals of the Vietnamese economy continue to fall into place, foreign companies who are able to develop and implement effective market-entry strategies will be well-positioned to gain increasing market share in the years to come. For the largest players, Vietnams demographics and proximity to other markets present an opportunity to establish localized production and to expand distribution networks through mergers and acquisitions. Small and medium-sized players, however, for whom the costs of setting up can often be inhibitive, increasingly turn to third-party logistics providers to boost their sales and build brand identity within Vietnam. In general terms, third-party logistics, or 3PL as it is commonly referred, involves the outsourcing of logistics functions such as customs clearance, storage of products, and order fulfillment to a third party. Depending on the 3PL provider and range of services utilized, third party logistics can completely remove the need for a foreign company to establish a market presence in Vietnam. Instead, all operations can be run out of a single regional management center where the costs and risks of doing business are lower. What types of third-party logistics services are available in Vietnam? 3PL providers can offer a variety of services to companies seeking to outsource logistics functions in Vietnam. For those unfamiliar with the third-party logistics industry, the following lists common 3PL services in Vietnam ordered in terms of their rates of usage by foreign investors currently engaging 3PL providers. Domestic transportation 92% International transportation 89% Warehousing 70% Customs clearance 68% Forwarding 60% Shipment consolidation 40% Product labeling/packaging 33% Transportation management 25% Reverse logistics 25% Cross-docking 25% Freight auditing and payment 18% Fleet management 15% Order entry, processing, and fulfillment 12% Which companies will benefit from 3PL services? The decision to engage a 3PL provider and the exact services required by a company will ultimately ride on the findings of a cost-benefit comparison between the acquisition of physical assets to facilitate distribution and the engagement of a local 3PL provider to handle these tasks. While each company will differ in terms of its products and business strategy, 3PL providers are generally of greatest utility to mid-market players seeking to explore the Vietnamese market for the first time. Particularly for those with low headcounts, the resources needed to fully commit to the Vietnamese market may make market entry a daunting task. In these cases, the low-profile approach provided through 3PL allows companies the flexibility to build up name recognition and sales while temporarily avoiding the capital-intensive process of establishing a foreign-owned trading company. How to structure 3PL networks to boost sales? Companies must choose a corporate structure that reflects their desired level of involvement in Vietnam. Below, we outline two of the most common low-cost 3PL entry strategies selling into the Vietnamese market without a legal entity and outsourcing order fulfillment while maintaining a representative office to facilitate sales. Both of these options perfectly suit SMEs seeking to explore opportunities and expand sales networks within the Vietnamese market. Option 1 Fully outsourcing operations Companies with existing Vietnamese customers can often utilize 3PL providers to handle the entire logistics process and remove the need to maintain a physical presence in the county entirely. Under this structure, 3PL providers import goods on behalf of the foreign company, handle the customs process, store goods for the company within Vietnam, and fulfill orders on behalf of the company throughout the country. For firms with concerns over establishing a physical presence in Vietnam, fully outsourcing operations to a 3PL provider may be a good first step towards becoming more comfortable with the Vietnamese market. However, it is also important to point out that the range of services provided by the 3PL, in this case, will likely come at a significant service fee. Furthermore, it may be difficult to maintain and expand relationships with current and future customers without a more significant on the ground presence. As such, distribution under a fully outsourced model is only recommended for companies confident in their ability to fill orders in the near to medium term and require an immediate solution to distribute their goods within Vietnam. This is a particularly good option for companies which have managed to effectively market their goods to large buyers on a wholesale level and therefore do not desire to further expand their networks within Vietnam. Option 2 Order fulfillment support An increasingly common structure involves the establishment of a Representative Office (RO) to supplement the services of 3PL providers with sales and marketing support. ROs provide a much lower investment profile compared to establishing a 100 percent foreign owned entity (100% FOE) and allow investors to minimize financial exposure while maintaining direct connections with 3PL providers and customers. ROs are faced with lower capital requirements and setup times and are not subject to corporate income tax as they are prevented from directly invoicing clients. Under current Vietnamese law, ROs are limited to hiring staff to conduct marketing and market research activities and are not permitted to revive incoming payments. While preventing investors from billing their clients within Vietnam, the RO structure does allow foreign companies to maintain a sales team within the Vietnamese market while outsourcing the import and distribution of goods to a 3PL provider. Compared to the costs associated with 100 FOE setup and the lack of on the ground presence stemming from a fully outsourced distribution operation, supplementation of 3PL services with RO sales support is currently the preferred method of entry for SMEs. The role of regional management While Vietnam continues to provide among the most attractive consumer markets regionally, it is far from the only market where opportunities lie. Increasingly, companies choose to target not one but many markets in Southeast Asia for expansion simultaneously. In these cases, it often makes sense to establish a regional management center in Asia from which to base operations. This center will be able to handle the contractual relationships with 3PL providers an area beyond the legal scope of representative office operations and to handle the invoicing of clients in some cases. At present Singapore is the best-positioned location from which to base operations due to its extensive trade and tax agreements covering Vietnam, other ASEAN members, as well as many of home markets for Vietnams current investors such as China, the United States, the European Union, Japan, and Korea. The importance of evaluating 3PL providers Finally, following the selection of a market entry method, investors must select a 3PL provider that can effectively support their agenda in Vietnam. While 3PL firms are in ample supply, these partners will take on a significant degree of control over the storage and transport of a companys goods. As such, there is potential for the quality of goods and services provided by the 3PL to influence the reputation of a good or brand, particularly in the initial stages of a companys entry into Vietnam. With this in mind, the following are some of the most important considerations for new entrants to Vietnam to consider when selecting a 3PL provider: Geographic coverage Consumption centers in Vietnam are spread across the country. Ranging from Ho Chi Minh City in the South, to Da Nang in the Center, and Hanoi in the North, it is important for investors to understand consumption trends within their respective business lines and to engage a 3PL provider that can store and possibly transport goods between these targeted locations effectively. Many firms entering the market find that it is more effective to engage with separate 3PL providers in different locations within the country to ensure that they are able to provide the most effective delivery to their clients in every location. Storage and transport capacity In addition to geographic coverage, it is important to select a 3PL provider that has the capacity and specialization to transport the goods that a company wishes to distribute in Vietnam. For frozen goods and other items requiring the use of cold chain logistics networks, specialized transportation equipment and storage will certainly be required. In these cases, vetting 3PL providers prior to engagement will ensure that they are able to are able to provide the storage and transport specifications to meet the standards of a given product. Range of service lines More generally, companies should review 3PL providers to select a firm that can provide the services needed to implement their market entry strategy. This will include assessing firms based on their ability to invoice clients, clear goods through customs, or conduct other aspects of logistics outsourcing required for a given operation. Each firm will likely have different services and be able to provide a different range of services depending on the part of the country that they are operating in. Due diligence Finally, due diligence on 3PL providers is the most important consideration from a brand reputation perspective. Given the opaque nature of Vietnams business environment, investors often struggle to assess the reputation of 3PL providers from outside of the country. This, along with ongoing coordination with clients often forms the basis for investors decisions to set up a representative office to further expand their operations in Vietnam. Note: This article was first published in July 2017, and has been updated to include the latest developments. Indore, Jan 2 : A five-day meeting of the all-India executive of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) began in Indore on Thursday. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is presiding over the meeting called at a short notice. The meeting assumes importance due to the nation's changing political skyline and growing resistance in most parts to the National Register for Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Indore is apparently chosen for being the headquarters of Malwa region where the Sangh still wields considerable influence. Sources say the all-India executive meeting will take place on the first three days and the top officials of all 56 affiliates will hold a session with the national leadership for the next two days. A session is likely to be devoted to the pracharaks of the Madhya Pradesh unit of RSS. The focus of the Sangh will be on the expansion of shakhas in rural areas and preparations for West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled next year. Top BJP officials J.P. Nadda, B.L. Santosh, Ram Madhav, P. Muralidhar Rao, Anil Jain, Vinay Sahastrabuddhe, Bhupendra Yadav, V. Satish, Shiv Prakash, Saudan Singh, Thawarchand Gehlot, Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Patel, Prakash Javadekar and Kailash Vijayvargiya are likely to take part in the final phase of the meeting. Bhagwat will also interact with some intellectuals over creating an awareness campaign for the CAA and NRC. The Swayamsevaks may be motivated to help the party overcome difficulties in implementing its agenda on NRC and CAA. The BJP base has shrunk during the past 16 months with Maharashtra and Jharkhand forcing the leadership to sit up and take notice. Elections are now due in Delhi and Bihar. Sangh is keen to mobilise the cadre to retrieve the lost ground. There is urgency in the Sangh, BJP and the government over the implementation of the nationalist agenda. The state unit of the party has been holding regular rallies to support the CAA and NCR. Now Union Home Minister and party President Amit Shah is coming to Jabalpur on January 12 to clear the confusion over the CAA. He will hold a public meeting. State BJP President Rakesh Singh said the Congress and other Opposition parties have created an atmosphere of confusion about the new citizenship law. They are trying to divide the country over the CAA, he said. Efforts are being made to create an atmosphere of anarchy in the country, but the public knows everything, Singh added. In such a situation, it is the responsibility of the government and the BJP to raise public awareness in the whole country. Top leaders are going to hold meetings in different states. Amit Shah will communicate directly with the people of Jabalpur. The BJP is dealing with its audience at all levels. Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur in her characteristic style told a meeting on Tuesday Sehore that Hindus in minorities are being killed in some countries. The CAA-NRC would help bringing them back to the country on humanitarian grounds, she said. (Photo : U.S. Food and Drug Administration) The quick rise in popularity of e-cigarettes among the youth has become a problem for President Donald J. Trump and his administration. The fruity flavor and scent of some of these e-cigarettes could have been a contributing factor to its popularity. More discreet designs could have also made it easier for teens to use e-cigarettes without the knowledge of their parents or authority figures in schools. Read More: Students Smoking E-Cigarette That Resembles USB Drive Causing Headache For Teachers Protecting The Children President Donald J. Trump spoke to the public last Tuesday to address some of the health concerns of e-cigarettes and how these will shape his administration's policies. The president said that "...we'll be taking it off - the (fruity) flavors - for a period of time..." The president cites the motivators of this move: "We're going to protect our families, we're going to protect our children, and we're going to protect the industry." However, the president also reassured industry stakeholders that this ban might only be temporary. "Hopefully, if everything's safe, they're going to be going very quickly back onto the market," says Trump. He added that he thinks these flavors will soon return to the market as soon as "exhaustive examinations" would permit these products to be produced and sold again to the public. Menthol Only Trump's comments followed an article published last Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal, citing sources who are more familiar with the matter. The ban is said to come as early as this Friday, which will cover all non-menthol, non-tobacco flavored pod e-cigarettes. This ban also includes mint cartridges for e-cigarettes, the journal reports. However, this ban will not extend to any flavors for tank vaping systems. The specific ban on pod e-cigarettes may have been done to discourage the youth from using such products. Unlike tank vaping systems that hold a larger capacity of vape juice - and are therefore much larger and more conspicuous - pods are less obvious. Its appearance could be made to resemble a USB, making it hard to detect when not in use. Reaching a Compromise Different camps have visited the White House last month to debate on the merits and dangers of e-cigarettes, especially towards the youth. Medical and family groups argue against all flavors of e-cigarettes, citing its health risks and its addictive properties, especially with the fruity-flavored e-cigarettes. Meanwhile, conservatives point out that a total ban of the product would lead to the closure of shops, loss of jobs, and a negative impact on the economy. The FDA's decision to ban only fruity flavors of pod cigarettes - the most widely used by the youth - may be a compromise to satisfy family groups and the conservatives at the same time. After all, President Trump concluded that meeting in the White House saying that he wanted to "do something for everybody, where everybody's happy." Whatever the outcome of this policy will be will surely have an impact on President Trump's re-election bid. However, these policies will surely affect everyone during the next few years, regardless of President Trump is still in power. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Undocumented migrants occupy a hallway of the Malaysian immigration headquarters in the administrative capital Putrajaya as they await their turn to register for the governments Back for Good program, Dec. 23, 2019. Malaysia arrested hundreds of undocumented migrants in the past two days, officials said Thursday, as Kuala Lumpur launched a promised yearlong immigration crackdown after wrapping up an amnesty program where 190,000 foreigners agreed to leave the country. Law-enforcement agents detained 474 foreigners, including 220 Indonesians, in a sweep targeting undocumented migrant workers after the five-month program that allowed them to turn themselves in ended on Dec. 31, immigration chief Khairul Dzaimee Daud told reporters in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 1,871 were checked, and out of that total, 474 foreigners were arrested for various immigration offenses, Khairul said. The Muslim-majority nation of 33 million people relies on laborers and domestic helpers from Southeast and South Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, for construction jobs and work on palm oil plantations. Among the foreigners who were picked up were 78 Bangladeshis, 42 from Myanmar and 22 Filipinos, the immigration chief said. In addition to that, four employers were also detained, he said, without elaborating. In July last year, the Malaysian government announced its Back for Good (B4G) program, which allowed illegal workers to register and be repatriated voluntarily without facing legal action. After obtaining identification documents from their embassies and showing plane tickets to their home countries, applicants were also required to pay a fee of 700 ringgit (U.S. $171) as a penalty for overstaying in the country, officials said. Since last month, huge crowds of immigrant workers, including many from Cambodia, Nepal and India, had joined lines that snaked around the immigration building in Putrajaya, the Malaysian administrative capital. Khairul said immigration agents were aiming to arrest about 70,000 undocumented migrants who failed to take advantage of the governments amnesty program. Those who are detained could face a minimum fine of 5,000 ringgit (U.S. $1,198) and could be sentenced up to 12 months in prison, if convicted. He said 195,471 had registered under the B4G program and 165,000 had been deported. However, the program was not entirely taken up and some employers were still adamant, Khairul said. Indonesians, Bangladeshis and Myanmar nationals were among the highest number of illegal immigrants who registered under the program, comprising mostly of workers. Millions of foreigners work without permits in Malaysia, which counted more than two million migrant workers as of August last year, officials said. The government collected about 400 million ringgit (almost U.S. $96 million) in fines when about 840,000 people came forward and left Malaysia under another amnesty program that ended in August 2018. That program, known as 3+1, was launched in 2014. Last July, the U.N.s Office on Drugs and Crime said in a report that the disparity between developed and least developed countries had created a demand for cheap labor in Southeast Asia, driving the growth in human trafficking and smuggling of migrants looking for work. The U.S. State Departments 2019 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) placed Malaysia under the Tier 2 Watch List, saying it did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared to the previous year in the fight against trafficking. Tier 2 Watch List is one step above the lowest ranking. Adrian Pereira, director of the North-South Initiative, which monitors human rights and assists migrant workers, told BenarNews that thousands of foreign workers missed the deadline to register for the amnesty because many employers were not cooperating. It cannot be denied that the government has given them enough time, but not all these foreign workers were released by their employers, Pereira said. Some [employers] just let them [the foreign workers] sign up at the last minute. Nearly 400,000 babies were born around the world on New Year's Day with India recording the highest number of these births worldwide at 67,385, the UN children's agency said. An estimated 392,078 babies were born around the world on New Years Day, according to UNICEF. Of this, an estimated 67,385 babies were born in India, the most globally. China comes in second with 46,299 births. The beginning of a new year and a new decade is an opportunity to reflect on our hopes and aspirations not only for our future, but the future of those who will come after us, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said. As the calendar flips each January, we are reminded of all the possibility and potential of each child embarking on her or his lifes journeyif they are just given that chance. UNICEF celebrates babies born on New Years Day Fiji in the Pacific most likely delivered 2020s first baby, while the US, the last of the New Year's Day. Globally, over half of these births were estimated to have taken place in eight countries - India (67,385), China (46,299), Nigeria (26,039), Pakistan (16,787), Indonesia (13,020), United States of America (10,452), Democratic Republic of Congo (10,247) and Ethiopia (8,493). Each January, UNICEF celebrates babies born on New Years Day, an auspicious day for childbirth around the world, it said. However, for millions of newborns around the world, the day of their birth is far less auspicious. Last year, 2.5 million newborns died in just their first month In 2018, 2.5 million newborns died in just their first month of life; about a third of them on the first day of life. Among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis. In addition, more than 2.5 million babies are born dead each year. UNICEF said over the past three decades, the world has seen remarkable progress in child survival, cutting the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday by more than half. But there has been slower progress for newborns. Babies dying in the first month accounted for 47 per cent of all deaths among children under five in 2018, up from 40 per cent in 1990. READ | UNICEF Day 2019: Know history and significance of the United Nations agency UNICEFs Every Child Alive campaign calls for immediate investment in health workers with the right training, who are equipped with the right medicines to ensure every mother and newborn is cared for by a safe pair of hands to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth. Too many mothers and newborns are not being cared for by a trained and equipped midwife or nurse, and the results are devastating, said Fore. We can ensure that millions of babies survive their first day and live into this decade and beyond if every one of them is born into a safe pair of hands. READ | ICC extends partnership with UNICEF for 2020 Women's T20 World Cup India is projected to surpass China India is projected to surpass China as the world's most populous country around 2027. According to UN estimates, India is expected to add nearly 273 million people between 2019 and 2050, while the population of Nigeria is projected to grow by 200 million. Together, these two countries could account for 23 per cent of the global population increase to 2050. China, with 1.43 billion people in 2019, and India, with 1.37 billion, have long been the two most populous countries of the world, comprising 19 and 18 per cent, respectively, of the global total in 2019. Through the end of the century, India is estimated to remain the world's most populous country with nearly 1.5 billion inhabitants, followed by China with just under 1.1 billion, Nigeria with 733 million, the US with 434 million, and Pakistan with 403 million inhabitants. READ | Malaysia to join hands with UNICEF for polio vaccination in the Sabah READ | UNICEF Day 2019: Facts about the organisation protecting children's rights The largest controlled study of psilocybin the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms has found the compound safe for human consumption, bringing researchers one step closer to developing a psilocybin-based treatment for depression. Volunteers who received doses of the psychedelic compound experienced no serious adverse effects in phase one clinical trials at Kings College London (KCL). Psilocybin has been tipped as a potentially groundbreaking treatment for mental health disorders that could replace antidepressants, with some research suggesting it could also aid those dealing with addiction. The results of the study are clinically reassuring and support further development of psilocybin as a treatment for patients with mental health problems that havent improved with conventional therapy, such as treatment-resistant depression, said KCLs Dr James Rucker, the studys lead investigator. Most of the minor adverse events recorded were of the expected psychedelic nature, researchers found, with changes to sensory perception and mood, but no negative effects on cognitive and emotional functioning. 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 The phase one trials which sought to test the compounds safety, not its therapeutic value compared the effects of varying doses of the psilocybin-based drug COMP360 and placebos in 89 healthy volunteers. There were 25 dosing sessions in total. In each session, six participants would receive either 10mg or 25mg doses or a placebo during a one-on-one session with a therapist lasting roughly six hours, with a follow-up period of 12 weeks. Research by the company behind the trial, Compass Pathways, into using psilocybin as a treatment for depression has been fast-tracked in the US, receiving special breakthrough therapy status from the Food and Drug Administration. It is currently running phase two studies across Europe and North America involving 216 patients who suffer with depression that hasnt responded to treatment. This study is part of our overall clinical development programme in treatment-resistant depression, Compass Pathways co-founder Dr Ekaterina Malievskaia said. We wanted to look at the safety and tolerability profile of our psilocybin, and to look at the feasibility of a model where up to six one-to-one sessions are held at the same time. We are focused on getting psilocybin therapy safely to as many patients who would benefit from it as possible [and] are grateful to the many pioneering research institutions whose work over the years has helped to demonstrate the potential of psilocybin in medicine. In June, The Independent reported that participants in the first trial comparing psilocybin to antidepressants at the worlds first psychedelic research centre, at Imperial College London, described a cathartic emotional release and reconnection during psilocybin therapy. As the studys lead Dr Robin Carhart-Harris pointed out, this is the polar opposite of antidepressants, which patients often complain leave their emotions blunted. A court here on Thursday granted bail to four people, including two students of Nadwa college, who were arrested for allegedly indulging in violence during protests against the police's crackdown on Jamia Milia Islamia students in Delhi. Additional Sessions Judge S S Pandey allowed the bail pleas of Mohd Shaud Quarasi and Arshad Mohsim, both students of the Islamic educational institution, as well as Faraz alias Faizi and Mohd Ahmad. The bail pleas moved individually by each of them claimed that they were innocent as they were not named in the FIR and the police falsely implicated them during the probe for ulterior reasons. According to the prosecution, their names came to light during the investigation following which the four were arrested by Hasanganj police on December 17, 2019. The court asked each of them to furnish two sureties of Rs 50,000each and a personal bond of the same amount. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Department of Telecom will meet industry players and various associations on January 6 to discuss the Budget wishlist and outstanding issues of the sector which is confronted with thousands of crores in unpaid statutory dues and burgeoning debt, according to sources. A senior government official told PTI that the Department of Telecom (DoT) will be "supportive" of the industry's demand for reduction in levies, both licence fee and Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC), and will formally communicate its Budget related suggestions to the after holding a detailed consultation with the telecom players. " supports reduction in licence fee and Spectrum Usage Charges...SUC should be reduced because money is being given by players in the auctions...they are making auction payments," the official said, adding that discussions will span various stakeholders in the industry like service providers, associations and others. The plans to formally write to the Ministry of Finance in the first half of January, post the meeting. Mobile operators as well as industry bodies like Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) and Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) will be present at the meeting slated for January 6, a source said. COAI had, last month, raised the issue of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) and sought cut in levies like licence fee and SUC during a meeting with Finance Minister The industry has also asked the government to create an infrastructure bank that will raise tax-free bonds, the proceeds of which can be used to lend to the companies at lower rates. COAI had also raised the issue of AGR and higher levies (like licence fee and SUC that are being paid by the industry) during the recent meeting. "We represented that they be brought down... We urged that licence fee which is currently at 8 per cent be lowered to about 3 per cent, and SUC which is presently at 5 per cent be brought down to 1 per cent... and to see if it could be done over an appropriate period of time," COAI Director General Rajan Mathews had said after the meeting held on December 20 at North Block. COAI had also asked the government to clear GST input tax credit dues worth about Rs 36,000 crore, while also seeking removal of the high import duties on telecom equipment. The upcoming meeting at is significant as the telecom industry is saddled with Rs 1.47 lakh crore in additional statutory dues in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling on AGR. Telecom companies owe the government Rs 92,642 crore in unpaid licence fee, and another Rs 55,054 crore in outstanding spectrum usage charges. According to government data, the liabilities in the case of Bharti Airtel add up to nearly Rs 35,586 crore, of which Rs 21,682 crore is licence fee and another Rs 13,904.01 crore is the SUC dues (excluding the dues of Telenor and Tata Teleservices). In the case of Vodafone Idea, this number stands at a cumulative Rs 53,038 crore, including Rs 24,729 crore of SUC dues and Rs 28,309 crore in licence fee. The remaining liability is with state-owned BSNL/MTNL and some of the shut/bankrupt telecom companies. The Supreme Court had allowed three months to the affected telcos to cough up the amounts due to the government, and the subsequently shot-off notices to players to pay their revenue share dues within the timelines stipulated by the court. Besides the telecom companies, the has also made it clear that the AGR order will apply to all licencees, including companies such as GAIL, RailTel and PowerGrid. As things stand today, such players, despite a smaller telecom exposure, may have to pay liabilities computed on their entire revenue. The had sent a letter to GAIL seeking Rs 1,72,655 crore in dues on IP-1 and IP-2 licences as well as Internet Service Provider (ISP) licence, and is seeking Rs 1.25 lakh crore from PowerGrid which had both a national long-distance as well as an internet licence. Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals (GNVFC) too has received a demand notice from the telecom department for payment of outstanding dues worth Rs 15,019 crore by January 23, 2020, pertaining to financial years from 2005-06 to 2018-19 in connection with VSAT and ISP licences held by the company. Reportedly had 'no idea' her page would be shared with their 10 million followers Michelle said she is 'extremely humbled' to be only account they're following The journalist behind the 'Good News Movement' Instagram page has revealed she feels 'extremely humbled' that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have featured her account. Michelle Figueroa, from Boston, is founder of the positive-news Instagram @goodnews_movement, which was followed by the @SussexRoyal account yesterday. She went on to share her own Instagram post, revealing: 'Extremely honored and humbled to learn that @SussexRoyal chose me for their monthly feature and that I am the only account they currently follow.' The fan account @_duchess_of_sussex claimed the journalist told them she had 'no idea' that the royals would be making her page their only featured account for the month. Michelle Figueroa, from Boston, revealed she felt 'extremely humbled' after Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, announced they would be featuring her Instagram account 'Good News Movement' yesterday The Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed they would be following the good news Instagram page yesterday and shared a post featuring the account Michelle shared her own Instagram post after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex followed her to express her excitement over the news. She said: 'This is a labor of love to show the good news in the World and to use this platform to inspire acts of kindness. 'Their support will only multiply our efforts and good news will reign. You all have been instrumental in growing this so I share this news as OUR accomplishment.' She added: 'What a way to start 2020.' Michelle shared a post saying she felt 'extremely honored and humbled' to be featured by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Instagram Meanwhile royal fan account @_duchess_of_sussex told her 246k followers she was having 'a nice conversation' with the journalist and claimed she had 'no idea' that the royals planned to feature her account. Revealing they were following the account yesterday, Prince Harry and Meghan said they wanted to 'shine a spotlight' on the @goodnews_movement. As part of their work in the New Year, they are choosing a different Instagram account each month to remind followers of 'all the good that is happening in the world.' Harry and Meghan's latest post on their official lnstagram account read: 'Happy New Year! For 2020 we will be continuing our tradition of highlighting accounts that inspire, and that remind us of all the good that is happening in the world. Meanwhile one royal fan account revealed Michelle had 'no idea' that the Duke and Duchess planned to follow her 'However, this time we will be focusing on just one account each month. For January, we would like to shine a spotlight on @goodnews_movement. 'This journalist run-page covers and celebrates acts of kindness and good news in our global community. We hope it brings you joy!' The goodnews_movement, which currently has 195,000 followers, describes itself as a journalist-run page for 'good news only' which celebrates community heroes and acts of kindness across the globe. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced yesterday they hoped to 'shine a spotlight' on the @goodnews_movement as they choose a different Instagram account each month to remind followers of 'all the good that is happening in the world.' Recent stories that it covers include plans by Greyhound to give homeless, young people free tickets to return home or to a safe place, as well as other stories about donations given to refuge shelters over the Christmas period. The account featured a story about Meghan in February 2019, sharing a post about her visit to Bristol charity One25 when she wrote empowering notes of support on bananas for sex workers. The Duke and Duchess rang in the New Year by hitting a staggering 10 million followers. Their Royal account broke a Guinness World Record when launching on April 2 last year. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont raked in $34.5 million over the last three months, setting a high fundraising bar as the crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates charges into 2020. Sanders announced the large total Thursday morning, noting, as he often has on the campaign trail, that the average donation was $18. In a tweet Wednesday, the senator said his campaign received a record 5 million contributions from well over 1.2 million people all across this country. That is more contributions from more people than any candidate, not just in this campaign, but in the history of American politics, Sanders said. We have the agenda that stands up for the working families in this country. Today, I am very proud to share with you some extraordinary news: our campaign has received more than 5 million individual contributions that is more contributions than any campaign has received at this point in a presidential election in the history of our country. pic.twitter.com/XsRHaVEEpT Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 1, 2020 Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said in a statement that the progressive senators grassroots movement had proved that working-class Americans are ready and willing to fully fund a campaign that stands up for them and takes on the biggest corporations and the wealthy. All told, Sanders raised $96 million in 2019, the most by any Democratic candidate and a formidable figure the campaign will emphasize to show Sanders potential for broad support against President Donald Trump, whos been a fundraising juggernaut with both large and small donors. As of mid-December, the Trump campaign had raised more than $165 million in the 2020 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets.com, the nonprofit, nonpartisan tracker of campaign finance. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced on Wednesday that his campaign raised almost $25 million in the final quarter of 2019, bringing the years total haul to more than $76 million. The mayor, whos targeted Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in recent debates and arguments over transparency and campaign finance, has risen in polls in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden have not yet announced their fundraising totals. Warren announced last week that her campaign looked to pull in $20 million, at least $3 million less than it had in the previous quarter. According to national polls, Biden remains the Democratic frontrunner, followed by Sanders, Warren and Buttigieg. In this photo from April, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn leaves Tokyos Detention Centre for bail in Tokyo (Kyodo News/AP/File) Having long protested his innocence, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn has committed a clear crime by jumping bail and can never return to Japan without going to jail. So he now has burnt his bridges to Japan, Stephen Givens, a lawyer and expert on Japans legal and corporate systems, said on Wednesday. This is going to end in basically a stalemate with him spending the rest of his life in Lebanon. How exactly Mr Ghosn fled surveillance in Japan and emerged in Lebanon, or who might have directed the dramatic escape, remains unclear. The Tokyo District Court revoked his bail, Japanese media reports said, meaning authorities would seize the 1.5 billion yen (10.5 million) Mr Ghosn had posted on two separate instances to get out of detention. Mr Ghosn was first arrested in November 2018, released and then rearrested. The court was closed for the New Years holidays on Thursday and could not be immediately reached for comment. I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japan's legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to upholdCarlos Ghosn Mr Ghosn had been out on bail while awaiting trial on various financial misconduct allegations. The trial was expected to start in April, though no date had been set. How the Japanese authorities might investigate Mr Ghosns escape and what action they might take on the apparent security lapses also remains unclear. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. Mr Ghosn, who is of Lebanese origin and holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports, disclosed his location in a statement through his representatives but did not say how he managed to flee Japan. He promised to talk to reporters next week. He said he wanted to avoid injustice and political persecution. I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japans legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to uphold, the statement said. Expand Close Carlos Ghosn: Details of his daring escape from Japan may be confirmed in a promised talk with reporters next week (Koji Sasahara/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Carlos Ghosn: Details of his daring escape from Japan may be confirmed in a promised talk with reporters next week (Koji Sasahara/AP) His lawyer Junichiro Hironaka denied all knowledge of the escape, saying he was stunned. He said he did not expect Mr Ghosn to return to Japan. When asked if Mr Ghosn had taken any of the documents being prepared for the trial, Mr Hironaka said he had not checked but said he doubted Mr Ghosn would care about a trial he had taken such pains to avoid. Japanese media reports said on Wednesday there were no official records of Mr Ghosns departure from the country, but a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. One report said he sneaked out from his Tokyo home hiding in a case for a musical instrument. Lebanons minister for presidential affairs, Selim Jreissati, told the An-Nahar newspaper that Mr Ghosn entered legally at the airport with a French passport and Lebanese ID. France has reacted with surprise and confusion, denying any knowledge. Speculation is rife that a foreign or Japanese government, or both, might have been involved, or maybe simply turned a blind eye to allow the escape and spare the public from a potentially embarrassing trial. With him missing, Mr Ghosns trial is suspended. But a trial is still pending against Nissan as a company and Greg Kelly, another Nissan executive. Mr Kelly, an American, has said he is innocent. Mr Kellys allegations overlap with those charges against Mr Ghosn related to the under-reporting of Mr Ghosns future compensation. Those charges are less serious than the additional breach of trust accusations against Mr Ghosn. Mr Ghosn has been charged with breach of trust in having Nissan shoulder his personal investment losses, and diverting payments in Saudi Arabia and Oman for personal gain. He has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up the charges to prevent a fuller merger between Nissan and alliance partner Renault SA. The former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram has said that if the government goes ahead with rolling out the Nation Population Register (NPR) on April 1 against the wishes of 10-12 states, it will bring down the growth rate (of the economy) further. In September quarter of the financial year 2019-20, the GDP growth slipped to a six-year low of 4.5 per cent. "CAA (Citizen Amendment Act) has created greater uncertainty. No economy will flourish if there is uncertainty in people's mind," Chidambaram told in an interview to Business Today. He says: "Investments will not happen; tourism has already taken a hit. Footfall in Taj Mahal has come down. If investments do not happen, jobs will not be created and social conflict will rise. You and me will start looking at each other with mutual suspicion. If social conflict and mutual suspicion rise, it will hurt the economy." ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi says NPR, NRC will be more disastrous than demonetisation ALSO READ: NPR to be buried if 10 more states rebel against it: CPI (M) leader Prakash Karat CAA, which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, was passed by both the houses recently. Critics of the CAA have called it discriminatory as it specifically excludes Muslims from the said countries from getting Indian citizenship. The first round of NPR was started in 2010 by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). It was later upgraded by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2015. According to Chidambaram, if the government rolls out the NPR across the states while a few states are resisting, there could be a constitutional crisis, particularly in those states. ALSO READ: Anti-CAA stir, economic slowdown drag down tourism sector ALSO READ: CAA & NRC IV: NPR has no independent existence; it exists only in the NRIC context "There could be law and order problem in many states with government servants showing resistance. For example, what will you do if state government employees refuse to do the NPR surveys in Tamil Nadu or Bengal. It's like Election Commission asking the state government officials to be polling officers and state government officials refusing to be so," he says. With so much conflict and confrontation, the economy will suffer, he adds. The former finance minister said that the real growth rate of the economy is hovering around 3 per cent and not 5 or 5.5 per cent. "The real growth of the economy comparable to the pre-methodology and pre-base change regime is perhaps about 3-3.5 per cent. This is not my view alone. Former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian feels the same," says Chidambaram. ALSO READ: Anti-CAA stir: In a first, Kerala passes resolution against Citizenship Amendment Act MUST WATCH: Chidambaram to BJP: 2020 NPR different from 2010 NPR Haiti - 216th Independence : Message from the King of Morocco Mohammed VI to President Moise On Wednesday, January 1, His Majesty King Mohammed VI sent a message to President Jovenel Moise, on the occasion of the 216th anniversary of the independence of Haiti. In this message, the Sovereign expresses to Jovenel Moise his warm congratulations and his best wishes for progress and prosperity to the Haitian people. His Majesty the King also takes this opportunity to express his firm determination to pursue joint action with the President of Haiti to consolidate the friendly relations between the two countries "By welcoming the relations of friendship, cooperation and active solidarity which bind our two countries, I would like to assure you of my firm determination to continue our common action with a view to raising these relations to the level of South-South cooperation strong and efficient, for the greater good of our two friendly peoples," writes the sovereign of Morocco. HL/ HaitiLibre New Delhi: Prompt action by quick-thinking CISF personnel saved the life of a passenger at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport on January 1. The passenger, Ashok Mahajan had passed out near the domestic security hold area late Wednesday night. Two CISF jawans rushed to his side and administered Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) without any delay which helped in reviving him. WATCH VIDEO HERE: #ServingNation #SavingLives Prompt response of #CISF personnel saved the life of a passenger namely Mr. Ashok Mahajan who got unconscious & fell down @ Delhi Airport. #CISF personnel Ct/GD Madhusudan & Ct/GD Manoj rushed to unconscious passenger & immediately gave CPR to him. pic.twitter.com/bszCPSgmDA CISF (@CISFHQrs) January 2, 2020 Mahajan was travelling to Udaipur with his group when the incident happened. One of the fellow travellers in his group was Achal Malhotra, a former diplomat. Malhotra praised the personnel for their quick action, saying, "CISF team was very quick to provide emergency medical procedure CPR. We are grateful to you Constable Madhusudan and Constable Manoj Kumar." Live TV Rajesh Ranjan Director General of CISF applauded the emergency action of the CISF jawans and assured that they will both be rewarded for their action. CHENGDU, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- For apple growers in southwest China's Sichuan Province, e-commerce has become the apple of their eye. "My apples are very sweet. I can send you some for free," 48-year-old Hu Xiuhong said over a video call to a customer. Hu lives in Yanyuan County of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. Hu could barely make ends meet just a few years ago. Now he has become a leader lifting his fellow villagers out of poverty. Yanyuan has long been impoverished due to its lack of arable land and resources. Owing to the mountainous landscape, most agricultural products have little chance of meeting the outside world. However, Liangshan has explored a way to sell products on e-commerce platforms to break the barriers of limited transportation and increase the incomes of poverty-stricken families. Hu was reluctant at first. "I would worry if it wasn't a face-to-face transaction," he said. He suffered from a lack of confidence as he was no longer young and didn't have much of an education. But he persisted. In 2015, his online shop opened. "I didn't know how to market my produce so I resorted to a simple way -- befriending anyone I met, sending them my online store link and giving them free apples," he said. During the first year Hu added 80 WeChat friends and sold 10,000 kg of apples. Hu's quality apples have brought him unexpected sales. "Now I have over 3,800 friends on WeChat and my products sell well as regular customers bring me new customers," he said. He earns about 400,000 yuan (about 57,000 U.S. dollars) a year with the apples harvested on 2 hectares of land. He established a cooperative to bring more villagers to sell apples online. The annual sales soon exceeded 10 million yuan, padding the pockets of nearly a hundred poor families. Miyueha, head of the local commerce and investment promotion bureau, said about 60,000 people in Yanyuan work in the field of e-commerce. Online transactions totaled 1.3 billion yuan from January to November. In Lake Township of Liangshan's Xide County, farmers can sell their agricultural products to an e-commerce service station to be sold online. "In the past, I had to walk for hours while carrying peppers and potatoes to the nearest township to sell for almost nothing," said Adi Latie, who earned over 10,000 yuan this year via online sales. Not long ago, about 10,000 kg of peppers and 11,000 kg of buckwheat flour in six poor villages purchased by the e-commerce service station were snapped up online, bringing handsome incomes to 230 poor households. According to official statistics, the turnover of e-commerce in Xide has exceeded 168 million yuan this year, up 19 percent year on year. "The development of rural e-commerce not only improved people's incomes, but their lives too as more industrial products and necessities find a way to reach them," said Mei Yong, deputy head of Xide. New Mexico State Police suspect alcohol was a factor in a crash that killed an 18-year-old Rio Rancho man on New Years Day. Christian Martinez died in the crash that happened on Interstate 25 near San Felipe around 7 a.m., State Police said in a news release issued Thursday. Based on the initial investigation, a Cadillac driven by Martinez was headed south on I-25 near mile post 252 when it left the road and rolled. Martinez died at the scene from his injuries. A passenger, a 17-year-old girl also from Rio Rancho, was ejected and sustained injuries that arent believed to be life threatening, police said. She was taken to an Albuquerque hospital. Her condition is unknown. Alcohol is suspected in being a contributing factor to the crash, and seatbelts were not properly utilized, State Police said. Uday Kotak; $11.3 billion live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Only the fittest will survive the difficult financial sector landscape and the "consolidating" environment presents Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) growth opportunities, its head Uday Kotak said. In a New Year message to employees, Kotak urged everyone to be on the toes in the current environment where Charles Darwin's 'Survival of the Fittest' is most applicable and also gave examples of sectors like telecom, airlines, real estate and finance, where there have been troubles. "It is a great opportunity for Kotak to grow in an environment which is consolidating, he said. The well-capitalised private sector lender's name has constantly featured in speculation as the entity looking out for acquisitions. Possibly taking cue from the same, heads of its peers SBI and Axis Bank last month publicly said that KMB was the best suited to acquire troubled private sector lender Yes Bank. Both KMB and Yes Bank denied any such deal. Kotak, the bank's managing director and chief executive, also has to decrease his stake in the bank from the present levels of over 30 per cent. He had tried to do the same by using a sophisticated instrument in 2018, but the RBI refused to play the ball and the bank dragged the central bank to court. "As the financial sector goes through its throes, KMB must meet the challenges and take this opportunity to strengthen its position as a credible, high-quality, high on integrity, and value-based player in the system," Kotak said. In the message, he said good governance matters in a company or a country as well, and affirmed to adhere to the same as he builds the bank in the new decade. Accountability was also flagged out by Kotak as a key principle to be adhered to, with a nuanced take on freedom means. "Freedom is not the right to do what one wants to do - it is the responsibility to do what one ought to do," he said. He also exhorted employees to adopt a digital first approach in a changing world by focusing on faster turnaround times, technology and customer-first attitudes. Kotak also affirmed commitment to work on clean air and water, education and healthcare through its corporate social responsibility programme. Google's former global head of international relations claims he was pushed out of the company for trying to protect free expression and privacy in China. In a letter shared today, Ross LaJeunesse says that, after 11 years of working to protect human rights in China, he was told there was no longer a job for him as a result of "reorganization." He says the company has strayed from its "don't be evil" motto, and rather than take a lesser role, he's leaving to run for a Senate seat in Maine. LaJeunesse joined Google in 2008. In 2017, around the time Google was considering returning to China with a censored search engine, dubbed Project Dragonfly, LaJeunesse began lobbying to formalize Google's principles supporting free expression and privacy, The Washington Post reports. People like Kent Walker, Google's chief lawyer and head of policy, reportedly raised concerns that a formal commitment to human rights could increase Google's liability. LaJeunesse continued the work anyway, but he says senior executives always came up with a way to say no and that he was sidelined from conversations about whether to launch Project Dragonfly, which Google officially closed last year. He also claims workplace culture did not support diversity internally. In a statement provided to Engadget, Google spokeswoman Jenn Kaiser said: "We have an unwavering commitment to supporting human rights organizations and efforts. That commitment is unrelated to and unaffected by the reorganization of our policy team, which was widely reported and which impacted many members of the team. As part of this reorganization, Ross was offered a new position at the exact same level and compensation, which he declined to accept. We wish Ross all the best with his political ambitions." While LaJeunesse's claims could be an opportunistic play for attention as he prepares to run for Senate in Maine, where he is challenging Susan Collins, this is not the first time we've heard that Google does not support human rights or workplace diversity. The fact that such arguments have become political fodder for candidates suggests this isn't a problem that's going away anytime soon. For those who work in law enforcement, the holiday season is a time to get tough on drunk driving, and it appears their efforts paid off locally as the calendar turned from 2019 to 2020. In Albany County, the number of drunk driving arrests on New Years Eve fell from six last year to just three this year, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said. One of the arrests was made at 5 p.m. on Dec. 31, Apple noted. It's likely part of a larger trend that has seen the overall number of DWIs in the area shrink for several years, thanks to a combination of education, enforcement, training and the increased use of ride-hailing services. The number of drunken driving-related tickets issued in the 11-county greater Capital Region fell more than 25 percent in the past decade, from 11,416 tickets in 2009 to 8,455 tickets in 2018, according to the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research, a not-for-profit research center based at the University at Albany. The introduction of ride-hailing services has made the biggest impact in recent years, Apple said. The state legalized services like Uber and Lyft in June 2017. Its a huge, collaborative effort to keep the numbers down, Apple said. For the past few years, the county sheriffs office has partnered with the Capital District Transportation Authority and the Martin, Harding and Mazzotti law firm to help revelers find sober rides on New Years Eve. Those efforts have helped push the number of drunk driving arrests from 18 in 2016 to the three the sheriff's deputies made this year. The other two arrests they may New Years Eve were both of drivers with blood alcohol levels over 0.21 percent, Apple said. That's more that twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Were seeing fewer (drunk) drivers and higher BACs, Apple said. Both Uber and Lyft did not release any numbers on how many riders they served in the Capital Region on New Year's Eve. RELATED: GOP Assembly leader Brian Kolb charged with drunken driving Other local departments saw similarly low numbers of intoxicated drivers over the holiday. New York State Police in Troop G, which covers 10 counties around Albany, saw six DWI arrests and one DWAI arrest for drugs, Trooper Kerra Burns said. Last year troopers made 15 DWI arrests over New Years Eve. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Albany city police saw a single DWI arrest over the holiday, spokesman Steve Smith said. That was the same as last year. Both Rensselaer and Saratoga counties sheriff departments saw an increase after recording zero last year. The Rensselaer County Sheriffs department made two DWI arrests, Sheriff Pat Russo said. In Saratoga County there were three arrests, Sheriff Michael Zurlo said. Zurlo said he noticed the number of people using ride-sharing services in the county. Uber was out in full force throughout the county, including Saratoga Springs, he said. Last year in New York, from mid-December through New Year's Eve, over four thousand people were arrested for impaired driving, and officials issued 144,197 tickets for other reasons during the state's annual holiday drunk driving crackdown. Statewide numbers from the 2019 holiday season are not yet available. Then the night came to an abrupt end: They both called separate Ubers at the same time, expecting a few minutes to pass before their rides showed. But Coreys driver was just smoking a cigarette outside his car on the street and was like, Are you Corey? Get in. So it was rushed. We gave each other a hug, and I got in and then I was like, Oh! I dont have his number or any way to communicate with him! According to Austal, it is the only all-aluminium trimaran in service with any navy in the world. While Mr Morrisons gift fits in a glass case, the life-size version measures 127 metres in length and completed versions of it are already operating in US and Asian waters. An Austal-built littoral combat ship. Austal has contracts with the US Navy worth more than $US12 billion ($17.5 billion) to manufacture 19 of them. The company is about half way through the bulky contract work, with nine of the ships already delivered. "To have seen a company go from putting its toe in that particular water with commercial vessels 20 years ago, to a point where were the only foreign company in the world, ever, to prime contract ships for the United States Navy is an enormous achievement in a relatively small period of time," Singleton tells The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. Its not a bad outcome for a business established in Perth in 1988 with the goal of building aluminium boats for the crayfishing industry. It then evolved into a builder of aluminium ferries and has pioneered the multi-hull ferry market. In the three decades since its establishment, the company has grown into a global high-speed boat building business with operations in Australia and the US, as well as the Philippines, Vietnam and China following an aggressive expansion into Asia over recent years. I suppose it almost felt like it was the final accolade in what has been a tremendously successful program. Austal chief executive David Singleton While the US Navy is a major customer, it has also manufactured boats for other navies including the Royal Australian Navy. "Theres no question in our mind that the company is in its strongest position ever. Partly because it has now fully consolidated its position in the US, after a major investment in new facilities there made a decade ago," Mr Singleton said. Loading "Our approach in Asia has not been just to set up some shipyards there, but to really gain access to those markets. Initially by building commercial ships in Asia ... but to use that as a way of doing more military work in Asia as well," he noted. The companys global position might now be very sound, but the growth has not come without significant headaches. Austals shares are now riding a wave of support, trading at about the $4 mark shortly before Christmas. In November the stock hit a record high of $4.99. But the stocks trajectory hasnt always been upward over the past decade. In 2011 the company's average share price was $2.048, but by late 2012 it was bumping along at between 50 and 60. And for the 2012-13 financial year its average share price was a whisker under 80. In 2012, Austal had to undertake a capital raising to repair its balance sheet and reduce indebtedness. The company raised $78 million in the process, overwhelmingly from investors who took $65 million of stock in the institutional component of the offer. Austal needed the money because its work building the first of its Expeditionary Fast Transport vessels for the US Navy was costing it a lot more than anticipated. And, in late 2015, Austal gave an update to investors about margin pressure associated with its littoral combat ship program. An Austal Cape Class vessel built for Australian Border Force. A few months later, in July 2016, Austal told the market it expected to book an earnings loss of up to $116 million for the 2016 financial year, after it wrote down the value of its work in progress on the combat ship program by a hefty $156 million. Design changes had to be made to the vessel to boost its ability to survive a close blast, pushing up construction costs. A more recent setback for the company, which currently has a market capitalisation of about $1.4 billion, came in January 2019, when it said that the Australian Securities and Investments Commission was investigating announcements it had made about its earnings from the combat ship program. The company's US operations are also being investigated by US authorities. Asked about the investigations, Mr Singleton said he is "very comfortable" with it. "I always fall back on something that I know to be absolutely true about this company, it is ethical and honestly run. I dont know if weve made a mistake here or there, but Im crystal clear that no one will find anything substantial of embarrassment to the company here, because our culture just doesnt match that kind of thing," he said. As with any investment in a stock, its all about the timing. For those who bought Austal shares almost a decade ago in 2010 and hung onto them the investment has paid handsome dividends. But it would have been a test of patience as they endured some choppy waters along the way. One investor that has done well out of Austal is contrarian investment fund Allan Gray, which until recently owned close to 20 per cent of the companys shares. It now holds less than one per cent of the shipbuilder's stock. The fund first bought in to Austal in about 2011, when Austal was trading "in the mid $1s", according to chief investment officer Simon Mawhinney. "And 2012 was a terrible, terrible year for Austal, and it ended up falling spectacularly to below $1 and it ended up needing to recapitalise its balance sheet. "It was a terrible investment for us for the first few years of our existence on its register. (But) theres a lot of things that attracts us to a company like Austal, they have a very good product with respect to their aluminium hull boats and the IP [intellectual property] that surrounds these things. And theyre a very entrepreneurial company," he noted. It was a terrible investment for us for the first few years of our existence on its register. Simon Mawhinney, chief investment officer with Allan Gray "Theres very little that they do that isnt very long-term focussed. And so they dont pander towards the short-termism that we fund managers often force, unfortunately, management and boards to do. And they just happen to be at a point in the cycle where their ships have been highly sought after," he said. Crucial to the companys strong recovery, notes Singleton, has been "getting the US to operate in the way that it should be operating, and thats been long hard work. And the US people have done a great job in doing that." Loading Austal's boss, who used to lead Poseidon Nickel, also cited the contribution from the improved profitability of the manufacturers operations outside of the US. Industrial analyst with Hartleys, Oliver Stevens, has a neutral rating on Austal shares and a $4.05 price target. While military-related work is a crucial plank of Austals workload, it is also winning orders to build large, fast commercial ferries for companies around the world. Its most recently awarded contract was a $136 million deal, announced in October, to build a 115 metre high speed catamaran for the Danish company Molsinjen. Disney shares were on the rise to kick off 2020 after some Wall Street analysts estimated significant growth from its new streaming service and recommended clients keep buying the stock. Disney+ will attract 25 million users by the end of the first quarter, Rosenblatt Securities analyst Bernie McTernan said in a note Wednesday, citing his firm's survey of video users. He previously estimated that figure to be 21 million subscribers. "Awareness of the service and penetration of respondents has continued to trend higher throughout our surveys," he said. McTernan reiterated a $175 price target and a buy rating on Disney, and added that the growth of Disney+ may be pulling some users away from Netflix. Disney stock closed up 2.5% Thursday at $148.20 a share. The stock jumped more than 31% in 2019. "For Disney+ subscribers, 29% indicated they unsubscribed from another streaming service as a result of subscribing to Disney+, and 9% specifically indicating they unsubscribed to Netflix," McTernan said. Disney has not disclosed subscriber numbers since the launch of Disney+ in November when the company said it signed up a whopping 10 million subscribers in one day. Disney has said it will not disclose new numbers until its quarterly report in February. Last month, however, independent app-tracking company Apptopia reported Disney+ mobile downloads of 22 million and said the app has averaged 9.5 million daily active mobile users, ranking in the top spot in Apple and Google's app stores. The U.S. Army and Navy have banned social networking app Tik Tok from all government-owned phones, according to a report on tech website The Verge. The app, which is owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company, is considered a cyber threat, according to Lt. Robin Ochoa, an Army spokeswoman. A lawsuit filed in U.S District Court for the Northern District of California in November charged that TikTok clandestinely has vacuumed up and transferred to servers in China vast quantities of private and personally-identifiable user data that can be employed to identify, profile and track the location and activities of users in the United States now and in the future. In addition, Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) previously requested that intelligence officials investigate Tik Tok to determine if it poses security risks to the U.S. A Bloomberg report from Dec. 23 said that ByteDance is exploring a sale of its stake in Tik Tok in the wake of the controversy, but the company dismissed the report A Dec. 30 posting on Tik Toks website defends the company, saying that while it takes any request from government bodies extremely seriously and is dedicated to assisting law enforcement in appropriate circumstances, it also respects the privacy and rights of our users. STURBRIDGE Facing the same challenges drawing audiences in todays busy world, Old Sturbridge Village and Coggeshall Farm Museum in Rhode Island have teamed up to better present life in the rural New England of yesteryear. We are definitely similar in terms of the mission, said Old Sturbridge Village President and CEO Jim Donahue, who will also serve as executive director of Coggeshall Farm. Its audience building. How do you get people to come? The competition for the leisure time of the family has increased. I see this partnership as an opportunity to drive visitors from Old Sturbridge Village to Coggeshall and drive visitors to Coggeshall to Old Sturbridge Village. Donahue said visitors can expect package deals and for membership benefits to transfer between the two institutions. He thanked the boards at both institutions, which will remain separate. Coggeshall Farm, a 48-acre portion of a state park in Bristol, recreates life on a 1790s Rhode Island salt-marsh farm. Its about a 90-minute drive from Old Sturbridge Village and was founded in 1973. The Coggeshall Farm Museum sees about 10,000 visitors annually, while Old Sturbridge Village brings in over 260,000 in an average year. Old Sturbridge Village, first opened in 1946, recreates life in a rural New England village anytime from 1790 to 1840. On 200 acres, Old Sturbridge Village has more than 40 historic homes and other buildings. The board at Coggeshall approached Old Sturbridge Village nearly a year ago. That board had lost its executive director in December 2018 and thought that simply filling the position was not the best idea moving forward, Donahue said. Instead, Coggeshall will pay Old Sturbridge Village the money it would have paid in an executive directors salary: $60,000 a year. And the staff at Old Sturbridge Village will take over management and back-office operations like marketing, accounting, human resources and fundraising. In the past, one executive director at Coggeshall was in charge of all that and had to shovel the snow in the winter, Donahue said. We have people here at Old Sturbridge Village who can devote a little bit of their time each week to those functions. It is a challenge at living history institutions like Old Sturbridge Village and Coggeshall to recruit a staff of interpreters. The museums need experts in trades like tinsmithing or cooking over an open hearth who are also engaging to the public and adept at presenting that knowledge. Donahue said visitorship at Old Sturbridge Village was up about 4% in 2019 from the year before. He said the increase is largely due to holiday programs. This years Christmas programs drew 27,000 people. In his first year at old Sturbridge Village in 2007, the event drew about 3,000. What we have tried to do is look at things that were popular and bring things back and make them profitable, Donahue said. There will be a new Halloween program next year. Cabinetmaking is also coming back, with a replica cabinet shop on the Common expected to open before the museums 75th anniversary in June 2021. Its also getting a replica piggery for the 75th anniversary so visitors can learn about pork farming in the 19th century. Old Sturbridge Village already has a $75,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to revamp its interpretation program. "Our interpretation program hasn't been updated in 40 years," he said. "There has been so much historical research since then. We really want to bring that to our visitors." A major part of the update will be enhancing the museums presentation of the lives women led at that time. Donahue also said hes in the process of applying for a six-figure grant, also from the National Endowment for the Humanities, that will help Old Sturbridge Village better present the lives of nonwhite populations. We want to look at all the people who were living in rural New England in the period 1790 to 1840 and how to interpret their lives for our visitors, he said. That includes Native Americans. That includes African Americans. While Coggeshall Farm Museum isnt part of the grants and new programming plans, work in research and interpretation at Sturbridge will inform the programs at Coggeshall, Donahue said. Agreement to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland can be reached in the short term, Sinn Fein has insisted. Newry and Armagh MLA Conor Murphy made the comment following the first roundtable discussion of the new year after the talks were paused for the festive period. He told media he sees no need to draw the talks out until the January 13 deadline. The latest process, which was initiated in the wake of the UK general election, was paused over the festive period after a pre-Christmas deal failed to materialise. Secretary of State Julian Smith, Tanaiste Simon Coveney and the local parties returned to Stormont House this morning to resume the effort. Talks to restore a devolved government in Northern Ireland have resumed today at Stormont House. pic.twitter.com/1sSOEZxpgp Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) January 2, 2020 The Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein held separate meetings with Mr Smith, before a roundtable with the other Stormont parties and the Irish Government. Further bilateral meetings are expected to continue throughout the day. Mr Murphy said the first roundtable meeting had lasted 30-45 minutes. We think agreement can be reached in short order, we dont see any need to run this down to the wire to January 13 in some kind of dramatic way, he said. The issues that we are dealing with are all well rehearsed, what we need now is political will to get down to resolving very very quickly and that is going to be our focus in the next day or two. He said agreement remained to be reached on a number of issues. Mr Murphy outlined some of the issues where agreement remains to be reached. There are obvious ones around language provision, the petition of concern and its usage, but there are also issues this afternoon which will be talked out around programme for government, financial resources available to any new Executive, he said. This place cant function if we cant deliver for public services, we cant just sit here and be an instrument of Tory austerity. We have to have sufficient public resources to be able to deliver services which recognise the particular circumstances in this part of Ireland and the difficulties we face. There are a range of issues which will be discussed in the next couple of days. None of them, I dont think, need to be exhausted ad infinitum, we need to be bring this to an conclusion. There are pressures continuing to mount in relation to public health, health services and the treatment of staff in the health service. We need to get back working again so we can fix those as quickly as possible. From this morning a number of protesters stating their opposition to an Irish Language Act being included in any potential deal set up camp outside the talks venue holding aloft union flags. Three years on from the collapse of the devolved government, the Stormont parties have until a January 13 deadline to strike a deal to revive the institutions. On that date, legislation to give civil servants additional powers to run Northern Irelands struggling public services expires and Mr Smith will assume a legal obligation to call a snap Assembly election. The latest push to restore powersharing broke up the week before Christmas, with UK and Irish governments singling out the DUP as the party standing in the way of a deal. The party rejected the claims, insisting it would not be bounced into a quick fix that falls apart when tested. Devolution can only be restored once the DUP and Sinn Fein the North's two largest parties agree terms to re-enter a mandatory coalition executive in Belfast. The other three main parties the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance are also involved in the talks process convened by the UK and Irish Governments. While they could take positions in any new executive, their sign-off on a deal is not essential and a government could be formed in their absence, with those parties having the option of going into opposition. Expectations of a breakthrough rose after the DUP and Sinn Fein both suffered bruising results in the British general election. With many interpreting the outcome as a public judgment on the parties failure to do a deal, stalled efforts to restore the institutions appeared to gain fresh momentum in December. However, proposals to reform a contentious cross-community voting mechanism in the Assembly have emerged as a key sticking point in efforts to finalise an agreement, with the DUP unhappy about what is being countenanced. The DUP is also seeking changes to ensure the devolved institutions are more stable in future and cannot be readily pulled down. Proposed legislative protections for Irish language speakers are another crucial element of the negotiations. The Stormont parties are also seeking firm commitments from the UK Government on a financial package to accompany the return of devolution money that would likely be targeted at the North's crisis-hit health service. Mr Smith and Mr Coveney were in Belfast on New Years Day for pre-talks discussions ahead of the resumption of formal exchanges with the political parties. Mr Coveney urged the parties to show leadership and generosity. He said the new year offered a chance for a new beginning and urged all sides not to disappoint the public again. The leaders of the DUP and Sinn Fein used their respective new year messages to restate a desire to return to government. DUP leader Arlene Foster said her party stood ready to restore devolution through a fair and balanced deal. A Northern Ireland that is going to keeping moving forward must be one where everyone feels at home but must also be one where no one feels their culture is being marginalised, she said. While Ms Foster warned that a focus on a potential border poll would lead to a wasted decade, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald insisted a united Ireland was within reach. There is no contradiction in working for Irish unity and working for the restoration of the Executive and Assembly they are all part of the Good Friday Agreement. The outstanding issues can be resolved. The time for acrimony and division is over. The time for slogans and soundbites is over. The test now for every party that has talked up getting back to work is to go back to the Executive table and deliver. Stormont imploded three years ago this month when the late Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest at the DUPs handling of a botched green energy scheme. That dispute soon widened to encompass traditional rifts over issues such the Irish language and the toxic legacy of the Troubles. A logjam over proposals to reform the petition of concern voting mechanism was one of the main reasons a deal failed to materialise before Christmas. It was designed to protect minority rights but politicians have accused each other of misusing it for their own ends. Discussions around change are focused on making it more difficult for one party to use the petition to block controversial legislation. The parties are also considering amending Assembly rules to make it harder to collapse the institutions. T he arrival of a new year brings promises of change: fresh calendars to start filling with plans and best intentions to do things differently this year, or decade even. Along with the classic resolutions exercise more, spend less money tech-focused resolutions are becoming part of the norm. Whether you want to have a better relationship with your phone or finally launch your start-up idea, this is what the experts recommend for achieving digital success in 2020. Resolution: Achieve Inbox Zero How to clear up your inbox this year / Krsto Jevtic / Unsplash Email overload is a problem for many of us and when it gets out of hand, its a productivity sap like no other, says Joshua Zerkel, head of global community at productivity platform Asana. Audrey Gelman, co-founder and CEO of womens club The Wing told The Cut that her assistant Penelope is in my inbox all day to colour-code her emails into 60 categories. For those without a Penelope, Zerkel recommends tidying things up so you only have emails you need. Decide on a shiny new process. I usually advise people to keep it simple: file, delete, forward or take immediate action. If an email doesnt serve you get it out of your life, delete it. Resolution: Up your security game Boring but necessary. Data by password manager Dashlane found that the average internet user has over 200 digital accounts. Can you keep abreast of 200 unique, secure passwords? Probably not. Start by getting a password manager: Dashlanes is a good one, or if you use an iPhone you can benefit from this on iOS. To make a strong password, Avasts senior VP of consumer security, Peter Turner says ensure its at least 16 characters and a mix of numbers, special characters and upper and lowercase letters. Its not just about protecting your accounts, but devices too. Computers, televisions and most devices connected to the internet ... ask you to consent to an update. Making sure you download the update as it fixes any security issues on your devices, he adds. Resolution: Spend less time on your phone The Google digital wellbeing dashboard breaks down how users are spending their time on devices / Google The introduction of Screen Time on iOS and digital wellbeing tools on Android showed us how long we spend on our phones. Now its time to hack it so your phone works for you, not the other way around. The best place to start is with spring cleaning, advises Rose La Prairie, Googles head of digital wellbeing. Turn off the notifications that arent useful, delete the apps you dont want and set up your home screen with the apps that you want to spend your time and energy on. If you are trying to read more in 2020 or practise a language, put those apps on your home screen so they are easy to reach for when you have downtime. One thing she predicts for this year is prioritising focus. I think well see more people carving out time to focus on a single task. Resolution: Launch your start-up Londons start-up scene is one of the best in Europe thanks to deep-pocketed investors, innovative founders and ground-breaking ideas. But how do you know when to launch your own venture? Louis Warner, COO at start-up accelerator Founders Factory, says there are a few things to do first. Understand which are the best markets to operate in and where can you solve a big enough problem. We know sustainability is a huge problem, which is attracting a lot of interest in investment capital. Once you have the problem, get cracking on the business plan what is the market, how big is it, how are you going to solve the problem and how will tech help you scale exponentially? It also helps to hit milestones with as little money as possible. What investors are looking for is that theres progress and a path towards a sustainable business. Resolution: Monetise your podcast There are now over 800,000 podcasts out there, so how is your bedroom operation going to compete? Acast recently launched Acast Open, so you can publish your show for free regardless of size. Sam Shetabi, Acasts UK content director says 15,000 weekly listens is usually the point when a podcast is ready for advertising. But its not just ads that bring in revenue. Live shows are great offline events you can do it in a room above a pub, or scale it up to a theatre and thats a great way of going about monetising. It helps if you have a great idea. Shetabi says hes seen a shift from episodes based on events to evergreen content listeners can enjoy any time. Like The Log Books an LGBT+ podcast which looks at the logbooks of the LGBT+ Switchboard, a helpline that has been running for years. Its a really open-minded idea, not just thinking about the issues of today but going back through history. When plastic was first invented in the world, it was considered as a boon, as it could help manufacturers produce goods the way they wanted without worrying about shape and size, while also keeping it cost-efficient. Reuters However, over the years, weve witnessed that it can do more harm than good, and now everyone is trying to limit the use of plastic to stop this catastrophe. Sadly it looks like the damage is done. Plastic, as well all know is not biodegradable. The particles just get smaller and smaller and it ends up landing everywhere -- even in our bodies. It is entering our body through water and the food we eat. And now, WWF (Worldwide Fund) with popular news agency Reuters has tried to give us a reality check by showing us how much plastic we are consuming on a weekly, monthly, six-monthly and yearly basis. They were able to illustrate this with the help of data derived from over 50 studies on ingestion of microplastics. In case you didnt know, microplastics are plastic particles which are smaller than five millimetres in size. Getty Images/Reuters According to the study, we consume 2000 tiny pieces of plastic every week -- weighing around five grams -- which is as much as a credit card or a water bottle cap. This much plastic can also easily fill a soup spoon. And out of this, 1769 particles are from water alone. The study also revealed that people consumed 182 particles through shellfish, 11 from salt and 10 from beer per week. Looking at monthly consumption, we manage to consume around 21 grams of plastic, which can halfway fill a rice bowl. In six months this number skyrockets to 125 grams -- as large as a bowl of cereal, and by the end of the year, you would have consumed 250 grams of plastic. Reuters In ten years time, it rises to a good 2.5 kilograms -- weighing as much as a lifebuoy. And by the time your life is over at 79 years, you would have consumed around 20 kilograms of plastic -- as much as two giant dust bins. Reuters Now you might be wondering what will so much plastic do to our body? In the words of Thava Palanisami of the Australia's University of Newcastle, who worked on the WWF study, All we know is that we are ingesting it and that it has the potential to cause toxicity. That is definitely a cause for concern. WWFs International director general Marco Lambertini said Not only are plastics polluting our oceans and waterways and killing marine life it's in all of us and we can't escape consuming plastics. Global action is urgent and essential to tackling this crisis. EAST LANSING, MI Unauthorized international transactions are showing up on some accounts at Michigan State University Federal Credit Union. It is unclear at this time how many Michigan residents were affected the data breach, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. Nessel urged MSUFCU customers to protect their accounts and quickly respond to notices regarding suspicious activity on their MSUFCU credit cards. This is another example of how fragile our information infrastructure is, and how vulnerable all of us are to cyber hacking, Nessel said. The credit union notified affected customers via phone, email or text on Wednesday, Jan. 1. Alerts were also posted to Facebook and Twitter. Customers are instructed to respond No to messages asking if suspicious activity was a transaction they had authorized. Customers will not be liable for unauthorized transactions. MSUFCU is working with its card processors to block fraudulent transactions before they happen, the Facebook post says. Members can monitor their own accounts using eAlerts, MSUFCUs mobile app or online. Members can also use the app to lock and unlock their cards for added protection. Unauthorized activity can be reported to 888-393-1172. Credit cards are being reissued immediately and can be picked up at branch locations. Members may have received messages notifying them of suspicious activity on their account. Suspicious activity is any... Posted by MSU Federal Credit Union on Wednesday, January 1, 2020 Free credit monitoring and identity protection will be made available for everyone affected by this data breach, the attorney generals release said. Stolen credit card information is on the more sensitive category for compromised personal information," Nessel said. She urges consumers to protect their information if they believe it has compromised: Find out what information was compromised and act accordingly. Pull your free credit report at annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877-322-8228. Put a fraud alert on your credit file. The Federal Trade Commission provides a checklist for this. Consider a security freeze on your credit file. Be alert to unsolicited calls or emails appearing to be from Capital One. Hang up, do not reply and call the number on your card. Phishing scams - calls, emails, or text messages that appear to offer protection - may actually be trying to get more data from customers. Take advantage of any free services being offered as a result of the breach. Use two-factor authentication on your online accounts whenever possible. For more information on what to do when your information has been compromised, review the Michigan Attorney Generals consumer alert on data breaches. READ MORE: Officials investigate Detroit firefighters group photo in front of burning home Donnie Wahlberg leaves $2K tip for 2020 tip challenge Sex offender allegedly sneaks into ice arena, exposes himself to minor Illnesses force U.P. hospital system to limit visitors Microsoft is taking action against a North Korean hacking group it calls "Thallium." A U.S. District Court issued a court order to the tech giant allowing it to take control of 50 web domains used by Thallium to hack into users' computers, the company said in a blog post on Monday. Hackers targeted U.S. officials, think tanks, university staff, people working on nuclear technology and members of peace organizations, most of whom were based in the U.S. but some of whom were in Japan and South Korea, the company said. Microsofts Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) and the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) have been tracking the group and discovered that they were operating a network of websites, domains and computers that they used to hack into victims' personal computers and gain access to their personal information. Thallium attempted to trick victims by sending phishing emails, or emails that look legitimate and convince the user to click on a link, which then allows hackers to compromise and install malware on users' computers, according to Microsoft. In one example, Microsoft shared an email that Thallium hackers sent to victims using an email address that appeared to be from "microsoft.com" but was actually from "rniscroft.com." By combining the letters "r" and "n" to appear as the "m" in Microsoft, hackers were attempting to trick users into clicking on a link that appeared to be from the U.S. tech giant, telling users that "unusual sign-in activity" had been detected on their accounts. The link would then redirect users to a website asking for their login credentials, which then allowed hackers access to computers and personal information. Thallium also installed malware called "BabyShark" and "KimJongRAT" on victims' devices, according to the post. Microsoft has taken similar action against hacker groups in Russia, China and Iran, the post notes. Related Articles Potential risks abundant, but growth expected to be stable For the Chinese economy, 2020 is going to be another tough year, albeit not that bad as 2019, as hidden risks and pressure from many fronts accrue to bite. Trade tensions with the US could still cast a dark shadow over the Chinese economy in 2020, even after Chinese and US officials have recently reached a phase one trade agreement, according to a list of black swan incidents this year published by Chimerica Communications, a Washington-based consultancy that focuses on Chinese companies. Given the hostile approach from Washington toward Beijing, tensions between the world's two largest economies could linger and even escalate, with the tariff and technology war wading into more areas such as consumer goods and services, Chimerica said in the report. Apart from slapping unilateral tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of Chinese products, the US has also engaged in a global crackdown on Chinese technology firms and blatant interference in China's internal affairs. Many Chinese analysts predict that tensions will linger even after the phase-one trade agreement is signed, which is reportedly set to be inked later this month. This year is also an election year when US politicians tend to be more hostile toward China. Other potential black swan events in 2020 that could have some negative impact on the Chinese economy include persistent turmoil in Hong Kong, tensions between North Korea and the US and recession for the global economy, according to Chimerica. All these events may not be directly linked to the Chinese economy, but they could exert extra pressure, it said. All these risks exist on top of domestic challenges already faced by the world's second-largest economy. Domestically, one of the biggest challenges is employment, according to Liang Haiming, chairman of China Silk Road iValley Research Institute. "We need to resolve the jobs issues for about 12 million people this year," Liang told the Global Times on Wednesday. Apart from jobs, persistent downward pressure from a structural transformation and declining trade due to a slowing global economy could also pose serious challenges for Chinese policymakers in 2020. Still, Li Daxiao, chief economist at Shenzhen-based Yingda Securities, said that China still has many tools to stabilize growth in the face of all the risks and challenges. "There will be many policy measures in 2020," Li told the Global Times on Wednesday, referring to more fiscal spending and monetary ease. "I think we could keep a 6 percent GDP growth this year, if all the policies are well implemented," Li said, adding that more measures are needed to help businesses, as they face difficulties in raising funds. The People's Bank of China (PBC), China's central bank, announced on Wednesday that it would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR), cash that commercial banks are required to hold as reserves at the central bank, by 50 basis points starting on January 6 to boost market liquidity. This is the first RRR cut this year, but the eighth since early 2018. In anticipating potential risks and challenges, Yi Gang, governor of the PBC, said in his New Year's remarks on Tuesday that China has the resolve and confidence to deal with potential black swan and grey rhino incidents, which are neglected threats that could have a huge impact. Yi also stroke a more positive tone in the remarks. "In a world undergoing changes unprecedented in a century, both challenges and opportunities exist. It is more of an opportunity than a challenge," he said. 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. Meerut, Jan 2 : The Uttar Pradesh Police have released a video clip which shows that protesters in Meerut had planned to set on fire about 30 policemen and Rapid Action Force (RAF) jawans who were inside a shop. The incident took place at Lisadi Gate on December 20 when the protesters locked the shop from outside and set it on fire. However, SSP Ajay Sahni reached the spot on time and brought out the cops. The protesters fired on the cops in which two RAF jawans were injured. A local journalist was also injured. The police said that a case had been registered and efforts were on to identify the accused. Flags come in different colors, and even different sometimes shapes. Both black and white are common flag colors. The two colors symbolize many things depending on their significance in a given country. In most African countries the black color represents the inhabitants while in Arabian countries, black is part of the Pan-Arab colors which also include red, green, and white. White on most flags symbolizes purity, peace, righteousness, friendliness, and innocence. Interestingly, no country in the world has a black and white flag. Most countries have a third color besides the two. However, certain regions and cities have purely white and black flags. Here are a few of such flags: Brittany Brittany, a region in northwest France, is one of the world's territories that boasts a black and white flag. The unofficial flag of Brittany comprises of nine horizontal bars alternating white and black with a black stripe at the top, and an ermine canton on the upper corner of the hoist side. The five black stripes are for the traditional French-speaking dioceses while the four white stripes stand for the Bretton speaking dioceses. The flag is mainly used by separatists and cultural associations and can also appear anywhere including public buildings. Cornwall Cornwall is a county located in South West England and bordered by the Celtic Sea and the English Channel to the east and south respectively. As a county in England, the design of its flag, known as Saint Pirans Flag, resembles the countrys flag with the only difference being the choice of color. Unlike the English flag that has a white background and a red cross, this flag has a black background with a white cross on it. The origin of Saint Pirans flag is not quite clear with other sources claiming that it may have been designed around 1188. The flag is mainly hoisted on most buildings in Cornwall and flown during Cornish gatherings. Silver Fern The silver fern flag is the unofficial flag of New Zealand. This flag consists of a white fern on a black background. The silver fern is a species of fern tree endemic to New Zealand and often recognized by the silver-white color underneath a mature frond. Therefore, silver fern is considered as one of the national symbols and is incorporated in the countrys coat of arms and one dollar coin. The silver fern flag was featured in the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow when the New Zealand athletes competed under the countrys Olympic Committee. Jolly Roger The Jolly Roger refers to a pirate flag that was flown whenever a pirate ship is about to launch an attack. The flag design consists of a black background with a white skull and crossbones at the center. The flag was used by(mostly British) pirates throughout the 1700s. The skull and crossed bones were meant to warn of pending fetal attack. New Delhi, Jan 2 : Amid the uproar over the deaths of children in a hospital in Rajasthan's Kota district, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi summoned party in-charge in the state Avinash Pande on Thursday, and also sought an explanation from Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Pande met Sonia Gandhi and briefed her about the situation in Kota. An upset Gandhi has asked why no steps were taken when the children were dying. After meeting Sonia, Pande said: "Sonia ji wanted to know the reasons of the deaths. It is a very sad situation and the Chief Minister has been asked to act on the report. The BJP allegation is untrue as the inquiry is on and those responsible will be punished." Facing criticism from various quarters Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot tweeted on Thursday: "I welcome specialist delegation of Central government and the state is committed to make Rajasthan 'Nirogi'. The government is sensitive towards the death of the children and there should be no politics into it, and in Kota the mortality rate has come down." Gehlot also said that when he was in power in 2011, he had got the ICU unit installed in the hospital. Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma in his defence said that the children brought to the hospital were in critical condition and despite efforts they could not be saved while those who were less critical were saved. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has attacked Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. Mayawati said: "It is very sad that the Congress General Secretary is keeping mum on the deaths of 100 children in the Kota hospital. It would have been better if like Uttar Pradesh, she would have met the mothers of the children who have died in the hospital, due to the apathy of the government of her party in the state. Mayawati further said that the attitude of the Gehlot government in Rajasthan was condemnable as it has mismanaged the situation, causing the death of 100 children in Kota, and still remains irresponsible and unsympathetic to the situation. ASI calls for moratorium on issue of new cement plants in Indonesia 02 January 2020 The Indonesian cement industry has called on the government for a moratorium on issuing construction permits for new cement plants for the next five years as the local market has an excess of 25Mta of capacity. As reported in the local press, Widodo Santoso, chairman of the Indonesia Cement Association (ASI) said: "This is a warning to the government, and here it refers to the Investment Co-ordination Agency (BKPM). Until 2024, it's best that no new construction permit will be issued for new cement plants." Published under DoD to Immediately Deploy 750 More Soldiers to Middle East After US Embassy Attack in Iraq - Esper Sputnik News 03:30 01.01.2020(updated 05:03 01.01.2020) On Tuesday Iraqi protesters set on fire the outside fence of the US Embassy in the capital of Baghdad, reportedly in response to American airstrikes against the Iraqi Shia Kata'ib Hezbollah militia. US officials were quick to claim that Iran had orchestrated the demonstration. US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper tweeted Tuesday that, at "the direction of the Commander in Chief", he had authorized the immediate deployment of additional forces to the Middle East to mitigate what he characterized as "increased threat levels against" American personnel. Esper also said that an infantry battalion from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) would be deployed. Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump threatened Iran, after protesters attacked the US embassy in Baghdad in response to American strikes on Shia militia targets. The Iranian Foreign Ministry dismissed the "empty" accusations of the Trump administration, and called on the White House to cease its "destructive policies" in the Middle East. As many as 4,000 US servicemen are reportedly on standby for possible deployment to the region, Fox News said, adding that hundreds of paratroopers are already en route to the region. According to the media report, at least 5,000 soldiers are currently stationed in Iraq, assisting the Baghdad security forces. US forces in the region number around 60,000, according to Fox News. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The fashion industry is probably one of the most competitive ones out there. But, while big brands seem to be dominating the scene and grabbing the attention of the everyday consumer, theres an increasing number of small fashion brands that are gaining a competitive edge. These brands are successfully fighting for their share of the market and slowly but steadily leaving a significant impact on the industrys evolution. Lets explore how they are doing it and what makes them stand out. They establish honest and meaningful relationships with their customers The one thing large fashion brands cant claim to be doing all that well is forging honest and deep relationships with their customers. After all, how could they, when their customers are numbered in the millions or hundreds of thousands. What a smaller brand can afford to do is get to know their buyers better: what kinds of styles they like, what sizes theyre looking for, what occasions they shop for, what colors suit them best, and so on. With this kind of insight, theyre able to market themselves accordingly. As we all prefer to shop where weve had pleasant experiences, this level of personalization is certainly an edge to contend with. They put on more creative fashion shows and pop-ups While a large brand is usually showcased on the runway, a small brand has unlimited resources to be creative and do something unique, memorable, and even experimental. Pop-up shops and impromptu flash mob fashion shows are much better suited to a smaller indie brand than a large high-street store. And shoppers love seeing a different approach to street fashion and modeling. For example, a smaller brand might set up a variety of male mannequins to line a high-traffic street near their headquarters, directing passersby to their new line. Not something a large corporation will be often seen doing. They can afford to be more niche While a large brand is often conditioned to appeal to larger market segments and they aim to make more sales with each quarter, theyre not always varied enough for the shopper with a more unique and individualistic taste. For all of those looking to wear something different and something theyre not likely to spot on a person walking down the same street, smaller fashion brands provide the perfect solution. With a limited number of pieces, and often with much more variety and creativity at their disposal, these brands can offer products no one else is likely to match. In a time of fast fashion and cheap mass production, this is an incredible advantage. They can honestly say social media is their ally Instagram is truly the best friend and ally of a smaller fashion brand. It offers affordable advertising options that can reach precisely the kinds of customers theyre looking for, and as online shopping becomes more and more popular, this saves them the need to have their own brick-and-mortar store. This significantly cuts down on the cost of running a business, making it much easier to invest in better materials and the actual craftsmanship of their pieces. Social media is becoming the perfect tool at the disposal of creatives and those just starting out in the industry, enabling them to form active virtual hubs to promote their products and brand across multiple channels, with as little effort as possible. Final thoughts The world of fashion has always been the home of those more creative, more out there, and those ready to dream bigger and be more daring than others. While its true that larger brands are often focused on other aspects of running a business, smaller brands have the luxury of focusing on the craft and on the customer. This makes them the preferred choice of many modern consumers looking to express themselves through their style. (Alliance News) - Sound Energy PLC said on Thursday it remains in discussions with the Moroccan government for the sale of natural gas production from the Tendrara concession in eastern Morocco. Sound Energy said it is in the process of agreeing an amendment with the authorities to extend the negotiation period until March 31. Back in October, Sound Energy entered a memorandum of understanding with Morocco's state power firm Office National de l'Electricite et de l'Eau Potable. Under the accord, the two agreed to work together to enter into a gas sales agreement before the end of 2019. The memorandum signed in October covers the first 48.4 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas production, with arrangements for further production to be negotiated in the final gas sales agreement. It also includes a fixed unitary price for a minimum annual volume of 29.0 million cubic feet per day, which once implemented will result in first year gross revenue attributable to the Tendrara concession of USD84 million. The proposed gas sales agreement will cover future production from the Tendrara concession in the east of the North African country. Shares in Sound Energy were trading 7.7% lower at 1.89 pence per share on Thursday morning in London. By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. A barricaded gunman has surrendered peacefully after an eight-hour standoff at a West Bloomfield Township hotel. West Bloomfield police received a 911 call from a guest at the Hampton Inn, 33096 Northwestern Highway, who heard a woman screaming at about 2 a.m. Wednesday, New Years Day. Police responded to the hotel and observed a woman running naked in the hotel lobby, said Deputy Chief Curt Lawson. She told police her husband had beaten her and that he had a handgun, Lawson said. Police attempted to make contact with him, which was unsuccessful until about 3 a.m. He then refused to come out of the room and police called in crisis negotiators from a team made up of West Bloomfield and Novi officers. He came out of the room, unarmed, at about 10 a.m., Lawson said. He never threatened the police, he just didnt want to come out, Lawson said. The man is in the custody of the West Bloomfield police. He will likely be charged with domestic violence. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment of her injuries. Both husband and wife were intoxicated, Lawson said. SEE ALSO: Bloomfield Hills man named ambassador to Morocco Oakland County records 20 homicide cases in 2019 Overcrowding at Naas General Hospital reached near record levels during 2019. The number of patients treated on trolleys having entered the hospital through the accident and emergency department rose to 4,206 for the year. This is an increase of 450 on the overcrowding figure for 2018. Read more County Kildare news According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, which compiles overcrowding figures from all of the public hospitals in Ireland, this is the second worse annaul figure for the hospital since it began monitoring overcrowding 13 years ago. Some 4409 patients were admitted on trolleys in 2001 A total of 1854 patients had no bed at Portlaoise Hospital during the year and the figure for Tullamore Hospital was 3,344. The INMO points to understaffing and a lack of capacity as key drivers of overcrowding. There are 411 fewer in patient beds in Irelands hospitals today than a decade ago, despite a larger, older population. INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: Things are getting worse, not better. These figures should be falling, but were going in the wrong direction. 2019 saw thousands more patients without proper beds often at one of the most vulnerable points in their lives. Overcrowding used to be a winter problem. Now its an all-year problem, which gets worse in winter. WHO excludes emergence of deltacron strain Indian Defense Minister tests positive for COVID-19 NEWS.am daily digest: 10.01.22 Pashinyan appoints Hayk Mkrtchyan as Deputy Governor of Kotayk province Blast in eastern Afghanistan kills nine children Pashinyan: One of key priorities of Armenia presidency at CSTO is strengthening of crisis response mechanisms Internet cut off in Kazakhstan Armenia, Kazakhstan ombudspersons confer on Armenian communitys rights Armenia, Russia defense ministers discuss Kazakhstan Turkey defense minister meets with their envoy in process of normalization of Armenia relations Iranian Foreign Ministry reports progress in Vienna negotiations Dollar continues going up in Armenia New attempt by migrants in Belarus to storm Poland border Skat Airlines resumes Yerevan-Aktau and Aktau-Yerevan flights New Covid-related restrictions to be introduced in Armenia Karabakh police: Firefighters also targeted by Azerbaijan shooting (PHOTOS) Artsakh Defense Army has not fired on Azerbaijan positions Azerbaijani military are protesting amid military awards deprivation Azerbaijanis open fire in Nagorno-Karabakh Karabakh MFA: Events in Kazakhstan are result of actions planned by Turkey Armenia army General Staff has new deputy chief Australia to buy US $ 2.5 billion of armored vehicles Artsakh emergency service: Search for soldiers remains continued during holidays Kazakh Colonel Nazanov dies after heart attack Australia begins to vaccinate children aged 5-11 with COVID-19 vaccine Putin: Peacekeeping contingent to stay in Kazakhstan for a limited period Armenia 2nd-President Kocharyan v. premier Pashinyan lawsuit court session is closed Azerbaijan commandos conduct military exercises Part of the Great Wall of China collapsed due to earthquake Armenia MP: Turkey, Azerbaijans regional calculations have mixed up Copper prices decline Armenia ex-President Kocharyan v. PM Pashinyan lawsuit trial resumes Gold is getting cheaper EU is ready to support in addressing Karabakh crisis 126 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Fire in residential building in New York leaves 19 people killed National Center for Infectious Diseases Yerevan branch employees protesting outside center Karabakh President: Radical Pan-Turkic circles are actively involved in process in Kazakhstan Oil is getting more expensive Mars helicopter Ingenuity preparing for difficult 19th flight Interior ministry: About 8,000 people detained in Kazakhstan Earthquake hits Armenia-Azerbaijan border zone Researchers create substitute for egg whites from fungus Kazakhstan official information channel removes message about 164 casualties EC says construction of new nuclear power plants in Europe will require 500 billion in investment Ghost ship that sank 343 years ago discovered in US Post-COVID-19 antibodies may attack healthy cells, scientists say Pope says he was praying for Kazakhstan Media: 164 people die in Kazakhstan during riots Peskov: CSTO session does not plan to sign documents yet Criminal cases launched after bomb threat in Armenian, Belarus embassies in Moscow Norwegian military surrender panties before demobilization Iranian MFA says Tehran is ready for talks on downed plane of UIA Ukraine Russian defense minister says information war is on all fronts Several strategic objects in Kazakhstan transferred to CSTO contingent under protection David Minasyan elected head of Armenia's Parakar community Bloomberg: US is considering issue of limiting supply of high-tech products to Russia Armenia reports 142 COVID-19 new cases Council of Elders meeting continues in Armenia's Parakar White House speaks on Blinken statement on Russian peacekeeping troops Armed people detained at border in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan talks stabilization of situation in all regions of country Azerbaijanis demand Armenian soldier change his faith by taking away his cross, Ombudsman says Armenian painter Mher Mansurian dies in France At least 17 killed in Egypt road accident NATO chief announces Russia forces continued buildup in Ukraine Armenian militarys transfer to Kazakhstan is completed Azerbaijan opens fire on military positions near Armenia village Unidentified persons report threat of explosion at Armenia, Belarus embassies in Moscow Putin confers with Pashinyan, Lukashenko on situation in Kazakhstan Zakharova: OSCE has not provided real assistance to reporters who were attacked in Kazakhstan Lukashenko, Putin discuss situation in CSTO member countries Russia's Putin has telephonic conversation with Kazakhstan's Tokayev Quake hits waters off Chile President Tokayev declares national mourning in Kazakhstan on January 10 US diplomats do not leave Kazakhstans Almaty yet 1 more person dies of coronavirus in Karabakh Artsakh resident, 91 found dead near village Russia MFA reacts to Blinken's words about Russian military in Kazakhstan 195 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Kazakhstan security committee ex-chief detained Kazakhstan interior ministry: There are foreigners among those detained in Almaty region Russia continues transporting its peacekeepers to Kazakhstan Kazakhstan launches investigation into 180 retailers of liquefied petroleum gas BMW introduces concept vehicle that can change colors Shootings continue in Kazakhstans Almaty Lenovo reveals Legion Y90 gaming smartphone Germany to impose tougher rules for visiting restaurants, bars 10 bodies found inside SUV left in front of Mexico state governors office France fines Google and Facebook EUR 210 million NATO Secretary-General calls on Russia to de-escalate, withdraw its forces French journalist names regions where military conflicts may erupt in 2022 Taliban appeal world for humanitarian aid for Afghanistan Liturgy served in the Artsakh Diocese Armenian PM and Tajik President discuss Kazakhstan situation by phone Bulgaria to adopt euro in 2024 Units of CSTO peacekeeping forces arrived in Kazakhstan Armenian servicemen awarded state and departmental medals Exchange rates in Armenia Moscow court arrests activist supporting protesters in Kazakhstan CORUNNA, MI Divorce, custody and criminal records show a history of complaints about the mental health of the man accused of murdering Kevin Bacon. Mark Latunski, 50, was arrested for the alleged murder and mutilation of Bacon, who went missing on Dec. 24. Bacons body was recovered four days later from Latunskis home in Bennington Township, near Morrice. Latunski was known to stop taking the medication prescribed to treat his mental health illnesses, according to records from the 66th District and 35th Circuit courts. A motion filed Aug. 22 by former wife Emily Latunski to suspend Mark Latunskis parenting time states he was diagnosed with major depression, paranoid schizophrenia and traits of a personality disorder in 2010 and 2012. "(Mark Latunski) has a history of mental illness and has been hospitalized in the Owosso Mental Stress unit, according to the Aug. 22 motion. (Mark Latunski) has a history of going off his medication. Jamie Arnold, Mark Latunskis husband of more than three years, told MLive-The Flint Journal he wasnt aware of Mark Latunskis mental illnesses until July when he was arrested for failing to pay child support. A July 22 court order states Mark Latunski spent four days in jail for the offense. "To my knowledge, I couldn't force him to see a therapist or take medication," Arnold said. "Never in a million years did I think he'd be capable of doing such a horrendous crime." Arnold said he didnt think Mark Latunski could seriously harm or kill anyone. In hindsight, its easy to sit back and speculate but at the time youre going through it there are emotions and feelings involved. You dont want to think that the person you fell in love with is some crazy homicidal maniac, Arnold said. I pray that God is there for Kevin Bacons family in their time of need and that He helps us all get through this, one day at a time." The victims family, however, feels Mark Latunski might try using his history of mental illness to elude justice. Karl Bacon, Kevin Bacons dad, said he felt like Mark Latunski was playing the mental health card at the arraignment on Dec. 30. When asked if his name was Mark Latunski at the arraignment, Mark Latunski said that was not his name, that his name was Edgar Thomas Hill and that Mark Latunkski was his nephew. He has used the mental health card to get out of situations in the past and hes attempting to use it again, Karl Bacon said. I would like to see him locked up for the rest of his life in some form or another. Charged with kidnapping in 2013 Mark Latunskis divorce from Emily Latunski was finalized in July 2013, records show. The couple had joint custody of their four children, according to 35th Circuit Court records. Emily Latunski did not respond to messages left for comment on this story. In a March 2013 petition for the exclusive use of their home on Tyrrell Road, Emily Latunski noted that Mark Latunskis schizophrenia could be maintained with medicine. Emily Latunski alleged she knew he wasnt taking his medication because she was counting his pills. (Mark Latunski) is very bright and has a good ability to hide his illness and the fact that he is not taking his medications; however such mental illness eventually overrides even his intelligence, a lawyer for Mark Latunskis ex-wife, Emily Latunski, stated in the petition. In September 2013, Mark Latunski was arraigned on two counts of parental kidnapping related to him keeping two of his children from their mother Emily Latunski for more than 24 hours, according to 66th District Court Records. Mark Latunski took the kids to a hotel and refused to return them to their mother, the records stated. Mark Latunski was found incompetent to stand trial in the court case in February 2014. A judge ordered Mark Latunski to undergo outpatient treatment in May 2014, court records show. Mark Latunskis psychiatric treatment was reported in an Aug. 14, 2014 letter to the courts. (Mark Latunski) has proven not to be a danger to himself or others, despite brief periods of hospitalization and hasnt attempted to harm himself or others at any point, said DanielDeVries, the psychiatrist who treated Mark Latunski. In October 2014, Mark Latunskis lawyer motioned to amend his bond so that he could reside in Lansing with a friend who would help him focus on his mental health. Latunski continued to travel for work through the court case, records show. Between 2013 and 2015, Mark Latunski traveled to chemical engineering conferences for his job at American Chemical Technologies, according to 66th District Court records. The kidnapping case was reopened in January 2015 when Mark Latunski was found competent to stand trial. It was later dismissed without prejudice in February 2015, according to 66th District Court records. 11 Kevin Bacon, missing Swartz Creek man, found dead I couldnt force him to see a therapist or take medication Arnold and Mark Latunski met five years ago on Grindr, a dating app, according to Arnold. The couple got married in Florida in December 2016 and separated in September 2019, he said. Mark Latunskis behavior began to spiral in February, Arnold said, after he was fired from his job making lubricants for American Chemical Technologies. Mark Latunski requested the court adjust his child support payments after losing his job, according to a Feb. 28 motion filed with the 35th Circuit Court. To my knowledge, he was fired due to erratic behavior at work. He was accusing his place of employment of contaminating the products he would make, Arnold said. Arnold said he became aware of Mark Latunskis mental illnesses when he began saying stranger and stranger things. For instance, Mark Latunski claimed his four children werent his, Arnold said. I knew something wasnt right, but I didnt know it was to that extreme, Arnold said. He was progressively saying stranger and stranger things like the neighbors were polluting our water supply. They were all nonsensical. All I knew was I had to get out of the situation. Arnold said he never saw Mark Latunski take medication and the couple never talked about his mental health. You cant force people who are mentally ill to take their medication. Unfortunately, until something like this, where someone is harmed, your hands are tied, Arnold said. Emily Latunski filed a motion to suspend Mark Latunskis parenting time on Aug. 22, alleging that he may be off his medication and becomes delusional if he is. (Mark Latunski) accused (Emily Latunski) and her brother of trying to murder him by putting poison in his well, lawyers for Emily Latunski stated in the motion to suspend his parenting time. A bench warrant was issued for Mark Latunskis arrest on Oct. 23 because he failed to pay child support. Mark Latunski was also scheduled to appear at an evidentiary hearing for parenting time on Dec. 10. Kevin Bacon's family released this picture of him to the media. The family says he's been missing since Christmas Eve. A colorful, vibrant being both inside and out Bacon was a hairstylist who specialized in vibrant coloring at Uniquely U Salon in Swartz Creek and studied psychology at the University of Michigan-Flint. Michelle Myers, Bacons best friend and roommate, called him compassionate, caring and loving. The two met in fourth grade. Bacons openness and transparency always comforted Myers. Kevin was a colorful, vibrant being both inside and out. He did what he wanted to, when he wanted to, and let very little hold him back, Myers said. He was attentive and could remember all the small details even all the ones that you forgot. He was known for his colorful tattoos, Myers said, which he got because they made him love himself in his own skin. Bacons dreams ranged from being a hairdresser working runways to a clinical therapist, Myers said. I really could not have asked for a better friend. I was incredibly lucky to call him my friend, Myers said. Myers was the last person to see Bacon alive on the evening of Dec. 24. Bacon told Myers he was meeting up with a guy hed met on Grindr. At 6:12 p.m. that night, Bacon texted Myers that hed be out for a while and he wasnt sure when hed be back. Karl Bacon called police the evening of Dec. 25 after his son missed Christmas breakfast. Police soon found Kevin Bacons car at a Family Dollar in Clayton Township, inside which they found Kevin Bacons phone, wallet, and some clothes. He passed away some time (late) Christmas Eve, early Christmas morning, Karl Bacon previously said. The medical examiner is not sure of the exact time as of right now. Kevin Bacons body was recovered from Mark Latunskis home on Tyrrell Road after police were led there on Dec. 28. Police didnt divulge Kevin Bacons cause of death, saying that wont be revealed until autopsy results are completed. The last time Arnold saw Mark Latunski was Dec. 25, the day after Bacon went missing. Arnold said he had a friend over on Christmas Eve and wasnt with Mark Latunski the night the alleged murder is believed to have taken place. "I had some friends over and I didn't want him to be alone on Christmas. When you love someone, you don't just stop caring about them," Arnold said. "He came over late in the afternoon and his behavior was normal, as normal as he can be." Kevin Bacons funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3, at Sharp Funeral Homes, Miller Road Chapel at 8138 Miller Road in Swartz Creek. Visitation is slated from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 in the student parking lot outside the Swartz Creek High School, 1 Dragon Drive. Mark Latunski is being held in jail without bond. He is to appear for a probable cause in court at 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 8. Candlelight vigil for Kevin Bacon to be held in Swartz Creek Man wearing only leather kilt ran from murder suspects rural Michigan home in November YouTuber Jeffree Star donates $20k toward funeral expenses for Swartz Creek man Murder and mutilation charges filed in death of Swartz Creek man Parents of slain Swartz Creek man talk about son, homicide investigation Police confirm location of where missing Swartz Creek mans body was found Missing Swartz Creek man found dead; one arrested on murder charge Family searching for Swartz Creek man Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) Brothers Datu Andal Unsay and Zaldy Ampatuan are heading straight to the Court of Appeals to contest their conviction for 57 counts of murder for planning and executing the gruesome 2009 Maguindanao massacre. The Ampatuans have served notice to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 that they will elevate the case to the appellate court, asking the lower court to submit all the records of the case to the CA. Three relatives Anwar Ampatuan Sr., and his sons Anwar "Datu Ipi" Ampatuan Jr. and Datu Anwar Sajid "Datu Ulo" Ampatuan filed motions for reconsideration before the Quezon City court, casting doubt on the credibility of star witness Sukarno Badal. "As to how the said witness could have memorized, precisely to the letter, all of the statements made by each and every supposed participant in all of these meetings, is highly doubtful, nay miraculous," Anwar Sr. said through his lawyers in his 13-page motion filed Thursday. Meanwhile, Datu Ipi and Datu Ulo argued through their lawyers in a separate 16-page motion filed Thursday that Badal only testified that they were seen at one of the meetings, but did not mention what their involvement was. They also noted that Badal recanted his testimony during cross examination that the two were present during the November 16, 2009 meeting. They also said the court should not have relied heavily on Badal's testimony which pinned them as one of the gunmen who helped in the killing of 57 people. "This particular witness lied with respect to a material point, and there was a conscious and deliberate intention to falsify," Datu Ipi and Datu Ulo said. Badal was the vice mayor of Sultan Sabarongis town in Maguindanao when the massacre happened. He identified himself to be the commander of the Ampatuan family's private armed group. Mere conjectures? Anwar Sr., through his lawyers, argued that there is not enough evidence to prove that he was part of the conspiracy to kill now-Maguindanao Rep. Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu. He said the court appears to have been swayed solely by his alleged statement during a November 16, 2009 meeting agreeing to kill members of the Mangudadatu clan. The Quezon City court agreed that Anwar Sr. was not at the scene of the crime on November 23, 2009, but said that his suggestion to kill the Mangudadatus and to bury their vehicles "was one of the moving factors which emboldened all the more Datu [Andal] Unsay [Ampatuan] and their other cohorts in carrying out their wicked plan," noting that this was even "carried out to the letter." Anwar Sr., however, dismissed this as "speculative" and "mere conjectures." He also again denied being present at the November 16 meeting, again saying that he left for Manila from Davao on November 16, 2009 and returned through Cotabato City on November 20, 2009. He added that the court should have treated his statement during the meeting in the same way that it treated Datu Akmad Ampatuan's agreement to the plan in one of the meetings. The court acquitted Datu Akmad as it found no evidence that he followed through with their plan as he attended a medical mission on the day of the killings. Anwar Sr. also cast doubt on the allegation that he aided and facilitated the escape Datu Unsay, pointing out that the only evidence presented by the prosecution to prove this is an alleged phone call by prosecution witness Lakmodin Saliao to him. Back to the hospital In a separate motion filed on Dec. 23, Zaldy Ampatuan who was also convicted for 57 counts of murder for plotting the massacre asked the court for him to be transferred to the New Bilibid Prison Infirmary to receive the therapy, rehabilitation, and medication prescribed by his doctors, and so as not to unduly put his health in jeopardy. Zaldy had been confined at the Makati Medical Center from October 21 to December 18. His lawyers said the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor suffered three strokes in two months. They said he has hypertension, diabetes and chronic atrial fibrillation and has to take 22 medicines daily. The Quezon City RTC Branch 221 on December 17 ordered Zaldy to return to his detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, after finding him to be clinically well as neurologically stable with no more complaint of headache and dizziness. CNN Philippines Justice Correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report. New government will be put to parliament for a vote on Thursday, where it must win majority support. Tunisias prime minister-designate has announced the formation of a cabinet of independent technocrats, more than a month after he was picked to head a government focused on reviving the economy. Habib Jemli, an agricultural engineer by training and a nominee of the moderate Islamist Ennahdha party, said the new government comprised independent Tunisians but stopped short of disclosing their names. I have depended [in forming the cabinet] on elements of competence and independence from political parties, said the 60-year-old Jemli after a meeting with Tunisian President Kais Saied on Wednesday Tunisias official news agency TAP said Jemli had presented the proposed government to Saied, who will ask parliament to set a session for holding a confidence vote on the lineup. The government must be endorsed by a majority of parliaments 217 members. 191226105004381 Ennahdha emerged as the countrys strongest political force in Tunisias October parliamentary elections, winning 52 seats in the fractured parliament. Anger at public services that are seen as worse than under Tunisias pre-revolution President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who died in exile in September, has undermined the trust of some Tunisians in its political establishment. Saied, an independent who won the presidential election in October, then formally tasked Jemli with building a coalition able to command a majority in parliament. Jemli struggled to bring rival parties together during the coalition talks but said on Wednesday that all parties would support the new government one way or another, without giving specifics. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia hit out at Union Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday for "writing" to L-G Anil Baijal to "cancel a parent-teacher meeting" in Delhi government schools, saying he should be "ashamed" for it. Hitting back, Vardhan said that he doesn't need a certificate from Sisodia as the sector knew him well and forwarding people's representations to the authorities concerned was his responsibility. According to reports, Vardhan has written to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal over a parent-teacher meeting scheduled in Delhi government schools on January 4. While interacting with reporters, Sisodia, who also holds the portfolio, claimed that parent-teacher meetings were one of the major reasons behind the "remarkable transformation" in Delhi's government schools. "I am angry and saddened to see BJP's mindset to stop the PTMs of Delhi. Harsh Vardhan ji, how did you get the courage to write a letter to the L-G to cancel parent-teacher meeting of Delhi government schools. You should be ashamed," he said, adding the meeting will take place and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would not let the BJP cancel it. "You (BJP) think you can stop it. It is the decision of the department of the Delhi government; you would not be able to stop it. The basic character of the BJP, which is against education, gets shown again and again," the deputy chief minister said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too took to Twitter to express his dismay over the issue. "Why do these people want to cancel PTM? In PTM, parents get an opportunity to discuss their children's progress with teachers. Many parents wait for PTM eagerly. PTM will be on time. I will also go to one of the schools tomorrow to get parents' feedback," he tweeted in Hindi. Reacting to Sisodia's remarks, Vardhan said, "We believe in working sincerely and do not need the certificate of Sisodia. I have been an education minister in Delhi and the education sector knows me well." Training his guns at the AAP, he further said the ruling party in Delhi has already become "frustrated as it knows the fate it will suffer in the coming times and more such statements will come from its leaders over the next one month". He clarified that the teachers associations' of Delhi government schools had met him at his residence on Wednesday and gave him a copy of a representation which they had submitted to the Delhi L-G expressing concern over the parent-teacher meeting scheduled on January 4 when schools in most northern states have been closed due to the cold weather. They are seeking postponement of the meeting in view of the health hazards that the children are likely to suffer due to severe cold weather, Vardhan said. "I forwarded their representation to LG requesting him to look into the matter and take appropriate action. This is nothing new. I send all the requests that come to me to the authorities concerned and I have been doing this for the last 25 years. "Forwarding representations of people to the right quarters is my responsibility," he said. Sisodia claimed that it was clear that the BJP was against the very idea of affordable and quality education and assured parents of children studying in Delhi government schools that the parent-teacher meeting will take place and urged them to attend it. "It is saddening and also unfortunate that we have such leaders and ministers who can stoop to the level of stopping a parent-teacher meeting," Sisodia said. "If the BJP wants to compete with the AAP in the education sector, then they should start working for the betterment of government schools in states ruled by it such as Uttar Pradesh and Haryana," he said. The Delhi deputy chief minister also said that since the BJP at power in the Centre, it should work on developing educational infrastructure across the country as well as of the schools run by civic bodies in Delhi which are ruled by the saffron party. The BJP was not interested in developing the country's education infrastructure, but since the AAP government has done a remarkable job in this field in Delhi, they want to disrupt it, he alleged. Stressing on the importance of parent-teacher meetings in Delhi's educational model, Sisodia said it has been one of the key aspects of this "revolutionary education model". The pre-board exams got over a few days back and like every year nearly 65,000 teachers have worked very hard with students. This year nearly six lakh students will appear for the boards. The teachers want to discuss their feedback about students with their parents before the exams, he said. "Only 45 days remain for the board examination. The teachers wanted to meet the parents because many times there are technical issues such as attendance shortage which creates trouble for the students to appear in the exams," the deputy chief minister said. "It's beyond any reasonable understanding why the BJP would have any problem with such an initiative. If the children are getting better education then why is the BJP against that?" he posed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 10:56:17|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close HEFEI, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Global home furnishing giant IKEA has purchased a plot of land in Hefei City, capital of east China's Anhui Province, paving the way for its first store in the province, according to local authorities. IKEA spent 196.5 million yuan (about 28.2 million U.S. dollars) on the land, which covers an area of about 2.5 hectares in the northern part of the city. IKEA has registered a branch company in Hefei with an investment of 275 million yuan, according to China's National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. The multinational opened its first Chinese mainland store in Shanghai in 1998. MaharashtraPolice force will be provided all modernised weapons and quality training required to fight the enemy, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Thursday. The police force has big challenges, but the state government is committed to provide it the best training, weapons and quality standard of living, Thackeray said. He was speaking at Maharashtra Police's Raising Day parade at the Marol Police Training Centre in Andheri. "The world is moving forward, challenges before the police force are big and the enemy, which is in front of us, has weapons and training. To tackle such challenges, whatever is best in the world, that will be provided to the Maharashtra Police force," Thackeray said. "Our police force should be a step ahead of the enemy," he said. The chief minister lauded the contribution of the police force in making people feel safe and secure. "While on duty, a policeman forgets whatever pressures and work stress he has, and he remains committed towards maintaining law and order for the safety of all," he said. Apart from training, weapons and various other facilities, the most important thing required by the police force is "courage", he said. "And I can proudly say that Maharashtra Police force fully has it," the chief minister said. The state government will take all steps to provide good quality houses and other required facilities to the police personnel, he said. After the parade, Thackeray also attended the 'bhoomi pujan' of a building in Marol area for providing houses to police personnel. State Director General of Police Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve, Director General of Police (Housing) Bipin Bihari and other senior police officers were present at the function. Since the inception of Maharashtra Police force, this was the first time that the Raising Day parade was held at the Marol Police Training Centre in suburban Andheri. It used to be earlier held at Naigaon in Dadar area of central Mumbai. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sacramento, CA A new law was set to take effect yesterday to ban the import and sale of alligator and crocodile products in California. A federal judge has delayed implementation in response to a lawsuit filed by the State of Louisiana. The states Governor, John Biel Edwards, released a statement, reading, The temporary restraining order is the first step in protecting Louisianas alligator industry, which creates jobs, supports our economy and contributes to much-needed coastal restoration efforts. The federal court will review the matter further on April 24. The suit argues that California is trying to destroy the alligator products market event though there are no alligators living in the state. The Associated Press reports that American alligators were removed from the U.S. endangered species list in 1987. Louisiana has seen a spike in Alligators, with nearly 3 million living either in the wild or on farms. Californias new ban on alligator products was backed by a coalition of animal rights groups. 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. The temperatures may be in the 40s in the Big Apple. But that won't stop Emily Ratajkowski from flaunting her model figure. The 28-year-old model donned a cropped top while on a stroll to work in New York City on Thursday morning. This day at the office comes after her 2019 reflection where she revealed that her mother Kathleen Balgley, 66, was battling an illness. On the go: Emily Ratajkowski was spotted talking a walk to the office on Thursday morning while out in New York City after revealing her mom is battling an illness For her look of the day, she rocked a simple style complete with heather gray sweatpants and a cinched tank top that showed off her toned stomach. To add a pop of color, she threw on a bright orange puffer jacket with black detailing that she left unzipped for her morning commute. She had her long hair down and wore a pair of sleek cat-eye shades as she hustled into the office. Stylish: For her look of the day, she rocked a simple style complete with heather gray sweatpants and a cinched tank top that showed off her toned stomach Christmas Eve: During her 2019 recap. she shared this photo of her mother Kathleen Balgley and her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard posing in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. The couple's dog Colombo looked lovingly up at his owner By her side: She also gave Sebastian a special shoutout for sticking by her side as she helps her mom go through treatment During the Gone Girl star's 2019 recap, she shared a photo of her mother posing next to the Christmas tree with Emily's husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, 32, on Christmas eve. She then went on to share a photo of her and her husband kissing through surgical masks at the hospital in which she said: 'had the support of this incredible man as mama went through her treatment.' And while her illness is still unknown, she also shared that her and her family went to the Mayo Clinic back in March and revealed they 'saved my mother's life.' Quality time: During August, she spent time with her family in her hometown of San Diego Sweet: She also shared this snap of her dog and mom while out on a stroll in August The mother-daughter duo took social media by storm back in 2017 after posing next to one another in their flawless bikini bodies. For the Mother's Day snap she captioned the photo 'mama' as she wrapped her arm around her better half as they posed in front of the pool. Emily's mom, who used to be an English professor at the San Diego Jewish Academy, rarely pops up on her famous daughter's Instagram and has yet to give more insight on her mother's progress. Mom and dad: 'Went to Mayo Clinic where they saved my mother's life' she wrote along with a photo of Kathleen and her father John David Ratajkowski Camilla Parker Bowles has not always enjoyed a strong relationship with the rest of the royal family. But after years of building up a good rapport, things have changed between her and Queen Elizabeth. With the future of the monarchy in mind, Her Majesty just gave a subtle signal that tells us exactly where Camilla stands in the royal family. Camilla Parker Bowles and Queen Elizabeth | Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Inside Camilla Parker Bowles rise Camilla married into the royal family when she wed Prince Charles in 2005. Their relationship, however, extends much further back than that and it has not always been positive. Charles and Camilla dated prior to his romance with Princess Diana. They ultimately rekindled things and their affair was one reason his marriage did not work out. It also negatively affected their public image, especially following Dianas death in 1997. But over the years, Camilla has worked hard to rebuild her popularity and is believed to have infused a bit of fun into the family. Given her history with Charles, many royal watchers did not expect her to take the title of Queen Consort, mostly out of respect for Diana. But that has seemingly changed in recent years, and Queen Elizabeth may have just confirmed Camillas title once Charles takes the throne. Camilla Parker Bowles to be HRH The Princess Consort For the longest time, the royal familys website included a statement about Camillas title once Charles is on the throne. The statement talked about how Camilla will likely be named Queen Consort after Charles coronation. It is intended that The Duchess will be known as HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales acceded to the throne, the statement explained. The fact that the royal familys website had to release a statement about Camilla Parker Bowles future title says a lot about her history. But whats interesting is that the statement was recently removed and has not been replaced with anything. This seems to suggest that there are no longer any questions regarding Camillas future title. If that is the case, then royal watchers can expect Camilla to take the title of Queen Consort once Queen Elizabeth is gone. Camilla has not confirmed which title she will accept, though Queen Elizabeth just offered a subtle hint about where she stands in the royal family. Queen Elizabeth offers a subtle sign about Camillas rank Every year, the royal family spends the holidays at Queen Elizabeths estate in Sandringham. On Christmas Day, the royals attend a church service, offering fans a rare glimpse of them all in one place. According to Express, Her Majesty typically rides to the church service in a car with Prince Philip. This year, however, Philip skipped the event due to health issues. Not wanting to ride alone to the service, Queen Elizabeth invited Camilla to join her in the car. The move is a pretty big deal for Camilla and shows that Queen Elizabeth is ready for her to sit beside Charles at the head of the monarchy. Charles will become the King of the United Kingdom as soon as Queen Elizabeth abdicates the throne or passes on. Although Charles will be King, Camilla will not receive her new title until his official coronation. Queen Elizabeths death hoax A few weeks ago, rumors hit social media that Queen Elizabeth had passed away from a heart attack. The reports first surfaced on WhatsApp and were quickly debunked. In the event that Queen Elizabeth passes away, a footman will appear outside of Buckingham Palace in mourning attire. The royal familys website will then turn a different color and all of the pages will be replaced with an official statement. Radios across the United Kingdom will then sound an alarm called RATS, or radio alert transmission, which was commonly used in the war. Members of the privy council will then be summoned as well as the High Commissioners of Realm Commonwealth countries, the Lord Mayor, and the Aldermen of the City of London. At the meeting, an official proclamation is read and Charles will take an oath to the Church of Scotland. Camilla Parker Bowles will later receive the title of Queen Consort, which grants her all of the privileges the monarchy has to offer. She will not, however, be named the Queen of the United Kingdom as this title is reserved for royals who are born into the family. Queen Elizabeth nor any member of the royal family have commented on the future of the monarchy. TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eyesight Technologies , a leading provider of computer vision AI solutions for the in-car automotive industry, and Grupo Antolin , one of the largest manufacturers of vehicle interiors in the world, announced today that the companies have entered into a partnership to provide driver and occupancy monitoring solutions to OEMs worldwide. Grupo Antolin's ability to integrate 3rd party solutions into its car interior components and the development of their control electronics will be paired with Eyesight Technologies' advanced in-cabin sensing solutions (Driver Sense and Cabin Sense) to deliver smart-integrated interior systems with great added value. The collaboration will provide car manufacturers with in-cabin sensing solutions tailored to answer regulatory needs and enhance the driving & riding experience, leveraging Eyesight Technologies' computer vision AI and Grupo Antolin's interior component design and integration capabilities. Eyesight Technologies' solutions encompass a variety of applications related to driver and passenger safety and experience inside the vehicle. Eyesight Technologies' Driver Sense, driver monitoring system, tracks the driver's eyes, eyelids, pupils, head pose, and gaze to determine the alertness, wakefulness, and attentiveness of the driver. The company's Cabin Sense, occupancy monitoring system, monitors the car's interior, including passengers, to power adaptive safety features, and a personalized in-car environment. Driver identification and action detection such as smoking, wearing seatbelt and holding a phone are also available as part of Eyesight Technologies' solutions. About Eyesight Technologies Eyesight Technologies is a leader in creating intelligent sensing solutions that use computer vision and AI for safer and better driving experiences. The company focuses on the automotive in-cabin environment, offering Driver Sense - driver monitoring system, Cabin Sense - occupancy monitoring systems and Fleet Sense a driver monitoring aftermarket solution for fleets.). The company is headquartered in Israel, with offices in Cupertino and Shenzhen. About Grupo Antolin Grupo Antolin is one of the first car interiors manufacturers at a global level, and has four Business Units: overheads, doors, lighting and cockpits. The company is one of the providers for large car manufacturers and is present in nine of the top ten best selling cars in the world. The company has more than 150 factories in 26 countries, employs more than 30,000 people and had a business volume of 5,425 M in 2018. Media Contact Lazer Cohen [email protected] +1-(347)-753-8256 SOURCE Eyesight Technologies Alabama evangelist Paul Acton Bowen, last month sentenced to 1,008 years in prison on multiple child sex convictions, has once again tried to contact at least one of his victims from jail, authorities say. Bowen on Christmas Eve repeatedly tried to contact one or more of his victims, Etowah County Deputy District Attorney Carol Griffith stated in court records. The attempts at contact were apparently made via the video visitation mechanism through the Etowah County Detention Center, as he is unable to use the text and emails kiosks, due to previous court orders. This defendant has demonstrated an apparent inability or unwillingness to abide by the law, Griffith said. The prosecutors statements were in response to a request from Bowens attorney to have restrictions on his clients communication lifted. A judge in May ordered Bowen only could communicate with his parents and his lawyers. Those restrictions were put into place after Bowen tried to contact one of his victims. That unidentified victim had been contacted directly by Bowen via text message or email from jail. The messages, authorities said, indicated that there has been contact with other victims, either directly or indirectly, while the cases were pending. Jail records showed eight messages were sent from Bowen to the victim between Feb. 10 and April 2, records state. The contents of the messages clearly indicate an intent to influence the victims feelings, and potentially his testimonyand to discourage the victim from cooperating with prosecution of this case, Griffith wrote at that time. John Floyd, Bowens attorney, said in court filings that Bowen should be allowed to give family and friends the opportunity to speak with him or communicate with him prior to his transfer to state prison. A judge has not yet ruled on the motions. Bowen, 39, in December entered guilty pleas to 28 counts of sexual abuse involving six male victims between the ages of 13 and 16. The charges included enticing a child for a sexual act, sodomy, traveling to meet a child for a sexual act and sexual abuse. Circuit Judge Debra Jones presided over the case after several Etowah County judges recused themselves. Bowens ex-wife is the daughter of an Etowah County judge. Moments before being sentenced, Bowen, standing in shackles, looked out on a packed courtroom and apologized in a trembling voice, both to his own family and the victims, for years of sexual abuse. The shame and guilt I feel is overwhelming and has been for a long time, he said. My heart was never wanting to hurt anybody, but my mind was not well. Bowens attorney attempted to show that Bowen suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to his own experience of being sexually molested as a juvenile. Family members and victims wept as Jones slowly read out the maximum sentence and fine on every count. Each sentence is to run consecutively - rather than concurrent. Bowen still faces trial in Jefferson County on three felony charges of traveling to meet a child for sex, enticing a child for a sexual act and sodomy. Trial is set on those charges for April 20, 2020. If Bowen ever should be released from jail on his Etowah County convictions - which prosecutors said was unlikely - he would be considered a sexually violent predator, which means he would face a 10-year probationary period. REPUBLICANS FIGHTING AMONGST THEMSELVES THREATENS TO DEFINE 2020 IN THE KANSAS CITY METRO & BEYOND!!! Bickering Across The Bridge Clay County citizens hopeful for change in 2020 A new Clay County constitution committee will start public meetings next week to explore how the county's government should function in the future.The meetings begin as Clay County is mired in several political disputes, lawsuits and a contentious state audit."2019 was just a disaster for Clay County," said Jason Withington, who helped petition for a state audit of Clay County government. Dox Exposed Clay County resident's information sits in court house exposed CLAY COUNTY, MO (KCTV) - One homeowner called KCTV5 News after they saw stacks and stacks of white boxes labeled, "destroy securely" in the hallway of the Clay County Courthouse. That caught our attention because thousands of people are going in and out of the courthouse Monday to pay personal property taxes. Systemic Change?!?! Clay County committee seeks input on new form of government LIBERTY, Mo. - Clay County's Constitution Committee is asking residents to voice their opinions about what is happening in the government and changes they would like to see. https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/clay-county-committee-seeks-input-on-new-form-of-government Here's a quick update on never-ending Kansas City Northland slap-fighting that offers a just a bit of foreshadowing . . .There is no unity among the American middle-class and that's part of the reason why their ranks are so easily thinned by corporate trusts and market forces.And so this hyper-local glimpse offers more evidence that not all middle-class white people think alike asdeserves consideration amid an increasinglyAmerican electorate.Developing . . . Update on the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) program There have been some recent developments with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) program in Canada. First, a bit of background. There are four levels of ARES organization: National, Section, District and Local. Sections are geographically-based administrative units organized to deliver RAC services to non-government organizations and governments through the ARES program. The senior RAC official in each Section is the Section Manager (SM). The SM appoints a Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) for the Section. The SEC, in turn, appoints District Emergency Coordinators (DEC) for each region. DECs, in turn, appoint Emergency Coordinators for each city in their District. The ARRL and RAC both have Sections and as in the case of some other administrative structures that RAC inherited from the ARRL as a result of our shared history the functions of our Sections have changed over the years to meet our particular circumstances. In 2012, RAC divided the previous Ontario Section into four distinct Sections because the province was too large for one SM to manage. As a result the Ontario North, Ontario East, Ontario GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and Ontario South Sections were born. Recently, ARES groups in the City of Hamilton and in the Regional Municipality of Niagara indicated that it would be beneficial for them to move from the Ontario South Section into the Ontario GTA Section. Niagara and Hamilton are located on the west and southwest borders of the GTA Section and both groups have a history of working with the GTA teams on Simulated Emergency Tests (SETs) and many public service events. As a result, the border between the Ontario South and Greater Toronto Area Sections is being moved to better reflect operational needs within ARES and its served agencies. Effective April 1, Amateurs in the City of Hamilton and in the Regional Municipality of Niagara will from then on be in the Greater Toronto Area Section, not the Ontario South section as before. In addition, RAC members in Prince Edward Island have been working for some time to create a separate section for RAC ARES activities in their province. I am happy to report that their work has been successful and we are now seeking a Section Manager, a key step in establishing the new PE Section (see page 58 of the January-February 2020 TCA). Once elected, the new SM will start a two-year term on April 1, 2020. In the future, the Maritimes Section that had earlier coordinated the ARES activities in the three Maritime provinces will continue to be responsible for the activities in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and the new PE Section will deal with the activities on Prince Edward Island. We look forward to reading about the new PE Section in the Public Service / ARES column and in the Section News in upcoming issues of TCA. Additional information will be posted at the following link when it is available: https://www.rac.ca/ares-sections/ Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA RAC President and Chair Radio Amateurs of Canada New Delhi: Petrol and diesel prices saw marginal hike on Thursday, January 2. According to the Indian Oil website, the prices of petrol and diesel have increased by up to 30 Paise per litre across the country. As per the revised prices, the petrol rates are Rs 75.25 per litre in Delhi, Rs 80.87 per litre in Mumbai, Rs 77.87 per litre in Kolkata, and Rs 78.20 per litre in Chennai, respectively. On the other hand, the diesel prices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai remained at Rs 68.10, Rs 71.43, Rs 70.49, and Rs 71.98 per litre, respectively. In Noida, petrol is retailing at Rs 76.46 a litre, while diesel price is Rs 68.39 a litre. The price of petrol in Gurugram is Rs 74.67 a litre while diesel was selling at Rs 67.09 a litre. How To Get Petrol, Diesel Rates Via SMS You can check the latest rate of petrol and diesel via SMS. IOC customers can send RSP to 9224992249, BPCL users can message RSP at 9223112222 and HPCL customers can send HPPRICE to 9222201122 for the latest prices. Why Petrol, Diesel Prices Change Every Day? The fuel prices are in India are revised daily. Petrol and diesel prices are revised every day at 06:00 am to sync it with the variation in global oil prices. Oil marketing companies (OMC) review the global fuel prices and decide petrol and diesel daily. Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum release the new rates at 6 am every morning. Generally, when international crude oil prices gain, prices in India move higher. Other factors also impact the price of fuel like rupee to US dollar exchange rate, cost of crude oil, global cues, demand for fuel, and so on. Why Fuel Prices Differ In Every City? The price of fuel includes excise duty, value-added tax (VAT), and dealer commission. As VAT varies from state to state, the price of fuel is different in every city. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Bismah Malik By Express News Service BENGALURU: Ever since his exit from Flipkart in 2018, Sachin Bansal, a leading entrepreneur, has his eyes set on investing in startups. Unlike his brother and Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal who moved to Singapore after Walmarts $16 billion acquisition of the ecommerce firm, Sachin has focused on investing in the Indian startup ecosystem, with a focus on finance and tech sectors. Despite slowdown gripping the economy, Sachin has made a series of investments in 2019, after he infused `888.5 crore into investment firm BAC Acquisitions, became its CEO and renamed it as Navi Technologies. Navi Technologies recently invested `739 crore in microfinance company Chaitanya Rural Development Services (CRIDS), which offers small loans to small and medium businesses and education and transport sectors across Karnataka, Maharashtra and a few other states. Sachin acquired 95 per cent stake in CRIDS and became its CEO. Recently, Navi technologies also announced the acquisition of tech consulting firm Maven- Hive for an undisclosed amount, to strengthen its product development offerings. MavenHive has earlier helped start-ups including Flipkart scale up their software technology. As part of the deal, MavenHive founders Bhavin Javia and Ananda Krishna, along with their team, have joined Sachins Nav i Technologies. We are eager to start working with Sachin and with Navi. We were awed by the kind of organisation that he built Flipkart into. So, when Yogi Kulkarni (former principal architect of Flipkart and VP of engineering at Navi) introduced us to this opportunit y, we were excited to be part of the next leg of their journey, Javia said. Navi Technologies is also in the process of acquiring an asset management and mutual funds firm, sources revealed. Sachin had earlier commented that he is keen on investments in the finance sector, particularly across firms catering to those who dont have access to regular banking features. According to him, technology can provide a major fillip to enterprises in the finance segment. Some of the key investments made by Sachin after his exit from Flipkart include that in Ola, Ather Energy, Vogo, Bounce and lending startup Kissht, among others. Both Sachin and Binny quit Flipkart in 2018, following Walmarts acquisition. The Bansals founded Flipkart in 2007 initially as an online book shopping platform, which they later developed into a full-fledged ec o m m e r c e company The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has reached out to the vulnerable, poor and needy in this festive season. Continuing a practice began last year, Vice President Bawumia hosted and personally served scores of cured lepers and street children at his residence to bring cheer to a section of society that is usually shunned and ignored. Welcoming his guests, Vice President Bawumia said Government is very committed to addressing the challenges faced by the vulnerable in society, hence the roll out of tailored policies and programmes. "The role of a responsible government is to protect the poor and vulnerable, and the Government of President Akufo-Addo has not been remiss in this manner. As you are aware, we have rolled out a number of policies and programmes to address the specific needs of the vulnerable. For instance we have increased the share of the District Assembly Common Fund allocated to persons with disability. "We are also opening up employment opportunities. For instance, now at least 50% of toll booths are manned by persons with disability." Preparatory work is also ongoing for the construction of a special hostel facility for head porters, popularly known as Kayayei, in Accra, the Vice President added. Government is also facilitating the construction of a hostel and school for street kids to be managed by the Catholic Church "This government is committed to making life better for you. We will not abandon you to your fate. You can count on us," he assured. On behalf of the cured lepers, drawn from the Cape Coast and Weija Leprosariums, and the street children from the Soup Kitchen run by the Christ the King Church, the Chairman of the Lepers Aid Committee, Rev Fr Andrew Campbell, expressed appreciation to the Vice President and his family for the humanitarian gesture, which has brought smiles to the faces of the underprivileged. He also thanked the Vice President for donating 300 bags of rice to the Lepers on Christmas Day. "We are most grateful to your Excellency and your family for remembering us during this festive season. May God continue to bless you." The Vice President was joined by the Chairman of the NPP, Hon Freddie Blay, 1st Vice Chairperson Hon Rita Asobayire, 3rd Vice Chairman Omari Wadie, General Secretary John Boadu, the Mayor of Accra, Nii Adjei Sowah, and a number of MPs including Hon Vincent Sowah Odotei (La Dade Kotopon), Hon Ebenezer Nartey (Ablekuma Central), Hon Boniface Abubakar Saddique (Madina), Issah Fuseini (Okaikoi North) and Hon Elizabeth Afoley Quaye (Krowor). Previously she occupied the position of the deputy head of the U.S. mission to Ukraine Kristina Kvien became the U.S. Charge dAffaires in Ukraine as the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv reported in Twitter. Previously she occupied the position of the deputy head of the U.S. mission to Ukraine. While the Embassys leadership is changing, our policy of strong support for Ukraine remains steady. Our embassy team will continue to partner closely with the Ukrainian government and civil society and support of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in support of reforms that will help Ukraine build its prosperous European future, Kvien said. She also noted that Ukraine has made great strides forward in the short time she is staying in the country. She assured that she will work ahead to provide support in the future. As we reported, U.S. Charge dAffaires in Ukraine William Taylor will depart from his temporary post on January 2. Earlier Taylor congratulated Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on the most recent "accomplishments" in Donbas and foreign policy. New Delhi: Former chief minister of Maharashtra and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan claimed on Thursday night that all issues within the alliance in the state regarding portfolio distribution have sorted and a decision on the matter will be taken by Friday. Whatever few issues were there regarding portfolio distribution have been resolved. We have sent our proposal to the chief minister (Uddhav Thackeray). The decision will be taken by him tomorrow (Friday)," Chavan said after a joint meeting of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena had admitted that there was a tussle among senior leaders of the three ruling alliance parties in Maharashtra for key Cabinet berths, and said some MLAs could not be inducted as ministers because the list of probables was huge. It also took a dim view of some people vandalising the Congress office in Pune to protest against non-inclusion of party MLA Sangram Thopte in the ministry. The Congress used to call Shiv Senas protests as rada culture (hooliganism), but what Thopte's alleged supporters did was exactly the same, it said. This does not suit the Congress culture, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said. Thackeray expanded his month-old ministry on Monday by inducting 36 ministers. "The Cabinet expansion was, indeed, delayed but it finally happened. There were some sparks of disappointment from those who could not make the cut, but the list of probables was huge," the Shiv Sena said. It said the opposition (BJP) may be bubbling over such developments, but even the previous Devendra Fadnavis government was no exception to such discontent during its Cabinet expansions. The Thackeray-led party also said it kept its word by inducting three Independents, who extended support to the Shiv Sena, unlike the Congress and NCP. "A strong and experienced Cabinet is in power, it should be allowed to function," the Sena said. On Shiv Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav expressing "shock" over his exclusion from the ministry, the Marathi daily said Cabinet berth was "not promised" to anyone, including Jadhav, who joined the Thackeray-led party after quitting the NCP. "Jadhav claimed Thackeray promised to make him Cabinet minister. As per our information, no such promise was made to him. Thackeray must have asked him to join the Sena ahead of the Assembly polls and be part of the government," it said. The Shiv Sena joined hands with the Congress and NCP, its traditional adversaries, after its alliance with the BJP collapsed over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post following the state Assembly polls held in October last year. Noting that there was a tussle over portfolio distribution, the Shiv Sena said Chavan, who has been inducted into the state Cabinet, needs a ministry like revenue. But the ministry is currently with another Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, it pointed out. According to sources, following Congress MLAs who may get portfolios: Texans are beginning the new year the way we spent much of the last one: mourning the victims of another mass shooting, this one on Sunday at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, just outside Fort Worth. It could have been a lot worse, said Britt Farmer, senior minister of the church. Thats true. Only two people were killed during the Sunday service. By comparison, 22 were murdered in the mass shooting in El Paso last August, and seven were killed later that month in a drive-by mass shooting in West Texas. And 27 people were fatally shot in Texass most recent church shooting, in 2017 in Sutherland Springs. Technically speaking, the White Settlement shooting doesnt even qualify as a mass murder event, which the FBI defines as one in which at least four people are killed, not counting the perpetrator. The perpetrator of this attack was 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen, whose rampage and life were curtailed by Jack Wilson, a member of the church and part of its volunteer security service. Kinnunen had attracted some attention from the congregants even before he stood up during communion and pulled out a shotgun, because he was wearing a clumsy disguise, which included a wig and a long, fake beard. He was immediately confronted by members of the churchs volunteer security service, and the church was live streaming the service, so the world witnessed what happened next. This team responded quickly and within six seconds, the shooting was over. Two of the parishioners who were volunteers of the security force drew their weapons and took out the killer immediately, saving untold number of lives, said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Still, church members Richard White and Anton Tony Wallace were killed. Two other people sustained minor injuries. And an untold number were left in distress, given the particular violence of a mass shooting in a place of worship. What unfolded at White Settlement came hours after another such horror. On Saturday, a machete-wielding man stabbed five people who had gathered for Hanukkah celebrations at a rabbis home in New York state, in what authorities have concluded was a hate crime. Kinnunens motive remains opaque. He was not a member of the church but had received food from its pantry on previous visits. Those who knew him report that he was mentally ill, and a nasty piece of work. Both of his ex-wives have confirmed that they were scared of him, and his criminal record suggests that they had plenty of cause for that. Kinnunen also shouldnt have had access to firearms, given the aforementioned criminal record. But in the wake of the White Settlement shooting, attention has rightly focused on one of the other armed men at the scene. Wilson is a firearms instructor and former reserve deputy sheriff in addition to being a member of the churchs volunteer security team. He is also a candidate for Hood County commissioner, and in light of the courage he showed on Sunday, and his humility in the aftermath, he deserves to win. Theres no question that his presence at the service, and presence of mind, helped save many lives. President Donald Trump is among the leaders who since then have commended his bravery. If it were not for the fact that there were people inside of the church that were both armed, and highly proficient in using their weapon, the end result would have been catastrophic, Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. Still, the White Settlement shooting is a tragedy. And it should be remembered as a mass shooting, even if it doesnt technically qualify, because it so easily could have been. I am very sad in the loss of two dear friends and brothers in CHRIST, but evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed, Wilson wrote in a post for his campaigns Facebook page. All of us should resolve to do the same. To that end, Id like to suggest that Republican leaders of Texas deserve some credit for Wilsons intervention. In 2019 joined by some Democratic legislators they passed legislation allowing CHL holders to carry handguns in places of worship, unless the place of worship in question has decided to prohibit them. Thats a reasonable law, and one that respects the intelligence of Texans as well as their Second Amendment rights. And its a reminder that our elected officials are capable of having nuanced discussions about gun safety and gun violence. They might do so more often, if given the opportunity or if voters insist that they avail themselves of the opportunity, in the wake of tragedies like the one in White Settlement . Its possible that the polarization and gridlock that characterized our national political climate over the past decade will seem quaint in retrospect like those stories you hear about heavily bewhiskered 19th century politicians, resolving their differences via fisticuffs. But lets hope that well remember the 2010s as a lost decade, bookended by the rise of the Tea Party movement at the outset and culminating with the ascent of a similarly energized left and pockmarked, along the way, with all too many mass killings. Modern Family's Ariel Winter found a cheeky way to wish her captive, combined 4.7M Instagram/Twitter followers a happy New Year on Wednesday. The four-time SAG Award winner - turning 22 this month - flaunted her slim 5ft1in figure in a green thong bikini beneath a sheer white crop-top. Ariel also showcased the hip tattoo she got in 2017, which reads 'Loves risks everything and asks for nothing' in Greek. '2020': Modern Family's Ariel Winter found a cheeky way to wish her captive, combined 4.7M Instagram/Twitter followers a happy New Year on Wednesday Turning 22 this month! The four-time SAG Award winner flaunted her slim 5ft1in figure in a green thong bikini beneath a sheer white crop-top It was a picturesque scene with Winter (born Workman) posing on an Orange County seashore beside brimming tide pools as a sailboat cruised by in the distance. The LA native's #happynewyear post received a clapping hands emoji comment from none other than RuPaul's Drag Race 11 Miss Congeniality, Nina West. Ariel spent the night at the luxurious hotel Montage Laguna Beach where she privately rang in 2020 amongst a group of friends. Among them was rumored beau Luke Benward (Grand Isle, Life of the Party, and Dumplin'), 24; who's said to have made Winter 'happier than she has been in a long time.' Inked: Ariel also showcased the hip tattoo she got in 2017, which reads 'Loves risks everything and asks for nothing' in Greek Coral reef: It was a picturesque scene with Winter posing on an Orange County seashore beside brimming tide pools as a sailboat cruised by in the distance Shantay you stay! The LA native's #happynewyear post received a clapping hands emoji comment from none other than RuPaul's Drag Race 11 Miss Congeniality, Nina West Peace! Ariel spent the night at the luxurious hotel Montage Laguna Beach where she privately rang in 2020 amongst a group of friends Hello, New Year: She also shared images to her Instagram Stories celebrating 'twenty twenty' in which she wore a low-cut black PVC dress Out with the old: She was clearly in a very fun mood as she welcomed in 2020 'She's definitely having fun with Luke right now,' a source told Hollywood Life last month. 'She's considered him one of her best friends for quite some time now and he's been in her life for a while.' If true, it would be the Law & Order: SVU guest star's first public romance since ending her two-year relationship with live-in love Levi Meaden last August. At 32, the Canadian actor was said to have been too much of a 'homebody' for Ariel, who 'absolutely loves going out and is enjoying single life and partying up a storm.' 'Roll tide!' Among them was rumored beau Luke Benward (L), who's said to have made Winter 'happier than she has been in a long time' (pictured Tuesday) A source told Hollywood Life last month: 'She's definitely having fun with Luke right now. She's considered him one of her best friends for quite some time now' Her ex: If true, it would be the Law & Order: SVU guest star's first public romance since ending her two-year relationship with live-in love Levi Meaden last August (pictured August 6) Decade age-difference: At 32, the Canadian actor was said to have been too much of a 'homebody' for Ariel, who 'absolutely loves going out and is enjoying single life and partying up a storm' (pictured February 14) Winter next concludes her role as wholesome Caltech student Alex Dunphy in the 22-episode 11th (and final) season of the ABC mockumentary series, which resumes January 8. The pro-choice activist and her castmates Sarah Hyland, Rico Rodriguez, and Nolan Gould previously scored a 'significant' pay raise - according to Variety. It's unclear the exact amount but the adults - Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O'Neill, and Sofia Vergara - all earn $500K per episode. Once Modern Family ends, the aspiring federal prosecutor has said she plans on resuming her studies at UCLA after dropping out in March 2018. Owasso Band Director Chris Harris has paved the way for his students success through rigorous rehearsals and practice runs over the last several weeks. They did a fantastic job, Harris said after they crossed the finish line. We got a really great crowd response. All the work and effort really paid off. It was a fabulous day here weather wise, so that helped. The Pride of Owasso accompanied a number of floral-decorated floats and equestrian units down the line to 2020s theme of The Power of Hope, celebrating the influence of optimism in society today. Keeping with the tune of hope, Owasso band members got a chance to help a student from John Muir High School, where they rehearsed, who was recently injured in a car accident. They are seeking donations to go toward the students recovery. Its just been an extension of the parade and the extension of our performance, Harris said. The kids have gotten to see real-life people that theyve helped, and thats been an incredible life lesson. What if you get stuck on the highway in a storm? Here are some tips . : 2:1 21- , . - 3:4, , 1:0 3:1, 70- . 49 -,... Back in the fall of 2017, New Jersey was touting its first-ever 90 point score from Robert Parkers Wine Advocate, for a Brut from William Heritage Winery. Now, a red wine from another New Jersey producer with ties to central Pennsylvania has been accorded the same recognition. Unionville Vineyards in Hunterdon County noted earlier this week that its 2015 Pheasant Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir was awarded 90 points by Philadelphia-based critic Mark Squires, who reviews all wines of the East Coast of the United States, Greece and Portugal for the Advocate. Wrote Squires: It is beautifully constructed, elegant, velvety and perfectly balanced. The good acidity always matches the depth and the fruit. This is very much a step up from what youd expect in New Jersey Pinot Noir- probably several steps up. It is a beauty. According to a release from John Cifelli, Unionvilles general manager, Squires has reviewed that wine each of the last three years and that the recent 90 point score "comes with acknowledgment of the wines longevity and gracefulness with each year of additional bottle aging. Besides being the first red wine to break the 90 point threshold for the state, the Pinot Noir is just the third wine from New Jersey of any style to make this mark, the release said. Said Cifelli: Its exciting to break the 90 point barrier for New Jersey. We proudly include New Jersey in our logo and as part of our brand at Unionville. We want to carry the banner for the state, and this wines rating is indicative of the broader increase in quality wine statewide. Unionville Vineyards produces wines from 47 acres of vineyard planted at sites in Ringoes, Hopewell, and Princeton. Its portfolio focuses on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Rhone-style blends. The Pheasant Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir is one of Unionvilles two single-vineyard Pinot Noir bottlings., the release said, produced only in years of exceptional quality, which is approximately every three to four years. The vineyard sits on the southern slope of the Sourland Mountain, in northern Hopewell, Mercer County. Unionvilles 2017 vintage of Pinot Noir sells for $29.95. At the same tasting with the Wine Advocate, the Pheasant Hill Vineyard Chardonnay earned an 88 point score and the Pheasant Hill Vineyard Syrah scored 89+. Winemaker Conor Quilty said of that vineyard: [It] was meticulously planted and so well taken care of in its youth. Now 13 years later, we are truly seeing the benefit. Well-drained earth, varied soil composition, excellent sun exposure these all come into play to make Pheasant Hill an exceptional vineyard site. It helps that the varieties and the climate also lend themselves so well to the style and class of wine we are trying to produce. Unionville Vineyards winemaker Conor Quilty, on the Pheasant Hill vineyard: 'Well-drained earth, varied soil composition, excellent sun exposure these all come into play to make Pheasant Hill an exceptional vineyard site. It helps that the varieties and the climate also lend themselves so well to the style and class of wine we are trying to produce.' Quilty is a Mechanicsburg native and a Cumberland Valley High School graduate who studied botany at Connecticut College and furthered his enology education through UC Davis. Both Unionville and William Heritage are members of the New Jersey Winemakers Co-Op. The tasting room is open seven days a week from noon to 5 p.m. at 9 Rocktown Road in Ringoes, New Jersey. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. -- Other recent PennLive stories on wine Maryland wine community shaken by death of one of its association co-founders NW Pa. producer lands most finalists on Wine Excellence XVIII list PLCB unveils refurbished Harrisburg-area store with 4,600 items, tasting center Australian winery proprietor back home in State College to give consumers a taste of his passion Views from a Napa Valley winemaker: Julien Fayard N.J. producer to fill hillside overlooking winery with another 5 acres of vines Which Pa. wines, spirits were top PLCB sellers in 2018-19? Proposed York County winery expecting more resistance this week Old-guard Maryland winery evolving with new grapes, more spirits Spring Gate at Walden gives visitors their first peek Five years in, Winemakers Co-Op making headway in helping New Jersey push for recognition, respect Wine lounge and restaurant opens inside landmark Pittsburgh church Long wait over as winery set to open in Mechanicsburg Wine tour 2017: Three wineries in one central Pa. day trip West Angeles CDC Holds 16th Toy Giveaway Hundreds of families and children attended the 16th annual Toy Giveaway sponsored by West Angeles Community Development Corporation on Dec. 19. The nonprofit organization partnered with Sentinel Peak Resources, an oil company in Inglewood, to provide toys, groceries and other assistance, said Dr. Belinda Allen, WACDC executive director. The mission of the West Angeles CDC is to increase social and economic justice, demonstrate compassion and alleviate poverty as a tangible expression of the Kingdom of God, through the vehicle of community development. ADVERTISEMENT For starters, hypersonics change the way we think about crisis management. Suppose the United States detected an adversarys launch of a missile or mistakenly thought it had detected a launch, as American authorities had actually done in January 2018. At a moment like this, the stakes are high, and the time frame for decision making is extremely compressed. Throw in exhaustion, intense emotions and uncertainty about the other sides intentions, and you have a seriously volatile situation. If the contending parties are armed with hypersonic missiles, the time frame for deciding what to do is even shorter, and the uncertainty about what your enemy is targeting and the nature of an incoming warhead is it nuclear or conventional? is virtually total. In such a situation, the overwhelming incentive is to shoot first. Think of two gunslingers in a dark room. Moreover, hypersonics are a weaponized moral hazard for states with a taste for intervention, because they erase barriers to picking fights. Is an adversary building something that might be a weapons factory? Is there an individual in an unfriendly country who cannot be apprehended? What if the former commander of Irans Revolutionary Guards, Qassim Suleimani, visits Baghdad for a meeting and you know the address? The temptations to use hypersonic missiles will be many. Hypersonics also push us toward a slippery slope. They blur the line between conventional and strategic weapons, and their easy, justifiable use say, to kill a single terrorist leader in a crowded city could make it easier to accept their widespread use, with much more destructive consequences. Hypersonics might look like just a zoomier version of existing weapons, but in fact they are game-changing. When the United States used nuclear weapons against Japan, they were thought to be a dramatic advance on bombs already in use, even those used to generate firestorms that had already devoured the cities of Germany and Japan. It was not until later that they were understood to be categorically different and ultimately too destructive to use. If past is prologue, deployment of the systems is going to take place well before their ramifications are fully understood. By 1950, as the Chinese Army was overrunning American and South Korean forces, the Truman administration had already grasped the dilemmas intrinsic to nuclear weapons; the Soviet detonation of a hydrogen bomb a few years later drove the lesson home. But between the exuberance of acquiring a new military capability and the sobering realization of its dangers, there is plenty of opportunity to use them. As someone who worked on counterterrorism on the National Security Council staff, I feel my pulse racing just to consider these possibilities. Ive been in too many situations where I know hypersonics would have been compellingly presented as the best possible response. The allure of such a weapon would be nearly irresistible. Albuquerque Police Department homicide detectives are looking for leads to solve the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Paloma Sanchez on Christmas Day. They say a white SUV with an unknown license plate was seen fleeing the area after the shooting. According to police Sanchez was walking near Madeira and Kathryn SE when she was shot and killed on Dec. 25. She was found in a parking lot around 4:30 a.m. and taken to the hospital in critical condition. Sanchez was taken of life support three days later. Her death was one of two homicides in Albuquerque on Christmas. Several hours after she was taken to the hospital Christian Frescas, 39, was found shot to death on Lomas near Louisiana NE. Tips: Police ask anyone with information about the case to contact Crime Stoppers at 843-STOP. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf speaks during a meeting of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the White House complex in Washington on Oct. 29, 2019. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) Homeland Security Chief Orders Review of State DMV Laws on Immigration Enforcement Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Dec. 31 requested a review of how recent state laws allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driving licenses will affect enforcement efforts. According to The Associated Press, Wolf sent a memo to agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard, and the Transportation Security Administration regarding the new law, formerly known as The Drivers License Access and Privacy Act. In it, he requested a study on how it will affect the Department of Homeland Securitys activities into immigration, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and counterterrorism. According to his memo, obtained by The Associated Press, Wolf said the department must be prepared to deal with and counter these impacts as we protect the homeland. He also asked that each agency take account of what Department of Motor Vehicles information is already available, how it is used in daily operations, and what the security consequences might be without the DMV data. In December 2019, New York became the 13th state to allow illegal aliens to apply for and obtain a drivers license from the Department of Motor Vehicles under the bill commonly referred to as the Green Light Law. It means that individuals aged 16 or older will be able to apply for a standard license, including those who have never been issued a Social Security number. However, applicants must show a combination of documents that prove their name, date of birth, and New York State residency, which include a foreign passport, a U.S. municipal ID card with photo, and a foreign birth certificate. Other states to have authorized the law include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. In addition to providing illegal immigrants with licenses, many of these states also prohibit Department of Motor Vehicles officials from providing data to immigration enforcement agencies unless a judge orders it. In a news release announcing the new law in 2019, speaker of the New York state Assembly, Carl Heastie, said it hoped to create safer roads and boost the states economy. Heastie also dismissed fears raised by opponents of the law, including county clerks, who suggested that it may create loopholes for criminals to obtain a drivers license and use it to commit bank fraud, identity theft, credit card fraud, human trafficking, and other criminal activities. While opponents continue to spread misinformation and stoke fears about the bills intent and consequences, the Assembly Majority will continue to put the needs of New Yorkers first, he said. The legislation passed today will promote public safety, protect our states economy, and ensure every New Yorker can integrate into their community and care for their family. Making sure that every driver is trained, tested, and insured will make New Yorks roads safer for everyone and ensure that our industries have the labor they need to keep our economy moving. A Siena College poll (pdf) from March 2019 revealed significant opposition to the law, with 61 percent of New York voting against illegal aliens receiving drivers licenses. Only 34 percent of voters supported the move. The poll has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. AP cited data from the Fiscal Policy Institute, which projects that approximately 265,000 illegal immigrants in the Empire State, the majority in New York City, will seek licenses under the new law over the next three years. The Trump administration takes the mission of protecting the Homeland very seriously, DHS spokeswoman Heather Swift told AP, adding that these types of laws are unsafe and make it easier for terrorists and criminals to obtain fraudulent documents. The Associated Press contributed to this report. SALEM, Ohio Farmers could get more time to work outside on winter evenings, if proposals to keep the clock on daylight saving time permanently continue to march through federal, state and local channels. Staying on DST would mean that the sun would set an hour later in the evening and rise an hour later in the morning between November and March. The U.S. Department of Transportation says daylight saving time saves energy, prevents traffic accidents and reduces crime, because people are traveling and running errands more during daylight, instead of at night, when more crimes occur. There are currently proposals from local organizations, legislators in a number of states and federal lawmakers. Farmers Leah Curtis, policy counsel for Ohio Farm Bureau, said staying on DST could help farmers stay safe. Traffic accidents sometimes happen between farm equipment and cars, and having more light in the evening could help reduce these accidents. While farm equipment should have lights and other safety features, ultimately, daylight makes them more visible, Curtis said. The farm bureau voted at its annual meeting in December that the organization would be in favor of making DST permanent. I think like a lot of people, farmers dislike the disruption of their schedule that occurs because of the change in time, Curtis said. Medical Curtis said the medical community reports more heart issues and injuries around time changes. A 2014 study by researchers from the University of Michigan and University of Colorado showed a 24% increase in heart attacks on the Monday after the spring time change. Sponsors of an Ohio Senate bill that would require Ohio to stay on DST permanently starting in March 2020, Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson, and Bob Peterson, R-Washington Court House, noted a 5.7% increase in workplace injuries after the spring change as well, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data in testimony for the bill. The increase in injuries and heart issues may come from getting less sleep. Staying on one time would hopefully reduce that disruption to sleep that can also cause other health issues as well, Curtis said. Legislation Senate Bill 119, which Roegner and Peterson introduced, was referred to the committee for General Government and Agency Review in March 2019 and had its third hearing Nov. 13. Under this bill, Ohio would spring ahead one last time in 2020, then would not fall back in November 2020. This would be in conflict with current federal law. Federal law allows states to remain on standard time year round, which states including Hawaii and most of Arizona currently do. States cannot, however, currently stay on DST year-round. Although a few states, including Washington, have passed legislation to stay on DST permanently, it cannot take effect unless federal law changes to allow it. Ohio isnt the only state considering this change. Sixteen other states, including Pennsylvania, currently have similar legislation pending, although some are instead considering staying on standard time permanently and eliminating DST entirely. Before 2006, parts of Indiana observed DST, while other parts remained on standard time throughout the year, causing confusion for many travelers and residents in the state. In 2006, the entire state began observing DST. Some states have passed legislation urging congress to allow states to remain on DST. Others have passed legislation specifying that the state will remain on DST if Congress allows it. The U.S. Senate is also considering the Sunshine Protection Act of 2019, and the U.S. House is considering the Daylight Act, both of which would allow states to stay on DST permanently. Austria's 'Wunderkind' chancellor Sebastian Kurz is set to return to power after striking a deal with the Greens that will see action on climate change alongside a ban on Muslim schoolgirls wearing headscarves under the age of 14. Kurz, 33, will reclaim the title of the world's youngest serving head of government after his conservative People's Party agreed the deal after months of negotiations. The deal will bring the Greens into power for the first time but they have had to agree to a number of right wing policies that their supporters will find hard to swallow. The deal includes measures to make Austria carbon-neutral by 2040 - 10 years before the European Union's target. But the coalition will also introduce tough policies on immigration to appeal to Kurz's right wing supporters and a ban on headscarves in schools for girls under 14 - raising the age restriction from 10. Sebastian Kurz, left, head of the Austrian People's Party, OEVP, shakes hands with Werner Kogler, right, head of the Austrian Greens during a press conference after finishing the coalition negotiations in Vienna, Austria Sebastian Kurz, left, head of the Austrian People's Party, OEVP, and Werner Kogler, right, head of the Austrian Greens speak to journalists during a press conference after finishing the coalition negotiations in Vienna, Austria Green leader Werner Kogler said both parties 'have possibly agreed on more than we could have imagined beforehand'. Mr Kurz - nicknamed 'Wunderkind' by his supporters - said: 'We succeeded in uniting the best of both worlds. 'It is possible to protect the climate and borders.' Kurz's party had previously been in coalition with the far right Freedom Party until its leader Heinz-Christian Strache was embroiled in the 'Ibiza-gate' scandal last May. He was filmed promising government contracts to a woman posing as the niece of a Russian oligarch at a villa on the Spanish island. Sebastian Kurz, left, head of the Austrian People's Party, OEVP, and Werner Kogler, right, head of the Austrian Greens leave together a press conference after finishing the coalition negotiations in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) Sebastian Kurz, left, head of the Austrian People's Party, OEVP, shakes hands with Werner Kogler, right, head of the Austrian Greens during a press conference after finishing the coalition negotiations in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) The scandal toppled the government and Kurz failed to win a majority at the last election in September. Mr Kurz is now expected to return as Austria's chancellor while Mr Kogler is expected to serve as vice-chancellor. The deal must first be agreed by the Greens' top decision-making body, the Federal Council, on Saturday but it is not expected to block the agreement. The Greens also demanded that the government raise taxes on flights out of Austria and charge companies for their carbon emissions and make products and services with a large carbon footprint more expensive. Disgraced former vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, who led the Freedom Party (FPOe) for 14 years, announced his 'total withdrawal from politics and public life' after the Ibiza-gate scandal Ibiza-gate: The video filmed in Ibiza in 2017 shows Strache meeting a woman posing as the niece of a Russian oligarch Kurz insisted on pushing through a controversial plan for preventive custody of potentially dangerous individuals, even if they have not committed a crime, which was put forward under the previous coalition after a fatal stabbing apparently committed by an asylum seeker in February. Mr Kurz added: 'We didn't try to negotiate each other down to minimal compromises. 'We deliberately brought together the best of both worlds, and so it is possible both for the Greens to keep their central election promises and for us.' Mr Kurz stressed that migrants rescued in the Mediterranean should be taken to 'safe countries of origin, third countries or transit countries, if they are safe.' He insisted that efforts to distribute migrants within Europe have failed. As the film awards season heats up with the Golden Globes on Sunday, Esther McCarthy assesses this years runners and riders. Can Saoirse Ronan pick up her fourth Oscar nomination for her role in Little Women? Will a foreign-language film become the first ever to win BestPicture? Can Joaquin Phoenix nab a Best Actor Oscar in one of the most competitive categories in years? All of these questions and many more will be answered over the coming weeks as awards season reaches fever pitch. Starting with the Golden Globes on January 5, swiftly followed by the Bafta and Oscarnominations just days later, it allculminates in the biggest of them all Oscars night on February 9. This years awards race is wide open, with just a handful of movies and stars considered lockdowns for a nomination, let alone a win. Last years surprise Best Picture win for Green Book under the preferential ballot system (voted in order of preference rather than with a single vote) also showed that the most broadly liked, least polarising movie can win cinemas top prize. As awards season starts to take shape, we look at the big contenders. Best Picture Unlike all the other Oscars categories which feature five nominees, voters can pick up to 10 nominees, from a minimum of five, for Best Picture. This is also the only award voted under the preferential ballot system, making it a hard one to call. The Golden Globes, voted for by about 90 members of foreign press working in Hollywood, are too often bigged up as an Oscars predictor, but they can certainly build momentum. The guilds and indeed in recent years the Baftas, can be a better indicator of whos at the races. A few things seem likely Netflix is leading a strong charge this year, with expectations high that both Martin Scorseses epic crime drama The Irishman and Noah Baumbachs wonderful Marriage Story will contend. One to seriously watch out for is South Korean black comedy Parasite. Following rave reviews, the top prize of the Palme dOr at Cannes, and strong box-office returns in the US and internationally, many now regard it as a shoo-in for a nomination. Some are even predicting it could be the first foreign-language film to take Best Picture. Others possibly in the mix for Oscars top prize include Once Upon a Timein Hollywood, QuentinTarantinos much admired nod to Tinseltowns heyday (Hollywood loves films about itself). Sam Mendes forthcoming 1917, which sees two young soldiers in a race against time to save thousands of their peers in the frontline in WWI, is an extraordinary film-making achievement and it would be a surprise not to see multiple nominations. If we get more than five in the shortlist, expect to see films like Hitler satire Jojo Rabbit, dark comic-book thriller Joker, racing drama Ford Vs Ferrari and Little Women coming into the mix. Best Director Martin Scorsese is currently a favourite for his three-and-a-half-hour mob movie The Irishman, and itll be interesting to see if he can hold momentum in the coming weeks. Incredibly, the seven-times-nominated filmmaker has won only once, for 2007s The Departed. Others likely to be in the race include Quentin Tarantino, Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) and Sam Mendes for his impressive work on 1917. Others in the conversation include Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), Todd Phillips (Joker), Greta Gerwig (Little Women) and Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit). Best Actress Will Saoirse Ronan bag her fourth nomination for playing Little Womens plucky and determined Jo March? Some regard her as a shoo-in, others think she could be squeezed out in a tight race. Worryingly for Ronan fans, she wasnt nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award. She was shortlisted for a Golden Globe but those awards celebrate big screen acting across two categories so have twice as many nominees. At this point, three likely front runners are Renee Zellweger, favourite for playing Judy Garland in her latter years in Judy, Scarlett Johansson forMarriage Story and Charlize Theron for playing Meghan Kelly in Bombshell. It looks set to be a tussle between Ronan, Cynthia Erivo for Harriet, Awkwafina for The Farewell and Lupito Nyongo for Us in theremaining places. Best Actor Regarded as this years awards-season bloodbath, with several fine performances fighting for the top five places. Robert De Niro was regarded as a certain nominee for The Irishman before his shock omission from the Screen Actors Guild shortlist, but he could recover. Other likely nominees could include Joaquin Phoenix for Joker, Adam Driver, excellent in Marriage Story and Leo Di Caprio for his star turn in Once Upon a Timein Hollywood. But a great many others deserve the nod in an awards run where some are sure to be disappointed. Antonio Banderas, so good in Pedro Almodovars Pain and Glory, should be in the running, and cases could also be made for Christian Bale (Les Mans 66), Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) and Taron Edgeton (Rocketman). Best Supporting Actor and Actress In this category, the Golden Globes shortlisted both Al Pacino and Joe Pesci for their fine work on The Irishman, Anthony Hopkins for The Two Popes, Tom Hanks for A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood and Brad Pitt, hilarious in Tarantinos Once Upon a Time. Threats could come from Alan Aldas great work on Marriage Story and Jamie Foxx in Just Mercy. And watch out for Song Kang-ho, getting raves in the momentum-gathering Parasite. The Globes shortlisted Kathy Bates for Clint Eastwoods forthcoming drama Richard Jewell, Annette Bening for The Report, Laura Dern, excellent as a sharky lawyer in Marriage Story, Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers and Margot Robbie in Bombshell. The SAGs differed on two significant fronts, opting for Nicole Kidman over Robbie in Bombshell, and Scarlett Johansson over Bates for Jojo Rabbit. If Johansson gets nominated in both female acting categories in the Oscars, shell be the first to do so in the same year since Cate Blanchett in 2007. Best Screenplays The Oscars, unlike the Golden Globes, divides its screenplay categories into Original and Adapted works, which means there are 10 places up for grabs. In Original Screenplay, Baumbachs Marriage Story is currently a narrow favourite over Tarantinos Once Upon a Time, with both likely to feature through awards season. Others in the mix include Parasite, The Farewell, Pain and Glory, Knives Out and 1917. In Adapted Screenplay, only The Irishman looks like a lock-in, with several others jostling for positions that should become clearer in the coming days. They include Jojo Rabbit, The Two Popes, Little Women, Joker, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood. Best Cinematography Irelands Robbie Ryan is certainly in with a shout for his work on Marriage Story, with the Hollywood Reporterciting him as a major threat for an Oscar nomination. Growing awards-season love for the film could boost his chances in what is always a very crowded field. The legendary Roger Deakins looks like the one to beat for his excellent work on the great-looking 1917. Others in the running include Once Upon a Time, The Irishman, Joker and Le Mans 66. The Golden Globes take place onSunday; highlights on RTE2 on Monday New Delhi: The Centre has reportedly rejected the Mahashtras tableau proposal for the Republic Day parade. The development comes hours after the Trinamool Congress on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre over the rejection of West Bengal's tableau proposal for Republic Day parade, saying it insulted the people of the state for protesting the amended Citizenship Act. Twenty-two proposals from 16 states and union territories and six from central ministries and out of a total 56 have been shortlisted for this parade. Maharashtra tableau was based on the 175-year-old journey of a theatre of the state. But reports suggest that it was not approved by the Union Culture Ministery. Some states have a chance for the rotational method every year. Slamming the Centre, NCP leader Supriya Sule said Republic Day is celebrated across India and all states should participate in the parade. But the government is acting aggressively and treating non-BJP ruled states with discriminatory behaviour. Both Maharashtra and West Bengal have played a vital role in country's independence. It's an insult to the states, and I condemn this action." The Defence Ministry had on Wednesday rejected West Bengal's tableau proposal. The West Bengal government's proposal was rejected after an Expert Committee examined it in two rounds of meeting, a statement by the ministry said. "The tableau proposal of the West Bengal government was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting. "It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the Government of West Bengal was short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process," it said. West Bengal Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Tapas Roy accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of having a "vindictive attitude" against the state. "Just because West Bengal has been opposing anti- people policies of the BJP government, a step-motherly treatment is being meted out to the state. As we have opposed anti-people laws like CAA, the Centre has rejected our tableau proposal," Roy told PTI. This is not the first time that West Bengal's tableau proposal has been rejected. There have been previous instances also, he said. "Such cheap politics won't deter us from opposing anti-people policies. The BJP has insulted the people of West Bengal and they would get a befitting reply for it in the near future," Roy said. Responding to the allegations, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the tableau was rejected as the state government didn't properly follow the rules and procedure in submitting the proposal. "The state government has not followed the rules. Other states have followed them, so their tableau proposals were accepted. The TMC should stop doing politics on each and every issue," Ghosh said. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Vienna, Jan 2 : The centre-right Austrian People's Party (AVP) and the environmentalist and progressive Greens have agreed on a coalition government in which the two claimed to defend their priorities: the fight against illegal immigration and the halting of climate change. "I am happy to say that we have reached an agreement," OVP leader Sebastian Kurz told reporters on Wednesday. With this deal, he is set to return to power as chancellor. At 33, Kurz would become the world's youngest sitting head of government over Finland's Sanna Marin, 34, reports Efe news. The conservative leader said that the negotiating teams would still work to clarify details so that the government agreement could be presented on Thursday. Kurz, who appeared alongside the head of the Greens, Werner Kogler, said that the negotiation, which has lasted seven weeks, "wasn't easy" because the two parties are very different in their internal orientations. However, he said that an "excellent result" had been achieved and that the two parties had "reconciled the best of both worlds". The two parties will keep their main election promises: the Greens' to stop climate change, and the OVP to lower taxes and fight against illegal immigration, he said. "It's possible to reduce the tax burden and at the same time make the tax system more ecological. It's possible to protect the climate and the borders," Kurz concluded. Although the agreement must be confirmed by the parties' delegates this weekend, Kogler predicted that the new government will take office next week. The OVP is expected to take over 10 Ministries, including important ones such as the Interior, Foreign Affairs, Finance and European Affairs, while the official announcement is still forthcoming. The Defence Department will also be in the hands of the AVP, and for the first time led by a woman. Kogler will be the vice-chancellor and the Greens will oversee a "super ministry" responsible for the environment and infrastructure which includes energy, technology and innovation, with an agenda oriented towards the fight against climate change. They will also run both the justice and the Social Affairs and Health Ministries. DUBLIN, Ireland, Jan. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As 2019 drew to a close, crowds gathered along the River Liffey quays in Dublin for a choreographed light show in time to original music as part of the citys New Years Festival Countdown Concert. Dublins dynamic New Years Festival burst into life early on 31 December and will keep up the momentum until the closing hours of 1 January, ensuring that 2020 is well and truly welcomed. Revellers of every age joined in the fun at the Liffey Lights Midnight Moment Matinee, an early countdown event, which began around 6pm and featured a laser light and aqua beam display. Bringing the Old Year to a close, the Countdown Concert at historic Custom House on 31 December saw top music acts perform blistering sets that had thousands of people dancing in the streets. Country star Lisa McHugh and Irelands newest pop artist, Aimee, joined rock veterans Ash and platinum-selling Walking on Cars, who headlined the festivals highlight event. And as 2019 drew to a close, crowds gathered along the quays for the fabulous Liffey Lights Midnight Moment. The dazzling choreographed light show saw a symphony of laser and aqua beams dance across the sky in time to original music created especially for the countdown event, performed by a 20 piece orchestra on a floating stage on the river Liffey. www.ireland.com A video accompanying this release is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9fb97b9c-ce47-4377-a2ed-b9071aa3fd8b Presentation link for sharing all media files: https://f.io/sOfBcjJr Please contact Johnny Donnelly for queries on footage: +353 872863582 Mobile/Cell johnny@arcana.ie Email She now lives in Surrey and enthused: 'I couldn't be prouder of who I am' An albino woman who was taunted because of her skin has defied negative comments from people who believed she was 'cursed' by becoming a model. Christelle Mengue, 29, was born in Cameroon, Africa but raised in Paris, France as her family decided it was best for her safety to live with family in Paris as people believed she was 'cursed' by a witch. But the big move didn't make it any easier for Christelle - she says she felt rejected by the black and white community. She spent her teenage years dying her hair and wearing dark make-up to mask her white skin. Now, the young woman acts as an advocate for others with albinism and embraces her skin, and is sharing her story for the first time to promote self-acceptance. Christelle Mengue (pictured), 29, who was born in Cameroon, Africa but raised in Paris, has told how she defied the bullies who taunted her for her albinism - by becoming a model The young woman, who has six brothers, is the only one in her family with albinism. Pictured right, with one of her siblings (left) Christelle (pictured), who now lives in Sutton, Surrey, said medics thought she was disabled because of the condition because of the lack of melanin Christelle, who lives in Sutton, Surrey said: 'When I was younger, I knew I was different, but I had no idea why - even when I grew up in a white community in France, I didn't feel accepted. 'I have six brothers, but I am the only one with albinism - perhaps one of my ancestors has it. 'In Cameroon, my family accepted me but the other people in my country thought I was cursed. 'Medics said I was disabled because of my condition because of the lack of melanin. 'My parents decided it would be best for me to live with my family in France, so I moved for a better life when I was five-years-old. Christelle was raised in France as her family decided it was best for her safety as people from her hometown believed she was cursed by a witch. Pictured as a baby with her siblings The model says the move didn't make it any easier for her as she still felt rejected by the black and white community. Pictured, as a baby Christelle told how the bullying got harder as she hit her teens - especially when other girls started getting boyfriends. Pictured, as a baby 'Throughout my time at school, I was constantly taunted because of my skin, the kids would say I call me ugly, weird or a ghost. 'It got harder when I grew into my teens as the other girls started getting boyfriends and I was always the odd one out. What is Oculocutaneous albinism? Oculocutaneous albinism is the most common type, affecting the skin, hair and eyes. Those affected typically have very fair skin and white or light-colored hair. Long-term sun exposure greatly increases the risk of skin damage. Oculocutaneous albinism reduces pigmentation of the colored part of the iris and the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the retina. The condition can result from mutations in several genes, including those used to produce melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color. In the retina, melanin also plays a role in normal vision. Oculocutaneous albinism is inherited in anautosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of a gene in each cell have mutations. In most cases, the parents both carry a copy of the mutated gene but do not show signs and symptoms of the condition. 1 in around 20,000 people around the world have some form of the condition. There is no cure for the eye problems caused by albinism. However there are a number of treatments, such as glasses and contact lenses, that can improve vision. Advertisement She continued: 'I started dying my hair darker and wearing weaves along with putting dark foundation on so I would be accepted as a mixed-race girl. 'I suffered with low self-esteem and had no confidence, but I eventually got sick of hiding - my hair was damaged from the dye and the makeup wasn't my shade.' At 19-years-old, Christelle was scouted by a French modelling agency and her whole outlook on albinism started to change over time. Christelle told how she spent her teenage years dying her hair and wearing dark make-up in a bid to try and mask her white skin (pictured) The 29-year-old (pictured) explained how at school, she was constantly taunted because of her skin and was called everything from 'ugly, weird or a ghost' 'I grew up without a role model and I never seen anyone like me on TV or in a magazine,' she said. 'I had no idea what albinism even was so I took matters into my own hands and began researching and realised I am not the only one. People had very low knowledge of that condition. 'I was just starting doing research about my identity. It wasn't till I was 23-years-old that I was fully able to define myself as an albino and explain that condition to others. 'It doesn't affect my brain and I am just like anyone else. 'For my first shoot, I looked back at the photos and realised I didn't look that bad on photos and began to embrace my skin. Christelle (pictured) suffered with low self-esteem and had no confidence, but eventually got sick of hiding - and now embraces her albinism The young woman is now signed with Models of Diversity - who campaign for greater diversity of modelling talent on the catwalk. Pictured, with a sibling Now ten years on, Christelle is signed with Models of Diversity - who campaign for greater diversity of modelling talent on the catwalk - and she features in their 2020 calendar. She continued: 'I used to say I was a light skin mixed race girl but now I couldn't be prouder of who I am. 'I want more people like me to step out of their comfort zones and become role models for others with albinism. 'I am sharing my story to promote diversity - I hope other people see the calendar and realise anything is possible.' You can purchase a calendar here: https://modelsofdiversity.org/content/Models-of-Diversity-Charity-Calendar-2020 At 19-years-old, Christelle (pictured) was scouted by a French modelling agency and her whole outlook on albinism started to change over time Christelle even features in Models of Diversity's 2020 calendar. Pictured, since embracing her look Nick Gordon, the ex partner of Bobbi Kristina Brown, has passed away at the age of 30. (Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/WireImage) Nick Gordon, the former partner and fiance of Whitney Houston's late daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, has died at the age of 30. It comes after Brown died aged 22 in 2015, while her mother passed away three years prior in 2012 aged 48. His lawyer, Joe Habachy, confirmed the news in a statement on New Year's Day on Wednesday. Read more: Whitney Houstons alleged lover Robyn Crawford breaks silence on relationship He said: My heart is heavy today after learning that my long time client Nick Gordon died at the young age of thirty. Bobbi Kristina Brown died in 2015. Credit: Felicia Franco/MediaPunch /IPX "Despite all of the incredible challenges Nick faced over the last few years, I can honestly say that he worked hard to hold his head up and stay sober and that he genuinely wanted a happy healthy life with his family more than anything else," Habachy added. Gordon's brother Jack Walker Jr. told People in a statement: "We are devastated by the loss of my beautiful brother. He leaves a void in the hearts of my family and his friends. Nicks battle in life was not an easy one. I will be forever grateful that my God afforded a small moment at the very end of Nicks life, and I was able to hold his hand as he journeyed on. A cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Whitney Houston and daughter Bobbi Kristina arrive at the Clive Davis And The Recording Academy's 2011 Pre-GRAMMY Gala at The Beverly Hilton hotel on February 12, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage) The news comes three years after Gordon was found liable in the wrongful death case of his ex-girlfriend with a judge ordering him to pay $36 million, around 27 million, to her estate. Brown was found unconscious and unresponsive in the bath of her home she shared with Gordon in January 2015. She never regained consciousness and later died on 26 July of the same year whilst in hospice care. Houston died in 2012 after drowning in a bathtub, with coroner's official later ruling that the death was accidental. Two dogs involved in a horrific traffic accident were left tied to the side of an upturned vehicle in icy cold conditions waiting to be rescued. The dogs were in a car with their owners, a man and a woman, and a third dog, driving down the A61 near the small town of Dannstadt in Germany's Rheinland-Pfalz region when the incident took place. The Suzuki car, in which the three dogs were apparently travelling freely in the car without any cage or other safety restrictions, crashed and flipped over. Two dogs involved in a horrific traffic accident were left tied to the side of a vehicle in icy cold conditions waiting to be rescued The dogs were in a car with their owners, a man and a woman, and a third dog, driving down the A61 near the small town of Dannstadt in Germany's Rheinland-Pfalz region when the incident took place The car pictured flipped over on the side of a rural road near the small town of Dannstadt in Germany's Rheinland-Pfalz region It is not known what caused the crash. Police are investigating the incident. Local police said that the vehicle left the road, rolled over several times and came to rest on its roof on a nearby rural road. The smaller dog was killed in the incident while the male driver and female passenger were rushed to hospital. It is not known what caused the crash. The smaller dog was killed in the incident while the male driver and female passenger were rushed to hospital The three dogs were travelling apparently without any cage or other safety restrictions The other two dogs who survived were left tied to the side of the vehicle until relatives could be found to come and collect them. One eyewitness told local media: 'I looked inside the car and I didn't see any transport box and as far as I can see they weren't secured inside with a lead either.' It was not revealed how long the dogs had to remain in the icy cold until relatives of the injured couple turned up to collect them. The names and ages of the injured were also not revealed. Within the current legal landscape, federal restrictions and market-by-market fragmentation make the cannabis market exceptionally difficult to gain market reach, regardless if youre a retailer, product company or media company. This dynamic is amplified when it comes to cannabis advertising, as most traditional media outlets and advertising mediums restrict or prohibit cannabis advertising. Despite these restrictions, the time to gain the loyalty of this demographic is now. Cannabis consumers are very loyal to those who are daring and participate in the movement directly. Once cannabis becomes federally legal, the market will have all sorts of brands competing for the hearts and minds of the cannabis consumer, meaning brands should be focused on the blue ocean now rather than waiting for the red ocean that's to come post-federal legalization. Now is the time to maximize the impact. Cannabis-centric advertising is more cost-effective and impactful now than it ever will be. RELATED: You Can Promote A Cannabis Brand On Social Media But Not Easily Creating a high-traffic, cannabis-centric website, or relying on programmatic advertising platforms to aggregate publishers alone, could be viewed as shortcuts to aggregate millions of cannabis-focused impressions. However, history has proven in the media industry that owning the content and the platform in which advertisements are served -- particularly when those assets offer an unadulterated path directly to a specific demographic -- amasses the highest value for the companies willing to take the harder and longer path. Through its sophisticated technologies, brands focused on out-of-home media (digital and experiential) and complemented by targeted digital elements (OTT, web and mobile) is perfectly positioned to serve the most coveted demographic on the planet: the cannabis consumer. Focusing on the out-of-home segment should prove beneficial as more and more advertising dollars are allocated to this medium. The Out of Home Advertising Association of America has indicated that the out-of-home segment has grown by nearly 16 percent over the past five years, and approximately 4.5 percent in the last year alone, with the organizations President and CEO indicating that in todays new era of media, OOH has become a force for consumer connection, offering engaging and informational experiences. RELATED: 9 Cutting-Edge Marijuana Marketing Tactics That Work While scaling in this fragmented industry is difficult, companies that have achieved this feat have become immensely valuable. Experts projected trajectory and overall value attributed to the cannabis industry is unprecedented. National acceptance of cannabis legalization nears 70 percent, as over two-thirds of the U.S. population lives in a state that has legalized cannabis consumption. Even with many states not yet offering access to legal cannabis, over 55 million Americans consume cannabis, supporting a space that has blossomed into a multi-billion dollar industry. Of course, there still is a lot to know about a cannabis consumer. There are 55 million of them that spend over $10 billion annually on cannabis alone. They shop often, spend big and stay loyal. This brand loyal consumer with significant discretionary income is exactly the audience segment a business is looking for. They are musicians, active, athletes, gamers, binge-watchers, professionals, parents, millennials, boomers and tourists, just to name a few. We are seeing successful marketing campaigns with a wide array of products and services, because the cannabis consumers, while woven together with some central themes, are as unique as the cannabis products they consume. RELATED: How Cannabis Brands Can Harness The Power Of Digital Marketing In a large and dynamic growth sector like cannabis, where an industry category reaches $5 billion in annual spending and continues to grow at 20 percent year-over-year (such as cable television and broadband internet subscription spending), those early and well-positioned innovators are often best positioned for long-term growth and value realization. So, as the cannabis craze continues to take hold, media platforms that embrace trends of out-of-home and targeted digital elements will continue to bear fruit. Related: How To Win Over Cannabis Consumers Through Media 2019's Top U.S. Cannabis Stories: Vape Crisis, Industry Challenges, Landmark Legalization Moves & More The Hot 25: The Hottest Cannabis Brands Of The Week (12/23-12/27), Powered By Pioneer Intelligence Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Austrias main conservative party and the environmentalist Greens have agreed on a coalition deal that will return ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz to power. Both Mr Kurz and Werner Kogler from the Greens, who led the negotiations between the two parties, told reporters in Vienna they had hammered out a government programme that will be presented to the public in detail on Thursday. Mr Kurz said: These were demanding negotiations, but the result is a very good one. Both us and the Greens will be able to honour the central election promises we made. Mr Kogler agreed saying that, it wasnt easy, but thats also not what we were elected for. Expand Close Austrias parliament ousted Mr Kurz in a no-confidence vote (AP/Ronald Zak) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Austrias parliament ousted Mr Kurz in a no-confidence vote (AP/Ronald Zak) The 33-year-old Mr Kurzs Peoples Party embarked on negotiations with the Greens in mid-November, weeks after it emerged as by far the biggest party from an election. In that vote in September, the Greens, who have not previously been part of a federal government in Austria, saw their support soar and returned to parliament after a two-year absence. The two parties have a combined 97 seats in Austrias 183-seat parliament. Mr Kurzs return to power would see him take back the title of the worlds youngest sitting head of government from new Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who is 34. If the Greens delegates formally approve the coalition deal at their party convention, the new government could be sworn in as early as next week. It would be the first time that the conservative Peoples Party and the Greens form a government in Austria. The new Austrian government is likely to be significantly different from Mr Kurzs previous alliance with the far-right Freedom Party. Mr Kurz led a coalition with the Freedom Party for 17 months until May, when a video showing then-Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache offering favours to a purported Russian investor prompted Mr Kurz to pull the plug. Parliament then ousted Mr Kurz in a no-confidence vote. Austria has since been run by a non-partisan interim government under Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein. The Freedom Party said after the election, in which it suffered significant losses, that it preferred to go into opposition to rebuild itself. Everyones favourite food secrets are back for a fifth season! Go behind the scenes of the factories churning out delicious sweets, old-time classics and the new generation of artisanal treats. Wednesdays from 9:30pm AEDT. A total of 42 bills are pending before Parliament and many of them are expected to be cleared during the upcoming Budget Session which usually runs for over two months. Out of these bills, here are the five key ones: 1. The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 The bill aims to protect personal data of individuals while setting up a Data Protection Authority. The purview of the bill includes processing of personal data by government, Indian companies and foreign companies dealing with personal data of Indian citizens. It also defines personal data and makes a categorisation of sensitive personal data. This includes financial data, biometric data, caste, religious or political beliefs, or any other category of data specified by the government, in consultation with the Authority and the concerned sectoral regulator, according to the PRS Legislative Research, an independent research institute. The bill also proposes a data fiduciary to decide the way and reasons behind processing personal data. 2. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 As India has become a booming market for surrogacy, the government has brought this bill to regulate surrogacy and prohibit any commercial exploitation of surrogacy. The bill allows altruistic surrogacy which means that the surrogate mother would not get any monetary compensation except the medical expenses and insurance coverage during her pregnancy. The proposed law also allows surrogacy under certain special circumstances which includes proven infertility of couples. It also makes it mandatory for a couple willing to get a child trough surrogacy to take a certificate of essentiality and a certificate of eligibility from government officials. 3. The Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019 The bill is aimed to set up countrys first central university of Sanskrit, a language which has lost much of its utility in the modern times. The bill proposes to convert three deemed-to-be Sanskrit universities into central universities. These universities will work for preservation of the ancient language and train manpower for the overall development of Sanskrit and allied subjects. These institutes will also decide study materials and courses and conduct training programmes. They can also grant degrees, diplomas, and certificates and allow distance education system. 4. The Industrial Relations Code, 2019 One of the most controversial laws on labour reforms may get a push in the coming session of Parliament. This code will replace the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Trade Unions Act, 1926, and the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. The proposed law will make life difficult for trade unions as it allows registration of trade unions that have a membership of at least 10 per cent of the workers or 100 workers, whichever is less. It also makes mandatory for a union to always have at least seven workers employed in the establishment or the connected industry, as its members. It also says that if there are multiple trade unions in an establishment, the trade union with support of at least 75 per cent of workers will be recognised as the negotiating union by the central or state government, according to the PRS. 5. The Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill, 2019 As India is steadily increasing its footprint in maritime trade and commerce, the government has brought this bill to prevent maritime piracy and has included death penalty for culprits. The bill will be applicable to all parts of the sea adjacent to and beyond the limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone of India. It defines piracy as an act of violence, detention, or destruction committed against a ship, aircraft, person or property, for private purposes, by the crew or passengers of a private ship or aircraft. The bill stipulates that a pirate may even face death penalty if he kills any sailor or for attempted murder. And an attempt to commit, aid, abet, or procure for an act of piracy, will be punishable with up to 14 years of imprisonment. Yes, its beginning to look a lot like Christmaswhich, for many of us, feels like a rush into chaos. Celebrating Advent during this season slows us down and helps our hearts and minds be reoriented around the coming of Christ.Yes, its beginning to look a lot like Christmaswhich, for many of us, feels like a rush into chaos. Celebrating Advent during this season slows us down and helps our hearts and minds be reoriented around the coming of Christ. He was once a titan of the car industry who held hero status in Japan. He then became one of the country's most well-known criminal suspects. Now he's an international fugitive. Carlos Ghosn, the multi-millionaire former boss of Nissan, spent months preparing to stand trial on financial misconduct charges. At least, that was what the Japanese authorities were led to believe. He posted 1bn yen (6.8m; $8.9m) in bail in April. He was monitored by a 24-hour camera installed outside his house. His use of technology was heavily restricted and he was banned from travelling abroad. Then, in a move that left Japan red-faced and his own legal team baffled, he appeared in Lebanon on New Year's Eve. "I have escaped injustice and political persecution," he declared in a statement. "We were completely caught by surprise. I am dumbfounded," his lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, told a crowd of reporters in Tokyo shortly after learning of Mr Ghosn's flight. "I want to ask him, 'How could you do this to us?'" Another pressing question is: how did he do it at all? A musical escape? One Lebanese TV channel - MTV - reported that Mr Ghosn had fled his court-approved residence in Tokyo with the assistance of a paramilitary group who were disguised amongst a band of musicians. It said the band had performed at his house and, shortly after they had finished, the 65-year-old hid in a large musical instrument case which was then hurried to a local airport. If this really happened, it may have been a tight squeeze even for Mr Ghosn, whose height is reported at 5ft 6in (167cm). According to the MTV story, he then flew to Turkey, before arriving in Lebanon on a private jet. The broadcaster provided no proof for this theory which, unsurprisingly, spread rapidly across social media. Mr Ghosn's wife, Carole, however, told Reuters news agency that reports of the musical escape were "fiction". She declined to provide details of how her husband did escape the country. Donning a spy-movie disguise is not beyond Mr Ghosn. In March, in a bid to throw journalists off his scent, he left prison disguised as a construction worker. He was quickly identified, mocked in the media, and his lawyer soon apologised for the "amateur plan". The role of Carole Ghosn The former CEO's getaway from Tokyo to Beirut was meticulously planned over a period of several weeks or months, according to media reports. The Wall Street Journal, which cited a number of unidentified sources, said a team was carefully assembled to carry out the plot. The group reportedly included accomplices in Japan who transported Mr Ghosn from his house and onto a private jet bound for Istanbul. From there, he continued his journey to Beirut where he arrived in the early hours of 30 December. The plane tracking site FlightRadar24 showed a Bombardier Challenger private jet arriving at Beirut-Rafic Hariri international airport shortly after 04:00 local time. Mr Ghosn then met his wife Carole, who was born in the city and was heavily involved in the operation, the Wall Street Journal says. Several media reports said private security operatives helped smuggle Mr Ghosn out of house arrest. The Financial Times reported that the operatives had been planning the escape for months, and had allegedly split into several teams working in different countries. Two people familiar with the situation said the preparations were assisted by Mr Ghosn's Japanese supporters. The former Nissan boss made his escape by flying out of Japan's Osaka airport on a private jet, the newspaper reported. It said Mr Ghosn was not required to wear any electronic tags while on bail. Two unnamed sources close to Mr Ghosn told Reuters news agency that even the pilot of the private jet was unaware of Mr Ghosn's presence on board. Several reports have said Carole Ghosn was a major figure behind the plan for her husband to skip bail and get out of Japan. She spoke with him for more than an hour on 24 December, Mr Ghosn's Japanese lawyer said. The couple had previously been banned from meeting or communicating under Mr Ghosn's bail conditions. After her husband arrived in Lebanon, Mrs Ghosn told the Wall Street Journal that their reunion was "the best gift of my life". She has not commented on her alleged involvement in the operation. Earlier this year she told the BBC: "I want my husband back. I want him with me. I know he is innocent." Three passports Questions remain about the documents Mr Ghosn used to enter Lebanon. He holds three passports - Brazilian, French and Lebanese - but his legal team maintain that they were in possession of all of them when he left Japan. It is not known whether Mr Ghosn was holding duplicate passports - as businesspeople are sometimes allowed to do. It has also been reported that he may have had a diplomatic passport issued by Lebanon although this has not been confirmed. While the French newspaper Le Monde said he travelled on an ID card, others have reported that he may have used a French passport or even a false identity with forged documents. A spokesperson for Mr Ghosn told the Financial Times he used a French passport to enter Lebanon but would not disclose how he had left Japan. Ghadi Khoury, the Lebanese foreign ministry's director of political affairs, said the former Nissan boss entered the country on a French passport and Lebanese ID, according to the newspaper. The embarrassment caused by Mr Ghosn's flight soon sparked a reaction from Japan. One Japanese politician asked whether he "had the support of some country". A former governor of Tokyo was more forthright, accusing Lebanon of direct involvement. Mr Ghosn grew up in Lebanon, owns property there and is a popular figure. He even appeared on one of the country's postage stamps. The two Reuters sources said the Lebanese ambassador to Japan had visited him every day while he was in detention. The ambassador has not publicly responded to this claim. The Lebanese government has denied any involvement in Mr Ghosn's escape. "The government has nothing to do with [Mr Ghosn's] decision to come," Lebanese minister Salim Jreissati was quoted as saying by the New York Times. "We don't know the circumstances of his arrival." Mr Khoury told the Financial Times that Lebanon "had asked for [Mr Ghosn's] extradition", but said the government had not had any involvement in his plan to escape. France and Turkey have also said they were unaware of Mr Ghosn's plan. There is no extradition deal between Japan and Lebanon, which means the future of Mr Ghosn's trial is now fraught with uncertainty. Japan gives millions in aid to Lebanon and will likely want Mr Ghosn returned. But it will no doubt have to answer further questions about how such a high-profile suspect was able to get out of the country in the first place. ---BBC Clinker exports lead in export during 5MFY19/20 02 January 2020 Pakistan overseas export of cement and clinker saw a healthy growth of 21.5 per cent during the first five months of FY19-20 (July-November 2019) to 3.608Mt from 2.97Mt in the year-ago period. The country exported 1.657Mt of clinker out of a total of 3.608Mt of cement/clinker in 5MFY19-20 as compared to 800,773t of clinker out of total 2.97Mt of cement/clinker in 5MFY18-19, according to All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). Pakistan exported 1.157Mt of cement to Afghanistan, therefore recording a growth of 43.1 per cent during this period. However, export to India remains suspended since March last year. The exports of cement by sea routes has performed poorly and reached to 793,263t, which translates of fall of 15.3 per cent over five months of last financial year. Total clinker exports stood at 1.657Mt, recording a 100 per cent growth on YoY basis. According to local experts, though domestic cement sales in the north have improved (11 per cent in 5MFY20) leading to a one per cent advance in the five-month period the real growth is driven by clinker exports, which nearly doubled in 5MFY20 compared to the corresponding period last year. Published under Penn study shows residents of Hispanic neighborhoods also have a lower chance of survival following cardiac arrest compared to those living in non-Hispanic neighborhoods PHILADELPHIA--People living in predominately Hispanic neighborhoods are less likely to receive CPR from a bystander following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest compared to people living in non-Hispanic neighborhoods, researchers from Penn Medicine and the Duke University of School of Medicine reported in the journal Circulation. This same group also had a lower likelihood of survival. Most previous studies, including ones led by Penn, have concentrated on gender, age, and residents of predominantly black neighborhoods, who are also less likely to receive CPR from bystanders. However, few have been conducted around CPR delivery in the Hispanic population, despite it being the fastest growing community in the United States. "This is an underrecognized disparity that deserves more attention and resources if we're going to better understand what's driving it," said senior author Benjamin S. Abella, MD, MPhil, a professor of Emergency Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Penn Center for Resuscitation Science. "One of the first steps is to focus on ways to implement programs that help more people from the Hispanic community get CPR trained and ultimately save more lives." Administering CPR following cardiac arrest can double or even triple a person's chance of survival, according to the American Heart Association. "It is critical to consider how to address these disparities, including targeted CPR training for Hispanic populations," said lead author Audrey L. Blewer, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor in the department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke, who began the study as the assistant director for Educational Programs at the Center for Resuscitation Science at Penn Medicine. The team conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium, a network of regional clinical centers in the United States and Canada that study out-of-hospital treatments of cardiac arrest and trauma. The study analyzed over 27,000 different cardiac arrest events between 2011 and 2015. In neighborhoods with less than 25 percent Hispanic residents, CPR was administered in 39 percent of events, compared to only 27 percent of events in neighborhoods with more than 75 percent Hispanic residents. Patients who suffered a cardiac arrest in neighborhoods with predominately Hispanic residents also had a 44 percent lower likelihood of survival, as compared to those who lived in neighborhoods with predominantly non-Hispanic residents. Most of the bystander CPR events occurred in the home. "These findings should inform future messaging around bystander CPR and educational initiatives, including the provision of dispatch CPR targeting largely Hispanic neighborhoods," the authors wrote. ### Co-authors of the study include Robert Schmicker, Laurie J. Morrison, Tom P. Aufderheide, Mohamud Daya, Monique A. Starks, Susanne May, Ahamed H. Idris, Clifton W. Callaway, Peter J. Kudenchuk, and Gary M. Vilke. The work was supported by a Mentored Clinical and Population Award from the American Heart Association (15MCPRP25090161). 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 $425 million awarded in the 2018 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; and Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Home Care and Hospice Services, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others. Penn Medicine is powered by a talented and dedicated workforce of more than 40,000 people. The organization also has alliances with top community health systems across both Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, creating more options for patients no matter where they live. Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2018, Penn Medicine provided more than $525 million to benefit our community. When she first transitioned about five years ago, the clothes had been exactly what she had spent so much of her life wanting to wear. The outfits signaled to others, and to herself, the femininity she felt inside. She had ditched her Hot Topic T-shirts for floral dresses and vibrant colors. She started painting her fingernails almost every day. She shaved the barely visible hair on her legs, because thats what women are expected to do. OTTAWA - In 2019, federal Conservatives sought to draw voters in their direction with the slogan: "It's time for you to get ahead." Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA - In 2019, federal Conservatives sought to draw voters in their direction with the slogan: "It's time for you to get ahead." But they didn't get enough of those voters to form government, and so 2020 finds the Conservatives needing to figure out how to get ahead themselves. Leader of the Opposition Andrew Scheer rises to announce he will step down as leader of the Conservatives, Thursday December 12, 2019 in the House of Commons in Ottawa. In 2019, federal Conservatives sought to sway voters in their direction with the slogan "time for you to get ahead." THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld "There is an opportunity for the party to define or redefine itself, reconfigure its identity, figure out what it is, and then move forward," said Semhar Tekeste, who worked for the Conservatives both in Opposition and in government, and is now a public-affairs consultant. They have three places to figure that out: in the House of Commons as the official Opposition, in a leadership race, and at a policy convention scheduled for November. At the centre of all three, in one way or another, is the current leader of the party, Andrew Scheer. When he was elected leader in 2017, he was billed as "Stephen Harper with a smile," a nod to the leader who led the party from 2004 until 2015 and won three elections. But the party has been running on much the same platform since Harper first formed government in 2006, said Dean Tester, a Conservative strategist who has worked on several party campaigns, including that of Scheer's main rival in the 2017 race, former minister Maxime Bernier. "Is running with that platform enough to get it done in the 2020s? Can we win with the exact same coalition and same policies with a different face? To me, I don't think so," he said. The question of how and where what the party stands for gets decided is fundamental for the Tories. Many had been looking forward to a planned Toronto policy convention in April as a time to debate new ideas, but that gathering has been punted to November to await the leadership race. Who wins that could have an impact on what ideas actually get off the convention floor. Take supply management. That a party whose ideology is rooted in free-market capitalism continues to advocate for government control over the supply of some agricultural goods is a sore spot for many, and abolishing it was the centrepiece of Bernier's leadership campaign. But to farmers who believe their livelihoods depend on it, supply management is a sacred program. Those farmers helped propel Scheer to victory in the leadership race by just a hair over Bernier. So, in 2018, an effort at the party's convention to abolish support for supply management never made it to a vote. On the other hand, in 2016, the party's grassroots were successful in getting language that opposed same-sex marriage deleted from the party's official policy handbook. The interim leader of the day, after Harper's losing election, was Rona Ambrose, who has been publicly in favour of same-sex marriage, and is now considering whether to take a run for the permanent job. Scheer saw his personal opposition to same-sex marriage become a lightning rod during the campaign. In post-mortem meetings, he heard repeatedly from local campaigns that his personal views cost the party votes. That was one element of the mounting criticism that led to Scheer's announcing in mid-December he'll step down as soon as his replacement is chosen. Though Conservative MPs voted to have him stay on as leader in the meantime, Tekeste said she's not sure how he'll be able to convincingly do that. "Where does the official Opposition leader's office go from here? How does it stay relevant within the caucus until the leadership race?" she said. Scheer's departure, though officially the product of Scheer's own quenched fire for the job (and mounting discontent with his leadership after the election), also came as questions were being raised about how he was using party funds to cover personal costs, including tuition for his children. He has yet to address that issue publicly, with his office continuing to say it has no comment on the matter, including whether he is still receiving a stipend from the party. He and his family will continue, however, to live in the Opposition leader's official residence of Stornoway. "We plan on being the strongest and most effective opposition in our country's history," said spokesman Simon Jefferies. "We are going to continue to fight for the taxpayer, fiscal responsibility, national unity, and for a position of strength on the world stage." Classic lines of attack from the Conservatives are on foreign policy and finance, and over the winter break, Scheer has used his social-media accounts to go after the Trudeau Liberals on both. But the Conservative critics on those files are angling for the leadership Pierre Poilievre, who holds the finance post, and Erin O'Toole at foreign affairs. They spent their holidays making calls and lining up campaign teams. During the 2017 contest, Ambrose made critics give up those posts if they ran for the leadership. Whether Scheer will do the same may depend on when the race officially begins. A committee led by former Conservative cabinet minister and one-time leadership contender Lisa Raitt is setting the rules, and the timeline, for the vote. Raitt is working alongside Dan Nowlan, who ran the 2017 contest, which had 14 names on the ballot. A sustained debate on whether the rules should be set to narrow the field has been underway for days. A higher entry fee than 2017's $100,000, a requirement for more signatures on nomination forms, and even a rule that a candidate have been a member of the party for more than just the six months required in 2017 are all being discussed. Decisions on all of those and a voting date could come by mid-January. Where there appears to be unanimity is that whomever seeks the job must bring a robust set of policy ideas to the table. Many insist more enthusiastic support for LGBTQ rights and a more ambitious approach to climate change must be among them, though there are others who insist hewing closer to the Liberals in either area is wrong morally, strategically, or both. Bernier himself warned as much in a fundraising email to supporters of his new People's Party of Canada, suggesting that so-called Red Tories are out to hijack the movement and bring back the era of big government. In recent days, failed Conservative candidates and current MPs alike have been trying to spark a discussion about what a refreshed suite of policies could look like. Among them is veteran MP Scott Reid, who was first elected to the House of Commons as a member of the Canadian Alliance and is now one of the longest-serving members of the party. Reid is in the midst of a series of essays exploring themes he hopes leadership candidates take to heart and borrow for their platforms: democratic reform; finding a balance on issues of inclusiveness, equality and civil liberties; and the need for a clear vision on the economy and the environment. "Not only will these suggestions help the borrowers to attract the support of median Conservatives like myself; the borrowers will also (I believe) stand a much better chance of winning the next election," he wrote in his first essay about democratic reform. (He calls for an elected Senate, citizen-initiated referendums and greater powers for MPs versus party leaders.) The leadership race can't just be about winning that next election, argues Tester. "For many Conservatives, myself included, there is a much bigger challenge," he said. "Are we going to be a party that seeks power for the sake of power, or are we going to be a party with a comprehensive vision for the country?" This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2020. Bhopal, Jan 3 : Congress Seva Dal on Thursday lashed out at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Hindu Mahasabha and other such organisations for their 'communal narrative'. The Seva Dal has published a booklet criticising the Hindu Mahasabha's role during the freedom movement. The content was questionable and lead to long-drawn controversy. The incendiary literature caused massive furore in the state, with the BJP protesting the act and demanding an apology from the Seva Dal and Congress. The other Hindutva supporters have also raised objections over the booklet. The literature distributed among 500 participants in a national training camp here, describes BJP and RSS as Fascist organisations. The booklet titled 'Veer Savarkar Kitne Veer? '(How brave was Veer Savarkar?) claims that when Savarkar was a 12-year-old boy, he threw stones at a Mosque and broke the tiles there. There is also a controversial reference to alleged physical relations between him and Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhi's assassin. The booklet goes on to say, 'Details of such physical relationship of Godse are found from the period before he took to brahmacharya. It was a gay relationship. His partner was his political guru Veer Savarkar.' The book claims that Savarkar used to incite people to rape Muslim women. It says Savarkar had apologised in writing to the British so that he was released from jail and assured the Raj that he would not be involved in any political activity again. The BJP has expressed strong opposition to the distribution of the disputed book in the Congress Seva Dal meeting. State BJP Vice President Rameshwar Sharma said, "What can be expected from the Congress which burns women in the oven?" referring to the infamous scandal in Delhi in the 1990s where an Congress leader had killed his wife and tried to dispose of her body in a tandoor. Congress spokesperson Durgesh Sharma said, "The literature distributed in the Congress Seva Dal is not new. What has been said about Savarkar is well known. It is well known that he apologised to the British." He said, "Savarkar had supported Jinnah's idea of dividing the country. All this is literature and Congress had not written it; this was written by litterateurs. The country should know about all these things today because of the way some leaders are declaring Godse as a patriot. People should know who sacrificed for the country and who took the side of the British." Sharma, however, refrained from speaking about the claim made in the book about Savarkar's relationship with Godse. He did not come forth on the claim that Savarkar used to incite mobs to rape Muslim women either. Savarkar had described rape as legitimate political weapon, says the booklet. Coming at a time when there is a major RSS convention going on in Indore the booklet will lead to far reaching consequences. As it is the Congress has already been warned by its ally Shiv Sena in Maharashtra to tread with caution on Savarkar. Hollywood legend Nicolas Cage left pubgoers in Somerset open-mouthed when he wandered into the local brewery on New Year's Eve. The A-lister, 55, rung in 2020 with a few drinks at The Tramways club in Wells, a member's club that charges 10 per year. One of the shocked revellers shared the news on Reddit, revealing the Oscar winner had bought a round of drinks for everyone. Pour it up: Hollywood legend Nicolas Cage left pubgoers in Somerset open-mouthed when he wandered into the local brewery on New Year's Eve They added: 'Incidentally, he was a total legend, cool dude and is now a member.' Another lucky patron shared a selfie alongside the Hollywood star, as she wrote in delight: 'Happy new year Nicholas Cage, thank you for making a small club happy by your presence. You are now a member of the Tramways.' The Tramways pub was previously known as the Buses Club, and can hold functions for 100 people or more at a time. This isn't the first time Nicolas has left residents agog, as back in 2017, he delighted staff at a local pet shop when he stopped by, although one person confused him for Johnny Depp, who was at Glastonbury Festival at the weekend. The Tramways pub was previously known as the Buses Club, and can hold functions for 100 people or more at a time Sweet: One lucky patron shared a selfie alongside the Hollywood star, as she wrote in delight: 'Happy new year Nicholas Cage, thank you for making a small club happy by your presence' Nicolas, who is said to be worth $25 million, has owned a cottage in the Somerset village of Baltonsborough since 2006. The Face/Off actor previously revealed that he jets to the countryside for the Christmas period as he enjoys the 'peace of the Oak trees'. Back in 2013, he revealed: 'I usually spend the winter holidays here, Christmas and whatnot. But I think in a couple of years I'll be spending more time here. I'm hopeful that I'll be back here. 'Total legend': One of the shocked revellers shared the news on Reddit, revealing the Oscar winner had bought a round of drinks for everyone 'In Somerset, I enjoy the peace of the oak trees and the rolling green hills and I like going into Glastonbury. It's like walking into a pack of Tarot cards. 'On one side of the street you have some of the oldest Christian churches, on the other these pagan shops. It's like a microcosm of different belief systems and that's interesting to me.' In 2018, Nicolas told Somerset Life: 'I am a self-confessed Anglophile. I love everything about England; the history, the people, the countryside, the culture you name it I love it. Surprise! This isn't the first time Nicolas has left Somerset residents agog, as back in 2017, he delighted staff at a local pet shop when he stopped by 'I love seeing places like Buckingham Palace and all those other fantastic buildings which are steeped in history and culture. I love the whole concept of the Royal Family. 'As an American you want to see all those things when you come to Britain but I wanted more than that, I wanted to live among all these great treasures. I wanted to be a part of it so I looked for somewhere to call home here. 'When I looked at Somerset I just fell in love with the county. It has so much to offer; great countryside, great towns, great people and, of course, it has Glastonbury too.' Many investors are still learning about the various metrics that can be useful when analysing a stock. This article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE). We'll use ROE to examine GlaxoSmithKline plc (LON:GSK), by way of a worked example. Our data shows GlaxoSmithKline has a return on equity of 28% 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 0.28. View our latest analysis for GlaxoSmithKline How Do You Calculate ROE? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity Or for GlaxoSmithKline: 28% = UK5.1b UK18b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2019.) 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 all earnings retained by the company, plus any capital paid in by shareholders. The easiest way to calculate shareholders' equity is to subtract the company's total liabilities from the total assets. What Does ROE Signify? ROE measures a company's profitability against the profit it retains, and any outside investments. The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. That means that the higher the ROE, the more profitable the company is. So, all else equal, investors should like a high ROE. That means it can be interesting to compare the ROE of different companies. Does GlaxoSmithKline Have A Good ROE? Arguably the easiest way to assess company's ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. As is clear from the image below, GlaxoSmithKline has a better ROE than the average (12%) in the Pharmaceuticals industry. LSE:GSK Past Revenue and Net Income, January 2nd 2020 That is a good sign. In my book, a high ROE almost always warrants a closer look. One data point to check is if insiders have bought shares recently. Story continues The Importance Of Debt To Return On Equity 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 two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the debt required for growth will boost returns, but will not impact the shareholders' equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking. Combining GlaxoSmithKline's Debt And Its 28% Return On Equity GlaxoSmithKline does use a significant amount of debt to increase returns. It has a debt to equity ratio of 1.83. I think the ROE is impressive, but it would have been assisted by the use of debt. Debt does bring extra risk, so it's only really worthwhile when a company generates some decent returns from it. 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 around the same level of debt to equity, and one has a higher ROE, I'd generally prefer the one with higher ROE. But when a business is high quality, the market often bids it up to a price that reflects this. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So you might want to take a peek at this data-rich interactive graph of forecasts for the company. But note: GlaxoSmithKline may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Arms control robots, a new national facility, and accelerating the drive to bring the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars to Earth. These far-reaching achievements at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) made 2019 another remarkable year. Research at the only national laboratory devoted to fusion and plasma physics -- the state of matter that makes up 99 percent of the visible universe -- broke new ground in varied fields as vast as astrophysics and as tiny as nanotechnology. Here in no particular order, in case you missed them, are 10 must-read stories that capture an example of the full range of research and development during the past year at the Laboratory -- plus three bonus stories highlighting a first-generation college student, an award-winning apprenticeship program, and creation of a supersonic plasma jet that could facilitate the study of stellar bodies light years away to help gain an understanding of our universe. Find that nuclear warhead! PPPL develops and successfully tests the prototype for a swarm or robots that can detect neutrons, even when hidden, to help in arms control efforts. High excitement for low-temperature plasma. The Laboratory teams with Princeton University to become home to a nationwide center to study a dynamic form of plasma in low temperatures, not the extremely high temperatures required for fusion reactions. Artificial intelligence transforms scientific inquiry. The rapidly expanding branch of computer science speeds the development of fusion energy. Spherical tokamaks as models for next-generation fusion facilities. A close look today at new options for tomorrow's power plants that will use fusion to provide energy. Joining forces with private industry. The Laboratory houses a branch of a national program to enhance the harnessing of fusion energy, making a powerful public-private partnership. A novel way to launch fusion reactions. PPPL scientists confirm a viable alternative to a widely used standard method. All fired up and ready to go. The Laboratory powers up an upgrade of the Lithium Tokamak Experment (LTX) -- now called the LTX- -- to test the ability of lithium metal to facilitate fusion reactions. Streamlining designs of a different type of fusion device. PPPL physicist develops a technique to simplify development of complex stellarators -- the type of device created and envisioned by the Lab's founder, Lyman Spitzer -- to produce stable fusion plasmas. Surprise! Researcher discovers turbulence is not all bad. Discovery demonstrates that eddies and currents that disturb the plasma that fuels fusion reactions may also be beneficial. Smoothing the operation of fusion facilities. PPPL world-renowned expert is named co-leader of national program on the use of liquid metal components in future fusion devices. Bonus 1. First-generation college student. Physics major Barbara Garcia pursues fresh ideas as a summer intern at PPPL. Bonus 2. Apprentices alight. Award-winning program gives early career technicians the chance to learn high-tech skills. Bonus 3. From the Lab to deep space. Development of plasma jets opens a new chapter in studying the stars. ### PPPL, on Princeton University's Forrestal Campus in Plainsboro, N.J., is devoted to creating new knowledge about the physics of plasmas -- ultra-hot, charged gases -- and to developing practical solutions for the creation of fusion energy. The Laboratory is managed by the University for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, which is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit energy.gov/science. China's decision to suspend a tie-up between the Shanghai and London stock exchanges is less a blow for markets than a warning shot to Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he readies the U.K. for Brexit. According to people familiar with the matter, the Chinese government has temporarily halted the Shanghai-London Stock Connect on political grounds. One person said that Britain's stance on the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong is one of the issues that prompted the move, and that how relations with the U.K. proceed will determine whether the link is restored. The timing is unlikely to be a coincidence, as Johnson seeks to strengthen trading ties with China after the U.K. leaves the European Union this month, and with a decision looming on whether to allow Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co. to play a role in future British broadband networks. Though the link between the two exchanges -- designed to allow companies listed on one venue to issue shares on the other -- has so far underwhelmed, its suspension is the latest indication of how ties have deteriorated. "This break is pretty symbolic because the reality is our business practices do not align," said Tom Tugendhat, a ruling Conservative lawmaker who chaired the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in the last Parliament. "China's political response really speaks to a growing reality -- their economic model is not aligned to a free market based on the rule of law." Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he's "not aware of the specifics" of the stock exchange case. "I would just like to stress that we hope the U.K. will provide a fair and just and open, non-discriminatory environment for Chinese businesses to invest there," he told reporters in Beijing on Thursday. "We hope it will create fair conditions for practical cooperation between the two countries." The China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Shanghai Stock Exchange did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while representatives for the London Stock Exchange and U.K. Treasury declined to comment. "China has a fairly extensive track record in putting up informal barriers to trade or harming business relations as a way for the Chinese government to wield more influence over other governments," said William Nee, a business and human rights analyst at Amnesty International's Hong Kong office. "Beijing has been particularly sensitive to criticism of its conduct in Hong Kong." The U.K.-China relationship is now a far cry from the "golden era" imagined by former Prime Minister David Cameron, who wanted to reboot ties to Beijing via trade and investment. Tensions over the disputed South China Sea have played a part, but it's events in the former British colony of Hong Kong that have done the most damage. The two sides have been engaged in a prolonged spat over Beijing's handling of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, which the U.K. returned to Chinese rule in 1997 on the agreement that the territory's independent courts, capitalist system and democratic institutions would be maintained. Despite calls from the protesters to intervene more, the British government initially limited itself to demands for authorities to show restraint and urging dialog to defuse tensions -- though even these interventions triggered an angry response from Beijing. But Johnson's government raised the stakes when it accused China of torturing a former employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong, and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab summoned the Chinese ambassador in London. The Chinese government warned at the time that further interference in Hong Kong "will eventually harm U.K. interests." A long-delayed decision on whether Huawei access to the U.K.'s so-called 5G communications networks has the potential to fuel further tensions if Johnson succumbs to U.S. pressure to ban the Chinese company on security grounds. The Financial Times reported last week that President Donald Trump's administration has stepped up the pressure to block Huawei, citing an interview with U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien. The U.S. has warned allies that the Chinese government could gain a backdoor to communications networks, and has threatened to withdraw intelligence sharing. The decision is fraught with risk, and Johnson has hinted the U.K. could follow some of its international security allies including Australia and New Zealand by restricting or banning the company -- though he could seek a compromise by allowing Huawei to participate only in so-called non-core elements of the network. "The hidden state subsidies to firms like Huawei, which are also said to cooperate with the human rights violations we're seeing in Xinjiang, mean it is hard for our markets to trade on the same basis," Tory MP Tugendhat said. "Cooperation is important to both China and the U.K. but that has to be based on reality." For now, China's decision to suspend the stock exchange tie-up has more symbolic than financial significance. Only Chinese company, Huatai Securities, has listed in London since the program launched last year, while no U.K. companies have come to the Shanghai bourse. Huatai's global depositary receipts tumbled 11% in London following the news the link was suspended. According to Pang Zhongying, a member of the Beijing-based Academic Committee of Pangoal Institution think tank, Brexit provides Johnson -- who won a large majority in last month's election -- with an opportunity to reset ties with China. "Britain needs to renegotiate a new trade and investment pact with its major business partners including China and U.S. in the post-Brexit era, and that creates new opportunities for both countries," he said. "As the world knows, the British government's main focus is on Brexit and Hong Kong is absolutely not their priority. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A recent haircut on Staten Island went viral thanks to YouTubers Joe Santagato and Jeff Wittek. Wittek, a 29-year-old barber who hails from Staten Island, initially gained popularity through David Dobriks Vlog Squad," a group of social media influencers who create content for YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Now, he produces a series of videos dubbed Jeffs Barbershop, in which successful online personalities visit him for a fresh cut. In the 10-minute episode posted Tuesday, Wittek welcomed Santagato, a 26-year-old YouTube comedian, to TrueGents Barbershop in Meiers Corners, where the two spoke about their current projects and how they could pass as twins. Wittek called Santagato a Walmart version of himself. The video ended with Santagatos haircut reveal. He told Wittek it looked the same" as what he had before, "but you gave me a nice fade. This isnt the first time Staten Island has been featured in Witteks videos. In 2018, he filmed a surprise trip home. Meanwhile, another Vlog Squad affiliate, Jason Nash, posted a video of his first trip to Staten Island with Wittek. During the trip, Nash, who hails from Los Angeles, ate Brothers Pizza, calling it the best pizza in New York. Jammu: Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing and mortar shelling along the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district, in violation of ceasefire orders in the area. Sources said the fire by small arms and shelling began at about 9 pm on January 1 in violation of ceasefire orders imposed in the area. It stopped at about 11.30 pm after the Indian Army gave a befitting response. No casualties were reported. The Meghalaya police on Thursday seized a large quantity of Yaba tablets worth Rs 2 crore and arrested two persons from East Jaintia Hills district in connection with it, a senior officer said. Acting on a tip-off, an Agartala-bound truck was intercepted at Khliehriat this morning and about 91,000 tablets were seized from the vehicle, Superintendent of Police Vivekanand Singh said. The truck carrying the tablets, also called Amphetamines or party drugs, entered the state through Jorabad area in Ri-Bhoi district from Assam, the SP said. "Two persons hailing from north Tripura were arrested and a case has been registered," he said. An investigation has been initiated, he said. About 3, 88,500 ml of liquor was also seized from the truck, the SP added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) German, U.S. Envoys Join Poland In War Of Words With Russia Over Who Started WWII By RFE/RL January 01, 2020 The U.S. and German ambassadors to Poland have taken to social media to defend Warsaw in its spat with Russia over who was to blame for starting World War II. German envoy Rolf Nikel and U.S. Ambassador to Poland Georgette Mosbacher both said on December 30 that Germany and the Soviet Union colluded to start the war in 1939 that led to the death of tens of millions of people on continental Europe. "Dear President [Vladimir] Putin," Mosbacher said, Adolf Hitler of Germany and Josef Stalin of the Soviet Union "colluded to start WWII." She said, "that is a fact" and that "Poland was a victim of this horrible conflict." Nikel said his government's position was clear: "the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact served to prepare the criminal invasion of Nazi Germany against Poland. The USSR together with Germany participated in this brutal division of Poland." Their statements on social-media came after Putin blamed Poland for provoking the start of the war in which 6 million Poles were killed, or 17 percent of the country's pre-war population. The Soviet Union suffered an estimated 20 million war deaths, half of whom were civilians, representing some 11 percent of its population. The verbal brawl over the competing historical narratives reignited on December 19 when Putin at a news conference denied that the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union was sealed in preparation for war. EU Resolution Earlier, in September, he denounced a European Parliament resolution that concluded the Soviet Union bore partial responsibility for WWII, alongside Germany. The EU resolution said the pact set out to divide Europe "between the two totalitarian regimes" of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Putin dismissed the resolution as "sheer nonsense." Instead the Russian president said Poland was culpable for the outbreak of World War II, words that Russia's Foreign Ministry also repeated in December. In response, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki issued a four-page statement accusing Putin of "deliberately" lying about the start of WWII in an effort to deflect international pressure over Moscow's actions, both domestic and foreign. "President Putin has lied about Poland on numerous occasions, and he has always done it deliberately," Morawiecki said. "It usually happens in a situation when the authorities in Moscow feel international pressure caused by its actions. And this pressure is not on the historical stage but on the modern geopolitical scene." This year in May, Russia will celebrate the 75th anniversary of victory in WWII in events that are expected to feature much fanfare with heads of state and other dignitaries in attendance. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-poland -spat-starting-wwii-german-u-s -ambassadors/30354895.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Srinagar, Jan 2 : Despite government's claim that Internet has been restored in most hospitals and health centres in Kashmir, the facility is yet to be restored in most hospitals. The announcement to restore the Internet on new year's eve in hospitals in Kashmir was made by government spokesperson Rohit Kansal at a press conference in Jammu on December 31. A police statement on January 2 also claimed that broadband has been restored in Kashmir hospitals. "Broadband high speed Internet connectivity restored at 80 government hospitals including health centres and offices linked to Department of health across Kashmir valley," the statement said. Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Parvez Shah told IANS that Internet couldn't be restored in SMHS hospital in Srinagar due to snapping of phone lines. "We have been without the Internet for five months. The phone lines at SMHS are dead," Shah said. He hoped that the restoration of phone lines and the Internet will begin by the evening. "The Internet has however been restored at the Government Chest diseases hospital in Srinagar," he said. In other hospitals, the situation is no different. In JLNM hospital, at Rainawari, the Internet continues to remain suspended. JLNM Superintendnt said they are awaiting the restoration of the facility after the government's announcement. While the Internet continues to remain shut in most Government Medical Colleges and associated hospitals, Kashmir's lone tertiary hospital SKIIMS has limited connectivity. "Ayushman Bharat scheme connection is working besides a couple of kiosks set up a fortnight ago for doctors and staff," Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent, SKIIMS told IANS. Director, Health Kashmir, Sameer Matoo told IANS that the problem is mostly due to non-payment of bills and faults in the phone lines. "The main reason the Internet hasn't been restored yet is due to non-payment of the bills and snapping of the phone lines," Mattoo said. The suspension of Internet in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 has inflicted unprecedented sufferings on people and caused immense loss to the business. The Internet blackout has also caused job losses in mobile phone sector, online trading and shopping and tourism. The health sector in Kashmir has been one of the worst hit as patients couldn't benefit from health schemes like Ayushman Bharat and online consultations. However, a government statement maintained that 80 broadband Internet connections have been restored in hospitals and health centres in Kashmir. Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar on Thursday compared the parties opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act to 'urban naxals' Panaji: Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar on Thursday compared the parties opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act to "urban Naxals". Hitting out at the Congress and various other parties criticising the new law, he said they were protesting against it just "for the sake of opposing". Urban Naxals is a term used to describe city-based supporters working in alleged front organisations of proscribed Maoist outfits. Talking to reporters, Tendulkar said people in countries like the US and UK have come out in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act. "But in India, like urban Naxals, some political parties, including the Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party and BSP, are opposing the Act for the sake of opposing. They just want to oppose without understanding," he said. The BJP leader said there was not much opposition against the new law in Goa so far, even as the Congress was trying to "mislead" the public over it. He said BJP working president JP Nadda will address a public awareness rally on CAA at Azad Maidan on Friday. Nearly 26,000 to 27,000 BJP workers along with party ministers and MLAs will attend the rally, he added. Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg, who was present at the site, said: "Five firemen, who went into the building to douse the fire and were trapped, have been rescued. They were injured and have been sent to the hospital for medical aid." New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Six people, including five fire fighters were rescued from a factory in Delhi's Peeragarhi area, as a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined in the rescue operations. The firemen were trapped inside the building after a sudden blast. An eyewitness present on the spot told IANS: "There is a citizen among the 6 injured, who have been evacuated by fire service personnel. The remaining five are fire fighters. The person may have been a factory worker. However, it has not been confirmed yet." The factory is being run by the Okaya company, which manufactures batteries. Hospitals around the are have been alerted. Earlier, several people including few fire fighters were reported to be trapped inside the factory in Peeragarhi, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said here on Thursday. According to the DFS chief Atul Garg, "A call for fire in a factory was received at 4.23 a.m. on Thursday, accordingly, 7 fire tenders were sent to the spot. However, the fire was followed by a sudden blast, due to which the building collapsed." However, the number of people trapped inside the structure is not known yet. In total 35 fire tenders are on the spot as the rescue operation continues. rag/skp/dpb THE Regional Council for the Welfare of Children (RCWC) chaired by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 held various tilts participated in by children from different child development centers in Central Visayas to conclude the month-long celebration of the 27th National Childrens Month (NCM) in Cebu City on Nov. 30, 2019. The 27th NCM celebration fell on the same day of the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Childrenthe most widely ratified human rights treaty in history with 196 countries or states that laid out the rights for every child. The singing, draw-and-tell, and folk dance contests were the three categories included in the regional competition, which was graced by the different day care workers and children from 17 local government units in Central Visayas. In the singing contest, Jaliyah Luz Rosal of Lapu-Lapu City won the first prize for belting out her rendition of the song Paglaom (Hope). Meneya Chatty Paragoso of Cebu City got the second prize, while Jaden Shekinah Flores of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental took home the third prize. All three contest categories were anchored on the 2019 NCM theme: Karapatang Pambata: Patuloy na pahalagahan at gampanan tungo sa magandang kinabukasan (Childrens Rights: Must be taken care of and implemented for their bright future). For the draw-and-tell competition, Francine Mae Canete who represented Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental clinched the first prize with her drawing that carries a message that families and communities must protect the childrens rights. Rogen Pongase of San Fernando, Cebu and Precious Jade Jacaban of Cebu City took home the second and third prizes, respectively. Select children from a child development center of Talisay City, Cebu bagged the first prize with their Miligoy de Cebu dance performance. The second prize went to the children from the municipality of Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental with their Jota Quirino folk dance and the third prize was awarded to the children of Toledo City, Cebu for doing the Polka in Plaza dance. Story continues All the winners received trophies, plaques of recognition, cash prizes, certificates, toys and goodies while the non-winners also received consolation prizes for their active participation in the annual culminating activity for the NCM celebration. The 2019 Search for Exemplary Pantawid Children Regional Winner Jhon Rhod Amodia from Cordova, Cebu also inspired the participants by showcasing his talent on playing a keyboard. Amodia performed two songs during the program: A Million Dreams and 10 Thousand Reasons. The community singing of the NCM theme song, Sigaw ng Kabataan (Shout of the Youth), led by the children of Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines concluded the 2019 Regional Childrens Contest. The group from Talisay City, Cebu was the 2017 Halad sa Kabataan (Tribute to the Youth) contest winners. Amid the unrest over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) across the country, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday said that Hindus facing religious persecution in Pakistan and Bangladesh will naturally 'come to India' and not go to 'Italy'. Since the implementation of CAA on December 12, protests have erupted in various parts of the country including the national capital. "Why are you protesting? Against whom you are protesting? If Hindus from Pakistan and Bangladesh will not come to India then where else they will go, Italy?" said Reddy. "Sikhs will not go to Italy. It's our responsibility to give shelter to them and to give them citizenship," he added. While addressing a press conference, Reddy assured the community that there is nothing against them in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. "There is nothing against Indian Muslim or other communities in the Act. The Act is not against any religion or citizen," said G Kishan Reddy. Reddy further condemned the violent protests and said, "Even if you are doing mindless protest you have the right to do so but you don't have the right to destroy public property and set buses and other public property on fire. You don't have the right to pelt stone." READ: Union Minister Giriraj Singh comments on Priyanka Gandhi's remark READ: State legislatures, including Kerala assembly, has no power on citizenship law: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Protests against CAA The mood in the capital has been tense since buses and police vehicles were set ablaze in an outbreak of violence near Jamia Millia Islamia University two weeks ago. The police had claimed that the protesters torched DTC buses and a fire tender was damaged. However, the students claimed that the police baton-charged them when they were holding a peaceful protest. In the early hours of Monday, 50 students were released by the police from the Kalkaji police station and the New Friends Colony police station. Several violent protests have been erupting across Assam, West Bengal, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh against the newly amended Citizenship Act, followed by the Jamia violence. Along with it, students across the country staged protests in solidarity. The anti-CAA movement has spread to more places like Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pondicherry, Patna and so on. READ: Format to file complaint with Lokpal to be notified soon: Union Minister Jitendra Singh READ: 'Registration for unauthorised colonies' ownership to be finished in few weeks': Union Min (With Inputs from ANI) The Libyan National Army announced on Thursday that its defence systems have shot down a Turkish drone in Ain Zara neighbourhood in south Tripoli, Al-Arabiya TV reported. The news network did not report any further details. Search Keywords: Short link: Hyderabad, Jan 2 : The Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, (IIT-H) on Thursday said that it is going to collaborate with the Telangana government for research in artificial intelligence (AI). The IIT-H is partnering with the Telangana Information Technology, Electronics and Communication (ITE&C) Department for building and identifying quality datasets, along with third parties, like industry. They would work on education and training to deliver content and curriculum on AI courses for college students along with industry participants, the institute said in a statement. "The IIT-H is the first institute in the country to launch a B. Tech programme in AI. With a strong base of close to 25 faculty in the Department of AI, the IIT-H is looking forward to opportunities to come up with more innovations and research in the field," said Professor B.S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad. The state government declared 2020 as the 'Year of Artificial Intelligence' with the objective of promoting its use in various sectors ranging from urban transportation and healthcare to agriculture and others. The ITE&C Department aims to develop the ecosystem for the industry and to leverage emerging technologies for improving service delivery as part of this collaboration. "This collaboration provides us a unique opportunity to leverage our combined experience and expertise in AI at IIT-H for local social good, along with the state government," said Vineeth N. Balasubramanian, Head, Department of Artificial Intelligence, IIT Hyderabad. "Having the government as a partner will allow us an ideal interface to work with industry leaders, startups and colleges in research and training in AI," Balasubramanian said. The institute will also assist the state government in developing a strategy for AI/HPC (Artificial Intelligence /High-Performance Computing) infrastructure for various state needs and provide technology mentorship to identified partners for exploring and building AI PoCs (Point of Contacts). Spanish police are hunting three Iranian men accused of sexually attacking three American sisters after meeting them in a pub on New Years Eve in a Spanish port town. Two of the women are said to have been raped and the third reportedly fought off her attacker as he tried to force himself on her although she is said to have been physically attacked as she did so. Police in the city of Murcia in south east Spain, where the incident occurred, have confirmed they are investigating a complaint made by three women. Spanish police are hunting three Iranian men accused of sexually attacking three American sisters after meeting them in a pub on New Years Eve in Spanish port town, Murcia (pictured) A spokesman for the National Police in Murcia said today: 'I can confirm a formal complaint has been made by three women and we are investigating. 'We cannot say any more because the investigation is ongoing.' He declined to specify the nature of the complaint. Local press said the three women, described as sisters from the US aged 23, 20, and 18, had told investigators they were targeted after going back to the home of one of the women with three men they had met in a pub on New Year's Eve. Respected daily La Opinion de Murcia said two of the women had been visiting a third sister who had been studying in the city and was about to return to the States. Two of the women are said to have been raped at the flat. The third woman, thought to be the teenager, was reportedly injured after being assaulted as she resisted. No arrests have yet taken place. Spanish state RTVE has described the men the three women say sexually attacked them as Iranian. All three women have been examined in hospital by a medical practitioner. At the end of September a Spanish teenager told police she had been raped in the toilets of a nightclub in Valencia. Two suspects were arrested but later released after DNA tests showed they had taken no part in the suspected sexual attack. Two of the women are said to have been raped and the third reportedly fought off her attacker as he tried to force himself on her although she is said to have been physically attacked as she did so. Pictured is the area in Murcia where the rapes allegedly happened At the start of the same month a French tourist told police police she had been raped in the holiday resort of Platja d'Aro near Girona in north-east Spain. The 27-year-old said she was sexually attacked after being abducted by three men outside a nightclub. The gang rape is said to have taken place on the resort's main beach, known as Platja Gran, around 6am on September 1. No arrests are yet believed to have taken place. In August five French men aged 18 and 19 were arrested on suspicion of gang-raping a Norwegian tourist at a house in Benidorm and indecently assaulting her friend. Three of the five detainees were remanded in custody after appearing before a judge in a closed court hearing. The French holidaymakers arranged to meet the two Norwegians over social dating site Tinder. In July four Germans of Turkish origin were arrested on suspicion of gang-raping an 18-year-old German in the Majorcan holiday resort of Cala Rajada. They were held at Palma Airport shortly before boarding a plane back to their home country. Two were remanded in prison after being questioned in court. One has admitted to having sex with the teenager but insisted it was consensual. Kanye West Brings Sunday Service to DTLAs Skid Row Controversy, which has enveloped Kanye West for a long time, raised another level when he announced his total commitment to Christ and began his Sunday Service series one year ago. But, like the saints of old, the celebrated rapper hasnt let naysayers stop his praise. His faith was on full display on Dec. 29, as he marked the first anniversary of Sunday Service with a rousing worship experience on skid row in downtown L.A. West, the Union Rescue Mission (URM) and Faithful Central Bible Church (FCBC) collaborated to present the service at URM, which is the site of FCBCs regular DTLA Sunday worship and its various midweek activities that minister to the homeless. The Rev. Andy Bales, URM CEO, and Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer, FCBC pastor, were also on hand. Armed with his band, choir and guest preacher, Pastor Kerwin Lee, West joined with homeless parishioners to lift up the name of Jesus through prayer, music and the Word of God. ADVERTISEMENT We come to sing to God, we need the Spirit of God, declared Jason White, who directed the choir in powerful renditions of gospel standards such as Sing Till the Power of the Lord Comes Down, Father, I Stretch My Hands to You and O Lord, How Excellent is Your Name, all featured on Wests latest album, Jesus Is Born that dropped on Christmas Day. After roaming through the crowd to shake hands and speak with some of the worshippers, West captivated the audience while rapping about lifes distractions over the choirs chorus of Hallelujah and had people swaying as he delivered Closed on Sunday and Follow God, both from his Jesus Is King album. And to those who doubt his conversion, West admonished, Dont call me secular. I was just distracted for a while and God sent me here! With the congregation on a spiritual high from the music, Lee, pastor of Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia, ascended the stage to offer practical application of the Christian faith with the message, The Type of Savior Everyone Needs. Lee cited John 21:3-6 as the scripture reference for his discourse, which describes how the disciples return to their old occupation of fishermen after witnessing the resurrected Christ. Emphasizing that past behavior should be discarded once you encounter Jesus, Lee said, You need a Savior that can locate you, even after you mess up. Whatever you try without God will not work. Pointing to verse 6, he reminded the audience that Jesus is a Savior who can motivate you and a Savior who can accommodate you. Ulmer followed Lee by issuing an invitation to Christian discipleship and after the service concluded, he expressed his appreciation that West reached out to URM and FCBC to hold the gathering. In addition, West donated new shoes and warm clothing to URM that will be distributed to homeless individuals. Kanye is spreading the Gospel. The hand of God is on Kanye and I say that without reservation. God will reach people through Kanye that I will never reach and that those of us who meet in four walls every Sunday will never reach and somebody needs to rejoice at that, insisted Ulmer. His passion is not just for the concert. His passion is that people make connection and relationship with God. So when the service goes from city-to-city, he makes sure that hes made connections with local clergy so when they go to the next city, ministries like ours will be here the next Sunday [for the people]. So, his heart is with the Gospel and the Kingdom and God is using him, he noted. More importantly, what concerns me is by his own admission, hes made this (Sunday Service) a rededication to the Lord and if were all born-again, were born-again to grow. And it concerns me that people would take shots at him you know, why didnt he do this, why didnt he do that? Well, hes growing. Give Kanye a chance to grow like all of us had to grow, Ulmer said. ADVERTISEMENT Sharing a similar viewpoint, Bales said, The Sunday Service was awesome. It was all that I hoped it would be and more. Lifting up the name of Jesus Christ is the real deal. Why would anybody pass judgment on somebody who is lifting up the name of Christ? He said that from now on, I am only going to declare the risen Christ. I have no regrets about hosting this service, said Bales. The controversy will only cause us to lift up the name of Jesus everywhere we go! Kabul: The attacks of terrorist organization Taliban in Afghanistan's Balkh province are increasing day by day. Terrorists are not taking names for stopping the attacks even after lakhs of attempts by security forces. The news of at least eight Afghan soldiers killed in the recent terror attack is coming out. According to the report of Tolo News, Balkh Highway Police Commander Fawad Saleh has said that the attack took place on Tuesday night at a highway police post near Alam Kheel village in Balkh province. Offensive mention of India in Nepal parliament, debate on bill continues Saleh has informed the media about the attack that at the time of the attack there were 14 soldiers at the outpost, out of which only six soldiers were saved. This outpost is located on the Balkh-Jozan highway. A source told the local news channel that the attack was carried out by the Taliban with the help of an intruder. However, the Taliban have not yet commented on the attack. Today UAE's Crown Prince will be visiting Pakistan, will discuss these issues with Imran The Afghan Defense Ministry has reported that two ANA soldiers have been killed in a Taliban attack on Tuesday night in Takhar province. The incident occurred late night in Darqad district when a Taliban organization attacked a joint forces post. The ministry has also said that two others, including a police officer, were injured in the attack. Firing on new year in america, 2 people lost their lives Catalan separatist party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) said on Thursday it will abstain during a Parliament vote to confirm Pedro Sanchez as prime minister, potentially signalling an end to Spains prolonged political gridlock. The ERCs move removes a significant hurdle for interim Sanchezs efforts to form a Socialist-led coalition government after months of delays in the Eurozones fourth-largest economy. The Socialists got the most votes in two consecutive general elections last year. But they failed to capture a parliamentary majority, meaning they could not win a confidence vote that is required before taking office. The country has been run by Sanchezs caretaker government for almost a year. After weeks of negotiations, Sanchez has secured the political support of the anti-austerity United We Can party, which is due to join the coalition government as the junior partner, and of several tiny parties. Securing the abstention of the ERC party, which controls 13 of the 350 seats in the Spanish Congress of Deputies, may be enough for Sanchez to obtain the votes he needs. 200102132449094 He is not expected to clinch an absolute majority of 176 votes in the first round of voting due Sunday. But the ERCs abstention means the Socialists could get the required simple majority more votes for them than against them in a second vote Tuesday. Sanchezs success is not guaranteed. Pending political, legal and administrative decisions could still thwart him before the votes are counted, including continuing talks between parties. Also, the National Electoral Commission is due to rule soon on whether ERC leader Oriol Junqueras, currently in a Spanish prison for his role in Catalan separatist activities, can take his seat in the European Parliament. The decision could be a political bombshell for the ERC. Spains socialist party and the ERC agreed that a future Sanchez-led administration would hold an open dialogue on the regions future. Conclusions from the dialogue will be submitted to a citizens vote in Catalonia. MONTREAL, Jan. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Friday, Jan. 3, the Fraser Institute will release a new study on compensation for Canadas top CEOs. The Truth about CEO and Worker Compensation spotlights misperceptions about high levels of compensation for top business leaders in Canada, and highlights how the pay gap between CEOs and workers is often overestimated. A news release with additional information will be issued via GlobeNewswire on Friday, Jan. 3 at 5:00 a.m. (Eastern). MEDIA CONTACT: Vincent Geloso, Senior Fellow Fraser Institute To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Bryn Weese, Fraser Institute (604) 688-0221 ext. 589 bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook US presidential candidate Joe Biden has come under fire for stating "I may be Irish, but I'm not stupid". The former vice-president, who is of Irish descent, made the comment in response to a question at a forum in Iowa last month. Trina Vargo, an advisor on Irish relations for Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, criticised Mr Biden's remark. "Joe Biden clearly has nostalgic feelings about his Irish ancestry, so I doubt he intended to insult Irish people, but that does not excuse such a comment," she said. Read More There remain dated and ignorant stereotypes of the Irish and it is time for Americans, including some Irish Americans, to catch up with the times and have a more sophisticated understanding of the Irish. This is not the first time 77-year-old Mr Biden made this exact comment in public. While swearing in Republican senator Lindsey Graham in 2015, he appeared to position himself next to an attractive member of Mr Graham's staff for a photograph. "I knew this would happen," Mr Graham said to the then-vice president. Mr Biden replied: "I may be Irish, but I'm not stupid." The Democratic candidate has traced his Irish roots back to Co Louth, where his great-grandfather, James Finnegan, emigrated from as a child in 1850. Eight of his great-great-grandparents on his mother's side were also born in Ireland. Prior to a visit to Ireland in 2016, while he was vice president, Mr Biden wrote a letter expressing his pride in his heritage. "Over the course of my life, Ive been a lot of places. Ive traveled all around the world more than a million miles on Air Force Two alone. Ive been honored to have held a lot of titles," he said. "But I have always been and will always be the son of Kitty Finnegan. The grandson of Geraldine Finnegan from St. Pauls Parish in Scranton; a proud descendant of the Finnegans of Irelands County Louth. "The great-grandson of a man named Edward Francis Blewitt, whose roots stem from Ballina, a small town in Irelands County Mayo sister city to my hometown in Scranton, Pennsylvania. An engineer with a poets heart." Health official: 'Regardless of variant, the protective measures are the same' local A former Chief of Defense Staff of the Armed Forces has lambasted the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for failing to properly deal with graduate unemployment in the country. Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah said the situation has become unbearable as tertiary institutions produce thousands of graduates who end up without jobs each year. Thousands of them come out of tertiary institutions every year to add up to the thousands already in the streets, he said speaking at the 38th Anniversary celebration of the December 31 revolution in Winneba on Tuesday. Last year, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) expressed concern over the rise in corruption in the country saying it is having an effect on the countrys employment rate and development. Civil Society Organisations have also said warned government about how the unemployment situation has become a national security issue. Adding his voice to the calls to curb the situation, the former Chief of Defense Staff described the situation as an unhealthy one that needs immediate attention as it poses a threat to the peace and security of the country. Unfortunately, our two main political parties, the NDC and the NPP have not got a clue, to me, as to how to deal with this problem. And the situation worsens by the day, he added. He further urged both parties to collaborate with technocrats who can deal with the situation to help resolve the matter. If they do not have the people with the requisite know-how and the discipline to tackle these problems that the country is facing, there are people outside the main political parties that have the experience, the brains, and the discipline to help them solve the problems, he said. He believes Ghanaians have been impoverished to a point where they have become an easy prey for politicians. According to him Ghanaians out of desperation, have become tools that politicians use to propagate political agenda for meagre sums of money. He, however, urged that governments that assume office, irrespective of political affiliations, should work at improving lives of citizens in the country. Myjoyonline No one really knows what happens inside an atom. But two competing groups of scientists think they've figured it out. And both are racing to prove that their own vision is correct. Here's what we know for sure: Electrons whiz around "orbitals" in an atom's outer shell. Then there's a whole lot of empty space. And then, right in the center of that space, there's a tiny nucleus a dense knot of protons and neutrons that give the atom most of its mass. Those protons and neutrons cluster together, bound by what's called the strong force. And the numbers of those protons and neutrons determine whether the atom is iron or oxygen or xenon, and whether it's radioactive or stable. Still, no one knows how those protons and neutrons (together known as nucleons) behave inside an atom. Outside an atom, protons and neutrons have definite sizes and shapes. Each of them is made up of three smaller particles called quarks, and the interactions between those quarks are so intense that no external force should be able to deform them, not even the powerful forces between particles in a nucleus. But for decades, researchers have known that the theory is in some way wrong. Experiments have shown that, inside a nucleus, protons and neutrons appear much larger than they should be. Physicists have developed two competing theories that try to explain that weird mismatch, and the proponents of each are quite certain the other is incorrect. Both camps agree, however, that whatever the correct answer is, it must come from a field beyond their own. Related: The Biggest Unsolved Mysteries in Physics Since at least the 1940s, physicists have known that nucleons move in tight little orbitals within the nucleus, Gerald Miller, a nuclear physicist at the University of Washington, told Live Science. The nucleons, confined in their movements, have very little energy. They don't bounce around much, restrained by the strong force. In 1983, physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) noticed something strange: Beams of electrons bounced off iron in a way that was very different from how they bounced off free protons, Miller said. That was unexpected; if the protons inside hydrogen were the same size as the protons inside iron, the electrons should have bounced off in much the same way. At first, researchers didn't know what they were looking at. But over time, scientists came to believe it was a size issue. For some reason, protons and neutrons inside heavy nuclei act as if they are much larger than when they are outside the nuclei. Researchers call this phenomenon the EMC effect, after the European Muon Collaboration the group that accidentally discovered it. It violates existing theories of nuclear physics. Or Hen, a nuclear physicist at MIT, has an idea that could potentially explain what's going on. While quarks, the subatomic particles that make up nucleons, strongly interact within a given proton or neutron, quarks in different protons and neutrons can't interact much with each other, he said. The strong force inside a nucleon is so strong it eclipses the strong force holding nucleons to other nucleons. "Imagine sitting in your room talking to two of your friends with the windows closed," Hen said. The trio in the room are three quarks inside a neutron or proton. "A light breeze is blowing outside," he said. That light breeze is the force holding the proton or neutron to nearby nucleons that are "outside" the window. Even if a little snuck through the closed window, Hen said, it would barely affect you. And as long as nucleons stay in their orbitals, that's the case. However, he said, recent experiments have shown that at any given time, about 20% of the nucleons in a nucleus are in fact outside their orbitals. Instead, they're paired off with other nucleons, interacting in "short range correlations." Under those circumstances, the interactions between the nucleons are much higher-energy than usual, he said. That's because the quarks poke through the walls of their individual nucleons and start to directly interact, and those quark-quark interactions are much more powerful than nucleon-nucleon interactions. These interactions break down the walls separating quarks inside individual protons or neutrons, Hen said. The quarks making up one proton and the quarks making up another proton start to occupy the same space. This causes the protons (or neutrons, as the case may be) to stretch and blur, Hen said. They grow a lot, albeit for very short periods of time. That skews the average size of the entire cohort in the nucleus producing the EMC effect. Related: Strange Quarks and Muons, Oh My! Natures Tiniest Particles Dissected Most physicists now accept this interpretation of the EMC effect, Hen said. And Miller, who worked with Hen on some of the key research, agreed. But not everyone thinks Hen's group has the problem worked out. Ian Cloet, a nuclear physicist at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, said he thinks Hen's work draws conclusions that the data doesn't fully support. "I think the EMC effect is still unresolved," Cloet told Live Science. That's because the basic model of nuclear physics already accounts for a lot of the short-range pairing Hen describes. Yet, "if you use that model to try and look at the EMC effect, you will not describe the EMC effect. There is no successful explanation of the EMC effect using that framework. So in my opinion, there's still a mystery." Hen and his collaborators are doing experimental work that is "valiant" and "very good science," he said. But it doesn't fully resolve the problem of the atomic nucleus. "What is clear is that the traditional model of nuclear physics cannot explain this EMC effect," he said. "We now think that the explanation must be coming from QCD itself." QCD stands for quantum chromodynamics the system of rules that govern the behavior of quarks. Shifting from nuclear physics to QCD is a bit like looking at the same picture twice: once on a first-generation flip phone that's nuclear physics and then again on a high-resolution TV that's quantum chromodynamics. The high-res TV offers a lot more detail, but it's a lot more complicated to build. The problem is that the complete QCD equations describing all the quarks in a nucleus are too difficult to solve, Cloet and Hen both said. Modern supercomputers are about 100 years away from being fast enough for the task, Cloet estimated. And even if supercomputers were fast enough today, the equations haven't advanced to the point where you could plug them into a computer, he said. Still, he said, it's possible to work with QCD to answer some questions. And right now, he said, those answers offer a different explanation for the EMC effect: Nuclear Mean-Field Theory. He disagrees that 20% of nucleons in a nucleus are bound up in short-range correlations. The experiments just don't prove that, he said. And there are theoretical problems with the idea. That suggests we need a different model, he said. "The picture that I have is, we know that inside a nucleus are these very strong nuclear forces," Cloet said. These are "a bit like electromagnetic fields, except they're strong force fields." The fields operate at such tiny distances that they're of negligible magnitude outside the nucleus, but they're powerful inside of it. In Cloet's model, these force fields, which he calls "mean fields" (for the combined strength they carry) actually deform the internal structure of protons, neutrons and pions (a type of strong force-carrying particle). "Just like if you take an atom and you put it inside a strong magnetic field, you will change the internal structure of that atom," Cloet said. In other words, mean-field theorists think the sealed-up room Hen described has holes in its walls, and wind is blowing through to knock the quarks around, stretching them out. Cloet acknowledged that it's possible short-range correlations likely explain some portion of the EMC effect, and Hen said mean fields likely do play a role as well. "The question is, which dominates," Cloet said. Miller, who has also worked extensively with Cloet, said that the mean field has the advantage of being more well-grounded in theory. But Cloet hasn't yet done all the necessary calculations, he said. And right now the weight of experimental evidence suggests that Hen has the better of the argument. Hen and Cloet both said the results of experiments in the next few years could resolve the question. Hen cited an experiment underway at Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia that will move nucleons closer together, bit by bit, and allow researchers to watch them change. Cloet said he wants to see a "polarized EMC experiment" that would break up the effect based on the spin (a quantum trait) of the protons involved. It might reveal unseen details of the effect that could aid calculations, he said. All three researchers emphasized that the debate is friendly. "It's great, because it means we're still making progress," Miller said. "Eventually, something's going to be in the textbook and the ball game is over. ... The fact that there's two competing ideas means that it's exciting and vibrant. And now finally we have the experimental tools to resolve these issues." The 9 Biggest Unsolved Mysteries in Physics The Large Numbers That Define the Universe Twisted Physics: 7 Mind-Blowing Findings Originally published on Live Science. It is known that politics is a dirty business because its full of lies, cheats, dishonesty, unfulfilled promises and sometimes clandestine crimes must be involved if its necessary to hold on to power or win an election. These are some of the reasons it often said: there can never be free and fair elections in Africa. Relating to politics in Ghana, it is not only corruption and inefficiency that have contributed to the snail development of the country of rich resources, formerly called Gold Coast but also, there are too many criminal politicians in the political system of Ghana, that will do everything against the law to benefit them. How common are the facts of interference of political thieves with the law and election process in Ghana, to work out a clandestine easy victory for a particular party? Where are all the intelligent people I know exist in Ghana gone? The thirst for power and greed, have shifted Ghana towards doom, unfortunately, many intelligent Ghanaians cant see it. Its mere propaganda and pure political strategy of dishonesty if Akufo Addo claims the year 2020 will be a prosperous year to flow with milk and honey in Ghanas democracy. Analyzing the political future of Ghana, any intelligent economist will tell Ghanaians that Nana Akufo Addos greed and continuous thirst for power, have forced him to sow two seeds of destruction, to favour his chances of winning the election. In the long term, the impact of those destructive seeds will adversely affect the already unstable Ghanas ailing economy in a way that Ghanaians will cry for help. Time will tell. The recent introduction of high currencies in the country and request for a new voters register will affect Ghana in a manner that whatever evil Nana Akufo Addo has planted to win the election will come back to haunt him. There are criminal minds in Ghanaian politics and Akufo Addo is their leader. At the moment, Ghanaian journalists are not happy to do their jobs in the way they want since the assassination of journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale. If I am living in Ghana, my articles will not be different from what I write, let alone I am living in Europe. One thing I must tell Ghanaian journalists is, as much as they put fear in them because of this tyrant dictator, Akufo Addo, who falsely preach about democracy, Nana Addo himself is more scared of Ghanaian journalists as well. Closing down media houses is some of the strategies used by dictators to make journalists afraid of someone. That is why I have already written articles about the dictatorship instincts of Akufo Addo. In fact, there are too many criminal activities going on in the administration of Nana Akufo Addo. A similar thing happened during the administration of John Mahama, even though the current president promised to eradicate it he rather came to increase them. You can, therefore, win the elections, Nana Akufo Addo, its only those that see everything that glitters is gold in Ghana, that will commend or congratulate you if you win the elections. But, not the writer called Joel Savage, your criminal nephew cant stand because of my articles, that are like hot cake, read by a large number of people around the world. It's because of Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe Jr's stupid jealousy and hate, towards other writers that articles are appearing in the MOST READ column of the ModernGhana news, the editor removed it last year. Now he is a happy man because readers can no longer see how bad and useless his articles are. 01.01.2020 LISTEN Cameron Duodu engages in serious conversation with the African Diasporaabout the slave trade and other matters. He writes: Some killing, or rampage, or raid, or kidnapping, took place in Africa every single day, of every single week, of every single month, of every single year, for over 400 years, before some Europeans like Clarkson and Wilberforce woke up and organised the abolition of the slave trade! Africans do share the blame for part of this horrendous blot on the history of the world. But as every economist will tell you, it is those who create a market for the provision of certain goods or services who are responsible for that markets operational effectiveness. That is how capitalism has thrived in the world for all these years and continues to operate INTRODUCTION: Thomas Paine, author of The Rights of Man, wrote one of the most illuminating exposures on the Atlantic Slave Trade and its operators in 1775 half a century before the so-called abolition of slavery by England. Every African who harbours guilt about African participation in the obnoxious Trade, as well as every African In The Diaspora who blames Africans for selling his or her ancestors into slavery, ought to read and digest the eye-witness report that Thomas Paine wrote in 1775. Here it is: Our Traders in MEN (an unnatural commodity!) must know the wickedness of that SLAVE-TRADE, if they attend to reasoning, or the dictates of their own hearts; and such as shun and stifle all these, wilfully sacrifice Conscience, and the character of integrity to that golden Idol. The Managers of that Trade themselves, and others, testify, that many of these African nations inhabit fertile countries, are industrious farmers, enjoy plenty, and lived quietly, averse to war, before the Europeans debauched them with liquors, and bribing them against one another; and that these inoffensive people are brought into slavery, by stealing them, tempting Kings to sell subjects, which they can have no right to do, and hiring one tribe to war against another, in order to catch prisoners. By such wicked and inhuman ways the English are said to enslave towards one hundred thousand yearly; of which thirty thousand are supposed to die by barbarous treatment in the first year; besides all that are slain in the unnatural wars excited to take them. So much innocent blood have the Managers and Supporters of this inhuman Trade to answer for to the common Lord of all! https://democraticthinker.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/wickedness-of-the-slave-trade/ Now, Please Read On: One of the most disorientating events in my life occurred when my 12-year-old son came back from his school in Peckham, southeast London, one afternoon in 1985, all upset. Whats the matter? I asked. It took him some time. Finally, he said: A boy called me an African shithead! I was shocked out of my mind. One of the reasons why I had chosen that particular school for him was that it had a lot of black students in it. The headmaster, too, was black. This wasnt at all common in Britain in those days, or indeed, even today. I felt comfortable putting my child there because I wanted to prevent him from being subjected to racial abuse or discrimination something he had never experienced in Ghana. Yet here he was, telling me he had been abused in precisely the way I had gone to such pains to avoid. Who was the boy? .Did you report him to the headmaster? the questions rolled out. No; if I had reported him, he and his gangwould have targeted me for future bullying. I felt completely helpless. It is true that if you make a fuss in your childs school and an offending pupil is punished or expelled, life could subsequently become hell for your child in the school. The only solution would then be to remove him to another school. But finding schools that were near enough from home, for him to be able to walk or catch a bus easily to and from school, wasnt easy. There was also the question of obtaining satisfaction. Did one just leave an uncouth racist boy alone to continue his taunting of other kids? As I was tossing all these issues up in my mind, my son let out the following sentence: What upset me most was that he was a Jamaican boy, black just like me! WHAT!? I exclaimed., unable to believe my ears. You mean he was black? Yes, dad. I was so shocked I was bereft of words. I simply couldnt believe my ears. Finally, I calmed down and told him: Okay, when you go to school tomorrow, seek him out; be very friendly and explain patiently to him that when he insults you because you are an African, he is insulting himself; because all the black people in Jamaica originally came from Africa. But most dont know that because they are not taught the real history of their origins in their schools. All right. Ill do that, dad. Remember to do it, ok? And do be very polite and patient, because it isnt the boys fault. I said. The type of education he has received in England, or that which his parents probably received in Englandor Jamaica, for that matter and passed on to himwould not have enabled him to realise that he has African ancestry, or, in case he knows about his African ancestry, that there is anything about it for him to be proud of. So youve got to explain to him that the Jamaicans and the Africans were once one people, living peacefully in Africa. But out of greed, Europeans came there in boats, and first used guns to forcefully seize as many Africans as their boats could carry, and later turned it into a so-called trade in which some very corrupt African kings and notables collaborated, to take our people away to North and South America, and to the Caribbean countries like Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, Antigua, Trinidad and Cuba. The Europeans used these kidnapped Africans as slaves there for about 400 years. The slaves cultivated tobacco, sugar, cotton and other crops for their masters, who grew incredibly rich out of these products. Tell him that he should ask his parents to read the book, Capitalism And Slavery, by an islander like themselves, Eric Williams, the former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, and explain its contents to him. Then he will understand how the industrial revolution in Europe was financed; he will get to know who laid the foundation for the riches that you see in towns like London, Liverpool and Bristol, in England.Tell him that it is because of the common struggle carried out against the injustice of slaveryand the colonialism that followed it, or slavery on African soil itselfthat countries like Jamaica have become independent, just like the African countries from which the Jamaican people were taken away in the first place. They and us, therefore, share a common history, though the cruel way in which the European slavers deprived the slaves of the right to speak their own African languages, or to talk about the countries they had left behind, has turned the Diasporans into total strangers to Africa. The only African thing left for them is their black skinor the remnants of their black skin, since so many of them have had their blood mixed with European and others. All the black people in England who have settled here from Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, were once Africans just like us. So, you must insist, if they insult an African, they are literally insulting their own selves, because they are of African origin. They may not know where Africa is; nor care about it even if they did know; because they think they are Jamaicans or Trinidadians, and there is no one to explain their ancestry to them, since their own parents may be none the wiser. Even where they know about their African origins, they may have seen films, or read books, in which Africans are depicted as savages who live in trees and feed on human flesh. That is why so many of them would rather pass themselves off as Black Britons than even admit that they are Jamaican or Trinidadian. You see, when they admit that their ancestry is from the Caribbean, they also admit that they are of African origin, and who would like to be associated with savagery and cannibalism? Do you understand? That is the result of hundreds of years of brainwashing. Yet it cannot be denied that every black person can trace his origins to Africa. In fact, there are studies now that show that every human being originated from Africa! Have you heard about that? Falsehood My son nodded, But this was all very heavy and complex stuff. There was too much of it, and I knew that I would have to go over the issues with him several times later, before he would even begin to absorb a fraction of it. I was paying for my son to be educated, but unless I took a firm hand myself in his education, he wouldnt obtain the information necessary for him to know about himself and people who were black like him. To the British educational system, blacks simply didnt exist as a people in their own right, but as a people to whom others did things! The British; then if time permitted, the French; the Spanish; the Portuguese and the Dutch. History as taught in Britain was about the Kings and Queens of England (Harold The Great; William The Conqueror); British wars abroad; the British Empireall viewed solely from a British standpoint. Yet we were paying for this co-education that pretend that the world did not exist unless Britain was involved. I went on: All black people come from the same roots. But because these other blacks were taught history by their slave masters, they brainwashed them into believing that they were not taken forcibly from Africa by the Europeans but sold to the whites voluntarily by their brother Africans! This falsehood has been passed from generation to generation amongst the blacks outside Africa, and so some of the blacks in the Diaspora have the greatest contempt and actual hatred for Africans. I mean, you would hate your brother if you were made to believe that he voluntarily sold you into slavery, wouldnt you? Over the years, I have had to deal with this issue again and again whenever my relationship with an African-American or Caribbean friend has blossomed to such a high degree of intimacy and trust that we can share ideas very frankly without hurting each other. From these discussions, I have come to realise that the damage that the misunderstandings about the slave trade have wrought on our two psyches is incalculable. Whatever we Africans say, our black brothers and sisters suspect, at a pretty visceral level, that the Africans were somehow responsible for selling their ancestors to the Europeans. It is not easy to counter this, for one can easily give the impression to ones black brothers that one is in denial over the ignoble role played by some Africans in the slave trade, or wants to defend the Africans who took part in it. For there is absolutely no doubt at all that many Africans did collaborate actively with the slave traders and did very well, economically, out of the trade. But the proportions of their role, shameful as it was, must be understood, otherwise a great injustice would be done to them, and by extension, to all Africans. Of course, the Europeans employed African interpreters, African agentsand African mercenary soldiers in their quest for slaves. But as every economist will tell you, it is those who create a market for the provision of certain goods or services who are responsible for that markets operational effectiveness. That is how capitalism has thrived in the world for all these years and continues to operatecreate a market for crack cocaine amongst the black youths in the ghettoes of America and someone (most probably another black) will supply it. So, the European interpreter tells the African agent that the European slave master wants 200 people. And the African agent says, Tell him Ill need to recruit 50 trained mercenaries, each supplied with a gun and munitions, for the job. I shall also need neck and leg irons, and chains for the hands and arms. The slave master supplies everything, including the irons, which he has had forged specially in Europe and brought to Africa. The slave master then goes to sit in his castlewhich is custom-built to accommodate slaves and keep them in the most fearsome and heinous conditionsand waits, entertaining himself with gin and African women. The place was called The Whitemans Grave, isnt it? What little time one had must be used for enjoyment to the full! In a few days time, the African agent brings him his 200 slaves. He pays the agent the agreed commission, puts the slaves in his specially-built slave ships, and departs. In the Caribbean or the Americas, he can sell each slave for about 30 times his capital outlay in Africa. He is happy. Those who buy the slaves off him use them, in as brutally efficient a manner as possible, to get them to produce sugar, cotton, tobacco, tea, silver, tin, copper or gold. They too are happy, for they sell these products to Europe and make huge profits. With the profits, they set up factories to manufacture textiles, alcohol, glass beads and other goods that fetch a good price in Africa and other countries in the Southern Hemisphere. Then they use the proceeds from their sales in Africa to purchase more slaves And hey presto, the circular trade has recommenced all over again. One of my best friends, the novelist ND, from Jamaica, used to view the problem from a Marxist standpoint. You see, Cameron, in Ancient Africa, you had a feudal system built around your chiefs, and those chiefs, like all aristocratsespecially those in the European societies which Marx analysed in such a painstaking manner divided humanity into classes At the bottom were the disposable working classes and the serfs. So when they were approached by the European slave traders, they had people such as war prisoners whom they could readily sell to the whites fr guns and gin and other idiotic things like mirrors and beads. No, no, thats not at all what happened, I countered. Chiefs in most traditional African societies not all, mind you; I do know of one or two in what was then Dahomey, or Benin, who were worse than any European slaver you could think of! but generally speaking, the African chiefs did not, and do not, wield the type of power over their subjects as could be found in European and other feudal societies. Every chief has a council composed of famiy-heads. In Akan societies in Ghana, for example, we emphasise the sacredness of theindividual human being with this maxim: Obiara y obi dehye Every person is somebody elses presumptive heir. This means that everyone is to be regarded as a potential aristocrat in his own family or clan. So the society is immutably bound to recognise the worth of each and every member of that society, as an equal member with full rights. The overall chief has his own family/clan, and his heirs can only come from it. But alongside his, and parallel to it, each of the other clans from which he draws the council of elders (with whom he is obliged to rule), has its own head. Like the chief, power devolves to these elders through the matrilineal system. This means that the elder can only be succeeded by his own mothers son; his mothers sisters son; or his sisters son. So, each individual has two sets of families to which he matters greatly his fathers (to whom he owes allegiance and from which he can seek protection) and also, his mothers (which opens the doors of inheritance to him). No such person can be caught and sold by a chief, But of course, if the chief possesses war-captives, usually from another ethnic group, he will sell those he doesnt need for his own purposes, if offered the right price. But you cannot turn a prized individual who forms a crucial part of the society into a serf or slave overnight and sell him. Both his families would be at your throat with hammer and tongs. Indeed, if that persons elder lodged a complaint with the council of elders, alleging that the chief had sought to, or had actually, maltreated, or tried to turn a member of the elders family (his putative heir!) into a slave (akoa) this complaint could form the basis of a charge that could lead to the chief himself being destooled (i.e. legally deposed). Now, could a European earl, or duke, or baron, or king, be deposed legally without war? And on account of the mere maltreatment of one of his subjects? But in Akan society that could, and did, happen! So the powers of those who wielded authority were circumscribed, and they had to obey the law themselves, or get booted out. That is why there were no internal or intra-ethnic slaves within Akan society. In fact, slaves only made their way into Akan society largely as a result of war. War captiveswho were strangers presumed to be hostile to the society, until they proved otherwise, and therefore did not possess the rights accorded to members of the societywere shared amongst the captains of the societys victorious army as spoils of war. But even then, they had to be treated according to certain strictly laid-down rules. Most of the time, the war-captains consciously integrated the captives into their own families. That way, the captains provided automatic protection to the captives and their offspring against maltreatment. In fact so valuable were the good fighters among the war-captives known to be that they were deliberately courtedby the society to accept full integration into its fold, They were given women from good families to marry, and it was an offence, punishable by death, for anyone to attempt to trace the antecedents of another person; that is, to unravel another persons family tree, without the express authority of the chiefs court. For, of course, insults to integrated war-captives would inevitably lead to the destabilisation of the society if not its disintegration. But, if, say, two people were fighting over the succession to a stool, then the contestants could try and demolish each others claims of ancestry, before the elders who had to adjudicate over the case. In that instance, they were allowed to trace their own ancestry in detail and similarly debunk the claims of the other contestant if they knew the family history of the opponent. Other than that, if anyone wanted to dissect and expose another familys ancestral secrets, he would be severely punished for attempting to weaken the super-structure upon which authority in the state or town or village was built. It was recognised, in a fit of enlightened self-interest, that a wanton dissection of family and clan histories was divisive to a society that could be attacked at any time and the whole fabric of the nation threatened. Suppose the best contemporary warrior descended from a war-captive who had killed many local captains n a war before being captured, but who had subsequently become so well-integrated that he had been transmogrified into a super-hero of his new society? Were the antecedents of a person whose prowess was so crucial to the societys survival, to be dragged up at everybodys whim and caprice? What I am trying to tell you, ND, is that in Akan society, at any rate, the worthof the individual is equated with the worth of the society as a whole. thats, of course, when the society is working at optimum efficiency. The ideal is that each individual had his or her inviolable rights, and as such, could not be sold or even treated like a serf as happened under feudalism in Europe. The commonest thing any Akan man or woman who felt that someone else was trying to oppress him or her would be to ask the would-be oppressor angrily, Why? Do you think I am your servant? (Adn wakoa ne me?) Will you believe that some of the gold-producing areas of the Akan territories were so rich that they bought slaves from the Portuguese, who shipped them to Elmina Castle (in modern-day Ghana) from Benin, Sao Tome and Principe and thence, to the interior of Ghana? (See Forests of Gold by Ivor Wilks, Ohio University Press, 1993; ISBN 0-8214-1056-3). The Akans sold some of their own war -captives, yes. But even that was done sometimes to spare them from being put to death. You see, the Akans believe that when a chief or other aristocrat dies, he goes to live in a parallel world called Asamando (home of the ghosts, or the spirit world) and that when their servants are killed with them, then those servants would go there to serve them. They prepare the servants very well psychologically, by treating them extremely well whilst they are alive. You have probably heard about the murder of a sub-chief of Akyem Abuakwa in 1943, upon the death of the Okyenhene, Nana Sir Ofori Atta The First. That was a great anomaly: sub-chiefs do not get killed when their Paramount Chief dies. It was probably an opportunist move by some hangers-on of the State Council to get rid of a sub-chief who asked too many questions about how state funds were used, at State Council meetings. B definitely, when a big person like a chief died in Akan society in the past, a lot of people could get lost; that is, they would be secretly killed and buried with the big person. And war-captives were sometimes kept for this purpose unless they proved that they would fight well for their new state. But if a European slave trader came and made it known that he wanted to buy slaves, and there were some warcaptives being kept with an eye to being sent to Asamandowith their owner when he eventually passed away, the owner might well decide that he could dispense with some future services at Asamando in exchange for cash in the here and now! Eventually, cash became more and more useful than the strict observance of the ancient custom of dispatching servants to Asamando to serve their masters there. (One could always placate the departed ones by slaughtering loads of sheep for them! Of course, the fact that by selling them, the -owners of war-captives saved them from death, does not in any way excuse the idea of selling a fellow human being. But we must recognise, in all honesty, that at the tie, selling the person was a far better alternative than than putting him to death. In any case, we cannot judge those people with the standards of today. For they were not the only superstitious brutes of ancient times. At that time, the Spanish were burning people for witchcraft; the English were drawing and quartering petty thieves for stealing bread; and other members of the European aristocracy were sporting themselves with the heads of decapitated peasants. My friend, JM, an African-American novelist, also used to take me up merciless on the stupidity of the African chiefs. For Christs sake, Cameron, if they were going to sell human beings, why not sell them for something important, but mere cloth? Glass beads? Mirrors? Gin and Schnapps Knives? I mean that was dumb! Yes, I agree, JM. But that wasnt the entire story. You know, the Europeans who benefited from this trade were the same ones who wrote its history. They wanted to prove to their fellow Europeans how clever they were at outwitting the African natives, whom they held in utter contempt. Look, in that era, Africa was being divided by outsiders and everywhere one looked, there was deliberately-incited inter-ethnic warfare. Jealousies over the trade routesthat led to the European forts (where guns could be bought) also played a large part. You must understand that the most sinister and most common cause of inter-ethnic warfare was the importation of guns from Europe. The fear that ones neighbours might obtain guns and attack one with them was constant. You had rifles whilst your neighbours possessed only Dane guns (a long and primitive gun)? You were top man. The European slavers knew that the Africans wanted guns badly. So a slaver would go and tell Ethnic Group A that Ethnic Group B had just come to purchase weapons that could arm 5,000 men. But that particular European preferred to trade with Group A! Yeah. That was why he had come to reveal the secret of Group B to them. What do you think Group A would say? Of course, Give us guns to defend ourselves against Group B. The European slaver would then say, You know guns cost a lot of money. The chief of Group A would look downcast and say, We dont have much gold at the moment. European Slaver (comforting his ;new friend.): Dont worry. Just bring me your warcaptives. Ethnic Group A: Oh, is that all you want? How many do you want? European Slaver: Ten slaves per each gun. And the deal would be struck. Then, Group A, in the belief that it was only carrying out a defensive pre-emptive strike against Group B, would attack it. Sometimes, Group B would be completely taken by surprise and be unable to defend itself. At other times, the same European slaver would have delivered the same secret message of arms purchases to Group B as well! So, the two ethnic groups would fight to the deathboth probably using arms supplied by the same European slaver. He would have nothing to lose. If Group A didnt bring him slaves, Group B would. Or both Groups would be so weakened after the battles that the European slaver could send mercenaries soldiers to go and capture slaves from each of the groups. The most crucial point I would like you to take on board, my dear JM, is this: These incidents of trickery and sheer incitement to genocide were carried on as a matter of courseas the principal modus operandi of the slave traders for 400 years! Some killing, or rampage, or raid, or kidnapping, took place in Africa every single day, of every single week, of every single month, of every single year, for over 400 years, before some Europeans with a conscience, such as Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce, woke up and organised the long and arduous campaigns that eventually led to the abolition of the slave trade Britain! Please ask yourself: How did the African people manage to survive the sheer devastation of societies; the disruption of economic activity; the morbid depression that descends upon a people when their loved ones are torn away from them by wars on a daily basis like that? They took our ancestors away from their land, and just imagine what happened to those that survived the sea journey in those hellish boats; think of the incredible cruelty of those devilish crews on the slave ships; of the slave rebellions that were brutally repressed; the throwing overboard of sick slaves-! That is how our people were treated in order that huge fortunes could be made for European merchants in North and South America and the Caribbean. At that time, Africa already had long enjoyed trade links to Arabia and Asia, through the Mediterranean Sea. We were acquiring technology steadily. So, left alone, Africa would have become as economically powerful as the rest of the world. But the slave trade tore our social systems to shreds and as a consequence, we were consumed economically. As Thomas Paine wrote in 1775, QUOTE: The Managers of that Trade themselves, and others, testify, that many of these African nations inhabit fertile countries, are industrious farmers, enjoy plenty, and lived quietly, averse to war, before the Europeans debauched them with liquors, and bribing them against one another; and that these inoffensive people are brought into slavery, by stealing them, tempting Kings to sell subjects, which they can have no right to do, and hiring one tribe to war against another, in order to catch prisoners. By such wicked and inhuman ways the English are said to enslave towards one hundred thousand yearly; of which thirty thousand are supposed to die by barbarous treatment in the first year; besides all that are slain in the unnatural wars excited to take them. UNQUOTE The story about beads, glass and mirrors obtained in exchange for human beings is just the sensational part of the folklore. The core activity, the massively profitable enterprise which is hidden by the history books they write for us to read, was the supply of guns to procure and in exchange for slaves. R, another African-American novelist, is particularly angry over the failure of Europe and America to acknowledge the contribution that Africans have made to the wealth they enjoy. He states: They throw African-Americans into the despond of unemployment; inadequate welfare payments; inferior education and uninhabitable project housing uptown. In Europe, too, Africans are only regarded as immigrants against whom the doors of Fortress Europe should be clammed shut. Black people, originators of the worlds wealth, are being heaped on the dustbin of the world economy everywhere. I reply: R, you would be even more angry if you knew the full extent of Africas contribution to the wealth of Europe and America. I cant do better than suggest that you read The Slave Trade by Hugh Thomas (Simon and Schuster 1997; ISBN 10: 0684810638.) His introduction alone offers a marvellous chronicle of the connection not too often highlighted by other historians between the wealth of some well-known names in American and European history, and the obnoxious slave trade. But to fully appreciate what the slave trade was really about, you must read and continue to readfor instance, about the following people and their publications (easily found in a Google search): Thomas Clarkson, Mungo Park, Olaudah Equiano, and William Wilberforce. Its a never-ending story, but without knowing as much about it as possible, you live in a world of blissful ignorance and can make all sorts of assumptions about how your brothers sold your ancestors to European slavers. facebook like button Tweet tweet button for twitter Abang awarded prestigious scholarship; to be honored in NOLA Published Jan. 2, 2020 Jazz Education Network has recognized University of Louisiana Monroe trumpet performance major Solomon Temitope Abang as an aspiring jazz trumpeter, educator, composer, and vocalist and awarded him the prestigious 2020 David Baker Scholarship. He travels to New Orleans Jan. 7, 2020, for the Jazz Education Networks International Conference and will be recognized at the JENeral Session on Jan. 9. Abang is an international student from Nigeria who chose ULMs School of Visual and Performing Arts for two reasons: New Orleans and Associate Professor of Music Eric Siereveld, D.M.A. In applying for the scholarship, Abang writes about his commitment to jazz performance and education. Abang states, (in 2018) I was granted admission to study at the University of Louisiana Monroe; a school I chose because of its proximity to New Orleans ... and its phenomenal trumpet professor, Dr. Eric Siereveld, a relentless advocate for jazz education I am actively enrolled in the jazz ensemble under the baton of Professor Larry Anderson. Abang continues, Jazz music allows me to represent my thoughts through sounds and words, and most importantly helps me to tell my story to the best of my ability this scholarship will assist in advancing my course of jazz education here in the U.S., and would provide me the opportunity to assist other up and coming jazz musicians. Additionally, it will allow me to propagate the gospel of jazz across the globe and particularly in my home of Lagos, Nigeria. Deeply rooted in a wide range of musical genres, Solomon Temitope Abang has surfaced as an aspiring jazz trumpeter, educator, composer, and vocalist." Jazz Education Network Established in 2010 by world-renowned jazz educator Jamey Aebersold, the David Baker Scholarship honors the legacy and contributions of the late Indiana University Jazz Studies Department Chair, NEA Jazz Master, and JEN LeJENd of Jazz Education. Siereveld, who studied with Baker, said, I can think of no one more deserving of this award than Solomon. He is a hardworking, dedicated young man, constantly striving to advance his craft. As a former student of David Baker, I can say that Solomon reflects the same fierce spirit and commitment to the jazz artform that David had, and it is a personal point of pride that Solomon has the opportunity to contribute to Davids interminable and dynamic legacy. The scholarship is given in recognition of an outstanding university student that demonstrates talent, spirit, and commitment to the field of jazz studies. There were many applicants/nominees from several national and internationally acclaimed schools for this award. On Facebook, Jazz Education Network describes Abang as, Deeply rooted in a wide range of musical genres, Solomon Temitope Abang has surfaced as an aspiring jazz trumpeter, educator, composer, and vocalist. Born in 1995 in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria, the largest city in Western Africa, Solomon has been actively engaged for over a decade as a performer, educator, and composer of jazz, classical and African music with notable awards to his name. Abang said, It is humbling to be the recipient of this prestigious award, and I want to extend a tremendous thank you to all my professors and instructors here at ULM. Id also like to thank the Jazz Education Network for selecting me as the scholarship recipient. This tremendous gift will provide me the opportunity to give back to the jazz community and inspires me to follow in the footsteps of celebrated jazz educator David Baker. Photo by Emerald McIntyre/ULM Photo Services Turkey's parliament has approved the deployment of troops to Libya aimed at shoring up the UN-backed government in Tripoli, sparking a blunt warning from US President Donald Trump against any "foreign interference" in the war-torn country. Libya has been beset by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations in the east and the west vying for power. The beleaguered Tripoli government, headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, has been under sustained attack since April by military strongman General Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by Turkey's regional rivals -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. In response to the prospect that Ankara might intervene after Thursday's vote, Trump had told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a call "that foreign interference is complicating the situation in Libya," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement. Egypt also strongly condemned the Turkish vote, saying it amounted to a "flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions on Libya", while Israel, Cyprus and Greece denounced a "dangerous threat to regional stability". Libya's elected parliament in the east -- allied with Haftar -- called Turkey's prospective military intervention "high treason". - 'We are ready' - President Erdogan is due to receive Russian President Vladimir Putin next Wednesday to inaugurate a new gas pipeline and Libya is expected to be a key topic of discussion. Erdogan has repeatedly accused Russia of sending private mercenaries to support Haftar's forces, though this has been denied by Moscow. At the same time, Turkey and Russia have managed to work closely on the Syrian conflict despite supporting opposing sides, and are expected to seek a similar balancing act with regards to Libya. Erdogan's office confirmed last Friday that a request for military support had been received from the internationally recognised Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). No details have been given on the scale of the potential deployment and Vice-President Fuat Oktay told state news agency Anadolu on Wednesday that no date had yet been set. "We are ready. Our armed forces and our defence ministry are ready," he said, adding that parliamentary approval would be valid for a year. He described the parliament motion as a "political signal" aimed at deterring Haftar. "After it passes, if the other side changes its attitude and says, 'OK, we are withdrawing, we are abandoning our offensive,' then what should we go there for?" The bill passed easily by 325 votes to 184. "The Libyan motion is important for the protection of the interests of our country and for the peace and stability of the region," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted after the vote. - Russia connection - A UN report in November said several countries were violating the arms embargo on Libya in place since the overthrow of Kadhafi in 2011. Jordan and the UAE regularly supply Haftar's forces, it said, while Turkey supports the GNA. Turkish and Emirati drones were spotted in Libyan skies during clashes over the summer. "We're supporting the internationally recognised legitimate government in Libya. Outside powers must stop supporting illegitimate groups against the Libyan government," Erdogan's communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted last week. Turkey has used its alliance with the Tripoli government to advance other interests. It signed a military cooperation agreement with the GNA during a visit by its leader Sarraj to Istanbul in November. But they also signed a maritime jurisdiction agreement giving Turkey rights to large swathes of the Mediterranean where gas reserves have recently been discovered. The agreement drew international criticism, particularly from Greece, which says it ignores its own claims to the area. Analysts say Ankara was responding to being frozen out of regional energy deals, notably the "East Mediterranean Gas Forum", formed this year by Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Italy and the Palestinian territories. Turkey's fierce rivalry with the military government in Egypt is seen as another motivating factor behind the planned deployment. Erdogan strongly backed Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood government that was violently overthrown by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013. Haftar has previously ordered his forces to target Turkish companies and arrest Turkish nationals. Six Turkish sailors were briefly held by his forces during the summer. Turkey aims to provide support for the Libyan Government of National Accord Territorial control in Libya Erdogan and Fayez al-Sarraj of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, signed a disputed maritime jurisdiction agreement in November Liberals, and Democrats in particular, are great at creating false equivalencies. Their latest attempt at this is to equate the heinous 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya and the feckless response of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama with the recent attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and President Trump's no-nonsense response. Without replaying the whole sordid Benghazi event, suffice it to say that a coordinated, orchestrated, and deadly attack against two U.S. facilities in Benghazi claimed the lives of four U.S. personnel, including a U.S. ambassador. The response before, during, and after the attack was shameful. No additional security was provided to the sites prior to the attacks despite repeated pleas from the ambassador, no help was forthcoming during the attack, and there was no response after the attack other than a disgraceful press tour. Contrast this with President Trump's defense of Americans. On Friday, an Iranian-backed militia attacked a U.S. base and killed an American contractor and wounded many others. On Sunday, U.S. fighter jets attacked and demolished five militia bases in Iraq and Syria, killing 25 people. Now large numbers of Iraqi militants are attacking the American embassy in Baghdad. One of those reportedly leading the attack, Hadi al-Ameri, former head of the Hashd al-Shaabi militia, was a guest of President Obama at the White House in 2011. President Trump, unlike President Obama, is not sitting on his hands and calling endless meetings. Apache helicopters showed up almost immediately and began firing flares as a warning. Apaches also carry a large and lethal load of rockets, Hellfire missiles, and automatic 30mm cannon, and the militants know that. Additionally, 500 paratroopers from the Immediate Response Force are already on route. Defense secretary Mark Esper is quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying, "The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world." Progressive groups are trying to call the Baghdad attack President Trump's Benghazi. That is disingenuous at best. There is no equivalence at all. There are indeed significant differences. President Trump provided immediate assistance, and no one, most assuredly not the ambassador, has been murdered and dragged through the streets. The president and his administration have not sought to blame the violence on some nonsensical event like an obscure video, but rather placed the blame squarely on those who perpetrated the act and their supporters. The president is not running from pillar to post holding meetings and press conferences. He has mobilized a huge response force and let the identified belligerents know that if they keep it up, they will meet this force personally. Said the president, "This is not a warning. It is a threat." That is how a leader keeps Americans safe and protects American interests. NOW that the plans for the Adare bypass and the new road linking Limerick to Foynes have been lodged with An Bord Pleanala, attention is now turning to the next stage in the process of making the Adare bypass and the new road linking Limerick to Foynes a reality. With the detailed plans already lodged with An Bord Pleanala, all eyes will be focusing on what objections and submissions are likely to be forthcoming before the deadline of February 14. And, according to William Martin of Martin & Rea CPO, a business which advises commercially on compulsory purchase orders, 50-60% of people affected along the route can be expected to submit objections for various reasons. The majority of objections are about trying to mitigate the effect on them or to try to secure concessions, Mr Martin explained in advance of a meeting to be held this Thursday night in Adare. A very small number would have an outright objection, he said. He and his business partner Richard Rea have organised a meeting in the Woodlands House Hotel. It is a commercial presentation, Mr Martin said. It is an information meeting to explain the impact of the (road) scheme on the landowners affected, he continued. It is not about the route. It is to deal with individual concerns about the CPO, the compulsory purchase orders and what applies when a CPO is served on a property owner. They have a right to object to a CPO served on them. There is a process to lodge an objection within a certain amount of time to An Bord Pleanala, Mr Martin added. That deadline is Friday, February 14, the same deadline for any observations, submissions or objections to the overall road scheme. Mr Martin said a general presentation will be made at the meeting. We will also deal with the compensation process, he said. If the road is confirmed, there is a compensation process to be gone through and we will explain how that works. This Thursdays meeting will not deal with individual cases, he added, but the company does provide a service to individuals. The meeting, in the Woodlands House Hotel, will begin at 8pm. Meanwhile, details of the new road, can be viewed by members of the public at libraries in Adare, Rathkeale, Askeaton and Foynes and at council offices in Rathkeale, Merchants Quay and Dooradoyle. The new road will begin at Attyflynn, Patrickswell with a 17.5km stretch of motorway going north of Adare and on to Rathkeale, with junctions off to Adare, Croagh, Rathkeale and Askeaton. The Rathkeale to Foynes section will involve 15.6km of dual carriageway. The planning application includes three railway bridges, a 200-metre bridge across the Maigue at Adare, four other river bridges and 18 smaller river/stream bridges, 22 underpasses, 16 overbridges and underbridges, a variety of roundabouts as well as accommodating the Great Southern Greenway. NEW PRESTON Join the Loft Gallery as it hosts works by Newtown watercolorist, Grace Scharr McEnaney. The Loft Gallery will highlight a wide range of her work, mixing traditional detailed images from her travels both near and far, with more vivid, imaginative abstract pieces, as the two styles balance and play off of each other quite beautifully. An opening reception will take place on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 4 to 6 p.m. Guests can meet the artist, view her stunning artwork, enjoy light fare and wine, and listen to live jazz. The reception is free and open to the community. It has been a joyfully long and winding road that has led Grace to fine art painting in watercolor, and this journey is now exploring new possibilities. Our exhibition follows her path through florals, still life, sacred stone structures, and more recently, imaginary intuitive images. Graces watercolors flexibility reaches through methods, styles, and subjects, exploring what contemporary watercolor is and can be. Grace Scharr McEnaney is a contemporary watercolor painter living and working in Connecticut. Her work ranges from representational depictions of stone structures, still life, and florals to more recently, imaginary abstract studies. Whether representational or expressionistic, in each of her paintings, Grace strives to reveal the powerful essence and energy found in all things. Prior to becoming a fine artist, she spent several decades working in technical illustration and advertising as well as book jacket and graphic design. She has a degree in Applied Arts from Fashion Institute of Technology, University of Connecticut, and The New York School of Interior Design. Grace is a watercolor instructor at The Wethersfield Academy for the Arts in Wethersfield, Arts Escape in Southbury, and privately in Newtown. She also sits on the Board of Directors for the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, N.Y., and has won multiple awards for her work in watercolor. Grace looks forward to continuing to share her work with others through both exhibiting and teaching, and currently teaches at The Wethersfield Academy for the Arts, Arts Escape, Southbury, and privately in Newtown. My paintings vary in subject matter and reflect, interpret and represent my world as I am busy living in it. While describing through light, form and texture, internal relationships emerge and engage through the glistening values of the watercolor medium. As a result, a painting unfolds, illuminating a memorable, personal life experience both real and imagined. For more information visit www.gracescharrmcenaney.com/about. The Loft Gallery is located on the second floor of The Smithy, 10 Main Street, New Preston. For more information, please contact Susan at (860) 868-9003 or go to www.thesmithystore.com and visit us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. Some Walmart employees said a man who was shot and critically injured early Tuesday afternoon outside the Brainerd store was a produce employee outside on a break. The 61-year-old man got caught up in a crossfire, it was stated. He and one other person were wounded in the incident just before 1 p.m. The 61-year-old man had more than one bullet wound. A man, 23, was shot once and had non-life threatening injuries. Both were rushed to the hospital by Hamilton County EMS. The man in critical condition underwent surgeries on Tuesday night. Unknown suspect(s) fled the scene in a vehicle prior to police arrival. A former employee of the Brainerd Walmart said, "I used to work there and prayers go to Mr. Alfred and family. He is a friendly person and I enjoyed talking to him." Police were following up on suspect leads from witnesses. A large number of police went to the location on Greenway View Drive. As the flames engulf bushland jumping from tree to tree, evacuations from coastal towns on the east coast of Australia kicked into force on Thursday (2 January 2020). Authorities declared a "tourist leave zone" along hundreds of kilometres in New South Wales ahead of extreme heat forecasts for the weekend. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL RESIDENT, SANDY KEMP SAYING: "It's just a scary feeling I think. Just everything that was going on. There was not fuel. We've got no power. No phone service out where we are." To help fight the fires, Australian troops have been called into action. Five military helicopters and two naval ships are en route to Australia's south-east state of Victoria where 50 fires are still burning. The Australian Defence Force said their role would be back up firefighters and bring in supplies like water and diesel to help with the evacuation. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT VICTORIA DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, CHRIS STEPHENSON, SAYING: "So what we'll do is we'll offer the opportunity to get as many people out as we possibly can into a more comfortable place, however, logistically that is quite a challenge. At the moment we are moving people out by sea." Bumber to bumber car cues followed the rush of evacuees. Many settling in for a long drive to safer ground. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL RESIDENT, GARY KEYS, SAYING: "The fire's close to my house. If the wind changes it could impact quite heavily on my house and my neighbours and my families house. We've got family members further up the road from us, so, it's basically survival." [January 02, 2020] Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP Announces Proposed Settlement in the Constant Contact Securities Litigation The following statement is being issued by Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP regarding the Constant Contact (News - Alert) Securities Litigation: UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS WILLIAM McGEE and LEE McGEE, Individually ) No. 1:15-cv-13114-MLW and on Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated, ) CLASS ACTION Plaintiffs, ) SUMMARY NOTICE vs. ) CONSTANT CONTACT, INC., et al., ) Defendants. ) ) ) IF YOU PURCHASED OR ACQUIRED CONSTANT CONTACT, INC. ("CONSTANT CONTACT" OR THE "COMPANY") COMMON STOCK BETWEEN JULY 25, 2014 AND JULY 23, 2015, YOU COULD GET A PAYMENT FROM A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT. A settlement has been proposed in a class action lawsuit concerning the price of Constant Contact stock. The settlement will provide $13 million to pay claims from Constant Contact investors who bought or acquired the Company's common stock from July 25, 2014, through and including July 23, 2015. If you qualify, you may send in a claim form to get benefits, or you can exclude yourself from the settlement, or you can object to it. A hearing will be held on May 27, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. ET, before the Honorable Mark L. Wolf, at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Way, Boston, MA 02210, to consider whether to approve the settlement and the proposed Plan of Allocation and a request by the lawyers representing all Class Members for an award of attorneys' fees of 25% of the $13 million settlement amount, plus expenses not to exceed $120,000. If you purchased or acquired Constant Contact common stock between July 25, 2014 and July 23, 2015, inclusive, your rights may be affected by this Litigation and the settlement thereof. If you have not received a detailed Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class Action and a copy of the Proof of Claim and Release form, you may obtain copies of these documents by contacting the Claims Administrator or visiting its website: Constant Contact Securities Litigation, Claims Administrator, c/o Gilardi & Co. LLC, P.O. Box (News - Alert) 43321, Providence, RI 02940-3321; 1-866-635-4819; www.ConstantContactSecuritiesLitigation.com. You may also review the Stipulation of Settlement and all other settlement-related documents at www.ConstantContactSecuritiesLitigation.com, or you may contact the Claims Administrator at 1-866-635-4819 for further information regarding the settlement. You may also contact a representative of counsel for the Class: Rick Nelson, Shareholder Relations, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, 655 West Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA (News - Alert) 92101, 1-800-449-4900. If you are a Class Member, in order to share in the distribution of the Net Settlement Fund, you must submit a Proof of Claim and Release online at www.ConstantContactSecuritiesLitigation.com by April 13, 2020, or by mail postmarked no later than April 13, 2020, establishing that you are entitled to a recovery. You will be bound by any judgment rendered in the Litigation unless you request to be excluded, in writing, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice such that it is postmarked by April 24, 2020. Any objection to any aspect of the settlement must be filed with the Clerk of the Court on or before April 24, 2020, and also delivered by hand or first-class mail to: ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN BENJAMIN NAFTALIS & DOWD LLP LATHAM & WATKINS LLP ELLEN GUSIKOFF STEWART 885 Third Avenue 655 West Broadway, Suite 1900 New York, NY 10022 San Diego, CA 92101 The Court has retained the discretion to alter any of the deadlines or requirements outlined above for good cause shown. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR THE CLERK'S OFFICE REGARDING THIS NOTICE. BY ORDER OF THE COURT DATED: November 26, 2019 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005046/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Canadian Dollars Towards the end of 2019, Id discussed how young investors can build wealth in a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA). Some of the top stocks on the TSX could have netted investors hundreds of thousands in tax-free profit just from a $10,000 investment in the first half of the last decade. The TSX reached record highs in late 2019, so investors will not be treated to the same bargains that they saw in the early 2010s. Still, an early investment in a top stock could be the key to securing tax-free wealth going forward. Kinaxis Kinaxis (TSX:KXS) has been a top performer since its initial public offering back in 2014. This Canadian technology company specializes in software solutions in supply chain management and operations planning. It has been instrumental in driving Canada to be a global leader in supply chain management software. Over the past five years, the stock has achieved average annual returns of 40%. The company is an exciting pick to start the 2020s, as it has built a fantastic customer base. It has pulled in companies like Toyota Motors, Ford, and Volvo in recent years. Investors who are looking for exposure to artificial intelligence and machine learning development should seriously consider Kinaxis, which is working to use these technologies to power its Rapid Response software. Shares are trading close to its 52-week high, but this is a stock that is worth betting on for the long term. Supply chain software is seeing increased demand in a fractured global trade environment, as companies look to automate complex operational tasks. Kinaxis will be a key player for years to come in meeting this demand. Scotiabank Scotiabank (TSX:BNS)(NYSE:BNS) is sometimes referred to as The International Bank in Canada due to its significant global presence. It has bet big on developing economies, especially in Latin America. Unsurprisingly, this sector powered growth in a solid 2019. The stock climbed 11% in the previous year, which lagged behind some of the top performers in its peer group. Story continues The bank released its fourth-quarter and full-year results for 2019 in late November. It forecasts an uptick in domestic banking activity in 2020, with its Canadian operations projected to contribute 30-40% of all bank earnings. International banking is expected to bring in between 25% and 30%. Scotiabank reported fourth-quarter earnings of $2.31 billion in 2019, which was up from $2.27 billion in the previous year. This met with analyst expectations. Revenues in Canadian Banking enjoyed an uptick on the back of 5% loan growth. Residential mortgage loans rose 5%, as the Canadian housing market enjoyed a rebound in 2019. Business lending increased 11% year over year, and deposits were up 9%. It will decide on a dividend hike in the second quarter of 2020, which is in line with its peers. Scotiabank has delivered middling capital growth over the past decade, but its dividend stands as one of the most attractive of the big banks. It currently offers a quarterly payout of $0.90 per share, which represents a 4.9% yield. Steady income combined with capital growth is always a nice boon in a TFSA. More reading Fool contributor Ambrose O'Callaghan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. David Gardner owns shares of Ford. The Motley Fool recommends BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA and KINAXIS INC. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 "Don't need a certificate from Manish Sisodia", Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said after the Delhi deputy chief minister remarked that the BJP leader should be "ashamed" for trying to "cancel a parent-teacher meeting" in Delhi government schools. According to reports, Vardhan has written to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal over a parent-teacher meeting scheduled in Delhi government schools on January 4. The Union Health Minister also said that forwarding people's representations to the authorities concerned was his responsibility. "We believe in working sincerely and do not need the certificate of Sisodia. I have been an minister in Delhi and the sector knows me well," he said. Training guns at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Vardhan further said it has already become "frustrated as it knows the fate it will suffer in the coming times and more such statements will come from its leaders over the next one month". He clarified that the teachers associations' of Delhi government schools had met him at his residence on Wednesday and gave him a copy of a representation which they had submitted to the Delhi L-G expressing concern over the parent-teacher meeting scheduled on January 4 when schools in most northern states have been closed due to the cold weather. They are seeking postponement of the meeting in view of the health hazards that the children are likely to suffer due to severe cold weather, Vardhan said. "I forwarded their representation to LG requesting him to look into the matter and take appropriate action. This is nothing new. I send all the requests that come to me to the authorities concerned and I have been doing this for the last 25 years. "Forwarding representations of people to the right quarters is my responsibility," he said. While interacting with reporters earlier in the day, Sisodia had said, "Harsh Vardhan ji, how did you get the courage to write a letter to the LG to cancel parent-teacher meeting of Delhi government schools. You should be ashamed." He also said the meeting will take place and the Aam Aadmi Party would not let the BJP cancel it. "You (BJP) think you can stop it (parent-teacher meeting). It is the decision of the department of the Delhi government; you would not be able to stop it. The basic character of the BJP, which is against education, gets shown again and again," Sisodia said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too took to Twitter to express his dismay over the issue. "Why do these people want to cancel PTM? In PTM, parents get an opportunity to discuss their children's progress with teachers. Many parents wait for PTM eagerly. PTM will be on time. I will also go to one of the schools tomorrow to get parents' feedback," he tweeted in Hindi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rs 12000 crore deposited under the 3rd tranche of the scheme Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 3rd installment of PM Kisan (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) of Rs 2000 for the period December 2019 - March 2020. This will benefit approximately 6 crore beneficiaries. Prime Minister will also hand over Certificates to beneficiaries under PM Kisan from 8 States / UTs. Prime Minister also handed over the keys of Deep Sea fishing Vessels and Fishing Vessel Transponders to select farmers of Tamil Nadu. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that it is a great privilege for him to see Annadata - our peasant brothers and sisters, in the new year, the beginning of a new decade. On behalf of 130 crore countrymen, the Prime Minister thanked the country's farmers for their toil. The Prime Minister said the money under the PM-Kisan scheme has been distributed directly into the personal accounts of nearly 6 crore Farmers in the country. Prime Minister said a total of Rs 12 Thousand crore has been deposited under the 3rd tranche of the scheme. He hoped that the States that haven't implemented the 'PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana', will do it and political parties will rise over to help the farmers in their States. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Galway has been named one of the best 'Foodie Destinations' in the world for 2020. The BBC Good Food Magazine has named it among the top destinations - along with France and Mexico. Chennai, Jan 2 : Tamil Nadu police have arrested the controversial Tamil orator belonging to the Congress, Nellai Kannan, for his provocative speech made at an event last week. The police picked up Nellai Kannan from hotel in Perambalur on Wednesday. The arrest came hours after Chennai police detained former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishan, senior BJP leader La Ganesan, party national Secretary H. Raja, and former state party chief C.P. Radhakrishnan for protesting here demanding the arrest of Nellai Kannan. At an event organised by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) on Saturday, Kannan had said that he was puzzled why the Muslims have not yet killed Modi and Shah. He had also made critical comments against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and others. Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston Tao Ye is the CEO of China MeiDong Auto Holdings Limited (HKG:1268). This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. And finally - as a second measure of performance - we will look at the returns shareholders have received over the last few years. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels. Check out our latest analysis for China MeiDong Auto Holdings How Does Tao Ye's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, China MeiDong Auto Holdings Limited has a market capitalization of HK$12b, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth CN5.5m over the year to December 2018. While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at CN2.4m. When we examined a selection of companies with market caps ranging from CN7.0b to CN22b, we found the median CEO total compensation was CN4.0m. As you can see, Tao Ye is paid more than the median CEO pay at companies of a similar size, in the same market. However, this does not necessarily mean China MeiDong Auto Holdings Limited is paying too much. We can get a better idea of how generous the pay is by looking at the performance of the underlying business. You can see a visual representation of the CEO compensation at China MeiDong Auto Holdings, below. SEHK:1268 CEO Compensation, December 31st 2019 Is China MeiDong Auto Holdings Limited Growing? China MeiDong Auto Holdings Limited has increased its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 39% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). It achieved revenue growth of 56% over the last year. This shows that the company has improved itself over the last few years. Good news for shareholders. It's great to see that revenue growth is strong, too. These metrics suggest the business is growing strongly. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings. Story continues Has China MeiDong Auto Holdings Limited Been A Good Investment? I think that the total shareholder return of 952%, over three years, would leave most China MeiDong Auto Holdings Limited shareholders smiling. As a result, some may believe the CEO should be paid more than is normal for companies of similar size. In Summary... We compared total CEO remuneration at China MeiDong Auto Holdings Limited with the amount paid at companies with a similar market capitalization. Our data suggests that it pays above the median CEO pay within that group. Importantly, though, the company has impressed with its earnings per share growth, over three years. In addition, shareholders have done well over the same time period. As a result of this good performance, the CEO remuneration may well be quite reasonable. Whatever your view on compensation, you might want to check if insiders are buying or selling China MeiDong Auto Holdings shares (free trial). Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. [January 02, 2020] Website.com Releases Entirely Free, Full-Featured Designer Templates Youll Love Website.coms Brand New, Entirely Free Designer Site Templates VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Website.com, a leading website builder service , recently released brand new, fully-featured website templates to be used free of charge. The templates include features such as interactive cards and video backgrounds to allow users to create stunning websites, with no coding experience needed. Templates are available to be used with Website.coms site builder services, with entirely free plans available. Were committed to rolling out new designs on a consistent basis, so that our users have access to the newest trends and web standards. Were proud to be one of the free website builders that offers the most ree-to-use templates on the market. Says Stuart Williams, Website.coms director of marketing. The response from our users has been amazing, and weve been seeing better engagement on our clients websites. Were excited about the latest templates that our designers have been working on. Latest templates include interactive cards, which incorporate images, text and user-motivated animated effects to encourage engagement and keep sites up to trend. Video backgrounds are also featured, which are visually appealing and can quickly convey the tone of a website. Call to action buttons are smoothly incorporated to boost conversions and sales, depending on the type of site. Designer-made templates are available with all Webstie.com site builder plans , including free plans. Premium plans with professional features are also available, with promo prices starting at just $2/month. About Website.com Website.com is a drag and drop site builder service designed to allow anyone to make a website or online store. Operating out of Vancouver, Canada, their in-house development and support team is personally committed to delivering the best website and ecommerce builder on the market. Find out more about Website.com. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/71c37b1b-b85f-4dc1-a460-78d620d20371 For more information about Website.com call 1-877-930-7483. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Re: He lived nightmare of the Korean War, Front Page, Sunday: Thank you for the well-deserved recognition of Pfc. Juan Balleza who survived the Frozen Chosin battle in Korea in 1950. I want to call attention to the late Marine Lt. Col. Randolph Lockwood, who successfully led his battalion out of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, fighting all the way, and finally to evacuation. As a young lieutenant, he also survived the Japanese attack on the Marine Corps air station in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. Joe Ware And the lifetime cap? Re: Texans want, benefit from ACA even as state fights it, Editorial, Friday: This editorial was spot-on except for one fact: the elimination of the lifetime cap. The ACA not only guarantees coverage for pre-existing conditions and allows children to stay on a parents insurance to age 26, it also eliminated the lifetime cap on health coverage the most important of the three guarantees. Thats because a health insurer could promise coverage for pre-existing conditions and coverage for children up to age 26 but could pre-empt these rights by setting a lifetime cap. Any health coverage must eliminate the lifetime cap. Patricia Sitchler, La Vernia On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Texans benefit from ACA, even as Texas fights it Not Biden, not anyone Joe Biden announced Friday and again Saturday that he would not comply with any Senate subpoena to testify at the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters in Tipton, Iowa, Biden offered as his excuse the fact that he has no firsthand knowledge of any of the events surrounding the impeachment issue. His statement underscores the joke that is the impeachment proceedings. Heck, Biden, nobody who has testified has had any firsthand knowledge. Rand Dennis LtGen. Felimon Santos, Jr. MANILA, Philippines President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has selected a new chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the person of LtGen. Felimon Santos, Jr., head of the East Mindanao Command. Santos will replace LtGen. Noel Clement who will be retiring on Sunday (Jan. 5) at the age of 56. Although he admitted that there are many qualified officers in the AFP, Santos said he is happy with the trust that the President has given him. Under his leadership, Santos said, he will continue the course that the AFP has taken in fighting the communist group. Wala naman talagang reforms na talagang reforms. We will just enhance what is there na kita naman natin is very effective. The priority there is the urgency in ending insurgencies, Santos said. He further said that he will give attention to former members of the communist group who returned to the fold of the government and on localized peace talks. We will push with the localized peace talks kahit na may inaayos na national peace talks between the government and yung grupo ni Joma Sison. Now, pagka sinabi mong insurgency sa isang probinsiya, its the problem of everybody especially the local chief executive, Santos added. Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership welcomed the appointment of the new AFP chief who was a mistah of LtGen. Archie Gamboa in PMA Sinagtala Class of 1986. Were proud. Were proud that he is a member of PMA Sinagtala Class of 1986. We hope for him the best and we will be in support of his leadership, Gamboa said. Clement will formally pass the AFP leadership to Santos at the Change of Command ceremonies on Saturday (Jan. 4). (from the report of Harlene Delgado) /mbmf The post New AFP chief to focus on ending insurgency, promote localized peace talks appeared first on UNTV News. The last time I was in Alaska many years ago I stood on the deck of a cruise ship and watched giant pieces of ice, some seemingly as large as a car, fall off the Hubbard Glacier and into the sea. I stood there for what felt like forever, unable to take my eyes off the crumbling ice and the splash of the water below. I was visiting in August, and while much has changed since then, this month remains one of the most popular times to go to Alaska, Colleen McDaniel, the editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, told Travel + Leisure. The best reason to cruise to Alaska is there are things that you can only truly see from the water. Its why it is a bucket list destination for many, many people, said McDaniel. When youre out on the water, you can do wildlife viewing as well, and it's built into that cruise experience. While the most popular time to travel to Alaska on a cruise is June through August, its also when it tends to be the most expensive. Instead, McDaniel suggested looking at the shoulder months of May and September, when you can save a little money. She added, "May tends to be a pretty dry month, which makes it appealing. According to McDaniel, some ships are even starting to extend the Alaska cruise season, sailing as early as April. Those summer months, however, are when youre likely to see the warmest weather, with temperatures around 50 to 70 degrees, as well as the longest number of daylight hours, she said. Another way to save some money is to check out glacier routes that go northbound, which can be slightly cheaper than those heading southbound. If youre looking to avoid the crowds, choose a sailing that starts mid-week rather than on a weekend, suggested McDaniel. McDaniel said the most popular ports to leave from are Seattle and Vancouver, but cruises can depart from as far south as San Francisco or even from places like Seward, Alaska. Keep in mind, the closer your starting port is to Alaska, the fewer days you will spend at sea. Story continues If actually spending time in Alaska is what you want to do, youre going to want to start further north, she said. Ultimately, there are many different types of Alaskan cruises to suit every taste, from big ships with lots of activities to luxury vessels with high-end amenities to small cruises with only a couple dozen passengers. The great thing about Alaska is theres truly a type of Alaska cruise for everyone, she said. So pack your bags and get ready to spot humpback whales and get up close and personal with a glacier from a kayak because The Last Frontier is waiting. There have been chefs hired in food systems all over the country to do from-scratch cooking, said Marion Nestle, a New York University professor who studies food and nutrition. This goes back maybe 10 years. . . . It came out of an increasing recognition that school food was horrible, and there were also concerns about childhood obesity. The pandemic may have derailed everyone's plans, but there's still a lot to look forward to on the big screen! To clarify these are original films rather than stage versions transplanted to the big screen (like our trusty friend Hamilton). Some of these release dates have changed, but we're still hoping they're coming and are very excited. Oh and, Six might be joining them. 1. Cyrano Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennett Left: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) right: https://www.flickr. Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage will once more take on the title role in this stage-to-screen adaptation, of a show first seen off-Broadway to favourable reviews in 2018. It's scheduled to be released in the UK in mid January hit the ground running! 2. Matilda Emma Thompson and Lashana Lynch Left: Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage, right: MTV International A lot of concrete information came out very recently including casting (Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Sindhu Vee and Emma Thompson!) for the musical version of Roald Dahl's classic. Release date December 2022 3. Wicked Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande Dan Wooller, Cosmopolitan UK This one has been doing the rounds for a while now, and some would even say it's a "Popular" choice. Composer Stephen Schwartz has said that he is penning new songs for the film, and that it will begin production later this year with plans to film across 2022. Director Jon M Chu (In the Heights) spearheads the project, which has also revealed top casting! Release date unconfirmed 4. A Chorus Line The Broadway revival marquee for A Chorus Line Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Fresh off adapting The Prom for Netflix, Ryan Murphy will now be tackling this long-running musical classic. The twist? Murphy will be spreading the piece over multiple episodes, and feature a meta-narrative about how the show itself came to exist. Release date unconfirmed 5. Beautiful Cassidy Janson (Carole King) Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage The Carole King musical finished in the West End a while back (it is about to head out on tour again), so talk of a film adaptation is no big surprise. Last we heard (a while back!) megastar Tom Hanks and Sony Pictures are set to produce the film, which will have the rights to King's songs as well as those of Gerry Goffin, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. No release date announced at present 6. Guys and Dolls The cast of Guys and Dolls Paul Coltas The last we heard (in March 2019), TriStar Pictures has bought the rights not only to Frank Loesser, Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling's Tony Award-winning musical, but also the 1955 film version and the original Damon Runyon short stories on which the musical is based. That sounds like they have big plans. No release date announced at present 7. Little Shop of Horrors Chris Evans United States House of Representatives - Office of Don Young / Public domain Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's 1986 film is such a mainstay of musical theatre history that we can hear you all screaming, "Do we really need another one?!" Well yes, yes we do, according to Menken himself anyway. Produced by Marc Platt (Wicked) and directed by Greg Berlanti, the movie musical will feature a script by Matthew Robinson and is described as "a fresh version" of the 30 year-old film. Casting wise it is all very exciting Taron Egerton, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans are apparently attached to the project. No release date announced at present 8. Follies Emily Langham in Follies Johan Persson Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's award-winning musical Follies is being adapted into a film. Dominic Cooke who directed the acclaimed National Theatre revival of the show is attached to the project, but there's no news of a cast or release date just yet (Cooke also has to tackle Hello, Dolly! first!). Set in a crumbling theatre where a reunited group of old Follies girls reflect on their lives and their performing heydays, the musical features numbers including "Losing My Mind" and "I'm Still Here". No release date announced at present 9. Mean Girls The original cast of Mean Girls on Broadway Joan Marcus Honestly we didn't expect to have this one on here but eagerly anticipate it nonetheless a brand new film version of a stage musical based on an original film (it's somewhat satisfying to see it come full-circle) was announced by Tina Fey. No release date announced at present 10. Fiddler on the Roof Fiddler on the Roof 30th anniversary cover Hamilton's own Thomas Kail will lead a brand new version of the iconic stage show, which he promised will be a departure from the original. Count us intrigued! No release date announced at present 11. Merrily We Roll Along Ben Platt David Gordon A team of dreams including Ben Platt, Beanie Feldstein. are said to be taking on Sondheim's iconic musical, directed by Richard Linklater. The twist is, Linklater is directing it in real-time, ie over the course of 20 years. This might need a bit of patience especially as Ben Platt recently revealed they're going to have to restart shooting. No release date announced at present, but it'll be sometime in the 2040s 12. Once On This Island Once on this Island, during its hit revival Joan Marcus Disney is reportedly working on a brand spanking new version of the iconic musical, about a group of gods and island dwellers in the Caribbean. Get all the details. No release date announced at present 13. Fun Home Jake Gyllenhaal David Gordon At the start of the year reports came out that Jake Gyllenhaal was set to star in a Fun Home film. The iconic show is a powerful one and it'd be incredible to see it on screen. No release date announced at present 14. The Band Ruth Wilson, Cush Jumbo and Rosamund Pike Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage How could we (n)ever forget! The Band is set to be transformed into a new musical film with a starry cast including Cush Jumbo and Rosamund Pike. Currently called Greatest Days, the film will be directed by Coky Giedroyc (How to Build a Girl) with a screenplay penned by Tim Firth and choreography by the award-winning Drew McOnie (Jesus Christ Superstar). No release date announced at present 15. The Color Purple Blitz Bazawule and The Color Purple Left: Willhwhitney / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), right: Photo: Andreas Praefcke / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/ The iconic musical is set for a big-screen release, with Blitz Bazawule in the director's chair. The musical is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, and tells the story of heroine Celie over 40 years as she finds her place in the world. It has a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. No release date announced at present 16. Spamalot Eric Idle at the opening night of Spamalot Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage The hit Broadway musical is headed for the big screen, with director Casey Nicholaw in the director's chair. Huzzah! Release date tbc. 17. The King and I A remake is reportedly in the works, with a "contemporary and diverse perspective" on the Rodgers and Hammerstein material expected. In fact a whole range of R&H musicals are headed the same way. Release date tbc. BOSTON, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Schneider Electric, the leader of digital transformation in energy management and automation, has promoted Pankaj Sharma to succeed Dave Johnson as Executive Vice President of its Secure Power Division effective Jan. 1, 2020. Sharma, who is currently Senior Vice President, Home & Business Networks, Schneider Electric, has held leadership roles in the company including commercial, strategy, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and line of business. In his current role, he's led Schneider Electric's strategy to help customers and partners address the disruptive trend of edge computing. "Pankaj is well prepared to take this challenge as he has been working successfully in the Secure Power business for the last 19 years, living in various parts of the world," said Philippe Delorme, Executive Vice President, Energy Management, Schneider Electric. "I congratulate him, and I thank Dave Johnson for his outstanding legacy. For 27 years, Dave has been dedicated to the success of APC initially then Schneider Electric in the Secure Power space. A pillar in our company, Dave has pushed a customer-first approach and a dare-to-disrupt attitude to keep reinventing a business that has gone through many transformations." With his extensive expertise, Johnson will support the Secure Power leadership team transition in 2020, continuing as an employee of Schneider Electric, then as an independent consultant. "Resilient systems in the cloud and at the edge are a key enabler of the all digital, all electric world. It's an honor to take over the helm for the Secure Power Division during this critical time," Sharma said. "In my new role, I will continue to advance our mission to ensure life is on in the digital world and that we are helping to build a sustainable future for our planet." Under Johnson's leadership, Secure Power has been a high-performing and industry-leading division, providing complete physical infrastructure solutions for data centers, distributed IT environments, and industrial applications. Johnson has led global functions including strategy, commercial operations, marketing, R&D, supply chain, finance, and human resources. He managed teams across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, driving overall growth and profitability. "I want to thank Dave for his dedication to Schneider Electric and I know it is because of his leadership that Schneider Electric is well positioned to lead the industry with disruptive innovation," Sharma said. "My goal is to keep raising the bar in the Secure Power space by operating with the highest energy efficiency possible, nurturing a growth mindset, and continuing to embrace a global and diverse team approach." About Schneider Electric At Schneider, we believe access to energy and digital is a basic human right. We empower all to make the most of their energy and resources, ensuring Life Is On everywhere, for everyone, at every moment. We provide energy and automation digital solutions for efficiency and sustainability. We combine world-leading energy technologies, real-time automation, software and services into integrated solutions for Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries. We are committed to unleash the infinite possibilities of an open, global, innovative community that is passionate about our Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values. www.se.com Discover more: Life Is On // EcoStruxure // + Lifecyle Services Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instragam, Blog Hashtags: #LifeIsOn #SchneiderElectric SOURCE Schneider Electric Todd Bentley declared not qualified for leadership after review of ungodly and immoral behavior Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A team of evangelical leaders including host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program, Michael Brown, declared Fresh Fire USA leader Todd Bentley not qualified for leadership Thursday after an investigation found allegations of ungodly and immoral behavior against him credible. Based on our careful review of numerous first-hand reports, some of them dating back to 2004, we state our theological opinion and can say with one voice that, without a doubt, Todd is not qualified to serve in leadership or ministry today, said the leaders in an official statement shared by Brown on Facebook. There are credible accusations of a steady pattern of ungodly and immoral behavior, confirmed by an independent investigators interviews dating from 2008 up through 2019, along with other testimonies dating back to 2004. And while we only took into account first-hand reports, there are many other second and third-hand reports repeating the same accusations, often from people in different parts of the country (or, world) who had no connection between them, other than their interaction with Todd, the statement said. Other leaders on the panel with Brown were: Joseph Mattera, overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church, Brooklyn, New York, who also serves as convener of the U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders; James W. Goll, founder of God Encounters Ministries in Franklin, Tennessee; Jane Hamon, co-pastor of Vision Church at Christian International in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida; Bishop Harry Jackson, senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland; and Don Finto, pastor emeritus at Belmont Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Stephen Powell, an estranged protege of the popular and controversial faith healer, first highlighted sexual misconduct allegations against the Fresh Fire USA leader last summer that included international encounters. Powell, who leads the Lion of Light Ministries, alleged that Bentley has a perverse sexual addiction that drove him to prey on interns in 2013 and beyond. He said he got a mandate from God to call wayward Christian leaders to repentance while alleging that Bentley has an appetite for a variety of sexual sins, including both homosexual and heterosexual activity. He also accused the evangelist of indulging in an open marriage with his wife, Jessa, and further criticized Bentleys restoration process stemming from moral failure in 2008. In their statement Thursday, the religious leaders said as a part of their investigation into the allegations they sought to hear Todd's side directly, but he declined to answer a list of 60 questions compiled by the investigator after initially agreeing to respond. Todd required the investigator to submit the questions through his attorney, after which he ceased communicating with Dr. Brown or the investigator, the statement said. Sadly, we see no signs of true, lasting repentance. Instead, we see a steady pattern of compromised behavior, including credible accusations of adultery, sexting (including the exchanging of nude pictures or videos), vulgar language, and substance abuse, the panel said. In our view, this disqualifies Todd from public ministry until such time that he has demonstrated true, lasting fruits of repentance, which would include: the breaking of these long-term, sinful habits; public acknowledgment of his sin, without equivocation, including asking forgiveness of those he sinned against; and submission to local church leadership until trust had been rebuilt. This would likely take a period of years, they continued. Bentley responded defiantly in a Facebook Live broadcast Thursday, arguing that he does not have a drug or sexual addiction but did admit to texting and sexting. He also noted that he stepped down from his public ministry six months ago and started a private marketplace company. He also said Brown had promised to exonerate him in the investigation which he called a sham. Dr. Michael Brown has spun this to be what it wasnt, Bentley said while claiming that he was threatened with blackmail prior to the revelations over the summer. Australia has been on fire for several weeks now and despite the best effort by its authorities, coupled with extraordinary courage that the countrys firefighters have shown, there are little signs of the bushfire being contained. News Agency AFP has now reported that the smoke from Australia's bushfires has created a haze across New Zealand thousands of kilometres away with normally white glaciers turning a shade of caramel, according to social media posts Thursday. The acrid-smelling smoke first appeared in the country early Wednesday when in many areas the sun appeared as either a red or golden orb, depending on the thickness of the haze. "Smoke which has travelled around 2,000km across the Tasman Sea can clearly be seen," New Zealand's official forecaster MetService tweeted. "Visibility in the smoke haze is as low as 10km in the worst affected areas." A Twitter user called Miss Roho tweeted: "We can actually smell the burning here in Christchurch." Another woman, Rachel, posted a photo of the Franz Josef Glacier -- more than 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) away -- with its usual pristine white taking on a brown hue. "Near Franz Josef glacier. The 'caramelised' snow is caused by dust from the bushfires. It was white yesterday," she said in a post on Wednesday. Comedian Jemaine Clement posted a photo of a golden orb. "All the way over in NZ the Australian bushfire smoke in the atmosphere giving us this strange sun," he said. According to experts, the present conditions in Australia is the worst in many years. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had earlier expressed his condolences over the deaths of firefighters and said their sacrifice to save lives and property would be "forever remembered". "I express my sincere condolences and sympathies to the families of the firefighters who have so tragically been killed overnight. They were bravely defending their communities with an unmatched spirit and a dedication that will forever set them apart amongst our most courageous Australians," Morrison had said in a statement. Such extraordinary valour have the Australian firefighters shown that even on the occasion of Christmas when people come together and make merry, they used cooler conditions on the day to try and contain bushfires ahead of hot, dry weather later in the week. Leaders and communities continue to thank them for sacrificing time with their families over the holidays but there is a little respite that has come despite their best efforts. It only shows how helpless humans can be in the face of natures harshness. Zamboanga (CNN Philippines) The six crew members who were abducted by lawless elements in waters off Basilan on Friday were identified by the ship's electrician who was able to escape the abductors. The six abducted crew members were identified as Pham Minh Tuan, the ship captain, Do Trung Hieu, Hoang Vo, Tran Khac Dung, Hoang Trung Thong, and Huang Van Hai. The ship electrician was identified as Lai Linh Kao. Kao gave the information during an interview with police personnel from the Zamboanga Police Criminal Investigation Section on Saturday morning. The Vietnamese electrician was brought to a hospital in Zamboanga after sustaining a gunshot wound at the back. Kao said he was shot by the hijackers after he ran away from them in the course of the abduction. The Western Mindanao Command said the Vietnamese Bulk Carrier MV Royal 16 was moving toward Davao City and was within the vicinity of Sibago Island, Basilan Strait when the armed men attacked the vessel on Friday. It added the abductors were able to flee on a speedboat. Chennai, Jan 2 : The city police are probing the links of a female anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protester for her links with Pakistan, said a top police official. Chennai Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan said as per Gayatri Khandhadai's Facebook profile, she is a researcher with the 'Bytes for All' which is linked with the Association of All Pakistan Citizen Journalists. Viswanathan said the police will probe her extent of Pakistan links. On Sunday six women including Khandhadai had protested against the CAA by drawing 'kolam' in a locality here after police denied permission. Viswanathan said the police took them into custody on Sunday when they drew 'kolama' outside a home to which an elderly resident objected resulting in heated exchanges. The police took them into custody as they drew the 'kolam' without the house owners permission. Viswanathan said nobody was detained for drawing a 'kolam'. The six women later met DMK President M.K. Stalin at the party headquarters. On Monday, 'kolams', along with the slogan "No CAA-NRC", were drawn outside the homes of DMK President M.K. Stalin and his sister Kanimozhi, who is also a Lok Sabha MP, as well as outside the residence of their late father M. Karunanidhi. An anti-CAA and anti-NRC 'kolam' also appeared outside the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President K.S. Alagiri's house on Monday. On Tuesday, Lok Sabha MP and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan surprised people by drawing a big 'kolam' or 'rangoli'-style design outside his residence here that carried a "No CAA" slogan. On Wednesday 'kolams' in support of the CAA were drawn outside several homes in Cuddalore district on New Year's Day. The colourful 'kolams' had slogans saying "We support the CAA and NRC". About 400 People Arrested in Hong Kong During Protest - Police Sputnik News 21:25 01.01.2020 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Hong Kong Police have detained at least 400 people during 1 January's anti-government protest, Senior Superintendent of Hong Kong Island Region Jim Ng Lok-Chun said. "So, as of now, police have made around 400 arrests, offences include unlawful assembly and possession of an offensive weapon", the senior superintendent said during a press briefing. Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of people too to the streets in a march, organised by the Civil Human Rights Front and approved by the authorities. The marchers demanded an independent investigation of the police's actions during previous protests, an amnesty for the detained protesters, and universal suffrage. However, the demonstration morphed into chaos after some protesters attacked offices of the HSBC bank prompting the use of tear gas by the police. After that, the policed asked the organizers to end the event. Hong Kong has been gripped by violent protests since June. The demonstrations, initially a response to an extradition bill, continued even after the highly unpopular measure was withdrawn in October. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Emma Allan and Cameron Cunningham welcomed a baby boy just three minutes into the new decade. [SWNS] Proud parents have celebrated the new year by welcoming some of the first babies of 2020 into the world. Gemma Colston gave birth to a daughter as she listened to midwives counting down then cheering in the new year. Little Phoebe arrived just a few minutes after midnight at 12.08am on New Years Day at University Hospital Coventry, weighing 8lbs 8oz. She had actually been due on 29 December, and schoolteacher Gemma and her husband Peter, both 35, never expected her to arrive so close to the turn of the decade. Gemma and Peter Colston with baby Phoebe. [UHCW NHS Trust / SWNS] READ MORE: Mother of black and white twins says people don't believe they are both hers Gemma, from Rugby, Warwickshire, said: It's just fantastic and very exciting. It's a big surprise. We weren't expecting her to be born until quite a long time into the New Year when I went into labour yesterday. But it all went quite quickly in the end. I heard the midwives counting down and cheering in the new year just as she was being born, so that was quite strange. Her due date was on the 29 December, so she is a couple of days late. We are just so pleased to have her here safely. Gemma and Peter already have four-year-old twins George and Ellie, who are due to start school later this year. The family are so thrilled about their new addition and say the twins cant wait to meet their baby sister. Baby Phoebe was one of the first babies of 2020, arriving at 12.08am on New Year's Day. [UHCW NHS Trust/SWNS] READ MORE: 5 friends who struggled to fall pregnant have babies within weeks of each other They arent the only new parents celebrating. Proud first-time parents Emma Allan and dad Cameron Cunningham welcomed a little boy weighing 8lbs 5oz at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh just three minutes into the new year. He is the earliest arrival announced in Scotland so far. Emma and Cameron, from Port Seton, East Lothian, have not yet decided on a name for the newborn but said they were delighted with his arrival. What a way to begin the decade! Congratulations to all 2020s new parents. When readers of this weekly effort take the time to write me a letter or email, its a safe bet they want to have the final word on whatever riled them to write. Im fine with that. In fact, because of their remarkable diligence, I turn this space over to reading writers every June and December so everyone might enjoy some of the more colorful ways people think I should spend my time other than writing. Joe from Ohio Take Joe from Ohio who was so steamed about a mid-July column on climate change that he wrote (in all capital letters) we totally reject your columns because of your evil hatred of President Trump!! If we were the editor (of this newspaper) we would kick you out the first minute. Five months later, another email arrived from Ohio this one didnt include a name, only an email address equally steaming: These are not news articles but paragraphs of Trump- and Republican-bashing. Get rid of this guy. Opinion column A similar, but much longer, email from Bill arrived in October to correctly as it turns out note that my column isnt a news article at all. In fact, wrote Bill, Funny how I can tell your political affiliation from the content of the article and the slant of your opinions. This would not have been tolerated 40 or 50 years ago In fact, Bill, it would have been tolerated because the Farm and Food File began as an opinion column 26 years ago and remains an opinion column. It wouldnt be much of an opinion column if it didnt include an opinion like yours just now. AG the all-powerful? Several emailers thought columns that dissected the White Houses trade policies werent just wrong, they were downright unpatriotic. In attempting to make that argument, however, Norm from Indiana gave me more credit than I either possess or deserve. AG, if you spend just a little time explaining how the Chinese Commies have been ripping off the USA instead of attacking the President, perhaps they would be more willing to come to a trade agreement. Well, Norm, I can certainly give it the old US of A try. I wouldnt count on the Commies changing soon because of me and my musings, though. John from New York wrote to make a similar point but he got lost in the ongoing tariff tangle that is U.S. trade policy. Trump is the first president that has acted to end these tariffs. See what our President is fighting for? Not really, John, but then again Im focused on converting communists into socialists right now. Praise as well Not all correspondence contained suggestions on when, where, and how to fire me. Most, in fact, contained warm praise and good wishes. David, for example, emailed on July 18 to say, Im sure you get lots of negative feedback, so I want to say I always enjoy your columns. Joe, from Florida, seconded Daves motion with more enthusiasm. You are one of the top five writers in the U.S.! You get the message out through the lines! Thanks, Joe! Another emailer, Roy from Nebraska, was nearly as effusive: First, I love your column. Next, I dont know how you do it You are spot on in my opinion Whats more, adds Roy, Since when is the definition of a good Lutheran farm boy one that covers his eyes and sticks his head in the ground? Amen, Roy. Theres enough of that going around already and, in 2020, we dont need more sand in our eyes, ears, and gears. We will, however, need more cards, letters, and emails because, honestly, the June letters column that youll need to write is just around the corner. So, Happy New Year and happy writing! Yes, even to my fiery friends in Ohio. New Delhi The Indian government has reached out to countries across the world to share its perspective on the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), informing its interlocutors that the law wont alter the Constitution or strip any person of citizenship on the basis of faith. The outreach is an ongoing process that is evolving to meet the needs of the situation, people familiar with developments said on Thursday. Materials and talking points outlining the governments position were sent to missions around the world as soon as the law was approved by Parliament, the people said. The external affairs ministry adopted a two-pronged approach of briefing some ambassadors based in New Delhi and reaching out to foreign governments through the Indian missions and consulates as it felt this was the best possible way of addressing the questions that were being raised about the CAA, the people said. The CAA speeds up the process for granting citizenship to members of non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan but has attracted widespread criticism for excluding Muslims from its ambit. The UN human rights office has described the law as discriminatory and expressed the hope that it will be reviewed. The CAA has also been criticised by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which has even called on the Trump administration to consider sanctions against some Indian leaders. Though the external affairs ministry has rejected such disapproval as unwarranted meddling in Indias internal affairs, efforts are continuing to counter the criticism in the international media and to answer the questions raised by foreign governments. External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a regular news briefing on Thursday that India had conveyed to interlocutors through its missions around the world that the CAA does not, in any way, alter the basic structure of the Constitution and that it doesnt seek to strip citizenship from any Indian of any faith. Though the government continues to insist the CAA is an internal process, Indian missions have also been asked to convey to foreign governments that the act just provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities already in India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Kumar said. We also conveyed to them that it does not affect existing avenues which are available to other communities from seeking citizenship or those who are interested in seeking citizenship, he added. The people cited above acknowledged that the government has its work cut out as the issues of CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) followed other matters that triggered considerable scrutiny from the world community, such as the revocation of Jammu and Kashmirs special status and the Supreme Court ruling on the Ram temple issue last year. Responding to another question on Bangladeshs position on the CAA and NRC, Kumar said these are separate processes with no connection. The NRC is a Supreme Court-mandated process, it is an internal matter and we are doing this on the direction from the Supreme Court, he said. Bangladeshs leadership has been irked by comments from a section of the leadership of the ruling BJP that illegal infiltrators in West Bengal and the northeast will be deported. ... Sometimes, in order to change a situation, we have to change how we describe it. Based on that theory, it may be time to stop describing Philadelphia as the poorest big city in America and start describing it as the place where generations of people have been systematically robbed of their wealth. Thats a logical conclusion on reviewing a few recent reports and legal developments that, combined, paint a picture of the wealth of our citizens slowly draining away, as if from a bathtub with a faulty plug one that has been deliberately tampered with. For example, a paper published in November by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia examined a practice of restrictive covenants a tool used by developers, builders, and white homeowners in the early 20th century to prevent nonwhites from buying real estate in certain areas in the city. The bank examined property deeds from 1920-1932 and found thousands of instances of the then-legal practice of banning minorities from certain neighborhoods. Restrictive covenants were ruled legally unenforceable in 1948, but the practice has left an indelible footprint on the real estate map and the wealth map of the city. Sadly, restrictions still remain in other forms. Last month, for example, the city settled a suit with Wells Fargo Bank for $10 million based on the banks predatory mortgage loan practices that singled out minority homeowners for more expensive and riskier mortgage loans than their white counterparts a practice known as reverse redlining. Wells Fargo is not the only bank nor is Philadelphias the only settlement that underscores how pervasive and long term the practice of keeping minorities away from real estate, the primary source of wealth for most people. READ MORE: Wells Fargo to pay Philly $10 million to resolve lawsuit alleging lending discrimination against minorities Those efforts have been successful, considering that 80% of those below the poverty level in the city are not white, according to a recent Pew report. The city was right to bring the Wells Fargo suit. But it also needs to step up its efforts to prevent yet another form of wealth-draining: houses stolen with forged deeds and faked documents. In a series of stories over the last year, Inquirer reporter Craig R. McCoy has shone a light on the practice of forging and faking documents in order to steal properties from their rightful, often absentee owners. The robbers are brazen in their ability to lie and forge, and to exploit people, especially in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. The practice is aided in part by city employees who are either overworked or dont care, and lax policies that could be easily tightened. For example, there should be tougher reviews of documents where scammers try to pass their forgeries. The city could also do a better job of checking deeds with a database of the dead and require more stringent proof of identity. The practice of law enforcement declining to pursue individual cases of house theft should not be tolerated every house stolen is another generation losing its wealth. Poverty has many roots and causes, but many times, its created from a set of policies and practices that drain wealth from communities for generations, leaving them high and dry. The Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party slammed the Centre on Thursday after it rejected West Bengal and Maharashtra's tableau proposals for the Republic Day Parade, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government has insulted the people of the two states. IMAGE: The tableau of West Bengal moves past the saluting dais during the 70th Republic Day Parade at Rajpath in New Delhi on January 26, 2019. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo Government sources, however, said the decision to include or exclude a tableau was purely merit-based. The TMC said by rejecting Bengal's proposal, the Centre insulted the people of the state for opposing the amended citizenship law. The NCP and the Shiv Sena claimed prejudice against Maharashtra. West Bengal minister of state for parliamentary affairs Tapas Roy accused the Centre of being "vindictive" towards the state. "Just because West Bengal has been opposing anti-people policies of BJP government, a step-motherly treatment is being meted out to the state. As we have opposed anti-people laws like CAA, the Centre has rejected our tableau proposal," Roy said. The TMC-led West Bengal government has been protesting against the amended law. NCP leader Surpiya Sule accused the Centre of being "prejudiced". She said Bengal and Maharashtra had played a key role in the freedom struggle and the decision to deny permission to their tableaux was an "insult" to the people. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut wondered whether there was a political conspiracy behind the decision. "The Centre has rejected permissions to the tableaux of Maharashtra and West Bengal from parading on Republic Day. It is a festival of the country and the Centre is expected to give representation to all the states," Sule tweeted. The Sena, NCP and the Congress run the Maharashtra government in alliance. The defence ministry said Bengal's proposal was examined by an expert committee twice. "The tableau proposal of Government of West Bengal was not taken forward for further consideration by the expert committee after deliberations in the second meeting. It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of Government of West Bengal was short-listed for participation in Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process," it said in a statement. The ministry has selected the tableau proposals of 15 states and a union territory -- Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. Of these, eight are BJP or NDA-ruled states, four are ruled by UPA and three by non-UPA and non-NDA parties. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Department of Financial Services, the National Disaster Relief Force, Central Public Works Department, Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and the Ministry of Shipping were selected for the 2020 parade. The Bihar government's proposed tableau based on the theme of "Jal-Jivan-Haryali mission" for the Republic Day parade in Delhi has also failed to find favour from the Centre. Bihar had put forward its tableau based on the theme of 'Jal-Jivan-Haryali Abhiyan' launched by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in October 2019 to boost green cover and the ground water table in the state. Kumar at present is criss-crossing the state to propagate the water-life-greenery programme among the people. Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal took potshot at the NDA government at the Centre for "humiliating" the people of Bihar by dismissing its tableau. "They (NDA government at the Centre) earlier shot down Bihar's demand for special status and has now rejected a proposal to showcase its scheme through a tableau on the Republic Day.... This is the truth of the double-engine' government trumpeted by the BJP," RJD spokesman Mritunjan Tiwari said. BJP-ruled Uttarakhand did not figure in the list. However, it was not known whether it had sent a proposal to the ministry for participating in the Republic Day parade. In a statement, the defence ministry has said tableau proposals received from states/union territories and central ministries and departments are evaluated in meetings of an expert committee comprising eminent persons in the field of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture and choreography. "The expert committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations. Due to time constraints arising out of overall duration of the parade, only a limited number of tableaux can be short-listed for participation in the parade. The selection process in vogue, leads to participation of the best tableaux in the parade," it said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 17:24:52|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A freight train loaded with 35 containers of mushroom products left the city of Nanyang, central China's Henan Province Wednesday, heading for Russia. The train carrying a total of 910 tonnes of mushrooms worth 30 million yuan (around 4.3 million U.S. dollars) will arrive at the port city of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province in 48 hours, where the goods are expected to start their sea trip on Jan. 9 before arriving in St. Petersburg, Russia by the end of the month. Then, the mushrooms will be transported by train to Moscow. The freight train service is a tailored transportation scheme rolled out by the local comprehensive bonded zone and Xixia County, a major mushroom producing area of China. "The canned mushrooms should be transported to Russia avoiding the land route in winter due to the minus 40 degrees Celcius in Russia. The freight train will use land route rail services from March, which will only take 15 days to reach Moscow," said Sun Duo, who is responsible for the freight service. At present, the annual output of mushrooms in Xixia County has stabilized at about 300,000 tonnes, with more than 100 export enterprises. The products are exported to more than 20 countries along the Belt and Road. In the first 11 months of 2019, exports reached 1.35 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for about 30 percent of the country's mushroom exports, creating jobs for nearly 200,000 people. DANBORO, Pa., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PennEngineering announced today that it has acquired Eurotec Ltd., a specialty technical reseller of metal fabrication equipment, fastener installation systems and clinch and sheet metal fasteners. Eurotec is based in Tokyo, Japan. The acquisition will provide the Japanese market with permanent access to PennEngineering's PEM and PROFIL fasteners and installation equipment. "PennEngineering's acquisition of Eurotec reflects our steadfast commitment to strategic expansion in Japan. Eurotec is an innovative company with highly technical fastener expertise, and true system installation capabilities," shared Leonard Kiely, CEO of PennEngineering. "We look forward to partnering with Eurotec and investing in additional resources dedicated to introduce our unique technologies to consumer and automotive electronics, as well as the automotive OEM market," added Kiely. Eurotec will maintain operations in Japan and join the existing brands under the PennEngineering corporate umbrella. About PennEngineering Since 1942, PennEngineering has enjoyed a sustained reputation as the global leader in the fastening industry. The company's leading brand, PEM and microPEM fasteners, are considered the premier product in the thin sheet fastening industry, while 6 additional respected brands support our expansive capabilities: Haeger hardware insertion machines; PROFIL specialty fasteners; ATLAS brand rivet nuts; PennAuto high-strength fastener solutions; SI brand inserts and Heyco molded and stamped products. PennEngineering's steadfast commitment to engineering expertise and global innovation ensures that we continue to grow our portfolio with technologies and solutions that allow our customers to not only keep pace with marketplace challenges but exceed them. Media Contact: Chris Aldred Senior Marketing Communications Manager [email protected] SOURCE PennEngineering EASTHAMPTON Mayor Nicole LaChapelle began serving her second two-year term following a noontime swearing-in ceremony at City Hall Thursday attended by U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal along with numerous municipal employees and the public. LaChapelle ran unopposed during Novembers election. She was first elected in 2017. She thanked municipal employees during her brief remarks, referring to the fantastic team I have, and saying public engagement is key to Easthampton making progress. Its going to be a great two years, the mayor said. The ceremony began with members of the Police Department carrying in flags, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you for being willing to serve, Markey told LaChapelle. You are participating in democracy at its highest level. He said the mayor is working to make Easthampton the greatest that its ever been. Neal said that LaChapelle has been a mayor of vision. He also paraphrased a quote from Daniel Webster, asking: Did we do something worthwhile in our time? The congressman described Easthampton as an eclectic community that is changing. On Dec. 31, BTS captivated the world at Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve celebration in New York Citys Times Square. As always, ARMY showed up to support the South Korean band, both in real-life and online, trending hashtags that lasted from BTS soundcheck to late-night hours deep into the night, long after the groups live performance on ABC. Then following the broadcast, RM wrote a thought-provoking New Years letter to BTS fans, humbling thanking them for their loyalty within the past decade. BTS performed at Times Square on New Years Eve BTS rang in 2020 at the New Years Eve event with Make It Right and Boy With Luv. And needless to say, the septet including members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook received an audience almost fitting of their influence. According to Deadline, the BTS performance contributed to the 10.73 million viewers ABC received during the second part of the New Years Eve special, along with the famous ball drop and Post Malones stage. Meanwhile, the first half of the show received 7.29 million viewers. And although the publication indicated the show was down in ratings from last year, ABC still reigned over other networks, including NBCs A Toast to 2019! After the BTS stage on Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve, host Ryan Seacrest asked the group how they felt about performing at the iconic New Years Eve event to the mass number of ARMY and locals alike. And it seems the same boys from six years ago are still in awe of their stardom. This is a thing weve been watching, like since six, RM said. Its like in the movie, Home Alone. Weve always been watching this, we still cannot believe were here. RM posts a heartfelt message on the BTS Weverse account BTS | Jeff Neira/ABC via Getty Images A few hours into the new year, RM wrote down his late-night musings within the form of a letter on Weverse. And BTS leader once again proved he has a way with words. In the Weverse post, RM wished BTS fans a happy new year and said it was an honor to perform in New York City. The 25-year-old then seemed to echo his remarks when speaking with Seacrest. According to a fans translation on Twitter, RM had a discussion with the staff, telling them that it was scary, and its still a little scary, but it feels like it was quite OK. RM also noted he was in a daze throughout the day due to the unfamiliar environment. I dont know the number of times I rubbed my eyes wondering whether these scenes were indeed the ones that flashed by in Home Alone, RM wrote. There are still occasions where I feel very small. In those moments, if I raise my head and look to the side, if I look at the friends by my side, the we feels so big. Its incredibly fascinating. Its as if I become Gulliver and then a dwarf and then back again. He continued: Those staff said this: Would it be sincerity, in the end? I saw that, and I still see that. Thats the most important It was something that I feel as Ive heard regularly elsewhere, but the words felt utterly new today. RM then delved into the sincerity and authenticity behind his connection with fans. Having met as strangers, the relationship between myself and you all can feel like one between friends who know each other offline, or names within an immeasurably large radio network, RM said, per the fans translation. But it can cause us to feel doubtful of each other at times. Would that person be feeling sincere? Would that love be real? They say they love me, but would that be true? Those sort of things. Moving forward into the new year, RM shared his desire to live with a more concentrated sincerity wherein our support and love can be delivered to even just one more person. Then according to another fans translation on Twitter, RM continued: I wont be shaken, and Ill take an I love you to simply mean I love you. I continue to hope that we can be meaningful gestures to each other. Rather than the happiness that hides itself beneath the fog, I hope well only be filled with this intensely deep love and sincerity that we [share] with each other. Passing on this decade of the 2010s, the decade written all over with Bangtan and ARMY!! Well try our utmost hardest to do so, and even more in 2020. Im hopeful youll stick by our side and watch over us. I will do the same. Looking back, acknowledging that everything [we have achieved and experienced] was given by you all, I thank you, and I love you. BTS fans react to RMs New Years post BTS | Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images After RM posted his New Years letter on Weverse, BTS fans expressed their thoughts on social media and ensured the music artist they were touched by his sincerity. Namjoon is a soul that hits very close home for me, another fan wrote on Reddit. I observe the things he tends to notice or the way he thinks about any situation and its so deep down rooted to being a sincere and caring human is just beautiful. Meanwhile, other fans displayed a bit of worry with RMs letter. And one fan wondered whether the BTS leader is constantly concerned with being authentic with us about his love for us, and he seems worried we may think BTS is getting too far away from us as they get bigger and bigger. However, most fans reassured ARMY by suggesting the distance from BTS doesnt necessarily lead to negative feelings. But rather, a sense of pride and amazement for the bands growth and success. Its only natural. Theyre absolutely larger than life and become more unreachable as their fame grows, one fan wrote. Im proud of them, and sooo happy for them. They deserve everything good in the world and to reach every goal they ever set. If that means they become a bit more distant then thats acceptable. Read more: BTS: RM Reveals the Connection Between Boy With Luv and Boy In Luv Spoiler Alert: Its Beautiful Pictured: Emily Hale, with whom T.S. Eliot corresponded for 26 years He was one of Britain's greatest ever poets and died more than half a century ago. But yesterday, just two days before the 55th anniversary of T.S. Eliot's death, the author of The Waste Land not to mention the inspiration for the musical Cats delivered a haunting missive from beyond the grave, laying bare his tortured relationships with women. More than a thousand letters released by Princeton University in New Jersey provide an extraordinary insight into the troubled love life of a writer whose first wife ended up in an asylum and whose second wife had been his star-struck secretary and almost 40 years his junior. The U.S.-born author of The Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock sings his own angst-ridden love song in the letters to a former girlfriend, Emily Hale, with whom he corresponded for 26 years. But even more revealing than the hundreds of letters he wrote to the American drama teacher is one he wrote, aged 68, to his executors, that he wanted to be read as soon as his correspondence to Miss Hale was made public. Miss Hale, with whom he fell in love while at Harvard and who was reportedly upset he never married her, donated the often amorous and flowery letters covering the years 1930 to 1957 on condition they remain secret for 50 years after her death or Eliot's, whichever was later. She survived him and died in 1969. In his letter to his executors, Eliot expressed his surprise and disappointment that Miss Hale had done this. In what smacks of revenge, he poured out insults, suggesting she was only interested in him because he was famous and making clear that he would never have become the great poet he did if he had married her and settled down as a U.S. academic. The author's first wife ended up in an asylum and his second wife Valerie (pictured together) had been his star-struck secretary and almost 40 years his junior Eliot admitted he had fallen in love with Miss Hale, whom he met in 1912, before he went to Oxford University. But from 1915 he was married to the deeply troubled former governess Vivienne Haigh-Wood. Eliot refused on religious grounds to consider divorce, but formally separated from her in 1933. Five years later she was committed to an asylum in London and eventually died there in 1947, apparently from heart disease but possibly because of an overdose. 'I never at any time had any sexual relations with Emily Hale,' Eliot writes in his letter to executors. 'So long as Vivienne was alive I was able to deceive myself. To face the truth fully, about my feelings towards Emily Hale, after Vivienne's death was a shock from which I recovered only slowly.' He continues: 'But I came to see that my love for Emily was the love of a ghost for a ghost, and that the letters I had been writing to her were the letters of an hallucinated man, a man vainly trying to pretend to himself that he was the same man that he had been in 1914.' Eliot confirms in the letter that the harsh world he created in poems such as The Waste Land and The Hollow Men was heavily influenced by his nightmarish relationship with his first wife. But in retrospect he wouldn't have had it any other way, he claims: 'It would have been a still greater mistake to have married Emily than it was to marry Vivienne Haigh-Wood. 'Emily Hale would have killed the poet in me; Vivienne nearly was the death of me, but she kept the poet alive. In retrospect, the nightmare agony of my 17 years with Vivienne seems to me preferable to the dull misery of the mediocre teacher of philosophy which would have been the alternative.' More than a thousand letters released by Princeton University in New Jersey provide an extraordinary insight into the troubled love life of the writer That awful marriage, he says, 'brought the state of mind out of which came The Waste Land'. In the letter, Eliot also provides new insight into the other momentous decision in his life to defy his wealthy Boston family and live his life in England after Oxford. He describes a 'life-changing' meeting in 1914 with the expat U.S. poet Ezra Pound, who encouraged him to stay in England. Eliot said all he wanted of Vivienne was 'a flirtation or a mild affair' but that he was 'too shy and unpractised to achieve either with anybody'. He 'persuaded' himself he loved her simply so he could commit himself to staying in England. She in turn persuaded herself she would 'save the poet' by keeping him there. Later, Eliot accepted a one-year poetry professorship at Harvard in 1932 and exploited the fact that his wife couldn't accompany him. He saw Miss Hale in California, where she was teaching, and saw her 'from time to time' every summer in later years when she came to stay with family in the Cotswolds. He says he only realised he didn't love her when his wife died in 1947. 'Gradually I came to see that I had been in love only with a memory, with the memory of the experience of having been in love with her in my youth,' he writes. He started to see how little they had in common. He writes witheringly that he not only knew she wasn't interested in his poetry but that she was also guilty of 'insensitiveness and bad taste'. One of her most serious failings, apart from her lack of respect for his strong views on religion and divorce, appears to be that she cared more for the opinion of a 'woolly-minded' uncle than she did for his. 'It may be too harsh, to think that what she liked was my reputation rather than my work,' he adds. Pictured: Emily Hale and T.S. Eliot pose in a 1946 photo in Dorset, Vermont T.S. Eliot expert Craig Raine said Eliot's 'devastating letter' to the executors was a qualification of his love letters to Hale. 'Take them with a sackful of salt, is what he is saying,' he explains. Eliot's unhappiness with both these two central women in his life contrasted deeply with the happiness he found with his second wife, Valerie, the second Mrs Eliot, who married him in 1957 and died only in 2012. After hearing his poem The Journey Of The Magi as a schoolgirl, she became obsessed by Eliot and reportedly told her headmaster that her ambition in life was to become the poet's secretary. She joined the typing pool at his publisher, Faber, and did become his secretary, eventually earning the literary hero's gratitude. 'It is only within the last few years that I have known what it was to love a woman who truly, selflessly and wholeheartedly loves me,' he writes. 'I find it hard to believe that the equal of Valerie ever has been or will be again.' Eliot's troubled relationships with women prompted at least one biographer to conclude he was homosexual. Although he took a vow of chastity in 1928, aged 40, some experts believe it wasn't until he married his second wife when he was 68 (she was 30) that he was really introduced to sex. They made an odd couple, the etiolated Eliot fawning over his big-chested blonde wife at literary parties. So in love was he that he wrote in one poem, A Dedication To My Wife, of 'lovers whose bodies smell of each other'. After he died, Valerie fiercely guarded his legacy, although she published some of his letters. But this cache of 1,131 letters to Emily Hale in which he pours out his heart shine a pitiless light on his brilliant mind. In one letter he tells Hale 'my love is as pure and unseeking as any love can be' and that 'loving and adoring you has given me the very best that I have had in my life'. Eliot was 24 and Hale 21 when they met. A beautiful aspiring actress with a lovely singing voice, she writes that before the awkward Eliot left America for Oxford, 'to my great surprise, he told me how very much he cared for me'. In a letter from 1931, by which time they had reconnected, Eliot blames himself for their failure to click and says 'when I first knew you I was immature for my age, timid and intensely egotistical'. Ten months after the death of his first wife, he wrote to her: 'It is always you or nobody.' He would address her in his letters as 'My Saint', 'My Emily my dear' and 'My Lady Emily' and signs off 'yours devotedly'. His devotion, however, clearly withered when he learned that she was making it available for public consumption. The search for five missing crew members of a sunken fishing vessel in Alaska has been suspended after all leads had been exhausted and the chance of survival was considered, Coast Guard officials said. The Scandies Rose, a 130-foot crab fishing vessel from Dutch Harbor, sank around 10pm on Tuesday night with a total of seven crew men on board. Two survivors, aged 34 and 38, were rescued by emergency crews, but five crew members are still missing as of Wednesday evening. The Scandies Rose, a 130-foot crab fishing vessel from Dutch Harbor, sank in the Gulf of Alaska on New Year's Eve around 10pm Authorities have not released the names of the fishermen involved, but loved ones have identified David Leigh Cobban (left) and Brock Rainey (right) among the missing crew members Gary Cobban Jr. (pictured), the father of David Leigh Cobban, was also identified as one of the crew members on The Scandies Rose In a statement from the Coast Guard, Rear Adm. Matthew Bell said the decision to halt the search was due to a 'myriad' of reasons. 'The decision to suspend an active search and rescue case is never easy, and it's only made after careful consideration of a myriad of factors. Our deepest condolences to the friends and families impacted by this tragedy,' he said. The Coast Guard said the search for the remaining crew members lasted 20 hours while spanning 1.400 square miles with additional help of four Jayhawk helicopters, two airplanes and a Coast Guard cutter. Pictured: Coast Guard rescue teams launched a search and rescue mission near Sutwik Island The U.S. Coast Guard announced they were suspending search efforts for the five missing fishermen on Thursday morning Although authorities have not revealed the names of the five missing crew members, family and loved ones have identified some of the men on social media. Gerry Cobban Knagin, whose brother and nephew were aboard the Scandies Rose, told KTVA-TV that neither 61-year-old Gary Cobban nor his son, David Leigh Cobban, 30, were among those rescued. 'We, the Cobban Family, extend our Thanks and Gratitude to all the Coast Guard men and women involved with the search and rescue of crew members on the F/V Scandis Rose,' she wrote on Facebook. Gerry Cobban Knagin, sister of Gary Cobban Jr. and aunt of David Leigh Cobban, thanked members of the Coast Guard in a Facebook post. She also hoped her brother was 'on one of the little islands waiting for us' 'The horrendous weather made for an extremely tough search. A special Thank You goes out to the men answering my many questions and phone calls,' she continued. Knagin also thanked emergency room staff at Kodiak Providence Hospital for their handling of the two survivors and her family. Ashley Boggs of Peru, Indiana, revealed she was set to marry Scandies Rose crew member Brock Rainey after he returned from work in Alaska. Boggs said she received a call from Rainey on New Year's Eve saying that weather conditions were bad, and then was contacted by the Coast Guard to learn the search was suspended. Regardless, she's still holding out hope that they find Rainey. 'I'm just praying and hoping they find him on land or something. I really felt like he was alive,' she said. Ashley Boggs (left) said she was set to marry Brock Rainey (right) and is 'praying and hoping they find him on land or something' On Facebook, Rainey said 'I love you Ashley and can't wait to return home,' just one day before the Scandies Rose sunk. On the night of the incident, the Coast Guard received a mayday distress call and immediately began a rescue operation near Sutwik Island. Rescue crews arrived to the scene around 2am Wednesday, but were embattled with headwinds up to 60pmph and nearly no visibility. A faint light was spotted by rescuers led them to the two survivors who were hypothermic, but in good spirits. 'Pretty much every variable weighed against both parties. Everything was working against being able to find these two people,' Lt. Kevin Knaup told Anchorage Daily News. The Coast Guard received a mayday distress call from the Scandies Rose vessel (pictured) and immediately began a search effort Two crew members who suffered hypothermia were rescued by authorities around 2am on Wednesday morning Commercial Fishing Hazards The CDC reports that 'Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States.' Below are statistics on specific hazards: Vessel Disasters There were 354 fatalities that occurred from 212 separate vessel disasters. Of these incidents with known causes: 47 (25%) were initiated by flooding 36 (19%) were initiated by being struck by a large wave 35 (19%) were initiated by vessel instability Severe weather conditions contributed to 116 (55%) of the fatal vessel disasters Falls Overboard Among the 221 fatalities that resulted from a person falling overboard and with known causes: 77 (46%) were not witnessed Regardless of cause, none* (0%) of the fall overboard victims were wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) when they died Advertisement The rescued men were wearing survival suits made to endure the elements, but told emergency crews they weren't sure if the other men got into their survival suits in time. It's still unclear with caused the vessel to sink. Commercial fishing deaths are becoming a rare occurrence, but reports have been made over the years. In 2017, six crewmembers died when the F/V Destination sank. One year earlier, the Exito sank near Dutch Harbor in 2016. Three crew members were saved while two perished. When the Alaska Ranger sank in 2008, five of 47 crew members died after it left Dutch Harbor for a fishing trip in the Bering Sea. The CDC reports that commercial fishing is one of the most 'dangerous' jobs in the United States. 'Many commercial fishing operations are characterized by hazardous working conditions, strenuous labor, long work hours and harsh weather,' they said. From 2000 to 2015, 725 commercial fishermen died while fishing in the U.S., and nearly half of fatalities resulted after a vessel disaster. 30 percent of fatalities involved fishermen falling overboard, 12 percent were injuries on-board and nine percent were from onshore injuries. Two teenagers have been charged and police have called for calm after the stabbing death of a man sparked a riot in north Queensland on New Year's Day, as hundreds of people armed with makeshift weapons set fires and damaged buildings. Police charged two males, 17 and 18, with murder after they allegedly stabbed a 37-year-old man in the abdomen in Aurukun in the early hours of New Year's Day. He was taken to the Aurukun medical clinic in the afternoon and died shortly after. There have been riots in Aurukun, as a teenager and a man have been charged with murder. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man will appear in the Cairns Magistrate Court on Thursday. The US Coast Guard is conducting a desperate search for a 16-year-old girl who was swept from a Lake Michigan pier by a giant wave on Wednesday night. The teen, who has not been publicly identified, was out on the pier in Holland State Park with a male friend when they were both struck by the wave around 11.30pm. The boy managed to swim to safety and seek help, but the teenage girl disappeared in the powerful current. Waves at the time were estimated at about 12 feet high, the sheriff's office said. The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter to scour the waters overnight, as local rescue crews conducted a search by boat. However, there has been no trace of the teen. As of Thursday morning the search is being described as a 'recovery effort'. The US Coast Guard is conducting a desperate search for a 16-year-old girl who was swept from a Lake Michigan pier by a giant wave on Wednesday night The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter to scour the waters overnight, as local rescue crews conducted a search by boat. However, there has been no trace of the teen The incident at Holland State Park in Michigan's east late on Wednesday evening Over the past several days, six to 12 foot waves have been drawing tourists to national parks along the shores of Lake Michigan. On Tuesday, Wood TV interviewed nature lovers at neighboring Grand Haven State Park - a short distance from where the teenage girl was swept away by the powerful wave. Locals told news crews they had never witnessed such giant waves despite living in the area for years. Meanwhile, another resident told Wood TV that the wind was so powerful that seagulls were being blown backwards by the gale. Over the past several days, six to 12 foot waves have been drawing tourists to national parks along the shores of Lake Michigan Locals told news crews they had never witnessed such giant waves despite living in the area for years In 2019, 47 people drowned in Lake Michigan - a figure that was up 87 per cent on 2018 according to Patch. Last January, two people were swept away by giant winter waves. A teenage male was swept off a pier by a large wave on January 18, and his body was recovered a short time later. Meanwhile, a 25-year-old man disappeared on Lake Michigan on January 11, but his decomposed body was not recovered until March 17. Congress hits out at PM Modi for 'neglecting' Karnataka India oi-PTI Bengaluru, Jan 02: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "neglecting" Karnataka ahead of his visit on Thursday, the state Congress questioned why he did not give adequate relief and pay a visit to the state, when most of its parts were affected by severe floods last year. Modi will begin his two-day visit to the state on Thursday afternoon. The Congress' Karnataka unit in a series of tweets also questioned the Prime Minister about not conferring the "Bharat Ratna" on Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Math, who passed away last year at the age of 111 years. "Why you did not visit the state, when it was affected by floods? Despite the damage of over Rs 1 lakh crore why you did not declare it as a national disaster? Why you did not give interim relief? When the state government has given a report that the damage caused was to the tune of Rs 35,300 crore why did you sit quiet by giving just Rs 1,200 crore," the state Congress tweeted. Modis 2-day Karnataka visit starts today; Unmanned aerial vehicles banned As many as 103 taluks in 22 districts of Karnataka were affected due to unprecedented floods in August, in which over 80 people were killed. Around seven lakh people were shifted to safe areas during the deluge and thousands of houses were damaged. In October, various parts of the state faced a deluge for the second time in two months, killing over 13 people and damaging thousands of houses. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 Asking as to why the Centre was not giving the state's share of GST amount adequately, the Congress questioned as to why dues under MNREGA programme were not paid so far, and why Karnataka was being neglected while allocating grants. Questioning Modi as to why he did not visit Tumakuru when Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Math passed away, the principal opposition party in the state Assembly, also sought to know why the seer was not conferred with the Bharat Ratna yet. It also pointed out that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written a letter in this regard in January 2018. The Congress has also hit out at the BJP-led Central government over imposition of Hindi language by neglecting regional languages and mother tongue. PM Modi to inaugurate 5 DRDO Young Scientists' Labs in Karnataka The Prime Minister will kickstart his visit to the state by paying tributes to the late pontiff's 'Gadduge' (final resting place) at the Math premises near Tumakuru. Later, he will attend an event organised to give away Krishi Karman awards and to distribute fishing equipment at the government college ground in Tumakuru, before leaving for Bengaluru where he will be attending a DRDO event. On Friday he will be inaugurating 107th Indian Science Congress here. Massive security arrangements have been made by the police in Tumakuru in the wake of Prime Minister's visit, with reports of a few farmers organisations planning to stage protest. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 11:50 [IST] The time for complacency has passed. Holidaymakers must heed the warnings and change their travel plans. Many of our favourite travel destinations in south-east Australia are unsafe to visit because of catastrophic bushfires. Any lingering doubt about the wisdom of holidaying in these areas should have been erased by repeated emergency warnings. Temperatures are forecast to rise to about 40 degrees in some areas this weekend, and strong winds could fan the flames yet again. At least nine people have died so far in the bushfires in NSW. One person has died and authorities have grave concerns for as many as 17 others in Victoria. NSW has declared a state of emergency for the entire state over the coming week all the way down the South Coast. Emergency Victoria said on Thursday there is only a 24-hour window of opportunity for people living in the states Alpine region, Upper Murray and East Gippsland to leave or risk being cut off, as so many communities already are. Fires are ravaging Kangaroo Island in South Australia and areas close to Hobart in Tasmania. Yet authorities are still worried some people will simply ignore the warnings, choosing to prolong their holidays or returning to check on the state of their properties. Australians pride themselves on their familiarity with the bush and some might think they can handle whatever happens. Two incidents led to a marked increase in fatalities in residential house fires and on the water in Atlantic Canada in 2019, says the Canadian Red Cross. The Red Cross recorded 24 deaths in residential house fires, and 34 unintended water-related deaths. Two incidents accounted for 14 of those deaths. In February, seven children died when their house caught fire late in the night in Spryfield, N.S. In July, seven people died when a seaplane crashed on a remote lake in northern Labrador. Dan Bedell, communications director for the Red Cross in Atlantic Canada, said those incidents pushed the region into a year with more water- and fire-related deaths than is normal. "In a region like Atlantic Canada where you're only dealing with typically a couple of dozen fatalities in a year, a spike of seven really changes the numbers quite dramatically," said Bedell. Safety improving Water-related fatalities, which are more particularly the Red Cross's area of expertise, have generally been going down in the region, said Bedell. He credits more people taking swimming and water safety courses, which he noted was an initiative that was started on Prince Edward Island by the Red Cross more than 70 years ago. "We've seen relatively steady numbers across the country in terms of people who are taking things like their first-aid courses or swimming and water safety lessons," said Bedell. But he added the Red Cross has new challenges to meet in Atlantic Canada. "We're also seeing an increase in, for example, immigrant populations to Canada coming from areas where recreational swimming and boating activities is not something that they're used to or familiar with," he said. "Therefore [they] wouldn't necessarily know the risks and the safety considerations around that." The Red Cross is reaching these new communities by working with immigrant groups, and by offering courses in new languages, Bedell said. More from CBC News LONDON After Britains Labour Party suffered its worst defeat since 1935 in last months election, a chorus of critics faulted the party for losing touch with its working-class roots in the industrial north and becoming too closely identified with the left-wing, London-centered politics of its leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Yet as the race to succeed Mr. Corbyn begins, and Labour seeks a path out of the wilderness, the early betting is on another Londoner, Keir Starmer, who not only has a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to law and criminal justice, but also holds an advanced law degree from Oxford. Mr. Starmer, who is expected to declare his candidacy in the coming weeks, is the clear favorite in a recent poll of party members conducted by the research group YouGov. He leads the field of declared and likely candidates among men and women, with voters of every age group and social class, and in all regions of the country, according to the survey of 1,059 members taken in late December. Though it is early in the race Mr. Corbyn will stay on until March the findings cast doubt on the conventional wisdom that Labours rank and file will turn to a leader from the Midlands or the north, where Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Conservative Party made damaging inroads among once-loyal Labour voters. It's nice to see the HKC International Holdings Limited (HKG:248) share price up 11% in a week. But that can't change the reality that over the longer term (five years), the returns have been really quite dismal. Indeed, the share price is down 65% in the period. So we're not so sure if the recent bounce should be celebrated. We'd err towards caution given the long term under-performance. View our latest analysis for HKC International Holdings Given that HKC International Holdings didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size. Over five years, HKC International Holdings grew its revenue at 3.3% per year. That's far from impressive given all the money it is losing. This lacklustre growth has no doubt fueled the loss of 19% per year, in that time. We want to see an acceleration of revenue growth (or profits) before showing much interest in this one. When a stock falls hard like this, some investors like to add the company to a watchlist (in case the business recovers, longer term). You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). SEHK:248 Income Statement, January 2nd 2020 You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic. A Different Perspective Investors in HKC International Holdings had a tough year, with a total loss of 23% (including dividends) , against a market gain of about 14%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 19% per year over five years. We realise that Buffett has said investors should 'buy when there is blood on the streets', but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality businesses. Before spending more time on HKC International Holdings it might be wise to click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling shares. Story continues If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 17:45:54|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed on Thursday to Athens to sign an agreement for the construction of the Eastern Mediterranean natural gas pipeline with leaders of Greece and Cyprus. The deal will be signed during a summit meeting of Netanyahu, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Before his departure, Netanyahu said the new pipeline "will not only lower gas prices, and later electricity prices, but also will bring hundreds of billions to the state coffer for the benefit of the citizens of Israel." The 1,900-km pipeline is planned to transport natural gas from Israel's recently discovered gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea to European markets through Cyprus and Greece. A gender-neutral student who has spent almost 50,000 on Botox, fillers and cosmetic surgery to look like a doll has hit back at critics, saying: 'Looking like Barbie doesn't make me stupid.' Patrick Mast, 25, from Frankfurt, Germany, who was born male but no longer identifies as either gender and uses the pronoun they, has been having cosmetic procedures since the age of 18. Claiming to be addicted to the pain of them, the business management student has monthly lip filler injections, Botox every four months and has had a nose job and blepharoplasty, to achieve the appearance of rounder eyes. Currently single following a divorce, Patrick is hoping to meet an open-minded man who is comfortable with plastic surgery but has had to deal with many cruel critics over the years. Patrick Mast, 25, (pictured) from Frankfurt, Germany, who has splurged almost 50,000 on cosmetic surgery since the age of 18, has blasted critics Gender-neutral student (pictured) has been assumed to be stupid by others, because of Barbie like appearance 'I like the attention I get after I have a procedure,' said Patrick. 'But not all of that attention is positive. I've been told I look like a monster, but at the end of the day, everyone has the right to look how they want. 'My look causes much more of a problem for other people than it does for me. 'The surgery is my decision and the consequences are mine to live with. 'I do find that people assume I'm stupid because I look like Barbie. If they took the time to speak to me, they'd realise that I'm actually quite normal and intelligent.' Having Botox for the first time as a teenager, Patrick's look has changed drastically in the seven years since. Pleased with the results of that initial procedure, an obsession with all types of fillers was soon sparked. The 25-year-old (pictured after a nose job) said they love the artificial look, growing up those who've had lots of surgery looked wealthy Patrick (pictured before surgery) who had upwards of 20 lip fillers in 2019, flew to Turkey for a nose job that gives the appearance of a small Barbie-style nose Patrick continued: 'I just love the artificial look. Growing up, I would see people who have had lots of surgery and think how wealthy they looked, like they really took care about themselves. 'Ultimately, I am going for the doll-like, expressionless look.' In 2019 alone, Patrick who has had upwards of 20 lip filler treatments, had several Botox injections, a blepharoplasty, where excess fat or skin is removed from the eyelids, a nose job and laser surgery to remove freckles. 'I found a doctor online in Istanbul, Turkey, who specialises in small Barbie-style noses,' Patrick said. 'I thought, "That's the doctor for me". So in March, I flew from Germany to Turkey for the operation. I also had a lip lift at the same time, to reduce the gap between my upper lip and my new nose. Patrick (pictured) is currently eyeing up bum implants and teeth veneers, as they vow to continue having surgery until 'plastic perfection' is achieved The 25- year-old (pictured in 2013 after first Botox treatment) admits it's exciting to think of the surgical possibilities Patrick (pictured) who has no plans to stop having surgery, said they have Botox and fillers as and when they are needed 'I spent seven days in Turkey recovering, then flew home. I was really pleased with the results.' The 25-year-old is currently considering bum implants and teeth veneers, and has vowed to continue having surgery until 'plastic perfection' is achieved. Patrick continued: 'I have no plans to stop having surgery and go au naturel. I have Botox and fillers as and when I need them. 'I'll look in the mirror and spot something I don't like about my face, or a wrinkle that needs removing. 'I love the look because it's exciting knowing how many possibilities there are in terms of new surgery and techniques, and how much you can change your appearance. Patrick (pictured after a nose job) revealed they're willing to try any procedure, and is considering enhancing their bum by having a fat transfer or implants Patrick (pictured having a procedure) advises others considering cosmetic surgery to speak to people who've had the treatment 'I'm willing to try any procedure. Next, I'd like veneers to give me a bright white smile, and something to make my booty a little bigger. 'This can be done by taking fat from elsewhere in the body, but as I'm very skinny, I don't have much fat to spare, so I'm looking into implants instead.' Offering advice to other surgery fanatics, Patrick has stressed the importance of conducting thorough research and speaking to people who have been treated by doctors themselves, rather than solely relying on online reviews, which can be faked. While admitting that potential partners can be put off by the Botox and fillers, the student is happily single for now, as it means no one can talk them out of having more work done. Patrick (pictured before surgery) said although they're dating at the moment, they are happy to not have anyone telling them not to change themselves Patrick (pictured before surgery) said people can be very judgmental about surgery and make assumptions on the type of person you are for having it Patrick (pictured) revealed they also support the natural look, despite their love of surgery Patrick added: 'I am dating at the moment, but I feel free being single, as there's nobody to tell me not to change myself. 'I think my look can make serious relationships quite difficult. It's fine for casual dating and one-night stands, but people can be judgemental about surgery and make lots of assumptions about the kind of person you are if you've had it. 'Some men may also struggle with the attention I get for my look. I hope one day I can find someone open-minded, but my personality is more important than my appearance. 'Yes, I may personally love surgery, but I also like and support the natural look. 'We all have to do what makes us happy, and surgery is something that completely depends on the person. 'But if you don't love yourself it is difficult for someone else to love you, and surgery is helping me with that.' MBABANE While Master KGs Jerusalem was a hit in nightclubs during the crossover to 2020, Worship Centre congregants were not left behind as they danced to the same tune. This was during their crossover service which was held at their Mbabane church attended by over 2 000 people. The Jerusalem Ngilondoloze song became a hit song last year, being one of the most popular and played songs. Congregants from all over the country and in the neighbouring South Africa were also in attendance. They were also joined by members of the general public. When the clock struck 11:55pm on New Years Eve, Apostle Justice Dlamini led the congregants out of the church for a brief celebration outside where a sound system was in full blast and Christians danced along. Climbed A small stage was prepared, where he immediately climbed on and started dancing. After dancing to the tune, he preached to the Christians that God had kept them safe up to this far, while others died. He said it was through Gods grace and love to be alive, hence it was important to worship Him. While dancing, there were also fireworks on display and the excited congregants screaming Happy New Year. The celebration was held for over 20 minutes after which the apostle then ordered the congregants to go back inside the church, where the song was also played and the youth danced to the tune. They displayed the famous vosho and dab dances briefly before Dlamini once again took to the podium to usher the congregants to the new year and lay down what was expected of them. Fallen He made an alter call for those congregrants who had fallen from Christ and were no longer living according to Godly principles. Also, he called upon those who wanted to surrender their lives and live according to Gods values. In the book of Zechariah 1 verse 3; he said God encourages people to turn to Him and he would also turn to them. During the service, he explained how it was important to start life on a new page, adding that those who knew they were no longer living according to Christs principles should re-surrender to Him. Further, Dlamini quoted a scripture in Isaiah 55 verse 6 to 9; Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord. He will have mercy upon him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Reflecting on the above verse, the apostle said if the Christians had distanced themselves from God, they would be followed by evil but seeking God first in their lives would bring along blessings. Adults possessing small amounts of marijuana for personal use will no longer be prosecuted in two northern Virginia counties, new prosecutors in Fairfax and Arlington said Thursday in one of their first days on the job. The moves fulfill campaign pledges by Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano and Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, who won election in November promising sweeping criminal justice changes. Descano and Dehghani-Tafti said pot possession prosecutions do little to protect public safety, disproportionately fall on people of color, saddle defendants with damaging convictions and drain resources that can better be spent on more serious crimes. But the policy changes angered some critics who said the prosecutors were overstepping their authority and drew sharp questions from at least one Fairfax County judge. Descano said the policy brings Fairfax County's values into the courthouse. "I traveled around Fairfax County for over a year listening to people," Descano said. "The thing that came up time and time again was simple possession of marijuana - how it was a waste of resources and led to unjust outcomes." Dehghani-Tafti's office expressed a similar sentiment in a motion to the court. "In a world of limited resources, it is the Commonwealth's position that these should be directed towards more serious felony offenses, towards offenses against people and their property, and towards investment in programs that demonstrably reduce recidivism," the filing read. Prosecutors in Fairfax will continue to pursue cases against people distributing marijuana and conspicuous public consumption of pot, Descano said. He said his office will make a case-by-case determination regarding whether the facts qualify as "simple possession" of marijuana. In motions to dismiss three cases, Dehghani-Tafti said her office will examine each marijuana possession case and absent aggravating factors will not pursue prosecution. Such cases made up 14% of arrests and 10% of prosecutors' caseload in Arlington last year. Her office moved Thursday to dismiss a simple marijuana possession charge and downgraded another drug charge against the same defendant from a felony to a misdemeanor. Arlington Public Defender Brad Haywood said he and other defense attorneys were also getting copies of discovery materials, after years of fighting the previous commonwealth's attorney over access. "During plea negotiations, we have also already noticed an increased openness to mitigating facts, such as a defendant's mental illness, struggles with substance use or the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction," Haywood said. The new policy quickly hit a speed bump in Fairfax County on Monday morning in the first case in which it was applied. Chief Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Terry Adams told Fairfax County General District Court Judge Mark Simmons that the government was dropping a possession charge against a defendant named Jose Diaz. Adams gave a long statement about the problems the office saw with marijuana prosecutions. Simmons indicated that he was skeptical of a blanket policy of dropping all marijuana possession cases, before denying the request to dismiss the case against Diaz, who did not have an attorney. "In this court, everything is individualized," Simmons said. Simmons later reversed course and dismissed the possession charge against Diaz, after a public defender stepped in to represent him. Possession charges were also dismissed against five other defendants. Sang Lee, of Centreville, who spoke limited English, was clearly relieved after his possession case was dismissed. Outside the courtroom, Lee asked whether marijuana had been legalized, before a reporter explained that it had not. "I feel awesome," Lee said. Fairfax County police said they have no immediate plans to change how they will enforce marijuana possession, but they referred all other questions back to Descano's office. Two Fairfax County police unions declined to comment on the policy. While simple marijuana possession alone has not yet come up in an Arlington court, Arlington Coalition of Police President Scott Wanek said some officers already feel Dehghani-Tafti has been too lenient in other cases. He cited cases, including traffic cases and an assault case, where he said charges were reduced. Wanek said officers are discussing pursuing their own misdemeanor cases in court. Virginia law allows such a move, but the Arlington police chief has said he would not make such a policy lightly. Descano said he has not heard of similar plans in Fairfax. Amy Ashworth in Prince William County, who replaced longtime prosecutor Paul Ebert, said she plans to approach those charges on a case-by-case basis. Buta Biberaj, who took office in Loudoun County on a liberal platform, did not respond to requests for comment on her plans for marijuana prosecution. State Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, who sits on the Courts of Justice committee, said Descano and Dehghani-Tafti are required to prosecute marijuana possession cases under the oath they swore to uphold the law. "It is a problem when prosecutors unilaterally decide that because they disagree with a law they aren't going to enforce it," Obenshain said. Steven Emmert, an attorney focusing on appellate issues, said the legality of the prosecutors' moves remains untested. He said Virginia's Supreme Court has never ruled directly on the topic. "It presents an interesting separation of powers issue," Emmert said. "In theory, a prosecutor should be able to say I'm going to choose which of these crimes I'm going to prosecute - that's prosecutorial discretion - but what these prosecutors are doing is essentially deciding not to prosecute a whole class of offenses. That's where the separation of powers issue comes in. The legislature has the power to say what's illegal." There has already been some legal wrangling in this area. Early last year, the Norfolk commonwealth's attorney announced that he would stop pursuing circuit court appeals of marijuana possession cases because of the racial disparity among those charged. The effort angered some circuit court judges, who said he was trodding on legislative turf. The judges refused to dismiss the charges in some cases, so prosecutor Greg Underwood asked the Virginia Supreme Court to compel the judges to do so. In May, the Supreme Court sided with the judges. The Virginia legislature will take up bills that deal with decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana among a spate of other criminal justice reforms. The policy changes in Fairfax and Arlington bring the counties more in line with some surrounding jurisdictions. Alexandria created a pot diversion program last summer. In 2015, the District of Columbia legalized possession of marijuana under certain circumstances. In Montgomery County, State's Attorney John McCarthy's office has not prosecuted personal possession marijuana cases since the state decriminalized pot possession about six years ago, he said. His office recently has scaled back prosecution of small "distribution cases" that, in reality, are no more than one friend selling a joint to another friend. "Judges don't want to see these de minimis marijuana cases. Juries don't want to see them," McCarthy said. "Jurors were telling us: 'Why are you wasting our time with this?' " - - - The Washington Post's Dan Morse contributed to this report. Haiti - 216th Independence : Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau On Wednesday, January 1, as part of the celebration of the 216th anniversary of the independence of Haiti, the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau declared : "Today, we join Haitian communities in Canada and around the world to celebrate Haitis Independence Day. The strong relationship between Canada and Haiti has deep roots, whether thanks to our close people-to-people ties or our shared language. Today, more than 165,000 Canadians of Haitian origin call Canada home, making our neighbourhoods more vibrant and our communities more prosperous. On the world stage, our two countries work together toward shared goals, including through the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. Canada has a longstanding commitment to Haiti, and we will continue to provide support so that all Haitians have the opportunities they need to thrive. Today, I invite all Canadians to celebrate the important contributions the Haitian-Canadian community makes to our country. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I extend my best wishes to everyone celebrating the 216th anniversary of Haitis independence." HL/ HaitiLibre Cybersecurity Online Misinformation Reasons for Optimism As the nations first primarily digital Census approaches, experts have issued warnings over unprecedented online threats aimed squarely at the count, the success of which is a bedrock of American democracy.To understand the threats, one must first understand why the Census is so important as well as what is meant by primarily digital . First, the Census determines a trio of outcomes for communities: federal funding, political representation and data used to make decisions for the next decade decisions ranging from frequency of police patrols to whether Starbucks opens a new shop at the end of a city block.The decennial Census is the largest peacetime mobilization of the federal government, constitutionally mandated since 1790. There are always a number of challenges owing to how difficult it is to count every person in a country but this Census is different. Since 2010, the world has increasingly migrated online, and in 2020, so too will the U.S. Census. Residents can still complete the Census via analog means, but a clear onus is now on responding online, or digital first.In a perfect world, this means improvement: People fill out the Census at home, on mobile devices, or at local libraries, all with less hassle and cost than if it were done on paper. And, indeed, the digital-first approach may yield improvements.In the real world, however, experts and stakeholders are warning about serious cyberthreats aimed at this years efforts. To better understand these threats and what can be done to counter them,has spoken with experts, attended Census mobilization events and assembled this report on online misinformation, cybersecurity and the 2020 U.S. Census.A massive challenge for local and state governments across the U.S. in 2019 was cybersecurity.Indeed, cities, counties and states were beset with waves of crippling cyberattacks from bad actors who held data hostage while demanding ransom. Local government agencies present a perfect storm of opportunity, giving hackers a high-profile target with cybersecurity protections that guard sensitive data while suffering from underfunding.The U.S. Census is arguably higher profile and rich with far more sensitive data than municipal targets, more so than even the large cities that have been hit, including Atlanta and New Orleans . And while some recent reporting has suggested the U.S. Census Bureau is grappling with vulnerabilities, Census and cybersecurity experts largely downplay cybersecurity as the most pressing concern related to the 2020 count.See, the inclination for many is to think of cybersecurity as it relates to the Census just as one might think of cybersecurity and U.S. elections, a pressing concern nationwide. Brian Nussbaum, a fellow with New Americas Cybersecurity Initiative and an assistant professor of cybersecurity at the University of Albany, said the situations are not entirely comparable.The Census is similar to concerns about cybersecurity in elections, in as far as it sort of gets to the core of democratic values and how votes are proportioned through the Census and collected through elections infrastructure, Nussbaum said. The big difference between the Census and elections is the Census is not administered at the local level the way elections are.What this means is, in all likelihood, the federal government will have an easier time taking standardized steps to increase cybersecurity throughout the Census. danah boyd is a tech and social media scholar who is also a partner at Microsoft Research, and boyd said the data the Census collects will be protected by a software vendor, rather than by a system built by government. While this does present vulnerabilities, it also means the data is being protected through an interface that sits on top of Amazon Web Services, and if a bad actor could breach Amazon Web Services, they would be far more likely to go after lucrative targets, such as financial data.Experts in the Census space largely echoed this, noting that Census data being breached by hackers should be a concern, but in the grand scheme of online threats, there is another that warrants far more attention the threat of deliberate and concentrated online misinformation campaigns.In recent years, there has been much talk nationally about online misinformation campaigns such as those used in association with Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.Now, some of the nations leading Census experts are warning that similar campaigns will be aimed at the Census, likely with the goal of causing an undercount to keep funding away from the communities that most need it, to limit political representation and to foul the data that now ranks among the most valuable resources in the world.Terri Ann Lowenthal is a nationally recognized Census expert who was the staff director of the U.S. House of Representatives Census oversight subcommittee from 1987 to 1994. She also covered the Census Bureau for the 2008 Obama Presidential Transition Team. This year, she is advising many state and city Census support efforts. In October, Lowenthal also spoke to a collection of mayors and other local government officials at CityLab 2019 in Washington, D.C., an event that is widely considered the pre-eminent local government conference in the world.Every Census has its challenges, every Census has its controversies, Lowenthal said while speaking at the event. I am particularly worried the 2020 Census is facing an unprecedented set of challenges that could thwart this Census.Lowenthal pointed specifically to the same type of online misinformation campaigns that have generated so much concern over U.S. elections. Joining Lowenthal in conversation at CityLab was Mayor Jorge Elorza of Providence, R.I. Elorza was well aware of these concerns.Were acutely concerned and aware of the fact there will be a lot of misinformation out there, Elorza said during a conversation withafter the event. I will continue to stress how important it is for folks to fill out the form, and there are a number of folks who will continue to stress the exact same thing, but unfortunately it only takes one bit of misinformation to dissuade someone. It can easily outweigh all of the positive messaging. This is a moment we have to leverage all of the good will weve built up in the community.What this means is deputizing community groups and other trusted individuals at the local level to match and exceed misinformation with truth. This is an idea that has been echoed by those working to ensure an accurate count in cities across the country, from Detroit to Philadelphia to smaller jurisdictions in rural Georgia And as much as this is a cause for concern, there is optimism to be found in just how many hardworking community leaders are pushing to get the word out.Amid all the fears of misinformation campaigns, there is also reason to be hopeful that a national volunteer effort can help spread the Census truth.The many experts and public officialsspoke with stressed just how important it was to drown out the lies with accuracies. This, of course, is easier said than done, and establishing truth has proven to be a major challenge in an era when politicians and powerful institutions question established fact, to the point that the term "fake news" has entrenched itself in the countrys everyday lexicon.On a chilly Saturday morning in November, however, a group of volunteers packed into the auditorium at South Philadelphia High School for a full day of Census preparation. The group was disparate, consisting of people of all ages and backgrounds. Conveners with the city arranged a slate of speakers between breakfast, lunch and coffee donated by local businesses. Experts that gave presentations ranged from leaders of nonprofit groups aimed at reaching hard-to-count populations to former Census Bureau officials who are now consulting with local leaders. One such member of the latter group was Jeri Green , who is currently the Census 2020 senior adviser for the National Urban League, having previously spent more than three decades with the Census Bureau.Green noted that the misinformation campaigns will be aimed at discouraging Census participation within communities of color long among those least likely to complete the count. The recent controversy over President Trumps now-withdrawn plan to add a question about U.S. citizenship to the Census is an example of a discouraging factor, because while unsuccessful it made enough headlines to sow distrust among immigrant communities.Green also said, however, that there are wide-spanning plans to meet people in their homes, on their TVs and wherever else they find trusted sources of information.Youre going to see so many Census ads on TV that you wont be able to watch the Olympics, she said.Another point many experts agreed upon was that deputizing trusted community members is also key to countering misinformation around the Census. This is why perhaps the most hopeful moment at the Philadelphia event came when organizers on stage asked all the high school students in attendance to stand.There were dozens of high school students there, clad in Census Counts T-shirts, and they all stood and raised their hands. While the bad actors online are preparing to launch discouraging information on social media, the young people were voluntarily in a school auditorium on a Saturday, committing to go door-to-door in their communities to let people know the truth. As frightening as online threats may be, there was real hope in that moment. Ghosn has since fled to Lebanon, with various theories as to how he was able to leave the country. The former CEO was specifically ordered to not leave the country before his case goes to court. Doing so would be a violation of the terms given by the Japanese prosecutors. In a statement, Ghosn said that he" (is) no longer (being) held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied. To recap, Japanese prosecutors and certain Nissan executives have alleged Ghosn under reporting his salary, which was around $88.7 million. If found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison in Japan. We welcome the new year with shocking and dramatic news in the automotive industry. Former Nissan CEO and the brains behind the whole Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Carlos Ghosn, has skipped bail in Japan and fled the country. Presumably Ghosn's three passports had already been seized. Some reports surmise that he and his family hired security contractors to smuggle the embattled former CEO out of Japan. Some have even said that he supposedly escaped by hiding in a box to used for musical instruments. This sudden turn of events now begs the question: what happens next? Its no surprise that the Japanese government wants to haul Ghosn back and put him on trial. They also want to charge him with departing the country illegally, which adds up to a laundry list of charges to the former CEO. There is, however, one big hurdle facing the Japanese government: They dont have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. That means the Lebanese government can, at their own discretion, choose not to hand over Ghosn to Japanese authorities. Lebanon itself has a lot of matters to deal with locally, and penning an extradition treaty with Japan to turn over one person doesnt seem to a top priority over at Beirut. He does admit that he fled the country. In his defense, he said he (had) not fled justice -- I have escaped injustice and political persecution. Ghosn is looking forward to speaking freely to the press next week. With the typically outspoken man kept silent for a year, we are certain he has a lot more to say about his case. The family of a man who was found decapitated and with his arms removed in Cork city last weekend have set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for Cork Simon Community. Relatives of Francis "Frankie" Dunne who was found dead in a derelict house in Boreenmanna Road in Cork city last Saturday say that he was a father, grandfather, brother, uncle, nephew and friend to many in his native city. They spoke honestly of the demons he faced. "He had succumbed to a life of alcohol dependence many years ago, he lost a lot in his life, but he never lost his family's support or love. Every member of his family and large circle of friends at some point through the years have held him up, fed him, or sometimes just sat with him listening to his rambling chat or singing of rebel songs and just falling asleep. That was simply him; a kind gentle man but yes, an alcoholic." His loved ones stress that Frankie had many friends on the streets. "He had another family that he loved too, that family were his friends living in tents, homeless shelters or on the streets of his city Cork. They were their own community of friends and comrades but without a front door of their own or even a mattress to lay down on at times, people whom an empty derelict house seemed like a safe place to have few drinks, a sing song and lay down out of cold." Frankie's family say they hope to raise money for Simon to assist the homeless community in the city. As Frankie's family we hope no else ever has to suffer the horrendous nightmare of what Frankie endured in the final hours of his life. No-one should be left so vulnerable on our streets. No-one should be beaten or murdered because they find themselves helpless due to alcoholism or for any other reason. "As a thank you to the amazing work of the Simon community us as a family are hoping people will help us in our donation plea to people who were Frankies other family. Please give what you can. Every penny counts. All the monies raised will go directly to Cork Simon Community and also Caring for Corks Homeless group." The Dunne family also thanked friends and neighbours who have been a "pillar of support" for the family at this horrendous time. Meanwhile, Catriona Twomey from Cork Penny Dinners, a charity which feeds the homeless, has called on the government to take action to ensure the safety and welfare of homeless people. Ms Twomey was acquainted with Frankie for many years. "I have known him for over thirty years. He didn't hurt anybody. He was gentle. He was liked by everybody and loved by his family. He was harmless. It has brought pain and hurt to his family, pain and hurt to his friends. Even his old school friends are heartbroken." A woman called Hilary O'Neill also called Cork's 96FM to remember Frankie as a gentle man who was like a father to her when she experienced homelessness. Frankie Dunne Mr Dunne (64) was residing in a Cork Simon Community run assisted living centre for the homeless at Boreenmanna Road on Cork's southside which houses eleven people at any time and is fully staffed. He had lived in the assisting living centre for a few months. A postmortem carried out at Cork University Hospital has confirmed that Mr Dunne was murdered.The results of the postmortem have not been released for operational reasons. It is one of the most gruesome killings the city has seen with the body being found decapitated and with both arms missing. Mr Dunne was originally from Churchfield on the northside of Cork city. Investigating gardai had to use his fingerprints to identify him as his injuries were so severe. Gardai have urged witnesses or persons with information about the murder to come forward. The body of the deceased was found at Castlegreine House at 4pm on Saturday by a neighbour out looking for a missing cat. The remains were found in the rear of the boarded up period house in Blackrock in Cork city. The body was naked and under a bush. The arms and head were subsequently recovered at another part of the property. It is understood the body may have been at the scene for a few days. Gardai want to speak to motorists, drivers with dash cams, pedestrians and locals in the area since December 25 and who may have seen activity near the property involved. An incident room has been set up at Anglesea Street Garda Station and a senior investigating officer has been appointed. A full investigation team has also been assembled. It is not known if the man was killed at the scene or if his body was disposed of on the grounds of the two-storey detached period house which dates back to the 1890s. Several lines of investigation are being followed. Funeral arrangements have as yet to be finalised. The body will be released to the family in the coming days. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bridewell Garda Station on 021 4943330, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. You can find the Go Fund Me here. The Armenian government has launched a major investigation into numerous adoptions that may have been the result of babies illegally taken from hospitals and orphanages. Mothers have come forward to say they were deceived into giving up their children as part of an organized crime scheme operating for decades. Actor Lee Seo-jin started the New Year by donating W100 million to the Community Chest of Korea, becoming the charity's first donor of 2020 (US$1=W1,157). Lee has been engaged in philanthropic activities for years. He has participated in building homes for people in need since he became a promotional ambassador for non-profit organization Habitat for Humanity Korea in 2008. "I made the donation after thinking about how to return the love I received from the public and spread goodwill throughout society," Lee said. "I hope my contribution can bring a little hope for those in difficulty," he added. CARTHAGE, Texas A man who fled after fatally shooting a sheriffs deputy during a traffic stop in East Texas early Tuesday was later arrested in Louisiana and charged with capital murder, authorities said. An official with the Panola County sheriffs office said Deputy Chris Dickerson died after being shot numerous times. Chief Deputy John Depresca said the 28-year-old Dickerson had been with the sheriffs department for eight years. Gregory Newson, 47, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was arrested about an hour later following a high-speed police chase, Depresca said. Panola County is located on the Texas border with Louisiana. Its about 160 miles (260 kilometers) southeast of Dallas. Depresca said they dont know why Dickerson pulled the sport utility vehicle over near the town of Gary City, but he said Dickerson told dispatch at 1:57 a.m. that he was conducting a traffic stop on that vehicle. The sheriffs office said the driver fled after opening fire on the deputy, who returned fire. Minutes later, a civilian got on Dickersons radio and told authorities he was lying on the side of the road, Depresca said. The sheriffs office said the deputy was taken to a hospital, where he died. Depresca said that after the shooting, a citizen who had heard about the search for the suspects vehicle spotted it and called 911, saying it was headed toward Shreveport. Depresca said authorities in Louisiana gave chase and Newson was arrested by police in Shreveport, which is about 57 miles (92 kilometers) northeast of Gary City. Depresca said the suspect fired numerous rounds from a semiautomatic rifle and Dickerson fired at least three rounds. After Newsons arrest, he was taken to a hospital with three gunshot wounds to the leg. Newson remained in jail in Shreveport Tuesday awaiting extradition to Texas. Jail records dont list an attorney for him. Depresca said Dickerson was married with two young children. For Lachlan Molnar and Hailey McAlpine, welcoming 2020 has certainly been a bittersweet moment. The young Victorian couple lost their Sarsfield home on New Years Eve as ravaging bushfires ripped through parts of East Gippsland. However amid the devastation and while the broader coastal town of Paynesville, where they were located, was following evacuation orders, 20-year-old Mr Molnar proposed to his girlfriend of nearly five years. What a way to the end the year huh, he declared on Facebook. The couple embrace after Mr Molnar's proposal. Source: Facebook I thought since we had the worst end of a year that I would help with making the best start to a new one. Ms McAlpine told the Herald Sun that shed said to her boyfriend they had nothing to look forward to, prompting him to pop the question. This has made it a lot easier on the brain... it is now a better start to the year, she said. Ms McAlpine has since set up a GoFundMe page for her family as they count the cost of the destruction. Our parents are currently staying in a hotel which is definitely not a home, she said. And while the couple is grieving the loss of their home, their thoughts are with others across Australias southeast who havent been as fortunate as they have. The family's home flattened in Sarsfield. Source: GoFundMe At least I have my family and my now fiancee, Mr Molnar said. The deadly fires have burnt through more than 766,000 hectares across Victoria, with 47 fires currently burning across the state, mostly in East Gippsland. So far confirmed property losses are 24 structures at Buchan, 19 at Sarsfield, 10 at Mallacoota and up to 15 at Cudgewa. Further property loss is expected. On Wednesday it was revealed Victoria's fires claimed a life. Mick Roberts had not made contact with family for more than 24 hours and on Wednesday his niece Leah Parson confirmed on the East Gippsland fire season 2019-2020 Facebook page he had been found dead at his home. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said Mr Roberts was one of four people missing in the Gippsland fires. "That's the worst of all news, Mr Andrews said. Story continues Across the border in NSW, seven lives have been lost since Monday. Residents and tourists are being urged to evacuate now as weather conditions are expected to worsen on Saturday. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. A SWAT team member fatally shot a dog while executing a search warrant on a Manchester Township home on Thursday morning, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office said. The pit bull was acting aggressively when a member of the Ocean County Regional SWAT team member shot the dog once, the prosecutors office said. The prosecutors office did not say why authorities were searching the residence. The New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Internal Affairs Unit, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office and the Ocean County Sheriffs Office are investigating the incident. Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Citing his belief in an ancient Nordic religion, an Army National Guard member and Alabama native has received a waiver allowing him to wear a beard. Nevada Army Guard Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper, 34, of Madison, Alabama, said the beard is part of his Norse pagan faith, a belief system hes practiced for more than 20 years. The Department of Defense exception granted in March allows Hopper to wear his full reddish-brown beard during deployment to Afghanistan despite Army regulations against facial hair. Hopper is the first Nevada guard member to receive a religious accommodation approval for a beard Hopper said his faith is in keeping with the militarys goals and mission. My personal faith is deeply tied to the modern warrior lifestyle that I have been able to live during my military career, Hopper said. In short, it is honoring the pillars of Heathenism, our ancestors and ancient Gods and way of life. Hopper said his beard does draw questions from other military personnel. Regardless of why, the wear of a beard while in uniform does tend to raise a number of questions, he said. Ive been brought before some fairly high-ranking individuals to explain the situation as it is a newer process in the Army. Hopper explained that Norse Paganism is a religious system that believes in multiple gods and is based on ancient beliefs and practices associated with the geographic area of Scandinavia. Norse Pagans currently have the option to have the Hammer of Thor emblem placed on their Veterans Administration-issued headstones and markers. Nevada Guard officials said two other members are pursuing waivers to wear a beard in keeping with their Pagan faith. Their requests are under review. Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday said that Hindu religious text Bhagavad Gita should be taught in schools to impart traditional values in children. While appealing that Bhagavad Gita should be taught to students, Singh courted controversy by alleging that most of the students who visit abroad for higher studies start consuming beef. "Bhagavad Gita should be taught in schools. We send our children to missionary schools and they get through IIT and become engineers, collectors and SPs or they go abroad. Most of them start eating beef. Why? Because we did not teach them our culture and traditional values....the values of Sravan Kumar," the Union Minister said addressing a gathering here. He further said that he had inspected several houses and found 'Hanuman Chalisa', Ramayana and Gita only in few premises. "I got Hanuman Chalisa from 15 households and Gita and Ramayana from 3 each. This is why our children lack traditional knowledge but we cannot blame them. In our religion, there is no place for extremism," he said. Singh added that there is a need to "Save India's culture to save India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been refused a handshake by a despondent fireman who lost his home while battling bushfires in one of Australia's worst hit areas. Camera crews filmed Mr Morrison walk over to the fireman who was having a break in the emergency centre in Cobargo, on the New South Wales south coast, on Thursday. Mr Morrison offered his hand but the fireman shook his head. 'I don't really want to shake your hand,' he said. Mr Morrison then leaned down to grab the fireman's hand but he again refused. The Prime Minister then patted the man on the shoulder, said 'oh, well, nice to see you' and walked away. Mr Morrison was later heard telling a fire official: 'Tell that fella I'm really sorry, I'm sure he's just tired.' 'No, no, he's lost a house,' the incident controller responded. Earlier on Thursday, the Prime Minister was abused by some angry Cobargo residents who told him he 'should be ashamed of himself' while others called him 'Scum-mo' for 'leaving the country to burn'. Mr Morrison responded on Friday by saying he understood the emotional response and did not take it personally. 'Whether they're angry at me or they're angry at their situation, I know that people are hurting I know that they're raw - I don't take these things personally.'' Mr Morrison said in an interview with Melbourne radio station 3AW. 'I understand that, I understand the emotion, the hurt, the frustration and anger.' Tourists and residents have been told to evacuate a 250km stretch of the New South Wales south coast (pictured) as devastating bushfires threaten the area, along with an area of the Shoalhaven between Burrill Lake north and Nowra One local refused to shake Prime Minister Scott Morrison's hand until he offered more support to volunteer firefighters Mr Morrison can be seen trying to shake the fireman's hand, however, the man only looks at Mr Morrison's hand before shaking his head. 'I don't really want to shake your hand,' the fireman says Cobargo was one of the worst-affected areas on New Year's Eve, losing several buildings on its main street, while a local father and son were killed trying to defend their home, and dozens of homes burnt down. Mr Morrison, who was criticised for taking a Hawaiian holiday in December as the fires raged rather than attending affected areas, was confronted by some local residents. One woman refused to return the Prime Minister's offered handshake until he organised more money for volunteer firefighters. 'I'm only shaking your hand if you give more funding to our RFS,' the woman said. Instead, Mr Morrison reached down to take her hand and then moved on to speak to another person. 'So many people have lost their homes,' the woman said, adding 'we need more help.' The confrontation prompted a lot of comment online. A supplied image obtained on Thursday, January 2, 2020, shows smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria 'What is most disturbing about this extraordinary video is our PM forcing a young, clearly distressed woman to shake his hand followed by another male putting his arms around her telling her to ''shush'',' freelance journalist Lucie Morris-Marr tweeted. Another woman from the town, who brought her pet goat along to the meeting, told Mr Morrison the small town was 'forgotten' during the crisis. 'This is not fair,' she shouted. 'We are totally forgotten down here. Every single time this area gets a flood or a fire we get nothing.' 'If we lived in Sydney or on the North Coast we would be flooded with donations and emergency relief.' A Cobargo resident, Gary Hinton, looks lost as he stands by rubble after a fire tore through the town on New Years Eve The PM made a beeline back to his car and was driven away by his security team shortly after arriving in Cobargo - where he was heckled by locals Mr Morrison was shamed on Twitter for how he handled the situation when he was heckled in Cobargo This image shows smoke and flames crowning above the treetops at a fire in East Gippsland on January 2nd In this satellite image, the Clyde Mountain Fire south of Sydney could be seen from outer space Several men who attended Mr Morrison's meeting with locals shouted abuse. 'You won't be getting any votes down here buddy. Who votes Liberal around here? Nobody,' one called out. 'You control the funding, and we were forgotten,' a woman added. 'Go on, p*ss off.' The Prime Minister walked away from them back to his car and was driven away by his security team. Even as he left, furious residents continued to shout abuse. 'Go home to Kirribilli. Why won't that burn down after the fireworks?' another local yelled. 'You're an idiot.' Eerie photos show the once quiet country town destroyed by fires as the sky turns a deep red and buildings are left torn apart COBARGO SURVIVOR IS FORCED TO SHOOT BADLY-BURNED CATTLE Steve Shipton (centre) is consoled by fellow farmers Bernie Smith (left) and Peter Mercieca By AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS In an area where four people perished in a ferocious fire, Steve Shipton's eyes were burning as he tried to save his home. 'I thought I was a goner,' the Coolagolite cattle farmer told AAP. 'The heat was horrendous. My eyes... I couldn't see 20 feet last night.' The Countegany/Dampier State Forest blaze raced through Cobargo and Coolagolite on Tuesday morning on its way to burning an area twice the size of Canberra. Three men and an unidentified person died out of a population of about 1050. Mr Shipton thought he was fine to protect his home after getting his wife and kids inside and his stock out to a dirt clearing. 'It all happened so quick,' the 46-year-old said, soot still covering his face. 'I stayed out. I suppose I shouldn't have but it just happened so fast. 'It's just unbelievable. The ferocity and how quick.... That's what shocked me and that's why I thought we were in a good situation to survive,' he said. The dairy-turned-beef farmer estimates he lost about a tenth of his 250-odd head of cattle, including his favourite dairy cow. The dairy-turned-beef farmer estimates he lost about a tenth of his 250-odd head of cattle, including his favourite dairy cow Most of the cattle had been where Mr Shipton thought would be safe - on dirt with a feed rack - but the animals 'obviously panicked'. A vet on Wednesday assessed which would survive and which needed to be euthanised, leaving Mr Shipton with the grim task of carrying out a mass mercy killing. 'There are some in there badly scorched,' Mr Shipton said. 'He'll know better than me what can survive and what can't because I've never been through this scenario. 'You don't want them to suffer.' The firefront spared Cobargo artist Sally Wilson's shop but embers took hold of the historic property as she and her partner Christopher Lee protected their home and animals a short walk away. A vet on Wednesday was assessing which would survive and which needed to be euthanised As things calmed down at home, Mr Lee walked over to the shop to find it alight. 'The firefighters said it had started 20 minutes before,' she told AAP, standing beside the rubble. 'He stood out the front and watched it burn.' The couple moved to Cobargo just 18 months ago after deciding it was 'a really safe pocket' with a vibrant, caring community. 'I've been visiting here for years and it was like nothing could get you,' she said. Local farmer Greg Tett said the community was a very tight-knit one, where people 'dove in' to help those whose chips were down. Destroyed buildings are seen in Cobargo, New South Wales, on Wednesday, January 1, 2020 'That's the way it's been for a long time and why I think a lot of people like to come here,' he told AAP. He suspects he'll have to entirely de-stock after 95 per cent of his 110-acre property was scorched. 'At least we're still alive,' his wife Karen Tett said. Mr Tett woke about 1am on Tuesday to a phone call from his daughter warning about the approaching fire. His brother spent five hours building a fire break in vain. 'When it came down the mountain, we had spot fires everywhere,' Mr Tett said. He said his family will fight on. 'We've got to.' Advertisement Locals were mourning the loss of dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, who died trying to save their home from the blaze. Their bodies were found by Mr Salway's wife Renee who was expecting the couple's second child. Mr Morrison later told the ABC he wasn't 'surprised people are feeling very raw at the moment'. 'And, that's why I came today, to be here, to see it for myself; offer what comfort I could. 'But you can't always in every circumstance, I think everyone understands that,' he said. The visit came as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a week long state of emergency ahead of Saturday's predicted dangerous conditions. Patrick Salway, 29, (pictured with his pregnant wife Renee) died fighting the fires in Cobargo alongside his dad Robert Salway What does a state of emergency mean? Declaring a state of emergency relinquishes decision making powers from the NSW government and allows RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons more control over his team of firefighters. For the next seven days during the state of emergency, can now control and coordinate the allocation of government resources, close roads and evacuate residents. Ms Fitzsimmons now has the ability to: Control and coordinate the allocation of government resources Evacuate people from property within declared areas Close roads and thoroughfares to traffic Pull down or shore up infrastructure at risk of collapse Shut down utilities in the declared area including electricity, gas, oil and water Enter or take possession of property for emergency response NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian previously said the 'decision to declare a state of emergency is not taken lightly. 'You only declare states of emergency when it's absolutely necessary and on expert advice from commissioners.' It is the third state of emergency she has declared since the start of this year's horror bushfire season, which has seen at least 18 people die and thousands of homes destroyed. Advertisement This picture taken on December 31, 2019 shows a firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra on the NSW south coast Residents met in the Mallacoota town hall on Thursday afternoon (pictured) for an evacuation briefing by defence force officials, after the town was surrounded by flames Temperatures are expected to hit 46C in some parts of the state and the heat, paired with strong winds, were expected to fuel fires and spark fresh outbreaks. A state of emergency relinquishes decision-making powers from the government to the head of the NSW Rural Fire Service. Thousands of people will be subject to forced evacuations as officials scramble to move holidaymakers and locals alike from dangerous areas. Catastrophic conditions on the New South Wales south coast and in eastern Victoria on New Year's Eve will return within 48 hours, with firefighters only having had the briefest of respites. Mr Morrison held a press conference on Thursday in which he answered some strong criticism about the federal government's perceived inaction over the fires, but he stressed that firefighting was a state government responsibility. 'What we won't allow to happen is for governments to be tripping over each other in order to somehow outbid each other in response,' Mr Morrison said. 'We cannot control the natural disaster but what we can do is control our response.' Evacuation plans were in place for residents and holiday makers ahead of Saturday's expected flaring of the fires, with some leaving by road but others needing to be transported by boat due to road closures. HMAS Choules, which delivered emergency supplies to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, left Sydney on Wednesday and docked off the coast of fire-stricken Mallacoota near the Victoria-New South Wales border on Thursday. The vessel can carry 700 passengers and will ferry evacuees to safety beginning on Friday, but there are up 4,000 people who remain stranded in the seaside town where food and supplies were running low. The ship has also brought much-needed relief for those who are choosing to stay. The townspeople told Mr Morrison it felt as though he didn't care about the town NSW BUSHFIRE CRISIS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE ARE THE NSW BUSHFIRES? More than 110 blazes continue to burn across NSW on Thursday afternoon, with more than 50 burning out of control. There were three fires burning at a 'watch and act' level as of 6pm. These were the 260,000-hectare Currowan fire on the south coast, the 130,000ha Dunns Road fire in the Snowy Valleys and the 105,000ha Green Valley fire east of Albury. HOW MANY HAVE DIED? Seven people have perished since Monday evening, taking the NSW bushfire death toll since July to 15. That includes three firefighters. A 72-year-old man remains missing at Belowra, west of Narooma, but an 81-year-old woman who was missing in Conjola Park has been located safe and well. HOW MANY HOMES HAVE BEEN LOST? At least 382 homes have been destroyed on the south coast since New Year's Eve. The number will increase as damage assessment teams access hard-to-reach areas. Some 1298 homes, 85 facilities and 2218 outbuildings such as sheds have been confirmed destroyed across NSW since July. THE WARNINGS No total fire bans are in place on Thursday but a statewide total fire ban has been declared for Friday and Saturday. People near Batlow have been asked to leave by Thursday night while holiday-makers in the alps and between Nowra and the Victorian border should be out by Friday night. Across the border, Victorian authorities want tourists and locals to leave the state's alpine and East Gippsland regions by Thursday. THE FORECAST Fire weather eased on Thursday, allowing firefighters to prepare for deteriorating conditions over the weekend. Dangerous fire conditions are expected to return to southeast NSW on Saturday, where the temperature is forecast to reach 45C inland and 44C on the coast. A gusty southerly is expected to cross the area in the afternoon. Fire danger will be severe to extreme with the RFS saying conditions on Saturday will likely be worse than those experienced on New Year's Eve. THE ROADS Motorists should avoid travel to the south coast and Snowy Mountains-Riverina areas, where fires have caused widespread power outages and major road closures. The Princes Highway north of Batemans Bay has been reopened, with a reduced speed limit of 60 km/h. Sections of the Princes Highway south of Batemans Bay remain closed. The Snowy Mountains Highway is open between Bega and Adaminaby, providing a route back to Sydney and Canberra for motorists on the far south coast. The Adaminaby to Tumut section of the highway is open for residents only while several other major alpine roads are exit-only or completely closed. Advertisement Business owner Sally Anne Wilson (left) stands in front of her destroyed shop with her partner Christopher Lee in Cobargo, NSW, Wednesday, January 1, 2020 Hundreds of fires are still burning out of control across the country, destroying millions of hectares, killing 18 and leaving 1,200 homes destroyed, with catastrophic 46C weather forecast for Saturday (pictured) A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Conjola (pictured) on New Year's Eve, as officials prepare for a 'horrible day' on Saturday, with blistering temperatures and high winds likely to make conditions far worse Close (Photo : Photo by Google) .It's becoming more and more evident that all developed countries except for the US provide access to healthcare to its citizens. Access to healthcare prolongs life expectancy, prevents a lot of illnesses, avoids unnecessary disabilities, and makes everyone feel safe. Universal healthcare ensures every member in society is treated in a timely manner, in a safe and clean environment, and with supplemented drugs. Other developed countries, such as Germany, Finland, and Sweden all offer their citizens free or accessible healthcare. One common misconception is that the concept of free healthcare is communist or socialist. However, many western European countries that are very capitalist offer accessible healthcare to all. Though it was a huge part of Obama's 2008 presidential election campaign, Americans still struggle with healthcare costs, and it puts a lot of people in debt because of medical expenses. Accessible healthcare might be a massive step towards becoming a healthier, happier, and less psychologically ill nation. Accessible healthcare gives people access to medical facilities, which prevents a lot of significant health issues like chronic and terminal diseases. You, And Everyone You Care About, Are Covered We all know someone whose credit score is in the gutter or has filed for bankruptcy because of medical bills. It doesn't have to be like that. While health insurance still isn't completely free in the United States, there are ways to get access to more affordable options, such as Medicare 2020. This plan enables people, especially seniors, access to more affordable health insurance, prescription drugs, and timely care. This care comes at a small monthly payment, and sometimes even no payment at all. Furthermore, unlike the big insurance companies, Medicare 2020 offers insurance with no copay from the patient, making the process much more comfortable. Better Communication If you're enrolled in the Medicare program, you will be able to visit the same physician as many times as you want. This is an immense privilege because it opens the door for much more personal communication with your doctor. They would know your specific lifestyle, whether you're a smoker or a heavy drinker, they'd know your medical history, your family record, and know you in person. This personalized care helps the doctor make more customized decisions regarding your healing process. Having a doctor that knows you and your medical history can be life-changing. Their knowledge means that you're getting the appropriate medicine prescribed, and your chronic conditions are being taken into consideration. Why Didn't The Affordable Care Act Work? In his 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama promised healthcare for all. He fought long and hard, throughout his two terms to make this dream a reality. His plan did, however, help over 20 million Americans gain access to healthcare. Unfortunately, though more people had access to medical care, a significant amount still didn't. These people couldn't access healthcare based on many factors. These factors include their age, previous health history, gender, family history, race, and zip code. Furthermore, people who were in more remote and rural areas didn't have access to health facilities close to them. This means that even those who were insured didn't have access to the care they needed. The Issue Of Time Time is a huge factor. When you're sick, you usually have to cater to your needs very quickly. If you have inflammation, a broken limb, or a dental infection, heck, if it's an inflamed appendix, or early stages of a tumor, seeing a doctor promptly can save your life. Many Americans suffer irreparable repercussions for not being able to see a doctor as soon as they feel they need to. Out of fear of the piling medical bills that would sit on their credit scores forever, they postpone seeing a physician. Furthermore, a lot of people don't have access to reliable facilities that accept their insurance in their states and end up having to take time off work and travel, which can be very expensive. Consequently, available Medicare for all can change the way we handle health. Find Out How To Enroll Healthcare should be available to seniors, adults, and children alike, find out how you can enroll to obtain healthcare. There are a lot of options out there, and enrolling in one of them might become a lifesaver in the future. It's not just a lifesaver, but also save a lot of money and credit score troubles in the long run. Go online and research what programs you qualify for, and enroll in the ones that work best for your area. Happy healing! See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare December 27 was another great day of Roverman Productions' Festival of Plays when the play Dora Why? was staged . Being the first production that playwright Uncle Ebo Whyte staged in 2019, the drama has set the tone for what Ghanaians were to expect from the team. It was a brilliant play that had some innovative ideas that excited its audience. And its repeat at the National Theatre on December 27 was every bit as fresh as the first time it was shown. Dora died 30 years ago but on the anniversary of her death Rev and Mrs Sowah find a note that reads: Good Evening Thomas and Mabel, Today marks the 30th anniversary of my death. This is to keep my memory alive. Please dont forget me. Signed Dora. Like any normal individual, the Sowahs are frightened and try to find out who is behind their note. Jude, a security expert, who has come down from the United States to expand his business is hired. He also happens to be the boyfriend of the Sowahs only child, Audrey, a judge. The search for who is behind the note is a tough one mentally for everyone involved and brings to light serious cracks in the marriage of the Sowahs. It also puts a strain on the relationship between Audrey and Jude; she has been waiting for him to propose marriage but he keeps dragging his feet and seems to have secrets that are making him hesitate. It eventually turns out that Jude actually has a huge role to play in the whole matter; he is Dora's son and is seeking revenge for his mother's death. When he confronts the family, Mabel (Mrs Sowah) makes a shocking confession about her role in Dora's death which was accidental. She had thought Dora was having an affair with her husband Thomas because of his frequent visits to Dora's home and goes to confront her. In reality, Dora was assisting Thomas in organizing a surprise anniversary party for them. Jude's plan was to make Audrey fall in love with him and then he would dump her but his plan backfires as he falls in love with her. It all ends joyfully with all parties involved forgiving each other and Audrey and Jude mending their relationship. Dora Why? addresses a lot of topics including intolerance, impatience, forgiveness and the ability to go the extra mile for what you love. Even though it was a live performance, the use of slow-motion as usually seen in movies gave it an amazing twist which received immense applause from the audience. The audience, who had their eyes glued to the stage so as not to miss anything, was a very responsive one and laughed, cheered and applauded throughout the play. The acting was on point and kudos goes to the actors for their seamless delivery, great voices and dance moves. When Uncle Ebo Whyte took to the stage after the final curtain call, he commended actor Andrew Adote Tandoh (who played Jude in Dora Why?) on his vital role in all the 2019 plays. For being able to feature in four plays and acting back to back, its no joke. Andrew is playing different characters in all and that is a great achievement. He is the best actor I have ever seen," Uncle Ebo stated. Festival of Plays continues today Wednesday, January 1, 2020, with Bananas and Groundnuts and Thursday, January 2 with God, You're Fired Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 19:56:09|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Governor of the Bank of Mongolia Byadran Lkhagvasuren on Thursday ordered all commercial banks in the country to stop providing loans to pensioners for an indefinite period. The move came after Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga announced Tuesday the decision to write off the loans of all pensioners, which will be paid off by the National Security Council of Mongolia, when he extended New Year greetings via media. It is not yet clear when the decision will be implemented. There are over 380,000 seniors receiving retirement pensions in the country, more than half of whom have taken out loans. Caitlin Swan was killed in a fatal collision near Stithians, Cornwall, on 28 December. (SWNS) A teenage girl who died after her bicycle was involved in a horror crash with a van has been named by police. Caitlin Swan, from Truro in Cornwall, suffered fatal injuries in the incident near the village of Stithians at around 1.45pm on 28 December. Police and paramedics were called to Tubbon Hill but Caitlin, a pupil at Penair School, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 14-year-old girl who died in a fatal collision near Stithians on Saturday has been named as Caitlin Swan. Police continue to investigate the circumstances of the collision and are appealing for witnesses to come forward. https://t.co/R6vuYn5V3v pic.twitter.com/352lu9i4KX DevonCornwall Police (@DC_Police) January 2, 2020 The road was closed for more than six hours as a forensic examination of the scene was carried out. On Thursday, the force released the first picture of the schoolgirl following the tragic incident, as it continued to investigate the crash. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Man 'lucky to be alive' after 10-metre fall from Cornish cliff edge on New Year's Day British Airways cabin crew killed in New Years Eve lorry crash Teenage boy, 17, fighting for life after being shot in east London A spokeswoman for Devon and Cornwall Police appealed for witnesses to come forward, saying: The road was closed for more than six hours for a forensic examination of the scene to be carried out. Officers are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision and appealing for witnesses. The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene of crash on Tubbon Hill. (Google Maps) They would also like to hear from anyone who may have relevant dash cam footage of the incident. Anyone with information should contact the force on 101@dc.police.uk or 101, quoting log number 0391 of December 28. Oil prices rose on the first trading day of 2020 as warming trade relations between the United States and China eased demand concerns, and rising tensions in the Middle East raised worries about supply. Global benchmark Brent crude futures, were up 21 cents, or 0.3%, to 66.21 a barrel by 0130 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 21 cents, or 0.3%, at $61.27 per barrel. Oil markets were closed on Wednesday for New Year's Day. Both benchmarks ended higher in 2019, posting their biggest annual gains since 2016, buoyed at the end of the year by a thaw in the prolonged trade dispute between the United States and China - the world's two largest economies - and a deeper output cut pledged by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies. "Oil remains supported by the back-burner trade truce and the uptick in political unrest in Iraq," said Stephen Innes, chief Asia market strategist at AxiTrader. Geopolitical risks remain in the Middle East after U.S air strikes against the Iran-backed Katib Hezbollah militia group over the weekend. Protesters, angry at the air strikes, stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday, although they withdrew after U.S. deployed extra troops. In 2020, Brent is forecast to average $63.07 a barrel, up from December's estimate of $62.50, while WTI is forecast to average $57.70 a barrel, up from December's estimate of $57.30, as the OPEC-led supply cuts and the expectations of a U.S.-China trade deal boosted analysts' views on the prospects for the year, a Reuters poll showed. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade deal would be signed on Jan. 15 at the White House. January also marks the start of the deeper output cuts by OPEC and its partners, including Russia. OPEC and its allies have agreed to cut a further of 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) from Jan. 1, on top of their previous cut of 1.2 million bpd that started on Jan. 1 a year ago. A fall in U.S. crude inventories last week also supported prices. U.S. crude inventories fell by 7.8 million barrels in the week ended Dec. 27, compared with analysts' expectations for a decrease of 3.2 million barrels, according to data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) released on Tuesday. Official data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) is due on Friday as the release has been delayed by two days by the New Year's holiday. INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. Deputies in Nevada are looking for a 20-year-old man who is suspected of killing his father in Amador County, authorities said. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office said Thursday morning that deputies were searching for fugitive Sean Purdy in the area of Tahoe and Village boulevards in Incline Village. Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for murder. He was spotted in a gas station parking lot around 1 a.m., the sheriffs office said. He ran away, and deputies have been looking for him since then. The Amador County Sheriffs Office said it got a call New Years Day from a woman who said she was out of state but was worried about her husband. The woman said her husband, identified as 52-year-old Lance Purdy, of Pine Grove, had flown home to check on their son, Sean Purdy. She said she became concerned when she didnt hear from him. A neighbor said they saw the son quickly leave the familys home in a 2017 blue Subaru Outback. The neighbor found a large amount of blood in and around the Kevkie Court home, according to the sheriffs office. Detectives were able to track his cellphone to the Lake Tahoe area. Authorities describe Sean Purdy as about 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, with blond hair. He was wearing a black jacket when he was last seen. The fire mercilessly tore through Cobargo, a small town near the coast in southern New South Wales, on Monday night, burning down the main street and killing two people, a father and son, caught in its destructive path. Residents of the ravaged town were angry, their homes and livelihood suddenly incinerated in a fiery flash. On Thursday, they vented that frustration at visiting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who cut short his tour of the fire-hit residents amid their barrage of criticism. How come we only had four trucks to defend our town? Because our town doesnt have a lot of money, but we have hearts of gold, prime minister, one woman in a Led Zeppelin T-shirt walking a goat shouted at the prime minister. What about the people who are dead, prime minister, she said later, her voice raw with emotion. What about the people who have nowhere to live? You wont be getting any votes down here buddy, shouted another angry man. No Liberal (Party) votes youre out, son. One resident glared at Morrison as she told him that she wouldnt shake his hand unless he provided more funds for those who have lost their homes and for Australias fire service, which relies primarily on volunteers. We need more help, she added as he moved on. Nah, youre an idiot, mate. You really are, sneered a resident to someone in the prime ministers entourage trying to talk to him. As Morrison headed to his car, one Cobargo resident had the final say. Youre not welcome here, he shouted, calling him an expletive. This is not fair, people shouted at the departing prime minister. We are totally forgotten down here. Every single time this area gets a flood or a fire we get nothing ... If we lived in Sydney or on the North Coast we would be flooded with donations and emergency relief. Since September, the bush fires have killed 18 people and destroyed over 1,200 homes in New South Wales and the adjacent Victoria state. Just this week, at least another 17 people in these areas were reported missing. In the latest crisis, some 4,000 people are now trapped in a beach town in Victoria, unable to escape because of advancing fires. The government has in turn declared a state of emergency there for the first time. Overall, the deadly fires have burned more than 14.6 million acres an area larger than the combined territories of Belgium and Haiti. Bush fires are a yearly occurrence in parts of dry Australia. But climate scientists have tied the longevity and severity of this years fires to climate change in a country that relies heavily on carbon-producing industries like coal. The fires began earlier than average, and heat waves in the fall and winter made for even more combustible conditions. December was one of two hottest months on record in Australia and 2019 the hottest and driest year yet. Dec. 18 ominously marked Australias hottest day ever, beating out the record set the day before. Images of row after row of destroyed buildings coupled with darkened or apocalyptic-like red-orange skies have not played well for Australias conservative prime minister. I understand the very strong feelings people have. Theyve lost everything, and there are still some very dangerous days ahead, Morrison told Australias ABC News broadcaster in response to the heckling. My job is to ensure that we steady things through these very difficult days and support the states in the response that they are providing. Morrison has called on Australians to be patient and has rebuffed criticisms that his government hasnt done enough to reduce emissions through its climate policies. That hasnt stemmed the anger. Morrison faced flak last month for taking a vacation to Hawaii amid the national crisis. He later apologized and cut the trip short. His vacation, however, has become a symbol for many Australians of what they see as government neglect amid unprecedented troubles. In response, one Australian artist, Scott Marsh, has been fundraising for the countrys rural fire service (RFS) through prints and T-shirts he created: The image on them shows Morrison in a Hawaiian shirt and Santa Claus hat, holding a drink and surrounded by flames. Merry Crisis!! reads the caricatured prime ministers speech bubble. As of Thursday, Marsh had raised about $81,683. Dublin GAA star Philly McMahon had a belated honeymoon with his new wife Sarah Lacey in Bali as they rang in the New Year in style. The couple got married at a fun-filled bash in Kilkea Castle last month as they moved their relationship to a new level. Party Sharing a picture of him and his other half enjoying a sunset on the beach, Philly wrote: "Ringing in the new year with Mrs McMahon and a special group of people." However, the newly-weds were not there alone, given that Dublin's All-Ireland winning team were also over there. The five-in-a-row heroes said farewell to a record-breaking year at a monster party in Finn's Beach Club in Uluwatu. Expand Close Philly McMahon and Sarah Lacey soak up the sun in Bali w / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Philly McMahon and Sarah Lacey soak up the sun in Bali w 15 members of the victorious squad flew off to the Indonesian party island to soak up some winter sun and enjoy some quality time away together. Situated beside a stunning beach, its New Year's Eve party featured a host of electronic acts including Camelphat, Elderbook, Flight Facilities and Lost Frequencies. The popular venue features four pools and nine bars, making it a huge hit with revellers. Last year's event saw over 12,000 revellers attending the open-air event with similar figures expected for the 2019 bash. Among those who made it to the team trip abroad were players Niall Scully, Cormac Costello and Paul Mannion. Meanwhile, TV presenter and model Ruth O'Neill has revealed how the past year has been one of her happiest to date. The former Xpose anchor said that 2019 was "so good to me" and was the best 12 months she's had in a long time after she took the plunge and moved abroad to America. The Castleknock native posted several pictures of herself in exotic locations, alongside several snaps with a mystery man and wrote: "I moved to New York on my own, I met this amazing guy and I got to travel around the world covering musical festivals and interviewing artists. "The difference a year makes." The Shiv Sena on Thursday admitted that there was a tussle among senior leaders of the three ruling alliance parties in Maharashtra for key Cabinet berths, and said some MLAs could not be inducted as ministers because the list of "probables" was huge. It also took a dim view of some people vandalising the Congress office in Pune to protest against non-inclusion of party MLA Sangram Thopte in the ministry. The Congress used to call Shiv Sena's protests as 'rada culture' (hooliganism), but what Thopte's alleged supporters did was exactly the same, it said. This does not suit the "Congress culture", an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expanded his month-old ministry on Monday by inducting 36 ministers. "The Cabinet expansion was, indeed, delayed but it finally happened. There were some sparks of disappointment from those who could not make the cut, but the list of probables was huge," the Shiv Sena said. It said the opposition (BJP) may be "bubbling" over such developments, but even the previous Devendra Fadnavis government was no exception to such discontent during its Cabinet expansions. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also said it kept its word by inducting three Independents, who extended support to the Shiv Sena, unlike the Congress and NCP. "A strong and experienced Cabinet is in power, it should be allowed to function," the Sena said. On Shiv Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav expressing "shock" over his exclusion from the ministry, the Marathi daily said Cabinet berth was "not promised" to anyone, including Jadhav, who joined the Thackeray-led party after quitting the NCP. "Jadhav claimed Thackeray promised to make him Cabinet minister. As per our information, no such promise was made to him. Thackeray must have asked him to join the Sena ahead of the Assembly polls and be part of the government," it said. The Shiv Sena joined hands with the Congress and NCP, its traditional adversaries, after its alliance with the BJP collapsed over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post following the state Assembly polls held in October last year. Noting that there was a tussle over portfolio distribution, the Shiv Sena said senior Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan, who has been inducted into the state Cabinet, needs a ministry like 'revenue'. But the ministry is currently with another Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, it pointed out. Expressing displeasure over vandalisation of Congress' office in Pune, the Sena said though Sangram Thopte distanced himself from the protest, the way such discontent has come out does not suit the "Congress culture". "The Congress used to call Shiv Sena's protests as 'rada culture', but what Thopte's alleged supporters did in the Pune Congress office was exactly the same," it said. Another Congress hopeful was three-time MLA Praniti Shinde, whose supporter wrote a letter in blood to party chief Sonia Gandhi, claiming that Shinde and her father worked hard for the party and always remained loyal to the leadership. Praniti Shinde, the MLA from Solapur, is the daughter of veteran Congressman and former Maharashtra chief minister and Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde. "Her father could become chief minister and Union home minister because of the Gandhi family and the Congress," the Sena claimed. Edward Gallagher brand Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images/Nine Line SFG/Business Insider A Navy SEAL who was acquitted of murder charges has launched a lifestyle brand with T-shirts, hoodies, and drinking accessories. Edward Gallagher was charged with murder in 2018 and demoted by the Navy. US President Donald Trump reversed Gallagher's sentence and reinstated his rank. Gallagher's squad said that he targeted civilians including women and children and that he fatally stabbed a young ISIS fighter his team was treating medically. He was found not guilty of those charges. He was found guilty of one charge: posing with the body of the dead ISIS fighter. Trump repeatedly intervened in Gallagher's case, prompting criticism from the military. Gallagher has become a conservative figure and Fox News guest who has designed other T-shirts and promoted products on Instagram. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Edward Gallagher, the Navy SEAL who was found guilty of posing with the corpse of ISIS fighter and had his sentence reversed by US President Donald Trump, has launched a lifestyle brand. Gallagher, a special operations chief, was charged in 2018 with crimes including murder, accused by his platoon of targeting civilians including women and children. He was acquitted of all but one charge in July. He received support from Trump for months before his trial began, and had his demotion reversed by Trump in November. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Gallagher appears to have embraced the branding opportunities that come with his increased public profile by launching a clothing collaboration and endorsing nutrition supplements and coffee. The collaboration, called Salty Frog Gear, includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, and drinkware consisting of a branded whiskey glass and a decanter. Edward Gallagher Andrea Gallagher via Reuters Gallagher has escalated his move into branding since the case, which turned him into a conservative figure who has appeared on Fox News. Story continues He has collaborated with two other clothing brands on two T-shirts that say "Free Eddie." Other T-shirts say "In a world full of mean girls be a Gallagher." He has also endorsed products on his Instagram account with his wife. Gallagher was charged after his fellow SEALs accused of him of fatally stabbing a young ISIS fighter his team was treating medically in 2017. He posed for a picture with the dead body. A military jury in July acquitted Gallagher of most of the charges, except for posing with the body, leading to his demotion within the Navy from chief petty officer to petty officer first class. Trump overrode the Navy's decision in November, directly contradicting its senior command, and Gallagher was reinstated as a chief petty officer. FILE - In this Dec. 24, 2019 photo, President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media following a Christmas Eve video teleconference with members of the military at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. As a candidate for the White House, Donald Trump repeatedly promised that he would immediately replace President Barack Obamas health care law with a plan of his own that would provide insurance for everybody. Back then, Trump made it sound that his plan much less expensive and much better than the Affordable Care Act was imminent. And he put drug companies on notice that their pricing power no longer would be politically protected. Nearly three years after taking office, Americans still are waiting for Trumps big reveal. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Associated Press Gallagher has denied any wrongdoing, while squad members and other military officials have been critical of Trump's intervention. Nine Line, the clothing company collaborating with Gallagher to make Salty Frog Gear, wrote on its website that even though he was acquitted, Gallagher now had "a criminal record, and a huge chunk missing from his lifetime pension as a result." It said that Gallagher and his wife, Andrea, felt that the "Washington establishment" had treated them similarly to the way Trump frequently claims he is, adding that "perhaps that's why President Trump took a particular interest in Gallagher's case." Nine Line described Salty Frog Gear as "a coastal lifestyle brand with an edge." "With specialty garments flexible enough for a fishing trip at sea or a weekend afternoon on the range, SFG provides functional, versatile, and affordable apparel solutions for your next outdoor adventure," it said. Gallagher's lawyers declined to comment to The Times about the collaboration, though the couple's Instagram account criticized the journalist behind the Tuesday article and others about Gallagher's acquittal. They said of Dave Philipps, a military reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner, "10 years ago - You would have failed Journalism school for your complete inability to separate the truth from your biased liberal agenda." Edward Gallagher John Gastaldo / Reuters Trump's intervention in Gallagher's case drew widespread criticism from within the Navy and the Pentagon. One SEAL who had testified against Gallagher told The San Diego Union-Tribune last month that it risked politicizing the military. "When you look at politicians getting involved in military justice whether it's a congressman from San Diego or the president with their involvement, it isn't justice," the SEAL said. "It's political, when shooting civilians and executing prisoners shouldn't be." Veterans have also said that Trump's pardons could harm trust in the military. SEALs who served alongside Gallagher called him "freaking evil" and "toxic" during the investigation into him, according to leaked interviews published by The Times in December. "You could tell he was perfectly OK with killing anybody that was moving," Special Operator First Class Corey Scott, a medic, told investigators, according to The Times. Read the original article on Business Insider DUBLIN, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "The Global 5G Testing Equipment Market" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. 5G deployments are an important trend in the telecom industry. The deployments call for substantial incorporation of network virtualization as the entire 5G spectrum can be split into several virtualized network slices that can be independently owned and managed by any kind of enterprise from any type of industry vertical. 5G will also serve as a platform for connected devices, which range from low bandwidth applications to applications that require high throughput and low latency (and as such need to operate on a network bandwidth spectrum of a range considerably higher than its predecessors). While it will take some time before any carrier can fully deploy a 5G network that addresses all the specified use cases, there is a significant amount of ground that needs to be covered in terms of developing the specified network architecture. Network operators, device manufacturers, and chipset manufacturers require a host of testing solutions that can test and validate the design and power requirements of those components that are a part of the 5G ecosystem. There are many challenges associated with the successful deployment of 5G, which the communications testing industry will capitalize on provided that participants have the right solutions to address the end-user requirements. A key factor that stands out is the affordability of the equipment that stakeholders across the 5G value chain use to address their deployment challenges. Testing equipment is expensive and as the frequency spectrum increases, so does the requirement to procure higher resolution testing equipment that is capable of testing at higher frequencies. The network operators who are trying to deploy 5G networks and the manufacturers of 5G specific equipment, devices, and chipsets require testing solutions that are affordable and have a higher degree of utilization. To enhance savings from procurement costs, prominent communication testing vendors have tried addressing these issues by offering a slew of asset optimizing services, such as leasing out equipment when not in use. They have also strategically acquired other testing companies that offer testing solutions that complement their own. These are just a few of the many activities that communication testing vendors have undertaken to outshine the competition. Radar Scope The Radar reveals the market positioning of companies in an industry using their Growth and Innovation scores as highlighted in the methodology. The document presents competitive profiles on each of the companies in the Radar based on their strengths, opportunities, and a small discussion on their positioning. The author analyzes hundreds of companies in the industry and benchmarks them across 10 criteria on the Radar, where the leading companies in the industry are then positioned. Industry leaders, predominantly in the Innovation Index for this market, are recognized as best practice recipients. Key Topics Covered 1. Industry Overview 2. The Radar - 5G Testing Equipment Market 3. C2A - Market Participant Profiles Keysight Technologies Rohde & Schwarz Teradyne Anritsu Spirent Communications VIAVI Solutions Advantest Tektronix EXFO Infovista Cohu National Instruments Accuver Yokogawa DingLi AFL VeEX Fluke 4. The Last Word Key Takeaways For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lu0k6u Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Appeal for witnesses after Caia Park incident leaves man in intensive care This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jan 1st, 2020 Police are currently investigating an incident in the Pont Wen area of Wrexham where a man has been taken to hospital and is currently in intensive care. The nature of the incident has not been disclosed. One man has been arrested and police say he is currently helping police with their enquiries Anyone with any information about the incident, which occurred at around 8.30pm this evening, is asked to contact North Wales Police on 101 quoting incident number Y000532. Turkey's parliament overwhelmingly approved a bill allowing troop deployment in Libya, on Thursday (January 2) -- a move that paves the way for further military cooperation between Ankara and Tripoli, but is unlikely to see boots immediately on the ground. President Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Turkey would deploy troops in Libya to support the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA last month requested Turkish support as it fends off an offensive by General Khalifa Haftar's forces to the east of the country. His forces are backed by Russia, Egypt, the UAE and Jordan. The bill, which was opposed by all major opposition parties in the parliament, passed by 315 to 184 votes. Opposition parties said such a move could exacerbate conflicts in Libya, and endanger Turkish soldiers in the region and Turkey's national security. The jaw-dropping getaway by one-time industry titan Carlos Ghosn added insult to an injurious year for the automakers he used to run: Renault and Nissan. The two were the worst-performing carmakers on the Bloomberg World Auto Manufacturers Index in 2019, falling 23pc and 28pc, respectively. Ferrari, Kia and Tesla logged some of the biggest gains. Mr Ghosn (65) fled Japan and took refuge in Lebanon, just over a year after his arrest in Tokyo roiled the two companies and strained ties between them. His escape also cast a cloud over the relationship between France and Japan at a moment when the countries are trying to help two of their largest employers shore up a two-decade-long alliance. While Nissan dismissed its long-time leader in November 2018, Japan's third-largest carmaker by output is still reeling from the fallout. Last week, the company's number-three official said he will join another firm. His was the latest in a string of departures that included Hiroto Saikawa, Mr Ghosn's successor-turned-accuser, who stepped down as CEO last year amid a scandal over excess compensation. Expand Close Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn is thought to be at his Beirut home. Phpoto Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn is thought to be at his Beirut home. Phpoto Getty Images The exodus has exacerbated the challenge of navigating an industry downturn that has driven Nissan's profits to the lowest in a decade and prompted Renault, which ousted its CEO last year, to slash its financial guidance in October. Established carmakers are seeking scale through consolidation as a way of splitting the billions of dollars in investments needed to keep up with the shift toward electric and self-driving cars. Yet Renault and Nissan have been drifting apart since Mr Ghosn's exit. The consequences of those tensions were on full display last year when resistance from Nissan torpedoed a plan for Renault to merge with Fiat Chrysler. Fiat has since agreed to combine with Renault's French rival, Peugeot. Mitsubishi Motors, the third partner in the Renault-Nissan alliance, has not fared much better. Its stock tumbled 24pc in 2019, with analysts calling for profits to tumble 75pc in the fiscal year ending in March. Expand Close Security the home of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn in a wealthy neighbourhood of Beirut. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Security the home of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn in a wealthy neighbourhood of Beirut. Photo: Getty Images Lebanese television station MTV reported that Mr Ghosn smuggled himself out of Japan in a large musical instrument box after a Christmas band visited his court-monitored residence in Tokyo. He later entered Lebanon from Turkey on a private plane. The getaway followed weeks of planning, the 'Wall Street Journal' reported, citing unidentified sources. A team of accomplices assembled last weekend to carry out his exfiltration, and his wife, Carole, played a major role in the operation, the newspaper said. French daily 'Le Monde', citing unidentified sources, similarly reported that Carole Ghosn organised the escape with the help of her brothers and their contacts in Turkey, and that her husband entered Lebanon with an ID card. He may have decided to flee because of new information Japanese authorities could have obtained from a Swiss bank and from offshore centres including Dubai, the newspaper reported. The Lebanese newspaper 'Annahar', by contrast, reported that Mr Ghosn entered the country with a French passport. The former industry heavyweight has Lebanese, French and Brazilian citizenship, though all his passports had been taken from him. Mr Ghosn is expected to give a press conference from Lebanon in his new home after the holidays. Bloomberg The Congress on Thursday took a swipe at the ruling BJP, asking it to adopt seven New Year resolutions such as exercising more democratic principles, losing the weight of patriarchy and learning the skill of telling the truth. It also suggested that the BJP should embrace resolutions of live life to the fullest and let others do the same, spend less money on advertising, read more of the Constitution and spend more time in India, an apparent jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been often targeted by the opposition party for his foreign visits. "Most people are usually unable to stick to their resolutions, but we implore the BJP to adhere to the above promises for a better and more democratic way of governance," the Congress said in an article "BJP's New Year Resolutions" on its website. Sharing the article on Twitter, it posted,"Top 7 New Year's Resolutions the BJP should make immediately." The New Year brings in promises that all make to better their lives as well as of those around them, the Congress said. "So, our New Year gift to the ruling party is to help them with their resolutions. We have taken some of the most popular resolutions that people make and have given them a little bit of a twist in order to ensure the best possible outcome for you all," it said. The article said the first resolution of exercising more democratic principles is the need of the hour for the BJP and must be given utmost priority. "From imposing (CrPC) Section 144 in major cities to the undemocratic scrapping of Article 370 and especially the extreme force used against peaceful protestors recently; with the talks of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to that of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the BJP has proven democratic practices hold little value for them. "Hence, such a resolution is not only apt, but much needed," the Congress said. The resolution about losing the weight of patriarchy targets the BJP's narrative that is evident from the "infamous" Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath opposing the Women's Reservation Bill, which the party has not yet implemented, the Congress alleged. Prime Minister Modi, who is known for his social media presence, follows 1,779 people, and among them are people who post sexist tweets, personal attacks, abuses and rumours aimed at women, especially women journalists, it alleged. "Not surprisingly, the BJP has MPs and MLAs who have a history of crimes against women, more than any other political party in the country. Moreover, the crimes against women have increased by 9 per cent under their rule," the Congress said. The resolution, "we wish that the BJP would stick to is quite obvious - honesty is the best policy", it said. "We have seen many lies spew out of their mouths, from the denial of the presence of detention centres to the fact that they have never uttered the letters N-R-C," the Congress said. "Recently we have seen the inconsistency in the narrative of (Home Minister) Amit Shah as well as Narendra Modi with the former announcing in Parliament that the NRC is inevitable and the latter denying any talks about it at all. "They're trapping themselves in a web of lies, so we're certain that this resolution will serve them well," it said. The Congress also accused the ruling government of not liking anybody voicing their dissent towards them, even if it is in a peaceful and democratic manner. "Anything that may cause them even the slightest inconvenience must be cracked down upon hard. The unlawful detainments, the entry of police in educational institutions, the firing of pellet guns on peaceful protestors or the arrest of journalists who relay the facts and tell the truth, are just a few examples," it said. Taking a jibe at the prime minister, the Congress said "Narendra Modi has travelled to 92 countries in 55 months which cost him more than Rs 2,021 crore. In 2020, he should consider spending more time working to achieve his many tall promises & less on foreign trips and campaigning." The opposition party also took a swipe at the BJP leadership for spending on advertisements, alleging that the BJP is the single largest spender on advertisements by spending around Rs 17 crore, which is 500 per cent more than what the Congress did. It is no secret that the BJP has a "blatant disdain" towards the Constitution, it often comes across as if they have never read it, the Congress alleged. This can be seen "in their CAA which violates Article 14 of the Indian Constitution, the undemocratic abrogation of Article 370 or the crackdown on journalists and peaceful protestors which is a blatant attack on free expression and freedom of the press", the Congress said in the article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) is ready to launch the Activa 6G with a BS-VI compliant engine this month. An invite sent by the auto manufacturer mentions a launch event scheduled on January 15 where the Honda 6G is most likely to be unveiled. This new Honda Activa 6G will adhere to the Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) emission norms that come into effect from April 1, 2020. While details of the upcoming Honda Activa 6G are not known yet, it is likely to retain some features from the Activa 5G. Honda Activa 6G is likely to sport the company's silent start-stop system. Honda Activa 5G is among the few scooters in India that come with full-metal body panels and the Activa 6G is likely to continue with them. Some design tweaks are expected, but nothing has been confirmed by the company yet. ALSO READ:Bajaj Auto total domestic sales drop 12% between April and December in FY20 ALSO READ:Auto Slowdown: Honda Cars India domestic sales fall 50% to 6,459 in November Even if the engine undergoes a massive overhaul to meet BS-VI standards, Honda will most likely use a 110cc engine for the Honda Activa 6G. There might be a drop in output, though, in comparison to the motor 7.96hp power and 9Nm torque that the Activa 5G produces. This will be the second scooter by Honda to get the BS-VI treatment. The company has already launched BS-VI compliant variants of Activa 125 and SP 125. It will also be the second 110cc scooter after TVS Jupiter to become BS-VI compliant. Honda Activa 6G will surely get a price hike due to the modifications for making it BS-VI compliant. Currently, Activa 5G prices begin at Rs 55,000 (ex-showroom Delhi). Prices for the top-end variant of BS-VI Activa 125 rose by Rs 9,000. The jump in prices for the successor of Activa 5G is likely to be less than that. ALSO READ:Honda Cars India partners TranzLease for auto finance solution ALSO READ:Hero MotoCorp to hike motorcycle, scooter prices from January 1 A flag is one of the most recognizable symbols that a country can have. Flags come in different color combinations. Some have only two color combinations while others may have up to six colors (such as the flag of South Africa or the flag of South Sudan). Blue and yellow are some of the common colors on flags. Several national and regional flags are only made up of the two colors. However, the color shade may vary from dark to light yellow/blue. Here are some well-known flags that feature blue and yellow: Europe Ukraine In Europe, the most popular flags with blue and yellow are the Swedish and Ukrainian flags. The flag of Ukraine features two horizontal stripes; a light blue on top of the yellow strip. The two Ukrainian colors are derived from the heraldry of the city of Lviv. Sweden The flag of Sweden features a yellow Scandinavian cross on a blue background. The two colors on Swedens flag originated from the country national arms. Apart from the two countries, certain cities and regions in Europe also have the blue and yellow flag including Opole city in Poland with yellow and blue horizontal striped flag and Asturias in Spain with yellow Cruz de la Victoria on a blue background. Others include the flags of East Lothian (Scotland), Cheshire, County Durham (all in England), and Central Macedonia in Greece. The flag of Opole, Poland. The flag of Asturias, Spain. The United States Alaska Several states in the US also have blue and yellow flags. The flag of Alaska consists of eight yellow or gold stars arranged to form the Big Dipper with Polaris on a dark blue background. Indiana The flag of Indiana consists of a dark blue background with gold or yellow torch surrounded by 13 outer stars and an inner semi-circle of 5 stars, and a star on top of the torch crowned with the word Indiana". Kansas The flag of Kansas consists of a dark blue background with the state seal consisting of elements of different colors and sunflower over a bar of yellow and blue. The name KANSAS is printed below the seal. Other states with blue and yellow flags include Oregon and South Dakota. Others Palau in the Pacific also has a yellow and blue flag. Palau has a simple flag featuring a light blue background which symbolizes the waters of the ocean and a yellow globe at the center of the flag representing the moon which is an important element in the lives of the Islanders. The flag of Kazakhstan consists of a sky blue background and a gold sun with 32 rays above a golden eagle at the center. On the hoist side is a national ornamental pattern known as Koshkar-muiz in gold. Blue and yellow flags are not only limited to countries, cities or regions. In motor racing, with the yellow diagonal stripe is used to warn drivers of an approaching car ready to overtake them. At least 17 people are missing following bushfires in eastern Victoria. Premier Daniel Andrews said there were 'significant concerns' for unaccounted residents scattered across small communities in the region. There are fears the number of those missing will rise as the Premier believes some were trying to save their homes. 'There are at least 17 people that at this stage we cannot account for. Their whereabouts are unknown to us,' Mr Andrews told reporters on Thursday. 'It may be some of those people are safe but we hold very significant fears for the welfare of anybody who is missing at this time.' Scroll down for video An aerial view of a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria's East Gippsland region on Tuesday The Premier was unable to specify which communities the missing people were from. It came two days after great-grandfather Mick Roberts, 67, died at his home as fires tore through the community of Buchan. He had not made contact with family for more than 24 hours before his niece Leah Parson confirmed the tragic news on the East Gippsland fire season 2019-2020 Facebook page on Wednesday. Mick Roberts, 67, was found passed away in his fire damage residence in Buchan on Wednesday morning More than 1000 firefighters were l battling 51 fires burning across Victoria, mostly in the east of the state. The Navy was trying to evacuate as many as 4,000 people on Thursday from the coastal holiday town of Mallacoota, where residents and tourists spent New Year's Eve on the beach. Around 24 communities had been cut off with no power or phone coverage, including Mallacoota. 'We think around 3000 tourists and 1000 locals are there. Not all of those will want to leave, not all can get on the vessel at one time,' Mr Andrews told ABC Gippsland. 'There's a whole lot of planning going on about where that vessel will go, it will be a long trip, potentially a 10 or 12 hour trip to take them to another port and then to provide them with all the support they will need.' Dozens of homes have been lost in East Gippsland area, including 19 at Sarsfieldm (pictured) The deadly fires had burnt through more than 766,000 hectares across Victoria, more land than the Black Saturday bushfires that claimed 173 lives in 2009. 'Their scale and severity are beyond anything we've seen in a very long time,' Mr Andrews posted on Facebook on Wednesday. Confirmed property losses in the East Gippsland region included 24 structures at Buchan, 19 at Sarsfield, 10 at Mallacoota and up to 15 at Cudgewa. The mercury was forecast to creep up in the region on Friday, before reaching the 40s on Saturday, when the heat, hot winds and possible thunderstorms would increase the risk of new fires and fan the current blazes. The Navy is currently trying to evacuate as many as 4,000 people from the Mallacoota Emergency Management Victoria Deputy Commissioner Chris Stephenson made a plea for those left in the region. 'The message from us is very clear, you do not need to be in these remote communities where these fires are approaching,' he said. 'We still have serious fire in the landscape. You have to get out and you have to get out before the weekend. 'Even before tomorrow and Friday night. This is still a very dangerous situation and the state cannot afford to have people isolated.' HANOI/BANDAR LAMPUNG, Indonesia, Jan 2 -- Vietnamese farmers held back from selling coffee beans this week due to low prices, traders said on Thursday, as trade remained sluggish in Asias top coffee markets due to the holiday season. Farmers in the Central Highlands, Vietnams largest coffee-growing area, sold coffee COFVN-DAK at 33,600 dong ($1.45) per kg, flat from last week. March robusta coffee settled up $7, or 0.5%, at $1,382 per tonne on Dec. 31. Although farmers are under pressure to sell beans to cash in ahead of the Lunar New Year, which is three weeks away, unattractively low London prices have discouraged them, said a trader based in the region. Farmers still hoped that prices would go up. Vietnams coffee exports in 2019 fell 13.9% from a year earlier, to about 1.61 million tonnes, official data showed. Traders in Vietnam offered 5% black and broken grade 2 robusta COFVN-G25-SAI at a $50 premium per tonne to the March contract on Thursday, compared with last weeks $70-$80 premium. Meanwhile, the Indonesian market resumed trading after being closed for holidays last week. Indonesias grade 4 defect 80 robusta beans COFID-G4-USD were offered at premiums of $250 to the March contract this week, a trader in Sumatras Lampung province said. Trade activity is still light because of the holidays, the trader said. Indonesia exported 16,202 tonnes of robusta coffee beans from Lampung province in December, up 26% year-on-year, data from local trade office showed on Thursday. ($1 = 23,168 dong) by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 2, 2020 Moonshot CVE, a private London-based start-up aimed at heading off radicalism, has developed an online tool that sends those who type in extremist search terms in Google to videos promoting anti-extremist views. The company first used the technology to redirect potential recruits for the Islamic State, but it recently it has repurposed to counter radicalism in the United States, according to one report. Moonshot CVE has worked with the Anti-Defamation League and Gen Next Foundation, a philanthropic organization, to develop the pilot that ran for several months in the summer of 2019. I think in general that U.S. government work in the prevention space has been a little bit slow in coming, but this strikes us as a very worthwhile program that should continue, Russell E. Travers, acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center, toldThe New York Times. Vidhya Ramalingam and Ross Frenett created Moonshot. Both worked at a London think tank that focused on Islamic and other forms of extremism issues before they founded the company in 2015. The effort, to be unveiled in the coming months in the United States, will respond to a wide range of search terms. Moonshot, which previously developed 48 ads, now has 1,064. Five playlists have been expanded to 86. The goal is to redirect search terms such as RaHoWa -- short for Racial Holy War -- among others. Moonshot buys ads on Google. The NYT reports that sometimes the company will self-finance its media buy similar to the way it did in New Zealand and Australia in the following 24 hours after the attacks on mosques in March. The redirects also send those searching on extremist phrases and words to YouTube. Playlists might include short videos with former extremists who explain why the ideology is misguided. The idea is to help people change their perspective. The Moonshot team spends months building a database of search terms -- about 20,000 that will trigger an ad on Google in which searcher can click on. Searches about committing hate crimes surge after attacks like the August shooting at an El Paso Walmart or the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, according to the report. Moonshot told the NYT it gets data only on search terms and nothing about individuals. Funding sometimes creates challenges, but recently not in Canada. The Canadian government awarded Moonshot more than $1.5 million to run the program that ends in March after 18 months. First passengers travel to Ho Chi Minh City in 2020 (Photo: VNA) The first passengers of Vietnam Airlines arriving in Hanoi and HCM City were on flights from France. Ceremonies to welcome the special guests were held at airports by leaders of the departments of tourism and Vietnam Airlines representatives. Vietnam Airlines operated 134,000 flights in 2019, carrying 23 million passengers and nearly 346,000 tonnes of cargo. Meanwhile, its OTP index hits 90 percent, 2 percent higher than the set goal for the year. Its profit in 2019 hit nearly 3.37 trillion VND (146.20 million USD) the highest level so far. The firms revenue reached nearly 101.2 trillion VND (4.36 billion USD), up 2.2 trillion VND compared to 2018. It contributed nearly 7.37 trillion VND (317.7 million USD) to the State budget, 10 percent higher than the previous year. For 2020, the firm has set to transport 25 million passengers and revenue of 110.5 trillion VND (4.76 billion USD). American Airlines said Thursday it is negotiating with Boeing Co. over compensation for the airlines grounded planes and will share some of the proceeds with its employees. American had 24 Boeing 737 Max jets when the planes were grounded worldwide in March after two deadly crashes. Like other airlines, American has canceled thousands of flights as a result. It estimated that the grounding will cut its full-year 2019 pretax income by $540 million. A spokesman for American said Thursday that the airline is talking to Boeing as to what that compensation looks like. Boeing has suggested that compensation could be in cash or other forms, such as help with training or spare parts. American expects to make part of the compensation eligible for employee profit sharing, the spokesman said without providing any figures. American Airlines Group Inc. CEO Doug Parker said in October he was confident that any losses due to the Max grounding wont be incurred by American shareholders, but will be borne by the Boeing shareholders. Boeing has reached partial settlements with Southwest Airlines and Turkish Airlines neither carrier disclosed details while continuing to negotiate with others. Chicago-based Boeing has estimated the cost at $5.6 billion over several years. Meanwhile, it remains unclear when the Max will fly again. Boeing is still working on software and computer updates to prevent a repeat of crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. In both crashes, a key sensor malfunctioned and triggered an automated system to push the nose of the plane down, according to accident investigators. The Federal Aviation Administration would have to approve Boeings changes to the Max before the planes can fly in the U.S. Regulators in other countries plan to conduct their own reviews. V Balakrishna By Express News Service HYDERABAD: TRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday dismissed as baseless the buzz that he would soon be stepping into the shoes of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Responding to a question at an informal interaction with the media at Telangana Bhavan, Rama Rao said: The chief minister has said in the Assembly that he would remain the chief minister for two more terms. The TRS will be in power for three more terms, including the present one. I am 66 and I can continue as CM, KTR recalled the statement made by KCR in the Assembly and said, when the chief minister himself clarified on that, where is the need for a debate on the matter. 'New decade belongs to TS On the occasion of the New Years day, the TRS working president took a volley of questions from the media persons which covered a wide gamut of subjects, including politics, creation of infrastructure for industries, the Centres Rs 102 lakh crore grandiose plan for augmenting infrastructure in the country, the launch of pharma city and ensuing municipal elections. Stating that 2020 belongs to the TRS, he said: In 2020, the TRS will be able to win a lions share of civic bodies in the ensuing municipal polls. It is a beginning of new decade. The coming decade, 2020- 30 belongs to Telangana, under the leadership of KCR, he said. KCR will soon chalk out plans for municipal polls KT Rama Rao said that the TRS is the only party which is prepared for the municipal polls. This week, KCR will hold a meeting to chalk out the strategy for the polls. Our aim is to effectively implement the new Municipal Act. Soon, Pattana Pragathi will be launched and it will be implemented simultaneously with Palle Pragathi, he said. Rama Rao said that the TRS will continue to maintain friendly relations with border states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Even if some minor problems arise they can be resolved with understanding, he said. As regards to Godavari waterss diversion to Krishna basin, KTR said that the CMs of the two states will decide whether it has to be carried out together or independently. Referring to the Centres Rs 102 -lakh crore stimulus for infrastructure development, he said the State is waiting for finer details. Not happy with Centre The TRS leader said that he is unhappy that the Centre had not yet responded to the States plea for development of a defence industrial corridor. But the Centre, due to political reasons, set it up in Bundelkhand. If the Centre wanted to achieve $5-trillion economy, it should encourage all the states, he said. Already, Hyderabad Pharma City acquired NIMZ status and got environmental clearance. We have acquired 10,000 acres and 2,000 more acres have to be acquired, he said. The final phase of Metro Rail from JBS to MGBS will be inaugurated by the CM, once the election code is over. The Metro train and MMTS phase-2 will be extended to the Old City, he said. KTR holds meet with partymen on civic polls TRS working president KT Rama Rao held a meeting with party leaders at Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday on the forthcoming municipal polls. He told workers that party president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao would convene a meeting shortly on the polls. The victories registered by the TRS in 2019 would continue in 2020 too under the able leadership of KCR, Rama Rao said. Fugitive former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn met Lebanons president after fleeing from Japan, where he was smuggled out of house arrest by a private security company, two sources close to Ghosn said on Wednesday, Trend reports citing Reuters. One of the sources said Ghosn was greeted warmly by President Michel Aoun on Monday after flying into Beirut via Istanbul and was now in a buoyant and combative mood and felt secure. The plan to slip Ghosn out of Japan, which marked the latest twist in a year-old saga that has shaken the global auto industry, was crafted over three months, the two sources said. It was a very professional operation from start to finish, one of them said. In his meeting at the presidency, Ghosn thanked Aoun for the support he had given him and his wife Carole while he was in detention, the sources said. He now needs the protection and security of his government after fleeing Japan, the sources added. The meeting between Aoun and Ghosn has not been made public and a media adviser to the presidents office denied the two men had met. The two sources said specifics of the meeting were described to them by Ghosn. Ghosn could not be reached for comment on the meeting and has been silent publicly other than to issue a written statement shortly after his arrival saying he had escaped injustice and political persecution. More than half of the country's coal-fired power plants and 94 percent of the coal-fired units ordered to retrofit equipment to curb air pollution would likely miss the phased deadlines Coal-fired utilities around New Delhi were still operating on Wednesday despite threats from government authorities to close them down if they had not installed retrofit equipment to curb air pollution, industry estimates showed.equipment to cut emissions of sulfur oxides by the end of last year. A total of 47.95 gigawatts thermal power capacity missed the 31 December deadline to install Flue Gas Desulphurization (FDG) units to minimise SO2 emissions, the estimates prepared by private power producers showed. These include coal-fired units in the national capital region, according to a PTI report. Coal-fired power plants, which produce three-quarters of India's electricity, account for some 80 percent of industrial emissions of sulfur and nitrous-oxides, which cause lung diseases and smog. Power plants were asked to install FGD units, which cut emissions of sulfur dioxides, in phases. In all 440 coal-fired plans that produce 166.5 GW have to comply with the regulation by December 2022. More than one-third of these had to retrofit equipment by December 2019. The power plants that missed the deadline to cut emission levels across the country included 33 units with a total capacity of 18.12 GW in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Another 20 units with a total capacity of 11.3 GW are located in southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, the estimates showed. In addition, seven units of capacity 8.04 GW operated by private firms located in Haryana and Punjab are expected to miss the deadline, the estimates showed. Deadlines extended by two years The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had previously set December 2017 as the deadline for meeting the emission standards but extended it by two years as the country adopted a phased approach for thermal power plants to comply with emission norms, which involve installing FGD units that cut emissions of sulfur dioxides. If the plants are not compliant within the 31 December 2019 deadline, CPCB has the authority to take the necessary action as per the law and court guidance, industry sources said, according to PTI. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had on December 7, 2015, brought out new norms for coal-based power stations to cut down emissions of particulate matter (PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) to improve the air quality around power plants. To meet the new emission norms, the installation of the FGD system was essential in new as well as existing thermal power plants. Few plants comply with norm Sources said a handful of plants had complied with the norm but most have missed the deadline. As many as 267 units, which produce 103.4 GW of power, have to be compliant between December 2019 and February 2022. Three senior executives at companies operating power plants around New Delhi and facing an end-2019 deadline said they had not received direction on whether they could continue to run the plants having not installed the kit, according to Reuters. Only one out of the 11 utilities in the national capital region had installed the equipment. The government had already extended its December 2017 deadline for its utilities to meet the emissions standardsposing a further challenge to the authorities grappling with the pollution that can cause lung disease and blights air quality. Officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), who had threatened a shut down for non-compliance, did not respond to repeated calls and text messages seeking comment. Reuters reported last month that more than half of the country's coal-fired power plants and 94 percent of the coal-fired units ordered to retrofit equipment to curb air pollution would likely miss the phased deadlines. The air quality index for Delhi, the worst affected major city, indicated severe conditions on Wednesdaylike most days this wintera potential risk for even healthy people. Real-time data government data showed both power plants in the countrys largest state of Uttar Pradesh which had a 31 December deadline were operating. In Punjab, Vedanta-owned TSPL units were producing power, as were state-run plants at Ropar and Bhatinda. Mohammed Shayin, managing director at northern Haryana state-run power generator HPGCL said all units other than ones under scheduled maintenance were operational, adding that the utility was pleading with federal authorities to extend the emissions deadline. Private producers such as Vedanta and Larsen & Toubro Ltd argued for yet another extension to the deadline. L&T-owned Nabha Power Ltd said it was constrained to shut down both its units due to a delay in extension of timelines by the CPCB. Vedanta said it was confident that authorities would take a considerate stand. We shall shut the plant in case we get the directions from the CPCB or the environment ministry, the company said. --With agency inputs NEW YORK, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 10,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced UC Asset LP (OTCQX: UCASU), a limited partnership formed for the purpose of investing in real estate, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. UC Asset LP begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "UCASU." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com . "Congratulations to UC Asset LP on going public utilizing a Regulation A offering," said Jason Paltrowitz, Director of OTC Markets Group International Ltd. and EVP of Corporate Services at OTC Markets Group. "OTCQX provides investor-focused companies with a transparent, cost-effective public market to build visibility. We look forward to supporting UC Asset LP and the company's shareholders." "We are thrilled that our shares will be traded on OTCQX, a premium market operated by OTC Markets Group," says Larry Wu, founder of UC Asset. "UC Asset was founded and became successful by directing global capital to invest in US community growth. Now we look forward to sharing our success with a more diverse group of investors." "Our strategy is to focus on long-term community growth," said Gregory Bankston, managing member of UC Asset LP's general partner. "Atlanta, Georgia and Dallas, Texas are among the top 5 fastest-growing metros in US. We believe that the best strategy to invest in fast-growing metros is to be an integrated part of its long-term growth. We expand our portfolio by building up communities in trending parts of these metros, one neighborhood at a time. By doing that, we are able to have a positive impact on the lives of residents, while offering our investors a promising ROI." Jones & Haley, P.C. acted as the company's OTCQX sponsor. About UC Asset LP UC Asset LP is a limited partnership formed for the purpose of investing in real estate for development and redevelopment, concentrating in metropolitan areas of Atlanta, GA and Dallas, TX. About OTC Markets Group Inc. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors. To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com . OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed Media Contact: OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected] SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc. Related Links http://www.otcmarkets.com Add CoolSocial badge. Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Tradingbiz.com scored 42 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 16 Apr 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Add a widget like this on your site: click here The total number of people who shared the tradingbiz homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the tradingbiz homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the tradingbiz homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if tradingbiz has a Facebook fan page). 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Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Turkey detains 7 over ex-Nissan CEOs transit through Istanbul Carlos Ghosn, one of the worlds best-known executives, has become Japans most famous fugitive after he revealed on Tuesday he had fled to Lebanon to escape a rigged justice system. Seven people were arrested in Istanbul over aiding ex-Nisan CEO Carlos Ghosns escape from Japan to Lebanon, according to security sources on Thursday. 4 PILOTS, 2 EMPLOYEES Police squads arrested the suspects; four pilots, two employees for a private ground service company and one operations director for a courier company, the sources said. The arrest came after Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutors Office launched an investigation into Ghosn's escape to Lebanon via Istanbul Airport, after skipping bail in Japan. (Newser) A Cleveland man is going to have a very unhappy 2020 because of his reckless way of celebrating the new yearand his girlfriend isn't going to have one at all. Police say the 38-year-old man fatally injured his girlfriend while "popping off rounds" shortly after midnight at a New Year's Eve party he was hosting, Cleveland.com reports. The 31-year-old woman was hit in the chest and died in the hospital. The man was arrested at the scene and homicide detectives are investigating, reports 19 News. Police say there were at least a dozen New Year's Eve shootings in Cleveland but the woman was the only fatality. In another incident, at least four people were injured in a shooting outside a downtown nightclub around 1am. (Read more Cleveland stories.) Jimmy Fallon enjoyed a rocket ride on New Year's Day during a family trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The 45-year-old comedian beamed while flying around with his oldest daughter Winnie, six. Winnie and her younger sister Frances, five, both wore Mickey Mouse ears while walking with Jimmy and his wife Nancy Juvonen, 52, around the theme park. Rocket ride: Jimmy Fallon enjoyed a rocket ride on New Year's Day during a family trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon host donned a horizontally striped shirt under a black jacket along with black jeans for the family outing. He added a splash of color with rainbow laces for his white sneakers and accessorized with sunglasses. Nancy kept it simple in a plain black sweater, blue jeans and sneakers while accessorizing with sunglasses. They spent some time shopping on Main Street and carried shopping bags around. Family trip: The 45-year-old comedian walked with his daughters Winnie and Frances through Disneyland Cool laces: Jimmy added a splash of color with rainbow laces for his white sneakers and accessorized with sunglasses Holding hands: Nancy held hands with her daughter as the family celebrated New Year's Day at Disneyland Good times: Jimmy smiled while riding with Winnie on a rocket ride Jimmy has been hosting the late-night NBC talk show since February 2014. NBC announced in August 2015 that Jimmy had signed a contract to remain as host until at least 2021. He previously hosted Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC from 2009 until 2014. Shoulder ride: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon host gave his daughter a ride on his shoulders Ears on: The girls wore Mickey Mouse ears during their visit to Disneyland Doting dad: Jimmy held hands with his daughter as they walked around Shopping time: Nancy and Jimmy shopped on Main Street with the girls Happiest place: The family seemed to enjoy their visit to the happiest place on Earth Jimmy was a cast member on Saturday Night Live for six years from 1998 to 2004. He also has released two comedy albums and five books. Jimmy and Nancy met on the set of Fever Pitch and started dating in May 2007 before getting married in December 2007. A prominent Indian-American cardiologist will present a new method at the upcoming Indian Science Congress (ISC) in Bengaluru to test the effectiveness of yoga as an intervention for treating many diseases. Indranill Basu Ray, a cardiac electrophysiologist at the Veterans Hospital in Memphis, US, will present the "new protocol" at the 107th ISC to be held from January 3-7. "Despite understanding the molecular mechanism, large trials of yoga using the standard protocol called RCT (Randomised Control Trials) has not shown as much promise as expected," said Ray. "We proved tobacco was toxic not by doing clinical trials, but by following people who smoke and showing they develop a particular type of lung cancer -- it would have been almost impossible to prove this using an RCT other than being phenomenally costly," he said. Ray claimed that "same is true for yoga, as a person who has a disease like hypertension that is due to chronic adaptation to stress may be treated with a yoga protocol to eliminate the disease." With advanced molecular biology and commercially available wearable devices, the adaptive stress-response can be measured with yoga by monitoring hormone levels, a well-established biomarker of stress, Kolkata-born Ray said. This, he claimed, may also be done through complementary physiological signals such as electrodermal activity and heart rate variability, proxies for the arousal of the sympathetic nervous system. "It is the chronic arousal of this system due to adaptation to chronic stress that causes hypertension," Ray added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He noted that he was ready for any scenario of the impeachment investigation Open source U.S. President Donald Trump has called on NATO, as well as Germany and France, to provide financial assistance to Ukraine. It was reported by Voice of America. "Where is Chancellor Merkel? Where is French President Macron? Why do not they allocate money? Why only the United States? (which allocate money to Ukraine ed.)," Trump said. He also added that NATO should help Ukraine more. In addition, the US leader noted that he was ready for any scenario of the impeachment case. He once again stated that he "did nothing wrong". As we reported earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized House's of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi for holding off on sending the articles of impeachment against him to the Senate, Reuters informed. Its so unfair, they are violating the Constitution, Trump said, calling Pelosi crazy Nancy. Pelosi, on the other hand, is willing to secure the fair process in the Senate trial. Welcome to 2020! You and I may still be shaking off our New Years Eve hangovers (okay, maybe just you I went to bed at 3 a.m., stone-cold sober, having somehow stayed up watching YouTube hair tutorials that I will never bother even attempting, for reasons I could not begin to explain to you or to myself), but its another holiday altogether in RHONJ space-time. You guessed it: Syrian Orthodox Easter! At Jennifers house, the children gleefully scatter and hide at the sight of a (cooked) lambs head. Kill it, one of them screams, though in point of fact it is already very dead. Jennifers daughter, Gabriella, who learned last episode that her uncle Steven is gay a fact his and Jennifers mother apparently wont acknowledge asks her grandmother if the church doesnt support her uncle because he, again, is gay. No, Nana says. Hes not gay. (He is.) Okay, well, she didnt know that. (She did.) Do I hope that this awfully contrived-feeling plotline is a productive journey toward acceptance for this family? Sure I do! Do I love that a persons sexuality is being used as fodder for a story that, as its developing so far, doesnt seem to actually involve him that much? Not particularly! Jennifers other brother remains engaged to that nice Turkish girl from last season, but is still waiting on her visa to come through. RHONJ has really become the second-most important immigration reality show of our time, after the sacred text that is 90 Day Fiance. Teresa and our baby girl shes all grown up, can you believe it? darling Gia are shopping for prom dresses when Joe calls from the ICE facility. Husband and wife start squabbling about, respectively, Teresas spending habits and Joes failure to contribute to the familys finances, given that, in case you are joining us for the first time here on RHONJ, welcome, he has been incarcerated for years, while shes taken care of their four daurters (if the first two syllables of that phrase dont rhyme, youre pronouncing daughters wrong). And, by the way, he shouldnt have made her sign a prenup! Well, he didnt want to marry her in the first place! Gia the most emotionally mature member of the Giudice family by three lengths of the Turnpike tells them both to stop or she will turn this figurative car around. Also in the category of couples who should strongly consider parting ways (but, unlike Juicy Joe and Teresa, who can also be found within the category of couples who are definitely sleeping together), Danielle and Marty et tu, Sweetcake? have decided to blame Margaret for their divorce (and the abuse allegations? Her restraining order? His restraining order? Her second restraining order?). I will readily admit that my ride-or-die Marge has waded far deeper into the muck of this breakup than is advisable, but this is obviously absurd. Nevertheless, Teresa listens with great interest. This season, Tre is a snuffling truffle pig rooting around the forest floor for a reason to be angry at Margaret, and Big Ms supposed bullying of Danielle is the best one shes sniffed out yet. Between her unflagging support for Danielle and, back in the day, Kim D (short for Demon), Teresa has the kind of taste in friends that both makes her uniquely suited for reality TV drama and makes me wonder if a not-unimportant lobe of her brain fell off, rattled down through her neck, and came to a rest inside one of her bubbies. Teresa has invited the other women to a shopping event at a boutique operated by Steven Dann, a designer I have never heard of but who I am going to go ahead and declare fashions most famous Steven whose last name is also a first name, after Steven Alan. This store appears to be in, hilariously, Great Neck, but the staff has nevertheless been extensively drilled in Jersey crisis prevention. For example: The Champagne the women are pounding has wisely been served in plastic glasses, as demonstrated when one is almost immediately knocked to the floor. Danielle is dressed in head-to-toe Versace, which is conveniently the kind of Versace that says Versace all over it so theres no missing that it is Versace. (To be clear: I love this look.) After everyone who isnt Danielle or Teresa inevitably begins to gossip about Danielle, Tre angrily confronts the entire group. In particular, in her capacity as Danielles attorney, she is ready to sue Margaret for alienation of affections for her instrumental role in ending the greatest love story of our time. All hell breaks loose. Margaret calling Danielle a prostitute for approximately the 34th time on this season alone is one thing, as is Danielle lambasting Margaret for cheating with the fucking contractor that got paid to fuck you, but Danielle telling Marge to get her titties done, is, apparently, entirely another. Margaret dumps her flute of water on Danielles head. What we thought was hell before was, in hindsight, heaven breaking out. And luckily, Danielle packed her pitchfork. She smashes a candle we just learned costs more than $600, then somehow gets her hands on Margarets purse and dumps it out, like a cat swiping hairbrushes and perfume bottles off a dresser with a gleam of icy hatred in one eye, and a gleam of possible rabies in the other. Dolores screams at Teresa, for once. Jackie who, adding to the surreal atmosphere, was not only invited, but is seemingly getting along swimmingly with Teresa screams at Danielle for swatting at her arm. Danielle screams at Melissa. Melissa screams at Danielle. Teresa screams at Melissa, then at Jen too, for good measure. The staff, no doubt remembering their Jersey crisis training, proceed toward the exit. It was ten years ago that we witnessed Ashlee Holmes pull out Danielles weave. And now, to christen a new decade, the Posche fashion show prophecy has come to fruition once more: Danielle yanks, hard, on Margarets ponytail. But thanks to the great advances weve made in hair science since Obamas first term, this baby stays attached. Anita Glover posted a picture to social media on Thursday which encapsulates the spirit of generosity that is taking hold on the NSW South Coast as tens of thousands are forced to flee apocalyptic bush fire conditions. While out buying supplies in her hometown of Pambula, Ms Glover, 43, stumbled upon a humble weatherboard home with a handwritten sign strung outside. 'Evacuees can use tap on right side of house, knock for food or shower, tent sites, or dog minding or help in general,' the note hanging from the corrugated iron roof says. Everybody needs good neighbours: A touching note is strung outside a weatherboard home in Pambula offering food and shelter for those affected by the bushfires The note ends with a heart and shows how all those affected by the south coast bushfires are rallying together for support after the horrific fires that have killed seven and destroyed at least 392 homes. 'I just thought it was great, the generosity, and people thinking of other people that have been evacuated,' Ms Glover said. Others have responded to the image calling it 'beautiful' and 'morale boosting'. A mass rescue operation is under way as thousands of threatened residents and holidaymakers remain trapped by out-of-control bushfires burning across two states. Monstrous bushfires (pictured) chewing through swathes of NSW's south coast have left seven people dead and almost 400 homes destroyed Towns are running out of fuel and water, shops are selling out of basic supplies and more fatalities are expected as fires raging across southern Australia are set to get worse by Saturday. Helicopters will help evacuate 4,000 people stranded at Mallacoota in Victoria's East Gippsland and the largest ever relocation of people from the New South Wales South Coast is taking place. Telecommunication lines and the internet are down in some isolated towns and communities have been told to boil water which may not be safe to drink. A seven day state of emergency has been declared in NSW as the state prepares for conditions to worsen on Saturday with 46C temperatures and strong winds. India can explore an annual USD 82-billion export potential in twenty products, including electrical equipment and ferro alloys, in the world's second largest economy China, according to a report. Indian exporters have a competitive advantage as far as these twenty goods are concerned. Currently, India meets only 3.3 per cent or USD 2.7 billion of the total annual import demands of USD 82 billion for these 20 products in China. India's exports of these 20 products are worth around USD 15 billion to the world, which is 4.5 per cent of the country's annual outward shipments. These goods constituted about 17 per cent of India's exports to China in 2018, according to the report by MVIRDC World Trade Centre Mumbai. India can substantially reduce its trade deficit with China, which stood at USD 53.56 billion in 2018-19, by enhancing its market share for these products in that country, the report added. Electrical equipment, tobacco, iron and steel, ferro alloys, parts of aircraft, engines and other auto-components, benzene, frozen boneless bovine meat are some of the product segment out of the 20 in the list. "In order to realise this untapped export potential, India and China must exchange trade delegation with members from these identified sectors. We must also create awareness on this opportunity among India's micro, small and medium enterprises producing these identified products," MVIRDC World Trade Centre Mumbai Senior Director Rupa Naik said. Increasing India's market share for these products in China will add further momentum to the growing exports of India in this country, she added. India's overall exports to China grew 5.39 per cent to USD 11.57 billion in April-November 2019, even as our total exports to the world declined 2 per cent during this period. The country's overall trade deficit with China declined 5 per cent to USD 35.3 billion in the first eight months of the current financial year, compared to USD 37.3 billion in the year-ago period, the report added. Haiti - Politic : Moments of tension in the City of Independence Wednesday, January 1 on the Place d'Arme of the City of Independence, in the presence of political leaders of the radical opposition including senators Youri Latortue and Ricard Pierre, family members, friends and relatives of the deceased, have been sung the funeral of political activist Mecene Cenoble (35 years old) who was shot dead on December 21, Raboteau was celebrated. After the ceremony, there was great tension in the city when the Haitian National Police (PNH) attempted to remove barricades blocking certain streets in the city and an unauthorized anti-government demonstration was formed. Automatic weapon fire was heard in several locations in Gonaives. The PNH used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators and restore public order. Unidentified armed individuals responded, according to witnesses, by shooting at the police, causing panic in the population. TB/ HaitiLibre Clarifying on India's stance and its communication with neighbouring Bangladesh regarding the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Ministry of External Affairs has said on Thursday that they have spoken to Bangladesh. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in the weekly briefing said that India has made it clear to Bangladesh that NRC is an internal issue. When asked about the repercussions of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), he explained that NRC has nothing to do with the amended citizenship law. He said: "We have explained our position to Bangladesh government on NRC that this is an internal matter of India. All these reports which cannot be verified is difficult to comment upon. CAA and NRC has nothing to do with each other. NRC is mandated and monitored by the SC and also most of the countries have accepted that this is an internal matter of India." Weekly Media Briefing by Official Spokesperson (January 2, 2020) https://t.co/9lmWjRXlhO Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 2, 2020 READ: MEA welcomes preliminary results of Afghanistan presidential polls Bangladesh says NRC "internal affair" Earlier, the chief of Bangladesh Border guards had said that the process of creation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is completely an "internal affair" of the Indian government. He had added that the cooperation between the border guarding forces of the two countries is very good. The BGB will continue to work to prevent illegal crossings into India, its Director General Maj Gen Shafeenul Islam had said at a press conference on Sunday. A BGB delegation, led by Islam, was on a bilateral visit to India to hold DG-level border talks with their counterparts. "This is completely an internal affair of the Indian government," he said when asked to comment on the NRC issue. READ: NPR, NRC against poor, minorities: Akhilesh When asked about the provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslims from three countries including Bangladesh, the DG had said he would not like to make any comments. "I would say that the cooperation and relationship between the two forces (BSF and BGB) is very good," the BGB chief said when asked to comment on the developments in India post the passing of the CAA in Parliament. READ: NRC an internal affair of Indian govt: Border Guards Bangladesh chief Anti-CAA protest After the Parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill on December 11, nationwide protest began opposing the Act. It took a massive turn after Delhi Police allegedly used brutal force against the Jamia Millia Islamia students protesting the Act on December 15. As the nationwide anger grew on the issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that those protesting should read the Act. He also claimed that there had been no discussion on a nationwide NRC, despite Home Minister Amit Shah stating at several occasion that the government is committed towards a pan-India NRC. Meanwhile, after the Act was passed, Section 144 was imposed in Assam, Tripura, and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, there has been an internet shutdown in some areas. Videos of protest going violent and Police brutality has also emerged in from various places. The Opposition has called for several rallies and strikes demanding a roll-back of the Act. While 21 people have reportedly died in Uttar Pradesh, 2 in Mangalore and 4 in Assam, Police have detained several others. The protest still continues even as the BJP government has decided for an outreach program from January 1 to January 15 to spread awareness about the amended Act. READ: Kerala Assembly passes CM Vijayan's anti-CAA resolution, DMK's Stalin hails step Police in Paris on Thursday fired tear gas to force protesters away from the headquarters of President Emmanuel Macrons centrist party as a strike against his pension reforms continued. The head of Macrons La Republique en Marche party, Stanislas Guerini, condemned what he described on Twitter as an attempted intrusion by radicalised demonstrators at the partys office. Police were not able to confirm what happened at the party headquarters however said three people had been arrested during an undeclared demonstration nearby. In a televised New Years Eve address, Mr Macron said he expected Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to find a compromise on the pension reforms with the trade unions and employer groups who desire it. However, trade unions were unimpressed with his statement, which offered no specific concessions on plans to replace existing professional pension schemes with a single national scheme and raise the standard age for retirement on a full pension from 62 to 64. The head of the hardline CGT trade union, Philippe Martinez, told RMC radio on New Years Day that he was calling on all the French people to mobilise, to protest and to go out on strike. Earlier in the week, a CGT official told public broadcaster FranceInfo that the union was planning to blockade the countrys fuel refineries from January 7 to 10. French media said train services and Paris public transport have been disrupted by strike action since December 5, now the longest-ever strike in the history of state railway company SNCF. Read also: The planned reforms would phase out the right of public sector transport workers to retire on a full pension at the age of 52 or 57. The SNCF said only 6.9 per cent of its staff were still out on strike though 33.9 per cent of train drivers were still striking. Half the scheduled TGV high speed trains were cancelled, while two out of three services should be available between Friday and Sunday when many people are expected to return from Christmas holidays. Ministers are set to meet with trade unions and employers groups on January 7 to discuss some aspects of the reform plans. (dpa/NAN) The Bihar government's proposed tableau based on the theme of "Jal-Jivan-Haryali mission" for the Republic Day parade in Delhi has failed to find favour from the Centre. Rejection of the proposal means that Bihar will not be represented in the grand Republic Day parade at Rajpath in the national capital. Sources in Bihar Information Centre, Delhi, confirmed the rejection of Bihar's proposed tableau. They said the bid did not find favour on the ground that it did not fullfill the necessary criteria laid down for chosing tableaux from the states for the occasion. Bihar had put forward its tableau based on the theme of 'Jal-Jivan-Haryali Abhiyan' launched by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in October 2019 to boost green cover and the ground water table in the state. Kumar at present is criss-crossing the state to propagate the water-life-greenery programme among the people. Opposition RJD took potshot at the NDA government at the Centre for "humiliating" the people of Bihar by dismissing its tableau. "They (NDA government at the Centre) earlier shot down Bihar's demand for special status and has now rejected a proposal to showcase its scheme through a tableau on the Republic Day.... This is the truth of the 'double-engine' government trumpeted by the BJP," RJD spokesman Mritunjan Tiwari said. The NDA governments at the Centre and in Bihar are cited by the ruling coalition leaders as "double engine" government to propel development in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is also moving towards digitalisation to allow for the online reservation of tickets for museums and archaeological sites The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has reduced ticket prices by 50 percent for foreign tourists visiting historical sites and museums in Upper Egypt's Qena, Luxor, and Aswan governorates during the summer. The move is meant to invigorate tourism in Upper Egypt during the summer, when the number of visitors drops due to the hot weather All foreign tourists will pay a flat rate, which is the price of a ticket for foreign students, which is 50 percent cheaper than the full ticket price. Also, a new ticket booth will be opened at archaeological sites and museums, including the Museum of Hurghada, in the Red Sea governorate. This will facilitate the process of purchasing tickets for tourism companies. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is also moving towards digitalisation to allow for the online reservation of tickets for museums and archaeological sites. This will help facilitate the reservation process and shorten queues at ticket offices in museums and archaeological areas. These measures are in line with the state's plans for digital transformation, which is key to developing the tourism sector and improving services for visitors at archaeological sites and museums. Search Keywords: Short link: The obvious reference of course was to convey that Muslims from other countries can also be conferred Indian citizenship as per other provisions of law. New Delhi: India reached out to countries across the world including neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh to explain its view point on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), saying it is the internal matter of India, that it does not seek to strip anybody of citizenship, and that it does not alter the basic structure of the Constitution, the ministry of external affairs said on Thursday. The Indian government also conveyed to foreign governments that the CAA provides for expedited consideration of citizenship to persecuted minorities, adding that it also does not affect existing means of acquiring citizenship available to other communities. The obvious reference of course was to convey that Muslims from other countries can also be conferred Indian citizenship as per other provisions of law. In response to a question, the MEA also said India was not aware of any Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting designed to specifically discuss the Kashmir issue. We did reach out to countries across all the regions. We did write to our missions and posts to tell them to share our perspectives on CAA to the host Government. There are three to four points that we asked the missions to share that it is a matter internal to India, that the Act just provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities already in India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh... that it does not affect the existing avenues which are available to other communities from seeking citizenship, that it does not seek to strip anybody ... (of citizenship) from any faith, (that) it does not alter the basic structure of the Constitution, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday. We have (also) explained our position to the Bangladesh government, the MEA spokesperson added. This was obviously in the context of concerns expressed in certain quarters about whether the CAA controversy would have any adverse fallout on Indo-Bangladesh ties. Just on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to leaders of most Saarc countries including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The government said it had resorted to a two-pronged strategy, of reaching out to foreign ambassadors and high commissioners stationed in Delhi and also to foreign governments directly in their capitals through Indian ambassadors and high commissioners posted in those countries. The visit of a Karachi-born Australian national, who has roots in Goa, has been stalled, pending security clearance from the Union Home Ministry, the State Commission for NRI Affairs said on Thursday. Pakistan-born Marco Monteiro (21) is one of the eight students who are slated to attend the 12th 'Know Goa Program' organised by the commission, NRI Affairs director Anthony D'Souza said. "However, the Union Ministry for Home Affairs is yet to give security clearance to Marco for his visit to India. The ministry has been very sensitive about national security," D'Souza said. Marco was born on October 3, 1998 in Karachi and later moved to Australia with his mother, the official said, adding that he now holds an Australian citizenship. The Know Goa Program has been organised for youth belonging to Goan diaspora, who are born abroad and are foreign nationals, but whose parents or ancestors are of Goan origin, the official said. This year, eight students from Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and Portugal are slated to visit Goa, Delhi and Agra for the programme, which is scheduled to be held from January 4 to 18, he said. Marco's grandfather Jose Monteiro was born at Taleigao town in Panaji on March 13, 1885 and died in 1921, D'Souza added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This celeb lost her own home in California wildfires but she has come to peoples rescue Charge sheet filed in connection with death of 23-yr-old Unnao rape victim who was set ablaze India oi-PTI Unnao, Jan 02: The Uttar Pradesh Police has submitted a charge sheet in a court here in connection with the death of a 23-year-old Unnao rape victim, who was allegedly set ablaze by five men. Additional Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar Pandey, who is heading a Special Investigation Team in the case, said the charge sheet was submitted on Wednesday. "There is ample proof against the five accused persons, and the charge sheet was prepared based on those evidences," he said on Thursday. The 23-year-old Unnao rape victim, who was airlifted to Delhi and admitted to Safdarjung Hospital with 90 per cent burns after being set on fire, died following a cardiac arrest on December 6, 2019. Unnao rape case: Expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar gets life imprisonment The woman was set afire by five men, including two of her alleged rapists, on December 5 morning when she was going to Rae Bareli to attend a court hearing in the rape case filed by her. In her statement to Sub Divisional Magistrate Dayashankar Pathak, the woman had said she was attacked when she reached Gaura turn near her home on her way to the court. She had specifically named Harishankar Trivedi, Ram Kishore Trivedi, Umesh Bajpai, Shivam Trivedi and Shubham Trivedi as the persons who set her on fire. The woman had also alleged that Shivam and Shubham Trivedi had abducted and raped her in December 2018. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 15:43 [IST] Greece, Cyprus and Israel on Thursday signed an agreement for a huge pipeline project to ship gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe despite Turkey's hostility to the deal. The move comes amid tensions with Turkey over its activities in the area and a maritime deal with Libya expanding Ankara's claims over a large gas-rich area of the sea. The 2,000-kilometre (1,200-mile) EastMed pipeline will be able to carry between nine and 12 billion cubic metres of gas a year from offshore reserves held by Israel and Cyprus to Greece, and then on to Italy and other southeastern European countries. The discovery of hydrocarbon reserves in the eastern Mediterranean has sparked a scramble for the energy riches and a row between Cyprus and Turkey, which occupies the northern part of the Mediterranean island. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades joined the ceremony at which their respective energy ministers signed the deal in the Greek capital. The EastMed project is expected to make the three countries key links in Europe's energy supply chain. It could also help counter Turkey's effort to extend its control to the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey already faces European Union sanctions over ships searching for oil and gas off Cyprus, whose government in Nicosia is not recognised by Ankara. - Boundary row - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in November he envisaged joint energy exploration activities with Libya in the eastern Mediterranean. His government insists the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus -- recognised only by Ankara -- has the right to explore around the entire island. Vice President Fuat Oktay said Turkey's pact with Libya had allowed Ankara to foil a plot to confine the country to land. "No matter who is involved, no plan in the region which excludes Turkey has any chance of success," Oktay told the Anadolu state news agency. Greece responded angrily to the Turkey-Libya deal, expelling the Libyan ambassador and urging the UN to condemn it. Part of the agreement sets a maritime boundary between the two countries, which Greece says fails to take into account the Greek island of Crete. - 'Peace and cooperation' - The EastMed alliance "is of enormous importance to the state of Israel's energy future and its development into an energy power and also from the point of view of stability in the region," Netanyahu said in a statement issued as he left Israel for Greece Thursday. Mitsotakis said the pipeline was of "geo-strategic importance" and would contribute to regional peace. Earlier, Greek Energy Minister Kostis Hatzidakis called it "a project of peace and cooperation" despite "Turkish threats". Anastasiades said his aim was "cooperation and not rivalry in the Middle East". Avinoam Idan, a former Israeli government security official who is now a geostrategy expert at Haifa University, said of the deal: "It's important for Israel, it's important for the transit countries, Greece and Cyprus, and of course Europe". As the new source of energy would not compete with Russian supplies to the EU, "there is no reason to see it as a big change in the geopolitical dynamic in Europe's energy market", he told AFP. The Greek economic daily Kathimerini said Wednesday that Athens and Nicosia had been in a hurry to finalise EastMed so as "to counter any attempt by the Turkish neighbour to stop the project". The cost of the installation from the eastern Mediterranean to Italy is estimated at 6.0 billion euros ($6.7 billion). burs-hec-mr/jh/bmm 4.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Donald Trump has been using the Department of Justice to pressure CNN into giving him positive media coverage. This tweet from Trump set off new alarm bells: Cant believe @ATT keeps the management after yet another @CNN ratings dive. Nobody watching, NO CREDIBILITY! Maybe they should make changes at AT&T? https://t.co/jdCLuNWEEQ Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2020 Jonathan Chait wrote in New York Magazine, The publicly available reporting all fits a pattern that suggests Trump used antitrust enforcement against CNNs corporate owners as retribution for its coverage. And Trumps tweets suggest, even as the courts stymied him, that he is determined to keep up economic pressure on CNN. Three years into his presidency, he is not giving up on his Orban-like ambition to discipline and control independent media. Trump tried to block the Time Warner/AT&T merger because he wanted CNN to be sold to Rupert Murdoch so that it could be converted into a pro-Trump propaganda outlet. Trump has been trying to use the DOJ for years to attack CNN. Trump tried to get Time Warner and AT&T to put CNN up for sale as he attempted to block their merger. The President Of The United States is using his office to attack independent media that is critical of him. Trumps tweet shows that he still intends to dismantle independent media. A president who does not believe in freedom of the press is a threat to democracy. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook General Dynamics Corp.s GD Ordinance and Tactical Systems unit has clinched a contract worth $41.8 million for the procurement of MK82-1 Bomb Bodies, MK82-6 Bomb Bodies, MK83-4 Bomb Bodies and MK84-4 Bomb Bodies. The deal has been awarded by the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, IL. Work related to the contract is scheduled to be completed by Dec 31, 2022, and will be carried out in Garland, TX. Increasing Demand for Munitions Rising geopolitical tensions across the globe and persistent security threats from terrorist activities have prompted nations to strengthen their defense systems manifold. With rapid technological upgrades, expanding munitions arsenal has steadily emerged to play a pivotal role in a nations defense strategy. To this end, it is imperative to mention that General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems unit manufactures steel forged Mk-80 Series Bomb Bodies, which come in various configurations and are provided to the U.S. Air Force and Navy. Given this defense primes proven expertise in manufacturing combat-proven ammunitions, the presence of these bombs in its product portfolio leads to several contract wins from Pentagon. The latest contract win is a bright example of that. Notably, air-delivered munitions provide the ability to destroy ground and naval targets without risking a large number of military personnel, even when operating deep within enemy territory. Therefore, the variants of the MK 82 aircraft bomb are being used extensively throughout the world. It is one of the most common families of air-delivered munitions ever produced. Looking Ahead The fiscal 2020 defense budget reflects a solid spending provision of $5.1 billion for munitions. This should usher in more contracts for General Dynamics, going ahead, as it is a renowned munitions manufacturer in the United States. Moreover, the North America ammunitions market, valued at $6.3 billion in 2018, is expected to witness notable growth owing to steadily rising defense expenditure in the nation. Story continues Considering these developments, the global ammunition market size, estimated at $19.4 billion in 2018, is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 4.3% from 2019 to 2025. General Dynamics, with its solid presence in both domestic and international markets, should significantly benefit from such growth. Price Performance In a years time, shares of General Dynamics have gained about 17.6% compared with the industrys 29.2% growth. Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider General Dynamics currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks in the same industry are L3Harris Technologies Inc. LHX, Leidos Holdings LDOS and Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. L3Harris Technologies delivered average positive earnings surprise of 5.02% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 earnings has climbed 6.6% over the past 90 days. Leidos Holdings delivered average positive earnings surprise of 8.93% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 earnings has moved up 3.2% over the past 90 days. Northrop Grumman delivered average positive earnings surprise of 11.48% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 earnings has climbed 2.7% over the past 90 days. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers Most Likely for Early Price Pops. Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.6% per year. So be sure to give these hand-picked 7 your immediate attention. See 7 handpicked stocks now >> 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 Leidos Holdings, Inc. (LDOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report General Dynamics Corporation (GD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) : Free Stock Analysis Report L3Harris Technologies Inc (LHX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Tata Capital Housing Finance, a subsidiary of Tata Capital, on January 2 said it is looking to raise up to Rs 2,000 crore through non-convertible debentures. The base size of the issue is Rs 500 crore with an option to retain oversubscription up to Rs 1,500 crore, the company said. There are four bonds maturing in three, five, eight and 10 years with monthly and annual interest payment options. The coupons offered by the company are in the range of 7.92-8.70 per cent under various interest payment options. It will use the funds raised for onward lending, financing and repayment /prepayment of existing borrowings. The issue will open for subscription on January 7 and is scheduled to close on January 17. The bonds have been rated AAA by Crisil and Icra. The lead managers to the issue are AK Capital and Edelweiss Financial Services. The housing finance company offers long-term funds for housing purposes. It offers loans for purchase and construction of a residential unit, purchase of land, home improvement loans, home extension loans, and project finance loans to developers, among others. For the half year ended September 30, 2019, the company reported a net profit of Rs 23.7 crore as against Rs 17.92 crore in the year-ago period. Earlier in the day, Shriram Transport Finance (STFC) said it is looking to raise up to Rs 1,000 crore through bonds. The base size of its issue is Rs 200 crore with an option to retain oversubscription aggregating up to Rs 1,000 crore, the company said in a release. In the second tranche of bonds, STFC It is offering three- and five-year bonds with monthly, annual and cumulative interest payment options and seven-year bonds with monthly and annual interest payment options. The bonds will be offering a coupon in the range of 8.52-9.10 per cent under various interest payment options. The tranche-II issue will open for subscription on January 6 and is scheduled to close on January 22. Boundary issue should not cloud relations: New Delhi tells Beijing. New Delhi: In the context of Nepals territorial claims on the Kalapani area in Indias Uttarakhand state, the MEA on Thursday made it clear that New Delhi considered Kalapani to be very much part of Indian territory, but added that India wanted to resolve the boundary issue with Nepal through dialogue. On the Kalapani issue, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, Our map accurately depicts the sovereign territory of India, adding that the new map of India (after division of Indias erstwhile J&K state into two union territories) has not revised depiction of Indian territory in any way. Meanwhile, the MEA also said India had conveyed to its giant neighbour China last month that the boundary issue between the two countries should not cloud the overall bilateral ties between the two nations. Speaking on Sino-Indian bilateral ties and Indias views, Mr Kumar said, It (bilateral ties) should be addressed from a strategic perspective of India-China relations. It was also decided that while the discussions go on, there should be peace and tranquillity on the border which is very important for the overall development of the bilateral relationship... and also how a proper discussion on the boundary is important for the overall development of the bilateral relationship... These are sensitive negotiations... Every year, some progress is made. The Indian views were conveyed last month to China on December 21 during the 22nd meeting of the Special Represent-atives of the two countries in New Delhi - national security adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese foreign minister and state councillor Wang Yi. On recent media reports of several Indian Tamil fishermen being arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing in Sri Lankan waters, the MEA spokesperson said India has taken up the matter with Sri Lanka and that New Delhi hopes for early resolution of the matter. The MEA pointed out that India now has very good cooperation with Sri Lanka on this issue and that Indian fishermen who are detained or arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy are being released from time to time. This article is part of David Leonhardts newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it each weekday. About 70 percent of Americans identify themselves as either politically conservative or moderate, polls show. A large number of Americans also consistently say that they want politicians to work together in a bipartisan way. Opinion Debate Will the Democrats face a midterm wipeout? Mark Penn and Andrew Stein write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. Matthew Continetti writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. Ezra Klein speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. Michelle Cottle examines two primary contests that will shake the parties well beyond the states in play. Its true that these broad principles often dont translate to individual issues: Voters are quite progressive on specific matters of economic policy, for example. But many Americans clearly like to see themselves as supporters of common-sense compromise. Given this desire, the smart thing for politicians to do is signal their own support for compromise especially if theyre able to do so in vague ways that wont cause them future problems. Joe Biden is quite good at sending these signals. Hes done so several times in the current campaign, most recently this week, when a voter in New Hampshire asked if he would consider naming a Republican as his vice president. Biden replied: The answer is I would, but I cant think of one now. A Sudanese military plane crashed on Thursday shortly after taking off from El Geneina airport in West Darfur State, killing 18, said the army, Trend reports citing Sputnik. The Antonov 12 plane "crashed five minutes after taking off from El Geneina airport" in the evening, said Amer Mohamed al-Hassan, spokesman of Sudanese army, in a statement. "Seven crew members, three judges, and eight citizens including four children were killed in the incident," noted the statement. Investigation is underway to determine the causes of the incident. The plane earlier transported medical materials for the Sudanese Red Crescent Society in El Geneina, capital city of West Darfur state. El Geneina has witnessed tribal clashes over the few past days that left many people killed or injured. The State Bank of India (SBI), however, started refunding around Rs 50 lakh to their 80 customers, whose money was stolen by the cyber criminals and ATM hackers. Agartala, Jan 2 (IANS) Tripura police here on Thursday began interrogating two Turkish and two Bangladeshi nationals, who were arrested in West Bengal in November for stealing huge amounts of cash from ATMs by cloning devices installed in Tripura capital Agartala, the police said. A police official on Thursday said that with the help of West Bengal's Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, the four foreign cyber criminals -- Hakan Zanburkan, Fettah Aldemir, both Turkish Nationals and Mohammad Hannan, Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, the Bangladeshi nationals - were brought here on Wednesday and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Agartala on Thursday. The Court sent the four cyber criminals to police custody to be quizzed by officials of Tripura police Cyber crime branch and intelligence officials. As per the preliminary probe, the Turkish nationals with the help of the Bangladeshi collaborators had taken out lakhs of rupees through the ATM-cloning devices in Guwahati in August and might be the same criminals involved in the similar hacking in Agartala. According to the police, around 80 bank customers of different banks mostly State Bank of India (SBI) in November last year had lost lakhs of rupees due to the fraudulent acts of the cyber criminals and ATM hackers. SBI's Regional Manager Dibyendu Chowdhury said that they have received complaints from around 80 customers that they lost their money due to the ATM hacking. "We have completed the banking process to refund around Rs 50 lakh to those customers whose money was stolen by the cyber criminals and ATM hackers," Chowdhury told IANS. He said that the SBI immediately after the incident had also blocked around 10,000 ATM and debit cards of its customers as precautionary measures. According to a cyber-technology expert, the ATM card cloning system comprises a spy camera, a memory card and a small data device to gather ATM and account details of bank customers. sc/skp/ Military ships and aircraft have been deployed to help Australian communities ravaged by devastating wildfires that have left at least 17 people dead. Navy ships and military aircraft were taking water, food and fuel to towns where supplies had become depleted and where roads had been cut off by the fires. Authorities confirmed three bodies were found at Lake Conjola on the south coast of New South Wales yesterday, taking the death toll in the state to 15. More than 175 homes have been destroyed in the region. On Tuesday morning 4,000 people in the coastal town of Mallacoota fled to the shore as winds pushed a fire towards their homes under a sky darkened by smoke and turned blood-red by flames. Stranded residents and holidaymakers slept in their cars, and petrol stations and surf clubs were transformed into evacuation areas. Dozens of homes were burned before winds changed direction late on Tuesday, sparing the rest of the town. Victoria Emergency Commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters the Australian Defence Force was moving naval assets to Mallacoota on a supply mission which would last two weeks and helicopters would also fly in more firefighters since roads were inaccessible. Conditions cooled yesterday, but the fire danger remained very high across the state, where four people are missing. "We have three months of hot weather to come. We do have a dynamic and a dangerous fire situation across the state," Mr Crisp said. In the New South Wales town of Conjola Park 89 properties were confirmed destroyed and cars were melted by Tuesday's fires. More than 100 fires were still burning in the state yesterday, though none were at an emergency level. Seven people have died this week, including a volunteer firefighter, a man found in a burnt-out car, and a father and son who died in their house. Firefighting crews took advantage of easing conditions to restore power to critical infrastructure and conduct some back burning, before conditions were expected to deteriorate on Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds return. "There is every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw yesterday," said New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers. The early and devastating start to Australia's summer wildfires has led authorities to rate this season the worst on record and reignited debate about whether Prime Minister Scott Morrison's conservative government has taken enough action on climate change. Australia is the world's largest exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas, but Mr Morrison rejected calls last month to downsize Australia's lucrative coal industry. Mr Morrison won a surprise third term in May and among his government's pledges was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26% by 2030 - a modest figure compared with the centre-left opposition Labour Party's pledge of 45%. The leader of the minor Australian Greens party, Richard Di Natale, demanded a royal commission, the nation's highest form of inquiry, on the wildfire crisis. About five million hectares (12.35m acres) of land have burned nationwide over the past few months, with at least 17 people dead and more than 1,000 homes destroyed. A 30-year-old Baldwinsville man was arrested Wednesday in Fulton and has been accused of shooting another man last week, according to the New York State Police. Bennie L. Jackson was charged with first-degree assault, police said in a news release Thursday. State police responded to Upstate University Hospital at 4:23 a.m. on Friday, police said. A 22-year-old man told police he had been shot multiple times by Jackson in the Champlain Commons parking lot, police said. On Wednesday, officers saw a car parked in a driveway on Seneca Street in Fulton with several people sitting in the car, police said. As police talked with people in the car, a man, later identified as Jackson, fled the car by foot, police said. Police, with help from the Onondaga County Sheriffs Office Air 1 helicopter, searched for and found Jackson along the Oswego River, police said. He was arrested, held at the Oswego County Public Safety Building and arraigned. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. 2019 was a dizzying year for the British royal family. Though there were a couple of highlights the birth of Duchess Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys son, Prince Archie, and Princess Beatrices engagement, the rest of the year was pretty rocky. From the tiff between Prince Harry and Prince William, the public and press disdain for the Sussexes and certainly, Prince Andrews massive scandal, it hasnt been smooth sailing. However, there have been lessons learned. Duchess Kate Middleton, in particular, is determined to spend more time with Markle and Baby Archie this year. Duchess Kate Middleton and Duchess Meghan Markle may team up in 2020 With Prince Andrew ousted from the royal family and Queen Elizabeth IIs advanced age, it will be up to the Sussexes and Cambridges along with Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla Parker Bowles to keep the family pressing forward in the new decade. They will also need to pick up the slack left behind in the wake of the fallout with the Duke of York. Since Prince William and Prince Harry are still at odds, it will be up to their wives to help them reconnect. I think after a festive break, both Kate and Meghan will know that joint ventures to support the queen are not only part of their duty, but also good for the public image. Kate knows the pressure is on her and Meghan to save the royal family, to an extent, Royal commentator Katie Nicholl explained to Closer Magazine. Duchess Meghan Markle and Duchess Kate Middleton approach royal life very differently Since the Sussexes are far down in line for the throne they have a much more modern and relaxed approach to royal life. Its something theyve been criticized for in the past. Still, it looks like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are going to continue approaching royal life their way. Theyve recently trademarked Sussex Royal and there have been whispers about them launching a magazine and starting a global charity. In contrast, the Cambridges like to keep things traditional. Middleton knows the importance of the institution and her role to play, an insider told People. She knows that being a member of the royal family is a bit like having a contract, you sign on the dotted line and you deliver Kate is in her element right now, shes really stuck at it and persevered with what she believes in. Still, their differences could gel well, especially with Middleton and Markle taking the reigns. The Queen turns 94 this year and theres a plan in place to relieve her of her pressures, which is why shes calling on the four to step up, Nicholl expressed. Although the Cambridges and Sussexes have their own charities, I think the Queens move towards retirement will force them to work closely with each other. Kate Middleton is determined to spend more time with Meghan Markle and Baby Archie When Markle first married into the royal family, she and Middleton were friendly, but the women had very little in common. Now with Archies birth that has shifted. In 2020, Middleton is determined that her children spend more time with their cousin. An insider told US Weekly, that Middleton is hoping that in the new year, the cousins will spend more time together. Apparently, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis adore Archie like most children, theyre easily distracted and resilient. Adorable kids are always a great middle ground. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: Infant deaths in Kotas JK Lon Hospital seem to have no end as the toll for December has finally risen to 100. While nine more infant deaths on the last two days of December and three more newborns dying on the first two days of the New Year, the tragedy at the JK Lon Hospital continues to become more grim. According to government figures, child casualties in JK Lon Hospital is 963 for the year 2019 as of now. ALSO READ| State, Centre should cooperate to stop such incidents: Lok Sabha Speaker on Kota infant deaths All the babies who died at the hospital were admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). According to Vaibhav Galeria, the Secretary of Medical Education heading a three-member team set up by the state government, most of the children were brought to the hospital in a critical condition, The team had visited the hospital on December 27 to investigate the matter and had in its report admitted that some of the incubators at the hospital used for newborns were not in proper working condition. The committee also pointed out that the extreme cold has made it tougher for babies, already fighting for their life, to survive. The committee report concluded that the deaths were reported due to lack of oxygen pipeline in the hospital and extreme cold conditions. Meanwhile, the hospital's Chief of the Pediatrics Department, Amritlal Bairwa said the eight kids who died in the last two days of the year were premature deliveries who also suffered from mild infections and that the deaths were not due to any fault or negligence on the part of doctors at the hospital. "The weight of the newborns was too less and also their relatives did not follow proper instructions during delivery due to which the pregnant mothers came to the hospital in serious condition," said Bairwa. The hospital has registered 963 deaths in 2019. Hospital suprintendent Suresh Dulara claimed that the number of infants deaths at the hospital in 2019 was lower than the infants deaths in last 6 years. "As compared to other government hospitals, this number stands quite low. Also, one death a day means that the death rate is falling down in this hospital, which witnessed 91 deaths in December last year," he said. ALSO READ| Sad that Sonia, Priyanka Gandhi can't feel pain of mothers: Yogi on Kota hospital tragedy The spate of deaths has also triggered a political slug-fest. While the state BJP-Congress have been trading charges for over a week, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and BSP supremo Mayawati have also slammed the Gehlot government for its failure in protecting newborns at the government-run hospital in Kota. Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan met union health secretary and asked him to take stock of the health services at the Kota hospital at the earliest. In contrast, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Health Minister Raghu Sharma have repeatedly claimed that most of the children who died were referred to the hospital in critical condition from nearby districts, including regions of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. Gehlot has also defended his government by saying that the alarming number of deaths at JK Lon hospital is in fact an improvement over what the previous BJP government had recorded at the same hospital. I telephoned Central Health Minister @drharshvardhan ji and requested him to visit #Kota personally so that he can see the best of facilities and proper management by State Health Department and get himself apprised of the facts. 1/2 Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) January 2, 2020 After union minister Harshvadhan's comments, Gehlot on Thursday tweeted further," I telephoned Central Health Minister @drharshvardhan ji and requested him to visit #Kota personally so that he can see the best of facilities and proper management by State Health Department and get himself apprised of the facts." "Harsh Vardhan ji is himself a doctor and if he visits the hospital in #Kota, it will also clarify the situation for people, who are giving reaction mischievously, knowingly, unknowingly and also innocently," he wrote in another tweet. However, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi discussed the Kota tragedy with AICC-Incharge for Rajasthan Avinash Pandey and reportedly Mrs Gandhi is "upset" and "wanted to know the reason of the deaths". This is likely to pile on more pressure on the Gehlot government. ALSO READ| Kota infant deaths: Broken windows, shortage of staff, pigs inside hospital campus, says report Mercifully, the government has now initiated some corrective steps for the upgradation and maintaince of medical equipments and reconstruction of the Pediatrics unit at JK Lon hospital. Dr Vjay Sardana, principal of the Medical College in Kota said, "A work order for installation of a central oxygen supply line in the hospital has been issued and work would be completed within 15 days. A proposal for the new OPD and emergency wards for the Paediatric and Gynecology has also been incorporated in the proposed OPD block." In another bizarre robbery incident that went wrong, a bunch of thieves tried their luck in Delhi, only to get the opposite of what they bargained for. A group of thieves planned a smooth robbery and drilled a hole in a post office wall to steal all the money, however, fate had something else in store for them. While they did successfully manage to dig a hole in the safe and get away a bag of money that was left by the cashier the previous day, much to their chagrin, all the bag had was Rs 487, and that too in coins. BCCL According to TOI, the hole in the wall was around two feet wide and one foot long which also made the investigators reckon that the heist also involved a slim, minor boy who helped the robbers. DCP East Delhi told HT, It is likely that the dilapidated condition of the building gave the thief the idea to commit the theft. It wouldn't have taken him much effort to break a hole in such a wall. The official also added, The hole is so narrow that only a slim child could have entered it. We are probing whether it is the role of an individual boy or he was used by someone to carry out the theft. The robbery took so much effort to be pulled off and the ridiculous outcome somehow makes us feel a little bad for the robbers. Nonetheless, a case has been registered and the police are on the lookout for the suspects. Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has condemned racism as he called for tolerance towards immigrants. The archbishop was yesterday delivering his homily in the Church of St Therese, Mount Merrion, as the Catholic Church celebrated World Day of Peace. He said since the World Day of Peace was initiated by Pope Paul VI in 1968 "progress has been made and many countries have fortunately returned to peace". But he added it "seems almost inevitable" that when peace is attained in one place, war raises its head elsewhere. "Peace must be built up continually. The tolerance that led to peace can be undermined quickly. The decades-long persistence of conflict and of violent and immense civilian suffering in some African countries is linked to unscrupulous exploitation of natural resources for economic interests," he said. "Lack of respect for difference can undermine even peaceful societies. Fear of the immigrant can be exploited in terms that support narrow populism. Racism and intolerance are dangerous explosives that we only play around with at our own peril." The Department of Justice admitted in December that Ireland is "perilously close" to no longer being able to accommodate asylum seekers. Some 6,085 people are currently accommodated in 39 direct provision centres. A further 1,500 people are currently being accommodated in temporary accommodation - hotels and guest houses - and applications are coming in on a constant basis. Despite the need for more accommodation for asylum seekers, however, many communities have spoken out and protested when this type of accommodation has been proposed on their doorstep. The archbishop called for more tolerance and for Irish people to adopt this year's theme 'the journey of hope'. "Hope is not a pipe dream. Hope is realism," he said. "It is a journey that reaches out and touches hearts. It aims at reducing the tensions, intolerance and misunderstandings that give rise to thoughts of vengeance. "The history of humankind is marked by the persistence of hatred and violence. "However, it is also marked by those who could rise up above the prejudice. "Our young people understand this in a way that my generation failed to do." SWARTZ CREEK, MI A candlelight vigil to honor Kevin Bacon is set for Friday outside Swartz Creek High School. The vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 in the student parking lot outside the school, 1 Dragon Drive. Bacon, 25, is a 2013 Swartz Creek High School graduate. He was found dead Saturday, Dec. 28 inside a home off West Tyrrell Road in Shiawassee Countys Bennington Township, 30 miles west of Flint. Hed gone missing on Christmas Eve. Kevin Bacons friend and roommate, Michelle Myers, previously told The Flint Journal-MLive that at around 5 p.m. Dec. 24, Bacon told her he was meeting up with a man he met on the Grindr dating app. Karl Bacon, Kevins father, previously said the family became concerned after he didnt show up for breakfast on Christmas Day and called police. Police confirm location of where missing Swartz Creek mans body was found Kevin Bacons car was found in a Swartz Creek-area parking lot. A bag of clothes, phone and wallet were in the car. The only thing missing were the car keys. Karl Bacon shared all that information with the media during the search for his son. He passed away some time (late) Christmas Eve, early Christmas morning, said Karl Bacon at a Sunday, Dec. 29 press conference. The medical examiner is not sure of the exact time as of right now. Mark David Latunski, 50, of the Morrice area was arraigned Monday, Dec. 30 in 66th District Court in Corunna on charges including open murder and mutilation of a body. He faces up to life in prison. Man arraigned on murder, mutilation charges in Kevin Bacon case As a student at Swartz Creek High School, Kevin Bacon participated in band and was among the top 10 graduates from the class of 2013. He was too smart for his own good they said, Pamela Bacon previously said. Kevin Bacon had a love for family, friends, his cats Smokey and Fuzzy, his dog Hannah, as well as doing makeup and hair. He was a graduate of Sharps Hair Academy in Grand Blanc and worked as a hairstylist at Uniquely U Salon in Swartz Creek and had also worked at Vintage Hair Salon, JC Penney Hair Salon and Diplomat Pharmacy, per Kevin Bacons obituary. He was also attending the University of Michigan-Flint. Parents of slain Swartz Creek man talk about son, homicide investigation He was a very good hairstylist. He had a natural talent for it, said Karl Bacon. He was a very joyful person, very sociable person, and everybody who knew him enjoyed being around him. He will be greatly missed, not only by us but by all his friends and family. Kevin Richard Bacon is survived by his parents, Karl and Pamela Bacon of Flint; sister, Jennifer Bacon of Flint; aunts and uncles, Brian Bacon, Betty VanHorn, Jeff VanHorn, Ginger and Larry Coffey; great-grandmother, Marion Granger; best friends, Michelle Myers, Adam Cusick, Feng Myers and Vanessa Taylor; many other close friends and family. He was preceded in death by his grandmothers, Ann Marie Bacon and Patricia VanHorn. Visitation for Kevin Bacon is taking place from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2 at Sharp Funeral Home in Swartz Creek. His funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3. More than $36,000 in donations have poured into a GoFundMe page set up by Jennifer Bacon, Kevins sister, to help cover the funeral and final expenses. Among the more than 620 donations includes a $20,000 amount from YouTube star and makeup mogul Jeffree Star. YouTuber Jeffree Star donates $20k toward funeral expenses for Swartz Creek man For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. BANGALORE, India, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Synthetic Biology Market Analysis Synthetic biology is a new research area that combines multiple disciplines, including molecular biology, biotechnology, biophysics, and genetic engineering. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the current synthetic biology market's leading companies along with a comprehensive analysis of current and emerging market trends and an overview of the global synthetic biology brand dynamics. Trends Influencing the Synthetic Biology Market Share Assistance from government and private organizations Increasing number of research institutions in synthetic biology Declining DNA sequencing & synthesizing costs View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Auto-2F40/synthetic-biology Region Wise Synthetic Biology Market Analysis Geographically speaking, the market is split across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. In 2015, Europe was the leading continent, followed by North America in terms of revenue generation. Furthermore, Europe will continue to maintain its leading position till 2020 thanks to constant support from European government and private organizations in the form of investments by leading companies, especially in the biofuel segment. was the leading continent, followed by in terms of revenue generation. Furthermore, will continue to maintain its leading position till 2020 thanks to constant support from European government and private organizations in the form of investments by leading companies, especially in the biofuel segment. Due to the increasing number of research organizations, Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region. Get Free Sample Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/ALLI-Auto-2F40/Synthetic_Biology_Market Key Market Segments Synthetic Biology Market by Geography North America Europe Asia Pacific LAMEA Inquire for Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/ALLI-Auto-2F40/Synthetic_Biology_Market Synthetic Biology Market by Products Synthetic DNA Synthetic oligos Synthetic genes Software tools Chassis organisms Synthetic clones Synthetic cells Synthetic Biology Market by Technology Nucleotide synthesis and sequencing Bioinformatics Microfluidics Genetic engineering Synthetic Biology Market by Application Pharmaceuticals and diagnostics Chemicals Biofuels Bioplastics Others (Environment, agriculture & aquaculture) Inquire for Discount: https://reports.valuates.com/request/discount/ALLI-Auto-2F40/synthetic-biology Key Companies Thermo Fisher Scientific GenScript DNA2.0 Integrated DNA technologies Eurofins Scientific Inc Origene technologies Scientific genomics Inc Editas Medicine Inc Pareto Biotechnologies Blue heron TeselaGen Twist biosciences Syntrox Inc Others Buy Now @ https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=ALLI-Auto-2F40 Reports Related to the Subset of Synthetic Biology Market 1. Global Synthetic Biology Platforms Market Analysis It is expected that a decrease in the cost of DNA sequencing per raw megabase and a drastic reduction in the cost of synthetic genes would fuel synthetic biology market growth. Synthetic biology is a method designed to facilitate biological operations for engineers. These usually combine biotechnology, molecular engineering, biophysics, computer and electrical engineering, evolutionary biology, and genetic engineering. The global market size of Synthetic Biology Platforms was xx million US$ in 2018 and is expected to reach xx billion US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% in 2019-2025. View Full Report: http://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1Z204/synthetic-biology-platforms-market 2. Global Synthetic Biology Workstation Market Analysis One of the key growth factors for the synthetic biology workstation market is expected to be the growing applications of synthetic biology. Synthetic biology is commonly used to increase the performance of products such as medicine, biochemicals, and biofuels. The global market size of the Synthetic Biology Workstation was xx million US$ in 2018 and is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% between 2019 and 2025. Synthetic biology workstations are also useful for waste management as they help to avoid manual errors, reduce overall cost and deliver productive performance. Continuous advances in synthetic biology on a large scale and extensive use of synthetic biology techniques are further expected to drive the demand for synthetic workstations. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1D205/synthetic-biology-workstation-market 3. Global Synthetic Biology Tools Market The synthetic biology tools are finding significant usage in various application areas and are expected to drive the market during the forecast period. Furthermore, increased investments by major synthetic biology companies are also contributing to the market growth. The global market for nanotechnology tools was USD xx million in 2018 and is expected to grow at a CAGR xx% between 2019 and 2025 to US$ million by the end of 2025. This report analysis the market size (value and volume) of synthetic biology tools by players, countries, product types and end industries, 2014-2018 historical data and 2019-2025 forecast data; this report also studies the global competitive landscape, market drivers and patterns, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-33E320/synthetic-biology-tools-market 4. Global Synthetic Biology Technology Market Synthetic biology is a modern interdisciplinary field involving the application of biology concepts in technology. Synthetic biology technology seeks to redesign and manufacture biological components and structures that do not already exist in the world of nature. The global market size for Synthetic Biology Technology was xx million U.S. dollars in 2018 and is expected to reach xx million U.S. dollars by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% in 2019-2025. This report focuses on the global status of synthetic biology, future outlook, opportunities for growth, key sector, and key players. The purpose of the synthetic biology technology market study is to address the advancement of synthetic biology techniques in the U.S, Europe, and China. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-7F644/synthetic-biology-technology-market About Us: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analyst can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. Valuates is curating premium Market Research Reports from the leading publishers around the globe. We will help you map your information needs to our report repository of Market research reports and guide you through your purchasing decision. We are based out of Silicon Valley of India (Bengaluru) and provide 24/6 online and offline support to all our customers and just a phone call away. Contact Us: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll Free Call +1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp : +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com SOURCE Valuates Reports The sad news trickling in indicates that anti-corruption campaigner Daniel Batidam, who was also the right-hand man of former President John Mahama, is dead. Reports say he died on New Year's Eve Wednesday, January 1, 2020, at Akwapim Mampong in the Eastern Region. Mr Batidam, a former Executive Director at the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) had been battling cancer and was receiving treatment at a health facility in Mampong. Mr Batidam was also a representative for Ghana on the AU Advisory Board on Corruption, a positioned he resigned from subsequently, citing deep-seated corruption, lack of accountability among others at the secretariat at the AU Commission. His body has since been transported to the 37 Military Hospital morgue. ---MyJoyOnline Danielle Outlaw (then Bowman), with host Pat Sajak, reacts as she wins a GM MasterCard on "Wheel of Fortune" in 1996. Read more Philadelphias new police commissioner, Danielle Outlaw, was a sociology major with a minor in psychology at the University of San Francisco in November 1996, when Baywatch led to her first brush with fame and fortune. Outlaw, whose last name then was Bowman, made her television debut as a contestant during college week on Wheel of Fortune. A big chunk of her $40,000 winnings came after she guessed that the mystery title on the word board was the name of the popular lifeguard TV show. READ MORE: Philadelphias new police commissioner is Danielle Outlaw of Portland, Ore. After guessing correctly and learning from Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak that shed won a $20,000 GM MasterCard, Outlaw shouted for joy and pumped both fists in the air, then hugged her parents, who had raced onstage. The Portland Mercury, which obtained video clips of the Wheel of Fortune program, first reported on Outlaws appearance in 2017, shortly after she became commissioner of the Portland Police Bureau. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced this week that the Oakland, Calif., native had been chosen as commissioner from a field of 31 candidates. Outlaw, the first African American woman to head the 6,600-member department, will be paid $285,000 more than seven times her Wheel of Fortune haul. READ MORE: Danielle Outlaws long journey to Philadelphia police commissioner Shes not the first government big to have appeared on a television program before getting into public service. Baltimores top prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, who in 2015 gained national headlines after indicting six local cops in the death of Freddie Gray, appeared on an episode of Judge Judy in 2000. Mosby, who was in college at the time, sought and won $1,731.90 in damages from a neighbor who trashed her college apartment when she was away for the summer. Then there was the late Sen. John McCain. In 1965, two years before becoming a Vietnam prisoner of war and 43 years before losing the 2008 presidential election McCain lost on the original Jeopardy! show hosted by Art Fleming. McCain won the first day he was on the show, but lost the next day when he failed to correctly answer a Final Jeopardy question about the Emily Bronte novel Wuthering Heights. READ MORE: Inside man to trailblazing outsider: Mayor Jim Kenney goes bold with police commissioner in second term Outlaw, who was a college junior when she appeared on Wheel of Fortune, confidently told host Sajak and the San Francisco studio audience that I hope to go into law enforcement. And so she has. Ways to make an ever-popular New Year's resolution a reality Getting started on a healthy program can be easy with some professional help. MPs are pushing for changes to Boris Johnsons Brexit legislation to preserve the right of unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with relatives in the UK after Britain leaves the European Union. Liberal Democrats branded the prime minister truly heartless for stripping provisions to protect child migrants out of the legislation following the landslide Conservative victory in last months election. A Lib Dem amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill, tabled on Thursday, would force the government to guarantee family reunion rights following Brexit. Acting party leader Ed Davey said failure to overturn the governments inhumane position would put some of the most vulnerable children in the world at risk. It comes after Labour put down a separate amendment requiring ministers to attempt to strike a deal with the EU to protect reunion rights. Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Show all 76 1 /76 Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Crowds march through central London Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters gather in Parliament Square Led By Donkeys Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joins protesters PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters fill Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator marches EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters push a float depicting Dominic Cummings using Boris Johnson as a puppet during the Final Say Brexit march in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters react after the result of the vote on the deal delay was announced at the House of Commons REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator carries his dog draped in EU flag AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Thousands of people taking part in a People's Vote march AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters use their flags to shelter from the rain Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit demonstrators carry placards and EU flags AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Sir Oliver Letwin MP in Parliament Square, London, during an an anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard rally, after it was announced that the Letwin amendment, which seeks to avoid a no-deal Brexit on October 31, has been accepted PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Thousands of people taking part in a People's Vote march UK BROADCASTERS POOL/AFP via Get Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A protester with "Bollocks to Brexit" stickers on his head Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Demonstrators march EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Britain's main opposition Labour Party shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the EU Keir Starmer, shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbott, shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell, shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry speaks on stage in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters cheer outside parliament AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A EU supporter waves flags REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters shout and chant demanding a final say Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Police look towards protesters Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Pro-Brexit protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march head to Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march in Trafalgar Square PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit supporters cheer outside parliament AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People taking part in an Anti-Brexit, Let Us Be Heard march past Trafalgar Square PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters shout and chant Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Cory (7) sits on his father's shoulders as protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march People attend the 'Together for the Final Say' march EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards Parliament Square Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks on stage PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A woman in EU costume EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters fill Parliament Square in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters hold an Independent banner Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters hold an anti-Brexit placard by The Independent stall during the Final Say Brexit march in London Tom Richell Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters in Parliament Square, London, PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Demonstrators hold placards and EU flags AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester joins in the Final Say Brexit march on 19 October AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march in London REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Sir Patrick Stewart and Paul McGann join in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march Reuters Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A demonstrator shouts into a megaphone as she marches AFP via Getty Images Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A dog dressed in an anti-Brexit placard is walked in the Final Say Brexit march in London EPA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters march REUTERS Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march A morris dancer takes part in the Final Say Brexit march in London PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Whippets are dressed in EU flag clothing during the Final Say Brexit march in London AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards parliament in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October 2019 PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit demonstrator takes part in the Final Say Brexit march in London AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march EU supporters call on the government to give Britons a vote on the final Brexit deal Reuters Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate in London during the Final Say Brexit march on 19 October AP Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters push a float depicting Dominic Cummings using Boris Johnson as a puppet during the Final Say Brexit march in London AFP/Getty Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Protesters march towards parliament from Park Lane in the Final Say Brexit march in London on 19 October 2019 PA Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march Marchers visit The Independent stall during the Final Say March in London Tom Richell Best pictures from Final Say Brexit march An anti-Brexit protester holds a sign calling for a Final Say during a march in London EPA Labour is also pushing for changes to the bill to force Mr Johnson to seek a two-year extension to the end of 2022 to trade talks with the EU if he fails to secure agreement on a future partnership deal by the end of June. The move, designed to stave off the danger of a no-deal crash-out at the end of 2020, is one of a range of amendments to be considered when the bill returns to the Commons on Tuesday, also including several from the DUP seeking to protect unhindered access to British markets for Northern Irish goods. But the amendments stand scant chance of success, as Mr Johnson uses his 80-strong majority from last months election to steamroller his legislation through parliament by his 31 January deadline for Brexit. Reunion rights for unaccompanied children were included in the EU withdrawal act passed by Theresa May following pressure from Labour peer Lord Dubs, who was himself a wartime child refugee from the Nazis. But the bill introduced by Mr Johnson following the election commits ministers only to reporting their policy on the issue to parliament. Davey said: The cruelty of the new Tory regime was laid bare when they decided to strip away the rights of unaccompanied child refugees to reunite with their families in their latest version of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. These are the actions of a truly heartless Prime Minister. If we dont fix this, some of the most vulnerable children in the world will be even more at risk as a result of Boris Johnsons Brexit policy. These are children who have already fled their homes, perhaps in fear of their lives. It is simply inhumane to prevent them from reuniting with loved ones here in the UK. Liberal Democrats know that this isnt right we must prioritise refugee family reunion. Thats why weve tabled an amendment challenging the Tory Government to reinstate the commitment to guarantee family reunion rights for unaccompanied child refugees after Brexit. The EU Withdrawal Bill passed its second reading in the Commons by a comfortable 124 votes before Christmas, and is scheduled to complete its passage through the lower house in three days next week. The House of Lords has timetabled seven days for consideration of the bill between 13 and 22 January, allowing time for it to receive Royal Assent before the UK formally leaves the EU at the end of the month. Thanks to persistent reports of a feud between two royal couples -- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Prince William and Kate Middleton -- 2019 was a pretty rough year for our favorite royals. Days after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appeared to have extended an olive branch to their in-laws by including them in the 2019 year in review video, Kate has gone one further by making it her mission to make sure that her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louie, get to know their newest cousin, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor this new year. According to a source of Us Weekly, Kate hopes that this new year, "the cousins will spend more time together." The insider revealed that the three Cambridge children "adore" their eight-month-old cousin but noted that "like most children, they're easily distracted and resilient." It was the first time Prince Harry and Meghan did not spend Christmas with Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, Prince Charles, and Kate in their 20,000-acre Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England. Instead, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex opted to spend their holidays with their son in the U.S. and in Vancouver Island, Canada. A spokesperson for the Sussexes confirmed in a statement last December, before the Newe Year, that "their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are spending private family time in Canada." "The decision to base themselves in Canada reflects the importance of this Commonwealth country to both of them. The Duke of Sussex has been a frequent visitor to Canada over many years, and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of the Royal family," the statement furthered. "They are enjoying sharing the warmth of the Canadian people and the beauty of the landscape with their young son." Their Christmas plans came two months after Prince Harry confirmed he and his older brother are not as close as they used to be. "Part of this role and part of this job, this family, being under pressure that it's under, inevitably stuff happens. But look, we're brothers, we'll always be brothers." Prince Harry said previously in the documentary of their trip to South Africa. "We're certainly on different paths at the moment, but I'll always be there for him, and as I know, he'll always be there for me." Last year, it was confirmed that Prince Harry and Prince William have been feuding over what is believed to be the younger prince's decision to marry American actress Meghan Markle. Still, it seems that the Cambridges are putting the difficult times behind them after they included them in the 2019 year in review. The over two-minute video includes photos and clips from the couple's various engagements throughout the year. It also included Archie's birth; Meghan and Kate's trip to Wimbledon to watch Meghan's best friend Serena Williams play in the Women's finals; and a clip of Prince Harry and Prince William with Sir David Attenborough at the screening of "Our Planet" at London's Natural History Museum. Activist Ekta Shekhar returned home to her 14-month-old baby in Varanasi on Thursday, a day after an Uttar Pradesh court gave bail to her and her husband Ravi Shekhar as well as 56 others arrested for protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens nearly two weeks ago. The Shekhars, who run the environment NGO Climate Agenda and made national headlines with many voicing concern about their toddler daughter Champak being left alone, were among the 59 people taken into custody during the protests on December 19. On Wednesday, the court of the additional sessions judge, Varanasi, granted bail to Ekta, 32, and Ravi, 36, residents of Mehmoorganj, and 56 others, ending their ordeal. Ekta's lawyer Himachal Singh said the court had given bail on a bond of Rs 25,000 each. While she had been released, her husband and others would be out of jail by evening after their paper work was over. "I didn't think it would take so long," an emotional Ekta told NDTV as she hugged her daughter after two weeks. "Main bata nahin sakti (I can't put it in words)," she said when asked how it felt. She said it was a matter of pride to be in jail as an activist but, being a mother, each moment felt like an age. "The 14 days were like exile for me as a mother. Today Champak is very happy," Ekta said after her release. The bail application of the couple -- nabbed along with other protesters from Left groups from Beniyabagh and nearby localities for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CRPC -- was initially cancelled by a lower court and the next hearing fixed for January 1. In their absence, their baby was being taken care of by her grandmother Sheila Tiwari, uncle Shashikant and her aunts. Could Finlogic S.p.A. (BIT:FNL) be an attractive dividend share to own for the long haul? Investors are often drawn to strong companies with the idea of reinvesting the dividends. If you are hoping to live on the income from dividends, it's important to be a lot more stringent with your investments than the average punter. Some readers mightn't know much about Finlogic's 2.3% dividend, as it has only been paying distributions for the last two years. A low dividend might not be a bad thing, if the company is reinvesting heavily and growing its sales and profits. Before you buy any stock for its dividend however, you should always remember Warren Buffett's two rules: 1) Don't lose money, and 2) Remember rule #1. We'll run through some checks below to help with this. Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis BIT:FNL Historical Dividend Yield, January 2nd 2020 Payout ratios Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. In the last year, Finlogic paid out 48% of its profit as dividends. This is a medium payout level that leaves enough capital in the business to fund opportunities that might arise, while also rewarding shareholders. Plus, there is room to increase the payout ratio over time. In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. Finlogic paid out 71% of its cash flow as dividends last year, which is within a reasonable range for the average corporation. It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously. With a strong net cash balance, Finlogic investors may not have much to worry about in the near term from a dividend perspective. Story continues We update our data on Finlogic every 24 hours, so you can always get our latest analysis of its financial health, here. Dividend Volatility One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. The dividend has not fluctuated much, but with a relatively short payment history, we can't be sure this is sustainable across a full market cycle. During the past two-year period, the first annual payment was 0.15 in 2018, compared to 0.14 last year. This works out to be a decline of approximately 1.5% per year over that time. When a company's per-share dividend falls we question if this reflects poorly on either external business conditions, or the company's capital allocation decisions. Either way, we find it hard to get excited about a company with a declining dividend. Dividend Growth Potential Dividend payments have been consistent over the past few years, but we should always check if earnings per share (EPS) are growing, as this will help maintain the purchasing power of the dividend. Finlogic's earnings per share have shrunk at 40% a year over the past three years. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective, as even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough. We'd also point out that Finlogic issued a meaningful number of new shares in the past year. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective. Conclusion Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. Finlogic's dividend payout ratios are within normal bounds, although we note its cash flow is not as strong as the income statement would suggest. Second, earnings per share have been in decline, and the dividend history is shorter than we'd like. While we're not hugely bearish on it, overall we think there are potentially better dividend stocks than Finlogic out there. Now, if you want to look closer, it would be worth checking out our free research on Finlogic management tenure, salary, and performance. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of dividend stocks with a yield above 3%. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. ROSCOMMON COUNTY, MI Michigan State Police used Facebook Marketplace to catch a man wanted for larceny in Northern Michigan. Robert Joseph Click, 33, of Cadillac was arraigned in the 82nd District Court in Roscommon for one count of larceny in a building on Thursday. The charge is a felony punishable by four years in prison. Troopers from the Michigan State Police Houghton Lake Post began looking for Click on Sept. 17, 2019 when they received a report that several items had been stolen from a residence on West Houghton Lake Drive in Roscommon Township. Police said the victim immediately suspected Click, who he had met while he was incarcerated and let stay at his residence. Clicks immediate location was unknown, but an investigation revealed he was using an alias of Mike Oxgood while selling items on Facebook Marketplace. Troopers contacted Click through Facebook Marketplace and set up a deal to purchase an item he was selling. When Click arrived at the designated location he was arrested by troopers. He was lodged in the Roscommon County Jail on Dec. 27. His bond was set at $25,000. His next court appearance is on Jan. 6, 2020 at 1 p.m. By Ahmed Rasheed and Idrees Ali BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Protesters angry about U.S. air strikes on Iraq hurled stones and torched a security post at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, setting off a confrontation with guards and prompting the United States to send additional troops to the Middle East. The protests, led by Iranian-backed militias, posed a new foreign policy challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump, who faces re-election in 2020. He threatened to retaliate against Iran, but said later he does not want to go to war. The State Department said diplomatic personnel inside were safe and there were no plans to evacuate them. Embassy guards used stun grenades and tear gas to repel protesters, who stormed and burned the security post at the entrance but did not breach the main compound. The Pentagon said that in addition to Marines sent to protect embassy personnel, about 750 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division were being sent to the Middle East and that additional troops were prepared to deploy over the next several days. "This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today," U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 750 troops would initially be based out of Kuwait. The officials said that as many as 4,000 troops could be sent to the region in the coming days if needed. More than 5,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq supporting local forces. The unprecedented attack on an American diplomatic mission in Iraq marked a sharp escalation of the proxy conflict between the United States and Iran - both influential players in the country - and plunged U.S. relations with Iraq to their worst level in years. The United States and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003 and ousted Saddam Hussein. But political stability has been elusive. Story continues Trump, on a two-week working vacation in Palm Beach, Florida, spoke by phone to Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi of Iraq. "President Trump emphasized the need to protect United States personnel and facilities in Iraq," the White House said. Trump accused Iran of orchestrating the violence. "Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat," Trump said in a tweet. Asked later in the day about the possibility of tensions spiralling into a war with Iran, Trump told reporters: "Do I want to? No. I want to have peace. I like peace. And Iran should want to have peace more than anybody. So I don't see that happening." Iran, under severe economic duress from punishing U.S. sanctions put in place by Trump, denied responsibility. "America has the surprising audacity of attributing to Iran the protests of the Iraqi people against (Washington's) savage killing of at least 25 Iraqis," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said. The embassy incident came seven years after the 2012 attack by armed militants on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the death of the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans and led to multiple congressional investigations. TENSIONS OVER AIR STRIKES The protests followed U.S. air strikes on Sunday on bases operated by the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah inside Iraq, which killed at least 25 fighters and wounded 55. The strikes were retaliation for the killing of a U.S. civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base, which Washington blamed on Kataib Hezbollah. "Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will," Trump said in a tweet. "Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible." Democrats upset that Trump ditched the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama in 2015 were quick to pounce on the incident as a failure of Trump's Iran policy. "The predictable result of the Trump administrations reckless bluster, escalation and miscalculation in the Middle East is that we are now hurtling closer to an unauthorised war with Iran that the American people do not support," said U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The protesters, joined briefly by Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim militia leaders, threw stones at the embassy gate, while others chanted: "No, no, America! No, no, Trump!" Iraqi special forces prevented protesters entering, later reinforced by U.S.-trained Iraqi Counter Terrorism forces. The embassy has been hit by sporadic but non-lethal rocket fire in recent months, and was regularly shelled following the U.S.-led invasion of 2003, but had not been physically attacked by demonstrators in that way before. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CBS News that U.S. officials never contemplated evacuating the embassy and had kept the heat on Iraqi officials to ensure the compound was safe. "We reminded them throughout the day of their continued responsibility," he said. The Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella grouping of the militias that have been officially integrated into Iraq's armed forces, said 62 militiamen and civilians were wounded by the tear gas and stun grenades fired to disperse the crowd. A Reuters witness saw blood on the face of one wounded militiaman and on the stomach of the other as their colleagues carried them away. Iraqis have been taking to the streets in the thousands almost daily to condemn, among other things, militias such as Kataib Hezbollah and their Iranian patrons that support Abdul Mahdi's government. Kataib Hezbollah is one of the smallest but most potent of the Iranian-backed militias. Its flags were hung on the fence surrounding the embassy. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad and Idrees Ali in Washington; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Palm Beach, Fla. and Daphne Psaledakis, Doina Chiacu, Diane Bartz in Washington; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Peter Cooney) Turkeys parliament on Thursday authorized the deployment of troops to Libya to support the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli battle forces loyal to a rival government that is seeking to capture the capital. Turkish lawmakers voted 325-184 at an emergency session in favor of a one-year mandate allowing the government to dispatch troops amid concerns that Turkish forces could aggravate the conflict in Libya and destabilize the region. The Tripoli-based government of Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj has faced an offensive by the rival regime in the east and commander Gen. Khalifa Hifter. The fighting has threatened to plunge Libya into violent chaos rivaling the 2011 conflict that ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that Sarraj requested the Turkish deployment, after he and Sarraj signed a military deal that allows Ankara to dispatch military experts and personnel to Libya. That deal, along with a separate agreement on maritime boundaries between Turkey and Libya, has drawn ire across the region and beyond. Ankara says the deployment is vital for Turkey to safeguard its interests in Libya and in the eastern Mediterranean, where it finds itself increasingly isolated as Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel have established exclusive economic zones paving the way for oil and gas exploration. A Libya whose legal government is under threat can spread instability to Turkey, ruling party legislator Ismet Yilmaz argued in defense of the motion. Those who shy away from taking steps on grounds that there is a risk will throw our children into a greater danger. The government has not revealed details about the possible Turkish deployment. The motion allows the government to decide on the scope, amount and timing of any mission by Turkish troops. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay told state-run Anadolu Agency that Turkey would send the necessary number (of troops) whenever there is a need. Story continues But he also said Turkey would not dispatch its forces if Libyas rival government halts its offensive. If the other side adopts a different stance and says OK, we are withdrawing, we are backing down, then why would we go? Oktay said. Turkeys main opposition party, CHP, had said its lawmakers would vote against the motion because the deployment would embroil Turkey in another conflict and make it a party to the further shedding of Muslim blood. Before the vote, CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu called on the government Thursday to work for the establishment of a United Nations peacekeeping force in Libya. Turkey must take the lead for efforts to establish stability in the region and concentrate all diplomatic efforts in that direction, Kilicdaroglu tweeted. A center-right opposition party also said its legislators would not back the motion. We cannot throw our soldiers in the line of fire of a civilian war that has nothing to do with our national security, said Aytun Ciray, a member of the opposition Good Party, said during the parliamentary debate. However, Erdogans ruling party is in an alliance with a nationalist party, and the two held sufficient votes for the motion to pass. Fighting around Tripoli escalated in recent weeks after Hifter declared a final and decisive battle for the capital. He has the backing of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as France and Russia, while the Tripoli-based government receives aid from Turkey, Qatar and Italy. (AP) A 41-year-old Wahoo man suspected of distributing child pornography was arrested Tuesday in Lincoln. Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol Technical Crimes Division, working with the Wahoo Police Department and Saunders County Sheriffs Office, arrested William Sloup without incident Tuesday afternoon. A State Patrol news release said Sloup's arrest came after an investigation that started with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The release said investigators discovered several sexually explicit images involving children on Sloups phone. Sloup, who was booked into the Saunders County Jail, faces 10 felony counts of distribution of visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct. The patrol did not say what Sloup was doing in Lincoln or if there is any local connection to the case. The investigation is ongoing. Today's jail mugshots Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Linda Johnson Rice, daughter of company founder John Johnson, filed a secured claim for more than $5 million, mostly for loans made to Johnson Publishing beginning in 2013. She has agreed to let Rogers take priority for the art auction proceeds, but is in line to receive a portion of the $1.85 million sale of Fashion Fair in December, as well as other liquidated assets. The U.S. Armys 82nd Airborne Divisions alert brigade has been issued orders to deploy rapidly to Kuwait following an attack on the American embassy in Baghdad by a pro-Iranian mob. At least 750 paratroopers are already making their way to the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper confirmed in a statement on Tuesday, saying additional forces are prepared to deploy over the next several days. This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today, said Esper. A total of 4,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airbornes Deployment Ready Brigade have been put on notice for imminent deployment in the next 96 hours, three U.S. defense officials told Fox News. The snap deployment comes amid rapidly rising tensions between Iran and the U.S. and a series of violent tit-for-tat escalations between the two countries. On Tuesday, some 6,000 pro-Iran Shiite militia fighters stormed U.S. embassy in Baghdad, set walls ablaze and chanted Death to America! in a violent retaliation for American air strikes. There were no reports of American casualties, and the attack was repelled after 100 Marines rapidly reinforced the compound. A Tanzanian judge on Thursday denied permission for jailed journalist Erick Kabendera to pay last respects to his mother who died this week, after prosecutors said the court had no jurisdiction to release him. Kabendera's incarceration has drawn international criticism and added to rising concerns about press freedom in Tanzania, where President John Magufuli has cracked down on critics since coming to power in 2015. Kabendera, a reporter for local and international press outlets known for his coverage of Magufuli's administration, was charged in August with organised crime, failing to pay taxes and money laundering. His mother Verdiana Mujwahuzi died on December 31 and a ceremony is scheduled for Friday at a church in the economic capital Dar es Salaam. Defence lawyers filed an application for Kabendera to be granted permission to attend the ceremony under police escort but the move was opposed by prosecutors. "Erick was taking care of his mother all the time before his arrest. It's therefore important for him to attend considering that there is only one mother who dies, given last respect and buried only once in lifetime," said one of the defence lawyers Jebra Kambole. "We request the court to consider and grant him leave under escort." State Attorney Wankyo Simon rejected the plea saying the court had no powers to issue such permission. "We really regret for loss of his mother but it should be noted that this court has no powers to allow him considering that cases of economic crimes are heard in the High Court," he said. Cases of economic crimes are taken to High Court once the investigations are complete. Kabendera appeared wiping away tears even before the proceedings as journalists flanked him with cameras and his relatives and friends filled the court room. The case was postponed until January 13. Earlier this year, Kabendera had been receiving medical care in prison as he had difficulty walking due to the paralysis of his right foot, and has difficulty breathing. The United States and Britain have voiced concern at the "steady erosion of due process" in Tanzania, citing Kabendera's plight as a case in point. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] Two women were allegedly gangraped in separate incidents in West Bengal's North 24 Paragans and North Dinajpur districts, police said on Thursday. Five people have been arrested in connection with the two incidents, they said. In North Dinajpur, a middle-aged woman was gangraped twice in Kaliaganj area on Wednesday -- once near the hotel where she is employed and again when she was returning home -- a police officer said, quoting the complaint lodged by her. "Two persons have been arrested. We have conducted the medical test and started an investigation into the case," the officer said. In the second incident in North 24 Parganas district, a woman in her mid-thirties claimed in the police complaint that she was raped by three men, who barged into her house at Bamangachi area of Duttapukar on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1. The three accused have been arrested. "A medical test of the woman has been conducted, but that is not for rape. We are investigating whether it was a case of rape...," a senior police officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Boris Johnson's top adviser Dominic Cummings has today posted a bizarre job advert in which he calls for 'super-talented weirdos' to apply to work at Number 10. Writing on his personal blog, Mr Cummings sets out plans for a Downing Street shake-up in which maths and physics PhDs would mingle with 'weirdos and misfits with odd skills' and people who 'fought their way out of appalling hell holes'. Mr Cummings warns recruits that he will 'bin you within weeks if you don't fit', adding: 'Don't complain later because I made it clear now.' The former Vote Leave supremo is also hiring a personal assistant, but warns that the new recruit will have tasks 'which you won't enjoy'. The advert is a direct challenge to the civil service and Whitehall establishment which Mr Cummings has long criticised and which Mr Johnson plans to reform. Recruiter: Boris Johnson's top special adviser Dominic Cummings (pictured days after the Tory election victory last month) wants 'super-talented weirdos' to work for him at Number 10 Setting out his plans in a meandering 2,900-word blog post, Mr Cummings warns of 'profound problems at the core of how the British state makes decisions'. Mr Johnson's 80-seat majority means the Tory government has 'little need to worry about short-term unpopularity while trying to make rapid progress,' he predicts. The 48-year-old, whose official title is Chief Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, says he wants his new recruits to make him 'much less important' and 'largely redundant' within a year. 'We want to hire an unusual set of people with different skills and backgrounds to work in Downing Street,' he says. Mr Cummings plans to hire a fleet of maths and physics experts with 'exceptional academic qualifications' to work on AI, data science and communications problems. He is also looking for 'unusual software developers' and 'unusual economists', citing a string of academic concepts which candidates should know about. Number 10 is also looking for 'great project managers' who could oversee projects such as Brexit. 'If you think you are one of the a small group of people in the world who are truly GREAT at project management, then we want to talk to you,' Mr Cummings says. 'We need people like this who have a 1 in 10,000 or higher level of skill and temperament.' Mr Cummings also promises to hire a team of 'junior researchers', some of them university graduates. The jobs available include a year-long posting as a 'sort of personal assistant' to Mr Cummings. 'This will involve a mix of very interesting work and lots of uninteresting trivia that makes my life easier which you won't enjoy,' he says. How Mr Cummings' job advert might look on a poster - calling for 'super-talented weirdos' to apply to work at Number 10 Job advert: Mr Cummings setting out his plans for a Downing Street shake-up in a meandering 2,900-word post on his personal blog 'You will not have weekday date nights, you will sacrifice many weekends frankly it will hard having a boy/girlfriend at all. 'It will be exhausting but interesting and if you cut it you will be involved in things at the age of ~21 that most people never see. 'I don't want confident public school bluffers. I want people who are much brighter than me who can work in an extreme environment. If you play office politics, you will be discovered and immediately binned.' Mr Cummings also wants communications and policy experts, criticising the Whitehall practice of employing generalists who frequently move jobs. 'With no election for years and huge changes in the digital world, there is a chance and a need to do things very differently,' he says. 'We also are interested in people who have worked in movies or on advertising campaigns.' The final category of jobs is 'super-talented weirdos', although Mr Cummings admits he 'doesn't really know what I'm looking for'. 'People in SW1 talk a lot about diversity but they rarely mean true cognitive diversity,' Mr Cummings writes. 'They are usually babbling about 'gender identity diversity blah blah'. 'What SW1 needs is not more drivel about 'identity' and 'diversity' from Oxbridge humanities graduates but more genuine cognitive diversity. 'If you want to figure out what characters around Putin might do, or how international criminal gangs might exploit holes in our border security, you dont want more Oxbridge English graduates who chat about Lacan at dinner parties with TV producers and spread fake news about fake news.' Plans: The advert is a direct challenge to the civil service and Whitehall establishment which Mr Cummings has long criticised and which Boris Johnson (pictured) plans to reform He goes on: 'We need some true wild cards, artists, people who never went to university and fought their way out of an appalling hell hole. 'By definition I don't really know what I'm looking for but I want people around No10 to be on the lookout for such people. 'We need to figure out how to use such people better without asking them to conform to the horrors of 'Human Resources' (which also obviously need a bonfire).' Mr Cummings will be one of the interviewers himself, he says. Applicants must be able to commit for at least two years. Prospective candidates are told to send their applications to a Gmail address rather than an official government email account. In a typically rambling post, he also mentions the Apollo missions, quotes from military strategists and cites academic papers about war and statistics. Mr Cummings was appointed by Mr Johnson when he became PM in July 2019 and will now wield substantial power following the Tories' emphatic election win. Mark Serwotka, the head of the civil service union PCS, has already vowed to resist plans for a major overhaul of Whitehall. 'The major problem for the civil service in the last decade has been under investment, real terms pay cuts and poor government policy,' he said. 'Comments by Dominic Cummings that imply he wants to hire and fire at will reveal an anti-trade union mentality and will be strenuously resisted by PCS.' Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA which represents senior civil servants, has also warned that the PM's allies are exhibiting a 'fundamental misunderstanding' of the modern civil service. U-Haul Wont Hire People Who Use Nicotine Products in 21 States U-Haul International said it wont hire people who are nicotine users in 21 states. The policy will be effective on Feb. 1, the Phoenix-based company said. We are deeply invested in the well-being of our Team Members, Jessica Lopez, U-Haul chief of staff, said in a statement. Nicotine products are addictive and pose a variety of serious health risks. This policy is a responsible step in fostering a culture of wellness at U-Haul, with the goal of helping our Team Members on their health journey. The hiring policy will be enacted in the 21 states that let companies legally decline to hire people who use nicotine products. They are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. People applying to work at the company in those states will see statements on applications asking about nicotine use. Some applicants will have to consent to submit to nicotine screening in the future to be considered for a job, where legal. On the other hand, 29 states and the District of Columbia have laws that dont allow employers from not hiring people because of their nicotine use, or smoke protection laws, according to the American Lung Association. Cigarette butts in a stock photograph. (Pawe Czerwinski/Unsplash) U-Haul employs more than 30,000 across the United States and Canada. The move comes after Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law a bill upping the minimum smoking age to 21 from 18. This is a major step in protecting the next generation of children from becoming addicted to tobacco products. Tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, should never be marketed to, sold to, or used by kids, Dr. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said in a statement. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accounting for about 20 percent of deaths, or more than 480,000 deaths each year. An estimated 34.2 million adults in the United States currently smoke cigarettes and more than 16 million live with a smoking-related disease. As far as hiring policies targeting smokers, the Cleveland Clinic announced in 2007 (pdf) it wouldnt hire people who test positive for the presence of nicotine. The city of Dayton, also in Ohio, announced last year that it wouldnt hire workers who use tobacco or nicotine. Public Health Dayton & Montgomery County supports nicotine- and tobacco-free hiring policies for employers, Dan Suffoletto, spokesman with public health, told the Dayton Daily News. Public Health has had a nicotine and tobacco-free policy in place since 2014. Applicants are tested and will not be hired if they test positive. The city also said it would test workers hired after the policy change if they are suspected of using tobacco or nicotine. (Bloomberg) -- Gaming company Razer Inc. has teamed up with homegrown Singaporean entrepreneurs and Asian billionaires to apply for a full digital banking license, joining the race to create virtual lenders in the city state. Razers shares leapt as much as 13.4% Thursday, their biggest intraday gain since April. Its consortium is the second group to announce its submitted an application for the digital full banking license after Grab Holdings Inc. and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. unveiled a joint bid on Dec. 30. The Monetary Authority of Singapore is set to announce the winners of five digital banking licenses in mid-2020. Efforts to open up the Singapore banking industry to technology companies come on the heels of a similar move in Hong Kong, where units of Ant Financial and other Chinese firms including Tencent Holdings Ltd. obtained licenses. Southeast Asias digital lending market is expected to more than quadruple to $110 billion by 2025, according to a report by Bain & Co., Google and Temasek Holdings Pte. Upon obtaining the license, we believe Razer would leverage on its 70 million registered user base across its software offerings to cross-sell more financial products, Jefferies analysts led by Ken Chong wrote Thursday. This would likely include insurance and wealth management products offered by Razers ecosystem partners, while Razer would contribute its traffic and data of its core user base of game enthusiasts. Read more: Grab, Singtel Target Singaporeans Overlooked by Banking Giants Instead of fighting local banks, Razer Fintech plans to target the youth and millennial segment in Singapore. Eventually, it aims to roll out globally as Razer Youth Bank, which the company said would be the first bank of its kind. Youth and millennials are underserved even in a crowded space like Singapore, said Lee Li Meng, Razers chief strategy officer who assumed an additional role as chief executive officer of Razer Fintech from Jan. 1. The new bank would target those between 12 and 35 years of age, he said, noting many young people grow up with little knowledge of finance. When they join the workforce they struggle to open a bank account or get a credit card or loans due to lack of savings and credit history. We want to help them from a young age, Lee said. Story continues Razer Fintech, the companys financial technology unit, will own a 60% stake in the group, while five partners will hold the remaining 40%, according to a statement. They are Sheng Siong Holdings Pte, the private company of the Singaporean Lim brothers behind a popular local supermarket chain; billionaire Richard Lis insurance company FWD Group; internet entrepreneur Chen Danians tech company LinkSure Global Holdings Ltd.; Insignia Ventures Partners; and Carro, an online car marketplace. Razer is trying to leverage on its large, young fan base and its existing digital payments networks Razer Merchant Services and e-wallet service Razer Pay. Its also looking to boost its global presence -- the company is based in Singapore and San Francisco but has retail stores in places like London, Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Taipei. Its also trying to capitalize on younger consumers who use their mobile phones to read, chat and play, and stream music and videos. Such users will expect to use mobile phones to manage their money and trade stocks for more convenient and speedier services, Lee said. Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan has been trying to build an ecosystem of software and services for gamers to reduce Razers reliance on hardware peripherals such as gaming mice and keyboards. It got into the digital wallet business by acquiring e-payments platform MOL Global. Since forming Razer Fintech as a separate entity in April 2018, it has built a large digital payment network in Southeast Asia and processed more than billions of dollars in total payment value. Razer Fintech has about 200 employees and some of its most prominent hires include Lim Siong Guan, former president of GIC Pte, Singapores sovereign wealth fund. Weve thought about this long and hard, Lee said. We believe that we can do something revolutionary here in Singapore. (Updates with analysts comment in the fourth paragraph) To contact the reporter on this story: Yoolim Lee in Singapore at yoolim@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edwin Chan at echan273@bloomberg.net, Colum Murphy, Marcus Wright For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2020 Bloomberg L.P. 3 1 of 3 Mariah Tauger Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Geography Photos Show More Show Less 3 of 3 In October, I flew to Paris to visit a friend living there. We were there to do research in Normandy for her next book and spent days driving around the French countryside eating moules frites in Etretat, cobbling together dinner from a French grocery store while staying in a remote 17th-century chateau in La Pommeraye and, of course, drinking lots and lots of cidre. On one of our last stops at Michel Huard, a calvados producer in Saint-Germain-des-Grois, we were invited for lunch into the matriarch's home, where she ended the meal of roast veal and potatoes with the region's classic, simple tarte au pomme. She explained the tart was simply puff pastry with chopped plain apples tossed on top, baked then sprinkled with a dusting of granulated sugar. As I reached for a fork to eat the tarte, Madame Guillouet-Huard beckoned me to instead pick it up with my hands. "Like pizza!," she said. It was heavenly, and the crisp pastry held up the apples as rigid as a plank. It tasted more of apples than the other two apple tartes I had that day (a mini one for breakfast and an elegant wedge that night at dinner), and I went back for a second piece. The State spent years dragging its feet on global tax reform and only signed up fully last spring when it became clear that the United States was backing the changes. In May last year, after having simply said 'no' to most European Union tax reforms, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe dramatically changed tack, when the US came on board with a process run by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Under the auspices of the OECD, talks involving nearly 140 countries were aiming for the biggest rewrite of the global tax code in 100 years. It marked a bid to plug the loopholes in international rules that allowed multinational companies to legally avoid taxes, and shift profits to low or no-tax jurisdictions. Economists have estimated that up to 200bn in global tax revenue was lost to profit shifting in 2016 alone. With companies not sharing the burden, states were forced to cut services or to tax workers more heavily. Expand Close Trade tensions: President Donald Trump and Chinas Xi Jinping. Photo: Bloomberg / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Trade tensions: President Donald Trump and Chinas Xi Jinping. Photo: Bloomberg Ireland, of course, had emerged as a winner, with its low 12.5pc tax rate and multiple tax breaks and allowances. These included the likes of the by now infamous and since abandoned 'double Irish' scheme, where multinationals could shift tax liabilities to 'no-tax' jurisdictions. This encouraged the likes of Apple to run business empires covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa from here. The Exchequer pulled in billions of euro in Government revenue from these multinationals, as corporation tax receipts surged to 10.4bn and hit 19pc of the tax take, up from just 11.5pc in 2012. According to an analysis by the Department of Finance, revenues from company taxes come in, on average, at 1.1bn a year more than expected in the annual budget statement. That seemingly bottomless source of money has allowed the Government to fund 500m a year in health spending overshoots, as well as to underwrite Mr Donohoe's capital spending programme. With a January deadline for agreement on the new OECD rules - which would allow countries to tax large multinationals on a small part of their global profits from sales, even if they did not operate inside their borders - it appeared to be a question of when changes would take place, not if. In early December, the US changed tack again, under heavy lobbying pressure from American companies. Expand Close Letter: Steve Mnuchin cast doubt on the OECDs plans last month. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Letter: Steve Mnuchin cast doubt on the OECDs plans last month. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA US treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin threw a spanner in the works in a letter to the OECD. He wrote that companies should have the option of a 'safe-harbour' regime, as opposed to a globally agreed and enforced mandatory regime. As France pressed ahead with its unilateral digital tax, which it says will be replaced by any OECD-brokered agreement, the US drew up a list of $2.4bn (2.1bn) of French exports that would be hit with tariffs of up to 100pc. This would be the first time that Washington had directly acted to defend its service industries with the threat of tariffs. Instead of a global agreement, we now appear to be looking at a new front in the Trump administration's trade wars. Hearings will be held in Washington early in the year and the spat could escalate, as France exported services worth $17.5bn to the US in 2017. "At this point, I think it is very unlikely that a global tax deal will be reached. We seem headed toward a world of unilateral taxes on multinational tech firms and US retaliatory trade measures in response to those taxes," said Julie Martin, editor of 'MNE Tax', an industry publication that tracks tax issues and their impact on multinational firms. An analysis by KPMG shows that 33 countries across the world, from Austria to Zimbabwe, intend to legislate, have drafted laws, or have actually implemented laws to tax the digital economy. Many others have not done so because they were waiting for a global solution, something that now looks very unlikely. The European Union's new economy commissioner, Paolo Gentiloni, told the EU parliament that the bloc was willing to go it alone, if there was no agreement at the OECD level. "If no or limited agreement is reached internationally by 2020, it is crystal clear that the strong rationale for action at EU level will remain and that the commission will act on this basis," he said. With the Irish economy three times more vulnerable to a transatlantic trade war than any other in the EU, a trade spat between Brussels and Washington would be extremely bad news. "While the prospects for a truce in the US-Chinese trade war are improving, the likelihood of a full-blown trade war between the United States and the European Union will rise in 2020, with issues such as digital taxes and airplane subsidies driving a wedge across the Atlantic," political and economic risk consultancy International Strategic Analysis wrote in a report. But with the OECD tax plans now in tatters, there is greater risk of unilateral action. And instead of a negotiated deal and legal certainty for the multinational companies here that now employ over 200,000 people, there is a bigger potential risk to the State coffers. Estimates of the amount of revenue that could be at risk have varied widely. Some estimates are as low as 1bn a year, whereas other forecasts have run as high as 6bn. Without knowing exactly what proportion of multinational earnings would be allocated for global taxation rights and whether separate proposals for a minimum tax level - a measure opposed by Mr Donohoe - would be adopted, it is almost impossible to put a figure on the potential losses for the Exchequer. Most studies are based on work by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, an independent body set up to assess the country's budgets in the wake of the financial crisis. The Fiscal Council estimates that the level of corporation tax receipts that are "unexplained by the performance of the domestic economy" amounted to between 3bn and 6bn in 2018. That, in itself, is a huge range. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), a think-tank that carries out a lot of independent assessments for the Department of Finance, has constructed two scenarios. In a 'moderate' outcome, it said that revenues could drop by 2bn below their expected trend in the impact year. Meanwhile, in the 'sharp' scenario, the drop could total 6bn. "In the moderate scenario, the emerging fiscal gap averages 1.5bn per annum over the next 10 years," the ESRI said in its annual economic outlook, which was published in December. In the sharp loss scenario, the impact would be much stronger, the ESRI wrote. "Tax revenues would be lower than the baseline by 4.5bn per annum on average over the next decade," the think-tank's report said. "This would result in a deficit-to-GDP of 2.5pc in the first year, while Ireland would run a long-lasting deficit for at least one decade." An assessment by the Department of Finance itself has some very different figures, however. It finds that 90pc can be accounted for by economic models, with just close to 1bn of receipts in 2018 that cannot be fully captured. "The gaps between forecasts and out-turns have been referred to as windfall receipts by a number of observers given their unexpected and often unexplained nature," the department said in a recent analysis. Whatever the outcome, taxpayers here will have to brace for change. That means swallowing more taxes and tax rises to offset any shortfall in corporation tax, or shrinking Government spending to fit the new circumstances. That scenario will likely unfold at the same time as the public confronts substantial new carbon taxes as a reckoning for the cost of environmental action. San Francisco, Jan 2 : The US Army has banned service members from using the Chinese-owned short video-making app TikTok on government-issued phones citing security concerns. "It is considered a cyber threat," Lt Col Robin Ochoa, a US Army spokesperson told US-based news portal Military.com. "We do not allow it on government phones." The move comes amid ongoing worries that the video app could compromise national security or be used to influence or snoop on Americans. TikTok has seen nearly 1.5 billion downloads globally and the US market with 37.6 million downloads is at third sport, after India and China. The US Army has not banned personnel from using TikTok on their personal phones but they have been recommended that service members use caution if they received random or unfamiliar text messages. Last month, the US Navy and Defense Department told its members not to download the app and delete it from government-issued devices if it was already installed. According to The Verge, Beijing-based company ByteDance has been under scrutiny from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) after lawmakers demanded an investigation to see whether the Chinese government can collect users' data or control the content that is shared. To recall, TikTok became the first Chinese-owned app to reach first place in the US Apple App Store last November. Its servers are not based in China but rather in countries where the app is available. A white nationalist who ran for the U.S. Senate in Florida and was a featured speaker during the 2017 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville has been arrested on charges of kidnapping and domestic violence. Augustus Sol Invictus, 36, was arrested on Monday at a Florida mall by Brevard County Sheriff's deputies on a warrant issued out of South Carolina, the Miami Herald reported. He is also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. While details about the incident that led to his arrest are unclear, jail records described him as an 'out of state fugitive'. The Herald noted that news of the arrest was first reported on Twitter by the journalist Nick Martin, who focuses on covering 'hate and extremism' in the U.S. Augustus Sol Invictus, 36, was arrested Monday at a Florida mall by Brevard County Sheriff's deputies Invictus, an Orlando-area attorney, has called for violent uprisings. During his 2016 Senate bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, he got widespread attention for claiming that he killed a goat and drank its blood as part of a pagan ritual. He failed, however, to win the nomination from Florida's Libertarian Party to challenge Rubio. White nationalist Richard Spencer, who organized the deadly Charlottesville rally that refocused attention on the country's frayed race relations, had credited Invictus with drafting the core tenets behind the rally. Jail records show that Invictus is being held without bond and is to appear before a judge on January 15. During his 2016 Senate bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, Invictus got widespread attention for claiming that he killed a goat and drank its blood as part of a pagan ritual Invictus was taken into custody Monday afternoon by deputies from the Brevard County Sheriff's fugitive unit, public information officer Tod Goodyear said Wednesday. Invictus had been under surveillance since Christmas Day, when South Carolina authorities notified officials in Florida that Invictus may be in the area. Florida officials began tailing Invictus after tracking him down at a relative's home, Goodyear said. Invictus was taken into custody without incident after leaving a gym. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday targeted the Congress over infant deaths at a Rajasthan hospital, suggesting that party leader Priyanka Gandhi should have gone there to console the children's mothers instead of "playing politics" in UP. Both appeared to refer to Gandhi's visit to the Uttar Pradesh after violent protests over the amended citizenship law. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia have also criticised the Congress-led government in Rajasthan over the functioning of the state-run JK Lon hospital in Kota, where 104 infants have died since the beginning of December. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is an MP from Kota, had also expressed concern. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the deaths should not be politicised and invited Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to visit the hospital and see the "best" facilities offered there. The Centre has decided to send a high-level team comprising experts from AIIMS, Jodhpur, and health economists to Kota. "Let us ensure no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of health system capacity," Vardhan wrote to Gehlot. Adityanath, who was at the receiving end of Congress criticism over a series of deaths at a hospital in Gorakhpur over two years ago, attacked the Congress leadership in a series of tweets in Hindi. "The death of 100 innocent children is extremely saddening and heart-wrenching. The death of children is a blot on a civilised society, human values and feelings," he said. "It is extremely sad that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, despite being women, are not able to understand the sorrow of mothers," he added. He said it would have been better "had Priyanka met and consoled the aggrieved mothers instead of indulging in in UP". This was in apparent reference to her criticism of the BJP government's handling of the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. In tweets and during her visit to Lucknow, she had accused the UP Police of committing excesses. BSP supremo Mayawati questioned the Congress general secretary over her "silence" on the deaths. She said if Priyanka Gandhi does not meet the children's mothers, then her meeting with the kin of the victims of violence during the anti-CAA protests in UP will be "construed as pure theatrics". "The death of 100 children in Rajasthan's Kota district is very sad and painful. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his government are still insensitive, disinterested and irresponsible, which is highly condemnable." "But what is more saddening is the fact that the top leadership of the Congress, especially its general secretary, are maintaining silence over this issue. It would have been better that like she did in UP, she had met the aggrieved mothers, who lost their children due to the laxity of the party's government," she said. But Gehlot said his government is sensitive to the issue of death of sick infants at the Kota hospital. "There should no over the issue. Infant mortality at this hospital is steadily decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. It is our top priority that mothers and children remain in good health," Gehlot tweeted in Hindi. Gehlot claimed that the first ICU for children in Rajasthan was established by the Congress government in 2003. "We also established an ICU for children in Kota in 2011," he added. "We are ready to improve medical services in the state through discussions and cooperation with an expert team from the Centre," he said. BJP state president Satish Poonia said the BJP does not want to do on the issue but the state government is not dealing with it seriously. "It is regrettable that the state health minister did not even visit the hospital. The chief minister is known for being sensitive. A delegation of BJP MPs had met the families who lost their children. They were in deep anguish. If the government is not sensitive, then it is worrisome," Poonia said. He alleged that the BJP MPs were manhandled by Congress workers during a visit to the Kota hospital. Recently, a Rajasthan government committee had found that the hospital was short of beds and its functioning needs improvement but cleared the doctors there of any lapses. The three-member committee, which was sent to investigate 10 deaths on December 23 and 24, had said the infants who died on the two days were given the right treatment. The committee submitted that eight out of the 10 infants were referred from other hospitals and they were at higher risk due to pre-term birth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) Damien Galvin pictured with his hero daughter, Priya (5), his fiancee, Mary (35) and new born son, Noah. Priya's quick-thinking in raising the alarm after her mother fell ill saved the mother of two's life. Pic: RedFM A QUICK-thinking five year old has been hailed as a hero after raising the alarm so her mother, who had collapsed onto the floor of their Cork home with a stroke, could receive urgent medical attention. Thanks to the mature actions of little Priya Galvin (5), her mother Mary (35) is now expected to make a full recovery having received medical attention within the critical response time. Priya's father, Damien, said the entire family are incredibly proud of the shrewd actions of the little girl which helped save her mother's life last week. Damien was on his way to work and driving out the Dublin Road when he suddenly received a Facetime call from little Priya who was at home with her mother, Mary, and her month old baby brother, Noah. "I was on my way to work and my phone went off. My daughter was Face-timing me. I normally wouldn't answer it but something made me take the call. She was crying on the phone. She said that Mammy was drinking a cup of tea and now she was on the floor and she couldn't get up," Damien told RedFM's Neil Prendeville Show. "I asked her to turn the camera around - I could see my fiancee was on the floor and very distressed. She couldn't get up." Damien was some distance from their Cork home so he urgently rang family members for help. "I immediately rang her sister and told her what had happened. She sent her husband up there straight away." "He came up and my partner's parents live next door. My little five year old was able to open the latch to the back door to let them in." Paramedics were alerted and the young mother was rushed to Cork University Hospital (CUH). "Within seconds of being there in CUH, they had done a scan and she was told she had suffered a stroke," Damien said. "With a stroke, timing is precious and my little daughter is a hero in all of this. It is unbelievable - she doesn't know it but she is a hero." "She (Mary) might not be here today (but for Priya) - on Tuesday, I saw the surgeon and I said it to him. I wanted to thank the surgeon for all he had done for our family. He gave us the best Christmas present possible. But he said you don't need to thank me for a job I do every day - you have a five year old who is a true hero." "Priya didn't know what was going on but she knew her Mammy was distressed." "We had a little boy just four weeks ago so we don't know if it (the stroke) is down to that or not." "Mary is now walking and talking - hopefully she will be home by the weekend." "It was the left side of her brain that was affected. But we are hoping she will make a full recovery." Damien said he contacted RedFM to highlight the importance of children being able to use communication devices in an emergency situation. "I just wanted to make people aware of how important is for children to understand phones and tablets. She (Priya) saved her mother's life that day with that Facetime call." Doctors have said that as Mary is only 35 years old, her recovery prospects are exceptionally good. "The good news is that time is on her side so she should make a good recovery," Damien added About a decade back, the marine industry saw a significant boom which leads to the rise in demand for seafarers around the world, resulting in a sudden shortage of maritime officers. India is already emerging as a significant powered nation on the world maritime scene. India ranks 15th in the world in terms of total DWT. India currently supplies around 12.8% of officers and around 14.5% of ratings to the world seafaring community. This is one of the highest of any country. Competition among all maritime nations is becoming tougher nowadays. The Merchant Navy is the backbone of any international trade process, carrying cargo all over the world. And due to this, the shipping industries and private Merchant ships employ a vast number of workers onboard for their shipment goods transportation from one country to another. Without the merchant navy, the import-export business would come to a grinding halt! These facts created a significant demand and supply gap of trained maritime employees and training centers. No matter how fast the world changes around, a career at sea will stand you in good time. It starts with technical learning, both at sea and on-shore. Along the way, one can get an opportunity to work with advanced technologies and also developing technical skills. Why Career in the Merchant Navy in the First Place? As a leading shipping management services, we at Westline Shipping Industry is providing the recommendation for a career in marine. A career in the Merchant Navy is different from the defence navy. Merchant navy offers commercial services, as opposed to the navy, which is primarily involved in defence of a nation. Merchant Navy - Job Prospects A career in the merchant navy is not only monetarily rewarding but also quite challenging. There are a vast number of employment opportunities in this field. Candidates who have finished the training of merchant navy from Westline Shipping get jobs very quickly in the shipping companies across the globe as Westline Shipping is a leading and licensed ship management company in India. Merchant navy fleet consists of cargo ships, container ships, a barge carrying ships, tankers, bulk carriers, refrigerators ships, passenger ships, as well as roll-off/roll on ships. Companies that run merchant ships require trained people who can operate and maintain the vessel. Qualified people are needed in the three central departments of the ship: the deck, the engine and the service department. In India, job opportunities are also available in government and private shipping companies like Shipping Corporation of India, clearinghouses, del credere agents etc. Where will a career at sea take you? At Westline Shipping, we are committed to providing management services to the shipping industry. We, therefore, promote training, commitment and career development for competent, qualified and aspiring youth. We aim to provide an excellent platform for applicants interested in long term career prospects within the shipping industry. At every step of the training, we are here to provide you with the support to make the best of your talents. You'll come away with professional certificates, education and technical skills start your maritime career that is full of international travel and incredible journeys with huge pay package. New Delhi: In what is likely to further aggravate tension between the Centre and West Bengal government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Union Ministry of Defence has rejected her state's tableau proposal for the upcoming Republic Day Parade on January 26. The tableau proposal of West Bengal was rejected after the expert committee made a few objections, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Wednesday. "The tableau proposal of the government of West Bengal was examined by the expert committee in two rounds of meetings. The tableau proposal of the government of West Bengal was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting," a Defence Ministry release said. It further stated that the tableau of the government of West Bengal was shortlisted for participation in Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process. The Defence Ministry stated that 22 proposals comprising 16 states and Union Territories and six ministries and departments have been shortlisted for the Republic Day Parade. Live TV The shortlisting was done from as many as 56 tableau proposals - 32 from states and Union Territories and 24 from various ministries and departments - received by the central government. "There is a well-established system for selection of tableaux for participation in the Republic Day Parade as per which Ministry of Defence invites proposals for tableau from all States/Union Territories and Central Ministries/Departments," the Defence Ministry said. The tableaux proposals received from various States and Union Territories and Central Ministries and Departments are evaluated in a series of meetings of the Expert Committee comprising of eminent persons in the field of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography and others. The panel examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations. Due to time constraints arising out of overall duration of the parade, only a limited number of tableaux can be shortlisted for participation in the parade. The selection process in vogue, leads to the participation of the best tableaux in the parade. ''It stated that the tableau proposal of the government of West Bengal was examined by the expert committee in two rounds of meetings. However, it was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting,'' the Defence Ministry added. A federal judge has blocked a California law that would limit insurance payment rates at life-saving kidney dialysis clinics and prohibit the clinics from steering patients to private insurers. Supporters of AB290 said it would save patients money and lower the costs of dialysis by allowing reimbursement in most cases only at Medicare rates, far less than those paid by insurers. But U.S. District Judge David Carter of Santa Ana said the law appears to interfere with freedom of expression and could have devastating consequences. He noted that the nonprofit American Kidney Fund has threatened to withdraw its Health Insurance Premium Program from California if the law takes effect. The program, known as HIPP, helps needy dialysis patients, including 3,700 in California, pay their premiums to insurers, many of which have donated to the American Kidney Fund. If HIPP is withdrawn, they face potentially life-threatening disruptions in treatment and displacement from transplant waiting lists, Carter said Monday in granting a preliminary injunction against enforcement of AB290. The suit was filed by two large dialysis providers, DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care. The law targeted the providers practice of donating to organizations like the American Kidney Fund. The fund then allegedly refers dialysis patients to private insurers, which pay higher rates to providers than Medicare. AB290 would prohibit such referrals and limit reimbursement to Medicare rates or rates set by a neutral arbiter. But Carter said the alleged harms were merely speculative at this point, because the state has not identified any steered California patients. In addition to the potential harm to thousands of patients, he said, the new law burdens dialysis providers freedom to contribute to third-party payers. AB290s author, Assemblyman Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg, said Thursday that the ruling emboldens the corporate duopoly of Fresenius and DaVita to continue to gouge the health care system in order to increase their profits. Lawyers for the companies could not be reached for comment. The ruling was one of a series of decisions from courts around the state on lawsuits seeking to block new laws. In another medically related case, a federal judge in Sacramento refused Tuesday to halt enforcement of a first-in-the-nation law against brand-name pharmaceutical companies payments to competitors to postpone introduction of generic drugs, a practice known as pay for delay. The law, AB824, was intended to encourage the marketing of lower-price generics. Manufacturers of generic drugs are frequently sued by brand-name companies claiming patent violations. They often settle the suits by paying the generic firms, which agree to postpone sales of their products. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley said the generic drug companies that challenged the law had not yet shown that it would violate their rights, interfere with development of new medicines, or conflict with federal drug-patent laws. Wood is also the author of AB824. He said Nunleys ruling was a victory over an industry practice that protects their profits over patients. The pharmaceutical law was challenged by the Association for Accessible Medicines, representing generic drugmakers that have received payments under the practice targeted by AB824. The organization plans to appeal Nunleys ruling. The new law will harm patients in California by denying them earlier access to affordable generic and bio-similar prescription drugs, said Jeff Francer, the associations general counsel. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko A job search website has removed an medical staffing agency ad for a hospital in Arizona that states staff 'must have backbone' and 'women don't do well here'. The advert posted on ZipRecruiter for Ascend Medical Staffing said: 'Tough facility & medical staff must have back bone and be diplomatic, excellent customer service skills. Women don't do well here.' 'And they say there is no gender bias in medicine,' tweeted Dr. Thais Countinho who shared the sexist ad. Job ad posted by Ascend Medical on ZipRecruiter, said 'must have backbone' and 'women don't do well here'. A doctor brought it to public attention December claiming 'gender bias' The December 18 job advert seemingly described Western Arizona Regional Medical Center (pictured). The hospital said it has 'no affiliation' with Ascend Medical and that it was investigating the post, but would not confirm if they're recruiting for the role ZipRecruiter replied to an outraged tweet: 'Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Our team is removing this job description from our site' The text goes on to state: 'Average census us 31 pts per day on average I would say our physicians get called regarding critical patients about 2 to 3 times a night but don't always have to come back. 'If the hospitalist are on the unit they usually respond and take over if the ER physician is there. That relieves the ER physician to go back to the ER.' It's unclear whether the hiring manager wrote the ad or whether a third party did so. Ascend provides staff for medical facilities. The 'hospitalist' role appears to be for Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City. ZipRecruiter's rules warn posters must 'comply with applicable local, state, federal and international laws, including but not limited to laws relating to anti-discrimination, labor and employment, equal employment opportunity'. The job search engine states ads must 'not contain any job requirement or criterion that discriminates on the basis of race, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy)'. The ad does not explicitly say that a woman would not be hired but social media users expressed they were appalled at what's implied in the language used. It's unclear whether the hiring manager wrote the ad or whether a third party did so The ad for a 139-bed facility in Bullhead City does not explicitly say that a woman would not be hired but ZipRecruiter rules state ads must 'not contain any job requirement or criterion that discriminates on the basis of race, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy)' 'HR department review, anyone? Sounds like a hostile workplace,' Minnow Walsh, MD, MACC wrote. 'Obviously needs to change their toxic culture. @TJCommission should pay attention to their culture of safety,' Sabha Ganai MD PhD posted. 'They also need to apologize to #WomenInMedicine who do have choices not to work at a facility that wants to promote substandard care.' Harriet Van Spall, MD MPH wrote: 'The problem exists in many places.. their language just happens to be overt.' The US Civil Rights Act says it's illegal for an employer to discriminate because of sex. Federal guidelines say ads published on a gender basis are 'considered an expression of a preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination based on sex'. The American Medical Association is also opposed to exploitation and discrimination in the workplace based on gender. 'Not only is this biased, but it's illegal,' one tweeter wrote. Another said: 'But how did it get posted in the first place?' ZipRecruiter replied to the original outraged tweet from December 18: 'Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Our team is removing this job description from our site.' Ascend told Inc.com: 'The posting you inquired about was taken down immediately upon it's [sic] being brought to our attention, as it in no way reflects our company's beliefs, core values, or policies. 'Please accept our sincere apologies.' Texas has long faced the destruction feral hogs can have on land and wildlife. Now feral hogs' rampant damage is stretching as far north as Canada, with particularly prominent populations in U.S. northern border states, including Montana and North Dakota, the New York Times reports. "In the past 30 years, the hogs have expanded their range to 38 states from 17," according to the Times. And this spread isn't natural, it's being caused by people, scientists explain. Dale Nolte, manager of the feral swine program at the Department of Agriculture, told the outlet that there's "every reason to believe they are being moved in the backs of pickup trucks and released to create hunting opportunities. NATURE ODDITIES: The weirdest Texas game warden stories of 2019 While Texas has developed creative hunting practices to stave off the swine epidemic, from air balloon strikes to the "HeliBacon," a helicopter that can be chartered for pricey hog-hunt excursions. However, for some states, hunting creates an incentive for hosting hog populations rather than a solution. In those places, "people to distribute feral pigs for sport," the Times explains. "Hunting makes the animals warier and scatters sounders, or family groups, which go on to multiply in new family groups." The swine have been capable of surviving the extreme winters in northern states and have been steadily multiplying. Their effects have not yet been as carefully documented as they are in the south. What experts do know is that state officials should plan to contain hog populations sooner rather than later. This rings especially true and urgent in recent months. These hogs are not typically known to be predatory, but a November encounter proved deadly for a woman in Anahuac, Texas. Christine Rollins was found dead with animal bites on her body. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office determined it was a feral hog assault that caused Rollin's death. However, that's an extreme and rare example of what these swine can do. If they cause human casualties it's usually by spreading disease through contaminated waters, including E. coli outbreaks in produce. HUNTING: Culberson County mule deer buck could be record-breaker It's more common that the invasive species attacks ecosystems rather than people. They destabilize habitats and ravage private properties, agricultural crops to the tune of $52 million in one recent finding and wetlands by trampling on them. Even worse, they breed quickly. Their gestation period is roughly 120 days and they can breed as young as six months old. Because of their negative effects on the environment and on communities, officials in The Woodlands where this issue is particularly pronounced are hosting an educational seminar on Feb. 20 at Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), 8801 Gosling Road, in The Woodlands. The lecture will discuss how to tackle the growing problem and will feature guest speaker Chris Watts, a wildlife damage management biologist with the Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension and the Texas Wildlife Services Program. Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Ahead of addressing the delegate session of the ongoing second edition of Loka Kerala Sabha, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to Twitter on Thursday to thank Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for lauding the summit. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) shared Gandhi's letter dated December 12 and said: "Thank you, Rahul Gandhi, for your warm greetings to the Loka Kerala Sabha." "In his message, @RahulGandhi opined that 'the Loka Kerala Sabha is a great platform to connect with the diaspora, and recognize their contribution,'" CMO added. Chief Minister's tweet comes days after United Democratic Front (UDF), led by Congress had announced to boycott the ongoing event hosted by the state government for non-resident Keralites. The boycott by UDF was announced on December 28, however, Rahul Gandhi's letter is dated December 12. "I congratulate the Malayalee diaspora for their phenomenal success, and for being worthy ambassadors of the state. The Loka Kerala Sabha is a great platform to connect with the diaspora, and recognize their contribution," Gandhi's letter read. He added that Malayalees have played an instrumental role in the nation-building efforts of many countries, and cemented the community's reputation for its dedication and determination. "The sheer number of initiatives spearheaded by Pravasi Malayalees in Kerala, stand testament to their commitment to give back to their home country. As the torchbearers of the glorious heritage and culture of this state, I hope that the diaspora continues to excel in all their endeavours," Gandhi said in the letter. (ANI) Downloading a currency conversion app, packing reusable carrier bags and investing in a $49 Kmart suitcase will instantly improve your next overseas holiday, according to travel experts. Escape Australia tourism pros shared tips to help you 'travel better' in 2020 by making trips cheaper and less stressful, including which frequent flyer schemes to follow and the hotel loyalty programmes worth signing up for. Investing in lightweight luggage reduces the risk of being hit with hefty overweight fees at the check-in desk, while subscribing to travel advisory alerts from government websites will give you peace of mind wherever you are in the world. Escape Australia tourism pros shared tips to help you 'travel better' in 2020 by making trips cheaper and less stressful, including which hotel loyalty programmes worth signing up for (stock image) 1. ARM YOURSELF WITH APPS Visiting a new country can be challenging, as travellers grapple with unfamiliar currency, foreign language and the temptation to blow the budget on day trips and gourmet dinners. Downloading free apps like XE's Currency Converter and Trail Wallet will help you keep track of your finances on the go. Duolingo's award-winning language app is another handy tool for picking up words and phrases before you fly, while the Beanhunter app pinpoints the best places for coffee near you, anywhere in the world. Give yourself extra peace of mind on your next overseas trip by subscribing to Australia's Smartraveller website, which sends texts and emails with travel advice in the event of a crisis or natural disaster. Downloading free apps like XE's Currency Converter and Trail Wallet will help you keep track of your finances on the go (stock image) 2. INVEST IN LIGHTWEIGHT LUGGAGE Lugging bulky suitcases and overflowing backpacks is a surefire way to suck the joy out of travelling, so take advantage of the January sales and invest in lightweight but sturdy luggage. Expandable, waterproof suitcases with individual packing compartments are the safest bet to protect your back from injury and avoid paying hefty overweight fees at the airport ticket desk. Australian consumer group CHOICE recently reviewed 27 brands of luggage for water resistance, durability and stability, and highly recommended a $49 carry-on case from discount retailer Kmart. 3. CARRY REUSABLE ITEMS Using an insulated water bottle and a 'keep cup' for coffee benefits both the environment and your bank balance by reducing the amount of single-use plastic you consume while travelling. Packing reusable carrier bags for shopping trips and storing dirty laundry is another simple way to travel cheaper and more sustainably. Using an insulated water bottle benefits both the environment and your bank balance by reducing the amount of single-use plastic you consume while travelling (stock image) 5. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE LOYALTY PROGRAMMES Spend an evening signing up to hotel loyalty programmes, where accumulated points can be redeemed for perks like free breakfasts, room upgrades, late checkout and complimentary spa treatments like facials and massages. Accor Le Club and Accor Plus, Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards, Hilton Honours and IHG Rewards are among the most lucrative loyalty plans for Australian travellers, according to data from a 2018 study by Skyscanner. 6. START A SAVING STRATEGY Start saving for your next trip with the $5 challenge, a simple budgeting trick that involves using cash to pay for purchases and keeping all $5 notes received in change in a jar out of sight. Frugal Australians who attempted the challenge in 2019 shared their success in Facebook group Markdown Addicts, with one woman saving a tidy $2,095 in less than 12 months. If you rarely use cash, set up a weekly direct deposit into an online account that you can't withdraw from without notice. Start saving for your next adventure with simple budgeting tricks like the $5 money challenge, which involves using cash to pay for purchases and keeping all $5 notes received in change in a moneybox out of sight (stock image) 7. SIGN UP FOR A FREQUENT FLYER CREDIT CARD Using a frequent flyer credit card allows you to accumulate points on groceries and utility bills which can be redeemed for flight discounts, accommodation and upgrades. Virgin Velocity Flyer cards and Qantas Premier Platinum cards are among the most lucrative frequent flyer cards in Australia. Qantas has a reciprocal arrangement with supermarket chain Woolworths, while Virgin is partnered with Coles, giving customers bonus rewards points on every shop. Keep an eye out for one-off ways to earn extra points. Booking a hearing test at an Audika clinic banks you 1,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer miles for your first screening. THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- "Space medicine" took another small step forward after an astronaut who developed a blood clot in a neck vein was diagnosed and treated while onboard the International Space Station (ISS), physicians at NASA and elsewhere report. The research team didn't reveal the astronaut's name, age or gender, but said the ISS crew member developed an asymptomatic thrombosis -- blood clot -- in the jugular vein, the major vein draining blood from the brain back to the heart. Back on Earth, such a case could be quickly remedied in the nearest emergency room. But the logistics of doing so in space were far more complicated, said the team that included Dr. James Pattarini of Houston's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center and Dr. Serena Aunon-Chancellor, of the Louisiana State University Health Science Center, in Baton Rouge. Reporting the details of the incident in the Jan. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, they said that in this episode of space medicine, medical decisions occurred "across multiple space agencies to overcome the numerous logistic and operational challenges." According to the doctors, it was only by sheer luck that the astronaut's blood clot was discovered at all. The crew member was taking part in a "vascular research study" that involved intermittent ultrasound examinations of blood vessels before, during and after the ISS space mission. Although the astronaut showed no symptoms of vein blockage -- no headache or facial redness -- the jugular vein was abnormally "prominent" during a physical exam, and a follow-up ultrasound confirmed a clot. After multiple "telemedicine" discussions with medical staff back on Earth, it was decided that the astronaut would be treated with the blood thinner enoxaparin (Lovenox), 20 vials of which had been part of the space station's medical kit. The dose was reduced, however, so that the astronaut could be treated until other blood thinners could be dispatched to the space station. Forty-two days after the crew member's clot had been diagnosed, a switch in medications was made, from enoxaparin to apixaban (Eliquis). The clot slowly shrank over months of treatment, but blood flow through the jugular was still not fully back to normal, even three months after treatment. However, when the astronaut finally returned to Earth -- and normal gravity -- blood flow in the jugular returned to normal, and treatment was discontinued. In fact, 10 days after landing the clot was completely gone. Two experts in circulatory health who read over the report said it gives fascinating new insight into how zero-gravity conditions could compromise blood flow. The astronaut's clot was a form of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but these clots most often form in the legs, noted Dr. Craig Greben, chief of interventional radiology at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y. It seems that "the weightlessness astronauts experience during space missions may be another unstudied cause of DVT that requires rigorous research, because it can be silent and fatal, and space travel is only increasing," Greben said. Dr. Maja Zaric agreed. She's an interventional cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Zaric said the astronaut was in real danger from the clot. "The size and proximity of documented blood clot to the heart could have easily put [the crew member] into harm's way, as it could have traveled down to the heart causing pulmonary embolism, or up extending into the head and brain veins," she explained. And Zaric noted that ultrasounds conducted on other crew members confirmed that zero-gravity conditions can radically change the dynamics of blood flow. "In six out of 11 studied astronauts, there was abnormal venous flow detected," she said. Instead of the steady forward movement that pushes blood through veins, the astronauts exhibited a "to and fro" or "sloshing" movement, Zaric explained. That does not "ensure effective return of head and brain blood back to the heart," she said. In essence, gravity appears key to healthy blood flow, and without it a "stasis" appears to occur within vessels, Zaric said. The research team said the astronaut's survival was a tribute to coordinated medical care. But the case also highlights a new spaceflight danger. It's now imperative that research continue into "the development of prevention and management strategies for venous thromboembolism in weightlessness, especially with future plans for prolonged space travel to the Moon and Mars," the team wrote. Greben agreed. "In this space case, the power of telemedicine from a room on the International Space Station to the doctor's office on Earth is sensational," he said. "The future is now, and this is what telehealth looks like -- a page out of 'The Jetsons' or a 'Star Trek' script." More information There's more on DVTs at the U.S. National Library of Medicine. My friend always makes her mom a spritz because she cant handle the hooch. My feeling is a lot of us are opting to reduce the hooch this time of year, January being January. To support the process, I thought Id offer up something vinous and lovely to pour in all the pertinent categories non, splash, and merely. OK, I made those up. So Ill define them. Non is no-alcohol. A splash is wine splashed into a mixer. And merely means small a glass of wine or a nip of on thats lower in alcohol to help moderate. (Read more: There are some good non-alcoholic wine options, but theyre not at the LCBO) NON You may have seen the non-alcohol wines in grocery stores and wondered if theyre any good. Generally, the answer is no. But one bottle that isnt that bad is St. Regis De-Alcoholized Sparkling Wine Brut, available at Metro and Food Basics for $11.99. The label is tasteful. The bottle is shaped and corked like real sparkling wine. And the juice inside is a fruity hit of baked apple with lots of bright lemon-squirt acidity balancing the considerable sweetness. Its not an elegant, nuanced drink by any stretch, but its clean, effervescent and quaffable. And it looks like wine. So it might serve a purpose for some. Truth told, the St. Regis Brut doesnt taste much like any sparkling wine Ive ever tried mainly because, well, it lacks the alcohol. And alcohol matters to the overall impression. It adds nuance to the aromas and flavours, and it lends weight and structure to the mouth feel. To that point: If you want something that tastes more like wine, youll need something with alcohol. Even if its just a splash. Enter the spritz, which is essentially half wine and half soda water on the rocks. Maybe with a twist of lemon or lime. SPLASH Sure, theres a bit of stigma attached to the spritz. Probably because someone somewhere started making the drink with Sprite or 7Up instead of carbonated water and any old wine that was lying around. So the drink was lousy. But you can make a proper version easily enough with sparkling water and the right white such as 2018 Yealands Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand (LCBO 277731 $16.95), which I score: 90. Its a flavour-packed dry wine with punchy notes of lime zest, gooseberry and lemongrass all laced with a touch of salinity. Splash this savvy blanc over ice topped up with sparkling water and maybe a twist of lime and youve got something smart with which to swan about. MERELY The 2018 Yealands Sauvignon Blanc also clocks 12.5 per cent alcohol. So if youre merely moderating your alcohol intake, a small glass of this wine may be an option since most wines today are more than 13 per cent ABV. Or enjoy a glass of 2017 Featherstone Black Sheep riesling, VQA Niagara Peninsula (Vintages 80234 $18.95) with a mere 10 per cent alcohol. Its a charming local white with gentle scents of honeysuckle and nougat, and full-throttle flavours of lime sorbet, lemon zest, white flowers that fade to cool stone. Its sweet, but the 21 grams of residual sugar is balanced with mouth-watering acidity so finishes clean and dry. Score: 90 Lower alcohol reds are tough to come by. But a bit of a find hitting LCBO shelves by Jan. 8 is the 2018 Torres Sangre de Toro Low Alcohol 5.5, a blend of Mediterranean grape varieties from Spain (LCBO 12390 $13.95). This brilliant new wine draws you in with its pretty perfume of poached plum and cherries. Then, friendly flavours of macerated red and black berries taste juicy, easy-drinking, and actually quite delicious. Like many wines with very low alcohol, this wine has a bit of sweetness to round out the texture. But its charmingly well-balanced, so the overall impression is a friendly red that tastes smooth, ripe and full of fruit. You wont even notice the lower alcohol. Perfect January house red. Score: 92 Heres to reducing the hooch. Centric Software Partners with First Customer in Russia With Centric not only will we have happy customers, but well have happier employees as well, through streamlining our operations and making their lives easier! LIME, a leading fast fashion company in Russia, has selected Centric Softwares Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury, home decor and consumer goods companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals. LIME is Centric Softwares first customer in Russia, marking further growth and geographic expansion for the market-leading PLM company. Founded in 2008, LIME is a fast fashion brand that gives its customers on-trend, luxury-inspired combinable garments at affordable prices. LIME has 80 retail stores across Russia, with plans to expand further in the region as well as internationally. Now incorporating Centrics industry-leading best practices and innovative technologies, LIME aims to become the number one fast fashion brand in Russia. Dmitriy Khokhlov, CEO of LIME, explains that the company decided to implement a PLM solution to provide a foundation for their ambitious growth strategy by streamlining information access and communication across the organization: We have invested in a lot of cutting-edge IT infrastructure and business intelligence tools for planning, but with all departments using different IT tools we suffered from a lack of transparency, out of date information, slow data handling and poor communication with our suppliers. Centric Fashion PLM will provide us with a central platform to orchestrate product-related information in order to increase the speed of product development, improve cooperative work across internal teams and enhance collaboration with suppliers. To expand in a fast and sustainable way, a modern PLM solution is crucial in order to get everyone on the same page. LIME carefully considered many different PLM solutions before selecting Centric Fashion PLM. The platform will be used by both LIME's internal teams and external suppliers. Centric Software is working with an impressive array of global brands. We were immediately impressed by Centric Fashion PLMs out-of-the-box functionality, capabilities for visualization and ability to handle workflows, says Dmitriy. Using Centric Fashion PLM, we will be able to provide our customers with more trendy garments, faster and at a better price point and level of quality. By improving LIME's offer to our customers and fulfilling their expectations, we will drive our growth strategy. Not only will we have happy customers, but well have happier employees as well, through streamlining our operations and making their lives easier! We are thrilled to welcome LIME as our first partner in Russia, says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. Russian fashion brands are seeking innovative technologies and best practices to support their growth strategies and LIME is proof of how Centric Fashion PLM plays a central part in building brand presence and profitability. We look forward to growing our partnership with LIME. Learn more about Centric Fashion PLM Request a Demo LIME (http://www.lime-shop.ru) LIME was founded in 2008 by a community of like-minded individuals who dreamed and strived to make the world of Haute Couture accessible to all ladies regardless of their wealth and social status. LIMEs corporate philosophy is based on a strong belief that the most fashionable and high-quality garments can be accessible to customers everywhere, not only in luxury stores. LIME provides freedom of choice and ensures the opportunity to create highly desirable fashionable looks for all types of female consumers. LIME mirrors the worlds latest fashion trends and its wide assortment of garments can be found in 80 stores across all of Russia. LIME is a dynamic company that constantly monitors global technological innovations and implements them in its day-to-day operations with one single goal to give customers even more freedom to choose from a vast array of high-quality, comfortable garments for every occasion. Be trendy! Be yourself! Be whoever you want to be! First responders in Arizona have released incredible footage that shows the moment they rescued a base jumper who became stuck on the side of a mountain last week. Scott Frankson was base jumping off Superstition Mountains on Sunday when his parachute got hooked on a sheer face vertical wall. Frankson was suspended nearly 300 feet in the air, hanging from his parachute on the north side of Siphon Draw, officials from the Arizona Department of Public Safety said. First responders in Arizona have released incredible footage that shows the moment they rescued base jumper, Scott Frankson (pictured, before he was rescued), who became stuck on the side of a mountain last week Frankson was base jumping over Superstition Mountains on Sunday when his parachute got hooked on a sheer face vertical wall. He was suspended nearly 300 feet in the air, hanging from his parachute on the north side of Siphon Draw According to the Superstition Fire and Medical District, Frankson (circled) was approximately '1000ft to the bottom' of the mountains, which are the largest of the mountain ranges surrounding Phoenix Despite the dramatic rescue (first responders, pictured), Frankson and some of his friends went back to the area a few days later to retrieve the parachute In the footage, Frankson, who works as a carpenter, is seen dangling from the parachute while a trooper was being lowered 267 feet down by a helicopter. Authorities said the trooper 'secured the subject with a capture strap and cut him free from his parachute lines'. 'Can you break that away?' the officer asks Frankson. 'I can cut the risers. That's the best place to cut it,' Frankson responded. Once the risers were cut, both the trooper and Frankson were then hoisted to the top of the mountain. First responders evaluated Frankson but he didn't suffer any injuries. According to the Superstition Fire and Medical District, Frankson was approximately '1000ft to the bottom' of the mountains, which are the largest of the mountain ranges surrounding Phoenix. Despite the dramatic rescue, Frankson and some of his friends went back to the area a few days later to retrieve the parachute. 'Parachute recovery mission,' Frankson shared on Instagram with several photos and videos showing them gearing up for the retrieval. Frankson shared the post on Wednesday, just days after he was rescued. 'Thanks again to my climbing friends. I asked them if they wanted to go 300 feet down a wall to retrieve a parachute and they said "hell yea",' Frankson says in one of the videos. Sunday's incident wasn't the first time Frankson (pictured in 2015) had a dangerous experience while base jumping in Arizona. In 2015, Frankson jumped off a cliff near the Peralta Trail of the Superstition Mountains with some friends when they became tangled Another video shows one of the climbers coming back up from the side of the mountain with the parachute in tow. Sunday's incident wasn't the first time Frankson had a dangerous experience while base jumping in Arizona. In 2015, Frankson, who has more than 4,000 sky dives and base jumps, jumped off a cliff near the Peralta Trail of the Superstition Mountains with some friends. During the jump, when Frankson and a friend opened their parachutes, the two became tangled in mid-air. The parachutes eventually began unwinding before they spiraled to the ground. Luckily, they only suffered minor injuries. Frankson, who is originally from Canada, moved to Arizona when he was 14. Just five years later, he began skydiving. He became the first person to jump off Camelback Mountain in Pennsylvania nearly 25 years ago. Superstition Mountains rise steeply above the flat desert to a high point of 5,024 feet, and are characterized by sheer-sided, jagged, volcanic peaks and ridges separated by boulder-filled canyons. They are popular for the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine. A political analyst said an attack on the US embassy in Baghdad by Iran-backed militiamen showed the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" strategy against Tehran was not working. Will Ruger, vice president for research and policy at the Charles Koch Institute, said the strategy of heavy sanctions was not creating a "docile" Iran but instead "creating more hostilities and more challenges". The militiamen withdrew from the embassy compound in the Iraqi capital on Wednesday after two days of clashes with American security forces. The attack and its volatile aftermath prompted the Pentagon to send hundreds of additional troops to the Middle East and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a European and Central Asian trip. Ruger said Pompeo's decision to delay the overseas visit could be his way of "signaling" the gravity of the situation to US President Donald Trump. J anuary is always a busy time for Hollywood awards season is well and truly underway, and studios are hoping to make a big impression at the Golden Globes and the Oscars. Theres more than one film released in January with one eye on sneaking a late nomination for Best Picture and no, were not talking about Bad Boys For Life. For film fans, it all makes for an exciting few weeks. From adrenaline-inducing war epics to moving character studies and irreverent comedies, these are the must-see films arriving in UK cinemas in January. 1917 January 10 1917 - Trailer 2 Sam Mendess war epic 1917 is being hailed as a masterpiece by critics, and its already being slated as a possible contender for the Best Picture at the Oscars. The film which came out in the US over Christmas follows two British soldiers posted in northern France during the First World War, who embark on an ambitious mission to deliver a message that could save 1,600 men from an enemy ambush. Its all ostensibly taking place in one shot too, and already shaping up to be one of the films of the year. Bad Boys for Life January 17 Bad Boys For Life trailer Buddy cops Will Smith and Martin Lewis are back in the driving seat one last time as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, 17 years after Bad Boys II. This time around theyre on the brink of retirement but, just before they can leave the line of duty, find themselves targeted by a mob boss dead set on revenge. It certainly wont be subtle or cerebral, but you can bet this s*** is about to get real all over again. Dolittle January 17 Dolittle - Trailer 2 Weve had Eddie Murphys version of Dr Dolittle, and now were getting Robert Downey Jrs own inimitable take on the character. This new film follows the eccentric doctor and his animal friends as they set off on an adventure around the world, attempting to find a cure for a mystery illness in order to save an unwell Queen Victoria. Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen and Jim Broadbent all appear in live action roles, while the bumper voice cast features the likes of Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland and Ralph Fiennes. A Hidden Life January 17 A Hidden Life trailer Terrence Malicks A Hidden Life is being hailed as his best in years by critics, with the Standards David Sexton calling it a work of genius, at last a justification of Malicks late style. The moving drama tells the story of the Austrian farmer Franz Jagerstatter (August Diehl), who was a conscientious objector in the Second World War and later beatified by the Catholic Church. Bombshell January 17 Bombshell - Trailer A conservative law firm on Thursday requested that a judge charge the Wisconsin Elections Commission with contempt and fine its members $12,000 a day until the commission complies with a court order mandating the purge of 200,000 voters. A judge ordered last month that the election commission strike from its rolls voters who failed to respond within 30 days to an October request to confirm their place of residence. An appeal to the court order remains pending, but Republicans on the bipartisan commission are attempting to push the purge through immediately. The conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty sued the commission in the Ozaukee County Circuit Court in November, alleging that the commission has put Wisconsins election integrity at risk by intentionally ignoring state law to allow voter registrations at old addresses to remain active. Court orders are not optional, Rick Esenberg, founder and president of the conservative law group said in a statement. It is astonishing to observe the Wisconsin Elections Commission act as if they are. Despite the wishes of some, Judge Malloys order has not been stayed and must be enforced. Esenberg filed an additional motion on Thursday requesting the fines against the commission and the contempt charge. Wisconsin participates with 28 other states in the Electronic Registration Information Center, a system that flags voters who may have moved. The state sends notices to flagged voters asking for confirmation of residence, and if they fail to respond within 30 days, their registration status is switched from eligible to ineligible. The voters in question are largely from Democratic areas of Wisconsin, a key swing state in the upcoming presidential election. Democrats wish to avoid purging large numbers of Democratic voters from the rolls who may not re-register in time to vote. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, representing the commission, pushed back against the contempt motion, arguing that the case should not effectively be ended before the appeals process plays out. Story continues The commission said Monday it is waiting for further direction from the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. When those courts provide direction, the Commission will hold another meeting to discuss action to comply with the ruling, the commission stated. More from National Review Expressing deep frustration over stalled nuclear talks, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned of unspecified shocking action and that his country will soon reveal a new strategic weapon to the world as its bolsters its nuclear deterrent in face of gangster-like US pressure. Kim also said North Korea was no longer obligated to maintain a self-imposed suspension on the testing of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, which President Donald Trump has touted as a major diplomatic accomplishment. But Kim gave no clear indication that a resumption of such tests was impending and appeared to leave the door open for eventual negotiations. Kim has used the diplomatic stalemate to expand his military capabilities by intensifying tests of shorter-range weapons. His arsenal is now estimated to include 40-50 nuclear bombs and various delivery systems, including solid-fuel missiles designed to beat missile-defense systems and developmental ICBMs potentially capable of reaching the US mainland. Kim has also strengthened his negotiating position, moving the diplomacy closer to an arms reduction negotiation between nuclear states rather than talks that would culminate in a unilateral surrender of the weapons he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival. Lee Sang-min, spokesman for South Korea's Unification Ministry, said North Korea carrying out its threat to showcase a new strategic weapon would be unhelpful for diplomacy. Strategic weapons usually refer to nuclear-capable delivery systems such as ICBMs, but North Korea otherwise has been vague about what new arms it would display. It announced in December that it performed two crucial tests at its long-range rocket launch site that would further strengthen its nuclear deterrent. Kim's comments published in state media Wednesday were made at a key, four-day meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee as talks between Washington and Pyongyang have faltered over disagreements on disarmament steps and the removal of sanctions. Some experts say North Korea, which has always been sensitive about electoral changes in US government, will avoid serious negotiations in the coming months as it watches how Trump's impending impeachment trial over his dealings with Ukraine affects US presidential elections in November. Kim may instead seek to strengthen his leverage by promoting a united front with Beijing and Moscow, Pyongyang's traditional supporters, which seek to establish themselves as major stakeholders in North Korean diplomacy. Both have called for the UN Security Council to consider easing sanctions on the North to spur progress in nuclear negotiations. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres very much hopes that the tests will not resume, citing existing Security Council resolutions. Non-proliferation remains a fundamental pillar of global nuclear security and must be preserved, the spokesman said.. Dujarric said the secretary genera; repeated his support for the resumption of a dialogue that will lead to complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Diplomatic engagement is the only pathway to sustainable peace. Kim last year had said the North would pursue a new way if the Trump administration doesn't make concessions to salvage the negotiations by the end of December. Kim's defiant words entering 2020 indicate his new way could look very much like the old one a patient determination to wait out sanctions and pressure, which will possibly weaken over time, while cementing the country's status as a nuclear state. Kim at the party meeting declared the North will never give up its security for economic benefits in the face of what he described as increasing US hostility and nuclear threats, the Korean Central News Agency said. (Kim) said that we will never allow the impudent U.S. to abuse the DPRK-U.S. dialogue for meeting its sordid aim but will shift to a shocking actual action to make it pay for the pains sustained by our people so far and for the development so far restrained, the agency said, referring to the North by its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim added that if the U.S. persists in its hostile policy toward the DPRK, there will never be the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and the DPRK will steadily develop necessary and prerequisite strategic weapons for the security of the state until the U.S. rolls back its hostile policy, KCNA said. (Kim) confirmed that the world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future, declaring that we cannot give up the security of our future just for the visible economic results ... now that hostile acts and nuclear threat against us are increasing, it said. Trump late Tuesday urged Kim to stick to his alleged commitment to denuclearize. The leaders after their first summit in Singapore in June 2018 issued a vague statement on a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula without when and how it would occur. A mother whose body is covered in thousands of tumours has told how strangers regularly hurl abuse at her in the street. Ashley Jernigan, of Montgomery, Alabama, suffers from an aggressive form of the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis. The 35-year-old was diagnosed when she hit puberty and the condition quickly left her entire body covered in lumps. Ms Jernigan, who has four children, has lost hope of ever finding love because even strangers avoid her over fears she is contagious. Ashley Jernigan's skin is covered in thousands of tumours due to an aggressive genetic disorder The mother, from Montgomery, Alabama, suffers from neurofibromatosis which causes lumps to grow on the coverings of nerves The 35-year-old was diagnosed when she hit puberty and the condition quickly plagued her entire body with tumours - including her face Ms Jernigan (left, with Keonna and Kaiden, and right) was advised by doctors not to have children as it would make the condition worse. But she went on ignore this advice and have four children, Darnell, 15, Devon, 14, Keonna, eight, and Kaiden, five She said: 'It takes a strong person to overcome what people say. With this condition, you can still live life like any other normal person. 'Everybody is different. It's just the bullying you have to deal with. It's hard, it's really rough, and depressing. When I go out, people stare and make rude gestures. 'They say, "look at her, where did she come from and what's wrong with her". I don't want to date because of the stares. A man wouldn't accept me.' Ms Jernigan added: 'It would take a strong man to appreciate me for who I am and look past my condition.' Neurofibromatosis affects one in 3,000 people to varying degrees and causes lumps to grow on the coverings of nerves. Ms Jernigan wants to spread the word that the condition isn't contagious - so that other sufferers are not wrongly vilified. She added: 'Kids are more curious and understanding, they think it's chickenpox or ant bites but I just say I was born like this.' 'I don't know how far back in my family it goes but my grandmother was covered in them, from head to toe. Darnell [one of her children] has it, but my others aren't showing signs yet. Ms Jernigan has rejected surgery to remove the tumours as there's a chance this could make them come back even bigger The condition has left her feet too sore to wear certain types of shoes because they rub against the fabric 'I can get them tested but I don't want to know. I'll be pretty upset if I find out they have it.' Ms Jernigan has rejected surgery to remove the tumours as there's a chance this could make them come back even bigger. She said: 'They can turn into cancer so I have to keep an eye on them. I worry about the future but I try not to think about it because it's depressing.' Ms Jernigan was advised by doctors not to have children because it would make the condition worse. The NHS warns that the number of neurofibromas may increase during pregnancy because of hormone changes. But she went on ignore this advice and have four children, Darnell, 15, Devon, 14, Keonna, eight, and Kaiden, five. But the mother said the condition got worse with every pregnancy. Although there is a chance her children could also have or develop the genetic illness, she doesn't want to have them tested for the condition. Da Chen, whose memoirs for both adults (Colors of the Mountain) and young readers (Girl Under a Red Moon) chronicled his experiences growing up in a family that was persecuted during Chinas Cultural Revolution, died of lung cancer on December 17 in Temecula, Calif. He was 57. Chen was born in the small farming village of Yellowstone, China, in 1962, the youngest of five siblings. In a 2019 interview with PW, he estimated that his grandfather, a poet and calligrapher, owned roughly 60% of the land in the village, which made him a target of jealousy, said Chen, who recalled that he was too young to understand the politics of why villagers threw rocks at the older man and considered him a pariah. As the Cultural Revolution took hold in the 1960s, the familys lands were seized by the Red Army and Chens grandfather was sent to a labor camp. When his grandfather became too old and weak to complete his sentence, Chen said his father was forced to take his place. The assaults on the family continued. Chens eldest sister, Xi Xi, was expelled from school and threatened with jail and a humiliation parade at age 13, and was encouraged to run away. Chens father arranged for Xi Xi to attend an agricultural school in the mountains run by family friends. Her escapewith her younger brother at her sideis the inspiration for Girl Under a Red Moon (Scholastic Focus, 2019). Following the end of the Cultural Revolution and the death of Chairman Mao in 1976, Chen was able to resume his school studies. He gained admittance to the Beijing Language and Cultural University to study English after achieving an outstanding score on the countrys national college placement test. Upon graduation, Chen worked at the university as an assistant professor. At 23, Chen immigrated to the United States after being offered a scholarship to Union College in Lincoln, Neb. He often shared the story of arriving in the U.S. with nothing but $30 in his pocket and a bamboo flute. In Nebraska, Chen supported himself with part-time jobs that included waiting tables at a Chinese restaurant. He took the LSAT during this period and received a full scholarship to Columbia Law School in New York City, earning his J.D. in 1990 and landing a position with the Rothschild investment banking firm. Chen subsequently left Wall Street to become a writer, with the encouragement of his wife Sunny, a family physician and fellow author with whom Chen had two children. His debut memoir, Colors of the Mountain, recounting his childhood, was published by Random House in 1999 to much acclaim and became a bestseller. A version of the book for young readers, Chinas Son: Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution, followed in 2001. And a third memoir, Sounds of the River (HarperCollins, 2002), focused on Chens college years in Beijing in the 1980s. Chen went on to write fiction as well, and taught courses in creative writing at Fairfield University in Connecticut and at New York University. His published works include the adult novel Brothers (Crown, 2006) and the YA novels Wandering Warrior (Random House/Laurel Leaf, 2004) and Sword (HarperCollins/Geringer, 2008). His book for middle graders, Girl Under a Red Moon, was among the inaugural titles for the nonfiction imprint Scholastic Focus that was launched last year and is overseen by Lisa Sandell, editorial director of Scholastic Press. Chen recalled that he and Sandell had initially met more than 15 years ago and became reacquainted in 2017 when they attended the same writers event. I didnt realize I sat at the next table to Lisa, he said in a recent PW interview. After the dinner she came up and said Da, do you still remember me? Im starting Scholastic Focus, a nonfiction childrens imprint. Would you write me a China book? Sandell, reflecting on her project with Chen, offered these words of tribute: It was an honor to work with him to bring the story of his extraordinary childhood to young readers. He was an incredible writer and a dear friend. A couple of mates risked their lives when they decided to enjoy a Bundy longneck while sitting in crocodile infested waters. Lachlan Morgan, 27, and Beau Bromley, 28, were taking a dip in the notorious Shady Camp causeway in the Mary River around 200km from Darwin on Monday. The pair sat in the water for half an hour before moving to the East Alligator River, near Cahills Crossing - which is considered to be one of the most dangerous places to swim in Australia. Lachlan Morgan, 27, and Beau Bromley, 28, were taking a dip in the notorious Shady Camp causeway in the Mary River, NT (pictured) 'I'm not saying (crocodiles) aren't deadly, they are deadly, (but) they usually take off,' Mr Morgan told NT News. Mr Morgan said the pair were taking a break after a long day of fishing. He wasn't too worried sitting in the dangerous waters, saying that crocodiles were more afraid of humans than people are of them. Both Mr Morgan and Mr Bromely made it out alive but the fishermen admitted it was 'stupid' and said they wouldn't recommend it to others. The pair sat in the river for half an hour before moving to another spot riddled with saltwater crocodiles 'I'd hate to say I recommend it in case anyone gets hurt,' Mr Morgan said. 'We do it cautiously, we don't turn our back when we get in.' Cahills Crossing has seen several crocodile attacks within the last few decades. In 1987, 40-year-old Kerry McLoughlin was fishing when when a saltwater crocodile lunged out of the water and decapitated him. In January 2017, another 47-year-old man went missing before his body washed up onshore where a 3.3 metre crocodile was found nearby. Saltwater crocodiles are the largest crocodile species in the world and some can grow up to 6.5metres. Punjab National Bank offers customers 4.5 percent interest on deposits less than Rs 2 crore. Senior citizens earn 5.25 percent. Those depositing between Rs 2 crore to Rs 10 crore earn an interest of 3.25 percent. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of Punjab National Bank (PNB) climbed over 3 percent on BSE on January 2 after reports emerged that Nirav Modi's assets mortgaged with PNB will be given back to the bank. CNBC TV18 reported, citing sources, that Nirav Modi's Rs 1,200-1,500 crore assets mortgaged with PNB and attached by ED will be given back to the bank. The assets mortgaged with PNB include shares and properties in South Mumbai, the report said. ED has attached all encumbered and unencumbered assets belonging to Nirav Modi and he has been declared a fugitive economic offender by PMLA court. Mehul Choksi's assets mortgaged with PNB may also be returned to the bank after he is declared a fugitive economic offender. Punjab National Bank had incurred a loss of over Rs 13,000 crores in fraudulent LoUs issued to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Shares of PNB traded at Rs 66.25, up 2.40 percent, around 12:45 hours IST on BSE. A CBI court sent a senior official of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and two others to judicial custody till January 6 in connection with an alleged Rs 25 lakh bribery case. The Central Bureau of Investigation had on Wednesday arrested an Additional Director General, DRI, Ludhiana (Punjab) and two private persons including a friend of the public servant in an alleged bribery case. Special CBI judge Kiran Bansal has decided to send all the three accused to judicial custody till January 6 after concluded the arguments. All these accused today produced at the residence of concern judge. Advocate Sanjay Abott, who represented one of the accused in the case, opposed the remand application filed by the CBI. It was alleged that in June 2019, the DRI had conducted a search at a private clearing agency which provides services to various exporters, a CBI spokesperson said here, adding some documents pertaining to an exporter were also seized. According to the CBI, a case was registered against the accused on a complaint. It was alleged that in June 2019, DRI Ludhiana had conducted a search at a private clearing agency which provides services to various exporters. In this search, some documents pertaining to an exporter were also seized. The complainant, a resident of Delhi submitted a complaint to CBI that a Clearing House Agent and a close friend of the ADG, DRI, Ludhiana demanded Rs. 3 crore on behalf of the public servant for ensuring that he would not be implicated by DRI pertaining to recovery of his documents. CBI caught both private persons while demanding and accepting Rs 25 lakh from the complainant. During the investigation, the public servant was also arrested. Searches are being conducted at the premises including residence/office of arrested accused located at Delhi, Noida and Ludhiana. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A plane carrying Sudanese judges and injured people crashed on Thursday in the Darfur region of Sudan, with all those on board killed, according to the Sudanese Red Crescent. The Antonov plane was travelling from the city of El Geneina located in the west of Sudan, near the border with Chad to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. The aircraft was transporting people injured in a tribal conflict in Darfur to Khartoum for treatment. READ ALSO: The planes crew comprised three Sudanese army officers. It was not immediately clear how many people the plane had been transporting. (dpa/NAN) BEIJING, Jan 2 (Reuters) - London copper started the year on a positive note on Thursday, rising as much as 0.8% after U.S. President Donald Trump set a date for signing a Phase 1 trade deal with China, top producer Chile's output fell and Beijing cut banks' reserve requirements. FUNDAMENTALS * COPPER: Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.6% at $6,213 a tonne as of 0140 GMT, after closing down 0.7% on Tuesday and logging a 3.4% annual gain. The most-traded February copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange was flat at 49,260 yuan ($7,161.20) a tonne. * TRADE: President Trump on Tuesday said he would sign the Phase 1 of trade deal with China on Jan. 15, though considerable confusion remains about the details of the agreement. * CHINA: China's central bank said on Wednesday it was cutting the amount of cash that all banks must hold as reserves, releasing around 800 billion yuan ($114.91 billion) in funds to shore up the slowing economy. * CHILE: Chilean mining activity fell 7.1% in November, government data showed on Tuesday, while its copper production fell by 6.7% from the same month a year earlier to 504,366 tonnes. * OTHER METALS: The LME complex was broadly higher, with nickel adding 1.5%, zinc climbing 0.8% and aluminium nudging up 0.1%. Indonesia's ban on nickel ore exports came into effect on Wednesday. Lead was flat, while tin was the laggard, losing 0.5%. (Reporting by Tom Daly; Editing by Shailesh Kuber) A Somerset palm reader was arrested last week for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a client after tricking the woman into thinking her daughter was possessed by a demon, police announced Thursday. Tracey Milanovich, a Somerset resident, was arraigned in Fall River District Court on Monday on charges of larceny over $1,200 and intimidation of a witness as well as six counts of obtaining property over $250 by trick, the Somerset Police Department said in a statement. The 37-year-old woman, who owns and operates Tracys Psychic Palm Reader, allegedly stole around $71,000 from a client after convincing the woman money was needed to banish the spirit inside her daughter. She also tricked her client into buying her household items, including towels and bedding, police said. Police have urged anyone who believes they were victimized by Milanovich to contact Somerset Police Officer Donald Cormier at (508) 679-2138. A UNIDO-led three-year initiative, which aims to bring energy-efficient refrigeration to the country, is seeking industry contributions for an innovation hub and demonstration projects. Jan Dusek, shecco One of the most pressing issues in developing countries is a faulty food cold chain, which results in massive food waste and underserved communities. To address that problem in the Philippines, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines (DENR), are spearheading a new initiative aimed at applying environmentally friendly, energy efficient refrigeration throughout the cold chain from farms to packing houses to cold-storage warehouses and finally stores while advancing food safety and security. The three-year project, which started implementation in October, is called the Global Partnership for improving the Food Cold Chain in the Philippines.It is funded by US$2 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with US$25 million in co-financing (in-kind, grants and loans) contributed by other organizations. UNIDO is the implementing agency, working with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines (DENR), and shecco (publisher of Accelerate Magazine) as one of the key executing partners. For the Philippines project UNIDO aims to establish a global partnership including national and international private-sector companies and financing institutions, said Franziska Menten, Project Coordinator, Department of the Environment, UNIDO, who spoke about the project on October 16 at ATMOsphere Europe in Warsaw, Poland, organized by shecco. The project plans in its first year to establish a Cold Chain Innovation (CCI) Hub (location to be determined by early December). This will be an ecosystem of technical resources, research, knowledge sharing and stakeholder collaboration supporting technology exhibitions and training, for which UNIDO is seeking industry contributions, said Menten. In addition, UNIDO is calling for proposals from industry for business-case demonstration projects using low-GWP, energy efficient technology, supported by US$800,000 in grants and incentives; the group is also seeking potential investment projects, financed by US$22 million in loans from the Asia Development Bank (ADB) and local development banks. We have over US$20 million to invest in the food cold chain in the Philippines, and the project aims to prepare companies to access all funding for their green projects, said Menten. The projects first official Launching Ceremony & Technology Workshop is scheduled for early next year. A website and newsletter are under development, and a national project team is being recruited. Also planned is a technology and stakeholder workshop in the second quarter of 2020 and at ATMOsphere Asia in 2020, as well as a report on the cold chain in the Philippines and the development of monitoring methodology for energy-efficiency and CO2e-reduction potential. Jan Dusek, COO and Head of APAC, shecco, who spoke after Menten at ATMOsphere Europe, described the CCI Hub as an involvement opportunity for industry. For training, industry stakeholders can share expertise on cold chain applications with natural refrigerants, he said. Industry is also asked to donate natural refriger- ant-based technologies such as smaller plug-in and remote systems while offering a time-limited rental of larger systems. In addition, UNIDO is seeking hands-on experience with the latest environmen- tally friendly refrigerant technologies for operation and maintenance at the CCI Hub, said Dusek. It is the industrys responsibility to help Southeast Asia move away from R22, he said. To date, the region has made some progress with natural refriger- ants, with thousands of propane (R290) plug-in cabinets installed, including a Royal Duty Free store in Manila using only R290 cabinets and a water-loop system. (See Royal Duty Free Is First in the Philippines With All-R290 Store, Accelerate Magazine, June 2019.) Training on hydrocarbons and CO2 systems have commenced in Southeast Asia, while at least five ammonia/CO2 cascade systems have been installed in the Philippines and Malaysia, he said. Three main components The three main components of the project, said Menten, include: policy and regulatory assessment, awareness and capacity building, and technology transfer. On the policy side, this means the adoption of regulatory, legal and voluntary measures to support the use of low-carbon and energy-efficient technology in the cold chain, Menten said. The project will also look at developing national standards for minimum energy efficiency and flammable refrigerants. The project also seeks to foster awareness, knowledge and capacity in the use of energy-efficient, climate-friendly and safe refrigeration alternatives in the food cold chain. This includes monitoring and analyzing the efficiency and carbon impact of each link in the cold chain and identifying high-potential areas for improvement. It also includes education and training for 50 local engineers, as well as systems suppliers and end users, on cold chain technology. For technology transfer, new technologies will be made available in the country and partnerships established between key stakeholders. Three people died on Thursday in Kenya following a suspected terrorist attack on a passenger bus in the East African countrys coastal region, an official said. The attack took place around noon (0900 GMT) in the north-eastern county of Lamu, in an area called Nyongoro, County Commissioner, Irungu Macharia, said. The bus was headed north from the coastal town of Malindi to the community of Mokowe in Lamu. The Kenyan coast is popular with tourists, although many travellers fly into top destinations such as Malindi and the Island of Lamu, rather than access them by road. Some suspected bandits shot at the bus, but the driver managed to drive off, Mr Macharia said. It is suspected to be a terrorist attack, but we cannot confirm because we dont know it could be anybody, bandits or any other criminal element. Three people sustained injuries in the attack on the bus, which belonged to the Mombasa Raha company. It was unclear how many passengers were on the bus, according to Mr Macharia. The attack occurred in a forested area where the road is partially tarmacked, he said. Some panicked passengers jumped out of the bus and tried to run away from the scene. That is how a majority of them met their death, he said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Gunmen have targeted bus passengers in Kenya in the past and the attacks are often linked to terrorist groups. Militants with al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based terrorist group with ties to al-Qaeda, regularly carry out attacks in neighbouring Kenya. (dpa/NAN) The students and management of the Nigerian Law school, Abuja, were yesterday thrown into mourning, following the tragic death of one of them. Alex, a Kogi State University graduate was said to have suddenly died after slumping. Alex was said to be preparing for their exams starting in few days and showed no sign of ill health before the incident occurred. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Acer for Education said it has renewed the Innovative School Program for 2020, to support schools in their path towards digital transformation. A key provider of end-to-end adaptive learning solutions, Acer for Education offers easy, reliable and affordable products, education-oriented software solutions and award-winning after-sales service. The programme is targeting all the schools in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region that are taking the path of digital transformation, said the statement from Acer for Education. Technology is an enabler. It allows to break down barriers as it helps teachers to develop new, immersive and inclusive learning experiences. As a result, more and more schools that have integrated technology in their approach to teaching and learning are finding how it helps students to boost their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, learn anytime, anywhere and improve academic results. The following schools are a part of the programme; Al Sahwa School in Oman, New English School and The English Academy in Kuwait and lastly Abu Dhabi Grammar School, British School in Khubairat in the UAE, it stated. The goal of the programme is to support schools who commit to using technology to transform teaching and learning, said the statement. According to Acer, the schools that enroll in the program get to enjoy several benefits. These include: Teachers from Acer Innovative Schools are invited to attend the EMEA Teachers Advisory Council, where they can meet with peers, listen to education experts and participate in training sessions. Schools can participate in webinars covering a range of topics to keep up-to-date with the latest trends and tools. Topics include mini-training on Windows and Chrome platforms and their apps. Acer Innovative Schools can share their stories, achievements or experiences on Acer for Educations blog and become a source of inspiration for other schools. Each Acer Innovative Schools receives two demo devices per year, so teachers and students are kept abreast of the latest technological innovations and can find out how they can help them achieve more. Additionally, Acer Innovative Schools are also encouraged to join the Acer Project Humanity, a new global initiative by Acer to bring humanity at the centre of our activities and give back to communities and the environment, it added.-TradeArabia News Service Hillary Clinton has been appointed Chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast. The former US Secretary of State is the 11th head of the college and the first female to take up the role. There are three main aspects to the job which include ambassadorial duties as well as presiding over conferring ceremonies. The former US Presidential candidate has said it's a "great privilege" and says she is looking forward to promoting the university. "It is a great privilege to become the Chancellor of Queens University, a place I have great fondness for and have grown a strong relationship with over the years," she said. The University is making waves internationally for its research and impact and I am proud to be an ambassador and help grow its reputation for excellence. She will serve as the Universitys new Chancellor for five years. Ms Clinton succeeds Dr Tom Moran, who passed away last year. Advertisement James Middleton and his fiancee Alizee Thevenet put on a playful display as they were pictured frolicking on the beach in St. Barts today. The 32-year-old brother to the Duchess of Cambridge, who proposed last month - a year after they went public with their romance - looked in the throes of love with his French financier squeeze, as they enjoyed another day of their Christmas break on the picuresque island. Dressed in a pair of pale blue tropical swimming trunks and a pair of sunglasses, James put on a toned display as he joined Alizee, who looked stylish in a 15.99 H&M red bandeau top and high waist bikini bottoms, for a stroll along the beach. The couple couldn't keep their hands off each other, and were seen cosying up to each other on the beach before enjoying a dip in the water. James Middleton and his fiancee Alizee Thevenet put on a playful display as they were pictured frolicking on the beach in St. Barts today The 32-year-old brother to the Duchess of Cambridge, who proposed last month - a year after they went public with their romance - looked in the throes of love with his French financier squeeze, as they enjoyed another day of their Christmas break on the picuresque island The couple have been enjoying an extended break with Carole Middleton, 64, and Pippa Middleton, 36, while Spencer Mattthews - who is brother to Pippa's husband James - and his wife Vogue Williams, are also enjoying the break away. The couple are enjoying a family holiday with Pippa and Carole Middleton in St Barts, and are thought to be staying at the Eden Rock hotel owned by Spencer Matthews - who brother to Pippa's husband James Matthews. In June James also shared his first picture alongside French financial expert Alizee Thevenet, 29, who he started dating last summer. The pair were pictured holidaying in St Barts with Pippa Middleton, her husband James Matthews, brother-in-law Spencer Matthews, and his wife Vogue Williams at the beginning of the year. Alizee, who looked stylish in a 15.99 H&M red bandeau top and high waist bikini bottoms as she topped up her tan on the beach before taking a dip in the sea to wash the sand of herself Last month he proposed to French girlfriend Alizee, 30, privately with a sapphire ring while in the Lake District. James shared a beaming picture with Alizee snuggled into his arms, revealing a large sapphire ring on her left hand. Announcing the engagement to his 165k followers on Instagram, he posted several heart emojis, alongside the words: 'She said OUI. Our secret is out but we couldnt be happier to share the news.' Dressed in a red bikini and a sunhat, Alizee looked relaxed, sat on the sand, soaking up the sunbeams during the lovers time by the beach Loved-up Alizee gave James an affectionate peck on the temple as they sat on the sand during their lovers walk in St Barts today James's fiancee made sure the brother of Kate Middleton wouldn't burn in the sun and administered him with a generous coat of sunscreen James relaxed as his fiancee took the time to loving protect his skin with a coat of sunscreen to avoid any sunburn spoiling their St Barts holiday This week's sighting of the couple comes after James revealed his dogs will play a key role in his wedding ceremony to his fiancee and admitted that she was 'happy and excited' to plan the nuptials. Speaking about the plans in this month's issue of Vanity Fair Spain, he revealed they were aiming to keep the wedding 'as private as possible', and added that his beloved dogs would play an important part in the ceremony. The entrepreneur, who has been frank about his struggles with mental health in an effort to raise awareness around the topic, has nine dogs - Golden Retriever Mabel, a black Labrador, two Cocker Spaniels, and five black Spaniels called Rafa, Ella, Zulu, Inka and Luna -who he has credited with helping him through tough times. Kate Middleton's younger brother James looked serious as he strolled down the beach after his dip with fiancee Alizee in St Lucia The two love birds could be seen sharing a joke as they laid next to one another on the beach, James leaning over his fiancee with a smile The couple could have passed as any other tourists on the beach, with Alizee casually covered in sand and James joining her for a dip After their dip, the couple could be seen drying off on the sand and could barely keep their hands off each other in St Lucia (pictured) As the couple let off some steam on the beach, Alizee casually laid her head on her fiance's stomach while he buried his feet in the white sand Alizee lovingly teased James's beard as the pair talked on the beach. James could be seen kissing the tip of her fingers during the intimate moment UVs are no joke! Alizee and James made sure to smear a lot of sunscreen on their delicate skin to avoid burning under the sun rays Explaining that the ceremony would be 'as private as possible' and they planned to 'dance and have fun', he confirmed Ella, Mabel, Inca, Zulu or Luna would be involved. He explained: 'I still don't know which one, but they will be one of the keys of that day'. Taking advantage of the lovely St Lucia weather, James and Alizee took a walk on the beach, hand in hand before going for a dip A kind gesture of love from Alizee to James. Kate Middleton's brother said he hoped to keep the wedding 'as private as possible' Just like any couple. Alizee and James enjoyed a quiet walk by the beach today at Eden Rock beach among other tourists who flocked the island James took any opportunity he could to hold Alizee's hand during the couple's beach stroll today, where they showed their toned physique Alizee soon went for a dip in the beautiful waters of St Barts, dressed in her H&M bikini. The French financier looked relaxed as she let her hair down With dexterity, Alizee took her sunhat and got on her feet, ready to go for a swim, as James readied to follow her (pictured) Alizee got James on his feet in order at the end of their intimate getaway. Both were covered in sand after laying on the beach without towels James's fiancee went for a small dip during their beach walk, her long wavy blond hair beautifully framing her face as she got in Alizee showed her her toned physique and tanned legs during this walk as she walked towards the waves with determination (pictured) James joined Alizee in the water and the couple looked cosy as Alizee, standing in the water, lovingly stroked the wet hair on his neck After this pleasant dip, Alizee walked back to land, her blond mane stuck to her back, James in tow, after their playful swim Describing Alizee, as 'happy and excited', he added: 'We are in the phase before we start planning everything, just enjoying the process. The trip we are going to undertake together, as a team. And that's fine'. And speaking about attending sister Kate Middleton's wedding to Prince William in 2011, as well as taking Alizee to Lady Gabriella Windsor's wedding, he said: 'It's like any other. 'They are just people who celebrate their love. That presents its vows to love and respect and be faithful. A small wedding or a royal wedding, a wedding is a wedding.' Yesterday, as the couple hopped on a boat to test the waves, they were spotted cosying up during an afternoon of fun with Pippa and her husband James Matthews Ever the gentleman, James made sure Alizee made it safely onto the boat, and kept his hand on her back as she graceful tip-toed on the edge of the vessel In a show of strength, James only used one arm to get his fiancee onto the edge of the boat with him (pictured) during their day out on the water on Wednesday As James helped Alizee onto the boat, the couple looked as in love as ever during their boat getaway on New Year's Day James Middleton has previously credited his dogs for playing a 'vital role' in his recovery from clinical depression. Yesterday, James and Alizee were spotted cosying up on a boat while out on the sea with his sister Pippa and her husband James Matthews. After taking a dip - and Alizee splashing into the clear blue water - the pair exchanged a kiss while perched on the side of the boat. James could be seen waiting for Alizee to join him on the boat while his fiancee enjoyed a dip in the beautiful waters of St Barts A relaxed James sat on the edge of the motorboat while Alizee swam to him in the blue waves of the Caribbeans on New Year's Day James expertly pulled Alizee from the water after her dip, holding on tight to a pole on the boat During a first attempt, James held Alizee's hands as she tried to hop onto the boat after her relaxing swim (pictured) Alizee's hand slipped as James was trying to lift her onto the boat. The French financier tried to hold on but irremediably made it back into the water A playful smile could be seen on James' face as Alizee slipped from the top of the boat and fell back into the sea water (pictured) A big splash. James could not help but laugh as his fiancee splashed back into the water after their first failed attempt to get her on the boat Once she made it onto the boat, Alizee let the sunrays dry her toned skin as James took control of the boat's commands (pictured) James went at the front of boat, Alizee in tow as the couple seemed to recognise familiar faces swimming towards them in the water James and Alizee had enjoyed a couple's swim earlier, taking full advantage of being by themselves in the waves (pictured) Alizee (pictured) seemed to be having a blast as she went for a dip with James before the couple were joined by her future sister-in-law Pippa The couple were then joined by James's sister Pippa and her husband James Matthews, who had swum in their direction (bottom left) The 36-year-old sister to the Duchess of Cambridge showed off her svelte physique in a red halterneck bikini, and was joined by her husband James Matthews for another beach day during their extended Christmas break. There was no sign of Pippa's mother Carole, 64, or her one-year-old son Arthur, and she appeared to be enjoying a sibling day with her brother and his fiancee. The trio were spotted jumping into the water from their boat, before enjoying the stunning views on the clear waters. Red hot Pippa. James's sister, 36, looked stunning in a red bikini today as she joined them with her husband James Matthews for a dip James expertly navigated the boat as his sister and brother-in-law swam towards it under the encouragement of his fiancee Alizee The administration plans to announce this week that it will ban an array of flavored e-cigarette pods closed cartridges that contain vaping liquids and have been embraced by teens. But it will spare e-liquids for open tank products that typically are sold by vape shops and are more commonly used by adults, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to describe internal deliberations. Young men who own a car have more sex, a study has found. Having their own wheels gives lads higher self-esteem and is a status symbol women find attractive, researchers say. Those with a motor typically had sex twice as often, and with double the number of partners but they were less likely to use a condom. A car also makes it easier to get to places for sex and can be used for bonking in public places. Study leader David Soriano-Hernandez said: It can act as a sexual enhancer in emerging adulthood. Women still demonstrate a clear preference for men that possess or show the potential to acquire material resources. In Western culture material resources can be measured in terms of bank accounts, homes and cars. It is not unusual for cars to have a type of erotic effect on their owners and spectators. Expressions such as hot, sexy, and exciting are often used to describe automobiles. The university researchers in Mexico asked 1,000 males aged 17 to 24 about their sex lives. The findings are published in the journal Sexuality Research and Social Policy. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates RIYADH, Saudi Arabia and WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard, a leading education technology company for teaching, learning and student engagement, announced today that Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) has selected Blackboard's leading learning management system, Blackboard Learn, to replace its legacy system. Umm Al-Qura University is one of the largest public Islamic universities in Saudi Arabia, serving over 100,000 students across 35 colleges. "We are honored that Umm Al-Qura University decided to switch to Blackboard Learn to deliver a more connected, engaging and integrated learning environment across all of its colleges," said Robert Speed, Vice President of the Middle East and Africa at Blackboard. "Our powerful LMS is more equipped to help the university deliver a superior teaching and learning experience for its faculty and students. We have a strong presence in Saudi Arabia and are committed to working with our partner on the ground to help our clients deliver on their mission." Blackboard Learn will help the university achieve Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" and the National Transformation Program (NTP), which set out an ambitious roadmap for education reform. Some of the key benefits of Learn include a connected experience across devices, ease of content creation and management and a range of digital assessment and social learning tools. "We felt that our old system left us out of sync with many of our peer institutions across Saudi Arabia and around the world, making it difficult for us to engage in endeavors such as joint training, knowledge transfer and exchange of e-learning resources," said Dr. Ahmed Hameed, Vice-Deanship of E-Learning and Distance Education for Development and Entrepreneurship at Umm Al-Qura University. "Since switching to Blackboard, we have been able to deliver a more connected and engaging learning environment for our faculty and learners. We have also seen a reduction in costs with absolutely no impact on the quality of education we provide." The university is also leveraging Blackboard Collaborate, a simple and reliable online collaborative learning environment, SafeAssign, an originality-checker, and on-the-go access to coursework and other educational information through Blackboard's mobile solutions. To ensure a seamless transition, Blackboard is providing training on efficient content migration to Learn from the university's old system. About Blackboard Our mission is to partner with the global education community to enable learner and institutional success, leveraging innovative technologies and services. With an unmatched understanding of the world of the learner, the most comprehensive student-success solutions, and the greatest capacity for innovation, Blackboard is education's partner in change. CONTACT D'Anthony White, Blackboard +1 202-303-9314 or [email protected] SOURCE Blackboard Inc. Related Links http://www.blackboard.com A sign designating the new ZBE low-emissions zone in LHospitalet de Llobregat in Barcelona. Albert Garcia After three years of announcements, technical work and administrative and political procedures, Thursday will see the city of Barcelona put into action its Low Emissions Zone (ZBE), an area measuring 95 square kilometers that the most-contaminating vehicles will not be able to enter. The initiative will affect 85,000 cars and 30,000 motorbikes, and is likely to see a surge in the use of public transportation. According to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (ATM) in the Catalan capital, there will be a total of 170,000 extra journeys on buses and trains, a spike in demand that will be complicated by the lack of extra services on the local networks. There could be as many as 170,000 extra journeys on buses and trains The ATM claims that improvements made over recent years have prepared public transportation for these new passengers. These include new express bus lines, stations on lines 9 and 10 of the Metro system, and extensions to one of the busiest train lines. But the majority of the improvements announced in recent years are yet to be implemented. New bus lanes are yet to arrive, and park and ride systems are still not in place. With overcrowding during rush hour on many train lines also a serious issue, the RACC automobile club said several weeks ago that the extra demand that the traffic restrictions will cause cannot be absorbed. Even the city councilor for climate emergency, Eloi Badia, admitted before Christmas in an interview with EL PAIS that, while the capital has a solid network of Metro trains and buses, the challenge is intercity transportation. Badia called on the regional government and the Spanish government to do their part to improve these links. Meanwhile, dozens of signs have been put in place to inform motorists of the new system in Barcelona, along with the latest technology for detecting and recording license plates. The ZBE will cover Barcelona, LHospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Adria del Besos and parts of Esplugues and Cornella de Llobregat. Dozens of signs have been put in place to inform motorists of the new system in Barcelona The veto on older, more-contaminating cars those that do not qualify for the environmental badge issued by Spains DGT traffic authority will be in place on working days from 7am to 8pm, and for the first year will just apply to cars and motorbikes. During the first three months of the scheme there will be no fines, just warnings for violators. In 2021, any vans, trucks and buses without the environmental badge will also be prohibited from entering the area. The real impact of the ZBE will not be noted until next week, given that many families are still enjoying their Christmas vacations, Monday is a national holiday for Kings Day and schools will not reopen until January 8. The scheme follows in the footsteps of Madrid Central, a low-emissions zone that was put into place in the Spanish capital in November 2018 by then-Mayor Manuela Carmena. The system made 472 hectares of the city center off-limits to traffic, apart from local residents and public transportation. Non-residents with appropriate energy labels may enter to leave their vehicle in a public parking lot, and exceptions are made for people with reduced mobility, ambulances, taxis, private-hire cars and delivery vans. Electric vehicles are also allowed into Madrid Central. English version by Simon Hunter. Shares in China led gains among major markets in the region as they surged on Thursday, after a private survey showed manufacturing activity in country rising in December. The Shanghai composite gained 1.15% to close at about 3,085.20 while the Shenzhen component rose 1.99% to end its trading day at 10,638.82. The Shenzhen composite also added 1.928% to close at approximately 1,756.16. The Markit/Caixin Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for manufacturing in the month of December came in 51.5, versus 51.8 in November. Still, that was below expectations by analysts in a Reuters poll of a reading of 51.7 for December. The 50 mark separates expansion in contraction in PMI readings. That came after the official manufacturing PMI released Tuesday came in slightly above expectations. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 1.16%, as of its final hour of trading, with shares of life insurer AIA surging 3.24%. Shares of gaming hardware maker Razer soared more than 9% after the company announced on Thursday it has a submitted its application for a Singapore digital bank license. South Korea's Kospi lagged the general upward trend regionally as it fell 1.02% to end its trading day at 2,175.17, with shares of automaker Hyundai Motor dropping 2.07%. Data released Wednesday showed the South Korea's exports falling less than expected in December. South Korea's exports for that month declined 5.2% in December as compared to a year earlier, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing data from the country's trade ministry. That was lower than median expectations of a 6.0% fall from a Reuters poll. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia closed 0.1% higher at 6,690.60. Overall, the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index was 0.47% higher. Markets in Japan were closed on Thursday for a market holiday. Members of the Worshipful Company of Bakers have worked with a charity that supports those who have served in the armed forces. James Freeman, brother of current Master of the Worshipful Company Chris Freeman, and David Hall of The London Baking Co, spent a day last month at the Veterans Aid residential home in east London. There, they taught five service personnel about making pizza, mince pies and bread. Veterans Aid provides practical support to ex-servicemen and women who have served in HM armed forces and are homeless, facing homelessness or in crisis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi poses for a group photo with members of a religious order in Tumakuru, Karnataka, on Thursday.u district of Karnataka on Thursday. Bengaluru/Tumakuru: Facing countrywide protests against his governments Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his visit to Karnataka on Thursday to come down heavily on the Congress and its allies, telling them to protest, if they had the guts, against atrocities committed upon on religious minorities in Pakistan. Addressing a public gathering at Siddaganga Math in Tumakuru, Mr Modi said, I want to tell those who are protesting against the CAA that they should first expose Pakistans misdeeds before the world if they have the guts. The PM suggested that those who really care for human rights should organize protests in favour of Dalits and religious minorities who flee persecution in neighbouring countries and seek refuge in India. In particular, he targeted the Congress. From time to time, religious minorities have faced humiliation in Pakistan which has unleashed atrocities on Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, forcing thousands of them to take shelter in India. But the Congress and its friends have not uttered a single word against Pakistan, Mr Modi remarked. The Prime Minister was in Karnataka to attend a religious event, among others. He paid his respects at the 'Gadduge' (final resting place) of Shivakumara Swamiji at Siddaganga Math, a Lingayat seminary. The religious leader, who was known as the 'Walking God' among his followers, passed away last year at the age of 111. But in the context of the anti-CAA protests, the visit turned political. Police arrested a large number of farmers who protested during the Prime Ministers visit to Tumakuru to present awards to 32 farmers. Some of them shouted slogans like Go back Modi for neglecting farmers. We dont want mere lip sympathy. We demand the implementation of the Swaminathan report (which recommends a national policy on the farming sector), one farmer leader said. Protesting farmers were also arrested on the outskirts of Bengaluru in Nelamangala, Herohalli, Magadi, Kunigal and Koratagere. Two former chief ministers of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah of the Congress and H D Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (S) tweeted strong views directed at the Prime Minister, in particular at the central governments treatment of Karnatakas needs for funds. In two hard-hitting tweets, Siddaramaiah alleged, "You (Modi) did not visit Karnataka when it was devastated by floods, you did not visit Karnataka when our farmers cried for help, but all of a sudden, when you want to launch your political propaganda, you remember the innocent people of Karnataka. Wah Modi Wah!!". The Congress leader claimed Karnataka was denied adequate flood relief, GST revenue compensation and grants-in-aid. "Before attempting to fool our people, let the people of Karnataka know when they will get their due share!" he said. Kumaraswamy pitched in with similar queries. "What's the reason (behind the poor economic situation)? The poor economic policies of the Centre. After swallowing the GDP and development of the country, wrong policies have affected the state too," alleged Kumaraswamy. Quoting reports, Kumaraswamy said the Centre has denied Karnataka its share of revenue. "About 5.44 per cent of state's share is yet to come from the Centre. This is step-motherly attitude of the Centre towards the state," Kumaraswamy tweeted. California schoolteacher Brittany Bruley was elated when she discovered she was expecting her first child earlier this year - and shocked a few weeks later at Easter time when an ultrasound revealed she was carrying twins. Multiples don't run in either her family or her husband's, and the babies were conceived naturally. She waited until she got home to surprise her husband, Mike, with an Easter-themed reveal. 'I bought a golden egg, and I put all the candies that come in twos in it then I put a little note in there when I gave it to him. I came home that day and said, 'The best things come in twos. We're having twins!' Within weeks, however, that joy turned to worry. Brittany, 32, learned the pregnancy was affected by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, which can occur with identical twins or higher multiples who share placenta. Riley (left) and Sheah (right) Bruley were struck by twin to twin transfusion syndrome, meaning that their blood vessels in the womb were interconnected, delivering far more blood and nutrients to Shea than to Riley, who was born just over a third her sister's size The shared placenta contains abnormal blood vessels which connect the umbilical cords, and blood and nutrients can be distributed unequally between the babies. Often there is a donor twin and a recipient, leaving one twin with decreased blood volume and slower than normal growth. The recipient twin can also face challenges, receiving so much blood that it becomes overloaded and its heart can become strained. It may also be surrounded by too much amniotic fluid, a condition that can cause the fetus to shift to a dangerous position, develop abnormally and even prove fatal. Brittany was monitored carefully, twice a week. Her babies were indeed donor and recipient, with one significantly larger than the other. When she and Mike learned the TTTS diagnosis, they knew the risks and decided to name the babies with their uphill battle in mind. 'The little one, we wanted to give her a name that had special meaning and Riley means courageous,' she says. 'So we picked that name for her, and then Shea, we just loved the name and it also has to do with fairies and castles ... I love fairies and wishing and hoping.' Shea (left) and Riley (right) are the best holiday gifts their parents could have asked for after a harrowing development in the same placenta and sharing a blood supply Without treatment, the twins' chances of survival may have dipped as low as 10% - but instead, they celebrated their first Christmas at home with their parents They were clinging to that hope, and prayer, but monitoring soon revealed that the syndrome was becoming increasingly severe. 'It was my last day of work, the last day of the school year, and I went in for my ultrasound and I went with my mom,' Brittany tells DailyMail.com. 'They told me that, basically, the little baby...was being suffocated. The amniotic sac was just tight around her, kind of like cellophane - and she had no room to move, no room to get anything.' There are four stages of TTTS; the Bruleys were originally told their case looked like stage two or three, and they should consult a specialist in Los Angeles who performs the rare fetal laser surgery to separate the babies and hopefully save them by redistribution of blood and nutrients. Dr Ramen Chmait of the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine agreed to see them the same day he received the request and did his own ultrasound and tests. 'He deemed that it was stage four, and he said we had three options,' Brittany recalls. Doctors told Brittany and Mike that the smaller baby, Riley (pictured), would have only a 50 percent chance of survival if Brittany underwent surgery to separate the babies' blood supply 'He said: 'You can terminate the pregnancy entirely, you can cut off the small one, but I don't do that." 'So he was never going to offer us that, he would just tell us a place we could go. Or we could have the surgery, but know that it was not a guarantee, that was going to be, he thought, about 90 percent for the big one and 50 percent for the small one. 'And then he did say...because they are identical twins, there is always the chance that he if missed a blood vessel, they could both die.' But foregoing surgery would mean the twins would have even lower chances of survival - as low as 10 to 15 percent. 'It was really demoralizing and awful, however we always only ever had one option in our heads, so the other choices weren't really considered by us,' Brittany says. 'We were determined to keep the two. I mean, a 50 percent chance, it's like a flip of a coin. It could happen, and it did end up happening.' The Bruleys met with Dr Chmait on a Friday and he operated the following Monday. Brittany (left), Mike (right) and their medical team were determined to do everything they could to give both twins the best shot at survival they could. They decided to go ahead with the surgery, and doctors successfully separated the blood supply shared by Riley (pictured right of left picture and left of right) and Shea 'I remember going in for the surgery that day was super stressful, sad, everyone was crying,' Brittany says. 'My parents were crying, Mike was crying. 'And I just remember when I got into the surgery room. I wasn't put out. I was awake. And he brought like this TV over so I could actually see him doing the procedure. And just hearing him in the operating room, I felt so confident in him because of his confidence. 'He was amazing and he was not screwing around. He was so precise and so direct. I could hear him saying, "OK, I've got check it" and he was checking again and again. He was checking that he got every single vessel he could see. I remember him saying: "I'm 99 percent positive that I got them all."' After surgery to treat TTTS, the medical team watches for the fetuses to hit a series of milestones. First, the team had to make sure the babies survived 24 hours after the trauma of surgery and the delicate detachment of their shared blood vessels. 'So for that whole night, it was just terrifying and awful and worrisome. They come in with the ultrasound, and you're just hoping to God that they see two heartbeats. It's like the worst, scariest feeling in the world,' Brittany recalls. When the twins were first delivered, Brittany says she heard Shea's cry loud and clear - but it took a moment before Riley (pictured) made her first tiny sounds Both babies were whisked quickly to the NICU, but Riley had to stay there much longer, with a total hospital stay of 72 days 'The nurse who had checked it said the fluid was better than it had been already, and normally that takes a long time - so they thought that was a really good sign.' Brittany was sent home on bed rest, but had to resume her twice-a-week monitoring schedule. 'They were doing all kinds of tests every time; they were checking blood flow to the placenta, blood flow to the brain, what type of heart rates they had, all of that. 'Every time I went, it was this fear of: Is she alive or not? Are they both alive or not? Because it could change, even though they survived that first night. 'It was a week by week basis. It was pretty terrible; I don't think anybody really will ever understand it.' As Brittany spent the summer on bedrest - lazing in the backyard and naming hummingbirds out of boredom and worry - twice-weekly tests would prove that the babies were far from out of the woods yet. The laser surgery had revealed she also had intra uterine growth restriction, a condition that meant Riley was only receiving 20 percent of nutrients to Shea's 80. 'Most people don't have both at the same time,' Brittany says. '[Dr Chmait] explained how it just meant that where the baby implanted herself in me was beyond anybody's control. 'It's just where she latched inside me, where her cord was. She just did not have much real estate, is how he described it. The big one was right nice in the middle of the placenta - prime real estate, and she's getting everything and has all this room. 'And little girl does not have much room in her little sac and not much nutrients.' Despite the odds and additional complications she faced, Riley (left) started gaining strength. Soon, she was catching up to her sister Shea's (right) size, though she's still smaller today On top of that worry, at 25 weeks the Bruleys were told that Riley suffered from hydrops, a life-threatening condition of fluid buildup around the organs. She was only 400g at the time. Hydrops was once a common complications of other fetal diseases, but these days it's relatively rare, affecting about one in every 1,000 births. But it's no less dangerous. Only about half of unborn babies that develop hydrops survive. 'We were told that because she had reverse blood flow and because she had hydrops, basically she was going to die within 10 days, was their estimate. So basically I spent the week waiting for her death,' Brittany says. 'Every time when I was waiting to see if she was there, I could feel this tiny little kick. She had a very different kick than her sister. Her sister was super strong; you could see her moving around like crazy. And I loved that, and I would sing to them and I would talk to them. 'But when I would get worried that the little one wasn't there anymore, she would always give me this tiny little...I'd feel this little flutter. 'I would rub my belly on that side where I felt it and I'd say: 'I'm here, I feel you.' Now, four months after their birth at 31 weeks, both Riley (left) and Shea (right) are thriving With the myriad complications in the pregnancy, doctors offered Brittany and Miker the option to deliver at 25 weeks, in the hopes that this would improve Shea's survival odds and, to a lesser extent, Riley's. But the Bruley's wanted to give both girls as long as possible to develop in utero. Brittany made it to 31 weeks and 4 days. The babies were born September 8. 'Shea was the big one; she came first, because she was lower and we did hear her crying pretty immediately - so that was a relief,' Brittany says. When Riley was delivered, however: 'It was silent for a long time. We're crying behind the screens, because we can't see anything and we can't hear anything and then we just hear this itty, bitty little squeak of a cry.' Both babies were whisked away to the NICU; Shea weighed 4.1 pounds while Riley was only 1.5. Riley ended up spending 72 days in the hospital while Shea was out after 32. It's been a long and difficult road since the babies were born; both girls now are home and undergoing physical therapy and treatment, but despite all odds, Riley is growing and thriving and looking gorgeous in family Christmas photos. Brittany's pregnancy was not only harrowing but costly. The Bruley's are grateful to have their babies home and friends have started a GoFundMe to help the family cover the expenses of saving the twins' lives. The girls are growing and thriving. Shea is now 10.6 pounds and 21 inches long; Riley is 6.6 pounds and 17.5 inches long. She credits the doctors and their conscientious monitoring and commitment for saving her babies with TTTS, which she wasn't even unaware of and which most people don't understand, Brittany says - especially the severity of the condition. 'The more people know about it, at least you could advocate for yourself. If you didn't have a specialist, at that point if you had twins, if you just had a regular OB, they might not be as conscious about it. 'So if you're educated about knowing, yeah, I have identical twins, I could potentially get this, then you can self-advocate,' she says. 'Say, hey, I want to be monitored more, checked more because of this - and then they can catch it early. And if they catch it early, then they can intervene and you can have that surgery.' As for her own little family, Brittany says: 'I have a really hard time sometimes when I'm holding them. I just cry, because I didn't think I was going to get them.' New Delhi: Four more children died in the JK Lon hospital in Rajasthan's Kota district on the first two days of the new year, taking the death toll to 104, according to reports. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan met union health secretary and asked him to take stock of the health services at the Kota hospital at the earliest. The Centre will send a high-level team comprising experts from AIIMS, Jodhpur and health economists to the Kota hospital to assess the infrastructural gaps and measures to be taken to prevent further deaths. The health economists will analyse the gaps in the infrastructure of the JK Lon hospital to ascertain how much funds will be required for strengthening it. "The high-level team being despatched by @MoHFW_INDIA incl experts from AIIMS Jodhpur, Health Finance & Regional Director, Health Services Jaipur. It will reach #Kota tomorrow. In my letter too to @ashokgehlot51 ji, I've offered all possible assistance to prevent any further deaths (sic)," Harsh Vardhan said in a tweet on Thursday. Vardhan has also written to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, assuring him of all assistance, and urged him to initiate measures to stop the deaths of children at the JK Lon hospital. "We are ready to provide any technical help or assistance. Let us ensure no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of health system capacity," Vardhan has written in his letter to Gehlot. According to Union health ministry officials, a preliminary probe has suggested that over 70 per cent of important equipment, including infusion pumps, warmers, oxymeters, nebulisers, meant for newborns, were not in a working condition at the JK Lon hospital and there was a paucity of staff in the paediatrics department. A recent review had also revealed that the mortality rate at the hospital was 20.2 per cent in 2019, as against the 14.3 per cent in the preceding two years, an official said, adding that this meant one in five infants admitted to the hospital last year died from preventable causes. The ministry was yet to receive a formal report from the state in this matter, the official said. Besides, a committee constituted by the Rajasthan government has stated that the deaths were taking place due to a lack of oxygen pipelines in the hospital and also because of extreme cold conditions. It also pointed towards an increased referral of critical cases and stated that the number of beds in the hospital was less than the flow of patients.A The situation at the ICUs was also similar, the committee said. "I informed @ashokgehlot51 ji that Rs 91.7 lakhs has already been advanced to JK Loan Hospital during 2019-20 under National Health Mission. Kota District alone has an annual allocation of Rs 27.45 Cr for '19-20, from the annual budgeted amount of Rs 1788.97 Cr for Rajasthan state (sic)," Vardhan said in another tweet. "I told @ashokgehlot51 ji that #Rajasthan may go ahead and propose for further financial assistance in the upcoming Rajasthan National Health Mission (NHM) meeting after doing their gap analysis. We'll do our best to prevent further deaths, I assured him fully," the Union health minister wrote on Twitter.A For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A contractor has closed Southeast Lusted Road at 282nd Avenue in Gresham for a sewer repair. The closure was scheduled during winter break as to not delay traffic for nearby Barlow High School. The road is closed all hours and days through the evening Friday, Jan. 3. Drivers are instructed to use the detour on Southeast 282nd Avenue to Chase Road. #pdxtraffic ICYMI SE Lusted Road in Gresham is closed through Friday for sewer work. pic.twitter.com/V3jfUO5Mrd PDX Traffic Alerts (@TrafficPortland) January 2, 2020 An early morning crash on U.S. 30 near Warren in Columbia County had one driver taken to the hospital and one lane blocked in each direction just south of Saint Helens, according to Columbia River Fire and Rescue. The crash was reported at about 6 a.m. Thursday. Two vehicles were involved. The road was cleared by 6:30 a.m., but police remained on the scene. Use caution in the area. *** DOWNTOWN 8:45 a.m.: Unattended stalled vehicle on Southwest Sixth Avenue at Clay blocking the middle lane. *** DAMASCUS 8:20 a.m.: Crash on OR 212 at Tong Road. *** ROSS ISLAND BRIDGE 7:55 a.m.: Police are checking on reports of hazardous debris on the off ramp from eastbound Ross Island Bridge to southbound McLoughlin Boulevard. *** OUTER SOUTHEAST PORTLAND 6:30 a.m.: Injury crash on Southeast 148th Avenue and Division Street. Update 7:15 a.m.: Police have closed Southeast Division between 145th-148th avenues for this crash. *** Hillsboro police are investigating an overnight shooting in a residential neighborhood. Some streets are closed in the area of Northeast Edgeway Drive. Avoid the area. Vancouver area commuters could see delays in the new year as several intersections undergo upgrades to traffic signals and equipment. Beginning this week, crews with Clark County Public Works contractor will work on existing traffic signal systems, upgrade and relocate existing school zone flashing lights, and repair damaged signal systems and fiber optic lines. This work will be performed intermittently at 10 locations: Northeast 47th Avenue at Northeast Minnehaha Street Northeast 13th Avenue at Northeast 78th Street Northeast 10th Avenue at Northeast 199th Street Northeast Tenney Road at Northeast 139th Street Northeast 16th Avenue at Northeast 78th Street Northeast 58th Avenue at Northeast 78th Street York Elementary School Northeast 152nd Avenue Pleasant Valley Primary School Northeast 50th Avenue Northwest Lakeshore Avenue at Northwest 78th Street Northeast 78th Street from Northeast Highway 99 to Northeast St. Johns Road Expect short delays in the areas. Work is typically complete within one to three days. Details on the project are available at www.clark.wa.gov/public-works. Check back throughout the morning for the latest commuting updates and follow us on Twitter: @trafficportland (Newser) Pete Buttigieg can now seek the highest office in the land without worrying about the responsibilities of the highest office in South Bend, Indiana. The 38-year-old Democrat's second term as mayor officially ended at noon on New Year's Day when successor James Mueller was sworn in, the South Bend Tribune reports. Buttigieg was present at the ceremony, where Mueller, his former chief of staff and chosen successor, thanked him on behalf of the city "for leading us through our comeback decade." Buttigieg said in December 2018 that he would not seek a third term. He launched his presidential campaign a month later and has led recent polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, though he remains in single digits in nationwide polling, Politico reports. story continues below While Buttigieg is no longer "Mayor Pete," his time in office is likely to remain an issue on the campaign trail, the New York Times reports. Rivals have argued that being mayor of Indiana's fourth-largest city isn't enough to prepare for somebody for the presidency; amid problems connecting with black voters nationwide, a Black Lives Matter group in South Bend is holding a news conference Saturday on Buttigieg's "tolerance for racism by police." His campaign, meanwhile, announced Wednesday that it had raised $24.7 million in the last quarter of 2019, the Wall Street Journal reports. That puts him among the top Democratic fundraisers, though rivals including Elizabeth Warren have attacked him for targeting high-dollar donors and holding a fundraiser in a California "wine cave." (Read more Pete Buttigieg 2020 stories.) (Newser) Update: Two men have been convicted in a 2019 laptop robbery at a Bay Area Starbucks that left a research engineer dead. The Mercury News reports a jury on Wednesday found 24-year-old Byron Reed guilty of second-degree murder, and 20-year-old Kejuan Wiggins guilty of voluntary manslaughter, in the Dec. 31, 2019, death of Shuo Zeng, who'd turned 34 that day. Wiggins is said to have been the one to swipe Zeng's laptop while he was working on it, leading Zeng to chase after him. Reed was the driver of the getaway BMW, which ran over Zeng, killing him. The two defendants were also found guilty of robbery. Wiggins faces 12 years behind bars, while Reed faces 15 to 30. Per KGO, they'll be sentenced on Jan. 7. Our original story from January 2020 follows: story continues below A California man is dead after chasing down a thief who snatched his laptop from a Starbucks on New Year's Eve. The unidentified man was working from the Starbucks in an east Oakland neighborhood around 11:30am when someone grabbed his computer and ran. A woman seated near the victim saw him chase the suspect into a black SUV waiting in the street. "He was really brave," performing a "superman-type dive" into the SUV, the woman tells KGO. But "there was a struggle and I think they pushed him out and then he got dragged." Another witness had a slightly different take: that the man's head struck a parked car after he grabbed onto a door handle of the fleeing vehicle, reportedly driven by a masked man, per KGO. "He was bleeding only from the head. His face was purple and blue," says the owner of an adjacent flower shop, per CNN, which reports the victim, initially in critical condition, later died at a hospital. Police announced the arrests of two suspects on Wednesday. "No further information will be released at this time. The investigation continues," a statement reads. (Read more California stories.) ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- America's maritime capital wins out as the Annapolis Boat Shows celebrate their largest attendance in history this Fall. With an impressive 14.7% increase over the previous best attendance at the United States Sailboat Show and a United States Powerboat Show attendance totaling 3.5% above the previous modern-day record. Enthusiastic boaters and visitors from around the world made an estimated $112,000,000 economic impact during the two fall shows. Held on bustling back-to-back weekends in October, all feature events and areas within the two shows were sold out or neared capacity. The great weather facilitated evening social celebration for revelers and successful workshops for enthusiasts. Cruisers University sold out with 200 registered cruisers, Take the Wheel was just above capacity with 160 people; and First Sail Workshops hosted just under 300 new sailors. Offshore Emergency Medicine, a new, three-day intensive course offered this year, offered practical training for remote wilderness cruisers. The course sold out with participants receiving an Offshore Emergency Medicine certification awarded by Wilderness Medical Associates. "This year was a great success," said Paul Jacobs, President of Annapolis Boat Shows. "We exceeded our goals and are proud to support our community and the entire maritime industry." Each year, these shows make significant contributions to the City of Annapolis and the State of Maryland, with this year topping all previous rent and admissions tax payments. Over $100,000 was paid to the State of Maryland and a hefty $535,814.09 check to the city for rent and show space. Community impact was just as prosperous with payroll to local residents hitting one million dollars for the first time in show history and nearly two dozen non-profit organizations benefiting. What debuted in 1970 as the first in-water sailboat show in the country, the Annapolis Boat Shows are now some of the most comprehensive boating exhibitions in the industry. The success of the fall shows is a testament to the economic and social impact of the Annapolis, Maryland, and United States maritime culture and economy. To take part in this internationally renowned event, go to www.AnnapolisBoatShows.com to plan for next year's shows and register for the 2020 boating education workshops. About Annapolis Boat Shows: The 1970 debut of the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland marked a new concept the first in-water sailboat show in the country. Today the Annapolis Boat Shows has an unsurpassed reputation for offering the most comprehensive boating exhibitions in the industry. Each of our boat shows give boaters the unique opportunity to board and inspect virtually every new model on the market, make side-by-side comparisons, and talk to industry representatives about all aspects of buying and owning a boat. Exhibitors are highly motivated to put you in the boat of your dreams at the best possible price. In addition, one can shop from a vast display of boating products and services everything from financing and insurance to electronics and foul weather gear. It's always a fun and informative day exploring boats and boat supplies. Press Contact: Michaela Watkins, [email protected] SOURCE Annapolis Boat Shows Related Links https://www.annapolisboatshows.com The annual ceremony was attended by 300 members of the armed forces, the general public and tourists. Under the national flag, the participants sung the national anthem, which pleasantly blended with the sounds of crashing waves and winds echoing from the sea to create a sacred and solemn atmosphere, all while expressing their belief in a bright future of Vietnam. Dang Le Anh Tuan, a tourist from Vinh Long province, said it was his first time attending and taking part in the flag ceremony and that he was truly moved and proud. According to Phu Yen Vice Chairman Phan Dinh Phung, the flag salutation ceremony on New Year Day aims to provoke patriotism and aspirations to make the province and Vietnam in general grow further. In addition to the flag salutation ceremony, Phu Yen province also presented gifts to the first visitors to the Dien Cape and Mon Beach, a national scenic spot. Last year the province, renowned for its pristine coastal landscape, welcomed 1.8 million visitors. (Reuters) American chemist and Nobel laureate Richard Heck died in Manila after years of illnesses that left him almost penniless, relatives of his Filipina wife said on Saturday (October 10). Heck, 84, along with Japanese Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki, won the Nobel prize in chemistry in 2010 for inventing new ways to bind carbon atoms that were used in research to fight cancer and produce thin computer screens. He was affiliated with the University of Delaware in the United States when he developed his work on palladium as a catalyst, called the Heck reaction, in the 1960s and early 1970s. The two Japanese scientists came through with their variants of the same process in the late 1970s. He retired in the Philippines in 2006 along with his Filipina wife, Socorro Nardo-Heck. Socorro died two years after Heck won his Nobel prize, said Michael Nardo, Socorro's nephew, who had been looking after Heck since his wife's death. The couple was childless. Heck was often depressed after his wife died, Nardo told Reuters. He had been in and out of the hospital since 2013, when he suffered a serious bout of pneumonia. Heck survived prostate cancer and had been taking medication for diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and slight dementia, Nardo said. "He's a loving, understanding person. The smartest person," Nardo said of Heck. He was relying on his monthly pension of $2,500 to get by, the nephew added. Two personal nurses took turns taking care of him in his home in the past year. One of the nurses, Jane Rose Pido, said Heck was rushed to a private hospital due to severe vomiting, but was refused admission due to unpaid bills. "It was painful to see, that the man was fighting for his life but he was left to die, because he did not have money. How could it end up like that? We didn't know which hospital to take him to, so much time was lost. He could have been revived," Pido said. Pido said they were forced to take him to a public hospital, where his vital signs deteriorated within hours, until he died. She said the American always spoke of returning to the United States. "We nearly fought, because he was insisting that he wanted to go back to the U.S. He would get his walker, walk outside the house and wait for a taxi, and he would say he was going to the airport to return to the U.S.," Pido said. Relatives of Heck's wife said he had no family in the U.S. The Trump administration has been pressuring other countries to restrict the operations of Huawei in the 5G trails. (Photo Credit: File Photo) Beijing: China's telecommunications giant Huawei thanked the Indian government for permitting it to participate in the upcoming trials for 5G networks, a major boost to the company amidst a US clampdown on it citing national security risks. The 5G is the next generation cellular technology with download speeds stated to be 10 to 100 times faster than current 4G networks. The 5G networking standard is seen as critical because it can support the next generation of mobile devices in addition to new applications like driverless cars and gadgets made out of artificial intelligence (AI). Huawei rivals western equipment makers, such as Ericsson, and is banned in the US. India on Monday indicated its unwillingness to keep any company out of the 5G trials. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government will allocate airwaves to all telecom service providers for conducting trials of super-fast speed 5G networks. "Huawei has been notified by the Indian government of permission to take part in the 5G trials," Cyril Xu, Senior Manager, International Media Affairs at the Shenzhen-based company told PTI here while reacting to India's decision. "We thank the Indian government for their continued faith in Huawei," Cyril said in a statement. "We firmly believe that only technology innovations and high quality networks will be the key to rejuvenating the Indian telecom industry. We have our full confidence in the Modi government to drive 5G in India," he said. "We have our full confidence in the Indian Government and industry to partner with best technology for India's own long term benefit and also for cross industry development. Huawei is always committed to India," he said. Huawei's participation in the 5G trials in India, which is the next biggest telecom market after China, has been one of the key topics in the India-China talks at various levels. China has been asking India to take independent and objective decision to permit Huawei 5G services in the country. Significantly, India's decision to permit Huawei came after the recent 22nd round of Special Representatives talks on the border issue between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi. India had been maintaining that it would take a decision in the best interest of the country. The issue of Chinese companies like Huwai participating in 5G trials also came up during the recent 2+2 Indo-US ministerial dialogue in Washington. "We discussed the risks that Chinese-built communication networks, including 5G, pose to our treasured freedoms and how China's unfair and predatory economic activity in the Indo-Pacific presents a risk to those very freedoms," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a joint news conference attended by Defence Secretary Mark Esper, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on December 18. The US has classified Huawei as a national security threat amid claims the company has "close ties to the Chinese government and military apparatus". Huawei rejected the US allegations. The Trump administration has been pressuring other countries to restrict the operations of Huawei in the 5G trails. The 5G trials in India are widely-expected to begin in the last quarter of the current financial year. In September this year, Huawei had said it was hopeful that the Indian government will treat all foreign investments "fairly" and had urged the world's largest democracy to make an "independent decision" on permitting 5G trials in the country. At that time, the Chinese firm, the world's leader in telecom equipment and the number two smartphone producer, had also sought to assure the Indian government that the company is fully compliant with regulations in India, and of addressing concerns around cybersecurity. Earlier, India allowed Huawei to take part in the 5G case demos at the India Mobile Congress held in October this year along with other international networks. Huawei has big operations in India including an R&D centre in Bengaluru. It is also a major supplier of 4G technology for Indian telecom firms. Concerns over Huawei's operations abroad has risen after China passed a new security law which requires individuals and organisations to assist and cooperate with the country's national intelligence efforts. China also protested to the US over Washington's efforts to extradite Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada to face prosecution under domestic American law for violations of US sanctions against Iran. Several leading Fine Gael ministers and party members have sharply rejected accusations of targeting Fianna Fail TD Lisa Chambers in a sinister fashion, as claimed by Michael McGrath. Mr McGrath in an interview with the Irish Examiner hit out at the singling out of Ms Chambers, a new TD, a newcomer and a woman, but Fine Gael in return has demanded an apology from Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin for demanding the resignation of then Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald in 2017. Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said the questions being asked of Ms Chambers are merely seeking to uphold standards. Upholding standards now sinister! What is sinister, is an Elected Representative not knowing how to vote for herself alone, and how to take responsibility for her own actions instead of denying them, she said. Cork South-Central based Senator and former TD Jerry Buttimer, who is a rival candidate in the upcoming election to Mr McGrath, accused the Fianna Fail finance spokesman of being selective in his attacks. Real Case of Michael McGrath being selective. Fianna Fail had no problem targeting Frances Fitzgerald. His party drove her from office. Yet cleared and guess what, Fianna Fail & Micheal Martin still owes her an apology. You were all quiet then, he said on social media. Mr McGrath warned the upcoming general election is set to be nasty and personalised even though he says it puts the public off politics. I think it would make sense is there could be an orderly wind down of the Dail. Undoubtedly, proceedings have become more tetchy. Unfortunately, get the feeling that it's going to be a nasty campaign, which I don't enjoy yeah I don't like and I don't think the general public really enjoy either I think. He said the tabling of a complaint by Fine Gael's Fergus O'Dowd against Ms Chambers, Fianna Fail's Brexit spokeswoman, was unnecessary. He called on all colleagues to seek to raise the tone of the campaign and stick to the issues. I would call it everyone going into this election campaign to stick to the issues and focus on the things that really matter to people and we know what those issues are in health and housing and crime and protecting the economy and so on, he said. And not to go after individuals. I think what we're seeing, from Fine Gael in the tactic pursuing Lisa Chambers was particularly sinister. Because they know she is one of the star performers on the FF front bench. She's a newcomer, a new TD and she's female, and I think it is completely unnecessary, he added. TROY Prosecutors will not be able to tell jurors details about an accused killer's previous conviction for manslaughter when he goes on trial later this month in the 2017 deaths of two women and their children found slaughtered in their Lansingburgh home, a judge ruled Thursday. But while Rensselaer County prosecutors cannot raise the killing when they present their evidence at James White's first-degree murder trial, Judge Debra Young is weighing whether to allow them to make reference to the crime during cross examination if White testifies. White is one of two men charged in the gruesome stabbing deaths of Brandi Mells, 22; Shanta Myers, 36; and Myers' two children: Jeremiah Myers, 11, and Shanise Myers, 5, in their basement apartment on Dec. 21, 2017. The hearing was the first outward sign in months that the more than two-year-old case was heading to trial. The bodies of the four victims was not discovered until the day after Christmas 2017. City police and detectives have described the crime scene as the most horrific one they had ever encountered. White's earlier conviction includes allegations he and two others forced their way into a Bronx apartment on Aug. 5, 1999, where White grabbed 19-year-old Tyshawn Jackson by the neck and told the others to stab him. One man did, several times, and Jackson died at a hospital, the district attorney's office said. White pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2001 and served nearly nine years in state prison before being paroled. Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Hauf and defense attorney Kurt Haas said during a suppression hearing Thursday that the conviction was too close in nature to the nine counts of first-degree murder and four counts of second-degree murder the 40-year-old White faces. They said the Bronx case would be considered prejudicial if disclosed to the jury. White also faces one count of burglary, one count of robbery and two counts of criminal possession of stolen property. The top murder count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The other man accused of a role in the killing, Justin Mann, 26, pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree murder earlier this year. Mann is expected to testify against White as part of his plea bargain. He faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison under the terms of his plea agreement. The first-degree murder charge White faces carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The hearing Thursday was to determine whether the district attorney's office could use Whites criminal history at the upcoming trial. Hauf listed Whites criminal record which included the manslaughter conviction as well as charges of criminal contempt, resisting arrest, obstructing government administration and not paying for a ride. Several of the cases were older than a decade which would usually preclude them from being used. After emerging from court, Haas said he didnt want any of Whites criminal history used at the trial. Hauf declined to comment. White spoke briefly in court, complaining that he had not received documents related to the hearing. The judge said they would be given to him. Haas is the third attorney to be assigned to represent White. The defendant succeeded in having the two attorneys previously assigned to the case - Assistant Public Defender Greg Cholakis and then attorney Steven Sharp - removed. The trial is expected to begin on Jan. 21. Great fortunes provide great flexibility, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker has demonstrated. Illinois has so many problems that it seems rather silly for the people who are paid to think high-minded thoughts to search for more. But since they have done so, its worth discussing. Reform for Illinois, a good-government group in a state steeped in corruption, has suggested that its a bad thing for the state that Gov. J.B. Pritzker has used a teeny-tiny part of his mind-blowing personal fortune to personally finance the renovation of state buildings and supplement the salaries of a handful of close aides. We continue to have the same general concerns weve expressed in the past about elected officials paying for public functions with private funds, especially at the scale this governor is able to do it. It provides yet another advantage to wealthy officials and candidates, and depending on the use, can create conflicted loyalties and perhaps even increase the potential for corruption, Alisa Kaplan, policy director for Reform for Illinois, told The Chicago Tribune. Kent Redfield, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois-Springfield and another veteran watcher of state politics, expresses similar concerns. Its my responsibility as a citizen to contribute to the funding of the political system, and theres no free lunch. We cant offshore the cost of government to a bunch of rich elected officials, said Redfield. Slow down there. Its important to keep this issue in perspective. Illinois has a roughly $40 billion budget, and Pritzker has spent roughly $3 million of his personal fortune on state affairs. No one is offshoring the cost of government to Pritzker or anyone else. Hyperbole aside, what seems to concern the Nervous Nellies is that Pritzker is spending his personal money to achieve objectives that are important to him supplementing the salaries of aides he thinks he needs and paying for renovations of his Springfield office. He, like predecessor Bruce Rauner, is also working for nothing. Both Rauner, a multi-millionaire, and Pritzker, a billionaire, declined a paycheck. Should that, too, be a source of concern? Not from our perspective. This is a unique situation individuals who have the kind of wealth Pritzker acquired through inheritance are few and far between, even though they stand out like drunks at a funeral. Former Arkansas Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller, a scion of the Rockefeller family oil fortune, was among the first to use personal funds to make state government work better and smarter. But that was in the 1960s. How many others have there been since then? Pritzker is using a small part of his fortune to do the same in Illinois, which is effectively bankrupt. Is that a problem? Perhaps it could be if Pritzker or someone like him had some malicious intent. That doesnt appear to be the case. Hes been above-board about his spending of personal money and no doubt will continue to be. The reformers real gripe stems from this incontrovertible fact the rich are different, and it skews their perspective. Former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, during his confirmation hearings, once said that spending $100,000 to him was like spending $10 to Joe Sixpack. Thats a stupefying statement, but from Rockefellers point of view, it makes perfect sense. So, too, it is with Pritzker, whose personal fortune has been estimated to be about $3.4 billion. Of greater concern than Pritzkers use of personal funds to pay for state-related spending is the use of his fortune to win elections. He spent about $170 million on his gubernatorial election campaign. He recently deposited another $5 million into an account to spend on passing his proposal for a progressive income-tax amendment to the Illinois Constitution. Spending that kind of money can blow away the opposition. But its not illegal. So it will continue. Its the same with Pritzers personal spending on state projects. Thats not illegal either, and the public certainly doesnt seem to mind. Given Illinois many other serious problems, why should it? News-Gazette, Champaign Gemius Design Studio- 360 Degree marketing and branding agency won a creative digital mandate for womens innerwear brand Prag & Co. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch. Gemius Design Studio has been entrusted with formulating creative strategy, content creation and design across social media and digital platforms for Prag & Co. The main objective of this association would be to build affinity via brand advocacy on digital and creating a distinct brand personality. Prag & Co. envisions to deliver total ease, confidence & support in the form of our clothing, a product line that is nothing but the finest & to reach out to all the women out there who are looking for fine-quality, complete innerwear solutions. Speaking on this collaboration, Anushree Pacheriwal- Co-founder, Gemius Design Studio said, We are very excited to have Prag &Co. in our client roster. The brands objective is to deliver comfort, support and quality in the lives of women through their wide product range and we see the digital medium as a huge enabler that can help them to achieve this. Keeping in mind business goals and equipped with strategic decisions, we aim towards profitable sales growth and increasing brand value. We are keen to be a part of their growth journey and hope to live up to their expectations. Priya Santoki- Co-founder, Prag & Co. said, Comfort, quality and confidence are at the core of the Prag & Cos DNA. In this day and age, we believe that our brands strategy, marketing and digital efforts need to have a common vision and voice. We were impressed with the comprehensive approach by Gemius Design Studio and feel that this association would be a good fit. We are delighted to choose them as our digital and creative partners. As the political campaigns for the governorship election in Ondo State are expected to increase in the coming weeks, the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has warned civil servants to stay out of the fray. He said they should stay out of partisan politics during the electioneering activities. The governor specifically said he was against civil servants wearing campaign T-shirts adorning the logo of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Hitherto, civil servants often attend campaign rallies of incumbent governors, wearing branded t-shirts. Mr Akeredolu spoke at special prayer session to mark the first working day in the new year held at the governors office, Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital. He asked the workers to allow politicians to play politics, while they should concentrate on their efforts to help government execute its policies for the people. He expressed gratitude to God for preserving his life, saying he had more services to render to the good people of Ondo State. I dont want any civil servant to wear endorsement T shirt for me. Civil servants should not be involved in politics, he said. I dont want workers to do like they did before I came on board. They should focus on their jobs and let politicians play politics. We are all political animals, but workers should stay away from politics. And if they want to do, it should be done moderately. Mr Akeredolu at the event disclosed his readiness to serve more if permitted by God. He declared that his administration was ready to pay the N30,000 minimum wage as soon as the ongoing negotiation between the labour unions and the state government was concluded. He claimed that the state is among the very few states already discussing the implementation of the new minimum wage. The organised labour and government have been having discussions and negotiations and we are fine-tuning our conclusions to ensure that we come up with the most acceptable and sustainable salary structure considering the financial strength of the State, he said. I wish to assure you that payment of the new wage would commence as soon as on-going discussion and negotiation are concluded. The governor said within a space of about three years, his administration had embarked on massive infrastructural development across the three senatorial districts of the state. He said his administration had also made unprecedented improvement in revenue generation and laying a solid foundation for the sustainable economic turn-around of the state. Mr Akeredolu noted that the state government under his leadership had increased empowerment schemes for women, men and young entrepreneurs by providing trade support loans. In doing all of these and more, we have kept faith with the demands of workers welfare, he said. In spite of our dire financial challenges, we have been able to fulfil our promises of regular payment of workers salaries and other obligations to the people of the state. I always hold the firm belief that regular salary payment and promotion of deserving public servants are not achievement but purely obligatory. You can bear testimony that we have almost concluded the payment of inherited salary arrears. He also thanked civil servants and political office holders for their cooperation and understanding in moving the state forward. Advertisements Speaking earlier in his exaltation, the Catholic Bishop of Ondo, Jude Arogundade, called on the governor to rally the people of the state for wealth generation and creation in the state. He said the state had no business relying on federal allocation alone for its survival. Former Obama housing secretary Julian Castro on Thursday ended his run for president that pushed the 2020 field on immigration and swung hard at rivals on the debate stage but never found a foothold to climb from the back of the pack. "I'm so proud of the campaign we've run together. We've shaped the conversation on so many important issues in this race, stood up for the most vulnerable people, and given a voice to those who are often forgotten," Castro said in an online video. "But with only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given the circumstances of this campaign season, I have determined that it simply isn't our time." The video continues, "So today it's with a heavy heart and with profound gratitude, that I will suspend my campaign for president. To all who have been inspired by our campaign, especially our young people, keep reaching for your dreams and keep fighting for what you believe in." It concludes, "Ganaremos un dia!" which translates to "We will win one day!"Castro, who launched his campaign in January, dropped out after failing to garner enough support in the polls or donations to make recent Democratic debates. A former San Antonio mayor who was the only Latino in the race, Castro had stalled for most of his campaign around one per cent in polls and entered October low on money. Castro, 45, was among the youngest in the running at a moment when the party's ascendant left wing is demanding generational change. And as the grandson of a Mexican immigrant, Castro said he recognised the meaning of his candidacy in the face of President Donald Trump's inflammatory anti-immigrant rhetoric and hardline policies on the US-Mexico border. But he laboured not to be pigeonholed as a single-issue candidate. Castro made the attention-getting choice of Puerto Rico as his first campaign stop, recited the names of black victims killed in high-profile police shootings and was the first in the field to call for Trump's impeachment. But his sagging poll numbers never budged. He was often eclipsed by another Texan in the race who dropped out this fall, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, and another young former mayor, Pete Buttigieg of South Bend. His campaign and supporters, meanwhile, grumbled that Castro didn't get due credit for taking out-front positions. Trying to show he could go to-to-toe with Trump, Castro swung for big moments on debate stages, and flirted with a much-needed breakout in June after confronting O'Rourke over not supporting decriminalization of illegal border crossings. But turning his sights on Biden on a later stage brought swift backlash. During the September debate in Houston, Castro appeared to touch on concerns about the age of the then-76-year-old former vice president and added a parting shot at him. "I'm fulfilling the legacy of Barack Obama, and you're not," Castro said. Castro who was Obama's housing secretary in his second term denied taking a personal dig at Biden as others in the field condemned the exchange. Three days later, Castro lost one of his three backers in Congress, Rep. Vicente Gonzlez of Texas, who switched his endorsement to Biden. Castro had warned supporters in a fundraising appeal that failing to make the November debate stage would spell the end of his campaign. He needed to hit at least 3 per cent polling in four early state or national polls but didn't get even one. What is next for Castro is unclear. Back home in Texas, Democrats had long viewed Castro as their biggest star in waiting and some have urged him to run for governor as the state trends more diverse and liberal. Castro was pegged as a rising Democratic star after being elected as mayor of the nation's seventh-largest city at age 34, and he was on the short list for Hillary Clinton's running mate in 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Libya's forces based in the country's east say they have called on citizens to take up arms against Turkish troops if they deploy to fight against them in the country's ongoing civil war. The statement came soon after Turkey's parliament authorized the deployment of troops to Libya to support their rivals, the United Nations-backed government in Tripoli. In a statement Thursday on Twitter, the self-styled Libya National Army, led by commander Gen Khalifa Hifter, said it was the people's duty to fight to protect the homeland. Libya's authorities in the east have several times throughout the war encouraged its citizens to take up arms and volunteer for police or military forces. Militias are fighting on both sides of Libya's ongoing conflict. The Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj has faced an offensive by the rival regime in the east and forces loyal to Hifter. The fighting has threatened to plunge Libya into violent chaos rivaling the 2011 conflict that ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Fighting around Tripoli escalated in recent weeks after Hifter declared a "final" and decisive battle for the capital. He has the backing of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as France and Russia, while the Tripoli-based government receives aid from Turkey, Qatar and Italy. Turkey's parliamentary approval of a military deployment comes amid increased cooperation between the country and the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli. The recent escalation comes ahead of expected peace talks between the warring parties in Germany early this year. Ghassan Salame, the UN envoy to Libya, said Turkish troops on the ground would further disrupt chances for future peace, though he still expects the talks in Germany to take place in mid-January. He said interference by regional powers means that Libyans could lose control of their country's fate. "The direct military involvement of member states in the Libyan conflict is escalating, inflaming, and protracting the conflict," he said via email. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Launch of "Peer-to-Peer Transmission Alliance" to enable seamless file transfer with just one click New file transfer system launched in anticipation of 5G adoption SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, mobile phone giants vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi announced their partnership to bring an innovative new wireless file transfer system to consumers around the world. An initiative of the newly formed "Peer-to-Peer Transmission Alliance", the new system enables seamless cross-brand file transfer with just one click. Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi have established the "Peer-to-Peer Transmission Alliance" to provide users with an unparalleled file transfer experience. The new wireless file transfer system will allow consumers of these three brands to easily transfer files between their mobile devices without the need for any third-party applications or network data, supporting a wide range of files, including photos, videos, music, documents and more. The move is also in anticipation of 5G adoption, where the average file sizes are expected to significantly increase with the availability of varied and richer content. "Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi all share a strong user base, and such partnership will benefit even more consumers globally. For vivo, this partnership reinforces our commitment to bringing a fast, secure, first-in-class mobile experience by making it even easier for our users to share files with their friends wirelessly. We will continue to bring more strategic partnerships like this for our users across the globe," said Spark Ni, Senior Vice President of vivo. Instant and stable connection with low power consumption The wireless file transfer system provides a streamlined mobile experience which does not require internet connection. It uses Bluetooth for fast pairing and WiFi P2P (Peer to Peer) technology for the data transfer, bringing together an instant, stable and high-speed connection between devices, as well as low power consumption. This technology delivers an average transfer speed of 20MB/s. Also, the WiFi P2P technology does not interrupt the WiFi connection, meaning users remain connected and can continue their activities on the device during the file transfer. Users just need to turn on their WiFi and Bluetooth, or turn on the function under "menu", then select the files that they wish to share. If the other party also has the function turned on, an icon will pop-up to notify the user. Once confirmed, the selected files will be transferred. Customer-first approach to drive healthy industry development The Peer-to-Peer Transmission Alliance is a collective commitment between vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi to drive the next generation of mobile experience. Together, the three brands will continue to openly collaborate to deliver new technological breakthroughs. The Alliance is also looking forward to welcoming more brands to participate and expand the ecosystem in the future. Availability This feature will be gradually rolled out on new vivo products in different markets from February 2020. About Vivo Vivo is a leading global technology company committed to creating trendsetting smart mobile products and services. vivo is devoted to forming a vibrant mobile internet ecosystem, and currently owns and operates an extensive network of research operations, with R&D centres in San Diego, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou and Taipei. These centres focus on the development of cutting-edge consumer technologies including 5G, AI, mobile photography and next-generation smartphone design. vivo has also set up 5 production bases around the world across China, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Vivo has over two hundred million users enjoying its mobile products and services around the world. vivo features offline retail stores in over 1,000 cities worldwide. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1060580/Peer_to_Peer_Transmission_Alliance.jpg The Photographic Society of Chattanooga will open the 2020 Youth Photography Showcase, in its 14th year, on Monday. In order to get young people involved in photography, the Photographic Society of Chattanooga annually sponsors the Youth Photography Showcase for students ages 14-19 and attending high school or its equivalent. The goal is to highlight outstanding photographs from high school age students from public, private and home schools, as well as in youth groups. "This is an excellent opportunity for students to share their work across all boundaries and receive recognition for their efforts," officials said. The Youth Photography Showcase will close on Feb. 22. There is no entry fee. The Youth Photography Showcase has 2 divisions: digital and print. A student may enter up to eight images in each division. There are six categories in each division: Architecture, People/Animals, Scapes (Landscapes, Cityscapes, Waterscapes), Photojournalism, Color Photographers Choice or Creative and Monochrome Photographers Choice or Creative. For details, forms and rules, go to https://chattanoogaphoto.org and click on the blue box, Youth Photography Showcase Information, Prints are to be turned in Feb. 22 from 10 a.m.-noon at St. John United Methodist Church, 3921 Murray Hills Dr. in Chattanooga, at the doors with the awning, and follow the Youth Photography Showcase signs. For questions, more details or if unavailable to deliver prints at the designated date and time, contact YPS chairperson at youthcontest@chattanoogaphoto.org. The Photographic Society of Chattanooga will present the Youth Photography Showcase Awards Program on Tuesday, March 17. The Showcase is a culmination of the Youth Photography contest for local high school students. A slide show of the entries will be presented, and the winners will be recognized and receive awards. There will be cash prizes for the best of shows and ribbons for honorable mentions, third, second and first places. Certificates will be given for images selected to be sent to the Photographic Society of America. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. The Youth Photography Showcase is an exhibition recognized by the Photographic Society of America, and local winners will go on to compete in the PSA contest. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. at the St. John United Methodist Churchs Sanctuary. For more information, call 423-344-5643 or e-mail the YPS chairperson at youthcontest@chattanoogaphoto.org. But the trial evidence showed that three checks that were the subject of Gaughans indictment were not mailed from or delivered in Maryland, the judge said. The judge agreed with Gaughans defense attorneys that the District of Maryland wasnt the proper venue for his case. The Centre will send a high-level team comprising experts from AIIMS, Jodhpur and health economists to a government hospital in Rajasthan's Kota, where 100 infants died in December, to assess the infrastructural gaps and measures to be taken to prevent further deaths. The health economists will look into the gaps in the infrastructure of the JK Lon hospital to ascertain how much funds will be required for strengthening it. "The high-level team being despatched by @MoHFW_INDIA incl experts from AIIMS Jodhpur, Health Finance & Regional Director, Health Services Jaipur. It will reach #Kota tomorrow. In my letter too to @ashokgehlot51 ji, I've offered all possible assistance to prevent any further deaths (sic)," Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a tweet on Thursday. The team of experts will carry out a gap analysis, along with state government officials, in terms of clinical protocols, service delivery, manpower availability and equipment for maternal, newborn and paediatric care services at the hospital. "They will develop a joint action plan, based on gap analysis, for providing required technical and financial support to Kota Medical College through National Health Mission and state Medical Education Department. "The team members will visit JK Lon Hospital and Medical College, Kota along with state government officials from January 3 and submit a detailed report," a statement issued by the health ministry said. Vardhan has also written to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, assuring him of all assistance and urging for measures to stop the deaths of children at the hospital. "We are ready to provide any technical help or assistance. Let us ensure no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of health system capacity," he has written in his letter to Gehlot. In the letter, Vardhan stated that while "it is heartening to note that Rajasthan is persistently showing significant decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) for the last four years, available information from Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU) under the National Health Mission, and the state government have showed higher mortality rate of 20.2 per cent in JK Lon Hospital during 2019 in comparison to the preceding two years (Year 2018 = 14.3 pc; Year 2017=4.3 pc)". Further, the Union health minister has requested Gehlot to "assess the situation and take proactive steps to avoid these preventable child deaths". "We, from Government of India, are ready to provide any technical assistance in this matter. We look forward to your continued support and cooperation for improving child survival in the country, so as to ensure that no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of our health system capacity," the statement said. According to Union health ministry officials, a preliminary probe has suggested that over 70 per cent of important equipment, including infusion pumps, warmers, oxymeters, nebulisers, meant for newborns, were not in a working condition at the JK Lon hospital and there was a paucity of staff in the paediatrics department. A recent review also revealed that the mortality rate at the hospital was 20.2 per cent in 2019, as against the 14.3 per cent in the preceding two years, an official said, adding that this meant one in five infants admitted to the hospital last year died from preventable causes. The ministry was yet to receive a formal report from the state in the matter, the official said. Besides, another committee also pointed out that the deaths could be due to a lack of oxygen pipelines in the hospital and also because of extreme cold conditions, a senior health ministry official said. It also pointed towards an increased referral of critical cases and stated that the number of beds in the hospital was less than the flow of patients. "I informed @ashokgehlot51 ji that Rs 91.7 lakhs has already been advanced to JK Loan Hospital during 2019-20 under National Health Mission. Kota District alone has an annual allocation of Rs 27.45 Cr for '19-20, from the annual budgeted amount of Rs 1788.97 Cr for Rajasthan state (sic)," Vardhan said in another tweet. "I told @ashokgehlot51 ji that #Rajasthan may go ahead and propose for further financial assistance in the upcoming Rajasthan National Health Mission (NHM) meeting after doing their gap analysis. We'll do our best to prevent further deaths, I assured him fully," the Union health minister wrote on Twitter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lets frame this story properly, said August March in a faux Midlands accentsomething you might hear in northern Gloucestershire, except for that indelible New Mexican emphasis on long vowels that he just couldnt resist. Well, this dude Baz Francis is from Windsor and he just moved here with his wife. Shes an academic, I told March as I tried to picture the places I had lived in those environsa landscape that, despite the rock music culture, was never quite homethats still quite memorable 20 years on. Oh, so this is like the Steve Hammond scenario, like the Billy Bellmont thing? He looked over his Foster Grant sunglasses and sighed. March was referring to a phenomena that seemed to haunt Burques rock music scene. A great composer and promoter of themselves, their band, that kind of music and therefore the whole community made the scene in town and flourished for a number of years alongside a grateful community. But then their partner took a professorship or something like that, far away from Dirt City. And then they left. And Burque was poorer, we all gathered, even as those temporary tune masters continued to vault upward toward rockandroll-landia from some other, brighter place. Here, the storys the opposite, I told him. This fellow was from the Midlands and his band had become a big thing in the rock clubs that were scattered like loud, churning coal factories along the M4 from London to Cardiff. There were plenty of these burning black nuggets of rockand Magic Eight Ball and Mansion Harlots, Baz old bands, had held them all in their hands when they first came together in the age of Cobain. Wha happened? uttered March sarcastically, breath exhaling loudly for effect. The band broke up and well, he ended up out here. His wife is a linguist of some sort. And the band just got back together. They do seem to rock by the way, I continued enthusiastically. Mansion Harlots just dropped a def new album called All Around A Fairground , released a locally made video and have gigs around El Duque when he gets back. The rest of the conversation went quickly, with brevity. Did you interview him yet? Yes, but hes in Old Blighty until after the new year. Is it decent, the interview? Oh yeah. Then lets hear it, people in Burque gotta rock, you know. Well, then: We now join our interview with Baz Franciswho fronts Mansion Harlotsalready in progress; straight outta Slough and now headed for Burque. Tell me about you and your music, how you came to Albuquerque, all of that. I started out life in England, just outside of London. In Old Windsor to be exact. I formed my first band, Mansion Harlots, with Will Gray. We were a teenaged band, we were together for a few years then went our separate ways in the 1990s. I then formed Magic Eight Ball and toured all around Europe. I toured around the world solo, too. And was talking to Will and he mentioned bringing Mansion Harlots back. And thats what we did. And we recorded the new album in Europe. Then I came over to America, we moved to LA. Did you think youd fare better on this side of the pond? We had a lot going on in LA, but my wife got a teaching position at the University of New Mexico in the Linguistics Department. So shes brilliant and she told me we need to move to Albuquerque for 18 months. So, I started immersing myself in the local scene. In fact, I was on KUNM the other day. Like Brandon Kennedys show or something like that? It was the Matthew Finch show, actually. A really nice guy, by the way. Anyway, I finished the Mansion Harlots album in America after doing some live shows with the band in Europe late last year. Ive been commuting back and forth from California all this time. I know you drove in today from Cali for this interview. Amazing. Yeah, and youre one of the first people to get a copy of the new album. Tell me about the music on this album. Tell me about your vision. Well with Mansion Harlots, because we formed in the 90s, I thought it would be a really beautiful thing to explore all of those influences that really made us tick as teenagers while bringing our adult perspectives to it, too. And one big influence for us, back then and now, is the band Everclear. Really? Everclear? Yeah. And what happened was I finished the album, I came back to Albuquerque to finalize all of the release information and I got a phone call the other weekwell an emailsaying, Do you want to come up to Chico [California] and open up for Art Alexakis of Everclear. So, thats what I did. Just as this album is coming out, I get to open for one of the key influences of Mansion Harlots. I think that one thing Ive always loved to do is to combine my influences [like Everclear] with influences from soul music, from Motown Records. Thats cool. With that alternative rock sound in there, too. Theres some classic rock in there, too; I love Queen and Manic Street Preachers. Thats a big deal in Brit-pop culture. The lyricist and rhythm guitarist of Manic Street Preachers, Richey Edwards, disappeared and was never heard from again! I went to their hometown. I met James Dean Bradfield [the bands lead guitarist] a few years ago. Fascinating. Youre talking about all these diverse British bands but theyre bound together by a real strong rock guitar aesthetic, its like an idealized form of rock with jazz and classical influences too, que no? Its really interesting that you bring that up. If you listen to A Design for Life, which is the Manics big song, the chords are very jazzy, very unusual. With me its everything from metal to soul. But also Im a big fan of the melody, infusing the work I do with with melody is important. On this record, there are 10 songs written by me and two songs written by Will Gray. Its melodic, its rock but its not one type of rock. And I think thats what the definition of alternative is. When you had hair rock at the end of the 80s, that was very cookie-cutter. Grunge and alternative were literally the alternatives to that formula. Do you feel like that was a shout-out to authenticity in a genre that had become overburdened by pretense? I think so. Compare hair metal at the end of the 80s with music by a band like Primus. I recall that Frizzle Fry really changed the pop music landscape in 1990. It was funky-time rock with an edge. Exactly. Did those sorts of projects set the stage for what came next, your band for example? When you have a Les Claypool or a Kurt Cobain or a Slash making music, it will certainly knock down the barriers. Is that the sound youre trying to recreate on your latest record? I think there are flashes of that; flashes of Slashes! Right on. Were going to get along fine. What are your plans for your new life in Albuquerque? Were going to be here for another 14 months. And like I said, Ill be doing some solo shows in northern California to promote the album, hopefully playing gigs out here in Albuquerque and Ill be working on a record with my other band, Magic Eight Ball. Thats the plan. The first ever Mansion Harlots video was filmed entirely in Albuquerque by the fantastic local filmmakers Kevin Schulmeister and Jesse Walden at Yo Soy Productions. How about shows out here? Ive already been playing out quite a bit. Ive recently played at the Red Velvet Underground. I also played at the ZiAmaizing Maze, I did that for Halloween. We just did two KUNM sessions and also Cafe Bella Coffee over in Rio Rancho. Ive kept quite busy here. Whats next? The new year then begins with me performing in session for Vintage Radio in Liverpool on Jan. 5 with special guest [and Magic Eight Ball bandmate] Robbie J. Holland. Then I'm back to New Mexico again where I perform at the South Valley Library in Albuquerque on Jan. 23. If you had to describe what you do to someone who had little experience with rock music or anything remotely related, what you tell them? I would say its equidistant between alternative rock and stadium rock. It is melodic. It is mournful and yet joyous. We seized an opportunity and here we are in Albuquerque, ready to rock. Inferno: A firefighter hoses down trees and flying embers to protect nearby houses in the town of Nowra in New South Wales. Photo: AFP via Getty Images Tens of thousands of holiday makers fled seaside towns on Australia's east coast on Thursday ahead of advancing bushfires, as military ships and helicopters began rescuing thousands more trapped by the blazes. Fuelled by searing temperatures and high winds, more than 200 fires are burning across the southeastern states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, threatening several towns. Long queues formed outside supermarkets and petrol stations as residents and tourists sought supplies to either bunker down or escape the fires, emptying shelves of staples like bread and milk. More than 50,000 people were without power and some towns had no access to drinking water. Authorities urged a mass exodus from several towns on Australia's southeast coast, an area hugely popular in the current summer peak holiday season, warning that extreme heat forecast for the weekend will further stoke the fires. "The priority today is fighting fires and evacuating, getting people to safety," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Sydney. "There are parts of both Victoria and New South Wales which have been completely devastated, with a loss of power and communications." Eight people have been killed by wildfires in the eastern states of (NSW) and Victoria since Monday, and 18 are still missing, officials said on Thursday. A naval ship arrived on Thursday at the southeastern coastal town of Mallacoota, where 4,000 residents and visitors have been stranded on the beach since Monday night. Expand Close Safe: Amy Spencer sits at a campsite in the southern New South Wales town of Bega after she and her family were evacuated from their home due to bushfires. Photo: SEAN DAVEY/AFP via Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Safe: Amy Spencer sits at a campsite in the southern New South Wales town of Bega after she and her family were evacuated from their home due to bushfires. Photo: SEAN DAVEY/AFP via Getty Images Naval officials said they would open registration for evacuation on Thursday afternoon, with the HMAS Choules able to carry up to 1,000 people on the first trip. The ship is expected to make two or three voyages over coming days, state authorities said. "It's 16-17 hours to the closest boat port, then we've got to come back," HMAS Choules Commander Scott Houlihan said at an information session on Thursday afternoon. He said that leaving by boat was the only way out of the town. Thousands of people had already been evacuated from the greater adjoining region of East Gippsland in Victoria, one of the largest evacuations in the country since the northern city of Darwin evacuated over 35,000 people in the aftermath of cyclone Tracy in 1974. "It is hell on earth. It is the worst anybody's ever seen," Michelle Roberts told Reuters by telephone from the Croajingolong Cafe she owns in Mallacoota. Roberts hoped to get her 18-year-old daughter onto the ship to escape the fires and thick smoke that are engulfing the town. Expand Close A satellite image shows the extent of the fires in New South Wales. Photo: REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A satellite image shows the extent of the fires in New South Wales. Photo: REUTERS Five military helicopters were en-route to the south coast to back up firefighters and bring in supplies like water and diesel, the Australian Defence Force said on Thursday. The aircraft will also be used to evacuate injured, elderly and young people. A contingent of 39 firefighters from North America landed in Melbourne on Friday, bringing the number of U.S. and Canadian experts who have flown in to help deal with the crisis to almost 100. Traffic on the main highway out of Batemans Bay on the NSW coast was bumper-to-bumper after authorities called for the town to be evacuated. Residents of the town reported there was no fuel, power or phone service, while supermarket shelves had been stripped bare of staples. "Everyone's just on edge," local resident Shane Flanagan told Reuters. The NSW state government declared a state of emergency, beginning on Friday, giving authorities the power to forcibly evacuate people and take control of services. The state's Kosciuszko National Park, home to the Snowy Mountains, was closed and visitors were ordered to leave due to an extreme danger of fire. Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged those waiting for help and those stuck in traffic jams "to be patient ... help will arrive." Dairies in NSW that had lost power were being forced to dump milk. "That is the tragedy of what is occurring as a result of these disasters," Morrison said. Temperatures are forecast to soar above 40 degrees Celsius along the south coast on Saturday, bringing the prospect of renewed firefronts to add to the around 200 current blazes. "It is going to be a very dangerous day. It's going to be a very difficult day," NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said. Morrison visited volunteer firefighters in the NSW town on Bega as they prepared to head out to the firefront on Friday. The leader plans to tour stricken regions in Victoria next week. The prime minister said the fires will burn for "many, many months ... unlike a flood, where the water will recede, in a fire like this, it goes on and it will continue to go on ... until we can get some decent rain." Morrison, forced to defend his government's limited action on climate change, blamed a three-year drought and lack of hazard reduction for the unprecedented extent and duration of this year's bushfires. Bushfires so far this season have razed more than 4 million hectares (10 million acres) of bushland and destroyed more than 1,000 homes, including 381 homes destroyed on the south coast just this week. Some social media users have become experts in editing to make themselves look their best in photos. But this hilarious gallery proves that's not the case for everyone. People from around the world have shared the biggest photo shop fails they've spotted online - and they'll leave you in hysterics. The images, collated in a Bored Panda gallery, show how people tweak their bodies, faces and backgrounds in a bid to get the 'perfect' snap. Scroll down to see some of the best... Wish you were here! This influencer, thought to be from the US, shared this photo on Instagram and claimed it was taken on holiday in Rome - but the Coloseum background is obviously fake All in the angles! This bodybuilder, from an unknown location, wanted to show off his weirdly slim waist... the only problem is that the body has been Photoshopped to the extreme (Not so) natural beauty: This woman has plenty to be proud of but her Photoshop skills isn't among them. The woman, from an unknown location, was called out for distorting her body Three of a kind: This trio, thought to be from the US, used Photoshop to create this spooky-looking Christmas card. One social media user noted that even the dogs look scared Strike a pose! This bodybuilder, thought to be American, lost followers after she shared this snap that shows her posing in the mirror with an obviously distorted torso Just like the movies! This couple did all they could to look like their favourite anime characters. It is not known where the photo was taken Couples who dress together! This American pair added a Photoshop touch to their selfie Drink up! This woman, from an unknown location, Photoshopped a Starbucks logo onto her coffee cup Festive cheer! This woman, thought to be American, turned out more creepy than Christmassy Pointr Deep Location brings next-generation location experiences and insights to physical venues. The platform allows stores, malls, transport hubs, hotels and other venue operators to offer location-based services to visitors, understand how visitors interact with their space and improve the efficiency of their operations. "We are honored to collaborate with Microsoft to build great visitor experiences and enable powerful location intelligence in physical venues. Being part of the Microsoft Azure Marketplace enables Pointr to provide Deep Location at scale to Microsoft Azure customers globally," said Trevayne O'Brien, Head of Partnerships at Pointr. Sahir Anand, Principal/Category Lead- Retail & CPG, Microsoft Azure Platform at Microsoft Corp. said, "We're pleased to welcome Pointr Deep Location to the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, which gives our partners great exposure to cloud customers around the globe. Azure Marketplace offers world-class quality experiences from global trusted partners with solutions tested to work seamlessly with Azure." The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. The Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use. About Pointr Pointr, the Deep Location company, is a global technology leader in real-time location for smart venues. Pointr helps companies digitize venues, enabling them to create immersive location experiences and to improve their operations. Pointr works with major international customers in aviation, retail, hospitality and workplace. Built by a team of computer scientists and fueled by 6 patents, Pointr's Deep Location platform powers all of a company's location requirements, from mapping, navigation and asset tracking to location-based analytics and marketing. Pointr's customers include: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Metropolitan Washington Airports, Harrods and many others. Learn more at: pointr.tech. For more information, press only: Marianne Slamich Pointr Tel: +44 (0)7426-321320 [email protected] SOURCE Pointr Related Links https://www.pointr.tech/ Brendan O'Carroll collects the Best Sitcom Award for Mrs Brown's Boys at the 2013 National Television Awards. (Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images) Mrs Brown's Boys writer and star Brendan O'Carroll has said it is the younger, disposable generation and not his own that are responsible for "ruining the planet". The 64-year-old made the claims while explaining how his grandson had pleaded with him to cover environmental concerns in the comedy. He told The Sun: Our generation were doing it right, its the disposable generation who are ruining the planet. Everything is disposable now, even furniture. Read more: Brendan OCarroll hints at new full series for Mrs Browns Boys We had a couch all our lives, they change their couch now like they change their wallpaper. We recycled bottles and washed out nappies. We had the right idea back then. Brendan O'Carroll didn't want to address environmental worries in Mrs Brown's Boys. (BBC Studios/Alan Peebles) O'Carroll revealed his grandson Jaime O'Carroll had told him his generation "isn't doing enough" when it comes to the environment, which he disagreed with. The Mrs Brown star divulged that he had included a line in the series of the elderly character being told her generation had "f*****d up the planet", but that it never made it to air. O'Carroll explained the reasons behind the removal of the topic, saying: "I thought, No, its too serious. Brendan and Jennifer O'Carroll at the 2017 National Television Awards, where they won the Best Comedy Award for Mrs Brown's Boys. (Anthony Harvey/Getty Images) Recently the actor hit back at critics of his show, urging those who didn't like the programme to "change the channel". While Mrs Brown's Boys has frequently topped the ratings for Christmas Day television, its seasonal special was beaten out by Gavin and Stacey in 2019. The long-anticipated comeback of James Corden and Ruth Jones show had a whopping 11.6m viewers on the day and a 49.2% share of the audience overall, while Mrs Browns Boys had 4.6m watchers. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Crop loss and increasing burden of debts forced a woman farmer to commit suicide in Yadadri Bhongir district. 50-year-old Nadikuri Bharatamma allegedly consumed a pesticide and ended her life in her field on Tuesday morning. She was from Puttapaka village of Narayanpur Mandal in the district. After the death of her husband Bachaiah 20 years ago, she took to the farming of her 4.19-acre agricultural land owned by the family in the village. Since then, she had been cultivating cotton. In the recent season, however, the crop yield was poor due to bad weather conditions. In addition, she had borrowed huge amounts from private persons in the village. The burden of debts together with crop loss, drove her to take the extreme step. Farmers from neighbouring fields noticed and alerted the police. An Irishwoman accused of being a former member of Islamic State has been out in public in the Republic for the first time since being released on bail from Limerick Prison An Irishwoman accused of being a former member of Islamic State has been out in public in the Republic for the first time since being released on bail from Limerick Prison. Lisa Smith, a former member of the Irish Defence Forces, signed on at a Garda station yesterday morning as part of her bail conditions. She was driven from the address where she is staying in the north east at around 10.30am. She was dressed in clothing that left only part of her face uncovered. Mother-of-one Ms Smith did not spend long at the Garda station. After signing on, she was driven back to the house where she had come from but declined to make any comment. On New Year's Eve, Ms Smith was escorted from the jail in a white prison van at around 4.45pm and was brought to an undisclosed location where it is understood she was met by a family member. The escort was provided by the Irish Prison Service for "security reasons", a source said. Ms Smith had been granted bail by the High Court, but the District Court had rejected an attempt by a third party to lodge an independent surety on the grounds he had previous criminal convictions and was not related to Ms Smith. But on Tuesday a 5,000 (4,222) surety, of which 1,000 (844) was to be lodged, was accepted by the courts. Ms Smith was to lodge 500 (422) of her own cash. Ms Smith (37) is charged with being a member of an unlawful terrorist group "styling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant", also known as Isil or Isis, contrary to the Republic's Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005, between October 28, 2015 and December 1, 2019. Ms Smith, who left Ireland and married after she converted to Islam, had been found in a Syrian refugee camp. Bringing beavers back to Britain's rivers can deliver benefits for nature and local communities alike, experts have said. As a five-year trial around the River Otter in Devon ends, conservationists say the project has helped water voles, otters and birds to prosper. Beavers' dams keep water in streams during droughts, and also catch sediment which allows plant life to flourish. The animals, which were hunted to extinction in Britain around 400 years ago, could also protect against flooding. Devon Wildlife Trust's Mark Elliott called for beavers to be 'reintroduced across large parts of Britain'. However, critics warn they could damage farmland and the landscape. Bringing beavers back to Britain's rivers can deliver benefits for nature and local communities alike, experts have said (Pictured: a female beaver) Beavers had been living wild on the south Devon river for up to a decade when the trial began in 2015, but faced being re-homed in captivity after evidence emerged that they were successfully breeding. Plans for a monitoring trial were put forward by Devon Wildlife Trust, with the backing of local people, and were given the green light by Government agency Natural England, with the two family groups allowed to remain on the water. The trial saw five more beavers released on the catchment to improve the genetic diversity of the animals, and the Trust says there are now at least seven breeding pairs - and possibly as many as 13 families - on the Otter. In some of the territories, they have not had much impact, because they are living in the deeper water that they like, according to Mr Elliott, who leads the Devon Beaver Project. But where they have set up home in wetland or stream systems upstream, building dams to create the ponds they feel safe in, they have had a significant impact. They have created 'beautiful areas of new habitat', benefiting water voles, otters and wading birds such as snipe and woodcock. 'It's been really beneficial from a conservation point of view,' he said. As a five-year trial around the River Otter in Devon ends, conservationists say the project has helped water voles, otters and birds to prosper As part of the trial, experts from the University of Exeter examined the impact on water flow and quality, fish populations, vegetation and how the beavers affect people. Professor Richard Brazier, who led the research, said of the impact on the catchment's water flow, or hydrology: 'It's an amazing story, it's far more change than we expected.' The beaver dams significantly slow the flow of water downstream and reduce the peak flows after heavy rain, potentially protecting against flooding. They also keep water in the streams in times of drought. Research shows the dams catch sediment and inorganic fertilisers being washed from farmland, causing plant life to flourish in the beaver ponds and boost other types of wildlife, Professor Brazier said. Despite concerns from anglers that dams could make it harder for fish to swim upstream to spawn, Professor Brazier said the research showed positive changes with fish living in the food-filled ponds, and still able to navigate the river. The beavers have also attracted tourists to the River Otter, benefiting local businesses such as pubs and cafes. There have been some downsides too, with landowners facing localised flooding or the beavers - who mostly favour willow - targeting orchard trees near the river. The animals, which were hunted to extinction in Britain around 400 years ago, could also protect against flooding Professor Brazier said: 'Overall, the social and economic benefits of having beavers in the landscape far outweigh the costs, but the costs tend to be borne by different people from those who benefit.' The experts said a proactive management strategy was needed to prevent conflicts between people and beavers, and that payments, such as through agri-environment schemes, could support affected landowners. Overall, Mr Elliott said: 'The evidence is certainly positive in terms of showing people and beavers can live alongside each other. 'Because of the benefits they have I would like to see beavers reintroduced across large parts of Britain.' National Farmers' Union senior countryside adviser Claire Robinson said the results from trials like that in the River Otter would need to inform a wider discussion with farmers before decisions on beavers in the landscape were taken. 'In the case of beavers, we do have concerns about the potential damage to farmland and the landscape caused by their physical activities. 'It is crucial that farmers have the tools to manage any impacts a beaver reintroduction could have,' she said. BANGALORE, India, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Synthetic Biology Market Analysis Synthetic biology is a new research area that combines multiple disciplines, including molecular biology, biotechnology, biophysics, and genetic engineering. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the current synthetic biology market's leading companies along with a comprehensive analysis of current and emerging market trends and an overview of the global synthetic biology brand dynamics. Trends Influencing the Synthetic Biology Market Share Assistance from government and private organizations Increasing number of research institutions in synthetic biology Declining DNA sequencing & synthesizing costs View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Auto-2F40/synthetic-biology Region Wise Synthetic Biology Market Analysis Geographically speaking, the market is split across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. In 2015, Europe was the leading continent, followed by North America in terms of revenue generation. Furthermore, Europe will continue to maintain its leading position till 2020 thanks to constant support from European government and private organizations in the form of investments by leading companies, especially in the biofuel segment. was the leading continent, followed by in terms of revenue generation. Furthermore, will continue to maintain its leading position till 2020 thanks to constant support from European government and private organizations in the form of investments by leading companies, especially in the biofuel segment. Due to the increasing number of research organizations, Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region. Get Free Sample Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/ALLI-Auto-2F40/Synthetic_Biology_Market Key Market Segments Synthetic Biology Market by Geography North America Europe Asia Pacific LAMEA Inquire for Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/ALLI-Auto-2F40/Synthetic_Biology_Market Synthetic Biology Market by Products Synthetic DNA Synthetic oligos Synthetic genes Software tools Chassis organisms Synthetic clones Synthetic cells Synthetic Biology Market by Technology Nucleotide synthesis and sequencing Bioinformatics Microfluidics Genetic engineering Synthetic Biology Market by Application Pharmaceuticals and diagnostics Chemicals Biofuels Bioplastics Others (Environment, agriculture & aquaculture) Inquire for Discount: https://reports.valuates.com/request/discount/ALLI-Auto-2F40/synthetic-biology Key Companies Thermo Fisher Scientific GenScript DNA2.0 Integrated DNA technologies Eurofins Scientific Inc Origene technologies Scientific genomics Inc Editas Medicine Inc Pareto Biotechnologies Blue heron TeselaGen Twist biosciences Syntrox Inc Others Buy Now @ https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=ALLI-Auto-2F40 Reports Related to the Subset of Synthetic Biology Market 1.Global Synthetic Biology Platforms Market Analysis It is expected that a decrease in the cost of DNA sequencing per raw megabase and a drastic reduction in the cost of synthetic genes would fuel synthetic biology market growth. Synthetic biology is a method designed to facilitate biological operations for engineers. These usually combine biotechnology, molecular engineering, biophysics, computer and electrical engineering, evolutionary biology, and genetic engineering. The global market size of Synthetic Biology Platforms was xx million US$ in 2018 and is expected to reach xx billion US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% in 2019-2025. View Full Report: http://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1Z204/synthetic-biology-platforms-market 2.Global Synthetic Biology Workstation Market Analysis One of the key growth factors for the synthetic biology workstation market is expected to be the growing applications of synthetic biology. Synthetic biology is commonly used to increase the performance of products such as medicine, biochemicals, and biofuels. The global market size of the Synthetic Biology Workstation was xx million US$ in 2018 and is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% between 2019 and 2025. Synthetic biology workstations are also useful for waste management as they help to avoid manual errors, reduce overall cost and deliver productive performance. Continuous advances in synthetic biology on a large scale and extensive use of synthetic biology techniques are further expected to drive the demand for synthetic workstations. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1D205/synthetic-biology-workstation-market 3.Global Synthetic Biology Tools Market The synthetic biology tools are finding significant usage in various application areas and are expected to drive the market during the forecast period. Furthermore, increased investments by major synthetic biology companies are also contributing to the market growth. The global market for nanotechnology tools was USD xx million in 2018 and is expected to grow at a CAGR xx% between 2019 and 2025 to US$ million by the end of 2025. This report analysis the market size (value and volume) of synthetic biology tools by players, countries, product types and end industries, 2014-2018 historical data and 2019-2025 forecast data; this report also studies the global competitive landscape, market drivers and patterns, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-33E320/synthetic-biology-tools-market 4.Global Synthetic Biology Technology Market Synthetic biology is a modern interdisciplinary field involving the application of biology concepts in technology. Synthetic biology technology seeks to redesign and manufacture biological components and structures that do not already exist in the world of nature. The global market size for Synthetic Biology Technology was xx million U.S. dollars in 2018 and is expected to reach xx million U.S. dollars by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% in 2019-2025. This report focuses on the global status of synthetic biology, future outlook, opportunities for growth, key sector, and key players. The purpose of the synthetic biology technology market study is to address the advancement of synthetic biology techniques in the U.S, Europe, and China. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-7F644/synthetic-biology-technology-market About Us: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analyst can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. Valuates is curating premium Market Research Reports from the leading publishers around the globe. We will help you map your information needs to our report repository of Market research reports and guide you through your purchasing decision. We are based out of Silicon Valley of India (Bengaluru) and provide 24/6 online and offline support to all our customers and just a phone call away. Contact Us: Valuates Reports sales@valuates.com For U.S. Toll Free Call +1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/825036/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has recorded the deaths of eight people, including four children, when surface-to-surface missiles hit a market, kindergarten and school in Idleb. On Wednesday, Syrian regime forces and their Russian ally carried out a horrifying massacre against children in the town of Sarmin, south of Idleb, killing eight people so far and wounded 16 others. Activists said that the attack on Sarmin included a market, kindergarten and school, hit with surface-to-surface missiles loaded with cluster bombs, which killed eight civilians. The eight civilians killed including four children and two women, while 16 others were wounded as a result of the bombardment, which hit the school, which was full of students and teachers, and resulted in a massacre, according to the Civil Defense. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Noida, Jan 2 : In what seems to be a well organised transfer-posting racket flourishing in Uttar Pradesh, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Noida has revealed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that huge amounts ranging from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 80 lakh, were being offered to seek plum posts of district police chiefs in the state. The SSP has named at least 5 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of UP cadre involved in the racket. In a confidential letter addressed to the Director General of Police (DGP) and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, UP, the SSP Noida, Vaibhav Krishna has disclosed that mobile phone recordings of 5 IPS officers, which includes details of WhatsApp communication, shows that for the plum post of SSP, Meerut, a deal was struck between an IPS officer and a power-broker for Rs 80 lakh. The letter mentions that details of the deal emerged during the investigation of case(806/19 section 2(B)4,2(B)8,2(B)11) of the Gangsters Act in which 4 persons were arrested on August 23, 2019, in Noida. Confirming the letter, SSP Vaibhav Krishna told IANS that he has given details about a highly organised syndicate involved in transfer-posting racket to the government last month. "Once I brought the racket to the notice of the Chief Minister, the syndicate has been trying to corner me. Recently they circulated a morphed obscene video, editing my pictures in three video clips to malign my image," the SSP said. The SSP Noida's explosive letter to CM, further reveals that another UP cadre IPS officer offered Rs 50 lakh for the post of SSP, Agra. For the post of SSP, Bareilly, the amount offered was Rs 40 lakh. Similarly the rate for the post of SP, Bijnor, was Rs 30 lakh, as per the letter, reviewed by IANS. The syndicate run by a nexus of powerful bureaucrats and politicians also had a few journalists which played key roles in negotiating deals. All deals were brought to light when various phone conversations and messages were retrieved by the cyber team of the police. During the investigation, the Cyber team also retrieved few recorded conversations from the accused's mobile phones which relates to transport racket operating in Banda district of UP. The phone conversation reveals that one person from Ghaziabad had approached a top officer of the Banda police to clear trucks from his district area, for a particular amount. The conversation also reveals the details of bank accounts where the payments were to be transferred. Though the SSP, Noida did not divulge information about his correspondence with the Chief Minister's office, he did mention that the powerful syndicate involved in the transfer-posting racket was trying to hush up the investigation. Meanwhile on SSP Noida's alleged morphed video, the DGP, UP, O.P. Singh said that considering the matter was sensitive, Hapur police has been asked to conduct an investigation to find out who were responsible for circulating obscene video of the SSP, Noida. "To ensure a free and fair investigation, we gave the inquiry to Hapur instead of Noida police," O.P. Singh told IANS. While the DGP did not comment on SSP Noida's letter, sources said that rivalry between IPS officers in the state seems to be one of the reasons why transfer-posting racket issue has come to the fore. As far as action is concerned, sources said, CM Yogi, perceived upright in terms of integrity, might call on the shots against the tainted officials. Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former MP, DP Tripathi passed away in Delhi on Thursday after a prolonged illness. Party leader Supriya Sule expressed her condolence over the demise of the party veteran and said, Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of DP Tripathi. He was the General Secretary of NCP, and a guide and mentor to all of us. We will miss his wise counsel and guidance which he had given us from the day NCP was established. May he rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers with his family members. Heartfelt condolences, she added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By PTI LUCKNOW: A court here on Thursday granted bail to four people, including two students of Nadwa college, who were arrested for allegedly indulging in violence during protests against the police's crackdown on Jamia Milia Islamia students in Delhi. Additional Sessions Judge S S Pandey allowed the bail pleas of Mohd Shaud Quarasi and Arshad Mohsim, both students of the Islamic educational institution, as well as Faraz alias Faizi and Mohd Ahmad. The bail pleas moved individually by each of them claimed that they were innocent as they were not named in the FIR and the police falsely implicated them during the probe for ulterior reasons. According to the prosecution, their names came to light during the investigation following which the four were arrested by Hasanganj police on December 17, 2019. The court asked each of them to furnish two sureties of Rs 50,000 each and a personal bond of the same amount. Over two decades after the incident, two men have been convicted for raping a minor girl and abetting the crime respectively by the Delhi High Court, which said the medical evidence corroborated the victim's testimony. The high court set aside the trial court judgment that had acquitted the two men of the charges, saying the acquittal suffered from the vice of perversity, resulting in a grave miscarriage of justice. It said the 13-year-old girl, in her testimony before the trial court, had given a vivid and indubitable recount of what she was subjected to by the accused at the time of the incident in March, 1997. "Having regard to the totality of the circumstances, appearing on the record of the case, we are constrained to observe that the trial court ignored the cardinal tenets of appreciation of evidence, including the weight to be attached to the testimony of the minor victim, since the accused had evidently been identified immediately and arrested contemporaneously," a bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and IS Mehta said in the verdict passed recently. It said the trial court also failed to consider the circumstance that no dispute was raised at the relevant stage regarding the identity of the two men, nor was it brought to the notice of the higher authorities of the police or the lower court at the relevant point in time. The bench said the medical evidence corroborated the clear and unequivocal testimony of the minor victim, who had also identified the two men as the offenders before the trial court. The high court allowed the appeal of the prosecution challenging the acquittal of the two men and directed that convicts Surender Kumar and Ravinder be taken into custody forthwith. While Surender was convicted for the offences of rape and criminal intimidation, Ravinder was held guilty of abetment to rape. The court will pass the order on the quantum of sentence next week. According to the prosecution, the incident took place on March 27, 1997, when the victim and her younger brother had gone out to ease themselves, and while Ravinder caught hold of the minor boy, Surender forcibly picked up the girl and took her to a nearby vacant spot. It said the girl raised an alarm, but Surender gagged her mouth and raped her and also threatened her with dire consequences if she narrated her ordeal to anyone. He left the girl there and fled, the prosecution said, adding that after some time, the girl's father came there searching for her and she told him about the incident. The girl's father informed the police and an FIR for the offences of kidnapping, raping and criminal intimidation was registered under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Alipur police station here. During the trial, the two men claimed that they were falsely implicated in the case by the complainant with the motive to extract money. However, they both opted not to lead any evidence in their defence. Setting aside the acquittal of the two men, the high court said the trial court misdirected and misapplied itself in extrapolating the minor contradictions and insignificant discrepancies in the deposition of the minor victim and her parents to arrive at the conclusion that the prosecution had failed to establish its case against the accused persons. "The impugned judgment (of the trial court) is thus, a total negation in the quest for search of truth and overlooks the cardinal principle that the duty of a judge presiding over a criminal trial is not merely to see that no innocent person is punished but also to see that the guilty person does not escape and that both the public duties are equally important," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised states that had not implemented the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana on Thursday and disbursed roughly Rs 12,000 crore to 60 million farmers under the flagship central government scheme at an event in Karnatakas Tumakuru town. Later in the day in Bengaluru, he dedicated five laboratories for young scientists working in the areas of artificial intelligence, smart materials, asymmetric technologies, cognitive and quantum technologies. The labs will come up in Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad. At the Tumakuru event, Modi said agriculture was crucial for the Indian economy to reach the $5 trillion target by 2024 and underlined his governments commitment to farmer welfare. He also extolled the benefits of the PMKSY, in which every farmer-family gets Rs 6,000 per year credited in its bank account. I hope all political parties will rise above politics to help the farmers in the state which are yet to implement the scheme, the PM said. He claimed that in earlier dispensations, only 15 paise of every rupee spent by the government would reach the beneficiary, while currently, the full amount directly reaches the bank account of beneficiaries. Farmers welfare is our top priority as we value their service and sacrifice in feeding such a huge population in a vast country like India under challenging times and despite facing the cycle of droughts and floods in most states, said Modi, before giving away Krishi Karman awards and fishing equipment. The PM was accompanied by a galaxy of cental and state leaders including chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Union ministers Prahalad Joshi, DV Sadananda Gowda and NS Tomar, apart from a bevy of other state ministers and BJP functionaries. Yediyurappa asked the PM to grant Rs 50,000 crore to complete several pending irrigation projects in the state apart from releasing money for flood relief. But the PM did not respond to the public plea during his speech. Later in the day in Bengaluru at an event by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the PM said the government was ready to support scientists and innovators at every step. Lauding the contribution of Indian scientists he said the country was looking at the new labs making an impact in research not just in the country but setting standards in the world. We are one of the few countries in the world which has the capability to make everything from aircraft to aircraft carrier, he said. This decade is also all about the youth power, young innovators, he added. The Congress hit out at Modis speech and accused him of neglecting the state inspite of Karnataka electing 25 Lok Sabha members from the Bharatiya Janata Party. The opposition party asked why Rs 1,200 crore had been released as flood relief when the BJP government had admitted that the state suffered Rs 35,300 crore worth of losses in the floods. The state should have got Rs 3,600 crore per month as its share of GST kitty, but since September not one paise has been given to state. Centre owes Karnataka 14-15,000 crore, said former chief minister S Siddaramiah. Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy accused Yediyurappa of not having the courage to ask the Centre for legitimate dues owed to the state. However. Yediyurappa defended Modi and blamed the Opposition for leveling baseless charges instead of constructive engagement. The PM would be staying at Raj Bhavan on Thursday and will inaugurate the 107th Indian Science Congress at the University of Agricultural Sciences on Friday before flying back to Delhi in the afternoon. Michigan settles lawsuit over teens death for $12 million The family of a Detroit teenager who crashed an all-terrain vehicle and died after he was shot with a Taser has reached a $12 million settlement in a lawsuit against state troopers, lawyers said Friday. The agreement was filed in U.S. District Court, months after Mark Bessner was sentenced to at least five years in prison for causing the death of Damon Grimes. Grimes mother, Monique Grimes, would receive $7.3 million, according to the settlement, which still needs approval from a judge. Geoffrey Fiegers law firm would receive roughly $4 million. ADVERTISEMENT Bessner and a partner were patrolling a Detroit neighborhood in 2017 when Grimes, 15, drove an ATV near their car. The white troopers turned around and pursued the black teen. As they got closer, Bessner fired a Taser, which releases stainless steel barbs. Grimes crashed into a parked pickup truck and died. Bessner said he believed the boy had a gun in his waistband, but Grimes didnt have a weapon. Bessner, 45, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He will be eligible for parole in 2024. The facts of this case are so horrendous. The attorney general did the right thing and settled the case, and didnt subject the state to a trial that could have resulted in a much larger verdict, Fieger told The Detroit News. Bessner had a history of aggressive force. Just two months before Grimes death, an arbitrator had cleared him of misconduct in how he used a Taser while chasing a crime suspect. State police wanted to suspend him for 10 days. Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Claudia Mo (R) is surrounded by security as she shouts "Free press! No Persecution!" as Chief Executive Carrie Lam (not pictured) arrives to deliver her policy address at the Legislative Council (Legco) in Hong Kong on Oct. 10, 2018. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) Press Freedom in Hong Kong, Taiwan Under Attack by Chinese Regime: Report The Chinese regime has undermined press freedom in Hong Kong and Taiwan as it seeks to export censorship worldwide, according to a recent report by U.S.-based nonprofit. While the special administrative region of Hong Kong and the self-ruled island of Taiwan have been bastions of civil liberties in East Asia, their media markets have come under pressure from the communist regime as it seeks to influence editorial content and manipulate public opinion, said a Dec. 16, 2019, report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Hong Kong and Taiwan are on the frontlines of this battle [of press freedom], it stated. The report came as Hong Kong is embroiled in more than half a year of protests against the regimes growing interference in the city. Meanwhile, the regimes infiltration in various sectors of Taiwanese society, including media, has drawn heightened scrutiny as the island heads towards its presidential election in early January. According to the CPJ, the regime has deployed a range of measures to influence media including openly or covertly taking ownership of media outlets, pressuring media owners through financial incentives, and intimidating journalists. Hong Kong Since Hong Kong reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997, the citys freedoms, including free press, have come under severe pressure, the report said. Nine out of 26 mainstream media outlets in the city are controlled by Chinese regime authorities or companies led by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members, the report stated, citing a tally by the Hong Kong Journalists Association. These include leading TV broadcaster TVB, and English-language newspaper South China Morning Post. On top of this, Chinese businessmen who arent residents of mainland China but have political appointments within the regime control additional outlets, meaning more than half of the citys news organizations have close ties to the mainland, the report added. Meanwhile, outlets that have not caved to regime pressure have found themselves the targeted by the regime. For example, Jimmy Lai, chair of Next Digital, the company that owns independent Chinese-language media Apple Daily, found himself the subject of attacks from Chinese state-run propaganda outlets after he met with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in July 2019. An August 2019 commentary by Chinese state-run Xinhua had accused Lai of spreading disinformation and working with foreign forces to interfere in Hong Kong. In March 2019, former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying, now vice-chair of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body to the Party, launched a social media campaign aimed at getting people to boycott advertisers with Apple Daily. The squeeze on Apple Daily advertising is consistent with Chinas increasing efforts to wield commercial muscle against companies that cross an ill-defined political red line, the report stated. Pro-democracy media outlets and journalists have also suffered from a variety of attacks, the report noted. Lais home was firebombed in 2015, and again in September 2019. His company headquarters was also firebombed during the attack in 2015. In February 2014, two assailants attacked Hong Kong journalist Kevin Lau, slashing his back six times with a cleaver. Lau was editor-in-chief of pro-democracy leaning Ming Pao, but was replaced in January 2014. The assailants were arrested and are currently serving 19-year jail sentences over the incident. In November 2019, the printing warehouse of the Hong Kong edition of the Epoch Times came under an arson attack when four masked intruders set fire to some of the equipment while employees were on shift. CPJ research overwhelmingly shows that when journalists or a publisher such as Lai are targeted for attack, theyve been known for critical reporting on Hong Kong or China, the report said. Police do make the occasional arrest and conviction, as in the Kevin Lau attack, but rarely convict those who are ultimately responsible. Journalists in Hong Kong are also concerned that critical reporting of the regime would lead to Beijing denying them visas to work in the mainland, while international correspondents fear that their permission to stay in Hong Kong could be revoked. Taiwan Unlike Hong Kong, Taiwan prohibits direct ownership of local media companies by mainland Chinese entities or individuals. That prohibition has nonetheless failed to halt Chinas efforts to influence media or prevent individuals with strong business interests in China, who are potentially vulnerable to Chinese pressure, from owning Taiwanese media, the report stated. Taiwan also bans advertising by the regime, but not Chinese commercial entities. A cursory look at Taiwans newspapers indicates that papers that are critical of China do not carry advertisements from China. It pays to be pro-Beijing, it stated. The report noted that Chinese influence in Taiwanese media escalated in 2008 when China-friendly Taiwanese entrepreneur Tsia Eng-meng acquired one of the islands largest media companies, Want Want Group. The company owns The China Times newspaper, five other print outlets, three TV broadcasters, and eight news websites or apps. In March 2012, The China Times ran daily reports on a visit to Taiwan by Chinese official Su Shulin, then-governor of the Southern Chinese province of Fujian. An independent news site New Talk later revealed that Fujian authorities had paid The China Times for the coverage to promote tourism. The paper was fined NT$1.8 million (US$57,368) for illegally running advertising for Chinese authorities. In April 2019, Nikkei Asian Review reported that Want Want had received $586.7 million in Chinese state subsidies since 2004. The company responded, saying the subsidies received had no connection to its media business. In May 2019, the deputy director-general of the National Security Bureau, Taiwans intelligence agency, Vincent Chen Wen-fan told a legislative hearing that some Taiwan media outlets cooperated with the Chinese regime to spread fake news and disinformation. Want Want Group and Chinese state-run media Beijing Daily co-hosted a forum in Beijing in May 2019, which was attended by 85 Taiwanese media executives and commentator. During the conference, Wang Yang, a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, the regimes top decision-making body, asked journalists to promote the one country, two systems formula that has been applied in Hong Kong. The regime has repeatedly suggested that Taiwan can be reunited with the mainland under such a framework, such that the island could maintain its political system and freedoms not enjoyed in China. In August 2019, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources and contracts reviewed by the outlet, that mainland authorities have paid at least five Taiwan media groups for favorable coverage. In the 2010s decade, Gurugrams glitzy real estate sector helped many investors fill their coffers. But in the last two-three years of the decade, thousands of apartment buyers and investors fell prey to property frauds. The frauds include delay in delivery of realty projects, diversion of funds allotted for projects, sale of projects in which licences have not been procured and change in the specification of flats at the time of delivery, among others. Police records show that the number of cases has been consistently increasing since 2010, when the department registered 130 cases. This year, the police have registered 514 such cases. Though the 2019s figure is less than that of the previous year when 639 cases of property fraud were registered, the police said that it is mainly due to the crackdown on erring realtors. However, police officials said that the 2019s figure of over 500 property fraud cases is significant, keeping in mind the fact that not a single realty project was launched this year. Action taken In one of the major actions against real estate frauds this year, the police registered cases against 14 developers, six tehshildars, five registry clerks and four computer operators of Manesar revenue office for alleged irregularities in executing sale deeds of properties between 2009 and 2012. The accused allegedly manipulated revenue records to reduce the stamp duty and caused a loss of 5 crore to the state exchequer. The case was registered on the direction of a local court. Gurugram police commissioner Muhammad Akil said that this is a serious offence and a designated team of economic offences wing (EOW) is investigating the matter. Modus Operandi According to the police, the modus operandi in most fraud cases is that fraudsters sell projects that dont have licences as the intention is to cheat investors. Many developers promised buyers of high returns, but later refused to keep their promise. We receive several complaints of property fraud. In most of the cases we immediately take action. In case of technical issues, we send the case to EOW for investigation. One of the reasons behind the spurt in cases against realtors was the implementation of the Haryana Protection of Investors Act 2014. The act allows the police to confiscate property acquired illegally by different stakeholders of the real estate market, said Akil. Akil also said on many occasions, fraudsters attempt to acquire ownership of a property either by using a forged document or by impersonating the registered owner. It is only after paying substantial instalments that the victims realise that they are being cheated. Fifty-eight cases were registered in Gurugram last year where buyers signed agreements when builders bought the land, he said. Other factors Experts say the economic slowdown is likely to increase the number of fraud cases. There are a large number of buyers in Gurugram who face trouble in the absence of proper regulation and checks by the government, said Sanjay Sharma, city-based real estate consultant. For the last five years, not only small brokers but some major builders too have been booked for violating promises made to buyers and contract agreements. The police have registered cases against some major builders in the city. In the last one year, the police have also taken action against several brokers, chit fund operators, and developers under the investors protection act. Despite the act in place, officials suggest that buyers should be careful while investing in realty projects. The buyers should also stay away from financial products that are marketed in the garb of real estate offerings, the police said. Sometimes, buyers face a different problem related to the property sector. It seems atrocities by money lenders are back to haunt us in 2019. Even after fully repaying a home loan, a government bank hasnt returned the original property documents which had been taken by them as security for the loan. A complaint was lodged with the police in June 2019 against the chairman of the bank, but nothing has moved on it, said Suparno Satpathy, a resident of Sector 56. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Leena Dhankhar Leena Dhankhar has worked with Hindustan Times for five years. She has covered crime, traffic and excise. She now reports on civic issues and grievances of residents. ...view detail The prize winning novel, Contempt of Court written by authors Mark Curriden and Leroy Phillips, describes the well-known unfortunate story of the hanging of Ed Johnson from the Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga in 1906. The earlier hanging of Alfred Blount in 1893 for the rape of a white woman was just as sensational, more brutal, but not as well known. A comparison of the two tragic events needs to be written. Ed Johnson maintained his innocence to the end and exclaimed to the mob that hung him God bless you all, I am innocent. Alfred Blount also proclaimed his innocence when he was dragged onto the Walnut Street Bridge at approximately 250 feet from the south end of the structure where the lynching took place. One of the leaders in the lynch mob urged the young Negro to admit the crime and tell the truth but Blount replied: I didnt do it. He then was hung from a steel girder and, after his body stopped twitching, he was shot over 100 times. The Chattanooga Daily Times in its February 15, 1893, edition carried a full description of events from the report of the crime that allegedly occurred the morning of February 14 at approximately 9:00 a.m. The paper also included an interview with a reporter for the Times who admitted that he endeavored to get a confession from Blount. Initially the young Negro doggedly refused to acknowledge his guilt and vehemently protested not only his innocence but denied being at the locality where the crime was perpetrated. He would later be quoted as saying at the last minute before he was hanged I did go into her house but I didnt do anything. This statement was allegedly corroborated by two other of the ringleaders of the crowd after the hanging. Who was Alfred Blount? He was allegedly 27 years of age who had come to Chattanooga from Augusta, Georgia, and had been employed as a laborer at the construction of several buildings, working for a at least two local contractors. At the time of the alleged crime of rape on the 51-year-old white victim, who was the mother of four children, Blount was doing odd jobs carrying coal and cutting wood in different sections of the city. He had been married twice, with his first wife dying in Georgia and he remarried two months before the hanging. Although claiming to be a sober, industrious man, he was described by the paper of having the physical appearance of a shiftless vagabond. The victim in the rape initially did not identify Blount as her attacker but eventually did say that he was the Negro that had violated her several hours after the rape in a one on one face-to-face show up identification presently outlawed as a violation of due process of law. After failing to identify two Negroes brought before her at her home, she first stated upon seeing Blount, Thats the man, thats the man. However, a moment later she exclaimed, No, I am not so sure. Blount replied, I swear 'fore God, maam, I aint been near your house since this snow. However, his position was refuted by a next door neighbor of the victim who stated that a short time before the crime took place that Blount was at their house asking for work. One of the victim's sons was interviewed by another Times reporter around 11:00 p.m. and he exclaimed that his mother was initially hesitant to identify Blount as the perpetrator of the rape because she feared the vengeance of the Negroes. However, after claiming that he had talked to neighbors who said that they had seen Blount run from the house (victims) after committing the assault and were unanimous in declaring that Blount was the same person." A comparison of Ed Johnsons case in 1906 and Alfred Blounts in 1893 should be made. Both men were forcefully removed from the Hamilton County Jail by a mob of 25-40 active participants with the event being observed by several hundred other spectators. Ed Johnson received a trial, was convicted, and sentenced to death but received a reprieve by the United States Supreme Court by granting a stay of execution, but the lynching took place by aroused citizens in defiance of the ruling of the high court. Alfred Blount was summarily executed without an opportunity to defend himself in a court of law. Sheriff Joseph Shipp was found guilty of failing to protect Johnson while in his custody and was sentenced to 90 days in a federal prison in Washington, D.C. When he returned to Chattanooga after serving a reduced sentence because of good behavior he was met by a cheering crowd of more than 10,000 citizens. Although he never ran for another political office he received numerous honors and appointments to several state positions by governors and state officials. Sheriff John Skillern was never strongly criticized for his failure to protect Blount and not charged with any dereliction of duty. He would serve out his term in 1896 and then moved to Bessemer, Alabama. After a short return to Chattanooga, he moved to Boise, Idaho, where he developed a prominent sheep and cattle business as a rancher. Ed Johnsons hanging, through the published works of Mark Curriden and Leroy Phillips plus the decision of the United State Supreme Court on the issue of federalism, has achieved a prominent place in a dark part of the history of Hamilton County. Alfred Blount remains a relative unknown character in that same historical period of 1893-1906. Recent efforts by African American politicians and public leaders are attempting to bring this unfortunate experience to the attention of the modern day public by initiating a campaign to more prominently identify the locations of the two hangings on the Walnut Street Bridge. * * * Jerry Summers can be reached at jsummers@summersfirm.com The lawyer Lea Tsemel is a contentious figure in Israel. She is known for representing Palestinian defendants, especially in cases in which Israeli sentiment appears starkly stacked against her, such as those that involve violent attacks. Depending on your perspective, Tsemel is either a principled believer in the concept of presumed innocence or an apologist for bloodshed. To judge from Advocate, an engrossing, largely pro-Tsemel profile from Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche, the truth may be a little of each. Tsemels choice of clients undoubtedly has ideological underpinnings. She explains how she thinks about her work: Im an Israeli occupier, no matter what I do, Tsemel says. And as an occupier who has not succeeded in changing the governments policies, she adds, On what moral grounds should I judge the people who resist my occupation? Her daughter, Talila Warschawski, is asked if her mother has red lines. I dont think so, she replies. At the same time, Tsemel has a lawyerly interest in the gray areas of guilt. The highest-profile recent case in Advocate involves Tsemels defense of Ahmad Manasra, who at age 13 was involved in an October 2015 stabbing attack in East Jerusalem. Tsemel maintained that only Manasras cousin, Hassan, who was fatally shot by police during the incident, carried out the stabbings, and that Ahmad did not use the knife he had. It seems like the Galaxy Note 10 Lite launch is just around the corner and live images of the upcoming smartphone were leaked online yesterday. So far, we've only had unofficial information about the smartphone but that's changed with these live images leaked by SlashGear. Slashgear While the live photos of the Galaxy Note 10 Lite look very similar to previous leaks, it will be the affordable version of the popular series, fans have been asking for. The pricing of the phone is not known yet and it all depends on how Samsung wants to position the Galaxy Note 10 Lite. It would be prudent to say that Samsung might position the Galaxy Note 10 Lite as an affordable flagship similar to the OnePlus smartphones. From the leaked images, we can see that the device is indeed called the Galaxy Note 10 Lite as mentioned in the 'About Device' section. The display also has a punch-hole camera, similar to the Galaxy Note 10. However, the design aspect of the smartphone is different at the rear. The camera module has a square bump in the top-left corner and looks similar to the Pixel 4. In terms of specifications, the Galaxy Note 10 Lite is powered by the company's proprietary Exynos 9810 processor which is coupled with 6GB of RAM. Details about the different camera sensors are not known yet, however previous leaks have suggested that the Galaxy Note 10 Lite will have a triple camera setup with wide-angle, wide and telephoto lenses. Samsung plans to launch to new smartphones i.e. Galaxy S10 Lite and Galaxy Note 10 Lite at CES this week. Reports have suggested that both smartphones will first launch in India and subsequently in other regions. Would you buy a more affordable Galaxy Note smartphone? Let us know in the comments what you think about Lite versions of the S10 and Note 10. Erdogan: Stopping the refugee influx is a difficult task Turkey has so far spent $40 billion on the refugees, according to official figures. More than 200,000 Syrian refugees are moving toward the borders of Turkey which already hosts millions of refugees, said President Erdogan on Thursday. "IT'S DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH HUMAN LIVES" "200,000 to 250,000 refugees are moving toward our border. We are trying to stop them, but it is not an easy task. It is difficult, because you are dealing with human lives," Erdogan said at an event in the capital Ankara. The president questioned the humanitarian sensitivities of those who oppose foreigners in their cities, at a time when Turkey is hosting 5 million refugees, including 4 million Syrians. Since the eruption of the bloody civil war in Syria in 2011, Turkey has taken in millions of Syrians who fled their country, making Turkey the worlds top refugee-hosting country. New Delhi, Jan 2 : A Faridabad court on Wednesday issued arrest warrant against Dr Purushottam Lal, Chairman of the Noida Metro Multi-specialty and Cardiology Institute, for alleged fraud by raising false invoices. Dr Shyam Sunder Bansal, Managing Director of Metro Heart Institute, alleged that Dr Lal allegedly used fraudulent documents and defrauded the government departments of several crores of rupees. Dr Bansal had lodged an FIR on July 30, 2018 at Faridabad central police station under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120B of the IPC. In the FIR, it was alleged that Dr Lal rigged the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and the UP Power Corporation, and prepared false bills for treatment of Haryana and UP government employees. After a hearing, Judicial Magistrate Mohommad Sageer directed the Faridabad Central's SHO to arrest Dr Lal and produce him before the court at 10 a.m. on February 1. There are two Metro Hospitals in Noida -- one in Sector 12 that is a heart institute, and the other in Sector 11 that is a multi-specialty hospital. Advertisement Pippa Middleton showed off her washboard abs in a pretty frilly two-piece as she cooled off with an ice cream with husband James Matthews in St. Barts yesterday. The 36-year-old sister to the Duchess of Cambridge, who previously put on a red-hot display as she enjoyed a day on a boat during her family holiday, donned a blue and white crop top and skirt by Italian brand Temptation Positano as she ventured out in search of a frozen treat. Earlier in the day she showed off her svelte physique in a scarlet halterneck bikini, and was joined by her husband, brother James Middleton, 32, and his French fiancee Alizee Thevenet for another beach day during their extended Christmas break. There was no sign of Pippa's mother Carole, 64, or her one-year-old son Arthur, and she appeared to be enjoying a sibling day with her brother and his fiancee. The trio were spotted jumping into the water from their boat, before enjoying the stunning views on the clear waters. Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews were spotted visiting an ice cream parlour in St. Barts following their day out on a boat yesterday The Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister showed off her svelte physique in a pretty blue and white frilled two-piece which she wore over the top of her red bikini Pippa, who wore a blue and white crop top and skirt by Italian brand Temptation Positano, and husband James looked to be enjoying a romantic day out in the Caribbean, without their one-year-old son Arthur Pippa Middleton put on a red-hot display as she enjoyed a day on a boat during her family holiday in St. Barts yesterday The 36-year-old sister to the Duchess of Cambridge was joined by James Middleton, 32, and his French fiancee Alizee Thevenet for another beach day during their extended Christmas break Despite giving birth just a year ago, Pippa put on a toned display, donning a bandeau bikini similar to Alizee's 15.99 H&M bikini, which had a keyhole cleavage and halterneck stap. She appeared in good spirits as she jumped into the water, before jumping onto the boat and chatting to her brother. The trio have been enjoying an extended break with Carole Middleton, 64, while Spencer Mattthews - who is brother to Pippa's husband James - and his wife Vogue Williams, are also enjoying the break away. The family are enjoying a family holiday with Pippa and Carole Middleton in St Barts, and are thought to be staying at the Eden Rock hotel owned by Spencer Matthews - who brother to Pippa's husband James Matthews. The trio were also pictured holidaying in St Barts with Pippa's husband James Matthews, brother-in-law Spencer Matthews, and his wife Vogue Williams at the beginning of the year. Despite giving birth just a year ago, Pippa put on a toned display, donning a bandeau bikini similar to Alizee's 15.99 H&M bikini, which had a keyhole cleavage and halterneck stap She appeared in good spirits as she jumped into the water, before jumping onto the boat and chatting to her brother James Middleton and his fiancee Alizee Thevenet put on a playful display as they were pictured frolicking on the beach in St. Barts yesterday Meanwhile James looked in the throes of love with his French financier squeeze, as they enjoyed another day of their Christmas break on the picuresque island earlier. Dressed in a pair of pale blue tropical swimming trunks and a pair of sunglasses, James put on a toned display as he joined Alizee, who looked stylish in a red bandeau top and high waist bikini bottoms, for a stroll along the beach. The couple couldn't keep their hands off each other, and were seen cosying up to each other on the beach before enjoying a dip in the water - before Alizee changed her bikini and they joined Pippa on the boat. In November he proposed to French girlfriend Alizee, 30, privately with a sapphire ring while in the Lake District. Pippa enjoyed a dip before jumping back onto the boat and squeezing the excess water from her hair as she showed off her toned stomach James Middleton and fiancee Alize Thevenet cozying up during a New Year's Day boat trip on a family holiday in St Barts Pippa Middleton put on a red-hot display as she enjoyed a day on a boat during her family holiday in St. Barts yesterday Pippa's husband James Matthews was spotted in a rare moment as he swum around the boat while James Middleton helped Alizee on to the boat James shared a beaming picture with Alizee snuggled into his arms, revealing a large sapphire ring on her left hand. Announcing the engagement to his 165k followers on Instagram, he posted several heart emojis, alongside the words: 'She said OUI. Our secret is out but we couldnt be happier to share the news.' This week's sighting of the couple comes after James revealed his dogs will play a key role in his wedding ceremony to his fiancee and admitted that she was 'happy and excited' to plan the nuptials. Speaking about the plans in this month's issue of Vanity Fair Spain, he revealed they were aiming to keep the wedding 'as private as possible', and added that his beloved dogs would play an important part in the ceremony. The entrepreneur, who has been frank about his struggles with mental health in an effort to raise awareness around the topic, has nine dogs - Golden Retriever Mabel, a black Labrador, two Cocker Spaniels, and five black Spaniels called Rafa, Ella, Zulu, Inka and Luna -who he has credited with helping him through tough times. James Middleton was seen relazing on the boat while his fiancee paddled around him on the sunny day In November James proposed to French girlfriend Alizee, 30, privately with a sapphire ring while in the Lake District (both seen) James gave his fiancee Alizee a helping hand as she got out of the water following a refreshing dip The couple couldn't keep their hands off each other, and were seen cosying up to each other on the beach before enjoying a dip in the water - before Alizee changed her bikini and they joined Pippa on the boat Explaining that the ceremony would be 'as private as possible' and they planned to 'dance and have fun', he confirmed Ella, Mabel, Inca, Zulu or Luna would be involved. He explained: 'I still don't know which one, but they will be one of the keys of that day'. Describing Alizee, as 'happy and excited', he added: 'We are in the phase before we start planning everything, just enjoying the process. The trip we are going to undertake together, as a team. And that's fine'. And speaking about attending sister Kate Middleton's wedding to Prince William in 2011, as well as taking Alizee to Lady Gabriella Windsor's wedding, he said: 'It's like any other. 'They are just people who celebrate their love. That presents its vows to love and respect and be faithful. A small wedding or a royal wedding, a wedding is a wedding.' James Middleton has previously credited his dogs for playing a 'vital role' in his recovery from clinical depression. Kate Middleton's younger brother James looked serious as he strolled down the beach after his dip with fiancee Alizee in St Lucia earlier on Loved-up Alizee gave James an affectionate peck on the temple as they sat on the sand during their lovers' walk in St Barts Dressed in a red bikini and a sunhat, Alizee looked relaxed, sat on the sand, soaking up the sunbeams during the lovers time by the beach Alizee, who looked stylish in a 15.99 H&M red bandeau top and high waist bikini bottoms as she topped up her tan on the beach before taking a dip in the sea to wash the sand of herself Two risque photos of Christine Keeler which had never been seen publicly until they went on sale in October have sold for almost 7,000. They are believed to have been taken by an unknown photographer in 1966, three years after the infamous Profumo scandal that is currently being dramatised on BBC1. One photo shows the topless model wearing just a pair of trousers with her arms folded to cover her modesty. Pictures show a 24-year-old Christine Keeler wearing just trousers with her arms folded to cover her modesty. The photographs sold at auction for almost 7,000 A third photo taken in 1964 shows Keeler eating a chicken drumstick following her release from prison An even more revealing snap, seemingly from the same shoot, depicts her in a matching outfit with her bare back to the camera. Keeler rose to national prominence when her affair with the married Secretary of State for War John Profumo was exposed in 1963. Profumo initally denied the affair but admitted it weeks later and resigned from his position. The scandal, one of the biggest of the 20th century, contributed to the Conservatives' defeat by the Labour Party in the 1964 general election. Pictured: Christine Keeler had an affair with Tory Secretary of State for War in the 1960s The images were consigned for sale by James Birch, an art dealer who became friends with Keeler in the early 1990s. It is thought that she gave the photos to him personally. Mr Birch held a selling exhibition of around 70 photos of Keeler in 2010 but chose not to include these two photos in it. The photos sparked fervent bidding when they went under the hammer with auctioneer Sworders, of Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. They achieved a combined hammer price of 5,300, with extra fees taking the overall sum handed over to 6,700. Mark Wilkinson, specialist at Sworders, said: 'The vendor was friends with Keeler and we believe she gave him the photos. 'He held an exhibition of her photos in 2010 but we don't believe the topless images featured so they have remained unseen. 'They are great, very striking photos and she was on of the most famous figures of the era.' Keeler, who had been working as a showgirl at a cabaret club when she was introduced to Profumo, died aged 75 in 2017. Sophie Cookson, pictured, plays Christine Keeler in the hit BBC 1 drama dealing with the affair Visiting restrictions remain in place at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny, where trolley numbers are on the rise, according to the latest information from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). Today's INMO figures show 20 patients on trolleys and nine on wards. Hospital staff are currently caring for a number of patients with flu. In order to protect other patients and members of the public from further infection, hospital management is advising that the hospital is now closed to visitors. The public is asked not to visit the hospital at this time unless absolutely necessary and not to bring children if at all possible. "We would encourage families to keep in touch with their relative in hospital by using their relatives mobile phone number for contact (if available) and/or to phone the hospital directly if worried or concerned about a relative while the visiting restriction is in place (some delay may be experienced when phoning the hospital directly due to the high volume of calls during visiting restrictions)," says a statement. Hospital management apologises for the inconvenience to patients and visitors and thanks the public for their cooperation at this time. The care and safety of patients, staff and members of the public are in all circumstances the hospitals most important priority. Management would ask that, where possible, patients with flu-like illness / cold symptoms telephone their GP/or pharmacist in the first instance to seek the best advice, rather than presenting at the hospital. In addition, people due to attend the hospital for an outpatient clinic appointment during the current week who may have symptoms of flu are advised to check with the hospital before attending as an appointment may need to be rescheduled in order to prevent the further spread of flu to both patients and staff. Data from Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy revealed that unemployment rate grew 10 per cent in December last year. Motilal Oswal predicted India's GDP growth slipping even lower. Tata Sons has moved the Supreme Court against the NCLAT order that reinstated Cyrus Mistry as the executive chairman of the salt-to-software conglomerate. Read for more top stories from the world of business and economy: 1. India's unemployment rate rises to 7.7% in December: CMIE The CMIE data showed that six out of 10 states in India with the highest unemployment rate are either ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, or it is in an alliance with regional parties. 2. Tata Sons moves SC seeking stay against NCLAT order on Cyrus Mistry The January 9 NCLAT order had termed Mistry's removal from Tata Sons and other companies "illegal". Mistry had gone to NCLAT after his plea was turned down by the Mumbai bench of NCLT. 3. India's GDP to shrink further in Q3; FY20 growth to be around 4.5%: Motilal Oswal While India's Gross Value Added growth improved, the Motilal Oswal report said the economy was still not out of the woods and showed no sign of recovery in the first two halves of the fiscal year. 4. Auto slowdown: Bosch's India unit to cut workforce by 'a couple of thousands' Bosch would let go of around 10 per cent of the total workforce of 3,700 white-collar employees in India as part of the company's strategy to transform amidst the downturn in the automotive sector. 5. Metal stocks shine on govt's push for infrastructure spending Additionally, encouraging sales figures for December quarter by listed companies such as JSPL, SAIL, Steel Strips helped build bullish momentum. Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) has called for a protest rally against the CAA in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on January 5 and "invited" local TMC MP Abu Taher Khan to address it, an office-bearer of the outfit said on Thursday. The Uttar Pradesh government has sought a ban on the PFI for their alleged involvement in violence across the state during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. "We are organising a rally against the CAA in Murshidabad on January 5 and have invited several speakers including Murshidabad TMC MP Abu Taher Khan. He has given his consent to be part of this protest programme," PFI West Bengal general secretary Manirul Sheikh told PTI over the phone. However, Khan, when contacted, said he has not received an invitation from the PFI and the organisation has used his name on their posters without his permission. "I have neither received any invitation from PFI nor have I given consent to be present in any such programme. If the outfit is using my name without my consent, then it is unethical," the TMC MP said. When asked whether they have received police permission for the protest meeting, Sheikh said they have submitted an application to the district police seeking it but are yet to get a response. "We have submitted a letter today (Thursday) and are hopeful of getting permission. Both the TMC and PFI are on the same page on this issue as we are opposing NRC and CAA," the PFI leader said. The Uttar Pradesh Police suspected PFI's involvement in the statewide violent protests against CAA and sought a ban on the outfit. UP DGP OP Singh had earlier said the state police has written to the Union Home Ministry, seeking a ban on PFI after its Uttar Pradesh head Wasim and 16 other activists were arrested for allegedly masterminding the violence during anti-CAA protests in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Im Martin Scorsese. And I made the movie, The Irishman. It is an honor for me to be here tonight to present this award to my dear friend, Mr. Frank Sheeran. Were talking about a sequence that takes place in the Latin Casino. You have this wonderful reception for Frank Sheeran, who, really, its a highlight of his life. All the representatives of the power structure of that part of the country are there to celebrate him, supposedly. And it really is obviously its for the union, its for Hoffa, and its to support Hoffa over Tony Provenzano. And its to show his support for Jimmy, and Jimmys support for Frank. [APPLAUSE] The highlight of my life. Thank you very very, very much. And this man, James Riddle Hoffa, is the guy that gets the job done. Underlying all that, you have the darker elements, which are the men who are in real control of the situation. Any case, from the deepest part of my heart, I thank you all. Because I dont really deserve all this. But I have bursitis, and I dont deserve that, either. The structure of the scene is all about the looks. The dialogue doesnt matter until you have this extraordinary moment, I think, between Russell and Frank, where Russell gives Frank this special ring that only three people have. And so for me, the playing of the scene had to be weaving all the sense of a celebration, so to speak, or family gathering, weaving all that around these beats, all strung together by the music: Jerry Vale. (SINGING) Please It has a very melodramatic tragedy to it. You know, a sweetness and a sadness at the same time. (SINGING) Say you and your Spanish eyes Its like you go to an event, and there are factions. There are factions. And one faction may be polite, but theyre not going to be smiling too much. But theyre there. During that time, certain things are said. Looks are given, which are harder than words. But the main looks Anna Paquin. A whole sequence revolves around Annas Peggy, that is picking up of the subtext of whats going on. There is trouble happening. There are problems. And she knows I mean, particularly even Anna Paquin said, when she did the dancing shot, and she looks over, and shes says, I never saw looks like that from people. She said it chilled her as a person. Only three people in the world have one of these, and only one of them is Irish. I have one, Angelo has one, and now you have one. So really its about the balancing and the editing of the frames, which encompass medium shots hardly any close-ups. Usually medium to medium close-up, like right below the shoulders up. That entails seeing a little more of the body language rather than giant close-ups. The reason for that is the atmosphere and the environment around them has to be present in the frame, because that affects them. And there you see them in that environment and that atmosphere. If its too close, I think you objectify it in a way. You push the audience away. But one of the hardest things to do was to get them in the frame in the wide shot, looking down, as Jerry Vale is singing in the background. Theyre like the gods overlooking this world that they created in a way. Theres one shot from their point of view, with a long lens of Jimmy walking around and suddenly saying hello to Angelo Russo, played by Harvey Keitel. The reason is a personal reason. And that was that Harvey Keitel and Al Pacino were never in the same frame together in any movie. Things have gotten that with our friend again. And some people are having serious problems with him. And its at a point where youre going to have to talk to him and tell him its what it is. Once I settled on the size of the frame and the size of the people in the frame, I know that, then, it was really myself and my editor, Thelma, in the editing room, playing with the dialogue and playing with the looks and the pauses the pauses and the silences. These are the higher-ups. Well, hes a higher-up, too. I mean, theres no one Not like this. You know that. Oh, come on, Frank. If they can whack a president, they can whack a president of the union. You know it, and I know it. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 2) The lawmakers will be back in session on January 20 after a month-long Christmas recess, and one of the matters they will discuss is whether or not major television network ABS-CBN is worthy to operate for 25 more years. This was according to Palawan 1st District Rep. Franz Alvarez, chairman of House Committee on Legislative Franchises, the panel which will deliberate on the bills seeking to extend the broadcast companys franchise. ABS-CBN's franchise agreement will expire on March 30, 2020 unless President Rodrigo Duterte, who has repeatedly launched tirades against the network after it failed to air his political advertisements during the presidential campaign in 2016, and the Congress, which is dominated by his allies, approve a new one. Alvarez said in a statement issued Thursday that their first order of business is to find out if President Rodrigo Duterte and many others have a legitimate grievance against ABS-CBN, among others. But he did not say exactly when they plan to tackle the proposed measure. Does the President and many others who have made statements against ABS CBN's election coverage and election ad placement system, have a legitimate grievance against ABS-CBN? Did ABS-CBN violate the provisions of its franchise? Can ABS-CBN credibly defend its privilege of being granted a renewal of its franchise? These are just some of the questions that our committee will seek to answer when we conduct hearings on the matter once Congress resumes session three weeks from now, Alvarez said. Alvarez also vowed that they would be objective in relation to the ABS-CBNs plea, as he reminded the broadcast firm that their license to operate is a privilege and not a right, under Republic Act No. 3846. He also said the Congress is obligated to hear all sides -- including objections to the franchise. The advice of Speaker Alan (Peter Cayetano) to us was to make sure that we would be always fair and impartial in reviewing the application of ABS-CBN, or the application of any other public utility, for that matter," he said. But we should all be reminded that under the law, the grant of a franchise is not a right, but a privilege. This is why we have to hear all sides, and find out if ABS-CBN violated the provisions of its franchise, he added. The lawmaker made the assurance after critics expressed concerns and fears that Duterte's backers in the lower house might misconstrue his pronouncements against ABS-CBN as marching orders. The issue involves the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN. There is no attempt to muzzle or control the media here so do not try to make this a press freedom issue when it is not, Alvarez said. ABS-CBN has more than 10,000 employees as of 2018, according to its report to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange. The number includes their regular and contractual workers. Meanwhile, Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, an opposition lawmaker, said in a statement on Thursday he will file a House resolution which aims to speedily act on the pending bills proposing to renew the media giants franchise. Lagman also insisted that the leadership and membership of the House of Representatives, particularly the Committee on Legislative Franchises, must act independently in exercising exclusive congressional jurisdiction on the grant of franchises, and must not be cowed by the Presidents wanton rantings. CNN Philippines' Eimor Santos, Glee Jalea and Lucia de Guzman contributed to this report. The Agripada police on Wednesday arrested an employee of BYL Nair Hospital for allegedly filming a plastic surgeon in the changing room. The arrested accused, Vishal Sadafule works as a cleaner in the hospital. On December 31, the 30-year-old doctor, a resident of Colaba, after winding up her work, went to the H-buildings female changing room at around 8pm. The complainant told the police she spotted a mobile phone with the camera facing towards her. On checking, she found out that its video recording mode was on. She immediately ran out to check the owner of the handset and spotted Sadafule standing outside the room. The woman alerted her superiors and reported the incident to the police, said an officer. Savlaram Agawne, senior inspector, said, We have recorded the complainants statement and registered an FIR against Sadafule under relevant section of the Indian Penal Code. We are investigating the case. (New York - January 2, 2020) The Department of Neurosurgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has received more than $10 million in federal funding for several projects focusing on brain tumor research. The newest grant focuses on the use of magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT), a powerful nanotechnology-based treatment that may enhance the effects of radiation therapy and chemotherapy on glioblastoma tumors. The lead investigator is Constantinos Hadjipanayis, MD, PhD, Director of Neurosurgical Oncology at the Mount Sinai Health System and Chair of Neurosurgery at Mount Sinai-Union Square. "Our neurosurgeons are at the forefront of clinical care and scientific research with the goal of translating research findings into new therapies that will improve patient outcomes," said Joshua Bederson, MD, the Leonard I. Malis, MD / Corinne and Joseph Graber Professor of Neurosurgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Chair of Neurosurgery for the Mount Sinai Health System. Magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy for Glioblastoma Dr. Hadjipanayis is the lead investigator in the $3.4 million National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study to examine the effects of MHT when used in conjunction with chemoradiation to treat glioblastoma, a devastating brain cancer that almost always relapses because therapy-resistant cancer cells infiltrate the body at the tumor's margin. The study is expected to last five years and will be conducted in close partnership with Robert Ivkov, PhD, MSc, and his team at Johns Hopkins University, who developed the novel magnetic nanoparticles the studies will use. The grant involves a pilot study at Johns Hopkins treating dogs that have spontaneously developed glioblastoma tumors. "These are powerful magnetic nanoparticles that we deliver directly into glioblastoma tumors by convection-enhanced delivery," said Dr. Hadjipanayis. "We then apply a safe, alternating external magnetic field that oscillates the nanoparticles, which generates heat that destroys the tumor. Multiple treatments can be performed since the nanoparticles persist in glioblastoma tumors. When used in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy, we expect this treatment will lead to improved outcomes." Glioma Dormancy, Stem Cell Niche, and Tumor Microenvironment Hongyan Zou, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurosurgery, and Neuroscience, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has received a $3 million NIH-funded grant to study tumor cell dormancy in glioblastoma models. The project's goal is to dissect governing factors in the tumor microenvironment that influence tumor cell behaviors and therapy resistance. The study is expected to last five years. "Tumor cell dormancy is a major root for glioblastoma relapse," said Dr. Zou. "Our team of vascular biologists, bioengineers, and neuroscientists are employing a 3D vascular glioblastoma organoid model to understand governing factors in the tumor microenvironment that promote tumor stem cell dormancy, therapy resistance, and tumor re-propagating capacity." Defining the Chromatin Landscape and Transcriptional Drivers of Proliferation and Migration in Human Glioblastoma Crosstalk between EGFR and TEAD Activity Directs Migration in Human Glioblastoma A better understanding of the mechanisms by which glioblastoma cells infiltrate deep into the brain, evading surgical resection and chemotherapy, is needed in order to prevent tumor progression. Nadejda Tsankova, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology, and Neuroscience, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is the Principal Investigator on two studies that examine the biology of migration in glioblastoma cells. The first NIH-funded study aims to define the epigenetic landscape (nongenetic influences on gene expression) and transcriptional networks that drive properties of growth and migration in human glioblastoma cells. The second study focuses on the role of one specific transcription factor, the transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) as driver of the migratory tumor cell state, and explores its relationship to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, using CRISPR-knockout and pharmacological inhibition in primary patient-derived glioblastoma cells and in immunocompetent and xenograft mouse glioma models. Dr. Tsankova has received nearly $275,000 for the first study and more than $1.8 million in funding for the second, five-year study. "We have uncovered TEAD1 as an important driver of tumor migration," said Dr. Tsankova. "Through our studies, we aim to gain deeper mechanistic insight into the biology of tumor migration as well as to test the therapeutic efficacy of pharmacological inhibitors of TEAD1 activity in pre-clinical mouse glioma models." Molecular and cellular mechanisms of glioma invasion Roland H. Friedel, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience, and Neurosurgery, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is the Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded project ($1.8 million for a five-year period) to study signaling pathways that promote the migratory potential of glioblastoma invasion. "Infiltrative growth of glioblastoma cells is a major determinant of high lethality of glioblastoma," said Dr. Friedel. "We have been studying novel signaling pathways that drive tumor invasion. The ultimate goal is to develop novel therapies in combination with conventional chemo radiation to curb glioblastoma progression." ### About the Mount Sinai Health System The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The Health System includes approximately 7,480 primary and specialty care physicians; 11 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 410 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. The Icahn School of Medicine is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report's "Best Medical Schools", aligned with a U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" Hospital, No. 12 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding, and among the top 10 most innovative research institutions as ranked by the journal Nature in its Nature Innovation Index. This reflects a special level of excellence in education, clinical practice, and research. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics in the 2019-2020 "Best Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked nationally in five out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology, Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai West are ranked 23rd nationally for Nephrology and 25th for Diabetes/Endocrinology, and Mount Sinai South Nassau is ranked 35th nationally for Urology. Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's, Mount Sinai West, and Mount Sinai South Nassau are ranked regionally. Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi ushered in the New Year with a set of phone calls with some of Indias most important neighbours. He spoke to both the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa; he exchanged greetings with Bhutans monarch, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Prime Minister Lotay Tshering. And he spoke to Bangladeshs PM Sheikh Hasina, Nepals PM KP Sharma Oli, and Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. All these conversations indicate yet again the PMs continued commitment to the governments neighbourhood first policy and the special strategic, political, and economic place Indias smaller neighbours have in the countrys foreign policy matrix. There are two elements of the neighbourhood policy that merit attention. South Asian Association of Regional Countries (Saarc) leaders were present at PM Modis swearing in when he first took office. When Mr Modi took oath for the second time last year, it was not Saarc, but leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) who were invited to the ceremony. This was the clearest sign that India would prioritise Bimstec as a regional grouping, for it believed that Pakistans presence made Saarc untenable. It is not a coincidence that four of the countries the PM reached out to are Bimstec members. But the organisation, beyond getting high political attention, has not been effective in boosting regional economic integration and connectivity. But the greater concern is bilateral ties, especially in the backdrop of growing Chinese political and economic engagement in all these countries. In Sri Lanka, India displayed deft diplomacy in engaging with the Rajapaksas but there is a slow return to both Sinhalese majoritarianism and a degree of authoritarianism. This will hurt Indian attempts to have a resolution of the Tamil issue. In Nepal, the Oli-led communist government has deepened cooperation with China on an unprecedented scale, brought in legislations to curb media and civil society, and has made no effort to address the issues of ethnic minorities. This will all undermine Indian efforts to have an inclusive and friendly Nepal. With Bangladesh, arguably Indias closest neighbour in the region, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has led to deep misgivings about Indias intent, and the political rhetoric emanating from Delhis leadership has not helped. All of these just show that translating neighbourhood first into tangible outcomes will be a hard task ahead for Delhi. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria hit out at those saying that Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem 'Hum Dekhenge' is offensive to Hindu sentiments. "Faiz Ahmed Faiz was a revolutionary poet from Pakistan who was of the view that India and Pakistan should be friendly. In fact, during the time of Zia-Ul-Haq, when he was heading the country, he (Faiz) was arrested and jailed for propagating the idea of peace and friendship between India and Pakistan," Bhadoria told ANI here. His statement comes after the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur set up a committee to look into whether Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem "Hum Dekhenge" is offensive to Hindu sentiments. The committee was set up after some faculty members complained to Director Abhay Karandikar that the students who took out a peaceful march on the campus on December 17 against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia students sang the poem as part of their protest. Bhadoria said the poem talks about people at large. "I think only some illiterate people can talk in this language. Those people who have not read Faiz Ahmad Faiz and those who know little history about Faiz Ahmad Faiz can speak in these terms," Bhadoria added. IIT Kanpur will reportedly take action on the basis of findings and suggestions of the panel. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Ohio Supreme Court handed down a two-year suspension of a well-known Cleveland criminal defense attorneys law license. The court voted 4-1 to suspend the license of attorney Michael Cheselka, a former nationally renowned stand-up comedian who followed his lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer in 2003 and practiced for 15 years with no disciplinary history. The courts justices voted to stay the second year of Cheselkas suspension, meaning that he could see his license reinstated after one year away from practicing law. To do that, the court ordered Cheselka to refrain from any further misconduct, repay a relative of a client whose case he mishandled, pay the costs of his disciplinary proceedings and participate in a counseling program for lawyers. If Cheselka does get his law license reinstated after one year, he will be placed on a years probation and must take educational courses for lawyers that are tailored to office management. My vow is to learn from this and return in one year a better lawyer, Cheselka said Thursday in a text message to cleveland.com. Justice R. Patrick DeWine wrote the 12-page decision handed down on Dec. 24. Justices Judith French and Patrick Fischer, as well as Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, signed onto the opinion. Justice Sharon Kennedy dissented in part because she said she would have imposed a year of probation to specifically monitor Cheselkas office management. DeWine signed on to Kennedys dissenting opinion. Justices Michael Donnelly and Melody Stewart, both former judges in Cuyahoga County where Cheselka practiced, did not participate in the case. The justices adopted the recommendations that the Ohio Supreme Courts Board of Professional Conduct after a disciplinary hearing earlier this year. The board found that Cheselka failed to file timely appeals for several paying clients, made false claims in a motion to get a client convicted of murder out of prison and did not cooperate with the boards investigation into allegations against him. Cheselka missed a deadline to file a motion to get a man convicted of murder released from prison after a witness recanted his testimony, and Cheselka made false statements in a 2016 court filing about the reason for the delay, the panel claimed. The panel also accused Cheselka of lacking competence in a federal case in 2016, when he agreed to file a request to reduce the six-month prison sentence of a 63-year-old woman whose children feared she would die in prison, even though such requests are rarely granted. The womans son had her doctor send Cheselka medical records that included the doctors opinion that incarceration would worsen her heart condition, but Cheselka waited more than two months before he filed the motion. The board recommended the dismissal of violations related to Cheselkas handling of a plea deal for another client, Franklyn Williams, due to a lack of evidence. Williams made national news in 2018 after his plea was overturned and his case returned to court, when Common Pleas Court Judge John J. Russo ordered sheriffs deputies to tape Williams mouth shut after he refused to stop talking. Cheselka, who is married to Common Pleas Court Judge Nancy Margaret Russo, told the board that he had been diagnosed with depression following the deaths of both parents in 2015 and 2016, when much of the misconduct and the boards investigation occurred, according to court records. The board concluded that much of Cheselkas misconduct -- which included significant ethical violations -- could be chalked up to trying to do too much with too few resources at a time when his personal life was unsettled. The court agreed with the boards recommendation that removing Cheselka from the legal marketplace for two years would do no more to protect the public than allowing him to return to practicing in one year. Read recent stories Disciplinary board recommends Cleveland attorney, former stand-up comic, be suspended Ohio Supreme Court reinstates law license of former Lorain County judge with history of misconduct, criminal conviction Cleveland attorney suspended for mishandling Bulgarian ballroom dancers immigration case Lawyer captured on tape coaching client to lie loses law license Ohio Supreme Court suspends Brunswick lawyer who blamed car crash on black man who didnt exist This week a Conservative Home poll found that a clear majority of Conservative Party members conclude that Sir Keir Starmer would be the most effective Labour leader. More relevant, and perhaps more surprising, is that a poll among Labour members also put Sir Keir in the lead by a big margin. The YouGov survey, in partnership with Queen Marys University, shows him winning in the final round against Rebecca Long-Bailey by 61 per cent to 39 per cent. The other contenders are all quite a bit further behind. YouGov says: When asked about the seven candidates most likely to run for leader, 36 per cent of the membership said their top preference was Keir Starmer, 13 points ahead of Rebecca Long-Bailey on 23 per cent. Jess Philips is in third place on 12 per cent, while Emily Thornberry, Lisa Nandy, Yvette Cooper, and Clive Lewis all poll in single figures. This excludes the 12 per cent of party members who are undecided. How reliable is the poll? It is early days. We dont even know who all the candidates will be. But it is a wide margin and this pollster has done reasonably well with member polls in the past. YouGovs poll of Conservative members in July showed Boris Johnson beating Jeremy Hunt though the final result was not by as wide a margin as the figures that YouGov had. The last leadership contest in the Labour Party was in 2016 when Corbyn was challenged by Owen Smith. Corbyn won 61.8 per cent to Smiths 38.2 per cent. For that one, a YouGov poll of Labour members was pretty much spot on. Long-Bailey had been thought by some pundits to be the favourite. That calculation was based on her offering continuity to the approach of Jeremy Corbyn. It was felt that would reflect the views of most Labour members. Since Corbyns defeat of Owen Smith, surely Labours membership must have shifted still further to the Left. That is the indication of the election results to Labours National Executive Committee where the Momentum-backed slate of Corbynistas get around twice as many votes as their Blairite rivals from the Progress faction. The longer Corbyns leadership continued, the more social democrats would cancel their membership subs while new recruits would be attracted from fringe Marxist groups. Yet there has been the small matter of the last months General Election result where Labour members will have spotted that they were trounced. Labour activists might still wistfully long for the overthrow of capitalism. They will still sing the old songs and wear the old badges. All that comforting agitprop camaraderie. Yet grudgingly, they might concede that discretion would be prudent, gradualism, some compromise with the electorate. There are also some on the Left, especially the younger members, who are staunchly anti Brexit and never really appreciated Corbyns equivocation on the matter despite their admiration for him more generally. Labour Party membership is especially high in London the woke element not only from Islington, but Lambeth and Camden, Hackney and Brent. Older sentimental socialists might be attracted to him being a successor to the man he was named after Keir Hardy was a founder of the Labour Party and its first leader from 1906 to 1908. Starmer offers a compromise. He is not a Corbynista, but he served in Corbyns Shadow Cabinet. As a former human rights lawyer, he has a certain radical chic (he helped environmental activists who were sued by McDonalds for libel back in the 1990s) but also a knighthood and a care about the words he uses. His rivals such as Philips or Cooper were more outspoken in attacking Corbyn and so find it harder to be forgiven. Starmer was part of the team, while also a keen Remainer. Leftists might feel that Starmer is really on their side while offering a bland and reassuring face to the public. Not inspiring but then not frightening either. Thus Starmer might emerge through the sectarian balancing act. Each phrase carefully judged to placate one group without alienating another. The problem for him is that even should he win the leadership he would be a prisoner of the Left. The Marxists would still be a dominant force among Party activists. Would it really be a change in leadership that would be enough to win back the former Labour voters who angrily abandoned the Party last month due to Corbyns extremism? They want a clean break, a clear repudiation of Corbynism. A serving of lawyerly fudge will not do. Older readers will recall that Labour had a landslide defeat in 1983. Then a long march under Neil Kinnock of two more General Election defeats in 1987 and 1992. Kinnock denounced the Militant Tendency and distanced himself from Arthur Scargill. Labour policy shifted to the centre. Peter Mandelson was recruited as the Director of Communications. A government which business can do business with, promised its 1992 Manifesto. The Financial Times came out for Kinnock. CND was ditched. The police embraced. All that wasnt enough. Only when Tony Blair came along, did enough people decide it was safe to vote Labour. Starmer could well be the new Kinnock. He might not even manage that. It could be that Labours decline continues under him. It would be rash to predict that as Keir Hardie was Labours first Leader, Sir Keir Starmer will be its last. But nor is it clear that the Starmer era would be a period of recovery for the Party at all. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Japanese prosecutors on Thursday raided the Tokyo home of former Nissan Chairman, Carlos Ghosn, after he skipped bail and fled to Lebanon before his trial on financial misconduct charges. Tokyo prosecutors and police did not immediately comment. Japanese media showed investigators entering the home, which was Ghosn's third residence in Tokyo since he was first arrested a year ago. Authorities have now searched each one. Government offices in Japan are closed this week for the New Year's holidays. It is unclear how Ghosn avoided the tight surveillance he was under in Japan and showed up in Lebanon. Ghosn said in a statement on Tuesday he left for Lebanon because he thought the Japanese judicial system was unjust, and he wanted to avoid political persecution. He said he would talk to reporters next week. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. Lebanon has said Ghosn entered the country legally, and there was no reason to take action against him. His lawyers in Japan said they had no knowledge of the escape and they had all his passports. Ghosn has French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship. Then something changed. The brief on the merits that Solicitor General Francisco filed in December took a surprisingly different line of attack on the Ninth Circuits decision. In addition to distinguishing Boumediene as inapplicable, the brief argues that Mr. Thuraissigiams claim must fail because the Constitutions framers would not have applied the Suspension Clause to immigrants seeking relief from deportation. This is an aggressive originalist argument that comes very close to telling the court that Boumediene itself was wrongly decided. This court has stated that the Suspension Clause protects the writ as it existed in 1789, the brief asserts, citing an immigration case from 2001, Immigration and Naturalization Service v. St. Cyr. It continues: And in 1789, the writ did not protect the sort of claim that respondent asserts here. To be generous, that is at best a partial rendering of what Justice John Paul Stevens said in his majority opinion in the St. Cyr case. Here is the relevant paragraph, highlighting two important words that the administrations brief left out (Enrico St. Cyr was a Haitian immigrant trying to avoid deportation; he won the case): In sum, even assuming that the Suspension Clause protects only the writ as it existed in 1789, there is substantial evidence to support the proposition that pure questions of law like the one raised by the respondent in this case could have been answered in 1789 by a common law judge with power to issue the writ of habeas corpus. It necessarily follows that a serious Suspension Clause issue would be presented if we were to accept the I.N.S.s submission that the 1996 statutes have withdrawn that power from federal judges and provided no adequate substitute for its exercise. Justice Kennedy voted with the St. Cyr majority. And in his majority opinion seven years later in Boumediene, he had this to say: The court has been careful not to foreclose the possibility that the protections of the Suspension Clause have expanded along with post-1789 developments that define the present scope of the writ. What accounts for the administrations aggressive advocacy in the face of the carefully nuanced precedents that apply to this area of the law? Two factors, I think. The first is that conservatives despise the Boumediene opinion. Judge Raymond Randolph, a stalwart conservative on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, who wrote the opinion that the Supreme Court overturned in Boumediene, has openly been at war with the Supreme Court over Guantanamo. In a 2010 speech to the Heritage Foundation, he compared the justices in the Boumediene majority to Tom and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby: careless people, who smashed things up and who let other people clean up the mess they made. And another conservative judge on the same court, Laurence Silberman, in a concurring opinion in 2011 called Boumediene the Supreme Courts defiant if only theoretical assertion of judicial supremacy. After Boumediene, dozens of Guantanamo detainees brought habeas corpus petitions in Federal District Court in Washington, and the judges of that court granted relief to many of them. But the conservative judges on the appeals court overturned one favorable ruling after another in what at least from the outside looked like a systematic effort to clean up the mess by rendering a potentially powerful rights-protecting decision toothless. Not once did the appeals court uphold a detainees grant of habeas corpus. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was a judge on the D.C. Circuit throughout that period, joined the majority in two of the more important cases. The war on Boumediene is not ancient history. In his widely noticed speech to the Federalist Society in November, Attorney General William P. Barr took direct aim at the decision, referring to it as the climax of the most blatant and consequential usurpation of executive power in our history. According to the attorney general, the Supreme Court, in its series of Guantanamo cases, set itself up as the ultimate arbiter and superintendent of military decisions inherent in prosecuting a military conflict decisions that lie at the very core of the presidents discretion as commander in chief. Prosecutors in Angola have ramped up pressure on former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos's family, targeting his son and daughter in an escalating probe into corruption. Just two weeks after Dos Santos's son went on trial for alleged embezzlement at Angola's sovereign wealth fund, prosecutors froze his daughter's assets in a probe into a suspected billion-dollar fraud. President dos Santos, 77, ruled Angola for 38 years -- a time widely associated with authoritarianism, corruption and nepotism. He was succeeded in September 2017 by his hand-picked successor, Joao Lourenco. Within two months, Lourenco removed Isabel dos Santos, his predecessor's oldest child, as head of the state-owned oil giant Sonangol, to which she had been appointed in June 2016. On December 23 2019, a court froze the bank accounts and holdings owned by Dos Santos and her Congolese husband Sindika Dokolo, over state losses of more than a billion dollars. "The state, through its companies Sodiam (a diamond marketing firm) and Sonangol, transferred large sums of foreign currency to the benefit of foreign companies of which the accused are the beneficiaries, without getting the expected return," the prosecutor's office said on Monday, announcing the freeze. Their Portuguese financial advisor, Mario da Silva is also a suspect. Dos Santos, who went abroad after she was removed as Sonangol chief, issued a statement late Tuesday describing the allegations as riddled with "obvious lies, errors and omissions". "This court decision, which is the outcome of an injunction that was not communicated to the parties, is clearly arbitrary and politically motivated," she said. 'Africa's richest woman' The 46-year-old businesswoman is often called "The Princess" by Angolans, while an investigation by the US magazine Forbes in 2013 tagged her "the richest woman in Africa." In 2019, it rated her net worth at $2.2 billion. According to investigators, Portuguese police have intercepted 10 million euros that she tried to transfer to Russia in order to protect her assets -- an allegation that she described on Twitter on Wednesday as "completely and utterly false... a fabrication, a lie". Her half-brother Jose Filomeno dos Santos, 41, went on trial on December 9 for alleged corruption. He is accused of embezzling as much as $1.5 billion from Angola's sovereign wealth fund during his 2013-2018 stewardship. The Dos Santos family accuses Lourenco's government of persecution, and Isabel dos Santos say she now lives abroad because she has received death threats. The mounting investigation has triggered jubilation among the Angolan opposition. "This confirms what we've been saying since 1975, that this country is a victim of kleptocracy," said Marcial Dachala, a spokesman for the main opposition group, Unita. Angola is the second biggest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this wealth, 36 percent of its citizens live in extreme poverty, according to the UN. Rafael Marques, an investigative journalist and scourge of the Dos Santos regime, said: "Nobody has impunity now." A cautionary note was sounded by Luaty Beirao, a rapper who was imprisoned in the Dos Santos era. "Justice is always in the hands of those in power," he said. "Today the decision may seem to meet the people's wishes, but tomorrow it could be used to hound the opposition." For more than 30 years, West Lane Pizza & Deli was a staple in the Ridgefield community and was enjoyed by many families in town. Owners John and Anna Saoulidis officially closed the business on Dec. 31, marking an end to an adventure that started in 1988. The Saoulidises said that they will miss the friends that they had come to meet while being in business. The deli had become one of the hotspots in the town where many families and friends often started their day with having breakfast, whether it was the breakfast sandwiches, or something made up to order special. The deli was also known for its Greek-style foods, especially the gyros. For 15 years, I have been coming here and my boys love coming for breakfast, said customer Chris Curran. I tell them they can go to eat wherever they want to in Ridgefield and they are always like, We want to go to Johns. Many of the customers, such as Currans boys, call the deli Johns rather than by its actual name, the owner said. Many of the customers are in shock and saddened by the closing and will miss it. When West Lane Pizza & Deli opened in Ridgefield over 30 years ago, it wasnt anything like it was today. Back in 1988, it was just simply a market that sold food, alcohol and a few other general items. When John and Anna bought the place, they transformed it into the place that it had become and quite popular. John is proud of the gyro machine. We slice up our meat and it is fresh up to order, he said. However, with the rush of the business and the countless hours put into it, it can be quite exhausting for an individual. During the delis last weekend in business, John talked about how he would be up at around 5 a.m. and at the deli sometime around 6 a.m. if not earlier. On most days, he would be working most of the day and that can put quite the stress on someone. I am tired of the long hours and want a job thats less demanding, said John. I will miss my customers because they have become like family to me, he also said. However, John wont be going very far in the Ridgefield community. Once West Lane Deli is closed, he will be embarking on a new adventure at Gyro on Pita, located at 91 Danbury Road. I want a job with less hours and less worries as my son will be getting married very soon. I want to be able to spend more time with my family, said John. Many members of the community had lots to say on Facebook. Rand Arrowitz recalls the time that he made Johns first sign for the deli when he went in business a long time ago. He once asked him [John] what the secret was to such a delicious pizza. Johns answer: The water. There have been many stories that people have shared over Facebook about their experiences at West Lane Deli and how it had impacted their families and childhoods. Thank you for always being there for my family, we have such fond memories of all our times spent enjoying your place. You were the first place my kids could walk to when they were growing up, said Heather MacLetchie Ehinger. Another person also posted about best childhood memories at the deli and stopping by after school. Others talked about how the deli had become such an important place in their lives. West Lane Deli was a place most people went to start their morning routines for breakfast and conversation either with John or Anna. John and family are the best and we thank you for creating so many memories for us and specifically for my dad (George) and me, said Phil Samenuk. When talking about the final countdown of the remaining days, John smiled and talked about how he will miss the people of Ridgefield that always came in. There have been very nice and friendly people that I have gotten to know over the many years, John said. Famous lyricist Javed Akhtar on Thursday said that those who are speaking against 'An-al-haq' in Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's iconic poem, 'Hum dekhengey...' are speaking the language of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. Akhtar's statement comes after Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur set up a committee to investigate if Pakistani Faiz's poem 'Hum dekhenge', usually sung as a protest against the establishment sung as a protest, provokes anti-Hindu sentiments. "An-al-Haq means 'Aham Brahma', this is not an Islamic thought... This was started by the Sufis. Those who are speaking against an-al-haq should know that they are speaking the language of Aurangzeb. He had the same thoughts, he cracked down on those who used term," said Akhtar. "Now how to speak to such jaahils (illiterates) and idiots who don't understand that the term is Sufi, it is in sync with advait philosophy," he added. The issue came on the boil after some students from IIT Kanpur held a solidarity march for the scholars of Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University, after police cracked down on them on December 15 following anti-CAA protests. Two days later, the protest was held at IIT Kanpur, where the protestors started with a reading of the poem. Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz was a revolutionary, a communist and an atheist, who was jailed several times for his writings. "Hum dekhenge" remains one of his best-remembered compositions, written in 1979 against Pakistan dictator Zia-ul-Haq. "Jab arz-e-Khuda ke Kaabe se. Sab boot uthwae jaenge. Hum ahl-e-safaa mardood-e-haram. Masnad pe bethae jaenge (When from the land of God, icons of dictatorship will be removed... We the oppressed and pure in heart will rule. The crowns will be tossed and thrones well be damaged)," reads a verse in the poem. Akhtar stated that "calling Faiz Ahmed Faiz an 'anti-Hindu' is so absurd and funny that its difficult to seriously talk about it. He lived half his life outside Pakistan, he was called anti-Pakistan there. Faiz wrote 'Hum Dekhenge' poem against Zia ul Haq's communal, regressive and fundamentalist Government." IIT Kanpur will reportedly take action on the basis of findings and suggestions of the panel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday asserted that there would be no compromise with the interest of the indigenous Assamese at any cost due to the new Citizenship law. Sonowal, trying to allay fears triggered by the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, said the government would 'never step back in protecting their interests'. The Chief Minister had previously urged the prominent student union AASU and other intelligentsia to extend their cooperation to enable the government to ensure the protection of the rights of indigenous people of Assam as per the tenets of the Assam Accord. "The government has given suggestion to the Central government, which is in a process to frame the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act to incorporate state government's view so that interest of indigenous people remains protected," Sonowal told media reporters. He further asserted that he was also the "son of this soil" and that he would "not compromise with the interest of indigenous people" at any cost while urging the people of the state to have faith in him. Making an emotional appeal to the people of the state, Sonowal reiterated that wrong narrative on the CAA by certain 'destructive elements made Assam suffer violence and arson.' "A section has misguided the people by claiming that the CAA will make 1.5 crore Hindus of Bangladesh eligible for citizenship. I know you will not believe me now but the reality is that very few people already living in Assam for decades will get citizenship because of this Act. It will become clear when we publish the list after their applications are processed," he said. READ: Assam govt safeguarding community, land, home of indigenous people: CM READ: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal shown black flags in Barpeta and Nalbari Sonowal points out govt's initiatives; assures security to indigenous Assamese Assuring indigenous Assamese that they would not be affected due to the Act, the Chief Minister said, "My government will not take any step that goes against the indigenous Assamese people. There is no point in being the Chief Minister if I cannot protect the interests of the very people who elected us. Assam was, is and will be for the Assamese people and no force can threaten our language, culture and existence." He further stressed upon the initiatives of his government taken since 2016 and the massive investment of the central government. Taking an apparent jibe at the opposition and said, "It is amusing to see that the BJP which worked so tirelessly for the development of the state has become the villain and those looted the state and did nothing to defend the state from invasion of foreigners are part of agitation." "Numerous lies are being spread regarding the CAA. Rumours that foreigners will be allowed to settle in the land of indigenous people have caused fear psychosis among common people. And Congress and Left parties are adding fuel to these rumours," he said. READ: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal slams Congress over CAA, assures to safeguard state's interest READ: Assam CM calls for spiritual awakening to face modern-day challenges (With Inputs from ANI) GRAND HAVEN, Mich., Jan. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Access-Power, Inc., (ACCR or the Company), a Grand Haven based medical marijuana clone corporation is pleased to announce that we just filed our 10K for the Year Ended 2019. The filing can be access online at: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1041588/000104158820000001/accr12311910K.txt This is awesome! The future of marijuana clone delivery will belong to Shareholders of Access-Power, Inc. http://www.clonesbydrones.com A friendly reminder, we are actively looking for a MERGER DEAL. Established in 1996, Access-Power, Inc. is a Florida based for-profit Corporation with operations in West Michigan. We have a strong drive for profitability. Our goal is to raise shareholder value. There are various risk factors that should be carefully considered in evaluating our business; because such factors may have a significant impact on our business, our operating results, our liquidity and financial condition. As a result of these various risk factors, actual results could differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently consider to be immaterial, may also impact our business, result of operations, liquidity and financial condition. If any such risks occur, our business, its operating results, liquidity and financial condition could be materially affected in an adverse manner. Under such circumstances, if a stable trading market for our securities is established, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. SECURITIES ISSUED BY THE COMPANY INVOLVE A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK AND, THEREFORE, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED EXTREMELY SPECULATIVE. THEY SHOULD NOT BE PURCHASED BY PERSONS WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE POSSIBILITY OF THE LOSS OF THE ENTIRE INVESTMENT. PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD READ ALL OF THE COMPANY'S FILINGS, INCLUDING ALL EXHIBITS, AND CAREFULLY CONSIDER, AMONG OTHER FACTORS THE VARIOUS RISK FACTORS THAT MAY BE PRESENT. You should be aware that there are many substantial risks to an investment in our common stock. Carefully consider these risk factors, along with any available information currently reported by the Company (of which there are note), before you decide to invest in shares of our common stock. If these risk factors were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations or future prospects could be materially adversely affected. If that happens, the market price for our common stock, if any, could decline, and prospective investors would likely lose all or even part of their investment. Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about the Company's business, based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may, and probably will, differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbhCPt6PZIU Contact Information: Patrick J. Jensen Director Tel: 616.312.5390 Email: pjensen@myaccess-power.com Corporate Website: http://www.myaccess-power.com "Our corporate website is currently under construction to soon reflect our new business model in the Michigan Medical Marijuana Clone sector." Product Website http://www.mycbdpets.com http://www.clonesbydrones.com Access-Power, Inc. OTC Ticker: ACCR South Korean prosecutors on Thursday indicted almost 30 MPs and the leader of the main opposition party on assault and other charges over a two-day parliamentary stand-off. In an attempt to stop legislation being passed, members of the opposition Liberty Korea party (LKP) lay on the floor linking arms to block access to a committee room, and blockaded an MP in his office for five hours. Scuffles broke out as MPs of the governing Democratic party tried to force their way into the hall in April. Seoul prosecutors indicted the LKP leader Hwang Kyo-ahn and 23 of his MPs -- including former parliamentary floor leader Na Kyung-won -- on charges including causing a commotion at the national assembly and illegal detention. Five Democratic party MPs were indicted on accusations of assault. Among the 29 accused, prosecutors said 18 will face court trials, including Hwang and Na, while the others are likely to be fined without court proceedings as their offences are considered minor. The indictment comes three months before a legislative election and if any of the MPs are fined five million won (US$4,300) or more on conviction, they will be stripped of their seats and barred from standing for re-election for five years. The LKP said the five-to-24 ratio of charges was "unfair" and "unbalanced", while Na -- who is herself a former judge -- condemned the indictment as "politically retaliatory" and claimed it was "top-down ordered" by the administration of President Moon Jae-in. Score-settling is ingrained in the country's winner-takes-all political system, with every one of the country's living former presidents either currently in prison or convicted of crimes after leaving office. The dispute broke out when the governing party and its allies sought to fast-track a series of reform bills, among them setting up a body to probe corruption by high-ranking officials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lois Evans, wife of Tony Evans, dies after battle with cancer: 'Her first sunrise from Heaven' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Lois Evans, wife of pastor Tony Evans, has died after battling a rare form of cancer, her family has revealed. Evans, the senior pastor at the Oak Cliff Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas, wrote on Instagram that his wife was surrounded by family when she passed away the morning of Dec. 30. "Just before the sun came up this morning, the love of my life, Lois Irene Evans, transitioned from earth and watched her first sunrise from Heaven." "I had the privilege of holding her hand as she was lulled into eternity. Our four children surrounded her as well. As she slipped away, we told her how much we love her, how proud we are of her, and how thankful we are for the life she has lived." We are what we are because of her, he continued. Thank you so much for praying for my wife and for my family. God answered our prayers this morning by relieving her of suffering. But the truth is, He has been answering our prayers all along. Lois lived beyond medical expectations, not once, but over and over again. God has been so kind to give us more time to make wonderful memories. Evans said that while the days ahead will be challenging, he is grateful for the life and love of a woman who planted seeds that will bear fruit for generations to come. Evans daughter, Priscilla Shirer, also took to Instagram to honor her late mother, writing: Goodnight my beautiful, beloved Mommy. Ill see you in the morning. She later added, Lois Irene Evans. December 1, 1949 - December 30, 2019. Bravo Mom. Bravo! Evans first announced Lois biliary cancer diagnosis on April 2. At the time, he revealed his wifes latest routine scan showed that her rare gallbladder cancer had returned after being cancer-free for a while. In November, the pastor revealed chemotherapy and radiation were no longer options for his wife but they were still believing God for supernatural healing. So we are totally resting on the supernatural at this point, he said. But because we have a strong faith, we are stable in the midst of instability and uncertainty. We stay close to each other as a family and we stay close to God. Over the last week and a half there has been a slight improvement that was unexpected even by the doctors. So were just trusting God in the middle of that and taking it day by day. Were believing for a miracle, but we trust Him regardless. Lois Evans was co-founder and senior vice president of The Urban Alternative a Christian broadcast and teaching ministry that reaches an audience of 2 million listeners on more than 1,200 radio stations in over 130 different countries which she and her husband launched in 1982. She also founded the Pastors Wives Ministry. The Evans family is still grieving the death of Tony Evans father in November, the unexpected loss of Evans' sister, Beverly Johnson, who died in January, along with his niece, Wynter Pitts, who died last year, and his brother who died six months before that. Concluding his post on Monday, Evans wrote that the family is grateful for all those who have prayed for his wife and the family during these difficult times. "Thank you for your continued prayers for our family as we grieve, and also for your patience as we finalize our plans to honor her life." Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally at the Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru on Thursday where he recalled the projects and tasks taken up and completed by the BJP government in the six months since winning the General Election. READ: PM Modi's 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' Postponed To Jan 20 From Jan 16 PM sends a reminder The PM said, "We have freed Kashmir from the pangs of terrorism & indecision by abrogating Article 370. We're also providing citizenship to religiously persecuted minorities from neighboring countries, and a Ram Mandir is also being built on Lord Ram's birthplace with peace & harmony. Partition took place on the basis of religion. In Pakistan, tremendous persecution of minorities has been done, and a lot of people have had to leave their houses and come to India." He also questioned the Congress party after its increasing protests and remarks against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). "A few weeks ago, Parliament has also done the historic work of creating CAA. But the people of Congress and their allies and their created ecosystem have stood up against the Parliament of India. Why is the Congress silent on Pakistan's persecution? Is it not our responsibility to help these persecuted people who have come from Pakistan?" He went on to ask whether the Congress would also ask protesters to sloganeer against Pakistan's persecution as well. PM Modi To Attend Series Of Programmes During Two-day Visit To Karnataka The Prime Minister on a two-day visit to Karnataka. The Prime Minister will also give away the Agriculture Minister's Krishi Karman Awards for Progressive Farmers. At another public meeting in Tumakuru, Modi will distribute Krishi Karman Awards and Commendation Awards to various states, according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Furthermore, this event will also witness the release of the third instalment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, which will benefit approximately six crore farmers. PM Modi will be handing over certificates to beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi from various states and Union Territories. READ: PM Modi Pays Tribute To Shri Guru Gobind Singh On Prakash Parv READ: Congress Hits Out At PM Modi For 'neglecting' Karnataka STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The start of the new year brings with it new laws that are sure to impact the day-to-day lives of Staten Island residents. Cash bail has been eliminated for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. Real ID deadlines are looming large. Plastic bags will be banned in March. Paid family leave is available in an increased capacity. Teens can now pre-register to vote at 16 or 17 years old. Mental health and addiction coverage has been expanded. And tolling changes are on the way for Staten Islands bridges. Heres a look at seven new laws that will affect Staten Islanders in 2020. CASH BAIL REFORM As of Jan. 1, cash bail has been eliminated for most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies, including most drug offenses, in the state of New York. The reforms were passed as part of the state budget in April. Under the law, bail has been eliminated for all misdemeanor charges, with the exceptions of sex offenses and criminal contempt for violating an order of protection in a domestic violence case. Bail and pretrial detention are also scrapped for nearly all nonviolent felonies, with the exceptions being witness intimation or tampering, murder conspiracy, contempt charges involving domestic violence and some offenses against children, sex charges and terrorism-related offenses. In cases where theres a risk of flight, judges can set a number of conditions upon a defendants release, including electronic monitoring for 60 days with an option to renew, supervised release, travel restrictions or limitations on weapon possession during the pretrial phase. Bail and detention will still be permitted for virtually all violent felonies, except specific sub-sections of second-degree robbery and second-degree burglary. According to the Center for Court Innovation, only 10% of the nearly 205,000 criminal cases arraigned in the five boroughs in 2018 would have been eligible for bail under the new law. That means the vast majority of defendants would have been released pending the disposition of their case. Assemblymembers Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore/South Brooklyn) and Michael Reilly (R-South Shore) have both been highly-critical of the reforms, voicing public safety concerns regarding the release of the alleged criminals. Theyre going to affect our communities safety, theyre going to make the jobs of our law enforcement much more difficult, and its, literally, going to release people with extensive criminal histories back on to our streets, Malliotakis said. Reilly, a former police officer, said the bail reforms will make the jobs of police officers more difficult. I can tell you first hand that were making the job of police officers a lot harder now thanks to my colleagues across the aisle in Albany, he said. The unfortunate reality is that the idea of trying to be the first instead of trying to be the best was their priority. REAL ID New Yorkers now have less than 9 months to acquire a new form of identification if they plan on catching any domestic flights. Starting Oct. 1, 2020, the federal government will require those boarding domestic flights to carry a drivers license or other identification card that is Real ID compliant. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offers residents two options for Real ID licenses: a standard Real ID or an Enhanced ID. Both the Real ID and Enhanced ID will allow travelers to board domestic flights and enter some federal buildings. However, Enhanced IDs will also allow residents to cross United States land and sea borders from Canada, Mexico, and some Caribbean countries, without the need for a passport. Enhanced IDs do not authorize air travel between these countries, strictly land and sea travel. Passports are still required for all international flights. Real IDs are marked with a star logo in the top-right corner, with Enhanced IDs featuring a banner that reads Enhanced," along with an American flag in the bottom-right corner. Standard ID cards, which are still valid for all other purposes outside of domestic flights and entering federal buildings, now feature the phrase Not For Federal Purposes in the top-right corner. Those who wish to obtain a Real ID must go to a DMV office. You cannot get a Real ID online, by phone, or through mail. There is no additional cost to get a Real ID. However, all normal transaction fees still apply. An Enhanced ID will cost an extra $30, in addition to the normal transaction fees. Valid U.S. Passports are already Real ID compliant and can continue to be used to board flights. PLASTIC BAG BAN Beginning March 1, stores around the state will be banned from giving customers most single-use plastic bags. As part of the ban, counties and cities will be able to opt into charging a 5 cent fee on paper bags, with 2 cents going to local governments and 3 cents going toward the states Environmental Protection Fund. In April, Mayor Bill de Blasio publicly supported imposing a fee on paper bags and banning plastic bags. Asked on the The Brian Lehrer Show whether he supports the 5 cent fee, de Blasio said he does, but still thinks that ultimately, the city would need to move away from paper bags too. We need the option to make that decision ourselves. Anytime Albany helps us and recognizes that we are 43 percent of the states population and the economic engine for the state and lets us actually figure out what works for us, its a good day, de Blasio said. So yes, thats a decision we need to make. I do believe that we have to get away from paper bags too. PAID FAMILY LEAVE New Yorks Paid Family Leave program, first signed into law by Cuomo in 2016, has again expanded to offer additional time off at a higher pay rate. Benefits for the program are being phased in over the course of four years, with the final increase taking effect in 2021. During 2020, New Yorkers can take up to 10 weeks of Paid Family Leave and receive 60% of their average weekly wage, capped at 60% of the New York State Average Weekly Wage. Starting 2021, New Yorkers will be eligible for up to 12 weeks of leave, and receive 67% of their average weekly wage, capped at 67% of the New York State Average Weekly Wage. Leave can be taken all at once or in full-day increments. You may take the maximum time-off benefit in any given 52-week period. The 52-week clock starts on the first day you take Paid Family Leave. Early voting began on Oct. 26 at several locations across Staten Island. (Staten Island Advance/Annalise Knudson) VOTER REGISTRATION FOR TEENS Beginning this year, 16- and 17-year-old New Yorkers can pre-register to vote by filling out the voter registration document online or at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Those looking to pre-register will need to provide documents verifying their identity, residence and citizenship, and will not be eligible to actually cast a vote until after their 18th birthday. MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION COVERAGE As of Jan. 1, health insurers in New York are required to limit co-pays or coinsurance for outpatient mental health treatment and treatment for addiction. Every New Yorker deserves equal and affordable access to high quality health care, especially when it comes to mental health and addiction treatment services, said Cuomo. These new measures will help ensure people get the help they need and break down some of the most common barriers to treatment by limiting co-pays and educating consumers about the options available to them. The new law also prohibits preauthorization or concurrent review during the first four weeks of inpatient or outpatient treatment for addiction. A composite of Staten Island's four bridges. (Staten Island Advance) TOLLING CHANGES Tolls on three of Staten Islands bridges are set to increase at the start of next week, with tolls on the fourth bridge potentially being split in half and charged bidirectionally in the coming year. Starting Sunday, Jan. 5, toll increases will take effect on the Port Authority of New York and New Jerseys six interstate crossings, including the Goethals Bridge, Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing. The cash-by-mail toll will increase from $15 to $16, with the the E-ZPass peak hours toll increasing from $12.50 to $13.75 and the E-ZPass non-peak hours toll increasing from $10.50 to $11.75. The rate for the Staten Island Bridges Plan, offering residents a 50% discount on the peak E-ZPass toll, will increase to $6.88, while maintaining the monthly three-trip threshold required to trigger the discounted rate. Initially, the Port Authority had proposed increasing the required number of trips to 10 per month, but following a vocal bipartisan opposition to the change, the agency modified the proposal to maintain the three-trip threshold. Last month, President Donald Trump signed a $1.4 trillion spending package that included a repeal of the split-tolling ban on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, including language to potentially split the spans $19, one-way toll into two, $9.50 split-tolls. However, additional action is required by the MTA before the bridges toll is officially split in half and charged in each direction. The MTAs Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA), responsible for operating two tunnels and seven bridges, including the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, needs to approve the change, which could come as early as this year. The MTA welcomes and supports the decision by Congress to remove the federal prohibition that has prevented two-way tolling at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, as this will no doubt benefit our customers on Staten Island and around the region, said MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan. The introduction of Open Road Cashless Tolling, and the traffic flow improvements it has generated, means there is really no reason to require tolls in only one direction on this important crossing. Every name on the BrandBucket marketplace is exclusively listed with BrandBucket. That means that all of our sellers are very responsive, making for quick domain transfers. A dedicated BrandBucket agent will manage your domain transfer from beginning to end, ensuring a secure and easy transaction. They will manage the receipt of the domain into one of BrandBuckets secure registrar accounts and then complete the transfer to you. 1. Verification and registrar choice After we receive the payment and verify it, we will reach out via email to confirm which registrar you want the domain transferred to. We also provide a link to our tracking system, where you can communicate with us, check on the status of your transfer, view your invoice, and download your logo files. In most cases, if a domain is moved between accounts at a single registrar, the transfer is quick and usually completes within 48 hours. If a domain changes registrars (in other words, you would like to move it away from where it is currently registered), the transfer is slower. The total transfer time can then be anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days. BrandBucket has vetted and supports the following registrars: GoDaddy Namesilo Uniregistry NameCheap Google Domains Network Solutions Name.com Dynadot Amazon Route 53 123 Reg Gandi 2. We request the name from the seller. Once we know where you would like the domain transferred, BrandBucket will request the domain from the seller. All of our sellers are very responsive, making for a quick process. 3. Transfer the name into your account As soon as we receive the name from the seller, we start the transfer into your account and guide you through the whole process. 4. Verify with the buyer that the transfer is complete Once we confirm that you have received the name, we consider the escrow process to be complete. Only then do we release payment to the domain seller. Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and current lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks to members of the media during a White House Sports and Fitness Day at the South Lawn of the White House May 30, 2018 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani says he'd be willing to testify at his client's Senate trial, but he would "love" to represent Trump in the proceedings. "I would testify, I would do demonstrations, I'd give lectures, I'd give summations, or I'd do what I do best, I'd try the case. I'd love to try the case," Giuliani told reporters as he made his way into a New Year's Eve celebration at the president's Florida resort on Tuesday night. Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, suggested he'd lead the president's defense with a prosecution. "I don't know if anybody would have the courage to give me the case, but if you give me the case, I will prosecute it as a racketeering case, which I kind of invented anyway," he said, referring to his pioneering use of racketeering laws to take down New York mob leadership in the 1980s. "It was 30 years ago, but let's see if I can still do it," he said. The former New York City mayor did not elaborate, but he has said before that Trump did nothing wrong in the dealings with Ukraine that led to his impeachment, and that the real wrongdoers are former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Read more from NBC News: 2020's new laws: Gender-neutral 'X' licenses, stronger ID, wear your hair the way you want 400 protesters in Hong Kong arrested after thousands join New Year's Day rally North Korea signals end of nuclear-test suspension, promises 'new' weapon The impeachment proceedings center on Trump's efforts to press Ukraine's president to investigate the Bidens, focusing on Hunter Biden's work on the board of a Ukrainian gas company while his father was calling for the removal the country's top prosecutor as part of the Obama administration's anti-corruption efforts there. Trump sought the investigation into his political rival while while withholding critical military aid to the country, which is at war with Russian-backed separatists. The Bidens have denied any wrongdoing. Trump's allies and top Republicans have urged the president to distance himself from Giuliani, who is reportedly being investigated by federal prosecutors who have arrested two of his associates on charges of violating campaign finance laws. Giuliani has denied any wrongdoing, telling New York magazine in an interview published last week that if prosecutors are investigating him, "they're idiots." In that same interview, Giuliani said he wanted to represent Trump in the Senate so he could cross-examine Democrats. "I'm great at it. It's what I do best as a lawyer. That's what I would be good at," he said. "Oh, I would love it, I could rip you know, I hate to sound like a ridiculously boastful lawyer, but cross-examining them would be, I don't know, I could've done it when I was a second-year assistant U.S. attorney. They're a bunch of clowns." Giuliani's claims that the Bidens were involved in criminality in Kyiv for which there's no credible evidence led to Trump's demand that the country investigate the father and son, which resulted in the president's impeachment. Trump was not asked about who would represent him in the Senate trial as he made his way into the party at Mar-a-Lago, but he did sound off on his impeachment, which he called "a big fat hoax." "As far as I'm concerned I will be happy with the trial because we did nothing wrong," he said. States passing resolutions against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) are misleading people, as citizenship falls under the Centre's purview, BJP working president J P Nadda said here on Thursday. The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution against the CAA, demanding scrapping of the controversial Act which grants citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who arrived in India before 2015. "Some states are passing resolutions against the CAA. Citizenship is a subject under the Central government, and the law has been passed by the Centre and bears the signature of President," Nadda said. "It has been implemented, and beneficiaries will get citizenship, you (state governments opposing the CAA) should stop misleading people," he added, speaking at 'CAA Janjagaran Sammelan' organized by the BJP here. "You can tell facts to the Congress, but it is not in a position to understand truth. We can explain only if they understand, but if they do not want to understand despite being intelligent, then we cannot do anything," he said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did not know anything about the CAA, he said. "I would like to ask the Congress why its leaders did not condemn the violence during (anti-CAA) protests that caused damage to public properties. They are all hand in glove," the BJP working president said. Eighty per cent of beneficiaries under the Act would be Dalits, Nadda claimed. "Congress sheds crocodile tear for Dalits....It only used them for political ends....80 per cent of those being provided citizenship under the Act are Dalits," he said. Communities such as Matua, Rajvanshi and Namo Sudra migrated to India from the three neighbouring countries and they would be the biggest beneficiaries of the CAA, he said. Nadda also said, citing reports in the Washington Post and New York Times, that there were 5,50,000 Sikh families in Afghanistan at one time but now only 2,000 families are left. "A momentary mistake of Partition made generations suffer," he said. While the population of Muslims in India rose to 14 per cent from 9 per cent (at the time of Independence), in Pakistan, Hindu population declined from 23 per cent to 3 per cent, he claimed. "These are the people who came to India to save their lives, respect and culture," he added. "Mahatma Gandhi said in 1947 that arrangements should be made for them if they cannot stay there, they should be brought to India and given citizenship," Nadda claimed. Even former prime minister Manmohan Singh had said that people were facing persecution because of their religion in Bangladesh, the BJP leader said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Computer & Technology How can Digital Marketing help to grow your business? 02.01.2020 12:21:20 - Basically Digital Marketing is an act of promoting and selling your products or services through digital medium or digital technologies like advertisements, search engines, social media platforms, emails, and mobile phones. This marketing works with an idea to make a correct offer at the right time and at the right place. It can also be helpful to categories your audience according to product or services demand, which results in leverage and beneficial for your business. 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Using the best methods and strategies to initiate a small or large business plan can create a huge impact on business and ROI. Way to get enhanced visibility, leverage influencer, build a dedicated audience, increase the credibility of your brand and better communication with customers.10 reasons how Digital Marketing can help to take your business to the next level and sustain in the digital era1. Enhanced visibility on the internetDigital Strategies have a crucial role to leverage your business on search engines, social media platforms, email & more. This can be helpful to generate traffic, ensure visibility online, business get recognized online and easy communication among audiences & your brand.2. Cost-Effective solutions for your businessFor a startup to big business, digital marketing has always been productive and cost-effective methods. It helps to channelize your business and deliver favorable results. It is effective to implement digital marketing strategies for products or services or brand promotions.3. Digital Marketing is a successful way to deliver better conversion rates, traffic and generate leadsMeasure the success of your business by the percentage of incoming traffic, lead generation, channelizing the sales, impressions and calculate your progress. It is a good technique to schedule your promotional campaigns, understanding analytics, conversion optimization, target audiences, and better conversion rates. You can plan a successful business model by implementing apt digital technology.4 Helpful in generating better revenuesAs the conversion rate increases by deploying accurate digital marketing strategies deliver profitable results and bring ROI for your business. With better digital techniques opens the door to reach a large audience and gives revenue growth expectancy to small, medium to large enterprises.5 Better interaction with Targeted audiencesOne of the primary benefits of Internet Marketing facilitates better interactions with the targeted audience in real-time. Making the services more reliable to use, develop better experience and gaining loyal customers. These are essential factors you require to grow your business efficiently.6 Builds credibility and reliability of your business among audiencesShowcasing your business or brand or services on online platforms gives the audience a good impression to consider your business in their sight and makes your brand reliable. As they get an assurance that this brand can be reached and can be contacted any time due to online presence. Making your business is more reliable and credible among the audience. It is the platform where customers can see your brand reputation, as users can give their feedbacks, ratings that have direct impact on your sales. It is important to gain valuable information for your business success; Rococo Consultant is here to assist you.7 Digital Marketing Makes your business sustain in this competitive digital arenaBusiness establishment and visitors analytics like impression, bounce rate, conversions, leads & page views & more. As your brand is trusted by the audience, reliable and better in providing quality services that can help your brand to sustain itself in the digital arena & improvise user experience. Online marketing techniques & strategies can further be used for growth ahead.8 Helpful to generate traffic and leads from mobile usersMobile internet is the wave of information dissemination, brought by many internet-enabled devices like smartphones, tablets in this digital era. Mobile devices are becoming the central part of our routine and have importance in everyone's life. This is the best time to intend the digital ad campaign on mobile devices to ensure better online marketing techniques for favorable results, as it is easy to access to achieving growth and faster expansion.9 Ensures business sustainability onlineDigital Marketing involves long term effectiveness of metrics, loyal customers, referrals, & more. Establishing correct KPIs as per your business categories, make sure the business model should look generic, valid and accurate. To let your business survive well in this competitive digital world switch to digital strategies.10 To strategies Valuable data and analyticsIts a proficient way to analyses your data and analytics. It enables you to track the information about the website at real time. Metrics calculated are location of users, bounce rate impressions , traffic , interests and time spent on website. This can help to plan your stratergy and target conversions better way. Press Information: Rococo Consultant Pvt Ltd B/501,Venus Tower, Veera Desai Road, Azad Nagar,Andheri West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400053 Contact Person: Monu Manager Phone: 8976908999 eMail: eMail Web: http://https://www.rococoindia.com/ 02.01.2020 12:21:20 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 22:47:27|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Caretaker Justice Minister Albert Serhan announced on Thursday that Lebanon has received a red notice by the Interpol to arrest former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn. The red notice for the former automotive titan was received earlier Thursday by the Lebanese prosecution, local media reported. Ghosn arrived in Beirut on Monday after fleeing from Japan amid charges of financial misconduct. Nissan accused Ghosn last year of understating his salary while he was the chief executive, and transferring 5 million U.S. dollars of Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest. Ghosn declared in a statement that he had not fled justice but he had escaped "injustice and political persecution." Ghosn is expected to hold a news conference on Wednesday in Beirut. Meanwhile, Japanese prosecutors on Thursday searched a house in Tokyo where Ghosn lived while out on bail before he staged the escape, Japanese media reported. The search came as investigators try to look into the details of how Ghosn managed to slip out of the country. According to media reports, Ghosn holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship. In 2015, I interviewed Mary Karr, the godmother of modern memoir, shortly after she had released The Art of Memoir. Just a couple weeks before our interview, shed told Terry Gross on NPRs Fresh Air that she felt an obligation to defend the genre. When I asked Karr why, she said, in her wry, hilarious way, that its trashy, ghetto-ass primitiveanyone whos lived can write one. And she means these words, spoken in her East Texas accent, in the very best way: this is what makes the genre special to her. Memoirs accessibility to anyone whos lived is also what makes the genre so popular, as well as so open to scorn. That the stories are true makes it compelling; it also opens the floodgates for criticism of authorscriticism of the words they use, the overall work, or the choices, behaviors, and lived experiences described within. Memoir programming is increasingly popular at writers conferences. The National Association of Memoir Writers, founded by Linda Joy Myers in 2007, has seen its membership double in the past several years. Because I teach memoir classes online and at writers conferences, I see that my classes and those of other teachers I know are more sought out than ever. Theres much speculation about whats driving the memoir trendour confessional culture being the primary thing people point to. Karr said in that same interview that, as early as the 1970s, memoir was the province of weirdos. Now all of us put our lives on display every single day on social media. Though there are noteworthy memoirs prior to the 1990s, the genre received increasing attention then, with many memoirs receiving critical acclaim and becoming bestsellers, including Mary Brave Birds Lakota Woman (1990), Karrs The Liars Club (1995), Frank McCourts Angelas Ashes (1996), Caroline Kapps Drinking: A Love Story (1997), and others. Since then, memoir has had a complicated relationship with the publishing industry. If an author has a strong platform and a compelling voice, agents and editors can get very excited about his or her memoir. Certain memoirs get all the hype their fiction counterparts get and morebecause the work is true, because theres a story behind the story. But memoirists with no platform or writers with stories deemed done (such as coming-of-age memoirs about growing up in dysfunctional homes, abuse memoirs, or addiction memoirs) will likely experience a cold-shoulder response from the agents and editors they pitch to. No matter what, the writing stands on its own, but Ive seen many agents and editors at conferences dismiss memoirists out of hand. I imagine this comes from agents and editors having had too many negative experiences with writers pitching them manuscript ideas that have no driving conceptbooks that are about the writers whole life, rather than what memoir is supposed to be: a slice of life, ideally held together by a concept or a theme. The industry isnt helping to support this definition of memoir, thoughnot with Michelle Obamas Becoming being touted as the bestselling memoir of all time. Im pleased for her because I read the book and loved it, but by definition its an autobiography, not a memoir, for the simple reason that its a book about her whole life. Writers who aspire to make it big as memoirists need to understand that the industry is obsessed with author platform: without one, the likelihood of landing a book deal for a memoir is abysmally low. Stephanie Lands Maid sprung from an essay she wrote for Vox that went viral. Chanel Miller published Know My Name after the impact of the public statement she wrote about sexual assault was felt across the countryand possibly around the world. The other two factors that matter are voice and conceptthe former being difficult to evaluate objectively, and the latter being subject to industry trends. Voice is how a writer writes, and because memoir is democratic in nature, a lot of aspiring memoirists havent put in the work required to wow, ending up with good but sometimes pedestrian memoirs. Concept is what a book is about, what holds it together, and the aforementioned saturation issue is a real barrier to memoirists who have dreams of publishing traditionally. Memoirs are increasingly being published by authors who, after experiencing pushback or lackluster responses from agents and editors, take matters into their own hands, or authors who never had aspirations to publish traditionally in the first place. Writers of memoir publish their books for reasons that go beyond needing to make money, desiring clout, or wanting their memoir to launch their writing career. Most memoirists I work with write their memoirs because they must. Its about self-expression, being heard, and being seencreating from the heart and intellect the ultimate hard evidence of a life lived in all its messiness and beauty. Memoir can help with healing, providing the opportunity to reclaim a story, especially for writers who had no voice as children or who had parts of their lives stolen by abusers or perpetrators. My prediction is that memoir will continue to surge. Books such as Karrs The Art of Memoir, written in response to the lack of canonical literature on memoir as a form, help make the genre less ghetto-ass. But the truth is that its status as outsider art is what keeps memoir real: its an outsider art that writers are eager to learn and proud to produceand, importantly, one that readers who dont give a hoot about industry trends love to consume. Brooke Warner is publisher of She Writes Press and SparkPress, a TEDx speaker, writing coach, and the author of Write On, Sisters! and Green-Light Your Book. In her New Year speech, Tsai, seeking re-election, said the law would protect Taiwan's democracy from any illegal attempt to sabotage the island's unity, freedom, and liberty, the Efe news reported. Taipei, Jan 2 (IANS) Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday strongly defended a controversial anti-infiltration law aimed at preventing Chinese interference in the islands presidential polls, to be held on January 11. "It is true that Taiwan, being at the frontline against China's pressure, (is) a victim of constant interference and infiltration by China. We do need such a law to make Taiwan safer so that the society would not be divided by infiltration and interference," the President said. The Taiwanese government - led by Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party - brought the contentious law to thwart attempts like foreign political funding and spreading of misinformation by foreigners in order to impact elections or the work of the government of Taiwan. Any violation of the law - which was passed by the parliament, where the DPP enjoys a majority - would invite a five-year prison term and a fine of up to 10 million Taiwanese dollars approximately ($3,35,000). On Wednesday the president said China in recent years had repeatedly threatened Taiwan with a "very clear" goal of forcing the island to "give up on its sovereignty". Tsai rejected offer of inclusion in the "one country, two systems" political framework that the Chinese government has extended to Taiwan if it agrees to be merged with the mainland. She expressed her "gratitude to all of the Taiwanese people for their greatest support to the government for our firm stance on telling the whole world that Taiwan will not accept the 'one country, two systems'." The President said such a political arrangement had failed in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous region that has been rocked pro-democracy and anti-Beijing protests for over seven months now. Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the 'one country, two systems' for Taiwan last year as Beijing continued to build up its pressure on the island to come under its control. China considers Taiwan - a de facto sovereign nation since the end of a civil war in 1949 - as its territory. As Taiwan readies to hold a presidential vote, the campaign has been marred by allegations of Chinese intervention to influence the polls. An alleged Chinese spy, Wang Liqiang (26) claimed in the run-up to the election that Beijing was directly interfering in the island nation's politics. Wang claimed he was assigned to meddle in the election as China's intelligence agencies were trying to disrupt democracy, not only in Taiwan but also in Hong Kong. The allegation was dismissed by China's Taiwan Affairs Office as "nonsense". He also claimed to have financed the campaign of pro-China candidate Han Kuo-yu's, Tsai's main rival, who represents Taiwan's main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT). The KMT did not participate in the parliamentary vote on the infiltration law and criticised the legislation as a "green terror" to "intimidate" the government's critics. Han, and the KMT, advocate improving ties with Beijing within the framework of the "one-China policy" that doesn't recognize Taiwan as an independent state but a part of China. According to a survey published Monday by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation, Tsai was predicted to win the elections with 52.5 per cent votes. Han was expected to get 30.6 per cent support, although the pre-poll survey said 35 per cent of the voters had not made their final voting choices. rs/ HOUSTON As a global clean-fuel mandate takes effect Jan. 1, testing companies examining newer, low-sulfur marine blends acquired in Antwerp, Belgium; Houston and Singapore have found sediment at levels that could damage the engines of ocean-going vessels. Routine tests by AmSpec Services and a unit of Lloyds Register have raised alarms about safety and compliance just ahead of the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2020 standard. Such tests, paid for by suppliers of bunker fuel, have been conducted more frequently this year due to the shift. The standard prompted an industrywide shift to cleaner burning marine fuel in an effort to reduce coastal air pollution. It requires fuel with less than 0.5% sulfur in ocean-going ships not equipped with emission scrubbers. The potential hazards were demonstrated in 2018 when some ship operators were forced to pay for costly repairs after buying bunker fuel contaminated by a chemical used in epoxy. That incident affected about 200 vessels, according to an attorney for one operator. Some 60% of the recipes for making low-sulfur fuel proposed by bunker suppliers near the top U.S. oil port of Houston failed to meet sediment specifications when tested by AmSpec, said Shannon Boudreaux, a fuel blending specialist at AmSpec, in an interview on Tuesday. Marine fuel suppliers are struggling with sediments, Boudreaux said. Producers have continued to tweak their recipes to get the fuels on spec, he said, adding he did not expect a widespread problem for shippers. AmSpecs tests for sediment levels increased earlier this year, though some testing had begun in 2018. Fobas, a fuel testing company owned by Lloyds Register, said this month it also found high sediment levels in bunker fuel samples in Singapore, Antwerp and other European ports. The levels exceeded international residue standards. We need the supply side to fully contribute to a smooth changeover so that we do not have any incidents due to incompatible fuels, said Guy Platten, secretary general of the trade association International Chamber of Shipping, in a statement. Ship operators will have to manage IMO 2020 suppliers with more care, said AmSpecs Boudreaux. Mixing two or more low-sulfur bunker fuels can raise the sediment levels, producing a residue that could clog and damage an engine. There was no residue problem from mixing high-sulfur fuels from different suppliers, he said. The industry is concerned about these different types of very low-sulfur fuel oil concoctions, that when blended meet specifications, but when mixed together may all of a sudden be off specification, said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston. Former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode took to his Twitter page to raise alarm on an attempt to take his life by an unidentified group. The former minister, a strong critic of the APC led administration pointed out that there is a conspiracy to murder him, however, it has been exposed and he has solid evidence to prove his case. Also Read: Nigeria Is Almost Bankrupt: Femi Fani-Kayode Raises Alarm The former minister went further to point out that the case has been taken to the highest level as he promised that those involved will hear from him soon. See his tweet below: From January 1, the Netherlands will officially drop Holland from all literature and marketing materials, so the country will only be referred to be its official name. The move comes as part of a wider rebranding campaign that, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, will set the country back a whopping 200,000. Companies, embassies, ministries ad universities will only be allowed to officially use the name the Netherlands from this month. According to reports, the plans are a push towards updating Hollands international image and attract more tourism. It is hoped that the rebrand will be a success ahead of the countrys hosting of the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest and its participation in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Additionally, the rebrand aims to put an end to large numbers of visitors on cheap flights, particularly to Amsterdam, and promote more sustainable and respectful travel. This is part of a long-term push to clamp down on too much tourism in Amsterdam and promote the rest of the country, Express reported. The news follows a drive earlier this year to decrease tourism number in the city which saw the government set out plans banning tours to the citys Red Light District. New Delhi, Jan 2 : Tata Sons Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging reinstatement of Cyrus Mistry as executive Chairman and director of Tata Sons and the three group companies -- Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS), Tata Industries Ltd and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd. The company has challenged the complete order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), pronounced on December 18, restoring Mistry as executive Chairman and also his immediate reinstatement as director of Tata Sons and three group companies. The petition seeks a stay on the NCLAT order in the wake of the TCS Board Meeting slated for January 9. It is learnt that the board meeting is likely to consider the third quarter earnings and a discussion on the reinstatement of Mistry as a director. The petitioner will urge the apex court to list the matter for urgent hearing after the court reopens after vacations on January 6. The NCLAT while reinstating ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry, held that the appointment of N. Chandrasekaran as his successor is illegal. The appeals court observed the haste in Mistry's removal as chairman of the Tata group's holding company, and this action completely ignored the interest and oppression of minority shareholders. However, the appellate tribunal has granted the Tata Group four weeks to file an appeal against its judgement. The restoration order will only be operational after this time period. Aryama Sundaram, counsel for Mistry, had told IANS: "NCLT appeared to have gone with the Tata name and the majoritarian view in its earlier judgment. This goes against the grain of Company Law and Companies Act. If one follows the earlier path, then you don't need provisions in law which safeguards minority shareholders' rights. "This was an erroneous approach. What we did as counsel was that we contested this template. It wasn't the individual right of Mr Mistry, which was being trampled, it was the oppression and mismanagement of the board that was in question and this directly impacted varied shareholders including millions of public shareholders." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The ruling TRS and opposition parties including the Congress and BJP in Telangana have begun preparations for the municipal polls scheduled to be held this month-end. Having secured massive victories in the rural local body polls in June last year by sweeping all 32 Zilla Parishad chief posts, the TRS is eyeing to repeat its performance in the municipal elections scheduled be held on January 22. TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao would preside over a broad-based meeting of the party on January 4, party sources said on Thursday. TRS MPs, MLAs, MLCs, Zilla Parishad chairpersons and members of state executive and others have been invited for the event. Congress is the main rival of TRS in the state and not BJP, TRS working president K T Rama Rao, son of the Chief Minister had said. While TRS is aiming at continuing its dominance on the state by winning the municipal elections, the opposition Congress is hoping to revive itself in the state. After a shock defeat in 2018 Assembly elections, Congress salvaged the situation by winning three seats in the Lok Sabha polls. However, it suffered a jolt when 12 MLAs left the party and merged with the TRS last year. As part of preparations for the municipal polls, state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday appointed district-wise coordinators and also PCC observers for 10 corporations. The coordinators and observers would hold meetings with party leaders and activists. Having pulled off surprise gains in the Lok Sabha polls, winning four seats, BJP is hoping for a decent performance in the urban local body elections. The ruling TRS is having sleepless nights over the growth of BJP, state BJP president K Laxman claimed on Thursday. Asked about the strategy of BJP for the coming municipal elections, Laxman, who was speaking at a Meet the Press event, said his party would highlight the alleged failures of the TRS government, how it misused the funds given by Modi government to local bodies under the 14th Finance Commission. BJP would contest all the seats and wards and on its own in the municipal elections, he said. The TRS, Congress and Communists are marching ahead to implement the agenda of AIMIM, he claimed. In an informal interaction with reporters, BJP leader and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said the contest in municipal polls would be between the allies of AIMIM and the BJP. Those who win on behalf of Congress and other parties would later join the ruling party (TRS), he said in an obvious reference to Congress MLAs merging with the TRS last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [January 02, 2020] Anixter International Inc. Announces Amended & Restated Merger Agreement with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice to Increase Consideration to $93.50 per Share Anixter (News - Alert) International Inc. (NYSE:AXE), a leading global distributor of Network & Security Solutions, Electrical & Electronic Solutions and Utility Power Solutions, has agreed to a further amendment and restatement of the Amended Merger Agreement (the "Second Amended Merger Agreement") with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice LLC ("CD&R") to increase the per-share consideration payable to Anixter's shareholders to $93.50 per share in cash (from $86.00 per share in cash and a $2.50 contingent value right upon the occurrence of certain events). The transaction is now valued at approximately $4.3 billion. The revised per-share consideration represents a premium of approximately 31% over Anixter's closing price on October 29, 2019, and a premium of approximately 47% over the 90-day volume-weighted average price of Anixter's common stock for the period ended October 29, 2019. The Second Amended Merger Agreement, amends and restates in its entirety the Amended Merger Agreement, which was announced on December 23 and valued at approximately $4 billion. The Second Amended Merger Agreement does not include the contingent value right. The voting agreement pursuant to which certain stockholders of Anixter, including entities associated with Sam Zell, have agreed, among other things, to vote their shares of Anixter common stock in favor of the merger, remains in effect with respect to the Second Amended Merger Agreement. Sam Zell, Chairman of the Anixter Board of Directors, commented: "In evaluating the new proposal from CD&R, the Board carefully considered the value and risk profile of WESCO's offer comprising cash, WESCO common stock and a new series of WESCO preferred stock, for which there is no established market or trading price. The Board has unanimously concluded that CD&R's improved all-cash proposal is superior to WESCO's offer." The transaction is subject to the approval of Anixter's stockholders and other customary closing conditions. The required antitrust waiting periods have expired, or approvals or clearances have otherwise been obtained, in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and Turkey. The transaction remains conditioned on approvals or clearances in the European Union and Russia, which are expected to be received by February. Although the closing could occur as early as February, under the Second Amended Merger Agreement, CD&R has the right to delay the closing until a date no later than September 30th. Under the terms of the Second Amended Merger Agreement, Anixter may, subject to the provisions of the Second Amended Merger Agreement, respond to an unsolicited proposal that is reasonably likely to result in a superior proposal. In addition, Anixter may continue to engage in discussions with WESCO International, Inc., which remains an Excluded Party (as defined in the Second Amended Merger Agreement). Anixter does not intend to disclose developments with respect to any such unsolicited proposal unless and until it determines it is appropriate to do so. Centerview Partners LLC is serving as lead financial advisor, Wells Fargo (News - Alert) Securities, LLC is also serving as financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP is serving as legal advisor to Anixter in connection with the transaction. Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP is serving as legal advisor to the stockholders party to the voting agreement. BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Credit Suisse are serving as financial advisors to CD&R, and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is serving as legal advisor to CD&R. About Anixter Anixter International is a leading global distributor of Network & Security Solutions, Electrical & Electronic Solutions and Utility Power Solutions. We help build, connect, protect, and power valuable assets and critical infrastructures. From enterprise networks to industrial MRO supply to video surveillance applications to electric power distribution, we offer full-line solutions, and intelligence, that create reliable, resilient systems that sustain businesses and comunities. Through our unmatched global distribution network along with our supply chain and technical expertise, we help lower the cost, risk and complexity of our customers' supply chains. Anixter adds value to the distribution process by providing approximately 130,000 customers access to 1) innovative supply chain solutions, 2) nearly 600,000 products and over $1.0 billion in inventory, 3) 316 warehouses/branch locations with over 9.0 million square feet of space and 4) locations in over 300 cities in approximately 50 countries. Founded in 1957 and headquartered near Chicago, Anixter trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AXE. Additional information about Anixter is available at www.anixter.com. About Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC Founded in 1978, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice is a private investment firm. Since inception, CD&R has managed the investment of $28 billion in 86 companies, including numerous electrical and industrial distributors. The firm has offices in New York and London. For more information, visit www.cdr-inc.com. Additional Information Regarding the Merger and Where to Find It This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of Anixter International Inc. (the "Company") or the solicitation of any vote or approval. This communication relates to the proposed merger involving the Company, CD&R Arrow Parent, LLC ("Parent") and CD&R Arrow Merger Sub, Inc., whereby the Company will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (the "proposed merger"). The proposed merger will be submitted to the stockholders of the Company for their consideration at a special meeting of the stockholders. In connection therewith, the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC (News - Alert)") a preliminary proxy statement and intends to file additional relevant materials with the SEC, including a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the "definitive proxy statement"), which will be mailed or otherwise disseminated to the Company's stockholders when it becomes available. The Company may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed merger. STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER. Stockholders may obtain free copies of the definitive proxy statement, any amendments or supplements thereto and other documents containing important information about the Company, once such documents are filed with the SEC, through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Free copies of the definitive proxy statement and any other documents filed with the SEC can also be obtained on the Company's website at investors.anixter.com/financials/sec-filings or by contacting the Company's Investor Relations Department at [email protected]. Certain Information Regarding Participants in the Solicitation The Company and certain of its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed merger. Information regarding the Company's directors and executive officers is contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2018, filed with the SEC on February 21, 2019, and its definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A for the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 18, 2019, as modified or supplemented by any Form 3 or Form 4 filed with the SEC since the date of such definitive proxy statement. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is included in the preliminary proxy statement filed with the SEC and will be included in the definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents filed with the SEC regarding the proposed merger, if and when they become available. Free copies of these materials may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph. Forward Looking Statements Certain information in this communication constitutes "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "seeks" or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs, such as "will," "should," "could," "may," "aims," "intends," or "projects." However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These statements may relate to risks or uncertainties associated with: the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the consummation of the proposed merger, including, without limitation, the timely receipt of stockholder and regulatory approvals (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals); unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the proposed merger; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, including in circumstances which would require the Company to pay a termination fee; legal proceedings, judgments or settlements, including those that may be instituted against the Company, its board of directors, executive officers and others following the announcement of the proposed merger; disruptions of current plans and operations caused by the announcement and pendency of the proposed merger; potential difficulties in employee retention due to the announcement and pendency of the proposed merger; the response of customers, service providers, business partners and regulators to the announcement of the proposed merger; and other factors described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2018 filed with the SEC on February 21, 2019. The Company can give no assurance that the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements contained herein will be attained. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this communication, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005120/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A man seriously injured when a scrambler bike ran over his head has told his wife he wants Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan to adopt a law to stop the bikes hurting anyone else. A year and a half after Ilabek Avetian (40) suffered devastating brain and physical injuries, he has started to communicate a little with the help of his wife, a former teacher. Mr Flanagan has said he accepted there is a "legislative loophole" regarding scramblers and would examine this with Transport Minister Shane Ross. "It would appear there's a need to change the legislation," Mr Flanagan said. Mr Avetian's wife, Anzhela Kotsinian (45), said she had read the minister's words to her husband, who has recently had an operation on his foot. "Ilabek said in response to Mr Flanagan's words that the Government needs to adopt a new law to legislate scrambler and other off-road bikes," Ms Kotsinian said. Expand Close The couple before the incident in a Dublin park 18 months ago / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The couple before the incident in a Dublin park 18 months ago "Ilabek said he wants to be healthy again, as he was before. He's hopeful to see action from the Government now, and so am I." Mr Avetian has been left with life-changing injuries since the bike ran over his head in Darndale Park in north Dublin on June 9, 2018. He had a brain haemorrhage, suffered a severe brain injury and lost an eye. The 16-year-old bike rider was not charged with an offence. He didn't appear before a court but was dealt with by the Juvenile Diversion Programme. Despite calls for more legislation to protect the public, there is still a grey area within Irish law that has failed to ban scramblers in parks and residential areas. If ridden on a public road, the bikes are subject to regulations applied to all vehicles but there is still a continuing problem with anti-social behaviour by some who ride the bikes. Ms Kotsinian, who moved to Ireland from Armenia with her husband to start a new life, was injured when the scrambler ran over her pelvis. But in a bid to bring her husband back to some semblance of normal life, she has spent every day for the past 15 months by his hospital bedside to help him communicate with the outside world once again. "I'm happy to hear Mr Flanagan's words on looking at the legislation around scrambler bikes," she said. A fresh garbage crisis is looming large in the city as the Urban Development Department (UDD) has turned down the bidder chosen by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike for setting up a scientific landfill at Mittiganahalli near Hennur. The department has also directed the civic body to initiate a fresh tender process for the project. The move has made the BBMP predictably nervous, for it had pinned its hopes on the Mittiganahalli landfill to dump Bengalurus waste as the existing landfills at Bagalur and Bellahalli quarries are full to the brim. Planning to set up a landfill at Mittiganahalli, the BBMP had floated a tender in July 2019 and finalised the bidder. However, the UDD has turned down the bidder for failing to fulfill the required conditions. According to sources in the UDD, the bidder, as per the rules, should have had the experience of executing any project worth half the cost of the current project as a primary contractor. However, the bidder chosen and submitted by the BBMP had experience only as a sub-contractor and failed to meet the expectations. The bidder had previously executed projects of KRIDL as a sub-contractor and not as a primary contractor. Hence, he is technically not qualified to be the bidder for the project, the tender evaluation committee opined. The UDDs move has left the BBMP in a fix as it cannot float fresh tenders for the same project for at least 45 days from the date of rejection of the file. Further, it has to give another 15 days for the tender submission for the same project. With the entire procedure likely to take two to three months, the management of garbage disposal is likely to be hit severely in the coming days, according to sources at the BBMP. Former mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun, under whose tenure the tenders were floated, said: I had personally approached the government as the city is in need of another landfill and got the project approved. But with the government turning down the bidder, it will be a Herculean task for the BBMP to address the garbage disposal on a daily basis. A man accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend on New Years Day walked into the home, fatally shot the victim while her three children were there, and then calmly left, authorities said Thursday. Carl Boyd was taken into custody early Thursday by Jefferson County sheriffs deputies. He is being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on $150,000 bond. Carl Evans Boyd, 57, was taken into custody early Thursday in slaying of Carla Fluker Mack. The shooting happened about 5 p.m. Wednesday at her Tuscaloosa County home on Tammie Drive in the Lakeview community, said Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Kip Hart. Lakeview police responded to the house at 5 p.m. The victim was found suffering gunshot wounds and was unresponsive. She was pronounced dead on the scene. Mack was a mother of three grown children and formerly served in the U.S. Navy. She and Boyd worked together at the Social Security Administration. Friends are remembering her being beautiful both inside and out and always smiling. The couple had just broken up in recent days. Witnesses told investigators that Mack had recently broken up with her boyfriend. Boyd, they said, walked into the house and went into her bedroom. They heard some type of commotion and saw Boyd leave. Thats when they found Mack wounded. A murder warrant has been issued against Boyd, who is married and also has children. Efforts by police to locate him at his Birmingham home overnight were unsuccessful but he was ultimately captured early Thursday. Anyone with information is asked to call 911, Tuscaloosa Crime Stoppers at 205-752-7867 or Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama at 204-254-7777. Two Indian Army Soldiers Killed in Gunfight with Suspected Infiltrators from Pakistan Sputnik News 13:18 01.01.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): The intruders were reportedly intercepted in the Khari Thrayat forest area as they were attempting to enter India from Pakistan's side of Kashmir. The counter-offensive against the suspected infiltrators is said to still be on, media reports quoted official sources as saying. A day after new Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane warned Pakistan of a "resolute punitive response" to terror strikes from across the border, two Indian soldiers were killed on Wednesday. The incident reportedly occurred during a security operation against heavily armed suspected Pakistani infiltrators along the Line of Control (LoC) that separates both countries in the Jammu and Kashmir region. The gunfight with the suspected infiltrators took place in the Nowshera Sector of Rajouri district. "Two army soldiers martyred during cordon and search operation in Nowshera sector. The operation is still in progress and further details are awaited", Lt. Col. Devender Anand, the Indian Army's Public Relations Officer (PRO), stated in Jammu city. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the forest area after being tipped off about the movement of suspected terrorists. In the fierce gunfight that ensued, two soldiers were killed, the army official said. The encounter with the infiltrators came a day after General Naravane said India retains the right to give an effective counter response to Pakistan's repeated attempts to cross the border to create an atmosphere of instability. "If Pakistan does not stop its policy of state-sponsored terrorism, we reserve the right to pre-emptively strike at the sources of terror threat and this intent has adequately been demonstrated in our response during surgical strikes and the Balakot operation. A new normal in our response mechanism has been emphatically underlined", said the army chief. He was referring to the army's surgical strike on 29 September 2016 and the aerial surgical strike on 26 February 2019 on suspected terror launch pads in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The first surgical strike in 2016 was in response to four militants attacking the Indian Army's brigade headquarters in the town of Uri in a pre-dawn ambush on 18 September 2016. As many as 17 soldiers were killed and 19 to 30 others injured. In the commando operation that followed 11 days later, the Indian Army claimed it had allegedly eliminated 150 terrorists. During the aerial strike of 26 February 2019, the Indian Air Force (IAF) launched what it described as a pre-emptive missile strike on a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist training camp in the Balakot region of Pakistan to avenge the 14 February suicide bomb killing of 40 paramilitary personnel in the Pulwama region of Jammu and Kashmir. The subsequent retaliation by the Pakistan Air Force on 27 February triggered fears of a war breaking out between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. But a diplomatic outreach by major powers (US, China, Russia, France, and the UK) as well as New Delhi's warning to Islamabad averted further escalation. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP Supreme court Chief Justice John Roberts has urged federal judges to promote public confidence in the judicial system, while warning that Americans have come to take democracy for granted. Related: The decade that shook America In his annual report on the state of the judiciary, the George W Bush-appointee, who will preside over Donald Trumps impeachment trial in the Senate, said civic education had fallen by the wayside. In our age, he wrote, when social media can instantly spread rumour and false information on a grand scale, the publics need to understand our government, and the protections it provides, is ever more vital. Roberts did not mention Trump but his statement was widely interpreted as part of an ongoing effort to shield the judicial branch from executive harassment. The president and the chief justice have clashed before. In November 2018, Roberts issued a striking rebuke over the presidents criticism of a judge who blocked an asylum order. We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges, Roberts said. Trump dismissed Roberts comments, and blamed the judges for bedlam and chaos. Roberts, appointed by a Republican, is by any measure a conservative but he has emerged as something of a swing vote on a supreme court tilted right under Trump. In his 2019 report, he said: We should celebrate our strong and independent judiciary, a key source of national unity and stability. He also urged his colleagues on the bench to reflect on our duty to judge without fear or favor, deciding each matter with humility, integrity and dispatch, and said we should each resolve to do our best to maintain the publics trust that we are faithfully discharging our solemn obligation to equal justice under law. Related: Supreme Ambition review: Trump, Kavanaugh and the right's big coup Roberts drew attention to efforts to give the public better access to judicial reasoning. Without mentioning him by name, he referred to the Merrick Garland, the judge denied a supreme court place by Senate Republicans in 2016. Garland, Roberts said, has spent two decades quietly volunteering at an elementary school. I am confident that many other federal judges, without fanfare or acclaim, are playing similar selfless roles throughout the country, Roberts wrote. The judiciary, he said, has an important role to play in civic education, and I am pleased to report that the judges and staff of our federal courts are taking up the challenge. DALLAS Clifford Stauffer, a middle-aged Mennonite cabinetmaker, lives a quiet and isolated life in rural Kaufman County, Texas, with his family and church, largely ignorant of the modern world. A simple man, he is devout and trusting of others, prosecutors said. To Johnny Clifton, he was the perfect mark. Clifton, 52, a former stock broker and oil and gas fraudster, joined forces with a young car thief and fast-food worker named Joshua Pugh to concoct what a veteran federal prosecutor called the most elaborate and "lavish" fraud he's ever seen. At one point, the duo arranged for a convoy of rented black SUVs with hired security guards to snake its way to Stauffer's home, as a helicopter hovered overhead. "Frankly, every time I uncovered a new fact with the agent, we were just astonished because it kept getting worse and worse," said Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl. The two men claimed to be members of the Illuminati, a mythical clandestine group of wealthy and powerful individuals said to control world events. The defendants used the bogus storyline to fleece the highly religious victim out of $1 million and then tried to intimidate him into keeping quiet. And they were not above threatening violence to achieve their goals, according to federal court records. Clifton was the first to be sentenced, in August, and got 13 years. Pugh, 25, is next. Documents from the sentencing hearing offer new details as to how the defendants pulled off their white-collar heist from 2015 to 2017, using religious iconography, forged documents and people posing as leaders of nations speaking in foreign languages. "The victim was so sheltered both geographically, socially, personally," said FBI Special Agent Colin Crow, during the August sentencing of Clifton. "He really only stayed with his church, his family and his business. He had no knowledge of pop culture or media." Pugh told the victim that the Illuminati was a "clandestine cabal of high net worth individuals who delegated control of the world to a select group of 43 families through the manipulation of banks, politics and intelligence/law enforcement organizations," the indictment said. Although it has some historical basis, the Illuminati is actually a fictional conspiracy in how it's described in novels, film and popular culture as a secret and powerful society. But for Stauffer, it seemed very real based on the lengths to which Clifton and Pugh went to convince him. Both men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Pugh remains behind bars. His sentencing has been delayed at least five times for various reasons. Attorneys for the men declined to comment. Clifton is appealing his sentence. Stauffer, 53, did not attend Clifton's sentencing hearing, and he's not expected to show up for Pugh's. His pastor said he is a private man who is embarrassed by the matter. However, in a brief interview with The Dallas Morning News, he expressed forgiveness for his tormenters. "I hold no ill will toward them," he said. Clifton had asked U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle for leniency, saying he wasn't a threat and had learned his lesson. But the judge said she didn't hear much remorse from Clifton for his actions. And she agreed with the prosecutor that he tried disingenuously to pass the blame onto his younger and less sophisticated accomplice. "I mean, there's so many twists and turns, and it's all telling this poor man all these lies," Boyle said. "And it went on for so long." Stauffer's faith prevents him from suing anyone. But he said he hopes the men "can find help and overcome their tendencies." "They acted very friendly and yet they were my worst enemy," he said. SEVERE PRESSURE Stauffer inherited his cabinet-making business from his father, and he ran it with his sons, Crow said. The overhead was low. They had "virtually no debt" due to his religious beliefs. And the family lived "frugally," Crow said. Stauffer, for example, built and repaired most of what he needed with his sons. And so he managed to earn significant savings over the years. "He had what looked like the world's oldest mobile phone," Crow said. The FBI agent said Clifton and Pugh researched the Mennonite faith online, as well as famous families and major donors to the Mennonite Church. And when Stauffer learned he had been scammed, Clifford and Pugh told the victim that that these donors would "pull their support" for the church if the criminal investigation continued. "At one point, they even approached the victim's pastor" in an attempt to get him to keep quiet, Crow said. "That was a severe pressure on the victim." Pugh told Stauffer that he was the "wealthy scion of a powerful and well-known family," the indictment says. And he claimed that he and Clifton were members of the Illuminati and founders of an elite real estate company called Sectors Global Management, according to the indictment. Clifton told Stauffer that the Illuminati selected him to invest in Sectors for reasons that Clifton was not allowed to know, the indictment said. Crow said Clifton claimed his "ancestors were allied with the Catholic Church in the 1700s in a fight against Spain, and promises were made, which somehow ended up with Mr. Clifton and his ancestors being members of this secretive cabal." To appear convincing, the defendants used bodyguards, chauffeurs, a virtual library of faked documents and "contrived video chats and teleconferences with purported world leaders," the indictment said. In February 2017, Pugh hired off-duty law enforcement officers to escort him to Stauffer's workshop in Kemp. Pugh arrived in a Bentley, followed by a caravan of vehicles, court records show. Pugh had bodyguards wear earpieces for show, and he claimed to be close to famous entertainers like Prince, prior to the musician's death. Pugh told Stauffer his assets could be seized and he would be jailed if he didn't comply with his demands. And he quoted Scripture to the victim and used Bible verses to talk him into continuing to give him money. "They said that the CIA could have the victim or his family whisked away and call it counterterrorism," said Crow, the FBI agent, during the first sentencing hearing. Pugh said he had "connections to high-level finance, intelligence and political officials" and that his father is a successful international businessman, the indictment said. Pugh showed Stauffer faked tax documents indicating he had an income of about $45 million, according to the indictment. Pugh also showed the victim a triangular chart that showed the Illuminati's structure, which included the words "World Monarch" and "Crown Council of 13," according to the indictment. Clifton also claimed to have elite business connections, authorities say. And he told the victim that his own life would be in danger if he did not agree to Sectors' demands for money, the indictment says. Clifton and Pugh hired investigators to watch Stauffer's home and business, Crow said, and they told him not to tell his wife or his attorney anything. "The victim was terrified," Crow said. "He feared for his life, his family's safety, and the impact that it would have on his church." EQUAL BLAME It's not clear how the FBI learned of the scam, but once they were involved, they hit a roadblock. FBI agents had to bring Stauffer to their Dallas offices to show him they were not involved in any conspiracy, Crow said. "It took us a long time to convince the victim that the FBI was actually not part of this organization," he said. Clifton told the judge at his sentencing hearing that he has a degree in business administration and worked for several Fortune 500 companies like Metlife. "I associated myself with some wrong people, and I bought into the machinations of other people," Clifton said. "This entire incident is outside the scope of my normal behavior as a law-abiding citizen." Meitl, the prosecutor, told Boyle that it did not come down to the better-educated Clifton getting involved with the wrong people. He said the two men share equal blame for the crimes. "But I think it's fair to say Mr. Clifton is more of the book smart fraudster, and Mr. Pugh is a get it done in the field kind of fraudster," Meitl said. During the sentencing hearing, Clifton launched into a detailed argument as to why he should be given leniency, citing U.S. sentencing laws and recidivism statistics. Clifton was ordered to repay $150,000 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for false claims about oil and gas partnership interests, federal authorities say. The SEC said in its 2013 cease and desist order against him that "the pattern, self-serving nature and egregiousness of Clifton's fraud demonstrates his unfitness to participate in the securities industry in any capacity." Meitl said Clifton also was fired from one job for embezzling. He said Clifton allowed his child support to come out of his new wife's paychecks "while he was stealing all this money and driving around in a Maserati and a Porsche." "This is just the first time he got caught by the feds," Meitl said. Boyle ordered Clifton to pay $1 million in victim restitution. Stauffer said he has not received a penny and doesn't expect to get any money from the men who scammed him. He said God is helping him to move on and not have to relive the episode. "I'm trying to get my life back," he said. "And to leave it in the past." By Kevin Krause, The Dallas Morning News (TNS) Blackman and Johnson werent the only couple hoping to be the first to be married by the clerk in the new year. Jocelyn Sida and Daniel Montes held hands outside of the clerks office, where they had been waiting since about 2 a.m., wearing a suit and a white dress. Though they arrived a few hours too late to be the first couple they were still giddy. The couple met in Pilsen 11 years ago at an arts group but didnt start dating until 6 months ago. The eruption of conflicts in some Eastern Mediterranean countries, particularly in Syria and Libya present pressing challenges to the security and stability of the Eastern Mediterranean. The new security dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean region are entirely different than they were after the Cold War. At that time, security and stability were the order of the day and the Eastern Mediterranean region was regarded as the NATOs lake, security-wise. But this perspective is no longer present in light of the emergence of new regional and international players on the political scene of the Eastern Mediterranean. These players are threatening the influence of the existing powers and generating new security formulas in the region. The eruption of conflicts in some Eastern Mediterranean countries, particularly in Syria and Libya, and the rise of unconventional and traditional threats, such as cross-border terrorism and illegal migration, present pressing challenges to the security and stability of the Eastern Mediterranean. Furthermore, contention has broken out between some Eastern Mediterranean countries over their maritime boundaries, especially after the consecutive discoveries of natural gas fields in that area. More recently, the Eastern Mediterranean region has gained strategic prominence because of its interactions in the Mediterranean Basin. There is a difference between the Eastern Mediterranean as a geographical region, where many countries share a coast, and the geopolitical concept of the region in the context of regional and international power shifts. There has also been a broader perception of the geo-economic framework of the Eastern Mediterranean, in light of the energy boost it is witnessing. The economic dimension of the region had earlier been revolving around controlling the seas to secure trade, ports and islands on this international maritime route. But the increase of different activities in the economic waters of the Eastern Mediterranean created a new perspective for maritime security, that is in addition to its being a gateway to building economic blocs and multilateral political relations, which became the impetus for establishing new alliances and counter-alliances that changed the security map of the Eastern Mediterranean. Change in the security map of the Eastern Mediterranean Shifts in the international order were the main reason for the changes that occurred on the security map of the Eastern Mediterranean. Russia is back in the arena, looking at the Eastern Mediterranean as if it were its lukewarm water. Russia had been absent from the region for more than a quarter century, since the end of the Cold War era in the early 1990s when the Soviet Union collapsed. This is the era that saw the Russian maritime militarisation, when the presence of the Russian military intensified in the area, taking the Syrian Tartous Port as a starting point, from which Russia headed to the Eastern Mediterranean amid warmer relations between Moscow and regional capitals. Russias presence in the Eastern Mediterranean comes at the expense of the US presence in the area and is putting pressure on the borders of the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). This resulted in a state of competition, reminiscent of the Cold War era. In this context, a large number of security reports issued by Western think-tanks coined the term new cold war for the state of competition between Russia and NATO countries, despite the fact that it is not confined to Moscows return to the Eastern Mediterranean, but extends from Eastern Europe all the way to the Arctic region. The majority of forecasts, including those released by the NATO School, reveal the concern about the expansion of Russias military in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and its possible repercussions on the structure of NATO itself, particularly because Russia has lured Turkey, a NATO member of strategic weight, being the second-largest member in the organisation after the US. This polarisation has resulted in an imbalance because of its huge maritime logistical support opportunities for Russia. It provided Moscow with a shortcut to the Eastern Mediterranean through the Bosporus Strait. European fears are further compounded by the proliferation of Russian defence systems in the Eastern Mediterranean, after the Turkish army acquired the S-400 system, in addition to the backing it receives from multiple groups in Syria. In tandem with these international shifts, the regional system is undergoing parallel transformations. Just as the decline of US influence in the Eastern Mediterranean provided an opportunity for Russia to fill this void, regional shifts invoked new regional players, namely Iran, that approached the Mediterranean coast through the Syrian conflict. Iran became more active in the area after the establishment of a regional-international alliance that included Russia, Turkey and Syria, which was confirmed by the US military withdrawal from Syria. The same case applies to Libya, where the differences between regional players, most of whom are from Eastern Mediterranean countries, have continued to intensify the conflict there. Gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean are a major dynamic turning point, constituting one of the most important drives for the shift in the security environment of the Eastern Mediterranean. At the same time, the gas discoveries increased the importance of the region, provided it with economic opportunities and chances for multilateral cooperation between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, and gave way for Israels rapprochement with those countries within the framework of the energy file. The gas discoveries, however, have created mounting challenges, triggering a number of conflicts over maritime demarcations between some Eastern Mediterranean countries, including between Cyprus and Greece on the one hand and Turkey on the other, as well as between Israel and Lebanon, and Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Signs of instability Because of the abovementioned shifts, the Eastern Mediterranean is no longer a secure, stable region. This is manifested in: - Increased conflicts in the Eastern Mediterranean as part of the successive waves of the so-called Arab Spring, which has adversely affected the political stability and security in those countries and spread to neighbouring countries. It has had repercussions on the security of the Eastern Mediterranean, where the first wave of the Arab Spring was accompanied by the outbreak of armed conflicts in Syria and Libya in 2011, the security repercussions of which continue to date. There is no clear end in sight for these conflicts, nor the restoration of stability in those countries in the near future. There is a current perception that some countries are experiencing a second wave of the Arab Spring as a reaction to the first wave. This can be seen in the case of Lebanon to some extent, and in Iraq more clearly, as well as the on-and-off escalation between Israel and Syria because of the Iranian presence in the latter, as well as between Tel Aviv and the Lebanese Hezbollah. - Growing conflicts over demarcation lines as a result of the competition over energy sources between many Eastern Mediterranean countries:According to many international forecasts, there is no successful mechanism to deal with these intensifying conflicts, especially since they were not born recently. Land and maritime border disputes are complex, which is why it is not believed there is a possibility to draw demarcation lines between Israel and its Palestinian and Lebanese neighbours, as a result of the history of Israels creation in the region. The same goes for the conflict between Turkey and its neighbours, Greece and Cyprus, in light of Ankaras occupation of the northern part of Cyprus in 1983, and the fact that it did not recognise the maritime borders between Cyprus, Greece and Egypt. - Increasing unconventional security threats, which accompany the spread of chaos and instability in the Eastern Mediterranean region in general. Chaos affected countries of the region, and its repercussions spread to neighbouring countries, resulting in, primarily, cross-border terrorism and illegal migration. Countries of the Middle East, for example, suffer from terrorism that was centred in Syria with the outbreak of its conflicts in 2011. The Syrian conflict provided an ideal incubator for the proliferation of countless terrorist organisations, perhaps the most dangerous of which is the Islamic State that spread to Iraq and European countries before they were defeated militarily. The group then spread in different regions in Asia and North Africa through different routes, most of which cross the Eastern Mediterranean. The phenomenon of cross-border terrorism is not much different than illegal migration, which is exported from countries of conflicts and economically expelling countries to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea that has become the lifeline of illegal migration. - Increasing militarisation indicators in the Eastern Mediterranean: Although militarisation is a historical phenomenon in the region, it has acquired new dimensions, quantitatively and qualitatively. Several international reports on security in the Eastern Mediterranean monitor the situation as an arms race in the region, a pattern that is different from the previous succession of security control. The US military presence after the end of the Cold War, manifested in the presence of the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, was an alternative to the Soviet military presence in the area. Recent reports of military deployment in the Mediterranean, nonetheless, indicate a marked withdrawal in US military deployment, which has become limited to its presence in Spain and Greece, in addition to the unsustainable presence of some naval ships in some locations, based on the naval tasks, such as joint exercises. On the other hand, there is a noticeable increase in Russias naval military presence, which ranges between 11-15 naval ships and two submarines. The military deployment reflects the priority of the Russian and US powers. The US focuses primarily on moving its navy toward the South China Sea, while Russia is withdrawing many of its naval ships from its Black Sea fleet toward the Eastern Mediterranean. Many Western reports point to Russias return to the designation of its fleet in the Eastern Mediterranean as the Mediterranean Squadron, which was the name of its navy fleet during the Cold War, considering the huge difference in the capabilities of those ships that became equipped with missiles such as Kalibr, and the boosting of military structure in the port of Tartous, which witnessed a paradigm shift. Overall, Russias military structure in Syria confirms Moscows drive for a sustainable presence in the Eastern Mediterranean. In addition, there is a marked qualitative increase in maritime armaments in every Eastern Mediterranean country. For example, Egypt has doubled its naval powers in the Eastern Mediterranean, such as the Mistral aircraft carrier and several frigates and submarines to secure its economic waters on the high seas. Militarisation is no longer limited to naval deployment. There is a Russian air base in Khmeimim, which monitors the Eastern Mediterranean. The naval force in Tartous is not solely positioned as part of the military presence in Syria, but is seen within the bigger context of the relationship between NATO and Russia. The future of Eastern Mediterranean security Given the current security situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the majority of opinions agree that it is difficult to predict decisively what will the security situation be like in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and the time it will take for stability to be restored following what the new balance of power will dictate, given that the majority of similar cases remain unstable. Prospects for stability appear less than the possibilities of the intensification of conflicts, at least in the short term. However, there are two likely scenarios for the security shifts in the Eastern Mediterranean: - Establishing multilateral relations: This is a scenario that establishes stability and cooperation between forces rather than the breakout of disagreement as a result of a conflict of interests between parties. Those in favour of this scenario do not prefer this type of interrelationships to be recognized as absolute alliances, but rather multilateral relationships, particularly because there are challenges regarding the strategic requirements for building alliances, including the lack of a perfect convergence of views on many issues. For example, there is a relative convergence in the Russian-Turkish vision on Syria, but this doesnt exist in the case of Libya, where the Russian and Turkish views appear contradictory. Regarding the kind of military participation in alliances, there is, for example, a growing Egyptian-Cypriot-Greek strategic military relationship, one manifestation of which is the Medusa joint military exercise. But Israel cannot participate in such or other military exercises, even if it shares the same security vision with Egypt, Cyprus and Greece. -Crisis and conflict management: This is the present scenario in light of the continuing challenges posed by the security threats in the Eastern Mediterranean. These conflicts are seen as long-term, without a mechanism to eliminate them altogether, especially in the cases of terrorism and illegal migration. In the case of border disputes, there is a fluctuation between calm and anxiety that did not reached the point of military escalation, as is the case between Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. The same goes for the relations between Israel and Iran. They became neighbours by virtue of Irans permanent presence in Syria. The case is not much different in the Libyan case, where it is difficult to see a resolution in favour of the country. Consequently, every player prefers the pattern of conflict management that allows them a margin of movement. Finally, the current state of affairs in the Eastern Mediterranean region paves the groundwork for a new era the image of which is yet unclear, but that will erase all the post-cold war features, prime among which is the retreat of US leadership in the Eastern Mediterranean. This is what many US views have been warning against because it will create for Washington a crisis not less in magnitude than the crisis in the South China Sea, in addition to the continued erosion of NATO borders and influence. It is envisaged that the final outcome of the Eastern Mediterranean map will present new balances of power to be determined primarily by economic interests, followed by dealing with concerns and urgent threats. The Eastern Mediterranean will remain predominantly tense as a result of conflicts and competition between its various players, especially since there are emerging foreign powers, such as Russia and Iran, in the regions security equations. The two countries are a source of tension for other parties in the Eastern Mediterranean region and its neighbours, such as the Middle East, Western Europe, and the Southern Mediterranean. Therefore, the repercussions of Turkeys hostile attitude towards its neighbours cannot be predicted. In addition, mechanisms to defuse chronic conflicts between the parties are absent, especially since they have intensified over energy sources. Compounding the matter even further is the fact that the unconventional phenomena can regenerate themselves on a more aggressive scale. The East Mediterranean region has become a hotbed of geopolitical flare-ups in the absence of effective mechanisms to restore stability in the near future. It is expected, however, that a comprehensive restructuring of the security environment of the Eastern Mediterranean in the medium and long terms will result in new security arrangements that may restore to the region some of its long-lost stability. Search Keywords: Short link: TEHRAN, Iran, Jan.2 Trend: Iran would remain connected to international trade by accession to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Vice President of Iran-China Chamber of Commerce Majid Reza Hariri told Trend. "The issue with FATF is of economic, banking nature. However in our country this has turned into a security and political issue," Hariri said. He said that once Iran considers its national interests, along with political, trade and security issues, it will make a decision. "Even if the sanctions are lifted, in terms of international trade without FATF - we cannot be active," Hariri said. "As a businessman, I can say that without FATF, we have no place in global financial system, so we need to decide if we want to be there or not," he said. The FATF was established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 Group to combat money laundering. FATF has 37 members and its secretariat is in Paris. The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. During the recent FATF meeting, Iran has been warned that it may be added to the list of non-cooperative countries within the next three months if it does not completely fulfill the FATF requirements. Iran fulfilled 37 of 41 FATF requirements. The remaining four requirements refer to the legislative field. Although four conventions have been approved and sent to the Expediency Board, the CFT and Palermo conventions have not yet been ratified by the Board. Iran was included in the FATF blacklist in 2007. Almost six months after a land dispute in Sonbhadras Umbha village claimed the lives of 11 tribals, the Uttar Pradesh Police has found five policemen guilty of dereliction of duty and asked them to deposit their 30 days salary as fine. The clash took place in Sapahi village on July 17 last year. Confirming the development, Superintendent of Police Ashish Srivastava said the action against the officers was taken based on the report of a probe conducted by additional director general (Varanasi zone), on the orders of chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The violence, that erupted after village headman Yagya Dutt, and his supporters opened fire on a rival group while trying to take possession of 90 bighas of land in Ghorawal area, also left nearly 21 people injured. According to Srivastava, when village head Yagya Dutt tried to forcibly grab a disputed piece of land in 2017, police inspector Shiv Kumar Mishra and his predecessor Mool Chand Chauhan did not pay heed to complaints by Gond tribals and handled the matter with a prejudiced approach. Three constables Kanhaiya Lal, Sudhakar Yadav and Pramod Kumar Singh did not act as per the rule of law and followed directions of their senior officers, he added. The SP said these policemen have been found ignoring the complaint of locals expressing apprehension of some untoward incident just before the incident took place on July 17. A case was registered against 27 persons and 50 unidentified people in this connection at Ghorawal police station on July 17. All accused were arrested and sent to jail. The charge sheet had also been filed in the court, said a senior police officer. Days after the clash, the Uttar Pradesh government suspended five officials, including the sub-divisional magistrate, all posted in Ghorawal. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS The average time -frame of tech disruption in our lives has significantly diminished and things are changing at a rapid scale around us. In a span of few years, gadgets like MP3 players, compact digital cameras, scanners, CDs, fax machines and several others have disappeared. On the other hand, new-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), content streaming, automation, robotics and 5G are not only here to stay but are growing in leaps and bounds to make our lives better. Let us go through 5 tech trends that will explode in the decade that has just begun. 1. Quantum computing Imagine a chip that can perform target computation in 200 seconds, which would otherwise take the world's fastest supercomputer 10,000 years. A quantum computer can solve complex problems that would otherwise take billions of years for today's computers to solve. This has massive implications for research in health care, energy, environmental systems, smart materials and more. The team at Google AI has achieved sort of "quantum supremacy" with developing such chip -- a new 54-qubit processor named "Sycamore" that is comprised of fast, high-fidelity quantum logic gates in order to perform the benchmark testing. Not just Google but several tech giants like Microsoft, IBM and Intel have joined the race to build a scalable quantum computer. IBM recently unveiled its quantum computer with 53 qubits. The current bits in computers store information as either 1 or 0, thus limiting the potential to make sense when faced with gigantic volumes of data. If all goes well, Microsoft is also confident about having one such scalable super machine within the next five years. "We are looking at a five-year time-frame to build a quantum computer and what we need are roughly 100-200 good qubits with a low-error rate," Krysta Svore, Principal Research Manager, Microsoft Quantum Computing, told IANS recently. Microsoft has also partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee to conduct lectures on quantum computing for a full semester. 2. Self-driving 'electric' cars The global revenues from "connected" cars -- the precursor to fully-autonomous or self-driving cars -- are growing at an annual rate of 27.5 per cent and are expected to touch $21 billion by 2020. Tesla helped create that market and remains an industry leader. The Elon Musk-run company surprised Wall Street by registering a profitable third quarter last year with a total revenue of $6.3 billion riding on sales of its Model S, Model X and Model 3 electric cars. Tesla expected to deliver between 360,000 and 400,000 vehicles in 2019, representing 45-65 per cent growth. Other automobile companies who will join Tesla in the next decade are Audi e-Tron Sportback; BMW iX3; Ford Mustang Mach-E; Mercedes EQC 400 4Matic; Porsche's Taycan 4S; Volvo XC40 Recharge and Byton M-Byte SUV, to name a few. India is also planning to replace a significant portion of its conventional internal combustion engine fleet by electric vehicles in the next one decade, particularly to reduce pollution and also to create jobs through manufacturing of such vehicles. 3. 5G-connected homes With 75 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices expected to be in place by 2025, the world is at the cusp of experiencing a technology that will change the way live today. Being able to download a full-length HD movie in seconds and share your wow-moments with friends -- that's just the beginning. Commercial 5G networks are starting to go live across the world. With 5G commercial networks being switched on, the first use cases are enhanced mobile broadband, which will bring better experiences for smartphone users with 100 times faster data and fixed wireless access, providing fiber speeds without fiber to homes. 5G Services have already begun in the US, South Korea and some European countries, including Switzerland, Finland and the UK. CSPs in Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Spain, Sweden, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have announced plans to accelerate 5G network building through 2020. 4. Voice as a new interface Voice is slowly becoming the new human-compute interface and the Indian masses -- be it a 3-year-old toddler or a 95-year-old grandpa -- are finally going to leverage voice to interact with the devices and digitally control their lives. Alexa, Google Home, Siri and others are changing the way we speak with devices and the next decade will see digital assistants becoming all-pervasive. Soon, you will be talking to your refrigerator, electric bulbs, washing machine, microwave, coffee machine and what not. According to Adam Berns, Director of Business Development, Alexa Voice Service (AVS) at Amazon, India is now ready for voice as a core experience. "Voice today is powering several devices -- PCs, wearables, smartphones, car accessories and smart home devices -- helping people streamline their lives. I firmly believe voice is the next interface with computing and Amazon with its Alexa offerings is here to change the world," Berns told IANS in a recent interview. 5. Internet TV 24/7 An over-the-top (OTT) viewer in India is spending approximately 70 minutes a day on video streaming platforms, with a consumption frequency of 12.5 times a week, according to a recent Eros Now-KPMG report. In India, the Internet video traffic is projected to reach 13.5 Exabytes (EB) per month by 2022 -- up from 1.5 EB a month in 2017 -- with video contributing 77 per cent of all Internet traffic by 2022. "Unlike the common thought that urbanites are watching more content online, 65 per cent video consumption is coming from the rural parts of the country thanks to cheap data plans, especially from Reliance Jio, and affordable smartphones. Those who cannot afford to buy a smart, connected TV are now streaming OTT content on phones," TV Ramachandran, President, Broadband India Forum (BIF) told IANS. There are currently more than 32 online content and video streaming platforms in the country and the market is expected to hit $5 billion by 2023, according to the global management-consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Within no time, you will see Indians throwing set-top boxes into dustbins as data becomes further cheap and Internet TV takes over our drawing rooms completely. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text BEIRUT Lebanon's justice minister said Thursday that Lebanon has received an international wanted notice from Interpol for Nissans ex-chair Carlos Ghosn, four days after he fled Japan to Lebanon before a trial on financial misconduct charges. Albert Serhan told The Associated Press in an interview that the Red Notice for the former automotive titan was received earlier Thursday by the prosecution. Ghosn skipped bail before his much-anticipated trial, which was to start in April. He arrived in Lebanon, where he was raised after moving from Brazil as a young boy, on Monday via Turkey and hasn't been seen in public since. Authorities have said that he entered legally on a French passport. A plane carrying Ghosn arrived at 5:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) Monday at Istanbuls Ataturk Airport, Hurriyet reported, adding that prosecutors ordered the arrests after widening their investigation. Flight tracking data from that time suggests that Ghosn used two different planes to fly into Istanbul and then on to Lebanon. Japanese authorities allowed Ghosn to carry a spare French passport in a locked case while out on bail, public broadcaster NHK said on Thursday, shedding some light on how he managed his escape to Lebanon. While some Lebanese media have floated a Houdini-like account of Ghosn being packed in a wooden container for musical instruments after a private concert in his home, his wife called the account fiction when contacted by Reuters. She declined to provide details of the exit of one of the most recognized titans of industry. The accounts of the two sources suggest a carefully planned escape known only to a few. They said a private security firm oversaw the plan, which involved shuttling Ghosn out via a private jet to Istanbul before pushing onward to Beirut, with even the pilot unaware of Ghosns presence on board. Interpols so-called Red Notices are requests to law enforcement agencies worldwide that they locate and provisionally arrest a wanted fugitive. Story continues Serhan, the minister, said the Lebanese prosecution will carry out its duties, suggesting for the first time that Ghosn may be brought in for questioning. But he said that Lebanon and Japan do not have an extradition treaty, ruling out the possibility that Beirut would hand Ghosn over to Japan One sources who spoke with Reuters said Ghosn was greeted warmly by President Michel Aoun on Monday after flying into Beirut via Istanbul and was now in a buoyant and combative mood and felt secure. Security forces are guarding Ghosn's current residence in Lebanon, as seen in the photo above. He is staying at the home of a relative of his wife, but plans to return soon to a gated villa in the upscale Beirut neighborhood of Achrafieh, one of Reuters' sources said. The plan to slip Ghosn out of Japan, which marked the latest twist in a year-old saga that has shaken the global auto industry, was crafted over three months, according to Reuters' sources. It was a very professional operation from start to finish, one of them said. In his meeting at the presidency, Ghosn thanked Aoun for the support he had given him and his wife, Carole, while he was in detention, the sources said. He now needs the protection and security of his government after fleeing Japan, the sources added. The meeting between Aoun and Ghosn has not been made public and a media adviser to the presidents office denied the two men had met. Reuters' sources said specifics of the meeting were described to them by Ghosn. Japanese prosecutors on Thursday raided Ghosn's Tokyo home. Japanese media showed investigators entering the home, which was Ghosn's third residence in Tokyo since he was first arrested a year ago. Authorities have now searched each one. Tokyo prosecutors and police did not immediately comment. Government offices in Japan are closed this week for the New Year's holidays. It was unclear how Ghosn avoided the tight surveillance he was under in Japan and showed up in Lebanon. Ghosn said Tuesday in a statement that he left for Lebanon because he thought the Japanese judicial system was unjust, and he wanted to avoid political persecution. Ghosn will hold a news conference in Beirut on Jan. 8, a lawyer for Ghosn said. Lebanon has said earlier that Ghosn entered the country legally, and there was no reason to take action against him. Ghosn's lawyers in Japan said they had no knowledge of the escape and they had all his passports. Ghosn has French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship. Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV, without identifying sources, reported Thursday that Ghosn had two French passports. Earlier, Japanese reports said there were no official records in Japan of Ghosns departure, but a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency said Thursday that Turkish authorities had detained seven people as part of an investigation into how Ghosn fled to Lebanon via Istanbul. The private DHA news agency reported that those detained are four pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. The Hurriyet newspaper said the plane carrying Ghosn landed at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 29. Ghosn was not registered upon landing and was smuggled on board another plane that left for Lebanon, the paper reported. Ghosn, who was charged in Japan with under-reporting his future compensation and breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan Motor Co. and alliance partner Renault SA. The 1.5 billion yen ($14 million) bail that Ghosn posted on two separate instances to get out of detention is being revoked. Reuters contributed to this report. Related Video: Click here to See Video >> The victim of the citys first homicide of the year has been identified as 21-year-old Ahmed Yakot, of Toronto. The young man died following a double shooting in Regent Park late on New Years Day. Police were called to the area of River and Oak streets at 10:30 p.m. for reports of multiple gunshots. They found Yakot with life-threatening injuries and another man, also 21, with serious, but not critical, injuries. Both men were rushed to hospital, where Yakot died. Police say the two men were shot at by suspects in a dark-coloured sedan that fled the scene. At the scene Thursday morning, officers could be seen combing a nearby housing complex as several residents stopped by on the first work day of 2020. Several police bullet markers could be seen on a fence behind which photos were taken hours earlier showing a parked black sedan riddled with bullet holes. That car had since been removed from the scene. Sandra Persaud, who lives in the nearby housing complex, said she was home when she heard a series of loud explosions. I thought I heard fireworks, she said. She said she is increasingly concerned about the state of gun violence in Toronto, which hit record levels last year. Its scary, she said. I have three young boys and we could have been outside last night. We have to hope that things will get better. Tariq Ehsan Ullah, a store clerk at a nearby River Street grocery, arrived at work to find the area outside the store cordoned off by police tape. He said officers told him the shooting happened nearby on Oak Street. Luckily, nothing happened inside the store, he said, standing behind the counter. When I arrived at work around 7 a.m., they had the area cordoned off. I had to wait to enter the store. The New Years Day shooting comes after Torontos bloodiest year for gun violence in 2019. As of 9 p.m. on New Years Eve, 292 people had been killed or injured in shootings in the city, 56 more than the previous year, which, itself, set a record for the most people shot the15 years police data covers. With files from Ilya Banares and May Warren The top Republican in the New York State Assembly was charged New Year's Eve with driving while intoxicated in his state-issued vehicle, just a week after he wrote a newspaper column warning citizens against getting behind the wheel drunk. Brian M. Kolb, 67, a Republican from Canandaigua who represents a district just outside Rochester, was arrested near his home after he ran his 2018 GMC Acadia into a ditch during what he called a 'lapse in judgement.' Authorities said they were called to a crash in Victor just before 10.30pm Tuesday and Kolb was found to be the driver of the tax-payer funded car that crashed in front of his home. When they responded to the 911 call made by a passerby, they could smell alcohol on Kolb. Scroll down for video Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua was charged on New Year's Eve for driving while intoxicated, just a week after he wrote a column warning citizens against getting behind the wheel drunk A breath test indicated Kolb's blood-alcohol content was over the limit of 0.08% Tuesday night around 10.30pm in front of his home (pictured) Images obtained by RochesterFirst.com showed the scene where an Ontario County sheriff's deputy administered field sobriety tests, which Kolb failed, before taking him to jail. While there, a breath test indicated Kolb's blood-alcohol content was over 0.08%, authorities said. The legal limit for driving in New York is 0.08%. No one else was injured. Officials did not say where Kolb was driving from. Kolb's mug shot shows him wearing a gray hooded sweater and sporting stubble facial hair. Kolb said there was no excuse. 'Last night, I was charged with driving under the influence near my home. This was a terrible lapse in judgment, one I have urged others not to make, and I take full responsibility for it,' Kolb said in a statement on Wednesday. 'I fully recognize the severity of the situation and I am profoundly sorry. There is no excuse and no justification for what occurred Tuesday evening. I made the wrong decision, and it is one I deeply regret.' Kolb said Wednesday: 'It's a terrible lapse in judgment, one I have urged others not to make, and I take full responsibility for it. I made the wrong decision, and it is one I deeply regret' District Attorney Jim Ritts said Kolb would not get special treatment because of his job and a special prosecutor. A judge from outside of the county will be assigned Thursday Kolb has represented the district since 2000 and has served as Assembly minority leader since 2009. The district covers all of Ontario County and a portion of Seneca County. In 2018, Kolb briefly campaigned to unseat Gov. Andrew Cuomo before dropping out of the race. On Christmas Eve, Kolb wrote a column in the upstate Daily Messenger newspaper that warned against people driving while under the influence of alcohol during the holidays, and acknowledged December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. Referencing statistics from the Special Traffic Options Program for Driving While Intoxicated, he told readers that last year alone there were 4,142 arrests for impaired driving and 144,197 tickets and violations issued. 'This year, lets try to get both of those numbers to zero,' Kolb wrote. 'Many of our holiday traditions, especially our New Year's Eve celebrations, involve indulging in spirits,' he wrote. 'Done safely, and in moderation, these can be wonderful holiday experiences. However, tragedy can be only one bad decision away.' News of Kolb's arrest led fellow Republican Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor to call for him to step down Kolb had received the $43,601 SUV last February after during 125,000 miles in his 2005 Chevy Impala. News of Kolb's arrest led fellow Republican Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor to call for him to step down. Kolb 'should step down as Assembly Minority Leader,' Lalor tweeted. 'That he hasnt done so already is a disgrace.' Kolb is due to appear in Town of Victor court at a later date. District Attorney Jim Ritts said Kolb would not get special treatment because of his job and a special prosecutor. A judge from outside of the county will be assigned Thursday. 'We want everybody in Ontario County and in this district to understand we are doing this the right way,' Ritts said in a press conference with the sheriffs office on Wednesday. 'We want to make sure that everybody feels that the justice system works the same for everyone. Thats what were doing, thats what we would do in any circumstance like this and certainly the assembly leader is no different.' By Express News Service NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan exchanged a list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear installations between both the countries on Wednesday. The agreement was signed on December 31, 1988 and came into force on January 27, 1991. It provides for the two countries to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on January 1 every year. This is the 29th such exchange. The list was exchanged through diplomatic channels simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad. The bilateral agreement prohibits the two countries from attacking each others atomic facilities. The neighbours also exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody. India also appealed for early release and repatriation of Indian civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen along with their boats from Pakistans custody. Under the Agreement on Consular Access, the two countries exchange the list of civilian prisoners and fishermen on January 1 and July 1 every year. The two countries exchanged the lists through diplomatic channels in Delhi and Islamabad. While India handed over lists of 267 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 99 fishermen to Pakistan who are in Indias custody, Pakistan shared lists of 55 civilian prisoners and 227 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or believed-to-be Indians, according to an MEA statement. India asked Pakistan to expedite the release and repatriation of four civilian prisoners and 126 fishermen whose nationality has been confirmed to be Indians. In addition to this, India has also asked Pakistan to provide immediate consular access to 14 believed-to-be Indian civilian prisoners and 100 Indian fishermen who are currently in Pakistans custody. India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each others country, a Ministry of External Affairs statement said. India has urged Pakistan to expedite action at its end to confirm the status of the nationality of 82 prisoners, including fishermen, who are believed to be from Pakistan, according to the statement. Their repatriation is pending because Pakistan has not yet confirmed their nationality, it added. We have real results. When people go into the voting booth in November, when they ask are their lives better today than they were four years ago, absolutely theyre better, LaHood said. Theyre better economically, theyre better opportunitywise, theyre better for their kids. This country is better because of the presidents policies and what hes put in place. T urkish authorities have detained seven people as part of an investigation into how former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn was able to flee to Lebanon via Istanbul, according to reports. The state-run Anadolu Agency in Turkey said the seven people are suspected of aiding Mr Ghosn. NTV television said the probe was launched by launched by Turkey's Interior Ministry. The private DHA news agency reports that those detained are 4 pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. Mr Ghosn fled to Lebanon this week before his trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges. Turkish media reports said he flew to Lebanon on a private jet via Istanbul. Lebanon has said that Mr Ghosn entered the country legally and there was no reason to take action against him. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. Mr Ghosn, who was charged with under-reporting his future compensation and a breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence. He says Japanese authorities trumped up the charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan Motor Co. and alliance partner Renault SA. Before his arrest, Mr Ghosn was chairman of both Nissan and Renault. BEIRUT Interpol issued a wanted notice Thursday for former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, who jumped bail in Japan and fled to Lebanon rather than face trial on financial misconduct charges in a dramatic escape that has confounded and embarrassed authorities. Lebanese Justice Minister Albert Serhan said his nation will carry out its duties, suggesting for the first time that the automotive titan may be brought in for questioning. But he said Ghosn entered the country on a legal passport, and he appeared to cast doubt on the possibility Lebanon would hand Ghosn over to Japan. The Interpol notice is the latest twist in Ghosns daring escape, which spanned three continents and involved private planes, multiple passports and international intrigue. Turkey made several arrests Thursday as part of an investigation into how he passed through the country. Ghosns arrival in Lebanon jolted the nation, already in the midst of a crippling political impasse and its worst economic crisis in decades. Lebanon must now decide how to deal with the Interpol-issued Red Notice, which is a non-binding request to law enforcement agencies worldwide that they locate and provisionally arrest a fugitive. A Red Notice is not an arrest warrant and does not require Lebanon to arrest Ghosn. Shortly afterward, Ghosn issued a statement his second this week seeking to distance his Lebanese wife and family from any role in his escape. The allegations in the media that my wife Carole and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan are false and misleading. I alone organized my departure. My family played no role, he said. Ghosn, who is Lebanese and also holds French and Brazilian passports, was set to go on trial in Japan in April. He arrived in Lebanon on Monday via Turkey and hasnt been seen in public since. In a statement Tuesday, he said he fled to avoid political persecution by a rigged Japanese justice system. How he was able to flee Japan, avoiding the tight surveillance he was under while free on $14 million bail, is still a mystery, though Lebanese authorities have said he entered the country legally on a French passport. Ghosn, who grew up in Beirut and frequently visited, is a national hero to many in this Mediterranean country with close ties to senior politicians and business stakes in a number of companies. People take special pride in the auto industry executive, who is credited with leading a spectacular turnaround at Nissan beginning in the late 1990s and rescuing the automaker from near-bankruptcy. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Japan raided Ghosns Tokyo home. Bassem Mroue and Yuri Kageyama are Associated Press writers. Former Nissan executive Carlos Ghosn's dramatic escape from Japan prompts Interpol wanted alert originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Lebanon has received a wanted notice from Interpol over former Nissan and Renault executive Carlos Ghosn, who dramatically fled Japan this week ahead of his upcoming trial for charges of financial misconduct. Ghosn's high-profile trial was set to start in April in Japan, where he was held under 24-hour surveillance at his Tokyo home. He still managed to slip out of the country undetected on a private jet and arrive in his homeland of Lebanon on Monday. (MORE: What will driving be like in 2030? Experts offer a few clues) Lebanon has received a red notice over Ghosn from Interpol on Thursday, according to the country's Justice Minister Albert Serha and local media reports. The red notice is a "request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action," according to Interpol's website, though it is not a formal arrest warrant. Lebanon, however, has no extradition treaty with Japan. PHOTO: Carlos Ghosn attends a strategic meeting of the car industry sector at the French Ministry for Economy, May 22, 2018, in Paris. (Vincent Isore/ip3/Getty Images) Ghosn faces charges of financial wrongdoing, which carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, according to The Associated Press. He has maintained his innocence. (MORE: A daring escape: Ex-Nissan chief flees Japan ahead of trial) The Lebanese government has previously claimed that Ghosn entered the country legally, according to the nation's highest police command. Ghosn had turned over his passports to his Japanese lawyer. His dramatic escape has caught international attention. Turkish media reports that he fled to Lebanon via Istanbul. Authorities in Turkey have detained seven people as part of an investigation into how he was able to flee through Turkey, the prosecutor's office confirmed to ABC News. Local media reports say four pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers have been detained by officials. Story continues PHOTO: Officials from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office carry bags after raiding the Tokyo residence of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn in Tokyo, Jan. 2, 2020. (Kyodo via Reuters) Meanwhile, Japanese prosecutors have raided the Tokyo home of Ghosn on Thursday, where he lived while out on bail, Japanese national broadcaster NHK reported. Ghosn released a statement confirming he was in Lebanon, saying he "escaped injustice and political persecution" in Japan. "I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japan's legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to uphold," Ghosn said in a statement Monday, according to NHK. "I have not fled justice -- I have escaped injustice and political persecution," he added. "I can now finally communicate freely with the media, and look forward to starting next week." She prides herself on her party planning. And Kate Ferdinand shared more pictures from her incredible New Year's Eve bash after she and husband Rio, 41, invited their friends and family to see in 2020 at their home. In a series of Instagram snaps shared on Thursday, the former TOWIE star, 29, appeared in her element as she hit the dance floor in two glamorous ensembles. Party hard: Kate Ferdinand shared more pictures from the incredible New Year's Eve bash she and husband Rio threw (pictured with TOWIE's Saffron Lempriere and friend Melissa Willson) Kate seemed to be having the time of her life as she partied with her pals, including TOWIE's Saffron Lempriere, and Rio's family. The blonde bombshell was a vision of beauty for the soiree, with one outfit putting her incredible abs on display as she sported a crop top and flared trousers. Kate's first ensemble was equally as glamorous, as she showcased her hourglass curves in a figure-hugging bardot dress. Cute couple: Kate was seen toasting the new year with her husband as they celebrated their first one as a married couple Fun night for all: Kate shared a series of snaps from the soiree that showed the fun the guests had whilst counting down the hours to 2020 Two's company: Kate seemed to be having the time of her life as she partied with her mother, as well as her friends and Rio's family Top of the crops! The blonde bombshell was a vision of beauty for the soiree, with one outfit putting her incredible abs on display as she sported a crop top and flared trousers Dressed to impress: Kate's first ensemble was equally as glamorous, as she showcased her hourglass curves in a figure-hugging bardot dress Blonde bombshell! Injecting a splash of colour, the reality starlet painted her plump pout with scarlet gloss, whilst her honey hued locks were swept up in a topknot Glam squad: Kate looked phenomenal on the night and no doubt had some help from her glam squad (L-R) hairdresser Sarrah Hamid, make-up artist Mikey Phillips and stylist Ellis Ranson Here comes the New Year! Kate and Rio were in high spirits as they counted down the hours to midnight Pucker up: The couple only had eyes for each other as they leaned in for a smooch Happy hour! Rio treated himself to a selection of drinks as he partied the night away Injecting a splash of colour, the reality starlet painted her plump pout with scarlet gloss, whilst her honey hued locks were swept up in a topknot. Kate and Rio pulled out all the stops for the swanky bash, where they hired a magician, a garage DJ and a saxophonist, and even created a logo, while also erecting warning tape to ensure nobody went upstairs. Kate and Rio tied the knot in an elaborate ceremony in Turkey in September before marking their first New Year as a married couple on Tuesday. Sister act: Kate looked in high spirits as she partied alongside her new sister-in-laws Anya, Chloe and Remi Ferdinand Here come the girls! The ladies cosied up for the cameras whilst sipping on cocktails Loving life: Kate was seen hitting the dance floor with her pal Melissa and Rio's brother Anton Chilly: Kate provided blankets for the guests as the party went on, as well as flip flops so the ladies could kick their heels off Keeping her cool: The party was held in a large marquee and it appears to have let in a draught Singing sensations: Kate and Anton were seen belting out tunes on the dance floor whilst swaying along to the beat Cheers! Kate seemed to be enjoying her cocktail as she partied the night away No expense was spared for the party which saw a vast balloon wall at the entrance sitting behind huge box lights reading 'Ferdys NYE' [sic]. A water feature saw an elaborate gold slogan read 'The Ferdies', with block lettering reading NYE placed underneath and in front of the flowing water. Kate made sure she looked jaw-dropping for the bash, where she donned a plunging black dress with off-the-shoulder detailing. Wow! Kate certainly went all out for her New Year's Eve celebrations on Tuesday Happy days: Rio went more low-key however as he donned a black jacket with tight trousers and a crew-neck top while rocking out among his nearest and dearest Bouncing! No expense was spared for the party which saw a vast balloon wall at the entrance sitting behind huge box lights reading 'Ferdys NYE' [sic] Lavish: A water feature saw an elaborate gold slogan read 'The Ferdies', with block lettering reading NYE placed underneath and in front of the flowing water She scraped her blonde locks into a high bun on top of her head while opting for a super-glamorous red lipstick and fluttering lashes. Rio went more low-key however as he donned a black jacket with tight trousers and a crew-neck top while rocking out among his nearest and dearest. The music was provided Essex's beloved CJ Sax, a saxophonist who played at the couple's wedding and also flew to the Maldives for Billie Faiers' wedding. Yum! Their logo was also adorned on cupcakes at the bash No entry! While proceedings downstairs were certainly raucous, the couple made sure upstairs was a no go zone with the help of neon police tape Jazz it up! The music was provided Essex's beloved CJ Sax, a saxophonist who played at the couple's wedding and also flew to the Maldives for Billie Faiers' wedding Rock on: As well as CJ, the couple hired UK & International Multi Genre DJ O'Neil McDowall to blast out tunes during the swanky party As well as CJ, the couple hired UK & International Multi Genre DJ O'Neil McDowall to blast out tunes during the swanky party. While proceedings downstairs were certainly raucous, the couple made sure upstairs was a no go zone with the help of neon police tape. Kate has recently released her first fitness book Fitter, Happier, Healthier: The Ultimate 4 Week Body Transformation Plan, in which she detailed her former work as a PA and events planner - explaining the incredible party. Cheers! She was living it up with her pals at the party as they danced to the music Soon the England team is looking to level the match by performing brilliantly in the second Test against South Africa on Newlands pitch from Friday. Where England had to face defeat by South Africa by 107 runs in the first Test, they are looking to improve in every department to win. Where 4 years ago, Ben Stokes of England scored 258 runs in 198 balls with 11 sixes and formed a 399-run World Test record partnership for the sixth wicket with Johnny Bairstow (150 not out off 191 balls). England had won the series by winning the match by 1-0 in the four-match series, but this time the team lost in the opening match at Centurion, making the team now 11 on par in this Test. Preparations begin to give Nehru Stadium to private hands According to media information, England captain Joe Root is under great pressure from his team's recent poor record abroad. Bairstow scored another nine at Centurion, making him less likely to play at Newlands this time. At the same time in Newlands in 2016, both teams scored more than 600 runs in the first innings. Only one draw was drawn in the 11 Test matches held here since 2011. Hockey captain Manpreet Singh says- "Team semifinals in Tokyo Olympics..." It is being said that South Africa has won 9 out of 10 matches and after a defeat, South Africa's opener Peter Malan is expected to make his debut in place of an injured Aidan Markram. At the same time, England's team landed without a spinner in the first Test, but Newlands' pitch requires spinners, so the selection of spinner will be a dilemma for him because Jack Leach has become ill after reaching the team. Jack Leach is recovering from an injury, but it is not possible for him to get into the match. Leg spinner Matt Parkinson could not impress in the first two practice matches. Off-spinner Dam Bess was called in as standby and he is expected to be replaced by veteran fast bowler James Anderson. England's most important fast bowler Jofra Archer could not bowl in net practice on Wednesday. England champion cricketer says, "All the success is sacrificed to cure the ailing father..." According to reports issued by Metro Puerto Rico, a statement of public apology was issued on the Facebook page of the restaurant in Puerto Rico that had received numerous negative feedbacks from the online community for kicking out two men who danced together in their restaurant. It was reported last weekend that a staff of the Gyros Sample Bar located in Orocovis ( a municipality situated in the center of a range of mountains) had been accused of prohibiting two men from dancing together in the restaurant. According to the boyfriend (Luis Santiago-Rivera) of one of the two men who danced in the restaurant, heterosexuals are allowed to dance but two men dancing together are prohibited. The two men were on a vacation in the area and were reported to have been kicked out of the restaurant for dancing together. Trey May, the boyfriend of Santiago-Rivera, said that the restaurant was highly homophobic and that he was kicked out of the establishment for dancing with someone who he is not in a relationship with. A video of May was uploaded on the social media platform Twitter. The video showed how the joyous experience had shifted immediately into an undesirable one when they were asked to leave the food establishment after both men were seen dancing together by the staff. HOMOPHOBIA IS REAL AND ITS GLOBAL my boyfriend's FAMILY AND I got kicked out of this bar because Kelvin (boyfriend's friend) and i were DANCING together okay... hate to interrupt the beauty i've been posting about Puerto Rico but this is something I feel NEEDS to be exposed.HOMOPHOBIA IS REAL AND ITS GLOBALmy boyfriend's FAMILY AND I got kicked out of this bar because Kelvin (boyfriend's friend) and i were DANCING together pic.twitter.com/OK3msrsjFD December 29, 2019 According to some of the representatives of the food establishment in Puerto Rico, there was a misunderstanding. The explanation was sent through Facebook Messenger to David Begnaud who tried to put light on the issue. They explained that the two men were asked to not smoke their electronic cigarette inside the restaurant. Santiago-Rivera had revealed that one of the members of his group were smoking their e-cigarettes inside the restaurant. He stressed that their group had been smoking e-cigarettes for more than one hour. He said that their group was asked to stop dancing. He emphasized that the staff did not tell them anything involving the smoking of their electronic cigarettes inside the establishment. The gay couple was humiliated in the presence of their family and to all those who were present in the bar. They expressed their feeling of discrimination and embarrassment from their experience in the food establishment. The restaurant had told Begnaud that their name in the food industry is being "defamed". They had included in their public apology that they want to communicate with the two men. The food establishment involved in the controversy had released a message of apology through their social media account on Facebook. They had addressed their message to all their customers, the LGBT community, and all of the guests that were affected by the viral controversy that the food establishment had gotten itself into. The restaurant's message included a statement saying that they have no intention of causing offense to anyone. They expressed their sincere apologies to the persons who were involved with the issue. They had also shared their desire to communicate with those who were primarily offended by the issue. They said in the statement that they aim to give good quality service to everyone. They told the community that the establishment has no issues with any members of the community and that they are always welcome in the establishment. The restaurant in Puerto Rico promised to prove their dedication to serving the diverse community. They had also wished to personally apologize to the two men and asked them to communicate with the establishment, if possible. India is entering the New Year on an optimistic note for its economy with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing a huge $1.5 trillion plan to build infrastructure in the next five years. The announcement confirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of a $5-trillion economy for the country by 2024, reported Wam. Sitharaman said at an year-end press conference yesterday that a committee formed after Modi announced his vision in August would identify the big infrastructure projects, it stated. These are expected to include new rail links, roads, and social infrastructure necessary to attract critical investments from oil exporting nations and big economies around the world. Her announcement envisages a National Infrastructure Pipeline, NIP, which aims to build new ports and airports at a cost of Indian rupees 2.5 trillion, projects in which Gulf investors have shown interest previously. Rs3.2 trillion will be the outline for digital infrastructure projects while Rs16 trillion is planned for irrigation, farming and food processing, stated the report. Public-private partnerships will be key to todays announcement with private companies contributing about 25 per cent of the investments. The rest will come from the central government and Indian states, said experts. The proposals are aimed at boosting the countrys growth rate from the Reserve Bank of India latest growth forecast of five percent for the fiscal year 2019-2020, they added. A Polish primary school has caused outrage after pupils wearing swastika armbands recreated the Auschwitz death camp and pretended to gas seven-year-olds. Six pupils, some with shaven heads, dressed in the distinctive grey-striped prison uniform of Nazi concentration camps and lay on the floor as others danced around them during the play in the village of abunie, close to the border with Ukraine. With a backdrop of barbed wire, the children in prisoner outfits dropped to the ground as smoke wafted across the stage to simulate the gas chambers. Two students in black Gestapo trench coats stood to attention while a young girl wearing a skull and crossbones cape danced to dramatic music around the children 'playing dead'. In show's climax, the 'good guys' then appear to defeat the Nazis and resurrect the children. The Auschwitz Memorial condemned the performance and a Polish priest branded the play 'terrifying and cruel'. Polish schoolchildren in abunie reenacted the Auschwitz mass killings complete with striped uniforms, Gestapo swastika armbands and gas wafting across the stage Gas was even shot across the stage as a group of children aged around seven lay on the floor After the dance a speaker whose parents died at Auschwitz reportedly told the audience that Poland deserved compensation from Germany for the atrocities of the Second World War. Lawmakers who opposed seeking German reparations deserved to have their heads shaved as if they were Nazi collaborators, another speaker reportedly then added. Newsweek Polska magazine reported that the mayor of abunie, who is from the ruling right-wing populist Law and Justice party, 'told the children that they must defend Latin civilization'. Mariusz Kukieka went on to claim the political left was trying to create a 'godless society', similar to Nazi Germany. She reportedly said: 'Nazi Germany was a country which broke the rules of natural law and which was instead based on the norms of law created by man. 'Today we still have to contend with various people, with leftist groups, which are bent upon creating a new man, a new godless society.' The controversial event held on December 10 was held to commemorate the renaming of the school to The Children of Zamosc, which is a reference to thousands of Polish children deported by the Nazis. Somber music played as the children marched in a circle during the event marking the renaming of the school to commemorate youngsters who were deported by Nazis Pupils danced around the 'dead' children after gas wafted across the stage during the school's reenactment of the Auschwitz death camps Some of the children from the area were forcibly adopted by German families if found to be sufficiently Aryan. Some 110,000 Poles, including 30,000 children, were part of a German attempt at ethnically cleanse the area of occupied Poland between 1942 and 1943. Children from the area were later transported to the Majdanek and Auschwitz concentration camps. A video of the dance performance was published by local newspaper Tygodnik Zamojski, which reportedly described it a 'moving staging' of history. Thousands of schools across the country also held similar events, according to local media. But the Auschwitz Memorial condemned the performance, saying on Twitter that it was not an appropriate way to educate children about the Holocaust. After the dance a speaker whose parents died at Auschwitz reportedly told the audience that Poland deserved compensation from Germany for Nazi atrocities on Polish soil The Auschwitz Museum tweeted on Tuesday: 'The idea of dressing up children of this age in SS uniforms and staging death scenes with them is simply bad. 'The adults who organized it don't have the elemental sensitivity needed to educate children about such a difficult and tragic history.' Fr Wojciech Michal Lemanski, said the dance show was 'terrifying, reckless, blunt and cruel' and asked in a Facebook post: 'Where were the management, the curator of education, the local authorities?' In June another re-enactment of Auschwitz was performed by children at a Catholic primary school in the Polish town of Chojnice. The performance retold the story of Maksymilian Kolbe, a Polish priest who was murdered at the death camp. Between 1939 and 1945, at least 1.5 million Polish citizens were deported to German territory for forced labor. Hundreds of thousands were also imprisoned and died in Nazi concentration camps. Algeria appoints new government, State TV reported Thursday, keeping in place, Sabri Boukadoum as Foreign minister, Mohamed Arkab as Energy minister and Kamel Beldjoud as Interior minister. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on last Saturday named the university professor and former diplomat, Abdelaziz Djerad, 65, as prime minister as he builds a new government to handle political unrest and economic challenges. The list of cabinet ministers appointed was not released yet but Abderrahmane Raouia was announced as Finance Minister in the new cabinet. Tebboune was elected last month in a vote that the protest movement rejected, winning 58% on a turnout officially registered as 40%. He has offered dialogue with the protesters but the leaderless movement has continued to stage demonstrations since his election. Algeria, a major energy exporter, depends on its oil and gas sales for 60% of government revenue. However, sales have fallen since oil prices began to drop in 2014 and Algeria's foreign currency reserves have more than halved since then. A state budget agreed by the interim government and parliament late last year included new laws aimed at increasing foreign investment but pledged 9% cuts in public spending. The interim government appointed a new head of state energy producer Sonatrach, Kamel Edine Chikhi, and a new central bank governor, Benabderahmane Ayman, in November. The parliament also approved a new energy law that would make international investment in oil and gas more attractive in order to arrest declining output, while still keeping a bar on majority foreign ownership of projects in the sector. Search Keywords: Short link: Steve McQueen piloted it in the movie Bullitt, and for the next 50 years it was mostly a ghost. Now its heading to auction, and the speedy dark-green 1968 Ford Mustang fastback is expected to break records when it crosses the block next week at a Mecum event in Florida. Bravely, its owner is offering the rusty, dented, largely unrestored car without reserve, which means it will sell to the highest bidder however low that bid is. The seller, Sean Kiernan, a Tennessee horse farm owner, says he is not worried that the bid will be too low. He figures the price could approach $5 million. Certainly, he adds, the car will sell for more than the $3,500 his father, Bob, paid for it in 1974. It took only 10 minutes of screen time the length of Hollywoods most acclaimed movie car chase for the Mustang (official color: Highland Green) to achieve immortality. McQueen himself raced it through the streets of San Francisco in pursuit of ill-fated evildoers in a black 1968 Dodge Charger. AUSTIN, Texas - Former Obama housing secretary Julian Castro, the only Latino in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race, ended his campaign Thursday after a yearlong run in which he pushed his rivals on immigration and took big swings in debates but struggled to break through with voters. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2019 file photo, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro speaks at the J Street National Conference in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) AUSTIN, Texas - Former Obama housing secretary Julian Castro, the only Latino in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race, ended his campaign Thursday after a yearlong run in which he pushed his rivals on immigration and took big swings in debates but struggled to break through with voters. Im so proud of the campaign weve run together. Weve shaped the conversation on so many important issues in this race, stood up for the most vulnerable people and given a voice to those who are often forgotten, Castro said in a video announcing his exit. But with only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given the circumstances of this campaign season, I have determined that it simply isnt our time. Castro, who launched his campaign last January, dropped out after failing to garner enough support in the polls or donations to qualify for recent Democratic debates. A former San Antonio mayor who later became President Barack Obama's secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Castro had stalled for most of his campaign, hovering around 1% in polls, and never came close to raising money like his better-known challengers. He had not yet released his end-of-year fundraising numbers, but by October had raised less than $8 million total. As Castro exited the field, Bernie Sanders announced on Thursday that he brought in more than $34.5 million in the previous three months alone. Castro's departure reflects the increasing lack of colour in a Democratic field that began as one of the most diverse in history. Between Sen. Kamala Harris of California dropping out and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey also lagging, the sixth and final Democratic debate of 2019 had no black or Latino candidates onstage. Last month, Castro said women and candidates of colour were being pushed aside in the race because of what he called the medias flawed formula for electability. He also ran an ad in majority-white Iowa, arguing that the state should no longer vote first in Democrats nominating process because it doesnt reflect the diversity of the party. There is a strategic disadvantage when you dont have a very diverse population or electoral base in those states, said Jeronimo Cortina, a political science professor and associate director of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Houston. You can see that minority candidates have a harder time to run in these primary election seasons." Castro, 45, was among the youngest in the running at a moment when the partys ascendant left wing is demanding generational change. And as the grandson of a Mexican immigrant, Castro said he recognized the meaning of his candidacy in the face of President Donald Trumps inflammatory anti-immigrant rhetoric and hard-line policies on the U.S.-Mexico border. But he laboured not to be pigeonholed as a single-issue candidate. He made Puerto Rico his first campaign stop, recited the names of black victims killed in high-profile police shootings and was the first in the field to call for Trumps impeachment. He also was a leading voice in the field on poverty and ending hunger. But his sagging poll numbers never budged. Early on, he was often eclipsed by another Texan in the race who dropped out this fall, former Rep. Beto ORourke, and another young former mayor, Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana. His campaign and supporters, meanwhile, grumbled that he didnt get due credit for taking out-front positions. Castro's former challengers said his voice would be missed. Secretary Castro brought a firm, clear, moral voice to this primary, Elizabeth Warren said during a campaign stop in New Hampshire. "I'm very sorry that he's not part of this, but I know he has an important voice in American politics and that we're going to hear a lot more from him both in 2020 and in years to come." Trying to show he could go toe-to-toe with Trump, Castro swung for big moments on debate stages, and he flirted with a much-needed breakout in June after confronting ORourke over not supporting decriminalization of illegal border crossings. But turning his sights on Joe Biden on a later stage brought swift backlash. During the September debate in Houston, Castro appeared to touch on concerns about Biden's advancing age and added a parting shot at the then-76-year-old former vice-president. Im fulfilling the legacy of Barack Obama, and youre not, Castro said. Castro denied taking a personal dig at Biden as others in the field condemned the exchange. Three days later, Castro lost one of his three backers in Congress, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, who switched his endorsement to Biden. In October, Castro had warned supporters in a fundraising appeal that failing to make the November debate stage would spell the end of his campaign. He needed to hit at least 3% polling in four early state or national polls but didnt get even one. What is next for Castro is unclear. Back home in Texas, Democrats had long viewed Castro as their biggest star in waiting, and some have urged him to run for governor as the state trends more diverse and liberal. Castro was pegged as a rising Democratic star after being elected as mayor of the nations seventh-largest city at age 34, and he was on the short list for Hillary Clintons running mate in 2016. In the video announcing his exit, Castro concludes with "Ganaremos un dia! which translates to We will win one day! Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. ___ Associated Press writer Hunter Woodall in Concord, N.H., and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report. ___ Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pauljweber ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. Bangalore: PM Narendra Modi is visiting Karnataka today on Thursday. Here he laid the foundation of Sri Siddaganga Math Museum. After laying the foundation, PM Modi also addressed the public meeting here. Addressing the public meeting, the PM said that today after many years, we have got the opportunity to come here, but there is a lack of Sri Sri Shivakumar Swami. Pro-Iran rebels create a ruckus, US Embassy takes big step under pressure PM Modi also surrounded the Congress fiercely during this time. Surrounding the Congress, PM Modi said that a few weeks ago CAA passed in Parliament, Congress and their allies have stood up against Parliament. The kind of hatred that they hate us, the same kind of voice is seen against the Parliament of the country. These people are running a movement against the Parliament of India, they are agitating against the Dalit and the victims from Pakistan. US President Donald Trump moves its army in midst of growing turmoil in Iraq PM Modi said that Pakistan was born on the basis of religion, the country was divided on the basis of religion. Atrocities with people of other religions started in Pakistan from the time of Partition, over time Hindu-Jain-Sikh-Buddhist persecution on the basis of religion has increased. Thousands of people have had to leave their homes and come to India. Pakistan persecuted Hindus, but Congress does not speak against Pakistan. Hong Kong: 10,000 people did this work instead of celebrating on New Year Chef Hilda Ysusi opened her ground-breaking restaurant Broken Barrel in the swanky Hughes Landing in The Woodlands almost three years ago and has been rocking local palates with stunning dishes, creative mix-ups of culinary classics and top-notch ingredients. The native of Mexico City who has a culinary background and resume that spans parts of three continents sat down with The Villager recently for our Sunday Conversation. Originally from Mexico City, Ysusi has traveled the world and the United States for her diverse culinary education and training. After studying in Switzerland and completing two advanced culinary degrees from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Ysusi worked at various restaurants across the Eastern United States before earning a degree in hospitality management from Florida International University. Related: Revamped menu highlights talent of chef at Woodlands eatery Broken Barrel How she landed in The Woodlands is a story unto itself: her parents owned a home in The Woodlands for decades where they would visit and vacation. Ysusi said as she visited the township in those early years, she felt that something special existed in the community and when an opportunity arose, she decided to open Broken Barrel in Hughes Landing. The swanky eatery with spacious open areas and stunning views of Lake Woodlands will celebrate three years in business in February. QUESTION: You recently revamped your menu with classic dishes but recreated in new ways, such as decontructing traditional menu items and melding flavors together in new ways, some examples are the luau pork and the duck pastor. What makes these work for diners? Ysusi: (The luau pork), we cook it for two to three hours and it is super tender. It comes in cubes and people dont expect it to be tender until they bite into it. There are a lot of ingredients that work together well. The idea behind the pastor duck is, you know, a pastor taco is a tortilla, the pork with adobo, then the pineapple and onion and cilantro. This is kind of a fancy desconstructed version of the taco. We have the tortilla in the hummus, then the duck is confit and we crisp it up on the flat-top (grill)it is kind of Mexican and Mediterranean all at the same time. QUESTION: You are mixing cuisines together in untraditional styles together Asian, Mediterranean and Central American and Mexican why is that popular with diners? Ysusi: For me, it was very important before rolling out the menu that we did a tasting with all the staff and we had been talking to them about the menu for months. I changed about 85 percent of the menu, so it was a big change. The processes we are doing, it takes hours and days to make. I think it is also about communication to your guests when they come, and me or the staff explain what things are. In these almost three years (weve been open), weve taken the time to really know our customers and talk to them see what the like and what they dont like. Weve gained their trust. To me, one of the best thing now, is when we have people who come here and they are like, I used to never eat octopus and I used to never eat duck, and then they came a few times and they like everything else and, theyre like, OK, Ill try it. Then they try it. Some of them like it, some of them They may like it or they may not, but at least for them having trust to try something out of their comfort zone is good. QUESTION: What are your overall goals for the new menu in general? Ysusi: I always try to find something common, which draws the attention of the customers. And then the other stuff that is a little more bizarre in a wayif you put everything crazy on the menu, no one is going to order it even though they may like it. I always do something, like empanadas, super traditional everyone likes it, they know what it is. I want to do something they cannot findsomewhere else but with elements that are common and presented a different way. That is the idea of the menu, that when people try it and enjoy it, they think, I never would have thought that went together. QUESTION: What are the top two or three things a home cook needs in their kitchen at home? Ysusi: I think to make excellent cooking, you need good product. It is not as much a tool, if you have good product, you can make anything taste good because there is not a lot you have to do. The rule No. 1 is start with things that you can find easily and have not been frozen for a year in a a grocery store. Another thing I think is good is a very small smoke gun. People might be intimidated by it, but you can find one very cheap for $20. You can smoke someones drink, or food, or smoke someones appetizer. You can buy a can of peanuts and then smoke them in a glass for guests to enjoy. You can blow someones mind with that simple trick (smoking food). It is very simple to use. QUESTION: What other ingredients should a home cook have? Ysusi: You will laugh, but I have nothing in my house. If you open my refrigerator, there is nothing in my refrigerator. When I have people over, I cannot even offer them chips there is literally nothing in my fridge. (But), I think eggs are a must. Eggs are very basic and you can create a lot of things with them. Cheese is good; everything is better with cheese. Chiles jalapenos or serranos, anyting that gives spice. Lemon to me is basic, you need acid to make everything better. In the same way, bacon or lard makes everything better. QUESTION: You are a native of Mexico City, considered one of the best culinary places in the world. Why do you think that is? Ysusi: I think that Mexico, if not the best cuisine in the world, which I guess I am partially biased, but also said by others the UNESCO world heritage people say it is one of the best. It is the truth. If you go to Mexico, it is not a huge country, but every area has a very different cuisine. I think the Mexican cuisine is very regional and when you go to the coast, everything is based on seafood. If you go to the center, where airports are, you can get more diverse (ingredients). When you go to the peninsula, you get more ingredients because that is where everybody lauded on the boats (throughout history). There is even Dutch food therethey say, It is Mexican but it is Dutch, too. There are still a lot of recipes that are very Spanish I think that (Mexico) is definitely one of the top places in the world to try food. jeff.forward@chron.com (HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged MetLife, Inc. with violating the books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the federal securities laws relating to two errors in its accounting for reserves associated with its annuities businesses. MetLife has agreed to pay $10 million to settle the charges. According to the SECs order, MetLife improperly released reserves for annuity benefits associated with MetLifes Retirement and Income Solutions Business, which resulted in an increase in income. For over 25 years, MetLifes practice was to presume annuitants had died or otherwise would never be found if they did not respond to only two mailing attempts made approximately five and half years apart. MetLife later determined that its processes for locating and contacting unresponsive annuitants were insufficient to justify the release of reserves. To correct this error, MetLife increased reserves by $510 million as of year-end 2017. The SECs order also finds that MetLife overstated reserves and understated income relating to variable annuity guarantees assumed by a MetLife subsidiary. MetLife disclosed that this error was caused by data mistakes, including a failure to properly incorporate policyholder withdrawals into MetLifes valuation model. To correct this error, MetLife reduced reserves by $896 million as of year-end 2017. Investors are entitled to the reliability and accuracy of financial information, said Marc P. Berger, Director of the SECs New York Regional Office. The Commission found that MetLifes insufficient internal controls caused longstanding accounting errors. The SECs order finds that MetLife violated the books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the federal securities laws. Without admitting or denying the Commissions findings, MetLife has agreed to cease and desist from committing or causing any future violations of these provisions and to pay a civil penalty of $10 million. Assad regime forces kill 8 in airstrikes At least 20 others were injured in the latest attack in Saraqib province in the Idlib de-escalation zone, the White Helmets civil defense agency said. At least eight civilians, including four children, were killed in an attack on a school by regime forces in northwestern Syria, defense sources said Wednesday. REGIME FORCES CONTINUE ATTACK Since Moscow and Ankara reached a deal in September 2018 under which acts of aggression are supposed to be prohibited in Idlib, over 1,300 civilians have been killed in the de-escalation zone. Following intense attacks, over a million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border. Since the eruption of the bloody civil war in Syria in 2011, Turkey has taken in some 3.7 million fleeing Syrians, making Turkey the worlds top refugee-hosting country. (Newser) A white nationalist who inspired the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., is facing numerous charges, including kidnapping. Augustus Invictus, 36, was arrested Monday at a mall in Florida, where Brevard County Sheriff's deputies had been surveilling him since Christmas Day, per CBS News. They'd initially located him at the home of a relative on a tip from authorities in South Carolina. A warrant from that state's Rock Hill Police Department lists charges of kidnapping, "high and aggravated" domestic violence, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, per the Miami Herald. story continues below The Orlando-area attorney who admitted being friends with white supremacists launched a bid for Marco Rubio's Senate seat as a Libertarian candidate in 2016. Though ultimately unsuccessful, he drew plenty of attention, particularly with his claim that he killed a goat and drank its blood during a pagan ritual. Invictus, who has called for violent uprisings, was later a featured speaker at the Unite the Right rally, which organizer Richard Spencer said was based on Invictus' tenets. Invictus now runs the Revolutionary Conservative website. Held without bond, he's due in court on Jan. 15. (Read more Florida stories.) By Nelson Oliveira, New York Daily News He may have the patience of a saint, but everyone has a limit. Pope Francis apologized Wednesday for losing his cool and slapping the hand of a woman who grabbed him and tugged him toward her on New Years Eve as he visited a Nativity scene in Vatican City. So many times we lose patience. It happens to me too, he told thousands of worshipers gathered outside St. Peters Basilica for his New Year address. The 83-year-old pontiff then said he was sorry for the bad example he gave just hours earlier. Francis was walking through St. Peters Square Tuesday night when he began greeting some of the pilgrims who were standing on the other side of a barrier. At one point, as he turned away from the crowd, a woman yanked his arm and tried to tell him something. But Francis -- once described as the Cool Pope -- was not pleased. Footage of the incident shows a visibly irritated Francis smacking her hand and freeing himself from her grip while scolding the woman, though it was not clear what he said to her. WATCH: Disgruntled Pope Francis pulls himself free from a woman's clutch in Vatican City https://t.co/2nap3R0iQ4 pic.twitter.com/tubJ1xmaxu Reuters (@Reuters) January 1, 2020 His off-script apology came moments before the Catholic leader denounced violence against women during his first mass of the year. Women are sources of life, he told the crowd, according to a transcript of his message. "Yet they are continually insulted, beaten, raped, forced to prostitute themselves and to suppress the life they bear in the womb. Every form of violence inflicted upon a woman is a blasphemy against God, who was born of a woman. Humanitys salvation came forth from the body of a woman: we can understand our degree of humanity by how we treat a womans body. Videos of Francis angry reaction went viral on social media Tuesday night, with many commenters calling the pope rude and aggressive while many others sided with him, noting that he couldve easily been hurt. Jeffrey Donaldson speaks to the media in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings Stormont (Brian Lawless/PA) Agreement to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland can be reached in the short term, Sinn Fein has insisted, but the DUP has cautioned against quick fix solutions. On the first day of talks this year, political parties continued to work towards finding a way to bring the Stormont administration back into action. Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said his party believes a deal can be reached in the short term, adding that they see no need to draw the talks out until the January 13 deadline. Expand Close Jeffrey Donaldson speaks to the media as talks aimed at restoring powersharing in Northern Ireland have resumed (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jeffrey Donaldson speaks to the media as talks aimed at restoring powersharing in Northern Ireland have resumed (Brian Lawless/PA) Speaking later, Democratic Unionist Party MP Jeffrey Donaldson said engagements so far have been very constructive, but he warned against quick fix solutions, and said the parties need to get it right to ensure sustainable government. We want Stormont to be credible, strong, robust and can withstand the inevitable challenges and difficulties that come down the road, he said. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said it had always been the case that a deal could have been done within hours. Expand Close SDLP leader Colum Eastwood (left) and deputy leader Nichola Mallon speak to the media in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings Stormont (Rebecca Black/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp SDLP leader Colum Eastwood (left) and deputy leader Nichola Mallon speak to the media in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings Stormont (Rebecca Black/PA) Were not in a very different place now than we have been in the last couple of years. Its a case of political will, there was an election recently, I think that may have changed things, he said. The latest process, which was initiated in the wake of the general election, was paused over the festive period after a pre-Christmas deal failed to materialise. Secretary of State Julian Smith, Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney and the local parties returned to Stormont House on Thursday morning to resume the effort. Expand Close Senior Sinn Fein negotiator Conor Murphy said powersharing can be restored quickly (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Senior Sinn Fein negotiator Conor Murphy said powersharing can be restored quickly (Brian Lawless/PA) Discussions between the parties continued throughout the day. Mr Murphy said the issues which remain under discussion include an Irish language act, the assemblys controversial veto system the petition of concern, a programme for government and what financial resources would be available to any new Executive. There are a range of issues which will be discussed in the next couple of days. None of them, I dont think, need to be exhausted ad infinitum, we need to be bring this to a conclusion. There are pressures continuing to mount in relation to public health, health services and the treatment of staff in the health service. We need to get back working again so we can fix those as quickly as possible, he said. Talks to restore a devolved government in Northern Ireland have resumed today at Stormont House. pic.twitter.com/1sSOEZxpgp Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) January 2, 2020 Mr Donaldson said his party want to see agreement reached as quickly as possible but also want to ensure that any agreement is fair, balanced and sustainable. We are not in the business of snatching at something because there is a deadline, we want Stormont restored and we want it restored as soon as possible, he said. We want to see a settlement, a fair pay award, for health care workers, we dont see any reason why that should be delayed until Stormont is restored. Expand Close Tawf Morgan (left) and John Ross of Unite Unionists at Stormont (Brian Lawless/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tawf Morgan (left) and John Ross of Unite Unionists at Stormont (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Donaldson said his party favoured reforming the petition of concern, adding that all parties agree it should be retained as an important safeguard. From Thursday morning a number of protesters stating their opposition to an Irish Language Act being included in any potential deal set up camp outside the talks venue holding aloft union flags. Three years on from the collapse of the devolved government, the Stormont parties have until a January 13 deadline to strike a deal to revive the institutions. On that date, legislation to give civil servants additional powers to run Northern Irelands struggling public services expires and Mr Smith will assume a legal obligation to call a snap Assembly election. The latest push to restore powersharing broke up the week before Christmas, with UK and Irish governments singling out the DUP as the party standing in the way of a deal. The party rejected the claims, insisting it would not be bounced into a quick fix that falls apart when tested. Expand Close Roundtable talks at Stormont House before Christmas failed to secure a breakthrough (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Roundtable talks at Stormont House before Christmas failed to secure a breakthrough (Liam McBurney/PA) Devolution can only be restored once the DUP and Sinn Fein the regions two largest parties agree terms to re-enter a mandatory coalition executive in Belfast. The other three main parties the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance are also involved in the talks process convened by the UK and Irish Governments. While they could take positions in any new executive, their sign-off on a deal is not essential and a government could be formed in their absence, with those parties having the option of going into opposition. Expectations of a breakthrough rose after the DUP and Sinn Fein both suffered bruising results in the general election. With many interpreting the outcome as a public judgment on the parties failure to do a deal, stalled efforts to restore the institutions appeared to gain fresh momentum in December. However, proposals to reform a contentious cross-community voting mechanism in the Assembly have emerged as a key sticking point in efforts to finalise an agreement, with the DUP unhappy about what is being countenanced. The DUP is also seeking changes to ensure the devolved institutions are more stable in future and cannot be readily pulled down. Proposed legislative protections for Irish language speakers are another crucial element of the negotiations. The Stormont parties are also seeking firm commitments from the UK Government on a financial package to accompany the return of devolution money that would likely be targeted at the regions crisis-hit health service. Expand Close Simon Coveney (left) speaking with Julian Smith during a meeting last year (NIO/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Simon Coveney (left) speaking with Julian Smith during a meeting last year (NIO/PA) Mr Smith and Mr Coveney were in Belfast on New Years Day for discussions ahead of the resumption of formal exchanges with the political parties. Mr Coveney urged the parties to show leadership and generosity. He said the new year offered a chance for a new beginning and urged all sides not to disappoint the public again. Stormont imploded three years ago this month when the late Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest at the DUPs handling of a botched green energy scheme. That dispute soon widened to encompass traditional rifts over issues such the Irish language and the toxic legacy of the Troubles. A logjam over proposals to reform the petition of concern voting mechanism was one of the main reasons a deal failed to materialise before Christmas. It was designed to protect minority rights but politicians have accused each other of misusing it for their own ends. Discussions around change are focused on making it more difficult for one party to use the petition to block controversial legislation. The parties are also considering amending Assembly rules to make it harder to collapse the institutions. (CNN) Warning: This story contains spoilers from the latest episode of "The Walking Dead." Negan certainly took more than his fair share from the residents of Alexandria during his first trip to the compound, but he also inadvertently gave fans a gift: the answer to a question that has been plaguing "Walking Dead" fans for a long time. In Sunday's episode, viewers learned that Rick's best friend Shane (Jon Bernthal), is the father of baby Judith and Rick knew this the whole time. "I know Judith isn't mine -- I know it," Rick (Andrew Lincoln) told Michonne (Danai Gurira) in an emotional scene. "I love her. She's my daughter but she isn't mine." When they were alive, Shane had questioned Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies), with whom he had a relationship while Rick was in a pre-series coma, whether he was her unborn baby's father, but she denied it. Questions about the baby's true paternity remained long after both characters died. Followers of the series have speculated Shane was the baby's father for some time. Rick made the reveal to Michonne while trying to explain to his better half why he has been so seemingly fine with turning control and power over to antagonist Negan. Their conversation came toward the end of an episode in which Negan paid a visit to their community and walked away with all their guns, mattresses and many goods. He also threatened to kill one of their friends and put on quite the public show to assert his power over Rick. Rick explained to Michonne that he had to accept the truth about Judith's paternity and move on "so I could keep her alive." He's taking the same approach with Negan, he said. "I'll die before she does and I hope that's a long time from now so I can raise her, protect her, and teach her how to survive," he said. "This is how we live now. I had to accept that, too, so I could keep everyone else alive." Lincoln said on "The Talking Dead," AMC's after show, that producers had told him about the upcoming reveal long before the current season started shooting. "It blew my mind," the actor said. "I think that was a brilliant way of explaining what Rick was enduring and capable of enduring." "The Walking Dead" airs Sundays on AMC. Sydney, Jan 2 : Fuel shortage is hampering an evacuation order for tourists to vacate a 250-km stretch of Australia's southeast coast before Saturday, authorities said on Thursday. New South Wales' Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) issued the order on social media late Wednesday night for tourists to vacate the area, reports Xinhua news agency. The warning predicted "the same or worse" fire conditions as those felt by the region earlier in the week. "If you are holidaying on the South Coast, particularly in the general area from Batemans's Bay to the Victorian Border, you need to leave before this Saturday," the NSW RFS said. "If you are planning to visit the South Coast this weekend, it is not safe. Do not be in this area on Saturday." The South Coast is highly popular with Australian holidaymakers, especially during the Christmas period and by Thursday morning giant queues had formed of those trying to access fuel, food and water. It is the "largest mass relocation of people out of the region that we've ever seen", NSW Minister for Transport, Andrew Constance told the ABC. "People are queueing up to get into petrol stations. You can't leave on an empty tank, because the power is off in a lot of places. We need people to be well-planned." Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged calm and patience from all those affected and said that everything possible is being done to make the evacuation run smoothly. Meanwhile, three more people lost their lives in the raging Australian bushfires on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths since October to 16 in deadly blazes that have forced thousands to seek refuge due to the worst fire crisis that has hit the country in decades, reports Efe news. The fires have also destroyed dozens of homes and left three people wounded in the state that has been battling the deadly inferno since September 2019. It has also burned over 3 million hectares. Firefighters are trying to control the flames before Saturday when the temperature is expected to touch the 40 degrees Celsius mark. Some 50,000 homes were said to be without power on the south coast of NSW, the worst affected state where some 2,500 firefighters are currently battling over 100 raging blazes. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.--Conventional measures of innovation suggest that only big cities foster new ideas, but a more comprehensive measure developed at Penn State shows that innovation is widespread even in rural places not typically thought of as innovative. This "hidden" innovation brings economic benefits to businesses and communities, according to researchers, whose findings will help decision makers think in new ways about innovation and how they can support it. "The way we traditionally measure innovation is very narrow, and focuses primarily on new products or processes that result in a patent or involve R&D spending. This overlooks another kind of innovation--the incremental improvements that businesses make to their products and processes as a result of information they obtain from outside their firm," said Stephan Goetz, professor of agricultural and regional economics and director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD). "Our measure shows that this latent, or hidden, innovation is at least as important to local income and employment growth as patent-level innovation." The study, published this month in Research Policy, is based on well-documented evidence that businesses acquire innovation-promoting information through interactions with other businesses outside of their own industry. These can be both their suppliers and other firms to which they sell products. "We know that inter-industry exchanges foster cross-fertilization of ideas, or knowledge spillovers, which in turn seeds innovation," said Goetz. "We wanted to explore these interactions more closely in order to better understand where the opportunities for innovation are greatest, including in rural and urbanized areas that are remote from cities." To examine industry transactions, Goetz and his co-author, Yicheol Han, a former postdoctoral scholar at the NERCRD and now at the Korea Rural Economic Institute, used data from the national Input-Output (I/O) table. The I/O table documents annual sales and purchases both across and within U.S. industries. Focusing specifically on 381 intermediate industries, they applied a mathematical formula to measure the diversity of each industry's transactions with their customers and suppliers, both in terms of the number of different industries they interacted with, and how evenly their interactions were distributed across other industries. They also incorporated geography into their measure in order to understand the effects that location has on innovation. They mapped the geographic location of the businesses within each of the 381 industries using county-level employment and business pattern data. Further, they included a measure of each county's industrial makeup to capture the possibility of spillover-effects of inter-industry interactions that take place as a result of proximity. This formula generated a "latent innovation index," which assigns a score to each U.S. county based on the degree to which opportunities for latent innovation exist. The researchers validated the index by correlating the county-level scores with county-level income and job growth while controlling for other factors that influence these variables, such as a county's starting employment, population density and share of the population with a college degree. They found that counties with higher innovation scores also had greater employment and income growth, even when they controlled for the number of patents held within a county. They also found that this type of innovation activity is present in both densely populated counties and sparsely populated, more rural counties. "What these correlations suggest is that it's not just patent-based innovation that brings economic benefits to businesses and communities, and innovation is not restricted to urban centers with large populations," Goetz said. "This type of latent or hidden innovation is not recorded and tracked the way patents are, but it appears to be at least as important in terms of economic growth and it is happening in all types of places--rural and urban and in-between." This has important implications, Goetz said, because it refutes conventional wisdom that only big cities enjoy innovation. "We often see media articles touting big cities as innovation centers, and our research brings a different perspective to the conversation," he said. "Yes, places like Silicon Valley, Seattle and Boston are home to tech firms that are developing entirely new products and technologies. But at the same time many non-tech businesses also engage in innovative activity that is less obvious but nonetheless moving their industries forward and, more importantly, keeping them competitive." Goetz said that by understanding where and how this type of innovation is already happening, community leaders can foster it by providing venues to support the exchange of ideas among a variety of businesses. For example, they can host trade shows that encourage business interactions. They also can think more strategically about targeting industries for recruitment that complement local innovation spillovers based on existing industries. The latent innovation index is available on the NERCRD website at: http://bit.ly/latent-innovation. ### The research was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and by the Penn State and NIFA Multistate/Regional Research Appropriations. India has reached out to countries across all geographical regions to share its perspective on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, and emphasised that they are internal matters, the ministry of external affairs said on Thursday. IMAGE: Students participate in a protest against Citizen Amendment Act in Mumbai. Photograph: PTI Photo A two-pronged strategy was adopted by the ministry as apart from reaching out to a number of resident ambassadors and high commissioners based in New Delhi, Indian envoys abroad engaged with capitals in different countries, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. "We did reach out to countries across all geographical regions. We did write to our missions and posts. We did tell them to share our perspectives on the CAA and the NRC to the host government," he said at a media briefing. Kumar said under the Indian outreach three-four points were emphasised to the countries on the CAA and the NRC. "We emphasised that the matter is internal to India. We also asked them (missions) to convey that the Act just provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities already in India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh," he said. According to the Citizenship Amendment Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 following religious persecution there will get Indian citizenship. The Indian side also conveyed to the countries that the CAA does not affect the existing avenues which are available to other communities to seek citizenship, Kumar said, adding that it also does not seek to strip anybody of citizenship. He said it was also conveyed that in any way the act does not alter the basic structure of the Constitution as some foreign press has portrayed. Indian ambassadors and consul generals were asked to reach out to not only the interlocutors in the government but also to the media, Kumar said. "On many occasions, the ministry conducts a very proactive diplomacy here in Delhi, but in this case it was realised that there is a lot of explaining that is involved and one has to go out and brief the capitals," he said. Asked about what the Indian side briefed other countries on the NRC, Kumar said it was emphasised that the CAA and NRC are separate processes and not related. "We have said that NRC is a Supreme Court-mandated process, this is our internal matter. What we are doing is directed by the Supreme Court, mandated by the Supreme Court and monitored by the Supreme Court," he said, referring to the NRC in Assam. "If you notice the reaction which we have received from across the world, barring a few countries, we feel most of the countries have accepted that this is an internal matter of India and that is what is getting reflected in their reactions and their pronouncements," the MEA spokesperson said. When asked about reports that some countries were not apprised about the CAA, he said those reports were "factually incorrect". On Bangladesh's reactions to the NRC, he said India has explained its position to the Bangladeshi government. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was in the US for the 2+2 dialogue last month, had shared India's perspective on the CAA with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's leadership in Washington. Protests over the CAA had led to the postponement of the Indo-Japan bilateral summit last month. The cancellation of the Japanese prime minister's trip had come a day after Bangladeshi foreign minister A K Abdul Momen and home minister Asaduzzaman Khan called off their visits to India following enactment of the controversial law. Tata Sons, in its appeal to the Supreme Court, has taken a strong objection to the National Company Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order, which, among other things, justifies the winding up of the holding company of the Tata group. It points out that the whole issue has been blown into a case of oppression and mismanagement when it could have been dealt with as a directorial complaint. According to a copy of the draft appeal submitted by the holding company in the apex court, there are no cogent reasons assigned for the conclusions arrived at in the "Impugned ... Workers who take time off because their house or workplace has burnt down may be covered under special leave provisions or be left in the cold, depending on the circumstances. Anthony Forsyth from the Graduate School of Business and Law at RMIT University in Melbourne said the Fair Work Act has provisions for employers to stand people down without pay in circumstances where there is a stoppage of work for a reason that is not their fault or beyond their control. Section 524 which allows a stoppage of work for any cause "for which the employer cannot reasonably be held responsible" could include natural disasters such as bushfires. Home and businesses were heavily affected in Bilpin during fires in December. Credit:Nick Moir But employees are not taken to be stood down if they are on paid leave. Protesters hold up black flags during the demonstration. Entering the 7th month of civil unrest, protesters marched the streets, calling for the five demands to be met. About 400 people were arrested in New Year's Day protests in Hong Kong after what started as a peaceful pro-democracy march of tens of thousands spiraled into chaotic scenes with police firing tear gas to disperse the crowds. The arrests take the total to about 7,000 since protests in the city escalated in June over a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China, and will highlight the apparent absence of any progress towards ending the unrest. The tension on Wednesday rose after some arrests were made in the Wan Chai bar district near a branch of global banking group HSBC, which has been the target of protester anger in recent weeks. When scuffles broke out, large numbers of black-clad protesters rushed to the scene while other protesters formed human chains to pass them various supplies including bricks, forcing police to bring in their own reinforcements. Police then asked organisers to call off the march early and crowds eventually dispersed as a water cannon truck and scores of police in riot gear patrolled the streets late into the evening. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 19:05:02|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close LAMU, Kenya, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Suspected Al-Shabab militants on Thursday hijacked a bus in Kenya's coastal region of Lamu with passengers on board, the police said. The police said the commuter bus was plying the Mombasa-Lamu route when suspected al-Shabab militants ambushed it at the Nyongoro area near Witu town in Lamu county. The fate of the passengers and their number remain unknown as search efforts are underway. Hamilton veteran wants to revive ham radio CBC News report how amateur radio was used to connect Canadian soldiers abroad with families at home In 1978, John David was surprised to discover upon calling his parents in Hamilton, Ont. from the Golan Heights that a five-minute conversation cost $20, a hefty chunk of change for a soldier making roughly $300 a month. At the time, then-23-year-old David was a Canadian Forces soldier deployed for six months as a peacekeeper with the United Nations Disengagement Observation Force, tasked with supervising a ceasefire between Israel and Syria. To keep in touch with his family back home in Canada, David sought a less expensive alternative to the telephone, which had suddenly become an unsustainable luxury of instant communication. But in the era pre-dating the internet, cell phones and satellite phones, alternatives were few and far between apart from Morse code. One day, during off duty hours while the majority of his colleagues were downing pints at the pub, David discovered the "ham shack," and forged what became a life-long hobby. In the shack, David discovered a group of specially-trained soldiers, known as the Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio Systems (CFARS), who operated amateur radios. Also known as ham radios a term initially used to mock operators this form of communication uses radio-sets to allow communication within a city, across the world and even into space. CFARS was established in 1978 and enlisted amateur radio volunteers and their equipment, in order to assist the CF with communication efforts in remote areas. The unit has since worked alongside the Canadian Coast Guard, the RCMP and the Ministry of Public Safety. The group's Golan Heights division brought David under their wing during his deployment, and they taught him how to create a "phone patch," a way of using a radio to mimic a telephone and call anywhere in the world. It cost a fraction of the price. Read the full story at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/ham-radio-operators-hamilton-1.5408797 Pictured: Rachel Wolf, the co-author of the Conservative Party's election blueprint Civil servants could be prevented from switching jobs every 18 months as part of 'seismic' changes that Downing Street will bring in once Britain has left the EU, the architect of Boris Johnson's manifesto claimed today. Rachel Wolf, the co-author of the Conservative Party's election blueprint, said the PM and his chief aide Dominic Cummings want to run 'the most dynamic state in the world'. As part of a large-scale transformation, age-old practices will be axed and the civil service will be modernised from top to bottom, she said. Ms Wolf said they would end the 'merry-go-round' of officials changing jobs every 18 months. Critics claim the revolving door policy prevents civil servants from building up expertise and also allows them to escape the consequences of their mistakes. She warned many officials 'cannot believe the PM and Dominic Cummings mean business' and 'as a result, they seem woefully unprepared for what is coming'. But unions complained that it was wrong to paint the civil service as 'antiquated or resistant to change'. They also argued that switching jobs was often the only way workers could get a pay rise. Ms Wolf said Boris Johnson (pictured) and his chief aide Dominic Cummings want to run 'the most dynamic state in the world' Ms Wolf, who has her own communications firm Public First, said anyone staying in the same job for longer than 18 months is currently seen to have 'stalled' in a culture that 'kills institutional memory and expertise' and ensures that 'everyone rises to their position of incompetence'. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, she said plans for merging, creating and abolishing departments represented just a 'tiny fraction' of what was planned. Such changes are likely to be implemented in the spring once the UK has left the European Union. Ms Wolf has also rubbished the idea that the civil service would become 'politicised' under the new regime. She claimed anybody including socialists would be welcome if they can 'deliver trains on time or figure out nuclear fusion'. Mr Cummings, the former Vote Leave mastermind who is now regarded as the most powerful unelected official in the country, is a long-standing critic of the way Whitehall is run. 'Cummings has been reading and thinking about how to transform the public sector for two decades', Ms Wolf wrote (Pictured: Dominic Cummings) He has moaned in the past that civil servants are rarely fired and are allowed to leave early or take holiday during times of crisis. 'Cummings has been reading and thinking about how to transform the public sector for two decades', Ms Wolf wrote. 'He does not think it is a distraction, but a prerequisite to delivering even the simplest promises'. She added: 'Without changing how government operates, the Prime Minister cannot deliver 50million new GP appointments, new train lines or better bus services. All this and more was promised in the election manifesto (which I helped write) and is crucial to new Tory voters'. Dave Penman, head of the FDA union for senior civil servants, told PoliticsHome: "Whilst those advocating reform may like to paint the civil service as antiquated or resistant to change, the reality is somewhat different. "The UK civil service, recently ranked first in an international analysis of effectiveness, has had to constantly reform and adapt as each government sets out its new priorities.' Prospect deputy general secretary Garry Graham said: Some of the ideas mooted so far such as looking to reduce churn in job roles are clearly vital. 'However government needs to realise that churn is often the result of poor pay and reward and staff development structures and take steps to ensure people can develop and get a decent pay increase without needing to change jobs regularly.' Ms Wolf wrote the Tory manifesto with Downing St policy chief Munira Mirza. How workers are recruited and trained is likely to be one of the big changes to the system, she said. As it stands, just 17 per cent of fast-stream recruits have science-related degrees. She predicted that employees could be made to sit exams to make sure they can grasp data science and forecasting. Since the regime began their assault, over 100 people have been killed and tens of thousands have been forced to flee, with little or none of their belongings reports Zaman Al Wasl. The city of Maarat al-Numan has become a relative ghost town since Russia-backed forces began a crushing assault on northern Idleb province, which has uprooted about 280,000 people from their homes and killed over 100 people in three weeks. Abadat al-Thikra, director of the Civil Defense rescuing agency in Maarat al-Numan, said a large number of civilians have left the city, once populated with 85,000 people, without taking any of their furniture. Many families cannot take anything because of the continuous shelling of all the neighborhoods of the city. He added that, There are no field hospitals, no bakeries, no water and no electricity, in addition to the disruption on all the main roads inside and leading to the city. Most of the bombing is focused on markets and the main roads. The civil defense team is working to remove the rubble and repair the roads, but the heavy rains have lead to the collapse of the repaired potholes. Russia and the regime are deliberately targeting schools, mosques and all essential buildings in the city. The Syrian Response Coordination Group says that more than 51,260 families have been displaced since the regime began its crushing assault on the southern and eastern countryside of Idleb. Bilal Makhzoum, a local activist who is still in the city, talked about their contribution to the evacuation of civilians, For ten days, the city was subjected to severe and systematic bombardment, with the goal of emptying the city of its residents, leading to a large wave of displacement towards border areas and camps. In light of a marked lack of support by humanitarian organizations, all civil activists and organizations, in the city and outside it, had to help secure transport to evacuate the people to border areas, which is our duty, especially in these difficult times. Our priority was to evacuate civilians as well as our families for their safety, then, we started to move the furniture to their owners, since most left without any of their necessary household items. Before the displacement, Maarat al-Numan had a population of 70,000 people. In addition to its eastern and southern countryside, more than 283,000 civilians have been displaced to border camps, following the scorched earth policy that the regime and Russia is applying, by destroying all infrastructure as well as targeting residential neighborhoods and civilian property. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Matoshree will control Maharashtra government, but not the one in Mumbai India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Jan 02: The Shiv Sena-led coalition government in Maharashtra will be controlled by "Matoshree of Delhi" and not from "Matoshree" in Mumbai, senior BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said in an apparent reference to the Congress leadership. Fadnavis made the remarks targetting chief minister and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray while campaigning for the upcoming Palghar Zilla Parishad elections. "This government will be controlled not from 'Matoshree' (Thackeray's residence in suburban Mumbai), but by the 'Matoshree' of Delhi", the leader of opposition in the legislative assembly told a rally. Fadnavis, however, didn't take any names while firing the "Matoshree in Delhi" barb. 'Matoshree' means mother in Marathi. Cabinet expansion done, but talks continue on portfolios in Maharashtra NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 The NCP and the Congress are the other constituents in the Sena-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. 'Matoshree' gradually emerged as a formidable power centre in Maharashtra politics when Sena founder Bal Thackeray was alive. Fadnavis' remarks are set to raise hackles of the Sena, which always takes pride in "calling the shots" from the Bandra residence of the Thackerays. Continuing his diatribe, Fadnavis also took a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray's comments that he had given a word to his father late Balasaheb Thackeray of making a Shiv Sainik the chief minister of Maharashtra. "Bal Thackeray will be crying in heaven if he learns about the Sena's move to go with the NCP and Congress after polls," Fadnavis said. He also accused the Sena of "betraying" the public mandate by forging an alliance with the NCP and Congress after the state elections. Fadnavis appealed to people to give a befitting reply to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party in the upcoming zilla parishad polls. Maharashtra Congress chief pacifies sulking MLAs left out of cabinet It is unfortunate that the Shiv Sena has to compromise with those who "abused" Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, the BJP leader said, wondering how many days the Thackeray-led government will survive amid the "infighting". The Sena not only "betrayed" the public mandate but also its pre-poll ally BJP with which it jointly contested the assembly elections, he alleged. Fadnavis said in the assembly polls held in October last year, the BJP won 70 per cent of the seats that it contested and emerged as the single largest party, while the Shiv Sena bagged only 45 per cent of the seats that it fought. "Citizens gave a clear mandate to the BJP-Shiv Sena combine, but unfortunately due to betrayal by the Sena, which joined hands with the NCP and Congress, the BJP has to remain out of power," he said. Hitting out at Uddhav Thackeray for "betraying" the BJP, he said from day one (since Sena formed government with the NCP and Congress), the three parties were not able to decide the names of ministers. "Even after the selection of ministers, there is growing discontent among the Shiv Sena leaders and activists, and in case of the Congress, its activists have even gone to the extent of ransacking their party offices," he said. On Tuesday, some supporters of Congress MLA Sangram Thopte had vandalised the party office in Pune to protest against his non-inclusion in the Maharashtra ministry, which was expanded on Monday. Parody video of Fadnavis: Speaker orders probe Fadnavis said people of Maharashtra gave a "clear majority to the BJP-Shiv Sena combine" to form government, but later things took a different turn. He said citizens are witness to the political developments in the state. "It is unfortunate that it took weeks (for the Thackeray-led alliance) to finalise government formation and then form the Cabinet," the BJP leader said. On the farm loan waiver scheme announced by Thackeray, he said, "It is nothing but an eyewash and several conditions are attached to it, as a result of which nearly 60 lakh farmers in the state will not get benefit of the scheme." The Shiv Sena made "tall claims" that the 7/12 (land title) of farmers would be made free of encumbrance. "They have taken the farmers for a ride and none of them will get the benefit," Fadnavis said, while recalling that Thackeray had earlier demanded Rs 25,000 per hectare for farmers who suffered from crop losses. "Now, they have gone back on their word," he alleged. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 8:05 [IST] MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared an end to the days of collusion between crime and government, saying in a holiday address there was a time when drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was as powerful as the country's president. Lopez Obrador, who took office in December 2018, rose to power with pledges to root out corruption in Mexico. MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared an end to the days of collusion between crime and government, saying in a holiday address there was a time when drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was as powerful as the country's president. Lopez Obrador, who took office in December 2018, rose to power with pledges to root out corruption in Mexico. He hailed his progress toward that goal in a speech on New Year's Eve at the Palenque ruins in southern Mexico. "There was a time when Guzman Loera was as powerful, or had the influence, that the president had at that time," said Lopez Obrador. "That made it hard to punish those who had committed crimes. That is now history." Last month, Genaro Garcia Luna, a former Mexican government official responsible for public security, was charged in the United States with accepting millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa drug cartel once run by Guzman. Lopez Obrador has said Mexico will not investigate former President Felipe Calderon, who led the country at the time. But he added the Mexican government would cooperate with U.S. authorities in the probe of Garcia Luna, who moved to the United States in 2012. Guzman was sentenced last year to life in prison without parole and moved to a high-security facility in Colorado after being convicted in a U.S. court of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States over a colorful, decades-long career.. He had become almost legendary for escaping from Mexican high-security jails twice and avoiding massive manhunts, while cultivating a Robin Hood image among the poor in Sinaloa. Lopez Obrador acknowledged in his speech on Tuesday that his government had work to do, particularly in curbing rampant violence, but described his anti-corruption drive as a point of pride. "We are purifying public life so there is moral authority," Lopez Obrador said. (Reporting by Julia Love; Editing by Peter Cooney) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. AUSTIN State officials take pride in protecting Texas image as a defender of the unborn, but those fights have cost taxpayers $5.6 million to protect a law struck down as unconstitutional and others that have no resolution in sight. The legal fights over those state laws and administrative directives that have built additional restrictions on abortions and providers have led Texans to spend $3.1 million playing defense. The costs include staff salaries, travel expenses, filing fees and expert witnesses, according to state records released to Hearst Newspapers. In one case, Texas was also ordered to pay abortion providers $2.5 million for its attorneys fees. I think its a backward priority for the state of Texas, said Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of Whole Womans Health, a group regularly challenging the states abortion laws in court. The politicians are introducing legislation thats unconstitutional and its not a secret. Even some of the people introducing it know its unconstitutional. On HoustonChronicle.com: Texans paid $500,000 to anti-abortion activists. Heres what they got. Anti-abortion advocates say little is more important than protecting the sanctity of life and contend the cost to taxpayers is worth it. Elective abortion is a systemic injustice of a larger, stronger party taking the life of a smaller, weaker party. With 50,000 abortions per year in Texas, it is inappropriate to quibble about the states return on investment. This is about protecting innocent human life; how much is that worth? said Kimberlyn Schwartz, spokeswoman for Texas Right to Life, in a text message. Although the landmark Roe v Wade decision that protected womens right to abortion was decided nearly 50 years ago, the issue continues to galvanize voters and politicians. In Texas, Republican politicians like Attorney General Ken Paxton, the states top lawyer, have made anti-abortion issues a priority. Lawmakers attempt to pass new regulations on the procedure during every legislative session. Those new laws are often immediately challenged. In Washington D.C., anti-abortion advocates are hoping to send a case to the U.S. Supreme Court that will unravel the right to an abortion. And President Donald Trump has added two new conservative justices to the court. Texas suffered its biggest legal, philosophical and financial loss in recent history in 2016 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law that put unconstitutional regulations on abortion facilities. The 2013 law required abortion clinics to resemble ambulatory surgical centers, which required costly renovations at most abortion clinics. The law also required physicians to obtain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital in the event of medical complications, although such complications needing a hospital were rare. Although the Supreme Court ruled 5-3 against Texas, about half of the states abortion clinics were forced to close while the case wound through the legal system. The court ruled neither regulation offered medical benefits that justified the undue burden put on women, who would have to travel further for appointments and face longer wait-times at still-operating clinics. The Texas attorney generals office and the solicitor generals office spent at least $840,000 defending this law, according to state records. A federal judge later required Texas to pay abortion providers $2.5 million for attorneys fees. For subscribers: Unconstitutional anti-abortion law costs Texas another $2.5 million The ruling not only nullified Texas law but reverberated across the country. Other states passed mirroring restrictions, dealing a major blow to the anti-abortion movement. While filing a friend of the court brief Tuesday to support a similar Louisiana law to be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020, Paxton urged the court to revisit and overturn its ruling on the Texas case, calling it a departure from prior abortion precedent. Two days after the U.S. Supreme Courts 2016 ruling, state officials quietly published a regulation requiring customary burial or cremation of fetal remains from an abortion recovered by an abortion clinic or a hospital. Abortion providers took Texas to court and won, then returned to court for a second case after the Legislature passed a law in 2017 to codify the administrations regulation. A district court again rejected the policy. Texas has spent nearly $670,000 defending the policy and is awaiting a ruling from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Texas is also awaiting a ruling from the appeals court on a law that bans a common second-trimester election procedure, known as dilation and evacuation. Critics argue the procedure is gruesome, but a federal judge ruled the ban intervenes in the medical process of abortionin an unduly burdensome manner. Records show Texas has spent nearly $930,000 on that case. Texas is also in court defending a decision to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood and revoke $3.4 million in funding. State officials based their decision on sting videos produced by undercover anti-abortion activists who surreptitiously recorded a Planned Parenthood official who they said was engaged in the illegal sale of body parts. Congressional and state investigations have not supported those claims. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of the state and remanded the case to a federal court in Austin. Texas has spent $705,000 on the case. Another case challenges a slew of abortion restrictions Texas lawmakers have passed over the years. The case, filed by Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Family Planning, has yet to be heard in court and so farhas cost Texas $9,000. Texas has a long record of fighting abortion. The landmark Roe v. Wade decision that protected a womans right to abortion in 1973 began when a Texas woman sued a district attorney in Dallas County in 1970. Nearly five decades later, abortion still drives political debate in Texas, where a North Texas pastor is convincing small towns to ban the procedure and the use of the morning-after pill, which prevents pregnancy. For subscribers: City of Waskoms abortion ban prompts new Abortion is Freedom billboards The amount of money the state of Texas has spent to defend the anti-abortion laws is staggering, though unsurprising, said Amanda Roberti, a political science professor at Ramapo College of New Jersey who focuses on reproductive policy. Since 2008, state lawmakers across the country have introduced more than 1,600 bills proposing stricter abortion regulations, she said. This represents a time that theres been more activity since Roe v Wade has passed, she said. Seven states this year passed bills that would ban abortions after six weeks of gestation or less. A so-called heartbeat bill this year failed to gain traction in the Texas Legislature as lawmakers attempted to sideline most social issues in favor of property tax and school funding reform. andrea.zelinski@chron.com Kim Jong Un Warns He May Scrap Moratorium on Nuclear, Long-range Missile Tests By William Gallo December 31, 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned he may no longer be bound by his self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests, threatening an unspecified, shocking action if the United States does not soften its stance in nuclear talks. Kim said there are no grounds to refrain from such tests as long as the U.S. continues military drills and selling advanced weapons with and to South Korea, according to comments published Wednesday in the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korea has not conducted a nuclear or ICBM test in more than two years. In April 2018, Kim announced his country no longer needs such tests. That decision helped pave the way for nearly two years of negotiations with the United States, which are now stalled. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has met with Kim three times, has said the North Korean leader personally promised to not resume ICBM or nuclear tests, though the two leaders never formalized that agreement. Speaking late Tuesday, Trump appeared to downplay the importance of Kim's threats, saying his relationship with Kim remains "very good." "He's representing his country. I'm representing my country. We have to do what we have to do. But he did sign a contract. He did sign an agreement talking about denuclearization," Trump said. "I think he's a man of his word. So I think we're going to find out. But I think he's a man of his word," Trump added. Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it would be "deeply disappointing" if Kim reneged on his commitments to Trump. "He made those commitments to President Trump in exchange for President Trump agreeing not to conduct large-scale military exercises," Pompeo told CBS. "We've lived up to our commitments. We continue to hold out hope that he'll live up to his as well." Still a chance for talks? In his comments Wednesday, Kim did not appear to formally abandon talks with the U.S., but did unveil a new, firmer stance toward negotiations with Washington. North Korea will continue developing its "powerful nuclear deterrent," Kim said, warning of an unspecified "shocking actual action." "The DPRK will steadily develop necessary and prerequisite strategic weapons for the security of the state until the U.S. rolls back its hostile policy," Kim said, using the acronym for North Korea's official name. "The world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future," Kim said, adding, "We cannot give up the security of our future just for the visible economic results." Those comments appear to link North Korea's nuclear weapons to its economic success a rejection of Washington's argument that scrapping nuclear weapons guarantees economic prosperity, said Duyeon Kim, a Seoul-based senior adviser for Northeast Asia and nuclear policy at the International Crisis Group. "Kim's message was measured, calculated, and calm. He sounds intent that they will resume weapons testing, including long-range missiles, and that it's just a matter of time and circumstance until Pyongyang tests a new strategic weapon," Kim said. "We can expect Pyongyang to take a harder line this year, but Kim has still left the door open to diplomacy and kept the ball in Washington's court by saying that any chance for denuclearization is contingent upon the U.S.' actions and intentions," she added. Talks stalled In his 2019 New Year's speech, Kim warned he may take a "new way" unless the U.S. changes its approach to nuclear talks. Kim's 2020 New Year's comments did not specifically reference the "new way." They also did not explicitly mention Trump by name. At their first summit in June 2018, Trump and Kim agreed to work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." Since then, the two sides have not been able to agree on what that phrase means or how to begin working toward it. Amid the stalled talks, North Korea in 2019 imposed an end-of-year deadline for the U.S. to offer more concessions. U.S. officials dismissed the deadline as arbitrary and a negotiating tactic. On Wednesday, Kim accused the U.S. of intentionally prolonging the nuclear talks. But he also appeared to leave open the possibility that the talks could eventually result in some modification to North Korea's nuclear weapons program. "The scope and depth of bolstering our deterrent will be properly coordinated, depending on the U.S. future attitude to the DPRK," Kim was quoted as saying. "This is NOT shutting door on talks," tweeted Chad O'Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which produces the influential NK News website. But the negotiations have already effectively been dead for months, Adam Mount, a North Korea expert at the Federation of American Scientists, pointed out. "It's possible they are willing to return to the table to negotiate a more modest arms control arrangement," Mount said. "But in any event, we can expect a much tougher line that does not indulge the soaring expectations of the last years." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Six people have been arrested for attacking police personnel here on Thursday. The incident took place when the police got the information that a group of persons are engaged in a fight at Rajendra Nagar and went there to control law and order. "We went there and try to control the situation but they attacked us. Six of them have been arrested," said Mukesh Kumar, Inspector, Kadam Kuan Police Station. In another incident, a cop got injured after he was allegedly attacked by a group of men who were listening to loud music on their mobile. They purportedly attacked him when he asked them not to do so. Further, an investigation is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Rajasthan government committee found that Kota's JK Lone Hospital is short of beds and its functioning needs improvement but cleared the doctors there of any lapses over the recent death of infants admitted there Jaipur: A Rajasthan government committee found that Kota's JK Lone Hospital is short of beds and its functioning needs improvement but cleared the doctors there of any lapses over the recent death of infants admitted there, an official said. At least 91 infants have died at the government hospital during the past month, triggering opposition criticism and a visit by a team from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). The three-member state government committee of doctors was sent to investigate the 10 deaths on 23 and 24 December. Earlier, the NCPCR had served a show-cause notice to the state government. "Pigs were found roaming inside the campus of the hospital," its chairperson Priyank Kanoongo had said in it. The state government panel found that the hospital was short of beds, functioning at 150 per cent of its capacity, Rajasthan Medical Education Secretary Vaibhav Galriya told PTI on Tuesday. But the committee ruled that the 10 infants who died on the two days were given the right treatment. "The committee submitted that eight out of the 10 infants were referred from other hospitals in a critical condition and two were born at the hospital itself, Galriya said. Due treatment was given to all of them. The committee had checked medical records. Whoever was to be put on ventilator, the required treatment was provided," he added. Moreover, the 10 infants who died were at higher risk due to pre-term birth, he said. Galriya said the committee was instructed not only to look into the cause of deaths but also the functioning of the hospital. "The committee said the hospital is working at 150 percent of its capacity. The number of beds is less than the flow of patients. Similar is the situation at the ICUs as well. There is a need to increase the number of beds," he said. He said instructions have been issued to take samples to check infections at the hospital on a monthly basis, earlier done once in three months. Directions have also been given to lay oxygen pipelines, instead of supplying it to the intensive care unit (ICU) through cylinders. The official said the hospital superintendent was removed from the post as a lot of equipment lay unused due to the lack of an annual maintenance contract. The AMC process has now been initiated. He said that the committee considered both the treatment and the larger systemic issues at the hospital. "We are working on both the aspects and would be working on the improvement of a systemic part so that better treatment can be given at the hospital," he said. The state government committee included Dr Amarjeet Mehta, Dr Rambabu Sharma and Dr Sunil Bhatnagar. A panel of BJP MPs also visited the hospital on Tuesday. The group included Lok Sabha MPs Jaskaur Meena, Locket Chatterjee and Bharati Pawar, and Rajya Sabha MP Kanta Kardam. Two state BJP leaders also met the staff on Monday. The NCPCR team found the upkeep at the hospital, where 940 infants died during the year, in the worst condition with broken windows and doors. A truck traveling at a high rate of speed through the West Side collided with a van pulling out of a residence Wednesday morning killing an adult male, a 14-year-old girl and injuring two other children in an ensuing fire caused by the impact, according to San Antonio police. Authorities responded to the wreck just before 12:30 a.m. in the 3400 block of West Poplar Street just five miles from where many residents were celebrating the New Year at Hemisfair. According to a news release, a white Chevy Silverado was traveling at an estimated speed of 100 to 120 miles per hour when it struck a van pulling out onto the street. Police say the male driver, 31, is believed to have been killed upon impact. The 14-year-old girl was ejected from the van as it spun around and had died by the time authorities had arrived. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox The two other children, ages 1 and 5, were rescued by a family member from the nearby residence. Both sustained second degree burns to the upper body and face due to the van catching fire at impact. The children were transported to University Hospital. It is unclear what their condition is at this time. The Chevy Silverado continued east on Popular Street and then eventually struck a private fence and utility pole a block away from the crash site. The suspects, who police say are two Hispanic males, then fled on foot. Police say the suspects remain on the loose despite a search of the area and the address of the truck's registered owner. The identities of the victims have not been released and their relationship was also not disclosed. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact its Traffic Investigations Unit at (210) 207-7635. Priscilla Aguirre is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre 02.01.2020 LISTEN Our country, for far too long, has been bedeviled by an ailing emergency health response services. Chiefly among these challenges has been the shortfall in the ambulance fleet and the few that are left are rickety, out of shape and fall short of the standard. Ghana with an approximate population of 30 million people currently possesses an ambulance strength of 55. The statistics indicate that 1 ambulance is shared by over 520,000 Ghanaians. Owing to the excruciating defects in the timely emergency systems, many are those who were sent to their early graves. Upon the assumption of power in 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo was fixated on improving access to curative and emergency services, featuring paramountly was his vision to procure ambulances for each of the 275 Constituencies and to supply another set of ambulances to major health facilities dotted around the country as promised under the One Constituency-One-Million Initiative. In consonance with his DNA as a covenant-keeping and visionary President, a total of 307 ambulances have touched down in the country and are ready for distribution on January 6, 2020, in a manner elucidated in the foregoing. As if that was not enough, the Nana-Addo government has successfully cleared the Ghc1.2billion legacy debt of the National Health Insurance Scheme inherited from the John Mahama administration to make it efficient with the adequate capacity to finance health services on a timely basis. Likewise, our emergency health services have been sophisticated with zipline drone technology to ensure, secure, reliable and timely deliveries of essential health care products to hospitals and other health facilities. Today, the age of Ghanaians involved in motor and other forms of accidents dying because they do not have access to ambulances is OVER, the era of people resorting to transporting patients requiring emergency health services with taxis, private cars, trotros, and motorbikes is GONE and BURIED. The period of having our pregnant mothers crumpled at the back seats of cars to health facilities is now a WRITTEN HISTORY. The age of Ghanas mortality rate increasing due to shortage of ambulances will now be CONSIGNED to the HISTORY BOOKS to be read by generation unborn. Thanks to the unrelenting efforts of President Nana Akuffo-Addo to fix our broken health sector. In 2004, President Kufuor established the National Ambulance service with 130 ambulance stations. At the time of exiting office in January 2009, the National Ambulance Service had an ambulance capacity of 186 serving about 20 million citizens. The Mahama led NDC administration in 2017 handed over a National Ambulance Service of 55 ambulances serving 29 million citizens to President Nana Addo. Has the rest of the ambulances flown to neighboring Burkina Faso too? Expectedly, the national ambulance fleet has received a massive boost under the tutelage of the Nana-Addo led NPP administration. The yawning difference in the management of the National Ambulance Service is an illustrative case of how successive NPP administrations have outwitted the NDC in terms of governance proper. Shalom! Happy New Year [January 02, 2020] Worldwide Spending on Robotics Systems and Drones Forecast to Reach $128.7 Billion in 2020, According to New IDC Spending Guide Worldwide spending on robotics systems and drones will be $128.7 billion in 2020, an increase of 17.1% over 2019, according to a new update to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Robotics and Drones Spending Guide. By 2023, IDC (News - Alert) expects this spending will reach $241.4 billion with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.8%. Robotics systems will be the larger of the two categories throughout the five-year forecast period with worldwide robotics spending forecast to be $112.4 billion in 2020. Spending on drones will total $16.3 billion in 2020 but is forecast to grow at a faster rate (33.3% CAGR) than robotics systems (17.8% CAGR). Hardware purchases will dominate the robotics category with 60% of all spending going toward robotic systems, after-market robotics hardware, and system hardware. Purchases of industrial robots and service robots will total $31 billion. Meanwhile, robotics-related software spending will mostly go toward purchases of command and control applications and robotics-specific applications. Services spending will be spread across several segments, including systems integration, application management, and hardware deployment and support. Services spending is forecast to grow at a slightly faster rate (21.3% CAGR) than software or hardware spending (21.2% CAGR and 15.5% CAGR, respectively). "Software developments are among the most important trends currently shaping the robotics industry. Solution providers are progressively integrating additional software-based, often cloud-based, functionalities into robotics systems. An operational-centric example is an asset management application to monitor the robotic equipment performance in real-time. It aligns solutions with current expectations for modern operational technology (OT) at large and plays in facilitated adoption by operations leaders," said Remy Glaisner, research director, Worldwide Robotics: Commercial Service Robots. "Equally important is the early trend driven by burgeoning 'software-defined' capabilities for robotics and drone solutions. The purpose is to enable systems beyond some of the limitations imposed by hardware and to open up entirely new sets of commercially viable use-cases." Discrete manufacturing will be responsible for nearly half of all robotics systems spending worldwide in 2020, generating $53.8 billion in revenues. The next largest industries for robotics systems will be process manufacturing, resource industries, healthcare, and retail. The industries that will see the fastest growth in robotics spending over the 2019-2023 forecast are wholesale (30.5% CAGR), retail (29.3% CAGR), and construction (25.2% CAGR). The leading use cases for robotics systems in 2020 will be welding ($20.0 billion), assembly ($14.9 billion), and pick and pack ($12.3 billion). The robotics use cases with the fastest spending growth over the five-year forecast include shelf stocking (46.5% CAGR) and customer service (42.0% CAGR). "Despite a pending trade agreement between the U.S. and China, it appears that tariffs may remain in place on many robotics ystems. This will have a negative impact on both the manufacturing and resource industries, where robotics adoption has historically been healthy. The additional duties will likely slow investment in the robotics systems used in manufacturing processes, automated supply chains, and mining operations," said Jessica Goepfert, program vice president, Customer Insights & Analysis. Spending on drones will also be dominated by hardware purchases with more than 90% of the category total going toward consumer drones, after-market sensors, and service drones in 2020. Drone software spending will primarily go to command and control applications and drone-specific applications while services spending will be led by education and training. Software will see the fastest growth (38.2% CAGR) over the five-year forecast, followed closely by services (37.6% CAGR) and hardware (32.8% CAGR). Consumer spending on drones will total $6.5 billion in 2020 and will represent nearly 40% of the worldwide total throughout the forecast. Industry spending on drones will be led by utilities ($1.9 billion), construction ($1.4 billion), and the discrete manufacturing and resource industries ($1.2 billion each). IDC expects the resource industry to move ahead of both construction and discrete manufacturing to become the second largest industry for drone spending in 2021. The fastest growth in drone spending over the five-year forecast period will come from the federal/central government (63.4% CAGR), education (55.9% CAGR), and state/local government (49.9% CAGR). "We expect to see some price increases as drone manufacturers pass on the cost of tariffs imposed on the import/export of drones. The construction and resource industries will particularly feel the effects of these price increases. In contrast, many consumer drone manufacturers have chosen against raising prices and are absorbing the additional costs in order to maintain supply and to satisfy continuing consumer demand for drones. While the pending trade agreement offers some hope, these industries will face additional headwinds as long as tariffs remain in place," said Stacey Soohoo, research manager, Customer Insights & Analysis. On a geographic basis, China will be the largest region for drones and robotics systems with overall spending of $46.9 billion in 2020. Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan and China) (APeJC) will be the second largest region with $25.1 billion in spending, followed by the United States ($17.5 billion) and Western Europe ($14.4 billion). China will also be the leading region for robotics systems with $43.4 billion in spending this year. The United States will be the largest region for drones in 2020 at nearly $5.7 billion in spending. The fastest spending growth for robotics systems will be in the Middle East & Africa which will see a five-year CAGR of 24.9%. China will follow closely with a CAGR of 23.5%. The fastest growth in drone spending will be in APeJC, with a five-year CAGR of 78.5%, and Japan (63.0% CAGR). The Worldwide Robotics and Drones Spending Guide quantifies the robotics and drone opportunities from a region, industry, use case, and technology perspective. Spending data is available for more than 60 use cases across 20 industries in nine regions. Data is also available for 18 robotics systems technologies and 17 drone systems technologies. Unlike any other research in the industry, the detailed segmentation and timely, global data is designed to help suppliers targeting the market to identify market opportunities and execute an effective strategy. About IDC Spending Guides IDC's Spending Guides provide a granular view of key technology markets from a regional, vertical industry, use case, buyer, and technology perspective. The spending guides are delivered via pivot table format or custom query tool, allowing the user to easily extract meaningful information about each market by viewing data trends and relationships. Click here to learn about IDC's full suite of data products and how you can leverage them to grow your business. About IDC International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter (News - Alert) at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights: http://bit.ly/IDCBlog_Subscribe. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005405/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] (ANSA) - Rome, January 2 - New Year's Eve was deadly again in Italy for the first time in six years. One man was killed and 204 people injured by fireworks, slightly down from the 216 hurt last year. The victim was a 26-year-old man from Ascoli Piceno in Marche, Valerio Amatizi, one of the first responders to the August 2016 earthquake in his home town of Arquata del Tronto. Of the injured, 38 were taken to hospital, and 11 of them were serious. Some 43 minors suffered injuries, against 41 last year. The mayhem took place despite widespread seizures of the most powerful illegal fireworks, and firework bans across Italy. Some 51 people were arrested for possessing or selling illegal fireworks, compared to 45 last year. Some 277 people were cited, against 197 last year. Some 70 tonnes of illegal fireworks were seized across Italy. Every year Italian police launch campaigns aimed at easing Italy's customary New Year mayhem. This year an alert went out about the 'quota 100' high-explosive firework, named after a government pension reform. The outrageous names of the most powerful fireworks are targeted at youthful mayhem-lovers. In one recent year the biggest banger was the Kamikaze, or suicide-bomber. The year before that, the fastest seller on the backstreet firework market was the Bin Laden Bomb. Police had confiscated stockrooms of potentially deadly devices, especially in and around Naples, the city that each year has the grimmest toll of injuries and sometimes deaths. Last New Year's Day hundreds of Italians were nursing burns and injuries and some lost fingers as a result of New Year celebrations with fireworks that went wrong. - Controversial Ghanaian socialite, Queen Facardi, has admitted that she is into prostitution - The lady revealed her reason behind her interesting choice of occupation on The Delay Show - According to Facardi, she decided to be a call girl because she is too lazy and cannot work It appears the year 2020 is starting for some people on a candid note as they have decided to own their truth without shame and fear of judgement. A number of ladies in this age and time pride themselves in not being dependent on men and working hard for their own things without the involvement or validation from male folks. Well, it appears that thought process is only limited to a number of ladies and not all subscribe to it. Just recently, Ghanaian socialite, Queen Facardi, made headlines after she spoke on her unique choice of occupation and why she is into it. I sell my body for a living because Im lazy and cant work - Ghanaian socialite Queen Farcadi speaks Source: UGC Facardi is a call girl who fears no judgement and she expressed as much during a recent interview on The Delay Show. According to popular belief, the young lady said she did not go into prostitution because anybody convinced her to. Queen Facardi told the presenter of the show that she went on to be a call girl because she is too lazy and cannot work. In her words: Its my decision, its like you are lazy and dont want to work so you have to use your body to get what you want I am a lazy girl. Speaking further on the show, Facardi said she has never tried working because she realised it is not meant for her. See the full video interview below: Hmm...Interesting. Just recently, Legit.ng reported that Ghana-based Gambian actress, Princess Shyngle, caused quite a stir among onlookers in Pennsylvania because of her curves. The photos of the actress on the street in Pennsylvania showed that she caused a stir with her curvy body as many people turned to look at her. People were checking her out as she posed for photos. PAY ATTENTION: Do you have news to share? Contact Legit.ng instantly HELLO! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better Isioma Morde: 28-year-old widow says not every young lady loves prostitution | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Collecting Guide: Key periods of American furniture Cant tell a Federal chair from a Classical chest of drawers? Heres our expert guide, illustrated with lots from past Important Americana sales 1 William and Mary This is the earliest style of furniture to have been produced natively, with pieces generally dating from around 1680 to 1730. The period is named after Englands late-17th-century co-regents, William III of Orange and Mary II; during their reign, many craftsmen emigrated to England from Williams native Netherlands, fashioning a new Anglo-Dutch style that was an amalgamation of the tastes of both countries. In the newly-established colonies a variation on this Anglo-Dutch trend developed, characterised by a Baroque aesthetic that featured elaborate turnings, severe curves, contrasts of colour, as well as case pieces with simple flat surfaces and architectural trim. Commonly used materials included indigenous walnut, oak, pine and maple woods. Furniture from this period is scarce, both because of its significant age, and because production at the time was limited the result of a relatively small population. 2 Queen Anne This style followed the William and Mary period and is named after the English monarch who reigned from 1702 to 1714. Popular in the American colonies from approximately 1730 to 1760, furniture of this era is characterised by a sophisticated fluidity, achieved through the use of the newly introduced cabriole leg, curving chair crests, and decorative shells and volutes, or scroll-like forms. The expansion of urban centres during the period led to the appearance of strong regional traits. The most celebrated and accomplished furniture was produced in Newport, Rhode Island and Philadelphia, where dense mahogany was used to produce expertly carved chairs, tea tables and high chests of drawers for the emerging elite. 3 Chippendale Chippendale furniture, produced from around 1755 to 1780, represents a natural evolution of the Queen Anne style, with many of the pieces based on the designs in Thomas Chippendales The Gentleman and Cabinet Makers Director, first published in England in 1754. The style combined decorative elements from three distinct sources: French Rococo, Chinese ornamentation and Gothic architectural details. Overall, Chippendale is characterised by a profusion of carving, predominantly on mahogany, with features including acanthus an ornament resembling foliage opposing C scrolls, and ruffled, rocaille motifs on the splat (the central support panel of a chair back), knees and skirts (or horizontal facades) of chairs and case pieces, which frequently sit on ball-and-claw feet. On pieces from Philadelphia, Newport, Boston, New York and Connecticut, regional traits became more pronounced. In these urban centres, the rise of the upper class had led to the emergence of sophisticated cabinetmaking workshops, employing highly skilled carvers, often trained in England. In Newport, three generations of members of the Goddard and Townsend families produced furniture of exceptional quality and artistry. In Philadelphia, cabinetmakers including Thomas Affleck, Benjamin Randolph, Thomas Carteret and Henry Clifton worked alongside carvers such as Hercules Courtenay, Nicholas Bernard and John Pollard to create extensive suites of furniture for the citys mercantile elite. 4 Federal The Neoclassical style, introduced in England by Robert Adam, George Hepplewhite and Thomas Sheraton, flourished in America from around 1780 to 1820, during what has come to be known as the Federal period. Furniture produced during this time evolved greatly, both in style and form. Cabriole legs, shaped in two curves, gave way to simplified, straight legs and various inlays, which were favoured over carved ornament. Dressing tables and high chests of drawers disappeared, while new forms such as the sideboard, tambour desk (with desktop-based drawers and pigeonholes) and worktable were introduced. Motifs and forms inspired by contemporary discoveries of ancient Greek and Roman architecture were widely favoured, and included urns, circular paterae (shallow bowls), swags or garlands, cornucopias (goats horns) and columns the form and styles of the period giving an overall sense of elegant lightness. Notable cabinetmakers working during this time included the Boston-based father/son partnership of John and Thomas Seymour, Duncan Phyfe and French emigre Charles-Honore Lannuier in New York, and Edmund Johnson and Samuel McIntire of Salem, Massachusetts. 5 Classical The Classical style is the last traditionally collected by Americana collectors, and flourished from 1820 to 1840. Works from the period were typically greater in size, with makers favouring undecorated, veneered surfaces, which drew inspiration from furniture of the French Restoration period. Case pieces were often constructed using S and C-scroll pillars. The most important centre of production was New York, where established maker Duncan Phyfe now competed with emerging firms including Joseph Meeks & Sons. 6 Egyptian Revival While it is tempting to think of the 19th century as the Victorian century, as far as furniture is concerned it in fact reflected the changing technology of the time. The country grew from a small, mostly agrarian society to an international industrial powerhouse. As the century progressed, furniture was increasingly produced by means of the machine, and not by hand. Revival styles of the 1860s and 1870s marked the first period in which fine designs were used for mass-produced furnishings. The Egyptian Revival style emerged in popularity around the time of the Civil War (1861-1865) a period when American tastes increasingly drew inspiration from Classic and Romantic periods of the past. Major motifs of Egyptian art such as obelisks, hieroglyphs, sphinxes and pyramids were used in various creative ways. Ebonizing, elaborate carving, elegant detailing and ormolu mounts became the height of furniture fashion, particularly among the firms working in New York, as exemplified in the above Egyptian Revival suite, attributed to renowned New York cabinetmakers Pottier and Stymus. Pottier and Stymus (active 1859-1910) specialised in a variety of revival forms, and provided furniture and interiors for William Rockefeller, Leland Stanford and the Grant White House. 7 Renaissance Revival The last half of the 19th century reveals an even further expansion of revivalism. The Renaissance Revival style (1850-1885) appeared as early as 1850. Inspired by Renaissance architecture, the furniture from this movement was characterized by massive square architectural forms, broken pediments, applied medallions, acorn trim and tapering baluster-turned legs. Porcelain, bronze and mother-of-pearl plaques were popular embellishments. Walnut was the most popular wood, with some veneer introduced as surface decoration. Light woods were favoured in reaction to the prevailing dark woods of the Empire and Rococo Revival styles. Well-known cabinetmakers of this period include George Hunzinger, German by birth, who was working in New York by the 1860s and whose work shows remarkable mastery of the Renaissance design vocabulary. Other influential makers were John Jelliff in Newark, whose designs included sofas and chairs carved with male and female busts. Daniel Pabst, in Philadelphia, frequently collaborated with architect Frank Furness on many of his high-styled pieces to create elaborate and often architectural pieces. And Thomas Brooks, a Brooklyn native, is known for his extraordinary designs of tables, bedroom suites and hall stands. 8 Aesthetic Movement The water authority's line Minister also said this was the first he too was hearing of the problem at Mt Hololo Road and he said it would be given priority. These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Hyundai on Wednesday unveiled the interior and key innovative features of the GV80 and said it will be ready for release by the end of this month. It faces an uphill struggle in China, Europe, the U.S. and other key overseas markets where it simply lacks the clout of segment heavyweights Audi, Bentley, Daimler at al. Hyundai and affiliate Kia are set to launch new versions of multiple best-selling models and eco-friendly cars. One industry insider said, "A string of new cars will hit the market this year, and competition will become more intense everywhere." Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis releases its first-ever SUV, the GV80, this month. Renault Samsung is also rolling out a coupe-type SUV called XM3 and five other new models, while GM Korea unveils the mid-sized Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV. Korean automakers suffered from sharply falling sales last year but are rolling out innovative new models this year. They are equipping new cars with cutting-edge technology to appeal to customers at a time of a global fall in sales of conventional cars. The GV80 will be Hyundai's flagship SUV. The price will be announced when it hits showrooms. A Hyundai staffer said, "The Genesis brand has gained recognition for rider comfort at reasonable prices just like Lexus did in the past. That will particularly help sales in North America." The GV80 has all the latest gadgetry. An AI program analyzes the driving patterns of owners to let the vehicle run according to the familiar pattern of the driver even in self-driving mode, while being equipped with automatic lane-changing and distance-keeping features for the first time among domestically made vehicles. Hyundai will roll out a smaller SUV called GV70 later this year. It will also unveil face-lifted versions of the Avante compact car, the Tucsan compact SUV and the Santa Fe mid-sized SUV, as well as an expanded lineup of eco-friendly hybrid and plug-in hybrid models targeting customers in Europe and the U.S. Hyundai wants to hold on to its traditional customer base with the upgraded versions, while reeling in new customers with brand-new cars. Renault Samsung is rolling out six new models this year, including the XM3 SUV and small electric hatchback ZOE. With the exception of a face-lifted SM6 sedan, all are recreational vehicles. GM Korea is now betting on the mid-sized Trailblazer SUV, which is even bigger than the Traxx but smaller than the Equinox. A GM Korea staffer said, "We will manufacture them here for export." One industry insider said, "The new vehicles will determine the fates of Renault Samsung and GM Korea," which are desperate to turn their performance around with the new models for their production lines. Rome will be central to the Raphael 500 celebrations in 2020. Italy will mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Raphael by placing a red rose on the tomb of the High Renaissance master in the Pantheon, on each day of 2020. The inscription on the marble tomb of Raphael, who died aged only 37, reads: "Here lies Raphael, by whom nature herself feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, feared that she herself would die." There will be several major Raphael exhibitions around the world in 2020 but the most important of these will be held in Rome, the city in which the artist spent the last decade of his life. The Rome show, billed as "unprecedented" in its scale, will be held at the Scuderie del Quirinale from 5 March until 2 June. To see where to find Raphael works around Rome see our guide. Photo MiBACT. DETROIT -- A 22-year-old man from Allen Park surrendered himself to police Thursday in connection with a stunt he did on I-94 last month that was filmed and went viral. According to Fox 2 Detroit, Devin Cronk was taken into custody and is awaiting to be arraigned on two misdemeanor charges for his involvement in the stunt. The incident took place on Sunday, Dec. 22 when a large group of people blocked a portion of I-94 to allow other cars to perform stunts on the freeway. Cronk was allegedly behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Camaro that was seen doing donuts in the roadway before speeding off. Shortly after the incident, Detroit Police Chief James Craig vowed to make an arrest in the case as this was the second time in 2019 a section of freeway in Detroit was blocked off by groups doing stunts in the road. Craig said his goal was to take the car away from the person doing the tricks. Were going to take the cars as we identified who was involved. And theres a good chance theyll never see it again, Craig said. Cronk is expected to be arraigned on charges of reckless driving and disturbing the peace. In a Dec. 18 Post and Courier article, it was reported that Charleston has the highest concentration of nurdle pollution outside of the Gulf of Mexico. On Dec. 17, State Ports Authority COO Barbara Melvin told Sullivans Island Town Council that more pellet packagers will be operating in our port soon, as the SPA aims to capture as much as possible of the growing market for plastic pellet exports from the U.S. to Asia and Europe. Melvin also assured the council that current pollution is due to a one-time incident in July that her organization, DHEC and packager Frontier Logistics have since corrected. That is not likely. Simply look at the fact that pellet pollution is more concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico, where chemical companies manufacture the pellets, and whence we will be receiving an even greater supply going forward. In other words where nurdles are trafficked, nurdles are spilled. Its in the SPAs economic interest to paint a rosy picture of its tenants operations. Its in our interest to be skeptical and support those who will hold the ports authority and pellet packagers accountable. As the continued presence of pellets on our beaches attest, once the nurdles are in the water, the damage is done. JOHN LUPTON Scotland Drive Mount Pleasant Bicycle bridge absurd Twenty-two million dollars for a bike bridge over the Ashley River? Youve got to be kidding. Does no one see the absurdity in this proposal? Go back to the initial proposal of designating one of the existing lanes for bicycles and pedestrians. What is a minute in the day of a commuter? Put a more powerful motor on the existing draw bridge and add an aluminum cantilevered bridge on the side for bicyclists and pedestrians. Im sure it would not cost $22 million. There is a need for a stronger motor on the drawbridge anyway. How many times has the existing motor not worked and held up commuters? Why not replace the existing two draw bridges with one high-rise bridge and eliminate all of the barriers? Provide for cars, bikes, pedestrians and boats, and eliminate the need for a bridge tender. Why not make the peninsula a bike-and-walking-only zone and not allow cars? Money is no object. Just spend a billion dollars and get on with it. What about bike lanes on all the bridges over the Ashley, Cooper and Wando rivers? Or a bike lane on every bridge in the Lowcountry? How about a bike bridge all the way around on I-526. Complete I-526. How about doing something for everyone in the Charleston area, the total infrastructure, the evacuation requirements and more? JAN ROBERTS Blockade Runner Court Charleston Respect for officer I think I just got myself fired. The speaker was a young cop in the small North Carolina town where I grew up. It was 1963 and President John F. Kennedy had been shot earlier that month. I was 13 and doing a ride-along for a Boy Scout citizenship merit badge. It was about 9 p.m. Seated in the front seat alongside the officer, I, too, had noticed the weaving sedan ahead of us, crossing and recrossing the centerline. The officer flipped on his blue lights, gave a brief twerp of his siren, and the offender pulled over. My officer told me, Stay put, opened his door and walked up to the car in front of us. From his body language alone, I could tell the officer was being challenged. After he wrote the ticket, the offender snatched it and drove away. Back in the cruiser, more to himself than to me, my officer muttered, That was the chief, meaning his boss. So whatd he say? I asked. I was even more naive than the officer about politics in relation to right and wrong. I would not forget the officer who I respected. His name was Bobby Anderson. I have forgotten the police chiefs name. WILL FELTS Marsh Point Drive Charleston Clemsons graveyard I dont claim to be a native, but my family did arrive here in 1976. One of my kids has retired from the Charleston Police Department, so Ive been here a while. During that time Ive become a real fan of Clemson, even before Dabo Swinney. I root for them anytime they play any team besides Virginia Tech, my alma mater. However, I was disturbed by the lead story in the Dec. 28 Post and Courier concerning Clemsons graveyard where actual granite tombstones are erected to belittle the loser of a battle between two great, and often the two best, teams in the country. The work and sweat put in by the ultimate loser of these battles does not need to be advertised and mocked in such an in your face manner. Clemsons bad taste certainly does not belong on the front page of my beloved Post and Courier. CLIFFORD SHELOR Island Walk West Mount Pleasant Stock Market What To Expect In Early 2020 The US stock market has recently rallied throughout most of the last year after the very deep downside price rotation in late 2018. Our researchers believe there is a very high likelihood of this trend continuing in early 2020, yet we would need to see confirmation across various broader indicators before we could determine the strength of this upside price trend. We warned that a downside price rotation may happen near the end of 2019 which never really materialized. The August 2019 downside price rotation looked like it may turn into a deeper downside price move, but the news cycle ended that move as the US Fed decreased rates again and the news of a pending US/China trade deal continued to be pushed into the news cycle. Here we are 3+ months later and we really have no US/China trade deal signed yet. It is hard to argue with the Christmas Rally thinking that investors simply piled into the US stock market near the end of this year expecting prices to continue to rally. Obviously, this happened in 2019 even though our underlying data charts suggest this move was relatively weak. Lets get into the charts/data to explore why we believe volatility and rotation may be heightened in early 2020. This first chart is a Weekly SPY chart showing one of our proprietary price modeling tools. We can see the longer-term trend is still bullish and that the current upside price rally is nearing the midpoint of the two Fibonacci price expansion levels. Price has been rallying solidly for the past 7+ months with only two minor price retracements in 2019. Will this continue in early 2020? Our Custom Smart Cash Index chart highlights the upside breakout in October/November was validated by the upside price move in our Smart Cash index recently. The current price bars on our Smart Cash Index chart are much weaker overall and suggest the continued price advance over the past 2+ weeks maybe a tailwind trend and not supported by true price factors. Our Custom Valuation Index Chart continues to show the US stock market is setting up in a Pennant/Flag formation from September 2019. This type of price pattern suggests that price has yet to really breakout of this consolidation pattern into a real trend. This one chart concerns us quite a bit because we believe early 2020 may result in a downside price rotation near the apex of this Flag formation prompting a massive spike in price volatility. Ultimately, as you can see throughout most of 2019 when this Custom Valuation Index rallies, the US Stock Market prices rally as well. This is because the true valuation levels of stocks are increasing as investors expect increased earnings, profits and share prices. When this Custom Index consolidates or moves lower, it is a measure of investor sentiment related to future earnings/profit/valuation potential. Right now, it appears global traders have very little confidence in the future capabilities of increased valuations for the US Stock Market. If this chart were to immediately begin a new rally, then our research team would suggest investors are turning more confident in future earnings/profit capabilities. If this chart were to collapse, then our research team would suggest the bottom is falling out of the current market price valuation levels be cautious. Lastly, our Custom Volatility Index chart suggests the end of year rally has stalled near the 20 level which is typically an area where price tops or price rotation sets up. As you can see from our highlighted MAGENTA arcs on this chart, when this Custom Volatility Index rallies up toward these upper levels, price tends to stall before a moderate downside price rotation begins. Sometimes, this setup prompts a major downside price move such as the Jan/Feb 2018 price collapse and the Oct/Nov 2018 price collapse. Right now, this chart is suggesting that the end of year rally is weakening and could setup into another deeper downside price rotation. What does this mean for early 2020? If the Smart Cash Index and the Valuation Index rally in early 2020, then we believe investors are turning decidedly bullish related to future earnings, profits and future valuation levels of the US stock market. If, as we expect, 2020 starts off with a moderate downside price rotation where the Smart Cash Index and the Valuation Index fall near the Apex of the Flag formation, then we could start 2020 with a decidedly weaker price move (possibly similar to what happened in January 2018). The Custom Volatility Index will, most likely, attempt to fall to levels below 12~14 fairly early in 2020 which would accomplish two critical price components. First, it would establish a new price support level after the rally weve just experienced throughout the end of 2019. Second, it would complete a price rotation event that may allow for a new price trend to establish in early 2020. Both of these outcomes could prompt a potentially large spike in price volatility (VIX) as well as deliver a wake-up call for traders in early 2020. Be prepared for a surprising spike in volatility in early 2020 with a moderately strong potential for an early 2020 downside price rotation which prompts a new price trend and possibly an early test of support (near 280 on the SPY chart). 2020 is going to be a fantastic year for skilled traders get ready for some incredible price action. As a technical analysis and trader since 1997 I have been through a few bull/bear market cycles, I have a good pulse on the market and timing key turning points for both short-term swing trading and long-term investment capital. The opportunities are massive/life-changing if handled properly. I urge you visit my Wealth Building Newsletter and if you like what I offer, join me with the 1 or 2-year subscription to lock in the lowest rate possible and ride my coattails as I navigate these financial markets and build wealth while others lose nearly everything they own. Chris Vermeulen 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. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. By IANS SYDNEY: Three more people lost their lives in the raging Australian bushfires on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths since October to 16 in deadly blazes that have forced thousands to seek refuge due to the worst fire crisis that has hit the country in decades. "Police have confirmed a further three deaths as a result of the fires on the South Coast," New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys told reporters in Sydney. Worboys said a person also remained unaccounted for in the state, the Efe news reported. The fires have also destroyed dozens of homes and left three people wounded in the state that has been battling the deadly inferno since September 2019. Firefighters are trying to control the flames before Saturday when the temperature is expected to touch the 40 degrees Celsius mark. ALSO READ: Australia orders evacuation of fire-ravaged towns before heatwave Some 50,000 homes were said to be without power on the south coast of New South Wales, the worst affected state where some 2,500 firefighters are currently battling over 100 blazes raging across the province. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews, told reporters that military aid, food, water, and fuel have been sent to areas affected by fires in the state. Military helicopters and navy ships have been deployed to assist in the evacuation of thousands of people trapped on a beach in the town of Mallacoota, located in East Gippsland in the extreme southeast of Victoria that shares a border with New South Wales. On Wednesday, two Black Hawk and Taipan helicopters were sent to the disaster zone, while two Chinooks were also expected to arrive on Friday to aid in the operation. The choppers will help firefighters in evacuations, as well as in the transport of food, fuel, and medicines to remote communities isolated by fires. The raging bushfires in Australia, one of the worst in recent decades, have burned over 3 million hectares since last September. The current wave of fires began before the start of the southern summer, which commences in December and could continue for months, with high temperatures and a shortage of rain expected until March. Bahrain Bay will be the new venue for the annual Bahrain For All festival, which will bring together more than 50,000 people from over 40 local and expatriate communities to showcase their respective cultures. Held under the theme Leaving Nobody Behind, this years event will take place on Thursday 6th and Friday, 7th February on the 7,000 sqm site, which will house more than 250 market stalls and a 128 sqm stage that will feature performances by the Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Filipino, Jordanian, Thai, Bangladeshi, and Egyptian communities, among others. Bahrain For All will be supported by the Capital Governorate and the office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, Amin El Sharkawi, with logistical support provided by the Office of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. Organiser Nivedita Dhadphale said: For the first time, this years Bahrain For All festival will be held in Bahrain Bay, a location that offers excellent access, ample parking, and gorgeous views of the sea. It presents a modern face of Bahrain, which is in line with our mission to showcase the multicultural, cosmopolitan, and tolerant nature of Bahraini society. We are deeply grateful to the management team of Bahrain Bay who have been extremely cooperative. The event, now in its ninth year, gives Bahrains communities the opportunity to learn about each others customs and traditions, sample each others cuisines, and watch performances highlighting what makes each of them unique. It also supports local entrepreneurs, with market stalls dedicated to Bahraini businesses and productive families. The event line-up also features live performances by several local DJs and emcees, with a line up to be announced soon. Children with special needs, womens groups, and senior citizens societies are invited every year to promote the festivals message of inclusion for all. The Ministry of Interior, this year celebrating 100 years of Bahrain Police, has offered its popular Police Band, as well as a horse parade. BBC director-general Lord Hall has said making the Beeb less 'London-centric' is his 'personal priority' - as he pushes back against the prime minister's plans to overhaul the corporation. Questions over the BBC's future have been raised since the general election with Boris Johnson reported to be looking into consulting on whether people who don't pay the licence fee should be prosecuted. In a bid to keep viewers onside ahead of any review, Lord Hall doubled down on quotes he made in March last year about ensuring the BBC was doing more outside of the capital. BBC director-general Lord Hall has said making the Beeb less 'London-centric' is his 'personal priority' - as he pushes back against the prime minister's plans to overhaul the corporation He also highlighted the 'need to continue to take the fight to fake news' and the importance of attracting more young viewers. Elsewhere in his New Year message to BBC employees, Lord Hall said the broadcaster should 'embrace' increased scrutiny following accusations of bias. The corporation was accused of political bias by both the left and the right in the weeks leading up to the general election. Lord Hall urged employees to respond to scrutiny 'with confidence and without complacency'. He wrote: 'Finally, a word about some of the recent debate around the BBC. 'As the country's national broadcaster we know the BBC will always be the subject of legitimate scrutiny. We also know this can at times arouse strong passions. 'We work for an institution people genuinely care about. We should embrace this scrutiny - as indeed we always have - with confidence and without complacency. His message also revealed that iPlayer received more than 100 million requests in the week of Christmas - up by a third on last year's number 'I profoundly believe the BBC's values and our output have never mattered more to Britain at this point in its history and that we have never been more relevant to the times we are living through.' His message also revealed that iPlayer received more than 100 million requests in the week of Christmas - up by a third on last year's number. He wrote: 'We are also starting to give people the iPlayer they want and deserve - with our best ever Christmas week, breaking 100 million requests, up by well over a third on last year's figures. 'We've wanted to improve iPlayer for a long time but have been held up by regulation. We've now got past that and are offering more box sets as well as making programmes available for longer. 'The verdict from audiences is clear: 2019 has been a record year with programme requests topping four billion for the first time. We must now go even further.' Mumbai, Jan 2 : Actress Sara Ali Khan is enjoying her vacation with her brother Ibrahim Ali Khan, and the postcard worthy moments have gone viral on the Internet. Sara and Ibrahim are on a vacation in Maldives, and they welcomed 2020 with a splash. Recently, the "Simmba" star posted a series of postcard-worthy pictures on Instagram. In the images, Sara is chilling in the blue waters with Ibrahim. "When feeling blue isn't a bad thing," she wrote along with the photographs. She shared more pictures from the vacation, writing "Muffins and cupcakes for breakfast. If only days like this could last". On the film front, Sara will soon be seen in the remake of "Coolie No. 1" with Varun Dhawan and in director Imtiaz Ali's sequel to "Love Aaj Kal". -- Syndicated from IANS The owners of a small country business are preparing to go head-to-head with Mitsubishi over a trademark they hold for their service and maintenance business. David Gough and Brad Cooper, from Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, co-founded Absolute Batteries in 2014 and trademarked 'absolute' and 'batteries' two years later. Last year, Mitsubishi tried to trademark 'absolute' for their new car model Triton Absolute three times but were rejected by registrar IP Australia because the word was already trademarked. Absolute Batteries owners David Gough (left) and Brad Cooper (right) are taking a stand against Mitsubishi Japan after receiving what they felt was an insufficient offer for their trademark The Japanese car giant made an offer to buy the trademark off them, but after numerous back-and-forth negotiations, there was still no agreement on price. If they were to sell their trademark, Absolute Batteries would have to sever the part of the business that services and repairs vehicles as that would be restricted to the new name owner. 'Its to protect our brand, even if were a little company. Im not going to give up easily,' Mr Gough told Daily Mai Australia. 'It's David and Goliath. 'It's the big boy flogging the little boy. Mitsubishi Japan has tried to obtain the trademark for 'absolute' numerous times but have been blocked because it is already taken (stock image of a Mitsubishi retailer) 'If we had not have trademarked this, and they had come to Australia and got straight in and classed anything they wanted, they couldve turned around and shut us down. 'Theyre basically saying that theyre happy with us continuing anything battery-related, but they dont want us to do anything with maintaining and repairing land vehicles.' The automotive manufacturer developed the new Triton Absolute to compete with high-range four-wheel drive vehicles like the Ford Ranger Raptor. The new Mitsubishi model, which was named Absolute although the Australian naming rights were taken, was unveiled in March at a car show in Bangkok and was expected to have a large market within Australia. The Japanese car giant named its new vehicle the Triton Absolute (pictured) before acquiring the trademark rights in Australia, which is expected to be a major market Mitsubishi's applications were refused as Absolute Batteries' trademark covered 'maintenance or repair of automotive vehicles, repair of land vehicles, vehicle battery charging and vehicle breakdown assistance (repair)'. Mr Gough said Mitsubishi attempted to get around that legal restriction by arguing in a submission to IP Australia that the trading name was not being properly utilised by the Queenslanders. 'They are definitely bullying tactics,' Mr Gough said. 'The amount they offered was just absurd. I won't say how much, but it was just a joke. It cost us the same amount to get trade marked. It's not a free ride. '[They are basically saying] if you don't sign, this is going to cost you a lot of money and we have deeper pockets than you. Mr Gough said they built the business from scratch five years ago and would not allow themselves to be bullied into submission by large corporations 'We started this business in 2014 with zero. We did it with good service, good products and good pricing. We aren't just going to roll over.' Mr Gough said he did not want to stand in the way of the company doing business, but he had a right to be protect his own. He said he and Mr Cooper have invited Mitsubishi, through their lawyer, to meet but the company was yet to oblige. 'We have since asked them to come to the table and we will talk. 'That's all we are asking them to do.' In 2018, Mitsubishi announced a variant of the Triton would be launched this year, which would be possibly called the 'Predator'. Daily Mail Australia had contacted Mitsubishi for comment. The small business owner said he would fight to protect the 'absolute' title unless they are compensated substantially for their projected losses A half-hour power outage at Samsungs Pyeongtaek chip plant in 2018 resulted in estimated losses of about 50 billion won. Samsung, the worlds top memory chip maker, is inspecting the production lines for a restart (Photo: Representational) Samsung Electronics partly halted some semiconductor production at its Hwaseong chip complex in South Korea after about a minute-long blackout on Tuesday afternoon, the company said on Wednesday. Some DRAM and NAND flash chip production lines were stopped after electricity was cut due to a problem with a regional power transmission cable, and a full recovery is expected in about two to three days, Yonhap reported earlier on Tuesday, citing industry sources. Samsung, the worlds top memory chip maker, is inspecting the production lines for a restart, and the extent of the losses is under investigation, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. The incident likely caused millions of dollars in losses, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said, but added that there was no major damage. The source declined to be identified as the exact extent of the damage was not yet public. A half-hour power outage at Samsungs Pyeongtaek chip plant in 2018 resulted in estimated losses of about 50 billion won (43.32 million USD) according to Yonhap. The incident could help curb the increase of Samsung Electronics large chip inventory, Yonhap said, citing an analyst. Fulani herders in Oyo State have dragged the Oyo State Government and the state House of Assembly to court over the recently passed anti-open grazing law. The herders said the law is a gross violation of their fundamental rights. The herders, under the auspices of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria, also joined the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state in the suit. The State House of Assembly had last year passed the bill into law, with the aim of sanitising herding and ending farmer-herder clashes in the state. At a public hearing organised by the Assembly, the Fulani herdsmen had kicked against the bill. time. The herdsmen later threatened to drag the assembly to court over the matter. Lawmakers defence But the House of Assembly insisted that the law was not aimed at frustrating their business but to create a sound platform for peaceful co-existence among residents and also make it easy to identify criminal herders. The assembly, a few hours after the threat by the herders, passed the bill into law. The law makes it compulsory for herders to register with the government. Identity cards are to be issued with their personal details fully captured for full identification and tracing for crime control. The law provides that herders found engaging in open grazing risk five years jail term or N500,000 fine or both. Not impressed The Fulani herdsmen, not satisfied, have finally dragged the state government and the assembly to court. The Fulani herders in the suit marked M/744/2019 want the court to declare the law illegal, unconstitutional, null and void. They also prayed the court to grant them an order of perpetual injunction restraining all the respondents, whether by themselves, their servants, agents, officers or otherwise from carrying out any acts or omission which is likely to aid the enactment or even enact or pass the purported anti grazing bill into law as this would amount to a denial of their fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution of Nigeria. READ ALSO: They also want the court to declare the law as a coordinated attempt or strategy at curtailing their livelihood and frustrating their lives which they interpret as a breach of, particularly Section 33 (1) of the 1999 Nigerian constitution as amended. The perennial search for grazing land by herders has set stage for bloody clashes between them and farmers in many states. The enactment of anti-grazing laws by some states has been condemned by the herders. A recent move by the federal government to set up ranches in some parts of the nation to stem the violence has not been fruitful due to distrust from host communities. Criminals have also been known to camouflage as herders to perpetrate crimes. New Delhi: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday (January 2) said that the Centre is sending a multi-disciplinary expert team of top paediatricians to Kota for gap analysis and ascertaining quick measures in the wake of 103 deaths of children at a hospital in the city. Harsh Vardhan said, I have spoken to Shri Ashok Gehlotji, Chief Minister of Rajasthan today and assured him of all possible support to prevent further deaths in the Kota tragedy matter. A multi-disciplinary team of experts including top paediatricians is being sent by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to support the State government for gap analysis & quick measures to be taken. The team will reach Kota tomorrow. Dr Harsh Vardhan said this through a statement. Live TV The high-level team includes 1-Dr Kuldeep Singh, Head of Paediatrics and Dean Academies, AIIMS Jodhpur; 2-Dr Deepak Saxena, Senior Regional Director, Rajasthan, H&FW, GOI; 3-Dr Arun Singh, Prof of Neonatology, AIIMS, Jodhpur; and 4- Dr Himanshu Bhushan, Adviser, NHSRC, MOHFW. The team of experts along with carrying out join gap analysis along with the state government in terms of clinical protocols, service delivery, manpower availability and equipments for maternal, newborn and paediatric care services in the Medical College Kota, Rajasthan; and will develop a joint action plan based on gap analysis for providing required technical and financial support to Kota Medical College through National Health Mission and State Medical Education Department, the statement said. The team members will visit JK Lone Hospital and Medical College, Kota along with state government officials from January 3, 2020 and submit the detailed report. Notably, three more children died in the JK Lon hospital in Rajasthan`s Kota district on the first two days of the new year, taking the death toll to 103 in the past over 30 days. All three children died during the treatment. While one was admitted due to drastic weight loss, the other two were transferred from another hospital. A three-member state government committee of doctors was sent to investigate the matter on December 23 and 24. The committee found that the hospital is short of beds and requires improvement. The committee, however, gave a clean chit to doctors for any lapses over the death of children admitted there. (With Agency Inputs) The government has set up a dedicated desk, headed by an additional secretary, to look after all matters related to the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya issue. In an official order, the Union Home Ministry said Ayodhya matters and related court judgements will be handled by three officers, headed by Additional Secretary Gynesh Kumar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As we start in 2020, let's take a last look at the top 5 best K-drama of 2019. 1. Hotel del Luna Hotel del Luna is a South Korean fantasy television series released by tvN this year 2019. Jang Man-wol played by Lee Ji-eun was forced to run a hotel for ghosts due to a past curse along the way he meets the new manager Yeon Jin-goo. The Hotel Del Luna is a usual hotel located in Myeong-dong, Seoul, it is not like any other hotel since its clients and guests are all ghosts, and it is not visible in its true form during the day. Humans can only come across this hotel during special circumstances like a Lunar Eclipse. 2. Extraordinary You Extraordinary You is an MBC drama released this year 2019, it is also known as Suddenly One Day or A Day Found by Chance. This is a South Korean fantasy-romance television series based on Moon Ryu's webtoon "July found by Chance" which was first published in January 2018 on Daum Webtoon. When she found out that all the people in her school were comic book characters, Kim Hye-yoon decided to go against the plot of the story and made her own choices and destiny. 3. Angel's Last Mission: LOVE Angel's Last Mission: Love is a South Korean romantic fantasy television series aired in KBS2 last 2019. The story is about an angel named Dan played by Kim Myung-soo who is given the mission to find love for Lee Yeon-seo played by Shin Hye-sun, but eventually, he ends up falling in love with her. Lee Yeon-seo was a very talented and successful ballerina with her family's Fantasia Ballet Company. But she got into a devastating accident that made her blind. She is resentful and abusive towards her staff, including her loyal secretary and butler. On the other hand, Dan is an optimistic, carefree angel who is always getting into trouble. To be able to return to heaven he is given the quite impossible mission of finding true love for Yeon-Seo, but in the end, he finds himself falling for her. 4. Vagabond Vagabond is a South Korean spy thriller television series shown in SBS in the latter part of 2019. The story is about a mysterious plane crash kills over 211 civilians, including Cha Dal-gun's played by Lee Seung-gi nephew. Persistent to find out the truth behind a mysterious plane crash that took the lives of over 200 civilians, a stuntman Cha Dal-gun commence on an investigation. Eventually, the investigation leads him to a tangled web of corruption with the help of a covert operative for the National Intelligence Service played by Bae Suzy. 5. He is Psychometric After losing his parents in a fire, Lee Ahn played by Park Jin-young obtains the power of psychometry, which has the power to read a person or an object's past through physical contact. He decides to use his ability to take down bad people. Since he does not know how to control his power yet, he meets Yoon Jae-in played by Shin Ye-eun who tries her best to keep her painful secrets. He Is Psychometric is aired by tvN, this year 2019. Don't miss watching these beautiful dramas that were aired in 2019! Benny Martinez, a Texas-born civil rights leader who helped organize the historic Latino meeting with President John F. Kennedy and was instrumental in establishing the Tejano Monument on the state Capitol grounds, died Sunday. He was 85. According to an article published in NBC, the news of his passing came from Martinez's daughter, Loretta Martinez Williams, who said he died peacefully of natural causes in Olmito, Texas, after a long battle with several illnesses. Born in 1934 at Goliad, Texas, Martinez attended segregated schools before his father moved the family to Houston so his sons "wouldn't have to pick cotton for a living." His notable contributions to the country include serving as a medic in the U.S. Army for 18 months during the Korean War, being a registered nurse, and later on returning to Houston and organizing boycotts against businesses that refused to hire Mexican Americans. Martinez also joined the League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation's largest civil rights organization for Latinos, and raised money for Mexican Americans to pay their Texas "poll taxes" so they could vote. "We served in World War II and in Korea and deserved to be treated with respect," Martinez told The Associated Press in 2013. "The time for silence was over." In 1963, Martinez joined civil rights attorney John J. Herrera to organize a special LULAC gala for Kennedy during his trip to Texas. The said gala took place the night before Kennedy's assassination in Dallas. According to historians, the meeting was the first time a sitting president met with a Latino civil rights group. "I didn't get to shake his hand, but I was able to reach out and touch his shoulder," Martinez said in an interview. "The next day, I was in tears." Along with three others from Goliad, William and Estela Zermeno and Emilio Vargas, Martinez was instrumental in establishing the Tejano monument which was unveiled in March 2012. In 2003, at 70 years old, Martinez started to raise funds and awareness for the bronze monument in a trip on horseback to the state Capitol along U.S. 183. In 2017, during the League of United Latin American Citizens convention in San Antonio. Martinez was awarded Elderly Person of the Year. Martinez spent the last years of his life raising money for scholarships for Hispanic students. Chris Rivera, who served three terms as a Victoria County commissioner, knew Martinez well and called him a "very respected man" who worked for civil rights issues throughout his life. Rivera said he hopes people will remember Martinez as someone who opened doors for Hispanic people. Hernan Jaso, a former mayor of Goliad who said he knew the civil rights leader for more than 50 years, called Martinez "one of a kind." Jaso used to ask Martinez for advice throughout his life and will miss his friend. "He had a heart for people that was unimaginable," he said Monday. "The man stood next to presidents that ended up calling him for advice, and he fought a long life against discrimination and fought for love and truth." (Boston)--While the average American woman's waist circumference and dress size has increased over the past 20 years, Victoria's Secret fashion models have become more slender, with a decrease in bust, waist, hips and dress size, though their waist to hip ratio (WHR) has remained constant. These findings represent an ideal of beauty that continuously moves further away from the characteristics of the average American woman. Quantifying female body attractiveness is complex. Perceived attractiveness is influenced by physical and nonphysical traits and is further guided by media exposure and sociocultural standards of the time. One of the more established parameters to evaluate female body attractiveness is the WHR, which measures body fat distribution. Interestingly, WHR has continued to be an ideal beauty trait that has stayed constant over time and cross-culterally. In order to evaluate trends of physical body attributes, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) measured and compared Victoria's Secret models from 1995 to 2018. The first Victoria's Secret runway show debuted 23 years ago and since then has been viewed by millions annually, making it the most watched fashion show worldwide. The data showed that over time, Victoria's Secret fashion models have become thinner, with smaller busts, waist, hips and dress size, whereas their WHR remained constant. "Conversely, the average American woman's waist circumference and dress size has increased and varies between a misses size 16 and 18," explained corresponding author Neelam Vashi, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at BUSM. According to the researchers, in parallel with this trend, the percentage of women seeking cosmetic surgical procedures has dramatically increased and may be due to the desire to achieve the ideal WHR, which is a narrow waist set against fuller hips. Buttock and lower body lift has increased by 4,295 percent and 256 percent, respectively since 2000. "Our results represent a potentially changing weight ideal of beauty that is moving farther away from the characteristics of the average American woman; however, a constant idealized WHR remains intact," added Vashi, who also is director of the Boston University Cosmetic and Laser Center at Boston Medical Center. ### Fans are speculating the premiere of X-Men characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after a leaked photo from the set of an upcoming TV series hints at a key location said to be modeled after Singapore. Madripoor is a fictional Southeast Asian island bearing a red and white flag and national symbols consisting of a white crescent, a star and a lions head similar to that of Singapores. The same symbols were spotted in the leaked photo of the set of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier miniseries, which is currently being filmed. The photo was tweeted by user Luke Hatcher on Dec. 4 but only picked up by pop culture websites this week. Is that whats at Wimblish tonight? I kept looking up from my desk at work to see this table covered with squid? pic.twitter.com/cPy0QF1ksp Luke Hatcher (@lukeman) December 4, 2019 Definitely Madripoors flag from the comics, Singaporean comic fan Jayden Marvel responded to the tweet on Sunday, as one other fan chimed in to say that Madripoor was inspired by the city-state. Yep, I felt the lion design was copied. The flag was probably just tweaked a little, he added in a separate reply. Thanks to Twitter user Luke Hatcher, it seems that a portion of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will take place on the fictional island of Madripoor! This island is pretty important in some X-Men comics! pop culture Instagram page The Geek Power wrote Sunday. According to the Marvel fandom site, Madripoor first appeared in New Mutants Issue 32 printed in 1985, in a story titled, To The Ends of the Earth. Story continues The fictional island, once a haven for pirates, suffers from extreme social inequality where the wealthy live in Hightown and the poor live in crime-ridden Lowtown, the website says. Fans have been expecting the introduction of X-Men to the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Disney bought the 20th Century Fox company in 2017, obtaining rights to Marvel properties like Deadpool and X-Men movies, according to science and pop culture site Inverse. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier stars Hollywood actors Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier and Anthony Mackie as Falcon, and is expected to be released on the Disney+ streaming platform in late 2020. More showbiz news from the Little Red Dot at Coconuts.co/Singapore. This article, Fans abuzz after leaked film set photo of upcoming Marvel TV series hints at Singapore-inspired fictional island, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! This is the shocking moment terrified residents try and run for safety as a fireworks factory is engulfed in a plume of smoke and sets off a series of explosions. The footage, which was captured in the community of Nueva Palestina, Ocosingo, in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, shows the powerful fireworks fly in all directions as residents try and flee the scene. As the fireworks grow in their ferocity, the scared residents scream in fear and try and seek out shelter. A large plume of smoke surrounds the fireworks warehouse in Nueva Palestina, Ocosingo, in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, and a series of fireworks are set off Residents run out of buildings close to the warehouse and scream in terror at the scene During the footage, which was filmed in the early hours of January 1, a cloud of smoke surrounds the pyrotechnics warehouse as it is engulfed in flames. Some people are seen emerging from buildings close to the warehouse and a large plume of smoke surrounds the burning building. As residents try to flee the area, the burning fireworks factory sends the explosives shooting into the night sky and fills the air with a deafening noise. According to local media, nobody was inside the warehouse when the fire broke out and no residents have been reported as injured. Reports said the warehouse blaze, which was widely circulated on social media, was extinguished by firefighters an hour later. Residents run for safety as the pyrotechnics warehouse is engulfed in flames and sends explosives shooting into the sky As people flee the scene in fear, the fireworks grow in their ferocity and cover the area in smoke Civil Protection spokesman Jose Enrique Hernandez Solorzano told local media: 'Everything is calm now. Civil Protection officials and police chiefs have visited the community and only material damage has been reported.' Mr Solorzano also confirmed that an investigation had been launched to establish what caused the blaze. The Civil Protection also asked residents to take precautions when setting off fireworks during the New Year and Three Kings Day on January 6. The investigation is ongoing and so far nobody has been arrested or charged over the incident. (Newser) Hillary Clinton has accepted a five-year posting as chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast. The job involves advising management and presiding over graduation, the BBC reports. Mostly, though, the former secretary of state will act as an ambassador for the Northern Ireland school. Clinton will be the first woman to hold the title. Calling it a "great privilege," Clinton tweeted that she'd developed a strong relationship with Queens and is "proud to be an ambassador for its excellence." The university gave her an honorary degree in 2018 and awards the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Peace and Reconciliation each year, per the Washington Post. The full scholarship goes to a female American student interested "in a field related to politics, conflict transformation or human rights." story continues below Clinton has longstanding connections to Northern Ireland, and has visited frequently since her first trip, as first lady, in 1995. President Bill Clinton was the first president to visit Northern Ireland while in office, and Queens has since created the William J. Clinton Leadership Institute. Hillary Clinton has been honored for her work to ease tensions in Northern Ireland, per the Post. While first lady, she famously stopped at Belfast's Lamplighter cafe to meet with Catholic and Protestant women. One of them was Joyce McCartan, a peace activist Clinton later called an inspiration, per the BBC. McCartan died about a month later. In 1997, Clinton returned alone to deliver the first Joyce McCartan Memorial Lecture at Ulster University. (Read more Hillary Clinton stories.) Kolkata, Jan 2 : On a day of dramatic developments, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday declared as null and void the no-confidence motion passed by Trinamool Congress members against BJP-ruled Bhatpara Municipality Chairman Sourav Singh. The court order came hours after Trinamool Congress councillors passed the no-confidence motion at a special session of the municipality with a 19-0 margin amidst stringent security. None of the BJP councillors attended the session. However, BJP MP from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh, claimed that voting was held in violation of the rules under the Municipal Act. "We will move the Calcutta High Court soon," he said. The BJP knocked on the doors of the judiciary by moving a writ petition in the afternoon and Justice Arindam Sinha declared "null and void" the meeting convened by three Trinamool councillors for removal of the Chairman. "On the writ petition, my lord justice Arindam Sinha has declared as null and void the meeting called by some councillors for removal of Bhatpara Municipality Chairman. The meeting was cancelled as it was bad in law. The entire proceedings of the meeting have been cancelled," said a lawyer of the petitioners. "Following a notice of no-confidence, the Chairman had fixed January 20 as the date for the meeting. But the three Trinamool councillors contended that they won't wait till January 20. They gave a notice on December 30 that the no-confidence motion will be brought on January 2," he said. Clearly aggrieved over the high court order, the Trinamool asserted that it would move the division bench of the court on Friday. "We will appeal to the division bench tomorrow (Friday). We don't understand this directive that the no-confidence has to be taken up on January 20," said state Food Minister and Trinamool President in North 24 Parganas district, Jyotipriyo Mullick. After registering its best ever show in the state last year by securing 18 of the 42 Lok Saba seats, the BJP retained the momentum by capturing one municipality after another as Trinamool councillors crossed over to the saffron party in waves. Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas district opened the floodgate of desertions from the Trinamool ranks to the BJP, days after the party snatched the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat. Arjun Singh, a former Trinamool MLA known for his muscle and money power, crossed over to the BJP and pocketed the LS seat by unseating former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi. In June last year, 19 Trinamool councillors had switched their allegiance to the BJP. The BJP tally had at one time swelled to 26 in the 34-member board. But the script was reversed soon, as the Trinamool fought back to wrest control of all the seven municipalities which had swung the BJP's way after the LS polls. In November, the BJP got a huge blow, as 12 of its councillors in Bhatpara municipality returned to the Trinamool Congress, which regained majority. Update:Lebanon has received an Interpol-issued wanted notice for Nissans ex-chairman Carlos Ghosn, the Lebanese justice minister said. Earlier: Japanese prosecutors have raided the Tokyo home of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn after he skipped bail before a trial on financial misconduct charges and left for Lebanon. Japanese media reported on and showed photos of the raid. Government offices are closed this week for the New Year holidays. It is unclear how Mr Ghosn avoided the tight surveillance he was under in Japan and escaped to Lebanon. Mr Ghosn said he left for Lebanon because he thought the Japanese judicial system was unjust, and he wanted to avoid political persecution. He said he would talk to reporters next week. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. Lebanon has said Mr Ghosn entered the country legally, and there was no reason to take action against him. His lawyers in Japan said they had no knowledge of the escape and they had all his passports. Mr Ghosn has French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship. Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV, without identifying sources, reported that Mr Ghosn had two French passports. Earlier Japanese reports said there were no official records in Japan of Mr Ghosns departure, but a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency said Turkish authorities had detained seven people as part of an investigation into how Mr Ghosn fled to Lebanon via Istanbul. The private DHA news agency reported that those detained are four pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. The Hurriyet newspaper said the plane carrying Mr Ghosn landed at Istanbuls Ataturk Airport at 5.30am local time on December 29. The paper reported that Mr Ghosn was not registered upon landing and was smuggled on board another plane that left for Lebanon. Mr Ghosn, who was charged with under-reporting his future compensation and breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan Motor Company and alliance partner Renault SA. His 1.5 billion yen bail that Mr Ghosn posted on two separate instances to get out of detention is being revoked. File image: PM Narendra Modi Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "neglecting" Karnataka ahead of his visit on Thursday, the state Congress questioned why he did not give adequate relief and pay a visit to the state, when most of its parts were affected by severe floods last year. Modi will begin his two-day visit to the state on Thursday afternoon. The Congress' Karnataka unit in a series of tweets also questioned the Prime Minister about not conferring the "Bharat Ratna" on Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Math, who passed away last year at the age of 111 years. "Why you did not visit the state, when it was affected by floods? Despite the damage of over Rs 1 lakh crore why you did not declare it as a national disaster? Why you did not give interim relief? When the state government has given a report that the damage caused was to the tune of Rs 35,300 crore why did you sit quiet by giving just Rs 1,200 crore," the state Congress tweeted. As many as 103 taluks in 22 districts of Karnataka were affected due to unprecedented floods in August, in which over 80 people were killed. Around seven lakh people were shifted to safe areas during the deluge and thousands of houses were damaged. In October, various parts of the state faced a deluge for the second time in two months, killing over 13 people and damaging thousands of houses. Asking as to why the Centre was not giving the state's share of GST amount adequately, the Congress questioned as to why dues under MNREGA programme were not paid so far, and why Karnataka was being neglected while allocating grants. Questioning Modi as to why he did not visit Tumakuru when Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Math passed away, the principal opposition party in the state Assembly, also sought to know why the seer was not conferred with the Bharat Ratna yet. It also pointed out that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written a letter in this regard in January 2018. The Congress has also hit out at the BJP-led Central government over imposition of Hindi language by neglecting regional languages and mother tongue. The Prime Minister will kickstart his visit to the state by paying tributes to the late pontiff's 'Gadduge' (final resting place) at the Math premises near Tumakuru. Later, he will attend an event organised to give away Krishi Karman awards and to distribute fishing equipment at the government college ground in Tumakuru, before leaving for Bengaluru where he will be attending a DRDO event. On Friday he will be inaugurating 107th Indian Science Congress here. Massive security arrangements have been made by the police in Tumakuru in the wake of Prime Minister's visit, with reports of a few farmers organisations planning to stage protest. [January 02, 2020] AskBio to Present at the 38th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Jan. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio), a fully integrated, clinical-stage adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy company, today announced that Sheila Mikhail, AskBios Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, has been invited to provide an overview of the company at the 38th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, January 14, in San Francisco. Her presentation will take place at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time in the Elizabethan C conference room. The annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference is the largest healthcare investment symposium in the industry, bringing together industry leaders, emerging fast-growth companies, innovative technology creators, and members of the investment community. About AskBio https://www.askbio.com or follow us on LinkedIn . Contact: Robin Fastenau Vice President, Communications, AskBio +1 984.275.2705 [email protected] ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Jan. 2 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev exchanged views over the phone about the further development of bilateral relations between the two countries, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen Government. The heads of state noted that the effectiveness of the Turkmen-Uzbek interaction today is due to the commonality of interests and the presence of strong political will to deepen constructive cooperation in every way. The presidents also spoke about the potential for building partnerships in the fuel and energy, transport communications and the agricultural sector. An exchange of views on topical issues of the regional and global agenda of mutual interest also took place. In November 2019, the two countries agreed to continue work on increasing exports of Turkmen and Uzbek products, including textile, silk, oil and gas, chemical products, agricultural machinery and cars. The total trade turnover between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan amounted to $274 million in 2018. For comparison, this figure was $159 million in 2017. New Delhi, Jan 2 : As West Bengal and Maharashtra cried foul over rejection of their Republic Day tableau proposals, the Defence Ministry said, here on Thursday, of the 56 proposals, comprising 32 from states and Union Territories and 24 from Ministries and Departments, only 22 were accepted. Of these 22 proposals, 16 were from states and UTs, and six from Ministries and Departments, it said. They were shortlisted after a series of five meetings, it added. The 16 states and UTs, whose tableau proposals have been accepted, are: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Karnataka, MP, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and UP. "The other tableau proposals were rejected as they didn't match the panel's expectation," said a senior Defence Ministry officer. The six Ministries and Departments, whose proposals made to the shortlist, are the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, the Department of Financial Services, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Shipping. Over the rejection of tableau proposals of Maharashtra and West Bengal, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) parliamentarian Supriya Sule alleged the Centre was behaving in a "prejudiced" manner. The two states had played a key role in the freedom struggle and the decision to deny permission to their tableaux was an "insult of the people". "The Centre has rejected permission to tableaux of Maharashtra and West Bengal from parading on the Republic Day. It is a festival of the country and the Centre is expected to give representation to all the states," Sule tweeted. But the government was behaving in a prejudiced manner, giving step-motherly treatment to the states being ruled by non-BJP parties, she added. Earlier in the day, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) criticised the Centre over rejection of West Bengal's Republic Day tableau and called it discriminatory. The state was being targeted for opposing the new citizenship law (CAA) and a proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC), it said. "This is discriminatory. They (Centre) are trying to target us for opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed NRC," said Sougata Roy, senior TMC MP. After attending her father Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khans Christmas party in Mumbai and then enjoying a relaxing getaway in Kerala, Sara Ali Khan jetted off to Maldives to ring in 2020 with her mother Amrita Singh and brother Ibrahim Ali Khan. She shared pictures her brother and herself chilling in the pool on her Instagram account. When feeling blue isnt a bad thing. @luxnorthmale @ncstravels, Sara captioned her post, which has already crossed a million likes in just a few hours. Brother sister love, one Instagram user commented, while another wrote, Siblings Goal!! Happy New Year to both of you!! Sara also shared solo pictures of her enjoying her getaway. Muffins and cupcakes for breakfast, If only days like this could last #floatingbreakfast #thirstythursday @luxnorthmale @ncstravels, she wrote. Earlier, Sara had wished her fans on New Year with a series of pictures of her at different religious shrines. Wishing everyone a joyous, peaceful, auspicious and amazing New Year! #gratitude #blessed #love #luck #laughter, she wrote. On Christmas Eve, the actor shared pictures from a goofy photoshoot with her brother. In some of the later pictures, Ibrahim took off his shirt and Sara looked embarrassed. Also read: Ananya Panday equates struggle to not appearing on Koffee With Karan, Siddhant Chaturvedi has a savage reply In an interview with Hello magazine, Ibrahim talked about the close bond that he shares with his sister. The relationship we (Sara and I) share is just perfect we rarely fight and thats perhaps because we have a five-year gap between us. On occasions that we do, its over the stupidest things. We are very close and love each other a lot, he said. Meanwhile, Sara will be seen next on the big screen opposite rumoured ex Kartik Aaryan in Imtiaz Alis film, tentatively titled Aaj Kal, which is a sequel to the 2009 hit Love Aaj Kal. The film also stars Randeep Hooda and will hit screens on February 14, 2020. After the Imtiaz Ali film, Saras next release is David Dhawans Coolie No 1 remake, in which she will be paired opposite Varun Dhawan. The film is slated for a May 1, 2020 release. Follow @htshowbiz for more Austria's conservatives and the Greens agreed to form a coalition government on Wednesday, ending almost three months of negotiations, Trend reports citing Xinhua. The agreement means Austria will have the left-wing Greens in government for the first time. "We have reached an agreement," Sebastian Kurz, Austria's former chancellor and leader of conservative People's Party, told reporters in a joint press conference with Wener Kogler, his counterpart from the Greens. The two will become chancellor and vice chancellor of the upcoming government, though the Greens, in a junior role, could gain just four of 15 ministries. This spectrum is roughly in accordance with their achievements in the Sept. 29 election, when People's Party won with 37.5 percent of the vote as the Greens ranked 4th with 13.9 percent. But they did not unveil details of their plan. Disputes over budget, taxes, immigration, climate change and political transparency have afflicted the two parties for weeks. Kurz stresses a tough anti-immigration position and business-friendly policies, while Greens advocate pluralism and climate protection. This deal brought Kurz back to chancellery, after a political scandal led his coalition with the far-right Freedom Party to catastrophe. A video released in May 2019 exposed Heinz-Christian Strache, chief of the Freedom Party, discussing potential infrastructure and media deals with a Russian businesswoman. Kurz, as the then chancellor, was forced to leave office. However, the People's Party led by Kurz won again in parliamentary elections late September. Georgia gets another crack at 'Bama for college football title Residential property values across Metro Vancouver fell in 2019, with the value of homes including detached houses and condo units decreasing by up to 15 per cent. That's according to B.C. Assessment, the provincial agency which appraises all properties in the province annually and released its 2020 assessments Thursday. "The Lower Mainland residential real estate market continues to see signs of moderation," said deputy assessor Brian Smith in a statement. The value of detached homes decreased in Vancouver by around 11 per cent, in Surrey by three per cent, in Burnaby by 10 per cent and in Richmond by 14 per cent, B.C. Assessment said. "Last year we saw some softening in the values for sure, but this year the decreases are a bit greater and both single family dwellings and stratas are moving in the same way," said B.C. Assessment spokesperson Tina Ireland. The provincial government, which promised to take action to "moderate" the housing market after years of skyrocketing increases, expressed happiness with the downturn. "This is a positive sign that our government's efforts to make housing more affordable for more British Columbians are having a real impact. For too long, the previous government sat back and watched housing prices climb well out of the reach of average people," said Housing Minister Selina Robinson in a statement. "As we move into the next decade, we will continue our work to stabilize the market and support investment in new housing supply, while we ensure that more families and businesses are able to be part of our economic success." Property values are based on the assessed value from July 1 the previous year. Changes to individual property tax bills are based on changes in value relative to surrounding properties. While residential property values were down across Metro Vancouver, the value of some commercial and industrial properties went up by as much as 20 per cent. Story continues Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press B.C.'s 10 most valuable properties Once again, the most valuable property in the province belongs to Lululemon founder Chip Wilson. Wilson's waterfront mansion on Kitsilano's Point Grey Road was valued at just under $65 million an 11 per cent decrease from its $73.1 million value in 2019. The next three most valuable B.C. properties remained the same as well: two homes on Belmont Avenue in Vancouver's Point Grey neighbourhood; and James Island, a private island east of Greater Victoria owned by billionaire Craig McCaw. For the first time in recent memory, properties in Surrey and Abbotsford also made the top 10 list: 3085 Point Grey Rd., Vancouver $64,946,000 4707 Belmont Ave., Vancouver $58,728,000 James Island, James Island $56,747,000 4719 Belmont Ave., Vancouver $36,042,000 4743 Belmont Ave., Vancouver $32,771,000 2815 Point Grey Rd., Vancouver $32,588,000 4773 Belmont Ave., Vancouver $31,720,000 17146 20 Ave., Surrey $31,524,000 4857 Belmont Ave., Vancouver $30,208,000 35220 Cassiar Ave., Abbotsford $30,022,000 In the rest of B.C., home prices were generally stable, rising or falling by between five per cent in many municipalities. But there were some exceptions, including Kitimat and Terrace, where values increased by nearly 40 per cent due to the construction of a $40 billion LNG Canada export facility. However, Ireland said the decrease in Vancouver's property values could be a predictor for the rest of the province. "It's like a ripple effect," she said. "So I would suggest that the first time we've seen this decrease in this area, and you might see it spread to the rest of the province, but we'll have to see what the assessments reflect next year." ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The state of Alaska has filed documents opposing a tribes push to open a gaming hall north of Anchorage. Officials with the Alaska Department of Law said in the documents filed Tuesday that other Alaska tribes would open similar operations if the Native Village of Eklutna prevails, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Colin Cloud Hampson, an attorney representing the Native Village of Eklutna, said he had not yet reviewed the state filing that came in response to a lawsuit filed in August by the tribe seeking approval for the gaming hall. The Eklutna lawsuit seeks to overturn a 2018 ruling by the Department of the Interior that a particular parcel of land near Chugiak is not Indian lands and is ineligible to host a tribal gaming hall. A ruling that the opinion is invalid may open the door to (Indian Gaming Rights Act) gaming on other properties across Alaska, assistant state attorney general Lael Harrison wrote in the new filing. The case extends beyond Indian gaming, she added. It is about the territorial jurisdiction of Alaska tribes in general, Harrison said. The state requests that it be allowed to intervene in the lawsuit on the side of the federal government. Eklutna is a Denaina community within the municipality of Anchorage. The Native Village of Eklutna is a federally recognized tribal government. According to the tribe, the proposed facility would be limited to games such pull-tabs, bingo and lotteries and possibly electronic versions of those games. The facility would not offer blackjack and slot machines that are not authorized under state law. Eklutnas lawsuit did not make statewide jurisdiction claims. Harrison, however, wrote that the 2018 ruling by the Department of the Interior is about territorial jurisdiction of Alaska tribes in general. Most Native lands in Alaska are owned by Native corporations representing shareholders as set up by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971. Alaska tribal governments are sovereign but have little or no land to exercise their laws. The state has historically opposed attempts by tribal governments to exercise jurisdiction. contending that Alaska could devolve into a patchwork of conflicting laws. The state also opposed Eklutna gaming in 2007. A question in recent weeks leading up to last Saturdays Federal election related to veterans and considering the succour for those loved ones who died in service and those who returned with a whole different perspective. Way back in 2012 - I wrote of this in Christian Today - "Is there a 'true value' or a 'relative value' of our servicemen and women" it was rated as one of the Best of 2012 in Christian Today Australia, this was written: "The nation can never 'wear the shoes' of those who have witnessed battle at first hand. Moreover, military awards are inevitably relative and political. Many who should have received such acknowledgement never did. Perhaps no one saw what actually happened. Often an officer was celebrated for what his men achieved, at great risk and cost to themselves. They were the ones in mortal danger. "What the public see is a military man in formal dress being presented an award by a civilian, quite possibly the Governor General who is constituently the head of Australia's military. The soothing words convey very little, if anything, of the battle experience. But, this is the way it must be. Civilians are a deadly menace on the front line. Battle is the role of the military. There is a demarcation line. The civilian population rarely gets a true picture, the gut wrenching sense of abandonment is beyond words. "The military person puts their life on the line and for the many who don't really care. This sadly, will always be the story. Military history also spells out the high respect for military chaplains gained over a century of warfare (Australians had Padres in the Boar War). Sacrifice is front and centre in Christian thought." Like all things, there comes a time when the nation's policy will change, and new direction given and this includes military conflict. In some situations, and we can name them through the last century, such as various military ventures that failed to meet their 'optimal results', that the better part of valour was to get out. Australia recognised this for Iraq and the Americans now only have limited numbers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ecclesiastes is very clear, that in this life, there is a time to everything. There will be a time to conclude this conflict, there will be a time to withdraw. Photo - Gallipoli Plaque Is it put down to experience, yet again In the film 'A Bridge Too Far' the final scene has the top military commanders discussing what went wrong. The Allies had lost the battle for Arnhem Bridge and thus providing a highway into Nazi Germany across the Rhine River in late 1944. They were stopped in their tracks. Many soldiers had lost their lives in this futile battle. One commander blamed the fog, another the drop zones being so far from the target, another the communications wireless sets failing, another this, another that. But not one of them, not even one, fell on their swords taking personal responsibility for the lives lost and the poor planning that led directly to the loss of the battle. The loved ones at home received a telegram followed by a letter that their son or father or husband had fallen for King and Country. What of those Australian soldiers who were killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflict, lost campaigns, situations that were deemed un-winable in the format in which they were placed? War is a dirty business, atrocities are part and parcel of any war. Iraq and Afghanistan has been no different. Planning a half war is designed to failure. Jesus spoke of this. The theology of a Just War has a long history, and no one is in dispute that the War against Nazi Germany was a Just War. The concentration and death camps bought to book any dissenters. The Mali situation is a classic situation where the French military hadnt "not gone in" with an attitude of a half war. The horror of the jihadi is a warning to us all. Even a cursory glance of a society gone mad when the Jihadists take over reveals what needs to be done to rid us of such evil. Its by no means "any half measure". Perhaps those who send our military into half wars might be reminded of Proverbs 2 verse 3: "Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding." Photo - 1999, Dr Mark Tronson preaching at ANZAC Cove to 3 bus loads, 200 people. Beachgoers inspect a navigational marker that washed up on New Smyrna Beach, Florida (Casmira Harrison/The Daytona Beach News-Journal via AP) A large navigation buoy that bobbed around the Atlantic Ocean for two years has been removed from a US beach where it had become something of a tourist attraction after washing ashore. Crews with a flatbed truck removed the nearly seven-ton (6.35-metric ton) red buoy from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where it came ashore last week, news outlets reported. Coast guard officials said the beacon was anchored near South Carolina when it came loose in 2017. #Update @USCG Aids to Navigation Team Ponce De Leon Inlet monitored the removal of the red lighted buoy this morning at New Smyrna Beach, FL. The buoy will be transported to Jacksonville, FL. pic.twitter.com/ic0BrRxRiK USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) January 2, 2020 It is unclear how the buoy was displaced from the large concrete anchor to which it had been chained. The buoy, which had come loose one previous time, will be taken to a coast guard station for evaluation of whether it can be used again, officials said. General Wesley Clark acted quickly when his phone rang during a live CNN interview on Wednesday. The retired army general was being interviewed by CNNs Jim Sciutto on Wednesday morning following an attack on the United States embassy in Iraq. When the phone began ringing, Clark, 75, swiftly reached into his pocket and threw the phone off-screen without skipping a beat. Sciutto began laughing at the army generals surprising move. That is the best reaction to a ring Ive seen on the air. Nicely done, general, the CNN host joked. Thank you. They caught it, too, Clark laughed. RELATED: This Dad Lives Out Every Working Parents Worst Nightmare as His Kids Hilariously Crash His Live BBC Interview Clark is the former NATO supreme allied commander to Europe and was being interviewed following Tuesdays attack. Thousands of protestors stormed the U.S. embassy in Iraq. The protestors were responding to recent American airstrikes on targets associated with Kataib Hezbollah, a militia group backed by the government of Iran. Protestors are demanding the United States withdraw forces from Iraq. Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many, President Donald Trump, 73, wrote on Twitter on New Years Eve. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified! RELATED: Protesters Attack United States Embassy in Iraq Following Weekend Airstrikes That Killed 24 ....Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019 Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Tuesday that an additional 750 American troops will be deployed to the region, according to The New York Times. Trump also said Tuesday that Iran will be held responsible for any deaths or damage resulting from the attacks. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! the president said on Twitter. This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year! Those of you who read what I write know what I have written about the political conundrum in Malaysia these last many months. You know I have written not... 4 months ago Syracuse, N.Y. -- A new state law requires companies that move call center jobs out of the country to repay any state grants they received in the previous five years. The legislation, signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday, also requires employers that relocate a call center to a foreign country or reduce their call center employment in New York by at least 30% to report the action to the state. The Department of Labor will compile an annual list of those actions and make it public through the departments website. In addition, the law requires state agencies to make their best efforts to ensure that call center and customer service contracts are performed in New York. As technology advances, more and more call centers are sending jobs overseas, leaving employees scrambling to find work to support themselves and their families, Cuomo said in a statement. This legislation will protect New Yorks call center workers by putting in place serious financial disincentives for employers who move jobs out of New York. Labor unions representing call center workers have been calling for such legislation for years, but the Republican majority in the state Senate refused to support it. That changed last year, when Democrats, who have long controlled the Assembly, took control of the Senate, too. Dozens of employees of an AT&T call center in downtown Syracuse rallied in March in support of the legislation after the company announced it was closing the center, eliminating 150 local jobs. More than 40,000 call center jobs have been lost in New York since 2006, according to the Communications Workers of America. Many were lost to technological advancements, but many others were simply shipped to states or countries with lower wages and benefits, the union said. Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Have a question or news tip? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Famous Nigerian stand-up comedian and actor, Abovi Ugboma popularly known as Bovi has taken to Twitter to blame Titans after his visa application got rejected by the United States Embassy. The comedian, however, did not reveal why his visa application was rejected. He tweeted; The US embassy rejected my visa application this morning. These Titans are everywhere. LOL Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Let there be no more wars on this planet The year 2019 was marked by a number of important events on the Asian continent, in the Middle East and a number of other regions. Regime changes, armed conflicts, the rapid growth in the number of terrorist attacks, natural disasters thats the outcome of the short-sighted policies employed by certain countries and Wahhabi states. The year 2019, Sri Lanka has suffered from one of the most ruthless terrorist attacks in the history of mankind allegedly sponsored by Islamic extremism. Events occurred in 2019 proved that our challenges are far bigger than we think. The Sri Lanka Guardian editorial board want to thank our authors and readers for the their contribution to the efforts of the international community, both diplomatic and media ones, made in an attempt to reduce international tension, to minimize regional conflicts, especially the armed ones, to improve the political climate on our planet. We want to wish each and every one of your family happiness, the peaceful sky over your head, good health and a lot of success in your good deeds and endeavours in the year 2020. Lets pray for society without violent. Let there be no more wars on this planet. 2020 is not just the beginning of a new year. It is the birth of a new decade. This year we will strive to strengthen our cooperation even further and to expand the range of our readers and authors. Happy New Year to you all! Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have released a new photo of baby Archie to mark the new year [Image: Getty] Yahoo is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Prices were correct at the time of publication. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have delighted royal fans with a previously unseen photo of baby Archie on their Instagram account, @SussexRoyal. To mark the new year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted a compilation video looking back at 2019 on the social media platform. It featured highlights from their engagements as well a string of personal moments - such as the birth of their first child in May and his christening in July. READ MORE: Meghan Markle-approved brand Everlane launches massive winter sale However, it was a new image of Archie - who will be eight months old on Monday - that caught the attention of their 10 million followers. Arriving at the end of the video, the image showed Harry, 35, holding his little boy in his arms in front of a lake - likely to one near where they have recently been staying on Vancouver Island in Canada. Both are wrapped up warm in the snap, most probably taken by mum Meghan, 38. The Duke can be seen wearing a khaki coat and navy hat, while his son dons a 32 cord jacket by Boden, a grey bobble hat and a pair of 50 UGG boots. READ MORE: 'Possibly another baby' on the cards for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle next year Captioning the video - which featured the soundtrack of Coldplays song Clocks - they wrote: Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and thanking you for your continued support! Weve loved meeting so many of you from around the world and cant wait to meet many more of you next year. We hope 2020 brings each of you health and continued happiness. The post has already been viewed more than three million times and received 14.3k likes. READ MORE: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been spotted 'hiking and jogging' during their Christmas break to Canada Story continues Commenting on the video, one person wrote: Happy new year to a beautiful family. Another shared: That Archie is one handsome little boy. He's just beautiful. A third added: Look, how proud Harry looks at his son Archie. There's so much love in your little, beautiful family! Referencing the moment Meghan was given Archies UGG boots as a gift when she was still pregnant, a fourth noted: Happy New Year. Great to see that Archie's UGG boots fit. It comes as the Duke and Duchess have been spotted hiking and jogging during their stay in Canada. According to the Vancouver Sun, they have made several hikes up Horth Hill Regional Park, and they have also be seen jogging in nearby town, North Saanich. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Style UK: Rudy Giuliani, personal attorney to US President Donald Trump, said on Tuesday that he is willing to testify or take the case at Trumps impeachment trial in the US Senate, Trend reports citing Sputnik. I would testify, I would do demonstrations, I'd give lectures, I'd give summations, or I'd do what I do best, I'd try the case. I'd love to try the case, Giuliani told reporters at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort Tuesday. Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor and former mayor of New York City, said he would use his knowledge of racketeering law, which helped him to become the New York City mayor in the 1980s. I don't know if anybody would have the courage to give me the case, but if you give me the case, I will prosecute it as a racketeering case, which I kind of invented anyway. It have [sic] been 30 years ago, but let's see if I can still do it, Trumps lawyer offered. Trumps lawyer was asked to testify in front of House Democrats during the first impeachment inquiry but did not comply with Congressional subpoenas, arguing instead that Trump did nothing wrong regarding the latter's dealings with Ukraine. Indias chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat, in his first official directive after taking over as CDS, has asked top officials of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) to prepare a proposal to create an Air Defence command to enhance military synergy and optimally utilise the resources of the armed forces. A defence ministry spokesperson said on Thursday that Rawat has set a June 30 deadline for the proposal to be submitted. Air defence refers to protecting military assets from an aerial threat by the enemy. An Air Defence command will include air defence resources of all the three services. As Indias first CDS, Rawat is the permanent chairman of the chief of staffs committee, heads the newly formed department of military affairs, and is the single-point military adviser to the defence minister. The department of military affairs is expected to form a six-member panel to suggest measures to speed up jointmanship among the three services, a senior official familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named. The committee will have senior officers from different verticals of IDS, including operations, planning, training, and intelligence, the official added. IDS was set up in 2001 as a single-point organisation for jointmanship, which integrates policy, doctrine, warfighting, and military purchases. It refers to a degree of co-ordination and integration in terms of strategy, capabilities and execution across the three services. IDS now comes under the CDS. He (Rawat) also set out priorities for execution of synergy by June 30; and December 31, 2020 [for different priorities]. Some of the areas identified for jointness and synergy include the creation of common logistics support pools in stations where two or more services have their presence, the spokesperson said. The government expects the CDS to bring about jointness among the three services within three years. One of the key objectives behind jointmanship is the setting up of joint/theatre command for the best use of military resources to fight future battles. While the army and the navy have been open to the idea, the Indian Air Force has concerns about theaterisation. The spokesperson said Rawat highlighted the need to consult the three services and the coast guard on matters related to jointmanship and obtain their views in a time-bound manner. He said Rawat made it clear that decisions would be taken to ensure the optimisation of resources, and steps will be initiated to do away with infructuous ceremonial activities that were manpower intensive. The department of military affairs is an addition to the four existing verticals in the defence ministry the departments of defence, defence production, defence research and development, and ex-service welfare. The government cleared the appointment of the CDS on December 24 and appointed Rawat to the top post with effect from December 31, 2019. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON SITEKI The crossover to 2020 was not so peaceful as two fatal incidents were reported by the police. In the first incident, a young man died immediately after crossing into the new year after he was fatally stabbed, allegedly by his ex-girlfriend. Police said the stabbing occurred at around 1:10am on Wednesday at Shewula, a rural community in the north-eastern parts of this country. Ngcebo Sibonginkosi Magagula (21) was stabbed once in the chest with a sharp object, believed to be a knife, allegedly by his 21-year-old former lover. The assailant (ex-girlfriend) will not be identified for now, pending her appearance in court. Information gathered by this publication is that the stabbing took place at a youth crossover party, hosted at the homestead of a local resident. The bone of contention could not be firmly established but people privy to details of the matter revealed that the dispute between Ngcebo and the assailant began on Christmas Day. The two used to be lovers but they then separated. However, on Christmas Day, Ngcebo saw his former girlfriend with another man, and this did not go down well with him hence they argued, said the source. Confrontation During the argument on Christmas Day, the two reportedly exchanged heated words but the encounter did not spiral into a violent confrontation. During the crossover party, people privy to the details of the matter said both Ngcebo and the assailant were in the company of their new partners. Throughout the night, Ngcebo (deceased) was with another woman and his ex-girlfriend (the assailant) was with her new man. Somehow, they bumped into each other and they started quarrelling again, said the source. It was alleged by witnesses that it was Ngcebo who drew a sharp object, believed to be a knife, and attempted to stab his ex-girlfriend. However, a person who spoke to witnesses told this publication, that Ngcebo completely missed the target and lost balance. Consequently, the ex-girlfriend overpowered and disarmed him, and once the knife was in her possession, she allegedly stabbed Ngcebo once in the chest, said a person who spoke to witnesses. Hospital Ngcebo instantly fell to the ground and bled profusely. Organisers of the party immediately availed transport to rush him to hospital. He was rushed to the nearby Shewula Clinic but he was declared dead upon arrival, said the source. Police Deputy Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the fatal stabbing incident at Shewula. She mentioned that the assailant has since been arrested by Lomahasha police and that she would possibly face a murder charge. She has not yet been brought before court as we are still concluding investigations. However, she is likely to appear in court on Thursday (today) or Friday (tomorrow), said Mnguni. Meanwhile, the family of the deceased said they were devastated by his untimely death. He was my firstborn son and I was hopeful that he would grow up and lead this family, said Sabelo Magagula, the father to the deceased. Stabbing He mentioned that his son had completed school and that he was not yet employed. He further stated that he did not know the full details of the stabbing incident but he had been told that his son was fighting over girls (bekubangwa emanfombatane). He was in a relationship with this girl but he later moved to the towns. When he came back, he had a new girlfriend, and his first girlfriend was aggrieved, said the father to the deceased. The Magagula family is still to meet and decide on the burial date and other logistics. On another note, the fatal stabbing incident has left the predominantly poor community of Shewula shell-shocked. Yesterday, many community members are said to have visited the homestead of the deceased to pass their condolences and to console the family. The local legislator MP, Ndumiso Masimula, also visited the Magagula homestead. We are shocked by this incident and what makes it even more shocking, is that it is a woman who (allegedly) killed the deceased. Usually, it is men who get involved in violent fights. We hope the bone of contention is still to be revealed, said Masimula after visiting the family. The Union minister of state for finance and corporate affairs, Anurag Thakur, during his visit to Amritsar on Thursday said the Congress government is opposing Mahatma Gandhis dream of granting citizenship to millions of refugees. He said the Citizens Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) is a law to grant citizenship, not to take it away. After paying obeisance at Golden Temple, Anurag Thakur visited the district BJP headquarters Shaheed Harbans Lal Khanna memorial to spread awareness about the purpose of CAA among public and BJP workers. Thakur, accompanied by state BJP head Shwait Malik and other party leaders, said, The Congress and Opposition parties should not spread confusion among people about CAA. The Act is a law to grant citizenship to minorities who are victims of religious persecution in neighbouring countries. Under this law, there is no provision for any citizen of the country to prove his citizenship or get his citizenship taken away. He said that while this law should have been praised, the Congress and its allies sought to breach peace by lying and confusing people for their political gain. Today, the Congress party has turned against the ideology of its own party leaders and Mahatma Gandhi in their greed for power, he added. Anurag Thakur continued, Congress is also lying about detention centres. A report published by PIB on 13 December 2011 shows that detention centers were built during the Congress governments. NRC is also a gift of the Congress which was brought into force by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi during the 1985 Assam Agreement and made into a law. Even though it was amended by Congress, they are spreading lies about it all over the country. Thakur said, CAA is a commendable attempt to give citizenship to the minorities of the neighbouring countries by correcting the mistake of the post-independence Nehru-Liaquat agreement. In 1947, the population of minorities in Pakistan was 23%, which decreased to 3.7% in 2011, in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1947, the population of minorities was 22% which decreased to just 7.8% in 2011. Millions of refugees are facing torture on a daily basis and do not get proper facilities, education, health services, jobs and many more. At the time of independence, if the Congress had not divided the country on the basis of religion, then the citizenship amendment law would not be needed today, he further added. He further added, In 2019, the BJP has resolved many problems that the Congress Party had kept hanging over the years for political gains including removing article 370 and getting Muslim women out of triple talaq, strengthening the spirit of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas aur Sabka Vishwas. STAMFORD Bercy Duperval got the perfect birthday present on Jan. 1: A baby daughter. Duperval was born on Jan. 1, and now she will share that same birthdate with her daughter, who came into this world at at 1:49 a.m. Wednesday at Stamford Hospital, the first baby of the new year born there. The baby girl also shares her mothers eyes, said Duperval, who has three boys as well. The new babys name has not yet been decided upon, pending discussions with her husband, Jude. The proud mom was due to give birth on Dec. 31, so the little bundle of joy in the Duperval household in Stamford was just about right on time. Duperval started having contractions around midnight, so it was time to get to the hospital. It happened quickly, but giving birth is never easy, the mother said. As she snuggled with her newborn, Duperval said she was feeling a range of emotions: Im tired and excited, at the same time. She doesnt eat cake, so there were no candles to blow out. But she said had a great birthday present for herself. I have my little one right beside me, its great, Duperval said. The little newborn came in at healthy weight, just under 8 pounds. She was sleeping comfortably at the hospital Wednesday afternoon and had a healthy glow. Her three brothers were all excited and happy about the new addition. The first baby born in 2020 in the state may well have come into the world at 12:04 a.m. Wednesday at Griffin Hospital in Derby. Arabella was born to Dave and Taylor Venice of Woodbridge, weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches long. The first baby born of the new year at Greenwich Hospital arrived at 12:50 a.m. Wednesday, but the family declined an interview request. The first baby of the year born at Yale New Haven Hospital arrived soon thereafter, at 12:56 a.m. He was named Iziah by his parents, Heather R. and Tianna R. of New Haven, according to hospital spokesman Mark DAntonio. Iziah weighed in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces and is the couples first child. According to the family, Iziah is the first same sex, biracial baby of 2020, DAntonio said in a release. The family is doing well. In Norwalk, the first baby of the year arrived at 11:30 a.m., according to Amy Forni, public relations manager for Nuvance Health. Ben Lambert contributed to this story. A JF-17 fighter jet attached to the Pakistan Air Force flies towards the designated airspace during an air-to-ground offensive operation drill conducted by two Chinese JH-7 fighter bombers and two Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets on Sept. 20, 2017, which is part of the "Shaheen VI " joint training exercise launched by the air forces of China and Pakistan on Sept. 8 and scheduled to conclude on Sept. 27, 2017. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn The latest, powered-up version of the JF-17 fighter jet reportedly features technologies from China's top-notch J-20 fighter jet and made its maiden flight in December, as the warplane co-developed by China and Pakistan saw major upgrades in electronic devices that will significantly increase its combat efficiency, experts said. With the serial number "3000," the first JF-17 Block 3 prototype was taken into the skies for the first time in mid-December in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the Aerospace Knowledge magazine reported in its Sina Weibo account on Tuesday. According to photos circulated on the Chinese social platform, the aircraft is installed with many commercial off-the-shelf technologies from the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the report said. These include a new and larger holographic wide-angle head-up display and integrated cockpit display similar to the one used by the J-20, in addition to an advanced infrared missile approach warning system used by the J-10C, J-16 and J-20 fighter jets, the magazine reported. Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times that the JF-17's flight performance and airframe design have been proven in its past service, but it can quickly improve if equipped with advanced electronic devices. "China has made a large amount of achievements in the development of the likes of the J-10 and J-20, resulting in many mature technologies and equipment If they can be used on the JF-17, the pilot could enjoy a significant efficiency increase in flying, which will also boost its combat efficiency," Wang said. Analysts said the new additions to the JF-17 can give pilots more situational awareness, allowing them to focus more on combat instead of flying the aircraft. Another advantage of using mature commercial off-the-shelf technologies is their cost-efficiency, Wang said. This JF-17 Block 3 prototype did not seem to be equipped with radar, although the JF-17 Block 3 is also expected to be fitted with an advanced active electronically scanned array radar system, according to the report. The JF-17 Block 3 is the first major upgrade version to the JF-17. It is expected to enter Pakistan Air Force service, the Aerospace Knowledge wrote. In March 2019, Yang Wei, chief designer of the China-Pakistan co-developed fighter jet, said development and production of the JF-17 Block 3 were underway, and the third block will see the JF-17's information-based warfare capability and weapons upgraded. Some other countries have also approached to purchase the JF-17 Block 3, Yang said back then, without naming the potential clients. Regarding columnist Brent Larkins reference to Donald Trump supporters as members of a cult" (GOP change from party to cult is now complete," Dec. 22): Many of us voted against the corruption in Washington, D.C., that involved the Clintons, the FBI (Jim Comey and Robert Mueller) and the Bidens, and all who used taxpayer money to enrich themselves. Mr. Larkin was not outraged by this corruption, so we, the cultists, had to act. Ross Bellanco, Mentor Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been appointed Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast. She takes up the largely ceremonial role in Northern Ireland where the peace process was one of the greatest successes of her husband's presidency. The 2016 presidential candidate becomes the first female chancellor of the 175-year-old institution, one of the oldest in Britain. 'It is a great privilege to become the Chancellor of Queen's University, a place I have great fondness for and have grown a strong relationship with over the years,' Clinton said Thursday. Hillary Rodham Clinton has been appointed the eleventh and the the first female Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast Then-Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, with Northern Ireland First and Deputy First Ministers, Peter Robinson (left) and Martin McGuinness, at Titanic Belfast, in Belfast in 2012 During her time as Secretary of State from 2009-2013, Clinton visited Belfast to support the 1998 Good Friday peace accord. It largely ended 30 years of violence between Catholic nationalists seeking union with Ireland and Protestant unionists who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom. In her statement, Clinton added: 'The university is making waves internationally for its research and impact and I am proud to be an ambassador and help grow its reputation for excellence.' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams at the State Department on March 17, 2009 in Washington, DC. Adams was visiting for St Patrick's Day Clinton traveled to Northern Ireland several times in the mid-1990s with her husband during the Good Friday talks, with Bill Clinton's hands-on approach widely recognized as crucial at moments when the agreement looked like crumbling. Former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, who as US Special Envoy for Northern Ireland chaired the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement, served as chancellor of Queen's from 1999 to 2009. Hillary was heavily criticized for exaggerating her role in the peace process when she claimed that she was 'instrumental' in bringing peace to Northern Ireland when battling Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. Clinton becomes the university's 11th chancellor. US President Clinton (right) appears with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams (left) during a reception at Queen's University in Belfast in 1995 Queen's University can trace its roots back to 1845 when it was established as one of three Queen's Colleges in Ireland. It is the second oldest university in Ireland, and the ninth oldest in the United Kingdom The role, which Clinton will hold for the next five years, involves presiding at degree congregations and acting as an ambassador and adviser for the university, according to Queen's. Stephen Prenter, Queen's pro-chancellor, said he was delighted by the appointment. He added: 'Secretary Clinton has made a considerable contribution to Northern Ireland and as an internationally recognised leader will be an incredible advocate for Queen's and an inspirational role model for the Queen's community.' Dont Boycott, Shame: Calls to boycott the Times because of the column miss the mark, writes Siva Vaidhyanathan, a media studies professor at the University of Virginia and the author of Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy. A fake boycott of the Times would be meaningless at best, counterproductive at worst, Vaidhyanathan argues. The only potentially effective response, he says, is to push at what the leaders of the Times care about as much as their revenue: their reputation for seriousness and responsibility. Shaming the Times works better than threatening the Times. Tapped Out of Ideas: Politico media writer Jack Shafer argued that Stephens column was a result not of some ideological bias but of a desire to make his column more interesting and controversial, in order to draw in more readers. The columnists duty has always been to stimulate and infuriate his readers, thereby opening their minds to new vistas. But in the Internet era, thats not always how it turns out. Readers are already overstimulated and showboating moves like Stephensgrabbing the third-rail of race-science without first donning insulated glovescan end in disaster. Palace Intrigue: Indulging in the kind of Kremlinology specific to the goings on at the Times, some saw hints of a broader strategy in James Bennets support of writers like Stephens (as they did in the decision to anchor a major reporting effort on privacy in the Opinion section rather than news): Namely, a desire to impress publisher Arthur Gregg Sulzberger, and thus to gain his favor when it comes to choosing a successor for current executive editor Dean Baquet, who is expected to retire soon. Bennets main competition, according to some Times-watchers, is Metro editor Cliff Levy, although managing editor Joe Kahn is also said to be in the mix. New York Times economics and business reporter Ben Casselman posted a Twitter thread looking at the diversity (or lack thereof) in the sources he has quoted in his stories. Casselman said that one of his goals for the year was to be more aware of the diversity of sources he was using in his reporting, and so he tracked every source for the year and provided some statistics. This is the first year Ive tracked this systematically, so I cant compare to prior years, he said. But I suspect the act of tracking this led to more diversity in my source list, which was part of the goal. In its first transparency report, the popular Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok claims that it has had zero takedown requests from the Chinese government, according to a report from The Verge. The video sharing app, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, claims it did not receive a single takedown request from Communist Party of China in the first half of 2019, the Verge story says. In September, a report from The Washington Post suggested that TikTok was censoring content related to the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong to appease the Chinese government. TikTok denied this, but US legislators have asked for a probe of the national security implications of the companys business anyway. The BBC is hoping to help improve the representation of women within student journalism by sharing its own methodology relating to on-air gender balance, according to a report from the Press Gazette. The 50:50 Project involves teams from within the BBC recording their own statistics on gender balance and the proportion of women appearing in their radio, TV and online programming. Seven higher education institutions have agreed to partner with the project and use its methodology in their journalism courses so that students keep track of the gender balance in their reporting. An editor of the University of Massachusetts student newspaper in Boston cant be held liable for reporting false information from police blotter, according to a decision by the Supreme Judicial Court. Justice Barbara Lenk wrote that the reporting was covered by the fair report privilege, which protects the right of the press to report on anything said during a judicial proceeding or through an official action. Once police undertake an official response to a complaint, both that response and the allegations that gave rise to it fall within the fair report privilege, Lenk said. Mehdi Hasan of The Intercept criticized a Face the Nation interview Margaret Brennan did with Ivanka Trump: For much of the interview, the Face The Nation host treated Ivanka not as a senior White House adviser and one of the presidents closest confidantes, Hasan wrote, but as a cross between a first daughter invited onto the show to offer insights into her dads feelings and a political pundit invited onto the show to offer random observations on the impeachment process. The architect of the 1619 Project on race at The New York Times, Nicole Hannah Jones, wrote a thread on Twitter about her struggles to find a way to write about race during her career in journalism: In 2009, I nearly left journalism. I was punished for wanting to write about race. My pitches were shut down and I could not get a story on the front page of my regional newspaper, Jones wrote. Newsrooms were bleeding staff so I had nowhere to go. I felt had to quit or lose my sanity. Despite a lot of the negativity about the influence that Twitter has on culture, a lot of good has come from it, University of Pennsylvania professor Sarah Jackson writes. Twitter is now better known as a home for unforgiving criticism, stripped of the politeness that can soften real-life interactions, she says. Despite it all, the way we use Twitter made this decade better. As we enter 2020, powerful individuals and societal problems can no longer avoid public scrutiny. Many people who lacked public platforms 10 years ago the young and members of marginalized groups in particular are speaking up, insisting on being heard. Journalist Heather Bryant, who runs a collaborative journalism project called Project Facet, writes in her 2020 forecast for the Nieman Lab that some kinds of journalism may need to be jettisoned. As we continue to grapple with the questions of how to make journalism sustainable, we must also grapple with what kind of journalism should be sustained, she says. Is it the institutions, many of which are legacy newsrooms with storied histories and shamefully incremental movement in the diversity of their teams and a myopic view of their proximity to and enabling of power structures invested in the status quo? In an interview with First Draft, investigative journalist and crowdsourced journalism pioneer Eliot Higgins of Bellingcat argues that people are still failing to come to grips with the reality of how disinformation works. The public continues to fail to engage with how disinformation is being spread. Its quite frustrating, he said. We often operate under the assumption that state actors are pushing all of this disinformation, but thats not the case. It originates from networks of websites and individuals that have been developing this kind of alt-media conspiracy land online presence. This narrative [of state actors] is often pushed, while I continue to see a failure from organisations to engage with this topic and even understand the issue at its most basic level. and the arrival of a new year are often cause for reflection and soul-searching. Many critics have made it abundantly clear that they would like the senior management of the New York Times to consider why the newspaper allows op-ed columnist Bret Stephens to write the things he does. As most people were winding down their work week and preparing to turn out the lights on 2019, Stephens chose to drop a column entitled The Secrets of Jewish Genius. In it, the Times columnist posedand then tried to answerthe question of why there have been so many noteworthy Jewish scientists and thinkers. As he put it: How is it that a people who never amounted even to one-third of 1 percent of the worlds population contributed so seminally to so many of its most pathbreaking ideas and innovations? In the end, Stephens comes to the conclusion that Jewish genius operates differently from the intelligence displayed by others. It is, he says, prone to question the premise and rethink the concept; to ask why (or why not?) as often as how; to see the absurd in the mundane and the sublime in the absurd. These differences, according to Stephens, stem from cultural factors, as well as a focus on questioning authority. But those ideas werent what triggered a multi-day backlash against Stephens or the Times (although many argued they were also wrong-headed). What drove the wave of criticism was that in the course of making this argument, Stephens cited a paper he said supported the theory that Ashkenazi Jews (i.e., those with a primarily European background) have higher IQs than the average population. Within hours of the column being posted, multiple people pointed out one of the co-authors of the paper had expressed racist views and had ties to white supremacist organizations, and that the journal the paper appeared in was formerly known as Eugenics Review. On Sunday the 30th, two days after the column originally appeared, the Twitter account for the Times opinion section announced that the piece had been edited to remove a reference to a paper widely disputed as advancing a racist hypothesis. The column was also updated with a long editors note (at the top of the piece rather than at the bottom, where many such notes often appear), which pointed out that the reference to the paper had been removed and why. The note went on to say that Mr. Stephens was not endorsing the study or its authors views, but it was a mistake to cite it uncritically and admitted that the effect of doing so was to leave an impression with many readers that Mr. Stephens was arguing that Jews are genetically superior [but] that was not his intent. The column was also edited to remove all references to Ashkenazi Jews, something that was a central part of Stephens argument in the original column. These removals werent mentioned in the editors note.For some, including Slate writer Ashley Feinberg and Judd Legum, who writes the progressive newsletter Popular Information, the papers explanation was weak at best. As Feinberg pointed out using a screenshot, Stephens originally wrote: The common answer is that Jews are, or tend to be, smart. When it comes to Ashkenazi Jews, its true. As a number of people argued, if the phrase its true, followed by a reference to the study, doesnt amount to an endorsement of a papers findings, its hard to think of what would. As debate about the column continued, it widened to include the editorial judgment of Times op-ed editor James Bennet (something that has been questioned before, both externally and internally ). As Vice editor Tim Marchman put it : Theres a level on which this is trivial, but also one on which the most important media operation in the United States publishing grotesque things and then not accounting for their handling of them even in brutally humiliating editors notes is not trivial at all. BuzzFeed media editor and correction expert Craig Silverman said the note sounded like Times editors making excuses and covering for Stephens. Several Times contributors also criticized the papers decision to run the column, including author and Times magazine writer Jody Rosen, who said : Speaking as both an Ashkenazi Jew and a NYT contributor, I dont think eugenicists should be op-ed columnists. Former CNN anchor and talk-show host Soledad OBrien wondered why more Times staffers and contributors werent speaking up : I think its interesting how there are so few people at (or affiliated with) the New York Times who said anything about Bret Stevens column publicly, she wrote. I mean, at some point isnt there a line where you sayyeah, the eugenics thing. I gotta stand up and say something? HuffPost contributor Yashar Ali echoed this sentiment , saying: I get why reporters at the NYT (or any news org) arent going to publicly criticize their colleagues for a bad tweet or a story but the Bret Stephens thing is terrible and should require his NYT colleagues to speak up. Heres more on Bret Stephens and his column: Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg. On Dec 19, Sadaf Jafaf, a well-known social and political activist as well as former teacher Sadaf Jafar was protesting against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens in a Lucknow neighbourhood, when she went live on Facebook from the protest. Jafar, who is also a Congress spokesperson, was arrested while she was live on the social media platform after the rally had gone violent. In the wake of the same, a section of Twitter users that included Bollywood celebrities demanded her release. #FreeSadaf trended on Twitter with 16.5K tweets. Guys please help trend #FreeSadaf . Her kids are waiting at home for their mother. Please Anjali_Sharma (@AngieTribeccaa) January 2, 2020 Congress tweeted from their official handle, "We demand the immediate release of social activist Sadaf Jafar, who has been under arrest for the last 14 days by the UP police. #FreeSadaf." Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt tweeted, "If the mind is shackled or made impotent through fear, it makes no difference under what form of government you live, you are a subject & not a citizen. Without liberty of speech, all of the outward forms and structures of free institutions are a sham, a pretense. #FreeSadaf." If the mind is shackled or made impotent through fear, it makes no difference under what form of government you live, u are a subject & not a citizen . Without liberty of speech, all of the outward forms and structures of free institutions are a sham, a pretense. #FreeSadaf Mahesh Bhatt (@MaheshNBhatt) January 2, 2020 Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker who has been quite actively voicing out her opinions on CAA and NRC also demanded Sadaf Jafar's release. She tweeted, "Activist and actor #sadafjafar is in jail in Lucknow.. not clear why! Her friends #DeepakKabir is also in jail because he went to enquire after her.. #FreeSadaf #FreeDeepak and make UP police accountable for its excesses!" Activist and actor #sadafjafar is in jail in Lucknow.. not clear why! Her friends #DeepakKabir is also in jail because he went to enquire after her.. #FreeSadaf #FreeDeepak and make UP police accountable for its excesses! Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 2, 2020 Actor Sushant Singh wrote on Twitter, "Arrested, beaten and tortured for questioning @Uppolice during a FB live broadcast. #FreeSadaf Actress-Activist Arrested During Facebook Live, Lucknow Cops Deny Assault." Arrested, beaten and tortured for questioning @Uppolice during a FB live broadcast. #FreeSadaf Actress-Activist Arrested During Facebook Live, Lucknow Cops Deny Assault https://t.co/LYxRzokrq7 via @YouTube sushant singh (@sushant_says) January 2, 2020 Sadaf Jafar, before getting arrested, showed the protest going violent in her Facebook live videos. "Son, dont go there. Please dont. You will get hurt. Come over here. They are not protesters, they are hired rioters," she tells a protester in a video. In another video, she tells media persons to show the faces of the rioters. In another video, she is trying to resist her arrest, when she says, I am being arrested. The protest had suddenly turned violent. So much so, that public property was set on fire that included a bus and a car being burnt. The police says that the protesters had turned violent. Lebanon's caretaker justice minister said the country would probe the allegations against Carlos Ghosn if Japan seeks the return of the fallen automotive titan. Albert Sarhan, the outgoing minister, said in an interview that a request for custody of the executive following his dramatic escape from the Japanese legal system would be turned down and the matter referred to the judiciary in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. The prospect of a trial in Lebanon, where Ghosn is still regarded by many as a national hero, could mark a turn in fortune for the former head of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA. He has Lebanese, French and Brazilian passports - which were confiscated by the Japanese authorities - and has appeared on postage stamps in Lebanon. Shortly after his arrest in Tokyo in November 2018 on charges of financial misconduct, a Beirut billboard proclaimed: "We are all Carlos Ghosn." "Usually, the decision that would be taken in response to a return request: First, we reject the request made for that person, and secondly we refer them to the public prosecution" or the judiciary, said Sarhan. "We probe the accusations out of respect for other countries." The state-run National News Agency reported Thursday that Lebanon's public prosecutor had received an Interpol red notice on Ghosn. The notice obliges the Lebanese authorities to question Ghosn on the allegations. Separately, Japan is expected to contact Lebanon through diplomatic channels, an official said Wednesday in Tokyo. Earlier Thursday, Kyodo reported in Tokyo that Japanese prosecutors searched the house where Ghosn stayed while on bail. Lebanon has made several requests to move the Ghosn trial to Beirut, most recently when President Michel Aoun met with Japanese officials in December. Officials in Lebanon say Ghosn entered the country legally from Turkey, using his national identity card. Sarhan said the executive's stay is "so far" legitimate, pending developments. Lebanon has been following up on Ghosn's case through his lawyer since the arrest and sought to provide help through legal channels, he said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Mystery still surrounds Ghosn's escape. The executive, once lionized in Japan for turning around Nissan from years of losses, said in an emailed statement Tuesday he was fleeing the country's "rigged" justice system, where courts have a conviction rate close to 100%. He plans to hold a press conference in Beirut on Wednesday, but his current whereabouts are unknown. For months, Ghosn's attorneys have been arguing that all of the charges against their client were bogus, the result of a broad conspiracy among nationalistic Nissan officials, Japanese prosecutors and the government itself. The goal, according to Ghosn, was to smear him in order to prevent the executive from further integrating Nissan and France's Renault, a plan that threatened the Japanese carmaker's autonomy and was vehemently opposed in the highest echelons of Tokyo officialdom. The Lebanese government says it asked Japan to release the businessman to its custody a year ago and pledged to try him under international anti-corruption regulations. But Beirut says Tokyo never responded to that request, and the prospect of any trial at all now looks remote. Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan, as it has already pointed out. New Delhi: Pro-Iran demonstrators left the besieged US embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday after the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force ordered them to withdraw a day after their dramatic incursion. Thousands of Iraqi supporters of the largely Iranian-trained Hashed had encircled and vandalised the embassy compound Tuesday, outraged by US air strikes that killed 25 Hashed fighters over the weekend. They marched unimpeded through the checkpoints of the usually high-security Green Zone to the embassy gates, where they broke through a reception area, chanting Death to America and spraying pro-Iran graffiti on the walls. Iraqs caretaker premier Adel Abdel Mahdi called on the angry crowd to leave the embassy but most spent the night in dozens of Xtents set up outside the perimeter wall. Tuesday's embassy attack was the latest episode in spiralling tensions between the United States and Iran since Washington abandoned a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran in 2018. Earlier, US President Donald Trump has said that war with Iran is not a good idea. "We had some great warriors come in... this will not be a Benghazi... they got in there very quickly," he said in response to a question as he walked up to the grand ballroom at Mar-a-Lago for the New Year's eve party. Asked about the possibility of a war with Iran, the US President said: "I don't think that would be a good idea for Iran... I like peace... I don't see that happening". Earlier, Trump threatened Iran after the attack on the American embassy which was one of the worst in recent years. "Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning; it is a Threat. Happy New Year!" he warned in a tweet. "The US embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site. Thank you to the President & Prime Minister of Iraq for their rapid response upon request...," trump said in another tweet. Soon thereafter, the Pentagon announced deployment of additional troops in Iraq as part of its effort to secure its personnel in Baghdad. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The funeral of Christian Grey, who tragically took his own life on Monday, is to be held in Ballymena on Friday. Mr Grey, who was 29, passed away just hours after posting about his mental health struggle on Facebook, which has been shared more than 500 times. The former Ballymena Academy and Cambridge House pupil, who changed his name via deed poll from Gary Crawford in 2012, said he had been receiving treatment for bipolar disorder for the last seven months. Christian Grey's mother, Joanne Murphy, told the Belfast Telegraph she believes her son would still be alive if his younger brother Ryan had not died from an accidental drug overdose in 2015. "A year after Ryan died he took a nervous breakdown and that's when the mental health problems all started," she said. "He went into hospital and was on medication. He couldn't cope. I believe that if that didn't happen to Ryan then Gary would be here today." A funeral notice for Mr Grey described him as the "beloved son of Joanne and David and loving brother of Karen, Allison, Angela, Jordan and the late Ryan". "Will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by the entire family circle," the notice added. "Peace is yours, memories ours." A service of thanksgiving for the life of Christian Grey will be held at Alan Francey's Funeral Church in Ballymena on Friday at 11am, followed by interment in Ballee New Cemetery. "Recognized nationally as a strong and creative leader, and as one of only two African American women to be appointed as president and dean of an American law school, Professor Scott embodies the values of our community," states Jeff Lewin, Chair of California Western's Board of Trustees. An author of numerous articles on advances in legal education, Professor Scott has a long history of innovation as a law school administrator and professor. As a legal educator, Professor Scott taught at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. "In my new role as president and dean of Cal Western, I expect to continue my commitment to promoting academic excellence, advocating for diversity in the academy and legal profession, innovating in the classroom and emphasizing the critical role law schools play in maintaining the pillars of our democracy," says Scott. "California Western is in an excellent position to expand opportunities for students and faculty by taking advantage of San Diego's strong and varied economy and legal community." The appointment is the latest of Scott's many leadership positions in the legal academy. She most recently served as associate director of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), the largest and most prestigious legal academic society in the United States. In that role, she was charged with promoting AALS programs that furthered the association's core values of improving legal education, promoting diversity, and advocating for justice. "California Western has chosen a superb leader in selecting Sean Scott as their new dean. In her work as Associate Director of the Association of American Law Schools in 2019, Sean earned the respect and admiration of law faculty and deans around the nation as well of the AALS staff," says Judith Areen, Executive Director of the Association of American Law Schools. "She made possible the launch of much-needed materials on becoming a law teacher on the AALS websitematerials that should both encourage and prepare a more diverse generation of new faculty. Her warmth, good judgment, and creativity will ensure her place as one of the great American law deans." From 2008 to 2016, Scott served as senior associate dean and associate dean for faculty at LMU Loyola Law School in Los Angeles (LLS), where she established the school's Master of Science in Legal Studies (MLS) program. Additionally, she was instrumental in reengineering the school's curriculum to add subject-matter concentrations and first-year electives. Leveraging LLS' unique location in downtown Los Angeles near the tech epicenter of Silicon Beach, Scott helped launch the school's Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Law program, available as an area of focus to Juris Doctor, Master of Law and MLS candidates. Additionally, she helped orchestrate Loyola Law School's Fashion Law Project to assist designers and entrepreneurs in the nearby Los Angeles Fashion District. "Sean Scott is a reliable, inspiring and creative law school administrator," says Victor Gold, dean emeritus and William H. Hannon Professor of Law at Loyola Law School. "I appointed her senior associate dean at Loyola and entrusted her with a series of urgent problems caused by the recession that began in 2008. She met every challenge, transforming much of the law school in the process. We are stronger today because of Sean. She will be a superb law school dean." Since 1994, Scott has taught Contracts, Law of Sales, and Race, Gender and the Law at LLS. An innovator inside her own classroom, students have responded by giving her numerous honors, including the Student Bar Association's prestigious Excellence in Teaching Award and the Black Law Students Association's Distinguished Faculty Award. "Sean Scott's recent scholarship explores the intersection of disability and contract law," says Danielle Kie Hart, professor of law at Southwestern Law School. "In so doing, she adds an important voice to a growing body of work that documents the impact that contract law has day in and day out on all of us and forces us to confront important questions about who we are as a society and how we want to or should be treated." "Dean Scott brings inclusive and insightful leadership excellence to Cal Western," says Kellye Testy, president and CEO of the Law School Admissions Council. "She is a perfect choice for the school, and I cannot wait to see all that the community will accomplish together." Scott currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) and is a past member of the Board of Directors of the California Women's Law Center. Before joining academia, Scott was an associate in the Los Angeles office of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. She earned her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law. Lewin is looking forward to working with Professor Scott and predicts a bright future for California Western at the same time praising the work of outgoing President and Dean Neils Schaumann. "I would personally like to thank Niels Schaumann for his leadership over the past seven years. His ability to make the difficult decisions needed to ensure our financial future will serve us well going forward," said Lewin. "We are optimistic about our future and believe that the appointment of Professor Scott as our next President and Dean is an essential and significant step forward." The search for California Western's new president and dean began in September 2018 and was announced in mid-2019. Approximately 40 candidates from around the United States, Europe and New Zealand applied for the position. About California Western School of Law California Western School of Law provides a rigorous, traditional legal education with an emphasis on developing problem-solving, communication, writing, and analytical thinking skills. We are committed to using the law to solve human and societal problems. Our mission is to train ethical, competent and compassionate lawyers, representative of our diverse society, who can use the law effectively and creatively. Please visit us at cwsl.edu. Media Contact Jackie Townsend The Townsend Team [email protected] SOURCE California Western School of Law Related Links http://cwsl.edu - Sadio Mane who currently plays for Liverpool has been linked with a move to Real Madrid - Real Madrid want the Senegalese to support Karim Benzema up front at the Bernabeu - Manager Zinedine Zidane is also said to have spoken with Sadio Mane over a move Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid have reportedly met the representatives of Liverpool striker Sadio Mane over a possible January transfer move to the Bernabeu. The Senegal international has become one of the best strikers in the world in recent seasons at Liverpool helping the club to win the Champions League title last season. READ ALSO: Brighton 1 1 Chelsea: Seagulls snatch dramatic draw with stunning overhead kick READ ALSO: Siri itakayokusaidia kufaulu 2020 imejificha hapa, sahau magumu ya 2019 Mane was also in impressive form last season in the Premier League ending as one of the three golden boot winners which included Mohamed Salah and Pierre Aubameyang. Real Madrid look set to lose Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, and Los Blancos' chiefs are now planning to lure Sadio Mane to Spain. But the Spanish club will have to make a convincing bid for the possibility of Liverpool allowing the Senegalese to leave Anfield. Mane is among the trusted strikers Jurgen Klopp has at Liverpool and his partnership with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino has been superb. READ ALSO: Meet English born Kenyan teenager bearing striking resemblance to former Man United star According to the report by Le10Sport, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane believes the pairing of Sadio Mane and Karim Benzema will be good for his squad. There are even reports that Zidane has spoken with Mane with the hope of convincing him to make a move to Spain. Los Blancos are in the process of consolidating their players as Karim Benzema signed a new one year contract deal at the Bernabeu which will make him remain at the club until the end of 2021/22 League season. Zidane is keen on the signature of Sadio Mane , who has been in superb form for Liverpool. Photo: Getty Images Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: 9 incredible feats achieved by Sir Alex Ferguson as he turns 78 years Benzema has been playing for Real Madrid for the past 10 years, making more than 400 appearances and scoring 238 goals in the process. The 32-year-old was recently linked with a January 2020 move to Premier League side Arsenal, but as it stands now, the Gunners will have to look elsewhere for a striker. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Tuko news Kenya's youngest Reverend- Victor Githu | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV: Source: SportsBrief.com Libyas UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) has taken aim at the Arab League, accusing the Pan-Arab organization of double standards on the crisis opposing it to its rival in the East. The accusation came from the GNAs permanent representative Saleh Shammakhi during Tuesday Arab League meeting in Cairo at the request of Egypt on the November maritime and security agreement between Ankara and the Tripoli-based GNA. Shammakhi urged the Arab League to review its position on the ongoing aggression against Tripoli by forces led by retired General Khalifa Haftar aligned with the eastern rival administration. The Libyan official indicated that the Arab League had refused to convene at the call of the GNA when Haftar launched in April the military offensive, backed by UAE, Egypt and Russian mercenaries. Shammakhi also blasted the organization for what he called the worst exploitation by the Arab League of a maritime agreement between Libya and Turkey. He also threw in doubt Libyas membership in the organization. At the Tuesday meeting, members of the organization indirectly charged the GNA and warned the Libyan sides of the gravity of taking any unilateral steps in a manner that allows foreign military interventions and contributes to the escalation and prolongation of the conflict in reference to the security accord allowing Turkey to deploy military forces to prop up the GNA in the conflict opposing it to Haftar forces. Egypt and other countries supporting Khalifa Haftar have however failed to get the Arab League to issue a statement condemning clearly the GNA-Turkey maritime deal or calling for withdrawing legitimacy from the Libyan Presidential Councils government. The Arab League insisted that a political solution is the only way Libya can regain its stability and security, rejecting foreign intervention and urging all parties to persevere the countrys sovereignty. The political process should be based on the Skhirat agreement as it is the only foundation for political settlement in Libya. The neighboring countries efforts to solve the Libyan crisis are important amid concerns of the military escalation in Libya as it threatens the stability of the region, including the Mediterranean region. The Arab League said. Foreign intervention that allows foreign extremist fighters to enter Libya must be prevented and all attempts of violating the arms embargo must also come to an end as they threaten the security of the neighboring countries and the region. It explained. Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. Kannan has been booked under Sections 504, 505(1) and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code. (Photo: ANI) Perambalur: Tamil writer, Nellai Kannan arrested in Perambalur on charges of making hate speech against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during a protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The Tirunelveli Police had registered the FIR against the writer for the speech delivered at a meeting, which was called by the Social Democratic Party of India on December 29 last year. The police have booked him on the basis of multiple complaints filed by BJP leaders. Kannan has been booked under Sections 504, 505(1) and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code. Catch the latest news, live coverage and in-depth analyses from India and World. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. UPDATE 1/3/20 A man from Detroit is wanted in connection with a New Year's Day bar shooting that injured seven people, Huntington Police said Thursday night. Kymonie Desean Davis, 30, has been charged with seven counts of wanton endangerment and one count of malicious wounding. Investigators say he also has active warrants locally for burglary and domestic battery and is wanted for fraud in Illinois with no extradition. The shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday at Kulture Hookah Bar in the 1100 block of 4th Avenue. Police said two of the seven victims are in critical condition. Earlier on Thursday, city leaders announced a cease and desist order to close the establishment. During that news conference, interim Huntington Police Chief Ray Cornwell said the shooting resulted from a dispute between people and is not considered random. ORIGINAL STORY The city of Huntington, West Virginia will issue a cease and desist order to close a bar where seven people were shot on New Year's Day, Mayor Steve Williams said Thursday during a news conference. Two of the seven victims are in critical condition, but all are considered stable, Huntington Interim Police Chief Ray Cornwell said. at Kulture Hookah Bar in the 1100 block of 4th Avenue. Mayor Williams said the establishment originally applied to the Huntington Board of Zoning Appeals as a retail business and was approved. It later applied to be a bar but did not follow procedures to be licensed. The mayor also said the business has not paid any taxes, which helped prompt the decision for the cease and desist order. "They haven't paid the first penny of taxes," Williams said. He added that the Board of Zoning Appeals will be altering the business licensing process to prevent any new bar from opening in the city. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charleston, the owner of Kulture Hookah Bar is Charon Chere Harris, also known as Charon Reese. Investigators say she pleaded guilty in 2016 to maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing heroin. Cornwell said three search warrants have been issued -- one at the bar and two involving victims. He said the warrants have yielded several items of evidence. Investigators also say that multiple law enforcement agencies have been involved with investigating criminal activity at the location, but there has been no action based on what they found. In response to a question about whether the city is safe, the mayor replied, "Of course, Huntington is safe. Our crime has been declining every single year." City officials have not released the names or ages of the victims at this time. "Unacceptable," Williams said of the incident. "We won't allow that to happen in our town." There is no word about a suspect at this time. As sea levels rise and adverse weather events become more common, vulnerable coastal communities are at increasing risk of devastation from storm surges and tsunamis. The death toll from tsunamis, at 260,000 during the past century, was higher than that from any other natural hazard. An international research team led by the University of Gottingen has now compared the effects of man-made and ecosystem protection to propose a hybrid approach including mangroves and coral reefs in coastal protection plans for tropical biodiversity hotspots. The results were published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. In this study, led by Dr Thomas Wanger at the Agroecology Group at the University of Gottingen, an international team of scientists from Germany, China, Indonesia, Australia, and Singapore evaluated the ways coastal communities can be protected against disaster. The scientists compared conventional engineering solutions such as giant sea walls, with ecological solutions such as mangroves and coral reefs. They evaluated the effectiveness, cost, and the capacity to sustain biodiversity and ecosystems. The research provides new insights about the implementation of improving ecosystem-based coastal protection. Palu in Indonesia has long been home to collaborative research centres led by the University of Gottingen. In 2018, Palu was destroyed by a major tsunami and so the Indonesian government implemented a coastal protection plan. The international research team has worked to improve the existing plan by applying their new findings. In addition, the team proposed to use the city of Palu as a case study to further investigate how ecological factors can mitigate the dangers for coastal communities globally. "In the future, ecosystem-based protection should form the basis to plan a coastal protection strategy. Improving this strategy through man-made and engineered solutions may make the entire endeavour more cost-efficient and may better protect valuable coastal biodiversity and related ecosystem services," says Wanger. "If the international research community can monitor such a hybrid 'ecosystem-based and engineered' approach in Palu, the 'Palu Model' could become an important learning opportunity for other high risk coastal hazard sites in tropical biodiversity hotspots." he adds. SPRINGFIELD Abnormally moist ground conditions and unseasonably higher river levels in the upper Midwest could lead to a considerable risk for repeat flooding this spring, according to the National Weather Service. Illinois officials are encouraging Illinois residents to consider flood insurance before the next flood occurs as part of its Resolve to be Ready campaign for 2020. Anywhere it rains, it can flood, said Acting IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. You do not have to live in a river community to experience the devastating effects of flooding. On June 7, 2019, the Illinois River at Hardin set its second highest crest ever at 38.2 feet, about four feet lower than the 1993 record. That same day, Grafton set its second highest crest ever on the Mississippi River at 35.17 feet, three feet below the record set there in 1993. Two days later, the Mississippi River posted its second highest crest ever in Alton at 39.01 feet. The record crest of 42.72 feet was set in 1993. Flooding also caused problems along the Missouri River in spring 2019. Eight months later, parts of the Missouri River are slightly above flood stage at a time when river levels traditionally run low, according to the Associated Press. NWS hydrologist Mark Fuchs of the agencys St. Louis office told the AP that he also is concerned that soil is extremely saturated in northern states such as Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Dakotas, and the long-range forecast offers a strong possibility of a wetter-than-normal winter. Were worried about rivers in general, primarily the Missouri and Mississippi for the spring, Fuchs said. Well see how the winter plays out. Both the Mississippi and Missouri rivers dipped below flood stage by early fall, then they turned around and went right back up in October with more rain in both basins, Fuchs said. For both rivers, there really hasnt been much chance to recover, he said. The NWS is scheduled to release more details on this years flooding projections on Feb. 13, Feb. 27 and March 12. According to the NWS, based on current conditions the risk of flooding is near average to much above average for 2020, with the greatest threats in northern Illinois along the Rock, Fox, Kishwaukee and Pecatonica rivers. Fuchs said soil moisture levels in many places to the north were at the 99th percentile in late fall. If you have rain, its supposed to go into the ground, Fuchs said. Well, theres just not room in the soil to accept rainfall or snowmelt. Adding to the worry is the weather services December-February forecast which shows a significant chance of above-normal precipitation in the upper Midwestern states that feed water into the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. River flooding was the biggest disaster to impact the state in 2019, state officials said. Flooding occurred in more than 33 counties, affecting 2.1 million residents. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied Illinois request for Individual Assistance. But the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has provided more than $19.7 million to Illinois homeowners who submitted flood insurance claims. What is important to remember about flood insurance is that this policy takes 30 days to take effect, said Tate-Nadeau. That is why it is important to purchase and review your plan today in order to protect your family for the future. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources administers the NFIP in Illinois, working with river communities to limit new development in flood risk areas, protect existing development from flooding and encourage residents and business to insure property, according to IDNR Director Colleen Callahan. It really is a win-win for both the community and policy holders., said Callahan. The program not only protect homes and businesses in the event of a flood, but also helps mitigate perennially flooded areas, reducing the risk of flooding in the future. Nearly 90 percent of Illinois communities participate in the NFIP. A few communities have not adopted local floodplain regulations and have not enrolled in NFIP. In these communities, private flood insurance is available through licensed insurance agents. Flooding is the most frequent and costly disaster in the U.S. with average flood insurance claim payments that can surpass $100,000 depending on the disaster, said said Illinois Department of Insurance Director Robert Muriel. So private flood insurance can help fill the gap for those without NFIP coverage and offer higher amounts of coverage. He said IDOI recommends consumers check their eligibility for NFIP coverage. He added IDOI insurance analysts are available to answer consumers questions and give tips on purchasing private flood insurance. Flood Insurance Rate Maps can be found online at http://msc.fema.gov. For more information on NFIP, visit https://www.fema.gov/cis/IL.html. For more details about flood insurance, visit https://www.insureuonline.org/insureu_special_flood.htm. By PTI WASHINGTON: Former US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton has been appointed as the first female Chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast, it was announced on Thursday. Clinton, who received an honorary doctorate from Queen's in October 2018, will become the University's 11th Chancellor and will serve in the post for a period of five years with effect from January 1, 2020, the university said in a statement. Queen's University Belfast, which is a public research university in Belfast, United Kingdom, was opened in 1849 and is one of the leading universities in the UK and Ireland with a distinguished heritage and history. The 72-year-old former Democratic presidential nominee said it was a great privilege to be appointed as the Chancellor of the prestigious Queen's University and has a great fondness for it. "It is a great privilege to become the Chancellor of Queen's University, a place I have a great fondness for and have grown a strong relationship with over the years. The University is making waves internationally for its research and impact and I am proud to be an ambassador and help grow its reputation for excellence," she was quoted as saying in the statement. University's authorities praised Clinton's appointment to the institution's top post. Stephen Prenter, Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Senate, the University's governing body, said: "I am delighted that Queen's has chosen Hillary Clinton to be its new Chancellor". "Secretary Clinton has made a considerable contribution to Northern Ireland and as an internationally recognised leader will be an incredible advocate for Queen's and an inspirational role model for the Queen's community," he said. The Chancellor fulfils three main roles, a ceremonial one which involves presiding at degree congregations, an ambassadorial role, where the officeholder helps to 'open doors' for the University as it seeks to fulfil its mission and finally as an advisor, available to the Vice-Chancellor and senior management as a 'sounding board' and to provide counsel and guidance, the statement said. The Supreme Court of India, while giving a unique verdict, said that it is not necessary to follow any legislation, procedure or precedent if it is for the good or the interest of the child. The top court said that the interest of the child is paramount. A bench of Justices UU Lalit, Justice Indu Malhotra and Justice Murari ordered the custody of the 12-year-old girl in the father's custody in a husband-wife case. The bench rejected the allegation of the girl's mother that the girl's father used to molest her. The mother said that allowing the girl to be with the father is not free from danger. Big news for Goa citizens, these people will not get affected by CAA The seriousness of the matter, the bench said in its decision after talking to the girl and her parents, we personally spoke to the girl and her parents. We believe that the minor girl is well aware of this and is definitely in a position to vote with whom she wants to be with and where she is well. The bench found that the girl studied in the seventh grade. He spoke of attachment to the father and clearly expressed his desire to be with the father. Uttar Pradesh: SSP Vaibhav Krishna made a big claim, fake video going viral If we talk about this matter, the father not only cared for food, education, etc. but also used to cooperate in the projects and activities of his school. The bench cited the Supreme Court's decision in the matter in 2008 that favored the child's comfort, satisfaction, moral and physical development, health, education, and a conducive environment. Justified the order giving custody to the father and allowing the mother to meet the child. The Delhi High Court also dismissed the mother's plea and relied on the report of three counselors. The report said that the girl liked the father's side. On looking at the DVD provided by the mother, Hicourt found that she does not accept the father's claim of molesting the child. Powerful explosion in Russia, Video goes viral on social media Zheng Yingyan, an anchor at China Central Television for more than a decade, prepares to record an article from a Chinese textbook for school student. [For China Daily] Former CCTV anchor rallies colleagues to help produce Mandarin audiobooks for students Zheng Yingyan had worked as an anchor at China Central Television for more than a decade, but had never read anything to her son in her professional newsreader's voice. But in March 2016, the then 8-year-old turned to her for help on the correct pronunciation of words in his Mandarin textbook for Grade two students. "I turned to the internet immediately as I was trying to find an audio version with the right pronunciation," she said. "My voice is familiar to my son and he might listen more carefully if the reader is someone else." But what astonished her was that she couldn't find an audio version of the Mandarin textbook, from either the education department or volunteer readers. "For English-language learners, from primary school to university, audio material can be easily found online. But what I found were only a few articles from Chinese textbooks that were recorded in the 1970s, or even earlier, of a poor quality," she said. Zheng made a decision, which she described as "the most meaningful cause driven by a mother's impulsion" she was going to invite the country's greatest news anchors to read the Mandarin textbooks for primary students. With support from Yang Liu, her former colleague at CCTV who is also the director of the Chinese Culture Promotion Society's anchors' branch, Zheng attracted about 60 newsreaders in Beijing to the project, most of whom are known nationwide. In only two months, they finished recording 500 lessons from the Mandarin textbooks all for no charge. "China is a big country with a great diversity of language. People from south to north, from east to west, have accents that sometimes differ like a foreign language," Zheng said. She said the audiobook series is expected to help children learn and experience the beauty of the Chinese language. "Our efforts are not simply to promote the right pronunciations. A good reader will lead audiences into the interests of Chinese literature and help them to better understand the emotion and meaning behind the words." Ready on time On Sept 1, 2016, the first day of a new school semester, the series was officially released on a WeChat public account named Mei ("beautiful" in Chinese) Sound Audio Library. It is also available on several major domestic audio platforms, including QingTing FM and Ximalaya FM for free. Yu Jianjun, chief executive officer of Ximalaya FM said in many remote areas, students had never had the chance to learn the correct pronunciation of Mandarin. "The series will bring them a precious chance." Yu said some rare pronunciations were at risk of disappearing, as they only appeared in ancient books. "The series that covers some classic ancient articles will also contribute to the preservation of some of those polyphones," Yu said. On the first day of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, Zheng and her team released another album consisting of 208 ancient Chinese poems, selected from Mandarin texts for primary and high school students. Both series have been fed into 30,000 computers donated to schools in remote areas by nongovernmental organizations and enterprises. About 150 kindergartens nationwide are also permitted to use the series. Zheng said the series documents some of the most beautiful voices in China. "The background music is also carefully chosen and edited by our campus volunteers. Many of them are in their 20s and have similar tastes to those of younger generations," Zheng said. Feedback from youngsters and their parents has been encouraging. "Many of them leave messages strongly supporting our efforts. On our WeChat public account, lots of children and even their parents use the voice-recording function to read the articles and poems following the anchors," Zheng said. The audiobook series has been listened to more than 20 million times on China's major audio service platforms and popular education apps. A few months ago, Zheng received a phone call from a Chinese mother in New York, who paid a lot of money for her child to attend a private school that offers Mandarin class. But the mother said she was disappointed with the class as her child was only taught basic sentences for daily use. "She told me that she was impressed by our audio series and said interests in learning Mandarin can only be triggered when people truly realize the beauty of Chinese characters. She asked me to consider promoting the series overseas, which I had never thought about before," Zheng said. Fate soon knocked on her door. VIPKid, one of China's biggest education platforms, told Zheng of their desire to teach 30,000 overseas subscribers Mandarin using the audiobook series. The contract has signed recently. Next year, Zheng plans to cooperate with overseas social media platforms, such as YouTube, and turn the audiobooks into short animations featuring Chinese characteristics, such as traditional paintings. "Chinese characters possess beauty in sense, sound and form. The beauty of sound has been shadowed by the modern way of communication that mainly relies on text messages. I hope the beauty of sound can be further explored and spread, not only in China, but also the world," she said. (Source: China Daily) At least 16 inmates in a central Mexico prison were killed and five more were wounded in a riot that closed out a violent 2019 for the country, authorities said. The melee at the Cieneguillas State Prison broke out around 1430 local time (2030GMT) on Tuesday and the prison was brought under control by 1700 (2300GMT), according to a statement from the state security agency. Fifteen of the victims died at the prison and one died later at a hospital. Zacatecas state officials said authorities confiscated four guns that they believe were brought in to during prison visits on Tuesday. The prison had been searched for weapons on Saturday and Sunday and no guns were found. One prisoner was detained with a gun still in his possession and the other three were found inside the prison. Officials said not all of the victims died from gunshot wounds; some were stabbed and others beaten with objects. No guards or police were wounded. Officials did not offer a possible motive, but prison riots frequently involve score-settling between rival cartel members or a battle for control of the institute's illicit business. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday, January 1, spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Mahadi over keeping the American Embassy in Baghdad safe. Taking to Twitter, Pompeo said that the Iraqi PM agreed to uphold its responsibility to keep the US personnel secure. He further added that they will move the Iran-backed attackers away from the US Embassy and continue the cooperation to hold Iran responsible for the attacks. Thousands of Iraqi Shiite militia supporters on December 31 attacked the US Embassy compound in Baghdad while protesting against airstrikes that killed 25 pro-Iran fighters. According to media reports, some of the protesters also marched through the high-security checkpoints in military fatigues to which Iraqi forces didnt react. Spoke today with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Mahdi, who agreed that #Iraq would continue to uphold its responsibility to keep U.S. personnel secure and would move the Iran-backed attackers away from @USEmbBaghdad. Well continue cooperation to hold #Iran and its proxies responsible. Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 1, 2020 Pompeo postpones Ukraine visit The US Secretary of State on Wednesday postponed his visit to Ukraine after an attack on the American embassy in Iraq. According to State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus, his visit has been postponed "due to the need for the secretary to be in Washington, DC to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East." As per reports, he was scheduled to travel to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Cyprus. Read: Pro-Iran protesters attack US embassy over deadly Iraq strikes Donald Trump lashes out at Iran American President Donald Trump on December 31 lashed out at Iran for orchestrating attack on the American Embassy. Referring to the attack that killed an American contractor and injured many, Trump said that the US retaliated to it and always will. Read: 'Iran will pay a "BIG PRICE" price' threatens Trump, after attack on US Embassy in Iraq Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019 Read: Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemns US airstrikes Read: US Secretary of State Pompeo: Attack on embassy in Iraq 'orchestrated by terrorists' The prolific author who created the much-loved Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin has died at the age of 83. Marion Chesney was the most borrowed British author for adults in UK libraries under her pseudonym MC Beaton. The witty Glaswegian crime writer made it her mission to bump off people you want bumped off and preferred to call herself an entertainer rather than an author. Marion Chesney was the most borrowed British author for adults in UK libraries under her pseudonym MC Beaton With a disdain for political correctness, she ensured her fiction was laden with gory murders, nymphomaniacs and frisky older gentlemen. Her Beaton titles have sold 21million copies worldwide and her detective creations made successful moves to television although she never forgave the BBC for its shady portrayal of her beloved Hamish in the successful 1990s series starring Robert Carlyle. I could bitch for Britain about it, she once said of the show, claiming the BBC despised the writing in her books and in making the programme had committed an act of infanticide. When they tried to bring out Macbeths dark side which the writer maintained he did not possess she gave up watching the show. The author, who also created romance novels under other pseudonyms, began writing fiction in middle age after a stint on Fleet Street as the senior woman reporter at the Daily Express. Chesney recalled the time she spent there as savagely competitive, with newspaper reporters often beating police to crime scenes using information that had been obtained from stolen police radios. The witty Glaswegian crime writer made it her mission to bump off people you want bumped off and preferred to call herself an entertainer rather than an author She married the Daily Expresss Middle East correspondent Harry Scott Gibbons in 1969. The couple eventually moved to New York with their young son Charles and took reporting roles at the New York Star, where she made friends with local gangsters. Her debut novel, My Dear Duchess, was published in 1979 under the pseudonym Ann Fairfax and she would go on to write 150 historical romances under a raft of pen names. Chesneys first detective story earned her 3,000 and for much of her writing career she was careful to keep producing stories sometimes at the rate of six novels a year to help keep her head above water. Born in 1936, she was raised in a council house in Glasgows Balornock and her childhood was soundtracked by the wail of air raid sirens. Her parents were happy for their daughter to stay at home to keep them company, but her response was to think to hell with them. It was an English teacher who secured her job at Glasgow bookseller John Smith & Son, where she devoured the works of the authors she loved. In the 1950s, after meeting the Scottish Daily Mails features editor in a Glasgow tearoom, Chesney persuaded her of her previous newspaper experience (which she did not have) and talked her way into a job. The budding author began with acerbic theatre reviews before switching to crime reporting. The brutal fatalities she came across in Glasgows tenements put her off producing grittier crime fiction for life. Chesney's character Agatha Raisin, as played by Ashley Jenson in The Potted Gardener She routinely produced two books a year one Hamish and one Agatha until her husband was taken into a nursing home. To pay for the care bills, Chesney wrote feverishly and came up with six books in 12 months. Her husband died in 2016 after a long illness. The author spent many of her later years dividing her time between a Paris apartment and the Cotswolds the setting for her Agatha Raisin novels. In 2001 she was treated for cancer and had a mastectomy. Chesney is survived by her son, Charles, 48. Julian Castro is ending his presidential bid. The former San Antonio mayor announced in a video message to supporters on Thursday that he will immediately suspend his campaign. With only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given the circumstances of this campaign season, I have determined that it simply isnt our time, Castro said. So today its with a heavy heart and with profound gratitude that I will suspend my campaign for president. To all who have been inspired by our campaign, especially our young people, keep reaching for your dreamsand keep fighting for what you believe in. Ganaremos un dia! Castros campaign never caught on nationally; and although he has campaigned in Iowa more than almost any other candidate, his poll numbers there remained stagnant. In November, the Democratic National Committee bumped him from the Democratic debate stage because of those polling numbers. Castro, 45, had tried to build a campaign around being a voice for what he called marginalized and vulnerable Americans like immigrants, the homeless and the disabled. Weve been a little bit different from all the other campaigns, Castro said during the campaign. Weve been speaking up for the most vulnerable folks in this country: people sleeping in the streets and storm drainage tunnels in Las Vegas, folks who are the victims of police brutality. Weve been fighting for those who are often left out, cast aside, marginalized. A year ago, Castro announced his campaign at Plaza Guadalupe with his mother, Rosie Castro, by his side and his brother, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, nearby. Im running for president because its time for new leadership, because its time for new energy and its time for a new commitment to make sure that the opportunities that Ive had are available to every American, he said during his Jan. 12 announcement speech. While fellow Texan Beto ORourke overshadowed Castros early months on the campaign, he still found himself influencing the race. Early on, he criticized U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for not embracing a bill to study reparations for slavery promoted by U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston. Castro drew praise from the black community and the Rev. Al Sharpton for bringing the issue into the presidential race. I have said many times during the last several weeks that I have long believed that our country will never truly heal until we address the original sin of slavery, Castro said in April during a speech before The National Action Network, a civil rights group founded by Sharpton in 1991. On the stump, Castro was not shy in trying to appeal to supporters of President Barack Obama. A standard part of his speeches throughout Iowa and other early voting states was reminding audiences of how he served as Obamas secretary of Housing and Urban Development the only former Obama cabinet member running until former Vice President Joe Biden entered the race in late April. He often recounted how he was at a Panda Express drive-thru in his hometown when Obama called to offer him the position at HUD. It happened on April 16, 2014, Castro said in a campaign stop in New York. I remember the date because its not every day that you get a call from the president asking you if you want a job. Castros campaign struggled to gain early traction, but during the first presidential debate he scored big national media attention after aggressively battling ORourke on the stage over immigration policies. A few months ago, they were writing me up as the other Texan, the former San Antonio mayor told supporters at a rally in Austin in late June. But thats no more. I am the Texan in this race. But it was in a debate later in Houston that Castros campaign took a hit, when many viewers thought Castro was taking a shot at Bidens age during an exchange on health care reform. Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago? Castro said during the exchange. After the debate, Castro denied he was referring to Bidens age. Still other Democrats like Rahm Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor and a top White House aide, called Castros attack on Biden a disqualifier. Two months later, Castro was knocked off the debate stage entirely. But ironically it was in December that Castro started seeing some of his best national poll numbers. Castro reached 4 percent in a poll by The Hill and polling firm HarrisX in December, which put him almost on par with Pete Buttigieg and Michael Bloomberg. Castros campaign was quick to jump on the results as proof they were starting to gain ground. Were building huge momentum at a critical time, Castros campaign said. But that 4 percent appears to have been more of an aberration as Castro still found himself way behind front runners Biden, Sanders, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Buttigieg. The media sector in 2019 was characterised as much by the deals that failed to come to fruition as those that did get across the line. Regardless of the outcome of the takeovers and mergers, the major theme for corporate deals was industry consolidation; with magazines, regional broadcasters and metropolitan players all seeking scale. A long way from Domain Group. Antony Catalano continued making headlines in 2019. Credit:Louise Kennerley 1) Nine Entertainment Co's sale of Australian Community Media Nine's moves to sell newspaper business ACM, which includes The Canberra Times, kicked off in early-2019 but its impact continued to be felt right through to the end of the year. Nine is the owner of this masthead. Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias talked on the telephone today with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. The conversation focused on the latest developments in Libya. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also briefed Mr. Borrell on the signing of the EastMed pipeline agreement. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser DERBY The first child reported born in Connecticut in 2020 arrived at Griffin Hospital in Derby, entering the world just four minutes after midnight. Arabella was born to Dave and Taylor Venice, of Woodbridge, at Griffin Hospitals childbirth center at 12:04 a.m. She weighed 8 lb. 6 oz., and was 20.5 inches. She is the familys third child, joining Jaxon, 3, and Emerie, 1, according to a release from the hospital. All three were delivered at Griffin, as was Dave Venice. Diana Venice, Arabellas grandmother, works in the hospitals Environmental Services Department and her aunt, Jackie Laneuville, serves there as a nurse, officials said. There are a lot of us who were born here and work here, so you can tell that we love Griffin, Taylor Venice said in the release. In Greenwich, the first child of the year was born at 12:50 a.m., according to hospital public relations coordinator Magaly Olivero. The first baby of the year born at Yale New Haven Hospital arrived a short time later, at 12:56 a.m. He was named Iziah by his parents, Heather R. and Tianna R. of New Haven, according to hospital spokesman Mark DAntonio. Iziah weighed in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and is the couples first child, DAntonio said in a release. The family is doing well. The parents said the Iziah was the first child born to a biracial, same-sex couple in 2020, DAntonio said. In Norwalk, the first baby of the year arrived at 11:30 a.m., according to Amy Forni, public relations manager for Nuvance Health. In Stamford, a little bundle of joy was born to Jude and Bercy Duperval at 1:49 a.m. It happened to be Bercy Dupervals own birthday. At St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Nova Grace, born to Dasia and Tyhzon, was the first baby of the year, according to Danielle Swift, media relations officer for the hospital. She entered the world at 2:24 a.m., weighing 8 pounds, 15 ounces, and nearly 22 inches. No children had been born at Bridgeport Hospital, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, and Middlesex Hospital in Middletown in 2020 as of 4 p.m., according to staffers from the institutions. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Members of the pro-Taiwan independence Taiwan Solidarity Union take part on a march in downtown Taipei on September 29 in support of Hong Kong protesters who have been demonstrating for several months in Hong Kong demanding more freedom and autonomy from China. Alberto Buzzola | LightRocket | Getty Images TAIPEI Taiwan heads to the polls next week in what's considered one of the most significant elections for the island, as voters closely watch the protests in Hong Kong amid concerns about alleged Chinese encroachment in the elections. In Taiwan, where an increasingly assertive China presents an existential threat, the self-ruled island's relationship with the mainland loom large. Between the presidential candidates, "the biggest difference is over China policy," wrote Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in a recent report. Taiwanese will be voting for the island's next president and legislature representatives on January 11. Beijing which claims Taiwan as its territory and considers it a wayward province says it wants reunification with the island and has never renounced the use of force to achieve the goal. President Xi Jinping's government has been using a carrots-and-sticks approach to win hearts and strike fear into the psyche of Taiwanese. The anti-government protests in Hong Kong thrust China's influence into the spotlight and gave incumbent Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen a boost. Tsai, her closest opponent Han Kuo-yu from the Kuomintang (KMT) and a third presidential candidate, James Soong, suspended their campaigns on Thursday after eight military personnel were killed after a helicopter they were in made a forced landing. Taiwan's top military chief Shen Yi-ming was among those killed. In a sense, it's China's policies that have hardened domestic opinion in Taiwan and given more support to (Taiwanese President) Tsai. James Crabtree Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Tsai saw her approval ratings plunge from the time she took office until early 2019. But her fortunes started to turn around after her forceful response against Xi's New Year speech which called for the reunification of the two lands under the "one country, two systems" framework the mainland uses on Hong Kong. Her popularity climbed further after widespread protests in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, which were spurred by fears of China's growing influence and control. In her New Year's Day speech this year, Tsai said Taiwan will "never accept" the one country, two systems framework, according to a transcript published by Taiwan's Central News Agency. "Democracy and authoritarianism cannot coexist within the same country. Hong Kong's people have shown us that 'one country, two systems' is absolutely not viable," Tsai said. "In a sense, it's China's policies that have hardened domestic opinion in Taiwan and given more support to Tsai," said James Crabtree, an associate professor at Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. If Tsai wins, it will put pressure on Xi in China, Crabtree told CNBC. The protest movement has "heightened concerns" in Taiwan about how Beijing mishandled "promises to respect Hong Kong's political and economic freedoms," said Kurlantzick in his report. In December, Chiang Min-yen, a research fellow at the Economic Democracy Union, a consortium of nongovernmental organizations, called on presidential candidates not to negotiate or sign agreements such as a peace deal that would bring Taiwan under Beijing's "One China" framework. "We need to reject 'one country, two systems' as well as all kinds of different ways China is using to package the 'one country, two systems' framework," Chiang told CNBC separately in Mandarin, and cautioned about China's erosion of boundaries defining Taiwan. Taiwan's identity crisis Even though Beijing has claimed Taiwan as its own, the island has never been under the control of Communist China. Under the KMT or the Nationalist Party, which fled to Taiwan after losing to the Chinese Communist Party in a civil war 70 years ago Taiwan was governed under martial law for 38 years until 1987. Since then, Taiwan has morphed into a vibrant democracy and its political, societal and cultural gaps with Communist China has widened, particularly among the younger generations that have lived under a democratic system. Many Taiwanese, particularly the younger generation, find it difficult to identify with Communist China. "Young people are definitely more sensitive to the issue of sovereignty," said Chiang, who was born in 1996 the year Taiwan's first direct presidential election was held. Chiang said Taiwan has been a de facto sovereign nation with a democratic political system, so there is no basis for a so-called unification with a Communist mainland political system. 'Today's Hong Kong, tomorrow's Taiwan' The "one country, two systems" framework would be a hard sell in Taiwan, where there have been several demonstrations in support of the protests in neighboring Hong Kong. Since the Hong Kong protests started in June, thousands have taken to the streets of Taipei in solidarity with protesters in the Asian financial hub. In September, organizers estimated a 100,000-strong crowd in a march in Taipei. "Today's Hong Kong, tomorrow's Taiwan," has become an enduring slogan among the youths in Taiwan, who watch the live streaming of violent crackdowns in Hong Kong, said Chiang. Young Taiwanese leading the pro-Hong Kong march in Taipei downtown on Sept. 29 carrying banners and outfits identical to the one wore by Hong Kong's protesters. Most young Taiwanese taking part to the solidarity march have no political party affiliation. Alberto Buzzola | LightRocket | Getty Images New Delhi: The United States has warned its air carriers to avoid Pakistani airspace citing the possible threat of attacks on its airlines by extremists or militant groups. In a statement, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that the commercial and the state carriers could be a target of Pakistani extremist and militant groups. "Exercise caution during flight operations. There is a risk to US civil aviation operating in the territory and airspace of Pakistan due to extremist/militant activity," said the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a notice to airmen (NOTAM) dated December 30, 2019. The NOTAM is applicable to all US-based airlines and US-based pilots. The US regulator said in its NOTAM that there continues to be a risk to US civil aviation sector from attacks against airports and aircraft in Pakistan, particularly for aircraft on the ground and aircraft operating at low altitudes, including during the arrival and departure phases of flights. "The ongoing presence of extremist/militant elements operating in Pakistan poses a continued risk to US civil aviation from small-arms fire, complex attacks against airports, indirect weapons fire, and anti-aircraft fire, any of which could occur with little or no warning," it said. The FAA said that while, to date, there have been no reports of man-portable air defense systems or Manpads being used against the civil aviation sector in Pakistan, some extremist or militant groups operating there are suspected of having access to these Manpads. "As a result, there is potential risk for extremists/militants to target civil aviation in Pakistan with Manpads," it said. The regulator added that pilots or airlines must report safety or security incidents - which may happen in Pakistan - to the FAA. Pakistan on July 16 last year opened its airspace for India after about five months of restrictions imposed in the wake of a standoff with New Delhi. Following the Balakot airstrikes by the Indian Air Force, Pakistan had closed its airspace on February 26 last year. Pakistan in October last year had denied India's request to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's VVIP flight to use its airspace for his visit to Saudi Arabia over the Kashmir issue. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Vietnam is ready to take on the role of ASEAN Chair in 2020, making contributions to building a cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community, said Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the ceremony to hand over the ASEAN Chairmanship to Vietnam. In an interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency, Dung said that meticulouspreparations have been made by the National ASEAN 2020 Committee, which was setup at the end of 2018 to outline a plan for the year. Vietnam has penned detailed communications plan which contains a multitude ofcultural, art and tourism activities to promote images of the Vietnamese peopleand land to international friends, he said, adding that careful preparationsfrom receptions and logistics to security and health have been put in place toensure security for officials and delegates. This year, the country will host more than 300 meetings and activities atdifferent levels, with the 36th ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN NewZealand Commemorative Summit scheduled in Da Nang in April, and the 37th ASEAN Summit and related summits in Hanoi in November. The country will chair the 41st General Assembly of ASEANInter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41) in Ha Long in August, along with 20ministerial-level meetings, he added. At the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat this month, ministers plan to adoptprogrammes and activities for ASEAN 2020. Vietnam has selected the theme Cohesive and Responsive for ASEAN 2020, and hasreceived strong support from ASEAN member states and partners, Dung said,holding the two elements are interdependent and complimentary. Under the theme, Vietnam will promote five priorities during its chairmanshipyear, including strengthening ASEAN solidarity and unity, promoting regionalconnectivity and adaptability to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, fosteringawareness of the ASEAN community and identity, stepping up partnerships forpeace and sustainable development, and improving the adaptability andoperational efficiency of the ASEAN apparatus./.VNA The NYPD has charged a woman in connection with an anti-Semitic attack on a young Jewish man in Brooklyn on New Years Day. Jasmine Lucas, 24, was charged with second-degree assault and criminal mischief for allegedly attacking a 22-year-old Jewish man in Williamsburg at around 12:45pm on Wednesday. She and another 34-year-old woman reportedly shouted anti-Semitic slurs at the man and knocked him to the ground. The man then began recording the women, at which point Lucas grabbed his phone, threw it to the ground, and punched him in the throat. They took him and threw him down to the ground, and broke his phone and threw the phone at his head, said Moses Weiser, who witnessed the incident. Its unbelievable whats going on. This is a shame. The second woman involved was questioned but released without charges. The man was taken to a hospital for medical treatment. The incident is the latest in a string of violent hate crimes against Jews in the tri-state area and marks the thirteenth reported hate crime against Jews in ten days in the city. Last week, a man attacked a Hanukkah celebration at a rabbis house in Monsey, New York and stabbed five people. The NYPD has also released footage of a group of men hitting a 23-year-old Hasidic man over the head with a chair last week. Authorities suspect the same group is responsible for an attack a 56-year-old Hasidic man caught on security cameras nearby the same day. State troopers and the NYPD have upped their presence in Jewish neighborhoods as the violence has escalated. The Guardian Angels, the unarmed citizen group that patrolled the New York City subway in the 1970s, has joined in protection efforts as well. If theyre going to attack Jews, theyre going to pay the price, said Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa. Theyre starting to call the Guardian Angels, as they did in the 70s, 80s and early-90s. We shouldnt have to go back to that period of time. We became such a better city, and now were beginning to slip back into the abyss. More from National Review Ashford shooting Youtube/ABC13Houston A 61-year-old woman from Houston was shot dead outside her home on New Year's Day by what authorities believe to be a stray bullet from celebratory gunfire in a nearby neighborhood. Authorities received a call just after midnight reporting that the woman had been shot while celebrating the coming new year with her family. She was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities. The woman was identified as Philippa Ashford, a nurse who worked at a mental-health facility in Houston. The incident came after the Harris County Sheriff's Office had warned against the dangers of "celebratory gunfire" earlier in the night. A woman in Houston was shot dead outside her home one minute into 2020 in what the police believe was a stray bullet from celebratory gunfire to ring in the new year. Authorities responded to a call from the home of the 61-year-old woman, Philippa Ashford, at 12:01 a.m. on New Year's Day, according to the Associated Press. Ashford was celebrating the new year with her friends and family with fireworks in the neighborhood when the incident happened, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Ashford, shooting (Michael Hart/The Menninger Clinic via AP) Investigators told ABC12 Houston that as the group celebrated the start of 2020, Ashford suddenly clutched her body and said "I think I've been shot" before collapsing to the ground. Ashford was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Gonzalez said authorities believed she could have been struck by a stray bullet fired from outside the immediate neighborhood. In a statement to the Houston Chronicle, Sgt. Ben Beall, a spokesman from the Harris County Sheriff's Office, said there was no indication that anybody in the cul-de-sac where Ashford lived had used firearms at the time. He added that the police were unable to find shell casings anywhere in the immediate vicinity. Investigations are still ongoing, according to the AP. Story continues The Harris County Sheriff's Office had posted a warning earlier in the night against the use of celebratory gunfire in the area, a misdemeanor they said was punishable by a fine of $4,000 and up to one year in jail. Ashford worked as a nurse at the Menninger Clinic, a mental-health treatment facility in Houston. Read the original article on Insider The Star Alliance lounge at Paris' Charles De Gaulle Airport. A day pass there is available through LoungeBuddy. Read more Have you ever booked a ticket to a far-flung destination only to discover there was a loooong layover? Or found your flight delayed by several hours after youd already checked in and cleared security? Then, youve known how it feels to sit in uncomfortable chairs for hours on end and to wander aimlessly eating airport food. The next time youre faced with this travelers dilemma, consider purchasing a day pass to an airport lounge. Though airline club lounges are traditionally reserved for frequent flyers and road warriors who purchase annual memberships, many domestic carriers offer the option to purchase a pass on the day of your flight (provided that youre flying that airline). During a recent seven-hour layover at Denver International, Larissa purchased a pass to the United lounge. For $59, she had a quiet work space with comfortable chairs, unlimited fast internet, and complimentary snacks and soft drinks. International travel can present more challenges, particularly if your airline doesnt have a lounge in a given country (or at all). In these instances, weve discovered LoungeBuddy, a website and app that allows you to purchase access to airport lounges in nearly 60 countries throughout the world. During a recent trip to France, we learned early in the day that our return flight from Paris (Charles De Gaulle) to New York (JFK) would be delayed by two hours. The delay grew as the day wore on, and we considered exploring the French countryside a bit more, but we needed to return our rental car to avoid overage fees. By the time we reached the airport, that flight delay had been extended to six hours enough time to warrant exploring lounge options. We were flying on Norwegian, an excellent budget airline, but one that has no airport lounges. Enter LoungeBuddy. We could purchase access to the Star Alliance lounge for 30 euros each, which gave us access to a buffet supper, open bar and soft drinks, and unlimited internet, all with comfortable seating and access to private restrooms and showers. It helped take the sting out of the long delay. If you will be facing a long delay at an airport, consider purchasing time at a lounge to make your experience more pleasant; the additional fee is small compared to the total cost of your trip. Our flight from Paris finally landed at JFK after midnight, around six hours late. And then, of course, we sat on the tarmac for an hour because a gate wasnt available. Too bad no one has developed GateBuddy. Yet. (Each airline has different policies regarding day passes to their lounges, and terms and fees for lounges available via LoungeBuddy vary based on location. We recommend checking before your trip so you know your options.) Philadelphia natives Larissa and Michael Milne have been global nomads since 2011. Follow their journey at changesinlongitude.com. G rowth is forecast to rise 6% in 2020 and digital promise fuels confidence in the future... Get Brexit done Boris Johnsons election-winning slogan, proved the power of an effective marketing message and the UK ad industry begins the new decade in optimistic mood. Rapid changes in technology and consumer habits caused huge disruption in the last decade but digital advertising has been a growth engine as the UK, enjoying ten years in a row of rising ad expenditure. Here are some key trends for 2020: A Boris ad bounce? Even before last months decisive election result, leading agency groups were forecasting ad growth of around 6% in the UK in 2020 in line with recent years, and ahead of most Western countries. Advertisers keep ploughing money into search and social media as the UK is a leader in ecommerce and mobile. Outdoor billboards are also generating more revenue as poster companies invest in digital screens. Greater certainty at Westminster could boost confidence, according to WPPs media-buying arm, Group M, which sees some potential for unlocking of advertising budgets at least in the short-term. Brands are still obsessed by digital disruption Some agency folk say the ad industry should stop talking about digital because it is no longer a silo and should permeate everything, but plenty of clients disagree as they grapple with transforming their businesses. Unilever has just appointed Conny Braams as its chief marketing and digital officer with digital added to her job title as the FTSE 100 company behind Dove and Marmite emphasised it wants to become a future-fit, fully digitised organisation at the leading edge of consumer marketing. Similarly, drinks giant Diageo is in the final stages of a global review of its ad-buying account as it seeks to be at the forefront of media planning and data-driven marketing. The rise of streaming and chasing the missing viewer The streaming wars will hot up when Disney+ debuts in the UK on March 31 as a rival to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Subscription video on-demand is a worry for advertisers because many of these services carry no ads, as the marketing for BritBox, a joint venture between ITV and BBC, boasts. Zenith, a media agency whose clients include RBS and Disney, has warned available audiences for advertisers are shrinking as consumers replace television viewing with non-commercial video. One marketer talks about chasing the missing viewer, who is now on Netflix, surfing the web or playing video games. Too much targeting? Another worry is getting the balance right between mass marketing to big audiences and data-driven targeting of niche groups. Some brands, including Adidas and TopShop, have admitted in recent months that they have focused too much on digital, performance marketing to drive sales, and neglected brand-building. Truth is, advertisers want both. ITV, led by Carolyn McCall, plans to launch a targeted, online video ad-buying service, Planet V, in February. Holding tech giants to account Governments and advertisers have struggled for years to hold Google and Facebook to account but the UKs Competition & Markets Authority could take a lead when it completes a big inquiry in July with the potential to recommend regulation. The CMA warned last month that a lack of real competition in the digital ad market could be harming consumers and other media companies such as news publishers. Agencies must adapt Ad spend is rising but some clients are using technology to bypass agencies and legacy players are struggling to adapt. Publicis Groupe, Dentsu and M&C Saatchi all warned of poor trading before Christmas. The future for agencies is to be nimbler, more consultative and more strategic, which is creating room for new entrants. Luke Smith, co-founder of Croud, a Shoreditch-based digital agency that has just sold a 30 million stake to private equity, says bullishly: There are very few industries globally that have as much energy as the digital marketing space in London. London versus the regions The number of people working in UK creative industries grew 30% in the past decade to two million with half of them in London and the South East. However, some rebalancing away from the capital towards the regions is likely to be a theme in post-Brexit Britain. Channel 4 will complete the opening of its new, national headquarters in Leeds this year, Dentsu is to move hundreds of jobs out of London in a cost-cutting move and WPP is planning a campus in Manchester to drive expansion. Advertising matters All of this change and growth is exciting because new, British disruptors from Starling Bank to On The Beach are using advertising to build their brands and it can add value. Shares in US exercise bike company Peloton, another new economy brand, slumped after the poor reception for its sexist Christmas ad campaign. Ultimately, advertising matters because it is how a company communicates what it stands for. And, unlike Brexit, its a job that is never done. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 20:32:14|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- More than 300 students from overseas Chinese families here on Wednesday celebrated the end of their training at a Chinese culture winter camp with new skills and knowledge about China. The mostly English-speaking students from the San Francisco-based Central Chinese High School in America went on stage here to showcase their newly-acquired skills in traditional Chinese culture, such as paper-cutting, clay modeling, Chinese knot-making, ethnic Chinese group dancing, and recitation of ancient Chinese poems in standard Mandarin. The two-week winter camp provided them with convenient access to education about Chinese culture under the direct instruction of 12 Chinese teachers selected from 10 schools in eastern China's Jiangsu Province. "In about 11 days, the Chinese teachers taught more than 300 kids from overseas Chinese families to learn how to make handcrafts unique to traditional China, including paper cutting, the playing of traditional Chinese music instruments and Chinese kung fu," said Ju Hua, chief of the Chinese teachers' delegation. Ju said the training provided the students with a good opportunity to experience in person the profoundness and charm of traditional Chinese culture, which will help them eventually become "ambassadors" of the friendly exchanges between Chinese and Americans. Cai Bingle, headmaster of the Central Chinese High School in America, said the winter camp was a valuable platform for the students of Chinese descent, who were mostly born in the United States, to learn traditional Chinese culture "at a very close distance" by engaging directly with their teachers from China. "The two-week long winter camp, though short in length, was a fruitful training for the kids, who previously had little knowledge about Chinese culture, but acquired new information about the country where their parents came from," Cai said. "I believe they would have a new idea about what Chinese culture is after their training at the winter camp and develop new identities and connections with China," he added. Grace Ou, a student from the school, told Xinhua that she had little knowledge about Chinese culture before, but the winter camp gave her a deeper insight into the splendid Chinese culture that goes back thousands of years. She said she also feels honored to be of Chinese heritage. "We learned the fine culture of Chinese heritage, and with that we will be good ambassadors that help carry on both the Chinese culture and friendship between China and the United States," she said. The 2019 Winter Camp of Chinese Culture Wonderland, which opened here on Dec. 22, 2019, was co-organized by China's Jiangsu Province and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in San Francisco. (Newser) Heidi Julavits went to avalanche school and lived to tell the tale. That certainly wasn't a sure thing. After wrapping up the three-day Level 1 course in the Eastern Sierra, she read an article about an avalanche death that happened that very dayduring an advanced avalanche safety course in Colorado. As she learned at the start of the course, "Nature doesnt kill people with avalanches. People kill people with avalanches." There are essentially six traps people fall into that put them at greater risk when confronted with possible avalanche conditionsthink "familiarity" (ie, you know the terrain well so you're less watchful) and "expert halo" (ie, thinking the experts are the pros, so it's OK to blindly follow them). They talked about how to avoid those trapsmake decisions as a group, for onethen spent two days in the snow. story continues below The group attempted rescuing an avalanche victim (really just a plywood board outfitted with a beacon that was buried two feet down), an exercise that led Julavits to circle back to the idea of being buried alivean admitted fear and one she explores from a historical perspective in the New York Times pieceand explain what happens if you are. If being dug out isn't a possibility, wish for a rapid death, she writes. An "unlucky 2% ... die of hypothermia over the course of hours." Some 25% die of trauma instantly, and the rest asphyxiate over a 15- to 45-minute period. Why can't a victim just escape on his own? The average burial depth in the US is nearly 4 feet, and then there's this: "The snow, as it slides, heats up and becomes wetter. When it stops, it freezes instantly. If a victim is caught inside the churn when this happens, theyre effectively sealed inside an ice coffin." (Read the full story here.) By Online Desk One of the seven protesters, detained during the Kolam protest against the Citizenship Act in Besant Nagar in Chennai on Sunday, is being probed for her connection with Pakistan. A woman has come under the scanner after her social media profile shed light on her role as a researcher with a Pakistan body, a top official has said. A probe would be carried out to ascertain whether the woman, Gayatri Khandhadai, has links to Pakistan-based "Bytes for All", Chennai Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan told reporters. Police sources told PTI that the woman protester has been a part of a slew of agitations held in the city against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and was also associated with the 'kolam,' demonstrations. She was present at the Madras University premises as well when the students there protested against the citizenship law last month, they said. Dwelling on her background, Viswanathan said Khandhadai has the support of local outfits in Tamil Nadu including an NGO. "If you look at her Facebook profile, she says that she is a researcher at Bytes for All, Pakistan," the senior police official said adding this body seemed to be linked to the Association of All Pakistan Citizen Journalists. The extent and nature of the protester's "Pakistani connection," and "what," it is all about will be probed, he said. A check will be done to find out if there is any other "information," about her, he said. He clarified that none were arrested or detained for drawing 'kolam,' (rangoli) in Besant Nagar here days ago. Viswanathan maintained police personnel had to interevene when an elderly resident there objected when protesters drew words opposing CAA (alongside a kolam already drawn up by his family members) in front of his house. The commissioner also released video clips to substantiate his claim that police had to intervene after the resident's objection. The clip shows an elderly man asking why the words were drawn up (by protesters) and a woman bringing a bucket of water from inside the house and erasing it. On Sunday, police had said eight people, including five women, were picked up for holding the protest without permission and causing inconvenience to others but were later let off. DMK president M K Stalin has hit out at the AIADMK government for the police action, saying the detained persons were only excercising their right to protest. The group of women who drew rangoli against the CAA, had called on Stalin on Monday at the party headquarters here to thank him for supporting them. (With agency inputs) A credit union employee picks up the phone. On the other end is the voice of the CEO requesting that money be transferred to a new vendor he says the credit union has just selected. The employee follows orders and makes the transfer. The funds go to a scammer. And the voice of the CEO? It wasnt the CEO. Scams targeting CUs arent new, but a new ruse is more sinister than ever, and even more difficult to discover. And one security expert believes a new type of deepfake crime that leverages artificial intelligence is on the verge of explodingadding credit unions could be a prime target. Credit unions need to watch out because theyre small and they are the types of people who can be easily fooled by this crime, said Richard Henderson, head of global threat intelligence at Lastline. This crime is mind-boggling and terrifying. As CUToday.info reported, criminals recently used artificial intelligence-based software to impersonate the voice of one companys CEO to demand a fraudulent transfer of 220,000 ($243,000). Law enforcement said the CEO of the U.K.-based energy firm thought he was on the phone with his boss, the CEO of his companys German parent company, who was requesting that funds be sent to a supplier in Hungary. The fake-CEO caller said the request was urgent, and he directed the executive to pay within an hour. Based on the positioning of the bodies and available evidence ... it appears as though the baby was thrown out of the window and the woman followed. Were assuming something broke her fall because she survived, which is unusual after falling from that distance, Guglielmi said. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) failed to return its unspent balance of N8.6 million at the end of the 2016 fiscal year to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), the Auditor-Generals report for 2017 has revealed. The 2017 report is the latest by the auditor-general and was recently made public. The infraction is a violation of section 414 of the Financial Regulations (2009) which requires unspent balances to lapse with the financial year. The audit report on the accounts of the federation for 2017, the most recent by the auditor-general, said the unremitted amount was the balance of three subheads: LT&T Training (N3,295,000); LT&T Others (N2,285,000) and Local Training (N3,025,000) totalling N8,605,000. The Auditor-General of the Federation, Anthony Ayine, directed the Director-General of the NTDC to remit the unspent sum to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and forward the evidence of remittance to this office for confirmation. The director-general of NTDC during the period of the infractions was Sally Mbanefo. The current director-general of the NTDC, Folorunsho Coker, was not the director-general when the infractions occurred. He assumed office in April 2017. However, he was the director-general when the audit was conducted and when the report was released. Another unaccounted N8.67 million Similarly, the audit report found irregularities in the expenditure of N8.6 million by the agency as training allowances in 2015. The auditors found that the application for the training allowance was dated December 22, 2015, and approval given on the same date, whereas the training was purportedly held on October 27 and November 25, 2015, two months before the application. They found out that payments were not made to individual beneficiaries as only the grade level and the number of staff were indicated in the memo but the names of the staff were not provided. Also, the certificates of attendance were not produced to authenticate the payments, the report added. The auditors suspected from the anomalies a possible diversion of the funds. The Director-General is required to recover the sum of 8,605,000.00 (Eight million, six hundred and five thousand naira) and forward evidence of recovery to my office. No response was received from the Director-General even when reminder was written to him, hence he is requested to comply with all the Recommendations stated above, the Auditor-General wrote in the report. Violation of e-payment policy The report also noted the violation of the e-payment policy guidelines on the payment of N10.7 million to some officers of the corporation, also for training allowances. The action, according to the report, contravenes provisions of e-payment policy guidelines on payment procedures and Financial Regulations 613 and 631 (2009). They stipulate that payment should be made electronically into individual beneficiaries accounts. Where an exemption has been granted, payments shall be made only to the persons named in the vouchers or their properly authorised representatives. To ensure accountability and transparency, Mr Anyine demanded that the director-general be sanctioned in line with the section 3129 of Financial Regulations. The section states that any officer who violates any other provision for which no sanction is specifically recommended, shall be taken to have committed gross misconduct and shall be disciplined accordingly. Call for reaction failed Advertisements Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to get Mr Cokers reaction to this report were unsuccessful. This reporter visited the NTDC office but neither Mr Coker nor his media aide was around to attend to our inquiries. A staff of the agency who declined to mention his name said he could not speak on behalf of the agency and declined to provide the personal telephone number of Mr Coker. (EDITORS NOTE: This report has been updated to include the names of persons who held office as DG of NTDC during the infractions and during the audit process.) Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss's new 'Dracula' drama featured both 'Sherlock' and 'Doctor Who' references in its first episode (BBC) *SPOILER ALERT* This episode contains plot details for Dracula, The Rules of The Beast. Many are familiar with the MCU, Marvels Cinematic Universe that links the Iron Man movies to the Captain America movies and the Guardians of the Galaxy films to the latest Spider-Man instalments. But it looks as if theres a new version of the MCU in town - the Moffat Cinematic Universe. Okay, its a stretch, but during the first episode of Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffats new Dracula series on BBC One last night (Wednesday 1 January), the showrunner managed to squeeze in nods to two shows hes synonymous with, Sherlock and Doctor Who. Read more: Jodie Whittaker hopes a female Doctor will not be headline news again In an early scene, Jonathan Harker (John Heffernan), the solicitor who descends into madness while staying with Count Dracula at his remote Transylvanian castle, receives a letter from his fiancee Mina Murray (Morfydd Clark). In it, she mentions an adorable barmaid that works at a nearby pub called The Rose and Crown. Now, Whovians ears will have likely perked up at the mere mention of the establishment as it shares its name with a place in which Doctor Who companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) poured pints during the time-hopping shows 2012 Christmas special. Did 'Dracula' just make reference to 'Doctor Who' character Clara Oswald? (BBC) In it, Clara and the Doctor (Matt Smith) find themselves battling sentient snowmen in the Victorian era. Dracula is, of course, set in the late 1800s, which explicitly ties in with the festive favourite. Elsewhere, Sister Agatha (Dolly Wells) - who is later revealed to share the same surname as famous vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing - explains to Jonathan during an interrogation sequence that she located Mina thanks to her a detective acquaintance in London. Read more: Sherlock creators says new Dracula drama will scare children Having established your identity, it was not difficult to trace you back to England and find your worried fiance, she says. While she doesnt specify that said sleuth lives down the capitals Baker Street, Moffat confirmed Agatha met Dr. Watsons pal as the premiere was airing. Well played, sir, well played. Dracula continues tonight (Thursday 2 January) at 9pm on BBC One. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 2 : The Congress and the BJP in Kerala on Thursday cried foul over the conduct of the second edition of Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS) that is being held here and decided to boycott it. The LKS is a global meet of Keralite diaspora settled outside the state. It was first launched by the Pinarayi Vijayan government in 2018 and the second edition opened on Wednesday at the banquet hall of the Kerala Assembly. While the Congress said this is nothing but an event which smacks extravagance, the BJP said this is a fund raising event for the CPI-M. To portray the boycott of the event by the Congress in poor light, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on his Twitter, shared a letter from Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi wishing the LKS all success. It was strongly contested by the state leadership of the Congress. Inaugurating the event, Vijayan said he is pleased of what the LKS has been able to achieve. "We have formed standing committees in various sectors consisting of experts and are working towards formulation and executing projects that will benefit the state. There has been a huge interest by the diaspora to invest in their home state and this is a big takeaway of the LKS. Various committees of the state government will be playing their role to see that investments take place here," said Vijayan. Speaking to the media here, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said not a single leader of the Congress-led UDF or its supporting diaspora organisation is taking part in the LKS. "It was unbecoming of a person like the Chief Minister to use the letter of Gandhi. He is an MP from Kerala and if you look into his letter he has praised showers on the contribution of the Kerala diaspora and that's the truth we all know. We decided to boycott this event on December 20 after we found out that this government failed to do anything on what they said would be done when the first LKS was launched. Gandhi's letter to Vijayan was written on December 12. Moreover, this event is nothing but one where crores of rupees are being wasted in its conduct, which could have been avoided," said Chennithala. AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C.Venugopal said it was unbecoming of a person like a Chief Minister to use Gandhi's letter. "Its elementary courtesy to wish a programme being held in a state where he is an MP and to use it as a political tool is unfair. Moreover, the Congress gives the respective state units absolute freedom to chart its own political course," said Venugopal. Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan, the only BJP leader from Kerala in the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that he got a letter of invitation and after that there was nothing heard about the programme and hence decided not to participate. "There is no clue as to who are the delegates taking part in it and it has now come to be one which is nothing but a fund raising event for the CPI-M. About Rs 16 crore have been spent for revamping the hall alone. If Kerala Government is serious about the diaspora they should have got in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs, as it's they who are capable of working with the state government when the matter involves Indian diaspora. But that has not happened," said Muraleedharan. Wilmer Valderrama has announced his engagement to girlfriend of nine months Amanda Pacheco after proposing on New Year's Day. The actor, 39, shared the news via his Instagram page on Wednesday evening, posting a stunning snap of the moment he got down on one knee and popped the question to the model, 28, during a beach stroll in La Jolla, California. The That '70s Show star simply captioned the romantic image: 'It's just us now' followed by the New Year's Day date. Love is in the air! Wilmer Valderrama has announced his engagement to girlfriend of nine months Amanda Pacheco after proposing on New Year's Day Amanda also shared a shot of her new engagement ring, which featured a massive, pear-cut diamond set into a simple sparkling band. The actor wore a long-sleeved shirt with jeans as he knelt down onto a rock overlooking the ocean. A massive ring box was perched high in his hand as he held onto Amanda's hand while asking her to be his wife. The model bride-to-be wore a pretty floral gown for the big day as she strolled barefoot down the beach. Bling: Amanda shared a shot of her new engagement ring, which featured a massive, pear cut diamond set into a simple sparkling band The pair most recently enjoyed the winter break with a holiday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where they toured sand dunes on ATVs. The couple have been romantically linked since April 2019 when they were spotted shopping in Los Angeles. At the time, a source told E! News: 'Wilmer always opens the door for Amanda and pays the bill. He definitely wants to make sure she feels taken care of. 'Even if they are just doing simple things, they have a lot of fun and are always smiling. He definitely wants to make sure she feels taken care of.' Amanda lists herself as a PADI Divemaster and model in her Instagram bio, and boasts a moderate following of 21,000 people. Congrats! The couple have been romantically linked together since earlier this year when they were spotted on a shopping adventure in Los Angeles Wilmer has famously dated a slew of celebrities, including Mandy Moore, Demi Lovato and Lindsay Lohan. Wilmer has remained close with Demi, who he dated for six years before they split in 2016, and the singer is said to be supportive of his relationship with Amanda. When news of their romance came out, a source told Us Weekly: 'Demi knows about [Amanda] and is being equally as supportive as Wilmer has been of her recent relationships 'Wilmer is still wrapped up in Demi and thats why theyve always been so off and on and have continued their friendship as well as Wilmers relationship with Demis family.' Bliss: Amanda lists herself as a PADI Divemaster and model in her Instagram bio, and boasts a moderate following of 21,000 people The amicable exes have remained in contact, with Wilmer by her side when she recovered from drug overdose in July 2018. According to TMZ, the actor played a pivotal role in her recovery, with a source tellinh the site: 'She and Wilmer still communicate regularly. 'Valderrama was a crutch for Demi through her hospitalization and visited her in rehab too.' WUHAN, China, Jan. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of creative city photos recently posted on Instagram has made Wuhan an influencer online. With this great opportunity in mind, "#TricityWuhan" has been launched to invite domestic and international KOLs to shoot traveling Vlogs that elaborate on the folkways, landscapes and cultures of the three towns of Wuhan through depictions of its history, humanities, and cuisines, representing a global exposure of Wuhan's cultural and tourism brand image on international new media platforms. The "#TricityWuhan" Vlog series integrated the city's cultural and tourism resources to feature three sets of "traveling strategies", alongside freehand sketching of maps that are spoken highly among overseas tourists. Ever since these Vlogs were released on YouTube, there have been a total of more than 100,000 views. Meanwhile, 11 articles were posted on Facebook to attract more than 10 million impressions and nearly 20,000 interactions, making Wuhan a priority for foreigners to travel and stay in China. As a city with more than 1,300 years of culture and history, Wuhan is home to numerous valuable cultural heritages. The brand marketing events of "#TricityWuhan" are based on a fusion of Chinese and international perspectives to demonstrate the city's hidden cultural charms to all overseas tourists, who'd be immersed in an all-around glamor of Wuhan an online influencer and a city going more and more international. SOURCE Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism Perambalur: Tamil writer Nellai Kannan has been arrested by the police in Perambalur on charges of making hate speech against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during a protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The Tirunelveli Police had registered the FIR against the writer for the speech delivered at a meeting, which was called by the Social Democratic Party of India on December 29 last year. Ever since his inciting speech, BJP workers in Tamil Nadu had been demanding the arrest of Kannan over his statements. Earlier on Wednesday, the saffron camp had staged a protest at Marina Beach in Chennai demanding the arrest of Kannan. The Chennai Police even detained several BJP leaders, including H Raja, La Ganesan, Pon Radhakrishnan, and CP Radhakrishnan, from the venue. Live TV The police have booked Kannan on the basis of multiple complaints filed by BJP leaders. The BJP state leadership had condemned Kannan's anti-CAA speech and "nobody will accept his utterances". "It is highly condemnable. Nobody will accept these utterances of Nellai Kannan. In fact, he spoke at a Muslim rally. The Muslim leaders who were present on the dais should have condemned it, "BJP state secretary had said this to news agency ANI. Kannan has been booked under Sections 504, 505(1) and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code. The charges on him include intentional insult to provoke breach of peace and intent to cause fear, alarm or disruption to the public life Since the enactment of CAA on December 12 last year, protests have erupted in various parts of the country including the national capital. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014. Coalition of northern youths under the umbrella of Arewa Youths Assembly, says it is grossly unfair and malicious for north to retain power beyond 2023, noting that it would do all that is politically required to ensure the emergence of a South-South candidate for the 2023 presidency. Arewa Youths position on 2023 presidency was coming on the heels of northern elders forum led by Professor Ago Abdullahi that north can retain power for 100 years. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, the leader of the coalition, Mohammed Salihu Danlami said the North have occupied the leadership position of the country since independence, more than any other region. The expectation of 2023 leadership is high, but we are constrained to speak up on the unnecessary distraction and our solidarity toward our fellow brother from South-South towards enthroning a new leadership in 2023. Nigeria must get it right by producing a youthful president from South-South who represents tolerance, inclusiveness, love and compassion for all Nigeria a president who combines courage, patriotism, tact, diplomacy and intellect for navigating the murky water of politics in Nigeria. Our great nation has not fulfilled its potential and our realities are far from our ideals, it is time for a new generation to build a modern Nigeria. Nigeria Youths should take a cue from emerging global change in political leadership, youths must take charge to build the Nigeria of our dream. Though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand. The position we are taking today may be harder, but it will leads the country to a better place. We say No to the selected few subscribing Nigeria leadership to ethnic arithmetic, Nigerian Youths must search carefully for the next leader to lead the country amongst them. Youth can truly ensure better leadership in Nigeria because they are very energetic, youths are the engine room and forces behind most social, economic or political developments of every successful nation, it is time for fresh initiatives to take it root. PV: 0 Alabama resident John Orange, who filed the lawsuit, has claimed that a stranger compromised his Ring outdoor camera and spooked his kids. Amazon and Ring are facing a class-action lawsuit for allegedly not doing enough to secure their security surveillance systems against hacks. (Photo: ANI) Amazon and Ring are facing a class-action lawsuit for allegedly not doing enough to secure their security surveillance systems against hacks. Alabama resident John Orange, who filed the lawsuit, has claimed that a stranger compromised his Ring outdoor camera and spooked his kids, highlighting the inability of the company to prevent cyber attacks, Engadget notes. Meanwhile, Ring responded to Orange's claims as a result of a possible breach at a non-Ring service where someone reused info to sign into Ring accounts. It remains to be seen if the lawsuit achieves class action status and the companies are required to compensate victims. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLAs have given a representation to Tamil Nadu Assembly Secretary K Srinivasan, seeking to adopt a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the upcoming session of the state assembly. It may be noted that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will convene on January 6 for its next session. The development comes two days after Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution, seeking withdrawal of the CAA. Welcoming the move, DMK chief MK Stalin on Tuesday had urged Tamil Nadu CM Edapadi Palani Sami to adopt a resolution against the amended citizenship law. The new law grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vinegar is a workhorse in the home. Safe, cheap and readily available, Ive reached for it time and time again. Ive compiled my favorite vinegar hints, helps and recipes into a handy pamphlet. Would you like to receive one? Its easy! Visit Heloise.com to order, or send a long, stamped (70 cents), self-addressed envelope, together with $5, to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Avoid fabric softeners on towels. They coat the fibers of the towels and make them less absorbent. HARTFORD Gov. Ned Lamont declined to offer his commitment to the Transportation and Climate Initiative proposal that would have Connecticut and 11 other states use higher gas prices to fund cleaner transportation. Asked about the proposal following the Dec. 18 Bond Commission meeting, Lamont said, We are watching that. The plan says that if the region wants to reduce emissions by 25 percent over 10 years, it will likely have to inflate the cost of gas by as much as 17 cents per gallon. The increase in gas prices is the result of charging fuel and oil distributors for violations of new carbon emission limits in the member states. The timing of the proposal is not ideal for Lamont. Increasing gas taxes at the same time as hes trying to get the legislature to approve truck-only tolling could prove difficult for Connecticuts governor. This is a regional effort that our fellow states are watching as well, Lamont said. That is not something Ive signed on to. Lamont, who has been largely praised for his climate initiatives, isnt the one who signed up for the TCI. Former Gov. Dannel Malloy signed up for the initiative before Lamont took office. Technically, Lamont doesnt have to give the group a definitive answer until later this year. In the meantime, he will be lobbied by both sides on the issue. Environmentalists praised the proposal, which is expected to be finalized in the Spring. States are leading the way with subnational action on climate, Acadia Center President Daniel Sosland said. By working together, this region can achieve globally significant carbon reductions while delivering billions of dollars each year for grants and investments to help every community thrive. From rural towns to the regions biggest cities, TCI can fund investments to make better transportation options more accessible, affordable, and reliable. The funding raised through the initiative would be used to fund things like low-carbon transportation programs and investment in clean, equitable transportation solutions. TCI says at least 40 percent of the regions greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector. In 2018, the Connecticut legislature set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by the year 2030 from a 2001 benchmark. This initiative would help Connecticut reach that goal. However, cap-and-invest programs are still controversial in Connecticut and the region despite the success of similar programs like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which has invested over $3 billion in auction proceeds to help nine states improve energy efficiency and create green jobs. TCI said in a statement on the draft proposal that preliminary modeling estimates that by 2032, the proposed program could yield monetized annual public health benefits of as much as $10 billion, including over 1,000 fewer premature deaths, and over 1,300 fewer asthma symptoms annually region-wide, among other safety and health benefits. The auction of pollution allowances under the proposal is projected to generate up to nearly $7 billion annually that participating states could invest in solutions to further reduce pollution and to improve transportation choices. But Lamont isnt the only governor who seems to be hedging on the initiative. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu pulled his state out of TCI as soon as the initiative was announced on Dec. 17. New Hampshire is already taking substantial steps to curb our carbon emissions, and this initiative, if enacted, would institute a new gas tax by up to 17 cents per gallon while only achieving minimal results, Sununu said in a statement. This program is a financial boondoggle and the people of New Hampshire will never support it. Other organizations from across the region, including the Yankee Institute for Public Policy, wrote an open letter encouraging states to oppose TCI. Gas taxes are regressive in nature. The TCI will hurt lower-income and rural residents much more significantly than their higher-income, urban peers, the open letter explained. Since motor fuels are economically inelastic, the higher costs imposed by the TCIs fuel tax will have to come out of other areas of household budgets. People already struggling to make ends meet will be forced by their own governments to make painfully difficult choices. Economically speaking, this is bad policy. Morally speaking, its just cruel. Interested parties are encouraged to offer their input online through Feb. 28. O lly Murs has posted his first public photograph with his new girlfriend Amelia Tank. The pop star and presenter, 35, was first rumoured to be dating the fitness enthusiast and city worker, 27, back in September. He has now confirmed the pair are in a relationship and shared a sweet snap of them quad biking to celebrate the new year. Writing on Instagram, he said: Wishing all my followers the happiest new year!! 2019 was a very positive year for me... winning The Voice with Molly, toured my album, had long overdue knee surgery, and met an amazing woman in the process!! 2020 Im ready for ya! Love you all, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!! His celebrity friends also showed support for the new romance, with manager Lou Teasdale commenting: Happy new year to you and that beautiful gf babe. Cardiff City defender Aden Flint wrote: Happy new year buddy. TV Star: Olly is returning as presenter to The Voice when the new series airs this weekend / Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Murs previously said they would be spending Christmas together and opened up about how their relationship feels different. He told the Sun Online: I'm going to spend some time with her really, it's been amazing. I haven't had a girlfriend for four years at Christmas, it's been a bit lonely. So this year is going to be great. He added: This is new for me. I had a girlfriend four years ago, but this feels completely different, it feels fresh and feels new. "They always say when you're always looking for something and then it comes along, this is what it's supposed to feel like." The pair reportedly met at a gym in Essex, after swapping flirty messages on Instagram last year. Lambasting the Congress and its allies for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the ongoing protests were against the Parliament and called on the agitators to raise their voice against Pakistan's atrocities on its minorities for the last 70 years. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru on Thursday. Photograph: ANI Photo The prime minister said protecting and supporting minorities of neighbouring countries who have sought refuge in India was our cultural and national responsibility. "Those who are protesting against the Parliament of India, I want to tell them that the need was to expose Pakistan's deeds on the world stage. If you want to protest, protest and raise voice against Pakistan's deeds for the last 70 years, you should have that guts," he said. Addressing a gathering at Siddaganga Math near Tumakuru, he said, "If you want to shout slogans, shout against the way in which atrocities are happening against minorities there. If you want to hold rallies, hold it in favour of Dalits and downtrodden who have come from Pakistan (to India). If you want to do dharna, do it against Pakistan's deeds." Modi was speaking after paying respects at the 'Gadduge' (final resting place) of Shivakumara Swamiji at Siddaganga Math, a prominent Lingayat seminary. Pointing out that few weeks ago the Parliament passed the CAA, Modi said, however, the Congress and its allies and the ecosystem created by them are standing up against the Indian Parliament. He said, "the kind of hate they have towards us (BJP), similar voice can be heard against the country's Parliament these days. These people have begun protest against the country's parliament...These people are protesting against Dalits, suppressed and downtroden who have come from Pakistan seeking refuge." Pointing out that Pakistan was born on the basis of religion, and India was divided in the name of religion, Modi said from the time of partition, people of other religion in Pakistan faced atrocities. "Whether it is Hindu or Sikh or Christian or Jain atrocities have increased against them in Pakistan with time. Thousands of such people had to leave their houses had to come to India as refugees," he said. Noting that Pakistan did atrocities against Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, but the Congress and its allies dont speak against Pakistan, the Prime Minister said instead they are holding protests against those who took refuge in India to save their lives, their religion and to protect the pride of their sisters and daughters. "They (Congress and allies) don't have time to speak against Pakistan which did the atrocities against its minorities, what is the reason why their mouth is locked," he asked. "It is our duty to help refugees who have come from Pakistan... most of the Hindus who have come from there are Dalits and downtrodden, we cannot leave them like that, protecting them is our cultural and national responsibility, he said, adding "we should also help Sikh, Jain and Christians who have come from Pakistan." There is change in India's policy against terrorism, the Prime Minister said by abrogating Article 370, effort has been made to remove fear of terror and uncertainty fromthe life of people there and a new beginning of development has been ushered in both in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He also said the road has been cleared for the construction of a grand Ram mandir at Lord Ram's birth place with peace and cooperation of everyone. Six months ago, the British Conservative party was planning its own funeral; Nigel Farage had embarked on a sold-out tour of its strongholds, helping to cut its vote share to 8.8 percent in the European Parliament elections. Today, the Tories look to be in the prime of their youth. Boris Johnson has taken them to their fourth straight general-election win, the first time in British history that a governing party has increased its share of the vote in four consecutive elections. They now have a mandate for five years of majority government and, judging by Johnsons recent pronouncements, he thinks that theyll have at least five more after that. A great deal of thought has already been dedicated to figuring out just how the Tories did it. The consensus is that a fusion of Brexit fatigue, Jeremy Corbyns ineptitude, and Johnsons pagan pizzazz won the day. But the forces underlying these contingencies have implications for politics worldwide. They point to a political realignment that could dominate western democracies for years to come. The 2016 Brexit vote revealed that a large portion of the British population was unrepresented in Westminster party politics, and its aftermath exposed the fact that a large number of politicians would stop at nothing to keep that group unrepresented. To be sure, these MPs would not have put it in such words they thought that attempting to stop Brexit for three years was acting in their constituents best interests. But constituents express their beliefs at the ballot box, and most of them simply did not think that their representatives knew what was best better than they did. There is plenty to criticize about Johnson and the government that he will now lead, but the same accusation cannot be leveled against them. Johnson ducks scrutiny, avoids substance, and can often seem entirely devoid of empathy. His campaign consisted of the three words Get Brexit Done, spun around like a broken play toy. But these words had more power than Labours message of social justice, just as the Brexit slogan Take Back Control held more sway than the countless predictions that Brexit would bring about economic doom in the run up to the referendum. Both phrases were fashioned by Dominic Cummings, Johnsons infamous chief adviser, and their success point to a very simple fact: Voters believe in democracy, and they do not take nicely to politicians who dont. No handout can compensate for the snobbery of those offering it, because voters disdain moral superiority more than they appreciate moral purity. Story continues The roots of this tension go back decades, as successive British governments implemented EU treaties and constitutional reforms without democratic assent. In 1992, when the European Economic Community turned into the European Union, John Majors government refused to offer the public a referendum on the issue. And in 1997, under Tony Blair, monetary policy was placed in the hands of the Bank of England. The same Blair government pushed for executive asymmetrical devolution in Scotland and Wales, without considering its extreme constitutional implications for Englands representation in Westminster. Then came the 2007 EU Lisbon Treaty, a major change to the U.K.s constitution that Prime Minister Gordon Brown decided he could ratify without asking for voters consent. This move effectively rendered any future promise on migration numbers a lie, because the United Kingdoms borders were made subservient to Eurozone economics. Voters are not stupid: They realize that an open-borders policy raises problems for the welfare state. Ignoring this fact only made room for extremism when the Eurozones economy eventually fell into crisis in 2008. These were the beginnings of a political realignment that has found its voice in liberal democracies across the continent and beyond a realignment based on the divide between democratic politics and technocratic politics, in which liberals turn to the courts in order to entrench cultural values for which they cannot not secure democratic consent. The Blair years might have seen continuous government, but they also saw a significant drop in voter participation. Labours 2001 and 2005 electoral victories saw turnouts of 59.4 percent and 61.4 percent, respectively some of the highest levels of voter apathy recorded since World War II. This was rule under the primacy of law and economics masked by the pretense of political consent and temporary economic stability. Divides between the electorate and their representatives on questions of immigration, foreign policy, and national identity were buried under a centrist carpet. Brexit brought the divide into the open, because it gave voters an opportunity to reject the new constitution of a United Kingdom that had been radically transformed since it joined the EU in 1973. An unprecedented number of people did exactly that, and it is no surprise that this vote then took on the political and cultural significance that it did. Politicians across the Commons agreed to let the voters decide, only to explain away the referendums result as an aberration of common sense. Such arrogance meant that Brexit became a symbol of the cultural divide between those who had political control and those whose wishes were considered problems to be solved. Any politician unwilling to reckon with the scale of the referendum was destined to shrivel into electoral insignificance. Corbyn had no easy way out, because Labour was effectively three different constituencies mashed uncomfortably into one party: middle-class Remainer liberals, woke millennial students, and socially conservative workers. These groups hold irreconcilable views on Brexit and stand in different places along the democratictechnocratic divide. It is a split similarly represented by their Westminster MPs, albeit in distinctly different ratios. When Corbyn tried to win over Brexit voters, he could not deny that he had allowed a majority of his MPs to prevent Brexits implementation. And when he tried to win over Remainers, he was forced to face the fact that he had never been a Remainer (not to mention the fact that his anti-Western brand of foreign policy is antithetical to many Remainers liberal internationalism). The only group that truly stuck by him were the students, and anyone who knows anything about democracy knows that students dont win you elections. It is easier for the Right to turn its back on austerity than it is for these fundamental issues to be reconciled on the left. David Cameron showed no interest in winning over the group of working class, culturally conservative, Eurosceptics alienated by Labour, but Johnson knew that convincing them to vote Tory was the key to electoral success. That simply meant doing everything in his power to distance himself from his partys previous three governments on the economy and Brexit. He made a series of generous public-spending promises, even going so far as to question his own partys entire record of austerity. And while Corbyns Labour floundered between Brexit policies, the prime minister kicked out the 21 rebel MPs whod refused to keep open the possibility of leaving the EU without a deal. It was a radical move, but also a deeply Conservative one. The Tories are the oldest political party in Europe and, by some accounts, the oldest in the world. They co-opt extreme movements, ameliorate them, and incorporate them into their fold; they spend years locked in rampant infighting, only to find a way to work together when election time comes around. This time, they used Brexit to tame a toxic brand of nativism. The two key players, Johnson and Michael Gove, stabbed each other in the back repeatedly before aiming their fire at Corbyn. (Gove twice ran against Johnson for the partys leadership, but has played a major role in his government.) If the Conservative party really is in its youth, then its lifespan will be something to be behold. But it will not be a surprise that it has managed to adapt, because its adaptability is a mainstay of democratic history. Adaptability can also be called opportunism, and both words apply to Johnson is in equal measure. He knew that assembling the entirety of the Leave coalition was a path to victory, because the Remain vote would be fractured between parties. He knew that Brexit had become a symbol of the divide between democratic politics and technocratic politics, and that party allegiances were being redefined by a set of politicians whose beliefs had long been at odds with their voters. Johnsons tactics may well have been cynical, reckless, and divisive proroguing Parliament is hardly a moderate response to political deadlock. But his claim to be on the side of the people was made convincing by the fact that he was the only potential prime minister promising not to turn his back on a democratic vote. Opportunists wear masks, and often say less than they know. But they arent naive, and Johnson is no exception. Hence, Johnson and Corbyn can be considered two different kinds of liar. Johnson is untrustworthy, careless, and unprincipled. His lies are half-truths, told with a grin that makes them appear more like chat-up lines. They make some people swoon and some people sick but they also make almost everyone laugh. Corbyns lies do not make people laugh, because they give the impression of someone who is not ready to admit that he is lying. In this election, confronted with a parliamentary-party split on Brexit and an electorate that did not trust him on national security, Corbyns ultimate lie was to pretend that he could conduct his form of politics while staying honest. Asked about his position on Brexit, his partys record of anti-Semitism, and his view on the Russian-poisoning scandal, Corbyn simply equivocated, and pivoted to talk about suffering children. Nobody ever doubted that Corbyn cares for suffering children, of course. People doubt that he is capable of recognizing that holding political office requires more than caring. He is all passion and no realism, a man of conviction rather than responsibility. Politics is an art of power-plays that often involves difficult choices, not a competition of sincere passions and honest intentions. While Johnson lies for the sake of politics, Corbyn lies about politics, and voters know it. Johnson may be playing a game, aware that he needs power in order to leave behind a legacy. But democracy will always choose a bluffer over a hedger. While Johnson told a series of little lies, Corbyn told a big lie: He pretended that the electorate cared more about his priorities than its own. Johnson now has five years to make this electoral shift permanent, to convince workers in the North who lent him their vote that they made a wise decision. This means focusing on the so-called peoples priorities another campaign phrase directly lifted from the final line of one of Cummings blog posts. He must secure the trade deals necessary to offset Britains exit from the Eurozone, address regional inequality, get tough on crime, invest in the NHS, crack down on terrorism, and somehow do all of it without alienating wealthier voters in the Southeast. It remains to be seen how long jail sentences for whistleblowers will be paired with a massive green-energy R&D budget, or whether control of borders is more important to voters than cutting the number of people crossing them (Johnson is adopting an Australian-style points system, but shows no signs of capping immigration). Brexit will have negative economic consequences, and the government will have to borrow its way through them. Its coalition is made up of groups that will shrink with time older, whiter, and less qualified than tomorrows population. But perhaps the greatest question mark is whether the Tories can hold the U.K. together along the way. Johnsons victory was primarily an English victory. His Brexit deal effectively means that Northern Ireland will stay part of the single market, making the case for unification with Ireland proper more credible. Meanwhile, the Scottish National partys dominance in Scotland puts the union under further threat from the North; SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has already demanded another independence referendum. But ironically, a divided Britain is likely to hurt Labour more than the Conservatives. After it was wiped out in Scotland in 2015, Labour effectively lost any path to an electoral majority and an independent Scotland would only cement its political impotence. Though many in the party are justified in considering how it can reclaim the working-class constituencies with which it fell out of touch, perhaps a better approach would be to double down on its success in big cities. Deserting its historic base and teaming up with the Liberal Democrats for the college-educated vote may help the party in the long term, but would also turn it into an entirely different organization (and could lead it to a similar fate as the French Socialists). The triumph of Conservative adaptability has often been aided by the failure of the Tories opponents to adapt, and the Tories current opponents have a difficult task ahead of them. In 2015, Cameron was hailed as a magician for leading the Tories to a meager twelve-seat majority, and an era of coalitions and minority governments was expected to rule Britain for decades. In 2020, Johnson has a stronger mandate for reform than almost any other leader of a liberal-democratic country on Earth. The EU will have no choice but to negotiate with his team: Brussels faces enough problems of its own and will not want to be blamed for creating another. And if Johnson can temper threats to the union while Labour continues its infighting, he will be practically beyond parliamentary scrutiny. None of this is to say that Johnson will have it easy. He will likely soon face the difficulties that such power brings: Party conflict, economic downturns, and geopolitical crises. But this election was a sign that politicians who have refused to reckon with the beliefs of their voters will be crushed even by those who have pretended to do so. In other countries, the catalyst for this realization may not be Brexit. Indeed, Brexit may have forced a conversation to take place in Britain that many liberal democracies cannot yet bring themselves to have. More from National Review Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 22:22:23|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Photo taken on Oct. 17, 2019 shows the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government's aim to kickstart its economy in 2020 will be eased with the fruition of major infrastructure projects, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, senior advisor on economic affairs to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, said here Thursday. (Xinhua/Tang Lu) by Shiran Illanperuma COLOMBO, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government's aim to kickstart its economy in 2020 will be eased with the fruition of major infrastructure projects, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, senior advisor on economic affairs to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, said here Thursday. In an interview with Xinhua, Cabraal, also a former Sri Lankan central bank governor, said that 2020 will be a year of opportunity for the country as well as domestic and international investors as many long-gestating infrastructure projects will be nearing completion. "We have a great opportunity because our transport and telecommunications infrastructure are at a very high level. Our workers are well educated and our business laws are up to international standards," Cabraal said. "I think the stage is set for a wave of growth in Sri Lanka and we are excited for investors to make use of this opportunity," he added. Cabraal said that formulating the legislative framework for investment in Port City Colombo, whose 269 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea was gazetted as part of the District of Colombo in late 2019, would be a vital policy priority this year. He added that a cabinet-approved working committee appointed to review and accelerate the joint-venture between China Harbor Engineering Corporation and Sri Lanka Ports Authority has been instructed to deliver results as soon as possible to provide clarity for investors. "We are very keen for the basic legal structures around land ownership and alienation to be set in place as soon as possible so that investors can start coming in," said Cabraal. Cabraal also said that Hambantota Port, which reported 60 percent growth in shipment volumes in 2019, is one of the most important and strategic assets for the country and that the government is keen for the port to play a leading role in the economy in 2020. "The potential in Hambantota has always been extremely high and this needs to be recognized and worked towards so that the port can be a driving force in the future of the Sri Lankan economy." Operated by Hambantota International Ports Group, a joint venture between China Merchants Port Holdings and Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the port is expected to see further growth this year with the further development of bunkering facilities and a 15,000-acre industrial zone. Cabraal said that infrastructure investments under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative have created great opportunities for developing countries. He added that there were opportunities for Chinese companies to further invest in hospitality, healthcare, sports, outsourcing to make use of Sri Lanka's location, climate and labor capacity. "Sri Lanka is open for business. We hope that through partnerships Chinese businesses can come to Sri Lanka so that local businesses will prosper too." Cabraal said that he was optimistic about Sri Lanka's potential to meet an ambitious growth target of 6 percent in 2020. "The most important priority for the government in 2020 is to kickstart economic growth. That will help bring the rest of the country's macroeconomic fundamentals to normal levels," said Cabraal. Eight people have been killed in a helicopter crash in Taiwan including the countrys top military general, Air Force General Shen Yi-ming, Taiwans chief of general staff. The tragedy came after the chopper, a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, bought from the United States, attempted to make an emergency landing in Taipei. In a statement, Taiwans defence ministry said it had sent a team to rescue the 13 people aboard the helicopter. State media later reported eight had been killed, including Shen Yi-ming. The aircraft made the emergency landing in New Taipei City after aviation authorities lost contact with it at 8.22am. The incident comes a week before democratic Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections on January 11. President Tsai Ing-wen, who is seeking re-election, cancelled election campaign activities scheduled for Thursday, and urged authorities to make every effort for the rescue. The United States, which has no diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is its strongest international backer and main arms supplier, sold it 60 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in 2010. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates 1-3-2, he said on Twitter. 4 and 5 dont exist when youre 66. Michael R. Bloomberg, Mr. de Blasios predecessor and a regular subway rider, agreed with Mr. Byford that standing was the best option. I always stand, Mr. Bloomberg posted on Twitter, alongside a photo of him reading a newspaper on the train, although he was committing his own etiquette lapse by blocking the door. Some New Yorkers wondered how a train could possibly be empty, as the one in Mr. Bautistas photo is, and whether it was also delayed. (The criticism is fair: Subway trains are late about 20 percent of the time.) Other riders had more practical concerns. Whichever one isnt inexplicably wet, the comedian Mike Drucker wrote. One rider complained that the seat closest to the door could inspire a robbery. I call that one the snatch and run, he said of seat No. 1. Mr. Bautista, 20, said his train was empty on New Years Eve because he gets on at the first D stop in the Bronx. He was home for the holidays from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. I didnt expect it to blow up the way it did, he said. Everyone has their own opinion. I thought everyone was on the same page. The Royal Film Commission of Jordan has called on Netflix to ban a controversial US drama series due to stream in the country this week, The Independent UK is reporting. Although the 10-episode series was partly filmed in Jordan in 2018, the kingdoms Royal Film Commission does not want the series to be aired in their country. The Royal Film Commission of Jordan, a predominantly Islamic country, made the call in a statement published in The Independent UK. This is not the first controversy that has trailed the series. A Change.org petition launched in December 2019 called for a boycott of the show, describing it as evil and anti-Islamic propaganda. The show was also after Arabic-speaking Twitter users claimed that they had already worked out the shows central plot twist after translating the name of the messiah character of the title. More than 4,000 people signed a petition to ban the show. But despite the issues at hand, Messiah began streaming on Netflix worldwide on Wednesday. On its site, Netflix said the series is a Fictional story, not based on true events. The synopsis reads, A wary CIA officer investigates a charismatic man who sparks a spiritual movement and stirs political unrest. Having been made aware of its content, the RFC has asked officially the management of Netflix to refrain from streaming it in Jordan, the commissions statement reads. The story is purely fictional and so are the characters, yet the RFC deems that the content of the series could be largely perceived or interpreted as infringing on the sanctity of religion, thus possibly contravening the laws in the country. The statement continues, While still standing firmly by its principles, notably the respect of creative freedom, the RFC as a public and responsible institution cannot condone or ignore messages that infringe on the Kingdoms basic laws. READ ALSO: In a statement, Netflix said, Messiah is a work of fiction. It is not based on anyones character, figure or religion. All Netflix shows feature ratings and information to help members make their own decisions about whats right for them and their families. Similarly, in December 2019, a Netflix Brazil short film that insinuates Jesus is gay sparked controversy and attack investigations in Brazil The short film, The First Temptation of Christ, depicts Jesus returning home on his 30th birthday and insinuates he is gay. An online petition was launched in Brazil calling for the film to be banned and drew more than 2 million signatures. The producers, Porta dos Fundos, an award-winning comedy group known for their satirical views, defended the film. China sees no industrial or supply chain exodus and such claims are overblown, China's top economic planner said. With global industrial division and distribution undergoing profound adjustments, it is natural that some firms would retreat from China due to lower costs or strategic considerations, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in an article on its website. However, manufacturing firms that choose to leave China risk huge opportunity costs, said the NDRC. As the world's largest manufacturing country, China boasts strong industrial supporting capacities. For instance, its outputs of more than 200 industrial products rank first in the world. The country's business environment is also improving, with the new regulations on improving the business environment serving as a stronger institutional safeguard. In 2019, China's ease of doing business ranking ascended to 31 from 46 a year ago, ranking among the top 10 most improved economies. Meanwhile, China's demographic dividend is translating into a talent dividend, said the NDRC. The number of people that have received higher education or professional skill training has exceeded 170 million and each year more than 8 million students graduate from college. With its advantages in industrial chains, its business environment and human resources, China is confident that the current conditions are not conducive to an industrial chain exodus. Therefore, certain firms retreating from China will have only a limited impact on the country's economic growth, industrial upgrading and employment, it said. People run in and out of the ocean during the Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Hundreds of people across New Jersey rang in the New Year Wednesday afternoon by running into the Atlantic Ocean. Polar plunges were held in Brigantine, Asbury Park, and Ocean City, among other towns across the state. The water temperature was around 46 degrees and the air temperature was between 39 and 43 degrees. Scroll below for some of the best photos of this year's New Year's Day polar plunges. Don't Edit Ocean City celebrates first dip in the ocean, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit The ocean was cold in Asbury Park. Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Don't Edit Participants await the sound of the cannon so they can run into the ocean for the Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit The Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge in Asbury Park. Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Don't Edit Don't Edit People run in and out of the ocean during the Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Michael Corcoran, of Douglassville, Pa., waits for Ocean City's first dip in the ocean celebration, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Harold Engstrom pours hot water over himself after getting out of the ocean at the Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge to raise money for charity in Asbury Park. Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Don't Edit People participate in a costume contest before the Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit People run in and out of the ocean during the Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Don't Edit The Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge to raise money for charity in Asbury Park. Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Don't Edit Ocean City celebrates first dip in the ocean, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Trying to warm up after the plunge in Asbury Park. Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Don't Edit People run in and out of the ocean during the Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit The Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge to raise money for charity in Asbury Park.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Don't Edit Don't Edit Ocean City celebrates first dip in the ocean, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit The Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge in Asbury Park. Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Don't Edit People dance before the Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Ocean City celebrates first dip in the ocean, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit The Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge in Asbury Park. Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Don't Edit Don't Edit People participate in a costume contest before the Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit People run in and out of the ocean during the Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Ocean City celebrates first dip in the ocean, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit The Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge in Asbury Park. Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Don't Edit Ocean City celebrates first dip in the ocean, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Don't Edit People crowd on the jetty to watch the plunge. Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Don't Edit People run in and out of the ocean during the Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) RELATED STORIES: Hundreds 'Get wet for a vet' at 2020 Brigantine Polar Bear Plunge (PHOTOS) Brrrr! Polar plungers celebrate New Year's Day 2020 in Asbury Park. Ocean City's 'first plunge' draws more than 1,000 for a first dip (PHOTOS) Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Tim on Instagram @photog_hawk and Twitter @photogthawk. Ed Murray may be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Ed on Twitter at @EdMurrayphoto. Lori M. Nichols may be reached at lnichols@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Lori on Instagram at @photog_lori and Twitter @photoglori. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com's newsletters. China: Early Rain Church pastor Wang Yi sentenced to 9 years in prison Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pastor Wang Yi, head of one of Chinas largest unregistered churches, has been sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of subversion of power and illegal business operations amid an uptick in religious persecution in China. The pastor of the 5,000-member Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, was sentenced Monday, according to a statement from the Intermediate People's Court of Chengdu Municipality. As part of his sentence, the pastor will be deprived of his political rights for three years and $7,200 (50,000 renminbi) of his personal assets will be seized, according to the statement. A Facebook post from a group affiliated with the church said the embattled congregation praised God for the faithful witness of our brother in Christ, whose reward is now great in Heaven. May the Lord use pastor Wang Yis imprisonment to draw many to Himself and to bring glory to His name, noted the post. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Cor. 4:11). Early Rain Covenant Church was first raided during a Sunday evening service in December 2018 after authorities claimed it violated religious regulations because it was not registered with the government. Wang was detained along with his wife, Jiang Rong, and more than 100 members of his congregation. Chinas Communist Party requires that Protestants worship only in churches recognized and regulated by the officially sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Authorities ransacked and sealed the churchs properties, including offices, a kindergarten, a seminary, and a Bible college, and searched the homes of many of its members. Police also forced church members to sign a pledge not to attend the church again, and around half of the church's original membership remain under close surveillance by police. Most of Early Rain's congregants were eventually released after a period of days or months, including Jiang. However, in November, a Chinese court sentenced another church leader, Qin Defu, to four years in prison for the charge of illegal business operations. The New York Times notes that Wang had become known for taking high-profile positions on politically sensitive issues, including forced abortions and the massacre that crushed the Tiananmen Square democracy movement in 1989. A lawyer by training and well-known blogger, Wang released a letter ahead of his arrest expressing hope that God would use him to tell those who have deprived me of my personal freedom that there is an authority higher than their authority, and that there is a freedom that they cannot restrain, a freedom that fills the church of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. Regardless of what crime the government charges me with, whatever filth they fling at me, as long as this charge is related to my faith, my writings, my comments, and my teachings, it is merely a lie and temptation of demons, he wrote in the letter titled My Declaration of Faithful Disobedience. I categorically deny it. I will serve my sentence, but I will not serve the law. I will be executed, but I will not plead guilty. Mervyn Thomas, chief executive of the human rights organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide, condemned China's imprisonment of the pastor, saying he has been "convicted on baseless criminal charges simply for standing up for his beliefs. We call on the Chinese authorities to drop the charges against Pastor Wang and to release him and all remaining members of Early Rain Church from detention. Wangs sentencing was widely condemned by human rights advocates. Patrick Poon, a China researcher at Amnesty International, said the verdict makes a mockery of China's supposed religious freedoms. Wang Yi was merely practicing his religion and peacefully standing up for human rights in China, he wrote. This nine-year sentence is appalling and unjust. Wang Yi is a prisoner of conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released. It speaks volumes that Wang Yi felt he needed to prepare a statement in advance refuting the courts conclusions, together with any confessions he might be forced to make. In China, religious practitioners live under the permanent threat of politically motivated prosecution and conviction. Bob Fu, president of the Christian nonprofit organization China Aid, told the South China Morning Post that Wangs sentence was among the heaviest received by house church leaders in recent years. I think the regime is really afraid of Wangs national and international impact, especially the growing influence of the reformed evangelical movement he was leading nationwide, Fu said. On Twitter, Fu called on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump to condemn and take immediate actions for this barbaric act by Chinas Communist regime. In his letter, Wang stressed that those who persecute him "will one day be locked up by angels." Those who interrogate me will finally be questioned and judged by Christ," he wrote. "When I think of this, the Lord fills me with a natural compassion and grief toward those who are attempting to and actively imprisoning me. Pray that the Lord would use me, that He would grant me patience and wisdom, that I might take the Gospel to them. Wang said that while Communist authorities have the power to separate him from his wife and children, ruin my reputation, destroy my life and my family, they cannot force him to renounce my faith; no one can make me change my life; and no one can raise me from the dead. Jesus is the Christ, son of the eternal, living God. He died for sinners and rose to life for us, the pastor wrote. He is my king and the king of the whole earth yesterday, today, and forever. I am his servant, and I am imprisoned because of this. I will resist in meekness those who resist God, and I will joyfully violate all laws that violate Gods laws. In recent years, authorities have carried out a crackdown on all religious institutions, including bulldozing churches and removing rooftop crosses. China ranks as the 27th worst nation in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs World Watch List. Open Doors has expressed concern that the religious affairs in China now lies with the Communist Party. H-1B cap for 2021 reached: All 65,000 visas taken says US COVID: Indian students on F-1, M-1 visas in US may be deported if all their classes are online Home Ministry stalls visit of Pakistan-born man with goan roots India oi-PTI Panaji, Jan 02: The visit of a Karachi-born Australian national, who has roots in Goa, has been stalled, pending security clearance from the Union Home Ministry, the State Commission for NRI Affairs said on Thursday. Pakistan-born Marco Monteiro (21) is one of the eight students who are slated to attend the 12th 'Know Goa Program' organised by the commission, NRI Affairs director Anthony D'Souza said. "However, the Union Ministry for Home Affairs is yet to give security clearance to Marco for his visit to India. The ministry has been very sensitive about national security," D'Souza said. Sri Lanka extends free tourist visa facility for 48 countries including India until April 30 Marco was born on October 3, 1998 in Karachi and later moved to Australia with his mother, the official said, adding that he now holds an Australian citizenship. The Know Goa Program has been organised for youth belonging to Goan diaspora, who are born abroad and are foreign nationals, but whose parents or ancestors are of Goan origin, the official said. This year, eight students from Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and Portugal are slated to visit Goa, Delhi and Agra for the programme, which is scheduled to be held from January 4 to 18, he said. Marco's grandfather Jose Monteiro was born at Taleigao town in Panaji on March 13, 1885 and died in 1921, D'Souza added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 15:47 [IST] Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images One of the GOPs many incomplete defenses of the president during the impeachment inquiry is the argument that Trump did nothing out of the ordinary by withholding $250 million in congressionally approved aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation which would alter the course of the 2020 election. Presidents since the beginning of time have resisted Congress, and theres been this sort of back and forth jockeying over what is sent, Senator Rand Paul said in November, adding that Trump had every right to engage in a quid pro quo. But as if the whole of the House Intelligence impeachment hearings didnt already reveal the abnormal-to-the-point-of-unconstitutional nature of the presidents actions in Ukraine, newly unredacted emails between the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Pentagon cement the irregularity of Trumps behavior. Correspondence published by Just Security, first obtained by the Center for Public Integrity, show that the Department of Defense was quite worried by the efforts that got Trump impeached. As Just Security summarizes: The documents reveal growing concern from Pentagon officials that the hold would violate the Impoundment Control Act, which requires the executive branch to spend money as appropriated by Congress, and that the necessary steps to avoid this result werent being taken. Those steps would include notifying Congress that the funding was being held or shifted elsewhere, a step that was never taken. The emails also show that no rationale was ever given for why the hold was put in place or why it was eventually lifted. The emails also confirm the presidents direct involvement in the scheme to withhold aid, a fact that the public has known about since October 3, when Trump confessed on the White House lawn that he wanted Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. But the emails add to the preponderance of evidence: Clear direction from POTUS to continue to hold, wrote OMB associate director of national security Michael Duffey to acting Pentagon comptroller Elaine McCusker on August 30. The emails also bolster Democrats argument that the Senate impeachment trial must include Ukraine-related correspondence and witnesses that the White House blocked from appearing in the House inquiry, including the testimony of Mick Mulvaney and John Bolton. The newly revealed unredacted emails are a devastating blow to Senator McConnells push to have a trial without the documents and witnesses weve requested, Chuck Schumer wrote in response to the Just Security report. These emails further expose the serious concerns raised by Trump administration officials about the propriety and legality of the presidents decision to cut off aid to Ukraine to benefit himself. Its unlikely, though, that Schumers call will do anything to break the stalemate that has emerged over the rules for the Senate trial. Aides for Schumer and Mitch McConnell said on Thursday that the two hadnt spoken over the holiday, and Senator Josh Hawley announced that on Monday he will propose a measure to dismiss this bogus impeachment for lack of prosecution. A new year means new travel opportunities - but deciding where to go can often be the hardest part. This year, we're looking to the stars for help and more specifically to Carolyne Faulkner, founder of Dynamic Astrology and author of Your Stars. "To make astrology truly work for you, its wise to gain an understanding of your whole natal chart which is calculated the moment you are born," Carolyne says. "We all have a little of each sign in our full natal charts and they interact with the transiting positions of planets and stars in the skies thus impacting us at different time." To calculate your full natal chart, visit Carolyne's site and read on to see where your zodiac is steering you this year. Pixabay Aries dates: March 21 to April 19. Carolyne says: Aries ruler Mars lands in their sign in February and March giving them an energetic boost. Aside from these months, Aries should slow down and need to conserve energy or travel to places that help boost their spiritual energy. They recently began a new seven year cycle where they may build upon the uncertainty of the last astrological phase. Where Aries should travel in 2020 Easter Island, Chile: Easter Island is reported to possess a little magic and some high-octane spiritual energy due to the mysterious carvings of the Moai heads dating back some 1,000 years. The Bosnian Pyramids, Bosnia: travel to Sarajevo and experience an energetic city coupled with serious chill time - exactly what Aries need. Peak Kalash, Tibet: one of the most sacred Tibetan sites, its never been climbed by man to date and is rumoured to only ever have been mastered by the Buddhist mystic and poet; Milarepa. For a glimpse into untouched natural beauty and what is known as the snow jewel this is both an adventure and a pilgrimage for even non spiritually inclined travellers. Stonehenge, England: Aries should take a trip to the ancient site of worship and celebration. If you want to experience something truly spectacular, go along for the one of the solstice gatherings in June or December. Bath, England: Baths Roman thermal spa taps into its underground mineral waters that are believed to have healing powers. A trip to the volcanic spas and Shrine to Minerva is bound to boost energy and wellbeing for Aries. Pixabay Taurus dates: April 20 to May 20. Carolyne says: Uranus - the planet that sparks inventions, randomness and spontaneity - is now in the sign of Taurus for a seven-year transit. As a fixed sign, traditional Taurus folk could be a little uncomfortable so taking trips off the beaten track and learning to be more spontaneous is a sure bet to ensure you delight in this transit. Not many people know that Taurus is aligned with Earth as a planet and so any country that respects the environment and delivers awe inspiring scenery will boost their energy no end. Where Taurus should travel in 2020 Cuba: for majestic mountain views, unspoiled jungle to explore, rich history, food and music (all a tick for Taurus). The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador: an ideal destination for nature loving Taurus, The Galapagos Islands is one of the worlds leading destinations for viewing wildlife in their natural habitat. Botswana: be enchanted by Botswanas pioneering eco-tourism and the conservation of natural habitat and the protection of wildlife. Barafundle Bay, Wales: for a peaceful retreat that includes, beaches, cliffs and wildlife. The Cotswolds, England: head to a chocolate box village in the Cotswold countryside and spend your days going for walks, horse riding and evenings at the local pub. Sperrin Mountains, Northern Ireland: for peaceful and awe-inspiring rambles in nature, an appreciation of the natural ecology of the landscape and a burgeoning foodie culture. Pixabay Gemini dates: May 21 to June 20. Carolyne says: Gemini has faced a year-long opposition from Jupiter, which may have seen them lose their lightness. This opposition is over, but it asked that they realign their lives and find inner truth and inspiration. Travel should be stimulating both mentally and physically. Where Gemini should travel in 2020 St Moritz, Switzerland: this glamorous and cosmopolitan alpine resort is laden with opportune experiences to boost serotonin. South Africa: as one of the most beautiful countries on earth, South Africa has it all; sun drenched coasts, wildlife parks, safaris and breath-taking natural landscapes. Alaska, USA: from whale watching to hiking in the mountains, getting lost in this profound and delightfully wild country is like a tonic for the Gemini who need to find themselves. Brighton, England: with its vibrant pier and regency style architecture Brighton is a breath of fresh air for Geminis. Cornwall, England: with mile long beaches, picturesque towns and incredible gastropubs, Cornwall is a special spot set to inspire and recharge Geminis. Dublin, Ireland: famous for its elegant architecture and friendly, Guinness-loving locals, Geminis will delight at St Patricks cathedral - a haven for history lovers - and the writers museum which is best visited with an enthusiastic tour guide. Pixabay Cancer dates: June 21 to July 22. Carolyne says: After a challenging two-year transit that is likely to have placed quite a few restrictions on Cancer, 2020 is only the beginning of a brighter road towards emotional freedom. Any destination that heals the heart and inspires the soul should be on your travel list. Where Cancer should travel in 2020 Georgia: with a rich history and 11th century architecture, snow-capped mountains and sprawling landscapes, this destination is sure to provide warmth both literally and metaphorically speaking, that gentle Cancer folk adore. Sacred Valley, Peru: trace the Inca trail and explore this ancient and sacred destination, tucked safely in between the imposing Valley foothills. Barbados: fabulous beaches boasting powdery sand and turquoise bays. Its small enough for Cancer to feel safe and welcomed by the locals. Frome, England: once named as one of the best places to live in Britain, this gem is brimming with some of the finest pubs and restaurants. York, England: with its Roman built walled city, York is a place that any Cancerian would feel secure. Its 13th century Gothic Cathedral is imposing and majestic and York provides a down to earth hospitality that Cancerians will love. Pixabay Leo dates: July 23 to August 22. Carolyne says: Leo will have a serious energy boost in the summer months, although in general they have to be mindful of burn out in 2020 or loss of direction. Their opposite sign, Aquarius, is working to help them realign with their hearts and find their true purpose, so creative exploration and discovery is high on the list in 2020. Where Leo should travel in 2020 New York City, USA: Leos can tap into their creative side in 2020 with a visit to one of New York Citys many museums like MOMA, The Power of Fashion exhibition at FIT or JP Morgans Museum with his collection of spiritual and religious treasures. Paris, France: the French capital is a leading city for the arts, fashion gastronomy and culture - perfect for Leos. Copenhagen, Denmark: with fabulous restaurants and exhilarating art, Copenhagen is filled with creatives. London, England: with its vibrant nightlife, endless shows, restaurants, sights and museums, London is a haven for culture-seeking Leos. Gower Peninsula, South Wales: as the UKs first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956; Gower is as historic as it is healing. Isle of Skye, Scotland: Leos will be able to relax and regroup whilst drinking in some of the most unspoiled, rugged landscapes in the British Isles. Pixabay Virgo dates: August 23 to September 22. Carolyne says: Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the planet that governs communications, logic and the mind in general. However they will be boosted energetically by Mars in their sign in January and February and will feel the impact of dreamy Neptune in their opposite sign of Pisces, which means they are opening up to a whole new world that defies logic. Any country or city that allows them to embrace clean living, the arts, spirituality or rich culture and history will inspire them in 2020. Where Virgo should travel in 2020 Los Angeles, USA: Virgos should head to California for a wide combination of experiences in 2020, such as the Pacific Oceans coastal beauty, L.A.s extreme clean-living ethos (a Virgo tick), incredible hikes and walks and an unrivalled vegan and vegetarian foodie scene. Tulum and Holbox, Mexico: the stunning cenotes, beautiful beaches and luxury hippie culture will be the perfect way for Virgos to unwind in 2020. Koh Rong, Cambodia: Virgo loves a to-do list, and getting to Koh Rong will take some careful planning. When you finally reach your destination, you can tear up the list and lose yourself in idyllic island life, which is the perfect antidote for the analytic, work-obsessed Virgo. Scottish Highlands, Scotland: to finally master the anxiety and non-stop inner chatter. Cornwall, England: for a delightful combination of history, myth and legend and a peaceful getaway with rejuvenating walks in the countryside, Cornwall will be a haven for Virgos in 2020. Somerset, England: discover quaint little villages and the clean air Virgo needs to get out of their heads and into the moment. Pixabay Libra dates: September 23 to October 22. Carolyne says: Libra has experienced a stop and start year throughout 2019 as they reevaluated their personal needs and their all-important relationships. An energetic boost is due to peak in 2020 where they may just rebel against the expectations they have placed on themselves. Travel is best balanced by spending time with a partner and also discovering new ways to enjoy alone time and develop fresh skills. Where Libra should travel in 2020 Maldives: with its private villas with secluded beaches this paradise on earth will rekindle a Libras love and romance. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Carnival is in February so you can samba through the festival or just drink in the vibrancy of this hot spot with your other half. Australia: travelling around this vast and verdant country is fabulous for couples who wish to deepen their relationship (travel accelerates a relationship for good and bad) and even for those who are perhaps seeking a relationship, finding yourself first ensures you attract the right one. Stratford upon Avon, England: from Anne Hathaways cottage to the butterfly farm, you can end the day with a play at the Royal Shakespeare theatre. Oxford, England: a lovely day trip for solo travellers, walk around the historical city and discover the part ruins of Oxford castle and the famous University. Pixabay Scorpio dates: October 23 to November 21. Carolyne says: Scorpio has been under the deep penetrating glare of Pluto which continues to bring transformation and change personally and professionally. With an opposition to Uranus kicking in, change is in the air and any destination that evokes emotions is on the list. Where Scorpio should travel in 2020 Sedona in Arizona, USA: believed to be a vortex between worlds by locals and pilgrims alike, even if youre not spiritually inclined this destination is other worldly and sure to trigger self-realisation and appreciation of life if not a full blown spiritual awakening. Egypt: with its deep history, whole host of golden treasures and incredible sights such as The Pyramids which were built in accordance to the stars, a trip here will lighten any Scorpio spirit. Istanbul, Turkey: deep, hot and sexy are words often used to describe both Istanbul and Scorpio. Its an intense city with spectacular architecture and the city comes alive at Scorpios favourite time of day - after dark. Isle of Mull, Scotland: Langamull Beach is often described as the Isle of Mulls best kept secret thanks to its stunning views, and overall tranquillity. This secluded white sand beach is perfect at any time of day. Pixabay Sagittarius dates: November 22 to December 21. Carolyne says: Sagittarius may be feeling a tad low after Jupiter (your ruler) left your sign. You need to build on any opportunities for growth and progress that came your way in 2019. In order to gain a fresh perspective, open spaces and places that stimulate the imagination are key and will enable you to regroup their energy and overall clarity. Where Sagittarius should travel in 2020 Hawaii, USA: Hawaii never fails to rejuvenate, with its dreamy beaches enveloping the Pacific Ocean, friendly and cultured locals, incredible food, snorkelling, surfing, scuba diving, camping, glamping and hiking; all food for the soul for Sagittarius. Bali, Indonesia: Bali is a fabulous place to go to reboot your wellbeing and take up any sort of mindfulness practices such as meditation and yoga. Tuscany, Italy: the food, architecture, art and history are a sure bet to refuel a tired mind and weary spirit. Sagittarius is at its best when the written word is mastered, and Tuscany offers a whole host of writing retreats across many genres. Inverness, Scotland: this 19th century Cathedral city is rich in history, art and culture, and Sagittarius can also roam the Ness Islands and explore the Inverness Castle which was built as a riverside fortress in 1836. Devon, England: known as the English Riviera, offers sandy beaches, magnificent cliffs, medieval towns and a whole host of national parks to appeal to the adventurous Sagittarian. The Lake District, England: this national park is a prime location for the academic Sagittarius who wishes to broaden their knowledge of literature via the various literary associations found here. Pixabay Capricorn dates: December 22 to January 19. Carolyne says: Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, has been in their sign since 2017 forcing them to work hard on all aspects of life. It finally shifts at the end of the year, but not before what is known as a great conjunction occurs. This has been a challenging few years and so any trip that boosts serotonin, vitamin D, joy and fun is a good move. Where Capricorn should travel in 2020 Tokyo, Japan: head to the mountains to see the snow monkeys, or discover the cherry blossom trees in the city centre. Tokyo is an efficient and bustling city that is sure to boost Capricorns energy India: this vibrant and colourful country is sure to inspire Capricorns weary heart although its unlikely they are going to be attracted to anything less than five star luxury travel. Bahamas: sun, sand and exquisite cuisine - this is where Capricorns need to go to relax. Cumbria, England: the northern countryside offers a fabulous get away from city life. Be sure to stay at one of the many luxurious hotels found here that will appear to Capricorns refined taste. Killarney National Park, Ireland: experiencing the wild and untouched beauty here will help Capricorn to gain perspective and appreciate simple pleasures and the beauty of life once again. Pixabay Aquarius dates: January 20 to February 18. Carolyne says: Aquarius has had to work hard for a few years now, with the main focus on careers and commitments in general. This earth-fuelled vibe is set to continue until Saturn and Jupiter align in their sign at the tail end of 2020 so any travel would help them to realign with the stars and cosmos in general. Where Aquarius should travel in 2020 The Arctic: a week-long adventure in the arctic will inspire Aquarius and fill them with new ideas and fresh insights they require to navigate 2020.. Boom, Belgium: Aquarians love to live in the future, so losing themselves in Booms music festival Tomorrowland is a paradisal adventure sure to replenish any lost energy. Finland: spending a few nights in Finnish Lapland searching for the Northern Lights will remind Aquarius of their connection to the world and cosmos on the whole. Langholm, Scotland: volunteering within the community or studying yoga or meditation will nourish Aquarius and allow them to breathe clean air whilst walking in the Scottish hills. Glastonbury, England: known as the spiritual heart of England, this quiet (unless its festival season) town is filled with a weird and wonderful combination of ancient myths of Avalon and historic sites like The Tor to visit. Snowdonia, Wales: as an air sign Aquarius requires space and freedom to roam. Snowdonia has over 100 lakes nestled between monumental craggy peaked mountains. Pixabay Pisces dates: February 19 to March 20. Carolyne says: The energy from the transits triggered by your ruling planet Neptune may have caused you to feel lost or uninspired. If this was the case, 2020 is a different vibe entirely but first it would be wise to cleanse in some natural water and immerse yourself in nature. Where Pisces should travel in 2020 Madagascar: this beauty still remains relatively unspoiled. It is a paradise for wildlife lovers and outdoorsy types who like to explore vast landscapes. Niagara Falls, USA: even walking into the water mist sprays from the falls will help to heal Pisces who are impacted by the negative ions like no other sign. Laguna Colorada, Bolivia: the Pink Lake is a shallow Salt Lake close to the border with Chile, Pisces can spend the day here and camp out in any of the small local bordering villages, to escape the maddening crowds and heal within nature. Berlin, Germany: with its incredible underground art and music scenes and the rebellious eclectic vibe, this City is like manna from heaven for the artistic Pisces. Llangennith, South Wales: this tiny destination is for all year surfers, with its hip artistic locals and the late night pubs. UPDATE: Recovery of teens body made difficult by dangerous Lake Michigan waves HOLLAND, MI -- Emergency crews are looking for one of two teens who were swept off an Ottawa County pier and into the water by a large wave.' Police said one of the individuals was able to pull themselves out of the water but the other was unable to climb out of the water and was presumed to still be in the water hours after falling in. Ottawa County sheriffs deputies were dispatched around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, to a report of an individual in the water off of the Holland State Park pier. Deputies learned that two individuals were on the pier when a large wave knocked them into the water. One of the individuals was able to climb out of the water and call for help. Police are withholding the names of the individuals involved pending family notification. According to a report by WZZM, the incident included a 16-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl. The search continues for the girl, WZZM13 reports. Crews that responded to the scene were from the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office, Park Township Fire Department, Holland City Fire Department, AMR Ambulance and U.S. Coast Guard. The Centre will send a high-level team comprising experts from AIIMS Jodhpur and health economists to a government hospital in Rajasthan's Kota, where 100 infants died in December 2019, to assess the infrastructural gaps and measures to be taken to prevent further deaths. New Delhi: The Centre will send a high-level team comprising experts from AIIMS Jodhpur and health economists to a government hospital in Rajasthan's Kota, where 100 infants died in December 2019, to assess the infrastructural gaps and measures to be taken to prevent further deaths. The health economists will analyse the gaps in the infrastructure of the JK Lon hospital to ascertain how much funds will be required for strengthening it. "The high-level team being despatched by @MoHFW_INDIA incl experts from AIIMS Jodhpur, Health Finance and Regional Director, Health Services Jaipur. It will reach Kota tomorrow. In my letter to @ashokgehlot51 ji, I've offered all possible assistance to prevent any further deaths (sic)," Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a tweet on Thursday. Vardhan has written to Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, assuring him of all assistance, and urged him to initiate measures to stop the deaths of children at the JK Lon hospital. "We are ready to provide any technical help or assistance. Let us ensure no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of health system capacity," Vardhan has written in his letter to Gehlot. According to Union health ministry officials, a preliminary probe has suggested that over 70 percent of important equipment, including infusion pumps, warmers, oxymeters, nebulisers, meant for newborns, were not in a working condition at the JK Lon hospital and there was a paucity of staff in the paediatrics department. A recent review had also revealed that the mortality rate at the hospital was 20.2 percent in 2019, as against the 14.3 percent in the preceding two years, an official said, adding that this meant one in five infants admitted to the hospital last year died from preventable causes. The ministry was yet to receive a formal report from the state in this matter, the official said. Besides, a committee constituted by the Rajasthan government has stated that the deaths were taking place due to a lack of oxygen pipelines in the hospital and also because of extreme cold conditions. It also pointed towards an increased referral of critical cases and stated that the number of beds in the hospital was less than the flow of patients. The situation at the ICUs was also similar, the committee said. I informed @ashokgehlot51 ji that Rs 91.7 lakhs has already been advanced to JK Loan Hospital during 2019-20 under National Health Mission. Kota District alone has an annual allocation of Rs 27.45 Cr for 19-20, from the annual budgeted amount of Rs 1788.97 Cr for Rajasthan state Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) January 2, 2020 "I told @ashokgehlot51 ji that #Rajasthan may go ahead and propose for further financial assistance in the upcoming Rajasthan National Health Mission (NHM) meeting after doing their gap analysis. We'll do our best to prevent further deaths, I assured him fully," the Union health minister wrote on Twitter. Parking in downtown Colorado Springs and Old Colorado City is going to be more expensive beginning Jan. 1 as the city looks to generate more r By Express News Service MADURAI: "Do the people require police permission to draw 'kolam'? Can an improper reading of a research paper be the basis of police speculating her connection with Pakistan?" This was the refrain of lawyer Gayatri Khandhadai, who was booked for drawing kolam in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) at Besant Nagar in Chennai. Addressing newspersons here, Gayatri said that the police had not read the report properly. She said that she has been working for human rights for years and had published a report on the sufferings of minorities in nine Asian countries including Pakistan for 'Bytes for All', an NGO. On her association with the Pakistan-based NGO, she said that she is neither working for the organisation nor associated with it, "but has published a report based on statistics in nine countries which also includes Pakistan. This report is in fact against Pakistan and its stand towards religious minorities," she said adding that Chennai Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan, has put her privacy at stake revealing her Facebook profile at a press meet without any prior discussions with her. ALSO READ| My safety should be ensured by the police: Chennai lawyer detained during anti-CAA Kolam protests "I have been working with several organisations. My Facebook page has the name of some other organisations as well. The reason for police selecting this particular organisation is to brand me as an anti-national, thereby deviating the focus from anti-CAA protests," she further added. In a tongue-in-cheek manner, Gayatri thanked the police for making the 'kolam' protest viral "by spreading it from North India to New Jersey in US". She also said that political violence would not deter the anti-CAA protests. Meanwhile, advocate T Lajapathi Roy demanded the Bar Council of India to intervene and take action against the police for detaining lawyers - Devika and her husband Mohan. National working secretary of Human Rights Defender's Alert (HRDA) - India Henri Tiphagne condemned the police for defaming Gayatri as well as NGO Arappor Iyakkam. "The Pakistan-based NGO under question is not a physical entity. It exists only in the virtual media," he added. He also said that complaints condemning the act of police were filed with the National Human Rights Commission of India and they will be sent to UN Commission on Human Rights. He also demanded unconditional apology from the city's top cop and sought the intervention of the state DGP in this issue. Advocates M Ajmal Khan and Prabhu Rajadurai were also present at the meeting. (Natural News) With Russias help, communist China has convinced the United Nations to pass a new resolution that threatens to further restrict online free speech in the name of fighting cybercrime. The General Assembly has agreed to set up a new committee of international experts in 2020, the job of which will be to establish a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes. In essence, Russia and China are hoping to police the global internet by redefining the term criminal. Since criticizing the government is considered a crime in China, as one example, this new resolution would apply the same criminal standards to other countries like the United States and human rights advocates are deeply concerned about this. Currently, the United States, Japan, and several other nations are bound by the 2001 Budapest Convention, which details a code of international rules for curbing real crimes like copyright violations, fraud, and child pornography. But if this new U.N. resolution is adopted, it could nullify the Budapest Convention and turn the U.S., Japan, and the others into communist utopias just like China. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that the nation sponsors of this new UN resolution are a rogues gallery of some of the earths most repressive governments, pointing also to countries like India and Iran, both of which in the past have interfered with the internet access of their citizens and residents. If the plan is to develop a convention that gives countries legal cover for internet blackouts and censorship, while creating the potential for criminalizing free speech, then its a bad idea, warns Louis Charbonneau of HRW. For more related news about the growing censorship threat all across the globe, be sure to check out Censorship.news. Controlling the internet is inimical to American values, warns U.S. official There are many ways in which China is trying to backdoor its censorship policies into the West, including by partnering with Google to build an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven control matrix that manipulates the information that Google and YouTube provide to users. China has also been caught bribing colleges and universities in the U.S. to implement communist curriculum and other programs designed to brainwash the next generation of American leaders. The former Soviet Union engaged in many of the same tactics, its important to note, which is why modern-day Russias partnership with communist China in strong-arming the U.N. into passing this egregious resolution has many freedom advocates concerned about its implications. It is precisely our fear that (a new convention) would allow the codification at an international and global level of these types of controls thats driving our opposition and our concerns about this resolution, a U.S. official is quoted as saying. Any U.N. treaty aiming to control the internet is inimical to the United States interests because that doesnt tally with the fundamental freedoms we see as necessary across the globe, this same official added. The last thing this world needs is communist China controlling everything that people are allowed to access online. But Apple doesnt seem to have a problem with it, seeing as how this Silicon Valley giant partnered up with communist China to develop a new internet censorship tool that prevents people from using virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass censorship restrictions. The United States financing the U.N. and remaining in that sick, demonic world organization is like a cancer patient injecting [himself] with fresh, malignant cancer cells, wrote one Breitbart News commenter in response to the news. The U.N. has already destroyed Europe with mass third-world immigration, has kept Africa from ever developing and in a permanent state of war, assisted the communist Chinese in its global domination plans, and drained our resources for NOTHING! GET OUT! CUT IT OFF AND LET IT DIE! Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll show how you can use Illinois Tool Works Inc.'s (NYSE:ITW) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Based on the last twelve months, Illinois Tool Works's P/E ratio is 23.55. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 4.2%. View our latest analysis for Illinois Tool Works How Do I Calculate Illinois Tool Works's Price To Earnings Ratio? The formula for price to earnings is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Illinois Tool Works: P/E of 23.55 = $179.63 $7.63 (Based on the year to September 2019.) Is A High P/E Ratio Good? A higher P/E ratio implies that investors pay a higher price for the earning power of the business. All else being equal, it's better to pay a low price -- but as Warren Buffett said, 'It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price'. How Does Illinois Tool Works's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers? The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (22.8) for companies in the machinery industry is roughly the same as Illinois Tool Works's P/E. NYSE:ITW Price Estimation Relative to Market, January 2nd 2020 Illinois Tool Works's P/E tells us that market participants think its prospects are roughly in line with its industry. If the company has better than average prospects, then the market might be underestimating it. Further research into factors such as insider buying and selling, could help you form your own view on whether that is likely. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases. Story continues Illinois Tool Works increased earnings per share by a whopping 37% last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 11%. I'd therefore be a little surprised if its P/E ratio was not relatively high. A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on 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. Illinois Tool Works's Balance Sheet Illinois Tool Works's net debt is 10% of its market cap. That's enough debt to impact the P/E ratio a little; so keep it in mind if you're comparing it to companies without debt. The Verdict On Illinois Tool Works's P/E Ratio Illinois Tool Works trades on a P/E ratio of 23.6, which is above its market average of 18.9. Its debt levels do not imperil its balance sheet and its EPS growth is very healthy indeed. So to be frank we are not surprised it has a high P/E ratio. When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision. You might be able to find a better buy than Illinois Tool Works. 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). If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. A Mummers group honoring Flyers mascot Gritty was kicked out of the annual New Years Day parade in Philadelphia on Wednesday after one of its members used blackface. Froggy Carr, a wench brigade that dressed in orange-and-black colored costumes in what was apparently a motif honoring Gritty, got booted from the parade competition for best outfit design, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. The outlet caught up with mummer Kevin Hinkel, who was the lone individual confirmed to have used blackface, per NBC10. "I talk to black people. They told me, 'What are you talking about? You can wear whatever you want. That aint discriminating me. That aint racist to me,'" Kevin Hinkel told NBC10 on Wednesday evening. "Thats what they tell me." I Talk to Black People: Mummer in Blackface Defends Himself After Mayor Kenney Boots Brigade From New Year's Day Parade https://t.co/wxmU9atJUX pic.twitter.com/sfLpDQWcMr NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) January 2, 2020 While he was a part of the group honoring Gritty, Hinkels decision to wear blackface was not in honor of the Flyers mascot, he said. "I dont do this a lot. My friend, he passed away. He wore blackface, so Im doing this for him," Hinkle said. "Ill be done with it after this year. But we aint racist and we dont look for trouble." Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney condemned the blackface, calling it abhorrent and unacceptable on Twitter. The use of blackface by someone affiliated with Froggy Carr today was abhorrent and unacceptable. This selfish, hateful behavior has no place in the Mummers, or the city itself. We must be better than this. The group was disqualified and we will be exploring additional penalties. Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @briannnnf. Find NJ.com on Facebook. London, Jan 2 : Holding a majority of 80-seat in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set leave the European Union (EU) on January 31, but celebrations would be short-lived as that "victory" was just phase one of a longer race. Ivan Rogers, who served as the UK's Permanent Representative to the EU, said that the country's departure from the bloc will be just the starting point in a rocky and uncertain journey that may continue for years. Rather than having everything "boxed off" by the end of January, Rogers, while speaking to Xinhua news agency, said the negotiations could almost certainly stretch into the second half of third decade of the 21st century. Johnson has repeatedly insisted that he will not extend the 11-month transition period, by the end of which the talks with Brussels on future relations are supposed to be concluded. When Britain leaves the bloc at the end of January, the transition period will begin and its trading relationship with the EU will remain the same. It will continue to follow the EU's rules and contribute to its budget. In an einterview with the French newspaper Les Echos, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said both sides needed to think seriously about whether the 2020 deadline was enough to reach an agreement. Admitting that she was very worried about how little time was available, the President said: "It would be reasonable to evaluate the situation mid-year and then, if necessary, agree on extending the transition period." If a trade deal was not agreed by December 2020, without agreed extension, it would leave Britain trading on World Trade Organization terms with the EU, with the likelihood of tariffs on imports and exports. Commenting on the possibility of ending the negotiation and ratifying the trade deal in 2020, Rogers said: "There's an absolutely zero chance of this happening... We've already had three and a half years (since the 2016 EU referendum) and we haven't yet started the difficult stuff." EastMed pipeline: Netanyahu at summit Greece-Cyprus-Israel 'Our alliance relevant for energy and boosts stability' (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, JANUARY 2 - Israeli Premier Benyamin Netanyahu on Thursday morning left for Athens where he will attend a summit with Greek Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades to sign new agreements for the construction of the gas pipeline EastMed. The project was conceived to bring natural gas to Europe from settlements in the territorial waters of Israel and Cyprus. Two days ago Israel activated the Leviathan platform - located 10 km off the coast, north of Caesarea - and is thus now able to start exporting gas to Jordan and Egypt, as previously agreed. ''Afterwards we will also export to Europe'', Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz announced. ''It is a very important summit'', said Netanyahu before his departure. ''We have forged an alliance in the eastern area of the Mediterranean: an alliance that has enormous importance for Israel's energy future and which also contributes to stability in the region''. (ANSAmed) Eight people have been killed in an air force helicopter crash in Taiwan including one of the country's top military officials. Five people survived the crash in mountains outside the capital on Thursday, according to the defense ministry. As chief of the general staff, General Shen Yi-ming was responsible for overseeing the island's defense against China, which threatens to use military force to annex what it considers it own territory. A rescue team searches for missing military officers, after a Black Hawk helicopter made a forced landing at a mountainous area near Taipei, killing eight people on board A rescue team searches for missing military officers among the ruins of the Hawk helicopter Taiwanese top military official Shen Yi-ming (pictured in March 2019) was killed in a helicopter crash alongside seven other victims in a mountainous area in New Taipei City early Thursday morning The helicopter was flying from Taipei to the northeastern city of Yilan for a new year's activity when it attempted to make an emergency landing before crashing. According to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, 13 people were on board the UH-60M Blackhawk helicopter, which took off shortly after 7:50 am from Taipei's Songshan air force base on its way to a base in Yilan county on the east coast. Just over 10 minutes later, it dropped from the radar screen and went down in the mountainous, heavily forested Wulai area southeast of the capital. Shen, 63, had taken over as chief of the general staff in July after serving as commander of Taiwan's air force, which is undergoing a substantial upgrade with the arrival of the most advanced version of the U.S. F-16V fighter. Alexander Huang, a strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan who had known Shen for a decade, said he had stood out as a pilot and an officer. 'He was very calm and very stable and unlike other army guys he was always smiling, so he got a specific leadership style that also made him a popular leader in the entire military,' Huang said. Emergency teams work at the crash site of a military helicopter in the mountains of Yilan on Thursday morning It will likely be months before the cause of the crash is known, but the pilots, both of whom were killed, appeared to have been highly experienced. 'Of course, reasonable people would think in the direction of mechanical failure or maintenance problem, but without proof you cant say anything,' Huang said. Taiwan's military has operated Blackhawks for decades and in 2010, completed a sale for another 60 UH-Ms from the U.S. for $3.1 billion. The Blackhawk that crashed was a model dedicated to search and rescue and had been delivered in 2018, according to the ministry. Taiwan's Chief-of-staff Shen Yi-ming (pictured in November 2019) was killed in the crash The incident comes one week before Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections on January 11. The loss of Shen and other high-ranking officials require a rapid reshuffle of positions, but should have a minimal effect on Taiwan's election, said Andrew Yang, a former Ministry of National Defense deputy minister for policy who also worked with Shen. 'He was highly respected throughout his career,' Yang said. 'I dont think the crash will have a strong impact over the elections but certainly it will affect the armed forced because so many senior officers passed away as a result of this crash.' Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party has been strongly critical of China's attempts to increase economic, military and diplomatic pressure and incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen appears on track to win a second term over her more pro-China opponent, Han Kuo-yu of the main opposition Nationalists. Every citizen of a modern nation is a subject of the state. And once a state is formed, the citizens formulate ethical principles or virtues to be pursued, vices to be avoided and values to be cherished-for the good conduct of the citizens. These values are in most cases not put in a codified form but transmitted from one generation to the next via a well formulated/structured process called education. Without a shadow of the doubt, this thought may have informed the decision of past administrations like their counterparts in other countries, to formulate the National Policy on Education anchored on five main objectives that include the building of: a free and democratic society; a just and egalitarian society; a united strong and self-reliant nation; a great and dynamic economy; and a land of bright and full opportunities for all citizens. Indeed, education typifies the bedrock of development of any nation. With sound educational institutions, a country is as good as made -as the institutions will turn out all rounded manpower to continue with the development of the society driven by well thought out ideas, policies, programmes, and projects. However, like every invention which comes with opportunities and challenges, education in Nigeria, despite the virtues and attributes, have suffered sets of challenges which include but not limited to; payment of lip service to, and in some cases, total abandonment of the National Policy on Education by successive governments through perennial underfunding of the sector. And in more damaging cases, the money government voted for running the schools does not get to the schools and the little that gets there is normally wasted by those whose responsibility it is to manage the schools. Essentially, this recurrent mismanagement manifests it self in acts opposed to demands of modern educational sector. And its work impedes lecturers from carrying out scholarly researches, leads to fallen standard of education, brings about policy inconsistency and sommersaults, truncates academic calendar with strike actions, lace Nigerian schools (primary, colleges and universities) with dilapidated and overstretched learning facilities- with the universities producing graduates devoid of linkage with the manpower demand by the nations industrial sector. Majorly, the consequences of this malady can be spotted in two major areas; the high unemployment rate in the country, which going by the National Bureau Statistics (NBS), 2019, was at 23.1 per cent, with under-employment rate 16.6 per cent and expected to reach an all-time high of 33.5 percent in this year, 2020. The second is high rate of illiteracy level found everywhere in our country. For one thing, I believed and still believe in the power of education. But this high rate of illiteracy which has its root in thoughtless demand for fees of varying amounts/ proposed by the school authorities to cater for the gap created by the perennial underfunding is but, financially squeezing life out of the innocent students and sent many out of school. Regardless of what others may say, this failure/failing partly accounts for the low level of development in Nigeria because the growth and development of any nation depends largely on the quantity and quality of all segments of its population. And given the huge population of out-of-school children which currently stand at over 13million, it is understandable that the overall literacy level will be low in the country. No wonder, Akinola Aguda in his book; Nigerias march towards perdition, among other comments noted that our economy is ill, very ill from a time dating back to only a few years after its birth; doses of poisonous matters continue to be introduced almost on continuous basis by successive administrations. Although, President Muhammadu Buhari, recently, during the New Year broadcast on the January 1, 2020 told whoever that cares to listen that this democratic government will guarantee peace and security to realise the full potential of our ingenious, entrepreneurial and hard-working people; that his policies are designed to promote genuine, balanced growth that delivers jobs and rewards industry. But in my opinion, looking at the deplorable state of the nation educational sector that will drive such vision/policies, achieving the promised feat will be difficult if not impossible. The reason(s) for these voiced opinion stems from other inherent challenges discussed in the following paragraphs. And one of the most alarming is the challenge of responsibility and control. For instance, stakeholders are worried that the control of the primary sector is neither fully in the hands of the Federal Government nor in that of the state or the local government. This is a great barrier to effective educational development at the basic level. This challenge is closely followed by the faulty methods of recruiting teachers. Because most of the teachers were not qualified but hired via favouritism, they could not be trusted to impact the right knowledge and values in the pupils and students. So what this all means to us is that in this 2020, we may forgive other governments inactions. But we must not fail to ask government at all levels to rejig the education sector. we have a responsibility to return our education sector to the part where it can build a free and democratic society, promote a just and egalitarian society, encourage a united strong and self-reliant nation and a land of bright and full opportunities for all citizens. To reverse this trend, we must first recognize that problem associated with the nations education stems from the fact that as a nation, we have not applied what we learned from the national education policy. We obviously and urgently need a new vision for education in the country-vision that will go beyond ideology to experiment and be equal with the latest reforms at the global level. It is not only our patriotic duties to provide this care, its our moral duty at the most fundamental level and we must rise to that challenge. To this end, apart from developing the political will to, and culture of funding education in compliance with the United Nation Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organizations [UNESCO] budgetary recommendation, government at all levels must start considering education as a human right that promote science and eradicate illiteracy, and should be implemented in such a way that promotes free, compulsory and universal primary, secondary, tertiary education, and free adult literacy programs. Part of that effort to guarantee adequate fund for the sector is by ensuring that every kobo budgeted for education would be properly accounted for and would reach the beneficiaries, without siphoned off along the way. Special attention should be given to the areas where descretionary powers are presently being exploited for personal gain and sharpen the instruments that could prevent, detect or deter such practices. Other efforts expected from the government that should by no means be considered less important includes- revival of the adult literacy programme to boost the quality of education in the country is worthwhile. As this going by reports would cater for the educational needs of over 50 million Nigerians who must have missed first opportunities to be educated. While the programme would use existing facilities across the country and as such there would be no need to waste money in building new schools. Finally, like Barrack Obama once noted, I believe we have a mutual responsibility to make sure our schools are properly funded, our teachers are properly paid, and our students have access to an affordable college education. And if we dont do something about all that, then, nothing else matters. Jerome-Mario Utomi ([email protected]), writes from Lagos, Nigeria Julian Castro, the former housing secretary under the Obama administration, became the latest presidential candidate to exit a crowded Democratic primary on Thursday. Castro, a former San Antonio mayor and the only Latino in the race, announced the suspension of his campaign Thursday morning after failing to gain ground in national polls. Its with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today, Castro said in a statement posted on Twitter. "Im so proud of everything weve accomplished together. Im going to keep fighting for an America where everyone counts I hope youll join me in that fight. Its with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today. Im so proud of everything weve accomplished together. Im going to keep fighting for an America where everyone countsI hope youll join me in that fight. pic.twitter.com/jXQLJa3AdC Julian Castro (@JulianCastro) January 2, 2020 In a video, the progressive Castro said he was proud that his campaign helped shape the conversation on so many important issues in this race, stood up for the most vulnerable people and given a voice to those who are most often forgotten. But given that its a month before the Iowa caucuses and given the circumstances of this campaign season, Ive determined it simply isnt our time, he added. National polling averages tracked by Real Clear Politics show Castro lagging among the bottom tier in a large field of candidates led by former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The most recent polls show Castro with about 1.2 percent of support from voters. She unleashed a whirlwind of controversy after being fired from America's Got Talent earlier this year. Gabrielle Union had a surprising encounter on Tuesday when she ordered an Uber to take her back to her house. The 47-year-old actress arrived at home, only to find out that her driver needed to use her bathroom for an extended visit. Close encounter: Gabrielle Union, 47, got a surprise on Tuesday when her Uber driver had to use the bathroom in her Los Angeles home; pictured in September Gabrielle joked about the run-in with her 4.2 million Twitter followers. 'Trying to be responsible & use UBER & our driver asked to use our bathroom 15-20 min later,' she wrote, adding a nauseated emoji. Her worst fears were apparently confirmed: 'Dude dropped a deuce. 'Im pleased we clearly have a home & available reading material that screams "Come in, get comfortable and drop the kids off at the pool" Welcome to 2020 folks.' It was an emergency: Gabrielle joked about the run-in with her 4.2 million Twitter followers Partying through it: Though she thought the detour was funny, it doesn't seem to have fazed her much. It also didn't seem to affect her New Year's Eve plans Feeling it: Gabrielle shared videos of her husband Dwyane Wade, 37, dancing to music and singing along as they hosted a New Year's Eve party at their home Though she thought the detour was funny, it doesn't seem to have fazed her much. It also didn't seem to affect her New Year's Eve plans in any fashion. Rather than going out to party, the Bring It On star and her husband Dwyane Wade invited guests over for a raucous celebration at their home in Los Angeles. She posted a video of Dwyane rocking out and singing along to the music while she'll dance freely in the background. The couple recently got back from a Christmas vacation to Maui, Hawaii, with their one-year-old daughter Kaavia Helping hands: The actress has been vocal about her struggles with conceiving in her book We're Going To Need More Wine back in 2017, and they welcome the little girl via a surrogate Gabrielle recently returned from an end-of-the-year vacation to Maui, Hawaii. She and Dwyane brought along their adorable one-year-old daughter Kaavia, and the whole family posed in a photo against the Pacific Ocean. The welcomed their daughter in 2018 via a surrogate. She was the first child for Gabrielle and the fourth for Dwyane. The actress has been vocal about her struggles with conceiving in her book We're Going To Need More Wine back in 2017. In her memoir, she revealed she had 'eight or nine miscarriages.' The more the merrier: The family was also joined by Dwyane's son Zion, 12, from his previous marriage to his high school girlfriend Siohvaughn Funches Also joining the family was his son Zion, 12, from his previous marriage to his high school girlfriend Siohvaughn Funches. Dwyane also has an older son, Zaire, 17, from the same union, as well as a son, Xavier, six, from another relationship. Gabrielle began dating the Miami Heat player in 2009, and they tied the knot in 2014. Toxic: Gabrielle was the center of attention after her contract wasn't renewed for America's Got Talent. A detailed Variety reported cited multiple sources on set who said she complained about racist behavior and a 'toxic' work culture The film and TV star was engulfed in controversy after she and Julianne Hough didn't have their contracts renewed following their first season on the show. A report in Variety cited multiple sources on set who said she complained about racist behavior and a 'toxic' work culture on the talent competition. So far, she hasn't directly addressed the situation, only hinting at it. She revived the issue in mid-December when Orlando Jones claimed he was fired from the fantasydrama American Gods for racist reasons. 'Ohhhhhhhhhhh. let's chat my friend,' she tweeted after he spoke out, adding the hashtag '#StrongerTogether.' Deal with Green Party marks a swing left for former chancellor whose last coalition was with far-right Freedom Party. Austrias conservative leader Sebastian Kurz struck a coalition deal on Wednesday with the Greens to ensure his return to power and bring the left-wing party into government for the first time, three months after Kurz won a parliamentary election. The deal marks a swing left for Kurz, whose last coalition was with the far-right Freedom Party. It also means Austria will join fellow European Union member states Sweden and Finland in having the Greens in government, albeit in a junior role, at a time of growing calls for urgent action on climate change. After a final round of coalition talks on New Years Day and two days of leaks of new Cabinet members names, Kurz and his Greens counterpart said they had struck a deal, as widely expected. They held off, however, on providing details of their plans those will be presented to the public on Thursday. We have reached an agreement, Kurz told reporters standing next to Greens leader Werner Kogler. We succeeded in uniting the best of both worlds, he added. The two will become chancellor and vice-chancellor of the new government, and the Greens will control just four of 15 ministries, roughly reflecting their performance in the September 29 election. Kurzs Peoples Party (OVP) won with 37.5 percent of the vote while the Greens came in fourth with 13.9 percent. It is possible to reduce the tax burden and to ecologise the tax system, Kurz said, referring to core campaign pledges of each party and hinting at the deals contents. The Greens said they wanted an investment package in environmental measures and to make products that damage the environment more expensive. Compromise solution For the Greens, many of whose supporters viscerally oppose Kurz and his trademark hard line on immigration, going into government with Kurz was a trade-off between the compromises of power politics and the chance to shape policy after campaigning for rapid action on climate change. Whether their coalition can hold for five years will depend on whether the Greens can show they have obtained concrete results in at least some key areas. They will control a sprawling ministry covering the environment, transport, infrastructure and energy, officials say. For Kurz, regaining the reins of power is also a chance to soften his image after 17 months in coalition with a far-right that shared his views on immigration, but was also prone to anti-Semitic and xenophobic scandals. But immigration is likely to remain a point of friction with the left-wing Greens. Allying with the Greens, who campaigned on clean environment, clean politics, is also a chance to turn the page on his association with the Freedom Party (FPO). Their coalition collapsed in May after FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache was caught in a video sting offering to fix state contracts. Alexandra Cane has broken her silence on her split from estate agent boyfriend of 10 months, Adam Theobald, insisting it was 'the right decision'. The Love Island star, 28, revealed she instigated the break-up four months ago and said while she's definitely single, she's 'still unavailable'. Speaking in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the former make-up artist said the split came about after 'some real soul-searching' and she is now 'excited for the next chapter'. Moving on: Alexandra Cane has broken her silence on her split from estate agent boyfriend Adam Theobald, insisting it was 'the right decision' (pictured in September 2019) Promoting her fitness and well-being app, Alexandra's Happy Body Plan, she told MailOnline: 'My status is single but still unavailable. I've been single for about four months now. So, I'm just doing me about the moment. 'But I feel like I've made the right decision and I'm excited for the next chapter. I'm doing some real soul-searching this year and just finding out who I am as a person. I'm so excited for it.' The TV personality initiated the break-up from the sales negotiator - who she went public with on Valentine's Day 2019 - and admitted her new lifestyle, which has helped her lose two stone, has assisted her in dealing with the split. Alexandra said: 'Fitness has definitely kept me busy and my mind focused and in a good place and not dwelling on things that have happened.' New look: The Love Island star, who has just released her own fitness and well-being app, Alexandra's Happy Body Plan, went on to gush about the future Split: The make-up artist, who went public with the sales negotiator on Valentine's Day 2019, admitted that her new lifestyle has helped her to deal with the split (pictured in February) Dramatic transformation: 'Fitness has definitely kept me busy and my mind focused and in a good place and not dwelling on things that have happened' admitted the star Alexandra admitted that she understands why Love Island fans are interested in her personal life, but does actively try to keep it private. She said: 'I think I'd be naive to think that people would ask about it because I have been on a dating show, so I completely understand why people may have an interest in it. 'But I do try and keep it a bit private. There are some things in life that I think we can try and keep to ourselves and live as normal a life as possible. 'Sometimes outsiders comments can have an effect on relationships, so you've just gotta live your life for you and try to ignore any judgement from outside.' Low-key: Alexandra admitted that she understands why Love Island fans are interested in her personal life, but does actively try to keep it private Rumours: Back in March 2019, their relationship was rocked by claims Alexandra and Dan Osborne, who is married to Jacqueline Jossa (pictured earlier in the year), enjoyed a brief fling Moving forward, Alexandra admitted that she would be open to dating someone famous insisted that 'core values' are what matters to her in a partner. She said: 'It's never really been about what people choose to do as a job. Obviously it helps if they understand [being in ht limelight]. 'But to me it's about someone's soul and who they are as a person, the things they're interested in and what inspired them, their character. 'So as long as they have good morals and respect and they've got good ambitions and things like that that's all I care about. Core values are what matter to me. The career doesn't bother me.' Happier times: A defiant Alexandra firmly brushed aside the cheating rumours with Adam as they enjoyed a romantic break to Dubai in April 2019 (pictured) Back in March 2019, her relationship with Adam was rocked by claims Alexandra and Dan Osborne, who is married to Jacqueline Jossa, enjoyed a brief fling during a night out - a report they both vehemently denied. Former EastEnders star Jacqueline, 27, was reportedly left 'embarrassed and very angry' following the shocking reports. A defiant Alexandra firmly brushed aside the cheating rumours with Adam as they enjoyed a romantic break to Dubai in April. Despite appearing stronger than ever, the reality star has now parted ways from the Kent-based hunk. Rumoured fling: Since her rise to fame on Love Island, Alexandra was romantically linked to 2016 Love Island contestant Rykard Jenkins (pictured in December) 'We are not dating': After the rumours emerged, the model took to her widely-followed Instagram account to deny the pair are together Since her rise to fame on Love Island, Alexandra was romantically linked to 2016 Love Island contestant Rykard Jenkins, as sources claimed they 'couldn't keep their hands off each other' during a night out back in January. After the rumours emerged, the model took to her widely-followed Instagram account to deny the pair are together. When a keen fan asked: 'are u dating rykard'. [sic], the brunette replied: 'Off topic but no we are not dating'. Flame: Since leaving the villa, she was also rumoured to date boohooMAN's Samir Kamani (pictured last year), after they were spotted putting on a cosy display in September 2018 The bombshell arrived on the ITV2 dating last year as a late entrant in July, and while she initially caught Dr Alex George's eye, their union ended in a bitter state. Since leaving the villa, she was also rumoured to date co-star Alex Miller and boohooMAN CEO Samir Kamani, after they were spotted putting on an affectionate display in September 2018. A source dished to MailOnline exclusively at the time: 'Alexandra Cane and Samir Kamani danced the nights away at Tape nightclub... [but] they are just friends and Alexandra will be seeing Samir on Monday for work.' Split: The bombshell arrived on the ITV2 dating last year as a late entrant in July, and while she initially caught Dr Alex George's eye (pictured in July 2018), their union ended in a bitter state Alexandra's app Happy Body Plan aims to help other people reach their body goals and feel happier in their own skin. The workouts, which were devised by 'Transformation Guru' Aaron Phillips, are a mixture of high intensity exercises and muscle toning resistance moves, and are all just 10 minutes long. 'It was honestly all I could manage and then I thought this is actually quite good because I can fit 10 minutes into my day more easily. 'So I'd do one in the morning and then another one later in the day, but do at least one a day every day' explained Alex. Happy lady: Alexandra's app Happy Body Plan aims to help other people reach their body goals and feel happier in their own skin But for Alexandra, the most important element of the app comes from the 'Mindset Maestro' Aaron who provides emotional support and encouragement though a series of motivational blogs. 'With this app we'll be giving you insights into what the psychological barriers might be that hold you back from being the best you can be,' says Alexandra. Now you can follow the plan she used to get in shape with her 90 Day Shred Plan. All the workouts are just 10 minutes long and come with an exclusive Facebook support group and motivational blogs. Alexandra's Happy Body Plan is available on app via iTunes and Google Play. Price 49.99 or 20 a month. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia hit out at Union Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday for "writing" to L-G Anil Baijal to "cancel a parent-teacher meeting" in Delhi government schools, saying he should be "ashamed" for it. According to reports, Vardhan has written to the lieutenant governor over a parent-teacher meeting scheduled in Delhi government schools on January 4. "Harsh Vardhan ji, how did you get the courage to write a letter to the LG to cancel parent-teacher meeting of Delhi government schools. You should be ashamed," Sisodia said while interacting with reporters. He also said the meeting will take place and the Aam Aadmi Party would not let the BJP cancel it. "You (BJP) think you can stop it (parent-teacher meeting). It is the decision of the department of the Delhi government; you would not be able to stop it. The basic character of the BJP, which is against education, gets shown again and again," he said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too took to Twitter to express his dismay over the issue. "Why do these people want to cancel PTM? In PTM, parents get an opportunity to discuss their children's progress with teachers. Many parents wait for PTM eagerly. PTM will be on time. I will also go to one of the schools tomorrow to get parents' feedback," he tweeted in Hindi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Company has no reason to believe that there will be any material difference between the net asset value per share as at close of business on 31 December 2019, which was announced on 2 January 2020, and the financial information to be published in the announcement of its results for the year ended 31 December 2019. The Company is, therefore, not prohibited from dealing in its own securities during the closed period, as defined by the Market Abuse Regulation, which will end on the date of the publication of its results for the year ended 31 December 2019, expected to be on or after 19 February 2020. If, in this period, the Directors or the Company come into possession of any inside information it will be notified to a RIS before any transactions in the Company's securities are undertaken. Investec Asset Management Limited Secretary 2 January 2020 (Newser) Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard chose New Year's Day to get back on her board. Decked out in a full winter wetsuit, the Democratic presidential candidate surfed the Atlantic in Hampton, NH, watched by several supporters carrying signs, per NBC News. "History is being made!" yelled one, who claimed Gabbard was the first presidential candidate to surf in the early primary state. "There is absolutely no better way to start the day and to start the year," the congresswoman told CBS News' Nicole Sganga. story continues below Gabbard "surfed nearly every day growing up in Hawaii, but this is her first January surf in the Atlantic," Sganga wrote on Twitter, describing "sub-40F waters." Gabbard told Surfer Today about her love of the sport a year ago. "Once you get in the water, you immediately wake up to feel energized," she said. "Literally, every time I come home, my first stop is the ocean," either for a swim or a surf, she added. "That's my number one priority." (Her time away has prompted a call for her resignation.) Islamic Republics President Hassan Rouhani once again reiterated January 1 that his government is ready to negotiate with foreign parties over Irans nuclear program. Iranian government officials have made the same offer before, demanding that the U.S. lifts sanctions it imposed in 2018 and return to the 2015 nuclear deal or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed between four Western powers, Russia, China and Iran. Without mentioning the United States Rouhani said, If the other side returns to the starting point of its obligations, under the agreement, Tehran is ready to negotiate. However, all major decisions in Iran are approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei who has forbidden any talks with the U.S. French, Japanese and other mediation efforts have not make a breakthrough. Rouhani, who on December 31 had said Iran has lost $200 billion due to the sanctions, admitted that the country has not been able to sell $100 billion dollars of oil in 2018 and 2019. Iran was exporting around 2.5 million barrels of oil a day before President Donald Trump quit the JCPOA and imposed the sanctions. However, since last May Irans crude exports have declined to around 300,000 barrels or less. By speaking of the lost oil revenues, Rouhani described the Irans economic situation as difficult. The United States demands a more solid nuclear agreement that would eliminate the chance for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons and asks for Tehran to change its regional policies. This week tensions rose further between Washington and Tehran as the U.S. bombed an Iraqi militia group controlled by Iran for firing rockets at bases housing U.S. personnel in Iraq. Later on December 31 the group staged an attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, which prompted Trump to issue a threat to Iran. Californias updated employment classification law, AB5, took effect on Wednesday. The law provides significant protections to the hundreds of thousands of Californians who currently work without basic workplace guardrails like a minimum wage, unemployment insurance and protection against on-the-job discrimination and sexual harassment if employers had any intention of following it. But many of the employers the law was clearly intended to cover are simply planning to break it. Uber and Postmates filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Monday, hoping to block AB5 before it took effect. Companies like Lyft, Uber, and Doordash are also pouring money into a misinformation campaign designed to build support for a referendum planned for 2020, which would repeal AB5 and replace it with a much less robust substitute. The messaging of their campaign so far is that requiring employers to follow the law would rob gig economy workers of their freedom to choose, for example, when and where they could work, as well as for which companies. Finally, Uber has stated that reclassifying drivers might force the company to schedule shifts, require a minimum number of hours, and prohibit them from driving for other companies. These messages may be urgent but they arent true. The rule codified by AB5 is nothing new the standard it sets forth has been the law since at least July 2018, when the California Supreme Court clarified in a case called Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court that workers who perform the functions at the core of a companys business model are employees, not independent contractors. Although some employers reclassified their employees after the Dynamex opinion, many more simply ignored it, making the business decision that it would be more profitable to violate the law than to follow it. This lawless status quo seems poised to continue. Legally, there is no requirement that employers force their employees to abide by a set schedule. Employees are also able to work for multiple employers at the same time; low-wage employees do so all the time. Many of the other arguments against treating gig workers as employees are similarly baseless. Theres no requirement that employers provide employees with paid vacation. Employers with more than 50 employees have to provide basic health insurance to employees who work more than 30 hours a week, but theres no health insurance requirement for part-time employees. Just as AB5 doesnt eliminate employee flexibility, theres nothing about independent contractor status that protects it. For example, research and driver experience indicates that rideshare companies already tightly control driver schedules and routes, in part through the use of bonuses and complex, opaque payment systems. Regardless of the state of the law on misclassification, if rideshare companies wanted drivers not to drive during a certain period, they just make driving during that period unprofitable and force the driver to bear the cost. In the absence of protections for workers, thats exactly what they do according to a JPMorgan study, earnings for Lyft and Uber drivers dropped 53% between 2013 and 2018, to an average of $11.77 per hour. Employers that misclassify their workers do it because it benefits them not because it benefits workers and we all bear the cost. Misclassification allows employers to avoid paying their fair share of Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance, which results in lost tax revenue for the state and leaves hundreds of thousands of workers cut off from the social safety net. Californians should cut through the rhetoric and demand that employers follow the law, instead of letting employers purchase a new one tailor-made to increase their bottom line. The freedom to dodge taxes and pay workers less than the minimum wage isnt a freedom thats worth protecting. Rachel Dempsey is a lawyer at employment law firm Outten & Golden, LLP, where she litigates misclassification, wage-and-hour, and civil rights cases on behalf of plaintiffs. By Mark Torregrossa Don't Edit The weekend weather will be just on the verge of feeling like winter. The main weather-maker in the Great Lakes region will just miss Lower Michigan by tracking just southeast of Michigan. Don't Edit Don't Edit Radar forecast 1 p.m. Saturday While there will be some scattered areas of snow showers over Lower Michigan at 1 p.m. Saturday, no snow areas will produce heavy, significant snow. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Radar forecast 7 a.m. Sunday By Saturday evening, the storm system scooting just south and east of Michigan will be consolidating into a significant travel mess. Pennsylvania and New York will get into the accumulating snow. Lower Michigan will just have a few areas of light snow showers. Don't Edit Don't Edit Radar forecast 7 a.m. Sunday Sunday morning's radar forecast shows we can expect dry weather Sunday morning. Don't Edit Don't Edit Radar forecast 7 p.m. Sunday There will be a larger area of light to moderate snow moving into all of Michigan Sunday afternoon. You can see that on the radar forecast Sunday evening. The darker blue is the moderate snow, and should fall only in the northern half of Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Total snowfall on Saturday The spotty snow showers on Saturday could make light accumulations less than one inch. Don't Edit Don't Edit Total snowfall on Sunday Sunday's snowfall will be a little heavier than Saturday. Again, the heaviest snow will be in the northern part of Michigan. Northern Michigan will have between two inches and four inches of snow Sunday afternoon. Southern Lower Michigan should again get only light amounts of snow, up to about one inch. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Saturday morning low temperatures Saturday morning will still be fairly mild by January standards, especially for southeast Lower Michigan. Temperatures will start in the 30s over the southeast half of Lower Michigan. Don't Edit Don't Edit Saturday will be cooler, but still mild Saturday afternoon is still going to warm up to above normal temperatures. Southern Lower will warm several degrees above freezing. These temperatures are five to 10 degrees warmer than average. Don't Edit Don't Edit Sunday morning low temperatures Sunday morning will be just a touch cooler than Saturday morning. Temperatures will be below freezing, in the 20s. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Sunday afternoon temperatures Sunday afternoon will still warm up above freezing at most locations in Lower Michigan. Don't Edit Don't Edit Wind speed forecast 1 p.m. Saturday Saturday afternoon won't have a lot of wind. The wind will have turned to blow out of the northwest by Saturday afternoon. The wind won't be real strong, generally staying less than 10 mph. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Wind forecast Sunday afternoon The wind will have switched back to blowing out of the southwest, but still not real strong. Wind speeds should stay under 10 mph Sunday afternoon. OTTAWA - The Trudeau government has long characterized it as a dispassionate policy exercise drawing on expert evidence. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA - The Trudeau government has long characterized it as a dispassionate policy exercise drawing on expert evidence. But the political drumbeats are growing louder at home and abroad as the federal Liberals come closer to deciding whether to let a Chinese telecom firm help build Canada's next-generation mobile networks. The development of 5G, or fifth-generation, networks will give people speedier connections and provide vast data capacity to meet the ceaseless demand for emerging applications, like virtual reality and autonomous driving, as more and more things link to the internet. In Canada, China-based Huawei Technologies, Sweden's Ericsson and Finland's Nokia are among the leading candidates to help telecommunication firms such as BCE and Telus build their 5G networks. The opposition Conservatives are pressing the Liberals to deny Huawei a role in assembling the country's 5G infrastructure, alleging it will allow Beijing to spy on Canadians more easily. Some security experts say Huawei's participation could give it access to an array of digital data gleaned from how, when and where Canadian customers use their electronic devices. In turn, the theory goes, Chinese security agencies could pressure the company into handing over the personal information. Such fears stem from the fact Chinas National Intelligence Law plainly states that Chinese organizations and citizens shall support, assist and co-operate with state intelligence work. At a forum in Halifax last November, Donald Trump's national security adviser urged Ottawa to bar Huawei from 5G efforts because the technology would be used as a "Trojan horse" to undermine Canada. The warning came a day after China's ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, dismissed the notion Huawei could compromise users' security by installing "back-door" channels in equipment, calling it a "groundless accusation." Huawei emphasizes it is not a state-controlled enterprise and that it would never do the bidding of spymasters from China or any other country. Benjamin Howes, a Huawei Canada vice-president for international media affairs, notes the company's involvement in Canada's existing 4G networks has never led to any such security incident. He points to Huawei's $650-million investment in research and development in Canada since 2009, with major labs in Ottawa, Toronto, Waterloo, Ont., Montreal and Vancouver, as well as plans for one in Quebec City. "In every country where we have a business presence, we're committed to complying with the applicable laws and regulations, and Canada is no different," Howes said. "So we will continue to be compliant, as we have been over the decade that we've been here, with Canadian laws and regulations." Ottawa is carrying out a comprehensive review of Huaweis potential role in 5G that includes a broader, strategic look at how the technology can foster economic growth. Given the scope of the review, several agencies namely Public Safety Canada, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Communications Security Establishment, Global Affairs, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development are taking part. "We will ensure that our networks are kept secure and will take the appropriate decisions in due course," said Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Bill Blair. The government has been tight-lipped about the exercise, but the results are expected relatively soon. "We respect the process, and we just hope that it's going to be based on technology and security, not politics," Howes said. However, the public debate has already been tinged by political developments. Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, a senior Huawei executive, in December 2018 at the request of the United States, where she is wanted over allegations of violating sanctions on Iran. Her extradition case is before a Canadian court. 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. The U.S. and Australia, key intelligence allies of Canada, have already taken steps to curb Huawei's participation in 5G networks. In the House of Commons, the Conservatives have persistently needled the Trudeau government over the issue. "When will the Liberals ban Huawei?" Conservative MP Steven Blaney asked Blair during a recent question period. "Would they rather see Canadians' personal information in the hands of the Chinese?" Blair's answer underscored the fact the government has long had a security-review program in place to manage cybersecurity risks that might stem from new equipment and services. "We will continue to work with telecommunication service providers and the vendors through this collaborative program to mitigate the security concerns," Blair said. "We will examine all security, economic and global considerations when making this determination." Canada will be watching closely for Britain's coming decision on Huawei's participation in its 5G projects. If Boris Johnson's new government adopts the Australian and U.S. line, it could be more politically challenging for Canada to embrace Huawei. Ottawa's examination of 5G technology and the associated security and economic dimensions will include "the careful consideration of our allies' advice," Bardsley said. For its part, Huawei insists it will remain committed to Canada, no matter how the 5G microchips fall. "Regardless of the decision, our position is we will continue to serve our customers in Canada with our products and networks," Howes said. "And we will continue to enhance our investments in R and D." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2020. Modi asks why the Congress protests a law made by Parliament but not against atrocities on minorities in Pakistan Tumakuru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held out his familiar red rag of Pakistan to the Congress and its allies who are protesting his governments new citizenship law, advising them to raise their voices against the atrocities committed upon on minorities in the neighbouring counry. Speaking at an event at the Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, Karnataka, Modi said: "Parliament enacted Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. Those who are agitating against the Parliament of India today, I want to say to them that today there is a need is to expose the activities of Pakistan at the international level. If you have to agitate, raise your voice against Pakistan's actions of the last 70 years." He added, "If they want to raise slogans, they should raise it against the atrocities on minorities in Pakistan. If they want to take out a protest march, they should do it in support of Dalits and marginalised people in Pakistan." Modi added the jibe that the Congress and its allies do not speak out against Pakistan but take out rallies against refugees who were forced to come to India. "Pakistan was formed on the basis of religion. Religious minorities were being persecuted there. The persecuted people were forced to come to India as refugees. But the Congress party and its allies do not speak against Pakistan. Instead, they are taking out rallies against these refugees," he said. Iran warns US against showing any thoughtless, wrong reaction ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 1 January 2020 / 10:41 Tehran (ISNA) - Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran has hit back at the US for its barefaced accusations against Iran following the recent protests in Iraq over a ferocious American military attack on the Iraqi forces. In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi dismissed the bogus allegations that the American officials have made against Iran over the recent developments in Iraq. "The surprising impudence of the American authorities is at such level that after slaughtering at least 25 people, wounding many Iraqi people, inflicting financial damages on Iraq and violating the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, they (Americans) are now blaming the Islamic Republic of Iran for the protests from the Iraqi people against their own ferocious measures in a blatant and cheap act of pinning the blame on others," Mousavi said. Such allegations levelled by the US amount to an insult to the people of Iraq, the Iranian spokesman noted, asking the US officials how and with what logic they expect the Iraqi nation to remain silent about such extensive crimes. "On the one hand, the Americans have ignored the Iraqi nation's liberality and pursuit of independence, and on the other hand, they have forgotten their role in supporting Saddam and in creating Daesh (ISIS) and the consequent massacre and depredation of the Iraqi people, and have apparently failed to remember that they are still deemed by the people of Iraq to be 'occupiers'," the spokesman added. He finally dismissed the accusations levelled by the American officials against Iran, warned them against showing any thoughtless and wrong reaction in their calculations, and called on the White House to reconsider its destructive policies on the region. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Pakistan Army shelled mortars along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a defence spokesman said on Thursday. The Indian Army retaliated to the shelling that took place on Wednesday night. "Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing of small arms and shelling with mortars along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector in district Poonch around 2100 hours on Wednesday", the spokesman said. The firing stopped at 2330 hours. Many of the laws which parliament passed in 2019 provoked controversy in local and foreign circles, not least the NGO law which MPs voted on an hour before parliament adjourned for its summer recess on 15 July, reports Gamal Essam El-Din. Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal insisted squeezing the debate and vote on the law into a single day was not a result of foreign pressure. While Mohamed Abu Hamed, the deputy head of parliaments Social Solidarity Committee, told Al-Ahram Weekly that Western capitals, including Washington, had lobbied Cairo to amend the restrictive NGO law of 2017, MPs passing of the new law was motivated by national interests and not foreign pressure. The new NGO law passed in July was a more liberal piece of legislation which serves both the interests of civil society and national security, he said. At the time, Abdel-Aal had told MPs that foreign interests could never dictate the policies or agenda of the Egyptian state. We decided to postpone parliaments summer recess for a week in order to discuss this law because it is in the public interest and will help polish Egypts image in international circles, particularly in the areas of civil society and human rights, said Abdel-Aal. In November the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Omar Marwan told the media that the majority of member states of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva had accepted Egypts report on human rights. Members said the NGO law passed in July was generally acceptable, though they advised more constraints on the operation of NGOs could be abolished, said Marawan. Hafez Abu Seada, head of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR), told the Weekly that the amended NGO law passed in July had met 90 per cent of the demands made by foreign and local NGOs. It comprised major changes, including that the activity of an NGO can only be suspended by a judicial ruling not by administrative order, and that NGOs can be licensed upon notification, as is specified in the constitution. Other positive changes included placing the activities of NGOs under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Solidarity rather than a special apparatus to be set up by parliament and the elimination of custodial sentences for a host of violations. During the same 15 July session, MPs passed legislation regulating the performance of the Bar Association. According to a report prepared by parliaments Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, the law, which had been drafted by MP Tharwat Bekhit, aimed to reinforce the independence of lawyers. Lawyers will be treated with all due respect, said the report. It added that, lawyers can be arrested or placed in custody only if they are caught red-handed, and even in such cases they will face a closed-door trial which representatives from the Bar Association must attend. Leftist MPs were critical of Bekhits law, arguing it had been tailored to strengthen the position of the current chairman of the Bar Association, Sameh Ashour. Laws should serve general and public interests not personal ones, said MP and lawyer Diaaeddin Dawoud. Article 136 of the old law, which stipulated that the head of the association can serve a maximum of two terms, was revoked in violation of all democratic principles. Before the summer recess, MPs passed amendments to laws regulating the residence of foreigners in Egypt (Law 89/1960), and Egyptian nationality (Law 26/1975). A report by parliaments Defence and National Security Committee outlined the new mechanism introduced in the legislation allowing for the granting of Egyptian nationality against the payment of a fixed sum. This led some MPs to charge that Egyptian nationality was being sold. Committee head Kamal Amer insisted the provision was only to encourage foreign investors, and even then foreign investors will be offered Egyptian nationality only if it is approved by the prime minister and after a payment of $10,000 or its equivalent in Egyptian pounds, to be refunded should the application be rejected. In June, parliament approved changes to six laws regulating the performance of judicial authorities the Supreme Constitutional Court (Law 48/1979), the Administrative Prosecution Authority (117/1958), the State Cases Authority (57/1963), Military Justice (25/1966), the Judicial Authority (46/1972) and the State Council (147/1972). Abdel-Aal told MPs the laws were necessary to implement constitutional amendments passed by the House of Representatives on 16 April and approved in a public referendum on 23 April. Bahaaeddin Abu Shoka, head of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, indicated the changes were intended to ensure the selection of heads of judicial authorities complied with Aprils constitutional amendments. Changes to the constitution will also dictate the 2020 legislative agenda, with new laws needed to regulate the House of Representatives, the Senate, local councils and the exercise of political rights. Abdel-Aal has indicated that extensive consultations will be held before any draft laws are presented to MPs. Al-Ahram political analyst Amr Hashim Rabie told the Weekly that parliament should be commended for its work in passing constitutional amendments and essential laws on NGOs and judicial authorities. The dialogue that was held on the amendments gave opposition forces ample opportunity to voice their concerns, said Rabie. Next year we will need a similar dialogue on political laws which should be drafted in a way that ensures young people have more of a voice in politics, and that allows for a more vibrant and dynamic parliament. *A version of this article appears in print in the 26 December, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the title: Legislative agenda Search Keywords: Short link: The picture was stolen by Nazi from the Dnipropetrovsk Art Museum during the WWII The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport announced the end of the process of return of the picture of Mykhailo Panin Clandestine departure of Ivan the Terrible before oprichnina. The U.S. passed it to Ukrainian diplomats in September 2019 as the ministry reported. The first gift from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in the new year: the ministry held the return of picture of Mykhailo Panin Clandestine departure of Ivan the Terrible before oprichnina, the message said. In September 2019, Ukraines Embassy to the U.S. stated that the diplomats along with the foreign Ukrainian intelligence and American partners finished the multi-year procedure, which allowed to return Mykhailo Panins Clandestine departure of Ivan the Terrible before oprichnina. The picture was stolen by Nazi from the Dnipropetrovsk Art Museum during the WWII. As we reported, Ukraine's main Christmas tree is considered to be among the five most beautiful Christmas trees in Europe. The Taliban carried out several attacks targeting security forces in northern Afghanistan, in which 26 people have died, amid continuing violence in the world for the past few years. Local officials said on Wednesday that the Taliban claimed responsibility for these attacks. On the other hand, at least 10 Afghan soldiers were killed and four others were injured in an attack on an investigation post in Dahati Archie district of North Kunduz province. This incident has spoiled the atmosphere of the area. Big news for Goa citizens, these people will not get affected by CAA The head of the Provincial Council, Mohammad Yousuf Ayubi has confirmed these attacks. While the head of Bakh Provincial Council, Mohammad Afzal Hadid, said that nine police officers were killed in a Taliban attack on an outpost in the province. Information about the status of the other four policemen present at the check post was not available. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that the rebels in Bach had infiltrated the police ranks shortly before, and was looking for an opportunity to attack. Uttar Pradesh: SSP Vaibhav Krishna made a big claim, fake video going viral After the incident, according to the spokesman of the provincial governor, Jawad Hazari, the third attack took place on Tuesday night in which the Taliban killed seven members of the security forces in Takhar province. In a recent report by the US Army, 30 Taliban fighters were killed in military operations with Afghan security forces. Powerful explosion in Russia, Video goes viral on social media A six-year-old dog was found abandoned inside a church in Lancashire with a note from his heartbroken owner saying: I am so so so sorry. The brindle and white Staffordshire terrier cross was found tied up next to the altar inside the Sacred Heart Church on Talbot Road on 18 December by church staff. The RSPCA was alerted and inspector Will Lamping responded to the call. Local newspaper The Citizen first reported the story on Wednesday. The note, which was anonymous, suggested the owner could not afford to care for his dog any longer and had abandoned him as a last resort. My dog means the world to me and I dont know what else to do. Ive no home or money now for him, said the note. RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 Show all 18 1 /18 RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 Storage centre workers in Bristol found a fox with his head stuck in the middle of an old tyre. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A horse needed help after getting stuck in a cattle grid in Abertillery, Wales. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A five-month-old's parents were horrified when they found a 1m-long python slithering around their daughters nursery in Tadworth, Surrey. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 An embarrassed fox needed a helping hand after getting stuck in a tangle of ivy hanging from a garden fence in Soilhull, West Mids. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A baby corn snake was found by a member of staff abandoned in a takeaway tub in a McDonalds in Middleborough. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 Rolls-Royce staff were shell-shocked after finding a turtle wandering through their Technology and Logistics Centre in West Sussex. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A woman had a surprise after opening her kitchen drawer to find a snake inside in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A greedy squirrel got caught red-pawed with his hands in the cookie jar after getting trapped in a bird feed in Redditch, Worcestershire. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A woman enjoying a bath had a fright when she spotting a slow worm poking his head poking out of an air vent in Bristol. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A male roe deer found himself in a spot of bother when he got stuck in metal railings around St James Churchyard in Barlborough, Derbyshire. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 An elderly cat used one of his nine lives after getting his leg stuck in a washing machine door at a home in Tipton, West Midlands. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A woman was shocked to find a fox curled up in a wardrobe in her second-floor flat in Dagenham, London. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A walker found a sheep having a baaaaad day - with her head stuck fast in a wire fence in Barnstaple. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A woman from South Croydon had a shock when she heard strange noises coming from the bins at the front of her home and found a tiny fox cub inside. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A young seal found herself in quite an unusual predicament on top of a 50m-high sea cliff at Abercastle RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 A Cardiff taxi driver had an unexpected passenger on board after discovering a corn snake under the bonnet of a taxi. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 RSPCA and fire service teams were called to Bishop Auckland, County Durham, to rescue a ferret who got stuck in a waste pipe. RSPCA/SWNS RSPCA reveals most unusual rescue missions of 2019 An injured grey seal stumped RSPCA rescuers who were called to collect him - from the top of a 10ft high Second World War pillbox on Fraisthorpe Beach. RSPCA/SWNS Life has taken a really bad turn for me and I couldnt imagine him being outside with me cold and hungry. He is a placid, friendly, loving dog. He will be seven years old on 22 March 2020. The owner asked that the dog, who has been nicknamed Cracker, have his paws taken care of as they were quite tender and still sore despite receiving treatment for a month. My heart is broken and I will truly miss him more than words can say. Recommended Doctor rescues dog hanging from ceiling after lead gets caught in lift I hope he can be found a new home he deserves. I love you and I am so so so sorry xxxx [sic], the note continued. Mr Lamping took Cracker to a private boarding kennel nearby to be cared for and reassures the owner that he is getting lots of TLC. Its so sad to read the note and see how much Crackers previous owner loved him, he said. If youre struggling to take care of a pet then please reach out to your vet, a local rescue centre or charity, or one of the national charities like the RSPCA. And if youre having difficulties with finances, housing or find yourself homeless then there are people who can help you. Please just ask for help. We are not here to judge you and simply want the best for you and your animals. Amy Ockelford, a spokesperson for the RSPCA, told the Independent no one has come forward to claim Cracker and he was moved to a rehoming centre on Thursday. The RSPCA receives 1.1 million calls a year to animals in need of help and some of these come from people who are struggling to care for their pets or who need some help, to those who have abandoned their animals because their circumstances have changed. Many of our centres and branches offer vouchers for discounted microchipping, neutering, vaccinations, [and more], and our four animal hospitals offer low-cost vet care for people who meet certain criteria, said Ms Ockelford. According to Dogs Trust, an estimated 130,000 dogs enter rehoming charities each year in the UK, with behaviour problems cited as the most common reason for giving up a dog. UN chief 'deeply concerned' following end of DPRK nuclear test moratorium 1 January 2020 - The UN Secretary-General is "deeply concerned" that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has ended a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests, his spokesman said in a statement issued on Wednesday. Media reported that leader Kim Jong-un had announced that his country, also known as North Korea, was no longer bound to the self-imposed ban. "The Secretary-General very much hopes that the tests will not resume, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions," the statement said. "Non-proliferation remains a fundamental pillar of global nuclear security and must be preserved." The statement added that UN chief Antonio Guterres has also reiterated his support for the resumption of dialogue aimed at bringing about "the complete and verifiable" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Landlords are ignoring regulations aimed at clamping down on Airbnb and other short-term lettings in areas worst hit by the housing crisis. The number of entire homes advertised for short stays on Airbnb rose by more than 1,000 in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford over the past year to almost 6,900. That is despite moves by the Government to get properties used for the lucrative holiday market back in use as long-term homes. It comes against a backdrop of more than 10,500 people being homeless, including 1,733 families. Permission Under the new rules, which came into effect in rent pressure zones last July, short-term letting is allowed for up to 14 days at a time to a total of 90 days in a given year. But landlords are supposed to register such properties with their local authority and just 370 such applications have been received to date. Short-term letting for longer than a total of 90 days requires planning permission, but just 21 applications have been received. None has been granted, although three are under appeal to An Bord Pleanala. Local authorities warn they are gearing up for a crackdown after receiving funding to recruit dedicated staff and set up specialist enforcement units. Dublin City Council has already begun 220 investigations into suspect lettings. It said it had issued 15 enforcement notices so far and initiated its first prosecution. The council expects those numbers to rise substantially over the next few months. "The council is monitoring notifications received," it said in a statement. "We have commenced proactive investigations of properties and are profiling and targeting properties on short-term lettings platform websites. "It is anticipated that up to 1,000 properties will be investigated next year." Galway City Council said it had received 20 complaints from the public and issued eight warning letters, while Dun Laoghaire Rathdown sent three warning letters which resulted in compliance by the targeted property owners. No complaints have been received in Limerick yet and no enforcement cases opened. Kildare, where all the main towns are rent pressure zones, has served one enforcement notice. Enforcement The Department of Housing said it was too early to judge the effect of the new regulations. "Local authorities are currently focusing on raising public awareness and advising homeowners of their obligations under the regulations," it said. "Once the advisory phase is completed, local authorities will focus on following up on lack of engagement and enforcement." The department said progress reports would be required after six months. "Given the provision of dedicated funding to planning authorities, we expect to see positive results from the enforcement in all affected local authority areas," it added. Fine Gaels targeting of Mayo TD Lisa Chambers was sinister and was because she was a new TD and a woman, her colleague Michael McGrath has said. In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr McGrath a Cork South-Central TD and party finance spokesman warned the upcoming general election is set to be nasty and personalised even though he says it puts the public off politics. I think it would make sense is there could be an orderly wind-down of the Dail. Undoubtedly, proceedings have become more tetchy. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that its going to be a nasty campaign, which I dont enjoy yeah I dont like and I dont think the general public really enjoy it either I think, he said. The Fianna Fail finance spokesman said that the tabling of a complaint by Fine Gaels Fergus ODowd against Ms Chambers, Fianna Fails Brexit spokeswoman, was unnecessary. He called on all colleagues to seek to raise the tone of the campaign and stick to the issues. I would call on it everyone going into this election campaign to stick to the issues and focus on the things that really matter to people and we know what those issues are in health and housing and crime, and protecting the economy, and so on, and not to go after individuals, he said. I think what were seeing, from Fine Gael in the tactic pursuing Lisa Chambers was particularly sinister. Because they know she is one of the star performers on the FF front bench. Shes a newcomer, a new TD and shes female, and I think it is completely unnecessary. he added. Mr McGrath said the tactics now are about damaging individuals and its going after the person is the nastiness that has crept into our politics in recent years. I actually think that that approach puts people off politics people generally, and I think it puts younger people [off] from going into politics, and that is a real concern. Mr McGrath said that politicians should all seek to be less personalised in their dealings. "And I just think that , you know, in politics, we, we could all be just that little bit nicer to each other, and I think people genuinely want us to focus on the things that matter to them, he added. Mr McGrath said he himself is sometimes afraid to go on Twitter after appearing on TV because of a new nastiness which he said has crept into Irish politics. Sometimes youre half afraid to have a look at your Twitter feed because the insults can be pretty cutting. And look, you know, not everyone is able to handle that, and I just think it will be a great shame if people who have a lot to offer I mean, whove weve become really good politicians are put off by the nastiness that has crept in. A University of Alabama at Birmingham doctor has been awarded a three-year grant to treat malignant brain tumors in children. Dr. Gregory Friedman was awarded a $750,000 R01 grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a Phase 1 immunotherapy clinical trial of engineered cold-sore (or herpes) virus G207 for the treatment of malignant cerebellar brain tumors in children, according to a press release from UAB. Friedman said this will be the first in-human study of an oncolytic herpes virus inoculated in that location. The grant will help the doctors team conduct the new study in recurrent tumors in that area of the brain. Previously, all studies using similar viruses have focused on tumors either outside of the brain or in the cerebrum, the main part of the brain. This grant will enable us to treat more children with this exciting immunovirotherapy and hopefully help us advance the therapy to treat many different types of tumors, he said. The primary goal of the grant is to demonstrate the safety and tolerability of the treatment for children with the specific types of tumors, and to look at the effectiveness of the therapy and the immune response. Standard therapy, like chemotherapy and radiation, can harm a childs developing brain, UAB said, which is why viral immunotherapy is important for treating kids. Viral immunotherapy can offer a potentially targeted, less toxic, and more effective approach to treatment. The specific G207 herpes virus pioneered for the treatment has been genetically altered so it does not harm normal cells, but can infect and kill tumor cells. When infused into a malignant brain tumor, UAB said, the virus enters tumor cells and replicates, killing the cells and releasing the viruss progeny to infect and kill other tumor cells nearby. The virus also induces a strong immune response by the bodys immune system, which can then attack and kill the tumor and potentially prevent tumor progression or recurrence. Friedman and his team have already been working on a study in pediatric high-grade gliomas. His teams data from pervious work shows that data shows pediatric tumors may be even more sensitive to the virotherapy than high-grade gliomas, information from UAB stated. Friedman is an associate professor in UABs Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology in the Department of Pediatrics, a physician at Childrens of Alabama, and an associate scientist in the ONeal Comprehensive Cancer Center. The grant is from the Orphan Products Clinical Trials Grants Program, which is funded by Congress to encourage clinical development of drugs, biologics, medical devices and medical foods for the treatment of rare diseases, a press release said. In wake of the ongoing slump in the auto sector, world's largest auto-part supplier Bosch Ltd will cut its India workforce by "a couple of thousands" in the next four years, Soumitra Bhattacharya, Bosch India Managing Director, has said. The company would let go around 10 per cent of the total workforce of 3,700 white-collar employees in India as part of the company's strategy to transform amidst the downturn in the automotive sector, Bhattacharya said in an interview with Bloomberg. "There is a transformation happening across the industry. We looked at that as an opportunity to transform the company even before the downturn started," he told Bloomberg. The German auto-part maker, which makes everything from braking systems to batteries, posted 66 per cent drop YoY in profit in the June-September quarter. Its automotive sales dived 17.5 per cent in the June quarter. Bhattacharya, however, hoped Bosch would come out of the crisis in the next two-tree years. He attributed economic slowdown, liquidity crisis, regulatory changes and India's mega plan for green mobilty as reasons for falling sales. Bosch had started restructuring parts of its business in light of a deepening slowdown in August 2019. India's $57 billion automotive component industry, which accounts for 2.3 per cent of country's GDP and employs over 5 million people, has witnessed its worst ever half yearly performance with overall revenues registering a de-growth of 10.1 per cent at Rs 1.79 lakh crore in 2019-20. This has resulted in around 100,000 people losing their jobs and an estimated investment loss of about $2 billion that would have happened had the industry continued to grow. The last time the industry had declined was back in 2013-14 when revenues had fallen by 2 per cent. The overall effect of the poor performance of the auto sector has reflected in India's Goods and Domestic Product. The overall automobile industry, with a turnover of $120 billion, accounts for 49 per cent of the manufacturing GDP. India's GDP for the September quarter plunged to a six-year low of 4.5 per cent, largly impacted by a slump in manufacturing output. Also read: Bosch's Indian unit begins restructuring parts of its business as auto sector slowdown bites Each year, a lack of transportation keeps 3.6 million Americans from medical care. But under a new Texas law, some Medicaid patients will be able to take ride-hailing trips to the doctors office. Last summer, lawmakers relaxed regulations to shift funds for non-emergency transportation to ride-hailing companies such as Lyft and Uber. So far, only a handful of states are going this route. More than 3.8 million Texans rely on Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for low-income patients in the nation. The state arranges free rides for some of these patients to their appointments, but its not always reliable, leaving some patients worse off. Starting Wednesday, regional health care brokers will be able to contract with ride-hailing companies to take certain Medicaid recipients free of charge to their appointments or to the pharmacy. The pilot program allows these managed care organizations or health plans to offer ride-hailing as a value-added option. But health policy experts say its unclear whether the federal government will OK funding for this carve-in benefit. On ExpressNews.com: Texas lawmakers look to Uber, Lyft to transport Medicaid patients State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, who authored House Bill 1576, said the new law will save the state money on nonemergency medical transportation, which the state is required to provide under the Medicaid program. The cost of providing these rides for Medicaid patients in Texas averages $158 million annually. However, the federal government foots most of the bill. In 2018, the state paid six vendors a total of $166 million for these services. The problem with the states program, Phelan said, is that it required a two-day notice from the patients, resulting in some missing appointments. The result was poorer health outcomes and more costly hospitalizations. Unlike traditional users of ride-hailing smartphone apps, patients wont have to directly schedule their rides. Their health plan will schedule them, but only for patients who can safely meet the driver at the curb. Phelan said the new public-private partnership will reduce the number of missed medical appointments, a problem that costs the industry an estimated $150 billion each year in higher care costs. Still, he said he was surprised when the transportation bill squeaked by at the end of the 2019 legislative session with little fanfare and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 14. In a May 23 fiscal note, the state Legislative Budget Board said that while the bills financial impact couldnt be determined at the time, a significant cost would be anticipated. State officials are working with insurers to implement the first phase of HB 1576, said Christine Mann, chief press officer of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. But health plans say they are scrambling to figure out exactly how the new transportation program will work by Sept. 1, a deadline written into the law to ensure that health plans will coordinate transportation for Medicaid patients. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox But most agree the option will improve access to care for patients, which will save money down the line. Matt McCormick, a vice president at Access2Care, said the change will be genuinely transformative for Texas. Access2Care, under its parent company American Medical Response, is one of six non-emergency transportation vendors that have contracted with the THHSC, the state agency that oversees Medicaid. Many of these companies have already partnered with Lyft and Uber in other states, which gives ride-hailing companies a growing piece in the lucrative health care market. Case studies show that for patients who dont have vehicles, access to public transportation or money for a cab, they often delay treatment. Phelan said consider the Medicaid patient who needs to find a ride to dialysis three times a week. According to an economic report by Lyft, 28 percent of San Antonio riders have used Lyft to access health care services. Of those riders, 38 percent said that without the app, they would be less likely to make their appointments regularly. Laura Garcia covers the health care industry in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her stories and more local coverage on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | laura.garcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @Reporter_Laura President Donald Trump arrives on stage for a Keep America Great Rally at Kellogg Arena December 18, 2019, in Battle Creek, Michigan. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images The year 2020 certainly got off to a bang with tensions between the U.S. and Iran high amid Tehran-backed protests in Iraq and experts believe that geopolitical turbulence is only going to get worse this year, particularly in the run up to the most seismic event of the year the U.S. election in November. "I think this is going to be a year of greater turbulence, greater intensification of practically every geopolitical tension, and that is going to play into the Democratic primaries but also the 2020 election in a big way," Inderjeet Parmar, visiting professor at the London School of Economics and head of City University's department of International Politics, said Thursday. "The last three years have shown us that the U.S. is wracked by polarization pretty much every institution you can think of within politics is set up against another within the same political system what we've got is a president against the Congress, a House against the Senate and we've got party against party. So, I think that turbulence is going to carry on and intensify," he told CNBC's Squawk Box Europe. 2019 was characterized by geopolitical upheavals around the world with tensions high between the U.S. and China over trade (as well as between the U.S. and other trading partners like Europe) and within the Middle East, with the U.S. and Saudi Arabia isolating and pressurizing regional rival Iran further. Tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated on January 1 after President Trump threatened Tehran following an attack on the U.S. embassy in Iraq on Tuesday. On a geopolitical front, voters will be closely-watching the viability of a phase one trade deal between China and U.S. and how tensions play out between the U.S. and Iran. But closer to home, the Democrats' impeachment process against President Donald Trump will be the most closely-watched and divisive process, as well as the Democratic primaries, starting February, to elect the party's nominee for the U.S. election. Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are seen as front-runners for the nomination, as well as Pete Buttigieg, whose campaign said Wednesday that he had raised $76 million in donations since entering the race in April. "Even if you look at it from a market sort of standpoint, the market wants to know two things it wants to know who's the Democratic frontrunner," Mike Gallagher, managing director of Macro and Strategy at Continuum Economics, told CNBC Thursday. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio began 2020, the year he intended to become president, by asserting that Dominos Pizza exploited New Years Eve revelers in Times Square by selling pizzas for $30 apiece. But was the mayors hot take on the extra dough fresh? In his first original tweet of the year, Mayor de Blasio referred to a New York Post story about this franchises 15-year-old tradition of delivering pizzas to the crowd. Jacking up your prices on people trying to celebrate the holidays? he wrote. Classy, @dominos. To the thousands who came to Times Square last night to ring in 2020, Im sorry this corporate chain exploited you, he continued. [S]tick it to them by patronizing one of our fantastic LOCAL pizzerias. Jacking up your prices on people trying to celebrate the holidays? Classy, @dominos. To the thousands who came to Times Square last night to ring in 2020, Im sorry this corporate chain exploited you stick it to them by patronizing one of our fantastic LOCAL pizzerias. pic.twitter.com/rO6I9oYIku Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 1, 2020 One might object that New York City, which is currently gripped in an epidemic of anti-Semitic violence, has weightier problems to address. But given that Hizzoner chose to address this issue, is he right? A host of people on Twitter pointed out the law of supply-and-demand: As demand for a finite product rises, its price rises to meet it. Hundreds of thousands of partiers, with no access to food or drinks, create a human wave of demand. Prices in crowds always rise, as customers outbid one another. To simply dismiss Bill de Blasios tweet on the grounds of supply and demand would overlook all the other ways the mayors charges fall flat on the facts. Mayor de Blasios attack is based on a number of hypocrisies richer than Dominos sauce. 1. The customers were grateful. Prices transmit a vital piece of information: the value consumers place on a product. Plenty of people would be happier with a hot pizza pie than with an extra $30 and an empty stomach. (Esau had a similar values dilemma when he sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of pottage.) Profit is a form of gratitude for services rendered, as Dominos satisfied customers told the Post. The delivery man is our Santa, said Amit Zanwar, a 31-year-old who came to the celebration with two friends and no food. Francisco Patalano, who visited from Fort Polk in Louisiana, said, It was totally worth it. Government may think it knows best, but free choices, made by free individuals, deliver the best results for everyone involved. 2. The government created the extraordinary conditions that fed this demand. Someone who wishes to enter the wall of humanity that is Times Square on New Years Eve becomes subject to a number of regulations. As part of the necessary security measures to secure an inviting terrorist target, officials screen attendees and assign them to a pen. They can leave, but they cannot return. Attendees willingly lose access to nutrition, hydration, and restroom facilities. While this is sadly necessary in an age of terror, it stokes demand. Further, the government must close surrounding streets, so Dominos delivery man Ratan Banik had to balance a stack of hot pizzas on his head as he walked into crowd, selling his wares. Does the mayor believe the restaurant deserves nothing for going above-and-beyond to feed customers on a holiday? 3. The critique is motivated by envy, not moral outrage. Moral integrity demands that all people be held to the same standard. Yet as de Blasio inveighs against evil corporations, those on the ground would be treated no better by the screaming-caps LOCAL pizzerias he extols. [M]any city pizzerias charge $4 a slice which works out to $32 for a pie and that restaurants regularly raise their rates on New Years Eve, the Post reports. That is, the corporation charged the same prices as its rivals. Demeaning one business while praising its competitors, who are engaged in identical practices, shows de Blasio is motivated by animus, not moral integrity. 4. Private consumers have the right to choose, or reject, the price. Dominos cannot force people to purchase a product they do not want unlike, e.g., health insurance companies under the original Affordable Care Act. Which brings us to the next item . 5. Bill de Blasio understands and advocates raising fees based on demand. Mayor de Blasio has endorsed Governor Andrew Cuomos scheme of congestion pricing for traffic: Beginning next year, the government will charge cars $12 to $14, and trucks $25, to enter Manhattans business district the very area in question. Congestion is another word for increased demand, and de Blasio is jacking up your prices by imposing a draconian daily fee on those who want access to the limited supply of public streets. Physician, heal thyself. 6. The government often gives the people an undesirable product. Government alone has the power of coercion. The NYC government not only extracts peoples wealth by force but spends it on a variety of programs many of those people do not want. (Now do property taxes, one Twitter user responded.) Bill de Blasios approval rating sits at a dismal 27 percent. Government, unlike the free market, compels people to pay, but the policies are increasingly drawn up by a remote bureaucracy staffed by technocrats with little incentive to please those paying the tab. 7. Franchises are local pizzerias. Mayor de Blasios attempt to stir up populist backlash against giant corporations fails, because he does not understand that every Dominos franchise is locally owned by his constituents. Although the franchise model of business came under fire during the Obama administration, the present National Labor Relations Board understands distant corporations do not own local stores. Franchisees, including the owners of the Dominos on 40th Street and 7th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, are hardworking entrepreneurs running their own business. And now, they must counter the intervention of the highest government official in their city. Luckily for Dominos, if this were a real crime, they could now be released without bail, to serve the public again and again. (Photo credit: Creative Cologne / Shutterstock.com. Editorial use only.) President Donald Trump speaks to media before departing the White House on Marine One on Oct. 11, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Trump Declares January Human Trafficking Prevention Month On the last day of 2019, President Donald Trump proclaimed January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, calling the crime of trafficking an affront to humanity that tragically reaches all parts of the world. In the Dec. 31 proclamation, Trump said trafficking erodes personal dignity and also destroys the moral fabric of society. He said there are new trafficking victims every day in the United States, adding that in January, his administration is reaffirming their commitment to eradicating the crime. In all its forms, human trafficking is an intolerable blight on any society dedicated to freedom, individual rights, and the rule of law, he said. Trafficking is a global, everyday problem hidden in plain sight. About 1 in 800 people in the United States are living in modern slavery, according to 2018 data by the Walk Free Foundation. The phrase is a broad term used to describe victims of forced labor, sexual exploitation or servitude, and forced marriages, among numerous other abuses. Trump pointed to some estimates stating that 24.9 million people around the world and in the United States, including both adults and children, are trapped in some form of human trafficking. These trafficking crimes, he said, were perpetrated by a mix of transnational criminal enterprises, gangs, and cruel individuals. Human traffickers exploit others through forced labor or commercial sex, and traffickers profit from their victims horrific suffering, he said. The evil of human trafficking must be defeated. Trump has made combating human trafficking a focal point of his administration. In January 2019, he signed both the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act that reaffirmed his commitment to preventing trafficking in all its forms. Trump said that with his support, departments and agencies have continued the battle to abolish trafficking. The Department of Homeland Security has initiated more than 800 investigations related to human trafficking, he noted, adding that the Department of State has also launched its Human Trafficking Expert Consultant Network, made up of survivors and other experts, to inform its anti-trafficking policies and programs. He also noted that for the first time, the Department of Transportation committed $5.4 million in grants to go toward preventing human trafficking and other crimes that could occur on public transportation. The inherent dignity, freedom, and autonomy of every person must be respected and protected, he said. This month, we renew our resolve to redouble our efforts to deliver justice to all who contribute to the cruelty of human trafficking, and we will tenaciously pursue the promise of freedom for all victims of this terrible crime. In April 2018, Trump signed into law a bill dubbed the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017. The act makes it easier to take legal action against individuals who use websites to facilitate sex trafficking, while also helping victims fight back against websites that profit from their exploitation. In the same month, the FBI seized Backpage.com, the largest child-sex trafficking website in the United States. Nearly three-quarters of the cases submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children relate to ads posted on Backpage.com. The government has slashed the duty on imports of refined palmolein to 45% (from 50%) and that of crude palm oil (CPO) to 37.5% (from 40%) effective immediately. The import duty cut has been done within the framework of ASEAN agreement and the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (IMCECA), according to Finance Ministry notification. However, an industry body claims it will hurt domestic refinery sector. Mumbai-based Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) which represents the oil import lobby has opposed the move and said that following the cut in import duty, the tax difference between CPO and refined palmolein has reduced from 10% to 7.5%. Also Read: Oil prices edge down but set for biggest yearly rise since 2016 "This will have serious impact on domestic palm oil refining industry and oilseeds farmers. We fear import of refined palmolein would increase and capacity utilisation of our industry would be affected leading to potential loss of employment," SEA Executive Director B V Mehta said in a statement. After a long time, the domestic oilseeds had started selling their produce above the minimum support price (MSP). "Lower import duty would make it difficult to defend MSP and the newfound enthusiasm of the oilseed farmers would be dampened," he said. The country's edible oil imports are now touching 70% of the consumption. The duty cut would be counterproductive and contrary to the government's stated objective of increasing domestic oilseed production, he added. Also Read: India steel ministry seeks higher import duties to deter Chinese imports Asserting that India too should protect the interest of farmers like Malaysia and Indonesia, the SEA said Indonesia from January 1 has imposed an export duty of $50 on CPO and $30 on refined palmolein. Similarly, Malaysia has imposed an export duty of $31 on CPO and zero duty on refined palmolein which work out to be nearly 5% on CPO value, thus effective duty difference is hardly 2.5% only. "We strongly appeal to the government to increase the duty differential between CPO and refined palm oil to 15%, by taking appropriate measures," the industry body added. Also Read: Aviation Turbine Fuel price hiked by 2.6% on New Year; check out revised rates (With inputs from PTI.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) Prepare to dive back into the world of Harry Potter, and it is just as magical as you've left it. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, which happens to be author J.K. Rowling's screenwriting debut, takes you back 70 years before the events of the original 'Harry Potter' series. Bringing the world to life on screen is director David Yates, who was the man behind the lens for the last four 'Harry Potter' films. Yates drums up a foreign yet familiar environment for Potterheads to lap up, as he takes the audience away from the halls of Hogwarts to the streets of New York. With the movie ultimately being a period piece, it is a refreshing take on the 1920s both for the muggle and wizarding worlds. Rowling deserves plaudits for giving the audience new lovable characters to root for, despite it being her maiden voyage as a screenwriter. Protagonist Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, is instantly likeable and his love for his beasts is infectious even to the moviegoer. It takes awhile for moviegoers to warm up to Scamander's supporting cast, but they are memorable in their own right when they finally hit their stride. The antagonist doesn't command as much dread as compared to the original series' Voldemort. The plot itself takes awhile to get rolling, but the reintroduction into the wizarding world helps ease the transition into it. Unfortunately for newcomers to the Potter world, Fantastic Beasts assumes that you are familiar with the lore, which could leave some people confused as the film goes on. For those familiar with the wizarding world would probably be giddy seeing what is beyond the walls of Hogwarts. As a whole, it is a fun ride back and a worthy addition to the Potter franchise. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 00:18:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Actresses perform Chinese folk dance during the opening of the New Year celebration on Times Square in New York, the United States, on Dec. 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) A 6-minute performance featuring Chinese folk dance amazed the audience and kicked off the Times Square New Year's Eve countdown in New York. NEW YORK, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese folk dance amazed thousands of people at New York City (NYC)'s Times Square Tuesday night by kicking off one of the most famous New Year's Eve countdowns in the world. Co-organized by the Sino-American Friendship Association and the Times Square Alliance, the performance featured over a dozen female dancers dressing like figures of Dunhuang murals in Mogao Caves, a UNESCO world heritage site in northwest China's Gansu Province. The 6-minute performance demonstrated the beauty of China along the ancient Silk Road, and the passion and hospitality of the Chinese people. A video on various LED screens atop the square displayed the scenery of China such as the Huangshan Mountain, also known as the Yellow Mountain, in east China's Anhui Province. The dance was followed by an array of performances from global artists and pop stars. Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping, who made brief remarks before the show, wished everyone a happy new year both in English and Chinese. He also invited people to visit China, saying "China welcomes you with open arms!" The hours-long celebration, which culminated in the 60-second countdown to the new year and the following confetti-filled festivities, brought an estimated 1 million revelers to the heart of the city each year. Some people waited for over 12 hours in order to get a good spot to witness the ball drop, a New Year's Eve tradition here since 1907. The 12-foot (3.65 meters) crystal ball would descend down a flagpole at 11:59 p.m. local time (0459 GMT Jan. 1) and come to a rest as the new year kicks off. Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering Bank of America (BAC), which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Major Regional industry. This nation's second-largest bank 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 8.86%. For the most recent quarter, Bank of America was expected to post earnings of $0.50 per share, but it reported $0.56 per share instead, representing a surprise of 12%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $0.70 per share, while it actually produced $0.74 per share, a surprise of 5.71%. Price and EPS Surprise With this earnings history in mind, recent estimates have been moving higher for Bank of America. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the company is positive, which is a great sign of an earnings beat, especially when you combine this metric with its nice 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. Bank of America has an Earnings ESP of +0.14% 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 January 15, 2020. Story continues With the Earnings ESP metric, it's important to note that a negative value reduces its predictive power; however, a negative Earnings ESP does not indicate an earnings miss. Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground 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 Bank of America Corporation (BAC) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Taiwan's military chief was killed in a helicopter crash on Thursday, the defence ministry said, just days before the island goes to polls to elect a new president. The chief of the general staff, Shen Yi-ming, was among eight senior officers -- including three major-generals -- who died when their Black Hawk helicopter smashed into mountains near Taipei. The 62-year-old general and his entourage were on a routine mission to visit soldiers in northeast Yilan county for the upcoming Lunar New Year when the incident happened. Flags at all military units will fly at half-mast for three days as Shen was the highest-ranking military official to die while on official duty, the government said. Lieutenant-general Tsao Ching-ping, one of five survivors, told rescuers in footage broadcast on local TV: "I am okay... two others are injured and only I can walk." "There is one more person who's more seriously wounded and two or three people in the cabin... two more with no signs of life." President Tsai Ing-wen's office said she would cancel all campaign activities for three days after the tragedy. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party will also suspend campaigning for three days. Tsai is seeking a second term against Kaohsiung city mayor Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang (KMT) party in the January 11 elections when Taiwan will also elect a new parliament. - 'Deeply saddened' - Han and the KMT also offered condolences to the victims and announced that they will stop campaigning for two days. "Today is a day that we are deeply saddened because several of our most distinguished generals died while on official duty," Tsai said at a briefing for the incident. "I've asked the defence minister to maintain stable military morale at this time to ensure steady military and defence operations for the safety and stability of our country." There have been a number of incidents involving Black Hawk helicopters -- purchased from the United States -- in recent years in Taiwan. In 2018 a chopper belonging to a government rescue agency crashed during a medical mission off outlying Orchid Island, killing six people on board in an incident attributed to human error. There were also two crash landings in 2016 and 2018 with no casualties. The US has remained Taipei's most powerful unofficial ally and its leading arms supplier despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979. "We hope that our steadfast commitment to supporting Taiwan's security will honour their memory," Washington's de facto embassy, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said in a statement. "I was privileged to work closely with General Shen in our joint efforts to strengthen the US-Taiwan security relationship. With his keen insight and good humour, he was a valued leader, colleague and friend. He will be sorely missed," said AIT director Brent Christensen. US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley described Shen as "an exceptional leader to his people and a champion for Taiwan's defense and regional security." "We are grateful for the service he rendered so selflessly and cherish our friendship and strong defense relations with Taiwan," he said in a statement. The UH-60M helicopter carrying 13 people disappeared from radar less than 15 minutes after taking off, said Air Force Commander Hsiung Hou-chi, adding that the ministry had set up a taskforce to investigate the incident. "We are investigating whether (the cause) was environmental or mechanical," he told reporters. The ministry has dispatched ground troops and rescue helicopters to the crash site in northeastern Taiwan. It said survivors will be carried off the mountains for treatment rather than being air-lifted due to bad weather. A New Zealand fashion label has been inundated with orders after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a photo of their son Archie Harrison wearing one of its knitted hats on New Year's Day. Make Give Love, a socially conscious company based in Auckland, has been 'overwhelmed' with demand, receiving 'multiple orders a second' since Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, shared the unseen photo on their official Instagram account. The candid snap shows seven-month-old Archie in the $47 hat (GBP 24.95), bundled against the cold in his father's arms, standing beside a lake on what is thought to be their Canadian Christmas hideaway of Vancouver Island. The 'Cocobear' beanie was gifted to the Sussexes during their royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in October 2018, after an aide approached Make Give Live for a hat to present to the then-pregnant Duchess. Archie wears an adorable hat knitted by New Zealand social enterprise Make Give Live in this photo, posted as part of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's New Year message Co-founder Claire Conza hoped the business - which aims to tackle mental illness by bringing people together to knit accessories, donating one to charity for every item sold - would resonate with the royals because of their commitment to mental health. But she never imagined the British royals would shoot her ethical enterprise to global stardom. 'We'd made thousands of dollars before 8am this morning and we've sold out of all the stock that we had of that style,' Claire told Stuff.co.nz on Thursday. 'I almost can't even comprehend what it means,' she added. The never-before-seen shot of baby Archie was shared in a highlight reel of the family's most memorable moments from 2019. The Duke and Duchess slipped Archie's feet into a pair of fluffy Ugg boots for the photo, which were gifted to the couple in Sydney just hours after Kensington Palace announced they were expecting their first child. The boots were presented by Australian Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove on the first day of the Oceania royal tour on Tuesday October 15, 2018. The smiling baby also wore a $68 brown cord jacket from British retailer Boden (GBP 36). The Ugg boots were presented by Australian Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove on the first day of the royal tour (pictured) - and now it seems Archie is finally big enough to wear them Smiling Archie, who was photographed in his father's arms in Canada, is also seen wearing this $68 brown cord jacket from British retailer Boden, pictured It is the second time Harry and Meghan have signaled their support for the British brand, after dressing Archie in a Boden jumper for their Christmas card photo, pictured It is the second time Harry and Meghan have signaled their support for the brand, having dressed Archie in a Boden jumper for their Christmas card photo. In their caption for the post, which has been viewed by more than 3.4 million people, the Duke and Duchess wrote: '2019 in review. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and thanking you all for your continued support! 'We've loved meeting so many of you from around the world and can't wait to meet many more of you next year. We hope 2020 brings each of you health and continued happiness. - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.' Ongoing Exhibitions Nebraska History Museum Votes for Women: Nebraskas Suffrage Story, through Jan. 2021; "Nebraska Unwrapped: Selections from the Collections," through 2020; "Take Our Picture: Sod House Portraits," by Solomon Butcher, though June 1; Photographers and the Plains Indians, through 2020: History Learning Center, ongoing adventure led by Docents, discover the cowboy life and early Pioneer life of the early Nebraskans; "Piecing together the past," archaeology exhibit, featuring 1300 years of history. Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 1-5:30 p.m. Saturday, 131 Centennial Mall North. History.nebraska.gov . Nearby Museum of Nebraska Art Current Exhibitions: "Spotlight On: Joyce Ballantyne," born in Norfolk, raised in Omaha, best known for her iconic 1959 Coppertone, illustrated advertisement, through February; "Threaded," displaying the depth and breadth of the quality of Nebraska-related fiber arts spanning over 100 years, through February; Nebraska Now: David Gracie, "A Light That Casts No Shadow," East Coast native David Gracie creates intimate paintings of everyday scenes or objects such as the night sky or tufts of grass in addition to an occasional portrait, expressing the human spirit. Gracie is an Associate Professor of Art at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. Exhibit runs through Jan. 12; Lundeens: A Divine Collaboration, through February. Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; Noon-5 p.m. Sunday, 2401 Central Ave., Kearney. Mona.unk.edu or 308-865-8559. The ex-Nissan boss, accused of financial mismanagement, was allowed to carry a spare passport, Japanese media said. Japanese authorities allowed former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn to carry a spare French passport in a locked case while out on bail, public broadcaster NHK said on Thursday, shedding some light on how he managed a dramatic escape to Lebanon. Prosecutors on Thursday raided the Tokyo residence of the former Nissan Motor Co Ltd chairman, NHK also reported. Ghosn, one of the worlds best-known executives, has become Japans most famous fugitive after he revealed on Tuesday he had fled to Lebanon to escape what he called a rigged justice system. The businessman, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenships, was smuggled out of Tokyo by a private security company days ago, the culmination of a plan that was crafted over three months with the help of his Lebanese wife, the Reuters news agency has reported. Officials in Lebanon said Ghosn entered legally on a French passport. But one of Ghosns Japanese lawyers has said the lawyers were still in possession of all three of his passports, under the terms of his bail. However, Ghosn had been issued a spare French passport, NHK said, citing unidentified sources, and carried it in the months before his departure. Japanese authorities have not officially commented on Ghosns disappearance. Government offices are shut this week for the New Year holiday. NHK, citing the sources, said he had been obliged to carry the passport with him since May, without elaborating on the reason. Foreigners in Japan are required to carry government-issued identification cards or passports at all times. NHK said his lawyers applied to have the terms of his bail changed so that he could carry a passport in a locked case. His lawyers in Japan said they had no knowledge of the escape and they had all his passports. The key to the locked case in which the spare passport was kept was held by his lawyers, NHK said. No one was immediately available for comment at the office of his lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, the French embassy in Tokyo, or at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, Reuters reported. Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faces four charges which he denies including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East. He enjoyed an outpouring of support from Lebanon after his arrest. Tokyo raid Japanese prosecutors raided Ghosns Tokyo home after he left the country, according to reports and photos of the raid from Japanese media, The Associated Press news agency reported on Thursday. Tokyo prosecutors and police did not immediately comment to the AP. Ghosn has said he would talk to reporters next week. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon, which has said there was no reason to take action against Ghosn when he entered the country. Lebanese authorities reportedly asked for Ghosns return a week before he escaped Tokyo, according to the Financial Times report citing people familiar with the matter. The request was backed at the highest level and will probably intensify questions over the support Ghosn received from Lebanon in the run-up to his escape, the report said. A person close to the Ghosn family told the FT that the private security operatives hired by Ghosn had split into several teams operating in different countries. Preparations were assisted by Japanese supporters of Ghosn, said two people familiar with the situation. Earlier Japanese reports said there were no official records in Japan of Ghosns departure, but a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. Ghosn, who was charged with under-reporting his future compensation and breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan Motor Co and alliance partner Renault SA. Turkey launches probe Later on Thursday, Turkish media reported that authorities have detained seven people suspected of aiding Ghosn. NTV television said the probe was launched by launched by Turkeys Interior Ministry. The private DHA news agency reports that those detained are 4 pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. Ghosn fled to Lebanon this week before his trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges. Turkish media reports said he flew to Lebanon on a private jet via Istanbul. NEW YORK, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Firstrade Securities Inc., a leading online commission-free brokerage firm, has completed a comprehensive infrastructure and technology upgrade of all its core trading platforms and security systems. This initiative was undertaken to provide the best possible trading experience for its customers to maximize speed, execution and security. In the past year alone, Firstrade has doubled its investment in its core infrastructure. The initial phase of its enterprise infrastructure project has been completed with the latest multi-core processors and a high-performance network storage system that's based on 3D-NAND flash technology. The new platform can perform up to three times faster than Firstrade's previous version, delivering up to 300,000 I/O per second. This upgrade in speed can make the critical difference in whether a trade is successful or not and can help achieve real cost savings as well. The company is also testing multi-cloud system architecture to provide increased availability of the best cloud services. As one of the earliest brokers to offer commission-free trading, Firstrade has long recognized that the speed and pace of trading in today's financial markets and the future of trading has required the company to be consistently ahead of the curve in developing and providing leading-edge technologies. With hundreds of thousands of new investors freed from transaction fees and ready to begin their own investing journey, this vision is particularly relevant in today's markets. "Active traders want advanced platforms to enable them to make smarter investing decisions and actions. Our exciting growth trends in new customers and accounts has coupled with our long-term commitment and investment in our core infrastructure and IT," said John Liu, chairman and CEO of Firstrade Securities, Inc. "Since Firstrade was established in 1985, our mission has been to deliver value to our customers. This is a goal we strive to achieve each and every day to put the needs and concerns of our customers first and provide them with the tools and resources to help make informed investing decisions about their money." About Firstrade Securities Firstrade is a leading online brokerage offering 100 percent commission-free trading on stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds and fixed income through its mobile apps and web platform. It offers a full line of investment products and tools to help self-directed investors take control of their financial future. Whether you are a new investor or an active trader, at Firstrade, we are committed to excellence, and putting the investor first. Named number one for fees and commissions, best for active traders and ETFs, and a top pick for investment choices by Kiplinger's Personal Finance Online Broker Review 2019, named Best in Class and 4.5 stars for Ease of Use by Stockbrokers.com. Member FINRA/SIPC since 1985. For more information, visit www.firstrade.com. Media Contact: Anne Steinberg Kitchen Public Relations [email protected] 212-687-8999 SOURCE Firstrade Securities, Inc. Related Links http://www.firstrade.com Mexicos leader has claimed notorious drug cartel kingpin Joaquin Guzman better known as El Chapo wielded the power of a president up until his most recent imprisonment. In a New Years speech Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office in December last year on an anti-corruption platform, celebrated his administrations efforts to root out those in high office who were found to have been under the thumb of El Chapos deadly Sinaloa cartel. "There was a time when Guzman Loera was as powerful, or had the influence, that the president had at that time," he told an audience in the southern city of Palenque. "That made it hard to punish those who had committed crimes. That is now history." His comments come a month after the arrest of Genaro Garcia Luna, a former Mexican government official responsible for public security, was charged in the United States with accepting millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa drug cartel once run by Guzman. However his administration has stopped short of investigating former President Felipe Calderon, who led the country at the time and was accused of accepting a $100m bribe from the Sinaloa cartel kingpin himself in the 2019 US trial of el Chapo. Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Show all 4 1 /4 Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Pictures reveal how the Mexican drug lord had been living since his escape Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout The inside of a house searched by marine special forces where Guzman was hiding Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Inside a house searched by marine special forces during the military operation to recapture Guzman Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout El Chapo's attempted escape A marine stands guard next to a manhole of the sewer system through which drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman tried to escape Getty Mr Lopez Obradors abrazos no balazos hugs not bullets strategy to fighting cartel violence with social reforms and poverty-tackling initiatives helped elevate him to the presidency in 2018, offering a change in pace from his two predecessors who deployed hardline solutions to the war on crime in the country. However his approach has been put under strain by the continued supremacy of cartels with the botched operation to apprehend of El Chapos son Ovidio Guzman, who was freed shortly after his arrest when hundreds of gunmen razed the area around their base in Culiacan, held up as an example of his non-confrontational policy in action. Meanwhile the country continued to experience surging violence during Mr Lopez Obradors first year in office, with more than 17,000 people killed in the first half of the year, and 127 killed on 1 December alone. Lopez Obrador acknowledged in his speech on Tuesday that his government had work to do, particularly in curbing rampant violence, but described his anti-corruption drive as a point of pride. "We are purifying public life so there is moral authority," he added. Guzman was sentenced last year to life in prison without parole and moved to a high-security facility in Colorado after being convicted in a US court of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States over a decades-long career. His sentencing followed two high-profile prison breaks from maximum security Mexican prisons, as well as his 15-year effort to avoid an international manhunt after fleeing his cell in Jalisco in 2001. His second escape in 2015 saw El Chapo break out of prison through a 1.5km tunnel in the shower area of his cell. Additional reporting by Reuters. 3K Shares Share In the wake of the opioid epidemic, benzodiazepines have been called our other prescription drug problem and the next U.S. drug crisis. Prescriptions are on the rise, with over 30 million Americans reporting benzodiazepine use in the previous year. This is alarming, as benzodiazepines are implicated in at least 30% of opioid overdose deaths and have serious risks of their own, such as car accidents, falls, physical dependence, and dementia. Combining benzodiazepines and opioids causes respiratory depression, increasing the risk of fatal overdose tenfold compared to the use of opioids alone. In 2016, the FDA issued a boxed warning advising extreme caution when combining these drug classes. The 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain also addressed co-prescription, stating: Clinicians should avoid prescribing opioid pain medication and benzodiazepines concurrently whenever possible. The CDC Guideline further says: there are circumstances when it might be appropriate to prescribe opioids to a patient receiving benzodiazepines. But in the current climate, the recommendation to avoid co-prescribing is often treated as law, and physicians and pharmacies are being pressured to curb the practice. This is contributing to another crisis: Patients being forced off long-term benzodiazepines, often with serious consequences. Lori Ann G., a professional billiards player from Arizona, was cut off her 17-year Klonopin prescription by a doctor who simply no longer wanted the liability of prescribing benzodiazepines. The dangers of acute benzodiazepine withdrawal are well known: seizures and even death. Thirty-six hours after her last dose of Klonopin, Lori Ann experienced multiple seizures, and her blood pressure was off the charts, landing her in the emergency room. She had two more ER visits in 30 days, each time asked by staff: Are you here for pills? Finally, during her third visit, a physician recognized that she was in benzodiazepine withdrawal and gave her only enough Valium for a 30-day taper. Lori Anns withdrawal was unbearable: My heart was jumping out of my chest. My hearing was blown. My eyesight was completely blurred. I thought I was literally dying. Involuntary clenching of her jaw shattered three molars. Even when benzodiazepines are not stopped abruptly, patients are often forced to taper too quickly. Yvonne Gibney, a former office manager from New Mexico and a chronic pain patient, had filled the same prescriptions for Dilaudid and Ativan for years. But in 2017, her pharmacys new policy prohibited dispensing a benzodiazepine with an opioid. Yvonne found another pharmacy to dispense Ativan, but her doctor became nervous and cut her dose by half, initiating a taper to be done in two months time. Withdrawal symptoms are a natural consequence of stopping or precipitously lowering a long-term benzodiazepine dose. Yet the diagnosis of benzodiazepine withdrawal is often missed: patients are assumed to be drug-seekers and withdrawal goes untreated. Yyonne returned to her doctors office a few days after her Ativan reduction with clear withdrawal symptoms, sweating, shaking, and crying. Her doctor refused to slow her taper rate and referred her to an addiction clinic, which performed drug testing and asked questions implying she was seeking pills. After several calls to her doctor pleading for help, Yvonne was dropped from his practice. Patients who survive rapid benzodiazepine discontinuation may face severe and debilitating symptoms. And in a subset, these can persist for years after the last dose a protracted withdrawal syndrome more accurately described as neurological injury. Two years after her rapid taper, Yvonne remains extremely ill. She is emaciated, having lost much of her muscle mass. She has frozen shoulders and severe contractures in her hands. She has extreme nerve pain she describes as a sandblaster across my entire body, causing her to stand 18 hours a day to avoid unbearable skin contact with furniture. She is completely reliant on her husband to care for her. Yvonne contemplates suicide daily as a means of escape from her symptoms. As for Lori Ann, six years after her last Valium dose, she remains unable to work. Her short-term memory has been so damaged from rapid withdrawal that she uses Post-It notes to remind herself that she is cooking. She lives alone, and caring for herself is a struggle. The benzodiazepine problem goes beyond concerns of overprescribing. Physicians receive little to no education on how to properly taper benzodiazepines, and that is resulting in serious harm. Patients like Yvonne and Lori are left gravely ill, with little support from their doctors, and they arent alone: my nonprofit receives hundreds of emails monthly from benzodiazepine patients abandoned by their doctors or forced to taper too quickly. Patients on long-term benzodiazepines should be handled with care. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to withdrawing from this class of drug. A proper benzodiazepine taper can take many months or even years (one to two months is not enough for many). Even guidelines that recommend a slow taper may be too fast for some: the CDC Guideline, for example, recommends that benzodiazepines be reduced by 25% every one to two weeks, whereas many patients in online withdrawal forums find they must taper less than 10% of their current dose monthly to keep symptoms tolerable. While the Ashton Manual on tapering benzodiazepines is a good starting point, the rate of withdrawal should ultimately be determined by the patients symptoms. Not only does this alleviate patient suffering, but it also decreases the risk of neurological injury that can occur with abrupt removal of the drug. Regarding opioids, in response to forced and rapid tapers, the CDC issued a statement earlier this year advising against misapplication of their guidelines: The Guideline does not support abrupt tapering or sudden discontinuation of opioids. These practices can result in severe opioid withdrawal symptoms. Similarly, the FDA warned: Health care professionals should not abruptly discontinue opioids in a patient who is physically dependent Create a patient-specific plan to gradually taper the dose. Given the examples above, and many other unfortunate (and preventable) outcomes we have seen, it seems obvious these statements should be applied to benzodiazepines as well. Christy Huff is a cardiologist and co-director, Benzodiazepine Information Coalition. She can be reached on Twitter @christyhuffMD. Image credit: Shutterstock.com As homelessness proliferates in California while declining everywhere else, someone out in California, Michelle Mears at the California Globe, has decided to do what reporters (used to) do: she followed the money. What she found was the kind of thing you find when you turn over a rock. The homeless crisis appears to be manufactured for groups and people to profit through social programs and government positions. Those claiming to be able to fix the crisis continue to hold their hands out for state and federal funds placing their value on how much public funding they can raise and spread around to campaign donors instead of results. She calls it "a strain for the average California resident but a booming business for others" and names some of the richest profiteers: What do disgraced congresswoman Katie Hill, Los Angeles Councilman Mike Bonin, the non-profit PATH developer Thomas Safran, and Executive Director Peter Lynn of the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority have in common? They are all profiting or have profited from the so-called homeless crisis. There is also a connection among this crew of self-proclaimed homeless advocates of receiving six-figure salaries stemming from ballot initiatives to public donations, campaign contributions, and sweetheart deals. Mears goes into just how much money has been raised from sales taxes, such as Measure H, raised by the Los Angeles County voters to raise sales taxes to "help" the homeless. Years ago, that measure passed, and now the gravy is flowing. The state's homeless crisis is now the worst in Los Angeles as a result. And the hands of these NGO profiteers are still being held out, the old need for more "funds, funds, funds" despite the good times. "If you build it, they will come." Mears exposes other scams just like it in her long, detailed report. Nobody seems to have noticed that shoveling more pork to these greed-heads only makes homelessness worse. They're in the money, they're in the money...as they go rolling along. Mears notes that salaries are so high among the NGOs that purport to "help" the homeless that one participant, Katie Hill, the throuples enthusiast, was able to buy herself a congressional seat from it. She had been waiting tables as recently as 2010. After becoming an executive at one of these homelessness outfits, she rocketed into the cash. It was always strikingly odd that she lived that cruise-ship swinger lifestyle with her uneducated, unemployable husband, who she says leaked her naked pictures after she dumped him, which in the end forced her resignation from Congress, until you recognize where and how she got her sudden wealth surge. It explains a lot. The creepy thing is, as this homeless bureaucracy grows, there will be more freaks like Hill getting elected to high office. Maybe that's why President Trump has started to declare war on California's failures to resolve its homelessness crisis. Trump recently tweeted that he is going to send the feds in to hose out the problem if California doesn't start producing some results. Mears writes: The Democrat leaders in California have lashed out against Trump and [Housing and Urban Development secretary] Dr. Ben Carson for months for withholding funds to solve the homeless crisis. Carson, who was sworn in as the 17th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said he and the Trump Administration want the liberal leaders to show accountability for funds they already have been granted. Millions have been thrown at the homeless crisis with zero progress. In fact, the more money that has been given to the state and cities, the worse the crisis has become. Carson wrote that the Trump administration will help California but with stipulations, "When California has shown that it is willing to make hard and thoughtful choices to address these issues, the Trump administration stands ready to support its efforts." The homeless crisis appears to be manufactured for groups and people to profit through social programs and government positions. Those claiming to be able to fix the crisis continue to hold their hands out for state and federal funds placing their value on how much public funding they can raise and spread around to campaign donors instead of results. That's a racket. It's a growing racket, it's only making homelessness worse, and thank goodness President Trump is threatening to do something about it if they don't. Homelessness can be very lucrative indeed for the elite nomenklatura. Hat tip: Issues & Insights. Image credit: Matt Guernier, screen shot via shareable YouTube. MBABANE The central executive of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC) has called for the registration of political parties or they would resort to other forms to see this happening. This, they said through a statement that was issued in the last day of the elapsed year. The Sibongile Mazibuko-led political party said the authorities must unban and allow the registration of political parties to prepare for transition to multiparty democracy peacefully. Through the statement, the political partys Secretary General, Moses Ndlela, said they would not like a situation where the problem was resolved through other means, and in their view, the time was now. The statement addressed a lot of issues that transpired in the elapsed year and among them was the expression of shock to hear the Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, wishing emaSwati a happy Christmas when there was no cost- of-living adjustment (CoLA) for three years and no grants for the elderly. respect How can such groups have a happy Christmas? The issue of CoLA was handled in a manner that shows arrogance, no respect or sympathy for the people who contributed so much by working under such poor conditions; and are heavily taxed and have no meaningful benefits, reads part of the statement. Ndlela said the economy generated a healthy income, and this years budget indicated approximately E18 billion but the money had disappeared through corruption in the tendering system and that was why there was no meaningful mechanism for fighting, and this was largely because certain individuals were involved in the tendering system in government, municipalities and parastatals. There are some entities which will not be of benefit to the nation, but will continue to drain the public coffers. These are the KMIII Airport, the ICC and FISH, the former has already consumed over E4 billion and the latter has taken over E8 billion and will continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Another financial drain are the many commissions which have Boards of many people; for example the public pension fund has 17 members, but they cannot review the monthly annuity for many years now, said Ndlela. The statement further said poverty was taking its toll an the unemployed members of society and he thanked the print media for being informative, for one would not know about the fiscal mismanagement that went about in government circles. Ndlela said now and again reports of corruption and shady deals were reported in the media and he also thanked social media for unearthing the rot that went on under the nose of those in authority. summed He said the picture on page 13 of our sister publication, the Eswatini News on December 28 summed up the story of the level of poverty, neglect and marginalisation of the vulnerable people. It is the duty of the State to assist the populace, because it is the one that collects and distributes the wealth evenly and should care for the rural infrastructure. Then if the government does not do that, the people simply remove it through elections. Any person holding power must be elected so that he is removed if he undermines the electorate. Now, that is why we the NNLC demand a change in the system of governance, since it has failed us year in and year out, he said. dialogue Ndlela further said the church, NGOs and civil society have time and again encouraged government to open dialogue with its people, but has not listened to this wise counsel, and the reason was simple; they have the money, they buy arms of war. They think they have the army and police against the citizens; we do not know if they really have, for we believe that these entities are always on the side of the people who pay them through their taxes. The political party assembly rightly placed the ball in the PMs court, he wrote. The statement also thanked structures and the general membership of the political party for being part of all activities which helped to highlight the plight of the citizens, in the rural areas, urban and peri-urban areas alike. Lets thank the workers in the private sector for their contribution in our economy, for waking up at 4am in the morning and returning home at 8pm, the economy rests on your shoulders. You also carry heavy taxes but your children are sitting home because tax is not used to build schools or hire enough teachers, many of those who complete secondary education cannot find places in colleges and universities and many cannot get scholarships. Hospitals run out of drugs and nursing staff, he concluded. Police arrest man allegedly seen on dramatic doorbell camera video kidnapping a woman originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Las Vegas police have arrested a 23-year-old man who was allegedly seen on a doorbell camera kidnapping and assaulting a woman. A resident in a neighborhood south of Downtown Las Vegas reported the incident to police after their doorbell camera recorded the incident shortly after midnight on New Year's Eve. MORE: Video: Doorbell camera captures terrifying screams In the video, a woman is seen running up to the house, where she bangs on the door and screams for help. In the background, a man, identified by police as Darnell Rodgers, jumps out of a white sedan and sprints up to the woman. Rodgers, 23, grabs the woman and throws her to the ground, then kicks her in the stomach, sending her tumbling down the steps. PHOTO: Darnell Rodgers, 23, was arrested Jan. 2, 2020 in Las Vegas charged with kidnapping and domestic battery after he was allegedly seen on doorbell camera video kidnapping a woman. (Clark County Jail) "Why would you do that?" he shouts, swearing at her as she sobs. Police said the incident appears to be a domestic violence situation. PHOTO: In this still image from a video captured by a doorbell camera outside a home in Las Vegas, an unidentified woman is seen falling on her back after being kicked down the stairs by an unidentified man, Jan. 1, 2020. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police) He then pulls the woman to her feet, shouting at her to "get in the car" and swearing at her, before he drags her down the walkway into the car. The full video, which contains violence and coarse language, was posted to YouTube by Las Vegas police. MORE: Fan visiting for Fiesta Bowl carjacked, kidnapped, shot, then seen begging for help on doorbell cam Rodgers was arrested Thursday morning for kidnapping and domestic battery charges. He is currently at the Clark County jail. The identity of the victim was not released, but she was found and is safe, police said. The Control-IQ artificial pancreas system was derived from research done at the Center for Diabetes Technology at the University of Virginia. Credit: Tandem Diabetes Care The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an artificial pancreas systembased on technology from the University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technologythat automatically monitors and regulates blood glucose levels. "We are excited that our decade-long research, which recently culminated in a large-scale clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has been successfully translated to the clinical practice" said Boris Kovatchev, Ph.D., director of the UVA center. "This is a new-generation interoperable automated glucose control system, which allows seamless integration of a continuous glucose sensor, insulin pump, and a smart control algorithm". The artificial pancreas system, called Control-IQ and manufactured by Tandem Diabetes Care, tracks blood glucose levels with a continuous glucose monitor (Dexcom G6 CGM) and automatically delivers the hormone insulin as needed. The system frees people from testing their blood sugar levels multiple times a day by fingerstick, and from delivery of insulin by multiple daily injections. Better Managing Type 1 Diabetes The pump is programmed with an algorithm developed at UVA that uses glucose monitoring information to adjust the recipient's insulin dose automatically. FDA approval follows results from a multicenter clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine that found the new artificial pancreas system was more effective than existing treatments at controlling blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes. The study showed that the system improved blood glucose control throughout the day and overnight. During the study, 168 participants age 14 or older with type 1 diabetes were randomly assigned to use either the artificial pancreas system or sensor-augmented pump (SAP) therapy with a continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump that did not automatically adjust insulin throughout the day. The researchers found that users of the artificial pancreas system significantly increased the amount of time with their blood glucose levels in the target range, while the time in range in the SAP group remained unchanged over six months. Artificial pancreas users also showed improvements in several diabetes control measures, including time with high and low blood glucose, compared with the SAP group. During the study, no severe hypoglycemia events occurred in either group. Diabetic ketoacidosis, in which the blood becomes too acidic, occurred in one participant in the artificial pancreas group due to a problem with equipment that delivers insulin from the pump. Development of the Artificial Pancreas Kovatchev thanked the numerous people and groups that have supported the development of the artificial pancreas system, including Paul and Diane Manning of Charlottesville; the Frederick Banting Foundation of Richmond; the JDRF's Artificial Pancreas Project; the UVA Strategic Investment Fund Project No. 88; and the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "We are thankful to everyone that supported the development of the artificial pancreas," said UVA endocrinologist Sue Brown, MD, the lead investigator of the clinical trial that tested Control-IQ. "Artificial pancreas systems can help people with type 1 diabetes improve blood-sugar control while also making it easier for them to manage their blood-sugar levels." Explore further Artificial pancreas system better controls blood glucose levels than current technology Provided by University of Virginia Health System George W. Hill Correctional Facility, in Thornton, Delaware County, where five women overdosed on heroin on Christmas Day. One of the women died after a week in a coma. Read more The heroin that led to overdoses of five women at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Delaware County one of whom died was smuggled in by the teenage son of one of the women during a Christmas Day visit hours earlier, sources close to the investigation said Thursday. Inmate Kathleen Fisher, 36, of Folcroft, told investigators from the GEO Group, the private company that runs the jail, that her son passed her the narcotic during holiday visitation hours, according to jail sources who described him as about 16 or 17. Fisher then shared the drug with four other women on her floor, the sources said. One of those women, Fatima Musa, 27, of Chester, died Monday after five days in a coma, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. She went into cardiac arrest after overdosing, and her family made the decision to take her off life support after doctors at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Center City were unable to revive her. Representatives from GEO declined to comment Thursday about the source of the drug, saying the investigation at the Thornton jail is ongoing. This was a very tragic incident and it cannot be stressed enough that anyone who smuggles illegal narcotics into the facility is not only violating the law but seriously hurting family and friends who are battling drug addiction, the company said in a statement. We provide rigorous treatment programs and education to help the more than half of the individuals who are ordered to the facility with a substance addiction to overcome their addictions. Fishers son apparently was driven to the jail by his grandmother, sources said. The incident remained under investigation by county detectives, and it was unclear Thursday if criminal charges would be filed. District Attorney Katayoun Copeland said she was unable to provide details, citing the active investigation. This wasnt the first time Fisher had exposed her children to narcotics. She was sentenced Dec. 4 to one to six years in jail for driving under the influence, endangering the welfare of a child, and drug offenses from an incident in May, when police in Upper Chichester Township found her passed out behind the wheel of her Kia Forte. In the passenger seat, they found empty heroin packets, according to the affidavit filed in her arrest. In the backseat, the officers found her daughter, then just 8 months old, improperly restrained, with capped syringes in a diaper bag on the seat. Sources at the jail identified the three other women who survived the overdoses as Jamie Welc, Catherine DeOrio, and Nadia Firdaous. All four have since been returned to the jail. Musa was incarcerated after being arrested for trespassing in June, a violation of her parole from a case in 2017, when she pleaded guilty to resisting arrest. Court records say she had tested positive for drugs twice while on parole, including prescription opiate painkillers. Welc, 25, pleaded guilty to driving without a license two weeks before her overdose, court records show. She received probation but was incarcerated on a technical violation of her sentence. DeOrio, 38, is awaiting trial for her alleged role in a check-cashing scam that stole more than $25,000 from business in the region, according to the affidavit filed in her arrest. Her prior criminal record includes guilty pleas for identity theft, forgery, receiving stolen property, and similar offenses. Officials at George W. Hill were holding Firdaous, 32, as she was awaiting extradition to Maryland. A judge in Harford County had issued a bench warrant after Firdaous failed to appear for her trial on false statements to police, drug possession, and related offenses, records show. Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced a social media backlash as he arrived in Karnataka on Thursday for a two-day visit, with the twitter hashtag "#GobackModi" trending on the microblogging platform for several hours. While some twitteratitargeted Modi for not speaking on issues pertaining to the state during his speeches, others questioned him for not visiting the state when it was hit by worst ever floods last year and alleged delay and inadequacy in central aid. Twitter users also attacked Modi on alleged attempts by the Centre to impose Hindi and "delay" in releasing the state's share ofGST and MNREGA funds. While the Prime Minister drew flak for enacting the Citizenship Amendment ACT, he also attracted criticism for making political onslaught against the Congress during his speech at Siddaganaga Matha, a religious seminary, in the presence of children. Lambasting the Congress and its allies for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, Modi in his address at the Math said the ongoing protests were against the Parliament and called on the agitators to raise their voice against Pakistan's atrocities on its minorities for the last 70 years. "What we want him to talk about - his govt's help to Karnataka - flood relief - inter-state water disputes - correcting flaws in centralised recruitment exams. What he talks about - Pakistan - Pakistan this - Pakistan that - Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan #GobackModi," a twitter user said. Twitter users also used a clipping of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's speech about not getting additional flood relief from the Centre despite repeated requests, at a programme attended by the Prime Minister, to attack Modi. During his speech, Yediyurappa while pointing at the damage caused due to floods in Karnataka, said "I have brought it to the notice of the Prime Minister that the loss was to the tune of over Rs 30,000 crore, I have requested three to four times (for central relief) to set things right, but till now additional funds have not been released. I request the Prime Minister with folded hands to release additional funds." "CM Yediyurappa: Karnataka suffered one of the worst flood conditions ever, Estimated Loss is more than 30,000 Crores. I met the PM 3-4 times for the aid, but the aid hasn't come yet.Even the BJP CM is not happy with the treatment what Karnataka recieved from Modi. #GobackModi," a tweet with the video read. Modi, who landed in the city this afternoon, took a chopper to Tumakuru, where he visited Siddaganga Math to pay respects to late Shivakumara swamiji. After addressing a gathering there, heattendedan event organised to give away Krishi Karman awards and distribute fishing equipment at the government college ground in Tumakuru, before leaving for Bengaluru where he attended a DRDO event. On Friday, he will be inaugurating 107th Indian Science Congress here. "#GobackModi" had earlier trended during Prime Minister's visit to Tamil Nadu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai, Jan 2 : Fertiliser maker Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizer and Chemicals has received a "Demand Notice" from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), to deposit Rs 15,000 crore dues by January 23. The company in a regulatory filing said it has been directed to deposit the total outstanding "amount of Rs 15,019 crore before January 23, in respect of financial years from 2005-06 to 2018-19 in connection with V-SAT & ISP Licenses held by the company. The notice came from the Office of the Controller of Communication Accounts, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, Government of India, Gujarat Telecom Circle, Ahmedabad. "The company is presently examining said Demand Notice and judgement of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India by seeking expert legal advice in the matter. Based on the legal advice, the company will decide the future course of action in the subject Matter," the company said in a regulatory filing. The shares of Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizer and Chemicals closed at Rs 168.25 a piece, higher by 3.79 per cent. Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India's new Army chief's statement that New Delhi reserves the right to 'preemptively strike' across the Line of Control (LoC), terming the remarks as 'irresponsible' Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India's new Army chief's statement that New Delhi reserves the right to "preemptively strike" across the Line of Control (LoC), terming the remarks as "irresponsible". In an exclusive interview to PTI barely hours after taking charge of the 1.3-million strong force, Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday said India reserves the right to "preemptively strike" at sources of terror. He asserted that a "new normal" in the country's response mechanism to acts of cross-border terrorism has already been "emphatically" displayed. "If Pakistan does not stop its policy of state-sponsored terrorism, we reserve the right to preemptively strike at the sources of terror threat and this intent has adequately been demonstrated in our response during surgical strikes and Balakot operation," the Army Chief said in New Delhi, in a stern warning to Islamabad. Reacting to Gen Naravane's remarks, the Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement said, "We reject the new Indian Army Chief's irresponsible statement regarding 'pre-emptive strikes' across the LoC" inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). There should be no doubt about Pakistan's resolve and readiness to thwart any aggressive Indian move, inside its territory or PoK, the statement said."No one should forget Pakistan's befitting response to India's Balakot misadventure," it added. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on 14 February. India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot on February 26. The next day, the Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on 1 March. "Despite India's provocations, Pakistan would continue contributing to all efforts of promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond," the statement said. The Foreign Office also said it will continue to highlight the issue of Kashmir on international forums. "Pakistan reaffirmed its unflinching support and solidarity with the Kashmiri people as the inhuman lockdown" in Jammu and Kashmir reaches 150 days, it said. "As part of our unstinted moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmir cause, Pakistan will continue to raise at all international forums the plight of over eight million innocent Kashmiris under the brutal occupation of 900,000 Indian security personnel," the statement said. The Foreign Office also said India must immediately lift the continuing communication restrictions in Kashmir. Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status on 5 August and bifurcating it into two union territories. Reacting sharply to India's decision, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi and expelled India's ambassador in Islamabad. India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. Following the abrogation of Article 370, the Indian government imposed restrictions, including ban on mobile phones and Internet, in Jammu and Kashmir to maintain law and order. The restrictions are being gradually lifted in a phased manner. Police are allowing the vast majority of paedophiles and rapists who want to be taken off the sex offenders register to have their names removed. Nearly three quarters of applications from sex attackers who claim they no longer pose a threat are being approved, figures show. Over three years, only 363 of 1,288 applications were refused. Astonishingly, the process appears to rely on the honesty of convicts to judge their own risk of reoffending by completing a two-page self-assessment form. Pictured is George St Angeli leaving Leeds Magistrates Court in 2013, after he was removed from the sex offenders register despite having served five years for abusing two underage girls It means hundreds of sex offenders who were supposed to remain on the register indefinitely are free to walk the streets unmonitored. In some cases, those taken off the register were later arrested for rape. Campaigners last night called for an urgent review of a system they say gives sex offenders the opportunity to manipulate and control their own status. Emily Konstantas, of campaign group The Safeguarding Alliance, said: We cannot allow this abhorrent process to continue as it is. Jim Gamble, the former head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, said victims would be feeling deeply aggrieved. One sex crime victim told the Mail that she lived in fear of bumping into her attacker after he successfully applied to have his name removed from the register. Sally Marston, 42, was abused by her great-uncle George St Angeli as a young girl. In 1993, he was sentenced to five years in prison for sex offences against two underage girls. Although he was forced to sign the register indefinitely upon release, he has since successfully applied to have his name taken off. Waiving her right to anonymity, Mrs Marston said: Its the offenders who have the human rights under this law. We, the victims, are not being thought of. With police no longer keeping tabs on her abusers whereabouts, she said she was always on the look-out in case I bump into him again. The sex offenders register dates back to 1997. It contains the details of anyone convicted, cautioned or released from prison for sexual offences against children or adults since that time. Some offenders are forced to sign it for only a limited time, but those guilty of more serious crimes have to sign it indefinitely. Sally Marston, 42, is pictured here when she was six-years-old, which was around the time she said the abuse by George St Angeli began They are required to notify the police of their address, date of birth and national insurance number and are also required to reveal any plans to travel outside the UK. Failure to comply is an offence. They must continue this registration on an annual basis. The police can photograph offenders every time they register, and all forces exchange information about the movements of offenders. Forces can also apply for orders that bar offenders from certain activities and areas frequented by children. Crucially, if an employer carries out an enhanced check on a potential employee which is required for anyone who works with children it would flag up someones presence on the register. In 2011, a human rights case led to a change in the system. Two sex offenders claimed it was unfair to be kept on the register indefinitely. As a result, offenders placed indefinitely on the register can apply to be taken off after 15 years. An undated handout file photo issued by Devon and Cornwall Police shows Vanessa George (left), who has been released from prison after serving 10 years for abusing toddlers at Little Ted's Nursery in Plymouth in 2009. Another undated file photo (right) shows Angela Allen, who admitted four counts of sexual assault in 2009 and will be free soon after the parole board cleared her last year. Both women had been part of a paedophile ring run by IT consultant Colin Blanchard that included Vanessa George - who abused children at a nursery in Plymouth To do this, they have to fill out a self-assessment form to show how their behaviour has changed. It also asks whether others consider them a risk, but only asks for an actual reference if they have it. Each application goes to a superintendent who is supposed to judge whether they still pose a risk of sexual harm. Victims are consulted only on a case-by-case basis. The Mail submitted Freedom of Information requests to police forces to ask what proportion of applications to be removed from the register had been refused. Figures from 36 out of 43 forces reveal just 363 of 1,288 sex offenders had their application refused in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It means 72 per cent of applicants including those who received lengthy jail sentences for raping young girls and distributing child porn were successful. One force had a near 100 per cent approval rate, with only one of the 39 applications made to Merseyside Police refused. In Devon and Cornwall, more than 80 per cent of sex offenders were allowed to have their name removed including someone convicted of raping a young girl. Jim Gamble, who is pictured during a 2016 episode of Good Morning Britain, is the former head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and said that victims would be feeling deeply aggrieved by the news The National Police Chiefs Council lead for the management of sexual offenders and violent offenders, Chief Constable Michelle Skeer (pictured in a 2016 photo), said: Managing the potential risk posed by registered sexual offenders within the community is a complex area of work for police Mr Gamble, who is now chief executive of the INEQE Safeguarding group, called for police forces to be more robust in testing whether [applicants] are safe to be living within the community. He said: What we need to see is a review by the HM Inspectorate for Policing to provide a level of reassurance that wasnt in fact putting people at risk. My experience has been that sex offenders especially those that are involved in grooming children become more and more sophisticated and learn to protect themselves. While the sex offenders appear to have convinced police they are no longer a concern, figures reveal some have gone on to reoffend. North Wales Police allowed a rapist to have his name taken off the register only to arrest him again later for rape. A man who was convicted of indecent assault successfully applied to Greater Manchester Police to have his name taken off the register. But he was arrested again last year this time for rape. A spokesman for the Home Office said: The Home Office has provided guidance to police forces to bolster the expertise of senior police officers, who decide whether someone is suitable to be removed from the sex offenders register. The National Police Chiefs Council lead for the management of sexual offenders and violent offenders, Chief Constable Michelle Skeer, said: Managing the potential risk posed by registered sexual offenders within the community is a complex area of work for police. She said the applications came under careful scrutiny by police and each one was thoroughly assessed and decided upon by a senior officer... working to the Home Offices legislative framework and guidance. She added: I am confident that forces across the country are, each day, effectively managing risk posed to the public by such individuals. Merseyside Police said applications were most likely to come from sex offenders who had been fully compliant with their registration requirements and had not come to police attention for several years. Greater Manchester Police declined to comment. Devon and Cornwall police did not respond to requests for comment. Philadelphia health inspectors ended 2019 with the closure of more than two dozen food facilities in the city in the latter half of December. Locations closed in this edition of Clean Plates include one Bustleton day-care center, a half-dozen local markets throughout the city, a poultry shop in the Italian Market, and a Center City BBQ joint. Well over half the locations that suffered closures in the second half of December had issues with handwashing, including infractions like a lack of adequately hot water (at least 100 degrees), no soap or paper towels, and sinks blocked from use by items like bottles, boxes, and metal containers. While many instances of blocked sinks, missing soap, and lacking hand-drying instruments were remedied in the presence of a sanitarian during inspection, those infractions can prevent proper handwashing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, proper handwashing is a five-step process during which the use of soap and towel or air-drying hands are necessary. When soap and water arent available, the agency says, a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol can be used, but sanitizers dont get rid of all types of germs. From Dec. 16 to Jan. 1, Philadelphia inspectors closed at least 29 facilities for various violations, some more than once. Inspectors visit nearly 1,000 eateries and food retailers every two weeks. Each inspection is generally regarded as a snapshot in time, and not necessarily a reflection of day-to-day conditions. Most violations were corrected immediately in the presence of an inspector. To look up reports on a specific Philadelphia restaurant, or a Montgomery, Bucks, or Gloucester County eatery, visit philly.com/cleanplates. A list of eateries that were closed follows: Double Star Mini Market II 500 E. Westmoreland St. 27 violations, 6 serious No soap observed at prep area hand sink; Dirty dishes observed in prep area hand sink; Expired Tropical Cheese observed in Deli Display Case; Slicer had an accumulation of food residue on the food contact surfaces and was not being taken apart, washed, rinsed and sanitized at least every 4 hours; Live water bug and live brown round bugs observed in basement; Observed unauthorized persons in prep area; Dead flies observed in hoagie wrapping paper area; Old mice feces observed on top of basement unused deep freezer; Personal hair brush observed on prep area spice rack. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 16. Classic Sub & Pizza Shop 1532 E. Wadsworth Ave. 10 violations, 4 serious A food employee was observed touching ready to eat food with his bare hands; Beef and pork were held at 51-52 degrees F rather than 41 degrees F or below as required; Mouse feces observed on lower shelving and on floor perimeters; Freshly dead mouse observed on floor perimeter in basement; Floor cleaning was needed due to mouse feces and heavy grease accumulation. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 16. Imperial Palace 175 W. Lehigh Ave. 14 violations, 3 serious The handwash sink in the restroom area did not have single use towels, continuous towels, or air drying device; Potentially hazardous ready to eat food (cut melon), prepared in the food facility, located in the reach-in refrigeration unit, was not date marked; Single-use disposables observed not covered or properly stored to prevent contamination; Covered receptacle for sanitary napkins was not provided in a toilet room used by females; Cleaning needed in restroom to remove all forms of dirt, debris and unnecessary items observed all clustered up in the restroom during the inspection; Cleaning observed needed in the prep area underneath warewash sinks, storage areas and restroom area during the inspection. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 16. Earth Cup Cafe 405 S. 45th St. 11 violations, 2 serious Fresh mouse droppings observed inside bakery case, along with food/pastries; Mouse droppings observed along floor perimeter, in prep area, along walls behind equipment; Drain flies observed throughout facility; Food employees observed not wearing or wearing ineffective hair restraints, such as nets, hats, or beard restraints; Single-use food utensils not properly inverted to avoid contamination. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 17. Pizza City 3208 Red Lion Rd. 21 violations, 8 serious The certified person did not have adequate knowledge of hot holding, cold holding, and reheating temperatures, reportable food-borne illnesses, or how to properly mix sanitizer solution; An open employee beverage can was observed in the food prep area; Employees were observed handling ready to eat foods with bare hands; Mouse droppings were observed in the front food prep and rear storage areas; Mouse droppings were observed on rear storage area shelves and pallets; Mouse droppings were observed on floor surfaces behind the front counter, behind lockers, and around pallets. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 17. New Royu Mini Market Inc. 3878 Glendale St. 5 violations, 1 serious No paper towels observed in restroom, no toilet tissue observed in restroom; Leak observed coming from ceiling of first floor, leak observed in basement; Ceiling tile falling from ceiling with water leakage at time of inspection. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 17. Bower Cafe 261 S. 10th St. 11 violations, 3 serious No handwash sink was available for consumers due to sewage leak in toilet room/storage area; Black residue observed on the interior of the ice machine bin on metal component, wall at the back of the machine and white cylinder at the top; Outer opening in the food facility did not protect against the entry of insects, rodents, and other animals; Sewage observed on the floor in the basement. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 18. Earth Cup Cafe 405 S. 45th St. 2 violations, 0 serious Visible physical evidence of rodent/insect activity observed in the prep/kitchen area; Potential rodent harborage areas inside the food facility observed in the dining/prep area due to holes in floor perimeter. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 19. Ameri Thai 1244 Snyder Ave. 11 violations, 5 serious An employees open beverage container was observed in a food preparation area; The handwash sink in the food preparation area was blocked by wall and not accessible at all times for employee use; No soap or paper towels were available at handwashing sink; Mouse droppings observed in food preparation area and basement. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 19. Johns Neighborhood Deli 311 Church Ln. 13 violations, 5 serious The handwash sink in the prep area was blocked by metal container and not accessible at all times for employee use; Observed fruits, vegetables and herbs in display case (plums, tomatoes, lettuce etc.) but food prep sink with indirect drain connection not provided; Slicer had an accumulation of food residue on the food contact surfaces and was not being washed, rinsed and sanitized at least every 4 hours; Mouse droppings observed under meat slicer. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 19. Discovery Day Care 9201 Old Bustleton Ave. 8 violations, 4 serious The person in charge has no knowledge of food-borne illnesses that need to be reported to the Health Department; Chemicals were stored above or on the same shelf with food, equipment, and/or single service articles in the child care area. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 23. Carls Farm Eggs 1037 S. 9th St. 14 violations, 4 serious Sewage leak observed in the basement, facility was aware and continued to operate; Mouse observed running by the three compartment sink and stairs to the basement. Mouse droppings observed in a crate under the three compartment sink; All entry points of the food facility were left open and did not protect against the entry of insects, rodents, and other animals; Raw wooden blocks in the deli case, used to elevated trays, observed covered in blood; Display case behind point of sale counter observed with dried blood; No waste receptacle observed inside of the employee restroom. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 23. Carls Farm Eggs 1031 S. 9th St. 6 violations, 3 serious Soap was not available at the handwash sink in the food preparation area; Handsink for the deli counter was not easily accessible; No utility mop sink observed. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 23. Bengal Super Market & Halal Meat Market 1825 Cottman Ave. 15 violations, 4 serious The handwash sink in the warewashing area was blocked by bottles of chemicals and not accessible at all times for employee use and did not have soap or have single use towels, continuous towels, or air drying device; Cats observed running on top of bags of food in the retail area, on food equipment such as cutting board in the warewashing area and reach-in freezers in the retail area; An insect control fly device was located in rear area with potential to contaminate food, equipment, and/or utensils; Mouse droppings observed on shelves in the retail area; Bathroom was blocked by pallets of food and inaccessible. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 23. Mr. P Pizza and Pasta 7138 Ridge Ave. 20 violations, 7 serious Food safety certified person was not aware of how to properly wash, rinse, and sanitize clean in place equipment (slicer); Food employee observed eating food in the food prep area; Food employees observed donning single use gloves without a prior hand wash; Gnawed heads of lettuce observed inside of the walk-in cooler; Mouse droppings observed on food contact surfaces throughout the food prep area sheet pans, food container lids, boxes where produce was stored, and cooling racks; Food employees observed not wearing or wearing ineffective hair restraints, such as nets, hats, or beard restraints; Mouse droppings observed on clean linens in the storage closet; Mouse droppings observed on equipment, shelving, and countertop surfaces throughout the facility shelving under front counter, rear dunnage rack shelving, shelving in the walk-in cooler, base of floor mixer, shelving where clean plates are stored, walk-in cooler floors, inside fryer cabinets, cardboard lining in walk-in cooler, countertop where register is located, and inside container where chemicals are stored; Employee personal hygiene products (baby oil) was stored above the slicer in the food prep area. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 23. Caribbean Feast Tow Unit #V07082 1759 N. 13th St. 8 violations, 4 serious Hands could not be properly washed due to lack of hot water at the mobile food unit handwash sink at time of inspection; Cooked white rice, cabbages and fried plantains were measured at 108-122 degrees F rather than 135 degrees F or above as required; Food employees observed not wearing or wearing ineffective beard restraints; Grime and dirt observed on mobile food tow unit general floor. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 23. Hot Dog Vendor #V05058 13 violations, 9 serious The person in charge did not demonstrate knowledge of minimum chicken cooking temperature; Food Employee could not follow proper handwashing procedure, due to lack of adequate warm water (hot water at 55 degrees later observed); Rice was prepared/cooked in a private home; Two containers of tzatziki sauce observed at 57 degrees F rather than 41 degrees F or below as required; Temperature measuring devices for ensuring proper temperatures of hot/cooked food were not available or readily accessible; Service window, side, and back windows were open without protective screens/barriers to prevent the entry of insects, rodents, and other animals. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 23. Risky Business 4001 N. Reese St. 11 violations, 2 serious The handwash sink in the restrooms area did not have single use towels, continuous towels, or air drying device; Potential rodent harborage areas inside the food facility observed in the basement area due to mice droppings; Food employees observed not wearing or wearing ineffective hair restraints, such as nets, hats, or beard restraints; Trash can with lid was not present in either male or female restrooms; Cleaning observed needed through out this establishment. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 23. Sunny Food Market 2779 Kensington Ave. 11 violations, 1 serious Expired milk (12/23/19) was observed; Mouse droppings observed on shelving and along the floor perimeter in the rear area, gnawed packaging (diapers/sanitary napkins) in the rear; Severe leak was observed at the pipe under the handwash sink in the restroom; Cleaning was needed on shelving in the rear area due to residue and mouse droppings observed. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 24. S&F Food Market 1649 S. 5th St. 22 violations, 8 serious The food safety certified person washed their hands at the ware sink rather than the designated handwash sink; Handwash sink in the point of sale area, under the deli slicer, was blocked by cans and other miscellaneous items, and was not accessible at all times for employee use; Mice feces observed in box with pineapples; Slicer had an accumulation of food residue on the food contact surfaces and was not being washed, rinsed and sanitized at least every 4 hours; Mice feces observed on retail and storage shelves throughout the facility, including the cartons of chips; Live cat observed in the retail area of the facility; Litter box observed in the basement, and bowls of cat food observed in the rear storage room; Mice feces observed on non food contact surfaces such as shelves, cardboard boxes and crates; Objectionable odors originated from the refuse accumulated in the receptacle behind the rear door. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 26. Evergreen Deli 46 S. 4th St. 18 violations, 9 serious A food employee was observed washing their hands at the 3-basin sink rather than the designated hand wash sink; Food (eggs) was held at 58 degrees F rather than 41 degrees F or below as required in the prep area; Potentially hazardous ready to eat food (cut melons), located in the retail area refrigeration unit, was not date marked with the date it was prepared; Open bait observed under the 3-basin sink (rodent bait shall be contained in a covered, tamper-resistant bait station); Employee personal items (lotions, lint roller, cellphone) stored in prep area, and were not stored to prevent the contamination of food, equipment or utensils; Mouse droppings observed under 3-basin sink; Mouse droppings observed under 3-basin sink. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 26. Whispers Inn 7610 Ogontz Ave. 11 violations, 3 serious Paper towel dispenser empty at the handwash sink in the kitchen area; Observed pink slime on the bar soda gun holder and nozzle located to the right of the handwashing sink at the bar; Visible physical evidence of rodent (mouse) activity observed on the floor perimeter in the kitchen area; Soda gun holsters were not properly indirectly drained; drain lines not provided; No lidded receptacle observed in the women's toilet room. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 26. Thompson Mini Market 1252 N. 53rd St. 12 violations, 2 serious Soap was not available at the handwash sink in the restroom area, paper towel dispenser empty at the handwash sink in the restroom area; Opened commercially processed ready to eat food (deli meat) located in the closed deli display case, and held more than 48 hours, was not marked with the date it was opened; No hot water observed at handwash sink in food prep area; Food establishment observed in operation without a valid food license. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 26. Medina Mini Market 3259 Rorer St. 15 violations, 4 serious The food facility did not have a handwash sink conveniently located in the warewashing area/restroom; Soap was not available at the handwash sink in the prep area behind the counter; Visible evidence of rodent contaminated foods observed in the retail area: gnawed food observed (cookies, crackers), mouse droppings in food boxes (fruits and vegetables); Opened commercially processed ready to eat food, located in the deli case, and held more than 48 hours, was not marked with the date it was opened; Floor cleaning was needed on shelves in the retail area and under/around equipment in several areas due to clutter, dust, mouse droppings, and residue observed (retail area, basement storage area). The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 26. Mr. P Pizza and Pasta 7138 Ridge Ave. 12 violations, 3 serious Gnawed heads of lettuce observed inside of the walk-in cooler; Mouse droppings observed on food contact surfaces throughout the food prep area cardboard box lid where produce (tomatoes) was stored; Live mouse observed in the ware wash area; Employee personal hygiene products (baby oil) was stored above the slicer in the food prep area. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 27. About HotPot 125 Sansom Walk 26 violations, 4 serious Paper towel dispenser was empty at the handwash sink in the mens restroom; Slicer had an accumulation of food residue on the food contact surfaces; Observed an insecticide (Raid Flying Insect) not labeled by the manufacturer for food facility usage, in the beverage preparation area; Visible physical evidence of rodent activity (mouse feces) observed in the warewash area; Unused clutter and debris observed in the outdoor trash area; Observed employees personal clothing stored with food items in the dry storage area. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 27. Kaffa Crossing ll 4704 Baltimore Ave. 5 violations, 2 serious Soap was not available at the handwash sink in the rear prep/kitchen area; Visible physical evidence of rodent / insect activity observed in the bar area. Fresh mouse droppings observed along floor perimeter in kitchen/behind stove. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 27. Best China Inn Restaurant 4423 Locust St. 23 violations, 9 serious An open employees beverage container was observed in a food preparation area; Food Employee did not follow proper handwashing procedure. Soap and/or warm water not used; Paper towel dispenser empty at the handwash sink in the prep area; Food observed stored inside of plastic shopping bags; Chicken and eggrolls were held at 60 degrees F rather than 41 degrees F or below as required; Visible physical evidence of rodent / insect activity observed in several areas; bottom of steam table, bottom of prep tables, on small table where rice cooker was, on racks and shelves in rear dry storage area; Food employees observed not wearing or wearing ineffective hair restraints, such as nets, hats, or beard restraints. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 28. Debreauxs 2135 N. 63rd St. 17 violations, 6 serious An employees open beverage container was observed in a food preparation area; The handwash sink in the food prep area was blocked by bottle of chemical and not accessible at all times for employee use; Soap was not available at the handwash sink in the food prep area; Food (fish) observed uncovered inside of walk-in cooler; Chemicals and mouse bait were stored above or on the same shelf with food, equipment, and/or single service articles in the food prep area; Visible physical evidence of rodent activity observed in the food prep area. Mouse droppings were observed on shelves, cans, and boxes; All compartments of warewash sinks observed obstructed by soiled dishes at time of inspection; Water observed coming up from floor drain when handwash sink was in use at time of inspection. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 28. About HotPot 125 Sansom Walk 6 violations, 2 serious Interior surface of the 3-basin sink was not clean to sight and touch; Chemicals (2 bottles of bleach & propane tank) were stored above or on the same shelf with food, equipment, and/or single service articles in the dry storage area near the ice machine; Sanitarian observed live roaches harboring in open seam of 2-door reach in refrigerator across from the hot water tank in kitchen. area; Live roach of observed crawling on exterior rice cooker in the kitchen area. The establishment was issued a Cease Operations Order and was required to discontinue food operations immediately. The establishment could not operate for a minimum of 48 hours. Inspected Dec. 28. Karis Tea Bar 111 S. Independence E. Mall Spc. 19B 3 violations, 1 serious No Food Safety Certified Person present at the time of inspection; Slushie machine inner surfaces were in need of cleaning; General floor cleaning was needed along floor perimeters. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 31. Tradesmans 1322 Chestnut St. 2 violations, 1 serious Establishment lacked hot water. Peak hot water temperature was observed at 48 degrees F. The establishment agreed to discontinue food operations and voluntarily close until it is approved by the Department to resume operations. Inspected Dec. 31. YEREVAN. There were no positive shifts in the Karabakh peace process in 2019, because the OSCE Minsk Group and all those who are negotiating do not know the real reasons why this problem emerge, and what is the way to move forward, Lieutenant General Norat Ter-Grigoryants. told Tert.am. Negotiating for the sake of negotiating is stupid and pointless thing. So it can last for 100-150 years. The question has to be: why has this happened? The relations between Aliyev [president of Azerbaijani Ilham Aliyev] and Nikol Pashinyan [Armenian PM] are not bad, but we are not children, we understand that when the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia meet and not a single OSCE representative is present, these are not negotiations, I dont trust such negotiations, he said. According to the general, because of meetings in this format in Armenia they can assume that Pashinyan is going to hand over the territories, and in Azerbaijan they accuse Aliyev of concessions. Norat Ter-Grigoryants believes that negotiations with an aggressor such as Azerbaijan are not worth it. No one knows what they are speaking about, for example, I trust the Prime Minister, but in Azerbaijan, too, they trust Aliyev. What they are speaking about, what they say - no one knows. What kind of compromise we are talking about, which way we will go, or thanks to which mechanism there is a solution that will be acceptable to three parties. Without the OSCE, Pashinyans meetings with Aliyev could have dangerous consequences, he added. Shelling and provocation continue on the border and on the line of contact because of a document that was signed incorrectly in the 90s. Unfortunately, the president did not involve me in signing the document; I stayed at the command post. They wrote a ceasefire agreement, but what does ceasefire mean? We are warring countries, our side won, and suddenly we say let's stop the fire. We needed a completely different document, it was necessary to talk about the surrender and independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, because Azerbaijan attacked Karabakh, intended to seize it, later on Zangezur, and planned to attack Yerevan from Nakhichevan, the general noted. Norat Ter-Grigoryants believes that there is a threat of escalation in Artsakh, since Aliyev periodically advocates hatred and prepares people for war. Aliyev will hide with his family in a bunker, and hell send people to die, people are worth nothing for him, he added, recalling that in the event of war mountains will become a battle ground, and in case of correct moves the enemy will be destroyed, while oil pipeline will be damaged by drones. We saw what happened in Saudi Arabia. Let Azerbaijan think it over, they will not benefit from hostilities, he said. Norat Ter-Grigoryants noted that he, as one of the founders of the Armed Forces, is very pleased with the work of the defense ministry. He emphasized the importance of acquiring Su-30 SM fighter jets, as well as the fact that the Armed Forces of Armenia were equipped with Russia-produced ultramodern air defense and missile defense systems. The "new strategic weapon" is believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile or submarine-launched ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. "The world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by [North Korea] in the near future. We cannot give up the security of our future just for visible economic results." North Korean state-run media on Wednesday quoted Kim as saying during a marathon Workers Party Central Committee session in Pyongyang that his country "will steadily develop necessary and prerequisite strategic weapons for the security of the state until the U.S. rolls back its hostile policy." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has hinted heavily that he could scrap a moratorium on nuclear weapons as a unilateral year-end deadline for concessions from the U.S. passed. Kim objects to ongoing joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises, South Korean purchases of American weapons and international sanctions. It claims it took the first step by declaring the unprompted moratorium on nuclear and missile tests but the U.S. did not change its "hostile policy" against the North. "There is no ground for us to [be] unilaterally bound to the commitment any longer," Kim was quoted as saying. But he left room for a breakthrough by adding that "the scope and depth of bolstering our deterrent will be properly coordinated depending on the U.S. future attitude" to the North. But the U.S. is unable to accept Kim's demands even if it wanted to. It has already scaled down major joint exercises and kept smaller ones low-key, but a certain amount of training must be maintained, and a blanket halt makes no sense. Kim has not yet delivered his traditional a New Year's address but made the threats during the central committee session. It was the first New Year's address to be canceled or postponed in 33 years. Kim, meanwhile, made no mention at all of inter-Korean relations, continuing a sulk that started after the Hanoi summit with the U.S. collapsed in February last year, when Kim felt senior aides had somehow been deceived by boosterism from South Korea, which was acting as a mediator. South Korea is mentioned only once in a statement after the committee meet, where North Korea accused it of "treacherously" procuring more U.S. weapons. The Institute for National Security Strategy said Kim "does not consider inter-Korean relations as a key variable in the current political circumstances." The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory for motorists expecting foggy days ahead and asked them to take precautions for safe commute in low visibility. The list of Dos advised motorists to check weather forecasts, drive slow, use low-beam lights, remain patient and use pavement markings. Use your low-beam headlights. High beams reflect off the moisture droplets in the fog, making it difficult to see, said the advisory issued by Joint Commissioner (Traffic) of Police N S Bundela. The advisory suggests motorists to pull completely off the road in safe parking area if the fog is too dense. Motorists should avoid stopping on the travelled portion of the road as they could become the first link in a chain-reaction collision of vehicles. The advisory also advised drivers to refrain from sudden acceleration and passing other slow moving vehicles in a high speed. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- Police continue to search for the suspect(s) in a double homicide in east Moss Point that sent a third victim to the hospital in critical condition. It was about 7 a.m. on Dec. 22 when officers responded to a residence on Old Slag Road after receiving a report of a woman being beaten inside the home. When officers arrived, they discovered the woman had been shot, not beaten. She was transported to Singing River Hospital and subsequently to the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile, where she remains in critical condition. But while the woman was being treated at the scene by medical personnel, police searched the home in hopes of finding her assailant. Instead, they found the bodies of 32-year-old George Kirkland, the homeowner, and 19-year-old Asia Normal, also of Moss Point. Both had been killed by gunshots. Police chief Brandon Ashley said no motive for the murders has been established. Ashley told the Sun Herald the shootings were not random, instead believing the victims were targeted. Moss Point police are seeking the publics assistance in identifying a suspect or suspects in the murders. Anyone believing they have information about the case is asked to call the Moss Point Police Department at 228-475-1711 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898. We have nothing. We dont have that kind of money they are asking for. Those were the words of one of the nephews of couple Narine Maraj, 62, and Mattie Maraj, 52, who were kidnapped on Saturday evening after leaving their Madras, St Helena, home to tend to their animals at a family-owned farm in Piarco. Central New Yorkers have a variety of choices to take in local theater over the year ranging from touring national shows to community theater performed on small stages. Our reviewers --Len Fonte, Tony Curulla and Linda Lowen -- can be found on any given opening night sitting in the audience taking notes by the dim light of their mobile phones. We asked them to share their favorite shows of 2019. Linda Lowen Anyone who's ever worked in theater show will tell you: half the show is what happens onstage, and the other half is the tight-knit community that develops during the production and rehearsal phase. Most theatergoers will remember individual roles over ensemble performances, because we're wired to love the 'star is born' arc of achievement; but true serendipity happens when a show achieves greatness because greatness is manifest across the board, from the lead characters to the smallest walk-on role. The two shows I've chosen as my favorites -- along with the two runners-up -- merit this distinction because everyone onstage gave their all, and because it was obvious: the cast in each production loved, trusted, and supported one another. Theater is make-believe, but trust is what makes pretend come alive. Jesus Christ Superstar (Famous Artists) Promotional images from the production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" staged at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse. Photo courtesy of Evan Zimmerman/Murphy Made. Opening its national tour here in Syracuse, Superstar took risks with its glitter-and-bloodbath interpretation of the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus, but for a 50th anniversary production, it refreshed and revamped the iconic musical. An early-career hit for the now-famous team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Superstar was updated with contemporary streetwear costumes and villains in metal-studded black leather. As Jesus, Aaron LaVigne may have worried some with his man bun and laid-back SoCal style, but he delivered blood, sweat, tears, and vulnerability. As I wrote in my review, at curtain call it was clear he was still reeling from the intensity of his performance. It may not have been to everybodys liking, but it was a production unlike any Central New York has previously seen, and as it was surprisingly gory with a Halloween haunted-house aesthetic, its run here in October was well-timed. The Producers (CNY Playhouse) Franz (Eric Feldstein) dances like he did in old Bavaria with Max (Josh Mele) and Leo (Cole LaVenture) in "The Producers" on stage at CNY Playhouse. Photo courtesy of CNY Playhouse Community theater can be a mixed bag, and in the past some local theater companies have relied on the same two-dozen actors again and again for the same reasons Hollywood casts recognizable stars: its tough to trust a newcomer in a critical role. This summers The Producers was not only brilliantly funny, but benefitted from a dynamic ensemble of new and familiar faces. This was a production in which every single cast member was a vital link, and -- considering truly funny comedy is far harder to pull off than drama -- this madcap Mel Brooks romp about a Nazi musical couldnt have been more timely. While the leads were all terrific, Christopher James Lupias multiple onstage turns -- what I described first as a drag queen, then a debonair male director in a smoking jacket, then a happy Hitler onstage -- resulted in a performance that, had it been an SNL skit, would have gone viral. Best of the Rest Two shows are a bit too recent to be highlighted again so soon, but had they been onstage earlier in the year, SU Drama's November production of "The Crucible" and Syracuse Stage's current "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" would certainly be top contenders. Both shows found a balance between originality and familiarity, crafting a stage experience that blended what we've come to expect with enough unexpected delights to keep audiences engaged and satisfied. Len Fonte Three shows excited me the most this year, and they were not recent imports from Broadway or regional theaters, but pieces with a real resonance in the world we find ourselves in now. All three, even the silliest farce, have a distinctly dark edge. Arsenic and Old Lace (CNY Playhouse) Mr. Gibbs (Jim Martin) with the Aunts in the Central New York Playhouse production of "Arsenic and Old Lace." Photo courtesy of AB Photography/CNYP. Arsenic and Old Lace, an early American black comedy, has always been one of my favorite shows. In 1941, when it was first produced, the world was descending into a darkness that seemed unfathomable, but Americans were laughing at the unthinkable: two little old ladies killing off lonely old men. Now its an old chestnut, a remnant of the days when playwrights and directors timed audience laughter and delivered a precision instrument that just keeps on ticking. CNY Playhouses Arsenic and Old Lace worked like a well-oiled machine should. Ann Rhodes-Sweet and Anne Fitzgerald as sweet little killers aunts Abby and Martha scurried around the stage like geriatric wind up dolls, while Corey Hopkins as their drama critic nephew leapt about in increasing states of hysteria as the situation becomes more and more comically horrific. Liam Fitzpatrick clearly did his homework, delivering a Boris Karloff-like criminally insane nephew Jonathan. Buddy Lee Walter did fine work very good as Dr. Einstein, the inept plastic surgeon who gave Jonathan Karloffs face. Assassins (Baldwinsville Theatre Guild) The cast of "Assassins" at Baldwinsville Theatre Guild. Photo courtesy of AB Photography. Stephen Sondheims musical Assassins, a look at why misfits decide to kill a president is never an easy evening in the theater, but in these difficult days it can leave us squirming in our seats. Baldwinsville Theatre Guild, which consistently mounts sharp stagings of lighter fare, assembled a fine ensemble for their October production. Led by director Shannon Tompkins, who gave the show a sense of movement and rhythm, the BTG company successfully tackled Sondheims famously challenging music and found the humor that pokes out in John Weidmans razor-sharp book, which shines a light on the political violence that pockmarks the American character. Standouts in a fine company included Ben Sills as the Balladeer Hali Greenhouse as Squeaky Fromme and Janie Wainwright as hapless would-be assassin Sarah Jane Moore. Born Yesterday (Cortland Repertory Theater) Patrick White as Ed Devery, Woody Minshew as Paul Verrall, Michael Antico as Eddie Brock, Briana Gantsweg as Billie Dawn and Bill Coughlin as Harry Brock n "Born Yesterday" by Garson Kanin, running July 31 to Aug. 10 at Cortland Repertory Theatre. Photo by Eric Behke. The effervescent dialogue and Pygmalion plot construct of my third choice, Garson Kanins 1946 Born Yesterday, which was resurrected by Cortland Repertory Theatre in a beautifully appointed and costumed production, dont disguise the fact that the theme of this romantic comedy is the pervasiveness of corruption in Washington D.C. The clarity of this production made it clear that post-war greed may have brought self-proclaimed junkyard king Harry Brock (Bill Coughlin) and his entourage to Washington to buy himself a senator, but 74 years later an even more virulent form of corruption threatens to devour us. Director Mark Reynolds moved the show from one slam bang moment to the next. The famous gin game scene with Brock and his ex-chorus girl mistress Billie Dawn (Briana Gantsweg) was still a comic jewel. Woody Minchew did fine work as Paul Verall, the writer who opens up Billies world by introducing her to books. What stuck with me in the CRT production was Pauls line, I want everybody to be smart. As smart as they can be. A world of ignorant people is too dangerous to live in. Tony Curulla With three theater reviewers on the beat, Central New York readers get a pretty well-rounded sampling of the plethora of theater productions in the CNY region in a given year. For 2019, I have chosen one piece from each of three distinct genres, followed by notable mentions. Drama: 12 Angry Men (Syracuse Stage) The cast of the IRT's 2019 production of Twelve Angry Men. Photo by Zach Rosing. Despite its origins and setting in the mid-20th century, Reginald Roses jury room drama is as relevant today as it was sixty-five years ago. With a serious legal decision at stake, Roses drama puts the age-old theme of the individual versus the group under the magnifier of taut, spare dialogue. Stages production (in cooperation with Indiana Repertory Theatre) was a combination of fine acting and exquisite stage design as the audience was treated to a variety of angles and points-of-view as the jurors table and chairs were mounted on an ever-so-slowly rotating stage floor, while the evocative lighting, period fixtures and woodwork, and the liberal use of muted colors helped transmit the seriousness of purpose. Comedy: Im Not Rappaport (Redhouse Arts Center) Ted Lange as Midge Carter (left) Fred Grandy as Nat Moyer in "I'm Not Rappaport" at Redhouse Arts Center in Syracuse. Photo courtesy of Genevieve Fridley. Take a piece like Herb Gardners urbanesque 1985 Tony Award winner about two old guys kibitzing and complaining on a park bench, one a Jewish socialist, the other a black building superintendent, cast two veteran actors like Fred Grandy and Ted Lange (both had worked for years on TVs Love Boat), and you probably have a winner. And it was. The two actors handled Gardners generous portions of quick wit and verbal complexity with precise timing, combined with realistic, unwasted movement. Fraught with mile-a-minute quips and insults, its as though Gardner sent Neil Simons odd couple out to Central Park for some fresh air. Musical Theater- Kinky Boots (Hangar Theatre) Photo by Rachel Philipson/Hangar Theatre With music and lyrics by 80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper and book by theater maven Harvey Fierstein, Hangars Kinky Boots gets my nod for musical theater. Based on a true story about an Englishman who inherited his fathers failing shoe factory and his relationship with a crossdressed entertainer who suggests a new product line to save the factory, the show has, at times, shades of Rent to the ears, and The Full Monty to the heart. Bolstered by powerful vocals, stunning costuming, and exciting choreography, its sometimes preachy innuendo and outright challenge to traditional social conformity rises above being just a colorful sermon, and explores the nature of a variety of human relationships such as those of fathers and sons, employers and employees, men and women, and most important of all, a persons fidelity to her/himself. Best of the Rest Mama Mia (CNY Playhouse) -- Strong vocal performances. Les Miserables (Famous Artists) -- Extraordinary, technical visuals. God of Carnage (Redhouse) An amalgam of vicious energy and on-point, dark comedy. Are we missing a show in the chart above? Drop us a note at features@syracuse.com. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Indias first chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said he would work towards creating theatre commands to prepare the military for future battles, adding that Indias armed forces need not necessarily imitate the models devised by western militaries for this. The three services are not in agreement on theaterisation. General Rawats first public comments after taking over came on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the appointment of the CDS was a momentous and comprehensive reform that would help India face challenges of modern warfare and that the position carried the tremendous responsibility of modernising our military forces. Theaterisation refers to placing specific units of the army, the navy and the air force under a Theatre Commander. Such commands will come under the operational control of an officer from any of the three services, depending on the function assigned to that command. Experts believe that theatres are key to the way battles will be fought in the future. I think there are methods of doing theaterisation. I think we all are copying Western methods and what others have done. We can have our own system. We will work out a mechanism. We have to study and work with the three services to come out with a mechanism that suits the Indian system, Rawat said, responding to a question from HT on the Indian Air Forces traditional resistance to theaterisation. In April 2018, then IAF chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa disapproved of the concept of theatre commands, saying it would require the creation of more assets. Compartmentalising will require more assets. We believe in one country, one theatre, he said, pointing out the pitfalls of cherry picking concepts of western warfighting. Two former IAF chiefs HT spoke to also opposed the idea of theaterisation. As CDS, Rawats mandate includes facilitating the restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about so-called jointness in operations, including through establishment of theatre commands. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said the appointment of a CDS was a big and bold step. He said the onus was now on the three services to fully support the CDS and make the model succeed. The government expects the CDS to bring about jointness among the three services in operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance within three years. Rawat said the objective could be achieved in the time-frame laid down by the government. I want to assure you, that the army, the navy and the air force will work as a team. The CDS will keep control over them, but action will be taken through teamwork, he said, adding that he would be impartial in his new role. Rawat outlined his role with a new math equation. As a team, we will work towards a goal where 1+1+1 (the three services) is either five or seven, and not three. What I mean is, the synergised effort should not be the sum of the whole it should be much more. And we have to achieve that through integration, he said. Rawat said he would focus resource management, better utilisation of funds, joint training and uniformity in procurement. He added that his head feels lighter in the peaked cap that is part of his new uniform, after wearing the Gorkha hat for 41 years. In a series of tweets, PM Modi talked about the significance of the appointment of the CDS and the department of military affairs under the four-star officer. Creation of the Department of Military Affairs with requisite military expertise and institutionalisation of the post of CDS is a momentous and comprehensive reform that will help our country face the ever-changing challenges of modern warfare, the PM tweeted. A gazette notification issued by the government on Monday created the new department of military affairs or Sainya Karta Vibhag that will be headed by the CDS. The new department is an addition to the four existing verticals in the defence ministry the departments of defence, defence production, defence research and development and ex-service welfare. On 15th August, 2019, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I announced that India will have a Chief of Defence Staff. This institution carries tremendous responsibility of modernizing our military forces. It would also reflect the hopes and aspirations of 1.3 billion Indians, Modi said in another tweet. The appointment of a CDS was one of the most significant recommendations made by the K Subrahmanyam-led Kargil Review Committee (KRC) that was constituted in the immediate aftermath of the 1999 Kargil war to examine lapses that allowed Pakistani soldiers to occupy strategic heights, the initial sluggish Indian response, and suggest measures to strengthen national security. The KRC report was tabled in Parliament in February 2000. Over the years, several committees also recommended that a CDS be appointed but successive governments failed to create the post. However, PM Modi on August 15 announced the creation of the new post for better cross-service cooperation. As the first CDS takes charge, I pay homage to all those who have served and laid down their lives for our nation. I recall the valiant personnel who fought in Kargil, after which many discussions on reforming our military began, leading to todays historic development, the Prime Minister tweeted. The government cleared the appointment of the CDS on December 24 and appointed Rawat on Monday with effect from December 31. As CDS, Rawat will act as the principal military adviser to the defence minister on all matters related to the tri-services. I am delighted that as we begin the new year and new decade, India gets its first Chief of Defence Staff in General Bipin Rawat. I congratulate him and wish him the very best for this responsibility. He is an outstanding officer who has served India with great zeal, Modi said on Twitter. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Conditions on Australias eastern coast are going to get worse than they were on New Years Eve, warned officials as military personnel began evacuating people trapped on the south coast. Thousands of tourists have fled the fire-stricken eastern coast and the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) have announced several leave zones for residents and tourists. Since Tuesday, cooler weather has given firefighters and other affected people some respite, allowing supplies to be replenished. But fire conditions are expected to deteriorate on Saturday as temperatures above 40C and strong winds return. NSW RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said: There is every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw (on Tuesday). Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the state of New South Wales on 31 December 2019 AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billows from a huge bushfire that has torched over 200,000 acres of land in East Gipplsand, Victoria on 2 January EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Residents look on as flames tear through bushland in Lake Tabouriee, Australia on 4 January on 4 January Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola on 2 January Robert Oerlemans via AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighting helicopter tackles a bushfire in East Gippsland, Victoria on 31 December EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter gives water to a parched koala in Cudlee Creek, South Australia AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters tackle a blaze as it tears through a farm in New South Wales on 21 December AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The sky is turned red over East Gippsland as fires continue to rage through Australian bushland on 4 January Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A kangaroo near bushfires in Nowra AFP/Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures An aerial view of a bushfire near Bairnsdale State Government of Victoria/EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters work to tackle a blaze on the outskirts of Sydney on 31 December 2019 Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighting helicopter dumps water on a bushfire on the outskirts of the town of Bargo near Sydney Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A satellite image of the Batemans Bay showing smoke and fire from wild bushfires European Union, Copernicus Sentinel Data via REUTERS Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The afternoon sky glows red from bushfires in Nowra AFP/Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Burning embers cover the ground as firefighters battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria Jonty Smith via Reuters Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The remains of burnt out buildings along a main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo AFP/Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters try to protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales NSW Rural Fire Service/AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale Glen Morey via AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Business owners stand in front of their shop which was destroyed by a bushfire in Cobargo EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A helicopter dumping water on a fire in Victoria's East Gippsland region Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning/AFP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Think smoke from bushfires fills the air in eastern Gippsland Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures "Carmelised" snow caused by dust from Australian bushfires is seen near Franz Josef glacier in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, New Zealand Reuters Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria. More than 800,000 hectares have been burnt in East Gippsland EPA/DELWP Gippsland Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland EPA/DELWP Gippsland Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures LIFES.A.BREEZE via Reuters Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke and wildfire rage behind Lake Conjola Robert Oerlemans via AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A house and van are seen destroyed after bushfires ravaged the town of Bilpin, west of Sydney AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A helicopter fighting a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria's East Gippsland region State Government of Victoria/AFP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Fire and Rescue personal run to move their truck as a bushfire burns next to a major road and homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Amy, left, and Ben Spencer sit at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter sprays foam retardant on a back burn ahead of a fire front in the New South Wales town of Jerrawangala AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Two bushfires approach a home located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Property damaged by the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield, Victoria EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Property under threat from the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The main street of the New South Wales town of Bombala is pictured shrouded in smoke from nearby bushfires AFP via Getty On New Years Eve, thousands of people left their homes in the coastal town of Mallacoota as more than 200 wildfires tore through the state of Victoria and camped out on the beach. Food, water, fuel and medical expertise were being delivered and about 500 people were going to be evacuated from the town by a naval ship. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: We think around 3,000 tourists and 1,000 locals are there. Not all of those will want to leave, not all can get on the vessel at one time. According to The Age, the naval vessel HMAS Choules has a 1,000-person capacity and is due to depart Mallacoota on Friday afternoon. Commander Scott Houlihan said the only way to leave the area was by boat, as closed highways and smoke conditions make road and air travel extremely limited. We are conscious of the health impacts of remaining in a high-smoke environment for extended periods of time, especially for vulnerable persons. This is why weve already commenced relocation of vulnerable persons out of Mallacoota. In addition to Mallacoota, we have a number of communities isolated across East Gippsland which we will need to also assist over the coming days. At least eight people have died and 381 homes were destroyed in New South Wales and Victoria this week. Seventeen people are missing in the district of East Gippsland in Victoria, where authorities have advised people to leave and stay out of before the weekend. New South Wales authorities ordered tourists on Thursday morning to leave a 250-kilometre zone along the south coast, with State Transport Minister Andrew Constance calling it the largest mass relocation of people out of the region that weve ever seen. A total fire ban has been put in place for the entire state of New South Wales for Friday and Saturday, and state authorities declared a state of emergency to brace for a dangerous weekend ahead. State Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the state of emergency will begin at 08:00 on Friday morning. She said: "We don't take these decisions lightly but we also want to make sure we're taking every single precaution to be prepared for what could be a horrible day on Saturday." The raging bushfires have created a plume of smoke wider than Europe and 14 times the size of Japan, which has started drifting over the Pacific Ocean towards New Zealand. Recommended Australian PM defends coal industry amid catastrophic wildfires The early start to Australias summer wildfires, with three months of summer left to go, has devastated large swathes of the country and led authorities to rate this season as the worst on record. About 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Thursday: The fires] will continue to go on until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months. Additional reporting by agencies In his brief time in Congress, Jeff Van Drew accomplished the near-impossible: He has managed to get the national news media interested in a Congressional race in New Jersey. The 66-year-old dentist from Cape May County did so by proclaiming that he would vote against the impeachment of President Trump. This was hardly out of character. For the almost 20 years Ive known him, Van Drew has made a career out of cooperating with the opposite party. In the state Legislature, he kept his fellow Democrats from going too far to the left on issues ranging from gun control to energy policy. He kept that up after he got elected to Congress in 2018, promptly joining the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and going out of his way to shake hands with Trump after the State of the Union address last year. His fellow Democrats would have been wise to adopt that approach. If they had been more accommodating, Van Drew might have stayed in the party. But their harsh response led him to switch to the Republican Party. This made him Trumps new best friend. It also made his re-election drive a big national story. But before Van Drew can run in the November general election he has to win the Republican primary in June. Will he? That was the subject of a segment on CNN Now the other day featuring the guy who had been anointed for the GOP nomination until Van Drew switched parties. Thats Dave Richter. Hes the wealthy former CEO of a global management construction firm with a big bankroll and expectations of cruising to the nomination - until Van Drew came along. But the Richter candidacy has some uncomfortable parallels to another GOP primary race involving a district that runs from the Jersey Shore to the Delaware River. Thats the Third District, where in 2014 the fight for the Republican nomination was between two outsiders who moved to the district to run for Congress. Tom MacArthur, originally of Morris County, won the nomination over Steve Lonegan, originally of Bergen County. But after two terms, MacArthur lost to Democrat Andy Kim, the current incumbent. In this case, Richters origins are not in the district but in Cherry Hill and Princeton. He now has a residence in Avalon, but it sure looks like he was district-shopping. The Politico website recently reported that Richter said he did an extensive study of the district while he was pursuing a masters degree at Harvard University several years ago. I had an almost 2-inch thick binder of documents, he was quoted as saying. When I called Van Drew and ran that by him, he went on the attack. He studied the district at Harvard, Van Drew said. I studied the district in the streets. Richter has criticized Van Drew for not being conservative enough to run as a Republican. But Van Drew noted that the Republican who occupied the seat previously, Frank LoBiondo, was noted for his moderate views. Its a moderate district, he said. Thats why Ive won 17 elections. (That includes state and local elections.) The national GOP was originally backing Richter against Van Drew when it looked like Van Drew would be running as a Democrat. But now that hes brought a House seat into the Republican fold, the National Republican Congressional Committee has thrown its support behind the incumbent. Then theres the guy whos expected to be at the top of the ticket in November. Trump is unquestionably absolutely supporting me because I had the courage not to vote for impeachment, Van Drew said. In a recent appearance on CNN, Richter said it was more a matter of convenience than courage. This is not somebody who saw the light, he said. This is somebody who opportunistically decided that his best chance for re-election was as a Republican. And he didn't leave the Democratic Party, he was essentially thrown out of it. All of that may be true. But it doesnt change the reality that as a Republican Van Drew has an excellent chance of winning the general election if he gets the nomination. Hes proven his ability to get Democratic votes. And Republican voters are not likely to vote for his likely opponent. Thats Brigid Harrison, the Montclair State University political science professor who has roots in the district, having graduated from Holy Spirit High School in Absecon and Stockton University in Pomona. Like Van Drew, she could attack Richter as a carpet-bagger. As a wise man once said, all politics is local. Richter might want to ponder that. ADD - IMPOSSIBLE PROMISES: On his campaign website, Richter promises to both balance the budget and cut taxes. This is pure nonsense. Balancing the budget is a great idea. But prior presidents named Bush and Obama made that an impossibility. Those two left us with annual trillion-dollar deficits. Cutting spending is a great idea. But wed have to entirely eliminate the military as well as most domestic programs just to balance the budget. Youd have to cut even more if you wanted to reduce federal taxes. Van Drew suggests Richter should run in the district he comes from. Thats the 12th. Its represented by a liberal Democrat, Bonnie Watson Coleman. Coleman was elected in 2014 and could be beaten in a Trump landslide. Thats not likely, but if the Democrats keep it up with this effort to remove Trump from the office he won in the last election, anything may be possible. He tried to warn them. And I suspect hell be saying I told you so in the not-too-distant future. Justice delayed, as they say, is justice denied. Thats why three years ago the Supreme Court of Canada lit a fire under governments across the country that were letting the countrys court systems go to rot through underfunding. To encourage investment, it imposed deadlines of 18 months for cases before provincial courts and 30 months for superior courts. But if you think that persuaded the government of Ontario to ensure a backlog of criminal cases would not be tossed out of court because of delays, youd be wrong. In her 2019 annual report, the provinces auditor general, Bonnie Lysyk, painted a picture of a court system that is still operating in the mid-20th century. Thats grossly unfair to those caught up in it, as well as costly for the taxpayers who fund it. Lysyk found, for example, that 96 per cent of the 2.5 million documents filed in Ontario courts in 2018-19 were on paper and courtrooms were being underused because of inefficient scheduling. Little surprise, then, that she also found the backlog of criminal cases awaiting conclusion had increased by about 27 per cent, or about 114,000 cases, between 2014 and 2018. It wasnt any better on the family court side. There, Lysyk found that 1,200 child protection cases had been pending in the system for more than 18 months. That is beyond the timeline prescribed by law to deal with these cases, never mind that children may be endangered or unnecessarily separated from family members because of the delays. Its true the Ford government inherited this system. But in a year and a half it has done nothing to make matters better. Attorney General Doug Downey, for example, says he is actively working on legislative proposals to improve the operations of our courts. But he would not or could not tell the legislature what those actions might be. So far, though, instead of investing in the provinces legal system as the Supreme Court had hoped, the Ford government has only acted to make matters worse by imposing funding cuts. Last April, for example, former AG Caroline Mulroney slashed the provinces legal aid budget by 30 per cent. At the time she claimed the move would ensure that lower-income Ontarians continue to have access to the justice they need. Downey has since backed her up on that, though he did reverse a plan for further cuts in the new year. Thats despite the fact that her comments made so little sense that the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Richard Wagner, set aside his customary reluctance to comment on government matters and said this: I think legal aid is essential... to make sure that the justice system is strong and fair. Its also a smart investment, he added. Indeed. Without legal aid, more people will end up representing themselves in court. And that means cases take longer to adjudicate and cost taxpayers more. So, too, do new trials in cases where a person without adequate representation is found guilty and a higher court overturns the verdict and orders a new trial. Lysyk also pointed out the failure to modernize court proceedings actually costs taxpayers money by preventing the government from realizing potential cost savings. How much that might be, she couldnt say. Thats because she was met with so many roadblocks in her attempts to audit the court system that she could not properly measure how effective it is or definitively identify where potential cost savings might lie. A fair court system is a pillar of democracy. But right now, Ontarios auditor general cannot make head nor tails of how it operates. How, then, can Downey expect Ontarians to trust it or him? His wait-and-see attitude isnt good enough. He must tell Ontarians exactly what he is planning to do to improve the system. In the last few years, numerous states have already begun to, or soon will, issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Spurred by concerns about national security risks, Trump's Department of Homeland Security is finally investigating whether these licenses are pathways to dangerous identity fraud. The plethora of licenses in the hands of illegal aliens has worried those concerned about voting integrity. In California, for example, the current iteration of the "motor voter" law means that anyone who obtains or renews a driver's license is automatically registered to vote. Technically, "[i]ndividuals with AB 60 driver's licenses are not eligible to participate in the California Motor Voter program and are not eligible to vote." In practice, last year, the DMV admitted that it erroneously registered 1,500 drivers to vote, including, it said, non-citizens (i.e., green cardholders and illegal aliens). (If you're wondering whether 1,500 is a real number, you'll find interesting Jeff Carlson's article about California's overwhelming support for Hillary in 2016.) California's not alone. A July 2019 article from the National Conference of State Legislatures has noted the trend: Thirteen states and the District of Columbia enacted laws to allow unauthorized immigrants to obtain a driver's licenses. These statesCalifornia, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Utah, Vermont and Washington issue a license if an applicant provides certain documentation, such as a foreign birth certificate, a foreign passport, or a consular card and evidence of current residency in the state. [snip] In 2019, legislators in several states introduced legislation to provide driver's licenses to undocumented residents [sic] including Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Texas. The Oregon House passed legislation in June 2019 which would provide licenses to undocumented residents. The proponents of this push to give legal driver's licenses to illegal residents insist that the public will benefit: Proponents of extending driver's licenses to immigrants argue that licensing undocumented residents [sic] will lead to fewer hit-and-runs, more trust between immigrants and police, and increased revenue for Departments of Motor Vehicles. To date, there do not seem to be any studies confirming these optimistic predictions. The good news for those who worry that handing out official government documents to illegal aliens creates opportunities not just for voter fraud, but for national security risks is that Trump's Department of Homeland Security is also getting worried. On Tuesday, acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf initiated a study looking at whether these licenses negatively affect the federal government's law abilities: Wolf's memo, which went to agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration, follows a New York law authorizing licenses for undocumented immigrants [sic] and restricting data-sharing with federal agencies. Similar laws exist in a dozen other states, including New Jersey, which passed a similar measure in December. Wolf wrote in his memo that the department needed to be "prepared to deal with and counter these impacts as we protect the homeland." He also asks each recipient to take account of what Department of Motor Vehicles information is already available, and of any security consequences their operations could risk without that data, according to the AP. So far, those who blithely predicted all sorts of societal benefits from legitimizing illegal behavior have been unopposed. It will be interesting to see what actual data reveals once the DHS has had a chance to look at the data and determine whether licenses for illegal aliens are being used for good or ill. President Donald Trump enters the new yearhis year of reelection or rejectionwith two of the worlds most perilous hot spots about to catch fire and with no strategy on how to douse the flames. Iran and North Korea are once again inspiring banner headlines, and not in the ways that Trump had hoped for in 2019. He believed that maximum pressure would prod the mullahs of Tehran to come crawling back to the bargaining tableor, better still, to be ousted from powerand that his putative friendship with Kim Jong-un would unleash a new era of peace and disarmament in northeast Asia. But if anything, the opposite has occurred, either in spite or because of Trumps actions. Advertisement North Korea poses Trumps most intractable problemand highlights his most mortifying folly. For a year and a half, ever since first meeting with Kim in Singapore, Trump has been singing the praises of the worlds cruelest dictator, heralding him as a great leader and a man of his word and fully expecting him to denuclearize without so much as defining the term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Kim ushered in 2020 with a seven-hour stemwinder to fellow members of the ruling Workers Party, outlining a new course of arduous and protracted struggle with the West and announcing, most dramatically, an end to his self-imposed moratoriumin effect for the past two yearson testing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. Advertisement Trump has waved away North Koreas recent tests of several short-range missiles, despite the fact that they violated U.N. Security Council resolutions and unnerved our allies in South Korea and Japan. To Trump, as long as Kim held to his pledge not to test-fire long-range missiles (i.e., missiles that could hit the United States), all was well. So what happens now if Kim tests precisely such a missile and maybe resumes testing nuclear weapons too? Will Trump realize what everyone else has known for 18 monthsthat the man with whom he fell in love after Singapore has, all along, been taking him for a ride? Hes played to Trumps ego, writing him beautiful letters while continuing to expand his nuclear arsenal and sow divisions between the United States and its allies in the region. If Trump experiences this epiphany, how will he react to the betrayal and humiliation? Kim probably thinks Trump wont react at all: He hasnt responded with much force to any other provocation in the world; moreover, Kim might think, Trump is unlikely to start a war in Asia amid his impeachment trial and election campaign. Kim might be right, but wars have been sparked by less drastic miscalculations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, in Baghdad, thousands of Iranian-backed militiamen spent New Years Eve smashing into the U.S. Embassy while chanting Death to America. The demonstrators pulled back two days later, after the Iraqi governmentwhich initially let them cross into the Green Zone surrounding the embassypressured the leaders of Kataib Hezbollah, the main militia. Trump, who responded to the incident by ordering 4,000 more U.S. troops into Iraq, took the end of the siege as a triumphthe Anti-Benghazi, as he proclaimed. Advertisement Advertisement Trump seems to think that the end of the siege marked an eclipse of Iranian strength, tweeting, To those many millions of people in Iraq who want freedom and who dont want to be dominated and controlled by Iran, this is your time! This is naive. Iranian influence in Iraqs politics is immovably strong; it has been since the aftermath of the U.S. invasion in 2003; and the incident that precipitated this weeks siege probably strengthened its hold. Advertisement Advertisement The spurring incident was a series of U.S. airstrikes against Kataib Hezbollah targets, killing 24 people and injuring dozens more. The strikes were meant as retaliation to a militia missile attack that killed an American contractor. But the commander of Iraqs armed forces, who apparently wasnt consulted about the airstrikes, condemned them afterward as a stab in the back. For the previous three months, protesters held massive demonstrations in the streets of Baghdad and throughout southern Iraq against, among other things, Irans excessive influence on its government. But the U.S. airstrikeswhich killed Iraqis on Iraqi territoryallowed pro-Iran forces to stage their own protests and to show that they can be rallied to do so anytime, on a moments notice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his dealings with both Iran and North Korea, Trump has displayed a cluelessness about the causes of the crises. Irans recent eruptions probably would have been avoided if Trump hadnt withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal, reimposed economic sanctions against Iran, andto compound the aggravationimposed further sanctions on any country that did business with Iran. The nuclear deal, signed in 2015 by then-President Barack Obama and the leaders of five other nations, required Iran to dismantle its nuclear infrastructurein exchange for which those nations would lift sanctions. International inspectors attested several times that Iran was obeying the terms of the deal, dismantling its nuclear program; as a result, the other nations started lifting sanctionsuntil Trump intervened, against the advice of all his top officials, mainly because he couldnt bear to continue abiding by Obamas signal diplomatic achievement. Advertisement Advertisement For a while, the Iranians tried to persuade the other signatoriesFrance, Britain, Germany, Russia, and Chinato keep their side of the bargain and to continue trade, but U.S. sanctions were too stiff for them to bypass. So Tehran stepped up pressure in the politico-military sphere, hoping to bring Trump back to the bargaining table. Some top Iranian officials hoped to drive a wedge between Trump and some of his advisers, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and thennational security adviser John Bolton, who were clearly pressing for regime change in Iran. But if Trump differed from his advisers on this point, he put forth no other ideas on how to resume relationsso the crisis festered and intensified. Advertisement Advertisement Similarly, the crisis in eastern Asia is aggravated by Trumps refusal to recognize that North Korea is a nuclear powerwhich, like other nuclear powers, can be deterred and containedand that Kim has no intention of changing that fact. Trump seems to believe that Kim signed a contract in Singapore to denuclearize North Korea. But in fact, he pledged in that summits joint statement merely to work toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsulawhich, as some North Korean officials subsequently explained, involves removing all military units capable of carrying nuclear weapons from all areas within firing range of Korea. This would mean dismantling almost all American nuclear weapons, and that isnt going to happen, not in exchange for eliminating North Koreas relatively puny arsenal. Advertisement North Korea and Iran are among the most intractable regimes on earth, but there are ways of conducting diplomacy with both. President Bill Clinton managed to negotiate the Agreed Framework, a pact that froze North Koreas nuclear program for eight years. Obama and his partners negotiated the seemingly less likely Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the formal name for the Iran nuclear deal). Advertisement Advertisement One problem is that no one in the Trump administration has any experience in negotiating with those countries. Another problem is that Trump doesnt care. He has said several times that he knows more about making deals than any of his diplomats, and he might even believe its true. Many of our ablest career civilians, in the diplomatic corps and in the Pentagon, have been fired or have simply fled, and few with any talent have taken their place. North Korea, Iran, and many other hot spots are hard problems for the most expert and dedicated public servants to solve. Without such public servants, theyre impossible. Ahmedabad: In a unique initiative in the country, a group of lactating mothers in Ahmedabad have started a movement for donating breast milk to help and save the lives of strangers' babies, who are not in good physical health. These babies are unable to feed with their biological mothers since their mothers are either sick or unable to provide the milk. It started after a young mother, Rushina Doctor Marfatia (29), decided to donate breast milk after she realised that she was producing more milk than her boy could feed on. It was then that she decided to donate her breast milk to five premature babies who were battling for their lives in the ICU. Since then, she has donated over 12 litres of milk, which has helped several pre-mature babies in the ICUs. She believes that the children are healthiest when breastfed for a long time. Rushina also urged other lactating mothers to come forward to help the needy babies get the right nutrition. Inspired by 'supermom' Rushina, an organisation in Ahemdabad - Arpan Newborn Care Center - has started a bank for mothers own milk (MOM) earlier this year. Telling more about the initiative, senior neonatologist Dr Ashish Mehta of Arpan Newborn Care Center said, ''Rushina's deed is priceless. Her milk served as a panacea for these fragile babies weighing anywhere between 600 gm and 1.5 kg who are more prone to infections." Live TV Due to her efforts, at least 250 other mothers have now become a part of the Arpan MOM bank. It has got nearly 90 litres of mothers milk in donations which roughly translates to 600 milk feeds of 150 ml each. Taking inspiration from Rushina, two more lactating mothers in Tamil Nadu started breast milk donation camps to help the lives of undernourished babies. It may be noted that lactating mothers in Norway and Finland donate their breast milk on a regular basis and the practice needs to be encouraged in India. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Teddy Roosevelt remarked in 1914: A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. If that was true then, it is truer today because of the curse of political correctness. With a new year upon us, and the opportunity to turn over a new leaf, why not resolve to spend more time in the wonderful book God has given us the Bible? This is the book that has had unparalleled influence on so many great people in history. Many of our nations presidents made it a habit to read the Bible on a regular basis. It is part of what made them who they were. Consider these sample opinions: John Adams , our second president and a key founding father: I have made it a practice every year for several years to read through the Bible. , our second president and a key founding father: I have made it a practice every year for several years to read through the Bible. His son, John Quincy Adams , American president who was a champion against slavery, and who greatly influenced the thinking of fellow Congressman Abraham Lincoln during the latters one term (1847-1849): The Bible is the book of all others to read at all ages and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once, or twice, or thrice through, and then laid aside; but to be read in small portions of one or two chapter a day, and never to be omitted by some overwhelming necessity. , American president who was a champion against slavery, and who greatly influenced the thinking of fellow Congressman Abraham Lincoln during the latters one term (1847-1849): The Bible is the book of all others to read at all ages and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once, or twice, or thrice through, and then laid aside; but to be read in small portions of one or two chapter a day, and never to be omitted by some overwhelming necessity. Abraham Lincoln : In regard to this great book, I have but this to say: It is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. Except for it, we would not know right from wrong. The 16th president made that statement when a delegation of African Americans visited him in 1864 and gave him a beautiful copy of the Scriptures. Having known of this story for years, I was overjoyed to see the actual Bible at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. about a year ago. : In regard to this great book, I have but this to say: It is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. Except for it, we would not know right from wrong. The 16th president made that statement when a delegation of African Americans visited him in 1864 and gave him a beautiful copy of the Scriptures. Having known of this story for years, I was overjoyed to see the actual Bible at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. about a year ago. Lincolns winning general, Ulysses S. Grant , later our 18th president: Hold fast to the Bible as the anchor of your liberty; write its precepts in your hearts and practice them in your lives. , later our 18th president: Hold fast to the Bible as the anchor of your liberty; write its precepts in your hearts and practice them in your lives. FDR : Throughout the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origins have found in the sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul. : Throughout the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origins have found in the sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul. Ronald Reagan: Inside the Bibles pages lie all the answers to all the problems man has ever known. I hope Americans will read and study the Bible ... it is my firm belief that the enduring values presented in its pages have a great meaning for each of us and for our nation. The Bible can touch our hearts, order our minds, and refresh our souls. But what about George Washington? An influential book written in the early 1960s claimed that our first president did not quote the Bible. But that is not so. In Appendix No. 2 in the book I co-wrote with Dr. Peter Lillback, George Washingtons Sacred Fire, we show example after example of quotes and phrases and special vocabulary found in the writings and speeches of Washington (public or private) that come from the Bible. It is as if you cut Washington, he would have bled Scripture. Clearly Washington was a Bible reader and very familiar with it. For example, more than 40 times he alludes to Micah 4:4 in the King James: But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. Author Dr. Art Lindsley of the Institute of Faith, Work, and Economics, told me regarding Micah 4:4, our first presidents favorite verse: [Washington] uses it up to about 50 different times in his writings. And its really what he wanted for America. ... Your own vine and your own fig tree. Theres the idea of private property, that you can have property thats your own, which, of course, is the antithesis to Marxism and some forms of socialism with no one to make them afraid. And it particularly shows the primary place of government as a rule of law, and thoroughly fits in with a biblical perspective on that subject. Why not make it your goal in 2020, like some of our presidents, to read through the whole Bible or to continue to study the sacred volume? I have found a classic book from the 1940s, Search the Scriptures (edited by Alan Stibbs, IVP), as a wonderful aid to help me study the Bible, passage by passage. Teddy Roosevelt once remarked, If a man is not familiar with the Bible, he has suffered a loss which he had better made all possible haste to correct. - GBP/ZAR is currently trading at R18.54973 (-0.08%) on 02.01.2020 The Pound to Rand exchange rates held steady today, with the pairing currently trading around R18.556 after the UK Markit Manufacturing PMI for December fell to a worse-than-expected 47.5, their fastest fall since July 2012. Duncan Brock, Group Director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, was downbeat in his assessment, saying: In the closing stages of the year the sector has ended on a dreary note. Though the result of the General Election will bring some clarity to businesses, it still feels like a long road ahead for manufacturing to recover its losses from this year and there will still be some obstacles to overcome in 2020. Meanwhile, the Pound (GBP) continues to be held back by uncertainty over Brexit, with the fast-approaching 31st January exit date leaving British markets feeling jittery. Samuel Tombs, Chief UK Economist at Pantheon, comments: We do not know the strength of Euroscepticism among the new intake of Conservative MPs The stage is set, therefore, for Brexit risk to dampen the economy again in the second half of next year. ZAR/GBP Exchange Rate Steady, US-China Trade Developments in Focus The risk-sensitive South African Rand (ZAR) has continued to benefit from US President Donald Trumps announcement that a US-China phase one trade deal could be signed off on the 15th January. Mr Trump tweeted on Tuesday: I will be signing our very large and comprehensive Phase One Trade Deal with China on January 15. The ceremony will take place at the White House. High-level representatives of China will be present. At a later date, I will be going to Beijing where talks will begin on Phase Two! With China being South Africas largest trading partner, signs of an imminent trade deal between the worlds two largest economies would increase appetite for the risk-averse ZAR. ETM Analytics said in a note: The rands appreciation has been well-correlated with improving sentiment to China, as trade negotiations with the U.S. finally seem to be turning the corner, supporting sentiment in [the] commodity market. GBP/ZAR Outlook: Could Brexit Uncertainty Drag on the Pound? Sterling investors will be looking ahead to tomorrows release of Decembers UK Markit Construction PMI, which is expected to improve from 45.3 to 45.9. However, as the index is forecast to remain in contraction territory, this could have a negative impact on the GBP/ZAR exchange rate. US-China trade developments will continue to drive the risk-averse South African Rand this week, however, with any signs of relations between the two superpowers deteriorating ahead of the 15th January deal sign-off target. Brexit will also remain in the spotlight for Sterling traders this week, with UK markets expected to remain subdued ahead of the 31st January, when the UK is expected to leave the European Union. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has set up a committee to look into whether Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem "Hum Dekhenge" is offensive to Hindu sentiments. The move came after some faculty member complaint that the students who took out a peaceful march in the campus on December 17 against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia students sung it as a mark of protest. The complaint was made to the Director Abhay Karandikar after which the panel was constituted to dwell into the matter. IIT Kanpur will reportedly take strict action on the basis of findings and suggestion of the panel. Since the enactment of CAA on December 12 last year, protests have erupted in various parts of the country including the capital. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosns residence in Tokyo (Yuki Sato/Kyodo News via AP) Japanese prosecutors have raided the Tokyo home of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn after he skipped bail before a trial on financial misconduct charges and left for Lebanon. Japanese media reported on and showed photos of the raid. Government offices are closed this week for the New Year holidays. It is unclear how Mr Ghosn avoided the tight surveillance he was under in Japan and escaped to Lebanon. Mr Ghosn said he left for Lebanon because he thought the Japanese judicial system was unjust, and he wanted to avoid political persecution. Expand Close Details of how Carlos Ghosn escaped from Japan are unclear (Koji Sasahara/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Details of how Carlos Ghosn escaped from Japan are unclear (Koji Sasahara/AP) He said he would talk to reporters next week. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. Lebanon has said Mr Ghosn entered the country legally, and there was no reason to take action against him. His lawyers in Japan said they had no knowledge of the escape and they had all his passports. Mr Ghosn has French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship. Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV, without identifying sources, reported that Mr Ghosn had two French passports. Earlier Japanese reports said there were no official records in Japan of Mr Ghosns departure, but a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. Expand Close Prosecutors enter Carlos Ghosns residence (Yuki Sato/Kyodo News via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prosecutors enter Carlos Ghosns residence (Yuki Sato/Kyodo News via AP) The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency said Turkish authorities had detained seven people as part of an investigation into how Mr Ghosn fled to Lebanon via Istanbul. The private DHA news agency reported that those detained are four pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. The Hurriyet newspaper said the plane carrying Mr Ghosn landed at Istanbuls Ataturk Airport at 5.30am local time on December 29. The paper reported that Mr Ghosn was not registered upon landing and was smuggled on board another plane that left for Lebanon. Mr Ghosn, who was charged with under-reporting his future compensation and breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan Motor Company and alliance partner Renault SA. His 1.5 billion yen bail that Mr Ghosn posted on two separate instances to get out of detention is being revoked. Reuters Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp will invest more than 50 billion yuan ($7.18 billion) in artificial intelligence and fifth-generation internet technologies over the next five years, as competition in the sector grows. Xiaomi Chief Executive Lei Jun made the announcement in a letter posted on the companys social media account on Thursday but did not provide specific investment details. We need to turn our continuous advantage we have in AIoT and intelligent life into absolute victory in intelligent full scene, and completely cement our king status in the smart era, Lei said, using the acronym for artificial intelligence of things, a reference to a combination of AI and internet technologies. The announced investment increases Xiaomis pledge made last year to invest 10 billion yuan over five years in an All in AIoT strategy. The Beijing-based company started as an affordable cellphone maker but its internet-enabled products now include smart TVs and rice-cookers. However, Xiaomi also faces intense competition in its home market from rival Huawei Technologies, which captured a record 42 percent of Chinas smartphone market in the third quarter at the expense of other local manufacturers and Apple. Lei announced in October the company planned to launch more than 10 5G phone models in 2020. Norman Reedus is ringing in the new year by sharing a rare photo of his daughter and her mother, Diane Kruger. Reedus, 50, took to Instagram on New Year's Day, sharing an image of Kruger, who he's been with since 2015, who was holding their daughter while on a trampoline. The couple have yet to reveal the name of their daughter publicly, but she was born in November 2018, Reedus' second child and Kruger's first. Happy New Year: Norman Reedus is ringing in the new year by sharing a rare photo of his daughter and her mother, Diane Kruger 'Happy new year everyone onward and upward to all of u,' Reedus said in the caption of his post on Wednesday. Kruger, who he'd been dating since they met on the set of Sky in 2015, was wearing a black T-shirt and grey sweats while pointing up at the sky while holding her daughter. The actress was standing on a trampoline in the picture, with a goldfish toy behind them as they look to the stars. Bliss: Diane shared on Instagram that she was 'grateful to spend the evening with good friends and my family' on New Year's Eve Happy couple: Kruger, who he'd been dating since they met on the set of Sky in 2015, was wearing a black t-shirt and grey sweats while pointing up at the sky while holding her daughter Reedus has a 20-year-old son Mingus Lucien Reedus with supermodel Helena Christensen, who he was with from 1998 to 2003, though they never married. Kruger was previously married to French filmmaker Guillaume Canet from 2001 to 2006, and then she was dating actor Joshua Jackson from 2006 to 2016. Kruger never had kids with either of her previous long-term relationships, and she is quite private with her daughter. Relationship: Kruger was previously married to French filmmaker Guillaume Canet from 2001 to 2006, and then she was dating actor Joshua Jackson from 2006 to 2016 Reedus stars on the hit AMC zombie series The Walking Dead, which returns with the back half of its 10th season on February 23. The actor also voices Sam Porter Bridges in the hit video game Death Stranding which was released in 2019. AMC announced at New York Comic Con in October that The Walking Dead will be renewed for its 11th season, debuting in 2020. TV star: Reedus stars on the hit AMC zombie series The Walking Dead, which returns with the back half of its 10th season on February 23 Voice actor: The actor also voices Sam Porter Bridges in the hit video game Death Stranding which was released in 2019 Kruger starred in The Operative with Martin Freeman in 2019, though she doesn't have a movie slated for release in 2020 yet. She will next be seen in the star-studded 355, alongside Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong'o and Sebastian Stan, which hits theaters January 15, 2021. She is also attached to star in Butterfly In the Typewriter alongside Susan Sarandon and Cary Elwes, which is currently in pre-production. Actress: Kruger starred in The Operative with Martin Freeman in 2019, though she doesn't have a movie slated for release in 2020 yet Travelling abroad for the first time can be a very exciting prospect. You will be experiencing a whole new culture, experience sights that you may have previously only seen on TV or on the internet. Of course, it is normal to be a little anxious as well. What documents will they require? What all should you carry? And perhaps the biggest question of all, how will I stay connected from there? Well, there are certain things that you can do to ensure that your first international trip goes off without a hitch. Carry original documents as well as copies Before you head off to the airport, its a very good idea to not only carry all necessary original documents with you, but also copies of the same documents. This includes physical copies as well as soft copies that you can save on the cloud. Also, click pictures of your documents and hotel stays and save it on your phone. These will come in handy in case the dreaded happens and you lose your documents. Pick an international roaming pack in advance When you are out and about, you would want to have the internet. After all, how else will you post all your photos on social media? Of course, you could get a new SIM card when you land in the new country, but that might be a bit of a hassle. Rather, you may consider getting an international roaming pack, which would ensure that you not only continue to have the same phone number, but also enjoy internet connectivity from the moment you touch down in the new country. Airtel offers a range of international roaming packs that you can choose depending on the length of your stay. Get Travel insurance No matter how meticulously you plan your travel, you never know when something untoward may happen. That is why its always a very good idea to get travel insurance because any mishap may send you in a tizzy in a foreign land. And remember, medical expenses can be up to 5 times more expensive there as compared to India. Travel insurance covers everything from lost baggage, injuries to even hijacking. Remember to search around for travel insurance in order to ensure that you get the best possible deal. Plan for jet lag Jet lag is something international travellers have to keep in mind, especially those who are travelling far. If flying west, plan to counter jet lag by using natural light in the morning to counter its effects and reset your bodys internal clock to the local time. Keep yourself hydrated at all times. A good thing to do is to move around or even exercise in case you land in the morning. Finally, try taking a hot shower before you sleep. After all, the last thing you want is to feel super sleepy in the middle of a museum tour. Buy a universal travel adapter Its a rookie mistake to travel out of the country for the first time and expect your plugs to fit those in another country. Thankfully, a universal travel adapter will let you plug in your devices wherever you might be travelling to. Many travel adapters also come with built-in USB ports, so you can charge multiple devices without the need to purchase multiple travel adapters. [Brand story by Airtel] Many of us have heard the story about the miraculous features of the magical mirror in Snow Whites tale. Now, the latest gadget to jump on the smart home bandwagon is one straight out of a fairy tale! Whether you want to check the weather forecast or news updates, or control your home, the gadget is here to satisfy your needs. The magic mirror of the 4.0 era is one of the highlights at The Marq a luxury condominium in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. An era of smart devices The concept of luxury has long been associated with heritage values and superior craftsmanship. However, in the 4.0 era, conventional beliefs are being challenged by technology driven by the Internet of Things (IoT). This change is being fuelled by the icons of ultimate luxury contemporary residences, with the global smart home device industry currently expected to reach $54 billion by 2022. Technology-oriented amenities are rapidly spreading across the apartment segment, bringing a new level of interaction and revolutionising resident connection to homes and beyond. According to the 2017 NMHC/Kingsley Renter Preferences Report that surveyed 250,000 apartment residents, nearly one-third of those polled own between five and nine internet-connected devices. From condos and villas to spacious apartments, people across top cities are experiencing luxury living with these popular smart home devices. The magic mirror of the 4.0 era is one of the highlights at The Marq The magic mirror of the 4.0 era is one of the highlights at The Marq a luxury condominium in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City The Marq where technology is the new luxury The Marq is one of the rare projects that interweaves traditional and modern values. In a space steeped in heritage values, owners will fully enjoy the convenience and connectivity that technology has to offer. With the smart mirror installed in the living and dining room, you can now both look in the mirror and be updated on the latest news, while reveling in a cozy atmosphere as just beyond the glass window is the commotion of everyday life. The signature detail of each opulent residence at The Marq is a state-of-the-art, touch-screen smart mirror powered by smart home technology The signature detail of each opulent residence at The Marq is a state-of-the-art, touch-screen smart mirror powered by smart home technology With multiple functions from air-con lighting and curtain control, to music play, and news updates to traffic and weather information as well as synchronisation of other smart devices, smart mirrors not only help reflect your beauty every day but also deliver convenience through unique experiences only possible in the era of modern technology. Resident leaving their home, thanks to an application installed on their mobile phone, they can still control the air conditioner, lights, and curtains inside the apartment. The beauty of a luxurious living space with a prime location in the heart of the most dynamic city of Vietnam comes with its own lasting heritage values which are honoured by the smart gadgets of the new technology era. The harmony between tradition and modernity is what makes The Marq a living masterpiece not for the masses unique and remarkable. A Polish primary school held an Auschwitz themed dance recital featuring children pretending to be gassed to death. Some children wore concentration camp uniforms while others oversaw the gassing dressed in full Nazi regalia. The performance took place in the village of Labunie, Eastern Poland, on December 10. It was part of an event held to mark the school naming itself after the Zamosc Children - Polish children who were deported to make room for resettlement by ethnic Germans. Children wore concentration camp uniforms during a dance recital in the village of Labunie, eastern Poland / Tygodnik Zamojski In a video posted by Polish news website Tygodnik Zamojski, children can be seen writhing on the floor while a smoke machine simulates gas wafting over them. Newsweek Polska reporter Dawid Karpiuk, who attended the event, said: "At one point, the Gestapo officers turned on a smoke machine and the gassed prisoners fell to the floor pretending to be dead. He reported that similar performances were being held in thousands of Polish schools. While some children wore concentration camp uniforms others oversaw the gassing while dressed in full Nazi regalia / Tygodnik Zamojski Earlier this year another video of Polish children re-enacting a scene from Auschwitz was released. Even though I never studied political science before, politics in western Europe, especially in Belgium, has given me ample knowledge to identify a very bad government from a good one. Mahama did many mistakes, including his involvement in corruption scandals but he is one of the best Ghanaian leaders. Which political leader in Africa will accept or openly claim that he is ineffective or poor in leading a country? Akufo Addo is not satisfied with himself, therefore, he is building a defence. Have Ghanaians experienced what has transpired in the country under any democratic rule? Since Akufo Addo took office, his involvement in corruption scandals, his hold up in Nyantakyis pocket, his nepotism characterized government, abortive coup attempt, etc, all pose as a threat to him, no matter how brave he wants Ghanaians to see. I have said it before; I will repeat that Akufo Addo has no chance to rule for the second time in any developed country, unless Africa. Whatever takes place on the black continent never occurs in any developed world. This is one of the reasons despite our wealth, Africa can't progress. Why did Akufo Addo suddenly promote police officers in the time when an election is very close? Even though he knows he is going to win, he is probably not sure of what will happen or believes there is going to be political unrest in the country, after declared a winner. Who told you that Nana Akufo Addo is not worried about the incompetence of his administration with over 123 ministers? Who told you that Nana Akufo Addo is not worried about the corruption scandals he and his ministers are involved but swept under the carpet? Who told you that Nana Akufo Addo is not having sleepless nights about the poor corrupt judiciary system in the country? Akufo Addo may not be considered a clever leader by many Ghanaians, yet, he is not stupid, he knows whatever he does. He is, therefore, building a defence or protection through the Ghana police, should in case political violence erupts in Ghana after declared a winner, the police force would arrest the situation. Ghanaians mustn't forget that he has been accused several times of building secret militia groups in the country. If that has been exposed, he will build one legally, hence, the promotion of the Ghanaian police officers. Akufo Addo has been talking against violence all the time and has been appealing to Ghanaians not to resort to violence. That actually makes him a leader interested in peace. But the question is: why is he afraid of something that may not happen? Is he scared that his incompetence will come back to haunt him? The promotion of the 6,000 police officers must serve as a warning to those who will encourage violence in the country if he is declared a winner. Those who believe in political violence must be careful. Ghana has no space to accommodate any political violence. Money is power, therefore, those police officers can suddenly become killers to defend the president. Ghanaians beware! That is how I study my politics and I strongly believe that any intelligent political analyst will agree with me. In fact, I am very glad that I don't have any relative in Ghanaian politics because if I have one, he will definitely pray for my premature death. My articles reveal that I don't commend incompetent politicians because there is never efficiency in Ghana politics. Few families contributed as much to modern conservatism, although they did so in different ways. While her husband helped organize an influential network of politicians, think tanks and media outlets, and her son became a leading Republican pundit and strategist, Himmelfarb concentrated on social criticism and historys lessons for the present. Washington Post Having thrown a lavish New Year's Eve party the evening before, the Beckham family congregated for a group snap on Wednesday, to kick off 2020. David, 44, and middle son Romeo, 17, shared the snap of the brood, who stood together for the photo on New Year's Day where they are staying in the Cotswolds. David captioned the snap, 'Happy New year from the Beckhams .. 2020 here we go, lets do this ,' while Romeo shared the same image with the caption: 'Oh hey 2020.' Happy family: Having thrown a lavish New Year's Eve party the evening before, the Beckham family congregated for a group snap on Wednesday, to kick off 2020 David looked proud in the image, donning the usual country garb he throws on when the family are staying in the countryside at their second home. He wore a beige flat cap, a shirt and tie, a camel sweater and khaki green slacks. Wife Victoria, 45, wore a grey blazer over a blouse from her own fashion line, as well as stonewashed jeans. Daughter Harper, eight, mirrored her father in a camel sweater and a tweed skirt, while eldest son Brooklyn, 20, went for a yellow sweater over a grey jacket and jeans. Have a Beckham New Year! The Beckham family threw their annual seasonal soiree, at their country pile, complete with a dinner party, a fireworks display across the lawns and plenty of singing and dancing. David was seen on eldest son Brooklyn's Instagram stories with daughter Harper, eight, on his shoulders Romeo was the most casual with a grey hoodie and combat pants. Younger son Cruz, 14, wore a navy sweater and jeans. The night before, the family threw their annual New Year's soiree at their country pile, complete with a dinner party, a fireworks display across the lawns and plenty of singing and dancing on Tuesday night. 2020 was welcomed with open arms by the famous brood who took to the lawns to watch an impressive fireworks show for them and their guests. David was seen with Harper on his shoulders. They bopped along to Yvonne Elliman's If I Can't Have You, having welcomed 2020 in with Carly Simon's You're So Vain blaring out. Brooklyn filmed himself dancing to this with his girlfriend Nicola Peltz, miming the words of the famous tune. She can't hide the Posh! Victoria was seen dancing as midnight drew closer, performing her famous Posh Point You're so vain! Brooklyn, 20, filmed himself dancing to this with his girlfriend Nicola Peltz, miming the words of the famous Carly Simon tune Disney character challenge: The Beckhams gave the latest Instagram fad a go during their NYE party Explosive! Cruz, 14, filmed the impressive firework display that lit up the sky above the family's Cotswold's getaway, where they have been spending the festive season Disney character challenge: The Beckhams gave the latest Instagram fad a go during their NYE party Cruz filmed the impressive firework display that lit up the sky above the family's Cotswold's getaway, where they have been spending the festive season. Earlier in the night, the family enjoyed a sit-down dinner, which appeared to involve a plethora of other guests. The Beckhams gave the latest Instagram fad a go during their NYE party - the Disney character challenge. Brooklyn tried it out on his mum, Victoria, who stunned in a black criss-cross top with a swan-emblem belt. Victoria's Disney character was Dory, from Finding Nemo, while Cruz was Olaf - the snowman from the Frozen franchise. Romeo seemed thrilled to be hunky John Smith from Pocahontas, while Nicola was even more delighted to be Cinderella, demanding her boyfriend 'send her that' immediately. In the country: The Beckhams hosted their annual NYE festivities from their country pile, with Brooklyn posing with his girlfriend Nicola and Victoria teasing her evening's attire with a swan-themed belt Earlier in the night: The family enjoyed a sit-down dinner, which appeared to involve a plethora of other guests You gotta get with my friends! Not at the party was Victoria's former Spice Girls band mate Emma Bunton, who spent the weekend between Christmas and New Year's at the Beckhams' pad with the family Not at the party was Victoria's former Spice Girls band mate Emma Bunton, who spent the weekend between Christmas and New Year's at the Beckhams' pad with the family. The fashion designer shared a sweet snap of herself and husband David cuddled up next to Emma and her fiance Jade Jones on a sofa. In the snap, Victoria lay sprawled across the sofa with David's arms wrapped around her as he flashed a beaming smile to the camera. Emma and Jade also appeared to be in high spirits as they cuddled up on the other end of the sofa next to the couple. Victoria posted the festive snap on her Instagram page and penned in the caption: 'The most perfect few days with Emma and Jade and their beautiful babies x We love u all so much xxxx So much fun and so many kisses x VB x' Emma also shared the picture of the two couples on her own Instagram page and penned in the caption: '#family Brilliant couple of days with this lot! #headsupgang #festivefun #bellylaughs love you all so much!' Haha! At one point David hilariously got down on one knee and 'proposed' to Jade, while Victoria poked fun at the situation and said: 'Something I need to know?' The two families later enjoyed a fun game of charades, as Victoria filmed David and Jade acting out words while she and Emma attempted to guess what they meant. At one point David hilariously got down on one knee and 'proposed' to Jade, while Victoria poked fun at the situation and said: 'Something I need to know?' The two families also spent time during the day enjoying a country jaunt, with Harper and Emma's youngest child Tate seen horse riding. Earlier on New Year's Eve, Victoria reeled off both her personal and professional achievements in a gushing Instagram post, saying that she and her husband David, 44, had 'come a long way' throughout the year. Loving: Victoria posted the festive snap on her Instagram page and penned in the caption: 'The most perfect few days with Emma and Jade and their beautiful babies x We love u all so much xxxx So much fun and so many kisses x VB x.' Pals: Victoria and Emma have remained firm friends since their days in the Spice Girls (pictured in 1995) Victoria detailed at length what she has done over the past year, while playing particular emphasis on her relationship with David, with whom she marked her 20th wedding anniversary Alongside the series of snaps, Victoria wrote: 'What a year! Im so grateful to the community that has supported me this past decade. In 2000, I dreamed big and in 2019 I dared to dream even bigger... 'I launched @VictoriaBeckhamBeauty, with my co-founder and good friend @sarah.creal, as well as partnerships with @Reebok and @Sothebys. Im so happy to be home again and showing on the #LFW schedule... 'And like the @spicegirls we went on tour! From Berlin to NYC, Dubai to LA, Doha to San Francisco, I met some inspirational leaders like Sir #JonyIve and @SherylSandberg. And so many of you all high-kicked the #VBPose... Happy days: Earlier on New Year's Eve, Victoria reeled off both her personal and professional achievements in a gushing Instagram post, saying that she and her husband David , 44, had 'come a long way' throughout the year My guys: Alongside the series of snaps, Victoria wrote: 'What a year! Im so grateful to the community that has supported me this past decade. In 2000, I dreamed big and in 2019 I dared to dream even bigger' 'Even @theellenshow joined the gang (see more on #worldofVB!) 2019 will also be known as the #cooltobekind year and I continue my work as a @UNAidsglobal ambassador and led charity initiatives at #Pride and #IWD... 'There were also hours #InTheChair and singing @barbrastreisand @davidbeckham and I have come a long waywe celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary and every day my family makes me the proudest mumI love u so much @brooklynbeckham @romeobeckham @cruzbeckham #HarperSeven... 'Thank you all again and #TeamVB for continuing to support me on this journey. x I wish everyone a happy 2020! x' IIT-Kanpur has formed a committee to inquire into a complaint against the recitation of Faiz Ahmed Faiz's noted poem Hum Dekhenge on campus by students to express solidarity with their peers at Jamia Millia Islamia, the institute's deputy director Manindra Agarwal said. Photograph: Kind courtesy AdabNuma.org He said a "very peaceful protest" was held on December 17 by about 300 students of the premier institute at its premises as they were not allowed to go out due to enforcement of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in Kanpur An IIT-Kanpur student recited the poem Hum Dekhenge by Faiz against which a complaint was filed by Dr Vashimant Sharma, a temporary faculty member, and 16 others, including faculty members and students. "The video suggests that the poem also provokes anti-Hindu sentiments," the complaint stated. The written complaint filed by them with the IIT-Kanpur director states that the poem had some words that could hurt the sentiments of Hindus, Agarwal said. "A committee of six members was established, headed by me, to investigate the matter. Some students have been questioned, while the others will be questioned after they return to the institution after the holidays," the deputy director said. There was a war of words on social media between those supporting the recitation of the poem and those who opposed it, he said. "It was contributing to escalation of the situation and hence we requested both sides to stop it and they obliged," Agarwal said. The video also shows students carrying placards with slogans like 'Tumhari laathi aur goli se tez hamari awaaz hai' (our voice is louder than your sticks and bullets) and 'IIT-Kanpur condemns police brutality on Jamia and AMU students. Shame on Delhi Police', an official said. "We would take some more days to hear both sides before coming up with the findings as some students were left to question and it could only be possible after their return to the institution after holidays," Agarwal said, adding, "Once everything cools down, we will be able to sort out the matter amicably." However, IIT-Kanpur director Abhay Karandikar has criticised a section of the media for reporting since Wednesday that the institute has set up a committee to decide whether the poem by Faiz is anti-Hindu or not, saying this is "very misleading". "The reality is that the institute has received complaints from multiple sections of the community that during a protest march taken out by students certain poem was read and then subsequently certain social media posts were made, which were inflammatory," Karandikar said. "The institute has also received complaints from other sections of the community that during the protest march, a group tried to block the march, which was incorrect. So, the institute has set up a committee to look into all these complaints to see if they are genuine. And if they are genuine, what remedial action is to be taken," he added. A murder suspect was taken into custody Wednesday in the Christmas night shooting death of a man in east Alabama. Phenix City police and U.S. Marshals arrested Delewis Antwan Collier. He had been sought for a week in the Dec. 25 killing 36-year-old Sidney Jones. The shooting happened about 11:36 p.m. at AJs Bar and Grill on U.S. 280. Jones was shot multiple times and taken to Piedmont Columbus Regional where he was later pronounced dead. Collier is charged with murder in Jones death. He is being held in the Russell County Jail. Capt. Darryl Williams said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Phenix City police at 334-448-2841 or 334-448 -2840. A second person has been confirmed dead in fires raging across eastern Victoria, most of which has now been declared in a state of disaster ahead of an "unprecedented" fire threat over coming days. Devastating scene from Mallacoota and conditions are set to worse at the weekend. Credit:Rachel Mounsey Premier Daniel Andrews declared the emergency for six local government areas in Victoria and Alpine resorts, the first time such powers have been used by the state government since being recommended after the Black Saturday bushfires. The areas affected are: East Gippsland Shire, Mansfield Shire, Wellington Shire, Wangaratta Rural Shire, Towong Shire, Alpine Shire, Mt Buller, Mount Hotham and Mount Stirling Alpine Resorts. Police said it was believed the second Victorian man to die suffered a medical episode while fighting the fires. New Delhi, Jan 2 : The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCALT) on Thursday asked the Registrar of Companies (RoC) to explain the rationale behind allowing Tata Sons to convert into a private company. A two-member bench headed by NCLAT Chairman Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya also sought an explanation on the due process for allowing the conversion from public to a private company. It would next hear the matter on Friday, December 3. The appellate tribunal sought details on the paid-up capital requirement. The RoC under the Corporate Affairs Ministry had on December 23 moved the NCLAT seeking modification in its order in the Tata Sons matter where it wants removal of the word "illegal" with respect to conversion of Tata Sons from a public company to private company which was done after the government body's approval. After Cyrus Mistry was sacked, Tata Sons had received its shareholders' nod in September 2017 to convert itself into a private limited company from a public limited company, where there would be no need to take shareholders' consent in taking crucial decisions, which could be passed with the board's approval. Tata Sons Ltd was initially a 'private company' but after insertion of Section 43A (1A) in the Companies Act, 1956 on the basis of average annual turnover, it assumed the character of a deemed 'Public Company' with effect from February 1, 1975, the order said. In another development on Thursday, Tata Sons moved the Supreme Court against re-appointment of Mistry as the company's Chairman. The firm has challenged the complete order of the NCLAT judgement, and sought a stay on it in the wake of TCS board meeting scheduled to be held on January 9. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 10:38:15|Editor: zyl Video Player Close VIENNA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Austria's conservatives and the Greeens agreed to form a coalition government on Wednesday, ending almost three months of negotiations. The agreement means Austria will have the left-wing Greens in government for the first time. "We have reached an agreement," Sebastian Kurz, Austria's former chancellor and leader of conservative People's Party, told reporters in a joint press conference with Wener Kogler, his counterpart from the Greens. The two will become chancellor and vice chancellor of the upcoming government, though the Greens, in a junior role, could gain just four of 15 ministries. But they did not unveil details of their plan. Employees of Hyundai Motor Group leave after the company's new year ceremony in Seoul By Joyce Lee and Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Hyundai Motor and affiliate Kia Motors turned in their lowest sales in seven years in 2019 as business in China slumped, missing their target for a fifth straight time, but forecast better numbers for 2020. Weak 2019 sales underline the challenges Hyundai Motor Group has been facing, including a string of annual profit declines at Hyundai and higher costs to develop future technologies even as the global auto market stagnates. "The market environment is very uncertain and internal and external challenges will intensify," Group heir apparent Euisun Chung said on Thursday. But he reiterated that the Group would continue to focus on profitability and technology investment. Hyundai and Kia reported a 3% drop in their combined global sales to 7.19 million vehicles for 2019, falling short of their target to sell 7.6 million vehicles. Their sales have slumped in China, the world's biggest auto market, offsetting a recovery in the United States where demand for their new sport utility vehicles and a favourable currency exchange rate have helped. "TOO AGGRESSIVE" Hyundai and Kia, however, said they expect combined sales to rise 5% to 7.54 million vehicles this year, without giving any further details. That compares with a 0.4% growth in global market projected by its think tank and a 0.9% contraction forecast by Moody Investors Service. But analysts caution it will be a daunting task for the car makers, together the world's fifth-biggest by sales, to meet their target for this year. "I think Hyundai Motor's target may be too aggressive ... my guess is that it assumed a recovery in China, but that's not easy," said Kim Pyung-mo, analyst at DB Financial Investment. "Hyundai underperformed the (China auto) market in November, and it's too early to say that China's industrial demand will be seeing a complete recovery." Story continues The global auto market is widely expected to stay sluggish in 2020, as demand shrinks further in the United States and Europe, signalling more competition for Hyundai and Kia. PLANS Hyundai and Kia plan to launch redesigned SUVs like Hyundai's Tucson and Kia's Sorento in 2020. They will also accelerate their push for mobility services such as ride-sharing, and have plans to establish operations in the United States, Europe and Asia, said Chung, Hyundai Motor Group's executive vice chairman. The Group, which in 2019 announced a joint venture with U.S. autonomous driving technology company Aptiv, plans to operate autonomous vehicles in select regions in 2023, and reach commercial production by the second half of 2024, Chung added. Hyundai Motor shares fell 2.1% prior to the sales announcement, while Kia Motors stocks dropped 4.1%. ($1 = 1,157.6900 won) (Reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Himani Sarkar) Kerala Assembly resolution against CAA has no legal validity: Governor India oi-PTI Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 02: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday said the resolution passed by the state assembly demanding scrapping of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has no constitutional or legal validity. The state had no role because citizenship comes under the domain of the Central government, he told reporters here. "The resolution has no constitutional or legal validity," he added. "Citizenship comes exclusively in the domain of the Central government. The state government has no role. So, why these people engaged in something which is a non-issue for Kerala?, he asked. Radicalising is a lucrative job in Kerala: You could earn up to Rs 40 lakh Pointing out that the southern state had not been affected by partition, the Governor said there are no illegal immigrants in Kerala. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 The Governor has also criticised the just concluded Indian History Congress, held in Kannur, where protests had been raised against him for his remarks on the CAA. Khan said the History Congress has claimed that it has made some recommendations to the state government, including not to cooperate with the Centre. The recommendations are "totally illegal" and has "criminal content", he said. Kerala govt bans single use plastic from today The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed the resolution becoming the first state in the country to do so. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 12:21 [IST] A $2,020 tip on a $23 bill made a pregnant restaurant server weak in the knees. Danielle Franzoni, 31, a waitress at Thunder Bay River Restaurant in Alpena, Mich., arrived at work on Sunday grieving the loss of her elderly neighbor. I told my co-workers that I wasnt feeling like myself but I put on my best smile. I take a lot of pride in being a server, Franzoni tells Yahoo Lifestyle. The single mom, who is six months pregnant, served a pair of regulars, who usually have breakfast every Sunday with their two sons. But this time, the couple dined alone. After Franzoni left them a bill for $23.33, she says the man began questioning whether servers were required to split their tips or keep them entirely. When Franzoni went to retrieve the signed bill, she saw the note, Danielle, Happy New Year. 2020 Tip Challenge, written above the tip. It took my breath away, she tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Michigan waitress Danielle Franzoni received a $2,020 tip on a $23 bill. (Photo: Courtesy of Danielle Franzoni) Franzoni says that while crying, she walked over to her manager and gripped his shoulder to steady herself. I said to him, Is this a joke? Thanks to the gratuity, Franzoni, a recovering addict who, only a year ago, was living in a homeless shelter, was able to rent a four-bedroom home for herself and her three children. She also purchased paint to decorate their new personal spaces. After moving expenses, Franzoni will use the rest of the money for tasks like getting her drivers license. Now, the mom feels nervous to greet her regulars, should they return to the restaurant on Sunday. Its too good to be true I want to thank them, she tells Yahoo Lifestyle. They have no idea that they lifted so much worry from my shoulders. Michigan waitress Danielle Franzoni was given a large gratuity as part of the "2020 Tip Challenge." (Photo: Courtesy of Danielle Franzoni) Franzoni says the money was a financial and spiritual boost. I dont want the recovery piece of this to be lost, she insists. I want anyone addicted to alcohol or drugs to not give up hope and stay clean. In fact, she recently tipped a local server $20.20, telling Yahoo Lifestyle, Its how Im paying it forward. Story continues Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Government critic Mohamed el-Garhy says police raided his parents house and asked his father for his whereabouts. An Egyptian journalist known for his critical views of the government has said that police raided his parents house and arrested his brother. Mohamed el-Garhy tweeted that the police went to the home of his parents, who live in a village northeast of Cairo, on Wednesday night and asked his father for his whereabouts. When they were told that he was in the city, the police woke up his brother and took him instead. My brother Yasser has never been interested in politics and has not done anything wrong, el-Garhy wrote on Thursday, mockingly thanking Egyptian authorities for maltreatment and humiliation. The brothers whereabouts were not immediately known, el-Garhy said, and there was no statement from the police. Despite the tightening of the grip on independent news media in Egypt, el-Garhy has often voiced criticism of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisis government and recently spoke up on his Facebook page in support of Shady el-Ghazaly Harb, a prominent political activist who has been jailed for more than a year. 191210073832594 Egypt, ranked 163 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index, remains among the worlds worst jailers of journalists, along with Turkey and China, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a US-based watchdog. In recent years, authorities have jailed dozens of Egyptian reporters and occasionally expelled some foreign journalists from the country. And when police fail to find a wanted suspect, family members and relatives have occasionally been arrested instead. In November, a prominent Egyptian investigative media outlet, Mada Masr, said security forces arrested one of its editors from his home in Cairo and raided his apartment without showing an arrest warrant. Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein, an Egyptian national, has been held in an Egyptian prison without charge for three years. Since coming to power following a military coup in 2013, el-Sisi, a general-turned-president, has overseen an unprecedented political crackdown, silencing critics and jailing thousands. Rights groups and media watchdogs have repeatedly condemned the mass arrests and crackdown. The rate at which journalists are being arrested is unprecedented since Abdel Fattah el-Sisi became president, Sabrina Bennoui, the head of RSFs Middle East desk, said in a statement last month. The fact this crackdown on media personnel is continuing although the street protests have been suppressed is all the more worrying. An early and devastating start to Australias summer wildfires has led authorities to rate this season the worst on record. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 19:47:07|Editor: ZX Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Thursday unveiled a 15-year development plan to build a multi-layer urban rail network, according to local authorities. The plan was approved by the standing committee of Guangzhou's municipal committee of the Communist Party of China in December 2019, and aims at increasing rail's share of public transportation to 80 percent by 2035. By building high-speed direct railway tracks, travel time between major cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will be reduced to less than 60 minutes, the municipal bureau of planning and natural resources said. Two new metro lines will be added, together with an east-west high-speed subway track linking downtown Guangzhou with the neighboring cities of Foshan and Dongguan. - Cardi B has always been one of the kindest musicians - The rapper and mum never misses a chance to extend a helping hand from time to time - Cardi walked into a Miami shop and bought the sweetest surprises for kids in need - She tried her best to go unnoticed during her spree Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in American rapper Cardi B has always been hailed for having a huge heart and a soft spot for children. The mother of one shut down Nigeria when she decided to blow through millions while shopping for the less fortunate. READ ALSO: Inside the luxurious Kantanka 'aeroplane' car and the pretty ladies who served as attendants READ ALSO: Rich Ghanaians who lost their businesses in 2019 Now, TMZ claims the Bodak Yellow rapper splashed over GHC 28,000 on toys so she could put smiles on childrens faces. Apparently, Cardi the modern Santa Claus walked into stores in Miami, US and dug deep into her bank account as she chose the best toys for kids she did not know. READ ALSO: The illustrious artiste was simply dressed in a hoodie as she tried to stay incognito during her shopping spree. The mother of one even walked around with no makeup on and smiled throughout her errands. She then rented a truck to ferry the numerous gifts that were tied up in fancy containers. Cardi purchased video games, cars, dolls among other trinkets. This pretty wild child keeps giving us reasons to love her and we are here for it. During her African tour, Cardi silently stormed a market place in Nigeria and bought clothes, foodstuff and toys for needy kids. She did not share too much about her kind gesture on social media and avoided divulging any information about her charity work. In other stories, YEN.com.gh previously reported for most rich Ghanaians that once had thriving businesses, 2019 marked the end of their business owing to major setbacks particularly due to the unsteadiness of the financial sector which had their business folded. Some of these rich people were considered business titans in the Ghanaian business space and controlled some amount of wealth, or at least, peoples monies. However, these individuals failed to manage their business despite either being given considerable time to save their business or were bailed out by the Bank of Ghana (BoG). READ ALSO: Inside the luxurious Kantanka 'aeroplane' car and the pretty ladies who served as attendants Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our page. Source: YEN.com.gh Lucknow, Jan 2 : The BJP has hit back at Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav's criticism of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), saying that he should spend a month in Pakistan to understand the atrocities being faced by the Hindu minorities there. "Akhilesh should stay in Pakistan for a month and pray in Hindu temples. Only then he will get first-hand experience of the atrocities committed against the Hindus," Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party President Swatantra Dev Singh told reporters in Mathura on Wednesday. While replying to a question on Yadav's refusal to fill up a form for the National Population Register (NPR), Singh said: "There is nothing wrong with the NPR. It only asks for everyday documents such as the Aadhaar card and driving licence, even confirmation by three neighbours, to establish that the person is a resident of the area. But some political parties are making an issue of it." He added that the CAA would not affect the country's poor, and accused Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of "misleading" the people. "Priyanka visited victims of violence in Uttar Pradesh with the sole purpose of creating a ruckus. The CAA was amended with the people's best interests in mind." Singh reiterated that the law was not aimed at discriminating against any community. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are trying to ensure a respectable life for people subjected to atrocities in Pakistan through the CAA. Because of the negative messages being circulated by the Congress, SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party, neither Hindus nor Muslims will vote in their favour now." He also asked the anti-CAA protesters, including students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia, to read up on the law before condemning the Central government. The CAA, for the first time, makes religion the test of citizenship in India. The government says it will help minorities from three Muslim-dominated countries -- Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, -- get citizenship if they fled to India because of religious persecution before 2015. Critics say it is designed to discriminate against Muslims and violates the secular principals of the constitution. Hyatt Hotels Corporation H has been strengthening worldwide presence in a bid to maintain its position as the fastest-growing global hospitality company. Recently, it announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Hengqin in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China. This new property will offer premium level of service to guests of Hengqin for the first time. Notably, the 493-roomed property located in Greater Bay Area of southern China is in close proximity to the citys attractions like Lionsgate Entertainment World, National Geographic Explorer, among others. Hyatt Regency Hengqin also offers guests an easy access to the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macau Bridge. Expansion to Drive Growth Recently, the company announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico, which marks its first full-service hotel on the island. Also, it announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Portland that marks the companys first full-service and convention center hotel in the city of Portland. Hyatt is expanding presence in diverse international markets including Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. As of Sep 30, 2019, the company's portfolio included more than 875 properties in 60 countries across six continents. It announced further expansion plans in Australia, Brazil, Germany, the U.K., Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, the Netherlands and others. We believe that the execution of the same will help it to counter competition from the likes of Marriott MAR and Choice Hotels International, Inc. CHH. Meanwhile, the companys new brand signings have been consistently boosting presence globally. This trend is expected to continue in the current year and beyond. In 2018, Hyatt had registered net room growth of 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. For 2019, it expects unit growth of 7.25-7.75% and 85 new hotel openings. Hyatt currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). In the past six months, shares of the company have gained 15% compared with the industrys 7.9% growth. Story continues Key Pick A better-ranked stock in the same space is Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. HLT, which carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Hilton reported better-than expected earnings in all the trailing four quarters, with the average being 6.9%. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers Most Likely for Early Price Pops. Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.6% per year. So be sure to give these hand-picked 7 your immediate attention. See 7 handpicked stocks now >> 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 Marriott International, Inc. (MAR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Choice Hotels International, Inc. (CHH) : Free Stock Analysis Report Hyatt Hotels Corporation (H) : Free Stock Analysis Report Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (HLT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Alabama police make dramatic rescue of kidnapped woman held at knifepoint originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Dramatic body camera footage released by Alabama authorities captured the moment police officers rescued a kidnapping victim from the back of a van. A citizen notified police of a kidnapping in progress on Sunday, according to the Brookside Police Department. Suspect Sean E. Sanders was driving a white van while holding a female victim at knifepoint. The woman was bleeding from the head and screaming "Help, he's going to kill me," Brookside police chief Mike Jones confirmed with ABC News. (MORE: Fan visiting for Fiesta Bowl carjacked, kidnapped, shot, then seen begging for help on doorbell cam) The witness followed the vehicle while giving police dispatch the vehicle description, direction of travel and tag number, Jones said. Officers later spotted Sanders ramming the witness' vehicle in a church parking lot. Officers pursued and eventually blocked Sanders. That's when they saw Sanders forcing the bleeding victim to the floorboard. Officers tried to enter the truck. Sanders resisted, ramming a police unit and fleeing, according to Jones. Officers eventually barricaded Sanders after another pursuit. Sanders also attempted to run over a Brookside officer, said Jones. The officer shot into Sander's vehicle "disabling the vehicle" as it drove into the front yard of a nearby residence. Sanders crawled into the back of the van with the victim. Officers attempted to negotiate with Sanders for over 35 minutes as the victim screamed for help from inside the van. Sanders demanded that the officers on scene kill him. Fearing immediate danger to the victim. Brookside tactical officers made their way into the rear of the van and used a Taser stun gun on Sanders, while Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies helped rescue the victim. Sanders was taken into custody while still inside the van. Story continues (MORE: Woman saved after plunging 15 feet through NYC rooftop hole) Sanders, from Los Angeles, has an extensive criminal history, according to the Brookside police. "He's a homeless transient who has been living out of his van in Alabama for at least the last three months," Jones told ABC News. Sanders is facing a host of felony and misdemeanor charges, including kidnapping and attempted murder, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office website. His bond is set at $191,000. Fighters with Afghanistan's Taliban militia stand with their weapons in Ahmad Aba district on the outskirts of Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, on July 18, 2017. U.K. security giant G4S and South African telecoms provider MTN are among six multinational corporations named in a U.S. lawsuit over alleged "protection payments" to terrorists in Afghanistan. A complaint under the Anti-Terrorism Act was filed in a federal court in Washington D.C. on December 27 on behalf of 385 claimants, comprising U.S. military and civilian personnel injured or killed in terrorist attacks in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2017, and their loved ones. The plaintiffs span more than 100 service members killed and wounded during the period. The complaint, filed by law firms Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick PLLC, Sparacino PLLC and Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP alleges that G4S Holdings International and its subsidiaries, MTN and four American corporations provided funding for the Taliban, Haqqani Network, Pakistani Taliban and their allies. All of these entities were part of an Al-Qaeda led terrorist syndicate, according to the filing. The complaint alleges that the corporations either directly made, or turned a blind eye to, 'protection payments' to the terrorist organizations in order to preserve their business in Afghanistan and divert attacks away from their own business interests. Labour's hard-Left is engaged in a desperate battle to keep their grip on the party today after Sir Keir Starmer emerged as the favourite to win the leadership. MPs have warned of 'Operation Stop Keir' after a poll of members showed the centrist shadow Brexit secretary well ahead of Corbynista candidates such as Rebecca Long Bailey and Ian Lavery. The analysis of a YouGov survey found Sir Keir is set to trounce Ms Long Bailey by 61 per cent to 39 per cent in a run-off when the contest comes to its conclusion in March. But it sparked a furious backlash from left-wingers online, with claims Sir Keir is not 'socialist' and putting a London-based Remainer in charge would be a 'parody' of what is needed to recover from the election rout. One moderate MP, not a natural cheerleader for Sir Keir, told MailOnline: 'There will be a Stop Keir campaign now... 'The problem the Left has got... is that there is not a united position. 'They have got Saint Jeremy. But who else is there? Long Bailey is not up to it.' The MP predicted the hardline clique that installed Mr Corbyn in the top job would now splinter and turn on each other. 'The Left always starts eating their own children,' they said. 'It happened in the 1980s and it will happen again now.' The YouGov poll of Labour Party members found Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey are the two early front-runners for the leadership Sir Keir was hammering home his campaigning credentials today as he steps up his tilt for Labour's top job New leader? Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) is the early front-runner to succeed Jeremy Corbyn, according to the first major poll of the looming party contest The poll showed Mr Starmer, an arch-Remainer who represents a London constituency, in the lead in every UK region and age group. Mr Starmer has yet to declare formally that he will run, although he has given every indication he plans to. Ms Long-Bailey - seen as the preferred choice of Mr Corbyn's allies - has said she is considering a bid, but chairman Ian Lavery is also mulling putting himself forward as the torchbearer of the Left. There are concerns among moderates about whether Sir Keir could win back the Leave-leaning 'Red Wall' constituencies, which delivered Boris Johnson's stunning election victory last month. Bermondsey MP Neil Coyle told Sky News the next leader should have a sseat outside of London. 'He was part of the Shadow Cabinet that led us to a disastrous election result,' he said. The poll of 1,059 Labour party members put Sir Keir on 31 per cent of first choice votes, with Ms Long-Bailey on 20 per cent. Jess Phillips, the outspoken MP for Birmingham Yardley who has yet to declare her intentions, is in third place in the poll with 11 per cent. Clive Lewis and Yvette Cooper are next on seven per cent, with Emily Thornberry on six and Lisa Nandy on five. With less popular candidates eliminated, a final run-off would see Mr Starmer beat Ms Long-Bailey in the last round, according to analysis by Prof Tim Bale and Prof Paul Webb of the University of Sussex. The election process will be officially launched next week as Labour picks up the pieces from its worst general election defeat since 1935. Labour dropped to 202 seats and suffered a succession of historic defeats in its former working-class heartlands in the north of England. In one particularly symbolic blow, the Conservatives won the County Durham seat of Sedgefield - formerly held by Tony Blair who led Labour to three election victories. Rebecca Long-Bailey (pictured) - seen as the preferred choice of Mr Corbyn's allies - has said she is considering a bid for the Labour leadership So far, only Ms Thornberry and Mr Lewis have formally announced they will run to succeed Mr Corbyn. According to the survey, Mr Starmer is backed as first choice by 34 per cent of Remainers in the survey, but only supported by 17 per cent of Leavers. Ms Long-Bailey is rated first choice by 19 per cent of Labour members who voted Remain, but scores 31 per cent of those who voted Leave. Most Labour members are Remainers, although some of Mr Corbyn's allies have blamed the party's shift towards a pro-Remain position for its election defeat. After initially ruling out a second Brexit referendum, Mr Corbyn eventually promised to support one - but refused to say how he would vote. Ms Long-Bailey has blamed the party's 'compromise solution' on Brexit, as well as a lack of trust among voters, for its election defeat. The survey was commissioned from YouGov by the Party Members Project, which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 2, 2020) -The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE: BOSS) (OTCQB: BOSQF) (FSE: YG3) is pleased to announce increasing global distribution of its brands. Further, the company intends to become a leader in the exciting and burgeoning psychedelic medicine industry as the company continues to build its international platform for sale of its Cannabis 2.0 and edible mushroom products. To date, Yield Growth has made significant strides since going public in December 2018, having established a broad distribution network for its various brands, exceeding 12,500 potential retail points of sale in countries throughout Europe, North America and South America. It launched 17 new products in the past year and grew its catalogue to over 200 edible, topical and wellness products. The Company's focus in 2019 was on laying a solid foundation for future product sales by minting meaningful distribution partnerships, and in 2020 it plans to focus on advancing those relationships to get products on store shelves and in the hands of consumers with the goal to increase sales revenues in the coming quarters. "Our talented team has demonstrated that we can conquer territories as we rapidly developed an expansive international distribution network for our Cannabis 2.0 products," explains Yield Growth CEO Penny White. "We believe we have the products, the team, the network and the resources to make The Yield Growth Corp. a market leader in the decade ahead, which I hope will become known as the Roaring Twenties." White continues, "We see tremendous growth potential for cannabis other plant-based therapeutic products. Psychedelic mushrooms, in particular, represent an exciting new opportunity for companies like Yield Growth, who look to capitalize on cutting edge science and technology. We plan to be the first publicly traded company to establish legal production and distribution of psilocybin for medical research." About The Yield Growth Corp. The Yield Growth Corp. develops, manufactures and sells plant-based wellness products and conducts research into plant-based therapeutic compounds, in what the Global Wellness Institute reports is a $4.2 trillion-dollar global wellness market. It owns the cannabis wellness brands Urban Juve, Wright & Well and Jack n Jane. Its all natural hemp skincare brand, Urban Juve, has signed agreements for distribution in Canada, Germany, Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina, El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia and is now in negotiations for distribution throughout the U.S. and all of Europe. Yield Growth's Wright & Well brands are launching a THC/CBD line of topical and edible products in Oregon this month and a CBD from hemp topicals line in California in 2020. Through its subsidiaries, Yield Growth has over 200 proprietary beauty, wellness, edibles and beverage formulas for commercialization. It has filed 13 patents to protect its extraction method and formulas and one patent for the use of compounds in psychedelic mushrooms to treat obesity and diabetes and to aid in weight loss. Yield Growth earns revenue through multiple streams including licensing, services and product sales. For more information about Yield Growth, visit www.yieldgrowth.com or follow @yieldgrowth on Instagram. Visit www.urbanjuve.com and findyourjuve across social platforms to learn, engage and shop. Investor Relations Contacts: Penny White, President & CEO Kristina Pillon, Investor Relations invest@yieldgrowth.com 1-833-514-BOSS 1-833-514-2677 1-833-515-BOSS 1-833-515-2677 The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward looking statements") under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates, forecasts, beliefs and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to: risks related to the development, testing, licensing, intellectual property protection, the potential for not acquiring any rights as a result of the patent application and any products making use of the intellectual property may be ineffective or the company may be unsuccessful in commercializing them; and other approvals will be required before commercial exploitation of the intellectual property can happen. The laws around cultivating, selling and using psychedelic mushrooms would need to change in most jurisdictions in order for the use of psychedelic products to be legal and sale of, and demand for, Urban Juve, Wright & Well, Flourish Mushroom Labs, Jack n Jane and UJ Beverages products, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals where applicable, and the state of the capital markets. Yield Growth cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements provided by Yield Growth, as such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future results or performance and actual results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Yield Growth expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51133 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 Inchcape plc (LON:INCH). 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. We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. 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 Inchcape Inchcape Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Independent Chairman of the Board Nigel Stein made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK59k worth of shares at a price of UK5.90 each. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of UK7.06. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices. In the last twelve months insiders purchased 13.53k shares for UK81k. But they sold 7783 for UK49k. In total, Inchcape insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! Story continues LSE:INCH Recent Insider Trading, January 2nd 2020 Inchcape is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Inchcape Insiders Are Selling The Stock Over the last three months, we've seen notably more insider selling, than insider buying, at Inchcape. In that time, insiders dumped UK49k worth of shares. Meanwhile insiders bought UK4.9k worth. Because the selling vastly outweighs the buying, we'd say this is a somewhat bearish sign. Does Inchcape Boast High Insider Ownership? Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Inchcape insiders own 2.0% of the company, worth about UK55m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment. What Might The Insider Transactions At Inchcape Tell Us? Our data shows a little more insider selling than buying in the last three months. But the difference is small, and thus, not concerning. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders do have a stake in Inchcape and their transactions don't cause us concern. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Inchcape. 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. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. New Delhi, Jan 2 : Key Sangh ideologue J. Nandakumar has come up with a 256-page book solely on Hindutva where he hits out at "Left propaganda", "Islamisation" of West Bengal and the "Kannur model" of Kerala. But his book doesn't limit itself to merely hitting out but also gives a way ahead on how to "reclaim" what Nandakumar believes is lost. And no prizes for guessing, he prescribes Hindutva as it's medicine. "The book goes beyond what's wrong with the society. It gives you answers," he said while speaking to IANS. Twenty-five articles have found place in his book 'Hindutva for the Changing Times' which has six sections. The first and major part of the book is devoted to 'Hindutva' which occupies nearly half the book. The book also talks about "invinsible colonisation", the "Kannur Model" as well. The book projects Veer Savarkar in a different light claiming there is a "Leftist propaganda" that tarnished Savarkar's image by populating a damaging narrative. The "Kannur Model", of course as the name suggests, is about the deadly clashes between CPM, SFI, its students wing and the BJP along with the Sangh and the ABVP, RSS' students wing in the northern district of Kerala. When he delves into Bengal, he raises specific issues that rocked Bengal politics in recent times, pointing his finger directly at the Mamata Banerjee administration for its alleged appeasement. But interestingly, it's not Mamata that he has put a thrust on as much as his book talks about the Left movement in Bengal. "The book also talks about two crucial judicial verdicts - Sabarimala and Ayodhya title suit," said Nandakumar. But, he argues, his book is not just a manifesto giving historical context but also about how to position and reposition itself in 2020, as India talks about economy or data security. The RSS has gone through much of a image makeover, particularly after shedding its opposition to gay sex legalisation. Nandakumar's book in that respect hopes to present a version of Hindutva that is relevant for today's fast "changing times". Speaking at the 18th Congress of Mardomsalari Party on December 2, an influential reformist politician said members of the Iran's Expediency Council are under immense pressure to reject the bills that will allow Iran to join UN anti-money laundering conventions. Ansari claimed that powerful circles which oppose joining, presumably the Revolutionary Guards whose international financial dealings will have to become transparent if Iran joins the UN anti-money laundering conventions demanded by the Financial Action task Force (FATF), are orchestrating the pressure behind the scenes. "Powerful circles of a certain headquarter have been sending text messages to the members of the Expediency Council to oppose the FATF [bills]. The text messages are sent from various numbers but are all directed from a specific source," Majid Ansari who is a member of the Expediency Council was reported by the IRNA as saying on Thursday. The Expediency Council was scheduled yesterday to review the two bills approved by the Parliament but it postponed the review to another session of its Joint Committee without announcing a specific date. Ansari said the Expediency Council has discussed the bills with its opponents "tens of times" and the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said he has no particular advice about the bills but opponents are still trying to prevent the bills from being finalized. "The system (regime) must use its problem-solving mechanisms to find a solution to the FATF bills issue to secure the people's interests," Ansari said in a veiled reference to Khamenei's power of intervention to put an end to the objection of the Revolutionary Guards which he directly controls as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Lawmakers have repeatedly protested to the Expediency Council's seemingly deliberate delay in reviewing and finalizing the FATF-related bills. If not passed before February Iran will be blacklisted by the UN anti-money laundering watchdog which the administration of President Hassan Rouhani says are vital for international trade. The National Police are investigating the rape claims. PACO PUENTES Spains National Police force is investigating the alleged sexual assault of three sisters on New Years Eve in Murcia, sources close to the probe have told news agency Europa Press. The three women, who are from the United States, reported the case to the police. Investigators are trying to locate the alleged attackers. One of the sisters had been studying in Murcia and was soon due to return to the US According to local newspaper La Opinion de Murcia, the alleged victims and assailants met in a pub during celebrations to welcome in the year 2020. The young women aged 23, 20 and 18 accompanied the three men to a private residence to continue partying. It was there that the alleged attacks took place. Two of the women are alleged to have been raped vaginally, while the third managed to escape, albeit also having been assaulted, according to the police report. The three victims are from Ohio, according to the information published in La Opinion de Murcia. One of the sisters had been studying in the southeastern Spanish city and was soon due to return to the United States. Her sisters were visiting her on vacation at the time of the incident. The young women went to a medical center to be submitted to a forensic examination aimed at corroborating the assaults that they claim to have suffered in their police report, a police spokesperson told Spanish news agency EFE. English version by Simon Hunter. Ankara said it sought the troop authorization after the Tripoli government asked for support and also to protect Turkish interests in Libya. But the move which deepens a standoff between Turkey and its rivals in the Middle East shows how easily regional feuds and a competition for influence in the Mediterranean Sea are fostering the violence in Libya, a country of 6 million people that has been riven by armed conflict for the better part of a decade. LENEXA, Kan., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- City Wide Maintenance of Kansas City, the nation's premier managed services company for commercial properties, announced today that Rob Ellis has been promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer, with Lance Paxson and Jim Huser moving into Vice President roles. Ellis joined City Wide Maintenance of Kansas City in 2001 as a Facility Services Manager and quickly adopted the role of Vice President within five years. Over the past 13 years, he has set an example of how to lead a company by keeping the client's needs at the forefront of every decision. As Chief Operating Officer, Ellis will focus on growing the territories that City Wide Maintenance of Kansas City serves. This will include spearheading the expansion of the management training program to support the anticipated market growth. "Joining the City Wide team nearly 20 years ago continues to be the most rewarding professional decision I have ever made," said Ellis. "I am eager to continue growing the business, by expanding both the territory we service and the type of clients we work with. We have an opportunity here to spread our ripple even further in the Kansas City market." Similar to Ellis, Paxson joined City Wide in 2004 as a Facility Services Manager. Within the first two years, he was promoted to Director of Operations and since then has won several company awards including the coveted F.L. Oddo Leadership award. Huser has been a part of the City Wide team for a little over two years as Director of Sales. With his past experience in sales and as the co-owner of Momo Bands, he quickly proved his management skills. In their Vice President roles, Paxson and Huser are responsible for overseeing day to day business for the West and East Kansas City market, respectively, as well as developing strategy goals and objectives. "As an organization, our goal is to grow our client roster by showing the value we can provide them through our managed service offering," added Ellis. "Lance and Jim's diverse and extensive backgrounds in team development and operations, as well as the work they have both done over the past years for City Wide, has proven they are both able to jump into these roles head first." For more information on City Wide Maintenance of Kansas City and the services it offers, please visit GoCityWide.com/KansasCity. About City Wide Founded in 1961, City Wide has a proven reputation for being the go-to resource for managed services for commercial properties in its home Kansas City market and more than 60 locations across the U.S. and Canada. A single-source solution, City Wide manages dozens of interior and exterior services for commercial facilities. City Wide simplifies the janitorial and maintenance issues that mean most to building owners, operators and management companies, easing the time, stress and resources typically required to oversee an entire facility. SOURCE City Wide Related Links http://gocitywide.com Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claims that Paul Pogba's 'people' are advising him to undergo surgery. The Frenchman is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering yet another setback and his relationship with Manchester United appears to be deteriorating ever further. He aggravated the ankle problem that has kept him from full fitness since August and Solskjaer's remark about the surgery appeared to be a thinly veiled dig, citing the influence of Pogba's entourage. Paul Pogba has been advised to have surgery by 'his people' according to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer After United's 2-0 defeat by Arsenal on Wednesday, the Norwegian explained his take on the situation. Asked when Pogba was expected to return, he said: 'Three or four weeks maybe, I don't know. 'He's been advised to have an operation by his people and he'll probably do that.' The 46-year-old's use of 'his people' could be seen as a swipe given the recent criticism of United from Pogba's agent Mino Raiola. Raiola had been publicly scathing of the Old Trafford club to La Repubblica in saying: 'Pogba's problem is Manchester United. It's a club out of touch with reality and without a sporting project. The Manchester United manager's choice of words was interesting and seemed to be a dig United have been frustrated in their attempts to get Pogba back to full fitness this season 'I wouldn't take anyone there, they would even ruin Maradona, Pele and Maldini. Paul needs a club and a squad, one like Juventus was before.' The tension between Pogba, his representatives and United is ratcheting up and Solskjaer's remarks could be telling. On Match of the Day, Alan Shearer also pointed out Solskjaer's choice of words. He said: 'Players often have their own physios that they see. But it was interesting that he said his people. I wonder what he thinks.' Having said that it was Pogba's advisers encouraging him to have surgery, Solskjaer later changed tack to emphasise the role United are playing in the midfielder's recovery. Mino Raiola's recent criticism of the club might have caused the pointed remark by Solskjaer The Frenchman is still struggling with the same ankle injury that he suffered in late August 'It's been advised that he'll do it as soon as [possible]. We look after our players' health and are not gonna take any risk with any players that don't feel able to play on,' he added. 'We've had scans and it's nothing major. It's something that has to be sorted and dealt with within a time frame and he's been advised to do it as soon as [possible] and he'll probably do it as soon as. 'So he'll be out for three or four weeks probably. We've had consultants looking at him as well and the club has been looking at it, the scans have been done by us. We've been without him all season, so the boys who've been playing have been fantastic.' The traffic police challaned him and impounded the motorcycle, following which Vikas set the bike on fire. Vikas, a resident of Sangam Vihar, was challaned by the traffic police for riding the motorcycle without helmet. (Photo: Representational) New Delhi: A 20-year-old man set his motorcycle on fire after he was challaned by the traffic police in south Delhi's Greater Kailash area on Wednesday, police said. Vikas, a resident of Sangam Vihar, was challaned by the traffic police for riding the motorcycle without helmet, a senior police official said. The traffic police challaned him and impounded the motorcycle, following which Vikas set the bike on fire, the officer said. A case has been registered and the accused arrested, the officer added. Kanye West's 'Jesus Is Born' debuts on Billboards Top Gospel Albums Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Billboard announced on Wednesday that after just a day-and-a-half of tracking Kanye Wests latest gospel release, Jesus Is Born, performed by his Sunday Service Choir, the music collection is at No. 2 on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart. Jesus Is Born, released Christmas Day, comes second to West's own first official gospel release, Jesus Is King, which reigns as the No. 1 Top Gospel Album for nine weeks, selling 11,000 in the first week of 2020. The latest album does not feature West and solely focuses on the gospel numbers performed at his weekly Sunday Service events. The album isn't a West album, per se, but the famous musician serves as the orchestrator and is responsible for bringing the gospel choir to life via the album format. The album features arrangements of Christian classics such as Excellent and More Than Anything, along with gospel-style remakes of popular mainstream songs such as Weak and Ultra Light Beam, among others. West's album, Jesus Is King, made history on the Billboard charts, ranking No. 1 on five charts upon its release. It is the rappers first faith-based album and it topped the all-genre Billboard 200 in November, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Rap Albums charts, Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums. He is the first artist ever to monopolize all top 10 slots on the Hot Christian Songs and Hot Gospel Songs charts. The emcee dominated the top 11 on Hot Gospel Songs with every song on the 27-minute album. The newly born-again Chicago native beat out Christian notables Chris Tomlin, Jordan Smith, Casting Crowns, Mercy Me and Lecrae, who ranked in multiple charts in the past. West launched Sunday Service events in 2019, featuring a gospel choir that reimagined mainstream songs with Christian lyrics. He said he became a born-again Christian during this process and has now devoted his life to working for God. The family of two men killed in the New South Wales South Coast bushfires have been targeted by scammers. Dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, died trying to defend their home from bushfires in Cobargo in the south east of New South Wales. Soon after their names were reported, fraudsters set up a fundraising campaign on the website Go Get Funding and raised almost $4,000 before it was shut down. Patrick Salway, 29, pictured with his pregnant wife Renee - died fighting the fires with his dad Robert Salway as they continued to ravage areas of NSW The scam raised almost $4,000 before it was shut down. Not everyone who donated got their money back The scammers used the name of Mr Salway's sister's niece Megan, the ABC reported. The scheme was exposed when Megan started getting messages from people wanting to donate. Megan's father Dean Hancock said his daughter was so upset he initially couldn't understand what she was saying. 'She was absolutely bloody beside herself.' Patrick Salway (pictured with his wife Renee) was found by another family member after trying to tackle a bushfire attacking his family home 'It's absolutely f***ing despicable. It's the absolutely lowest of bloody lows. 'I could not imagine the mindset of someone who'd do something like that.' A victim of the scam was tried unsuccessfully to get their money back, but many were able to cancel their payments before the money was withdrawn when the banks re-opened after the New Year public holiday. Go Get Funding told the publication multiple funeral and memorial campaigns had been targeted over the last few months. A man walks through rubble after fires devastated the New South Wales town of Cobargo on December 31, 2019 Mr Salway and his father were described by devastated neighbours as 'two salt of the earth blokes' who died defending their home in Cobargo. Their bodies were found by another family member early on Tuesday. Mr Salway was expecting a second child with his pregnant wife Renee. The devastated widow took to social media on Tuesday to tell her friends she was 'broken'. The remains of burnt out buildings are seen along main street in Cobargo on December 31 'I love you now, I love you still, I always have and I always will,' she wrote. 'I will see you again Patrick, my best friend. 'Hope you are up there 'fixing things in the starts tonight' 'Love forever, Harley and me. 'Thank you everyone for your concern. We are broken.' Ms Salway also shared an intimate photo of her late-husband with their son, Harley. After much debate and consternation, the world-renowned fireworks show over Sydney Harbor delighted the estimated 1 million in attendance as Australia greeted a new year. Now back to worrying about the bushfires. A devastating fire season that has seen more than 12 million acres burn nationwide over a matter of months hit another crisis point Tuesday when residents and vacationers in a seaside town were trapped in apocalyptic conditions. At least two people were killed as the eastern parts of Australias two most populous states continued to get torched. The weather forecast offers only a little respite from the conditions that have fueled a surge in blazes amid what has been the countrys worst fire season in memory. According to AccuWeather, there will be a letup Thursday in the heat and gusty winds that caused the fires to spread across New South Wales and Victoria, but those same factors will return Friday and into Saturday. Its not until Sunday that widespread rain will arrive in the area for the first time in several weeks. Tragic:Thousands of koalas feared dead as wildfires ravage Australia New South Wales state Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons wasn't overly optimistic. What we really need is meaningful rain, he said, and we havent got anything in the forecast at the moment that says were going to get drought-breaking or fire-quenching rainfall. The tinder-dry conditions prompted the cancellation of fireworks shows across the nation, and Sydney Mayor Clover Moore was pressed to follow suit as the leader of the largest city in a state, New South Wales, where almost 100 fires are burning. In the town of Conjola Park alone, 50 properties were confirmed destroyed and cars were melted by Tuesdays blazes. Moore declined, saying the New Years Eve celebration would give hope to people at a terrible time. She also pointed out the event had been months in the making and generates more than $90 million in revenue, drawing visitors from near and far. Sydney was granted an exemption to a total fireworks ban in place there and elsewhere to prevent new wildfires. Story continues The Australian tourism industry may take a hit nonetheless after an estimated 4,000 people had to seek refuge on a beach in the southeastern town of Mallacoota, Victoria, about 300 miles east of Melbourne, as winds pushed a wildfire toward houses. The smoke-filled sky shrouded the town in darkness before turning a shade of bright red. Many people escaped on boats as crews battled the blaze, eventually getting a break when the winds changed direction late in the day, though by then dozens of homes had burned. SOURCE myfirewatch.landgate.wa.gov.au; Emergency WA; maps4news.com/HERE WATCH: Incredible footage of Australia wildfires shows danger firefighters face Stranded residents and vacationers slept in cars, while gas stations and surf clubs transformed into evacuation areas. Victoria Emergency Commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters the Australian Defense Force was moving naval assets to Mallacoota on a supply mission that would last two weeks and helicopters would also fly in more firefighters because roads were inaccessible. There were grave fears for four missing people. We cant confirm their whereabouts, Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters. Australias fire season, which began earlier than usual after an uncommonly dry and warm winter, has already claimed 13 lives and resulted in more than 1,000 homes being destroyed. In the nation's capital of Canberra, smoke from the wildfires led to the worst air quality in the world Wednesday, with a rating more than 21 times above the hazardous level. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Australia fires force 4,000 to flee for beach, create fireworks debate Two young men have been charged with grievous bodily harm after a car park fight left a 20-year-old man with serious head injuries. Police said the brawl broke out near Noosa Parade and Hastings Street in Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast about 11pm on New Year's Eve. Two men were being questioned and detectives confirmed charges were laid on Wednesday afternoon. Credit:Queensland Police Service The victim was allegedly assaulted and rushed to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a serious condition, before being flown to Brisbane for further treatment. Two men, aged 19 and 20, were charged on Wednesday afternoon and it will be alleged all involved knew each other prior to the fight. News Zagreb, Croatia - Theres a museum dedicated to unknown animals in Portland, ME [go figure]. Then there is the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, WI and the Museum of the Weird in Austin. But if you want to visit the Museum of Hangovers youll have to go abroad to Zagreb, Croatia, says the Association of Mature American Citizens. It is the brainstorm of a college student there and is dedicated to chronicling strange and, sometimes, disturbing tales of the morning after. Founder Rino Dubokovic says his aim is to make people aware of what can happen when they overindulge by sharing stories of odd and sometimes scary hangover experiences. Jakarta: The death toll from flash floods and landslides in and around Indonesia's capital Jakarta reached at least 19 on Thursday, with more heavy rain forecast, authorities said. The deadliest floods in years displaced more than 62,000 people and caused chaos across parts of South-east Asia's biggest city with train lines blocked and power outages in some areas. A rescue team evacuates residents from their flooded houses in Jakarta. Credit:AP Social Affairs Minister Juliani Batubara confirmed a death toll of 19. Swathes of Jakarta and nearby towns were inundated after heavy rain fell on December 31 and into the early hours of New Year's Day. VICTOR, N.Y. -- Just a week after he wrote a column warning people against getting behind the wheel drunk, a top Republican in the New York State Assembly was charged with a DWI. Brian Kolb, 67, has represented the 131st Assembly District, outside of Rochester. His district covers all of Ontario County and parts of Seneca County. Kolb was arrested near his home on New Year's Eve. He referred to the incident as a "lapse in judgement." He has represented the district since 2000 and has served as the Assembly Minority Leader since 2009. In 2018, Kolb briefly campaigned to unseat Gov. Andrew Cuomo before dropping out of the race. Kolb was issued a new taxpayer funded GMC Acadia, in 2018. That was the same vehicle involved in the accident. Fellow New York State Republicans have taken to Twitter, calling for Kolb to step down. Kolb will be back in court at a later date. In his Dec. 20 column, Kolb said, "There is no excuse for impaired driving." CEDAR RAPIDS Fourteen months ago, former Vice President Joe Biden came to Cedar Rapids to endorse Abby Finkenauers bid to be Iowas first woman in Congress. Today, the freshman U.S. representative returned the favor, endorsing Bidens bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. She called him the candidate whose character, record and commitment to rebuilding the backbone of the country the middle class is what Iowa and this country needs. Finkenauer is the only one of Iowas three Democratic House members to endorse a candidate. A former Iowa state representative, labor advocate and volunteer in Bidens 2008 campaign for the Democratic nomination, Finkenauer is backing him because across the country, and especially in Iowa, too many families are being left behind by our current president. Its time we have leadership in the White House who believes in the value of not only uniting a divided Congress, but uniting our country through common sense, dignity and respect, Finkenauer said. As she grew up in rural Dubuque County, her family instilled in her the importance of hard work, caring for others and, most importantly, the value of public service. We need a president who reflects those same values and will make Americas working families their top priority, she said. Finkenauer will join Biden at campaign stops in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Des Moines and Davenport. Today, Biden will have a 1:30 p.m. rally at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa. Then he will be at the Delaware County Fairgrounds Community Center in Manchester at 4:45 p.m. Friday, he will join campaign staff for a canvass and phone bank kickoff at 3:15 p.m. at his Cedar Rapids field office, 3621 First Ave. SE. Doors open 30 minutes ahead of all events. Finkenauer hosted Biden and eight other presidential hopefuls at a forum co-hosted by nine national labor unions. The forum highlighted the importance of labor, jobs and rebuilding Iowas infrastructure. Biden for President previously announced more than 1,000 endorsements including more than 185 in Iowa from national, state and local leaders, including current and former U.S. senators and representatives, governors, state elected officials, community leaders and national security professionals. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Karen Olivo, of Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Chinese descent, stands out and shines in the theatre play "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" in 2019. The stage performance of Olivo in the musical was indeed a remarkable event in her life. It was also one of the best theatre plays played by a Latina. Some of the significant events in the show were when Karen descended from the rafters of the theatre through a trapeze, a dance number while she was perched on a giant diamond, and her unforgettable performance as she sang enthusiastically the songs of Shirley Bassey, Madonna, and Beyonce. The stage play was based on Baz Luhrmann's 2001 movie and on how she portrayed her character in the theatre play received glowing reviews from the audience. The show led her to be dubbed as part of the great stage play actresses. In a report from NBC Latino, Olivo's performance in the musical play has a significant impact on the industry where there are only limited opportunities given to Latino performers. According to the Actors Equity Association, Latinos who are active members in the union for stage performers are only comprised of less than 3 percent. Olivo told NBC that one of the reasons why she has a career in the industry where she is right now because she is one of the few but that was when casting Latinos are still very rare, she said. She added, "Now the cultural landscape is changing, and I look around and see more people who look like me, or who look like they could be my kids, who are prepared and ready to get on stage." Seeing Karen Olivo performing on stage is not common anymore. She played in several plays like the "West Side Story" where she won in 2009 a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress. She also appeared in "Hamilton" and some TV series like "The Good Wife" and the "Harry's Law." What made the role or character of Olivo in the musical play "Moulin Rouge" is her portrayal of a character that was not written as something ethnic. She said: "I am bringing my life experience to the role and it just so happens that I am a woman of color and a Latina." According to Seth Rudetsky, Sirius Satellite Radio host of "On Broadway", "To be blunt, it is very hard for anyone who is not white to have a career on Broadway," Most of the time, producers cast people of colors as supporting characters just to show that their play or piece is open to diversity. Rudetsky has been following the growth of the career of Olivo in the past few years. She first saw Olivo in a musical play in "Brooklyn: The Musical" and that was also first that she heard the voice of Olivo and made her conclude that her Olivo's gifted voice will her key to the industry. Moreover, stage and musical play are not already new to Olivo. In one of the interviews, she revealed and said: "My dad was a theater director, so I was always on stage in some capacity. Growing up, I didn't know that everyone didn't do plays and my parents were both artists and they instilled in me that the arts were a noble profession." Meanwhile, Olivo carved out a life based on her terms. In 2013, she moved from New York to Madison, Wisconsin where she taught theatre, made pottery and lived a life that is out of the spotlight. It is very unusual for a popular actress like Karen Olivo to move from New York to Wisconsin and lived a life that is out of the spotlight. However, behind this, her father said: "She is very shy. She puts on a persona at work because she has to, but she is a homebody, a private person." Her father added, "When she was about 13, I asked her what she wanted to be; she said, 'a rich actress.' I told her that acting was hard and that she should make another choice. And she said, 'Okay, then I'll be a poor actress," Because he knew that Karen will pursue her dreams no matter what. Olivo's contribution is not limited to her outstanding performance in musical plays. She is also well recognized because of volunteering and spending her time with young artists in Florida where she taught them how to perform on stage. Along with this, part of the goal of Olivo is to let children have access to arts education regardless of cultural background. At the moment, Olivo is happy with what she achieved and doing right now both for herself and her fellow Latina artists. (ANSA) - Rome, January 1 - A boat with 45 migrants on board has been missing since it launched a distress call 74 hours ago, Alarm Phone, the direct line for migrants in the Mediterranean, said on Wednesday. On December 31, a fisherman told the organization that it had seen a boat with a broken engine in rough seas off Libya. "We spoke with coast guards, authorities in Libya, international organizations and our witness", Alarm Phone reported. "Nobody knows what happened to this boat. "We fear the worst but we hope that in same way they are safe", the organization said of the migrants. One can never be sure that terror offenders can be "cured" by deradicalisation programmes, according to a top British forensic psychologist, weeks after a rehabilitated terrorist hailing from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir killed two people near the iconic London Bridge. Christopher Dean, the psychologist behind the UK's main deradicalisation programme for terror offenders, said some terror offenders who take part in his Healthy Identity Intervention (HII) scheme appear to regress because of their uniquely complex identities. Dean spoke to the BBC after HII participant Usman Khan stabbed two people to death near the London Bridge. In the attack on November 29, he killed two people at a prisoner rehabilitation event in Fishmongers' Hall here. Khan, 28, was shot dead by police. His family hailed from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Khan was convicted in 2012 over a plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange (LSE). He also had plans to set up a terrorist training camp on ancestral land in PoK. He appeared to be responding to rehabilitation by the time of his release in December 2018, the report said. The HII scheme involves the offender attending repeated sessions with a psychologist who encourages them to talk about their motivations, beliefs, identity and relationships with both other extremists and the rest of society. The aim, Dean said, is to find ways to get the offender to think deeply about what they really want from life - and this can lead them to voluntarily abandoning extremism and violence. Speaking to BBC Radio Four's Today programme in his first broadcast interview, Dean said the work was complex because the offenders were different to almost all others in jail. "The two main aims of healthy identity intervention are primarily to try and make individuals less willing or prepared to commit offences on behalf of a violent extremist group cause or ideology," he said. "If we can reduce someone's relationship or identification with a particular group, cause or ideology, that in itself may have an impact on whether they're willing to offend or not," he said. Dean said some complex offenders he had worked with needed 20 or more sessions to show signs of positive change, because of the depth of their indoctrination. "We see some individuals who may have been part of a group for many years or have been invested or identified with the cause for many years. (Leaving that group) is an incredibly difficult thing to do," he said. Dean said the HII sessions were only one part of attempts to manage such offenders - and the results of the prison scheme should be clearly understood by the probation and police officers monitoring someone after their release. "They may come into contact with individuals or they may go through a spell in life where they may begin to re-engage with groups or causes or ideologies associated with their offending behaviour. "I think we have to be very careful about ever saying that somebody no longer presents a risk of committing an offence. I don't think you can ever be sure. We have to be very careful about saying someone has totally changed or has been cured." The inquests into the deaths of Khan's victims are likely to hear evidence about how the killer was managed in prison and in the community after his release, the report said. The UK's Ministry of Justice has not completed any work to test whether the HII scheme prevents reoffending or successfully tackles extremist behaviour - and there has been no similar exercise to test the effectiveness of the follow-on programme Khan joined after his release on licence. However, Dean said that when he and colleagues devised HII it was not rolled out until an external panel of experts assessed whether it was clearly based on the best-available evidence about challenging extremist mindsets. HII could not currently be tested like other rehabilitation programmes, he said, because there were too few offenders to get a scientifically-robust assessment of what worked. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the "grim reality" is that "some people can't be rehabilitated" in prison. He has also called for longer sentences and an end to automatic release of convicted prisoners after the incident involving Khan in November. Johnson has revealed that 74 people jailed for terror offences and released early in the UK will have their licence conditions reviewed. The Ministry of Justice launched the urgent review after the London Bridge incident involving Khan, who had served half of his sentence, killed two people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) According to him, the question is that the Russian Federation would never use gas as a tool of blackmail again Ukraine is not yet ready to return to direct gas supplies from the Russian Federation and intends to do so only within the pan-European energy market and according to its rules. This was stated by Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Dmitry Kuleba, Interfax-Ukraine reports. "I believe that we are 'not yet ripe' for a return to direct supplies. But the question is not even that. My goal as Vice Prime Minister for European Integration is to operate Ukraine's gas market solely on the basis of European Union norms, the Third energy package, and for our energy to be integrated into the European energy. It is not stated in the EU's rules that you should not buy gas from a certain country," Kuleba stated. According to him, the question is that the Russian Federation would never use gas as a tool of blackmail or corruption of national elites again, as it was in all previous years of independence before 2014. "Therefore, when we create an integrated energy gas market in line with EU standards, we cannot prohibit companies from buying gas from Gazprom in accordance with their agreements, but Gazprom will only play in Ukraine under European rules and regulations. It will not have a monopoly, it will not be able to impose his conditions by bribing officials, he will be one of the players, Vice Prime Minister stated. As we reported earlier, Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk said that Ukraine, Russia and the EU have signed a new gas contract for 5 years with the possibility of prolonging it for 10 years. Honcharuk said this on his channel in Telegram. There is a new contract for gas transit to Europe! As a result of trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the European Union, the parties signed a new contract: for 5 years with the possibility of prolonging it for another 10 years on similar conditions, the head of government wrote. MEXICO CITY - Another inmate was killed Thursday at a prison in northern Mexico where 16 inmates died during a riot on New Years Eve. Security officials in Zacatecas state said four other prisoners were injured in the latest riot at the Cieneguillas prison, where 16 prisoners died on Tuesday. The Public Safety Department said the prison had been brought back under control. Zacatecas state security secretary Ismael Camberos Hernandez told the Milenio television station that inmates angry over the Tuesday riot had attacked prisoners they accused of betraying them that day. He said the prisoner had been battered to death by fellow prisoners who detached a metal cell door and bashed him with it. The four wounded Thursday also suffered injuries from blows. But in Tuesdays riot, authorities confiscated four guns that they believe were smuggled in during visiting hours. Prison guards were placed under investigation after the riot. Not all of the victims in Tuesdays riot died from gunshot wounds. Some were stabbed and others beaten with objects. No guards or police were wounded. Local media reported the prison held members of various gangs and cartels, including the Sinaloa cartel and the Gulf and Northeast cartels. Such killings frequently involve score settling between rival cartel members or a battle for control of the prisons illicit business. Mexico has a long history of deadly prison clashes. In October, six inmates were killed in a prison in Morelos state. In September, Nuevo Leon state closed the infamous Topo Chico prison, the site of many murders over the years. In February 2016, 49 prisoners died there during rioting when two factions of the Zetas cartel clashed. A 12-year-old Texas boy is being hailed for his heroism days after he stopped a stabbing attack on his great-grandparents that was allegedly carried out by his 20-year-old half-brother. The boys half-brother, Lucian Adrian Johnston, is facing two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for his suspected role in the attack, which authorities say unfolded inside a car in Katy on Sunday during a heated argument. The Harris County Sheriffs Office alleges Johnston was seated in the back of the car with his younger sibling when the great-grandparents informed Johnston that, as a result of his recent behaviors, he had to move out of their home. (Those behaviors were not further described.) Investigators believe that, with the car still in motion, Johnston then used a pocket knife to stab his 92-year-old great-grandmother and 76-year-old great-grandfather in the head and neck multiple times. It is unclear who was driving the car at the time, but both victims were seated in the front of the moving car. Authorities said that both great-grandparents sustained significant wounds but were still expected to recover. Johnstons little brother intervened in the stabbing, say investigators: He pulled Johnston backwards, and then wrestled the weapon away before tossing it out one of the cars opened windows. Johnston allegedly head-butted him during their altercation. When the car came to a stop, Johnston fled on foot, law enforcement said. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. He [the little brother] was very brave, Harris County Sheriffs Office Sgt. John Klafka told reporters this week, adding, He did what he could. Klafka said that Sundays attack proves domestic violence will affect anybody and its everybody across the board the ages, the dynamics dont matter. Story continues After the stabbing, the great-grandparents locked the cars doors and then drove themselves to the hospital, where they received treatment before being released hours later. The real hero in this ordeal is a 12-year-old that was also in the backseat at the time of the brutal attack, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez wrote on Twitter. He managed to wrestle the knife away from Johnston and threw it out the window, which successfully stopped the attack. Police searching for Johnston arrested him Monday without incident. He has yet to enter pleas to the charges he faces and is being held in lieu of $80,000 bond. Information on his lawyer, if he has one, was unavailable due to the holiday. This very easily couldve resulted in two murders, Gonzalez said on Twitter. Surely, this entire family, including the 12-year-old, has new trauma to process. Turkey's parliament passed a bill on Thursday approving a military deployment to Libya, aimed at shoring up the UN-backed government in Tripoli. The beleaguered Tripoli government has been under sustained attack since April by military strongman General Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by Turkey's regional rivals -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office confirmed last Friday that a request for military support had been received from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). No details have been given on the scale of the potential deployment, and Vice-President Fuat Oktay told state agency Anadolu on Wednesday that no date had yet been set. "We are ready. Our armed forces and our defence ministry are ready," he said, adding that parliamentary approval would be valid for a year. He described the parliament motion as a "political signal" aimed at deterring Haftar's army. "After it passes, if the other side changes its attitude and says, 'OK, we are withdrawing, we are abandoning our offensive,' then what should we go there for?" The bill passed easily through Turkey's parliament, by 325 votes to 184. A UN report in November said several countries were violating the arms embargo on Libya in place since the overthrow of its long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Jordan and the UAE regularly supply Haftar's forces, it said, while Turkey supports the GNA. Turkish and Emirati drones were spotted in Libyan skies during clashes over the summer. The Libyan conflict is expected to be a key topic of discussion when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Turkey next Wednesday. Erdogan has repeatedly accused Russia of sending private mercenaries to support Haftar's forces, though this has been denied by Moscow. However, Turkey and Russia have managed to work closely on Syria despite supporting opposing sides in that conflict and are expected to seek a similar balancing act with regards to Libya. "We're supporting the internationally recognised legitimate government in Libya. Outside powers must stop supporting illegitimate groups against the Libyan government," Erdogan's communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted last week. Turkey has used its alliance with the Tripoli government to advance other interests. It signed a military cooperation agreement with the GNA during a visit by its leader, Fayez al-Sarraj, to Istanbul in November. But they also signed a maritime jurisdiction agreement giving Turkey rights to large swathes of the Mediterranean where gas reserves have recently been discovered. The agreement drew international criticism, particularly from Greece which says it ignores its own claims to the area. Analysts say Ankara was responding to being frozen out of regional energy deals, notably the "East Mediterranean Gas Forum", formed this year by Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Italy and the Palestinian territories. Turkey's fierce rivalry with the military government in Egypt is seen as another motivating factor behind the planned deployment. Erdogan strongly backed Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood government that was violently overthrown by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013. Haftar has previously ordered his forces to target Turkish companies and arrest Turkish nationals. Six Turkish sailors were briefly held by his forces over the summer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Why do I see myself differently in photographs compared with when I look in the mirror? Rumours of Athiya Shetty dating Team India opening batsman KL Rahul has been doing the rounds for quite some time now. The duo recently shared a flurry of pictures celebrating the New Year holiday in Thailand with a bunch of their friends. Last weekend, Rahul shared a picture with Athiya from Bangkok and wrote, "Hello, Devi Prasad? The interesting caption was a reference to Athiya's dad Sunil Shetty's film Hera Pheri. In the photo, the duo is seen in a phone booth, with Rahul holding the receiver and Athiya chuckling beside him. The rumoured love birds have neither confirmed nor denied the dating reports. But they took to social to give their followers a peek into their holiday break with close buddies. The lovely couple was accompanied by Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, Anushka Ranjan, her actor-boyfriend Aditya Seal and Usaamah Siddique on the exotic vacation. A source close to the duo had earlier stated that Rahul and Athiya are in a serious relationship for quite some time now. They have been captured numerous times by the paparazzi together going around town. Before heading to Thailand too, they were seen stepping out for dinner with Athiyas friends in Mumbai. ALSO READ: Suniel Shetty On Athiya And Ahans Love Life: I Love Who My Kids Are Dating ALSO READ: Did Athiya Shetty And KL Rahul Drop A Major Hint About Their Alleged Affair? Iran's supreme leader Wednesday strongly condemned deadly US strikes on Iraq and warned his country was ready to confront threats after US President Donald Trump issued one against the Islamic republic. "I and the government and the nation of Iran strongly condemn this American crime," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech broadcast on state television. They were his first remarks since Sunday's deadly US strikes on the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary network in western Iraq. The United States carried out the raids in retaliation for rocket fire that killed an American civilian contractor at a base in northern Iraq on Friday. In a tweet on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of "orchestrating" that day's storming of the US embassy in Baghdad by protesters angry at the American air strikes. Trump said: "Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat." In response, Khamenei retweeted the post and said: "That guy has tweeted that we (the United States) see Iran responsible for the events in Baghdad and we will respond to Iran. "First of all, you can't do a damn thing! This has nothing to do with Iran," the supreme leader in his televised address. "Secondly, be logical... The people of this region hate America. Why don't Americans understand this?" he said. "You Americans have committed crimes in Iraq, you have committed crimes in Afghanistan. You have killed people." Khamenei said Iran was ready to respond to any threat. "If the Islamic republic decides to oppose or fight against a country, it will do this explicitly," he said. "We are strongly committed to the interests of our country... We are strongly committed to the dignity of our nation. We are strongly committed to the progress and greatness of the nation of Iran. "Should anyone threaten these, we will confront him without any hesitation and will strike our blow," Khamenei said. "We will never... drag the country towards war. But if others want to impose anything on this country, we will stand against them with all our might." US-Iran tensions have soared since Washington pulled out of a landmark nuclear agreement with Tehran in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions. Krueger: With some care over the years, the old family barn keeps standing by Ted McConnell , Featured Contributor, January 2, 2020 Balance, transformation, journey, container (boundary), connection, resources, and control: These are, according to persuasion master and Harvard Marketing Research maven Gerry Zaltman, the metaphors underlying human decision-making. Why point this out? In advertising, we take persuasion very seriously. Message-makers know how to use the tools of language, psychology, and social science to change peoples choices. Its a powerful capability, but it works for any agenda. Once messages are created, digital media channels can send each message to people likely to be persuaded. Thats the one-two punch of mass personalization. Then we sell it all to the highest bidder. It doesnt take many individual votes to swing a key district. A minority becomes a majority with one solitary vote. You might say advertising technology won the 2016 election, and here we are in 2020, with the stakes higher than ever. The likes of Cambridge Analytica can and will do it again. The data is available. Marketing whiz kids are sharpening their skills for 2020. They are out there, they know what to do, and how to do it for whoever pays them. advertisement advertisement Seems fair enough. Market economy, right? Live by the sword, die by the sword. Democracy in the age of the web, unchecked, apparently comes to this: Pay off the advertising wonks and win the right to control a nuclear arsenal. Psssst. Hey buddy, need a bazooka? Add up the weaponry. Add up the rancor, cast it as a war, squint at it, and it turns out we (advertising) are the arms dealers! We provide the creative frameworks needed to persuade, and the platforms and data needed to target the exact right viewers. Were like Q in the James Bond movies: See this little gadget, Mr. Bond? Its a convertible democrat-seeking message injector. Just insert cash, and it does the rest. And whats our attitude about all that? Apparently, same as an arms dealer. Hey! We didnt pull the trigger; we just provided the tools. We take no responsibility for outcomes. We give tools to both sides and may the best party win. We privately hope for a fierce fight because, when the going gets tough, we make more money. But theres a problem. As an arms dealer, if you appear to be the enemy, you are vulnerable. If you work for both sides, both sides know you work for the other. So, you are hamstrung. If you dont pick a side, you are the worst kind of amoral slob who will take money to further any belief. If you do pick a side, you are the enemy of half the political marketplace. Conflicts are nothing new, but polarized political rhetoric and self-published fake news combine to create a toxic environment for all media. One media company, Spotify, solved the problem in a nice way: It has announced it will not take any political advertising for 2020. Company strategists suggest its because their listeners detest political ads, which seems to be true but the position makes quick work of the aforementioned dilemmas and blowback. Clarity is lovely, but most companies cant have it. Agencies would likely not take the assignment if the product were called putting children in cages. But its not so simple. Layers of causation insulate the arms deal from the effects of the weapons. And political candidates always think they are on the side of good, anyway. After all, the candidates cant always predict the bad outcomes associated with clumsy execution of their platform planks. When bad things do happen, politicians usually resort to some variant of a quote sometimes attributed to Joseph Stalin: You cant make an omelet without breaking eggs. Stalin was, of course, a mass murderer, and a successful Russian politician. French philosopher Voltaire quipped that It is forbidden to kill; therefore, all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. Indeed. The missions of our employers (or mandates from a majority) make it more palatable to support causes inconsistent with mainstream values. But thats got to stop before greed hiding behind greatness ruins our increasingly fragile planet and society. So, as the weapons of persuasion become more powerful, the means and motivation to regulate their use are declining. As arms dealers, I suppose we should celebrate but as humans, we should stand up for our principles. Pick a side, or dont, but, as the owners of some very powerful weapons, you might want to look in the mirror briefly before taking money from just anybody. Is the government looking skywards to save Air India from being grounded? At least that is what one would make of a succinct response from a senior bureaucrat on the sidelines of an off-record press briefing. A journalist asked what would happen if the embattled national carrier failed to get a bidder by July. Would it mean Air India going the Jet Airways way and suspending operations? There have been reports that the finance ministry is unwilling to fund Air India and that it will be shut down if not sold by July. The bureaucrat was quick to say, Sab bhagwan bharose hai (It all ... Holidays can be big celebrations. The family gets a break from work and school. There's a tasty meal involved and occasionally songs and gifts. But honestly there just aren't enough official holidays. Most states observe 10. Even if your family celebrates certain religious holidays, you probably have about 350 days that could be considered ordinary. We at KidsPost believe every day is an excuse to celebrate something. So each January we compile a list of unusual holidays. They might be holidays you have never heard of. (Sometimes we haven't.) You might not know how to mark such holidays. (Create your own odd-holiday traditions.) Most of all, use our list to help make 2020 a year filled with days that are far from ordinary.Opposite Day (January 25): You might say this isn't a holiday just because we say it is. (Get it?) But the idea of this day is to mix things up. Have dessert before dinner. Wear a T-shirt on top of your hoodie. Insist that your parents teach you their new TikTok dances. - National Love Your Pet Day (February 20): We know you love your pets every day, but this is a day to show them just how much. Take Max for an extra-long walk. Crumple up paper and let Bella bat it around the floor. Ask your fish what's new and really listen. - International Waffle Day (March 25): In Sweden, what started long ago as a Christian holiday (Varfrudagen, or Our Lady Day) sounded like Vaffeldagen, or Waffle Day. And so this delicious celebration began. Since then, it has caught on in other Scandinavian countries. Try waffles as Swedes do, with fruit and whipped cream instead of syrup. - National Sibling Day (April 10): If you have brothers and sisters, you know those relationships are complicated. A sibling can be your best friend or the most annoying person ever - sometimes in the same day. Forget the squabbles today, and give them a hug, a high-five or at least a smile. - No Socks Day (May 8): The idea for this day is to give your toes fresh air, so don't shove them into sneakers and get them stinky. Grab your flip-flops or sandals, and let those piggies breathe! - American Eagle Day (June 20): The majestic bald eagle became the U.S. national symbol on this date in 1782. But eagles aren't just a patriotic symbol, they're a conservation success story. In the 1970s, bald eagles were in danger of extinction. But by 2007, their numbers had recovered. Today is a good day to think about how to help save other endangered species. - Different Colored Eyes Day (July 12): Washington, D.C.-area residents might call this Max Scherzer Day. But the Nationals' pitcher isn't unique in having heterochromia iridis, or eyes of two colors. Less that 1 percent of the population has the genetic condition. So if you know someone who does, tell them how cool their eyes are. - Be an Angel Day (August 22): Do something for someone else today with no expectation of getting anything in return. That person could be your mom or a homeless person. Think of it as paying forward the kindness you have received. Spread the word, and maybe kids can turn acts of kindness into a worldwide movement. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. - Make a Hat Day (September 15): Get crafty, and make a topper that's striking or silly but certainly unique. Challenge your friends to a hatmaking competition. Your creativity could give you a head start on an upcoming holiday: Halloween. - Face Your Fears Day (October 20): Everyone is afraid of something. It's fine to avoid some fears - jumping out of an airplane, for example. But try conquering an everyday fear today, and feel a boost in confidence. - Red Planet Day (November 28): On this date in 1964, NASA launched its first mission to get close-range images of Mars. Mariner 4 was a success, the first step in exploring what would become the next frontier for human space travel. Learn a bit more about the Red Planet today. It could be your future home. - Look on the Bright Side Day (December 21): It's the winter solstice, the day when the Earth's Northern Hemisphere is at its maximum tilt from the sun. Without much natural light, some people feel sad. But there's a lot to celebrate this time of year - including holiday light shows. If you can't make it to one of those, remember: Starting the next day, each day till summer will bring a little bit more sunlight. But to kick off 2020, we took a look back at some other examples of our in-depth journalism from the New York region. Lovers in Auschwitz, reunited 72 years later. He had one question. David Wisnia and Helen Spitzer were Jewish inmates in Auschwitz. Amid the horrors there, they became lovers. When they reunited in Manhattan, Ms. Spitzer confirmed what Mr. Wisnia long suspected: She was the reason he survived the death camp. Her Prince Charming turned out to be a crazed hit man on the run Blanche Wright thought he was a lawyer. She became his prisoner. After a drug-fueled killing spree, he was dead and she was sent to prison. It was the first place in her life where Ms. Wright would feel, as strange as it sounds, free. 114,000 students in New York City are homeless. These two let us into their lives. Darnell is 8 and commutes 15 miles a day to school. Sandivel is 10, and shares a bedroom in Brooklyn with her mother and four brothers. For thousands of homeless students, school is the only stable place they know. WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) -- Few images are more haunting to the collective American psyche than the sight of a U.S. diplomatic installation under siege somewhere in the world. Such attacks have been a watchword for trauma: Saigon. Tehran. Beirut. Nairobi. Benghazi. This week's breach of the sprawling U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad by supporters of a pro-Iranian militia ended on New Year's Day when the militia called off the siege. The episode lasted less than 48 hours; core areas were not penetrated; no injuries were reported among diplomatic personnel or U.S. forces guarding the facility. Yet for many, the attack in the Iraqi capital evoked a visceral reaction, a swirl of sentiments reminiscent of far more serious strikes against U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities _ ones that resulted in death, destruction or prolonged sieges. And for those who have lived through such an episode, the memory lingers long after an angry mob's shouted chants have faded away. "It's pretty frightening if you don't know someone's going to come and help you _ in our case, we were afraid they'd just burn it all down," said Christopher R. Hill, who was the U.S. ambassador in Macedonia when the embassy was surrounded and outbuildings set aflame in March 1999. For most Americans, still or moving images of U.S. embassies or consulates in distress _ a volatile crowd scaling the embassy wall, the charred aftermath of a devastating explosion _ have a certain dreamlike familiarity. The sight of U.S. helicopters taking off from the roof of the Saigon embassy carrying desperate evacuees in 1975, or of American hostages paraded by their student captors in Tehran in 1979, become part of a deep database of shared experience. ADVERTISEMENT Such scenes also summon up other disquieting themes: the sense of a great power's momentary vulnerability, the jarring realization that serious political miscalculations might have been made, and a creeping awareness of just how dangerous, in the long run, even a passing blow to American prestige can be. Because a diplomatic installation is a physical embodiment of the homeland it represents, an attack against one reverberates like a clap of distant thunder. And with social media as an amplifier, actors the world over _ protesters, militias, government-sanctioned thugs _ are keenly aware of the propaganda value of an attack on a symbol of American might. "We are the big dog, and that is how our enemies can get at us," said Ryan C. Crocker, a diplomatic veteran of crucibles of conflict such as Iraq and Syria. In three of his ambassadorial postings _ Lebanon, Afghanistan and Pakistan _ a predecessor was killed. Not every attempt to harm U.S. diplomatic personnel or damage American installations makes world headlines. But such attacks have punctuated modern U.S. history. A total of six ambassadors have been killed since World War II, and more than 100 diplomats and other U.S. government personnel have died violently while serving overseas since roughly the same period, according to the American Foreign Service Assn., the diplomatic union. In the Baghdad embassy attack, some ex-envoys noted with dread the rapid politicization of events surrounding it. The template for such toxic partisanship is Benghazi _ the 2012 attack on two U.S. facilities in the Libyan coastal city that killed the U.S. ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans. The violent episode was wielded by congressional Republicans a cudgel to attack Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of State at the time and later the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee. Even as the Baghdad siege was still unfolding, President Trump was quick to take to Twitter to boast that the attack was the "anti-Benghazi." He echoed that contention at a lavish New Year's Eve party at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, where he told revelers that "this will never, never be a Benghazi." Several former diplomats warned that the president's remarks _ coupled with last week's U.S. airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia, whose calls for vengeance triggered the embassy attack _ were premature, provocative and risked inflaming the crisis. ADVERTISEMENT "Instead of urging calm & restraint on all sides, Trump sees a combustible situation & lights a match," Suzanne DiMaggio, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote on Twitter. "Another unforced error." Scott R. Anderson, a former State Department lawyer based at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, concurred. "Make no mistake: this was an old, familiar trap _ and the Trump administration stepped right into it," he tweeted. Perhaps mindful of the political optics if the embassy situation had deteriorated, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, who had been set to leave Thursday on a swing that would have taken him to countries including Ukraine, was instead staying in Washington to monitor events in Baghdad, the State Department announced. Envoys worry that a go-to approach of turning any attack into a partisan domestic battle back home makes it far more difficult and complex to balance the inherent risks of a diplomatic presence in a turbulent country. While it is crucial to examine lapses of security practices and learn from them, Crocker said, he called it "ruinous to the conduct of diplomacy" to give adversaries the notion that an attack will result in diplomatic pullbacks in the country in question, and bitter infighting back in the U.S. "You can't eliminate risk _ you can only manage it," he said. One obvious impact of high-profile attacks on diplomatic installations has been the heavy fortification of embassy and consulate compounds spanning the globe. Al Qaeda's attacks against U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 helped spur the move to construct fortress-like installations, with layer upon layer of intense security. While making diplomats safer, this can make embassies and consulates far less accessible to average citizens of host countries, hampering outreach and sometimes fueling a sense that America is trying to wall itself off from the world. The Baghdad embassy is a case in point. The 104-acre compound in Baghdad dwarfs the size of U.S. diplomatic missions elsewhere. It has its own security teams, power stations and water facilities; it once housed some 16,000 people. ADVERTISEMENT Hill, the former ambassador to Macedonia, who also served in Kosovo, Poland and South Korea, said host countries can find themselves in "fraught situations" as they try to determine whether demonstrators are merely blowing off steam over U.S. policies, or whether an installation and those inside are in real danger. "You see riot police and someone gets hurt and the situation gets inflamed," he said. "Governments often just think if they can prevent an attack on the buildings themselves, avoiding anything lethal, it'll blow over." Crocker, who survived the deadly 1983 bombings of the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut, said the experience was formative to him as a diplomat. "Bad things happen, and when bad things happen, you've got to keep going, otherwise you create a situation where you're incentivizing further attacks," he said. Crocker, who went on to a career in academia after his retirement from the Foreign Service, criticized Pompeo for closing the U.S. Consulate in the southern Iraqi city of Basra last year after threats and rocket fire from Iran and Iranian-backed fighters. "That tells the Iranians that all they have to do is make threats _ they didn't even have to breach the embassy wall," said the former envoy. From the Beirut bombings and other attacks, Crocker said, the lesson he absorbed was to "lean into it _ don't let the bastards win." ___ (Times staff writers Tracy Wilkinson in Washington; Nabih Bulos in Amman, Jordan; and Shashank Bengali in Singapore contributed to this report.) ___ (c)2020 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. From left, Timothy Wills, of Browns Mills, N.J., Dave Coombs, of Flourtown, and Larry Miller, of Warminster, work on a robotics piece at Macron Dynamics in Croydon. WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN / For The Inquirer Read more Even this deep into the national economic boom, little Macron Dynamics in scuffed-up Croydon plans to double its plant capacity and hire 20 more people. That is, if it can find the right building and workers for its $18-an-hour entry-level manufacturing jobs. When Trump said, We are going to tax everything coming into the U.S., our business went at this point, Macron Dynamics CEO Anthony Tony Cirone pauses for drama and then gestures toward the ceiling with his index finger. Just about everyone says the labor market is tightening, and this is both a boon and a peril for Macron. President Donald Trumps tariffs and threats of higher labor costs are leading businesses to place orders for Macrons linear robots, a $10 million-a-year-in-revenues business that automates high-volume bakeries, pharmacies, and e-commerce warehouses. But a tight local job market, due to baby boomers retiring and Amazon warehouses snapping up workers, is making it hard for Macron to find new hires. Moreover, as Macron looks to double its plant capacity, industrial land has been repurposed for apartments and storage units, constricting options for a new factory. Over the years, industry declined and those properties were replaced by storage or apartments, said Robert Olender, a real estate broker with Roddy Inc. in Bensalem. He said vacancy rates for industrial land are near all-time lows in the areas where Macron is looking for a new plant. Resurgence in manufacturing and e-commerce has eaten into a lot of inventory, Olender said. Big employers garner headlines, but what people dont see is that there are so many independent mid-size companies in controls or packaging businesses that rise and fall with the global companies, Olender said. Much of this boom has been defined by high-tech companies: Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, and Google. But in Lower Bucks County, no hotbed of innovation, the economic boat is lifting blue-collar skiffs, as well. Tapping into the workforce Though a robotics company, Macron uses technology that is distinctly old school: electric motors, aluminum extruded framework, belts, pulleys, and screws. Macrons equipment typically aluminum framework, or gantries, interwoven with the belts and pulleys, as well as high-speed thrusting arms can be used to pack or unpack heavy boxes on pallets. It can shove boxes coming down a conveyor belt, pluck candy bars from molds and put them in packages, and automate pharmaceutical labs for high-volume drug screening. The idea is to cut labor costs and/or do away with tasks that lead to worker injuries. Costs range from $1,000 to $25,000 for Macrons part of the automation, with other companies supplying grippers and the computer brains. One of its high-profile projects was a three-dimensional Coca-Cola billboard in Times Square. Macrons contributions were 1,760 belt drives synchronized to the advertising, creating a distinctive wave look on the side of a skyscraper. The company would not disclose the name of any other customers. Macrons basic skill requirements to make its products are a high school degree, mechanical aptitude to read measuring instruments and handle a drill, and an ability to read product-assembly instructions on a tablet like Ikea, Cirone said. I can train anybody. Macron advertised job openings on Craigslist with apparent success: 40 resumes in one day. But when the applicants came for interviews, they werent right for the work. Now Macron relies on CareerLink, a nonprofit connected with the state Department of Labor and Industry, and Bucks County Community College, that vets applicants as part of two industrial-skills programs, said Craig Marshall, Macrons executive vice president. The community college program assesses skills, tests for drug misuse, and checks criminal backgrounds. As part of the 12-week industrial maintenance class, adult students travel to area factories to learn what the companies make and experience the culture. One recent Friday, Cirone hosted a class of about a half-dozen men, with an average age of 38. We are tapping into any workforce that has a good attitude and wants to be trained, Cirone said. They are not fresh out of high school or college. The class trip gives the company the chance to sell itself and eyeball potential hires, said Susan Herring, executive director of the Center for Workforce Development at Bucks County Community College. Not only is manufacturing doing really well in our region but the skilled workforce is aging out, and there really has been no new talent entering the workforce for two generations because people thought manufacturing was dead in this country. Pennsylvania manufacturers boosted their payrolls by 2% over the last five years, state data show. Manufacturing firms in Philadelphia and four Pennsylvania suburban counties shed 1,100 jobs out of a workforce of 127,400 jobs, or less than 1%. But the performance was uneven. Bucks and Montgomery Counties gained manufacturing jobs while Philadelphia, Chester, and Delaware Counties lost them. Through its two programs, the community college has put 250 people into jobs over the last five years, with a 93% job placement rate, Herring said. She estimates that 3,000 manufacturing jobs will go unfilled in Bucks County by 2025, partly because of baby boomer retirements. Looking to the future Meanwhile, last summer, Cirone decided that it was time for Macron to look for a new building to double its manufacturing capacity to about 50,000 square feet. With businesses eager to avoid higher wage costs through more automation, Macron has developed a pipeline of potential million-dollar contracts that its current 25,000-square-foot plant cant accommodate, Cirone said. Right now the best markets are warehousing and moving products quickly through buildings and sorting and food and beverage, noted Macrons Marshall. No one company can fully automate a warehouse, opening the door to Macron to supply components to those projects, he said. Cirone, 60, relocated the Macron plant to Lower Bucks County from Horsham about a decade ago. Back then, during the recession, he easily found a vacant former pharmaceutical fulfillment center, just down the road from a big chemical plant. Theres a lot of real big buildings and a lot of real small buildings but not a lot of medium-sized buildings between 20,000 and 40,000 square feet, Cirone said. He thinks, with the help of Olender, he can find a new building near his existing Croydon factory by early next year. The local economy has also grown more diversified. Years ago, the U.S. Steel plant in Fairless Hills employed thousands. Its closing devastated Levittown. But the Bucks economy has changed dramatically over the years with the emergence of smaller companies such as Macron. Many companies [in the region] are job shops, said Herring of Bucks County Community College. They are doing pieces of the manufacturing process, and they are part of the supply chain. Said Cirone: There are more companies with little niches. We are not hiring hundreds like the steel mill, and we are not laying off hundreds like the steel mill. President Moon Jae-in pays tribute at Seoul National Cemetary, Thursday, with Cabinet members and senior presidential secretaries. Yonhap By Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in's main focus this year will be centered on achieving tangible progress in improving the people's livelihoods with the clock ticking on his time in office and a crucial election just months away. Starting the New Year, the President is putting emphasis on his administration's efforts to actually get people to feel the benefits of his policies. The general election, considered a test of Moon's performances since assuming office in May 2017, will take place in April. Coming off a hectic diplomatic schedule in Chengdu, China where the President met with leaders of China and Japan, Moon is expected to focus on domestic affairs in the coming weeks to achieve a good result for the ruling party in the elections. Cheong Wa Dae is preparing for a New Year press conference where the President will give a clear outline of his focus this year. But from several public messages this week, it is evident that some keywords for his administration this year will be the people's "happiness" and "outcomes" for his policies. In a social media to mark the New Year, Moon stressed 2020 will be the year to "give back to the people." "The precious seeds of change that have been planted amid difficulties will blossom and will surely come to fruition without fail with tangible results. We will make a new leap toward being a country where everyone lives well together," Moon said. Restoring trust Moon's renewed focus on "results" and "outcomes" from the people's perspective stems from the urgent need for the President to recover the people's trust in his administration after various policy missteps and devastating scandals involving close aides that have severely dampened his approval ratings. At the height of his popularity, his job approval rating was well over 70 percent. But since his five-year presidency marked its half-way point in November 2019, this has been stuck in the 40-percent-range, with little progress from some of the biggest policy goals in his administration, particularly on lifting the economy and improving the employment situation. More people are starting to turn their back on the President due to his administration's inability to deal with issues that are very sensitive for the electorate, such as soaring housing prices that are stripping more people of the hope of owning their own homes and building a stable life. More than half of respondents who had a negative assessment of Moon's performance in an SBS survey cited his poor economic leadership as the biggest reason for their view, followed by his responses to North Korea and his personnel decisions. Public sentiment toward the President, who arrived at Cheong Wa Dae with the promise to build a new Korea following the corruption scandal and impeachment of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye, turned noticeably negative after Moon's appointment of his problematic aide Cho Kuk as justice minister in September 2019. He pushed through the appointment despite a huge backlash from the opposition and many Koreans who saw the former presidential senior secretary for civil affairs as unfit for the post due to a series of allegations of corruption and other illegalities. But Moon continued to stand by Cho although the scandal has dashed the hopes of many Koreans that his administration would be different from previous ones where corruption and misuse of power were taken for granted. The presidential office has also been hit by allegations of election meddling, which has also dealt a significant blow to the integrity of the current administration. Focus on economy One of the best ways to salvage the public's waning trust in his leadership is to focus on the economy, which has a direct impact on the people's livelihoods. Although his key economic policies such as the "income-led growth" has sparked much controversy, they stem from his firm determination to fundamentally address the aggravating social gap and widening economic inequality. Given this, it is unlikely that he will change the direction of his economic policies in the latter part of his time in office. "Despite the growth in national economy which is considered a miracle around the world, many people are still struggling. The benefits of our economic growth have been concentrated on a small number of the upper-class and large companies, and have not been evenly distributed among all the people," Moon said during a New Year speech in 2019. "There have been some headway made in innovative growth and introducing a fair economy, but employment indicators have not met expectations in terms of quantity. Self-employed people are complaining of difficulties. The manufacturing sector, which has been our traditional strength, continues to suffer. We failed to properly respond to changes in the industrial structure and consumption patterns brought on by automation and online consumption. This has led to fear of the future and has undercut the people's confidence in the government's economic policies." The problems highlighted in last year's New Year address remain much the same, so it is expected that Moon will stress more fundamental solutions to the economic challenges this year. But it remains to be seen how convincing his words will be in the twilight of his presidency. Diplomatic challenges Another area Moon will continue to devote much attention to is diplomacy. He is facing a myriad of challenges with North Korea, Japan, China and the United States. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un virtually announced that he will go back on his moratoria on nuclear and missile tests during a major policy conference this week. Moon has continued to highlight relations with North Korea as one of his achievements, but Kim's repeated snubbing of South Korea has put Moon in an increasingly difficult position and has undermined his role as "a facilitator" in the denuclearization talks. Moon's consistent drive to improve ties with North Korea has angered the opposition party and many Koreans who are running out of patience with them. "Cheong Wa Dae's response to North Korea's provocations is too idle. The first thing the President should have done this morning is to announce a stern warning to Kim, not approving the appointment of Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae," said Rep. Shim Jae-chul, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Party of Korea during a party meeting, Thursday. The President will also have to deal with the heavy pressure to improve ties with both China and Japan this year, on top of dealing with the growing demands of retaining the alliance with the U.S., including a unilateral demand for more money to maintain U.S. troops stationed here. On a recent visit to China, Moon got an agreement from both China and Japan on the need to put dialogue ahead of confrontation in dealing with North Korea, which is a position also maintained by Washington. But an escalating U.S.-China rivalry has put Korea in a very difficult situation, as seen by the dispute over the deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system in Korea that produced a strong backlash from Beijing. Korea's role in Washington's Indo-Pacific Strategy, aimed at containing China's rise in the region, is giving Moon a serious challenge this year as he looks to rebuild ties with Beijing, with a possible rare visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Korea in the first half of this year. Bernie Sanders probably has more to lose than others if left-leaning indies cant participate in the Golden States primary. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images Being a self-identified independent voter is as popular in California as it is nationally, even if it mischaracterizes the growing partisanship of actual voting behavior. It got some serious attention earlier this year when the percentage of No Party Preference voters in California exceeded that of Republicans for the first time. But in looking specifically at the Golden State, its important to understand that party registration or the lack thereof is insignificant in all but one isolated type of election. Local elections in California are all nonpartisan. And state elections since 2010 have been governed by a top-two system in which all candidates regardless of party affiliation are placed on the same primary ballot, with the two leading vote-getters proceeding to the general election. All voters, including those registered with any party along with No Party Preference voters, get the same ballots. Party affiliation has become relatively unimportant, which is probably another reason that NPP registration has risen. There is that isolated exception, however: presidential primaries, in which top two has not been imposed for the obvious reason that it would make compliance with national party delegate selection rules impossible. An additional wrinkle is that California law allows the parties to choose whether to allow No Party Preference voters to participate in their presidential primaries. In 2016 and again in 2020, Democrats have said yes while Republicans have said no thanks. But theres a catch for NPP voters wanting to vote in the March 3 Democratic presidential primary: They have to ask for a Democratic ballot. Thats easy enough at a presidential polling place. But with voting-by-mail becoming the regular practice for a large and increasing majority of voters, NPP voters have to request a Democratic mail ballot, too. California recently made this process easier by instructing county election offices to send out postcards to NPP voters that can be returned to request a crossover presidential primary ballot. So 4.2 million of these postcards have duly been mailed out, but no one knows how effective these cards nestled into holiday mail will be. Initial signs arent great, according to the Los Angeles Times: Recent polling shows record levels of voter excitement, and 75% of nonpartisan voters say they want to vote in the Democratic primary. So far, it appears that only 9% to 15% are returning the postcards that would allow them to vote for a presidential candidate. Theres an additional problem for hundreds of thousands of California independents: They have registered mostly inadvertently as members of the American Independent Party as opposed to registering with No Party Preference. This problem came to light in 2016 when the Los Angeles Times conducted a study of AIP registrants: With nearly half a million registered members, the American Independent Party is bigger than all of Californias other minor parties combined. The ultraconservative partys platform opposes abortion rights and same sex marriage, and calls for building a fence along the entire United States border But a Times investigation has found that a majority of its members have registered with the party in error. Nearly three in four people did not realize they had joined the party, a survey of registered AIP voters conducted for The Times found Voters from all walks of life were confused by the use of the word independent in the partys name, according to the Times analysis. The Times found lots of celebrities including a number of Hollywood lefty types registering as AIP members under the mistaken impression that this meant registering as an independent. That must have been richly ironic to real members of the party founded in 1968 by segregationist George Wallace, which ultimately endorsed Donald Trump in 2016. Its actually this misunderstanding that has kept the party viable all these years. The California legislature passed a bill earlier this year that sought to force the AIP to change its name to drop the word independent from it. But Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed it, arguing plausibly that targeted regulation of the name chosen by a political party a half-century ago would almost certainly be struck down by the courts on First Amendment grounds. Despite all the publicity about people stupidly signing up for a right-wing party with a racist legacy, AIP registration in California actually grew from 457,173 in 2016 to 581,060 in May of this year. None of these people will be able to vote in the Democratic presidential primary unless they re-register as Democrats or as NPP filers. And while California has same-day registration at polling stations, again: That doesnt necessarily help mail-ballot voters who have to proactively request a change in registration. So if due to confusion among indies a significant percentage of them disqualify themselves from voting in Californias presidential primary next March (or in mail balloting beginning on February 3), does that hurt any particular candidate? Well, supporters of Bernie Sanders, who was significantly more popular among left-leaning independents than among regular Democrats, certainly thought obstructions to indie participation cost him a potential California win in 2016. And polling suggests that Sanders is again the favorite of independents who want to vote in the Democratic presidential primary this time around, which given its early timing could be even more influential than usual. Presumably his campaign understands that well enough to spend some serious time and resources educating independents on how and when to vote. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-03 04:30:53|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn announced on Thursday that he planned his escape from Japan to Lebanon by himself, a local media outlet reported. "Media reports about my wife or other family members playing a role in planning my trip to Lebanon from Japan are fake," Ghosn was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper. Ghosn arrived in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Monday after fleeing from Japan amid charges of financial misconduct. Notably, the Lebanese prosecution received earlier in the day a red notice by the Interpol to arrest Ghosn. Meanwhile, caretaker Justice Minister Albert Serhan said Ghosn will be prosecuted according to Lebanese laws in the absence of any extradition treaty between Lebanon and Japan. Lebanon applies the presumption of innocence to every accused person until they are proven guilty, he added. Ghosn is expected to be interrogated by the Lebanese judiciary next week about the charges of tax evasion and fraud pressed against him by the Japanese judiciary. 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. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK 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. NEW YORK, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Fundamental Advisors LP ("Fundamental"), a leading alternative asset manager focused on municipal, public purpose and community assets, today announced the sale of The Clare at Rush and Pearson ("The Clare"), the premier senior housing community in Chicago, to LCS, the nation's second-largest operator of senior living communities. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Fundamental, in partnership with seasoned senior housing experts at Senior Care Development ("SCD"), and LCS acquired The Clare in a bankruptcy court auction in 2012 and brought this once highly-distressed asset to profitability, raising occupancy from 34% to 98%. The partners worked collaboratively to successfully execute a multi-faceted plan to renovate the community, expand the health center and augment programs and services for residents. Life Care Services, the management arm of parent company LCS, was brought in to manage the community. With these enhancements, the continuum of care and lifestyle for residents was substantially broadened and The Clare was repositioned to become a leading senior housing community. "Our team is proud to have transformed The Clare into a thriving community, and we are confident that the facility will continue to be in great hands under the ownership of LCS," said Laurence Gottlieb, Chairman and CEO of Fundamental. "The Clare underscores Fundamental's focus on community and sustainability as well as our differentiated approach to investing in purpose-built assets. We are pleased not only to have generated strong returns for our investors but to have created a flourishing senior living community in the heart of Chicago." The Clare offers unparalleled amenities and services including personalized healthcare, three on-site restaurants, a state-of-the-art health and wellness center, art and computer rooms, a library and a business center. The community also provides residents with robust social activities including music, art, and theater, as well as lectures from The Clare's partnerships with Loyola University, Northwestern University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the Center for Life and Learning at Fourth Presbyterian Church. With health and wellness as a top priority, the community has dedicated six floors to rehabilitation, respite care, skilled nursing, assisted living and memory care and maintains a 5-star quality rating awarded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "We are thrilled to have worked with Fundamental and LCS on our third successful CCRC together over the past decade to revitalize The Clare, creating the vibrant community it is today," said David Reis, CEO of SCD. "Together with the team of professionals at Fundamental and LCS, we have positioned The Clare for long-term sustainable success. The SCD team is pleased to have a continuing role in the community's operations as well as a minority investment moving forward." "The Clare is a premier asset that is a natural fit with our existing portfolio, and reinvesting in the community aligns with our principle of keeping a long-term perspective," said Joel Nelson, President and CEO of LCS. "We are looking forward to serving the residents for many years to come." About Fundamental Advisors Fundamental Advisors is a leading alternative asset manager dedicated to municipal, public purpose and community assets. Founded in 2007, the firm is focused on targeting control oriented investments in stressed and distressed assets or securities, financing the development or revitalization of public purpose or community assets, and acquiring undervalued securities in the secondary market. Fundamental invests through a range of vehicles that capitalize on the growing opportunity set in the municipal market. For more information, please visit www.Fundamental.com. About LCS Established in 1971, LCS is a leading provider of high-quality senior lifestyle products and services. The LCS Family of Companies focus on development, operations management, marketing and sales management, and strategic planning for Life Plan Communities, and rental independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities nationwide. The company also provides a full-service real estate private equity enterprise, insurance, national purchasing consulting services and in-home care. The companies of LCS serve thousands of seniors across the nation. In the field of senior living, Experience is Everything. For more information, visit LCSnet.com. About Senior Care Development For over 30 years SCD has specialized in developing and investing in the full continuum of senior housing with specific expertise and focus on high barrier to entry life plan communities and skilled nursing facilities. For more information, please visit www.SeniorCareDevelopment.com. Media Contacts Jon Keehner / Julie Oakes Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 212-355-4449 SOURCE Fundamental Advisors LP Related Links https://fundamental.com The director calls action and the merriment unfolds as four young women sip drinks by the pool, cavort on downy beds, muse about their futures and sprint along Hollywood Boulevard in pursuit of a vanished mystery bag. That pretty much sums up the doings in Hollywood Dreams, a 12-minute video produced by the Authentic Brands Group, the owners of Fredericks of Hollywood, and PYPO, an online comedy platform for emerging talent. The videos stars may not look just like you and me, but they do suggest a hybrid of Keeping Up With the Kardashians and an early episode of Girls. Billed as an action mini-series, the video represents an effort by Fredericks, the fabled naughty undie brand, to swim with the tide, joining a roster of lingerie upstarts placing a wholesome reality spin on their marketing campaigns. Our intent is to widen our audience and reach a millennial consumer, said Alexandra Taylor, the senior vice president for marketing for A.B.G. (It owns some 50 brands, including Hickey Freeman, Nautica and, as of November, Barneys New York, and bought the company out of bankruptcy in 2015.) It hopes, it would seem, to sidestep the pitfalls that have dogged Victorias Secret; that companys aggressively steamy marketing alienated younger consumers and cost the brand a marked dip in sales. Carol Blackburn normally relaxes on the balmy beaches of Hawaii. But Wednesday, she joined her daughter and other brave souls for a New Years Day dip in the chilly waters of Ocean Beach. The annual polar plunge drew a few hundred people, some sans clothing, for a swim and an after-party at Taraval Street and the Great Highway. This years event, hosted by the Riptide Bar, was filled with double the excitement as people marked the start of 2020 and the opportunity to cleanse away any negativity from previous years. The adventure came at a cost participants endured chilly temperatures, overcast skies and a sharp wind that would make most people want to curl up under a blanket. Blackburn, 70, who wore several layers under a black puffy jacket and a beanie, planned to take the plunge in a wetsuit she bought on the Big Island of Hawaii. I hate to be cold, thats why I moved to Hawaii, she said with a laugh. But its wonderful to be here changing seasons. I absolutely love the ocean. It just transforms you. For many, the plunge was an opportunity to leave tough times in the past. It kicks off the day, said Lehua Sparrow, 40, a San Francisco resident. Its a little bit of a cleansing of 2019 or at least a symbol of it and getting into the new year with a fresh start. Sparrow and her husband packed their 4-year-old son, Reza, into a small wagon filled with blankets and beach toys. Its awesome that everyone comes here and does it and celebrates the year, she said. For some families, it was about keeping tradition. About 250 people swarmed the beach as they awaited the blow of a whistle at noon, which marked the start of the plunge. They wore Christmas and New Years hats, bathing suits and fur coats, tutus, sweats, flip-flops, blankets and pajamas. Many brought along kids and shivering dogs. And out came the bubbly. The National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory along the coast through Thursday morning, warning of an increased risk of rip currents, large and dangerous breaking waves along surf zones and waves washing over large rocks. Temperatures in San Francisco were in the 50s on Wednesday. A few swimmers pedaled to the beach in their birthday suits for the World Naked Bike Ride. Richard Torres of Walnut Creek lost track of the group and rode to the beach on his own. I like the fact that I can go in nude, he said of the polar plunge. Its legal to do it nude for just this one day. Its fun. I live dangerously. Ann Marie Viherek, 76, showed up for the first time to celebrate an accomplishment that has become increasingly rare in the Bay Area. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. This year Ive been living in San Francisco for 50 years, she said. Since its the 2020s, I said, This is a good way to do something very San Franciscan. She bought a set of gray sweatpants for the occasion and ran into the water in a black bathing suit with her friend, Lori Catalano, 60, a San Francisco native. When the whistle sounded precisely at noon, people charged into the water as they hollered and cheered, dipping their feet in for a few seconds before dashing back out. Youre so numb you dont feel it, said Catalano as the pair dried off. Viherek said taking the plunge felt great. Now we can say we did it, she said. Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez. A small zoo in Maryland has been ordered by a judge to give up three of its big cats after several animals died at the facility, multiple outlets report. The Tri-State Zoological Park in Cumberland, Maryland, was sued by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in 2017 after the organization conducted undercover inspections, according to the Associated Press. The outlet reports that four animals two tigers, a lion and a lemur have died within the last three years at the zoo. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sided with PETA last week after a six-day trial, and the zoo was ordered to give up two surviving lions and a tiger to a sanctuary, the Washington Post reported. In Xinis written opinion, the judge reportedly wrote that the zoo kept animals in fetid and dystopic conditions, adding that filth and feces dominate in the facility. According to the Post, Xinis also wrote that the zoo engaged in flagrant and persistent violations of the Endangered Species Act. RELATED: 3 Mountain Lions Killed in Arizona Over Abnormal Behavior After They Fed on Human Remains The uncontroverted testimony reflects that every animal at issue suffered under Tri-States living conditions, Xinis reportedly wrote. Rotting vegetables spilled over large receptacles, decaying meat sat in piles outside the kitchen and in the furnace room under the nearby reptile house, and decomposing carcasses were left for days in the enclosures for the tigers and lions. The AP reports that the zoo appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. While the case is under appeal, the animals will remain at the zoo, the outlet reported. RELATED: More Than 30 Animals Burned Alive in Tragic Germany Zoo Fire on New Years Eve Nevin Young, an attorney for the zoo, did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment, but told the AP that the zoo planned to file a motion to stay the courts order. Story continues I agree that the judges finding of facts dont look good based on the unopposed testimony from PETA experts, Young told the AP. I think a lot of statements they made are false. PETA celebrated the news in a press release after the judges decision. This landmark ruling sends Tri-State and every other roadside zoo a clear message that keeping social species in isolation and sentencing sick animals to slow, painful deaths will not be tolerated, Brittany Peet, PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement, said in a statement. For more than a decade, PETA has fought tooth and nail for the animals at Tri-State, and were pleased that the court has given these survivors a new lease on life, the statement continued. According to the AP, one of the zoos lions was euthanized in 2016 after suffering from an unknown disease, while the lemur died in 2018 after a respiratory infection and chronic stress. One of the two deceased tigers died in 2019 of a stroke, while the other died in 2019 of sepsis. 23 years later: Two men convicted for raping minor girl India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 02: Over two decades after the incident, two men have been convicted for raping a minor girl and abetting the crime respectively by the Delhi High Court, which said the medical evidence corroborated the victim's testimony. The high court set aside the trial court judgment that had acquitted the two men of the charges, saying the acquittal suffered from the vice of perversity, resulting in a grave miscarriage of justice. It said the 13-year-old girl, in her testimony before the trial court, had given a vivid and indubitable recount of what she was subjected to by the accused at the time of the incident in March, 1997. "Having regard to the totality of the circumstances, appearing on the record of the case, we are constrained to observe that the trial court ignored the cardinal tenets of appreciation of evidence, including the weight to be attached to the testimony of the minor victim, since the accused had evidently been identified immediately and arrested contemporaneously," a bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and IS Mehta said in the verdict passed recently. Don't deserve leniency: 41-year-old man gets life imprisonment for raping minor daughter It said the trial court also failed to consider the circumstance that no dispute was raised at the relevant stage regarding the identity of the two men, nor was it brought to the notice of the higher authorities of the police or the lower court at the relevant point in time. The bench said the medical evidence corroborated the clear and unequivocal testimony of the minor victim, who had also identified the two men as the offenders before the trial court. The high court allowed the appeal of the prosecution challenging the acquittal of the two men and directed that convicts Surender Kumar and Ravinder be taken into custody forthwith. While Surender was convicted for the offences of rape and criminal intimidation, Ravinder was held guilty of abetment to rape. The court will pass the order on the quantum of sentence next week. According to the prosecution, the incident took place on March 27, 1997, when the victim and her younger brother had gone out to ease themselves, and while Ravinder caught hold of the minor boy, Surender forcibly picked up the girl and took her to a nearby vacant spot. It said the girl raised an alarm, but Surender gagged her mouth and raped her and also threatened her with dire consequences if she narrated her ordeal to anyone. He left the girl there and fled, the prosecution said, adding that after some time, the girl's father came there searching for her and she told him about the incident. The girl's father informed the police and an FIR for the offences of kidnapping, raping and criminal intimidation was registered under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Alipur police station here. During the trial, the two men claimed that they were falsely implicated in the case by the complainant with the motive to extract money. However, they both opted not to lead any evidence in their defence. Coimbatore: Man convicted for raping, murdering of 7-year-old Pannimadai girl Setting aside the acquittal of the two men, the high court said the trial court misdirected and misapplied itself in extrapolating the minor contradictions and insignificant discrepancies in the deposition of the minor victim and her parents to arrive at the conclusion that the prosecution had failed to establish its case against the accused persons. "The impugned judgment (of the trial court) is thus, a total negation in the quest for search of truth and overlooks the cardinal principle that the duty of a judge presiding over a criminal trial is not merely to see that no innocent person is punished but also to see that the guilty person does not escape and that both the public duties are equally important," it said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 15:38 [IST] In the January 2 episode of In The News podcast, host Jerome Anthony takes you through the top news stories of the day, along with colleagues Siddhesh Raut, Atharva Pandit and Shraddha Sharma from the Moneycontrol newsroom. First up, Raut talks about how the Ministry of Electronics & IT could make it mandatory for big tech companies to sell publicly available user data to government and private entities. He then discusses the Income-Tax (I-T) Departments notices to jewellers across India over cash deposits made in 2016-17 post demonetisation. Next, Pandit talks about the death of 102 infants at JK Lon Hospital in Kota, Rajasthan. Lastly, Sharma talks about the tragic death of Taiwans top military official General Shen Yi-ming in a helicopter crash in Taiwan. He was among 8 top military officials who died in the incident. The U.S. embassy in Iraq was under siege by thousands of protesters -- many violent, embassy staff evacuated -- the demonstrators furious over the American air strikes over the weekend that targeted members of an Iraqi militia unit. The militia is supported by Iran but is part of Iraq's armed forces. The prime minister says the killing of at least 25 of its members was a serious breach of the country's sovereignty, but is also calling for calm. American troops are still inside. Iraqi special forces units trained by the Americans have also been deployed to secure the building. Reports of stun grenades used to keep people at bay. The militia hit in the strikes is called Kataib Hezbollah, or Battalions of the Party of God. It has links to both Iran's military and Lebanon's own Hezbollah. Washington considers it a terrorist organization and its long harassed U.S. forces. Most recently the U.S. blames the group for a rocket attack at an Iraqi military base that killed an American contractor. The air strikes were retaliation. However, Kataib Hezbollah is part of a larger coalition of militias that -- although they have a separate command structure -- officially answer to Iraq government and often work jointly with its regular security forces. These Iranian-backed militias also pull major political clout in Iraq. Opposition to their influence is one of the reasons why Iraq has been swept by anti-government protests, in which hundreds have died. But its those same militias that organized this new protest at the embassy, although members say they didn't intend for violence. U.S. President Donald Trump says that Tehran itself orchestrated both the protest and killing of the American contractor. Tehran has said there is no evidence the militia was involved in the attack. Full text of President Tsai's New Year's Day speech ROC Central News Agency 2020/01/01 14:10 Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () delivered her 2020 New Year's address Wednesday in the Presidential Office reception hall. She stated that in the new year, "we are going to unite the Taiwanese people, and continue pressing forward to ensure more people are cared for, keep improving our economy, and make our democracy, freedom, and sovereignty stronger and more sustainable." She also reiterated the "four musts" and "four understandings," emphasizing that the passage of the Anti-infiltration Act will not affect freedom, infringe on human rights, or affect normal economic exchanges. It will only more strongly protect Taiwan's democracy and freedom, and will not affect any regular cross-strait exchanges or interactions, she said. The following is a translation of President Tsai's remarks: My fellow citizens and friends from the media: Good morning. Happy New Year! Today is the first day of the 109th year of the Republic of China. For the New Year 2020, I would like to begin by wishing all of my fellow citizens the best of health, and a happy New Year. On this New Year's Day, many new policies will take effect. This year, we have once again raised the minimum wage. Especially for those of you who work part-time, this will be the fourth consecutive year your hourly wage has increased, and I'm sure you will all feel the difference. For families with children 2 to 3 years old, if the children stay with a childcare provider and have not yet begun attending preschool, then beginning this year, extended childcare subsidies can save a lot of money in childcare costs. If your family has someone who needs long-term care, when you file taxes in May, don't forget that the long-term care deduction formally takes effect this year. For farmers, we have begun processing applications for this year's agricultural machinery subsidies. We are also deliberating setting up a retirement system for farmers. Each year, the government should be able to care for more people. This is what I expect from myself, and I hope all my fellow citizens can be well cared for. I would also like to share some good news. The improved South-Link Highway just opened to traffic, and the improved Suhua Highway and West Coast Expressway are preparing to open. For so many years, everyone has been hoping for a safe and convenient way to get home, and that wish is finally a reality. I would like to thank Premier Su Tseng-chang () for his leadership of the administrative team over the past year, which has brought about tangible changes in people's lives. Over the past year or two, Taiwan has faced massive changes in the international economy, especially challenges resulting from the U.S.-China trade war. But through the concerted efforts of the Taiwanese people, we have endured. Last year, Taiwan's economy performed well compared to neighboring countries. Our economic growth rate returned to the top spot among the Four Asian Tigers, and seeing the Taiwan stock exchange index above the 10,000-point mark is now the norm. More important is that last year, we saw the largest wave of investment by returning Taiwan businesses in decades. Overseas capital is looking to return as well. Foreign enterprises are bullish on Taiwan's future economic prospects and have increased their investments. These moves prove that, after years of effort, we have successfully reversed several decades of industry relocation and capital flight. We can see that these are all signs that our economy is moving in a positive direction, bringing opportunities to transform an economy that has long lacked forward momentum. Over the next four years, we are committed to creating another economic miracle and establishing a new economic model where our people can enjoy universal benefits that make a real difference in their lives. We will realize trillions of dollars in investments, turning Taiwan into a high-end manufacturing center, high-tech R&D center, green energy development center, regional capital and wealth management center, and a hub for high-tech and industrial personnel training. We will devote our efforts to economic transformation and industrial innovation to remold Taiwan amidst rapid change in the global economy. The government will also provide ample assistance and various safeguards to more vulnerable traditional industries, agricultural sectors, and small and medium sized enterprises. These measures will minimize the impact of the overall economic transformation process, so that they can smoothly transform and upgrade. For industries affected by changes in China's policies towards Taiwan, the government will definitely provide support and assistance in developing new markets and promoting transformation and upgrading so they are no longer dependent on China, or subject to uncertain political factors. Of course, Taiwan is not just important economically. Our democracy and freedom are also important factors. Over the past few years, China's diplomatic offensives, military coercion, interference, and infiltration have continued unabated. China's objective is clear: To force Taiwan to compromise our sovereignty. Moreover, at the beginning of last year, China's President Xi Jinping () proposed the "one country, two systems" model for Taiwan. I want to thank the Taiwanese people for giving our administration your strongest support. By refusing to submit, we have clearly told the world that Taiwan will never accept "one country, two systems." Over the past 6 months, the world has seen how the situation in Hong Kong has continued to deteriorate under "one country, two systems." Governmental abuses of power have completely eroded people's trust in "one country, two systems." Democracy and authoritarianism cannot coexist within the same country. Hong Kong's people have shown us that "one country, two systems" is absolutely not viable. In the face of China's pressure, I advocated the "four musts" last year. I called on China: China must face the reality of the Republic of China's existence. China must respect the commitment of the 23 million people of Taiwan to freedom and democracy. China must handle cross-strait differences peacefully, on a basis of equality. It must be governments or government-authorized agencies that engage in negotiations. A year later, my convictions are even stronger. A few days ago, I proposed "four understandings" in even greater detail, in the hopes that all my fellow citizens can remain united and face external threats together. First, China is the one undermining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, not Taiwan. We must stand together in the face of China's suppression. Second, China is using the "1992 consensus" to undermine the Republic of China. We must be even more determined in defense of our sovereignty. Third, sovereignty cannot be exchanged for short-term economic benefits. We must have a bottom line to ensure that our sovereignty is not infringed upon. Fourth, we must be aware that China is infiltrating all facets of Taiwanese society to sow division. We must establish democratic defense mechanisms to prevent infiltration. If all Taiwanese people and political parties can form a consensus upon these four understandings, this unity will become an immense force that will allow the Republic of China (Taiwan) to stand tall in the international community. Yesterday, the Legislative Yuan passed the Anti-infiltration Act. Everything included in that act is already regulated or prohibited in domestic law. Only actions that are prohibited by law, and carried out under instruction from China, commissioned by China, or funded by China, will constitute infiltration. Moreover, neither government agencies nor any single person can declare an action illegal. It must be ruled on by the courts. I guarantee that the passage of the Anti-infiltration Act will not affect freedom or infringe upon human rights. It will not affect normal economic exchanges. It will only more strongly protect Taiwan's democracy and freedom. I want to emphasize once again that we are opposed to infiltration, not exchanges. This legislation will not affect any regular cross-strait exchanges or interactions. So Taiwanese businesspeople, students, teachers, and executives in China can continue on with their daily lives unaffected by this legislation. Those who worship Matzu or other gods, or take part in any other regular religious exchange activities, will not be affected. Cross-strait tourism activities and normal business for travel agents will absolutely not be affected. Here, I want to thank my fellow citizens for supporting this legislation. I also want to specially thank legislators from all parties for rationally discussing this bill in the Legislative Yuan. We each have a responsibility to protect our democracy. The Republic of China's sovereignty cannot be challenged, and Taiwan's democracy and freedom cannot be undermined. The President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) must stand resolute in defending our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom. "Working Together to Lead Taiwan Forward" is the central theme of this year's New Year's Day celebrations. We are going to unite the Taiwanese people, and continue pressing forward to ensure more people are cared for, keep improving our economy, and make our democracy, freedom, and sovereignty stronger and more sustainable. In 2020, Taiwan will once again be the focus of the world's attention. I hope that all of my fellow citizens will show the world our courage and solidarity, and ensure that the light of democracy and freedom once again shines on Taiwan and the entire world. Thank you. After issuing remarks, President Tsai took questions from the media. When asked about the future direction of Taiwan's cross-strait policy while facing the formation of the Indo-Pacific strategy and pressure from China, President Tsai stated that she had already expressed Taiwan's attitude towards a "one country, two systems" model for Taiwan during her remarks. She expressed confidence that the consensus of the Taiwanese people is that we absolutely will not accept "one country, two systems." In response to the Indo-Pacific strategy, the president pointed out that in considering a multitude of strategies and forming international relationships, our most important principle is that they must match Taiwan's greatest interests. Taiwan's national interest include our security, protection for our freedom and democracy, and our overall development. Under this precondition, she said, we are willing to work with all countries and take part in regional cooperation. A current more concrete example is the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) we have established in cooperation with the U. S., and this framework is providing a platform for all countries in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions, she stated. Using this platform, we can discuss issues such as national governance, women's issues, and many other issues. Of course, she continued, other democratic countries are willing to join the GCTF and host related activities with us. The president further pointed out that the U.S. recently published an Indo-Pacific strategy report that mentioned Taiwan's New Southbound Policy (NSP), and that they are willing to possibly cooperate with us on the NSP. The NSP has indeed created a platform for Taiwan to cooperate with democratic countries and more economically developed countries in the region on many issues, she said. At the same time, we can assist NSP target countries with the infrastructure they need, as well as providing other assistance towards their economic development. Enditem NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Have Sheriff Offices in North Carolina, possibly even Beaufort County's Sheriff Office, become too political in the discharging of their sworn constitutional duties? No, the sheriff is a constitutional officer. Yes, the Sheriff Office, on strong occasion, often reverts back to political patronage in the dispensation of their sworn constitutional duties. WASHINGTON - U.S. health officials will begin cracking down on most flavoured e-cigarettes that are popular with underage teenagers, but their plan includes major exceptions that benefit vaping manufacturers, retailers and adults who use the nicotine-delivery devices. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (738 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this April 11, 2018, file photo, a high school student uses a vaping device near a school campus in Cambridge, Mass. The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will prohibit fruit, candy, mint and dessert flavors from small, cartridge-based e-cigarettes that are popular with high school students. But menthol and tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes will be allowed to remain on the market. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) WASHINGTON - U.S. health officials will begin cracking down on most flavoured e-cigarettes that are popular with underage teenagers, but their plan includes major exceptions that benefit vaping manufacturers, retailers and adults who use the nicotine-delivery devices. The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will prohibit fruit, candy, mint and dessert flavours from small, cartridge-based e-cigarettes favoured by high school and middle school students. But menthol and tobacco-flavoured e-cigarettes will be allowed to remain on the market. The targeted flavour ban will also entirely exempt large, tank-based vaping devices, which are primarily sold in vape shops that cater to adult smokers. Together, the two exemptions represent a significant retreat from President Donald Trump's original plan announced four months ago, which would have banned all vaping flavours including menthol from all types of e-cigarettes. The new policy will spare a significant portion of the multibillion-dollar vaping market. And the changes mark a major victory for thousands of vape shop owners who sell the tank-based systems, which allow users to mix customized nicotine flavours. Vape shop owners expressed relief following the announcement. Were thankful the guidance doesnt shut down flavours in every aspect, said Spike Babaian, owner of VapeNY in New York City. Anti-tobacco advocates immediately condemned the decision to permit menthol and exempt tank-based vapes, accusing the administration of caving to industry pressure. Its disturbing to see the results of industry lobbying to undermine public health protections, especially the lives and health of our youth, said American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer. The association and other health groups argue that teenagers who vape will simply shift to using menthol if it remains on the market. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that typically heat a flavoured nicotine solution into an inhalable aerosol. They have been pitched to adults as a less-harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes, but there is limited data on their ability to help smokers quit. FILE- This Sept. 16, 2019 file photo shows flavored vaping solutions in a window display at a vape and smoke shop in New York. On Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, the Trump administration announced that it will prohibit fruit, candy, mint and dessert flavors from small, cartridge-based e-cigarettes that are popular with high school students. But menthol and tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes will be allowed to remain on the market. The flavor ban will also entirely exempt large, tank-based vaping devices, which are primarily sold in vape shops that cater to adult smokers. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File) The Food and Drug Administration has struggled for years to find the appropriate approach to regulate vaping. No e-cigarettes have yet won FDA approval, but the agency permits their sale under a policy called enforcement discretion. Under Thursday's policy change, the FDA said it would begin targeting companies that continue to sell the targeted products. Companies will have 30 days after the policy is published to halt manufacturing, sales and shipping. We have to protect our families, Trump told reporters on Tuesday, ahead of the announcement. At the same time, it's a big industry. We want to protect the industry. The flavour restrictions apply to e-cigarettes that use prefilled nicotine cartridges mainly sold at gas stations and convenience stores. Juul Labs is the biggest player in that market, but it previously pulled all of its flavours except menthol and tobacco after coming under intense political scrutiny. The small, discrete devices are the most popular brand among underage users. Many smaller manufacturers continue to sell sweet, fruity flavours like grape slushie, strawberry cotton candy and sea salt blueberry." The flavour restrictions won't affect the larger specialty devices sold at vape shops, which typically don't admit customers under 21. These tank-based systems allow users to fill the device with the flavour of their choice. Sales of these devices represent an estimated 40% of the U.S. vaping business, with sales across some 15,000 to 19,000 shops. The new policy still represents the federal governments biggest step yet to combat a surge in teen vaping that officials fear is hooking a generation of young people on nicotine. In the latest government survey, more than 1 in 4 high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the previous month. Late last month Trump signed a law raising the minimum age to purchase all tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21 nationwide. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the administration decided to exempt menthol after reviewing new data showing the flavour was not popular with teens. As we got better data on the flavours, we modified our thinking, Azar said. Survey data published in November reported that less than 6% of teens picked menthol as their top choice for vaping. In contrast, mint was the most popular flavour among sophomores and seniors. Incoming FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the government's approach attempts to balance the problem of underage vaping with the potential role that e-cigarettes may play in helping adult smokers transition completely away from regular cigarettes. When Trump officials first sketched out their plans at a White House event in September, they specifically said menthol would be banned. But that effort stalled after vaping proponents and lobbyists pushed back and White House advisers told Trump that a total flavour ban could cost him votes. Industry groups including the Vapor Technology Association launched an aggressive social media campaign #IVapeIVote contending that the plan would force the closure of vaping shops, eliminating jobs and sending users of e-cigarettes back to traditional smokes. Trump's initial announcement came amid an outbreak of unexplained lung illnesses tied to vaping. But since then, health officials have tied the vast majority of the cases to a contaminating filler added to illicit THC vaping liquids. THC is the chemical in marijuana that makes users feel high. Makers of legal nicotine-based vaping products have tried to distance themselves from the problem. FDA officials said Thursday they will continue targeting vaping products that appeal to underage users in other ways, such as packaging that mimics juice boxes, cereal or kid-friendly snacks. Administration officials also pledged to work with the industry ahead of a looming deadline that manufacturers say threatens their products. The FDA is scheduled to begin reviewing all e-cigarettes in May. Only those that can demonstrate a benefit for U.S. public health will be permitted to stay on the market. Officials noted that products submitted by the deadline that don't appeal to kids will be permitted to remain on the market for up to one year pending FDA review. They also clarified that some vape flavours could return to the market if they can win FDA approval. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Trump suggested ahead of the announcement that the flavour restrictions might be temporary. Hopefully, if everythings safe, theyre going to be going very quickly back onto the market," he told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. ___ Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Click here to read the full article. When composer Nate Heller was asked to score A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, he says he felt equal parts joy, excitement and terror, knowing that the music hed create would have to stand up to the legacy of Fred Rogers. He was an extremely musical person. He wrote all the original songs for the show, which his bandleader Johnny Costa arranged for him and put his magic to, Heller explains. So, I think I felt this cautious excitement about, Ooh, this is going to be so fun, to tuck into this project with all of this beloved music. More from Deadline Directed by the composers sister, Marielle Heller, A Beautiful Day tells the true story of the unlikely friendship that unfolds between the beloved childrens television host and a cynical Esquire journalist sent to profile him, on the Pittsburgh set of Mister Rogers Neighborhood. With the score for his biggest film to date, Hellers approach was informed by Rogers unique musicality, manifest both in the icons personal life and on his show. Johnny Costa came from this school of jazz called stride piano, where these players could take chord progressions and do these big runs, from the bottom of the keys all the way to the top, without missing a beat. He had this ability to take these really simple, yet beautiful chord progressions and songs that Fred wrote, and embellish them, and play with them, and add little grooves, the composer explains. To Heller, what was so unique about the music of Mister Rogers Neighborhood was its electric and magical, live quality. Fred was performing with these musicians live in a room, and they were just capturing it as it happened. So there was a certain spirit to that music. It sounds like this breezy, whimsical, easy, flowing jazz, but its really extremely complex music, and it was being performed by incredibly accomplished players, as well, the composer reflects. So, I think that was a challenge for us, to go: Oh, how do we do this? How do we make it feel effortless? Story continues DEADLINE: What were the first steps you took on A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood? NATE HELLER: Well, I am uniquely positioned as a composer to have a lot more vision of whats coming down Maris pike. So, when it seemed likely that she was going to be directing this film, I of course was like, Tell me as much as you can about it. Let me get ahold of the script whenever you feel comfortable. Because of the nature of the way the film was made, we had to have a lot of that Mister Rogers music recreated by the time they were getting ready to shoot, so that the actors could perform along with it. So, that was a great entree for me into the world of Mister Rogers music, [and] a jumping-off point for the score, to take that palette of this effortless-seeming jazz combo that they had on the show, and develop it out into the score world. DEADLINE: In your work on the film, you not only arranged versions of Mister Rogers songs for the cast to sing, but also infused your score with elements of Rogers music. HELLER: When we knew that we were going to be having the actors performing the songs on set, we wanted them to do it live, the way Mister Rogers would have done. We had the blessing of The Fred Rogers [Center], this incredible organization based in Pittsburgh that has archives of every single show, and original sheet music that Fred wrote that they were able to provide, so it was really neat to dive in. Our first task was like, Okay, lets look at show footage from 1997, and try and hone in on the versions of these songs that were doing from Freds world, and figure out how to recreate them faithfully. And that was illuminating because just watching from show to show, you noticed that the band is performing the main title song completely differently every time, because theyre such accomplished improvisational musicians. So, that was a little bit of a challenge to wrap our heads around, and it was like, Okay, lets just choose one version from a specific show, and well recreate this faithfully. Then, as the film was coming together in the edit, it made sense for us to go, Okay, lets cherry-pick some of these melodies that everyone knows from Freds world, and weave them throughout the score a little bit. There were aspects of the story where we knew the score was going to have to go to a darker place. Because it is a story primarily about Lloyd Vogel, a journalist who is facing some of the biggest crises in his life. On Can You Ever Forgive Me?, it was like, This is the world of Lee Israel. She loved Blossom Dearie; she loved jazz and old New York. Then, this is where the scores going to be. Maybe theres a bridge between these two worlds. And I think it was similar with this film. We had all of this wonderful Mister Rogers music, which is whimsical and pure and nostalgic, and then the score was taking us in some darker places, as well. Theres a scene where we take Mister Rogers piano music that wed already recorded, and I manipulated it and pitched it down to make it dark and ominous. So, that was a fun process of finding, How do we make a through line between the sweet, innocent world of Freds music and this darker world of a tortured journalist? How do we make them play together? I think we found a pretty neat medium by retaining the jazz feel, and little bits of the Mister Rogers melodies that you would recognize, and twisting or contorting them, depending on the scene. DEADLINE: Did the A Beautiful Day cast end up singing Rogers songs live, without any manipulation? HELLER: I think from a studio perspective, the idea of Lets get Tom Hanks on the soundstage, singing live like Mister Rogers would have is crazy, just in terms of spending money. Because what if it doesnt go right? So, we did have to cover all our bases. Before it was time to shoot, we had our actors go into the studio in Pittsburgh and do pre-records of all their vocals, just in cast it didnt work out live. But mercifully, all of our actors performed beautifully live, and I know from Mari that the way that the edit came together, it was mostly the live performances that were cobbled together to make the film. So, Im hoping we were able to capture the spirit of people in a room playing music together, and having something magical happen at the moment. Even though we had to fake it here or there, I think we still managed to pull it off in the same spirit. DEADLINE: Its not often to come across a team of siblings working together on films at the studio level. Could you describe what its been like, working together? How have you balanced the personal and professional? HELLER: In terms of the idea of, Okay, now were making this big studio movie, Maris career has been on an upward trajectory and she has completely brought me along for the ride, which has been a real joy. As the scale of her movies has gotten bigger, her and I have sort of discovered what we can do together, and what we can accomplish. In terms of balancing the personal with the professional, the fact that we are siblings and that were close, I would say is 95% a benefit to the filmmaking process. I think there is a lot of reticence from the people who are making the movies about, Well, this is your little brother. Does he really know how to do this job? [Given] the fact that at each stage, from Diary [of a Teenage Girl] to Can You Ever Forgive Me? to this, the budget and the number of people involved has gone up and up, theres always a conversation at the beginning where I have to get the job and prove Im capable, and I understand that. Every composer has to do that. Thats maybe the one caveat of working together: People maybe doubt that were capable of getting it done. But I would say for the most part, were positioned better to accomplish our goals than other teams, because a lot of times, a composer comes in for the last six to eight weeks. The film is already cut together, theyve put in a bunch of temporary score as a placeholder, and a lot of times, a director or an editor will fall in love with a piece of music that they cut the scene together to. So, you face the challenge of, how do I replace this music that is their ultimate dream pick of what they would want to be in the movie? I think Mari is aware of this, and has helped create this process that we have, where it is more of a back and forth. And the fact that Im working early with her and her editors, and we have a really open dialogue, allows us to build the scene sometimes around a demo. For instance, on Can You Ever Forgive Me?, there was a piece I wrote before they started shooting. I didnt know what it was going to be for, but I was just like, This feels like New York. This feels like Lee Israels world. Im just going to send this to your editor, and if theres a place for it, great. That piece changed and shifted, but ended up really driving one of the most crucial scenes of the movie, and I think weve had similar moments on this one, as well. I would say another small drawback of me being involved so early is that I just have to get over going, Wow. I wrote this beautiful piece of music for the scene, and the scene is either getting cut or rearranged. Or the musical needs that we thought the scene originally had have shifted. Thats the only challenge for me, is I feel like, Great. I wrote this wonderful thing, and now I have to be totally fluid with it until the editing process is concluded. But ultimately, thats just my own personal issue that I need to get over, in order to do the work. DEADLINE: What can you tell us about the projects youre taking on next? I know youre attached to a film called Sophie Jones. HELLER: I wrapped on Sophie Jones. This is another movie that I was drawn to because it was a passionate first-time director, a young woman named Jessie Barr, and it was kind of a fun palate cleanser, coming out of doing this big, long production. Sophie Jones was a fun, indie scale movie where I got to do more intimate music, and I was able to do an original song for it, as well. Coming out of this movie, I took a little bit of a break from scoring work to be more involved with family for a bit. Then, my other palate cleanser was going back to doing some more pop music. Ive been working on a record with one of my good friends that hopefully will be done toward the end of this year. Thats kind of like a return to my roots, which has been fun. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Pope Francis entered 2020 apologizing for a lack of patience and a slapped hand. While greeting well-wishers on New Year's Eve on his way to visit Vatican City's nativity scene, a woman grabbed the Pope's hand and pulled him back towards the crowd lined against the barricades. Video showed Pope Francis slapping the woman's hand to free himself. In the footage, the Pope appeared upset by the interaction. Hours later, just before issuing his New Years Day address, Pope Francis apologized for his actions, saying even he loses his patience sometimes. "I apologize for the poor example yesterday," he said. The Pope used his Wednesday morning address to condemn violence of all kinds against women. "By how we treat a woman's body, we can understand our level of humanity," Pope Francis said. Speaking to a crowd of worshipers that had made the pilgrimage to St. Peter's Square, the Pope called for gender equality. "[Women] should be fully included in decision-making processes," he said. "Every step forward for women, is a step forward for humanity as a whole." The theme of his address echoed a series of tweets issued early Wednesday. "Let us begin the year in the sign of Our Lady, the woman who wove the humanity of God," Pope Francis wrote on Twitter. "The rebirth of humanity began with woman. If we want to weave humanity into the webs of our day, we must begin again with woman." (UPI) Marrying theoretical work with experiments and high-tech imaging techniques, atmospheric chemists Chongqin Zhu and Joseph S. Francisco of the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues have identified a new way that ice grows in two dimensions On frigid days, water vapor in the air can transform directly into solid ice, depositing a thin layer on surfaces such as a windowpane or car windshield. Though commonplace, this process is one that has kept physicists and chemists busy figuring out the details for decades. In a new Nature paper, an international team of scientists describe the first-ever visualization of the atomic structure of two-dimensional ice as it formed. Insights from the findings, which were driven by computer simulations that inspired experimental work, may one day inform the design of materials that make ice removal a simpler and less costly process. "One of the things that I find very exciting is that this challenges the traditional view of how ice grows," says Joseph S. Francisco, an atmospheric chemist at the University of Pennsylvania and an author on the paper. "Knowing the structure is very important," adds coauthor Chongqin Zhu, a postdoctoral fellow in Francisco's group who led much of the computational work for the study. "Low-dimensional water is ubiquitous in nature and plays a critical role in an incredibly broad spectrum of sciences, including materials science, chemistry, biology, and atmospheric science. "It also has practical significance. For example, removing ice is critical when it comes to things like wind turbines, which cannot function when they are covered in ice. If we understand the interaction between water and surfaces, then we might be able to develop new materials to make this ice removal easier." In recent years, Francisco's lab has devoted considerable attention to studying the behavior of water, and specifically ice, at the interface of solid surfaces. What they've learned about ice's growth mechanisms and structures in this context helps them understand how ice behaves in more complex scenarios, like when interacting with other chemicals and water vapor in the atmosphere. "We're interested in the chemistry of ice at the transition with the gas phase, as that's relevant to the reactions that are happening in our atmosphere," Francisco explains. To understand basic principles of ice growth, researchers have entered this area of study by investigating two-dimensional structures: layers of ice that are only several water molecules thick. In previous studies of two-dimensional ice, using computational methods and simulations, Francisco, Zhu, and colleagues showed that ice grows differently depending on whether a surface repels or attracts water, and the structure of that surface. In the current work, they sought real-world verification of their simulations, reaching out to a team at Peking University to see if they could obtain images of two-dimensional ice. The Peking team employed super-powerful atomic force microscopy, which uses a mechanical probe to "feel" the material being studied, translating the feedback into nanoscale-resolution images. Atomic force microscopy is capable of capturing structural information with a minimum of disruption to the material itself, allowing the scientists to identify even unstable intermediate structures that arose during the process of ice formation. Virtually all naturally occurring ice on Earth is known as hexagonal ice for its six-sided structure. This is why snowflakes all have six-fold symmetry. One plane of hexagonal ice has a similar structure to that of two-dimensional ice and can terminate in two types of edges--"zigzag" or "armchair." Usually this plane of natural ice terminates with a zigzag edges. However, when ice is grown in two dimensions, researchers find that the pattern of growth is different. The current work, for the first time, shows that the armchair edges can be stabilized and that their growth follows a novel reaction pathway. "This is a totally different mechanism from what was known," Zhu says. Although the zigzag growth patterns were previously believed to only have six-membered rings of water molecules, both Zhu's calculations and the atomic force microscopy revealed an intermediate stage where five-membered rings were present. This result, the researchers say, may help explain the experimental observations reported in their 2017 PNAS paper, which found that ice could grow in two different ways on a surface, depending on the properties of that surface. In addition to lending insight into future design of materials conducive to ice removal, the techniques used in the work are also applicable to probe the growth of a large family of two-dimensional materials beyond two-dimensional ices, thus opening a new avenue of visualizing the structure and dynamics of low-dimensional matter. For chemist Jeffrey Saven, a professor in Penn Arts & Sciences who was not directly involved in the current work, the collaboration between the theorists in Francisco's group and their colleagues in China called to mind a parable he learned from a mentor during his training. "An experimentalist is talking with theorists about data collected in the lab. The mediocre theorist says, 'I can't really explain your data.' The good theorist says, 'I have a theory that fits your data.' The great theorist says, 'That's interesting, but here is the experiment you should be doing and why.'" To build on this successful partnership, Zhu, Francisco, and their colleagues are embarking on theoretical and experimental work to begin to fill in the gaps related to how two-dimensional ice builds into three dimensions. "The two-dimensional work is fundamental to laying the background," says Francisco. "And having the calculations verified by experiments is so good, because that allows us to go back to the calculations and take the next bold step toward three dimensions." "Looking for features of three-dimensional ice will be the next step," Zhu says, "and should be very important in looking for applications of this work." ### Joseph S. Francisco is President's Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Chemistry in the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences. Chongqin Zhu is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science in the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts and Sciences. Francisco and Zhu's coauthors on the study were Peking University's Runze Ma, Duanyun Cao, Ye Tian, Jinbo Peng, Jing Guo, Ji Chen, Xin-Zheng Li, Li-Mei Xu, En-Ge Wang, and Ying Jiang; and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Xiao Cheng Zeng. The study was supported by the National Key R&D Program (grants 2016YFA0300901, 2017YFA0205003, and 2015CB856801), National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants 11888101, 11634001, 21725302, and 11525520), Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Science (Grant XDB28000000), Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, and U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant 1665324). 'Affluenza' teen Ethan Couch has been arrested in Texas after testing positive for THC while on probation for killing four people in a drunken 2013 crash. According to Tarrant County Jail online records, the 22-year-old was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon. Deputies with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office said Couch violated his probation during a mandatory drug screening when he tested positive for THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana. Records show that Couch is currently being held without bond at the Tarrant County Lon Evans Correction Center. On June 15, 2013, Couch was behind the wheel of his father's red Ford F-350 pick-up, speeding 70mph from his home in Burleson, Texas, where he had hosted a drunken teenage party. Earlier in the day he and two friends had stolen three cases of Miller Light from a local Walmart. As the party got into swing, one of the guests found she needed a tampon and everyone piled into the truck to go to a nearby convenience store. The then-16-year-old smashed into an SUV that had stopped by the side of the road after its tire blew, killing its driver Breanna Mitchell, 24. Scroll down for video 'Affluenza' teen Ethan Couch (pictured, Thursday's mugshot) has been arrested in Texas after testing positive for THC while on probation Tarrant County Jail records show that the 22-year-old was taken into custody Thursday afternoon. Deputies with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office said Couch violated his probation by testing positive for THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana On June 15, 2013, Couch was behind the wheel of his father's red Ford F-350 pick-up, speeding 70mph down the road from his home in Burleson, Texas, where he had hosted a drunken teenage party The crash also killed three people who had to come to her aid, including Brian Jennings, who was on the way home from his son's graduation, and mother-and-daughter neighbors Hollie and Shelby Boyles. Sergio Molina, one of Couch's passengers, was left paralyzed and can now only communicate by blinking. After the crash, Couch was found to be three times over the legal blood/alcohol limit. He also had marijuana and Valium in his system. A judge in Fort Worth gave him 10 years' probation on the understanding he go into rehab and refrain from drinking, but he and his mother Tonya fled to Mexico in 2015 after a video of him at a beer pong party was posted online. The video did not show him drinking. At Couch's trial, psychologist Dick Miller said that the teen suffered from 'affluenza', a term coined decades earlier to explain the downside of having too much. He said his parents had not taught him wrong from right. Instead of being taught the golden rule, Miller said, Ethan was taught: 'We have the gold, we make the rules.' Though Couch killed four and left a fifth victim paralyzed, he wasn't initially sentenced to any jail time. Because of his affluenza, he was instead sentenced to just 10 years of probation. Judge Jean Boyd accepted Miller's argument and gave him a sentence that was heavily criticized. But after the video showing Couch at a beer pong party in 2015, he and his mother fled to Puerto Vallerta, Mexico, with the family dog, and were later picked up by police and taken back to the United States. The mother-son pair were caught when authorities traced an order for Domino's pizza made from one of their smartphones. When he returned, his probation was being supervised by the juvenile court system, which meant he could only be on probation until his 19th birthday in April 2016. Victims: Couch slammed into the SUV of 24-year-old Breanna Mitchell (left). Brian Jennings (right), who was on the way home from his son's graduation, was also killed Mother and daughter Hollie (left) and Shelby Boyles (right) were also killed in the 2013 crash Sergio Molina, one of Couch's passengers, was paralyzed and can now communicate only by blinking At that time he was transferred to the adult probation system and given 180 days for each of the four people killed. Those sentences were served consecutively. Couch has a 9pm curfew and wears a GPS and alcohol monitor. He also has an ignition interlock device attached to his car. Since Couch was released from jail in April 2018, his family has had multiple run-ins with the law. Couch's father, Frederick, was charged with assault after allegedly trying to choke his girlfriend in September 2019. Frederick was accused of grabbing Brandi Gober around her throat or neck and applying pressure on July 14, according to the Forth Worth Star-Telegram. Police with the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office investigated the case and Frederick was charged with 'assault of a house member by impeding her breath'. Frederick was also sentenced to one year's probation in 2016 for allegedly pretending to be a cop during an incident in North Richland Hills. Couch's mother, Tonya, was also put behind bars for the third time in April 2019 after she failed a drug test. C V Wigneswaran, the first Tamil chief minister of Sri Lanka's Northern Province, will form a new political alliance along with two other Tamil groups in the country, a media report said on Thursday. An MoU is likely to be inked between Wigneswaran's Tamil's People Council, Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front and Tamil National Party, the Colombo Gazette reported. "The three political parties will work together in the new alliance which will be headed by Wigneswaran. Once the MoU is signed, the new alliance is to be registered at the National Elections Commission," the paper reported. Wigneswaran, 80, who completed his five-year term of the Tamil dominated Northern province, had formed Tamil People's Council in 2018 after stepping down from the Chief Minister's post. He had also slammed the former president Maithripala Sirisena's government for failing to address the issues of war-affected Tamils. Around 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts including the civil war with Lankan Tamils in the north and east which claimed at least 100,000 lives The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which sought a separate Tamil homeland, was finally crushed by the Lankan military in 2009 with the death its supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) You have to realize that the standard of care when antibiotics have failed, like in the case of John Haverty, often involves amputation and, sometimes, extended time in an intensive care unit. And too often, (it) results in death, APT CEO Greg Merril said. We can deliver (phage) therapy extremely fast, and at price points well below the current standard of care for dealing with these infections. Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on Dec. 19.Grady, her middle child, had little interest in learning to read. He had trouble paying attention, guessed on class assignments and wasnt keeping pace with his classmates. The need for a child to catch up and read at grade level something the politicians and education leaders often speak of, in somber but detached terms was urgent and urgently personal to Patton. The turnaround came this fall, and it came quickly. Grady showed up for first grade at West Adas Chaparral Elementary School unable to write his name. Now he has caught up from kindergarten. He is learning sight words and reading more quickly. And like his older sister, Emerson, an avid reader now in third grade, Grady is sneaking in reading after bedtime. I seriously never thought that would happen, and hes doing it all by himself, said Patton, a surgical scrub technician from Meridian. It was a very exciting moment. Behind every score on the Idaho Reading Indicator, behind every intervention plan to help an at-risk student, there is a childs story. And the parents story. Stories of struggles, successes and uncertainties. Introduction to phonograms: I as a parent learned so much Before her son Krew showed up for first grade at Chaparral last year, Britteny Gardner had never heard of phonograms. Chunks of letters within words the igh in light, the er in her phonograms are the building block of first-grade reading instruction at Chaparral. Reading exercises pop with the neon marks of highlighted phonograms. Teachers say their phonogram focus helps kids decipher words and grasp spelling. The results: 83 percent of Chaparrals first-graders were reading at grade level this spring, compared to 78 percent of first-graders districtwide and 67 percent of first-graders statewide. Krew is now in second grade, and Gardner is hoping his background in phonograms will help him shore up his reading speed. Shes encouraged because she sees him use phonograms to break down longer words that slow down his reading. Gardner is seeing other differences, as she helps her second child learn to read. She would partner read with her first son, Ashton, now at Meridian High School. With Krew, she talks more about comprehension and context partly on her own, partly at the urging of Krews teacher, who provides parents with a list of questions they should ask about reading assignments. Recently, to her surprise, Krew accurately predicted that the book he was about to read would be non-fiction. You think about the difference between a superficial conversation and a real connection, and thats really powerful, she said. Were a very diverse community: Do parents have the resources they need? When Emily Olson and her husband moved from Washington, D.C., to Boise, they put a lot of thought into selecting a school for their son Oliver. They settled on Boises Whittier Elementary School, attracted by its English-Spanish dual immersion program. But as Oliver begins kindergarten at Whittier, Olson has questions. Shes happy that Oliver is reading confidently and picking up on phonics and decoding. But even though she sought out Whittier, she has mixed feelings. She wonders if his classmates have the resources they need to pick up their native language. Whittier has some of the lowest reading scores in Boise barely a fifth of kindergartners finished this spring at grade level and district administrators trace the low scores to a compressed and divided school day of bilingual instruction. And in Olsons view, its not a question of what the school provides. Its a question of whether the kindergartners come in prepared. A former math teacher who now works at the Lee Pesky Learning Center, a Boise nonprofit, Olson is taking off half a day a week to teach Oliver science. Her husband, an attorney, is taking off half a day a week to work on the social sciences. But at Whittier, where more than 98 percent of students live in poverty, most parents cant rearrange their work schedule and fill in the learning gaps. I have a lot of wonders and concerns over that, Olson said. Nurturing a natural reader: You just kind of encourage it when it happens Some children just take to reading. Michael Lopezs daughter Neah is one of those kids. She was always interested in reading, except for a phase when she lost interest because a cousin told her reading was boring. I think she got over that, said Lopez, a web developer at the University of Idaho. Lopez and Neah read together nightly, and lately Neah has taken to Mad Libs. The nonsense fill-in-the-blanks stories help her learn parts of speech. Lopez isnt sure where Neahs future will take her. A year ago, as a kindergartner at Moscows West Park Elementary School, she said she wanted to grow up to be a kindergarten teacher. But now shes a first-grader, and she isnt talking as much about that. But Lopez thinks the states multimillion-dollar early literacy push is the right investment, for Neah and her classmates. No matter where they go, I think theyll be better off if they read well, he said. Its kind of a no-brainer. Were the ones standing in the way: Engaging in education Patton was concerned as Grady began first grade at Chaparral. His teacher, Katie Conway, allows kids to figure out where they want to sit, and Patton wasnt sure how that would play out. But Grady found a seat, and a group of classmates, that made him feel comfortable. Now, Patton raves about Conway and her emphasis on small-group reading instruction. From an adults perspective, Patton said, it makes sense. Even grown-ups dont always like to speak up in a large group. Patton has watched her sons improvement, both at home and in school. She volunteers every other week in class, and has learned more about Gradys education than she imagined she would. Ask Patton about the obstacle the one thing that keeps young children from learning to read and she doesnt blame the teachers or the politicians. She puts it on her fellow parents. Were the ones standing in the way. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Bridget Stutchbury has a chest freezer stuffed with songbirds, a makeshift morgue that troubles her heart. Theres just so many in here, says Stutchbury, a York University ornithologist, lifting the freezers lid in her lab and rummaging through stacked Ziploc bags. Heres an oriole, a grosbeak, a meadow lark, an oven bird we get lots of oven birds. Look at them all, she says. Its very upsetting. The small birds met a painful end, slamming into windows at York University. About 2,000 die this way at Yorks main campus each year part of the 25 million birds killed in window collisions annually across Canada. Stutchbury is one of North Americas leading ornithologists. And during a quarter-century of work at York, shes witnessed what felt like a massacre in her backyard: birds that survived long, perilous migrations ending their lives with a head-crushing thump. An especially proficient death trap was the ground-level glass wall of the Executive Dining Room at the Schulich School of Business. The people dining there didnt express any concerns, Stutchbury says, noting the results of a student survey of the site. But the staff working there every day said it was so depressing to hear that thunk on the window And there goes another one. In October, after three years of lobbying efforts by Stutchbury and her students, York became one of the first universities to tackle the problem. It spent $90,000 to buy and install bird-friendly patterns on windows at five of the most deadly sites on campus. The pattern is a simple sequence of small dots, a signal to birds that transparent glass is not an open space they can fly through. A sixth building will be fitted next spring. If the patterns reduce collisions, other buildings will get the treatment once budgets permit, says Ronald Ogata, Yorks manager of renovations. Stutchburys students surveyed the deadliest spots on campus by collecting dead and injured songbirds. At the Schulich Executive Dining Room, 57 had died or injured themselves during migrations this spring and last fall. The dining room was especially deadly because birds would land in its courtyard to feed, mistake the reflection of trees and bushes on the glass wall for the real thing and fly to their deaths trying to reach them. Birds arent stupid, Stutchbury says. Theyre not just flying into buildings because they dont know where theyre going. York University isnt an especially bad killing field in Toronto. The city stands in the path of a major migratory corridor and at least one million birds collide with windows each year. Since 2010, new Toronto buildings must include design features that reduce the chances of these accidents. What particularly disturbed Stutchbury is that some birds found dead on campus, like the wood thrush, are listed as threatened in Canada. When we dissect birds that have collided, the brain hemorrhage is really obvious, says Stutchbury, a professor of biology. They literally have dents in their heads and extensive internal injuries. Its like someone in a terrible car crash who wasnt wearing a seatbelt. Stutchbury is 57 and grew up in Montreal. She developed a love of the outdoors as a child at her parents cottage in the Adirondack Mountains. Her fascination with the behaviour of birds began at Queens University while studying biology. She was working on a field project examining the nests of tree swallows in bird boxes. She lifted the lid of a box and saw two female swallows in violent combat, one of them with a bloody head ripped of feathers. They froze in a wrestling hold looking at me, one of them just going, Please help me, Stutchbury recalls. In the bird world, its males who usually fight for territory. Stutchbury went on to do her thesis work on violence between female tree swallows when competing for nest sites. Another behaviour she documented was the premeditated divorce practices of female blue-headed vireos. In her book, Bird Detective, Stutchbury notes that both male and female birds build the nest, incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. Throughout this time, however, the female sneaks off when she can and secretly woos another male. When the chicks fledge she abandons her loyal partner and quickly mates with her secret lover. If she didnt cheat on her first partner, she wouldnt have time for a second brood, Stutchbury notes. Her most celebrated work came while leading a research team in 2009. They figured out how to track songbirds weighing only 50 grams, too small to carry GPS tracking devices on their backs. They placed modified light sensors called geolocators, weighing 1.5 grams, on wood thrushes and purple martins. For the first time, researchers could track individual songbirds. Songbirds will return to exactly the same spots to refuel or breed during a migratory round trip. Half will die along the way. To analyze the data, Stutchburys team had to recapture the lucky few who returned with light sensors on their backs. By analyzing the level of light captured by the sensors, and calculating sunrises and sunsets, the team determined the route the birds took, where they stopped to feed and how fast they made the trip information important for species conservation. The purple martins flew from Brazils Amazon rainforest to the Canada-U.S. border more than 9,000 kilometres in two and a half weeks. We had no idea they were moving that fast, Stutchbury says. Most songbirds travel at night and can rest half their brain in near sleep mode by keeping one eye closed, she adds. Theyll consume all their body fat in one overnight flight and then land to refuel. They rarely live more than two years and only about half survive migration and come back to breed. A recent study estimated the bird population in Canada and the U.S. declined by three billion 29 per cent since 1970. Pesticides and habitat loss are partly to blame. But the biggest menace that can be measured, Stutchbury says, is cats they kill 250 million birds a year in Canada. Keep cats indoors, she pleads. She raised the alarm about the rate of disappearing songbirds in her 2010 book Silence of the Songbirds. Still, Stutchbury believes the birds are here to stay. Passerines make up half of all birds on Earth and have shown an incredible capacity to recover from the onslaught that were sending their way, she says. She just hopes the bird-friendly window installations at York University fill her freezer with fewer birds and specimens for her students to dissect. Theyre yellow and red and just beautiful to look at, Stutchbury says, examining a bag of birds. Except that theyre dead. A federal judge has temporarily blocked New York state from enforcing parts of a landmark farm labor law that was due to go into effect Wednesday. U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo in Buffalo issued a temporary restraining order against the state after a coalition of New York dairy and vegetable farmers filed a last-minute lawsuit Monday. The new law gives New York farmworkers the right to unionize, collect overtime pay and take at least one day off per week for the first time in the states history. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the historic legislation in July. The judges order gives the state and the farmers until Jan. 24 to try to reach a settlement in the case before a hearing on a preliminary injunction. The New York State Vegetable Growers Association and Northeast Dairy Producers Association say their lawsuit does not challenge provisions of the law that require farmworkers to be paid overtime and to be given at least one day off per week. Instead, the farmers are asking for clarity on part of the law that for the first time gives farmworkers the right to form unions and collectively bargain with their employers. Farm owners say the law appears to classify them, their family members and supervisors as farm laborers who have the right to engage in collective bargaining and other pro- or anti-union activity, even though such activity would be banned under federal law. Providing clarity to New Yorks farms will help us protect our management teams, while assuring family members and others employed on our farms are treated fairly, said Jon Greenwood, chair of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association and co-owner of Greenwood Dairy Farm in Canton. The Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act as of Jan. 1 now requires employers to make farmworkers eligible for unemployment insurance and workers compensation benefits. Farmers also must comply with new standards to improve conditions at labor camps. Read more: NY gives farmworkers historic rights to overtime, days off, benefits Do NY farmworkers deserve OT, union rights? An Upstate-Downstate clash Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Japanese authorities allowed ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn to carry a spare French passport in a locked case while out on bail, public broadcaster NHK said on Thursday, shedding some light on how he managed a dramatic escape to Lebanon. Prosecutors on Thursday raided the Tokyo residence of the former Nissan Motor Co Ltd chairman, NHK also reported. Ghosn, one of the world's best-known executives, has become Japan's most famous fugitive after he revealed on Tuesday he had fled to Lebanon to escape what he called a "rigged" justice system. The businessman, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, was smuggled out of Tokyo by a private security company days ago, the culmination of a plan that was crafted over three months, Reuters has reported. Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faces four charges which he denies including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East. He enjoyed an outpouring of support from Lebanon after his arrest. Japanese authorities have not officially commented on Ghosn's disappearance. Government offices are shut this week for the New Year holiday. U-Haul will not hire people who use nicotine products in 21 states beginning Feb. 1 in an attempt "to establish one of the healthiest corporate cultures in the U.S. and Canada," the company announced Monday in a statement. Why it matters: The ACLU considers anti-nicotine hiring policies "discriminatory" and a violation of worker privacy, but smokers are not a protected class under federal anti-discrimination laws, which allow states to create their own laws on smoker bans. The states where it is legal to not hire nicotine users: Arizona, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. The 29 other states and the District of Columbia have "smoker protection" laws that shield users from hiring discrimination, according to the American Lung Association. People applying for a job at U-Haul in the 21 states will be questioned about their nicotine use in an interview and will have to take a nicotine screening in states where they are allowed. Workers hired prior to Feb. 1, 2020, will not be affected by the policy. "This policy is a responsible step in fostering a culture of wellness at U-Haul, with the goal of helping our Team Members on their health journey," Jessica Lopez, the company's chief of staff said in a statement. The other side: Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at Boston University's School of Public Health, told ABC News that he disagrees with U-Haul's new policy. "In public health, we try to encourage people to engage in healthy behavior, but we do not punish them and stigmatize them when they don't. ... It punishes exactly the people who should be rewarded for having accomplished this difficult feat." Go deeper: The Florida man who was arrested and charged with first degree kidnapping of a Mobile zTrip taxi driver was extradited back to Mobile and booked into Metro Jail Wednesday, January 1. Tony Leavester Scott, 23 of Pensacola, Florida, was extradited back to Mobile from Monroe County, Georgia. Mobile police believe that Scott pulled a gun on a taxi driver picking him up from the Popeyes restaurant in downtown Mobile. It is believed that Chicago was the intended destination for Scott, however the owner of the car was able to escape and notify officials in Crawford County, Georgia that Scott had kidnapped her and taken her vehicle. Scott was found shortly after the victim notified officials when the vehicle ran out of gas. The taxi driver was returned safely back to Mobile in mid-December. Scotts next court appearance has yet to be determined. Michael Reynolds resigned from the NYPD after he was convicted of launching into a racist tirade toward a black woman and her children The white police officer who was jailed for barging into a black woman's Tennessee home and shouting racist slurs at her and her children has resigned, according to the NYPD. Michael Reynolds had been told to go to NYPD headquarters at One Police Plaza on Thursday so that officials could begin their disciplinary case against him. The result of which would have certainly led to him being fired, a police source explained to the New York Daily News. Reynolds, who has been on modified duty, resigned. He will not receive a pension or health benefits. 'His actions are wholly inconsistent with the values and standards the New York City Police Department expects and demands of its officers,' said Acting Deputy Commissioner Devora Kaye, the NYPD's top spokesperson. The announcement comes after more than 12,000 people signed a petition calling Reynolds to be fired after his conviction. The petition - called 'Fire Racist Criminal Michael J Reynolds from the NYPD' - highlights the now- 26-year-old's racist tirade toward a black woman after kicking in the door to her Nashville home in July 2018. 'Michael J Reynolds needs to be fired immediately,' the petition declares. The officer was said to have barged into Conese Halliburton's home on July 9, 2018, while she was with her four sons - two of which were 8 and 11 at the time Reynolds, of Manhattan North, was caught on surveillance footage walking down the street around 2.30am in the Nashville neighborhood Last month, Reynolds was sentenced to 15 days in jail and three years' probation after pleading no contest to three counts of assault and one count of aggravated criminal trespassing, the Tennessean reports. The officer was said to have barged into Conese Halliburton's home on July 9 while she was with her four sons - two of which were 8 and 11 at the time. Reynolds, of Manhattan North, was later caught on surveillance footage walking down the street around 2.30am in the Nashville neighborhood. In the video, a man's voice is then heard shouting: 'Try to shoot me, I'll break every bone in your f**king neck. You f**king n***er.' The man eventually left and a short time later Nashville police arrived but were unable to find him. Halliburton said she confronted the Airbnb guests with her neighbor the next day. She shared that her four sons were at her home at the time of the incident. During his trial, Reynolds shared that he had been suspended from the job for 30 days and added that he was also decommissioned. Reynolds remains with the department, however. This month, Reynolds was sentenced to 15 days in jail and three years' probation after pleading no contest to three counts of assault and one count of aggravated criminal trespassing 'Because our criminal justice system is profoundly broken, 'It ended with Reynolds getting [only] about two weeks in jail and three years probation,'' the petition against Reynolds states. 'To make matters worse, this racist criminal is still employed by the NYPD. There is no reasonable argument for leaving a violent, racist, convicted criminal on the police force, armed with a gun in New York City.' Reynolds apologized for his part in the incident, explaining that he and two other NYPD officers had traveled to the area to celebrate his best friend's bachelor party. 'We appreciate Judge Fishburn for taking this caseand the attempted cover upso seriously,' attorney Daniel Horwitz said, according to WTVF. 'However, we remain disgusted by every additional day that goes by without the NYPD terminating Michael Reynolds as an officer. Mr. Reynolds is a criminal and a racist who has no business carrying either a badge or a gun,' Today we are going to look at VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY) to see whether it might be an attractive investment prospect. Specifically, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), since that will give us an insight into how efficiently the business can generate profits from the capital it requires. First up, we'll look at what ROCE is and how we calculate it. Second, we'll look at its ROCE compared to similar companies. Then we'll determine how its current liabilities are affecting its ROCE. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) ROCE is a measure of a company's 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. Overall, it is a valuable metric that has its flaws. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike. So, How Do We Calculate ROCE? 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 VAALCO Energy: 0.19 = US$28m (US$209m - US$58m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2019.) So, VAALCO Energy has an ROCE of 19%. View our latest analysis for VAALCO Energy Is VAALCO Energy's ROCE Good? ROCE can be useful when making comparisons, such as between similar companies. Using our data, we find that VAALCO Energy's ROCE is meaningfully better than the 9.0% average in the Oil and Gas industry. We would consider this a positive, as it suggests it is using capital more effectively than other similar companies. Separate from VAALCO Energy's performance relative to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms looks satisfactory, and it may be worth researching in more depth. VAALCO Energy's current ROCE of 19% is lower than 3 years ago, when the company reported a 53% ROCE. This makes us wonder if the business is facing new challenges. The image below shows how VAALCO Energy's ROCE compares to its industry, and you can click it to see more detail on its past growth. Story continues NYSE:EGY Past Revenue and Net Income, January 2nd 2020 Remember that this metric is backwards looking - it shows what has happened in the past, and does not accurately predict the future. ROCE can be deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. We note VAALCO Energy could be considered a cyclical business. Future performance is what matters, and you can see analyst predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company. How VAALCO Energy's Current Liabilities Impact Its ROCE Liabilities, such as supplier bills and bank overdrafts, are referred to as current liabilities if they need to be paid within 12 months. Due to the way ROCE is calculated, a high level of current liabilities makes a company look as though it has less capital employed, and thus can (sometimes unfairly) boost the ROCE. To counter this, investors can check if a company has high current liabilities relative to total assets. VAALCO Energy has total assets of US$209m and current liabilities of US$58m. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 28% of its total assets. Low current liabilities are not boosting the ROCE too much. Our Take On VAALCO Energy's ROCE With that in mind, VAALCO Energy's ROCE appears pretty good. VAALCO Energy looks strong on this analysis, but there are plenty of other companies that could be a good opportunity . Here is a free list of companies growing earnings rapidly. I will like VAALCO Energy better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. A grandmother was found shot to death inside her south Houston home, hours after calling police when someone shot into her house early New Years Day. Owena Martin McHenry's daughter and grandson went looking for her at her home in the 5800 block of Flamingo Drive around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. They found McHenry, 78, dead inside her bedroom of an apparent gunshot wound, police said. The discovery was the second time officers had been dispatched to the house in fewer than 24 hours, police said. Around 1 a.m. Wednesday, as neighbors were setting off fireworks to celebrate the new year, someone drove past the womans house and started shooting into the home. HOMICIDE REPORT: Get an in-depth look at the Houstonians who died by homicide in 2019, only on HoustonChronicle.com No one was injured in that first spate of gunfire, police said. Officers came out to the home later that morning and filed a criminal mischief report. We believe that possibly the same shooter may have returned this past evening to finish what he started on New Years Eve, police said. A side door was opened when the daughter and grandson went to the home last night, police said. McHenry has lived in the corner-lot home for some time, police said. Detectives have yet to identify the shooter but hope the public will help. Anyone with information is urged to call Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or HPD Homicide Division at 713-380-3600.. 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 NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. Three militants of the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) were arrested and arms and ammunition seized from their possession in North Tripura district, a senior police officer said on Thursday. Superintendent of police, North Tripura, Bhanupada Chakraborty said acting on a tip-off a police team raided Panisagar railway station and arrested two NLFT militants. Based on the information provided by the two arrested militants, police raided Dharmanagar railway station and arrested another NLFT militant. "We have seized a 9 mm pistol, six live cartridges, many bank passbooks, SIM cards and several other documents including extortion notices, extortion rate charts, from their possession", the SP said. All three arrested NLFT militants were booked under sedition charge, extortion and illegal possession of arms. The NLFT on December 18 last year had served a "threat notice" to Tripura Lok Sabha MP Rebati Mohan Tripura for voting in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the Parliament, police said. The notice issued by NLFT self-styled secretary general D Uomthai also threatened the MP of "dire consequences and social boycott." The NLFT was founded on March 12, 1989 with Dhananjoy Reang as its self-styled chairman. The outfit was banned in 1997 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and later under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). A large group of 88 NLFT militants had surrendered with arms before the state government in August last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) According to a BJP communique, the number is 8866288662. The campaign is on similar lines as when the BJP started a massive membership drive a few years ago where all anyone had to do was give a missed call to a certain toll free number. New Delhi: Bolstering its nation-wide outreach on the Citizenship Amendment Act, the BJP on Thursday evening released a toll free number where people can give a missed call and register their support to the contentious provision. This move is in line with the BJP's attempt to counter the anti-CAA protests and a narrative that it believes may hurt it electorally. On Wednesday, Union Home Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah held a review meet just three days after the plan was kicked off to reach out to public to convince them on the CAA. Shah's huddle also coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the "India supports CAA" campaign on Twitter and NaMo App. The BJP has already appointed six of its leaders as zonal coordinators for the pan India PR exercise on CAA. Maimana : , Jan 2 (IANS) As many as ten Taliban militants have surrendered in two northern provinces of Afghanistan, authorities said on Thursday. "Five Taliban militants, who were members of Taliban Sarra Keta or the militants' special force squad, surrendered to Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) in Qaysar district of northern Faryab province late on Wednesday," Hanif Rezai, Spokesman of army Corps 209 Shaheen based in the region, told Xinhua news agency. In northern Badakhshan province, five Taliban gave up militancy and surrendered to ANDSF in Jurm district of the restive province Wednesday night, according to Rezai. The former militants also called on fellow Taliban members to join the peace and reconciliation process, the military official noted. They also handed over 10 AK-47 guns, one telecommunication radio and a motorcycle to military officials. The Afghan government set up a High Peace Council and launched the peace and reconciliation process in 2010, to encourage Taliban to disarm and give up militancy against the government. Since then, more than 10,000 Taliban militants have laid down arms and joined the process, according to peace officials, but the claim has been rejected by the armed outfit as "baseless". Denise Pochinko remembers waking up and hearing the screams. She hid under blankets with her sister until sirens drowned out their panicked breathing. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Denise Pochinko remembers waking up and hearing the screams. She hid under blankets with her sister until sirens drowned out their panicked breathing. It was October 1980, and she was five years old. Her sister, Jody, was six. Their mother, Jackaleen Dyck, was viciously attacked in her bedroom, not far from where the two girls huddled in fear. Dyck, 23, was stabbed 28 times and died in hospital. The killing at 240 Bowman Ave., in the city's Elmwood area, has never been solved. "I live that every single day of my life," Pochinko said in an interview. Denise Pochinko, whose mother, Jackaleen Dyck, was murdered in Winnipeg on Oct. 4, 1980 while she and her sister Jody were in the next room, looks over some news clippings and family photos in her Winnipeg Beach home. The grisly murder is still unsolved and Pochinko is looking for answers. (John Woods / The Canadian Press) Almost 40 years later, she is using social media to look for people who knew her mother and who may provide clues about the killing. Pochinko created a page about the case on Facebook in 2013, but the emotional toll was too much. After receiving support from a church community, she has reactivated the account and is looking for any bread crumb of information. Jackaleen Dyck in a photo from around 1976. (John Woods / The Canadian Press) "My ideal situation is finding out the truth," Pochinko says. "Id love to learn the truth about who she was, even gain a better understanding of who I am." On a cold fall day in November, Pochinko lays out all the details shes been able to gather on a table in her home in Winnipeg Beach. Its too hard to live in the city where the innocence of her childhood was stolen. Two years after the killing, her sister died in an accident. Pochinko has her parents wedding certificate and photos of the young couple from when they first got together in 1973. Old Polaroid pictures show them smiling and hugging. Photos from the years after Pochinko and her sister were born show more difficult times. Money was tight, and the pressure of having children so young was weighing on her parents. They separated not long before Dyck was slain. Denise (from left), Jackaleen, Craig and Jody Dyck in a photo from around 1980, the same year Jackaleen was murdered. Two years after the killing, Jody died in an accident. (John Woods / The Canadian Press) The sisters moved in with Dycks relatives after her death. Pochinkos father was in a new relationship and a new city. They never became close. That horrific night created a ripple effect. Pochinko says she has always felt as if things could be torn away at any moment, so she has clung tightly to unhealthy relationships. "Nobody should have to go through what I did," she says. "I was an orphan child." My ideal situation is finding out the truth. Id love to learn the truth about who she was, even gain a better understanding of who I am. Denise Pochinko She points to paperwork declaring her mothers death. Nearby, yellowed newspaper article headlines declare reward money for information about the killer, which has since expired. "We know that someone, somewhere has information that can help us," Winnipeg Police Service Insp. Des DePourcq said in a Winnipeg Sun story from the time. A headline in the Winnipeg Free Press declared, "Killer still at large." A black-and-white photo of Dycks fresh, round face, framed by long dark hair, accompanied each article. Download 1984 Winnipeg Free Press story They described how Dyck, a friend, her nephew and her two daughters were asleep in the small home. About 4 a.m., the friend was awoken by frantic calls for help before he saw someone run out the back door. He found Dyck bleeding in bed. The articles said Dyck had been harassed in the weeks before and a beer bottle was thrown through her bedroom window. Officers found no signs of forced entry the night she was killed. Police ruled out robbery and sexual assault as motives. For decades, it felt like that may be all Pochinko would know of her mother, but through social media, shes been contacted by former neighbours and friends. Denise Pochinko has heard about a few different suspects and connected with a private investigator, but hasnt come across a significant lead. (John Woods / The Canadian Press) Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Shes learned more about her mothers love and brilliant smile, but also about how she had a difficult life and didnt always make good choices. Pochinkos been told about a few different suspects and has connected with a private investigator but hasnt come across a significant lead. Winnipeg police say many officers have worked on the case extensively. Details cant be shared because it remains an open investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the historical homicide unit or Crime Stoppers. Pochinko remains hopeful, she says, because she has to. "A day does not go by where its not on my mind," she says. "Im trapped. That little girl, she is trapped." A couple of days after releasing it for beta users, Samsung has now begun rolling out the stable Android 10 update for the Galaxy Note 9 to non-beta users as well. The update has been first released in Germany and is available over the air (OTA) to all Note 9 units running Android 9 Pie. It should be making its way into more markets over the next few days. The new update for the Galaxy Note 9 bumps the firmware version to N960FXXU4DSLB. The OTA update size weighs in at a whopping 1900 MB as it packs all the features that are part and parcel of the Android 10-based One UI 2.0. Advertisement This update also carries the December 2019 security patch. The firmware version and update size may vary according to the market, though. The Galaxy Note 9 is the third Samsung flagship to have received the stable Android 10 update. The Galaxy S10 series received the update in November last year, while the Note 10 series received it in December. Samsung has also released the stable Android 10 update for a couple of budget phones, the Galaxy M20 and M30. Advertisement Next up should be the Galaxy S9 series, which is currently in the beta channel. Samsung isnt running an Android 10 beta program for any other Galaxy smartphone. So it shouldnt be long before the stable update is released for the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus. Galaxy Note 9 Android 10 update Samsung kicked off the Android 10-based One UI 2.0 beta program for the Galaxy Note 9 back in November 2019. The handset received as many as five beta builds in some markets before making the move to the stable release. Naturally enough, the OTA update size for beta users weighed only 100 MB as all the features that are set to arrive with Android 10 have already been seeded via those beta updates. Advertisement The Android 10-based One UI 2.0 brings a host of aesthetic and functional changes to Samsung smartphones. Built-in screen recorder and slow-motion selfie videos are some of those new features. As said earlier, Samsung should soon begin rolling out the stable Android 10 update for the Galaxy Note 9 globally. If you own one, you can manually check for updates by tapping Download and install in the Software update menu of the phones Settings app. Do note that updates are released in stages and may not be available to all Galaxy Note 9 units straight away. You should get a notification once the update becomes available for your Note 9. Iran's Supreme Leader: 'If Anyone Threatens Us, We Will Unhesitatingly Confront and Strike Them' Sputnik News 12:51 01.01.2020(updated 13:19 01.01.2020) Iraqi protesters on 31 December stormed the US Embassy in Baghdad and torched its outer fence in protest against recent US airstrikes targeting Kata'ib Hezbollah Shiite militants in Iraq and Syria. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has condemned US airstrikes on a militant group in Iraq. "The Iranian govt & nation & I strongly condemn the US's malice", Khamenei said on his official Twitter account. He continued on by saying that if anyone threatens Iran, "we will unhesitatingly confront & strike them". The statement comes a day after Iraqi protesters stormed the US Embassy in the capital Baghdad in response to American airstrikes against Iraqi Shia Kata'ib Hezbollah militants. US officials were quick to immediately claim that Iran had orchestrated the protest action, while President Trump has said that the US Embassy in Iraq was safe despite being attacked by pro-Iranian protesters and warned that Tehran would be held fully responsible for any damage caused to US facilities. US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, for his part, said that the United States would immediately deploy about 750 servicemen to the Middle East in the wake of the events in Baghdad. Media reports said, citing sources from the Pentagon, that Washington was preparing to urgently deploy up to 4,000 troops to the region. Iran's Foreign Ministry on the same day dismissed the "empty" accusations coming out of Washington about Iran allegedly orchestrating attacks on the US Embassy in Iraq. The Pentagon targeted facilities of Kataib Hezbollah, part of Hashd al-Shabi, in Iraq and Syria over the weekend for allegedly launching a rocket attack on a base in Kirkuk that killed a US contractor. Hashd al-Shabi, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, said dozens of its fighters had been killed in the US strikes. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Unidas Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias. Jaime Villanueva On January 7, all things being equal, Pedro Sanchez of the Socialist Party (PSOE) will be voted back in as prime minister by politicians in Spains lower house of parliament, the Congress of Deputies. The caretaker prime minister is counting on the support of his own party, of left-wing Unidas Podemos, with whom he will govern in coalition, a smattering of smaller groups and the essential abstention of the Catalan Republican Left (ERC). The deal that Sanchez has struck with Unidas Podemos is a solid one, meaning that the first coalition government that Spain will have seen since its return to democracy at the end of the 1970s will have strong foundations. But the abstention of the ERC is by no means so sure. The groups national council will today have to give its final approval to paving the way for a PSOE-Unidas Podemos government, amid much noise from the pro-Catalan independence sector in the northeastern Spanish region, which is struggling to see the advantages of such a deal for the secessionist cause. The first coalition government that Spain will have seen since its return to democracy will have strong foundations Sanchez won the November 10 repeat election but, as at the previous vote in April, fell short of an absolute majority. Since the polls last year he has been seeking the support of other parties to be voted back in to office. Sanchez quickly closed the coalition deal with Unidas Podemos, but talks with ERC have been long and arduous, and of course have been complicated by the fact that the partys leader, Oriol Junqueras, is currently in jail for his role in the 2017 unilateral secession attempt. The first investiture debate has been tabled for Saturday and Sunday, with the second debate and final vote at which just a simple majority, more yes votes than no, is needed for Sanchez to prosper scheduled for Tuesday. In between is Kings Day, a national holiday, and the day when Spanish children are traditionally given their Christmas presents. January 5 is a day usually dominated by Kings Day parades throughout Spain, rather than key political debates in Congress. There has been little effort on the part of the PSOE to justify this unusual scheduling, apart from the well-worn argument that Spain needs a government that is working flat out as soon as possible. Thats what government sources have been saying, after nearly a year of a caretaker administration. Whats more, failure to form a government could push Spaniards to their third elections in a year the fifth in five years. Failure to form a government could push Spaniards to their third elections in a year the fifth in five years Assuming that the ERC abstains at the second, key vote on Tuesday, Sanchez will become prime minister once more, having first come to power in the summer of June 2018 thanks to a successful motion of no confidence he filed against then-Popular Party (PP) Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Sanchez will be sworn into office and immediately form his Cabinet, which has already been finalized. It will include members of the PSOE, independents with links to the party and politicians from the ranks of Unidas Podemos. It is highly likely that the first Cabinet meeting will be held on January 10, according to government sources. If there was a rush to hold the investiture debate, there will be no justification for a delay for the first meeting of ministers. No one is openly voicing their fears that there could be some kind of unexpected obstacle to events playing out as they are expected to, most likely related to the Catalan independence movement. But this reality is something that Socialist sources admit to in private. The contents of the deal between the PSOE and ERC that will be voted on today are, for now, secret. One thing is known, however: if an agreement emerges on the political situation in Catalonia after talks are held between the central government in Madrid and the regional government in Barcelona, Catalans will have a chance to vote on it. The pressure that other pro-Catalan independence parties could exert on the ERC is worrying the Socialists Criticism of this future consultation of residents of the northeastern Spanish region about hypothetical agreements that would defuse the so-called political conflict will be the ammunition that is used by opposition parties during the investiture debate. Groups such as the PP, far-right Vox and center-right Citizens will be able to choose their targets: either the coalition deal with Unidas Podemos, or the negotiations with pro-independence ERC in order to secure its abstention. Sanchez will not count on the support or abstention of the other pro-Catalan independence parties in Congress: Together for Catalonia (Junts per Catalunya) and the far-left CUP. But the pressure that both of these groups could exert on the ERC is worrying the PSOE. The Socialists are hoping that the ERC will withstand the pressure from other sectors, and abstain come the crucial vote on January 7. This is why the caretaker government is in such a hurry to get the debate out of the way despite the public holiday falling in the middle. English version by Simon Hunter. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 30 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Jan. 2, 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, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. It will move to the third floor of the RTD building, taking nearly 40,000 square feet. The key to our search was finding centralized space that provides areas for teamwork, collaboration and wellness. We feel that the RTD building provides all of that and more, Amin said. The downtown location is accessible to all of our associates who live across the region from New Kent to Midlothian and from Hopewell to Short Pump, as well as those that travel from the D.C. and Hampton Roads areas. Shamin has spent the last few years learning about the needs of our associates and how we can improve their quality of life in the workplace. The companys 70 corporate employees will relocate from its current offices. It plans to hire more employees and the additional space will allow for that, Amin said. Plans call for renovating the RTD building, which will retain the newspapers branding, Amin said. For instance, Shamin plans to upgrade the lobby and common areas with a hospitality focus that would include a cafe, lounge and a new fitness center for the buildings tenants. Shamin plans to lease out the balance of the space on the first and second floors. The company has already had some inquiries about leasing the space, Amin said. Omiros D. Zacharatos, 49, of Broomall, an electrician who loved working with his hands and reading ancient Greek texts, died at home Sunday, Dec. 29, after a yearlong battle with brain cancer. He was the eldest son of Antonios and Niki Zacharatos. Born and raised in Upper Darby, he graduated in 1989 from Upper Darby High School, where he excelled in freestyle on the swim team. Mr. Zacharatos was well-read and an intellectual, but found himself drawn to a profession that entailed working with his hands, said his brother Robert. Mr. Zacharatos studied the commercial electrical trade at Delaware County Community College and then was certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He joined State Electric Co. in Norristown, becoming a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 in 2002, the union said. He worked in Philadelphia running electrical lines into high-rise buildings, the citys subway system, at 30th Street Station, and at the Sunoco oil refinery in Philadelphia. He often spoke of his friends on the job and the interesting sites in which he worked. He called one time, he was working in the Lincoln Financial Center, said his brother Nicholaos. They were doing the wiring for the jumbo screen. He was really proud of that. His favorite work site was the refinery where he illuminated outside storage tanks, set up generators, and did other tasks. He enjoyed every minute of it, said his brother Robert. When he was diagnosed, he said that everything would be OK if he could just get back to work. In November 2018, Mr. Zacharatos began experiencing severe headaches. Doctors at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania diagnosed glioblastoma and then removed the tumor, but the cancer returned by August 2019. Further surgery wasnt possible, so doctors ordered chemotherapy. Im going to fight this, Mr. Zacharatos told his brother Robert. His health declined in December. The very last thing to go was his hands, his brother said. A cousin, George Kontaras, said Mr. Zacharatos enjoyed working on cars and figuring out construction and electrical problems. Once he figured out a problem, he would share the solution. Youre in a jam, Ill help you, he would tell Kontaras. Mr. Zacharatos enjoyed studying the classics. He read texts in ancient Greek and could speak the language. He loved history, said his brother Nicholaos. He tried to find meaning in things that had happened. It was his way of understanding the world. In addition to his brothers, he is survived by his mother, Niki; another brother, Jerry; and nieces and nephews. Before coming to the United States, the Zacharatos family lived on the island of Kefalonia, which is in the Ionian Sea off the western coast of Greece. When Mr. Zacharatos father died of lung cancer in 2018, the family took him back there for burial. A viewing for Mr. Zacharatos will start at 10:15 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 229 Powell Lane, Upper Darby, Pa. 19082, followed by an 11 a.m. funeral. Burial will be at Washington Memorial Chapel Cemetery on Route 23 in Valley Forge National Historical Park, King of Prussia. Donations may be made to St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church at the address above. The Allahabad High Court on Thursday reserved order on a PIL against police action during an anti-CAA protest at Aligarh Muslim University on December 15. The Bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Vivek Varma reserved judgment will pronounce its judgment on January 7. In the petition filed by Mohd Aman Khan of Allahabad, it was stated that students were protesting peacefully against the legislation since December 13. On December 15, students gathered at Maulana Azad Library and marched up to the university gate, where police tried to provoke them, the petitioner said. "After some time, police started firing tear gas shells at students and they were canecharged," the petitioner alleged, adding that around 100 students were injured due to it. The petitioner sought the formation of a panel by the court to enquire into the police action. He also sought the release of the students detained by police and compensation for those injured in the violence. Appearing for the state government, Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal argued that the university gate was damaged by the students and police entered the campus on the request of the AMU administration to control the students who indulged in violence. He said no excessive force was used by police. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EPA Mexicos leader has claimed notorious drug cartel kingpin Joaquin Guzman better known as El Chapo wielded the power of a president up until his most recent imprisonment. In a New Years speech Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office in December last year on an anti-corruption platform, celebrated his administrations efforts to root out those in high office who were found to have been under the thumb of El Chapos deadly Sinaloa cartel. "There was a time when Guzman Loera was as powerful, or had the influence, that the president had at that time," he told an audience in the southern city of Palenque. "That made it hard to punish those who had committed crimes. That is now history." His comments come a month after the arrest of Genaro Garcia Luna, a former Mexican government official responsible for public security, was charged in the United States with accepting millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa drug cartel once run by Guzman. However his administration has stopped short of investigating former President Felipe Calderon, who led the country at the time and was accused of accepting a $100m bribe from the Sinaloa cartel kingpin himself in the 2019 US trial of el Chapo. Mr Lopez Obradors abrazos no balazos hugs not bullets strategy to fighting cartel violence with social reforms and poverty-tackling initiatives helped elevate him to the presidency in 2018, offering a change in pace from his two predecessors who deployed hardline solutions to the war on crime in the country. However his approach has been put under strain by the continued supremacy of cartels with the botched operation to apprehend of El Chapos son Ovidio Guzman, who was freed shortly after his arrest when hundreds of gunmen razed the area around their base in Culiacan, held up as an example of his non-confrontational policy in action. Meanwhile the country continued to experience surging violence during Mr Lopez Obradors first year in office, with more than 17,000 people killed in the first half of the year, and 127 killed on 1 December alone. Story continues Lopez Obrador acknowledged in his speech on Tuesday that his government had work to do, particularly in curbing rampant violence, but described his anti-corruption drive as a point of pride. "We are purifying public life so there is moral authority," he added. Guzman was sentenced last year to life in prison without parole and moved to a high-security facility in Colorado after being convicted in a US court of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States over a decades-long career. His sentencing followed two high-profile prison breaks from maximum security Mexican prisons, as well as his 15-year effort to avoid an international manhunt after fleeing his cell in Jalisco in 2001. His second escape in 2015 saw El Chapo break out of prison through a 1.5km tunnel in the shower area of his cell. Additional reporting by Reuters. Read more Police officer who arrested El Chapos son killed in hail of bullets 'Central Vista stretch required for Republic Day parade will be ready in time, some facilities later' After Bengal, Maharashtras Republic Day tableau gets rejected by Centre India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jan 02: The Centre has reportedly rejected the Mahashtra's tableau proposal for the Republic Day parade. NCP MP Supriya Sule on Thursday alleged that the Centre has denied permission to the tableaux from the non-BJP-ruled Maharashtra and West Bengal for the Republic Day parade, and said the government was behaving in a "prejudiced" manner. She said the two states had played a key role in the freedom struggle and the decision to allegedly deny permissions to their tableaux was an "insult" of the people. Centre rejects West Bengal's tableau proposal for Republic Day parade "The Centre has rejected permissions to the tableaux of Maharashtra and West Bengal from parading on Republic Day. It is a festival of the country and the Centre is expected to give representation to all the states," Sule tweeted. "But the government is behaving in a prejudiced manner, giving step-motherly treatment to the states being ruled by the opposition parties," she added. The Parliamentarian from Baramati also shared a news report that claims that the Defence Ministry has rejected West Bengal's tableau for the Republic Day parade on January 26. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 16:59 [IST] SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In the context of the Material Fact disclosed on January 24, 2019, whereby Embraer S.A. (" Company " or " Embraer ") informed the execution of certain agreements with respect to the strategic partnership between the Company and The Boeing Company (" Boeing ") (" Transaction "), as well as of the Material Fact disclosed on October 3, 2019, the Company informs its shareholders and the market that, on the date hereof, the internal carve-out of the Company's commercial aviation business was implemented by means of the contribution by Embraer, to the capital stock of Yabora Industria Aeronautica S.A., of the net assets comprising assets, liabilities, properties, rights and obligations related to Embraer's commercial aviation business unit. The consummation of the Transaction remains subject to (i) the approval by the European Commission and the Brazilian Antitrust Agency (Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Economica CADE); and (ii) the satisfaction of other customary conditions in similar transactions. Until such approvals are obtained and the other conditions are satisfied, there can be no assurance as to the consummation of the Transaction or the timing thereof. Embraer and Boeing will continue to endeavor their best efforts to close the Transaction as soon as possible. The Company will keep its shareholders and the market informed of any new relevant information concerning the Transaction. Sao Jose dos Campos, January 1, 2020. Antonio Carlos Garcia Executive Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations PRESS OFFICES: Headquarters (Brazil) Corporate Communications [email protected] Cell: +55 11 98890 7777 Tel.: +55 11 4873 7984 North America Alyssa Ten Eyck [email protected] Cell: +1 954 383 0460 Tel.: +1 954 359 3847 Europe, Middle East and Africa Guy Douglas [email protected] Cell: +31 (0)657120121 Tell: +31 (0)202158109 China Mirage Zhong [email protected] Cell: +86 185 1378 5180 Tel.: +86 10 6598 9988 Asia Pacific Nilma Missir-Boissac [email protected] Cell: +65 9012 8428 Tel.: +65 6305 9955 SOURCE Embraer S.A. Chandigarh, Jan 2 : In a faux pas, two sisters from Haryana were denied passports by authorities in Chandigarh due to their "Nepalese" appearance. With the intervention of state Home Minister Anil Vij, authorities have been asked to look into the reason for the denial of the visa to sisters Santosh and Heena. They belonged to Ambala, the home constituency of Vij. They have been granted the documents and a probe is on to find out the reasons for the denial of passport initially on the basis of their "Nepali appearance", a senior passport official here told IANS. He said Regional Passport Officer Sibash Kabiraj has directed to grant them the passport subject to pre-verification by the police. "An inquiry has been ordered to look into who wrote the noting and suitable action will be initiated against the erring official," he said. Kabiraj was not available for comments despite repeated calls to his office. One of the applicants, in her complaint to Vij, said when they went to the passport office in Chandigarh, they saw "our faces and wrote that we are Nepali." "They asked us to prove our nationality," she said. The minister asked Deputy Commissioner of Ambala, Ashok Sharma, to take up their case appropriately. Sharma said a few days ago the sisters along with their father Bhagat Bahadur had approached him. He said the passport office had summoned them and now their passports would be issued to them soon. Updated 3:38 p.m. A Jackson County sheriffs deputy shot and killed an armed man Wednesday night near Central Point, authorities say. Deputies shot and killed Teddy James Maverick Varner, 29, after they responded to the property for reports of a possible assault involving a weapon. According to the Jackson County Sheriffs Office, Varner confronted deputies while they were attempting to secure the scene of a reported shooting in the 8000 block of Blackwell Road. Deputies say a caller reported to dispatch around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday that Varner was making threats against her boyfriend. Public Information Officer Mike Moran said the caller, a woman, was inside a house, and Varner and the victim were in a shop on the same property. When deputies arrived at the scene, they spoke to a man inside the shop who cooperated with their requests and came outside. But police found that another man, Varner, was still in the house and was likely armed. As police were talking to the other man, Varner came out of the shop with a handgun and came toward them. Deputies said he was pointing the gun toward them. One deputy fired his rifle multiple times, hitting Varner. He was taken to get medical treatment, but he died from the gunshot wounds. Moran said deputies still dont know exactly what caused the fight inside the shop, but said that alcohol may have been a factor. The shooting is one of two involving Oregon law enforcement officers in early 2020. An armed man was also killed early Thursday in a police shooting in a residential Hillsboro neighborhood. Both cases are under investigation. Neither of the officers who fired the fatal shots have been identified. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 -- Jayati Ramakrishnan; @jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; 503-221-4320; JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. An extraordinary row has broken out between Labor and the Greens with opposition backbencher Pat Conroy describing a Greens Senator "disgusting" and "offensive" for using the bushfires to politically attack his opponents. The row was sparked when Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John lashed out at the major parties on Twitter for kowtowing to "their corporate mates" on global warming. He has since posted follow-up tweets labelling his political opponents "climate criminals". The 24-year old was not in the parliament at the time when his Greens party combined with the Coalition to vote down the emissions trading scheme put forward by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2009. Northern Irelands leading university on Thursday appointed former U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as its new chancellor, hailing her as an internationally recognised leader and an inspirational role model. Queens University Belfast said Mrs Clinton, who received an honorary doctorate from the university in 2018, would become its first female chancellor. Stephen Prenter, chair of the universitys senate, said in a statement that Clintons five-year appointment had made considerable contribution to Northern Ireland. Mr Prenter added that Mr Clinton as an internationally recognised leader, would be an incredible advocate for Queens and an inspirational role model for the Queens community. Mrs Clinton said it was a great privilege to become the chancellor of Queens University, a place I have great fondness for and have grown a strong relationship with over the years. The university is making waves internationally for its research and impact and I am proud to be an ambassador and help grow its reputation for excellence, she added. The university said Clinton had a long-standing commitment to peace, stability and economic regeneration in Northern Ireland. As secretary of state, she focused on economic development to underpin the emergence of a strong and competitive Northern Ireland. Also, during her time as first lady, made considerable contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, it said. Mrs Clinton, 72, is the wife of former U.S President Bill Clinton and also the Democratic candidate in the 2016 U.S presidential election, losing to Republican President Donald Trump. (dpa/NAN) BEIJING, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The city of Ganzhou in China's southeastern province of Jiangxi has launched an exchange for spot transactions in rare earths and minor metals, according to a report posted by the Association of China Rare Earth Industry on Thursday. The Ganzhou Rare Metal Exchange, which was launched on Dec. 31, will help boost the city's global influence and pricing power for the traded products, the report by the provincial government-run Jiangxi Daily cited Ganzhou mayor Zeng Wenming as saying. The bourse is the second rare earth exchange to open in China, the world's dominant producer of the group of minerals after the launch of the Baotou Rare Earth Products Exchange in Inner Mongolia in 2014. The Shanghai Futures Exchange is also working to introduce rare earth futures. Baotou and Ganzhou are China's two hubs for rare earths, which are prized for their use in consumer electronics and military equipment. The Ganzhou exchange will also trade molybdenum, tungsten, tin, cobalt and other metals, the report said, making its trading portfolio similar to that of China's now-defunct Fanya Metal Exchange. Fanya was launched in 2011 with the aim of raising prices for minor metals and initially enjoyed government support before collapsing amid liquidity problems in 2015. The report did not specify which of the 17 rare earths would be traded in Ganzhou, which is known for its high concentration of heavy rare earths such as terbium and dysprosium. The city was visited by Chinese President Xi Jinping in May last year, speaking concerns that Beijing could seek to restrict supply in its trade war with the United States. China has not formally announced any measures to curb supply and is set to sign a Phase 1 deal to end its trade row with Washington this month, although its rare earth exports to all countries sank to a 4-1/2 year low in November. Internships and Careers The department annually awards a number of competitive scholarships to qualified undergraduate students and has various student employment opportunities, which allow students to develop their craft while receiving financial compensation. Students may apply for the BGSU exchange program with the University of Wales, the largest undergraduate theatre program in Great Britain and home of the prestigious Performance Research Centre. The London Experience, an intensive immersion in the London theatre scene, offers students another education abroad opportunity. Queensland Police asked for the publics help after a man used a machete to rob a convenience store in Nerang, Australia in the Gold Coast area around 7.30 pm on December 27. Surveillance footage from the robbery shows the man using the blade to coerce the clerk into emptying the cash register and giving him cigarettes. Police posted the video on Twitter and asked for witnesses to come forward to identify the accused thief. Credit: Queensland Police Service via Storyful Republican and conservative groups for months called on the U.S. House to put the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement up for a vote, often accusing the Democrats of holding up the trade agreement because of impeachment proceedings. But now that the agreement has reached the Republican-controlled Senate, the offices of New Mexico Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich are unsure when the measure will come up for a vote. The trade agreement was not put on the calendar before the beginning of the congressional holiday break. And at least one publication, Politico, said it may not come up until after President Trumps impeachment trial expected in January. The House approved the agreement by a 385-41 vote on Dec. 19. Udall said he would carefully review the details and listen to feedback from his constituents before making a decision on how to vote. I am encouraged by House Democrats legislation to implement the U.S. Mexico and Canada Agreement, and hope that we can put President Trumps chaotic and harmful trade policies behind us, the second-term Democrat said. Democrats have significantly improved the agreement negotiated by the Trump administration which did not do enough to enforce labor rights and protect the environment. Heinrich is also evaluating the deal and consulting with local stakeholders to ensure that the agreement was the best deal possible for New Mexico, Heinrich spokesman Aaron Morales said. He said the senator was cautiously optimistic about the agreement. The three members of the states all-Democratic U.S. House delegation voted in favor of the deal, including Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, D-N.M., who was targeted by the Trump reelection campaign and a group affiliated with House Republican leadership about where she stood on impeachment, citing the lack of action on USMCA. She was among the first Democratic lawmakers calling for a vote in favor of the deal. I came to Congress committed to working with anyone to deliver for New Mexico, Torres Small said after the House vote. The passage of USMCA is an example of what is possible when we work across party lines to tackle our shared challenges. This legislation is a huge win for New Mexican workers, business owners, agricultural producers, and economy. U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan said the renegotiated USMCA marked an improvement over the North America Free Trade agreement it will replace and the flawed agreement initially put forward by the Trump administration. Democrats worked diligently to strengthen the agreements labor and environmental protections, pushed to ensure meaningful enforcement, and fought to remove provisions that would have locked in higher prescription drug prices, he said. However, this agreement isnt perfect, and it doesnt reverse President Trumps failed economic policies. Going forward, we must build on this agreement to further strengthen worker protections, combat climate change, and create opportunities for American workers. The USMCA is considered an update to NAFTA with provisions to encourage automobile manufacturing in North America, open up the market for some U.S. agricultural products such as dairy and address digital technology issues that were not in existence when NAFTA went into effect in 1994. Sky News The programme of events marking The Queen's 70th year on the throne has been revealed by Buckingham Palace. Instead, it is believed that other members of the Royal Family will take on much of the duties in her place, including Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess Of Cornwall. "But yet, because she has reigned for so long, there is a chance for the nation to celebrate her and she has through her household, and many other people who are taking part, put forward for this weekend events that people can involve themselves in, or ignore, in the true British style, just as they please." Guzman was riding in a gray 1996 Mitsubishi Lancer that stopped in front of a home as it drove past the van around 10:50 a.m. He got out of the vehicle and ran toward the van as an officer rolled down a window and shouted several times, Stop, police, prosecutors said. 118 Shares Share The theme of the conference is the medical humanities. After Lawrence Hills keynote speech, the lineup of people waiting to speak with him is long. At the end of the day, Im inspired by the lectures I attended, but disappointed that I didnt get the chance to speak with Dr. Hill. I should have just stood in line. While waiting on my Uber outside in Hamilton, Ontario, Dr. Hill emerges from the building. Hes waiting for his ride, too. Sometimes life is unbelievably hard. Other times, its unbelievably perfect. This is one of those perfect times. We start a conversation. It turns out that Dr. Hill is giving a lecture in Halifax in the coming months. We make a plan to meet in my home of Nova Scotia so I can interview him. (For the full interview, check out the December issue of Canadian Family Physician.) Fast forward to after our meeting at the Halifax library. I am left totally inspired by my conversation with Lawrence Hill. Especially by the way that he uses his writing for the purpose of education and creating positive social change. Whether its fiction or non-fiction, Dr. Hill knows the power of story to move people. To make change. Most people, whether aged 4 or 94, love a good story, he said. If you can find a way to get into meaty issues and do so dramatically, you are more likely to excite the attention of your readers. Dr. Hill certainly applied this philosophy in his book, Blood: The Stuff of Life. He writes about blood in many different aspects. The history. The science. The culture. The politics. His reference list is exhaustive. But the book doesnt read like a textbook. Instead, it is full of stories. In the book, there are personal anecdotes about how Dr. Hill developed a fascination with blood. He writes about the historical ludicrous blood donation policies that discriminated against black individuals. He describes the history of the sexist stigma of menstruation dating back to Aristotle. And the history of bloodletting. Did you know that George Washington died from the bloodletting he received to treat his cold? The way Dr. Hill presents the information is anything but dry. At its essence, the book is a collection of stories. Im one semester into my MA in Journalism, and throughout the first term, Ive been learning about the importance of storytelling. As a scientist and physician, I am used to making conclusions based on reading systematic reviews and clinical trials. In the scientific literature, we present information in a specific way. Introduction. Methods. Results. Discussion. Conclusion. Do not deviate from the norm. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. And in medicine, we definitely shouldnt embrace fluffy stories. Its not what we do. Right? Wrong. Unless we tell stories, unless we can show why facts and statistics matter, nobody cares. Lets say you are the top researcher in your field. How many people have read your last publication? Several hundred would be a huge win. Thousands would be rare. Of note, Kim Kardashian-West has 154 million followers on Instagram, 1.4 million of whom liked her most recent post. Of her pajama pic. She has an effective way of telling stories, and we need to be (somewhat) more like her. Medicine needs to buy into the idea of storytelling. We need to listen when patients tell us their stories. We also need to communicate in ways that are compelling and exciting. In the age of social media, everyone can be a story-teller. And every single person in this world has a story to tell. Dr. Hill said that story-telling has an important role not only in fiction, but also in non-fiction. In non-fiction, you are limited to what you learn or what you believe to be true, but you still have to create a story. Most nonfiction books that attract a wide readership are profoundly rooted in story, he said. In the field of health, we practice medicine based on applying facts that we acquire. We are essentially tasked with communicating non-fiction. Let us remember that to many of our patients, numbers mean nothing. Numbers by themselves mean very little to me, too. Why not communicate evidenced-based medicine as if were writing a gripping piece of non-fiction? Many people are already doing this naturally. Lets bring stories into the clinic and our lives. And lets bring it into the digital sphere, too. Kim Kardashian-West deserves some competition. Sarah Fraser is a family physician who can be reached at her self-titled site, Sarah Fraser MD. She is the author of Humanities Emergency. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Having long protested his innocence, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn has committed a clear crime by jumping bail and can never return to Japan without going to jail. So he now has burnt his bridges to Japan, Stephen Givens, a lawyer and expert on Japans legal and corporate systems, said on Wednesday. This is going to end in basically a stalemate with him spending the rest of his life in Lebanon. How exactly Mr Ghosn fled surveillance in Japan and emerged in Lebanon, or who might have directed the dramatic escape, remains unclear. The Tokyo District Court revoked his bail, Japanese media reports said, meaning authorities would seize the 1.5 billion yen (10.5 million) Mr Ghosn had posted on two separate instances to get out of detention. Mr Ghosn was first arrested in November 2018, released and then rearrested. The court was closed for the New Years holidays on Thursday and could not be immediately reached for comment. Mr Ghosn had been out on bail while awaiting trial on various financial misconduct allegations. The trial was expected to start in April, though no date had been set. How the Japanese authorities might investigate Mr Ghosns escape and what action they might take on the apparent security lapses also remains unclear. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. Mr Ghosn, who is of Lebanese origin and holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports, disclosed his location in a statement through his representatives but did not say how he managed to flee Japan. He promised to talk to reporters next week. He said he wanted to avoid injustice and political persecution. I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japans legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to uphold, the statement said. Story continues Carlos Ghosn: Details of his daring escape from Japan may be confirmed in a promised talk with reporters next week (Koji Sasahara/AP) His lawyer Junichiro Hironaka denied all knowledge of the escape, saying he was stunned. He said he did not expect Mr Ghosn to return to Japan. When asked if Mr Ghosn had taken any of the documents being prepared for the trial, Mr Hironaka said he had not checked but said he doubted Mr Ghosn would care about a trial he had taken such pains to avoid. Japanese media reports said on Wednesday there were no official records of Mr Ghosns departure from the country, but a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. One report said he sneaked out from his Tokyo home hiding in a case for a musical instrument. Lebanons minister for presidential affairs, Selim Jreissati, told the An-Nahar newspaper that Mr Ghosn entered legally at the airport with a French passport and Lebanese ID. France has reacted with surprise and confusion, denying any knowledge. Speculation is rife that a foreign or Japanese government, or both, might have been involved, or maybe simply turned a blind eye to allow the escape and spare the public from a potentially embarrassing trial. With him missing, Mr Ghosns trial is suspended. But a trial is still pending against Nissan as a company and Greg Kelly, another Nissan executive. Mr Kelly, an American, has said he is innocent. Mr Kellys allegations overlap with those charges against Mr Ghosn related to the under-reporting of Mr Ghosns future compensation. Those charges are less serious than the additional breach of trust accusations against Mr Ghosn. Mr Ghosn has been charged with breach of trust in having Nissan shoulder his personal investment losses, and diverting payments in Saudi Arabia and Oman for personal gain. He has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up the charges to prevent a fuller merger between Nissan and alliance partner Renault SA. Jaipur, Jan 2 : Twitterati reacted angrily on Thursday over the death of over 100 children in JK Lon hospital in Rajasthan's Kota district in the past one month, and even questioned the silence of a section of the media on the issue. #KotaKeDoshi trended with 7,794 tweets and #KotaTragedy with 4,176 tweets. One angry user asked: "What do you expect from a Congress CM like Ashok Gehlot? Paani mein se bijli nikal denge to pani me bachega kya? - Ashok Gehlot. Two-minute silence for the people of #Rajasthan and condolences to families especially mothers who lost their young ones." Another user remarked: "More than 100 children have died but there is no movement in the media, no assurance from the state government and no statement from so-called intellectuals." "The silence of media on the Kota hospital deaths of children is deafening," read one post. One user posted: "100 children died at Kota, Rajasthan, but no partisan news channel has focussed any prime time news (as they did for Gorakhpur). Why there is no action against those responsible? #KotaKeDoshi must be punished." (Ammoland.com) "An Erie County man who describes regret over voting for President Donald Trump in 2016 didn't vote for him, according to news organizations that checked his voting record," Penn Live reported Friday. "Mark Graham is featured in videos created by America Bridge, a Democrat-supporting political action committee, or PAC." Shame on Graham. The story indicates that despite protests and demands for an apology by Pennsylvania Republicans, the video has not been taken down from America Bridge's website. Even if it is, the internet is forever and this will follow him around in meatspace, probably for the rest of his life - as it should, especially noting his unremorseful, defensive and even proud attitude. But Graham is just a tool. The real reputation to look at is that belonging to the group that knowingly sticks to the lie even after being exposed, and that does not even have the integrity to admit it was wrong, let alone to fess up to being so deliberately. It's fair to conclude the only thing they're sorry about is getting caught. ..... BEIJING, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Chinese lithium firm Youngy Co has signed a framework agreement to build a lithium ore processing plant in Sichuan province, part of a 1.4 billion yuan ($201.1 million) investment in an industrial zone there, it said on Thursday. According to a filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, the deal stipulates that Youngy should process at least 1.05 million tonnes a year of spodumene from its Jiajika mine in Sichuan, China's largest deposit of the mineral. Spodumene is mined for its lithium content and can be converted into lithium carbonate, a key ingredient in lithium batteries for electric vehicles. Youngy parent Youngy Investment Holding Group has an 8.97% stake in Chinese battery and electric vehicle maker BYD Co , according to Refinitiv Eikon data. If Youngy fails to reach the agreed processing volume, it will have to make up the shortfall in taxes and fees to the local government, the statement said. The volume matches the capacity of Jiajika, which only restarted in mid-2019 after being out of production for five years amid an environmental backlash. Youngy also plans to set up mine waste processing facilities and a lithium engineering technology research institute in the zone, while the Kangding government will provide preferential policies for the fundraising, according to the filing. It did not give a timeframe for the start of construction. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said the work on Dr B R Ambedkar's memorial here will be completed by 2022 once all requisite permissions are received for the project. He also assured that there will be no shortage of funds for the project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the memorial in October 2015. "We will try to complete the work by April 14, 2022...the government will ensure there is no shortage of funds for the project," Pawar told reporters here. April 14 is the birth anniversary of Ambedkar, the Dalit icon and architect of the Constitution. Pawar, who was accompanied by another Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, made the comments after visiting the Indu Mills Compound here to take stock of progress of the memorial work. He said some permissions required for the project were not yet received. The deputy chief minister, however, did not specify which permissions are pending. "These permissions come under the purview of the state," he added. The previous BJP-led Devendra Fadnavis government had said the memorial work would be completed by 2020. The NCP and Congress, which were then in opposition, had alleged that the memorial's work was going on slowly. Asked about unseasonal rainfall in parts of the state, Pawar said such a scenario is caused by global warming and the government always stands with farmers if they suffer crop losses. "There has to be an inspection of the losses incurred by farmers due to the latest rains," he said, adding that the government will be speaking to district collectors on the farm loan waiver issue on Friday. Rains lashed some parts of Marathwada and Vidarbha regions on Thursday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Moroccan couple were allegedly caught trying to smuggle a 10-year-old Palestinian boy across the Spanish border in a shopping trolley full of groceries. Spanish police discovered the small child at the Beni-Enzar border with Melilla, an autonomous Spanish city on the northwest of Africa, on December 31. A photo released by police shows him crouching down inside the trolley. Sky News reported that the couple were arrested on human trafficking charges. The child is said to have been returned to his mother, who is living at a nearby migrant camp. Melilla is a popular crossing point for migrants and refugees as it is one of only two land borders the European Union shares with Africa. The other is the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, also bordering Morocco. Morocco does not recognise Spanish sovereignty over Melilla. Margaret Saunter rode three city buses and arrived nearly an hour early to Wednesday's New Year's Day levee at Government House. Saunter was first in line in a crowd gathered outside the front door of the stone building, waiting for a chance to wind through the art-bedecked halls, and for a chance to greet Lt.-Gov. Lois Mitchell. Saunter attends the annual event every year she's able to. Her family has a long history of Canadian military service, and it means a lot to her to be there. "I like to serve our country, and honour our military, and come here to celebrate," she said. Hundreds of visitors were expected to cross the threshold of Government House on Wednesday for the annual New Year's Day levee. Paige Parsons/CBC Lt.-Gov. Lois Mitchell, who has now presided over five levees, said a particularly special part of the day is meeting children. To entertain young guests, games and cookies are offered. And youngsters waiting in the reception line to greet the lieutenant-governor and other officials are likely to get a high-five from Brig.-Gen. Stephen Lacroix, Commander 3rd Canadian Division, she said. "We like to make it fun for those children to understand how very special it is to come to Government House because a lot of them have never been here before, and this is their house," Mitchell said. Mitchell said a new year, and in this case a new decade, is a great time for reflection. "We're all global citizens and we want peace. That's what we want for all," she said. "But I think, more than anything, to live in a country like we do, in Canada, in a province, like Alberta." Earlier in the day, Mitchell spent time meeting with Albertans in uniform and their families. The morning marked Sub-Lt. Zach Lipinski's fifth year as a levee guest. He said it's a great opportunity to connect with people he normally wouldn't encounter. Paige Parsons/CBC "Getting to meet the lieutenant-governor, and chat briefly about what's going on, and mention what we do, and then also to network with everyone else and find out what the military is doing, to get the scoop" Story continues Another bonus is that the food is excellent, Zipiniski said. He recommended trying the beef sandwich. Levees are a longstanding tradition in Canada, dating back to the 1600s, and borrowed from an even older European tradition. The word "levee" comes from the French word "lever," which means "to rise." French aristocrats used to receive guests in the morning, but British royalty preferred to mingle with their subjects in the afternoon. In Canada, where lieutenant-governors serve as the Queen's representative, levees are held in the afternoon. New York When a machete-wielding attacker walked into a rabbi's home in Monsey, Rockland County, during Hanukkah and a gunman fired on worshippers at a Texas church 14 hours later, the two congregations in different regions of the country joined a growing list of faith communities that have come under attack in the U.S. It is a group that crosses denominations and geography and has companions around the world. The frequency of attacks has faith leaders and law enforcement grappling with how to protect people when they are at their most vulnerable. FBI hate crime statistics show that incidents in churches, synagogues, temples and mosques increased 34.8 percent between 2014 and 2018, the last year for which FBI data is available. "For a person bent on hate crime against a particular religion or race, you go to a place where you know a lot of people in that group will be congregating and vulnerable," said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Boston's Northeastern University. "One place you can go to find people of a certain religion is where they worship." Most congregations, he said, do not have security. Three of the deadliest attacks on congregation members have occurred since June 2015, when a gunman killed nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. The database includes attacks where four or more victims are killed. However, the database wouldn't include the most recent attacks that have refocused attention on the security vulnerabilities at religious institutions. The FBI's hate crime highlights list a number of crimes, including a Colorado plot to blow up a synagogue, an Oregon man sentenced to federal prison for targeting a Catholic Church and two guilty pleas in the bombing of an Islamic Center in Minnesota. A five-year compilation of AP reports showed the frequency of attacks countrywide. Recent stories included the stabbing of an Orthodox Jewish man as he approached the driveway of his synagogue in Monsey in November, as well as a Las Vegas incident where a suspect torched a Buddhist temple, then shot toward at least one monk fleeing the fire. The data is definitive enough that the FBI invited faith leaders to its headquarters last June to discuss how to protect themselves and their congregants. Mark Whitlock Jr., pastor of Reid Temple AME Church in Glenn Dale, Md., said his own staff and volunteers have met five times in the last month to discuss safety. "Our first responsibility is to make sure our congregants have faith in God and second, that they are safe," Whitlock said. Reid has a paid security staff of about 20 who wear uniforms and are armed. There are volunteers as well, made up of former and current federal agents, law enforcement officers and military who also provide security. Even with the protection, he is watchful. On Sunday, he was in the pulpit and saw the security force reacting to something. They explained later it was a stranger they wanted to identify. "When you're looking at thousands of people and you see your security force walking around, your mind begins to wonder," he said. The new spate of anti-Semitic attacks has added to the sense of urgency that's been felt by Jewish security experts since the 2018 massacre at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue, where 11 people were killed. "The greatest adversary we truly face is not an external threat, it's a sense of denial," said Michael Masters, national director of the Secure Community Network. It was formed by leading Jewish organizations in 2004 in response to security threats. "The conversation prior to Pittsburgh was whether safety and security was necessary," Masters said. "Now it's a question of how do we effectuate that there's now a reality that these events can happen anywhere." Sunday's attack in White Settlement, Texas, in which the gunman was shot dead by a highly trained leader of the church's security team, came barely two years after more than two dozen people were killed at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. That remains the deadliest shooting at a house of worship in the U.S. in modern times. The two Texas attacks have heightened worries among churchgoers in neighboring Oklahoma, said the Rev. Derrek Belase, a former police officer turned pastor who coordinates security training for the more than 480 United Methodist churches in Oklahoma. "Texas is close to home for us," Belase said. "People see it on the news and think, 'That could be us.'" When Belase is advising churches on security, his core recommendations are to work in tandem with local law enforcement, be wary of for-profit security consultants, and be sure that members of any church security team are thoroughly trained. The security team leader in White Settlement "wasn't just a guy with a gun," Belase said. "He was trained to do that." Pardeep Singh Kaleka, executive director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, said his own Sikh temple has armed guards and an evacuation plan, the result of a 2012 attack in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, that killed six worshippers, including his father. "All faiths want to remain open, Buddhists, Sikhs, Muslims, Jews, Christians, but you also have to be vigilant and institute safety protocols." Trump Threatens Iran, Does Not See War After Baghdad Embassy Attack By VOA News January 01, 2020 Security forces at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq's capital used tear gas Wednesday to disperse protesters led by pro-Iran militiamen as they gathered for a second day at the diplomatic site. Some spent the night camped outside the embassy walls in Baghdad after a large crowd Tuesday breached the outer reaches of the compound and set several fires. U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is holding Iran responsible for any damage or injuries at U.S. facilities. "They will pay a very big price. This is not a warning. It is a threat," Trump tweeted. Speaking to reporters late Tuesday, Trump said he does not see the United States going to war with Iran. "I don't think Iran would want that to happen. It would go very quickly," Trump added. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned U.S. actions in Iraq and Syria in his own Twitter comments Wednesday, and responded directly to Trump's threats by saying, "You can't do anything." "If you were logical which you're not you'd see that your crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan ... have made nations hate you," Khamenei wrote. More US troops to Mideast The U.S. Defense Department is sending an additional 750 troops to the Middle East in what Defense Secretary Mark Esper called "an appropriate and precautionary action." "We rely on host nation forces to assist in the protection of our personnel in country, and we call on the government of Iraq to fulfill its international responsibilities to do so," he said. Trump spoke Tuesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi about the need to protect U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq, and in his late-night comments to reporters he thanked the Iraqi government. "They stepped up very nicely," Trump said. Tuesday's incident involved the pro-Iranian protesters using battering rams to smash through a steel door at a visitors center, setting fires and burning a security post before Iraqi security forces drove them back with tear gas and stun grenades. The embassy building itself was not damaged, and none of the crowd entered. Embassy safe The State Department said all U.S. personnel were safe and there were no plans to evacuate anyone. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that terrorists orchestrated the attack. He named Kataeb Hezbollah militia commander Abu Mahdi al Muhandis along with Qays al-Khazali, Hadi al-Amari, and Faleh al-Fayyad and posted a picture of all four outside the embassy. Pompeo stressed that the attack "should not be confused with the legitimate efforts of Iraqi protesters who have been in the streets since October, working for the people of Iraq to end the corruption exported there by the Iranian regime." US airstrikes anger Iraq The incident Tuesday came in response to U.S. airstrikes Sunday targeting weapons storage facilities and command centers of the Iranian-backed Kataeb Hezbollah in Iraq and eastern Syria. Those strikes killed at least 25 people and wounded dozens. U.S. officials say the airstrikes were in response to a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base last week that killed a U.S. defense contractor, and that evidence left no doubt Kataeb Hezbollah was responsible. Kataeb Hezbollah, part of the state-sanctioned militias operating in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), has denied responsibility for the Friday attack. Iraq says the U.S. airstrikes were a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty, as well as of the rules governing the "goals and principles" of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq to fight and defeat the Islamic State terror group. US blames Iraq U.S. officials brushed aside such criticism and instead placed blame on Iraq for allowing Iranian proxies to operate at will inside their country despite 11 such attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in the past two months. "We have warned the Iraqi government many times, and we've shared information with them to try to work with them to try to carry out their responsibility to protect us as their invited guests," a senior U.S. official said. "They have not taken the appropriate steps." Since May, the United States has sent an additional 14,000 forces to the Middle East, along with air and missile defense systems and additional reconnaissance capabilities, in response to what officials see as a growing threat from Iran and its proxies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Moon Jae-in started his New Year by hiking up Mt. Acha in Guri east of Seoul along with seven decorated citizens including firefighters, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. Moon has ushered in the new year by mountain climbing for the past three years. Last year was Mt. Nam in northern Seoul and the year earlier Mt. Bukhan. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Wednesday that it has evacuated 124 refugees from Libya to Niger, Trend reports citing Xinhua. "We wish them a better year ahead and we will endeavour to help the most vulnerable refugees to safety out of Libya in the coming months," the UNHCR said. Thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean from Libya towards Europe due to the chaos in the North African nation since 2011. According to the UNHCR, there are nearly 4,200 people held in detention centers in Libya currently. The UNHCR has repeatedly called for closure of the detention centers of illegal immigrants in Libya. Researchers at Columbia University and University of California, San Diego, have introduced a novel "multi-messenger" approach to quantum physics that signifies a technological leap in how scientists can explore quantum materials. The findings appear in a recent article published in Nature Materials, led by A. S. McLeod, postdoctoral researcher, Columbia Nano Initiative, with co-authors Dmitri Basov and A. J. Millis at Columbia and R.A. Averitt at UC San Diego. "We have brought a technique from the inter-galactic scale down to the realm of the ultra-small," said Basov, Higgins Professor of Physics and Director of the Energy Frontier Research Center at Columbia. Equipped with multi-modal nanoscience tools we can now routinely go places no one thought would be possible as recently as five years ago." The work was inspired by "multi-messenger" astrophysics, which emerged during the last decade as a revolutionary technique for the study of distant phenomena like black hole mergers. Simultaneous measurements from instruments, including infrared, optical, X-ray and gravitational-wave telescopes can, taken together, deliver a physical picture greater than the sum of their individual parts. The search is on for new materials that can supplement the current reliance on electronic semiconductors. Control over material properties using light can offer improved functionality, speed, flexibility and energy efficiency for next-generation computing platforms. Experimental papers on quantum materials have typically reported results obtained by using only one type of spectroscopy. The researchers have shown the power of using a combination of measurement techniques to simultaneously examine electrical and optical properties. The researchers performed their experiment by focusing laser light onto the sharp tip of a needle probe coated with magnetic material. When thin films of metal oxide are subject to a unique strain, ultra-fast light pulses can trigger the material to switch into an unexplored phase of nanometer-scale domains, and the change is reversible. By scanning the probe over the surface of their thin film sample, the researchers were able to trigger the change locally and simultaneously manipulate and record the electrical, magnetic and optical properties of these light-triggered domains with nanometer-scale precision. The study reveals how unanticipated properties can emerge in long-studied quantum materials at ultra-small scales when scientists tune them by strain. "It is relatively common to study these nano-phase materials with scanning probes. But this is the first time an optical nano-probe has been combined with simultaneous magnetic nano-imaging, and all at the very low temperatures where quantum materials show their merits," McLeod said. "Now, investigation of quantum materials by multi-modal nanoscience offers a means to close the loop on programs to engineer them." ### The study, "Multi-messenger nanoprobes of hidden magnetism in a strained manganite," was developed with support from Programmable Quantum Materials, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science and Basic Energy Sciences. Rankings reflect sales for the week ended Dec. 29. The charts may not be reproduced without permission from the American Booksellers Association, the trade association for independent bookstores in the United States, and indiebound.org. Copyright 2019 American Booksellers Association. (The bestseller lists alternate between hardcover and paperback each week.) Thailand began 2000 with a ban on single-use plastic bags at major stores, continuing a campaign launched by the government and retailers towards a complete ban in 2021 to reduce plastic waste in the sea. Public awareness of the risk to animals and the environment from such waste was raised last year in a series of incidents where animals including a deer and a baby dugong were found dead with plastics in their digestive systems. Thailand was ranked at number sixth among the worlds top countries that dump waste into the sea, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-Archa told reporters after handing out reusable bags to the public. During the past five months, we were down to the 10th of the rank. Within just five to six months we managed to come down by up to four ranks, thanks to the cooperation of the Thai people. The ministry says the country reduced the use of plastic bags by 2 billion, or about 5,765 tonnes last year, in the first phase of a campaign that encourages consumers to voluntarily refuse plastic bags from stores. Varawut said the most challenging aspect would be the last 40 percent of plastic bags used at fresh markets and in rural areas. At first, I was not used to it [bringing shopping bags] because sometimes I just came [with] bare hands and forgot about it. When I remember, I will carry it along, one shopper at a supermarket, Supanee Burut-thong, told Reuters. A number of U.S. states have passed plastic bag bans. California was the first state to do so, followed by New York state. More recently, Maine and Vermont followed wuit. Hawaii has essentially banned plastic bags, as all its counties have implemented plastic bag reduction laws. NTD staff contributed to this report. As 2019 drew to a close the Defence Forces, which includes the training centre at the Curragh Camp, have complied an end of year summary of Defence Forces Security Operations and training activities throughout 2019, both at home and overseas. The Defence Forces conducted a wide range of Defence and Security Operations in 2019. Their deployments included Aid to Civil Power and Aid to the Civil Authority operations on a daily basis supporting An Garda Siochana, HSE, Local Authorities and other key agencies of the State. Some examples of these activities are: The Army conducted over 195 Aid to the Civil Power Operations in support of An Garda Siochana involving Explosive Ordnance Disposal (Bomb Squad) call outs, Prisoner Escorts, Explosive Escorts, major Cash Escorts and Search Operations. The Defence Forces deployed approximately 2,614 personnel on Joint Security Operations during State Visits including POTUS and VPOTUS. Members of the Defence Forces continue to provide a permanent armed guard at Irelands only maximum-security prison, Portlaoise Prison as well as the Central Bank and Irish Industrial Explosives. The Defence Forces contributed personnel and expertise supporting the Department of Communications. Climate Action and Environment National Cyber Security Centre. Over 336 personnel, including the Engineer Specialist Search Teams, were deployed to assist in 14 various searches on request from An Garda Siochana. And approximately 120 personnel were deployed to assist civil authorities during multiple operations, including combating gorse fires in Wicklow, Donegal and Mayo. The Defence Forces also deployed ambulances and crews on seven occasions throughout the year in Kildare, Dublin and Cork to assist the NAS. In 2019, Defence Forces personnel served overseas on missions with the United Nations, NATO PfP (Partnership for Peace), EU and OSCE Peace Support and Security Operations across 14 missions in 13 countries. There are currently 595 Defence Forces personnel serving overseas. The largest Defence Forces deployment is in South Lebanon with UNIFIL, where 338 Irish personnel are deployed to maintain a safe and secure environment. In November 2019, Ireland partnered with Poland on this mission, enhancing and developing our interoperability with Partner Nations. The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) also contribute nine personnel to IRISHPOLBATT. Ireland currently has 138 personnel deployed with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights, Syria (UNDOF). Our ongoing Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) upgrade programme saw nine new APCs deployed to UNDOF in November 19, enhancing force protection and mobility for our troops in theatre. BSP President on Thursday questioned the silence of Congress leader Vadra on the death of infants in Rajasthan's Kota district and said she should have met the women who had lost their children due to "laxity" of the Ashok Gehlot government. In a series of tweets, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also slammed the Gehlot government for the death of infants. "The death of 100 children in Rajasthan's Kota district is very sad and painful. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his government are still insensitive, disinterested and irresponsible, which is highly condemnable," she charged in a tweet. "But, what is more saddening is the fact that the top leadership of the Congress and especially its lady general secretary maintaining silence over this issue. It would have been better that like she did in UP, she had met the aggrieved mothers, who lost their children due to the laxity of the party's government," she said. The BSP chief also said, "If the lady Congress general secretary does not meet mothers of the deceased children, then her meeting with aggrieved family members of UP will be construed as pure theatrics and political self-interest, which the public of UP should be wary of". At least 100 infants have died at a government-run hospital in Kota in December last year. AFP via Getty Images Over 200 members of Congress have signed their names onto an effort to overturn two key abortion protections in the United States, marking the latest attempt by the GOP to take down the longstanding right. The list includes 39 Republicans hailing from red states, most of which Donald Trump carried in 2016 in a surprise victory that has allowed him to appoint two new conservative justices to the Supreme Court. Another 168 politicians in the House have also signed, including two Democrats. In the letter, the members call for a revisiting of Roe v Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision establishing the right to an abortion, and, "if appropriate", to overrule the protection. The letter comes as the Supreme Court considers a challenge to a Louisiana state law known as the Unsafe Abortion Protection Act that would require abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, which supporters say would help assist with the continuity of care should an emergency arise. But, just two doctors in the state have been able to receive a special designation required under the law. And, according to CBS News, one of those doctors has already stopped giving abortions, and the other has threatened to retire should the Supreme Court rule for the further restrictions on abortions. New: 207 members of Congress (including 39 Republican senators) tell the Supreme Court to revisit ("and, if appropriate," overrule) the two key abortion decisions, Casey and Roe v. Wade.https://t.co/hnW0rz8aLc pic.twitter.com/43tUzEWhUl Todd Ruger (@ToddRuger) January 2, 2020 In their amicus brief, the nearly 40 Republicans who signed their names to support the Louisiana law suggested that it illustrates that the American right to an abortion is unworkable. Story continues The issue illustrates the unworkability of the 'right to abortion' found in Roe v Wade, the senators wrote. The Supreme Court is set to hear the case early this year, after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld key provisions of the law. The appeals court decision marked the first time a federal court had ruled in favour of such measures after a nearly identical law in Texas was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016. While the Supreme Court blocked the lower court ruling for the moment with the help of chief Justice John Roberts, it is not clear that it will not ultimately uphold the provision. Justice Roberts, in 2016, dissented with the majority opinion. And, the conservative justice who joined liberals Anthony Kennedy to form a majority has now retired and been replaced by Brett Kavanaugh, who has expressed a willingness to undermine or discard the 2016 ruling out of Texas. In response to the mostly Republican amicus brief, prominent Democrats and activists slammed the effort, and suggested that it has been clear that the GOP is intent on overturning abortion protections for .women. "I won't hold my breath waiting for an apology from those who said that abortion rights supporters were being 'hysterical' when we decried Brett Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court as the possible end of Roe v Wade," Lauren Rankin, a womens' rights activist and writer, wrote on Twitter. "But here it is. They want to end legal abortion." And Andrew Yang, a Democratic presidential candidate, responded to the news by calling for a codification of Roe v Wade, so that the Supreme Court could not undercut the right through state-level attacks. Much of the Democratic field has likewise called for a codification of the ruling. "We need to protect women's reproductive rights and codify Roe v Wade into law," Mr Yang wrote on Twitter. Read more Bernie Sanders calls out Republican hypocrisy in Iowa The Iraqi authorities have been urged to take all appropriate steps to hold those responsible Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the attempt to attack the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. This was reported by the Ministrys press service. "In accordance with the principles of inviolability of the premises of diplomatic missions and their protection by a host state, we call upon the Government of the Republic of Iraq to take all necessary actions in order to hold the perpetrators accountable and provide the appropriate level of security of foreign diplomatic missions in Baghdad," the statement said. Several thousand protesters attacked the U.S. embassy in Iraq on Tuesday due to US air strikes that killed more than two dozen pro-Iran fighters at the weekend. They were holding up posters calling for the embassy to be shut down and for parliament to order US forces to leave the country. The strikes were in response to escalating rocket attacks on Iraqi bases where US forces are deployed. As we reported earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo postponed his trip to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Cyprus due to unrest in Iraq. Why can't star kids just admit their privilege? It's, honestly, a genuine question. It's not that hard to admit that you had an advantage while trying to make it in Bollywood. That way, at least they will just be privileged and not entitled. But nope, even now, almost all of them try to justify nepotism by talking about how much they have to struggle as well. This entire thing was perfectly summed by Ananya Pandey recently, while she appeared on the Newcomers Roundtable with Rajeev Masand. In a short snippet that's going viral just because of how absurd she sounds while explaining her struggles in the industry, Siddhant Chaturvedi shut her down in the most incredible way. She said, "I have always wanted to be an actor. Just because my dad has been an actor, I will never say no to an opportunity to act. My dad has never been in a Dharma film, he never went on Koffee With Karan. So, it's not as easy as people say. Everyone has their own journey and their own struggle." Ananya Pandey complaining about nepotism and Sidhant Chaturvedi ending her existence with one line look at her reaction lol pic.twitter.com/hX2R7Jc1F7 Devdas (@shahrukhdevdas) January 1, 2020 First of all, when did Koffee with Karan or a Dharma movie become the benchmark of success? These people really do live in their own bubble, don't they? They really won't know what struggling actually is even if it punched them in the face. Making it even worse, she further rambled on, "When SOTY 2 got delayed by a year, my dad actually didn't even congratulate me till the film released because that's how fickle the industry is. That's how dispensable people are. Anything can happen, it can get shelved, it can release after years and he knows that. Mine has been a lot of personal experience, I have seen my dad go through so many things that I don't take anything too seriously. I overcompensate sometimes. I am so scared that people may say that oh you are taking things too lightly' so I will come extra early to places. I am so happy that I have this chance." While everyone else seemed to agree with her, Siddhant Chaturvedi, a proper self-made actor, gave it back to her without even being rude. In one sentence, he explained nepotism better than she could after talking for a minute and a half. He said, "The difference is jahaan humare sapne poore hote hain, wahi inka struggle shuru hota hai." What an answer man, he's not even being mean or anything, he's just stating facts. Someone, please edit the video so Sher Aaya, Sher starts playing right after he says this. That's the point, no one is saying star kids don't struggle. I can imagine they're probably under a lot of pressure to live up to their parents' work, but the opportunities they get just because of their name or their family, is something a struggling actor can never get. Here's the full video: Ananya is getting trolled, of course, since her justification was almost as lame and nonsensical as her Instagram captions. She struggled so much. If You Need Some Motivation For New Year Please Listen To This Inspiring Words By Ananya Pandey Ji I Almost Cried For Her When She Said My Dad Has Never Been On Koffee With Karan Bhagwan Itni Mushkil Life Mujhe Na Dena Pls pic.twitter.com/lMx6eFlatj Dr Khushboo Kadri (@khushikadri) January 1, 2020 Boht hard, bro. Hahahah MC Sher at the end nailed it there. Bohot hard https://t.co/ZR68sbTaO2 oniya (@sonii_4sure) January 1, 2020 Yep. watching her talk nonsense for a whole minute was worth it because of how he ended her https://t.co/S4Rf0dWDeq x (@krownnist) January 1, 2020 Press F to pay respect. "My dad has never been on Koffee with Karan... I have seen him go through so much." ~ Ananya Pandey. That must have been hard to cope with, to not watch him sign a coffee mug and not be able to compete for the hamper. Sad. https://t.co/3ATgA9e1m0 Tanzila Anis (@aaliznat) January 1, 2020 Bollywood is weird. Since when is being on Koffee with Karan viewed as a barometer for success https://t.co/YsAVlgnsws Pranav (@woodinhyo) January 1, 2020 Everyone should stan him. 1. Going on Koffee with Karan is not an accomplishment. 2. Ananya Panday doesn't know what"indispensable" means. 3. No one gives a shit about a star kid's "struggle." Seriously, all star kids, stfu. 4. I stan Siddhant Chaturvedi. https://t.co/fzcJhuWGcg Shahana Yasmin (@shahana_y) January 1, 2020 Thoughts and prayers. Sending prayers and condolences to Chunkey Pandey for not being on Koffee with Karan show. Almost started crying looking at HOW MUCH ananya pandey struggled to get into the industry. pic.twitter.com/SqidkyqJzX S (@ShreeShetty8) January 1, 2020 Same. Ananya Pandey is the most humble & relatable actress in Bollywood right now. Even my dad hasn't been on Koffee with Karan. I understand the struggle. You'd know the pain too if your father hasn't been on Koffee with karan. Shridhar V (@iimcomic) January 1, 2020 No one is blaming them. the worst part about the video isn't even Ananya Pandey saying my dad hasn't been on Koffee With Karan, it's the woman before Siddhant Chaturvedi saying it's like we're almost blaming them for being born in a family which is not right with pity, that's clownery luv x (@krownnist) January 1, 2020 I know, right? By Hyonhee Shin and Sangmi Cha SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's leader plans to further develop nuclear programmes and to introduce a "new strategic weapon" in the near future, state media said on Wednesday, although he signalled there was still room for dialogue with the United States. Kim Jong Un presided over a four-day meeting of top Workers' Party officials this week amid rising tensions with the United States, which has not responded to his repeated calls for concessions to reopen negotiations. Washington has dismissed the deadline as artificial. Kim said there were no grounds for North Korea to be bound any longer by a self-declared moratorium on testing nuclear bombs and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), according to a statement on the results of the policy meeting carried by the official KCNA news agency. At times smiling or striking the podium with his hand as he made remarks during the meeting, Kim accused the United States of making "gangster-like demands" and maintaining a "hostile policy", such as by holding continued joint military drills with South Korea, adopting cutting edge weapons and imposing sanctions. He pledged to continue bolstering his country's nuclear deterrent but said the "scope and depth" of that deterrent will be "properly co-ordinated depending on" the attitude of the United States. "The world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future," Kim said, using the initials for North Korea's official name - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "We will reliably put on constant alert the powerful nuclear deterrent capable of containing the nuclear threats from the U.S. and guaranteeing our long-term security." U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it would be "deeply disappointing" if Kim reneges on denuclearisation commitments and Kim would hopefully "choose peace and prosperity over conflict and war." Story continues In his latest comments on Tuesday in the United States, President Donald Trump said he had a good relationship with Kim and thought the North Korean leader would keep his word. "He likes me, I like him. We get along. He's representing his country, I'm representing my country. We have to do what we have to do. "But he did sign a contract, he did sign an agreement talking about denuclearisation," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Seoul's Unification Ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said large-scale joint military drills with the United States had been halted and it would be unhelpful for negotiations if North Korea took action to introduce what it called a new strategic weapon. There were no official reports as of early afternoon on Wednesday in South Korea that Kim had delivered an annual New Year's address. 'STRATEGIC WEAPONS' Kim had previously said he might have to seek a "new path" if Washington failed to meet his expectations. U.S. military commanders said Pyongyang's actions could include test firing an ICBM alongside nuclear warhead tests. North Korea last test fired an ICBM in 2017. Jeffrey Lewis, a non-proliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, said it was difficult to predict North Korea's next move. But it might involve firing a solid-fuel ICBM and an atmospheric nuclear test, he said. However, Jeong Han-beom, who teaches security policy at Korea National Defense University in Seoul, said North Korea would not immediately stage such a provocative act as an ICBM or nuclear test because it could risk derailing negotiations. Tension had been rising ahead of the year-end as North Korea conducted a series of weapons tests and waged a war of words with Trump. The nuclear talks have made little headway despite three meetings between Kim and Trump since 2018. Working-level talks in Stockholm in October broke down, with a North Korean chief negotiator accusing U.S. officials of sticking to their old stance. Kim said there will "never be denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula" if Washington adheres to what he calls its hostile policy. We "will steadily develop necessary and prerequisite strategic weapons for the security of the state until the U.S. rolls back its hostile policy towards the DPRK and lasting and durable peace-keeping mechanism is built," Kim said. He called for North Koreans to brace for an "arduous and prolonged struggle" and foster a self-reliant economy because of a delay in the anticipated lifting of sanctions. "The present situation warning of long confrontation with the U.S. urgently requires us to make it a fait accompli that we have to live under the sanctions by the hostile forces in the future, too, and to strengthen the internal power from all aspects." Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the party assembly results made clear Kim wants U.S. security guarantees before taking substantial action toward denuclearisation. "And he is suggesting that he will take the bull by the horns to achieve that goal, while promoting self reliance at home and still being open to talks depending on how Trump handles 'hostile policy,'" Yang said. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin, Jack Kim and Sangmi Cha; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington and Jeff Mason in Palm Beach, Florida; Editing by Grant McCool and Neil Fullick) The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has introduced new nutritional labels, changing the way that manufacturers mark packaged foods. New labels will be required to have dual columns, one with nutritional information for one serving and another with information for consuming the entire package. The rules went into effect for most companies on January 1. However, manufacturers earning less than $10 million in annual food sales have until 2021 to add the new labels. Manufacturers are adding side-by-side nutritional labels to their packaged foods required by the FDA: one that shows information for eating a single serving and one for eating the entire package (example above) 'With the introduction of the new Nutrition Facts label, a variation that consumers are seeing is the dual column label for some foods that can reasonably be consumed in one meal or snack,' said Dr Claudine Kavanaugh, Director of the Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling in the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. 'We know that Americans are eating differently, and the amount of calories and nutrients on the label is required to reflect what people actually eat and drink.' According to a recent report from the American Heart Association, US adults consume about 300 more calories per day than they did in 1985, which has likely contributed to rising rates of obesity. Obesity is known as a risk factor for several chronic health conditions including type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart attack and even certain types of cancer. Health officials say that addressing the obesity epidemic will not only lead to better health outcomes but also reduce medical costs for individuals and the US. In 2012, a study from Cornell University in New York found obesity accounts for about 21 percent of total US health care costs, approximately $190.2 billion per year. And a 2006 study found that obese people typically spent around $1,400 more on medical cost than those with normal weights. Dr Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told ABC News he believes the new labels are a step in the right direction. He also noted that the new labels are also required to list added sugars. Experts say eating too much sugar has been linked to several health problems include asthma, cavities, raising levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol and increasing your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. 'Because higher added sugar intake has been associated with a wide range of adverse health consequences, it is important to distinguish added sugars from natural sugars in a product,' Dr Hu said. 'Hopefully, the information on the new label will not only help consumers make more informed decisions about their food and beverage choices, but also motivate food manufacturers to improve nutritional quality of their products,' "The tableau proposal of West Bengal government was examined by the expert committee in two rounds of meetings. The tableau proposal of West Bengal government was not taken forward for further consideration by the committee after deliberations in the second meeting," an official statement said. New Delhi : The ministry of defence rejected the West Bengal government's tableau proposal for the Republic Day parade on January 26. It said that the West Bengal government's tableau was earlier shortlisted for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process. On the other hand, 22 proposals comprising 16 states and Union Territories and six ministries and departments have been shortlisted for participation in the parade after a series of five meetings. "For the Republic Day Parade 2020, 56 tableaux proposals, 32 from states and Union Territories and 24 from ministries and departments, were received," the statement said. The tableaux proposals received from various states, Union Territories, central ministries and departments are evaluated in a series of meetings of an expert committee comprising eminent persons in the field of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography, etc. "The expert committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations. Due to time constraints arising out of the overall duration of the parade, only a limited number of tableaux can be shortlisted for participation in the parade," said the statement. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday targeted the Congress over infant deaths at a Rajasthan hospital, saying party leaders Priyanka Gandhi should have gone there to console the children's mothers instead of "playing politics" in UP. Both appeared to refer to Gandhi's visit to the state after violent protests over the amended citizenship law. Other BJP leaders have also attacked the Congress-led government in Rajasthan over the 100 deaths in December at JK Lon hospital in Kota. In a tweet on Thursday chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the deaths should not be politicised. The Centre too has decided to send a high-level team comprising experts from AIIMS, Jodhpur, and health economists to Kota. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the Centre was ready ready to provide any technical help or assistance. "Let us ensure no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of health system capacity," Vardhan wrote to Gehlot. Earlier attacking Priyanka and Congress president Sonia Gandhi Gandhi, the UP chief minister said it was extremely sad that despite being women both could not feel the pain of the mothers. In a series of tweets in Hindi, Adityanath said, "The death of 100 innocent children is extremely saddening and heart-wrenching. The death of children is a blot on a civilised society, human values and feelings." "It is extremely sad that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, despite being women, are not able to understand the sorrow of the mothers," he added. He said it would have been better "had Priyanka met and consoled the aggrieved mothers instead of indulging in in UP". Slamming Gehlot, the UP CM said, "The indifference, insensitivity and irresponsible behaviour of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his silence makes the mind all the more sad." BSP supremo Mayawati too questioned the Congress general secretary over her "silence" on the death of at least 100 children in the past month. She said if Priyanka Gandhi does not meet the children's mothers, then her meeting with the kin of the victims of violence during the anti-CAA protests in UP will be "construed as pure theatrics". In another tweet, the BSP leader said, "The death of 100 children in Rajasthan's Kota district is very sad and painful. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his government are still insensitive, disinterested and irresponsible, which is highly condemnable." "But, what is more saddening is the fact that the top leadership of the Congress, especially its general secretary, are maintaining silence over this issue. It would have been better that like she did in UP, she had met the aggrieved mothers, who lost their children due to the laxity of the party's government," she said. Meanwhile, Gehlot said, "The government is sensitive to the death of sick infants in JK Lon Hospital in Kota. There should no over the issue. Infant mortality at this hospital is steadily decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. It is our top priority that mothers and children remain in good healthy," Gehlot tweeted in Hindi. Gehlot claimed that the first ICU for children in Rajasthan was established by the Congress government in 2003. "We also established an ICU for children in Kota in 2011," he added. Gehlot said the aim of 'Nirogi Rajasthan' was a priority for the government and an expert team from the Centre could further help improve health services in the state. "We are ready to improve medical services in the state through discussions and cooperation with an expert team from the Centre," he said. BJP state president Satish Poonia too expressed displeasure on the state government's "attitude" towards the issue. "It is regrettable that the state health minister did not even visit the hospital. The chief minister is known for being sensitive. A delegation of BJP MPs had met the families who lost their children. They were in deep anguish. If the government is not sensitive then it is worrisome," Poonia said. He alleged that the BJP MPs were manhandled by Congress workers during a visit to the Kota hospital. Poonia said the BJP does not want to do on the issue but it is unfortunate that the state government is not dealing with it seriously. A couple of days ago, a Rajasthan government committee had found that the hospital was short of beds and its functioning needs improvement but cleared the doctors there of any lapses. The three-member committee, which was sent to investigate 10 deaths on December 23 and 24, had said the infants who died on the two days were given the right treatment. The committee submitted that eight out of the 10 infants were referred from other hospitals and thay were at higher risk due to pre-term birth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NetDragon and Beijing Language and Culture University Press Collaborate to Facilitate Chinese Learning Worldwide NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (\NetDragon\ or \the Company\, Hong Kong Stock Code: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, is pleased to announce that, the Company and Beijing Language and Culture University Press (the \BLCUP\) have entered into a strategic cooperation agreement and a joint venture agreement (the \Agreements\) recently in Beijing, under which both parties will jointly set up a company and integrate advanced technologies, resources and ideas, for the establishment of a global Chinese language learning platform. Liu Dejian, Founder and Chairman of NetDragon delivered a speech on behalf of the Company at the event. Leaders from both parties, including Xiong Li, CEO of NetDragon, Lin Wei, Senior Vice President of NetDragon, Ni Haidong, Secretary of Party Committee of Beijing Language and Culture University (the \BLCU\), Zhang Wangxi, Vice Principal of BLCU, Zhao Junwu, Director of BLCU Asset Management Office and Hao Yun, Secretary of Party General Branch and Chairman of BLCUP attended the event. In recent years, overseas demand for Chinese language learning has been rising along with its popularity. However, in an overseas non-Chinese environment, obsolete teaching materials and low effectiveness of online content remain some of the major obstacles of Chinese language learning, which lead to low learning efficiency and weak interest among learners. To facilitate efficient and interesting Chinese language learning in foreign countries, NetDragon and the BLCUP have reached a strategic cooperation, under which both parties will jointly set up a company, which will use authoritative Chinese learning philosophy and education products as the core, supplemented by NetDragon\-\-s 3D, AI, VR technologies, to construct an integrated, resourceful and wide-reaching global Chinese language learning platform, hence providing a complete set of digital solution to the Chinese language learning sector worldwide. This Chinese language learning platform will be open to different user groups including learners, teachers, and administrators, and will consist of three parts: international Chinese online learning, international Chinese teaching training and international Chinese teaching management, while integrating teaching, examination, learning and training to serve modern Chinese language learning. Liu Dejian, Founder and Chairman of NetDragon, commented that NetDragon was one of the pioneering companies to bring VR, AR and AI technologies to the field of education. The Company has high expectations to incorporate such technologies into Chinese language learning in order to help international students to learn the language more quickly and effectively, and to also understand the culture. In addition, with a lengthy track record in online gaming business, NetDragon enjoys superior advantage in content production. Currently, NetDragon is speeding up with internet technology development while progressing with the development of educational content. Ni Haidong, the Secretary of the Party Committee of BLCU, commented that not only NetDragon has ongoing achievements in education, it also carries a strong sense of social responsibility, which reflects its vision and passion for education as a successful company. Ni Haidong added that he looks forward to furthering collaborations between NetDragon and the BLCU in future. At the event, the BLCUP appointed Liu Dejian as \Honorary Director of the State Key Laboratory for Press and Publication Technology and Standards at BLCUP\. The BLCUP was enlisted as National Key Laboratories of Technology and Standards for Press and Publications. The two parties will jointly develop a platform for research and development and targets to have the implementation as industry standards such that they can provide reference for industry development. Currently, the BLCUP is one of the most authoritative publishers in international Chinese language teaching and learning. It has a leading market position with more than 3,000 categories of international Chinese language teaching materials published. On the other hand, with over 30 years of operating experience in publishing Chinese textbooks, the BLCUP has accumulated access to a large number of top experts, scholars and teachers in China and overseas. These users can provide professional and authoritative guidance for the establishment of the platform, as well as the most realistic testing ground. About NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) is a global leader in building internet communities with a long track record of developing and scaling multiple internet and mobile platforms that impact hundreds of millions of users. These include China\-\-s number one online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China\-\-s most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless, which was sold to Baidu for US$1.9 billion in 2013 as the largest Internet M&A transaction in China. Established in 1999, NetDragon is one of the most reputable and well-known online game developers in China with a history of successful game titles including Eudemons Online, Heroes Evolved and Conquer Online. In recent years, NetDragon has also started to scale its online education business on the back of management\-\-s vision to create the largest global online learning community, and to bring the \classroom of the future\ to every school around the world. For more information, please visit www.netdragon.com. For investor enquiries, please contact: NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited Ms. Maggie Zhou Senior Director of Investor Relations Tel.: +852 2850 7266 / +86 591 8390 2825 Email: maggie@nd.com.cn Website: ir.netdragon.com United Nations: Nearly 400,000 babies were born around the world on New Year's Day with India recording the highest number of these births worldwide at 67,385, the UN children's agency said. An estimated 392,078 babies were born around the world on New Year's Day, according to UNICEF. Of this, an estimated 67,385 babies were born in India, the most globally. China comes in second with 46,299 births. The beginning of a new year and a new decade is an opportunity to reflect on our hopes and aspirations not only for our future, but the future of those who will come after us, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said. As the calendar flips each January, we are reminded of all the possibility and potential of each child embarking on her or his life's journeyif they are just given that chance. Fiji in the Pacific most likely delivered 2020's first baby, while the US, the last of the New Year's Day. Globally, over half of these births were estimated to have taken place in eight countries - India (67,385), China (46,299), Nigeria (26,039), Pakistan (16,787), Indonesia (13,020), United States of America (10,452), Democratic Republic of Congo (10,247) and Ethiopia (8,493). Each January, UNICEF celebrates babies born on New Year's Day, an auspicious day for child birth around the world, it said. However, for millions of newborns around the world, the day of their birth is far less auspicious. In 2018, 2.5 million newborns died in just their first month of life; about a third of them on the first day of life. Among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis. In addition, more than 2.5 million babies are born dead each year. UNICEF said over the past three decades, the world has seen remarkable progress in child survival, cutting the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday by more than half. But there has been slower progress for newborns. Babies dying in the first month accounted for 47 per cent of all deaths among children under five in 2018, up from 40 per cent in 1990. UNICEF's Every Child Alive campaign calls for immediate investment in health workers with the right training, who are equipped with the right medicines to ensure every mother and newborn is cared for by a safe pair of hands to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth. Too many mothers and newborns are not being cared for by a trained and equipped midwife or nurse, and the results are devastating, said Fore. We can ensure that millions of babies survive their first day and live into this decade and beyond if every one of them is born into a safe pair of hands. India is projected to surpass China as the world's most populous country around 2027. According to UN estimates, India is expected to add nearly 273 million people between 2019 and 2050, while the population of Nigeria is projected to grow by 200 million. Together, these two countries could account for 23 per cent of the global population increase to 2050. China, with 1.43 billion people in 2019, and India, with 1.37 billion, have long been the two most populous countries of the world, comprising 19 and 18 per cent, respectively, of the global total in 2019. Through the end of the century, India is estimated to remain the world's most populous country with nearly 1.5 billion inhabitants, followed by China with just under 1.1 billion, Nigeria with 733 million, the US with 434 million, and Pakistan with 403 million inhabitants. Catch the latest news, live coverage and in-depth analyses from India and World. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. https://www.aish.com/sp/so/Too-Jewish-Except-in-Israel.html Israel is the only place in the world where I can never be made to feel that I am too Jewish. It was December 25 in Tel Aviv and it was business as usual. Government offices, stores and banks were open. And in the days leading up to it there was no frantic shopping, endless parties, or Christmas music. The celebration of Hanukkah was impossible to avoid. Everywhere stores and streets were festooned with dreidels and menorahs, and bakeries overflowed with sufganiyot and latkes. Over the eight days of Hanukkah I was invited to five parties for candle lighting, eating and singing of traditional songs. As a Canadian born and raised Jewish woman this was decidedly different from what I had experienced all my life. I belonged to the mainstream culture. It felt good. I am proudly Canadian. I've always been grateful for my good fortune to have been born there, for the freedoms to which I am entitled and for the opportunities to invent and reinvent myself, to be whatever I want to be. My parents came from Poland as teenagers before the war. I grew up nurtured in the rich, vibrant Jewish community of Montreal from which I seldom had reason to emerge. I went to a Hebrew day school, lived in an almost all Jewish neighborhood, and all my friends and my parents friends were Jewish. I had a comfortable sense of belonging to that community. However the defining moment of experiencing myself as an outsider of the larger community came when I was 16 years old. My high school was holding its annual public speaking contest, the winner of which would represent the school in a citywide competition held at McGill University. My teachers encouraged me to participate. It was the year that Adolph Eichmann had been captured in Argentina and brought to Israel to face trial. I decided to make his capture and what it represented in terms of the acknowledgement of evil and the pursuit of justice the subject of my speech. I began with a quote from Eichmann himself: I will leap into my grave laughing knowing that I am responsible for the death of five million Jews. This gives me extraordinary satisfaction. At the end of my speech the auditorium of some 500 students, most of them Jewish, gave me a standing ovation. I did not win the competition. The teachers who were the judges chose as the winner a girl whose subject was hairdos. One of the judges who was my English teacher felt that I deserved an explanation. She took me aside and told me that although my speech was by far the best, they couldnt let me represent my school at McGill because my subject was too Jewish. I was too young at the time to fully appreciate the outrageousness and the callousness of that comment, or its irony. The message I took away with me was that I was an outsider and the Jewish society to which I belonged was not held in high esteem, and that I had to be keep a low profile about my being Jewish if I wanted to win in the world. After my first year of university I spent a summer on a kibbutz in Israel. It was a life altering, heady experience. Here was I was part of the mainstream even though I wasnt born there. What mattered was that I was connected to people and to a land with whom I shared a profound identity. What impressed me the most was what I perceived as the normalcy of this society. Jews did everything. They were farmers. They got theirs hands dirty in the soil and drove tractors. They were bus drivers. They were soldiers. They built roads and buildings. They were proud and strong with a clear sense of purpose. They were joyful and unafraid. I saw a different way of being. I wanted to be like these Jews. I was more than a member of a religious minority; I was also part of a people with an ancient history who now had a homeland. I returned to Montreal with an expanded grasp of who I was as a Jew. Because of my connection to Israel I felt more secure, more empowered. I was more than a member of a religious minority; I was also part of a people with an ancient history who now had a homeland. I had some vague dream of returning to Israel to live once I finished my studies. Instead I got married, started a career, had children, moved to Vancouver, divorced, started a business - in short, life happened. Though I sent my children to Hebrew school, I could not find a place for myself in the Jewish community of Vancouver. Over the years I became more and more distant from Judaism, though Israel still had a quiet place in my heart. Brenda Yablon With the Pacific Ocean at my front door, I had become an avid open water swimmer. I was looking for a place to swim in the winter months. California and Mexico had become tired options. As I was searching the globe it came to me: Israel is on the Mediterranean. I rented an apartment near the sea in Tel Aviv for two months. I could never have known that what began as a whim became the fulfillment of a dream long dormant. While I did swim in the Mediterranean I also connected with a large extended network of cousins I knew existed but for the most part had never met. I was immediately caught up in the incomparable warm embrace of family. I celebrated Shabbat and holidays with them. They introduced me to the cultural riches of music, theatre, art and food. And of course the ever present political discourse across the whole spectrum of left to right, with passionate debates at every gathering. I listened respectfully, knowing that these people were doing more than just talking. They were speaking from the realities of their experiences fighting in wars, putting their lives at risk, knowing death and danger intimately, and building a country whose continued existence was never a given. Fortunately and somewhat miraculously, I remembered the Hebrew I learned in school as a child and with daily use, my Hebrew quickly improved. This allowed me a depth of experience not common to the average tourist. When I came back to Canada I felt somewhat at loose ends. I realized I was having an identity crisis. Who was I? I was still me, but in black and white. Id left my colored, brighter, more vibrant self in Israel. The following year I went back for three months. And four months the year after that. A friend who visited me in Israel from Vancouver remarked that I appeared happier, more open, more authentic. I gave that a lot of thought. It was becoming clearer to me that I wanted to formalize my relationship to Israel by becoming an Israeli citizen. But I couldnt give up Canada, my native country which I love and to which I also feel rooted. Fortunately, I didnt have to. Since both Canada and Israel allow dual citizenship, I didnt have to choose. I became an Israeli citizen four years ago and I divide my year between the two countries I love most in the world. And I get to swim in open water all year round. The more hostile the world becomes, the more I feel the need for Israel. The more time I spend in Israel, the richer my experience. This past September I was in Israel for the first time for Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. Though I consider myself to be a secular Jew, I wanted to immerse myself in the local custom, as it were. As I walked down my street heading towards the synagogue, I could not believe my eyes. People were streaming out of their apartments, converging on Dizengoff, the main street of Tel Aviv. There were thousands, many dressed in white, the traditional color for Yom Kippur, to symbolize purity. They were all headed to various synagogues. There was not a car in sight. There was a hush over this moving mass of humanity. I imagined that it must have looked something like this during the time of the Temple. And here I was a part of it in 2019, in Tel Aviv. In the time since I've become an Israeli citizen, the world has become a more inhospitable place for Jews. Anti-Semitism and open attacks on Jews have become commonplace. Attempts to deny the legitimacy of Israel as a sovereign state have become policy of both the left and the right, even if it means rewriting history, the Bible, and ignoring archaeology. The more hostile the world becomes, the more I feel the need for Israel. It is the only place in the world where I can never be made to feel that I am too Jewish. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment With the world's first Ebola vaccine just approved in Europe, the world's biggest global health crisis doesn't have to be. But it's important that Americans understand that Ebola is not just an African problem. The virus still has the potential to bring devastation on a massive scale, unless we work together with communities within Africa to ensure that people don't just have access to the vaccine, but are educated about how to contain the spread of the disease. There were over 2,200 deaths since Ebola reemerged in the DRC last year. Rwanda closed its border with the DRC after cases of the virus were confirmed, but Ebola spreads quickly, and dangerously. By June, it had spread to Uganda. Between 2014 and 2016, Ebola took 11,000 lives and infected 28,000 people in West Africa. The U.S. watched with bated breath as American doctor Kent Brantly, infected in Liberia in 2014, narrowly escaped death by being airlifted to a U.S. hospital. Most arent so lucky. Ebola is a rare and highly infectious virus, with a variable death rate that averages around two-thirds but according to the WHO can be up to 90%. It leads to heavy internal bleeding and causes cells to explode throughout the body. But Ebola is not just Africas problem. Although the virus has only emerged in Africa thus far, it is positioned to be the global health crisis of the next decade, and it has the potential to bring devastation on a massive scale. As the most well-resourced country in the world, the United States has not only the ability but the imperative to extend aid to those suffering overseas. Compassion calls us to bring our expertise and resources to those exposed to Ebola in Africa, but it is also a matter of national and self-interest. This is not an us vs. them scenario. In todays increasingly interconnected global society, the flow of people and diseases between countries is more commonplace than ever before. The Ebola crisis is not dissimilar to the HIV/AIDs crisis in that education and safe health practices are key to stopping transmission of this deadly disease. Like HIV, Ebola is spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. Informing families with basic information of how the disease is spread can prevent the spread of the disease among those who are often protect and care for one another. Stopping the spread of Ebola also means confronting potentially dangerous cultural practices. Funeral and burial practices in many parts of Africa that involve touching the bodies of loved ones are exceptionally high-risk. These practices can include bathing in the rinse water from the washing of corpses. Guineas Ministry of Health, for example, reported in 2015 that 60 percent of its Ebola cases at that time were linked to unsafe burial and funeral practices. In the 1990s, large swaths of Africa were being decimated by AIDs. There was treatment available, but the majority of the population didnt trust the government or the NGOs distributing the drugs. Many were overlooking a critical resource: the church, which has ability to mobilize extraordinary numbers of people. As World Relief engaged in working in local communities to combat this disease, we worked with churches to encourage discussion of sexual practices, break the stigma of HIV and distribute treatment. As with HIV/AIDS, maximizing the role of the church is the most effective way to stop the transmission of the Ebola virus. In Sub-Saharan Africa, an average of 77% of Christians attend religious services weekly or more. In one of my earliest trips to the continent, I walked hut to hut with a pastor searching out the people most stricken by AIDs. We discovered who needed childcare while they went to get treatment, and who wasnt even aware that drugs were available. Local pastors have the ability to locate the most vulnerable in their communities in ways that governments and foreign NGOs do not. We must rely on their relationships and cultural understanding in order to combat major health crises. Information campaigns need to make the public aware of the early symptoms of Ebola. Unlike HIV, Ebola cannot be transmitted until a person develops symptoms meaning awareness of the viruss flu-like symptoms can be key to preventing its spread. One of the best ways to provide this lifesaving education is to use church networks. Pastors and faith leaders are also essential to convincing loved ones to conduct modified burial practices. They can leverage their authority to stop the spread of false information about the infection, which can lead to attacks on health workers and Ebola treatment centers. Additionally, they can insist that the handling of bodies be done by teams who are trained in safe burials. Faith leaders can also direct those potentially affected by the virus to avoid traditional healers, who could be in danger of contracting the virus themselves, and seek out safe and effective medical care which requires the use of face masks, gloves, gowns and disposable needles. After the Ebola outbreaks began in 2014, for example, rumors spread that hospitals were places of contagion and death, causing many to avoid seeking early and potentially lifesaving medical care. Local churches can take the lead in stopping rumors like these. Encouraging as the news of the vaccine approval is, Ebola remains a significant threat. When we use our resources to empower local churches which are willing to serve anyone regardless of their beliefs large foreign interventions arent required to break stigma and spread practical health messages to those in vulnerable populations. If we want to head off the worlds next big health crisis, we cant turn a blind eye to whats happening in the DRC. And strategically activating local faith communities must be a critical component of our response. Scott Arbeiter is president of World Relief. New Delhi [India], Jan 2 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday reiterated the Indian government's commitment to resolving Kalapani issue with Nepal while responding to a question on boundary issues between the two neighbouring countries. "I can only reiterate that our map accurately depicts the sovereign territory of India. The new map in no manner has revised our boundary with Nepal. The boundary delineation exercise with Nepal is ongoing under the existing mechanism," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told reporters in a weekly briefing. "We reiterate our commitment to resolve standing boundary issues through dialogue in the spirit of our close and friendly bilateral relations between the two countries," he added. Last year, Nepal had raised objections after the Home Ministry had released a political map of India which showed the Kalapani territory within Indian borders. The territory is a disputed area between India and Nepal, and it is under Indian administration as part of Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand. The valley of Kalapani, with the Lipulekh Pass at the top, forms the Indian route to Kailash Manasarovar, an ancient pilgrimage site. The territory is also the traditional trading route to Tibet for the Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand. After India closed the Lipulekh Pass in the aftermath of the 1962 Sino-Indian War, much of the Bhotiya trade used to pass through the Tinkar Pass. The Nepalese protests regarding the Kalapani territory started in 1997, after India and China agreed to reopen the Lipulekh Pass. In November last year, the MEA had said that the new political map released after bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir accurately depicts its sovereign territory and did not revise its boundary with Nepal in any manner. (ANI) A 25-year-old Washington County woman has turned herself in after knocking down an Oregon State Police trooper, deputies say. Aubri Jenkins is accused of knocking down the trooper Sunday, hitting his patrol car and speeding away near City Hall in Banks. The trooper wasnt hurt, according to the Washington County Sheriffs Office. The trooper, who hasnt been identified by authorities, encountered Jenkins while responding to an emergency call just before 11 a.m. to check on a driver slumped over behind the steering wheel near Northwest Cedar Canyon Road and Killin Road, the sheriffs office said. The trooper found Jenkins and her blue 1991 Geo Prism near Banks City Hall and was trying to get her out of the drivers seat when she put the car in reverse, knocking the trooper to the ground, according to the sheriffs office. Jenkins hit the front bumper of the troopers patrol car, hit a parked truck and then drove away, the sheriffs office said. She was estimated as driving up to 80 mph, police said. The trooper chased Jenkins north on Oregon 47, then west on U.S. 26 and later ended the pursuit because she was driving too erratically, authorities said. Investigators later found Jenkins car parked near the 58000 block of U.S. 26, but no sign of her, according to the sheriffs office. Jenkins, who lives in the community of Timber, turned herself in Wednesday and will be charged for her encounter with the trooper, the agency said. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Everton Bailey Jr. of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. This has been the best decade in Israels annals, Israels interim Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted Dec. 29 at the final weekly government meeting of the year. We have become hugely more powerful, added the man who until recently also served as the countrys defense minister. The indicted Netanyahu, who has turned the Prime Ministers Office into his personal buffer zone, also informed his assembled ministers and the media that he planned to lead the State of Israel in the coming years, as well, to new and unprecedented security achievements. Indeed, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are rightly considered the strongest army in the Middle East. Israel is also the only state in the region armed with a nuclear bomb (according to foreign reports). Israeli intelligence enjoys a vaunted global reputation, as do the states state-of-the-art arms defense industries. So when all is said and done, can the past decade, which ran concurrently with Netanyahus term in office, be crowned the best decade in Israeli annals in terms of the states security? The person most qualified to answer the question is the IDFs supreme commander, and this is what IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said about Israels security situation at a Dec. 25 conference, just days before Netanyahu drew his rosy picture. The Quds Force is operating there (in Iraq) on a daily basis the country itself has turned into an ungoverned area. Advanced weapons are being smuggled by the Quds Force into Iraq on a monthly basis, and we cant allow that, Kochavi warned. He also pledged that Israel would not allow Iran to entrench itself in Iraq and along Israels northern border. The Dec. 31 attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad by Iran-backed militias signals a further deterioration in the standing of Israels defense ally (the United States) in the Middle East in general and in Iraq in particular. In his speech several days earlier, Kochavi speculated that Israel would have to deal on its own with the situation in Iran and with its associates in the neighborhood. Israeli defense officials have already concluded that Netanyahus best friend in the White House has lost American deterrence capability vis-a-vis Iran. Since there is no other way to block the threat of rockets and missiles, according to Kochavi, Israels handling of the situation would entail a massive assault on the enemys urban space, meaning on densely populated areas. Presumably, he added, Iran would respond in a similar vein. Tremendous firepower will be directed at the [Israeli] heartland, the senior officer warned, and advised mental readiness as well. The IDFs 22nd chief of staff did not provide his listeners with an instruction manual on how to prepare mentally for rocket barrages on multistory apartment buildings in the heart of Israel. Nonetheless, the desks of Israeli politicians are piled high with documents and reports pointing to severe flaws in the heartlands physical preparedness for the types of scenarios Kochavi described. The serial candidate from Balfour Street, who has been responsible for the defense of the citizenry for the past decade, has not troubled himself with this truly existential issue. The three former IDF chiefs Benny Gantz, Moshe Yaalon and Gabi Ashkenazi running for the Knesset in the rival Blue and White party and vying for the voters hearts and minds on March 2 also appear to prefer escapes to other regions. As Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, the head of Israels Home Front Command, has said, Israel has known since 2006 that the enemy was developing extensive missile systems capable of launching continuous widespread barrages at Israel. Writing in the July 2019 issue of the IDFs flagship publication, the Dado Center Journal, the general revealed that soon after he assumed his post in August 2017, he realized his command could turn out to be irrelevant in times of war. According to Yadai, the IDF had not defined the changes in the enemys capacity to threaten Israels civilian population in times of war, and the IDFs general staff barely took these changes into consideration in its emergency contingencies. The possibility that Hezbollah or another terrorist organization could cripple the Israeli heartland, Yadai added, would overshadow every Israeli battlefield achievement. The states failure to ready the homefront for war was exposed in all its severity in a report by the governments watchdog agency, the state comptroller, issued after Israel's second war in Lebanon (2006) in which 41 Israeli civilians were killed, thousands wounded and hundreds of thousands evacuated from their homes. In a scathing report, the comptroller wrote that the executive echelons, including the prime minister, defense minister, army chiefs and Home Front commander had failed miserably in their decision-making, threat assessment and protection of civilians accordingly. A report issued by the comptroller in 2016 about Israels 2014 Operation Protective Edge against Gaza also identified flaws in terms of civilian shelters, warning systems and even evacuation, which posed potential dangers to residents lives in times of war. Since Kochavi took office a year ago, he has devoted special efforts to dealing with the homefront. In 2018, then-Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman adopted a 10-year plan dubbed Shield of the Home Front, which included improvements of shelters and security measures in some 300 communities located up to 45 kilometers from Israels northern border. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon pledged to transfer the first tranche of the budget, 500 million Israeli shekels ($145 million) by the end of 2019, but only one-quarter of the sum has been transferred. In light of Israels ongoing political chaos, it appears the home front will have to mentally prepare for the ongoing budget drought. It is far more pleasant to hear that Netanyahu has transformed Israel into an empire than to read that 2.5 million of its residents, living in 700,000 homes (in which 27.5% of the population lives) lack proper defenses. Hollow boasts of the fabulous decade put the public in a far better mood than news that during an emergency, essential services will operate only at 35% capacity. All Israels citizens can do now is mentally prepare for disaster. Knesset members should ask themselves whether this situation is included in Netanyahus "unprecedented achievements." As a reminder, Netanyahu is now using these "achievements" as the reason why the Knesset should enable him to continue leading Israel, by granting him immunity from the charges on bribery, fraud and breach of trust. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) The Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka said that the safety of diplomatic missions is the responsibility of the host state, days after a local staffer who complained of being assaulted was released on bail while being investigated for maligning the government. Before her arrest, the Sri Lankan employee had reportedly said she was abducted, held for hours, sexually assaulted and threatened by captors who demanded that she disclose embassy-related information. She was granted bail on Monday after two weeks of detention on charges that she made statements to create disaffection toward the government and fabricated evidence. Sri Lankan authorities have said they investigated her complaint but found no evidence to file charges against anyone. In a diplomatic note released to the media Tuesday evening, Switzerland said it is the responsibility of any government to protect the diplomatic missions of other states. Switzerland said the relationship between the two countries was marred by misunderstandings surrounding the incident. However, it said it hoped for a swift return to an environment conducive to resuming the positive cooperation." Recognizing that local staff is subject to local laws, the embassy is convinced that both sides will remain attentive to the working conditions and the well-being of all staff of diplomatic missions," it said. The Swiss foreign ministry has previously called the alleged Nov. 25 abduction of the embassy employee a very serious and unacceptable attack and summoned Sri Lankas ambassador to demand an investigation. It also criticized a lack of due process in the case. The Sri Lankan government has insisted that evidence collected by its investigators did not support the sequence of events provided by the embassy that the woman had been abducted by captors who demanded she reveal unspecified information about the embassy. Sri Lanka also rejected a request by the embassy to fly the employee and her family to Switzerland. Story continues Before the woman was detained, she was summoned to Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigations Department to make statements and was subjected to medical tests and a psychiatric analysis. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa later said he had become the victim in the alleged abduction because foreign media reported about it before the facts were established and critics accused his government of carrying it out. Rajapaksa became president after winning a Nov. 16 election. Shortly after that, a Sri Lankan police investigator, Nishantha Silva, fled to Switzerland. Silva had been investigating alleged abductions, torture, killings and enforced disappearances of journalists and activists while Rajapaksa was defense chief under the presidency of his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been accused of overseeing what were known as white van abduction squads that whisked away critics. Some were returned after being tortured, while others were never seen again. He has denied the allegations. Authorities say the cause of a Christmas Day fire at the Drake Hotel in Minneapolis that displaced around 250 people remains undetermined after an investigation. Minneapolis fire investigators said Thursday that while they found the fire started in unit 244, a specific cause could not be identified. The investigation remains open and the cause of the fire could be changed at a later date if more information becomes available, the fire department added. The fire broke out at 3 a.m. on Christmas day. The residents of the building were forced out because of the fire damage and many have been living in churches and a hotel, but no long-term housing solution has been identified. This story originally appeared at: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/01/02/minneapolis-investigators-say-drake-hotel-fire-remains-undertmined of story Questions or requests? Contact MPR News editor Meg Martin at newspartners@mpr.org 2019 Minnesota Public Radio. All rights reserved. On the day the Uttar Pradesh government asked the central government to ban Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI), Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said PFI may have played a part in violence surrounding some protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and that the Union home ministry will decide on the action to be taken against the organisation based on evidence. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Prasad, said: There are many allegations against them (PFI), including connection with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). The minister added that the home ministry will also take a call on the UP governments request seeking a ban on the organisation. The state government, in its letter to the home ministry, cited ongoing investigations of the organisations involvement in the violent protests against the CAA on December 19. As many as 21 persons have died in violent protests over CAA in Uttar Pradesh; 1,113 persons have been arrested in connection with the protests. Uttar Pradeshs Director General of Police, OP Singh said 21 PFI members have been arrested for inciting violence. This includes the organisations UP president Waseem Ahmad. We have found some incriminating documents which suggest involvement of certain active members of PFI in the recent agitation that turned violent. We will present the evidence before the home ministry, he added. A police officer in the state, who asked not be named, said the police have identified 16 chat groups through which PFI members called for violent protest in the state. The home ministry has received the state governments request and is likely to take legal opinion and also consult other departments before imposing a ban on the organisation. The ministry is also likely to seek inputs from the Intelligence Bureau and other central government agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), government officials said. PFI members refute the claims of the police. The police are acting against PFI on the direction of the state government. Uttar Pradesh police is trying to hide its failure in preventing violence by putting the blame on PFI, said PFIs Northern Region in-charge Anis Ansari. PFI isnt new to controversy. The National Investigation Agency has even termed it a threat to national security. Then minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said in January 2018 that the ministry of home affairs was considering banning the outfit. NIA has named PFI in at least four cases for chopping of f the hand of a professor in Keralas Idukki district (July 2010), the murder of RSS leader in Bengaluru (October 2016), serving as the Islamic State Omar Al-Hindi module in Kochi (October 2016), and organising a training camp in Kannur from where bombs, IEDs and swords were recovered (April 2013). In the first case, 13 PFI members were awarded life sentence. In the Kannur case, six of its members were awarded rigorous imprisonment. PFIs national secretary Anees Ahmed said: Everyone knows whats happening in Uttar Pradesh, how UP police crossed all lines to indulge in violence against the protestors. Now, to hide their failures and to silence the voice of people, they are coming up with this diversion of seeking a ban on PFI. We (PFI) are not even fully operational in UP. We just have an ad-hoc committee there. Primarily based in Kerala, PFI is a successor of National Democratic Front (NDF) started in Kozhikode in 1989. The formation of PFI was first announced on November 9, 2006 at Bengaluru. The organisation has a strong base in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. According to Kerala police officers, the Popular Front of India (PFI) was launched in Kerala in 2006 after merging three fringe Muslim outfits floated after the Babri Masjids demolition in 1992 -- the National Development Front of Kerala, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and Manitha Neethi Pasari of Tamil Nadu. In Kerala, most of its original leaders were members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). PFI describes itself as a neo-social movement committed to empower people belonging to the minority communities, Dalits and other weaker sections of the society. In Kerala a retired professor, P Koya, is considered the ideologue of the organisation. Kerala police claim PFI is involved in at least 27 political murders in the state. In 2014, the Kerala government submitted an affidavit in the High Court to the effect, also adding that the organisation was also involved in 86 attempt to murder cases and more than 125 cases of whipping up communal passions. PFIs belligerent and militant position on many issues has attracted a lot of young people to it. To weaken the Muslim League, considered to be a secular party (in Kerala), some of the mainline political parties supported it. Now it has grown into a formidable force, said a political analyst who studies north Kerala and who did not want to be identified. In Kerala, PFI has a womens wing, National Womens Front, a student wing, Campus Front of India, and a political party, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). In the 2016 assembly election in the state, SDPI contested in many seats but managed less than 1% vote share. PFI claims it has units in 22 states including Manipur, Assam, UP, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and West Bengal. According to the NIA dossier, prepared in 2017, PFI has at least 50,000 regular members and 1 to 1.5 lakh sympathizers in Kerala. On the organisations funding, the NIA said, PFI receives funds through various non-government organisations working in West Asia and also receives money from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in Jeddah. PFI also collects between ~10 and ~1,000 for membership fee, Ramadan collections, etc. It also solicits Muslim businessmen to contribute generously toward supporting its publishing efforts. Gabriel Iglesias: Beyond the Fluffy: One of the most popular comedians in the world, Gabriel Iglesias frequently makes Forbess list of highest paid comics. But hes not just highly paid, hes also highly hilarious, with an overly excitable oversized persona that can draw laughs from the simplest of stories. Iglesias has long been an arena comic and with this tour (titled Beyond the Fluffy) he tackles the United Center. If any comedian has a style meant to be seen with 20,000 of your closest friends, its Iglesias. March 14 at the United Center, 1901 W Madison St.; www.ticketmaster.com CW Middle East January-March 2020: Digital leads the way at Abu Dhabi oil giant In this issue of CW Middle East, read how the UAE and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company have recognised that things will change as oil and gas resources dwindle. Digital technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), has been identified as a key driver for future industries. Also find out why the UAE is setting up a university dedicated to AI, and how Bahrain sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat is using the cloud. East Med would stretch some 1,900km from gas fields in Israel and Cyprus to the east Mediterranean to Italy via Greece. Athens, Greece The governments of Greece, Israel and Cyprus have signed an agreement to build a pipeline that could supply Europe with 4 percent of its annual gas needs by the middle of the decade. Today we did not simply sign a beneficial agreement. We sealed our resolve for a strategic connection between our countries in a region that now more than ever needs growth and security, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday. The agreement is a statement of political will, but it is now up to the construction consortium, led by the Public Gas Corporation of Greece (DEPA) and Italys Edison, to find the roughly six billion euros ($6.7bn) the pipeline is estimated to cost. 200102142853126 East Med would stretch almost 1,900 kilometres (1,181 miles) from Israeli and Cypriot gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean to Italy via Greece. It would initially carry 10 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas a year but could expand to twice that with the latest compression technology. This is a historic day for Israel, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Just days ago we started pumping [the] Leviathan [gas field]. We have huge quantities there. This means a lot of money will come into the economy. That is good for peace because we have agreements with our Arab neighbours. DEPA took the first step towards making East Med viable on Thursday by pledging to buy 2bcm of Israeli gas a year, which it feels it can sell on to European gas distributors. DEPA is to buy the gas from Energean, another Greek company, which is developing nine Israeli gas fields. More pipelines, more entries of gas into the country, means more competition, and more competition means lower prices for the consumer, Energean CEO Mathios Rigas told Al Jazeera. This is exactly what happened with our project in Israel So both security of supply and competition will be coming through this pipeline. Europes need for gas Competition to provide gas to Europe is fierce, as the continent seeks to rid itself of coal and high greenhouse gas emissions. The EU is performing the biggest energy transition in the world today, so this is where the biggest market is going to be, said Ioannis Desypris, a director at Mytilineos Group, Greeces leading independent electricity producer and gas trader. Some of that demand is being satisfied by shipments of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). This year, the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will begin delivering gas from the Caspian Sea, across Turkey and Greece to Italy and the broader European market. But that still leaves a gap in the market. The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies estimates that European demand will outstrip LNG supply in two to three years. 191229144124455 The previous European Commission had set a goal to find New Gas. Lots of LNG terminals opened up. Huge amounts of money were spent on TAP, says Desypris. The emphasis now is on New Gas. Where is the new gas? In the east Mediterranean. There is no other. The North Sea is depleted. Holland is running out. Since 1999, Israel has discovered about a trillion cubic metres of gas. Cyprus has discovered at least three important gas fields since 2011. Both have more than enough gas for their domestic markets and are looking at export options. Greece, Cyprus and Israel have been discussing East Med since 2013. Gas competition to enter the European market is fierce because, in the process of decarbonisation, even gas only has a limited window of opportunity. Probably in the 2020s there will be room for everybodys gas, at least in reasonable proportions. But once we get certainly past 2030 we wouldnt be so certain, said professor Jonathan Stern who heads the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. What the models mostly show is, if were going to meet the Paris targets (COP21), never mind any consideration of net-zero [emissions], then gas has to basically remain relatively flat in terms of demand and then post 2030 it has to decline relatively rapidly. The European Union has already declared its interest in East Med by pledging 36.5 million euros for research and technical planning. Complications with Russia, Turkey Greece is expected to face opposition from Turkey, which recently claimed a section of the Mediterranean through which the pipeline must pass as its own maritime jurisdiction. Greece also claimed the area in a 2011 law. The EU has declared Turkeys claims as legally invalid. We do not have anything to gain from tensions but you know there are certain limits, Greek energy minister Kostis Hatzidakis told Al Jazeera. Everybody has to understand that this year is 2020, we are in Europe, we want all the countries of the broader region to cooperate, but of course this has a prerequisite which is international law and a spirit of goodwill. Mitsotakis hastened to quell Turkish reactions. East Med doesnt threaten anyone. Trilateral fora like ours are not directed against anyone. Regional cooperation is open to all under one condition that they respect international law. East Meds backers and Turkey will likely have to find a modus operandi. Article 79 of the International Law of the Sea says coastal states may not impede the laying or maintenance of cables or pipelines but that the delineation of the course for the laying of such pipelines on the continental shelf is subject to the consent of the coastal state. Thats one of the questions before a federal court in a closely watched lawsuit that pits the private school against the state. The board of Marylands private school voucher program, which gives public dollars to low-income families who seek to send their children to private school, ruled in 2018 that Bethel could no longer receive voucher dollars because language in its handbook violated the programs nondiscrimination policy. It also told the school that it had to pay back the $100,000 in voucher dollars it had already received. Attendees of rally March for Our Lives along Market St. in Philadelphia, Pa. on March 24, 2018. Cities all across the country are participating in similar marches to stand together against gun violence in schools after at a school in Parkland, Florida. Read more One out of every 12 shooting victims in Philadelphia was under age 18 in 2018, and the toll only grew worse in 2019. As gun violence in the city grows, children are increasingly the victims. Although the families bear the greatest sorrow, others in the victims orbit suffer, as well. A University of Pennsylvania researcher has been studying the emotions and grief rituals of black teenage boys in Philadelphia who have lost a friend frequently more than one friend to gun violence. Nora Gross, a doctoral candidate pursuing a dual degree in sociology and education, spoke to us recently about her work. Your work has its origins in a tragic accident. In 2008, I was a high school teacher at an all-black charter school in Chicago. In a devastating freak accident, we lost three beloved students. Everyone at school was distraught. However, just days before, Obama had been elected president, and among many black folks and Chicagoans in general, there was a profound sense of hope and revelry across the city. But I remember noticing how much more deeply and for how much longer my students seemed to be impacted by the loss of their friends than by Obamas election. In the weeks and months that followed, I saw the way so many of my students were deeply demoralized by their friends deaths. Some of them expressed legitimate anxieties about their own possibility of dying young and therefore wondered about the point and purpose of all the work they were doing in school. But others took up this tragedy and their friends memories as motivation to work harder. Even after I left teaching, those different responses stuck with me, and I wondered what more I and my colleagues could have done to support them. What are you looking at now? My research now focuses on the emotional experience of peer loss, specifically in response to neighborhood gun violence. My current project focuses on black adolescent boys, who are the group most affected by gun homicides and consequently by the deaths of friends and classmates. Im interested in how boys grieve after a friend is killed, how the policies and practices of their school help them manage their grief or recover, and how loss and grief impact the social life of a school over time. My research has been based at a particular public school in Philadelphia, although I cant share specific details. I do ethnographic research, which means I collect data through spending long periods of time immersed in school life, getting to know both students and adults, observing how people interact with each other, and conducting interviews. The boys in my study also let me observe their activities on social media. Whats one of the most interesting or compelling things you have learned? In society, we have a host of stereotypes of black boys and black men as being unfeeling, unwilling to ask for help, emotionally stoic, or tough. We know where these stereotypes come from historically and how they benefit white supremacist structures of our society. And we also know, of course, that these stereotypes are not true. Black males emotional worlds are complex and multilayered. They feel deeply and profoundly. If my only interactions with the boys in my study were in school in classrooms and hallways and cafeteria tables I might be inclined to think the stereotypes were not so far off. In general, especially at the beginning when I was a stranger to the boys, they often avoided emotional conversations, offered one-word answers if I asked how they were feeling, etc. But what Ive found is that online, in peer-driven social media worlds like Instagram, the boys I came to know are deeply emotional and expressive. They talk vividly about their pain, their grief, their love for their friends. They also talk about the strategies they use to cope, and they confess when theyre really not coping well or when they need help. Their digital lives offer another window into their emotional worlds which many adults in their lives, and certainly most of the adults in their schools, dont have regular access to. Tell us about the grief rituals of urban, black teenage boys. When a young person is killed, there are often several organized rituals to bring loved ones together in the immediate aftermath. These might include gatherings to release balloons or light candles. In school buildings, people seem to instinctively want to create something tangible as a memorial Ive seen the deceased students locker decorated in photographs and messages, classroom walls covered in R.I.P. messages. Young people wear clothing and jewelry with their friends name or picture; they get memorial tattoos; they write R.I.P. or LL (Long Live) with their friends name or nickname on gym shoes, backpacks, hats, etc., so that they are always carrying them along. But after these initial memorializations, grief rituals often continue among friends through online posts. They mark important dates death anniversaries each month, birthdays. They post if theyve had a dream about their friend. They share when they are doing something that reminds them of their friend or that might make their friend proud. The boys in my research also lean on each other and support each other. If one person shares that hes having a hard time, another friend might post an encouraging response or even give him a call. The rituals of grieving among black boys seem to me as much about brotherhood and deepened bonds with those still living as they are about remembering those who have died. What concerns you most about what you have learned? I know the whole city is concerned right now with what feels like an uptick in the murders of children and teenagers. Gun violence is on the rise in Philadelphia and young people unfairly bear the brunt of it. Im most concerned about all the young folks who are impacted secondarily by the deaths of friends. Each time I read a headline about another young victim, I think about the dozens -- hundreds, even -- of friends and classmates that he or she is leaving behind. In addition to family, neighbors, etc., an entire school will be in mourning. In each of these schools, students, teachers, and administrators have to figure out how to get through the next day and the day after, and the next weeks, months, years with the absence of this person. And their absence was created in a way that surely has other kids thinking about who else they might lose, or whether they might be next. Whether their face might end up on a T-shirt or their name in a hashtag. Students have told me that there simply isnt enough time in the school day to process all the things they are going through. Some of the boys Ive come to know just 16, 17 years old need more than two hands to count the number of friends whove been killed. The toll of these losses accumulates, but they have very few outlets to work through their grief. And the teachers they interact with every day, though they care deeply, are already pulled in too many directions and often feel wildly unprepared to serve as de facto counselors. Schools are not equipped to handle the complexity of emotional responses from students and the long and unpredictable timeline of grief. Public schools have so much to do and they generally dont have nearly enough resources to meet students academic needs, let alone their emotional ones. My hope is that the more we can understand about how young people grieve, the more we can help them. sandybauers10@gmail.com WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / January 2, 2020 / Eliot Pargament is a farrier and business owner. Presently, Eliot Pargament provides his services to those in and around Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. Eliot can be reached at (703) 727-5281, or mingusman14@gmail.com. ? Eliot Pargament is currently looking to grow his clientele and invites you to learn more about his skills as a farrier. Eliot started his company, Metro Farrier Services, after many years of training and hands-on experience. Eliot Pargament enjoys working with mammals of the Equidae family. He spends his days working on the hooves of horses and mules to ensure they can walk comfortably. Eliot has a fascination with large animals. Working with them every day is a real passion of his; it is why he became a certified farrier. A farrier is an expert in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horse hooves. It also involves the placing of shoes on the hooves of horses, when necessary. The Equidae family he works with has seven species, including many breeds of horses, donkeys, zebras, ponies, and mules. He loves his profession so much that Eliot Pargament opened his own farrier company called Metro Farrier. Eliot trained to become a qualified farrier at a couple of different schools and has acquired a lot of hands-on experience over the years. The first farrier training he received was at the Tucson School of Horseshoeing. His lessons educated him about all kinds of large hoofed animals that belong to the Equidae family. Eliot Pargament then attended another school regularly called the "Harvard of horseshoeing schools." Its real name is Kentucky Horseshoeing School, and it is located in Richmond, KY. Eliot became a fully certified Farrier in 2011. Once his training finished, Eliot shifted from being a student to an apprentice. His apprenticeship took place in the Washington DC area. Eliot Pargament has put his training to be a farrier to good use. He has served as a traveling farrier at various rodeos and attended numerous training seminars. The treatment Eliot Pargament specializes in as a farrier is a long list, including: General farrier services Custom blacksmithing Handmade shoe Regular shoes, and trims Corrective and lameness shoeing Being able to care for hooved animals is an essential part of his life. Eliot looks forward to continuing working in this profession for years to come. Learn more about Eliot Pargament and the farrier services he offers in your area. Connect with him via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliot-pargament-5a880a118/. Eliot hopes to hear from you and looks forward to taking great care of the shoes of your horse(s). CONTACT: Caroline Hunter Web Presence, LLC +1 7865519491 SOURCE: Web Presence, LLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/571829/How-Eliot-Pargament-Puts-His-Farrier-Training-To-Good-Use Algeria released several prominent anti-government protest figures from detention on Thursday, including well-known independence war veteran Lakhdar Bouregaa, one of his lawyers told AFP. Bouregaa was freed from an Algiers prison where he had been detained for six months, an AFP photographer said. "His trial, which was due to start this (Thursday) morning, has been postponed and the judge has decided to release him," lawyer Abdelghani Badi said. Bouregaa, 86, was arrested at his home in Algiers last June for "insulting a state body" and "taking part in a scheme to demoralise the army with the aim of harming the nation's defence". His supporters attributed his detention to his criticism of army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah, who became Algeria's de facto strongman after the fall of longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika last April. Gaid Salah died of a heart attack in December. Badi said that Bouregaa, who underwent emergency surgery for a hernia during his detention in November, would remain free during his trial, postponed until March 12. Bouregaa was a commander of the National Liberation Army -- which fought French colonial rule -- and a founder in 1963 of the Front for Socialist Forces, one of Algeria's oldest opposition parties. Before his arrest, Bouregaa took part in the demonstrations that have rocked Algeria since last February -- initially against Bouteflika, and then the wider establishment, after the president was forced to resign. Bouregaa's arrest provoked outrage in Algeria, notably from supporters of the "Hirak" protest movement, who branded him a "prisoner of conscience" and demanded his release. Among other detainees freed on bail Thursday was retired general Hocine Benhadid, according to Kaci Tansaout, head of support group the National Committee for the Liberation of Prisoners. The 73-year-old was also accused of "demoralising the army" after criticising Gaid Salah. Abdelhamid Amine, who was sentenced to three months imprisonment for his anti-government cartoons under the pen name "Nime", was released after serving one month, Tansaout said. About 180 protesters, activists and journalists were arrested ahead of an unpopular presidential election on December 12, many for waving Berber flags at protests or making critical comments online. Some were acquitted, often after months of pre-trial detention. Another 30 were convicted of "attacking the integrity of the territory" and were recently released after serving six month sentences. About 140 others remain in prison, either convicted or awaiting judgement. After a vote marred by low turnout, Abdelmadjid Tebboune was sworn in as Algeria's new president on December 19. A former prime minister who served under Bouteflika, he is seen as an establishment insider. ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Police in Anchorage, Alaska, issued a December challenge to community members to not drive while intoxicated. To highlight the campaign, they erected a Christmas tree and said they would tie on a blue ribbon for every arrest for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or marijuana. The challenge was not heeded, Anchorage television station KTVA reported. The tree was quickly adorned, and police ran out of blue ribbon. Through Dec. 14, Anchorage police placed 59 ribbons on the tree. Numbers continued to trend the wrong way after that. The department made 36 arrests for operating under the influence from Dec. 15 to Dec. 21. Thats 36 more ribbons on the tree, the department said in a statement. We ran out of blue ribbon (so did Costco) so we switched to plaid and had to start tying bows on the side because the front is full. This is no good. Dont drive drunk or high. It just isnt worth it. Final arrest numbers for December will be available next week, said Kendra Doshier, a department spokeswoman. The department made 130 OUI arrests in December 2016. That climbed to 139 in 2017 and 150 in December 2018. The upward trend is frustrating for police. Theres just so many other things you can do other than get behind the wheel of that car and potentially end your life or the life of someone else, said Renee Oistad, police department spokeswoman. Local bar owners agreed. We dont want over-consumption, said Matt Tomter, owner of Matanuska Brewing Co. At the companys three locations, he said, employees are instructed to look out for the safety of customers. We want everyone to have a good time, get everybody home safe, encourage people to take an Uber or Lyft if theyve been drinking at all, he said. All designated drivers receive free non-alcoholic drinks, he said. Lawrence Gilligan made the jump from TV news to the film industry a few years ago. Gilligan returned home to Albuquerque from Charlotte, North Carolina, for a three-episode stint on the upcoming TV series Deputy. The series will premiere at 8 p.m. Thursday on Fox. Its like a juggling act, he says of working on various projects. Im fortunate enough to be able to make it back home for projects like this. Deputy follows Bill Hollister, played by Stephen Dorff, who is a fifth-generation lawman. Under Hollisters command is a countywide crew of Los Angeles finest, including Deputy Cade Ward, played by Brian Van Holt, a former Marine stationed in Afghanistan, eight years sober and one of Hollisters few confidantes; Deputy Brianna Bishop, Bex Taylor-Klaus, the whip-smart, sarcastic driver in charge of Bills security detail; and Deputy Joseph Harris, Shane Paul McGhie, the son of Hollisters fallen partner. The pilot episode was filmed in Atlanta and the series was given a pickup at Fox on May 9. The production was one of many that moved to other locations after both Georgia and Louisiana passed restrictive abortion laws last spring. Pre-production began in August, and filming began Sept. 22 in and around Albuquerque. It is housed at I-25 Studios, where the studio has been at capacity during the majority of 2019. Rick Clemente, I-25 Studios CEO, has said there are plans to expand the current building. Gilligan is fairly new to being on such a big show and is looking forward to working on more productions. The role on the series has Gilligan playing a TV reporter something he knows well as he used to work for KRQE. In this role, so far, Im in three episodes, Gilligan said. I went in thinking it was going to be one episode and its turned into something longer. The series is a lot of fun and Im learning so much. Stephen is wonderful to work with and has been around in the industry for a long time. Gilligan has appeared in such NM film projects as Independence Day: Resurgence, 12 Strong, Sgt. Will Gardner, The Brave, The Night Shift and Graves. Im still considered a local actor and I think casting directors are starting to pay attention to the talent that is in New Mexico, he said. Theres a sense of community that doesnt really exist in many places. Its a perfect place to keep rising up the ranks in the film industry. Theres plenty of opportunity for a lot of people. It is easy to forget that not everyone who lives in a totalitarian regime likes their totalitarian regime. Its not mass hysteria that takes over the peoples minds in a place overrun by despots and theocracies. People of conscience still retain their values and morals independent of social pressures. How they choose to act given those pressures is the heart of the matter. In this case, it is also the heart of the film A Hidden Life by writer-director Terrence Malick. A Hidden Life is the story of Franz Jagerstatter (August Diehl) whose pleasant life farming in the hills of Austria is ruined by the demand that he comply with compulsory service to the Third Reich. He finds the insistence that he swear allegiance to Adolf Hitler untenable, refuses and is jailed for his trouble. From there on out, things go poorly for our hero Jagerstatter. Based on a true story, A Hidden Life is an ambitious film for several reasons, not the least of which is its epic 174-minute length. First, there are Nazis. Films with Nazis bring with them a pile of baggage that is as unpleasant as it is constraining. Filmgoers already have their mind made up when they see a swastika and unless it ends with a face-melting opening of the Ark of the Covenant, most will be disappointed. That brings up the second issue. In America, people have been expressing pro-Nazi views in increasing numbers. This is a film that finds itself squarely in a time when authoritarianism is on the rise around the globe. Malick is clearly offering a counterpoint with the message that there are really not some very fine people on both sides. Nazis are horrible people and their portrayal in this film demonstrates that with gusto. But lets not linger over the Nazis, lets instead wander back to Austrian Alps where farmer Franz and his beautiful young family eke out a living growing potatoes and wheat on the outskirts of a bucolic Austrian village. Malick is known for his painterly visions of large landscapes and small moments. In A Hidden Life, you can smell the dirt on the characters hands and feel their muscles groan at the plow. The hills are alive, not with music this time, but with the hard, rewarding life of simple family farming in a community. Malick takes his time establishing what rural life was like for the people of this village and the Jagerstatter family. It makes it just that much more heartbreaking when the Nazis enter the scene to ruin it for everybody, starting with Jagerstatter. It should be noted that Malick makes fantastic use of language in the film. Flowing between English and German, the language carries the emotion in the angry scenes of both villagers and prison guards. Unless the filmgoer understands German, they are forced to absorb the emotional content and rage of the scenes without the distraction of what precisely is being said. It is a very powerful bit of moviemaking, giving the viewer the time and space to come up with their own words, in their own language. The message of A Hidden Life is not an uncommon one in film: A man stands up for what he believes in, despite the costs. The private exchange between Jagerstatter and his judge sums up the situation nicely. Do we have a right to do this? the judge asks. Do I have a right not to? asks Jagerstatter. It is the root of passivity and a question worth repeated consideration in films. Why does one have to participate in others actions? Where does our responsibility for the common good end? Taking on a project of this scale is well within the scope of Malick, who rendered such romantic period pieces as Badlands and Days of Heaven. The romance in A Hidden Life is found in Jagerstatters love of life. It is evident, but often overshadowed by the brutality he is put through. It would be a shame to view this film as simply a political statement dropped off on Hollywoods doorstep as a cautionary tale in a turbulent time without also taking in the nearly three hours of screen time that Malick has laid out as a portrait of a man, a family, a community and a nation dealing with stressors beyond their control. A Hidden Life paints a picture of times that are hard, but reminds us that solace, and even beauty, can be found in our own convictions. Five witnesses testified against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his close aide Zafar Iqbal on Thursday for their involvement in terror financing before an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan. The anti-terrorism court Lahore indicted Saeed and his close aides - Hafiz Abdul Salam, Muhammad Ashraf and Iqbal - on terror financing charges on December 11. "The five witnesses testified against Saeed and Iqbal for their involvement in terror financing," a court official told PTI after hearing. He said a legal team of Saeed and Iqbal comprising advocates Naseerudin Nayar and Imran Fazal Gill cross examined the witnesses. He said ATC-I Lahore Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta adjourned hearing till Friday and directed the prosecution to produce more witnesses. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police also produced the Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief, Iqbal, Abdul Salam, Abdul Rehman Makki, Muhammad Ashraf and the JuD spokesperson Yahya Mujahid in another case in ATC-II. ATC-II Judge Muhammad Iqbal adjourned hearing till January 9 in that case. Strict security measures were taken in and outside the court premises before the appearance of the top JuD leaders. Journalists were not allowed to enter the court premises to cover the proceedings because of security issues. The defence counsel had already taken a stance denying allegations against the JuD leaders as baseless and a result of international pressure on Pakistan government. The CTD had registered 23 FIRs against Saeed and his accomplices on the charges of terror financing in different cities of Punjab province and arrested him on July 17. He is held at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. Saeed-led JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice. The US has also welcomed Saeed's indictment, urging Islamabad to ensure a full prosecution and expeditious trial of the charges against him. The indictment followed growing international pressure on Pakistan to stop militant groups from collecting funds in the country and to take immediate action against those still involved in militant activities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The idea of a universal basic income monthly cash payments from the government to every individual, working or not, with no strings attached is gaining traction, thanks in part to endorsements from Silicon Valley celebs. Some see it as a way to compensate for the traditional jobs with benefits that will be wiped out by robotics, artificial intelligence, self-driving vehicles, globalization and the gig economy. Others see it as a way to reduce income inequality or to create a more efficient, less stigmatizing safety net than our current mishmash of welfare benefits. I think ultimately we will have to have some kind of universal basic income, I dont think we are going to have a choice, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the World Government Summit in Dubai in February. In a commencement speech at Harvard University in May, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, We should explore ideas like universal basic income to give everyone a cushion to try new things. And in a July 4 blog post, Zuckerberg praised Alaskas Permanent Fund Dividend, the nearest thing to universal income in this or any country. Since 1982, Alaska has been distributing some of its oil revenue as an annual payment, ranging from about $1,000 to $3,000, to every resident including children. Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and Y Combinator president Sam Altman have all said its worth exploring. Y Combinators nonprofit research lab started a basic income pilot with fewer than 100 people in Oakland last fall with the goal of gathering information to structure a larger research proposal, its director, Elizabeth Rhodes, said. The concept has been around, with different names and in different countries, for centuries, said Karl Widerquist, co-founder of the Basic Income Earth Network. It enjoyed a wave of U.S. popularity in the 1910s and 20s and again in the 60s and 70s when it was championed by free-market economist Milton Friedman, Martin Luther King and, for a while, Richard Nixon. It resurfaced again after the 2008 financial crisis, when soaring unemployment and corporate bailouts focused attention on the 99 percent. The concept picked up steam in recent years as studies started predicting widespread unemployment because of automation. Basic income has fans across the political spectrum, but for very different reasons. Libertarian backers would replace all or most welfare programs with a monthly cash payment as a way to prevent poverty, reduce government bureaucracy and let people decide for themselves how to use the money. Paul Marotta/Getty Images By contrast, those left of center like the idea of using (basic income) as a supplement to the existing safety net, said Natalie Foster, co-chairwoman of the Economic Security Project, a two-year fund devoted to researching and promoting the idea of unconditional cash. In a utopian version, the money would sit alongside existing programs and go to every man, woman and child, Foster said. But if you made it enough to keep people above poverty $1,000 a month is a popular number it starts to add up to a very significant portion of the GDP, Foster said. Thats why some proposals would reduce or eliminate payments to children or to adults over 65 if they are getting Social Security and Medicare. Some would limit the benefits going to high-income people, either directly or indirectly by raising their tax. In the simple model, everyone in the lower half (of the income distribution) would be a net beneficiary, everyone in the upper half would be net payers, Widerquist said. Charles Murray, a libertarian political scientist with the American Enterprise Institute, has proposed a basic income plan that would replace all transfer payments including welfare, food stamps, housing subsidies, the earned income tax credit, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. It would also eliminate farm subsidies and corporate welfare. In exchange, each American older than 21 would get a monthly payment totaling $13,000 a year, of which $3,000 would go to health insurance. After $30,000 in earned income, a graduated tax would reimburse some of the grant until it dropped to $6,500 at $60,000 in income. However, the grant would never drop below $6,500 to compensate for the loss of Social Security and Medicare. Murray admitted that many seniors get more than $6,500 worth of benefits a year from those two programs, which is why it would have to be phased in. What Im proposing would actually be cheaper than the current system, Murray said. It would give adults a living income and liberate people who are tied to a job or welfare program in a particular city because they cant risk leaving to pursue a new opportunity. KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images Andy Stern, a senior fellow at the Economic Security Project, has proposed a left-of-center plan that would give every adult 18 to 64 a monthly cash payment of $1,000. It would replace welfare programs such as food stamps, the earned income tax credit, unemployment and Supplemental Security Income. But it would keep Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security disability. He figures the plan would cost about $1.75 trillion a year. Ending welfare programs would save about a third of that. Another third could come from ending the tax deduction for mortgage interest and other write-offs. The remaining third could come from new sources such as a tax on carbon emissions or financial transactions. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Stern would not reduce payments to the rich or raise their taxes because that would bring back the problem he is trying to eliminate determining who is worthy and unworthy to receive benefits. But many of the tax increases he envisions would have a disproportionate effect on higher-income people, he said. Some opponents of guaranteed income say it will encourage laziness. Proponents say the current system discourages work by taking away some benefits as income goes up. Zipcar founder Robin Chase, now a speaker and author, said universal income would encourage and reward important work that does not get monetized, such as child care and volunteer work. It would also spur business creation. I had the luxury of taking risks because I had a husband who had a full-time job with health care. A majority of the population cannot take any risks in pursuing innovation or higher-value, non-remunerative things. Some believe the answer to income inequality and automation is not guaranteed income but a guaranteed job. Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, has said the federal government should provide a job with benefits to anyone who wants one and cant get one. A job guarantee could simultaneously lower un- and underemployment while providing critically needed labor in fields ranging from infrastructure to education to child and elder care, Bernstein, who was an economist in President Barack Obamas administration, wrote in the American Prospect. Jason Furman, who chaired Obamas Council of Economic Advisers, doesnt like guaranteed jobs or guaranteed income. Furman, now a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, said universal income suffers from three problems. One is that its very hard to make the numbers add up. To get to (incomes) like $12,000, you need huge increases in taxes. Two, there are a lot of benefits to targeting. You only get unemployment if you dont have a job and are looking for a new job. If anything, I might toughen the work search requirement to receive unemployment. Finally, he said, I believe there is no reason that people cant be employed in the future. We have thousands of years of experience of technological progress not leading to mass unemployment. He pointed out that technologically advanced countries do not have higher unemployment rates than those that are less advanced. We should put more effort into how to create jobs and prepare people for jobs in the future, he said. Universal basic income is giving up on work and giving up on people. Im not prepared to do that. Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender Construction on a new passenger terminal at Missoula International Airport is at a critical bid stage, and the general contractor has asked for extra time to make sure its done right. The Missoula County Airport Authority agreed Tuesday to table review and approval of Martel Construction's selections for the above-ground phase of the estimated $67 million project. A special board meeting was set for Jan. 10 to handle a Guaranteed Maximum Price package from Martel, one that involves multiple bids for multiple tasks involved in building the core, shell and interior of the new terminal. This is a big decision youre making as an organization, as a board, as a staff, and we want to be sure we give you lots of time to think about it, and ask questions if you have them, not necessarily just today but between now and the 10th, airport director Cris Jensen told the board. Tim Damrow, the airports projects manager, said 67 unique bids were received after the process began Nov. 20. Theyre being vetted for what Martel expects to be in the $36 million to $37 million range. Roughly $21 million of work has already been awarded as Martel, Morrison-Maierle, A&E Architects and subcontractors spent 2019 laying the groundwork. Now its time to go vertical, with late 2021 the completion target for the Phase 1 "South Paw" Concourse. This is a very complicated project, probably the most complicated that well do in our careers, and its amazing how well its gone, what a cohesive team we have, Jensen told the board. We feel like were in a pretty good place. Were well within that $67 million target that weve been talking about. Damrow, who presented a detailed PowerPoint construction update and a look ahead at the airport authoritys year-end meeting, said the airport and Martel want to leave no stone unturned before the Jan. 10 meeting. Were trying to get our apples to apples comparison, he said. A lot of this is quantity clarification, making sure contractors understand what quantities are included and whats excluded, so we can make sure the pricings accurate and were not missing something. And then well follow up to make sure the low bids can actually perform on their contracts and that there are no questions. Thereve been some hiccups, Damrow said, mainly problems with groundwater that had to be solved. I think the whole teams feeling relatively confident that now that were out of the ground now that were going vertical, some of those unknowns should be hopefully few and far between at this point, he said. Jensen said the 10-day delay wont affect the construction timetable. Were still on schedule and continue to be on schedule, the director said, stressing it's "a project being driving by budget, not a budget driven by time. Jensen said Missoula wants to avoid the pitfalls other airports have experienced in complex passenger terminal projects. The Denver Post reported in August a fired construction team for a terminal renovation at Denver International Airport estimated it would have taken an additional $288 million dollars and an extra 28 months to finish the project. That would have pushed the budget to well over $900 million and extended a project that began in 2018 from a November 2021 completion date to February 2024. We want to be careful with the publics funds and make sure we do it right, Jensen said. Thats what this (delay) is really all about. The current phase of construction is replacing the west wing of the terminal with the South Paw Concourse. Still on the horizon is Phase 2, an East Paw concourse with a price tag of an estimated $39 million thatll replace the current terminal and baggage claim. Meanwhile, it was a challenging 2019 on the operations end. Summer traffic jams plagued the crowded temporary security lines and untimely fog forced the cancellation of five flights on Christmas Eve. Final passenger totals will reflect yet another record year, the sixth in a row, with an increase of around 7%. The year ended with fewer seats on the market than at the same time in 2018, but deputy director Brian Ellestad reported growth is in the air. Its due largely to announcements that Alaska Airlines will start daily nonstop flights to and from Los Angeles International in March and will begin sending larger mainline Airbuses twice a day from Seattle in May. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Flash Guinea-Bissau's former prime minister Umaro Sissoco Embalo has won the presidential election held on Sunday, the West African nation's electoral commission said. According to the provisional results published Wednesday by the National Election Commission of Guinea-Bissau (NEC), Embalo, candidate of the Movement for Democratic Alternation (MADEM-G15), obtained 53.55 percent of the votes during the presidential election runoff held on December 29. He was competing with another former prime minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, candidate of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), who won 46.45 percent of the votes. The turnout rate for the presidential election runoff was 72.67 percent, slightly lower than in the first round, the NEC said. A total of 761,676 voters were called to cast their ballot during Sunday's presidential election runoff in 3,139 polling stations across the country and overseas. The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to Guinea-Bissau's presidential election on Tuesday disclosed that the election was "conducted in peace and security necessary for the free expression of suffrage". On Nov. 27, the NEC announced the provisional results of the first round of presidential election, which showed former prime ministers Pereira and Embalo won respectively 40.13 percent and 27.65 percent of the votes, respectively. Born in 1974, Embalo served as Guinea-Bissau's prime minister under the presidency of Jose Mario Vaz from November 2016 to January 2018. The incumbent president Jose Mario Vaz also contested for presidency during the first round of the presidential election, obtaining only 12.41 percent of votes. On December 15, Brazil opened a trade office in Jerusalem and announced that it would soon relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city. Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his appreciation by declaring Israel has no better friends than the people and government of Brazil. Brazils endorsement of settler-colonialism and military occupation in Palestine is part of a broader global trend of right-wing, far-right, and fundamentalist movements embracing Zionism as a model for the successful perpetuation of racist policies. Brazils growing support for Israel A religious nationalist and former army captain, Brazils far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is known for patriarchal, misogynist, and racist comments. He insulted African, Middle Eastern, and Haitian refugees as the scum of humanity, attacked LGBT populations, and promoted legal inequality of women. Bolsonaros regime has been described as fascist by some observers. Upon assuming office in 2018, Bolsonaro broke with the South American countrys moderate stance on Palestine. During his presidential campaign, Bolsonaro advocated for the closure of the Palestinian embassy in Brasilia, dismissed Palestinians as terrorists, and promised to move Brazils embassy to Jerusalem. At his election rallies, the Israeli flag often appeared alongside the Brazilian one. Following Bolsonaros election victory, a senior Brazilian diplomatic source told Israeli newspaper Haaretz that Brazil will now be coloured in blue and white, referring to the colours of the Israeli flag. As president, Bolsonaro made his firstofficial state visit outside the Americas to Israel and was warmly welcomed in Tel Aviv, where he proclaimed his love for Israel in Hebrew. Israel reciprocated the fascination. From the very beginning of his presidency, Israel viewed Bolsonaro as a new ally. When Netanyahu attended Bolsonaros inauguration, he was greeted by Brazils Christian evangelicals, who issued a special stamp to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the settler-colonial state. It featured Netanyahus face and the Hebrew word for saviour. Evangelicals Bolsonaro is backed by Brazils rapidly growing evangelical population, which, numbering approximately 45 million, has gained political and social influence. Brazils evangelical movement has ties to its US counterpart. Well-represented in the US government, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, white evangelicals form the conservative base of the Republican Party and have largely supported Donald Trump. Israel is of central importance for Zionist evangelicals, who follow the belief that Jews need to be concentrated in Palestine for the second coming of Jesus to be triggered. Reading history through a religious lens, evangelical Zionists view the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 as the fulfilment of a religious prophecy. Israel is thus elevated above international law and human rights obligations. Idolising Israel Christian Zionists are not alone in their support and admiration of Israel. Right-wing and far-right movements and political parties across the world also idolise Israel as they view the Zionist colonial project as a successful model of European domination over the indigenous populations of developing countries. Seizing on ultraconservative concerns about demographic developments in multicultural societies for the perpetuation of Islamophobic, white supremacist and otherwise racist ideologies, different far-right movements intersect in their adherence to Zionism. Forms of population containment, such as travel bans, deportations, construction of walls, and mass incarceration, have long been developed by Israel and tested on Palestinians. Israel has transformed Islamophobic and Orientalist thinking into genocidal policies, which many far-right supporters see as an inspiration for their own countries. Europes far-right Right-wing ideologues can easily combine anti-Semitism with a pro-Israeli stance. In 1895, Zionisms founding father, Theodor Herzl, predicted that the anti-Semites will become our most dependable friends, the anti-Semitic countries our allies. While anti-Semitism and Zionism intersect structurally, as both depend on a collective politicisation of Jews as the Other, the current dynamics have made the macabre alliance impossible to ignore. Far-right parties have increasingly joined the established political spectrum throughout Europe. Austrias far-right Freedom Party (FPO), and Germanys far-right AfD have incorporated Zionism into their regressive ideologies, viewing Israel as a model for the creation of racist/racial hierarchies. Both parties include outspoken anti-Semites. While disregarding the rights of Palestinians, the European far-right has rhetorically abused the Palestinian population for the furthering of Islamophobic propaganda and the whitewashing of its own anti-Semitism. Israels illegal West Bank settlements are often presented as the frontier of Western civilisation. To name a few examples, former FPO leader Hans Christian Strache declared that his heart is with the settlers. Dutch Islamophobe Geert Wilders asked Palestinians to leave Palestine for Jordan, justifying ethnic cleansing. The far-right party Swedish Democrats is fighting for the recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. Collaboration The Israeli regime has long positioned itself within the global political right and, particularly under Netanyahu, proudly collaborates with the far-right. It even glorifies some prominent far-right figures, such as Italian politician Matteo Salvini, as great friends of Israel. Israels far-right friends also include Hungarys Victor Orban. Known for his Islamophobic and anti-refugee discourse, Orban praised former Hungarian Nazi collaborator Miklos Horthy, who oversaw the killing of half a million Jews in Hungary. Another friend is Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is infamous for racist, homophobic, and sexist remarks. Duterte once favourably compared himself to Hitler and ridiculed Holocaust victims. Despite this, he later visited Israel and, with Netanyahu, participated in a memorial service at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. His visit included the signing of an oil exploration license and new arms deals. All this, however, is not shocking to anyone who follows the far-right and the Israeli government closely. In fact, Jerusalem is a crucial intersection of Zionists and anti-Semites. Following his visit to the Holocaust memorial, Bolsonaro proclaimed that Nazism was a leftist and socialist movement, effectively engaging in Holocaust revisionism. This, however, is in line with Netanyahus own historical revisionism. Israels PM previously claimed that Hitler did not want to exterminate the Jews, wrongfully propagating a theory of Palestinian involvement in the Holocaust. At the opening of the Trump administrations new embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, evangelical pastors Robert Jeffress and John Hagee delivered prayers. Prominent televangelist Jeffress previously claimed: You cant be saved being a Jew. He denounced Islam, Mormonism, and Judaism. In an attempt to justify Jewish settlement in Palestine, Hagee, founder of the Zionist organisation Christians United for Israel, had used the Bible to rationalise the Holocaust, claiming: God sent a hunter. A hunter is someone with a gun and he forces you. Hitler was a hunter. As these dynamics reveal, Palestine/Israel has been central to regressive governments, political parties and movements around the world. White supremacists, anti-Semites, neo-Nazis and religious fundamentalists can find inspiration in Zionism for many purposes. Whether their goal is to conceal anti-Semitism, to further racist policies or to trigger an apocalypse as long as they praise the Israeli government, they will most likely be accepted as friends. Today, Tel Aviv is quick to make friends with new right-wing governments, wherever they may emerge. This approach has been visible in South America, beyond Brazil. Venezuela and Bolivia have long been among Israels staunchest opponents internationally. Caracas broke ties with the Zionist state following the 2008-2009 Gaza War. Bolivias Morales declared Israel a terrorist state, after condemning its wars against Palestinians. However, US-imposed Venezuelan interim president Juan Guaido, was immediately recognised by Israel and is attempting to re-establish diplomatic ties. Bolivias US-backed controversial interim president, Jeanine Anez, promptly restored relations with Israel and dropped visa restrictions. Despite aligning itself with the global right, Israel is still supported by liberal and leftist politics in the West and, due to deeply embedded Orientalism in the Euro-American sphere, the Zionist state is more often than not comprehended as a liberal democratic outpost in the Middle East. As a result, the oppression of Palestinians continues to extend transnationally and beyond political ideologies. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. New Oregon laws taking effect Jan. 1 will put new limits on checkout bags from retail stores, allow people to have old marijuana convictions expunged and outlaw the practice of summoning police to arrest people of color engaged in innocuous behavior. Bicyclists will now be allowed to roll through stop signs when theres no oncoming traffic. Schools will face multiple new mandates: to teach about the Holocaust and other genocides, step up their response to suicide and teach diverse perspectives including those of Native Americans and LGBTQ people. Oregonians should also expect to pay a bit more for some goods and services. A new gross receipts tax on business established to put more dollars in school coffers kicks in Jan 1. Business will start paying 0.57% on most of their sales in Oregon above $1 million, excluding groceries, gas, hospitals and long-term care businesses. To offset anticipated increases in consumers prices, the bill that creates the tax for schools also cuts personal income tax rates by .25 percent. Housing affordability and rent control was a major topic for lawmakers this year. Starting Jan. 1, landlords will be barred from charging multiple fees when screening potential tenants applications for multiple locations. The new year will also bring an end to restrictions on so-called skinny lots in cities with more than 25,000 people. Senate Bill 534 aims to increase residential density and requires local governments to allow development of at least one housing unit on each platted lot zoned for a single-family dwelling that is within the urban growth boundary. Former foster children will also get help qualifying to rent apartments, under a program at Oregon Housing and Community Services. The program guarantees payments to landlords for unpaid rent in the case of eviction, as well as property damage costs, within the first 12 months of the rental or lease agreement. Oregon voters have made it clear that they dont view adults who use marijuana recreationally as criminals, so lawmakers passed two new laws to retroactively extend that view back in time starting Jan. 1. Senate Bill 975 creates a pathway for people with marijuana convictions to ask a judge to reduce the seriousness of the crime to match current law. Senate Bill 420, meanwhile, allows those previously convicted of marijuana possession, delivery and manufacture to apply to set aside the convictions and seal the old records if the conduct is no longer a crime. When it comes to education, lawmakers want to help make things more affordable from preschool to college. As of Jan. 1, each community college and public university in Oregon must have a textbook affordability plan. The state will also add slots at preschools to deliver more high-quality infant and toddler care for families with incomes at or below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines. Changes are also coming to Oregons 529 College Savings Plan intended to help low- and moderate-income families. House Bill 2164 will now allow families to receive a refundable tax credit - a direct reduction to their tax bill - as high as $300 for contributions to the plan after Jan. 1, replacing the current tax deduction for contributions. Individual filers can receive a credit as high as $150. The credit is based on the filers income, and ranges from 100% of contributions for those making less than $30,000 to 5% of contributions for those making more than $250,000. Protections for pregnant workers, patients facing death The Legislature is never silent on health care issues, and 2019 was no exception. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10 to 24-year-olds in Oregon so starting Jan. 1, schools, public colleges and other education entities are expected to partner with the state to improve their handling of suspected suicides. Senate Bill 485 requires the Oregon Health Authority to collaborate with them on a communication plan for responding to suspected suicides of those 24 years or younger. Senate Bill 665 allows trained personnel at schools to administer the anti-overdose medicine naloxone and similar medications if a someone overdoses on opioids at school, on school property or at a school-sponsored activity. Also as of Jan. 1, Oregon residents will have expanded rights to use the states widely hailed Death with Dignity Act. Senate Bill 579 waives the 15-day waiting period after a doctor finds a person qualified for assisted suicide if the doctor determines that the person will likely die during that time. Another new law will assure pregnant workers that job demands will be modified to accommodate their health. House Bill 2341 makes it unlawful for employers to deny employment opportunities or fail to make reasonable accommodations when an employee or applicant has limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition. Oregon consumers and regulators will also be better informed before any prescription drug undergoes a steep price hike. House Bill 2658 requires drug companies to report to Department of Consumer and Business Services when they plan to increase the price of a brand name drug by 10% or more or by $10,000 over a 12-month period. Notification is required for generic drugs when the price increase is at least 25% or $300 over a 12- month period. The notification needs to happen 60 days before the price increase. Jobs are always a hot topic among lawmakers, particularly in rural areas, and a law taking effect Jan. 1 reflects that. Senate Bill 2 permits counties in eastern Oregon to designate up to 50 acres outside urban growth boundaries where they can override farmland protections to promote for industrial and other employment uses. In the past year, police in Oregon were summoned to respond to, among other incidents, a black man sitting in a hotel lobby and a black lawmaker going door-to-door to talk to constituents. House Bill 3216, which takes effect Jan. 1, responds to that. It makes it a crime to summon a police officer with the intent to discriminate against someone or infringe on their constitutional rights. Two new laws give prisoners new rights as of Jan. 2. Senate Bill 495 prohibits guards from using dogs to remove anyone in custody from their cell. Prisoners also must be provided free tampons, sanitary pads, postpartum pads and panty liners. Oregonians will also have more protection against revenge porn. Intimate images disclosed through any means, not just via a website, will be illegal to disseminate without consent Lawmakers also changed some laws affecting voting and public officeholders. House Bill 2595 lengthens to a full year the period during which former lawmakers are barred from paid lobbying. Starting in the new year, people who advertise for a political cause or candidate will have to disclose the main financial backers, as is already the case for candidates for federal office. And people and groups seeking to get a measure before voters will also face more hurdles. Senate Bill 761 means initiative supporters can no longer hand out copies of electronic signature sheets for multiple voters to sign. Instead, each voter must sign a separate form containing the complete text of the proposed measure a requirement that could require a multipage printout for each signature submission. Lawmakers also passed new protections for lab animals, low-income computer users and wildlife. Senate Bill 638 requires research facilities that use dogs or cats for laboratory research to offer them for adoption prior to euthanasia. Senate Bill 69 requires the Public Utility Commission to establish a program to assist low-income Oregonians including those who qualify for food stamps to afford broadband Internet. And Senate Bill 580 prohibits the use of cyanide devices to control wildlife. Oregonians will have new assurances theyll be protected against oil spills or coastal drilling. As of Jan. 1, railroads that own or operate high hazard train routes must have state-approved oil spill contingency plans. Also on the environmental front, House Bill 2509 bans single-use checkout bags at retail stores. Single-use plastic bags are banned altogether, and recycled paper will cost 5 cents a bag. Statewide. Senate Bill 256, meanwhile, makes permanent the states moratorium on oil, gas and sulfur leasing within three miles of the coastline. Oregon will join Idaho in letting bicyclists maintain their momentum when biking past stop signs, a maneuver known as an Idaho stop. As of Jan. 1, its legal for bicyclists to go through intersections with stop signs or flashing red lights without stopping. But theyll also face new requirements: There are violations police can impose when a biker fails to yield to traffic at an intersection, disobeys a police officer or flagger, fails to exercise care to avoid an accident or fails to yield the right of way to a pedestrian. Alan Peter Cayetano, then the Philippines secretary of foreign affairs, and Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah hold a news conference in Kuwait City after signing an agreement on Filipino laborers, May 11, 2018. The Philippines announced a partial ban Thursday on the deployment of its workers to Kuwait, in the wake of the latest death of a Filipina maid in the oil-rich Persian Gulf state. In 2019, Manila declared a temporary ban on Filipinos following the deaths of at least two Philippine workers in Kuwait, including a maid who was found dead in a freezer in her employers abandoned apartment in Kuwait City the previous year. We are considering a total deployment ban to Kuwait," Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a statement. While we are deciding whether or not we will impose a total deployment ban, I will issue a directive today to set the partial deployment ban, which means we will not be deploying new workers there, he said. The Southeast Asian nation issued the partial ban after Labor Attache Nassar Mustafa recommended the move following the death of Jeanelyn Villavende, a household service worker who was allegedly mistreated by her employers wife, Bello said. The fresh ban would only cover first-time household service workers and would exclude skilled and vacationing workers, he said. Villavende left her home in South Cotabato province in southern Mindanao island in June last year and was already declared dead when she was brought to the hospital last month, labor officials said. The suspect is now detained in Kuwait, Bello said. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo condemned Villavendes killing, describing the incident as a clear disregard of the agreement signed by both countries in 2018, in a deal aimed at protecting the rights and welfare of Filipino workers in the Gulf state. The palace expresses its outrage over the death of Filipino worker Jeanelyn Padernal Villavende, allegedly at the hands of her female employer who is now in the custody of Kuwaiti authorities, Panelo said, adding that the president was considering a total freeze of labor migration there. More than 3.5 million Filipinos work in the Middle East, including about 500,000 in Kuwait, Philippine officials said, quoting government documents. Duterte banned the deployment of new workers to Kuwait after Constancia Lago Dayag was declared dead in a hospital in Kuwait in May 2019. A year earlier, Joanna Demafelis body was found in a freezer in her employers abandoned apartment in Kuwait City. The Philippine leader lifted that ban after Kuwait apologized and the two nations signed a deal to protect Filipino workers in the Persian Gulf state. Demafelis death sparked a diplomatic crisis between the two nations and led to the agreement that, among other things, prohibited employers from confiscating the passports of their Filipino workers. Manila-based labor rights groups oppose a deployment ban, saying it would only fuel trafficking of desperate Filipinos looking for higher-paying jobs in the Middle East. A deployment ban itself is not effective, it wont stop the abuse, Arman Hernando, a representative of the labor alliance Migrante International, told reporters last May. About 10 million, or a tenth of the countrys population, live and work overseas, making the Filipino diaspora one of the largest in Asia. Most are employed as seafarers and maids in countries that offer scant labor protection. A bond hearing was held for two suspects in the murder of Mobile man who was found buried in the backyard of the suspects home. David Cordero, 32, and Marcos Javier Morales Oslan, 20, were arrested in Jacksonville, Florida for the murder of Tracie Dennis, 21. They were extradited to Mobile Monday, December, 31. Officials stated at the bond hearing that Dennis body was found buried in the backyard of Corderos residence on Marcus Drive with his hands and feet bound and a chemical sprayed on his body in an attempt to mask the smell of decomposition. Investigators believe that Dennis and the two suspects had an altercation based on $380 that was owed to Dennis for contracting work that was done for a business owned by Cordero. Oslan confessed to authorities of being the one who shot Dennis in the head and stabbed him multiple times in the back. Cordero and Oslan are both from Puerto Rico. Cordero has lived in Mobile since 2016 with his wife and let Oslan move in shortly after due to problems he was having in Puerto Rico," the defense attorney for Cordero stated. Corderos bond was set for $150,000 and electronic monitoring if released. Oslans was set at $250,000 and electronic monitoring if released. Their arraignment hearing is scheduled for January 9. Amritsar, Jan 2 : Akali leader Gurdeep Singh, who is believed to be close to former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia, was gunned down by unidentified assailants in his home village in Amritsar district on Wednesday night, police said on Thursday. His wife is sarpanch of Umarpura village. Singh, who suffered eight gunshot injuries, was returning from a gurdwara when he was attacked. Police have filed a case against gangster Harmanjit Singh, his father Nirmal Singh and three others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the third installment of PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) for the months December 2019 - March 2020 in Karnataka on Thursday. The scheme will benefit over 6 crore farmers. PM Modi, who is on a two-day trip to the state, will officially declare the disbursement of the third installment of PM KISAN scheme while presenting the Krishi Karman Awards to farmers in Tumkur. He will also distribute Kisan Credit Cards to farmers from Karnataka. Few fishermen from Tamil Nadu will also receive keys to advanced vessels for deep sea fishing from the Prime Minister. Beneficiaries of PM Kisan from several other states and union territories will receive the awards from the Prime Minister. Under the PM KISAN scheme, farmers bank accounts will be credited with a yearly amount of Rs 6,000 which the beneficiaries will receive in three installments of Rs 2,000 each. PM Modi had launched the scheme ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 in order to double farmer incomes by 2022. PM KISAN aims to transfer Rs 75,000 crores to about 12 crore farmers across the nation in three years. Narendra Modi will begin his Karnataka tour with a visit to the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur where he will unveil a plaque to mark the laying of foundation stone for a museum in honour of famous Lingayat scholar and seer Shivkumara Swami, who passed away in January 2019, aged 111 years. The PM is also scheduled to inaugurate 5 DRDO Young Scientists Labs in the city of Bengaluru while attending a programme at DRDOs Aeronautical Development Establishment. Young Scientists Labs are being developed to increase the scope of indigenous research capabilities in the defence sector. (With inputs from agencies) Tumkur (Karnataka) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that agriculture has a key role to play in helping the country achieve its goal of becoming five trillion dollar economy and the government was focusing on formulating a cash crop and export-centric farming system. Addressing a gathering here after distributing Krishi Karman Awards, Modi said that the effort of Central government has led to an increase in the production and export of spices in the country. "The agriculture sector has a very important role to play in making India a five trillion dollar economy. For this, our government is focusing on formulating a cash crop and export centric farming system," he said. Modi said that production of spices has crossed 25 lakh tonne and their export has risen from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 19,000 crore. He said the government was not only solving problems of farmers but also working towards a better future for them. "We have made arrangements so that farmers can sell their produce at any e-mandi across the country through the e-NAM network. We've also made facilities for cold storage," he said. Modi also said the government has started an immunisation programme for cattle. "We have started an immunisation programme for the cattle to ensure they do not have to spend a lot of money. We have also started PM KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan) scheme so that the farmers can also become energy-producers and sell it to the grid," he said. The Prime Minister also talked about efforts being made by the Centre to solve specific issues of farmers producing crops such as coconut, cashew, rubber and coffee. Modi said that the government is working at three levels to strengthen fisheries - promoting fisheries in villages with financial assistance, modernisation of boats under blue revolution scheme and construction of modern fishing infrastructure. He said that the Central government has also put aside Rs 7,500 crore as a special fund for building modern fishing infrastructure. He said people in the fishing trade have been connected to Kisan Credit Cards. "Fishing boats are also being modernized for deep-sea fishing and navigation devices are being installed on them with the help of ISRO," he said. (ANI) Screenshot of Metro Video footage A 42-year-old woman died after an unknown assailant fired several gunshots through the window of a south Houston home Tuesday night, Houston police said. The victim and her daughter were sitting on the couch of a home at about 11:30 p.m. when the suspect fired seven rounds from the backyard of the house at close range, investigators said. The mother was hit in the head and died of her injuries, while the daughter is expected to survive after being shot and hospitalized. US president Donald Trump speaks to media after taking part in video conference with members of US military at his private Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, 24 December, 2019: Reuters Donald Trump has ordered around 750 US soldiers to the Middle East, with as many as 4,000 troops set to be sent to the region in the coming days following the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad. It comes as the president claimed CNN had NO CREDIBILITY and suggested the networks parent company change its management in his latest tweets. Mr Trump also claimed the investigations that led to his impeachment were far bigger and more sinister than Watergate! Mr Trumps re-election campaign manager claimed the $46m raised in the last quarter was boosted by a surge of donations in the wake of impeachment. It has also emerged the president is expected to attend this years Davos summit, despite skipping last years gathering. Meanwhile, newly leaked emails show that the White House described the decision to withhold military aid to Ukraine as one made by the president himself. Those emails have sparked renewed calls from Democrats for a thorough investigation in the Senate, to determine Mr Trump's complete culpability in the scandal that has led to his impeachment. Chicago, Jan. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Craig R. Culbertson has joined the Firm as a Partner in the Corporate, M&A, and Securities group and as a member of both the Energy and Financial Services industry teams in the Chicago office. Blank Rome entered the Chicago market in June 2019 with the notable addition of partners Kenneth J. Ottaviano, Karin H. Berg, William J. Dorsey, and Paige Barr Tinkham, and most recently welcomed Andrew J. White as a finance associate. Craig joins from McGuireWoods LLP where he previously served as a Managing Partner of the Chicago office as well as an Executive Committee member. Prior to that, Craig was a co-chair of the corporate and finance department and a member of the Executive Committee at Jenner & Block. We are thrilled to have a corporate, energy, and financial services veteran like Craig join our Firm, said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Romes Managing Partner and CEO. With decades of unmatched experience, Craig will be a tremendous asset to Blank Rome both in the corporate and finance counsel he will be able to extend to our clients and in contributing to the expansion of our growing Chicago office. Craig represents private and public companies, banks, funds, boards of directors, and special committees in a variety of corporate and finance transactional and other matters, including corporate governance, international projects, mergers and acquisitions, and complex commercial arrangements. His clients include Fortune 100 companies in a wide range of industries, including oil logistics and trading, aerospace, food and beverage, banking and finance, and steel manufacturing. Furthermore, Craig has a particular focus on representing domestic and international mid-stream oil and gas companies and funds, including oil refineries, terminals, pipelines, and gathering systems, among others. His practice in this area involves acquisitions, joint ventures, pre-export financings, minority investments, and complex commercial arrangements. Craig is a vital asset to our Chicago team and our broader Midwest legal community, said Kenneth J. Ottaviano, Chair of Blank Romes Chicago office and Partner in the Finance, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy group. Craig is a respected and proven leader in the legal industry. At his prior firm, he launched the Chicago office and helped it grow to more than 100 attorneys. As we execute against our growth strategy in Chicago, Craigs experience will be invaluable, and I look forward to partnering with him to strategically expand our Chicago office and serve our clients. In addition to his legal operations talents, Craig is a tremendous adviser to clients seeking counsel on corporate and finance matters and is an excellent addition to our nationally recognized energy and finance teams. There are so many great reasons to join a Firm like Blank Rome, said Culbertson. First and foremost, the Firm has highly regarded national energy and finance groups. Blank Romes credentials in these areas will allow me to tap into the national platforms to continue to service my existing client base. Plus, the Firms energy sector experience in states like Texas and Pennsylvania will be of great benefit to clients seeking counsel on transactional, litigation, regulatory compliance, and enforcement matters. Equally as exciting, Im eager to work with Ken and the Chicago team to help build out the officea high priority for the Firmas we kick off the new year. Craig is a tremendous addition to our corporate team, added Louis M. Rappaport, Co-Chair of the Firms Corporate, M&A, and Securities group. His notable experience in advising leading companies with regards to corporate structure and governance, securities, mergers and acquisitions, and complex commercial contracts will further strengthen our groups robust service offerings and capabilities in the Firms new Chicago market and beyond. Craig is very active in the legal community and beyond, serving on numerous boards and advisory panels for legal associations, foundations, schools, and professional member clubs. He earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago and his B.A., cum laude, from Davidson College. About Blank Rome Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 14 offices and more than 600 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries, and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Romes culture has been dedicated to providing top-level service to all of our clients, and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, please visit blankrome.com. ### Attachment MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI -- Shortly before midnight on New Years Eve, a beloved family cottage fell from its foundation and down a bluff on the edge of Lake Michigan. It was an inelegant end to months of effort by homeowner Patricia Tish Gancer of Battle Creek to save the cottage that had been in her family since the 1930s. I am just numb, Gancer told MLive. Its not the loss of a person, but its pretty darn close. At around 11 p.m. Dec. 31, the house in Muskegon Countys White River Township groaned away from its foundation and toppled toward the lake. Gancer found out when a neighbor texted her. Nobody was home when the house fell, and power had been shut off earlier in the day when neighbors began to fear the worst. If you are reading this in your Facebook app, use this link to view the entire gallery of photos. For decades, Gancer and her family and friends enjoyed vacations at the 1,206-square-foot house, which at one time was separated from the lake by woods, dunes and beach. But over the last several years, as erosion ate away at the lakeshore, the house wound up on the edge of a steep bluff. Gancer had worked in vain to save the home. Contractors added cantilevers to parts of the structure that had begun sloping downward, and raised the foundation. In recent months, Gancer retained White Lake Dock and Dredge Company to add a rock revetment, a structure that absorbs the shock of waves and water, lessening their impact on the coastline. Shed attempted to start the revetment process a year ago, but found the cost to be prohibitive. So she canvassed neighbors, and got some to agree to go in on the project. Three or four still have rocks coming in. In mid-December, Gancer created a GoFundMe page to offset some of the costs of the project. She declined to name how much the total project set her back, but said the cost was burdensome. Its a huge stretch, and that was supposed to take care of it," she said. Now I am too stretched. Still, she was sure that the project would work, until New Years Eve when a neighbor tried to call her, then sent her a text. [The neighbor] said, Im so sorry to tell you, your cottage fell. And I said, All the way? Gancer said. Then she broke the news to her family. She went over, we lost her, she told them. Now with the homes collapse, she said she will restart her fundraising efforts to help cover the cost of cleanup. I took a step that I really thought could save it, and it didnt work out, she said. Now Ive gotta figure this out. Gancer, 55, grew up visiting the house, about six miles from downtown Montague, with her big, Irish Catholic family, before taking ownership of the property when she was 22. My first memories are up there, Gancer said. My whole life, Id go up there. Its a privilege, I know. A lot of people dont have stuff on the beach, but it was just... She paused as the emotion struck her. I would just run free on the dunesand at night Id write in my journal what I had done. And I would read that throughout the year. It was just its my favorite place on Earth. Throughout the years, she invited friends and families to stay at the house on the lake, reveling in the photos theyd send of their lakeside adventures. Her two sons, now 22 and 28, grew up visiting the house, too. Her youngest had the lake in his bones, like her, and would sleep out on the roof on warm summer evenings, listening to waves crash in the distance. That emotional bond is why Gancer invested so heavily in trying to fight back against the shoreline erosion that has hit West Michigan with a fervor that officials have said has not been seen since the 1980s. Crashing storm waves this autumn caused up to 30 feet of erosion in some places. Some homeowners have opted to demolish their homes before they could fall, but Gancer said she was following what shed been told were best practices for forestalling the lakes encroachment on her family property. Rocks were lined up for the revetment wall, but had not yet been placed at the time the house collapsed. In the days since the house fell, her cousins have returned to the property to try and salvage parts of the house, and Muskegon County emergency services personnel have blocked off the area. Emergency Services Director Richard Warner did not respond to MLives requests for comment. Some people have been out gawking, Gancer said. Others have rummaged through her belongings, she said. But one precious object has been recovered. Gancer has lived with chronic illness since her second pregnancy, when she came down with meningitis. During the hardest time of her pregnancy, her best friend gave her a present: a photograph of two boys, one older and one younger, sitting on a beach. The day after the house toppled, a cousin saw that photograph scattered out on the beach, and scrambled down to retrieve it. It was, for me, a vision of everythings going to work out OK, Gancer said of the photographs significance to her. Isnt it a miracle that he was able to get it? See more: Lake Michigan beach erosion Lake Michigan erosion threatens beach properties Watch more: Lake Michigan erosion threatens Holland area beach properties Lake Michigan erosion threatens beach properties A close associate of senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne assailants at Umarpura village in Amrirsar when he was coming out of a gurdwara after offering prayers, police said Amritsar: A local Shiromani Akali Dal leader was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne assailants at Umarpura village when he was coming out of a gurdwara after offering prayers, police said on Thursday. Gurdeep Singh, whose wife is a village head, was killed on Wednesday, they said. The assailants managed to flee after pumping five bullets into Singh, who died on the spot, they said. Singh was said to be a close associate of senior Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. The police have booked five people including a father-son duo, Nirmal Singh and Harmanjeet Singh, in connection with the killing. The police said Harmanjeet is wanted in several criminal cases. Station House Officer Tarsem Singh said raids were being conducted at their possible hideouts to nab them. The police are also examining CCTV footage obtained from nearby areas. This is a second fatal attack on SAD functionaries in the state since November last year when the party's Dalbir Singh Dhilwan was killed in Gurdaspur. The SAD had described Dhilwan's killing as a "political murder". Mammootty, the megastar of Malayalam cinema is a true role model for the young actors of the industry in all aspects. Recently, actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran opened up about the megastar in an interactive session with his fans. Prithviraj stated that Mammootty is one of the most genuine people he has ever met. The actor-director was replying to a fan's comments about working with Mammootty in The Great Father movie. According to Prithviraj Sukumaran, he used to spend a lot of time in Mammootty's house during his childhood. Even though Mohanlal is a relative of his mother's family, Prithviraj was closer to Mammootty during his childhood. The Lucifer director has always considered Mammootty as the coolest actor, as the megastar has always been a tech-savvy, trendy person who constantly updates himself. Prithviraj stated that Mammootty is an extremely genuine human being, who never shies away from expressing his feelings and loves the people around him unconditionally. Mammootty will scold the people around him when they make mistakes and expresses his love even more openly. Prithviraj also revealed that Mammootty loves to serve food to his guests and he makes sure that they eat well before he has his meal. Despite being a professionally qualified lawyer, and a well-traveled person, Mammootty is still an innocent Malayali villager at heart. The actor-director also narrated an incident that happened during the shooting of the blockbuster movie, Pokkiri Raja. According to Prithviraj, Mammootty made him aware of an actor's responsibilities towards his director and producer. The megastar also taught him the importance of taking care of the body and preparing for a role. The Driving License actor also stated that Mammootty is truly an inspiration for not only actors but also people from every field. Also Read: Best Of 2019: Which Malayalam Film Deserves The Best Movie Title This Year? Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs raising of the ASEAN gavel at the 35th ASEAN Summit in November last year signalled not only Vietnams commencement as chair of the regional grouping, but also the start of a critically definitive period for its foreign policy, said The Interpreter of the Lowy Institute, Australia, in a story. 2020 is set to be a busy year for Vietnam, with several force multipliers for its foreign policy, it said. Beyond its chairmanship of ASEANs Vision 2020 goals predominantly stability in the region Hanoi will also balance a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. While such diplomatic responsibilities come with significant pressure, the opportune timing provides Hanoi a chance to engage the international community in its maritime security interests. The US-based Wilson Centre said over the past few years, Vietnams foreign policy has been in focus due to Hanois increasing activism on a range of issues ranging, particularly UN peacekeeping. 2020 will be a big year that spotlights that, with Vietnam holding a couple of prominent regional and international positions amid a challenging geopolitical environment, it added. Choi Shing Kwok, Director of the Singapore-based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), said the assumption of a non-permanent UNSC member gives Vietnam an opportunity to showcase its leadership globally and at the same time benefits ASEAN. Thailands Bangkok Post run a recent story titled Vietnam is powering full steam towards the future, saying Vietnam is ready to showcase itself after more than 30 years of reform. Meanwhile, Indonesias Kompas quoted an expert as saying Vietnam selecting Cohesive and Responsive as the theme for its ASEAN Chairmanship this year shows that the country will focus on strengthening the regional bloc to be able to actively respond to challenges in the new era. The number of first-time buyers getting a foothold on the property ladder reached its highest level last year since 2007. There were 353,436 new homeowners in 2019 slightly up on the 353,130 in 2018, according to the Yorkshire Building Society (YBS). However, there is still some way to reach the figure of 400,870 in 2006 before the global financial crash. Nitesh Patel, of YBS, said buyers have been helped by 'strong competition driving mortgage rates down to near-record lows', but warned the market may have peaked. The number of first-time buyers getting a foothold on the property ladder reached its highest level last year since 2007 (stock image) The society used industry-wide mortgage data from trade association UK Finance up to October 2019 and estimates for November and December 2019 to calculate the total number of first-time buyers last year. Nearly twice as many first-time buyers secured a mortgage in 2019 as at the start of the financial crisis in 2008 (191,040), with those entering the property market now accounting for more than half (51 per cent) of homes purchased with a mortgage. In 2008 this share was just 38 per cent. Mr Patel said: 'Even though the number of first-time buyers has stayed pretty much the same as last year, it is still encouraging to see first-time buyers top 350,000 for the second year in a row. 'They also represent over half of all homes bought with a mortgage, meaning the first-time buyer mortgage market share is at its highest since 1995, when they bought 53 per cent of all mortgage-financed homes.' However, there is still some way to reach the figure of 400,870 in 2006 before the global financial crash (stock image) He continued: 'In recent years first-time buyers have been helped by strong competition driving mortgage rates down to near-record lows, making borrowing more accessible. 'Also government schemes such as stamp duty relief, Help to Buy equity loans and Help to Buy Isas will have made an impact. 'This combination of factors has made buying a home more accessible in recent years. 'This has seen the first-time buyer market bounce back from the financial crisis and perform better than other sectors, such as the home-moving and buy-to-let markets. 'However, as these figures show, the market may have now reached its peak and buying your first home still remains tough for many.' Top poets and writers including Javed Akhtar, Rahat Indori and Vishal Bhardwaj on Thursday described attempts to paint Faiz Ahmed Faiz's revolutionary "Hum Dekhenge" as anti-Hindu and pro-Islam, a "ridiculous" and "narrow-minded" attempt. They were responding to IIT-Kanpur forming a committee to inquire into a complaint against the recitation of 'Hum Dekhenge' on campus by students to express solidarity with their peers at Jamia Millia Islamia in their protest against the amended Citizenship Act. Faculty members and some students filed a complaint against a student for reciting the poem, which they claimed provoked "anti-Hindu" sentiments. "This poem was written against a fundamentalist called Zia-ul-Haq, a dictator. It is interesting that fundamentalists, all kinds of, don't like this poem," Akhtar told India Today TV. Explaining the context of the poem, which was written in 1979 to criticise the dictatorship and fundamentalism of former Pakistani general-turned president Zia-ul-Haq, the veteran poet-screenwriter said if Faiz's poem is anti-Hindu, then one would have to believe that Zia was secular, which does not make sense. "It seems we are negotiating with people who have no sense of history, have no idea who this great poet was, who have no idea what poetry is, who don't know the language in which it was written, they don't know anything. This is written against a fundamentalist, regressive, almost Talibani mentality holding dictator. This poem was banned under his regime," Akhtar said. Filmmaker-composer Vishal Bhardwaj, who had used Faiz's 'Gulon Mein Rang Bhare...' in his critically-acclaimed, Kashmir-set 2014 film "Haider", said those interpreting it as pro-Muslim and anti-Hindu lack "emotional intelligence". "It sounds totally ridiculous. To understand poetry, you need to feel it first. You need a certain standard of emotional intelligence, which seems to be completely lacking in those who are interpreting it as pro-Muslim and anti-Hindu," Bhardwaj told PTI. Faiz's daughter Saleema Hashmi, in an exclusive interview to PTI, said she found the whole controversy "funny" and hoped that ultimately her father's words will win over the hate. "Let's look at in another way, they may end up getting interested in Urdu poetry and its metaphors. Never underestimate the power of Faiz," Hashmi said. "I suppose poets and their words are claimed wherever and by whoever they are needed. They provide the words that people cannot find for themselves," she added. Indori, whose 'nazm' 'Sarhadon par bahut tanav hai kya" (There is lot of tension on the borders, find out if an election is nearby) and 'kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thode hi hai' (Hindustan is no one's property), have also emerged as popular anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest anthems, said calling Faiz anti or pro any religion is laughable. "People first need to understand who has written this poem before understanding what the poem means. He was a communist and had no connection with religion. He did not believe in any God, Ishwar or Allah. "This poem was originally written against Zia, who was a fanatic and a military dictator. Faiz's poetry never died, it was alive even before this controversy erupted but then politics will ensure that he reaches to even those who have never heard about him," said Indori. The poet said he was also sad that people were giving religious colour to his poem even when he has written that everyone's blood is mixed in the soil of this country. "How can you brand it or attach it to any religion," Indori asked. Urdu poet Munawwar Rana called it a "strange tamasha" where everything in the country was being politicised. "It is a strange tamasha that politics has invaded into everything, what kind of meat you should eat or what kind of poetry you should read. "The situation has come to this point that poetry will now have to be approved by those sitting in power. The era in which this 'nazm' was written, Faiz's target was Zia-ul-haq, a Muslim fanatic and a dictator." "Article 15" co-writer and poet Gaurav Solanki took to social media to put things in perspective about how the phrase of "Anal-Haq" in "Hum Dekhenge" is an equivalent of "Aham Brahmasmi". "Can someone tell those calling Faiz's 'Hum Dekhenge' anti-Hindu and the IIT professor and the panel investigating it, that in the very same poem he talks about raising the slogan of 'Anal-Haq'. The word means 'I am truth', 'I'm God', which is the equivalent of 'Aham Brahmasmi' in Hindu culture, which talks about every person, every soul being God. Is there a bigger protest and spirituality than this? "You should be a little ashamed that the poem that you are calling anti-Hindu and accusing it of being Islamic is actually anti-Islam for Muslim fanatics, so much so that Sufi saint Mansoor-al-Hallaj, who first gave the slogan of 'Anal-Haq' was hanged," Solanki wrote in a Facebook post. "Sacred Games" writer and lyricist Varun Grover mocked those behind the panel, saying they should do what even the then Pakistani government could not do, that is arrest Faiz. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ghosn has enjoyed an outpouring of support from Lebanon since his 2018 arrest, with billboards proclaiming, We are all Carlos Ghosn erected in solidarity with his case Beirut: Fugitive former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn met Lebanons president after fleeing from Japan, where he was smuggled out of house arrest by a private security company, two sources close to Ghosn said on Wednesday. One of the sources said Ghosn was greeted warmly by President Michel Aoun on Monday after flying into Beirut via Istanbul and was now in a buoyant and combative mood and felt secure. The plan to slip Ghosn out of Japan, which marked the latest twist in a year-old saga that has shaken the global auto industry, was crafted over three months, the two sources said. It was a very professional operation from start to finish, one of them said. In his meeting at the presidency, Ghosn thanked Aoun for the support he had given him and his wife Carole while he was in detention, the sources said. He now needs the protection and security of his government after fleeing Japan, the sources added. The meeting between Aoun and Ghosn has not been made public and a media adviser to the presidents office denied the two men had met. The two sources said specifics of the meeting were described to them by Ghosn. Ghosn could not be reached for comment on the meeting and has been silent publicly other than to issue a written statement shortly after his arrival saying he had escaped injustice and political persecution. Lebanese officials have said there would be no need to take legal measures against Ghosn because he entered the country legally on a French passport, although Ghosns French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports are with lawyers in Japan. The French and Lebanese foreign ministries have said they were unaware of the circumstances of his journey. Lebanon has no extradition agreement with Japan. Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faces four chargeswhich he deniesincluding hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East. He has enjoyed an outpouring of support from Lebanon since his 2018 arrest, with billboards proclaiming, We are all Carlos Ghosn erected in solidarity with his case. Under the terms of his bail, he had been confined to his house in Tokyo and had to have cameras installed at the entrance. He was prevented from communicating with his wife, Carole, and had his use of the internet and other communications curtailed. The sources said the Lebanese ambassador to Japan had visited him daily while he was in detention. No details of Ghosn's escape While some Lebanese media have floated a Houdini-like account of Ghosn being packed in a wooden container for musical instruments after a private concert in his home, his wife called the account fiction when contacted by Reuters. She declined to provide details of the exit of one of the most recognised titans of industry. The accounts of the two sources suggest a carefully planned escape known only to a few. They said a private security firm oversaw the plan, which involved shuttling Ghosn out via a private jet to Istanbul before pushing onward to Beirut, with even the pilot unaware of Ghosns presence on board. Sofia Richie and Scott Disick started off their New Year partaking in some of their favorite activities. The 21-year-old and her reality TV star boyfriend, 36, stepped out into the snowfall on New Years morning for an impromptu shopping trip with Disick's two children, Mason and Penelope. Later on in the day, Sofia played stepmom with 7-year-old Penelope on a fun one-on-one ski adventure in color coordinated gear. Twinning: Sofia Richie, 21, and Scott Disick's 7-year-old daughter hit the slopes in matching jackets while on a trip to Aspen, Colorado on Wednesday Pretty in pink: The duo opted for co-ordinated ski-wear for the outing Hitting the slopes: Sofia and Penelope showed off their close bond as they sat on a ski lift At the beginning of the day, Richie kept it chic, yet cozy in a weather-appropriate ensemble. The young model donned a a black and gold patterned puffer jacket paired with bright, white sweatpants that featured writing that cascaded down her right leg. She accessorized her look with a knitted black beanie, large black shades, and a beige toned Prada cross body bag. Her signature blonde locks flowed effortlessly from underneath her beanie, as she walked closely beside her 36-year-old boyfriend. Braving the cold: The pair were spotted, with a swing in their step, heading towards the Aspen slopes Morning fun: Earlier in the day, Sofia and boyfriend Scott took Mason and Penelope shopping Disick, though still fashionable, showcased a more casual look that included a light off white ski jacket and dark-wash denim jeans. The couple of two-years forged the way through the snowy shopping plaza, as Mason and Penelope trailed behind. The 10-year-old rocked an intricately designed neon green jacket that featured an array of graffiti style skulls. The macabre coat almost matched perfectly with his pants of a similar shade of green. Sister Penelope was dressed from head-to-toe in blinding hot pink shade. Taking it all in her stride: Sofia seems at ease around Disick's children Keeping Scott young at heart: At 36, Disick is 15 years older than Sofia Later on in the day, Sofia decided to ditch Scott and 10-year-old Mason, so she could enjoy a 'girls only' ski session with Penelope. Richie changed from her more neutral toned shopping outfit into a hot pink puffer coat and matching helmet that coincided with Penelope's bold pink look. The twinning ladies appeared to be having a blast as their legs dangled from a ski lift that over looked the vast Aspen terrain. The family has been residing in a luxury cabin in Aspen, but it's clear they have enjoyed spending most of their time out and about enjoying all that the city has to offer. Especially when it comes to Aspen's retail and restaurants. Have a look: Richie has been showing off their trip on her personal Instagram page since their arrival The whole gang just went shopping on New Year's Eve before heading out to dinner to celebrate the end of the decade. Later on in the evening, Richie gave fans an inside look at the family's vibe on New Year's Eve when she snared a selfie on Instagram. In the Instagram story post, Richie can be seen wearing under-eye masks while watching the New Year's Rockin Eve event hosted by friend Ryan Seacrest. She had clearly changed out of her evening wear and got a bit more comfy in a grey hoodie. Fashion first: Though the weather may have been frightful, Sofia wasn't deterred and made sure to step out in a number of curated looks Richie has shared a myriad of different pictures for their getaway on her Instagram page over the week. The majority of the pictures were of Sofia showing of her perfectly curated outfits against the awe-inspiring Aspen backdrops. It's safe to assume that Disick was behind the camera taking the social media worthy pics of his girlfriend. Mommy and me: While Sofia and Scott enjoyed their Aspen trip, ex Kourtney Kardashian remained at home in LA with her and Disick's youngest child Reign. Meanwhile, Scott's ex Kourtney Kardashian stayed behind in Los Angeles with her and Disick's third and youngest child, Reign. The 40-year-old stunner shared a loving snapshot of herself with her son, aged five, yesterday evening. The pair are seen cuddling before an open fire place as they grin from ear-to-ear. 'HAPPY right where we're meant to be,' captioned Kardashian. Blackwater Valley Makers, which incorporates an arts centre and creative hub in Fermoy, was born from the necessity of providing a shopfront for the many artisans in the Fermoy district and was a very welcome event following some high-profile closures in the the town, writes Susan OShea. Fermoy, Co Cork , like most provincial towns, has struggled over the last decade, with many businesses falling victim to first the recession, and then the lure of online shopping. In recent weeks the town was dealt another body blow with the closure of the landmark Grand Hotel. However, the news is not all bad, and in the square, an arts centre and creative hub, housed in the former Ulster Bank, is breathing much-needed life back, not only into a vacant building but into the town itself. Ceramicist and chair-person, Siobhain Steele,describes how a small group initially got together in February 2018, and the idea for Blackwater Valley Makers was born. We were all working individually as artists in the area, some of us knew of each, others didnt, but until we got together we had no idea such talent existed on our doorsteps, she says. Beginning with an art trail to coincide with Culture Night, the group then decided to open a pop-up shop in November 2018 the Blackwater Valley Makers Arts Centre. It traded until December 24. Any trepidation we had in advance of the opening was quickly banished, says Siobhain, describing the response as phenomenal. That gave the Makers the courage to move to the next level, and in April of this year they signed a deal to lease the former bank,making the arts centre a fixture in the town. Open seven days a week for December, and Wednesday to Sunday the rest of the year, Siobhain says the centre has tapped into an appetite to buy art that is locally produced, sustainable, beautifully made, and that will last a lifetime. The 16 members of the Blackwater Valley Makers, artists whose studios are in Fermoy and the wider Blackwater Valley, manage and run the Arts Centre. In addition to selling their work, the centre also provides a wide variety of cultural events including visual art exhibitions, artists talks, demonstrations, performances, book launches and poetry and prose evenings, the type of events which previously only happened in the town on an ad-hoc basis. However, talent alone doesnt pay the bills, and Siobhain says one of the reasons the group has been so successful is the strict guidelines laid down governing membership to maintain the highest possible standards. It is run as a professional entity. We are registered as a business, with a board of management, governed by strict parameters as laid out in our mission statement and with absolute transparency. The centre will only continue as long as we can afford to pay the rent, and to do that, we have to sell, like any business. She is also fulsome in her praise for Cork County Council for grant aid, the business community for valuable assistance, and the extent to which the wider community has embraced the concept. We are keeping art, craft and design skills alive for the next generation and theres such goodwill in the town towards us, and thats what drives us to succeed. There is nothing amateurish about this, the standard of everyone involved is so very high Patti OLeary, upcyclist, textile and papercraft artist Blackwater Valley Makers Upcyclist, textile & papercraft artist Patti OLeary with her dog Gaga in her studio at Fermoy, Co Cork. Picture Dan Linehan. A Texan living in North Cork, Patti has lost none of her lovely southern drawl as she explains how the appetite for art has changed in this country. Certainly when I started out you didnt see a lot of painted furniture, or recycled items turned into art. Now you have craft fairs, shops and pop-ups. Named after her granddaughter, Patti says she draws inspiration for her Lovely Things by Luna Claire range from the landscape surrounding her home, Moonlight Cottage, which she and her Irish husband bought and restored nine years ago. She was drawn to the Blackwater Valley Makers as it is such an amazing community, with a huge variety of artists involved, such a talented group, she says with an infectious laugh. Maybe its something in the water. It definitely seems to be unique to have such a variety of talent in a small catchment area, and the community have been so good about supporting local artists. "We are lucky to have the arts centre in such a good location, its a great addition to Fermoy, with such wonderful exposure for all the artists. Patti says it can sometimes be a challenge, working as an individual, and that she draws inspiration from working with the other makers and seeing their work displayed. The standard is so very high, there is nothing amateur about this, and I think, as like-minded individuals, we do inspire each other, and the arts centre could act as a model for other communities to follow. She says those who come into the centre, to browse or shop, are definitely more interested in sustainability, knowing where the artwork came from, what inspired it, and have a growing appreciation for their natural environment. They love to chat, ask questions, are hungry to know more. Pattis range is extensive, with something to suit all pockets, everything from handmade cards which retail at 4 and framed paper craft, called after her beloved Moonlight Cottage to handmade cushions, up to pieces of painted furniture styled using unique techniques, which sell for a couple of hundred euro. Trees, flowers and animals feature prominently, and her inspiration comes the land surrounding her studio. Its so beautiful. I cant imagine ever leaving here. I never took a formal woodmaking lesson, Everything I know, I learned from YouTube Pat Murphy, Woodworker Former butcher Pat Murphy in his workshop at Kildorrery, Co Cork, and his extensive handcrafted wooden range below. Pat has a history as chequered as the unique and beautiful chopping boards he produces. After having a ball studying electrical engineering in UL, he took over the family butchery business in his native Kildorrery. He had no history of working with wood in school, and has never taken a woodwork lesson. Everything I know I learned from YouTube. When he was forced to close the butchers in December 2007, he converted the premises into a workshop, and began his new journey with wood. The wife went to a craft fair in Ballymaloe and bought a small chopping board for 15, and I thought, I can do that, and off I went. There was a degree of regret that the business had closed after 120 years, but the name for his range CK53 Design, comes from his registration as a butcher, so something of the family business lives on. His wife is his stylist and advises him when he produces a prototype no thats too big, thats the wrong shape. She has a keen eye and shes always right. Initially unsure, a positive response at a Christmas fair to his artwork convinced him he was on the right track. Confidence was my problem, I thought Im not at this level, and then I thought maybe I do have something to offer, I applied cap in hand to Blackwater Valley Makers and they accepted. Pat uses sustainable hardwoods to make his range of bespoke chopping boards, knives, and coasters a mix of walnut, cherry, purple heart, which is native to South America, oak, and maple. Its this use of different woods that gives his work such striking colours and contrast. Its the natural colour of the timber I use that first got me recognised. I just use a small piece of purple heart but its a real showstopper. Its massively expensive, one board will last me a year, so a little bit goes a long way. While some may be uncomfortable with the use of hardwoods, he says the wood he uses is grown commercially, its a sustainable business, and it keeps people out of the Amazon. Absolutely nothing gets wasted, every scrap is used. And I can guarantee that any board I make will last a lifetime as long as its not put in the dishwasher! Pats signature offering is the Kildorrery Butter Knife, which went down a storm in a recent meeting with American trade buyers, facilitated by Enterprise Ireland. He is also in talks with Blarney Woollen Mills about carrying the range. While continuing to work three days a week in a pharmacy hes hoping eventually to make wood his full-time profession as well as passion. BVM is a fabulous concept, and its only in its infancy. Long-term it has huge potential, people coming in here know they will find something unique. Egos arent a problem, people know weneed to strike a balance to make this work Carol O'Sullivan, mixed media artist Blackwater Valley Makers Mixed media artist Carol OSullivan in her studio at Kilworth, Co Cork. Picture Dan Linehan. Starting out as an artist in 1987, after graduating from the National College of Art and Design, Carol moved to Kilworth where a Craft Council of Ireland/Fas course for 10 fledgling artists offered her everything from business mentoring to workshop space. I think the Blackwater Valley is such a creative hub because its a naturally beautiful area. Its almost unknown to many, but it suits artists as it is tranquil, yet accessible. The Blackwater Valley Makers Arts Centre has been invaluable, she says, as it gave her the first opportunity locally to showcase her work. Up to then, I was producing my work and heading to Cork, or Dublin or elsewhere to showcase it. This was my first opportunity since the 80s to show my work locally. The exposure BVM brings with it is invaluable. Carol says while many may feel intimidated by stepping into a traditional gallery, thats not the case with the arts centre. One of us [the makers] are always here, and people love that they get to talk to the person who made the work. We all studied a mixture of mediums when we started out, and are so familiar with each others work by now, we are very comfortable talking about it. People feel they can ask us questions about the work, they are engaged, not intimidated by it. Carol believes the public have become more visually educated, driven by things like Pinterest and Instagram. People definitely have more confidence about what they like. Before, you were either interested in art or you werent, thats no longer the case. Carols own work features a cross-section of styles, and thus appeals to a range of audiences. Understandably, older age groups tend to be more reserved in their tastes. They like local themes, more traditional artwork, while the semi-abstract style appeals to the younger generation. Carol says she loves the days she spends in the shop, and the chance to speak to customers. For more expensive pieces, customers can put down a deposit, and pay in instalments, and the centre also offers vouchers of 10, 20 and 50. With so many artists involved, Carol says egos arent a problem. We all get on well together. People know we need to strike a balance to make this work. Its unique in that we didnt follow a model, we got together originally for some company, and a creative connection, and it grew organically from that. People are prepared to travel to see a pair of shoes, why wouldnt they travel to see artwork? Simon Barber, Jeweller Jeweller Simon Barber in his workshop at JJ Barber in Fermoy, Co Cork.Picture: Dan Linehan. Fifth-generation jeweller, Simon Barber is one of the BVMs most famous names, his family having operated a jewellery business in the town for 150 years. He says he has many loyal customers, with returning families saying things like my grandmother bought a ring from your dad, which is always lovely to hear. Simon handcrafts the Findings range of rings, pendants, necklaces, and bracelets is his workshop in Fermoy, using skills handed down by previous generations. Each piece is loving handcrafted and ranges in prices from 80 to 200. When he started the range originally, many of the pieces were made from recycled elements, for example the inner workings of a watch were turned into a pendant, a spoon was lovingly crafted into a ring. And while Simon will still refashion a favoured piece of jewellery into something different for a customer, demand for his product is such that he can no longer rely on just recycled materials. As well as selling from his own store, in other outlets in the county, and online, Simon is a proud member of the BVM. Asked if he thinks the centre will act as a magnet for Fermoy, he replies: People are prepared to travel to see a nice pair of shoes, why wouldnt they travel to see new artwork? I think over time it will be a draw. Certainly there has been an improvement with more shops, and coffee shops and its more of a destination town. He is one of the few makers who doesnt man the arts centre, given his commitment to his own store and producing his range, and instead pays a higher percentage from his sales to help fund the cost of running the centre. This has opened up a whole new avenue for me, and a space to sell my art Pawel Wroblewski, Painter Blackwater Valley Makers Portriat artist Pawel Wroblewski working on a theatre project in Fermoy, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan. The newest member of the Blackwater Valley Makers, Pawel only joined a couple of weeks ago, and is delighted by the concept and to be accepted as a member. I applied to join, and there was a waiting period, and originally I was accepted as an associate member, before becoming a full member. He has just completed his first two days manning the arts centre, and says the reception from customers coming in was great, and already he has learnt a lot from interacting with them. Its been very busy and people werent coming in just to look, they were coming in to buy, which is great. A native of Gdansk, in Poland, where he graduated with a masters degree from Gdansk Academy of Art, Pawel moved to Ireland a decade ago, and three years ago to outside Kilworth village. While not a big fan of the weather (we returned to Gdansk in the summer and the weather was like the Mediterranean, the sea temperature was 20C), he loves the view from his home of the Knockmealdown Mountains, and how the landscape changes depending on the weather, and especially the rain. Making his living a bartender when he first arrived in Ireland, he then became artist-in-residence in Camden Palace in Cork City for four years, before setting up his studio in Kilworth. From there he paints portraits, theatre scenery, murals and also offers art classes to children and teenagers (adult classes are done on a one-to-one basis). Married to a dancer and musician from Drogheda, Co Louth, who met through their love of the arts. Pawel says he is delighted to have been accepted by BVM. Before this I wouldnt have had much contact with other artists in the area, or even been familiar with their work, so it has opened up a whole new avenue for me, and a space to show and sell my art. The shop is key. It has to function, if it fails we will all have to walk away Charley McCarthy, Woodturner and carver Blackwater Valley Makers Woodturner and carber Charley McCarthy in hisstudio at Fermoy, Co Cork. Picture Dan Linehan. Since retiring from VHI four years, Charley McCarthy has worked full-time as a woodturner and carver. Insurance was my career, but wood is my lifelong passion, he says. I love the fact you are making something, that theres an end result. Charleys interest in wood was sparked many years ago on a trip to Venice, where he passed what he initially thought was a clothes shop. I did a double-take and realised everything in the window was carved from wood, jackets, bags, shoes. This was his eureka moment. Up until then his use of wood was for DIY, but from then on Charley took his passion seriously. Largely self-taught, he took a number of courses, and once, on a holiday to Crete with his wife, spent three days with a wood- turner honing his skills. Among Charleys items for sale in the BVM are a handbag and umbrella, carved completely from wood. They are exquisite. Something like that takes a long, long time to produce, and so that is reflected in the price, at 550 for the bag, and 650 for the umbrella. The bowls, pens and candlestick holders, while also beautifully crafted, are less labour- intensive and thus more affordable. Charley relishes his two days a month spent in the shop. Its bringing the whole area of art and craft to a new audience. A teacher from St Colemans College brought pupils in recently when I was here and they were mad keen to hear what I make, how I make it, to see that artists can make a living. But more than selling his own artwork, Charley says he wants BVM to succeed because of how it benefits the town. It has brought a new dimension to Fermoy. When people think of art they used to think West Cork, but now they can think north Cork. "I wasnt even aware 18 months ago we had all these different artists on our doorstep, or what they did until I saw it all coming together. He admits its a challenge to bring a group of people so used to working individually together to work as a group. There were no guarantees it would work and go so smoothly but it has. We identified that we needed to use the individual talents available, be it social media, or finance or marketing to work. "Everyones primary concern is the shop, the shop has to function, if it fails we will all have to walk away. A California father was outraged to find that the hotel he booked for New Year's Eve was throwing the state's largest swingers party where 1,000 guests gathered for the 'sex-abration' - and he was denied a refund when he complained. The father, who didnt want to give his name, booked a room at Sacramentos DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, excited to spend his New Year's Eve there with his four kids. But he had no idea the hotel was hosting an event organized by a club called Allures. The club decked out the grand ballroom with a dance floor, dining tables and play space cabanas with mood lighting and couches for their paying guests. 'People are spending good money to stay at the Hilton should be aware of whats going on under their nose, especially if they have families,' the outraged father said to KTXL. 'And, you know, theres a hot tub there, and theres crazies in the hot tub,' he added. A California father is slamming a DoubleTree Hilton hotel in Sacramento for hosting a massive swinger's party on New Years Eve without warning other guests Allures hosts a slew of events, some of which include a 'multi-bed play area', sex swings, and other X-rated activities. The California man said he was 'shocked' when he discovered the massive event. He said he has 'no problem with what people do', but is angry the hotel did not alert other hotel guests to what was going on. 'I'm at the point where I don't even want to bring my family into that environment,' he said. 'I think it's totally wrong that the Hilton is putting on something like this.' Despite his outrage, the hotel did not offer any refund. 'Pay money and not get a refund pisses me off. They were kind of rude to me. They actually sent me a survey on my phone, like within the last hour. They asked if they helped me out and I wrote poor, poor, poor, poor. No, you did not help me out. You won't give me my money back,' he said. The unnamed father-of-four booked a room for his family for New Year's Eve, the same night a club called Allures was hosting a 'sex-abration' in the grand ballroom. The room was decked out with play space cabanas and mood lighting People are spending good money to stay at the Hilton should be aware of what's going on under their nose, especially if they have families,' the outraged father said The Allures party has been held at the venue for 10 years without any issue from hotel guests, members say. Club members noted that if hotel guests passed the ballroom, all theyd see is dancing couples in ball gowns and tuxedos The invite for Allures NYE party pictured above The Allures party has been held at the venue for 10 years without any issue from hotel guests, members say. Club members noted that if hotel guests passed the ballroom, all theyd see is dancing couples in ball gowns and tuxedos. Hilton said in a statement: 'From a company perspective, few do not discriminate against any individual or group and our goal is to provide a welcoming and safe environment for all guests visiting our hotel.' On Tuesday the Sacramento DoubleTree Hotel, which is privately owned, released their own statement on the issue. 'There is a private event that has been booked for New Year's Eve. We take the comfort and privacy of all of our guests very seriously. As with any large event the utmost care is taken to assure there is no disruption to other guests, including additional security. With that being said we understand if a guest feels they would like to cancel their reservation and will, of course, accommodate them to the best of our ability.' PERTH, Australia (AP) Australia deployed military ships and aircraft Wednesday to help communities ravaged by apocalyptic wildfires that have left at least 17 people dead nationwide and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline. Navy ships and military aircraft were bringing water, food and fuel to towns where supplies were depleted and roads were cut off by the fires. Authorities confirmed three bodies were found Wednesday at Lake Conjola on the south coast of New South Wales, bringing the death toll in the state to 15. More than 175 homes have been destroyed in the region. Some 4,000 people in the coastal town of Mallacoota fled to the shore as winds pushed a fire toward their homes under a sky darkened by smoke and turned blood-red by flames. Stranded residents and vacationers slept in their cars, and gas stations and surf clubs transformed into evacuation areas. Dozens of homes burned before winds changed direction late Tuesday, sparing the rest of the town. Victoria Emergency Commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters the Australian Defence Force was moving naval assets to Mallacoota on a supply mission that would last two weeks and helicopters would also fly in more firefighters since roads were inaccessible. I think that was our biggest threat in terms of what are we doing with the children if we need to go in the water to protect ourselves given the fact that they are only 1, 3 and 5, tourist Kai Kirschbaum told ABC Australia. If youre a good swimmer it doesnt really matter if you have to be in the water for a longer time, but doing that with three kids that would have been, I think, a nightmare. Conditions cooled Wednesday, but the fire danger remained very high across the state, where four people are missing. We have three months of hot weather to come. We do have a dynamic and a dangerous fire situation across the state, Crisp said. In the New South Wales town of Conjola Park, 89 properties were confirmed destroyed and cars were melted by Tuesdays fires. More than 100 fires were still burning in the state Wednesday, though none were at an emergency level. Seven people have died this week, including a volunteer firefighter, a man found in a burnt-out car and a father and son who died in their house. Firefighting crews took advantage of easing conditions on Wednesday to restore power to critical infrastructure and conduct some back burning, before conditions were expected to deteriorate Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds return. There is every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw yesterday, New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said. The early and devastating start to Australias summer wildfires has led authorities to rate this season the worst on record and reignited debate about whether Prime Minister Scott Morrisons conservative government has taken enough action on climate change. Australia is the worlds largest exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas, but Morrison rejected calls last month to downsize Australias lucrative coal industry. Morrison won a surprise third term in May. Among his governments pledges was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26% to 28% by 2030 a modest figure compared to the center-left opposition Labor partys pledge of 45%. The leader of the minor Australian Greens party, Richard Di Natale, demanded a royal commission, the nations highest form of inquiry, on the wildfire crisis. If he (Morrison) refuses to do so, we will be moving for a parliamentary commission of inquiry with royal commission-like powers as soon as parliament returns, Di Natale said in a statement. About 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned nationwide over the past few months, with at least 17 people dead and more than 1,000 homes destroyed. Some communities canceled New Years fireworks celebrations, but Sydneys popular display over its iconic harbor controversially went ahead in front of more than a million revelers. The city was granted an exemption to a total fireworks ban in place there and elsewhere to prevent new wildfires. Smoke from the wildfires meant Canberra, the nations capital, on Wednesday had air quality more than 21 times the hazardous rating to be reportedly the worst in the world. The smoke has also wafted across the Tasman Sea and into New Zealand. As the devastating bushfires in Australia continue to rage, estimates suggest up to half a billion animals may have died since the start of the crisis. Some 480 million mammals, birds and reptiles are estimated to have perished since September, according to ecologists from the University of Sydney, while 8,000 koalas in New South Wales are thought to have been killed nearly a third of the entire koala population in the region. More koalas who eat leaves on highly flammable eucalyptus trees are feared dead in other areas, and that figure is thought likely to increase as flames have spread across New South Wales and Victoria over the past two days. Australia deployed military ships and aircraft on Wednesday to help communities ravaged by the wildfires, which have left at least 17 people dead nationwide and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline. A koala drinks water from a bottle given by a firefighter in Cudlee Creek, South Australia. (Oakbank Balhannah CFS/AP) Kangaroos graze in a field as smoke shrouds the Australian capital of Canberra. (AP) A koala drinks water given by a cyclist in Adelaide, Australia. (@bikebug2019/AP) Video footage taken in recent days shows desperately thirsty koalas clinging to cyclists while being given water to drink, and kangaroos have been seen fleeing terrifying walls of fire. Harrowing images have also showed the cockatoos falling dead out of trees. Nature Conservation Council ecologist Mark Graham said: The fires have burned so hot and so fast that there has been significant mortality of animals in the trees, but there is such a big area now that is still on fire and still burning that we will probably never find the bodies. Read more from Yahoo News UK: British Airways cabin crew killed in New Years Eve lorry crash Sacked vegan claims his beliefs should be protected by law Dozens of animals killed in zoo fire after sky lanterns seen nearby [Koalas] really have no capacity to move fast enough to get away. Stand Up For Nature said in a letter to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian that the full scale of wildlife losses will probably never be known, but they will surely number in the millions. She added: These unprecedented fires have jeopardised the long-term viability of threatened species populations and forest ecosystems in several areas. Story continues Environment Minister Sussan Ley said the animal death figures would only be known after the fires have calmed down and a proper assessment can be made. Kangaroos move as a nearby property burns in a fire in Lithgow, New South Wales. (AP) Koalas sit inside a home in Cudlee Creek, South Australia, after being rescued from fires at a garden. (Adam Mudge/AP) Tourists given 48 hours to flee Australia Thousands of tourists have fled Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast after being told they had 48 hours to get out of the area. Worsening conditions were predicted as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. Saturday is forecast to bring gusting winds and temperatures above 40C, creating dangerous fire conditions. Massive smoke rises from wildfires in East Gippsland, Victoria. (DELWP/AP) A helicopter tackles a wildfire in East Gippsland, Victoria. (State Government of Victoria/AP) Officials said these conditions have the potential to be worse than those on Tuesday the deadliest day of the bushfire crisis since it began. The fire conditions were expected to deteriorate on Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds return. Glaciers turn brown in New Zealand Smoke from the bushfires has turned white glaciers brown in New Zealand thousands of miles away from where the flames are raging. Residents of the country said they could smell smoke early on Wednesday morning, while the haze made the sun appear red. This the view from the top of the Tasman Glacier NZ today - whole South island experiencing bushfire clouds. We can actually smell the burning here in Christchurch. Thinking of you guys. #nswbushfire #AustralianFires #AustraliaBurning pic.twitter.com/iCzOGkou4o Miss Roho (@MissRoho) January 1, 2020 Near Franz Josef glacier. The caramelised snow is caused by dust from the bushfires. It was white yesterday pic.twitter.com/Ryqq685Ind Fabulousmonster (@Rachelhatesit) December 31, 2019 MetService, New Zealands official forecaster, tweeted: "Smoke which has travelled around 2,000km across the Tasman Sea can clearly be seen. "Visibility in the smoke haze is as low as 10km in the worst affected areas." Wall of smoke wider than Europe A vast wall of smoke wider than Europe has been created as a result of the ongoing fires. The 2.1 million square-mile plume is drifting across the Pacific Ocean and its size is an astonishing 14 times bigger than Japan. .Areas affected by the bushfires so far (PA) If it were laid out on a map of Europe, it would stretch from Iceland to Turkey, according to Antti Lipponen, a physicist and research scientist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Smoke from the bushfires meant that on Wednesday, Canberra, the nation's capital, had air quality more than 21 times the hazardous rating, to be reportedly the worst in the world. As bushfires continue to ravage southeastern Australia, the disturbing and terrifying videos and pictures circulating on social media not only show the extent of damage but also serve as a warning that things are getting worse with each passing day. Many innocent animals have lost their lives and some are getting gravely injured in the bushfires. Thousands of people, including tourists are being evacuated and firefighters continue to risk their lives to bring the situation under control. The crew from Fire and Rescue NSW Station 509 Wyoming recorded this video showing the moment their truck was overrun by the bushfire burning South of Nowra. The crew was forced to shelter in their truck as the fire front passed through. #NSWFires #ProtectTheIrreplaceable pic.twitter.com/Hb0yVrefi9 Fire and Rescue NSW (@FRNSW) December 31, 2019 Amidst the worsening situation, the owners of an Indian restaurant have come forward as a ray of hope for people and are being praised on social media for offering free food to the firefighters and victims stuck in Gippsland, Victoria. Kanwaljit Singh and his wife Kamaljit Kaur, owners of the Desi Grill restaurant in Bairnsdale, along with their staff cooked curry and rice and gave it to people living in temporary shelters. They also got assistance from the Melbourne-based charity organisation Sikh Volunteers Australia. Kanwaljit told media, "It's terrible out there. People are severely affected and they need food and shelter. It's our duty to serve them when they need us the most." He further said, "Last night had been very busy. We helped the volunteers with cooking rice, curries and pasta and the food was distributed in at least 500 takeaway containers." Kanwaljit, who has lived in the area for six years, considered it his duty to help the people affected by the bushfires. He said, "We follow the Sikh way of life. We are just doing what other Australians are doing today, and that is to serve and pray for the people who have been hit hard by these terrible bushfires." The restaurant is also stocking up rice, flour and lentils that, according to them, should last till the next week or so. People of the Sikh Volunteers Australia are going to various parts of Victoria with food trucks to provide food in camps. People like Kanwaljit, his wife and the Sikh volunteers make this world a better place to live in. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Uttar Pradesh president Swantantra Dev Singh on Thursday slammed Akhilesh Yadav for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and said that the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister should visit Pakistan to learn about religious persecution. "Akhilesh ji should go to Pakistan and offer prayers at a temple for one month, he will then understand what happens there," he said while speaking to ANI in Mathura. "He (Akhilesh Yadav) does not know what he wants. He should read about the Citizenship Amendment Act and Population Register," he added while speaking to media in Lucknow. The Samajwadi Party president had recently flagged off a cycle march of party MLAs against the CAA, Register of Citizens (NRC) and Population Register (NPR) from the party office to the state Assembly in Lucknow. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ANKARA, Turkey Turkeys parliament on Thursday authorized the deployment of troops to Libya to support the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli that is battling forces loyal to a rival government seeking to capture the capital. Turkish lawmakers voted 325-184 at an emergency session in favor of a one-year mandate allowing the government to dispatch troops amid concerns that Turkish forces could aggravate the conflict in Libya and destabilize the region. The Tripoli government of Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj has faced an offensive by the rival regime in the east and forces loyal to commander Gen. Khalifa Hifter. The fighting has threatened to plunge Libya into violent chaos rivaling the 2011 conflict that ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Khadafy. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that Sarraj requested the Turkish deployment after he and Sarraj signed a deal that allows Ankara to dispatch military experts and personnel to Libya. That deal, along with a separate agreement on maritime boundaries between Turkey and Libya, has led to anger across the region and beyond. In a statement Thursday on Twitter, the self-styled Libya National Army, led by Hifter, said it was its citizens duty to take up arms against Turkish troops if they deploy to fight them. Ankara says the deployment is vital for Turkey to safeguard its interests in Libya and in the eastern Mediterranean, where it finds itself increasingly isolated as Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel have established exclusive economic zones paving the way for oil and gas exploration. A Libya whose legal government is under threat can spread instability to Turkey, ruling party legislator Ismet Yilmaz argued in defense of the motion. Those who shy away from taking steps on grounds that there is a risk will throw our children into a greater danger. The government has not revealed details about the possible Turkish deployment. The motion allows the government to decide on the scope, amount and timing of any mission. Erdogan and President Trump held a telephone conversation and discussed the situation in Syria and in Libya, the Turkish presidents office said soon after the vote. A brief statement said they discussed the importance of diplomacy in solving regional issues. Egypts foreign ministry condemned in the strongest language the Turkish parliaments authorization to deploy troops, saying Turkey would carry full responsibility for the negative effect it would have on the stability of the Mediterranean region. Egypt, which neighbors Libya, has backed the regime in the countrys east. Turkeys main opposition party, CHP, had vowed to vote against the motion arguing that the deployment would embroil Turkey in another conflict and make it a party to the further shedding of Muslim blood. Before the vote, CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu called on the government to work for the establishment of a U.N. peacekeeping force in Libya. Fighting around Tripoli escalated in recent weeks after Hifter declared a final and decisive battle for the capital. He has the backing of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as France and Russia, while the Tripoli-based government receives aid from Turkey, Qatar and Italy. Suzan Fraser is an Associated Press writer. Korea's exports dwindled 5.2 percent in December, in a declining streak lasting for 13 months. In the whole of last year they shrank 10.3 percent, the lowest since just after the global financial crisis in 2009. According to the Korea Customs Service on Wednesday, exports totaled US$45.7 billion in December, down $2.49 billion on-year. Exports were sluggish throughout the year due to a semiconductor price crash, the trade war between Washington and Beijing, and an economic slowdown in China. Exports of Korea's major items plunged 12.2 percent on-year, with semiconductors, the biggest, down a whopping 25.9 percent in money terms. Total export value amounted to a mere $542.4 billion last year, far below the $600 billion target. The trade surplus also amounted to just $39.2 billion, a seven-year low. Trade totaled $1.046 trillion, above $1 trillion level for the third consecutive year but down 8.3 percent from last year. The only positive sign is that December exports slowed in the single digits for the first time in seven months and exports to China tentatively rebounded after 14 months. The 16-year-old boy from Vancouver had reached the Pearly Gates, the icy, chute-like section of Mount Hood just below the last push to the summit, when he lost his grip. He plummeted down the ice- and snow-covered mountain, coming to a stop only after he had fallen 500 feet down a headwall known as Devil's Kitchen. Somehow, Gurbaz Singh survived, suffering only a broken leg. "A lot of things had to happen just right for him to come out of that with just a fractured leg," Sgt. Marcus Mendoza, a public information officer with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, told The Washington Post. "The way it was described to me yesterday is that professional mountaineers know they cannot fall in that area because there's no way to rescue yourself." The Canadian teen's dramatic rescue from the Oregon mountain unfolded over several hours Monday, chronicled through a local TV station's live stream and tweets from the sheriff's office. A team of search and rescue coordinators hiked up to the injured climber, who was stranded at an elevation of about 10,500 feet. They arrived around 1 p.m. - four hours after the call for help came in. At 11,240 feet, Mount Hood is the highest summit in Oregon and the most-visited snow-covered peak in the nation, according to the U.S. Forest Service. About 10,000 people attempt to ascend it each year. But the mountain can be dangerous: Since 1883, at least 126 people have died while climbing it, according to a database maintained by the Oregonian newspaper. The most recent fatality happened in February 2018. Miha Sumi, a 35-year-old Portland resident, was descending from the summit with three other climbers when he slipped and fell about a thousand feet. Another climber called 911 after following a trail of blood to the injured climber. Sumi was airlifted to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. "This is a mountain, it's a technical mountain, this isn't a Sunday stroll," sheriff's Lt. Brian Jensen told Q13 Fox. "It's inherently dangerous and you know, going up there, you need to have the proper skill set and the proper equipment to do so safely. Doing so with anything less than that can - it can be dangerous." Yet despite the deaths over the years, Mount Hood has remained a popular climbing destination. Though it does not rank among the country's highest peaks, the mountain's proximity to Portland and the city's airport makes it accessible to those with climbing dreams. Timberline Lodge, featured in "The Shining," is on the south side of the mountain and draws skiers year-round. It doesn't have the remote feel that other mountains might. "It kind of lulls you into this sense of security because as you're going up, you can see the lights of Portland; you can see Timberland Lodge," Mendoza said. For Singh, Mount Hood was climb number 90, his father, Rishamdeep, told KATU. The teenager traveled with friends from his home in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Oregon to summit it. The group started climbing early Monday, with Singh leading the pack, KATU reported. Then he slipped in the Pearly Gates area - a part of the ascent Mendoza said has been described as "almost like climbing up a chimney." He tried to use his ax to end his fall, but found he couldn't. "He just kept sliding down and getting momentum," his dad said. "So he couldn't stop." When Singh finally came to a rest, his helmet was "essentially destroyed," Mendoza said. Yet he was mostly unscathed, except for his leg. Someone called 911, and the rescuers began the hours-long trek to his side. Their effort was closely followed in the Portland area. The sheriff's office officials posted updates on Twitter, detailing the weather on the mountain (mostly clear) and the teen's condition (stable). Local television station KGW streamed a portion of the operation live, showing rescuers making their way down the mountain on skis, pulling Singh in a sled. Around 5 p.m., the sheriff's office announced on Twitter that the rescuers had gotten the teen to the Timberline Lodge, where an ambulance was waiting to take him to a hospital. Singh underwent surgery Tuesday at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland and was in good spirits, KATU reported. The teen's brush with death didn't deter him from climbing: his father told ABC he would be "back soon to finish the job." Read more about: The nation's schools are being urged to ramp up lessons about mental health to curb behaviour fuelling family violence, in a call by a federal Liberal MP for a new priority in achieving a long-term solution to a lasting problem. Mental health programs should also be expanded to do everything possible to help more of the likely perpetrators of violence against their partners, with men a particular priority because they are less likely to seek help. Liberal MP Fiona Martin wants schools to teach children how to deal with behaviours that could lead to family violence. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Fiona Martin, a psychologist who spent years in private practice before entering Federal Parliament in May, issued the call out of concern at a likely "spike" in domestic violence when families are under pressure over the holiday period. Writing in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Friday, Dr Martin said governments had spent years seeking cultural change to stop disrespect escalating into violence. Bayonne police arrested two men on New Years Eve night after a search of their vehicle turned up heroin, marijuana and a loaded handgun. Angel A. Cortes, 31, and Glendel F. Wright, 30, both from Jersey City, were pulled over at 10:50 p.m. Tuesday for speeding at 44th Avenue and Avenue C, according to a press release from the Bayonne Police Department. After officers smelled raw marijuana" from the vehicle, the press release said, a search revealed an undisclosed quantity of the drug, as well as heroin and edible THC. Police also recovered a semiautomatic handgun and ammunition from the car. Cortes, who was driving the car, was charged with five counts of drug possession, including three counts of possession with intent to distribute. Wright was charged with two counts of illegal possession of a firearm. A Nigerian lawmaker, Bamidele Salam, has called for a massive cut in the cost of running the Nigerian government. Part of his recommendation is that federal lawmakers, who are currently about 469, be reduced by about two-thirds. Mr Salam, who represents Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, said this can be achieved by reducing the number of senators per state to one from three, while the House of Representatives should be reduced to one-third of its current 360 members. He said the senators should also work on part-time basis. In practical terms, the Senate should be made up of one senator per state, meeting on part-time basis (to confirm appointments, approve loans, emergency powers etc.) while the House of representatives should have only one-third of its present number sitting as a full time parliament, Mr Salam said. To further cut cost, among the executive arm, states should not have more than seven commissioners while the federal government should have a maximum of 15 ministers. Truth is that we can not afford what we currently operate but we are living in denial, he said. Mr Salam made these observations while in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES. I support all measures necessary to reduce our cost of governance and have more money for real development. This may include a downward review of emoluments of public office holders, not just lawmakers but everyone holding a public office from the local to the federal level, Mr Salam said. I have always been an advocate of leaner government at all levels. I believe our present structure is not only bogus, it is also inefficient. I am of the view that a constitutional amendment should be undertaken to restructure the Nigerian federation to bring our institutions of governance in tune with our social, political and more importantly, economic realities. A country with over 200 million population and terrible social and infrastructure deficit as ours should not be spending more than 70 per cent of its annual budget on recurrent expenditure. It is simply not sustainable and the place to start is from the size of our government. Proponents Mr Salams view has added another echo to the call for restructuring of governance in Nigeria. One of his colleagues in the Senate, Rochas Okorocha of Imo West Senatorial District, made similar remarks last October. Like Mr Salam, Mr Okorocha argued that the total number of federal lawmakers should be reviewed to 146, from the current 469 109 senators and 360 Rep members. Rochas Okorocha What (are) three senators doing that one senator cannot do? Mr Okorocha asked, amidst murmur in the House. Here, we have three senators per state. In that National Assembly (House of Representatives) over there, we have 360 eligible human beings. This country must begin to make sacrifices and cut down the cost of governance. Barely a week after Mr Okorochas mooted this stance, Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, broadened the debate. Mr Fayemi called for a unicameral legislature by the scrapping of the Senate, saying what is needed is the House of Representatives. You have three senators from little Ekiti and you have three senators from Lagos State. Its a no-brainer that its unequal, I guess the principle is not proportionality but that if you are a state, you get it automatically. But I think that we can do away with that. There are several things that we can do away within the government, he said. Section 48 of the constitution provides for three senators from each of the 36 states of the federation and one from the FCT (totalling 110). Also, section 49 provides for 360 members of the House of Representatives elected from the constituencies in each state of the federation. EKiti state governor, Kayode Fayemi Therefore, only a constitutional amendment can lead to the kind of reform sought by the aforementioned proponents. Opponents Aware that the debate was gaining traction, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, countered the call for a unicameral legislature. He said the improvement in the productivity of lawmakers is what should be sought, not a single parliamentary house, which could impinge the representation of ethnic minorities in the country. Nigeria has consciously adopted to have a bicameral National Assembly. It is because of who and what we are. The diversity of Nigeria and ethnic composition of the country requires that we have a system that provides Justice, Equity and Fair play. Advertisements It is a conscious decision and design to ensure that everybody is represented in the country. We need bi-cameral legislature in Nigeria. Mr Lawan explained. Senate President, Ahmed Lawan The senate president did not, however, counter the call for a reduction in the number of senators per state. Hitting out at Akhilesh Yadav for opposing the NPR and the NRC, Uttar Pradesh BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh on Wednesday said the Samajwadi Party chief should stay in Pakistan for a month to understand the atrocities being faced by Hindus there. Singh also asserted that the amended Citizenship Act was not against the poor and accused Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of misguiding the people on the law. Akhilesh should stay in Pakistan for one month and pray in Hindu temples, then he will have first hand experience of atrocities committed on Hindus in Pakistan, the state BJP chief said. His remarks come after Yadav on December 29 said the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) were against the poor and minorities of the country, while asserting that he will not fill up the NPR form. There is nothing wrong in the NPR as it provides simple options like presentation of Aadhaar card or driving license, etc or confirmation by three residents of the area that the person is a bonafide resident of the area, Singh told reporters at a gaushala in Vrindavan. He also accused Yadav of ignoring his partys workers and promoting his family members. Attacking Priyanka Gandhi, who is also a Congress general secretary, the BJP leader said, The visit of Priyanka to victims of riots with the sole purpose of misguiding them and creating a ruckus, is objectionable, since people are misguided about the CAA. He said there should be healthy politics as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is in the interest of the poor. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants, and be given Indian citizenship. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are trying to provide a respectable life to people hit by atrocities in Pakistan through the citizenship law, Singh said. Owing to the negative approach of the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party on the CAA, neither Hindus nor Muslims will vote in their favour, he asserted. He asked leaders of these parties and students of JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia to go through the CAA. IIT-Kanpur has formed a committee to inquire into a complaint against the recitation of Faiz Ahmed Faiz's noted poem 'Hum Dekhenge' on campus by students to express solidarity with their peers at Jamia Millia Islamia, the institute's deputy director Manindra Agarwal said. He said a "very peaceful protest" was held on December 17 by about 300 students of the premier institute at its premises as they were not allowed to go out due to enforcement of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in the city. An IIT-Kanpur student recited the poem 'Hum Dekhenge' by Faiz against which a complaint was filed by Dr Vashimant Sharma, a temporary faculty member, and 16 others, including faculty members and students. "The video suggests that the poem also provokes anti-Hindu sentiments," the complaint stated. The written complaint filed by them with the IIT-Kanpur director states that the poem had some words that could hurt the sentiments of Hindus, Agarwal said. "A committee of six members was established, headed by me, to investigate the matter. Some students have been questioned, while the others will be questioned after they return to the institution after the holidays," the deputy director said. There was a war of words on social media between those supporting the recitation of the poem and those who opposed it, he said. "It was contributing to escalation of the situation and hence we requested both sides to stop it and they obliged," Agarwal said. The video also shows students carrying placards with slogans like 'Tumhari laathi aur goli se tez hamari awaaz hai' (our voice is louder than your sticks and bullets) and 'IIT-Kanpur condemns police brutality on Jamia and AMU students. Shame on Delhi Police', an official said. "We would take some more days to hear both sides before coming up with the findings as some students were left to question and it could only be possible after their return to the institution after holidays," Agarwal said, adding, "Once everything cools down, we will be able to sort out the matter amicably." However, IIT-Kanpur director Abhay Karandikar has criticised a section of the media for reporting since Wednesday that the institute has set up a committee to decide whether the poem by Faiz is anti-Hindu or not, saying this is "very misleading". "The reality is that the institute has received complaints from multiple sections of the community that during a protest march taken out by students certain poem was read and then subsequently certain social media posts were made, which were inflammatory," Karandikar said. "The institute has also received complaints from other sections of the community that during the protest march, a group tried to block the march, which was incorrect. So, the institute has set up a committee to look into all these complaints to see if they are genuine. And if they are genuine, what remedial action is to be taken," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LIMERICK migrant charity organisation Doras has welcomed a recent Oireachtas report which highlighted issues in the countrys Direct Provision system. The report, completed by the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality, echoes concerns voiced by many dedicated independent organisations on shortcomings in the current system of International Protection in Ireland. The report features 43 recommendations, which Doras has referred to as a call to action for the Department of Justice and the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS). We particularly welcome recommendation 16, which calls for the urgent implementation of Vulnerability Assessments, to be conducted by appropriately trained and qualified professionals," said Doras Director, John Lannon. Doras works to support and promote the rights of migrants living in Ireland. Placing vulnerable children; victims of trafficking; victims of torture; people persecuted due to their sexual orientation, and any vulnerable people in Direct Provision is not and never has been suitable, therefore, we hope that this recommendation is prioritised. We were, however, disappointed to see that some areas of concern were not adequately addressed. The report stated that Emergency Accommodation is not fit for purpose, and should cease as soon as possible, though did not adequately address what may happen if emergency accommodation continues to be in place, according to Doras. Doras have also stated that the National Standards for Direct Provision Centres should be implemented in all accommodation centres, whether they are identified as emergency settings or not. Many people we have worked with have been staying in emergency accommodation settings for well over six months, and there appears to be no indication that this system of accommodation will change, said a Doras spokesperson. The organisation also said: While the inclusion of a number of recommendations on children in Direct Provision was welcome, we believe that the current institutional system of Direct Provision is not a place for children. According to Doras, no reference was made to third-level education for people in Direct Provision in the report. We thank the Joint Committee, as well as the community/non-governmental organisations which contributed, for completing this timely report, and look forward to working together to see its recommendations implemented, he added. The hour-long meeting chaired by the Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash, was also attended by Chinese technology major Huawei which has also been permitted to take part in the trials. The trials are likely to start in next month, sources said. New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Tuesday met telecom operators and equipment vendors to discuss the roadmap for the upcoming 5G trials. Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had on Monday said that the government would give 5G spectrum to all market players. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will provide trial spectrum to all telecom service providers. These operators can choose their partner vendors such as Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and Huawei. The in-principle nod for the trial run, however, does not assure an approval for commercial roll out. Earlier in the month, the DoT approved prices for the next spectrum auction which will put on offer around 6050 MHz of air waves specifically for 5G. The Digital Communication Commission (DCC), the highest policy making body of the Telecom Ministry, on December 20 approved the spectrum auctions to be held in March-April while making no change in the reserve pricing of the radiowaves decided by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The auction will see 5G spectrum sale for the first time. Hyderabad Thousands of people are expected to participate in a four-kilometer march in Hyderabad on Saturday in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). These people would be coming together under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee (JAC) of 40-odd groups and social organisations. The procession would start from Peoples Plaza at the beginning of Necklace Road on the banks of Hussainsagar lake and will culminate in a brief public meeting at Sanjeevaiah Park, JAC convenor and Tehreek-e-Muslim Shabban (TMS) president Mustaq Malik told Hindustan Times. Named Million March, the rally is expected to be attended by at least a lakh people. People from all parts of Telangana, Kurnool, Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh and Bidar in Karnataka would be coming in large numbers, Malik said. Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) president Amzadullah Khan said the JAC would give a call to the people not to cooperate with the authorities in the implementation of NPR, NRC and CAA and not to part with any citizen information. It will be a peaceful rally and there would not be any slogans for or against any person, religion or party. The Million March will begin and end with the singing of the national anthem. All the participants will hold a national flag in their hands, Khan said. The JAC has extended an invitation to leaders of all the like-minded political parties to take part in the rally. We have written even to Telangana Rashtra Samithi headed by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Malik said. Meanwhile, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi has also announced that his party is planning to organise another march in Hyderabad against the CAA and NRC. Owaisi tweeted on Wednesday that he had also sought permission for a rally on Saturday or Sunday. The MIM would most likely be given the permission to hold the rally at Dharna Chowk on Sunday, said a police official who refused to be identified. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Reacting to criticism over the death of 100 infants at Kota's JK Lon Hospital, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said the issue should not be politicised and his government was sensitive to it. His remarks came amid criticism by the BJP and BSP supremo Mayawati, who accused the state government of being insensitive. Expressing displeasure on the response to the tragedy, Mayawati also questioned the silence of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, saying if she does not meet mothers of the deceased children, then her meeting with the kin of the victims of violence during the anti-CAA protests in UP will be "construed as pure theatrics". "The government is sensitive to the death of sick infants in JK Lon Hospital in Kota. There should no over the issue. Infant mortality at this hospital is steadily decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. It is our top priority that mothers and children remain in good healthy," Gehlot tweeted in Hindi. Gehlot further claimed that the first ICU for children in Rajasthan was established by the Congress government in 2003. "We also established an ICU for children in Kota in 2011," he added. Gehlot said the aim of 'Nirogi Rajasthan' was a priority for the government and an expert team from the Centre could further help improve health services in the state. "We are ready to improve medical services in the state through discussions and cooperation with an expert team from the Centre," he said. Meanwhile, BJP state president Satish Poonia expressed displeasure on the state government's attitude towards the issue. "It is regrettable that the state health minister did not even visit the hospital. The chief minister is known for being sensitive. A delegation of BJP MPs had met the families who lost their children. They were in deep anguish. If the government is not sensitive then it is worrisome," Poonia said. He alleged that the BJP MPs were manhandled by Congress workers during a visit to the Kota hospital. Poonia said the BJP does not want to do on the issue but it is unfortunate that the state government is not dealing with it seriously. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A new Texas law designed to protect against surprise medical bills contained a loophole that could have exposed patients to just the kind of costly surprises the law was supposed to prevent. But the Texas Department of Insurance closed the loophole by approving emergency rules in early December. The legislation, which took effect Wednesday, aims to protect patients who have health insurance under state-regulated plans from becoming entangled in billing disputes between medical providers and insurers. It seeks to safeguard patients from a practice known as balance billing, in which they are billed for expensive out-of-network charges the difference between the cost of a medical service or procedure and what an insurer will pay. Senate Bill 1264 bans balance billing in all emergency and some non-emergency care. Instead, insurers and providers will negotiate prices for out-of-network care through an arbitration process laid out in the law. There is one exception, however, and thats where the trouble arose. Under the law, patients who need non-emergency care can waive their billing protection if they are told ahead of time whether any of their providers are out-of-network. Those patients would be required to receive a written estimate of the higher cost. The medical community and patient advocates clashed over how much time before treatment a patient should be given before deciding whether to sign a waiver and pay the higher cost or cancel the procedure. Some argued for three days; others wanted at least a week. But doctor and hospitals groups said they didnt want to be bound by a state-imposed timeline. More Information Senate Bill 1264 Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2020 Bans balance billing in all emergency and some non-emergency care for patients with state-sponsored health plans Insurers and providers negotiate process for out-of-network care through arbitration Exception: Patients who need non-emergency care can waive their billing protection if they are told whether any providers are out of network and given a cost estimate Waivers will only be offered in cases where a patient has a choice between an in-network or out-of-network provider. The patient will have 10 business days to make a decision. See More Collapse For subscribers: Texas protection against surprise medical bills hits snag, backers fear a loophole A rule proposed by the Texas Medical Board sparked a further outcry from the laws authors, consumer groups and the states insurance trade association. They argued that the rule, as written, would broaden the waiver to apply to situations where patients didnt have a choice of providers. They said patients should be asked to sign the waiver only in cases where they wanted to be treated by an out-of-network physician. Some legislators and advocates expressed concern that a blanket exception would be confusing for patients and result in continued surprise bills. After reporting by Hearst Newspapers and other news outlets made the proposed language more widely known, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in late November expressed his disapproval of the rule and threatened not to reappoint medical board members who went along with it. The boards 19 members are appointed by the governor, subject to approval by the state Senate. In early December, the medical board relinquished its control, sending the matter back to the Texas Department of Insurance. The emergency rules written by the insurance agency in December specify that waivers will be offered only in cases where a patient has a choice between an in-network or out-of-network provider. The patient will have 10 business days to make a decision. For subcribers: Texas official warns health insurers: Anti-surprise bill law will mean big changes Itll come up so infrequently now because they put a guardrail around that opt-out form, which makes it all contingent on the patient having the choice, said Stacey Pogue, a senior health policy analyst at the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities. Its exactly the kind of patient-centered approach that the legislators had in mind when they passed one of the strongest surprise medical billing laws in the nation. State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, one of the co-authors of SB 1264, said he, too, was pleased with the new rule. We wanted to make sure that it was patient-originated, patient-focused, Hancock said. Obviously you never know until its fully implemented, but it certainly seems like our concerns were addressed in the rulemaking from TDI. I think all parties are happy, and patients in Texas will be protected with this new law. Jamie Dudensing, CEO of Texas Association of Health Plans, the states insurance trade association, thanked state leaders for resolving the issue. Our organization is grateful for the TDIs efforts to correctly implement the consumer protections in Senate Bill 1264 and ensure Texas patients no longer have to worry about surprise billing, Dudensing said. taylor.goldenstein@chron.com The Canadian Muslim community is an engaged member of the Canadian family, consistently turning out at higher than average rates in both federal and provincial elections. Community leaders, organizations, mosques and Imams across the nation are actively engaging with the community and the government at all levels on issues affecting Canadian Muslims. Leading up to Octobers federal election, Imams across the country used their Friday sermons to encourage and educate Canadians to participate in the democratic process. Partnering with civil liberties advocates and various segments of Canadian minority communities, the Muslim community has also taken steps to fight Quebecs Bill 21 in the courts. Young Muslims, students and activists have led protests, rallies, and engaged in public discussions to raise the Muslim communitys concerns. With the federal election behind us and a new cabinet in Ottawa, it is imperative that issues concerning Canadas Muslim community are on the governments agenda for 2020. The community is looking to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet to take up the issues Canadian Muslims have been advocating for and confronting over the years. Like all Canadians, climate change, affordable housing, jobs and reconciliation with Canadas Indigenous communities are primary concerns of the Muslim community. Beyond that, the community expects the Liberal government to prioritize issues uniquely affecting the Muslim community. Four issues above all are of immediate concern. The increase in hate crimes and Islamophobia: the rise of white supremacy and far-right extremist groups, along with with the rise in Islamophobia, is directly threatening the safety of minority communities, especially the Muslim community. The Liberal government must reject the rise of violent white supremacy and hate groups in Canada and vow to take actionable steps to confront Islamophobia. Addressing the spread of online hate and misinformation, and initiating public discourse surrounding immigration and refugee policies to welcome new Canadians into an environment of acceptance are also essential in confronting this growing problem. Quebecs Bill 21: banning religious freedoms of minority communities essentially relegates religious minorities to second-class citizens. The federal government must condemn this bill openly and begin legal action to defend the civil and religious liberties of all Canadians. National security: revelations of Islamophobia and bias against Muslims in Canadas security agencies has become a concern within the Muslim community. The government should explore federal whistleblower legislation, re-examine the legislative immunity of security agents, and institute a third-party diversity, equity and inclusion audit among security agencies. Foreign policy: In addition to commercial and short-term interests, Canadian foreign policy must also speak out clearly against Indian atrocities in Kashmir, the persecution of the Rohingya in Burma, Uighurs in China, and human rights violations against Palestinians. A number of ministries and government institutions are essential to policies impacting the Muslim community. They include the Ministry of Public Safety, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Ministry of Immigration and Refugees and Citizenship, Ministry of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, and Global Affairs Canada. As the federal government takes the Muslim communitys concerns into account, it is vital that the community is part of the discussion and policy formation process. As the leading Muslim national organization in Canada, the Muslim Association of Canada must be part of initiatives regarding education and public safety. Other organizations, such as the National Council of Canadian Muslims and Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association, should be part of discussions and reforms in the areas of social justice and human rights; Islamic Relief Canada on international development; and Justice for All Canada on international human rights and foreign policy. Finally, it is important to note that the Canadian-Muslim community is as diverse as the nation itself and has many political leanings. As such, rather than a divisive political discourse over Muslim issues, the Muslim community expects its issues to be part of the policy platform of all major parties. And we hope to see all political leaders united in defence of Canadian Muslims, their rights, and aspirations for a stronger, more just and inclusive Canada. The Alliance says Ukraine needs to pursue with the implementation of the national security law, reform the Security Service, strengthen civilian control and democratic oversight of the defense, security, and intelligence agencies. Head of the NATO Representation to Ukraine and Director of the NATO Liaison Office, Alexander Vinnikov, outlined the main tasks the Alliance sees in reforming the country's security and defense sector in 2020. "In 2020, a new cycle of outlining security and defense issues will start in Ukraine. A new national security strategy, a military security strategy, and a strategic defense bulletin should be adopted, while a series of inspections should be held in the security and defense sector, Vinnikov wrote in a column "Ukraine-NATO: New Challenges and Opportunities," published in Ukrainian by Tyzhden. The official said the implementation of these tasks would shape up key strategic priorities of Ukraine's policy in the security and defense sectors for the coming years, which will require not only strategic thinking, but also strategic action. "These challenging tasks of reform in 2020 include strengthening civilian control and democratic oversight of the defense, security, and intelligence agencies, improving the command and control system in the defense forces, ensuring effective management and tackling corruption in security and defense," added Vinnikov. Ukrainian society, he underlined, is striving for visible progress in these areas and beyond, while NATO will support Ukraine to achieve such progress. "In 2020, we expect further important steps to implement the national security law. Its adoption in 2018 was welcomed by the Alliance Member States as a significant step that brought Ukraine closer to European and Euro-Atlantic standards and principles. Today and in 2020, there is a window of opportunity for translating the vision laid down by this law into practical reforms to achieve tangible results," said Vinnikov. Read alsoOver half of Ukrainians support joining NATO poll In this regard, he noted that the reform of the Security Service of Ukraine is the main element, and the Alliance together with the EU and the USA has for more than three years been providing advisory support in this regard in the framework of the International Advisory Group. "As in any democracy, the reform of intelligence agencies and security services is a sensitive issue. But it cannot see success without involving a wide range of various stakeholders in its development and expanding the domestic dialogue between them. And, of course, there is no magical, universal, and immediate solution to this problem," Vinnikov added. "However, European and Euro-Atlantic partners will welcome the transformation of the Security Service of Ukraine into a depoliticized, effective agency that will focus on fulfilling its main tasks defined by the national security law. These include counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and protection of state secrets. International cooperation and information exchange with the structures of the Euro-Atlantic security and intelligence community will also benefit from progress in SBU reform," said the head of the NATO Mission. Read alsoUkraine, U.S. to cooperate in cybersecurity NSDC Vinnikov also believes that the Verkhovna Rada of the new convocation saw a powerful start in 2019. "NATO expects Parliament to pro-actively support reform in security and defense. At the same time, it is important to find a balance between the 'turbo mode' of processing bills and the 'Euro-Atlantic' quality of legislation passed. That is why strengthening Parliament's institutional capacity will remain one of the priority areas where we will provide advisory assistance," Vinnikov wrote. Lebanese Justice Minister Albert Serhan on Thursday announced that the Middle East country has received a red notice by the Interpol to arrest former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn, the state media reported. The red notice for the former automotive titan was received earlier Thursday by the Lebanese prosecution, according to Xinhua news agency. Ghosn arrived in Beirut on Monday after fleeing from Japan amid charges of financial misconduct. Nissan accused Ghosn last year of understating his salary while he was the chief executive and transferring USD 5 million of Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest. Ghosn declared in a statement that he had not fled justice but he had escaped "injustice and political persecution." Ghosn is expected to hold a news conference on Wednesday in Beirut. Meanwhile, Japanese prosecutors on Thursday searched a house in Tokyo where Ghosn lived while out on bail before he staged the escape, Japanese media reported. The search came as investigators try to look into the details of how Ghosn managed to slip out of the country. According to media reports, Ghosn holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gov. Larry Hogan has issued his written consent to allow Maryland to continue accepting refugees into the state. He joins more than 30 governors who have done so in response to a Trump administration policy allowing state and local leaders to block refugee admissions for the first time. "Maryland consents to receive legally vetted resettlement refugees in Fiscal Year 2020," Hogan, a Republican, wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a letter dated Dec. 30. "This, as you know, is different from any kind of 'sanctuary' status for those in the United States unlawfully." "Maryland's approach is consistent with both our laws and our values," he added. President Donald Trump announced last year that both state and local leaders need to provide written consent by Jan. 21 to continue welcoming refugees into their localities - an unprecedented move that advocates worried could cripple the country's decades-old resettlement program. About 34 governors, including at least 15 Republicans, have provided their consent in writing. In Maryland, which has accepted 10,000 refugees since 2016, resettlement agency leaders say they were waiting to hear from Hogan. "We're thrilled - just thrilled," Ruben Chandrasekar, executive director of the International Rescue Committee in Maryland, said Thursday. "The biggest boost to our confidence has been the governor saying 'yes.' " In 2015, Hogan was among a group of GOP governors who called on the federal government to stop the arrival of Syrian refugees in their states. He also has been a vocal critic of Maryland jurisdictions that have prohibited local law enforcement from working with federal agencies on immigration enforcement, calling such policies "absurd." Now, however, Hogan's letter of consent has cleared the way for refugee resettlement agencies to continue their work in the state's two large metropolitan areas, Chandrasekar said. Baltimore Mayor Jack Young and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, both Democrats, have issued letters of consent. Leaders in Prince George's County and Baltimore County are in the process of doing the same. Resettlement agencies are relieved, Chandrasekar said, though they are aware that the total number of refugees in Maryland is still likely to drop significantly in the coming months. In September, Trump slashed the annual refugee ceiling to 18,000 - the lowest in U.S. history and less than a quarter of what the country admitted in President Barack Obama's final year in office. According to Chandrasekar, the decision could have significant effects on Maryland jurisdictions such as Baltimore and Prince George's, which have relied on refugees, asylum seekers and other immigrants to buttress their tax base and boost their economy. "For years, Baltimore City has welcomed refugees fleeing violence and persecution," Young said in a Dec. 20 statement. "Our neighborhoods cannot afford to lose the contributions refugees provide." As of Thursday, no state or local jurisdiction had explicitly announced a decision to reject refugees. A North Dakota county commission that was poised to become the first to do so voted 3-2 to continue accepting refugees, up to a cap of 25. Angola, IN (46703) Today Snow showers early with a chance of lingering snow showers later. High around 20F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 50%.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 6F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph, becoming E and decreasing to less than 5 mph. WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT: A NSW farmer has been forced to shoot his own cattle as bushfires ravaged Australias east coast. The Countegany/Dampier State Forest blaze raced through Cobargo and Coolagolite in the states southeast on Tuesday morning on its way to burning an area twice the size of Canberra. Coolagolite cattle farmer Steve Shipton said he thought he was a goner. "The heat was horrendous. My eyes... I couldn't see 20 feet last night, he told AAP. Steve Shipton shoots an injured calf in his paddock after a bushfire in Coolagolite on New Year's Day. Source: AAP/Sean Davey Three men and an unidentified person died out of a population of about 1050. Mr Shipton thought he was fine to protect his home after getting his wife and kids inside and his stock out to a dirt clearing. "It all happened so quick," the 46-year-old said, soot still covering his face. "I stayed out. I suppose I shouldn't have but it just happened so fast. "It's just unbelievable. The ferocity and how quick.... That's what shocked me and that's why I thought we were in a good situation to survive. Mr Shipton looks at the burns on an injured calf he just put down. Source: AAP A number of Steve Shipton's cows lay dead after being killed in his paddock during a bushfire in Coolagolite on New Year's Day. Source: AAP/Sean Davey The dairy-turned-beef farmer estimates he lost about a tenth of his 250-odd head of cattle, including his favourite dairy cow. Most of the cattle had been where Mr Shipton thought would be safe on dirt with a feed rack but the animals "obviously panicked". A vet on Wednesday assessed which would survive and which needed to be euthanised. "There are some in there badly scorched," Mr Shipton said. "He'll know better than me what can survive and what can't because I've never been through this scenario. "You don't want them to suffer." Mr Shipton has since been forced to put injured cattle down with a gun. Mr Shipton (centre) is consoled by fellow farmers Bernie Smith (left) and Peter Mercieca. Source: AAP Fire destroys historic Cobargo store The firefront spared Cobargo artist Sally Wilson's shop but embers took hold of the historic property as she and her partner, Christopher Lee. protected their home and animals a short walk away. Story continues As things calmed down at home, Mr Lee walked over to the shop to find it alight. "The firefighters said it had started 20 minutes before," she told AAP, standing beside the rubble. "He stood out the front and watched it burn." Business owner Sally Anne Wilson stands with her partner, Christoper Lee, as they look at the remains of her store in Cobargo. Source: AAP The couple moved to Cobargo just 18 months ago after deciding it was "a really safe pocket" with a vibrant, caring community. "I've been visiting here for years and it was like nothing could get you," she said. Local farmer Greg Tett said the community was a very tight-knit one, where people "dove in" to help those whose chips were down. "That's the way it's been for a long time and why I think a lot of people like to come here," he told AAP. He suspects he'll have to entirely de-stock after 95 per cent of his 110-acre property was scorched. A Bilpin property gets enveloped in flames. Source: AAP "At least we're still alive," his wife, Karen Tett, said. Mr Tett woke about 1am on Tuesday to a phone call from his daughter warning about the approaching fire. His brother spent five hours building a fire break in vain. "When it came down the mountain, we had spot fires everywhere," Mr Tett said. He said his family will fight on. "We've got to, he said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. On Wednesday, New York joined a growing number of states that have restricted the money bail system to limit the number of people who are in jail solely because they cant afford to pay their way out. While not as sweeping as some other states reforms, the new law automatically releases people charged with most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies without making them post cash bail. Prior to the passage of the law, low-level defendants were routinely held in jail simply because they could not afford bail, not because their release posed a risk to society. This reflexive use of money bail tore families apart, ruined lives, wasted millions of taxpayer dollars, and ultimately made New Yorkers less safe. Advertisement But if youve been reading the news lately, youd think New York is about to release thousands of dangerous offenders onto the streets. Prosecutors and police officials have launched a full media offensive to warn that bail reform goes too far. Bail bondsmen, who have a financial stake in the status quo, are telling reporters the new law is emboldening criminals. And in the week before the law kicked in, the New York Post ran a series of articles with provocative headlines like, Bail Reform Is Setting Suspects Free After String of Anti-Semitic Attacks. The articles showcased several people who were released without having to pay bail, one of whom was arrested again for punching someone the next day. The Post suggested this would be the new normal under bail reformeven though the law hadnt yet gone into effect, the only person accused of a violent crime was jailed pretrial, and prosecutors did not request money bail in any of the other cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People held in jail while awaiting trial start to lose ground even after just a few days of incarceration. Any reform that means locking fewer people up inevitably inspires a punitive backlash and concerns about public safety. But the bail reform law may actually make New York safer. Just look at New Jersey, which went further than New York and eliminated cash bail for all offenses in 2017. The state has seen a steep decrease in violent crime rates from 2014 to 2018. A study also found that, despite similar fears about lawlessness, the rate of alleged new criminal activity for individuals released pretrial under New Jerseys law was virtually the same as the rate for defendants under the old cash bail system. On the other hand, studies have shown that rather than advancing public safety, pretrial incarceration is more likely to cause crime. One study found that low-risk defendants held just two or three days pretrial were roughly 40 percent more likely to commit new crimes before trial than equivalent defendants held no more than 24 hours. The correlation grew the longer people were held: Those jailed for more than a month were 74 percent more likely to offend than those who were released within 24 hours. Advertisement Why does incarceration have this effect? People held in jail while awaiting trial start to lose ground even after just a few days of incarceration: They may lose their jobs, fail to make rent, or have their children taken away. Maintaining stability and community ties are crucial to keep people from falling back into the cycle of arrest and incarceration. Advertisement The new law changes nothing for the most serious cases: Judges may still require a bail payment to release people accused of most violent felonies, all sex-related charges, and some domestic violence offenses. These offenses currently represent 10 percent of cases handled in the state criminal justice system, according to analysis provided by the Vera Institute of Justice. Unfortunately, this still means that where bail is set the system still gives an advantage to the well-to-do. They can await trial back at their homes and jobs, while the poor languish in jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The remaining 90 percent of cases that come through the criminal justice system each year are misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. In most of these cases, defendants will be released without having to pay cash bail before their trials. If someone truly poses a danger or a flight risk, judges can still set restrictions on their release, like supervision or electronic monitoring. This is hardly the sky is falling scenario that the laws opponents are trying to sell in the media. But playing on peoples fears about crime is a tried and true political tactic. Some lawmakers are already promising to campaign against the law, while others are pressuring Gov. Andrew Cuomo to roll back the soft-on-crime reforms. Still, the data behind releasing defendants accused of nonviolent offenses is strong, and in fact, holding them in jail pretrial raises serious public safety concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And the cost of the former status quo should not be dismissed. The old system led to the incarceration of thousands of poor, low-risk New Yorkersall legally presumed innocentuntil their cases were resolved, which could take months or years. A 2016 analysis in New York City showed that 43 percent of those charged with misdemeanors remained in jail until the end of their case, including 40 percent whose bail was set at $500 or less. Research has shown that defendants detained for the entire pretrial period are more likely to be sentenced to jail or prison and for longer periods of time compared with defendants who are released to fight their cases from outside jail. New Yorks law isnt perfectmoney bail has not been completely eliminated, and some localities will need to commit more resources to bolster pretrial infrastructure. But it is a welcome first step toward making New Yorks pretrial system one that relies on facts instead of fear. While there will be continued attempts to undermine the new law, a few sensational news stories shouldnt undermine a smart reform that is long overdue. The authors of this article work for organizations in the New Yorkers United for Justice coalition, a bipartisan group that advocated for bail reform. Being a nurse isnt easy in fact, more and more nurses are facing increasingly difficult working conditions and are burning out. According to a recent survey from AMN Healthcare, 22% of nurses hold more than one job as a nurse. And 37% of these nurses say that doing so negatively affects their quality of life. The survey also found that 27% of nurses have witnessed workplace violence, 41% have been victims of bullying, incivility, or any other forms of workplace violence, and 63% of nurses say their organization didnt address the situation well at all. Nurses are experiencing extremely high rates of burnout, Michelle Mahon, a nursing practice specialist with National Nurses United, told Yahoo Finance. An alarming rate of nurses experience diagnostic criteria for PTSD. We are seeing an increase in nurse suicide as a result of moral distress. A registered nurse with Mount Sinai Medical Health Systems demonstrates putting on personal protective equipment (PPE) in New York, October 21, 2014. (Photo: REUTERS/Mike Segar) A study featured in the Archives of Psychiatric Nursing found that there are higher rates of suicide among those working in nursing compared to non-nurses. It also showed that nurses are statistically significantly more likely to have reported mental health problems, although its unclear whether or not their work environment plays a direct role in those figures. In the AMN survey, 66% of nurses said that they worry their job is affecting their health. This is moral injury, Mahon said. They spent all these years in school, and theyre getting into an environment where basically theyre providing factory-level care. It feels like its so dehumanized. A shortage of sorts About 52% of nurses believe that the nurse shortage in the U.S. has grown worse over the last five years, despite the fact that there are nearly 3 million registered nurses in America and the profession is still one of the fastest-growing in the country. Part of this is due to the post-recession economic expansion, which has led to new jobs and more money for consumers to spend on health care, leading to a demand in services. Story continues Its a shortage of nurses who are willing to work in the conditions, Mahon said when asked about a potential shortage. Nurses often face workplace distress. (Photo: REUTERS/Rick Wilking) Cole Edmonson, a doctorally-prepared nurse and chief clinical officer at AMN Healthcare, pointed to the distribution of nurses across the industry. If you look at the number of licensed nurses, there is not a shortage, he said. But you have to look at where those nurses are practicing, why they choose to practice in those area or leave those areas of practice. In any case, nurses are going to be needed more than ever before as more Baby Boomers retire from the profession. According to the survey, the number of Baby Boomer nurses peaked at 1.26 million in 2008, and since 2012, approximately 60,000 nurses have been retiring each year. The survey found that 20% of nurses are planning to retire in the next five years, and 86% of Baby Boomer nurses say they will be retiring in that time span. Mahon said theres been a lot of preparation for that over the last few years, in anticipation of the exodus of many nurses from the workforce but also in preparation for having to care for them as a society. There might not really be a nursing shortage. (Photo: Shawn Fury/VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System via AP) Less time with patients Mahon asserted that the so-called shortage a crisis manufactured by the industry, which has been using it to pivot to their technological restructuring to really capitalize upon the economies of scale that come with [it]. Edmonson said that the industry has to be able to get better at using technology in ways that benefit nurses. So many hospitals and health systems have set up roles that are very flexible in terms of hours worked, the role that nurse may play as a mentor or preceptor, as opposed to being direct hands-on-care, he said. Theyre also very, very creative around utilizing those nurses now to be more in a tele-health setting, to be able to support virtually as well as in person or for patients and also other nurses through different types of nurse consultant services. Amid these industry changes, nurses feel like they cant provide the same level of quality care as they used to. In the AMN survey, 44% of nurses said they dont usually have the time they need to spend with their patients. Adriana is an associate editor for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @adrianambells. READ MORE: Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. Infiniti Research, a leading market intelligence solutions provider, has recently announced the completion of its latest success story on competitor analysis solution. This success story highlights how the experts at Infiniti Research helped a food and beverage company to compare their offerings with that of their competitors and enhance profits by 31%. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005001/en/ With the food and beverage industry evolving rapidly, companies in the sector must find new ways to differentiate their brand from the crowded marketplace. Forward-thinking businesses must always keep a constant watch on their competitors' future plans and strategies. Competitor analysis solution can help business leaders measure their performance against rivals and formulate effective future strategies. In addition, competitive intelligence solution can help companies to stay agile and create differential go-to-market strategies. Want to identify business gaps, threats, opportunities for differentiation, or keep tabs on the competition? We provide detailed competitive data and insights tailored to your needs. Request a free proposal today! The business challenge: The client is a food and beverage company based out of Ireland. They wanted to analyze their competitors' business strategies and identify areas that needed improvement. By gathering comprehensive insights into their competitors, they wanted to develop sound promotional and marketing strategies to gain a competitive advantage in the market. In addition, by leveraging Infiniti's competitive intelligence engagement, they wanted to understand their market position in comparison to competitors, anticipate competitors' moves, identify business gaps, and understand competitors' pricing strategies. Our tailored competitive intelligence solutions can help you to make informed business decisions and maximize profitability. Contact us today. The solution offered: The experts at Infiniti Research followed a four-phased approach market research study, competitive intelligence engagement, competitive pricing analysis, and competitive benchmarking strategy. The insights obtained from Infiniti's competitor analysis engagement helped the client to identify their strengths and weaknesses in comparison to their competitors, understand areas that needed improvement, and measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns in comparison to their competitors. 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Request free brochure Read the complete success story for comprehensive insights: Turning Competitive Insights into Profits for a Food and Beverage Company Infiniti Research's Latest Competitor Analysis Solution About Infiniti Research Established in 2003, Infiniti Research is a leading market intelligence company providing smart solutions to address your business challenges. Infiniti Research studies markets in more than 100 countries to help analyze competitive activity, see beyond market disruptions, and develop intelligent business strategies. To know more, visit: https://www.infinitiresearch.com/about-us View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005001/en/ Contacts: Infiniti Research Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 844 778 0600 UK: +44 203 893 3400 https://www.infinitiresearch.com/contact-us The Geminid meteors over Lindisfarne Castle on the Holy Island, Northumberland - iStockphoto Get your telescopes ready and keep your eyes peeled on the skies, as the Quadrantid meteor shower is expected to peak this week. Every year our skies are lit up by returning meteor showers, from Geminids and Lyrids, to Draconids and Perseids. If the weather conditions are in our favour and the Moon isn't too bright, it's possible to see some spectacular shooting stars in action. But when, where and how can you see the meteor showers of 2020? We've compiled a complete guide to the magnificent, must-see sights, which have left mankind awestruck for centuries. From the science behind meteor showers to the best stargazing spots, here is everything you need to know. What exactly is a meteor shower? A meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through the debris stream occupying the orbit of a comet - or, in simpler terms, when a number of meteors flash across the sky from roughly the same point. Meteors are sometimes called shooting stars, although they actually have nothing to do with stars. Perspective makes meteor showers appear to emanate from a single point in the sky known as the shower radiant. A typical meteor results from a particle the size of a grain of sand vaporising in Earths atmosphere when it enters at 134,000mph. Something larger than a grape will produce a fireball and this is often accompanied by a persistent afterglow known as a meteor train. This is a column of ionised gas slowly fading from view as it loses energy. Meteor, meteorid or meteroite? Let's get this straight. A meteor is a meteoroid or a particle broken off an asteroid or comet orbiting the Sun that burns up as it enters the Earth's atmosphere creating the effect of a "shooting star". Meteoroids that reach the Earth's surface without disintegrating are called meteorites. Meteors are mostly pieces of comet dust and ice no larger than a grain of rice. Meteorites are principally rocks broken off asteroids in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and can weigh as much as 60 tonnes. Story continues They can be "stony", made up of minerals rich in silicon and oxygen, "iron", consisting mainly of iron and nickel, or "stony-iron", a combination of the two. Scientists think about 1,000 tons to more than 10,000 tons of material from meteors falls on Earth each day, but it's mostly dust-like grains, according to Nasa, and they pose no threat to Earth. There are only two incidents recorded where people reported being injured by a meteorite, including one in 1954 when a woman was bruised by a meteorite weighing eight pounds after it fell through her roof. The Quadrantid meteor shower The Quadrantid meteor shower is the first major meteor shower of 2020. It takes place from December 28 to January 12, and peaks on the night of January 3 and early hours of January 4. Unlike other meteor showers, which tend to peak for approximately two days, the Quadrantid meteor shower typically peaks for a few hours. First spotted in 1825 by the Italian astronomer Antonio Brucalassi, astronomers suspect the shower originates from the comet C/1490 Y1, which was first observed 500 years ago by Japanese, Chinese and Korean astronomers. Why is it called Quadrantid? The Quadrantids appear to radiate from the extinct constellation Quadrans Muralis, which is now part of the Bootes constellation and not far from the Big Dipper. Because of the constellation's position in the sky, the shower is often impossible to see in the Southern Hemisphere - however there is a chance of spotting it up to 51 degrees south latitude. The best spots to see the display are in countries with high northern latitudes, like Norway, Sweden, Canada and Finland. The other major meteor showers of 2020 The Lyrid meteor shower The Lyrid meteor shower takes place annually between April 16 and April 25 and in 2020, it will peak late on the 21st and in the morning of the 22nd. The milky way and traces of Lyrid meteors illuminate the sky over Burg on the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn, northern Germany Credit: Daniel Reinhardt/dpa This particular shower is visible in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, offering stargazers a chance to see up to 18 meteors per hour during its peak. Lyrid meteors are typically as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper, but some are much more intense, even brighter than Venus, the brightest object in the night sky after the moon. Called "Lyrid fireballs", these cast shadows for a split second and leave behind smokey debris trails that linger for minutes. What causes the Lyrid meteor shower? The ionised gas in the meteors' trail burns up as it enters the Earth's atmosphere, creating the glow which can be seen streaking across the night sky. The shower occurs as the Earth passes through the dust left over from Comet Thatcher (C/186 G1), which makes a full orbit of the sun once every 415 years (which is why there are no photographs of it). Flakes of comet dust, most no bigger than grains of sand, strike Earth's atmosphere travelling 49 km/s (110,000 mph) and disintegrate as streaks of light. Comet Thatcher last visited the inner solar system in 1861 - before the widespread use of photography - and isnt expected to return until the year 2276. How did the Lyrids get its name? The shower radiates out from the direction of the star Vega, the brightest light in the constellation Lyra the Harp, from which it takes its name. Vega is a brilliant blue-white star about three times wider than our Sun and 25 light years away. You might remember Vega being mentioned in Carl Sagan's movie Contact - it was the source of alien radio transmissions to Earth. When were the Lyrids first observed and recorded? The earliest sightings of the Lyrid meteor shower go back 2,700 years and are among the oldest of known meteor showers. In the year 687 BC the ancient Chinese observed the meteors and recorded them in the ancient Zuo Zhan chronicles saying: "On the 4th month in the summer in the year of xin-mao (of year 7 of King Zhuang of Lu), at night, (the sky is so bright that some) fixed stars become invisible (because of the meteor shower); at midnight, stars fell like rain. That era of Chinese history corresponds with what is now called the Spring and Autumn Period (about 771 to 476 BC). Tradition associates this period with the Chinese teacher and philosopher Confucius, one of the first to espouse the principle: Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself. American observers saw an outburst of nearly 100 Lyrid meteors per hour in 1982. Around 100 meteors per hour were seen in Greece in 1922 and from Japan in 1945. The Perseid meteor shower The window for the Perseid meteor shower each year is from July 17 to August 24. As one of the brighter showers of the year, stargazers stand a chance of seeing meteors at any point in this window, however the peak typically occurs between August 12 and 13. The shower appears to originate from within the star constellation Perseus hence the shower's name. It occurs when Earth passes through the debris stream occupying the orbit of the comet Swift-Tuttle. The wonderfully named comet is the largest object known to repeatedly pass Earth (it's 16 miles wide). It orbits the sun ever 133 years and each time it passes through the inner solar system it warms up, releasing fresh comet material into its orbital stream. The last time it was closest to the sun was in December 1992. It will be back again in July 2126. Peak rates of 150-200 meteors per hour were recorded in 2016, but typical rates are about 80 meteors an hour streaking across the night sky, each leaving a trail. During the 2020 peak, space fans will have the chance to see up to 150 meteors per hour. To see the Perseid meteor shower in its full glory, look at a height approximately two-thirds up the sky in any direction. If you want a recommendation, east through south offers some great background constellations in the early hours during August. Look for the shower's "radiant" from the north-east corner of Perseus. Draconid meteor shower The Draconid meteor shower only graces our skies during a short window every year, from October 6 to 10, peaking on the night of October 8 and 9 in the UK. The Draconids are considered among astronomers to be among the least exciting meteor showers - but that doesn't mean the shooting stars aren't worth looking out for. Otherwise known as the Giacobinids, they are created as Earth passes through the debris left by the 21 P/ Giacobini-Zinner comet, which the comet takes about 6.6 years to make a single revolution around the Sun. The shower comes from the constellation Draco the Dragon, which is where its name originates. For the best chance to see the shower, which is most easily visible in the northern hemisphere, look for the constellation's brightest stars, Eltanin and Rastaban. While it is best to view most meteor showers when the sky is at its darkest, astronomers advise stargazers look out for the Draconids at dusk. The shower's radiant point, which is where the shower is known to originate from, is at its highest point just before nightfall. Orionid meteor shower The Orionid meteors appear every year between October 2 and November 7. While meteors can be seen throughout the shower's window, the best time to see them is from October 20 to 21, when the shower is at its brightest. Tom Kerss, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich said: "If you can brave the cold, make a plan to stay out and enjoy the thrill of seeing tiny flecks of Halley's Comet disintegrate at hypersonic speeds above your head." He advises finding a secluded spot and allowing the eyes to adjust to the darkness. Mr Kerss said: "There's no advantage to using binoculars or a telescope, your eyes are the best tool available for spotting meteors, so relax and gaze up at the sky, and eventually your patience will be rewarded. "Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, though if you have to pick a direction, you might fare slightly better looking east." A man stargazing at Brimham Rocks in Yorkshire, during the peak of the Orionid meteor shower Credit: Danny Lawson/PA The meteoroids from Halley's Comet strike Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 148,000mph, (238,000kph) burning up in streaking flashes of light that can be seen with the naked eye. Orionid meteors are known for their speed and brilliance, so if you persevere there's a good chance you'll see several bright 'shooting stars' zipping across the sky. Why is it called Orionid? It's named Orionid because it appears to radiate from the constellation Orion. Orion is one of the brightest and best known constellations and contains two of the 10 brightest stars in the sky Rigel and Betelgeuse, as well as the famous Orion's Belt. Orion's Belt is made up of three bright stars quite close together almost in a straight line, and is about 1,500 light years from us on Earth. Orion has been known since ancient times and is also referred to as Hunter thanks to Greek mythology. He is often seen in star maps facing Taurus, the bull. The Geminid meteor shower The Geminid meteor shower can be seen from around December 7th to 16th in 2020, with peak activity set to take place on December 13th and 14th. Caused by the 3200 Phaethon asteroid, the Geminids' orbit brings it very close to the Sun, resulting in its surface material crumbling and breaking off. The Earth passes through this space debris every December, which burns up as it hits our atmosphere. These are the meteors visible in our sky. The Geminids were first observed relatively recently, in 1862, compared with the Perseids (36AD) and the Leonids (902AD). The meteor shower appears to come from a point in the constellation Gemini, hence its name. How to spot the Geminids in 2020 Sightings are possible around the world, but there's good news for Britons: the shower favours observers in the Northern Hemisphere over those in the Southern. You can spot the meteors anywhere, but they will appear to come from the Gemini constellation. During December, it begins in the evening in the east and moves across the sky to the west during the night. Find Orion's Belt - three bright stars positioned in a row - and then look above it and a little to the left. They will appear as streaks of light, and will sometimes arrive in bursts of two or three. They vary in colour, depending on their composition. Up to 120 meteors an hour - or two a minute - can be expected, or more during the peak. The best stargazing spots in the UK A dark night is best for a meteor shower, after midnight and before dawn. Head somewhere away from the bright lights - into more rural areas if you can - and be prepared to wait a good hour if you want the best chance of seeing a shower. Look for a wide, open viewing area - perhaps a national park or large field on the side of a road - and make sure you concentrate you gaze towards the east. Meteor showers are unpredictable though, so prepare for the fact you might not see much. Choose a dark location away from stray lights and give yourself at least 20 minutes in total darkness to properly adapt. Britain has some wonderful stargazing locations, including three "Dark Sky Reserves" (Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and Exmoor national parks) and Europe's largest "Dark Sky Park" (Northumberland National Park and the adjoining Kielder Water and Forest Park). The optical image from the CFHT telescope with the distribution of neutral hydrogen in the form of a large ring shown in red as observed by the GMRT. The other two red blobs show the distribution of neutral hydrogen around two other galaxies which are in the vicinity of the ring. Credit: O. Bait (NCRA-TIFR/GMRT), Duc (ObAS/CFHT) A team of astronomers at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) in Pune, India have discovered a mysterious ring of hydrogen gas around a distant galaxy, using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). The ring is much bigger than the galaxy it surrounds and has a diameter of about 380,000 light-years (about 4 times that of our Milky Way). The galaxy (named AGC 203001), is located about 260 million light-years away from us. There is only one other such known system with such a large neutral hydrogen ring. The origin and formation of such rings is still a matter of debate among astrophysicists. Neutral hydrogen emits radio waves at a wavelength of about 21cm. This radiation from neutral hydrogen atoms has allowed radio astronomers to map the amount and distribution of neutral hydrogen gas in our Milky Way galaxy and in other galaxies in the Universe. Typically, large reservoirs of neutral hydrogen gas are found in galaxies which are actively forming new stars. However, despite showing no signs of active star formation the galaxy AGC 203001 was known to have large amounts of hydrogen, although its exact distribution was not known. The unusual nature of this galaxy motivated astronomers in NCRA to use the GMRT to conduct high-resolution radio observation of this galaxy to find out where in the galaxy this gas lies. The GMRT observations revealed that the neutral hydrogen is distributed in the form of a large off-centered ring extending much beyond the optical extent of this galaxy. More puzzlingly, the astronomers found that the existing optical images of the ring showed no sign of it containing stars. In collaboration with two French astronomers, Pierre-Alain Duc and Jean-Charles Cuillandre, the NCRA team obtained a very sensitive optical image of this system using the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope (CFHT) in Hawaii, USA. However, even these images do not show any sign of starlight associated with the hydrogen ring. There is no clear answer today as to what could lead to the formation of such large, starless rings of hydrogen. Conventionally, galaxy-galaxy collisions were thought to lead to the formation of such off-centered rings around galaxies. However, such rings also generally contain stars. This is contrary to what is found in this ring. Figuring out how this ring was formed remains a challenge to astronomers. Encouraged by this discovery, the team is now conducting a large survey to map the neutral hydrogen around several more similar galaxies. If some of them also show rings like this, it should help us to better understand the formation mechanism behind such rare rings. This work was led by Omkar Bait, a doctoral student at NCRA working under the supervision of Yogesh Wadadekar. This work forms a part of Omkar's doctoral thesis. Sushma Kurapati, who is another doctoral student at NCRA also played a role in the radio observations. Other expert scientists who contributed include, Pierre-Alain Duc (Universite de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France), Jean-Charles Cuillandre (PSL University, Paris, France), Peter Kamphuis (Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany) and Sudhanshu Barway (Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, India). Explore further Giant magnetic ropes seen in Whale Galaxy's halo More information: Omkar Bait et al, Discovery of a large H i ring around the quiescent galaxy AGC 203001, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2019). Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Omkar Bait et al, Discovery of a large H i ring around the quiescent galaxy AGC 203001,(2019). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stz2972 In a bizarre incident, a couple in Malaysia left the internet stunned after the bride and the groom arrived at their wedding in an ambulance. The viral video, which was shared on Facebook, shows the groom dressed as a paramedic while the bride can be seen wearing her bridal gown. The four-minute clip has garnered over 1.97 lakh views and received over 200 shares since posted. Watch it here: Groom took the bride on a wheelchair The video also features the groom taking the bride to the wedding hall on the wheelchair. Going according to the theme, the family members of the couple also arrived in ambulances. The bizarre wedding was slammed by people who criticised the newly wedded couple for using the emergency vehicle for leisure purpose. As per the reports of international media, the Malaysian ministry released a statement which said that all the emergency vehicles were private ambulances and the groom had rented it for the wedding. Read: Mom Accidentally Captures Selfie Instead Of Recording Daughter's Wedding Proposal Read:Beach Wedding Lovers, Here Are Reasons Why You Should Totally Opt For It Another viral wedding Recently, a couple from South Africa went viral with their proposal in KFC. Both of them got married on December 31 in a luxurious ceremony sponsored by companies who were wooed by their romance. Hector Mkansi, 37, and Nonhlanhla Soldaat, 28 were reportedly identified after KFC South Africa put a tweet to find them. Just then, one of Mkansis friends put in a request to the world wide web that his friends budget was tight, but he hoped to hold a small ceremony and needed help to fund the venue, dress, suit, cake. To their surprise, corporations from Coca-Cola to Audi South Africa stepped in to help. The couple reportedly exchanged their vows one month after the proposal. Read:Couple Who Got Engaged In KFC Gets Dream Wedding After Proposal Video Goes Viral Read:Mohena Kumari Singh Shuts Trolls Right Away For Criticising Her Wedding Picture Photo: Unsplash You can leave your umbrella at home through Friday, but light rainfall is in the forecast for San Francisco later in the week, according to the seven-day forecast from drone-powered weather service Saildrone. The best chance of rain is predicted on Saturday at 38 percent, with the potential for light rainfall of 0.03 inches. The coming days will also bring mild temperatures. Temperatures will reach 58 degrees today and Friday. Skies will be cloudy through Friday and partly cloudy on Sunday. Winds are expected to reach a modest high of 14 mph on Sunday, while today will be calmer with a top speed of just 8 mph. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Gardai are appealing for help to find a man who has been missing for more than five weeks. Officers in Drogheda are looking for 45-year-old Ambrose Doyle who was last seen on November 25 in the St Dominics Park area of Rathmullen in Drogheda. Bastar journalist Santosh Yadav who was booked on the charges of rioting, criminal conspiracy and associating with a terrorist organisation in 2015 has been acquitted by Jagdalpur NIA court on Thursday. I have never done anything illegal neither I was involved in any terrorist activity . I was booked over my stories I have done. I am happy that I am acquitted , Yadav told Hinduistan Times. Yadav was picked up in September 2015. A Chhattisgarh Police Special Task Force Commander alleged that he had seen Yadav stand behind a Maoist fighter during an ambush in August that year. Yadav has maintained that he was not even in Darbha the day of the ambush. Many tribals, journalists and activists were targeted by the authorities for raising voice against atrocities .. I am just one of them...They also need justice, said Yadav who worked for several local newspapers. The Jagdalpur NIA court on Wednesday has acquitted Santosh Yadav, said Arvind Chaudhary, advocate of Yadav. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST 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. 1. Yes. The downtown area needs a good draw. Some quality taverns would be a plus. 2. Yes. Too many storefronts are vacant. Bars could help to bring in needed revenue. 3. No. Putting a number of bars downtown is just asking for trouble. Dont change things. 4.No. Several churches have located downtown. Putting bars close by would be a bad fit. 5. Unsure. It would depend on how the law is written and what standards are enacted. Vote View Results Helping Your Child Succeed Do you have children who can read, but do not enjoy reading, and almost never pick up a book or anything else to read for pleasure? Would your Read more Neil Levy in Aeon: People engage in moral talk all the time. When they make moral claims in public, one common response is to dismiss them as virtue signallers. Twitter is full of these accusations: the actress Jameela Jamil is a pathetic virtue-signalling twerp, according to the journalist Piers Morgan; climate activists are virtue signallers, according to the conservative Manhattan Institute for Policy Research; vegetarianism is virtue signalling, according to the author Bjorn Lomborg (as these examples illustrate, the accusation seems more common from the Right than the Left). Accusing someone of virtue signalling is to accuse them of a kind of hypocrisy. The accused person claims to be deeply concerned about some moral issue but their main concern is so the argument goes with themselves. Theyre not really concerned with changing minds, let alone with changing the world, but with displaying themselves in the best light possible. As the journalist James Bartholomew (who claimed in 2015 to have invented the phrase, but didnt) puts it in The Spectator, virtue signalling is driven by vanity and self-aggrandisement, not concern with others. Ironically, accusing others of virtue signalling might itself constitute virtue signalling just signalling to a different audience. Whether it should be counted as virtue signalling or not, the accusation does exactly what it accuses others of: it moves the focus from the target of the moral claim to the person making it. It can therefore be used to avoid addressing the moral claim made. Here, though, I want to consider a different issue. In the only full treatment of the topic in the academic literature (that I know of), the philosophers Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke accuse the moral grandstander (their term for the virtue signaller) of perverting the function of public moral discourse. According to them, the core, primary function that justifies the practice of such public moral discourse is to improve peoples moral beliefs, or to spur moral improvement in the world. Public moral talk aims to get others to see a moral problem they hadnt noticed before, and/or to do something about it. But, instead, virtue signallers display themselves, taking the focus away from the moral problem. Since we often spot virtue signalling for what it is, the effect is to cause cynicism in the audience, rather than to induce them to think the signaller is so great. As a result, virtue signalling cheapens moral discourse. More here. Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. In addition to our traditional advice, every Thursday we feature an assortment of teachers from across the country answering your education questions. Have a question for our teachers? Email askateacher@slate.com or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group. This weeks Ask a Teacher panel: Carrie Bauer, middle and high school, New York Katie Holbrook, high school, Texas Brandon Hersey, second grade, Washington Matthew Dicks, fifth grade, Connecticut When I married my husband about a decade ago, he was a widower with a 13-year-old son, Toby. Toby was extremely precocious and intelligent, and my husband, raising him alone, quickly grew frustrated with the level of his math instruction at school. Having the means to do so, he had Toby educated at home by private tutors. Toby has grown up to be a really lovely young man and is now about to receive a math Ph.D. from a prestigious university. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Notwithstanding this good outcome, I made sure that before we had our first child that my husband and I were on the same page that he or she wouldbarring very unusual circumstanceshave a normal in-school education. Our son is now in third grade and thriving. He seems, too, to have gotten the math gene that his father and half-brother have. He adores Toby and one way they have bonded is that Toby has indulged his interest in math, with the result that my son is now way, way ahead of his school curriculum. He spends a chunk of time in class and at home on math work and homework from which he derives no benefit. Hes a pretty easygoing kid, and while he therefore doesnt complain to his teacher, he does let us know hed rather spend the time on more challenging math. Advertisement Advertisement I have an idea, and Im wondering if you think would be appropriate to propose to my sons school or if you think I should let it go. Toby is eager to take charge of our sons math education. Toby would do the instruction a few times a week at home. We propose that the school let our son work quietly during in-school math instruction time on material Toby gives him, and that it excuse him from the normal math homework. Wed be happy to share updates or portfolio material with his teacher periodically to demonstrate what hes up to. Does this sound crazy? Advertisement Mom to a Math Whiz Dear MtaMW, Based on your description of your sons skills as way, way ahead, and your willingness to intervene when it wasnt your original preference, Im assuming that you mean your son is not just bright and high-performing but truly gifted, with conceptual understanding and ability leaps and bounds above third-grade expectations. If thats the case, I understand why youre seeking ways to adjust. Most teachers do their best to differentiate their instruction as much as reasonably possible, but frankly, as much as reasonably possible is still relatively limited. Its challenging to develop meaningful, ongoing curricular modifications for students performing much higher and much lower than averageespecially when youve got both ends of the range all in one classroom. So, its definitely reasonable to find ways to accommodate your sons capacity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the plan youve proposedwhile not totally crazy, per seis probably not where Id start. For one thing, its a tenuous, temporary solution to a permanent issue. While Toby and your son are enjoying the tutoring sessions now, changing their nature from enriching, extracurricular brother bonding time to full-time independent study that will replace your sons participation in the core curriculum will ask a lot of Toby. In order for this to work so smoothly that your sons teacher and the school will be comfortable with signing away their ownership of his education, Toby will need to be his teacher, not his tutor, with all the work that entails. Hell need to design and produce a complete, functional substitute curriculum that your son can tackle productively and entirely independently for about 45 minutes every single day. And he cannot miss more than a couple of appointments with your sonlike, ever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While you say Tobys eager to do it, this arrangement seems like a lot to ask of an adult with his own life who is presumably about to enter the job marketand thats just this year. Your sons math talent isnt going anywhere; what happens in fourth grade, and then fifth, and then middle school, where your son will have separate classes (and where I think the administration is very unlikely to entertain this arrangement)? Another consideration is that this is a pretty dramatic opener for what sounds like your initial approach to the conversation. If I were you, Id take a few steps back, think bigger picture, and include the school in developing a plan. First, Id get in touch with your sons teacher and ask for their observations on his skills and performance. You really want to make sure that youre starting on the same page about his math gene and how well its currently being served in the classroom. I take you at your word that your son is dramatically advanced in this area, but its also not terribly unusual for parents to make assertions about their kids abilities that are, ahem, not supported by their performance on classwork and assessments. So Id start by making sure the data theyve collected is aligned with your impressions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Next, Id find out what options are already out there. How has your school worked with other learners in need of significant acceleration? For example, could your son join a fifth grade class during their math time? Could he potentially be bused to the middle school in his upper elementary years to continue advancing his math learning? This path would keep him included in a classroom community and under a teachers management, which, to me, is more aligned with the normal education you value. If the schools got no suggestions, though, by all means, explore with them how your sons work with Toby can enrich his time in the classroom. For the reasons I already explained, I think a full-scale excusal from instruction might be a tough sell, but I cannot imagine theyd say no to substituting his homework assignments with work from Toby, for example. You might also propose that your son touch base with his teacher and complete a few practice problems in order to demonstrate mastery and consistency with their curriculums instructional methods before turning to his challenge work. Advertisement Also, thoughyour sons going to be a-OK if you do nothing at all. In writing this column and in consuming parent media and in having teaching and parenting conversations, I notice this anxiety around maximizing our kids potential. It seems like a potent combination of fearing the consequences of leaving any developmental stone unturned and feeling guilt over deliberately choosing merely adequate when optimal is available. I want to remind you: You are already responding to your sons learning needs. Youre already nurturing his skills and offering him a wonderful enrichment experience. Its OK if his third grade math class is boring and a breeze. Hell be great, regardless. I am giving you permission to choose merely adequate, if you want. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms. Bauer I have a recurring issue that comes up at my sons elementary school, and Im not sure if or how to bring it up with administration. For a number of years, the state I live in has been cutting back on funding for public education. While I have sympathy for how difficult this is, my sons school is raising funds in a manner that I find inappropriate. For the past two years, our elementary school has partnered with a local megachurch to host an end-of-year fair at our school. The church brings in games and face painters and bounce houses and the whole deal, but they also put on a small religious play about Jesus, and host a table to talk to kids and their parents about the church and Jesus. Advertisement The school frames this festival as a schoolwide festival, teachers and administration encourage kids to go, and it is held on the school grounds. I happen to be Jewish, but even if I were Christian, I feel it is wildly inappropriate for this to be happening at a public school. My son only has about a year and a half left at this school before moving on, but I still feel a need to address this so it doesnt continue to spread and to let them think this is OK at a public school. How can I approach this without also having my son be that kid with that mom who ruined the fun for everyone else? Advertisement Ms. Church and State Arent Getting Wed on My Watch Advertisement Dear MCaSAGWoMW, I should begin by saying that I do not have the expertise to know whether or not this fundraiser is illegal. The ACLU and Anti-Defamation League have helpful information on their websites explaining the separation of church and state with respect to public schools. Americans United for Separation of Church and State has an online form where you can submit violations to its legal team for consideration. However, you should carefully consider whether you want to open the school to legal scrutiny. That said, legal or not, I agree that this festival is inappropriate: The school is encouraging families to attend an event where the hosts promote both their religious beliefs and their church. That sounds like an endorsement of a religion to me. Advertisement Advertisement Your first step is to discuss this with the principal, since they are ultimately responsible for all major decisions at the school. I recommend meeting in person, which is harder to ignore than an email. If you get a cool reception or find that they wont meet with you, you can take your concerns to your school board representative. I dont think theres a way to approach this without being perceived as that mom. There are going to be people who disagree with you. At the same time, there are probably parents who sympathize with you and might even be willing to join you. If you discuss the issue at a PTA meeting or another parent group, you may find such like-minded parents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for your son, youll need to talk with him about why this festival is a problem and why its important for you to say something. Perhaps you can read some books that help open up the conversation. Im not going to lie: This might be an uphill battle. The church certainly could host a fundraiser without the play or the booth, but if it views this festival as part of its evangelical mission, it may refuse to remove the religious component. Since the school needs the funds and the church is successfully raising money, the principal might be reluctant to end the relationship. You describe it as a megachurch, which means they have thousands of members, some of whom probably have children attending your sons school. I dont think one meeting with the principal will do the trick. You will have to organize. I encourage you to bring ideas to the table! And be willing to help. Brainstorm an alternative fundraiser that you could host. Communitywide yard sale? Silent auction? Bingo night? Or, perhaps you could serve as the chair of a volunteer task force to design a new fundraiser? Advertisement Advertisement I know this is difficult! I admire you for taking a stand. The separation of church and state is a foundational American valueone that is fundamental to democracy. That starts in our public schools. Id love for you to write back and let me know what happens. Ms. Holbrook Ive been an elementary school classroom volunteer for several years. The kids I have been assigned this year are an exceptionally energetic bunch. Recently, when I couldnt get their attention, I slammed my palm down loudly on the table. This had the desired result of getting their attention. Ive heard nothing about it from the teacher, but I wonder if it was a bit much. Was that OK? Advertisement Self-Doubting Volunteer Dear Volunteer, Trust me, as a teacher with 20 of the most energetic 7-year-olds this planet has ever known, I have been in similar situations more than once. Whats important to remember is that educators are human beings first, and we all have limits. That said, as educators we are responsible for teaching our kids about more than just the Three Rs. We also have to model how we handle situations of great frustration. So to answer your question: It wasnt too much, and its likely another person would have had a similar response. If I were you, I would view it as a learning opportunity. Take a moment to apologize to the class, and have a conversation with the students about how you could have responded differently in that situation. This will build further trust and respect amongst your student, and give them perspective for how to respond appropriately when they become frustrated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hope this helps! Mr. Hersey I have two daughters who are eight months apart in age. Ive kept them in separate day care and preschool classes, but kindergarten approaches. According to the age cutoff date in our state, they belong in the same grade. Do I hold the younger one back to create more distance? If I put them together, does it seem like artificial twinning? (I didnt plan to have two the same age!) Advertisement Both girls are adoptedweve never done a big sister/little sister label with them. They get along well (right now) and have very different personalities. We take them to some activities alone, some together. Selfishly, I want them in the same grade. (Ideally different classes, different teachers, but that wont always be possible in the same grade.) I dont want to have to do kindergarten two years in a row when I dont have to do so. (Really, I dont want to do any grade two years in a row.) But I also dont want to create problems or shortchange either girl in any way. Does this matter at all? Advertisement Forcing Twindom Dear FT, No, I dont think this matters one bit. Lots and lots of twins, and even triplets and quadruplets, do exactly what you are describing, and there is no evidence that it is detrimental to them in any way. If we dont worry about actual twins sharing a grade, why would we worry about your artificial twins doing the same? Advertisement I strongly believe in making things logistically easier for families. Less time schlepping kids around and coordinating schedules means more time for families to spend time together. If this makes it easier for you to manage your life, I think its a great idea. That said, I dont think its great to have them in the same classroom in elementary school when kids spend all day together. I have witnessed this more than once and seen how poorly this can go, depending on the children. Advertisement Sometimes they dont get along, and that can make things challenging. Sometimes they get along too well, which can also be problematic, especially when their mission is to destroy the world in tandem. Id make every effort to keep them in separate classes throughout their elementary school career. Advertisement But once they reach middle and high school, occasional classes together wont be a problem at all. This can happen even when kids are in different grades. Your daughters will either be incredibly close and share a friend group or develop into very different people and operate in entirely different circles. Ive seen both of these things happen often, and it works out just fine. Mr. Dicks More Advice From Slate My son is 6. Among other things, he loves fairies, unicorns, stories about girls, and the color pink. Good for him, right? My son and my daughter have both been brought up to know that everything is for everyone. Only trouble is the other kids havent been brought up that way. What should I do? (HealthDay) After months of delay, the Trump Administration is expected to announce this week that it will ban mint-, fruit- and dessert-flavored e-cigarette cartridges, while allowing the continued sale of menthol- and tobacco-flavored vapes. The White House originally proposed a ban on flavored e-cigarettesthought to be especially enticing to teensback in September. But since then, the Administration had seemed to bow to industry and political pressures and back away from such a ban. As reported Tuesday by The New York Times, the new ban would have one important exception: Flavored liquid nicotine used in "open tank systems" will not be outlawed. That's seen as a concession to the burgeoning vape shop business. Trump also hinted that the ban might not last long. "We think we are going to get back in the market very, very quickly," he said at a New Year's Eve news conference, held during a party at his Mar-a-Lago resort, the Times reported. "We have a very big industry. We're going to take care of the industry." Health advocates supported the ban, but said the exclusion of menthol could greatly weaken its effect. "The administration policy will fall well short of what is necessary to address this growing epidemic," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. "By allowing menthol flavors and flavored liquid nicotine used in open tank systems to remain on the market, the administration would leave a wide pathway for continued e-cigarette use among our nation's children," she said in a statement. "Flavors attract kids, and menthol is a flavor," Erika Sward, a spokeswoman for the American Lung Association, told the Times. "It really helps to numb the senses and makes the poison go down easier." A study released in October shows just how popularand addictiveflavored vapes can be for the young. According to 2018 data, nearly 2.4 million middle and high school teens say they used a flavored e-cigarette at least once over the past 30 days, the study found. Among teens, "e-cigarettes were the most commonly used flavored tobacco product in 2018; flavored e-cigarette use has increased in recent years," according to researchers led by Karen Cullen. She's from the Center for Tobacco Products at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In fact, almost two-thirds (about 65%) of the nearly 5 million teenagers who used some form of tobacco product in 2018 said they had used a flavored e-cigarette over the past month. The figures come from annual National Youth Tobacco Surveys. Experts in lung health said the numbers are troubling, because any nicotine-containing product that comes in fruit, candy or other flavors can be a gateway to lifelong addiction. "In order to make vaping more enticing, flavors have been introduced into the manufacturing of both commercial brands and black market products," said Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Young people are attracted to the flavorings, but as they get older, they add other substances like nicotine and THC," he added. THC is the chemical in marijuana that provides a high. And there's an even more frightening issue emergingcases of serious lung injury linked to vaping. According to the latest figures, more than 2,600 such cases have occurred this year across the United States, including 55 deaths. The suspected culprit is vitamin E acetate, an additive used in some vaping products. Responding to the epidemic of youth vaping and the recent spate of vaping-linked lung injuries, many state governments have already moved to ban flavored e-cigarettes. Cullen and her colleagues believe such efforts can help. They point out that after New York City initiated an almost total ban on the sale of many flavored cigars and "chew" products in 2009, cigar sales dropped by 12%, even as sales rose elsewhere in the nation. Juul, by far the largest marketer of vape products in the United States, announced earlier this fall that it was ceasing production of most of its flavored e-cigarettes. One lung health specialist agreed that something must be done to spare kids a lifetime of addiction to nicotine. "Many youth admit that flavored e-cigarettes are the major reason they started vaping," said Dr. Mina Makaryus, a pulmonary specialist at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y. "Given the addictive nature of nicotine, these youth are now addicted to nicotine at a very young age, and they are more likely to continue using e-cigarettes and even start smoking regular combustion cigarettes in the future," he said. Makaryus hopes that "more states will start to ban flavored e-cigarettes. There also needs to be increased FDA regulation of e-cigarettes, including their marketing and targeting of underage youth." Explore further Study implicates flavored e-cigs in the teen vaping epidemic More information: The American Lung Association has more about The American Lung Association has more about vaping and lung health Copyright 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi on Wednesday warned that the state government would not tolerate any trouble to Kannadigas in Maharashtra over the Belagavi border issue Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi on Wednesday warned that the state government would not tolerate any trouble to Kannadigas in Maharashtra over the Belagavi border issue. "I want to tell the Maharashtra Chief Minister that the Karnataka government will not tolerate any trouble to Kannadigas in Maharashtra," he told reporters. His statement comes in the backdrop of Shiv Sena workers reportedly hitting the streets in Kolhapur on Sunday and burning effigies of Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and stopping screening of Kannada films there. The activists had also blackened billboards, having Kannada text, of some shopkeepers in Gandhinagar area. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had in December last year appointed ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Eknath Shinde as co-coordinators to oversee his government's efforts to expedite the case relating to the boundary dispute with Karnataka. The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, which has been fighting for the merger of 800-odd villages with Maharashtra, had recently submitted a memorandum of their demands to Uddhav Thackeray. Maharashtra claims the border district of Belagavi was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, but is currently a district of Karnataka, on linguistic grounds. Savadi, who hails from Belagavi, said the Maharashtra Chief Minister would do well to recall what his cousin Raj Thackeray had said in the past on the matter. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray had said in October 2014 in Mumbai politicians from the state have never been serious about finding a solution to the dispute and the issue has always been used for politics. The MNS chief had recalled that when MEK members had met him a few years ago, he had said he was prepared, if required, to meet the then Karnataka chief minister to discuss the issue and demand that there should not be injustice on Marathi speaking people living in Belgaum and nearby areas. On 30 December, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had accused Uddhav Thackeray of raking up the Belagavi issue again for political gains and declared that 'not even an inch of land' would be given away. Egyptians learn ceramic painting in Shanghai By:Zheng Qian | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-01-02 17:54 Officials from the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, as well as experts and scholars from the countrys cultural industry attended a ceramic art course at the Shanghai Urban Construction Vocational College recently. The course is one part of a three-week seminar initiated by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce for the Egyptians, which covers how cultural industries and traditional handicraft skills can be passed on to the young. To let the Egyptian friends from afar feel the difference between ceramics and paper painting, the lecturer Shi Hongwei, a senior craft artist, especially arranged a course themed on the procedure of coloring in ceramics production. The reason it is necessary for us to master these processes in ceramics production is that we should understand ancient art and inherit traditional culture, and at the same time repair ancient damaged cultural relics. To this day, ceramic works production can be mechanized on a large scale, but handmade works are still irreplaceable. " Heidiel Muzmeer, a PhD majored in animation and graphic design in Helwan University, is among those experiencing the Chinese ceramics. Due to her past experience in the restoration of some cultural relics in Egypt, such as blankets and other handmade textiles, she was especially impressed with the lecture about bronzeware given on the first day and this course on ceramics painting. In her painting, there were Chinese elements like the ladies of the Tang Dynasty and bamboo. Muzmeer said that the reason to draw a Chinese painting is to bring the Chinese culture back to Egypt and this painting was a good souvenir of her time here. DERBY A man wanted in Pennsylvania on bomb-making charges is scheduled to return there next month after he was arrested in Shelton on New Years Eve. Carl Roberts, 26, waived extradition during an appearance in Superior Court Thursday before Judge Peter McShane, who set bond for Roberts at $250,000 and continued the case to Feb. 4. On that date, Roberts will likely be turned over to Pennsylvania authorities, who have obtained warrants charging him with two counts each of unlawful possession or manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction, risking catastrophe and recklessly endangering another person. Those charges relate to a Dec. 10 incident in Franklin, Pa. during which officers recovered two explosive devices during while executing a search warrant for drugs, according to Sugarcreek Borough police. The explosives were recovered by the State Police Bomb Unit and moved to a safe location. While trying to render the larger device safe, it exploded, causing a large shockwave, as well as a loud explosion, according to police. They said an investigation identified Roberts as the bomb-maker. Cops said they also found a bag with the larger device containing several razor blades, nails, and other pieces of metal whose sole purpose would have been to be used as shrapnel with the explosive devices. Roberts has been wanted since last month. In a prepared statement, Shelton Police Detective Christopher Nugent said cops received a tip that Roberts was staying in the city. On Tuesday afternoon, they went to a home whose owner allowed them to search the residence, according to a police report. They found Roberts in a first-floor bedroom and arrested him without incident, charging him with being a fugitive from justice. In court Thursday, Roberts waived extradition, which will allow him to be turned over to Pennsylvania cops at his court appearance next month, per state law. Nugent said Derby cops and police from Sugarcreek Borough assisted with Roberts arrest Tuesday. google china Aly Song/Reuters Google's former head of international relations, Ross LaJeunesse, says he was effectively pushed out last April after 11 years with the company after raising human rights concerns. LaJeunesse told The Washington Post that he left because he spent two years pressuring Google to implement a comprehensive human rights policy while the company was pushing into China. "I didn't change. Google changed," he told The Washington Post. LaJeunesse said he wasn't fired from Google, but left voluntarily after a reorganization in February eliminated his role at the company. The company confirmed that and insisted that it treats human rights seriously. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Google's former head of international relations said he spent the last two years pressuring the company to adopt a comprehensive human rights policy as it pushed into new markets in China. But in April, after 11 years at Google, he was pushed out of the company, he said. "I didn't change. Google changed," Ross LaJeunesse, the former executive, told The Washington Post in an interview published Thursday morning. According to LaJeunesse, he was forced out of the company after he requested formal human rights policies while the company pushed into China a country that Google has struggled to gain a foothold in for years, and a country with an appalling human rights record. It was this tension, he said, that eventually led to his exit. In his post-Google life, LaJeunesse is running for US Senate in Maine. Ross LaJeunesse Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images LaJeunesse wasn't fired from Google. He said, and the company confirmed to Business Insider, that he left voluntarily after a reorganization in February eliminated his role at the company. Though he was offered a separate job as foreign policy institutions leader, he instead chose to leave the company without signing a non-disclosure agreement so that he could speak openly about his experience. Story continues "Each time I recommended a Human Rights Program, senior executives came up with an excuse to say no," LaJeunesse wrote in a blog post published on Medium on Thursday morning. LaJeunesse said he renewed his push for a definitive human rights policy within Google in 2017, as the company prepared to launch a new, censored version of its search engine in China known internally as Project Dragonfly. "As someone who had consistently advocated for a human rights-based approach, I was being sidelined from the on-going conversations on whether to launch Dragonfly. I then realized that the company had never intended to incorporate human rights principles into its business and product decisions," he wrote. The project's intent was to finally launch a version of Google's ubiquitous Search in the country a version of Google Search that would block certain search terms, including "human rights." Google notoriously pulled out of China in 2010 after discovering an attempted hack by the Chinese government into Google's servers. "We have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists," then SVP of corporate development and chief legal officer David Drummond wrote in January 2010. But in subsequent years, Google repeatedly flirted with re-entering the lucrative Chinese market. Project Dragonfly, the company's latest attempt, was lambasted by Google employees who joined with Amnesty International to protest the censored version of Google Search launching in China. sundar pichai google ceo congress hearing Alex Wong/Getty Images Dragonfly was eventually shut down, and Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, told Congress in late 2018, "Right now, there are no plans to launch a search service in China." It's unclear if plans are currently in the works for a future launch. For its part, Google has a different take on what happened. "We have an unwavering commitment to supporting human rights organizations and efforts. That commitment is unrelated to and unaffected by the reorganization of our policy team, which was widely reported and which impacted many members of the team," Google representative Jenn Kaiser said in a statement provided to Business Insider. "Ross was offered a new position at the exact same level and compensation, which he declined to accept. We wish Ross all the best with his political ambitions." Beyond his other allegations, LaJeunesse accused senior Google staff of bullying and screaming at younger female staffers. He accused the company of ignoring his reports about workplace culture, and said he faced discrimination directly himself. "The entire policy team was separated into various rooms and told to participate in a 'diversity exercise,'" he wrote. LaJeunesse, who is gay, said that he was put, "in a group labeled 'homos' while participants shouted out stereotypes such as 'effeminate' and 'promiscuous.' Moreover, LaJeunesse said, "Colleagues of color were forced to join groups called 'Asians' and 'Brown people' in other rooms nearby." Google's statement didn't address these allegations. Read the original article on Business Insider The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) officially revealed the new identity and logo in light of Manama being selected as the Capital of Arab Tourism for 2020 during New Years Eve celebratory event organised by the BTEA. The selection of Manama as the Capital of Arab Tourism for 2020 was announced during the 22nd session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism, which was held at Al Ahsa in Saudi Arabia. The new Manama logo includes intertwined triangles that combine the prominent elements and iconic landmarks carefully chosen to signify the various elements that embody Bahrain, this includes the kingdoms flag, a sail symbolising the country's ancient maritime history, and the Bahrain World Trade Centre (WTC), representing its modern day presence and prosperous future. The colours were similarly chosen to reflect the themes, with the colour red representing the kingdom, the colour yellow symbolizing the sand, and the colour blue representing the WTC. BTEA said it will soon be launching a calendar of events and annual festivals with a renewed theme, which will be hosted throughout the year in line with Manama being named as the Capital of Arab Tourism for 2020. It aims to attract a larger number of visitors from inside and outside the kingdom through the diverse offerings that appeal to audiences of different ages and interests. Commenting on the occasion, CEO Nader Al Moayyed said: "We are delighted to have launched the new identity and logo of Manama Capital of Arab Tourism for 2020 during this joyous occasion." "The Arab markets have immense potential for further growth and development and in the upcoming period, BTEA will dedicate its efforts to put an integrated calendar under the umbrella of this title as we aim to attract tourists from neighbouring countries thereby further developing the tourism sector and increasing its contribution to the national economy," he added. BTEA will continue to develop unique tourism projects in line with its long-term strategy that focuses on four pillars - awareness, attraction, access and accommodation; this includes improving the overall accessibility of Bahrain besides attracting exhibitions and conferences in larger numbers, enhancing the quality of services in the tourism and hospitality sectors, and finally strengthening the position of the kingdom as an ideal tourist destination for international tourists, with a special focus on families. "We aim to strengthen and develop intra-tourism between the Arab and international countries and its people through promoting the uniqueness of Bahrain with both its rich historical offerings and modern city life," noted Al Moayyed. "We also strive to increase tourism numbers and expect to attract 12.2 million visitors in 2020, an equivalent increase of 5 per cent," he stated. "In addition, we seek to increase the total number of nights spent by tourists by 15.8 million nights, an equivalent increase of 15% compared to 2019, as well as increase the average length of stay to 3.5 nights per tourist, an equivalent increase of 3% compared to 2019," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Advertisement The first wave of hundreds of U.S. Army paratroopers from a rapid reaction force has deployed to Kuwait in response to the assault on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad by pro-Iran militiamen, with thousands more soldiers on alert for snap deployment. On Wednesday at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division boarded C-17 Globemaster aircraft transports bound for Kuwait. The official account for the 82nd Airborne, America's Division tweeted on Wednesday: 'Early this morning more than 650 All American Paratroopers and equipment began their deployment to the @CENTCOM (U.S. Central Command) area of operations. 'This is why we exist. Your @Strike_Hold (1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division) Paratroopers have trained and prepared for events like these. @OIRSpox (spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve), they are on the way.' Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Wednesday after two days of clashes with American security forces, but U.S.-Iran tensions remain high and could spill over into further violence. 'At the direction of the Commander in Chief, I have authorized the deployment of an infantry battalion from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) of the 82nd Airborne Division to the U.S. Central Command area of operations in response to recent events in Iraq,' Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper said in a statement. The first contingent of a paratroop infantry battalion from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division bound for Kuwait receive a briefing as they prepare to leave Fort Bragg, North Carolina on Wednesday U.S. Army paratroopers of an immediate reaction force wait to board their C-17 transport aircraft to leave Fort Bragg Paratroopers help one another prepare for their deployment aboard a C-17 transport aircraft leaving Fort Bragg Supporters and members of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force gather during a demonstration outside the US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Wednesday. They marched unimpeded through the checkpoints of the usually high-security Green Zone to the embassy gates, where they broke through a reception area, chanting 'Death to America' and scribbling pro-Iran graffiti on the walls 'Approximately 750 soldiers will deploy to the region immediately, and additional forces from the IRF are prepared to deploy over the next several days,' Esper said. 'This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today. The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world,' he continued. On Tuesday, some 6,000 pro-Iran Shiite militia fighters stormed U.S. embassy in Baghdad, set walls ablaze and chanted 'Death to America!' in a violent retaliation for American air strikes. There were no reports of American casualties, and the attack was repelled after 100 Marines rapidly reinforced the compound. The attack on the embassy also prompted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a European and Central Asian trip. Pompeo called the attack an act of 'state-sponsored terrorism' in an interview with CBS News, and President Donald Trump vowed that the Iranian government will be held 'fully responsible' for the attack. Pompeo said in a statement that the attack was 'orchestrated by terrorists' and 'abetted by Iranian proxies', tweeting pictures that he said showed US-designated terrorists with Iranian ties outside the embassy. A paratrooper takes a moment to reflect before deploying as part of an immediate reaction force from Fort Bragg A paratrooper puts on her helmet shortly before boarding her C-17 transport aircraft leaving Fort Bragg, North Carolina Paratroopers secure their gear and weapons as they prepare to deploy from Fort Bragg on Wednesday U.S. Army paratroopers of an immediate reaction force from the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, prepare to board a C-17 transport aircraft leaving Fort Bragg A member of the immediate reaction force reflects before the deployment to Kuwait as US-Iran tensions rise Supporters of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force hold placards depicting trampled US symbols reading in Arabic 'Welcome' during a protest outside the US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Wednesday In an orchestrated assault, hundreds of militiamen and their supporters broke into the embassy compound, destroying a reception area, smashing windows and spraying graffiti on walls to protest U.S. airstrikes against an Iran-backed militia over the weekend that killed 25 fighters. The U.S. blamed the militia for a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base in the northern city of Kirkuk last week that killed a U.S. contractor. The protesters set up a tent camp overnight and on Wednesday set fire to the reception area and hurled stones at U.S. Marines guarding the compound, who responded with tear gas. There were no injuries on either side and no American staff were evacuated from the compound. The Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of state-allied militias - many backed by Iran - called on its supporters to withdraw in response to an appeal by the Iraqi government, saying 'your message has been received.' By late afternoon the tents had been taken down and the protesters relocated to the opposite side of the Tigris River, outside the so-called Green Zone housing government offices and foreign embassies. U.S. Apache helicopters circled overhead. 'After achieving the intended aim, we pulled out from this place triumphantly,' said Fadhil al-Gezzi, a militia supporter. 'We rubbed America's nose in the dirt.' Trump has vowed to exact a 'big price' for an attack he blamed squarely on Iran. Army paratroopers march out to their C-17 transport aircraft as they leave Fort Bragg, North Carolina on Wednesday Paratroopers deploy to Kuwait from Pope Army Airfield near Fort Bragg in North Carolina on January 1, 2020 The soldiers were activated and deployed to the Middle East in response to recent events in Iraq Airmen assigned to 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group conducting loading operations on C-17 Globemaster III aircraft Kataeb Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia targeted by the U.S. airstrikes, initially refused to leave but later bowed to demands to disperse. The militia is separate from the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, though both are backed by Iran. 'We dont care about these planes that are flying over the heads of the picketers. Neither do we care about the news that America will bring Marines,' said Mohammed Mohy, a spokesman for Kataeb Hezbollah. 'On the contrary, this shows a psychological defeat and a big mental breakdown that the American administration is suffering from,' he said, before withdrawing from the area. The violence came as Iran and its allies across the region have faced unprecedented mass protests in recent months and heavy U.S. sanctions have cratered Iran's economy. Iraq has been gripped by anti-government protests since October fueled by anger at widespread corruption and economic mismanagement, as well as Iran's heavy influence over the country's affairs. Those protesters were not involved in the embassy attack. The Pentagon sent an infantry battalion of about 750 soldiers to the Middle East. A U.S. official familiar with the decision said they would go to Kuwait. Pompeo postponed a trip that was scheduled to start in Ukraine late Thursday so that he can monitor developments in Iraq and 'ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East,' said State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus. Iran denied involvement in the attack on the embassy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted by media as saying that 'if the Islamic Republic makes a decision to confront any country, it will do it directly.' 750 soldiers will deploy to the region immediately, and additional forces are prepared to deploy over the next several days U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, deploy from Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina on January 1, 2020 Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Wednesday after two days of clashes Iran later summoned the Swiss charge d'affaires, who represents American interests in Tehran, to protest what it said was war-mongering by U.S. officials. Public consular operations at the embassy were suspended and future appointments cancelled, it said in a statement. Tensions have steadily risen since Trump withdrew the U.S. from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and embarked on a campaign of maximum pressure through economic sanctions. Iran has responded by abandoning some of its commitments under the deal. U.S. officials have blamed Iran for the sabotage of oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and a drone attack on Saudi oil facilities in September that caused a spike in world oil prices. But the Trump administration has not responded with direct military action, apparently fearing a wider conflict. The U.S. has sent more than 14,000 additional troops to the Gulf region since May in response to concerns about Iranian aggression. At the time of the attack, the U.S. had about 5,200 troops in Iraq, mainly to train Iraqi forces and help them combat Islamic State extremists. The U.S. and Iran have vied for influence over Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Iran has close ties to Iraq's Shiite majority and major political factions, and its influence has steadily grown since then. President Donald Trump vowed that the Iranian government will be held 'fully responsible' for the attack U.S. Army paratroopers of an immediate reaction force from the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, line up to board their C-17 transport aircraft as they leave Fort Bragg Paratroopers board a C-17 Globemaster III at Pope Air Field on a deployment to Kuwait on Wednesday The first wave of hundreds of U.S. Army paratroopers from a rapid reaction force has deployed to Kuwait Iran helped to mobilize tens of thousands of mostly Shiite militiamen to battle the Islamic State group when it stormed across northern and western Iraq in 2014 as the armed forces collapsed. The U.S. and Iran both provided vital aid to Iraqi forces, who eventually declared victory over the extremists in December 2017. The political influence of the Popular Mobilization Forces has risen in recent years, and their allies dominate the parliament and the government. That has made them the target of the anti-government protesters, who have attacked Iranian diplomatic missions and the local headquarters of parties affiliated with the militias across southern Iraq. They have also set up a sprawling protest camp in central Baghdad, and for weeks have been trying to enter the Green Zone. Iraqi security forces have beaten them back with tear gas and live ammunition, killing hundreds. The militiamen and their supporters, however, were able to quickly enter the Green Zone and mass in front of the embassy, with little if any resistance from authorities. Iraq's government vehemently condemned the airstrikes on the militia, saying it violated national sovereignty. But Iran and its allies might have also seen the attack as a way of diverting attention from the anti-government protests. 'Iran has been trying to provoke the U.S. into helping it solve its Iraq problem,' said the Crisis Group, an international think tank. 'The Trump administration, by responding to the attacks in Kirkuk and elsewhere with airstrikes, has obliged.' ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday said he will propose banning the sale of untraceable "ghost gun" components in New York to individuals who can't legally possess a firearm. The governor's proposal, the 18th that he has announced in advance of next week's State of the State address, would also limit the sale of major gun components to licensed gun dealers. New York has the strongest gun safety protections in the nation, but every day dangerous people seek to find new ways around them, Cuomo said. This common-sense measure would ban these untraceable guns and require anyone who wants to build their own firearm to come out of the shadows once and for all." The Times Union last September reported how some law enforcement agencies across the state have begun seizing the guns which are 80 percent finished to avoid federal regulations that mail-order companies send to online customers across the country. Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said his office has more than 20 criminal cases involving the home-assembled firearms. Other Democratic New York lawmakers in September also said they would seek to enact legislation to stem the flow of the untraceable guns. Cuomo is calling for legislation that would require those purchasing firearm parts to have the same eligibility requirements as they would need for a completed firearm, and that all major parts receive a serial number. He is also proposing to ban individuals from obtaining major components of a firearm, rifle or shotgun online, though they could be shipped to a licensed gun dealer where they would be picked up in person. The proposal would also prohibit individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm, rifle or shotgun from owning a major gun component, creating misdemeanor and felony offenses for those who violate that measure. Very few states, including New York, have laws specifically prohibiting the purchase, possession or sale of ghost guns. State Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, has already sponsored a bill that would make it a felony for anyone other than a licensed gunsmith to assemble a firearm. Law enforcement officials have said a ghost gun market that enables anyone to order gun parts online and assemble a weapon a right protected under federal law has undermined the provisions of the state's 2013 SAFE Act gun control law. The SAFE Act was rushed through the Legislature by Cuomo a month after the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre, and included provisions banning the sale or transfer of automatic weapons and calling for the creation of a system to track ammunition sales, although that provision was never implemented by State Police. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. There are bills pending in Congress to regulate ghost guns, but none have made it to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. One bill would make it "unlawful for any person other than a licensed manufacturer or importer to possess a ghost gun ... with the intent to sell or transfer the ghost gun or to manufacture a firearm with the ghost gun." Thousands of kits used to build the guns are being sold annually across the nation by online mail-order companies, which exploit a loophole in federal and state gun control laws by providing "unfinished" hardware with the drill bits and instructions including video tutorials needed to make a fully functioning firearm. Although law enforcement officials in Albany region said they have not encountered many ghost guns, last year in the Syracuse area police agencies seized 15 ghost guns between July 18 and the end of December including 10 semiautomatic handguns, three semiautomatic rifles, and an illegally modified fully automatic rifle. This year, those agencies have recovered an additional six ghost guns, five of which were semiautomatic handguns, according to data provided a week ago by the Onondaga County district attorney's office. They have been dubbed ghost guns because the self-manufactured weapons have no serial numbers and are unregistered. Their owners often lack the proper state permits or have not undergone the federal background check needed to legally possess them. And in many instances, they are being illegally resold to convicted felons. Once the gun kits are assembled to make a firearm, they are subject to state laws governing registration and permitted ownership. CLEVELAND, Ohio A suburban Columbus man said in a lawsuit that a Cleveland police detectives shoddy work led to his arrest in a domestic dispute, even though the man never met the victim or visited Cleveland. Leon Burroughs, 25, of Hilliard, was wanted after the victim contacted police in May about the incident, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court on Dec. 27. The lawsuit does not name the victim or the man she accused of burglarizing her home, though it says she gave the identity of the man to responding officers. When domestic violence unit detective Lisa Mielnik received the file, she obtained a warrant for Burroughs arrest though she did not work to verify that Burroughs was in fact the aggressor, according to the suit. Burroughs attorney explained during a June 13 arraignment hearing in Cleveland Municipal Court that his client had no connection to Cleveland or the victim. The judge dismissed the case as a result of the mistaken identity, the suit states. The lawsuit seeks an unspecific amount in damages. Mielnik failed to pursue readily available information regarding the identity of the perpetrator, and recklessly disregarded the truth relating to the perpetrators identity as well as Burroughs innocence, the suit states. A spokeswoman for the police department declined comment. The female victim told police that she and the father of her children, who stayed at her Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority apartment, had an argument and the man left. He returned and banged on the door but the woman would not let him in, so he broke a window in a bedroom, entered, grabbed his belongings and left, according to the lawsuit. Mielnik never interviewed the woman or confirmed with her the mans identity. She instead searched a database with a name that sounded similar to the one provided in the womans initial report and turned up Burroughs, the lawsuit states. She did not make any other effort to verify that Burroughs was the man at the apartment but instead obtained a warrant for Burroughs arrest, which was issued on June 3 on an aggravated burglary charge, the lawsuit says. A few days later, Burroughs received mailed solicitations from criminal defense lawyers that said a warrant for his arrest was issued. He thought they were a scam but found out he was wanted by police, which terrified him, according to the lawsuit. He rode a bus to Cleveland on June 11 and hired an attorney, the suit says. He then surrendered to Cleveland police and was held in jail for 36 hours before his hearing in front of a judge. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko. If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Thursdays crime and courts comments section. Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 10:11AM At this year's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple is reportedly gearing up to introduce a premium gaming-optimized MacBook or iMac. Taiwan's Economic Daily News didn't go into detail about what the machine could be, but it suggested that the gadget will cost up to $5,000. The device will also supposedly be aimed at esports players or those in the competitive video gaming field. The report must still be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism as the publication has a mixed record of getting rumours right. Apple holds WWDC every June, so there's still a lot of time until then. Source: MacRumors Thai retailers kicked off 2020 with a ban on single-use plastic bags, joining the battle against throwaway carriers in the Southeast Asian nation where citizens go through an average of eight every day. The move, taken on Wednesday by several major mall operators and the ubiquitous 7/11 convenience stores, will see customers instead paying a small fee for a reusable bag made of a cloth-like fabric. Thailand is one of the largest contributors to ocean pollution, with plastic bags recently turning up in the stomachs of dead marine mammals like dugongs and green turtles and prompting national soul-searching. A government campaign to eliminate their use by 2022 has seen television channels pixelating plastic bags onscreen -- alongside other no-gos like nudity, smoking cigarettes, alcohol use and violent crime. While Greenpeace's Pichmol Rugrod said the move by the retailers was a good start, she added it was "not enough to solve the plastic crisis." "We should stop the 'throw-away' culture in Thailand," she said. The country will continue to produce plastic packaging and lacks a proper waste management policy, she added, while reusable bags are typically made out of a fabric spun from micro-plastic. "Micro-plastic will then create another problem... it affects the environment in terms of when it's in the soil because it has chemicals," she said. And some shoppers like Viroj Sinchairokekul were unimpressed at having to pay for the new bags. "Instead, I will go to the local markets because they still give us plastic bags," the 63-year-old said, at a Bangkok mall. The European Commission estimates some 70 percent of plastic waste clogs the world's oceans, killing a range of species from turtles, seals, whales and seabirds to fish and shellfish. Malawi banned the production, distribution and import of single-use plastics in 2015, and last November Slovakia banned single-use plastics from 2021. The move by major retailers in Thailand will see customers instead paying a small fee for a reusable bag made of a cloth-like fabric Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals (GNVFC) has received a demand notice from the telecom department for payment of outstanding dues worth Rs 15,019 crore by January 23, 2020. The dues pertain to financial years from 2005-06 to 2018-19 in connection with VSAT and ISP licences held by the company, it said. The outstanding includes interest amount as well. The company said it is seeking expert legal advice in the matter to decide future course of action. "The company is presently examining the said demand notice and judgement of the Supreme Court by seeking expert legal advice in the matter," GNVFC said in a BSE filing. Based on the legal advice, the company will decide the future course of actions on the issue, it added. The fertiliser firm informed that it has "received a demand notice from the Office of Controller of Communication Accounts, DoT, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, Gujarat Telecom Circle, Ahmedabad...directing the company to deposit the total outstanding amount of Rs 15019,97,48,444 (inclusive of interest amount) before January 23, 2020, in respect of financial years from 2005-06 to 2018-19 in connection with VSAT & ISP Licenses held by the company". The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has also sought Rs 1.72 lakh crore in past statutory dues from state-owned gas utility GAIL India following the Supreme Court's AGR (Adjusted Gross Revenue) ruling in October. The DoT had sent a letter to GAIL seeking Rs 1,72,655 crore in dues on IP-1 and IP-2 licences as well as Internet Service Provider (ISP) licence. In response, GAIL has told the DoT that it owes nothing more than what it has already paid to the government. Besides GAIL, the DoT is also seeking Rs 1.25 lakh crore from PowerGrid which had both a national long-distance as well as an internet licence. PowerGrid says it has an AGR of Rs 3,566 crore since 2006-07 and after adding penalty it comes to Rs 22,168 crore. After sending out notices to firms such as GAIL, the DoT has said any relief to non-telecom companies from payment of enhanced levies can come only from the Supreme Court. The DoT is currently "examining" the replies given by the state-owned non-telecom firms on the AGR dues, a senior official had recently told PTI. Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and other telecom companies owe the government nearly Rs 1.47 lakh crore in past statutory dues. These AGR liabilities arose after the apex court in October last year upheld the government's position on including revenue from non-telecommunication businesses for calculating the annual AGR of telecom companies, a share of which is paid as licence and spectrum fees to the exchequer. The apex court allowed three months to the affected companies to cough up the amounts due to the government. The DoT has meanwhile made it clear that the AGR order will apply to all licencees, including companies such as GAIL, RailTel, and PowerGrid. As things stand today, such players, despite a smaller telecom exposure, may have to pay liabilities computed on their entire revenue. Non-telcos, such as ISPs, had argued that the DoT has unnecessarily imposed the order on ISPs, many of which are run by entrepreneurs in smaller cities and towns. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RTE has announced that Marian Finucane passed away suddenly today, at home. Ms Finucane joined the national broadcaster in 1974, where she worked initially as a continuity announcer before becoming a programme presenter. The 69-year-old won a number of awards for her work, including the Radio Journalist of the Year award in 1988. Ms Finucane and her partner of more than 30 years John Clarke exchanged wedding vows in January 2015. The couple had two children together; a son Jack and a daughter Sinead. Eight-year-old Sinead died in 1990 after she developed leukaemia. Ms Finucane was the original presenter of RTE Radio 1's Live Line programme before she moved to a slot vacated by Gay Byrne in 1999. In 2005, the show moved to weekends. Marian Finucane receives the Outstanding Achievement PPI radio Award in 2008. Pic: Photocall Ireland President Michael D Higgins said it is with great sadness that her learnt of her death, saying Ireland has lost "a deeply respected, trusted and much-loved broadcaster". President Higgins said: "A superb professional, many will remember the wisdom and sensitivity with which Marian Finucane dealt with discussions and confrontations between different voices on what were controversial issues of the day. She was one of the very early exemplars to those who sought a proper representation of women in broadcasting. "There will be many, in every part of Irish life, who will miss Marians voice, but of course her loss is felt most acutely by her family and friends. "To her husband John, her son Jack and to all the members of her extended family and wide circle of friends and colleagues Sabina and I express our deepest sympathies. The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said he was "stunned and deeply saddened" to hear of Ms Finucane's death. He said: "She was a true broadcasting legend who reshaped current affairs radio in Ireland. Ireland will miss her voice. Weekend mornings will never be quite the same again. "I spent many hours in the studio with Marian. She was thorough, courteous and professional. Im very sad to think that we wont hear her voice again on the radio. "The deepest sympathies of the Irish Government to her family, friends and colleagues." Ive always loved this archive footage of Marian Finucane, interviewed aged 19 in 1970. #RIP pic.twitter.com/vdcgHSwy0t Hugo Mills (@HugoMills) January 2, 2020 RTE presenter Joe Duffy said he was shocked at the news. He said: "She was always supportive, much at times to my own bafflement, you'd get a phone call from Marian or you'd meet her in the corridor and she'd listen to Live Line every single day because she believed she had to listen to radio every day for a week when she was doing her weekend programme. "It's a terrible, terrible shocking loss on the second day of 2020, it really is." Minister for Culture, Josepha Madigan, paid tribute to Ms Finuncane, saying: I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Marian Finucane. "We have lost another of our most cherished broadcasters. Marian was a strong, inspirational and always thought-provoking journalist." Former RTE broadcaster Pat Kenny paid tribute to Mrs Finucane. Speaking on Newstalk's Hard Shoulder, he said: "My reaction is total shock... I just found it very, very hard to comprehend that Marian was no longer with us. "She and I worked hand-in-glove over many years. If [people] think of one thing about Marian, it was her warmth with the guests - whether they were the mighty or the unknown, Marian had a way of making them all feel very much at home. "The listener felt, I think, that Marian was asking the question that they wanted answered... her skill was to contrive a question and be surprised at an answer she already knew... sometimes she was just genuinely curious to get an answer from a guest. "The warmth, the curiosity, the intelligence of Marian Finucane is what people will most recall and cherish." Picture: Jason Clarke Dee Forbes, Director General RTE, said: We learned today of the sudden passing of Marian Finucane with profound shock and sadness. "Marian was a broadcaster of immense capability; a household name, she was first and foremost a tenacious journalist with a zeal for breaking new ground. "From Women Today to Liveline to her weekday radio show on Radio 1 and, latterly, her enormously popular Saturday and Sunday radio programme, she tackled the big social issues of the day with command and insight. "Multi-skilled, she forged a distinguished career on television, as well as undertaking significant charity work in Africa. Ireland has lost a unique voice. RTE has lost a beloved colleague. My sincere and heartfelt sympathies to her husband John and son Jack. She had many landmark interviews, among them a searing interview with author Nuala O'Faolain shortly before her death in 2008, in which O'Faolain talked about her experience of facing death. You can listen back to this interview here. Moya Doherty, Chair of RTE, said: It is with the deepest shock and sadness that I heard the news of Marian Finucane. "Marian was a pioneer in womens broadcasting and was rightly renowned for her fearless yet human interview technique. "Many who work in broadcasting today, male and female, owe her a great debt. RTE has lost another great champion and another great talent, but we are the richer for having known and heard her work. Jim Jennings, Director of Content, RTE, said: The work and legacy of Marian Finucane is without parallel in Irish broadcasting. With the committed team on Women Today she tackled issues that were largely uncovered and unspoken. Marian and her partner of more than 30 years John Clarke "On Liveline she templated a phone discussion format uniquely suited to Irish audiences. An award-winning documentary maker, she was an interviewer of profound sensitivity and insight. "As presenter of RTE Radio 1s flagship weekend morning programme, she had the pulse of the nation. It is with great sadness that we mourn this loss to Irish journalism, and to all her colleagues in RTE. But our immediate thoughts are with her family today, at this time of great shock and mourning. Tom McGuire, Head of RTE Radio 1, said: Marian Finucane was a defining voice for RTE Radio 1, and for the nation. "Her work on Liveline was without parallel, where she merged an unsurpassed journalistic vigour with a flair for debate and discussion unmatched among her peers. "As the voice of weekends, she parsed the stories of the day, tackling big interviews with ease and insight. Her loss is a deep shock to all of us, and our thoughts are with Marians family at this time. Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy has said a deal to restore power-sharing "can be done in the short term". Mr Murphy was speaking following the first roundtable discussion between the parties since the Christmas break. Northern Ireland has been with a functioning government for almost three years. An Irish Language Act, reform of the petition of concern mechanism and dealing with the legacy of the Troubles are among the main sticking points in negotiations. Read More Secretary of State Julian Smith has warned that, if there is no agreement by January 13, he will be compelled to call a fresh Assembly election. Expand Close DUP leader Arlene Foster and party colleagues meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House. Credit: Jonathan Porter / Press Eye / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp DUP leader Arlene Foster and party colleagues meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House. Credit: Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Conor Murphy said the discussion lasted just 30-45 minutes, but that his party sees no need to draw the talks out until the January 13 deadline. Expand Close Anti-Irish Language Act protesters outside Stormont. Credit: Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker Press / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anti-Irish Language Act protesters outside Stormont. Credit: Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker Press Talks to restore a devolved government in Northern Ireland have resumed today at Stormont House. pic.twitter.com/1sSOEZxpgp Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) January 2, 2020 "We had an opportunity to meet with both governments and with the other parties in an attempt to pick up where we left off, and hopefully in a very short period of time bring to a successful conclusion these talks," he said. Expand Close Sinn Feins vice president Michelle O''Neill and party colleague Conor Murphy meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House. Credit: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Feins vice president Michelle O''Neill and party colleague Conor Murphy meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House. Credit: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye "For our part, our objective has always been to deliver to restore credible sustainable functioning institutions which deliver for everyone, which have sufficient resources to deliver our public services and are based on genuine power-sharing on the principles of the Good Friday Agreement, equality, respect and parity of esteem. Expand Close SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and party colleagues meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House. Credit: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and party colleagues meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House. Credit: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye "We think agreement can be reached in short order, we don't see any need to run this down to the wire to January 13 in some kind of dramatic way. "The issues that we are dealing with are all well rehearsed, what we need now is political will to get down to resolving very very quickly and that is going to be our focus in the next day or two." Mr Murphy outlined some of the issues where agreement remains to be reached. "There are a number of issues that need to be talked out, there are obvious ones around language provision, the petition of concern and its usage, but there are also issues this afternoon which will be talked out around programme for government, financial resources available to any new Executive," he said. Expand Close Alliance MP Stephen Farry and a party colleague meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House. Credit: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Alliance MP Stephen Farry and a party colleague meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House. Credit: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye The DUP and Sinn Fein held separate meetings with Julian Smith, before a roundtable with the other Stormont parties and the Irish Government. On Thursday morning, DUP leader Arlene Foster said she is hopeful negotiations will be successful. "I very much believe, from my own personal faith and through my own political life, that it is important to have hope, and I do have hope for these negotiations," she told the BBC. "Hope for the people of Northern Ireland, because they all want to see government returned." Mrs Foster also said that political parties "should not fear" the prospect of an election, but she questioned what a fresh election would achieve. Expand Close Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken and party colleagues meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House. Credit: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken and party colleagues meet with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House. Credit: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye A number of protesters stating their opposition to an Irish Language Act being included in any potential deal set up camp outside Stormont. Unite Unionists spokesman John Ross claimed such an act would be used to "further destabilise Northern Ireland", insisting Irish language speakers are already "well funded and catered for". "We have no difficulties with people wanting to speak Irish if that is their wish, but what we have difficulties with is if it is enshrined in law with an Irish language commissioner then we're aware, as the Good Friday Agreement was abused, it will be abused by Sinn Fein," he said. Negotiations were paused over Christmas, after the DUP were accused of standing in the way of a deal. On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs Ministers Simon Coveney called for a "new beginning" for politics in Northern Ireland and urged "leadership and generosity" from all sides. Smoke billows during bushfires in Buchan, a town in the east Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, on Dec. 30, 2019. (Glen Morey/Social Media/via Reuters) Bushfire Evacuation Ordered in Australian State of Victoria, 2 Dead The eastern area of Victoria, Australia is now a state of disaster as deadly bushfires continue to burn with conditions expected to worsen. The unprecedented disaster declaration was made by Premier Daniel Andrews late on Thursday night, while also confirming a second death in the East Gippsland fires. We dont make any judgements about people who are staying to defend their property but, the most important thing here, if advice is provided to you to get out of your community because you cannot be kept safe, I would urge every Victorian and those visiting to heed that advice, Andrews said on ABC News on Friday. East of the state and the northeast of the state are in for a very difficult few days off the back of significant fire activity this last week or so and the only thing to do, if you can leave you must leave. About 50 fires are burning across Victoria, mostly in East Gippsland and the northeast. More than 780,000 hectares are burnt, 17 people are still missing and dozens of structures have been destroyed. A second mans body was found in the fire zone at a property at Maramingo Creek, near Genoa. It is believed the man suffered a medical episode while fighting the fires, Victoria police said in a statement. It follows family of Buchan man Mick Roberts finding his body at his home also on Wednesday. The declaration entails powers introduced in the aftermath of devastating 2009 Black Saturday blazes which have never been used before, including compelling people to evacuate. Areas covered by the declaration, which has been made for seven days, are East Gippsland Shire, Mansfield Shire, Wellington Shire, Wangaratta Rural Shire, Towong Shire and Alpine Shire. Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and the Mount Stirling Alpine Resorts are also covered. Residents of those areas have been told they should leave, with temperatures set to creep up on Friday before exceeding 40C in some areas on Saturday as winds pick up. Authorities have declared a total fire ban on Friday across East Gippsland and the Wimmera, North East and South West regions. An evacuation alert was issued for Biggara, Tintaldra, Towong, Towong Upper, Walwa and surrounding communities on Friday morning. The fire there, straddling the border with NSW, has burnt more than 121,600 hectares. None of the blazes are currently burning above the watch and act level, the second-highest bushfire alert. Emergency Management Commissioner for Victoria Andrew Crisp said while the disaster declaration allows authorities to compel people to leave, they wont be arresting anyone who stays. He said the threat is not just from existing fires, but new ones starting on Friday. As we saw with Mallacoota, that wasnt one of our existing fires and it quickly blocked the highway, he said. This is your opportunity to get out. The military has been providing relief and resources for fire victims across East Gippsland and will help evacuate about 1000 people from Mallacoota from Friday morning. A group of 39 firefighters and two liaison officers from the United States also arrived on Thursday to help respond to the Victorian situation. Another 71 firefighters, 61 from the United States and another 10 from Canada, are expected to arrive next week. By Kaitlyn Offer (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. is discussing secondary listings with Chinese technology companies including Trip.com Group Ltd. and Netease Inc. after Alibaba raised $13 billion in its 2019 share offering in the city, according to people familiar with the matter. Bourse officials have held follow-up talks with the two U.S.-listed firms about the possibility of a secondary share sale, the people said, requesting not to be named because the matter is private. The discussions are preliminary and subject to change, they added. Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. has said its seeing a spike in inquiries about secondary listings from Chinese firms. The interest comes at a time when U.S. scrutiny of Chinese companies has intensified. A decision to proceed would see Chinas biggest online travel service provider and second-biggest gaming company -- with a combined market value of about $60 billion -- follow in the footsteps of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., which last year pulled off the financial hubs largest equity offering since 2010. Hong Kong Exchanges shares rose 2.9% Thursday, their biggest gain in nearly four months. Trip.com, known also as Ctrip, climbed 10.2% to mark its biggest rise since March. And Netease stock surged 7.2%, the most since August, helped by a rally in Chinese technology stocks listed in New York. Read more: China Tech Inc. Straps in for Turbulence After a Wild 2019 Ctrip and the Hong Kong exchange declined to comment in emailed statements. A Netease representative had no comment when contacted. Alibabas share sale marked a triumph for Asias largest stock exchange operator, which has lost many of Chinas brightest technology stars to U.S. rivals. The citys bourse introduced new rules to allow dual-class shares after initially resisting such a change, a move that had prompted Alibabas decision to debut in New York in 2014. More secondary listings from technology companies would bolster the Hong Kong exchange, which posted its worst profit drop in almost three years in the September quarter. The financial hub has also been shaken by months of anti-government protests, casting uncertainty over its 2020 prospects. Story continues Total fundraising from Hong Kong initial public offerings will drop by as much as 27% in 2020 to HK$230 billion ($29.5 billion), PwC estimated on Thursday. About 180 companies may debut, with more new economy enterprises to seek listings thanks to rule reforms. More U.S.-listed Chinese concept stocks will come back to Hong Kong in 2020, Benson Wong, a partner at PwC, said at a press briefing in Hong Kong. That trend will persist beyond next year, though it will be harder to see offerings on Alibabas scale, he added. Why Now, and Why Hong Kong, for Alibabas Share Sale?: QuickTake A secondary offering in Hong Kong would help Chinese tech companies hedge their risks as U.S. tensions simmer. The Donald Trump administration is stepping up scrutiny against Chinese technology players beyond Huawei Technologies Co. Lawmakers have called for curbs on U.S. pension fund investments in the countrys companies. It could also help raise capital to tide them over an economic slowdown and increasing competitive pressure in 2020. Ctrip in particular has about $700 million worth of convertible bonds due in July. Its shares are trading at about $33.50, 38% below the agreed convertible price of $54, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. New tech debutantes like Alibaba will get a boost if theyre added to the benchmark Hang Seng Index and a stock connect program that allows mainland investors to buy shares in Hong Kong. Hang Seng Indexes Co. plans a consultation in the first quarter to discuss a raft of issues, including whether firms with weighted voting rights, like Alibaba, should be eligible for the HSI. Members of the stock connect program require reviews by the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the stock market watchdog. Read more: Alibabas Hong Kong Rally Is At Risk From Three Misconceptions (Updates with Ctrip and Netease gains in the fourth paragraph) --With assistance from Kiuyan Wong and Zheping Huang. To contact the reporter on this story: Lulu Yilun Chen in Hong Kong at ychen447@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Candice Zachariahs at czachariahs2@bloomberg.net, Edwin Chan For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2020 Bloomberg L.P. ESSEX, - Shoreline chef and restauranteur Jack Flaws is pleased to announce the grand opening of Black Jax Saloon, a chophouse and barbecue restaurant at 78 Main Street in the heart of Centerbrook in Essex, according to a release. Menu options range from barbecue brisket, sandwiches, and slow-smoked wings to 40-ounce porterhouse steaks for two, tomahawk rib chops for two, prime rib and pork loin cut at your tableside, and stuffies - Flaws big baked stuffed potatoes with a variety of filling options. Several different starters, salads, sides, and even ramen and rice bowls are also available, as well as some delicious desserts, including the gingerbread ice cream sandwich and freshly baked apple pizza. Flaws owns the successful and well-reviewed Jack Rabbits Burgers, Wings and Things, and The Rabbit Hole Tavern in Old Saybrook, and previously owned Jacks Saybrook Steak and Jacks American Bistro, also in Old Saybrook, according to the release. I am excited to open my new restaurant, Black Jax Saloon, which will be simple and casual, and serve the best chophouse classics and barbecue in the region, said Flaws in the release. I had the concept for the restaurant several years ago and have been looking for the perfect location since then. I found that in downtown Centerbrook and I think Black Jax will soon be a shoreline favorite. Flaws gutted the former kitchen of the building and reconfigured it to fit a smoker and a broiler, which will be the centerpiece for much of the menu choices. He says he will also take advantage of the greenhouse behind the restaurant to organically and sustainably grow more than 300 pepper plants that will be used by the restaurant, including jalapeno, habanero, Scotch bonnet, ghost pepper, Mad Hatter, and Carolina Reaper. Each table will feature four different kinds of barbecue sauce: Carolina, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Memphis hot sauce. Everything on the menu is fresh and done in-house, and I cross-utilized the menu options where I could, even using some of my famous Jack Rabbits sauces to create my new barbecue sauces, Flaws said in the release. In addition to the peppers, my greenhouse will also grow herbs and flowers for the restaurant. Black Jax Saloon is opened from 11 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/BlackJaxSaloon/ Kindergarten registration dates set for Region 17 KILLINGWORTH Regional School District 17 will be holding kindergarten registration on Jan. 8, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Jan. 9, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at both elementary schools. Children do not need to be present at the time of registration. Parents are asked to bring each child's birth certificate and two proofs of residency at the time of registration. Acceptable forms of residency include deed or current mortgage bill as well as the following: homeowners policy, rental agreement, bank statement or a current pay stub. Parent orientation and school visitation dates will be provided at registration. Children entering kindergarten must be five years old on or before Jan. 1, 2021. For additional details, contact Killingworth Elementary School, Dennis Reed, Principal, 860-663-1121; or Burr District Elementary School, Brienne Whidden, Principal, 860-345-4584 Region 13 sets kindergarten visitation, registration Parents of children living in Durham and Middlefield who will be five (5) years old on or before Jan. 1, 2021 must register to attend kindergarten in the fall of 2020 or apply for a waiver of attendance. In Regional School District 13, children may attend kindergarten at Brewster School or John Lyman School. Parents or guardians will need to choose the appropriate school for the child prior to kindergarten registration. For the 2020-21 school year, Brewster School will house students in grades PK-2. John Lyman School currently serves students in grades K-4. While both schools adhere to the same curriculum and utilize similar assessments, the best way to learn about Brewster and Lyman is to visit each school. Visiting helps you to get the true flavor of what makes each school unique and to make an informed decision about which school is best for your child. Parents may visit the schools from Jan. 6-31, to observe classes and to discuss any specific questions or concerns. Visits are designed for adults and must be scheduled ahead of time. Appointments to visit can be made by calling the individual schools. Contact John Lyman School at 860-349-7240 or Brewster School at 860-349-7227 to schedule a visit. According to RSD13 Board of Education policy, the school decision must be made by Feb. 1. Any child not registered by that date may not be able to attend the school chosen by his or her parents(s). When the time comes, please contact the main office of the school where you wish to register. The school will then send you information and instructions for registration. Registration must be completed in accordance with published timelines to guarantee your childs place in the school that you selected. Residents are asked to hare this information with others who have children eligible for kindergarten in the fall of 2020. Any parent of an eligible kindergarten child who wishes to hold his/her child out of school for another year must sign a form at the Office of the Superintendent of Schools. Crews pulled a body out of Buffalo Bayou Thursday morning in downtown Houston, police said. Officers were called to the bayou near Main Street on the north side of downtown around 10 a.m. after someone spotted a body in the water, police said. Houston firefighters deployed special boats to recover the body. The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education on Wednesday, January 1, allegedly asked a Pakistani Hindu refugee to provide eligibility certificate to appear for the board examination of 12th standard. The examination is scheduled later this year. The refugee, identified as Dami Kohli, had come to India from Sindh in Pakistan two years ago due to religious prosecution. Currently, she is living in Aanganwa refugee camp in Rajasthan and is studying science in a local school. Kohli demands 'Right to Education' According to the refugee, she has given all the required proof and demanded her right to education. She said, "I took admission in the school in 2018. I studied there for the whole year and passed the 11th standard. I have my marksheet as well. Only one month is left for the board exams and the school has given me a notice stating that I will not be allowed to appear for the examination." Read: Rajasthan minister cycles to office to observe 'No Vehicle Day' Activist Hindu Singh Sodha stated that the girl had completed her 10th standard from the Pakistan Board. However, she moved to India due to religious persecution. "I am really shocked to see that the Board has returned her form," he said, adding that he couldn't understand what specific formalities they needed. Read: 8 Pakistani refugees granted Indian citizenship by Rajasthan government State Education Minister writes to Pakistan embassy The State Education Minister, Govind Singh Dotasara stated that the Pakistani Hindu refugee will be allowed to appear for the board examination "even if the government changes the rules." He further added that they have written a letter to the Pakistan Embassy seeking information about their syllabus. They will further compare both the syllabuses. He said, "If we get a positive response from them, we will definitely allow her. Even if we get a negative response from them, we will change rules and will allow her." Read: MDMK Chief Vaiko calls out AIADMK govt for arresting journos who interviewed SL refugees Read: Pakistan: UN experts urge HC to clear convicted Junaid Hafeez of blasphemy charges (WITH ANI INPUTS) The BJP government in Gujarat will bring a resolution in the upcoming one-day Assembly session of the state legislature on January 10 to extend its support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), a state minister said on Thursday. The new citizenship law seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees who came to India before December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. However, the controversial legislation has sparked protests across the country. A one-day session of the Gujarat Assembly has been convened on January 10 to approve a Constitutional amendment recently passed by both the Houses of Parliament to give a 10 -year extension to reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. "To extend our support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government's decision about the CAA, a resolution supporting the new law will be brought during the Assembly session," Pradeepsinh Jadeja, Gujarat's Minister of State for Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs, said in Gandhinagar on Thursday. "This law is a historic step towards granting citizenship rights to the minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh," he added. The one-day session of the Assembly has been called by the Gujarat government to approve the 'Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019', which was passed by the Parliament a month back, Jadeja said. "It is mandatory that at least 50 per cent of the state Assemblies in the country approve this Constitutional amendment. Only then it will be sent for President's assent. We have, therefore, called this session on January 10 to approve it," the minister said. Since it is the first Assembly session of the new year, Governor Acharya Devvrat would inaugurate the session with his address, followed by a resolution to thank him for the speech, Jadeja said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo by Clarke Conde Judson Frondorf is something of a reluctant sage. That is to say that it is not a role he has sought, but as we enter what will undoubtedly be a turbulent new decade, he has a grounding perspective that reminds us of what making art can be about. Prolific in what was once seen as underground art in the 80s and 90s, Frondorf stepped back for a while, placing his artistic life in a part-time role. Now retired from a job at APS, he is back at it full time with renewed passion and a part in a group show opening this Friday at Matrix Fine Art in Nob Hill. Weekly Alibi sat down with Frondorf to talk about whats old, whats new and what he has in store for his new show. The following is an edited version of that conversation. You've been around a while. What's new? Albuquerque is consistently interesting and always has been. I've never been bored here. Whether it's some kind of little political issue or some interesting art opening or good bands coming to town. I wish there were more venues. I wish there'd be more experimental underground stuff going on. There was a lot more of that going on in the 80s and 90s. Now I might, because of my age, be out of touch with what university students are doing, but perusing the galleries and calendars and the Alibi and websites I just don't see anything really challenging happening in art or music. Again, I might be prejudiced because I come from a time when it was pretty rich. The matching question would be what's old? What's old is the politics of art and art galleries. There seems to be a kind of stature or levels of people that get any kind of notice or shows. It was hard for us to get this show at the Matrix. We're not landscape artists. We're not portrait artists per se. We're not that kind of sellable stuff. It's got kind of a heritage stain over it where they just want it to be Territorial looking adobesque pottery because that makes money and that sells and you can put it in a gift shop. The politics of the gallery world in New Mexico is old. I wish it would get younger. What don't the kids get these days? In school they don't get a liberal arts education. The art departments in high schools have to really fight for everything they want. The concept of liberal arts is seen to be a waste of time, at least by the upper echelons in New Mexico education. The kids are missing out on a broad, deep education because it's so much about college prep these days. It's a shame. Do you think you were born at an opportune time for being an artist? I wouldn't want to be born at a different time. I think this was perfect for me in many senses. Now it's like people's ideas of perfection changed. When I was in college, I wondered about how you would accomplish something like that because I thought being rich and famous would give me freedom. As I forgot about that, I became much more comfortable. Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose? It's true. Tell me about the show. Its 10 artists. The name of the show is 100 Fingers. Everybody's kept all their digits over the years? Otherwise it would have been 99 Fingers. I've clipped my thumb several times on a circular saw, but I still got it. Most of us, not all of us, but most of us met in the late 80s. Some of us were in art school. Some of us were just part of what we called the underground arts scene here: comic artists, zine artists, musicians, performance artists. Mark Woody, who put all this stuff together, said, let's do a show based on the premise of collaborative paintings as a problem, as a project. So, 10 artists did six collaborative paintings with two or more artists (working) on each painting. We're all putting in an individual work (as well). I was given a canvas with three rough grids. I picked whatever grid I wanted, did whatever image I wanted to do. There was no theme in terms of content. I did my little illustration and then I gave it to the second artist. They either used what I put in there as an inspiration or they ignored it completely. If you're the third person, you (are) going to either make it a cohesive whole or completely absent from whatever that content is. In the end, it is pretty interesting. It's like that campfire story game. Or what we called exquisite corpse. After a romantic Christmas getaway in the winter wonderland at the Mammoth Mountain ski resort in California, the crowd-favourite love birds Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas celebrated New Year at another ethereal and enchanting location. The Jonas Brothers rang in the New Year on stage with their wives in Miami and enjoyed champagne and kisses at midnight. ALSO READ: Priyanka Slams Govt Over Plight Of Varanasi Toddler Priyanka Chopra Jonas ring in New Years Eve with a love-filled post The couple who had a grand wedding in December 2018 shared a series of sweet memories to their Instagram accounts on Sunday. They have seen relaxing together in the tropical weather of the Bahamas. Their picture shows a glimpse of them being completely in love and enjoying life to the fullest as they welcome 2020 with open arms. ALSO READ: Ekta Kapoor Reveals She Had Offered 'Naagin' To Katrina Kaif And Priyanka Chopra The picture posted by the much-loved couple shows them looking away into the sunset on a boat ride. In the picture, the Sucker can be seen holding a drink in one hand and his ladylove PeeCee in the other. Later, Priyanka also dropped in a romantic caption for the lovely picture, saying: "Life as it should be." Earlier, the couple celebrated Christmas together with some members of Priyanka's family. During their vacay, Nick gifted his ladylove a snowmobile for Christmas, and it is safe to say he checked her wish list. Jonas later uploaded a few photos to his own Instagram as well, one featuring his wife on her new motor sled, and another with him joining in on the fun. On the work front, the Quantico actor was last seen in Shonali Bose's film The Sky is Pink. The movie also featured Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, and Rohit Saraf. She will be next seen in Netflixs adaptation of Aravind Adiga's novel The White Tiger and Robert Rodriguez's superhero film We Can Be Heroes. It has been reported that a series based on the life of Madhuri Dixit produced by Priyanka is also in the talks. ALSO READ: Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra & Anushka Sharma's Love For Sabyasachi Jewellery ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra, Irrfan Khan, And Other Bollywood Actors Who Made It Big In Hollywood Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. The U.S. Army has banned the popular social media app TikTok on government-owned devices. Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Robin Ochoa told Military.com the Chinese-owned app is considered a cyber threat. We do not allow it on government phones, Ochoa added. In December, the Army advised soldiers to stop using TikTok. The Navy had previously issued similar guidance in the wake of Congressional questioning related to how the company was using and storing data. A Department of Defense message released Dec. 16 said TikTok, which allows users to share short videos, could present potential security risks associated with its use. Be wary of applications you download, monitor your phones for unusual and unsolicited texts etc., and delete them immediately and uninstall TikTok to circumvent any exposure of personal information, the guidance added. Ochoa said the Army cannot ban use of TikTok on personal phones but has recommended service members use caution if they receive unfamiliar text messages. Britains economy is likely to stagnate this year amid a slowdown in the services sector, according to two business surveys published on Thursday. Little or no improvement in economic growth is expected this year as chronically weak productivity persists and Britains post-Brexit trading relationship with the European Union remains unknown, the Financial Times reported, citing its annual survey of 85 leading economists. More than one-third of the economists forecast that GDP growth will be no better than in 2019, which looks likely to be the worst year in a decade, the newspaper said. A British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) survey of business managers found protracted weakness across most indicators of economic health in the last quarter of 2019. All key indicators worsened in the service sector, which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of Britains economic output, the BCC said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to get Brexit done by January 31 and negotiate Britains new trading relationship with the EU by the end of this year. Many analysts have warned that Mr Johnsons goal is almost impossible, fuelling fears that Britain could still leave the bloc without new arrangements in place, in a no deal Brexit. The markets have already woken up to the fact that the risk of a no-deal cliffhanger is still with us, Yael Selfin, the chief economist at KPMG in Britain, told the FT. The cloud of uncertainty will keep business investment at bay for a large part of this year, Ms Selfin said. (dpa/NAN) Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen said yesterday the island would not accept a "one country, two systems" political formula which Beijing has suggested could be used to unify the democratic island, saying such an arrangement had failed in Hong Kong. China claims Taiwan as its territory, to be brought under Beijing's control by force if necessary. Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name. Ms Tsai, seeking re-election in a January 11 vote, also vowed to defend Taiwan's sovereignty, saying her government would build a mechanism to safeguard freedom and democracy as Beijing ramps up pressure on the island. Fear of China has become a major element in the campaign, boosted by months of anti-government protests in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong. "Hong Kong people have showed us that 'one country, two systems' is definitely not feasible," Ms Tsai said, referring to the political arrangement that guaranteed certain freedoms in the former British colony of Hong Kong after it was returned to China in 1997. "Under 'one country, two systems', the situation continues to deteriorate in Hong Kong. The credibility of 'one country, two systems' has been sullied by the government's abuse of power," she said. Hong Kong has been hit by months of anti-government protests triggered by widespread resentment of perceived efforts by Beijing to exert control of the city despite the promises of autonomy. Taiwan's parliament passed an anti-infiltration law on Tuesday to combat perceived threats from China, further straining ties with Beijing. Dozens of Afghan Forces Killed in New Taliban Attacks By Ayaz Gul January 01, 2020 Officials in Afghanistan said Wednesday Taliban insurgents have killed at least 28 pro-government forces in overnight attacks in the country's north. Despite harsh weather conditions, the Taliban has staged almost daily battlefield attacks in Afghanistan's northern and northeastern provinces over the past week, killing some 100 Afghan forces and injuring many more. An Afghan official requesting anonymity told VOA that a security outpost in Dasht-e-Archi district of northern Kunduz province came under a major insurgent attack that left 13 pro-government forces dead. A provincial member council, Fawzai Eftali, while speaking to VOA, confirmed the casualties inflicted on Afghan forces, saying the attack also left several personnel injured. Another 15 security personnel were killed in the neighboring Balkh and Takhar provinces, said police commanders and government spokesmen there. Chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in statements sent to reporters, claimed a total of 50 government forces were killed in the overnight attacks across the three provinces, though the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. For its part, the Afghan Defense Ministry also claimed Wednesday its forces have killed dozens of Taliban "terrorists" in airstrikes and ground operations across different provinces. It was not possible to ascertain the veracity of those claims from independent sources. The United States, which is backing the Afghan government in its battle with the Taliban, has been trying to find a negotiated settlement to the 18-year-old war with the insurgent group, but the dialogue process has suffered setbacks lately due to continued violence. The latest disruption came two weeks ago when the Taliban launched a suicide bombing-and-shooting raid in the largest U.S. military base of Bagram, north of the Afghan capital, Kabul. Washington halted the talks, demanding the Taliban commit to a temporary cease-fire before the peace process could be resumed and a deal signed between the two adversaries. But the Taliban on Monday announced it has "no intention" to cease hostilities, though it admitted the insurgent leadership is looking into a U.S. request for reducing the scale of Taliban battlefield operations. The insurgent group reiterated that it would discuss a nation-wide cease-fire and future governing system in the country in Taliban-Afghan negotiations when they begin. But those talks cannot take place unless an agreement is concluded on the withdrawal of all U.S. and allied troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban stressed in its statement. The relentless conflict in Afghanistan is also taking an appalling toll on civilians. The United Nations earlier this week reported that more than 100,000 Afghan civilians have been killed or injured in the last ten years alone. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Amritsar/Chandigarh, Jan 2 : Akali leader Gurdeep Singh, who is believed to be close to former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia, was gunned down by unidentified assailants in his home village in Amritsar district on Wednesday night, police said on Thursday. His wife is sarpanch of Umarpura village. Singh, who suffered eight gunshot injuries, was returning from a gurdwara when he was attacked. Police have filed a case against gangster Harmanjit Singh, his father Nirmal Singh and three others. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has demanded a CBI inquiry into the political murder by the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang and said since the Director General of Police is helpless in taking action against the minister-gangster nexus, it would hold dharnas as well as approach courts to ensure justice for the victim. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Majithia said the political assassination of Gurdeep Singh was a direct result of threats being issued to him warning of dangerous consequences if he did not stop speaking against the minister-gangster nexus. "A message has been sent to me that my close political associates will be targeted if I do not stop speaking for justice for former Akali sarpanch Dalbir Dhilwan who was also murdered in the same way like Gurdeep Singh," he told the media. Majithia, who was accompanied by former minister Daljit Singh Cheema, said he had already approached DGP Dinkar Gupta, seeking action against the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang in November but immediately afterwards the gangster was given a clean chit by an Inspector General-level officer. Stating that he would not be deterred from his goal of exposing those like Jails Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa, who is "patronising gangsters like Jaggu Bhagwanpuria", said: "We will expose this nexus and will not allow the state police to indulge in a clean chit operation." In 2019, Washington, D.C. had its highest number of homicides in a decade. The Washington Post, quoting unnamed city authorities, attributes the spike to a proliferation of the use of firearms to resolve disputes. This proliferation wasnt confined to Washington. In neighboring Prince Georges County, Maryland, homicides increased by 20 percent. Nearby Baltimore, where murder has been on the upsurge since its police force was demonized by the left and the Obama Justice Department, set an all-time record for homicides per capita. New York City, where the homicide number hit a half-century low just six years ago, showed an increase in 2019. What kinds of disputes are increasingly being resolved by the use of firearms? The Post cites battles over turf. The paper is too delicate to acknowledge the relationship between these turf battles and drug dealing. To do so would undercut the mantra of leftists and many libertarians that drug dealing is inherently non-violent. The closest the Post comes to acknowledging the relationship between drug dealing and homicide is a quote from D.C.s embattled police chief Peter Newsham. He says that many of the citys homicide victims are living very high-risk life styles. Hes not talking about sky diving. After one homicide, Newsham was heard to say that he didnt see an end to the spree of shootings any time soon. He later attributed this moment of candor to the emotional toll of visiting so many homicide scenes in such a short time. Newsham followed up with another moment of candor. He noted that the city is not appropriately dealing with [repeat offenders] when we get them the first time. This is the under-incarceration problem that we have discussed many times on Power Line. The problem, then, probably isnt so much an increase in the propensity of bad people to use guns to resolve disputes. Rather, its an increase in the number of bad people who are on the street and therefore able to use guns. Apologists for lenient criminal justice policies told the Post that we shouldnt be alarmed. They noted that homicide rates are nowhere near the levels of 30 years ago. But those were the levels that prompted the tough criminal sentencing policies that helped produce the drastic reduction in homicide rates. Predictably, the retreat from those policies seems to be producing an increase in homicides. In other words, leftists and some libertarians are using the fruits of tough sentencing policies, coupled with proactive policing policies, to downplay the spike in homicides that the retreat from these policies seems to be producing. The sky-high homicide rates of the 1980s were associated with the crack cocaine epidemic, as one of the Posts sources acknowledges. So, again, we see the relationship between drug dealing and crime. Yet, leftists and many libertarians want leniency for drug dealers and seek relief, in particular, for dealers of crack, claiming that traffickers in this drug have been singled out for race-based reasons. And why not? Turf wars over drug dealing arent occurring in their neighborhoods. Neither are the resulting homicides. Kolkata: In the last few days, in protest against the CAA in Bangladesh, Bangladesh has withdrawn the decision to shut down the mobile network in the border areas adjoining India, citing security reasons. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) had on Sunday directed the closure of two thousand bases (2000) transceiver stations. At the same time, one crore people of 32 districts were affected. Pakistan angry at Army Chief's statement, says "All are false..." According to information received from the sources, this instruction of the government came after the Parliament of India passed the CAA. The government has not given any reason for withdrawing the decision. Jahrul Haque, Chairman of BTRC confirmed the government's decision to lift the ban. Officials sent an email to mobile operators on Wednesday morning asking them to resume services. Today, PM Modi will inaugurate 5 DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory in Karnataka At the same time, it is being said that due to the ongoing protests in India, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said on 22 December 2019 that India's current situation could also affect its neighbors. For information, let us tell you that after the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act in the Indian Parliament, the Bangladeshi government had given this instruction to telecommunications operators. Fadnavis targets Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, accused of betrayal Museum director David Ham said the history exhibits are meant to be purely factual and that the staff steers clear of political conversations such as about the border wall with the roughly 18,000 annual visitors. (The fraternal order doesnt have a formal policy about whether museum staff can talk about politics with visitors, but it does have policies for its own website, which asks that posters keep remarks nonpolitical.) We get political questions all the time, but our parent organization is a fraternal organization, and they dont discuss politics, Ham said. We present our history, but what the current strategies are we have no control over that. New Delhi [India], Jan 2 (ANI): In a major crackdown against illegal activities, eight persons were apprehended in seven separate incidents on Wednesday and illegal materials like pistols, cartridges, and illicit liquor were seized from their possession, Delhi Police said on Thursday. The accused have been identified as Pappu, Mohammed Afjal, Rinku, Aatish Saxena, Narender, Munni Devi, Sunil and Sanju. According to the police, as many as three pistols, five cartridges, 3,300 quarters of illicit liquor and a vehicle were seized from them while they were transporting illicit liquor on January 1. The patrolling and raids were conducted under the ROKO-TOKO scheme of the Delhi Police, the police said in a statement. The police said that a patrolling team nabbed Pappu after receiving a tip-off and an automatic pistol along with two live cartridges were seized from his possession. "An evening patrolling team apprehended Mohammed Afjal, who has been previously involved in two other cases, and recovered one loaded country-made pistol from his possession," the police said. The other accused, Rinku was apprehended after the Narcotics cell of Outer North District along with beat staff carried out a joint raid and seized as many as four boxes (200 quarters) of liquor from his possession. "A team of Bhalswa Dairy Police Station apprehended Aatish Saxena during the patrolling and recovered a country-made pistol and one live cartridge from him," the police said. Another suspected liquor smuggler, Narender was arrested for carrying 60 cartons (3,000 quarters) of illicit liquor and his vehicle was seized by the police. "A bootlegger, Munni Devi (name changed) was apprehended when the beat staff have been tasked to keep close watch over habitual offenders. The accused was carrying 2 cartons (100 quarters) of illicit liquor," the police said. (ANI) The United States has released a list of members of its presidential delegation to the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, amid speculation as to whether President Donald Trump would attend the annual event in Davos later this month. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is listed as the leader of the delegation in the statement from the White House. In spite of the absence of Mr Trumps name on the release, the U.S. media, including CNN, said that Mr Trump was in fact expected to go, citing unnamed officials. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are among the members of the group to travel to Switzerland. Mr Trump did not attend last years event due to a government shutdown in Washington, and there has been speculation as to whether he could skip this years forum due to impeachment proceedings in Washington. The forum, to mark its 50th annual meeting on January 21 24, would gather world leaders to discuss policymaking. A major topic on the agenda is climate change. (dpa/NAN) Temptation is more dangerous to the soul than demonic possession, exorcist says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Possession is not the "most common" or "dangerous" aspect of the demonic realm but temptation is, according to an exorcist ordained and trained by the Catholic Church. When many consider demonic possession, images come to mind from films such as "The Exorcist" and other examples from popular culture. Yet, the greater way the devil works is through temptation to commit evil, said Father Francois Dermine, a priest who has been an exorcist for more than 25 years, in a recent interview with Catholic News Agency. The most common manifestation of the demonic is temptation, which is much more significant than possession, Dermine said. We must not undervalue the significance of temptation. Its not as spectacular as possession, but its far more dangerous [to the soul], he added. The Dominican priest cautioned against thinking that every physical ailment is rooted in demonic oppression since most cases can be attributed to natural causes. When a person comes and asks for a blessing for a specific problem, the first thing an exorcist must ask is, did you see the doctor? the priest said. Dermine is a French Canadian and presently serves in the Italian archdiocese of Ancona-Osimo. He believes that it's a mistake to confuse preternatural phenomena like demonic activity with supernatural charisms, which come from God. Its a very important difference, he said. We have a human nature and cannot know things without learning through our senses. God created us to operate in a certain way. If you have extra-sensorial perceptions, and things like this, and they are not meant to help or to provoke a spiritual result, then they cannot come from God. The ministry of deliverance from demonic spirits is not specifically listed as one of the spiritual graces in the New Testament in the same way that gifts of healing, discernment of spirits, tongues, and the interpretation of those tongues are, in passages like 1 Corinthians 12 and 14. Jesus' earthly ministry consisted of driving out unclean spirits on several occasions and at times His disciples were known to do so as well. In the Gospel of Mark 9, Jesus ministered to a boy who would be seized by a demonic spirit and thrown to the ground. When the disciples could not cast the spirit out, He told them: "This kind can come out only by prayer." In Acts 5, it is recorded that the apostles healed many who were sick and tormented by demons. Some evangelicals stress the importance of distinguishing between possession and oppression, arguing that it's impossible for a sincere believer in Jesus Christ to be possessed by a demonic spirit because possession implies ownership. "While believers will engage in spiritual warfare and will be oppressed, they cannot be possessed by the demonic forces," the position papers on spiritual warfare for the Assemblies of God denomination note. "Great care must be taken not to confuse emotional and mental illnesses with demonic activity. While the demonic activity may mimic the behavior exhibited in mental illness, to assert that they are the same can bring harm to individuals, preventing them from receiving the medical care needed. The wise counsel of godly doctors, counselors, and psychologists can be of assistance in discerning the actual condition. The powerful and all-wise Holy Spirit provides discernment and wisdom to those who minister to humans facing this severe challenge," it reads. Earlier this year, the Roman Catholic Church opened up its exorcism courses to all major Christian denominations amid increased demand for deliverance ministers. Expelling the devil goes back to the earliest origins of the Christian Church, said Father Pedro Barrajon, one of the organizers of the 14th edition of the Course on Exorcism and Prayer of Liberation, in an interview with The Telegraph back in May. The Catholic rite is very structured, whereas some of the other churches are more creative, they don't use a precise format. Bangladesh's paramilitary force chief said on Thursday that a total of 445 Bangladeshi nationals returned from India in last two months following the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) by the Indian government. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Maj Gen Md Shafeenul Islam disclosed the figure during a press briefing here. "About 1,000 people were arrested in 2019 for illegal border crossings from India to Bangladesh, with 445 of them returning home in November and December," he said. Read: Twelve Bangladeshis arrested for illegal stay in Palghar After verifying their identities through local representatives, BGB came to know that all the intruders are Bangladeshis, Islam said, adding that 253 cases were lodged against them for illegal trespass, while initial investigations found that at least three of them were human traffickers. The BGB Director said the trespassing did not create any tension between the border forces of Bangladesh and India. Last week, Islam visited India where he said that the creation of the NRC is completely an "internal affair" of India and the cooperation between the border guarding forces of the two countries is very good. He said the BGB will continue to do its work of preventing illegal border crossings as per its mandate. A BGB delegation, led by Islam, was on a bilateral visit to India to hold DG-level border talks with its counterparts, the Border Security Force (BSF). The talks took place from December 26-29, during which a host of issues related to cross-border smuggling and activities of criminals and others along the 4,096-km-long front were discussed. Responding to a question, Islam said, "No discussion was held at the conference over the (NRC) issue". He said during the five-day talks held in New Delhi, the BGB demanded that the BSF should take effective steps to prevent killings of Bangladeshis on frontiers as casualty figures sharply rose in 2019. Read: 'Made clear to Bangladesh- NRC an internal affair, CAA-NRC not connected': India "The number of border killings in 2019 was highest in the last four years. As per our calculation, the number of such unexpected deaths was 35," the BGB chief said. However, the BSF estimate of the casualty figure is much lower than our calculation, he said. Islam said the BSF is following the policy of maintaining maximum restraint and minimal use of force even after being attacked by "armed border offenders". A statement issued by the BSF last month in New Delhi after the conclusion of the DG-level talks said, "On the concern of the BGB regarding the death of Bangladeshi nationals on borders, it was informed to them that a non-lethal weapon policy is strictly followed by BSF personnel on borders. "Firing is resorted to only in self-defence, when BSF patrols are gheraoed and attacked by dah' (a sharp-edged weapon) etc. It was specified that the BSF does not discriminate between criminals based on nationality," it said. PTI [January 02, 2020] Veterans Affairs Canada launches online consultations on the design guidelines for the National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan OTTAWA, Jan. 2, 2020 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of having a special place to honour the more than 40,000 Canadians in uniformas well as the hundreds of civilians and government officialswho served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014. The National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan will recognize the commitment and sacrifice of Canadians who served in Afghanistan, and the support provided to them at home. To create a Monument that is meaningful to all Canadians, and as part of the next phase in the planning and construction of the National Monument, Veterans Affairs Canada has launched an online consultation. Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, police service members, civilians and families of those who served in Afghanistan, as well as Indigenous groups and other Canadians are invited to provide their input on the Monument's design guidelines. The online consultation will be available from 2-20 January 2020. Feedback received will help inform the Monument design guidelines, which will ultimately guide design teams in developing their concepts. Later this year, public consultations on finalist teams' design concepts will take place prior to the selection and announcement of the winning Monument design. Quote "The National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan will recognize the commitment and sacrifice of Canadians who served in Afghanistan, as well as the support provided to them by Canadians at home. Your opinion matters. I invite all Canadians, and most specifically Veterans and their families, to share their thoughts on design considerations for the Monument. Your input will help us create a monument so future generations have an opportunity to learn more about Canada's Mission in Afghanistan." The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence Quick facts Canada joined the United Nations-mandated mission in Afghanistan in October 2001 and continued to support the multinational military efforts there until March 2014. Canada's commitment mobilized a whole-of-government mission, which included Canadian Armed Forces, police forces, public servants and civilians. joined the United Nations-mandated mission in in October 2001 and continued to support the multinational military efforts there until March 2014. commitment mobilized a whole-of-government mission, which included Canadian Armed Forces, police forces, public servants and civilians. During Canada's mission in Afghanistan, 158 Canadian Armed Forces members died, as well as seven Canadian civilians including a diplomat, four aid workers, a government contractor and a journalist. Thousands were left with physical and psychological injuries. mission in Afghanistan, 158 Canadian Armed Forces members died, as well as seven Canadian civilians including a diplomat, four aid workers, a government contractor and a journalist. Thousands were left with physical and psychological injuries. On June 20, 2019, the National Capital Commission Board of Directors granted Federal Land Use Approval of the proposed LeBreton Flats location in Ottawa for the National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan. Mission in Afghanistan. The site is located in Ottawa across the street from the Canadian War Museum on the east side of Booth Street, north of the National Holocaust Monument. The site is located in an area of high public visitation and can easily be made universally accessible. Associated Links Consultation National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan Mission in National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan Mission in Canada in Afghanistan SOURCE Veterans Affairs Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] You buy books. They sit on the shelf. You mean well. You want to read, but you can never find the time. That was me in 2018. I bought more than a dozen books and made it through half of one of them. My goal for 2019 was to read more, which is why I kicked off the Next Level Book Club for my team. Together, several of us committed to reading one book each monthmostly books we could learn from, books that would help us grow. Then, outside of our book club selections, I read a few other books just for fun. As I look back over the last twelve months, Im glad I did this. Each book we read helped our team achieve the goals we set in three areas last year: quality, consistency, and calm. And those books I read for fun? They helped me maintain the consistent discipline to create a reading habit, and they offered their fair share of lessons as well. If you have a goal to read more, make 2020 the year you do it. Heres a recap of the 11 books that our YMC team read in 2019. They punched us in the gut, helped us rethink our culture and leadership, and led to significant growth among our team members. Thats quite a combination! At this point, you might be saying, But I dont have time to read! I understand. Ive used that same excuse myself. My priorities changed when I replaced I dont have time with It isnt a priority. That small change put things in perspective. While it may feel counterproductive to take time away from checking tasks off a to-do list, investing the time to read and learn can offer incredible returns in the form of personal and professional growth. My team and I have seen it pay off big time in 2019. I hope it will do the same for you in 2020. Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., speaks about the new iPhone 11. Apple will start working again with British chip designer Imagination Technologies, years after dissolving its relationship with the firm. In a short statement Thursday, Imagination Technologies announced a "new multi-year license agreement under which Apple has access to a wider range of Imagination's intellectual property in exchange for license fees." The semiconductor company previously designed GPUs, which are graphics chips, for Apple's iPhones and iPads, but Apple decided to cut ties with the firm in 2017 to develop such processing units in-house. Whether this move was ultimately successful remains unclear. That news sent the once-listed firm's shares tumbling as much as 71%, due to concerns it would heavily impact its future. And it did. Imagination Technologies was subsequently sold to China-backed private equity buyer Canyon Bridge Capital Partners for 550 million ($727 million). A bank employee was arrested on Thursday on the charge of sexually abusing a minor girl at her house here, police said. Ramkumar, working in a nationalised bank, had entered the 14-year-old girl's house a couple of days ago when she was alone and sexually assaulted her, the police said. Also, he threatened her of dire consequences if she revealed the incident to anyone, they said. However, the ninth standard student narrated the incident to her mother who lodged a complaint, they said. A case has been registered under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual offences) Act and Ramkumar arrested, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Smiles for Everyone Foundation Volunteers Our promise of providing Smiles for Everyone extends far beyond just our paying patients, says Smile Brands Inc. CEO, Steven C. Bilt. The Smiles for Everyone Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization affiliated with Smile Brands Inc., is pleased to announce that in 2019, the organization donated $5 million worth of dental services for individuals in need across the United States and internationally. Nearly 8,000 individuals benefited from these services worldwide. During this record year, the Foundation hosted 27 domestic free dental clinics, led one large-scale International Outpost Trip and conducted 23 other outreaches at their Outposts in Cambodia, Ghana, Laos, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Thailand. The Foundations network of volunteers is comprised almost entirely of Smile Brands affiliated dental professionals and support staff. The impact of the Foundations events would not have been possible without the 1,200 volunteers who participated in SFEFs programs. Giving back is a key component of Smile Brands award-winning company culture. The company has been on the Glassdoor Best Places to Work list for the past three years and was named Employer of the Year by the American Business Awards in 2018 and 2019. Our promise of providing Smiles for Everyone extends far beyond just our paying patients, says Smile Brands Inc. CEO, Steven C. Bilt. The passion and dedication of our team members make it possible for the Foundation to provide Smiles for Everyone to those that need it the most. The Smiles for Everyone Foundations U.S. based free dental clinics, known as Days of Giving, were held at Smile Brands affiliated offices across the country. The Foundation partnered with local nonprofit organizations to identify patients for these clinics, ensuring that low-income, underinsured individuals were provided with the opportunity to access much-needed dental care that they otherwise would not be able to afford. In March, a team of Smile Brands affiliated volunteers also visited the Foundations Outposts in Thailand and Laos on a two-week service trip. On this trip, the team provided care to some of the most impoverished areas in the two countries, and conducted trainings for local dentists and dental staff to continue serving communities in need throughout the year. A huge thank you, especially for my wife, exclaimed patient Ed C. from the West Valley, Utah Day of Giving. She had been feeling pain for months, and it hurt me a lot because I couldnt afford treatment. Every time she cried, I cried with her, continued Ed. But now we will smile together. Since 2011, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation has provided care for over 26,000 individuals worldwide, donating over $19 million in dentistry. In 2020, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation plans to deliver more smiles around the world with the help of even more volunteers. They plan to host a Day of Giving nearly every weekend across the country as well as conduct multiple international trips, including launching a new International Outpost. For more information on the Smiles for Everyone Foundations programs, visit http://www.smilesforeveryone.org. About the Smiles For Everyone Foundation The Smiles for Everyone Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of delivering smiles for everyone by providing free dental care for those in need, both at home in the U.S. and around the world. Since 2011, the Smiles for Everyone Foundation has delivered over 26,000 smiles and $19 million in donated dentistry. The foundation currently supports programs which provide free dental care to those in need in Cambodia, Ghana, Laos, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Thailand and the United States. For more information or to make a donation, visit http://www.smilesforeveryone.org. About Smile Brands Inc. Based in Irvine California, Smile Brands Inc. is one of the largest providers of support services to dental groups in the United States. The culture-driven organization is the #1 ranked multi-location healthcare provider on Glassdoors 2019 Best Places to Work list. Smile Brands provides comprehensive business support services through exclusive long-term agreements with affiliate dental groups, so dentists can spend more time caring for their patients and less time on the administrative, marketing, and financial aspects of operating a dental practice. Smile Brands supports 440 Bright Now! Dental, Monarch Dental, Castle Dental, A+ Dental Care, OneSmile Dental, Johnson Family Dental, P3 Dental Group, and DecisionOne Dental Partners offices in 18 states, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit http://www.smilebrands.com. Contacts: Smile Brands Inc. Jody Martin PR@smilebrands.com 714.427.1299 Smiles for Everyone Foundation Crystal Strait crystal.strait@smilesforeveryone.org 714.824.5037 Amid ongoing violence in Syria's Idlib, UNICEF on Friday lamented about 1,40,000 children who have been displaced in the ongoing clash in the northwest part of the war-torn country. "Each day, nearly 4,500 children are forced to flee their homes, with many having been displaced multiple times already. At least 140,000 children have been displaced in the past three weeks alone because of heavy violence in and around Idlib in the northwest, said Henrietta Fore Executive Director of UNICEF in a statement. Last week, the United Nations had said that over 235,000 people fled the Idlib region in the last two weeks after Russia and Syria launched airstrikes in a bid to take over the last major opposition bastion. Since mid-December last year, Russia backed Syria government launched a fresh assault to capture the province. Syrian Bashar al-Assad regime, backed by Iran, has reportedly promised to take back the rebel-controlled area and broke a ceasefire that was announced in August. They have since December 19 seized dozens of towns and villages from armed fighters amid clashes that have killed hundreds on both sides. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of people, including many tourists, have been evacuating Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast as the situation worsens every minute. High temperatures and strong winds are predicted for the weekend, leading to "widespread extreme fire danger" in the southeastern Australian state of New South Wales. Amidst the chaos, some good Samaritans are lending a helping hand to the people dealing with the crisis, like this Indian couple who decided to offer free food. The owners of an Indian restaurant in Bairnsdale offered free food to firefighters and victims of the bushfires in the East Gippsland area. Kanwaljit Singh and his wife Kamaljit Kaur have lived in the area for six years now and they felt it was their responsibility to help those who were suffering. The restaurant says it can cook for up to 1000 people a day and has been stocking up on rice, flour and lentils, in this time of crisis. Its terrible out there. People are severely affected and they need food and shelter. Its our duty to serve them when they need us the most, Kanwaljit told media outlet SBS Punjabi. The military arrived in East Gippsland on Wednesday and Black Hawk helicopters are helping to get evacuees off of the Mallacoota beach. "Our focus today is we've got 4000 people in and around the beach there at Mallacoota and we're working with the (Australian Defence Force) and all the authorities, Victoria Police, SES, all the agencies are working together and our primary effort is to get those people out of Mallacoota," CFA chief officer Steve Warrington told ABC News.rs. Kanwaljit Singh and his wife Kamaljit Kaur own the Desi Grill in Bairnsdale in eastern Victoria where fires have destroyed homes. Last night had been very busy. We helped the volunteers with cooking rice, curries and pasta and the food was distributed in at least 500 takeaway contained." "We follow the Sikh way of life. We are just doing what other Australians are doing today, and that is to serve and pray for the people who have been hit hard by these terrible bushfires, the restaurant owner said. The volunteers from Sikh Volunteers Australia have been taking food trucks to various parts of Victoria and providing food in camps. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews visited volunteers to appreciate their help. This is the second such report of Sikh volunteers victims of the Bushfire. Just a few months ago a gurudwara served free food to firefighters. According to reports, the crisis has drawn attention to climate change, which scientists say is creating a longer and more intense bushfire season. David Warner posted an emotional message for Australians who are fighting the bushfires raging across the country, after coming across a picture on the Internet that shows a man sitting with a dog on a beach facing the devastating bushfires. Instagram/David Warner The blazes have also destroyed more than 1,000 homes and scorched more than three million hectares (7.4 million acres) -- an area bigger than Belgium, reports AFP. Conditions were also expected to deteriorate in worst-hit New South Wales, where 100 fires were burning including more than 40 uncontained. Sydney and other major cities have been shrouded in toxic bushfire smoke haze for weeks, forcing children to play indoors and causing professional sporting events to be cancelled. The BJP is being increasingly cornered by Nitish Kumar's JD(U) after the debacle in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, where the BJP saw its seats reduce from 37 to 25. In recent months, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has faced setbacks in the subsequent Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand close on the heels of an unprecedented mandate in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Among the reasons for these setbacks has been the saffron party's inability to get the right equation with its regional allies in the three states. The exit of the Shiv Sena, the BJP's oldest partner in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), after the Maharashtra polls in October is a lesson for the BJP in communication and compromise with its allies. The fallout and the ensuing political crisis that resulted in the BJP losing power in the state despite being the single largest party, is in sharp focus as it gears up for the Bihar Assembly polls later this year. After the debacle in Maharashtra and Jharkhand where the BJP saw its seats reduce from 37 to 25 the saffron party is being increasingly cornered by its ally in Bihar, Nitish Kumar's JD(U). While the BJP is spreading itself thin in dealing with the nationwide sustained protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and trying to figure out where its alliance math went wrong in the Assembly polls, the JD(U) is trying to establish its leverage over the Amit Shah-led party. The JD(U) attributed the BJP's loss in Jharkhand to "arrogance" which led the party to contest all 81 seats without its allies, including the influential All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Asserting that the national party should have made more space for allies in the seat-sharing talks for the Jharkhand polls, a JD(U) MLC was quoted by ThePrint as saying, "The arrogance of the BJP can be judged by the fact that it broke off ties with the AJSU, which does have some pockets of following." JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh was also quoted by The Times of India as saying, "We hope that BJP will review the results and avoid repeating such mistakes in the upcoming Bihar elections." Some party leaders also attributed the widespread unrest over the CAA and impending National Register of Citizens (NRC) to the BJP's loss in Jharkhand. JD(U) MLC Ghulam Rasool Baliyavi was also quoted by the report as saying, "Effects of protests against NRC and CAA were reflected in the Jharkhand election results." JD(U) leaders would hope that the poor fortunes of the BJP in the Assembly polls so far would enable Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to negotiate for more when it comes to the seat-sharing arrangement. This crucial pre-poll process seems to have hit the first roadblock already, with JD(U) leader and election strategist Prashant Kishor demanding that the BJP submit to being the junior ally in the Bihar polls alliance. Asserting that the 50-50 formula that was agreed between the parties ahead of the Lok Sabha election wouldn't be the prudent course of action for the Assembly polls, Kishor had on 30 December said that the JD(U), headed by Nitish, had a greater political heft in Bihar and that it should contest more seats than the BJP. "If we look at the 2010 Assembly polls, which the JD(U) and the BJP had last contested together, the ratio was 1:1.4. Even if there is a slight change this time, it cannot be that both parties fight an equal number of seats," he said. The poll strategist-turned-politician, who became a full-time member of the JD(U) around a year ago, also dismissed suggestions that Nitish might be expected to cede some ground to the BJP, a repetition of the favour he had extended in the 2015 Assembly polls for Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). "There can be no comparison between the two scenarios. In 2015, in the outgoing Assembly, the JD(U) had about 120 MLAs while the RJD had only 20. But since the alliance was an entirely new experiment, many things were factored in...Moreover, even if the 2015 Assembly polls are taken as benchmark this time, it is undeniable that JD(U)'s tally was significantly higher than that of the BJP. So my contention of a 1:1.4 ratio holds ground. I am not talking about the number of seats that each party could contest. I am talking about the proportion," he said. While Kishor's statement on seat-sharing along with his decisive dissent against the JD(U)'s support for the Citizenship Amendment Act rankled some party leaders who termed his suggestions as "untimely", reports have quoted JD(U) functionaries being unhappy with the equation with its ally as early as October 2018. Disappointed to see JDU supporting #CAB that discriminates right of citizenship on the basis of religion. It's incongruous with the party's constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals. Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 9, 2019 The claim of NRC is nothing but a tactical retreat in the face of nationwide protest against #CAA_NRC. It is a pause and not the full stop. Govt could wait till SC judgement on CAA. A favourable court order and the whole process will be back. Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 26, 2019 We are told that #CAB is bill to grant citizenship and not to take it from anyone. But the truth is together with #NRC, it could turn into a lethal combo in the hands of Government to systematically discriminate and even prosecute people based on religion.#NotGivingUp Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 12, 2019 "JD(U) had won 71 seats in the last Assembly election in 2015 against BJP's 54. Thus, JD(U) has a natural claim on a higher number of seats. Nonetheless, there can be a 5-5- seat-sharing arrangement on the lines of the Lok Sabha polls," a JD(U) worker was quoted by The Times of India as saying. Asserting that the BJP "didn't have much option but to accept Nitish's leadership", the party worker added, "Nitish always wins the election, irrespective of his alliance. The BJP, on the other hand, has faced quite a troubled alliance in many states in the recent past. Thus, they can't afford to keep Nitishji out as no other leader in Bihar can meet his stature as of now." However, Nitish has been under fire from members of his own party for the perception that he is doing the BJP's bidding, especially with the party's votes in favour of the contentious CAA in the Parliament which is one step ahead of its 'token opposition' to other controversial laws like the triple talaq law and the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, both instances in which the party's MPs staged a walk-out. He is having to appeal to dissenting voices in his party, including JD(U) national general secretary Pawan Verma, who urged the Bihar chief minister to reconsider support for the CAA. I urge Shri Nitish Kumar to reconsider support to the #CAB in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and against the unity and harmony of the country, apart from being against the secular principles of the JDU. Gandhiji would have strongly disapproved it. Pavan K. Varma (@PavanK_Varma) December 10, 2019 In a bid assuage the discontent in the party, Nitish on 20 December announced that the NRC, which is being joined with the CAA by critics of the law, wouldn't be implemented in Bihar. Notably, he was the first chief minister from the NDA to reject the implementation of the NRC in his state. The BJP however, with a "dented aura of invincibility", isn't taking the JD(U)'s criticism. Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi slammed Kishor for his statements. Echoing Shah's assurance on Nitish being the alliance's chief ministerial face for the 2020 Assembly polls, Sushil said, "A person running a business for profit first tries to create a market for his service, thinks about the welfare of the country later. It has been decided that the 2020 Assembly election will be contested under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The decision regarding seat sharing will be taken by the leadership when the time comes. There is no problem at all." The BJP is working on the double to warm up to the JD(U) ahead of the polls, as is evident by its effort to get the regional party to join the central government under Narendra Modi. Looking to further "cement" ties with the JD(U), the BJP is likely to induct two senior JD(U) MPs, Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Ram Chandra Prasad Singh into the Union government when Modi expands his Council of Ministers, The Indian Express reported. The report said, "Currently for the BJP, strengthening ties with the JD(U) is crucial against the backdrop of growing dissent over the citizenship law as well as on the economic situation. Many NDA allies have publicly expressed criticism over these issues and unemployment." "For perception too, the party has to be seen as being more comfortable with its allies," the report quoted a a BJP functionary as saying. It is also worth noting that ever-increasing problems in the state are likely to undermine Nitish's popularity in the state. "The Patna floods in 2019, the Muzaffarpur encephalitis deaths and shelter home abuse cases, piling up of prohibition related cases in courts, and a dismal last rank in Niti Aayogs Sustainable Development Goals India Index," could hurt the Bihar chief minister, The Times of India noted. With inputs from agencies Forces veterans have had their futures ruined by a Government-sanctioned pension scam. Although some are still suffering trauma from tours of Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland, they now face working into their eighties after losing nest eggs worth up to 50,000. They said they had been 'betrayed and abandoned' by the Government which registered the rogue scheme but now refuses to help. Forces veterans have had their futures ruined by a Government-sanctioned pension scam enrolled with HMRC They are also furious at the Ministry of Defence for approving cash transfers despite earlier warnings from watchdogs. Most victims agreed to switch their savings because the bogus schemes were enrolled with HMRC and the Pensions Regulator. The Mail revealed yesterday that tens of thousands of pensioners have lost up to 10billion between them in a wider scandal. The scams multiplied following the simplification of pension legislation by Tony Blair's government in 2006. This meant that rogue financiers could register retirement schemes with the authorities in a few minutes with virtually no checks. Most of the Armed Forces victims were cold-called by the Pinnacle Pension Scheme soon after leaving uniform. It promised better returns than the Army scheme and Pinnacle hired former soldiers, paying them 250 for every comrade they signed up. Ex-servicemen make up the majority of the 156 victims who moved 4.8million to Pinnacle. They have been told there is 'fat chance' of getting their money back after the scheme was wound up last year. To reassure potential customers, Pinnacle sent them documents with its HMRC and Pensions Regulator registration numbers prominently displayed in bold. Chartwell Trustee Pension Solutions, the company behind Pinnacle, also employed former paratroopers to target fellow ex-servicemen. The Mail revealed yesterday that tens of thousands of pensioners have lost up to 10billion between them in a wider scandal One was employed full-time, the other as a freelance 'introducer' who was paid 250 for everyone he persuaded to transfer an Army pension to Pinnacle. Christoph Williams was contacted by the introducer in 2014, five years after leaving the Royal Engineers. He agreed to transfer his 8,400 pension. 'He said he'd already moved his pension over and told me it looks promising and gives a nice return on the money we accumulated while serving,' said Mr Williams. 'Myself and most of the rest of the Army lads don't know about pensions. They really sold it to us as being registered by HMRC and so it was trustworthy, or so they said. Being in the Army, you trust what you are told. I agreed to it and signed up.' We fought for our country but now we have been robbed, says veteran An Iraq veteran who lost his entire 48,000 pension pot says he feels 'betrayed and abandoned' by the Government. Paul Watson, who joined the Lancers an Army cavalry regiment as a teenager and served tours of Iraq in 2003 and 2005, said: 'It's a massive scandal. Hundreds of veterans are being done over. It is absolutely atrocious, we have fought for our country but have been robbed.' Paul Watson says he feels 'betrayed and abandoned' by the Government The 36-year-old father of two, from Ibstock in Leicestershire, was cold-called by a scam scheme a few months after leaving the Army in December 2013. He was sent the Pinnacle brochure, which stressed its HMRC and Pensions Regulator registration numbers. When he applied to move his Army pension to Pinnacle, the MoD approved it 'no questions asked'. His savings soon vanished. 'I spent 12 years fighting for Queen and country and I'm getting nothing for it,' he said. 'The impact this has had on my and my family's life has been devastating with major long-term implications for us all. 'Since I've left, I've not put anything into a pension pot because I thought I had a big pension. Now I discover it's been snatched away. How is this allowed to happen when this was registered with Government departments?' Mr Watson was frustrated to discover the Ministry of Defence, like all occupational scheme trustees, had been warned by the Pensions Regulator about scam schemes and the importance of due diligence before making transfers into them. He added: 'They expect us to put our lives on the line for them. Surely they owe us some duty of care? We are soldiers, not pensions experts. We served loyally but if feels like we've been betrayed and abandoned.' Advertisement The transfer was made in May 2014 more than a year after the MoD had been warned by regulators about the transfer of pensions to scam schemes. After hearing nothing from Pinnacle for years, Mr Williams called his friend and was told it had 'gone under' and that the former paratrooper employed full-time by its administrators had disappeared. 'My friend was in a terrible way and felt very bad about what had happened. It's an awful situation,' he said. 'I've spoken to many other victims of this, but many feel ashamed of what happened and are reluctant to speak out. 'Hundreds lost their cash in the scam, some who served for 20 years. Meanwhile the people out there who have knowingly done this have so far avoided any real punishment. 'For anyone losing their pensions is a terrible thing, but I do think for the Forces it is particularly hard. A lot of us are no good for other jobs by the time we leave because of injuries and mental health problems. It means veterans are even more dependent on their pensions than most.' A judge wound up Chartwell Trustee Pension Solutions in June 2018, after ruling that it had operated with a lack of commercial probity, a lack of transparency, and without any presence at its registered office address. Insolvency Service investigators were unable to obtain any clear view of how the company operated. A freedom of information request has revealed that between 2013 and 2015, at the height of the scams, about 3,600 former service personnel transferred their money out of the MoD pension scheme. The ministry said the majority switched to other public sector pensions but that still means that scores or even hundreds more veterans may have been fleeced. An MoD spokesman said: 'We were obliged to agree to transfer pensions when an individual requested this and we always advised that those wishing to transfer should seek independent financial advice before doing so. We only transferred to pension funds which were approved by HMRC.' Nicole Newbury, the director of compliance at HMRC, said that in 2013 and 2014 tougher registration tests were introduced to 'detect, disrupt and deter promoters of these pension scams'. She added: 'Since these new laws were introduced, HMRC has noted an 88 per cent drop in scheme applications, and last year alone rejected 11 per cent of applications for failing to meet the high standards required safeguarding taxpayers and their savings.' The veterans' money vanished after being invested in a storage unit company. Pinnacle was among a number of schemes and individual investors to put cash into Store First and three related companies that were eventually wound up in April. Between 2011 and 2016, the firms sold 22,600 'storage pods' for a combined total of 209million. In one promotional video, it was claimed that a 15,000 investment could return 13,000 in six years a profit of 85 per cent. But in April the High Court in Manchester ordered that the four companies Store First Ltd, Store First St Helens, Store First Blackburn and SFM Services should be closed in the public interest. The last listed director of Chartwell Trustee Pension Solutions declined to comment. I will have to work until I'm 80 to make up the 20,000 I lost Andy Chadwick will have to work until he is 80 after losing almost 20,000 A former soldier who was almost blown up while on active service will have to work until he is 80 after losing almost 20,000 to pension scammers. Andy Chadwick was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder after nearly being killed three times in Northern Ireland. But his hard-earned savings were lost after he signed up to a scheme that he trusted because it was officially registered with HMRC and the Pensions Regulator. The father of three said: 'The person who cold-called me made the point very clearly that Pinnacle was Government registered. It made me feel secure. I don't know anything about pensions, but if something was agreed by the Government agency I had no reason to doubt it. As far as I was concerned I was just moving from one Government pension to another to get a slightly better deal.' Mr Chadwick, 49, said he was devastated when he discovered the scheme had been wound up and he had lost his money. 'It was a very tough time,' he added. 'I had only just been with my father when he died from cancer. 'As it stands I've no pension. I will need to work until I'm 80 to make it up. It's devastating to think that I've got to work that long to rebuild something I already had.' Mr Chadwick, who served in the Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets, said he struggled to find work after leaving the Army and suffered nightmares and flashbacks. Advertisement For NHS workers and posties who battle inclement weather to bring us the mail, the promise of a secure and comfortable pension after years of public service is the very least they deserve. And yet, as the Mail revealed yesterday, many of these everyday heroes have not only been cheated out of their pensions after incompetent checks by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs made them vulnerable to cold-hearted scammers, but they are now also being hounded by HMRC for alleged unpaid bills. The suffering and hardship caused by these HMRC-approved providers is appalling in its own right. But it is HMRC's response to brazenly turn the fire on the victims that makes this debacle truly scandalous. If ever there were a moment for a wide-ranging inquiry into Britain's tax authority, it is now. We all applaud tax collectors when they chase down genuine cheats. In Philip Hammond's last full budget the Government boasted that since 2010 it had 'secured and protected' 185billion of tax that would have otherwise gone unpaid. But for all this fanfare, the truth is that HMRC too often targets local businesses and entrepreneurs struggling with the bureaucracy of tax returns, rather than the big corporations who are treated with velvet gloves. Rather than being bombarded with dreaded brown envelopes, these multi-billion players are able to reach accommodating deals personally negotiated by top HMRC officials. The Financial Conduct Authority, which is currently run by the incoming governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey, should have been keeping a tighter rein on firms offering this advice Yet none of this is as unconscionable as the ongoing actions of HMRC, which is turning to the courts to recover tax from those who joined rogue pension schemes precisely because they were approved by the government. These people not only lost their money they are now being hounded by the taxman because those very schemes broke tax rules. While Britain prides itself on its fair and responsible tax authorities, I have long suspected that our system is not fit for purpose. I say this not just as an outspoken critic of HMRC, but as someone who became the subject of a five-year intrusive audit into my own, very minor tax affairs. At one point, an inspector argued I should have paid tax on 50 per cent of a hotel bill when my wife joined me at an out-of-town speaking engagement, even though the overnight-room bill would have been the same had she been there or not. Rather than get involved in an extensive tussle, I paid up. But it was proof of our overzealous taxman's warped priorities. Yet even the most ardent critic of HMRC could not fail to be astounded by its crass response to this latest pension scam, especially given that at least 1.7billion of taxpayers' and consumers' money is spent on financial regulation of one kind or another and that is before the running costs of HMRC and the Pensions Regulator are considered. As the consumer advocate Paul Lewis has pointed out, that is almost as much as the Home Office spends on the Metropolitan Police. The blame does not, of course, completely lie with HMRC. At the core of the current scandal are the trustees of public sector pension schemes, such as those run by the NHS and Ministry of Defence, who co-operated with these (often rogue) pension advisers to get employees and former employees off their books knowing full well that the kind of pensions offered in public services are guaranteed and in no way dependent on the movements of financial markets. That individuals, lured in by promises of supercharged returns and one-off immediate payments, were allowed to switch into private schemes is a tragedy. The Financial Conduct Authority, which is currently run by the incoming governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey, should have been keeping a tighter rein on firms offering this advice. But what is truly scandalous is that HMRC once considered a beacon of rectitude and responsibility registered the schemes, thereby branding the unsafe pension funds as the real deal in the first place. It may have tightened up its checks now but that's too late for the tens of thousands of workers who have lost up to 10billion in savings. Meanwhile, the Pensions Regulator, which was created to prevent retirees' pensions being looted, should also be ashamed. This is the organisation whose cack-handed supervision of BHS's pensions was exposed when the company was sold to an unreliable owner for just 1 and later collapsed with the loss of 11,000 jobs and a pension deficit of more than 500million. And now we know that it was also more than happy to register rogue pension plans, once the HMRC had itself endorsed them. It is, however, the HMRC that must bear the brunt of the blame. As much as the revenue service may seek to slough off responsibility, it cannot pretend that its initial registration of flawed and in some cases corrupt pension plans did not enable the scammers to thrive in the first place. Instead of making the lives of many of the affected future retirees and pensioners a misery, it should be recommending the Government set up a compensation fund for victims. They have faced a terrible injustice and senior officials at the tax authority should hang their heads in shame. Two of the five Africans arrested in connection with the Dh2 million heist at an exchange house in March this year were identified thanks to DNA matches conducted by the Sharjah Police Forensic Laboratory, top officials said on Monday. Speaking to the press on a tour of the lab on Monday, Brigadier Ahmad Al Serkal, Director-General of the Sharjah Police Forensic Laboratory, said this case was among the 164 crimes solved by the laboratory by finding matches from 6,412 DNA imprints in its database, On March 20 this year, five armed African men in their 20s stole currency worth over Dh2 million during a seven-minute heist at the Al Tauwain branch of Al Ansari Exchange close to midnight. The gang members subsequently spread themselves out in other emirates to escape notice. But a special police team traced their whereabouts, arrested one of them within 48 hours and manged tio catch up with the others in their hideouts in Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi soon after. Two of these gang members were identified with the help of DNA tests conducted on samples collected. Brigadier Ahmad Al Serkal said the lab is working on further building the DNA database with information on detainees and criminals. He said in cases of murder and rape, DNA tests help the police to identify suspects. The DNA tests have also offered proof of family kinship during parental and inheritance disputes referred by the courts. Many international experts have used the laboratorys DNA results and findings for investigations, he said, adding that a joint cooperation between the Forensic Laboratory and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia had helped examine sample DNAs of 67 human remains from the time of World War II. He said the lab housed an advanced mitochondria DNA testing system considered the most accurate and sophisticated in the field. 15,513 cases resolved Hashish wraps in a box of cheese, gold concealed in a capsule, crystal meth in a bag of sesame seeds --- these are some of the smuggled substances that Sharjah Police have unearthed in the last one year, thanks to its expertise at the Sharjah Police Forensic Laboratory. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) affirmed that regulations are in line with international commitments, which show Vietnam's management rights in the field of payment services. SBV reported that by November 14, 2019, 32 companies had been licensed to provide intermediary payment services. Of these, wallet service providers were included. Meanwhile, another report by the central bank showed that by Q2 2019, five e-wallets, namely Payoo, MoMo, Airpay, Moca and Senpay, had accounted for 93 percent of market share in number of transactions. There are many other well-known names in the e-wallet market such as VNPay, TrueMoney and ZaloPay. Foreign investments have been increasing proportionally to the fintech market boom. This means that foreign investors are pouring money into Vietnamese companies through capital contribution or M&As. MoMo in early 2019 received investment from Warburg Pincus. The value of the investment deal was not revealed, but sources said this was the highest ever investment capital so far made by foreign investors in fintechs and e-commerce in Vietnam. Foreign investments have been increasing proportionally to the fintech market boom. This means that foreign investors are pouring money into Vietnamese companies through capital contribution or M&As. Prior to that, MoMo got $34 million worth of investment in 2016 and 2013. As of November 2018, the foreign ownership ratio in M_Service reportedly had increased to 63.8 percent from 47.27 percent. The other M&A deals include the acquisition of 64 percent of Payoos shares by Japanese NTT Data and the purchase of 90 percent of capital of 1Pay by TrueMoney from Thailand. Also, 62.25 percent of VNPT Epays shares were sold to UTC Investment from South Korea. Grab has bought 3.523 percent of Mocas shares to introduce GrabPay by Moca e-wallet. Most recently, in July 2019, SoftBank Vision Fund and GIC Pte from Singapore reportedly invested $300 million into VNPays holding company to acquire a large amount of shares of the e-wallet. The holding company which owns Airpay e-wallet (Foody) is controlled by Sea (Garena) after acquiring 82 percent of shares. In the case of Senpay, it received $61 million worth of investment from foreign funds in November 2019. As such, most large e-wallets in Vietnam have high foreign ownership ratios. SBV, which is drafting the decree on non-cash payment, wants to restrict the foreign ownership ratio in in intermediary payment service providers at 49 percent. However, the idea has been facing opposition from investors. Some legal experts warned that Vietnam may break its WTO and CPTPP commitments when setting a cap on foreign ownership ratio, and that the restriction may be contrary to the commitments on investment protection in bilateral and multilateral trade agreements. In reply, deputy director of the Payment Department Le Anh Dung said 49 percent is a reasonable ratio for foreign investors. This is in line with international commitments and ensures harmonized benefits for involved parties. Linh Ha Payment-related solutions attract most funding in Vietnamese fintech Financial technology (fintech) firms offering payment-related solutions secured the most funding in Vietnam, according to the FinTech in ASEAN: From Startup to Scale-up report. A Chinese passenger has been ordered to pay an airline company more than 13,000 as compensation after throwing two coins at the plane's engine, causing the flight to be cancelled and more than 160 passengers stuck overnight. The 28-year-old man, named Lu Chao, was travelling by air for the first time with his wife and son when he tossed the coinage towards the aircraft in eastern China, according to a regional court. All passengers set to travel with the domestic flight were left stranded at the airport and the carrier had to arrange overnight accommodation for them before they could take a replacement flight the next day, the court said. The 28-year-old man, named Lu Chao, admitted to throwing two 1 yuan coins at a Lucky Air passenger jet after they were found by ground staff near the left engine of the plane last year Flight No. 8L9960 from Anqing, Anhui province to Kunming, Yunnan was cancelled, affecting 162 passengers and costing the airline nearly 140,000 yuan (16,000), Lucky Air said on Friday Mr Lu was detained by Anqing Public Security Bureau for 10 days before being sued by the airline in May. The case was ruled by a regional court in eastern China's Anhui Province in July. The verdict was recently published by China Judgements Online, a website run by the Supreme People's Court of China. According to the court document, Mr Lu was boarding a three-hour flight with Lucky Air from Anqing to Kunming when his act was caught on February 17 last year. The flight No. 8L9960 was grounded after workers at the Tianzhushan Airport in Anqing discovered the coins with a denomination of one yuan (10p) on the tarmac. One of the coins was found directly underneath the aircraft and the other was spotted on the ground about one metre (3.3 feet) in front of the plane's left engine. Mr Lu was boarding a three-hour flight with Lucky Air (file photo) when his act was caught The superstitious man was travelling with his wife and one-year-old child and was hoping for a safe journey when he threw the money, Anqing police said in a previous statement. Kunming-based Lucky Air, an affiliation of Hainan Airlines, said it decided to seek 123,358 yuan (13,444) in compensation from the passenger because his action had cost them 'a series of expenses', including maintenance and repairing fees, accommodation fees for the passengers as well as compensation for the passengers. It said the incident had affected 162 passengers and costed the airline nearly 140,000 yuan (16,000). The company filed a lawsuit against Mr Lu on May 13 after the two parties failed to reach an agreement. Many Chinese people believe that chucking coins at a specific target could bring them luck Mr Lu's lawyer pled to the court for leniency, arguing that the man was less fortunate, had reaslied his mistake and had already been punished by detention. The lawyer said that Mr Lu's education level was low and had not realised that his action could lead to serious consequences. The lawyer also accused the airport of failing to remind passengers against the act. The court ruled in favour of the airline. It deemed that any normal person with common sense would think that the coins might land in the engines, which could lead to 'a serious accident'. It added that the airport did not have the duty to remind passengers against the act because coins were not a banned item during flight. Lucky Air said it caught three passengers, including Mr Lu, throwing coins at their planes on three separate occasions between October 2017 and March 2018. It has urged the public not to resort to the act for good luck. Should any coins get sucked into a plane's engines, they may not only damage the blades, but also cause fire which could be fatal during a flight, the airline has warned. This is not the first time a passenger has attempted to toss coins into an aircraft engine for good fortune and a safe flight in the country. In September, a 23-year-old medical graduate threw three coins towards a plane's engine in hope of helping her nephew get over his diarrhoea at an airport in Sichuan Province. In April, a 66-year-old female passenger was detained by police for throwing six coins at a plane for good luck before take-off in Inner Mongolia. Those who disrupt the normal operation of companies and organisations are subject to a maximum of 10 days of detention and 500 yuan (56) cash penalty, according to China's Public Security Administration Punishment Law. Unruly and untrustworthy passengers in China may also be blacklisted by the country's civil aviation authority and banned from taking planes, according to the nation's social credit system. Ghosn, who is Lebanese and also holds French and Brazilian passports, was set to go on trial in Japan in April. He arrived in Lebanon on Monday via Turkey and hasn't been seen in public since. In a statement, he said he had fled to avoid "political persecution." Lebanese authorities have said that he entered legally on a French passport. Ghosn's sudden arrival in Beirut shocked Japan and confounded authorities. How he was able to flee Japan, avoiding the tight surveillance he was under while free on 1.5 billion yen ($14 million) bail, is still a mystery. Ghosn, who grew up in Beirut and frequently visited, is a national hero to many in this Mediterranean country with close ties to senior politicians and business stakes in a number of companies. People take special pride in the auto industry icon, who is credited with leading a spectacular turnaround at Nissan beginning in the late 1990s and rescuing the automaker from near-bankruptcy. Even as he fell from grace internationally, politicians across the board mobilized in his defense after his arrest in Japan, with some suggesting his detention may be part of a political or business-motivated conspiracy. Diwan Al-Ahram has emerged as one of the most prestigious Arabic language publications specialised in the history of culture and world and Egyptian heritage The periodical Diwan Al-Ahram, published by Al-Ahram Organisation, has issued a special issue to mark its 10th anniversary. Magazine chief editor Zeinab Abdel-Razak said the magazine has managed in a very short time to become one of the most prestigious Arabic language publications specialised in the history of culture and world and Egyptian heritage. The new issue includes a special section about the Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, republishing some of his most important interviews, including his interview with UNESCO's magazine after he won the Nobel Prize, and an article that the novelist wrote about Ernest Hemingway and his influence on his work. The special issue also commemorates the iconic Egyptian movie star Faten Hamama (1931-2015) and her legendary career. The magazine also focuses on the Surrealist movement in art in Egypt and how the trend was formed in the country. Monotheism in ancient Egypt is addressed an article written by Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, who talks in detail about Akhenaten, a pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, who ruled for 17 years and who is noted for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism. Another article marks 200 years of cotton planting in modern Egypt and the industries that were created around it. Another article traces the 20th century after World War I, the new world that was created amid great political, cultural and artistic changes, and the rise and fall of world powers and the impact this had on the Arab world. The issue also contains tens of rare photographs paired with the textual content. Search Keywords: Short link: In the anti citizenship law protests at Chennai, a Pakistan link emerges India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Chennai, Jan 01: A woman anti-CAA protester here has come under the scanner of the police after her social media profile shed light on her role as a researcher with a Pakistan body, a top official said on Wednesday. A probe would be carried out to ascertain whether the woman, Gayatri Khandhadai, has links to Pakistan-based "Bytes for All", Chennai Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan told reporters. Police sources told PTI that the woman protester has been a part of a slew of agitations held in the city against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and was also associated with the 'kolam' demonstrations. She was present at the Madras University premises as well when the students there protested against the citizenship law last month, they said. Chennai Police briefly detains 7 people for drawing anti-CAA, NRC rangoli on streets Dwelling on her background, Viswanathan said Khandhadai has the support of local outfits in Tamil Nadu including an NGO. "If you look at her Facebook profile, she says that she is a researcher at Bytes for All, Pakistan," the senior police official said adding this body seemed to be linked to the Association of All Pakistan Citizen Journalists. The extent and nature of the protester's "Pakistani connection," and "what," it is all about will be probed, he said. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 A check will be done to find out if there is any other "information," about her, he said. He clarified that none were arrested or detained for drawing 'kolam,' (rangoli) in Besant Nagar here days ago. Viswanathan maintained police personnel had to intervene when an elderly resident there objected when protesters drew words opposing CAA (alongside a kolam already drawn up by his family members) in front of his house. The commissioner also released video clips to substantiate his claim that police had to intervene after the resident's objection. The clip shows an elderly man asking why the words were drawn up (by protesters) and a woman bringing a bucket of water from inside the house and erasing it. CAA: Students from North East protest in Chennai On Sunday, police had said eight people, including five women, were picked up for holding the protest without permission and causing inconvenience to others but were later let off. DMK president M K Stalin has hit out at the AIADMK government for the police action, saying the detained persons were only exercising their right to protest. The group of women who drew rangoli against the CAA had called on Stalin on Monday at the party headquarters here to thank him for supporting them. It's the start of the new decade and Chrissy Teigen has already clapped back at an online troll after they accused the celebrity of editing an image of herself in the pool with her daughter, Luna. Teigen, 34, hardly ever lets online trolls accuse her of things before firing right back a clever response, and she proved that to be true while on vacation over the holidays in a tropical location. On New Year's Eve, the mother-of-two shared an image of herself holding three-year-old Luna in the pool, but parts of her body looked distorted under the water. Having fun: Chrissy Teigen, 34, shared a picture on Instagram of herself holding her daughter, Luna, in the pool during a tropical vacation Clapping back: One commenter accused her of Photoshop because her body looked distorted, and Teigen was quick to fire back a response The distorted image encouraged a follower to accuse Teigen of editing her body even know water typically causes a weird image of whatever is underneath it. Distorted: The water made a strange image of Teigen's body in the picture 'That's a horrible photoshop Chrissy,' the commenter wrote in a now-deleted comment, Buzzfeed first reported. Potentially the commenter was attempting to just make a joke given how the water clearly distorts the image, but it encouraged Teigen to put the person in their place. 'Why would I photoshop my a** to be bumpy and smaller than it already is,' the cookbook author wrote. Since the response, the commenter has deleted the comment from the picture. Every other commenter on Teigen's appeared aware the water was the one distorting the picture, with most commenting on how adorable the mom looked with her young daughter. Teigen and her husband, John Legend, used the holiday season to travel to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for Christmas and then a tropical location to ring in the New Year. Baby kisses: Dealing with the online troll comes as Teigen and her husband, John Legend, have enjoyed the last couple of weeks off with their kids Love: The couple first spent Christmas in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before traveling to a tropical spot for the New Year Feeling sick: Teigen also shared with followers how she felt sick on New Year's Eve, so she ended up in bed before midnight Not only did Teigen clap back at followers during the vacation, but she also made fun of herself by sharing her New Year's Eve plans. 'I am not feeling great but happy new year yayyyyy,' she shared while posting a picture of herself blowing her nose. Another pictures shared on New Year's showed Teigen looking straight forward and not smiling with the caption: 'Sinus drugs got me f**ked uppppp. 1 hour til countdown but Im out love u guys!!' But even though Teigen was unable to make it until midnight, she told followers it was better than her New Year's last year when she was poked in the eye with an umbrella during a live broadcast of Times Square celebrations in New York. Just before the ball dropped in Times Square, Chrissy was feeling the love when she shared a hilarious moment from her 2019 hosting gig with Carson Daly on NBC's New Year's Eve broadcast. In the quick clip, Chrissy attempted to give Leslie Jones a hug, but forgot the comedian was carrying a clear umbrella and crashed directly into the plastic. Although 2020 has already included clapbacks and a sickness for Teigen, the decade might be a good one for the celebrity as she got to ring it in with friends and family in tropical paradise. Belgian judicial authorities have suspended the arrest warrant targeting Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont because of his immunity as a European lawmaker, his lawyer said. Paul Beckaert told the Associated Press that the Belgian judge in charge of the case also suspended the warrant issued against former Catalan cabinet member Toni Comin. Its a tough time for Generation Z. Mental health problems, specifically mood disorders like depression and anxiety, are skyrocketing. Gen Z is the least likely to report good or excellent mental health and the most likely to report poor or fair mental health. Suicide rates for U.S. teens and young adults are the highest ever. As a 23-year-old Gen-Zer who has dealt with these issues personally and has seen the impact on friends and loved ones, it breaks my heart. On the path of bettering my mental health and trying to help others, I sought explanations on why things have gotten so bad and found a compelling hypothesis in the work of social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and legal scholar Greg Lukianoff. In their co-authored book, The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure, Haidt and Lukianoff examine Gen Zs mental health problem. They argue that young people have been immersed in a world characterized by paranoid concerns of safety, which distorts their thinking and is detrimental to their mental well-being. Many university students are learning to think in distorted ways, and this increases their likelihood of becoming fragile, anxious, and easily hurt, they say. Haidt and Lukianoff claim three Great Untruths negatively impact the mental well-being of todays youth. They also propose ways to counteract those untruths, which in turn, will produce a happier and more well-adjusted life. These great untruths are: The Untruth of Fragility: What Doesnt Kill You Makes You Weaker The Untruth of Emotional Reasoning: Always Trust Your Feelings The Untruth of Us Versus Them: Life Is a Battle Between Good People and Evil People And in order to qualify as a Great Untruth, it has to meet three criteria: It contradicts ancient wisdom (ideas found widely in the wisdom works of literature of many cultures) It contradicts modern psychological research on well-being It harms the individuals and communities who embrace it The Untruth of Fragility: What Doesnt Kill You Makes You Weaker It was philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who said, That which does not kill us, makes us stronger. Nietzches words could be the antithesis of the current sentiment. To give a biological example of what doesnt kill us makes us stronger, Haidt and Lukianoff discuss the rising rates of peanut allergies. Until the mid-1990s, peanut allergies were very rare (only four out of 1,000 kids under the age of 8 had one). But by 2008, the rate had tripled. Why? Haidt and Lukianoff claim that peanut allergies were surging precisely because parents and teachers had started protecting children from exposure to peanuts back in the 1990s. In 2015, a study of 640 allergy-prone infants was conducted, wherein half of the group was exposed to peanuts until the age of five and the remaining half was protected. Only three percent of the exposed group developed an allergy whereas 17 percent of the protected group developed one. So in an attempt to protect kids from harm, we might actually cause them more harm. This isnt only true of biological systems but is also true of economic and political systems, as well as our own lives. Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the author of the book Antifragile, puts it this way: We have been fragilizing the economy, our health, political life, education, almost everything by suppressing randomness and volatility. Just as spending a month in bed leads to muscle atrophy, complex systems are weakened, even killed, when deprived of stressors. Much of our modern, structured world has been harming us with top-down policies and contraptions which do precisely this: an insult to the antifragility of systems. This is the tragedy of modernity: as with the neurotically overprotective parents, those trying to help are often hurting us the most. Haidt and Lukianoff connect this desire to avoid threats to the rise of safetyism, which is characterized by safe spaces, trigger warnings, microaggressions, bias response teams, matrices of oppression, and call-out culture. Within this culture, many are led to believe that they are fragile and need constant protection from the outside world. This has caused many young people to develop overcautious and neurotic tendencies, wherein they avoid challenging circumstances to avoid harm. So just as avoiding peanuts at an early age can harm us in the long run, avoiding unsafe opinions and conversations can harm us by making us oversensitive to everything. It is easy to see how a climate like this can contribute to anxiety. Young people are taught to see harm and danger where there is none. To counteract the fragility trend, Haidt and Lukianoff encourage us to [seek] out challenges (rather than eliminating or avoiding everything that feels unsafe.) The Untruth of Emotional Reasoning: Always Trust Your Feelings The second Great Untruth has been the triumph of emotional reasoning, wherein subjective feelings are heralded above objective truth. While it could be good that todays youth are more in touch with their emotions than previous generations, the authors contend theres been an overcorrection. Weve actually de-emphasized the power of objectivity and rationality, and have lauded the mistruth of always trusting our feelings. Haidt and Lukianoff explain it this way: Sages in many societies have converged on the insight that feelings are always compelling, but not always reliable. Often they distort reality, deprive us of insight, and needlessly damage our relationships. Happiness, maturity, and even enlightenment require rejecting the Untruth of Emotional Reasoning and learning instead to question our feelings. The feelings themselves are real, and sometimes they alert us to truths that our conscious mind has not noticed, but sometimes they lead us astray. In my experience, feelings are important and even essential. For example, when my stomach grumbles, its a cue that Im hungry. I decide to eat and nourish myself. If I didnt heed my bodys feeling of hunger, I would lose energy. Therefore, paying attention to a bad feeling makes me better off. But sometimes, feelings are just kind of there and arent reflective of reality. When having a bout of anxiety, my feelings tell me, Something is wrong! Pay attention now! Make sure youre not having a heart attack! In reality, Im not going to die, its just my fight-or-flight mechanism activated at an improper time. If I trusted my anxiety all the time, I would believe myself to be in constant danger. That is not the case. Unfortunately, its becoming more commonplace for young people to think that they are in constant danger. Lukianoff specifically noticed this after he checked himself into cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and had a realization that the thought patterns he was taught to avoid were affecting society at large. He learned that irrational and persistent thoughts can cause negative beliefs and emotions. But by practicing CBT, one can be trained to think in more productive ways to overcome negative feelings. Some specific negative thought patterns include, but arent limited to, the following: Emotional Reasoning: Letting your feelings guide your interpretation of reality. I feel anxious, therefore this environment is dangerous. Catastrophizing: Focusing on the worst possible outcome and seeing it as most likely. If I fail this test, Ill never get a job. Overgeneralizing: Perceiving a global pattern of negatives on the basis of a single incident. I always fail at everything I try. Dichotomous Thinking: Viewing events or people in all-or-nothing terms. Nobody ever wants to hang out with me. Mind Reading: Assuming you know what people think without having sufficient evidence of their thoughts. My boss probably thinks Im incompetent. So imagine if a person exhibited these distorted thought patterns. You could easily see how that would make them more anxious and depressed. Perhaps you might notice some distortions you exhibit. I certainly do. To counteract the emotional reasoning trend, Haidt and Lukianoff encourage us to [free ourselves] from cognitive distortions (rather than always trusting [our] initial feelings). The Untruth of Us Versus Them: Life Is a Battle Between Good People and Evil People Just as we might be living opposite of Nietzsches what doesnt kill you aphorism, we might also be living opposite of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyns proclamation: The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties eitherbut right through every human heartand through all human hearts. This last great untruth hearkens back to one of the distorted modes of thoughtdichotomous thinkingthat CBT tries to correct. Could it be true that Gen Z has worse mental health because they view people (and events) in stark terms? To answer that question, Haidt and Lukianoff analyzed the rise of identity politics and the resurgence of tribalistic thinking. Rather than thinking in terms of common-humanity identity politics, which humanizes people of different groups, Haidt and Lukianoff argue that theres been an increase in common-enemy identity politics, which identifies a common enemy in order to enlarge and motivate ones tribe. (Think Hitlers demonization of Jews to expand the Third Reich.) To show how common-enemy identity politics currently operates, Haidt and Lukianoff provide an essay written by a Latino student at Texas State University that ran in the schools newspaper, wherein the author states: Ontologically speaking, white death will mean liberation for all Until then, remember this: I hate you because you shouldnt exist. You are both the dominant apparatus on the planet and the void in which all other cultures, upon meeting you, die. Haidt and Lukianoff clarify that the student was calling for cultural genocide, meaning the dissolution of the culture of whiteness, rather than actual genocide; but the students words still demonstrate the false dichotomy of good people versus evil people. His words make it apparent that he fails to see individuals rather than tribes, and by grouping them into a subset he views as bad, he insinuates that they are bad as well. As for what explains the resurgence of this kind of thinking, Haidt and Lukianoff claim its a form of Marxist approaches to social and political analysis. The analysis posits that when power is perceived to be held by one group over others, there is a moral polarity: the groups seen as powerful are bad, while the groups seen as oppressed are good. Imagine being encouraged to constantly view people in terms of group identity and automatically labeling those groups as good or bad, based on their perceived position of power. You would go through the world constantly identifying people as potential threats. A worldview like this is toxic and could be one of the sources of Gen Zs poor mental health. To counteract the good people versus evil people trend, Haidt and Lukianoff encourage us to [take] a generous view of other people, and [look] for nuance (rather than assuming the worst about people within a simplistic us-versus-them morality). Notice Your Thoughts, Free Yourself After reading The Coddling of the American Mind, I noticed all kinds of distorted thought patterns and worked to change my worldview. Im still far from perfect, but implementing the suggestions from Haidt and Lukianoff has made a positive impact on my well-being. I challenge you to notice your thoughts and identify areas in which your thinking could be improved. Change starts from the bottom-up, and if like me, you wish that young people suffered less and improved their mental health, working on your own well-being is the beginning of that transformation. As I said in a previous article about the power of individual improvement: [January 02, 2020] FedEx: Gen Z Driving Canada's "Returns Economy" this Holiday Season One in Six Canadians Expected to Return Gifts After the Holidays MISSISSAUGA, ON, Jan. 2, 2020 /CNW/ - Canadian Gen Z's are taking things into their own hands this holiday season, with 21 per cent admitting to typically returning some of their holiday gifts nearly double the amount of Boomers who report returning gifts (11 per cent). These results come from the 2019 FedEx Returns Economy Survey, a poll conducted on behalf of FedEx Express Canada, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp (NYSE: FDX). The survey, which explored the 'returns economy' and Canadian consumer habits for returning and regifting after the holidays, also uncovered which family members' gifts were most likely to get returned. Overall, one in six Canadians surveyed report returning holiday gifts in a typical year. Of those that return gifts, 36 per cent report that they are most likely to return gifts from their mothers. That number is even higher amongst men, with 46 per cent reporting that they are most likely to return gifts from their mothers (compared to 30 per cent of women). Family member gifts most likely to be returned* 1 Mothers 36 per cent 2 Fathers 22 per cent 3 Sisters 18 per cent 4 Brothers 17 per cent 5 Cousins 10 per cent 6 Grandmothers 8 per cent 7 Grandfathers 6 per cent *Based on responses from Canadians who said they typically return gifts Sixty per cent of Canadians surveyed feel that online shopping is the fastest and most efficient way to shop for gifts. However, the gift giving experience does not always end once the wrapping comes off. That is why FedEx offers Canadian e-tailers easy and efficient return solutions, such as pre-printed return labels and convenient retail locations, so the experience of giving and (if needed), exchanging gifts is done seamlessly. "E-commerce and the increased flexibility it offers Canadian consumers continues to impact Canadian holiday shopping behaviours from gift purchase through to returns, as Canadians are now more than ever able to return gifts as easily as they can purchase them," said Lisa Lisson, FedEx Express Canada President. Regifting also on the rise Beyond returns, Canadians are also turning to regifting as a solution to getting rid of unwanted gifts with a quarter (24 per cent) of Canadians admitting to regifting holiday gifts in a typical year. "Gen Zs are undeniably driving gift-return behaviours in Canada. In fact, our survey found that 52 per cent of Gen Zs have returned gifts for cash back or store credit. This generation will continue to contribute to a greater proportion of buyer control. For Canadian businesses, incorporating an effective returns solution is critical to ensuring positive customer experiences," said Lisson. For more information on the survey or about shipping with FedEx this holiday season visit: www.fedex.ca/holidays About the survey This poll was conducted by Edelman in partnership with Logit Group on behalf of FedEx between Sept. 20 and Sept. 25 on a sample of 1,502 Canadian consumers above the age of 18. The interviews were conducted online, and respondents were sourced using online panels. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. About FedEx Corp. FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $69 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 490,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com. SOURCE FedEx Express Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro said hes dropping out of the 2020 race. Its with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today. Im so proud of everything weve accomplished together. Im going to keep fighting for an America where everyone countsI hope youll join me in that fight, Castro said in a statement on Jan. 2. Castro, 45, was the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the later years of the Obama administration. He joined the University of Texas at Austins LBJ School of Public Affairs in 2017 after leaving that position. He announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination on Jan. 12, 2019. Castro released a three-minute, 48-second video on Twitter announcing the end to his candidacy, highlighting some moments on the campaign trail. Im so proud of the campaign that weve run together. Weve shaped the conversation on so many important issues in this race, stood up for the most vulnerable people, and given a voice to those who are often forgotten, he said. But with only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given the circumstances of this campaign season, Ive determined that it simply isnt our time. So today its with a heavy heart and with profound gratitude that I will suspend my campaign for president. Castro thanked volunteers and promised to keep fighting for illegal immigrants. Castro is one of a slew of Democratic candidates to call for decriminalizing border crossings, which immigration experts say would lead to a flood of new migrants. Castro in October 2018 traveled to Mexico and took a dozen people who said they were exceptions to President Donald Trumps remain in Mexico policy for migrants to the Texas border. The 12 people were sent back to Mexico later that day. Castro struggled in recent months to raise enough money, threatening to drop out of the race twice in the fall amid looming debate qualification deadlines. He did not qualify for the December debate and wasnt expected to qualify for the upcoming four debates in early voting states. Castros exit from the race follows Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg both entered the race late last year. The rest of the field includes former Vice President Joe Biden, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. The Iowa Democratic caucuses will be held on Feb. 3. Correction: A previous version of this article did not include Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) in the list of current Democratic presidential candidates. The Epoch Times regrets the error. From The Epoch Times Nicolas Audier, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam EU investment remained modest in 2019, although the Vietnamese government has made a number of bold moves to improve the business climate. What highlights in EU investment have you witnessed in Vietnam this year? It is true that the Vietnamese government has continued to improve the trade and investment environment in 2019. Our members welcome these reforms, and remain dedicated to supporting the government to go further and faster in the future. European funding remains modest when compared to other large partners of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam. One of the main reasons for this is that, at the moment, some sectors such as government procurement remain closed to European investors. Meanwhile, the tariffs on our products are higher than those coming from countries with which Vietnam has active free trade agreements. EuroCham now has over 1,000 members in Vietnam. According to statistics from Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment, investors from 23 EU member states have registered about $25 million into more than 2,200 projects over the past 28 years. Among EU member countries, Vietnam sees most investment from the Netherlands, France, Luxemburg, and Germany. Without a doubt, the highlight of EU-Vietnam trade and investment in 2019 was the official signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) in Hanoi in June. The presence of the Vietnamese prime minister and the EUs trade commissioner signing these historic agreements represented a major step in EU-Vietnam relations, and a new chapter for trade and investment between both sides. Vietnam is working on a new FDI attraction strategy, with a focus on technology application. What is the trend of EU investment in tech-related sectors in Vietnam, and will there be any new movements from European businesses in terms of finance, telecoms, transport, and distribution services? European enterprises have a long and positive record of investment in these areas in Vietnam. Ever since the first Law on Foreign Investment, Europe has helped to build the countrys communications infrastructure, both through finance and knowledge transfer. Now, with the governments welcome embrace of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the digitalisation of all sectors and industries, European companies are keen to be reliable and innovative partners for this next phase of Vietnams economic development. In particular, once ratified and implemented, the EVFTA will open up access to some of these sectors for European investors and businesses. For instance, five years after it has entered into force, economic needs tests will be eliminated for retail services. Meanwhile, for financial services, the threshold for EU investment in certain joint-stock commercial banks will rise from 30 to 49 per cent, and EU financiers will be able to establish themselves as health insurance providers. In telecommunications, EU investors will be able to provide advanced services, in most cases through joint ventures with local partners. Together, these provisions should help to increase funding from Europe and make Vietnam an even more attractive trade and investment environment. The Vietnamese and EU business communities are awaiting enforcement of this historic deal. How is the ratification process of the EU Parliament taking shape, and is it possible for the agreement to take effect in early 2020? Before it can enter into force, the EVFTA needs to pass two crucial votes: the first in the European Parliament and the second in Vietnams National Assembly. EuroCham advocates for the EVFTA whenever possible. Just last month we led our fourth delegation of business leaders to Brussels to engage with parliament members (MEPs) and other important stakeholders to impress upon them the benefits of this deal for both sides. From our meetings with the EUs new trade commissioner and over 30 MEPs from all groups and political parties, it is clear that the economic benefits of the EVFTA are undisputed. In order to get the deal over the line, the MEPs need some reassurance that Vietnam is serious about wider issues such as ratification of the outstanding core International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. EuroCham was pleased to update a hearing of the European Parliaments International Trade Committee about Vietnams new Labour Code, which represents a major milestone in Vietnams efforts to incorporate the core principles of labour rights under the ILO conventions into its legal framework. Together with the EVFTA, the Vietnamese government is working on new solutions to increase its attraction to EU investors. Will they change the investment picture there? Our members welcome the Vietnamese governments efforts to improve the business climate, as well as their open and constructive relationship with European business leaders. Our members have been pleased to have the chance to share their insights and recommendations with ministries at a number of events throughout 2019, including customs dialogues, the Vietnam Business Forum, and the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform. The governments recent reforms continue to be a step in the right direction. However, looking ahead, we believe that addressing a number of other issues facing our members will help to unlock further investment from European enterprises. Some of the most pressing issues include proposed reforms to the special consumption tax, lot-by-lot homologation for automobiles, and widening the definition of internal transfers for foreign workers. On top of this, European investors want a reliable, predictable, and transparent legal framework in which to do business. So continued reforms of Vietnams legislative environment to bring it further into line with international standards would be a positive incentive to attract further FDI from Europe in the future. The EU investment picture in Vietnam is set to change once the EVFTA is ratified. Once the agreement enters into force, European enterprises will have greater access to Vietnams fast-growing market and, in particular, its service sector. This should open the floodgates to a new wave of investment from European enterprises into the Vietnamese market. This signing of the EVFTA takes us one step closer to ratification, ahead of crucial votes in the European Parliament and National Assembly of Vietnam in 2020. Once ratified and entered into force, the EVFTA will give Vietnamese companies privileged access to a European market of over 500 million consumers. Meanwhile, Vietnamese people will be able to get greater access to high-quality European goods from pharmaceuticals to automobiles and wines and spirits to high-tech electronic products. Turkish police detained seven people in an investigation into how ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn transited through Istanbul en route to Lebanon after fleeing Japan, a police spokeswoman said. According to her, the other detainees were two airport ground workers and one cargo worker and all seven were expected to give statements before a court today. Media reports said Turkeys interior ministry had begun an investigation into Ghosns transit. The former Nissan boss revealed he had fled to Beirut to escape what he called a rigged justice system. People familiar with the matter said that Ghosn had arrived in Beirut on a private jet from Istanbul on Monday, Reuters reported. Hurriyet news website, citing an interior ministry official, said Turkish border police were not notified about Ghosns arrival, and neither his entry nor exit were registered. A plane carrying Ghosn arrived at 5:30 am (0230 GMT) Monday at Istanbuls Ataturk Airport, Hurriyet reported, adding that prosecutors ordered the arrests after widening their investigation. Flight tracking data from that time suggests that Ghosn used two different planes to fly into Istanbul and then on to Lebanon. The businessman was smuggled out of Tokyo by a private security company days ago, the culmination of a plan that was crafted over three months, Reuters has reported. Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faces four charges, including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East. He denies the charges. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. After months of lobbying, hand-wringing, and debate, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) finally went into effect Jan. 1. It grants California residents powerful new privacy protections, some of which could be extended to consumers across the country. However, it will take months for all the regulations to kick in and even longer to see how effectively the law reins in the worst privacy infringements. The CCPA gives Californians several basic rights: the right to know what personal information is being collected about them, the right to access that data, the right to know who its being sold to, and the right to opt out of those sales. Among other stipulations, the California privacy law also guarantees people the right to delete data that has been collected already. The CCPA is certainly historic, says Justin Brookman, director of privacy and technology policy at Consumer Reports. It provides new rights around commercial data collection that have never existed before in this country. However, Brookman says the CCPA may also have significant shortcomings that regulators need to account for. The law was hastily drafted and has potential loopholes that industry has signaled it will use to get around the laws protections, Brookman says. We hope the California attorney general will interpret the law as it was intended, whether in its regulations or in its enforcement. If not, the legislature will need to go back and close up inadvertent vagueness in the laws protections. No matter how the CCPA plays out, its big step in U.S. privacy law, and significant changes take effect immediately. So what now? Heres what the CCPA means for you. Whats Actually Different? First, lets look at whats changing for California residents. Some companies, such as Google and Facebook, already provided Californians with options for downloading and deleting their data, but they didnt have an obligation to do so. Today, thousands of other companies are joining the tech giants by giving Californians more control over their data as a result of the CCPA. Story continues Before, if you went to a company and said, Give me my data, they could make you pay for it, or just tell you to go pound sand, Brookman says. Now its a legal right. Companies that let residents download their data in the past may have to provide more details about what theyve gathered. Thats because the new law provides a broad definition of personal information that must be disclosed if its being collected. If Californians dont like what they see when they download that data, they now have the right to delete it as well. Companies also are now required to provide details about the kinds of third parties that California residents data is being sold to. Californians might not find a list of all the companies that get copies of their data, but it will be an unprecedented window into a sector of the economy that traffics in personal information. The most significant change will be the opt-out link that Californians will start seeing at the bottom of web pages. If companies sell their datawhich includes any transfer or sharing of information to another business for monetary or other valuable considerationtheyre required to provide a conspicuous button that says, Do Not Sell My Personal Information. However, Brookman says it remains to be seen how effective these opt-outs will be. For example, opting out may be an ineffective way to stop the data collection that fuels targeted advertising from some companies, including Google and Facebook, which argue that they dont share or sell their users data in the first place (more on that below). In the meantime, using an ad blocker is still one of the best ways to stop companies from spying on you. Is Every Company Included? The CCPA doesnt apply to every business. In general, a company is covered only if it has an annual gross revenue of more than $25 million, deals with the personal information of 50,000 or more consumers a year, or generates at least half of its revenue from selling consumers personal information. A lot of companies will still be looped into it, Brookman says. Your small brick-and-mortar stores running an email list with only a couple thousand people on it will be okay. But for online companies, its probably going to apply pretty comprehensively. The CCPA will cover businesses that you might not think of as data harvesters, like your cell-phone carrier, news websites, and retailers with loyalty programs. You may be surprised to learn whos doing what with your data. Companies cant mislabel data selling anymore. No more sharing data with partners, and so on, says Chris Hoofnagle, an adjunct professor at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Theres a moment of confrontation here where the industry is being forced to reckon with the idea that when you take data about people and send it to 30 different advertising companies who then give you money, thats a data sale." (Consumer Reports shares some member data in accordance with our privacy policy and provides members with the opportunity to opt out.) What If You Don't Live in California? Experts on privacy law expect some companies to extend the protections guaranteed by the CCPA to people in other states, rather than treating customers differently depending on where they live. Thats what happened in many cases after the passage of the GDPR, Europes sweeping privacy law. But those changes may not come immediately. In part, thats for technical reasons. When you think about data, you might imagine automated systems that work with little human intervention. In reality, its going to be much more of a manual process, says Christine Lyon, a partner at the law firm Morrison & Foerster who works with companies on CCPA compliance. Thats particularly true for firms that never had to deal with consumer data requests in the past. Until companies get a feel for how much work is involved, Lyon expects most businesses to only commit to honoring requests from Californians. But eventually, consumers in other states may find theyre able to make the same data requests as Californians, and some companies may be more inclusive up front. Microsoft, for one, has promised to honor Californias new privacy rights for consumers throughout the United States. No matter where you live, the California privacy laws broader effects could be good for your privacy. The new transparency requirements, for instance, could push companies to make changes in their privacy practices and even consider collecting less data in the first place, Lyon says. A lot of companies do not want to include that Do Not Sell My Personal Information link if they can avoid it and are looking at the types of data sharing they engage in to see if its really something they want to keep doing, she says. What Should You Do First? So many of the rights under the CCPA dont kick in unless the consumer takes action, says Maureen Mahoney, a policy analyst at Consumer Reports. However, it isnt hard to start exercising those rights. Californians can perform a little experiment to find out whether companies are following the law. File a data access request to get a copy of your personal information. Then request that your data be deleted. Once youve done that, file a second data request and compare the results to see what was actually erased. The law carves out exceptions to the kinds of data that need to be deleted, such as information needed for security or fraud prevention. But if you think youve spotted a company skirting their CCPA responsibilities, let Consumer Reports know. You can also contact the California attorney generals office. Keep in mind that companies are required to provide you with personal information only twice every 12 months. The CCPA takes aim squarely at data brokers, the many companies that make their money sponging up data about consumers and providing it to other businesses. The CCPA provides a unique opportunity to find out what information data brokers have collected, and demand that they stop selling your data. Data brokers are being required to register with the state by the end of January, but for now, a similar registry from Vermont is a good place to start hunting for the names of data brokers that may also be operating in California. Theres another important tool built into the application youre using to read this article right now: the Do Not Track button in your browsers settings. For years, it has been an open secret that Do Not Track settings dont actually do muchwebsites arent required to respect the setting. But the California attorney generals draft guidelines suggest that these browser settings could become legally binding, universal opt-outs under the CCPA. They're not effective yet, but they may be powerful privacy shields in the near future. Opting out of the sale of your personal information is the most proactive step, but initially that may be a bit of an arduous process. At this time, consumers still have to opt out one by one with every individual company thats selling their data, Mahoney says. However, the California privacy law lets consumers choose to have a third party exercise privacy rights on their behalf, so soon there may be services that do the work for you. Will All Companies Comply? A minority of companies are torturing the language of the CCPA in order to declare that they are simply not covered by the law at all, Berkeleys Hoofnagle says. Many companies involved with online advertising industry argue they are acting as service providers, which are exempt from many of the CCPAs regulations. Facebook, for one, says its practices wont fundamentally change. The social media giants trackers, such as the Facebook Pixel, are spread across websites and enable Facebook to follow consumers all over the web. However, the company says the onus is on those websites to decide whether theyll stop sending Facebook data when consumers hit the opt-out button. According to a Facebook spokesperson, theres nothing for consumers to opt out of directly on the Facebook platform, either, because the company says it doesnt sell any consumer data. Google did not respond to Consumer Reports requests for comment, but the companys public statements indicate that it will take a similar position. That interpretation is strategic, Hoofnagle says. Companies like Facebook can buy time quibbling over the laws application and, in the process, continue business as usual until a court forces them to do otherwise. It will be up to the California attorney general and the courts to determine whether such arguments hold water. The attorney general is set to release guidelines by July 1 that will detail the scope of the law and provide more insight on how the CCPA will be enforced. There are other open questions, as well. For instance, the CCPA doesn't bar companies from charging consumers extra fees for using their services if they opt out of the sale of their data. On the other hand, some experts predict that companies will be hesitant to penalize consumers for trying to protect their privacy. In some cases, opting out may limit your use of a service altogether. For example, the job search platform Indeed prompts consumers to delete their accounts if they request that the company stop selling their data. Some privacy experts say such trade-offs should be out of bounds. Privacy should be considered a fundamental right, not something that companies can coerce you to bargain away, Brookman says. Consumers cant sell their right to vote or to speak. We should think of privacy the same way. Editor's note: An earlier version of the article stated that Consumer Reports supported passage of the CCPA. The organization supported the ballot initiative leading to the law, but not the legislation in its final form. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2020, Consumer Reports, Inc. The upcoming 45th edition of China International Furniture Fair Guangzhou (CIFF Guangzhou 2020) will launch the International Brands Hall for the first time during Phase 2 of the event. The trade fair is scheduled to be held from March 18 to 21 and 28 to 31 in Guangzhou. It will include three trade shows focused on three market segments: Home Furniture/Home Decor/Outdoor Furniture, Office Furniture, and CIFM/Interzum Guangzhou. The International Brand Hall will be launched in the Office Show. In 2020, the fair will be spread out over 760,000 sq m and host over 4,300 exhibitors, attracting more than 300,000 professional visitors from over 200 countries and regions. CIFF Guangzhou 2020 will host an amount of leading overseas brands and several international pavilions, which will comprehensively improve both the structure and the quality of the exhibitors, promote the globalization and reinforce the competitiveness as a prior trade platform for new arrivals and business communication. Internationally renowned office furniture brands will gather in the first edition of International Future Office Exhibition which is designed to create a wonderland of Oi (Office imagination). Marking its first presence, Turkish pavilion will join in to showcase the industrial fashion, along with other overseas office furniture forces including Korean pavilion. CIFF Guangzhou is not only appealing to hundreds of outstanding exhibitors from home and abroad, but also to plenty of domestic and international visitors. Its strong competence of export has been widely acknowledged. In the background of a slowing growth of the global economy and a more complicated situation in the international trades, CIFF Guangzhou remains a stable improvement in both the quantity and quality of the professional visitors. The 43rd edition of CIFF Guangzhou attracted 297,759 professional visitors coming from over 200 countries and regions. There are international importers and exporters, distributors, retailers, brand chain stores, designers, architects and estate agents, which reveals the diversity of the visitors. With the drive of the Belt and Road Initiative, more and more emerging countries alongside the Road have become an important market with great potential, which will bring new opportunities to the furniture industry. There is also an increasing amount of visitors coming from the Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which place tremendous demand on furniture of diverse styles, new designs and good value. In order to adapt to the trade situation and exploit the emerging market, CIFF team has followed the B&R to explore multiple channels by the means of communicating with most of the national trade associations from the UAE, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. TradeArabia News Service Cam Battley was forced out of his executive job at Aurora Cannabis (ACB.TO)(ACB), according to one analyst. Cantor Fitzgeralds Pablo Zuanic sees the departure as a win for shareholders, and a signal the company is shaking up its bloated senior management structure. On Dec. 21, Edmonton-based Aurora said Battley stepped down from his chief corporate officer role. However, Zuanic describes it as a forced departure. We understand that Mr. Battleys departure was not voluntary and thus see potential for ACB to turn the corner regarding reconciling its long-term ambitions with a more realistic approach to managing its near-term profitability and cash flow, he wrote in a note to clients on Thursday. Cam Battley of Aurora Cannabis is pictured at his companies penthouse office in downtown Vancouver, B.C., Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward) Battley joined Aurora in 2016 and became chief corporate officer in 2018, where he was the public face of the company. He often spoke before chief executive officer Terry Booth on quarterly earnings calls, handled most media interviews, and regularly presented to audiences at cannabis industry conferences. Yahoo Finance Canada reached out to Battley for comment on the circumstance under which he left Aurora, but received no response. Aurora has not named a replacement to fill the vacant job. Aurora shares have slid more than 80 per cent from their post-recreational-legalization high in March. U.S.-listed shares hit a new 52-week low on Tuesday, dropping to $1.88 in early trading. The battered stock fell about 10 per cent on Dec. 23, the first trading day after Battleys exit was announced. Zuanic believes the market read the news wrong, a mistake he blames on the large portion of Aurora stock held by retail investors. The fact that he had become, somewhat de-facto, the face of the company, and given his fairly active Twitter feed, the market took his departure negatively, he wrote. Zuanic points to the 14 per cent jump in Canopy Growth (WEED.TO)(CGC) shares following the announcement of Constellation Brands (STZ) veteran David Klein as the companys new CEO. Klein replaced Bruce Linton, Canopys charismatic leader who was ousted from his job last July amid lacklustre financial performance. Story continues Canopy underwent a months-long talent search before Klein was given the top job last month. Zuanic hopes Nelson Peltz, the well-known American shareholder activist who Aurora brought on as a strategic advisor last March, will help recruit a David Klein-type CEO as part of a broader management shakeup. We think current CEO Terry Booth could take the role of chairman, Glen Ibbott should stay as CFO, and the new CEO could rationalize what we deem to be a bloated senior management structure, he wrote. Zuanic cut his price target for Aurora shares to $5 from $5.85 on Thursday and maintains an overweight rating. If Mr. Peltz could also negotiate a CPG (consumer packaged goods company) taking a stake in ACB, we think the stock could have a great 2020, he wrote. New York-listed shares fell 3.94 per cent to $2.08 at 12:05 p.m. ET. Toronto-listed shares dropped 3.23 per cent to $2.70. Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Hillary Clinton has been appointed the new Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been appointed the new Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast. Mrs Clinton will take up the largely ceremonial role immediately and will serve for five years. The former First Lady succeeds Dr Tom Moran, who passed away last year, and becomes the first woman to take up the post. Accepting the position, Mrs Clinton said it is a "great privilege" to be named Chancellor of Queen's, a place she has "great fondness" for. "The university is making waves internationally for its research and impact and I am proud to be an ambassador and help grow its reputation for excellence, she added. Mrs Clinton has a long history with Northern Ireland, first visiting in November 1995 with her husband, President Bill Clinton. In 2018 she received an honorary degree from Queen's and a new scholarship was set up in her name for post-graduate study in politics, human rights and peace building. Mr Stephen Prenter, Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Senate, the universitys governing body, said: I am delighted that Queens has chosen Hillary Clinton to be its new Chancellor. "Secretary Clinton has made a considerable contribution to Northern Ireland and as an internationally recognised leader will be an incredible advocate for Queens and an inspirational role model for the Queen's community. As Chancellor, Mrs Clinton will preside over graduation ceremonies and act as an ambassador for Queen's abroad. She will also act as an advisor to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Greer, and senior management. South Belfast MP Claire Hanna welcomed the appointment, describing it as a "positive reflection on Queen's University and Northern Ireland". "Secretary Clinton has made a considerable contribution to Northern Ireland and as an internationally recognised leader will be a very fine advocate for Queens and an inspirational role model for the student and alumni community, she added. Secretary Clinton has a long-standing relationship with Belfast, spanning decades. This new role is an extension of her long-standing commitment to people in Belfast and across the North. As local MP, I look forward to supporting Chancellor Clinton, Professor Ian Greer and their colleagues across QUB." Lucknow, Jan 2 : After expelling ten senior leaders from the party last year, the Congress in Uttar Pradesh is now realising its mistake and wants to make amends. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, according to sources, is preparing to take the initiative of assuaging the feelings of the seniors in the party. Priyanka has asked the young leaders to reach out to the veterans in each village, block and district and seek their guidance for re-establishing the party. "We need energy from the youth and experience from the seniors to revive the party," she reportedly said at one of the numerous meetings she addressed during her recent visit to Lucknow. Priyanka is planning to host a lunch/dinner meeting for the senior leaders of the party, including former MPs and legislators. "The lunch/dinner meeting will be hosted as soon as the weather becomes warmer. The venue could be Lucknow or Delhi -- the preference is Delhi since the Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will also be able to attend the event. The idea is to reach out to the seniors who have, apparently, been feeling left out," said a party leader. The divide between the veterans and the youth in the party has been widening since November when the party expelled ten senior party leaders who had come together, ostensibly to celebrate the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and discussed the state of affairs in the state Congress. The divide widened when Priyanka did not visit the residence of veteran leader Kranti Kumar, who passed away on December 3. The residence of Kranti Kumar is less than a kilometre form the Congress state headquarters. The expelled leaders held a parallel celebration of the foundation day of the Congress on December 28 and more senior leaders joined them on the occasion. The seniors had sought an appointment with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, but they got no response. "We do not blame Priyanka entirely. If she was not aware of Kranti Kumar's demise, it is the state leadership that is to be blamed. Did UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu inform her of this?" asked one of the expelled leaders. Expelled Congress leader Haji Siraj Mehndi said: "We have never said that we are no longer with the Congress. Most of us have worked with Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and the party ideology runs in our blood. In fact, we are working to revive the Congress that we lived in. It is the leadership that has not given us a chance to meet and express our feelings." Ernest Airlines suspends has blocked sales of transport contracts for all flights departing from January 13, 2020 over the suspension of the airline's operating license under a decision of the National Civil Aviation Authority of Italy (ENAC). According to a posting on the website of the airline, the license can be restored following the demonstration by Ernest S.p.A. to be in possession of the requirements prescribed by the current legislation on the matter and to obtain the revocation of the provision issued by ENAC. The flights will be restored on the site as soon as the revocation of this provision is published. Earlier Ernest Airlines suspended flights on the Kyiv-Genoa, Kharkiv-Rome and Kharkiv-Milan routes for the 2019/2020 winter navigation season. Ernest Airlines plans to invest EUR 100 million in Ukraine in two years and to deploy two aircraft in Kyiv in 2020. Desperate evacuees have been forced to steal from petrol stations and convenience stores after a series of devastating bushfires caused power outages. The South Coast of New South Wales has been ravaged by fires within the last week that have caused hundreds of families to evacuate their homes. Sue Mazzuoli a shopkeeper from Sussex Inlet, on the state's South Coast said people were stealing food off shelves because ATMs weren't working and people had no money. In other towns, people were filling up their cars and driving off without paying as they had no cash to spend. Locals line up outside an IGA supermarket in Batemans Bay in the hope of stocking up on supplies before temperatures rise to 46C on Saturday, causing catastrophic weather The line to the store stretched out the door, with many people desperate to buy what they can Ms Mazzuoli, who runs her own grocery store said her town had turned into 'chaos' as holidaying families were taking up resources that locals desperately needed. 'They were stealing from the supermarket because they had to feed the family and they had no money,' shopkeeper Sue Mazzuoli told A Current Affair. 'People were just panicking, especially the kids, the kids were just really worried.' She said that due to so many travellers trying to leave the area and the power outage, fuel was almost impossible to come by. 'You can't access petrol, gas ran out, chaos at the supermarket,' she said. She said the power is expected to be out until Saturday, forcing her son to drop off emergency supplies in the form of a gas bottle, a fridge, a generator and a jerry can of fuel. Sue Mazzuoli, (pictured) who runs her own grocery store said her town had turned into 'chaos' as holidaying families were taking up resources that locals desperately needed In a petrol station in Batemans Bay, drivers were forced to wait hours until they could receive fuel only to find out the ATMs were down. The manager of the petrol station, James Latta, told 7 News around one in eight drivers were driving off without paying, saying it was completely 'unfair'. '(They) couldn't be lower. It's terrible at this time of year with what's going on, they're taking advantage of these nice people, it's disgusting,' one resident said. In a petrol station in Batemans Bay, (pictured) one in eight drivers were leaving the station without paying as the ATM machines were down Police told the manager to close the store but despite numerous people stealing fuel, he decided to keep it open. On Thursday in the town of Bermagui, around three hours south of Sussex Inlet, Mayor Kristy McBain told residents they needed to leave immediately as fires close in. The town's local supermarket closed at midday on Thursday after it ran out of fresh food, leaving some residents without anything at all. Residents have been told to evacuate areas of the South Coast as bushfires close in but many were stealing food off the shelves of supermarkets as a power outage caused ATMs to break down At a petrol station in Bermagui, drivers were forced to queue for four hours as they waited for a generator to drive the fuel pumps. 'I feel like I'm a refugee in my own country,' one Bermagui resident told 7 News. Another 91-year-old resident, Ted Hutt said he was determined to stay in his home despite warnings to leave. He had missed the cut off for the grocery store and was unable to buy food for himself and his 92-year-old wife. Cars were stuck in queues for hours as residents desperately tried to flee the South Coast More than 1,400 homes have been destroyed and hundreds of residents have been forced to evacuate across the country (pictured: a firefighter battling a blaze in Nowra, NSW) Those living in and visiting Bermagui as well as several other towns along the South Coast have been urged to head towards evacuation centres including one at Bega. But the road out is proving just as difficult with cars being banked up for kilometres, sitting in queues for hours on end without moving. Some managed to drive just two kilometres in three hours while others had a two-hour journey turned into nine. Since October, violent bushfires have claimed the lives of 17 people and a further 17 are still missing in Victoria. More than 1,400 homes have been destroyed and hundreds of residents have been forced to evacuate across the country. On Thursday there was still more than 100 fires burning in New South Wales. By PTI VARANASI: Activists Ekta and Ravi Shekhar returned home to their 14-month-old baby here on Thursday, a day after an Uttar Pradesh court gave bail to them and 56 others arrested for protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC nearly two weeks ago. The Shekhars, who run the environment NGO Climate Agenda and made national headlines with many voicing concern about their toddler daughter being left alone, were among the 59 people taken into custody during the protests on December 19. On Wednesday, the court of the additional sessions judge, Varanasi, granted bail to Ekta (32) and Ravi (36), residents of Mehmoorganj, and 56 others, ending their ordeal. "I didn't think it would take so long," an emotional Ekta told NDTV as she hugged her daughter after two weeks. "Main bata nahin sakti (I can't put it in words)," she said when asked how it felt. The bail application of the couple -- nabbed along with other protesters from Left groups from Beniyabagh and nearby localities for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CRPC -- was initially cancelled by a lower court and the next hearing fixed for January 1. In their absence, their baby was being taken care of by her grandmother Sheila Tiwari, uncle Shashikant and her aunts. Less than two months after he was finally released from the hospital, Jabari Gray, who was born without skin on most of his body, celebrated his first birthday. On New Years Day, Jabaris parents honored the milestone with a Baby Shark-themed party. In one image from the bash, the entire family wears Baby Shark shirts as Priscilla Maldonado holds her son in her arms while standing with her two other children and husband Marvin Gray in front of a festive birthday sign. Another photo shows the boy wrapped in a blanket covered with cartoon sharks. After nearly a year in the hospital and countless skin grafts, Jabari was released from the hospital in November. Maldonado, shared the happy news on a GoFundMe campaign that has since been deactivated, noting that while her son would still need additional surgeries, he was improving thanks to lab-grown skin that doctors grafted onto his body at Texas Childrens Hospital. Jabari Gray and family Jabari Gray | Courtesy Priscilla Maldonado Gray Jabari Gray birthday party | Courtesy Priscilla Maldonado Gray Jabari Gray birthday party | Courtesy Priscilla Maldonado Gray RELATED: Mom of Baby Born Without Skin Can Finally Kiss Her Son After Life-Saving Transplant Im overwhelmed with happiness, Maldonado, 25, told Today at the time. Everything is going fine. Its working out a lot better than I expected. It feels like having a baby all over again actually being able to take the baby home, she added, noting that she was thrilled to be able to do typical newborn activities with Gray, like giving him a bath in the tub and holding him regularly. Its like a dream come true, finally. Jabari Gray | GoFundMe Maldonado was only able to start holding her son and giving him kisses in October. It was heartwarming because he was crying when he was laying down, but as soon as I picked him up and had the skin-to-skin contact and put him on my chest, he just stopped crying, she told ABC 13. RELATED VIDEO: Baby Girl Born at 24 Weeks Defies the Odds Ahead of Her First Birthday Jabari whose name aptly means fighter and warrior came into the world on Jan. 1 completely silent, Maldonado previously told the San Antonio Express-News, a shock compared to the births of her first two children. Story continues The child tested normally throughout her pregnancy until her 37-week ultrasound, which showed that his heart rate had dropped and he wasnt gaining weight. Doctors immediately performed an emergency C-section on Jan. 1, and with only skin on his head, face and parts of his legs and arms, doctors didnt expect Gray to survive. Ja'bari Gray shortly after his birth | Priscilla Maldonado/GoFundMe But Maldonado refused to pull the plug and pushed for his continued medical care. Doctors are still unsure why Gray was born without skin. If it wasnt his purpose to be here, he would have been gone from birth or even before birth, so he does have a purpose in this world and we never know what it is until the future, Maldonado previously told ABC 13. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Thursday said that the resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has "no legal or constitutional validity". "This resolution has no legal or constitutional validity because citizenship is exclusively a central subject. This actually means nothing," Khan told the media persons. The state assembly had on Tuesday passed a resolution seeking the withdrawal of the amended law. The law grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. Since the resolution has been passed, the state government has been facing the ire of BJP leaders at the Centre. Yesterday, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that there is a constitutional obligation on every state to implement the laws made by Parliament. BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also said that the state has insulted the constitution and parliament by passing the resolution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Colombo, Jan 2 : Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has confirmed that the government was in the process of drafting a Cabinet proposal to extend the free-visa regime till April 30, it was reported on Thursday. "We have just begun to draft the proposal and within the next two weeks I hope to submit it to the Cabinet for approval," the Minister told the Daily Financial Times on Wednesday. As a means to recover the country's tourism industry which suffered a major setback following the Easter Sunday attacks on April 21, 2019, Sri Lanka granted free visas to travellers from 49 countries, including India, for a period of six months from August 1. With the period coming to an end this month, the Immigration and Emigration Department lobbied the government to suspend the visa scheme, noting that there will be a loss of revenue. However, the tourism industry urged the continuation of the regime, as it has been helpful for a more complete recovery, whilst any loss of revenue to the government was insignificant considering the net $4.4 billion it brings in as foreign exchange earnings. Following the bombings that targeted three churches and three luxury hotels in Colombo and killed over 250 people, tourist arrivals slumped by 70.8 per cent to a record low of 37,802 in May 2019. According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, 1.6 million tourists arrived from January to November, compared to the 2 million arrivals in the same period in 2018. YEREVAN. The lawyers of Armenia's second President Robert Kocharyan will appeal the decision by the Appellate Court judge in the Court of Cassation. The lawyers would file an appeal on January 8 in connection with Judge Lusine Abgaryans decision to reject the complaint of Kocharyan, one of the lawyers Hayk Alumyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. Earlier, judges rejected the petition of lawyers to change the preventive measure from arrest to release on bail. Lawyers appealed the text of the decision, indicating the lack of grounds and non-compliance with the principles of the ECHR. Kocharyan is charged with overthrowing constitutional order of Armenia during the events that followed the presidential elections in 2008. READING, Pa. - Berks County has delivered its formal response to the Pennsylvania auditor general's review of a county-owned facility contracted by the federal government to temporarily house families that are in the United States illegally. The MacMain Law Group, a West Chester-based firm that represents the Berks County Residential Center, sent a letter Thursday on behalf of the county to state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale to "correct the myriad of inaccuracies" in his review of the center, the results of which he announced during a news conference in Harrisburg last month. "Berks County and the BCRC are disappointed in your "Review," both because of its gross characterizations and untruths and also because your office failed to obtain a first-hand analysis or review of operations," said Matthew J. Connell, the attorney who penned the seven-page letter. "We stand by the information in our report," Barry Ciccocioppo, the auditor general's communications director, told 69 News on Thursday afternoon. DePasquale called on the county to end its contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, which has been in place since 2001, claiming that the center in Bern Township "essentially functions as a jail." "The BCRC," Connell said, "provides an avenue for the residents, undocumented illegal immigrants seeking asylum, to maintain family unity while ICE enforces immigration laws." Connell said DePasquale was wrong to claim that he and his staff were denied the ability to tour the center during their review. He said the auditor general's office failed to comply with federal government guidelines that require information about the purpose of their visit. "In fact, your office was advised that once they complied with the Federal Government's requirements, the Federal Government would permit them to tour the BCRC," Connell wrote. Rather than provide such information, your staff subsequently advised that it no longer wished to tour the BCRC." Connell said inspectors with the state Department of Human Services, which licenses the 96-bed facility, have visited the center dozens of times since 2015 and have praised it for "the excellent work performed by employees and the quality of the facility." "Clearly, if DHS had found any violations... it would have taken action," Connell stated. "Rather, as your 'Review' acknowledges ever so slightly in a single sentence, DHS officials have stated that the facility is 'an excellent facility.'" The letter went on to point out that DePasquale's review contained no indication that he or his staff spoke to any of the DHS inspectors about their monthly visits. "These individuals could have provided invaluable information as to what they see monthly during their inspections and what they learn from the residents themselves about the BCRC," Connell said. The center is also inspected twice monthly by both the Department of Homeland Security and Danya International, a federal government contractor, according to Connell. DePasquale is not the first public official to call for the center's closure. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont demanded the facility be shut down during his campaign for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 race for president. That same year, Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey led more than a dozen of his colleagues in calling on the Obama administration to close the center. Copied on the county's letter Thursday were Casey and fellow U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey as well as Berks County's delegation of state and federal lawmakers. Aga Milko Lazarovs film about an Indigenous couple living a traditional life in Siberia has been honored at film festivals around the world. Unrated. Playing 7 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The Grudge Another American remake of the Japanese horror hit about a house inhabited by a really angry spirit. John Cho, Andrea Riseborough and Demian Bachir star. Rated R. Playing throughout Houston. Inmate Zero English horror film about an island used for extreme medical tests on violent criminals. But when things go wrong, those who remain have to fight to survive. Unrated. Playing at Studio Movie Grill Pearland. The Masque of the Red Death Indie-film pioneer Roger Corman is in town to accept an honor from the Houston Film Critics Society and screen his 1964 film starring Vincent Price that tells the story of a European prince who terrorizes the locals. Corman will be in attendance. Unrated. Playing at 7 p.m. Friday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Mathu Vadalara Telugu-language drama from India about someone with hypersomnia, an affliction in which a person falls asleep anywhere and anytime, even in the middle of an activity like driving. Unrated. Playing at Cinemark Memorial City, Houston. Mystify: Michael Hutchence Following up on the INXS Live Baby Live concert film that was shown last month, Fathom Events is now presenting a documentary about the life of the late INXS vocalist Michael Hutchence. Unrated. Playing at 7 p.m. Tuesday throughout Houston. For details, go to fathomevents.com Prati Roju Pandage Telugu-language drama from India about an elderly man with only weeks to live who is visited by his grandson who has a wish he wants to fulfill. Unrated. Playing at Cinemark Tinseltown 290, Houston. cary.darling@chron.com twitter.com/carydar At the court (Photo: VNA) Meanwhile, former Director of the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment Dao Anh Kiet was jailed for six years and six months, former deputy head of the land management division at the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Truong Van Ut five years, former Deputy Chief of the Office of the municipal Peoples Committee Le Van Thanh four years, and former head of the urban division at the Office of the municipal Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Chuong three years. According to the indictment from the Supreme Peoples Procuracy, Tin, in his former position as Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, was in charge of issues regarding construction, land management and environment in the city. Tin and the other defendants helped the now-jailed business tycoon Phan Van Anh Vu, also known as Vu Nhom, to acquire many buildings and public land in prime locations in the city at extremely low prices, causing great damage to the State. Tin was clearly aware that the land and buildings at 15 Thi Sach street in HCM Citys District 1 were under State management, according to the court. Despite this, Tin instructed the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment to lease the land to Vu, former Chairman of the Da Nang-based Bac Nam 79 Construction JSC, and not report the lease to the Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee at that time. The other defendants then illegally handed over a 2,345sq.m lot at 15 Thi Sach street in HCM City to one of the companies owned by Vu. They also asked Tin to issue illegal decisions on land lease, house sale and tax deductions. In addition, Tin and the other defendants also helped Vu and his partners build an 18-storey building at 15 Thi Sach street in HCM City and sell and rent it out to 114 clients, earning more than 1.033 trillion VND. As of September 17 last year, when police began investigating the case, their acts had caused a loss of 808.7 billion VND (34.77 million USD) to the State. A Texas judge ruled Thursday that a hospital may take an 11-month-old girl off life support despite her familys objections. Tinslee Lewis, who was born prematurely and suffers from a rare heart defect, has not left the Cook Childrens Medical Center in Fort Worth since birth. She has had at least six surgeries and went into respiratory arrest in July, and has been on both a heart-lung machine and a ventilator since. Her doctors said Tinslee requires significant sedation and they believe she is in pain. The judge basically said Tinslees life is NOT worth living. I feel frustrated because anyone in that courtroom would want more time just like I do if Tinslee were their baby, the babys mother, Trinity Lewis, said in a statement. I hope that we can keep fighting through an appeal to protect Tinslee. She deserves the right to live. This isnt Tinslees first rodeo. Shes made it this far. I know shes going to continue to fight for her life, Lewis said last month. Texas state law allows a medical facility to take a patient off life support over the objections of those responsible for their treatment as long as the doctors and the hospitals ethics committee are in agreement about the decision. The hospital originally planned to take Tinslee off life support on November 10, enforcing the 10-day rule, which allows the patient to be taken off life support if another health care provider cannot be found within 10 days. Texass Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, has called the law unconstitutional and thrown his support behind Tinslees family, filing a brief with the court supporting them. Cook Childrens Medical Centers decision directly violates the mothers request and her daughters right to life, Paxton said. Texas Right to Life, representing Tinslees family, slammed Thursdays ruling, saying they are disappointed that the ruling not only disregarded the Constitution, but also sentenced an innocent 11-month-old baby to death like a criminal. Story continues The hospital argues that her physicians have exhausted their options to treat Tinslee. Our doctors and nurses have done everything humanely possible to save Tinslees life. Currently, any care we provide, including feeding, bathing and providing treatments and medication, can cause her little body to experience a medical crisis, which causes even more intervention and pain for her, the hospital said in a statement last month. The hospital has agreed to keep life support going for Tinslee for a week to give her mother time to file an appeal of the decision. More from National Review MANILA, Philippines A Japanese national died on Thursday while snorkeling off Oslob waters in Cebu, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. Information from the PCG identified the Japanese man as 52-year old Marinubo Kuriyama. Citing information from the foreigners snorkeling guide, Airi Hemeno, the PCG said Kuriyama suddenly felt ill in the middle of the activity. Blood was also seen coming out from his nose and mouth. The PCG said its personnel performed cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to Kuriyama and subsequently rushed him to the Oslob District Hospital. He was, however, announced dead on arrival. The post Japanese man dies while snorkeling in Cebu appeared first on UNTV News. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-03 03:48:51|Editor: yan Video Player Close ATHENS, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Greece, Cyprus, and Israel signed on Thursday in Athens an intergovernmental agreement for the construction of the Eastern Mediterranean (EastMed) natural gas pipeline which is to be linking the region's gas reserves to Greece and the rest of Europe. The agreement was signed in the presence of the prime ministers of Greece and Israel, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Benjamin Netanyahu, and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, by the energy ministers of the three countries in a ceremony held at Zappeion exhibition hall. During a joint press conference after the signing of the agreement, all three leaders stressed that this was a "pipeline of peace." "Zappeion's agreement for the EastMed has a financial, development, diplomatic and geostrategic aspect. It is one of the largest pipelines of natural gas in the world, will have obvious positive benefits for the participating countries, but will also contribute to peace and geopolitical stability," Mitsotakis said during the event which was broadcast on Greek national broadcaster ERT. "The cooperations we have developed are not aimed against any third country. On the contrary, any country wishing to take part is most welcome as long as it fully complies with the principles of international law," Anastasiades added. "From every point of view this is a day of history," Netanyahu stressed. The EastMed pipeline is scheduled to run across the Mediterranean Sea from the gas reserves found off Israel to Crete island, western Greece and then to Italy. Italy is expected to sign the agreement at a later stage, the Greek government has said. The pipeline will be 1,872 km long with an initial capacity of 10 billion cubic meters, according to a Greek Environment and Energy Ministry press release. The project which is backed by the European Union and the U.S. aims to help diversify Europe's energy sources, the three sides said. (1 euro= 1.12 U.S. dollars) Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Thursday hit out at the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over non-allocation of portfolios to its ministers so far, saying that it was the "failure" of the alliance. The MVA comprises Shiv Sena, NCP, Congress and their smaller allies. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and six of his ministers took oath on November 28. The cabinet was expanded on December 30, but the allocation of portfolios is yet to be done. "It is the failure of the 'aghadi' (alliance) if it still has not been able to allocate portfolios to its ministers," Athawale told reporters here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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Huge twin foils tipped skyward like falcon wings caught by high-speed, stop-motion photography. One expects jet engines to fire and the boat to launch down and off of a runway on a sortie. Engines, it turns out, are unnecessary apart for the need to generate electricity, but flying is exactly what these boats do. A multigenerational fleet of 29 IMOCA 60s started the 2019 Transat Jacques Vabre race from France to Brazil featuring a handful of brand new foilers. It was a test of evolving technology. With breeze on, the boats without foilscutting edge just months agoare comparatively slow. Boats retrofitted with foils are faster. But the purpose-built foiling machines set a new bar. At the time of this writing, the leading Gen II IMOCA 60s were just behind three Multi50 trimarans and every other boat had been left in the dust. Since the IMOCA 60 is a monohull open rule (anything not expressly not permitted is permitted), designers have been unleashed. Material and computer science and structural engineering are being stretched to build the fastest offshore monohulls of their size and range ever created: nearly autonomous singlehanded sailing boats promising speeds of 30 knots for hours at a time, peaking potentially, at 35 or 40 knots, and designed to circle the globe. Nobody really knows how fast they might go. For perspective, these boats sail faster in 18 knots of wind than most oceangoing ships can power, achieving these speeds by lifting off and staying aloft, above even large waves. Whereas the first prototypes were made from nonfoiling Gen I hulls outfitted with foils to add lift to a planing hull, the Gen II designs put almost all the load into the foils themselves. They are boats built around blades, not blades added to boats. Buoyancy is but a means to an end. To stabilize lift, the sailors adjust foil rake, among other blade controls. The goal is to minimize wave piercing, pounding, wetted surface and therefore multiply speed by perfecting pitch. This is akin to trimming sails above and below the water, so the work to find and keep the groove is complex and never ending. Moreover, a Gen II IMOCA 60 simply cant reasonably be driven by a person for more than a few minutes. Response times are too quick and a lowly human cant keep up like an advanced autopilot. Also, an autopilot cant be scared. In fact, the sailing is so edgy and extreme and the motion so violent that the sailor is often relegated to a nav cockpit to keep watch of computers managing the boat. Jeremie Beyou, skipper of the super-foiler Charal calls it a new era in ocean sailing, and its hard to argue. In one clip from the race, a Niagara-like din is only pierced by strange mechanical pangs and bangs, and howling wind and violent spray seem otherworldly, like in the scene from the movie Interstellar, when Matthew McConaughey is about to enter the black hole. Interstellar, however, is fiction and special effects. Flying IMOCAs are the real thing. The fleet is gearing up for the next Vendee Globe nonstop, unassisted, singlehanded race starting in November 2020 and a group of sailing friends and I are gearing up to become rabid fans. At a recent gathering, one friend had many questions: Would 30 knots become the new normal? Will computer-driven flying boats become ubiquitous? Will this trickle down? What could go wrong? The conversation turned to the inevitability of a foil finding a partially submerged lost container in the Southern Ocean and the drum-tight boat exploding into shards on impact. The next day, while tearing along at 25 knots in the Transat Jacques Vabre, Alex Thomsons brand new $8 million Hugo Boss hit something hard enough to pulverize the keel and keelbox. The bulb and its blade had to be cut away and dropped to the ocean bottom. Thomson and co-skipper Neal McDonald limped to the Cape Verde Islands. Thirty knots is indeed out of this world; something most of us never dreamed of. But now that its here, now that we can sail around the world faster than ships can steam, were going to need to add collision avoidance systems. If we can make a sailboat fly, surely we can make it see. The bill passed easily through Turkey's parliament, by 325 votes to 184 Turkey's parliament passed a bill on Thursday approving a military deployment to Libya, aimed at shoring up the UN-backed government in Tripoli. The beleaguered Tripoli government has been under sustained attack since April by the Libyan National Army (LNA) commander General Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by Turkey's regional rivals - Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office confirmed last Friday that a request for military support had been received from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). No details have been given on the scale of the potential deployment, and Vice-President Fuat Oktay told state news agency Anadolu on Wednesday that no date had yet been set. "We are ready. Our armed forces and our defence ministry are ready," he said, adding that parliamentary approval would be valid for a year. He described the parliament motion as a "political signal" aimed at deterring Haftar's army. "After it passes, if the other side changes its attitude and says, 'OK, we are withdrawing, we are abandoning our offensive,' then what should we go there for?" The bill passed easily through Turkey's parliament, by 325 votes to 184. A UN report in November said several countries were violating the arms embargo on Libya in place since the overthrow of its long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Jordan and the UAE regularly supply Haftar's forces, it said, while Turkey supports the GNA. Turkish and Emirati drones were spotted in Libyan skies during clashes over the summer. Russia Connection The Libyan conflict is expected to be a key topic of discussion when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Turkey next Wednesday. Erdogan has repeatedly accused Russia of sending private mercenaries to support Haftar's forces, though this has been denied by Moscow. However, Turkey and Russia have managed to work closely on Syria despite supporting opposing sides in that conflict and are expected to seek a similar balancing act with regards to Libya. "We're supporting the internationally recognised legitimate government in Libya. Outside powers must stop supporting illegitimate groups against the Libyan government," Erdogan's communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted last week. Turkey has used its alliance with the Tripoli government to advance other interests. It signed a military cooperation agreement with the GNA during a visit by its leader, Fayez al-Sarraj, to Istanbul in November. But they also signed a maritime jurisdiction agreement giving Turkey rights to large swathes of the Mediterranean where gas reserves have recently been discovered. The agreement drew international criticism, particularly from Greece which says it ignores its own claims to the area. Analysts say Ankara was responding to being frozen out of regional energy deals, notably the "East Mediterranean Gas Forum", formed this year by Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Italy and the Palestinian territories. Haftar has previously ordered his forces to target Turkish companies and arrest Turkish nationals. Six Turkish sailors were briefly held by his forces over the summer. Search Keywords: Short link: Credit: University of Pennsylvania On frigid days, water vapor in the air can transform directly into solid ice, depositing a thin layer on surfaces such as a windowpane or car windshield. Though commonplace, this process is one that has kept physicists and chemists busy figuring out the details for decades. In a new Nature paper, an international team of scientists describe the first-ever visualization of the atomic structure of two-dimensional ice as it formed. Insights from the findings, which were driven by computer simulations that inspired experimental work, may one day inform the design of materials that make ice removal a simpler and less costly process. "One of the things that I find very exciting is that this challenges the traditional view of how ice grows," says Joseph S. Francisco, an atmospheric chemist at the University of Pennsylvania and an author on the paper. "Knowing the structure is very important," adds coauthor Chongqin Zhu, a postdoctoral fellow in Francisco's group who led much of the computational work for the study. "Low-dimensional water is ubiquitous in nature and plays a critical role in an incredibly broad spectrum of sciences, including materials science, chemistry, biology, and atmospheric science. "It also has practical significance. For example, removing ice is critical when it comes to things like wind turbines, which cannot function when they are covered in ice. If we understand the interaction between water and surfaces, then we might be able to develop new materials to make this ice removal easier." In recent years, Francisco's lab has devoted considerable attention to studying the behavior of water, and specifically ice, at the interface of solid surfaces. What they've learned about ice's growth mechanisms and structures in this context helps them understand how ice behaves in more complex scenarios, like when interacting with other chemicals and water vapor in the atmosphere. "We're interested in the chemistry of ice at the transition with the gas phase, as that's relevant to the reactions that are happening in our atmosphere," Francisco explains. To understand basic principles of ice growth, researchers have entered this area of study by investigating two-dimensional structures: layers of ice that are only several water molecules thick. In previous studies of two-dimensional ice, using computational methods and simulations, Francisco, Zhu, and colleagues showed that ice grows differently depending on whether a surface repels or attracts water, and the structure of that surface. In the current work, they sought real-world verification of their simulations, reaching out to a team at Peking University to see if they could obtain images of two-dimensional ice. The Peking team employed super-powerful atomic force microscopy, which uses a mechanical probe to "feel" the material being studied, translating the feedback into nanoscale-resolution images. Atomic force microscopy is capable of capturing structural information with a minimum of disruption to the material itself, allowing the scientists to identify even unstable intermediate structures that arose during the process of ice formation. Virtually all naturally occurring ice on Earth is known as hexagonal ice for its six-sided structure. This is why snowflakes all have six-fold symmetry. One plane of hexagonal ice has a similar structure to that of two-dimensional ice and can terminate in two types of edges"zigzag" or "armchair." Usually this plane of natural ice terminates with a zigzag edges. However, when ice is grown in two dimensions, researchers find that the pattern of growth is different. The current work, for the first time, shows that the armchair edges can be stabilized and that their growth follows a novel reaction pathway. "This is a totally different mechanism from what was known," Zhu says. Although the zigzag growth patterns were previously believed to only have six-membered rings of water molecules, both Zhu's calculations and the atomic force microscopy revealed an intermediate stage where five-membered rings were present. This result, the researchers say, may help explain the experimental observations reported in their 2017 PNAS paper, which found that ice could grow in two different ways on a surface, depending on the properties of that surface. In addition to lending insight into future design of materials conducive to ice removal, the techniques used in the work are also applicable to probe the growth of a large family of two-dimensional materials beyond two-dimensional ices, thus opening a new avenue of visualizing the structure and dynamics of low-dimensional matter. For chemist Jeffrey Saven, a professor in Penn Arts & Sciences who was not directly involved in the current work, the collaboration between the theorists in Francisco's group and their colleagues in China called to mind a parable he learned from a mentor during his training. "An experimentalist is talking with theorists about data collected in the lab. The mediocre theorist says, 'I can't really explain your data.' The good theorist says, 'I have a theory that fits your data.' The great theorist says, 'That's interesting, but here is the experiment you should be doing and why.'" To build on this successful partnership, Zhu, Francisco, and their colleagues are embarking on theoretical and experimental work to begin to fill in the gaps related to how two-dimensional ice builds into three dimensions. "The two-dimensional work is fundamental to laying the background," says Francisco. "And having the calculations verified by experiments is so good, because that allows us to go back to the calculations and take the next bold step toward three dimensions." "Looking for features of three-dimensional ice will be the next step," Zhu says, "and should be very important in looking for applications of this work." More information: Runze Ma et al, Atomic imaging of the edge structure and growth of a two-dimensional hexagonal ice, Nature (2020). Journal information: Nature Runze Ma et al, Atomic imaging of the edge structure and growth of a two-dimensional hexagonal ice,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1853-4 COLUMBUS, Ohio In a manner of speaking, Marc Dann is trying to take his political career back to where it started. Dann, the controversial former Ohio attorney general who now lives in Lakewood, in a Wednesday Facebook post announced hes running to be an elected delegate pledged to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren at next years Democratic National Convention. Ohio Democrats will meet Tuesday night at locations in each of Ohios 16 congressional districts to pick delegates. The caucuses are the first step in awarding Ohios DNC delegates, a complicated process thats ultimately tied to the results of the states March 17 primary. The move, albeit small, is the latest step Dann has taken as hes tried to re-enter the political arena. That door seemingly was slammed shut in 2008, when Dann resigned with the urging of the states top Democrats amid a series of personal scandals. I cant help in thinking this is something I care very much about, Dann, who now owns a private legal practice, said in a Thursday interview. Im very passionate about it. And I think I can make a contribution thats valuable without necessarily running for office, which I dont think is in the cards for me. Dann last served as a DNC delegate in 1980, when as a high-school senior in Shaker Heights he was elected as an alternate pledged to then-President Jimmy Carter. He became a state senator in 2002 in the Mahoning Valley, filling Tim Ryans old seat after Ryan was elected to Congress, and rode a Democratic wave election to become Ohios attorney general in 2007. But he was quickly engulfed in numerous scandals, and resigned in 2008 amid myriad investigations that led to criminal ethics charges and the surrender of his law license. Since regaining his law license, Dann has operated a consumer-law practice. Hes also recently begun dabbling in Ohio politics, including writing an op-ed for cleveland.com in 2018 in which he expressed regret for his past efforts to woo support from local gun-rights groups, and filing a lawsuit last year seeking records from the states largest public-pension system. He said hes known Warren since the 2000s, when she as a Harvard professor testified in favor of legislation he was sponsoring expanding protections for Ohio homeowners going through the bankruptcy process. He said he views Warren as an insurgent Democrat willing to take on big business, the more corporatist and traditional elements of the party, and eventually, President Donald Trump. Dann said he hasnt been in touch with the Warren campaign directly about his effort to be a delegate. The campaign didnt immediately have a comment for this story. Dann is among 3,000 people vying for 89 district-level and 8 alternate delegate slots, according to a state party spokeswoman. The actual delegates are chosen through Tuesdays caucus vote, and then will be apportioned by candidate to the convention based on the results of the March 17 primary election. Why does it matter who delegates are? On the first round of convention voting, delegates are pledged to the candidate they ran to represent. But if the nominee isnt locked up the day of the convention, delegates in subsequent voting rounds can vote for whomever they want. I wouldnt do this if I didnt think I could be helpful, Dann said. And I think I have the credentials that transcend the mistakes I made when I was in office, because they have nothing to do with the stands I took relative to the concentration of economic power and economic-justice issues which are really driving this campaign. Read other recent Ohio Statehouse news: Innovation center, birthing facility on Cleveland wish list for Ohio capital budget Ohios new $100 fee for hybrids and $200 fee for electric vehicles go into effect next week Ohio lawmakers want feds to end mandatory E-Checks in Greater Cleveland Key groups back in the fold on Ohio criminal sentencing reform bill after amendments removed Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly USD 2 billion Punjab Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, was further remanded in custody at a hearing on Thursday and asked to appear on January 30. Modi appeared for his regular 28-day "call-over" appearance from London's Wandsworth prison at Westminster Magistrates' Court. His extradition trial is scheduled for May 11 and is expected to last over five days. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram who was the judge on Thursday, asked if there are any other issues to be discussed now. Modi, wearing black, light grey and white sweat shirt and grey bottom, said no. The 48-year-old had moved yet another bail application last November with an "unprecedented" house arrest guarantee, akin to those imposed on terrorist suspects, as well as citing mental health issues from being behind bars at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London since his arrest in March. But the bail plea was turned down by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot over continued fears of witness intimidation and failure to surrender before the court for his extradition trial in May 2020. "The past is a prediction of what might happen in the future," Judge Arbuthnot had said at the time. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which represents the Indian government in the extradition proceedings, said there is no further prospect of an appeal for bail in a higher court as the UK High Court has already turned down Modi's plea earlier this year. You only get to go once and can't keep appealing over and over, a CPS spokesperson had said. Meanwhile, Modi must appear for "call-over" hearings at Westminster Magistrates' Court until the case management hearings for his extradition trial kick in over the coming weeks. The diamond merchant denies the charges of fraud and money laundering and his defence team, led by barrister Hugo Keith, has claimed that the Indian government has wrongly "blackened" Modi's name as a "world-class schemer". Modi has been behind bars at Wandsworth, one of England's most overcrowded prisons, since his arrest on March 19 on an extradition warrant executed by the Scotland Yard on charges brought by the Indian government. During subsequent hearings, the UK court has been told that Modi was the "principal beneficiary" of the fraudulent issuance of letters of undertaking (LoUs) as part of a conspiracy to defraud PNB and then laundering the proceeds of crime. (TNS) The cyberattack that has crippled New Orleans government's computer network for more than two weeks might claim yet another casualty: Unless the systems are restored soon, property owners won't be able to pay their taxes online.The city normally accepts property tax payments through its website, through the mail or in person at City Hall. But the online functions have been hobbled by a ransomware attack since Dec. 13.That means property owners who normally use that system should instead pay their bills in person or by mail, City Councilman Joe Giarrusso told residents in a post on social media Monday.The city has not said if it expects its online systems to return before Jan. 31, the deadline to pay property taxes in New Orleans."Due to ongoing system disruptions from the citys cyber attack, property tax payments CANNOT be made online. You must pay by mail or in person inside City Hall at 1300 Perdido St.," Giarrusso wrote on Twitter.The issue is not likely to affect property owners who still are paying on a mortgage, as mortgage lenders typically pay residents' taxes through a different process, he said. About half of New Orleans homeowners fall in that category, according to the Data Center and the U.S. Census Bureau.Giarrusso said his office has recently received an influx of questions about online tax payments.The city's computers took a gut-punch Dec. 13 after a city employee apparently responded to a "phishing" email and provided login credentials to a hacker. A flood of such emails soon began showing up in the city's computer network.Officials also detected the presence of ransomware, software that locks up computers and demands payment to allow access. But no demands for payment have been received, officials have said.Similar attacks have hit more than 40 municipalities across the U.S. this year, as foreign and domestic hackers have increasingly infiltrated government computer systems in hopes of gaining a quick payday.A separate attack on the state's servers in November prompted a shutdown of state websites and forced Office of Motor Vehicles offices to close several days.No ransom was paid in that case. Experts say such payouts encourage future attacks.In New Orleans, officials have had to re-image more than 3,400 computers and 450 servers. Employees have had to use an emergency alerting platform and their personal emails to communicate internally.Mayor LaToya Cantrell has said the cost of the attack will likely exceed the city's cybersecurity insurance policy, valued at $3 million this year. The city intends to increase its policy to $10 million in 2020, she has said.The city has not provided a timeline for completing the restoration of its computer systems.Though property tax payments are a no-go online, sales and other taxes can still be paid online, as those are handled by outside systems. Residents can also pay their parking and traffic tickets online.The city has traditionally encouraged property owners who pay their taxes in person to pay early, as waiting until Jan. 31 can mean encountering long lines at City Hall. Mailed payments must be postmarked by Jan. 31.Property tax bills are considered delinquent after Feb. 1. Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday described the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act as "mostly political" and asserted that no Indian will lose his or her nationality due to the newly enacted legislation. IMAGE: Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaks at the new campus of National Fire Services during the foundation laying ceremony for NDRF Academy in Nagpur. Photograph: PTI Photo Shah also challenged Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to show one clause in the CAA under which anyone is going to lose Indian citizenship. "I agree that these are mostly political protests. Some people are also misguided but we are trying to convince them," he told ABP News. The home minister said under the CAA, the government wants to give citizenship to persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. "I want to say clearly that there is no provision in the CAA in which one can lose citizenship," he said. Shah said the CAA provides for granting citizenship to refugees from the three countries. "I say with full firmness that these refugee brothers who have come to India belong to us and it is the responsibility of the government of India to give them a respectable place in India," he said. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but be given Indian citizenship. The home minister said the Census 2021 and the National Population Register, which government plans to conduct along with the house-listing phase of census from April to September 2020, have nothing to do with the National Register of Citizens. "Census and NPR take place in the country every 10 years and this time also it is happening after 10 years. Congress has done this repeatedly but today, the Congress is opposing it," he said. Replying to a separate question about the Bihar assembly elections likely to be held later this year, Shah said the NDA will contest the polls under the leadership of Janata Dal-United president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. "In Bihar, we will contest elections under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, there is no confusion on this," he said. Onward, Christian Fascists By Chris Hedges January 01, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The greatest moral failing of the liberal Christian church was its refusal, justified in the name of tolerance and dialogue, to denounce the followers of the Christian right as heretics. By tolerating the intolerant it ceded religious legitimacy to an array of con artists, charlatans and demagogues and their cultish supporters. It stood by as the core Gospel messageconcern for the poor and the oppressedwas perverted into a magical world where God and Jesus showered believers with material wealth and power. The white race, especially in the United States, became Gods chosen agent. Imperialism and war became divine instruments for purging the world of infidels and barbarians, evil itself. Capitalism, because God blessed the righteous with wealth and power and condemned the immoral to poverty and suffering, became shorn of its inherent cruelty and exploitation. The iconography and symbols of American nationalism became intertwined with the iconography and symbols of the Christian faith. The mega-pastors, narcissists who rule despotic, cult-like fiefdoms, make millions of dollars by using this heretical belief system to prey on the mounting despair and desperation of their congregations, victims of neoliberalism and deindustrialization. These believers find in Donald Trump a reflection of themselves, a champion of the unfettered greed, cult of masculinity, lust for violence, white supremacy, bigotry, American chauvinism, religious intolerance, anger, racism and conspiracy theories that define the central beliefs of the Christian right. When I wrote American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America I was deadly serious about the term fascists. The evangelical magazine Christianity Today, by stating the obvious about Trump, that he is immoral and should be removed from office, became the latest recipient of the Christian rights vicious and hypocritical backlash. Nearly 200 evangelical leaders, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Rep. Michele Bachmann, Jerry Falwell Jr. and Ralph Reed, signed a joint letter denouncing the Christianity Today editorial, written by the magazines president, Timothy Dalrymple, and outgoing Editor Mark Galli. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Evangelical Christians who criticize Trump are as swiftly disappeared from the ranks as Republican politicians who criticize Trump. Trump received 80% of the white evangelical vote in the 2016 presidential election, and in a poll this month 90% of Republicans said they opposed impeachment and ouster of the president. Among Republicans who identify as white evangelical Protestants, that number rises to 99%. Tens of millions of Americans live hermetically sealed inside the vast media and educational edifice controlled by Christian fascists. In this world, miracles are real, Satan, allied with secular humanists and Muslims, is seeking to destroy America, and Trump is Gods anointed vessel to build the Christian nation and cement into place a government that instills biblical values. These biblical values include banning abortion, protecting the traditional family, turning the Ten Commandments into secular law, crushing infidels, especially Muslims, indoctrinating children in schools with biblical teachings and thwarting sexual license, which includes any sexual relationship other than in a marriage between a man and a woman. Trump is routinely compared by evangelical leaders to the biblical king Cyrus, who rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem and restored the Jews to the city. Trump has filled his own ideological void with Christian fascism. He has elevated members of the Christian right to prominent positions, including Mike Pence to the vice presidency, Mike Pompeo to secretary of state, Betsy DeVos to secretary of education, Ben Carson to secretary of housing and urban development, William Barr to attorney general, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and the televangelist Paula White to his Faith and Opportunities Initiative. More importantly, Trump has handed the Christian right veto and appointment power over key positions in government, especially in the federal courts. He has installed 133 district court judges out of 677 total, 50 appeals court judges out of 179 total, and two U.S. Supreme Court justices out of nine. Almost all of these judges were, in effect, selected by the Federalist Society and the Christian right. Many of the extremists who make up the judicial appointees have been rated as unqualified by the American Bar Association, the countrys largest nonpartisan coalition of lawyers. Trump has moved to ban Muslim immigrants and rolled back civil rights legislation. He has made war on reproductive rights by restricting abortion and defunding Planned Parenthood. He has stripped away LGBTQ rights. He has ripped down the firewall between church and state by revoking the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits churches, which are tax-exempt, from endorsing political candidates. His appointees throughout the government routinely use biblical strictures to justify an array of policy decisions including environmental deregulation, war, tax cuts and the replacement of public schools with charter schools, an action that permits the transfer of federal education funds to private Christian schools. I studied ethics at Harvard Divinity School with James Luther Adams, who had been in Germany in 1935 and 1936. Adams witnessed the rise there of the so-called Christian Church, which was pro-Nazi. He warned us about the disturbing parallels between the German Christian Church and the Christian right. Adolf Hitler was in the eyes of the German Christian Church a volk messiah and an instrument of Goda view similar to the one held today about Trump by many of his white evangelical supporters. Those demonized for Germanys economic collapse, especially Jews and communists, were agents of Satan. Fascism, Adams told us, always cloaked itself in a nations most cherished symbols and rhetoric. Fascism would come to America not in the guise of stiff-armed, marching brownshirts and Nazi swastikas but in mass recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance, the biblical sanctification of the state and the sacralization of American militarism. Adams was the first person I heard label the extremists of the Christian right as fascists. Liberals, he warned, as in Nazi Germany, were blind to the tragic dimension of history and radical evil. They would not react until it was too late. Trumps legacy will be the empowerment of the Christian fascists. They are what comes next. For decades they have been organizing to take power. They have built infrastructures and organizations, including lobbying groups, schools and universities as well as media platforms, to prepare. They have seeded their cadre into the political system. We on the left, meanwhile, have seen our institutions and organizations destroyed or corrupted by corporate power. The Christian fascists, as in all totalitarian movements, need a crisis, manufactured or real, in order to seize power. This crisis may be financial. It could be triggered by a catastrophic terrorist attack. Or it could be the result of a societal breakdown from our climate emergency. The Christian fascists are poised to take advantage of the chaos, or perceived chaos. They have their own version of the brownshirts, the for-hire mercenary armies and private contractors amassed by Christian fascists such as Erik Prince, the brother of Betsy DeVos. The Christian fascists have seized control of significant portions of the judiciary and legislative branches of government. FRC Action, the legislative affiliate of the Family Research Council, gives 245 members of Congress a perfect 100% for votes that support the agenda of the Christian right. The Family Research Council, which has called on its followers to pray that God will vanquish the demonic forces behind Trumps impeachment, is identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group because of its campaigns to discriminate against the LGBTQ community. The ideology of the Christian fascists panders in our decline to the primitive yearnings for the vengeance, new glory and moral renewal that are found among those pushed aside by deindustrialization and austerity. Reason, facts and verifiable truth are impotent weapons against this belief system. The Christian right is a crisis cult. Crisis cults arise in most collapsing societies. They promise, through magic, to recover the lost grandeur and power of a mythologized past. This magical thinking banishes doubt, anxiety and feelings of disempowerment. Traditional social hierarchies and rules, including an unapologetic white, male supremacy, will be restored. Rituals and behaviors including an unquestioning submission to authority and acts of violence to cleanse the society of evil will vanquish malevolent forces. The Christian fascists propagate their magical thinking through a selective literalism in addressing the Bible. They hold up as sacrosanct biblical passages that buttress their ideology and ignore, or grossly misinterpret, the ones that do not. They live in a binary universe. They see themselves as eternal victims, oppressed by dark and sinister groups seeking their annihilation. They alone know the will of God. They alone can fulfill Gods will. They seek total cultural and political domination. The secular, reality-based world, one where Satan, miracles, destiny, angels and magic do not exist, destroyed their lives and communities. That world took away their jobs and their futures. It ripped apart the social bonds that once gave them purpose, dignity and hope. In their despair they often struggled with alcohol, drug and gambling addictions. They endured familial breakdown, divorce, evictions, unemployment and domestic and sexual violence. The only thing that saved them was their conversion, the realization that God had a plan for them and would protect them. These believers were pushed by a callous, heartless corporate society and rapacious oligarchy into the arms of charlatans. All who speak to them in the calm, rational language of fact and evidence are hated and ultimately feared, for they seek to force believers back into the culture of death that nearly destroyed them. We can blunt the rise of this Christian fascism only by reintegrating exploited and abused Americans into society, giving them jobs with stable, sustainable incomes, relieving their crushing personal debts, rebuilding their communities and transforming our failed democracy into one in which everyone has agency and a voice. We must impart to them hope, not only for themselves but for their children. Christian fascism is an emotional life raft for tens of millions. It is impervious to the education, dialogue and discourse the liberal class naively believes can blunt or domesticate the movement. The Christian fascists, by choice, have severed themselves from rational thought. We will not placate or disarm this movement, bent on our destruction, by attempting to claim that we too have Christian values. This appeal only strengthens the legitimacy of the Christian fascists and weakens our own. We will transform American society to a socialist system that provides meaning, dignity and hope to all citizens, that cares and nurtures the most vulnerable among us, or we will become the victims of the Christian fascists we created. Chris Hedges, spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He has reported from more than 50 countries and has worked for The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The Dallas Morning News and The New York Times, for which he was a foreign correspondent for 15 years. https://www.truthdig.com/author/chris_hedges/ Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here Congratulations are in order for newly minted Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland as she moves on from the global affairs portfolio. The bad news, however, is that shes now the new intergovernmental affairs minister. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Congratulations are in order for newly minted Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland as she moves on from the global affairs portfolio. The bad news, however, is that shes now the new intergovernmental affairs minister. Shes going to need all of her considerable brain power and negotiating skills and then some to deal with a number of recalcitrant provincial governments. This is where her experience and expertise in dealing with international politics, especially Canadas relationship with Donald Trumps America, will definitely come in handy. But will it be enough? A handful of provincial premiers, seemingly borrowing a page from the sovereigntist handbook in Quebec, have been speaking publicly (and loudly) about pursuing a suite of policy prescriptions to bolster their autonomy and independence. Now, they arent exactly talking about outright statehood (notwithstanding the strange calls for "Wexit" emanating from Jason Kenneys Alberta) or the dismantling of Canada. Still, they are proposing that their respective provinces carve out a larger role for themselves on the international stage. Translation: enhancing the powers and responsibilities of the provinces at the expense of the federal government and, potentially at least, the overall unity of the federation. The Alberta government is kicking around the idea of creating a provincial body to collect its own income taxes (instead of Revenue Canada), to opt out of the Canada Pension Plan and to replace the federal RCMP with Albertas own police force. Kenney has also spoken about his province establishing a greater international personality via enhanced participation in matters of global trade and investment. According to the parameters of his so-called Fair Deal Panel, members will look into "seeking Alberta representation in treaty negotiations that affect Albertas interests." Not to be outdone, Premier Scott Moe of Saskatchewan has jumped aboard the good ship Autonomy. "Well be considering a number of different options where Saskatchewan has an opportunity to exert our provincial autonomy. Were going to think very seriously about doing that," he said. One of the things that he mentioned was the distinct possibility of opening up his own foreign trade promotion offices/missions. The main problem with provincial governments sticking their noses into world politics is that they will necessarily throw a wrench into things. What I mean here is that assembling a countrys foreign policy is difficult enough without having to construct a consensus among 10 provincial leaders all pressing their own narrow provincial interests. Moreover, it is imperative for Canada to speak with one voice (and not 10) on the international stage and within multilateral forums. Other countries around the world need to know that dealing with Ottawa on delicate foreign policy matters (such as negotiating global agreements or even bilateral pacts) will not require the consent of provincial governments later on. Indeed, foreign leaders will only trust us if they feel reassured that Ottawas word is the final word. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. For all intents and purposes, it will be practically impossible for the federal government to negotiate an international trade pact if it has to first get the approval of every provincial premier. Complex trade negotiations inevitably require painful trade-offs in order to secure a wider deal that will benefit the country overall. But that would be extremely difficult to accomplish if every premier wanted to protect their own provincial interests and thus block the necessary give-and-take. The other major fear is the real possibility that a country such as the United States could seek to undermine Canadas national interest (or a more favourable bilateral arrangement) by utilizing a divide-and-conquer strategy involving the provinces. By turning them against Ottawa or even one another, Washington would be in a stronger bargaining position to out-negotiate Canada and secure a better deal for itself. Needless to say, its going to take a tremendous amount of self-control, patience and forbearance for Freeland to handle this provincial push to engage in matters of Canadas external relations. The one thing weve learned lately is that if Ottawa gives the provinces an inch (such as opening up the foreign policy window just a crack), theyll try to take a mile (and open the window as far as possible). It wont make her popular, but Freeland is going to have to learn to say "no" firmly to the provinces on the question of greater provincial engagement in international affairs. Failure to do so will only further complicate the formulation and implementation of Canadian foreign policy. More important, expanded provincial power in this area will, over time, pose a serious challenge to the national unity of the country. And as the federal cabinet minister chiefly responsible for managing relations with the provinces, Freeland has to stop that from happening. Peter McKenna is professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 05:48:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Students study at a library of Columbia University in New York, the United States, on Dec. 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Rui) Over the past year, many Chinese students have put U.S. visa obstacles into perspective and moved on to other global destinations for higher education as well as institutions at home. by Xinhua writers Xia Lin, Zhang Yichi NEW YORK, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- An increasing number of Chinese students have put U.S. visa obstacles, along with social instability and climbing tuition fees, into perspective, and moved on to other global destinations for higher education as well as institutions at home, as industry professionals have observed while looking back at 2019. "Chinese students' enthusiasm for American higher education has been dampened by the U.S. administration's visa policy, which has delayed or denied entries to many of them, especially those aiming for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degrees," said Annabelle Ding, admission representative at Columbia University School of Professional Studies, in a recent interview with Xinhua. Annabelle Ding, admission representative at Columbia University School of Professional Studies, speaks in an interview with Xinhua in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Rui) According to the non-partisan think tank Migration Policy Institute (MPI), new international student enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities dropped for the third year in a row, and the number of student visas issued to Chinese applicants went down by 54 percent in fiscal year 2018 from fiscal year 2015. Not incidentally, the United States reportedly saw an increase of only 1.7 percent for Chinese students in fall 2018, the lowest in a decade. "Recent U.S. policies have affected its image and reputation, obstructed its exchange with other countries, and undermined its own interests," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in November. "Today, it is all the more important for us to create positive conditions for exchange of students as well as people-to-people ties with an open and inclusive attitude," Geng said. VOICES AGAINST VISA POLICY Lindsay Zou founded offerbang.io to provide career education for international students and professionals, after dabbling in Wall Street as a financial executive upon completion of her schooling years in New York and Beijing. "I've met Chinese students hurt by visa delay or denial. As a consequence, the upcoming ones are overshadowed. Seeing the hardship of studying and job finding in the United States, they'd rather stay in China for higher education, relinquishing their overseas plans at all," she said. Founder of offerbang.io Lindsay Zou speaks in an interview with Xinhua in New York, the United States, on Dec. 11, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Rui) Lan Yang just obtained his master's degree of computer science at Pace University this year and found a job as a product and user interface/user experience manager at Zou's company. Some of his Chinese friends and classmates were not as lucky as him. "As I know, you have to wait longer to get your student visa, which worries not only the students themselves but their parents. For those who are still planning their studying trips to the United States, it is an omen clearly spelt - they react in no other way but jump to a conclusion that America is unfriendly toward Chinese students," he said. Product and user interface/user experience manager of offerbang.io Lan Yang speaks in an interview with Xinhua in New York, the United States, on Dec. 11, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Rui) Rachel Banks, director of public policy at NAFSA: Association of International Educators, was recently quoted by The China Press as saying that the U.S. administration's visa policy and its leaders' comments were the prime factor that stemmed the influx of international students. U.S. President Donald Trump and White House officials have denied such accusations. Caroline Casagrande, deputy assistant secretary for academic programs in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, told Xinhua at the end of November that "our visa policy is matching our discussion, which is coming from the highest office in the land. The president recently said out of the Oval Office (that) we welcome Chinese students into our universities." What Casagrande referred to was Trump's remarks made on Oct. 11 in the White House -- "Our universities are available. The world comes in. They use our universities. We have the greatest system in the world. And China is not going to be treated any differently." A student walks past a building of Pace University in New York, the United States, on Dec. 19, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Rui) However, U.S. universities and education organizations picked up a different tone. "We want the pathway (of coming to the United States) to be very clear and very transparent and very predictable. And what we're hearing from Chinese students is that's not always the case," Brad Farnsworth, vice president of American Council on Education, told Xinhua recently. Months earlier, top universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Harvard University and University of California Berkeley voiced their concern that their government's visa policy created "toxic atmosphere" and ran counter to their doctrine of openness and transparency. Chinese students were always welcomed by U.S. universities, they added. For the 10th consecutive year, China remained the largest source of international students in the United States in 2018/19, with 369,548 students in undergraduate, graduate, non-degree, and OPT programs. International students, making up 5.5 percent of the total U.S. higher education population, contributed 44.7 billion U.S. dollars to the country's economy in 2018, an increase of 5.5 percent from the previous year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Meanwhile, according to NAFSA's recent statistics, the consecutive slump of new international students since 2016 has led to a loss of 11.8 billion dollars to the U.S. economy. "To be frank, it is no more the choice of choices, but one choice of choices for Chinese students to get enrolled at an American university. I recommend that they make dual options for higher education: maybe one is coming to the United States and the other is to other nations, including China itself," said Ding. Canada, Australia and China have been catching up in attracting international students, said a report issued in December by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) at a summit on the internationalization of higher education in Beijing. According to the report, China now accounts for 10 percent of the world's total international students, ranking No. 3 on the global charts in this category, and plans to host 500,000 international students at all academic levels by 2020. A man charged in connection with a pile-driver attack in Cork city over Christmas is likely to face more serious charges. An onlookers 15-second video clip of the incident went viral, after being posted on Twitter, on St Stephens Day, by a woman who has had her account suspended for breaches of the social media companys policies. The clip shows two young men grappling and throwing punches close to Christy Ring Bridge, in the city centre, as they wrestle with each other across the road, from Camden Quay towards Carrolls Quay. The clip then shows one of the men picking the other up, upending him, and driving him head first onto the ground. The sound of his head hitting the tarmac can be heard, before the recording ends abruptly. The clip has been shared widely across various social media platforms and messaging apps. The clip has been viewed over 41,000 times. That Tweet triggered wild speculation, including mistaken links to a previous serious assault off St Patricks St, several months ago, which led to the death of a man, in hospital, some weeks later, and incorrect suggestions that the injured party in the video clip had died. Gardai have now confirmed that the incident in the video clip occurred close to Carrolls Quay, at around 1am on Monday, December 23. The injured man, who has an address in Cork, was brought to Cork University Hospital for treatment and has since been discharged. He is understood to be receiving follow-up treatment. A garda spokesman said they arrested, and charged, a man in his 20s, with an address in Dublin, in relation to a public order incident on Carrolls Quay, Cork, that occurred shortly after 1am on December 23. The man appeared before Cork City District Court later that morning and was remanded in custody until December 27. He appeared in court again last Friday and was released on bail. However, garda investigations are continuing and the man is likely to face more serious charges. [January 02, 2020] Esri Joins HERE Technologies at CES 2020 Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, today announced that it will join this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES (News - Alert)), to be held January 7-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Esri will be on hand for a discussion moderated by location data company HERE Technologies about how geospatial technology can help businesses make better-informed geographic decisions, such as where to open new stores. Who: Jeffrey Peters, Director, Global Business Development, Esri Jason Bettinger, Senior Director and Head of Retail & Financial Services, Americas, HERE Technologies What: Using the new breed of location data to decide where to open your next store: HERE Technologies in conversation with Esri As 'brick and mortar' retailers continue to innovate with new formats and shopping experiences, they're also turning to high quality data when deciding on their next location. In this talk, Esri joins HERE to discuss how retailers are tapping into a rich resource of map, venue, and traffic informaion to achieve an advantage in what has become one of the most fiercely competitive sectors of the economy.? Where: HERE Technologies booth, LVCC, Central Plaza, CP-2 Las Vegas Convention Center 3150 Paradise Rd Las Vegas, NV 89109 When: January 8, 2020, 12:00 p.m.-12:15 p.m. Learn more: www.ces.tech About Esri Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, offers the most powerful geospatial cloud available, to help customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations including 90 of the Fortune 100 companies, all 50 state governments, more than half of all counties (large and small), and 87 of the Forbes Top 100 Colleges in the U.S., as well as all 15 Executive Departments of the U.S. Government and dozens of independent agencies. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most advanced solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com. Copyright 2020 Esri. All rights reserved. Esri, the Esri globe logo, ArcGIS, The Science of Where, esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of Esri in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products or services mentioned herein may be trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of their respective mark owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005308/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been appointed the new chancellor of Queen's University here. Clinton, who has been a regular visitor to Northern Ireland going back to the first visit of President Bill Clinton in 1995, becomes the university's first female chancellor. She will serve as chancellor for a five-year term, The Irish Times reported after quoting a statement issued by the varsity on Thursday. The former senator, who failed in her bid to be elected as the 45th president of the United States, holds an honourary doctorate from Queen's. With her husband, she has been a long-time supporter of the Northern Ireland peace process. The position of chancellor has been vacant since the death in 2018 of Thomas J Moran, chairman, president, and chief executive of Mutual of America Life Insurance Company. "It is a great privilege to become the chancellor of Queen's University, a place I have a great fondness for and have grown a strong relationship with over the years," Clinton said. "The university is making waves internationally for its research and impact and I am proud to be an ambassador and help grow its reputation for excellence," added she. Chair of the college's governing senate Stephen Preter said that he was delighted that the varsity has appointed the former US First Lady as its new chancellor. "Secretary Clinton has made a considerable contribution to Northern Ireland and as an internationally recognised leader will be an incredible advocate for Queen's and an inspirational role model for the Queen's community," he added. According to the university Clinton as chancellor will play three main roles: a ceremonial one which involves presiding at degree congregations; an ambassadorial role, where the officeholder helps to "open doors" for the university; and finally as an advisor, available to the vice-chancellor and senior management as a "sounding board" and to provide counsel and guidance. However, the university statement said that there were no immediate plans for Clinton to visit the university. The next graduation ceremonies where she could preside will be held in the summer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most common causes of neuropathy, a disease which damages the nerves. It is commonly seen in diabetics, with a large section of patient suffering from loss of sensation and weakness. The global diabetic neuropathy treatment market report by Market Research Future (MRFR) has been analyzed by respected research analysts and compiled with the collaboration of industry experts and subject matter experts. Get Free Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/8359 Market Overview The global diabetic neuropathy treatment market is slated to display a CAGR of 5.1% from 2019 to 2025 (forecast period). It can touch a value of USD 5.80 billion by 2025. High prevalence of the disorder is one of the biggest drivers of the market. Treatment of diabetic neuropathy is the second-biggest cause of disability, with close to 30-40% people living with the disorder globally. The large geriatric populace and the sedentary lifestyle are other drivers which can cause the disorder. The increase noticed in the funding in research and development of novel treatment methods can bode favorably for the market growth. Awareness of new drugs and medications by patients can propel the market demand considerably. Segmentation The global diabetic neuropathy treatment market is segmented by disorder, treatment, and end-user. By disorder, it is segmented into peripheral, autonomic, proximal, and focal. The peripheral segment had the largest market share due to the chances of the disorder affecting women more than men. By treatment, it is segmented into drugs, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and others. Drugs are touted to be the fastest growing segment of the market during the forecast timespan. This can be attributed to the large approval of drugs by regulatory agencies for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. On the other hand, the TENS segment can experience rapid growth due to being the preferred mode for treatment by adults with the disorder. By end-user, it is segmented into online pharmacy, retail pharmacy, hospitals & clinics, and others. Hospitals and clinics are expected to retain their position till 2025 due to the establishments being the primary unit for treatment. Awareness of the disorder combined with availability of treatment and medicines available at these centers can drive the segment growth. Regional Analysis Asia Pacific (APAC), the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA) are the regions discussed with respect to the market report. The Americas is expected to be the largest region for the global diabetic neuropathy treatment market due to its high prevalence. The sophisticated healthcare framework backed by supportive reimbursement packages for patients is expected to propel the market demand by a considerable degree till 2025. According to a survey, nearly 72.2% of the people in the U.S. suffered from the disorder in 2017 highlighting the large potential for growth in the market. On the other hand, the Europe region is predicted to exhibit a massive growth rate due to the large geriatric populace. The APAC region can display a robust CAGR during the forecast period due to large number of patients affected by the disorder, genetic predisposition, and aging. In Asia, Japan reported 298 cases, while Korea accounted for 4,000 patients. Competition Outlook Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Astellas Pharma Inc, Abbott Laboratories, MEDA Pharma GmBH & Co. KG, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited, Pfizer Inc, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson & Johnson, Lupin Limited, Eli Lilly and Company, Depomed, Inc., and others are noteworthy participants of the global diabetic neuropathy treatment market. Collaborations and new product launches are strategies to be watched for during the forecast period. Industry News Local centers are using drug-free methods to treat patients in order to alleviate the pain on taxpayers. The American College of Physicians has recommended therapies such as spinal manipulation, photobiomodulation, and multidisciplinary rehabilitation for the treatment of nerves damaged due to the disease. Browse Premium Research Copy with Detailed Tables and Figures @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/diabetic-neuropathy-treatment-market-8359 Detailed Table of Contents: Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope Of The Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations Chapter 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation Chapter 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.2 Restraints 4.3 Opportunities 4.4 Challenges 4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis 5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis 5.1.1 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers 5.1.2 Bargaining Power Of Buyers 5.1.3 Threat Of New Entrants 5.1.4 Threat Of Substitutes 5.1.5 Intensity Of Rivalry TOC Continued! Send an Enquiry @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/8359 About US: Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Sebastian Kurz clinched a historic alliance with Austria's Green party to claim a second term as chancellor and position his country at the forefront of Europe's battle to limit climate change. Kurz, a 33-year-old conservative, announced the deal late on New Year's Day. Pending approval by a Green party conference on Saturday, the new administration could be sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen (himself a former Green leader) on Jan. 7. Two years after he leaped to prominence by embracing the backlash against immigration, Kurz may be about to set a very different precedent for Europe's conservatives by teaming up with the Greens. His new coalition brings the Austrian Greens into the federal government for the first time and offers a template for politicians across the continent searching for a formula to repel the threat of populism. German conservative Ursula von der Leyen took charge of the European Commission last month after forging a parliamentary majority around her plan to decarbonize the European economy. The next government in Berlin could see a similar alliance as the Greens supplant the ailing Social Democrats as the natural partner for Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats. "Kurz is now trying to address the two main issues of the next decade: immigration and climate change," said Carsten Brzeski, chief economist at ING Germany. "This can become an interesting test case for Germany, and indeed for Europe: the first conservative-Green coalition." It's a risky project though. From 2015, Kurz used the European refugee crisis to take over his party. He dressed the conservatives in the clothes of populism and steered them out of an awkward coalition with the Social Democrats to join forces with a xenophobic party founded by former Nazis. After winning two straight elections, a third of his voters are now former supporters of the Freedom Party and other rightist groups. By teaming up with the Greens, Kurz finds himself on the opposite side of the debate from the populists and vulnerable to their attacks for the first time. Concessions to his partner could also estrange his new voters as well as People's Party mainstays like farmers, industry, commuters and traditionalists panicking about meat prices or fuel taxes. "It's going to be hard to swallow for many groups in the People's Party," said Thomas Hofer, a political analyst and consultant in Vienna. "It's also a fine line to tread because of the voters he won from the Freedom Party." Yet Kurz had few other options after the tumultuous months that started when the "Ibiza" bombshell exploded on Austria's political scene in May. German media published excerpts of a video shot on the Spanish island that appeared to show nationalist leader Heinz-Christian Strache offering state contracts in return for campaign funds. That toppled Strache and Kurz's government, and triggered a snap elections on Sept. 29. The Freedom Party descended ever further into scandal. Secret gold stashes in the Alps, eye-watering expense accounts, and photos of cash-filled bags from eastern European donors emerged. The Social Democrats failed to benefit from the affair under their hapless and gaffe-prone new leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner. Kurz and the Greens were the only clear winners. "There is no alternative, and he knows it," Hofer said. Litte is known yet about the government program Kurz and Green leader Werner Kogler, 58, have agreed on and they declined to take questions when they announced their agreement on New Year's Day. The program was scheduled to be presented Thursday afternoon. Both have flagged to their followers that their very different policies may make for some difficult compromises. Kurz will have to show to his supporters that his tough line on migration and integration remains intact, that there are neither more taxes nor more debt and that legislation will remain business-friendly. Kogler will need some wins on climate policy, including tangible investments in infrastructure and some form of carbon taxes, at least a toning down of the anti-immigration rhetoric of Kurz's former government, and measures on transparency and anti-corruption. "It is possible to cut taxes and make the tax system more ecological," Kurz said. "It's possible to protect the climate, and the borders." Kurz will appoint his close ally Gernot Bluemel as the next finance minister. The Greens will get an enlarged transport ministry that will be headed by environmental activist Leonore Gewessler, and name as justice minister Alma Zadic, a 35 year-old lawyer who fled the Bosnian civil war to Austria in the 1990s. "I think this can hold," Brzeski said. "Kurz has shown he's very flexible and adaptable." Many people believe some types of alcohol cause worse hangovers than others. [Getty] From a splitting headache and crippling nausea to a low mood and paranoia, theres no denying hangovers are unpleasant. Many people claim to have certain drinks that particularly set them off. Some allege gin, known as mothers ruin, leaves them teary the next day, while the richness of red wine can be too much for others to stomach. But is there any truth to these claims? READ MORE: Should you do Dry January? Dehydration is the driving force of hangovers. While it may seem counterintuitive that drinking will leave you parched, the dehydrating properties of alcohol cannot be underestimated. Alcohol is a diuretic substance, Dr Daniel Atkinson, GP and clinical lead at Treated.com, told Yahoo UK. Diuretics encourage the body to remove fluids from the blood. This causes excessive urination, triggering dehydration that leads to headaches and dizziness. Drinks with a higher alcohol content, like wine and spirits, cause the body to do this at an increased rate, Dr Atkinson said. Thats not to say, however, drinks like beer and cider wont dehydrate you, too. It might just happen to a lesser extent. READ MORE: A pear, lime and coconut water smoothie could be the 'ultimate hangover cure' Those prone to a splitting headache after a night on the town may also benefit from choosing lighter-coloured spirits. Dark drinks like whiskey, dark rum and red wine contain something called congeners, which come about during the fermentation process when alcohol is made, Dr Atkinson said. Some evidence shows the more congeners we consume, because they are essentially toxins, can contribute toward more severe hangovers. However, this doesnt mean to say if you stick with white wine the whole night youll be fine. All drinks cause hangovers, some may just interfere more greatly with the severity. It could also be wise to avoid cocktails and sugary alcopops, despite the latters relatively low alcohol content. Mixers are often used to detract from the sharp, bitter taste of spirits, but this can make it a lot easier to lose track of what we have consumed, Dr Atkinson said. Story continues High-alcohol drinks like spirits cause the body to reduce fluid in the blood at an increased rate compared with drinks like beer. (PA) Dr Paul McLaren, addiction expert at Priory Hospital Hayes Grove, is less convinced that different types of alcoholic drinks have varying effects. Whether high-end champagne or an alcopop, if you drink enough it will give you a hangover and itll make you ill, he told Yahoo UK. However, Dr McLaren admits that some may be more sensitive to the ingredients of specific drinks than others. For example, many people may be intolerant to tannins, the naturally occurring compound in grape skins that give wine a pleasant bitterness. READ MORE: How much is one unit of alcohol? Alcohol also irritates the stomach lining, increases production of acid and delays gastric emptying, all of which can trigger vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain, the Mayo Clinic reports. Some people may have more resilient stomachs, Dr McLaren said. He adds, however, that no one alcoholic drink contains more or less of a specific ingredient that influences vomiting. When it comes to our mood, all alcohol is a depressant, according to DrinkAware. There is very little evidence to support the fact that different types of alcohol impact mood, Dr Atkinson said. Essentially, all alcohol is ethanol. The key ingredient is the same. Its quite popular for people to have certain stories about how a particular drink affected them, like rum, gin or tequila. However, the evidence simply doesnt support this. For those still convinced gin is the death of them, he argues it may all be in your head. There might be an argument to be made about our psychological or cultural perception of these drinks, he said. Read more: Five popular hangover cures, reviewed by experts For example, a lot of us associate tequila as being something of a wild drink. This feeds into our psychologically, which is already altered because weve been drinking and causes us to act out. Again, some people associate gin as quite a melancholy drink, so perhaps they consume gin when theyre feeling down, which feeds into their state of mind. He added: Furthermore, our setting may play a role too. Youre hardly likely to be shooting tequila on a relaxed, calm night. Similarly on a particularly crazy night, its unlikely there will be a huge urge to have a shot of a drink like red wine. A London court has extended the remand of fugitive Indian diamantaire Nirav Modi in the $2 billion Punjab National Bank scam. After his regular 28-day call-over appearance, Modi has been sent to custody and asked to appear before the court on January 30. Modi is set to face his extradition trial on May 11, which is expected to last five days. During the hearing on Thursday, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram of Westminster Magistrates' Court asked if there were any other issues to discuss, to which Modi said no. Modi must appear for "call-over" hearings at Westminster Magistrates' Court until the case management hearings for his extradition trial kick in over the coming weeks. The diamond merchant denies the charges of fraud and money laundering and his defence team, led by barrister Hugo Keith, has claimed that the Indian government has wrongly "blackened" Modi's name as a "world-class schemer". ALSO READ: PNB scam: Nirav Modi declared fugitive economic offender by PMLA court Modi has been behind bars at Wandsworth, one of England's most overcrowded prisons, since his arrest on March 19 on an extradition warrant executed by the Scotland Yard on charges brought by the Indian government. During subsequent hearings, the UK court has been told that Modi was the "principal beneficiary" of the fraudulent issuance of letters of undertaking (LoUs) as part of a conspiracy to defraud PNB and then laundering the proceeds of crime. The 48-year-old Indian businessman had moved yet another bail application in November last year with an "unprecedented" house arrest guarantee, akin to those imposed on terrorist suspects. In his bail plea, he had cited mental health issues from being behind bars at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London since his arrest in March. ALSO READ: Bombay HC rejects Mehul Choksi's plea to stay case against him in special court But Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot had turned down the bail plea on grounds of continued fears of witness intimidation and failure to surrender before the court for his extradition trial in May 2020. "The past is a prediction of what might happen in the future," Judge Arbuthnot had said back then. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which represents the Indian government in the extradition proceedings, said there is no further prospect of an appeal for bail in a higher court as the UK High Court has already turned down Modi's plea earlier this year. You only get to go once and can't keep appealing over and over, a CPS spokesperson had said. ALSO READ: PNB bank scam: CBI to file fresh charges in $2 billion bank fraud (With PTI inputs) Late on a smoggy Friday afternoon Dec. 13, three friends sat huddled around a laptop at Raseef coffeeshop in the Hamra neighborhood of Beirut. On Twitter, many Lebanese users urged people to head down to Martyrs Square to protest over the weekend. Thousands did, with state security forces tear gassing and shooting rubber bullets at demonstrators, who posted videos of the confrontations online. With each day of the mass anti-government demonstrations that have swept Lebanon for the past 12 weeks, protesters are adding a new page to the countrys history books. To ensure their activism is not lost or distorted by the passage of time, a handful of tech-savvy citizens are working to preserve and archive materials associated with the demonstrations through open-source online projects. Collaborating on the archive was a way for me to use my skill set which is not really normally applicable to political revolutions to help out and to show up for people, Ramsey Nasser, a Lebanese coder who works in New York, told Al-Monitor. Plus, you know, the reality is I have power in New York. So I could actually connect to activists on the ground, he added, alluding to the daily electricity outages that are a common complaint among protesters fed up with politicians corruption and mismanagement. Along with Nasser, friends Marc Farra and Majd al-Shihabi are creating Lebanon 2019, a series of interactive maps about the demonstrations, while the Beirut-based media advocacy group Maharat has partnered with analytics company Data Aurora to launch the interactive platform Lebanon Protests, breaking down Twitter engagement. The American University in Beirut has also published an online research guide, Lebanon Protests 2019, to accompany the thousands of documents it has preserved for in-person viewing at its campus library. These projects follow an explosion of social media accounts and blogs displaying in-depth photo galleries and analysis about the protests. But while demonstrators in Lebanon are already plenty active online, many of the uprisings most ambitious digital efforts are helmed by millennial technologists and their peers in the sizable Lebanese diaspora, whose deep engagement in online activism has bridged their geographical distance from the protests. Particularly impressive is Daleel Thawra (Arabic for the Revolutions Directory) run by volunteers scattered across Beirut, London and New York. With few opportunities in Lebanon, many young Lebanese say they feel forced to leave their families for work abroad, and remittances are essential to the countrys economy. Now, preserving the protests sizable digital presence in open-source archives is the logical next step in these ongoing online efforts. The trio of Lebanon 2019 creators said they had seen numerous uprising-related posts and images vanish. If we dont download and save this stuff, its gone forever, Nasser told Al-Monitor, noting that people are sometimes pressured to delete posts, while tech companies also remove material. The story we are trying to capture is ephemeral. Nasser is now in Beirut, and Farra has been in there for a couple months. Although Nasser and Farra work as coders in the United States, both are in Beirut over the holidays, their days split between attending protests and working on the archive. They'd previously collaborated with Shihabi, a systems engineer and AUB graduate student, to map the wildfires that devastated Lebanon a week before the protests began Oct. 17, following the announcement of a tax on WhatsApp calls. During the uprisings initial days, they created a heat map to show its spread, which at the peak of the protests received over 20,000 views a day. The project is well-suited to the demonstrations diffuse, popular character. Our question has been: How can we make sure that what happens in Lebanon, in all its depth, gets remembered so we can understand it better in the future? Shihabi told Al-Monitor. Archives allow us to study and learn from the past. The creation of the archive comes during a renewed discussion in Lebanon about the country's history. The protests have been hailed for their non-sectarian character, and many in the streets have expressed a sense that the poisoned legacies from the countrys 1975-1990 civil war have at last been truly transcended. Shihabi previously helped to create The Archive of the Disappeared, a digitized trove of newspaper clippings from Lebanons Civil War collected by family members who are still seeking justice for their lost loved ones. He emphasized that because only a small portion of events are ever even recorded, much less preserved, an essential aspect of archival work is developing political methodologies that endeavor to be representative. In recent years, many online projects documenting political movements have sprung up around the Middle East. In 2018, a group of Egyptian activists created a repository of video footage from the 2011 uprising called 858: An Archive of Resistance. A Syrian-led open-source platform called the Syrian Archive gathers, corroborates and preserves visual evidence of war crimes and human rights violations in the country. More than 10,000 songs, graffiti and other artworks created in Syria have been uploaded to the Creative Memory of the Syrian Revolution platform since 2011. Shihabi has also collaborated on Palestine Open Maps and the Syrian Oral History Project, through his involvement with the Arabic-English tech collective Masrad. Nasser told Al-Monitor that creating online platforms for Arab audiences involve an extra layer of difficulty, because most algorithms and digital typography are designed for the Latin alphabet and incompatible with Arabic script. He runs a blog, "Nope, Not Arabic," dedicated to the issue. Researcher Sina Zekavat has observed that the 2011 Arab Spring sparked the dissemination of a new Western savior discourse around events in the region, through the medias use of terms like Facebook revolutions or WhatsApp and Twitter revolutions. These tropes, he argues, misattributed political movements to technological platforms, forming a discourse that erased the collective agency of activists and inhabitants. In practice, their determination, creativity and labor are what give meaning to modern digital technologies and transforms them from mere consumerist products into ad-hoc tools of revolt and resistance. Mohamad Najem, the executive director of the Beirut-based digital rights group SMEX, told Al-Monitor that archival efforts associated with Lebanons uprising will be an invaluable resource for future activists, researchers and journalists. Najem and other Lebanese activists have continually advocated for measures to ensure that protesters are able to engage in free open dialogue, both online and in the streets. We cant pretend we have technological solutions to the revolutions immensely complex political, social and communal questions, Farra told Al-Monitor. Right now, we are just trying to capture a ground truth of what is happening in Lebanon, so we can remember it tomorrow. Tech giant, Google, on Thursday created a doodle of the late Nigerian filmmaker and media entrepreneur, Amaka Igwe, on its search engine page. Google said the gesture is to celebrate the late Nollywood icon who would have been 57 today. A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Googles homepages that commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and people. The Doodle was illustrated by a Nigerian-raised, Brooklyn-based guest artist, Data Oruwari. The deceased, who was the owner of Top Radio 90.9 Lagos and Amaka Igwe Studios, was recognised as one of the second generation filmmakers who helped begin the video film era of Nigerian cinema. She died on Monday, April 28, 2014. She was reportedly working on location in Enugu, eastern Nigeria, when she took ill. An accomplished filmmaker During her postgraduate studies, Mrs Igwe started focusing on theatre and what she considered to be her first gift: writing. She developed her first television series screenplay, Checkmate, widely considered the best Nigerian soap opera of the 1990s. Her directorial debut in the feature film Rattlesnake (1995 for Crystal Gold Limited), remains a Nollywood classic. It was followed by films like Violated (1995 for Crystal Gold Limited) and A Barbers Wisdom (2001 for Mnet), which helped set a higher production standard for Nollywood at the time. She wrote and directed the Fuji House of Commotion (2001-2012 for Crystal Gold Limited), which gave her dominance of the national television series industry. Passionate about growing the local industry, Mrs Igwe also helped organise the guild system that served the executive boards of the Association of Movie Producers, and was also a patron of the National Association of Cinematographers, the Screenwriters Guild and the Guild of Movie Editors. She led delegations to South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, and France, among other countries, to present the unique Nigerian approach to visual storytelling, propagating global awareness of Nollywood. Mrs Igwe also co-founded the African Film and Media Content Expo, entitled BOBTV, with Big Picture Limited, with the aim of providing a global platform for Nigerias creative industries. The Google Doodle to honour Amaka Igwe posthumous birthday Cementing herself as a matriarch of Nollywood, she evolved a media empire by co-founding a production company, radio station, and TV network. In 2011, she was announced as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR). Final days She was buried on June 13, 2014, in her hometown, Ndiuche Arondizuogu, Imo State. The service of songs held on June 9 at the Havens Event Center, Ikeja GRA with many celebrities the likes of Onyeka Onwenu, Richard Mofe Damiko, Kunle Bantafe, Iretiola Doyle, Ego Boyo and a host of others in attendance. She shall be remembered as a gifted storyteller, producer, director, pioneer of Nollywood, wife, and mother of three. After the incident in June, Dyer police shared a Facebook post by St. John police that stated, "Shortly after midnight today, Match and his two-legged partner Officer Shane Adams were called out, not once but twice on their day off, to hunt for suspects who ran from a stolen vehicle in a neighboring community. Match made the apprehension, and suspect went to jail. Match was so muddy that he needed two baths, before he could enjoy the rest of his day off. The squad car, well that's another story and may take a little steam cleaning. The trials and tribulations of a canine and his handler ... SJPD has your back!" Watkins was charged in Lake Superior Court with misdemeanor resisting law enforcement and possession of marijuana, online court records show. She pleaded not guilty and has a status hearing set for Jan. 27. According to court records, police responded to a report of several men jumping over a fence from the Dyer Auto Auction, which had reported several thefts in recent days, into a parking lot at Texas Roadhouse and getting into a black SUV. The driver led police on a chase and crashed in the forest preserve. Court records in Watkins' criminal case allege she attempted to run into the woods before she was caught by a K-9. Fashion has come over all modest in the past few years, which means the once-maligned blouse is enjoying a boomtime. In recent seasons, we've seen blouses revitalised with Bardot necklines, puff sleeves and prints, but in 2020, prepare for the ruffle collar to dominate. The Victorian motif re-emerged on the catwalks last spring, but by the time the autumn-winter shows rolled around, it was everywhere. Designers in all four fashion capitals took the idea and ran with it, presenting collars that ranged from classically ladylike to over-the-top clownish. At Brock Collection, it came in the form of an ornate gold jacquard skirt suit, the collar bursting out over the lapels of a black coat, and in a concluding series of finely tailored floral frocks topped with red, black and pastel printed neck ruffles. Erdem's extravagant floral evening gowns were embellished with high ruffled collars, completing the modest feel of the long sleeves, hems and patterned tights in gorgeous and darkly romantic fashion. Celine favoured retro over romance, layering white and grey ruffled blouses under crew-neck knits and cardigans, teamed with jeans or this season's culottes and slouchy knee boots. Expand Close Emilia Clarke elevated a ruffle collar with a dress rather than a blouse, thus eliminating the need to even worry about what trousers or skirt to pair it with. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Emilia Clarke elevated a ruffle collar with a dress rather than a blouse, thus eliminating the need to even worry about what trousers or skirt to pair it with. Photo: Getty Images There was more of an '80s feel in Alberta Ferretti's grey ruffle-neck jumper tucked into winter-white high-waisted trousers and Rodarte's sumptuous puff-shoulder, ruffled collar blouses, jumpsuits and prom dresses. Roksanda can be relied upon to provide a modern, sculptural take on the look, as she did with ultra-high necklines on architectural ochre and fuchsia tiered gowns, while at Givenchy, Clare Waight Keller used fishing wire to create the wavy neck ruffles in her pretty plisse floral dresses. By now, ruffled collar blouses can be easily acquired all over the high street, and you're bound to find plenty of options in the sales, too. It'll be a worthwhile investment - such a blouse makes getting dressed a cinch: just add trousers and you're done. Plus, unlike the statement sleeves and prints of so many trendy blouses, this is one you can impress with whatever the weather, as the collar will still be visible poking out from underneath even the hardiest winter coat. See Kate Middleton, whose Sezane blouse peeks out from her crew-neck jumper and utility jacket. It brings a lovely feminine flourish, giving the simple, casual look some subtle drama. If you prefer a bit more flair, look to Cate Blanchett, who delivers full Gucci maximalism on the highest difficulty setting. The rest of us couldn't pull off a snakeskin blazer and vivid green patent trousers, but the bold blouse, we can just about manage. Expand Close Kate Middleton's Sezane blouse peeks out from her crew-neck jumper and utility jacket. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kate Middleton's Sezane blouse peeks out from her crew-neck jumper and utility jacket. Photo: Getty Images Video of the Day The shirred ruffle collar offers an intriguing update on the poloneck, and this bit of spectacle means we can play down the rest of our outfit - a pair of jeans will do fine, as it's the collar that's the main event. Alternatively, you can elevate your ruffle collar with a dress rather than a blouse, thus eliminating the need to even worry about what trousers or skirt to pair it with. Emilia Clarke opted for one such with a blazer and knee-high boots at a recent film screening. Her stand-up neck ruffle gives the now-ubiquitous floral midi-dress a refresh, while the blazer brings an element of androgyny to the delicate florals and frills. The high neckline also means you can go short as you like with your hem. A miniskirt will balance out the primness of the ruffle collar nicely. However you choose to wear it, the collar is going nowhere - you'd better get used to ruffing it. Uber and Postmates are suing California over its controversial law to require that many so-called "gig workers" be considered employees rather than independent contractors. The companies filed suit in Federal Court in Los Angeles on Monday. According to the complaint, the AB-5 statute violates several parts of both the US and California constitutions. "AB-5 is a vague and incoherent statute that does not accomplish what its sponsors have stated they sought to achieve," the lawsuit claims. The companies are joining two drivers who use their apps Lydia Olson and Miguel Perez in suing the state. AB-5, which is set to go into effect in the new year, requires businesses to treat workers as employees and not contractors if they are subject to company control or perform work that is part of the firm's usual course of business. The suit claims that it will stop companies such as Uber, Postmates, Lyft or DoorDash from using as many workers in the future. Supporters of the bill say it's a way to protect workers and make sure they're eligible for benefits offered to employees, such as minimum wage, paid sick days and health insurance benefits. "The hollowing out of our middle-class has been 40 years in the making, and the need to create lasting economic security for our workforce demands action," said a statement from California Governor Gavin Newsom when he signed the bill into law. Lorena Gonzalez, the sponsor of the law, criticized this and other moves by Uber to avoid the impact of the legislation. "The one clear thing we know about Uber is they will do anything to try to exempt themselves from state regulations that make us all safer and their driver employees self-sufficient," she said in a statement. "In the meantime, Uber chief executives will continue to become billionaires while too many of their drivers are forced to sleep in their cars." Postmates said it is not trying to be exempt from the law to or to avoid established rules for determining who is an employee and who is an independent contractor. It issued a statement calling for the two sides to work together to find a solution to protect on-demand workers. "California has failed to heed calls nor answer the big questions about the future of work and workers in a changing economy," it said. "Now is not the time to give up or stop talking. Californians deserve a thoughtful, collaborative process to address the 21st century workforce. Not another false choice." Russia has jailed at least 89 people as defendants in Crimean affairs only. "Russia holds at least 89 people behind bars," chairperson of the Crimean Human Rights Group Olha Skrypnyk said. According to her, most of the convicts - 65 people - are Crimean Tatars. "There are Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians among them. At least 65 people, mostly Crimean Tatars, are defendants in the so-called Hizb ut-Tahrir case, they are charged with terrorism. If to speak about Ukrainians, there is activist Oleh Prykhodko among them. He was detained in 2019. There are also so-called Ukrainian saboteurs," the human rights defender noted. The rights of these people are blatantly violated because the evidence of their guilt was falsified and they have been jailed illegally, Skrypnyk noted. ol Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (January 2) hit out at the Congress for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act and said that the Congress was opposing the Constitution while speaking at Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru. PM Modi said, "Our government brought CAA, but Congress has opposed it. These people have started agitation against Constitution," adding "They are opposing the entry of Dalits and other persecuted people from Pakistan. The atrocities against minorities have been rising in Pakistan. Pakistanis have unleashed injustices against the Hindus, Sikhs, Jains but Congress hasn`t raised its voice." He further took potshots on the Congress party saying, "They don`t have the time or intention to take on Pakistan. It`s our duty to stand by those who are fleeing Pakistan. It`s our duty to help them." Live TV According to him, "Pakistan was formed on the basis of religion, religious minorities were being persecuted there, therefore, they were forced to come to India as refugees. But Congress and its allies don't speak against Pakistan, instead, they are taking out rallies against these refugees." "Those who are agitating against the Parliament of India today, I want to say that today the need is to expose activities of Pakistan at the international level. If you have to agitate, raise your voice against Pakistan's actions of the last 70 years." The Prime Minister, who unveiled a plaque to mark the laying of the foundation stone for a memorial museum of Shri Shri Shivakumar Swamiji, said, "I am fortunate that I am beginning the year 2020 from this pious land. I wish this sacred energy of Sree Siddaganga Mutt enriches the lives of the people of our country." "I am fortunate that I am beginning the year 2020 from this pious land. I wish this sacred energy of Sree Siddaganga Mutt enriches the lives of the people of our country," he added. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister arrived here on a two-day visit. On his arrival, Prime Minister Modi was received by Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and others. (With Agency Inputs) PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-02 12:23:02 Company Announcement No. 1, 2020 Copenhagen, 2 January 2020 Scandinavian Tobacco Group completes the acquisition of Royal Agio Cigars Effective 2 January, 2020, after completion of the statutory works councils consultation process in the Netherlands and clearance from the relevant competition authorities, Scandinavian Tobacco Group has acquired from Highlands Beheer B.V. all the shares of Agio Beheer B.V. (Royal Agio), which is the holding company of the Royal Agio Cigars group. Reference is made to the Companys announcement of 16 September 2019. Royal Agio is a leading European cigar company with a strong cigar portfolio including key brands such as Meharis, Panter and Balmoral. The company is based in Duizel, The Netherlands and has approximately 3,200 full-time employees. Royal Agios reported annual net sales full year 2018 were EUR 133 million (DKK 1 billion) with an EBITDA of EUR 18 million. The proforma combined group net sales for 2018 are approximately DKK 7.7 billion with a combined workforce of close to 11,000 employees. Royal Agio will provide Scandinavian Tobacco Group access to a strong product portfolio and important market positions in key European machine-made cigar markets. The acquisition secures leading positions in France, Belgium and The Netherlands and significantly improves the position in other key cigar markets such as Spain and Italy. CEO of Scandinavian Tobacco Group, Niels Frederiksen says: I am very pleased that we have completed the acquisition of Royal Agio, which significantly strengthens our position in several key machine-made cigar markets in Europe and enables us to deliver an even more attractive range of cigars of the highest standards to our consumers. The acquisition leaves Scandinavian Tobacco Group as a bigger, more competitive and more profitable company better suited to pursue growth and create value for our shareholders. On a debt and cash free basis (the enterprise value), the transaction is valued at EUR 210 million (DKK 1,565 million). The acquisition has been financed by cash at hand and debt. Scandinavian Tobacco Groups leverage ratio (net interest-bearing debt/EBITDA before special items) is expected to temporarily exceed the target of 2.5x. Scandinavian Tobacco Group has undertaken towards the sellers and works councils to conduct an integration planning period of at least 3 months from today, whereupon Scandinavian Tobacco Group expect to provide further financial details on the impact of the transaction. As previously communicated, the transaction is expected to be EPS accretive in 2021. Scandinavian Tobacco Groups full-year financial guidance for 2019 is unchanged: >5% organic growth in EBITDA Free cash flow before acquisitions about DKK 1 billion Special items for 2019, including the previously announced transaction costs of DKK 20 million relating to the acquisition of Royal Agio, are still expected to be about DKK 200 million. The ambition of delivering an annual growth in ordinary dividend payments is unchanged, including for the financial year 2019. About Royal Agio Royal Agio is a family-owned business founded in 1904. Royal Agio's products are sold in about 90 countries with the majority of net sales generated in The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Manufacturing footprint Westerlo, Belgium Machine-made cigars Duizel, The Netherlands Finishing of machine-made cigars and handmade cigars San Pedro, the Dominican Republic Handmade and machine-made cigars; binder and wrapper production Colombo, Sri Lanka. Binder and wrapper production For further information, please contact: Investors: Torben Sand, Head of Investor Relations, phone: +45 5084 7222 or torben.sand@st-group.com Media: Simon Mehl Augustesen, Director of Group Communications, phone: +45 5084 7211 or simon.augustesen@st-group.com Attachment The ex-wife of the Texas church shooter has apologized after he killed two worshipers and says she is glad a volunteer security guard shot him dead. Angela Holloway, who divorced Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43, of River Oaks, in 2010 after eight years together, told Fox4: 'I'm glad they stopped him when they did.' Kinnunen shot worshipers Richard White and Anton 'Tony' Wallace in the West Freeway Church of Christ on Sunday. Within six seconds a member of the church's volunteer security team, 71-year-old Jack Wilson, shot and killed him. Of the victims' families, Holloway, a 44-year-old Fort Worth resident, added: 'It's hard, its hard on all of us. 'Only thing I can tell them numerous times, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.' The ex-wife of the Texas church shooter has apologized after he killed two worshipers and says she is glad a volunteer security guard shot him dead. Angela Holloway is pictured with her son Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43, pictured, was identified as the shooter who opened fire at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas on Sunday Kinnunen got 'more and more' into drugs and 'it messed with his head' during their marriage, Holloway, whose divorce from him was finalized in 2011, had earlier said. She said she hadn't spoken to Kinnunen in years and learned from news reports that he was the church attacker, adding: 'We tried to encourage him. He's popped in and out of our lives for years. 'Everybody kept telling him you need to get right, you need to do right.' The couple used to attend church together and there were times he appeared to be off drugs, but he was frightening by the end of their six-year marriage, she added. 'He was really disturbed,' Holloway said. She said that she doesn't know whether Kinnunen was ever diagnosed with a mental illness and that she wasn't sure whether he could legally have guns, but that he consistently did. 'I dont know how he got them; I just know that he did have them,' she said. Holloway told NBC: 'We knew he was crazy but not like this. I don't wish this on anybody. I feel sorry for the victims. I really do.' She described him as having a bad drug habit and said he had lost touch with reality. They had last spoken three years ago. 'Mentally, I know he was mentally ill,' Holloway said Monday. 'The last time he spoke to us he just wasn't in his right mind. I didn't know how to go about talking to him about it.' Anton Wallace, left, and Richard White, right, were both killed in the shooting on Sunday Homeless drug addict Kinnunen had two ex-wives and had been denied money by the church after going there to receive food on multiple occasions before his deadly attack. His second ex-wife, Cynthia L. Glasgow-Voegle, filed for a protective order against him in 2012, Oklahoma records show. 'Keith is a violent, paranoid person with a long line of assault and battery w/ and without firearms,' Glasgow-Voegle said in the petition. She also wrote that Kinnunen was prone to religious fanaticism and 'says he's battling a demon'. Wilson, the firearms instructor who took down the gunman, later said he did not feel as though he had taken another life because Kinnunen was 'evil' and not human. Former FBI agent-turned-volunteer security guard Jack Wilson took the shooter down Terrifying video captured the scene on Sunday including the brave parishioners who drew their own weapons on Kinnunen. The gunman shot and killed two people before an armed security officer returned fire, killing him during a service Church and community members, including Matt Pacholczyk, left, and his wife, Faith Pacholczyk, stand outside West Freeway Church of Christ for a candlelight vigil on Monday Court records portray Kinnunen as being deeply troubled long before Sunday's attack. In 2012, a district judge in Oklahoma ruled him mentally incompetent to stand trial and ordered him committed to a psychiatric facility for treatment. Texas allows concealed carry in places of worship under a law that took effect in September. It was passed following a shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in 2017 that killed 26 people. The reason for Kinnunen's actions are unclear. Carlos Ghosn has spent more than a year trapped in a Japanese legal odyssey thats transfixed the automotive world and thrown his life into chaos. Now, having pulled off a daring escape from Japan to Lebanon, hes an international fugitive. But the executive is also free to speak his mind fully, without legal filtering, for the first time since his surprise arrest on the tarmac at Haneda airport back in November 2018. And this much seems likely: The former head of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA has stories to tell and scores to settle. At stake is Ghosns entire legacy. Will he be remembered as the brilliant, cost-cutting manager who rescued Nissan and built one of mightiest auto alliances in the industry? Or will he be just another name in a hall of infamy of white-collar fugitives? Ghosn said in his statement from Lebanon on Tuesday that he would finally communicate freely with the media, and look forward to starting next week. So get ready for whats likely to be a blistering public relations assault, starting with an expected press conference, that will rattle some cages in both Japan and France. Based on past statements by Ghosn and his wife Carole, heres a guide to what may be in store. Japans legal system I have not fled justice, Ghosn said in the first emailed statement after his remarkable exit from Japan. I have escaped injustice and political persecution. An even more robust indictment of the nations legal system is likely in the weeks ahead. Ghosns arrest revived long-standing concerns about the fairness of Japans judicial system, where prosecutors can grill suspects repeatedly without their lawyers present and enjoy an almost 100% conviction rate. Under the terms of the executives bail, the courts restricted contact with his family. In his Dec. 31 statement, Ghosn called the Japanese justice system rigged and said his basic human rights had been denied, including the presumption of innocence. Those are issues that he almost certainly would have put on the world stage had his case come to trial. Unholy trinity For months, Ghosns attorneys have been arguing that all of the charges against their client were bogus, the result of a broad conspiracy among nationalistic Nissan officials, Japanese prosecutors and the government itself. The goal, according to Ghosn, was to smear him in order to prevent the executive from further integrating Nissan and Frances Renault, a plan that threatened the Japanese carmakers autonomy and was vehemently opposed in the highest echelons of Tokyo officialdom. Corporate assassins In April, Ghosn was detained before a scheduled tell-all press conference, prompting his camp to release a pre-recorded video for such an eventuality. In it, Ghosn spoke of several Nissan executives whom he claimed turned on him to advance their own interests. The original video named the people; that segment was edited out in the version released to the public. Im talking here about a few executives who, obviously for their own interests and for their own selfish fears, are creating a lot of value destruction. Names? You know them, Ghosn hinted in his video. Now, Ghosn may really be ready to disclose names. Nissans slide In his video, Ghosn also criticized Nissans management for the companys poor performance, saying they lost sight of the need to move the alliance with Renault forward. Im worried because obviously the performance of Nissan is declining, but also Im worried because I dont think there is any vision for the alliance being built, Ghosn said in the video. Nissans earnings have tumbled to the lowest level in a decade and the stock was the worst performer on the Bloomberg World Auto Manufacturers Index last year (the second-worst was Renault), so he may hit that note again. French establishment In several interviews, Ghosns wife, Carole, lashed out at the French establishment for not doing more to help the former head of Renault, who also is a French citizen. In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche, she said President Emmanuel Macron hasnt answered her pleas for help. The silence from the Elysee Palace is deafening, she said. I thought France was a country that defended the presumption of innocence. Theyve all forgotten everything Carlos did for Frances economy and for Renault. It remains to be seen which talking points Ghosn will hit the hardest. Yet this much is clear: He is a fighter, and he has everything to lose if he cant pull ahead in the PR war. That suggests his approach wont be subtle. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has urged leaders to invest in health workers to ensure that the mother and newborn are properly looked after to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth. Each January, UNICEF celebrates babies born on New Year's Day, an auspicious day for childbirth around the In a statement on January 1, Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director said, "Too many mothers and newborns are not being cared for by a trained and equipped midwife or nurse, and the results are devastating." "We can ensure that millions of babies survive their first day and live into this decade and beyond if every one of them is born into a safe pair of hands," she added. UNICEF estimated that 392,078 babies would be born around the on New Year's Day. India topped the list of countries that will have most births - projected at 67,385. "The beginning of a new year and a new decade is an opportunity to reflect on our hopes and aspirations not only for our future but the future of those who will come after us," said Fore. "As the calendar flips each January, we are reminded of all the possibility and potential of each child embarking on her or his life's journey--if they are just given that chance," she said. UNICEF noted that babies dying in the first month accounted for 47 per cent of all deaths among children under five in 2018, up from 40 per cent in 1990. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This Democratic Senate candidate's past is a big indicator of his possible political future. Ross LaJeunesse joined Google in 2008, and eventually rose to become its head of international relations before he was pushed out of the company. Along the way, he saw the company withdraw from, and then plunge back into, the highly censored online world in China along with several examples of racism, sexism, and homophobia, he wrote in a Medium post published Thursday. LaJeunesse, who is challenging Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) for her seat, said that when he left former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office for Google, he felt the company's "don't be evil" mantra was true. He "executed" Google's 2010 move to stop censoring search results in China, and said he was "intensely proud of the principled approach the company took in making this decision." But in 2017, LaJeunesse said he was "alarmed" to learned Google was developing a censored search product for China. And when Google announced an AI initiative in Beijing later that year, LaJeunesse said it was "clear to me that I no longer had the ability to influence the numerous product developments and deals being pursued by the company." "It was no different in the workplace culture," LaJeunesse continued, describing an "all-hands meeting" where employees were divided into groups labeled "homos," "Asians" and "brown people." Read more here. LaJeunesse said he was forced out of the company in 2019, though Google told The Washington Post it was because of a "reorganization of our policy team." "We have an unwavering commitment to supporting human rights organizations and efforts," Google also said. More stories from theweek.com America is guilty of everything we accuse Iran of doing Mike Pence crams 3 inaccuracies about 9/11 into 1 tweet while trying to justify Soleimani strike Will Bernie voters vote for Biden when he wins? President Moon Jae-in offers his hand gestures to Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, Moon's right, on his way for a tea meeting also with other senior presidential aides at the President's main working room in Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul President Moon Jae-in appointed former ruling party head Choo Mi-ae as justice minister Thursday, a few days after the National Assembly passed a bill to set up an anti-corruption agency to investigate corruption allegations against high-profile officials. "At the stroke of midnight, Choo Mi-ae officially took the role as the country's justice minister. President Moon approved this at 7 a.m., Thursday," Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Ko Min-jung told reporters via a text message. The appointment came two days after President Moon requested the National Assembly to approve Choo for the position. He asked the Assembly to forward confirmation reports by New Year's Day, however, it failed to do so as the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) refused to adopt them. Generally, minister-nominees must undergo a confirmation hearing at the Assembly, but the President isn't bound by any recommendation made, and can appoint his designates to the posts despite the parliamentary body's disapproval. Moon has done so in previous cases. "After the President decided to nominate Choo for the position, he had no plans to withdraw the nomination," another Cheong Wa Dae official said. The new justice minister has a "candid outspoken style" and is widely-regarded as a "reformer." She is a long-time ally of the President and is considered the "right fit" for the position because of her backing of Moon's drive for prosecutorial reform. The position has been vacant for 80 days since Moon accepted the resignation of Cho Kuk. Cho, considered one of Moon's top lieutenants, resigned citing the growing burden from a corruption investigation into his family on multiple charges. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted Cho last week. A prosecution official said the former justice minister was facing at least 11 criminal charges including working with his wife to manipulate and fabricate official documents to help their daughter's admission into prestigious universities. Officials at the presidential office and ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers said Choo would accelerate efforts to reform the prosecutorial system amid growing public distrust of state prosecutors. "The new justice minister is the right person to reform and stabilize the prosecution. We want Choo to firmly strengthen its core values in terms of fairness and justice. Choo is determined to explore all measures that will complete prosecutorial reform," DPK spokesman Lee Hae-shik said Thursday. President Moon's appointment of Choo angered the LKP which demanded her withdrawal citing the Assembly's non-confirmation. Keen attention is being paid to any measures related to structural changes at the prosecution that Choo will come up with. These could include changes among senior prosecutors who support for Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl. Choo has made it clear that the justice ministry won't cooperate with prosecutors handling key pending issues. "I am ready and will listen views and opinions on issues from the prosecutor's office. However, that doesn't mean the ministry will cooperate with the office as the justice minister has the authority to direct the prosecution," Choo told lawmakers during her recent Assembly confirmation hearing. On taking power in 2017, President Moon vowed to reform the prosecution to improve transparency, strengthen fairness and to better handle social unease. The Assembly recently passed a bill to establish an independent agency dedicated to investigating allegations of illegal behavior by high-ranking government officials. The prosecution has been center stage in controversies involving political corruption. Moon's liberal supporters claim that the prosecution has long been used "politically" by former conservative administrations to target their opponents. The appointment of Choo and the passage of the bill come just months before a key general election in April, which the Moon administration and the ruling party view as a key barometer of public opinion for the second half of the incumbent's presidency. Despite the President's initial rapid diplomatic rapprochement with North Korea at the start of his term, substantial results have yet to be seen. Relations between the Koreas have worsened as Cheong Wa Dae faces a number of other challenges including reviving the sagging economy. "Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling party are under pressure to do something to prevent the President suffering from lame-duck status," a presidential office official said recently. According to the latest poll by Gallup Korea, President Moon's approval rating in December was around 47 percent, about the same as at the beginning of the year. ERP Systems Administrator (P2), Vienna, Austria Organization: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Country: Austria City: Vienna, Austria Office: IAEA Vienna, Austria Closing date: Thursday, 30 January 2020 ERP Systems Administrator (P2) ( 2019/0616 (209718) ) Organization: MTIT-AIPS Management Section Primary Location: Austria-Vienna-Vienna-IAEA Headquarters Job Posting: 2019-12-19, 7:50:10 AM Contract Type : Fixed Term Regular Probation Period : 1 Year Organizational Setting The Department of Management (MT) provides a platform of services that serves as a foundation for the successful delivery of the IAEAs scientific and technical programmes. Its mission statement is as follows: MT is a partner and a business enabler that champions change and efficiency, leveraging a common purpose. Thus, among other support activities, it assists a scientific manager in recruiting the right expert, helps a technical officer coordinate the purchase of radiation equipment, and ensures that all Board documents are translated and distributed on a timely basis to Member States. The Division of Information Technology provides support to the IAEA in the field of information and communication technology (ICT), including information systems for technical programmes and management. It is responsible for planning, developing and implementing an ICT strategy, for setting and enforcing common ICT standards throughout the Secretariat and for managing central ICT services. The IAEAs ICT infrastructure comprises state of the art hardware and software platforms in a partially decentralized environment. The Division has implemented an IT service management model based on ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) and Prince2 (Projects in a Controlled Environment) best practices. The IAEAs Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, known as the Agency-wide Information System for Programme Support (AIPS), was implemented in a multi-phased phased approach beginning in 2011 and completing in 2017. AIPS provides a single, fully-integrated solution that standardizes and improves efficiency of business processes by leveraging the Oracle ERP suite of products. AIPS encompasses 8 business domains: finance, procurement, programme and project management, planning and budgeting, human resources and payroll, contacts, travel and events management. The AIPS Management Section (AMS) within the Division of Information Technology manages the operations, maintenance, improvements, and support for the AIPS system in collaboration with business process owners. The AMS Section consists of approximately 20 staff members and is led by a Section Head, who reports to the Director of Information Technology/CIO. K-pop stars are speaking out about how they are expected to be perfect as they lift the lid on the cutthroat industry in the wake of a string of suicides from high-profile stars. The culture of K-pop is one of South Korea's most lucrative soft power exports and has drawn a massive audience of young people internationally. But the suicide deaths of two popular female stars less than two months apart has drawn attention to the industry's darker side and the intense pressures that artists face. K-pop star Sulli, whose given name is Choi Jin-ri, took her own life in October. Her friend and fellow star, Koo Hara, killed herself a month later. Both stars had been victims of severe bullying on social media. In an interview with CBS This Morning, K-pop artist Amber Liu said there was an industry expectation to be perfect in looks, performance and discipline. K-pop artist Amber Liu has spoken out about how artists are expected to be perfect in the cutthroat industry in the wake of a string of suicide deaths from high-profile stars 'If you aren't under a certain weight, you can definitely get cut,' Liu said. 'You're told what to do, what to say, what to think.' Liu, who was Sulli's former bandmate, said she has witnessed firsthand the toll the industry, as well as cyberbullying, can have on its stars. 'When (people) hear you're getting help they're like, 'What? Why are you getting help? That's weird',' she said. 'That stigma against mental health is just so strong.' K-pop stars, who are often referred to as 'idols', usually have an average retirement age of about 30. In some extreme cases, stars can undergo training for 10 years before they can make their debut in the industry. Alexaundra Christine Schneiderman, who goes by the stage name Alexa, said stars are often put up on a pedestal. Alexaundra Christine Schneiderman, who goes by the stage name Alexa, said stars are often put up on a pedestal K-pop star Sulli, whose given name is Choi Jin-ri, took her own life in October. Her friend and fellow star, Koo Hara, killed herself a month later 'They're called idols, because they're put on this pedestal of kind of like untouchable perfection I guess in the public's eyes, in the consumers' eyes,' she said. 'I myself have struggled with self-confidence for years and finding the capability to love myself, but I have recently stumbled upon that.' As an example of the pressures stars can face, Alexa said that she filmed her debut music video over a grueling 48 hours. 'The music video took two days to film, 24 hours each day, almost,' Alexa said. 'With like six costume changes. Six or seven set changes. 'Whenever I'm performing, I always get this adrenaline rush.' While the industry mostly projects a wholesome image on stage and screen, the recent suicides and a series of other scandals and public personal breakdowns, have shed light on the culture's darker side. Police said Sulli, the 25-year-old found dead at her home in Seoul in October, had been suffering from severe depression in the lead up to killing herself. The portrait of late K-pop star Goo Hara is seen surrounded by flowers at a memorial altar at a hospital in Seoul after she took her own life Hara, who debuted with five-member band Kara in 2008, had only just launched her comeback two weeks prior and had recently toured Japan to promote her new solo single. She is pictured above on the right in 2012 Sulli had been a child actor before joining the girl group f(x) in 2009. She left the group in 2015 to return to acting before launching her solo artist career in June last year. She had been vocal about cyber bullying and had sparked controversy in conservative South Korea in the weeks prior after she spoke out about not wearing a bar. Her 28-year-old friend, Goo Hara, was found dead just a weeks later after taking her own life. Hara, who debuted with five-member band Kara in 2008, had only just launched her comeback two weeks prior and had recently toured Japan to promote her new solo single. The comeback came after a previous suicide attempt six months earlier. Following the initial suicide attempt, Hara apologized to fans for the 'commotion' and said it was difficult to fight depression. Sulli had been a child actor before joining the girl group f(x) in 2009. She left the group in 2015 to return to acting before launching her solo artist career in June last year She started speaking out about cyberbullying and pleaded with fans for more positive social media comments. K-pop stars like Hara and Sulli are often picked up by agencies at a young age - usually in their early or mid-teens - and their lives then taken over by grueling training. Many stars face tremendous pressure to look and behave perfectly in an industry powered by so-called 'fandoms' - groups of well-organised admirers who spend enormous amounts of time and money to help their favored stars climb up the charts and attack their perceived rivals. In return, the stars are expected to tread carefully in an industry where today's most-fervent fans can be tomorrow's most vicious critics if their idols fail to meet their expectations - or 'betray' them. Drug use or drunken driving are seen as career-breakers, while behavior that causes a 'stir' - anything from a social media gaffe to a failure to smile ceaselessly at public appearances - could be criticized for years. Many are constantly chased by paparazzi and camera-touting fans who share or sell every single detail and images of the stars' daily lives online for public scrutiny. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent $100 million of his own money on ads supporting his candidacy for president. People look at this as him trying to buy his way into the presidency. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has spent $28 billion in taxpayer dollars trying to do the same thing, and it is overlooked by the media and Congress. This money has been spent to pay farmers for lost revenue due to Trumps ineffective trade policies. These policies stopped the sales of farm goods and Trump was in danger of losing a big voting bloc. Trade wars are good, and easy to win. Remember that quote from the great negotiator? Trump creates a farm crisis, uses taxpayers dollars to pay his way out and farmers call him wonderful. Dont you people realize this is all caused by Trumps ineptitude? Who do you think makes out on this -- corporate farmers or the little guy on the family farm? Also, these dollars havent been appropriated by Congress, which supposedly holds the purse strings. How do our legislators let him get away with this? Just another example of Republicans looking the other way and hoping Trumps gaze doesnt land on them. Janice K. Mattingly, Westlake SAN JOSE, Calif. and GENEVA, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Arlo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ARLO), the #1 internet connected camera brand1, and Verisure Sarl, the leading provider of monitored security solutions in Europe, announced today that they have successfully closed the previously announced definitive agreements to create a strategic partnership to create the first European multi-channel go-to-market strategy for consumer security and surveillance services by adding Arlo's retail and e-commerce channels to Verisure's existing direct sales channels. This transaction involves the acquisition by Verisure of Arlo's European commercial operations, which will enable Verisure to accelerate adoption of security and surveillance services across Europe, as well as bolster Arlo's position as the industry leader in smart home security solutions. It also includes a supply partnership for Arlo cameras with intelligent cloud services. With a common vision and commitment to delivering peace of mind for customers through a wide range of connected security and surveillance products and services, the partnership will leverage both companies' deep expertise and demonstrated success to protect and serve millions of customers. As part of the transaction Verisure now assumes full ownership of Arlo's European commercial operations, including sales, marketing and customer care. Arlo users will continue to enjoy the same user experience through the Arlo app and services such as Arlo Smart, and all backend services including cloud recordings will continue to be managed and operated by Arlo Technologies. About Arlo Technologies, Inc. Arlo is the award-winning, industry leader that is transforming the way people experience the connected lifestyle. Arlo's deep expertise in product design, wireless connectivity, cloud infrastructure and cutting-edge AI capabilities focuses on delivering a seamless, smart home experience for Arlo users that is easy to setup and interact with every day. The company's cloud- based platform provides users with visibility, insight and a powerful means to help protect and connect in real-time with the people and things that matter most, from any location with a Wi-Fi or a cellular connection. To date, Arlo has launched several categories of award-winning smart connected devices, including wire-free smart Wi-Fi and LTE-enabled cameras, audio and video doorbells, advanced baby monitors and smart security lights. About Verisure Sarl Verisure is the leading European provider of professionally monitored security systems with 24/7 response services. It protects more than 3 million customers in 16 countries. The Company's mission is to bring peace of mind to families and small business owners by providing them with the best security solutions and services. Verisure is known for category-creating marketing, sales excellence, innovative products and services and customer-centricity. Verisure protects a highly satisfied and loyal customer base, with some of the strongest growth rates and best retention rates globally in consumer-facing services, demonstrating its exceptional service levels and strong value proposition to its customers. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "estimate," "project," "outlook," "forecast" or other similar words are used to identify such forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements represent Arlo Technologies, Inc.'s expectations or beliefs concerning future events based on information available at the time such statements were made and include statements regarding: the potential financial and business impact of the partnership on the Arlo and Verisure business and continued user experience. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including the following: the transaction may not close in a timely manner or at all; Arlo may incur additional costs and charges associated with the transaction; Arlo may not receive the minimum purchase commitments; the partnership with Verisure may not provide future benefits; future demand for the Company's products may be lower than anticipated; consumers may choose not to adopt the Company's new product offerings or adopt competing products; and product performance may be adversely affected by real world operating conditions. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect Arlo and its business are detailed in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risk factors described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 29, 2019. Given these circumstances, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Arlo undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. 1 The NPD Group, Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Security Cameras, Security Camera Systems. Type: excludes not remote viewing ready, based on Dollars, Jan 2018-June 2019 SOURCE Arlo Technologies, Inc. Related Links http://www.arlo.com The historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur will be closed for local non-Sikh visitors for three days from Friday. (Photo Credit: Twitter) New Delhi: The historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur will be closed for local non-Sikh visitors for three days from Friday in connection with the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh. "The (Pakistan) government has decided to close Kartarpur Sahib for three days from January 3 to 5 for non-Sikh visitors to exclusively hold a Sikh event - celebration of birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh at the Kartarpur Complex Narowal," Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETBP) spokesperson Amir Hashmi told news agency PTI. "The main event of the 10th Guru of Sikh religion Gobind Singh's birth anniversary will be held at Kartarpur on January 5. In addition to 2,000 Pakistani Sikhs, officials of the ETPB and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhik Committee will also participate in it," the official said, adding that strict security measures have been taken to avert any untoward incident. Notwithstanding a chill in the bilateral ties over Kashmir, India and Pakistan after tough negotiations signed an agreement in October, paving the way for the inauguration of the Kartarpur corridor on November 9. The agreement allows 5,000 Indian pilgrims daily to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib where Guru Nanak spent last 18 years of his life. "The main event of the 10th Guru of Sikh religion Gobind Singh's birth anniversary will be held at Kartarpur on January 5. In addition to 2,000 Pakistani Sikhs, officials of the ETPB and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhik Committee will also participate in it," the official said, adding that strict security measures have been taken to avert any untoward incident. In February 1999, the Kartarpur corridor was proposed by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he took a bus ride to Lahore during a peace initiative with Pakistan. It links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistans Kartarpur to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Indias Gurdaspur district. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Photo: CTV News Nick Woodhouse felt lucky to be alive after surviving a brain tumour, but a number of strange and painful symptoms emerged after his operation. Nick Woodhouse felt lucky to be alive after surviving a brain tumour, but the discovery of medical equipment that was left inside his body has left him pleading for help 13 years later. CTV News reports, Woodhouse abandoned a promising career as a competitive racecar driver in the U.K. when he started experiencing mysterious symptoms, including weight gain and extreme fatigue. He was later diagnosed with Cushings disease; the excess production of his pituitary gland was caused by a tumour in his head. "I was close to death," explains Woodhouse, who is now a Vancouver resident. "I could hardly walk up the stairs." But an exploratory procedure left him with a piece of a catheter in a blood vessel near his groin and another full catheter was left behind during the surgery to remove the actual tumour. His family doctor, Dr. Gregory Phillips, explained that the plastic catheter was left between two of his vertebrae. As Woodhouse deals with headaches, back pain, fatigue and other issues from the devices left in his body, he said the surgeons involved have refused to acknowledge the problem. A complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons went nowhere, leaving him feeling like he has nowhere to turn. Everyone makes mistakes. I've made hundreds of mistakes," said Woodhouse. If you're in my position, there's nowhere to go for help." The discovery that health issues were caused by a misplaced medical device isnt unique, and its actually becoming much more common than it used to be in Canada. Between 2016 and 2018, more than 550 objects were left behind in Canadian surgical patients. Woodhouse wants acknowledgement of the mistakes made, without expectation of compensation or the need for a blame game. I need to stop this leak in my spine and that requires someone taking this piece of plastic out," he said, explaining that when he spoke with a lawyer, he was turned away when he told them, I don't want the money, I just want someone to help me. - With files from CTV Vancouver BROWNVILLE Federal inspectors plan to review how well a Nebraska utility handled a water service safety problem blamed on silt buildup from the Missouri River, which overwhelmed or broke through levees last spring. The Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville was operating on full power Dec. 6 when employees detected that water wasn't flowing through a pipe connected to one of the plant's two safety generators, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a news release Thursday. The generators weren't running because they are designed to kick in and provide power for the plant's cooling systems only when all five lines that power the plant are knocked out. If needed, the other generator was available, the NRC said. The plant generated power throughout the problem. The plant owner and operator, the Nebraska Public Power District, soon determined that silt had built up and blocked the pipe outfall, the NRC said. The district had the silt removed within a week. The plant's water intake site was normal, and there had been no indication of any problem at the discharge site, power district spokesman Mark Becker said. BSP president Mayawati on Thursday questioned the silence of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on the death of infants in Rajasthan's Kota district and said she should have met the women who had lost their children due to the "laxity" of the Ashok Gehlot government there. In a series of tweets, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also slammed the Rajasthan government for the death of infants. "The death of 100 children in Rajasthan's Kota district is very sad and painful. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his government are still insensitive, disinterested and irresponsible, which is highly condemnable," she charged in a tweet. "But, what is more saddening is the fact that the top leadership of the Congress and especially its lady general secretary maintaining silence over this issue. It would have been better that like she did in UP, she had met the aggrieved mothers, who lost their children due to the laxity of the party's government," she said. The BSP chief also said, "If the the Congress general secretary does not meet mothers of the deceased children, then her meeting with aggrieved family members of UP will be construed as pure theatrics and political self-interest, which the public of UP should be wary of." At least 100 infants have died at a government-run hospital in Kota in the past month. Later in a statement, Mayawati said, "The BSP has been opposing the divisive CAA/NRC while the Congress is trying to derive political mileage. This is extremely unfortunate." The party chief also reviewed the preparations for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. Elaborate discussions were held on candidate selection, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two top legal bodies in Hong Kong have jointly condemned graffiti painted outside a court, calling the act in which a judge was targeted outrageous and refuting suggestions that court rulings were politically influenced. A day after Madam Justice Anthea Pang Po-kam had her name scribbled on the outer walls of the High Court by vandals, the Bar Association and Law Society deplored the criminal act in a statement. The graffiti is outrageous and firmly condemned, it said on Thursday, describing the act as an affront to the rule of law and judicial integrity. Pangs name in Chinese was painted outside the High Court in Admiralty on New Years Day, along with the accusation calling her a judge with red background, a colour associated with Beijing. The incident was one of many acts of vandalism on Wednesday as an approved march by the Civil Human Rights Front was cut short by police amid protest violence. Hong Kong has been roiled by an anti-government movement since last June, sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill. While the citys courts have been mostly left untouched by radical protesters, the judiciary has come under increasing criticism in recent months from camps on both sides of the political spectrum over rulings involving protests. Pro-democracy activists have accused the courts of favouring the government in cases, while pro-establishment supporters and Beijing have demanded that the courts come down hard on protesters. Apart from the incident on Wednesday, there have been two other cases in recent months in which the entrances of court buildings came under arson attacks. Po was the judge who sentenced pro-independence activist Edward Leung Tin-kei to six years in jail for rioting in the Mong Kok unrest of 2016, although the guilty verdict was returned by a jury of nine. In the joint statement on Thursday, the Bar Association and Law Society wrote: Abusive comments implying that judicial decisions were made or influenced by political considerations are wholly unjustified. Story continues Any attempt to insult, threaten and bring public pressure on a judge because of decisions made in the course of performing judicial duties is to be deplored as an affront to the rule of law and judicial integrity. The two bodies urged the public to first turn to the reasoning in court judgments to understand cases. They could also challenge a courts decision through appeals. Bar Association chairman Philip Dykes SC said people might disagree with the court or even think it was biased. But they should not resort to such attacks. If court buildings are vandalised, then that is a sort of reflection that people have no respect for the law, he said, urging the public to file complaints in more civilised ways such as writing to a newspaper, if they wanted to make their dissatisfaction public. If court buildings are vandalised, then that is a sort of reflection that people have no respect for the law Philip Dykes, Bar Association chairman He said the remarks would not amount to contempt of court, which required extremely outrageous attacks on judges, whereas the vandalism was an act of criminal damage. Ronny Tong Ka-wah SC, a member of the Executive Council, which advises the citys leader, said: I believe our judges are robust enough to stand up against such unworthy tactics. Philip Dykes, chairman of the Bar Association. Photo: Felix Wong In an interview published on Wednesday Hong Kong time in the National Post, a daily newspaper in Canada, retired local chief justice Beverly McLachlin who recently completed a stint as a non-permanent judge in the city defended Hong Kongs courts. The [Hong Kong] court is independent, she was quoted as saying. The law is very rigorously applied. Its a very high level of judging. Hong Kong Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li declined to comment when asked about the High Court vandalism on Thursday. A spokesman for the judiciary said it would not comment as the incident was under police investigation, but added that judicial officers would remain impartial and unbiased when adjudicating cases. This article Two top legal bodies in Hong Kong express outrage over High Court vandalism targeting judge, refute claims of political bias in court rulings first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Former Catalan leader is currently in Belgium but is wanted in Spain over his role in a failed 2017 secession bid. A Brussels court has suspended the extradition of former Catalan pro-independence leader Carles Puigdemont, his lawyer said on Thursday. The Belgian judge in charge of the case also suspended the arrest warrant issued against former Catalan cabinet member Toni Comin, citing their immunity as members of the European Parliament, said Paul Beckaert The two are wanted in Spain for their role in an illegal 2017 secession bid by the Catalan government and separatist legislators. They fled to Belgium after the independence attempt failed, and were elected to the European Parliament in May, 2019 as representatives of Catalan separatist parties from Spain. Another Catalan leader and member of the European Parliament, former Vice President Oriol Junqueras, is serving a prison sentence for his role in the banned referendum. Last month, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) said Junqueras was entitled to immunity since he was elected as a member of the European Parliament in May 2019, implying that Puigdemont and Comin should benefit from the same immunity. It is not clear, however, if they will finally be allowed to take them. Belgiums federal prosecutors office did not immediately answer a request for comment. Puigdemont handed himself in to Belgian justice authorities in October after Spain issued a warrant for his arrest, following the sentencing of 12 of his former colleagues. Last week, Spains state attorney called for the temporary release of Junqueras, in what was widely seen as a gesture of political goodwill as the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) seeks Catalan support to form a government. The state attorneys office asked the Spanish Supreme Court on December 30 to allow Junqueras to travel to Brussels to take his seat as a member of the European Parliament. Los Angeles, Jan 2 : Mollie Fitzgerald, who had a minor role in "Captain America: The First Avenger", has been arrested in connection with the murder of her mother. According to the police statement, on December 20 last year, law enforcement officials responded to an armed disturbance at the house of mother, Patricia E. Fitzgerald, in Olathe, a city in Kansas, reports variety.com. Patricia, 68, was discovered with an apparent stab wound, and was pronounced dead on the scene. "A 38-year-old, white female, known to the victim, was contacted on scene and transported to a local hospital with minor injuries," read the original police statement. It was later updated to that Mollie had been arrested. Mollie has been charged with second-degree murder and is being held on a $500,000 bond, reports Kansas City Star. Mollie had a small role in 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger" that is billed as "Stark Girl" on IMDb. She also worked as an assistant to the director of the movie, Joe Johnston. GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more PARIS (Reuters) - French hardline union CGT called on Wednesday for more strikes in France this month after president Emmanuel Macron pledged to push through an overhaul of the pension system following weeks of nationwide strikes by trade unions. Macron said in a traditional New Year's Eve address on Tuesday that he expected his government to quickly find a compromise with unions on the reform, but without departing from the principles laid out by ministers. Unions are trying to force the former investment banker to abandon his overhaul of France's pension system with nationwide strikes since Dec. 5 that have crippled public transport. "I was under the impression of having heard these words a thousand times," Philippe Martinez, the head of the CGT union, told BFM television of Macron's address. "I still do not see anything new in the government's position. The alarm signal needs to be louder, we need strikes everywhere," Martinez said. Martinez said his organisation would take part in a meeting between unions and the government on Jan. 7. (Reporting by Matthias Blamont; Editing by Louise Heavens) Buskers score They travelled from the Devonshire Tunnel and George Street to the Opera House boardwalk for the Mostly Mozart Busking Competition. There was Linsey Pollak, playing a goatskin bagpipe, third-place getters Pfuri and son Lionel on mouth organ and rubbish bag respectively and eight-year-old violinist Lucy Hawthorne. First place went to Alexander Zoldan and his glass harmonica, despite the fact his piece sounded suspiciously like Brahms. Tait arrest Donald Tait, who once faced the death penalty in Thailand for drug trafficking, was arrested yesterday after a Federal Police raid on a Rushcutters Bay motel room and charged with a number of offences, including possession and supply of heroin. Tait had returned to Australia after winning an appeal in Thailand against a possession charge. He was arrested along with a Thai national as well as his son Victor, who police expected to also be charged. No Lockerbie revenge Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday said the resolution passed by the state assembly demanding scrapping of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) did not have constitutional or legal validity. The resolution has no constitutional or legal validity, he said while talking to media persons in Thiruvananthapuram, adding that the state had no role as citizenship comes under the domain of the central government. Citizenship comes exclusively in the domain of the central government. The state government has no role. So, why are these people engaged in something which is a non-issue for Kerala?, he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. He also criticised the Indian History Congress, held in Kannur, where protests were raised against him for his remarks on the CAA. Khan said the History Congress has claimed that it has made some recommendations to the state government, including not to cooperate with the Centre. The recommendations are totally illegal and have criminal content, he said. On Tuesday, Kerala became the first state in the country to pass a resolution against changes to the citizenship law and the National Population Register. The Centre should come off its parochial and sectarian outlook and treat everyone equally, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said after the assembly voted 138:1 in favour of the resolution. The resolution was criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party with the Union law minister and senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad hitting out at the Kerala government. He said that state governments have the constitutional duty of implementing the laws passed by Parliament. He also said chief minister Vijayan should seek better legal advise. However, CM Vijayan said the state assemblies have their own privileges. Protests against the CAA have intensified over the past fortnight, often turning violent. Opposition parties including the Congress, Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party have also criticised the amended law. The Citizenship Amendment Bill, passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, is aimed at fast-tracking the grant of Indian citizenship to members of religious minorities from the Muslim-majority countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. (With inputs from PTI) Tens of thousands of people were evacuated in Indonesias capital Jakarta on Thursday after flash floods and landslides in the area killed up to 21 people, with more heavy rain forecast, authorities said. The flooding, among the deadliest in years, caused chaos in parts of Southeast Asias biggest city with train lines blocked and power outages in some areas. Swathes of Jakarta and nearby towns were inundated after heavy rain fell on December 31 and into the early hours of New Years Day. Social Affairs Ministry spokesperson said in a message to Reuters that the death toll had now reached 21, while the disaster mitigation agency said it was 19. As of Thursday, over 62,000 people were evacuated in Jakarta alone, disaster mitigation agency spokesperson, Agus Wibowo, said, twice as many as a day earlier. Thousands of livestock were reported missing and thousands of houses damaged in the neighbouring province of Banten, media reported. Indonesias President Joko Widodo told reporters on Thursday that evacuation and safety procedures should be prioritised and called for more coordination between city administrations and the central government. On his Twitter page, Mr Widodo blamed delays in flood control infrastructure projects for the flooding. He said some projects have been delayed since 2017 due to land acquisition problems. Some of the victims had drowned, while others were killed in landslides. Four were electrocuted while three died of hypothermia. Indonesias Cabinet Secretary said in a statement, citing the geophysics agency, that extreme weather may continue across Indonesia until Jan. 7 and warned people to remain on alert for further flooding or landslides. Dwikorita Karnawati, Head of the Geophysics Agency, told reporters separately that heavy rainfall may continue until mid-February. Umar Dani, 52, and his family were evacuated overnight from his home in East Jakarta on a rubber boat after water levels rose up to his neck. It has not flooded for so long here. We didnt have the chance to bring anything, he said. I have to live on the streets now. Television footage on Thursday showed rescuers in the nearby city of Tangerang evacuating residents, guiding them across a strong current by holding on to a rope. The Jakarta Police, on their Twitter account, warned that a number of major streets across the capital were not yet passable, accompanied by a video showing a postal truck being stuck in the middle of a road. Jakarta and its surroundings are home to more than 30 million people. More than 50 people died in one of the capitals deadliest floods in 2007 and five years ago much of the centre of the city was inundated after canals overflowed. The government announced last year that it is relocating the capital to East Kalimantan province on Borneo, though the planning ministry pledged that the government will invest $40 billion in modernising Jakarta. (Reuters/NAN) Advertisements JEANELYN Villavende was allegedly beaten to death by her employer in Kuwait, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Thursday, January 2. Citing a preliminary report submitted by Labor Attache Nasser Mustafa of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait, Bello said in a statement that Villavende was already dead when she was brought to a hospital. Attending nurses reported that she was "black and blue", Bello said. The exact time and date of her death will be determined after the autopsy. Her employer has been arrested and is currently detained by Kuwaiti authorities. Villavende's death has prompted the government to consider again a partial ban on deployment of household service workers to Kuwait. The agency that recruited Villavende also faces possible cancellation of its license for failing to act on her request, Bello said. As early as September 2019, Villavende had complained about being maltreated and requested her agency for repatriation. We will also ask Villavendes recruitment agency to explain their inaction. As early as September, she already complained about maltreatment and underpayment of salary. She also repeatedly requested the agency for repatriation, but they did not do anything, Bello added. The Labor chief said Mustafa recommended the partial deployment ban, which is still subject to the approval of the governing board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). Bello, who chairs the POEA board, said the deployment ban will cover only first-time workers who will serve as household service workers in Kuwait, and excludes skilled and vacationing workers. This should serve as a clear message to Kuwaiti authorities. The partial ban may ripen into total deployment ban if justice for Jeanelyn Villavende is not met, Bello said. Malacanang as well as the Foreign Affairs and Labor departments have expressed outrage over Villavende's death, which was in violation of a May 2018 agreement that the Philippines and Kuwait signed to protect Filipino workers in Kuwait. Story continues The agreement paved for the lifting of a total deployment ban in 2018, which was imposed after the body of Joanna Demafelis was found inside a freezer in an abandoned apartment in Kuwait. Bello said Villavendes family talked to her last in October 2019. On December 13, 2019, the family again called Jeanelyn but her female employer had answered the call and said that Jeanelyn was busy. Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac, who went to Norala, South Cotabato to condole with Villavendes family, said that death and burial benefits will be extended to Jeanelyn. The Villavende family will receive livelihood assistance and while her youngest sibling will get an academic scholarship. Aside from Villavende and Demafelis, Filipino household service worker Constancia Lago Dayag was also killed allegedly by her employer in Kuwait in May 2019. Dayag's body bore various contusions and hematoma as well as signs of sexual abuse. (MVI with HDT/SunStar Philippines) SPRINGFIELD U.S. Reps. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, and Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, were the first in line Thursday morning at the Illinois State Board of Elections to submit paperwork for President Donald Trumps re-election campaign. The two-day filing period for presidential candidates to appear on primary and general election ballots in Illinois began Thursday. Like the filing for state offices in late November, candidates and aides in line at Thursdays opening will be entered into a lottery to determine the top primary ballot spot. The same holds true in reverse on Friday, Jan. 3, when the filing period ends at 5 p.m. Those in line an hour before closing will be entered into a lottery, if necessary, for the final spot on the ballot. Bost characterized the House of Representatives impeachment proceedings last month as a partisan game, which he juxtaposed with the impeachment of disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. They impeached the president on two charges that are not real charges, Bost said. We in Illinois, of all things, should know what an impeachment is. When we impeached Rod Blagojevich, it wasnt a partisan process where it just was a show. Bosts 12th Congressional District includes all or some of 12 counties, including Madison County. He has a Congressional office in Granite City. The filing of candidacy petitions as well as a slate of delegate candidates is deemed a significant measure of organization in Illinois, which has an early filing period despite a rather late primary compared with other states. By the time of Illinois St. Patricks Day primary, at least 27 states and territories will have selected just more than half the nationwide total of 4,535 delegates. In Illinois, both Republican and Democratic presidential contenders need to file candidacy petitions with a minimum of 3,000 valid signatures and a maximum of 5,000 to earn a spot on the ballot. Shortly after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, about 15 people stood in line waiting for the Springfield office of the Illinois Board of Elections to open. When the office opened at 8 a.m., representatives for Trump were first in line to file petitions. Liz Brown-Reeves, who held a spot Thursday for former Vice President Joe Bidens campaign, said she thinks Illinois primary will be significant because of its size and diversity within the Midwest. In the last election, despite how well the governor did, there are some parts of the state that are very red, she said. Illinois is an indicator because of its size and diversity. I truly believe Vice President Biden is the best chance at beating Donald Trump, hands down. Gretchen Thomas of Yorkville said she waited Thursday with her four young children simply to show support for Andrew Yangs campaign. A Yang campaign volunteer, Thomas was not filing papers on the candidates behalf but said shes been making Yang 2020 buttons at home and sending them out all over the country. When I look around my neighborhood and community, hes seeing the same things Im seeing and hes talking about it, Thomas said. Hes the one I want at the top leading our country. A man who went fishing in a Zimbabwean lake at night had his leg torn to pieces by a crocodile. The 31-year-old, who wasn't identified, was attacked from behind by the giant reptile, which can grow to 20 feet (6m) long. He suffered 'significant tissue loss' from a 'ragged' and 'irregular' wound on his right leg, during a five minute struggle with the beast. The fisher also had one of his fingers bitten in half as he tried to defend himself but only rated his pain an eight out of 10 when asked by doctors. It took five hours for the man to reach a hospital and then doctors had to improvise to operate and cut off the damaged flesh while he was still awake. He has since recovered and had a skin graft to fix his wound. Doctors said the main had a 'ragged' wound and had suffered 'substantial tissue loss' but his arteries were intact and he managed to avoid infection and survived A skin graft was done to repair the hole where the crocodile bit through the man's leg and he regained the use of the limb after recovering in hospital. Doctors did not reveal where the skin grafted from Doctors at the Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital city, treated the man. He told them he had been stood in knee-deep water at the shore of Lake Chivero, a 22-mile (35km) drive away from the city, while he was trying to catch fish at 11pm. He was with one other person on the night-time trip when he was attacked by a Nile crocodile. The reptiles can grow to 20 feet (6m) long and weigh 1,650lbs (750kg), according to National Geographic, but are around 14 feet and 500lbs, on average. The carnivore mainly feeds on fish but will go for whatever it can find, which could include zebras, hippos, birds or even other crocodiles. Hundreds of people are thought to be killed by the animals every year. The Zimbabwean medics, led by Dr Dennis Mazingi, wrote in their case report: 'The crocodile had approached him from behind and lunged forward, biting his right thigh. 'He was submerged in the water when the crocodile rolled over in the water once. 'He held the snout of the crocodile and attempted to open its jaws while his companion made noises in an attempt to distract the animal. 'He was eventually released by the retreating crocodile after a three- to five-minute struggle. 'His companion called for help, and he was taken by boat to the National Parks office and from there to a district hospital, after which he was transferred to our institution.' The team said the man had a 'large leg laceration with ragged edges' and they could see his arteries, but he did not appear to be losing huge amounts of blood. Nile crocodiles can grow up to 20 feet (6m) long and weigh 1,650lbs (750kg), according to National Geographic, but are around 14 feet and 500lbs, on average (stock image) The man was standing in knee-deep water in Lake Chivero, 22 miles from Harare, when he was attacked by the crocodile. He was taken to the national park office by boat before going to hospital He also had 'defensive wounds' on both of his hands and the middle finger on his right hand had the end bitten off. He rated his pain an eight out of 10 so doctors gave him painkillers and used a spinal nerve block to numb his leg, allowing them to cut off the destroyed flesh. General anaesthetic and an operating theatre would have been preferred, the doctors said, but there wasn't a room available so they used local anaesthetic only and said it was quick, safe, and potentially even better because they used fewer painkillers. By the time the man finally had surgery he was at serious risk of infection from the 'unusual organisms that may be present in crocodile bite wounds', the doctors said. The fisherman also had 'defensive wounds' on his hands because he had grabbed the animal's jaws as it tried to drag him under water to drown him By then it had been 19 hours since the man was bitten. The man had ongoing treatment including antibiotics and a skin graft to repair the wound on his leg (doctors did not reveal where the skin was grafted from). Dr Mazingi and his colleagues added: 'The patient was doing well after discharge on review.' The case was published in the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. Smart risk protocols for a digital age Businesses are urgently introducing new digital initiatives in an arena that identifies more data, more automation, more sophisticated cybersecurity, and constantly evolving customer expectations. The increased competition, leading to rapid adoption of digital initiatives, will increase the risks beyond the scope of technology issues. The leadership, therefore, wants to have greater confidence that the risks have been fully considered and are within acceptable tolerances. As customers trust in enterprises is waning, business leaders believe there will not be much opportunity to rectify the mistakes when they stumble in a digital environment. The situation can be managed when organisations make good use of internal and external data sources to proactively respond to risks, promptly interact with risk management departments (RMDs), and have confidence that the risks can be controlled when engaging in digital transformation. How do RMDs help businesses succeed in this transformation? When risk management, compliance, and internal audit departments are knowledgeable about it, leaders will be aided to make smarter decisions in the digital transformation process. RMDs can advise on related issues without slowing down business growth. In fact, the departments will play a partner role in supporting business departments to achieve digital transformation goals. There are certain benefits for organisations with dynamic RMDs The first thing is fast-tracking the digital transformation roadmap. These businesses will always keep up with or even get ahead of the roadmap or digital capacity improvement plan. Practical experience shows that when RMDs are agile enough and align with a companys digital strategies, they will understand the priorities and risk appetite, and will be involved in the transformation sooner, thereby speeding up the digitalisation process rather than being a hindrance. Equally important, an organisations confidence in taking risks will be boosted, in line with the overall strategies. As RMDs have good data and proactive handling, leaders are provided adequate and detailed information to make decisions. Groups with dynamic RMDs regularly review to adjust risk appetite when making decisions to implement digital initiatives. On top of that, with dynamic RMDs, there would be more effective management of digital transformation risks, especially cybersecurity, data, and operational risks the three that, according to a PwC survey collected from 3,000 CEOs globally, are considered the most unpredictable risks directly related to digital initiatives. Risk management adequacy: a hurdle to climb Stressing the importance Only 53 per cent of medium- and large-sized businesses have given attention to cybersecurity and privacy risks when planning for digital transformation. When RMDs are well-functioned and contribute significantly to the leaderships decision-making, organisations will manage risk more effectively. Besides significant factors such as fully participating in the digital transformation plan, enhancing professional capacity to follow the roadmap, adapting to emerging technologies, responding to risks promptly, and fostering a collaborative working environment, one of the distinctive factors of RMDs is proactively engaging decision-makers in key digital transformation initiatives. RMDs will proactively recommend appropriate controls, assess new cybersecurity risks, and discuss control policies. They will present risk perspectives in a way that is easy to understand and agree on, with the support of dashboards that timely provide data and warnings for decision-makers. While many organisations may or may not have formal digital transformation roadmaps, they still lack a way to measure progress and risk in general. RMDs need to build a set of key risk indicators to assist leaders in making appropriate decisions. This is, in fact, not easy at all. According to the PwC survey, although most leaders responded that cybersecurity (80 per cent) and privacy (83 per cent) strategies were communicated to their board of directors, only 27 per cent of 3,000 CEOs said that they felt confident when the board received reports on cyber and privacy risk management indicators. Stronger collaborations required Useful measurement criteria that can be achieved depending on many factors (implementation, effectiveness, and impact) include business position in digital the transformation roadmap and organisation maturity in cybersecurity, as well as implementation of security controls. Businesses should immediately embark on building measurement criteria and create a plan to gradually add more complex measurement criteria over time. It should be noted that a board of directors will expect to receive metrics that measure business impact from security activities such as cost of handling a cybersecurity incident or impact of cybersecurity on overall business risks such as third party risks and compliance risks. In addition, the collaboration between security leaders and company management needs to be improved. PwC has identified five significant factors that security leaders should take into accounts. The first is strengthening relationships with business leaders and demonstrating that the information security department is knowledgeable about the links between business departments in the organisation. Next, security leaders must be mindful when preparing technical documents they should be clear, concise, and translate complex technical issues into a focused, simple report consisting of one or two pages. Third, the recipient of information to communicate must be known, and the cybersecurity risk presented appropriately. Most key leaders do not have in-depth knowledge about cybersecurity, but they are highly capable of assessing overall risks. Therefore, security leaders need to present the issues from the managements perspective of risk oversight. Fourth, an effective time management strategy should focus on the main goals such as calling for support and capturing business leaders responses. It is advisable to present and link cybersecurity issues to business key issues. Lastly, there should also be focus on the main messages while minimising the use of technical terminology. Ideally, it is advisable to ask a business leader to quickly preview the content of the report or proposal to verify the suitability of content and to adjust as appropriate. Promoting resilience after risks materialise is also a concern of cybersecurity RMDs. By applying methodologies and good practices, these departments will support organisation to operate more sustainably through controls that continuously monitor technology infrastructure to enhance services availability, system recovery, and data integrity. This will help to save costs when the organisations operations are seriously affected and interrupted in the long run, or when the data integrity is compromised and affects the decision-making ability of leaders. Companies will handle risk in a smarter manner when RMDs align with the overall digital strategy of the business, are agile, and provide continuously the necessary insights for decision-makers. The higher level of digital competence the organisation possess, the more support and collaboration are needed timely from RMDs. Businesses with dynamic RMDs will have effective risk handling measures, supporting them to take risk more confidently, go faster and more secure in the digital transformation roadmap, and earn more value from digital investments. This will help the RMDs to not only bring specific values to the organisation but also play a vital role in the digital transformation success of the organisation. Vietnam and Cuba have a very special relationship. The two countries are both comrades and brothers. The cohesion of revolutionary ideals, and the fight for national independence and liberation has created empathy and understanding between the two peoples from halfway around the world. Great sentiments have been nurtured throughout 60 years of ups and downs of the two countries individual histories, even going beyond limits and common rules in international relations. Vietnam and Cuba share similarities in their key events throughout history, which not only changed the destiny of each country but also created a great source of encouragement for the uprising of oppressed peoples from around the world. In the 1950s, in harmony with the irreversible flow of the struggle against colonialism and for national liberation, Vietnam were victorious at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Cuba also had a glorious victory on January 1, 1959, which was considered one of the most influential events in Latin America in the 20th century, causing many changes in the regional political situation. Shortly after the successful revolution, on December 2, 1960, the Republic of Cuba became the first country in the Western Hemisphere to establish full diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This was not only a significant event in the relationship between the two countries, but also had a special significance for the syoung Government of Vietnam at the time. Overcoming geographical distance and difficult circumstances, Cuba has stood shoulder to shoulder with Vietnam, always supporting the Vietnamese people as a sincere friend and a trusted comrade. During the period of resistance war against the US for national salvation, Cuba was always at the forefront of the international movement to support Vietnam, and the first country in the world to recognise the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam, accepting a Mission of Permanent Representative of the Front in July, 1962, appointing an Ambassador in March, 1969 and being the only foreign representative to the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. In the early 1960s, when the US expanded the war of aggression against Vietnam, at the same time, it cut off diplomatic relations and imposed a trade embargo on Cuba, under the direct guidance of Fidel Castro, the Cuban Committee for Solidarity with South Vietnam was born. Through this, the solidarity with Vietnam spread to Cuban schools, hospitals, factories, construction sites, armed forces and all Cuban people, becoming a nationwide movement with the slogan "All for Vietnam". There is no other country in the world like Cuba, where there are thousands of factories, schools and neighbourhoods named after places and anti-US heroes of Vietnam. As the highest leader of the Party and State, Fidel Castro also marched with the whole people, showing solidarity with Vietnam. Fidels immortal saying For Vietnam, we are willing to give even our own blood this message has always stayed in the hearts of the Vietnamese people. At a critical time in the struggle of the Vietnamese people, Fidel turned his foreign trips into campaigns to encourage the government and people of the countries to unite and support Vietnam against the US invasion. On September 16, 1973, Fidel was the first foreign leader to visit the newly-liberated area in Quang Tri. The Vietnamese people never forget Cuban cadres, experts and workers who came to Vietnam during the intense and dangerous time of the war. They are Cuban sailors who stayed and worked with Vietnamese people during the bombing days at Hai Phong port. They are Cuban workers and experts who stood side by side with Vietnamese soldiers to help build the legendary Truong Son Trail, the Dong Hoi Friendship Hospital, and Thang Loi Hotel, among others. Cuban aid works were not only precious gifts, but also showed the special affection of the Cuban people when Vietnam faced numerous difficulties. Not only having stood by Vietnam during the wartime, Cuba also stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Vietnam in the cause of national construction and development. Cuba played a very important role in mobilising Latin American countries to support Vietnam to join the United Nations in 1977. In the new era of each country's revolution, Vietnam continued to gain important achievements in the renewal process, international integration whilst Cuba continued to make great efforts in the cause of national construction and development. Cuba is still facing numerous difficulties. As a brother, Vietnam always attaches great importance to the solidarity and cooperation shared with Cuba. Experiencing the ups and downs of history, the two countries are now facing new opportunities and new challenges. The time-honoured relationship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba has consistently been strengthened and developed in all fields. The two countries have maintained regular high-level visits and meetings in order to assess the development of bilateral relations, as well as discuss new directions, as well as continuously deepen the special relationship between the two Parties, States and peoples for the benefit of the two nations. It can be affirmed that there are many factors for Vietnam and Cuba to further nurture and develop their bilateral relations. Both countries are aware of the opportunity and the need to stand side by side in international forums, protect the basic principles of the UN Charter and international law, and protect the rights and interests of small countries in the complicated geopolitical area where there can be intervention and imposition from big countries. While Vietnam is entering a period of deeper international integration, and having passed a series of new-generation free trade agreements, Cuba, after a period of researching and learning from the experiences of Vietnam and its friends, is also focusing on updating its economic development model. Both Vietnam and Cuba agreed to assess the two countries as important economic partners. Vietnam was selected by Cuba to be the first partner in Asia to research, negotiate and sign a new trade agreement in November, 2018). The two sides also implemented the medium-term bilateral economic agenda for the 2014-2019 period and prepared to sign the programme for the 2020-2025 period. Vietnam has become Cuba's second largest trading partner in Asia and Oceania and is Cuba's main rice supplier. In addition, Vietnam has also supported Cuba to develop its rice production to help the country gradually ensure stability. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Cuba, the two countries are extremely proud of their revolutionary career and the faithful solidarity relationship between the two Parties and peoples. Vietnam and Cuba also firmly believe in a bright future for each country and the special relationship that the two Parties and peoples shared over the past six decades. We believe in the strong vitality of the slogan that has accompanied and energised the two countries on every journey: Vietnam - Cuba! Unity will certainly win! Many children in The T&D Region continue to live in poverty and fail to meet state education standards, according to data from the latest Kids Count study. Considering a broad range of issues affecting children, including health care and education, Kids Count ranked South Carolina 39th in the nation in the well-being of its children. The state fell one spot from last years ranking. While the nationwide report was released in June, Childrens Trust of South Carolina released its latest annual Kids Count child well-being county data in late fall. The study ranks the states 46 counties on several indicators of child well-being across four domains: economic well-being, education, health and family and community. Childrens Trust reported that a lack of significant improvements in poverty and education have hindered the states progress in improving child well-being. This year we still continue to see about 70 percent of kids not meeting math and reading proficiency standards, which is very high. It really comes down to looking at our policies and seeing how we can ensure that a kid that lives in Bamberg is getting the same education as a kid that lives in Lexington County, said Dr. Aditi Srivastav Bussells, Childrens Trusts research and community impact manager. That really requires us looking at how our schools are being supported. Are we able to recruit and retain a good workforce? Are there policies in place that can really help meet the needs of different types of students? Bussells said. With data taken from the beginning of the 2015-16 school year, the latest county profiles indicate that 61 percent of third-graders in Orangeburg and Calhoun counties tested below state standards in math, while 49 percent of Bamberg County third-graders tested below the standards. The state average was 44 percent. About 73 percent of Orangeburg County third-graders tested below state English/language arts standards. About 60 percent tested below state standards in Calhoun County and 66 percent in Bamberg County. The state average stood at 55 percent. In other education statistics, 84 percent of Orangeburg County eighth-graders tested below state standards in math. About 78 percent attested below state standards in Calhoun County and 67 percent tested below state standards in Bamberg County. The state average was 63 percent. About 79 percent of eighth-graders tested below state English/language arts standards in Orangeburg County, 72 percent were below state standards in Calhoun County and 69 were below the state standards in Bamberg County. Bussells said the area of childhood poverty has remained pretty much unchanged over the last several years across the state. About a quarter of kids in South Carolina are in poverty, and then anywhere from 12 to 15 percent are in concentrated poverty over the last several years, which is even higher poverty, she said. Bussells added, We have to ensure that parents have economic opportunities to provide for their families, and that also means that they have opportunities for continuing education or alternative kinds of options to pursue their education so that they can make more money to support their children and families. Opportunities for affordable housing and full-time jobs are also key, she said. About 35 percent of Orangeburg County children live in households with incomes below the poverty level. In Bamberg County, 36 percent live below the poverty level. In Calhoun County, 25 percent fall in the same category. Poverty is something that you cant solve overnight and theres so many factors that go into it. Its about supporting the entire family because the parents well-being is so closely linked with childrens well-being. And I say parents, but we also know there are often grandparents and other kin that are supporting, Bussells said. More information on the 2019 Kids Count Data Book can be obtained online at https://datacenter.kidscount.org. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 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. Weakening of hryvnia before New Year Day was speculative, hryvnia strengthening expected in 2020 PM Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk links small weakening of the hryvnia before New Year Day with speculative demand, but he expects that the strengthening trend for the national currency will continue. "I think that the trend towards strengthening the hryvnia will continue the next year. I link this with the fact that the population and businesses are gradually gaining confidence in the state," he said in an interview with Ukraine 24 TV channel. Honcharuk said that a stable hryvnia is "is good for macroeconomic situation." The head of government also said that the final decision of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to open a new three-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Ukraine for $5.5 billion is "is a matter of several months." "This is a technical work that is ongoing now... I have no doubt that we will complete this technical work, there will be no problems," Honcharuk said. He said that the IMF is too demonized through oligarchic media, while in fact, cooperation with the IMF is "about trust and cheap resources." The prime minister said that the issue of cheapening money for the population, for example, granting loans to micro and small enterprises at 5-7% under mortgage and business programs is one of the three priorities for the government in 2020. Actor Lindsay Lohan has said she is planning to return to the US this year and start working on new films. The 33-year-old actor, who is staying in Muscat, Oman, told CNN about her plans for the new year. "I'm managing my sister, so I want to really focus on me and everything that I can do in my life and come back to America and start filming again, which I'm doing soon in this new year. "And, you know, just taking back the life I've worked so hard for and sharing it with my family and you guys," Lohan said in response to a question about her New Year resolution. Lohan, who broke out as a teenage star with movies such as "Mean Girls" (2004), "The Parent Trap" (1998) and "Freaky Friday" (2003), left US in 2014 after a string of DUI and drug arrests, several stints in rehab and brief stays in jail. Her next film is "Among The Shadows", which will release in the US on March 5, 2020. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tourism interest in Saudi Arabia is on the rise from around the world, with one in five tourists more likely to visit the kingdom for a vacation now than five years ago, said market research and data analytics firm YouGov. The YouGov research, which surveyed 9,521 people across the US, China and five key markets in Europe, revealed a growing interest in visiting Saudi Arabia. The data coincides with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) revealing its top inbound source markets since Saudi Arabia's opened its doors to international tourism. Since the launch of the new tourism visa in September, visitors from China, UK, Malaysia, United States and Canada have topped the list of new arrivals welcomed into Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabias ancient UNESCO heritage site Madain Saleh will open to tourists for the first time in 2020. Saudi's historic sites appear to be an important attraction for tourists to the Kingdom. Amongst those surveyed by YouGov, over one in five (22 per cent) are keen to visit Jeddah's historic old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, another UNESCO site, previously only known to a few travellers, is gaining a following amongst Chinese millennials. Al Ula now tops the list of destinations in the Arab world of a third of Chinese tourists under the age of 35. Italians top the list with 35 per cent surveyed saying they would be more likely to visit Saudi Arabia following the new visa launch. British tourists were 15 per cent more likely just ahead of Americans at 14 per cent. The research also points to new opportunities for multi destination tourism growth. Of all respondents 73 per cent reported a preference to visit several destinations rather than stay in one location. The research is released as Saudi Arabia takes on the presidency of the Arab League Tourism Ministers Meeting at the end of a historic year for the Kingdom. Tourism Ministers from across the Arab world met earlier this month for the 22nd Annual Arab Tourism Ministers Meeting. During the meeting they discussed opportunities for regional-wide tourism offerings and unified strategies for sustainable growth of the sector to benefit local communities and the environment. Ahmad bin Aqil Al Khatib, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) said: "This year marked the historic moment of Saudi Arabia opening its doors to the world. We are welcoming more visitors and investors than ever before. To those thinking of visiting Saudi Arabia in 2020, you won't find a warmer welcome anywhere in the world." TradeArabia News Service HyperBorean, a Wichita, Kan.-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) startup received $2.1m in angel funding. Backers included members of Landmark Angels and Precocity Capital, both in Connecticut, and a principal with Heartland P5 in Kansas City. Additional angel investors are located in Wichita, Tulsa, and Kansas City. This angel round will allow the company to fund third party field tests and will fund the growth of the team and sales channels. Founded in 2013 by Todd Gentry, HyperBorean spent over four years doing research and development to invent an air conditioning compressor that converts waste heat into a power source for cooling. By using a heat source like concentrated solar power (CSP) the technology can be used to cool structures without the need for grid power. FinSMEs 02/01/2019 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sebastian Partogi (The Jakarta Post) Fri, January 3 2020 Safe space: A female asylum seeker is seen in a shelter on Jl. Daan Mogot Baru, Kalideres, West Jakarta, in this photograph. Female refugees in Indonesia face some gender-specific issues in managing their trauma. (JP/Donny Fernando) The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said that Indonesia currently has about 15,000 stateless refugees. Of this figure, an estimated 6,000 temporarily reside in Jakarta, and half are women who often have psychological issues. Dina (not her real name), a 24-year-old Afghan and war refugee, shared her story about her struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login As part of capacity building efforts in Afghanistan, India has organised a training programme for Afghan civil registration officials who also visited the UIDAI premises to study the Aadhaar initiative. The programme for Afghanistan Central Civil Registration Authority, organised by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner and Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), was conducted from December 23-30, 2019, followed by a field visit to Chandigarh, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The programme elements included study of system of registration of citizen's births and deaths, vital statistics and indicators system and Aadhaar, the statement. The participants were also given hands on experience with a live demonstration of the software and the processes of registration of birth and deaths, and explained the methodology of census enumeration, it said. Earlier, from November 13-17, 2019, a capacity building programme was organised for officials from National Statistics and Information Authority, Afghanistan by Foreigner Regional Registration Offices, New Delhi to help streamline their immigration procedures. India remains of the most popular development and capacity building partner in Afghanistan and has a wide array of training and scholarship programme for Afghans including under its Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC), the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pia Miller celebrated New Year's Eve in style with her multi-millionaire boyfriend, Patrick Whitesell. The Chilean-Australian actress, 36, shared a photo of the couple to Instagram on Wednesday, which she simply captioned '2020'. Dressed in a semi-sheer beaded frock, the former Home and Away star cuddled up to the Hollywood agent, 54, inside a lavish venue. Scroll down for video New year, new man! Australian actress Pia Miller, 36, celebrated New Year's Eve in style with her multi-millionaire boyfriend, Patrick Whitesell, 54 Pia's brunette locks were styled in loose waves and her makeup was flawless. Patrick - whose clients include Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds and Matt Damon - wore a blue shirt and brown pants, and opted to go barefoot for the occasion. He wrapped one arm around his younger girlfriend and beamed for the camera. 'I love you': Things appear to be going full steam ahead for the lovebirds, who were last seen in public in Bondi Beach, Sydney, on Sunday Getting along swimmingly! They were spotted dining at the world-famous Bondi Icebergs restaurant, where it is believed Pia introduced Patrick to her family Things appear to be going full steam ahead for the lovebirds, who were last seen in public in Bondi Beach, Sydney, on Sunday. They were spotted dining at the world-famous Bondi Icebergs restaurant, where it is believed Pia introduced Patrick to her family. The sighting came just days after Pia had made their relationship 'Instagram official'. Together: The sighting came just days after Pia had made their relationship 'Instagram official' She uploaded a romantic snap of the pair, which had originally been taken during their trip to Paris in June. They are believed to have started dating in May, following the breakdown of Patrick's marriage to Lauren Sanchez, who is now reportedly engaged to Amazon boss Jeff Bezos. Pia and Patrick had kept their romance under wraps for months, despite embarking on several holidays around the world last year. Sighting: Pia and Patrick are believed to have started dating in May. They are pictured together in Los Angeles, California, on November 5 City Manager Ghida Neukirch said officials learned from the homeowner and neighbors that the property has been rented in the past to the same individual hosting the party. Though a number of parties have been held at the home, the city had received no complaints prior to the New Years incident, Neukirch said. The move to suspend the Shanghai-London Stock Connect program was prompted by political considerations, and no timeline has been given for resumption of the scheme, the people said, asking not to be identified as the discussions were private. The China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Shanghai Stock Exchange did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while representatives for the London Stock Exchange and UK treasury declined to ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong has sent out a message on the occasion of Vietnams assumption of the roles of the ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2020 2021 tenure. Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA) Following is a translation of his message: As the country is marking major anniversaries and great and important political events in 2020, the entire Party, people and army are striving to accomplish the 2016-2020 socio-economic development plan and the resolution adopted by the 12th National Party Congress, and to hold Party congresses at all levels towards the 13th National Party Congress. For the first time, Vietnam will serve as both the ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council at the same time. With its central role in the evolving regional architecture, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is highly appreciated by countries in and outside the region that want to cooperate with it. After over four years of formation, the ASEAN Community a common house of a population of 650 million has been unceasingly developing in various areas, as well as strengthening and expanding connectivity within the bloc and with partners. On the global scale, over the three quarters of a century, with its key role as an agency holding the top responsibility for maintaining international peace and security of the United Nations, the largest international organisation with 193 member states, the UN Security Council has affirmed the central role of the UN in maintaining international peace and security. The determination to successfully undertake the roles of both the ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure reflects the consistent realisation of the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development; diversification and multilateralisation in foreign relations, and active and proactive global integration worked out by the 12th National Party Congress. It also reflects Vietnams aspiration to contribute to peace and development in the region and the world over as a responsible member of the international community, and makes important contributions to the maintenance of an environment of peace and stability, further taking advantage of the favourable conditions for national construction and defence, rapid and sustainable development, and raising the countrys international role and stature. Fully aware of that, Vietnam has set the theme of Cohesive and Responsive for the ASEAN Chair Year 2020 and Vietnam: Trustworthy partner for sustainable pace when it shoulders the heavy responsibility of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure. With such themes at the two most important forums in the region and the world, together with member countries and partners, Vietnam will focus on the following major orientations: Firstly, upholding the common interests of the region and the international community, which are peace, cooperation and development. Consistent to the teaching by late President Ho Chi Minh that successes are made on the basis of commonness, the initiatives and priorities put forth by Vietnam at the ASEAN and the UN Security Council reflect the common interests of all the member countries, including Vietnam, and ensure the harmony with the interests of the regional and international partners. Secondly, promoting the role of multilateralisation, the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law for a world of peace, equality and betterment. Particularly, on this occasion, enhancing the efficiency of cooperation and comprehensive partnership between the ASEAN and the UN, for the common interests of the ASEAN member states and the international community. Thirdly, proactively and actively contributing to the settlement of the common regional and global challenges, especially the issues that directly affect the interests of the countries and the region such as peace, security, stability, sustainable development, climate change, rising sea level, post-war consequences settlement, and post-conflict reconstruction. This is a great honour and, at the same time, also a tough responsibility and a major difficulty and challenge that require the involvement of the whole political system, the Party, the people and the army, along with the support and assistance from friends and the international community. The ministries, central authorities and sectors and the localities nationwide should clearly take this as one of the most important political missions of the Party and the State in 2020. It is necessary to ensure the close and harmonious coordination in the political system, especially among the direct external affairs authorities, to successfully fulfill all the tasks and targets set. With the countrys new position and power after nearly 35 years of Doi Moi (renewal), and the solidarity and unity of the entire Party, people and army, as well as the valuable assistance and effective cooperation from the ASEAN countries, friends and international community, we firmly believe that Vietnam will successfully shoulder the roles of the ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure, thus making important contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world over./. VNA The US Navy is designing a system for its unmanned robotic warships that will communicate like human sailors, allowing the craft to safely navigate through waterways. The goal is to enable human bridge crews to converse with robot ships using normal speech over the worldwide radio system used for ship-to-ship communication. The Navy ships would be designed to understand secure radio transmissions, incorporate their meaning into its world model, develop appropriate maneuvering plans and respond via voice on the radio. The announcement is to abide by the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), which includes strict instructions on how ships acknowledge each other and pass one another while traveling through waterways. Scroll down for video The US Navy is designing unmanned robotic warships that will communicate like human sailors, so it can safely navigate the waterways. Pictured is The Sea Hunter, which is an unmanned craft being developed by the Navy The current method is for the human crew to use the marine VHF radio, which is a globally used system of two way radio transceivers on ships and watercraft used for voice communication from ship-to-ship but robotic ships are unable to use the technology. 'The Navy seeks an integrated solution that will enable a USV [Current Unmanned Surface Vehicles] to act much like a human mariner,' the Navy said in the announcement. 'In particular, the USV should be able to understand secure Bridge-to-Bridge radio transmissions, incorporate their meaning into its world model, develop appropriate maneuvering plans, and respond via voice on the Bridge-to-Bridge radio.' In order to teach their robotic warships how to 'speak', the Navy has laid out a three phase plan. For the first phase, the military group explains that the ships will have technology to recognize 'common call-ups such as 'Sea Hunter, this is Sun Princess; propose a port-to-port passage.' The Navy ships would be designed to understand secure radio transmissions, incorporate their meaning into its world model, develop appropriate maneuvering plans and respond via voice on the radio (stock photo) 'Integration with an actual VHF radio is not required in Phase I, but Phase I should include a plan to extend the product in Phase II and beyond, analysis showing viability of that plan, and a proposed approach to Phase II testing,' reads the announcement. 'The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II that incorporates an actual VHF radio, extends functionality to mariners who speak English as a second language, and generates English replies to proposed maneuvers.' During phase two, the group will develop a working prototype of the system they can test and evaluate, and they expect to have it completed three months prior to the end of this phase. The final phase will include a final end-to-end system that lets the robotic ship 'perform like a human mariner, particularly in its use of the VHF Bridge-to-Bridge radio for negotiating maneuvers in situations involving three or more vessels.' The Navy suggests that talking robots will also be useful to commercial ships. 'The civilian market for unmanned vessels appears poised for take-off, and such vessels will need to be able to function even when satellite links to remote oversight facilities ashore are inoperative,' the military branch explains. 'Additionally, this technology can be used on minimally manned vessels and pleasure craft as an aid to a human operator.' CEO Steven Foster's Prestigious Accolade. Salt Lake City / ACCESSWIRE / December 30, 2019 / It seems only fitting that in a year filled with new product launches, new office openings and expansion across three continents, that Axiom Prepaid Holding's CEO would grace the cover of Total Prestige Magazine's January 2020 issue. Afterall, Steven Foster, a 40-something entrepreneur and banking industry veteran, has been at the helm of a company that has exceeded its growth expectations and then some, arguably vaulting the company to a leadership position in the prepaid card and app solutions arena. And Total Prestige profiles exceptional members of the business club of the same name, which is comprised of some of the world's best-known business leaders as well as heads of start-ups and emerging businesses. In 2017, Foster and his business partner, Steven P. Urry, set out to disrupt the banking industry with the launch of Axiom, which uses advanced digital tools to power prepaid Visa and Mastercard products, programs and services for consumers and businesses. They had one ambitious mission in mind: Simplify banking for all people - globally. "We'd been firsthand witnesses from inside the banking industry to the significant shift in availability of financial products. But it was notable to us that it was not carrying over to the prepaid space. No matter what country we visited, there was a gap in access to products engineered for the unbanked and global traveler. We decided to go all-in on launching a business that would turn the prepaid model upside down and give all consumers and businesses easy-to-use, digitally driven products and services," said Foster. That goal appears to have resonated broadly as this year alone, their enterprise: Expanded into Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Portugal and Greece in Europe and grew the business in the Americas Entered the Asia-Pacific region Introduced brand- and revenue-building White Label Programs Rolled out hundreds of thousands of new prepaid cards, a plethora of new white label programs, including one that caters to the unique needs of millennials and Gen-Z Opened new offices in Romania Continued to invest in high-tech digital products to ensure the highest levels of intuitive, secure, compliant backend systems Story continues As noted in the Total Prestige article, those accomplishments do not come without hard work and sacrifice. This year alone, Foster flew 725K miles for business and manages a work day that typically goes from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. "You can't be an effective company leader if you aren't in touch with your customers and employee teams. I meet them where they are to be sure I understand how their geography and culture may affect banking needs in each market. I try to give 150 percent every day so I can go to sleep knowing I did everything I promised and more for Axiom's clients, my business partners and employees," he said. "I have to spend a lot of time away from my wife and son so I want to be certain that the time I spend on-the-job truly counts." "I'm very honored to be chosen for this feature article but I am just one part of the much bigger Axiom story. There would be no article if the company was not accomplishing what it set out to do. That has only been possible through the collective efforts of the entire Axiom team and my partner and friend, Steve Urry - and we are just getting started," said Foster. To read the Total Prestige cover story featuring Steven Foster, go to https://www.totalprestigemagazine.com/preview-issue-list38/. For more information about Axiom Prepaid Holdings, go to axiompph.com or @axiompph on Facebook. Contact: Erin Andrews Send Email Axiom Prepaid Holdings, LLC. 299 South Main Street, Suite 1350 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 800-213-0513 https://www.axiomprepaidholdings.com SOURCE: Axiom Prepaid Holdings View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/571786/Axiom-Prepaid-Holdings-Caps-Off-Banner-Year-with-a-Prestigious-Accolade-for-Its-CEO Some villagers who had left their hamlets along the Indo-China border in the district decades ago in search of livelihood have begun to return to their homes, showing a pattern of reverse migration. This change seems to have been induced both by the creation of better facilities in the area in recent years and a renewed awareness of their unique cultural identity, experts said. Gradual repletion of border villages augurs well for national security, they said. "Villagers who had abandoned their ancestral homes decades ago in search of livelihood, have now started returning to their roots. It is good for national security as it will revitalise border villages, says Lalit Pant, a retired teacher and an expert on tribal economy. It has been possible due to construction of motor roads to the last posts of the border. Roads have reached the last villages in Johar, Darma, Vyas and Chaundas valleys situated on the border with China in this sector," said Ashok Nabiyal, an activist of Rang culture in Dharchula. Besides improved road connectivity, awareness of a dying culture, spread by some cultural organizations and Home stay scheme for tourists introduced by the state government are also responsiblefor reverse migration. The work of Rang Kalyan Sanstha in Darma valley and Malla Johar vikas Samiti in Johar valley, in spreading cultural awareness amongst the indigenous people is also responsible for such tendency, saidPant. Sriram Singh Dharmashaktu , president of Malla Johar Vikas Samiti and permanent resident of Milam village, has identified his land in the village and wants to live there during the summer season. I have repaired my ancestral house in Milam and will settle there, said Dharmasaktu, a retired BSF Commandant. Digvijay Singh Rawat, a retired FCI officer, and resident of Milam village, has constructed a new house in Milam village after his retirement. Though I have a house in Haldwani, I will live in Milam village which is my ancestral home," said Rawat. In Darma valley of Dharchula sub division of the district, several residents who had left their villages decades ago to settle outside are returning to their ancestral villages. After the road connectivity reached the last village of Darma valley, we started plantation of apple trees in several villages of the valley as the climate of valley is ideal for apple plantation. said Ram Singh Sonal, a retired railway officer who now resides in his ancestral village of Son in Darma valley and wants to convert the valley into an apple orchard. Mohan Singh Gunjyal, an Everest climber and a Padmashree awardee for his contribution in the field of mountaineering, spends most of his time during summer in his native village Gunji, after his retirement from ITBP. The Vyas valleyvillages will be fully vitalized after under construction Ghatiabagar to Lipulekh road gets completed in 2020, said Mohan Singh Gunjyal. Out of 600 families in all 14 villages of Johar valley before 1962, an average of 40 percent families have permanently settled out of their ancestral villages, in Munsiyari, Pithoragarh, Haldwani, Dehradun, Almora and New Delhi, while a total of 140 families have maintained the tradition of rearing sheep and of reaching their villages in summer months to cultivate their fields. People in these border valleys say if Government provides them facilities of medical care, communication and transport, all villages on the border will be vitalized with people. At least the retired people and young unemployed of Rang tribewill settle in these villagers to earn through home stay tourism andgrowing medicinal plants, said Mohan singh Gunjyal. Munsiyari SDM Bhagat Singh Fonia has said the tendency to return to villages has been seen over the last 5 years after the roads to the last border posts began to be constructed. If facilities of transport communicationand electricity increases in border region, the villagers, at least the retired ones, will start residing in their ancestral villages," the Munsiyari SDM said. The SDM, who is a permanent resident of a border village in Chamoli district, has said he will also settle down in his village after retirement. Thestate migration commission has in its recent reportsaid that a total of 41,669 families from villages in Pithoragarhdistrict have migrated to either the district headquarters or in other districts over the last 20 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A former skycap for Southwest Airlines armed with a mile-high contrarian streak, Ald. Raymond Lopez is a complicated figure in Chicago politics with ties to numerous political organizations. Known to some of his colleagues as Showpez and Lil Burke, Lopez is a fast talker who asks sharp questions at committee hearings, and had the best attendance of anyone on the City Council last term, according to a WBEZ and Daily Line analysis. By Colin Packham SYDNEY (Reuters) - A third person was confirmed dead on Wednesday in devastating bushfires that engulfed Australia's southeast coast this week and a fourth was missing and feared dead, as navy ships rushed to provide supplies and assist with evacuations. At least 15 people are now believed to have died, while scores of people remain missing after weeks of fires that have ripped through Australia's east coast, much of which is tinder-dry after three years of drought. Fanned by soaring temperatures, columns of fire and smoke blackened entire towns on Monday and Tuesday, forcing thousands of residents and holidaymakers to seek shelter on beaches. Many stood in shallow water to escape the flames. Bushfires have destroyed more than 4 million hectares (10 million acres) and new blazes are sparked almost daily by extremely hot and windy conditions and, most recently, dry lightning strikes created by the fires themselves. Cooler conditions on Wednesday gave the country a moment to count the cost of the fires, although there were still more than 100 blazes in New South Wales (NSW) state alone and thousands of firefighters on the ground. The body of a man was found in a burnt car early on Wednesday on the south coast of New South Wales after emergency workers began reaching the most damaged areas, and police said the death toll will rise. "Sadly, we can report today that police have confirmed a further three deaths as a result of the fires on the South Coast," NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys told reporters in Sydney. "Police are also at Lake Conjola now, where a house has been destroyed by fire and the occupant of that home is still unaccounted for." NSW police did not identify the missing man but said he was 72 years old and authorities have been unable to reach his home. Police said early assessments have found nearly 200 homes have been destroyed, though they cautioned it was an early estimate. Story continues In Victoria state, four people remain missing, state Premier Daniel Andrews said, after a massive blaze ripped through Gippsland - a rural region about 500 km (310 miles) east of Melbourne. About 4,000 people in the town of Mallacoota in Victoria headed to the waterfront after the main road was cut off. Mark Tregellas, a resident of Mallacoota who spent the night on a boat ramp, said only a late shift in the wind direction sparred lives. "The fire just continued to grow and then the black started to descend. I couldn't see the hand in front in my face, and it then it started to glow red and we knew the fire was coming," Tregellas told Reuters. "Ash started to fall from the air and then the embers started to come down. At that point, people started to bring their kids and families into the water. Thankfully, the wind changed and the fire moved away." Thousands of Australians remain cut off as fires force the closure of major roads, leaving many struggling to secure supplies. In Milton, a small town on the on the NSW south coast, locals queued for hours for the few remaining items left of shelves on supermarkets. Emma Schirmer, who evacuated from her house in Batemans Bay with her three-month child on Tuesday, said the local shop was limiting sales to six items per customer, while a power outage meant shoppers could pay only with cash. As shops run low and firefighters struggle with exhaustion, Australia's military, including Black Hawk helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and naval vessels were being deployed. Victoria's emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, said the 176-metre-long HMAS Choules may be used to evacuate many of those stranded in Mallacoota, though with a capacity of 1,000 it will be insufficient alone. HMAS Choules is due to arrive on Thursday. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said authorities were working to restore communications with areas cut off by the fires, though she warned conditions will deteriorate again over the weekend. "Weather conditions on Saturday will be as bad as they were" on Tuesday, Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. Meanwhile, Australia's capital Canberra was blanketed in thick smoke, reaching about 20 times hazardous levels, prompting health warnings. The smoke has also drifted to New Zealand where it has turned the daytime sky orange across the South Island. (Reporting by Colin Packham in Sydney; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Kim Coghill and Louise Heavens) The government has banned strikes by employees of in the state for six months from December 31, 2019 under the ESMA, an official release said on Thursday. Strikes by the officers, workmen, contract labourers, drivers and their helpers of tankers in the sector have been prohibited under the Essential Services Maintenance (Assam) Act, 1980, the release said. This has been done in public interest and any service in any oil field or refinery of any establishment or undertaking dealing with the production, supply of petroleum products including natural gas will fall under the purview of this order, it added. New Delhi, Jan 2 : Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP were on Thursday locked into a political spat on the schedule of parent-teacher meetings (PTM) in government schools on Saturday. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the Education portfolio, said it is regretful and shameful that those seated on ministerial position in the country are aggravated by PTMs. He insisted that the BJP should advocate healthy competition by revamping government schools in their governed states such as UP, Haryana and other states. "BJP's true character is against education...why is (Union Minister) Dr. Harsh Vardhan against PTM in Delhi government schools? It is a matter of great shame that Dr Harsh Vardhan is asking LG of Delhi to cancel all the PTM," he said at a press conference. Reacting on AAP's charges, Harsh Vardhan, in a tweet, said: "(Delhi CM) Arvind Kejriwal should stop treating parents as political vote-bank and innocent school children as props to garner votes. How can PTM meeting be used for pressurizing parents to vote for AAP? Don't stoop to such levels. Maintain dignity of your chair at-least." Harsh Vardhan has written a letter to the Lt Governor stating he has received a letter from the General Secretary, Government School Teachers Association in connection with the PTM scheduled on January 4, by Delhi government when schools in most of the northern states have been closed due to cold wave, which is a potential health hazard for children, and asked the LG to take appropriate action on the matter. "Delhi education minister is not the owner of education in the city..it is my duty to place people's problem before the authority concerned," he said. Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, in a tweet, queried why the BJP wants to cancel the PTM. "In PTM parents and teachers hold discussion on their respective child's performance. Many parents' eagerly wait for the PTM. It will be held on time. I will also visit a school for parents' feedback," he posted. MANILA, Philippines The Philippine Embassy in Singapore confirmed that the remains of Arlyn Nucos, 50 arrived at Clark International Airport on Wednesday (January 1). She was received by her family together with representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Her remains were immediately flown to her hometown in Caba, La Union. Meanwhile, the remains of Abigail Danao Leste, 41, will be repatriated today (January 2). Consul General Bernie Candola confirmed that the shipment will be on board Philippine Airlines PR 512 set to leave tonight at 8:00 PM and will arrive in Manila at 11:40 PM. The two Filipinas died on the spot when a car hit them at the parking exit pavement behind Lucky Plaza Mall on Sunday (December 30). The 64-year-old driver of the involved vehicle was immediately arrested. Meanwhile, the Embassy confirmed that two of the four Filipinos injured in the car crash were already discharged while the other two remain in the hospital. EMBASSY OFFICIAL STATEMENT | Update on the Six Filipinos Involved in the Car Crash Incident Posted by Philippine Embassy in Singapore on Wednesday, 1 January 2020 The post Remains of second victim in Singapore car crash to arrive in PH tonight appeared first on UNTV News. Here's a question: Does anybody have any idea what the Republican Party stands for in 2020? One way to find out: As you are out and about marking the new year, it is likely you will come across a Republican to whom you can pose the question, preferably after a drink or two, as that tends to work as truth serum: "Look, I was just wondering: What's the Republican Party all about these days? What does it, well, stand for?" I'm betting the answer is going to involve a noun, a verb and either "socialism" or "Democrats." Republicans now partly define their party simply as an alternative to that other party, as in, "I'm a Republican because I'm not a Democrat." In a long-forgotten era - say, four years ago - such a question would have elicited a very different answer. Though there was disagreement over specific issues, most Republicans would have said the party stood for some basic principles: fiscal sanity, free trade, strong on Russia, and that character and personal responsibility count. Today it's not that the Republican Party has forgotten these issues and values; instead, it actively opposes all of them. Republicans are now officially the character doesn't count party, the personal responsibility just proves you have failed to blame the other guy party, the deficit doesn't matter party, the Russia is our ally party, and the I'm-right-and-you-are-human-scum party. Yes, it's President Donald Trump's party now, but it stands only for what he has just tweeted. A party without a governing theory, a higher purpose or a clear moral direction is nothing more than a cartel, a syndicate that exists only to advance itself. There is no organized, coherent purpose other than the acquisition and maintenance of power. This is a sad fall. In Ronald Reagan's America, being born an American was to win's life lottery; in Donald Trump's America, it makes you a victim, a patsy, a chump. Trump didn't hijack the GOP and bend it to his will. He did something far easier: He looked at the party, saw its fault lines and then offered himself as a pure distillation of accumulated white grievance and anger. He bet that Republican voters didn't really care about free trade or mutual security, or about the environment or Europe, much less deficits. He rebranded kindness and compassion as "PC" and elevated division and bigotry as the admirable goals of just being politically incorrect. Trump didn't make Americans more racist; he just normalized the resentments that were simmering in many households. In short, he let a lot of long-suppressed demons out of the box. This paranoid element in the party has existed for decades, since the Joe McCarthy era, when some Republicans who saw dark forces threatening the country argued that only radical action by "true" Americans - white, Christian, conservative - could safeguard the nation. Barry Goldwater revived the theme in 1964, and George Wallace won five states with it as a third-party candidate in 1968. I worked in every Republican presidential campaign from 1996 through 2012 and assumed that those guys had long been vanquished and that optimism and inclusion had prevailed. I was wrong. This impeachment moment and all that has led to it should signal a day of reckoning. A party that has as its sole purpose the protection and promotion of its leader, whatever he thinks, is not on a sustainable path. Can anyone force a change? I'm not optimistic. Trump won with 46.1 percent of the vote in 2016, while Mitt Romney lost with 47.2 percent in 2012; no wonder Republicans have convinced themselves that the path to victory and power lies with angry division. Having ignored the warning signs for years myself, I know the seductive lure of believing what you prefer while ignoring the obvious truth. Which is this: We are a long way - more than a half-century - from 1968, much less 1952. The United States is now a diverse, chaotic collection of 330 million people, a country of immigrants and multiculturalism that is growing less white every day. It is not some gauzy Shangri-La of suburban bliss that never existed. I'd like to say that I believe the party I spent so many years fighting for could rise to the challenge of this moment. But there have been too many lies for too long. - - - Stevens is a writer and political consultant who is working with a political action committee that backs Bill Weld for president. SCOTUS Urged to Uphold Abortion Clinic Regulation NEWS PROVIDED BY Liberty Counsel Jan. 2, 2020 WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Liberty Counsel filed an amicus brief at the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Operation Rescue and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) in June Medical Services LLC v. Gee, a case reviewing the Louisiana state law that requires doctors performing abortions to have admission privileges at a state-authorized hospital within 30 miles of the abortion center. The case will be heard by the High Court on March 4, 2020. In June 2014, Louisiana passed Act 620, known as the "Unsafe Abortion Protection Act," which requires "that every physician who performs or induces an abortion shall have active admitting privileges at a hospital that is located not further than thirty miles from the location at which the abortion is performed or induced." The Louisiana Legislature enacted the bill with the intent to ensure the health and safety of the mothers of unborn children by guaranteeing all doctors have the mandatory competency and establishing greater continuity of care. To have admission privileges, the doctor must effectively be an approved practitioner at that hospital, which universally requires a higher level of background scrutiny. Louisiana's purpose for such credentialing was to prevent the house of horrors-type scenario that arose in the Kermit Gosnell story. Several abortion facilities and doctors challenged the law, and while that challenge was pending in the district court, the High Court struck down a similar Texas law in Whole Women's Health v. Hellerstedt finding that the Texas law imposed an "undue burden" on a woman's right to have an abortion while bringing about no "health-related benefit" and serving no "relevant credentialing function." The district court struck down Act 620 in 2017 based on that Supreme Court decision. However, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law saying that it did provide a relevant medical benefit to women in Louisiana and that the law merely operated to require abortionists to conform to the same standards that other medical professionals in Louisiana must satisfy. As Liberty Counsel's amicus brief outlines, Operation Rescue uncovered numerous instances of grossly unsafe practices at several abortion facilities in Louisiana, including at the Delta Clinic in Baton Rouge where two women died as a result of botched abortions and countless more were sent to the hospital. Had Louisiana's Act 620 been in effect at the time, perhaps these two women would still be alive. Operation Rescue is a leading pro-life advocacy organization that has worked for decades to uncover abortion clinic wrong-doing, expose it to the public, and bring the offenders to justice. The NHCLC represents more than 500,000 churches throughout the world that are deeply concerned about the medical care available to pregnant women and the unsafe conditions that were present in Louisiana prior to the passage of Louisiana Act 620. Liberty Counsels Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, "Louisiana's Act 620 is a reasonable and constitutional method of protecting the health and safety of women in Louisiana. Requiring abortionists to conform to the same standards of care as every other medical professional in Louisiana is common sense and lawful. Until the day finally comes when human genocide ends, states should be able to at least offer legislation that protects women from the unsafe, unlawful, grossly negligent, and filthy practices that result from abortionists like Kermit Gosnell," said Staver. Liberty Counsel is a nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost. SOURCE Liberty Counsel CONTACT: Mat Staver, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org Related Links lc.org/ Snowy glaciers in New Zealand have been left looking like streams of caramel after thick bushfire smoke blew from Australia across the Tasman sea. Smoke from the devastating bushfires could be smelt as far as Christchurch, as smog clouds spread across the Tasman Glacier - 2,000km from Sydney. Pictures taken on the Franz Josef glacier on the South Island show a layer of yellow-tinged dust settled on the normally snow-white mountain top. A local guide, Andy Hoare, filmed similarly eerie footage on Tasman Glacier on Wednesday. It showed the usually-pristine glacier covered in a thick blanket of yellow smoke. Scroll down for video A picture taken near New Zealand's Franz Josef glacier (pictured) shows the usually pristine snow 'caramelised' The Tasman Glacier on New Zealand's South Island (pictured) was blanketed in the orange-tinted smoke haze A tourist at the nearby Franz Josef glacier said it became covered in brown dust within just 24 hours, comparing it to 'caramel'. Posting on a social media, a visitor to the glacier, Rachel, shared disturbing pictures of the area which had completely transformed overnight. 'Near Franz Josef glacier,' she said. 'The 'caramelised' snow is caused by dust from the bushfires. It was white yesterday.' Footage (pictured) shared by Tasman Glacier guide Andy Hoare showed how thick bushfire smoke had floated 2,000km from Australia Tourists at New Zealand's Franz Josef glacier (pictured) showed how the snow had turned a strange caramel colour The Bureau of Meterology issued a warning on Thursday saying 'extensive smoke haze' was extending as far as the north Central Coast of NSW and across the Tasman Sea. Pictures taken as far away as Christchurch, Queenstown, Dunedin, Wanaka and Otago also showed a thick haze filling the skies. It has also blanketed huge swathes of eastern NSW and Victoria. In Canberra, thick smoke meant the capital suffered the worst air quality in the world - with pollution levels higher than Delhi or Lahore. Images taken in places such as Christchurch, Queenstown, Dunedin, Wanaka and Otago showed an orange haze over the South Island. Pictured: Glendhu Bay Wind has pushed smoke from the New South Wales and Victorian bushfires 2,000 kilometres across the Tasman to cover New Zealand's South Island. Pictured: Otago The city is sandwiched between two huge fronts of bushfire smoke pouring across from NSW and Victoria. Australia Post halted all deliveries in the city on Thursday, saying 'hazardous smoke conditions' had made it too dangerous staff to continue work. Aidan Pyselman, a Metservice meteorologist, told Stuff on Tuesday the weather service had been tracking the smoke for a number of weeks. 'It's off and on, when we get a particular setup with the way the upper winds are it tends to come across. We haven't had it consistently but at the moment we've got a front moving on to the South Island,' Mr Pyselman said. 'It's been happening for quite some time since the Aussie bushfires have been going. At the moment it's definitely more noticeable, especially over the South Island.' Another Metservice forecaster, Cameron Coutts, said this was the fourth time smoke has crossed the Tasman this summer. He said the intensity of the Australian bushfires over the last week had produced a significant about of smoke. A woman has told how she developed skin cancer out of a scar left over from her battle with chickenpox as a five-year-old. Louise Thorell, 32, from Ashington in Northumberland, needed three operations to remove the basal cell carcinoma. For years she had been embarrassed by the white scar beneath her right eye from her battle with the common viral illness. However, it wasn't until 2018 that Ms Thorell noticed something more serious was happening inside it. She accidentally scratched the skin, which she claims was 'tougher and waxier' than normal. It caused a scab which never healed. It later became infected so she sought the help of a doctor and a test revealed Ms Thorell had basal cell carcinoma (BCC), which accounts for 75-80 per cent of skin cancer cases in the UK and US. Louise (pictured before being diagnosed with cancer) had been left with a white scar beneath her right eye after she had chickenpox as a child Ms Thorell had scratched the scar by accident and, although it kept scabbing over, it never properly healed and it later became infected so she went to see a doctor After having three surgeries to remove the cancer on her cheek, Ms Thorell was left with an even bigger scar on her face 'I accidentally scratched my scar and after that I had issues,' Ms Thorell said. 'It would heal, a scab would form, it would fall off and an open wound would be there until a new scab would form. 'I dealt with it for a few months until I got an infection... and my wound site got bigger each time it would open and heal again. 'After the first infection I noticed it had changed in appearance. It had tiny little blood vessel veins around it.' Ms Thorell's doctor referred her to a specialist melanoma clinic in her home county and there she was diagnosed with BCC. Skin damage from ultraviolet light from the sun or tanning beds is the main cause of BCC. And the cancers are known to develop out of scars already on the skin. Medical reports have revealed the tumours can grow out of burn scars, cut and graze scars, tattoos and surgical scars, as well as from those left behind by chickenpox, according to a paper in the journal JAMA Dermatology. Scientists have suggested that scar tissue may have 'malignant potential' because of substances called growth factors which are produced by the immune system. The growth factors are used to repair injured skin and tissue but are also implicated in the growth of tumours. Chickenpox is a common viral illness normally seen in children it causes skin blistering and some of the injuries leave scars if they don't heal quickly. Ms Thorell had chickenpox when she was just five, and has had a scar on her right cheek ever since. '[The doctor told] me it did start off as a chickenpox scar and it's possible I've had BCC for years,' Ms Thorell said. 'I was told it was rarer for people my age to get BCC as it's usually pensioners who get it on their face or scalp from prolonged sun exposure. 'I avoid the sun. I have always been ghostly pale.' It wasn't until Ms Thorell started to develop infections in her face (pictured, swelling beneath her eye) that she sought a doctor's help Ms Thorell said: 'At first I wasn't expecting the sheer size of my scar to be as big as it is. I did feel awful about how I looked' Ms Thorell said: After the first time they took cells away, I was bandaged up and was told to go for lunch and a drink and come back in two hours to see if they got all the cancer first time' Although BCC is not usually life-threatening, it can be disfiguring if left untreated. More than 100,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the UK. Ms Thorell had surgery to remove the cancer from her face in November 2019. It took three attempts to get all of the cancerous cells out of Ms Thorell's face and then she had to have surgery to reduce the huge scar which was left on her face. 'I was awake for the surgery, just under local anaesthetic,' she said. 'They take some of the cancer cells away. Then it's tested and looked at under the microscope to see if there are still cancer cells in a certain section. 'After the first time they took cells away, I was bandaged up and was told to go for lunch and a drink and come back in two hours to see if they got all the cancer first time. 'Unfortunately, they hadn't. I had to go back in theatre and get more taken off. This happened a total of three times.' More than 100,000 people are diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma in the UK each year. It is not deadly but can be disfiguring if left untreated. Pictured, Ms Thorell's scar is now fading naturally and she is cancer-free Ms Thorell is now 'very, very aware' of her skin and has a meticulous skincare routine, she says. She can use make-up to cover the scars left by her treatment Despite her ordeal, Ms Thorell said she feels lucky that her diagnosis wasn't worse. 'At first I wasn't expecting the sheer size of my scar to be as big as it is. I did feel awful about how I looked. I tried to joke about it and make fun to lighten my mood. 'Now I am very, very aware of my skin. I religiously apply Bio Oil twice daily, I put face cream on first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I don't scrub my face, I take extra care and time on my face now. 'Take notice of your skin. Lumps or bumps or patches not looking like they used to. Get checked. I just feel lucky and blessed that it wasn't worse.' New Delhi, Jan 2 : A section of Twitterati on Thursday demanded the release of social activist and former teacher Sadaf Jafar, who was arrested around two weeks back amid the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Uttar Pradesh. #FreeSadaf trended on Twitter with 16.5K tweets. The Congress tweeted: "We demand the immediate release of social activist Sadaf Jafar, who has been under arrest for the last 14 days by the UP police. #FreeSadaf." Even the Youth Congress tweeted to demand her release, saying: "UP police has brutally assaulted her. They have also wrongly charged her with attempt to murder & sabotage for reporting live! #FreeSadaf." Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt tweeted: "If the mind is shackled or made impotent through fear, it makes no difference under what form of government you live, you are a subject & not a citizen. Without liberty of speech, all of the outward forms and structures of free institutions are a sham, a pretense. #FreeSadaf." One user said: "Sadaf Jafar's incarceration must end. Inhuman treatment of Sadaf and so many others in UP must end. Reports of children being tortured and sexually assaulted while in police custody must be independently investigated. Stop this shame!" One tweet read: "A lady in jail for over 2 weeks... For doing a Facebook live from a public place where people are protesting... tortured, beaten in jail. There cannot be something more shameful, blatant and brutal. #FreeSadaf." An error has occurred within file /articles.aspx Please report the error to support@bizcommunity.com and it will be fixed as soon as possible. Members of the Environmental Protection Agency's own Scientific Advisory Board are raising concerns about several of the Trump administration's environmental priorities, including on auto emissions rules and clean water regulations. That's surprising because the Trump administration has overhauled the panel of scientists, dismissing about half of its previous membership and raising alarms in the environmental community about increasing industry influence on the board. In draft responses to several EPA policies posted online this month board members raise concerns with the agency's conclusions. The drafts are slated for consideration by the full board at a meeting early next year. The Washington Post first reported on the reports Tuesday. The agency said it "appreciates and respects the work and advice of the" board. "The reports they posted are draft and will be discussed at their next meeting," EPA spokeswoman Corry Schiermeyer told CNN. "The final commentary and reports will be developed soon after the public meeting and then sent to the Administrator." In some cases, the drafts offer a stinging rebuke to the administration. For example, the report on the administration's plan to freeze vehicle emission standards argues "there are significant weaknesses in the scientific analysis of the proposed rule." Another draft commentary concludes the administration's overhaul of water regulations "decreases protection for our Nation's waters and does not support the objective of restoring and maintaining 'the chemical, physical and biological integrity' of these waters." And a draft response to the agency's scientific transparency proposal calls increasing transparency "a worthy goal," but finds "key considerations ... have been omitted from the proposal or presented without analysis." Critics say the rule would restrict EPA scientists from using many public health studies, which for patient privacy reasons do not include raw data, but the agency says relying on studies with public datasets allows "the science to withstand skepticism and peer review." Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the draft response to this policy is "probably the strongest language I've seen" from the Scientific Advisory Board. "It really is very strong and clear language. I'm very pleased to see it," he told CNN. But despite the critical draft reports, he said his concerns with the board's composition remain. The Union of Concerned Scientists sued the agency in 2018 over new membership rules that it said would block qualified academic researchers from serving. That lawsuit was dismissed by a federal trial court but is currently on appeal. Schiermeyer defended the agency's rules. She said the water rule was developed consistent with "authorities granted ... by Congress and the limitations established by the Supreme Court," which the Scientific Advisory Board does not need to take into consideration. "As a result, the definition of 'waters of the United States' may be informed by science, but science cannot dictate where to draw the line between federal and state or tribal waters, as those are legal distinctions established within the overall framework and construct of the Clean Water Act," she said. The vehicle emission proposal "will save lives and reduce the cost of a new car, while creating jobs across our nation," she added. Iraqi Paramilitaries Withdraw From U.S. Embassy In Baghdad By RFE/RL January 01, 2020 Iraq's military said pro-Iran paramilitary groups have withdrawn from outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a day after a mob attacked the compound, prompting U.S. authorities to deploy hundreds more troops to the region. The January 1 statement by Iraq's military command followed a call earlier in the day from the Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella group for its supporters to withdraw from the compound. The umbrella group, which is made up of mainly Shi'ite militia members, had been one of the lead organizers of the angry protests at the American facility in response to U.S. air strikes in Iraq earlier in the week. The crowds chanted "'Death to America!" and set fires as they breached an outer perimeter of the embassy on December 31. They did not, however, enter the main compound. Many of those involved were seen carrying flags of the Kataib Hizbullah, or Hezbollah Brigades, a paramilitary group supported by Iran. The violence prompted U.S. troops protecting the facility to fire tear gas to try and disperse the crowds, who had camped out overnight. The U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi on January 1 and "condemned, in the strongest possible terms," the attack on the Baghdad facility. The Iraqi government had moved to improve the security situation, the statement said, and Pompeo "stressed the Government of Iraq's obligation to prevent further attacks against our diplomatic mission." The State Department also announced that Pompeo was postponing an upcoming trip to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus as U.S. officials stepped up their response to the incident. The confrontation at the Baghdad facility was the some of the worst mob violence to target U.S. forces in Iraq. It also appeared to be the worst to target against a U.S. diplomatic facility anywhere since the assault against a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. Four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed. The Baghdad protesters were angry over U.S. air strikes on December 29 that killed at least 25 members of an Iran-backed militant group. Reuters reported that 12 militiamen were also wounded. The United States said the air strikes were aimed at five targets, and were in response to repeated Kataib Hizbullah attacks on bases that house U.S. troops, including one on December 27 that killed a U.S. defense contractor and injured U.S. and Iraqi forces. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is located in a heavily fortified government district known as the Green Zone. It has been targeted by rocket and mortar attacks in the past, but access to the district is strictly controlled. After the initial mob attack on the facility on December 31, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said 750 additional troops would be sent to the Middle East and more in the coming days "The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world," Esper said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, blamed Iran specifically for the attack on the embassy. "Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities," Trump said in a post to Twitter December 31. "They will pay a very BIG PRICE!" Trump wrote, adding, "Happy New Year!" Despite the threats, Trump later told journalists he does not want, or foresee, war with Iran. "Do I want to? No. I want to have peace. I like peace. And Iran should want to have peace more than anybody. So I don't see that happening," he told reporters as he visited the resort he owns in Florida. Iran's supreme leader on January 1 condemned the U.S. air strikes, while blaming Washington for the violence in the country. "The Iranian government, nation, and I strongly condemn the attacks," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying by state media. He also dismissed U.S. accusations that Tehran orchestrated the protests. "If Iran wants to fight a country, it will do so openly," he said while adding that "Americans need to understand that people in the region, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, hate them for their crimes." Meanwhile, Tehran summoned a senior official from the Swiss Embassy, which represents U.S. interests in Iran, to complain about American "warmongering" in neighboring Iraq, the Foreign Ministry said. Tehran has denied it was behind the violent protests at the U.S. Embassy. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, IRNA and Mehr Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pentagon-deploying-750- additional-troops-to-region-after-protest -at-u-s-embassy-in-iraq/30354739.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japan's new Emperor Naruhito said Thursday he hoped for a year without natural disasters, delivering his first New Year speech since ascending the Chrysanthemum Throne to tens of thousands of well-wishers. "I'm glad to celebrate the New Year together with you," Naruhito told the crowd, many waving Japanese flags and shouting "Banzai", meaning "long life". "On the other hand, I'm worried about many people still living difficult lives because of typhoons and heavy rain last year," said the 59-year-old emperor, accompanied by Empress Masako. "I hope this year will be a good and peaceful year without any natural disasters," he said. Last month the royal couple visited people in Japan's northeastern region hit by powerful typhoon Hagibis in October, which killed more than 80 people and caused huge damage to local infrastructure. Also attending the traditional New year celebration was Naruhito's father Akihito, who became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in around two centuries when he stepped down from the throne on April 30, ending his three-decade reign. Naruhito formally proclaimed his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne in October in front of royals and leaders from around the world. The central Tokyo palace, surrounded by stone walls and moats, is opened to the public twice a year -- on the emperor's birthday and the second day of New Year -- for the royal family to greet well-wishers. The emperor will appear four more times at the balcony later in the day. Thousands of people are expected to participate in a four-kilometer march in Hyderabad on Saturday in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). These people would be coming together under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee (JAC) of 40-odd groups and social organisations. The procession would start from Peoples Plaza at the beginning of Necklace Road on the banks of Hussainsagar lake and will culminate in a brief public meeting at Sanjeevaiah Park, JAC convenor and Tehreek-e-Muslim Shabban (TMS) president Mustaq Malik said. Named Million March, the rally is expected to be attended by at least a lakh people. People from all parts of Telangana, Kurnool, Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh and Bidar in Karnataka would be coming in large numbers, Malik said. Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) president Amzadullah Khan said the JAC would give a call to the people not to cooperate with the authorities in the implementation of NPR, NRC and CAA and not to part with any citizen information. It will be a peaceful rally and there would not be any slogans for or against any person, religion or party. The Million March will begin and end with the singing of the national anthem. All the participants will hold a national flag in their hands, Khan said. The JAC has extended an invitation to leaders of all the like-minded political parties to take part in the rally. We have written even to Telangana Rashtra Samithi headed by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Malik said. Meanwhile, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi has also announced that his party is planning to organise another march in Hyderabad against the CAA and NRC. Owaisi tweeted on Wednesday that he had also sought permission for a rally on Saturday or Sunday. The MIM would most likely be given the permission to hold the rally at Dharna Chowk on Sunday, said a police official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 23:29:32|Editor: yan Video Player Close ANKARA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has deported 3 suspected Islamic State (IS) members of Swiss nationality to their home country, the Turkish Interior Ministry said Thursday. The ministry made the announcement in a brief statement, without providing details or identifying the suspects. Turkey earlier said it would send thousands of captured IS militants, including those from Europe, back to their countries even if their citizenship was revoked. Ankara started to send suspected foreign IS captives back to their countries of origin in November, 2019. More than 70 IS suspects have been deported so far. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-03 01:19:41|Editor: yan Video Player Close ACCRA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua)-- Six Ghanaian traders were killed in a fatal car accident in Burkina Faso, Ghana police said here on Thursday. The vehicle which was conveying the traders and their consignments of fresh tomatoes from Burkina Faso to Ghana's capital burst a front tire late Wednesday in Po, a city in southern Burkina Faso. The vehicle somersaulted many times before landing upside down, said eye-witnesses, with survivors sustaining various degrees of injury. "Two males and four females died on the spot, and the bodies have been transferred to the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo," the Upper West Regional Commander of the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department William Kpormegbe told Xinhua via telephone. The official added that nine others who sustained various degrees of injury were receiving treatment at the same hospital in Navrongo, near Bolgatanga, 783 kilometers from the capital. Ghana depends heavily on Burkina Faso for fresh tomatoes, with trade statistics showing that Ghana imported 100 million dollars worth of fresh tomatoes in 2018 alone. ollo/iStock(NEW YORK) -- Japan Airlines is giving away 50,000 free round-trip flights this summer, but winners don't get to pick their final destination. It's an effort by the airline to get travelers to discover less-visited cities. Flights depart from and return to Tokyo (Haneda Airport) and Osaka (Itami Airport and Kansai International Airport) only. The travel period is July 1 through Sept. 30. The summer of 2020 is a great time to visit Japan: the Olympics are being held in Tokyo. To have your application considered, provide the details of your flight and become a member of the airline's mileage program. Within three days of your application, the airline will tell you to which destination you'll travel. Those interested can apply on the airline's website. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. The Trinamool Congress' trust vote triumph in the Bhatpara Municipality on Thursday was shortlived, as Calcutta High Court set aside the no-confidence motion, observing that it has been illegally convened. It was brought against the BJP chairman of Bhatpara Municipality, Sourav Singh, by the ruling TMC. Justice Arindam Sinha also declared the meeting called for holding the no-confidence motion -- passed by a margin of 19-0 in the 35-member civic body -- null and void. Reacting to the court order, West Bengal Food and Supplies Minister and TMC North 24 Parganas district president Jyotipriyo Mullick said the party would look into further legal options. "If need be, we would appeal to the division bench of the Calcutta High Court," Mullick said. The Bhatpara Municipality falls under the constituency of Barrackpore BJP MP Arjun Singh, who said the high court has delivered justice. "The TMC, through illegal means, tried to capture the board. The people of Bhatpara are with us," Singh asserted. Sourav Singh is the nephew of the BJP lawmaker. The municipality has 35 members but its effective strength is 32. At present, the TMC has 19 members and the BJP 12, while the Congress and CPI(M) have one councillor each. There is one Independent councillor. "We had the majority, so we won the trust vote today. I can confidently say that whenever a trust vote takes place, we would win it, as we have the support of the people of Bhatpara," said Mullick. A total of 26 TMC members of the civic body had joined the saffron party in 2019, and Sourav Singh became its chairman after winning the trust vote in June, making Bhatpara the first BJP-controlled municipality in Bengal since Independence. The Bhatpara Municipality chairman had convened a meeting on January 20 for bringing the no-confidence motion. However, TMC councillors refused to wait till then and on December 30, gave a notice for holding the meeting to bring the motion on January 2. The December 30 notice was challenged by three BJP councillors, claiming that councillors cannot give notice for the meeting, as it was against the state municipal laws. Arjun Singh was a four-time TMC legislator and the chairman of Bhatpara Municipality since 2010 till March last year. He switched over to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and was removed from the post of municipality chairman in April through a secret ballot, after a no-confidence motion was passed against him. But, after he wrested the Barrackpore parliamentary seat from his former party, he turned the tables on TMC and regained his hold on Bhatpara, which is known to be his bastion. Sourav Singh, his nephew, was then elected as the new chairman of the municipality in June 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 14:28:33|Editor: zyl Video Player Close SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed Thursday to build a peace community of co-existence and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula this year. Moon made the remarks during a New Year's event at the headquarters in Seoul of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), a major local business lobby group, according to the presidential Blue House. "With our people's aspiration for peace on the Korean Peninsula, (the government) will build a peace community of co-existence and prosperity," said Moon. Moon noted that the leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States maintained their willingness for dialogue, while the South Korean government gradually moved toward the peninsula peace last year in coordination with the international community. He stressed that peace would not come without "action," pledging to continue efforts for a wider "room to maneuver" in relations between the two Koreas. Regarding domestic affairs, Moon vowed a "clear change" this year in the South Korean society based on the reform of agencies of power and the building of a fair society. In South Korea, the agencies of power refer to the prosecution service, the police, the state intelligence agency and the national tax service. "No agency of power can stand above people," said Moon who pledged that he will never stop legal and institutional reforms until the power institutions gain the trust of people. New York/ PHILIPSBURG:--- Ms. Keoma Hamer has received an invitation from the Police Commissioner to travel to Antigua and Barbuda to assist the Police with further investigating her case. The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) believes this is a step in the right direction. In response, Ms. Hamer thanked the Police for the invitation and indicated her willingness to do everything possible to assist the investigation. Ms. Hamer advised the Police Commissioner that the invitation is under consideration by her and her attorneys who would advise her on the way forward. She assured the Police Commissioner that she would be amenable to traveling to Antigua to assist with the investigation only if said investigation will be conducted by an independent entity; the process would be fair and transparent; the extraction of specimens for DNA testing is conducted in her presence and the chain of custody of the specimens would be supervised by an entity that is not affiliated with the government or Police Force. CGID endorses the conditions Ms. Hamer outlined to the Police. They are reasonable and rational given the unwarranted and ad hominem attacks on her from Antigua and Barbuda government officials who have prematurely rushed to judgment and publicly announced major conclusions even before a thorough Police investigation has commenced. Unfortunately, the preemption of the investigation has prejudiced the entire process and engendered deep mistrust that can only be assuaged by an independent inquiry. The investigation must be credible. Ms. Hamers participation, as well as acceptance of the outcome, are therefore contingent on an independent investigation with transparency and integrity. CGID today wrote the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda requesting such an invitation. We are confident that the government Antigua and Barbuda are eager to expedite a credible inquiry that would finally bring closure to this matter. Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) January 2, 2020. KAMPALA Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze has said that supporters of People Power movement are forcing all other opposition members to endorse Bobi Wines presidency in 2021. Speaking in an interview on Thursday, January 02, 2020, Nambooze, who is the spokesperson of Dr Kizza Besigyes self-styled peoples government, said as result, this has caused a lot of animosity in the opposition, which many hurt their chances of taking power in 2021. People Power is trying to force the entire opposition to endorse one candidate who is Kyagulanyi, and they are not ready to take anything less than that, she said. Nevertheless, she urged the Kyadondo East MP to use his influence and unite the opposition. This year is going to be a moment of truth for Hon. Kyagulanyi. He has no way out other than standing for presidency, Nambooze said. Bobi Wine represents the biggest group of people and the challenge is to go out and offer leadership to them. It is his time to lead. He must move very fast to reconcile with the voters of Besigye. We should as well look at FDC. Will FDC be bringing out a new person if Besigye chooses not to stand in 2021? she added. Nambooze also said Dr Besigyes influence in opposition politics cannot be underestimated. Besigye represents all political opposition who have been in politics in the last decade. Partly, the People Power movement is built on the need to change the status quo in the opposition. There is a need for change in opposition as well. It is normal that the People Power movement come for us before they go to Museveni. Because the opposition has not had the chance to elevate some people into better positions (this space is occupied by NRM), we shall have a generational conflict, she said. People Power is the Togikwatako crusade that was started by Ugandans in and outside parliament to challenge the continued rule of Museveni. People Power took up all the slogans and colours and in one way or another, we had to find the spirit, she added. Related PORTAGE, MI A lawsuit filed against a local Little League board president alleges the president and other board members conspired to cover up inadequate electrical systems at the leagues fields in Portage. The lawsuit was filed Nov. 5, 2019, in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court by Little League parent and former board member Jay Woodhams, who said he filed the lawsuit on behalf of league families. In the complaint, Woodhams accuses current league president Joshua Hill of completing electrical work that was not completed to code, and then trying to terminate the leagues safety officer, Dan Corradini, in an alleged attempt to cover it up. The complaint alleges other misconduct as well, such as providing monetary benefits and discounts for board members, incorrectly using executive sessions to suppress votes and intimidating board members with threats of discipline. Woodhams said he has made past attempts to address the allegations with the board president, and felt a lawsuit was his only remaining option. This is the only way to rectify it because there have been so many opportunities to correct it in the past, he said. The South Portage Little League is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The lawsuit alleges the leagues president conspired with board members to cover up inadequate electrical systems at the leagues facility on East Centre Avenue in Portage. Alleged damages include loss of organization revenue from stipends and discounts awarded to Hill and other board members, a declining numbers of volunteers and increased risk of injury to Little League participants, according to court documents. Woodhams said he is not seeking a specific dollar amount in the lawsuit, but hopes the action will help keep families involved with the league safe. Court documents state that the lawsuit is seeking reform to the organizations governance, including training courses for volunteers, and seeks restitution to fund the expense. The lawsuit also seeks a review of league finances, damages as determined by that review, the termination of Hill and reimbursement for attorney fees and court costs. Hill deferred comment to his attorney, Bill Ewald of Braun Kendrick Finkbeiner, based in Saginaw. Despite the lawsuit, Ewald said, Hill still has support from a majority of the board and became the boards president on his own merits. The (lawsuit) was no surprise and theres no decrease in membership that (Hill) is related to, Ewald said. People choose sides and he still has a majority of the board. Electrical work at the facility began in late April 2019, according to Woodhams complaint. League Safety Officer Dan Corradini asked who would be completing the electrical work, the lawsuit states. Corradini suggested the plans be discussed with the city of Portage, and Hill allegedly said that would not be necessary since the plans had been reviewed by a licensed electrician. After those issues arose, a board member allegedly found a resignation letter written by Hill and called a meeting, excluding Corradini and other board members, to discuss efforts to prevent his resignation, the lawsuit states. Meeting discussions led to suggestions to terminate Corradini from his position of safety officer to prevent Hills resignation, according to the complaint. Hill did not resign. The organization did hire an electrician to complete the electrical work a few months after it began, Woodhams said. Corradini was suspended, pending termination, Woodhams complaint states. Corradini appealed the decision, but was terminated at the end of May, according to the lawsuit. Woodhams alleges that termination was improper because not all board members were present for the vote, according to court documents. The decision was ultimately overturned and Corradini is again serving as the leagues safety officer. The Portage league board secretary, who was not named in the lawsuit and could not be reached for comment on this story, contacted the administrator for Michigan District 2 Little League with concerns, according to Woodhams complaint. The administrator noted that the suspension letter to Corradini violated the league constitution and advised the organization to talk with an attorney, the lawsuit states. At the end of May, the board secretary enlisted the help of Woodhams, who gathered available information and assembled a panel of three qualified, disinterested individuals to help with an assessment, the lawsuit states. According to court documents, Woodhams sent a demand to take suitable action letter to the Board of Directors, which listed allegations of wrongdoing by the president. On Nov. 27, an answer to the complaint was filed. In it, Hill denies Woodhams had the authority to file a lawsuit on behalf of the organization. Woodhams is not a South Portage Little League board member, the answer states, which raises questions about his role in the lawsuit. Both parties are now waiting on the court to set a conference before moving forward, Ewald said. At that point, they will be able to move into the discovery phase, and obtain meeting minutes and agendas and written answers from a handful of other board members involved. There is nothing going on at the present, Ewald said. That is not unusual for lawsuits after weve filed the answer to the complaint. Once an order is issued by the court, we can move forward." Woodhams said he is handling several aspects of the case on his own due past experience, but said he has also been working with local law firm Kreis Enderle for resources and advice. Woodhams set up an email for local Little League families with questions about the lawsuit. Those interested can send questions to info@southportagelittleleague.com. Students read in their classroom in the Yang Dezhi "Red Army" elementary school in Wenshui, Xishui County in Guizhou Province, China on Nov. 7, 2016. In 2008, Yang Dezhi was designated a "Red Army primary school"funded by China's "red nobility" of revolution-era Communist commanders and their families, one of many such institutions that have been established across the country. Such schools are an extreme example of the "patriotic education" which China's ruling Communist party promotes to boost its legitimacybut which critics condemn as little more than brainwashing. (Fred Dufour/AFP via Getty Images) Chinas Patriotic Education: Schooling or Indoctrination? To cultivate loyal and submissive followers, CCP institutes red patriotism courses venerating Chinas revolutionary past for children in kindergartens Reproduced from Bitter Winter: A magazine on religious liberty and human rights in China After the Tiananmen Square protests 30 years ago, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a patriotic education campaign nationwide to instill national pride and build a generation of future communists loyal to the countrys leadership. Amid pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, Chinas communist regime is accelerating the campaign to impart nationalist fervor through indoctrination, starting from a very young age. Toddlers Swear Allegiance to the Party No matter where I was born, the blood of my motherland is always flowing inside me. No matter if I am alive or dead, this will never change. For all this, I commit to love my motherland, toddlers were following their teacher swearing an oath to China and its leadership. The pledge was organized during a flag-raising ceremony in a kindergarten in Yongxiu County under the jurisdiction of Jiujiang City in the southwestern province of Jiangxi on Sept. 25. The school is organizing activities like these, hoping to instill in children nationalist pride and loyalty to the country and the Communist Party. The government asks schools to subject our kids to red education and indoctrination because they want to cultivate successors for the Communist Party, one of the parents expressed her dissatisfaction with such activities. No matter how opposed to red indoctrination parents are, they cannot do anything to remove their children from an ideologically-charged educational environment. In many cases, such indoctrination of very young minds results in children developing a radical worldview; they become unable to think independently. Ill kill Japanese with a pistol, said a little boy holding a wooden toy pistol in hand during a parent-child educational activity organized by Jinshan Kindergarten in Jiangxi on Nov. 1. The CCP has been cultivating the sentiment of patriotism and nationalism among young generations by impressing them with the brutality of foreign invaders who occupied Chinas territories throughout history. Nothing positive comes from indoctrinating children with hate sentiment at such a young age, one of the parents expressed her concern. [The Party] just educates young children in such a deceptive manner and incites them to be against Japan, America, and even the entire West, a Chinese netizen commented online last year. It wants to educate them as a new power of the Boxers and inflame hatred towards foreign countries, he added, referencing to the turn-of-the-century Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), organized by a secret Chinese society, the Boxers or the Fists of Harmony and Justice, which was fighting against colonialism and Christianity. Students attend the flag-raising ceremony at the Yang Dezhi Red Army elementary school in Wenshui, Xishui County in Guizhou Province, China on Nov. 7, 2016. (Fred Dufour/AFP via Getty Images) Patriotism: A Compulsory Course In late October, kids wearing Red Army uniforms were shouting patriotic slogans, like, A red heart faces the sun and follows the Party in a Jiangxi kindergarten during an activity called Military-Civil Production. The childrens parents were also asked to wear costumes, acting as soldiers, workers, and peasants who plow the field, grow the grain, and fertilize the crops. The activity was dedicated to the CCPs mass campaign, launched during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) when troops and civilians were encouraged to work together in Chinas wastelands to grow grain. Similar activities are organized in kindergartens throughout China. The official media outlets on the mainland claim that through such events, children are taught how hard the heroes of the proletarian revolution fought for the beautiful life they enjoy today, pass down the excellent traditions, and devote themselves to the endless struggle of building a stronger, more prosperous and beautiful motherland. But not everyone agrees with this education. A parent told Bitter Winter that CCPs extreme patriotic education is the evilest forced indoctrination in the world. A teacher working at a pre-school said that in the past, she would teach children traditional songs, like Wash Your Hands and Lets Have Dinner. But it is different this year; the red songs have become compulsory, the teacher complained. All kindergartens, private or public, are following instructions from the Central Committee of the CCP, without exception, to teach kids red songs. Governments at all levels demand that all schools teach children patriotic songs from a young age. This is a state policy. By Wang Yong Ten years in, brothers Adam and Andrew Erace say they will close their Green Aisle Grocery stores in South Philadelphia, effective Jan. 31. Green Aisle, which opened at 1618 E. Passyunk Ave. in late 2009 and expanded to 2241 Grays Ferry Ave. in mid-2014, has offered shelf space to local brands, such as Rics Breads, Hillacres Pride, and Three Springs. A third location, at 11 W. Girard Ave. in Fishtown, was open from 2015 to 2017. So much has changed about the retail world of local, organic and gourmet foods in the last decade, they wrote in a statement that described the business as a "side hustle." When we started, agave nectar was considered a specialty ingredient and Walmart grass-fed beef didnt exist. The increased availability of this kind of food is a very good thing, and we like to think we played a very small role in that, but its also made it harder to sustain our tiny shops in the face of well-funded corporate competition. This is especially apparent at our Grays Ferry Avenue location, where we now exist between a Giant and an Amazon depot. Adam Erace, who cowrote the recent cookbooks Laurel with Nicholas Elmi and Dinner at the Club with Joey Baldino, is working on a third book, while Andrew is shooting the second season of Movers and Makers on WHYY. The brothers hosted a Food Network show, Great American Food Finds, in 2015. One piece of Green Aisle will remain. The Eraces say they will convert their product line of small-batch preserves, notably organic pistachio butter, into its own business. Everything in the stores except for fresh products, such as produce, cheese, and ice cream, is 20% off through the closing. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-02 14:21:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 512 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 2, 2020 / Healthcare Solutions Holdings, a medical service and device company focused on providing clinicians with state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic tools, invites Dr. Antonio Rozier to explain the importance of toxicology testing.The importance of toxicology testing is critical for the proper delivery of healthcare. The purpose of toxicology testing is to study the safety and biological effects of drugs and other substances introduced to the human body. The toxicology report that is ultimately delivered to a physician identifies the findings of potential issues with prescription medications and/or drugs of abuse.Dr. Antonio Rozier, MD, who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation, speaks about how he utilizes toxicology testing in his practice. "Toxicology testing is a very important piece of patient care because it ensures our patients are safe, protected, and well-treated," says Dr. Rozier. "The results of a toxicology test give physicians a snapshot of what medications they are taking, how much of a medication they are taking, and how they are taking the medication. In an era of addiction and misuse of medications, I use toxicology testing for opiate monitoring. The toxicology test enables me to make sure our patients are safe in regards to what they are supposed to be taking and allows me to see what medications are present in the patient's system. Once physicians have these results, we can then adjust any medications as needed and continue to monitor the levels of said medication." Dr. Rozier has found the toxicology testing provided by HSI of significant benefit to his practice and patient care. "Toxicology testing is required in my field, so the question then is what is the easier route in order to complete this? HSI allows me to receive accurate test results in a timely matter which enables me to provide efficient and high-quality patient care. From customer service to timely turn around time for results, HSI continues to impress me with their streamlined workflow." Dr. Antonio Rozier attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he graduated cum laude with a B.S. degree in Biology. His stellar academic track record and hard work allowed him to be accepted to the Early Medical School Selection Program at Boston University one year early. Dr. Rozier is trained and experienced to treat spinal and musculoskeletal pain by carrying out the latest interventional and minimally invasive techniques. Along with performing these procedures, Dr. Rozier executes ultrasound-guided, regenerative interventional techniques.HSI is a medical service and device company focused on providing clinicians with state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Our mission is to improve patient outcomes by helping clinicians gain broader access to the most advanced technology in the healthcare industry. HSI focuses not only on assisting physicians with exceptional healthcare delivery but also on promoting compliance with the industry's best practices.Healthcare Solutions, Inc. is headquartered in Glen Cove, New York. Please visit www.hscorp.biz for additional information.CONTACT:Jonathan LoutzenhiserSVP Healthcare SolutionsEmail: IR@ HScorp.Biz Email: MR@ HScorp.Biz Phone: +1 (866) 668-2188SOURCE: Healthcare Solutions Holdings, Inc. A group of unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, have attacked an Abuja bound train with ballistics. The supposed train left the Rigassa station in Kaduna at about 10 am before it was attacked by the gunmen at Katari, about 70 kilometers from Abuja. A source confirmed the incident to Vanguard that the gunmen came into the train with guns and other projectiles. According to the source, no one was hurt. Such madness! Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Shilajit Mitra By Express News Service This new year, brace up for a blizzard of nostalgia. A bunch of remakes, reboots and sequels will hold sway in Hindi cinema in 2020. Several of them are based on well-loved comedies from past decades, rejigged with new faces and (hopefully) fresh plots. Throwbacks, remixes and cameos will likely dominate, and it will be interesting to see filmmakers like David Dhawan and Priyadarshan (returning to Bollywood with Hungama 2) pay lavish self-tribute. As we sort out our film calendars for the coming months, here are 10 Hindi films to look forward to: Imtiaz Alis untitled next Love Aaj Kal (2009), Imtiaz Alis time-twisty tale about two couples across ages, was a hit in the noughties. His upcoming romance starring Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan is said to be a sequel, supposedly titled Aaj Kal. Plot details are scant, with Randeep Hooda playing a pivotal character in the fold. The highlight, of course, remains Sara, stepping into a world previously graced by her father Saif Ali Khan. Her pairing with Kartik has been cheered by fans, who are counting on the rumoured couple to recreate the magic of the original. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Trust Ayushmann Khurrana to steer his brand of social comedies in new directions. In 2017, he starred in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, about a newly-married man with performance anxiety and erectile dysfunction. His next film, directed by Hitesh Kewalya, centres on a gay couple in small-town India. Mainstream Hindi cinema is finally opening up to queer stories (we had the Sonam Kapoor-starrer Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga last year), so an Ayushmann film in the space is certainly welcome. Hes got the super-talented Jitendra Kumar beside him, as well as Badhaai Ho alums Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao. Baaghi 3 Tiger Shroffs Baaghi franchise has been a consistent performer at the box-office. The threequel, directed by Ahmed Khan, is reportedly a remake of the Tamil hit Vettai. Besides Tiger, the action epic stars Ritiesh Deshmukh, Shraddha Kapoor, Vijay Varma and Ankita Lokhande. The film was shot in Morocco, Egypt, Serbia, Turkey and Mumbai. Tiger has collaborated on the films action design, combining elements of Kung Fu, Krav Maga and Muay Thai. According to the makers, hell be seen defending a desert city in the climax. Angrezi Medium Irrfan Khan returns to Hindi cinema with a spin-off of Hindi Medium, a massive 2017 hit about the faultlines of the Indian education system. The new film, which focuses on foreign education, was shot in Rajasthan and London. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Radhika Madan have joined the cast, with the former playing the role of a cop. Producer Dinesh Vijan has stated that the character will recur in future iterations, hinting at plans of an extended franchise. Coolie No. 1 remake David Dhawans 1995 remake of Chinna Mapillai grew a cult in Indian comedy. The film followed a porter (Govinda) who marries a rich girl (Karisma Kapoor) under false pretenses. The filmmaker returns to the farce once again, this time set in Bangkok and starring his son Varun Dhawan. The duo had attempted something similar with Judwaa 2, and while the formula feels ripe, it will be tough to top the enduring legacy of the source material. Sadak 2 Mahesh Bhatts Sadak was the biggest hit of 1991. It paired Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt in a Taxi Driver-ish romance about an insomniac cabbie and a brothel girl. Mahesh, who hasnt directed a film in 20 years, returns with a sequel in 2020. Releasing on July 10, Sadak 2 brings back Sanjay and Pooja alongside Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur. The plot picks up from the original, with Sanjays Ravi battling with depression and assisting a young girl (Alia) expose a fake godman. The great Gulshan Grover is in the cast, though not as the antagonist. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 This ones big. In 2007, Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan teamed up for a Hindi remake of Manichitrathazhu. The result was a blockbuster horror comedy, a hilarious romp through a Rajasthani palace seemingly haunted by a pirouetting ghost. Despite the popularity of the title, the genre failed to take root up north.Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is directed by Anees Bazmee and stars Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani. The script is by Farhad Samji, quite the man for crowd-pleasing chaos. Hungama 2 Hindi television has survived the past two decades on Priyadarshan re-runs. The ace director is finally back, parading a reboot of one of his most enduring comedy hits. It stars Meezaan Jaffery, Pranitha Subhash, Paresh Rawal and Shilpa Shetty Kundra. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will lead a group of U.S. officials who will attend the World Economic Forum later this month in Davos, Switzerland, the White House said Wednesday. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will lead a group of U.S. officials who will attend the World Economic Forum later this month in Davos, Switzerland, the White House said Wednesday. Mnunchin will be joined by officials including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and White House senior advisers Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. Also attending will be Keith Krach, a State Department under secretary for growth, energy and the environment, and Christopher Liddell, a White House deputy chief of staff. Reuters reported on Dec. 17 that President Donald Trump planned to attend the annual Davos economic forum, citing a source familiar with the plan. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that Trump is still expected to attend at this time. In 2019, Trump had to cancel his plan to attend the annual gathering of global economic and world leaders due to a government shutdown. He attended the Davos forum in 2018. The World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort town is scheduled to run Jan. 21-24. Events in Congress could affect the Republican president's attendance at the event. Trump, who became the third American president to be impeached on Dec. 18, faces a trial on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress once House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, sends the charges - called articles of impeachment - to the Republican-controlled Senate. A dispute between Pelosi and Senate Leader Mitch McConnell over how the trial will be conducted arose after the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump. (Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Indians need to understand the intrinsic multi-dimensional long-term strategy of the Communist Party government in Beijing. The Chinese seem to have finally succeeded in pushing Huawei through the Indian heartland to bid for the multi-billion-dollar hearing-device 5G telecommunications system? Indeed, it speaks volumes for the tenacity, resilience and perseverance of the Communist Party of China and its leaders in convincing the Indian establishment about their reliability and quality for service to Indias 1.3 billion heads. Realistically, it wasnt only a matter of prestige, image and credibility for the Chinese, but it reflects their desperation too. The objective was to enter into a ready-made consumer market of at least 800 million people, more than that of the whole of Europe, or of the rest of Asia, minus China. Who wouldnt want to enter the Indian market with an L-1 tender offer? In a market where quantity trumps quality? Lower and cheaper prices are always seen by Indian consumers as the best option. Now, what is L-1? It is the lowest (or cheapest) bid, which stands on top in a list of multi-bidders, vying for the slot of chosen supplier. That is far too lucrative for China to let go, as the supplier to worlds second biggest telecommunications market in India. Beijing, which already is far ahead in bilateral trade, will mint more cash, and India as the mega-consumer will continue to empty its coffers, and thus face a double-whammy financial uncertainty enmeshed with a turbulent polity. The unfolding scenario doesnt augur well for Indias future. It is more than a possibility that by allowing Huawei to compete, irreparable damage might be inflicted on Indias internal systems and national security, exposing and allowing access to a country that simply doesnt inspire an iota of confidence. Huaweis shenanigans across the globe has already reached high levels, and the United States certainly cannot be faulted for keeping it in check, given the corporations suspected military intelligence links and unlimited propensity for espionage, on behalf of its Communist Party masters. The history of Chinese spying goes back to Sun Tzu and Mao Zedong. Just read Brig. John P. Dalvis Himalayan Blunder once again. Indians need to understand the intrinsic multi-dimensional long-term strategy of the Communist Party government in Beijing. That it is a party which is all in one. It is the government, the State, the military. The Chinese Communists truly believe that their time has come, and given the fact that the West is in virtual withdrawal, caught up in its own problems, wants to rule the waves, air, land. The Chinese are well aware that the rest of the world has neither the time, inclination or intention to learn Mandarin language as it is hugely time-consuming! The Chinese are truly on a revenge spree. Revenge for the Opium War of the nineteenth century, which had its ops headquarters in India under the aegis of the East India Company, backed and supported by the British Crown. Large parts of Chinas coastal towns and provinces got addicted to cheap opium. Today, in a reversal of roles, the vast majority of Indian consumers have got addicted to cheap Chinese gadgets. China has found the knob, and Indias establishment seems helpless in the face of a determined Chinese onslaught which deftly combines psy war with influencing a sizeable chunk of opinion makers. Hardly any critical appreciation, not to speak of criticism, appears in Indias leading news media. In this delicate scenario, it certainly cannot be the sole responsibility of the soldiers of the state or intelligence agencies or a handful in the government to be held accountable for the safety, security, unity, integrity and sovereignty of the nation. All Indians have some responsibility to save the nation from the dangers of Chinas avowed long-term game to break India into 30-32 pieces. A glimpse of how Huawei operates might be an eye-opener. It has been reported that Chinese firms are driving Artificial Intelligence (AI) across Africa. That, at least 75 out of 176 nations surveyed globally are actively using AI tech for surveillance, and the leading vendors are Chinese firms, led by Huawei, which supplied tech to at least 50 countries. The Chinese are the fastest penetrators in the African market, as they offer soft loans for governments to purchase their equipment and promise to set up and manage these systems. Does one need to explain what this means? From Algeria to the Ivory Coast, South Africa to Nigeria, Egypt to Zambia, China has emerged the master of survey, surveillance and security threats to both coastal and landlocked states, capturing the land, labour and capital of Africa through slow, steady and surreptitiously destructive methods. In India, with 90 per cent of its telecom equipment imported, the possibility of foreign surveillance is a reality. However, among all foreign players, none can beat the Chinese simply as India was, is, and will continue to be their prime target. This was clearly spelt out in my book China in India, and I will be only too happy for it to be proved that my fears were misplaced. Let Indians face reality, and not build castles in the air about China. Huaweis entry will be projected as a sign of Indo-Chinese convergence for Indias modernisation. Territorial disputes, on the other hand, are a divergence. But why is India forgetting, despite it being pointed out, that China will never, ever, allow any foreigner, however friendly, to get anywhere near their defence, electricity, oil, petrochemicals, telecommunications, coal, aviation, and shipping, all of which are state-owned enterprises, equivalent to Indias public sector undertakings like ONGC, Bhel, BEL, Air India? Beijing also steadfastly maintains its strong presence in pillar industries like equipment manufacturing, auto-making, electronics, construction, steel, non-ferrous metals, chemicals, surveying, and scientific research. What China is today is because of its own initiative, with determination to first make the country strong single-handedly, taking help strictly on its own terms, even if isolated and ostracised to start with. The end results are there for all to see. China overtly considers India an inferior power and walks, talks and dictates from a position of strength, taking full advantage of Indias innate inability to stand up for itself. India had, quite rightly, refused to be a part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative and to join RCEP. But China has, through Huawei, decided to penetrate deep inside India, thereby nullifying this countrys sovereign actions. By PTI TUMAKURU (Karnataka): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday slammed the Congress and its allies opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, saying they are against giving relief to those who have been brutalised and victimised in Pakistan. "Pakistan was founded on religious grounds due to which atrocities on minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Christians have increased. But Congress and its allies don't speak against Pakistan," he said at a function here. ALSO READ: #GoBackModi trends in India again as Prime Minister arrives in Bengaluru He also said the Congress and its allies take out rallies and stage demonstrations against the efforts to prevent atrocities on religious lines and save women from sexual assaults. Modi wondered why those opposed to the CAA were not speaking out against Pakistan's atrocities and asked what stopped them from doing so. Strongly defending the CAA, he said it was adopted by Parliament in a historic move, but that the Congress and its allies and the ecosystem created by his party's rival were now against the very institution. He said India cannot leave the Hindus, Christians and Sikhs apparently fleeing Pakistan to "their fate" and added it was the country's responsibility to protect them. Modi pointed out that the efforts are especially to protect the Dalits and tribals in Pakistan. The Prime Minister also pointed out that the abrogation of Article 370 was a step towards ending terrorism and uncertainty in Jammu and Kashmir. Accounts: GIHU, an Irish division of Google, paid dividends of $27.9bn during 2019 An Irish arm of Google has paid dividends of $50.8bn (45.3bn) over the past two years, ahead of it losing the benefits of the so-called 'double Irish' tax scheme. The latest accounts show its profits were entirely tax-free in 2018. During 2019, dividends of $27.9bn were paid by Google Ireland Holdings Unlimited (GIHU) to the company's immediate parent. In 2018, it paid a $22.9bn dividend. That was up from $2.7bn during 2017. Accounts just filed with the Companies Registration Office in Dublin by GIHU show its tax bill in 2018 was zero, despite reporting a profit for the year of $15.5bn. GIHU is an Irish-incorporated but Bermuda-domiciled company, a controversial low-tax structure based on a loophole in Irish tax rules that will shut this year, and which has been dubbed the 'double Irish with a Dutch sandwich'. The scheme had allowed the business and other multinationals to slash their corporate tax bills to zero outside the US, and to delay paying American taxes by routing profits through a complex structure of holding companies in Ireland, the Netherlands and Bermuda. Under rules announced in 2015 that come fully into force this year, Irish companies must also be tax-resident here. GIHU is a parent to dozens of companies and businesses, including Google Ireland Limited, and is in turn a subsidiary of Google Bermuda Limited. Ultimately, all of the companies in the group are owned by Alphabet Inc, a US multinational. Changing global tax rules, including the phasing out of the double Irish scheme and a massive US tax cut in 2017, have prompted a raft of internal reorganisations within multinationals. These have involved re-domiciling the intellectual property (IP) rights that are key to how profits are classified and accounted. The domicile of intangible assets - including intellectual property - is key to where multinationals pay tax. GIHU's latest results show that in October 2019, it received what it described as a distribution of intangible assets from subsidiary undertakings and passed them on to its immediate parent - a Bermuda-based subsidiary of US-domiciled Alphabet. The accounts also stated that in future, Google Ireland Holdings Unlimited would no longer continue licensing intellectual property or holding debt securities, but it would continue equity investment operations. The scale of money involved and the number of countries where Google generates profits mean the next move will be closely monitored. In Ireland, the global reorganisation of IP has been linked to the surge in corporate tax paid here since 2015. Whether the higher Irish tax bills are an interim effect, or will be a long-term result of the changes, remains unclear, however. A filing by Google's parent company, Alphabet, in the Netherlands confirmed it will no longer use the double Irish with a Dutch sandwich model from this year. A spokesperson said its IP would shift to the US, which implies that royalty payments that are key to Google's profits will flow back to the home country. "We're now simplifying our corporate structure and will licence our IP (intellectual property) from the US, not Bermuda," the spokesperson told Reuters. "Including all annual and one-time income taxes over the past 10 years, our global effective tax rate has been over 23pc, with more than 80pc of that tax due in the US," the spokesperson added. Under the double Irish with a Dutch sandwich scheme, companies had been able to defer paying American tax on global profits, as long as the money was not brought home, while the massive 2017 tax cut in the US means multinationals have less of an incentive to pile up cash offshore. "A date of termination of the company's licensing activities has not yet been conrmed by senior leadership. However, management expects that this termination will take place as of December 31, 2019, or during 2020," the Dutch filing stated. Ireland is an important operational base for Google, as well as part of its tax structure. The company employs more than 8,000 people in Dublin. Daisy Ridley is best known for her role as Rey in the Star Wars movie franchise. She has received a lot of buzz for her performance in The Rise of Skywalker. Heres Daisy Ridleys net worth and how she became famous. Daisy Ridleys rise to fame Daisy Ridley attending the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Premiere. | Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images One of Daisy Ridleys first acting roles was in a 2013 episode of the television series Casualty. She played the character Fran Bedingfield in an episode titled And the Walls Come Tumbling Down. After that, she played the character Sarah in the TV series Youngers. Her other television appearances include Toast of London and Silent Witness. Ridley got her big break when she appeared in the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens. In 2017, she appeared in Murder on the Orient Express, and Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Ridley reprised her role as Rey in Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. How Daisy Ridley makes her money Daisy Ridley | TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images The Star Wars actress has other streams of income besides acting. In addition to acting, Ridley is also a producer. She made her production debut in 2016 when she executive produced the documentary The Eagle Huntress. Ridley also does voiceover work. Her voiceover projects include the animated film Only Yesterday, in which she voiced the character Taeko. In 2015, she provided the voice of Rey in the video game for Disney Infinity: 3.0. She also provided her voiceover talent to the video games Lego Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Battlefront II, and the movie Peter Rabbit. Before Ridley got her big break with the Star Wars films, she worked in London pubs. Not to float my own boat, but Im a really good bartender, because I worked in two different pubs for like a year and a half, in a rowdy London district, Ridley told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. Daisy Ridleys net worth As of this writing, Ridley has a net worth of $6 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth estimates. Whats next for Daisy Ridley? Daisy Ridley | David Parry/PA Images via Getty Images This year will be busy for Daisy Ridley. She has several projects in the works. The next project on the Star Wars actress list is the 2020 film Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway. She will voice the character Cotton-Tail. This year, Ridley will also star in the film Chaos Walking, in which she plays the role of Viola Eade. Her other projects include the films Kolma and A Woman of No Importance. Read more: Star Wars: Daisy Ridleys Terrifying Fan Experience Taught Her a Valuable Lesson Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! You are here: World Flash Three civilians were killed in an airstrike that hit a civilian area in southern Libyan capital Tripoli, the UN-backed government's forces said in a statement. The airstrike hit a local workshop and a store, killing three men, said the statement. The statement accused the rival eastern-based army of the airstrike, to which the eastern-based army has not committed so far. The eastern-based army has been launching a military offensive since April in an attempt to take over Tripoli from the UN-backed government. Thousands have been killed and injured in the fighting, while more than 120,000 civilians have been displaced. The UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame condemned continued airstrikes on civilians in western Libya. "We have said it loud and clear that indiscriminate attacks against civilians not only constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law, but also further escalate the conflict and incite future acts of revenge, which threaten the social unity in Libya. This is utterly unacceptable," Salame said in a statement a few days ago. The prime minister said protecting and supporting minorities of neighbouring countries who have sought refuge in India was our cultural and national responsibility. Tumakuru: Lambasting Congress and its allies for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the ongoing protests were against Parliament and called on the agitators to raise their voice against Pakistan's atrocities on its minorities for the last 70 years. The prime minister said protecting and supporting minorities of neighbouring countries who have sought refuge in India was our cultural and national responsibility. "Those who are protesting against the Parliament of India, I want to tell them that the need was to expose Pakistan's deeds on the world stage. If you want to protest, protest and raise voice against Pakistan's deeds for the last 70 years, you should have that guts," he said. Addressing a gathering at Siddaganga Math near here, he said, "If you want to shout slogans, shout against the way in which atrocities are happening against minorities there; if you want to hold rallies, hold it in favour of Dalits and downtrodden who have come from Pakistan (to India). If you want to do dharna, do it against Pakistans deeds." Modi was speaking after paying respects at the 'Gadduge' (final resting place) of Shivakumara Swamiji at Siddaganga Math, a prominent Lingayat seminary. Pointing out that few weeks ago the Parliament passed the CAA, Modi said, however, the Congress and its allies and the ecosystem created by them are standing up against the Indian Parliament. He said, "the kind of hate they have towards us (BJP), similar voice can be heard against the country's Parliament these days. These people have begun protest against the country's parliament...These people are protesting against Dalits, suppressed and downtrodden who have come from Pakistan seeking refuge." Pointing out that Pakistan was born on the basis of religion, and India was divided in the name of religion, Modi said from the time of partition, people of other religion in Pakistan faced atrocities. "Whether it is Hindu or Sikh or Christian or Jain atrocities have increased against them in Pakistan with time. Thousands of such people had to leave their houses had to come to India as refugees," he said. Noting that Pakistan did atrocities against Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, but the Congress and its allies don't speak against Pakistan, the Prime Minister said instead they are holding protests against those who took refuge in India to save their lives, their religion and to protect the pride of their sisters and daughters. "They (Congress and allies) don't have time to speak against Pakistan which did the atrocities against its minorities, what is the reason why their mouth is locked," he asked. "It is our duty to help refugees who have come from Pakistan... most of the Hindus who have come from there are Dalits and downtrodden, we cannot leave them like that, protecting them is our cultural and national responsibility, he said, adding "we should also help Sikh, Jain and Christians who have come from Pakistan." There is change in India's policy against terrorism, the prime minister said by abrogating Article 370, effort has been made to remove fear of terror and uncertainty fromthe life of people there and a new beginning of development has been ushered in both in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He also said the road has been cleared for the construction of a grand Ram Mandir at Lord Ram's birth place with peace and cooperation of everyone. Brazenness in the business world can take the form of groundbreaking innovation and leadership. But it can also take the form of scandal and intrigue. The auto industry has manufactured its share of executives who flouted convention and, sometimes, even the law. Perhaps fueled by the uber-competitive nature of the industry, car company leaders have been accused of cheating on emissions standards, lying about their compensation, bribing union leaders and misleading investors. And that's just in the last few years. As a new year dawns, another example has emerged. On Thursday, Lebanons justice minister said that the country had received an international wanted notice from Interpol, the inter-governmental police organization, for Carlos Ghosn after the former Nissan CEO's escape from house arrest in Japan. Escape from Japan: Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, now in Lebanon, says he fled over injustice GM files suit against Fiat Chrysler: Accuses Sergio Marchionne of corruption Ghosn also the former chairman of the alliance between Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi fled to Lebanon to avoid what he called a rigged justice system in Japan, where he was facing prosecution over alleged financial crimes. In doing so, he solidified his spot on the list of brazen automotive executives: Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, center, arrives at Tokyo District Court for a pre-trial meeting in Tokyo Thursday, May 23, 2019. Carlos Ghosn An escape from Japanese authorities to Turkey and then to Lebanon has transformed Ghosn into an international fugitive. He has said his escape was justified because 99% of Japanese suspects are convicted, placing into doubt the fairness of the country's judicial system. Nissan and Japanese prosecutors have accused Ghosn of designing a complex plot to obtain excessive compensation and not disclosing it properly. He has denied it. Before he became an international fugitive, Ghosn was already known as an industry disruptor in a good way. He helped save Nissan and pushed electric cars in the early days of the technology. Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne attends an event to mark the ceremonial beginning of its contract talks at the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center in Detroit on Tuesday, July 14, 2015. He was later accused of orchestrating a conspiracy to bribe UAW officials. Sergio Marchionne Story continues The former CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles died suddenly in July 2018. Otherwise he might be facing serious charges. Marchionne has been accused of playing a central role in a conspiracy in which Fiat Chrysler executives bribed United Auto Workers leaders to obtain favorable terms on worker contracts. In a recent lawsuit, General Motors, a rival of Fiat Chrysler's, alleged that Marchionne "is responsible for conceiving, executing and sponsoring the alleged wrongdoing." A federal corruption probe into the matter has zeroed in on Marchionne's alleged role, but he can't be punished postmortem. Fiat Chrysler has denied the allegations. Even before the eruption of this scandal, which has ensnared several key UAW leaders and Fiat Chrysler executives, Marchionne was widely known for bucking industry conventions. For example, he famously made an unsolicited pitch to GM CEO Mary Barra to combine their two companies. That move would've brought about disruptive change for the auto industry, turning the Detroit Three into the Detroit Two. Barra and GM's board rejected the entree. Before accusations of corruption, Marchionne was known for helping save Chrysler from liquidation following the automaker's 2009 bankruptcy. In this Jan. 19, 2017 file photo Martin Winterkorn, former CEO of the German car manufacturer 'Volkswagen', arrives for a questioning at an investigation committee of the German federal parliament in Berlin, Germany. Martin Winterkorn The former CEO of Volkswagen Group has been accused of presiding over the automaker's emissions scandal. Winterkorn, who resigned days after the scandal surfaced in September 2015, has since been indicted on fraud charges in the U.S. He has not been arrested, however, because he has not since set foot on American soil. For its part, Volkswagen admitted to rigging millions of vehicles with software to cheat emissions standards. The company has paid more than $30 billion in fines and settlements in connection with the scandal. Winterkorn has denied personal knowledge of the emissions cheating before it was publicly revealed. Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk gestures while introducing the newly unveiled all-electric battery-powered Tesla Cybertruck Elon Musk Let's start with this: Brazen isn't always bad. Case in point: Musk built Tesla from scratch into an electric vehicle automaker with global reach. That took incredible gumption, vision and effort. When the history books are written, Musk may be credited with spurring a shift from gas-powered engines that spew greenhouse gases to climate-change fighting electric cars. But Musk's brazenness has taken other forms, as well. In 2018, he infamously tweeted that he had "secured" financing to take Tesla private. He later said that he had not landed any financing beyond an informal verbal commitment from Saudi investors who never actually put the money up. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was furious. The agency sued Musk, accusing him of misleading investors and seeking to oust him from his job and bar him from ever leading a public company again. They ended up settling the case, with Musk giving up his chairmanship and agreeing to certain restrictions on his tweeting, including the requirement to get pre-approval for any of his posts about major corporate events. He remains CEO, and the company's stock has since taken off. Bob Lutz addresses the media during the 2014 North American International Auto Show held at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit. Bob Lutz A legend in the auto industry for his accomplishments and sheer quotability, Lutz is known for his influential runs as an executive at all three traditional Detroit automakers: GM, Ford and Chrysler. He once drove a Jeep through a sheet of glass to debut the new vehicle at the Detroit auto show. The press loved it. His willingness to speak out hasn't ebbed. On Thursday, he told CNBC that Ghosn has a "god complex" and is "suffering from CEO disease" while "believing himself to be omnipotent and infallible." Lutz's outspokenness has gotten him into trouble at times. Although he spearheaded the development of GM's Chevrolet Volt, a semi-electric vehicle, he also dismissed concerns over global warming. Climate change, he said at the time, was a "total crock of (expletive)." It is, of course, very real, as scientists have proven. Contributing: AP Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carlos Ghosn escape: These 5 auto executives flouted the rules THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The tuberculosis (TB) vaccine is far from infallible, but new animal research suggests the problem is not the vaccine but how it is delivered. When given to monkeys intravenously rather than as an injection, the vaccine was much more effective, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases found. "The effects are amazing," said researcher JoAnne Flynn, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the Pitt Center for Vaccine Research. "When we compared the lungs of animals given the vaccine intravenously versus the standard route, we saw a 100,000-fold reduction in bacterial burden. Nine out of 10 animals showed no inflammation in their lungs." Flynn's team tested several ways of giving the vaccine at different doses. The vaccine has been around for 100 years and is one of the most widely used vaccines in the world. Six months after giving the monkeys the vaccine, the researchers exposed the monkeys to TB and then looked for signs of the lung infection. All of the animals given the standard human dose had lung inflammation, and the amount of TB bacteria in their lungs was only a little less than in the animals that were not vaccinated, the investigators found. Those given the intravenous vaccine, however, had virtually no TB bacteria in the lungs, and only one monkey in this group developed lung inflammation. "The reason the intravenous route is so effective is that the vaccine travels quickly through the bloodstream to the lungs, the lymph nodes and the spleen, and it primes the T-cells before it gets killed," Flynn explained in a university news release. Before giving the TB vaccine to humans this way, researchers have to prove that it is safe and practical. An intravenous vaccine requires more skill to administer and has a higher risk of infection. And animal research doesn't always pan out in humans. "We're a long way from realizing the translational potential of this work," Flynn said. "But eventually we do hope to test in humans." The report was published online Jan. 1 in the journal Nature. More information For more on tuberculosis, head to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four attendees at Field Day music festival collapsed and were treated for suspected drug overdoses despite police introducing drug amnesty bins at the event. The revellers who collapsed had life threatening symptoms and were treated at the scene by specialist emergency paramedics before being rushed to hospital. Paramedics treated the patients on site at the Domain in Sydney at the New Years Day event before they were transported to hospital. Despite all the warnings about drugs being banned at the event, 167 were charged with possession and a further two people were charged with supply. Four attendees at Field Day music festival collapsed with critical symptoms from suspected drug overdoses despite police implementing drug amnesty bins at the event There was a high police presence at the music festival in Sydney's Domain keeping an eye on the 27,000 partygoers Five additional revellers were also admitted to hospital in less serious conditions including four who were suffering from the effects of drugs. One patient is still in intensive care and another patient is expected to be discharged on Friday, reports The Daily Telegraph. The remaining seven patients have already been released from hospital. 'Throughout Field Day, nine patients were transferred to Hospital via ambulance,' a NSW health spokesman said. 'Four of these patients received high level emergency care on site by medical teams. Drugs were likely to be a factor in eight of the nine cases.' A strong police presence at the music festival, held in the city's Domain, kept an eye on the 27,000 partygoers. Police officers were stationed at the entrance of the Field Day festival with drug dogs by their side to assist them Once inside the grounds, attendees were met with new drug amnesty bins introduced to encourage people to throw out illegal pills without being fined or charged. The bins were introduced in response to an increase in MDMA-related deaths at music festivals. A 19-year-old man was also charged after officers allegedly located more 3.4g of MDMA in his underwear. NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Willing said sniffer dogs as well as uniformed and undercover officers would deliberately avoid areas where the bins are placed so revellers could throw out their drugs without fear of arrest. 'Officers will be directed not to ordinarily patrol or interact with the bins,' he said. 'We don't want to see police standing around where the bins are and stopping people from disposing personal-use drugs.' Festival-goers were met with newly introduced amnesty bins which encourage people to throw away illegal drugs safely Mr Willing said any revellers caught with drugs away from the amnesty bins would be dealt with on 'a case-by-case basis'. 'Common sense' will be used by police if they catch people with substances claiming they are on their way to a drug disposal bin, he said. Mr Willing said police at the event would consider a number of factors such as the distance from the bin and the amount of drugs being carried. The bins were managed NSW Health and placed near the entrances of festivals and close to the medical tent inside the grounds. The bins are part of a 12 month trial at high risk festivals including Field Day, on January 1, and FOMO Festival on January 11. The heavy police presence pictured near the Art Gallery of New South Wales just outside of the festival's entrance The disposal points come as pressure mounts on the NSW Government to prevent drug-related deaths at music festivals, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has long opposed the introduction of pill testing in the state believing it will give festival goers a false sense of security and condone illicit drug use. 'I want to give the community our assurance as a government that we're doing everything we can to keep young people safe,' she told reporters in Sydney on December 11th. We believe amnesty bins are a good way to increase safety so that young people, if they see police or if they see other activity, don't panic and have the opportunity, without any questions asked, to throw those pills into the bin. 'The strongest message we continue to give as a government is that drugs kills you. 'That's why they're illegal. Do not take MDMA. Do not take ecstasy. Do not take any illegal drug because they can kill you' she said. One party-goer experienced is seen chatting to officers. There was a strong police presence at the festival The trial is being put into place just as NSW Health has issued an urgent warning over potentially deadly ecstasy pills shaped like blue Lego blocks. A number of the double and triple standard dosage MDMA pills were seized in northern New South Wales. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said last month that most of the harm caused to people injured by illicit drugs was not caused by contaminants but by the very drugs they intended to purchase. 'Pill testing will not reduce this harm,' he said. 'At present, the technology does not allow for adequate identification of dose levels or small traces of highly toxic substances. 'The testing method, in which only a small portion of a pill is tested, is also an inaccurate reflection of the composition of the entire pill,' he said. There is no suggestion from Daily Mail Australia that any of the people pictured in this story were involved in drugs supply or consumption. A special court designated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Wednesday granted a consortium of banks led by State Bank of India (SBI) the rights of United Breweries Holdings Ltd (UBHL), owned by fugitive economic offender (FEO) Vijay Mallya. This means the bank can sell off UBHLs shares and recover their dues. However, after Mallyas lawyers sought a stay on the orders execution on the grounds that they need time to approach the Bombay high court (HC), the PMLA court stayed the execution till January 18. In the meantime, Mallya is likely to challenge the order before the HC. Mallya and others, including top officials of IDBI Bank, are accused under PMLA in a 9,000-crore money-laundering fraud. After Mallya was declared FEO on the Enforcement Directorates (ED) plea, his and his family members properties were attached by the latter. The SBI-led consortium of banks had then approached the special PMLA court, seeking the rights of Mallyas properties and shares, approximately worth 6,203 crore. However, the PMLA court on Wednesday gave the banks the right of only UBHL shares, and not Mallyas entire property. The special court is yet to begin hearing on confiscation of properties that prosecution agencies have listed as that of Mallyas. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Shanghai shunned traditional firework displays to celebrate the New Year, instead filling the skies with thousands of synchronised drones. Nearly 2,000 drones flew above China's largest city, creating giant spheres, text, and even a figure of a man that appeared to run across the skyline. The traditional midnight countdown was also performed by the drone swarm above the Huangpu River in the east of the city. State-run media outlet CCTV said the running man configuration illustrated "the huge changes and glorious achievements Shanghai has made in the past 40 years of reform and opening up". It was achieved through vast programming efforts to coordinate the drones, rather than by individual drone pilots. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty The display is part of a growing trend to find alternatives to fireworks, which create noise and smoke pollution and can be a fire hazard. Several Australian cities were forced to cancel firework displays amid the ongoing wildfire crisis that has so far killed half a billion plants and animals in the country. Sydney's decision to celebrate the New Year with fireworks proved controversial, after more than 250,000 people signed a petition to cancel the famous display. 2,000 drones were used to create the New Year's display in the sky above Shanghai (CCTV) Shanghai's high-tech drone demonstration also comes amid concerns about China's development of advanced police drones for use in cities. In November, a Chinese technology firm tested an attack drone designed to carry out street-level surveillance and take out targets. Developer Tianjin Zhongwei Aerospace Data System Technology said in a report the drones are suitable for "asymmetric combat, counterterrorism and special forces [operations] and street battles". The central government on Thursday rushed a multi-disciplinary expert team, including senior paediatricians, which will suggest measures to prevent infant deaths at Kotas JK Lon Hospital that has seen 103 deaths since December 1. The team will carry out joint gap analysis along with the state government in terms of clinical protocols, service delivery, manpower availability and equipment for maternal, newborn and paediatric care services in the Medical College Kota, Rajasthan; and will develop an action plan for providing technical and financial support to Kota Medical College, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said. The central team included Dr Kuldeep Singh, head, paediatrics, AIIMS Jodhpur; Dr Deepak Saxena, senior regional director, Rajasthan; Dr Arun Singh, professor, neonatology, AIIMS Jodhpur; and Dr Himanshu Bhushan, adviser, National Health Systems Resource Centre. Harsh Vardhan said he had spoken to chief minister Ashok Gehlot and assured him of all possible support. On New Years Day (January 1) alone, three babies, including two newborns, died in the hospital that is struggling to accommodate the rush of critically sick infants due to inadequate infrastructure and manpower. An internal note prepared by state health officials highlighted lapses inadequate infrastructure and said out of 533 key equipment, only 213 were available for use. The note, accessed by HT, showed, 14 out of 20 ventilators, 32 out of 38 pulse oximeters and 22 of 28 nebulizers are out of order. The note also said 81 out of 111 infusion pumps, 14 of 22 BP instruments and all three portable X-ray machines are out of order. It said, 44 out of 71 warmers are not working. A warmer is used for three children and thats one of the key reasons for the spread of infection. Some other machines were also in shortage as a large number of them were out of order. The note said as against the rule of having 10 staff for 12 beds in neo-natal intensive care unit, the Kota hospital had 12 staff for 24 beds. Officials said that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who represents Kota constituency, has already arranged ~50L from different companies through their CSR initiative for the purchase of equipment. Most of the referred infants suffer from low birth weight (less than 2.5 kg weight), prematurity (born before gestation period of 37 weeks) with mild infection and other ailments, doctors said. Only around 20% are those born at JK Lon Hospital. Most of the deceased are those who were referred from other districts of Rajasthan and even from the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh and were in critical condition, said hospital superintendent Dr Suresh Chand Dulara. Hypothermia (extremely low body temperature), hypoglycemia (very low levels of blood sugar) and hypoxia (inadequate oxygen supply) are the primary triggers that aggravate the health problems of such infants. Among the main causes of infant deaths, paediatrics department head Amrit Lal Bairwa, was shifting babies to the hospital. Moving them in open jeeps or vehicles worsens their condition as they catch a cold which leads to hypothermia. At least 35 degrees Celsius temperature should be maintained in the body of the infants, he said. Another cause of death among premature or low birth infants is hypoxia or the lack of oxygen in the body tissues to sustain bodily functions. Dr Bairwa said, hypoglycemia is also a reason for fatality of such weak infants as they face shortage of glucose in the body. Infant lives can be saved if they can be guarded against hypoxia, hypoglycemia and hypothermia, he said. To put a check on such causes, Dr Bairwa said transport incubators should be used while referring the infant from peripheral hospital to keep the babys body temperature maintained or Kangaroo mother care procedure can also be adopted. Kangaroo mother care involves infants being carried with skin-to-skin contact, he said. Hypoglycemia can be tackled by feeding mothers milk or glucose before transportation of the infant for referral, he said. Doctors recommend arrangement of an oxygen cylinder during transfer of babies from a small hospital to a bigger one. Infant deaths are higher at JK Lon Hospital because peripheral hospitals refer critically ill infants there. But the facilities at the hospital seem insufficient. The hospital has around 120 beds in each paediatric unit and around 200 beds in the gynaecology unit but need for extension of the hospital is being felt from long time. At least two infants share a bed at the Kota hospital, with a similar situation in the warmers of the neonatal ICU in the hospital. A proposal for a 300-bed hospital for paediatrics was proposed in 2017 but it is awaiting an approval. Kota Government Medical College principal Dr Vijay Sardana said the space and the facilities deserve augmentation as they are insufficient to meet the demand. The infant death toll in 2019 at the Kota Hospital was 963, and hospital authorities claimed it had been the lowest in past six years. Child mortality is a public health concern in India with about 0.76 million babies dying in the neonatal period, and nearly 3.5 million babies being born premature, shows government data. In September last year, The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health by the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative report showed low birth weight prevalence in India in 2017 was as high as 21.4%. It is one of the major contributors of death and disability adjusted life years among other malnutrition-related problems. Inadequate maternal nutrition is one of the reasons, said Lalit Dandona, Indian Council of Medical Research scientist and national chair of population health, during the release of the study. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Romblon (CNN Philippines) The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has begun investigating a collision between two ships in San Fernando Romblon. A fishing boat and a ship allegedly operated by 2Go Travel collided Saturday morning (November 13). According to local police, the fishing vessel was cut in half due to the collision. Read: Search and rescue ensues for missing person in Romblon sea mishap Citing Rear Admiral William Melad, deputy commandant of the PCG, local news agency Romblon News Network said that 20 survivors have been brought to the PCG station so that officials could get a narrative of the accident as it unfolded. The news agency added that 2Go Travel cannot confirm that one of its ships was involved in the accident. The company is said to be sending its own personnel to Romblon to investigate the incident. It added that it is ready to give help to the victims and assist the PCG in its ongoing search and rescue operations of missing fisherfolk. Police said the estimated cost of damage from the mishap is around P2.5 million. COOPERSVILLE, MI -- Police are asking for help in locating an 18-year-old from the Coopersville area who has been missing since he left a party earlier this week. Hunter Klomstra was last seen around 2 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 at a friends house in the Coopersville area, according to the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office. Investigators said Klomstra was attending a New Years Eve party in the 6100 block of Leonard Street when he left the residence on foot. He did not return home and his friends and family have been unable to contact him since then. Since the man was reported missing, searches of the area have been conducted using officers, K-9 units, volunteer search and rescue units and Michigan State Police Aviation personnel. Police said Klomstra is described as a white male, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 145 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes, and was last known to be wearing blue jeans with a grey hooded sweatshirt and a dark brown coat. Police ask anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the Ottawa County Central Dispatch at 1-800-249-0911. Search efforts remained ongoing Thursday afternoon and police said there was no additional need for volunteers as of 12:15 p.m. Thursday. Singapore needs to remain open to the world, says PM Lee in New Year message In his 2020 New Year message, Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stressed the importance of Singapore staying open and connected in a world fraught with uncertainty. We must resist the temptation to turn inwards, PM Lee said, adding that the island state has benefited enormously from globalisation. Many societies around the world are under stress, the most recently Hong Kong, Chile and France, he noted. The loss of faith in economic and political systems, and pessimism about the future have fuelled nativism and chauvinism, and sectarian strife. Image: Screenshot of video from Prime Minister's Office Everywhere globalisation seems to be in retreat. PM Lee said, emphasising that a Singapore turned inwards cannot survive. The Prime Minister also spoke about the measures being taken by the Singapore government to improve the lives of its citizens, starting with the education system. We are lowering fees of pre-schools and raising their quality, to give every child a good start in life. We are changing the PSLE scoring system to reduce pressure on our students. We are opening more post-secondary education pathways to bring out the best in every student, he said. After students graduate and enter the workforce, SkillsFuture will support their lifelong learning journey, PM Lee added. In terms of housing, enhanced subsidies for first-time home buyers have helped more young families own their homes. Existing HDB towns continue to undergo upgradation programmes and heartlands are being refreshed. At the same time, we are keeping a close eye on more immediate risks and pressures, said PM Lee. While the global economic slowdown has affected Singapore, the economy managed to avoid a recession last year. Our economy is still growing, but less vigorously than we would like. In the upcoming Budget, which will be released on February 18, measures will be announced to support businesses to raise their productivity and build new capabilities. We will help workers, especially mid-career PMETs, to retrain, acquire new skills, find new jobs and stay employable. We will help households with their cost of living. We will improve social safety nets that protect the poor, the elderly, and the vulnerable, the Prime Minister said. Analysis banner Business Insider Trump Iran Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Donald Trump once claimed his deal-making prowess and toughness would enable him to face down and reduce the threat from America's adversaries. So far, Trump's "maximum pressure" strategies in Iran and North Korea have achieved little, and in the case of Iran they seem to have spurred increased aggression. On Tuesday, Iraqi protesters and members of pro-Iranian militias attacked the US Embassy in Baghdad, torching a reception area, in an incident with echoes of the 1979 Iranian embassy siege. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has frozen weapons tests but is forging ahead with developing new nuclear weapons and long-range missiles that could target the US. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump took office claiming that two aspects of his experience uniquely suited him to deal with America's adversaries: his toughness and his skill at brokering deals, each developed through years in the cutthroat world of New York real estate. These qualities, he has said, would allow him to face down two of America's most determined foreign adversaries Iran and North Korea that have exasperated US presidents for decades. His strategy follows a pattern that has been dubbed "maximum pressure": Ramp up economic sanctions against the governments; threaten, bully, and mock their leaders; and then offer to negotiate, and in negotiations offer economic relief in exchange for new limits of their nuclear abilities. But so far the strategy has had, at best, limited success. In the case of Iran it could spectacularly backfire just as Trump gears up his case for reelection in November. Iran targets oil supplies and high-profile US targets Back in 2016 when he was campaigning for the presidency, Trump pledged to scrap the Iran nuclear deal brokered by President Barack Obama. In 2018, he made good on the promise arguing that the deal's narrow focus had failed to curtail broader Iranian aggression. He promised to negotiate a new deal. Story continues To do that, he imposed a series of punishing sanctions on the Iranian government that helped send the country's economy into free fall. He offered to talk to Iran's leaders, holding out the promise of an end to the economic pain. us embassy iraq protest Associated Press/Khalid Mohammed But Iran has refused to respond to Trump's overtures and has instead grown more aggressive in its rhetoric while restarting work at nuclear sites that had been abandoned under the Obama nuclear deal. Iran and its proxies have launched a series of audacious attacks against US allies in the region and even the US itself. In June, Iran shot down an advanced US surveillance drone. Trump considered a massive retaliation but decided against it, arguing that no American lives had been lost. In September, an Iran-linked attack on oil refineries in Saudi Arabia cut off 5% of the world's oil supply and sent markets into chaos. Iran has also been accused of attacking tankers in the Persian Gulf. And in an incident with clear echoes of the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979 that helped end Jimmy Carter's presidency, on Tuesday protesters and members of Iran-backed militias swarmed the US Embassy in Baghdad, breaching a perimeter wall and torching a reception area. The attack was a response to US strikes on the Kat'aib Hezbollah militia thought to have killed 25. The incidents highlight how exposed US forces in the region are to potentially humiliating attacks. Trump has threatened military action against Iran in response to its aggression. "Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities," he wrote in a tweet Tuesday. "They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!" But, with Trump having been elected after pledging to end US military entanglements abroad, it's a message that could live to haunt him. Back in June, he showed his reluctance to committing to military action against Iran, pulling out of planned airstrikes at the last minute after Iran shot down the US drone. With Trump's reelection far from secure, it seems unlikely the leadership in Tehran would enter negotiations while the prospect of Trump being replaced by a Democratic politician continues to exist. In the meantime, it can highlight its capacity to inflict further reversals on the US. North Korea's nuclear program continues Trump's belligerence toward North Korea in the first year of his presidency had some observers fearing that the US could be on the brink of war. The president threatened to rain "fire and fury" on the reclusive state in the wake of a series of provocative weapons tests, and he ridiculed its leader, Kim Jong Un, as "rocket man." He squeezed the state with ever-more-punishing economic sanctions. Initially the strategy seemed to have provided the potential for an astonishing breakthrough. Trump and Kim Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Kim agreed to meet with Trump and, after a series of high-profile summits, Trump showered praise on the leader of the brutally repressive state, claiming they had fallen "in love." But these negotiations achieved very little. Kim froze the new weapons tests that provoked Trump's ire but US intelligence agencies say the state has continued to quietly develop new nuclear weapons. Recent satellite images show activity at sites where military scientists are developing long-range ballistic missiles that could be fitted with nuclear warheads to target the US and its allies. In a New Year's Day message to the North Korean people, Kim warned that further economic "belt tightening" lay ahead, and he pledged to never relinquish his nuclear arsenal, long seen as a guarantor of the country's power. It seems likely that in the 2020 election year Kim will also bide his time, offering Trump vague assurances while avoiding any serious concessions. Or, in launching a new missile test he could choose to humiliate Trump, exposing the emptiness of the president's hopes for denuclearization. A weak spot for Democrats to hammer Democrats campaigning for the presidency will most likely seize on the lack of progress by Trump on North Korea and Iran to portray the president as a reckless gambler with US national security. Former Vice President Joe Biden, whose administration secured the Iran nuclear deal, has argued that scrapping it was a "self-inflicted disaster" that further inflamed Middle Eastern tensions. Critics too have said Trump's lavish praise for Kim and appearances alongside him have allowed Kim to claim prestige and legitimacy denied to North Korea by past US presidents. Further provocations from Iran or North Korea could further expose Trump's lack of clear success on the international stage and the limitations of his "maximum pressure" strategy. Read the original article on Business Insider Bengaluru / Tumakuru: Facing unprecedented protests over the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday came down heavily against the opposition Congress party, and its allies, saying that agitators should instead protest against Pakistan for its atrocities on religious minorities during the last 70 years. Addressing a public gathering at the Siddaganga Math in Tumakuru on Thursday, the Prime Minister stressed that protection of prosecuted religious minorities in neighbouring countries was Indias national responsibility. These religious minorities seek refuge in India. I want to tell them those who are protesting against the CAA that if they have guts, they should expose Pakistan and its misdeeds before the world, Mr Modi said. Criticizing the manner in which opposition parties and non-political organisations are holding protests against CAA across the country, Mr Modi suggested that those who really want to protest, should organise them in favour of Dalits and religious minorities who have sought refuge in India. From time to time, religious minorities have faced humiliation in Pakistan which has unleashed atrocities on Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, forcing thousands of them to take shelter in India. But the Congress and its friends have not uttered a single word against Pakistan, Mr Modi remarked. He also raised the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, withdrawing special status to Jammu and Kashmir, saying that his government was committed to neutralizing terrorism in the country. The abrogation of Article 370 was an effort to remove the fear of terror and uncertainty in the minds of people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said, adding that the government was firm on ushering in development in the valley. The Prime Minister was speaking after paying tributes to Shivakumara Swamiji, prominent Lingayat pontiff of the Siddaganga Math, who passed away on January, 2019. Beirut Interpol issued a wanted notice Thursday for former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who jumped bail in Japan and fled to Lebanon rather than face trial on financial misconduct charges in a dramatic escape that has confounded and embarrassed authorities. Lebanese Justice Minister Albert Serhan said that Lebanon "will carry out its duties," suggesting for the first time that the automotive titan may be brought in for questioning. But he said Ghosn entered the country on a legal passport, and he appeared to cast doubt on the possibility Lebanon would hand Ghosn over to Japan. The Interpol notice is the latest twist in Ghosn's escape, which spanned three continents and involved private planes, multiple passports and international intrigue. Turkey made several arrests Thursday as part of an investigation into how he passed through the country. Ghosn's arrival in Lebanon jolted the nation, already in the midst of a crippling political impasse and its worst economic crisis in decades. Lebanon must now decide how to deal with the Interpol-issued Red Notice, which is a nonbinding request to law enforcement agencies worldwide that they locate and provisionally arrest a fugitive. A Red Notice is not an arrest warrant and does not require Lebanon to arrest Ghosn. Shortly afterward, Ghosn issued a statement his second this week seeking to distance his Lebanese wife and family from any role in his escape. "The allegations in the media that my wife Carole and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan are false and misleading. I alone organized my departure. My family played no role," he said. Ghosn, who is Lebanese and also holds French and Brazilian passports, was set to go on trial in Japan in April. He arrived in Lebanon on Monday via Turkey and hasn't been seen in public since. In a statement Tuesday, he said he fled to avoid "political persecution" by a "rigged Japanese justice system." How he was able to flee Japan, avoiding the tight surveillance he was under while free on $14 million bail, is still a mystery, though Lebanese authorities have said he entered the country legally on a French passport. Ghosn, who grew up in Beirut and frequently visited, is a national hero to many in this Mediterranean country with close ties to senior politicians and business stakes in a number of companies. People take special pride in the auto industry executive, who is credited with leading a spectacular turnaround at Nissan beginning in the late 1990s and rescuing the automaker from near-bankruptcy. Even as he fell from grace internationally, politicians across the board mobilized in his defense after his arrest in Japan in November 2018, with some suggesting his detention may be part of a political or business-motivated conspiracy. Lebanon's foreign minister repeatedly called for his release. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Serhan said prosecutors will summon Ghosn and listen to him, and "at a later stage if there are any measures to be taken, then the precautionary measures will be taken." "We are a country of law and respect the law and ... I can confirm that the Lebanese state will implement the law," the justice minister said. At the same time, Serhan said that Lebanon has not received an official extradition request from Japan, and he noted that the two countries do not have an extradition treaty. "Mr. Ghosn arrived to Lebanon as any ordinary citizen. ... Lebanese authorities have no security or judiciary charges against him. He entered the border like any other Lebanese using a legal passport," he added. There were mixed reactions in Lebanon to Ghosn's return, with some cheering his freedom and others lamenting his arrival as yet another ''corrupt" Lebanese to contend with. "I like this man. He has a brain and he developed Nissan and Renault from the ground up. He came back to his mother country which embraced him," said Ghassan al-Baba, a 52-year-old taxi driver and former employee of General Motors in Kuwait. "He is a part of the corrupt, but the corrupt from the outside. Here, he didn't do anything wrong. On the contrary, he is going to bring money to Lebanon," he said, reflecting a longstanding Lebanese hope that Ghosn would one day help rescue Lebanon's failing economy. A student who became a viral meme after she was snapped staring blankly in a nightclub while a man desperately shouted in her ear has told what it's like to be internet famous. A photo of Lucia Gorman, 19, looking bored at Edinburgh's Bourbon nightclub while school friend Patrick Ritchie spoke to her took the internet by storm in September 2018. It was branded the 'most relatable nightclub photo in history' and spawned countless memes on Twitter which were shared by thousands. But because the photographer had the rights to the image, Lucia couldn't control how it was used. 'It's my face, but I don't own it,' she told Cosmopolitan. A photo of Lucia Gorman, 19, looking bored at Edinburgh's Bourbon nightclub while school friend Patrick Ritchie spoke to her took the internet by storm in September 2018 The second-year business student studying in Glasgow, revealed often gets people staring at her in lectures and sometimes those who recognise her take photos. Lucia admitted she felt very overwhelmed after seeing her face being shared countless times - with 'Milk meme' currently producing 1.6million results on Google. 'I know everyone says it, and I sound like a mum, but what goes online you can't really stop it. Even if I wanted to get those pictures back now, I never could. It's not up to me, really. It's just on Twitter anyone could get hold of it,' she said. Lucia reveals even tried to take ownership of the photo - but learned that the photographer owned the rights and had sold them to Vice, giving her no control over how it's used. But Lucia, a second-year business student studying in Glasgow, told Cosmopolitan she often gets people staring at her in lectures and sometimes has photos taken of her However, Lucia says the photo, which shows her wearing a red dress and clutching her coat, 'could be worse'. She said that she comforts herself with the idea that the 'internet moves on'. Shortly after the meme went viral, the pair were tracked down and Patrick told Capital Radio that neither he nor Lucia could remember the fateful words he was shouting in her ear. Patrick Ritchie (left) and Lucia Gorman (right) are old school friends and can't remember the fateful words said on the night out in Edinburgh He said: 'She's one of my pals from school so she's probably fed up. She looks like the most bored woman in the world.' Patrick revealed it was 'weird' seeing an image of himself re-tweeted as far away as Australia. Lucia also told Capital: 'I don't remember (what he was saying). Patrick always talks rubbish so it could have been anything.' Alex Hall's witty observation on the picture of Mr Ritchie and Ms Gorman went viral The image was edited online to create a side-splitting collection of memes The image was edited online to create a side-splitting collection of memes. Matt Cleland commented saying he thinks Mr Ritchie was asking about the furry accessory his friend had in her hand. He thinks the man is saying: 'How'd they let you in wae a hedgehog?' Another person joked he was imparting some scientific knowledge on her, writing: 'And that's why Einstein's theory of general relativity is flawed'. ROSEBURG, Ore. A group of motorcyclists came together on News Year's to ride in the 2nd annual Polar Bear Benefit Run. The event was a 70-mile motorcycle ride throughout Douglas County. It was held by the Oregon Riders Society south chapter, which is a group of motorcycle enthusiasts that fundraise money for the community. Organizers say riders paid $5 to ORS. The money collected will be donated to elementary schools to pay for school lunches for low-income students. Dave Sayler, the president of ORS, said they collected a couple hundred dollars last year and he says they plan to make more this year. Weather wasnt as cooperative as last year, but the more the merrier, said Sayler. The more people we get in, the more donations we get, the more schools we can help. More than 30 riders started their ride at the old K-Mart parking lot on NW Stewart Parkway. The relocation of the Mexican consulate will mean it will lose its highly visible and longtime home on the edge of downtown, but to Consul General Alicia G. Kerber Palma, the move offers the agency the chance to grow. This also is an opportunity that allows us to develop a more modern, more dynamic consulate, said Kerber Palma, who was appointed to the Houston office in June. As part of a planned massive rebuild of Houstons downtown freeway system, the Consulate of the United Mexican States will relocate from Interstate 69 and Caroline Street its home for more than 20 years to the Westchase area, on three acres of state-owned land at Richmond and Rogerdale, near the Sam Houston Tollway. Other foreign governments, including Costa Rica, Honduras, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Netherlands have consulates or offices nearby. Kerber Palma said the Mexican consulate offices should be in their new home by the end of this year. We understand that the news is surprising for many people, Kerber Palma said, adding that her office is already trying to dispel rumors that the move is more imminent. The plans for the move are at a very early stage, she said. The state attorney general must review an agreement before the governors office issues the deeds handing over the rights, title and interest from the state property to the Mexican government, in exchange for the parcel occupied by the consulate, according to the text of the arrangement. The Houston office, one of the largest Mexican consulates in the United States, covers a jurisdiction comprising 37 counties in and around the Houston area. More than 2 million Mexicans are registered at this office alone, about the size of the population of the cities of Dallas and Boston combined. Kerber Palma said the logistics of the move will require special security measurements, including the installation of IT systems that communicate directly with governmental databases in Mexico that are used for some of the services they provide in Houston. The move also implies physically adapting the new building. We not only issue passport and documents to many people, but we also provide the full range of consular functions and more, the consul general said. She explained that the office sees about 800 Mexican immigrants and visitors in Houston every day. On a recent visit to the consulate, about a hundred people were in the large lobby waiting their turn to see one of the assistants stationed at the dozen or so windows where passports and other documents are processed. A few others were cruising on the left side of the hall, getting informational fliers or talking with agents about what the consulate offers. Two women were particularly interested in the information offered by Claudia Sosa about services for victims of domestic violence. Sosa was representing Mil Mujeres (A Thousand Women), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, providing legal services for victims. The nonprofit has a partnership agreement with the consulate. None of the people interviewed knew about the plan to move the office. The consulate also provides daily legal advice and representation for some court cases involving Mexican nationals, workshops about educational opportunities, financial education and topics such as know your rights for immigrants. Other programs cater to specific needs, including assisting entrepreneurs interested in doing business with Mexico. Kerber Palma said she expects the move to take a lot of time and effort. The most important is that the consulate is still the home of all Mexicans and friends, she said. The office plans to run a media campaign closer to the time of the move with specific information to guide the community. Kerber Palma insisted that the services of the consulate are not going to be interrupted. olivia.tallet@chron.com Twitter.com/oliviaptallet Ruling party lawmakers applaud after the vote passed 325 -184 - AP Turkey's parliament on Thursday authorised the deployment of troops to Libya to support the UN-backed government in Tripoli that is battling forces loyal to a rival government. Turkish lawmakers voted 325-184 at an emergency session in favour of a one-year mandate allowing the government to dispatch troops, amid concerns that Turkish forces could aggravate the conflict in Libya and destabilise the region. The deployment is aimed at putting pressure on rival eastern forces in Libya led by General Khalifa Haftar who have been challenging Fayez al-Sarrajs internationally-recognised Government of National Accord. Turkey has been flexing its military muscle under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, including most recently deploying troops over the border to Syria. The Tripoli-based government of Mr Sarraj has faced an offensive by the rival regime in the east and forces loyal to commander Gen. Hafter. The fighting has threatened to plunge Libya into violent chaos rivaling the 2011 conflict that ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Mr Erdogan said last month that Mr Sarraj requested the Turkish deployment after he and Mr Sarraj signed a deal that allows Ankara to dispatch military experts and personnel to Libya. That deal, along with a separate agreement on maritime boundaries between Turkey and Libya, has led to anger across the region and beyond. Its intervention in Libya would pit it against regional rivals including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. It would also see its forces fighting on the opposite side of Russia just as the two countries repair previously strained ties. Mr Erdogan has repeatedly accused Russia of sending private mercenaries to support Gen Haftar's forces, though this has been denied by Moscow. Ankara says the deployment is vital for Turkey to safeguard its interests in Libya and in the eastern Mediterranean, where it finds itself increasingly isolated as Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel have established exclusive economic zones paving the way for oil and gas exploration. The government has not revealed details about the possible Turkish deployment. The motion allows the government to decide on the scope, amount and timing of any mission. The war between credit unions and banks may be one that never ends. But when it comes to the fight for members, its one credit unions would prefer to win. So how can credit unions come out on top? Lets look at what credit unions do well while keeping tabs on the areas in which banks excel. Here are four statements that credit unions should keep in mind Credit unions care more about their members: This one is easy. Banks are looking to make huge profits, and this isnt a primary focus for CUs. Because of this, credit unions can offer lower rates on loans and credit cards and higher rates on deposit accounts. This is a huge factor for helping credit unions gain business. Banks tend to have better technology: Hey, dont get mad. On the whole, you know its true. While some credit unions do a pretty good job of keeping up with the big boys when it comes to technology, a lot of credit unions have some catching up to do. Mobile banking, mobile deposit, and even something as basic as a functional website are some tech areas in which credit unions often lag behind. Technology equals convenience, and thats something consumers care a lot about. Credit unions provide better service: One downside of technology is that theres hardly a reason to go into a bank branch anymore. And when that occasion occurs, its probably not very likely that youll see any familiar faces. At smaller credit unions branches, youre a lot more likely to see recognizable faces who know your name. Thats something special that youre not likely going to get at Chase or Bank of America. Banks seem to be everywhere: Speaking of convenience, having local branches nearby can be very convenient. I had a friend who recently had to drive out of state to get a cashiers check from his credit union in order to close on a new home. While he loves his credit union, he spent half a day doing something that could have taken 30 minutes at a regional bank. Obviously, theres always exceptions. Some credit unions participate in shared branching and a lot of smaller banks only have a handful of branches. The positives that credit unions bring far outweigh the positives of banks in my opinion. But I think its important to remember that even when you do some things great, there are always areas in which you could be stronger. You may also like these stories: In 2018, Shan States Kalaw and Mandalay Regions Bagan and Pyin Oo Lwin won the Asean Clean Tourist City Standard. Daw Thida Aung, assistant director from the ministry, said representatives from the ministry and the cities would attend the award ceremony on Jan. 16 at the Asean tourism forum in Brunei. The award is valid for three years. Tanintharyi Region won another award for sustainable tourism under the urban destination category for Myeik. Myaing in Magwe Region won the same award under the rural destination category, according to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. The three state and regional capitals are seeing growing numbers of domestic and foreign visitors and were chosen along with other Asean cities. Aseans cities are assessed on seven criteria: environmental management; cleanliness; waste management; awareness-building about environmental protection and cleanliness; green spaces; health and safety, and urban safety and security; and tourism infrastructure. YANGONShan States Taunggyi, Kayah States Loikaw and Tanintharyi Regions Dawei will receive the Asean Clean Tourist City Standard award, which recognizes the cleanest, greenest cities in Southeast Asia. 'Grass' or 'VIP'? How Rural Vietnamese Make the Treacherous Journey to Europe Three Get Bail in Trial for Myanmar Comedians Death 37 Civilians Sued by MPs for Criticism Since NLD Took Power AA, Myanmar Military Blame Each Other for Death of Local NLD Chief in Rakhine Principles Should Take Precedence Over Details in Charter Reform Tourists Stay Away From Taj Mahal, Other Indian Attractions as Protests Flare Why Does the Myanmar Military Rebuff the Work of the Constitutional Amendment Committee? We do not encourage viewing this site in this width. Please increase the size of your window. Centre Parcs has been criticised for appearing to label horse riding as an activity primarily for girls, rather than both girls and boys. On Wednesday, Twitter user Lou Forrest shared a screenshot from a section on the Centre Parcs France website regarding its pony riding holiday package. In the description for the activity, the holiday park company wrote: Girls (and boys) aged 5 to 12 will discover how to look after a pony. They will learn how to feed it, brush it etc. Then children can saddle up the ponies and go for a ride in the Childrens Farm and in the domain. Forrest took issue with the companys use of brackets, explaining that it discouraged her nephew from wanting to take part. @centerparcsfr can you explain your use of brackets in this sentence please? Forrest wrote. What my nephew thought is that pony care is really only for girls. Why discourage half of children from booking this activity? Forrests tweet was promptly shared by Let Toys Be Toys an organisation which campaigns against gender stereotypes which echoed the same concerns. This is really strange wording @centerparcsfr - could you update it please? Ponies are for everyone, it wrote. The description has since come under fire from a number of social media users, with many asking Centre Parcs France to explain why it referred to horse rising as a girls activity. Cant it just say children aged 5-12 ... I mean its really not *that* hard!?, one person wrote. A second user agreed, adding: Perhaps try the word children? Another person stated that they had shared a similar experience to Forrest, writing: Ridiculous. My son stopped riding as the teacher constantly referred to the class as girls. Recommended Beyonce shares rare pictures of twins Rumi and Sir on Instagram The Independent has contacted Centre Parcs France for comment. Last month, Lego was criticised as sexist for featuring a comic strip that said girls would stick out like sore thumbs among a group of scientists. The cartoon featured a scene which showed two characters having a conversation about going to a meeting. I think we should secretly go to the meeting too, just in case Carter tries something sneak, one says. The other character responds: Youre right, but we wont be able to just walk right in. A group of girls among researchers well stick out like sore thumbs. The group of girls eventually decided to dress up as bakers and give out muffins so that nobody will suspect a thing. How public money is used should be public knowledge Vietnamese leaders, from deputy ministers up, fly business class, regardless of the flight duration. Le Dang Doanh In many international organizations, including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and U.N., officials only get to fly business class if the trip is of more than eight hours since rest is essential for them to start working on landing. So, for a three-hour flight from Hanoi to HCMC, a Vietnamese deputy minister will fly first class while a World Bank official lending them money, for example, will fly economy. Irony. Government spending, which is from public tax money and income from public assets, should be used for the nation and public services such as the management of security, national defense, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and so on. In other words, the government has a responsibility to utilize public money for the public's interests. If the government budget is carefully monitored by the public, the government would come under pressure to economize and be efficient with it. As the budget gets used better, the public will believe their tax contribution will directly benefit their well-being and be more motivated to contribute. However, budget management in Vietnam is arguably weaker than in many other nations. In Sweden, a 2,000-page government budget report carefully documents all spending, from its prime ministers flight tickets to his meals. With its strict rules, if a Swedish leader wants to buy their counterpart a cup of coffee, they would have to pay from their pockets. The rules are equally strict in America. If the president receives an expensive gift, it will be auctioned and the proceeds will go into the government coffers. With such careful oversight, it is understandable that those nations yearly budget reports consist of thousands of pages of meticulously documented spending. On the other hand, Vietnams annual budget report comprises just a few dozens of pages on the overall revenues and expenses. This lack of detail is reflected in Vietnam's low Open Budget Index ranking with 15 points out of 100 compared to the global average of 42. At the provincial level, only six out of Vietnams 63 provinces sufficiently publicize their budget spending, according to the 2018 Provincial Open Budget Index. Around half of all cities and provinces need to expeditiously improve their budget transparency. Both Hanoi and HCMC are in the low-transparency group despite spending the most from state budget. This deficiency prevents any interested individual from scrutinizing the governments efficiency in public spending. Workers at Ho Chi Minh City's metro line project. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. It is evident that Vietnam needs to improve its public spending efficiency. One example of wasteful spending are the street banners with socio-political messages. They may distract drivers' attention and cause accidents. Other countries, even ones with similar socio-political landscapes such as China, rarely use street banners, let alone as extensively as Vietnam. The government should seriously consider whether its benefits outweigh its costs. Vietnam should also consider how other nations and international organizations regulate their budgets, which would help us better understand which expenses directly contribute to the public's interests and which should be considered just extravagance. No budget can withstand unregulated, unrestrained spending. Only by publicizing the government budget with carefully documented details can spending violations be identified and stopped. Only then can transparency and efficiency be achieved. In recent years, admittedly, the Vietnamese government has made a number of laudable efforts to increase budget transparency. However, regulations should be codified explicitly to prevent any possible abuse. Publicizing spending at all levels of government is the first step toward improving budget transparency. It should be made one of Vietnams top priorities. For years have nations strived toward government transparency. It is time for us to catch up. *Le Dang Doanh is an economist. The opinions expressed are personal. Last January, I made an unusual resolution. On New Years Day, like many people, I peel the plastic off a new planner and imagine its pages filled with earnest but unlikely ambitions, from reading the Bible cover to cover to praying the Examen every night. But last year, instead of changing a daily practice, I set out to change a pattern: I would begin to speak openly about my Christian faith. Doing so would require revealing my relationship with Jesus to many people outside of my church community for the first time. Im a resident of the None Zone, a title the Pacific Northwest was given nearly two decades ago thanks to a high percentage of residents that claim no affiliation with any religion. In a 2017 Gallup poll of Washington state, 47% of American adults identified as not religious compared to 33% of the general population. Seattle, in particular, is one of many progressive American cities where the cultural narrative says Christians are an anomaly at best or anti-intellectual and backward at worst. When I made my New Years resolution, I had been living in Seattle for 15 years. I knew how to walk the line. If I met a non-Christian, Id carefully consider when to reveal that I attend church. More likely than not, I wouldnt mention it at all. When I was in grad school during that time, a friend was flummoxed to discover my Christian faith through a blog post Id written, since Id only talked about my Jewish family. When I did mention my faith, I would do all I could to let people know that Im a Christian but not that kind of Christianone that fits an urbanites straw man stereotype of evangelicals. I wanted to be the sort of believer you could invite to your party. Over time, the strategy of withholding my relationship with Jesus began to backfire, and I started to wither inside. It takes time and energy to present different sides of yourself to different people; no one can be their own PR manager forever. I was swimming in murky and lukewarm waters in both my online and real lives, and Id become disingenuous and detached. The vibrancy of my faith was suffering, too. After decades of playing it cool in hopes that Id pass an imaginary litmus test from my many agnostic and spiritual-but-not-religious friends, let me tell you: It only gets weirder to talk about faith the longer you wait. I was well aware of the risks of opening up. I knew what it looked like when conversations with non-Christian friends went south, because it had happened to me several times over the years. These scenarios didnt end in confrontation but in ghosting. Once, sitting outside a cafe in Seattles Capitol Hill neighborhood, I told a public radio producer about my faith life and church attendance. The heavy weight of silence after I spoke was palpable. We finished our coffee, shuffled through a few more minutes of awkward conversation, and then bussed the table. I never heard from him again. A similar scenario played out with an acquaintance I met in a writing class. Over pizza at a restaurant near downtown, I told her about my family of origin and talked about how my faith impacts my ethical framework. Instead of inquiring further, the conversation flatlined. We finished a final slice and parted ways. I spent the next several years playing out in my head (and then avoiding) similar scenes with other acquaintances. But then the Spirit began to convict me in prayer to move past the shame Id attached to the gospel. Slowly, God revealed the paradox I had created: The thing I most value, life with God, was the thing Id hidden for fear of judgment. During this past year of practicing a more public witness, Ive learned a few things. Article continues below First, when we withhold our identities as Christians, we tacitly participate in the cultural narrative that we can manage how we message ourselves. The need for peer acceptance becomes an idol. But the Christian story reminds us that we cant predict the outcome of our lives, nor can we control how others perceive or receive us. The Christian life resists the category of personal branding. Instead, it is generative and others-facing. Second, Ive learned that if you have a fear of talking about Jesus for whatever reasonmaybe for what seem like good reasonsremember: The people you think are against you might actually be for you. Although I have been ghosted, the opposite has also happened. In the past year, Ive had coffee with people from my past who are genuinely curious about my faith experience. These moments have been a gift. Ive been able to deeply listen to and better understand the experiences of friends who identify as spiritual but not religious. Conversely, Ive been given the space to speak candidly about Jesus. Finally, Ive re-learned what I know already but keep forgetting: I dont sit at the center of the storyGod does. As Christians, we believe that our lives are hidden with God and held by him, and thats immensely liberating. By contrast, its tiring to exert anxious energy skirting around that reality. Ive seen this truth play out in my writing life as well. Last year, I started writing more publicly about faith and culture, but before I did, I pictured a couch with my critics seated in a row. I started to name them in my headnot just particular people from my past but also my own fears. Then I pictured each person or each fear getting up from the couch, one by one. Slowly, my fear was replaced with levity. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers an admonition that could have been written to American Christians in 2020. Were counseled not to become like salt that loses its saltiness (Matt. 5:13) or a lamp hidden under a bowl (Matt. 5:15). Maybe in recent years, weve had the wrong idea of what it means to be salty. Instead of an in-your-face bumper sticker or another politically charged Facebook post, we are called to a much simpler practice: being present and transparent with our neighbors. In the same way, let your light shine before others, Jesus says, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). We learn this passage as kids in Sunday School, and we sing it, too: This little light of mine, Im gonna to let it shine. Its an invitation intuited by children and easily muffled by adults. Instead of speaking about our faith ironically or with a carefully chosen filter, lets speak with transparency and boldness. Even better, lets not go it alone. Lets also speak with confidence about how Gods goodness changes us and changes our communities. Were never going to reverse the tide of people leaving the church if we dont speak plainly about who we are as the church body and what motivates us to pursue Jesus. Yes, our lives might seem strange and even off-putting to some secular friends. But when we live honestly and openly, we become co-laborers with Christ and bear witness to the fact that its not about us in the first place. Sara Billups is a Seattle-based writer exploring faith and culture and the co-host of the Ebenezer Podcast. Read more on her website and Instagram and in her occasional newsletter, Bitter Scroll. Leicester striker Ayoze Perez opened the scoring at Newcastle. (AFP/Lindsey Parnaby) Spanish forward Perez put Leicester ahead nine minutes before the break with his fifth goal since swapping Newcastle for the King Power Stadium in the close-season. James Maddison doubled Leicester's shortly afterwards and Hamza Choudhury bagged the late third as Brendan Rodgers' side made a flying start to 2020. Leicester's seventh away league win this season maintained their mastery of Newcastle, who lost 5-0 to the Foxes earlier this season after also losing their League Cup second round clash. Second-placed Leicester are now 10 points behind Liverpool, who face Sheffield United at Anfield on Thursday. Newcastle suffered a third successive league defeat for the first time since October 2018 and boss Steve Bruce and his players were loudly booed by the frustrated locals. Jamie Vardy was absent again after Leicester's 17-goal leading scorer missed the win at West Ham following the birth of his baby daughter. But Ben Chilwell, Caglar Soyuncu, Ricardo Pereira, Youri Tielemans, Maddison and Wilfred Ndidi all returned after being rested at West Ham. Leicester's reinforced line-up were quickly on the front foot and Jonny Evans forced a good save from Martin Dubravka with a towering header in the opening moments. Dubravka had to get down well again to parry a low drive from Tielemens. Despite Leicester's early pressure, Newcastle should have taken the lead when Joelinton ran onto Jonjo Shelvey's defence-splitting pass. Joelinton's initial shot was saved by Kasper Schmeichel and from the rebound the out-of-form striker somehow managed to head completely off target with the goal at his mercy. But Leicester were dominating so confidently that they held 77 per cent of the possession before taking the lead in the 36th minute. LEICESTER SPARKLE Jeered by his old club's fans whenever he touched the ball, Perez had the perfect response. It was a gift of a goal as Newcastle's Florian Lejeune played a suicidal pass across his own area and Perez pounced, cutting back inside for a cool low finish that he celebrated by sticking his fingers in his ears. The opprobrium of the home fans was turned on their own players three minutes later as Rodgers' men doubled their advantage. Once again, the hapless Lejeune was guilty of surrendering possession far too easily and this time Maddison was the beneficiary as he seized control 20 yards out and rifled a superb strike into the top corner of Dubravka's net. Kelechi Iheanacho almost made it three from Perez's cross, but Dubravka just clawed his shot out before it crossed the line. Adding to Bruce's miserable start to the new year, Newcastle lost Jetro Willems and Javier Manquillo to injuries before the interval. Having gambled by making his third and final change at half-time, Bruce watched aghast as Fabian Schar was injured just seconds after the restart, leaving Newcastle down to 10 men for the rest of the match. With a numerical advantage to go with their two-goal lead, Leicester effectively used the second half as a practice session. Dubravka kept the score down with saves from Perez and Iheanacho, but Choudhury capped an imperious Leicester display in the 87th minute. Picked out on the edge of the area, Choudhury curled a brilliant strike into the top corner for his first professional goal. English Premier League results: Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0 Brighton 1 Chelsea 1 Burnley 1 Aston Villa 2 Manchester City 2 Everton 1 Newcastle 0 Leicester 3 Norwich 1 Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 1 Tottenham 0 Watford 2 Wolves 1 West Ham 4 Bournemouth 0 "Dustin was a steadfast friend, an amazing husband and father, and generous to a fault," West said. "He loved fiercely, worked tirelessly, and took on life with so much hope and enthusiasm that his presence brightened all of our lives. His bright, young life was taken far too early." Hearod said that as of Wednesday evening, investigators hadn't found any evidence to suggest that Parker was targeted because he was transgender. "Right now, it doesn't look that way," Hearod said. "But obviously, we're not taking anything off the table. We don't have anything indicating that right now." Nationally, at least 24 transgender or gender-nonconforming people were killed in 2019, the Human Rights Campaign reported. The National Center for Transgender Equality reports on its website that "transgender people face extraordinary levels of physical and sexual violence, whether on the streets, at school or work, at home, or at the hands of government officials. More than one in four trans people has faced a bias-driven assault." Taiwans top military official was among eight people killed on Thursday, after a helicopter carrying them to visit soldiers crashed in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei, the defense ministry said. The main portion of the helicopter lay in a northern forest wreathed in mist, its blades shattered, as dozens of rescuers combed the wreck for survivors, pictures released by emergency authorities showed. The reasons for the crash, in the wake of a forced landing, were unknown, the military said in a statement, adding that the chief of general staff, Air Force General Shen Yi-ming, had died, while five of the 13 aboard survived. Shen, who took up his post in July, was Taiwans highest-ranking general to die in the line of duty, President Tsai Ing-wen said, adding that she had asked the defense minister to launch an investigation. We must find out the reason for the incident, she told reporters in the northeastern county of Yilan, where the helicopter had been heading after setting out from Taipei. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 17:33:53|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The rebel groups have launched a counter-offensive on areas recently recaptured by the Syrian army in the southern countryside of Idlib province in northwestern Syria, a war monitor reported on Thursday. The counter-offensive has flared on Thursday morning with rebels heavily shelling positions of the Syrian army in the areas of al-Tah and Jarjanaz in the southern countryside of Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It said intense battles have been raging in that region amid an effort by the rebel groups to retake areas they had lost to the Syrian army in recent days. The watchdog group said there have been no airstrikes amid heavy rainfall in that region. The Syrian army has made notable progress in recent weeks in the battles against the rebels in Idlib, capturing several areas in the quest to liberate the road linking Hama province with Aleppo in the north. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said recently that the battle against terrorism in Idlib province is a priority to the Syrian government. Assad said the aim behind the battle in Idlib is to eliminate terrorism, adding that counter-terrorism is the priority and comes ahead of anything else. Idlib has emerged as the main destination of the rebel groups, which have evacuated several positions across Syria after surrendering to the Syrian army. That province is now considered as the last major rebel bastion in Syria. Certain parts of Idlib are included in a de-escalation zones' deal brokered by Russia and Turkey, which backs the rebels. However, such deals exclude the ultra-radical rebels who are affiliated with the al-Qaida and branded as terrorist groups by the UN. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar participated in the 353rd birth anniversary celebrations of tenth Sikh Guru Guru Gobind Singh at the Takht Harmandir Sahib premises here on Thursday. "Guru Gobind Singh was born in Bihar and thus it is the people of Bihar's duty to serve all Sikh devotees. We had celebrated the 350th Prakash Parv of Guru Govind Singh in January 2017 in which Sikh devotees from around the country and world had participated," the Chief Minister said. "People who come here realise that Guru Gobind Singh was not only a Guru of Sikh religion but of the entire humanity," he added. The Chief Minister said that Rajgir hosted 550th birth anniversary of Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev in December 2019. "Guru Nanak Dev Ji had conducted a journey across the four directions of the country during his lifetime. Firstly, he reached Patna during his visit to eastern India. The Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev will be conducted every year in Rajgir," Kumar said. "The timing of Prakash Guru Parab of Guru Govind Singh Ji is close to that of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. So, devotees will be able to visit both Prakash Guru Parab's within a few days," he added. The Chief Minister said that artefacts and memoirs related to Guru Gobind Singh will be kept in the Bihar museum so that people will know about the tenth Sikh Guru. Jathedars and Bihar government officials along with several devotees were also present at the venue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) S&P Global Platts predicts the Southern Gas Corridor project to be extended in the future, analyst at S&P Global Platts James Huckstepp said. According to him, the Southern Gas Corridor project will provide the necessary transport capacity to deliver 16 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the Caspian region to Europe. At the same time, Huckstepp emphasized that initially it would cover only 3-4% of Europe's total gas demand, a large share of gas will be transported to Southern Europe via this corridor. "S&P Global Platts predicts that the Southern Gas Corridor will be expanded in the future," he said. The agencys analyst also emphasized that a total of 6 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the Shahdeniz field will be delivered to the Turkish market via this gas corridor. "Another 10 billion cubic meters per year is planned to be delivered to Greece, Bulgaria and Italy via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is almost completed and is expected to be launched in October 2020. Greece and Bulgaria signed a contract to receive 1 billion cubic meters per year each from the Shahdeniz-2 field, 8 billion cubic meters per year will be delivered to Italy, Trend cited him as saying. In addition, Huckstepp noted that Platts predicts an increase in the capacity to 24 billion cubic meters per year by 2023 and up to 31 billion cubic meters per year by 2026. The Southern Gas Corridor project envisages the creation of a pipeline infrastructure for the transportation of Azerbaijani gas, which is extracted as part of the development of the Shah Deniz Stage 2 field, to Europe via Turkey Earlier, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in the interview to Rossiya-24 TV channel that the Southern Gas Corridor is not competing with Russian gas supplies to Europe. Sometimes in the media reports of different countries we hear and see such theses that there is some kind of competition between Russia and Azerbaijan. This is absolutely not true, it was never the case, and Im sure that it wont be. The topic of energy projects implemented by us or Russia was never the subject of any serious discussions. Both Russia and in Azerbaijan, I think, support these our projects," the president of the Azerbaijan said. "We know how important the Turkish Stream project is for both Russia and Turkey. Both countries are our close partners, so we supported this project from the very beginning. As for the entry of Azerbaijani gas to the European market, 10 billion cubic meters of gas will be supplied to Europe per year after the Southern Gas Corridor project is implemented. Compared to the volume supplied by Russia, about 150-170 billion cubic meters of gas per year, it is a very small volume. Therefore, the Southern Gas Corridor project, of course, is no competitor and we never thought of it that way. Its just the project that will allow Azerbaijan to realize its gas resources on international markets. Part of the gas is already supplied via this corridor to the Turkish market. At the end of November, the TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline) project, which is part of the Southern Gas Corridor, has already been brought to the Greek border, the construction of a gas pipeline from the Turkish-Greek border to Italy has been completed by more than 90%," Ilham Aliyev said. North Chinas Tianjin and the city of Anyang in Central Chinas Henan province both reported two new cases of the highly transmissible omicron variant over the weekend. Both cities have launched new rounds of mass testing and designated more Covid-19 risk areas to control the spread of the virus Jan 10, 2022 06:18 PM Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday met with several representatives of Air India unions regarding the privatisation of carrier. The government had on Tuesday said that privatisation of debt-ridden Air India has become a compulsion as fear grows about the shutdown of the carrier. "I had said earlier also, for us, it is not an option. Air India has to be privatised," Puri had said. The minister had also said that debt over Air India has made it unsustainable and the carrier needs to go in private hands to keep it running. "Air India over a period of time has now gathered debt which could be described as unsustainable," he had added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In normal times, Delhis Shaheen Bagh area would easily fall off the map: A dingy, congested locality with open drains and dangerously dangling power cable lines. But these are not normal times in the overcrowded areas that surround Jamia Nagar, the epicentre of anti-Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) protests in the national capital. Which is why the otherwise nondescript Shaheen Bagh has suddenly found a voice that resonates far and wide. Every day, round the clock, braving the severe winter cold, large groups of women sit in protest here on the street. Raising slogans, chanting songs, seeking justice, shattering every stereotype. Not a stone has been thrown here in anger even though the rage is palpable. The fury is as much against the Delhi police who entered the Jamia library and targeted students as it is against the Narendra Modi government which, they are convinced, is anti-Muslim in intent. Few of those gathered seem to have read the fine print of the new law, but insist that the legislation is draconian. Bharosa nahi hai (we dont trust), when I remind them of the prime minister and home ministers repeated promises that no Indian Muslim would be affected by the CAA and their claim that the National Register of Citizens has not even been discussed. Clearly, this is a battle of perception as much as of the legislative minutiae, a conviction in the minds of the protestors that the Modi government has a discriminatory, majoritarian mindset. But arent you all also benefitting from government schemes like Ujwala, Mudra Yojna or an Ayushman Bharat, where is the Hindu-Muslim narrative in that? I ask. This is only for votes at election time, do you really think that the prime minister treats us as equal citizens, unke sarkar ke liye hum sab aantakwadi hain, (we are all terrorists for his government)! an elderly woman hits back. Remember Shaheen Bagh is not too far from Batla House, another Muslim-dominated zone in the neighbourhood that shot into public imagination after a terror encounter here in 2008. I persist with my line of questioning, and ask them about the incidents of violence that have taken place in Jamia and parts of Uttar Pradesh during the anti CAA-NRC protests: Buses burnt, public property damaged, firearms being used. You TV persons keep showing images of a burning bus, we give roses and water to the police here, a young woman in a bright salwar-kameez responds. TV news is the new enemy, the so-called godi [pliant] media seen as a surrogate of an autocratic State machinery. A WhatsApp video of a senior police officer from Meerut telling protestors to go to Pakistan has gone viral. Amoral technology cuts through religious boundaries, and every incendiary video only adds to the sense of being encircled and persecuted by the other. Would any policeman speak like this to any Jat or Gujjar protestor, why should wearing a skull cap and a beard, or a burqa or hijab lead to our patriotism being questioned? says an infuriated lady. I mumble something incoherently about how not every police officer is communal-minded, only to be cornered again by another livid voice: Forget policemen, there are ministers in this government who keep telling Muslims to go to Pakistan! (the reference I presume is to Giriraj Singh, a serial offender in this regard). This isnt the only video that has gone viral in a highly surcharged atmosphere. I point to a video of Amanatullah Khan, the local Aam Aadmi Party Member of Legislative Assembly, making a provocative speech where he warns the crowd that its getting difficult for Muslims to breathe and live with freedom. Is this not a brazenly communal speech, why dont you call him out? I ask. The response is just as combative: Look, Amanatullah is our leader here, if he takes up our cause, whats wrong with it? Dont Amit Shah and Yogi make similar speeches, didnt the PM make a shamshan-qabristan speech? The argumentative interaction continues for almost an hour. Its getting darker and colder, but the crowd isnt melting away just yet. Some women have brought blankets, and are planning to spend the night under the icy skies. I am preparing to leave when one of them gets in a last word: Next time, please call us to the studio instead of the maulvis that you always do! Maybe I really should. Maybe our VIP ministers too should meet and listen to Shaheen Baghs women, and step out of their self-comforting echo chambers of privilege. Trapped between victimhood and rage, these are voices that are both revealing and scary. They reveal the volcanic lava that is bubbling under the surface of increasingly fragile communal relations, threatening to erupt at the slightest trigger point. The divisive CAA-NRC debate has been one such trigger that has only further polarised the fault lines within an already fragmented society. And yes, brought the incensed women of Shaheen Bagh onto the streets. Post-script: As I get into my car, and switch the heater on, I gaze at the potholed roads, hanging power cable lines, crazily crowded by-lanes. I wonder when we will see urban protests break out over lack of jobs and crumbling infrastructure. Or, will the toxic narrative of muscular Hindutva and aggressive Islamism remain the overriding messaging, one that is ominous for society, but perhaps politically convenient for the leadership of both communities? Rajdeep Sardesai is a senior journalist and author The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Basheer Mohammed, has highlighted the agencys plan to tackle irregular migration and reintegration of displaced persons in the country. Mr Mohammed made this known during a courtesy call to President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, according to a statement by the agencys Head of Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, which was made available to PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Mohammed said his agency is committed to providing relief items, care, maintenance and durable solutions that would reintegrate Persons of Concern (POCs) into normal lives where they can thrive. He added that the Commission plans to reintroduce the campaign used to stem brain drain migration in the 80s, during President Buharis tenure as Head of State. Mr Mohammed further stated that the Commission would prioritise a sensitisation campaign on the many opportunities available in the country in order to reduce irregular migration. In 2020, my first point of action will be to work with state governors to return and reintegrate IDPs to their communities. It is time that they begin to live normal lives and feel the pulse of a growing Nigeria, Mr Mohammed said. I intend to bring back Andrew and educate Nigerians on what is available in Nigeria. We will also seek to educate the average citizen on the safe, orderly and regular migration routes to take when traveling abroad so that we dont lose as many Nigerians. According to the statement, Mr Mohammed also listed the establishment of Informal Educational Learning Centres, amongst several other programs and projects to be undertaken by the Commission in the year 2020. The Commission plans to build Informal Educational Learning Centres in all IDP camps. This will encourage learning in children unable to attend regular schools and those with special needs due to the trauma of displacement, Mr Mohammed said. Turkey's parliament has authorised sending troops to Libya to help the UN-supported government in Tripoli battle forces loyal to a rival government. Turkish lawmakers voted 325-184 at an emergency session on Thursday in favour of allowing a one-year mandate to deploy troops. There are concerns that Turkish forces could aggravate the conflict in Libya. But Ankara says the deployment may be needed for Turkey to safeguard its interests in Libya and in the eastern Mediterranean. The motion allows the government to decide on the scope, strength and timing of any mission by Turkish troops. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay told state-run Anadolu Agency that Turkey would send the necessary number (of troops) whenever there is a need. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reportedly expected to ban the sale of certain e-cigarette flavors except tobacco and menthol flavors this week. The proposed ban would target minty and fruity flavored vape pods, which are small, refillable containers that contain vaping liquids popular among teens. The prohibition would not affect so-called open tank systems commonly sold at vape shops, according to the Washington Post. The action could come as early as Friday, CBS News reports. The prohibition is seen as a compromise between the Trump administration officials, who have expressed a desire to stem the tide of nicotine addiction among youth, and those in the White House who are concerned the move would impact Trumps chances in the 2020 election, according to the Wall Street Journal. Industry officials also raised concerns about the impact the ban would have on small businesses. Trump has been weighing a national ban on flavored e-cigarette products for several months now. Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced plans for the ban in September in an effort to curb youth vaping. As part of those proposed federal regulations, Trump has also considered raising to legal age to purchase e-cigarette products from 18 to 21. To date, thousands have been sickened by a national outbreak of vaping-related lung illness that has resulted in dozens of deaths, including three in Massachusetts. Related Content: In an exclusive interview with Republic TV on Thursday, 28th Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane spoke on the need for the post of a Chief of Defence Staff. General Naravane said, "The requirement for having the post of CDS was a felt need of the environment and the armed forces. It is a very good step in the right direction to have a CDS and it will result in having greater synergy between the three services and it only occurs well for the country." Requirement of having post of CDS was a felt need by the environment of the armed forces, it'll result in greater synergy: COAS Gen Manoj Naravane https://t.co/RZHKU3wOei pic.twitter.com/A2z4Dv3a1F Republic (@republic) January 2, 2020 READ | Priority to be operationally prepared at all times: New COAS Gen Manoj Naravane 'Terrorism and violence has gone down in the valley'- General Naravane General Naravane also informed about the incidents of terrorism and stone pelting going down in the valley post the abrogation of Article 370. Talking about his area of focus as Army Chief, he said, "Our challenges will remain to always be operationally prepared a combat-ready force to beat any challenge at any time, that would be my priority area to focus on." Adding further, General Naravane also spoke about the high morale of the forces. "I can say with some degree of confidence that the morale of our forces is very high and they are totally committed to carrying out their tasks.They will not let us down." READ | As General Bipin Rawat becomes CDS, here's the team that will work with him Army Chief's warning to Pakistan Earlier on Tuesday, the Army Chief General Naravane gave his first media interview after taking charge as the new Chief of Army Staff.Issuing a warning to Pakistan, the new 28th Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Manoj Naravane said that Pakistan cannot fool anyone anymore as it wages a proxy war. He said that India had been a victim of terror for a long time, but now the world was getting aware of it. Talking on the increased ceasefire violations, he said that the Army was fully ready to foil all infiltration bids along LoC. Family and friends are invited to attend her celebration of life services at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, at Greater Deliverance Tabernacle Church, 125 Sugar Hill Road, Holly Hill, SC 29059. Burial will be in Island Cemetery, Holly Hill. Visitation will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at Grace Chapel in Holly Hill. Bengaluru, Jan 2 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the Congress for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act and said that the Congress was opposing the Constitution. Speaking at Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, Modi said: "Our government brought CAA, but Congress has opposed it. These people have started agitation against Constitution." "They are opposing entry of Dalits and other persecuted people from Pakistan. The atrocities against minorities have been rising in Pakistan. Pakistanis have unleashed injustices against the Hindus, Sikhs, Jains but Congress hasn't raised its voice." While attacking the Congress, Modi said: "They don't have the time or intention to take on Pakistan. It's our duty to stand by those who are fleeing Pakistan. It's our duty to help them." New Orleans, LA - Serena Aunon-Chancellor, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine's branch campus in Baton Rouge, is the lead author of a paper describing a previously unrecognized risk of spaceflight discovered during a study of astronauts involved in long-duration missions. The paper details a case of stagnant blood flow resulting in a clot in the internal jugular vein of an astronaut stationed on the International Space Station. The paper is published in the January 2, 2020 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, available here. "These new findings demonstrate that the human body still surprises us in space," notes Dr. Aunon-Chancellor, who also remains a member of NASA's Astronaut Corps and is board certified in both internal and aerospace medicine. "We still haven't learned everything about Aerospace Medicine or Space Physiology." Eleven astronauts were involved in the vascular study, which sought to help close gaps in knowledge about circulatory physiology that will not only benefit patients on Earth, but could be critical for the health of astronauts during future space exploration missions to the moon and Mars. The study measured the structure and function of the internal jugular vein in long-duration spaceflight where astronauts are exposed to sustained headward blood and tissue fluid shifts. Ultrasound examinations of the astronauts' internal jugular veins were performed at scheduled times in different positions during the mission. Results of the ultrasound performed about two months into the mission revealed a suspected obstructive left internal jugular venous thrombosis (blood clot) in one astronaut. The astronaut, guided in real time and interpreted by two independent radiologists on earth, performed a follow-up ultrasound, which confirmed the suspicion. Since NASA had not encountered this condition in space before, multiple specialty discussions weighed the unknown risks of the clot traveling and blocking a vessel against anticoagulation therapy in microgravity. The space station pharmacy had 20 vials containing 300 mg of injectable enoxaparin (a heparin-like blood thinner), but no anticoagulation-reversal drug. The injections posed their own challenges - syringes are a limited commodity, and drawing liquids from vials is a significant challenge because of surface-tension effects. The astronaut began treatment with the enoxaparin, initially at a higher dose that was reduced after 33 days to make it last until an oral anticoagulant (apixaban) could arrive via a supply spacecraft. Anticoagulation-reversing agents were also sent. Although the size of the clot progressively shrank and blood flow through the affected internal jugular segment could be induced at day 47, spontaneous blood flow was still absent after 90 days of anticoagulation treatment. The astronaut took apixaban until four days before the return to Earth. On landing, an ultrasound showed the remaining clot flattened to the vessel walls with no need for further anticoagulation. It was present for 24 hours after landing and gone 10 days later. Six months after returning to Earth, the astronaut remained asymptomatic. The astronaut had no personal or family history of blood clots and had not experienced headaches or the florid complexion common in weightless conditions. The changes in blood organization and flow, along with the prothrombotic risk uncovered in the study show the need for further research. Concludes Aunon-Chancellor, "The biggest question that remains is how would we deal with this on an exploration class mission to Mars? How would we prepare ourselves medically? More research must be performed to further elucidate clot formation in this environment and possible countermeasures." Internal jugular venous thrombosis has most often been associated with cancer, a central venous catheter, or ovarian hyperstimulation. Recently, it has been found in a growing number of IV drug abusers who inject drugs directly into the internal jugular vein. The condition can have potentially life-threatening complications, including systemic sepsis and pulmonary embolism. ### Other members of the research team included James M. Pattarini, M.D., M.P.H., National Aeronautics and Space Administration Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX; Stephan Moll, M.D., University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC; and Ashot Sargsyan, M.D., KBR, Houston, TX. The study was funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under the Human Research Program (grant NNJ11ZSA002NA). LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans (LSU Health New Orleans) educates Louisiana's health care professionals. The state's health sciences university leader, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine, the state's only School of Dentistry, Louisiana's only public school of Public Health, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous annual economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment or cure disease. To learn more, visit http://www.lsuhsc.edu, http://www.twitter.com/LSUHealthNO, or http://www.facebook.com/LSUHSC. The IVE Grouphas completed the acquisitions of Salmat Marketing Solutions and Reach Media New Zealand, the Australian and New Zealand catalogue distribution business of SalmatThis transaction was originally announced to the market on 25th November 2019.Salmat currently provides a wide range of back office solutions through their Philippines-based Managed Services business, MicroSourcing.Reach Media NZ was Salmats letterbox and e-catalogue distribution business.Shares in the IVE Groupclosed 1.7 per cent higher at $2.46. The Simplified Truth: For We Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make Us Free: a soul-refreshing account that lays down the truths in the simplest form to let the readers understand the religion and their spiritual life. The Simplified Truth: For We Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make Us Free is the creation of published author Bro. Gregory B. Kim, a person who loves God and sees the Bible as not just a book, but a daily manual in life. Kim writes, This book is named The Simplified Truth because thats what it is according to the Spirit of truth. When God asked me to write this book, I said to God, I dont know how, and I cant even type. God told me to peck it. This whole book was written with two fingers. This book is not my opinion; this book is the finger of God working through my fingers. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Kims new book encourages the readers to read the message of God enabling them to know the truth and learn something they never fully understood. With this purpose, the author simplifies the information allowing the readers to understand the message of God and His plans for everyone. View a synopsis of The Simplified Truth: For We Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make Us Free on YouTube. Consumers can purchase The Simplified Truth: For We Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make Us Free at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Simplified Truth: For We Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make Us Free, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. New Delhi, Jan 2 : Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday said that he has written a letter to the Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over the deaths of children at Kota in Rajasthan. "I have written a letter to the Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot requesting him to look into the matter," he said while speaking to mediapersons here. "Number of deaths (Kota) is definitely higher this time as compared to the last few years," he added. One hundred babies have died within a month at the state-run JK Lon Hospital in Kota, triggering questions about negligence by the hospital staff. At least nine infants died in this hospital in the last two days of December. The Union Health Minister has assured all support from the Centre to the Rajasthan government on the Kota children's deaths. "We have assured all kind of support from our side," he said here. Earlier on Thursday, the Rajasthan Chief Minister tweeted: "The government is sensitive to the deaths of sick infants at JK Lone Hospital Kota. There should not be politics on this. Infant mortality in this hospital of Kota is steadily decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. It is our top priority for mothers and children to be healthy." Gehlot also said that the state is ready to receive advice in the matter from Central government expert teams. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Health Minister C Vijayabaskar urged the private hospitals empanelled under the Chief Ministers Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) not to charge extra money from patients availing the procedure under the scheme. Speaking at a function held here on Tuesday to distribute the awards for the Best Performance Private Hospitals under the CMCHIS, the minister said, The eligible beneficiaries should get the treatment and there should not be any refusal or denial of the service. The hospitals also should preform all available procedures. The internet is a vital utility, but two thirds of primary schools lag behind the minimum speed in the National Broadband Plan. Jess Casey talks to teachers whose schools enjoy high-speed internet and to some whose schools do not THE majority of us know the blood-boiling frustration that tends to go hand-in-hand with slow broadband speeds. Most of us have found ourselves in a situation at least once where our router fails us at the very moment its needed the most; A streamed movie starts buffering, an urgent email fails to send, a download takes seemingly forever with very little signs of progress. But imagine this mishap happening as you are standing at the front of a class of 30-odd energetic school children, and theyre growing more and more restless every passing second as the internet stalls. Its a situation faced by hundreds of teachers on a daily basis in primary schools across the country. While in recent years, high-speed broadband was rolled out across all post-primary schools, and in almost 60 special schools, primary schools still have no guarantee of connectivity. Figures from the Department of Education show that almost 60% of all primary schools had a download speed of less than 30Mbps (megabits per second) during the 2018 to 2019 school year. A download speed of 30Mbps is the baseline speed guaranteed under the National Broadband Plan. Almost 1,500 of these primary schools had a download speed of less than 20Mbps during the 2018 to 2019 school year, and more than 400 of these primary schools had a download speed of less than 10Mbps or less. When it comes to the schools with the fastest broadband speeds, the majority are based in Dublin, but schools based in Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, and Tipperary all feature in the top 20. In Kerry, 70% of primary schools have a download speed of less than 30Mbps. In Cork, almost 55% of all primary schools have download speeds of less than 30Mbps, according to the Department of Education figures. A further 2,282 children are in Cork primary schools that have a download speed of less than 10Mbps. In East Cork alone, there are more than 5,500 children in primary schools with broadband speeds of less than 20Mbps. That is according to a study of the figures by local TD Sean Sherlock. Proper broadband is key to learning if we are to encourage learning and growth for all our school children, no matter where they live, said Mr Sherlock. In an age where information is vital, speed of access to the web is a critical component of learning. Those 5,502 schoolchildren are practically offline compared to their more urban counterparts. And while there are plans in place to provide high speed broadband to some 700 primary schools through the National Broadband Plan, including almost 80 in Cork, this will still leave many primary schools short. Principal Padraig O Breacain in Scoil Naomh Iosafs computer room with second class pupils Andrea, Natasha, Faye, and Adrian. In Left to their Own Devices, a recent report on the current state of play of information and communication technology (ICT) in primary schools, researcher Eemer Eivers pointed to broadband connectivity, wifi coverage, and a lack of technical support skills at primary school level. Providing quality connectivity to all primary school pupils should be an educational priority in its own right, not something appended as a priority to the eventual implementation of the National Broadband Plan, Dr Eivers said. A survey carried out by the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) as recently as 2018 found that more than one third of principals who took part in the study said their school did not have a reliable and adequate internet connection. ANECDOTALLY, student teachers embarking on teaching practice are often warned to be prepared in case they cannot access the internet as planned during a lesson, and to bring backups and printouts for each lesson, just in case. Ryan working with teacher Karen Ward at CBS Primary School in Limerick City, the primary school with the countrys fastest internet connection. Pictures: Brendan Gleeson However, broadband speeds at a primary school level are improving, and have improved significantly in within the last eight years, according to the Department of Education. A framework of 14 providers was put in place in 2017 and, to date, approximately 1,600 primary schools have download speeds of 30Mbps or greater, a spokesman for the department said in a statement. This is almost 50% of all primary schools, compared to fewer than 100 primary schools that were on those speeds in 2012, he added. Services are reviewed on an ongoing basis to enhance connectivity where available, in accordance with procurement and contractual requirements. So, what makes a good download speed? A good download speed mainly depends on what the internet is being used for: Most broadband providers say that the speed needed by a home or a business depends on how many people will be using it, and what they use it for. plan on using it for. For example, to send emails or check social media, a download speed of 1 to 5 megabits per second (Mbps) is ideal. To Skype someone, you need 1.5Mbps, and to stream music you need a speed of 2Mbps. A download speed of at least 5Mbps is needed to watch a movie on Netflix, according to the streaming service. However, if someone wants to stream a movie in super-sharp ultra-HD, then they will need a download speed of at least 25Mbps. Higher speeds are also required when it comes to online gaming or downloading movies. Jake and Cian with teacher Karen Ward, enjoying their work on the laptops at CBS Sexton Street Primary School, Limerick. Upload speeds also depend on what someone uses the internet for to upload things like pictures or attachments on emails, a speed of 3Mbps is considered sufficient, according to Switcher.ie. And while each of these activities on their own dont necessarily require high-speed broadband, depending on how many different people are all connecting to devices at the same time, a faster speed is needed. If the speed doesnt match up with the activities plus the amount of people connected, it can lead to buffering, crashing, and sluggish, or downright infuriatingly slow, downloading. Now put these speeds in the context of a bustling, busy primary school attempting to connect multiple different devices often at the same time, for a million different uses. Pupils might be attempting to download ebooks, or use the internet to research a project, or using an iPad or a tablet to play a maths or phonetics game. Teachers might be attempting to plan their own lessons, or using the internet to instruct pupils. On the administration side of the house, school secretaries and principals are checking and sending emails to parents and different staff members. OVER the last few years, there has been an explosion of very good educational online resources available to teachers, often free and readily available to use. CBS Sexton Street Primary School in Limerick has wifi in every room and a suite of laptops that pupils such as Conor can use for projects. Information and communication technology (ICT) is also considered a valuable tool to help assist pupils who have learning difficulties, and for those who are struggling with a certain subject. ICT can also be helpful for pupils whose first language is not English. Some of these teaching resources include, but are not limited to, reading and spelling aids, and multimedia programmes that pair text with audio and pictures, animations and easy-to-use interfaces. Even something as simple as using YouTube to show a class a live performance of a song they are working on, or a piece of historical footage, can help teachers to bring their lessons even further to life. But for schools with slow broadband, these resources cannot be accessed. Many schools contacted by the Irish Examiner did not wish to discuss their schools situation on the record, apart from describing it as shocking or abysmal. One Cork city primary school contacted by the Irish Examiner had a maximum download speed of 150Mbps, and an upload speed of 15Mbps during the 2018-2019 school year, according to the Department of Education figures. This made gave the primary school with upwards of 300 pupils one of the highest speeds in the county. However, broadband in the school was and is regularly excruciatingly slow, according to one teacher, who did not wish to be named. The max speed we get is about 30Mbps, but its regularly closer to 10. When its working that is. It can go at any time, and it does regularly. We cannot plan lessons around our broadband, because some mornings it wouldnt even be adequate to take the rolla [school roll]. In terms of ICT equipment, the school has several Android tablets, a number of projectors, and a suite of desktop computers. The desktops are about 15 years old. Ive stopped bringing kids down to use them because Ive spent 40 minutes trying to turn them on and they are so old all they do is crash. When it comes to the IT grants, they are used to cover the maintenance of the equipment the school already has, the teacher added. We have to be strategic in the tech we invest in, a lightbulb for a projector can cost around 300. CBS Sexton Street Primary School in Limerick has wifi in every room and a suite of laptops that pupils such as Adam and Malik can use for projects. Its a marked difference from the experience of CBS Primary School in Limerick City, the primary school with the fastest download and upload speeds in the country. The all-boys schoolin Limerick city has a download speed of 300Mbps and an upload speed of 30Mbps. I wasnt aware that we were the fastest in the country, but I was aware that we have exceptionally fast broadband in the school, CBS principal Denis Barry told the Irish Examiner. The last school I was in, we had maybe 2 or 3Mbps download speeds, and an upload speed of 1Mbps. Speeds like that made it very difficult to use the iPads that we had, but ours now in CBS is very manageable. Everything is so quick, we never have a problem with our interactive whiteboards. Its just reliable and we have very little outages. We have wifi in every room, we have a suite of laptops that students can use for research or for projects, we have desktops, and the ASD class has tablets. They are not used all the time but they can be. Its a huge difference from the last school I was in, Mr Barry added. It was very slow, and if more than five or six computers were using it at once it would stall. It makes life more difficult, it makes it difficult to use tech we couldnt use something like an interactive whiteboard. In that school, we were meant to get about 16Mbps but it was closer to 3 or 4. It made using tech so much more difficult. We had a set of iPads and we just couldnt use their full functions as much as would have liked. CBS recently partnered with Virgin Media to work on CoderDojo, programming workshops for children, kids, and they have started bringing in pupils from a nearby girls school to take part as well, Mr Barry added. The school is also working on VEX Robotics projects with Dell, he added. All of these projects are made much easier. Im very much of the opinion that it needs to be blended. Tech certainly has a place, but we cant let the teaching go away from teaching. Tech in the classroom is an excellent tool for research, but if we focus on it full-time, Id be afraid wed lose the concepts behind learning. So it needs a blended approach. You can still teach, and teach well, without it but it does make it easier for us to roll out tech for students. With the CoderDojo, you can access projects from other years, you can download the software readily when you need it. And while broadband speeds werent always the fastest in Riverstown in Cork City, County Cork, Scoil Naomh Iosaf has seen a number of improvements in recent times, according to principal Padraig O Breacain. Along with Strawberry Hill NS, Scoil Naomh Iosaf, Riverstown, (above) has one of Cork Citys fastest school internet connections With a download speed of 250Mbps, and an upload speed of 25Mbps, the school in Glanmire is one of the two primary schools with the fastest speeds in Cork, the other being Strawberry Hill National School in Sundays Well. It was a lot slower back in the day but we have grown along with the developments in ICT. Riverstown is a developing area, and its rapidly growing, and I think thats been recognised that we have to have the infrastructure to match. We are fortunate enough really. Were a big school, and we have a dedicated computer lab. We had kind of hobbled along over the last 10 ten years, getting a few secondhand computers from here and there to patch together. But we splashed out 20,000 on 30 thin client Dell PCs. Speed isnt an issue. It means if a teacher asks a class of 30 kids to look at a video, they can all watch it themselves, together at the same time. We have wifi right around the whole school, and the speed is just not an issue. We also use a VDI a virtual digital interface and I believe we are one of the few schools in the country to have access to it. In the last two years, wifi has been extended across the whole school. Each of the ICT grants hasve been spent on development, upgrades, things like cabling or wifi. The grant money has been fantastic, said Mr O Breacain. IT and interactive whiteboards, things like that are tools. They are teaching aids. At the end of the day, teachers have to be able to communicate with their students, its not about sitting down on your backside behind a laptop, controlling what is on the whiteboard. Really, you have to be able to communicate with your class, especially when you consider things like anxiety and wellbeing. You might be able to use tech to entice a child with difficulties to participate in a class, but teachers have to be able to communicate directly with them. Jersey City Councilwoman-at-large Joyce Watterman is Jersey Citys first African-American woman city council president. The City Council voted 7-0 at Thursdays reorganization meeting to make a change at the top picking Watterman to succeed Rolando Lavarro Jr., also an at-large councilmember. Watterman is just the second female council president. Marilyn Roman held the spot in 1989. Ward C Councilman Richard Boggiano and Ward D Councilman Michael Yun were absent from the vote. I feel humble because of where I come from," said Watterman, who earlier noted that her mother was a sharecropper. "We really grew up in public housing, so to come to this level in life is really humbling and I hope and pray that I dont disappoint. Before casting the final vote for herself, Watterman, 61, thanked each of her colleagues, citing their value to the council. She noted that every member of the city council brings something unique to the table. I want you to know this council really does care about you, Watterman said, addressing the public. We may have disagreements and we may be passionate on our expressions of our disagreement, but when it is all said and done our heart is to really get it right. Watterman, born and raised in Jersey City, was first elected to the city council in 2013. She is the fourth black city council president in the citys history, joining L. Harvey Smith, Glenn Cunningham and Bobby Jackson. Watterman was nominated by Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley. All the councilmembers present spoke before casting their vote. Ward F Councilmember Jermaine Robinson cited Watterman as a mentor who sat him down when he became a councilman and told him there is no guide to being a council member. There is no one more deserving than Councilwoman-at-large Joyce Watterman, Robinson said. She has yelled, she has screamed. If you know Councilwoman Watterman, she knows how to get her point across, and I take it all in stride because I know that you care deeply for Jersey City. Councilman-at-large Daniel Rivera was selected to serve as Council President pro tempore, in case of an absence by Watterman. I appreciate all my council colleagues for the support you have for me in this position, Rivera said. Rivera was first elected in 2013 alongside Watterman. He, too, was born and raised in Jersey City. On Monday, Yun said in a statement that he would not attend the reorganization meeting as a sign of protest. He called the reorganization vote a farce, since his colleagues had made their decision before the meeting. There should be expectation, anxiety even, as this process unfolds, Yun said. But heres the thing . like so many things in Jersey City government, its all a sham, a sham of which I want no part. Yun noted a Facebook event" post earlier this week invitating people to party celebrating Wattermans election. Yun said he and the Jersey City residents werent invited to the meeting where the decision to vote for Watterman was made. It's in area under Chinese occupation for 60 years: MEA on China constructing bridge across Pangong lake New guidelines for Int'l travellers: From South Africa to Mauritius, here is a list of at-risk countries 445 Bangladeshi nationals returned from India in last 2 months: BGB chief International oi-PTI Dhaka, Jan 02: Bangladesh's paramilitary force chief said on Thursday that a total of 445 Bangladeshi nationals returned from India in last two months following the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) by the Indian government. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Maj Gen Md Shafeenul Islam disclosed the figure during a press briefing here. "About 1,000 people were arrested in 2019 for illegal border crossings from India to Bangladesh, with 445 of them returning home in November and December," Islam was quoted as saying by bdnews24.com. After verifying their identities through local representatives, BGB came to know that all the intruders are Bangladeshis, he added. Last week, Islam visited India where he said that the creation of the NRC is completely an "internal affair" of India and the cooperation between the border guarding forces of the two countries is very good. He said the BGB will continue to do its work of preventing illegal border crossings as per its mandate. A BGB delegation, led by Islam, was on a bilateral visit to India to hold DG-level border talks with its counterparts, the Border Security Force (BSF). The talks took place from December 26-29, during which a host of issues related to cross-border smuggling and activities of criminals and others along the 4,096-km-long front were discussed. Radicalising is a lucrative job in Kerala: You could earn up to Rs 40 lakh Responding to a question, Islam said, "No discussion was held at the conference over the (NRC) issue". For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 21:50 [IST] The leaders of Cyprus and Israel will meet on Thursday to sign a billion-dollar gas pipeline deal - just days after a high-profile legal case involving accusations of gang-rape against 12 Israeli teens ended with a guilty verdict for their accuser. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and president Nicos Anastasiades were scheduled to meet in Athens on Thursday alongside Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis to sign off on the EastMed pipeline project, worth an estimated $6billion. It comes just three days after a 19-year-old British teenager was found guilty of lying to police in Cyprus after she claimed to have been gang-raped by 12 Israeli teenagers at a hotel in Ayia Napa last July. The woman has insisted she is innocent and was pressured into retracting her claim by police, and the British Foreign Office has said it is 'seriously concerned' about whether she was given a fair trial. Scroll down for video A 19-year-old Briton was found guilty of lying to police in Cyprus about being gang-raped by 12 Israeli tourists on Monday (pictured outside court with her parents) President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades (right) will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Athens on Thursday to sign off on a $6bn gas pipeline deal Some of the Israeli men who were initially accused of rape are seen arriving in court on July 25. The woman's family say police protected them and treated her as a criminal from the start The girl's mother claimed police protected the Israeli suspects from the start of the process, and treated her daughter as the criminal. The British teen, who MailOnline has decided not to identify, is now facing up to a year in jail will be sentenced on January 7. She has already said she will appeal. Part of her appeal will focus on claims she was suffering PTSD when police sat down with her for a seven-hour interview that ended with her retracting her claim. Dr Christine Tizzard, apsychologist who assessed the teenager in Cyprus, said she is experiencing 'extremely frightening' symptoms including 'hyper arousal, emotional numbing, flashbacks, nightmares and hypersomnia'. She told Good Morning Britain today: 'My concerns are basically that as time goes on her condition is deteriorating. It's vitally important that she can access skilled treatment.' An online fundraiser entitled 'Help Teen Victim Get Justice In Cyprus' has raised more than 114,000 towards the family's legal fees so far. Yesterday, the woman's mother told the BBC her daughter is sleeping 18 to 20 hours a day, which is a symptom the condition hypersomnia. She told the Today programme: 'She needs to get back to the UK to get that treated - that's my absolute primary focus. 'She can't be treated here because hearing foreign men speaking loudly will trigger an episode. 'She's also quite withdrawn which is very sad for me to see. And she also experiences hallucinations. Dr Christine Tizzard (pictured on Good Morning Britain today), of West Sussex, has been in contact with the 19-year-old woman who was found guilty of 'public mischief' by a Cyprian court this week Facing one year in prison, Dr Tizzard says the woman is likely to be experiencing 'hyper arousal, emotional numbing, flashbacks, nightmares and hypersomnia' 'It needs resolving otherwise she's going to carry on having this for the rest of her life'. The teenager's mother also demanded Britons boycott the party resort of Ayia Napa, calling it 'unsafe'. 'The place isn't safe - it is absolutely not safe. And if you go and report something that's happened to you, you're either laughed at, as far as I can tell, or, in the worst case, something like what's happened to my daughter may happen,' she said. Asked about whether she thought the resort was safe for Britons, Dr Tizzard said: 'All I can say is that it's about minding yourself. 'I wouldn't want any of my female family members to be out there unaccompanied at the present time.' Probed on whether the teenager originally withdrew some of the rape allegations because she was 'under pressure', Dr Tizzard said: 'Obviously I can't comment on the precise factors of the case. 'But what I can say is that people who are suffering from PTSD are extremely easily overwhelmed. 'When that happens they will do anything to release that psychological pressure.' She added that there more awareness needs to be raised of cases of PTSD among the civilian population outside the Armed Forces. Dr Tizzard said: 'My real concerns are that this PTSD won't resolve unless she comes home 'She would be left with enduring symptoms. She needs to be home where she can be treated as soon as possible.' David Snoxell is Co-ordinator of the Chagos Islands (BIOT) All-Party Parliamentary Group. The Chagos Archipelago was excised in 1965 from Mauritius before independence, and its 1,500 inhabitants deported between 1968-73. For the last five decades the FCO (Foreign & Commonwealth Office) has prevented the Chagossians from returning to their islands in the Indian Ocean, and has denied them the right of abode. It has resisted both political and legal attempts at promoting a resolution of the issues. The Queens Speech announced an integrated security, defence and foreign policy review focussing on the UKs international role, post Brexit. Will this review include policy towards the Chagos Islands and the exiled Chagossians following the ICJ (International Court of Justice) Advisory Opinion last February? It found the UK in unlawful occupation of the Islands, demanded the UK return them as rapidly as possible to Mauritius and also that it cooperate in facilitating the resettlement of Chagossians. In May, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) endorsed the Opinion, and set a deadline for implementation of 22 November 2019. It was ignored by Her Majestys Government. In 20 years of national and international litigation these are the latest challenges to UK sovereignty and Chagossian resettlement. The UK is isolated in the UN on this issue. Now that it is on the UN General Assembly agenda it will continue to dog British diplomacy. Litigation, which began in 1999, continues in the Court of Appeal. The case could again reach the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court (ICC) given that expulsion of a people is akin to a crime against humanity. On 27 December, the BBC quoted the Mauritian PM as saying that he was exploring the possibility of bringing charges of crimes against humanity against individual officials at the ICC. This is not an idle threat. FCO needs to be conscious of the risk it runs by continuing to ignore the will of the ICJ and the international community. Support for Mauritius and the Chagossians was in the Labour Party and Scottish National Party manifestos. During the debate on the Queens Speech on 19 December, Patrick Grady, the SNP Chief Whip, and a Vice Chairman of the Chagos Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group, referred to the Government ignoring rulings of the UN General Assembly and the International Court of Justice on the Chagos Islands. I expect the APPG to be re-established later in January, and to take up where it left off at its last meeting on 17 July 2019. At that meeting the Group issued a statement urging the next government to respect the will of the United Nations, the ICJ Advisory Opinion and the requirements of international law, which from the signature of the UN Charter in 1945 remains the keystone of the UKs foreign policy and commitment to international order based on the rule of law. The UN Secretary General is expected to report early next year to the UNGA on the implementation of its resolution. The Mauritian Prime Minister will be in the UK for the UK/African Investment Summit on 20 January, which will be hosted by the British Prime Minister. This would provide an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss Chagos and set the ball rolling for more detailed talks. Mr Johnson has some experience of Chagos. As Foreign Secretary he had a meeting with the previous Mauritian PM at the UN in September 2016 at which he is reported to have said that he would fix it if Mauritius held off tabling the proposed UNGA resolution. It therefore seems likely that he will want to settle the issues. In the UNGA debate, the UK suggested that Mauritius cannot be relied upon when it comes to the security and operations of the US base, without providing any evidence to support this claim. For several years the Mauritian Government has confirmed, as Prime Minister Jugnauth did on 21 November in a statement to the National Assembly, that it fully recognises the importance of the military base in Diego Garcia and will take no action that will impede its continuing operation. Moreover, Mauritius has made clear to the United States that it stands ready to enter into a long-term arrangement in respect of Diego Garcia. Under the 1966 UK/US agreement BIOT (British Indian Ocean Territory) was made available for the defence purposes of both nations and extended for 20 years in 2016. It comes to an end in 2036, but there is nothing to stop both parties amending that agreement and entering into new arrangements with Mauritius well before then. The Indian Ocean could become an area of competing political and security influence. India and China have an increasing interest, as does Australia. The US and the UK maintain that the defence role of Diego Garcia remains crucial. However, there is to be a scrutiny of the Ministry of Defence and its expenditure. If the UK were to divest itself of Chagos it could reduce in excess of 10m off its annual defence and FCO budgets, and free up for other duties the 40-50 service personnel stationed on Diego. It would be rash to predict what might happen in 2020. What can safely be said is that the current alignment of events makes 2020 a propitious year to bring about an overall settlement of the issues. It would be irrational for any government that believes in the peaceful settlement of disputes, the rule of law, and human rights to find any further excuses not to negotiate a settlement. It must be in the UK national interest to do so, especially now the UK is in search of a new role in the world, following withdrawal from the EU and the uncertainty of our special relationship with the US. To continue to ignore Chagos will have implications for the UKs role and permanent seat on the Security Council, as happened in November 2017 when for the first time the UK judge on the ICJ failed to be re-elected. For a founding member of the UN and ICJ it would be humiliating to lose our seat on the Security Council and relegate the UK to a minor part on the international stage. The government must bring an end to this humanitarian tragedy, which continues to undermine our reputation for upholding the rule of law and human rights. We cannot preach to other governments what we are unwilling to do ourselves. And we cannot afford further litigation and international isolation. By PTI NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday described the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as "mostly political" and asserted that no Indian will lose his or her nationality due to the newly enacted legislation. Shah also challenged Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to show one clause in the CAA under which anyone is going to lose Indian citizenship. "I agree that these are mostly political protests. Some people are also misguided but we are trying to convince them," he told ABP News. The Home Minister said under the CAA, the government wants to give citizenship to persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. "I want to say clearly that there is no provision in the CAA in which one can lose citizenship," he said. Shah said the CAA provides for granting citizenship to refugees from the three countries. "I say with full firmness that these refugee brothers who have come to India belong to us and it is the responsibility of the government of India to give them a respectable place in India," he said. ALSO READ | 'Politicisation of peaceful protest': CAA stir at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh goes faceless after participants withdraw According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but be given Indian citizenship. The Home Minister said the Census 2021 and the National Population Register (NPR), which government plans to conduct along with the house-listing phase of the census from April to September 2020, have nothing to do with the National Register of Citizens (NRC). "Census and NPR take place in the country every 10 years and this time also it is happening after 10 years. Congress has done this repeatedly but today, the Congress is opposing it," he said. ALSO READ | Protest against Pakistan's atrocities on minorities: Modi to anti-CAA protesters in Karnataka Replying to a separate question about the Bihar assembly elections likely to be held later this year, Shah said the NDA will contest the polls under the leadership of JD-U president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. "In Bihar, we will contest elections under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, there is no confusion on this," he said. Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has denied his family helped plan his audacious escape from Japan, as arrests were made in connection to the case and Interpol issued a red notice for Ghosn. Ghosn said in a brief statement sent to media on Thursday: There has been speculation in the media that my wife Carole, and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan. All such speculation is inaccurate and false. I alone arranged for my departure, Ghosn said according to Reuters. My family had no role whatsoever. Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn escaped to Lebanon from Japan on New Year's Eve. Photo: Hironaka Law Office via Getty Images The statement came just hours after arrests were made in Turkey in connection with Ghosns escape from Japan on New Years Eve. Turkish media agency Anadolu said police arrested seven people in connection with Ghosns clandestine journey from Japan to Lebanon. Four pilots, two staff at a private security company, and an operations director at a courier company were arrested, according to Anadolu. Ghosn, the millionaire former chairman of the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi car alliance, skipped bail in Japan earlier this week. The car executive has been on bail under house arrest in Tokyo since April 2019, following his arrest in November 2018 on charges including misuse of company funds. Early reports suggested Ghosn escaped from under the noses of the Japanese police by smuggling himself out of his house in a musical instrument case. However, Ghosn's wife denied this account, according to the Guardian. After escaping house arrest, Ghosn somehow managed to fly to Lebanon via Turkey. READ MORE: Ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn escaped Japan 'in instrument case' Interpol on Thursday issued a wanted notice for Nissans ex-chairman Ghosn on Thursday, the Lebanese justice minister said. Lebanon and Japan do not have an extradition treaty and Interpol cannot force any member statess police forces to obey red notices, but the red notice could make it difficult for Ghosn to travel internationally. Ghosns escape, which has been compared to the plot of a thriller film, has shocked Japan. Ghosns Japanese lawyer told journalists he was unaware of his clients movements shortly after the operation. He called Ghosns flight unforgivable. Japanese police were pictured raiding Ghosns Tokyo home on Thursday looking for clues. Story continues Japanese prosecutors carry bags as they leave the residence of former auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn on 2 January 2020, after Ghosn fled Japan to avoid a trial. Photo: STR/Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images Questions remain about potential Lebanese state involvement. Ghosn, who holds a Lebanese passport, reportedly met with the nations president when he arrived in Beirut on Tuesday, according to local TV, and pictures showed Lebanese security forces outside his house. How Ghosn passed through international airports in Japan and Turkey is also unclear. The 65-year-old holds Brazilian, French, and Lebanese passports but was forced to hand them to the state upon his arrest. Japanese media reported that Ghosn had two French passports and was allowed to keep one in a locked case, with his lawyer holding the key. Ghosn said he had escaped injustice and political persecution after reaching Lebanon. He claims he is a victim of a conspiracy at Nissan and has consistently denied the charges against him. The car mogul is expected to give a full press conference to international press next Wednesday, according to the Guardian. New Delhi [India], Jan 2 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that they that the dates of India-Japan summit between the two countries will be finalised very soon. "We are in touch with the Japanese side through diplomatic channels and hope we very soon come to the finalisation of the dates. It is an annual mechanism," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in his weekly briefing. "The summit which was supposed to be held in December is the one which getting postponed but all these matters will be under discussion with the Japanese side," Kumar added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe were set to meet in Guwahati between December 15 to 17. But the venue, along with the dates for the summit, was postponed after violent protests erupted in North-East in the wake of the controversial Citizenship Act. During the eighth round of bilateral consultations in Tokyo on December 23, India and Japan exchanged views on the issues of disarmament, non-proliferation and export control. In the meeting, both sides also agreed to hold the next round of Dialogue on a mutually convenient date in India, the MEA had said in a statement. (ANI) ICRC Facilitates Release of 23 Persons In South Sudan "Among the persons handed over to the ICRC figures the 4-year old child of a late IOM-volunteer who died during fighting end of October. The child will be reunited with his father." ICRC Facilitates Release of 23 Persons In South Sudan News Release: 02-01-2020 SOUTH SUDAN: ICRC FACILITATES THE RELEASE OF 23 PERSONS INCLUDING 11 CHILDREN Juba (ICRC) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has facilitated the release and transport to Juba of 23 persons including 11 children previously held in Central Equatoria, in relation to the conflict in South Sudan. On December 29, the ICRC received a request from the National Salvation Front (NAS) an armed group active in the Equatorias to facilitate the release of 23 persons. The operation took place on December 31st in coordination with all relevant authorities, allowing families to be reunited with their loved ones at a time of celebration. Before bringing them to Juba, the ICRC acting as neutral intermediary - ensured that the released persons were handed over voluntarily and that their health condition allowed them to travel safely, said James Reynolds, ICRC Head of Delegation in South Sudan. The ICRC facilitated medical attention as well as accommodation upon arrival in Juba. The organization also offered transport arrangements by land and air for the released persons. Among the persons handed over to the ICRC figures the 4-year old child of a late IOM-volunteer who died during fighting end of October. The child will be reunited with his father. This is the fourth time the ICRC facilitates a release of persons held in captivity since the signing of the peace agreement in September 2018. The ICRC is mentioned as a neutral facilitator for the release of detainees in the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians, and Humanitarian Access that was signed between the parties to the conflict in December 2017 as well as a supervisor for the release of detainees in chapter II of the R-ARCSS. Delhi: One firefighter dies battling Peeragarhi blaze; all trapped persons rescued India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 02: One fire-fighter died on Thursday and 14 were injured, including 13 firefighters, during the rescue operation after a battery factory collapsed in northwest Delhi's Peeragarhi following an explosion due to a fire that broke out early in the morning, officials said. The fire department said they received a call around 4.23 am about a fire in the factory at Udoh Nagar area after which seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot, the official said. Later on, due to a blast, the building collapsed and people are trapped inside, including fire personnel, a senior fire official said. Total 35 fire tenders are working and the rescue operations are underway, he said. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed concern and said that he is monitoring the situation. "V sad to hear this. Am closely monitoring the situation. Fire personnel trying their best. Praying for the safety of those trapped," he tweeted. In the month of December itself, the national capital has witnessed some massive fire breakouts. The incident at Anaj Mandi was worse among them all. At the Anaj Mandi incident, 43 people were killed and 15 were rescued on December 8 after a fire broke out at a house in Anaj Mandi located on the Rani Jhansi Road during the early hours. The fire was reported at 5:22 AM following which 30 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. PM Narendra Modi described the incident as "extremely horrific". Almost all the deceased were migrant labourers hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Again on December 24, three fire personnel were injured after a fire broke out in a shoe factory in North Delhi's Narela area. Hyderabad, Jan 2 : A Centre for Research in Applied Artificial Intelligence (CRiAA), a R&D Park, a Centre of Excellence and other facilities in Artificial Intelligence will come up in Hyderabad as the Telangana government on Thursday signed eight memoranda of understanding with various companies and institutions. The state signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Intel, International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Hyderabad and Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) for the CRiAA, which will focus on diagnostics, proactive public health, health services optimisation, evidence based social strategy and policy, treatment protocols discovery and smart mobility, advanced safety, autonomous navigation, traffic management and smart cities and other areas. It was one of the MoUs inked at an event organised here to declare 2020 as the year of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Under another MoU, the NVIDIA will partner with the state government to setup a High Performance AI Computing (HPAIC) Centre. They will also assist in startup incubation, and host AI training sessions to support women and minority groups, officials said. The state in association with IIT Kharagpur, has decided to launch a R&D Park and an AI-CoE, with applications in advanced manufacturing, life-sciences and aerospace and defence. An MoU was signed with the Applied Cluster of AI, Norway, to design student and faculty exchange programme with the premier universities of Norway, and soft landing programmes for Hyderabad startups to get access to Scandinavian markets. Another MoU with signed with Wadhwani AI under which it will deploy AI solutions for the benefit of expecting mothers and newborn babies. WAI solution will also be used for agriculture. It will also advise Telangana on using AI to solve complex social development challenges Adobe Systems will help the state in capacity building. It will work to enhance digital literacy and foster creativity skills of youth Information Technology Minister K. T. Rama Rao said the state's primary goals were to attract and enable over 200 AI innovators and start-ups to build their base in Hyderabad, educate and attract top AI talent from across the globe to work on critical areas as determined by the industry and government. "Another goal is to enable government and key industry verticals to leverage AI and deliver public transformation contributing an additional 1 per cent to Telangana GDP," he said. Rama Rao said Telangana would ensure that AI serve humanity and the common good while enforcing fundamental rights such as privacy, equality, fairness and democracy. - As a way of looking out for fans, Real Madrid have installed screens in urinals at the Bernabeu - This is an attempt to ensure fans do not miss in on the action while taking bathroom breaks - Real are currently tussling for the La Liga title with arch rivals Barcelona and are level on points with the Blaugrana Real Madrid have taken a giant step towards bringing a comfort to their fans by installing multiple TV screen on urinals so fans dont miss any action while taking pee inside the rest rooms. The Spanish giants took the huge step as part of the the plans to bring some fresh touches and breaths to the legendary Santiago Bernabeu which has 81,044 capacity. READ ALSO: Miamba wa Bundesliga Bayern Munich, watumia mashabiki wao Wakenya ujumbe wa Mwaka Mpya According to UK Sun report, Real have marked out the stadium for renovation towards the end of new season with reports from Spain claiming they are ready to splash a staggering 500million for the makeover. READ ALSO: Video Assistant Referee: International FA chief claims Premier League officials using technology incorrectly The Spanish giants are reportedly considering replacing the famous stadium's roofs, and are also planning to a 360-degree screen inside the venue, with renovation work said to have begun in 2018. Real Madrid, notably, are not the first team to build screen in their urinals for their home fans as La Liga rivals also install a system like that at their Estadio Municipal de Butarque. With the new innovation, the La Liga giants will help their fans keep track of home matches in the urinals without missing any moment of actions inside the pitch. Fans will enjoy watching live games from the bathroom at the Bernabeu. Photo: Getty Images Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace star, donates 10 percent of wages to charity Meanwhile, Real Madrid have reportedly met the representatives of Liverpool striker Sadio Mane over a possible January transfer move to the Bernabeu. The Senegal international has become one of the best strikers in the world at Liverpool helping the club to win the Champions League title last season. Sadio Mane was also in impressive form last season in the Premier League ending as one of the three golden boot winners which included Mohamed Salah and Pierre Aubameyang. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Tuko news. Kenya's youngest Reverend- Victor Githu | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV: Source: Sports Brief News The man who ate half your lunch is worried youve been taking food for granted. Photo: Drew Angerer/Bloomberg via Getty Images John Roberts spent the past decade gutting the Voting Rights Act of 1965, green-lighting unlimited corporate spending in American elections, immunizing extreme partisan gerrymandering from constitutional challenge, insulating prosecutors who withhold exculpatory evidence from legal accountability, restricting the capacity of consumers and workers to sue corporations that abuse them, and legalizing most forms of political bribery. But dont let that impeccable record of abetting voter suppression and plutocracy get you fooled the chief justice was only trying to teach us all a valuable lesson about not taking things for granted. Or so one might conclude from Robertss year-end Report on the Federal Judiciary. In this years missive, the Supreme Court justice treated the public to a lecture on the evils of fake news, and the vital importance of civic education to the maintenance of democracy. Roberts opened his sermon with the story of the Doctors Riot of 1788 an outbreak of mob violence that was triggered by baseless reported accounts that medical students were robbing graves so they could practice surgery on cadavers. One of our Constitutions framers, John Jay, was injured in the process of trying to quell the fury of the corpse-avengers. Roberts uses this bit of trivia to set up the following rueful reflection: In the fall of 1787, Alexander Hamilton enlisted James Madison and John Jay to join him in producing what became Americas greatest civics lesson the Federalist Papers. The three authors collectively wrote 85 brilliant essays for publication in New York newspapers over the next year, successfully advocating for ratification of the United States Constitution. Originally addressed To the People of the State of New York, generations worldwide have hailed their works as an enduring exposition on the core principles of our constitutional democracy. It is sadly ironic that John Jays efforts to educate his fellow citizens about the Framers plan of government fell victim to a rock thrown by a rioter motivated by a rumor. Happily, Hamilton, Madison, and Jay ultimately succeeded in convincing the public of the virtues of the principles embodied in the Constitution. Those principles leave no place for mob violence. But in the ensuing years, we have come to take democracy for granted, and civic education has fallen by the wayside. In our age, when social media can instantly spread rumor and false information on a grand scale, the publics need to understand our government, and the protections it provides, is ever more vital. Many political reporters read this as a tacit critique of the rumormonger-in-chief one with special significance on the eve of an impeachment trial over which Roberts will preside. This interpretation is bolstered by the justices previous rebukes of the presidents attacks on judicial independence. Although, the justices ideological fellow-travelers should have little trouble interpreting his remarks as a reprimand of the liberal mobs that came for the children of Covington Catholic, or myriad other conservative innocents. But whatever the intended target of Robertss fretting about fake news, his remarks are quite telling in a separate sense. At first brush, the justices warning about the fragility of our democracy appears to be in (brazen) tension with his habit of taking a sledgehammer to voter protections and constraints on corporate domination of American politics. But the two look less contradictory upon closer inspection. In Robertss framing, the threat to democracy issues not from the avarice of would-be oligarchs, but from the ignorance of ordinary people. Civic-minded elites like Hamilton, Madison, and Jay are democracys champions the irascible mob of common folk, its adversaries. Self-government was not won when ordinary people rose up against the domination of privileged classes, but rather, when enlightened elites succeeded in convincing the public of the virtues of the principles embodied in the Constitution. Thus, Robertss call for revitalizing our democracy does not involve expanding voting rights to marginalized populations (let alone reducing disparities in economic power), but rather, increasing opportunities for citizens to receive civic lessons from judges like himself. Civic education is certainly important. And the capacity of irresponsible political media to manipulate the lay public is a genuine and enduring challenge to popular self-government. But so is elite contempt for the civic competence of the masses, and the oligarchic tyranny that such contempt rationalizes and engenders. This is true in our era, when the Senate majority leader argues that voting is a privilege, and Republican state legislatures exploit the Roberts courts evisceration of the VRA to insulate their regressive agenda from majoritarian rebuke. And it was true at the moment of our nations founding. In convincing the public of the Constitutions virtues, the Federalists didnt merely need to overcome the masses susceptibility to rumor, but also, their aspirations for a more democratic society than Alexander Hamilton & Co. wished to abide. As the historian Terry Bouton writes in Taming Democracy: The People, the Founders, and the Troubled Ending of the American Revolution, the Federalists Constitution was, among other things, an attempt to roll back popular democracy in the states. In 1776, Pennsylvania had enacted a state constitution that eliminated property requirements for voting or holding office; enfranchised free African-Americans; equalized political power by linking representation in the assembly to a countys population, rather than allowing the older counties in the east to wield power well beyond their numbers; enshrined Pennsylvanians inalienable right to overthrow any government that ceased to work for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people; and aimed to minimize checks on the will of the voting public. Bouton emphasizes the importance of that last provision: Modern Americans are accustomed to thinking about the height of democratic government as a divided legislature (House and Senate) and a powerful executive (president) armed with the veto. Pennsylvanias revolutionaries thought otherwise. They viewed such a government as checking democracy rather than promoting it The solution they developed was to put most of the power in a new state assembly with an unchecked unicameral house. The idea, as Thomas Paine wrote, was common sense. If the lower house in the legislature was the voice of the people, then any check on the house-such as a senate or a governor ernor with a veto-was a check on the will of the people by the rich and well-born. Guided by this belief, the framers of the 1776 constitution refused to institute a senate. They also intentionally created the state executive without veto power. In fact, this new executive, called the President of Pennsylvania could do little more than advise the legislature and enforce laws. As observers at the time commented, this was the most democratic government in the new nation; according to Benjamin Franklin, that meant it was also the safest and best. The principles embodied in the Constitution of Madison, Jay, and Hamilton were quite different and emphatically less democratic. As the Federalist Edmund Randolph said in a speech before the Constitutional Convention, Our chief danger arises from the democratic parts of our constitutions None of the constitutions have provided sufficient checks against the democracy. Hamilton, meanwhile, opposed a unicameral legislature on the very same grounds that Thomas Paine had demanded one, arguing before the convention that the federal assembly should be checked by a permanent body of rich and well born individuals: All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and well born, the other the mass of the people. The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God; and however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true in fact. The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right. Give therefore to the first class a distinct, permanent share in the government Nothing but a permanent body can check the imprudence of democracy. Hamilton settled for the Senate. Meanwhile, the Framers worked to structure House districts in as undemocratic a manner as possible. Bouton again: [T]he framers believed that they could check the voice of the people in the most democratic branch of the federal government the House of Representatives by making it hard for ordinary folk to get elected to office. According to James Wilson, large election districts would ensure the selection of men of intelligence & uprightness (by which he meant members of the gentry). James Madison said that large election districts would provide a better defence agst. the inconveniences of democracy. Madison explained that large districts would divide the community and make it difficult for ordinary citizens to unite in the pursuit of a common interest like paper money and other policies by which Debtors have defrauded their creditors. As Bouton goes on to show, these arrangements worked largely as designed. The Constitution provided enough checks against democracy to allow Americas elite class of creditors to milk their debtors dry, and pursue a deflationary monetary policy so ruinous for the common people, by nearly every measure, the postwar scarcity [of money] was even more severe than the one that had [helped generate] the Revolution. A little over two centuries later, unrepresentative House districts, an undemocratic Senate and that other check against the democracy, the Electoral College allowed John Robertss political party to enact sweeping tax cuts for the wealthy amid historic levels of economic inequality and overwhelming public opposition. Thus, Roberts is no hypocrite to cast himself and his fellow judges as the guardians of the Founders system of government. Like his forebears, the chief justice merely subscribes to a peculiar conception of constitutional democracy, one that is less concerned with empowering the demos, than domesticating it. The patriots who wrote Pennsylvanias 1776 Constitution believed that the outsize political influence of the wealthy was such a dire threat to popular sovereignty, they nearly included a provision empowering the state to confiscate property when it became excessive in individuals. The conservative majority on John Robertss court, by contrast, holds that the true threat to democratic freedom are laws that restrict the liberty of the superrich to influence electoral outcomes through paid advertising. Lets hope that with enough civic education the American people will recognize which of these two most resembles a superstitious mob at war with democracy. Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Three people died of electrocution while two others were injured in Jaipur on January 1, police said. The incident took place while the youths were returning home in a truck in which a DG box and a mike were installed during the night. The wire of the mike got entangled with the mesh of overhanging wires of 11,000 volts. The three men died on the spot while two others injured are said to be in critical condition. The investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI) Parts of Australia are enduring third-world conditions as resources run dry and thousands flee or bunker down in preparation for Saturday's catastrophic conditions. Evacuation orders have been issued for large parts of south-east New South Wales and north east Victoria, in what has become the largest ever emergency movement of people the country has ever faced. But as residents and holiday-makers choose 'fight or flight' resources are dwindling. Supermarket shelves lay bare, and queues grow to get petrol or leave via the two roads out. Scroll down for video Pictured: Hundreds camp out at the evaucation centre at Narooma on the New South Wales far south coast amid the bushfire crisis facing the region A 250 kilometre evacuation zone from Batemans Bay to the Victorian border caused commuter chaos along the only two escape routes out of the line of fire. Another evacuation zone in the Snowy Mountains covering the Kosciuszko National Park revealed a similar story. Some visitors reporting sitting in gridlock for 10 hours, with queues stretching for 25km along both the Princes Highway north of Ulladulla and 30 kilometres on the Monaro highway north of Cooma to Canberra. Holidaymakers reported queuing for four hours at the petrol station in Bermagui while others carried jerry-cans across the Batemans Bay bridge to fill up by hand and avoid the traffic, according to 7news. An emotional Bega Valley Mayor Kristy McBain has been handling the community response across large parts of the region. The community has now become used to the phrase 'our resources are stretched' as they brace for what's to come this Saturday. Pictured: supermarkets across the south east have been overrun by panicked people, causing lines around the block, limits on purchases and early closing times Pictured: supermarkets across the south east have been overrun by panicked people, causing lines around the block, limits on purchases and early closing times Councillor McBain told a packed-out evacuation centre in Bermagui they would not be safe if they stayed in town for the weekend. 'We cannot guarantee your safety,' the visibly emotional leader said. As one resident left the meeting he described 'feeling like a refugee in his own country' on 7news. Meanwhile supermarkets across the south east have been overrun by panicked people, causing lines around the block, limits on purchases and early closing times. The supermarket at Milton was restricting customers to six items at a time as holiday-makers fled via the Princes Highway on Wednesday. While the supermarket at Bermagui closed at midday on Thursday after running out of groceries. Pictured: A 250 kilometre evacuation zone from Batemans Bay to the Victorian border caused commuter chaos along the only two escape routes out of the line of fire For those who have chosen to remain in the few towns deemed safe it will be a long tough weekend ahead. Officials have warned residents they will be unable to control the fires amid a seven day state of emergency across New South Wales. 'We have no capacity to contain these fires the fires are going to do what they are going to do, and people have to get out of that area,' NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said. A woman who visited and fed a dog that was chained to a tree for a year has shared her joy at finally being able to adopt her after the owner was forced to give her up. Laura Seymour, from Virginia, went to see the friendly akita three times a week and topped up her bowl with nourishment. She called animal control several times but was told the dog wasn't considered to be being maltreated provided it had a dog house, adequate food and water. Knowing the owner wasn't caring for her properly, Laura spent a year visiting the pooch, which she named Takia, and regularly took videos of the happy hound greeting her with licks and a wagging tail. Laura Seymour, from Virginia, went to see the friendly akita, whom she named Takia, pictured together, three times a week and topped up her bowl with nourishment After enduring a snowy winter, Laura became concerned for Takia's welfare in the summer, fearing she'd overheat in the hot sun. Having taken her mother to visit the pooch, she was compelled to called animal control a final time, and they phoned her back a day later to explain the owner had been asked to surrender the dog. Laura jumped at the chance to take on the pooch, and she's now thoroughly enjoying her new home. Speaking to The Dodo Soulmates, Laura explained Takia is like a 'new dog' and she feels very lucky to have adopted her. After enduring a snowy winter, Laura became concerned for Takia's welfare in the summer, fearing she'd overheat in the hot sun Laura called animal control several times but was told the dog wasn't considered to be being maltreated provided it had a dog house, adequate food and water. Pictured: Laura took several videos of her visits which she shared to Facebook 'As soon as I found out she was five I was like, that's awesome, yay, I got so much time with her, but then again, I can't believe she went through sleeping outside 24-7 and in the mud,' she said. 'It rained, it snowed, and she was just sleeping outside in the mud.' She added: 'There's just something about her, I got super lucky, I really did.' Laura admitted she was initially cautious about approaching Takia as she was a 'big dog'. 'I'm like, "I don't know if I'm gonna go over and it's gonna be OK",' she explained. 'I actually just walked straight up to her and she was the happiest dog I've ever seen, she was wagging her tail.' Laura admitted she was initially cautious about approaching Takia as she was a 'big dog' - but she turned out to be the 'happiest' hound ever Laura admitted to being 'pretty mad' when animal control visited and deemed the hound to be sufficiently looked after, and told them she'd continue to feed her because the owner wasn't After their initial encounter, Laura told how Takia began to recognise her car and get visibly excited every time she arrived. She didn't think anyone lived at the house where the dog was chained up to the tree, and became increasingly attached as she fed her and gave her water. 'I'm like, "Oh my gosh I have to take this dog",' she told Dodo Soulmates. 'I'm gonna have to steal it, I'm gonna have to do something for it. I was like, "No I'll go to jail for this dog".' She admitted to being 'pretty mad' when animal control visited and deemed the hound to be sufficiently looked after, and told them she'd continue to feed her because the owner clearly wasn't. Laura jumped at the chance to take on the dog, and she's now thoroughly enjoying her new home Since being widely shared on social media, Laura has received an outpouring of support from dog lovers across the world, with many praising her kind actions A year later, worried Takia would be 'dying' in the heat, Laura's mother urged her to try animal control one more time. That was when she agreed to take her on - and revealed Takia is now 'so grateful' she gets to sleep in a bed at night. 'It's like, 100 per cent she is so appreciative of everything,' Laura said. Since her video was widely shared on social media last week, Laura has received an outpouring of support from dog lovers across the world, with many praising her kind actions. One person who commented on the Dodo video, which has notched up over 10 million views, claimed to be neighbours with the original owner. 'I am so glad she got her!' she wrote. 'I live next door and we also fed her and called animal control and they would tell us the same thing about the house. My husband would bring her food and water and my sister-in-law across the street would too. 'So animal control must have thought the owner was but they never did. They just yelled at her. I'm so happy she has a good home!' UP assembly polls will be about '80 per cent vs 20 per cent'; BJP will win: Yogi Adityanath UP: Elections not won on exit polls basis, results will be surprising: Kamal Nath Citizenship act protests: UP court grants bail to activist couple, 56 others India oi-PTI Lucknow, Jan 02: Activists Ekta and Ravi Shekhar returned home to their 14-month-old baby here on Thursday, a day after an Uttar Pradesh court gave bail to them and 56 others arrested for protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC nearly two weeks ago. The Shekhars, who run the environment NGO Climate Agenda and made national headlines with many voicing concern about their toddler daughter being left alone, were among the 59 people taken into custody during the protests on December 19. On Wednesday, the court of the additional sessions judge, Varanasi, granted bail to Ekta (32) and Ravi (36), residents of Mehmoorganj, and 56 others, ending their ordeal. Activist parents jailed for CAA protest in Varanasi, 14-month-old baby alone at home The bail application of the couple -- nabbed along with other protesters from Left groups from Beniyabagh and nearby localities for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CRPC -- was initially cancelled by a lower court and the next hearing fixed for January 1. In their absence, their baby was being taken care of by her grandmother Sheila Tiwari, uncle Shashikant and her aunts. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 13:34 [IST] The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said it has no information that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation was organising any India-focussed meeting and dubbed reports that such a conference was likely to be held on Kashmir as "entirely speculative". The assertion came after media reports claimed that Saudi Arabia has conveyed to Pakistan through its Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan that it was planning to convene a meeting on the Kashmir issue. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday had said that Islamabad wanted an early meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) be convened to discuss the human rights situation in Kashmir. Read: Boundary With Nepal Not Revised: MEA Clarifies Kalapani Border Issue 'The reports are entirely speculative' Dismissing the media reports on any likely OIC meeting on Kashmir, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "The reports are entirely speculative. I think they are basically coming out from Pakistan that the meeting is being organised. At this stage, we are not aware of any such meeting of OIC on any India-related matter." "If you see Pakistan's statement, it has said that it is envisaged. They are using words like envisaged, planned etc. I don't think there has been any statement by Pakistan that this is happening," Kumar said at a briefing. He said that a council of foreign ministers meeting of OIC takes place every year and that will take place this year as well. "Let us see, I am right in saying that we have no information so far regarding any India-focussed meeting which is being organised by OIC," Kumar said. Asked about Malaysia raising various issues on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and its actions in OIC, he said India has made its stance very clear to that country. He also pointed to India's statement recently in which it had termed as "factually incorrect" remarks reportedly made by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's that India is taking action to deprive some Muslims of their citizenship. Read: MEA Says Indo-Japan Summit Dates To Be Finalised 'very Soon' 'Process of extradition of Mehul Choksi' The MEA had also said Malaysia should refrain from commenting on the internal developments of India, especially without a right understanding of the facts. The OIC is a 57-member grouping of Muslim majority nations, including Pakistan. The OIC has usually been supportive of Pakistan and often sided with Islamabad on the Kashmir issue. Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5 and bifurcating it into two Union territories. Responding to a question on India's efforts to extradite fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, Kumar said the matter is under litigation and it is being heard at Westminster Magistrates' court in London. On the extradition requests against Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who is in Antigua and Barbuda, he said," We are committed, we are putting all our resources on the ground to ensure early extradition of Nirav Modi to India...We have requested the Antigua and Barbuda government if they can expedite the legal proceedings so that the process of extradition of Mehul Choksi to India can start." Former Dongyang University professor Chin Joong-kwon, left, and the head of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation Rhyu Si-min / Yonhap By Kim Jae-heun Criticism is rising over former Justice Minister Cho Kuk's alleged helping of his son in the online school exams of a U.S. university. The row has intensified after Rhyu Si-min, head of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation and a liberal pundit, defended Cho by saying it was pathetic for the prosecution to indict Cho for "just letting the son know what he didn't know" in the "open-book test." When indicting Cho on multiple corruption charges last week, the prosecution said Cho, a Seoul National University professor, and his wife Chung Kyung-sim, a Dongyang University professor, interfered with the school affairs of George Washington University which their son attended. In 2016, the son allegedly sent the questions from the online tests for a course called "Global Perspective on Democracy" to his parents via an online messenger app in November and December so they could solve them for him and send the answers back, resulting in the son receiving an A grade for the course. Cho remained silent on the suspicion. Instead, Rhyu said on his YouTube channel, Alileo, Tuesday, that the exams were "open-book tests" so Cho's son could refer to any materials he wanted. "I don't know if they actually helped him with the open-book test or not, but the prosecution's indicting Cho for the suspicion is a strange," Rhyu said. Some internet users agreed with Rhyu. "All mothers in Korea who help their children's academic and non-academic activities for college admission will now face indictment," one wrote on portal site Daum. However, many said Cho's help was inappropriate. Chin Joong-kwon, a liberal commentator and former professor at Dongyang University, refuted Rhyu's logic. "I used to give open-book tests as well, but no parents came to class to take the exam for their children. Exams are given to the students to test how hard they studied; it is not to test if they have smart parents," Chin said on a debate show on JTBC on Wednesday. "If we allow students' parents to take exams on behalf of their children in an open-book test, those who did not study but have smart parents will get better grades than those who studied hard but don't have smart parents. This goes against the current government's motto promising 'equal chances, fair procedures and just results.'" A blogger also wrote, "Although it was an open-book test, the professor and the school wouldn't have expected three people would cooperate to solve the questions. Can I bring my parents to school on an open-book test day?" A Saudi Arabia flag flies in front of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 13, 2018. (Yasin Akgul/AFP via Getty Images) Saudi Arabia Issues De Facto Ban On Child Marriage Saudi Arabia last month issued a de facto ban on child marriages throughout the kingdom. Dr. Walid bin Mohammed al Samaani, justice minister and president of the Supreme Judicial Council, issued an order to the courts in December 2019 that any marriage application for an individual under the age of 18 must be referred to a special court to ensure their safety and determine whether or not it is in their best interest, according to The National. The move is in accordance with the Child Protection Law, which stipulates that before the conclusion of the marriage contract, it is necessary to ensure that a person marrying under the age of 18 will not be harmed, whether male or female. It states that individuals who conclude marriage contracts that violate the rules will also be held accountable and will be referred to the ministry for necessary legal action. Saudi Arabia has undergone a string of social reform initiatives aimed to modernize the kingdom and improve the rights of women and children since Mohammad Bin Salman became crown prince two years ago. In 2019, King Salman oversaw the passage of new laws allowing women over the age of 21 to apply for a passport and leave the country without the permission of male guardians. The amendments also eased long-standing social restrictions on women, granting them the right to register the birth of a child, a marriage, or a divorce, and to be eligible as a guardian to children who are minors. In the same year, Saudi Arabia appointed its first female ambassador, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, to serve as its top diplomat in the United States, replacing Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, a son of King Salman and a former fighter pilot. In 2018, the Gulf nation allowed women to drive cars, and rules were altered meaning women no longer need permission from a male guardian to study at university, undergo surgery, or get a job. In October 2019, the kingdom allowed for women to join the armed forces and hold a number of titles including first soldier, corporal, deputy sergeant, and sergeant in the Saudi Royal Land Forces, Royal Air Forces, Royal Navy, Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, and Medical Services for Armed Forces. As part of his ambitious reform agenda, the crown prince led an anti-corruption committee in 2017, arresting 11 princes and 38 other top figures in the kingdom, including ministers, military officers, and influential businessmen, in a crackdown on corruption. More than 500 individuals, who had reportedly been living above the law, were eventually rounded up in a bid to tackle corruption, and to take back embezzled funds, the government said. The Dec. 23, 2019, order comes after an amendment to the kingdoms Child Protection Law was passed by the Shoura Council in January 2018, seeking to ban child marriages under the age of 15 entirely. The ban, which was nearly a decade in the making, was praised by several members of the Shoura Council, including Latifa Al-Shaalan, who on Twitter in January 2019 called it a good step forward that was not easy to reach. You cannot expect a girl of 10 or 12 to understand what marital relations are or for her body to correctly carry a baby. There are a lot of health issues involved, Shoura Council member Dr. Hoda Al-Helaissi remarked after the passage of the law in December 2019. Childrens rights groups have long campaigned to end the generations-old custom of child marriage, which continues to be practiced across the globe from the Middle East to Latin America, South Asia to Europe. According to Girls Not Brides, 12 million girls marry before the age of 18 every year due to factors including gender inequality, poverty, and tradition. A separate report by the United Nations suggests that a billion underage girls will marry by 2030. In the United States, most states allow only individuals over the age of 18 to marry. However, some states make exceptions if minors have parental consent, the approval of a judge, or if they are recognized as adults, for example, if they are emancipated from their parents. The Conversation reported that as of December 2017, minors of any age could legally marry in 25 states if they met their states exceptions. The directions to the consortium of 15 banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) to dispose off Mallya's economic assets like financial securities and shares in his companies, which have been under attachment since 2016, came on Tuesday . Mumbai : Exactly a year after he was declared India's first fugitive economic offender, a Special Court here has given the green signal to banks to dispose off the economic assets of absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya to recover their dues, official sources said here on Wednesday. The lenders' consortium has to recover over Rs 6,000 crore plus interest from Mallya, currently in the United Kingdom, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed the Special Court last year that it had no objections to the same. The Special Court has, however, stayed its order till January 18 to enable all the parties concerned to file their appeals before the Bombay High Court, the sources said. Among the assets are Mallya's shares in the United Breweries Holdings Ltd, the value of which is not clear, but which were attached after he was declared a proclaimed offender. Later in Januaty 2019, Mallya earned the dubious distinction of being declared the country's first "fugitive economic offender" under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018. The 15-bank consortium had earlier filed an application in the Special Court seeking release of his assets which could be disposed off to recover a part of the loans extended to him. Mallya, 65, a former one-term Rajya Sabha Member, who had launched the high-profile Kingfisher Airlines, slipped out of the country in March 2016. He is facing cases of money-laundering filed by the ED, which has already attached his movable and fixed assets worth around Rs 10,000 crore so far. While some of his fixed assets have been sold, others are pending disposal. The UK police have once arrested Mallya in April 2017, and in December 2018, a UK court ordered his extradition to India which he has contested. The matter is pending. The Turkish Parliament approved the mandate to send troops to Libya on Thursday in favor of the conflicted country's U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) upon a formal request for military support from Turkey, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) held an emergency meeting to discuss the Libya mandate foreseeing the sending of Turkish troops to the country. The assembly headed by Parliament Speaker Mustafa Shentop had only one item on the agenda, while political parties had 20 minutes each to speak following the reading of the mandate. At the end of the session, the mandate was approved by receiving a majority of the votes. A total of 509 parliamentarians participated in the voting, 325 of whom voted for the resolution while 184 voted against. I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied. This statement came from the former CEO of the RenaultNissanMitsubishi Alliance Carlos Ghosn himself, who left Japan while facing charges of financial misconduct in the country. His trial has already been set on the second or third quarter of this year. Despite his escape to Lebanon, Nissans head honcho is quick to deny that he is trying to evade the law. I have not fled justice I have escaped injustice and political persecution, said Ghosn, who expressed his need to communicate freely with the media starting next week. How Did He Escape? Whatever Ghosns intentions were, its still unclear how he was able to elude the authorities despite being kept under strict surveillance. What is clear, however, is that he used a private jet to charter himself to Istanbul. And he did all of this without the use of his passports. There were also no traces of him on the immigration records when he leftonly some witnesses that saw someone who looked like him walking around the Beirut international airport using a completely different name. Whatever the case, his escape has caused serious reactions not just in Japan, but also in his native country, France. Even government officials, such as the countrys Secretary of State for Economy and Finance, said he wasnt above the law. Isnt He? Or is He? Still, the fact that he was able to break his bail in Japan and escape to Lebanon shows he is above the law. Nor his plan to go to Lebanon looks in any way contrived on the very last second. Lebanon is one of the few countries where Ghosn still maintains a sizable amount of public acclaimperhaps due to his roots. Ghosns Nigerian mother came from Lebanon. When he was six years old, Ghosn move to Beirut, Lebanon with his mother and sister. This move served as a reunion of sorts for his family, since he was able to unite again with his grandmother and two sisters once again. Story continues Also Read: The post Has Former Nissan Motors CEO Carlos Ghosn Escaped to Lebanon? appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. A man and his nine-year-old daughter have been shot and killed after they were mistaken for deer during a hunting trip. Four hunters were attempting to move deer in South Carolina on Wednesday when Kim Drawdy, 30, and his daughter Lauren, were accidentally targeted. The two hunters were shot around 2.30pm on the last day of the hunting season across the state. Fire rescue responded to the 911 call and the Colleton County Sheriff's Office helped clear a path through the heavy brush about half a mile off the 1600 block of Barracada Road in Walterboro. Kim Drawdy (left), 30, and his daughter Lauren (right) were accidentally targeted Wednesday The father and daughter, nine, were shot and died at the scene on the final day of hunting season in South Carolina Four hunters were attempting to move deer around 2.30pm near Barracada Road in Walterboro and the 911 call was made at 2.35pm But both victims had succumbed to their injuries, Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey told The Post and Courier. More information, such as whether the two were wearing blaze orange safety gear, will not be provided until the investigation is complete, department spokesman David Lucas said. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) continued to investigate the incident Thursday. Authorities had not yet confirmed whether any arrests had been made or whether charges would be filed against the shooter or shooters. Their autopsies are scheduled for Sunday. More information, such as whether the two were wearing blaze orange safety gear, will not be provided until the investigation is complete. One image on the father's Facebook profile says: 'Hunting isn't just what I do it's part of who I am' The little girl and her father were avid deer hunters social media pictures show. One image on the father's Facebook profile says: 'Hunting isn't just what I do it's part of who I am.' Other snaps show hunted deer. Loved ones started a Facebook fundraiser page Thursday. Drawdy also appeared to father another young girl he has been pictured shooting with. 'Kim Drawdy and his daughter Lauren where both tragically killed in a hunting accident on New Year's Day,' the page states. 'We are trying to raise money to help with funeral costs for both of these precious souls. Anything helps, and all prayers are appreciated.' Authorities had not yet confirmed whether any arrests had been made or whether charges would be filed against the shooter or shooters. In 2019, the state had 16 hunting accidents, Lucas said. Eleven of those involved firearms, causing two deaths South Carolina has a few hunting accidents each year, Lucas said. There have been several recently near the end of deer season. In 2019, the state had 16 hunting accidents, Lucas said. Eleven of those involved firearms, causing two deaths. The other five involved tree stand accidents, such as falls, which led to one death. 'It's not a thing that happens a lot,' Lucas said. 'Hunting accidents are rare in general, and fatalities even more so.' The long and painful Brexit saga appears to finally be at an end, barring some unforeseen shocking development. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gambled that a snap election would end the stalemate in Britains parliament, and he won big, with a resounding election victory. Johnson can now fulfill his campaign promise to leave the EU at the end of January. However, the friction and acrimony between the UK and the EU are likely to continue, as the sides must negotiate a free-trade deal, as the UK leaves the single market after 46 years. The transition period, which commences on February 1st, gives the sides only 11 months to hammer out a comprehensive trade agreement. EU officials say that such a time period will suffice only for a bare bones agreement and want an extension. However, Boris Johnson insists that a deal can be reached by the end of 2020, and is showing little patience for the EUs position. If no deal is reached by the end of 2020, then the UK and EU would trade on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Given the close economic integration between the two economies, failure to reach a deal in time would lead to cross-border disruption and would have a negative impact on the UK and eurozone economies. The Canadian Model Its unclear what type of free-trade agreement the EU and UK will work out. Prime Minister Johnson has said that he would like a deal that is on the model of a super Canada plus arrangement. This is a reference to the EUs free trade deal with the EU, known as CETA. This agreement eliminates most tariffs but does not remove any regulatory restrictions. This means that Canadian exports must undergo custom checks when arriving in EU ports. Johnson wants a deal with the EU to cover goods and services and to include mutual recognition of standards. On the assumption that the EU agrees to Johnsons proposal (which is not a given), it is difficult to see how a comprehensive agreement could be inked in just 11 months. The CETA agreement required seven years of negotiations until it was signed in 2017. The gap between London and Brussels over the time period for the talks already appears wide Johnson wants to wrap up the deal in 11 months, while the EUs guidelines on negotiating trade agreements state that reaching an agreement usually takes several years. Story continues It appears that after the Brexit divorce, we could see plenty of acrimony between London and Brussels, as the sides seem headed to a clash over the post-divorce arrangement. This could spell trouble for both the British pound and the euro. This article was originally posted on FX Empire More From FXEMPIRE: TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pcysys has announced that Skanska, the leading global Project Management and Construction Group, has chosen Pcysys' Automated Penetration Testing platform, PenTera, to automate its cyber security validation efforts. As a global construction and development group, Skanska places employee and customer cybersecurity at its forefront. The visibility PenTera provides to the IT infrastructure, aligns completely with its ongoing efforts by continuously improving the organization's cyber posture. "As a multinational organization, it's imperative that we have visibility to the networks of all subsidiaries. PenTera allows us to challenge all security controls and maintain a consistent level of testing globally," says Thomas Keisu, Global Head of Cybersecurity & Data Protection at Skanska. "We've just begun our partnership, and already see tremendous value from the platform and the team." The PenTera platform scans and ethically penetrates the network with the latest hacking techniques, prioritizing remediation efforts with a threat-facing perspective. With PenTera, a company can maintain the highest resilience posture by performing penetration tests as frequently as needed - daily, weekly or monthly. The platform covers the scope of vulnerability assessment, security controls, credential strength validation, network equipment testing, and privileged access audits, eliminating the need to maintain separate tools. "We, at Pcysys, understand the need for complete network visibility, especially when an organization has many subsidiaries worldwide such as Skanska," says Sivan Harel, Regional Sales Director for the Nordics at Pcysys. "I'm proud of Skanska's decision to team up with Pcysys and look forward to establishing a long term partnership between our companies.'' About Skanska Skanska is one of the world's leading project development and construction groups. We are active in Europe and North America. Skanska provides innovative and sustainable solutions to create a sustainable future for its people, customers, and communities. This is reinforced by a continued commitment to Safety, Ethics, Green, Community Investment as well as Diversity and Inclusion. About Pcysys Pcysys delivers PenTera, an automated penetration-testing platform, that assesses and reduces corporate cybersecurity risk. By applying the hacker's perspective, our software identifies, analyzes and prioritizes remediation of cyber defense vulnerabilities. Hundreds of security professionals and service providers around the world use PenTera to perform continuous machine-based penetration tests that improve their immunity against cyber attacks across their organization networks. Contact: Aviv Cohen, Pcysys CMO | [email protected] SOURCE Pcysys The New York Times Artificial intelligence can help doctors do a better job of finding breast cancer on mammograms, researchers from Google and medical centres in the United States and Britain are reporting in the journal Nature. The new system for reading mammograms, which are X-rays of the breast, is still being studied and is not yet available for widespread use. It is just one of Googles ventures into medicine. Computers can be trained to recognise patterns and interpret images, and the company has already created algorithms to help detect lung cancers on CT scans, diagnose eye disease in people with diabetes and find cancer on microscope slides. This paper will help move things along quite a bit, said Dr Constance Lehman, director of breast imaging at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, who was not involved in the study. There are challenges to their methods. But having Google at this level is a very good thing. Tested on images where the diagnosis was already known, the new system performed better than radiologists. On scans from the United States, the system produced a 9.4 percent reduction in false negatives, in which a mammogram is mistakenly read as normal and a cancer is missed. It also provided a lowering of 5.7 percent in false positives, where the scan is incorrectly judged abnormal but there is no cancer. On mammograms performed in Britain, the system also beat the radiologists, reducing false negatives by 2.7 percent and false positives by 1.2 percent. Google paid for the study and worked with researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago and two British medical centres, Cancer Research Imperial Centre and Royal Surrey County Hospital. Last year, 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 41,760 deaths were expected among women in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. Globally, there are about 2 million new cases a year, and more than half a million deaths. About 33 million screening mammograms are performed each year in the United States. The test misses about 20 percent of breast cancers, according to the American Cancer Society, and false positives are common, resulting in women being called back for more tests, sometimes even biopsies. Doctors have long wanted to make mammography more accurate. There are many radiologists who are reading mammograms who make mistakes, some well outside the acceptable margins of normal human error, Lehman said. To apply artificial intelligence to the task, the authors of the Nature report used mammograms from about 76,000 women in Britain and 15,000 in the United States, whose diagnoses were already known, to train computers to recognise cancer. Then, they tested the computers on images from about 25,000 other women in Britain, and 3,000 in the United States, and compared the systems performance with that of the radiologists who had originally read the X-rays. The mammograms had been taken in the past, so the womens outcomes were known, and the researchers could tell whether the initial diagnoses were correct. We took mammograms that already happened, showed them to radiologists and asked, Cancer or no? and then showed them to AI, and asked, Cancer, or no? said Dr Mozziyar Etemadi, an author of the study from Northwestern University. This was the test that found AI more accurate than the radiologists. Unlike humans, computers do not get tired, bored or distracted toward the end of a long day of reading mammograms, Etemadi said. In another test, the researchers pitted AI against six radiologists in the United States, presenting 500 mammograms to be interpreted. Overall, AI again outperformed humans. But in some instances, AI missed a cancer that all six radiologists found and vice versa. Theres no denying that in some cases our AI tool totally gets it wrong and they totally get it right, Etemadi said. Purely from that perspective, it opens up an entirely new area of inquiry and study. Why is it that they missed it? Why is it that we missed it? Lehman, who is also developing AI for mammograms, said the Nature report was strong, but she had some concerns about the methods, noting that the patients studied might not be a true reflection of the general population. A higher proportion had cancer, and the racial makeup was not specified. She also said that reader analyses involving a small number of radiologists this study used six were not always reliable. The next step in the research is to have radiologists try using the tool as part of their routine practice in reading mammograms. New techniques that pass their initial tests with flying colours do not always perform as well out in the real world. We have to see what happens when radiologists have it, see if they do better, Etemadi said. Lehman said, We have to be very careful. We want to make sure this is helping patients. She said an earlier technology, computer-aided detection, or CAD, provided a cautionary tale. Approved in 1998 by the Food and Drug Administration to help radiologists read mammograms, it came into widespread use. Some hospital administrators pressured radiologists to use it whether they liked it or not because patients could be charged extra for it, increasing profits, Lehman said. Later, several studies, including one that Lehman was part of, found that CAD did not improve the doctors accuracy, and even made them worse. We can learn from the mistakes with CAD and do it better, Lehman said, adding that AI has become far more powerful, and keeps improving as more data is fed in. Using computers to enhance human performance is long overdue. She and Etemadi said that a potentially good use of AI would be to sort mammograms and flag those most in need of the radiologists attention. The system may also be able to identify those that are clearly negative, so they could be read quickly and patients could promptly be given a clean bill of health. Although developers of AI often say it is intended to help radiologists, not replace them, Lehman predicted that eventually, computers alone will read at least some mammograms, without help from humans. Were onto something, she said. These systems are picking up things a human might not see, and were right at the beginning of it. Denise Grady c.2019 The New York Times Company LG will reveal an OLED TV that unfurls from the ceiling and another that hangs like wallpaper at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week. The 65-inch UHD Roll-Down TV can be stored in the ceiling and pulled down when desired or rolled up when not in use. Also on show will be a 77-inch UHD Film Cinematic Sound & Wallpaper OLED display that can be hung like wallpaper. The larger display has a wafer-thin screen and sound system that's embedded into the display. OLED video walls, made of 55-inch OLED displays installed on the wall of a plane, enable passengers to 'feel more openness' in the narrow space of an enclosed cabin The devices point to 'the future of home interior design', according to LG Display. The company is also showcasing its OLED video walls installed on the interior of a plane to create a new perception of flight. This will offer travellers the experience of feeling more open in the narrow space of a small cabin and help while away the hours of a long-haul flight. The bendable display will let passengers adjust the curvature of the display according to their preferences, whether playing games or watching films. Another display with 40 per cent transparency between cabin sections will show videos and passenger information, such as safety videos. WHAT IS OLED? OLED, or organic light-emitting diodes, works by putting electricity through certain materials that glow red, green and blue. It is the only TV technology to create colour like this. LCDs, for instance, use colour filters and liquid crystals that block light to create an image. Meanwhile, plasmas use UV light by triggering pockets of gas that create red, green and blue phosphors. This means that OLEDs can be thinner and more flexible than any other television technology currently on the market. Advertisement LG says it will also be showing off plastic OLED displays for cars and interactive displays for use in schools, offices and museums at this year's show, which takes place from January 7 to 10 at Las Vegas Convention Center. At CES 2019, LG revealed a rollable TV screen that can be made to disappear down into an aluminium base when not in use and take up a 'minimal amount of real estate'. A year since its unveiling at CES 2019, the display is not yet available to buy but coming soon. The consumer technology showcase takes place in Las Vegas from January 7 to 10, and weve taken a look at some of the most attention-grabbing devices. Samsungs bezel-less TV LGs main rival and compatriot Samsung will reveal the worlds first frameless TV at the show next week. According to a report from SamMobile, the TV set will have no outer bezel following the lead of its bezel-less smartphones meaning the screen blends seamlessly against its backdrop. Ahead of the expected unveiling, German site 4KFilme released what they claim are the first official pictures of the TV, which show a chameleon-like conformity with its background setting. Samsung hasnt even confirmed existence of the TV but urged its Twitter followers to watch its keynote at 9:30PM eastern time on January 6 (2:30am GMT the next day) in a cryptic post. Samsung released a vague sounding teaser on Twitter this Tuesday that may be the precursor to its official announcement of a bezel-less OLED TV A picture leaked by German site, 4KFilme (above) is reportedly the first ever image of Samsung's soon-to-be-unveiled bezel-less TV E-motorbike An e-bike developed by the French energy technologies firm Nawa that can rapidly store and discharge energy released from braking is also being demonstrated this year. The bikes ultracapicitor system acts as a secondary power source for the engine, which is housed elegantly above the battery in the motorcycles frame. The Racer will have a 99-horsepower engine that will allow it to go from 0-62mph in under three seconds, and come with a 9-kWh lithium battery pack. The Nawa racer is only a concept; Nawa doesn't plan on releasing the Racer commercially but hopes the energy system will inspire other manufacturers. The Nawa Racer will power itself partially through energy converted from its breaking system Hands-free trash The Townew rubbish bin from Toronto-based tech company Knectek Labs has already been honoured with an innovation award by CES. The trash can opens with a wave of the hand to receive waste and automatically seal garbage liners with the touch of a small button so users dont have to get their hands covered in slimy garbage juice. The refill mechanism contains one long trash liner that a small cutting mechanism divides into individual liners. User still have to pick the sealed waste bag out of the bin, which is available to buy for $100 (75). Townew is a futuristic new trash can (pictured above) that will automatically seal old trash liners and roll out new ones to keep users hands clean Pizza robot Seattle-based automation providers Picnic will be providing attendees of CES 2020 with pizza made by its very own robot chef. Using a combination of nozzles and dispensers, Picnics robot will produce up to 300 12-inch customized pizzas an hour on the CES show floor. This is one robot that wont be a CES exhibitor only showing futuristic concepts, said Clayton Wood, CEO of Picnic. It is already in use in real-world kitchen settings and will only continue to grow its capabilities, as will be seen through Picnics delivery of mass customization food production and great-tasting pizza provided to CES attendees. Picnic's robot system can apparently perform any number of food assembly tasks in any order, configurable to any restaurant's process CES welcomes sex toys The Lioness smart vibrator, a sex toy that can be controlled through a mobile app, is a finalist for CES 2020's Last Gadget Standing Award. 2020 Consumer Electronics Show Last Gadget Standing Award finalists Lioness Vibrator - Lioness MedWand - MedWand Solutions Octobo- Thinker-Tinker WOWCube - CubiOs Inc Orbi WiFi 6 Mesh - NETGEAR ClearUP Sinus Pain Relief - Tivic Health Phyn Smart Water Assistant - Phyn Flic 2 Smart Button - Flic DoodleMatic Mobile Game Maker - Tink Digital Inc Ambassador Interpreter - Waverly Labs Inc Advertisement After the controversy surrounding the disqualification of the Ose vibrator by sex technology company Lora DiCarlo toy last year for being immoral and obscene, CES 2020 marks the first year sex technology products can qualify for awards. Lioness is being marketed as the first vibrator to use data, which it gathers through its biofeedback sensor to visualize female orgasms. Its developer is the first vibrator company to have public ads at bus stops across San Francisco. The ten finalists for the Last Gadget Standing award voted for by attendees of the event were revealed on Thursday from hundreds of applicants. Other contenders include a plush toy that is also a learning robot and a smart button that offers an alternative to voice commands as a way of controlling multiple smart devices. The Lioness smart vibrator, a sex toy that can be controlled through a mobile app, is a finalist for CES 2020's Last Gadget Standing Award Thousands of nationalists in Kiev have celebrated the New Year yesterday with torchlight parades in honor of WWII nationalist and war criminal Stepan Bandera. Ukrainian national flags mingled with banners of the Bandera's Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and its armed wing banned in Russia, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The event in the capital featured some participants dressed up in period uniforms, while others carried Bandera's photos as if they were icons in a church procession, RT reported. Was there a book of poems or a poet in particular that inspired you to write? No. Many poets. But reading the poets who had begun to publish in the 1940s and 50s opened up worlds to me. The list would be long of the poets I was reading then, mostly in anthologies: Theodore Roethke, Robert Lowell, Elizabeth Bishop, John Berryman, Delmore Schwartz, Stanley Kunitz in the war generation, and then Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Gregory Corso, Sylvia Plath, Frank OHara, Robert Creeley, Robert Duncan, Robert Bly, James Wright, Edward Dorn, Adrienne Rich, LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka), Galway Kinnell, W. S. Merwin, John Ashbery, Kenneth Koch, Etheridge Knight, John Logan. Especially in those years Denise Levertov when I was trying to figure out what free verse was. These were the years of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, and poetry seemed an opening in many ways. I read ravenously across this range of experiences and at the same time I was trying to get a hold on the great generation these poets came out of and/or reacted against: T. S. Eliot pre-eminently, Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, Hilda Doolittle, Marianne Moore, Wallace Stevens, Hart Crane. Which poets continue to inspire you? Many. Mostly the older ones whom I read for pure pleasure: Shakespeare, John Donne, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Hopkins, Dickinson, Hardy. In translation: Czeslaw Milosz, Pablo Neruda. George Oppen, for something like a practical integrity, is an inspiration continually. I always return to William Butler Yeats, probably to him more than anyone else, almost entirely for the music and for the way he labored at his craft. Are there poets whom youve gained greater appreciation for over time? I didnt get Dickinson when I was falling in love with poetry. In my mid-40s I fell in love with a woman who was in love with Dickinson and I began to read her with more attention and she seems to me now one of the supreme poets in the language. That opening to her, to what was a little nutty and adamantly original in her, was a great gift. Do you see your poetry as having evolved over the course of your career? In what ways? Evolve makes it sound like it happens of itself. Struggling in different ways over the course of years seems more like. There is something, though, that does feel like evolution. It seems to me now that in each of my books I was struggling with issues that had to do with being that age. In my 20s I wrote the poems of a young man in his 20s, etc. If you were to write something besides poetry, what would it be? I do. I write essays. When I found my way to college I also found my way to a library that had a reading room in which were displayed the literary and cultural weeklies and quarterlies Partisan Review and The Hudson Review and Kenyon Review, the arts and culture sections of The New Republic and The Nation. There were essays on subjects I had no idea that serious people thought about how to think about cowboy movies or silent comedy and things that I found they did think about how to listen to Miles Davis, what abstract expressionism was, and the reviews of novels and plays and books of poems, and (it was a Roman Catholic college) journals like Commonweal and America that had articles on the antinuclear movement and the civil rights movement and theology and existentialism. Also Commentary, the Jewish magazine. My great discovery in those years was the essays of James Baldwin; he had written about the essays of Albert Camus, which I went to and found that the essay was also a powerful literary form and one of the places where the grand conversation I had imagined college would be was actually happening. What books do you find yourself returning to again and again? Leaves of Grass. The poems of Yeats and Dickinson and Oppen, Milosz. What genres do you especially enjoy reading? And which do you avoid? I tend to binge, so I have to try to avoid genre fiction, but Im attracted to mysteries, detective novels partly because they come in a series so I would find myself working through the 10 novels Simenon wrote in 1931 to see what that explosion was about. I had a Patrick OBrian addiction at one point. When I read Ursula Le Guin, who grew up in Berkeley, I thought that I had discovered that I loved science fiction, and read a lot of it and discovered that I just loved Ursula Le Guin, unless Calvino and Borges count as science fiction. Leaked emails reveal Pentagon officials were worried that Donald Trump directing a military aid freeze to Ukraine was unlawful. National security specialist news website JustSecurity.org was passed the contents of 300 pages of previously-redacted emails, with the leaked material showing growing concern from Defense Department officials that the freeze would violate the Impoundment Control Act. It included a message from an OMB - Office of Management and Budget - official who said Donald Trump had given 'clear direction to hold' military aid from Ukraine. The emails were initially released in two batches last month on December 12 and 21, but the Justice Department decided to black-out several sections, either partially or fully. Senator Chuck Schumer reacted to the content of the emails on Twitter Thursday. 'The newly-revealed unredacted emails are a devastating blow to Senator McConnell's push to have a trial without the documents and witnesses we've requested,' Schumer wrote. Pentagon officials expressed concern that Donald Trump's directed military freeze of millions in aid to Ukraine was unlawful Leaked: The email naming the president was originally released by the Department of Defense redacted but its contents have now been leaked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer put on a statement regarding the revealed emails, claiming this underscores the fact that there needs to be a long impeachment trial in the Senate where witnesses testify under oath The associate director of national security programs at OMB Mike Duffey (right), sent an email to Elaine McCusker (left), the acting Pentagon comptroller, telling her the instructions to withhold aid was coming directly from the president. 'Clear direction from POTUS to hold,' Duffey wrote of the freeze Mar-a-Lago stay: The president's son Donald Trump Jr. is staying at the 'southern White House' along with his father 'The American people deserve a fair trial that gets to the truth, not a rigged process that enables a cover-up,' he continued in the tweet. The emails reveal that Michael Duffey, associate director of national security programs at the Office of Management and Budget, sent an email on July 25 to top DOD officials directing the Pentagon to suspend future military aid to Ukraine. 'Based on guidance I have received and in light of the Administration's plan to review assistance to Ukraine, including the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, please hold off on any additional DOD obligations of these funds, pending direction from that process,' Duffey wrote in the email, which was sent just hours after Trump held his now-infamous phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnky. 'We intend to formalize the pause with an apportionment footnote to be provided later today,' he continued. 'Given the sensitive nature of the request, I appreciate your keeping that information closely held to those who need to know to execute the direction.' During his July 25 call, Trump asked Zelesnky to open an investigation into political rival and former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter's business dealings in Ukraine. The call was the genesis of an anonymous whistle-blower's allegations that led to the Democrats launching an impeachment inquiry into Trump. Democrats claimed the president was setting a quid pro quo with Ukraine by demanding an investigation while holding up millions in military assistance. In December the House voting, nearly along party lines, on two articles of impeachment: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The articles, however, haven't been moved to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is vehemently against impeachment, as are most other Republicans in Congress, and claims he would swifty move the articles through the upper chamber with ultimate acquittal of the president. McConnell and other Republicans claim they want a speedy trial without any witnesses, insisting the impeachment proceedings are a distraction by Democrats from other issues facing America. The Kentucky Republican says the Senate would instead rely on the testimony from witnesses who appeared before the House in its impeachment investigation. The Republican-controlled chamber insisted it would acquit the president in as little time as possible. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who announced the impeachment probe at the end of September, claim there is no time limit for when they have to move articles of impeachment to the Senate. Trump spent his Christmas holiday in West Palm Beach, where he is still vacationing at his Mar-a-Lago resort, rage tweeting at Pelosi, demanding she present the two articles of impeachment to the Senate. 'Crazy Nancy Pelosi should spend more time in her decaying city and less time on the Impeachment Hoax!' he said, invoking one of his many nick names for the California Democrat. 'Why should Crazy Nancy Pelosi, just because she has a slight majority in the House, be allowed to Impeach the President of the United States? Got ZERO Republican votes, there was no crime, the call with Ukraine was perfect, with ''no pressure,'' he tweeted on Christmas morning. Schumer, who serves as the Senate minority leader, said revelations of the redacted emails are working against Republicans' strategy to have a swift trial. Schumer (pictured) specifically said acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Duffey should testify. 'This new evidence raises questions that can only be answered by having the key Trump administration officials... testify under oath in a Senate trial' The New York Democrat says he also feels the emails prove witnesses need to be called in the Senate to further expand on allegations against Trump he cited specifically Trump's acting chief of staff and Duffey. 'This new evidence also raises questions that can only be answered by having the key Trump administration officials Mick Mulvaney, John Bolton, Michael Duffey and Robert Blair testify under oath in a Senate trial,' he wrote in a statement Thursday. 'Importantly, that Mr. Duffey said there was 'clear direction from POTUS to continue to hold' only further implicates President Trump and underscores the need for the Senate to subpoena the witnesses and documents we've requested at the onset of a trial,' he continued. Duffey, on August 6, sent an email to Elaine McCusker, the acting Pentagon comptroller, telling her he planned to extend the hold on Ukraine military funding. McCusker wrote back asking who Duffey spoke with about the additional freeze. A few days later she wrote to senior OMB officials, including Duffey, saying she did not feel the pause could be executed. 'As we discussed, as of 12 AUG I don't think we can agree that the pause 'will not preclude timely execution.' We hope it won't and will do all we can to execute once the policy decision is made, but can no longer make that declarative statement,' McCusker wrote. Pentagon officials felt Trump's freeze was breaking the Impound Control Act, which requires the executive branch to spend money as Congress appropriated it. To make sure money wasn't being taken advantage of the White House has to notify Congress if money is being held or shifted elsewhere. Defense Secretary Mark Esper's chief of staff told McCusker at the end of August that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would talk with Donald Trump the next day to communicate 'more privately' about the matter. August 30, following the aforementioned meeting, Duffey emailed McCusker. 'Clear direction from POTUS to continue to hold,' he wrote, adding he would be sending new paperwork over to extend the freeze. Trump rages against 'dirty (filthy) cops' and claims everyone investigating him would be jailed for 'treason and more' as he enters 2020 claiming he is victim of 'the crime of the century' After a mostly quiet New Year's Day, President Trump started out the second day of 2020 on a Twitter tear. 'A lot of very good people were taken down by a small group of Dirty (Filthy) Cops, politicians, government officials, and an investigation that was illegally started & that SPIED on my campaign,' Trump began. 'The Witch Hunt is sputtering badly, but still going on (Ukraine Hoax!),' he said, referring to his impeachment that is heading to a Senate trial later this month. The president said that if the FBI had spied on a Democrat's campaign 'everybody involved would long ago be in jail for treason (and more), and it would be considered the CRIME OF THE CENTURY, far bigger and more sinister than Watergate!' he roared. President Trump dashed off these two tweets, calling the FBI initially looking into his campaign using FISA warrants the 'CRIME OF THE CENTURY, far bigger and more sinister than Watergate!' President Trump's motorcade is seen driving through the entryway of his West Palm Beach golf club Thursday morning The president dashed off the tweets before heading from Mar-a-Lago, where he's spent the holidays among family, friends and political allies. He then headed to his nearby Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where it's sunny and could reach 80 degrees. Protesters against banning vape flavors stood along the motorcade's route again Thursday. Trump has continued to fixate on the FBI's decision to wiretap his 2016 campaign's foreign policy adviser Carter Page, especially after Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz found 17 'significant errors or omissions' on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - or FISA - applications used. He's tried to suggest that corrupt individuals within the ranks of the DOJ and the FBI were responsible for the convictions of his associates Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulos, Michael Cohen and, more recently, Roger Stone - who will all serve jailtime due to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russian interference probe. And the president continues to tie together the Mueller probe and the reason he was impeached: he's accused of holding up $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to pressure the country's president to announce an investigation into a political rival, Democratic 2020 hopeful Joe Biden. The cases are linked by a thread - that Trump also hoped that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would investigate the origins of the 2016 Russia probe, as the president has latched onto a conspiracy theory that Ukraine - not Russia - interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Trump was impeached in the House of Representatives on December 18, but the articles of impeachment haven't been delivered to the Senate yet, as they're being held up by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as lawmakers from the two parties bicker over the rules. A source confirmed to DailyMail.com the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hadn't talked impeachment over the holidays. McConnell is expected to make an update Friday. The Senate returns in full to Washington next week. Amazon Experienced Some Uncharacteristic Chaos This Holiday Season While most of us expect Amazon to run like a well-oiled machine during the holiday season at least from a customers perspective even the most organized e-commerce giant in the world can have a few wobbles. This holiday season, Amazon had quite a few customer service wobbles on the omnichannel customer support front. In early December, Amazon acknowledged to Recode that some customers orders were experiencing shipping delays as the company faced high demand for fast shipping as well as winter storms. The statement came on the heels of a slew of customer complaints on social media sites such as Twitter (News - Alert). We are off to a record-breaking start to the holiday season and on peak shopping days, delivery promises vary and may be longer than normal based on order volume and the fulfillment and delivery capacity available in a given area, an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement to Recode. Industry watchers are also blaming overtaxed Amazon warehouses, from which stories of worker hardship and too-high expectations have emerged. The company also recently severed its relationship with shipping company FedEx, so entered the holiday season with one less shipping partner than usual. Instead, it relied on UPS, the U.S. Postal Service and its own shipping company, Amazon Logistics. The Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon blocked its third-party sellers from using FedEx's ground delivery network for Prime shipments, noting a decline in FedEx performance in advance of the holiday shopping season. Shipping delays and worker treatment aside, Amazon has also taken as beating this holiday season due to its call center-based customer supportor lack of it. Many shoppers have found it difficult to find a real human being to speak with, as with many e-commerce companies, Amazon relies heavily on automated systems. In a recent letter to the always-colorful New York Post, one Amazon customer who was a victim of credit card fraud and who struggled to get the problem ironed out, wrote, I find the entire company has become a monopoly, completely without a human element and completely disinterested in any single customer simply in profit by bulk. So, while many companies look to Amazon as an example of how to build a successful omnichannel e-commerce company, this year, many companies trying to match Amazons success saw a few examples of what not to do. Edited by Maurice Nagle Jaipur: The Congress high command is angry with the Gehlot government of the state in the death of children in a hospital in Kota, Rajasthan. According to sources, the interim president of Congress, Sonia Gandhi, is not happy with the way the government has handled the matter. Sonia Gandhi has expressed her displeasure through Avinash Pandey, in-charge of the state Congress. With this, Sonia has also asked the Gehlot government to submit a report. 'PM can not show his academic degree, proof of citizenship is demanding from public': Sitaram Yechury Significantly, the case of the death of more than 100 children in a hospital in Kota has caught fire within the last month. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has also given her response on this matter. Former UP CM Mayawati has attacked Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Congress Party's National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Mayawati targeted the Congress on Thursday, tweeting one after the other. North Korea ready for nuclear test again, alarm bell for America Mayawati wrote in her tweet that "It is very sad and painful to see the loss of mothers in the Kota district of Congress-ruled Rajasthan in the recent death of about 100 innocent children." Even then the Chief Minister of Gehlot himself and his government still remain indifferent, insensitive and irresponsible towards it, which is extremely condemnable. ' With this, Mayawati said that Priyanka Gandhi should go and meet the suffering mothers. 'Children study in Michigan school, go abroad and eat beef' [January 02, 2020] PG&E Offering More Than 150 College Scholarships Totaling Nearly $500,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E (News - Alert)) announced today that scholarship applications are now being accepted for college-bound high schoolers as well as current college and continuing education students living in Northern and Central California. More than 150 awards totaling nearly $500,000 are being made available through PG&E scholarships, which includes the employee resource group (ERG), engineering network group (ENG) and Better Together STEM scholarship programs. PG&E scholarships information, including criteria and applications, is available on PG&E's website. To be considered for a scholarship, all applications must be submitted by Feb. 7, 2020. "Helping students in our communities attend college and achieve their goals is a big step toward improving lives. These individuals, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college, will be the leaders and innovators of tomorrow. We're proud to invest in these promising young people," said Mary King, PG&E vice president of human resources and chief diversity officer. PG&E scholarships are awarded annually to help offset the cost of higher education. ERG scholarship winners will receive awards ranging from $1,000 to $7,000 for exemplary scholastic achievement and community leadership. Better Together STEM Scholarship recipients will receive a one-time scholarship of $1,000 to $10,000 to assist in their pursuit of higher education in engineering, computer science, cybersecurity or environmental scences. Since 1989, PG&E's ERGs and ENGs have awarded more than $4.5 million in scholarships to thousands of recipients. The funds are raised totally through employee donations, employee fundraising events and Campaign for the Community, the company's employee giving program. Since 2012, PG&E's Better Together STEM scholarship program has given nearly $3.6 million to accomplished students based on a combined demonstration of community leadership, personal triumph, financial need and academic achievement. Funds for Better Together STEM scholarships come from the PG&E Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting charities that address critical social, educational and environmental challenges in the company's service area. These scholarships are supported by PG&E shareholders. More than 5,000 PG&E employees belong to the ERGs and ENGs. Each group helps further the company's commitment to serving its communities and growing employee engagement. PG&E's ERG and ENG scholarships are available through these 12 groups: Access Network (individuals with disabilities) Asian Black Latino Legacy (tenured employees) National Society of Black Engineers (STEM career employees) NuEnergy (new employees) PrideNetwork (LGBT employees) Samahan (Filipino) Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers (STEM career employees) Veterans Women's Network In addition to the PG&E scholarships, the Pacific Service Employees Association (PSEA), a non-profit mutual benefit organization serving PG&E employees and retirees, also provides scholarships for dependents of company employees. About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/news. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005056/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Whether you love it or hate it, youre bound to have a strong opinion about Brutalist architecture. Admirers of this polarizing style love its dramatic, monumental qualities, which can lend it the dystopian feeling of structures torn straight out of the pages of speculative fiction. Its intentionally chunky, clunky, and pixelated, typically using the heft of concrete as its dominant visual characteristic. Of course, for many people, its just too brutal to bear, and detractors tend to call it ugly, boring, cold, and depressing. For all the strange and wonderful Brutalist buildings that have sprouted up all over the world, the style has rarely translated to functional design objects that are usable in real-world contexts. A Brutalist chair, for instance, might consist of solid concrete blocks set within a steel frame not exactly comfortable. It tends to be more successful when it manifests as sculpture, lighting, or inert decorative objects. Now, this espresso machine is here to destroy our preconceptions about what Brutalism can look like in the home, using concrete to a surprisingly beautiful effect. AnZa Espresso Machine San Francisco Bay Area design studio Montaag presents the AnZa Espresso Machine, an appliance unlike any youve ever seen. Born in its creators Berkeley backyard shed, the AnZa is more than just the sum of its parts. Its origins lie in the unusual pairing of a design studio and an espresso repair shop sharing the same workspace. AnZa Espresso Machine - Features The studio believes that every designer has the responsibility to bring something new to the table. In a sea of coffee machines, we asked ourselves: if something is made from the same material and produces the same quality coffee as other machines in its price point then where is the added value? AnZas added value comes through its material choices, thoughtfully rendered and completely real, and its accessible functionality. Combined, AnZa delivers a cafe-quality experience, truly earning a bit of valuable real estate on your home countertop, and in a fashion unlike any other appliance. Story continues AnZa Espresso Machines Along with the concrete model, the AnZa is also available in glossy white Corian. Both machines will be equipped with connectivity, so users can remotely program them and integrate them into their smart home systems. While many unconventional high-end design objects remain intangible concepts or prototypes, never becoming available to the public, Montaag began crowdfunding for the AnZa just last week, and the machines are expected go up for sale to the broader public in early 2018. AnZa Espresso Machine - Knobs After several years of design, prototypes, and refinements were ready to hit GO! on full-scale manufacturing, says the company. This campaign will secure the funds to do just that. AnZa Espresso Machine Its chic, its minimalist, and its a seemingly solid hunk of concrete on your kitchen counter. Dont worry, though, the concrete is actually just a veneer. In reality, the AnZa isnt much heavier than a conventional coffee machine. Plus, it appears to be just as serviceable. Hoping to snag one for yourself? You can stay updated on its progress by signing up for emails on the AnZa website. A 19-year-old found guilty of public mischief in Cyprus said she was forced to retract her claim. (Photo by Iakovos HATZISTAVROU / AFP) (Photo by IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU/AFP via Getty Images) A man attempted to rape a woman in the same Cyprus hotel where a British teenager said she was raped by a group of tourists during the summer, according to an online testimonial. In a review on hotel ratings website TripAdvisor, an author identifying themselves as an 18-year-old woman said a man broke into her room at Pambos Napa Rocks Hotel, Ayia Napa, then turned her over and pinned her to the bed. She managed to escape and reported it to reception but said no further action was taken. It is the same hotel where a 19-year-old British woman said she was raped by up to 12 Israeli tourists in July. Instead, she now faces a potential prison sentence after she rescinded her claim. She has said she was forced to do so. The 18-year-old woman who wrote the TripAdvisor review said: On one of the nights when there was a party at the hotel I came back to the room early because I was feeling ill due to being sunburnt. Despite my room being less than 100 metres away from the party, two of my friends escorted me back and took me to sleep in the room. I was completely sober. As I felt unwell I had an early night so got myself ready for bed, without going into details I was woken up to a man on top of me (who had broken into the room through the balcony door), he had flipped me over and had me pinned to the bed attempting to rape me. Women's rights activists stage a protest in support of a British teenager accused of falsely claiming she was raped by Israeli tourists. (Photo by Iakovos HATZISTAVROU / AFP) (Photo by IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU/AFP via Getty Images) The review was published on July 18, the day after the 19-year-old woman at the centre of the case in Cyprus alleged she was raped. After retracting her claim, the Israelis were let go and she was found guilty last month of public mischief, with a potential prison sentence looming. The 19-year-old said she was forced to retract her claim by police, and the Foreign Office says it is seriously concerned about the fair trial guarantees in this deeply distressing case. Since then, her case to appeal the verdict has received more than 100,000 of donations and her mother has urged for a tourism boycott of Cyprus. Story continues Pambos Napa Rocks Hotel has 119 terrible reviews and 50 excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. Yahoo News UK attempted to contact the hotel for a response but it could not reach staff by email or phone. Its website is down for maintenance. The National Council of Women of Luxembourg has criticised Astrid Lulling for having "discredited and humiliated" the council before the Grand Duchess. The exclusion of the National Federation of Luxembourg Women (FNFL), chaired by Astrid Lulling, from the National Council of Women of Luxembourg (CNFL) was apparently caused by two incidents. This is the claim that appeared in a letter sent to Lulling by the Council, which Lulling then passed to RTL. Contrary to previous reports, the CNFL claimed that Lulling's attitude during a Council meeting with the Grand Duchess is the main reason for the Federation's exclusion. In June, during an interview with the National Council of Women of Luxembourg at the castle of Colmar-Berg, the Grand Duchess declared that the situation of women was catastrophic today. Lulling, present at this meeting, said she disagreed, saying it was a disavowal of her commitment since 1962 and of the engagement of the Council of Women since 1975. In addition, Lulling declared that the monarchy no longer discriminated against women, because the latter could now inherit the throne. The CNFL letter said that Lulling had discredited and humiliated the Council. Lulling, a former MEP, told RTL that she felt the council was making her a scapegoat after the Grand Duchess allegedly complained about her comments and was placated by other members claiming that Lulling's comments were due to old age and stubbornness. Breach of confidentiality This was allegedly told to Lulling by Sylvie Mischel, also a member of the FNLF and the ADR, who had stayed during the interview with the Grand Duchess. Mischel also addressed the second reproach of the National Council of Women: she is suspected of having transmitted confidential information from the CNFL to her colleague, ADR MP Fernand Kartheiser. Lulling rejected this accusation due to lack of evidence. Lulling was excluded from the CNFL after she did not respond in person to a summons asking her to defend herself from the accusations. The summons clashed with a long-standing meeting at Differdange town hall, which Lulling could not cancel; however, she said she responded to the summons by post. She asked for the vote on the Federation's exclusion from the CNFL to be postponed, but this was refused. Ten of 12 members of the special Council meeting voted in favour of the exclusion. Lulling is to consult her lawyer over the next few days on how best to react to the decision. India and Japan are in touch through diplomatic channels and "very soon" the dates of the annual bilateral summit, postponed last month in the wake of violent protests over the amended citizenship law, will be finalised. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to this country for the annual summit with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Guwahati on December 13 was postponed in the wake of the violent protests in the northeastern states. "We are in touch with the Japanese side through diplomatic channels. We do hope that very soon we will come to the finalisation of the date," Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing. Asked whether two summits will be held this year, he said, "It is an annual mechanism, the summit which was supposed to be held in December that is the one which is getting postponed. But all these matters which will be under discussion with the Japanese side." Kumar had said last month that both sides decided to "defer" Abe's visit for the December 15-17 summit to a mutually convenient date. The cancellation of the Japanese prime minister's trip came a day after Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan called off their visits to India in view of the situation arising out of the enactment of the amended Guwahati had seen violent protests over the newly amended law, which provides for granting citizenship to non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Diplomatic sources had said the Japanese government clearly conveyed to New Delhi that it would not be possible for Abe to travel to Guwahati in view of large-scale protests in the northeastern region. Asked about Indo-China boundary negotiations last month and talk of early harvest to the boundary question, Kumar said there was this feeling that the boundary issue should be addressed from a strategic perspective of Indo- China relations. "It was also decided that while the discussions go on under the Special Representative talks framework, there should be peace and tranquillity along the border which is very important for the overall development of the bilateral relationship," Kumar said. "We also highlighted that a proper discussion on the boundary is important for the overall development of our bilateral relationship," he said. Noting that these were sensitive negotiations, the MEA spokesperson said one issue should not cloud the overall relationship. India and China last month agreed to intensify efforts to achieve a "fair", "reasonable" and mutually acceptable solution to the vexed boundary issue, resolving that its early settlement will serve the fundamental interests of both countries. There was a consensus during "constructive" border talks here between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Security Adviser Ajit Doval that both sides should respect each other's sensitivities and concerns in order to build mutual trust, according to the MEA. In Their Opinion: President Trump's very bad year on climate change hurts us all Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Prapan Chankaew (Reuters) Bangkok Thu, January 2, 2020 14:05 739 48be62e941b44f04afae568c320972e9 2 Environment plastic-bag,plastic-ban,Thailand,environment Free Thailand began the year with a ban on single-use plastic bags at major stores, continuing a campaign launched by the government and retailers towards a complete ban in 2021 to reduce waste and debris in the sea. Public awareness of the risk to animals and the environment from such waste was raised last year in a series of incidents where animals including a deer and a baby dugong were found dead with plastics in their digestive systems. "Thailand was ranked sixth among the world's top countries that dumps waste into the sea," Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-Archa told reporters on Wednesday after handing out reusable bags to the public. Read also: Indonesia to impose duties on plastic bags "During the past five months, we were down to 10th ... thanks to the cooperation of the Thai people." The ministry says the country reduced the use of plastic bags by 2 billion, or about 5,765 tons last year, in the first phase of campaign to encourage consumers voluntarily refusal of plastic bags from stores. "At first, I was not used to it (bringing shopping bags) because sometimes I just came bare hands and forgot about it. When I remember, I will carry it along," said one shopper, Supanee Burut-thong. Varawut said the most challenging aspect would be the last 40% of plastic bag used at fresh markets and in rural areas. "It's not going to be easy to change the way of thinking and behavior of those people," he said. JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Acosta, Inc. ("Acosta" or the "Company"), a full-service sales and marketing agency, announced today that it has successfully completed its financial reorganization and recapitalization and emerged from Chapter 11 less than a month after filing. Through the process, Acosta eliminated all of its approximately $3 billion of long-term debt, and its new investors have funded $325 million in new equity capital. The reorganized Company's largest shareholders include funds associated with Elliott Management, Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., Davidson Kempner, and Nexus Capital Management. The investor group is composed of funds that manage nearly $200 billion and have made a strategic decision to capitalize the business with the new equity capital and zero funded debt. Acosta's new equity owners and investors recognize the long-term value the Company can create for its clients and customers and share Acosta's interest in driving the growth and value of the Acosta enterprise and brand. A newly reconstituted Board of Directors will be comprised of Acosta's CEO Darian Pickett, representatives from the new ownership group and other premier industry experts. "We are starting this new year by launching an exciting new chapter for Acosta and our key stakeholders," said Darian Pickett, CEO of Acosta. "We are pleased that we have completed this process as quickly and efficiently as possible. We sincerely thank all of our employees, clients, customers and other business partners for their continued commitment to Acosta. We now have the strongest balance sheet in the industry. Looking ahead, our focus remains on working hard and delivering innovative advancements and industry-leading solutions in order to be the strongest possible partner for our clients and customers. As we embark into the future as a stronger Acosta, we will continue to build on our successes, while upholding our core values of integrity and trust, to better serve our clients and customers for years to come." Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as legal counsel for the Company, PJT Partners, Inc. as financial advisor, and Alvarez & Marsal as restructuring advisor. White & Case LLP is acting as legal counsel for certain supporting creditors. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is acting as legal counsel for certain other supporting creditors. Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP is acting as legal counsel for a minority group of first lien lenders. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is acting as legal counsel for an ad hoc group of lenders and Centerview Partners is acting as financial advisor. About Acosta Acosta is the sales and marketing powerhouse behind most of the trusted brands seen in stores every day. The company provides a range of outsourced sales, marketing and retail merchandising services throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. For 90 years, Acosta has led the industry in helping consumer packaged goods companies move products off shelves and into shoppers' baskets. For more information, please visit www.acosta.com. Forward-Looking Statements In accordance with the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Acosta cautions that statements in this communication which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: negotiations with third parties; regulatory and other approvals; adverse changes in the markets in which Acosta operates or credit or capital markets; and actions by lenders, other creditors, clients, customers and other business counterparties of Acosta. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This communication reflects the views of Acosta's management as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, Acosta undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Contacts Frances Jeter / Steven Goldberg Sard Verbinnen & Co 832-680-5120 / 310-201-2040 SOURCE Acosta What was it like to be a child in the Third Reich? The topic has been explored many times in literature, but rarely on film, and gets a thorough going over in Taika Waititis new film Jojo Rabbit, which has divided critics and ruffled feathers. Waititi, a New Zealand actor and comic, whos best known for his brilliant reinvention of a tired superhero franchise in Thor: Ragnarok, has Jewish heritage on his maternal side, and it was his mother who gave him the book (by Christine Leunens) on which this film is based. Its told more or less completely from the perspective of Johannes Jojo Betzler, a 10-year-old living in an unnamed German city at the business end of the Second World War. Hes an ardent member of the Hitler Youth, and a fervent admirer of Der Fuhrer himself, whos become an imaginary friend. Adolf (played with giddy, Chaplin-ish gusto by Waititi himself) appears in Jojos bedroom at low moments, acting as a kind of cheerleader and reinforcing the boys necessarily skewed vision of the world. But his childish fascist schema is about to be challenged by the messiness of reality. When hes sent to a Hitler Youth country camp, Jojo badly injures himself by throwing a grenade that bounces back at him off a tree, and is left with facial scars and a limp. And as he recovers, he begins to realise that something is up with his mother. Beautiful, lively and widely admired, Rosie Betzler (an ethereal, shimmering Scarlett Johansson) dotes on her son but does not respond enthusiastically when he lapses into the Nazi mantras. For she is not a Nazi at all, and when Jojo hears strange noises upstairs one day, he discovers that his mother has hidden a teenage Jewish girl in the attic. Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) is 14 years old and has been orphaned by fascism: Jojo, ingrained since birth with Hitlers nonsensical race theory, nearly leaps back in horror when he realises hes in the presence of an actual Jew. But Elsa does not conform to the bogeyman stories the Third Reich has been peddling: she has no horns, or scales, and is in fact rather pretty. Despite himself Jojo develops a crush, and as he gets to know the girl his flimsy geopolitical construct begins to crumble. The thousand-year Reich is crumbling too, and Jojos awakening coincides with the wars bloody endgame. Impending defeat has made the Nazis desperate: every day, Jojo strolls past the dangling feet of traitors strung up in the town square, and he and Elsa hold their breath when a blandly polite Gestapo officer (Stephen Merchant) raids the house. The end is nigh, but survival is by no means guaranteed. One takes a risk when poking fun at Nazis, and if you get your satire even slightly wrong the righteous knives will be out for you. The Guardians Peter Bradshaw gave Jojo Rabbit just a single star, and called it a terrible and intensely unfunny film; Slant Magazine was similarly unimpressed, and furiously decried the films use of anti-Semitic canards and stereotypes for cheap laughs. Read More This seems a singularly dim-witted argument, given the fact that medieval anti-Semitic myths were central to Hitlers race theory, and that whenever the boy spouts them they, and he, sound ridiculous. As to whether the film is intensely unfunny or not I will leave to you, but I must say I found it amusing and even cutting in parts. The question is, what is Jojo Rabbit attempting to do? To me, Taika Waititi is using a childs eye to offer new perspectives on the insanity of Nazism, giving us snatches of anti-Semitic nonsense that are all the more disturbing for being imperfectly understood. It becomes impossible for Jojo to retain his doctrinaire contempt for Jews once he actually meets one, and it takes two children to deconstruct the mesh of gibberish first spewed forth from the pages of Mein Kampf. Video of the Day Read More The boys relationship with his mother is touching, and she has the good sense to let him reach his own conclusions about the personality cult hes been immersed in. Taititis Hitler is a capering goon, a childs attempt to accommodate the bombastic charisma of an omnipresent despot, and his performance has a kind of crazy grace. Stephen Merchants oily Gestapo man is more sinister, his Gromit smile concealing an immense capacity for casual viciousness. The horror of the Reich is here, loitering as it would on the edges of the childs consciousness. It may not be perfect, but Jojo Rabbit is an honest film. (12A, 108mins) The Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation, investigating different aspects of the Narada tapes scandal, will share information with each other, a senior official said on Thursday. The ED has also urged CBI to share detail on whether any chargesheet has been filed in the case or the agency has sought permission for prosecution of any of the accused in the scam, the official said. "Earlier, the ED shared its investigation evidence with CBI and is now requesting CBI to do the same", a senior ED official told PTI. The official said it is a "common practice" to share information with each other in the interest of the ongoing investigation being conducted jointly by two central agencies. "Further investigation into the money laundering aspect is dependent on the probe done by the CBI," he said. In the sting operation, which was claimed to have been carried out in 2014, some persons resembling senior Trinamool Congress leaders and an IPS officer are seen accepting money from the representatives of a fictitious company in return for favours. However, the sting video footages were uploaded in the Narada portal before the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016, creating a furore in the state politics. The only person arrested in the case is IPS officer S M H Mirza who was later released on bail. Mirza was the superintendent of police of Burdwan district when the sting operation was conducted by Mathew Samuel, CEO of the portal. Some of the Trinamool Congress leaders accused in the case are Firhad Hakim, Madan Mitra, Suvendu Adhikari, Subrata Mukherjee and Sovan Chatterjee and they were interrogated by both the agencies. The CBI questioned TMC MP Saugata Roy in connection with the scandal. The CBI also questioned BJP leader Mukul Roy whose name had also figured in the list of accused in the Narada case when he was with the Trinamool Congress. Roy joined the saffron party in November, 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A teenager who died in Northern Ireland's first road tragedy of 2020 is the second member of the same family to lose their life over the festive period. Michael Og McKenna (19), from the Maghera area, was driving a red Audi when he was killed on New Year's Day following an early morning collision with a grey Audi. The fatal crash happened around 2.30am on the A29 Moneysharvan Road between Maghera and Swatragh in Co Londonderry. It is the second tragedy to befall the young man's family circle in just three weeks, following on from the death of Michael Og's grandfather (his mother's father) Patrick McGoldrick just before Christmas. Mr McGoldrick, from Clady, Portglenone, who died peacefully at Antrim Area Hospital on December 20, was buried two days later in St Mary's Cemetery, Greenlough, on December 22. A former pupil at St Patrick's College, Maghera, Michael Og, is understood to have been a trainee electrician. Chair of Mid Ulster Council Martin Kearney paid tribute to Michael Og, whom he described as a "bright, young man", and he said his sympathies are with the teenager's family at this difficult time. "I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family who are now dealing with a double tragedy over the festive period," Mr Kearney said. "This comes on the back of a close family bereavement before Christmas and it is the first tragic loss of the New Year. "Michael Og was a very fine young person and an upstanding member of the community; he comes from a good family. "Everyone is shattered by this terrible news." The SDLP councillor added: "It is very sad that Michael Og, a bright and talented pupil, has lost his life just when he was beginning on an apprenticeship career path." Mr Kearney said his thoughts and his prayers were with Michael Og's family, as well as everyone who knew him and has been affected by his death. The female driver of the other car involved in the New Year's Day collision and two teenage passengers were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries. Maghera Parish Priest Fr Patrick Doherty, who has been comforting the family, described Michael Og's death as an "awful tragedy". Sinn Fein MP Francie Molloy said the young man's death had caused shock and sadness in the local community. "Any death on our roads is a tragedy, particularly when someone so young loses their life," said the Mid Ulster MP. "My thoughts are with the family and friends of this young man at this sad time." Police have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who saw either of the cars prior to the collision to contact them on 101, quoting reference 460 of 01/01/20. The Moneysharvan Road was closed by the PSNI for several hours while officers carried out an investigation. It has since been reopened. It is understood that a post mortem is due to be carried out on the deceased over the coming days. There are no funeral details at present. Michael Og McKenna is survived by his parents, Joseph and Angela McFlynn, and a younger brother. Haiti - 216th Independence : Congratulations and wishes of the Secretary General of CARICOM As part of the 216th anniversary of Haitis independence, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) sent a message of congratulations and greetings to President Jovenel Moise. "The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) extends its heartfelt congratulations to the Government and People of the Republic of Haiti on the occasion of the Two Hundred and Sixteenth Anniversary of their Independence on the First of January 2020. The glorious event that is celebrated on that day retains its extraordinary historic and symbolic value for the Government and People of Haiti, as well as for the People of the wider Region. Excellency, this watershed event will continue to be a source of inspiration and resilience, as well as a guiding light as the Government and People of Haiti move forward to overcome the challenges of social, economic and political development, all to the benefit of the People of your proud country and the promise of a better future. I join with the Caribbean Community in extending our best wishes on this auspicious occasion and look forward to working with the Government and People of Haiti as the country strives towards sustainable development" Ambassadeur Irwin LaRocque HL/ HaitiLibre Turkey's parliament authorized the government to deploy troops to back Libya's internationally recognized administration against rival forces, deepening a proxy war that's drawn in Russia and regional powers. The parliament on Thursday voted 325 to 184 to give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a one-year mandate to dispatch troops at the request of the government of Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. Sarraj's Tripoli-based government is battling forces aligned with commander Khalifa Haftar, which are backed by Russian mercenaries, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Turkey's involvement could complicate international efforts to end the divisions that have roiled the country since the overthrow of strongman Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. "We're not intervening in Libya, we are just responding to a request for help from the internationally recognized government there," Emrullah Isler, Erdogan's envoy to Tripoli, told parliament before the vote. Libya has been under a United Nations arms embargo since 2011. Italy and Egypt swiftly signaled opposition. Italy, which has longstanding political and economic ties to Libya, objects to any foreign intervention in the North African country, said an Italian official who declined to be named. Instead, priority should be given to renewing negotiations and clinching a cease-fire, the official said. Egypt's Foreign Ministry warned that "such interference will negatively affect stability in the Mediterranean, and Turkey will fully bear this responsibility." Egypt's national security council, headed by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, discussed the development, state TV reported. Haftar is allied with a rival administration based in the eastern city of Tobruk. He already controls most of Libya's oil facilities, as well as chunks of territory in the country's east and south. Haftar was able to renew his stalled offensive on the capital, Tripoli, after Russian mercenaries intervened in September. Turkey aims to salvage billions of dollars of business contracts thrown into limbo by Libya's protracted conflict, and in return for agreeing to defend Sarraj's administration, it won Libyan backing of a controversial maritime deal affirming Ankara's claim to rights in the eastern Mediterranean, where it is at loggerheads with Cyprus over natural gas resources. Turkey is ready to send its navy to protect Tripoli, while its troops train and coordinate Sarraj's forces, according to a senior Turkish official. The terms of the Turkish deployment will include: Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. - Establishment of an elite Libyan force to respond immediately to threats. - Allocation of weapons, planes, vehicles on ground and at sea. - Joint exercises; and - Exchange of counter-terrorism intelligence and operational cooperation. (CNN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested immunity from prosecution in three corruption cases in which he faces indictment on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu submitted the request to the Knesset late Wednesday night, saying he plans on leading the country "for many years to come." "What is being done to me is a field court-martial by misleading the public," Netanyahu said in a televised statement Wednesday evening in Jerusalem. "The immunity law is intended to protect elected officials from fabricated legal proceedings from political indictment intended to damage the will of the people. This law intends to ensure that those elected can serve the people according to the will of the people, not the will of the law clerks." Charges against Netanyahu were unveiled in November. He's maintained his innocence throughout the ongoing criminal proceedings, calling them an "attempted coup" led by the left and the media. Political rival slams request Rival Benny Gantz, who leads the Blue and White party, blasted Netanyahu's request, saying voters will have two choices in the upcoming elections in March. " ... the interests of Netanyahu will win or the national interest will win. Or there will be an extreme immunity government or there will be broad unity government. Or the kingdom of Netanyahu or the State of Israel," said Gantz shortly after Netanyahu spoke. "Blue and White led by me will do everything according to the law." Members of Knesset, including the Prime Minister, are entitled by law to request parliamentary immunity from prosecution. The request is considered by the Knesset's House Committee. If the request is approved in the committee, it is then passed on to a vote in the full 120-member Knesset. But the House Committee hasn't been formed since Israel's election in April began a period of prolonged political deadlock. Elections in September failed to break that deadlock, and once again, no House Committee was formed. Without a seated committee, there is no way to consider Netanyahu's request for immunity, putting any criminal proceedings against the Prime Minister on hold at least until the upcoming elections on March 2. Members of the opposition have said they would seek to form a temporary House Committee to consider the immunity request, but it's unclear at this stage if such a move is likely to happen. If granted, the immunity from prosecution applies only to the current Knesset, meaning Netanyahu would have to request immunity again following any subsequent election. Moments after Netanyahu finished his statement, former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said his Yisrael Beiteinu would vote unanimously against immunity. "It's now clear beyond any doubt. All that Netanyahu is interested in is immunity," said Liberman in a statement. "This is what he wakes up with in the morning, this is what he lives, this is what he breathes throughout the day, this is what he goes to bed with. The State of Israel has become a hostage of a private personal problem of Netanyahu." Four reasons for seeking immunity If the immunity request is rejected, Netanyahu does not have to resign immediately. Under Israeli law, he can remain Prime Minister while the trial is ongoing. He only has to resign if he is convicted and that conviction is upheld through the appeals process, a process which could take years. Under Israeli law, Knesset members can request immunity citing one of four reasons: Protection of freedom of expression Prosecutors were acting in bad faith or discriminating against the member The Knesset has already disciplined the member and there is no public interest in a trial Criminal proceedings would cause serious damage to the functioning of the Knesset, its committees, or the will of the voters. In addition, there would not be considerable damage to the public interest without a trial. Since the immunity law was updated in 2005, no member of Knesset has been granted immunity from prosecution. (There is one open request for former Minister of Welfare Haim Katz, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party, who faces indictment on charges of fraud and breach of trust.) Prior to 2005, parliamentary immunity was automatically granted to members of Knesset the law was changed to force them to submit a formal request, which would then be weighed by the Knesset House Committee. In recent weeks, Netanyahu had begun floating the idea of seeking immunity at campaign rallies, warming his voter base to the possibility. On Sunday, at an event in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said, "Immunity is not against democracy. Immunity is a cornerstone of democracy." The crowd erupted into cheers, with some shouting, "Take the immunity!" Lengthy investigation Since the investigations were announced three years ago, Netanyahu has waged a campaign of delegitimization against them, denouncing them as a media-driven witch hunt. As the investigations advanced, Netanyahu sharpened his rhetoric and expanded his attacks, saying, "Every day, my blood, my wife's blood, my children's blood is being shed by those with evil intent." Calling the investigations "contaminated" and demanding that "the investigators are investigated," Netanyahu began attacking the judicial system, the police, and the state prosecutor's office. "There is one law for others, and one law for Netanyahu," he claimed in November when the indictments were unveiled. As speculation grew earlier this week that Netanyahu would request immunity, Ayman Odeh, head of the Arab Joint List, tweeted Saturday, "I call on the entire public to seek immunity against the flu, not against an indictment of bribery." The decision to allow the formation of a Knesset House Committee now passes to Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party. If Edelstein decides not to allow the committee to form, the legal proceedings against Netanyahu could remain stuck until after the March elections. Israel's legal deadlock would match its political deadlock. This story was first published on CNN.com 'Israel's Netanyahu seeks immunity from prosecution in corruption cases' The Tata Sons Limited on Thursday approached the Supreme Court against the order of the Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) which reinstated Cyrus Mistry as executive chairman of the company. The company has sought early interim relief ahead of the board meeting which is likely to be held on January 9. The matter has not yet been fixed for hearing and will only come up after the apex court opens on January 6 after the winter break. On December 18, the NCLAT had restored Cyrus Mistry as the Executive Chairman of the Tata Group and held that the appointment of N Chandrasekaran was illegal. The tribunal, however, clarified the restoration order will be operational only after four weeks, thus allotting time to Tatas to file an appeal. The Mumbai bench of the Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had dismissed the petitions filed by the two investment firms - Cyrus Investments Private Ltd and Sterling Investments Corporation - challenging Mistry's removal. Later, Mistry had also personally approached the NCLAT over the NCLT order. Mistry, who was the sixth chairman of Tata Sons, was ousted from the position in October 2016. He had taken over as the chairman in December 2012 after Ratan Tata announced his retirement. The Mistry camp had challenged the July 9 order of the Mumbai bench of the NCLT which dismissed the pleas against his removal as Tata Sons chairman, as also the allegations of rampant misconduct on part of Ratan Tata and the company's board. Mistry in his pleas primarily argued that his removal was not in accordance with the Companies Act and that there was rampant mismanagement of affairs across Tata Sons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) critic's rating: 2.0/5 Trailer : Sab Kushal Mangal Marriage woesGroom kidnapping or pakadwa shaadi is a serious issue in Jharkhand and Bihar. Parents employ it as a last resort of sorts to stave off excessive dowry demands. Bollywood seems to find the situation funny as Jabariya Jodi (2019) starring Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra was made on it as a rom-com and Sab Kushal Mangal too follows the same pattern.Baba Bhandari (Akshaye Khanna) is a bahubali specialising in groom kidnapping. He's a local legend in the sense that he has always delivered the goods. Mandira (Riva Kishan) is a strong-headed girl whose parents don't have enough money to pay as dowry demanded by prospective grooms. They engage Babas services and the candidate he kidnaps happens to be a popular local anchor Pappu Mishra (Priyank Sharma) who has made it big in Delhi. He falls in love with the girl who serves him food, not knowing that hes her intended groom. He escapes but returns when he learns the truth. Meanwhile, Baba Bhandari has also fallen in love with Mandira and to impress her, asks Pappu to turn him into a metrosexual. A set of misadventures follow, which further entangle the situation.The film has been made with the help of Jharkhand film corporation and has been mostly shot in the state. Hence you do get a sense of place while watching the film. Its either a stroke of genius or a dash of madness to cast Akshaye Khanna, one of our most suave, debonair and urban stars as a rustic rowdy, who later gets a makeover. Akshaye seems to be having a whale of a time of late, jumping into improbable roles and making a fair game of it all nevertheless. The Accidental Prime Minister and Section 375 are proof enough of that. He seems to be having a gala time here as well, playing a Bihari don. He has sensibly not affected an accent nor adopted any OTT mannerisms but just goes on with the flow, instinctively doing the right things to keep your interest piqued. His character and the films dialogue are the best things about this haphazard comedy. The production values are abysmal, the cinematography and editing are just about average and the screenplay is all over the place.Newcomers Priyank Sharma and Riva Kishan are confident youngsters showing enough spark for you to wish that they should have started their careers with a better film. Riva has the same natural ease in front of the camera as her father Ravi Kishan. We wonder why he didnt do a cameo in the film. The supporting cast, comprising veterans like Satish Kaushik, Supriya Pathak and Rakesh Bedi have done their best to keep this vessel from keeling over.Summing up, Sab Kushal Mangal does make the right noises about how dowry still makes life hell for the girls and that they should be allowed to make their own choices. It asks questions but doesnt offer any concrete solutions. For all her forward-thinking ways, the girl is shown to fall for a guy who looks more polished than the other men around her. She also doesnt rebel against the fact that being married is the only choice left to her. If only things were done right, the film would have surely made an impact against pertinent issues... The visit, previously scheduled for January 3, was abruptly scrapped in the wake of the recent attempted attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko says Ukraine expects to shortly agree on new dates for the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "I respectfully accept the decision of SecPompeo to postpone his visit to Ukraine after the attacks on the base of Operation Inherent Resolve and on USEmbBaghdad. We support our strategic partner coalition forces and diplomats must be secured," reads Prystaiko's tweet posted Thursday. "We affirm our readiness to welcome SecPompeo in Ukraine and we expect to agree new dates of the visit shortly," the top diplomat wrote in a separate tweet. We affirm our readiness to welcome @SecPompeo in Ukraine and we expect to agree new dates of the visit shortly. Vadym Prystaiko (@VPrystaiko) January 2, 2020 As UNIAN reported earlier, Mike Pompeo postponed his visit to Ukraine where he was set to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko, and Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk, in order to be in Washington, D.C., monitor the ongoing situation in Iraq, where the Baghdad-based U.S. embassy was attacked recently, and to ensure the safety and security of U.S. citizens in the Middle East. Also postponed were Pompeo's trips to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus. "Secretary Pompeo's trip will be rescheduled in the near future and he looks forward to the visit at that time," the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv reported. In an earlier commentary, MFA Ukraine "strongly condemned" the recent attempted attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. Hong Kong and Taiwan are on high alert following a notice from Chinese authorities on Dec. 31 that 27 people contracted an unknown viral pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan. With some netizens likening the epidemic to the deadly outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus that killed almost 800 people in 2002-2003 after being covered up by Chinese authorities, the Hong Kong and Taiwan government have called for faster genetic testing after Chinese authorities said they were yet to confirm the cause of the outbreak. As China has the technology to identify viruses within 48 hours, the authoritys slow response has led many to be suspicious as to why the disease has yet to be identified. Emergency Notice for New Outbreak On Dec. 30, Wuhan city Health Commission released an Emergency Notice About Unknown Pneumonia. The notice said that several Wuhan hospitals had received pneumonia patients with similar symptoms and that no further details were available. The notice was soon spread by Chinese netizens via different social media platforms. Although the government soon censored this information, the notice was broadly spread among overseas Chinese communities. On Dec. 31, state-run media confirmed the outbreak but also did not have any information about the cause of the infections. The report said patients symptoms included fever, having difficulty breathing and invasive lesions in both lungs. 27 people from Wuhan had fallen ill, with seven of them in serious condition. Most of the patients were sellers at the Huanan Seafood Market located close to Hankou Railway Station in the citys Jianghan district. That same market was linked to all SARS cases seen in Wuhan in 2003. The market is not limited to selling seafood, netizens said, but also sees various animals including cats, snakes, and marmots. The notice added that hospitals were planning to release two of the 27 infected people in the next few days after some more treatment, while 18 other patients are in a stable condition. The state-run Peoples Daily reported on the afternoon of Dec. 31 that the initial investigating team didnt find an obvious human-to-human transmission, and that so far, no medical staff have been infected. The cause of the disease is not clear, the newspaper said on the popular social media platform Weibo, citing unnamed hospital officials. We cannot confirm it is whats being spread online, that it is SARS virus. Other severe pneumonia is more likely. The Chinese National Health Commission, a cabinet-level executive department for sanitation and health, said it has sent a group of experts to Wuhan on Dec. 31 to lead more tests and another investigation. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Taiwan have stepped up border screening and hospitals are on alert. Hong Kong Every day, there are four trains that run between Hong Kong and Wuhan. As a result, the presence of the disease in Wuhan has Hongkongers worried. David Hui Shu-cheong, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told local media on Dec. 31 that the critical situation of Wuhans viral pneumonia reminded him of what Hong Kong faced with SARS in 2003. Hui pointed out that in 2003, one out of four SARS patients was in serious condition. He said mainland authorities should arrange virus tests as soon as possible. Meanwhile, people should wear a facial mask and wash their hands frequently if they plan to go to Wuhan, he added. Yuen Kwok-yung, microbiology professor at Hong Kong University, tried to calm down the public after acknowledging that the outbreak had similarities to the 1997 outbreak of bird flu and the 2003 outbreak of SARS. He said at a government-organized press conference on Dec. 31: Now in Hong Kong and the mainland, the protection is better than 2003 So I think people shouldnt panic but must be alert, must follow the instructions from Hong Kongs Department of Health and Hospital Authority. Taiwan Fears about the disease has been a topic of great concern in Taiwan. People are worried that with the Chinese New Year holiday on Jan. 25, there is a heightened risk that the virus may be spread by Taiwanese businessmen returning from China. Taiwans Centers for Disease Control (CDC) organized a press conference on the afternoon of Dec. 31. Lo Yi-Chun, the CDCs deputy director, gave a briefing on the situation and said the agency had sent an inquiry email to China requesting information. Lo said that once the Wuhan side has confirmed the type of virus, the Taiwanese government will set up an emergency working team to coordinate departments reacting to possible infections. On Jan. 2, Taiwan News reported that a 6-year-old child who arrived in Taiwan on Dec. 31 after passing through Wuhan has developed a fever and is being closely monitored. However, the child was allowed to go home as they had not been traveling in Wuhan and had not been in contact with animals. Since the first SARS epidemic, no additional cases of the virus have been reported so far worldwide. The virus was first discovered in Chinas Guangdong province in 2002, after which it spread to Hong Kong and other cities. At least 1,755 Hongkongers became infected with the SARS virus, of which 299 died. In neighboring Taiwan, 307 people contracted the virus, of which 47 died. Globally, a total of 8,096 people from 31 countries contracted SARS, including Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and the Philippines. There is currently no cure for SARS. From The Epoch Times Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 22:48:27|Editor: yan Video Player Close OUAGADOUGOU, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least ten people were killed on Tuesday night in an attack on a gendarmerie position in Djibo, a locality in the northern Soum province of Burkina Faso, security sources told Xinhua. The same sources revealed assailants were among the killed, adding that a gendarme was also killed. This had occurred as Burkina Faso's President Roch Marc Christian Kabore addressed the nation on Tuesday night and ensured of an upcoming victory over the terrorism scourge facing the country. "The victory of Burkina Faso people over terrorism is assured because we remain confident in our unity against adversity," he said. The West African country is faced with a worsening security situation featured by frequent attacks, mainly in the northern regions. Since 2015, terrorist attacks have claimed the lives of over 700 people, including 200 soldiers, and displaced thousands of others in the country. A former Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Edo State, Charles Idahosa, has told his former boss, and National Chairman o... A former Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Edo State, Charles Idahosa, has told his former boss, and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to stop playing the victim of the crisis rocking the party across the country. Idahosa said that Oshiomhole was the cause of the crisis and so should stop playing the victim card. He was reacting to the former Edo State Governors call on Nigerians to remember him in their prayers over his fate in the party. Oshiomhole made the call at a meeting with some party members in Edo. Idahosa, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to Oshiomhole who spoke with reporters in Benin City. He pointed out that the APC has lost grounds on account of the Oshiomholes combative stance in running its affairs. He said the National Chairman should resign instead of calling for prayers he does not need. Idahosa said, Comrade Oshiomhole should spare us the drama of asking Nigerians to pray for him over the APC crisis. It is just a case of barefaced deceit, which is second nature to him. It is public knowledge that he is the cause of the crisis in the party, at the national and state levels. At the national level, the state governors are inching very close to removing him on account of his high-handedness, sabotage and tyrannical approach to running the party. The APC is in more crisis than Oshiomhole met it; the party has lost grounds on account of the national chairmans combative stance in running its affairs. European shares are trading higher Thursday on optimism over global economic growth. Stocks were underpinned after U.S. President Donald Trump said that a Phase One trade deal with China will be signed on January 15, although he did not release any details of the expected signing ceremony. Not only are traders excited about the signing of the trade deal, which was struck on December 15, but they are also enthusiastic about the possibility of finally seeing some of the details of the deal that have so far been sketchy. Although the markets have hit record highs since the deal was announced, some say the market reaction has actually been stunted by a lack of clarity over the full extent of the agreement. In the U.K., the FTSE 100 Index is trading 7611.61, up 69.17 or +0.92%. Germanys DAX Index is at 13369.33, up 120.32 or +0.91% and in France, the CAC is trading 6058.94, up 80.88 or +1.35%. Corporate and Stocks News Airbus has become the worlds largest airplane manufacturer for the first time since 2011, ousting Boeing from the top spot after beating forecasts on its 863 aircraft in 2019, Reuters reported on Wednesday citing airport and tracking sources. German banks led the upward momentum on Thursday with Commerzbank climbing 5.9% while compatriot Deutsche Bank added 5.4%. Tullow Oil shares slid 6.6% after the British oil company announced the results of drilling at its Carapa-1 well, paring sharp early losses by the afternoon. Shares Rise in Asia on Back of Strong Chinese Private Survey Data Shares in China led gains among major markets in the Asia Pacific region as they surged on Thursday, after a private survey showed manufacturing activity in the country rising in December. The Markit/Caixin Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for manufacturing in the month of December came in 51.5, versus 51.8 in November. Still, that was below expectations by analysts in a Reuters poll of a reading of 51.7 for December. Story continues That came after the official manufacturing PMI released Tuesday came in slightly above expectations. South Korea Exports Fall Less Than Expected Data released Wednesday showed the South Koreas exports falling less than expected in December. South Koreas exports for that month declined 5.2% in December as compared to a year earlier, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing data from the countrys trade ministry. That was lower than median expectations of a 6.0% fall from a Reuters poll. Peoples Bank of China Makes Move The Peoples Bank of China also announced Wednesday on its website that it was going to lower the reserve requirement ratio for banks by 50 basis points with effect from Jan. 6. This article was originally posted on FX Empire More From FXEMPIRE: What is the Laba Festival? Thursday marks the traditional Laba Festival in China. Laba Festival, also simply called "Laba," comes on the eighth day of the twelfth month of the Chinese lunar year. The festival has this name because the twelfth month is also called "la" month in Chinese while the number eight is pronounced "ba." Since it's in the last month of the lunar year, the festival implies saying goodbye to the old and embracing the new, and often regarded as a warm-up celebration for the upcoming Spring Festival. A picture of the offerings on Laba Festival. /Graphic design by Li Yueyun Laba Day is also Bodhi Day in the Buddhist tradition. It's said that Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, attained enlightenment on this day. Thus, the day is one of the grandest festivals for Buddhists. What do we do on this day? One of the festival's traditions is to offer sacrifices to the ancestors and gods. In the agrarian societies of ancient times, this worship was a prayer for good luck and a bountiful harvest. It was also an important ritual for emperors in those times, who would hold grand sacrificial fetes in the winter to show their appreciation to nature and their ancestors. A picture of Laba congee. /Graphic design by Li Yueyun Those ancient activities could be interpreted as a reflection of "Xiao" (filial piety), "Ren" (benevolence and love) and Yi (righteousness) in Confucian values. Nowadays, the rituals tend to be less formal. People offer sacrifice now more to memorialize family members who have passed away. Those who visit temples on this day are not necessarily religious believers, but want to demonstrate their best wishes for the Chinese New Year. What food do we eat for this fest? The tradition to have Laba congee on this day dates back more than a thousand years and is still a major part of Laba day in many places. Legend has it that, before being enlightened, the Buddha worked hard for many years and was emaciated and weak. Thanks to the milk porridge offered by some shepherdesses, he recovered physical strength and later achieved enlightenment. A picture of Laba garlic. /Graphic design by Li Yueyun Therefore, nowadays, temples adhere to the tradition of offering congee to the public on this day to show appreciation for the kindhearted and to help the poor. The selection of ingredients for the congee may vary geographically, but generally it include grains like rice, millet, glutinous rice, sorghum, black rice, and coix seeds; beans like soybean, red bean, mung bean, kidney bean, and cowpea; nuts like red dates, peanuts, lotus seeds, goji, chestnuts, raisins, walnuts, and longans. In northern China, it's also popular to make Laba garlic. People usually put peeled garlic cloves into a container with vinegar and then seal it up. During the pickling process, the garlic will turn green. It is a typical side dish to have with dumplings during the Spring Festival. In northwest China, some residents in Shaanxi Province eat Laba noodles for the festival. People in Qinghai Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region prefer rice made with beans or meat. In places like Anhui in east China, people will eat Laba tofu. These local customs vary based on location and climate and are intended to help people overcome the winter cold and prevent illness. New Delhi: On the second of the New Year, a massive blaze broke out in Delhis Peeragarhi area on Thursday. Fourteen including 13 firefighters were injured in the blaze. They suffered severe injuries after the battery factory collapsed during the explosion after the fire. A security guard of the factory was also injured, a police officer told reporters and said one person was still trapped under the debris. The building at Udyog Nagar area collapsed following an explosion when firefighters were dousing the blaze, an official said. The rescue operation is still underway. The severity of the blaze can be gauged from the fact that more than 30 fire engines were at the spot in the morning. Several people, including fire brigade personnel, were trapped under the debris. A team of the National Disaster Response Force was conducting the rescue operation. According to initial reports, a call was received around 4:23 am about the fire in a factory located in Peeragarhis Udyog Nagar area. At first, the fire department had sent seven tenders. Some blasts were also reported from the factory. Due to one of such blast, a part of the factory collapsed and some fire department personnel were feared trapped under the debris. The Peeragarhi fire is the first major incident of blaze in the National Capital in 2020. Last year, Delhi witnessed a massive fire in Anaj Mandi area that claimed 43 lives. The Filmistan fire was the worst that the National Capital has witnessed since the Uphaar tragedy that killed 59 people. The tragic incident prompted visit from high-profile politicians, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union ministers Hardeep Puri and Harsh Vardhan, Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Delhi Industry Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa to the LNJP Hospital. Almost all the deceased were migrant labourers hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Police and fire department officials said many of the fatalities occurred due to suffocation as the people were sleeping when the fire started at around 5 am on the second floor of the building that did not have fire safety clearance and was packed with combustible material like card boards. It took over 150 firefighters nearly five hours to douse the blaze. As many as 63 people were pulled out from the building. While 43, including one minor, died, 16 were injured. Two fire department personnel were hurt while carrying out rescue work, officials said. By PTI AHMEDABAD: The BJP government in Gujarat will bring a resolution in the upcoming one-day Assembly session of the state legislature on January 10 to extend its support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), a state minister said on Thursday. The new citizenship law seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees who came to India before December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. However, the controversial legislation has sparked protests across the country. A one-day session of the Gujarat Assembly has been convened on January 10 to approve a Constitutional amendment recently passed by both the Houses of Parliament to give a 10 -year extension to reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. "To extend our support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government's decision about the CAA, a resolution supporting the new law will be brought during the Assembly session," Pradeepsinh Jadeja, Gujarat's Minister of State for Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs, said in Gandhinagar on Thursday. ALSO READ | CAA: Four Goa Congress leaders quit party, say minorities being misled "This law is a historic step towards granting citizenship rights to the minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh," he added. The one-day session of the Assembly has been called by the Gujarat government to approve the 'Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019', which was passed by the Parliament a month back, Jadeja said. "It is mandatory that at least 50 per cent of the state Assemblies in the country approve this Constitutional amendment. Only then it will be sent for President's assent. We have, therefore, called this session on January 10 to approve it," the minister said. Since it is the first Assembly session of the new year, Governor Acharya Devvrat would inaugurate the session with his address, followed by a resolution to thank him for the speech, Jadeja said. Buoyed by the outcome of assembly elections in neighbouring Jharkhand, the Congress is set to replicate the poll strategy in Bihar by ensuring that the alliance and the political chemistry are strong on the ground. The Congress had played second fiddle to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in Jharkhand and is content to be a junior partner to one of its oldest and trusted allies the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar, with Tejashwi Yadav as the chief ministerial candidate of the grand alliance. Along with the Congress and the RJD, the other parties expected to be in the opposition grouping are the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) of Upendra Kushwaha and former chief minister Jitin Ram Manjhis Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). The tie-up between these parties existed in last years Lok Sabha elections as well. The Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninst) were also part of the rainbow coalition. There is also no clarity yet if the other Left parties will join them. However, discussions on seat-sharing are yet to begin and will start only in April-May as the assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to be held in October-November this year. We will start talks on seats with our allies in April-May. But we have started or ground work in all the 243 assembly constituencies, Congress Bihar in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil said. In Jharkhand, the Congress had issued clear directives to its district leaders to campaign jointly with other alliance partners even if its candidates were not contesting on those seats in a bid to send a message of unity. One of the reasons identified for the poor show in 2019 Lok Sabha elections was lack of coordination among the allies on the ground. The same formula will be repeated in Bihar. Our ground work will obviously help our alliance partners as well, added Gohil. In the last assembly elections in 2015, the Congress, riding piggyback on the grand alliance (which also included the Janata Dal (United), recorded its best-ever performance in 25 years, winning 27 of 41 assembly seats it had contested. The Congress hopes to gain substantially in the upcoming elections. A massive anti-incumbency against the Nitish Kumar-led government coupled with rampant corruption in the state are going to propel the grand alliance to power, said senior Bihar Congress leader Kishore Kumar Jha. There is also confusion among the JD(U) and the BJP and the leg pulling has already started, he added. Both BJP and JD(U) have recently had sharp exchanges on seat-sharing, though the alliance is understood to be firmly intact, with BJP president Amit Shah saying that it will be led by Nitish Kumar as the CM face. JD(U) is also expected to join the union cabinet. But the grand alliance will be missing RJD supremo Lalu Prasad who was a star campaigner in the 2015 elections. The opposition parties may appear strong in terms of caste calculations buy the key to their success is their capacity to transfer votes to each other. While the RJD has considerable influence over Yadavs and Muslims, the RLSP boasts of the support base of Koeris who are from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Similarly, the HAM has a sway over Musahars (Scheduled Caste) while the VIP of Mukesh Sahni alias Son of Mallah is strong among the Nishad (fisherfolk and boatmen) community (OBC). In the Lok Sabha elections, these caste groups did not vote as blocs for the alliance, eventually paving the way for a sweep by BJP and JD(U), along with their third ally, Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party. The Congress that claims to represent all sections of the society has been reduced to political margins of the state since 1990s. The Mandal politics saw the decline of the Congress and the rise of regional leaders such as Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar in the states political landscape. In the past three decades, the Congress worked different combinations of caste and religion as part its organisational restructuring to not only check the erosion of its support base but also see its resurgence. But all such attempts failed to help the grand old party to regain its lost glory. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Stephan Moll, M.D., at NASA. Credit: UNC School of Medicine "My first reaction when NASA reached out to me was to ask if I could visit the International Space Station (ISS) to examine the patient myself," said Stephan Moll, MD, UNC School of Medicine blood clot expert and long-time NASA enthusiast. "NASA told me they couldn't get me up to space quickly enough, so I proceeded with the evaluation and treatment process from here in Chapel Hill." Moll was the only non-NASA physician NASA consulted when it was discovered that an astronaut aboard the ISS had a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) - or blood clotin the jugular vein of their neck. The astronaut's identity is being kept anonymous for privacy reasons, so identifying information such as when this event happened is being omitted from the case study. We do know that the astronaut was two months into a six-month mission on the ISS when the DVT was discovered. This was the first time a blood clot had been found in an astronaut in space, so there was no established method of treatment for DVT in zero gravity. Moll, a member of the UNC Blood Research Center, was called upon for his vast knowledge and treatment experience of DVT on Earth. "Normally the protocol for treating a patient with DVT would be to start them on blood thinners for at least three months to prevent the clot from getting bigger and to lessen the harm it could cause if it moved to a different part of the body such as the lungs," Moll said. "There is some risk when taking blood thinners that if an injury occurs, it could cause internal bleeding that is difficult to stop. In either case, emergency medical attention could be needed. Knowing there are no emergency rooms in space, we had to weigh our options very carefully." Moll and a team of NASA doctors decided blood thinners would be the best course of treatment for the astronaut. They were limited in their pharmaceutical options, however. The ISS keeps only a small supply of various medicines on board, and there was a limited amount of the blood thinner Enoxaparin (Lovenox) available. Moll advised NASA on what dosage of Enoxaparin would effectively treat the DVT while also lasting long enough, until NASA could get a new shipment of drugswhich Moll helped selectto the ISS. The course of treatment with Enoxaparina drug delivered by an injection into the skinlasted for around 40 days. On day 43 of the astronaut's treatment, a supply of Apixaban (Eliquis) - a pill taken orally- was delivered to the ISS by a supply spacecraft. Throughout the treatment process, which lasted more than 90 days, the astronaut performed ultrasounds on their own neck with guidance from a radiology team on Earth in order to monitor the blood clot. Moll was also able to speak to the astronaut during this period through email and phone calls. "When the astronaut called my home phone, my wife answered and then passed the phone to me with the comment, 'Stephan, a phone call for you from space.' That was pretty amazing," said Moll. "It was incredible to get a call from an astronaut in space. They just wanted to talk to me as if they were one of my other patients. And amazingly the call connection was better than when I call my family in Germany, even though the ISS zips around Earth at 17,000 miles per hour." Four days before the astronaut's journey home to Earth, they stopped taking Apixaban. Moll and his NASA counterparts made that decision because of how physically demanding and potentially dangerous the re-entry process can be for astronauts, and they did not want an injury to be exacerbated by the use of blood thinners. The astronaut landed safely on Earth and the blood clot required no more treatment. This astronaut's blood clot was asymptomaticthey didn't have any symptoms that would have otherwise made them aware of the clot. The DVT was discovered when the astronaut was taking ultrasounds of their neck for a research study on how body fluid is redistributed in zero gravity. If it wasn't for the study, there's no telling what the outcome could have been. That's why Moll continues to work with NASA and says there's a need for more research of how blood and blood clots behave in space. "Is this something that is more common in space?" posed Moll. "How do you minimize risk for DVT? Should there be more medications for it kept on the ISS? All of these questions need answering, especially with the plan that astronauts will embark on longer missions to the moon and Mars." Explore further US astronaut sets record for longest spaceflight by a woman A s the new year dawns in the US, upheaval in Washington and a divided electorate are grabbing the headlines. The impeachment of Donald Trump threatens to cast a shadow over the primary season and the US presidential elections. Nancy Pelosis decision not to send articles of impeachment to the Senate threatens to prolong the agony not only for Trump, but for members of Congress campaigning for re-election and the Democratic presidential candidates. Yet by delaying, she also undercuts Trumps ability to claim vindication on the back of the acquittal that a short Senate trial is all but destined to deliver. Americans are tired of political drama. Will the chickens come home to roost for Trump, or will Pelosis choice create a backlash against Democrats and drive Republican turnout in 2020? Whatever comes next, America needs to get its house in order or its influence on the global stage will continue to suffer. Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Head, US and Americas Programme, Chatham House Defence Editor's Reply Dear Leslie I cannot fault your excellent arguments. There is potential hazard for both Democrats and Republicans in the impeachment drama. If there is a short, early hearing in the Senate in which Trump is acquitted, he will emerge strengthened to fight the campaign for re-election. I cannot see any obvious likelihood that he would be convicted. This would be damaging for the Democrats hence Mrs Pelosis caution. Trumps base is still solid, and, as you say, he is buoyed by a relatively strong economy. The real gap is the absence of the US as a world leader, underlined by the latest climate change conference debacle. Trumps most consistent manoeuvre on the world stage so far has been retreat. This wont do him or the Republicans much good in a second presidential term, if he gets one. Too often, America First is appearing to mean America last. Robert Fox, Defence Editor The BBC should look to the future Peter Crowhurst [Letters, Take BBC back to its Fifties heyday, December 18] makes some interesting points regarding the BBC. However, I disagree with his call to return to the broadcasting style of the Fifties. The reality was far different from perhaps what he imagines. Newsreaders were behind the scenes. The approach to interviewing was extremely deferential and provided very little depth, insight or analysis. I agree that the standard and clarity of speech used now has fallen to less than what ought to be acceptable just look at some old news clips on YouTube from only 20 or 30 years ago and the difference is obvious. But to return to the clipped tones of the Fifties dinner-jacketed BBC would be absurd today. Colin Robson No-fault divorce law is welcome It is extremely good news that ministers have revived plans to introduce no-fault divorce after a bill was scuppered by the general election and the suspension of Parliament. It is a relief to virtually the entire legal profession who thinks that the existing, antiquated divorce process causes unnecessary acrimony for separating couples and their families. Renato Labi, Partner at Hughes Fowler Carruthers Airlines are too profit-focused Savvy consumers are not prepared to suffer below-average experiences with airlines at increasingly higher costs, according to a Which? report last month. British Airways stopping complimentary food or drinks on economy short-haul flights epitomises an industry over reliant on ancillary revenue. While BAs position as one of the worst airlines in the world may come as a surprise to anyone proud of the national carrier, few will be shocked by Ryanairs placement at the bottom of the ranking. Ryanair took more than 1.7 billion in ancillary revenue in 2018 alone and its constant cost-cutting has cemented its status as the most budget of budget airlines. Its a sad state of affairs that flyers have to splash out for basic perks such as bringing hand luggage on board, while still facing a subpar service. Economic Intelligence Unit has predicted that the Akufo-Addo administration is still regarded as a better custodian of the economy compared to the NDC's Mahama administration. The Unit predicts close contest between the two parties in the coming election with Npp emerging victorious. I don't know where they conducted their research and their methodologies. But basically, understanding how people experience and feel about their lives provide valuable information for researchers. Africans have our peculiar problems so when measuring performance of our governments, it must be done within the African context. Lack of infrastructure in Africa leaves millions in poverty despite the continent's huge potential. In Ghana, millions of our citizens are still languishing in poverty due to lack of infrastructure. Economists say, if Africa is to unleash its true economic potential, $170 billion is needed every year in infrastructure development. The share of Africa's working age population is rising faster than any other region globally, 70 percent of the populace is under the age 30. It is projected that by 2034, it will have a larger potential workforce than either China or India. Only accelerated infrastructure investment will harness this growth according to the world bank. The world economic forum on Africa report highlighted five interconnected risk impacting countries across the continent. These include unemployment, lack of infrastructure, poor governance, corruption, population growth, insecurity etc etc. Based on these highlights and the situation of the ordinary Ghanaian under this administration, I will only describe EIU prediction as nothing but the usual baseless predictions about Africa which have proven to be false. The Unit predicted that Buhari's APC will lose the 2019 election and based its reasons on same reasons they mentioned in their report but the APC brutally whipped the PDP in that election. Who said inaccurate and bogus economic figures influence voting decision of the voters in Ghana. The reality of our situation is that the economy is suffering through a major slow down. Ghanaians are going through serious economic economic challenges. A country's GDP is the money value of all goods and services produced in a given year, net of intermediate inputs. The growth of GDP we know is measured in real term. For this, GDP at current Price is converted into constant prices based on prices in a particular base year. Roughly every decade or so, the base year is moved forward to reflect changing economic structure, relative prices, and better data sources. Usually, such periodic revision lead to marginal expansion of absolute GDP due to better capturing of economic activity but GDP growth rates do not change. In spite of all the tricks this administration has adopted to misinterpret these core economic principles, Ghanaians are complaining bitterly, the economy has slowed. Prices of goods and services are skyrocketing and the UNIT thinks this government is good custodian of the economy? In this part of the world, corruption, economic hardship and infrastructure take center stage in decision making when it comes to elections. Life under the Mahama administration is far far better than under the current administration. Businesses were doing better and made good profits and investments under the Mahama administration. Hope they know how much a gallon of petrol was sold under Mahama and the current Price, the strength of the cedi currently. What Mahama did in terms of infrastructure development is still fresh in the minds of Ghanaians. They see his projects everyday and enjoy the benefits they have brought to the communities. They will compare the corruption allegations they [Npp] levelled against the Mahama administration to the gargantuan corruption going on in this administration. Ghanaians are fed up with the current administration due to the incompetence and unprecedented corruption in Akufo-Addo's presidency, resulting in the hardship Ghanaians are going through. Ghanaians will look at the ravaging hunger, escalating insecurity, with documented killings, violation of human rights, nepotism when casting their votes. Ghanaians will look at the abandoned hospitals and schools, the reckless spendings by this administration, when making their decisions. The EIU always get it wrong in Africa because- they use their western grown methodologies in doing their predictions and assessments. Mahama achieved all he achieved within four years without huge oil revenue as being enjoyed by this administration. When assessing economic performance of the two administrations, all these facts must be considered. The prices of our export commodities under Mahama vis-a-vis current prices. EIU should also compare unemployment rate under the two administrations and the number of people who have lost their jobs under this administration, the number of collapsed businesses. These are the critical issues EIU must rely on when making their predictions. By: Andrews Krow [email protected] This article originally appeared on Food52. The egg is one of the kitchens marvels, and one of natures, writes prolific food scientist Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking, his 800-page opus on, obviously, food and cooking. Fifty-plus pages are dedicated to the humble egg, which is mentioned upwards of 1,000 times. The egg is one of the kitchens marvels, and one of natures, I hissed at my mother the other morning, when I caught her frying one without any fat, in an old stainless-steel pan. Advertisement Look away! she shrieked, contorting her body to block the stovetop. In my family, there are more best ways to fry an egg than there are members. Theres my moms stainless-steel racket. And theres my older sister, who mainly fries eggs to feed to her dachshund Bunshe swears by a small nonstick skillet with a splash of neutral oil. (Olive oil makes Bun cough.) My dads a cast iron and butter man, through and through. One of my grandmothers was known to employ only a microwave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were not the only ones who cant agree on the best way to fry an egg, apparently. Google it, and youll find ambiguity even among the top results. Some call for butter, and others olive oil or bacon fat. There are fried eggs pictured with lacy edges, and others, framed by silky whites that taper off without so much as gentle browning. Martha Stewart would have you steam your cracked egg in the style of Lucinda Scala Quinns Mad Hungry, while Bon Appetit suggests enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a nonstick pan for fried eggs that come out perfectly, every time. At Food52, weve written about cracking an egg into a cold pan, cooking them in heavy cream, and even baking fried eggs. Advertisement Advertisement So, like any great marvel of the kitchen and nature, I thought it deserved the ABT treatment. Accordingly, I fried 42 eggs in nine different cooking fats and five pan types, to try to arrive at the truth: What is the absolute best way to fry an egg? Control Factors An egg is but an albumenalternating layers of protein and water, making up the whiteand a yolk. In 1868s Eggs, and How to Use Them, chef Adolphe Meyer describes two main ways to coagulate those classes of matter such that they can be considered fried: the French method, wherein an egg is submerged in a half pint of hot fat, and the second method, where eggs are broken into a hot frying pan with an ounce of fat. This series of tests falls under the second method umbrella, the shallow fry. Advertisement In the first phase of trials, several tablespoons of each of nine cooking fats was used to coat the bottom of a nonstick pan, heated over a medium-high flame. Three eggs were fried in each cooking fat, over a medium flame, while the whites were spoon-basted with the hot fat until they set. (Exceptions: the eggs cooked in cream, and the butter-water fellowsmore on each of those in a bit.) Advertisement Advertisement During phase two, three eggs were fried in each of five pan types, again using a medium-high flame to heat the pan and fat, and a medium flame to fry the egg. Based on the results of phase one, olive oil was used as the sole cooking fat across all pan types. Accordingly, Bun was not consulted as a taste-tester. Advertisement Advertisement During both phases, every egg was cracked into its own small receptacle before making its way, gently, into the hot fat, so as to avoid broken yolks (a major bummer), and each one received a single pinch of salt across its surface before submitting itself to tasting and analysis. Phase I: Cooking Fats Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are as many cooking fats in which an egg can be fried as there are pun-opportunities about the social life of someone with time to fry 42 eggs (must be a total yolk!). I tested nine. They were: 1. Canola oil 2. Butter 3. Browned butter 4. Butter and water (per this Martha Stewarttouted method, where you start with butter and then add water to steam) 5. Cream 6. Olive oil 7. Butter and olive oil 8. Bacon fat 9. Coconut oil (refined) Advertisement Heres how it went. Canola oil: The canola-oil egg sort of balled itself up as it cooked, as if it were being deep-fried. It was disappointing from a flavor perspective, though surprisingly efficient from a browned-edge perspective. Crispy, but at what cost? read my greasy notes. Use canola oil if youre out of more flavorful oils and are jonesing for diner-esque edges. Advertisement Butter: These eggs had absolutely no issues with clinging to the surface of the nonstick pan. They slipped-n-slid around, barely garnering color around their edges, and achieving very little under-crisp compared to other trials. The whites of these eggs spread, resulting in a thin final product with a wide diameter. The flavor was, of course, excellent (see: butter generally). Use butter if egg whites sticking to the frying pan is your white whale. Advertisement Browned butter: Browned butter eggs, it turns out, are a lot like the butter-fried eggswith more browning. And a nuttier flavor, which deserves its own sentence. As always when working with browned butter, these were finicky to time, so I would only recommend them to someone who can give egg frying some undivided attention. Advertisement Butter and water: This aforementioned method (touted by Martha Stewart) produced fried eggs with a crispiness factor of exactly zero. Butand this is an important butthey were a textural wonder, with whites like an omelet and yolks just perfectly thick and runny. If youre not into a crispy little guy, this method could be for you. Cream: Speaking of textural wonders! Have you ever wished your fried eggs were essentially the best pudding youve ever had? If so, cook them in cream, and do not share them with anyone. This certified-Genius technique has you add said heavy cream to a cold pan along with the eggsnuts, right?before turning the flame to medium-high. The cream caramelizes, you lose track of where its butterfats end and the egg whites begin, and everything is so delicious it makes you forget all deep existential concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Olive oil: The olive oilfried eggs had the crispiest edges of the bunch, besides the flavorless canolas and the bacon-fat eggs. Importantly, olive oil also produced nice browning on the underside of the white, which spread less than when fried in butter. Olive oil makes for an excellent everyday fried egg, through and through. Butter and olive oil: These eggs tasted better than they looked, thanks to a doubling down on delicious fats. But in a nonstick, they didnt crisp nearly as much as the oil-only batches, or the bacon-fat eggs. (My initial thesis for this testthat olive oil would raise butters smoke pointproved both irrelevant, since I was frying all eggs over the same heat and it didnt cause the butter to smoke in the solo-butter tests, and also untrue, according to J. Kenji Lopez-Alt over at Serious Eats.) If youre looking for extra flavor and dont care much about crispness, these are calling your name. Advertisement Bacon fat: Moment of silence for bacon fat. I hate to say it because of the health and planet implications, but bacon fatfried eggs are perfect in every way. The whites fluff up around the yolk, the edges turn lacy and crisp, and the overall flavor is spot-on. Bacon fat could be the fried-egg method for you if you already keep a supply in your fridge. Advertisement Coconut oil (refined): The coconut oilfried eggs were a sleeper hit. While refined coconut oil doesnt have a coconut-y flavor, it still brought something savory to the party. (The party being me eating 42 eggs alone in pajamas.) The edges and underside of the white became moderately crispy, and there were no issues with stickingthough in some tests, the whites began to stream out like ribbons and had to be coaxed into place with a silicone spatula. If youre not married to a butter or olive-oil or bacon-fat flavor, consider adding coconut oilfried eggs to your rotation. Phase II: Pan Type Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In phase two, I used olive oil for all tests, and fried three eggs each in pans made of: 1. Stainless steel 2. Nonstick 3. Cast iron 4. Carbon steel 5. Nonstick, with a fitted lid It was a wild ride. More specifically: Stainless steel: I found these tests to be so upsetting that I considered scrapping phase two, until the carbon steel sweet-talked me into resuming my mission. Frying eggs in a stainless-steel pan, no matter how great, is like throwing super glue at a velvet wall and then trying to peel it back off in one piece. Would not recommend. (According to a blog I found through angry searching on this topic, you can minimize sticking by letting your eggs come to room temperature firstthat is, if youre the sort of organized person who sees a dentist every six months and remembers to defrost poultry well in advance of a dinner partyand fussing with the flame and pan angle.) Advertisement Nonstick: Thanks to phase one, I suspected the nonstick pan would produce crispy, drama-free specimens, and produce it did! When it comes to fried eggs, this pan shines. Cast iron: My cast ironfried eggs were delicious, with great crispiness. Despite my skillets top-notch seasoning, I did need to get in there a bit with a silicone spatula to avoid sticking in a few spots, and if I were especially concerned about breaking my yolks through unnecessary jostling, I might avoid cast iron. But for everyone else (hi, Dad), this is a solid option. Advertisement Carbon steel: The carbon steel batch of fried eggs was surprisingly easy to work with, thanks (again!) to top-notch pan seasoning. They didnt get quite as crisp at the same temperature as the nonstick and cast iron, but there was a lot of potential. Advertisement Advertisement Nonstick, with a fitted lid: I once had a roommate whose boyfriend would crack five eggs into a large nonstick pan, cover it with a fitted lid, walk away, and two minutes later, return to slide perfectly fried eggs onto his plate for breakfast. In his memory, I had to give this method a try. The result? Three slippery, oily fellows! Crisp nowhere to be found. I cant totally see the utility here, unless you hate a crispy fried egg and also dont eat butter. So, Whats The Best Way? Pan-wise, youre always better off with a nonstick. Your unbroken yolks will thank you. For the most delicious fried egg, use bacon fat (but you knew that, didnt you?). For the laciest edges without compromising flavor, olive oils your best bet. If youre after something silkier, go for butter. And if youre ready to reconsider what a fried egg really is and what it can be, use cream. See the full article on Food 52. More from Food52: My Family Hadnt Been Kosher for 76 Years. Then My Brother Came Along. Cheesy Squash Rigatoni & More Recipes We Want Right Now. How to Make Eggnog. Truly Good, Light, Frothy Eggnog. 15 Ways to Make Magic With Your Food Processor. The Years Most Unexpected Decor Trend (& What Grandmas Have to Do With It) 7 Reasons to KonMari the Heck Out of Your Home This Holiday T hree teenagers have been found guilty of killing an Uber Eats delivery driver in a "ferocious" attack in south west London as he tried to stop his scooter being stolen. Iderval Da Silva, 46, was punched and kicked by youths in Battersea on May 25 last year. He was left unconscious on the ground and died three days later from a bleed on the brain. Following an Old Bailey trial, a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and 19-year-old Jadan Richards, from Wandsworth, were found guilty of murder. A youth aged 17, who also cannot be named, was found guilty of manslaughter but cleared of murder. Prosecutor Tony Badenoch QC had told the trial how Brazilian Mr da Silva had parked his scooter outside a Battersea cafe on May 25. A group of young men spotted the unattended moped and one of them made to snatch it, he said. When Mr Da Silva tried to stop him, he was set upon with "fists and feet". Mr Badenoch told jurors: "It was a momentary explosion of short-lived violence which killed Mr Da Silva." The jury deliberated for more than 20 hours to reach its verdicts. Jasire Frazer, 18, from Wandsworth, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named were cleared of murder and the alternative charge of manslaughter. Another 17-year-old boy, who also cannot be named, was cleared on the judge's direction midway through the trial. Judge Mark Dennis QC adjourned sentencing until February 5. Sally-Anne Russell, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This is a tragic case of a man who died trying to protect his property. However, faced with the youths he was outnumbered. "Witnesses watched on in horror as the unprovoked attack unfolded. They rushed to Mr Da Silva's aid after the attackers fled, but the level of violence was such that a few days later Mr Da Silva died from his injuries. "This was a senseless loss of life. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Da Silva." Detective Inspector Tariq Farooqi, of Scotland Yard, said: "Iderval was targeted purely because he was the owner of the scooter. When he tried to prevent his livelihood from being taken away from him, the violence then ensued. They were ferocious and heartless in the way they attacked him. "The attackers, who are all known to each other, clearly set out that day to commit crime. Because of this, a family have lost a truly loved individual who was trying to provide for his son and extended family members." Gold prices rose Rs 96 to Rs 39,215 per 10 gram in the Mumbai bullion market on rupee depreciation. The rate of 10 grams 22-carat gold in Mumbai was Rs 35,921 plus 3 percent GST, while 24-carat 10 gram was Rs 39,215 plus GST. The 18-carat gold quoted at Rs 29,411 plus GST in the retail market. According to Sunilkumar Katke, Head - Commodities & Currency, Axis Securities, the trend for gold seems positive and prices could breach the year's high of $1,560 hit on September 4 from the current $1,520 levels. With market at lifetime high, investor skepticism on equities has grown and they prefer to avoid initiating long positions. This has led to positive traction in gold prices. The signing of the first phase trade agreement between the US and China on January 15 will chart the final direction for gold prices. But as of now, Trumps statement has put a temporary pause on its rally. Silver prices gained Rs 195 to 46,340 per kg from its closing on January 1. The gold/silver ratio currently stands at 84.62 to 1, which means the amount of silver required to buy one ounce of gold. In the futures market, gold rate touched an intraday high of Rs 39,193 and an intraday low of Rs 39,041 on MCX. For the February series, the yellow metal touched a low of Rs 36,098 and a high of Rs 40,806. Gold futures for delivery in February rose Rs 117, or 0.30 percent on the MCX trading at Rs 39,184 per 10 gram in evening trade in a business turnover of 15,813 lots. Gold contracts for April delivery gained Rs 144, or 0.37 percent, at Rs 39,336 per 10 gram in a business turnover of 6,699 lots. The value of the February contract traded so far is Rs 2,193.08 crore and April contract saw the value of Rs 327.72 crore. Similarly, Gold Mini contract for February was higher by Rs 101, or 0.26 percent at Rs 39,141 in a business turnover of 12,021 lots. The precious metal is trading under ascending broadening wedge pattern, price is expected to trade positive. Sustaining above Rs 39,130 would push price higher towards Rs 39,300-39,400 levels and Rs 39,000 remains a strong support level, according to Axis Securities. On the hourly chart, price is trading above 9, 21 and 60 EMA which is a bullish sign. RSI is trading at 61 indicating strong momentum in prices. The brokerage firm advised its clients to buy February gold at Rs 39,130 per 10 gram with stop loss at Rs 39,030 and target of Rs 39,300. MCX Gold has support at Rs 39,030-38,900 whereas resistance is at Rs 39,190-39,300. Sideways to positive movement is expected for the day, according to Motilal Oswal. The brokerage firm advised its clients to buy on dip targeting resistance level of Rs 39,190-39,300. The brokerage firm said spot gold has key support at $1,500 whereas resistance remains at $1,540. At 12:18 pm (GMT), spot gold was marginally up $1.65 at $1,524.75 an ounce in London trading. Susan Steffen knows what its like to suffer survivors guilt. On Thursday, Dec. 1, 1994, a Midwest Medflight helicopter in Ann Arbor crashed in a grassy field after only four minutes in the air. All three persons in the aircraft died, including the pilot, Rick Elliot; doctor, Terry Racicot; and flight nurse, Janice Nowacki-Tobin. By the Grace of God, I was off work that day, Susan said. Midwest Medflight was a consortium including St. Josephs Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Henry Ford Hospital and Detroit Medical Center in Detroit, as well as some smaller hospitals like Midland, Bay Medical Center (now McLaren), and McPherson in Howell. Susans title was flight nurse, but in order to be a flight nurse, she also had to have a paramedics license. All flight nurses had to be RNs and paramedics as well as being certified in either Emergency Nursing or Critical Care Nursing in addition to Flight Nursing. Susan was an RN, paramedic, and certified in Emergency Nursing and Critical Care Nursing and Flight Nursing. There was no room for inexperience when a call came for a patient to be airlifted to a hospital. Actually it was a good thing because my paramedic training taught me how to care for the sick and injured in the field, away from the equipment I would normally have in a hospital, Susan said. The aircraft was leased from a helicopter service in Louisiana and the pilots and mechanics were all employees of that company. But the crews worked so closely together that the doctors, nurses, pilots and mechanics bonded together and shared deep friendships. A flight crew for any given shift was composed of a flight nurse, flight physician and a pilot. A dispatcher on the ground was necessary for every flight to keep track of where the helicopter was and that the crew stayed in communication with the dispatcher when in the air. Each of the crew had a specific job. Susan noted the mechanics job was to tend their helicopter exclusively and he was great at his job. At one point, it was suggested that perhaps something mechanical had gone wrong in the crash. There was no chance of that," Susan said. "He was a perfectionist. His car motor didnt have a speck of dust on it. Thats the kind of mechanic he was. Extraordinary performance was expected of everyone in a crew. The pilots had to have more than 2,000 hours flying time in helicopters. Military service wasnt a requirement, but all of the pilots had been in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard or Marines. Rick Elliot had 24 years of experience and had flown 5,000 hours, including two tours in Germany and one tour in Vietnam. When he retired from the Army in 1990, he joined Midwest Medflight. The three days before the crash on Dec. 1, 1994, Susan had worked three 12-hour shifts. She worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 28, 29 and 30. Two helicopters are involved in this story. There was a main helicopter and there was a back-up helicopter. The main helicopter was due for a mandatory maintenance check and the part for maintenance hadnt come in. All the supplies had to be moved from the main aircraft to the back-up aircraft so it would be ready for the new part. When the part didnt come, all the supplies had to be taken out of the back-up aircraft and moved to the main aircraft. Then the part came for the main aircraft late Wednesday, Nov. 30, too late to be installed, and all the supplies that had been moved back and forth had to be put back in the back-up helicopter. When the call came in from Howell to transport a heart attack patient to St. Josephs in Ann Arbor, the helicopters departure was rushed. And the flight crew didnt have time to reconfigure the electronics so the crew was only wearing headsets, not helmets, which meant they had no protection during the flight. The helicopter departed at 10:03. The helicopter ascended several hundred feet into the air and then plunged to the ground like a stone, stated a bystander. All three aboard died of head and neck injuries. They had been in the air four minutes. Trying to find out what caused the crash, the dispatcher had received a call from the pilot who said, I'd like to proceed inbound ... single engine landing, please." Thirteen seconds later, the dispatcher heard, "Ah, disregard, I'm going down at this time." No additional information was given. Initially, a report was given after the crash that both turbine engines were working okay. But another report in 1995 said one engine had stopped working. Examination of the helicopters flight panel showed Rick Elliot had turned the switch on the wrong engine. Engine one had stopped running, but Rick turned off engine two. The helicopter was not high enough to do an auto-rotation that would have allowed the helicopter to land without any engines. On Dec. 1, 2019, a memorial service was held honoring Jan Nowacki-Tobin, Rick Elliot and Terry Racicot who died 25 years ago on Dec. 1, 1994 when a Midwest Medflight helicopter crashed in Ann Arbor. Susan wrote a short story entitled Died In My Place concerning the crash in 1994. Jan Nowacki-Tobin was the flight nurse on that fateful day. Susan explained the title saying, The idea that Jan died in my place is really only in my head," said Susan, explaining the title. "That is what survivor guilt does to ones mind. Susan immediately left Midland that morning to drive to Ann Arbor and help with what had to be done. The bodies had been taken to the morgue but Susan was given the flight suit that Jan had been wearing and had to empty the numerous pockets in the flight suit containing what every flight nurse had to carry on her person. A period of depression followed Susan for several months after the crash. For the 25th memorial service this poem by an unknown author was included: I thought of you today, But that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday And days before that, too. I think of you in silence. I often speak your name. All I have are memories and Your picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake From which Ill never part. God has you in His arms. I have you in my heart. Editor's note: Susan Steffens early life will appear in two weeks in this month's Midland Remembers: Part II. by Larissa Faw , January 2, 2020 Its that time of year when industry luminaries are frequently asked what they foresee happening trendwise during the next 12 months and Andy Bird, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis New York has some thoughts of the subject. Somebody is finally going to make programmatic cool, he quips. But the creative chief cautions that his trendspotting capabilities skew toward wishful thinking and thus should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. (Huge pinch or just a grain, taking some salt with most industry prognostications is probably advisable.) And he wants to believe clients are going to invest more in creativity than ever before in the year ahead. Bird is optimistic about Adlands future. There is amazing work, ambitious clients, incredible young talent coming through, and agencies getting real about inclusion and opportunity, he says. As for creative highlights over the past year, Bird says Spotify did some incredible work this year, not least the Listen Like You Used To campaign. Also, The Truth Is Worth It from The New York Times was "just brilliant," he says. A total of 100 ruthless people smugglers were jailed during 2019 for a total of 320 years, Priti Patel revealed last night. The Home Secretary insisted she was throwing the full force of the law at traffickers who risk the lives of migrants desperate to reach British soil. She revealed a total of 320 years imprisonment were handed out by courts in this country to 100 convicted people smugglers. Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured) insisted she was throwing the full force of the law at traffickers who risk the lives of migrants desperate to reach British soil Among the criminals were members of organised gangs who crammed vulnerable people into unsafe vessels to cross the Channel, or placed others in grave danger by squeezing them into tiny compartments in vehicles. The Home Secretary said: We are throwing the full force of the law at the organised crime gangs whose fake promises and lies deliberately put desperate people in real danger. This year we will continue to stop callous criminals in their tracks who view people as a commodity to be trafficked. When we leave the EU, the government will introduce tougher controls to clamp down on this ruthless trade. Among those jailed were Jan Ziga, a Czech national, who was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court to 10 years - the longest sentence handed down last year. Ziga hid 21 people from Afghanistan in a purpose-built space in his lorry, which was stopped by Border Force at Coquelles in France. Jailed: Jan Ziga (pictured) hid 21 people in a purpose-built space in his lorry Samyar Ahmadi Bani, an Iranian national from Barking, east London, was sentenced in November to six years in jail for smuggling migrants in small boats. He was intercepted in the Channel in a rigid hulled inflatable boat he owned. Five other people, including a child, were aboard and were all rescued by Border Force in the incident in June. In another case, Mohammad Rahim, an Afghan national from Greenford, was arrested in April at the port of Hull. He was caught after 20 people from Afghanistan were found hiding behind a load of mattresses and bed frames in his van. He was jailed for six years in October at Hull Crown Court. The Home Offices Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigations team boasts a 94 per cent conviction rate, a spokesman said. NSW Emergency services minister David Elliott will return to Sydney on Friday morning after cutting short his European holiday after fires devastated parts of NSW. Mr Elliott left for London earlier this week for a holiday with his wife, vowing to return if the bushfire threat worsened. He will return to Sydney ahead of Saturday's dire conditions. Several of Mr Elliott's colleagues criticised him for leaving the country during an emergency but the acting emergency services minister Anthony Roberts defended his colleague. Emergency services minister David Elliott will cut short his European holiday. Credit:AAP Davids been on the line for about 112 days before he took his family away for a holiday that he'd already postponed a number of times," Mr Roberts said on Thursday. One thing the annual Cowboy Breakfast proves is that San Antonians will come out by the thousands for free tacos. The 42nd annual event, which will take place from 4:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24 in the parking of Cowboys Dancehall, has drawn more than 30,000 hungry locals annually and has been known to feed more than 40,000 people in a single year, according to a news release from the Cowboy Breakfast Foundation. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 13:18:28|Editor: zyl Video Player Close MANILA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines will stop sending new workers to Kuwait for now while the authorities are looking into the recent killing of a Filipino worker allegedly in the hands of her female employer, Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said on Thursday. "We will declare partial deployment ban which means that we will not deploy new OFWs," Bello told reporters, referring to overseas Filipino workers. However, Bello said the Philippines will allow returning workers to leave the country but will not deploy new workers, especially domestic helpers. According to the Philippine media, Jeanelyn Villavende, a Filipino domestic worker was killed in Kuwait recently and the murder that was allegedly committed by the wife of the worker's Kuwaiti employer. "Now whether this will ripen into a total deployment ban will depend on what the Kuwaiti authorities will do to give justice to our countrywoman," Bello added. The office of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed "outrage" over the death of the Filipino worker. "We consider Jeanelyn's tragic death a clear disregard of the agreement signed by both our country and Kuwait in 2018 which seeks to uphold and promote the protection of the rights and welfare of our workers in Kuwait," Duterte's spokesperson Salvador Panelo said on Wednesday. Panelo said the Department of Foreign Affairs is closely monitoring the case "as we look forward to its resolution for the rendition of justice to the deceased and her family." Kuwait is a major labor destination for Filipinos in the Middle East, with over 250,000 currently working there, mostly as domestic helpers. However, incidents of abuses against Filipino maids, where some resulted in deaths, prompted Manila to enforce a deployment ban for Filipino workers early in 2018 in Kuwait. The ban was lifted in Many 2018 after the Philippines and Kuwait inked a memorandum of agreement that provides legal protection for Filipino maids in the Gulf State. Under the memorandum of understanding, the Philippines and Kuwait agree to uphold ethical recruitment policies, systems, and procedures for the recruitment and employment of domestic workers, subject to the applicable laws and regulations of both parties. If the science is settled regarding global warming, climate change, extreme weather, or whatever it goes by these days, why are past predictions not more accurate? Weather forecasting, although frequently off the mark, is usually fairly accurate. If snow is predicted, it typically falls. It may be a few inches more or less than predicted but it isnt sunny and 80 degrees on a day a major snowstorm is forecast. Yet climate, which is a longer-term measure of weather, cannot be predicted with any more accuracy than flipping a coin or throwing dice. Lets look at some past predictions. Almost twenty years ago, in 2004, the Guardian reported what U.S. defense officials at the Pentagon warned about the future climate: Climate change over the next 20 years could result in a global catastrophe costing millions of lives in wars and natural disasters. A secret report, suppressed by US defense chiefs and obtained by The Observer, warns that major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a 'Siberian' climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world. The document predicts that abrupt climate change could bring the planet to the edge of anarchy as countries develop a nuclear threat to defend and secure dwindling food, water and energy supplies. The threat to global stability vastly eclipses that of terrorism, say the few experts privy to its contents. As 2020 has just arrived, lets see how those predictions turned out. For New Years Day, London is predicted to have a high of 46 degrees. While in Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia, the New Years Day high was only 23 degrees. So much for Britain is plunged into a Siberian climate by 2020. London was Siberia at one time, but 200 years ago. Remember the snow and ice in Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol? Dickens grew up during the coldest years of the Little Ice Age, between 1805 to 1820. YouTube screen grab As to the nuclear conflicts, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting, I dont see any of that either as 2020 arrives. Well, perhaps big media is rioting as its dreams of overturning the last election have been fruitless. This climate prophesy also claimed, As early as next year widespread flooding by a rise in sea levels will create major upheaval for millions. One year after the 2004 report would be 2005, 15 years ago. I dont recall any rising sea levels or major upheavals, other than Hurricane Katrina, which flooded the below sea level city of New Orleans due to city officials not spending allocated monies on levee reinforcement. Dont blame corrupt financial mismanagement of American cities on global warming. One of the reports authors warned, It was already possibly too late to prevent a disaster happening. We don't know exactly where we are in the process. It could start tomorrow and we would not know for another five years. Well it didnt start tomorrow and five years later, in 2009, the only brewing disaster facing America was Obamacare. There is a plethora of other failed catastrophic climate predictions. Thirty years ago, the Indian Ocean was to swallow the Maldives. Al Gore, in 2009, predicted the North Pole Ice cap would be melted within the next five to seven years. Yet the Maldives are still there and icebreakers are getting stuck in Arctic Sea ice. Paul Ehrlich, a Stanford University biologist, wrote The Population Bomb in 1968. Among his predictions: The battle to feed all of humanity is over. He later went on to forecast that hundreds of millions would starve to death in the 1970s, that 65 million of them would be Americans, that crowded India was essentially doomed, that odds were fair England will not exist in the year 2000. Dr. Ehrlich was so sure of himself that he warned in 1970 that sometime in the next 15 years, the end will come. By the end, he meant an utter breakdown of the capacity of the planet to support humanity. The only end that is coming is for dirty deep state players, assuming Barr and Durham do their jobs. But England is alive and well, and soon leaving the EU. India seems to be thriving too. It wasnt a population bomb but instead a prediction bomb. Speaking of England, Prince Charles has been predicting the end of the world as often as MSNBCs Rachel Maddow has been telling everyone that Trump is about to be found guilty of collusion, treason, tax evasion, and coloring his hair. In July 2009, the good prince predicted there were only 96 months to save the world. Thats eight years, or July 2017, just a couple of months after Robert Mueller began his investigation witch-hunt against President Trump. It wasnt the end of the world, only the end of Rachel Maddow and the credibility of her fellow journalists.. In 2015, Charles extended the deadline by 33 years. How generous. Too bad he didnt give his brother, Andrew, a 33-year extension to talk his way out of his Jeffrey Epstein mess. This year, the Prince of Wales changed his tune again, Warning that if we dont tackle climate change in 18 months the human race will go extinct. If the prince doesnt get a handle on his brother and his underage girls, the royal family may go extinct within 18 months. One year ago, Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told us the world will end in 12 years. Now we are down to 11 years. The failed or flailing Democrat presidential candidates agree. Beto ORourke says, We don't have more than 10 years to get this right." Mayor Pete is a bit more generous, saying, "Science tells us we have 12 years before we reach the horizon of catastrophe when it comes to our climate." Andrew Yang threw in the towel, announcing, We are 10 years too late. We need to do everything we can to start moving the climate in the right direction, but we also need to start moving our people to higher ground." Why dont they all give it up and stop trying to predict the unpredictable? The IPCC acknowledges, The climate system is a coupled non-linear chaotic system, and therefore the long-term prediction of future climate states is not possible. We can only predict the obvious, that the climate does change over time. Cooling leads to ice ages and warming melts the ice, as has been occurring on the planet for millions of years. This has been happening long before humans roamed the Earth, drove SUVs, and grilled burgers in their backyards. We dont even know what normal climate is. Is today colder than normal or warmer? Not over the past hundred years but over the past hundred million years. For those who claim to know the unknowable, I say How dare you, borrowing the catch phrase of the worlds foremost climate expert, a bratty teenager from Sweden. YouTube screen grab The left has corrupted climate in the cause of wealth redistribution, making their braying and doomsaying nothing but noise. This may get them a few votes, but will not prevent the next heat wave, snowstorm, or hurricane. Time for them to give it up rather than continuing to double down on stupid. Brian C Joondeph, MD, is a Denver based physician, freelance writer and occasional radio talk show host whose pieces have appeared in American Thinker, Daily Caller, and other publications. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and QuodVerum. When youve just completed a year that saw your company honored by the worlds largest online marketplace, what do you do for an encore? Thats the dilemma facing 1818 Farms, The company which began in Mooresville and has its offices in Huntsville, was chosen in November as Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year" in Amazon.coms first-ever United States Small Business Spotlight Awards. Amazon customers chose winners by casting their vote for their favorite small business. But Natasha McCrary, owner and founder of 1818 Farms along with her husband Laurence, has managed the growth of the business. Consider that since 2013, the company has averaged 60 percent revenue growth annually. McCrary says one of the happy byproducts of winning the award is demonstrating to her children - ages 19, 16 and 13- that hard work pays off. Going forward, the company looks to expand further while not turning its back on what worked along the way. We started out small and we were very careful, McCrary said. Weve never really overextended ourselves. We were very intentional as we expanded. Weve grown quickly, but we were very cognizant to not be overextended. We become really good at one thing before we add another thing. Our strategy is, Dont try to grow so fast that you dont do one good thing. 1818 Farms takes its name from the year Mooresville was incorporated - one year before Alabama became a state. While on vacation in North Carolina, McCrary and her family were introduced to Olde English Babydoll Southdown sheep. Her son suggested the family raise and breed sheep, and the family took up the project as a way to teach the children conservation. In 2013, McCrary used some of her dried herbs to create soaps that she sold at area farmers markets as a source of income to help feed the farm animals. From there, 1818 Farms bath and beauty line was born. Product offerings include shea creme, bath soaks, essential oil roll-ons, face serum and others. Now their products are in more than 500 stores in 47 states. But the family also has an agri-tourism business component, as their farm hosts dinners and workshops. Thats in addition to its wholesale flower shop, as well as e-commerce venture. McCrary said the company expects to launch one or two more scents this year and introduce another cream. The process of determining and testing scents doesnt usually get started until the end of January or the first of February, as the company works to build back inventory after the holiday season. Shed also like to get more flowers into the wholesale market, and products into more stores, even with all the e-commerce success. Our products are something people like to touch and feel, she said. Its a sensory experience touching, smelling, applying the products. Shes also looking into expanding into the seed market, but thats going to take some time. Were in the discovery phase of that right now, McCrary said. McCrary said some people might think its not a good idea to work side-by-side with her spouse, but Laurence is the companys CFO, she said. While shes the idea person, hes charting the finances. We work really well together, she said. Its like having a counterpart that you work with in everything. Having that support contributes to our success. Our strengths and weaknesses line up pretty well. And theres that work ethic. McCrary said the business isnt really modeled on any other company. What she strives for is a good relationship with customers and employees. Every employee we have treats this like its their own business, she said. I tell my employees, anything I ask you to do, I will do the same thing. For example, I will do the hand labeling. I never separate myself out from them. Will fireplaces and wood-burning stoves be relegated to the history books, asks Kya deLongchamps. It would have seemed inconceivable a few years ago that the real flame fire closeted in a stove and smugly devouring logs might come to flout environmental standards in some of our cities and medium-sized towns. In Ireland, were connected at such a primal level to the protection and warmth of the fire. Early sod and stone cabins allowed peat and wood smoke to percolate through the roof covering, and the architecture of our principal downstairs-rooms remain fastened on the focal point of the hearth even with central heating on duty. When the two-bar electric fire appeared in the 1950s, it was proudly inserted, free-standing, into blocked off fireplaces. Whirling, pierced metal discs dancing on light bulbs summoned shifting flame effects behind fibreglass and glass coals. In the late 17th century, every home in the British Isles with two hearths or stoves was taxed. This was imposed from 1663-1795. A chimney was an easy feature to spot from the ground, and useful for polling the number of occupants. Even in the 19th century, the number, size and draw of the fireplaces would have foretold the size, dryness and suitability of a potential home. This years war on the fireplace ignited into plain sight in November and includes the publication of disturbing figures on air quality in Cork city. No-burn nights for our towns and cities are now a real possibility. A joint project involving Cork City Council and the Centre for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry (Crac) at UCC found an early December level of PM2.5 of particulate matter (2.5 microns of dust) equal to a Quality Index (AQI) of 156. This is triple the PM2 5 particle readings for Rome on the same day, and on the Northside of the city the reading hit 330 PM2.5 in one district. For a moment in time, areas of Cork had the poorest air quality recorded in Europe. Even allowing for the halting mitigation offered by meteorologists, this is unsettling for all of us. Whatever happens in the upcoming public consultation process, change will inevitably extend beyond the hideous output of smoky fossil fuel. The use of standard wood-burning stoves may (in some localities) become more tightly regulated, where cleaner forms of home heating energy are available to the building or in medium 10-15,000 head towns, where questionable air quality demands it. With the onward march of the new A3 detailed home requiring little or no outside forces to heat it through 8 months of the year, domestic combustion, including the dancing flames of a log or biomass stoves, will remain this years hot environmental topic. Quarters of the EPA have called for a countrywide ban on smoky coal no exceptions, a vast step up from the network currently under protection as Low Smoke Zones (LSZs). Coal importers have argued that peat and wet wood create similar levels of air pollution, delaying the implementation of the universal ban on smoky coal with the threat of legal action. Whatever about the inevitable demise of peat, the trade in unseasoned wood will be almost impossible to regulate and its this greener, sticky timber thats causing at least a fraction of the urban black-carbon choke. Part L of the Building Regulations which came into effect in 2014 made the design inclusion of an open fire problematic for a completion certificate on a one-off build. OnlineTradesmen CEO Ted Laverty recently described the open fire as simply a large hole in the roof and hes not wrong (Newstalk interview). Its role as passive stack ventilation is no longer proffered by green builders in cheery blogs on splitting logs, not tucked up with MVHR. New amendments to the Building Regulations came into effect in November of last year touching on serious renovation and larger extensions to 25% of the buildings envelope. These new rules will see anyone hoping to keep an open fire, struggle to make it to a B2 BER demanded of the whole house on completion. The fireplace is being designed out of new homes. Open fires have been under attack for decades as it has long been proven that up to 80% of the heat they produce goes straight up the flue. DEFRA in the UK is now asking consumers to consider giving up lengthy use of even wood stoves in an effort to cut smoke and carbon dioxide, especially where the stove is a secondary back up heating source. Burning wood is often promoted as a carbon-neutral choice, however, wood-smoke has been found to be a serious contributor to PM2.5 levels pumped into the air in UK cities including London. The stringent rules in Smoke Control Areas are often flouted with the use of older and even vintage stoves not on the Governments list of exempted appliances. The potential dangers of breathing in particulate matter produced by burning wood at low temperatures indoors are drawing serious scrutiny amongst health professionals. For more, look up Victoria Whites superb piece The Truth Hurts. The upcoming UK Environmental Bill will target the contribution of wood smoke and the use of older stoves to poor levels of air quality in urban areas. By 2022 only Eco-Stoves (formerly Eco-Design models) with proven high burning temperatures, complete (dual) combustion and lower emissions will be sold in the UK and Europe and the use of other stoves in LSZ may become more tightly controlled. A new National Clean Air Strategy is on the way this year in Ireland and might try to regulate the quality of wood for domestic stoves and gasification boilers. The proud, self-sufficiency of collecting found wood is probably safe, way down the country at least. The key is to be sensible, season it well, reducing the water content to 10-20%. No-one is coming for your beloved stove. Stove-makers including Esse are strategising with new designs and re-engineering their popular stove models, emphasising just how good the new wood burners are a DEFRA-approved CE 2022 wood-burning stove emits 335g of particulates per MWh. For older stoves, esse.com suggests: To minimise air pollution, ensure your stove is serviced every year and the flue swept annually as well. I dont have an open fire or even a stove, my asthmas now precludes it. If Brussels finally puts our fires out, I wont miss my throat closing, cheek burnishing place at the fireside. I can just about forgo the primal pleasure of wood-smoke bound in the mist at nightfall. Oddly, for me, its that forbidden, toxic acrid hint of coal a ferrous, dark tang on the streets of Dublin in the 80s. Tangled in the sourer breath of the open pub door I expect for several centuries past, right or wrong, it was for many of us the scent of home. Naftogaz Ukraine state company Delo.ua The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine allowed Naftogaz-Ukraine, national oil and gas company of Ukraine, to sign an agreement with Gazprom on the provision of gas transportation services for the territory of the country for 2020-2024. The website of the Cabinet of Ministers reported this. The Cabinet of Ministers also allowed Naftogaz-Ukraine to sign an agreement on the settlement of existing gas disputes and the basic conditions for further relations on the organization of gas transit with Gazprom. As we reported before, on December 30, Ukrainian and Russian sides completed negotiations on gas transit in Vienna. The head of the LLC "Operator of the gas transportation system of Ukraine" Sergiy Makogon has informed about it 'We emphasised that CAA just expedites acquiring citizenship to persecuted minorities, does not change basic structure of Constitution', said MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing New Delhi: India has reached out to countries across all geographical regions to share its perspective on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, and emphasised that they are internal matters, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. A two-pronged strategy was adopted by the ministry as apart from reaching out to a number of resident ambassadors and high commissioners based here, Indian envoys abroad engaged with capitals in different countries, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. "We did reach out to countries across all geographical regions. We did write to our missions and posts. We did tell them to share our perspectives on the CAA and NRC to the host government," he said at a media briefing. Kumar said under the Indian outreach three-four points were emphasised to the countries on the CAA and the NRC. "We emphasised that the matter is internal to India. We also asked them (missions) to convey that the Act just provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities already in India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh," he said. According to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till 31 December, 2014 following religious persecution there will get Indian citizenship. The Indian side also conveyed to the countries that the CAA does not affect the existing avenues which are available to other communities to seek citizenship, Kumar said, adding that it also does not seek to strip anybody of citizenship. He said it was also conveyed that in any way the Act does not alter the basic structure of the Constitution as some foreign press has portrayed. Indian ambassadors and consul generals were asked to reach out to not only the interlocutors in the government but also to the media, Kumar said. "On many occasions, the ministry conducts a very proactive diplomacy here in Delhi, but in this case it was realised that there is a lot of explaining that is involved and one has to go out and brief the capitals," he said. Asked about what the Indian side briefed other countries on the NRC, Kumar said it was emphasised that the CAA and NRC are separate processes and not related. "We have said that NRC is a Supreme Court-mandated process, this is our internal matter. What we are doing is directed by the Supreme Court, mandated by the Supreme Court and monitored by the Supreme Court," he said, referring to the NRC in Assam. "If you notice the reaction which we have received from across the world, barring a few countries, we feel most of the countries have accepted that this is an internal matter of India and that is what is getting reflected in their reactions and their pronouncements," the MEA spokesperson said. When asked about reports that some countries were not apprised about the CAA, he said those reports were "factually incorrect". On Bangladesh's reactions to the NRC, he said India has explained its position to the Bangladeshi government. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was in the US for the 2+2 dialogue last month, had shared India's perspective on the CAA with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's leadership in Washington. Protests over the CAA had led to the postponement of the Indo-Japan bilateral summit last month. The cancellation of the Japanese prime minister's trip had come a day after Bangladeshi foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan called off their visits to India following enactment of the controversial law. Case studies with Self Tours have shown a 300% increase in showings and an 86% increase in closings as compared to guided tours. Pynwheel Inc. and Lincoln Property Company today announced a partnership to provide a Lincoln Self Guided Tour Mobile Application for prospective residents touring Lincoln residential properties. The Tour App allows people to tour apartment communities that they are considering moving into without being accompanied by property staff. Instead, they are guided by an interactive map of the property on their phone, with images and visual details at each stop. If the prospective resident chooses to tour with a property professional, they can use the app to capture photos and take notes to share or review later. "Lincoln is excited to partner with Pynwheel to provide Self-Guided Tours, said Margette Hepfner, Chief Operating Officer of Resident Management at Lincoln Property Company. We like to pioneer cutting-edge technology; anything that can improve our residents' experience and site performance is a win-win for us." According to data presented at the National Multihousing Council OpTech Conference, case studies with Self Tours have shown a 300% increase in showings and an 86% increase in closings as compared to guided tours. Self Touring gives leasing professionals more free time to focus on more complex issues. Having the additional option also gives prospective residents the choice to tour in whichever way they find most comfortable and helpful; with or without a leasing professional. Studies show that anywhere between 16% (as reported by NMHC) and 58% (per a study conducted by Apartment Ratings) of people would prefer to tour apartment properties without being accompanied by staff. I am thrilled to be partnering with Lincoln for this pilot program, commented Jennifer Cyphers, Pynwheels Founder and CEO. Lincoln Property Company is an industry leader and a professional organization. We share a common value of taking pride in taking care of our clients, and we enjoy working with them very much. Applications are currently being accepted for properties who would like to participate in the free pilot program. For more information email info@pynwheel.com or lpcmarketing@lpsi.com About Pynwheel Pynwheel (pynwheel.com) is a privately-held marketing technology company in Denver, Colorado founded in April 2012 by Jennifer Cyphers, formerly Founder/President of Engrain (fka Multifamily Edge) and Director of ApartmentGuide.com. Pynwheels suite of SaaS products for the Multifamily industry includes a touchscreen application and complementary iOS application to facilitate on-site sales; interactive property maps that can be added to property marketing websites; and a mobile application that allows prospective residents to take self-guided property tours. Pynwheel innovation makes buying and leasing homes easier for thousands of prospective residents across the United States. About Lincoln Property Company Lincoln Property Company was founded in 1965 as a builder and operator of high-quality residential communities. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Lincoln focuses on real estate investment, construction and development, in addition to property management. Their national reputation has enabled Lincoln to attract a large client base of owners and investors who count on their ability to deliver quality results and continually serve as a market leader. Lincoln Property Company is the second largest multifamily manager in the country with over 200,000 units under management and residential properties in over 200 cities. TAIPEITaiwans top military official was among eight people killed on Thursday, after a helicopter carrying them to visit soldiers crashed in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei, the defense ministry said. The main portion of the helicopter lay in a northern forest wreathed in mist, its blades shattered, as dozens of rescuers combed the wreck for survivors, pictures released by emergency authorities showed. The reasons for the crash, in the wake of a forced landing, were unknown, the military said in a statement, adding that the chief of general staff, Air Force General Shen Yi-ming, had died, while five of the 13 aboard survived. Shen, who took up his post in July, was Taiwans highest-ranking general to die in the line of duty, President Tsai Ing-wen said, adding that she had asked the defense minister to launch an investigation. We must find out the reason for the incident, she told reporters in the northeastern county of Yilan, where the helicopter had been heading after setting out from Taipei. Most importantly, (we) must ensure the stability of our military and national defense. The defense ministry said it had dispatched a rescue team following the Black Hawk helicopters crash in New Taipei City, after aviation authorities lost contact with the craft at 8:07 a.m. Eight of our colleagues were killed, a military spokesman told a news conference broadcast live on television. Campaign Events Canceled The incident, which comes a week before democratic Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections on Jan. 11, disrupted campaign events. Tsai, who is seeking re-election, canceled all campaign activities until Saturday, while opposition presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang party called off campaigns until Friday. Kuomintang urges related authorities to probe the incident as soon as possible and make a thorough check on the same type of aircraft to prevent the tragedy from happening again, the party said in a statement. The helicopter involved in Thursdays incident was one of 60 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters the United States sold to Taiwan in 2010, the official Central News Agency said. Although the Unites States has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is the islands strongest international backer and main arms supplier. The de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan expressed its condolences, saying it stood ready to assist in the aftermath of the tragedy, but without detailing what such help might entail. The incident was the latest aviation accident in Taiwan, after the 2018 crash of a Black Hawk helicopter off its east coast killed six people aboard, and the crash of an F-16 fighter jet killed a pilot the same year. In 2016, the navy fired a supersonic missile in error, hitting a fishing boat in waters that separate Taiwan from diplomatic rival China. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory to be brought under Beijings control by force if necessary, regularly calls the island the most sensitive issue in its ties with the United States. Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name. By Yimou Lee and Felice Wu ALEPPO, Syria A long-awaited US law designed to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who stands accused of crimes against humanity and other atrocities, has the potential to effect change, but only if the United States follows through decisively, Assad's opponents say. On Dec. 20, US President Donald Trump signed the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, sparking wide controversy in Syrian opposition circles in Idlib and Aleppo provinces as many wonder what impact, if any, the law might have on the conduct of the Syrian government's security and military structure. Observers also are pondering whether this act could weaken and ultimately topple the government, thus fulfilling the calls of the opposition. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the act "an important step to promote accountability for the [Assad regime], which has committed large-scale atrocities in Syria. The new law calls for sanctions on any party from companies to individuals to countries like Russia and Iran that offer the Syrian government military, financial, technical or reconstruction support. The law explores the best ways to offer aid to Syrians and support entities that collect evidence for investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity since the civil war there began in March 2011. The law was named after a Syrian military photographer codenamed Caesar who defected in 2013 and leaked 55,000 graphic pictures of 11,000 detainees who were tortured to death in Syrian government prisons. Opposition circles agree that the US measures against the Syrian government came late. Though they applaud the law, many doubt Washington's seriousness about enforcing it. Abir Fares, a civil activist who lives in western Aleppo, told Al-Monitor, I dont have high hopes, because politics and interests are bigger than the law, human rights and values. It seems that issuing this law aimed primarily at protecting the US reputation as a state sponsoring human rights and international law and to save face, following the [Syrian] governments atrocious massacres, destruction of towns, arrest of thousands and killing and displacement of others. The international community notably the United States did not move a finger [for years]. Abdul Monem Halabi, professor at Gaziantep University in Turkey who moves between Gaziantep and Aleppo province, told Al-Monitor he believes the act will have consequences, but not strictly the intended ones. The implementation of the Caesar Act will definitely have huge economic repercussions on the Syrian government, and the living situation of people will also be affected. The economic ripples will reach the states supporting the government, like Iran, Russia and perhaps even China, Halabi said. But he added, The regular Syrian citizen will be the first victim of this law, if the adopted mechanisms and sanctions don't focus on weakening the government rather than targeting the Syrian people." If the government is targeted, however, "The Caesar Act increases the possibilities of causing an internal rift in the government and increases the chances of changing it. Seba Nker, a civil activist from Idlib province, told Al-Monitor, I think the Caesar Act will remain unfulfilled, like many international promises and decisions that we have heard about since the beginning of the Syrian revolution. If those had been implemented, they would have alleviated the suffering of Syrians and toppled the government." Zahra Mohamad, a civil activist who is displaced from rural Damascus and now lives in Aleppo province, told Al-Monitor, We cannot rely on the Caesar Act to punish the Syrian government, as it is a political and economic pressure card on the government and its allies, rather than a judicial tool to arrest and prosecute people. If the law is properly implemented, Mohamad said, Syrians will not be in a worse position. Modest Syrians who live in government and opposition areas are already poor and will not see much difference in their living circumstances after implementation of the law. Media activist Ibrahim al-Khatib, who lives in Aleppo province, told Al-Monitor he is optimistic about the law's potential long-term impact. I think the Caesar Act will affect the government and weaken it. I also believe the ripples will appear in the long run. Another media activist, however, holds a different opinion. Sharif Halabi, who currently resides in al-Bab in northeast Aleppo province, told Al-Monitor, The law is good, but the government can't be toppled and its crimes can't be halted through sanctions. We are worried that some states supporting the government like Russia, Iran and China might circumvent the law and nullify its effectiveness. Momtaz Abou Mohammad, a political activist based in Azaz in northern Aleppo, told Al-Monitor, The law is a weapon in the hands of Americans. The important question is whether the United States will adopt an implementation mechanism and what that mechanism is. The law has a five-year life and is subject to renewal. Abdul Hakim Masri, minister of finance and economy in the opposition-formed Syrian Interim Government, told Al-Monitor, The act should impact sources of funding, energy and transportation, if it is well implemented and if the US administration really wants to punish the Syrian government," especially since Syria imports most of its materials. "But if the United States isn't serious, the [Syrian] government will circumvent the sanctions and the law will remain mere words. Masri added, In Syria, we didn't see any serious steps from the international community, while Russia and Iran continue to support the government in destroying what is left and committing massacres. Pakistan government is expected to present an amendment bill in the Parliament on Friday in order to validate the three-year extension to Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The country's Supreme Court in December had asserted that the country's Army Act lacks clauses to justify Bajwa's extension and ordered the government to legislate on the Pakistan Army chief's extension/reappointment. Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday headed a cabinet meeting to approve proposed amendments to the Constitution and the Army Act, Dawn reported. The government will also introduce the amendment bill in Parliament on Friday after building a consensus with the opposition on the matter. Bajwa is turning 60 this year. A cabinet member who attended Wednesday's meeting said that the amendments called to extend the maximum age limit of army chief to be 64 years in case of extension. However, the regular age limit of the Chief of Army staff will be 60 years. Moreover, it will be the decision of the prime minister whether an extension should be given. Prime Minister Khan had extended Bajwa's tenure for another three years on August 19, 2019. The extension was then challenged on the grounds that it is offensive to Article 243(4)(b) of the Constitution. The case was initially filed by the Jurists' Foundation but after it asked to withdraw the case, the court decided to take it up against itself. During the hearing, the court explored the scope of Article 243 of the Constitution, and the Pakistan Army Act, 1952. On November 28, the court extended Bajwa's tenure by six months and ordered the government to make a law regulating such appointments. The detailed 43-page written verdict in the case was released on December 16. The judgement stated that the matter is being handed over to parliament in order to avoid such mistakes in the future. It also urged parliament to assign a tenure for the post of the army chief. It added that the federal government had included the word, extension, during the hearing held on November 26, however, the legislation was incorrect as it did not mention the details of the army chief's period of services and retirement age. The court while announcing the order had given six months to the government for the legislation on the matter from parliament. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nick Gordon frequently spoke about his late ex-girlfriend Bobbi Kristina Brown before he died following a drug overdose on Wednesday. He literally talked about her every single day. He still loved her so much, Gordons brother, Jack Walker Jr, tells PEOPLE exclusively. He would say to me, Man, I wanted to marry that girl, I miss her so much. There was not a day that went by that he didnt get emotional about her. He loved her and he wanted to be with her, Walker Jr. adds. He would always say to me, I wish I could have done things differently, man. I wish things had been different. She shouldnt have gone the way she did. Whitney Houstons daughter was found unconscious and unresponsive with drugs in her system in the bathtub of the Georgia townhouse she shared with Gordon in early 2015. She was 22. Gordon, who was 30 at the time of his death, was found liable in the wrongful death case of Brown and as a result of the case decision, he was ordered by a judge to pay $36 million to her estate. RELATED: Bobbi Kristina Browns Ex-Boyfriend Nick Gordon Dies at 30 from Drug Overdose Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon | Imeh Akpanudosen/WireImage Walker Jr. tells PEOPLE that in recent weeks, Gordon had been having issues with his current girlfriend Laura Leal. A few weeks ago he and Laura started having issues. It got pretty bad so Nick moved into a hotel, Walker Jr. says, adding that in the week before his death, Gordon got distant. On the morning of his brothers death, Walker Jr. says he first learned that something was wrong from their father. Our father called me early and said, Son, get to the hospital. Nick is in ICU and it does not look good. Walker Jr. says. From what our dad told me, the police found him in the hotel room at 6 a.m.. Apparently he had been dead for 15 minutes. The paramedics got his heart beating again, and at the hospital, it kept stopping so they had to keep bringing him back. When I arrived at the hospital they had him attached to so many tubes, they were literally bringing him back to life again and again, he continues, noting that it was too late. Story continues Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon Walker Jr. previously confirmed to PEOPLE that Gordon died of a drug overdose Wednesday in Florida. PEOPLE has learned the drug in question was heroin. We are devastated by the loss of my beautiful brother, he said in a statement. He leaves a void in the hearts of my family and his friends. Nicks battle in life was not an easy one. I will be forever grateful that my God afforded a small moment at the very end of Nicks life, and I was able to hold his hand as he journeyed on. Gordons lawyer Joe S. Habachy also told PEOPLE, My heart is heavy today after learning that my long time client Nick Gordon died at the young age of 30. While I cannot speak to the specific circumstances of his death, I can say that its been truly heartbreaking to have witnessed first hand the total devastation that drug addiction has wreaked upon a group of young friends, all of whom were loved and had immense potential, Habachy added. Despite all of the incredible challenges Nick faced over the last few years I can honestly say that he worked hard to hold his head up and stay sober and that he genuinely wanted a happy healthy life with his family more than anything else, Habachy continued. My heart goes out to the family and friends Nick leaves behind and to any other families dealing with the losses and heartache caused by drugs. Sources told The Daily Mail that Gordon had suffered a number of heart attacks on New Years Day and was rushed to the intensive care unit at Altamonte Springs Hospital, where he eventually died. Nick Gordon | Tiffany Rose/WireImage In recent years, Gordon found himself entangled in legal drama after Leal accused him of a physical altercation. According to a March 2018 arrest report obtained by PEOPLE, Leal had told authorities that her boyfriend struck her in the face while she was driving, adding that he also pulled her hair and stated to her that he should make her wreck the vehicle. In April 2018, however, Leal, under oath, denied being struck or touched against her will by Gordon in statements written in a letter to the judge, according to a statement from the Seminole County state attorney, first obtained by The Blast. RELATED: Nick Gordon Will Not Be Charged in Domestic Violence Case After Girlfriend Denies Incident Due to those statements contradicting her original ones, prosecutors decided not to go through with a trial following the review of body camera footage, the 911 audio, sworn statements and jail call recordings, and announced that Gordon would not be charged. Gordon was previously arrested in June 2017 on domestic battery and false imprisonment charges after Leal filed a police report alleging her boyfriend had beaten her and held her in her home. The charges were dropped in August of that year. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. A military helicopter is seen landing at the RAAF Base in East Sale, Victoria, Australia, on Jan. 2, 2020. (AAP Image/James Ross) Australia Deploys Military to Rescue 800 Trapped by Bushfires in Victoria The Australian federal government is deploying military personnel to aid the ongoing bushfire crisis in Victoria, Australia, with a plan to rescue 800 people by sea from the Victorian town of Mallacoota on Friday morning where they are trapped by bushfires blazing across Victorias Gippsland region. Victorian authorities confirmed the rescue mission as the defence force begins relief operations across Australias southeast. The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia, on Dec. 31, 2019. (Jonty Smith from Melbourne/via Reuters) Two navy vessels had arrived at the coastal town on Thursday, with people to be transferred aboard on Friday morning. Defence authorities told media on Thursday people could ask to be taken out of Mallacoota, but defence would prioritise who would get to leave first. The weather would affect where the boats would offload passengers, with the potential for smoke to hamper air rescue efforts. Bushfires have trapped holiday-makers and locals in isolated towns across the Victorian coast. Three military helicopters, two ambulance choppers, and a cargo plane were on standby in the Gippsland region, at an airbase at East Sale. The HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore, a defence contracted training vessel, left Sydney on Wednesday for Victoria. While these ships were planned to help rescue operations along the NSW south coast, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the NSW government had turned down the help after authorities reopened roads in the region. Tourists and locals were told to leave now before conditions deteriorate again over the weekend. Fires in southern NSW have claimed seven lives and destroyed at least 382 homes. One life has been lost in the fires in Victoria. By Finbar OMallon New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah will address a rally in Rajasthans Jodhpur on Friday as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s fresh attempt to address concerns about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA that has triggered protests across the country, people familiar with the developments said. The rally will be the first in a series of 30 that the BJP leaders will hold across the country to address the concerns and to also underline that the CAA cannot be conflated with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR). The CAA was passed in Parliaments last month to fast-track citizenship for non-Muslims, who have entered India from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, before 2015. Opponents of the CAA say the law is unconstitutional because it links faith to citizenship in a secular country and is discriminatory because it leaves out the Muslims. Several non-BJP-ruled states have opposed the legislation. The Kerala assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution demanding the scrapping of the CAA. Protests against the law first erupted in the Northeast, where people fear the law could result in a fresh influx of outsiders. The demonstrations later spread to several other parts of the country. At least 21 people died in Uttar Pradesh during protests against the controversial legislation on December 20 and 21. A number of opposition parties, civil society groups, students, ordinary people, activists, and artists have staged protests against the CAA. Critics say the CAA, if combined with a pan-India NRC, could result in the expulsion or detention of Muslims unable to provide the documentation required for the exercise. An exercise held in Assam to identify undocumented immigrants in the state left out 1.9 million people from the NRC last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has insisted there have been no discussions on a nationwide NRC in Parliament or in the Union Cabinet, but the Opposition has pointed out that Shah has advocated it. The BJP announced outreach campaigns to clear perceptions about the legislation In the wake of the protests. BJP functionaries at the state level have been asked to carry out door-to-door campaigns to answer questions about the CAA and to emphasise how it would not impact any Indian citizen or community, according to the people cited above. The BJPs ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, too, has begun a similar exercises to reach out to people, who have concerns about the CAA, the NRC, and the NPR. The party president [Shah] will speak about how the CAA is a law that provides citizenship and does not take away anyones rights. He will also be speaking about the differences between the CAA, the NRC, and the NPR and how none of these will cause inconvenience to any Indian citizen, said a party functionary on condition of anonymity. The functionary said that emphasis will be on de-linking the CAA from the NPR and the NRC. Another functionary said Jodhpur has been picked as the venue for Shahs rally since the city has a larger number of Hindus from Pakistan awaiting Indian citizenship. Jodhpur also has a significant number of those Pakistanis, who have been granted citizenship after crossing over to India from 1971 onwards. Shah held a meeting at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday to review the outreach and to bolster the partys efforts in trying to dispel concerns about the legislation. As part of the campaign, BJPs working president, J P Nadda, will be in Goa on Friday to address a rally on the issue. Shah will also launch a toll-free number for people to give missed calls to register their support for the CAA. Even as the party units at the state level are currently finalising the organisational elections, they have been instructed to undertake the outreach intensively, the first functionary said. Organisational elections that began last year will culminate with the election of the new party president later this month. POLITICAL REACTIONS/INDEPENDENT COMMENT SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A dad reportedly gunned down his daughter and her new husband on New Years Eve before turning the gun on himself. The gunman, thought to be the estranged father of Lindita Musai, is under police guard in hospital after the festive horror which saw the 25-year-old woman and her new husband shot dead at an address in Melbourne, Australia. The suspected killer, who police said was a 55-year-old man, was said to have blasted 29-year-old Veton Musai and his wife at around 10.30am on Tuesday. A witness then reportedly saw him jump out of a bush and put a gun to his chin before pulling the trigger. Vetons cousin Jetmir Lumani today posted on Facebook : Today we lost my beautiful baby cousin Veton Musai and his angel wife Lindita Musai.. I cant even begin to explain how I feel. The only thing keeping us strong is belief in God. How a father can take his own daughters (sic) life is beyond comprehension.. but the devil truly is among us. The couple had just celebrated their first wedding anniversary. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The hearing of Registrar of Companies' plea, seeking modifications in National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's (NCLAT) judgement in which Cyrus Mistry was reinstated as the executive chairman of Tata Sons, has been adjourned till Friday. A two-member bench headed by Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya asked the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to submit details of the definition of private and public under the rules of the Act. The bench has also asked for clarification on the paid up capital requirement for the same. Meanwhile, the counsel appearing for Tata Sons informed the appellate tribunal that the company has moved the Supreme Court against its order passed on December 18. However, the petition is yet to be listed, the counsel added. In its plea, the Registrar of (RoC), which functions under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, has also sought to be impleaded as a party in the two petitions and deletion of the words "illegal" and "with the help of the RoC" used by the in its 172-page-long judgement. NCLAT, on December 18, directed the USD 110-billion Tata group to reinstate Cyrus Mistry as the executive chairman of Tata Sons. The tribunal had termed the appointment of N Chandrasekaran, as "illegal" following the October 2016 sacking of Mistry as Tata Sons' executive chairman. It had also directed the RoC to reverse Tata Sons' status from a 'private company' to a 'public company'. In its urgent application, which was mentioned on December 23, just five days after the NCLAT's judgement, RoC Mumbai has asked the appellate tribunal "to carry out requisite amendments" in Para 186 and 187 (iv) of its judgement "to correctly reflect the conduct of the RoC Mumbai as not being illegal and being as per the provisions of the Companies Act". Besides, it has also urged "to delete the aspersions made regarding any hurried help accorded by the RoC Mumbai to Tata Sons, except what was statutorily required" in para 181 of the order. "The instant application is being filed for seeking impleadment of the applicant (RoC) in company appeal.., and for further seeking amendments in the judgement dated December 18, 2019, passed there in by this appellate tribunal due to factual and legal errors, which are apparent in the body of the aforementioned judgement," the petition said. In the order, the appellate tribunal has also quashed the conversion of Tata Sons - the principal holding company and promoter of Tata firms - into a private company from a public firm and had termed it as "illegal". The tribunal has said that the action taken by the RoC to allow the firm to become a private company was against the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, and 'prejudicial' and 'oppressive' to the minority member (Mistry Camp). "The company (Tata Sons) shall be recorded as 'public company'. The RoC will make corrections in its record showing the company as 'public company'," the had said. In its judgement, the tribunal had said the action of Tata Sons board to hurriedly change the company from 'public' to 'private' without following the procedure under law, with the help of the RoC before filing of the appeal suggests that the nominated members of 'Tata Trusts' who have affirmative voting right over majority decision of the board and other members, acted in a manner 'prejudicial' to the members, including minority members (Shapoorji Pallonji Group) and others as also 'prejudicial' to the company. The RoC also said it has acted in "bonafide manner" in converting the status of Tata Sons as "there was no stay granted by this appellate tribunal on the operation of the judgement dated July 9, 2018 of Mumbai, NCLT, at the time when this intimation was filed by Tata Sons Ltd". In its petition, the RoC had asked "to carry out the requisite amendment in paragraphs ... of the judgement dated December 18, 2019, to correctly reflect the conduct of RoC Mumbai as not being illegal and being as per the provisions of the Companies Act along with the rules". Months after Mistry was sacked, Tata Sons had received its shareholders' nod in September 2017, to convert itself into a private limited company from a public limited company, thereby absolving it of the need to take shareholder consent in taking crucial decisions, which could be passed with just the board's approval. Tata Sons was initially a 'private company', but after insertion of Section 43A (1A) in the Companies Act, 1956, on the basis of average annual turnover, it assumed the character of a deemed 'public company' with effect from February 1, 1975, the order said. JAKARTA, Indonesia Flash floods killed at least 43 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, the authorities said on Friday, after the citys most intense period of rainfall since record keeping began more than 20 years ago. On Tuesday, parts of the city recorded more than a foot of rain, according to the countrys Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. The rain persisted on Wednesday and more was predicted this week for the metro area, one of Asias largest urban districts and home to more than 30 million people. Huawei, early last week, reported robust revenue for 2019 as the beleaguered Chinese technology company continues to grow in spite of an extended American campaign against its business. However, it warned that growth this year could only prove to be more challenging. Eric Xu, the rotating chairman of Huawei, wrote as the company's New Year's message to employees that the firm's proceeds topped last year's $122 billion, which is a new record high for the company, and an 18%-increase over the past year. In an article TechCrunch posted on its site, Xu also said that Huawei, the second-largest smartphone manufacturer worldwide, sold approximately 240 million handsets in 2019, up from 206 million in 2018. The figures mentioned are lower than the company's initial forecasts. Yet, business stays solid, and Xu added in his written message, the company would remain strong "in the face of adversity." Moreover, the company official acknowledged, too, that the tech giant is confronting a tactical and long-term crusade against its business by the American government. ALSO READ: Huawei Denies Receiving Billions of Dollars from the Chinese Government as Financial Aid A Difficult 2020 Ahead for Huawei If the campaign mentioned persists for a while, it could create a more challenging environment for this 32-year-old company to survive and thrive. Because of this, survival becomes Huawei's top priority this year. This was according to Xu. Additionally, the United States added the Chinese firm to the trade blacklist of the Commerce Department this year, and placed new limitations on its ability to sell to, and retain commercial relations with American businesses. Also, in connection to the issue, the American government urged its allies, as well, to not use products of Huawei in developing the "next generation of their telecom network infrastructure," suspecting that the Chinese-owned firm poses a danger to national security. During the start of the last quarter of 2019, the Wilbur Ross, U.S. Commerce Secretary, said in a conference held in New Delhi, he is hoping India, the second-largest telecom market in the world, does not unintentionally subject itself to any untoward security through the use of 5G Technology from Huawei. Huawei's 5G Technology Despite the U.S. government's warning, not all allies have followed its advice. Early last week, the company obtained a major win in India, which approved its request to partake in trials of its 5G Technology. Relatively, Huawei India's CEO, Jay Chen, said in a statement, the company firmly believes that only tech innovations, as well as high-quality networks, will be the key rejuvenating the telecom industry in India. The struggle from Huawei in the 5G spectrum, by disparity, is both pressing and real. As Margarethe Vestager, incoming European Commission vice-president assumes the added responsibility of making the European country fit for the electronic or digital age, and there is a need for her to consider whether having a single firm controlling the future of EU is healthy or not. More so, Western governments need to aspire to open competitive markets. Nevertheless, in China, they encounter a superpower competition that does "does not share this disbelief." The open market authoritative appears to conflict with the need for the preservation of both innovation and competition. A dirigisme degree to back western 5G technology is desirable to the substitute: a future wherein Huawei is the only option. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Indonesian Deputy Minister for Maritime Affairs Arif Havas Oegroseno points to the North Natuna Sea on a new map of Indonesia during talks with reporters in Jakarta, July 14, 2017. China has a right to sail ships near the Natuna Islands, a foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday, as Beijing hardened its stance in a diplomatic spat after Indonesia protested about dozens of Chinese boats, including two coast guard ships, entering its Exclusive Economic Zone late last month. When a reporter asked him about an Indonesian government statement a day earlier saying there was no legal basis to Beijings claims that its ships could sail in Indonesias exclusive zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang rejected that assertion. Chinas position and propositions comply with international law, including UNCLOS [the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea], he told a press conference in the Chinese capital. So whether the Indonesian side accepts it or not, nothing will change the objective fact that China has rights and interests over the relevant waters. The so-called award of the South China Sea arbitration is illegal, null and void and we have long made it clear that China neither accepts nor recognizes it. The Chinese side firmly opposes any country, organization or individual using the invalid arbitration award to hurt Chinas interests, he said. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in its complaint against China, saying there was no legal basis for Beijing to claim historical rights in the sea. Beijing rejected the ruling and launched a building spree in territories it controls in the sea. On Monday, Indonesian officials summoned Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian and lodged a protest with Beijing after confirming that 63 Chinese fishing boats and two coast guard ships had sailed into Jakartas territorial waters off the Natuna islands since Dec. 19. The next day, as he responded to the initial criticism from Indonesia, Geng told a press conference that China had sovereignty over the Nansha Islands the Chinese name for the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters near the Nansha Islands. China has historical rights in the South China Sea and Chinese fishermen have long been engaging in legal and legitimate fishery activities in waters near those islands, he told reporters Tuesday. The China Coast Guard were performing their duty by carrying out routine patrols to maintain maritime order and protect our peoples legitimate rights and interests in the relevant waters, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman added. On Wednesday, Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement dismissing Chinas historical claims to the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on the grounds that Chinese fishermen have long been active in those waters. Those claims are unilateral and have no legal basis and have never been recognized by the 1982 UNCLOS, the Indonesian ministry said. We urge China to explain the legal basis and provide clear a definition for its claims on Indonesian EEZ based on 1982 UNCLOS, the statement said. Nine-Dash Line China, through its so-called Nine-Dash Line vaguely located demarcations on maps claims most of the South China Sea as its own, while Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims. In 2016, a dispute erupted between Indonesia and China after Beijing accused the Indonesian Navy of firing at a Chinese fishing boat and injuring a crew member during a standoff in Natuna waters, an area that Beijing claimed as its traditional fishing ground. Indonesian officials said warning shots were fired at several Chinese-flagged ships allegedly encroaching, but no one was injured. In 2017, Indonesia asserted its claim to the region at the far southern end of the South China Sea by renaming the waters around the islands as the North Natuna Sea and establishing an integrated military unit in the chain. Muhammad Haripin, a researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, said Jakarta should take a stronger stance against foreign fishing boats entering its waters illegally. They must be arrested so that there is a deterrent effect, Haripin told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. The government can also provide security for Indonesian fishermen so they will not be afraid to go to the sea. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Tech & Science, Nature & Weather, Local News, Crime, Politics By Ls Cohen Published: January 02 2020 State set to move forward with remediation; challenge polluters in court to pay for it. A four-mile ling, two-mile wide toxic plume sits underneath the site where aerospace contractor Grumman operated since the 1930s. During its long and storied history, Grumman helped to push the aerospace industry to new heights, building fighter planes for the U.S. war effort - including the F-14 Tomcat - and the lunar lander that put men on the moon. (See related story, "Five times Long Island made aviation history.") That legacy, it seems, came with a cost. According to a Department of Environmental Conservation report, past disposal practices from manufacturing work done on the site by the U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman Corporation between 1942 to 1996 contaminated the groundwater. While some remediation has taken place, it hasnt been enough and the contamination continues to expand, according to the DEC. With off-site migration, the reports says, the plume now underlies a nearly seven-square-mile, heavily developed commercial and residential area in Nassau County. The plume was first discovered in the 1970s. The area is now deemed a Superfund site. After a DEC investigation of the underground plume, the agency confirmed the effectiveness of a system to contain and treat the area, estimated to cost $585 million. In a statement, the NYS Governor described the DECs recommended action in a statement, which includes the construction of 24 groundwater extraction wells, five treatment plants, four recharge basins and approximately 24 miles of conveyance piping. This comes after a decision by the DEC earlier this year that went through a public comment period and received over 200 responses. "My top priority is protecting the health of New Yorkers, and we'll never wait for polluters to clean up their mess when it's most convenient for them," Governor Cuomo said. The DEC demanded that the Navy and Grumman implement the plan as soon as possible. If they fail to begin the suggested remedy on their own, the State will enact the plan using its own resources and hold both parties legally responsible for the cleanup costs. We're moving forward with an aggressive plan engineered to achieve the highest cleanup standards possible, and if necessary we'll go to court to force the polluters to pay for it," he said. The final remedy documents, including a description of the new remedy and a summary of and a response to all public comments received, can be found on the DEC's webpage. NYS Assembly Member Steve Englebright, Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation called the response to the toxic plume bold and necessary. Encircling and treating this massive toxic plume is a courageous commitment to a sustainable future for Long Island, he said. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran applauded the action. Eliminating the contaminant and protecting our current groundwater supplies is vital to ensuring the health and safety of our residents, said Curran. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for his action and advocacy - we must ensure a lasting solution to preserve our precious water supply." live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Clariant Chemicals India share price rose more than 5 percent intraday on January 2 as the company announced completing the sale of its additives business. The company said in a press release it had concluded the sale of its additives business to Clariant India, a related party, on a going concern basis. The company received a consideration of Rs 1,684 lakh, subject to normal adjustments. As on January 1, 2020, the additives business stood transferred to Clariant India Limited, it said. At 1104 hours, Clariant Chemicals India was quoting at Rs 399, up Rs 17.50, or 4.59 percent, on the BSE. The share touched its 52-week high of Rs 420 on January 24, 2019, and 52-week low of Rs 265.10 on October 30, 2019. It is trading 5.48 percent below its 52-week high and 49.75 percent above its 52-week low. Israeli leaders consider U.S strikes on Iran-backed Iraqi militia as a potential turning point in the campaign against Tehran which they had claimed earlier they were fighting "alone". Speaking at a conference hosted by the Calcalist financial newspaper Israeli Air Force chief Major General Amikam Norkin said the current situation in the region due to the threats posed by Iran is critical, The Times of Israel reported on December 31. "The American strike two days earlier in Iraq is a potential turning point," the military chief said while stressing that the Israel Defense Forces aerial superiority is a critical feature of the countrys national security strategy. According to The Times of Israel , before the U.S. airstrikes Israeli officials lamented that the Jewish state was alone in the fight against Iran in the Middle East. In his speech, General Norkin praised Israeli Defense Forces' aerial supremacy in the face of Syrian S-300 anti-aircraft batteries, which he said enables Israel to counter Iran's military activities in the region. Norkin said Israel is facing "one of the most densely packed surface-to-air missile arrays in the world" in the north and as well as S-300 and S-400 air defense systems that Russia gave to Syria last year and added: "In no other place in the world does an air force deal with these types of threats". Norkin stressed that this poses a more complex challenge to Israel. On Monday the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria with the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a phone talk after which in a tweet he said he had "commended him on the important US action against Iran and its proxies in the region." Israel Katz, the Foreign Minister of Israel, on Sunday welcomed the strike and also called it a "turning point in the regional response to Iran and its proxies". "If Iran fails to understand the power of the U.S. they will be making a big mistake," he said. The Israeli Foreign minister also said Israel will respond powerfully if Iran tries to drag them into the current crisis in Iraq "beyond demonstrators screaming "death to Israel" and added that Iran has a mistaken understanding of the essence of the power of the United States. "Not only Secretary of State, but also President Trump said that this attack on the embassy was carried out by Iran and that it would be answered," Katz said and added that "the response can be very harsh" as the U.S. has proved that when it decides to respond, it does it powerfully as proved by history. According to Haarez Israeli Defense Forces Chief-of-Staff Aviv Kochavi on December 28 for the first time almost directly clarified that Israel is thwarting Iranian arms shipments while they are being smuggled through Iraq. "Israel will not allow this to go on," he was quoted as saying. Kochavi also lamented that Israel was left "alone" to deal with Iran in the region, Haarez said, presumably referring to its ally, the United States, which had not shown a decisive response to Iran's increasing influence in the region until then. In a speech on December 25 Kochavi noted that in the past year, Iran has become much more active and on the offense throughout the Middle East but had met with no reply, no counteraction, no retaliation". "This means that the Iranians are becoming more emboldened, which could have implications for Israel," the Jewish News Syndicate quoted him as saying. They tried to do this [attacks] against us a number of times in the past year. They changed their policy towards us, too, but we responded. And well continue to respond. Yet we understand that because of Irans change in policy and the lack of replies east of us, their self-confidence is growing," Kochavi said and added that the possibility of limited or more than limited conflict was not unreasonable. Israel considers the increasing Iranian influence in Iraq and Syria a security threat and has been launching strikes on the positions of Iranian allies in Iraq. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that it has authorized the Israeli army to counter Iranian influence "anywhere in the region". Some Israeli commentators and officials believe that deepening hostilities between Iran and the U.S. in the region, such as what happened in Iraq, may benefit Israel. In a commentary in Yedioth Ahronot on Tuesday Alex Fishman, a senior analyst, said should Iran decide to retaliate for the American attack on its militias, it would be playing into the hands of those in Jerusalem who are advocating the use of Iran's growing unpopularity in Iraq and its economic crisis at home to push the Islamic Republic out of Syria altogether. "If Tehran decides to bring Israel into the conflict as leverage against the United States, Jerusalem will be forced to engage in battle with Iranian forces in Syria and perhaps Lebanon as well," Fishman wrote and predicted that the new year will likely see a military conflict between Iranian and American forces of which the American attack on the Iraq-based Hezbollah Brigade militia on Sunday was a first indication. In the early 2000s, the fossilized skeletons of two small tyrannosaurs were collected from the famous Hell Creek Formation of Carter County, Montana. Nicknamed Jane and Petey, the individuals would have been slightly taller than a draft horse and twice as long. Settling a debate about whether Jane and Petey represent a separate genus of pygmy tyrannosaurs (Nanotyrannus) or rather just juveniles of Tyrannosaurus rex, an analysis of sliced bones from the two specimens suggests the latter. Historically, many museums would collect the biggest, most impressive fossils of a dinosaur species for display and ignore the others, said Dr. Holly Woodward, a paleontologist in the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences. The problem is that those smaller fossils may be from younger animals. So, for a long while weve had large gaps in our understanding of how dinosaurs grew up, and T. rex is no exception. The smaller size of the Jane and Petey specimens is what make them so incredibly important. Not only can paleontologists study how the bones and proportions changed as T. rex matured, but they can also utilize paleohistology the study of fossil bone microstructure to learn about juvenile growth rates and ages. In the study, Dr. Woodward and colleagues removed thin slices from the leg bones of Jane and Petey and examined them at high magnification. The researchers compared the organization of bone fibers and other microstructures in the specimens, finding that they appeared to have been growing, as evidenced by growth rings in the bone in a spaced-out pattern not typically seen in adults. The bones also lacked the closely spaced series of lines present in adults that signals growth is complete. The authors determined that small T. rex were growing as fast as modern-day warm-blooded animals. They also found that Jane and Petey were teenaged T. rex when they died; 13 and 15 years old, respectively. The results also support that a skull specimen at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, which was classified as Nanotyrannus in 1988, is actually a young T. rex. Because it took T. rex up to twenty years to reach adult size, the tyrant king probably underwent drastic changes as it matured, Dr. Woodward said. Juveniles such as Jane and Petey were fast, fleet footed, and had knife-like teeth for cutting, whereas adults were lumbering bone crushers. Not only that, but we discovered that growing T. rex could do a neat trick: if its food source was scarce during a particular year, it just didnt grow as much. And if food was plentiful, it grew a lot. The findings appear in the January 1, 2020 issue of the journal Science Advances. _____ Holly N. Woodward et al. 2020. Growing up Tyrannosaurus rex: Osteohistology refutes the pygmy Nanotyrannus and supports ontogenetic niche partitioning in juvenile Tyrannosaurus. Science Advances 6 (1): eaax6250; doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax6250 New Delhi: A firefighter was killed and 14 others injured when a battery factory collapsed in northwest Delhi's Peera Garhi following an explosion due to a fire that broke out early on Thursday morning, officials said. As many as 18 people were rescued from the building, including two caretakers and a security guard, they added. The deceased firefighter has been identified as Amit Balyan (20), who was admitted to Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute. Balyan was rescued after five hours of operation at gutted factory. He is survived by his wife, whom he had married six months ago, and three sisters and father and mother. Balyans father also works in the Delhi Police. Balyan had joined the fire department in September last year. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore to the family of Balyan. "Amit Baliyan laid down his life while serving the people of Delhi. Nothing can bring back a loved one lost, but Delhi govt will provide his family with Rs 1 crore as financial assistance. It's the least we can do as a society..." Kejriwal said in a tweet. Amit Baliyan laid down his life while serving the people of Delhi. Nothing can bring back a loved one lost, but Delhi govt will provide his family with a1 crore as financial assistance. It's the least we can do as a society.. https://t.co/IIUvTc6nd8 Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 2, 2020 Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal also condoled the death of the firefighter. "Deeply anguished over news of death of fire operator Amit Balyan Amit along with his team members fought bravely to save lives of many people. I salute his bravery My sincere condolences to his family members. All possible assistance to be extended to the injured & bereaved family," he tweeted. A large portion of the two-storey building collapsed following an explosion when firefighters were dousing the blaze, an official said, adding that fire department had received a call at 4.23 am. According to fire department officials, the fire has been brought under control but the cooling process is still underway. All the firemen, who were trapped under the debris, have been rescued. Plumes of smoke billowed out from the building as the fire brigade personnel battled to contain the blaze. An eyewitness said several explosions were heard as the blaze gutted down the building. Santosh Kumar, who works in a plastic factory nearby, said around 9 am, the back side of the building collapsed. "Two to four persons were trapped still trapped inside the building and were heard screaming for help. The fire personnel rescued them with the help of a ladder. They were alive," he said. According to police, eighteen people have been rescued including two caretakers and a security guard. Most of them trapped inside were fire personnel, among them two of them is said to be critical and others are out of danger. Police said legal action is being taken under appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code. Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain also visited the spot and ordered a magisterial enquiry into the matter. The National Disaster Response Force and civil authorities rushed to the spot to control the situation, an official said, adding that 35 fire tenders were at the spot. The injured, including a security guard of the factory, were rushed to nearby hospitals, a police officer said. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, who visited the fire scene, said he got to know that the condition of a person, some Manjeet Rana, is stated to be critical... The incident is big. Investigation has to be done. The fire took place around 4 am and the fire personnel are still trying to control the fire. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal said he was monitoring the situation. "V sad to hear this. Am closely monitoring the situation. Fire personnel trying their best. Praying for the safety of those trapped," Kejriwal tweeted. Baijal had also tweeted earlier in the day and said "Deeply saddened over the unfortunate fire incident in Peeragadi. Met the injured. Pray for their speedy recovery. Brave firemen are putting all efforts to douse the fire and rescue people. Directed authorities to provide all possible help on urgent basis." (With PTI inputs) Bagdad After a second day of tense protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, thousands of pro-Iranian demonstrators dispersed Wednesday, ending a siege that had trapped U.S. diplomats in the embassy compound overnight and winding down a potentially explosive crisis for the Trump administration. The demonstrators had swarmed outside the embassy, chanting "Death to America!" Some tried to scale the compound's walls and others clambered onto the roof of the reception building they had burned the day before. In contrast to Tuesday, when some demonstrators forced their way into the compound and set some of the outbuildings on fire, the crowd Wednesday was smaller and no protesters breached the compound's gates. When the demonstrators largely members of Iranian-backed militias angered by deadly U.S. airstrikes over the weekend reached the roof of the burned reception building Wednesday, U.S. security forces, including Marine reinforcements sent by the Pentagon fired tear gas to drive them back. A few hours later, the militia leaders who had organized the demonstration called on the crowd to leave, and most drifted away on foot or drove off in trucks. Some militia members hung a green banner with yellow writing on the burned reception area saying "Popular Mobilization Commission," the umbrella group for the militias, as if to remove any doubt of who was in charge. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The two-day standoff at the embassy, a test of wills between the U.S. and Iran that evoked traumatic memories of earlier attacks on U.S. embassies in Tehran and Benghazi, Libya, ended peacefully, with no reports of deaths or injuries. The flare-up began with a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base Friday that killed an American contractor and wounded several Iraqi and U.S. service members. The U.S. blamed an Iraqi militia with close ties to Iran, Kataib Hezbollah. The militia denied involvement in the attack. U.S. forces carried out airstrikes Sunday on five sites controlled by the militia, in Syria and Iraq, killing at least two dozen people and wounding twice as many; Iran has put the death toll at 31. While U.S. officials said the strikes were retaliation for the death of the U.S. contractor and intended to establish a deterrent to the Iranian-backed militias, Iraqi officials denounced the action as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Doctors should be in hospitals not streets: Kejriwal writes to PM Modi on NEET counselling Punjab elections: You will never have to stage another dharna says Kejriwal Covid-19 cases are rising in Delhi, but no need to panic as hospitalisation low, says Kejriwal No lockdown in Delhi for now but some curbs, says Arvind Kejriwal amid Covid surge Kejriwal announces Rs 1 cr aid to kin of fireman died in Peeragarhi incident India oi-Mousumi Dash New Delhi, Jan 02: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore to the family of firefighter Amit Kumar Balyan who died in Peeragarhi fire incident in northwest Delhi on Thursday. Balyan died a fortnight before he would have turned 29, saving lives after a building collapse. He died after he was trapped in the debris of a portion of a factory building which collapsed in the fire. Kejriwal tweeted, "Amit Baliyan laid down his life while serving the people of Delhi. Nothing can bring back a loved one lost, but Delhi govt will provide his family with 1 crore as financial assistance. It's the least we can do as a society..." Balyan had joined the Delhi Fire Service as a fire operator after successfully completing his basic training on June 10, 2019. The deceased is a resident of Meetnagar in Delhi and was posted at Kirti Nagar fire station. He married in February 2019 and is survived by his wife, father, mother, one younger brother and two younger sisters. Balyan was rescued after a portion of the three-storey building collapsed following an explosion, he succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, Delhi CM said. Officials said 17 others were also injured in the fire that broke out on early Thursday. Balyan was rescued at around 3 pm today and was taken to Balaji Hospital where he was reportedly declared dead. Delhi: One firefighter dies battling Peeragarhi blaze; all trapped persons rescued Balyan's wife Shivani is a constable in UP police and posted in Ghaziabad. His father Babu Ram is an assistant sub-inspector in Delhi Police. The Delhi government announced to give an ex-gratia of Rs one crore to the family of uniformed services personnel who died in the line of duty. Socialist blue New York is seeing its locals fleeing to other states, and with those kind of losses, someone's congressional seat has got to go. Whose seat is on the block? The Daily Wire has a report: According to pollster Frank Luntz, New York is likely to lose a seat in Congress after the 2020 census and Democrats in the state legislature will have to redraw the state's Congressional districts as a result. Although there are plenty of places to cut, New York Dems are reportedly eyeing Ocasio-Cortez's Bronx district for elimination because she's been out of sync with state-level Democrats who control the process. "New York is expected to lose a House seat after the 2020 Census, and state Democrats are looking to draw out @AOC's district," Luntz wrote on Twitter. He included a link to an article from a local New York City magazine, The City, that suggested the Ocasio-Cortez is doubling down on her efforts to encourage her constituents to fill out the 2020 census so that she can stay in office. The report goes on to note that the machinations of New York's state legislators skew against Ocasio-Cortez's spot, given that she doesn't get along with them. There's also the matter of some of New York's other Democrats within the machinery having it in for her, given that she ousted a longtime machine pol, Joe Crowley, who probably dished out many favors to them. But the real message is in the hard fact that New York is losing people, and that loss is firmly rooted in Ocasio-Cortez's animating philosophy: socialism. Socialism the world over drives people to flight. This is as true in New York as it is in Venezuela, China, Russia, North Korea, and Cuba. And Ocasio-Cortez herself was directly responsible for some of the drive-out, based on her halting of a highly sought Amazon operation in her district. Amazon explicitly stated that Ocasio-Cortez's statements are what made the company change its mind and go someplace less hostile to business. She also drove out other investors, ridiculously claiming that their jobs weren't good enough, not "dignified jobs," as if to say that no jobs is better than jobs she claims to be underpaid or unimportant. Residents in her district have commented on that drive-out, and they weren't happy. And Amazon was just one of them. There were many others. When jobs go, so do people, so guess what: Ocasio-Cortez might just be out on her ear. Democracy has this way of leavening things out more of the good stuff, less of the bad. With a declining population base, the seats go. The Daily Wire already noted that Ocasio-Cortez has been banking on her district's abundant illegals to make up the difference, but even that may not save her. Illegals flee socialism for the same reason citizens and legal residents, too: the lack of economic growth. When the state takes everything and leaves you with nothing, why would anyone want to stay? Amazon has since made moves to return to New York, raising questions as to whether it heard that Ocasio-Cortez's seat is about to become history. If so, it's a good sign it is. Ocasio-Cortez might just have socialisted herself out of a job based on nobody wanting to be around for all that worker paradise. Let's hope she has. Image credit: Screen grab from NBC News via shareable YouTube. By Express News Service Celebrations welcoming the New Year turned tragic as 12 persons lost their lives in various road accidents reported across the State on Tuesday late night. According to an official statement from the Police Headquarters, 12 persons were killed and 30 suffered injuries in 30 separate mishaps reported in several districts. The officials attributed the reason for most of the mishaps to rash driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. Of the 30, 11 accidents proved to be fatal. In East Godavari district, two persons were killed in six accidents; in Chittoor, two more were killed in four mishaps. Anticipating untoward incidents during the new year celebrations, police had made elaborate arrangements and conducted enforcement and vehicle checks from 10 pm on Tuesday till early hours of Wednesday. Police said they have booked as many as 794 persons for drunk driving and seized their vehicles. Visakhapatnam city recorded highest number of drunk driving cases, followed by Guntur Urban, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam rural. Meanwhile, Vijayawada city commissioner of police Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said all necessary measures were taken across the city keeping in mind the mishaps that take place due to overspeeding and alcohol consumption. Several teams were placed at busy and crowded points in the city. A total of 38 vehicles were seized and fines were imposed on owners. They will be produced in a court on Thursday, Dwaraka Tirumala Rao added. Commissioner Narendra Savikar has clarified the case of non-resident Indians of Goa that the people of the state who have passports in Portugal will not be affected by the revised citizenship law. He said that these people will be given the status of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI). OCIs are allowed to live and work in India for a lifetime and do not have to take visas again and again. Let us know that Goa was liberated in 1961 after nearly 450 years of slavery in Portugal. After the independence of Goa, Portugal had made law here and gave citizens of its own citizenship and issued passports. Mohan Bhagwat on day three days tour to Indore, meeting regarding CAA to be held Nellai Kannan, a writer who used abusive words against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, has been arrested during a protest against the CAA on 29 December in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. Many BJP leaders had filed cases against Kannan. Powerful explosion in Russia, Video goes viral on social media After days of protests, the Tamil Nadu Police is investigating contacts with Gayatri Khandadai's Pakistani institution 'Bytes for All' involved in the protest against the CAA. This institute is associated with the organization of Pakistani journalists. Chennai Police Commissioner AK Vishwanathan said that this woman was present on the spot even while performing the Rangoli. She was also involved in demonstrations at Madras University. Police have found out about his contact with Pakistan from his Facebook profile, in which he has described himself as a researcher of Pakistan Institute. Republic Day 2020: Home Ministry said this regarding rally in Bengal tech2 News Staff The mild trypophobia-inducing penta-lens camera-enabled Nokia PureView 9.2 could be delayed to autumn 2020. The first iteration of the device, the PureView 9 packed with a Snapdragon 845, was announced at the Mobile World Congress in 2019. A report by Nokia Anew on Twitter suggests that the new device will be called Nokia PureView 9.2 and its launch has been delayed further into 2020. The reason for the delay is mentioned as the replacement of the processor to the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. The announcement of Nokia 9.2 is likely to be delayed until the autumn due to the replacement of the processor on the Snapdragon 865.#Nokia9 #NokiaMobile #HMD #Nokia2020 pic.twitter.com/DbAFdMFi6v Nokia anew (@nokia_anew) December 30, 2019 It was rumoured that the PureView 9.1 was going to use the Snapdragon 855 in 2019. However, it would have been counter-productive to launch a new smartphone with an older mobile chipset in 2020. The upcoming PureView smartphone from Nokia will reportedly pack 5G connectivity enabled by the new Snapdragon 865 platform. In more Nokia news, the Twitter account said that the Nokia 7.2 was the most popular device in 2019 based on the number of devices shipped. It was followed by the PureView 9, Nokia 6.2, Nokia 7.1, Nokia 2.2, and the Nokia 4.2 at fifth. Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said the number of infant deaths has steadily been declining in the state and that the figure is currently at its lowest in the past five to six years. "The number of infant deaths in the state is the least now as compared to the last 5-6 years. The situation has been improving for many years. Excellent medical arrangements are available in the hospitals," Chief Minister Gehlot told reporters here. Earlier in the day, an official from the hospital in Kota said that three more children died on the first two days of the new year, taking the toll to 103. The Chief Minister said that the state government is still working towards reducing the Infant Mortality Ratio (IMR) and the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR). He also said that he has invited Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to come and inspect the situation by visiting Kota personally so that he can see the facilities in the hospital. In a series of tweets, Gehlot said that a visit to the hospital in Kota will clarify the situation for the people. "I telephoned Central Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Ji and requested him to visit Kota personally so that he can see the best of facilities and proper management by the state's Health Department and get himself apprised of the facts," said Gehlot. "Harsh Vardhan Ji is himself a doctor. If he visits the hospital in Kota, it will also clarify the situation for the people, who are giving reaction mischievously, knowingly, unknowingly and also innocently," added he. As per a government report, at least 91 infants lost their lives at the government hospital in Kota in December last year, following which Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is being targetted by the BJP and other opposition parties in the state. (ANI) By Trend Presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev exchanged views over the phone about the further development of bilateral relations between the two countries, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen Government. The heads of state noted that the effectiveness of the Turkmen-Uzbek interaction today is due to the commonality of interests and the presence of strong political will to deepen constructive cooperation in every way. The presidents also spoke about the potential for building partnerships in the fuel and energy, transport communications and the agricultural sector. An exchange of views on topical issues of the regional and global agenda of mutual interest also took place. In November 2019, the two countries agreed to continue work on increasing exports of Turkmen and Uzbek products, including textile, silk, oil and gas, chemical products, agricultural machinery and cars. The total trade turnover between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan amounted to $274 million in 2018. For comparison, this figure was $159 million in 2017. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The youth skipped parties and the elderly shunned the comfort of watching TV at home on the New Year's eve as thousands of people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act rang in 2020 with singing the national anthem at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh. IMAGE: Protesters hold placards during a demonstration against Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens on New Years eve at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI Photo Many people roamed around the venue and thronged kiosks for tea to bear with the winter chill, while many more stayed put under the tarpaulin shed listening to speakers taking the stage one by one. Several roamed around waving national flags while others displayed creative placards against the new law and chanted "Aazadi, Aazadi". As the clock struck 12, the protesting crowd burst into a cheer to greet the fellow protesters the New Year, and moments later broke into the national anthem in unison which was followed by the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad". Amid the thousands was a group of young working professionals who had come in from various parts of Delhi, skipping party invitations to usher in 2020. "Of course, I would have been celebrating all through the new year's eve had the situation been normal," said a 30-year-old man, who works in a private firm. IMAGE: As the clock struck 12, the protesting crowd burst into a cheer to greet the fellow protesters the New Year, and moments later broke into the national anthem in unison. Photograph: PTI Photo Asked for his name, the man requested anonymity and added, "I don't want me being here to be identified with any religion. It's for a bigger cause, it's to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens." A city-based artist, who identified herself as "Phool Kumari", used the platform to also protest against the arrests of some artists in south India who were held by the police over their anti-CAA kollams recently. "We are living on Orwellian reality. Absurdity is the new normal. Government is using its brute force at wrong places. Arts, and protests, in general should not be held against the citizens," the 26-year-old artist said, busy writing with chalk captions on posters that were used by some protesters at the venue. IMAGE: Demonstrators hold placards as they attend a protest against a new Citizenship Amendment Act, at Shaheen Bagh. Photograph: ANI Photo Local men and women too remained at the ground well past 12, in solidarity for the cause they said was the "most important now". "Otherwise we would have watched TV at home," a woman said requesting anonymity. Shaheen Bagh, near Jamia Millia Islamia, has been a protest venue for a section of people opposed to the CAA and the NRC since December 15. Besides Delhi, protests have been witnessed across the country over the contentious law. This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll show how you can use Health Italia S.p.A.'s (BIT:HI) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Based on the last twelve months, Health Italia's P/E ratio is 17.11. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 5.8%. View our latest analysis for Health Italia How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio? The formula for price to earnings is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Health Italia: P/E of 17.11 = 3.99 0.23 (Based on the year to June 2019.) Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good? A higher P/E ratio implies that investors pay a higher price for the earning power of the business. That isn't a good or a bad thing on its own, but a high P/E means that buyers have a higher opinion of the business's prospects, relative to stocks with a lower P/E. Does Health Italia Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry? One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (39.0) for companies in the healthcare industry is higher than Health Italia's P/E. BIT:HI Price Estimation Relative to Market, January 2nd 2020 Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that Health Italia shareholders think it will struggle to do as well as other companies in its industry classification. Since the market seems unimpressed with Health Italia, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers. Story continues It's great to see that Health Italia grew EPS by 23% in the last year. A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash). 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. How Does Health Italia's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio? Net debt totals just 6.2% of Health Italia's market cap. The market might award it a higher P/E ratio if it had net cash, but its unlikely this low level of net borrowing is having a big impact on the P/E multiple. The Verdict On Health Italia's P/E Ratio Health Italia trades on a P/E ratio of 17.1, which is below the IT market average of 18.6. The company does have a little debt, and EPS growth was good last year. If the company can continue to grow earnings, then the current P/E may be unjustifiably low. Since analysts are predicting growth will continue, one might expect to see a higher P/E so it may be worth looking closer. When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. 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 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. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The planned shutdown of two Colstrip Power Plant units has begun, signaling the wind down of one of the West's largest coal-fired generators. Colstrip Unit 1 is no longer operating. Unit 2 is expected to shut down Saturday, according to Puget Sound Energy, which splits ownership of the units with Talen Energy. The two companies announced last June that the two units, which have operated since the mid-1970s, were uneconomical due to rising coal costs and competition from natural-gas-fired power plants and renewable energy sources. "Unit 1 shut down today and we understand that Unit 2 is closing Saturday, that it's burning through what (coal) is stockpiled," Christina Donegan, Puget Sound Energy communications director, said Thursday. Puget will be replacing the Colstrip power with market purchases and new generation from third parties that have submitted bids to supply power to the Bellevue, Washington-based company, which has 1.1 million electric customers. The company requested bids last year for 299 megawatts of new generation, just slightly less than its capacity share from the Colstrip units shutting down this week. Talen's parent corporation Riverstone Holdings LLC bought an 80 megawatt Montana wind farm in November. Stillwater Wind near Reed Point was acquired by Riverstone as part of its joint purchase of Pattern Development. Riverstone partnered with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board on the $6.1 billion deal. Pattern will become an integrated renewable energy company. Rumors about Units 1 and 2 closing were swirling Thursday around the state. By noon, the Republican Montana Senate Majority had issued a statement from Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, stating that Saturday "Colstrip Units 1 and 2 will be closed with the doors dismantled and welded shut." U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said on Twitter Thursday "This is a sad week for the Colstrip community, Montana families and our energy security. This outcome is a result of fringe litigation and anti-energy regulations. These attacks on our (Montana)-made energy must stop." Units 1 and 2, with a combined capacity of 614 megawatts, employ roughly 100 workers. Units 3 and 4, each with a 734 megawatts of capacity, continue to operate, though four of the power plant's utility owners are planning to exit as early as 2025. Puget has offered to sell its 25% share of Unit 4 to South-Dakota-based NorthWestern Energy, which is Montanas largest monopoly utility. Another 200 workers tend to Units 3 and 4. Along with Rosebud Coal Mines 372 employees, the power complex anchors the economy of its namesake community of 2,300 people, as well as southeast Montana. Talen Energy said Colstrip's oldest units could operate through Sunday. "Because of market considerations, we generally do not comment on whether our units are operating. However at this time, the formal retirement date for both Units 1 and 2 is expected to be Jan. 5. The units will stop operating on or before that date when they run out of coal," said Taryn Williams, Talen spokeswoman, in an email to The Gazette. "After Units 1 and 2 cease operating, they will be put in a cold, dark, dry and safe condition. We expect this work to take several months. As previously stated, Williams continued. Talen Montana aims to avoid a significant layoff of Colstrip employees and is committed to doing what is right by our employees. Because our employee transition plan is still being finalized, we are not able to provide further information at this time." The shutdown has been expected since 2016 when the owners of Colstrip Power Plant settled an air pollution lawsuit filed against all four units by agreeing to close Units 1 and 2 no later than 2022. Plans to pull the plug on Colstrips oldest units accelerated as coal prices increased. In July, Talen Montana President Dale Lebsack told Montana legislators that his company continues to lose money on Colstrip Units 1 and 2 and the units would have to close. The decision was made before Colstrip owners agreed to a new contract for coal with Westmoreland Mining LLC, the parent company of Rosebud Mine. Westmoreland went bankrupt in 2019 as the coal industry continued a yearslong loss of energy market share to natural gas. In regulatory filings, Colstrip Power Plant owners state that the rising cost of coal will further increase customers power prices. In Montana, Colstrip power owned by NorthWestern Energy is already the most expensive power in the companys portfolio, according to the Montana Consumer Counsel. MCC put the 2017 customer price of power from Colstrip Unit 4 at $73.85 per megawatt hour, with spot market power and Judith Gap Wind farm anchoring the low end at $31 or less. Additionally, the Colstrip complex remains challenged by climate change laws passed in Washington and Oregon. Units 3 and 4 face a 2025 coal power ban in Washington, where power plant owners Puget Sound Energy and Avista Corp. are based and PacifCorp, another Colstrip owner, does business. Oregon coal power bans begin in 2030 and will affect PacifiCorp and Portland General Electric, another Colstrip owner. Between the two Pacific Northwest states there are 3.1 million Colstrip customers going offline. Those utilities are making plans for new, non-coal generation, including a large investment in renewable energy by PacifiCorp. NorthWestern Energy, with its 374,000 electric customers in Montana, is the only utility showing interest in keeping Colstrip operational for more than a decade. Talen's share of Colstrip Units 1 and 2 was a prime source for large customers buying power on the open market. That's because Talen isn't a regulated utility with captive customers. School districts, grain companies, oil refineries and other large industrial customers bought power from Colstrip Units 1 and 2. The latest energy contract data for the region listed just one company specifically drawing power from the units in December, ExxonMobil. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 7 Angry 0 Taiwan rejects China's offer to unify with mainland under Hong Kong model Iran Press TV Wednesday, 01 January 2020 6:48 AM Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen has rejected China's offer to use the "one country, two systems" model in order to unify the self-ruled island with mainland China, claiming that that political arrangement has failed in Hong Kong. "Hong Kong people have showed us that 'one country, two systems' is definitely not feasible," Tsai said in a New Year speech on Wednesday. "Under 'one country, two systems,' the situation continues to deteriorate in Hong Kong. The credibility of 'one country, two systems' has been sullied by the government's abuse of power," she claimed. Hong Kong has been governed under the "one-country, two-system" model since the city, a former British colony, was returned to China in 1997. Since June, Hong Kong has been beset by unrest over a contentious extradition bill that would have allowed the extradition of suspects to mainland courts for trial. The bill has since been fully withdrawn, but the protests have continued, although they have lost much of their steam. Tsai further vowed to defend what she called Taiwan's sovereignty. Her speech came ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections on January 11, in which she seeks a second term. On Tuesday, Taiwan passed a bill to combat what it claims as Chinese efforts to influence politics in the island, further straining ties between Beijing and Taipei. China says Taiwan's ruling party has been using such law revisions to incite hostility and restrict normal exchanges across the Taiwan Strait. China is Taiwan's favorite investment destination, with Taiwanese firms having invested over 100 billion dollars there in total, according to private estimates. Beijing's relations with Taipei have particularly been strained since Tsai came to power in 2016. She has strong anti-China inclinations and refuses to acknowledge that both sides are part of "one China." China considers the self-ruled island part of its territory under the globally-recognized "One China" policy. The policy refers to the diplomatic acknowledgement that there is only one state called China, despite the existence of two governments, one in China and another on the island of Taiwan. Almost all world countries recognize Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan. China has pursued reunification with Taiwan ever since the island broke away from the mainland during a civil war in 1949. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BLUE LAKE, Calif. -After months of wildfires, an essential question in a warming, windy California is this: How does the state keep the lights on? A tiny Native American tribe, settled here in the Mad River Valley, has an answer. Build your own utility. The Blue Lake Rancheria tribe has constructed a microgrid on its 100-acre reservation, a complex of solar panels, storage batteries and distribution lines that operates as part of the broader utility network or completely independent of it. It is a state-of-the-art system - and an indicator of what might be in California's future. In early October, Pacific Gas & Electric cut power to more than 2 million peopleacross Northern California, including all those who live here in rural Humboldt County, where redwood forests fringe the wild edge of the continent. The shut-off aimed to reduce the risk of wildfire, and as the region sat in darkness, the tribe's multimillion-dollar investment in its power system glowed. Responding to public needs, the tribe transformed a hotel conference room into a newsroom so the local paper could publish. It used hotel guest rooms to take in eight critically ill patients from the county's Health and Human Services Department. The reservation's gas station and mini mart were among the only ones open, drawing a nearly mile-long line of cars. The Blue Lake Rancheria served more than 10,000 people during the day-long outage, by some estimates, roughly 8 percent of Humboldt's population. And for a government that had largely ignored the tribe for more than a century, the tribe suddenly became a vital part of its emergency response. "The irony was not lost on us," said Jason Ramos, a member of the tribal council who ran emergency operations during the blackout. "When these power cuts started, we looked like geniuses for what we had done. But in truth, we didn't really see them coming when we made our decision." California, a hive of rapid private-sector innovation, is adjusting slowly to the accelerating changes in its climate. The sharp transition between heavy rains and hot, windy weather has primed the landscape for wildfires, which have burned larger and deadlier in recent years than at any time in history. After an autumn of power cuts and economic losses, the reliability of California's electricity grid and of its three largest investor-owned utilities is among the most pressing public policy issues facing Gov. Gavin Newsom. a Democrat. The state lags behind some on the East Coast, where Tropical Storm Irene swamped towns in 2011, causing blackouts and a rethinking of how to strengthen a vulnerable electrical grid. The ideas under consideration here are complicated by the bankruptcy of PG&E, the state's largest investor-owned utility. All would require a measure of public money - such as a state takeover of the grid or breaking up utilities into municipal agencies - and changes to a regulatory system yet to adapt to California's new climate-driven threats. "It's like we have a high schooler stuck in the sixth grade," said state Sen. Henry Stern, D-Canoga Park, who represents a district that has experienced several fires and intentional blackouts this fall. Stern, who lost his Malibu home in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, pushed through legislation that year that directs state regulators to revise the rules around microgrid use to make it easier for private-utility customers to use them. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, who installed a microgrid on his Colusa County ranch, signed the bill, which sets a December 2020 deadline for the new regulations to be in place. "We've got a mature technology stuck in a far less mature regulatory system," Stern said. "It's as much a culture shift as an engineering challenge that we face now." No one keeps count of how many microgrids operate in the state. But many large university campuses, medical centers and public-safety operations have them. The idea is simple. Microgrids are connected to the larger utility system when the electricity is on, contributing power in some cases. When there is a power cut, microgrids can become "islands" - disconnect from the system and use solar-generated energy stored in batteries to operate independently. The chief obstacle to their wider use here is cost and regulations that make them prohibitively expensive for most private customers. The Blue Lake Rancheria operates a 102-room hotel and casino, and the revenue helped pay for its $6.3 million microgrid, which keeps the businesses and the tribal government building open during blackouts. A state grant secured with help from the Schatz Energy Research Center, a clean-energy institute affiliated with Humboldt State University, also funded the project. A major issue for microgrids is a rule that prohibits private-utility customers from selling electricity "over the fence" - on the public market - because they are not regulated by the state. The ability to do so would make the economics far more feasible for neighborhoods, community groups and private customers interested in building microgrids, especially in rural areas, as a backup to the increasingly unreliable utility-provided electricity. One compromise would be to allow some private microgrid electricity sales only during blackouts, a step other states have taken. "As you think about doing these systems, you have to ask how much they will cost and how do you continue to fund the rest of the grid," said a senior official in the Newsom administration who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe ongoing government discussions to improve electricity reliability. "Microgrids are a tool, they have a role, and they must be one of many things we have to look at. But they are not a panacea." The public policy considerations are similar to those that define the debate around school vouchers: If too many children take public money to pay private-school tuition, what then becomes of the public school system? State regulators say the three utilities need almost $30 billion a year to operate. Even those who favor more relaxed regulations worry that, down the road, too many microgrid users could create an electricity system of haves and have-nots in a state where that divide is already canyon-deep in housing, incomes and other aspects of daily life. "Utilities have had the same business model for 100 years, and boy, is it hard for them to change," said Tom Williard, principal of Sage Energy Consulting, which advises businesses on the use of microgrids. "But this is an issue that must be addressed quickly." - - - Humboldt County has always considered itself an off-the-grid kind of place, the remote destination of a post-Summer of Love hippie migration that brought thousands here to live off the land. A renowned marijuana industry emerged in the hard-to-reach canyons and valleys, and solar panels and generators helped keep the "grows" hidden from the law. That outlaw culture and black-market economy is now struggling to adapt, like the power system itself, to the regulations that come with a now-legal cannabis market. But the October power shut-off, followed three weeks later by an even longer outage, revealed just how reliant Humboldt is on a vast, regionwide electricity grid. While low humidity and high winds made Shasta County to the east a high-fire risk in October, cool, damp Humboldt faced no fire threat at all. Yet to protect Shasta, PG&E had to cut off transmission lines that also serve Humboldt. "We always get the 'What is going on there?' question from businesses we talk to," said Gregg Foster, executive director of the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission in Humboldt. "But we didn't know we were tied to a grid hundreds of miles away, and now we're looking at why their issues have become our problems." Those with generators when the lights went out flipped them on, creating fire risks of their own. On the city of Arcata's central square, where the bead shops, cannabis oil vendors and vintage clothing stores attract a steady flow of tourists, owners of the Big Blue Cafe turned on their generator in the minutes after the power went out for the second time in October. A few hours later, the popular diner was in flames, the generator later found to have vibrated across the floor to a wall, where the hot exhaust sparked the fire. The restaurant and its two neighbors are still closed. The makeup of Humboldt's population also is a barrier to the large-scale adoption of microgrids. It is more transient than most, with a homeownership rate below the national average. Landlords and renters are far less likely to invest in a new, expensive electricity system. The median household income of $42,000 also is well below the national average. But use of microgrids is growing with the help of state money. At the California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport, designed during World War II to train pilots how to fly in fog, an $11 million microgrid project is in the works. It is nearly twice as expensive as Blue Lake's microgrid but five times more powerful, a sign the costs for the systems are coming down. When finished next year the microgrid will provide electricity to the airport, a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station, a nearby animal shelter and a few other nearby businesses during blackouts. - - - Rancheria is the name the federal government gave to a series of small Native American reservations around the state's far-northern coast, and Blue Lake's reservation is indeed small. So is the tribe - 50 members, now, after more than a century of federal recognition. The Mad River Valley flooded frequently until the 1950s, when the government built a levee to contain the unruly river. Now the tribe's land sits between county sewage ponds and a city dump, although the steep-valley landscape on a clear winter day remains breathtaking. "For a long time, we have had to rely on ourselves. You couldn't count on help from the federal or the state government," said Ramos, the tribal council member. "The sense of tribal sovereignty is strong." Of California's many natural plagues, it was not fire but tsunami that focused the tribe's interest on creating an independent power supply. In early March 2011, an earthquake shook Japan, triggering the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The force created a tsunami that moved across the Pacific and flooded California's northern coast, including parts of Humboldt. Now, tsunami warning signs line Humboldt's coastal roads. But the tribe noticed that, when residents sought higher ground at the time, many of them congregated in and around Blue Lake above the flood's high-water mark. "The tsunami was really a wake-up call about how people experience a disaster here," said Jana Ganion, the tribe's energy director. "We realized that people are going to come here for resources." When the lights went out in October, Heather Muller, emergency manager for the county's Department of Health and Human Services, said the agency began contacting its nearly 150 patients who use medical devices that rely on power. Some were admitted to the hospital, which had its own emergency power. Muller said the staff identified eight patients "who were not sick enough to be hospitalized but could possibly die overnight without power for their devices." They were checked into the reservation's hotel. Journalists at the daily newspaper, the Times-Standard, needed power to put out the paper. Five journalists worked through the night in a reservation conference room, publishing updates online and even getting designs for the printed edition to Chico, a city 200 miles to the southeast. "On a normal night, they send those pages back to us and we print them here," said Marc Valles, the Times-Standard's managing editor. "This was not a normal night." The paper's delivery trucks in Humboldt met trucks from Chico halfway, picking up the morning edition and delivering it on time. With PG&E "telling public officials one thing, and the public another," Valles said, it was especially important to have the paper's reporting as a guide. "People are skeptical enough of distant officials already, and these mixed messages really didn't help," he said. "That's true anywhere in America, but more so here." - - - Solar panels cover two fenced-in acres behind the tribe's hotel and casino, and stacks of Tesla batteries sit in the shade of the building. Across from the hotel, the tribe is growing its own food in greenhouses. It turns cooking oil from the hotel kitchen into biofuel. Ganion estimates that the microgrid decreases the tribe's greenhouse-gas emissions by 200 tons a year, pushing toward the tribe's goal of becoming carbon-neutral over the next decade. In addition, by selling energy to the broader grid during peak-use hours, the tribe saves roughly $200,000 a year in PG&E costs. And it is expanding its self-run utility. The roof of the Play Station 777 gas and mini mart is covered in solar panels, the power source for a second microgrid set to come online soon. The storage batteries are tucked behind the store, on the edge of the parking lot, a paved dot in a river valley changing like the state around it. "The main culprit here is climate change," Ganion said. "When we look for the solutions to the wildfires and the power shut-offs, examples of our changing climate, we must make these decisions through the lens of clean energy." Regarding The 10 best things Trump did last year, (A11, Jan. 1), Marc Thiessen claims that Donald Trumps assault on Planned Parenthood is an accomplishment because it targets a small part of the organizations work. He ignores that abortions would be far rarer if women had access to affordable and easy-to-use birth control, and that Planned Parenthood not only provides those but saves lives every day with low-cost cancer screening and treatment. A real accomplishment would be adopting an unwanted child or funding low-cost medical care. But I guess Mr. Thiessen doesnt think those are worthy of his or the presidents attention. Stella Fitzgibbons, The Woodlands Legitimate trial Regarding McConnell is right: The Senate is no mere jury, (A9, Dec. 31): A juror is required to be impartial. In the event of a trial where jurors are found to have voted for or against a defendant with an organized bias, the trial is thrown out. I am asking our senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, to do right by our state by acting honorably. I am suggesting three simple requests that can be made of the Senate leadership. 1. The Senate majority leader and other senators are to order the White House to produce documents pertinent to the investigation of wrongdoing by the president. 2. The following are to be called as witnesses in the event of a trial regarding the Articles of Impeachment drafted by the House Judiciary Committee: Donald Trump; John Bolton; Rudolph Giuliani; Kurt Volker; Gordon Sondland; John Michael Mulvaney; Michael Pompeo; Robert B. Blair; Mark T. Esper; Mark Paoletta; Mark Sandy; and Michael Duffey. 3. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Lindsey Graham and any other senators involved with the White Houses coordination of a potential defense are to abstain from voting as jurors and are to recuse themselves from any involvement with the trial. Jordan Stryk, Richmond Jakarta, Jan 2 : Severe flooding in Jakarta has claimed at least 19 lives and forced thousands of people to flee their homes after heavy rains inundated both residential and commercial areas across the Indonesian capital, the government said on Thursday. The Social Affairs Ministry confirmed the toll, saying that it was trying to ascertain the deaths of two more people in the floods and landslides which occurred after the heavy rains that started on Tuesday and continued into the early hours of Wednesday, reports The Jakarta Post. The Ministry said that seven victims, ranging from five to 60 years old, had been swept away by floodwaters in Kampung Sinar Harapan, Harkat Jaya village, Sukajaya district. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has prioritized several areas in East Jakarta for evacuation, including Cawang, Kayu Putih and Cakung. After an aerial survey conducted by National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Lt. Gen. Doni Monardo using a helicopter, the Governor said more than 19,000 people had fled their homes as of Wednesday afternoon. "The worst is in East Jakarta with 9,248 people (displaced), South Jakarta with 5,080," he said. Anies said there were 3,535 people at temporary shelters in West Jakarta, 888 in North Jakarta and 310 in Central Jakarta. East Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency head Gatot Sulaeman told The Jakarta Post that more than 500 residents had been evacuated from 10 locations on Wednesday. Commuter train operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) said adjustments had been made to some routes because of flooding in some areas. For decades, the term Greek statistics had been a punchline. Official data were massaged so that the government could claim it was meeting European Union fiscal commitments and retain access to international capital markets. The Greek statistical service, which was controlled by whatever party held power, had taken to reverse-engineering its official budget data. That is, it would choose a final number at the outset and then backfill the assumptions necessary to produce that result. (This technique is not unique to the Greek government, of course.) From the early days of broadcasting a century ago, the business had its outlaws. They built radio stations in border towns just across the Rio Grande and cranked their signals far beyond the 50,000-watt limit mandated by the U.S. government. They filled the air with stemwinders, spellbinders, conspiracy theorists and purveyors of quack remedies. North of the border, radio created mass culture. Suddenly everyone was dancing to the same music, falling for the same crooners, tuning in at the same hour to the same dramas and comedies and political speeches. The rewards were tremendous for those artists who colored inside the lines of public taste. South of the border was the land of rebels, titillaters and scandalizers. John Romulus Brinkley, a medical charlatan of epic proportions, opened the first Mexican mega-station, call letters XER, across the river from Del Rio, Texas, in 1931. The million-watt signal was so strong it could be heard in the barbed wire of nearby ranch fences and as far away as Canada. Speaking for hours on end, Brinkley rambled about topics ranging from the federal government's machinations against him to the value of goat testicles for treating sexual dysfunction. There was music - XER was country music's incubator, hatching the likes of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter family. There was wild, passionate Pentecostal preaching. There was peddling of sketchy merchandise, including, for a time, autographed photos of Jesus. Most of all, there was a voice, hypnotic and compelling. For Don Imus, outlaw radio was the best kind. As a young man in the early 1960s, Imus didn't tune his receiver to some cookie-cutter Top 40 station playing a rote rotation of 2 1/2-minute pop hits. He dialed in XERF, a direct descendant of Brinkley's border blaster, where a charismatic broadcaster known as Wolfman Jack did his strange and edgy business. The Wolfman's music was good, but his talk was the thing. He howled. He rasped. He said things Mom and Dad would not approve of, speaking to the entire body: ears, brain, spine, gut, libido. Imus, who died Friday, was a radio revolutionary. What he perceived, earlier than most, was that the rise of television during his adolescent years meant that domestic radio was going to lose its role as the maker and arbiter of mass culture. The time was ripe for the outlaws to cross the border and seize the U.S. airwaves. During a career that filled a half-century, the I-man - as he was known to his broad following - applied the lessons of outlaw radio to the evolving technologies of modern communication. He made radio interesting - not like a seminar is interesting, but like a bank robbery is interesting. Like emergency surgery is interesting. Like climbing a cliff with no rope is interesting. As practiced by Imus, previously mainstream broadcasting became dangerous: subversive, irreverent, defiant of norms and undermining of conventions. Through all those years of growling and rasping and mumbling, he broke every rule, written and unwritten. He swore on the air, mused about his genitals and asked female callers whether they were naked. He trafficked in racial stereotypes and epithets. He spoke disrespectfully of authority figures. He got suspended, got reprimanded, got fired and got rich on his way to the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. I knew Imus only a little and found him an unsettled, unsettling character. We met at his New Mexico ranch, years after he ended his monstrous romance with booze and cocaine. I was auditioning for the role of ghostwriter of a little essay in his wife's vegan cookbook - not a natural assignment given my devotion to barbecue, bratwurst and Buffalo wings. Directed to a seat across the table from the brooding, shaggy legend, I broke a long silence by saying I shared his interest in country music. By way of reply, Imus snatched a remote from the table and powered up a deafening stereo. For the next half-hour, he switched from one old recording to the next, border-blaster music, challenging me to name each artist. Only after I successfully sorted Ernest Tubb from Faron Young from Ray Price from Marty Stuart did he soften his disdainful sneer, just a little. I got the gig. It was abundantly clear he would have preferred to catch me in a phony lie, to expose my insincerity. The essence of outlaw radio as practiced by Imus, by Howard Stern, by Rush Limbaugh, by Art Bell is authenticity. A man - it's always a man - sits at a microphone and bares his soul, his body, his lust, his fear, his paranoia, his insecurities, his resentments, his biases, his megalomania, his mean streak, his sentimental side. The revelation is different for each broadcaster, but whatever it is, it must be real - and the assay of authenticity is his willingness to go too far. The I-man was always willing. Will now cater to a population of 20-25 lakhs in the National capital Mission Delhi is an ICMR-AIIMS initiative to provide care to STEMI Heart Attack patients, launched 25th April 2019 at AIIMS New Delhi as pilot project and covering about 30 sq kms. As a Pilot Project Mission Delhi has received 44 cases till date. The Project has now been extended to 78 sq. Kms around AIIMS New Delhi and will now cater to a population of 20-25 lakhs in the National capital. STEMI Heart attack is an acute, high risk, time sensitive life threatening disease. The management of STEMI heart attack patient requires treatment to be started within the golden hour (90 minutes) of the onset of symptoms and providing clot buster therapy to patient within 30 minutes of reaching the hospital. Delays in reaching hospital and initiation of clot buster therapy are the major causes of deaths in STEMI Heart Attack patients. On receiving a call at MISSION Delhis Toll Free Emergency Helpline numbers (1800111044 and 14430), the mobile medical nurse team is dispatched immediately for examining the patient, providing necessary medication/CPR, transmitting ECG to consultant at AIIMS. Marico fell 2.43% to Rs 337.45 after the company on Thursday issued business performance update for the quarter ended 31 December 2019. Marico said that overall consumption trends during the quarter belied expectations of the beginning of a revival in sentiment which were built on the back of good monsoons and announcement of various government measures. Category growths across personal care remained under pressure, while foods and allied categories fared relatively better. However, the company continued to consolidate market shares across key franchises. The traditional channel stayed weak, as channel partners continued to face liquidity challenges amidst a soft demand environment. Growth in modern trade and e-commerce also slowed down, partly due to specific price management measures taken in these channels to counter inter-channel conflict. In the India business, the Saffola oils and foods portfolio delivered healthy double-digit volume growth. However, due to a decline in coconut oil, hair oils and other portfolios, the India business as a whole posted a marginal decline in volume growth. The International business posted high single-digit constant currency growth with the Bangladesh business holding firm, while other geographies lacked fervour. EBITDA margins are expected to improve year-on-year given benign input costs, which should translate to reasonable growth in the bottomline. Marico expects some green shoots of recovery in Q4, on the back of focused marketing initiatives and pricing interventions taken in key portfolios, which have hit the shelves in the late stages of Q3 post clearing of older inventory in the channel. The company said it will continue to drive sustained profitable volume-led growth over the medium term, through its focus on strengthening the franchise in the core categories and driving the new engines of growth towards gaining critical mass. Marico posted 16.5% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 247 crore in Q2 September 2019 over Q2 September 2018. Net sales during the quarter under review were down 0.44% to Rs 1,829 crore as against Rs 1837 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. Marico is a leading Indian group in consumer products in the global beauty and wellness space. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alleged former Isil member Lisa Smith was pictured in public for the first time since being released on bail from a Limerick prison. The former Defence Forces member signed on at a Garda station yesterday morning as part of her bail conditions. She was driven from the address where she is staying in the north-east at around 10.30am, walking calmly to the car from the house. She was dressed in clothing that left only part of her face uncovered. Mother-of-one Ms Smith did not spend long at the Garda station. After signing on at the station she was driven back to the house where she had come from, but declined to make any comment. On New Year's Eve, she was escorted from the jail in a white prison van at around 4.45pm and was brought to an undisclosed location where it is understood she was met by a family member. The escort was provided by the Irish Prison Service for "security reasons", a source said. Ms Smith had been granted bail by the High Court, but the District Court had rejected an attempt by a third party to lodge an independent surety on the grounds he had previous criminal convictions and was not related to Ms Smith. But on Tuesday a 5,000 surety, of which 1,000 was to be lodged, was accepted by the courts. Ms Smith was to lodge 500 of her own cash. Ms Smith (37) is charged with being a member of an unlawful terrorist group "styling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (Isil), also known as Isis, contrary to the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005, between October 28, 2015, and December 1, 2019. As part of strict bail conditions set by the courts, Ms Smith must reside at an address in the north-east and sign on at a Garda station twice daily between 10am-1pm and 3-6pm. She was also ordered to obey a curfew, having to remain indoors from 8pm to 7am. She cannot leave the jurisdiction or apply for travel documentation. She must also provide gardai with a contact mobile phone number within 48 hours of taking up her bail. Ms Smith, who denies the charge, has also been banned from accessing the internet or using any social media and she must not have contact with non-Garda witnesses in the case. Ms Smith, who left Ireland and married after she converted to Islam, had been found in a Syrian refugee camp. After a trek to Turkey with her daughter, they were brought back to Ireland on December 1. Gunn Memorial Library in Washington will present a discussion on the New York Times bestseller The Dutch House by Anne Patchett Jan. 14 at 6:30 p.m. A snow date of Jan. 21 is planned at the Wykeham Road library. Advertisement YouTuber Chloe Morello's family home came within metres of burning down as raging bushfires ripped through the sleepy holiday town of Batemans Bay on the New South Wales south coast. The Los Angeles-based beauty vlogger, who has over one million followers on Instagram, took to social media on Tuesday to tell her fans that the house she grew up in had been razed to the ground. It wasn't until later that afternoon when her family was allowed to inspect the damage that she discovered the home had been saved thanks to the actions of heroic neighbours armed with hoses. Chloe Morello (pictured) feared her home at been 'lost' in the New South Wales bushfires on Tuesday, but later discovered heroic neighbours had saved the property Dramatic photos show how close the flames got to Ms Morello's home, with the damage stopping just metres from the doorstep. 'Fires burnt right up to our front porch. Others on our street lost everything. More bad conditions forecast for the week apparently? Hoping for some good news with the weather,' she wrote on Twitter. Batemans Bay remains cut off from the rest of NSW and thousands are still without power, but residents have been able to assess the damage to their properties. 'Fires burnt right up to our front porch. Others on our street lost everything. More bad conditions forecast for the week apparently? Hoping for some good news with the weather,' she wrote on Twitter Properties destroyed by bushfire in the south coastal town of Batemans Bay after the fires ravaged the town on Tuesday Ms Morello took to Twitter to lash out at Scott Morrison for his handling of the bushfire crisis, revealing residents and holiday makers were desperate for food and supplies. 'The conditions for those stranded in Batemans Bay aren't good,' she wrote. 'I spoke to my sister Ellie by phone when she went into town to try get food (all food in fridges have gone off) nothing left at Coles or Woolies but the lines are so long, extending out onto streets. 'We need the NAVY from Jervis Bay to bring supplies by boat into the town. Babies need formula and people need food to eat. Stranded holidayers will not have a pantry supply like my family does. 'If power and roads continue to be cut it will get worse and worse. There is a petrol shortage, food shortage, and people still cant let their families know what is going on. (My sister has power banks so she can charge her phone). Especially concerned for infants & elderly.' According to the YouTuber, stores in the area are only accepting cash but there is no food left on shelves and the reception remains horrible so people cannot contact loved ones. 'What will people do that require medical attention? It won't be long before people become weak from lack of food and breathing conditions,' she wrote. 'My sister said we wont starve, but we will be on canned tomato for five days if the power and roads don't open up. What about the people that were on holiday? Or people in retirement villages? We need supplies to Batemans Bay and other affected areas.' Ms Morello shared pictures from Araluen Motor Lodge, her family's business (pictured) which show the state of the town on Tuesday While Ms Morello's family home was saved, many other properties in the street have been completely flattened by the fires The view from the family's motel shows plumes of smoke infiltrate the sky (left) On Tuesday, Ms Morello thought her family had lost everything when her mother and sister evacuated their house and escaped to their motel business. She told her 153,000 followers that she believed her home had been completely ravaged by the fires. 'Fire is on our street, I think we will say goodbye to our childhood home. Hoping for everyone's safety this is very emotional,' she tweeted. Ms Morello said her mother and sister went to the Batemans Bay home to try and save sentimental items like photo albums, while her father was returning from Victoria. 'My mum and sister may not even be safe here now,' the beauty blogger said on Instagram. 'People are fleeing into the water. Our home is most definitely gone.' Ms Morello asked Twitter how to stay protected from smoke, amid fears her family could become trapped. 'My family might have to run to the beach but it's so smoky. They are at the family business right now but fire is getting closer, I'm petrified for them.' Her sister Ellie said she was preparing to run to the beach with 'wet towels around our faces' as 'nowhere is safe'. While the fires have been easing up before worse conditions are expected Saturday, residents are able to assess the damages to their homes Buildings and structures have been completely torn down and flattened in Batemans Bay The entire community of Batemans Bay has been stripped after the catastrophic fires tore through the area on Tuesday Speaking on her Instagram page on Tuesday, she said her mother and sister were helping vulnerable residents find shelter in their motel to escape from the suffocating smoke. Ms Morello had earlier shared pictures from Araluen Motor Lodge, her family's business. 'View from our motel as the fires burn my hometown. So much of Batemans Bay on fire, if you're in the area evacuate to a safe zone,' she wrote. 'There is a safe area across from our motel at Corrigans beach park (by bells carnival). Our home is burned but my family and pet bird are safe.' Ms Morello's sister Ellie said she was preparing to run to the beach (pictured: family's motor lodge in Batemans Bay) Ms Morello also retweeted a picture of the main street of Cobargo, north of Bega, burnt to the ground. 'Historic Cobargo gone. This is absolutely devastating,' she wrote. Ms Morello said she was grateful she had been able to celebrate an 'amazing' Christmas in Batemans Bay. But on Wednesday she announced the good news that it had been saved. 'My mum just told me by text that apparently our neighbours saved our house!' she wrote on her Instagram story. 'I feel like I can't be happy about this because everyone is still battling and people are in danger.' 'Last we heard the entire street was on fire... this is bittersweet as I know homes on our street were definitely engulfed... because we evacuated we assumed ours too. Oh my god what a day,' she tweeted. The YouTube star also said that her neighbour's house had been destroyed in the fires and her own wasn't 'out of danger yet'. She is continuing to talk about the fires on social media and is urging people to donate to the RFS. The beauty influencer grew up in New South Wales before moving to LA Republic Day Parade 2020: West Bengal's tableau has not been shortlisted for the participation in the Republic Day Parade 2020 by the Centre. The West Bengal government's proposal was rejected after deliberations in the second meeting. For Republic Day Parade 2020, a total of 56 tableaux proposals -- 32 from states and union territories and 24 from central ministries and departments -- were received, according to Defence ministry. Out of these, 22 proposals, comprising 16 States/UTs and 6 Ministries or Departments, have finally been shortlisted for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2020 after a series of five meetings. Thereafter, The Trinamool Congress-led by CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre over the rejection of West Bengal's tableau proposal for Republic Day parade, saying it insulted the people of the state for protesting the amended Citizenship Act. This year, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade. Selection process for tableau There is a well-established system for selection of tableau for participation in the Republic Day Parade. The Ministry of Defence invites proposals from all states, union territories, central ministries and departments. The proposals are then evaluated in a series of meetings of the Expert Committee comprising eminent persons in the fields of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography, and others. However, due to time constraint of the overall duration of parade, only a limited number of tableaux get shortlisted for participation in the parade. (With PTI inputs) Also read: Watch more channels at less cost! Trai releases new tariff order Also read: Govt cuts import duty on crude, refined palm oil; move to hurt domestic refiners American Airlines is planning to share with employees a portion of the compensation it expects to receive from Boeing for the nearly 10-month grounding of the 737 Max, a disruption that carriers have said cost them more than $1 billion in revenue. American's talks with Boeing are still ongoing, a spokesman said. Several other 737 Max customers, including Icelandair, Turkish Airlines and Southwest Airlines, have recently reached agreements with the manufacturer, but the final amounts, whether in cash compensation or discounts on aircraft, isn't yet clear because the grounding is ongoing. The grounding of the 737 Max after two crashes one in Indonesia in October 2018 and another in Ethiopia the following March has roiled Boeing, prompting the manufacturer to suspend production of the bestselling plane and costing former CEO Dennis Muilenburg his job. It has also forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights and curb growth plans. That has meant less overtime for employees, they argue. The Federal Aviation Administration has repeatedly said it doesn't have a set timeline for clearing the planes to fly again and that it would individually review each 737 Max before they can fly. That uncertainty has forced airlines to repeatedly remove the jetliners from their schedule, a trend that becomes even more disruptive because airlines expected to have even more 737 Max planes delivered since the grounding. American had 24 of the 737 Max planes in its fleet at the time of the grounding and had expected that size to double this year. "As we've said before, we expect American will be compensated for the lost earnings that the Max grounding has caused," American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said. "We anticipate that part of any compensation American receives will be eligible for profit sharing for our team." A Boeing spokesman said the company doesn't comment on "our private discussions with customers." The company took a $4.9 billion aftertax charge in the second quarter to compensate airlines for the grounding. American in October forecast the Max grounding would cost it $540 million in pretax income in 2019. The full financial toll on airlines isn't yet known because it's not clear when the planes will fly again. American and Southwest removed the planes from their schedules until April, while United pulled them until early June. "We feel highly confident that the losses that American Airlines have incurred won't be incurred by American shareholders, but will be borne by the Boeing shareholders," American CEO Doug Parker said on an earnings call in October. Southwest, which said the grounding cost it $435 million in operating income during the first nine months of the year, didn't disclose the terms of its compensation but said last month that it would share $125 million with its employees. Southwest's pilot union sued Boeing in October, alleging the grounding cost its pilots more than $100 million in income. American Airlines pilots' union, the Allied Pilots Association, said it has not ruled out following suit. "All actions remain on the table," said union spokesman Capt. Dennis Tajer. "Further action depends on the success of this path in repairing the financial harm to our pilots." American is expected to report full-year and fourth-quarter earnings in the second half of the month. New York City investigators never finished a background check for a top education official whos now charged with a child sex crime, officials said Tuesday. The Department of Investigations is mired in a backlog of thousands of background checks including that of David Hay, the deputy chief of staff for schools Chancellor Richard Caranza who was busted Sunday in Wisconsin for allegedly using a computer to contact a minor to have sex. Mr. Hay was part of the inherited set of approximately 6,000 backlogged background files, said DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett. Although it is not clear whether a completed background investigation would have revealed information relevant to the current charge against Mr. Hay, the risks presented by this example are exactly why I took immediate steps to assess and then reorganize the Background Investigation Unit. The Education Department conducted two of its own standard background checks on Hay in 2016 and 2018, a spokesperson said, running fingerprints through national criminal records and conducting a background questionnaire. But the investigations department is supposed to do a more thorough check for high-ranking employees. Investigators look into tax compliance, work and educational history and arrest records, Garnett said. But the citys background check process has been stalled for years by a shortage of investigators and a boom in the number of municipal employees. Garnett reorganized the background check division to create one team in charge of handling new checks and another team for working through backlogged probes. The Daily News reported last week that at last count, the city had roughly the same number of incomplete background checks as it did two years ago. We are continuously evaluating the process to see if there are additional improvements that can be made, Garnett said, and will assess the Hay situation to see if it illuminates any broadly-applicable issues. -- By Michael Elsen-Rooney, New York Daily News His remarks came amid criticism by the BJP and BSP supremo Mayawati, who accused the state govt of being insensitive. Expressing displeasure on the response to the tragedy, Mayawati also questioned the silence of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, saying if she does not meet mothers of the deceased children, then her meeting with the kin of the victims of violence during the anti-CAA protests in UP will be 'construed as pure theatrics'. (Photo: PTI) Jaipur: Reacting to criticism over the death of 100 infants at Kota's JK Lon Hospital, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said the issue should not be politicised and his government was sensitive to it. His remarks came amid criticism by the BJP and BSP supremo Mayawati, who accused the state government of being insensitive. Expressing displeasure on the response to the tragedy, Mayawati also questioned the silence of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, saying if she does not meet mothers of the deceased children, then her meeting with the kin of the victims of violence during the anti-CAA protests in UP will be 'construed as pure theatrics'. "The government is sensitive to the death of sick infants in JK Lon Hospital in Kota. There should no politics over the issue. Infant mortality at this hospital is steadily decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. It is our top priority that mothers and children remain in good healthy," Gehlot tweeted in Hindi. Gehlot further claimed that the first ICU for children in Rajasthan was established by the Congress government in 2003. "We also established an ICU for children in Kota in 2011," he added. Gehlot said the aim of 'Nirogi Rajasthan' was a priority for the government and an expert team from the Centre could further help improve health services in the state. "We are ready to improve medical services in the state through discussions and cooperation with an expert team from the Centre," he said. Meanwhile, BJP state president Satish Poonia expressed displeasure on the state government's attitude towards the issue. "It is regrettable that the state health minister did not even visit the hospital. The chief minister is known for being sensitive. A delegation of BJP MPs had met the families who lost their children. They were in deep anguish. If the government is not sensitive then it is worrisome," Poonia said. He alleged that the BJP MPs were manhandled by Congress workers during a visit to the Kota hospital. Poonia said the BJP does not want to do politics on the issue but it is unfortunate that the state government is not dealing with it seriously. Eritrea has seen real benefits from the joint efforts in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said the former Eritrean ambassador to China, noting that the eight major initiatives launched by China in close collaboration with African countries are yielding rich fruits in Eritrea, leading the country towards a brighter future. In Eritreas national laboratory for quality and safety control of aquatic products, Eritrean students experiment under the guidance of Chinese experts. (Photo/Lyu Qiang) China has carried out multiple bilateral training sessions in Eritrea since 2018, with the training covering such fields as finance, broadcasting and television, health, diplomacy, engineering, agriculture, fishing and sport. Two training sessions for senior engineers in fishery and aquatic products processing technologies, one held in Asmara, capital of Eritrea, and another one in Eritreas port city of Massawa, concluded recently. A total of 35 officials from Eritrean government and frontline Eritrean engineers took part in the 30-day training session, during which 7 Chinese experts gave lessons covering such subjects as city planning, infrastructure, and engineering. The lessons were fun, useful and necessary for these Eritrean officials and engineers, said an Eritrean engineer who participated in the training. She has been an intern in the construction of a China-funded hospital and school in Eritrea, saying that Chinese friends are genuinely helping, and that she has learned from the professionalism of Chinese teachers. Eritrea will expand cooperation with China and help more young engineers to learn new technologies overseas, said Abraha Asfaha, Eritreas Minister of Public Works and Construction, adding that he hopes more Chinese talents can impart their wisdom with Eritreans. The 21-day training course held in Massawa on fishery and aquatic products processing technologies covered five major subjects, including industry development, protection and development of fishing resources, processing, and market development. Nine Chinese experts from the fishing industry offered their expertise during the training session, which included seminars, field practice, and technical guidance activities. A total of 72 students from Eritreas Ministry of Fisheries, national fishery organizations, fishing companies, colleges and universities, as well as scientific research institutes took part in the training. Chinese teachers have brought a lot of knowledge that cannot be learned from books, said a student from the aquaculture department of the Ministry of Fisheries of Eritrea. Chinas idea of sustainable development has provided enlightenment and reference for Eritrea to develop fishing resources, said the student, adding that it is believed that Eritrea will use the knowledge to increase the income of its people. The fishing methods in Eritrea lag behind other countries, and the countrys freshwater aquaculture has just started, said an official of Eritreas fishery sector, noting that the country lacks processing equipment and technology and faces challenges in development. The official said that he hopes China and Eritrea will strengthen cooperation to provide intellectual support for Eritreas fishery industry. The Eritrean government has sent more than 1,100 people to various training sessions and research projects in China, and more than 400 Eritrean students have studied in China with scholarships from the Chinese government. China has become Eritreas largest trading partner, source of foreign investment and project contractor. A firefighter was killed and 14 others injured when a battery factory collapsed in northwest Delhi's Peera Garhi following an explosion due to a fire that broke out early on Thursday morning, officials said New Delhi: A firefighter was killed and 14 others injured when a battery factory collapsed in northwest Delhi's Peera Garhi following an explosion due to a fire that broke out early on Thursday morning, officials said. As many as 18 people were rescued from the building, including two caretakers and a security guard, they added. The deceased firefighter has been identified as Amit Balyan (20), who was admitted to Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condoled his death and tweeted, "It is with deep sadness I inform you that one of our firemen was martyred while saving people from fire. Our firemen save other people's lives by putting their lives under extremely risk in difficult circumstances. May his soul rest in peace." firemen https://t.co/Z6K2dYVazW Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 2, 2020 Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal also condoled the death of the firefighter. "Deeply anguished over news of death of fire operator Amit Balyan Amit along with his team members fought bravely to save lives of many people. I salute his bravery My sincere condolences to his family members. All possible assistance to be extended to the injured & bereaved family," he tweeted. A large portion of the two-storey building collapsed following an explosion when firefighters were dousing the blaze, an official said, adding that fire department had received a call at 4.23 am. According to fire department officials, the fire has been brought under control but the cooling process is still underway. All the firemen, who were trapped under the debris, have been rescued. Plumes of smoke billowed out from the building as the fire brigade personnel battled to contain the blaze. An eyewitness said several explosions were heard as the blaze gutted down the building. Santosh Kumar, who works in a plastic factory nearby, said around 9 am, the back side of the building collapsed. "Two to four persons were trapped still trapped inside the building and were heard screaming for help. The fire personnel rescued them with the help of a ladder. They were alive," he said. According to police, eighteen people have been rescued including two caretakers and a security guard. Most of them trapped inside were fire personnel, among them two of them is said to be critical and others are out of danger. Police said legal action is being taken under appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code. Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain also visited the spot and ordered a magisterial enquiry into the matter. The National Disaster Response Force and civil authorities rushed to the spot to control the situation, an official said, adding that 35 fire tenders were at the spot. The injured, including a security guard of the factory, were rushed to nearby hospitals, a police officer said. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, who visited the fire scene, said he got to know that the condition of a person, some Manjeet Rana, is stated to be critical... The incident is big. Investigation has to be done. The fire took place around 4 am and the fire personnel are still trying to control the fire. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal said he was monitoring the situation. "V sad to hear this. Am closely monitoring the situation. Fire personnel trying their best. Praying for the safety of those trapped," Kejriwal tweeted. Baijal had also tweeted earlier in the day and said "Deeply saddened over the unfortunate fire incident in Peeragadi. Met the injured. Pray for their speedy recovery. Brave firemen are putting all efforts to douse the fire and rescue people. Directed authorities to provide all possible help on urgent basis." There is room in the meal marketplace for both types of business, catering to different needs. Sometimes you want an Italian meal over a bottle of wine or a place to sip coffee while tapping at your laptop; sometimes you want a taco or a lobster roll to eat on the go. Some days you want to have your lunch on a park bench while soaking up the sun, and some days you want to be in a cozy booth out of the elements. Firefighters stand in front of the burning monkey house at Krefeld Zoo. (Alexander Forstreuter/dpa via AP) Animal rights group PETA has urged potential customers to stop going to zoos after a fire killed dozens of animals in one yesterday. Apes, monkeys, bats and birds were among the 30 deaths at Krefeld Zoo - north of Dusseldorf - after a blaze started at the ape house in the early hours of New Years Day. Police believe it was caused by a sky lantern lit to celebrate the arrival of 2020. Three women - a mother and her two daughters, aged between 30 and 60 - went to Krefeld police yesterday. Prosecutor Jens Frobel said they are being investigated on suspicion of negligent arson. PETA director Elisa Allen told Yahoo News UK: Yet another zoo fire claims lives and shows that caging animals results in tragedy. No amount of time in a zoo can take away wild animals natural instincts to roam, search for food, care for their young, and, when a fire breaks out, flee something that these monkeys were unable to do while locked in a cage. It's 2020, and the days of putting animals behind bars should be in the past. As long as people continue to pay to go through zoo gates, animals will continue to suffer which is why everyone concerned about this incident can make a difference by refusing to patronise any zoo. Numerous pictures, stuffed animals and candles are lying in front of the main entrance of the Krefeld Zoo. Photo: Marcel Kusch/dpa (Photo by Marcel Kusch/picture alliance via Getty Images) Krefeld Zoo was contacted this morning for comment. Krefelds criminal police chief Gerd Hoppmann said the three women are completely normal people who seemed very sensible, very responsible and said they were very courageous to come forward. Police are limiting the details about the suspects because the women fear reprisals. He said they had ordered five sky lanterns over the internet and the women had been unaware they were banned in Germany. The product description did not mention that, either. Just one lantern is believed to have started the blaze. Four others were found with handwritten notes that had good wishes for 2020. The ape house did not have fire detectors or sprinklers, which was not required when it was built in the 1970s. Story continues The zoo has said it passed a regular fire protection check a few months ago. While police believe the sky lantern caused the fire, investigators will look at what else could have contributed to the fire, which spread quickly. This includes whether dry fallen leaves on the roof of the ape house were a factor. Toy monkeys and candles were left outside the front of the zoos main entrance today. "We'll miss you!" is written on a slip of paper stuck to a stuffed monkey. Photo: Marcel Kusch/dpa (Photo by Marcel Kusch/picture alliance via Getty Images) Staff at the zoo are working through a mourning process following the animals deaths, zoo director Wolfgang Dressen said yesterday. Animals including five orangutans, two gorillas, a chimpanzee and several monkeys, as well as birds and fruit bats, died. The monkey house was completely gutted by the fire. This is an unfathomable tragedy, Mr Dressen said yesterday. Many of the dead animals were close to extinction in the wild, he added. Police in Krefeld say witnesses saw paper lanterns with small fires inside in the night sky before the blaze started. Some of the lanterns recovered had handwritten notes in. Sky lanterns are illegal in Krefeld and other parts of Germany. GRANITE CITY Metro-East Sanitary District (MESD) announced Andrew Economy will lead MESD as Executive Director into the new decade. Only months after successfully protecting the Metro-East region from the second-highest Mississippi flood in recorded history, the board of the Metro-East Sanitary District unanimously appointed former MESD Commissioner Andrew Economy Executive Director in a meeting Dec. 31. Statutory changes in Illinois law dictate that as of Jan. 1, 2020, the MESD Executive Director reside within the Levee District. Mr. Economy replaces former Executive Director Stephen Adler, who will remain on staff for a short period pending reassignment to assist the transition. Former Executive Director Steve Adler did a great job moving MESD forward, MESD Board Chairman Charles Brinza said. Today the District is financially solvent, and some portions of our levee system have already been upgraded to minimally acceptable by the Corps of Engineers. Now with Andy in charge, that progress will only accelerate; hes a proven leader. MESD and its associated levee systems suffered from years of leadership problems, which left residents with unacceptable levees and pump stations so broken down that Horseshoe Lake levels could not be maintained at levels low enough to protect Mitchell and Pontoon Beach against heavy rains. Stephen Adler did a great job of moving the district forward, MESD Board Member Charlotte Dixon said. With Andys help, the district will only improve. The pair begin the partnership Jan. 2 with Adler assigned to Economy until further notice. The board made a good decision by hiring Andy Economy, Former MESD board member Bill Hanfelder said. I know Andy can provide the leadership we need. Lindsay Lohan is planning to return to the United States in 2020. The 33-year-old actress has developed a series of nightclubs and resorts in Greece since 2016 - but Lindsay has revealed she intends to return home at some stage this year, suggesting she'll also be returning to acting work. Speaking about her career ambitions, the 'Mean Girls' star told Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen: "I'm managing my sister, so I want to really focus on me and everything that I can do in my life and come back to America and start filming again, which I'm doing something soon in this new year." Lindsay revealed she was keen to reclaim her old life. She said on CNN: "[I am planning on] just taking back the life I've worked so hard for and sharing it with my family and you guys." Lindsay added that she intends to release new music in the near future, having recently released the EDM track, 'Xanax', via Instagram. Meanwhile, Lindsay has recently offered her fans a behind-the-scenes insight into her work life, documenting the day-to-day challenges of managing a club in Mykonos, Greece, in the show 'Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club'. The Hollywood movie star previously admitted she relished the experience of shooting the MTV reality series, saying it was "great for marketing and branding". She said: "I was doing these clubs anyway, and now we're filming it, so it's great for me to show people that it's a fun place to go to. It's great for marketing and branding. "But I don't know what's to come. I'm going to keep having the clubs, that's never going to change, and maybe venture off into the States and open one here." Prakash Industries share price rose in early trade today after the firm said it secured allocation of long-term coal linkages from Coal India. Share price of Prakash Industries climbed 14.34% or 7.23 points to Rs 58.20 compared to the previous close of Rs 50.90. The microcap stock opened with a gain of 5.89% at Rs 53.90 on BSE. It has lost 30% in last one year but gained 10.41% since the beginning of this year. The stock has risen 23.25% during last one month. Coal linkages of 1.69 lakh million tonne per annum have been allocated for the next 5 years for the firm's fifth sponge iron kiln. The total long-term coal linkages now stand at 17.04 lakh tonnes per annum. These linkages will lead to substantial cost savings in Sponge Iron production at its Integrated Steel Plant at Champa, Chhattisgarh, the firm said. Prakash Industries is engaged in the production of ferro alloys, MS TMT/MS coil and allied products, HB Wire Rod, and PVC Pipe and Sockets. The company's segments include power, steel and PVC pipe. the company's product range includes sponge iron, power, wire rod, thermo mechanically treated (TMT) bars and rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. Its plants are located in Champa, District Janjgir-Champa, and Raipur in Chhattisgarh. A serial thief with more than 330 previous convictions has avoided a return to jail for twice stealing steaks from a Belfast garage. Michael McNally, 33, was given a six-month suspended sentence after a court was told he acted in desperation over the holiday period. Defence solicitor Pearse MacDermott said: "His benefits didn't come through in time for Christmas, he had no money and he stole these streaks to eat." McNally, of Clifton Park Avenue in the city, pleaded guilty to two counts of thefts. Belfast Magistrates' Court heard he raided a filling station on the Antrim Road on December 27 and 30. Meat valued at 15.96 was taken on both occasions. With McNally having amassed 335 prior convictions, Mr MacDermott described his record as "appalling". But he argued that the defendant has been plagued with problems since he suffered a brain injury from sniffing glue as a teenager. "He's been diagnosed with a personality disorder and has lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle," the lawyer said. "This was an act of desperation by Mr McNally, it's a very sad case where someone has fallen through the cracks, had no money and was stealing food." Deputy District Judge Laura Ievers imposed two months imprisonment for the new thefts. She also activated a four-month suspended sentence for previous drugs and assault offences. However, she decided not to send McNally back to jail. Judge Ievers confirmed instead that the total six-month term will be suspended for two years. As McNally left the dock he pledged to stay out of trouble in future. MP in the British Parliament, Bell Ribeiro-Addy 02.01.2020 LISTEN Labour MP in the UK, Bell Ribeiro-Addy has called on returnees to use the Year of Return as an opportunity to help raise the reputation of Ghanaians abroad. The Streatham constituency representative of Ghanaian descent highlighted the need to amplify the pride associated with being Ghanaian as part of the roles diasporans must be seen playing as they go back to their countries after the initiative. I think the role that a returnee can play is raising the profile of Ghana and Ghanaians which is some of the great things that have been done with the Year of Return. All of the high profile people have been coming over and using their influence to show that Ghana is open and putting the country on the map to makes it an interesting tourist destinationto show that if you want to move here and work, it would be an easy thing for you to do, she said. In 2018, knife crime was said to have hit an all-time high after more than 43,000 offences across England and Wales. This development was largely attributed to poor socio-economic condition among the youth in black minority communities. But Speaking on JoyFMs Super Morning Show Thursday, Ms Ribeiro-Addy also encouraged returnees to assess the antecedents for the low rate of violence in some parts of Ghanas rural areas despite poor socio-economic conditions experienced. It is not that they are going round and naturally violent. You know this because in Glasgow, a few years back among the white gangs, they were doing the same thing. It was about poverty But do you know what, there is poverty in Ghana, and they are not stabbing each other. So we need to look at what other effects been a black person and being of a low socio-economic background is having on youth in the UK, she said. Bell Ribeiro-Addy won the UK elections to represent the Streatham constituency after securing 54.8% share with 30,976 votes. She was elected as MP in December 2019 on the ticket of the Labour Party, one of two Ghanaian women won their bid in the British parliament. ---Myjoyonline.com By Express News Service BHOPAL: The ongoing ten-days All India Congress Seva Dal training camp in Bhopal has run into controversy over the distribution of booklets, which claim among other things that Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse had a physical relationship with former Hindu Mahasabha president Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Two booklets titled Veer Savarkar Kitne Veer and RSS aur BJP Kuch Tathya aur Jankari are among the five to ten booklets that were kept for distribution among the Congress Seva Dal workers attending the national training camp which concludes on January 12 in Bhopal. The booklet mentions about incidents, questions and controversies surrounding Savarkar and RSS. Page No. 14 of the controversial booklet Veer Savarkar Kitne Veer (How Brave was Savarkar?) mentions about the physical relationship between Sawarkar and Godse. Quoting from Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins book Freedom at Midnight, the Congress booklet says Before Nathuram Godse adopted Bramhacharya, there is just one mention about his physical relationship. The only physical relation which Godse had before adopting Bramhacharya was a homosexual relationship with his political guru Veer Savarkar, the booklet mentions. The same page of the booklet on Savarkar mentions about Savarkars book 'The Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History'. One of the questions on the concerned page reads, "Did Sawarkar motivate Hindus to rape minority women? The answer to the question is Yes. The booklet mentions that Savarkar in his book The Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History, while dealing with Sitas abduction by Ravana had mentioned that kidnapping your enemys woman and raping her isnt infidelity, but is instead great duty and eternal dharma. The Congress Seva Dal booklet on Savarkar also describes how Savarkar as a 12-year-old boy felt self-satisfied and joyous on damaging property in mosques and was also thrilled on the killing of Muslims by Hindus in riots. The other booklet which deals with the RSS and the BJP mentions how the RSS has always been inspired by Nazism of Adolf Hitler and Fascism of Benito Mussolini. The booklet also mentions an article in RSS-affiliated publication Organiser against the national tricolour on the eve of countrys independence on August 14, 1947. When questioned over the controversial content in the two booklets, the Congress Seva Dal chief national organiser president Lalji Desai justified the content, saying what has been mentioned is a historical fact, which has been supported with proper references. Reacting to the development, BJP state vice president and legislator Rameshwar Sharma said, Let the Congress say whatever it wants to say about RSS. The RSS doesnt need a certificate from the Congress. The RSS and all those associated with the nationalist outfit thrive on the certification from the Hindu community and nationalist people across the country. The development not only assumes significance as Madhya Pradesh is presently ruled by the Congress, but is particularly important as the RSSs national conclave is slated in Indore from January 5-7. The meet in Indore will be graced by all top leaders of RSS (including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat) and associated outfits. By Charles F. Boyer Big tobaccos exploitation of the Black Community must end. It is no coincidence that the vast majority of menthol cigarette smokers are Black. The tobacco industry has targeted its advertising of menthol cigarettes to the Black communities for decades with aggressive marketing campaigns that appealed to our communitys desire to be represented in the media. It was in these ads that Black people first saw themselves. What we know now is that those ads helped to manipulate the Black community. Even today, a recent study found that exterior advertising and price promotions for Newport were more common in neighborhoods with more African-American residents. Prices for Newport cigarettes also were cheaper in neighborhoods with more youth, low-income and African-American residents. As a result, over 85% of all African Americans smoke menthol cigarettes. Menthol improves the taste and masks the harshness of tobacco products, increasing the appeal, nicotine exposure and dependence. In fact, a growing body of research indicates menthol cigarettes are easier to start and harder to quit. African American smokers had an especially tough time stopping smoking menthol cigarettes, according to a 2009 study. That was backed up by a 2013 FDA report that found that menthol cigarettes pose a public health risk above that of non-menthol cigarettes because they are associated with greater addiction. A 2014 study suggests that menthol cigarettes might lead to more severe lung problems, resulting in more trips to the emergency room and more hospitalizations compared to people smoking regular tobacco. Considering all this, its no surprise tobacco-related diseases are the No. 1 cause of death in the Black community. Each year, over 45,000 African Americans in the United States die from a smoking-related illness. African American men suffer from the highest rates of lung cancer out of any racial group in the United States. These statistics are no accident. An FDA Advisory Committee estimated that by 2020, 4,700 excess deaths in the African American community will be attributable to menthol in cigarettes, and over 460,000 African Americans will have started smoking because of menthol in cigarettes. While the federal government restricted the sale of all flavored cigarettes in 2009, the tobacco industry lobbied to exempt mint and menthol cigarettes from this rule and thus leaving the Black community exposed to the dangers of menthol cigarettes. The ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes and racially targeted marketing of nicotine products will right a wrong that will finally end the Tobacco industrys manipulation of the Black consumer. The tobacco industry should also be responsible for paying for racially targeted ads to educate the Black community on the harms of flavored nicotine products. The tobacco industry should fund these education campaigns at no less than the amount that they spent to coerce our communities to purchase these toxic products. Salvation and Social Justice supports a ban on the sale of all flavored tobacco products including menthol. We also share the concern regarding the over-policing of Black people, which may result in an unintended consequence. But we cannot protect one wrong to avoid another. We must fight to end all systemic injustices that have been committed against the Black community. The process of achieving restorative justice for Black people in this country will be a long and complicated one, but we will remain vigilant. It is time to ban all flavored tobacco, including menthol cigarettes. The Rev. Dr. Charles F. Boyer is the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Woodbury and founding director of Salvation and Social Justice. The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A same-sex couple from Sudbury, Massachusetts, KC and Lena Currie, adopted 18-month-old Joey at an adoption event that was hosted by Childrens Friend hoping they'd make a sweet family. Joey settled with the couple really well Lena told Good Morning America. When the three of them were building rapport as a family, KC and Lena received a call from Childrens Friend. The couple was informed that Joeys youngest brother needed to be placed in a foster home. Facebook/Lena Currie But the couple went a step further and decided to adopt the six-week-old baby, too. Little baby Noah was soon part of the family. Not much later, the couple received another call telling them that Joey and Noah have another sibling, Logan. Facebook/Lena Currie Logan was supposed to be adopted by the foster family he was living with but once those plans didn't pan out, Lena and KC decided to give a permanent home to all three brothers so they could grow up together. KC said that it was in the best interest of everyone that the brothers stayed together. The boys call them mama and mommy, Lena said. Veronica Listerud, Childrens Friend director of adoption and family services, praised the Curries for their willingness to bring the boys together and raise them in the same family. Facebook/Lena Currie It is indeed a beautiful decision by the couple to let the brothers stay and grow up together. The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) enhanced withdrawal limit of Rs 50,000 for the small depositors of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank Ltd (PMC Bank) has resulted in reducing the outstanding deposits by only 10 per cent. In the last four months, the RBI had increased the deposit withdrawal limit four times. The initial amount allowed by RBI was just Rs 1,000. This was increased to Rs 10,000 per depositor and later to Rs 25,000. The RBI again revised it to Rs 40,000 and later to Rs 50,000 per depositor. Despite higher limits, the outstanding deposits of the bank have reduced from around Rs 11,800 crore in September, when the RBI took charge of the bank, to Rs 10,800 crore by November-end. The RBI had stated earlier that the higher limit of Rs 50,000 per depositor covers more than 78 per cent of the depositors (not deposited amount). Clearly, a bulk of the deposits of PMC Bank still locked because of RBI's takeover. The PMC Bank, currently facing action under Section 35A of the RBI Act, is under the charge of the central bank's administrator. The administrator would review the position in the next three months. It could be liquidation, revival, or a merger with another bank. ALSO READ: PMC Bank-HDIL scam: Bank disbursed loans to Wadhawans without record, required forms In the PMC Bank case, the RBI has also allowed withdrawals up to Rs 1 lakh on grounds of medical emergency and hardships. The hardship clause includes marriage, education, livelihood for senior citizens, etc. But the fate of many depositors with more than Rs 50,000 in the bank still hangs in balance. Recently, there was a demand from the political corridors that the PMC Bank should be merged with Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank, but the new Shiv Sena-led state government led is not very keen on this proposal. Business Today had earlier reported that PMC Bank has disbursed loans to many entities connected to Wadhwan-owned HDIL. The chances of HDIL repaying the money look slim as the company has already defaulted on loans and is facing bankruptcy. The RBI's initial inspection of PMC Bank had earlier shown three major irregularities, which included financial irregularities, complete failure of internal control and systems, and wrongdoing and under-reporting of its lending exposure. ALSO READ: PMC Bank scam: HDIL group firm paid Rs 70 lakh a month to Anu Wadhawan, wife of promoter Sarang Wadhawan PMC Bank, a 36-year old institution, is a cooperative bank regulated by the RBI and registered under the Cooperative Societies Act. The bank has 137 branches spread over half a dozen states. In fact, it has almost 100 branches in Maharashtra. The other states where it has branches include Karnataka (15), Goa (6), Delhi (6), and Gujarat (5). For the last one year, the bank has been focusing on making its loss-making branches profitable. The PMC Bank debacle is not the first or the last case of misgovernance in the cooperative bank sector. There are currently close to a dozen urban cooperative banks under the charge of RBI administrator. Way back in 2001, cooperative banks came into the spotlight after the involvement of Madhavpura Mercantile Cooperative Bank in the Ketan Parekh scam. In the last decade, the RBI did strengthen guidelines for cooperative banks pertaining to KYC, priority sector and also anti-money laundering. In fact, consolidation and liquidation brought down their number by 375 to 1,551 banks since early 2000. Post the PMC Bank debacle, the RBI has restricted their lending to large corporates or a group of companies under a large corporate. The bank will also need prior approval of RBI for CEO appointments. ALSO READ: PMC Bank loaned Rs 50 crore to HDIL days before Rs 6,300 crore scam came to light Select one of the following options to express interest in BGSU. More than 18,000 undergraduate students and 3,000 graduate students attend classes on our main campus, located in Bowling Green, Ohio. Roughly 6,000 students live on campus during the academic year. The Huron, Ohio branch is a regional commuter campus, with approximately 2,500 students. Also includes Online Programs for BGSU Firelands. For students interested in taking 100% online courses starting every 7 weeks. BGSU's eCampus offers online Bachelors and Graduate programs. For students who already have bachelors degree and are interested in obtaining a masters degree, doctorate, or graduate certificate. A company that spurned talent it badly needed couldn't thrive. The same is true for a country. But that isn't stopping the Trump administration from blithely driving foreign students into the open arms of other countries with its ill-advised immigration policies. For three years in a row, the number of new foreign students enrolling in American universities has fallen. In the 2015-16 academic year, 300,743 new foreign students enrolled. That number dropped to 269,383 in 2018-19, a decline of 10.4 percent as per the data of Open Doors, the Institute of International Education's (IIE) annual report that tracks university enrollments. Nor is the situation likely to improve in the academic year currently underway given that a snapshot survey of 500 universities by the IIE this fall found declining enrollment although full stats won't be available until later in 2020. When enrollments initially started plummeting, many people blamed external factors like better educational opportunities at home or Saudi Arabia's decision to yank government scholarships from Saudi students studying abroad rather than this administration's anti-immigration agenda. While other things might have had an effect on the margin, if they were the main cause, then other countries would be experiencing a decline too. The opposite is the case. National Foundation for American Policy's Stuart Anderson points out that Canada has been attracting a record number of international students in recent years. In 2017, it experienced a 20 percent spike and then another 16 percent the following year, a phenomenon that Canadians call the "Trump bump." Meanwhile, Australia experienced a whopping 47 percent increase in new foreign students between 2015 and 2018. In particular, America is losing Chinese students while Australia is gaining them. One likely reason is that Trump has called them all spies (an absurd accusation given that that 9 out of 10 would prefer to stay on and work in America rather than return to the communist dictatorship) and threatened to ban them from the country in a naked bid to force Beijing to succumb to his trade demands. Trump didn't make good on that threat but, in 2018, he capped their visa stay to one year at a time rather than allowing them to stay for the maximum time allowed. This not only made Chinese students feel unwelcome in the United States but also made it more precarious for them to pursue an education here lest they lose their visas before finishing their program. Story continues In addition, his travel ban has of course barred foreign students from Iran and various Muslim countries. He has also proposed rules that would make it easier to brand foreign students as being "unlawfully present" and to ban them from the country for 10 years. The courts have put this rule on hold for now but the uncertainty can hardly make American universities attractive. Trump has also doubled down on sting operations to crack down on visa fraud. Last year ICE arrested 250 foreign students, mostly from India, whom it lured into the University of Farmington, a fake university that it set up in metro Detroit. For tuition fees much lower than normal, this university handed these students transcripts to satisfy the terms of their visas and, more importantly, obtain CPT (Curricular Practical Training) status. This status lets the foreign students sign up for a paid internship off campus and offset their steep tuition costs, a tempting deal because it enables them to work for more than 20 hours and get off-campus jobs. Many foreign students quit legitimate universities to join this fake one only to get caught in ICE's dragnet. But it's not just draconian enforcement tactics that are turning away foreign students. The administration's immigration policies are also making an American education an unattractive value proposition compared to other countries. Trump is doing everything in his power to make it more difficult for foreign students to work in America after they graduate, making the high-cost of an American education a bad investment. Right now, international students in highly coveted STEM fields can obtain something called the Optional Practical Training visa to work in the country for 36 months after graduation. This allows them to recover some of their tuition costs before returning home. Trump is proposing rules to cut this back dramatically. Likewise, his administration is also making it more difficult for foreign techies to work in the country long-term by rejecting new H-1B visa applications at a historically high rate. And he is making it much more difficult for those who have these visas to renew them. This is the exact opposite of what Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said the country should be doing when he ran for the presidency in 2012. He had promised to staple green cards not just H-1Bs to the diplomas of foreign graduates, especially in STEM fields, because it made no sense for America to lose American-trained talent to other countries. Instead, it is Canada that is running with Romney's suggestion. It is handing foreign graduates from Canadian universities many additional points when they apply for permanent residency so that they just stay in Canada rather than return to their native countries. Turning away foreign students is particularly stupid not only because we need their skills but also their tuition dollars. Over 66 percent of them, especially undergraduates, pay top dollars for their education from out-of-pocket or through outside sources, allowing universities to subsidize tuition costs for American students. Many international graduate students, meanwhile, provide teaching and research services in exchange for a tuition reprieve, especially in STEM fields, something that allows universities to offer a more cost-effective education than if they had to hire faculty for the same jobs. Furthermore, foreign students contribute $37 billion to the American economy and create or support 450,000 jobs, according to the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers, an outfit that promotes the professional development of American college officials. Indeed, without them, the shortage of Americans in STEM fields would become even more acute because there wouldn't be enough people to train Americans, generating a downward spiral of STEM scarcity. But the most vital contributions of international students are intangible. Had it not been for them, America may not have spearheaded the IT revolution. That's because 57 percent of Silicon Valley's STEM workers were born outside the country and many of them came to the United States as students and stayed on. Many iconic IT companies such as Microsoft and Google are currently being headed by foreigners who came to America as graduate students. Instead of draining the swamp, Trump is draining talent from America that other countries are eagerly sucking up. This is a formula for making them great, not America. Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here. More stories from theweek.com The booming stock market shows America is diseased UK judge rules ethical veganism a protected 'philosophical belief' Fox News segment on Soleimani strike descends into chaos as Geraldo Rivera and Brian Kilmeade clash A fire threatened lives and homes near Balladonia Roadhouse on Eyre Highway, in WA's Goldfields-Esperance region, on Thursday afternoon forcing residents to evacuate. An emergency warning for the area was downgraded to a watch an act just before 4.15pm, but the blaze remains unpredictable and out-of-control. DFES are managing the fire. Credit:Marta Pascual Juanola "There is no longer an immediate threat to lives and homes, but you need to remain vigilant," the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said. "A fire is burning in the area and the conditions are changing." Korean global business advisor and strategist Don Southerton has released his latest publication, titled Korea 2020: A workplace in transition. Southerton notes, We see a radical change underway within the leading companies in Korea. In fact, in the Korean workplace once known for conformity and protocols is undergoing substantial change. Exploring this change is at the core of this new book. Southerton adds, Topics include restructuring of age-old corporate norms such as more casual dress, a simplification of workplace titles leading to flatter organizations, and the pushback against workplace bullying and gender discrimination. It also drills deeper and provides readers with workarounds, work throughs, and insights. This new publication embraces new participatory communications practices and encourages the participation of its readers to share their thoughts and inputs. Author Southerton notes, as a digital publication, I am able to revise and update as needed. Amid the ongoing and frequent corporate change in South Korea, the book is an ongoing project and will be updated to stay current. Reader input also matters. I look for reader experiences and create a collaboration to elaborate on and build upon this books contents. Limited edition, complimentary copies will be available at http://unbouncepages.com/korea-2020-thebook/ About the author Don Southerton has a life-long interest in Korea and the rich culture of the country. He has authored numerous publications with topics centering on culture, new urbanism, entrepreneurialism, and early U.S.-Korean business ventures. Southerton also lectures extensively and writes and comments on modern Korean business culture and its impact on global organizations. He is a frequent contributor to the media and his work on Korea facing business and culture is covered in (WSJ, Forbes, CNN Fortune, Bloomberg, Automotive News, Korea Times, Korea Herald, Yonhap, Korea Magazine, and FSR). He heads Bridging Culture Worldwide, a Golden, Colorado based company that provides market entry strategy, consulting and training on Korea facing global business. An avid martial artist, Southerton has pursued the study and practice of Korean traditional arts for nearly 5 decades. The author is available for media interviews and Q and A at Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com or +1-310-866-3777 ### Esme Handley, three, of West Norwood, south London A three-year-old girl who won housands of online followers as she battled leukaemia died on New Year's Day, her parents have announced. Esme Handley was diagnosed when she was just 22 months old after developing a large bruise on a family holiday to Greece. Her parents Rebecca and Will broke the heart-breaking news on Facebook page Esme Lionheart - so named because of her love of lions. They said: 'If you look to the sky tonight you will see a star shining brighter than any other. 'Our darling girl went onwards with her journey at midday today. She was peaceful and in our arms and knew how ridiculously adored she was. 'Esme Grace Angela Handley 13.08.2016 - 01.01.2020.' Rebecca, 38, and Will, 43, faced a battle to try and save their only daughter following her diagnosis. They discovered she had the high risk acute myeloid leukaemia during a family trip to Greece. After Esme fell over a bruise did not go away, and after Googling her symptoms, both parents became concerned. Her parents Rebecca (pictured) and Will broke the heart-breaking news on Facebook page Esme Lionheart - so named because of her love of lions In November, her parents admitted that Esme could no longer expect to be cured and said their child had simply had enough Rebecca, 38, and Will, 43, faced a battle to try and save their only daughter following her diagnosis She was taken to hospital in Greece where the diagnosis was confirmed. Esme was given a stem cell transplant in September 2018 alongside three rounds of chemotherapy but after six months the leukaemia returned in the child's bone marrow. The family were not eligible for a second transplant on the NHS and were faced with raising 500,000 privately for the urgent treatment. In November, her parents admitted that Esme could no longer expect to be cured and said their child had simply had enough. They said: 'Since diagnosis we have often spoken about a metaphorical ''sealed envelope'' that contains Esme's fate. Yesterday we got to open that envelope and it was not what we had hoped. Esme was given a stem cell transplant in September 2018 alongside three rounds of chemotherapy The parents said: 'If you look to the sky tonight you will see a star shining brighter than any other' One parent said she was devastated for the couple and sent them 'so so so much love and strength'. Another Facebook user said 'we are all with you and she will be forever in our hearts' Another user said the post announcing their daughter's death was one 'no parent should ever have to write'. Another poignant tribute said: 'Fly high Esme Lion Heart. No more pain and suffering you beautiful, brave little girl' One Facebook user said she had nothing else to send but love, while another said she would look into the sky tonight and think of the couple's late daughter 'The leukaemia is out of control and there is nothing more which can be done. 'We have spoken with every single leading paediatric consultant globally, tried all available drugs (some of which aren't even licensed in kids), explored a ridiculous amount of supplements and complementary medicines, had healing circles far and wide sending prayers... 'But it's not been enough. We don't get to keep our baby. 'Throughout her treatment Esme has been the epitome of resilience, positivity and cheekiness, and deserves a shot at a permanent cure for life' 'And to be perfectly honest, even if there was something else they could come up with, right now, I'm not sure we would be able to pursue it. It's very clear to see that Esme has simply had enough... and who could blame her? 'Esme thrives when she's outdoors but all she has known for 18 months is hospitals. The treatment she has had wouldn't be tolerated by most adults. 'She has been continually pumped full of drugs; had hundreds of blood transfusions; successfully come through one stem cell transplant; had surgery for three Hickman lines into her heart; had numerous tubes shoved up her nose and drops in her eyes, suffered countless horrendous infections including a type of pneumonia three times; lost her hair; lost her fingernails; vomited daily, had her skin break down, crack, be burnt from chemo; nearly died from sepsis; almost died from anaphylaxis; been blue-lighted to PICU after having a seizure which temporarily left her in a vegetative state thanks to a fungal brain infection... and it goes on. 'Whilst we would do absolutely anything for her, ANYTHING, I'm also not sure how much more we can tolerate either.' A month later, they described the heartbreaking cocktail of pain management Esme had to bear to soften her 'ever-increasing suffering.' At the time, her parents posted: 'It's now three weeks to the day that we learnt that Esme's story will not have the happy ending we've all prayed for, three long weeks in which we've had to contemplate the unthinkable and bear witness to Esme's ever-increasing suffering. Her parents said: 'It's very clear to see that Esme has simply had enough... and who could blame her?' Now Will and Rebecca, of West Norwood, south London, hope to donate money in Esme's name 'In the first couple of weeks one of the biggest difficulties was accepting that the team's goal was no longer to cure but just to manage pain. WHAT IS ACUTE MYELOID LEUKAEMIA? Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer that starts in young white blood cells in the bone marrow. AML affects around one in 200 men and one in 255 women in the UK at some point in their lives. Approximately 19,500 new cases occur every year in the US. It is most often diagnosed in older people. Symptoms can include: Fatigue Fever Frequent infections Bruising or bleeding easily, including nosebleeds or heavy periods Weight loss Bone and joint pain Breathlessness Swollen abdomen Pale skin AML's exact cause is unclear, however, risks include: Smoking Being overweight Radiation exposure Previous chemotherapy Certain blood disorders, such as myelodysplastic syndrome Some immune conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis AML is usually treated via chemotherapy. A bone marrow or stem cell transplant may be required. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement 'This sounds obvious but you suddenly find yourself inexplicably sad that the nurses are no longer asking you for Esme's heart rate or temperature every few hours. 'At one point I even found myself crying when I bumped into another child being wheeled to theatre and realised Esme will never have another general anaesthetic. 'Instead, getting ahead of Esme's pain has become a full-time occupation for us and the team, and Ezzie is now on an ever-escalating daily mix of paracetamol, topical morphine, oxycodone, ketamine and, most recently, methadone.' They also described how Esme had been bedridden for three months and would never walk again. But the tot had her own Christmas tree and was even taken out of the Royal Marsden Hospital over the festive period to see Christmas lights in Morden before a screening of Frozen 2 at Everyman Esher. Now Will and Rebecca, of West Norwood, south London, hope to donate money in Esme's name. They have already raised 425,000 on GoFundMe. Rebecca said in November: 'When we began fundraising we were punchy with our target to ensure we had enough for a self-funded transplant and said that whatever remained would go to the CCLG, the UK's leading kids cancer charity. 'Given how desperately poor the funding is into paediatric AML research, we feel even more strongly about this now. 'So a large chunk of the cash we have remaining (after spending some on novel drugs and supportive care) will be donated to AML research to try and spare future families the pain and anguish we have experienced.' MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI An 87-year-old woman has died from injuries sustained in a fire caused by a candle on New Years Day. The Muskegon County woman died early Thursday, Jan. 2, at a Grand Rapids hospital, according to a press release from the Muskegon Township Fire Department. Firefighters responded at 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, to the report of a fire in Cedar Creek Township, according to the press release. Muskegon Township provides fire services to Cedar Creek Township. When they arrived, firefighters found very little damage to the home, and the fire had already been mostly extinguished by a neighbor, said Muskegon Township Fire Chief Dave Glotzbach. It appears that (the victim) was trying to light a candle, or had lit a candle, and it caught her clothing on fire, Glotzbach said. The victim, whose name has not been released, tried calling a relative though the phone reception was bad, he said. The relative then drove to the home in the 3900 block of River Road where the victim lived alone, and found it to be full of smoke, Glotzbach said. The relative then contacted the neighbor who extinguished the fire, which primarily was contained to a chair, he said. The victim was taken to Mercy Health Hackley Campus by ProMed Ambulance before being transferred to Grand Rapids, Glotzbach said. We did everything we could, he said. Also on MLive: Nurses license suspended after six years of missed and failed drug tests Teen missing in Lake Michigan identified by police Suspects identified in all but 3 of Muskegon Countys homicides in 2019 Agreement to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland can be reached in the short term, Sinn Fein has insisted, but the DUP has cautioned against quick fix solutions. On the first day of talks this year, political parties continued to work towards finding a way to bring the Stormont administration back into action. Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said his party believes a deal can be reached in the short term, adding that they see no need to draw the talks out until the January 13 deadline. Speaking later, Democratic Unionist Party MP Jeffrey Donaldson said engagements so far have been very constructive, but he warned against quick fix solutions, and said the parties need to get it right to ensure sustainable government. We want Stormont to be credible, strong, robust and can withstand the inevitable challenges and difficulties that come down the road, he said. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said it had always been the case that a deal could have been done within hours. Were not in a very different place now than we have been in the last couple of years. Its a case of political will, there was an election recently, I think that may have changed things, he said. The latest process, which was initiated in the wake of the British general election, was paused over the festive period after a pre-Christmas deal failed to materialise. Secretary of State Julian Smith, Tanaiste Simon Coveney and the local parties returned to Stormont House this morning to resume the effort. Discussions between the parties continued throughout the day. Mr Murphy said the issues which remain under discussion include an Irish language act, the assemblys controversial veto system the petition of concern, a programme for government and what financial resources would be available to any new Executive. Senior Sinn Fein negotiator Conor Murphy in Stormont today. Pic: PA There are a range of issues which will be discussed in the next couple of days. None of them, I dont think, need to be exhausted ad infinitum, we need to be bring this to a conclusion. There are pressures continuing to mount in relation to public health, health services and the treatment of staff in the health service. We need to get back working again so we can fix those as quickly as possible, he said. Mr Donaldson said his party want to see agreement reached as quickly as possible but also want to ensure that any agreement is fair, balanced and sustainable. We are not in the business of snatching at something because there is a deadline, we want Stormont restored and we want it restored as soon as possible, he said. We want to see a settlement, a fair pay award, for health care workers, we dont see any reason why that should be delayed until Stormont is restored. Mr Donaldson said his party favoured reforming the petition of concern, adding that all parties agree it should be retained as an important safeguard. From this morning a number of protesters stating their opposition to an Irish Language Act being included in any potential deal set up camp outside the talks venue holding aloft union flags. Protestors who do not want an Irish Language Act gather at Stormont as talks continue. pic.twitter.com/mFu4KXc1pM Stephen Walker (@StepWalkTV) January 2, 2020 Three years on from the collapse of the devolved government, the Stormont parties have until a January 13 deadline to strike a deal to revive the institutions. On that date, legislation to give civil servants additional powers to run Northern Irelands struggling public services expires and Mr Smith will assume a legal obligation to call a snap Assembly election. The latest push to restore powersharing broke up the week before Christmas, with Irish and UK governments singling out the DUP as the party standing in the way of a deal. The party rejected the claims, insisting it would not be bounced into a quick fix that falls apart when tested. Devolution can only be restored once the DUP and Sinn Fein the North's two largest parties agree terms to re-enter a mandatory coalition executive in Belfast. The other three main parties the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance are also involved in the talks process convened by the UK and Irish Governments. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood (left) and deputy leader Nichola Mallon in Stormont today. Pic: PA While they could take positions in any new executive, their sign-off on a deal is not essential and a government could be formed in their absence, with those parties having the option of going into opposition. Expectations of a breakthrough rose after the DUP and Sinn Fein both suffered bruising results in the UK general election. With many interpreting the outcome as a public judgment on the parties failure to do a deal, stalled efforts to restore the institutions appeared to gain fresh momentum in December. However, proposals to reform a contentious cross-community voting mechanism in the Assembly have emerged as a key sticking point in efforts to finalise an agreement, with the DUP unhappy about what is being countenanced. The DUP is also seeking changes to ensure the devolved institutions are more stable in future and cannot be readily pulled down. Proposed legislative protections for Irish language speakers are another crucial element of the negotiations. The Stormont parties are also seeking firm commitments from the UK Government on a financial package to accompany the return of devolution money that would likely be targeted at the North's crisis-hit health service. Mr Smith and Mr Coveney were in Belfast on New Years Day for discussions ahead of the resumption of formal exchanges with the political parties. Mr Coveney urged the parties to show leadership and generosity. He said the new year offered a chance for a new beginning and urged all sides not to disappoint the public again. Stormont imploded three years ago this month when the late Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest at the DUPs handling of a botched green energy scheme. That dispute soon widened to encompass traditional rifts over issues such the Irish language and the toxic legacy of the Troubles. A logjam over proposals to reform the petition of concern voting mechanism was one of the main reasons a deal failed to materialise before Christmas. It was designed to protect minority rights but politicians have accused each other of misusing it for their own ends. Discussions around change are focused on making it more difficult for one party to use the petition to block controversial legislation. The parties are also considering amending Assembly rules to make it harder to collapse the institutions. By Express News Service TIRUNELVELI: The Perambalur police, on Wednesday, arrested Nellai Kannan, who allegedly made controversial remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Sources from Tirunelveli police said that Kannan was held by Perambalur police and they were in the process of taking him under their custody. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) in Tirunelveli S Saravanan confirmed Kannans arrest when contacted by TNIE. Kannan made the provocative remark while addressing people, gathered in Melapalayam in protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Based on a complaint filed by BJP district unit, the city police had registered a case against Kannan under sections 504, 505 (1) and 505 (2) of Indian Penal Code. The functionaries of BJP and other Hindu outfits had staged a protest across the Tamil Nadu demanding his arrest. H Raja, Ponnar stage protest in Chennai Chennai: Around 150 BJP volunteers, including senior leaders H Raja, Pon Radhakrishnan, L Ganesan and CP Radhakrishnan courted arrest near Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Marina on Wednesday during a protest demanding immediate arrest of, an orator Nellai Kannan. Taipei, Jan 2 : Taiwan's Chief of the General Staff Shen Yi-ming and seven others were killed on Thursday after a helicopter they were travelling in crashed in a mountainous area near capital Taipei. The Black Hawk, part of the Air Force Rescue Team, took off at 7.54 a.m. from Songshan air force base, 4.9 km from Taipei, and was en route to a military base in northeastern Yilan county's Dong'ao, reports Efe news. It disappeared from the radar at 8.07 a.m. and made a forced landing in the mountains of New Taipei City's Wulai district. The activity was reportedly part of a New Year's inspection and the cause of the accident is not yet known. Addressing the media here, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Hsiung Hou-chi said that the last communication with the crew took place at 8.06 a.m. and the chopper disappeared from radar screens a minute after that, reports Taiwan News. Besides Shen, the other victims were also high-ranking military officials, the Defence Minister said, adding that five other passengers were alive and receiving treatment. In addition to three crew members, nine military officers were on board, as well as a reporter from the Military News Agency. Shen, 62, was Air Force commander general and vice minister of defence before he took up his post as chief of general staff in July 2019. The pilot, Col Yeh Chien-yi, who died in the crash, had 261 hours of flight experience in the UH-60M and another 2,214 in its civil version, the S-70C, the local United Daily News reported. The helicopter, in service from July 2018, had accumulated 376 flight hours and had not presented any major problems in the last three months, UDN added. The Black Hawk helicopter is thought to be one of 60 UH-60Ms purchased from the US in 2010. "My deepest condolences go out to the outstanding servicemen lost in today's helicopter crash, as well as their families. We will do everything we can to help their families in this time of loss & investigate the cause of the crash," President Tsai Ing-wen said on Twitter. The accident comes nine days ahead of Taiwan's 2020 presidential election on January 1. Tsai announced after the accident that she will suspend her election campaigning activities for three days for mourning. The United States is ready to take pre-emptive action if needed to defend its personnel, allies and interests in the Middle East against Iranian bad behaviour, Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said in an interview on Thursday. "He [US President Donald Trump] is committed to defending our interests, our personnel, our friends in the region and of course standing up to Iran and deterring Iranian bad behaviour. We will either respond or take pre-emptive action as necessary to make sure that we defend those interests," Esper told FOX TV Channel. The Pentagon on Tuesday sent reinforcement to the Middle East after the US embassy in Iraq was besieged by supporters of a pro-Iranian militia that came under US fire over the weekend. Protesters set a section of its fence on fire and tried to break into the walled compound. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nobody's happy about the latest plans for Washington's forest lands. Not the environmentalists. "Uncourageous," said Peter Goldman, an attorney with the Washington Forest Law Center. Not the timber industrialists, who predict lost jobs. Not the local officials, whose economies and budgets rely on timber revenue. "Double whammy," said Rod Fleck, Forks' city attorney. Caught in the hubbub is the marbled murrelet, a zippy, robin-sized bird that spends time in coastal waters and nests in Washington forests. No matter what officials choose for the forest, the seabirds are likely slated for at least a decade of decline, according to population models in the final plan for their conservation. Ocean conditions, prey availability, human activity and habitat loss are among factors scientists believe are playing a role. The marbled murrelet needs thick tree branches in mature forest to raise its young. Decades of logging and development on federal, state and private lands have left the bird with scattered patches of prime Washington forest suitable for nesting. Scientists say they need more. But their habitat is also prime for logging. And in many rural communities, revenues from timber sales help sustain local institutions, like fire districts, putting the marbled murrelet at the center of a decades-long standoff over where and how much logging takes place in state-managed forests. Upon statehood in 1889, the federal government gave Washington more than 3 million acres to financially support some public institutions, like schools and universities. The Department of Natural Resources manages remaining trust land. Proceeds of timber sales to logging companies still provide some K-12 and university funding today. DNR also manages trust land that counties received in Depression-era tax foreclosures. Counties and smaller taxing agencies like local school, fire or library districts receive timber revenue from these lands. In parts of rural Washington, timber sales help keep the lights on at these institutions. DNR itself balances its budget with timber revenues. Critics like Goldman argue funding core government functions with timber is a "19th-century mentality." But the agency believes, after court decisions and legal advice from the Attorney General's Office, that it is legally required to maximize revenue. DNR also must follow state and federal laws, like the Endangered Species Act, which lists the marbled murrelet as threatened. These competing interests leave the agency balancing timber interests and environmental concerns. In December, four of six Natural Resources Board members approved a conservation strategy for marbled murrelets and lowered the sustainable timber harvest level on state lands for the next 10 years. The decision gave clarity for the bird's recovery, after 22 years under an interim plan. The plan puts an additional 37,000 acres of DNR land in conservation status for the murrelet. The agency's plan relies on young trees in newly protected areas to grow into habitat for the bird. As they grow, DNR will gradually release some areas of mature treescurrent murrelet habitatto be logged. Areas where murrelets live now would have buffers to safeguard habitat. Rock blasting, new construction and road building would not be allowed near murrelet habitat, with some exceptions. The plan also designates 20 special habitat areas, which would allow the agency to concentrate "conservation into blocks of habitat" from what is now a "scattering," said Andrew Hayes, DNR's forest resources division manager. Hayes said the marbled murrelet will have 272,000 acres of suitable habitat in 50 years, some 65,000 acres more than today. (Goldman contends the acreage boost is essentially a wash because the plan's habitat quality varies over time.) The plan also frees more than 150,000 acres for logging, Hayes said. A representative of Gov. Jay Inslee voted against the plan, saying the governor felt it was not protective enough in the face of climate change. Clallam County Commissioner Bill Peach opposed it also, warning the decision to lower harvest targets could stress timber communities and DNR's budget. Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz said the approval paved the way for "more significant challenges in front of us," including adaptation to climate change as Washington's population grows and natural resources yield less. From nearly every angle, the plan faces criticism. "It divides the baby right down the middle," Goldman said, representing several environmental groups. "They feel they made a legally and politically safe position." Goldman is disappointed that DNR will open 38,000 acres of current marbled murrelet habitat to logging, believes the agency sought only minimum protection under the ESA and lacked the "vision" to ask for more. "This is for a species declining at 4% a year and has all kinds of threats to forests and oceans, including climate change," Goldman said. Paula Swedeen, of Conservation Northwest, pointed out that DNR's modeling projects murrelet populations will decline for several decades under the plan and in 50 years have a population lower than it is today. Meanwhile, the timber industry promises job losses. The board set a sustainable harvest figure that averages 465 million board feet each year, 85 million less than the previous decade's mark, a volume DNR did not ultimately supply. Hayes said sustainable harvest levels are expected to drop over the next five decades. "You just can't pull that much volume out of the marketplace without having some kind of economic impacts," said Matt Comisky, Washington state manager for the American Forest Resource Council. For timber communities, state harvest reductions cut several ways. Long term, Clallam County Comissioner Randy Johnson said he expects an economic hit as loggers, truck haulers and millers expect less timber coming off state managed lands. The reductions look particularly stark in the county's timber-dependent west side. About one-third of Forks' economy is tied to natural resources, said Fleck, the city attorney and planner for the town, which has a 26% poverty rate, according to U.S. census estimates. Each million board feet harvested is directly tied to about eight jobs, according to DNR analysis. "It's going to be hundreds of jobs in places like Concrete, Forks, Cathlamet," Fleck said. Fleck fears that complexities in DNR's plan, like specialty habitat areas and phasing habitat in and out over time, could cause disproportionate short-term effects in certain local taxing districts where mature forest is kept off limits to logging. "It's a whammy to revenue for essential government functions: Schools, hospitals, ports, libraries, ambulances," Fleck said. Frustration was not unexpected, Franz said. There are lousier fates. "The worst thing that could happen is us ending up in court," Franz said. "Our job was to comply with the Endangered Species Act, but not go so far that we violate our fiduciary responsibility" to counties and schools. (The matter might end up in court regardless. Skagit County's commissioners have approved a resolution authorizing the county prosecutor to bring legal action against DNR over its sustainable harvest calculation.) None of the options DNR considered would halt the marbled murrelets' near-term decline, Franz noted. Western Washington's forest, on the whole, is not old enough. The trees simply need time to grow for the birds to recover, she said. In Franz's eyes, conservation of the marbled murrelet represents a small portion of the bigger issue: The falling sustainable timber harvest and what that means for rural communities. She convened a "solutions table" to soften impacts and consider new economic opportunities on rural lands. When the board approved the murrelet plan, state Superintendent Chris Reykdal called for a transformation of how forests and timber funds are used as the climate changes. "This is not the future of school construction. It just isn't. This money would be better used to protect species, to protect habitat and to take care of the industries and impacted counties," he said. "The state of Washington needs something else." As rural communities look toward declining harvest, Fleck fears rural transformation won't come soon enough. Explore further Conservation groups sue Oregon to help protect tiny seabird 2019 The Seattle Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. After more than 60 years sealed in a library store, about 1,000 letters written by poet TS Eliot to confidante Emily Hale will be unveiled this week, with scholars hoping they will reveal the extent of a relationship which has been speculated about for decades. Many consider Hale to have been not only his close friend but also his muse, and they hope their correspondence will offer insight into intimate details of Eliot's life and work. Students, researchers and scholars will be able to read the letters at Princeton University's library from today. "I think it's perhaps the literary event of the decade," said Anthony Cuda, an Eliot scholar and director of the TS Eliot International Summer School. "I don't know of anything more awaited or significant. It's momentous to have these letters coming out." Hale and Eliot were lifelong friends who exchanged letters for about 25 years, beginning in 1930. They met in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1912 but did not rekindle their friendship until 1927. Eliot was already living in England and Hale taught drama at US universities. In 1956, Hale donated the letters under an agreement they would not be opened until 50 years after either her or Eliot's death, whichever was later. Eliot died in 1965, Hale four years later. Biographers say Eliot ordered Hale's letters to him to be burned. Their relationship "must have been incredibly important and their correspondence must have been remarkably intimate for him to be so concerned about the publication", said Mr Cuda. Eliot was born in St Louis, Missouri, in 1888 and gained notoriety as a poet early in life. He was only 26 when 'The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock' became his first professionally published poem. His best known works include 'The Waste Land', 'The Hollow Men' and 'Four Quartets'. Video of the Day The first poem in the Quartets series, 'Burnt Norton', piques the interest of enthusiasts, says Eliot scholar Frances Dickey, because of lines which suggest missed opportunities and what might have been with his muse. The poem is named after a home in England which Eliot visited with Hale in 1934. "His relationship with her seems to be deep and meaningful and it's a door he chose not to open," said Ms Dickey. The letters could also reveal details of Eliot's conversion to Anglicanism, which he deeply cherished, she added. To the Editor: Re Changing Course, Biden Now Says Hed Comply if Subpoenaed (news article, Dec. 29): It is a positive sign that Joe Biden has stated that he would comply with a subpoena issued in any impeachment trial in the Senate. But he should take a further step; he should demand to be called to testify. The House Republicans continually complained that Mr. Biden was not called to testify. Here is the opportunity for him to be heard. Mr. Bidens testimony would serve two purposes. He could use the process to clear his name of the false allegations that have been levied against him. And it would show the country that, unlike the Republicans who refuse to call the witnesses that Senator Chuck Schumer has named, the Democrats have nothing to hide. It is time to expose Senator Mitch McConnell for the manipulative politician that he is. Mr. Biden can do just that. Global stock markets powered ahead Thursday as investors welcomed 2020 with a raft of strong gains after China's central bank announced fresh stimulus, dealers said. Asia kicked off the New Year on the front foot, with most rallying out of the blocks Thursday on lingering trade optimism and the stimulus Europe also shone as investors remain upbeat about the global outlook after Washington and Beijing eventually reached a trade agreement to ease tensions between the two. Brexit uncertainty has meanwhile been removed with Britain set to leave the European Union on January 31. "European equities have made a bright start to the New Year with sizable rallies of more than one per cent," said XTB analyst David Cheetham. "2019 was a good year on the whole for stock markets and they seem to be wasting little time in attempting to push higher again with the bourses following the lead of their Asian peers. "Expectations that a 'Phase One' trade deal between the US and China will be signed in less than two weeks have boosted sentiment but the main driving force appears to be the announcement of a further easing of monetary policy from China's central bank." However, geopolitical worries resurfaced following a warning from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests had ended, with talks with the US going nowhere. Shanghai and Hong Kong led gains after the People's Bank of China said it would lower the amount of cash lenders must keep in reserve, freeing up more than USD 100 billion for loans to small businesses. The move comes as leaders try to kickstart growth in the world's number two economy, which is running at its weakest for almost three decades. Dealers were also being supported after Donald Trump said the mini China-US trade deal will be signed off in Washington on January 15, and he will later travel to Beijing for the next phase of talks. The signing will smooth concerns that the pact could suffer a last-minute collapse, which has niggled some traders. Seoul was down one per cent after Kim Jong Un declared a self-imposed moratorium was no longer needed, raising the possibility that the North could soon resume missile launches or nuclear tests. The announcement came after its end-of-year deadline for sanctions relief from the United States. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (CNN) The Australian state of New South Wales has declared a state of emergency and could begin forced evacuations from fire-stricken areas, as emergency crews battle deadly blazes and brace for a dangerous weekend ahead. State Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Thursday that the emergency declaration would come into effect Friday morning as weather conditions are expected to deteriorate significantly on Saturday, raising the fire danger even further. This is the third time NSW has declared a state of emergency in as many months the last two times, in November and December, were also for seven days, and granted extraordinary powers to the Rural Fire Service. Berejiklian said residents could also be subject to forced evacuations, road closures and any other means necessary to keep people safe. "We want to make sure we are taking every single precaution to be prepared for what could be a horrible day on Saturday," she said. Thousands of people were already fleeing the state's south coast on Thursday, with the Rural Fire Service setting up a "tourist leave zone" from the town of Batemans Bay down to the Victoria border. All visitors were urged to evacuate before Saturday, when temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), dry conditions and ferocious winds are expected to heighten the risk of further blazes. "These will be dangerous conditions," the fire service warned. "Do not be in this area on Saturday." Thousands are evacuating from the coast Similar hot, windy weather on Tuesday led to massive fires spreading out of control. Seven people died from the fires within 24 hours. Conditions improved slightly on Thursday creating a small window of opportunity for people to evacuate before the situation worsens again Saturday. Tens of thousands of people are estimated to be in the south coast region, home to seaside towns that swell in population during summer. Residents on Thursday were heeding the warning. Hundreds if not thousands of cars were backed up in small towns south of Nowra, on the southern coast, according to police. Roads away from the tourist area were packed with long lines of cars waiting to leave, and one major road heading south beyond Nowra was closed due to a fire that jumped the highway. Some people had been waiting in line for hours and were getting frustrated, with little indication of when the road will open. Nowra resident Trevor Garland was one of those trying to head south his 16-year-old daughter was stranded in the NSW town Sussex Inlet, where she was visiting a friend. "The big picture is one road in, one road out," he told CNN on Thursday. "I'm going to wait here all night if I have to." Rob O'Neill had been waiting for six hours at the roadblock. He was also trying to head south to find his children, aged 4 and 5, who are staying with their grandparents. He said he hadn't been able to contact them since Monday, and the fire line had moved as close as several hundred feet from the grandparents' house. "We want to get them out before Saturday comes. Predictions are pretty bad for Saturday," he said. "Not knowing is pretty scary we don't know how they're going." Authorities are working to clear the backlog and reach the cut-off areas. In neighboring Victoria state, there are 24 such isolated communities, according to Premier Daniel Andrews including the town of Mallacoota, where thousands of residents fled their homes to seek refuge at the beach on Monday. A navy vessel will make multiple trips in Mallacoota on Friday to transport up to 800 residents and tourists to an unspecified safe location, Andrews said Thursday. Air evacuations could also happen once dense smoke begins to move away from the area. Scenes from the ground show military personnel in trucks and rubber dinghies, rescuing stranded residents and shrouded in yellow haze. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday that the federal government was also sending resources when requested by states, including additional funding and military support from the Australian Defence Force. He warned that many areas were difficult for emergency personnel to safely access, and urged residents to remain calm and patient. Climate change and the fire crisis The Australian bushfires have been burning for months now, and aren't likely to stop anytime soon Australia is still in the early months of summer, and temperatures typically peak in January and February. "The fire season still has a long time to run," Morrison said in a news conference. A total of 17 people have died across the country so far, with the most damage concentrated in NSW. Across the state, nearly 1,300 homes have been destroyed and another 442 damaged, according to the Rural Fire Service. Fires have consumed entire towns and ripped through bushland; the strong winds frequently change directions, which fan the flames and carry embers far distances. The changing winds are forecast to continue from Friday into Saturday, hampering firefighting efforts and causing uncontained fires to spread, according to CNN meteorologists. Meanwhile, air quality will continue to deteriorate in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, large urban hubs smothered in thick smoke and haze. Conditions aren't expected to improve until Monday, when rain could bring some relief. Australia typically has a fire season during the dry, hot summer but this year's weather conditions are more extreme, leading to more devastating blazes. The country is gripped by one of the worst droughts in decades, and a heatwave broke nationwide records in December. Experts say climate change has worsened the scale and impact of the fires, and many have accused the Morrison administration of not doing enough to address the climate crisis. In December, a woman dumped the remnants of her fire-ravaged home in front of the Australian parliament, accusing Morrison and lawmakers of failing to act. On Thursday, Morrison said the government aimed to "meet and beat our emissions reduction targets" but added that it would stick to "sensible" policies that "don't move toward either extreme." "The suggestion that there is a single policy, whether it be climate or otherwise, (that) can provide a complete insurance policy on fires in Australia well, I don't think any Australian has ever understood that was the case in this country," he said. This story was first published on CNN.com, "New South Wales declares a 7-day state of emergency as Australia's deadly bushfires rage." Yang on Biden Saying Miners Can Learn to Code: Let Them Do the Kind of Work They Actually Want to Do Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang said that coal miners should be able to get work in fields theyre skilled in instead of having to switch to information technology after rival Joe Biden said any miner could learn to code, or program computers. Let them do the kind of work they actually want to do, instead of saying to a group of people that you all need to become coders, Yang said while campaigning in Keene, New Hampshire, on Jan. 1. Whats that all about? Maybe Americans dont all want to learn how to code. Speaking to reporters after the event, Yang said Bidens proposal was completely unrealistic. I get along very well with Joe, but I think its completely unrealistic and unproductive to even recommend that all Americans learn to code or all former coal miners learn to code, he said. The reality is that only 8 percent of Americans work in STEM fields today, and its not realistic to suggest that the other 92 percent somehow join that 8 percent. We need to instead be thinking about what kind of opportunities people want to do, not that the market suggests that it has a need for. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign Town Hall in Derry, New Hampshire on Dec. 30, 2019. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang (L) speaks with former Vice President Joe Biden during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California on Dec. 19, 2019. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Biden, 77, was campaigning in New Hampshire this week when he told the audience: Anybody who can go down 300 to 3,000 feet in a mine can sure as hell learn to program as well. But we dont think of it that way. Even my liberal friends dont think of it that way. He later added: Anybody who can throw coal into a furnace can learn how to program for Gods sake. And, by the way, little Sam, I bet he can operate his cell phone better than most of you can. Biden was discussing the jobs of the future and touting the Obama administrations assistance to Detroit after the citys bankruptcy. The Biden campaign didnt respond to a request for comment. Biden is considered a frontrunner in the 2020 field, with polls showing him at or near the top since he announced his candidacy in April. Yang has hung on in the crowded field and qualified for every debate so far. Yang, 44, an entrepreneur, is campaigning on the threat of automation to a slew of fields of work, championing a so-called freedom dividend that would give people $1,000 a month to spend on what they want. According to the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, tens of millions of jobs could be automated by 2030. Nagorno-Karabakhs economy grew by an estimated 9 percent in 2019, continuing a more than decade-long rapid expansion, according to officials in Stepanakert. The Karabakh governments latest growth projections released last week show that the Armenian-populated territorys Gross Domestic Product was on course to total 341 billion drams ($713 million). The resulting GDP per capita of more than $4,800 would be slightly higher than in Armenia. The Karabakh economy was worth just 70 billion drams in 2008. Official figures indicate that it has since grown by around 10 percent annually in real terms, despite the lingering risk of a renewed Armenian-Azerbaijani war for the disputed territory. Speaking at a year-end news conference in Stepanakert, the Karabakh state minister, Grigory Martirosian, said growth was primarily driven by trade and services in January-September 2019. Martirosian also reported significant increases in manufacturing and electricity production. Karabakhs overall industrial output accounted for around 30 percent of GDP, the Artsakhpress news agency quoted him as saying. A large part of that output is generated by a copper and molybdenum mine located in the northern Martakert district. Government data cited by Martirosian shows that nearly one-fifth of electricity produced in Karabakh was exported to Armenia in 2019. In the words of Bako Sahakian, the Karabakh president, Karabakh gained energy self-sufficiency in 2017. That was made possible by the construction of 31 small hydroelectric plants on the mountainous regions fast-flowing rivers. A dozen more such plants are reportedly under construction now. Speaking at a December 23 meeting in Yerevan of Armenias and Karabakhs leaders, Sahakian also said that Karabakh has become a major wheat exporter. In 2019, we produced 112,000 tons of wheat, which is twice as much as our internal demand, he said. Despite its robust economic growth, Karabakh remains very dependent on annual subsidies from Armenias government. They will finance just over half of the Karabakh governments 2020 budgetary expenditures projected at 120 billion drams ($250 million). The subsidies include proceeds from import duties on non-Armenian goods that are shipped to Karabakh but collected by Armenias customs service. WASHINGTON The breach of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad has prompted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to postpone his trip to Ukraine and four other countries. Pompeo was to arrive in Ukraine late Thursday in his first visit to the country at the center of President Donald Trumps impeachment, then on to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Cyprus. He delayed the trip to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Wednesday. She said he intends to reschedule soon. In Baghdad, Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound after two days of clashes with American security forces. The U.S. has sent hundreds of additional troops to the Middle East to increase security in the volatile aftermath of the embassy attack and as tensions with Iran rise. In Kyiv, Pompeo was to meet Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, whose July 25 phone call with Trump triggered the whistleblower complaint that led to Trumps impeachment. In that call, and through aides at other times, Trump pressed Zelenskiy to investigate potential 2020 election rival Joe Biden, his son, Hunter, and a discredited theory that Ukrainians and Democrats colluded to influence the 2016 election. Pompeo also planned to meet Ukrainian religious, civic and business leaders to discuss human rights, investment and economic and political reform, the department said before the postponement. Former Nissan Motor Co Ltd (OTC: NSANF) Chairman Carlos Ghosn fled Japan on New Year's Eve to Turkey and is now in Lebanon, where the justice ministry has received an Interpol red notice for his arrest, according to the BBC. The red notice, which calls on authorities to arrest a wanted person, has yet to be referred to the judiciary, Reuters reported. Ghosn was charged in Japan with underreporting his future compensation and breach of trust and has repeatedly asserted his innocence. He left on a private jet from a regional airport in Japan, reportedly landing in Istanbul first, which prompted an investigation in Turkey. Ghosn is now in his home country of Lebanon. "There has been speculation in the media that my wife Carole, and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan," Ghosn said in a Thursday statement, according to Bloomberg. "All such speculation is inaccurate and false. I alone arranged for my departure. My family had no role whatsoever." Ghosn also left Japan without a passport, which he had to surrender last year to Japanese officials. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon, which said Ghosn has entered the country legally, giving no reason to take action against him. Seven people have been arrested in connection with the escape, according to Turkish media: four pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. Related Links: Former Nissan Chair Ghosn Flees Japan In Box, Turns Up In Lebanon Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Chairman Arrested On Trading Violations Photo by Ecole polytechnique via Wikimedia. 0 See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. A hunt is on for two men who assaulted a staff member as they held up a chemist while armed with a screwdriver and a machete. The two masked me, dressed all in black, stormed the Amcal chemist on High Street, Willoughby, on Sydney's lower north shore, at 8.30pm on Wednesday. Police said a staff member was assaulted before the armed men left with prescription drugs and an undisclosed amount of cash. 'They were seen jumping a fence on Summerville Crescent before running through a carpark on Crabbes Avenue,' NSW Police said in a statement. A chemist staff member was assaulted during a robbery on Wednesday after two men, armed with a machete and a screwdriver, stormed the store Officers from the North Shore Police Area Command along with a Dog Unit attended and set up a crime scene. An investigation is underway with police appealing to the public for any information. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact North Shore Police on 9414 8499 or Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000. Beijing, Jan 2 : China on Wednesday began a 10-year fishing ban on key areas of the Yangtze River to protect biodiversity in the country's longest river, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Starting from this year, the ban will be observed in 332 conservation areas in the Yangtze River basin, which will also be expanded to all natural waterways of the river and its major tributaries from no later than January 1, 2021, the Xinhua news agency reported. Fishing will also be prohibited on natural waterways of large lakes connected to the Yangtze such as the Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake for 10 years starting from no later than January 1, 2021. Fishing bans will be further imposed on other natural waterways in the Yangtze River basin, said the ministry, the scale and length of which will be subject to the decision of provincial-level fishing authorities. The fishing moratorium is regarded as a key move fighting depleting biological resources and degrading biodiversity in the Yangtze River, which has long been suffering from human activities such as overfishing, pollution and damming, said Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Yu Kangzhen. Biological deterioration has reduced fishing activities along the Yangtze as well, which now only produces 0.32 per cent of China's total freshwater aquatic products. In recent years, annual catch from the Yangtze has fallen to less than 1,00,000 tonnes from more than 4,20,000 tonnes in the 1950s. The 10-year ban is estimated to affect more than 1,10,000 fishing boats and nearly 2,80,000 fishermen in 10 provincial regions along the river. The ministry has promised to provide social security services, financial support and vocational trainings for fishermen who have to find new ways of living. For instance, fishermen moving ashore could work as patrollers and protectors of the river as members of the team executing the fishing ban, said Yu. Efforts will also be made to protect rare species and enhance monitoring over aquatic life in the Yangtze, and to improve protection and management strategies in accordance with biological resource restoration progress, according to Yu. By IANS KATHMANDU: Ten months after signing the Protocol on Implementing the Agreement on Transit and Transportation between Nepal and China, Beijing has officially notified Kathmandu that it has completed all domestic legal procedures which means that it would come into effect from February 1, it was reported. Nepal and China signed the transit protocol in Beijing on April 29, 2019 during the visit of President Bidya Devi Bhandari, The Kathmandu Post said in a report on Wednesday. The transit protocol allows Nepal access to seven Chinese sea and land ports for third-country trade. So far, all of Nepal's third-country trade takes place via India. After completing all domestic procedures, Nepal, on August 9, had notified China and had been waiting for a notification from Beijing. Informed officials said on Wednesday that China notified the Nepali Embassy in Beijing on December 25. The embassy then forwarded the notification to Kathmandu and acknowledged the same to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, said officials. "Now the deck is clear for Nepali businesspersons to conduct third-country trade via China," The Kathmandu Post quoted Navaraj Dhakal, joint-secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, as saying, adding: "But there are challenges ahead." There were major concerns about infrastructure on the Nepali side, the lack of a trained workforce, and also a language barrier. "We do not know how much time it will take for businesses to start importing goods from the nearest Chinese seaports," said Dhakal. "We also do not know the cost of consignments from Chinese seaports to Nepal." The nearest Chinese seaport is Tianjin, which is 4,000 km from the Nepal border -- four times the distance between Birgunj and Kolkata in India. According to Prakash Karki, president of Nepal Freight Forwarders Association, language could pose as a major issue while dealing with the Chinese. "We are habituated to importing goods via India, where the language is not a problem," Karki told The Kathmandu Post. "But since we have never imported goods from China, we don't exactly know what the advantages or disadvantages will be." Nepal only started looking to China for the possibility of third-country trade after the Indian border blockade of 2015. During his visit to Beijing in 2016, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli signed the Transit and Transportation Agreement aiming to break Nepal's complete dependence on India for third-country trade. But it took almost three years to sign the protocol for the agreement. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 2) New motorcycle taxi service JoyRide has denied any links to the Duterte administration, as it admitted to having an official of the president's political party at its helm and once asking a senator for help. "Wala pong kahit na sinong tiga-gobyerno na miyembro ng JoyRide [No one from government is part of JoyRide]. We want to put that very, very clear," JoyRide Vice President for Operations Noli Eala said in a media briefing Thursday. JoyRide is one of two new entrants authorized by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to offer motorcycle rides for hire in Metro Manila and in Cebu, as part of an extended pilot run before the service is legalized. JoyRide would be entering the market dominated by Angkas, which already had a six-month trial run late last year. The new service has raised eyebrows amid supposed ties to presidential aide now Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, who has denied that he owns the company. Some netizens have questioned JoyRide's origins when the LTFRB announced its entry in the motorcycle taxi market, with even early calls to boycott the company sprouting on social media. Eala clarified that JoyRide is backed by two "low-key" businessmen: Ralph Nubla Jr., president of Echague Realty Corp. and director of the Philippine Bank of Communications; and Bea Chua, who is behind logistics firm Happy Move. He described them as involved in banking, real estate, and wholesale and retail trade. PDP ties? The motorcycle taxi service also dismissed ties to President Rodrigo Duterte's political party, PDP-Laban. Edwin Rodriguez, JoyRide's business development officer, is secretary-general of PDP-Laban Quezon City chapter. He was seen bringing Quezon City Rep. Onyx Crisologo and ANAKALUSUGAN party-list Rep. Michael Defensor both PDP-Laban alllies in Quezon City in inspecting JoyRide's training facilities. "Hindi ako lumapit sa kanila (PDP-Laban) para maimpluwensyahan at humingi ng tulong para makapasok ang JoyRide [I did not approach PDP-Laban to ask them to help usher in the entry of JoyRide]," Rodriguez said. The pilot run has been designed to collect data for Congress, which will craft a law formally allowing motorcycle taxi services in the country. Eala defended this appointment, saying Rodriguez had "logistics expertise" which landed him the post. READ: Inter-agency body eyes to finish motorcycle-taxi pilot program before March Eala also admitted that his team once wrote to the office of Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III whom he called a "family friend" of the owners in September to ask for help in reaching out to the Department of Transportation. Pimentel is PDP-Laban president. "It was simply because we needed a way to send our letter faster to the Department of Transportation and we were hoping he could help. He made this recommendation on his own personal volition and it was not because of any other consideration," Eala said, adding that Pimentel simply forwarded their letter to the agency. Recruitment on track JoyRide said it is hiring more drivers, but denied it is poaching from competitors. "We have never gotten any rider from Angkas. We will continue to build our own fleet based on our program," Eala said, but noted that they are willing to accept applicants from their rival firms if ever. "Kung meron pong gustong sumali sa amin [If others want to join us] from other rider groups, they are welcome but they have to go through our processes again." JoyRide requires all partner-drivers to go through driving tests and training as well as safety seminars before they are allowed to offer rides to the public. He added that they have 1,493 riders online as of December 31, with 5,414 others waiting activation. Eala said JoyRide targets to fulfill the 10,000 rider slots given to them by LTFRB by February, giving them around two months to offer rides before the pilot run ends March 23. The LTFRB announced last month that it is capping the number of riders equally among Angkas, JoyRide, and MoveIt for the trial period, where it will assess the pros and cons of running motorcyle taxi services. Motorcycles or habal-habal rides have become the quick fix for commuters battling heavy traffic in Metro Manila and Cebu's roads. Move It speaks up Tthird motorcycle service provider Move It has also disclosed ownership, saying the company is owned by We-Load Transcargo Corporation. Its president and chief executive officer Francis Juan began in the jeep assembly business before opening Pier One Bar and Chic-Boy Restaurant. CNN Philippines Correspondent Carolyn Bonquin contributed to this report. These are the first pictures of the British Airways cabin crew killed in a lorry crash while on their way to a New Years Eve party. Dominic Fell, 23, was killed alongside 25-year-old Joe Finnis and a 20-year-old woman, who has been named as Rachel Clark, at the scene of the crash, close to Heathrow Airport. A 25-year-old woman is in a serious condition in hospital and all four are believed to have been friends. Dominic Fell and two colleagues died on the way to a New Year's Eve party. (Facebook) Joe Finnis has been named as one of the victims of the crash. (Facebook) Rachel Clark has been named as one of the victims of the lorry crash (Facebook) Confirming members of their staff were killed, a BA spokesperson said: "We're deeply saddened to learn of the death of our colleagues involved in a road traffic collision last night. "Our thoughts are with their family and friends, who we are supporting at this distressing time. Tributes have poured in from friends and colleagues, while a Go Fund Me page set up to help the bereaved and injured has so far raised nearly 40,000. The off-duty BA cabin crew were in a white Toyota Yaris when it was involved in a crash with a white Mercedes HGV at the junction of Bedfont Road and Long Lane in Stanwell, Surrey, at 11.39pm on New Years Eve. The lorry, which was part of a fleet which is operated by air services provider dnata, left the road and ended up in nearby Longford River. The lorry driver was taken to hospital as a precaution. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Sacked vegan claims his beliefs should be protected by law Police release CCTV following alleged attempted abduction Police hunt Birmingham man who attacked woman with meat cleaver Witnesses to the crash described the scene as being like a "war zone with bits left all over the road". One onlooker told The Sun: "We heard the two women screaming. They had no chance, the car was doing at least 80mph. A local driver, who did not want to be named, said the crash scene looked bad". Nearly 40,000 has so far been raised in for the bereaved and injured. (Go Fund Me) He described it as "a bad road" that needs widening, adding: "You would be amazed how many accidents have happened down that road." A spokesman for dnata which provides ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services to airlines said: "We can confirm that one of our trucks was involved in a road traffic accident on the evening of December 31. "We are fully assisting relevant authorities with their investigations. Our thoughts and condolences are with the families of those affected by this very sad incident. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on January 2, 2020 2020/01/02 At the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Eritrea Osman Saleh Mohammed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Burundi Ezechiel Nibigira, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Zimbabwe Sibusiso Busi Moyo, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay official visits to the aforementioned countries from January 7 to 13. Q: You just announced State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's upcoming visits to Africa. Chinese foreign ministers have been choosing Africa as the destination for their first overseas visits each year. What is the main goal of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit this year? A: Since 1991, Africa has been the destination for Chinese foreign ministers' first overseas visits each year. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang's visit this time will be the 30th consecutive year. The continuation of this fine tradition once again speaks volumes about the high priority China consistently attaches to developing its ties with Africa as well as ever stronger China-Africa friendship. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and is an important year to implement the outcomes of the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's upcoming visit will follow President Xi Jinping's ideal of upholding the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and pursuing the greater good and shared interests to strengthen communication and complementarity with the African countries, implement the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and African leaders and jointly follow through on the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit with a view to advancing China-Africa BRI cooperation, building on China-Africa traditional friendship and moving forward the bilateral ties between China and relevant African countries and China-Africa relations as a whole. Q: The DPRK said it will continue to develop strategic weapons before the US withdraws its hostile policy against the country. I wonder if you could comment on that? A: It serves the common interests of all sides to sustain dialogue, promote de-escalation and advance the political settlement of the Peninsula issue. Under the current circumstances, it is not advisable to take actions that lead to escalated tensions rather than dialogue. We hope relevant sides, the DPRK and the US in particular, will stick to dialogue and consultation, move towards each other, actively look for ways to break the deadlock, and make concrete efforts to advance political settlement. Q: I've got two questions. First question, President Trump has said he's looking forward to signing a phase one trade deal with China on or before January 15. Will a Chinese delegation visit Washington to sign this phase one trade deal? A: I'd like to refer you to the Commerce Ministry for questions regarding China-US trade talks. What is your second question? Journalist: The second question, sources say that the stock connect program between Shanghai and London has been temporarily halted because of political tensions with Britain. Could you please confirm this? A: Who said that? Is the UK side saying that? Journalist: It's by Reuters and other British media. A: I'm not aware of the specific situation and you may ask relevant authorities and businesses. I want to stress that we hope the UK will provide fair, just, open and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises and create enabling conditions for China-UK practical cooperation in various fields. Q: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has postponed his upcoming travels which include Central Asian countries due to rising tensions in Iraq. He once said that he would raise Xinjiang-related issues in bilaterals and the C5+1 ministerial. What is your comment on this postponement? A: I stated China's position on US announcement of planned discussions about Xinjiang in C5+1 ministerial the day before yesterday. China and Central Asian countries are friendly neighbors and strategic partners. Bilateral cooperation enjoys solid foundation, multiple dimensions and broad prospects. The five Central Asian countries are all close neighbors to Xinjiang. They have a better understanding of and are in a better position to tell the real situation in Xinjiang than the United States. When meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Tajikstan the other day, Tajikistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin said that terrorism and religious extremism are the common enemy to the international community. All countries should join forces to condemn and combat them. No double standards should be tolerated in this area. Tajikistan supports the Chinese government's Xinjiang policies and the de-radicalization measures adopted to maintain prosperity and stability there. The Chinese side speaks highly of such remarks. We firmly believe that the governments and people of the Central Asian countries are determined in developing good neighborly and friendly relations with China and in jointly combating the "three evil forces". Whether the visits by the US side materialize or not, nothing will shake the time-honored friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the Central Asian countries. Attempts at instigation, slander or discord-sowing between China and Central Asian countries will never succeed. Q: In a statement issued on January 1, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that China's claims to the exclusive economic zone on the grounds that its fishermen have long been active there have no legal basis and have never been recognized by UNCLOS. Jakarta also noted that the argument had been refuted by the award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the request of the Philippines. What is your comment? A: I elaborated on China's position and propositions on the South China Sea issue the day before yesterday and see no need to repeat them here. I want to stress that China's position and propositions comply with the international law, including UNCLOS. So whether the Indonesian side accepts it or not, nothing will change the objective fact that China has rights and interests over the relevant waters. The so-called award of the South China Sea arbitration is illegal, null and void and we have long made it clear that China neither accepts nor recognizes it. The Chinese side firmly opposes any country, organization or individual using the invalid arbitration award to hurt China's interests. The 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded last month to three of the worlds leading economists for their experimental approach to alleviating poverty. This experimental approach is gaining popularity in the MENA region, and holds the potential to impact the lives of millions of people. In 2018, nearly 23 percent of young job seekers in MENA were without a job. Slow economic growth in the region further limits employment opportunities for youth. And a recent report by the International Monetary Fund cites unemployment and lack of economic opportunities as drivers of unrest in several countries in the region. The experimental approach practiced by this years Nobel winners, known as randomized evaluation, breaks down these overlapping issues and sheds light on answers to specific questions. And we have lots of questions: Are there enough quality jobs available? Do job seekers skills align with the skills employers are looking for? Can employers accurately assess the quality of candidates? Are young people well informed about economic opportunities when making educational choices? Governments, NGOs, and other practitioners around the world invest lots of resources into labor market programs in an effort to connect people with jobs. Often times we rely on intuition and assume that these programs work. Randomized evaluations can help us test these assumptions, sometimes with surprising results. In 2007, I started working with 2019 Nobel laureate Esther Duflo and other colleagues toevaluate the effectiveness of a career counseling program for young, college-educated job seekers in France. The program intended to improve employment rates for those who received the intensive job search counseling. We found that the program helped participating job seekers find work sooner, but it did not translate into a long-term increase in their employment rates. Whats more, the program actually created worse employment outcomes for those who did not receive the counseling. Particularly in places with more competitive job markets, those who did not get access to the program were worse offpresumably since their peers who got the program were now more able to outcompete them for a limited number of job openings. This highlights why randomized evaluation is so important: Sometimes policies and programs have unintended effects. Were expanding our efforts to bring this experimental approach to address such issues in the MENA region through a new partnership between the American University in Cairo (AUC) and J-PAL, the organization founded by the Nobel laureates. A great deal of this work is focused on the labor markets sector. One example of this new research in the region is a study that looks at how young people in Egypt search for jobs. Throughout Egypt, there is high youth unemployment, and yet there are also many unfilled job vacancies. Our research focuses on job fairs. While they are a way to connect young people with many available quality jobs, attendance to job fairs tends to be very low. There are several potential reasons for this low attendance. It could be because of high transportation costs to travel to the fair. It may also be because youth have misperceptions about the types of jobs available at the fair. To better understand and address these potential barriers, Adam Osman, Mona Said, and I, in partnership with Egypts Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), designed a randomized evaluation. Some youth were given information about what type of job opportunities are available at the job fair, some were given small amounts of cash to offset costs of attending the job fair, and some received both information and cash. Were now analyzing the results; the government will be able to use this data to inform their decisions about how to make job fairs more effective. J-PAL and our partners have 18 additional ongoing and completed studies evaluating various types of programs and policies throughout the region that address other important social issues. Our partners, including AUC, Community Jameel, and the Sawiris Foundation, are helping make this work possible. We are working with the Sawiris Foundation on a number of exciting projects, including a study in Upper Egypt on capital assistance to sustain self-employment projects showing large impacts for women. We are also working with Egyptian partners to adapt and test programs proved to be highly efficient elsewhere. The 2019 Nobel prize recognizes the innovation, importance, and urgency of this work. This is an important start, but there is so much more to learn. Governments and other organizations in MENA seeking to reduce poverty can look to this important research to inform their decisions about which policies and programs to implement and fund. Of course, policy changes driven by research alone will not completely solve the problem of unemployment and slow economic growth. But evidence from randomized evaluations gives us a rigorous framework to find solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. Bruno Crepon is co-chair of the Middle East and North Africa Initiative and the global employment program at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). He is a professor of economics at Frances National School of Statistics and Economic Administration (ENSAE). Search Keywords: Short link: 2 1 of 2 Matt York / Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Arizona Republic / Patrick Breen/The Republic Show More Show Less Madison Bumgarners decision to leave the Giants as a free agent was not a surprise. Fans had been steeling themselves for his departure. But his destination was. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Maharashtra Police force will be provided all modernised weapons and quality training required to fight the enemy, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Thursday. The police force has big challenges, but the state government is committed to provide it the best training, weapons and quality standard of living, Thackeray said. He was speaking at Maharashtra Police's Raising Day parade at the Marol Police Training Centre in Andheri. "The world is moving forward, challenges before the police force are big and the enemy, which is in front of us, has weapons and training. To tackle such challenges, whatever is best in the world, that will be provided to the Maharashtra Police force," Thackeray said. "Our police force should be a step ahead of the enemy," he said. The chief minister lauded the contribution of the police force in making people feel safe and secure. "While on duty, a policeman forgets whatever pressures and work stress he has, and he remains committed towards maintaining law and order for the safety of all," he said. Apart from training, weapons and various other facilities, the most important thing required by the police force is "courage", he said. "And I can proudly say that Maharashtra Police force fully has it," the chief minister said. The state government will take all steps to provide good quality houses and other required facilities to the police personnel, he said. After the parade, Thackeray also attended the 'bhoomi pujan' of a building in Marol area for providing houses to police personnel. State Director General of Police Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve, Director General of Police (Housing) Bipin Bihari and other senior police officers were present at the function. Since the inception of Maharashtra Police force, this was the first time that the Raising Day parade was held at the Marol Police Training Centre in suburban Andheri. It used to be earlier held at Naigaon in Dadar area of central Mumbai. SINGAPORE (Jan 2): Analysts expect a tepid recovery for the Singapore economy in 2020, after advance GDP estimates released Thursday pointed to the worst growth performance for the city state since the global financial crisis in 2009. According to the Ministry of Trade and Ministry (MTI), the Singapore economy grew by 0.8% y-o-y in 4Q19, led by a 2.1% growth in the construction sector and a 1.4% growth in the services producing industries. Growth in the construction sector was supported by public sector construction activities, while services producing industries growth was primarily supported by the finance & insurance sector, the other services industries, and the business services sector. On the other hand, the wholesale & retail trade sector contracted in tandem with the weakness in exports and retail sales performance. The 4Q GDP growth, which came despite a 2.1% contraction in the manufacturing sector during the quarter, brought advance estimated for GDP growth in 2019 to 0.7%. The manufacturing contraction was due to output declines in the electronics, chemicals and transport engineering clusters. Despite the subdued growth in 2019, analysts say growth momentum is expected to pick up gradually in the coming quarters. Despite the lacklustre growth performance, the economy is slowly getting out of the woods, says Irvin Seah, a senior economist at DBS Group Research in a flash note on Thursday. Seah forecasts that Singapore will register GDP growth of 1.4% in 2020, but notes that this is still below its potential growth rate of around 2.5%. Signs of a turnaround are emerging, but recovery could be weak, Seah says. While small and agile economies such as Singapore could bounce back faster, its openness and trade dependent nature also imply vulnerability to unexpected negative shocks. While the economist believes the worst could be over for Singapores economy, he notes that the global outlook remains fragile. In short, the manufacturing sector could be turning around, but the outlook will remain challenging in the coming months, pending a more pronounced improvement in global economic conditions, Seah adds. Story continues Over at Oxford Economics, economist Sung Eun Jung agrees that while the external outlook has improved, the risk of relations between US and China deteriorating again remains substantial. On the domestic front, labour market conditions are softening as firms are more cautious about hiring and unemployment rate has been rising steadily since last year, Sung adds. Like DBS, Oxford Economics is also maintaining a forecast of 1.4% GDP growth for Singapore in 2020 following the release of the advance estimates. We still forecast a fiscal expansion in 2020, including some targeted measures to help offset the planned GST (goods and services tax) hike and support ailing industries, Sung says. With the gradual recovery in growth, Sung also expects the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to maintain the slope of the Singapore Dollar Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (S$NEER) its key policy tool at around 0.5%. The S$NEER, the trade-weighted basket of currencies against the Singapore dollar, was reduced slightly in October last year. Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray along with his son and minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday attended the Maharashtra Police raising day event at Marol police training grounds. Several platoons of Police personnel did a march past and the Chief Minister was accorded a guard of honour. While speaking at the gathering, the Chief Minister said that he is committed to giving all world-class facilities for training and other purposes to the police force in Maharashtra. "I am proud on being a part of these raising day celebrations and handing over the flag to the platoons," Uddhav said. At the same event, the Sena chief laid a foundation stone and took part in 'bhoomi poojan' for a housing project for policemen and their families. Under the project, around 448 houses for policemen will be constructed in Marol area. The Maharashtra Chief Minister told reporters that he will take care of training facilities given to police personnel as well as providing them homes. The amount of Rs 225.13 crores has been sanctioned for the said project. On the occasion, Director General of Police Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, ACS Home Department Sanjay Kumar, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Garve and Deputy General of Police (Housing) Bipin Bihari, among others were also present. (ANI) Police in Spain arrested Thursday a woman who posed as the president of the Spanish branch of the United Nations' agency on women, soliciting funds and deceiving several major media outlets. Officers detained the Spanish national of Nigerian origin in Denia on Spain's eastern Mediterranean coast for suspected fraud and impersonation, police said in a statement. She "took part in conferences and media interviews claiming to be the president of UN Women in Spain," the statement said. The woman offered online legal courses and allegedly asked for funds for projects linked to the UN body, it added. Several major Spanish media outlets had presented or cited her as the president of UN Women in Spain. According to the webpage of New York-based UN Women, there is no representative of the organisation in Spain. The body is "dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women" and it is currently headed by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, a former deputy president of South Africa. Police said they launched their investigation in 2018 after receiving a complaint about the woman from UN Women, which is "dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women." On her personal webpage, the woman presented herself as a detective or financial consultant. She founded a party in Spain in 2014 called "Union de Todos", or "Union of All", and stood as a candidate for the group in several recent general elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Getty After what Republicans like to characterize as a rush to impeachment, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now getting grief from the GOP for slowing down the process. Its driving President Trump and his allies a bit batty trying to figure out what shes up to by holding back the articles of impeachment. Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer offered a benign explanation after the Dec. 19 House vote for the delay. He cited housekeeping matters, explaining that once the articles are sent to the Senate, the upper house has to act. It cant do any other business until it deals with impeachment. Democrats would like the Senate to pass the USMCA trade agreement, and maybe even vote on a House-passed prescription cost containment bill before a Senate trial gets underway. Holding onto the articles is the only leverage Pelosi has on McConnell, who says he wont take up USMCA until after any impeachment trial. Schumer Joins Pelosi in Backing Plan to Sit on Impeachment Articles This is working beautifully for her, and for the country, says Norm Ornstein, a political scientist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. In the weeks since the House voted for Impeachment, there have been more damning emails, and theres no reason to believe we have seen the end of it. Delaying the trial allows more evidence of wrongdoing by the president and his allies to surface and potentially sway public opinion and perhaps even some Senate Republicans. After the House voted the articles, the conventional wisdom was that Democrats needed the Senate to act quickly so a trial would conclude before the 2020 primaries got underway. That thinking has now shifted. A trial at some point is almost inevitable, says Ornstein. But I dont see any reason to push it forward as long as Democrats have the upper hand. Pushed for a time limit, Ornstein told The Daily Beast that he thinks Pelosi can extend through February, keeping all options open, he said. In moments of this kind, my lodestar is whatever Pelosi does is best. Story continues Tom Mann with the Brookings Institution and co-author with Ornstein of the 2012 book about Congress, Its Even Worse Than It Looks, said in an email that hes sure Pelosi is adjusting her cost/benefit analysis and consulting widely every day. McConnells outrageous behavior gives her cover to stretch this out to force genuine consultations on rules and witnesses for the trial. If and when she finds the political costs are likely to outweigh the benefits, she will refer the articles to the Senate. But not until then. McConnell calls himself the Grim Reaper, gleefully letting House-passed legislation on health care, voting rights and gun safety languish indefinitely. Yet he stands ready to act expeditiously on impeachment, working in total coordination with the White House to mount a sham trial to exonerate the president. Time is on Pelosis side, for now. The latest revelations about key officials around Trump who were in the loop on Ukraine indicate that many of them knew what they were doing was wrong. Facing disapproval, humiliation, and possible jail time, its almost inevitable some will talk, says Ornstein. There is far more pressure now on Trump to get the exoneration he seeks from the Senate than on the Democrats to move the process along before the Iowa caucuses. Pelosi has leverage to seek concessions about rules and witnesses. McConnell is impervious to pressure unless theres something McConnell wants, says John Lawrence, Pelosis former chief of staff. He cites the recent year-end $1.4 trillion federal spending bill that explodes the deficit and includes more than $1 billion in special grants for Kentucky. McConnell got billions for Kentucky, he always does, says Lawrence. When he wants something, he makes deals. The calculation now is that Trump wants the Senate trial to be over with as quickly as possible so he can spend 2020 touting his exoneration. Dragging it out increases the risk of more potentially damaging information emerging, which in turn could prompt more people to come forward with what they know. The likelihood of a Senate conviction to remove Trump from office remains extremely low. The question isnt whether or not a Senate trial will be held. It will, and we all know how it will turn out, says Jonah Blank, a former Senate staffer on the Democratic side. The question is much narrower: Will a delayed time frame force swing-state Republicans into votes that will hurt them in 2020 or a future election? There are at least two such GOP senators, and arguably as many as five or six. Pelosi is in no rush. She can wait until McConnell sends her a set of rules, and then there will be some back-and-forth as both sides claim victory. She followed the historic procedure of inviting Trump to deliver the State of the Union on Feb. 4, when he could still be in the midst of impeachment. He wont be the first president to give a SOTU while being impeached. In 1999, President Clinton focused on a sound economy and a $70 billion budget surplus. He did not mention impeachment. With Pelosi seated directly behind him in the House chamber, millions of Americans will tune in to watch the dynamics between these two political figures on what promises to be yet another historic evening for the countryand one that could set a tone for the rest of this incredibly important year. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Pakistan was trying to arrange the next regular session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said on Thursday. Farooqui made the comments at the weekly press briefing where she was asked about the possibility of a special session of the OIC on Kashmir. "The work is underway...Pakistan desires the next regular session of the OIC in Islamabad," she responded. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi last week said that Pakistan wanted an early meeting of the OIC foreign ministers on Kashmir. Qureshi's statement came after the media reports here said that Saudi Arabia conveyed to Pakistan through its Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan that it was planning to convene a meeting on the Kashmir issue. State-run Radio Pakistan even reported that the ministerial level OIC meeting was expected to be held in Islamabad in April. The OIC is a 57-member grouping of Muslim majority nations, including Pakistan. The OIC has usually been supportive of Pakistan and often sided with Islamabad on the Kashmir issue. Farooqui also called for immediate lifting of the curfew, restoration of internet, release of political prisoners and permission to international observers to witness the situation on ground in Kashmir. She said Pakistan was facing challenges along the Line of Control due to India's frequent "unprovoked ceasefire violations and heavy deployment of weapons." Pakistan has shared its concerns about LoC violations with the UN and other international partners, she said, adding that the foreign minister recently wrote seventh letter to the UNSC president about the situation. Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5 and bifurcating it into two union territories. Reacting sharply to India's decision, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi and expelled India's high commissioner. India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Croatia will work to restart European Union membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia while the country holds the EU presidency for the next six months. "We will do our best to overcome problems and unblock the process that was held back at the summit in October 2019,'' Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on January 2, a day after Croatia took up its first term in the rotating presidency. France and the Netherlands halted the opening of membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania last year, sparking disappointment and concern in the Western Balkans as Russia and China vie for influence in the volatile region. Croatia, which became an EU member in 2013, was the last country to join the bloc. It borders three other Western Balkan nations that have applied for membership -- Bosnia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The Croatian government has listed EU enlargement as one of the priorities for its EU presidency, which will also include presiding over Brexit at the end of the month and the launch of post-Brexit talks. "The context of our presidency is very specific and demanding,'' Plenkovic said. If all goes as planned and Britain leaves the EU on January 31, Croatia's task will be to coordinate EU efforts to outline a framework proposal for future agreements with Britain, Plenkovic explained. "That is our job,'' he said. And we have already started working on it. Together with [chief EU Brexit negotiator] Michel Barnier. Sebastian Gorka, expert in matters of national security and recent national security adviser to President Trump, has written The War for America's Soul (2019), which provides a current and in-depth assessment of domestic and foreign threats to the American Republic as a follow-up and amplification of his points made and discussed in his two recent books, Why We Fight: Defeating America's Enemies with No Apologies (2018) and Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War (2016). Dr. Gorka (Ph.D., Corvinus, Budapest) is a recent emigre from England and Hungary. His refugee Hungarian father and mother landed in London after the 1956 Hungarian uprising. His father Paul was an anti-communist resistance leader betrayed by British intelligence during the scandalous time of the traitor Kim Philby. He was imprisoned by the commies but escaped during the short period of the Hungarian freedom uprising in 1956. Sebastian, his son, served the government of Hungary in the period after the fall of the Berlin Wall during the transition to freedom form commie slavery. Dr. Gorka is a former campaign adviser on national security and then deputy assistant to President Trump after the election of 2016. He has lectured and advised U.S. military special operations schools on asymmetric war namely, irregular non-national terrorist, communist, and Islamic threats to America, foreign and domestic. He was awarded the Joint Civilian Service Commendation by U.S. Special Operations Command for his counterterrorism education and policymaking efforts. If you read the various commentaries on Gorka on the internet, it is easy to see he has upset the liberals and academics who can't think of anything good to say about him. I would consider that a great recommendation in the current environment of academic and media shills for the left who specialize in vilification and character assassination of anyone who proposes a conservative answer for a serious political question. In the book The War, Gorka devotes time to the history of American security policy; the importance of recognizing propaganda and espionage in the strategy of the communists; and the effectiveness of the Reagan "we win, they lose" approach. He interrupts to tell the story of Chesty Puller, Marine hero for all time. Then he returns to the question: do we know ourselves, and do we know the enemy? He lays it out: research, preparation, and resolve. He tells the long version of Islamic and jihadi history with plenty of detail in fact, his history is quite authoritative, particularly emphasizing the changes in jihadi strategies and the new developments of multinational and internet-savvy efforts of the jihadi Islamists and their reliance on the effect of disruptive terror on Western nations. He provides extensive interviews of Victor Davis Hanson and Conrad Black, two political historians of import. Later in the book, he engages President Trump in an interview. All this is invaluable. The content of the previous two books, one written even before the election of 2016, is also valuable for different reasons. Why We Fight (2017) starts with a discussion of the importance of fighting, then the worldwide problem of jihadi aggression, unconventional asymmetric conflict, and the relentless nature of the jihadis, interrupted by a review of the Whittaker Chambers matter and the revelation of commie sabotage and espionage. Then a review of the importance of the Trump election in 2016 and how that disrupted the Deep State regime and more, bolstered by a long interview of Dave Rubin. After that, some appendices on Gorka's work with the special ops and his recommendations on good resources to use in research of political issues; the importance of the Trump administration commitment to Israel; a description of the jihadis, and finally a very nice review of the reason why the jihadi problem must be understood historically as something that goes back before the founding of the United States, jihadi depredations of Western civilization and Christians dating to the 7th century. Defeating Jihad provides Gorka's best historical analysis of the jihadi, aggressive Islamist movements through history, beginning with Mohammed. Gorka's books are all informative and helpful for those of us concerned about the culture and political wars, but his efforts to explain important players in the 1,400-plus-year Islamist history is particularly good, even if much shorter than the outstanding work of Robert Spencer and Raymond Ibriham, reviewed by me here at American Thinker. His narrative on the efforts of the commies is also particularly splendid in the book The War for America's Soul. To start with any of the three books is to become better informed on the threats to our beloved country. Sebastian is a patriot and a man of fortitude and good humor certainly a match for the wimps of the left. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D. is an emergency and corrections physician and inactive lawyer in Brownwood, Texas. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr. TMC moves privilege motion against Justice Gogoi, says he is in contempt of Rajya Sabha Who is Firhad Hakim? Know Kolkata's New Mayor Age, Education, Family and Other Details R-Day tableau rejection insult to Bengal: TMC India oi-PTI Kolkata, Jan 02: The Trinamool Congress on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre over the rejection of West Bengal's tableau proposal for Republic Day parade, saying it insulted the people of the state for protesting the amended Citizenship Act. The state BJP was quick to hit back and accused the TMC government of not properly following rules and procedure which it said caused the rejection. The Defence Ministry had on Wednesday rejected West Bengal's tableau proposal. The West Bengal government's proposal was rejected after an Expert Committee examined it in two rounds of meeting, a statement by the ministry said. "The tableau proposal of the West Bengal government was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting. Centre rejects West Bengal's tableau proposal for Republic Day parade "It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the Government of West Bengal was short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process," it said. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 The Ministry had received 32 tableau proposals from states and union territories and 24 from central ministries and departments of which 22 proposals, comprising 16 states/UTs and 6 ministries/departments, have finally been short-listed, the statement said. West Bengal Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Tapas Roy accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of having a "vindictive attitude" against the state. "Just because West Bengal has been opposing anti- people policies of the BJP government, a step-motherly treatment is being meted out to the state. As we have opposed anti-people laws like CAA, the Centre has rejected our tableau proposal," Roy told PTI. This is not the first time that West Bengal's tableau proposal has been rejected. There have been previous instances also, he said. "Such cheap politics won't deter us from opposing anti-people policies. The BJP has insulted the people of West Bengal and they would get a befitting reply for it in the near future," Roy said. Responding to the allegations, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the tableau was rejected as the state government didn't properly follow the rules and procedure in submitting the proposal. "The state government has not followed the rules. Other states have followed them, so their tableau proposals were accepted. The TMC should stop doing politics on each and every issue," Ghosh said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 12:03 [IST] SANTA FE Embattled state Sen. Richard Martinez wont be unopposed for re-election this year after all. Leo Jaramillo, a Rio Arriba County commissioner and former teacher, announced Thursday he will run in the 2020 Democratic primary election for the Senate District 5 seat that Martinez has held since 2001. The self-described progressive Democrat said hes been thinking about the race since spring 2019, but only recently made the decision to take the plunge. He also acknowledged Martinezs legal woes played a role in his decision, saying in his campaign announcement that he would be an accountable leader for the northern-New Mexico based district. I believe we are ready collectively to go in a different direction, Jaramillo told the Journal. Martinez was convicted of aggravated DWI and reckless driving last month after a two-day bench trial. The charges stemmed from a June 2019 incident in which Martinez crashed into another vehicle that had been stopped at a red light at an Espanola intersection. Martinez, who will be sentenced next week, stepped down as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman after top-ranking senators indicated following his conviction that they would push for such action. However, he has said he does not plan to resign from the Senate seat and plans to run for re-election to a new, four-year term in the June primary election. Jaramillo, who works as a chief of staff at Los Alamos National Laboratory, was elected to the Rio Arriba County Commission last year, ousting incumbent Alex Naranjo in the primary election. He cited renewable energy, human rights for immigrants and public school improvements as among his top priorities if elected to the Legislature. He also said he would give up his county commission seat if he wins election. She experienced a turbulent 2019. Yet Demi Rose saw in the New Year in style as she soaked up the sunshine on a holiday in Mexico. The glamour model, 24, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a stunning bikini-clad snap after reflecting on the past 12 months. Fun in the sun: She experienced a turbulent 2019. Yet Demi Rose saw in the New Year in style as she soaked up the sunshine on a holiday in Mexico Demi looked phenomenal in the shot as she showed off her famously peachy posterior in a silver thong bikini. Facing away from the camera, the British beauty posed against an idyllic backdrop, with her glossy chestnut locks cascading down her back in loose waves. She sassily captioned the snap: 'I dont need you to find me. You dont define me.' Beach babe: Demi has been travelling the world in recent months following her amicable split from boyfriend DJ Chris Martinez in October Demi's steamy snapshot comes after she reflected on the past year with a candid Instagram post. Revealing that 2019 had been both the 'hardest', yet also 'best' year of her life, she penned: 'Wow what a year. It definitely has been the hardest year of my life but the also the best year of my life. 'Im proud of myself for getting through the hurdles Ive faced and the growth that Ive experienced. Im ready to say goodbye to 2019 and Im SO excited for whats to come in this new year. 'I wish you all an amazing 2020 filled with lots of blessings and love. Thank you for all your support, always. Love you guys!' Highs and lows: Demi's steamy snapshot comes after she reflected on the past year with a candid post, revealing it had been both the 'hardest', yet also 'best' year of her life Demi has been travelling the world in recent months following her amicable split from boyfriend DJ Chris Martinez in October. Before Mexico, Demi enjoyed a break in Jordan and before that, she was posting pictures from Sri Panwa Phuket and Las Vegas. Demi also saw her career surge in 2019 as she booked several high profile modelling gigs, and launched a swimwear collection with Oh Polly. However, Demi also struggled with an intense loss last year, announcing the death of her mother Christine Mawby who passed away aged 64 in July. The tragedy came just eight months after her beloved father Barrie died in October 2018. critic's rating: 2.5/5 Back to basics The Grudge is a successful Japanese franchise that was equally successful when brought across the ocean to America in 2004. The first two films were directed by Takashi Shimizu, the director of the original. The present film is a reboot of sorts and is the fourth installment of the franchise. Detective Muldoon (Andrea Riseborough) is investigating a gruesome murder. Over a series of events, she discovers that the house where the murder took place is perhaps haunted. It seems that a vengeful spirit which has been killing people in Japan has travelled to America. Worse, the previous detective who made the same sort of a connection made a suicide attempt and still seems to be possessed. Soon, she too starts experiencing increasingly morbid hallucinations and knows she has to be strong in the spirit to save both herself and her young kid. Director Nicolas Pesce is attempting a reboot here and hence borrows most of the elements seen in the original two films. It follows a non-linear narrative, moving back and forth between the past and the present as the detective goes through old records and pieces together facts about the earlier murders. We see the same kind of story being played out again as innocent people turn in their loved ones for no apparent reason. There are plenty of jump cuts and bump in the dark moments. There is a real gory scene where a woman is seen chopping off her own fingers. But the real horror in the films comes from the fact of watching someone close to you suddenly decides to kill you. The narrative kind of turns depressing as you realise there is no cure as the curse is only going to jump from person to person. Pesce has made a name for himself for showcasing sadistic horror with dark twists in this earlier two ventures but that is kind of missing here. He's strangely subdued here, following the plot points of the original films but not their intensity. The body count seen in the earlier films is missing as well. It's not as scary as the original. Maybe because we have seen it all before and know what's coming. That's why a deviation from the routine was so important. The pace could have been spruced up as well. While Andrea Riseborough has done ample justice to her role, bringing to light both the tenacity of a die-hard detective with the vulnerability of a single mother through her histrionics, the rest of the cast comes across as being one-dimensional. All-in-all, while it may offer some thrills to first time watchers, dedicated fans of the franchise may find it lackluster in comparison... Trailer : The Grudge Police say they are "deeply concerned for both girls" (SWNS) Police have located two young cousins who went missing from their home in the middle of the night. Leah Giles, 12 and Brianna Savage, eight, disappeared at around 1am on Thursday morning in the Greenlands area of Redditch in Worcestershire. In an appeal to the public launched the same day, the force said it was desperately seeking the girls after they left home of their own accord. But later on Thursday, West Mercia Police confirmed they had successfully found the pair, after earlier saying officers were deeply concerned for the welfare of both girls. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Man 'lucky to be alive' after surviving 10 metre fall from cliff edge on New Year's Day British Airways cabin crew killed in New Years Eve lorry crash Teenage boy, 17, fighting for life after being shot in east London Police said they believed nobody else was involved with their disappearance. During the search, West Mercia Police released a photo of Leah in her school uniform and one of Brianna brushing her teeth. A statement from the force read: Thank you to everyone who shared our appeal to help find two girls who were missing from home in Redditch. We're pleased to report both girls have been found safe and well. Inspector Lee Page added: We are really very grateful to everyone who shared our appeal earlier today to help find the girls and are pleased to say they have been found safe and well. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Julian Castro announced Thursday that he will suspend his campaign. The former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development was the lone Latino candidate in the 2020 presidential race. "Im so proud of everything weve accomplished together," Castro wrote in a tweet announcing the end of the campaign. "Im going to keep fighting for an America where everyone countsI hope youll join me in that fight." Castro served as HUD secretary during the Obama administration and also previously served as the mayor of San Antonio, Texas. In 2012, Castro was the first Latino-American to deliver the keynote address to the Democratic National Convention. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. A man in blackface is pictured in the crowd with the Froggy Carr wench brigade, at upper right, during the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia, PA on January1, 2020. Read more A Mummers brigade has been disqualified from the annual Philadelphia New Years Day parade competition and may face additional penalties after city staffers monitoring the parade route observed a marcher with the Froggy Carr Wench Brigade wearing black face paint. In a tweet, Mayor Jim Kenney condemned the use of blackface by someone affiliated with Froggy Carr, calling it abhorrent and unacceptable. This selfish, hateful behavior has no place in the Mummers, or the city itself, Kenney wrote on Twitter. We must be better than this. The group was disqualified and we will be exploring additional penalties. According to city spokesperson Lauren Cox, Kenneys remarks referenced a marcher with Froggy Carr, whom city staffers observed along the parade route and whose photograph was also widely circulated on Twitter in a now-private tweet. A Mummers spokesperson referred all comments to the city. READ MORE: Given the Mummers history, will they ever manage to not offend? Strutting down Broad Street to the theme Frogs Getting Gritty With It an homage to the Flyers famed mascot several members of the group were seen wearing variations of face paint in the Flyers colors of black, orange, and white. Most sported half-black, half-orange face-paint designs, while at least two wore mostly black paint. Inquirer sportswriter Ed Barkowitz marches with Froggy Carr. He said that although there are about 800 people who march with the club, there are only 120 members. Barkowitz said his face was painted white with a tinge of orange. Wearing all-black face paint with a small orange dot on his chin, Froggy Carr marcher Phil Colangelo, 33, of South Philly, said his costume was not blackface. "I put a little orange on there and then some black. I was going for the warrior look, he said. Its not racist, he said, adding that he was trying to mimic Gritty. Colangelo carried a flag through the parade that read, Dont tread on me." When asked to explain the meaning of the flag, he said, Its the first battle flag in America. Its still flown today during military war games. Other marchers with Froggy Carr echoed Colangelos sentiments that their black and orange face paint was only intended to match their costumes. Oh, blackface and all that, it aint about that, Mummer Mike Tomaszwski told CBS3, wearing a Gritty-themed Froggy Carr costume, his face painted all black. Why not? I know its a shame to be white in Philly right now. READ MORE: Turned off by wench and Mummers racial baggage, he decided to hang up his golden slippers | Jenice Armstrong Given the choice to use orange, white, or black face paint or any combination of the three this individual chose to do a full face of black paint, Cox told The Inquirer. In 2020, there is no excuse for not understanding why that is a problem. It is blackface, plain and simple. Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke tweeted on Wednesday evening that the display of blackface today during the #MummersParade by several people associated with Froggy Carr must be condemned in the strongest possible way. There is utterly no place for this kind of reprehensible behavior in Philadelphia or anywhere in America. Philadelphia banned blackface, which has roots in minstrelsy, from the parade in 1963. Racist and transphobic performances have also figured into previous iterations of the 120-year-old New Years Day tradition. In recent years, city officials have required racial-sensitivity training for some Mummers and have reviewed parade plans, though they say its up to Mummers leaders to monitor groups on parade day to ensure that participants act in a nondiscriminatory manner. READ MORE: What you need to know about Philly's long, shameful history of blackface At a briefing on Monday, Billy Penn reported that city officials requested Mummers judges to be nicer to the groups and to stop making fun of minorities, OK? Our diversity is one of Philadelphias greatest strengths, and we should be embracing that, Cox told The Inquirer, not alienating our fellow Philadelphians or others who have gathered to enjoy this tradition in our city. To the Editor: Once again, we find ourselves saddened by a rise in acts of discrimination, bigotry and racism in our country and around the world. Saturday night, an attacker stabbed five people during Hanukkah festivities at a rabbis home in Monsey, Rockland County, New York. The following day, a gunman shot and killed two parishioners at a church in Texas before being shot dead inside the church by a voluntary security guard. Our prayers are with the victims and their families and our condolences go out to all those affected by these heinous incidents. Unfortunately nowadays, we can all vividly imagine similar tragedies happening in our own faith communities. May God prevent this from happening. Ameen. Violent acts have been increasing in many houses of worship lately. It is unacceptable and a call to action. What this action is must be determined by the leaders of our various organizations. The recent rise in hate crimes seems to primarily be the result the result of individuals with extremist ideologies and mental ill health. While seemingly isolated, these incidents are nonetheless occurring more frequently and within more communities, locally and globally, whether they be faith based or secular. Our institutions have an obligation to address these issues with their various constituencies, to raise awareness, collaborate and plan for the safety and well-being of ourselves and our fellow citizens. The Islamic Council of Greater Syracuse, representing mosques and Muslim organizations in our community, stands together and united with our Jewish, Christian and other faith organizations, as well as our neighbors and government agencies, against discrimination, bigotry, racism and violence of any type. We also enthusiastically stand united with our brothers and sisters in humanity for a more informed, understanding, accepting, caring, peaceful and hopeful community. Yusuf Soule, Ph.D. Mohamed Khater, Ph.D. Islamic Council of Greater Syracuse Also in Opinion: After anti-Semitic incidents, CNY must come together in support of Jews everywhere (Your letters) Beijing had suggested the first week of January for Rajapaksas visit but had agreed to the revised date suggested by the latter President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will undertake his first official visit to China from 14-15 January. This follows an invitation extended by President XI Jinping of China. According to the local media, Beijing had suggested the first week of January for Rajapaksas visit but had agreed to the revised date suggested by the latter. This will be the second overseas tour to be undertaken by the President since being elected to office in November. India was the choice for Rajapaksas first visit as President from 28 to 30 November. (Newser) There's no need to be pessimistic about 2020. "You can overcome all obstacles that stand in your way," says Michelle Knight, who experienced more than enough hardships before spending 11 years as Ariel Castro's sex slave in Cleveland. "You name it, I went through it," Knight tells ABC News, describing a childhood that included being sexually abused by a relative and cooking a hot dog over a space heater for four hours just to get a warm meal because "we didn't have a stove." At 14, she was living in a garbage can. At 18, she gave birth to a son, but he was later put in foster care. She was 21 and desperate to regain custody when the father of a friend offered to drive her to a case management meeting in 2002. Instead, Castro drove Knight to his home. "He said, 'You're not gonna leave for a long time.' And then he starts undressing." story continues below With each assault, "I had to put myself in a different place," says Knight, echoing what another of Castro's victims, Amanda Berry, described as an effort to "numb" herself, per Good Morning America. But even after what Knight says were five pregnancies violently ended by Castro, "he couldn't break me." Hardships continued after Castro's arrest in 2013. Knight says she was in such ill health that doctors told her she had 48 hours to live. Still, she sang and danced through treatment, "trying to make the best of the life that I had left." She still is. Now with a "sweetheart" of an adopted father and a husband who "showed me that life doesn't have to be horrible," Knight is launching a nonprofit to support victims of abuse. Every victim of tragedy "needs to see the sunrise," she says. "Don't let the darkness control your light in your life." (Read more Michelle Knight stories.) New Delhi: In what can be called as a thoughtful, diplomatic tactic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent out a clear message to Pakistan New Delhis circle of trust doesnt include Islamabad. Prime Minister Modi launched the unique neighbourhood first policy and dialled up top leaders of five nations to extend the new years wishes. But what everyone noticed that not only did Prime Minister Modi skip Pakistan for the customary call but also there was no mention of Islamabad in the neighbourhood policy. Experts say that the silence on part of PM Modi will set the tone of Indo-Pak ties in the year 2020. During his phone calls to leaders of Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal, Prime Minister conveyed to the leaders his New Year greetings and good wishes on behalf of the people of India and on his own behalf. He emphasized Indias commitment to Neighbourhood First policy and the vision of shared peace, security, prosperity and progress for all of Indias friends and partners in the region. Among the first leaders PM Modi spoke to was his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina. The telephonic conversation has extreme importance in backdrop of the ongoing CAA-NRC controversy. PM Modi congratulated Sheikh Hasina on being re-elected as the President of the Awami League for the next three years. Prime Minister also expressed his condolence on the untimely demise of former High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India Syed Muazzem Ali. Prime Minister noted the progress achieved in India-Bangladesh relations in 2019. He also stated that the upcoming birth-centenary of Bangbandhu and 50 years of the Liberation of Bangladesh and establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties provided important milestones to further progress of the close India-Bangladesh ties, which is a priority of his Government. Meanwhile, Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India's new Army chief's statement that New Delhi reserves the right to "preemptively strike" across the Line of Control (LoC), terming the remarks as "irresponsible". Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday had said that India reserves the right to "preemptively strike" at sources of terror. He asserted that a "new normal" in the country's response mechanism to acts of cross-border terrorism has already been "emphatically" displayed. "If Pakistan does not stop its policy of state-sponsored terrorism, we reserve the right to preemptively strike at the sources of terror threat and this intent has adequately been demonstrated in our response during surgical strikes and Balakot operation," the Army Chief said in New Delhi, in a stern warning to Islamabad.Reacting to Gen Naravane's remarks, the Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement said, "We reject the new Indian Army Chief's irresponsible statement regarding 'pre-emptive strikes' across the LoC" inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Convicted former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich walks through a horde of media toward his house before giving a news conference outside his home in Chicago on March 14, 2012. (Frank Polich/Getty Images) Impeached Democrat Governor Suggests Party Abused Power in Trump Impeachment A Democratic governor who was impeached and removed from office wrote from prison, suggesting that his party abused the U.S. Constitution in impeaching Republican President Donald Trump. Rod Blagojevich was convicted of federal corruption charges for soliciting bribes to fill President Barack Obamas vacant Senate seat, along with other charges, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2011. He was removed as governor of Illinois in 2009. Now 63, Blagojevich wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday that he believes House Democrats would have impeached President Abraham Lincoln based on what they impeached Trump for. I offer this interesting and unique perspective about impeachment as I sit here in prison, the former governor wrote, claiming Democrats would have impeached Lincoln for obstruction of Congress and abuse of power for his Emancipation Proclamation and called for Lincoln to be investigated over offering Robert E. Lee command of the Northern armies. It is hard to imagine how history would have been changed had Lincoln been impeached. Thankfully, that never happened. But to think that it could have happened is a reminder of how fragile our Republic is and how vulnerable our freedoms are, he wrote. No president is safe if a majority of hyperpartisan House members from the opposition party are willing to abuse the Constitution and vote to impeach. And the worst part of it is, that should this happen, those politicians are taking from the people their right to choose their own leaders th[r]ough free elections. Patti Blagojevich (R), wife of disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, looks at him while he pauses at a news conference outside his home in Chicago on March 14, 2012. (Frank Polich/Getty Images) The impeached governor said that the framers of the Constitution in creating the criteria to impeach a president rejected the weaponizing of impeachment as a political tool by expressly limiting it to treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanors,' doing so because they foresaw how tempting the use of impeachment could be to advance partisan ends. Trump was impeached for obstructing Congress and abuse of office on Dec. 18, 2019. Blagojevichs op-ed was published by Newsmax, a self-described conservative news website. The founder of the site, Christopher Ruddy, said on Wednesday that the ex-governor makes good points in the piece before calling on people to urge Trump to commute the rest of Blagojevichs sentence. Patti Blagojevich, Blagojevichs wife, has for months called on Trump to commute her husbands sentence, appearing on Fox News and other outlets. Patti Blagojevich said on Wednesday that her husband is a bit of a Lincoln scholar who owns at least 30 books on Lincoln alone, tagging Trump on Twitter. Trump said over the summer he was very strongly considering doing so but later said the White House was reviewing the case. Former chief ministers of Karnataka Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he embarked on a two-day visit to the state attend events in Tumakuru and Bengaluru. In a series of tweets, the Congress and the JD(S) leaders took a dig at Modi for his alleged failure on various fronts. "You did not visit Karnataka when it was devastated by floods, you did not visit Karnataka when our farmers cried for help, but all of a sudden, when you want to launch your political propaganda, you remember the innocent people of Karnataka. Wah Modi Wah!!" Siddaramaiah tweeted. In another tweet, the Congress leader claimed Karnataka is starved of Central government funds as there were no adequate flood relief, no GST revenue loss compensation and there was a delay in the transfer of grant-in-aid. He further said, "Before attempting to fool our people, let the people of Karnataka know when they will get their due share!" He also sought to know from Modi why the 25 MPs from Karnataka have 'turned off' their engines. "With 25 MPs from BJP and a state government with BJP, people hoped for a double engine. Instead, all BJP representatives have turned off their engines and have become sycophants to play a tune to your idiosyncrasies. Why, are they scared of you?" Siddaramaiah said. Seeking an explanation on various incomplete projects, the Congress leader said, "Mr Narendra Modi, people are fed up of your lies and double-edged sword comments. We want your answer today about long-standing questions on: Kalasa Banduri Yojana, Belagavi border issue, exams in Kannada, Tulu & Kodava in 8th schedule, the list goes on." Kumaraswamy too minced no words as he went on the offensive against the Centre. In his tweets quoting newspaper reports, he said Karnataka's coffer has dried up, financial position is in doldrums and the revenue has plummeted. "What's the reason (behind poor economic situation)? The poor economic policies of the Centre. After swallowing the GDP and development of the country, the wrong policies have affected the state too," alleged Kumaraswamy. Quoting reports, Kumaraswamy said the Centre has denied the state's share of revenue. "About 5.44 per cent of state's share is yet to come from the Centre. This is step-motherly attitude of the Centre towards the state," Kumaraswamy tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Handout photo issued by Presseye of DUP's Jeffery Donaldson, Arlene Foster and Emma Little Pengelly meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith (second right) at Stormont House, Belfast: Presseye/PA Wire Agreement to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland can be reached in the short term, Sinn Fein has insisted, but the DUP has cautioned against "quick fix solutions". On the first day of talks this year, political parties continued to work towards finding a way to bring the Stormont administration back into action. Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said his party believes a deal can be reached in the short term, adding that they see "no need" to draw the talks out until the January 13 deadline. Speaking later, Democratic Unionist Party MP Jeffrey Donaldson said engagements so far have been "very constructive", but he warned against "quick fix solutions", and said the parties "need to get it right" to ensure sustainable government. "We want Stormont to be credible, strong, robust and can withstand the inevitable challenges and difficulties that come down the road," he said. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said it had "always been the case that a deal could have been done within hours". Expand Close Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill and Conor Murphy meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House, Belfast. Photo: Presseye/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill and Conor Murphy meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith at Stormont House, Belfast. Photo: Presseye/PA Wire "We're not in a very different place now than we have been in the last couple of years. It's a case of political will, there was an election recently, I think that may have changed things," he said. The latest process, which was initiated in the wake of the general election, was paused over the festive period after a pre-Christmas deal failed to materialise. Secretary of State Julian Smith, Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney and the local parties returned to Stormont House on Thursday morning to resume the effort. Discussions between the parties continued throughout the day. Mr Murphy said the issues which remain under discussion include an Irish language act, the assembly's controversial veto system the petition of concern, a programme for government and what financial resources would be available to any new Executive. "There are a range of issues which will be discussed in the next couple of days. None of them, I don't think, need to be exhausted ad infinitum, we need to be bring this to a conclusion. There are pressures continuing to mount in relation to public health, health services and the treatment of staff in the health service. We need to get back working again so we can fix those as quickly as possible," he said. Mr Donaldson said his party want to see agreement reached "as quickly as possible" but also want to ensure that any agreement is "fair, balanced and sustainable". "We are not in the business of snatching at something because there is a deadline, we want Stormont restored and we want it restored as soon as possible," he said. "We want to see a settlement, a fair pay award, for health care workers, we don't see any reason why that should be delayed until Stormont is restored." Mr Donaldson said his party favoured reforming the petition of concern, adding that all parties "agree it should be retained as an important safeguard". From Thursday morning a number of protesters stating their opposition to an Irish Language Act being included in any potential deal set up camp outside the talks venue holding aloft union flags. Three years on from the collapse of the devolved government, the Stormont parties have until a January 13 deadline to strike a deal to revive the institutions. On that date, legislation to give civil servants additional powers to run Northern Ireland's struggling public services expires and Mr Smith will assume a legal obligation to call a snap Assembly election. The latest push to restore powersharing broke up the week before Christmas, with UK and Irish governments singling out the DUP as the party standing in the way of a deal. The party rejected the claims, insisting it would not be "bounced" into a "quick fix" that falls apart when tested. Devolution can only be restored once the DUP and Sinn Fein - the region's two largest parties - agree terms to re-enter a mandatory coalition executive in Belfast. The other three main parties - the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance - are also involved in the talks process convened by the UK and Irish Governments. While they could take positions in any new executive, their sign-off on a deal is not essential and a government could be formed in their absence, with those parties having the option of going into opposition. Expectations of a breakthrough rose after the DUP and Sinn Fein both suffered bruising results in the general election. With many interpreting the outcome as a public judgment on the parties' failure to do a deal, stalled efforts to restore the institutions appeared to gain fresh momentum in December. However, proposals to reform a contentious cross-community voting mechanism in the Assembly have emerged as a key sticking point in efforts to finalise an agreement, with the DUP unhappy about what is being countenanced. The DUP is also seeking changes to ensure the devolved institutions are more stable in future and cannot be readily pulled down. Proposed legislative protections for Irish language speakers are another crucial element of the negotiations. The Stormont parties are also seeking firm commitments from the UK Government on a financial package to accompany the return of devolution - money that would likely be targeted at the region's crisis-hit health service. Mr Smith and Mr Coveney were in Belfast on New Year's Day for discussions ahead of the resumption of formal exchanges with the political parties. Mr Coveney urged the parties to show leadership and generosity. He said the new year offered a chance for a new beginning and urged all sides not to disappoint the public again. Stormont imploded three years ago this month when the late Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest at the DUP's handling of a botched green energy scheme. That dispute soon widened to encompass traditional rifts over issues such the Irish language and the toxic legacy of the Troubles. A logjam over proposals to reform the petition of concern voting mechanism was one of the main reasons a deal failed to materialise before Christmas. It was designed to protect minority rights but politicians have accused each other of misusing it for their own ends. Discussions around change are focused on making it more difficult for one party to use the petition to block controversial legislation. The parties are also considering amending Assembly rules to make it harder to collapse the institutions. According to aviation consulting firm CAPA, Indian airlines are expected to lose over Rs 4,273 crore in FY 2019-20 as compared to a previous estimate of full-year profit of Rs 3,561-4,985 crore. Indias Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday blamed predatory pricing by airlines for the sustained losses in the industry. However, he ruled out any regulatory intervention for now and said that airlines are regularly called and counselled whenever instances of predatory pricing are noticed. Under current regulations, it is the prerogative of airlines to establish their process of determination of airfares. As such, the government does not interfere in their commercial affairs. "We have noticed instances where airlines are pricing their tickets at a level which is lower than their operational cost. "Such measures may benefit in the short term but in the longer term they hurt the entire industry," Puri said, citing the example of the popular Delhi-Mumbai sector in which he said price havent gone up in the last 10 years. "The fare price in Delhi-Mumbai sector is similar to what it was 10 years back. That certainly isnt rational pricing," Puri asserted. SpiceJet owner Ajay Singh had raised a similar argument saying that competitive pressure forcing a low-fare regime will lead India's aviation sector to a bloodbath. Drawing a comparison with Indias telecom firms Singh said, "It is important that we learn lessons from telecom sector. "We need to take steps urgently and stop selling tickets at prices that don't even cover operating costs." India's telecom companies have been reeling under stress due to intense competition which has forced them to charge low tariffs. Adverse regulatory and judicial orders have only added to the sector's woes, with Bharti Airtel and Vodafone posting their largest losses ever. The industry expects Vodafone India to shut down due to its precarious financial state. According to aviation consulting firm CAPA, Indian airlines are expected to lose over $600 million (Rs 4,273 crore) in FY 2019-20 as compared to a previous estimate of full-year profit of $500-700 million ( Rs 3,561-4,985 crore). Two of the largest airlines in India, InterGlobe Aviation Limited-operated IndiGo and Ajay Singh-controlled SpiceJet, which are both listed on the BSE, reported huge losses during the September quarter. SpiceJet plunged to a consolidated loss of Rs 461.22 crore in the three months to September 30, from a year-ag0 net loss of Rs 382.72 crore. Meanwhile, IndiGo plunged to a wider-than-expected quarterly loss during the September quarter with higher maintenance and overhaul costs outweighing the increase in passenger traffic. The country's largest domestic airline posted a loss of Rs 1,062 crore in the September quarter (Q2) compared with a loss of Rs 652 crore a year ago. However, Puri said that as of now the government is not looking for any regulatory intervention to stop the practice of predatory pricing. Whatever has to happen, it has to be driven by market forces and the industry, Puri said when asked if the government is planning to fix a minimum floor price for airline tickets. The minimum floor price is a regulatory threshold under which airline cant price their tickets. I have set up a fare-monitoring cell within the DGCA. "We regularly call airline executives and advise them whenever we notice such instances. "This has to happen within parameters of deregulation, he said. Set in 1988 and 2013, the second novel by former Chicagoan Adam Levin (The Instructions) takes place in a world in which the internet doesnt exist. Instead, everyone is obsessed with their robotic pet, or Curio. Belt Magnet, a maladjusted 38-year-old who lives at home with his widowed father, was one of the first to own a Curio and now struggles to interact with the outside world. Bubblegum finds him forced to confront it. A judge has hit out at a ludicrous decision to refer a gang of teenage muggers to the Home Office as potential victims of modern slavery after it left him unable to sentence them. The four 17-year-olds were due to be sentenced more than a year after they robbed wallets and mobile phones from two men and posted pictures of their loot on social media. The boys, from Torquay, Devon, who were all 16 at the time, were caught committing the muggings on CCTV in 2018. They all pleaded guilty to robbery at earlier hearings but three of the cases were referred to the Home Office by the Youth Offending Team just three days before they were due to be sentenced at Exeter Crown Court yesterday. Judge David Evans (pictured in 2012) has said that to describe the boys as modern slaves would be departing from the normal use of the English language This means it will likely be at least another month before the cases are dealt with. Some of the boys told police at the time that they felt under pressure to obey gang leader Sean Sims, now 18, who is to be sentenced separately for robbery and an unconnected assault. But Judge David Evans expressed confusion at the idea the boys could have been considered modern slaves. What does this mean? That teenagers who get involved by their own free will now say they are modern slaves? he said. They entered guilty pleas with none of them saying any more than that they were scared of Sims. I feel I have stepped into a parallel universe. This is ludicrous. We have 16-year-olds who got involved in the things shown in the footage. Pictured: A 2012 file photo of Exeter Crown Court where the boys were meant to be sentenced yesterday Here we are 14 months later and only now is this being considered. How can it possibly take this long in the lives of these teenagers for a decision to be made? I am just venting the courts frustration. He added that to describe the boys as modern slaves would be departing from the normal use of the English language. Judge Evans has now sent the cases back to the South Devon Youth Court after learning it was the teenagers first offence and they would likely receive referral or rehabilitation orders. He said the offences would be best dealt with by magistrates with specialist experience of juvenile cases. The cases of the four boys will now be heard on January 13, but it is likely the only case that will be dealt with that day is the boy who is not being assessed as a potential modern slave. A National Crime Agency source said it was likely the boys had been referred through the National Referral Mechanism, which can be done without the consent of a potential victim if they are aged under 18. Tiny bits of DNA collected from waters off the West Coast allowed scientists to identify more species of marine vertebrates than traditional surveys with trawl nets. They also reflect environmental shifts such as unusual ocean temperatures that affect the organisms present, new research shows. The findings published in Frontiers in Marine Science demonstrate that environmental DNA, or eDNA, can add valuable detail to longstanding marine surveys. They revealed the presence of important species that usually evade trawl nets such as great white sharks and salmon. Ongoing collection of eDNA can also help detect environmental changes when marine life shifts habitat with changes in the ocean, the study found. "eDNA is adding details that we might not get any other way, and giving us a more complete picture," said Collin J. Closek, an Early Career Science fellow at the Center for Ocean Solutions at Stanford University. Closek is lead author of the paper with other scientists from Stanford University, University of California Santa Cruz, and NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Increasingly Powerful Genetic Tool Marine life constantly sheds bits of genetic material into surrounding water. eDNA techniques capture that DNA from water samples and identify the species it comes from. New laboratory sequencing methods help scientists examine many samples at once. They have made eDNA an increasingly powerful tool for detecting the range of species that have passed through the water. In fact, Closek said that collecting water samples and archiving them can provide a lasting record of the DNA record at a particular place and time. This allows scientists to tap that data years later. advertisement "This helps us most in identifying species distribution," said Elliott Hazen, a research ecologist at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and coauthor of the study. "With rapid sampling at unprecedented scales, once we understand what it is telling us, we can get a lot of information about marine life across a large area relatively quickly." The method does not provide all the answers, though. For example, current eDNA sequencing results do not yet allow researchers to count the number or abundance of each species. They do not identify the age or size of the species represented. This means that eDNA will not replace traditional monitoring such as trawl or acoustic surveys any time soon. Closek and his colleagues worked aboard the NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker in 2016 and 2017. They joined NOAA Fisheries' Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey, which has evaluated the California current forage community since 1983. The eDNA team collected 131 one-liter samples of water in roughly the same places where the ship deployed trawl nets. They collected samples of juvenile rockfish and other forage species. Observers aboard the ship also simultaneously counted the number of marine mammals and seabirds seen during daytime hours. The scientists then compared the results. It was the first survey of eDNA across such a wide geographic scale on the West Coast. eDNA Identified Most Species Overall The trawl surveys identified 28 types of fish over the two years, 11 of which were identified only in the trawl surveys and not by eDNA. By itself, eDNA identified 65 different marine vertebrates, both fish and marine mammals. Together eDNA and trawl surveys identified 80 different fish and marine mammals. They included baleen whales, porpoises, dolphins, seals and sea lions, said John Field, a research fisheries biologist at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. advertisement "The eDNA analysis detected both the fish and marine mammals in the habitats that we would expect to find them, which gives us greater confidence in the technology to provide accurate details of the species present across the ecosystem," he said. "It may sound basic, but this is an important step in validating this powerful new method of surveying marine life." Comparing 2016 to 2017, there were differences between the organisms present and their distribution. In 2016 the remnant warmth from a marine heat wave known as "the Blob" was dissipating. Unusual warm-water species were widely spread through West Coast waters. In 2017, more normal conditions returned. Many of those unusual organisms diminished and eDNA found greater differences between the marine vertebrates present in different areas. These results indicate that eDNA results can help track changes in the environment. "We don't have the resources to survey everywhere for everything, and eDNA expands our reach," said Alexandria Boehm, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford and senior author of the new study. "Now that we know that the methods are in some agreement, it validates the methods so that people feel more confident using eDNA." Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sens new Thank You Peace slogan campaign is a sleight of hand trick meant to divert public attention from his abuse of power and the constitution to further his personal interests, a political analyst said Thursday. Hun Sen on Thursday expressed thanks to supporters of the campaign, which he said does not oppose any group and demonstrates how stability has allowed Cambodia to develop under his 35-year rule. I would like to thank all compatriots who support my political slogan Thank You Peace, he wrote in a post to his Facebook page. I believe that peace is priceless today and will continue to be in the future. All people need peace, except for terrorists who seek to destroy it, he added, in a thinly veiled reference to supporters of the now-dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), several of whom have been detained in recent months amid accusations that they seek to overthrow his government. In an audio message leaked to social media, Hun Sen also called on all government institutions and schools to promote the slogan as part of a bid to make Cambodians everywhere understand the value of peace. The slogans meaning does not negatively impact anyone, so it should be displayed over the entrance of every building, he said in the audio message. The slogan is vital because we want everyone to love peace. Our achievements to date came from peace. Many institutions have already begun putting banners of the slogan on display, according to a report by the Phnom Penh Post, which also cited Kin Phea, the director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, as saying there is nothing wrong with Hun Sens order, as peace was the root cause of and a prerequisite for development in the country. However, political analyst Kim Sok told RFAs Khmer Service on Thursday that Cambodia and its people do not enjoy peace, in part due to the countrys ongoing political crisis, which evolved out of the Supreme Courts decision to ban the CNRP in November 2017 for its role in an alleged plot of treason. The slogan amounts to a fake peace symbol, he said, adding that the people have nowhere these days to seek justice. The move to dissolve the CNRP was part of a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on the political opposition, NGOs, and the independent media that paved the way for his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 general election. Since the election, authorities have detained several CNRP activists over allegations of treason and restricted or surveilled others, while appearing to turn a blind eye to physical assaults against party supporters by unknown assailants believed to be associated with the CPP. Meanwhile, the ongoing crackdown has drawn international condemnation, including from the European Union, which will make a decision in February about whether to withdraw Cambodias tariff-free access to its marketplace under the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme for developing countries. According to Kim Sok, who lives in self-imposed exile in Finland to avoid a conviction he says is politically motivated, Hun Sens campaign seeks to divert public attention while he continues to abuse his power and the constitution for his personal interests. Defining peace The Phnom Penh Post also quoted social analyst Meas Nee as saying that peace in Cambodia seems to be only for the rulers and the ruling party, but not for the people. Whether it is peace, social justice, democracy or human rights, it is not the government that measures it but the people, he said. Therefore, if the public feels that peace has not been fully achieved, then the governments definition is mere political demagogy. On Nov. 12, the EU warned in a preliminary report that Cambodia has not taken enough measures to prevent a withdrawal of its EBA status, noting the countrys further deterioration of civil, political, labor, social, and cultural rights since the launch of a review process in February last year. Last month, in a statement accompanying its official response to the report, which was not made public, Cambodias Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that, ahead of an EU decision on the matter in February, it expects that the bloc will take into consideration the governments good faith efforts to implement all the relevant international conventions under the EBA regulations. The ministrys statement was in stark contrast to recent comments from Hun Sen, who despite warnings from civil society that loss of EBA status would devastate Cambodias working class, has said he has no interest in meeting the EUs demands. Cambodian Confederation of Unions President Rong Chhun plans to hold a press conference on Friday to discuss his strategy to maintain EBA status, during which he will announce the results of a campaign to collect thumbprints from workers petitioning Hun Sen to prevent the loss of the preferential trade status. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Snowmobile trails blocked by debris and other damage from storms earlier in the week are being cleaned up by crews according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Several snowmobile clubs have been working on the trails in recent days hoping to clear the area of downer trees and limbs that fell after heavy winds, snow, rain and sleet covered the area over the weekend. Effects of this storm have been felt across the eastern Upper Peninsula, with Chippewa County suffering the brunt of the problems, said Paul Gaberdiel, eastern U.P. trails specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division in a press release. We have intermittent trail segment closures. Riders should be cautious of falling or weakened trees and branches. Warmer temperatures forecast for the next couple of days are expected to produce an increased amount of water on trails. In the Marquette County, one club is working to clear Trail No. 5 -- from Clowry to the AAA Road north of Champion -- and is hopeful the damage is mostly contained to limited to a few areas. The Moose Country Snowmobile Club is working hard to clear the brush, said Pete Glover, a DNR forest fire supervisor at the Gwinn office. After speaking with other clubs, much of the problems appear to be localized, at least in this part of the region. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday said the resolution passed by the state assembly demanding scrapping of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has no constitutional or legal validity. The state had no role because citizenship comes under the domain of the Central government, he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. "The resolution has no constitutional or legal validity," he added. "Citizenship comes exclusively in the domain of the Central government. The state government has no role. So, why these people engaged in something which is a non-issue for Kerala?, he asked. Pointing out that the southern state had not been affected by partition, the Governor said there are no illegal immigrants in Kerala. The Governor has also criticised the just concluded Indian History Congress, held in Kannur, where protests had been raised against him for his remarks on the CAA. Khan said the History Congress has claimed that it has made some recommendations to the state government, including not to cooperate with the Centre. The recommendations are "totally illegal" and has "criminal content", he said. The on Tuesday passed the resolution becoming the first state in the country to do so. A graduate of Kent State University, Vetter also has several insurance designations, including Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, Certified Insurance Counselor and Life Underwriting Training Council of Fellows certification. Bob is an experienced insurance professional with a proven track record of profitable growth, explained Erie Insurance regional sales officer Rick Gordon. Because of his deep familiarity with the Indiana market and our ERIE agents in the area, he is the right candidate for the job. Read more: These are the 12 US auto insurers with the cheapest annual rates Last year, Erie Insurance was recognized by financial analytics firm ValuePenguin as the insurance company with the cheapest car insurance average annual rates. Erie Insurance has more than five million policies in force and currently operates in 12 states and the District of Columbia. Turkey's parliament has approved the deployment of troops to Libya aimed at shoring up the UN-backed government in Tripoli, sparking a blunt warning from US President Donald Trump against any "foreign interference" in the war-torn country. Libya has been beset by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations in the east and the west vying for power. The beleaguered Tripoli government, headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, has been under sustained attack since April by military strongman General Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by Turkey's regional rivals -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. In response to the prospect that Ankara might intervene after Thursday's vote, Trump had told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a call "that foreign interference is complicating the situation in Libya," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement. Egypt also strongly condemned the Turkish vote, saying it amounted to a "flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions on Libya", while Israel, Cyprus and Greece denounced a "dangerous threat to regional stability". Libya's elected parliament in the east -- allied with Haftar -- called Turkey's prospective military intervention "high treason". - 'We are ready' - President Erdogan is due to receive Russian President Vladimir Putin next Wednesday to inaugurate a new gas pipeline and Libya is expected to be a key topic of discussion. Erdogan has repeatedly accused Russia of sending private mercenaries to support Haftar's forces, though this has been denied by Moscow. At the same time, Turkey and Russia have managed to work closely on the Syrian conflict despite supporting opposing sides, and are expected to seek a similar balancing act with regards to Libya. Erdogan's office confirmed last Friday that a request for military support had been received from the internationally recognised Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). No details have been given on the scale of the potential deployment and Vice-President Fuat Oktay told state news agency Anadolu on Wednesday that no date had yet been set. "We are ready. Our armed forces and our defence ministry are ready," he said, adding that parliamentary approval would be valid for a year. He described the parliament motion as a "political signal" aimed at deterring Haftar. "After it passes, if the other side changes its attitude and says, 'OK, we are withdrawing, we are abandoning our offensive,' then what should we go there for?" The bill passed easily by 325 votes to 184. "The Libyan motion is important for the protection of the interests of our country and for the peace and stability of the region," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted after the vote. - Russia connection - A UN report in November said several countries were violating the arms embargo on Libya in place since the overthrow of Kadhafi in 2011. Jordan and the UAE regularly supply Haftar's forces, it said, while Turkey supports the GNA. Turkish and Emirati drones were spotted in Libyan skies during clashes over the summer. "We're supporting the internationally recognised legitimate government in Libya. Outside powers must stop supporting illegitimate groups against the Libyan government," Erdogan's communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted last week. Turkey has used its alliance with the Tripoli government to advance other interests. It signed a military cooperation agreement with the GNA during a visit by its leader Sarraj to Istanbul in November. But they also signed a maritime jurisdiction agreement giving Turkey rights to large swathes of the Mediterranean where gas reserves have recently been discovered. The agreement drew international criticism, particularly from Greece, which says it ignores its own claims to the area. Analysts say Ankara was responding to being frozen out of regional energy deals, notably the "East Mediterranean Gas Forum", formed this year by Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Italy and the Palestinian territories. Turkey's fierce rivalry with the military government in Egypt is seen as another motivating factor behind the planned deployment. Erdogan strongly backed Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood government that was violently overthrown by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013. Haftar has previously ordered his forces to target Turkish companies and arrest Turkish nationals. Six Turkish sailors were briefly held by his forces during the summer. The Kwara state government says it demolished the home of Olusola Saraki, father of Bukola Saraki, former senate president, at dawn to... The Kwara state government says it demolished the home of Olusola Saraki, father of Bukola Saraki, former senate president, at dawn to avoid needless confrontation from community members. The state government had demolished Sarakis political home better known as Ile Arugbo in Ilorin, the state capital, on Thursday morning. Some community members had earlier planned to stage a protest against the demolition. In a statement, Murtala Olanrewaju, the state commissioner of communications, described the planned protest as needless. He said the demolition was earlier resisted by some persons, but security operatives were able to handle the situation. The Kwara State Government early today began the physical reclamation of the plot of land bordering the civil service clinic in Ilorin, the statement read. The reclamation exercise began in the early hours of Thursday to avoid any needless confrontation. Attempts by some persons to provoke governments agents on lawful duty were resisted by the security agents who exercised the highest level of restraint and professionalism. The commissioner said the state government did not receive any court order barring the demolition as of the time the building was brought down. He urged members of the state to remain calm, adding that the government seeks to restore sanity to the state within the confines of the law. Contrary to the claim that the State Government was served court papers on the matter, we state that no court paper has been served as at the time the government took steps to preserve what lawfully belongs to the people, it read. Finally, we urge the people of the state to remain calm, peaceful, and be guided only by facts of the matter and not be drawn into an emotional outburst that is targeted at distracting the public from the issues at stake. While the administration is focused on restoring sanity to the state after years of barefaced impunity, we will do so within the limit of the law. In 2019, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor, announced his decision to revoke the property owing to alleged illegality in its acquisition. He had said the land was originally designated for the construction of a secretariat and parking lot of the civil service clinic, but that it was unlawfully allocated to a private firm Asa Investments Limited without any record of payment to the state government. But the former senate president countered this statement, saying his late father lawfully acquired the land from the state government. by Shafique Khokhar The cardinal follows Pope Francis's message for the 53rd World Peace Day. The archbishop of Karachi cites two events, namely the signing of the Document on human fraternity in Abu Dhabi, and the meeting between Pope Francis and the leaders of South Sudan, during which the pontiff kissed their feet. Karachi (AsiaNews) In his message for 2020, Card Joseph Coutts, archbishop of Karachi, said that the world needs makers. In the Mass he led yesterday in Karachis St Patrick's Cathedral, the cardinal noted that Pope Francis described peace as a "journey of hope" based on "dialogue, reconsolidation and ecological conversion in his message for the 53rd World Day of Peace. As pontiff put it, the world doesn't need empty words but peace makers who are often to a dialogue that rejects exclusion of manipulation. In fact, we cannot truly achieve peace without a convinced dialogue between men and women who seek the truth beyond ideologies and differing opinions. Peace must be built up continually. Card Coutts went on to say that the world today needs everyone to live together as brothers and sisters and focus on the values of peace and "a culture of dialogue" to "bring an end to war, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently facing. For him, two events stand out indicating how the Pope showed with deeds that peace can be achieved. First, on 11 April, he met with the leaders of South Sudan. After kneeling before them he kissed their feet. Secondly, in February, he met the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi and together they signed the historic Document on human fraternity. All this reminds us that peace is possible if we are ready to reach out for it. We must work together and leave behind all the hatred in our hearts and join our hands and stand with each other. Let's work for peace and love each other, Card Coutts said. Deluded Labour activists have praised Jeremy Corbyn for leading the party to two of its 'best election results' - despite the veteran left-winger being put to the sword by the Tories. A motion believed to have been drawn up by Corbynistas in Dulwich says the leader deserves 'heartfelt gratitude and appreciation' for his 'remarkable contribution'. Although it concedes the rout at the hands of Boris Johnson was a 'blow', the text blames the media and a 'divisive Brexit campaign'. Extraordinarily, the motion states: 'Despite the electoral defeat Jeremy Corbyn led the party to two of its best election results this century in terms of percentage of the vote.' The document, which was widely ridiculed after it emerged on Twitter, came as Labour tears itself apart over the worst election performance since 1935. The drubbing, which left the party with just 202 seats, eclipsed even the nightmare suffered by Mr Corbyn's hero Michael Foot in 1983. A motion believed to have been drawn up by Corbynistas in Dulwich says the leader deserves 'heartfelt gratitude and appreciation' for his 'remarkable contribution' The hard-Left is still desperately battling to keep its grip on Labour in the wake of the drubbing suffered by Jeremy Corbyn (pictured leaving his London home last month) Labour's vote share of around 32 per cent was significantly lower than secured by Tony Blair in his 1997 landslide, and far below the 48 per cent polled by Clement Attlee in 1951 - when the party also lost. However, the hard-Left is still desperately battling to keep its grip on Labour in the face of calls for a shift back to the centre. MPs have warned of 'Operation Stop Keir' after a poll of members showed the centrist shadow Brexit secretary well ahead of Corbynista candidates such as Rebecca Long Bailey and Ian Lavery. The analysis of a YouGov survey found Sir Keir is set to trounce Ms Long Bailey by 61 per cent to 39 per cent in a run-off when the contest comes to its conclusion in March. But it sparked a furious backlash from left-wingers online, with claims Sir Keir is not 'socialist' and putting a London-based Remainer in charge would be a 'parody' of what is needed to recover from the election rout. One moderate MP, not a natural cheerleader for Sir Keir, told MailOnline much of the party had yet to come to terms with the scale of the defeat. 'They have been in denial since the general election,' the MP said. 'They drunk the kool aid years ago and they are still at it.' The MP said they were bracing for a 'Stop Keir' campaign. 'The problem the Left has got... is that there is not a united position. 'They have got Saint Jeremy. But who else is there? Long Bailey is not up to it.' The MP predicted the hardline clique that installed Mr Corbyn in the top job would now splinter and turn on each other. 'The Left always starts eating their own children,' they said. 'It happened in the 1980s and it will happen again now.' Sir Keir Starmer was hammering home his campaigning credentials in London today as he steps up his tilt for Labour's top job Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday called for construction of 'vanrai bandharas' (forest bunds) to increase the green cover and also to help farmers. He said bunds being constructed by the Thane Zilla Parishad (ZP) in the district will go a long way in spreading greenery. "As sufficient water is being made available through these bunds, local farmers are in a position to grow crops twice a year," he said. The Minister for Home and Urban Development was speaking after inspecting a bund constructed on the Kalu river at Badane village in Murbad. Shinde said bunds were being constructed in Thane district without the need for the government to spend even a single rupee as it was being done through public participation. A total of 1,600 such bunds have already been constructed in the district, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Executive Director Monique King-Viehland to Step Down The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) announced today that Executive Director Monique King-Viehland is stepping down as Executive Director, effective December 31, 2019. Emilio Salas, Deputy Executive Director, will serve as Acting Executive Director during the transition. King-Viehland has worked for the agency since 2015. She was named Acting Executive Director in October 2017, and Executive Director in February 2018 serving as the first African-American female to lead the organization. During her tenure, King-Viehland focused on enhancing operational and organizational effectiveness by utilizing a systems-thinking approach to reorganizing the agency and building employee engagement mechanisms designed to enhance morale and create an improved agency-wide culture. Under her leadership, the agency merged what was the Community Development Commission and Housing Authority into the LACDA, in an effort to augment cross-agency thinking and client service, increase organizational effectiveness, service delivery, and reposition the agency as a forward thinking, industry leader in the provision of affordable housing, community and economic development. The agency also embraced a new vision ending generational poverty and homelessness, encouraging community development and empowering Los Angeles County residents and businesses to reach their full potential. The LACDA also introduced six new core values referred to as the Big 6, stressing the link between the agencys vision and how employees go about their work daily. King-Viehland instituted coffee talks between executive leadership and employees while also implementing a series of non-monetary compensation strategies aimed at enhancing employee morale, and focused the agency on valuing the people who serve the people we serve. ADVERTISEMENT King-Viehland also renewed the agencys commitment to increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in a systemic way. Earlier in the year, the agency completed an aggressive national recruitment effort for its executive leadership team that resulted in five successful recruitments. As a result, the agency now has the most diverse executive leadership team in the agencys history, reflecting the diversity of Los Angeles County. In the midst of great organizational change, King-Viehland also focused on enhancing the LACDAs efforts to execute on its core mission to Build Better Lives and Better Neighborhoods. Fighting the homelessness and affordability crises in unprecedented ways, including a ten-fold increase in the number of affordable and supportive housing units funded, increasing rental voucher commitments by more than 100% for supportive housing developments, while also providing housing assistance to hundreds of thousands, and assisting thousands of individuals and families in securing housing through Measure H funding. It has been an honor and privilege to serve alongside the most dedicated, compassionate and empathic group of people I have ever worked with, said King-Viehland. Thank you for all you do for the residents of Los Angeles County. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday visited the Indu Mills Compound here to review progress of work on the memorial of Dr B R Ambedkar. The NCP leader also paid respects to the late Dalit icon and architect of the Constitution at the Chaityabhoomi here before visiting the Indu Mills premises in Dadar area. "Reviewed Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial work at Indu Mill. Gave instructions to project officials concerned regarding future work. Discussed key issues including security aspect at the time," Pawar later tweeted. The previous BJP-led Devendra Fadnavis government had said the memorial work would be completed by 2020. The NCP and Congress, which were then in opposition, had alleged that the memorial's work was going on slowly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the memorial in October 2015. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) THE garda commissioner says he is supportive of calls for new garda stations in areas of high-population growth such as Castletroy and Raheen. However, Drew Harris says such projects take a considerable time to complete as there is a process to have them included in the capital budget. At a meeting of the Limerick Joint Policing Committee, Commissioner Harris said existing population levels and expected growth are the key factors in deciding where any new stations are to be located. Im very mindful of population growth and Im very mindful that some towns, in particular, are expanding hugely, he said adding that a number of existing garda stations are no longer in the best locations. The commissioner told the meeting the new capital plan will be rolled out in 2021 and that the process to identify the locations of new stations will begin shortly. We will start programming within the organisation and asking for, in effect, bids, he said adding that An Garda Siochana will also work closely with the Office of Public Works. The internal process will see each garda division in the country submitting its requirements to the relevant assistant commissioner for consideration before final proposals are forwarded to Garda Headquarters. While not giving guarantees, Mr Harris said any new stations in Limerick will have to fit in with the Ireland 2040 vision and will have to be supported by a business case. The better the case that is made, the more we will get from the overall capital pie, he said adding that any proposals will have to be ambitious and future-proofed. The population of small villages and towns have grown exponentially the last five to ten years and the population is set to grow even further over the next ten to 20 years so it would, at least, be nice to keep pace with that, said Commissioner Harris. Currently, the only new garda station approved for the Limerick division is in Newcastle West while the refurbishment of Castleconnell garda station is a priority. Members of the JPC agreed that they should be briefed on the process to secure new garda stations at their next meeting. New Indian Army Chief receives his first criticism from Pakistan International oi-Vicky Nanjappa Islamabad, Jan 02: Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India's new Army chief's statement that New Delhi reserves the right to "preemptively strike" across the Line of Control (LoC), terming the remarks as "irresponsible". In an exclusive interview to PTI barely hours after taking charge of the 1.3-million strong force, Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday said India reserves the right to "preemptively strike" at sources of terror. He asserted that a "new normal" in the country's response mechanism to acts of cross-border terrorism has already been "emphatically" displayed. "If Pakistan does not stop its policy of state-sponsored terrorism, we reserve the right to preemptively strike at the sources of terror threat and this intent has adequately been demonstrated in our response during surgical strikes and Balakot operation," the Army Chief said in New Delhi, in a stern warning to Islamabad. India reserves right to strike sources of terror: New Army Chief Naravane warns Pakistan Reacting to Gen Naravane's remarks, the Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement said, "We reject the new Indian Army Chief's irresponsible statement regarding 'pre-emptive strikes' across the LoC" inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 There should be no doubt about Pakistan's resolve and readiness to thwart any aggressive Indian move, inside its territory or PoK, the statement said. "No one should forget Pakistan's befitting response to India's Balakot misadventure," it added. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14. India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot on February 26. The next day, the Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1. "Despite India's provocations, Pakistan would continue contributing to all efforts of promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond," the statement said. The Foreign Office also said it will continue to highlight the issue of Kashmir on international forums. Expert on counter terror and China, General Naravane will add great value to national security "Pakistan reaffirmed its unflinching support and solidarity with the Kashmiri people as the inhuman lockdown" in Jammu and Kashmir reaches 150 days, it said. "As part of our unstinted moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmir cause, Pakistan will continue to raise at all international forums the plight of over eight million innocent Kashmiris under the brutal occupation of 900,000 Indian security personnel," the statement said. The Foreign Office also said India must immediately lift the continuing communication restrictions in Kashmir. Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5 and bifurcating it into two union territories. Reacting sharply to India's decision, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi and expelled India's ambassador in Islamabad. Who is Lt. Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane, the new Army Chief India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. Following the abrogation of Article 370, the Indian government imposed restrictions, including a ban on mobile phones and Internet, in Jammu and Kashmir to maintain law and order. The restrictions are being gradually lifted in a phased manner. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 7:54 [IST] Taiwans top military official was among eight people killed on Thursday after the helicopter carrying them made a forced landing in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei, the defence ministry said Taipei: Taiwans top military official was among eight people killed on Thursday after the helicopter carrying them made a forced landing in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei, the defence ministry said. The main portion of the helicopter lay in a northern forest wreathed in mist, with its blades shattered into pieces, as dozens of rescuers combed the wreck for survivors, pictures released by emergency authorities showed. The chief of general staff, Air Force General Shen Yi-ming, died in the incident, while five of the 13 people aboard survived, the military said in a statement. Eight of our colleagues were killed, a military spokesman told a news conference broadcast live on television. The defence ministry said it had dispatched a rescue team following the Black Hawk helicopters forced landing in New Taipei City after aviation authorities lost contact with the craft at 8:22 a.m. The helicopter had left Taipei on a mission to visit soldiers in the northeast county of Yilan ahead of Lunar New Year at month-end. The incident comes a week before democratic Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections on 11 January. President Tsai Ing-wen, who is seeking re-election, cancelled all campaign activities until Saturday and urged authorities to make every effort at the rescue. She is scheduled to deliver a speech at 3 pm. The United States, which has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is its strongest international backer and main arms supplier, sold the island 60 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in 2010. It was not immediately clear if the helicopter in Thursdays incident was one of them, however. The incident was the latest in a series of aviation accidents in Taiwan, after the 2018 crash of a Black Hawk helicopter off its east coast killed six people aboard and the crash of an F-16 fighter jet killed a pilot the same year. In 2016, the navy fired a supersonic missile in error, hitting a fishing boat in waters that separate Taiwan from diplomatic rival China. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory to be brought under Beijings control by force if necessary, regularly calls the island the most sensitive issue in its ties with the United States. Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name. At least 24 people died after an IDP camp was attacked following a dispute between Arab and African ethnic groups. At least 24 people were killed after a camp for internally displaced people (IDP) was attacked in Sudans West Darfur state, as top officials arrived to try to calm the violence. Krinding Camp, east of the state capital el-Geneina, was raided over Sunday and Monday following a dispute between Arab and African ethnic groups, said Ashraf Eissa, a spokesman for the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur, UNAMID. The Arab tribesmen came to the IDP camp and started shooting and killing and burning, he told Reuters news agency on Wednesday. Then relatives went to the hospital and threatened hospital staff at gunpoint and destroyed the blood bank and when a government of Sudan policeman tried to intervene he was shot and killed. Brokering lasting peace in Darfur and other parts of Sudan is one of the main challenges facing military and civilian authorities sharing power following a popular uprising that led to the overthrow of longtime President Omar al-Bashir last April. Rebel groups from Darfur have now suspended their peace talks with the government in response to the latest tribal clashes and called for an investigation. On Wednesday, senior officials including sovereign council member General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok arrived in Geneina and were briefed on the security situation, the joint civilian-military ruling body said in a statement. Tense situation After the exchanges of fire across Geneina on Tuesday, UNAMIDs Eissa said the situation remained very tense in the region. At least 17 people were wounded in the violence around Geneina, though casualty figures were initial estimates and could rise, Eissa said. Many people from the camp fled to Geneina or nearby mountains. A senior health official and a spokesman for a local aid group said at least 36 people were killed, including women and children. 191228092525666 The health official told The Associated Press news agency that about 60 others were wounded, and that 49 of them were taken to the capital, Khartoum, for treatment. A local journalist said the violence had spread to the surrounding area, at least 10 villages had been burned, and some people were trying to flee across the border into Chad. Adam Regal, a spokesman for a local organisation that helps run IDP camps in the area, said looting and destruction of property by fighters took place in at least three camps in Geneina. He shared footage showing burned properties to the ground, as well as graphic images of burned bodies and wounded people with blood-stained clothes. His group put the toll at 41 dead and more than 100 wounded. Sudan is on a fragile path to democracy after the removal of al-Bashir in April that followed months of anti-government protests. One of the key priorities of the transitional government is ending the rebellion in Sudans far-flung provinces in order to slash military spending, which takes up much of the national budget. The on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre over the rejection of West Bengal's tableau proposal for Republic Day parade, saying it insulted the people of the state for protesting the amended The state BJP was quick to hit back and accused the TMC government of not properly following rules and procedure which it said caused the rejection. The Defence Ministry had on Wednesday rejected West Bengal's tableau proposal. The West Bengal government's proposal was rejected after an Expert Committee examined it in two rounds of meeting, a statement by the ministry said. "The tableau proposal of the West Bengal government was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting. "It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the Government of West Bengal was short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process," it said. The Ministry had received 32 tableau proposals from states and union territories and 24 from central ministries and departments of which 22 proposals, comprising 16 states/UTs and 6 ministries/departments, have finally been short-listed, the statement said. West Bengal Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Tapas Roy accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of having a "vindictive attitude" against the state. "Just because West Bengal has been opposing anti- people policies of the BJP government, a step-motherly treatment is being meted out to the state. As we have opposed anti-people laws like CAA, the Centre has rejected our tableau proposal," Roy told PTI. This is not the first time that West Bengal's tableau proposal has been rejected. There have been previous instances also, he said. "Such cheap won't deter us from opposing anti-people policies. The BJP has insulted the people of West Bengal and they would get a befitting reply for it in the near future," Roy said. Responding to the allegations, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the tableau was rejected as the state government didn't properly follow the rules and procedure in submitting the proposal. "The state government has not followed the rules. Other states have followed them, so their tableau proposals were accepted. The TMC should stop doing on each and every issue," Ghosh said. MUDITA Girotra By Express News Service NEW DELHI: A 27-year-old firefighter died after part of a burning building collapsed here in outer Delhis Udyog Nagar area on Thursday, a senior official said. The official added that a total of four men including one civilian were taken out of the debris. The deceased has been identified as Amit Baliyan, a resident of Shahdara. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condoled his death and tweeted, "It is with deep sadness I inform you that one of our firemen was martyred while saving people from fire. Our firemen save other people's lives by putting their lives under extremely risk in difficult circumstances. May his soul rest in peace." Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal also condoled the death of the firefighter. firemen https://t.co/Z6K2dYVazW Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 2, 2020 "Deeply anguished over the news of death of fire operator Amit Balyan Amit along with his team members fought bravely to save the lives of many people. I salute his bravery My sincere condolences to his family members. All possible assistance to be extended to the injured & bereaved family," he tweeted. Fifteen firefighters received minor injuries and were admitted to Sri Balaji Action Hospital in Paschim Vihar along with four others who were rescued from the debris. According to fire officials, in the last five years, six firefighters including Baliyan have lost their lives in harness. The building is an outlet cum- godown of Okaya batteries and inverters in Udyog Nagar, Peera Garhi. Police said that the fire started in the basement of the building that was used for storing batteries. After the fire, strong blasts occurred in the building resulting in the structure collapsing. According to fire personnel, a part of the building had already collapsed before they could reach the spot and another part started to crumble while they were dousing the blaze. They said that the structure felt unstable even while cooling operations were taking place in the afternoon. Delhi Fire Services (DFS) Chief Atul Garg said that a call was received at 4.23 am reporting that the four-storey building had caught fire. He added that initially seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot. A total of 35 fire tenders were working to control the situation. Rescue operations were aided by teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS). BJPs Delhi president Manoj Tiwari who reached the spot said that he was saddened about the deceased firefighter and appealed to the Delhi Government to take immediate measures to conduct a safety audit to avoid such incidents in the future. No fire clearance, case filed. The DFS Chief Garg said that the factory did not have a No Objection Certificate from the fire office. Police have registered a case under multiple sections of IPC including Sections 285, 337 and 304-A against the owner of the building. Israel, Cyprus, Greece to sign EastMed deal against Turkey An agreement for the construction of the EastMed natural gas pipeline is set to be signed on Thursday evening in Athens between Greece, Cyprus and Israel. Greece, Cyprus and Israel on Thursday are expected to sign a deal to build a 1,900 kilometre (1,180 mile) subsea pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterraneans rapidly developing gas industry to Europe. European governments and Israel last year agreed to proceed with the so-called EastMed project, a $6 billion pipeline project that is expected to initially carry 10 billion cubic metres of gas per year from Israeli and Cypriot waters to the Greek island of Crete, on to the Greek mainland and into Europes gas network via Italy. TURKISH-LIBYAN MARITIME PACT BECAME A GAME CHANGER With a memorandum of understanding inked on Nov. 27, Turkish government and the UN-recognized government of Libya stand firm in protecting their sovereignty, diplomatic and economic rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. The agreement is going to have a direct impact in the region, where tension has been high in recent years following the discovery of tremendous hydrocarbon reserves worth hundreds of billions of dollars and unilateral actions of some regional countries, violating rights of Turkey and Libya. The Greek Cypriot administration unilaterally declared so-called exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and began to give licenses to international energy companies to search energy resources. Tunisia's prime minister on Thursday unveiled a proposed government of technocrats, including a veteran Finance Ministry official, which authorities hope will help end the political limbo delaying sorely-needed reforms in the North African nation. Prime Minister-designate Habib Jemli tapped Abderrahmane Kochtali, the Finance Ministry's secretary-general, to head the key ministry, while veteran diplomat Khaled Shili, a former ambassador to Jordan, would take the Foreign Ministry. The proposed cabinet mostly comprises independents -- an apparent bid by Jemli to bridge a fractured parliament in which no one party holds the majority. He disclosed the names in a televised press conference almost 24 hours after he had submitted the list to President Kais Saied. Saied forwarded the list to parliament on Thursday. Jemli was picked as prime minister in November by Ennahda, the moderate Islamist party that won the most seats in the previous month's legislative elections. None of the parties, however, won a majority and Jemli has struggled to draw up a coalition government because larger groups such as the populist Heart of Tunisia refused to join forces. The prime minister-designate said Thursday he was "sure" the majority of parliament would support his choices. Other cabinet nominees include: - Fadhel AbdelKafi: Planning, Development and International Cooperation Ministry - Hedi Kediri: Justice Ministry; retired judge and former head of the Supreme Judicial Council - Sofien Sliti: Interior Ministry; currently spokesman of the country's counter-terrorism judiciary body - Mongi Marzouk: Industry Ministry - Rene Trabelsi: retains Tourism Ministry Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The lack of a clear winner in the legislative elections late last year reflected the challenges confronting Tunisia, whose 2011 uprising against President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali triggered the Arab Spring revolts in the region. Saied, himself a political outsider, was elected in a resounding chorus of voter rejection of the establishment. A constitutional law expert, he vowed to usher in a new era of change for the country. But the results of the parliamentary vote and the subsequent bickering in coalition talks about forming a government had stunted any effort to enact change in a country that's under pressure to cut spending and create desperately needed jobs. At the same time, Tunisia, which secured a $2.9 billion IMF loan in 2016, is under pressure to cut costs while trying to appease an increasingly frustrated population clamoring for jobs and opportunities. A 15-year-old boy hit by a car in Scotland has died amid a series of fatal crashes across the UK over the New Year period. Steven Mcilquham was crossing the road in Motherwell, 16 miles south-east of Glasgow, when he was struck by a silver/grey Volkswagen car at around 9.30pm on New Year's Day. Emergency services attended but the teen was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver initially failed to stop after the collision and the road remains closed while police carry out their investigations A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with road traffic offences and released pending further inquiries. The incident comes after three British Airways cabin crew members were killed when a car they were in collided with a lorry in Surrey just before midnight on December 31. British Airways stewardess Rachel Clark who died in a car crash at Heathrow (centre) with dead colleagues Joe Finnis (L) and Dominic Fell / Facebook Joe Finnis, 25, Dominic Fell, 23, and Rachel Clark, 20, died when their white Toyota Yaris was in collision with a Mercedes HGV. A 25-year-old female colleague is fighting for her life in hospital. The lorry, which was part of a fleet which is operated by air services provider dnata, left the road and ended up in nearby Longford River. The lorry driver was taken to hospital as a precaution. It is believed that all four cabin crew were friends and two of them had finished work at about 6pm, while the other two were on a day off and not scheduled to be on duty. British Airways released a statement which said: "We're deeply saddened to learn of the death of our colleagues involved in a road traffic collision last night. "Our thoughts are with their family and friends, who we are supporting at this distressing time." The scene of the fatal crash where three flight attendants were killed / PA No arrests have been made. Thousands has been raised for the British Airways staff via a gofundme page dubbed BA Angels Fund In the West Midlands a 62-year-old woman was killed in a hit-and-run in Cannock on New Year's Eve when a driver smashed into her mobility scooter at 6.30pm. In a separate incident in the West Midlands a 37-year-old man died after crashing into a tree in Great Barr near Walsall. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and West Midlands Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit closed the road overnight for an examination in a bid to understand what caused the car to leave the carriageway. In Manchester, a 59-year-old man died a Mercedes crashed into his Skoda Octavia just before 3.30am on January 1 in Yew Tree Road, Fallowfield. Four others were seriously injured. How does someone like that just disappear? That was the first thought that struck us when the news arrived at the international desk of The Independent in London late on 2 October 2018. I had never met Jamal Khashoggi. But I had spoken to him repeatedly on the phone over the years, read his articles in the Washington Post, and seen him occasionally on television. He was a fairly big deal, and it was stunning that he could just disappear off the face of the planet. I was spending the week in our London offices, having flown from Istanbul a couple days earlier. The following day, I reported and wrote a story about Khashoggi. It began: A prominent Saudi journalist and harsh critic of his countrys ambitious young Crown Prince entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday to sort out some paperwork. Then he vanished. A couple of days later came another story, as the Washington Post sounded the alarm about their columnists disappearance. Little did I know then they would be the first of many articles, columns and videos we would write and record about Khashoggi, and his alleged tormentors, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It was a case that would consume our attention for months, and continues to haunt the worlds of journalism and geopolitics, making his disappearance that day and the subsequent fallout one of the biggest stories of the decade. An Amazon driver refused to hand over a Christmas bottle of sherry to a 92-year-old grandmother because she didn't have ID. Carl Johnston, 41, ordered the 8.50 bottle of Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry for his grandmother Louise Wilkinson as a Christmas present. But when it arrived at her house in Seaham, County Durham, the delivery driver said he couldn't give it to her because she had no proof she was old enough. The same driver attempted to deliver the parcel again the next day, when the elderly woman showed him her bus pass, but he still refused to accept it. Mr Johnston was astounded and says he will now have to apply for a refund and buy another bottle to give to her in person. Carl Johnston, 41, ordered a 8.50 bottle of Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry for his grandmother Louise Wilkinson as a Christmas present on Amazon. File image The IT worker told The Sun: 'She is clearly old enough to drink and the second time she did have photo ID, but a bus pass isn't on Amazon's list of accepted identifications.' 'I can understand that if you are lucky enough to look around 18 you should have to show ID. But my gran is 92. No-one could be in any doubt that she's old enough to drink.' Amazon lists a number of forms of photographic identification it will accept as proof of age. The rules read: 'By placing an order for one of these items you are declaring that you are 18 years of age or over.' 'Valid photographic ID and a signature of the recipient will be required upon delivery for all customers. 'If the recipient is not over the age of 18 and has not been able to show valid photo identification, the item will be returned to Amazon for re-delivery the following day.' The list includes: A passport; A European Union (photocard) driving licence; Ministry of Defence Form 90 (a defence identity card issued to serving military); National Identity card issued by European Union Member State (other than the United Kingdom), and Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland; A biometric immigration document (issued by The Home Office to individuals going through different stages of the immigration process as a residence permit.); A photographic identity card bearing a national Proof of Age Standard Scheme (PASS) hologram. A buss pass with a photo on it is not included in the list. MailOnline has contacted Amazon for comment. [January 02, 2020] LaVoieHealthScience Reports on First Thought Leadership Panel, An Unvarnished Look at JPM Week LaVoieHealthScience (LHS), a leading strategic communications firm dedicated to advancing health and science innovation, reported today on the agency's first annual panel held on December 19 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, entitled, An Unvarnished Look at JPM Week 2020. Today, JPM Week brings together the largest group of industry, private and public company investors as well as business partners in one place to discuss the business of science and innovation, with a keen eye toward improving lives of patients and caregivers. The focus of the panel was to discuss the unpublished truths of attending and making the most of the yearly conference, increasing return on investment. Moderated by LHS CEO, Donna L. LaVoie, panelists included Chris Garabedian, CEO of Xontogeny LLC and Portfolio Manager, Venture for Perceptive Advisors; Daphne Zohar, CEO and founder, PureTech Health; Milenko Cicmil, Vice President of Global Innovation & Partnering at Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals; and Jon Civitarese, Managing Director, Investment Banking, SVB Leerink LLC. The panel discussion covered JPMorgan history, decision tree for attending JPM Week by type of company, various venues - events, luncheons, cocktail parties, one-on-one meetings, meeting-making tools, how to best prepare, highlights and low lights of 2019, as well as 2020 predictions. "Despite the investor, business development and licensing focus of JPM Week (also known as Biotech Week), the true winners should be patients, and JPM Week is often the first stop for healthcare pioneers who are striving to bring lifesaving medical innovation to the marketplace," said Donna L. LaVoie. "Our panelists brought tremendous insight into this process, based on years of experience in attending JPM Week with a focus on critical fundraising, licensing, news flow and meeting colleagues." Panelists anticipated a robust 2020 financing market for healthcare and biotech companies. This is evidenced by the record increases of the 38 VC-backed "unicorns," currently valued at more than $70 Billion, as well as a number of mega-round private financings. Donna L. LaVoie commented, "Our panelists were bullish on 2020. As reported recently in BioWorld, the biopharma sector scored approval of 48 new medicines in 2019, an above average number. Our panelists indicated that this bodes for a strong follow-on offering and IPO market in first half of 2020." Panelists brought top tips and advice to company executives as they plan for JPM Week in 2020 and beyond: If you have important clinical or technical updates, JPM Week is the marquee vene at the start of the year to update potential partners and investors. Your news flow here sets the stage for the rest of the year. Determine in advance who you want to meet with and why during JPM Week. Do it methodically - and be sure to follow up, post conference. Avoid superficial meetings with targets that are not aligned with your company's goals that won't go anywhere post JPM. Target (News - Alert) investors, partners and media that you don't normally get to meet with. Avoid the temptation of meeting with local colleagues, as this can be done anytime during the year. Get invited to the pharmaceutical partner events, which have numerous investors and key executives in attendance. And determine in advance who you'd like to meet. For a full list of events, visit BIO Compass. When meeting with pharmaceutical partners, limit your entourage. Focus on bringing key content contributors such as chief medical or science officer, other relevant scientific personnel. Bring some humanity to San Francisco. There are many organizations within the biotech/life science ecosystem such as Life Science Cares and others who are working to address issues of poverty and homelessness in their communities. Give them your support. Focus on quality versus quality. Fill two days instead of four. Tell your story simply - utilize a company fact sheet, The LHS Fifteen Slide Presentation ; avoid the long corporate deck. ; avoid the long corporate deck. Have a backup - bring electronic and paper copy of your fact sheet or presentation. And use whatever is most appropriate for the venue. Maintain confidentiality on airplanes and in taxis and ride shares - you are not alone. "Our panelists are calling for more careful use of time and better efficiency, no matter the size of company attending JPM Week," said Donna L. LaVoie. "The value of this meeting will more than likely shift as new thinking evolves around how best to kick off the new year, meet investors, media and partners and achieve business goals." Link to Full Event Audio Recording About LaVoieHealthScience LaVoieHealthScience partners with leading health and science brands to build value for their companies, attract capital and reach key stakeholders through integrated communications, access and marketing. The firm provides public relations, investor relations and marketing consulting to build recognition and increase sales and value for health science innovations. The agency has received over 30 awards in recognition of the work it has done for its health and science industry-leading clients and was inducted in the 2018 Inc. 5000 Hall of Fame List of Fastest Growing Private Companies, ranked on the O'Dwyer's list of 2019 Healthcare Public Relations Firms, PR Week's list of 2019 Top Agencies and Boston Business Journal's list of Largest Public Relations Firms in Massachusetts. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005459/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Human Resources Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal will inaugurate the 28th edition of annual New Delhi World Book Fair on January 4 at Pragati Maidan here. The book fair organised by Book Trust (NBT) will be held from January 4 to 12 in the capital. Eminent Gandhian scholar Girishwar Mishra will be the chief guest on the occasion. "As part of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations, the theme of the event for this year is 'Gandhi: The Writers' Writer'," said Professor Govind Prasad Sharma, Chairman, NBT while addressing the media at a press conference held at Constitution Club today. "Over 600 exhibitors in different languages including Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Maithili, Malayalam, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu will exhibit their books in over 1,300 stalls at the fair," he added. The fair will be open to the public from 11 am to 8 pm. Other features at the fair will include -- Theme pavilion, authors' corner, seminar hall, braille books, children's pavilion and foreign countries' pavilion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The provincial Crown corporation that owns the Trans-Canada Highway between Moncton and Longs Creek is weighing a number of possible flood fixes on the stretch of road, including sticking with the status quo. That's according to a May 2019 report, briefing materials and emails, obtained by CBC News through access to information, that looks at flooding on the high-traffic route between Fredericton and Moncton. Spring freshets in 2018 and 2019 forced the closure of a portion of the highway between Oromocto and River Glade. A 90-kilometre detour, estimated to take add 50 minutes of driving time, was put in place in both years. In the fall, the New Brunswick Highway Corporation issued a request for proposals for engineering consulting services related to "potential flood mitigation of Route 2 within the Grand Lake Meadows." The request for proposals closed in November, but a successful bidder hasn't been chosen yet. CBC No one from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure was made available for an interview about whether any of the options are preferred over the others or about who will pay for the work. "The RFP process is still ongoing," department spokesperson Jeremy Trevors wrote in an email. "The department will be in a better position to respond, once it's complete." But the report from May, written by David Withers, project manager of the Fredericton-Moncton Highway Project, reveals the pros and cons of a few possible options. The highway was built as a public-private partnership and opened in 2001. It's operated and maintained by MRDC Operations Corporation. "At the time of the design and construction of the highway, the pre-eminent flood event occurred in 1973, which was used as one of the variables during the design of this section," the report says. During the 1973 flood, the river peaked in Jemseg at 6.3 metres. Construction also had to take into consideration the fact that Grand Lake Meadows is "known as an environmentally sensitive wetland" and that it has "a significant pre-contact archeological site." Story continues "With this in mind, the design of the highway incorporated a very narrow median (6.6 m) through the entire 5 km area," the report says. Got it wrong According to a consultant hired by Premier Blaine Higgs in the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, "the design height was obviously not correct the first time." "So now all factors need to be taken into consideration and modelled to determine a credible height for future floods to complete a detailed design," John Logan, now the acting deputy minister of transportation and infrastructure, wrote in an August email. "With this section of road being along the sensitive Grand Lake Marshes it will likely trigger an [environmental impact assessment]." Guillaume Aubut/Radio-Canada Despite the annual spring freshet, the water didn't surpass the 1973 high mark and trigger a full closure until 2018. In the last two spring freshets, a water level of 6.4 metres at Jemseg has been the trigger point to close that stretch of the highway. Status quo One of the options weighed in the report is changing nothing at all. While the highway was closed briefly in 2018 and 2019, it was open for more than 6,400 days over the last 18 years, the report says. "Although the detour causes inconvenience and extends travel times, it does provide safe passage along other major arterial highways in the province." A briefing note, also from May 2019, notes that the status quo option doesn't require an environmental impact assessment, any additional construction or cost. But the status quo is not an option for the province's trucking industry, according to Jean-Marc Picard, executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association. Guillaume Aubut/Radio-Canada He said the road is a key artery for moving goods throughout Atlantic Canada and the U.S., so it "has a huge impact on everybody's business across Atlantic Canada." "We need to be able to rely on it to move goods," Picard said in an interview. "There's thousands of trucks that move down that highway every day, therefore it's very important that it's sustainable." While the detour does offer a way to get around the closure, trucks had to navigate a two-lane highway with much more volume on it than usual. There are also extra fuel costs and extra travel time. Truck drivers can only drive for a certain number of hours in a day, so an extra 50 minutes can put the driver at their limit before they reach their destination. "Obviously, the most important part is safety and we look at our costs and obviously some of those costs will be passed on to customers and customers to consumers," Picard said. "It's unfortunate but that's usually how it rolls down." Picard doesn't have a preferred option for flood mitigation on the highway. But he does believe it needs to be addressed before the road deteriorates further. Raising the highway Many have suggested simply raising the elevation of the road on Highway 2 so it doesn't flood. Sounds simple, right? Not quite. Engineers would be challenged with doing that while respecting the environmentally sensitive wetland in the Grand Lake Meadows, which is why the highway was built with such a narrow median in the first place. Another challenge is the abutments to two major structures, the Saint John River Bridge and Jemseg River Bridge. "Any change in roadway elevation may require a realignment of the existing bridge approaches which could prove to be technically difficult and costly," the report says. Guillaume Aubut/Radio-Canada Raising the highway would require a full environmental impact assessment, which "can be extensive and lengthy processes that add cost and time to completing projects." It's not clear exactly how much raising the highway might cost. A figure was redacted from the report. Spillways and erosion control The report also looked at constructing spillways, which are "man-made structures that allow for the diversion of water from one place to another." It says the highway is "constrained" by Grand Lake to the north and the Saint John River to the south, so spillways would be needed on both sides of the highway. But according to a preliminary review, spillways wouldn't be a good option, the report says. "Unfortunately, construction of such a structure is unlikely to be technically or environmentally viable given the size and depths that would be required." Department of Transportation and Infrastructure The report also considers breakwaters, which are a form of erosion control. While they wouldn't stop the water from lapping on to the road, they could "diminish the damage" that's caused by erosion and could even help reduce the amount of debris left behind by the water. "Implementation of these measures could reduce the overall length of time the highway would need to be closed as a result of a future flood event because it would result in less cleanup time following the flood and less damage to the highway overall," the report says. Since there are parts of the highway that are not submerged in water during the spring freshet, the report says engineers could also build crossovers to divert traffic to higher sides of the highway. But that option needs more study, the report says, and there would need to be a way to discourage drivers from using the crossovers when there isn't any flooding. The cost of this option would be less than raising the road and there wouldn't be as much impact on Grand Lake Meadows, the report says. Who will pay? It's not clear which option the report's author, Withers, liked best. His opinion was redacted from the version CBC News received. But the report does discuss some options of who could pay for the work. Currently, the province pays MRDC "pre-determined amounts" for things like maintenance on the highway, under a series of agreements. Ed Hunter/CBC "As a result, MRDC has borne the entire cost of repairing the damages caused during the 2018 and 2019 spring freshet flood events," the report says. "The province has not paid MRDC any additional costs as a result of flood damage." Depending on the flood mitigation option chosen, the two sides may end up splitting costs and liabilities or those "may be born by one party or the other." It says the government is getting a legal opinion on the issue. MRDC general manager Ed Donelan confirmed Thursday that there hasn't been any agreement yet on who will pay for a flood fix on the highway. "From our perspective, we believe it was constructed appropriately back when it was originally done," Donelan said. "Whatever the province decides to do at the end of the day, we'll have to deal with it operationally." Photo: Owen Byrne/Flickr Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in San Jose. Police: Man arrested after putting cameras inside Starbucks bathroom in San Jose A 37-year-old man was arrested Sunday evening, after police say he placed two cameras inside a bathroom at a Starbucks location in San Jose. Read the full story on KRON 4 News. San Jose firefighter injured while battling blaze at home A veteran firefighter fell into a basement and was injured while battling a blaze on New Years Eve at a home near Roosevelt Park in San Jose, authorities said. Read the full story on The Mercury News. Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse at San Jose Bellarmine College Preparatory A San Jose man claims he was sexually assaulted as a teenager by Jesuit Brother William Farrington while attending Bellarmine College Preparatory in the 1960s. The alleged victim is now pursuing a civil lawsuit against the Archdiocese of San Jose and Bellarmine. Read the full story on NBC Bay Area. Man accidentally shoots self in leg in San Jose on New Year's Eve A man accidentally shot himself in the leg in San Jose early Wednesday and was taken to the hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening, police said. Read the full story on CBS San Francisco. Drugs found during traffic stop may have sickened San Jose CHP officer A San Jose CHP officer was taken to the hospital after being exposed to some kind of drug during a traffic stop, prompting a hazmat investigation Wednesday afternoon. Read the full story on CBS San Francisco. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Investors will look at macro data, auto sales numbers, and global factors for cues today. The overall trading volume in the is set to pick up as most global reopen from holiday closures Stocks of automobile companies will react to sales data for the month of December. Yesterday, Tata Motors reported a 12 per cent decline in total vehicle sales in domestic market to 44,254 units in December. The company had sold 50,440 units in the same month in 2018. The stock will react to the sales numbers today. Besides this, shares of channels and operators will also react to the new Trai order according to which cable operators will have to provide 200 channels for Rs 153. Trai has also reviewed the pricing of channel bouquets compared to a la carte ones. Market participants will also await the release of Markit Manufacturing PMI for December which will be released later in the day. They will further track the oil and Rupee's trajectory, stock-specific action, and foreign fund flow for market direction. Globally, stocks in Asia were mixed. Australias main stock index was flat and South Korea's Kospi index lost 0.9 per cent. On the other hand, equities in Hong Kong and China advanced. The SGX Nifty was indicating a flat to negative start for the domestic indices. In commodities, Brent crude futures dipped 0.3 per cent to trade at $66.22 per barrel. Back home, Indian equities logged mild gains on the first day of the year 2020. The S&P BSE Sensex ended 52 points higher at 41,306 level, while the broader Nifty50 ended at 12,190-mark, up 21 points. Going ahead, analysts say that the Nifty is witnessing stiff resistance in sub-12,250 zones and traders should try to buy any dip at higher levels. However, if the Nifty is able to breach 12,150, it might lead to profit-booking move up to 12,075. Therefore, traders should try to book profit on higher levels keeping a close eye on 12,250. And, in the end, here's a trading idea for you by CapitalVia Global Research Limited which recommends buying Tata Power Company Limited above Rs 58 for the target of Rs 63 with stop-loss at Rs 54. By Express News Service DINDIGUL: Appreciations began pouring in from across the country for the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Palani Railway Police in the social media page of the Royal Bhutan Police on December 27. A 71-year-old Bhutanese man, reported missing at the Perambur Railway Station in Chennai, was located 400 kilometres away at the Palani Railway Station. This is the example of friendship between the nations, one of the social media users commented when the Royal Bhutan Police posted the update that the missing person was found with the assistance of the Palani Railway Police. The elderly man was handed over to his son at the Perambur Railway Station, recently. When RPF Assistant Sub Inspector R Balasubramanian spotted the man, a Buddhist monk, at the Palani Railway Station on December 27, the monk was roaming the station premises, lost. He was able to converse only in his mother tongue, posing a difficult situation for the ASI in figuring out the details. The monk was then taken to the RPF police station in Palani, where he was provided with food. RPF Constable Gopalakrishnan in Dindigul informed the ASI that he had come across a social media post about a missing Bhutanese monk at the Perambur Railway Station. Later, the officials found out that the monk, Baso (71), was on travelling to Agartala from Bengaluru on Humsafar Express on December 24. When the train halted at the Perambur Railway Station, Baso, who had alighted from the train, missed to board it, and later was not spotted at the station. Following this, a case was registered at the railway police station. After contacting the Chennai control room, Baso was taken to Chennai, accompanied by the Palani railway police personnel and the RPF. Later that day, the Royal Bhutan Police updated the rescue of the monk on their social media page, lauding the service of RPF and the railway police personnel. Seven Ukrainian schools functioned on the peninsula before Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an order to send troops in early 2014 to seize the Ukrainian territory. The last remaining Ukrainian-language school in Russian-occupied Crimea doesn't provide instruction in the eastern Slavic language. Seven Ukrainian schools functioned on the peninsula before Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an order to send troops in early 2014 to seize the Ukrainian territory, Eskender Bariyev, head of the Crimean-Tatar Resource Center, told RFE/RL in a radio interview on January 1. The school is registered in the southeastern coastal town of Feodosiya and, according to Bariyev, local residents say the Ukrainian language isn't taught there. According to Article 10 of the Russian-imposed constitution on the peninsula, there are three official languages in Crimea: Crimean-Tatar, Ukrainian, and Russian. Read alsoNo school with Ukrainian language of instruction left in occupied Crimea human rights activists About 3 percent of 200,700 schoolchildren there were taught in the Crimean-Tatar language in 2018-2019, the peninsula's education authority reports. Bariyev noted that the status of 16 Crimean-Tatar language schools have also been altered since annexation. Seven preserved instruction in Crimean-Tatar, while five have been transformed to instill instruction in Russian. Four have been designated schools that offer a "general education." Only 249 schoolchildren, or 0.2 percent of pupils, formally learned Ukrainian in 2018-2019. Twenty-seven schools offer 126 classes with Crimean-Tatar instruction and five schools provide teaching in Ukrainian in eight classes. Putin and other high-level Russian officials have justified the seizure of Crimea as a matter of historical justice. As recently as December 30, Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Crimea: "The [Foreign] Ministry's official position, which has been voiced many times, is that the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Crimea and its unification with the Russian Federation was a legitimate exercise of the right of the people of Crimea to self-determination following an armed coup in Ukraine with foreign support." Moscow maintains that a peaceful, pro-democracy uprising in November 2013-February 2014 that saw former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych abandon office and flee to Russia was a coup. Proponents of what was called the Maidan protests in Kyiv say they stood up to an increasingly authoritarian president who ran a corrupt government that was betraying national interests to curry favor with the Kremlin. In his article, Fionnan Sheahan told us that Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin enter the 2020 General Election with an equally credible chance of becoming Taoiseach in the 33rd Dail (Irish Independent, January 1). The joke about forecasting being a dangerous thing, especially in relation to the future, has an element of truth. But Ill risk it by saying that I do not think that what Fionnan Sheahan is saying is true. I think the Irish media has decided the result of the next election already by virtually blanket-backing Micheal Martin for Taoiseach. That did not start today or yesterday. One political group has been in power nearly two-thirds of the time since independence. That derives from more comprehensive media backing. In the period between 1987 and 2010, the same group won five elections in a row with fairly unchallenged media backing. But for the fact that being human, power went to their heads and they bankrupted the country, they would still be in power. So I think that the next election is a foregone conclusion. I think the political group which governed us for most of the time since independence will be elected not alone for the 2020s, as Fionnan Sheahan says, but for an indefinite period into the future. A Leavy Sutton, Dublin 13 Is there a peaceful alternative to noisy, polluting fireworks? Has every global city brought in the new year with noisy, polluting fireworks? The traditional way to bring in the new year is now out of fashion. Which country will set a global example by offering an alternative, and instead offer a balm to the tortured environment? Eve Parnell Dublin 8 Thank goodness Jools rescued us from dire New Years Eve TV It's nice to know that as the decades roll by, there are still some certainties on New Years Eve that Jools Hollands Annual Hootenanny will wipe the floor with the live coverage shows on the other channels, which are as much fun as ingrown toenail surgery. Even Stormzy Britains greatest talent vacuum couldnt spoil it. When you are bested by Rick Astley, of all people, its time to stop believing your own hype. That its recorded in one take days before makes it all the more embarrassing, particularly the buttock-cheek-clenching kitsch from Scotlands television channels and their perpetual regression into Oor Wullie and The Broons every Hogmanay. Id sooner see in the bells with Quasimodo. Mark Boyle Johnstone, Scotland Credit to organisers for a fantastic display in capital The new year countdown extravaganza arranged by Dublin City Council, Failte Ireland and MCD with the Custom House serving as a backdrop illuminated by fireworks and light beams deserves universal plaudits for its organisers and participants. The pacing and audaciously upbeat musical orchestration, framed excellently on both sides of the countdown by the band Walking on Cars, set to the spectacle greeting 2020 heralded the new decade with genuinely rare aplomb. Cllr John Kennedy Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin If people wont pay water charges, will they pay fines? I see Irish Water has frozen plans to charge for excess usage. If Irish Water couldnt get people to pay water charges, how will they get them to pay for excess use? John Williams Clonmel Its speaking English, not Irish, that boosts our profile Katherine Donnelly (Irish Independent, December 31) reports efforts to double the number of pupils taught through Irish over the next decade by Education Minister Joe McHugh, who claims this will raise the profile of our language in our communication and will encourage the daily use of the Irish language. Is he serious? English literacy is one of our greatest assets and one of the reasons that we are attractive to overseas companies. I know politicians have to go through the motions to reinstate the language, but somebody has to call a halt to this type of madness. Dr Michael Foley Rathmines, Dublin 6 Splendid spectacle to kick off a brand new decade As we head into the new year, may the good Lord grant us all 2020 vision. Tom Gilsenan Beaumont, Dublin 9 Puri also said that the government was trying to address the concerns of the employees regarding issues such as job protection post privatisation, a union representative said. Mumbai: The government has no option but to privatise Air India as it has around Rs 80,000-crore debt and needs cooperation of the employees for carrying out the privatisation process, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri is said to have told the airline unions on Thursday. At a meeting with some 13 Air India unions in Delhi, Puri also said that the government was trying to address the concerns of the employees regarding issues such as job protection post privatisation, a union representative said. "The minister said that Air India has a debt of Rs 80,000 crore and no expert has solution to that. In this situation, privatisation is the only choice left for the government," one of the union representatives told PTI after the meeting, which lasted for an hour. He also said that Puri sought cooperation from all airline unions in carrying out the disinvestment process of the national carrier. Last week, a senior Air India official said the airline might have to go out of business in the manner similar to the now-defunct Jet Airways if a new investor does not come on board by June. In what seems to be a shocking rerun of Gorakhpur hospital tragedy in 2017 where hundreds of infants died of encephalitis, death toll at Kotas J K Lon Hospital has crossed the 100-mark in the month of December. Reports suggest at least nine more infants died in the last two days. The number of infant deaths in the same hospital in December 2018 was 77, the hospital authorities said. At least nine newborns and infants have died in J K Lon Hospital on December 30 and 31. The number of kids deaths in December has reached 100, the hospital superintendent, Dr Suresh Dulara told The Times of India. unsplash/representational image He added, On December 30, four kids died and on December 31 five kids died. All of them died mainly due to low birth weight and birth weight hypothesis. On Tuesday, the Rajasthan government ordered hospitals attached to medical colleges to check the functional status of all medical equipment and send reports. Last week, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and health minister Raghu Sharma had claimed that that most of the children who died were referred to the hospital in critical condition from nearby districts, including regions of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, said the TOI report. At least 1,005 kids died in 2018 in the hospital, while 963 died in 2019, said Dulara. Among the findings of the top child rights body NCPCR during the inspection of the hospital, revealed broken windows and pigs roaming inside the hospital campus was a common sight. representational image A team from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) team visited the hospital after which its chairperson Priyank Kanoongo issued a show-cause notice to Vaibhav Galtiya, Secretary of Medical Education Department in Rajasthan government, and sought an action taken report from him on its findings. "It is evident that there was no glass in windows panes, gates were broken and as a result the admitted children were suffering from extreme weather conditions," Kanoongo said. He added that the general maintenance and upkeep of the hospital is in the worst possible condition. "Pigs were found roaming inside the campus of the hospital," he said in the notice. The notice also read that there is an acute shortage of staff in the hospital. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has set up a high-level committee of expert doctors and subject experts to inquire about the cause of deaths of new-borns and submit a report at the earlier to prevent such events in the future. " " Your wearable may be giving away a lot of your precious data for free. Guido Mieth/Getty Images Chloe, a 20-something office worker, is a night owl who normally enjoys spending time with friends after work. Last night, however, she went to bed earlier than normal, and when she awoke, she had time to take a brisk walk before breakfast. By the time Chloe arrived at her job, she was well-rested, invigorated from exercise and a good meal, and ready to tackle the day. Then again, her boss already knew that. Chloe and her co-workers are part of a research project that tracks their behavior how much they eat, sleep, exercise, slouch and more using wearable technology [source: Rackspace]. Advertisement Mining personal data isn't just a far-flung concept that could happen in the future. Thanks to burgeoning consumer interest in wearable technologies that track everything from the number of steps walked per day to sleep patterns, we are becoming walking data centers offering free info for the taking [source: Investopedia]. Whether people should be compensated for the data they amass while sporting wearable technology is a sticky wicket we'll need to tackle on the next frontier. Chloe was a willing participant in a month-long study called the Human Cloud at Work, during which she wore three devices to monitor movement, brain activity and posture. But what about the data the rest of us provide via wearable tech? Should the companies or entities that use it pay us for our information? Right now, we're more likely to be paying them. By purchasing wearable technology, you've probably already consented to sharing data. And those consents may not always be well-communicated. Many wearable technology products may not live up to the legal requirements to protect user privacy, as outlined in the Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003, and may not have a privacy policy at all [source: California State Legislature]. Of the devices that do offer privacy policies, their ability to store your data and share it with company partners is common. What's more, an analysis by a technology security company revealed that 100 percent of the hardware-based wearable devices they examined were 100 percent trackable. Some even failed to encrypt user-generated data, such as names, email address and passwords [source: Symantec]. Unless there's a widespread consumer revolt, sharing personal data via wearables isn't likely to wane anytime soon. Is it possible to become so desensitized to sharing personal data that we welcome compensation for it at some point in the future? The answer could very well be "yes." MBTA Transit police arrested two teenagers accused of harassing and intimidating passengers on the MBTAs Orange Line on New Years Eve. Tobias Chance, 19, of East Boston, and Raashan Severino, 18, of Boston were arrested after T officials told police that the pair were bullying riders at around 5:45 p.m. on an Orange Line train headed to Oak Grove on Tuesday. Upon arrival at the platform, a 60-year-old man told officers that Chance had physically assaulted him while on board and prevented him from calling police. After witnessing the interaction between the victim and the officers, the teens ran, police said. The officers arrested them shortly afterwards. Chance is being charged with assault and battery on an elderly person and intimidation of a witness. Chance was also in possession of a replica firearm, police said. Severino is being charged with possession of a class B drug. The masseuse filed a complaint under John Doe, claiming that Spacey attacked him at a massage session in Malibu three years ago. Washington DC: American actor Kevin Spacey has settled the sexual harassment case brought against him by an unnamed massage therapist who died earlier this year. As per the Hollywood reporter, the settlement terms between the actor and the accuser's son who died on September six had not been revealed and a federal judge still had to sign. The masseuse filed a complaint under John Doe, claiming that Spacey attacked him at a massage session in Malibu three years ago. The star was accused of trying to fondle the accuser's genitals and attempting to kiss him. Nevertheless, as per the Hollywood reporter, after the alleged victim expired, the court permitted the special administrative officer of his estate, his son, as a defendant in litigation. Spaceys and the son's both attorneys agreed that the lawsuit should be dismissed by prejudice, which is to say that it could not be filed again, said the Federal Court paperwork lodged in California on Monday. Spacey has been accused of sexual misconduct by over a dozen people. One of them was the ex-husband of Princess Martha Louise of Norway, Ari Behn, who accused Spacey in 2007 of taming him under a table. On Christmas Day Behn committed suicide. Nearly three-fourths of homeless young adults dont seek medical care after being raped, according to a Houston-led survey that reveals missed opportunities to reduce the populations risk of contracting the virus that causes AIDS or developing an unintended pregnancy. Survey participants, located in Houston and six other large cities, most frequently cited a desire not to involve the legal system as their primary reason for not going to the emergency room after sexual assault, even though such interventions are not a necessary component of such visits. Its unfortunate that many victims believe the myth that you have to file a police report when you go to the ER, said Diane Santa Maria, interim dean of the UTHealth School of Nursing and senior author of an article about the survey, published this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The reality is you can be treated for HIV and unintended pregnancy prevention and leave. The treatment post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent the human immunodeficiency virus, the morning-after pill to prevent pregnancy are highly effective if taken soon after a rape, Santa Maria noted. Homeless young adults carry a high burden of HIV compared to the general population, she said. Santa Maria said the surveys biggest surprise was that 44 percent of respondents didnt seek care because they feared subsequent legal involvement. She was not surprised the survey showed most young homeless adults dont seek care after rape, she said. The second most common reason survey respondents didnt visit a medical provider after rape was a view that it wasnt important. Thirty-five percent of respondents gave that reason. The survey, the first to look at the care of homeless rape victims, found one in four in the population are raped within two years of becoming homeless, a number consistent with previous research into sexual assault in homeless young adults. By comparison, one in five women overall will be raped at some point in their life, according to published data. Santa Maria calls homeless young adults a hidden population hard to reach. The survey is part of her ongoing research into how to better help them. STUDY: New tool better at identifying human trafficking The survey findings conform to her experience, said Leslie Bourne, executive director of the Covenant House Texas, the Houston-based shelter for homeless, abused and abandoned young adults. The population is so used to bad stuff happening to them that they learn to live with and deal with it, as if its not a big deal, Bourne said. Plus, they have trust issues so theyre not eager to report things like sexual assault. The survey, conducted on tablets between June 2016 and July 2017, was completed by 1,405 adults between 18 and 26 years of age experiencing homelessness in Houston, Los Angeles, San Jose, Phoenix, St. Louis, Denver and New York City. Roughly 200 adults per city took the survey. The survey identified 337 participants who reported being raped. The rates were highest in people of mixed race, LGBQ and transgender youth and those who were victims of childhood sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Thirty-seven percent of cisgender women and 15 percent of cisgender men in the survey reported they were rape victims. Denver had the lowest rate of respondents reporting rape, 16 percent. The Houston rate, 26 percent, was on par with most of the other cities. Only 98 of the 337 received a post-rape exam. Hispanic victims were the most likely to get an exam and mixed race victims the least likely. Houston victims were more likely to seek care 41 percent to San Joses 20 percent, for instance but the numbers were not statistically significant. Besides fear of the legal system and not thinking it was important, other reasons survey respondents gave for not seeking care were that they didnt know they should go in for care; they didnt where to go; they didnt have insurance; and they couldnt safely leave given their circumstance. The last category was most commonly cited by those with a history of sex trafficking. PEP is effective at preventing the transmission of HIV more than 90 percent of the time if given within 72 hours of sexual activity. It can be given after that window, but effectiveness drops. The morning-after pill is best given within 24 hours, but it can work up to 72 hours after. Santa Maria said the best way to clear up misconceptions that its not important to seek care after rape or that medical providers must report it to the police is for educators to start teaching students at the junior high and high school level. She also called for more health care providers to receive sex assault care training and for an increase in the number of sexual assault nurse examiners. Theres a lot we can do to help, said Santa Maria. We need to respond better as a community, do a better job of educating providers, make sure they know where to send victims. The bottom line is that the trends identified in this survey have to change. todd.ackerman@chron.com MUSCATINE COUNTY When Riley Bowman and his group of about 12 hikers from the Calvary Church of the Quad-Cities in Moline traveled to Wildcat Den State Park to go hiking, they had not heard about the New Years Day hike being held in the park. The crew left after attending church, arriving at the park at about 10 a.m., to be greeted with signs advertising the second annual hike. While there were a few hours to kill before the 1 p.m. start time of the event, the winter sun was warm, the friendship and camaraderie was good, and the nature was calling. The group hiked several areas, including the trail for the hike, while waiting for the event to start so they could hit the trail again. Hiking is just what we like to do, Bowman said, handing out Oreo cookies to his friends as they geared up for the 1.3-mile trek around the park. We have some time on the holidays, and we like to hang out and go hiking. US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan against any "foreign interference" in Libya, the White House said, after Turkish lawmakers approved a military deployment to shore up the UN-backed government in Tripoli. In a telephone call, Trump "pointed out that foreign interference is complicating the situation in Libya," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement. The government in Tripoli has been under sustained attack since April by military strongman General Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by Turkey's regional rivals -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Erdogan has repeatedly accused Russia of sending private mercenaries to support Haftar's forces, though this has been denied by Moscow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan said on Thursday that the inauguration of the historic Kartarpur Corridor which allows Indian pilgrims to undertake visa-free visit to one of Sikhism's holiest shrines, was an important development in the country's foreign policy in 2019. Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui made the comments at the weekly press briefing while highlighting the success of the foreign policy in 2019. "Another important development in the foreign policy domain was the inauguration of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor on 9 November 2019 by Prime Minister Imran Khan," she said. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries such as former Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and over 12,000 Sikh pilgrims, she added. In November, Pakistan and India separately inaugurated the historic corridor on their sides of the border. The corridor provides the shortest route to Indian Sikh pilgrims to the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur area of Pakistan's Narowal district, where Guru Nanak spent last 18 years of his life. Responding to another question, Farooqui said that Pakistan greatly valued the SAARC process as it was a regional organization that is of benefit to all the member states. "Unfortunately, we are faced with the situation where the process is hindered because of a certain member. However, this is something on our radar," she said, in a veiled reference to India. In the last three years, India has been distancing itself from the SAARC, citing security challenge facing the region from terror networks based in Pakistan, which is also a member of the grouping. The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu. The 2016 SAARC summit was to be held in Islamabad. But after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18 that year, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due to "prevailing circumstances". The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the Islamabad meet. SAARC summits are usually held biennially and hosted by member states in alphabetical order. On December 8, 1985 at the first SAARC Summit in Dhaka, the leaders of the seven South Asian states - the Maldives, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka - signed a charter to establish the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Afghanistan became the eight SAARC member in 2007. When asked about Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on a death row in Pakistan, she said that "it is a judicial process and there are important factors involved in it". She, however, refused to share any further details. Talking about ties with China, she said all-weather, strategic, cooperative partnership with China was further enriched in 2019 as Prime Minister Khan undertook two important visits to China, in April and October. She said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project was advancing apace. She also said that the Phase II of China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement became effective from January 1, 2020. Under Phase II, Pakistan has secured enhanced and deeper concessions on products of its export interests, revision of safeguard mechanism for protection of domestic industry, inclusion of the balance of payment clause as a safety valve against balance of payment difficulties, and effective enforcement of electronic data exchange. She observed that the positive trajectory of relations with US was further strengthened in 2019 as Pakistan's positive contribution to peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan was acknowledged internationally. "Throughout 2019, Pakistan's foreign policy made significant strides on multiple fronts. New partnerships were forged and the historic and time-tested relationships were further fortified," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: A Bhutanese delegation visited Buddhist sites of Ratnagiri, Lalitagiri and Udayagiri in Jajpur district on Tuesday. The delegation comprising former national Speaker of the Parliament of Bhutan and former President of Mahabodhi Society of India Dasho Passang Dorji and two monks visited the museums and appreciated the efforts of the Archaeological Survey of India and the State Government for the upkeep and preservation of these important Buddhist vestiges. The relics that were uncovered at Lalitagiri are now kept in the museums there under proper care and security. Dorji lauded the efforts in promoting the ancient Buddhist sites and monuments all over the country. Proper research should be carried out on the relevance and spread of Buddhism from Odisha and the role of Guru Padmasambhava and his origins in the State, he said and suggested that a research centre or a University Chair should be set up for cross-cultural studies of Buddhism in Bhutan and India. The growth of Buddhism in Bhutan was first advanced by the great Uddiyana Guru Padmasambhava in the 8th century CE and he laid the foundation of one of the most important and unifying forces that have sustained the Bhutanese people and contributed to the evolution of their unique cultural and religious tradition. Heritage researcher and member of INTACH Anil Dhir, who accompanied the team to the Buddhist circuit, said the scope of religious and cultural tourism of the sites still remains untapped. If proper awareness and promotion is undertaken, all Buddhist sites of the State will draw more than a million tourists annually, he added. Dorji was accompanied by the Chief Secretary of the Chief Abbot of Bhutan Venerable Ugyen Tenzin, Personal Secretary of the Chief Abbot Venerable Pema Dorji and a devout Buddhist Karma Lhamo. The Centre is in the middle of a serious divestment process and will soon come out with the expression of interest (EoI) documents for privatising national carrier Air India. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday that Air India's EoI is likely to be issued within weeks and the revised EoI for the chopper-operator is also expected soon. The minister was speaking at a media interaction in the national capital. According to Puri, the airline is a good asset, but privatisation is required to save it. The minister said that Air India has accumulated unsustainable debt levels over the years. However, the asset quality has generated interest from private entities and established airlines. He said the national carrier was making a loss of Rs 20-26 crore per day. Currently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah heads the panel looking after the divestment process. Other members of the panel include Puri, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. In the previous Modi government, then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley headed the ministerial panel called Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM). After failing to find a bidder in its previous term, the government is now working on a war-footing to sell Air India to a private player. Air India has a total debt of about Rs 58,000 crore. Regarding predatory pricing, the minister said the practice is a cause of concern and can lead to airlines' closures. Nevertheless, Puri said the trend of predatory pricing has come down. In terms of airport privatisation, the minister said that it is a continuous process and that Airports Authority of India has proposed to privatise six airports. Besides, he said that according to the Uttar Pradesh government, the bulk of land acquisition for Jewar Airport has been completed. As for the safety issues regarding the PW engines which power the Airbus A320neo aircraft, the minister said that these engines will be changed by January 31, 2020. On air fares, he said that these can not be regulated. Amit, who most recently served as Informatica's President of Products and Marketing, has been an integral member of Informatica's leadership team since joining the Company in 2013. During this time, Informatica has undergone a substantial transformation as it has entered new markets, launched Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services and new A.I. driven solutions, deepened its strategic partnerships with ecosystem providers like AWS, Microsoft and GCP, and made its entire portfolio available by subscription. As a result of the Company's consistent innovation and execution, Informatica has been identified as a leader in all 5 Gartner Magic Quadrants in which it participates and expects record proforma net new bookings performance in Q4 2019 and more than $1 billion in recurring revenue in FY 2019. Previously, as President of Products and Marketing, Amit was responsible for Informatica's product strategy, product management, product development, user experience, strategic ecosystems strategy and global marketing function. He previously served as Informatica's Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, where he spearheaded the Company's innovation journey across all parts of the Enterprise Cloud Data Management market (Data Integration, iPaaS, Data Quality, Data Governance, Mater Data Management, Enterprise Data Catalog, and Data Privacy). Prior to joining Informatica, Amit worked in various leadership positions at Symantec, Intuit, and McKinsey & Company, and also spent the earlier part of his career working for Tata Group and Infosys Technologies in India. In these roles, he led large global organizations focused on growth driven by customer-centric innovation, new market expansion and mergers & acquisitions. The Company also announced today that Tracey Newell's role as President, Global Field Operations is being expanded to President, Global Field and Marketing Operations, bringing all of Informatica's customer facing go-to-market functions under one organization in order to deliver a remarkable end-to-end customer experience. In her expanded role, Tracey will now also be responsible for the company's brand, digital, field and portfolio marketing initiatives. Prior to joining Informatica in 2018, Tracey served as Executive Vice President of Global Field Operations and Customer Success at Proofpoint and has also has held senior leadership positions at Polycom, Juniper Networks and Cisco. Tracey also served on the Board of Informatica from 2016-2018. Additionally, Vineet Walia, Informatica's Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, has been promoted to Executive Vice President. As Executive Vice President, Vineet will continue to work closely with the Board and leadership team to develop Informatica's strategy, ensure execution of critical initiatives, and drive value creation. Prior to joining Informatica in 2017, Vineet served as Vice President, Global Sales Strategy, Transformation and Programs at HPE, and Corporate Vice President, Head of Corporate Strategy at Juniper Networks, among other roles. Before Juniper, he served as Senior Principal at Mercer. Informatica today also provided an update on expected full year 2019 financial results based on preliminary Q4 2019 results. The Company expects approximately $1.3 billion in GAAP revenue for 2019, with approximately 80% or more than $1 billion to be recurring revenue on the strength of a greater than 50% compounded annual growth rate for subscription revenue over the last three years, and record proforma net new bookings performance in Q4 2019. Supporting Quotes "I am honored to serve as CEO during this extraordinary era of digital transformation, as Informatica is perfectly positioned to capitalize on this shift and help customers unleash the power of data. We are privileged to have a great customer base, an amazing team of employees across the globe, and a unique leadership position in all the markets where we compete. I look forward to working closely with the Company's Board and leadership team to continue building upon the exceptional transformation we have executed over the past few years and scale a long-term innovation driven organization. Our best days are truly ahead of us," said Amit Walia . . "Since joining Informatica almost seven years ago, Amit has led the Company's product organization and ecosystem strategy, delivering unique products and solutions to extend Informatica's leadership in core markets while establishing its leadership in new areas of Enterprise Cloud Data Management," said Bruce Chizen , Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors at Informatica . "Importantly, Amit is passionate about building people-driven, customer-centric organizations, and I am confident Informatica will continue to thrive under his direction as CEO. On behalf of the entire Board, I want to express our deep appreciation to Anil for his many contributions. We wish him well in his next chapter." . "Importantly, Amit is passionate about building people-driven, customer-centric organizations, and I am confident Informatica will continue to thrive under his direction as CEO. On behalf of the entire Board, I want to express our deep appreciation to Anil for his many contributions. We wish him well in his next chapter." "Informatica is on an exciting trajectory, with expanded product capabilities and the right foundational business model to bring its customers the latest innovations in enterprise cloud data management and accelerate their cloud modernization journeys," highlighted Geoff McKay , Managing Director at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Informatica Board member . "Amit has been instrumental to Informatica's recent success and we look forward to supporting Amit, Tracey, Vineet and the broader management team as they build on this momentum and continue to drive Informatica's progress and performance." . "Amit has been instrumental to Informatica's recent success and we look forward to supporting Amit, Tracey, Vineet and the broader management team as they build on this momentum and continue to drive Informatica's progress and performance." "Informatica is demonstrating impressive growth as it focuses on cloud-first innovation and works with its leading ecosystem partners to empower customers to accelerate their data-driven, A.I. enabled transition to cloud," commented Brian Ruder , Co-Head of Technology and Partner at Permira and Informatica Board member. "Amit has a strong track record of driving operational and strategic success across leading global organizations, and we're delighted to have him at the helm for Informatica's next chapter. We thank Anil for his outstanding leadership during his time as CEO, and believe the Company is incredibly well-positioned as it enters its next phase of growth." Tweet this: News: Informatica (@Informatica) Appoints Amit Walia as Chief Executive Officer https://infa.media/2QEvCvl About Informatica Informatica, the Enterprise Cloud Data Management leader, accelerates data-driven digital transformation. Informatica enables companies to fuel innovation, become more agile, and realize new growth opportunities, resulting in intelligent market disruptions. Over the last 25 years, Informatica has helped more than 9,000 customers unleash the power of data. For more information, call +1 650-385-5000 (1-800-653-3871 in the U.S.), or visit www.informatica.com. Connect with Informatica on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Contact: Informatica Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Informatica Related Links http://www.informatica.com News Washington, DC - The United States welcomes the Duque administrations release of its draft decree on the resumption of aerial coca eradication, which details how it would meet strict health and environmental conditions set by Colombias Constitutional Court. The decision to employ aerial spraying is a sovereign decision for the Colombian government. The release of this draft decree is a critical step toward integrating aerial coca eradication into Colombias comprehensive counternarcotics strategy. Like the United States, Colombia recognizes that a successful counternarcotics approach must address both supply and demand reduction. Cocaine production drives deforestation, dumping of toxic chemicals, a proliferation of violent drug trafficking groups, and a growing trend of cocaine consumption, wreaking havoc every day on the lives of Colombians. The United States supports the efforts of the Colombian government to achieve our joint goal of halving coca cultivation and cocaine production by the end of 2023. JUNEAU, Alaska - A man shot and killed by a Juneau police officer was a tattoo artist who had befriended neighbours and plied his art for them. Kelly Rabbit Stephens, 34, died early Sunday after he was shot once in the abdomen at an apartment complex in the Mendenhall Valley, KTOO reported. The officer, who was placed on administrative leave, had responded to a 911 call from a woman who said she had heard yelling and a gunshot. Police Chief Ed Mercer at a press conference Sunday said the responding officer got to the apartment complex, stepped out of his patrol car and heard yelling. The officer saw a man approaching and swinging a chain. The man yelled at the officer that he was going to kill him several times, Mercer said, adding the officer repeatedly told the man to stop. When Stephens didnt stop, Mercer said, the officer shot him once in the torso. Neighbour Georgianna Joseph said Stephens had inked tattoos on her and other friends. Stephens had been in her apartment on Saturday night, Joseph said. There was no alcohol, no drugs or anything, she said. Stephens later argued with a neighbour. Joseph said. There was yelling but no one displayed a weapon, she said, and she did not hear a gunshot. Afterward, she said, Stephens took off to walk his puppy while carrying a dog leash. Never in a million years did she think she would later see him shot, she said. After the shooting, police handcuffed Stephens and called paramedics. The weapon that was recovered was on a rope and at the very end was a chain that appears to be a motorcycle chain with a carabiner attaching it, Mercer said. It could look like a leash, but it was a rope with a carabiner and a chain. Witnesses tried to help Stephens but were kept back by police, Joseph said. An officer may have given Stephens medical assistance, Mercer said. Stephens died at Bartlett Regional Hospital. State Troopers will assist with the investigation. Juneau police officers are equipped with BodyWorn, an audio and video recording system. Mercer said there are also mobile video systems in police cars. The shooting was the second involving a Juneau police officer last year and the first fatal one since 2007. London: The national security challenges facing Britain in the coming decade will be very different, and immensely more demanding than those it encountered in the decade we have just left behind. Compared with the global threats we face today, the entanglements of the past 10 years were, relatively speaking, fairly straightforward, and mainly the legacy of the counter-terrorism campaign launched in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001 known as the war on terror. This meant there were clearly defined foes, whether the Taliban in Afghanistan or Islamic State (IS), and its failed attempt to establish its self-proclaimed caliphate in the Middle East. The strategy devised by Western states such as the United States and Britain to defeat them was, in essence, a sophisticated form of counter-insurgency operations. The Old City of Mosul on the left river bank after a punishing nine-month battle to oust Islamic State militants. Credit:Maxar/AP Yet, while this response has, to an extent, achieved its goals, there is now a growing awareness in military and defence circles that the all-consuming focus on defeating Islamist-inspired militancy has left us ill-prepared for the challenges we are likely to face in the 2020s. Mayra Beltran, Staff / Houston Chronicle Occidental Petroleum added to its board of directors Thursday with the appointment of a former chief executive of Schlumberger as Oxy aims to instill more confidence with shareholders after risking its future to buy Anadarko Petroleum for $38 billion last year. Andrew Gould, who previously headed the world's largest oilfield services firm until 2011, will join the board of Houston-based Oxy in March at a time when Oxy is looking to cut costs, reduce its debt and sell some assets after making the biggest energy acquisition of the past few years to secure its position as the largest producer in the booming Permian Basin. The anti Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests across the country seem to have taken on a scale that no one originally anticipated. To be true, when the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) was introduced in Lok Sabha and then Rajya Sabha and became an Act when the presidential seal was put on it, not many people, least of them Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, thought it will cause such a massive backlash from common public. Now many people are already calling it a bigger movement than even the JP Movement of 1974 or Anna Hazares anti-corruption movement that catapulted the BJP to power at the Center. The intensity of the protests is spreading like wildfire to almost every part of the country, notwithstanding the fact the UP brutally suppressed anti-CAA protests causing death to as many as twenty people, including an eight year old child and incarceration of thousands and thousands of people, many of who continue to languish in jail on draconian charges. The saffron robed chief minister of UP not just gave a free hand to police to tackle protesters most of them peaceful but also talked of extracting revenge from protesters. Following the bouts of huge protests across the state, the Adityanath was quoted by the PTI as saying, There was violence in Lucknow and Sambhal and we will deal with it strictly. All properties of those involved in damaging public assets will be seized and auctioned to compensate for the losses. They have been captured in video and CCTV footage. We will take badla (revenge) on them. This language of revenge was apparently never used by any other chief minister not just in the state, but anywhere in the country. What followed in the state is no secret. Two other states where efforts were made to forcefully suppress the protests also happened to be BJP ruled states of Assam and Karnataka. In states where non-BJP governments are in power, no loss of life or property has been reported. Massive protests are being reported from every part of the country. From Gods own country, Kerala, to Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal, every state has seen a groundswell of support to anti-CAA protests. However, two protests sites that have galvanized the protests, and spurred anti CAA/NRC protests, demonstrations and rallies, at Jamia Millia and Shaheen Bagh, have become the rallying points for people of all backgrounds and age groups. The ghettos of Shaheen Bagh and Abul Fazal Enclave, the area bisected by upscale Noida in UP and Jasola Vihar in Delhi, no go areas for people outside the locality, have become sort of picnic spots for people from across the National Capital Region (NCR). When the clock stuck 12 in the night on December 31, at least a quarter of people at Shaheen Bagh protest site were people from across Delhi, outside Jamia Nagar and many of them were non-Muslims. Every day more and more new faces are turning up at protest sites in Jamia Millia and Shaheen Bagh and everyone seems to be impressed by the discipline of the protesting boys and girls, men and women, teenagers and even pre-teens. The most amazing aspect of the protests, that not many people had anticipated, was the fact that the protests have become a symbol of discipline, regulation, control and dedication. The Jamia protest site, where protesters gather from noon till sunset, will certainly become a textbook material for future organizers of the protests how despite a raging controversy the protesters can be so self disciplined and regimented. When thousands of thousands of protesters leave the protest site, a massive amount of trash is left behind. This shouldnt amaze many. However what should amaze people is the fact that student and local volunteers collect every piece of trash left behind by protesters and clean the entire site as if professional cleaners had been deployed for the job. This has been the case ever since the protests broke out in the national capital. The brutal crackdown on Jamia Millia protesters on December 15, when the police used disproportionate force to disperse a group of protesting students and went on rampage in the huge library of the central university, had everything to further inflame the atmosphere and further agitate the students. However, the students, led by no political or community organization, but faceless youngsters from their midst have taken a path that no one anticipated them to take. Had they got agitated or gone on rampage in response to police highhandedness, not many would have blamed them. However, they relieved the pressure through nationalist plays, songs, rhymes and ingenious sloganeering that is attracting people from all walks of life and from all religious backgrounds. Now they are being entertained by standup comedians, Bollywood actors and other celebrities from across the country, making it all the more attractive for youngsters of all age and backgrounds to come and join. Similar is the case of Shaheen Bagh protest site where women, many of them donning headscarves, have taken the complete control. For me personally this is nothing short of a miracle, as many young and not so young women, who rarely ventured out of their homes, are now taking control of a massive protest movement. I seriously hope this will be a harbinger of change in the larger Muslim society across the country. It will dawn an era where Muslim women will be allowed to not just take the charge of their own lives, but also start playing leadership role in the larger society. While I hope these protests bear fruit and the protesters succeed in forcing the government to repeal CAA and NRC, however, if this is the only take away of the protests, I will still be very happy. These women have become very outspoken, assertive and voice their opinions without any inhibition. Anyone can take the mike from among the crowd and speak up. Throughout the day, it is women, mostly from nearby localities who speak and voice their dissent not just against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, but also about everything that they deem fit. The atmosphere here seems to be charged and lively. As they are served biryani and chai (tea) brought by people thronging the place during the extremely harsh Delhi winter, the bonhomie is visible despite the apparent difference of class, background and also religion. Prime Minister Modi once called Delhi the rape capital of India. A large number of such cases are reported on a daily basis. When the number of women started swelling among the protesters, this scared many organizers of the protests, as they thought the female participants will be harassed, eave teased or even molested in the protests attended by thousands and thousands of boys and girls. Had this happened, it wouldnt have surprised many as it happens daily on Delhi streets. The national capital reported the highest number of crimes against women in the year 2017 when, according to NCRB data at least 11,542 cases of crime against women were reported. It is three times higher than the crimes reported in Mumbai. However, almost twenty days since the beginning of the protests, not a single incident of molestation has been reported either from Jamia Millia protest site or from Shaheen Bagh. This didnt happen even on the New Year eve when at least thirty thousand people from across the capital gathered at the extremely crowded stretch of road that makes the protest hotspot of Shaheen Bagh. Women of all ages, religions, caste and creed were there to witness the dawn of a new year along with men of all ages, singing national anthem, Bharat Mata ki Jai, Sare Jahan se acha and popular revolutionary songs including Faiz Ahmad Faizs Ham bhi dekhenge. However, not a single woman was harassed, no one pushed or molested as usually happens on every road, every market and during every festive season in Delhi on almost daily basis. .) A Tik-Tok video that has gone viral over social media shows Pakistani TikTok star, Hareem Shah allegedly in a conversation with Imran Khan government's railway's minister, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad accusing him of inappropriate behaviour. Shah has come out to say that the video is authentic and was accidentally leaked by her friend. The video which has gone viral in Pakistan has garnered negative comments including death threats towards Hareem Shah saying that she will be killed "just like Qandeel Baloch", a social media star who was murdered by her own brother. Read: Virat Kohli's childhood coach slams 'desperate' Pakistan, tells them to learn from BCCI Sheikh Rasheeds TikTok video chat with models Hareem & Sundal Khattack goes viral. Whats going on in the republic? pic.twitter.com/fFdJ2IAX9l Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) December 28, 2019 Read: Indian Army chief's remark of 'preemptively strike' right 'irresponsible': Pakistan Foreign Office In the video, a girl's voice can be heard saying "I haven't exposed any of your secrets till now", to which a man's voice allegedly the railway minister can be heard saying, "Allah knows." After which the woman slams him saying, "Aap nanga hoke mujhe dikhaate the. Video pe galat-galat kism ki hartakein karte the. (You used to get naked to show me. You used to do inappropriate actions on camera)." Read: PM Modi tears into Congress & friends' silence on Pakistan's persecution of minorities Who is Pak's new Tik Tok sensation? Hareem Shah who has over 2.1 million followers and millions of views on her videos gained fame after she shared a video of herself casually strolling in the Foreign Office of Pakistan on TikTok on October 22, 2019. The video shows her walking and then going ahead to sit on the chair at the head of the table in the Foreign Office. After the Foreign Office video was posted, another video of Hareem Shah with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan went viral questioning how the seemingly ordinary girl has political connections of such level. Read: Imran Khan's govt approves amendment to Pakistan Army Act in an emergency meeting By Park Eun-hong North Korea-U.S. relations are heading toward extreme opposition. At this point, I want to emphasize the Myanmar model, which shows that the crisis on the Korean Peninsula cannot be solved without unconditional inclusive engagement with North Korea. Before Myanmar President Thein Sein-led reforms and efforts to open up, some in the West criticized their camp's failed containment policies toward Myanmar and the labeling of the country as an "outpost of tyranny," as this did not bring about regime change but rather raised a defensive response. For example, one analysis of the Myanmar military's move of the capital city in November 2005 from the then-capital of Yangon to Naypyidaw, a mountainous region located 320 kilometers north of the then-capital suggested that the purpose was to avoid an attack from the United States. In light of this situation, criticism arose that the Western powers' sanctions in the name of human rights and democracy only revealed their moral superiority, but such sanctions could not have any practical effects. In retrospect, the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military, had chosen a "modified isolationism" after a landslide defeat by the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, in the May 1990 general elections. "Modified isolationism" was meant to confront U.S.-led Western diplomatic and economic sanctions while seeking diplomatic and economic channels through improved relations with China and India. China has rapidly increased its investment in Myanmar, blocking a U.N. Security Council resolution to impose sanctions on it. India once supported Myanmar's democratization shortly after the August 1988 democratic uprising but then later expanded trading of military supplies and economic exchanges with Myanmar under its military rule. Meanwhile, ASEAN's acceptance of Myanmar as a member in 1997 under the banner of "One Southeast Asia," despite opposition from the West, has become an invaluable opportunity for isolated Myanmar to join the international society. In 2011, when political and economic opening in Myanmar began, a Myanmar scholar's paper was published in an international academic journal and dealt with the view of the developmental state on Myanmar and Suharto's Indonesia. The "theory of developmental state" has focused on the "economic miracle" and "developmental dictatorship" of the first generation of East Asian industrializing countries such as Korea and Taiwan, which contrasted with most third-world countries that experienced a dictatorship without development. In particular, we can say that the reform and opening of Asian socialist countries such as China and Vietnam, which are considered quickly emerging major markets, are gaining momentum in terms of growth in the context of developmental states. These changes can be characterized by "orderly transition" and "decompression." Most of all, the Myanmar model could offer many insights to the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, as Myanmar historically has some significant similarities with North Korea. The elites in power, who had experienced colonialism, experimented with a non-capitalist path toward self-reliance, subsequently collapsing into one of the most isolated, development-free dictatorships in the international community, cementing their military-first politics. Additionally, both had to face full diplomatic sanctions as they were classified as outposts of tyranny by the United States. Nevertheless, the Tatmadaw launched Thein Sein's government in March 2011, the seventh and final step in the road map to "disciplined democracy," which led to the historic reconciliation with Aung San Suu Kyi. The fact that these changes were implemented under Myanmar's 2008 constitution, which guarantees the safety and privilege of the military elites, should be noted. This, to a certain extent, is comparable to the function of North Korea's nuclear weapons to guarantee its regime. It is worth noting that ASEAN has supported Myanmar's process from the perspective of "change through inclusion" despite warning from Western powers. The ongoing reform and opening of Myanmar could not have been possible without ASEAN's proactive role as a mediator, though this is not the only contribution of ASEAN. Turning to the Korean Peninsula, the international community needs to encourage the North Korean leadership to follow the "capitalist developmental state model" by giving the gift of engagement rather than penalty, i.e. sanctions. The very gradual easing of repression under the new constitution and the road map in Myanmar that guarantees Tatmadaw's might should be taken into account. I endorse the Myanmar model based on ASEAN's inclusive approach, which prompted reconciliation between democracy defenders and Tatmadaw, to encourage North Korea toward becoming a developmental state without reliance on nuclear weapons. I believe that a bold decision to lift the economic blockade under current containment policy would be beneficial instead of a solution map to realize denuclearization through sanctions. Park Eun-hong is a professor of the faculty of social science at Sungkonghoe University. The views expressed in the above article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times. Asm. Mike Gipsons Top Aide Announces Bid to Become First Black President of LA County Young Democratic Club District Director to Assemblymember Mike Gipson and current Los Angeles County Young Democrat (LACYD) Regional Board Member, Chris Wilson recently declared his bid for President of the LACYDs. His announcement was made before a jam packed crowd at the December meeting of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party earlier this month. If elected, Chris Wilson would be the first African American President in the history of the club. 2020 is just around the corner, and with LACYD being the largest organization of its kind in California, it is only fitting that we head into the Presidential year unified, strong, and focused, said Chris Wilson. As President, it will be my top priority to hit the ground running on day one and restore the basic fundamentals our club was founded on. This is not about me. Its about the soul and future of this organization. Wilson has racked up early endorsements from Assemblymember Mike Gipson and Long Beach Councilmember Rex Richardson, who became the youngest Vice Mayor in the history of the city in 2016. More information on Wilsons campaign can be found here: https://wilsonforlacyd.com/ ADVERTISEMENT The election will be held in mid-January. Five witnesses testified against Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and his close aide Zafar Iqbal on Thursday for their involvement in terror financing before an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan Lahore: Five witnesses testified against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his close aide Zafar Iqbal on Thursday for their involvement in terror financing before an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan. The anti-terrorism court Lahore indicted Saeed and his close aides Hafiz Abdul Salam, Muhammad Ashraf and Iqbal on terror financing charges on 11 December. "The five witnesses testified against Saeed and Iqbal for their involvement in terror financing," a court official told PTI after hearing. He said a legal team of Saeed and Iqbal comprising advocates Naseerudin Nayar and Imran Fazal Gill cross-examined the witnesses. He said ATC-I Lahore Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta adjourned hearing till Friday and directed the prosecution to produce more witnesses. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police also produced the Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief, Iqbal, Abdul Salam, Abdul Rehman Makki, Muhammad Ashraf and the JuD spokesperson Yahya Mujahid in another case in ATC-II. ATC-II Judge Muhammad Iqbal adjourned hearing till 9 January in that case. Strict security measures were taken in and outside the court premises before the appearance of the top JuD leaders. Journalists were not allowed to enter the court premises to cover the proceedings because of security issues. The defence counsel had already taken a stance denying allegations against the JuD leaders as baseless and a result of international pressure on Pakistan government. The CTD had registered 23 FIRs against Saeed and his accomplices on the charges of terror financing in different cities of Punjab province and arrested him on 17 July. He is held at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. Saeed-led JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice. The US has also welcomed Saeed's indictment, urging Islamabad to ensure a full prosecution and expeditious trial of the charges against him. The indictment followed growing international pressure on Pakistan to stop militant groups from collecting funds in the country and to take immediate action against those still involved in militant activities. The protests that have been raging in India for about three weeks now to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) have led to arrest of several activists and demonstrators in the light of the violence that emerged. Activists Ekta and Ravi Shekhar returned home to their 14-month-old baby on Thursday, a day after an Uttar Pradesh court gave bail to them and 56 others arrested for protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC nearly two weeks ago. The Shekhars, who run the environment NGO Climate Agenda and made national headlines with many voicing concern about their toddler daughter being left alone, were among the 59 people taken into custody during the protests on December 19. On Wednesday, the court of the additional sessions judge, Varanasi, granted bail to Ekta (32) and Ravi (36), residents of Mehmoorganj, and 56 others, ending their ordeal. "I didn't think it would take so long," an emotional Ekta told NDTV as she hugged her daughter after two weeks. "Main bata nahin sakti (I can't put it in words)," she said when asked how it felt. The bail application of the couple -- nabbed along with other protesters from Left groups from Beniyabagh and nearby localities for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CRPC -- was initially cancelled by a lower court and the next hearing fixed for January 1. In their absence, their baby was being taken care of by her grandmother Sheila Tiwari, uncle Shashikant and her aunts. When protesters in Uttar Pradesh gathered to voice their concerns against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), they alleged that they were met with lathis, bullets and unspeakable violence. While the Uttar Pradesh Police held firm their claim of not firing even a single bullet on the protesting crowd, the reports and videos that surfaced later claimed otherwise. Violence continued for days. Men, women and children were injured and assaulted by the unruly police. A team of human rights activists has accused the UP Police of targeting Muslims in the repercussion of protests against the CAA in Muzaffarnagar in UP. A civilian fact-finding team which includes prominent human rights activists like John Dayal, Kavita Krishnan and Harsh Mander claim that they have proof that it was Police that incited violence and Muslims were abused and tortured. The activists posted a series of videos on Twitter and Facebook showing Muslims being targeted by the UP Police during the protests against the argumentative CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC). The UP Police have not commented on the claims yet. Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals (GNFC) said India's telecom ministry has asked it to pay over Rs 15,000 crore in overdue fees by 23 January 2020. GNFC will seek legal advice in the matter, which pertains to licenses for satellite phones and internet services held between 2005 to 2019, according to its exchange filing Wednesday. The notice comes in the wake of Supreme Court's 24 October 2019 judgment in favour of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) which implied that telecom service providers, internet service providers (ISPs) and virtual network operators, among others, would now need to pay their dues basis a wider definition of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) including non-core items. GNFC holds V-SAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) and ISP (Internet Service Provider) licenses. The GNFC stock hit the day's low of Rs 155.15 in early trade, its lowest intraday level since 20 August 2019. It recovered as the session progressed and was now trading 1.88% higher at Rs 165.15. The recovery was supported by bargain hunting after the scrip corrected 5.87% in four sessions to end at Rs 162.10 yesterday from its close of Rs 172.20 on 26 December 2019. On consolidated basis, GNFC reported a 71.5% decline in net profit to Rs 85.07 crore on an 18.8% drop in net sales to Rs 1332.35 crore in Q2 September 2019 over Q2 September 2018. GNFC is engaged in manufacturing and selling fertilizers such as urea and ammonium nitrophosphate under the umbrella Narmada. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kwara State Government has defended the demolition of a house belonging to late Olusola Saraki in Ilorin, the state capital. Murtala Olanrewaju, the Commissioner for Communications in Kwara, also said security officials thwarted the attempts by some persons to provoke governments agents on lawful duty during the demolition. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the demolition of the property commenced in the early hours of Thursday. According to witnesses, the building, popularly called Ile Arugbo, was demolished at about 4:00 a.m. This came after the security operatives dispersed protesters who kept vigil to prevent the demolition. It was gathered that the government on Wednesday around 2 a.m. tried to demolish the structure but was stopped by protesters. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the state governor, last month, announced the decision to revoke the late Olusola Sarakis property owing to alleged illegality in its acquisition. He said the land was originally designated for the construction of a secretariat and parking lot of the civil service clinic, but that it was unlawfully allocated to a private firm Asa Investments Limited without any record of payment to the state government. However, the late Sarakis son and former senate president, Bukola Saraki, countered the statement, saying his late father lawfully acquired the land from the state government. He also accused the state governor of being against the legacies of his father. The Saraki family has largely controlled Kwara politics since 1999 as the late Olusola Saraki and his son determined who became governors, lawmakers, and who held other key positions. However, Mr Saraki of the PDP lost the 2019 elections in Kwara as the APC won the governorship and legislative seats in the state. Bukola Saraki Mr Sarakis younger sister, Gbemisola, is, however, a member of the APC and currently a minister in President Muhammadu Buharis cabinet. Dealing with Protesters In its statement explaining the demolition, the Kwara government said it was not served with an court papers to stop the demolition. It also said security officers exhibited the highest level of restraint and professionalism to disperse the protesters. The Kwara State Government early today began the physical reclamation of the plot of land bordering the civil service clinic in Ilorin, Mr Olanrewaju said. The reclamation exercise began in the early hours of Thursday to avoid any needless confrontation. Attempts by some persons to provoke governments agents on lawful duty were resisted by the security agents who exercised the highest level of restraint and professionalism. Contrary to the claim that the State Government was served court papers on the matter, we state that no court paper has been served as at the time the government took steps to preserve what lawfully belongs to the people. Finally, we urge the people of the state to remain calm, peaceful, and be guided only by facts of the matter and not be drawn into emotional outburst that is targeted at distracting the public from the issues at stake. While the administration is focused on restoring sanity to the state after years of barefaced impunity, we will do so within the limit of the law. The first international visitors arriving in HCM City in 2020 pose for a photo. (Photo qdnd.vn) Four of them arrived on a Japan Airlines' flight while the others arrived from France on a flight operated by national carrier Vietnam Airlines in cooperation with Air France. This year, the city will make a breakthrough in implementing its tourism development strategy with the introduction of sustainable and culture-based tourism products in order to attract 10 million foreign visitors and 35 million domestic tourists. It will also strive to earn 165 trillion VND (more than 7.1 billion USD) from tourism services in 2020. Last year, the city's tourism turnover saw a year-on-year increase of 10 percent to reach more than 140 trillion VND (6.04 billion USD). During the year, it received 8.62 million international arrivals, up 13.5 percent year-on-year, and 33 million domestic visitors, up 13 percent year on year. Here in the Haifa neighborhood of Bat Galim, where there are few tourists, Middle Eastern politics becomes more lucid. In this great city where Jew and Muslim work together with Christians and a variety of other ethnic groups, perhaps the formula for peace in the Middle East can be found. As I drove past the old city square in this rapidly growing metropolis, I noticed in the middle of the roundabout an enormous decorated Christmas tree. On one side of the tree was a large gold colored Star of David with Hanukkah candles arrayed along the top. On the other side of the Christmas tree is an equally high post with a moon crescent and star representing Islam. Whether it was in the emergency room at the Rambam Hospital, where my wife Kim spent the evening, or the car repair dealership where I took my daughters car in to be repaired, Jew, Arab, and Christian work together seamlessly as colleagues. Americans can learn a lot from the cooperation that goes on in this country every day. It cannot be questioned for a moment by any honest observer that Israel is a sea of tranquility in one of the worst neighborhoods in the world. What destabilizes the Middle East is money from fundamentalist Muslim Arab regimes that seek the destruction of Israel, the exclusion of Christians from the Middle East, and lies spread about Israel throughout the Western world. The excellent working relationships between majority and minority groups within Israel should be an example of how the Palestinian Authority should govern its people. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Instead, the Arabs governed by the Palestinian Authority are jailed if they sell land to Jews. Dissent is brutally quashed by the Palestinian Authority and the Gaza Strip knows no democracy. Rights for women and other minorities are not even conceived of seriously in any area governed either by the Palestinian Authority or Hamas. What those enclaves of terrorism need is more Israel and less enabling by the West and by wealthy Arab oil regimes. Peace will come to the Middle East, just as it exists within Israel, once anti-Semitism is banished. Those in the West who enable anti-Semitism through their unrelenting attacks on Israel do civilized society no favor. Iran, when the Democrats controlled the White House received billions of dollars to destabilize the region. That money was used by Iran to create totalitarian terrorist enclaves in Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, just to name a few. Hate Trump or love him, he is beginning to cut off the snake at its head. Irans economy is in the tank, its revenues from oil are falling dramatically, and its people are rising up against the religious regime which rules the country. For the first time since 1979, it appears that Iran may be faltering in its ability to control the Middle East. No longer should that region of the world be safe for radical Islam. The real issue is what is going on with the Democrats in America? Why do they seem so myopic? As one who still appreciates many components of the Democratic philosophy, it is clear that the tail is wagging the dog. Those in the Democratic Party who wish to exclude all other opinions, and tell false stories about Israel, are in the ascendancy. Is it about blatant anti-Semitism? Undoubtedly there is some component of that. How about ignorance? Without question much of the verbiage about Israel is simply untrue. The Democrats have joined the Free Palestine movement. Palestine is the name given to Israel by the Romans. After a portion of the land of Israel was illegally occupied by the Jordanians from 1948 to 1967, the Arabs named that West Bank territory Palestine. However, that name did not come into being as an Arab enclave until 1697 when Israel, in a fight for survival, liberated the area from the Jordanians. The Israelis were welcomed as heroes by the Arabs who had formerly been under the thumb of the Jordanian Monarchy. What has happened since 1967 is that radical Islam financed by regimes like Iran, Syria, and their terrorist allies, have infested both the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Gaza Strip with the worst sort of malevolence. Gaza has had one election after Israel turned it over to the Arabs, and that election placed into power Hamas which almost daily attacks Israel with missiles. The West Bank, which Jews correctly call Judea and Samaria, is governed by another despot named Muhammad Abbas. His Palestinian Authority pays money to murders of Jews and others. There will be no elections under Abbas either. The Palestinian Authority governs and polices its own people. That portion of Palestine which is Muslim Arab, is indeed freed. What those people mean who say Free Palestine is that the Jews should be driven once again from their ancient homeland in Israel. What the Palestinian Authority does not have is a full-scale military capable of threatening the existence of Israel as is currently occurring in Gaza. To create yet another right-wing totalitarian dictatorship on the West Bank of the Jordan River armed to the teeth with missiles and rockets aimed at Israel is either insane or is promoted by those who would like to see the destruction of Israel. Would people like Bernie Sanders like to see Israel destroyed? Sanders views the Middle East in much the way that the extremist Muslim world does; the Middle East should be a place without Jews or Christians. The Middle East, once home to 35% of Christianity, is down to less than 5%. Christians have been driven out, killed, and had their property appropriated in virtually every Middle Eastern country except for Israel, where Christianity is thriving and has increased. The Muslim Arabs themselves have no greater freedom anywhere in the world, and that includes the United States, than in the State of Israel where they occupy the parliament, the Knesset, in equal proportion to their percentage within the State of Israel. What needs to happen in the Middle East is to Free Israel. Israel should be entitled to include within recognized boundaries all of the area up to the Jordan River. The League of Nations and other agreements actually gave what is present-day Jordan to the Jews as their national homeland since it was part of the historic Jewish nation. Arguments to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel are nothing more than a substitute for ancient anti-Semitism which placed the Jews in ghettos and prohibited them from commercial transactions with others. This form of racism must be banished forever. A 40-year-old native of Angola and citizen of France has reportedly died in the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on January 1. While speaking to an international media outlet the ICE said that person died at a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico and had been in the custody since November 12. The man is reportedly the fourth person to die in ICE custody in the 2020 fiscal year, which began in October. According to international media reports, the man was jailed at the Otero County Processing Center until December 11, when he was taken to the Torrance County Detention Facility. The next day, authorities at the detention facility had sent him to the hospital for treatment after which he died at the hospital on December 29. The ICE reportedly said that an autopsy is pending to determine the official cause of the death and the French consular officials are further attempting to locate the next of kin. READ: Any Howls?: Subramanian Swamy Cites Hungarian Policy On Immigration To Slam CAA Critics The death of 40-year-old follows that of Nebane Abienwi of Cameroon, who reportedly died in ICE custody in San Diego, California back in October after a brain haemorrhage. Under US President Donald Trump the ICE has expanded the number of people it detains to record levels. According to reports, as of mid-December, the agency was detaining nearly 42,000 immigrants in custody. The authorities have long said that it is dedicated to providing timely and comprehensive medical care to immigrants in its custody, however, another Cuban citizen died of an apparent suicide last year. READ: US CBP Use Santa To Make A Point About Legal Immigration, Netizens Disappointed 'System which has failed to protect' Between December 2018 and May 2019, five children from Guatemala also reportedly died in detention after their apprehension by US border officials. The medical care in ICE detention has reportedly come under scrutiny by Congressional officials in recent weeks. Trump has implemented numerous measures to curb a sharp increase in people crossing over the southern US border which overwhelmed the immigration system. According to international media reports, the Human Rights Watch said that the death of Henandez-Diaz has raised 'disturbing questions' about a system which has 'failed' to protect asylum seekers and other immigrants in its care over and over again. READ: US Awards Immigration Detention Contracts In California READ: Bernie Sanders Slams Donald Trump Over 'dividing' Immigration Policies Terry Pratchett, the globally popular satirist, once admonished: Never poke a badger with a spoon. While Pennsylvania may not have badgers it does have a large and growing number of suburban and rural landowners who post their property against hunters, among others. Its been years, decades, even generations now that we have heard the effect this action has had on hunting opportunities. Trespass was a key point in the battle (and make no mistake, it was a battle) over expanding hunting on Sunday. So, what does the PGC and the groups that essentially hold undue influence over it go and do? They poke those rural and suburban landowners even before the latest battle was over by pushing an allowance for hunters to enter private lands to retrieve wayward hunting dogs. I have not seen anything prior to this move to prove it was a concern, let alone one requiring action by the legislature. Where does the legislature get the authority to allow such to begin with? The expansion of hunting on Sunday has not been given its field trials yet and the results of the rifle deer opener on Saturday is still to be judged as far as trespass goes. Both of those were major pokes and will have adverse ramifications. I have no doubt that one, let alone all three of these actions are going to blow back on the hunting community, which is in dire straits as it is and can ill afford anymore set backs. David Kveragas, Newton Township, Lackawanna County New Delhi [India], Jan 2 (ANI): A CBI court sent a senior official of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and two others to judicial custody till January 6 in connection with an alleged Rs 25 lakh bribery case. The Central Bureau of Investigation had on Wednesday arrested an Additional Director General, DRI, Ludhiana (Punjab) and two private persons including a friend of the public servant in an alleged bribery case. Special CBI judge Kiran Bansal has decided to send all the three accused to judicial custody till January 6 after concluded the arguments. All these accused today produced at the residence of concern judge. Advocate Sanjay Abott, who represented one of the accused in the case, opposed the remand application filed by the CBI. It was alleged that in June 2019, the DRI had conducted a search at a private clearing agency which provides services to various exporters, a CBI spokesperson said here, adding some documents pertaining to an exporter were also seized. According to the CBI, a case was registered against the accused on a complaint. It was alleged that in June 2019, DRI Ludhiana had conducted a search at a private clearing agency which provides services to various exporters. In this search, some documents pertaining to an exporter were also seized. The complainant, a resident of Delhi submitted a complaint to CBI that a Clearing House Agent and a close friend of the ADG, DRI, Ludhiana demanded Rs. 3 crore on behalf of the public servant for ensuring that he would not be implicated by DRI pertaining to recovery of his documents. CBI caught both private persons while demanding and accepting Rs 25 lakh from the complainant. During the investigation, the public servant was also arrested. Searches are being conducted at the premises including residence/office of arrested accused located at Delhi, Noida and Ludhiana. (ANI) DURRES, ALBANIAStill bleeding, the gash on his hand covered in dirty gauze, Xhafer Ahmetaj surveyed the mountain of rubble where his friends had been buried after an earthquake struck in November. Only one teenage boy was pulled out alive. Eight other members of the Lala family, including two toddlers, were killed in the 6.4 magnitude quake. Ahmetaj, 79, a former military officer, took in the devastation and shook his head. Nature, at its most violent, was to blame. But so, too, were people at their most greedy. If you would have seen this place when it was a marsh, a place where people came to fish, you wouldnt think houses could ever have been built here, Ahmetaj said. Yet they were built the construction often compromised by corruption in a pattern repeated across Albania, a small Balkan nation. The Nov. 26 earthquake in Albania killed 51 people, sent hundreds to hospitals and left thousands homeless. As the shock recedes, the tragedy offers a stark warning for a region that has been devastated by much more powerful quakes in the past and that experts warn is ill-prepared for the next big one. From Bucharest in Romania to Sophia in Bulgaria and across the Balkan nations in southeastern Europe, successive governments have failed to address the risks posed by aging buildings. Or they encouraged building booms in the 1990s, during the transition from communism to capitalism, in which safety standards often took a back seat to a quick buck. The result is that millions of people live in homes unlikely to survive a major earthquake, experts say. Driving through the hardest hit areas after the recent earthquake in Albania, the scale of the challenge was evident. The quake had rendered poorly constructed buildings even more vulnerable, exposing tens of thousands to potential future danger. The country does not have nearly enough engineers and experts to assess all the properties that were damaged and even when the risk is known, the cost of doing needed repairs is often prohibitive in one of Europes poorest countries. In December, Prime Minister Edi Rama said the government was reshaping the budget to help deal with the crisis but that international support was desperately needed. Simply, it is humanly impossible to do this alone, he said. While Albania continues to reel, others in the region are using the moment to sound an alarm. Walking the streets of the old city in Bucharest, visitors with a keen eye will spot red circles just above the eye line on hundreds of buildings. They were put there by engineers to classify the buildings at greatest risk in the event of seismic activity. In the Romanian capital alone, 349 structures were deemed at the highest risk and likely to collapse in a major earthquake. Many of them are apartment complexes. Hundreds of other buildings are expected to suffer major structural damage. And those are just the ones that have been inspected. We only speak of about 300 buildings in danger of collapsing in Bucharest, said Matei Sumbasacu, the founder of Re:Rise, Romanias first nongovernmental organization focused on reducing seismic risk. We know about another 1,600 buildings, and we dont know how many others there are. But we are pretending that we need to resurvey them because, who knows, maybe they got stronger in the past 25 years. This is criminal, he added, and we are telling this to the people inside the buildings. He is so passionate about the subject that he has tattooed on his right forearm the seismic data of an earthquake that rocked the country in 1977. Still, the memories of past tragedies have a way of fading. Romania has experienced two devastating earthquakes in the 20th century. In 1940, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck at Vrancea, in eastern Romania, and caused widespread destruction. Then, on March 4, 1977, a 7.2 magnitude quake hit in the same region. The ensuing shock waves destroyed more than 30 high-rise buildings in Bucharest, almost 100 miles away. An estimated 1,578 people were killed, and roughly 11,000 were injured. It was one of the worst natural disasters in modern Romanian history and led to a series of reforms. Professor Radu Vacareanu, the rector at the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest, said that no country was truly ready for a large-scale earthquake, except for perhaps Japan. Since its 1977 quake, Romania has put in place good technical regulations, with fairly rigorous enforcement, he said. But progress in retrofitting some of the most at-risk private buildings has not been as good as expected, he said, mainly because of complicated ownership. You have buildings with many owners of different apartments, and it is very difficult, almost impossible in some situations, to get a consensus, Vacareanu said. If a similar earthquake struck today, he said, the losses in terms of affected buildings and people killed would be at least as high as in 1977. We have buildings here in Bucharest that were affected by the 1940 earthquake and then the 1977 earthquake and then the 1986 earthquake, he said. Damage is accumulating from one to the other. Sumbasacu, of Re:Rise, said that the government was underestimating the risk. We had an exercise in simulating an earthquake in 2018, and they said that over 4,000 people died, he said. If the authorities say that we will have 4,000 victims, and they have the role of calming the population, you can imagine the real extent and magnitude. We may easily pass the 10,000 mark for the death toll. Driving along the Adriatic coast, from northern Dalmatia in Croatia through Montenegro and south into Albania, the results of shifts in tectonic plates over the ages can be seen in the stunning landscape of mountains that rise sharply high above the Adriatic Sea, as if shoved out of the earth. That landscape is still being shaped, rendering a long stretch of the Balkan coast susceptible to tremors. The earth is constantly shivering here, said professor Bozidar S. Pavicevic. Visitors to Dubrovnik are quickly educated on how tragedy helped shape the famed city after a 1667 earthquake nearly leveled the magnificent walled city, burying thousands of people and triggering fires that raged for weeks. Pavicevic, 86, had his first encounter with destruction during the Skopje earthquake of 1963, which left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. The tragedy sparked the civil engineers decadeslong study and fierce advocacy of taking seismic activity into account when considering new buildings, infrastructure and urban plans. The nascent field blossomed after a rash of devastating earthquakes hit the former Yugoslavia starting with Skopje and ending with a 7.2 magnitude quake centered in Montenegro in 1979, which affected nearly the entire Adriatic coast. That was a whole new category, Pavicevic said of the quake, which he experienced near its epicenter outside the Montenegrin capital. At the time, he was the director of Montenegros Institute for Urban Planning and Projects, making him a key figure in coordinating the former Yugoslav republics response, along with help from the U.S. Geological Survey. We finally saw the phenomenal impact of an earthquake spread over a wide area, he said, recounting the $4.5 billion in damage equal to about four years worth of the small republics gross domestic product. That is when seismic risk evolved into something included in spatial and urban plans, he said. Those 20th-century earthquakes turned the Balkans into a petri dish for studying plate tectonics. Yet Pavicevic worries that the Balkans have ignored their own seismic history and the lessons it teaches. It is a feeling shared by other experts in the region, including Sumbasacu in Romania. We need more courage, we need more political courage, because someone needs to be open about it, he said. We need to accept our vulnerability. A Texas judge ruled Thursday to remove 11-month-old Tinslee Lewis from life support, siding with doctors who decided to end her care, saying the child was in pain, is not forecast to improve, and will likely die within the next six months. Tinslee was born prematurely in February with severe medical problems including a rare heart defect called Ebstein's anomaly, chronic lung disease and severe chronic high blood pressure, that ultimately led doctors at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth to decide to pull her life support. Tinslee's mother Trinity Lewis vehemently rejected the decision and took it to court, asking Judge Sandee Bryan Marion to issue an injunction in Tarrant County district court. However, on Thursday Judge Marion ruled to remove Tinslee's life support against the family's wishes. Lewis was left 'heartbroken' by the decision saying, 'I feel frustrated because anyone in that courtroom would want more time just like I do if Tinslee were their baby,' in statement issued by anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life. 'I hope that we can keep fighting through an appeal to protect Tinslee. She deserves the right to live. Please keep praying for Tinslee and thank you for supporting us during this difficult time,' she added. On Thursday Texas Judge Sandee B. Marion ruled to remove 11-month-old Tinslee Lewis from life support at Cook Children's Medical Center. Tinslee pictured in this undated photo Tinslee was born prematurely in February with severe medical problems including a rare heart defect called Ebstein's anomaly, chronic lung disease and severe chronic high blood pressure, that ultimately left doctors at Cook Children's Medical Center deciding to pull her life support. Tinslee pictured with mom Trinity Lewis Judge Sandee Bryan Marion ruled Thursday to remove Tinslee from life support, a decision the family says they will appeal The ruling comes after a months-long legal battle between Cook Childrens Medical Center and baby Tinslee's family. 'Were pretty sad,' Tye Brown, Tinslees cousin, said to the Star-Telegram. 'Were not angry with the judge or anything, but you know, its a very sad feeling.' The family said they will appeal the decision and are filing an emergency motion to stay which, if granted, will prevent the hospital from removing life-sustaining care while the appeal is ongoing. The hospital has also agreed to keep Tinslee on life support for seven days following the judges decision, regardless of whether or not the stay is granted. In her decision, Marion said the seven-day period would give the girl's mother time to file a notice of appeal and a motion for emergency relief with the state court of appeals. According to the hospital, Tinslee went into respiratory arrest in early July and has been attached to a ventilator every since and requires full respiratory and cardiac support, deep sedation and to be medically paralyzed. The hospital said doctors believe she's suffering. Doctors at the Fort Worth hospital had planned to remove Tinslee from life support on November 10 after invoking the '10-day rule', which can be employed when a family disagrees with doctors when they agree life-sustaining treatment should be stopped. 'I feel frustrated because anyone in that courtroom would want more time just like I do if Tinslee were their baby,' mom Trinity Lewis said on Thursday's decision Hospital officials have said they reached out to more than 20 facilities to see if one would take Tinslee, but all agreed that further care is futile The law stipulates that if the hospital's ethics committee agrees with doctors, treatment can be withdrawn after 10 days if a new provider can't be found to take the patient. Hospital officials have said they reached out to more than 20 facilities to see if one would take Tinslee, but all agreed that further care is futile. Groups including Texas Right to Life have also been trying to find a facility to take her. In a hearing last month Trinity Lewis said she believed her daughter would continue to fight for her life. She described her daughter as 'sassy' and says she has a sense of the girl's likes and dislikes. Tinslee enjoys the animated musical Trolls and cries when it ends, the mother said. She added that Tinslee doesn't like to have her hair brushed. 'I want to be the one to make the decision for her,' Lewis said about removing her daughter from life support. At the hearing last month, Dr. Jay Duncan, one of Tinslee's physicians, described the girl's complex conditions and Cook Children's efforts to treat her, which have included about seven surgeries and three open heart operations. The cardiac intensive care doctor said that for the first five months of Tinslee's life doctors had hope she might one day at least be able to go home. But Duncan said there came a point when doctors determined they had run out of surgical and clinical options, and that treatment was no longer benefiting Tinslee. Duncan said last month that the girl would likely die within half a year, and noted the hospital has made 'extraordinary' efforts to find another facility for her. 'She is in pain. Changing a diaper causes pain. Suctioning her breathing tube causes pain. Being on the ventilator causes pain,' Dr. Jay Duncan, one of Tinslee's physicians at Cook Children's hospital in Fort Worth (above), said at a hearing last month 'She is in pain. Changing a diaper causes pain. Suctioning her breathing tube causes pain. Being on the ventilator causes pain,' he said. Duncan said there had been 'many, many' conversations with Tinslee's family about her dire condition. 'We care a lot about Tinslee,' Duncan said. 'We care a lot about her family.' Tarrant County Juvenile Court Judge Alex Kim issued a temporary restraining order to stop the removal of life support on November 10. But Kim was removed from the case after the hospital filed a motion questioning his impartiality and saying he had bypassed case-assignment rules to designate himself as the presiding judge. After his removal, Judge Marion, who is chief justice of Texas' Fourth Court of Appeals, was assigned to hear the request for an injunction in Tarrant County district court. Cook Children's said hospital officials had been talking to Tinslee's family for months about concerns for her long-term survival. By August, the hospital said, everyone on the girl's care team agreed that further care was futile and by September they had begun talking to the family about withdrawing life support. With the doctors and her family still unable to resolve their differences, the ethics committee met October 30 and unanimously decided further treatment was inappropriate. RETAINED firemen and gardai were deployed to a field in West Limerick earlier this week after a number of malnourished and dead horses were discovered. Details of the horrific discovery near Rathkeale have been revealed by the Deel Animal Action Group which was alerted to the stricken animals and remains by a member of the public early on Monday morning. After locating the field, and climbing in, it soon became apparent what horrors lay ahead. There was a horse, very visible from the road, lying down. With a sinking feeling we walked towards it and found that it was, in fact dead. The poor pony had been dead for some days. It was also very obvious that she had died from starvation and had literally dropped where she stood, said a spokesperson for Deel Animal Action Group. Read also: Longford emergency services rescue horse from deep bog drain The body of a foal was also located in the same field a short time later while volunteers subsequently discovered three ponies in a deep ravine in another part of the field. Two were able to get out but one was stuck. We are not sure how long he was there but he appeared to be weak and lethargic. We couldnt release him as the brambles were far too thick and the climb out of the ravine was far too steep, read a post on Facebook. Firemen from Rathkeale station attended the scene for around an hour on Monday to help recover the pony from the ravine. Gardai also attended as did a vet from the Department of Agriculture. Also read: MISSING PERSON: Gardai appeal for information to find teenage girl After hay was bought to the field the volunteers were alerted to several other horses all of which were in poor condition and underweight. As a charity we do not have the power to seize equines (or any animal). We contacted the Department of Agriculture vet who arrived later that evening to inspect the remaining horses, the area in which they were being kept, and from here it is out of our hands, confirmed the Deel Animal Action Group. A number of very large bones which were confirmed to be equine were also found during searches of the field. Its understood the Department of Agriculture has launched an investigation and that orders have been served on the owners of the horses and field they were found in. Also read: Gadget on sale for a few euro in Aldi could stop your car being stolen The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Singapore has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Pakistan and maintain caution if they are already in the country. The Ministry has issued a statement on their official website terming the border areas between India and Pakistan, Balochistan province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as high-risk areas. Additionally, the citizens are asked to stay vigilant and monitor any untoward development if they are planning to visit these areas. Statement issued by Singapore The statement issued by Foreign Affairs Ministry of Singapore reads, In view of the volatile situation in Pakistan, we also continue to advise Singaporeans to take additional security precautions when travelling to other parts of the country (such as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi). If you are already in Pakistan, you should take all necessary precautions to ensure your personal safety. You are advised to stay vigilant, monitor developments through the local news, and heed the instructions of the local authorities. Do stay in touch with your family and friends in Singapore so that they know you are safe. Singaporeans in or travelling to Pakistan are encouraged to eRegister with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read: Rajnath Singh: Pak being blacklisted by FATF will be the last nail in the coffin for terrorism US warns its air carriers to avoid Pakistan airspace On Thursday, Pakistans ally USA also issued a security advisor to its air carriers (Commercial and US) to exercise caution while flying in Pakistan airspace due to terrorist activity. The advisory states that those 'planning to fly in, out of, within or above Pakistan airspace' must review its current security information. Moreover, the advisory warned that US civil aviation may be attacked by Pakistani militants. Read: MASSIVE: the US warns its air carriers to avoid Pakistan airspace over the threat of attacks US warns air-carriers of Pak terror The advisory states, "There continues to be a risk to US civil aviation from attacks against airports and aircraft, particularly at low altitudes. The ongoing presence of extremists/militant elements operating in Pakistan poses a continued risk to US civil aviation from small arms fire, complex attacks against airports, indirect weapons fire which could occur with little or no warning." The advisory is applicable to all US carriers and commercial operators, except operators who are foreign. Read: Over 500 people killed in 370 terror attacks in Pakistan in 2019: report Read: Pak may remain on FATF Grey List beyond Feb 2020: Report Lee Styles, 39, was found with serious head injuries in Surbiton, South West London Police are treating the death of a man found critically injured in London as a homicide, bringing the total number of murders in the capital last year to 147. Lee Styles, 39, of Surbiton, South West London, was found suffering from serious head injuries at Fishponds Park shortly before 3pm on December 18. Police and the London Ambulance Service attended and he was taken to hospital with head injuries. Mr Styles was pronounced dead on the afternoon of December 19. His next of kin have been informed. A post-mortem examination on December 23 gave cause of death as head injuries. The reclassified death brings London's murder toll from last year to 147. September and June were the joint bloodiest months of the year in the capital with 17 homicides each, followed by July which had 16 and March and December with 15. The 2019 rate broke last year's total of 133 by early December - and is the highest level recorded since 2008 when Scotland Yard investigated 154 deaths. LONDON MURDERS 2019 Where the 147 murders across the capital this year have happened Charlotte Huggins, 32, Jan-01, Camberwell Tudor Simionov, 33, Jan-01, Mayfair Simbiso Aretha Moula, 39, Jan-04, Rainham Sarah Ashraf, 35, Jan-06, Isle of Dogs Jayden Moody, 14, Jan-07, Waltham Forest Asma Begum, 31, Jan-11, Canning Town Kamil Malysz, 34, Jan-27, Acton Nedim Bilgin, 17, Jan-29, Islington Carl Thorpe, 46, Feb-04, Highgate Lejean Richards, 19, Feb-05, Battersea Dennis Anderson, 39, Feb-10, East Dulwich Bright Akinlele, 22, Feb-18, Camden Brian Wieland, 69, Feb-19, Chingford Glendon Spence, 23, Feb-21, Brixton Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck, 19, Feb-22, Wood Green David Lopez-Fernandez, 38, Feb-25, Tower Hamlets Che Morrison, 20, Feb-26, Ilford Jodie Chesney, 17, Mar-01, Harold Hill Elize Linda Stevens, 50, Mar-02, Hendon Jolia Bogdan, 3 months, Mar-02, Croydon Mohamed Elmi, 37, Mar-03, Soho Laureline Garcia-Bertaux, 34, Mar-06, Kew David Martinez, 26, Mar-06, Leyton Antoinette Donnegan, 52, Mar-07, Battersea Ayub Hassan, 17, Mar-07, West Kensington Florin Pitic, 20, Mar-10, Brent Nathaniel Armstrong, 29, Mar-16, Fulham Abdirashid Mohamoud, 17, Mar-22, Isleworth Ravi Katharkamar, 54, Mar-24, Pinner Ramane Richard Wiggan, 25, Mar-27, West Norwood Zahir Visiter, 25, Mar-28, Regents Park Gavin Garraway, 40, Mar-29, Clapham Calvin Bungisa, 22, Apr-01, Kentish Town Hubert Hall, 60, Apr-02, Walthamstow Annabelle Lancaster, 22, Apr-07, Enfield Noore Bashir Salad, 22, Apr-08, Manor Park Gopinath Kasivisuwanathan, 27, Apr-16, Wembley Steven Brown, 47, Apr-17, Stoke Newington Meshach Williams, 21, Apr-23, Harlesden Mihrican Mustafa, 38, Apr-26, Canning Town Henriett Szucs, 34, Apr-26, Canning Town Amy Parsons, 35, Apr-26, Whitechapel Joshua White, 29, Apr-26, Hackney Tashaun Aird, 15, May-01, Hackney Constantin Sin, 51, May-05, Leytonstone McCaulay Urugbezi-Edwards, 18, May-05, Southwark Barrington Davis, 54, May-16, Lewisham Vladimir Koudriavtsev, 69, May-23, Kensington Tatiana Koudriavtsev, 68, May-23, Kensington Iderval da Silva, 46, May-25, Battersea Alimal Islam, 23, May-26, Tower Hamlets Ismaila Ceesay, 33, May-28, Forest Gate Steven Kennedy, 61, May-30, Plaistow Graham Howe, 53, May-30, Harrow Baris Kucuk, 33, Jun-01, Haringey Adrian Murphy, 43, Jun-04, Battersea Cheyon Evans, 18, Jun-14, Wandsworth Eniola Aluko, 19, Jun-14, Plumstead Gleb Stanislavovitch Zhebrovsky, 34, Jun-15, Tower Hamlets Giedrius Juskauskas, 42, Jun-16, Stratford Stepan Suslyk, 40, Jun-16, Notting Hill David Bello-Monerville, 38, Jun-18, Barnet Ionut Manea, 63, Jun-18, Ilford Edward Simpson, 25, Jun-21, Feltham Yusuf Mohamed, 18, Jun-26, Shepherds Bush Kelly Mary Fauvrelle, 26, Jun-29, Croydon Riley Fauvrelle, 5 days, Jun-29, Croydon Ian Taylor, 54, Jun-29, Lambeth Fuad Habib, 28, Jun-29, Newham Gary Blagrove, 44, Jun-29, Fulham Amara Toure, 18, Jun-30, Southwark Tesfa Campbell, 40, Jul-03, Wandsworth Craig Walters (Craig Small), 32, Jul-05, Wembley Amanda Gretton, 57, Jul-05, Blackheath Grineo Daka, 27, Jul-07, Leyton Kwasi Mensah-Ababio, 26, Jul-08, Wembley Leo Marcus, 22, Jul-10, Kidbrooke Boluwatife Oyewunmi, 22, Jul-11, Enfield Kye Manning, 19, Jul-11, Croydon Akbar Arezo, 64, Jul-12, Whitton Layla Arezo, 74, Jul-12, Whitton Aron Kato, 28, Jul-17, Ilford Diane Dyer, 61, Jul-18, Beckenham Abdullahi Hassan, 20, Jul-25, South Hampstead Robert Komuro, 41, Jul-23, Hillingdon Liam Dent, 25, Jul-26, Chessington Alciveadis Mauredis, 60, Jul-31, Islington Dorothy Woolmer, 89, Aug-03, Tottenham Mohammed Shah Subhani, 27, Aug-05, Hounslow Alex Smith, 16, Aug-12, Camden Solomon Small, 18, Aug-15, Lambeth Amrou Greenidge, 18, Aug-20, Fulham Allan Isichei, 69, Aug-24, Southall Santino Angelo Dymiter, 18, Aug-26, Newham Lee Casey, 39, Aug-29, Brixton Unnamed child, 15 months, Aug-27, Putney Laura Rakstelyte, 31, Aug-29, Ilford Perry Jordan-Brammer, 15, Aug-30, Tottenham Sandra Samuels, 45, Aug-31, Hackney Norman Bertran-Tavarez, 24, Sep-01, Southwark Michael Irving, 15, Sep-03, Stratford Unnamed man, 20s, Sep-08, Lewisham Sahkira Mercedes Gwendolin Loseke, 20s, Sep-08, Chalk Farm Wilson Alexandre Garcia Varela, 24, Sep-09, Kentish Town Josiph Beker (Youssef al-Bayjani), 17, Sep-10, Edgware Road Unnamed girl, 8 weeks, Sep-12, SE16 Assad Abdullah Yarow, 25, Sep-12, Camden Omar Smith, 34, Sep-13, Lewisham Unnamed girl, 16 months, Sep-13, Plaistow Julio Gomes, 29, Sep-14, Edmonton Mark McCann-Barrett, 33, Sep-17, Walthamstow Serafima Meshaka, 58, Sep-18, Ealing Sufi Osman, 22, Sep-23, Southall Tashan Daniel, 20, Sep-24, Hillingdon Osvaldo Carvalho, 22, Sep-24, Ealing Arlene Williams, 46, Sep-28, Enfield Baptista Adjie, 15, Oct-10, Stratford Clinton Evbota, 18, Oct-10, Camberwell Ben Lines, 20, Oct-13, Bexley Zoe Orton, 46, Oct-21, Deptford Beatrice Yankson, 59, Oct-26, Islington James Amadu, 26, Oct-31, Enfield Vladislavs Radionovs, 57, Nov-02, Ilford Hakim Ishmael Daba Sillah, 18, Nov-07, Uxbridge Mohammed Mirza, 19, Nov-19, Ilford Iron Miah, 40, Nov-19, Whitechapel Randy Skuse, 27, Nov-23, Whitechapel Akeem Dylon Barnes, 24, Nov-24, Ilford Mehran Heydari, 26, Nov-24, Ealing Justin Bello, 38, Nov-25, Neasden Jack Merritt, 25, Nov-29, London Bridge Saskia Jones, 23, Nov-29, London Bridge Exauce Ngimbi, 22, Dec-05, Hackney Mohammed Abdullah Al Araimi, 20, Dec-06, Knightsbridge Crossland Davis, 20, Dec-06, Greenwich James O'Keefe, 47, Dec-09, Hornsey Dmytro Balaban, 28, Dec-14, Brent Viorel Stefan, 49, Dec-14, Dagenham Albert Amofa, 33, Dec-15, Croydon Lee Styles, 39, Dec-18, Surbiton Ebrima Cham, 35, Dec-19, Hounslow Michael Paul Baptista, 24, Dec-19, Walthamstow Arber Fesko, 30, Dec-19, Barnet Unnamed boy, 16, Dec-19, Dagenham Lashawn Williams, 29, Dec-21, Newham John Kennett, 60, Dec-23, Thornton Heath Flamur Beqiri, 36, Dec-24, Wandsworth The youngest murder victim was Riley Fauvrell, who died aged just five days after being delivered by an emergency C-section in Thornton Heath, South London. Riley's mother Kelly Mary Fauvrelle, 26, was stabbed to death in June while pregnant with him. Her ex-partner Aaron McKenzie, 25, has since pleaded not guilty to murder. How many murders in London each month? January : 8 : 8 February : 9 : 9 March : 15 : 15 April : 11 : 11 May : 11 : 11 June : 17 : 17 July : 16 : 16 August : 12 : 12 September : 17 : 17 October : 6 : 6 November : 10 : 10 December : 15 TOTAL: 147 Advertisement The oldest victim was Dorothy Woolmer, 89, who was raped and murdered at home in Tottenham in August. Reece Dempster, 23, was charged but has not yet pleaded. Some 17 of the victims were children - including 12 teenagers and five youngsters aged under two - and the mean average age of all 147 people killed was 32. The year began with two murders in the first six hours of 2019 on New Years's Day, with Tudor Simionov, 33, and Charlotte Huggins, 32, killed in Mayfair and Camberwell respectively. January was the second quietest month for murders with only eight - above only October, which saw six. The final month of the year saw 14 homicides. Homicide detectives from Specialist Crime officially took on the investigation into Lee Styles' death on December 27. Detective Chief Inspector Justin Howick said: 'We are piecing together the circumstances surrounding Lee's death but believe he was assaulted. He was found at Fishponds Park in Surbiton, South West London, on December 18 (file image) 'I would appeal to anyone who may have any information to assist us.'If you were in the vicinity of Fishponds Park during the afternoon of December 18, or perhaps you saw Lee around the area, then please call us. 'This was around two weeks ago so I ask all local residents and users of the park to think back to that date. Even a sighting of Lee or anything suspicious around that time could help us piece together what happened. 'An 18-year-old man and a 41-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of murder and released on bail to return on a date in January. Anyone with information is asked to contact officers on 020 8785 8244. To remain anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A Year of Multiple Standoffs, Few Solutions in South China Sea Dispute By Ralph Jennings January 01, 2020 China confirmed its lead this year in Asia's biggest maritime sovereignty dispute by sending nonmilitary ships to waters normally controlled by other countries, allowing it to flex muscle without conflicts or diplomatic losses. Pushback from Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam kept Beijing from adding artificial islets or control over existing features in the resource-rich South China Sea in 2019, analysts say. Citing dynastic-era maritime records, China claims 90% of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer tropical waterway that stretches from Hong Kong to Borneo, while Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam claim waters that overlap China's. They all value the sea for fisheries, fossil fuel reserves or both. "Compared to the previous years, there was relatively less militarization by China," said Aaron Rabena, research fellow at Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, a Manila research organization. "Still we see standoffs taking place, so there are still challenges." China was once more aggressive. Vietnam and China clashed in two deadly incidents in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2012, Chinese ships entered into a prolonged standoff with the Philippines at a shoal near Luzon Island and eventually took control of it. Two years later, Vietnamese and Chinese ships rammed each other over the location of an offshore Chinese oil rig. Over the past decade, China has alarmed the other claimants by using landfill to create or expand three tiny islets, in the sea's Spratly Islands and others in the Paracel chain. Some of those islets now support hangars and radar equipment. "You had two, maybe three, cable-cutting incidents, you had over the years Chinese fishermen being rapacious with Vietnamese, boarding ships and seizing things," said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor with the University of New South Wales in Australia, recalling a more assertive China 10 years ago. "That seems to have died down," he said. Pressure without firefights Chinese coast guard ships, survey vessels and informal fishing boat flotillas still appear in the sea tracts claimed by other governments. China used all three this year to assert existing claims but occupied no new islets and got into no firefights. To avoid angering the other claimants, China worked with them economically, for example by financing infrastructure construction in the Philippines. That cooperation lowers odds that the other governments will grow cozier with the United States, which has the world's strongest armed forces and resents Chinese maritime expansion, analysts have said. China, however, positioned vessels this past year in the waters within 370 kilometers of Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, possibly to flex muscle. That distance normally gives coastal nations an exclusive economic zone. Around Malaysia, "they've sailed ever more closely to our platforms, so that particular aspect has changed," said Shahriman Lockman, senior foreign policy and security studies analyst with the research organization the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Kuala Lumpur. "They've not interrupted operations, they just sail closer, that's all. It's more a show of force rather than anything else." For much of the year, China's coast guard made its presence felt in waters claimed by Malaysia, the most active explorer of undersea natural gas in the disputed region. In January, China moved as many as 90 ships around the Manila-controlled Thitu Island to monitor construction of a beaching ramp. A Chinese fishing boat sank a Philippine vessel in June near the disputed sea's Reed Bank, raising questions about whether the capsized boat was rammed. Vietnam and China got into the most heated dispute of the year. It started when a Chinese energy survey ship began patrolling in July near Vanguard Bank and a seabed tract about 352 kilometers off the coast of southeastern Vietnam. The patrol circled an oil and gas block on the Vietnamese continental shelf, also within China's claim. A standoff followed and ended in October when the survey ship left, apparently after completing a mission. Diplomatic fixes Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed has asked China to clarify its intent in the sea and this month his government submitted documentation to the United Nations suggesting it extend rights over a larger part of the continental shelf. China protested. Mahathir's government also set aside a railway project funded by China, but it resumed in late 2019. In the Philippines, legislators and military officials want President Rodrigo Duterte to step up resistance to China; however, his administration has agreed with Beijing to joint oil and gas development. The two sides started intergovernmental committee talks this year to oversee projects. They separately pledged to investigate the ship collision. Vietnam contacted numerous Western nations about the Vanguard Bank standoff, Thayer said. Much of Southeast Asia still expects the United States will keep China in check, as needed, by sending naval ships into the sea, Lockman said. Washington calls the events "freedom of navigation operations" and carried out several in 2019. China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes four maritime claimants, often discuss the maritime disputes but made little headway this year. They are due to talk eventually about signing a code of conduct that would help avert mishaps. "I wouldn't say there's been reconciliation," said Alan Chong, associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. "It's been a fluid situation and the jury is still out." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Asian News International Life needs phosphorus to occur and lots and lots of it. It is one of the six essential elements that form the basis of living organisms, is the backbone of DNA and RNA and acts as the prime energy currency of all biological processes in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). But how did a lifeless environment on the early Earth supply this key ingredient? "For 50 years, what's called 'the phosphate problem,' has plagued studies on the origin of life," said first author Jonathan Toner, a University of Washington research assistant professor of Earth and space sciences. The problem is that the chemical reactions that make the building blocks of living things need a lot of phosphorus, but phosphorus is scarce. A new UW study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds an answer to this problem in certain types of lakes. The study focuses on carbonate-rich lakes, which form in dry environments within depressions that funnel water draining from the surrounding landscape. Because of high evaporation rates, the lake waters concentrate into salty and alkaline, or high-pH, solutions. Such lakes, also known as alkaline or soda lakes, are found on all seven continents. The researchers first looked at phosphorus measurements in existing carbonate-rich lakes, including Mono Lake in California, Lake Magadi in Kenya and Lonar Lake in India. While the exact concentration depends on where the samples were taken and during what season, the researchers found that carbonate-rich lakes have up to 50,000 times phosphorus levels found in seawater, rivers and other types of lakes. Such high concentrations point to the existence of some common, natural mechanism that accumulates phosphorus in these lakes. Today these carbonate-rich lakes are biologically rich and support life ranging from microbes to Lake Magadi's famous flocks of flamingoes. These living things affect the lake's chemistry. So researchers did lab experiments with bottles of carbonate-rich water at different chemical compositions to understand how the lakes accumulate phosphorus, and how high phosphorus concentrations could get in a lifeless environment. The reason these waters have high phosphorus is their carbonate content. In most lakes, calcium, which is much more abundant on Earth, binds to phosphorus to make solid calcium phosphate minerals, which life can't access. But in carbonate-rich waters, the carbonate outcompetes phosphate to bind with calcium, leaving some of the phosphate unattached. Lab tests that combined ingredients at different concentrations show that calcium binds to carbonate and leaves the phosphate freely available in the water. "It's a straightforward idea, which is its appeal," Toner said. "It solves the phosphate problem in an elegant and plausible way." Phosphate levels could climb even higher to a million times levels in seawater, when lake waters evaporate during dry seasons, along shorelines, or in pools separated from the main body of the lake. "The extremely high phosphate levels in these lakes and ponds would have driven reactions that put phosphorus into the molecular building blocks of RNA, proteins, and fats, all of which were needed to get life going," said co-author David Catling, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences. The carbon dioxide-rich air on the early Earth, some four billion years ago, would have been ideal for creating such lakes and allowing them to reach maximum levels of phosphorus. Carbonate-rich lakes tend to form in atmospheres with high carbon dioxide. Plus, carbon dioxide dissolves in water to create acid conditions that efficiently release phosphorus from rocks. "The early Earth was a volcanically active place, so you would have had lots of fresh volcanic rock reacting with carbon dioxide and supplying carbonate and phosphorus to lakes," said Toner. "The early Earth could have hosted many carbonate-rich lakes, which would have had high enough phosphorus concentrations to get life started." Another recent study by the two authors showed that these types of lakes can also provide abundant cyanide to support the formation of amino acids and nucleotides, the building blocks of proteins, DNA and RNA. Before then researchers had struggled to find a natural environment with enough cyanide to support an origin of life. Cyanide is poisonous to humans, but not to primitive microbes, and is critical for the kind of chemistry that readily makes the building blocks of life. Jordan calls on Netflix to ban Roma Downey, Mark Burnett show 'Messiah' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Royal Film Commission of Jordan has called on Netflix to ban the drama series Messiah, which is produced by Hollywood Christian couple Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, in the predominantly Muslim country, claiming the content of the series could be largely perceived or interpreted as infringing on the sanctity of religion. On Jan. 1, Netflix will drop Messiah, a 10-part series that stars Michelle Monaghan as a CIA agent investigating the appearance of the mysterious man, Al-Masih, (Mehdi Dehbi) performing miracles and gathering a following after claiming to have been sent to earth by a higher being. The series from creator Michael Petroni, who was the screenwriter for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and co-creator of ABCs spiritual drama Miracles, looks at the question, Is he a divine entity or a dangerous con artist? The show was partially shot in Jordan, with the support of The Royal Film Commission of Jordan, according to the Independent. The RFC reportedly reviewed a synopsis of the series before approving the shoot and even granted filmmakers a tax break. However, on Monday, the RFC released a statement asking Netflix to refrain from streaming the series in the predominantly Muslim country. Ninety-five percent of Jordans population follows Sunni Islam while a small minority follow Shiite branches. The story is purely fictional and so are the characters, yet the RFC deems that the content of the series could be largely perceived or interpreted as infringing on the sanctity of religion, thus possibly contravening the laws in the country, the RFC said. While still standing firmly by its principles, notably the respect of creative freedom, the RFC as a public and responsible institution cannot condone or ignore messages that infringe on the Kingdoms basic laws. A spokesperson for Netflix indicated that they have not received a formal legal request to remove the series from the streamers Jordanian service. Netflix stated that Messiah is a work of fiction, not based on any one character, figure or religion. All Netflix shows feature ratings and information to help members make their own decisions about whats right for them and their families, the company said, according to Deadline. This is not the first time Messiah has sparked controversy. Over 4,000 people signed a petition to ban the show, claiming that the series is evil and anti-Islamic propaganda that will slowly turn hearts. "Can we really allow our money to be used in the production of evil content like this?" the petition asks. The first trailer for Messiah, released earlier this month, also drew the ire of some Muslim viewers, who noted that Al-Masih ad-Dajjal is a deceitful figure in Islamic eschatology who is comparable to the Antichrist. Despite the controversy, Petroni told Patheos he envisions the show as a conversation starter for people of various backgrounds. Its an achievement in the show that it doesnt actually preach, he said. It actually just presents things and then puts the question in the viewers lap, which I think is the best way to start a discussion about things like belief systems and faith. Its not an individual kind of experience. I think its an experience that you watch, and then you discuss. The series is produced by Burnett and Downey, one of the leading couples in Hollywood creating family-friendly, faith-based productions and self-described as "Hollywood's noisiest Christians. The couple behind the Emmy-nominated miniseries "The Bible" that was watched by more than 100 million people in the United States, previously said "Messiah" will "change everything." "'Messiah' is a series that will have the audience asking big questions. What if someone showed up in 2018 amid strange occurrences and was thought to be the Messiah? What would society do? How would the media cover him? Would millions simply quit work? Could governments collapse?" the couple asked viewers to consider ahead of the series. New Charge d'Affaires, a.i. of the United States Embassy in Ukraine Kristina Kvien has assured that the policy of strong support for Ukraine remains steady after the change of U.S. Embassy leadership. A am honored to be serving now as the U.S. Embassy Kyiv Charge d'Affaires... I am excited to take on a new challenge and a great responsibility of leading the U.S. Embassy team as we work closely with Ukrainian partners to advance our shared goals. While the Embassys leadership is changing, our policy of strong support for Ukraine remains steady, Kvien said in a video address posted on the Embassy's Facebook page. She assured that the U.S. Embassy team would continue to partner closely with the Ukrainian Government and civil society in support of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity and in support of reforms that will help Ukraine build its prosperous European future. Ukraine has made great straightforward in a short time Ive been here and I am committed to supporting the work ahead, Kvien promised. As reported, William Taylor left the post of the Charge d'Affaires, a.i. of the United States Embassy in Ukraine. Kristina Kvien became the new Charge d'Affaires. ol Funding must be delivered to loyalist areas to decrease the risk of paramilitarism (Brian Lawless/PA) Funding for disadvantaged loyalist communities in Northern Ireland will help avert violence during Irish reunification, a Senator has said. Fianna Fail Senator Mark Daly, who has compiled a number of research reports on preparing for a united Ireland, says international best practice dictates that Irish and British governments, along with the EU, should prepare now to pre-empt paramilitary recruitment in young people if Ireland votes to reunify. The possibility of a return to loyalist violence has been discussed as a direct result of any Irish reunification. Expand Close Senator Mark Daly says Ireland must fund programmes to help at risk youths in loyalist areas (PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Senator Mark Daly says Ireland must fund programmes to help at risk youths in loyalist areas (PA) During his research, Mr Daly heard contributions from unionist politicians, loyalists, community leaders, and former soldiers who identified paramilitarism as a concern in the event of a united Ireland. Mr Daly says only funding and education for the most vulnerable children and young people will actively stem the problem before it arises. In one report, Uniting Ireland and its People in Peace and Prosperity, there is a submission from a former US diplomat and deputy counter-terrorism coordinator, Michael R Ortiz, who says that the best practice for countering violent extremism is a whole of community approach which should be prioritised ahead of time. It is important to consider the ways in which future violence could be prevented, including by strengthening counter-terrorism and law enforcement efforts, supporting civil society organisations and providing citizens with the tools they need to intervene during the radicalisation process, Mr Ortiz said. The former director of legislative affairs at the US National Security Council made three recommendations for countering extremism in Northern Ireland. A national level task force, including local leaders, civil society, with national and local officials. This task force should develop a national strategy for countering violent extremism, which should include a wide range of voices. To implement the strategy, an individual body should be created, with clear metrics for progress and ongoing engagement with communities. If Ireland is able to launch a transparent, open and inclusive process with strong mechanisms, I believe this will go a long way in working to prevent terrorism before it starts, Mr Oritz said. Senator Daly says that the 17 recommendations from the Irish parliament Good Friday Agreement Committee have still not been acted on almost three years on, and in turn will create issues for what he calls inevitable Irish unity. Only 60% of the unionist community believe Northern Ireland will be part of the UK in 10 years, according to the Ashcroft Poll, Mr Daly said. Six year-olds today will be living through that process and its likely that if they do not have that assistance, they will be exploited. How do we prevent the most disadvantaged children being exploited by, what are essentially are criminals, masquerading with a cause? We need to invest in education and employment and giving them a future, if we dont do this now there will be consequences. Policy neglect in this area seldom goes unpunished, this need to be done now, early, and not in the future. We need engagement from the US, the EU and governments, there are experts ready and willing to help set up such a taskforce. All that requires a plan, to identify where the money needs to go and look for the money to fund it, and it requires decades of funding to ensure those disadvantaged areas are targeted with the help they need, because those kids will most likely suffer the most and be exploited. If you know that there is likely to be problem, we need to address it before a problem. New Delhi: A massive fire broke out at a battery factory in Delhis Peeragarhi area on Thursday. The severity of the blaze can be gauged from the fact that more than 30 fire engines are at the spot. Several people, including fire brigade personnel, are feared to be trapped. A team of the National Disaster Response Force has reached the site and a rescue operation is underway. According to initial reports, a call was received around 4:23 am about the fire in a factory located in Peeragarhis Udyog Nagar area. At first, the fire department had sent seven tenders. Some blasts were also reported from the factory. Due to one of such blast, a part of the factory collapsed and some fire department personnel were feared trapped under the debris. A video clip has emerged on Twitter that shows thick plume of smoke billowing from the factory. The Peeragarhi fire is the first major incident of blaze in the National Capital in 2020. Last year, Delhi witnessed a massive fire in Anaj Mandi area that claimed 43 lives. The Filmistan fire was the worst that the National Capital has witnessed since the Uphaar tragedy that killed 59 people. The tragic incident prompted visit from high-profile politicians, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union ministers Hardeep Puri and Harsh Vardhan, Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Delhi Industry Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa to the LNJP Hospital. Almost all the deceased were migrant labourers hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Police and fire department officials said many of the fatalities occurred due to suffocation as the people were sleeping when the fire started at around 5 am on the second floor of the building that did not have fire safety clearance and was packed with combustible material like card boards. It took over 150 firefighters nearly five hours to douse the blaze. As many as 63 people were pulled out from the building. While 43, including one minor, died, 16 were injured. Two fire department personnel were hurt while carrying out rescue work, officials said. Amid all the ongoing protests against CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), Bollywood celebrities like Swara Bhaskar, Mahesh Bhatt, Mira Nair and Nagma slam the Uttar Pradesh cops for arresting activist-actor Sadaf Jafar in Lucknow and demanded her release from jail. For the unversed, Sadaf Jafar is also a Congress spokesperson and she got arrested on December 19 while she was live on Facebook from the spot where the protests against the amended citizenship act had gone violent. Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt took to Twitter and wrote, "If the mind is shackled or made impotent through fear, it makes no difference under what form of government you live, u are a subject & not a citizen . Without liberty of speech, all of the outward forms and structures of free institutions are a sham, a pretense. #FreeSadaf." Swara Bhaskar Targeted With The Most Dirty Comments On Her Picture & It's Too Shameful To Read! Actress Swara Bhaskar also reacted on Twitter an wrote, "Activist and actor #sadafjafar is in jail in Lucknow.. not clear why! Her friends #DeepakKabir is also in jail because he went to enquire after her.. #FreeSadaf #FreeDeepak and make UP police accountable for its excesses!" Filmmaker Mira Nair also spoke about Sadaf's imprisonment and tweeted, "Sadaf has now been in jail for 12 days. She has been tortured and left to shiver in the cold of a cell for close to two weeks. As we end this year, let us also work to end the injustices of it. #FreeSadaf & all other protestors." Actress Nagma Morarji also reacted to the arresting of Sadaf Jafar and tweeted, "#PMModi Ji #FreeSadaf tell ur #UP cops a mother of 2young children who hv no 1 to take care of thm but her hv sme compassion they r living alone. We live in a democratic society we uphold our constitution, We hv a right to freespeech she has been detained in #UP for no fault." (Social media posts are unedited.) By PTI DHAKA: Bangladesh's paramilitary force chief said on Thursday that a total of 445 Bangladeshi nationals returned from India in last two months following the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) by the Indian government. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Maj Gen Md Shafeenul Islam disclosed the figure during a press briefing here. "About 1,000 people were arrested in 2019 for illegal border crossings from India to Bangladesh, with 445 of them returning home in November and December," he said. After verifying their identities through local representatives, BGB came to know that all the intruders are Bangladeshis, Islam said, adding that 253 cases were lodged against them for illegal trespass, while initial investigations found that at least three of them were human traffickers. ALSO READ| NRC an internal affair of Indian government: Border Guards Bangladesh chief The BGB Director said that the trespassing did not create any tension between the border forces of Bangladesh and India. Last week, Islam visited India where he said that the creation of the NRC is completely an "internal affair" of India and the cooperation between the border guarding forces of the two countries is very good. He said that the BGB will continue to do its work of preventing illegal border crossings as per its mandate. A BGB delegation, led by Islam, was on a bilateral visit to India to hold DG-level border talks with its counterparts, the Border Security Force (BSF). The talks took place from December 26-29, during which a host of issues related to cross-border smuggling and activities of criminals and others along the 4,096-km-long front were discussed. Responding to a question, Islam said, "No discussion was held at the conference over the (NRC) issue". He said during the five-day talks held in New Delhi, the BGB demanded that the BSF should take effective steps to prevent killings of Bangladeshis on frontiers as casualty figures sharply rose in 2019. "The number of border killings in 2019 was highest in the last four years. As per our calculation, the number of such unexpected deaths was 35," the BGB chief said. However, he said that the BSF estimate of the casualty figure is much lower than our calculation. Islam said the BSF is following the policy of maintaining maximum restraint and minimal use of force even after being attacked by "armed border offenders". A statement issued by the BSF last month in New Delhi after the conclusion of the DG-level talks said, "On the concern of the BGB regarding the death of Bangladeshi nationals on borders, it was informed to them that a non-lethal weapon policy is strictly followed by BSF personnel on borders. Firing is resorted to only in self-defence when BSF patrols are gheraoed and attacked by 'dah' (a sharp-edged weapon) etc. It was specified that the BSF does not discriminate between criminals based on nationality," it said. College Teacher Convicted for Leading Al-Shabab Operations in Mogadishu By Harun Maruf January 01, 2020 A college teacher who is the son of a senior police officer has been found guilty of leading al-Shabab's operations in Mogadishu for several years. A military court in Mogadishu sentenced Mohamed Haji Ahmed to death on Tuesday. Prosecutors wanted to file charges connecting Ahmed to the death of more than 180 people. But in the end, he was convicted for being behind the assassination of three generals, a police corporal and a deputy attorney general. In a video recorded and released by the court, Ahmed confessed to working as head of operations for al-Shabab in Mogadishu. "I was head of operation of the city, the region," he said in the video. "There was nothing more nerve-wracking than sending out someone to do somethingwhat will happen to them? Have they been killed?" He said after an operation, al-Shabab bosses would call him to learn details about how it went, who fired the shots, and how many bullets were fired. He would also send information to al-Shabab's radio station, Radio Andalus, so the group could claim responsibility for attacks and use it as propaganda. The court sentenced six other al-Shabab members to death, four of them in absentia. An eighth Shabab member was given life imprisonment. A woman who worked at the Somali Women's Headquarters was also convicted for passing information about the movement of government officials to al-Shabab. Fadumo Hussein Ali, also known as "Fadumo Colonel," was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The hunt Ahmed, 27, from Bulomarer town in the Lower Shabelle region, has used multiple aliases over the years to evade authorities. Somali security forces said they have been hearing his name since 2014, when al-Shabab suspects arrested for carrying pistols in Mogadishu's Hamarweyne district said a man they identified as "Hudeyfi" gave them the guns to carry out assassinations. The following year, more detained al-Shabab suspects mentioned the same name. In January 2016, authorities arrested a man whose phone they had tracked because of contacts with known al-Shabab figures. He told the court he was a college teacher, which was verified, and he was released on bail. At the time, the officials did not realize that the man they arrested, Ahmed, was indeed Hudeyfi. Over the following years, Ahmed used several other aliases. On November 2, 2016, a traditional elder was killed in Mogadishu. Two men arrested by the police in connection with the killing named their supervisor as "Dahir." On December 2018, twin blasts near the National Theater in Mogadishu killed at least ten people including prominent television journalist Awil Dahir Salad. The two men captured in connection with the bombing named "Ilkacase" as co-conspirator. Police have since established that Hudeyfi, Dahir, Ilkacase and Ahmed are the same person. On Tuesday, Ahmed confirmed this information to the court. "I was originally known as Hudeyfi, but I worked with different groups and I gave a different name to each group," he said. On Tuesday, Ahmed was convicted for the murder of police corporal Mohamed Omar Sheikh Osman, killed in a mosque on February 24 2017; the assassination of military General Abdullahi Mohamed Sheikh Qururuh, killed September 24, 2017; the assassination of Somali deputy attorney general Mohamed Abdirahman Mohamud on February 20, 2019; and the assassination of police General Mohamud Haji Alow on April 27, 2019. He was also convicted for the assassination of police General Ismail Ahmed Osman on October 28, 2016. Ironically, Ahmed lived in Osman's house in the town of Marka when he was a high school student, after his father asked Osman to help his son, security officials say. Military courts' prosecutor General Abdullahi Bule Kamey described Ahmed as a "merciless killer." "His crimes are unmeasurable," General Kamey said. "He killed the man who raised him, the hand that fed him, General Ismail," Gen. Kamey said. The prosecution said Ahmed spared his father's life only because he wanted to use him as a cover. "He let him live so that he bails him out when captured," Kamey said. Ahmed's lawyers argued that their client should only be punished for the cases that can be proven before a court. VOA Somali contacted an official at a Mogadishu college where Ahmed taught. The official, who asked that the college not be identified for fear of reprisal, says Ahmed taught English for two years as a part-time teacher. He left in March 2019, two months before he was arrested. The official says the college did not know about his connections with al-Shabab. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than 120 local industrial companies will be showcasing their innovative products and services at the Oman Industrial Products Exhibition which kicks off in Sur Industrial City next month. The exhibition will be held from February 9 to 11 in line with Oman Industry Week 2020, said the event organisers. The organising committee yesterday (January 1) held a meeting with the industrialists to discuss the joint cooperation between the public and private sectors to support and develop the local industry and other related sectors. The upcoming event will highlight the role of industrial partners in the development and diversification of the Omani economy, and discuss the challenges being faced by the industrial sector, among other objectives, it added. Mohsin bin Khamis Al Balushi, advisor at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, stated that the exhibition will provide an ideal platform to promote Omani products and industries. He said that the exhibition will offer these companies an opportunity to showcase their products and strengthen relations with the consumers as well as highlight the role played by Omani industries in advancing the national economy. During the event, Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry will be holding a meeting with the industrialists and the CEOs from the manufacturing sector. The event aim to highlight the achievements in the industrial sector during 50 years of Renaissance, said the organisers. It is being organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn), the Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development (Ithraa), and in partnership with Oman Manufacturers Association. TradeArabia News Service Smart production requires highly-skilled and properly trained employees in order to prosper Photo: Le Toan Over the past few years, Vietnams industrial production has been developing quantitatively and qualitatively, with industrial sectors structures changing positively. The industrial sectors competitiveness has gradually improved, with the lead of some key products. There have been some strong economic groups that could compete on the global stage. Kieu Nguyen Viet Ha, vice head of the Planning and General Affairs Division under the Ministry of Industry and Trades Department of Science and Technology However, the sector is also facing some problems. For example, the labour productivity of the economy in general and of the sector in particular remains low, especially in manufacturing and processing. Industrial production depends largely on foreign-invested enterprises and on a big volume of imported goods. Meanwhile, technological transfer from these enterprises to Vietnamese businesses is also limited. Reports from the Ministry of Science and Technology show that the majority of technological transfer contracts are focused on technological process transfer (73 per cent), technical assistance (77 per cent), training (71 per cent), and technological transfer (13 per cent). The total factor productivitys contribution to the countrys GDP is about 29 per cent only. Vietnamese enterprises are facing increasing pressure in competition and development amid the trend of developing and applying achievements of Industry 4.0. In fact, Vietnams readiness for Industry 4.0 remains limited now, both in the whole economy and in enterprises. According to the Readiness for the Future of Production Report 2018, by the World Economic Forum and consultancy firm A.T. Kearney, Vietnam was ranked 40th in tech and innovation in the list of nascent nations with Industry 4.0. In terms of human resources, Vietnam was ranked 70th, in which the indexes on high-skilled labourers and the university quality were also low, at 81st and 75th. Regarding enterprises, a recent survey by the Ministry of Industry and Trade showed that the majority of industrial enterprises are at the starting point towards an Industry 4.0 future. Enterprises ability in accessing Industry 4.0 is constrained by some obstructions. For example, they have no specific strategy on approach to Industry 4.0, including strategies on their own development and on digital transformation, investment, and technological renovation. Moreover, the ability in data digitalisation and connectivity within businesses and between them and their partners remains limited. Also, not many can develop their own smart products, which are the basic foundations for them to collect information and then develop new products and business models. Corporate and technological governance models from Industry 4.0 are applied on a very small scale. Besides, enterprises are also limited by a lack of a strong ecosystem that can help them conduct digital transformation, while their own capacity for this job is weak. Also, consultancy units lack the tools and standards to provide enterprises solutions. Effective tactics To weather all difficulties and turn challenges into opportunities for development, Vietnamese enterprises need to increase their readiness for Industry 4.0, in addition to support from state agencies. Firstly, they need to build up their own digital transformation strategy, which needs to take into account their current capacity and the requirements of smart industrial development. Besides, the strategy also needs to specify priorities and identify challenges of enterprise development, and take into account the effectiveness of digital transformation. To support enterprises in this digital transformation, many nations and international organisations have built up sets of indexes on assessing enterprises readiness for Industry 4.0. For example, while Singapore has devised its Smart Industry Readiness Index and Indonesia has its Industry 4.0 Readiness Index, the German Engineering Federation has developed the Smart Industry 4.0 Readiness Online Self-Check. In addition, PricewaterhouseCoopers also has the Industry 4.0/Digital Operations Self-Assessment. These tools will help raise enterprise awareness, assess their development situation, and propose digital transformation roadmaps. The construction or selection of an approach method or a tool suitable to Vietnamese enterprises is one of the big priorities for the state. This process needs to be conducted based on specific experiments and assessments for different enterprises in different sectors. This is also an urgent need for consultancy firms that provide digital transformation solutions for enterprises. Secondly, businesses need to materialise their digital transformation strategies soon by focusing on technological investment and renovation, in which digital transformation is one of the first steps in constructing a smart factory. Enterprise investment should be focused on enhancing digitalisation in collecting, linking, sharing, and processing data. The application of new technologies and establishing governance systems based on data in the whole factorys operation process and supply chain is necessary to improve enterprises operations. The states support for enterprises in this stage is creating a fairer and more favourable business and investment climate, so that enterprises can further develop. Policies on financial support in enterprises investment and innovation activities need to create breakthroughs that can assist enterprises in applying high technology from Industry 4.0. Enterprise-support programmes via information provision and connecting businesses with able solution providers, creating big models in digital transformation, and developing smart factory models are important tools to spur the development of enterprises across the country. Besides, the state would need to introduce solutions to improve the capacity of scientific and technological organisations, developing innovation centres, and then forming a network to support enterprises in digital transformation. Specifically, such a network is aimed to support enterprises in human resources training, provide them with consultancy in digital transformation, and to implement scientific research activities with a focus laid on researching, applying, and transferring Industry 4.0 technology to industrial manufacturing sectors. A flexible foundation Thirdly, businesses also need to develop smart products and new business models based on data which can create new values. This is a higher level of enterprises. Via the integration and supplementation of new functions to collect information and data from users and customers, enterprises can grasp changes in product consumption, and therefrom can perform timely and suitable adjustments. Industry 4.0 technology is creating numerous opportunities for enterprises to form a flexible production model in which products can be customised for each individual customer. With this strong foundation, services that are based on data and new business models will be formed and developed, helping further promote enterprises development. Here in Vietnam, the states role is to develop a management mechanism suitable to the digital business climate, making it favourable for innovation. The state needs to soon enact a pilot institutional framework which can control technologies, products, services, and new business models created by Industry 4.0. Furthermore, the state should also construct experimental areas for technological firms based on advanced models in the world. Lastly, it is necessary to develop highly-skilled human resources that can meet the requirements of smart production at businesses. There should also be a suitable organisational structure in enterprises in order for them to supervise and implement their digital transformation plans and strategies. Enterprises must be prioritised in training with the supplementation of new skills suitable to Industry 4.0. Such skills include data analysis, software usage, information security, automisation, IT, and a good command of systems. In addition, businesses also need to develop a system with indexes used for following and assessing digital transformation. New requirements from enterprises will force educational and training activities to renew both in content, curriculums, and form. The state needs to give incentives and favourable mechanisms to individuals, organisations, and enterprises engaging in educational and training activities which can create products in service of the digital economy. Besides that, the state also needs to boost vocational training and support labourers in skill training when they change their jobs. Thus it can be said that Industry 4.0 is bringing enterprises both challenges and opportunities. Whether they can lag behind or move forward largely depends on their mindset and actions. Actively joining Industry 4.0 is both an objective requirement and an urgent and long-term strategic duty for the whole political system and the entire society. It closely links with the countrys international integration, and is now being materialised by concrete actions from the government and localities. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-03 00:13:36|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's General Security Directorate arrested on Thursday a Palestinian national for belonging to a terrorist group, local media reported. The suspect is accused of planning to commit crimes against people, undermining the authority of the state, possessing explosive materials, and transferring weapons of war without a license, reported the Elnashra, an online independent newspaper. The suspect was referred to judicial bodies for further investigation and other legal procedures, the report said. Lebanon has, in the past months, arrested a number of terrorists for planning or carrying out terror attacks in the country. The latest terror attack in Lebanon was carried out by Abdel Rahman Mabsout, an Islamic State member, who killed four members of the Lebanese army and police on June 3, 2019 in a shooting attack in the city of Tripoli. Mumbai, Jan 2 : After a verbal lashing Asim Riaz received from Bigg Boss 13 host Salman Khan over disrespecting the show's crew and terming the broadcasting channel of being biased towards Sidharth Shukla, his Twitter fans have rallied behind Riaz. In a recent episode, Riaz was seen talking in front of the camera installed in the house, as he blamed the channel for showcasing him as the bad guy by only focusing on his footage where he is venting out his anger and is seen provoking Sidharth Shukla. #StopPortrayingAsimNegative trended on Twitter with 333K tweets. One fan commented: "Asim is the soul of BB13 @imrealasim. StopPortrayingAsimNegative." Another tweeted: "#StopPortrayingAsimNegative Stop making fake promos! Stop manipulating his actions! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH." A user wrote: "Your polls and tweets are the most negative for #AsimRiaz. When Siddharth Shukla does physical violence you put up polls saying who is at fault between 'haathapayi' (which is a lie)... only Shukla does violence." Tagging @imrealasim, one supporter wrote: "He deserves all attention!! So you better start giving him all attention. #StopPortrayingAsimNegative." Another post read: "Stop cutting Asim Riaz's screen time. Stop negative promos against Asim. Stop portraying Asim negative in episodes." The United States, which claims to have sent troops to Baghdad at the call of Iraq, troubled by internal protests, has been enraged by pro-Iran protesters entering its embassy here and arson. It have decided to send hundreds more troops to its Iraqi embassy after Tuesday's sabotage and slogans of 'Killing America'. This step is expected to increase tension in the Gulf. New emperor of Japan gives a brilliant speech at the beginning of 2020 The US Defense Ministry Pentagon has issued from Washington that it is sending 750 more American troops to West Asia after the attack on its embassy in Iraq. Defense Minister Mark Asper described the move as a precautionary measure and said that the unit of the 82nd Airborne Division in the new unit is ready to be sent in the next few days. Of these, 500 have also been dispatched, while 4,000 more are to be sent soon. Imran Khan plays new claim to keep Army Chief General Bajwa in position In his statement, Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo described the attack in Iraq as a conspiracy by terrorists and identified one of them as Abu Mahdi Al Muhadis. Muhadis is the second chief of Hashd al-Shaabi, a Shiite network of Iraqi armed groups backed by Tehran. Qatab Hezbollah is also a part of it that was targeted in the US airstrikes. The same US President Donald Trump, while congratulating the new year, has threatened Iran in a very strict way. He blamed Iran for the attack on the US embassy in Iraq, saying, "The security system of the US embassy in Iraq has been restored several hours ago. Many of our brave soldiers reached the spot with the world's most dangerous warfare weapons. I thank the President and Prime Minister of Iraq for this whole matter that they responded swiftly to our request. Taliban militants attack on highway police post, 8 soldiers killed Three women are under investigation for launching paper sky lanterns for New Year's that apparently ignited a devastating fire at a German zoo, killing more than 30 animals, officials said Thursday. The three local women - a mother and her two daughters, ages 30 to 60 - went to police in the western city of Krefeld on New Year's Day after authorities held a news conference about the blaze, criminal police chief Gerd Hoppmann said. The women are being investigated on suspicion of negligent arson, prosecutor Jens Frobel said. The offense can carry a prison sentence of up to five years. Many Germans welcome in the new year legally with fireworks at midnight. Sky lanterns, however, are both illegal and unusual in Germany. The mini hot-air balloons made of paper have been used in Asia for centuries. The fire started in a corner of the ape house's roof and spread rapidly. The zoo near the Dutch border says the ape house burned down and more than 30 animals - including five orangutans, two gorillas, a chimpanzee and several monkeys - were killed, as well as fruit bats and birds. CTA to Host Three U.S. Cabinet Secretaries at CES 2020 U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao and U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, along with more than 150 government officials from the U.S., Europe and Asia will attend or participate at CES 2020. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), CES (News - Alert) - the largest, most influential technology event in the world - is Jan. 7-10, in Las Vegas, NV. "Across the country, as well as around the globe, countless businesses are working to lay the foundation of tomorrow's economy," said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. "At the Department of Commerce, we are working every day protecting our entrepreneurs' patents, fostering growth in the economy, and keeping our important national security sensitive technologies out of the hands of bad actors. Now more than ever, it's critical to ensure that Americans who are willing to work hard, innovate, and take risks are empowered with the tools to succeed and achieve the American dream." "I'm looking forward to updating CES on the next steps in the Department's innovation agenda, which will help ensure our country remains a leader in emerging transportation technologies," said Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao. "I am thrilled to be joining my government and industry counterparts at CES this year," said Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. "The strong presence of Administration officials at CES is indicative of President Trump's firm commitment to driving progress in the United States through innovation and technology. I look forward to discussing how together, through strong public-private partnerships, we can continue to better the lives of the American people." "We're thrilled to have these cabinet secretaries join us at CES 2020 to experience firsthand the technologies that are changing our lives for the better," said Gary Shapiro (News - Alert), CTA president and CEO. "The public and private sectors must work together to support American innovation and drive competition. Hosting leaders from such diverse agencies - Commerce, Energy, Transportation - proves the critical role technology plays in our nation's global leadership." Event Details Keynote: United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, 11:30 AM PT LVCC, North Hall, N257 Secretary Chao will discuss transportation initiatives that support integrating new technologies into U.S. transportation systems. The Secretary's remarks will be followed by a conversation with U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios. United States Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette Wednesday, Jan. 8, 12:45 PM PT LVCC, North Hall, N256 Secretary Brouillette will discuss how the U.S. continues to lead the world in technological breakthroughs-touching every area of life, from science and medicine to food production and consumer electronics. United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Secretary Ross will issue introductory remarks at the Leaders in Technology Dinner on the importance of innovation to the U.S. economy. This event is invitation-only. Other U.S. government leaders attending CES include: Member of Parliament, Republic of Italy Mattia Fantinati State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Netherlands Mona Keijzer Secretary of State for Economy and Finance, France Agnes Pannier-Runacher Mayor of Seoul, South Korea Park Won-soon Chairman and Director, Fuel Choices and Smart Mobility Initiative Israel Prime Minister's Office Anat Bonshtien Technology Adviser, First Counsellor, Liaison Office with US Congress, European Parliament Peter Brown The CES speaking schedule will be updated regularly as additional speakers are announced. More than 1,100 visionaries and thought leaders are expected to speak and share insights on premiere technologies at CES 2020. Visit the CES Featured Speakers page to see the latest and visit the Innovation Policy Summit page for a full list of policy-focused events at CES. CES 2020 will provide access to the most transformative tech across various marketplaces, such as 5G, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, smart home, smart cities, vehicles, digital health and more. Industry leaders and rising stars will come together to pioneer future innovation driving the ever-evolving tech industry. Visit CES.tech for all CES updates and to register for CES 2020. About CES: CES is the largest, most influential tech event in the world - the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. This is where the world's biggest brands do business and meet new partners, and the sharpest innovators hit the stage. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), CES features every aspect of the tech sector. Learn more at CES.tech and follow CES on social. About Consumer Technology Association: As North America's largest technology trade association, CTA is the tech sector. Our members are the world's leading innovators - from startups to global brands - helping support more than 18 million American jobs. CTA owns and produces CES - the largest, most influential tech event in the world. Find us at CTA.tech. Follow us @CTAtech. UPCOMING EVENTS CES Unveiled Las Vegas January 5, 2020 - Las Vegas, NV CES 2020 Media Days January 5-6, 2020 - Las Vegas, NV CES 2020 January 7-10, 2020 - Las Vegas, NV View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005360/en/ Ive always sort of wondered what I wasnt getting about Little Women. Im pretty sure I read it in school, though I would be hard-pressed to recall a single scene. I know I saw at least part of the 1994 film the one with Winona Ryder, Claire Danes and Christian Bale but I remember walking out of the room midway through and never returning, much to my mothers dismay. Nothing about the March sisters of Louisa May Alcotts perennial best seller particularly stuck with me, and as an adult, annoyance overshadowed apathy as I tried to understand how the literary heroine of so many women I admired the spunky, independent writer Jo March would, by the end of the novel, relinquish her art for marriage, and then proclaim that she is the happiest shed ever been. What was I missing? It appears that what I was missing was Greta Gerwig along with the real-life story of Alcott, on whose life the book was based, with a few major differences. Of course, Gerwig isnt the first to change the way Little Women gets told. People have been adapting, and then critiquing, and then adapting, and then critiquing it for decades each iteration a kind of Rorschach test for how the world feels about women at the time. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 59F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Stronger winds in and below canyons and passes.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 30F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Stronger winds in and below canyons and passes. WASHINGTON: Julian Castro, the grandson of a Mexican immigrant who became San Antonio mayor and a US housing secretary, suspended his 2020 Democratic presidential run on Thursday after a candidacy overshadowed by more famous liberals. The departure of the only Latino from the campaign, a month or so ahead of early nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, leaves 14 Democratic candidates in a still crowded field seeking the party`s nomination to take on Republican President Donald Trump in November. The charisma and assertiveness that helped make Castro, 45, a rising star in the Democratic Party did not translate into enough support to compete against better-known candidates, including progressive US Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. He had struggled to raise money for what was seen as a long-shot bid, and another Texan who was seeking the party`s nomination before dropping out in November, former US Representative Beto O`Rourke, siphoned some attention from Castro in the early days of his campaign. Live TV "It`s with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today," Castro wrote in a Twitter post. "But with only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given the circumstances of this campaign season, I have determined that it simply isn`t our time," Castro said in a video released by his campaign. Castro championed immigrant rights and was a strong critic of Trump and his policies. He did not flinch from criticizing his fellow Democrats either, notably going after former US Vice President Joe Biden, the early front-runner among Democrats, during a September 12 debate. However, other Democratic candidates posted gracious messages for Castro on Twitter after he announced his withdrawal from the race. Among them, Biden said Castro had led his campaign with "grace and heart," while Sanders praised him for his "fight for a humane immigration system" and Warren thanked him for being a "powerful voice." Castro`s departure could intensify criticism that, for a party that prides itself on its diversity, most of the top Democratic candidates are white. Asian-American Andrew Yang was the only minority candidate to appear beside six others in the most recent debate on December 19. The race for the party`s presidential nomination remains up for grabs just weeks before the first votes are cast in Iowa on February 3, with the New Hampshire primary to follow on February 11. There is a three-way battle at the top of national opinion polls among Biden, Sanders and Warren, and South Bend, Indiana`s former mayor, Pete Buttigieg, has risen to lead some polls in early voting states. Pilots Row Community Centre will next month host the 4th annual Radical Bookfair at its Rossville Street home in Derry. Organisers of the annual community project taking place on Saturday, 1 February - have confirmed the Bogside venue will host one of the largest number of independent radical press, book sellers, publishers and distributors from the length of Ireland with participants travelling from Scotland, England and Wales for the one day event. A spokesperson for the Derry Radical Bookfair said We are delighted to once again confirm that we are able to add the Derry Radical Bookfair to the citys political calendar after previous successful book fairs. The day-long event receives a fantastic response from the city itself and across the North West as it is able to provide easy access literature not normally found in usual bookshops and outlets. The Radical Bookfair is an important event which gives a great opportunity to independent booksellers and publishers due to the availability to network and create links and new important contacts. We welcome everyone to the Radical Bookfair with different political visions, ideas, practices and radical traditions. We pride ourselves in creating a space for books of local, national and international interests including social and labour history as well as themes covering radical feminism, queer liberation, anarchism, Marxism, republicanism and environmentalism. It is also a day in which a number of campaign groups have the opportunity to table stalls so as to highlight ongoing concerns such as human rights, environmental andsocial justice issues. This year we will be continuing with a series of book launches as well as several talks throughout the event which will again add to the overall community spirit that the book fair has created within a venue such as Pilots Row. For many the event ties in well with the week-long events leading up the the annual Bloody Sunday March for Justice. Derry Radical Bookfair takes place on Saturday, 1 February next, from noon until 5.00pm at the Pilots Row Community Centre on Rossville Street. CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla on Thursday transferred 19 senior officers including two DIGs and 14 SPs with immediate effect while claiming that the transfers were being done in public interest. The agency has only recently renewed its policy on transfer according to which no officer will stay in a particular branch for over five years. Among the key transfers were Vivek Priyadarshi (AIG Policy) who has been moved to Jaipur. Priyadarshi was the main investigating officer in 2G scam till sometime back. In Priyadarshis place would be SP Partha Mukherjee, whose unit Economic Offences IV, based in Kolkata, was probing chit fund cases. SP Sudhanshu Dhar Mishra, who was probing the Chanda Kochhar case till January 2019 before he was moved out by then Interim CBI director M Nageswara Rao, has now been posted in Economic Offences-2 unit in Delhi. Deputy Inspector General Abhay Singh, who was leading the probe into sexual assault on minor girls in Muzaffarpur shelter home, has been brought to the Economic Offences Wing in Delhi from the Special Crime Branch in Kolkata, but he will continue to supervise the probe in sexual assault cases. The order signed by Administrative Officer Personnel D P Singh makes it clear that officers who have been specially directed by their names to supervise, investigate, or enquire into any case or matter by any Constitutional court shall continue to do so. DIG Nitin Deep Blaggan, who is heading the sensitive Anti-Corruption Unit, has been given the additional charge of Anti Corruption-5 unit. Vijayendra Bidari, SP in Economic Offences-III, has been transferred to Interpol Coordination unit and he will also look after the systems wing of the agency, officials said, adding that Kiran S, who is part of the team probing AgustaWestland, Vijay Mallya and other cases, has been moved to AC-V unit. Other officers transferred or given additional charge include SPs Abhishek Dular, Anoop T Mathew, Rajpal Meena, Shiyas A, Jayadevan A, Sudhanshu Dhar Mishra, PK Manjhi, Jay Narayan Rana, Santanu Kar and P K Pandey. Additional SPs Sanjay Kumar Sinha, S D Mishra and Gajanand Bairwa have also been transferred. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived at the Yelahanka air base by a special plane on a two-day visit to Karnataka to attend events in Tumakuru and Bengaluru. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Union Ministers D V Sadananda Gowda and Pralhad Joshi and state Revenue Minister R Ashoka were present to welcome Modi. Yediyurappa greeted the Prime Minister by garlanding him and offering a shawl and adorned him with a Mysuru Peta (turban). Later, Modi flew to Tumakuru to attend events at the Siddaganga Math apart from addressing a gathering and to present the Krishi Karman Award. In the evening, the Prime Minister will visit the DRDO facility to dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation. He will stay at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday. On Friday, Modi will inaugurate the 107th Indian Science Congress at the University of Agriculture Science in Bengaluru. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Diamantaire Nirav Modi, key accused in the Rs14,000-crore fraud at Punjab National Bank, was on Thursday remanded to further custody by a UK court and directed to appear before it again on January 30. Modi, who is fighting extradition to India, appeared for a call-over appearance via video conference from Londons Wandsworth prison for the hearing at the Westminster Magistrates Court. His extradition trial is scheduled for May 11. Deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram, who was the judge at the hearing, asked if there were any other issues to be discussed and Modi said no. Modi, 48, had filed a bail application last November with a house arrest guarantee, similar to those imposed on terror suspects, and cited mental health issues that he said were linked to his stint at Wandsworth Prison. The petition was turned down by chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot over fears of witness intimidation and failure to surrender for his extradition trial. In New Delhi, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India is committed to the early extradition of Modi. We are committed, we are putting all our resources on the ground to ensure the early extradition of Nirav Modi to India, he said at a weekly news briefing. UKs Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is representing the Indian government in the extradition proceedings, has said there is no possibility of an appeal for bail in a higher court after the high court turned down Modis plea last year. Modi has to appear for the call-over hearings at Westminster Magistrates Court until case management hearings for his extradition begin. He has denied charges of fraud and money laundering, and his defence team has alleged the Indian government has wrongly tarnished his name. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar on Thursday compared the parties opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act to "urban naxals". Hitting out at the Congress and various other parties criticising the new law, he said they were protesting against it just "for the sake of opposing". Urban naxals is a term used to describe city-based supporters working in alleged front organisations of proscribed Maoist outfits. Talking to reporters here, Tendulkar said people in countries like the US and UK have come out in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act. "But in India, like urban Naxals, some political parties, includingthe Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party and BSP, are opposing the Act for the sake of opposing. They just want to oppose without understanding," he said. The BJP leader said there was not much opposition against the new law in Goa so far, even as the Congress was trying to "mislead" the public over it. He said BJP working president J P Nadda will address a public awareness rally on CAA at Azad Maidan here on Friday. Nearly 26,000 to 27,000 BJP workers along with party ministers and MLAs will attend the rally, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Since the second fatal 737 Max crash, in Ethiopia in March, and the subsequent worldwide grounding of the jet, Boeing the company that built the Pacific Northwest's manufacturing economy and made the region a global powerhouse of aerospace technology has suffered a precipitous fall. Ongoing investigations of the crashes have spotlighted the badly flawed design of the Max's flight control system and a largely self-certifying oversight regime that failed to catch the flaws. Congressional investigators are combing internal Boeing documents for evidence of malpractice, and a Department of Justice probe means even a criminal indictment is not ruled out. The jetmaker's stellar global reputation is badly tarnished. Through it all, said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at aviation consulting firm Teal Group, Boeing has displayed "an absence of leadership, an absence of strategy and an inability to communicate." The disastrous year will be followed by a precarious 2020: As Boeing's new leaders struggle to recover control, they face crucial decisions about developing new airplanes while they cope with depleted financial resources, a distracted engineering corps and a loss of Boeing's previous strategic advantage against rival Airbus. They'll also face pressure to reverse a two-decadeslong decline in the company's historic culture of engineering prowess, which many blame for the Max disaster. Although newly ousted CEO Dennis Muilenburg was an engineer, he stuck closely to the financial engineering playbook of his predecessor, Jim McNerney. Whistleblowers and leaked documents have raised damaging accusations that management drove too relentlessly to cut costs and deliver on schedule. A former senior leader at Boeing, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, blamed the Max crisis on a "push away from engineering excellence, driven by cost-cutting." "All of us who care about Boeing, we want to learn from this and ensure it never happens again," the former executive said. "We have to get back the engineering discipline and make it the No. 1 priority." Boeing's proposed fix for the Max making sure the flight control system that went haywire in the crashes has multiple redundancies in concept is solid. In practice, it's taking much longer than anticipated to ensure the software is bug-free and hides no pathways to another single-fault failure. It looks like the grounding of the Max will stretch into a full year. Yet no serious industry analyst doubts that the Max eventually will fly again and that when it does, it will be a safe airplane. Aboulafia believes Boeing must not only steady itself by fixing the Max and restarting production but then must follow up as soon as practical to secure its future by launching an all-new airplane. Adam Pilarski, senior vice president at consulting firm Avitas, points to the recurring cycles in the aviation industry. Though both Airbus and Boeing have suffered major setbacks over the years, the two aerospace giants still divide the business in a powerful duopoly and neither can feed the demand for new jets alone. He's optimistic that despite the debacle of 2019, Boeing will reverse its fortunes. "In the long run, aviation is not dead. Boeing is not dead," Pilarski said. "Eventually, Boeing can recover its strategic position." [January 01, 2020] Happy New Year and Welcome to California's CCPA Privacy Law From Data443 Risk Mitigation RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data443 Risk Mitigation, Inc. (OTCPK: ATDS), a leading data security and privacy software company, wishes everyone a very happy new year, while reminding everyone that the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has taken effect. What is the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)? Signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown on June 28, 2018 and effective today, the CCPA is a comprehensive data privacy law, which is comparable to privacy laws in the European Union (General Data Protection Regulation) and the Canada (The Digital Privacy Act). The CCPA is designed to strengthen data security requirements for businesses and other organizations and give consumers - California residents living in the state for anything other than a temporary or transitory purpose - more control over their personal information. The CCPA accomplishes this by creating a number of new consumer rights. These rights must be protected by organizations in order to avoid major fines. Jason Remillard, Founder and CEO of Data443 stated, What many businesses are learning is that much like the GDPR, the CCPA affects businesses outside of the state of California as well due to its size and scope. I believe that its only a matter of time before a federal law is adopted that will create a standard for customer data collection throughout the country. Microsoft has already announced a national-level compliance program for CCPA-level services, in 2020. I expect others to follow suit in the absence of a national legislation. A California Government impact assessment estimates that businesses will allocate for CCPA activities approximately $50k, 100k, $450k, $2M for businesses of 20, 100, 500 and over 500 employees respectively. How does Data443 help businesses become compliant in CCPA? GDPR and CCPA requirements consist of more than just preparation. You need process and technology in order to maintain your compliance with the CCPA and other state-level privacy legislation that is already slated to come in 2020 (NV, WA, etc.). Some basic guidelines and options: Offer a Do Not Sell My Information option to all your consumers Clearly labelled on your website and add the option of a toll-free number for good measure. Enable current and past customers the ability to submit a Subject Access Request for information discovery requests This should be clearly available on your public facing properties and simple and cost effective to utilize. Consider employees, pensioners and other categories of information holders as well Update all your privacy and compliance policies with updated disclosures and collection policies especially those related to the states in which you operate in Ensure you have special handling, processing and collection processes for all children and minors that are related to your specific business processes and the states in which you operate in Continue to monitor privacy legislation changes on a state by state level, paying attention to certain counties that may have special requirements. Data443 Global Privacy Manager provides the industrys only end to end privacy compliance, governance and auditing platform. Purpose built, battle tested during the European unions GDPR and refined with over 30,000 active clients using our companion GDPR specific Framework the platform is available as an instantly available solution that can be deployed over the phone with one link from your website. The new platform launched today provides: Fully branded Subject Access Request Form Custom Workflow Engine Cookie and Consent Management Tracking Opt-in and Opt-out Management Do Not Sell Management Interface Full On Premise and In Cloud Data Discovery Complete End to End Data Mapping Full Data Classification and Governance Data Deletion and Monitoring Compliance Management Data Stores instantly available: Windows NTFS, OneDrive, Dropbox, Office365, Google Mail, Salesforce, QuickBooks, MailChimp, SharePoint, MySQL, MSSQL, PostGreSQL, Mongo Data Stores addons available: over 200 SaaS, On Premise databases & File shares PowerBI and Dashboarding For more information, including scheduling a demo for your busines, please visit: https://data443.com/global-privacy-manager About Data443 Risk Mitigation, Inc. Data443 Risk Mitigation, Inc. (OTCPK: ATDS), enables secure data across local devices, network, cloud, and databases at rest and in flight. Its suite of products and services is highlighted by: (i) ArcMail, which is a leading provider of simple, secure and cost-effective email and enterprise archiving and management solutions; (ii) ARALOC, which is a market leading secure, cloud-based platform for the management, protection and distribution of digital content to the desktop and mobile devices, which protects an organizations confidential content and intellectual property assets from leakage malicious or accidental without impacting collaboration between all stakeholders; (iii) ClassiDocs, the Companys award-winning data classification and governance technology, which supports CCPA, LGPD and GDPR compliance; (iv) ClassiDocs for Blockchain, which provides an active implementation for the Ripple XRP that protects blockchain transactions from inadvertent disclosure and data leaks; (v) Data443 Global Privacy Manager, which is integrated with ClassiDocs to do the delivery portions of GDPR and CCPA as well as process Data Privacy Access Requests removal request with inventory by ClassiDocs; enables the full lifecycle of Data Privacy Access Requests, Remediation, Monitoring and Reporting; (vi) Data443 Protect, which provides nearly instant Cloud-deployed Data Loss Prevention capabilities with false positive rates unmatched enabled by ClassiDocs ; (vii) Data443 Virtual Data Protection Officer program that offers a turnkey and outsourced DPO capability for smaller organizations; (viii) DATAEXPRESS, the leading Data transport, transformation and delivery product trusted by leading financial organizations worldwide and, (ix) the WordPress GDPR Framework with over 20,000 active users enables organizations of all sizes to comply with the GDPR and other privacy frameworks. For more information, please visit http://www.data443.com . Forward-Looking Statements The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as may, will, could, should, expect, plan, project, intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, potential, pursuant, target, continue, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding Data443s plans, objectives, future opportunities for Data443s services, future financial performance and operating results and any other statements regarding Data443s future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, financial conditions, assumptions or future events or performance that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, many of which are beyond Data443s control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, and include, without limitation, results of litigation, settlements and investigations; actions by third parties, including governmental agencies; volatility in customer spending; global economic conditions; ability to hire and retain personnel; loss of, or reduction in business with, key customers; difficulty with growth and integration of acquisitions; product liability; cybersecurity risk; and, anti-takeover measures in our charter documents. These and other important risk factors are described more fully in our reports and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), including under Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors, in our Registration Statement on Form 10 filed with the SEC on January 11, 2019 and amended on April 24, 2019. Any forward-looking statement is made only as of the date of which such statement is made. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise. Data443, ClassiDocs, ARALOC and DATAEXPRESS are registered trademarks of Data443 Risk Mitigation, Inc. All product names, trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, trademarks and brands does not imply endorsement. All other trademarks cited herein are the property of their respective owners. For Further Information: Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/data443Risk Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/data443/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/data443-risk-mitigation-inc/ Signup for our Investor Newsletter: https://www.data443.com/investor-relations/ Investor Relations Contact: Matthew Abenante Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc. 212.564.4700 ///***ClassiDocs Classification: PUBLIC ***/// data443@plrinvest.com [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] One of the ways we now ring in the new year, sadly enough, is by taking a look back at how many people died of drug overdoses. We dont yet have the final year-end report for 2019, but its sure to be grim. In 2018, New Jerseys death toll was a staggering 3,163 people, more than were killed by the flu, homicides, car accidents and suicides in 2016 combined. Thousands more will die in 2020. Yet instead of treating them, we arrest them. That means we wont make a dent in this crisis until we get serious about drug treatment behind bars, says Dr. Erin Zerbo, who runs a clinic in Newark at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She spoke to editorial writer Julie OConnor about why denying inmates the gold standard of care MAT, or medication assisted treatment puts everyone in danger. Below is an edited transcript. Q. Do many of your patients end up in jail? A. Yes. Our population is the jail population: many are 40 to 50 years old, African American, more males than females, on Medicaid, all addicted to opioids. We have about 200 patients. When they get incarcerated, they are sometimes taken off treatment. They may come back out and overdose before theyre able to get back to us. Q. Roughly half the people behind bars have an addiction problem and of those, half abuse opioids. Why treat them in jail? A. Because letting them go cold turkey kills them. The whole war on drugs is very racist. People who are white can do drugs and not get arrested and not get prosecuted. Were jailing primarily black, brown and vulnerable populations. Then, when we incarcerate them, they lose their tolerance to opioids and have an increased chance of overdose when they get out. Youre incarcerating someone for using, then detoxing them and then sending them back out to die, or relapse. If we actually wanted to help people, we would do a needs assessment for them, get them housing and vocational training. Instead, we are basically just punishing people, and then were surprised when their recidivism is high. Q. Why do most people relapse? A. When people go into opioid withdrawal, they feel like theyre dying. Its really painful. Theyre going to do crazy, desperate things. If theyre using heroin, its a short-acting opioid, so you have to use to use it several times a day. That means you wake up in the morning and either have to have heroin beside your bed or you have to go out and immediately try to get money in order to buy more heroin. Thats where we see a lot of really desperate crimes. Someone robs a pharmacy and the camera is right there, or mugs someone in broad daylight. Because the person with the addiction knows that if they get any sicker, they wont even be able to go out, theyll be vomiting with diarrhea, etc. Opioid addiction is this terrible cycle. If we dont treat people, they will resort to another way of getting opioids even if it means breaking the law. Q. What is medication assisted treatment? A. For most people with opioid addictions, it takes a solid year to get back to normal. People remain at risk of relapse for a long, long time. Medication assisted treatment is using methadone, buprenorphine or extended-release naltrexone, which reduce cravings. We find that starting people on one of these medications reduces the chance of death by 50 to 75 percent in the first year. These medications are in themselves opioids. I know that sounds weird if a person is addicted to opioids, why give them other opioids? Q. Yeah. What do you tell people who dismiss MAT as just substituting one drug for another? A. Buprenorphine and methadone are long acting and slow onset. So when you take it several days in a row, you build up tolerance for it. You dont feel anything, and you dont get high. Your brain still heals from addiction. The brain circuits that became disrupted during the addiction will start to return to normal. Thats why we consider MAT sobriety. You can look at neuroimaging studies for people on methadone and their brains look like those of people who are sober. We can see the repair happening, the limbic system getting stronger. You are getting your willpower back. Its not perpetuating the addiction. Q. What are the costs of using other, less effective medications in jails? A. One report looked at people newly incarcerated who had to be detoxed. They were using like six different medications a blood pressure medication, something for nausea, something for pain, to treat the symptoms. That was actually more expensive than just giving a person buprenorphine or methadone, which directly treats opioid withdrawal. You can treat all the symptoms, or you can just give them back the opioid. The latter costs less money, patients were happier and medical providers were happier because they could see that the treatment was more effective. If you just give people other meds and detox them, they could die of an overdose, or be more irritable and on edge and end up getting into jail fights, or seeing the doctor and getting a prescription for an antidepressant because they feel depressed. All these uncalculated costs, because youre not treating the primary condition. Yet thats what we do. While some county jails are doing amazing work in offering all types of MAT, its not yet standard. Counties run their jails themselves, and theyre not all on board with MAT. Q. You say taxpayers are going to pay one way or another. What do you mean? A. If you dont rehabilitate people who are incarcerated, society is going to pay for it later. They lose their jobs and resort to an illegal lifestyle that has larger costs that are never calculated. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you cant discriminate against people if theyre incarcerated. You have to treat their medical conditions. This is overwhelmingly the gold standard, to put someone on MAT. Just from a human rights perspective, it has to be done. Its completely wrong to incarcerate someone, detox them and release them back into the community and increase their chances of dying. People who are addicted feel incredible shame about their behavior, and we know from research that if you punish someone and shame them more, it actually exacerbates the pain and leads them to repeat the behavior. Its this downward spiral. Anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of people with addictions have diagnosable psychiatric conditions. Oftentimes theres trauma underneath it. And tons of genetics are involved; addiction runs in families. Families that are well-resourced will hire a lawyer, theyll prevent their loved one from being incarcerated, theyll get him sent to a rehab and see better outcomes. Others might not end up in a hospital. They could easily end up in a jail cell instead. Q. How do we get MAT into every jail? A. You could do it through legislation. There was also a lawsuit recently in Massachusetts by someone in prison who was taken off methadone. They successfully won a judgment that it was a violation of the Eighth Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment. The ACLU has filed similar lawsuits elsewhere. People in New Jersey are talking about this now, and I think a lot of jails and prisons are going to get on board just to avoid lawsuits. It needs to happen, like, yesterday, because people are dying unnecessarily. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Big Data in Healthcare Market Insights Big Data in Healthcare Market size is projected to grow at a growth rate of 20.69% with a valuation of USD 17,278.13 million, during the forecast period 2015-2022. Health data has grown at unparalleled speeds, driven by lower storage costs, rising cloud storage, growing supervisory mandates, and government amendments to encourage the introduction of health information systems. The growing acceptance of handheld devices, home testing services, and health applications enable patients to proactively manage their own health. The availability of large amounts of health information has paved the way for tremendous advances in clinical research, precision drug development and clinical decision-making tools, faster drug discovery, and a more detailed picture of population health, opening new matrices for the management of chronic diseases. Amid rising healthcare costs, elderly populations, rising rates of chronic illness declining reimbursement costs, hospitals and other healthcare organizations are under stress for investments to advance resource and management which drives the growth of big data in healthcare market. Increasing provision of health-related data from different sources can transform improve patient outcomes, care system, reduce costs, and provide value-based care. These factors are the major drivers of the global big data in healthcare market. Encouraging the introduction of health information systems, promoting the use of appropriate security measures and interoperable shared electronic health records to protect confidential information by adopting standard clinical terminology and creating a more collaborative research environment to play a key role in improving the use of data analysis tools among healthcare organizations. Avail Free Sample Copy at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/948 Market Segmentation The big data in healthcare market is broadly diversified on the basis of component and services, software deployment, analytic service type, and application. Components are segmented into hardware and software type. The hardware segment is further segmented into router firewalls, virtual private network (VPN), data storage (data centers / on-premises storage, cloud storage / on-demand storage), mail servers, and access points and wireless. Software type comprises electronic health record (EHR) software, practice management software, revenue cycle management software, personnel management software, and others. By software deployment type, the market is segmented into on-premises software and on-demand software. Based on the type of analytical service, the market is segmented into descriptive analysis, predictive analysis, and prescriptive analysis. Based on analytical services applications, the market is segmented into clinical data analysis and financial analysis and operational analysis. Clinical data analysis is further segmented into quality assurance, population health management, clinical decision support, health accuracy, reporting, and compliance. Financial analysis is subdivided into complaint processing, revenue cycle, risk management and assessment. Operational analysis is segmented into personnel analysis and supply chain analysis. Regional Insights North America is the leading in big data in healthcare market due to early acceptance of technology in the region, APAC is expected to grow faster in the forecast period as development of big data infrastructure and applications has taken priority due to expansion of online services by governments and private organizations. Investment areas for governments of emerging economies in India and China. However, challenges need to be overcome to improve connectivity and the link between existing databases is to realize the full potential of data-driven healthcare systems. National and international platforms are predicted to consolidate patient data over time and across different clinics. Europe is expected to follow North America globally due to high spending in the healthcare sector and programs created for the welfare of patients. The Asia Pacific region is likely to spur rapidly. India and China are primary countries which can contribute to the region due to unmet needs over the forecast period. It is expected to grow with a higher CAGR of 24.75% due to increased clinical studies and the elderly population in that region. Gulf Cooperation Council states such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia can dominate the market in the MEA. The Africa market is expected to grow moderately due to poor economic and political conditions and poor development of health services. Major Players The prominent players supporting the growth of the global market for big data in healthcare market are Tableau, Allscripts, McKesson Corporation, SAS, Epic Systems, Cerner Corporation, SAP, among others. Browse Complete Report with TOC at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/global-big-data-healthcare-market-948 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), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Something to look forward to: In the world of technology, January is a significant time of the year, as it heralds the arrival of the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This year, CES 2020 takes place January 7-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. While it surprises no one that AMD plans to have a presence at the show, Team Red has made it official with a press conference date. AMD closed out 2019 by announcing its press conference, scheduled for Monday, Jan. 6 at 2:00 p.m. PST at the Mandalay Bay. None other than Dr. Lisa Su will be hosting the event. AMD also declared that it will "push the envelope" in terms of high-performance computing this year. A live stream of the event will take place on AMD's YouTube channel, with an archived version appearing two hours after the stream. At #CES2020, AMD will push the envelope yet again to make 2020 an incredible year for high-performance computing. Join us for our press conference on Monday, January 6th at 2PM PT on YouTube! AMD (@AMD) December 31, 2019 While it's anyone's guess as to what AMD has up its sleeve for CES this year, there have been some rumblings. AMD is prepping its Ryzen 4000 line up that will be underpinned by the Zen 3 architecture, and there's a chance AMD might be ready to talk about it. However, CES seems a bit early, and we'd wager a Computex 2020 announcement is more likely for Zen 3. There's also the rumored Threadripper 3980X, reportedly boasting 48 cores and 96 threads. Additionally, there's the RX 5600 XT, with rumored performance somewhere between Nvidia's GTX 1660 Ti and RTX 2060. It's possible AMD may take the wraps off the mid-range card at CES 2020. Then, there's talk of AMD's RDNA 2 architecture, built on a 7nm+ process that is supposed to power "Big Navi" and bring with it hardware accelerated ray tracing. At any rate, we won't have to wait long to see what AMD has in store. If 2019 was any indication, 2020 should be an interesting year for computing. Degas acquired Girl Arranging Her Hair not, I think, because it reminded him of himself. He acquired it because of the astonishing feeling of freshness it gives off, the skill in the drawing (that right hand!), and the gorgeousness of the coloring. He saw straightaway its greatness, and was greedy to have it. (If you are going to paint, said Freud, youve got to use any art you see as being there entirely for you, to help you. If you admire it in that sense, I think maybe youre gone.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi trained his guns at the Congress and people protesting against the new citizenship law on Thursday, saying the demonstrators were opposing Parliament and accusing the Opposition of keeping mum on religious atrocities in Pakistan. Speaking at a religious shrine in Karnatakas Tumakuru, Modi said protecting and supporting minorities of neighbouring countries who seek refuge in India was a cultural and national responsibility. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, offers a quicker path to citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan was formed on the basis of religion, religious minorities are being persecuted there. The persecuted have been forced to migrate to India as refugees. Congress and its allies dont speak against Pakistan, instead they are taking out rallies against these persecuted minorities and refugees, he said after paying respects at the Gadduge (resting place) of Shivakumara Swamiji at Siddaganga Math, a prominent seminary of the influential Lingayat sect. Those who are protesting against the Parliament of India, I want to tell them that the need was to expose Pakistans deeds on the world stage. If you want to protest, protest and raise voice against Pakistans deeds for the last 70 years... Instead of opposing parliament, why arent they questioning Pakistan for its atrocities on Dalits, he added. Modi and senior leaders of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have defended the controversial law that triggered massive street protests shortly after it was passed by Parliament in December. Demonstrations have rocked every major city of India, where police has lathi-charged people, shut down internet services, and even resorted to firing bullets. At least 26 protesters have died in the past month. The government says CAA, which is applicable to refugees entering India on or before December 31, 2014, will help persecuted minorities fleeing Muslim-majority countries but opponents which includes students, activists, and civil society groups say the law is unconstitutional because it links faith to citizenship, and discriminatory because it omits Islam. But Modi rejected these arguments on Thursday and sought to blame Pakistan and opposition parties. He said that atrocities against minorities and Dalit people was rising in Pakistan and it was Indias duty to help them. Most of the Hindus who have come from there are Dalits and downtrodden, we cannot leave them like that, protecting them is our cultural and national responsibility, he said, adding, We should also help Sikh, Jain and Christians who have come from Pakistan. The Congress rejected the accusation and said the anti-CAA stir was not against Pakistan but the divisive work of the BJP. We will not let you break the country, it tweeted. Senior leader Randeep Singh Surjewala also referred to reports of Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal reportedly saying he wont allow foreigners to settle in his state. Your own CM is openly opposing CAA. Will you now declare him anti national? I challenge you to dismiss him before criticising the opposition, Surjewala said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Situated in the middle of major livestock producing states such as Johor, Negeri Sembilan & Selangor, Malacca is the ideal hub to conduct Livestock Malaysia 2020 with all four states combined contributing a total of 70% of Malaysia's broiler farms. On top of that, Malacca's state government has increased 5% of its agricultural activities since 2018 to make Malacca the country's agriculture hub as well as supporting the output of innovative products to breed competitive and capable modern agropreneurs to contribute on food production. Endorsed by the Department of Veterinary Services, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Based Industries, this is an essential gathering welcoming over 7,000 local, regional and international trade visitors and delegates, representing integrators, veterinarians, livestock farmers, feed millers, wholesaler, retailers, food processors, importers and distributors. The show will be expecting more than 200 exhibitors from 30 countries with confirmed participations from major players from the livestock industry such as Big Dutchman, Otemchi, Skov, Biomin, Nabel and many more. The 3-day event will showcase the latest technologies and services from the exhibitors which creates the ideal platform for everyone in the livestock field to attend. Led by international pavilions from across the globe such as Mainland China, Taiwan, Korea and the Netherlands, this show will attract a strong international perspective to Malaysia and the region's livestock sector. "It also encourages valuable business partnerships, knowledge transfer and investment by which we can help to increase the region's competitiveness by further improving the quality and safety of feed, livestock and meat products," said Mr. M Gandhi, Group Managing Director, (ASEAN Business) & Senior Vice President of UBM Asia. Furthermore, "Visitors of Livestock Malaysia 2020 will be able to source new products and solutions as well as gather new ideas from leading livestock companies to grow their business as well as increase profit," he added. Livestock Malaysia 2020's visitors can attend the free international conferences and technical seminars where industry experts will lead the panel of speakers in the technical conferences with interesting topics for the livestock industries such as broiler & layer production, consumer driven demand 'Table to Farm Evolution', ASEAN Plus framework and the recent market situation post African Swine Fever epidemic. On top of that, visitors will also be able to witness the prestigious 9th Malaysian Livestock Industry Awards where the industry recognises the exceptional successes of individuals and companies that made an outstanding contribution to Malaysia's livestock and meat processing sectors. Admission is free. Apart from avoiding long queues at the registration counter, there are many benefits to pre-registering for Livestock Malaysia 2020 which include privileges such as access to the Business Lounge for discussions and light refreshments, receive Special Souvenir for the first 1,000 pre-registered visitors, a Special Copy of "ASEAN Livestock Industry Update" and become Livestock Series Member where visitors will receive exclusive industry news regularly. The previous series recorded an astounding 6,286 Trade Visitors, more than 200 exhibitors from international and local suppliers, and 63 speakers from 31 countries living up to its name as the premier international feed, livestock & meat industry show. Don't miss out. Stay connected with industry professionals - Meet exhibitors and co-visitors to establish new relationships. To register as visitor or for more information, visit www.livestockmalaysia.com; For booth enquiry, email [email protected]; For show updates, follow Facebook (Livestock Malaysia 2020 Expo and Forum). Notes to Editor: About Livestock Malaysia Livestock Malaysia 2020 is organised by Informa Markets (known as UBM), which is a part of Informa plc. UBM is also the Organiser of the regional Livestock series events in Southeast Asia including Vietstock (Vietnam) and Livestock Philippines to play a role in creating business networking opportunities for the industry professionals contributing to the important developments to the ASEAN Livestock industry to be the hub of Livestock production to feed the world. SOURCE Livestock Malaysia Related Links http://www.livestockmalaysia.com The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Thursday asked the state government to file its reply within two weeks on a petition seeking quashing ofthe FIR filed here against Congress worker Sadaf Jafar for her participation in a protest against the CAA. The court, however, declined to direct the jail authorities to provide better medical facilities to Jafar after additional government advocate S P Singh said the jail authorities were already providing her all possible medical treatment. A bench of Justice Shabihul Hasnain and Justice Virendra Kumar II passed the order on a writ petition moved on Jafar's behalf by her friend Naheed Varma. Apart from challenging the FIR and seeking declaration of her arrest as illegal, the petitioner has demanded that the investigation be conducted by an officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police and under court supervision. The petitioner further demanded that she should be provided hygienic and humane conditions, warm clothes, mattress and bedding in jail. Jafar, in the plea, has also sought access to home cooked food as per provisions of the UP Jail Manual. The court posted the matter for the next hearing after two weeks. Jafar was arrested on December 19, 2019 for protesting here against the amended citizenship law. Her bail plea is pending before the District Court after the magisterial court rejected her plea. The Hazratganj police booked her under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 and the Criminal Law (Amendment ) Act, 1932. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 1001 Bissonnet; mfah.org My Name Is Khan An Indian Muslim man with Aspergers takes a challenge to speak to the president of the United States and embarks on a cross-country journey. 7 p.m. Friday In Search of Beethoven A comprehensive feature length cinema documentary about the life of Ludwig van Beethoven. 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday The Masque of the Red Death Prince Prospero terrorizes the local peasantry while using his castle as a refuge against the "Red Death" plague that stalks the land. 7 p.m. Friday Aga An elderly reindeer hunter and his wife live in the icy north. When she senses that she is dying, the wife longs to talk about their daughter who left home to work in a faraway diamond mine, but her husband refuses to talk about her. 7 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday 14 PEWS 800 Aurora; 14pews.org Every Night's a Saturday Night A documentary about the late rock & roll saxophonist and "Sixth Rolling Stone," Bobby Keys. The Executive Producer Jeffrey Brown will introduce the film and host a Q&A following the screening. 7 p.m. Friday RIVER OAKS THEATRE 2009 W. Gray; landmarktheatres.com Pee-wee's Big Adventure When eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life. Midnight Friday and Saturday ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMA 2707 Commercial Center, Katy; drafthouse.com/houston Terror Train Three years after a prank that went terribly awry, the six college students responsible are targeted by a masked killer at a New Year's Eve party aboard a moving train. 9 p.m. Friday Night Train to Terror God and Satan are on a train discussing the fate of three individuals. The stories of the people in question are told in a trio of very strange vignettes. 9 p.m. Friday The Big Lebowski Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it. 7:30 p.m. Saturday Moonrise Kingdom Wes Andersons story of a pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out to find them. 3:15 p.m. Sunday Drop Dead Fred A young woman finds her already unstable life rocked by the presence of a rambunctious imaginary friend from childhood. 6 p.m. Sunday THE HEALTH MUSEUM 1515 Hermann; thehealthmuseum.org 93 Days When the deadliest infectious disease, Ebola, known to man arrives in Lagos, 21 million people are affected. 6 p.m. Thursday DISCOVERY GREEN 1500 McKinney; discoverygreen.com Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Pearland authorities took five people into custody recently on charges related to assaults, according to reports from the citys police department. Two of the incidents involved a deadly weapon, police said. A Port Arthur man, 32, received a citation for assault Dec. 23 in the 6100 block of Promenade Lane, police said. A Pearland woman, 39, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault, family violence with a deadly weapon Dec. 23 in the 1100 block of West Brompton Drive, police said. Police arrested a Houston man, 36, on a charge of assault, family violence Dec. 26 in the 1000 block of Bass Pro Drive. Police charged a Pearland man, 51, with assault Dec. 28 in the 2100 block of Linwood Oaks. A Tennessee Colony man, 34, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon Dec. 28 in the 5900 block of Larrycrest Drive, police said. Police arrested a Pearland man, 43, on an assault, family violence charge Dec. 29 in the 2500 block of Business Center Drive. Theft Police charged an Alvin man, 25, with shoplifting Dec. 23 in the 10100 block of Broadway Street. A 38-year-old Alvin woman was taken into custody on a warrant, police said. A 17-year-old Pearland man was charged with shoplifting Dec. 24 in the 1900 block of Main Street, police said. Police took a Lake Jackson man, 44, into custody for allegedly stealing merchandise Dec. 24 in the 8300 block of Broadway Street. A Friendswood man, 39, was arrested on a charge of theft Dec. 27 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street, police said. A 17-year-old League City man and a Friendswood man and woman, both 18, received shoplifting citations Dec. 27 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street, police said. Police took a Pearland man, 55, into custody on a charge of theft and a warrant Dec. 28 in the 1900 block of Main Street. Police charged an Alvin man, 29, and woman, 32, with shoplifting Dec. 29 in the 10100 block of Broadway Street. Narcotics Police took a Pearland man, 18, into custody on a charge of marijuana possession and a warrant Dec. 24 in the 2900 block of Kirby Drive. A 60-year-old Alvin woman was charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawfully carrying a weapon Dec. 27 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street, police said. Police charged a Houston man, 19, with marijuana possession after a traffic stop Dec. 27 in the 10900 block of Broadway Street. Police charged a Pearland man, 33, with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while license invalid Dec. 28 in the 4600 block of Dixie Farm Road. Driving while intoxicated Police took a Pearland man, 22, into custody on a charge of DWI Dec. 23 in the 4300 block of Bailey Road. A Pearland man, 43, was charged with DWI Dec. 25 in the 2200 block of Main Street, police said. Police arrested a Pearland man, 56, on a charge of DWI Jan. 26 in the 2500 block of Main Street. A 36-year-old Pearland man was charged with DWI Dec. 29 in the 3100 block of Cullen Parkway, police said. Criminal trespass, mischief A San Antonio woman, 48, was charged with criminal trespass and evading arrest on foot Dec. 23 in the 8300 block of Broadway Street, police said. Police charged a South Houston man, 28, with criminal mischief Dec. 25 in the 4600 block of North Magnolia Elms Drive. Public intoxication Police took a Pearland man, 58, into custody on a charge of public intoxication Dec. 28 in the 3500 block of Business Center Drive. Failure to identify Police charged a Pasadena man, 31, with failure to identify as a fugitive Dec. 29 in the 3200 block of Dixie Farm Road. A Hardin woman, 35, was taken into custody on a charge of no drivers license, police said. Traffic Police arrested a Houston man, 31, on a charge of no drivers license Dec. 26 in the 1600 block of Main Street. Millions of animals are dead and hundreds of thousands more will perish over coming days as a result of killer bushfires ravaging southeast Australia. Native wildlife and agricultural livestock are among the fatalities, with already-endangered species at greater risk of extinction. 'The fires will have killed millions of animals ... mammals, birds, reptiles,' Wildlife Victoria boss Megan Davidson told AAP. An injured koala receiving treatment at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital on November 19 And the threat is not over, with wildlife rescue groups likely to be helpless in many instances. 'It is largely a job of euthanasing at this stage, both livestock and wildlife,' Dr Davidson said. 'They are so severely burnt that there is nothing better you can do other than end their suffering.' Even when the fires are eventually quelled, those wild animals that have survived will struggle to survive due to loss of food and natural habitat. The toll on wildlife has been immense. This burnt glider stood no chance of escape The nationally-endangered eastern bristlebird is one species of concern amid the fires which are straddling the NSW-Victorian border. 'There are only three populations in Australia and two are under threat,' The University of Melbourne's Alan York said. One of the small birds' habitats is near Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast and the other is Mallacoota in Victoria's East Gippsland, where fires forced people onto the beach to escape flames. 'It is a bird with very limited flight capabilities so it's very difficult for it to get out of the way of fire,' Prof York said. Farmer Steve Shipton from Coolagolite, southeastern New South Wales, inspects the burns on a calf he was forced to put down after bushfires incinerated his property The eastern bristlebird's other habitat on the Gold Coast had also been under stress in recent times but was not currently under threat from fire. Despite the scale of destruction caused by the fires, both Prof York and Dr Davidson were hopeful that animal populations can recover as the bushland regenerates. 'People get worried that species will become extinct but it's more about population size and they will return,' he said. 'It is sometimes surprising how quickly things will recover - as soon as conditions are good again they can very rapidly breed up.' Professor Davidson said everyone can help animals that are not only suffering from fires but from years of drought. 'It's grim, but we don't want people to despair.' The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said it has no information that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation was organising any India-focussed meeting and dubbed reports that such a conference was likely to be held on Kashmir as "entirely speculative". The assertion came after media reports claimed that Saudi Arabia has conveyed to Pakistan through its Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan that it was planning to convene a meeting on the Kashmir issue. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday had said that Islamabad wanted an early meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) be convened to discuss the human rights situation in Kashmir. Dismissing the media reports on any likely OIC meeting on Kashmir, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "The reports are entirely speculative. I think they are basically coming out from Pakistan that the meeting is being organised. At this stage, we are not aware of any such meeting of OIC on any India-related matter." "If you see Pakistan's statement, it has said that it is envisaged. They are using words like envisaged, planned etc. I don't think there has been any statement by Pakistan that this is happening," Kumar said at a briefing. He said that a council of foreign ministers meeting of OIC takes place every year and that will take place this year as well. "Let us see, I am right in saying that we have no information so far regarding any India-focussed meeting which is being organised by OIC," Kumar said. Asked about Malaysia raising various issues on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and its actions in OIC, he said India has made its stance very clear to that country. He also pointed to India's statement recently in which it had termed as "factually incorrect" remarks reportedly made by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's that India is taking action to deprive some Muslims of their citizenship. The MEA had also said Malaysia should refrain from commenting on the internal developments of India, especially without a right understanding of the facts. The OIC is a 57-member grouping of Muslim majority nations, including Pakistan. The OIC has usually been supportive of Pakistan and often sided with Islamabad on the Kashmir issue. Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5 and bifurcating it into two Union territories. Responding to a question on India's efforts to extradite fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, Kumar said the matter is under litigation and it is being heard at Westminster Magistrates' court in London. On the extradition requests against Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who is in Antigua and Barbuda, he said," We are committed, we are putting all our resources on the ground to ensure early extradition of Nirav Modi to India...We have requested the Antigua and Barbuda government if they can expedite the legal proceedings so that the process of extradition of Mehul Choksi to India can start. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Star Wars director reveals he was a youth group kid, names favorite Christian artists Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Rian Johnson, the director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, recently revealed that he was once a youth group kid. In Johnson's latest film Knives Out, which was released over the Christmas holidays, the director includes the faith-based rock song Righteous Rocker. On Monday, a curious viewer named Scott Reynolds tweeted a question to the noted Hollywood director asking why he chose to include the trailblazing 1970s Larry Norman Christian song in the movie. Hey @rianjohnson tell me the story about how Righteous Rocker by Larry Norman got on @KnivesOut (Man I loved Knives Out.) Reynolds tweeted. Johnson replied, I had grown up listening to Christian rock but never heard of him, then someone on here tweeted an article about him (I thought it was @alissamarie but cant find it now?) and I got really into his music. That song felt appropriate. The California native was then pressed to reveal more details about the type of music he listened to as a teenager and Johnson actually continued the conversation. He disclosed that Christian artists Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith were two artists he listened to and then he transitioned to indie California bands such as The Prayer Chain and Black and White World. When I was a kid it was stuff like Amy Grant and Michael W Smith, but then as a teen local bands like the prayer chain and black and white world, he wrote on Twitter. Was very much a youth group kid, Johnson admitted. When i was a kid it was stuff like amy grant & michael w smith, but then as a teen local socal bands like the prayer chain & black and white world. Was very much a youth group kid. Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) December 30, 2019 Despite his Christian upbringing, Johnson no longer subscribes to the faith of his childhood. In an interview published in November, he said Christianity still informs his understanding of the world but he no longer sees God as a cosmic entity outside himself. Johnson pegged his understanding of God as a structure thats within my own psyche. He continued, All of that stuff is as real as anything. Its just interior as opposed to exterior. The filmmaker believes there is a raw power in his internal conflict with faith and religion, which he said was once a true source of power in my life. You have to reconcile that in some way, he said. I guess Im still trying to. A politician fought back tears as he gave an emotional interview after horrific bushfires left the New South Wales south coast on the brink of humanitarian disaster. Andrew Constance, the Liberal MP for Bega, was visibly shaken after hearing 381 homes had been gutted by the fire - with the worst yet to come on Saturday. Thousands of families are fleeing the devastated coast south of Batemans Bay. Mr Constance represents huge swathes of the NSW south coast, from Batemans Bay down to the Victorian border. MP for Bega Andrew Constance (pictured) pleaded for the community to 'look after each other' in an emotional interview Families in the NSW town of Bega (pictured) sheltered in camps over the new year after fires devastated their homes Told that the number of homes lost in NSW had jumped to nearly 400, the MP was noticeably distraught by the devastating news. Choking back tears, he said: 'It's unfair, you know? I met four RFS guys yesterday who lost their homes. 'Beautiful neighbours of mine lost their homes. It is tough. We will get it together. We're tough here, we're pretty resilient people. We've been through a lot, we'll recover. It's just hard.' After ripping through forest, the out-of-control Badja Forest Road fire has lept across the Princes Highway and devastated the coastline. Children in Mr Constance's town of Bega (pictured) played in facemasks as they were forced to live in emergency camps after fleeing their homes Cars line up to leave the town of Batemans Bay (pictured) in New South Wales to head north on Thursday, with conditions likely to worsen on Saturday It is now burning at an alarming and uncontrollable rate, as locals and holidaymakers alike scramble to escape. The Rural Fire Service is urging residents and holidaymakers to completely evacuate the south coast before Saturday, when conditions are likely to spiral out of control. 'It is not safe. Do not be here on Saturday,' the warning said. There are fears that if people do not flee the embattled coastline, there will soon be no way out. Cars have been queuing at petrol stations in the Bega Valley (pictured) as they try to escape the area by road This satellite image shows the devastation of the fires devastating the coastal town of Batemans Bay, on the NSW south coast, early Wednesday morning as the blaze continues to spread Further up towards Batemans Bay, the Clyde Mountain fire is also burning out-of-control. On Thursday cars were being allowed to travel north from Batemans Bay on the Princes Highway, with thousands of motorists taking to the roads in a desperate attempt to escape. Mr Constance, who is also NSW transport minister, pleaded for calm as residents at Batemans Bay rush to fill up their cars as petrol stations in the area finally reopen. 'The problem is there's through traffic that needs to continue, versus those who are queuing up to get into the Caltex on the northern side of the bridge,' he explained. 'Just everyone needs to be patient, it might be an hour or so before it starts to clear. Fuel is coming into the region which is great, we saw two tankers under escort late last night 'There's more fuel obviously now to come through now that the roads are open, get stocked up in preparation for what is going to be another terrible day on Saturday. A major operation to move people stranded in fire-ravaged seaside towns was under way on Thrusday, as cars lined up to leave Batemans Bay (pictured) 'Evacuation centres have been prepared, we've got a terrible situation that's happened right down the coast. 'We're a community, and the definition of community is coming together and looking aftrer each other, and we just need everybody to do that. 'And particularly our visitors who are leaving, the message is once all this goes - please come back.' The navy has been called in to evacuate thousands of people ahead of a 46C heatwave on Saturday, which will see increasingly poor conditions. There have been seven deaths in NSW alone since Monday. This includes volunteer firefighter Samuel McPaul, as well as Patrick Salway, 29, and his 63-year-old father Robert. Two bodies were found separately in Yatte Yattah, while another was found in a vehicle at Sussex Inlet. Another body was discovered at Coolagolite, with a man missing and presumed dead in Belowra. A 16-year-old boy was among three people to appear in court charged with offences linked to the stabbing of a man at a block of flats in Londonderry. Jonathan Desmond Gibson (30), who is unemployed and from Crawford Square, is jointly charged with the boy, a looked after child in the care of the Western Health Trust, with wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. They are also jointly charged with possessing a knife with intent to do grievous bodily harm. It relates to an incident in the Great James Street on Tuesday night. Also before Londonderry Magistrates Court was Nikita Brogan (22), who lives in the same block of flats where the incidents allegedly occurred. She is charged with assisting offenders by allegedly using tissues and a spray can to clean up blood at the scene. Opposing bail, a police officer told District Judge Barney McElholm that the victim also lived in the same block of flats. He said CCTV footage from inside the flats complex showed a total of three attempts to stab the victim in the back, four attempts to stab him in the left leg and three attempts to slash him in the face. As a result of the incident, the victim sustained one stab wound to his back which punctured his lung, one to his left leg and two slashes to his face. The officer said police were alerted to the scene by an ambulance crew, who treated the victim at the scene before taking him to Altnagelvin Hospital. When police arrived they arrested the two males as they attempted to walk away from the flats complex. Inside the complex they found the victim sitting in his flat bleeding profusely from stab wounds. The police witness said CCTV footage from inside the complex showed the defendant Gibson armed with a knife and attacking the victim on three occasions. It also showed the juvenile defendant punching the victim as well as the defendant Brogan cleaning up pools of blood. The footage also showed the victim holding a hammer throughout the incident. The detective constable said the footage showed the defendant Gibson engaging in three stabbing motions as he chased the victim up three flights of stairs. He said Gibson had taken part in three separate frenzied attacks on the victim. During police interview the defendant Gibson said he had acted in self-defence after the victim had threatened all three defendants with the hammer. The defendant Gibson also identified himself on the CCTV footage. The District Judge remanded all three in custody to separate dates later this month and he said he did not want to hear anything more about self defence. He added: This man Gibson was certainly the prime mover in this incident. He is the person who actually did the stabbing. Mr McElholm said he knew the victim to be a vulnerable man. He said he also knew that the defendant Gibson, who has been diagnosed with three mental health issues, had stopped taking his medication before the incident probably because of something he read on Google posted by some lunatic. This is our annual (formerly twice-a-year) summary of current war zones and an overview of where it is all heading. Doing this once a year rather than twice is a reflection of the decline in the number and severity of wars since the 1990s. After the overview, there is an alphabetical list of the war zones and a quick summary of the local mayhem. Since we have been covering this sort of thing for twenty years now there are some war zones that have gone quiet. We left most of those in summary, with a note that those wars had gone dormant, and maybe extinct. History shows that dormant is more common than extinct. Forever (at least multi-century) wars are an ancient tradition. Overall things are a lot more peaceful than the headlines or Internet chatter would have you believe. Like most major trends, world peace just kind of sneaked up on everyone and a lot of people have not noticed. Thanks to modern tech (ubiquitous access to cell phones and the Internet) any mayhem anywhere on the planet easily becomes another news item for a global audience. This gives the impression of more violence when it is nothing more than unprecedented general access to violence that until recently was never broadcast worldwide and accompanied by video. That gives a false impression. Historians, anthropologists and archeologists have found that centuries ago life was a lot more violent and we have long known that life spans were much shorter. This is still the case with surviving tribal and Stone Age cultures. While there are still a few stone-age cultures left on the planet, there are also several more advanced ones that are cursed with a culture of medieval mayhem. These have come to be called failed states and the most active ones, Somalia and Afghanistan are often in the news. There are still a few imperial powers in the headlines. Most empires disappeared over the last two centuries but several have survived and trying to bring back the good old days (if you are the emperor and his cronies) of power and glory. Empires are dictatorships because democracy and imperial behavior do not mix. The troublesome empires currently in the news include China, Russia, Iran, Turkey and the former Islamic Caliphate. Turkey, Russia and Iran are technically democracies but for the moment the imperial ways are ascendant and the main cause of problems with their neighbors. Since the end of the Cold War in 1991, deaths from wars and large scale civil disorder (which is often recorded as some kind of war) have led to a sharp (over 20 percent so far) drop in violence worldwide. This occurred despite increasingly active and lethal Islamic terror groups. While the terror attacks themselves were news, the current and historical causes of Islamic terrorism were not. Examining that would have revealed that Islamic radicalism has a large anti-technology component, which is why Islamic terrorist violence tends to be low tech and disorganized. Thus most war deaths are not caused by terrorists and even in 2014 (a peak year for Islamic death cults seeking to revive the Caliphate), terrorism-related deaths (mostly Islamic terrorism) accounted for 20 percent of all war-related deaths. Islamic terrorism gets the most publicity but less glamorous disputes do most of the killing. Islamic terrorism no longer dominates the news now that ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) has been crushed but not destroyed. Global Islamic terrorism-related deaths have fallen by over 50 percent since 2014 when there were 35,000. Global deaths hit 19,000 in 2017 and under 16,000 for 2018. These deaths are still declining. This activity is most visible in the GTI (Global Terrorism Index), which counts all forms of terrorism. In 2018 Egypt has dropped out of the top ten as they suppressed most of the Islamic terrorist activity in Sinai. In 2017 Egypt was number three but now it is at eleven. The top ten consists of Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, India, Yemen, Philippines, and Congo. India, Philippines, Yemen and Congo all have Islamic terrorism accounting for a minority of the deaths. In 2018 worldwide terrorism deaths declined 15 percent to 15,952. This decline is, so far, a four year trend and Syria is one of the areas where there have been fewer deaths in the last few years. Egypt saw an even more dramatic 90 percent decline. This decline has continued for 2019 but the headline news does not cover trends like that. The old news adage, if it bleeds it leads is as true as ever. Since 2014 five nations (Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Syria and Pakistan) have accounted for most of these deaths. The largest source of Islamic terror deaths during that period was ISIL, a more radical faction of al Qaeda that currently is where the most radical practitioners of Islamic terrorism are found. Islamic terrorists continue to be, as they have been since the 1990s, the main source of terrorism-related deaths, accounting for about 90 percent of such fatalities. The remainder of the terrorism-related deaths are ethnic (often tribal) conflicts in Africa and Asia. Purely political terrorism accounts for a fraction of one percent of all terrorism-related deaths and are outnumbered by terrorism deaths inflicted by common (often organized) criminals. Common Causes Of War And Disorder Wars tend to be found in nations that are poorly (if at all) governed. This usually means corrupt rulers and a corrupt economy that is unable to provide for the welfare of the people. The nations mired in war and general mayhem tend to be those that score lowest on international surveys of well-being and lack of corruption. For example, the ten nations suffering the most terrorism deaths rank lowest in the Human Development Index the UN has compiled annually during the last 29 years. The index ranks all 189 world nations on how well they do in terms of life expectancy, education and income. In 2019 the top ten were Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, Iceland, Sweden, Singapore and Netherlands. The bottom ten were Mozambique at 180th place (there are a lot of ties) followed by Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Mali, Burundi, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic and in last place, Niger. Other notable nations are the United States at 15 (tied with Britain), Russia 49, China 89, South Korea 22 (tied with Israel), Finland 12, Poland 32, Ukraine 88, Latvia 39, Belarus 50, Georgia 70, Azerbaijan 87, Armenia 81, Uzbekistan 108, Saudi Arabia 36, Iran 65, India 129, Pakistan 152, Bangladesh 135, Afghanistan 170, Venezuela 96, Colombia 79, Mexico 76, Egypt 116, Lebanon 93, Syria 154 and Jordan 103. North Korea is not ranked because not enough reliable data is available on the population or economy. Taiwan was not rated because China insisted Taiwan was part of China. But in previous years Taiwan had similar ratings to South Korea and Israel. Corruption in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) is measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The most corrupt nations (usually North Korea/14, Yemen/14, Syria/13, South Sudan/13 and Somalia/10) have a rating of under 15 while the least corrupt (New Zealand and Denmark) are over 85. A classic example of the impact of a socialist police state versus free-market democracy is Korea. North Korean score is 14 while South Korea was 57. The ten most corrupt nations are Somalia (the worst with CPI of 10), Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, North Korea, Sudan, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Afghanistan and Libya (CPI of 17). Not all of these nations are at war but they all either are or very likely to suffer civil war or just a lot of civil disorder which is widespread violence that often leads to civil war. The ten least corrupt are Denmark (CPI 88), New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Canada and Luxembourg (CPI 81). Some other CPIs are 63 for Taiwan, 40 for India, 29 for Russia, 33 for Vietnam, 72 for Japan, 38 for Indonesia, 31 for the Maldives, 36 for the Philippines, 33 for Pakistan, 26 for Bangladesh, 28 for Iran, 29 for Burma, 70 for the UAE (United Arab Emirates), 62 for Israel, 72 for the United States, 27 for Nigeria, 43 for South Africa, 18 for Iraq, 41 for Turkey, 49 for Saudi Arabia and 28 for Lebanon. A lower CPI score is common with nations in economic trouble and problems dealing with reality and crime in general. North Koreas corruption score has improved since 2012, when it was eight but that has not lifted it out of the bottom of the list. South Korea has not changed much since 2012, when it was 56. South Korea is doing it right and North Korea is not while the people, leaders and basic culture are the same in both nations. In contrast, Sudan (CPI 16) and South Sudan (CPI 13) only recently separated because of ethnic and religious differences. Sudan is Moslem and more Semitic which South Sudan is black African and largely Christian. Sudan recently overthrew an Islamic dictatorship and is trying to replace it with democracy while South Sudan just ended a civil war and is trying to achieve a functioning (peaceful and prosperous) democracy. The major obstacle is corruption based on tribal allegiance. This is a common problem in Africa and many other parts of the world. The least corrupt nations have been most successful in leaving tribalism behind. The major reason tribalism survives is because, when lacking the presence of effective (high CPI) nation-state a tribal government is usually the best alternative. Civil Society And The Tyranny of Time A major misunderstanding many political and military leaders make is to underestimate the amount of time it takes to fundamentally change a nation from a source of war and disorder to one of peace, prosperity and unity. The fundamental misunderstanding is that the lack of civil society (a widely accepted set of cultural and political practices that create widespread trust) means that there is no quick fix for a chaotic area mired in war and mayhem. It takes decades or generations to achieve a civil society. Without a civil society to work with the best you can do is pacify. Thats why so many peacekeeping efforts never seem to end. On the other hand nations with civil society, like Japan and Germany after World War II, can change swiftly and effectively. That is why nations with lots of corruption and not much human development are so prone to violence and war that never seems to end. The worst of these troublesome areas have come to be described as failed states. That is an area that never was a unified and stable state and is still cursed with a fundamental political instability. Some examples are Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan and many African states that were created by colonial rulers who underestimated the durability of tribal traditions and the difficulty of creating a civil society. While the urge to establish new empires is much diminished now, largely because of the disastrous after-effects of national socialists (Nazis), international socialists (Soviet Union) and ethnic nationalists (World War II Japan). But the urge for defunct or legendary empires to be revived still exists. You can see it happening with China, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Islamic radicals seeking to revive the medieval caliphate. At the same time, there are also problems with democracies. As Winston Churchill put it, democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others. Moreover, all democracies are different, often drastically so. Despite all that, having the people as the ultimate source of political power manages to function in a wide variety of cultural environments. Democracy is also a perpetual work-in-progress and always a few major missteps away from degrading into totalitarianism or chaos. The Imperial Curse And The Rebirth Of Nazism Empires are often underestimated or misunderstood and that is one reason why empires are still a problem. Empires are the product of nation-states that believe their form of government should be forced on neighbors for various reasons usually having to do with making a lot of imperialists rich and possibly improving the state of the conquered areas. Empires are inherently unstable because they tend to produce a lot of corruption and costs (in terms of resources and people). The conquered tend to require a long time, if ever, to accept the new status forced upon them. In the pre-industrial age, empires were broken up and reassembled often. With the growth of democracy during the last two centuries that has become less popular and more difficult. Democracies and empires dont mix well. Islamic terrorism is a key component of some efforts to revive ancient empires, and dealing (peacekeeping) with all the mayhem that both of these malignant movements create has been increasingly difficult. The number of refugees created by all this mayhem has reached numbers not seen since the aftermath of World War II. The motivation for all this violence is generally about religion, territorial claims or both. As a result of this trend, reviving empires is a common theme with all the major troublemakers in the early 21st century (and most of the 20th). This is an ancient curse that has reappeared recently in multiple forms. Some of these efforts are more media friendly than others but all share the same characteristics; mobilizing popular support for rebuilding lost empires and, especially in the West, how to deal with all those refugees. Most Moslem majority nations refuse to accept refugees, especially Moslem refugees. This is connected to the reasons for the outbreaks of Islamic terrorism but that connection is understood better in Moslem nations than in the West, where many actively deny that there is a terrorism problem inherent with Islam. The most obvious one example of all this (the Islamic caliphate) grabbed most of the headlines after 2014 because Islamic terrorism has been a common symptom of desperate, longshot efforts to restore the caliphate for over a thousand years. There are some unique features with this religion-based empire (Islam literally means submission) that has been hostile to any kind of progress, especially technology, economic or religious. Past revival efforts have been unsuccessful. Thus the quick and brutal demise of ISIL was largely because it also tried to use self-righteous fanaticism as its primary weapon and motivation in a world that was largely hostile to such a brutal and simplistic ideology. ISIL was one of the few Islamic radical movements that mobilized nearly all Moslems to jointly and violently oppose it. Yet even with ISIL suppressed, there are plenty of other Islamic empire revivalists who all seek to not just make Islam great again but to do it on a global scale. ISIL is still around as are the religious beliefs that have kept Islamic terrorism flaring up periodically for over a thousand years. ISIL was not the only major Moslem effort to revive a religion-based empire. There are two others underway and causing lots of problems because they are more about nationalism and ethnicity than religion. First there is Iran, which has been a regional superpower for thousands of years but fell on hard times after the 7th century because of a succession of damaging visits by invaders. First came conquest by the Arab revival (the initial wars of conquest by newly converted Moslem Arabs). This was humiliating because Persians never thought such a thing possible. That was followed by a devastating visit by the Mongols after which came a series of exhausting wars with the Ottoman Turks and finally the Western nations and all their new tech and ideas. Even before the largely secular Iranian monarchy was replaced by a religious dictatorship in the 1980s, Iranian imperial ambitions, financed by all that new and unexpected oil wealth, were seen as a growing problem. This may be a problem that resolves itself because since late 2017 nationwide anti-government protests broke out in Iran and continue into 2020. Young (born after the 1980s) Iranians are now the majority and want an end to corruption, theocracy and expensive foreign misadventures. The operation in Syria was seen as particularly wasteful and expensive, especially with Israel threatening to use whatever it takes (including their nukes) to prevent Iran from creating a military presence on their northern border. In another unexpected development, some Turks got interested in religion and empire building again. In the 1990s the Turks, who had gone secular after their centuries old Ottoman Empire collapsed in the 1920s, decided to give Islam another chance as an elected ruler (Recep Erdogan) tries, with some success, to revive the Ottoman empire using a combination of Islam, technology and creative diplomacy to make Turkey great again. This comes into conflict (as it has in the past) with Iranian efforts to restore their imperial past. The new Turkish empire builder (called Sultan Erdogan I behind his back) is not that much interested in taking back lost real estate but is eager to regain the Turkish leadership of the Islamic world. That was lost a century ago when Turkish secular reformers renounced the title of caliph the Turkish Sultan (emperor) had long held. Sultan Erdogan has a lot of opposition at home and not much support in the region for an Ottoman revival. But Erdogan is a resourceful and ruthless politician and, in early 2018, won re-election as president. This keeps him in power until 2023 as an elected official even though his political allies are doing much less well with the voters. Meanwhile, Eurasia finds itself beset by several major imperial revival efforts. In the east, there is China, where the current dynasty is actually a bunch of communist party leaders trying to stay in power using the appeal of lost (centuries earlier) imperial glories. Just as Hitler described his imperial effort as the Fourth Reich (empire) in the tradition of ancient Rome followed by the Holy Roman Empire and the 19th century Prussian (German) Reich so does China claim legitimacy because of ancient claims by earlier Chinese empires. Since the 1980s China adopted a market economy and shed most of its socialist responsibilities. So with the presence of a nationalist dictatorship government, you actually have a repeat of what happened nearly a century ago. China has a self-appointed leader-for-life running what is officially known as a socialist dictatorship. Back in the 1930s, Germany had a market economy supervised by the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party) or, Nazis. Spain had a similar government with a dictator technically acting as regent for a deposed monarchy. Japan had a market economy but its constitutional monarchy had been usurped by a military coup that put a military dictatorship in power which ruled in the name of the emperor. Italy was run by a dictator who was a lifelong socialist but also a nationalist dictator promising to revive the Roman Empire on the cheap. That did not end well. But that was then, today the fascists are the same but a bit different. Fascist China now and Fascist Germany in the 1930s were very similar but there were some key differences. In the 1930s the U.S. had the largest GDP in the world and Germanys was second. But back then the American GDP was more than twice the size of Germanys while today the Chinese GDP is about 64 percent the size of the American one. The German military was one of the most effective on the planet with an impressive record of winning battles (and losing wars). The Chinese military has a much less illustrious track record and usually prevailed eventually because of the ability to mobilize more soldiers for a longer war than their opponents could handle. Historically Chinese armies often looked good on paper but usually proved to be paper tigers when the fighting began. The American military has become one of the most effective on the planet. China has similar goals to 1930s Germany. China has territorial claims on neighbors and wants more territory and resources for its huge population. The Chinese believe in the racial superiority of the Han ethnic group (which most Chinese belong to) and of historical destiny to rule the largest possible empire. Until the 18th century China was the largest nation-state on the planet but then went into decline for two centuries. Most Chinese agree that it is time for China to once again be the most powerful state in the world. This is causing problems. The neighbors, and the rest of the world, are more alarmed than inclined to submit. Two potential victims (Russia and India) have nukes. This was something earlier Chinese empire builders never had to face although the Mongols did a pretty impressive job of killing everyone and burning everything over a wide area. Like current nuclear powers, the Mongols preferred to use the application of massive violence more as a threat than as a regular practice. To the west, there is Russia, where former communist era secret police officers, led by Vladimir Putin, are trying to use imperial nostalgia and the more familiar (to these former KGB professionals) police state tactics to at least stay in power and, if possible, Make Russia Imperial Again. The Russian leader since 2000 (as president or prime minister) is officially opposed to the return of leader for life rule in Russia despite his exceptionally long rule. He pulled this off by taking advantage of the term-limits rule for presidents by amassing enough power so he could run the country as prime minister while a trusted associate got elected as a nominal president. Putin says he wants to change the constitution to make one-man rule more difficult to achieve. Most Russians seem to agree but in the meantime, Russia is a gangster market economy run by a nationalist dictator. West of the Russian revival is the EU (European Union) that many Europeans see as an effort to revive a European empire that never really existed, although Charlemagne came close for a short time in the 9th century and a thousand years before that the Romans were a contender. There isnt much nostalgia for these traditional empires but many Europeans back a kinder and gentler empire that is based more on voluntary cooperation than coercion. The EU has run into problems because too many Europeans see the EU developing an unelected bureaucracy that can make all sorts of new rules and even foreign policy without any regard for what their constituents (and, technically, employers) the European voters think. A growing number of Europeans believe this EU Empire sucks and are demanding that their local politicians, who are still responsible to the voters, at least more so than the EU officials, fix this problem or get their country out of the EU. The imperial officials are not pleased with such ignorance and ingratitude by their subjects and are fighting back in a losing battle to keep their new empire together. The Turkish and Iranian imperial efforts are also propelled by nationalist dictatorships. Turkeys leader hasnt achieved full dictator status yet but most Turks fear he is deliberately going that way. Turkey's new sultan isnt seeking to regain possession of former Ottoman territory, but instead wants to establish Turkish influence over the former empire. Most of those former Ottoman territories want nothing to do with this Turkish imperialism effort. Iran has a religious dictatorship that replaced a constitutional monarchy after a 1979 revolution that was supposed to bring democracy. Iran was always an empire and, currently, only half the Iranian population are ethnic Iranian. The current Iranian dictatorship wants indirect control over certain areas. It already had it in southern Lebanon and Syria and is seeking it in northern Yemen and Gaza. The Iranian dictatorship seeks all this domination for religious as well as diplomatic and economic reasons. The obsession with destroying Israel is absurd. But in the Middle East absurd often passes as normal. Meanwhile, the United States, where millions of people fled to over the last four centuries trying to escape all these old world empires, is now dealing with a movement by some of the descendants of these imperial refugees to revive imperial links with the rest of the world. But there are so many to choose from. The EU and Islam seem to be favorites although all the imperial revival movements have some fans in the United States. But many Americans dont want to Make America Imperial. There are still a lot of new arrivals who have recent personal experience with this stuff and will tell anyone who will listen that all this empire building does not end well. Those painful memories tend to be forgotten after a few generations, with an assist by those who seek to reinterpret history to better serve their current goals rather than to rectify past mistakes. So Americans seek to Make Reality Great Again, at least once they agree on which interpretation of reality to use. The Nuclear Peace Has A Dark Side Despite the growing military power of China, and the saber-rattling from Russia, the major military powers continue the Great Nuclear Truce (GNT) that began in the 1950s when Russia got nuclear weapons, and suddenly realized they could not afford to use them without risking more destruction than past foes like the Nazis, French or Mongols inflicted. As more countries got nukes, the "we can't afford to use them, but they're nice to have" attitude, and the unprecedented truce, persisted. There have been wars, but not between the big players (who have the largest and most destructive conventional forces). Because of the GNT, a historical record was broken in 1986, as there had never before (since the modern state system developed in the 16th century) been so long a period without a war between a major powers (the kind that could afford, these days, to get nukes). Since the Cold War ended in 1991 there have been fewer wars, at least in the traditional sense, and the GNT holds. Not only have there been fewer wars since the 1950s but there has been a lot less poverty, especially since the Cold War, and so many communist governments, ended in 1990. At the end of the Cold War (late 1980s) 40 percent of the world population lived in destitution (extreme poverty) but three decades later that poverty rate is down to ten percent. Most of the remaining extreme poverty occurs in badly governed areas of the Middle East (Syria, Yemen) and Africa (Libya, Congo, the Sudans) that are also the scene of wars or general disorder. The downside is a lot more low-level conflicts (rebellions, civil wars) but overall a lot less death, destruction and extreme poverty. Most people are unaware of this situation, because the mass media never made a lot of the GNT as it was something that was just there and not worth reporting. Besides, "nukes (bombs, power plants, medicine) are evil" sells if you are in the news business. Calling any incident, with a lot of gunfire and a few dead bodies, a "war" has also been misleading. The fact is, worldwide violence has been declining since the end of the Cold War and the elimination of Russian subsidies and encouragement for pro-communist (or simply pro-Russia or just anti-West) rebels and terrorists. The media also has a hard time keeping score. If you step back and take a look at all the wars going on, a more accurate picture emerges. So take sensational reporting of the Chinese threat with a bit of skepticism. Most current wars are basically uprisings against inefficient, corrupt and oppressive police states or feudal societies which are seen as out-of-step with the modern world. The Internet and widespread adoption of smartphones made most people on the planet aware that a better life was not only a possibility but that many people (especially in the West) had lived a good life for generations. Yet many revolutions are led by radicals preaching failed dogmas (Islamic conservatism, Maoism and other forms of radical socialism) that still resonate among people who don't know about the dismal track records of these creeds. Iran has replaced some of the lost Soviet terrorist support efforts. That keeps Hezbollah, Hamas, and a few smaller groups going, and that's it. Terrorists, in general, miss the Soviets, who really knew how to treat bad boys right. No one has yet replaced the Soviets in that respect, an accomplishment even most Russians would rather not dwell on. Current Wars Listed in alphabetical order. The text underneath briefly describes current status. Click on the country name for more details. AFGHANISTAN While Pakistan is under increasing pressure to stop supporting Islamic terrorism and drug production in Afghanistan, that support is still intense and decisive. The drugs are winning as they usually do wherever they get established. There are not too many narco-states because they all follow the same script. Eventually, locals get fed up with the violence and the growing number of local addicts. That leads to more violence and the drug gangs are crushed although usually not completely eliminated. Eventually can take a long time and such is the case with Afghanistan. Compare that to how it worked in Colombia from 2000 on, and Burma after World War II and Iran in the 1950s. The only thing that nearly everyone in Afghanistan can agree on is that the opium and heroin are bad. Nearly ten percent of the population is addicted to drugs (mostly opiates) and another ten percent (there is some overlap) make a better living or gets rich from the drug trade. Most Afghans consider drug gangs the biggest threat and these are largely run and staffed (like the Taliban) by Pushtun tribesmen from four southern provinces. The Pakistan-backed Afghan Taliban want to create heroin-producing Islamic terrorist and gangster sanctuary in Afghanistan. If you want to know how that works, look at Chechnya in the late 1990s and Somalia or Yemen in the early 21st century. No one has come up with any cheap, fast or easy solution for that. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's core problem is that there is no Afghanistan, merely a collection of tribes more concerned with tribal issues than anything else. Ten percent of the population, mostly living in the cities and often working with foreigners, believes in Afghanistan the country. But beyond the city limits, it's a very different Afghanistan that is currently motivated by growing prosperity brought on by almost two decades of relative peace and the persistent traditional violence. By Afghan standards, an unprecedented amount of cash has come into the country since late 2001. Between economic growth, growing heroin sales, and foreign aid, plus lower losses from violence, it's been something of a Golden Age. This despite decades of war since the 1970s. For example, it's often forgotten that the 1990s civil war was still active on September 11, 2001. The Taliban quickly collapsed in late 2001 and they have been trying to make a comeback ever since, mainly because of support from Pakistan. The key Taliban financial resource; heroin in Helmand province, remains the primary fuel to keep this war going. Even many Pushtuns do not like this development and more Taliban factions are negotiating some kind of settlement with the government. Pakistan is trying to prevent peace from breaking out, at least a peace that Pakistan does not control. In other words, everything is pretty normal by Afghan standards. Afghanistan has become politically unpopular in the West and the easiest way to deal with this (for Western politicians) is to get out and let their successors deal with the aftermath. Afghanistan has become another can foreign leaders are kicking down the road. The historical local strongmen have noticed and Iran, China, Russia, Pakistan and India are all trying to have some influence with their wild and erratic neighbor. There have been complications. The Afghan Taliban believed that the Afghan security forces would fall apart in 2015 because most of the foreign troops were gone and those that were left were not fighting. The expected Taliban victory did not happen but there was a lot more Taliban violence. The Afghan soldiers and police stood and fought, but took heavy casualties and many began to take the money and stand aside. The biggest losses are from so many young Afghans with some savings (and often education and useful skills) who want to get out of Afghanistan and go to somewhere less lethal than where they grew up. For more and more Afghans Afghanistan isnt a place you fight for but a place you fight to get out of. ALGERIA The revolution finally arrived. Maybe. The 2011 Arab Spring uprisings made a slight impact here initially. Islamic terrorists are few and very much on the defensive. Despite a slight increase right after 2011, Islamic terrorist violence has declined since 2014. By 2019 Islamic terror incidents were quite rare. Most Algerians are more concerned with corruption and bad government. That led to the half-century old but very corrupt government falling in April 2019. Now the problem is trying to install a working democracy. That has been tried before in the early 1990s but Islamic parties won and the corrupt secular government refused to accept that. This led to popular rejection of Islamic radicalism because many Algerians are still traumatized by the 1990s war against Islamic terrorists that left over 200,000 dead. Many expected another, and larger, Arab Spring in Algeria eventually and it came quickly in early 2019 with massive protests against the geriatric government that made concessions and tried, without success to reform itself. The decades-old government fell and it is still uncertain if the newly elected, and already disputed, the government will do any better. That may take another year to discover, Meanwhile Tunisia next door, the first Arab state to rebel in 2011, is so far the only one to do so successfully and has done it despite all the Islamic terror groups that thrived in Libya after 2011. Now Algeria has the chance to do something similar. BALKANS This area has become quieter since the peacekeeping efforts of the 1990s and we are no longer covering it regularly as a separate category. There will still be coverage as needed in other sections. There is some Islamic terrorist activity there and the usual border disputes and crippling corruption. One ominous development is the growing number of mosques and religious schools being built and maintained by Saudi Arabia. These facilities teach a very hostile (to non-Moslems and any Moslems who do not agree) form of Islam that has been the source of so many Islamic terrorists since the 1980s. The locals are increasingly hostile to the Saudis for this and the Balkans did not become the Islamic terrorist sanctuary many feared. CENTRAL ASIA This area has become quieter since the 1990s and we are no longer covering it regularly. There will still be coverage as needed and that led to a recent update on efforts to get some serious Islamic terrorist activity going and why they have failed. Islamic terrorism is unpopular in Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan). The thousands of young men who sought to join Islamic terror groups didnt do it in Central Asia. The vast majority travel somewhere else to act on their impulse to be active Islamic terrorists. Many Central Asian men joined ISIL, but not in Central Asia. With the elimination of the ISIL caliphate in Syria and Iraq in 2018, there were lots of documents and survivors (families of ISIL men, some ISIL members and local civilians) who could be questioned and lots of data analyzed. The result were some accurate numbers about Central Asian participation in ISIL through the end of 2018. Over 3,000 (but less than 5,000) Central Asians made it to Syria. Over half survived and got out. More worrisome was the fact that for every Central Asian who tried to get into Syria, two or three were stopped at the Syrian border (in Turkey) and turned back or, in a few cases, arrested. The Turks collected data on those turned away and some of those were later captured or killed in Syria. Some of those turned back eventually made it in, but few returned home to become active Islamic terrorists. That is the pattern; many get radicalized, leave and never return. The result is that during the last decade there few Islamic terror attacks in Central Asia. After each of these, the response was swift and usually led to the capture of those responsible and others who were among the usual suspects but not known to be active. This effective counterterror response motivated many radicalized young men to seek more vulnerable nation in which to defend Islam with extreme violence. Most of the nations involved here used to be part of the Soviet Union and still had effective secret police and local dictators to encourage ruthless suppression of any dissent. People are putting up with it so far but popular anger at corruption and inefficient government is growing. The region has become an economic and diplomatic battleground for Russia and China and China is winning. This is something Russia doesnt like to discuss, but among Russians, the real threat is from the east, not the west. CHAD This area has become quieter since 2010 and we are no longer covering it regularly as a separate category. Chad has even become a major supplier of peacekeepers throughout Africa, especially in Nigeria against Boko Haram. There will still be coverage as needed in other sections or in its own section if unrest reappears inside Chad. CHINA Past mistakes are catching up with China as it continues its post-Cold War policy of aggressive territorial claims and risking (but not going to) war with its neighbors. Internally China is creating the fictional Big Brother surveillance state of the novel 1984. This has more to do with internal politics and the need to distract an increasingly wealthy and concerned population from local problems with corruption, pollution and ineffective government. Domestic unrest has been growing louder and more visible to the Chinese and the world. The latest example is large scale freedom protests in Hong Kong during most of 2019. This is about Chinese abuse of the special status Hong Kong is supposed to enjoy until 2047, but it is also about corruption and financial recklessness in the rest of the country. The corruption has created a lot of bad loans and these, plus a dysfunctional equities (stocks and bonds) market creates a threat that makes far fewer headlines than foreign adventures. China also got away with a lot of unfair (according to international agreements) trade practices. This included massive theft of foreign commercial and government data, mainly to give Chinese companies an edge. There was also currency manipulation and monopolistic practices. This finally led to a trade war with the United States that the Americans appear to be winning. China, because of its own internal corruption and mismanagement, is vulnerable economically and is finding it difficult trying to bluff and bully its way out of making overdue changes in the way it deals with foreign trade and IP (intellectual property) protection. China has been helpful in persuading North Korea to give up its nukes and engage in some needed economic reforms. This is more self-interest than anything else because a nuclear North Korea has become a threat to China more than anyone else (except South Korea). China insists that the South China Sea is now part of China despite international agreements that prohibit such claims. Same situation in other coastal waters bordering South Korea and Japan. Old territorial claims on India have been revived, but are not pursued as aggressively because India has modern nukes, ballistic missiles to deliver them and a large military. China continues its long-range plan to become a military superpower. That means world-class weapons designed and built in China require long-term effort but the Chinese believe they will get there during the 2020s and 2030s. Every year China offers new weapons to the world market that are visibly more advanced. The actual performance of Chinese military technology is suspect as much of it is based on Russian stuff. During the Cold War Russian weapons always seemed to be what the losers used. But China keeps trying to improve and is making more progress than the Soviets ever did. Here China is switching from the international radical socialism of its former role model the Soviet Union, to the National Socialism practiced by Nazi Germany. This is a nationalistic and expansionist dictatorship fueled by a more efficient (than communism) market economy. The world is seeing more Chinese troops in peacekeeping missions as well as growing Chinese threats to peace. The bottom line, however, is keeping the communist dictatorship in power and that may be the ultimate reason for China avoiding war or at least one they are not certain they will win. Thus China pursues an ancient, and often quite successful, Chinese strategy that emphasizes what appear to be high-risk policies but is actually long-range efforts to wear down the opposition and eventually assume control of the objective with little risk or cost to China. Or so China believed until the Americans, and many other victims fought back. COLOMBIA This area has become quieter since the peacekeeping efforts of the 1990s and we are no longer covering it regularly as a separate category. There will still be coverage in other sections as needed. We were also covering neighboring Venezuela because its situation is quite different. After more than a decade of corruption and inept government, most Venezuelans are done with the radical populist socialist movement that promised to make everything better but instead made everything much worse. For a while it seemed there might be a civil war. That does not appear to be an option because Venezuela has the largest oil reserves on the planet and, if the current socialist government can pump enough oil, it can finance its continued existence if nothing else. China, Russia, Cuba and Iran have been helping with maintaining the current police state and reviving the oil industry. The failed socialist government borrowed a lot of money from China and Russia. In addition, the government hired Cuba to provide technical advisors available to show the Venezuelan socialists how to establish and maintain a long-term dictatorship. Cuba also provides health care, but only to those seen as loyal to the socialist government. China, Cuba, Iran and Russia are all present in Venezuela because with all that oil as collateral the Venezuelan socialists can probably mortgage that oil to try and buy their way out of a bloody rebellion. Foreign help is desperately needed because the inept socialist government mismanaged their oil industry to the extent that production is falling rapidly and the country is literally bankrupt and unable to pump and ship enough oil to pay for food and other essential imports. Chinese experts are slowly repairing all that damage and Cuban police state expertise is keeping the opposition from exercising their legal rights. At least 15 percent of the population has left the country and it is more common for rural communities to have no electrical service or anything else the government is supposed to maintain and protect. The oil is found in the north, near the coast. The government really only needs the capital and the oil fields and that is what the Chinese and Cubans concentrate on. The rest of the nation is considered expendable, or at least thats how the foreign allies are acting. The number of people leaving is increasing although there is still a pro-democracy political opposition. CONGO Diplomatic and local opposition eventually persuaded the incumbent (since 2001) president (Kabila) to stop trying to become president-for-life. Kabila tried to revive the one-party dictatorship based on corruption and exploiting ethnic divisions. The current (since 2001) president and his father (president from 1997 until his assassination in 2001) had grown up opposing that sort of thing but here it was again. Kabila was supposed to leave office after the 2016 elections selected a new president. He could not run again and was unable to get the constitution changed. He was forced to allow elections at the end of 2018 but was able to rig the vote to get someone willing to cooperate with corrupt system Kabila wanted to keep going. Felix Tshisekedi, the new president, would presumably benefit if they went along. It is unclear yet if Tshisekedi has gone into business with Kabila, who still runs a powerful parliamentary coalition. Tshisekedi has benefitted from Kabilas corrupt activities in parliament and the courts. If such cooperation is more extensive the country is again facing widespread chaos and civil war that is made worse by the ongoing corruption and exploitable ethnic divisions. Solutions have been sought since the 1960s and in 2013 the UN tried something novel, a special combat brigade of peacemakers. This brigade was given a license to kill and kill as often as needed to eliminate the last few rogue militias operating in the east. This solved many of the peacekeeping problems in eastern Congo, at least temporarily. Despite that multiple tribal and political militia, plus an increasing number of bandits, continue to roam the eastern border area, perpetuating the bloodiest (and least reported) war of the 21st century (over six million dead). There is similar, but less intense unrest in other parts of the country (especially the separatist minded southwest). The Congolese government finds it cannot (and to a certain extent, will not) cope with the continuing corruption and lack of order in the east and southwest. The reason is money, the millions of dollars available each year to whoever has gunmen controlling the mines that extract valuable ores and allow the stuff out of the country. Congo remains mired in deadly chaos. Elsewhere in Central Africa, the Burundi civil war threatens to reignite because the current president is trying to defy the constitution and become president-for-life. In the Central African Republic years of chaos (following the overthrow of a corrupt and incompetent dictator) have evolved into another Moslem versus Christian (and non-Moslems in general) conflict. ETHIOPIA This area has become quieter over the last decade and we are no longer covering it regularly as a separate category. There will still be coverage as needed in other sections, mainly Somalia. In 2016 there was more political unrest in Ethiopia which led to the withdrawal of some Ethiopian peacekeepers from Somalia. INDIA-PAKISTAN India is largely at peace and prospering while neighboring Pakistan continues struggling with the Islamic terror groups it created and supported for so long plus internal corruption and mayhem that policy has sustained. Pakistan also has a problem unique to the region; armed forces that have long (since the 1950s) dominated the political process and become very wealthy and corrupt as a result. Islamic terrorist violence inside Pakistan has sharply declined since 2014 when public outrage forced the military to shut down the last sanctuary (North Waziristan) for Islamic terrorists that were not under the control of the military. The rogue Islamic terrorists in North Waziristan were seeking to turn Pakistan into an Islamic dictatorship. That would have threatened the Pakistani military and could not be tolerated. Islamic terrorist violence did not completely disappear in Pakistan after 2014 and the military blamed that on outsiders (like India, Afghanistan and the United States). At the same time, the Pakistani generals continued sheltering and supporting Islamic terror groups that only attacked foreign nations (like Afghanistan and India). This contributed to growing hostility towards the military within Pakistan and escalating international criticism. In 2018 the U.S. became more public about the fact that Pakistan was dishonest and unreliable. The Americans pointed out that they had foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and Pakistan gave back nothing but lies and deceit. This backlash began in 2011 when a U.S. raid into Pakistan killed Osama bin Laden. This angered many Pakistanis because it showed that the generals had lied about their involvement with sheltering bin Laden. That raid also made it clear that the military was unable to detect or stop the "invading Americans", or stop local Islamic radicals from later carrying out "revenge attacks" that left hundreds of Pakistani civilians dead. Then came another series of confrontations between the Pakistani military and the civilian government which, by 2018, the military had clearly won (by gaining control of key judges and a newly elected president). That was because old scams still worked. The generals created more confrontations with India and declared that Islamic terrorism was no longer (since 2013) the major threat to Pakistan. The main threat was once again India. This merely increased Indian (and American and Afghan) anger at Pakistani support of Islamic terrorism and the inability of the Pakistani politicians to control their generals. Meanwhile, India further diminished the Pakistani military by continuing to consider China the main security threat to South Asia. India has to deal with some internal unrest, which does far less damage than what Pakistan has to deal with. In fact, Islamic terrorist violence (mainly in Indian Kashmir) is less of a problem than tribal rebels in the northeast and Maoist (communist) ones in eastern India. Both these threats are being slowly diminished while Pakistan continues to make unofficial war on its neighbors. Another problem is that the Pakistani economy is becoming more dependent on Chinese investment as well as Chinese diplomatic support and arms exports. The Pakistani pro-Islamic terrorist attitudes have left it with few allies besides China, Iran and North Korea. Pakistan needs help, but mostly from Pakistanis as the ills that torment Pakistan can only be resolved from within. That is happening despite opposition from the military because the defense budget is unusually high and a lot of it goes to support the lavish lifestyles and foreign bank accounts of senior officers. That has caused a financial crisis that other nations (Arab oil states, the United States and international lenders like the IMF and World Bank) have kept from becoming a catastrophe. But now the financial problems are so great that all the usual sources of emergency cash are insisting that defense spending be curbed or there will be no more financial aid. The house of cards the Pakistani generals had built and maintained since the 1970s was collapsing, not because of religious or military issues but because the nation the generals had plundered for so long was bankrupt and no one was willing to bail them out this time. INDONESIA This area has become quieter over the last decade and we are no longer covering it regularly. There will still be coverage as needed, mostly about counter-terrorism efforts (quite successful so far). Islamic radicals remain active and the government apparently does not want to provoke them. So the Islamic terrorist threat remains as does ethnic unrest, even though it both problems continue to be contained rather than addressed. IRAN Since late 2017 Iran suffered continuing nationwide outbursts against the religious dictatorship running the country. There was similar activity in 2009 to protest the lack of fair elections. The 2009 protests were put down with force as were the recent ones (with over a thousand dead in 2019). What started in late 2017 was different, with the protestors calling for the corrupt religious rulers to be removed, even killed if necessary. Some protestors called for a return of the constitutional monarchy the religious leaders replaced in the 1980s (after first promising true democracy). Even more disturbing was that some of the protestors are calling for Islam to be banned and replaced with something else, like Zoroastrianism, the ancient Persian religion that Islam replaced, violently and somewhat incompletely in the 7th and 8th centuries. Right before the late 2017 unrest, the religious rulers saw Iran on the way to some major victories in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. The optimism turned out to be premature. The good times were supposed to begin in the wake of a July 2015 treaty that would lift the many sanctions Iran operated under. That did not, as many financial experts pointed out, solve the immediate cash crises because oil prices were still low. This was because Saudi Arabia refused to cut production to keep oil prices high. This was made worse by the continued use of fracking in North America which triggered a massive (more than 70 percent) drop of the price of oil in 2013. Iran made their situation worse by trying to avoid complying with the 2015 treaty while still getting most of the sanctions lifted and for a while, that seemed to be working. That deception turned out badly as the U.S. accused Iran of violating the 2015 deal and by the terms of that agreement the American could and did withdraw. That meant many of the sanctions returned in 2018. Even before the American action foreign economists believed the Iranian economy wouldnt get moving again until the 2020s. Now it is going to take even longer and Iranians, in general, are not pleased with that at all. The 2017 protests are continuing and intensifying. The violent reaction to the demonstrations has not halted them. The protests keep reviving. The senior clerics are worried and openly seeking a solution that does not include them losing their power. Few Iranians are willing to accept that kind of compromise. The religious dictatorship is not only hated but also seen as corrupt and untrustworthy. The popular protests persist because there are so many unresolved problems that anger Iranians. At the core of all this is an Islamic conservative minority with veto power over any attempts at reform from within. Independent reformers are considered enemies of the state. Most Iranians just want a better life. There are even more complications. Half the population consists of ethnic minorities (mainly Turks, Kurds and Arabs), and some of these groups (Arabs, Kurds and Baluchis) are getting more restive and violent (for different reasons). Yet the Islamic conservatives are determined to support terrorism overseas and build nuclear weapons at home, rather than concentrating on improving the economy and living standards and addressing the corruption within their ranks. Expensive efforts to aid pro-Iran groups in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon made some progress and are presented as examples of the ancient Iranian empire being reborn. The government sees these foreign adventures as a way to distract an unhappy population. This ultimately had the opposite effect as Iranians did the math and realized their poverty was the result of all the billions spent on these overseas adventures. At home, the nukes are still important because Iranian religious leaders have been increasingly vocal about how Iran should be the leader of the Islamic world and the guardian of the major Islamic shrines (Mecca and Medina) in Saudi Arabia. Iranians understand that having nukes would motivate the Arabs, and many others, to bow down. But at what cost to Iran and Iranians in general? The Arabs have been kicked around by the Iranians for thousands of years and take this latest threat very seriously. That has led to a major reform effort in Saudi Arabia with a new generation of leaders willing to take on corruption and which alliances really benefit the Saudis. That has resulted in openly working with Israel to deal with Iranian aggression. It has also led to another major uprising in Iran as unrest spreads throughout the country and the government is unsure that the security forces are willing to use sufficient violence to shut it down. IRAQ Despite the late 2017 Iraqi declaration that ISIL was defeated, the Islamic terror group remains active in northern Iraq. ISIL no longer controls large areas of Iraq but is a problem (violence, extortion, and disorder) in several provinces north of Baghdad. In effect, it took four years, several hundred billion dollars (military expenses, battle damage, economic losses) and over 100,000 Iraqi lives (plus over 20,000 foreign Islamic terrorists) to eliminate ISIL control of Iraqi territory. That effort created other problems, and opportunities. Iran offered help and was allowed to organize, train and often lead in combat over 100,000 Iraqi (largely Shia) militiamen in what was and still is the PMF (Popular Mobilization Forces) . Most Iraqis, including most Iraqi Shia (about 60 percent of the population) feared an Iran inspired coup but by early 2018 senior Shia clerics in Iraq and Iran agreed that the militias should stay out of politics. Iran was not consulted on this decision and a minority of pro-Iran Iraqis still wanted an Iran style religious dictatorship. In an effort to prove their usefulness the pro-Iran PMF militias took on dangerous, or just daring missions during 2016-17. That left a lot of ISIL dead and it contributed to a government recovery (using force) of Kirkuk province from the Iraqi Kurds in late 2017. ISIL is still a problem as terrorists but the major woes are widespread corruption and mismanagement plus continued Iranian efforts to turn Iraq into a compliant neighbor. The Iraqis are resisting. The root cause of the continuing terrorist violence is diehard Sunni Arabs who refuse to accept democracy and Shia domination (60 percent of Iraqis are Shia and 20 percent Kurd). Despite all that, there was enough unity to push back ISIL and keep the Iranians from getting too ambitious. Yet radical Sunnis, separatist Kurds and meddling Iranians remain a problem, along with corruption and unstable neighbors. Iranian interference has become more intense, and troublesome. Since 2018 there have been more frequent and larger protests against corruption and Iranian domination. That has led to more violence, including attacks on Americans and the U.S. embassy. ISRAEL It is the best of times (Israel now has Arab allies against Iran) and the worst of times (Iran has personnel operating on Israeli borders). After more than a century of increasing anti-Semitism, most of Israels Arab neighbors are realizing that Israel would be a valuable economic, diplomatic and military ally against common enemies like Shia Iran and Islamic terrorism in general. Israel is also the only nation in the region with nukes and reliable ballistic missiles, which are also used to put Israeli spy satellites into orbit. The nukes are important because Iran has been increasingly vocal about how it should be the leader of the Islamic world and the guardian of the major Islamic shrines (Mecca and Medina) in Saudi Arabia. Iranians believe that having nukes would motivate the Arabs to comply. That threat has led to Gulf Arab states openly working with Israel to deal with Iranian aggression. This, plus a more pro-Israel American government and growing dissatisfaction (in the West and the Middle East) with the Palestinian leadership failures and rampant corruption, has created a radical change in Middle Eastern politics. That played a role in the outbreak of popular unrest throughout Iran at the end of 2017. Young Iranians have also noted the success of Israel (a former ally, before the current religious dictatorship took over in the 1980s) and are now demanding changes that involve less foreign troublemaking. The cost, in terms of money (billions) and Iranian lives (thousands) of operations in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, South America, Africa and elsewhere does most Iranians no good at all and makes the people on the receiving end hostile to Iran. Closer to home Israel has growing problems with Palestinians who are convinced that Israel has no right to exist while pretending to negotiate a peace deal is useful for obtaining foreign aid and not much else. Arabs, in general, are now telling the Palestinians to take whatever peace deal they can because cash and other aid from Arab nations have been, and will remain, sharply reduced until the Palestinians shape up. The Palestinians refuse to change as do the righteous and corrupt rulers of Iran. KOREA At the end of 2019, North Korea admitted the obvious; it never had any intention of surrendering its nuclear weapons. The reality was that North Korea was attempting its traditional negotiating tactic of offering to behave, but wanted some economic aid first as a show of good faith. That tactic no longer works and now North Korea is back to making threats again. So far the threats have not been fulfilled. Meanwhile, North Korea continues falling apart economically and politically and that has led North Koreans to do the unthinkable, which includes openly criticizing the government, putting anti-government graffiti in public places and even attacking corrupt government officials, including the police. North Korea is broke and not getting better. Something had to happen. In mid-2018 North Korea agreed to negotiate the continued existence of its nuclear weapons program in return for economic benefits. This would keep the corrupt communist police state and the murderous Kim dynasty in power but only if North Korea dropped its foreign policy based on threats and extortion. This change began at the end of 2017 when the North Korean leader decided to give a somber New Year speech on TV offering to negotiate. That may have been the result of China demonstrating it had lost patience with its unruly neighbor. This was very important because China is, literally, North Koreas economic lifeline. China is the primary or only source for essentials like petroleum, food and all sorts of smuggled (past a long list of international sanctions) goods. China will tolerate a lot of bad behavior in return for obedience and maintaining order. North Korea is doing neither and China also wants South Korea to pay more attention to Chinese needs. China wants fewer problems with North Korea, which has long been sending thousands of legal and illegal visitors a year to China, some of them armed and dangerous. Most of those illegals just want out of North Korea but as the economic situation in North Korea gets worse the possibility of North Korean government collapse increases. That would be disastrous for China because their border with North Korea is relatively open while the border with South Korea is heavily fortified. In early 2016 China showed it was out of patience and did the unthinkable and began enforcing the many international trade sanctions North Korea is subject to. That caused an economic crisis in North Korea but the North Korean leadership boasted that they will have combat-ready (reliable ballistic missiles and warheads) nukes in 2017. That did not happen and still has not, which makes sense given the North Korean track record. Then again the North Koreans continue to say the right things like we want peace and Korean unification which pleases the mass media worldwide and continues to annoy all the neighbors. At the same time, North Korea has not actually done anything in response to its public pledges to support denuclearization. At this point, everyone looks to China because Korea has traditionally been a Chinese responsibility and, most of the time, a difficult one. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has obediently gone to China several times since 2018 to receive advice. Kim also met with the leaders of South Korea and the United States. So far lots of the right words but little action. China and everyone else fears that North Korea is going to try and scam its way out of another tight situation and risk the very real wrath of China while doing it. KURDISH WAR This area had become quieter after 2003 and we no longer cover it regularly as a separate category. There will still be coverage as needed in other sections like Iraq, Israel and Syria. The 2011 Arab Spring movement shook things up a bit and by 2015 the Kurds were once more at war with Turkey, Syria and Iran. Turkey was always outraged at the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq and the impact that had on Kurdish minorities in Syria, where an autonomous region is already a reality, for the moment. The Kurds remain under attack in Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran while also suffering from internal feuds between those who are willing to fight for a unified Kurdish state and those who are willing to make deals with local governments to obtain benefits for local Kurds, like less economic and cultural discrimination and persecution. The Syrian Kurds thought the Americans might stick around after ISIL was defeated and take on Turkish and Syrian forces to guarantee Syrian Kurds their autonomy. The U.S. was willing to stick around until ISIL was suppressed in eastern Syria and perhaps longer if the Syrian Kurds provide useful. The also Americans also remain in northern Iraq. LIBYA The Turks are threatening to send troops to rescue the GNA (Government of National Accord) a failed UN and Moslem Brotherhood backed government. The GNA failed to attract a national following and now a local military leader with a locally recruited army of trained and disciplined soldiers is doing what UN diplomacy and threats could not. The eastern force, the LNA (Libyan National Army) has been around since 2015, when it was formed in eastern Libya and proceeded to eliminate rivals, especially Islamic radical groups, throughout the country. In early 2019 all that the GNA had left was the traditional capital (Tripoli) and the nearby (to the east) coastal city of Misrata. Both cities are dominated by dozens of rival militias, many of them seeking an Islamic government but mainly looking out for themselves. The LNA went after Tripoli in April, from two sides and slowly pushed back the disparate militias, who would lose their independence and lucrative criminal enterprises if the LNA succeeds. The UN condemned the LNA and ignored Turkey shipping in weapons and military advisors to assist the GNA. By the end of the year, Turkey was threatening to send in combat troops and warships to blockade Libyan ports. Turkish support violates the UN arms embargo on Libya, as does the support Russia, Egypt, the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and a few other countries have provided for the LNA. The LNA now asks Egypt to send troops, lest the Turks do send in troops and Egypt, for the first time in centuries, finds hostile Turkish troops on its border. MALI Since 2012, when the separatist rebellion in the north was defeated, continued high levels of corruption, ethnic rivalries and Islamic terrorism have kept Mali from achieving peace and prosperity. An example of how this works can be seen in the north, where a final peace deal with the rebellious Tuareg tribes was signed in early 2015 and is largely holding through 2019. This is despite the government refusing to do what it agreed to. Islamic terrorism is spreading to the more populous south but not to the extent that it threatens government control. The Tuareg peace deal was stalled for over a year because the black majority in the south did not want to grant as much autonomy as the Tuareg demanded. The two groups have always been at odds but were only united in the same country by the colonial French in the 19th century. Like most African countries, dividing the nation is not an acceptable option and the colonial borders are considered sacrosanct. The current mess began when France took swift action in January 2013 by leading a military operation to clear Islamic terrorists out of northern Mali. Aided by Chad and several other African peacekeeping contingents, this operation is still at work and is expected to continue for years. The French acted because in 2012 Tuareg tribal rebels (with the help of al Qaeda affiliated Islamic terrorists) in northern Mali chased out government forces and declared a separate Tuareg dominated Islamic state. The Mali army mutinied (because of a lack of support from the corrupt government) down south and took control of the capital. The army soon backed off when neighboring nations threatened to intervene. T he thinly populated northern two-thirds of the country has a population of less than two million, out of 15 million for all of Mali. The north was very poor in the best of times, and over a year of violence has halted tourism, a major source of income, especially in the three major cities up there, and the movement of many goods. Mali still has internal problems; mainly corruption and ethnic conflicts, as well as continued unrest in the north. A lot depends on whether the majority in the south can reduce corruption and deal fairly with the Tuareg and other minorities (like Arabs) in the north. There is not much progress with this. The elected Mali government is back in control but appears to be as corrupt as ever and under growing pressure from donor nations to either clean up the corruption or see most of the aid disappear. The neighbors of Mali have formed a five nation anti-terrorism alliance (The G5) that has provided 5,000 troops that can be sent to any of the five member nations. Western money and military advisors help equip and improve the skills of the 5,000 troops. Because Mali is part of a lucrative route for smugglers (of illegal drugs, weapons, people) Islamic terror groups can afford to remain in northern Mali. These groups (including an ISIL affiliate) divide their time between smuggling and Islamic radical activities. ISIL has established itself on the northern borders and everything stumbles along normally. MEXICO This area has become quieter since the peacekeeping efforts of the 1990s and we are no longer covering it regularly as a separate category. There will still be coverage as needed in other sections as needed. Mexico is still at war with the drug cartels. MYANMAR (Burma) The expected big changes after the return of democracy in 2010 are slow to appear and have caused some problems that are generating a lot of anti-Burma headlines worldwide. The most obvious of these calamities is the 2012 outbreak of Buddhist nationalism and anti-Moslem violence. The government has not been able to completely suppress a 2013 outbreak of this violence that has driven over a million Rohingya Moslems into Bangladesh. For decades the military dictatorship had suppressed potential anti-Moslem violence. But once democracy returned the radical Buddhist clergy led a campaign to terrorize the Bengali (Rohingya) Moslems. This problem has not been solved. Nor has the problem with the political power the generals retained despite the return of democracy. In late 201,5 the first nationwide elections since 1990, when the generals refused to accept the results and banned any more voting, were held. The anti-military coalition won enough votes to change the constitution and the military said it would accept the vote, maybe. Despite the return to democracy the most corrupt institution in Burma is still the military and that can be seen in how the 2010 constitution that returned democracy also explicitly granted military leaders (including all the retired officers) immunity from prosecution for past crimes. The military was also given control of the defense ministry and a fixed number (25 percent) of seats in parliament. In effect, the military leaders who once ran the country are still in charge of the defense budget and immune from prosecution for all the crimes they committed in the past. The 2015 elections meant that real reform, like changing this pro-military constitution, was a possibility but not a certainty. Even before the late 2015 elections reforms were slowly being made despite the fact that the 2010 elections replaced the military dictatorship with many of the same people, out of uniform and trying to hide the fact that they rigged the vote. Since 2016 these reforms have been sidetracked by internal unrest. Part of this is the continuing rebellions of the rural tribes along the borders, especially in the north. Since 2015 China has been threatening to intervene if their investments in the tribal north were not protected and allowed to resume operating. In response, Burma began depending more on India to help with security in the north and some protection from Chinese threats. Temporary peace deals were made but the tribal rebels are still producing major quantities of methamphetamine, and increasing amounts of heroin, to support continued fighting. China is not happy with many of these drugs (particularly heroin and meth) coming into China. That is difficult to change because the tribes are poor and the drug money is very attractive. China is also concerned with the popular opposition to major Chinese economic projects (dams and pipeline) in the north but the fundamentals remain the same. Overall, economic and political progress is slow but there has been regular progress despite the continued problems with the military. NIGERIA Fifteen years of Islamic terrorist violence in the northeast have created new problems, like millions of refugees and substantial economic damage in Borno State. There seems to be no end in sight because of the local corruption and inept security forces. By late 2016 the outbreak of Islamic terrorism in the northeast was greatly diminished but not extinguished. Lower levels of violence prevent rebuilding the wrecked economy in much of Borno State. That has caused lingering Islamic terrorism problems. All this was caused by a local group of Taliban wannabes (Boko Haram) in Borno whose activity grew rapidly for a decade until in 2014 it seemed unstoppable. It took over a year for the government to finally muster sufficient military strength to cripple but not destroy Boko Haram. This did not get much media attention outside Africa, even though in 2014 Boko Haram killed more people than ISIL did in Syria and Iraq. The main cause of Boko Haram gains in 2014 and 2015 was corruption in the army, which severely crippled army effectiveness. By itself, Boko Haram was too small to have much impact on a national scale but the inability to deal with this problem put a spotlight on the corruption that has hobbled all progress in Nigeria for decades. A new president (a former general who is Moslem) was elected in early 2015 and made progress in changing the corrupt army culture but that is still a work in progress even though he was reelected in early 2019. More bad news is expected because of too many tribal feuds, not enough oil money and too much corruption creating growing unrest throughout the country. This is especially bad down south in the oil-producing region (the Niger River Delta). There was a 2009 amnesty deal that reduced violence against oil facilities but has fallen apart and since 2016 the violence has returned. Worse, local politicians and business leaders had taken over the oil theft business from the disarmed tribal rebels who wanted that business back. A new peace deal was arranged which calmed things down for the moment. Meanwhile, the northern Moslems want more control over the federal government (and the oil money). In central Nigeria, you have increasing violence as nomadic Moslem herders move south and clash with largely Christian farmers over land use and water supplies. The situation is still capable of sliding into regional civil wars, over money and political power. Corruption and ethnic/tribal/religious rivalries threaten to trigger, at worse, another civil war and, at least, more street violence and public anger. POTENTIAL HOT SPOTS Various places where the local situation is warming up and might turn into a war. Like Venezuela, Central Asia or Mexico. PHILIPPINES Decades of effort have finally reduced the internal threat of leftist and Islamic rebellions. Now most Filipinos are more concerned about endemic corruption, widespread drug addiction and the resulting economic stagnation. There is also the Chinese threat, with more Chinese warships showing up in what had been, until recently, unquestionably Filipino territorial waters. Most Filipinos see China as a threat but not as crucial as the internal problems with drugs, corruption, Islamic terrorism and unemployment. Since elected president in 2016 Rodrigo Duterte did what most Filipinos wanted, not what the local politicians or foreign critics wanted. Duterte had been doing this locally (as mayor of a major southern city) since the 1990s and was ready to try and make it happen nationally. This has led to condoning vigilante tactics by the police to suppress the drug gangs as well as an unexpected adoption of an anti-American foreign policy and a willingness to make deals with China. This weakened the existing coalition with Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the United States to oppose the Chinese threat. Duterte told the Americans he would not risk war with China over it but by 2018 was more willing to agree that the Chinese could not be trusted and now is calling for increased regional cooperation against China. Duterte told the Islamic minority in the south (led by MILF) that he would get the 2015 peace deal (that gave it more autonomy but not its own country and the expulsion of non-Moslems) approved by the legislature if MILF helped destroy Abu Sayyaf (the ultra-radical Islamic terrorist group in the south that is responsible for most of the kidnappings and terror bombings down there) and MILF factions that refused to accept the peace deal and had, along with Abu Sayyaf, aligned themselves with ISIL. Abu Sayyaf has integrated itself with the clan culture down there and become very difficult to eliminate. The Moslems have, as always, lots of clan feuds and internal violence that will survive the autonomy deal with the government. A major ISIL effort to take over a southern city in late 2017 failed spectacularly and by the end of the year, the various Islamic terror groups in the south were trying to rebuild and avoid extinction. MILF cooperated with the government in suppressing Islamic terrorism so the MILF autonomy deal was approved, and now being implemented. Duterte may not be the solution to the many problems the country faces but he is the most radical, and promising, one to come along in decades. RUSSIA Since 2014 Russia has been making a lot of headlines but not much else. The economy is a mess (stagnant and shrinking), the country has fewer allies and the future looks dim. Invading Ukraine (2014) and Syria (2015) has not helped solve any of the fundamental problems but have made for great propaganda. What went wrong? Russia entered the 21st century with a newly elected government dominated by former secret police (KGB) officers who promised to restore economic and civil order. They did so but in the process turned Russia into a police state with less political and economic freedom. Many Russians opposed this and the government responded by appealing to nationalism. Russia has turned into what Germany had become in the 1930s. This included police state ways and the traditional threatening attitude towards neighbors. Rather than being run by corrupt communist bureaucrats, the country is now dominated by corrupt businessmen, gangsters and self-serving government officials that characterized the last czarist government of a century ago. The semi-free economy is more productive than the centrally controlled communist one but that just provides more money to steal. A rebellion against the new dictatorship has been derailed by astute propaganda depicting Russia as under siege by the West and NATO. Yet opinion polls that show wide popular support for this paranoid fantasy has left enough Russians with democratic impulses to continue leading the struggle for better government and beneficial reforms. That paid off by late 2018 as opinion polls turned against the former KGB officials running things and that is just one of several bits of bad news. For now, most Russians want economic and personal security and are willing to tolerate a police state to get it. But the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions did more damage than the ruling politicians expected. That atmosphere, plus the anxiety generated by having troops fighting in Syria and Ukraine has scared away a lot of foreign investors and many Russian ones as well. Russia can downplay this in the state-controlled media but without all that foreign and Russian capital the economy cannot grow. Five years later most Russians can see daily that they are worse off than before. Meanwhile China, the only real threat to Russia, quietly makes progress in the east. There China has claims on much of the Russian Far East and is openly replacing Russia as the primary economic, military and political force in Central Asia. RWANDA & BURUNDI This area has become quieter over the last decade and we are no longer covering it regularly as a separate category. There will still be coverage as needed in the CONGO section when there are details of the new civil wars brewing here. SOMALIA Al Shabaab, a local Islamic radical group, was defeated and driven from cities and towns in 2011 but is still around. So is the traditional clan (tribal) violence, organized crime and banditry. All these are ancient Somali traditions and al Shabaab survives by reverting to that and becoming the major criminal organizations in some parts of the country. Extortion, smuggling, ransoms and so on have sustained the Islamic terror group. Another factor in the survival of al Shabaab is the corruption and factionalism that have always defined and defiled Somali culture. While Al Shabaab had, by 2013, been driven out of most of the territory it controlled for years, its remnants fought on in thinly populated areas of central Somalia, the far north (Puntland border) and far south (Kenyan border). Despite the organizational and financial resourcefulness of the Islamic terror group, it also fell prey to another Somali custom; factionalism. Initially, this was between those who wanted al Shabaab to remain a local (Somali) group versus those who wanted to go international (pro-al Qaeda) and accept foreigners. After 2014 there was, and still is, an ISIL faction. Currently, the al Qaeda faction is dominant with a small but persistent ISIL faction. One of the most lucrative sources of plunder is the elected Somali government, propped up by foreign aid (most of which gets stolen) that showed up after 2012. Despite all that Somalia is still a failed state that defies every attempt at nation building. The situation is worse than it appears because Somalia was never a country, but a collection of clans and tribes that fight each other constantly over economic issues (land and water). The country remains an economic and political mess, a black hole on the map. Not much hope in sight. The pirates became a major problem after 2006 and in response, the major trading nations launched a counter-piracy effort that, by 2012 reduced pirate success (captured ships) considerably. In fact, no large ships have been captured since early 2012. The northern statelet of Puntland was persuaded (and subsidized) by wealthy seafaring nations to attack the pirate bases. There are not many pirate gangs left because of the lack of multi-million dollar ransoms (from large ships). In the far south (where the second major port, Kismayo is) a third statelet (after Puntland and Somaliland in the north) is trying to exist as Jubaland. The UN backed government in the center is trying to regain these statelets but the problem remains the independent minded clans. There is not a lot of enthusiasm among local leaders for a national government, but all that foreign aid is welcome because it can be taken without risking another clan feud. Somali smolders as it always has and not a lot has changed. SUDAN After the south became an independent "South Sudan" in 2011, an unofficial border war continued. Although Sudan officially accepted the creation of South Sudan the battles over disputed border areas continued. Sudan quietly sent troops and pro-government militias to seize disputed territory one small piece at a time. That fighting continues and became more complicated after 2014 with the outbreak of civil war between the two major tribal factions in South Sudan. That conflict appeared to end in early 2016 but the tribal rivalries continued tearing South Sudan apart until the UN, foreign aid groups and major foreign donors all told both Sudans to make peace or else aid and peacekeepers would be withdrawn and sent to other parts of the world where they could do more good. This threat seemed to work in South Sudan because by the end of 2018 both factions agreed to another peace deal with the understanding the failure would have catastrophic consequences. This peace deal appears to be holding through late 2019, despite continued violence. Meanwhile long time Sudan dictator Omar al Bashir was forced out of power in April and it is uncertain if there will be another president for life or real elections. There still remains the ancient practice of Moslems in Sudan continuing to suppress separatist tendencies among Christians in the south while also dealing with Moslem rebels along the eastern coast and western (non-Arab Darfur) deserts. The oil money in South Sudan will remain a major cause of the current civil strife along with the continuing conflict with Sudan because the oil fields are near the border with Sudan. Battles over land in western Sudan (Darfur) continue to pit Arab herders against black Sudanese farmers. Both sides are Moslem, but the government has long backed the Arabs. The Bashir government used Arab nationalism and economic ties with Russia and China to defy the world and get away with driving non-Arab tribes from Darfur. Sudan was also an ally of Iran and the recipient of Iranian weapons for a while. That aid included useful advice on how to best terrorize a population into submission. The Sudan government was correct in assuming that the West would never try anything bold and effective to halt the violence. Bashir and his generals were proven right but kept losing control of Sudan, bit by bit. That eventually cost Bashir his job and whoever or whatever follows him will have the same problem. South Sudan is falling into the same cycle of perpetual internal disorder and fragmentation. SYRIA The rebellion of the Sunni majority against the Shia minority Assad dictatorship that began in 2011 was just about over by late 2018. But the fighting persists into 2019 because the main participants (Russia, Turkey, Iran, the Assad government and several remaining rebel factions) cannot agree on how to deal with the remaining loose ends. The fighting and haggling will persist into 2020 and beyond. Although initially considered likely to win, the rebels lost because of factionalism. So far over 500,000 have died and a third of the population has fled (mainly to Turkey and Lebanon). Meanwhile, the Assads received massive assistance from Iran (over $16 billion worth since 2012), Russia (2015) and Turkey (2016). The civil war also morphed into a proxy war between Iran and the Sunni Arab states (and their Western allies). The major factor in the rebel defeat was ISIL which began as one of many Sunni Arab Islamic terror groups (mainly al Qaeda and ISIL) who wanted to turn Syria into a religious dictatorship while most Syrians just wanted peace and some prosperity. The Islamic terror groups, as was their custom, put a priority on determining which of them was; the true savior of Islam. ISIL was definitely the most ruthless and best organized and many groups submitted to ISIL, if only temporarily. That weakened the rebel effort sufficiently for the Assads to hang on and become part of a larger anti-ISIL coalition. One thing everyone could agree on was that ISIL had to be destroyed first and by late 2017 that was accomplished. While ISIL lost all its territory in Syria and was reduced to small groups carrying out terror attacks, the remaining rebels were still not united. At the time ISIL was crushed the rebels controlled about a third of the country but were outnumbered by the Assad forces and most Syrians were increasingly war weary. Most of those who died did so after 2013. The killing diminished a bit in 2015 because of sheer exhaustion and picked up again in 2016 because of the Russian air (and other) support. The stubborn Assad dictatorship, because of reinforcements supplied by Iran, mainly in the form of over 60,000 Shia mercenaries from Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shia volunteers from all over, and Russia had a chance to win after early 2016, something some Western nations saw as preferable to Islamic terrorists taking over and requiring a Western invasion to remove such a threat. Russia and Iran are quite pleased with the way they have played the situation, especially the 2014 deal to remove Syrian chemical weapons (which the Syrians could, and did, rebuild later) in return for the Americans not getting militarily involved and attacking Assad forces for using chemical weapons. After 2014 the only rebels getting air support were the Syrian Kurds because, like their Iraqi kinsmen, they can be trusted and were active in fighting ISIL in Syria. Western warplanes have been operating over Syria since late 2014 and they are still bombing Islamic terrorist rebels, plus the occasional Russian, Iranian or Assad force that made a wrong move. In August 2016 Turkish ground forces entered northern Syria to seal the border (to ISIL and Turkish separatist PKK Kurds) and weaken the Syrian Kurds. The Turks were basically helping the Assads and hurting ISIL and all that made an Assad victory more likely. Before the Assads can resume control of the country, they have to deal with the fact that Israel, Jordan and the Sunni Arab oil states are opposed to the Iranian effort to establish a permanent military presence in Syria. The Assads are not happy with Iranian domination but have to keep quiet about that. Turkey is opposed to any autonomous Syrian Kurdish area in the northeast as well as a permanent Iranian presence. Turkey and Russia are technically allies of Iran in Syria and the reality is that no one trusts Iran. The Russians have quietly made it clear they would side with Israel if it came down to that. The Turks are NATO members and traditional foes of Russia and Iran. But the current Turkish government is unstable and increasingly unpopular with Turks as well as the neighbors. At the end of 2017 many Iranians took to the streets to demand a withdrawal from Syria and use of the billions saved to fix the crippled Iranian economy. That unrest was still growing nearly two years later and in Syria, Israel has told everyone that Israel will fight Iranian efforts to increase its forces in Syria. This is especially important as the Americans are withdrawing most of the 2,000 troops they had supporting the Syrian Kurds. The unrest in Iran and growing financial problems have reduced Iranian efforts in Syria. If Iran withdraws from Syria, Russia is too broke to pick up the slack while the Turks are only interested in the Kurds and dont really care if the Assads stay or go. So the Syrian rebellion is not over yet and may not end in 2020 either. THAILAND The anti-democracy royalists finally permitted elected government to return, but only after several years of another military government that changed the constitution to guarantee the military more power even with an elected government. Meanwhile, Islamic terrorism in the south and continuing struggles between democrats and royalists nationwide hamper economic growth and much else. Years of civil disorder in the capital triggered yet another military coup in 2014 and the aftereffects of that are still being felt as democracy returned in 2019. The 2014 coup ended the low-level civil war over military control of the government. The anti-democracy minority (royalists and many educated urbanites) had used large demonstrations and persuasive appeals to the military to stage another coup. The new military government kept delaying new elections because opinion polls indicated military rule was unpopular with most Thais and, as in the past, the democrats would seek reprisals against the military once elected government returned. The royalists and military expect to survive the return of democracy this time because they managed to change the constitution while in power and that gave the king and the military more political power. Those additional powers may not survive the return of democracy but reversing those changes wont be easy. Meanwhile ethnic Malay Moslems in the south (three percent of the population) continue to cause problems. Since 2013 the government has had someone down there to negotiate with but negotiations always stalled on one issue or another and remain stuck. Most Thais are ethnic Thais and Buddhist while the southerners are Moslem and ethnic Malays. In the south Islamic radicalism arrived after 2001 along with an armed effort to create a separate Islamic state in the three southern provinces. Islamic terrorists grew more powerful month by month for several years and refused to negotiate. Security forces persisted and made progress in identifying and rounding up the most active terrorists. But there is no quick victory in sight. Even the death of the beloved Thai king in late 2016 did not change anything and his much younger successor will be a work-in-progress for a while. UGANDA This area has become quieter over the last decade and we are no longer covering it regularly as a separate category. There will still be coverage as needed in other sections (mostly Congo and Somalia) because of Ugandan participation in a growing number of peacekeeping operations in Africa. YEMEN The Iran-backed Shia rebels are losing but refuse to make peace, in part because of continued Iranian support and partly out of fear of the consequences. Yemen has proved an embarrassment for Iran and the Saudi/UAE backed government is not willing to suffer the heavy casualties a quick victory would require. So the war drags on into 2020 or until Iran just decides to halt support. Iranian withdrawal is a possibility because of growing popular protests in Iran against the expensive foreign wars in Syria and Yemen. Until late 2017 there was not much progress in the Yemen fighting, a development that favored Iran. But by early 2018 the Shia rebel coalition began unraveling and Iran suddenly had its own domestic uprising to deal with back home. Worse, the U.S. government had changed in early 2017 and was much more aggressive dealing with Iran. Moreover, there was a radical (for Arabia) new government in Saudi Arabia with a young Crown Prince in charge and organizing more effective resistance to Iranian aggression. This played a role in Yemen's unrest evolving into a full-scale civil war in 2015. That was when Shia rebels sought to take control of the entire country. Neighboring Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, quickly formed a military coalition to halt the Yemeni rebel advance. The Arab coalition succeeded and by 2016 pro-government forces were closing in on the rebel-held capital. The coalition did not go after the capital itself because of the expected heavy casualties and property damage in the city. Instead, the coalition concentrated on rebuilding the Yemeni armed forces, recruiting allies from the Sunni tribes in the south and eliminating al Qaeda and ISIL groups that had grown stronger as the Shia rebels gained more power. As the fighting intensified in early 2015 Iran admitted it had been quietly supporting the Shia rebels for a long time but now was doing so openly, or at least trying. Because of the 2015 war, Yemen is truly broke, disorganized and desperate. The Arab Spring hit Yemen hard and upset the "arrangement" that left one group of tribal, criminal and business leaders in charge for over three decades. The country is fragmented again, just like it has always been. Many Yemenis trace the current crisis back to the civil war that ended, sort of, in 1994. That war was caused by the fact that, when the British left Yemen in 1967, their former colony in Aden became one of two countries called Yemen. The two Yemens finally united in 1990 but another civil war in 1994 was needed to seal the deal. That fix didn't really take and the north and south have been pulling apart ever since. This comes back to the fact that Yemen has always been a region, not a country. Like most of the rest of the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa region, the normal form of government until the 20th century was wealthier coastal city-states nervously coexisting with interior tribes that got by on herding or farming (or a little of both) plus smuggling and other illicit sidelines. This whole "nation" idea is still looked on with some suspicion by many in the region. This is why the most common forms of government are the more familiar ones of antiquity (kingdom, emirate or its modern variation in the form of a hereditary secular dictatorship.) For a long time, the most active Yemeni rebels were Shia Islamic militants in the north. They have always wanted to restore local Shia rule in the traditional Shia tribal territories, led by the local imam (religious leader). This arrangement, after surviving more than a thousand years, was ended by the central government in 1962. Yemen also became the new headquarters of AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) when Saudi Arabia was no longer safe for the terrorists after 2007. Now there is ISIL and an invading army composed of troops from oil-rich neighbors. By late 2017 the rebels were slowly losing ground to government forces who, despite Arab coalition air support and about five thousand ground troops, were still dependent on Yemeni Sunni tribal militias to fight the Shia tribesmen on the ground. While the Shia are only a third of the population, they are united while the Sunni tribes are divided over the issue of again splitting the country in two and with no agreement on who would get the few oil fields in central Yemen. Many of the Sunni tribes tolerate or even support AQAP and ISIL. The coalition was not permanent either. Former president Saleh, who was deposed in 2012 and later sided with the rebels, then was killed by the rebels at the end of 2017 when he tried to make peace with the Arab coalition. Saleh had made the Shia rebellion a success by organizing his remaining loyalists, especially those in the army, to get many Sunnis to join the rebels. But that did not last once Iranian involvement increased and it was made known that Iran has been quietly encouraging the Shia rebels for a long time. But this all fell apart in 2018 as other factions followed the example of the Salehs and turned against the rebels. By early 2019 the rebels had lost control of the major Red Sea port of Hodeida. The government forces have taken the airport there and blocked access to the vital docks area of the port. This port city is currently the only way for the rebels to accept legitimate imports. Those aid shipments contain a lot of smuggled items, usually weapons from Iran. With this smuggling pipeline much reduced, the Shia rebels, and their Iranian sponsors are now on the defensive an U.S. President Donald Trump has told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call on January 2 that outsiders were complicating the situation in Libya. It was not clear which countries or entities Trump was referring to, and a White House statement offered no other details. News of the phone call comes after Turkish lawmakers voted 325-184 at an emergency session on January 2 in favor of allowing a one-year mandate to deploy troops. There are concerns that Turkish forces could aggravate the conflict in Libya. The Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj is battling for power against a rival administration based in the east and led by General Khalifa Haftar. Forces loyal to the warlord -- who is backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and others, including what is believed to be a force of Russian mercenaries launched an offensive in April to capture the capital. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Sarrajs Government of National Accord had requested the Turkish deployment. Ankara says the deployment is vital for Turkey to safeguard its interests in Libya and in the eastern Mediterranean. Based on reporting by AP and dpa New Delhi, Jan 2 : Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) and its subsidiary HDFC ERGO have received all the regulatory approvals to acquire up to 51.2 per cent stake in Apollo Munich Health Insurance. In a regulatory filing on Thursday, HDFC said the last required clearance was provided by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) on Wednesday (January 1). The National Housing Bank, Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had already given their approvals for the deal. In June 2019, HDFC had announced entering an agreement for acquiring up to 51.2 per cent of equity share capital of Apollo Munich with HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, a subsidiary of HDFC. Post the completion of the proposed acquisition, Apollo Munich would be merged with HDFC ERGO, subject to the approval of the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal. Further, under the agreement, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd would sell its entire stake of 9.96 per cent in Apollo Munich. Shares of Apollo Hospitals surged post announcement of the approvals. Its shares on the BSE settled at Rs 1,493.35 on Thursday, higher by Rs 66.45 or 4.66 per cent from its previous close. Shares of HDFC on the BSE settled at Rs 2,466.25, higher by Rs 32.50 or 1.34 per cent from its previous close. 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The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND 1:33pm: The White Sox have announced the contract. Robert will earn $1.5MM in 2020, $3.5MM in 2021, $6MM in 2022, $9.5MM in 2023, $12.5MM in 2024 and $15MM in 2025. 12:07pm: The White Sox have reached a long-term agreement with center field prospect Luis Robert, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. The deal includes $50MM in guaranteed money over six years, and it features two club options, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. The max value is $88MM over eight years, including $20MM club options for 2026-27 with $2MM buyouts in each of the two seasons, Passan adds. Its a record-setting accord for a player who hasnt yet debuted in the majors. This will already be the second lucrative contract for the 22-year-old Robert, whom the White Sox signed out of Cuba for a $26MM bonus a couple months into the 2017 season. Robert has justified his payday since then, as hes now regarded as one of the majors premier prospects. He ran roughshod over the high minors last season, batting .297/.341/.634 with 16 home runs in 223 plate appearances during his first (and maybe only) taste of Triple-A action. As MLBTRs Mark Polishuk recently noted when exploring a potential extension for Robert, hes the latest White Sox outfielder to land a new deal before ever playing in the majors. The club signed outfielder Eloy Jimenez to a six-year, $43MM pact then a record for an early career extension shortly before last season started. Jimenez has more than lived up to the decision so far, having finished 2019 among the majors most successful rookies. The Robert pact gives the White Sox an extra year of control over him, as theyre now slated to keep him through 2027 instead of 26. Plus, if all goes well, it could tamp down massive arbitration earnings for Robert. Regardless, the White Sox now have at least two-thirds of an extremely enviable young outfield between him and Jimenez. And if recent trade acquisition Nomar Mazara, 24, begins living up to his vast potential, Chicago could possess one of the sports premier outfields for the foreseeable future. Now that theres no need to manipulate his service time, it seems likely Robert will open 2020 as the White Soxs everyday center fielder. So, for the most part, the teams Opening-Day lineup for the upcoming season appears set. The White Sox also have Jimenez (left), Mazara (right), Yoan Moncada (third base) and Tim Anderson (shortstop) as key members of their young offensive core. Sluggers Jose Abreu and Edwin Encarnacion (DH/1B) and catcher Yasmani Grandal will supplement that group, with a potential-packed rotation set to consist of some combination of Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, Reynaldo Lopez, Dylan Cease, Gio Gonzalez, Michael Kopech and Carlos Rodon. Last decade was one to forget for the White Sox, who havent made the playoffs since 2008 or finished above .500 since 2012. But judging by general manager Rick Hahns actions this winter, including Roberts contract, theyre all-in on changing their fortunes as early as this year. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. IIT-Kanpur has formed a committee to inquire into a complaint against the recitation of Faiz Ahmed Faizas noted poem aHum Dekhengea. (Photo Credit: File Photo) New Delhi: IIT-Kanpur has formed a committee to inquire into a complaint against the recitation of Faiz Ahmed Faizs noted poem Hum Dekhenge on campus by students to express solidarity with their peers at Jamia Milia Islamia, the institutes Deputy Director Manindra Agarwal said. An IIT-K student sang the poem Hum Dekhenge by Faiz, an eminent poet, against which a complaint was filed by Dr Vashimant Sharma, a temporary faculty member, and about 16 others including faculty members and students. A committee of six members was established, headed by me, to investigate the matter. Some students have been questioned, while the others will be questioned after they return to the institution after the holidays, the Deputy Director said. Agarwal also said there was a war of words on social media war between those supporting the recitation of the poem and those who opposed it. It was contributing to escalation of the situation and hence we requested both sides to stop it and they obliged, he said. The protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act at the Jamia Millia Islamiahas entered its third week, with several students continuing to throng the streets outside the university. The Jamia students, who has been demanding withdrawal of the amendments in the law, questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that his government has never discussed the National Register of Citizens (NRC) after coming to power for the first time in 2014. The students asked how many detention centres will the government build if all Muslims, Christians and other minorities are "outsiders" and "illegal migrants". According to the amended Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and face religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. President Ram Nath Kovind had given assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, turning it into an Act. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 10:29:14|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close MACAO, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The total merchandise export from Macao for November 2019 amounted to 1.13 billion patacas (about 140.90 million U.S. dollars), up by 10.6 percent year-on-year, the special administrative region (SAR)'s statistics service said here Thursday. The latest report from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the value of re-exports increased by 7.6 percent to 967 million patacas (about 121 million dollars), with that of other jewellery (except diamond jewellery) jumping by 286.4 percent. The value of domestic exports rose by 33.1 percent to 165 million patacas (about 21 million dollars), with that of tobacco surging by 243.7 percent. From January to November 2019, the total value of merchandise export increased by 4.9 percent year-on-year to 11.69 billion patacas (about 1.46 billion dollars), of which the value of re-exports grew by 6.1 percent to 10.33 billion patacas (about 1.29 billion dollars), but that of domestic exports declined by 3.8 percent to 1.36 billion patacas (about 169.58 million dollars). Analyzed by destination, merchandise export to the Chinese mainland dropped by 22.1 percent year-on-year to 1.44 billion patacas (about 179.55 million dollars) from January to November 2019. Exports to the European Union fell by 8.4 percent year-on-year to 175 million patacas (about 22 million dollars), whereas exports to Hong Kong SAR (7.49 billion patacas or 933.92 million dollars) and the United States (249 million patacas or 31 million dollars) expanded by 7.7 percent and 108.0 percent respectively. From January to November 2019, exports of textiles and garments totaled 956 million patacas (about 119 million dollars), up by 46.6 percent. Exports of non-textiles went up by 2.3 percent year-on-year to 10.73 billion patacas (about 1.34 billion dollars). A meeting of leaders from Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress is underway at the residence of Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat here over Maharashtra cabinet portfolio allocation. Apart from Thorat, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and Congress leader Ashok Chavan are present in the meeting. Earlier today, NCP leader Ajit Pawar had said that the allocation of portfolios will be done by the end of the day. This comes amid reports of unrest among leaders of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena over portfolios allocation and non-allocation of cabinet birth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Last week Russia made history by flipping the power switch on the Akademik Lomonosov, a cutting-edge nuclear power plant afloat in the Arctic Ocean. While the project has been highly criticized by some detractors, with some even referring to the Akademik Lomonosov program as Chernobyl on ice, the plants first week has been successfully uneventful, with the first electricity produced by the plant being used to light a Christmas tree in a symbolic gesture. The floating plant will serve the tiny arctic city of Pevek in the northeastern Chukotka Autonomous Okrug region of Russia, which has a population of under 5,000 inhabitants and will enjoy heating from Akademik Lomonosov within the next year, no small gift in a town where the average high temperature there is -11 Fahrenheit in January and February, according to Forbes (emphasis added). The Akademik Lomonosov plant was launched with the intention of phasing out coal-powered energy in the region by replacing it with zero-emissions nuclear power, in addition to replacing the aging Bilibino nuclear power plant located nearby and which serves the same power grid as the new free-floating station. Now, however, it looks like that goal has been postponed, as the Bilbino plants license has been extended another five years by Rosteknadzor, The Russian Federal Agency for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision, against all promises and expectations. Just two weeks ago Forbes reported that The new [Akademik Lomonosov] power plant will replace the technologically obsolete Bilibino nuclear power plant in the region, built in 1974 with the capacity to generate 48 megawatts. And a coal-fired power plant will also be shut down. Bilibino will be closed before the end of this year. That reporting, while well-informed at the time of publishing, has now been proven wrong with this weeks unexpected license renewal for the worlds most remote nuclear power plant. Related: Big Banks Turn Bearish On Oil Next Year According to reporting this week by Norwegian news outlet the Barents Observer, run by the Norwegian Barents Secretariat organization which aims to strengthen ties and financial cooperation between Norway and Russia, Just one week after Akademik Lomonosov started to produce electricity to the grid in Pevek, one of the three remaining reactors at Bilibino nuclear power plant (NPP) got a renewed five-years permission until December 31st, 2025. The article goes on to explain that one of the four reactors at Bilibino is already shut-down, while the other three were to follow as soon as the grid and the Akademik Lomonosov came in place. That would likely not happen before earliest by the end of 2021. This is not the first time that the Bilibino nuclear power plant has been thrown a lifeline. When the plant came online in 1974, the reactors were only intended to be in operation for 30 years, but when that deadline came up in 2004, the plants operational lifetime was prolonged with 15 years. And furthermore, the Barents Observer points out, Bilibino will need additional extensions going forward, requiring a prolonged license even if shut down by 2022, since the spent nuclear fuel most likely will stay in the reactors for a much longer period before decommissioning work can start. Even with the Bilbino license extended, however, the Akademik Lomonosov plant is still making major headway for development in the region as the initial stages of what Russia hopes will be ongoing growth in the northern sea. As reported by Forbes, Russia hopes the power plant and all the development and infrastructure maintenance that surround it will create conditions for accelerated socioeconomic development of Chukotka and will become one of the key infrastructure elements in Russias development goals for its northern sea route. This is all much to the chagrin of environmentalists concerned about maintainng the arctic oceans that are so essential to counterbalancing climate change and sequestering carbon. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Vaping products, including flavored vape liquids and pods, are displayed at Gotham Vape in New York City on Sept. 17, 2019. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) FDA Bans Fruit, Mint E-Cigarette Flavors in Bid to Stem Youth Vaping The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Thursday it was banning mint and fruit e-cigarette flavors as part of its push to halt the use of vaping products by those under 18. Companies were ordered to stop manufacturing, distributing, or selling the banned flavors within 30 days or risk being punished by the agency. As we work to combat the troubling epidemic of youth e-cigarette use, the enforcement policy were issuing today confirms our commitment to dramatically limit childrens access to certain flavored e-cigarette products we know are so appealing to themso-called cartridge-based products that are both easy to use and easily concealable, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement. We will continue to use our full regulatory authority thoughtfully and thoroughly to tackle this alarming crisis thats affecting children, families, schools, and communities. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar added, By prioritizing enforcement against the products that are most widely used by children, our action today seeks to strike the right public health balance by maintaining e-cigarettes as a potential off-ramp for adults using combustible tobacco while ensuring these products dont provide an on-ramp to nicotine addiction for our youth. We will not stand idly by as this crisis among Americas youth grows and evolves, and we will continue monitoring the situation and take further actions as necessary, he said. The only acceptable cartridges for vaping devices are tobacco and menthol flavors, the FDA said. The agency said it started investigating the growing use of vaping products in late 2017 and uncovered an alarming increase in the use of the products by both middle school and high school students. Vaping products, including flavored vape liquids and pods, are displayed at Gotham Vape in Queens, New York City, on Sept. 17, 2019. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) President Donald Trump said on New Years Eve that the measures that would soon be announced were to protect our families but said he also wanted to protect the big industry. Look, vaping can be good from the standpointyou look at the e-cigarettesyou stop smoking. If you can stop smoking, thats a big advantage. So we think were going to get it back onto the market very, very quickly, but we have to protect the children. We have to protect the families. At the same time, we have a very big industry. Its become a very big industry. Were going to take care of the industry, Trump told reporters in Florida. As you know, well be taking it offthe flavorsfor a period of timecertain flavors. Were going to protect our families. Were going to protect our children. And were going to protect the industry. Hopefully, if everything is safe, theyre going to be going very quickly back onto the market, he said. Trump noted the recent epidemic that left some people dead. The Centers for Disease Control said in November 2019 that a THC additive was the culprit in most of the deaths, a finding they confirmed further the next month. Theyve died from vaping. We think we understand why. But were doing a very exhaustive examination, and hopefully everything will be back on the market very, very shortly, Trump added on Dec. 31. Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) said on Thursday that Trumps new ban is not bold enough. The Energy and Commerce Committee has already advanced comprehensive legislation to address the burgeoning youth tobacco epidemic, including a full flavor ban, with bipartisan support. The full House should quickly take up this legislation when it returns, Pallone said. The Army on Thursday paid tributes to two jawans who lost their lives as security forces foiled a major infiltration bid by terrorists along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. Naik Sawant Sandip Raghunath, 29, and Rifleman Arjun Thapa Magar, 25, were killed on Wednesday during an exchange of fire with heavily armed terrorists in a forest in Naushera sector. A wreath laying ceremony with full military honours was organised at the Air Force Station (IAF) here, a defence spokesman said. The mortal remains of the soldiers are being flown to their respective native villages wherein their last rites will be carried out with full military honours, the spokesman said. Naik Sawant Sandip Raghunath and Rifleman Arjun Thapa Magar were brave, highly motivated and sincere soldiers, the spokesman said. The Nation will always remain indebted to them for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty. Raghunath hailed from Munde village in Maharashtra's Satara district. He is survived by wife Smita Sawant. Magar belonged to Rip village in Nepal. He is survived by wife Sarita Thapa Magar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Iraqi worker gauges gas emissions from an oil pipe at the Daura oil refiner Oil prices moved between gains and losses on Thursday before ending the day little changed amid signs of improving Washington-Beijing trade relations and rising tensions in the Middle East while a strong U.S. dollar put pressure on the commodity. Brent crude futures were up 0.4% at $66.27 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled up just 0.2% at $61.18 per barrel. The dollar rose 0.5%, recovering from a six-month low after a downbeat December left the index virtually unchanged for 2019. A stronger dollar makes oil more expensive for holders of other currencies. Losses in oil prices were limited by optimism that a trade truce between the world's two largest economies will support energy demand. U.S. President Donald Trump has said Jan. 15 would mark the signing of the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade deal. "Any delays could put a pullback in the market here," said Bob Yawger, director of futures at Mizuho in New York. January also marks the scheduled start of deeper output cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners, including Russia. The group agreed to cut output by a further 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) from Jan. 1, on top of their previous cut of 1.2 million bpd. Russia reported record high 2019 oil and gas condensate production of 11.25 million bpd, beating the previous record of 11.16 million bpd set a year earlier, Energy Ministry data showed. The U.S. military carried out air strikes against Iran-backed Katib Hezbollah militia group over the weekend. Angry at the air strikes, protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday, although they withdrew after the United States deployed extra troops. "Heightened tensions in the region involving Iranian-backed forces may introduce a certain geopolitical risk," consultancy JBC Energy said. A fall in U.S. crude inventories last week also supported prices. U.S. crude stocks fell 7.8 million barrels in the week ended Dec. 27, compared with analysts' expectations for a decrease of 3.2 million barrels, data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed on Tuesday. Official data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) is due on Friday having been delayed by two days by the New Year's holiday. In 2020, Brent is forecast to average $63.07 a barrel, up from December's estimate of $62.50, while WTI is forecast to average $57.70 per barrel, up from December's estimate of $57.30, a Reuters poll showed. JZ Capital Partners (" JZCP ") is one of the oldest closed-end investment companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. It seeks to provide shareholders with a return by investing selectively in US and European microcap companies and US real estate. JZCP receives investment advice from Jordan/Zalaznick Advisers, Inc. (" JZAI ") which is led by David Zalaznick and Jay Jordan. They have worked together for more than 35 years and are supported by teams of investment professionals in New York, Chicago, London and Madrid. JZAI's experts work with the existing management of microcap companies to help build better businesses, create value and deliver strong returns for investors. For more information please visit www.jzcp.com. 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. Cars line up to leave the town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales to head north on Jan. 2, 2020 amid a mass evacuation due to bushfires. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images) Australian State NSW Declares 3rd State of Emergency Amid Bushfires, Worse Conditions Expected Australias most populous state of New South Wales has declared a third state of emergency of the bushfire season ahead of re-elevated fire risk over the weekend. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the declaration would come into effect from Friday morning, with severe to extreme conditions forecast for Saturday. All our personnel, all our agencies know that from tomorrow they will be subject to forced evacuations, road closures, road openings and anything else we need to do as a state to keep our residents and to keep property safe. We dont take these decisions lightly, Berejiklian told reporters on Thursday. Mass evacuations from bushfire-ravaged southern NSW, meanwhile, have been hampered by massive traffic queues and petrol shortages. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison has implored those travelling north from the embattled region and the Snowy Valleyswhere tourist leave zones have been establishedto remain patient and cooperative. Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a press conference in Sydney, Australia on Jan. 2, 2020. (Jenny Evans/Getty Images) He also said the NSW government had not yet asked the Australian Defence Force for additional resources for evacuations, such as those taking place in similarly fire-scorched eastern Victoria. NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said Saturdays conditions would be at least as bad as those on New Years Eve, which left a trail of ruined homes, businesses and utility lines. He confirmed on Thursday the number of houses lost on New Years Eve had climbed to 382 and could jump much higher as assessments are made. Since the start of July, at least 15 people have died and almost 1300 homes have been destroyed by bushfires in NSW. More than 3.6 million hectaresthree times the size of Sydneys metro areahave been burnt. Morrison on Thursday said he remained in constant contact with Berejiklian and Victorian counterpart Daniel Andrews but any additional ADF deployment needed to be coordinated. Defence forces on Wednesday continued to provide refuelling, retardant loading and support services for RFS aircraft in NSW. But NSW had not yet requested ADF support for evacuations, such as those taking place in Mallacoota across the Victorian border. Morrison said naval assets were ready to provide support in NSW. It is activated at the request of the state agencies. What you cannot have in these situations is governments stepping over the top of each other in responding to a natural disaster, he said. Our agencies are coordinating responses between commonwealth resources and state resources. That is what the Commonwealth does in these situations and that is what the Commonwealth will continue to do. With the Princes Highway north of Batemans Bay opening and closing throughout the day, Morrison called on travellers to keep cool as they waited in long lines for petrol, water and groceries. I know you can have kids in the car and there is anxiety and there is stress and the traffic is not moving quickly but the best thing to do the best thing that helps those out there volunteering, out there trying to restore some order to these situations is for everyone to be patient, Morrison said. NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who lives in Malua Bay south of Batemans Bay, saved his home but several neighbours homes were razed. He broke down on ABC TV on Thursday morning outlining the devastation. Its unfair I met four RFS guys yesterday who lost their homes. Beautiful neighbours of mine who lost their homes, Constance said. On Wednesday, police found three bodies in the fire-gutted communities of Sussex Inlet and Yatte Yattah. Seven people have died since Monday, including a person found outside a home near Cobargo. Soot-covered Coolagolite farmer Steve Shipton survived the same fire front but told AAP he thought he was gone as he tried to save his family and home. A Belowra man, 72, remains missing. Thousands of homes across the south coast are also without power after transmission lines were on Tuesday damaged. There are three ways to lose a presidential primary race. The most common is to enter the race as an afterthought and leave as a footnote, barely registering with voters at all. Then there are candidates who enter with high expectations and big donor bases but utterly fail to find their footing on a national stage. Thats what happened to then-Gov. Rick Perry in 2011-12 and former El Paso Congressman Beto ORourke in 2019. Finally, there are candidates who gain stature in defeat, who emerge as important voices and change the tenor of a contest simply by lending their presence to it: Eugene McCarthy in 1968, Mo Udall in 1976 and John McCain in 2000. Julian Castro didnt have as much success as those three candidates. The former San Antonio mayor dropped out of the Democratic presidential race Thursday, a month before a single vote had been cast in a primary or caucus. His withdrawal came after months of national and state polling found him mired in the 1 percent zone, in the third echelon of a crowded Democratic field. But Castro achieved something with this campaign that cant be quantified by poll numbers or primary votes. He made himself a genuine national figure in the Democratic Party, someone who represented a cause bigger than himself. To understand the impact of Castros campaign, its important to remember where he was 13 months ago when he announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee. At that point, the most common take on Castro even among his long-time admirers in Texas was that his career had become a missed opportunity; that hed squandered the next-big-thing momentum he gained as the keynote speaker of the 2012 Democratic National Convention by failing to run for governor. There was a sense hed been forgotten or eclipsed by other young voices, namely ORourke, who dared to challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 and came remarkably close to pulling off a huge upset. In December 2018, Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett pointedly asked Castro why he was joining a ginormous field of more than 20 Democratic presidential hopefuls, rather than trying to flip a statewide office in Texas. It was a reasonable question privately posed by many Texas Democrats. You dont hear Texas Democrats talking about Castro that way anymore. Put simply, as a presidential contender, Castro left it all on the field and made the most of his limited resources. He knew he couldnt attract high-powered, experienced political operatives for his campaign, so he built a team of young, impassioned progressives, including Maya Rupert, only the third African-American woman ever to run a presidential campaign. He knew he couldnt match the career experience of a Joe Biden or an Elizabeth Warren, so he constructed a platform tightly focused on the concept of justice economic justice, criminal justice, environmental justice, reproductive justice. He toured the flood tunnels that provide shelter to the homeless in Las Vegas, and, by doing so, brought the eyes of his fellow Democrats with him. He visited a tent encampment in the border city of Matamoros, Mexico, to shine a light on the impact of President Donald Trumps Remain in Mexico policy for asylum-seekers. Most importantly, he forced the Democratic field to take a stand on an obscure piece of federal immigration law (Section 1325) that criminalizes unauthorized border crossings. He also brought an unexpected joy to his campaign, seemingly relishing the fact that for the first time in his life, he was running for office as a decided underdog. (Exhibit A: taking a wild, bumpy ride in a lowrider and joking on Twitter that he was test driving a new campaign car. Exhibit B: the inspired silliness of a TikTok video in which he and his identical twin, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, mocked the medias inability to tell them apart.) This innately soft-spoken man talked with unabashed bluntness, showing a political aggressiveness (infamously calling out Biden during a debate for contradicting himself on health care policy) that he rarely revealed during his five years in the mayors office. He went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and told his audience that its wrong for their state and New Hampshire two states with overwhelmingly Anglo populations to lead off the primary race when nearly half of all Democratic voters are people of color. Castros departure wont change the strategic contours of a primary race thats shaping up as a battle between Biden, Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg. But his exit announcement prompted widespread Democratic sadness because he had established a distinctive place for himself in the race. One of Castros rivals, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, spoke for many Democrats when he said, Your voice and campaign were invaluable in sticking up for underrepresented communities and pushing the field forward. Eight years ago, you could see Perry wilting under the national scrutiny. In 2019, you could hear Castro developing his political voice. ggarcia@express-news.net Five people are missing, and two have been rescued after a crab boat sank Tuesday night near Alaskas Sutwik Island, the U.S. Coast Guard (USGS) said. The 130-foot crab fishing vessel, called Scandies Rose, is currently operating out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and is managed by a Seattle-based company. The vessel seasonally works with a Seattle-based seafood wholesaler. The vessels last known position was 170 miles southwest of Air Station Kodiak, and it sank at about 10 p.m. with seven crew members on board, USCG said in a statement. The USCG reported turbulent conditions in the area, with 40 mph winds, 15- to 20-foot seas, and one-mile visibility. We are conducting an extensive search in a 300-square mile area, said Lt. Wade Arnold, command duty officer at 17th District command center. A USCG helicopter, the Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk, arrived on the scene after receiving a mayday distress call at about 10 p.m. Two crew were found and airlifted from a life raft. They were later taken to a hospital in Kodiak. They are in stable condition, radio station KUCB reported. An empty life raft was also located. The crew of another fishing vessel, Time Bandit, issued a message after the incident. We were deeply saddened to learn of the loss of the Scandies Rose and ask for prayers for their Captain and crew and for the Coast Guard team who continues to search for the missing crew members, they wrote on Twitter. USCG District 17 spokeswoman Melissa McKenzie said it is unclear why the vessel sank. We dont know what the cause of it was, McKenzie said, according to KUCB. Right now, our primary focus is trying to find the five people who are still missing. Once the search and rescue aspect of this has concluded, then we will start focusing on the investigation side of it. Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has said his family had no involvement in his escape from Japan. The fugitive businessman, who turned up in Lebanon a few days ago having been out on bail awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges, insisted speculation about their involvement in his departure was "inaccurate and false". In a statement, he said: "There has been speculation in the media that my wife Carole and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan. All such speculation is inaccurate and false. "I alone arranged for my departure. My family had no role whatsoever." His statement came after seven people, including four pilots, were detained in Turkey in connection with the escape. Ghosn was taken through Istanbul following his departure from Tokyo, apparently by private plane. The other suspects to be detained were two airport ground workers and a cargo worker, and police said all seven were expected to give statements in court. Meanwhile, Ghosn's home in the Japanese capital has been raided by prosecutors. It comes as Lebanon received a red notice from Interpol calling on authorities there to arrest him. Ghosn, who is of Lebanese origin and holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, said he fled Japan to escape what he called a "rigged" justice system and he wanted to avoid "political persecution". The 65-year-old revealed on New Year's Eve that he was in Lebanon, with Reuters reporting he was smuggled by a private security firm following a plan three months in the making. Lebanon, which does not have an extradition treaty with Japan, said he entered the country legally on a French passport and there was no reason to take action against him. But one of his Japanese legal team said his lawyers still had all three of his passports, under the terms of his bail. However, Ghosn was allowed by Japanese authorities to carry a spare French passport in a locked case while out on bail, Japan's NHK broadcaster said, shedding some light on how he was able to get to Beirut. Story continues The key to the locked case was held by his lawyers, NHK said. His lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said he was stunned after Ghosn fled and has denied all knowledge of the escape. He said he did not expect his client to return to Tokyo. Ghosn, who is believed to have been under tight surveillance in Japan, had escaped in a musical instrument case , according to reports in Lebanon. The country's news channel MTV had reported Ghosn's wife Carole helped plan the escape, which was carried out by a paramilitary-style group. The channel reported the members disguised themselves as a music band who were due to perform for a Gregorian-style dinner at Ghosn's home in Japan. Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018. He faces four charges including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. He denies all charges. After his arrest, he enjoyed an outpouring of support from Lebanon. The Tokyo district court has now reportedly revoked his bail, meaning authorities would seize the 1.5bn yen (10.4m) Ghosn had posted on two separate instances to get out of detention. INVERLOCH, Australia They fled from looming firestorms that threatened to cut off their escape, only to join a slog alongside the masses of others who crowded the roads. Thousands more waited for rescue by sea. Across the scorched southeast, frightened Australians taking a few cherished things, abandoning their homes and vacation rentals, and braving smoke that discolored the skies struggled Thursday to evacuate as wildfires turned the countryside into charcoal wasteland. And from government officials came a disheartening warning: This weekend will be one of the worst periods yet in Australias catastrophic fire season. Julian Castro, the former housing secretary who was the only Latino candidate in the Democratic primary, said Thursday he would end his bid for the presidency, capping a yearlong campaign where he struggled in polls but remained a policy pacesetter on immigration and fighting poverty. Throughout his campaign, Mr. Castro, 45, a native of San Antonio who spent five years as its mayor, portrayed himself as an unapologetic liberal who was shaped by his humble beginnings and had been overlooked by the press. Though he created some memorable moments as he championed progressive policy and challenged his rivals on the campaign trail, Mr. Castro did not catch on with voters and was unable to break into the upper tier of a crowded primary field. His exit is the latest departure of a candidate of color from a field that began as the most racially diverse ever in a Democratic primary. Ive determined that it simply isnt our time, Mr. Castro said in a nearly four-minute video message released by his campaign, which included a montage from his year on the trail, including visits to the border and a homeless encampment in Oakland. Today its with a heavy heart, and profound gratitude, that I will suspend my campaign for president. After bottoming in late summer at around $8.00, General Electric (NYSE:GE) could fall from the $11.18 recent close. Investors may want to lock in profits after GE stock rose by over 67% from its 52-week low. Don't Worry, GE Stock Has Plenty of Positive Catalysts Ahead Source: Sergey Kohl / Shutterstock.com GE may get stuck in a trading range until the company reports results on Jan. 29. Markets will look more carefully at GEs aviation division in particular. Boeings (NYSE:BA) decision to halt production of the 737 MAX will hurt the entire supply chain. This might include GE but markets already priced in the bad news. In the third quarter, GE said that its working capital was negative $1.8 billion. It said: InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Working capital was negative $1.8 billion primarily driven by accounts receivable, which was impacted by the timing of collections from Boeing related to the 737 MAX and a reduction in certain receivable monetization programs including continued runoff of long-term factoring and the decision to discontinue and shrink higher cost or inefficient factoring programs. GE stock may already account for the Boeing headwind. Plus, management may already have forecast 737 MAX production delays. It had already expected service not to resume this year. Eventually, Boeing will earn FAA certification and the plane will return to the market. GE is working closely with Boeing, so it will be well-prepared with the eventual return of the plane. In the meantime, GEs aviation unit has other plane engine contracts to work through. It already expects improving cash flow thanks to generally strong demand. Last year, the unit generated over $4 billion in cash flow even after order delays from Boeings MAX. Positive Catalysts Ahead GE reported adjusted Industrial operating margin expanding by 130 basis points. Healthcare and disciplined cost controls at its Power division lifted its performance. Story continues The sale of a portion of its Baker Hughes stake bought in around $3 billion. And the Wabtec exit added $1.6 billion. GE applied the cash from asset sales to pay down $5 billion in industrial debt. With lower interest costs on debt combined with better cost controls, investors may expect free cash flow growth in the year ahead. For example, operational costs at the Power unit are moderating. For energy investors, GE is becoming an attractive alternative energy investment. It delivered around 1,400 turbines and repower kits in the third quarter. GE still has work to do with strengthening its renewables unit. Although demand for onshore wind equipment improved, margins were hurt by an unfavorable product mix. Still, renewable energy orders grew by 30% to $5 billion. And because the addressable market for renewables is massive, GE must continue to prioritize growing in this segment. Obviously, renewables is an important business. You saw earlier in the week the IEA come out with a forecast that would suggest the renewables space could be a $1 trillion business over the next couple of decades, CEO Larry Culp said. [Its a] significant opportunity from a top-line perspective, butwe need to deliver better profitability amidst the growth were enjoying today let alone growth thats down the road. Your Takeaway on GE Stock Investors may assign a discount rate of 9% and revenue stabilization (0% growth) in a 10-Year DCF Growth Exit model. This implies that the stock is worth $11.60. So, when GE reports at the end of January, investors may update the model to come up with a more accurate price target for General Electric stock. Disclosure: As of this writing, the author did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace The post Dont Worry, GE Stock Has Plenty of Positive Catalysts Ahead appeared first on InvestorPlace. Over three days after the Uddhav Thackeray-led government expanded its cabinet by inducting 36 ministers, the portfolios havent been allocated over a widely-reported tug-of-war between the three parties to get plum portfolios. On Thursday, the Shiv Sena confirmed that there is disquiet among Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies and drew solace from the fact that a strong and experienced cabinet has been put in place. The Shiv Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, said there was a tussle between senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan and Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat over the revenue portfolio. There is smoke rising within the Congress over the portfolio distribution. Former chief minister Ashok Chavan is in the cabinet, and he has to be given a respectable portfolio. The portfolio that could match his experience is revenue [department]. But Congress Balasaheb Thorat currently has the portfolio. It will have to be seen what is being decided on the issue, the editorial said. The Sena also said that there is discontent among leaders of the three parties after being left out of cabinet expansion. It added that discontentment is always seen after expansion by any government. The Sena slammed opposition (BJP), which is bubbling with happiness after resentment in MVA alliance and added even the previous Devendra Fadnavis-government wasnt any exception to discontentment after cabinet expansion. The editorial in the Marathi daily also took a dim view of the violence by supporters of Congress leader Sangram Thopte, who did not become a minister. In a jab at the Congress, the editorial read, The Congress used to call Shiv Senas protests as rada culture (hooliganism), but what Thoptes alleged supporters did was exactly the same, it said. This does not suit the Congress culture. The Sena also came to the rescue of party president Uddhav Thackeray after many senior Sena leaders openly expressed their displeasure over being left out of his council of ministers. Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav had told the media that Thackeray did not keep his word of inducting him as a minister that was given to him when he crossed over from the NCP to Sena before state polls. Jadhav claimed Thackeray promised to make him Cabinet minister. As per our information, no such promise was made to him. Thackeray must have asked him to join the Sena ahead of the Assembly polls and be part of the government, it said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Jay R. Jordan / Houston Chronicle A foggy start to the second day of the new year will turn into a rainy Thursday afternoon and evening, meteorologists predict. Storms are expected to roll into the Houston area sometime in the late morning or early afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. There are rain chances up to 90 percent for areas along the Interstate 45/Texas 288 corridor, while chances of up to 80 percent exist east and west of the area until noon. Lawmakers and civic leaders from 18 countries have urged Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to set up an independent probe into polices use of force in the ongoing protests, warning they would otherwise call for an inquiry at the international level. Among 38 people who penned an open letter to the city leader were John Bercow, former speaker of the British House of Commons, Malcolm Rifkind, former British foreign secretary, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences, Alissa Wahid, daughter of late Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, and politicians from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Lithuania, and the United States. They urged Lam to rethink the governments position on the matter and listen to the demands of anti-government protesters, as they said they were horrified to see tear gas and pepper spray fired at demonstrators and bystanders in protests during the Christmas holiday. Police have accused radical protesters of vandalising shops in malls across the city, where officers arrested more than 200 people for disturbances in various districts last week, driving the total arrest figure to 6,494 over seven months of political unrest. Former foreign secretary of Britain Malcolm Rifkind is one of the signatories to the letter to Carrie Lam. Photo: AFP We appeal to you to use your authority and exercise your responsibility to seek genuine ways forward out of this crisis by addressing the grievances of Hong Kong people, bringing the Hong Kong Police Force under control, ensuring accountability and an end to impunity for serious violations of human rights, and beginning a process of democratic political reform, the letter read. They said though nothing could justify violence, a small section of protesters had become violent in desperation as the government refused to listen to them. They urged the government to heed protesters demands by establishing an independent inquiry into police conduct during the protests, release those arrested for taking part in peaceful demonstrations, and consider political reform. Story continues Should you continue to reject this idea, we call on the international community to establish an international, independent inquiry mechanism, they wrote. They have not specified what form of international inquiry they supported. Anti-government protesters march from Causeway Bay to Central in Hong Kong on the eve of the six month anniversary of the movement. Photo: Robert Ng In June 2020, the United Nations Human Rights Committee is expected to scrutinise Hong Kongs compliance with human rights under the international treaty, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Some people have launched online petitions asking international courts to review the situation in Hong Kong. Any investigation, however, has to be triggered by a complaint from a sovereign state, the UN, or human rights bodies. The signatories to the letter warned there could be other outcomes if the government failed to make concessions for protesters. Failure to seize this opportunity may also result in even more vocal calls for targeted Magnitsky sanctions against officials in Hong Kong directly or indirectly responsible for human rights violations. It is our hope that you choose a path of constructive and meaningful reform which makes reconciliation and healing possible, they said. The group was referring to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which allows the US government to sanction foreign government officials implicated in human rights abuses anywhere in the world. John Bercow, former speaker of the British House of Commons, is one of the signatories to the letter to Carrie Lam. Photo: AFP In November, US President Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act into law, which could pave the way for diplomatic action and economic sanctions against Hong Kongs government for any conduct that may be perceived by the US to have violated Hongkongers rights and freedoms. The European Union is drafting a similar law, while Australia is conducting a public consultation about it. The Post has reached out to the Hong Kong government for a response. After the withdrawal of the extradition bill, which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to mainland China for trial, Lam has refused to make any further concessions to meet protesters other demands, which include the setting up of a judge-led commission of inquiry into polices use of force. Lam said the government would instead invite experts to join a review committee to examine the causes behind the unrest. Meanwhile, the police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Council is reviewing the forces handling of protests and will release its first interim report in late January or early February. Lams office on Tuesday refused to comment on whether it had received the interim report. No government would tolerate such action or bow to such pressure Hong Kong government spokesman In a long statement released at about 1am on Wednesday, a government spokesman refuted the claims made in the open letter as unfounded and misguided. We are gravely concerned that the claims are biased and misleading. The HKSAR government must rebut them to ensure they truly understand the extent of violence by radical protesters and the attacks they have made on police and citizens. The spokesman said no protesters had been killed as a result of direct police action while 520 officers were injured, adding that the extent of students and minors being involved in such violent protests was particularly worrying. He said police did not initiate actions against protesters and only responded with proportionate force consistent with international human rights standards. The spokesman also rejected the suggestion of an international independent inquiry mechanism. Such action, coupled with the threat of Magnitsky sanctions, would be a gross interference in Hong Kongs governance and autonomy as well as the sovereignty of our nation. No government would tolerate such action or bow to such pressure. The Hong Kong government also defended the citys freedoms, citing the extensive global media coverage which was unprecedented in the citys history. That in itself is evidence enough that freedom of the press is well protected, and citizens of Hong Kong continue to enjoy the freedom of participating in lawful and peaceful demonstrations to express their views. More from South China Morning Post: This article Hong Kong protests: lawmakers and leaders from 18 countries urge Carrie Lam to set up independent panel to probe police conduct first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Little Harvey didnt stop sucking his dummy. The toddler son of Geoffrey Keaton, dressed in a child-size Rural Fire Service uniform for the funeral of his RFS volunteer father, stood still as he received a medal from RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons honouring his dad. RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons pins the service medal of Geoffrey Keaton onto his son, Harvey. Credit:NSW RFS The pacifier stayed firmly in place as the fire commissioner kneeled in front of him. Hundreds of mourners- including Mr Keatons fiancee, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Corrections and Acting Emergency Services Minister Anthony Roberts - attended the funeral in Minchinbury on Thursday morning. Beijing and Tehran should stand together against unilateralism and bullying, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart in the Chinese capital on Tuesday. The unilateral withdrawal by the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, giving up on its international commitment and [attempts] to exert maximum pressure on Iran are the sources of the current tension arising over the Iranian nuclear issue, a statement from Chinas foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif when the pair met in Beijing. Wang was referring to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under which Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the US agreed to lift sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limiting its nuclear programme. US President Donald Trump walked away from the deal last year, saying it was a flawed agreement. After Iran rejected US demands to stop enriching all uranium and halt its support for militant groups in the region, Washington reimposed economic sanctions on the country including an oil export ban. During talks in Beijing, Wang Yi (right) told Mohammad Javad Zarif (left) that China would oppose any unilateralism and bullying behaviour. Photo: Reuters Wang told Zarif, who arrived in Beijing after a visit to Moscow, that the parties involved in the pact should withstand external pressure and deal with disputes through dialogue and negotiations in order to continue safeguarding and implementing the comprehensive deal. China will firmly defend international justice and fairness, and oppose any unilateralism and bullying behaviour to push for a political and diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, Wang, who is also a State Councillor, told Zarif. The Iranian foreign minister replied that Tehran would keep close communication with China to safeguard each others legitimate rights and interests, according to the Chinese statement. It also said Zarif had briefed Beijing on the latest developments on the Iranian nuclear issue. The visit by Zarif his fourth to Beijing this year came just a day after China, Russia and Iran wrapped up their first trilateral naval drill in the northern Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman. The war games were the latest sign of China and Russia stepping up coordination as both countries come under pressure from the United States. Story continues Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing that relations between China and Russia were the most mutual, the most secure and most reliable and the neighbours would try to increase strategic communication and coordination in a changing world in 2020. The Trump administration has implemented what it said were the toughest ever economic, trade, scientific, military and banking sanctions against Iran, which prohibit countries or companies from doing business with the US if they trade or deal with the country. In October, state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation reportedly pulled out of a US$5 billion deal to develop an offshore natural gas field in Iran. Chinese observers said that while the US sanctions were likely to hurt Chinas oil imports and its investment in Iran, Beijing would tread a fine line between Washington and Tehran. China may also try to urge Iran to avoid escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf and keep stability in the region while remaining patient, said Ma Xiaolin, a Middle Eastern affairs expert at Zhejiang International Studies University. Iran, meanwhile, was unlikely to compromise and may seek to pressure the other five signatories to counterbalance the US, Ma said, adding that Tehran may also be waiting to see what happens after the US presidential election in 2020. Additional reporting by Jun Mai Sign up now for our 50% early bird offer from SCMP Research: China AI Report. The all new SCMP China AI Report gives you exclusive first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments, and actionable and objective intelligence about China AI that you should be equipped with. More from South China Morning Post: This article China, Iran should stand together against unilateralism and bullying, Wang Yi says first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. San Jose-based youth and family development agency Unity Care expands its supportive transitional housing for female foster youth in Placer County, California. SAN JOSE CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 2, 2020 / A youth and family development agency providing housing and supportive services to transitional age foster youth, Unity Care, San Jose, CA, has recently opened a brand new home for youth and emerging young adults in the Placer County city of Rocklin, California. The organization's third home to open in Placer County, and its first to serve teen girls and emerging young women, the five-bedroom location will provide supportive services for up to five foster youth and emerging adults. "Unity Care's third home to open in Placer County and the first to serve teen girls and emerging young adults, the five-bedroom home will provide for those aged between 16 and 20 who find themselves at risk of homelessness, and in need of housing and supportive services," explains Pam Carter, Unity Care regional director for northern California. With more than 20 years of experience in the field, Carter joined Unity Care, San Jose, CA, in 2019 as its newest director and responsible for providing administrative oversight for housing and community-based services, among other responsibilities. Unity Care's goal is to provide safe and affordable housing for youth as they transition out of foster care, and provide supportive services to assist them in achieving self-sufficiency, according to the organization. Unity Care's shared homes, they say, offer an atmosphere of love, warmth, and understanding, while transitional age foster youth work toward their educational, behavioral, and employment goals. "It's a wonderful day when we can report any increase in housing for foster youth in Placer County," remarked Twylla Abrahamson, deputy director of health and human services for the county, upon hearing the news, "and we commend Unity Care for providing this opportunity for these young women." "Unity Care feels privileged to expand its transitional housing services in Placer County," adds Unity Care's regional director for northern California, Pam Carter, wrapping up, "to serve a vulnerable population of young women in the foster care system who are in need of supportive services and a loving home environment." Unity Care in San Jose, CA, was founded in 1993 to provide quality youth and family programs designed to create healthier communities through life-long partnerships. Unity Care serves transitional age foster youth in five northern California counties, including Placer County, delivering trauma-informed, culturally proficient services centered around its five pillars of success, including well-being, education, and unconditional care. Unity Care in San Jose, CA, most recently received accreditation by the Council on Accreditation, a leading national accreditation body for human services programs, in 2019. To learn more about Unity Care, San Jose, CA, head to https://www.unitycare.org/. CONTACT: Caroline Hunter Web Presence, LLC +1 7862338220 SOURCE: Web Presence, LLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/571875/Unity-Care-San-Jose-CA-Expands-Supportive-Transitional-Housing-for-Placer-Countys-Female-Foster-Youth ANKARA/ISTANBUL: Turkey`s parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that allows troop deployment in Libya, in a move that paves the way for further military cooperation between Ankara and Tripoli but is unlikely to see boots on the ground immediately. President Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling party and nationalist allies hold a majority in parliament, said last week Turkey would deploy troops in Libya to support Fayez al-Serraj`s internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA last month requested Turkish support as it fends off an offensive by General Khalifa Haftar`s forces to the east of the country, which is backed by Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan. The move comes after Ankara and the GNA signed two separate agreements in November: one on security and military cooperation and another on maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, a move that infuriated Greece, Israel, Egypt and Cyprus. Live TV Almost immediately after the vote, Egypt`s foreign ministry said it strongly condemned the parliament`s decision, and called on the international community to urgently respond to the move. The bill, opposed by all major opposition parties, passed with an 315-184 vote. Opposition parties said the move may exacerbate conflicts in Libya and endanger Turkish soldiers in the region and Turkey`s national security. But Erdogan`s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said the bill was an important step for protecting Ankara`s interests in North Africa and the Mediterranean, and for achieving peace and stability in Libya. In a statement to Reuters, the GNA`s interior minister Fathi Bashagha said Tripoli had requested Turkish support following a "dangerous escalation" in the conflict by Haftar`s forces. "As Libya`s only legitimate and sovereign government, the GNA is the singular entity with the right to formalize military alliances necessary to safeguard our nation," Bashagha said, adding that the GNA aimed to stop a "war criminal" from seizing power and establish stability, security and democracy in Libya. Dmitry Novikov, a Russian lawmaker, said after the vote that a Turkish military presence in Libya would "only deteriorate the situation", according to the Interfax news agency. Later on Thursday, Erdogan discussed Libya with U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call, the Turkish presidency said without providing more details. Erdogan is due to discuss Libya with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month. `SYMBOLIC ROLE` Ankara has already sent military supplies to the GNA despite a United Nations arms embargo, according to a U.N. report seen by Reuters. It has also said it would help prevent Libya sliding into "chaos" and that it will provide any support it can. But analysts and some officials say Ankara is unlikely to immediately deploy troops, instead sending military advisers and equipment first. "The hope would be that the Turkish military may not itself be involved in military action," said Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat who is chairman of the think-tank Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies. Last week, a senior Turkish official said Ankara could train Libyan soldiers in Turkey, and Reuters reported that Turkey may also consider sending allied Syrian fighters to Tripoli as part of the planned military support. On Wednesday, Vice President Fuat Oktay said the bill served a symbolic role that Ankara hoped would be a "deterrent" to the parties, and that Turkey may not send troops if Haftar`s forces halted their offensive and pulled back. RACE FOR RESOURCES The maritime agreement between Ankara and Tripoli has ended Turkey`s isolation in the eastern Mediterranean, where it is at odds with Greece over resources off Cyprus. Greece has said the accord violates international law, but Ankara rejects this, and says it only wants to protect its rights. Greece, Cyprus and Israel are expected to sign a deal to build a 1,900 km (1,180 mile) subsea pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, but analysts say the accord between Turkey and Libya could present a barrier to the plans. "Ankara sees its involvement in Libya as a symbol of its new status as a regional power," said Asli Aydintasbas, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Turkey said its accords are meant to protect Turkish private investment in Libya and bolster its energy claims in the eastern Mediterranean. But it could also put Turkey at odds with the other foreign players in Libya`s war and in the region. The Arab League is the latest to warn against the deployment of foreign fighters in the North African country. Hong Kong, Jan 2 : A small group of protesters staged a defiant lunch-time rally in Hong Kongs business district on Thursday, a day after police stopped a largely peaceful march which ended in street clashes and vandalism. Around 200 people gathered at the Statue Square in Central, in response to online calls to "finish the rally together", which was cut short on Wednesday, reports the South China Morning Post newspaper. Many dressed in office clothes, with some wearing face masks, they yelled slogans as they defied what they saw as a violation of their right to assemble. In recent months, protesters have been taking to the heart of Hong Kong's business district at lunch-time so office workers can take part in a more symbolic show of unity. "Join work unions. Strikes on three aspects for everyone," the crowd chanted, referring to strikes for school, businesses, and stock markets as their civil disobedience campaign. Some held placards which accused police of terminating the march and arresting innocent citizens without a reason. On Wednesday, Civil Human Rights Front, the group responsible for some of the city's largest marches, organised a New Year's Day rally as anti-government protests entered an eighth month, said the South China Morning Post. The group said more than 1 million people took part in Wednesday's rally to press for five demands triggered by the government's proposed extradition bill, which was withdrawn in September. But police, who claim the peak figure was 47,560 people, stopped the march, little more than two hours after it started, after they said radical protesters were vandalising banks and shops in the area. He rang in the New Year with his girlfriend by his side. And Brooklyn Beckham proved he is well and truly smitten with Nicola Peltz as he took to Instagram on Thursday to share a series of snaps with the star. Captioned with a love heart, the 20-year-old photographer made his feelings for the actress, 24, clear. Cute couple: Brooklyn Beckham proved he is well and truly smitten with Nicola Peltz as he took to Instagram on Thursday to share a series of snaps with the star Brooklyn began the series of snaps with a solo shot of his make-up free girlfriend whilst she gazed at the camera with her hands obscuring her face. Another shot appeared to be in the aftermath of their New Year's Eve celebrations, as Brooklyn was seen wrapped up in bed whilst his bedside table was laden with rehydration drinks. The final shot featured the pair snuggled up to one another in casual tracksuits, with Brooklyn wrapping his arm around Nicola and resting his head on her shoulder. Natural beauty: Brooklyn began the series of snaps with a solo shot of his make-up free girlfriend whilst she gazed at the camera with her hands obscuring her face Snoozy: Another shot appeared to be in the aftermath of their New Year's Eve celebrations, as Brooklyn was seen wrapped up in bed Whilst this marked the first time Brooklyn has shared a picture of Nicole on his Instagram Grid, the aspiring photographer revealed the actress had rung in 2020 with them via his Stories. The couple were first linked in October, when they were seen together at a Halloween party and then three times in less than a week. Things have since hotted up between the pair, with Nicola jetting over from Los Angeles to spend the New Year at Brooklyn's family home in the Cotswolds. NYE: They've only been dating for a couple of months but Brooklyn's girlfriend Nicola was welcomed into his famous family, as they partied at his Cotwolds home for NYE Welcome to the family: Nicola seemed to be in her element as she joined her beau's mother Victoria, in finding out what Disney character they are using the popular Instagram feature Nicola seemed to be in her element as she joined her beau's mother Victoria, and siblings Romeo and Cruz, in finding out what Disney character they are using the popular Instagram feature. Days earlier, the Bates Motel star was introduced to Brooklyn's grandparents, Jackie and Tony Adams, during at trip to watch Thriller - Live at the Lyric Theatre in London. Brooklyn has been linked to a string of women over the past few months following his split from model Hana Cross, including Canadian actress Natalie Ganzhorn, 21, and brunette actress Phoebe Torrance, 25. Flashback: Brooklyn appeared to be feeling reflective on Thursday as he shared more snaps from the past year, whilst praising his famous family Doting dad: One snap showed Brooklyn's father David beaming for the camera in a snap taken from their family skiing holiday Two's company: The photographer also showed his younger sister Harper helping David out in the kitchen Most recently it was claimed he and Lottie Moss had a 'secret fling' before he started dating his now ex-girlfriend Hana. Meanwhile, Brooklyn appeared to be feeling reflective on Thursday as he shared more snaps from the past year, whilst praising his famous family. He penned: 'Love you mum,dad,Romeo,Cruz and harper xx you guys are the best family ever [hearts]'. Harvard University graduate student workers picket at Harvard Yard. BOSTON Harvard University graduate student workers ended their campuswide strike after 29 days on the picket line, returning to work Wednesday even though union leaders and the university have not reached an agreement. Without a new contract, the impact of the strike is unclear. Still, a union representing the school's graduate student employees hailed the strike as a victory, pointing to agreements in negotiations and a statement last month from Harvard that named the end of January as a possibility for inking a contract. In an email to supporters Monday, members of the bargaining committee of the Harvard Grad Students Union-UAW vowed to "hold them accountable to this stated goal." The move to call off the strike came after the union agreed with Harvard to let federal mediators assist in negotiations. The school's spring semester begins this month. What workers want: Harvard grad students seek $25-an-hour minimum wage, other demands Thousands of Harvard graduate student workers, including teacher assistants, teaching fellows, tutors and researchers, went on strike Dec. 3 on the eve of final exams demanding higher pay, greater health benefits and new employment protections. It marked the first strike of graduate students on the Ivy League campus since 1973 and threatened some of the university's educational operations during a critical moment of the school calendar. A Harvard spokesman said the school has not set a deadline for finalizing a contract and said similar contracts at other universities can take 12 to 18 months to complete. The union singled out a statement Dec. 19 from Harvard Provost Alan Garber that finalizing a contract is "something that we hope can be resolved in the month ahead." The strike the first at Harvard since dining hall employees staged a one-month walk-out in 2016 followed work stoppages at other colleges in the past year, as unions regain momentum around the country. In 2018, 20 major work stoppages occurred in the USA, the highest total since 2007. Story continues SOURCE Bureau of Labor Statistics Any talks of striking? How a West Virginia teachers Facebook post started a national movement Last year, service workers at the University of California and nurses at the University of Chicago went on strike. The threat of a strike by employees of Oregon's seven public universities was averted in September. At Harvard, the graduate students union formed in April 2018 as part of the United Auto, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers. Harvard employs 4,000 graduate students workers, 2,425 of whom voted to strike in October. Leaders said the strike resulted in six tentative agreements on different parts of the contract, along with others reached before the work stoppage. Harvard committed to begin mediation for the full contract Tuesday. The union warned, "We may need to take further action in order to win a fair and full contract." During the strike, union leaders said, Harvard threatened student workers instead of agreeing to protections against workplace abuse, spent money on police details instead of health care and canceled exams and moved to Scantron tests instead of agreeing to fair pay. "Nevertheless, in response to our strike, the administration for the first time ever announced that they intend to reach a contract by the end of January," the union wrote in its update to grad students. Harvard declined to comment on the union's allegations. Union members have sought a collective bargaining agreement with several guarantees that have proven to be sticking points during negotiations: a $25 minimum wage for hourly workers; expanded health care benefits including mental health coverage; and stronger protections against sexual harassment and discrimination with a new third-party arbitration process for complaints. Talks with Harvard officials had lasted more than a year prior to the strike. "The University is pleased HGSU-UAW accepted our invitation for mediation," Harvard spokesman Jason Newton said in a statement. "We remain committed to addressing concerns raised during these ongoing negotiations. He added: "The University is committed to the mediation process and hopeful it will help resolve differences that remain between the two sides." In the university's Dec. 19 update, Garber said the university has proposed compensation changes that would include 8.2% raises over three years for research assistants and 7.2% for teaching fellows, in addition to a $17 per hour minimum wage for instructional work. The current rate is $12 per hour. He said Harvard has also proposed a new financial assistance fund totaling $100,000 per year for reimbursement under Harvard's insurance plan, which includes co-pays for mental health visits. He said the university also wants to allocate an extra $800,000 to assist student workers with dental and dependent health care premiums, insurance co-pays and child care costs. The graduate student union has drawn support of Democratic politicians, including presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Massachusetts U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Kathleen Clark and Joe Kennedy III, each joined the picket line last month in a show of solidarity. Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Graduate school: Grad students at Harvard end strike, wait on raises A 31-year-old Butte man pleaded not guilty Thursday to the criminal offense of forgery and/or forgery by accountability. According to court records, Mitchell Allen Landreth has been linked to at least 56 case reports of writing fraudulent checks and eight reports of illegal account transfers, totaling $28,497.59. The initial complaints were filed on Aug. 6. Landreth was arrested Aug. 22 in Butte. He posted a $5,000 bond on Oct. 25 and was released from jail. On Nov. 4, he was arrested again after officers reviewed surveillance ATM footage from a Butte credit union and allegedly identified Landreth cashing forged checks. The charitable organization Butte AIDS Support Services and Ingraham Environmental Inc. are among Landreths alleged victims. District Court Judge Kurt Krueger set an omnibus hearing for Feb. 13. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 12 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. I must say, 2020 is off to a great start in the crazy department. First up, lets show some Gretatude: BBC Faced Dilemma Over Flying to Sweden to Interview Greta Thunberg Everyone who travels to Sweden to interview Greta Thunberg faces the same dilemma. How do you reach her home in Stockholm without upsetting the queen of green by adding to the worlds carbon emissions? For the BBC, it was a particularly tricky decision, but its team ended up flying. We did discuss that among ourselves, confessed Sarah Sands, editor of Radio 4s Today programme. It felt awkward but we did not have the time for trains or boats. And no one has the time for this kind of media pretension either. Talk about deja vu all over againI was sure this was an April Fools Day story, but no, it is in fact still just January 2: Hillary Clinton Appointed Chancellor of Queens University, Belfast Hillary Clinton is to be the new chancellor of Queens University, Belfast (QUB). She is the universitys 11th chancellor and first woman to take up the post. In a statement, Mrs Clinton said it was a great privilege to become the chancellor of QUB. She takes up her role immediately and will serve for a period of five years. While the role of chancellor is mainly a ceremonial one, securing Mrs Clinton will be seen as a coup for Queens. The chancellor often presides at graduation ceremonies and is also an ambassador for the university abroad. Last time I heard that a Clinton was chancellor of a university, it was when Bill Clinton was pulling down $18 million to be the honorary chancellor of Laureate International Universities, a consortium of for-profit institutions. No word about how much Hillary is being paid to be the QUP chancellor, but does anyone think she is doing it for free? Michael Bloomberg is said to have spent something like $120 million already on TV ads for his presidential campaign, because he can. I know he is up on the air out here in California (as is fellow billionaire Tom Steyer), an expensive media market, two months ahead of the California primary. Bloomberg was a credible mayor of New York (leaving aside his retrograde views on soft drinks, gun ownership, and climate change), but this tweet is truly disturbing, and something I initially thought had to be a parody, but noits real: This really makes you wonder about whether Bloomberg, who shares the same antiquity as Joe Biden, has lost it. Because: Its Official: Open-Plan Offices Are Now the Dumbest Management Fad of All Time A new study from Harvard reveals that open-plan offices decrease rather than increase face-to-face collaboration. Previous studies of open plan offices have shown that they make people less productive, but most of those studies gave lip service to the notion that open plan offices would increase collaboration, thereby offsetting the damage. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 08:03:01|Editor: Liu Video Player Close NEW YORK, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's economic rise over the past decades has benefited many companies in Midwestern United States, Leo Chan, executive director of the Ohio-based Midwest USA Chinese Chamber of Commerce, told Xinhua in a recent interview. China's success in poverty alleviation and its massive middle class have brought huge opportunities for business cooperation, said Chan, whose organization boasts around 200 members from the Midwest that all have economic ties with China. "We're glad to see Chinese achievement in poverty alleviation, education and healthcare in the last decades and we wish more could be done in this regard in 2020," he said. "We hope more Chinese enterprises will go global and land in the United States, bringing in capital, technologies and even man power," Chan said, adding that Chinese Americans can play a more active role in deepening exchanges between the two sides. Business cooperation between the two countries has also contributed to world peace, stability and economic development, he added. According to Chan, local-level cooperation such as those between sister cities should be put into full play, and his organization has been promoting such economic and trade ties as well as investment. The Midwest USA Chinese Chamber of Commerce will have a 150-sq-meter booth to promote U.S. enterprises at the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, he said. The second CIIE, held in November 2019, concluded with 71.13 billion U.S. dollars worth of tentative deals reached for one-year purchases of goods and services, a 23-percent rise from that of the first CIIE. "A world-class enterprise and a number of small and medium-sized enterprises on technology, food processing and others from the Midwest will join the next CIIE," he said. Chan also called on the two countries to build a platform that could help channel limited resources into important areas like people's welfare, infrastructure and innovative social governance. Embalo Wins Guinea-Bissau Presidential Election By Ricci Shryock January 01, 2020 Umaro Cissoko Embalo was declared the winner of Guinea-Bissau's presidential race on Wednesday. He defeated Domingos Simoes Pereira, from the majority PAIGC party. In Bissau, cars whizzed past the presidential palace on New Year's Day, honking and waving the signature red and white scarf of candidate Umaro Cissoko Embalo. While next door some supporters of Domingos Simoes Pereira cried in defeat, after Embalo was declared the winner of Guinea Bissau's presidential runoff election. Embalo won with nearly 54 percent of the vote in Sunday's election, while Perieira captured 46 percent. Guinea Bissau residents hope the election will end years of political crisis. Both Embalo and Pereira served as prime ministers during former President Jose Mario Vaz's five-year term. Vaz had seven prime ministers as the country lurched from crisis to crisis amid infighting between Vaz and Pereira's party, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, the PAIGC. Amadu Djamanca, executive secretary of the Guinea Bissau Observatory of Democracy and Governance, said the vote signaled that residents wanted new leadership outside of the PAIGC. "The election of Cissoko demonstrates the determination of Guineans to turn the page, finding a new era. I will not say that most of the people are tired of PAIGC, but they are tired of seeing their destinies postponed because of the current confusion, internal crisis of this independence political formation party," said Djamanca. Embalo also was a member of PAIGC at one time, but he defected during the crisis and helped form an opposition party, MADEM-15. Djamanca said the party is new to the scene. "Now it remains to be seen what are the surprises of MADEM G-15. I hope it's going to be better than what we have seen over the years," he said. Pereira won the first round of voting, but Embalo secured the backing of the other main contenders to pull ahead in the second round. Pereira said Wednesday he will contest the results of the runoff. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A special commission formed to evaluate Massachusetts cash bail system will not recommend eliminating the practice or making any major changes. Rather, the commission said policymakers should give more time for recently implemented reforms to go into effect. Those reforms so far have not significantly reduced the number of people held on bail, according to the report. With the recent reforms, commission co-chair Sen. Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, said, We felt very strongly we needed to understand how that was playing out, and the extent of what was working, what wasnt, what the impacts were. The special commission, chaired by Friedman and Rep. Claire Cronin, D-Easton, was created by the 2018 criminal justice reform law and tasked with evaluating the cash bail system. There has increasingly been debate nationally and in Massachusetts over whether someone should be held in jail because they cannot afford to post bail. In 2017, the Supreme Judicial Court, in the landmark decision Brangan v. Commonwealth, held that a judge must consider a defendants financial resources when setting bail. The 2018 criminal justice reform law codified this decision, stating that bail should be set no higher than necessary to ensure the defendant shows up for court, after accounting for their financial resources. A judge is also required to explain why the states interest in bail outweighs the potential adverse effect on the defendant. Holding a defendant because they pose a danger to society is done through a separate process involving a dangerousness hearing. Both bail and the dangerousness statute have been controversial. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno has repeatedly criticized judges for letting repeat offenders out on low bail. Gov. Charlie Baker has introduced a bill to expand the type of offenses for which someone can be held for dangerousness. The report, released Dec. 31, looked at 300,000 District Court cases between March 2016 and January 2019 to determine how much of a difference the Brangan ruling has made. The report found that Massachusetts had a low rate of individuals held on bail both before and after the decision, and the numbers did not change significantly after the ruling. Before Brangan, 89.2% of individuals were released either with or without bail; after Brangan, 89.4% were released. Before Brangan, 7.8% of individuals were held subject to bail and 3% were held without bail. After the decision, 6.9% were held subject to bail and 3.7% were held without bail. Although the report says more data is required to fully evaluate the impact of Brangan, some experts say this shows that judges are not completely complying with the court decision. What the data has shown us is that people in the court system are still having trouble fulfilling what Brangan requires of them, said Shira Diner, a commission member representing the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. Diner said judges, lawyers and court officials all need more training in the law. Atara Rich-Shea, a commission member and attorney with the Massachusetts Bail Fund, which pays up to $500 in bail for low-income individuals, said she believes the ruling and the legislation are not being implemented as intended, particularly in certain courts. Its a cultural shift that needs to happen, Rich-Shea said. The 19-member commission considered potential changes to the bail system, ultimately recommending unanimously against them. It examined whether to put in place some kind of risk assessment tool to help judges determine bail. It also considered whether to recommend eliminating cash bail entirely, which some states have done. In looking at risk assessment tools, the commission found that Massachusetts already has a relatively low rate of people who fail to appear in court. In fiscal 2018, 12.6% of all individuals who were released did not show up to court. The commission found that risk assessment tools carry with them other problems for example, some have been criticized for artificially inflating the risk of black defendants. The report said policymakers should continue to evaluate the effect of the Brangan case and criminal justice reform before considering a major step like eliminating cash bail. Senate President Pro Tempore Will Brownsberger, a commission member and architect of the criminal justice reform law, said fundamentally, the commission agrees that the state should not be holding people in jail just because they are poor. But, Brownsberger said, Eliminating cash bail is something that has indeterminate results and violates peoples rights in a different sense. Brownsberger said bail is a right, not a requirement, and there is a concern that if cash bail is eliminated, courts may simply hold more people without bail. Diner said similarly that since Brangan, there have been more people held on dangerousness hearings. Defense attorneys want to make sure that whatever mechanism was put in place to replace cash bail would not result in more people being detained. The report did flag some problems with the current system. Today, when bail is paid in jail or at a police station instead of a courthouse, it is paid to bail magistrates, who are court employees, or bail commissioners, who are private citizens. Bail commissioners receive one three-hour training, then shadow experienced bail commissioners. Magistrates and commissioners charge a $40 non-refundable fee for their services. The report writes that summoning a magistrate or commissioner often leads to delays in release. Limited training and arcane physical record keeping requirements add to the confusion, the report writes. Rich-Shea described the system as an old-fashioned one that promotes confusion. People can wait hours for a bail commissioner. In some cases, a prisoner must wait in jail overnight and into the next evening for a bail commissioner, even if their family member has money ready to pay. The system is run with cash and paper records. Sometimes, by the time someone is bailed out, it is the middle of the night and they have no transportation from the jail. Over the weekend, a magistrate or commission can set bail, rather than a judge. The fee is charged even if no bail is required. Theres no accountability or predictability in that system, Rich-Shea said. Brownsberger said the system seems to go back to a day when we didnt have modern communications technology. Its not the ideal system in todays day and age. It does merit more study, he said. The report does not make specific recommendations other than forming a new commission to study issues related to the bail magistrate and bail commissioner system. The report also looks at demographic disparities. It finds that bail conditions are generally more favorable for women than men. Whites and non-whites are held at similar rates, but bail amounts tend to be higher for non-white defendants. Asia's richest man taking on Amazon with new e-commerce service in India originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The richest man in Asia soon may become even wealthier: The energy industry tycoon is reportedly launching a new e-commerce service in India to compete with Amazon. Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, an oil and gas giant in India, is ranked 13th in the world on Forbes' list of billionaires in 2019. MORE: Beyonce performs at high-profile Indian wedding festivities He famously had Beyonce perform at his daughter's wedding in 2018. PHOTO: In this Sept. 23, 2017 file photo Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, attends a convocation at the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University in Gandhinagar, India. (Amit Dave/Reuters, FILE) Ambani is reportedly expanding his family's empire by launching an e-commerce platform, JioMart, through one of its subsidiaries, Reliance Jio, in three metropolitan areas in India. According to its website, the online shopping platform boasts more than 50,000 grocery products, free home delivery with no minimum order, a "No questions asked return policy" and express delivery services -- similar to those offered by Amazon, which propelled founder Jeff Bezos to the top of Forbes' 2019 billionaires list. MORE: Amazon's Jeff Bezos now the richest man in the world with $90 billion net worth Ambani is dubbing the venture a "new commerce" with the goal to "completely transform" retail in India, Bloomberg reported. "This tech-enabled partnership will link producers, traders, small merchants, consumer brands and consumers," he told shareholders, the outlet reported. After promising trials with thousands of smaller merchants, he said, "We are now getting ready to roll out the platform at a larger scale." India is one of the fastest-growing markets for the e-commerce sector, according to an October 2019 report from the India Brand Equity Foundation, which was established by the Indian government. The report expects revenue in the nations e-commerce sector to increase from $39 billion in 2017 to $120 billion in 2020, spurred in part by increasing smartphone and internet access throughout the nation. Actor Gerard Butler rang in the New Year in India. Pictures of the 300 star, posing at the chilly riverside town of Rishikesh, have been shared online. Butler took to Instagram on January 1 to share a picture from his trip. The picture, which shows Butler performing a surya namaskar with the sprawling Himalayas before him, was captioned, Let your light shine in to the new decade. Sending you all love. Happy New Year from the Himalayas. More pictures were posted online by industrialist Yash Birla, who wrote in the caption, Rishikesh is rising , London has not fallen.. 300 percent ..a day well spent and most memorable in the resonance of the holy Ganges. The pictures show Butler posing with Birla and the industrialists daughter. Hes wearing a T-shirt and a scarf. The river Ganges can be seen in the background. Butler was reportedly accompanied by his girlfriend Morgan Brown, 48. A few days ago, the actor was photographed at a service by Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, in Karnataka. The photos showed Butler seated among devotees and pilgrims. Guess who I met today? Gerard Butler (Hollywood actor) attending His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama's keynote speech on an overview of Tibetan Buddhism and growth of great master Tsongkhapa at Gaden Lachi, 20 December 2019. Tenzin jigme (@CloverJigme) December 20, 2019 This is not Butlers first trip to India. The actor went largely unnoticed in Jaipur a few years ago, and was also spotted leaving Shah Rukh Khans house in Mumbai. Also read: Will Smith takes part in Ganga aarti at Haridwar, shares 9 new pics, video. See here In a 2010 interview to Indian Express, the actor had said, Last year, I took a long trip through India and when you are going through places like Jaipur, nobody cares who you are. I was in the country for about five weeks but in the three weeks I was away from the big cities, I dont think I was recognised once and that definitely makes life a lot easier. News of Butlers visit coincides with Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarkes New Years celebrations in Jaipur. Butler is known for action films such as 300, and the Fallen trilogy -- Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen and Angel Has Fallen. Follow @htshowbiz for more Ceremonies in the Central European country were held by many associations of the Vietnamese community there, and drew the large participation by their members as well as representatives of the Vietnamese embassy. Foreign friends also joined the art performances and food festivals to share the joy with the Vietnamese people, many of them of the third generation in the republic. The Vietnamese Embassy in Angola also held a ceremony for the Vietnamese community in the African country, with the participation of representatives of health and education experts, as well as entrepreneurs. Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Vu Ngoc Minh briefed the participants of Vietnams prominent social, economic and political achievements over the past year and the Vietnam - Angola cooperation programmes to be implemented in the time to come. Highly valuing the mutual support among the Vietnamese community there, the diplomat called on them to further strive for successes in their business and life in the host country, helping improve the bilateral relations. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-03 00:13:36|Editor: yan Video Player Close BERLIN, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) on Thursday condemned the "brutal attack" on police officers following attacks on New Year's Eve in the German city of Leipzig. "We must stand united behind our police officers, who work for our security every day anew," Seehofer said, adding that the attack would show that "inhuman violence is also committed by left-wing extremists". On New Year's Eve, a police officer was seriously injured after stones, bottles and fireworks had been thrown at police forces, according to German police. The police officer had been taken to hospital for an emergency surgery following a serious head injury and loss of consciousness. The German police union (DPoIG) announced on Thursday that letters of confession as well as findings of Germany's domestic intelligence service (BfV) would suggest that the violence seen in Leipzig had been targeted attacks by left-wing extremists. "These acts of violence, which were specifically directed against police officers... with a colleague suffering extremely serious injuries, are intolerable and in no way acceptable," said police union chairman Rainer Wendt. Wendt demanded that the government would put a "quick and consistent stop to this" and that politicians of all parties consistently distanced themselves from any violence against the police. T his is the shocking moment a woman was attacked outside a home in Las Vegas, in what police are calling a suspected kidnap. Detectives in the Nevada city launched a search for both the victim and her apparent attacker, after a doorbell camera captured the distressing incident shortly after midnight on New Year's Eve. In the video, the woman can be heard sobbing as she runs up to the house and starts banging frantically on the door. A man can then be seen in the background jumping out of a white car and sprinting towards her. She cries please as he grabs her and throws her to the ground, before kicking her hard in the stomach. The woman can be heard pleading with the man as he throws her to the ground / Las Vegas Metropolitan Police As she tumbles down the front step he yells why would you do that? before telling her to get in the car. The woman pants as she tries to get away while the man swears and repeats get in the car. He then shoves her back down the path and into the vehicle, which is believed to be a white Hyundai Sonata with a sunroof. The full uncensored video was sent by the shocked homeowner to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, who then posted it on YouTube as part of a public appeal for information. Authorities do not yet know the identities of either the victim or the suspect, nor their current whereabouts. Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com? So, the natural question for IMPACT Silver (CVE:IPT) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. See our latest analysis for IMPACT Silver How Long Is IMPACT Silver's Cash Runway? A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. As at September 2019, IMPACT Silver had cash of CA$4.4m and no debt. In the last year, its cash burn was CA$2.8m. So it had a cash runway of approximately 19 months from September 2019. That's not too bad, but it's fair to say the end of the cash runway is in sight, unless cash burn reduces drastically. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. TSXV:IPT Historical Debt, January 1st 2020 How Well Is IMPACT Silver Growing? We reckon the fact that IMPACT Silver managed to shrink its cash burn by 52% over the last year is rather encouraging. Unfortunately, however, operating revenue declined by 7.0% during the period. On balance, we'd say the company is improving over time. Of course, we've only taken a quick look at the stock's growth metrics, here. You can take a look at how IMPACT Silver has developed its business over time by checking this visualization of its revenue and earnings history. How Easily Can IMPACT Silver Raise Cash? IMPACT Silver seems to be in a fairly good position, in terms of cash burn, but we still think it's worthwhile considering how easily it could raise more money if it wanted to. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash to drive growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Story continues IMPACT Silver has a market capitalisation of CA$51m and burnt through CA$2.8m last year, which is 5.5% of the company's market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. So, Should We Worry About IMPACT Silver's Cash Burn? On this analysis of IMPACT Silver's cash burn, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap was reassuring, while its falling revenue has us a bit worried. Considering all the factors discussed in this article, we're not overly concerned about the company's cash burn, although we do think shareholders should keep an eye on how it develops. When you don't have traditional metrics like earnings per share and free cash flow to value a company, many are extra motivated to consider qualitative factors such as whether insiders are buying or selling shares. Please Note: IMPACT Silver insiders have been trading shares, according to our data. Click here to check whether insiders have been buying or selling. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. of President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves in the states then in rebellion against federal authority. The Democrats reviled Lincoln at the time, and they have continuously reviled Republican presidents and other politicians right up to the present. Today, as in 1863, conservativesvirtually all of whom are Republicanswant to liberate African-Americans from poverty and dependence through free enterprise. Now, as then, the Democratic Party bitterly resists this independence movement. Just ask Candace Owens. It is easy to be pessimistic about our countrys future when we see the absurdities that play out on the public stage, day after day. But I am an inveterate optimist: if the republic survived pro-slavery Democratic Party treason in 1863, surely it can withstand the milder version of totalitarian identity politics that we see from the Democrats today. In 1865, a plot among die-hard Democrats resulted in the assassination of President Lincoln. This was the culmination of a vitriolic campaign of hate that the Democratic Party mounted against Lincoln from the time of his entry onto the public stage. Lincoln was such anathema to the Democrats that his election led directly to secession. Having lived through the Reagan administration, I thought I had seen the nearest possible approach to the hate that the Democrats unleashed against President Lincoln. I was wrong. The Democrats hate machine is cranked up to 11, and has been ever since Donald Trump foiled the Democrats plan for a Clinton renaissance and a continued march toward socialism. The current impeachment farce is just the latest manifestation of the Democrats rule-or-ruin approach to politics. As we enter the new year, we should all pray that the Democrats insane hate campaign does not lead, as it did in 1865, to the assassination of our president. A heartbroken Milly Johnson has shared photos of her late ex-fiance, Micah Downey, in happier times, following his sudden death on Saturday. Micah, who appeared with Milly on Channel Seven's Bride and Prejudice last year, died at the age of 26 after taking a 'mixture of illegal and prescription drugs'. Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, the 23-year-old uploaded a gallery of bittersweet snaps showing herself, Micah and their two-year-old son, Julian. 'You don't know a moment's value until it's a memory': A heartbroken Milly Johnson has shared photos of her late ex-fiance, Micah Downey, in happier times, following his death on Saturday 'Sometimes you'll never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory,' Milly wrote in the caption, quoting Dr. Seuss. It comes after Milly confirmed her ex-partner's death on Instagram on Tuesday. 'It is so sad and unbelievably surreal that I am making this post. On the 28 December 2019 Micah Patrick Downey passed away,' she wrote. Memories: 'Sometimes you'll never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory,' Milly wrote in the caption, quoting Dr. Seuss 'I am struggling to put into words how sad and heartbreaking this is, I just hope he is at peace wherever he is and that he will always be watching over his babies. 'A bad, bad dream. I can't believe you're not here. Rest In Peace Micah.' On Wednesday morning, Milly uploaded never-before-seen footage to Instagram of herself and Micah in happier times. Heartbreaking: Micah is pictured with his two-year-old son, Julian The footage, which appears to be several years old, showed Micah posing for a photo with Milly before realising she was recording a video instead. 'I wish things could've been different. I know deep down you wanted to change,' she captioned the post. Milly and Micah shared a two-year-old son, Julian. She is currently pregnant with their second child 'I can't believe you're not here': Milly confirmed her ex's death on Instagram on Tuesday Surreal: 'It is so sad and unbelievably surreal that I am making this post. On the 28 December 2019 Micah Patrick Downey passed away,' she wrote Devastating: Micah's drug counsellor, Jodi Barber, revealed his supposed cause of death on Facebook on December 31. She claimed he had died after taking a lethal combination of 'illegal and prescription drugs'. Pictured: one of her Facebook posts addressing Micah's death Micah's drug counsellor, Jodi Barber, revealed his supposed cause of death in a Facebook post on December 31. She claimed the young man had died after taking a lethal combination of 'illegal and prescription drugs'. 'Micah's parents don't want this to happen to another young life,' Ms Barber said. 'They understand it was preventable!' Tragedy: The couple shared a two-year-old son, Julian. Milly is currently pregnant with their second child. She is pictured here during her first pregnancy Ms Barber, whose own son died of a heroin overdose years ago, had apparently been trying to help Micah with his drug problem since 2014. He is thought to have been prescribed 'two different benzodiazepines' to treat a heroin addiction, which Ms Barber did not believe was the right course of action. 'There has to be a better way to cope with anxiety and depression for those addicted to heroin,' she said. 'Micah will never be forgotten and deeply missed. Prayers for his family.' 'I wish things could have been different': On Wednesday morning, Milly uploaded never-before-seen footage to Instagram of herself and Micah in happier times Micah and Milly had cut ties after filming Bride and Prejudice. Following their break-up, Micah moved back to California, where his family lives. The pair went on Bride and Prejudice to repair their troubled relationship, but they split before walking down the aisle. Milly called off her wedding during an episode that aired in November, after revealing she was worried his use of alcohol and marijuana would be a bad influence on their son, Julian. Heartbreak: Milly and Micah went on the Channel Seven reality show to repair their troubled relationship, but split before they were due to wed in November She said on the program: 'He's not well and he needs a lot of help and I feel for him because I do love him, but he's just really made progress. 'And I thought he had. I'm so sad because I don't want Julian to grow up to be like that. He just doesn't need a role model like that.' Footage also resurfaced this week of the haunting moment on Bride and Prejudice when Milly's mother, Catherine Johnson, warned her daughter that Micah was on a path of self-destruction. Tragic: It comes after footage resurfaced of the haunting moment on Bride and Prejudice when Milly's mother, Catherine Johnson, warned her daughter that Micah (pictured) was on a path of self-destruction After Milly tearfully called off her wedding to Micah - who had a drug problem but refused to go to rehab - Catherine said he 'couldn't be saved'. 'You're sad now, but you're better off. You know you're not his saviour. Honey, you're not going to save him,' she began. 'He's got to save himself and you can't marry someone because you feel sorry for them. He needs to prove himself and he hasn't.' 'He's got to save himself': After Milly (right) tearfully called off her wedding to Micah - who had a drug problem but refused to go to rehab - Catherine (left) said he 'couldn't be saved' Channel Seven released a statement on Tuesday, saying: 'The team at Bride and Prejudice is devastated by the news of the loss of Micah Downey. 'Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Seven for comment regarding claims Micah died of a drug overdose. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunniva Inc. ("Sunniva", the "Company") (CSE: SNN) (OTCQB: SNNVF), has become aware that it has been named in a lawsuit (the "Lawsuit"), commenced in connection with amounts payable to IMK Management Services Inc. (the "Plaintiff") under a Finder's Fee Agreement (the "Agreement") dated January 28, 2019 with respect to the sale of Natural Health Services ("NHS"). The sale of NHS was completed on December 18, 2019. A notice of civil claim was filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on December 30, 2019 in respect of the Lawsuit. The Plaintiff is seeking judgement for an alleged amount due under the Agreement of CA $472,500. Sunniva has 21 days to respond to the notice of civil claim. For more information about the Company please visit: www.sunniva.com. To be added to the Sunniva email distribution list please register at www.sunniva.com/email-alerts . The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information or Statements This press release contains forward-looking information or statements. All statements that are or information which is not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, statements regarding Sunniva's operations and growth opportunities are "forward-looking information or statements". Forward-looking information or statements 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 statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking information and statements contained herein, Sunniva has made numerous assumptions including, among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk factors included in the Sunniva's continuous disclosure documents available on www.sedar.com. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information or statements. Although Sunniva has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information or statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking information or statements. Sunniva assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or statements, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law. Company Contacts: Sunniva Inc. Sunniva Investor Relations Contact: Dr. Anthony Holler Rob Knowles Chairman and Chief Executive Officer VP Corporate Development Phone: (866) 786-6482 Phone: (587) 430-0680 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Sunniva Inc. Related Links http://www.sunniva.com Hero who stopped Texas church shooter credits God for bravery: I'm 'not going to allow evil to succeed' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The church security guard who stopped the shooting at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, thanked God for giving him the chance to defend himself and other worshipers from the evil gunman. On Sunday, a gunman, identified as 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen, opened fire at the church, killing two people security guard Richard White, 67, and grandfather Anton "Tony" Wallace, 64, who had just handed out communion before being brought down by Jack Wilson, a 71-year-old firearms instructor who has also been a reserve sheriffs deputy. On Facebook, Wilson wrote, "I just want to thank all who have sent their prayers and comments on the events of today. The events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in, but evil exists and I had to take out an active shooter in church. Im thankful to GOD that I have been blessed with the ability and desire to serve him in the role of head of security at the church. I am very sad in the loss of two dear friends and brothers in CHRIST, but evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed. Please pray for all the members and their families in this time. Thank you for your prayers and understanding. Kinnunen has a criminal past that involves arrests for theft and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His motive for the Sunday shooting is still under investigation; however, his sister, Amy, told reporters she believes he was on a suicide mission. Sunday was the anniversary of their brother Joel's suicide, she said, and Keith may have been trying to kill himself in a shoot-out either with cops or other civilians. The church had previously provided Kinnunen with food on multiple occasions, but when he asked for money he wasn't given any, Britt Farmer, a senior minister for the congregation, told NBC. "I had seen him,'' Farmer said. "I had visited with him. I had given him food." Wilson told the AP alarms went off in his head when Kinnunen first entered the building wearing a fake beard, a wig, a hat and a long coat. By the time Kinnunen approached the communion server and pulled out a shotgun, Wilson and another security volunteer were already reaching for their own guns. After shooting two victims, Kinnunen headed toward the front of the sanctuary as Wilson searched for a clear line of fire. I didnt have a clear window, he said, referring to the 240 church members who were jumping, going chaotic. They were standing up. I had to wait about half a second, or a second, to get my shot. I fired one round. The subject went down ... The only clear shot I had was his head because I still had people in the pews that were not all the way down as low as they could. That was my one shot, he said. Wilson told NBC News that he fired at the gunman because he believed he was going to shoot more people. "I dont feel like I killed a human," he said. "I feel like I killed an evil. That is how I am coping with the situation." A video of the attack, captured on a livestream of Sundays church service, showed that Wilson took only six seconds to kill the gunman. After the shooting, Texas officials credited the states gun laws for preventing further deaths. A measure enacted this year allows licensed handgun holders to carry a weapon in churches, synagogues and other houses of worship. How many more would be lost if we hadnt had a good guy with a gun? Texas State Representative Jonathan Stickland said in a statement calling for even fewer restrictions on carrying firearms. We need more of them. We cant prevent mental illness from occurring, and we cant prevent every crazy person from pulling a gun, Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general, said outside the church in White Settlement. But we can be prepared like this church was. On Twitter, President Donald Trump wrote: Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms! Sundays shooting comes two years after a gunman walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2017, and fatally shot 26 and injured 20 others, including the daughter of Pastor Frank Pomeroy. The gunman was shot by a civilian as he left the church. Pomeroy, now a Republican candidate for the state Senate, said Wilsons response to the gunman showed that well-trained armed security can save countless lives. I have traveled all over the country as an advocate for a well-trained armed safety response team, said Pastor Pomeroy, according to KXAN. A well-trained safety response team is going to be visible and watching and then be able to take situations such as this and do what needs to be done. Thats why the shooting yesterday was stopped in just a few seconds, he added. Praise God! Farmer said that the church lost two great men, but added that the tragedy could have been much worse if the church didn't have its own security force. "There is evil in this world," Farmer said. "Today is one sermon I'll never preach ... it's called leaving a legacy and two men today left a legacy. But a congregation is going to build on that legacy. The Congress government in Puducherry is planning to adopt a resolution in the next Assembly session seeking scrapping of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act as the one adopted by Kerala, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said on Thursday. "Soon I will hold discussions with the representatives of all political parties and take further action on my plans to adopt an anti-CAA resolution as the Assembly is scheduled to meet by this month end," Narayanasamy told PTI over phone. On a BJP MP's letter to the Rajya Sabha chairman seeking action against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his anti-CAA statements, Narayanasamy said "even in the Kerala Assembly, a breach of privilege motion against the BJP MP concerned can be moved for disrespecting the House and its sovereignty". He said the Kerala Assembly had jurisdiction to adopt the resolution on the new legislation. The 140-member Kerala Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution seeking scrapping of the CAA as it was "illegal and unconstitutional". However, the lone BJP MLA in the House opposed it by saying that the Act was being "misinterpreted" and lies were being spread by the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front for "narrow political gains". "Like Parliament's decisions are not questionable, what is happening inside the Assembly also can't be challenged. Who can question their privileges?" Narayanasamy said. In the Puducherry Assembly, the Congress has strength of 15 members and is supported by three DMK members and an independent. The All India N R Congress has seven members, AIADMK four and BJP three. There are three nominated members in the 30-member House but they do not have voting rights. Last week, Narayanasamy had told reporters that come what may, he will not implement the amended citizenship act in Puducherry as "Muslims are ignored". The Congress-ruled state governments have decided not to implement the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). "I will also do so in Puducherry," he had said. Under the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants, and be given Indian citizenship. The Bill was adopted by Parliament in the just-concluded winter session. It became an Act after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent on December 12, 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Vietnamese stock market has been growing rapidly with market capitalization value exceeding 100 percent of GDP. 1/ The VN Index exceeded the 1,000 point threshold in early 2019 and then dropped to 940 points. Later, the market bounced back from the deepest low and for the second time in the year reached the 1,000 point threshold in late October before it once again dropped to the 950 point zone. As of the end of November, the market capitalization value had reached VND5,599,969 billion, an increase of 10.18 percent over the same period last year, or 101.04 percent of GDP. 2/ On November 26, the National Assembly ratified the 2019 Securities Law. The Vietnamese stock market has been growing rapidly with market capitalization value exceeding 100 percent of GDP. The new law will have legal validity from January 1, 2021 and it comprises many new points, including the establishment of one stock exchange. 3/ Cover Warrant (CV) has been in transaction since June 28, 2019. This is the second derivative product recognized in Vietnam, after future contract. CW is a product issued by securities companies based on 26 basic securities in the VN30 group allowed by the State Securities Commission (SSC) and the Stock Exchange. 4/ The HCM City Stock Exchange on November 18 released the new Vietnam Diamond Index (VN Diamond) and Vietnam Financial Select Sector Index (VNFin Select). Prior to that, HOSE set VN30 Index and VNX50Index which have been used by VFMVN30 ETF and SSIAM VNX50 ETF funds as basic indicators. 5/ Vietnam failed to obtain the market upgrading to emerging market in 2019. However, investors have every reason to believe that the upgrading will occur in 2020. 6/ Vietcombank and BIDV successfully sold their shares to foreign strategic partners. Vietcombank in early 2019 announced the successful private offering of 111,108,873 shares to GIC, the Singaporean national investment fund, and Mizuho, one of the largest finance institutions from Japan. Six months later, BIDV, another bank in the big four, announced the sale of 15 percent of shares to KEB Hana Bank from South Korea. 7/ SK Group injected $1 billion into Vingroup. The South Korean group has acquired 154.3 million shares from Vingroup and bought 51.4 million secondary shares from VinCommerce at the average price of VND113,000 per share. 8/ Vingroup and Masan Group made a big deal in 2019, under which Vingroups VinCommerce, which owns VinMart and VinMart+ will merge with Masan Consumer Holdings to form a leading consumer goods and retail group in Vietnam. 9/ Some blockbuster IPOs were made in 2019. Masan MeatLife (MML) put 324.33 million shares into transaction on UpCom. Investors are looking forward to the IPO of FLCHomes and Bamboo Airways, which both belong to FLC Group. 10/ 2019 witnessed the strong rise of South Korean securities companies. Mirae Asset, one of six Korean companies, has raised the chartered capital to VND5.455 trillion. Kim Chi Funds seek profits after stock market officially upgrades Some active funds are pouring money into the Vietnams stock market in anticipation of the market upgrading and are planning to withdraw the money to make a profit when the upgrading is announced. Since the slaying of 17-year-old Nikki Kuhnhausen, several readers have asked The Columbian whether her killing fits the definition of a hate crime. David Y. Bogdanov of Vancouver is accused of second-degree murder in her death. Authorities allege the 25-year-old man strangled Kuhnhausen after learning she was transgender. She didnt deserve this that hatred, the last thing she felt on this earth, Kuhnhausens mother, Lisa Woods, said at a Dec. 20 vigil. Yes, she was murdered out of hatred because she was transgender. Bogdanov has not been charged with a hate crime. Vancouver police Lt. Tom Ryan said during a press conference last month that Kuhnhausen being transgender is suspected to have played a role in Bogdanovs alleged deadly actions, but investigators think it was not a targeted killing. Advocates disagree. Although investigators cannot show premeditation for (Bogdanovs alleged actions) we believe there was a hate crime and Nikki had no chance whatsoever, whether she was LBGTQ, even a woman, for that matter, said Michelle Bart, president and co-founder of the Vancouver-based National Womens Coalition Against Violence & Exploitation. Washington law defines a hate, or bias motivated offense, as a crime or threat against someone because of their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or mental, physical or sensory handicaps. During the last legislative session, state lawmakers passed a bill that renamed and redefined several aspects of Washingtons hate crime law. Previously, crimes motivated by hate were prosecuted as malicious harassment. Now, theyre simply called hate crime offenses. The legislation also added gender identity or expression to the list of protected categories, and it created an advisory work group that will try to identify the root causes of and prevent hate crimes. A hate crime offense is a class C felony, which carries a maximum of five years in prison. Its prosecuted similarly to other crimes. The current version of the law states that anyone who commits another crime during the commission of a hate crime may be punished and prosecuted for the other crime separately. Rise in hate crimes Kuhnhausen disappeared in early June. Her remains were discovered Dec. 7 after someone reported finding a human skull in the woods at Larch Mountain, southeast of Battle Ground. Bogdanov appeared on the morning of Dec. 18 in Clark County Superior Court in connection with Kuhnhausens death. He has a bail hearing scheduled for Thursday. Kuhnhausens family and supporters are expected to attend. He told detectives he encountered Kuhnhausen on the night of June 5 in the 1300 block of Main Street in downtown Vancouver and invited her to join him and his brothers at a bar, according to a probable cause affidavit. They drank together, parted ways early on June 6 and then reunited later that morning after communicating via Snapchat and exchanging addresses. As Kuhnhausen and Bogdanov chatted in a vehicle, she told him she was transgender, the affidavit says. David said that he was shocked and uncomfortable and really, really disturbed to learn Nikki was male and asked her to get out of the van and leave, the court document reads. I believe that David became enraged at the realization that he had engaged in sexual contact with a male whom he believed to be female and strangled Nikki to death, the affidavit later asserts. Vancouver police Sgt. Jeff Kipp said the evidence collected so far supports detectives decision to forward the second-degree murder charge to the county prosecutor, who will review the case and determine if theres a more appropriate charge, he said. Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Tony Golik said his office is still evaluating the case and the evidence against Bogdanov, and the charge may be amended before going to trial. Golik declined to discuss the potential for a hate crime charge being added to the case. Seattle-based lawyer Anne Bremner said that if a criminal case lacks clear evidence showing a strong basis for a hate crime, prosecutors may be reluctant to file such a charge. The proof has to be beyond a reasonable doubt to ensure a unanimous jury verdict, Bremner said. Second-degree murder is a serious charge thats going to determine bail. But I think its important to (LGBTQ advocacy groups) that when there is a bias involved in an alleged crime based on hate, based on gender expression, its important that it be recognized and prosecuted, Bremner said. I dont want to prejudice this case, but I will say that when police have evidence that shows when someone found out about another persons gender identity and had an adverse reaction that resulted in a homicide, then theres at least some circumstantial evidence that it could be a hate crime if you look at this objectively, there wasnt a homicide for any other reason or motive, she said. Bremner said there recently has been heightened awareness of hate crimes being on the rise in Washington and nationwide. Law enforcement and lawmakers have taken steps to combat the trend. In 2018, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, the organization in charge of collecting and reporting on hate crimes, received 765 reports of offenses where the victim was targeted for a characteristic protected by state law. According to 2018 hate crime data from the FBI, Washington ranks second nationwide for the most hate crimes. Agencies here reported 666 such crimes, the data say. California reported 1,222 bias-motivated crimes last year. The Clark County Prosecuting Attorneys Office has tried 19 hate crime, or malicious mischief, cases over the past five years, Golik said. According to his numbers, prosecutors handled only a single such case in 2017; the next year, they handled six. All other years since 2015, there were four hate crime cases. We consistently have several cases each year, Golik said. Bias rage defense The working group created during the last state legislative session will develop strategies to raise awareness of hate crimes and aid law enforcements responses to those incidents. In creating this working group, Washington is demonstrating its commitment to the safety of all its residents, regardless of their gender, national origin or religion, Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a press release announcing the group. Our Hate Crime Advisory Working Group will be taking a hard look at what kind of hate crimes are happening in Washington and how we can strengthen our response and support victims. Bart, with NWCAVE, said during the vigil for Kuhnhausen that the teen will be the nonprofits cause for 2020. The organization is pushing for a new Nikkis Law to address hate crimes and has already reached out to legislators, including Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver. Wylie said Tuesday that she is researching the current law and speaking with colleagues about whether changes are needed. If there is a way to strengthen our laws for crime like this, Im certainly going to be introducing legislation to make what kind of things are considered hate crimes more definitive, more clear, Wylie said. Bogdanov has not yet been formally charged, and its not clear what defense he may present. However, advocates, such as the Gender Justice League, have expressed concerns that Bogdanovs statements to police fit whats known as a bias rage or panic defense, where a defendant claims they should face less responsibility for their actions because they were startled to discover someone was transgender or gay. Last year, the Legislature considered House Bill 1687, which would have prohibited panic defenses. It stalled in the House Rules Committee and was not passed. In a letter asking legislators to support the bill, Denise Diskin, executive director of the QLaw Foundation of Washington wrote, When a criminal defendant employs a gay or trans panic defense, they are asking our legal system to endorse the notion that our mere existence going on dates, initiating consensual romantic encounters, or engaging in other interpersonal relationships is enraging, and are playing upon the implicit biases of jurors to garner sympathy for that view. Diskin said in an email to The Columbian that those defenses have been raised largely in other states, but legal protections against them are needed. Transgender girls and women in our state, like all people, deserve to be treated with care and respect. David Bogdanov showed neither care nor respect for Nikki Kuhnhausen, and it is our hope that the legal system will not allow Nikkis gender to excuse any of his actions toward her, Diskin said Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Phuket starts the new year with zero deaths PHUKET: Phuket continued its record of zero deaths on the roads for the New Year holidays, with no deaths recorded on New Years Day yesterday, Day 6 of the 'Seven Days of Danger' road-safety campaign, report Phuket officials. Thursday 2 January 2020, 12:28PM Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai led the daily morning briefing for the campaign this morning (Jan 2). Photo: PR Dept Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai led the daily morning briefing for the campaign this morning (Jan 2). Photo: PR Dept Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai led the daily morning briefing for the campaign this morning (Jan 2). Photo: PR Dept Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai led the daily morning briefing for the campaign this morning (Jan 2). Photo: PR Dept Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai led the daily morning briefing for the campaign this morning (Jan 2). Photo: PR Dept Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai led the daily morning briefing for the campaign this morning (Jan 2). Photo: PR Dept Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai led the daily morning briefing for the campaign this morning (Jan 2). Photo: PR Dept Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai led the daily morning briefing for the campaign with fellow relevant officials at Phuket Provincial Hall at 9am this morning. Referring to the official report compiled by the Phuket Provincial office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket), Vice Governor Supoj explained that during the 24 hours of the campaign from midnight to midnight on Jan 1, Phuket recorded 10 people injured in eight separate accidents. Four of the accidents were in Muang District, and another four were in Kathu. Victims in accidents listed as serious by the DDPM report on Jan 1 include two Russian tourists, named as Alexander Zavalnyy, 46, and his 10-year-old daughter, who were in an accident on Chao Fa West Rd in Wichit at 5:45pm. Mr Zavalnyy suffered serious injuries and a foot was nearly severed, noted the report, while his daughter suffered a broken knee and other wounds. Among of the injured marked as a Red Case was Laos national Praiwan Thananchai, 28, who was hit by a car while walking beside the road near the intersection of Phra Metta Rd and Ratchapathanusorn Rd in Patong at 7am. Mr Praiwan was unconscious and suffered a large wound to his head., noted the report. Another red case reported Kingfa Yoiyam, 20, and her passenger Thanaphorn Masalee, 43, both suffering head injuries in a motorbike accident on Phrabaramee Rd in Patong at 3:20am. Ms Thanaphorn was reported as unconscious at the scene and neither of the two women were wearing helmets, noted the report. Another Red Case reported Myanmar national man Tin Maung Soe, 29, suffering a serious head injury in a motorbike accident on Wiset Rd in Rawai at 2:20am. Mr Tin was reported as drunk driving and not wearing helmet at the time, said the report. All of the injured were taken to local hospitals first, and then all were transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, the report added. Vice Governor Supoj this morning also reported that police in Phuket issued 1,135 fines for moving violations during the 24 hours of Jan 1, as follows: 29 fined for operating an unsafe/illegally modified motorcycle 79 fined for not wearing seatbelts 313 fined for driving without a licence 24 fined speeding 51 fined for ignoring traffic signals 44 fined for ghost driving (driving opposite traffic flow) 35 fined for dangerously cutting off other motorists in traffic 36 fined for using mobile phones while driving 15 people were arrested for drunk driving during the period 509 people fined for not wearing helmets YEREVAN. Two people were hospitalized after a car went off the road and crashed into a gas pipe in downtown Yerevan. The accident caused a gas leak in the center of Armenia's capital city. Gazprom Armenia employees are working at the site, Shamshyan.com reported. The identity of the driver and injured is being clarified. LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Kentuckys new Republican attorney general has asked the FBI to investigate a flurry of pardons by former Gov. Matt Bevin. The pardons have drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle after media reports highlighted some that went to convicts who had wealthy or politically connected families. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron wrote in a letter Monday that he has sent a formal request to the FBI to investigate this matter. I believe the pardon power should be used sparingly and only after great deliberation with due concern for public safety, Cameron wrote in the letter addressed to two Democratic state lawmakers, who shared the letter Thursday. Bevin, a Republican, issued hundreds of pardons between his electoral defeat on Nov. 5 and his final day in office on Dec. 9. His pardons included clemency for convicted killer Patrick Baker, whose family held a fundraiser for Bevin in 2018, and a convicted sex offender whose mother was married to a millionaire road contractor. The pardons also have attracted the attention of Russell Coleman, the U.S. attorney for Kentuckys western district. On Monday, Coleman said his office would review any pardon-related issues brought to them by state prosecutors or other law enforcement partners. I am particularly concerned about the risk to the public by those previously convicted of sex offences, who by virtue of the state pardon, will not fall under any post-release supervision or be required to register as sex offenders, Coleman said at a news conference. Coleman was likely referring to the pardon of Micah Schoettle, who was in the second year of a 23-year prison sentence when Bevin pardoned him of rape, sodomy and other sexual crimes. The pardon also removed him from the states sex offender registry. Bevin has said in defending the Schoettle pardon that there should have been physical evidence of rape and in his pardoning document he wrote the prosecution of the case was sloppy at best. Cameron, who took office on Dec. 17, was responding to requests by two state lawmakers, Sen. Morgan McGarvey and Rep. Chris Harris, who were particularly concerned about the Baker case. Baker was sentenced to 19 years in prison on convictions of reckless homicide and other crimes in a fatal 2014 home break-in in Knox County. Prosecutors say Baker and another man posed as police to gain entry to Donald Mills home and shot Mills in front of his wife. Bevin wrote in his pardoning order that Bakers drug addictions led him to fall in with the wrong people and the evidence against Baker was sketchy at best. The Courier Journal has reported that Bakers family held a fundraiser at their home for Bevin in 2018 and another GOP donor who gave thousands to Bevin urged the former governor to pardon Baker. The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld Bakers conviction a year ago, writing in a unanimous ruling that Bakers guilt was overwhelming. A Kansas police chief has apologized to McDonald's for 'all the unnecessary pain' after one of his officers admitted to making up a story that a drive-thru employee wrote 'f**king pig' on his coffee cup. The 23-year-old officer resigned from the Herington Police Department on Monday after it emerged he had lied about a McDonald's employee giving him the cup. Revelations of the false allegations sparked widespread anger with the department having to take down its Facebook page due to the onslaught of furious comments. Much of the fury was directed at Herington Police Chief Brian Hornaday after he initially drew attention to the issue when he angrily posted a photo of the cup on Facebook and demanded that McDonald's take action. He was forced to backtrack following an investigation after it emerged McDonald's had surveillance footage that proved no employee had written the words. Hornaday later held a press conference to reveal the officer had resigned and called the ordeal a 'black eye on law enforcement'. He issued a written apology on Wednesday saying that he was 'truly sorry for all unnecessary, negative attention and pain that this incident has brought to every person who was affected'. The 23-year-old officer resigned from the Herington Police Department on Monday after it emerged he had lied about a McDonald's employee giving him the cup Hornaday, who has faced calls on social media to resign given what some say was a quick rush to judgement, said he hoped people would remember it was the act of one person. 'We hope that this is always remembered as the act of one person and not that of the chosen few men and women who have the courage to boldly protect and serve the citizens of this great Nation,' Hornaday said. The police chief, who appears to have deleted his own Facebook page, has so far refused to name the officer. He has only said that he had been with the department about two months after spending approximately five years in the Army. The officer is not expected to face criminal charges. The owner of the McDonald's expressed her disappointment on Monday after finding out that one of her employees had been wrongly blamed. 'We appreciate the Herington Police Department's efforts to thoroughly investigate this troubling incident,' Dana Cook told DailyMail.com. 'While we are glad that the evidence confirmed our evaluation that McDonald's and our crew members were absolutely not involved, we stand with our community in being disappointed by these actions.' Cook said the staff fully cooperated with the investigation and hinted the unfortunate incident will not affect their relationship with the department. Herington Police Chief Brian Hornaday issued a written apology on Wednesday saying that he was 'truly sorry for all unnecessary, negative attention and pain' the incident had caused. He is pictured at a Monday press conference when he announced the officer had resigned The police chief apologized to McDonald's on Wednesday for 'all the unnecessary pain' after one of his officers admitted to making up a story that a drive-thru employee at the Junction City restaurant wrote 'f**king pig' on his coffee cup 'We took seriously our role to be transparent and fully cooperative with Chief Hornaday throughout his investigation and we look forward to continuing a strong relationship with the department,' she said. 'Our McDonald's family maintains great respect for all members of law enforcement and the military, and it is with great pride that our restaurant is always open to you.' It comes soon after the police chief publicly demanded McDonald's take action and urged the restaurant to show him the surveillance video that he suggested was being withheld from him. 'Hopefully, McDonald's will follow through with showing me the video that didn't exist when I met with them Saturday night,' he told 13 News early on Monday. He added that there was a 'whole lot more to the story than what is being portrayed online'. Later on Monday, Hornaday appeared to backtrack and said the department was investigating after reviewing the surveillance footage with McDonald's representatives. It was announced soon after that the officer had resigned. Hornaday said his reaction after the initial report was based on believing that a police officer has integrity and he has since admitted that judgement should be withheld until all evidence has been examined. 'Integrity is the one and only sole trait of a police officer that you cannot allow to be damaged. Once you damage your integrity, you're done. You will not work in this profession ever again,' Hornaday said. The police chief, who has since deleted this Facebook post, had initially publicly demanded McDonald's take action over the incident 'What I do not want to happen here is for the American public to look at this situation and call into question the integrity of any other officer in this country. 'Moving forward, the Herington Police Department will work tirelessly to regain the loss of trust with both McDonald's and with the citizens that we serve. 'I truly hope the former officer of the Herington Police Department that did this understands the magnitude of the black eye this gives the law enforcement profession from coast to coast.' Herington Police chief Brian Hornaday, who appears to have deleted his own Facebook page, has so far refused to name the officer involved Hornaday said his officer had initially told him he was handed the cup in the drive-thru while on his way to work on Saturday at 6am and then noticed the message. The officer had claimed that when he complained about the message he was only offered a 'free lunch' by management at the restaurant. 'This is what he paid for. Although I understand this is likely the act of one person and not a representation of the company, when it was brought to their attention the company offered him a 'free lunch'. No thank you,' Hornaday wrote in his initial Facebook post. He added that 'a Big Mac and large fries doesn't make up for it'. 'This behavior has been, is and always will be wrong.' Hornaday said at the time that the officer did not know the McDonald's employee and suggested that the incident could have stemmed from a personal grievance against the cop. The police chief called for action and noted the officer's role in the community. 'The U.S. Veteran who continues to serve deserves much more. This is not only bad for McDonald's, but is also a black eye for Junction City,' he said. 'He has spent the last two months serving the citizens of Herington, visiting patients at Herington Municipal Hospital during Christmas who couldn't be home for the holidays, participating in a Christmas give away at Herington Elementary School and many other positive things geared towards providing a positive future for the City of Herington.' Social media users quickly started sharing their outrage and demanded a public apology from McDonald's. Congress on Wednesday distanced itself from the views expressed by party leaders Manish Tewari and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury that were critical of the newly-appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat. While Tewari had questioned the creation of CDS as an institution, Chowdhury had asked General Rawat not to allow his ideological predilections affect the apolitical Indian Army. Any step taken by the government to strengthen the security of the country, the Congress does not oppose that, Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev told reporters at the AICC headquarters here. Dev, also the President of the All India Mahila Congress, was responding to questions on the critical remarks made against the CDS by Tewari and Chowdhury. Actions speak louder than words and soon the country will know how the CDS will work. Commenting on it before that will not be right. We only expect that he (General Rawat) will fulfil his responsibilities as the chief of defence staff, she said. On Tuesday, Tewari had said that the decision to appoint a CDS was fraught with difficulties and questioned his functioning in the deeply hierarchy conscious armed forces and the defence establishment. With great regret and fullest of responsibility may I say that the government has started on a very wrong foot with regard to CDS. Time alone, unfortunately, will reveal the implications of this decision, Tewari had said. Alleged former Islamic State member Lisa Smith has been pictured in public for the first time since being released on bail from Limerick Prison. The former Defence Forces member signed on at a garda station yesterday morning as part of her bail conditions. She was driven from the address where she is staying in the north-east at around 10.30am, after walking calmly to the car. Mother-of-one Ms Smith, who was dressed in clothing that left only part of her face uncovered, did not spend long at the garda station. Expand Close Paul Grimes / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Paul Grimes After signing on at the station she was driven back to the house where she had come from but declined to make any comment. Escort On New Year's Eve, Ms Smith was escorted from the jail in a white prison van at around 4.45pm and brought to an undisclosed location where it is understood she was met by a family member. The escort was provided by the Irish Prison Service for "security reasons", a source said. Ms Smith had been granted bail by the High Court but the District Court had rejected an attempt by a third party to lodge an independent surety on the grounds he had previous convictions and was not related to the defendant. Paul Grimes, from Dundalk, Co Louth, had offered to put up an independent surety, in a bid to satisfy bail conditions that would have allowed Ms Smith to go free for Christmas. However, the offer was rejected at a special sitting of the District Court on Christmas Eve. However, on Tuesday a 5,000 surety, of which 1,000 was to be lodged, was accepted by the courts. Ms Smith was to lodge 500 of her own cash. Ms Smith (37) is charged with being a member of an unlawful terrorist group "styling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (Isil), also known as Isis, contrary to the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005, between October 28, 2015, and December 1, 2019. As part of strict bail conditions set by the courts, Ms Smith, who denies the charges against her, must reside at an address in the north-east and sign on at a garda station twice daily, between 10am and 1pm and 3 and 6pm. She was also ordered to obey a curfew, having to remain indoors from 8pm to 7am. She cannot leave the jurisdiction or apply for travel documentation. She must also provide gardai with a contact mobile phone number within 48 hours of taking up her bail. Ms Smith, who denies the charge, has also been banned from accessing the internet or using any social media and she must not have contact with non-garda witnesses in the case. Ms Smith, who left Ireland and married after she converted to Islam, had been found in a Syrian refugee camp. After a trek to Turkey with her daughter, they were brought back to Ireland on December 1. A court in Uttar Pradesh has granted bail to the activist parents of a 14-month-old baby and 56 others nearly two weeks after they were arrested for protests against the citizenship bill and NRC in Varanasi. Additional Sessions Judge on Wednesday granted bail to Ekta (32) and Ravi Shekhar (36), a environment activist who runs an NGO named Climate Agenda. Fifty-nine people were arrested, including the two, during police action on protesters in the city on December 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Sudarshan Varadhan and Aftab Ahmed NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office has proposed waiving a tax on coal to help finance pollution-curbing equipment, according to documents, but the move would also make coal more competitive in price with solar and wind energy. Modi's office has proposed waiving the carbon tax of 400 rupees ($5.61) per tonne that was levied on the production and import of coal, according to the documents reviewed by Reuters. The documents say the savings would improve the financial health of utilities and distribution companies, and help the power producers to install pollution-curbing equipment. The prime minister's office and the power ministry did not respond to requests seeking comment on the proposals and when a decision was likely to be made. Despite struggling with some of the world's worst air pollution levels, India has already pushed back a deadline to cut emission levels to up to 2022. Over half of India's coal-fired plants are already set to miss a phased deadline starting Dec. 2019 to cut emissions of sulphur oxides, which have been proven to contribute to lung disease. The proposal is a big win for India's coal industry, which has lobbied for government help, citing high debt levels and burgeoning payment dues from government-owned power distribution companies. Distribution companies owed power producers more than $11 billion in dues as of October, accoding to government data. Hardik Shah, deputy secretary at Modi's office, advocated waiving the carbon tax on coal in an October note to the top bureaucrat at India's power ministry, seen by Reuters. "A possible solution is to waive the goods and services tax (GST) compensation cess..on coal," Shah said in the note on the installation of equipment to cut emissions of sulphur oxides. Shah argued for a waiver saying even if India ensured adequate financing to power plant operators to install the equipment, it would lead to higher electricity tariffs that would further burden distribution companies which buy power from utilities. Story continues COAL VS RENEWABLES The proposal comes at a time when India is set to open up coal mining to global mining companies for the first time. An implementation of the proposal would provide a fillip to state-run Coal India , whose stock has lost a fifth of its value over the last 12 months. Thermal power companies, in addition to emitting greenhouse gases, account for 80 percent of all industrial emissions of particulate matter, sulfur and nitrous oxides in India. The average rate at which coal-fired power is sold to distribution companies stands at about 3.50 rupees per unit, according to a Reuters analysis of data provided to the power ministry by many Indian utilities in October. That compares with an average cost of 2.50 rupees to 3.00 rupees for renewable energy projects. The current carbon tax on coal contributes to 0.25 rupees per unit, according to industry estimates. If implemented, the move would reduce the price gap between coal-fired power and renewables, and potentially impact Modi's plan to increase adoption of green energy. "Cutting taxes on coal would impact growth of renewable energy as well as the transition away from coal," said Nandikesh Sivalingam, Director at Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The prime minister's office says installation of pollution cutting equipment would cost companies 0.30-0.35 rupees per unit and hence removal of the carbon tax would help companies meet emissions targets while ensuring electricity costs do not rise. But it will be a one-time cost and going forward, coal-fired utilities would be able to compete better with renewable energy. The proposal, if implemented, would cost India over 3% of its total indirect tax collection, which has been falling due to a broader economic slowdown. An abolition of the cess could also subject the federal government to further criticism from state goverments, since they received the realised revenue from the government to compensate for shortfalls due to the implementation of a new tax structure in 2017. Modi's office says if no waiver is given, some form of government subsidy would have to be given by states to keep the power producers functioning and the carbon tax abolition would make up for some shortfalls. (Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan and Aftab Ahmed; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Angus MacSwan) Data from the Canadian Real Estate Association showed that the sales-to-new-listing ratio (SNLR) enjoyed notable growth over the last year, with the largest gains posted by urban markets in the eastern half of the country. This was especially apparent in Halifax, which continues to benefit from sustained market health and activity. The SNLR in Halifax topped at 77.6% in November 2019, representing a 12.8% year-over-year upsurge. Indeed, this was the fastest annual increase nationwide during that month, Better Dwelling reported. But manufacturing activity across Asia showed signs of recovery as recent survey data indicated growth in late 2019. Chinas factory activity expanded at a slower clip in December, pulling back from a three-year high the previous month as new orders softened, a private survey showed on Thursday. But business confidence shot up amid thawing trade tensions with the United States, offering some support for the cooling economy. Beijing and Washington agreed last month on an initial deal that will de-escalate their prolonged trade war. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for December eased to 51.5 from 51.8 the previous month missing analysts expectations that the reading would hold steady. But it remained above the 50-mark that separates expansion from contraction for the fifth straight month. The findings, which focus mostly on small and export-oriented businesses, were less optimistic than those in an official survey released on Tuesday that showed activity expanded as production grew at the fastest pace in over a year and easing trade tensions revived export orders. But one analyst said the improvement in business confidence and willingness to increase production and inventories were positive changes. Subdued business confidence was a major factor behind the economic slowdown this year, said Zhengsheng Zhong, director of Macroeconomic Analysis at CEBM Group. As the phase one trade deal between China and the US has sent out positive signals, there is room for a recovery in business confidence, which should be able to help stabilise the economy. Adding to the more optimistic tone, the Caixin survey also showed firms were able to increase their selling prices for the first time in six months, signalling improving profitability. Growth in Chinas industrial and retail sectors beat expectations in November, as government stimulus measures boosted demand. But the ailing manufacturing sector is not out of the woods yet, and analysts are unsure whether recent signs of improvement will be sustainable. Demand remained wobbly in December, with total new orders growing more slowly and export orders expanding only marginally, the Caixin survey showed. The recovery in the manufacturing sector is still nascent, said Nie Wen, an economist at Hwabao Trust in Shanghai, predicting the central bank will likely continue to ease policy until the economy is convincingly on more solid footing. As expected, the Peoples Bank of China moved quickly in 2020 to offer further support, announcing on New Years Day that it was cutting the amount of cash that all banks must hold as reserves. The move will release about 800 billion yuan ($114.91bn) in funds to shore up the slowing economy. The PBOC has now cut banks reserve requirement ratio (RRR), which is the minimum amount of reserves that must be held by commercial banks, eight times since early 2018. In recent months, it has made modest cuts in some of its key lending rates. But officials have repeatedly pledged not to resort to flood-like stimulus like that in past economic downturns, which left a mountain of debt and stoked fears of property market bubbles. Beijing plans to set a lower economic growth target of about 6 percent in 2020, relying on increased state infrastructure spending to ward off a sharper slowdown, policy sources said. Still, some analysts believe growth could cool to 5.7 percent in 2020 even with additional support measures. Third-quarter growth of 6 percent was the weakest in nearly 30 years. Asian uptick Elsewhere in Asia, South Koreas factory activity returned to growth in December, snapping seven straight months of contraction, helped by improving demand especially from abroad. The countrys Nikkei/Markit PMI in December rose to 50.1, from 49.4 in November, its highest reading since April. Manufacturing output expanded for the first time in 14 months, helped by new product launches and a general boost in demand conditions, the survey of South Korean firms showed. New export orders index jumped to 51.3 in December, from 49.9 in the previous month and the highest reading since June 2018. Respondents reported greater sales to Asian markets such as Japan, China and Vietnam. Total new orders, which snapped the 13th month of contraction, rose to 50.7 on stronger overall demand and penetration into new overseas markets. Perhaps most important was growth in overseas demand, the strongest increase in foreign workloads since mid-2018, IHS Markit economist Joe Hayes said. Sustained growth in exports will be key to ensuring that South Koreas manufacturing sector can positively contribute to overall economic output, Hayes added. South Korean exports in the first 20 days of December slid 2 percent on-year in value, marking the slowest fall in a year, as the recovery in demand from China and stabilising chip prices offered signs that a year-long run of declines may be nearing its end. The PMI survey showed business sentiment for the next 12 months was cheered by optimism on greater demand in new products and hopes for the trend in the global manufacturing industry to pick up. In Southeast Asia, manufacturing conditions continued to deteriorate in December but at their softest pace throughout a seven-month decline, as output rose for the first time since June. Incoming new business rose for the first time in five months, highlighting some improvement in demand conditions, said Lewis Cooper, an economist at IHS Markit, in a statement on Thursday. Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand were among the countries in the region to record factory activity readings above the 50-point growth mark. BERLIN (Reuters) - The trade union representing cabin crew at Lufthansa's budget airline Germanwings decided on Wednesday not to continue their strike for the time being after three days of stoppages led to dozens of flights being canceled. The Ufo labor union, which called strikes from Monday to Wednesday at Germanwings, will discuss on Sunday how to proceed in the dispute with the company after deciding not to extend the strike, a spokesman said. The cabin crew strike had led to only 20 of 220 scheduled Germanwings flights taking off in the three days, although Lufthansa subsidiaries like Austrian Airlines has given seats to stranded passengers, limiting the impact on customers. The deadlocked collective bargaining dispute for the 22,000 cabin employees concerns pay and working conditions among other issues. Ufo held a strike for two days in November, resulting in the cancellation of one in five flights, affecting around 180,000 passengers and costing the airline up to 20 million euros ($22.42 million). (Reporting by Markus Wackert, writing by Emma Thomasson) How did you get first get into the business? RUSSELL When I was 18 or 19, I began driving down from Vancouver to L.A. in my little tiny Toyota, trying to go to auditions. I didnt have money or a visa, and I couldnt be a waiter in America so Id save up over many, many months. My parents never really worried about me I was working in a restaurant when I was 13 and had two jobs when I was 15. When I was 20 or 21, I moved down there, and booked Lost in Space, which, funnily enough, was produced in Vancouver. TURNER-SMITH When I first started in modeling, I went back to England, and it was really hard, because I would go around to the agencies and they would be like, We already have one mixed-race black girl. With Instagram and the internet that seems to have really shifted. People are making a lot more noise about representation and diversity. But I think modeling is one of the professions where people can be kind of racist. When I went back to England, I really couldnt get any work. I was there for eight months and moved back to L.A., where it was definitely easier. Given that youre not from America, did you feel there were experiences and challenges that are specific to portraying people of color in the United States? TURNER-SMITH Whats unique about America is that the country itself was built upon oppression, its in the very foundation. We definitely experience racism in England and different levels of oppression as well. Anywhere affected by colonialism theres certain kinds of race relations and class relations going on. Whats unique about the American experience is that its built into the very fabric of society. RUSSELL There was a lot of instability in Emilys life, and I think that the pressures are much more intense. However, I think those exist for black families everywhere, whether you realize it or not. Im in South Africa right now, you really feel the segregation here a lot. Its not talked about as much. And in this family, in Waves, that is talked about: This is who you are, and this is what you mean in society. Do you realize that? You need to recognize that and own that because you need to rise above that. And the pressure is immense. All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Zafaryab Jilani on Thursday said that he does not consider the activities of the Popular Front of India (PFI) as "unlawful". "I have known PFI for 20 years. It is based in Kerala. It is doing very good work, social educational and charitable activities. I don't consider their activities as unlawful," Jilani told ANI. "If Mohsin Raza has the courage to charge anything against the Personal Law Board, then he should give it in writing," he said. "Otherwise, such statements do not call for any reply because these are bogus statements and untrue statements, which he had given in the past also. His ministry does not cover the Waqf Board," said he. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Minister Mohsin Raza had said that the PFI tried to give horrible and chaotic dimension to protests in the state against the amended citizenship law. Uttar Pradesh DGP OP Singh has written a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, requesting to impose a ban on PFI citing investigations of the organisation's involvement in the violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on December 19. Three members of the PFI including its state president Waseem Ahmad were arrested by the police. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Subscriber content preview By JUAN ZAMORANO Associated Press PANAMA CITY Panama marked the 20-year anniversary Tuesday of the turnover of the Panama Canal, now amid a water crisis that threatens the viability of the waterway. Declining rainfall and rising temperatures have reduced the level of freshwater lakes that fill the locks of the Panama Canal and allow boats to transit between the Pacific and the Atlantic. . . . ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After developing a cult-like following since its founding in 1996, and with 23 locations throughout Florida, Jeremiah's Italian Ice announced it is ready to share its decadent Italian Ice, premium Soft Ice Cream and signature Gelati treats nationwide with its category-defining franchise opportunity. An opportunity 23 years in the making, Jeremiah's Italian Ice is poised to become the "Premier Frozen Dessert Franchise of the New Decade." Within 6 months of announcing its highly anticipated franchise opportunity, the family-friendly frozen dessert favorite has amassed non-stop demand and has sold more than 50 franchises to more than 20 franchisee groups, including its first out of state locations in Arizona, Texas and North Carolina. Among the 24 signed franchisees 14 are multi-unit contracts, and the brand is on track to have 100 stores open or in development in the next two years. The Jeremiah's franchise opportunity is perfectly simple, delivering limitless possibilities and endless potential to guests, while maintaining a streamlined, efficient operation, in addition to a product and culture unlike anything you've ever experienced. As dessert connoisseurs across the country will soon find out, Jeremiah's Italian Ice boasts over 40 flavors of indulgent high-quality Italian Ice as well as creamy Soft Ice Cream, A synthesis of these two core products the Jeremiah's Gelati is the showcase of the menu with layers of Italian Ice swirled with thick, homemade Soft Ice Cream, offering nearly limitless flavor combinations. The Gelati is much like Jeremiah's itself, respecting tradition while creating the perfect dessert evolution for the new decade and beyond. Since its origin, Jeremiah's Ice has developed itself upon the foundations of an engaging, family-friendly culture. Jeremiah's has ingrained itself within its local communities, serving as a staple hot spot for local residents and has forged a loyal following, regularly involved with community activities and catering events, from weddings and birthday parties to sporting events and school fairs. Jeremiah's has been recognized as one of Orlando Business Journal's 'Fast 50 of Central Florida,' one of the Orlando Sentinel's 'Best Bets' 9 years consecutively, and recently received the Orlando Foodie award for 'Best Frozen Treats' for the 10th straight year. "We are a bold, playful brand. You feel the energy and vibrant spirit the moment you walk in," said Jeremy Litwack, founder and CEO. "We have an unlimited free samples policy because we want to better engage our customers and get them to try something out of the ordinary. It keeps them coming back because they know there's always something new for them to try." With flavors ranging from Mango, Red Raspberry and Strawberry-Lemon to Pumpkin Pie and Scoop Froggy Frog (mint chocolate chip), Jeremiah's Italian Ice has the ability to indulge a wide spectrum of customer taste preferences, which leaves customers satisfied after every visit. Dubbed "edible art" by locals, Jeremiah's takes a methodical approach to its creations, embedding maximum flavor in every bite and finding the perfect serving temperature to tantalize the taste buds. "Combining the perfect layering of smooth Italian Ice with our rich and creamy Soft Ice Cream, our Gelatis showcase the continuous innovation and limitless flavor combinations that take us to the next level," Litwack said. Litwack's relationship with Italian Ice traces back to childhood visits to the Jersey Shore, eating Ice on the boardwalk. In high school and college his passion for the product evolved into a business when he started serving "Water Ice" outside of the Philadelphia Mint to passersby on the street. While attending the University of Delaware, he decided he was going to pursue his entrepreneurial dream and began developing his own recipes and techniques. He brought his product to Central Florida after identifying an opportunity to create a market for authentic Italian Ice in the South. Pivotal Growth Partners (PGP), a holding company that partners with emerging brands and hosts a deep bench of experience and expertise in the Franchising sector, is working with Jeremiah's to facilitate nationwide growth. Initial expansion plans target the Southeast, including Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arizona and Texas. "The frozen dessert segment is demonstrating a renewed focus on high-quality products and a millennial-driven emphasis on unique products, customization and diverse flavors," said PGP co-founder Cameron Cummins. "The timing is ripe to hit refresh in this category and join the Jeremiah's revolution of the $28 billion frozen treat industry." About Jeremiah's Italian Ice Founded in 1996 and franchising since 2019, Jeremiah's Italian Ice has come to be known not only for its superior frozen treats, but also its outstanding customer service, community involvement, and an exciting brand image that exudes the Jeremiah's motto - LIVE LIFE TO THE COOLEST. Focused on delivering flavorful experiences to each and every guest, Jeremiah's is committed to serving its vibrant, flavorful treats up with a smile in a lively environment. With 23 thriving locations throughout Florida, Jeremiah's is offering franchises nationwide. For more information, visit https://www.jeremiahsfranchise.com. SOURCE Jeremiahs Italian Ice Related Links https://www.jeremiahsfranchise.com Former US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton has been appointed as the first female Chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast, it was announced on Thursday. Clinton, who received an honorary doctorate from Queen's in October 2018, will become the University's 11th Chancellor and will serve in the post for a period of five years with effect from January 1, 2020, the university said in a statement. Queen's University Belfast, which is a public research university in Belfast, United Kingdom, was opened in 1849 and is one of the leading universities in the UK and Ireland with a distinguished heritage and history. The 72-year-old former Democratic presidential nominee said it was a great privilege to be appointed as the Chancellor of the prestigious Queen's University and has great fondness for it. It is a great privilege to become the Chancellor of Queen's University, a place I have great fondness for and have grown a strong relationship with over the years. The University is making waves internationally for its research and impact and I am proud to be an ambassador and help grow its reputation for excellence, she was quoted as saying in the statement. University's authorities praised Clinton's appointment to the institution's top post. Stephen Prenter, Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Senate, the University's governing body, said: "I am delighted that Queen's has chosen Hillary Clinton to be its new Chancellor". "Secretary Clinton has made a considerable contribution to Northern Ireland and as an internationally recognised leader will be an incredible advocate for Queen's and an inspirational role model for the Queen's community, he said. The Chancellor fulfils three main roles a ceremonial one which involves presiding at degree congregations, an ambassadorial role, where the office holder helps to open doors for the University as it seeks to fulfil its mission and finally as an advisor, available to the Vice-Chancellor and senior management as a sounding board and to provide counsel and guidance, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said here on Wednesday that Hindus facing religious persecution in Pakistan and Bangladesh will naturally "come to India" and not go to "Italy". "Why are you protesting? Against whom you are protesting? If Hindus from Pakistan and Bangladesh will not come to India then where else they will go, Italy?" said Reddy. "Sikhs will not go to Italy," he said. "It's our responsibility to give shelter to them and to give them citizenship," he added. Since the enactment of CAA on December 12 last year, protests have erupted in various parts of the country including the capital. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been filmed making a quick getaway into a government car after a visit to the NSW South Coast town of Cobargo was met with derision from locals. Cobargo was where father and son Robert and Patrick Salway lost their lives earlier this week, when fire roared through the area on Monday night, torching buildings in the town's historic main street. Commenting on the PM's visit on Friday morning, NSW Transport Minister and Bega MP Andrew Constance told Seven's Sunrise program Mr Morrison got the reception he "probably deserved". "I'd say this to the Prime Minister today: the nation wants you to open up the cheque books, help people rebuild their lives," Mr Constance said. Carlos Ghosn Nissan ex-boss Carlos Ghosn will hold a news conference in Beirut on January 8, a lawyer for Ghosn said on Wednesday, two days after abruptly arriving from Japan, where he was under house arrest and accused of financial misconduct. The circumstances surrounding Ghosn's escape from Tokyo remain mysterious. 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg talks to business owners at Good Times On The Ave cafe in Detroit, Michigan, on Dec. 21, 2019. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images) Michael Bloomberg Wont Be on Nevada Ballot Nevada voters wont be able to caucus for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Thirteen candidates filed out the necessary paperwork to get on the states preference card, including all the top candidates except for Bloomberg. Bloomberg, 77, has not focused much on the four earliest voting statesNevada, Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolinahoping instead to win states on Super Tuesday, when voters in more than a dozen states will head to the polls. Bloomberg is the latest entry into the Democratic primary, not announcing his candidacy until late November 2019. The Nevada State Democratic Party announced the candidates who will appear on the card on Jan. 1, a day after the filing deadline passed. Candidates who will be on the card include Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), billionaire Tom Steyer, author Marianne Williamson, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who announced his entry in the race just before Bloomberg. From left: Democratic presidential hopefuls Mayor of South Bend Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), former Vice President Joe Biden, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) participate in the sixth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles on Dec. 19, 2019. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) As the first diverse early state and a key battleground state, Nevada plays a crucial role in the presidential nominating process, making our state a bellwether for the direction of the country. Were beyond excited to have an incredible and diverse slate of candidates competing in our First in the West Caucus in 2020, Nevada State Democratic Party Chair William McCurdy II said in a statement. A caucus is governed by rules established by a political party. The Feb. 22 caucus will feature voters gathering in groups to show their preference for their top candidates. Theyll also fill out preference cards recording who they want to win the caucus. If the groups for some candidates are too small, the candidate is eliminated from receiving a delegate, according to the state party. Those voters will then need to join a different group. Larger groups will earn the contender a delegate or more than one delegate, who will go to state and national conventions to determine the eventual Democratic presidential nominee. Nevada had 43 delegates at the Democratic National Convention in 2016, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. Candidates needed 2,382 of the 4,763 of the total delegates to get the nomination. This election, the state will have 36 pledged delegates and 12 unpledged delegates, which include the two U.S. senators representing the state and other members of Congress. There will be an estimated 4,594 delegates in total. 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 Peeragarhi fire case in Delhi in which a firefighter was killed and 14 others were injured on Thursday has been transferred to the Crime Branch, police said. A battery factory collapsed in northwest Delhi following an explosion due to a fire that broke out early in the morning, officials said. "The Peeragarhi fire case has been transferred to the Crime Branch," an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kenneth Jackson, Victor Over Adversity, Passes at 74 Kenneth Jackson, Victor Over Adversity, Passes at 74 At one point in his life, Kenneth Milton Jackson was a homeless veteran, yet he never gave up. Disconnected from his family at age five and beset with medical issues later in life, Kenneth could have plunged into self-pity and isolation, but he forged ahead and emerged as a productive individual who touched many lives in a positive way. A resident of Ward Villas in South Los Angeles, Kenneth passed away on Dec. 17, at UCLA Hospital. His services are set for Jan. 9, at 11 a.m., at the L.A. National Military Cemetery in Westwood. ADVERTISEMENT Kenneth was born on Sept. 6, 1946 in Beckley, West Virginia. His mother passed when he was five-years-old, and he became separated from his siblings for the next years. Yet, he still excelled and graduated from high school in 1967. Four years later, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He did well in the armed forces, becoming a tank crewman and earning a Good Conduct Medal as well as National Defense Service Medal. After being honorably discharged, Kenneth re-enlisted in the USMC Reserves. Kenneth went on to become a body builder and physical fitness advocate; however, he encountered various hardships and medical problems over the years, which led to the amputation of his legs. Undaunted, he strived to remain on his own and in 2011; he became a resident of Ward Villas, an affordable housing community for elders able to live independently. Initially, he was rather reserved at Ward Villas, but gradually the staff and other residents persuaded him to participate in the developments activities. Kenneth soon became a regular attendee of many gatherings such as the annual Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by Mothers In Action and Ward EDC, sitting at the balcony level while enjoying the food, music, and fellowship. Also, he traveled almost every day to the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Hospital in Westwood, navigating his wheelchair to ride two Metro buses each way. Kenneth once shared with Jackie Dupont-Walker, president of Ward EDC, that he fell from his wheelchair while leaving a bus. He said, Some folks uprighted my wheel chair and lifted me all 300 pounds back into the chair. Then someone else ran to the next bus, told the driver I was coming and they waited. I am going to be more careful, but I am so glad for those people who didnt have to help me, but did. ADVERTISEMENT The V.A. staff also helped Kenneth to reconnect with his surviving siblings in 2007. His brothers united to provide a support base and links to his heritage. Cherishing Kenneths memory are his brothers, Albert, Andrew (Gayle), Daniel and Samuel (Annette); several nieces and nephews, and other family and friends. (ANSA) - Rome, January 2 - The son of a top Italian film director who ran over and killed two 16-year-old Roman girls last month told a judge Thursday he was "devastated" by the incident. Paolo Genovese's son Pietro, 20, told the preliminary hearings judge that "I am shocked and devastated at what happened", according to his defence lawyers. Attorneys Franco Coppi and Gianluca Tognozzi said "this is a tragedy for all three families involved. "Genovese is not the killer he has been described as and he deserves respect and sympathy, like the families of these two girls. "Our client answered the (judge's) questions. "We have yet to file a plea to ease his detention. We will think about an appeal to the detention review court". Pietro Genovese is under house arrest on suspicion of vehicular homicide in the deaths of Gaia Von Freymann and Camilla Romagnoli. Investigators are using surveillance footage from the site of the crash to help determine what happened. Pietro Genovese is currently under house arrest. The girls are thought to have tried to cross the very busy road near the upscale Parioli district despite the pedestrian-crossing light being red. The young man reportedly tested positive for alcohol, but early reports that he also tested positive for drugs were said to be unfounded. A prosecutor said he was driving too fast, at about 80 km an hour. But the girls were also said to have been "rash" in trying to cross the busy road. The case has shocked Italy. A Rome church was full of classmates and friends and relatives of the two girls at their funeral last week. "Sixteen is too young to die," one of the relatives told reporters. Autopsy results Monday showed Genovese's car caved in the girls' skulls, killing them instantly. Other fractures were found, but no sign of their being hit or dragged by other vehicles, contradicting eye witness reports. Rome-born director and screenwriter Paolo Genovese, 53, got an economic degree from Rome university before starting his career at McCann Erickson, directing over one hundred commercials and winning several awards. In 1998 he started collaborating with Luca Miniero co-writing and co-directing the short film La scoperta di Walter; the duo made their feature film debut in 2002, with the critical acclaimed comedy film A Neapolitan Spell. Genovese made his solo-directing debut in 2010 with the La banda dei Babbi Natale (The Father Christmas Gang). In 2016, his film Perfect Strangers won the Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature Film Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, and was awarded best film at the David di Donatello Awards, Italy's Oscars. Using the tooth as the standard, Pulpdent has developed a material that is esthetic, high strength and contains no Bis-GMA, no Bisphenol A and no BPA derivatives. The magic of ACTIVA Presto is in the resin, which is moisture-friendly and facilitates the diffusion of bioavailable calcium, phosphate and fluoride ions. "It's acting just like a tooth," explains Larry Clark, Director of Clinical Affairs at Pulpdent, "it's giving off and taking back ions." This unique chemistry penetrates and integrates with tooth structure for margin-free adaptation. The material also contains a patented rubberized-resin that absorbs stress and resists wear, fracture, and chipping, even in thin areas on bevel margins. ACTIVA Presto is a stackable composite that holds its shape and will not slump. Dentist and popular lecturer Dr. Howard Glazer describes the product as "squirt and shoot" technology in a recent interview. Watch interview with Dr. Howard Glazer. This versatile material is indicated for all classes of cavities and comes in a variety of shades, including cervical shades A4 and A6, which are ideal for older patients. ACTIVA Presto is highly radiopaque (250%) and comes in easy to use 1.2 mL syringes. ACTIVA Presto can be purchased through all major dental dealers in the United States. About Pulpdent Corporation Pulpdent Corporation is a family-owned dental research, manufacturing company, and the developer of ACTIVA BioACTIVE and ACTIVA Presto. ACTIVA BioACTIVE is the first esthetic bioactive restorative material and helps stimulate the formation of apatite (the building blocks of teeth), chemically bonds to teeth and helps protect against decay. ACTIVA Presto is the first light cure composite designed to mimic the properties of natural teeth with a mineral-enriched hydrophilic resin and a patented rubberized component that resists chipping and wear. For over 70 years, Pulpdent has been committed to product innovation, clinical education and patient-centered care in the fields of restoratives, oral hygiene, endodontics, temporization, periodontics, orthodontics, and general dentistry. To learn more visit www.pulpdent.com. Media Contact: Leah Berk [email protected] 617-926-6666 SOURCE PULPDENT Corporation Related Links http://www.pulpdent.com Phyllis Bennis in the Los Angeles Times: When I was a Jewish kid growing up in suburban Los Angeles, we thought being Jewish meant supporting Israel. There really wasnt a choice. If you identified as Jewish, as I and most of my friends did, the religious education we got, the youth groups we joined, and the summer camps where we played were all grounded in one thing. It wasnt God it was Zionism, the political project of settling Jewish people in Israel. We never asked and no one ever taught us in Sunday school who had already been living on that land, long known as Palestine, when European Jews arrived around the end of the 19th century and started building settlements there. My own break with Zionism came in my mid-20s, after reading the letters of Zionisms founder, Theodor Herzl, imploring Cecil Rhodes, the leader of British land theft in Africa, to support his work in Palestine. Their projects were both something colonial, Herzl assured Rhodes. More here. (TNS) The past decade has seen technology add flexibility to instruction, enabling educators to better customize the experience to the individual learner.At Carlisle Area School District, one form of flexibility has been the one-to-one initiative where each student has access during the school day to a laptop computer or some other device.This initiative began with a pilot program in the ninth grade in 2013-14, which expanded the following year to all the grade levels at Carlisle High School, said Stephanie Douglas, director of digital learning and technology.Since then, one-to-one access was implemented at the middle schools in 2017-18 and at all the elementary schools at the start of the current academic year, Douglas said. Prior to one-to-one, student access was limited by the ability of individual teachers to reserve time in a building computer lab, she said.Switching to one-to-one has made it easier for teachers to incorporate technology and the Internet into classroom lessons and activities, Douglas said. This allows teachers and students to go into more depth. By that, she means greater research opportunities that expand access to digital resources.This has freed up students to operate more independently as engaged stakeholders in their own education, Douglas said. Teachers also are better equipped to individualize the instruction of each student to include remediation and acceleration where appropriate, she said.Our curriculum is driven by state and national standards, said Michael Gogoj, district director of curriculum and instruction. Our learning goals are rooted in the content areas. How we teach and learn those goals has changed significantly.For students and staff, the past decade has seen an even greater movement toward instant access to information at their fingertips. This can present challenges as educators shift part of their focus to teaching students how to navigate and use information.In particular, students need to have an understanding on the nature of bias and the ability to spot a reliable source from a misleading one, Gogoj said. Educators are also teaching students about the appropriate and responsible use of technology in the digital age, he said.Like Carlisle, the Commonwealth Charter Academy has changed its approach to curriculum in response to student needs. In this decade, the public cyber charter school bought curriculum in a box direct from suppliers, said Maurice Flurie, its chief executive officer.As a result, the majority of its earlier online courses had content that was organized on a strictly linear basis, Flurie said. Teachers did not have the autonomy to tailor the content to the student. Instead, students enrolled in these courses were expected to keep pace with the same static lesson plan with few allowances for remedial instruction or accelerated opportunities.In recent years, CCA has entered into licensing agreements with a variety of curriculum content providers, Flurie said. The charter school then uses this content to write its own brand of curriculum, which enables students to move through instructional formats suited to their individual pace and style of learning. Depending on the unit and how they are progressing, the student could be receiving instruction through online lessons, video conferences, field trips or live lectures provided by one of the 14 family service centers across Pennsylvania.The switch was done out of necessity, Flurie said, adding that about two-thirds of the students enrolled in CCA were struggling academically in one or more subject areas. CCA has seen an increase in its statewide enrollment from under 2,000 students in 2009 to just over 10,000 students in the current school year, Fluriesaid. He attributed part of that increase to growing dissatisfaction among parents with the traditional model of public education.Carlisle Area School District has offered a virtual academy since 1999. Part of its challenge has been to draw Carlisle-area families away from cyber charter schools to the districts own in-house offerings.One approach Carlisle has taken is to emphasize a blended approach that incorporates online courses with the hands-on experience of its career and technical education programs, Douglas said. The district also includes in its marketing pitch student access to tutors and counseling services, she said.About two years ago, CCA launched AgWorks in Harrisburg to provide students with the opportunity to participate in a hands-on internship in an industry standard laboratory setting, Flurie said. Located across from the Farm Show Complex, the AgWorks facility emphasizes careers associated with agriculture.Because students have the flexibility to tailor an internship to their own interests, their projects can vary from raising Venus flytraps to learning about gene splicing to studying the supply chain management of handling an agribusiness, Flurie said. Planning for AgWorks began about four years ago when school officials decided the school needed a hands-on lab component to teach students marketable skills.One feature of AgWorks is a fully accessible web-based monitoring system that enables students in remote locations to interface with students working in the labs, Flurie said.A TechWorks facility could open in the Pittsburgh area starting in the 2020-21 school year, Flurie said. That facility will focus on areas such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and drone piloting along with the basics in computer programming and web development.A MedWorks facility focusing on the health care field is planned for the Philadelphia area. A most extensive survey yet of the atmospheric makeup of exoplanets challenges planet formation theories and the search for water on other worlds. Water appears both common and unexpectedly scarce in exoplanets many distant worlds have it, but less of it than predicted, a new study finds. These findings may shed light on how planets form, including those in our own solar system, researchers said. Scientists examined data from the atmospheres on 19 exoplanets collected by space-based and ground-based telescopes. These worlds ranged widely in temperature, from nearly 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) to more than 3,630 degrees F (2,000 degrees C), and in size, "from mini-Neptunes roughly 10 times Earth's mass to super-Jupiters more than 600 times Earth's mass," study co-author Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge in England, told Space.com. Related: The Strangest Alien Planets of All Time More: Planet Classification: How to Group Exoplanets The scientists found that water vapor was common in the alien worlds they examined, detected in 14 of the 19 worlds. "The fact that we are making detailed measurements of water vapor in exoplanets is remarkable, because we have not yet made any significant detection of water for the giant planets in our own solar system," Madhusudhan said. "We can measure water better with exoplanets than in our own solar system." Besides water, the chemicals most often detected in giant exoplanet atmospheres were sodium and potassium. The amounts of sodium and potassium seen in the exoplanets were consistent with expectations given what scientists know about the planets in our solar system. However, water vapor levels were significantly lower than predicted. "That was a big surprise," Madhusudhan said. The predictions the researchers had for how much water these exoplanets should have possessed is based off how much water may lurk in the gas giants in our own solar system, which remains uncertain. Multiple efforts to detect water in Jupiter's atmosphere, including NASA's current Juno mission, have faced numerous challenges. "Since Jupiter is so cold, any water vapor condenses out of its atmosphere, and we can't see it," study lead author Luis Welbanks, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge in England, told Space.com. The expectations about how much water solar system gas giants should have are based on how the amount of carbon relative to hydrogen in the atmospheres of giant planets is significantly higher than that of the sun. Previous research suggested this "super-solar" abundance originated when the solar system was forming and large amounts of carbon-loaded ices and dust fell or accreted onto giant planets. Prior work also suggested that abundances of certain elements besides carbon should be similarly high in the atmospheres of giant planets, especially oxygen, which is the most abundant element in the cosmos after hydrogen and helium. As such, this suggested that water, the most common oxygen-bearing molecule in the universe, should also be overabundant in the atmospheres of giant planets, having accreted in the form of ice as those worlds formed. Related: A Visit to Watery Super-Earth K2-18 b Would Be Super-Strange These findings suggest that when giant planets form, less ice may fall into them than previously thought. For example, if giant planets form by accreting material from the protoplanetary disks surrounding newborn stars, these worlds may accrete very different levels of chemicals such as water depending on where they form and how they move within protoplanetary disks. "There may be ways of making a giant planet that is underabundant in oxygen and therefore water," Madhusudhan said. "By looking at exoplanets, we are reconsidering how planets may have also formed in our own solar system." There is life virtually wherever there is water on Earth, so discovering that there is less water in other planetary systems than expected might suggest the chances of life as we know it elsewhere in the universe are lower as well. Still, "if you look at Earth, it doesn't have that much water by mass in fact, Earth is slightly underabundant in water," Madhusudhan said. "So our findings regarding a lower inventory of water in exoplanets is not necessarily bad news for their potential for habitability." The researchers aim to look at more exoplanets to see if they follow the pattern they detected or look for outliers that might buck this trend. "Ultimately, we are bound to find outliers," Madhusudhan said. "Nature is extremely diverse when it comes to the properties of planetary systems." The scientists detailed their findings online Dec. 11 in the journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . An 11-year-old boy on Monday stabbed his elder brother, 15, to death following a quarrel over a wire in Nakuru town. According to a Nyumba Kumi official, Evans Ekaliche, the two boys had been left in the care of their uncle by their mother who had travelled upcountry. The younger boy, a Standard Five pupil, is said to have been overcome by anger and threatened to stab his brother with the knife he had been holding before the quarrel broke out. The elder brother did not heed his warning and was stabbed in the stomach. Neighbours rushed the injured boy to a private hospital near Nakuru Nursing Home but was pronounced dead on arrival after losing too much blood. Mr Ekaliche said the two boys had just recently moved to Nakuru town from the rural and have been living with their uncle. Police seized the 11-year-old assailant and held him at Bondeni police station but later transferred him to another facility suitable for minors. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Pune, Jan. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global High Strength Steel Market size is projected to reach USD 53.43 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period. Rising demand for lightweight steel in the automotive industry is expected to be a major growth driver of this market. There is an urgent global need to reduce carbon emissions from automobiles and adoption of high strength steel in place of carbon steel offers a viable solution to this problem. This category of steel is known for its high strength capacity, which reduces the conventional steel requirement to manufacture vehicles and vehicular parts. Furthermore, high strength steel has a greater yield of 275 MPa and above along with carbon content between 0.05% and 0.25%, manganese content below 2%, and a combination of other metals. These properties make this type of the steel the ideal candidate for producing lightweight vehicles and this will also become one of the leading High Strength Steel Market trends. According to a new Fortune Business Insights report, titled High Strength Steel Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA), Dual Phase (DP), Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP), Martensitic (MS), and Others), By Application (Automotive; Building & Construction; Mechanical & Heavy Equipment; Rail, Aviation & Marine; and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026, the value of this market stood at USD 28.79 billion in 2018. To Gain More Insights into the Market with Detailed Table of Content and Figures, Click Here: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/high-strength-steel-market-101854 List of top players covered in High Strength Steel Market Research Report are: ArcelorMittal S.A. Baosteel Group Corporation Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation HBIS Group Posco Group JFE Steel Corporation United States Steel Corporation China Steel Corporation Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) Tata Steel Angang Steel Company Limited Hebei Puyong Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. JSW Steel SSAB AB Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) CITIC Pacific Special Steel Holdings Hyundai Steel Company Voestalpine AG Nucor Corporation Thyssenkrupp Ag Metinvest Holding, LLC PAO Severstal Gerdau S.A. Shandong Iron and Steel Group Other Key Players Get Sample PDF: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/high-strength-steel-market-101854 Multifaceted Nature of High Strength Steel to Fuel Its Demand Across Industries Steel is the backbone of majority of industries in the world and is one of the core materials that can meet a host end-user needs. High strength steel is an upgraded version of regular steel and offers many more advantages to its conventional counterpart. For example, according to the Australian Steel Institute, the high-yield and robust tensile strength of this steel can be effectively utilized to increase stresses in designs. Additionally, structural dead weights can be decreased that can save both costs and space. Owing to these advantages, high strength steel is finding increasing applicability across a wide spectrum of industries such as aerospace, electronics, and marine, which is accelerating the High Strength Steel Market growth. Flourishing Construction Industry to Propel the Market in Asia-Pacific Asia-Pacific is projected to dominate the High Strength Steel Market share, since the region commanded the market share in 2018. Increasing production and consumption of steel by the automotive, construction, and heavy machinery industries are the leading factors driving the market in this region. The High Strength Steel Market size in North America was USD 3.21 billion in 2018. The region is anticipated to display the highest CAGR on account of the high demand for steel from the automotive and mechanical industries in the US. Europe, too, will showcase a sturdy CAGR owing to the rising demand for lightweight steel for manufacturing electric and hybrid vehicles. Launch of New-Age Products to Intensify Competition The High Strength Steel Market forecast points towards a period of intense competition as companies adopt strategies to gain a competitive edge. This is being achieved through development and launch of innovative products and solutions. The High Strength Steel Market report provides the following information: An elaborate overview of the overall industry outlook and how it will impact the market in the long-run; A microscopic analysis of the various drivers, factors, current and upcoming trends, and future prospects of the market; An exhaustive research into the competitive landscape and regional dynamics of the market; and A detailed assessment of the different market segments and their share in the market. Check Discount on this Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/check-discount/high-strength-steel-market-101854 Detailed Table of Contains: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Key Emerging Trends For Major Countries Key Developments: Mergers, Acquisition, Partnership, etc. Latest Technological Advancement Insights on Regulatory Scenario Porters Five Forces Analysis Key Insights Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Product Type High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) Dual Phase (DP) Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) Martensitic (MS) Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application Automotive Building & Construction Mechanical & Heavy Equipment Rail, Aviation & Marine Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region North America Europe Asia pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa TOC Continued.! Order a Single or Multi User License Copy: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/101854 Key Industry Developments: December 2019: An MoU was signed between HBIS Group and POSCO Group for the initiation of a joint venture to develop, produce, and sell high-end steel products in the prospering automotive industry of China. An MoU was signed between HBIS Group and POSCO Group for the initiation of a joint venture to develop, produce, and sell high-end steel products in the prospering automotive industry of China. May 2019: United States Steel Corporation announced an investment of $1 billion in the companys Mon Valley Works. The investment will make Mon Valley the principal producer of the companys signature XG3 Advanced High Strength Steel for manufacturing of fuel efficient vehicles. Have a Look at Related Insights for (Chemicals and Materials) Research Industry Read Press Release on High Strength Steel Market: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/high-strength-steel-market-9469 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights, we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We therefore offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Read more: Insurance Ireland calls on government to start personal injury reform process Irish citizens continue to travel more often and more widely than ever before meaning a greater frequency and complexity of consular cases, he said. This presents ever-growing challenges in providing assistance for Irish citizens who get into difficulty overseas. According to Coveney, the figures highlighted the importance of comprehensive travel insurance. While most journeys overseas go smoothly, the 2019 statistics show that things can and do go wrong and that it is important to be prepared, he said. As people consider travel plans for the year ahead, I urge them to get comprehensive travel insurance. Anyone travelling to Europe should also carry the EHIC European Health Insurance Card, while those going to higher-risk countries should register their travel details with us online. Teresa and Joe Giudice revealed they never wanted to get married on Wednesday's explosive episode of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey. Joe, 47, called Teresa, also 47, while she was shopping for a prom dress with their daughter Gia, 18, a rite of passage excursion that started out on an upbeat note. But within seconds, Gia's parents began arguing, with Joe especially irritable after having spent months in an ICE detention center. Dress shopping: Teresa and Joe Giudice bitterly argued over the phone in front of their daughter Gia while she shopped for a prom dress on Wednesday's episode of RHONJ As he awaited deportation to Italy, he was slowly losing his mind in detention, Gia said. Joe nagged Teresa about the money she spent shopping, and she reminded him that she wasn't spending his money, and that he'd never had much anyway. 'It's not like I was marrying a friggin' millionaire,' Teresa pointed out. 'I was marrying nothing.' The week before they married, he'd made her sign a prenup, she recalled in a confessional before revealing that she almost walked out on their wedding. Married nothing: The 47-year-old reality star reminded Joe that she married into 'nothing' Tender moment: Joe started out telling Gia that he wished he could be there with her 'I just feel like when you love someone, you don't do that,' Teresa reflected. 'I wasn't going to go through with it, but being Italian, you know, I have old-school parents, that's an embarrassing thing to call off a wedding.' 'I didn't even read it,' she admitted. 'I just said, ''I want you to put one thing in there: ''If you ever cheat, prenup goes void''.' 'Oh my God, you and your stupidity,' Joe moaned over the phone. 'You know what? You want me to say it now? Alright, you and this stupid prenup that you keep bringing up? I didn't want to get married, alright?' Marriage talk: Teresa told Joe that she considered calling off their wedding and he countered that he didn't want to get married Phone fight: Gia held the phone while her parents argued in front of her 'Like, why are you saying such stupid s***?' Gia exploded on her mom. 'That's your personal business with my father, so enough.' Later in the episode, entitled Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow, Teresa also found herself in the middle of a bad fight between her friends. At a special event, she was the only castmate to defend Danielle Staub, 57, when her pals attacked the woman for allegedly taking advantage of her ex-husband, whom she'd once accused of abuse. Raised voice: The fighting escalated until Gia told her mother to maintain her personal business Tough time: Teresa revealed that she and Joe had been arguing frequently Margaret Josephs, 52, thought Danielle was trying to swindle her ex, but Teresa disagreed. Danielle and Margaret squared off and quickly hurled insults at each other. Margaret grew so incensed that she poured a bottle of water on Danielle, and Danielle responded by violently yanking Margaret's head back. Water pour: Margaret Josephs later poured water on Danielle Staub Hair pull: Danielle retaliated by yanking on Margaret's hair As the episode opened, Melissa Gorga, 40, reflected on the situation in which her sister-in-law Teresa recently found herself in with Joe's appeal being denied. She had just attended her Teresa's Easter dinner, at which she'd observed the woman's family, and she'd seen how the situation with Joe affected her four girls. Teresa's father Giacinto Gorga, 76, also had been hospitalized with pneumonia after the meal. Family talk: Melissa Gorga, 40, reflected on the situation in which her sister-in-law Teresa recently found herself in with Joe's appeal being denied Teresa, she knew, needed some fun, and Melissa agreed to attend an event that Teresa's pal Steven Dann was throwing for the cast at his boutique. Melissa also told her three kids she was thinking about having children again. 'I am getting sad that you guys are all getting big on me,' she explained. 'Now that I'm 40, I'm like, having a little freak attack, because I kinda want more of you.' More children: Joe Gorga and Melissa told their three children that they were considering having another child Teresa invited Danielle to the event when they met for drinks at Danielle's house, and vowed to support her against any attack by Margaret. Both Danielle and her ex, Marty Caffrey, firmly believed that Margaret had stirred up trouble that ultimately led to their divorce. Margaret later spread rumors about Danielle as she dined with Melissa and castmate Jackie Goldschneider, 43. Back together: Danielle and Marty Caffrey were living together after their nasty divorce Event invite: Teresa while visiting Danielle at her house with Marty invited her to the event hosted by Steven Dann She wondered whether Teresa and Danielle were swimming in the 'lady pond' together. 'She told me that Danielle massaged her,' Margaret pointed out, as Melissa admitted: 'Listen, I'm not a stranger of the lady pond. I like the lady pond. You know, once in college.' As Teresa prepared for the Steven Dann event, she took Gia shopping for her prom dress. Lady pond: Margaret wondered whether Teresa and Danielle were swimming in the 'lady pond' together 'It's definitely hard that my father is missing all these milestones in my life,' Gia said. 'High school is where you become the person you are, and it kills me that he's missed me becoming the person I am.' Joe, who was born in Italy, had never obtained American citizenship, and was stuck in ICE detention since his release from prison on a fraud conviction. Rite of passage: Gia engaged in the rite of passage of getting a prom dress with her mother He had become resigned to his eventual deportation back to Italy, and grown depressed. Joe called as Gia was trying on dresses, saying: 'Sweetheart, I wish was there with you.' He then asked Teresa how much prom dresses cost these days, and turned his venom on her, saying: 'You got nothing to do. All you do is go shopping and you spend money.' 'Your mother is like Robin Hood,' he cracked to his daughter. 'She takes from her husband and spends it all on the stores.' Money gibes: Joe cracked to Gia that his mother was 'like Robin Hood' who 'takes from her husband and spends it all on the stores' 'Yeah, I'm not taking from my husband, though,' Teresa snapped. 'I'm working and busting my a**.' 'Trust me, you took plenty from your husband,' Joe sniped, as Teresa replied, 'Oh my god.' 'Alright, you're giving me headaches,' Gia told her dad, throwing the phone to Teresa and heading to the dressing room. 'Goodbye. Your conversations are ridiculous.' Took plenty: Gia listened as the argument continued to escalate Joe tried to explain his point of view to Teresa, offering: 'You're saying things that are upsetting me, like, 'Oh, I ain't spending your money.' Yeah, I'm locked up in here. Of course you're not taking any money.' He grew angry then, adding: 'The money that you spend in nails and hair, you'll be able to retire on it.' 'Joe's losing his mind in ICE,' Teresa noted privately. 'He calls constantly, and every phone call turns into a fight.' Losing it: The teenager noted that her father was losing his mind while in ICE detention 'I don't want to hear it Joe,' she told him. 'You already pissed me off. You haven't been here for three years, so how am I spending your money? I'm working on my own, busting my a**, taking care of our four daughters.' Gia interrupted, saying: 'He was busting your chops about the beginning. Yes, you probably did spend his money. Now you make your own money, so just both of you shut up.' 'Gia, lower your voice,' Teresa said. Nasty call: Joe called out Teresa's stupidity during their nasty fight 'No,' Gia insisted, adding in a confessional that she wished Teresa would just let Joe unleash, as he was 'fighting for his life' in detention. Teresa kept going, telling Joe: 'You didn't leave me with millions in the bank. You left me with nothing, and I paid off all the debt, taking care of our four daughters. Doing it all by myself. And I'm spending a lot of our money on lawyers.' 'Mom,' Gia pleaded, her eyes wide. 'This is getting so ridiculous now.' Too much: Gia grew weary of hearing her parents argue 'I could also just pick up and leave,' Joe vented, telling Gia that Teresa liked to aggravate him. Teresa told Joe she deserved to hear how 'amazing' she had been, saying, 'That's the s*** that I wanna hear.' The two of them then dickered over the fact that they had never really wanted to marry. Wrong words: Teresa told Joe that she would instead like to hear how 'amazing' she's doing raising their four daughters by herself At the boutique event, Teresa and Danielle disparaged Margaret while drinking wine. Margaret privately noted, 'I'd rather clip my toenails with a Cuisinart than be in the same room with Danielle. But for the sake of Teresa, I'm not going to cause any conflict.' She approached Teresa to say hello, but Teresa barely seemed to acknowledge her. Good one: Margaret in a confessional quipped: I'd rather clip my toenails with a Cuisinart than be in the same room with Danielle. But for the sake of Teresa, I'm not going to cause any conflict' 'I've been slowly seeing who Margaret really is,' Teresa said in her confessional. 'And I don't like it.' Lines were drawn, with Teresa and Danielle on one side, and the rest of the cast on the other. Jackie joked with her castmates about the number '69' on her purse, saying she didn't like that sexual position, and 'Jewish girls don't give blowjobs.' Cracking up: Jackie Goldschneider laughed while talking about sex with Margaret 'My husband lives on blowjobs,' Jennifer Aydin, 42, admitted. Jackie said her husband had never 'gone down' on her, either, adding, 'I don't like it.' Talk turned to Danielle's sex tape, which the women's husbands had seen, with one woman saying, 'Her puss has claws and teeth.' Sex tape: Talk turned to Danielle's sex tape, which the women's husbands had seen, with one woman saying, 'Her puss has claws and teeth' Danielle asked Teresa to get their 'mean-girl behavior' to stop, and called Margaret out, saying: 'What's your problem, Trout-Mouth?' 'I don't have any problem with you,' Margaret said. 'I want nothing to do with you.' Teresa waded into the fray, defending Danielle, which irritated Dolores Catania, 49. The showdown: Teresa and Danielle confronted the women over their 'mean-girl behavior' 'How at this point in our lives with everything she's been through in her marriage you still can't pick out a liar, Teresa?' she asked in her confessional. 'What the f*** is wrong with you?' Margaret and Danielle began to sling barbs at one another, with Danielle accusing Margaret of cheating on her ex-husband, and Margaret alleging that Danielle was having sex with Marty to keep the title to their house. 'Get out of my f***ing face!' Danielle screamed as Margaret closed the space between them. Lie detector: Dolores Catania wondered Teresa 'with everything she's been through in her marriage' still could not pick out a liar 'She's not worth it,' Jackie warned Margaret. 'She's a piece of s***.' 'She's been dragged and ridden hard,' Margaret declared to Teresa about her friend, to which Danielle replied, 'And so have your f***ing titties. You should get 'em done.' In response, Margaret poured her drink over Danielle's head. Wet hair: Margaret poured water on Danielle after she finally struck a nerve Soaking wet: Danielle was soaking wet after Margaret doused her 'This is a store!' Teresa implored, as Danielle emptied the contents of Margaret's purse into a $675 canister as boutique owner Steven stared in shock. 'Watch your back, b****!,' Danielle yelled. 'You started it, I'll f***ing finish it. Don't you ever come for me again, you f***ing whore.' 'Go with your white f***ing ponytail,' she then jabbed at Margaret. 'You can't even bleach it anymore, your hair's so f***ing broken.' Boutique owner: Steven Dann looked shocked as the women argued Acting out: Danielle emptied the contents of Margaret's purse into a $675 canister Duly warned: Margaret was warned by Danielle to watch her back As she walked out, she yanked on it hard, pulling Margaret down. 'I just can't help myself anymore,' Danielle crowed nastily. 'I just can't.' The episode ended with a To Be Continued sign as Margaret tried to keep her balance as Danielle pulled on her hair. The Real Housewives Of New Jersey will return next week on Bravo. No control: Danielle walked around saying she couldn't help herself before attacking Margaret Ponytail pull: Margaret was yanked backward as Danielle grabbed her ponytail Going down: Danielle pulled Margaret's hair as she tried to regain her balance Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he would seek immunity from corruption charges, likely delaying any trial until after March elections, when he hopes to have a majority coalition that will shield him from prosecution. Netanyahu was indicted in November on charges of accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust. After failing to assemble a governing majority following back-to-back elections last year, he will get a third shot at remaining in office in March. Wednesday's announcement essentially turns the upcoming election into a referendum on whether Netanyahu should be granted immunity and remain in office, or step down and stand trial. A recent poll indicated that a majority of Israelis oppose giving him immunity. In a nationally televised address, Netanyahu repeated his assertion that he is the victim of an unfair conspiracy, lashing out at prosecutors, the media and his political enemies. Claiming credit for a series of economic and security achievements on his watch, he said he would seek to invoke the law that would protect him from prosecution as long as he remains in office. "In order to continue to lead Israel to great achievements, I intend to approach the speaker of the Knesset in accordance with chapter 4C of the law, in order to fulfill my right, my duty and my mission to continue to serve you for the future of Israel, he said. Normally, a request for immunity would need to be approved by the parliament's House Committee and then submitted to a full vote. But the House Committee doesn't exist because a government was never formed after September's election. Court proceedings cannot begin until the question of immunity is settled. The opposition Blue and White party said it will seek to form the House Committee before the March election to take up the question of immunity. But it remains unclear whether it will be able to move forward. Parliament Speaker Yuli Edelstein, a member of Netanyahu's Likud Party, said he would hold talks on the matter next week. The Blue and White leader, former military chief Benny Gantz, said it was a "sad day." "I never imagined that we would see the day that the prime minister of Israel would avoid standing before the law and the justice system, he said. "Today it's clear what we're fighting for. Netanyahu knows he's guilty." Netanyahu said he was not evading justice and still plans to go to court to fight the fabricated accusations. The law is meant to ensure that elected officials can serve the people according to the will of the people, he said. Should Netanyahu succeed in assembling a 61-seat majority in favor of immunity, he would avoid prosecution. But that still appears unlikely after the March vote, with most polls predicting another split decision that would leave Likud and Blue and White deadlocked, with neither able to secure a parliamentary majority. The uncertainty means it could be many months before a new government is formed, leaving the question of immunity on hold with Netanyahu remaining in office. The indictment, on charges of trading political and regulatory favors for positive press coverage and accepting lavish gifts from wealthy supporters, marked the culmination of three long-running investigations. Netanyahu has dismissed the allegations as an attempted coup" and has vowed to battle them from the prime minister's office. Netanyahu is desperate to remain in office while he fights the charges. The powerful position would allow him to rally public opposition to what he says is an unfair witch hunt. He can also use the office to grant political favors to allies who agree to vote in favor of immunity. The question of immunity is just one of the hurdles Netanyahu faces. While Israeli law does not require a sitting prime minister to resign after being charged with a crime, it is vague about whether an indicted politician could be tapped to form a new government after new elections. On Tuesday, Israel's Supreme Court began discussions on the matter. If the court decides Netanyahu is ineligible, it could potentially bring his three-decade political career to an abrupt end after the March election. The court gave no indication on when it would issue a ruling on the politically sensitive case. Disqualifying Netanyahu would deeply divide the nation and precipitate a legal crisis over separations of power. The prime minister has long accused judicial and law enforcement officials of trying to drive him from office and repeated his claim Wednesday night that only the voters can choose who will lead the country. He received a boost last week when he easily defeated a senior Likud member in a primary election for the party leadership. The vote shored up his base, but he faces a much greater challenge going into the general elections. An opinion poll conducted this week by the iPanel and Midgam research firms found that 51% of respondents oppose granting Netanyahu immunity, with 33% in favour. The poll questioned 507 people and had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. Netanyahu has been in power for more than a decade and is Israel's longest-serving leader. His refusal to make concessions to the Palestinians and his tough stance toward Iran have made him a hero of the political right, which regularly wins more than half the vote. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stay vigilant with North Korea despite failure to deliver Christmas gift: Experts originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Christmas passed without the promised "gift" from North Korea's Kim Jong Un, but South Korean authorities are still keeping an eye on possible provocations by the North. Kim announced in the Supreme Peoples Assembly speech in April that North Korea "will wait till the end of this year to see whether the United States makes a courageous decision or not," demanding concessions in the nuclear negotiations such as lifting sanctions. And recently, he announced that the United States would get a "Christmas gift" -- which put U.S. officials on alert for a potential long-range missile test. (MORE: Trump downplays concerns of North Korea's 'Christmas gift': Maybe it's 'a beautiful vase') Analysts say that countries can never let their guard down when dealing with North Korea, considering how unpredictable the nation has been in its military provocations and peace offerings. This year alone, North Korea carried out 13 missile tests. Last week, satellite images were released showing construction activity at a factory near Pyongyang. Its important that we stay vigilant when dealing with North Korea, Moon Sung-muk, a researcher at the Korea Research Institute for Strategy, told ABC News. The regime conducted two consecutive so-called very important tests at the Tongchang-ri launch facility this month, and there was a great possibility they could have showed off military provocations if they wanted to. North Korea's largest plenary session, where all members of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea gather to discuss policy issues, is coming up before the end of the year. Since it comes right before Jan. 1 when Kim gives his annual New Year's speech, the meeting holds even greater meaning this year. PHOTO: President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, June 30, 2019. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters, FILE) Its likely for the meeting to come up with a simple message, so that Kim Jong Un can send the core message himself during the New Year speech, Shin Beom Chul, director of the Security and Unification Center at the Asian Institute for Policy Studies, told ABC News. Arbitrary national defense, nuclear deterrent are some of the things Kim Jong Un may mention in the New Year speech. Story continues Shin explained that if Kim announces in his speech that the country's goal is to strengthen its military capabilities, North Korea will likely fire missiles to demonstrate his words. (MORE: US envoy tells Pyongyang its not yet too late to proceed with nuclear negotiations) Analysts in South Korea believe there is a strong possibility the North will insist on its right to possess and develop nuclear military power, dropping the denuclearization tactic they held onto as a negotiating card. We have to keep an eye on whether North Korea will announce their position in negotiations with the U.S., Koh Yu-hwan, professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, told ABC News. They could even call an end to the nuclear weapon moratorium. Kim Jong Un is finally going to elaborate on that new way he mentioned in April, Lee Ho Ryoung, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, told ABC News. North Korea never completely tore down their nuclear strategies, so there is a high chance that they will unfold a nuclear plus economy plan. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 2) Lt. Gen. Felimon Santos, Jr., current head of the Eastern Mindanao Command, is the next chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). In an interview with CNN Philippines on Thursday, Santos confirmed that he will formally assume the post on Saturday, hopeful that President Rodrigo Duterte will attend the change of command ceremony. Santos will replace Lt. Gen. Noel Clement, who is retiring on January 5 after a three-month stint. READ: Fixed term for AFP chief pushed amid Clement's stint "I'm very thankful to the President for his trust and confidence sa akin [on me] to lead the AFP in this point in time," Santos said. A member of the Philippine Military Academy Sinagtala Class of 1986, Santos will be AFP chief for seven months. He will step down on August 3 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56. Plans for the AFP Like Clement and his other predecessors, Santos said he will prioritize the government's fight against armed communist rebels. The Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, New People's Army, have waged a five-decade insurgency, the longest-running in Asia. Santos said the Armed Forces under his watch will continue to support the President's "whole-of nation" approach against the rebels, in line with Executive Order 70. "In the previous years, parang pagka sinabi mong may insurgency sa isang area (when you say there's insurgency in one area), it's the AFP and PNP's (Philippine National Police's) problem... but now... it's the local chief executive that's now leading in solving the problem," Santos said. "We will try na mawala ang (to eradicate the) NPAs so local executives can focus on good governance in their areas," he added. Who is Filemon Santos, Jr.? Santos has been involved in peace and security prorgrams all over the country as he has been assigned with the strategic officials dealing with operations, intelligence, and civil-military operations. Before assuming the post of Easmincom chief in January 2019, Santos was commander of the 7th Infantry Division based in Nueva Ecija. He also previously served as 63rd Infantry Battalion Commander in Samar, head of the 703rd Infantry Brigade in Central Luzon, and operations chief of the Central Command in the Visayas, among others. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 17:45:55|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- San Francisco witnessed a record low rate of homicides in more than half a century as only 41 killings were reported in the city in 2019, a local newspaper said Wednesday. The number of killings last year was 11 percent down from 46 in 2018, the San Francisco Chronicle said. The number of other violent cases also dropped in 2019, with that of shootings down by 6 percent and overall violent crimes down by 8 percent, according to the local daily. The last time the number of homicides was as low as last year's count was in 1963, when the city had 100,000 fewer residents, the newspaper said. City officials attributed the improvement in statistics to joint efforts by law enforcement agencies and community groups, including anti-crime organizations, to divert resources to combat crime. Official data showed about 71 percent of the murders in the city were resolved last year, much higher than the proportion of 20 percent in the 1990s. However, despite a 3-percent reduction in car break-ins last year, San Francisco is still troubled by a high number of auto burglaries, which make the city a place with the highest property crime rate across the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-03 02:30:45|Editor: yan Video Player Close DUBAI, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday directed the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development to allocate 200 million U.S. dollars to support small and medium economic projects in Pakistan, state news agency WAM reported. This direction came during Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit to Pakistan on Thursday, which aims to encourage innovation and support entrepreneurship in Pakistan, assist the Pakistani government in creating a stable and balanced national economy that will help achieve the country's sustainable development, WAM said. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Islambad, capital of Pakistan, earlier in the day and met Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan over "regional and international issues of mutual interest as well as ways to enhance bilateral ties," the crown prince said on his Twitter account. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 20:04:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's National People's Congress (NPC) will open an official online petition platform to improve petitioning procedures, the general office of the NPC standing committee, China's top legislature, said on Thursday. Aiming to make the online platform a major petitioning channel, the NPC pledges to reply to and handle petition letters online in a timely manner. Petitioning, also known as "letters and calls," is China's administrative system for hearing public complaints and grievances. Petitioners can log on to www.npc.gov.cn to submit their petitions. Ha Jung-woo (left) as Cho In-chang and Lee Byung-hun as Ri Jun-pyong in South Korean volcanic disaster movie Ashfall. (PHOTO: Encore Films) By Lim Yian Lu Termed as the biggest Korean disaster blockbuster ever, Ashfall brings to the silver screen the eruptions of Baekdu Mountain not one, not two, but potentially four eruptions in total! Starring Ha Jung-woo as Cho In-chang, captain of the explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) unit (basically people who defuse bombs), he is tasked by South Korea on a mission to prevent the last and most destructive volcanic eruption from happening. However, in order to achieve this, he has to cooperate with the deceitful North Korean elite agent Ri Jun-pyong, portrayed by Lee Byung-hun. The movie takes on a different and refreshing approach by making the volcanic eruption the antagonist, something that can be destroyed. The plan to stop the volcanic eruption stems from the theory developed by a Korean-American seismologist Kang Bong-rae, played by Ma Dong-seok, more commonly known as Don Lee. He has been researching on Baekdu Mountain and preaching on counter-measures against its eruptions, only for his words to fall on deaf ears. Only when disaster struck, was he approached by senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Jun Yoo-kyung, portrayed by Jeon Hye-jin. More movie reviews: The Truth is a funny French family drama by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda Cats is a cinematic nightmare that will leave you catatonic Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker stuffs too much fan service within breakneck pacing Ip Man 4: The Finale lives up to its title with brutal fights and Chinese pride Don Lee plays a scientist who devises a plan to stop an impending catastrophe. (PHOTO: Encore Films) What is also distinctive is to see the intellectual side of Don Lee, who has acted mostly as a physically strong and masculine character, such as his iconic performance as a tough fighter in Train to Busan and his upcoming role as superhero Gilgamesh in Marvels The Eternals. Instead of being out there using brute force to stop the volcanic eruption, Don Lee is seen poring over seismic data and simulation predictions in Ashfall. While the movie may feel a little long, it has built the characters with depth. In-chang is a father-to-be, anxious to meet up with his pregnant wife Choi Ji-young, played by Bae Suzy, after he completes his supposedly straightforward mission. Jun-pyong, on the other hand, seems like a formidable yet crafty spy but shows his softer and more humane side as the story unfolds. Bong-rae who is sceptical about executing his own theory, feels the responsibility of millions of lives on his shoulders to increase the possibility of success in stopping the volcanic eruption. Yoo-kyung is a decisive individual who would do anything to prevent the eruption, even putting her career on the line. Story continues (From left to right) The clock is ticking for Bae Suzy as Choi Ji-young, Jeon Hye-jin as Jun Yoo-kyung and Don Lee as Kang Bong-rae. (PHOTO: Encore Films) Ashfall may be a serious movie but occasionally you will be in for some humour, mostly coming from In-chang, who is not exactly capable as a captain and often relies on the relatively more well-trained Jun-pyong. Although the plot is mostly coherent, some parts come about as bizarre or abrupt. One example is Ji-young being thrown off the bridge into the water, yet she is able to present a perfectly dry piece of verification paper afterwards. (Her bag must have been incredibly waterproof!) Another instance is when In-chang and team were escaping from an underground facility, right after they got on the elevator, they were suddenly seen running from the collapsing building. All in all, Ashfall provides an alternative approach to the genre of natural disaster films, and is quite entertaining for audiences of all ages. With a star-studded cast consisting of Lee Byung-hun, Ha Jung-woo, Don Lee, Jeon Hye-jin and Bae Suzy, it will be two hours well spent. Ashfall opens in cinemas on 2 January. The movie is 128 minutes long and rated PG13 for some violence and coarse language. New Delhi, Jan 2 : Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Thursday, launched attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over imposition of Section 144 in the wake of protests over Citizenship law and National Register of Citizens. Priyanka attacked the PM for his claim that no one should fear from CAA and NRC by saying that Section 144 was imposed in Varanasi, PM's own constituency for a very long period of time and PM expects people not to be fearful. In her tweet, tagging a media report, she said: "On 359 out of 365 days in the year 2019, Section 144 was imposed in Varanasi town, the P.M's own constituency and he has the gall to say that people have nothing to fear?" The Prime Minister has maintained that the citizens of India need not fear from the CAA because no one's citizenship will be taken away through this Act. He recently initiated a social media campaign to support the Act. However the violent protests took place in various parts across the country forcing the administration to impose Section 144 at various places in Varanasi. Popular Front of India (PFI) has called a protest meeting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Baharampur area of Murshidabad district in West Bengal on January 5. West Bengal PFI President Hasibul Islam said that Murshidabad MP Abu Taher Khan and Jangipur MP Khalilur Rahman have also been invited to attend the event. "We are organizing a protest on January 5 against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Murshidabad. TMC MP Abu Taher Khan will also be a part of the protest," Hasibul Islam told reporters here. He accused the BJP-led Central government of trying to divide people on religious lines. "People have come out on roads to protest against the CAA but the government is trying to suppress the protests. Everyone has a democratic right to protest peacefully. The government should immediately cancel and withdraw it (CAA)," he added. Hasibul Islam said that the party will launch an even bigger protest if the Centre does not roll back the Citizenship Amendment Act. Twenty-five persons affiliated with PFI have been arrested across Uttar Pradesh for their alleged involvement in different criminal activities. Uttar Pradesh DGP OP Singh has written a letter to Home Ministry seeking ban the PFI stating that investigations have found its "involvement in violent protests against CAA on December 19". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just minutes into New Years Day, a teenage boy was shot and wounded in the leg on the North Side of St. Louis. A few minutes later, four people were shot in a different neighborhood, three fatally. By morning, the police were investigating 10 shootings, including five deaths, across the city. And the year wasnt even a day old. Nor was the violence limited to St. Louis, which in 2017 had the nations highest murder rate. In a country that has become accustomed to gun violence in all its forms, 2020 was off to a typical start. Gunfire echoed across the country in shootings from St. Louis to Philadelphia, and from Michigan to Texas. In Cleveland, a man who news reports said was firing off rounds to celebrate the new year accidentally killed his girlfriend. In Florida, near Orlando, two men were killed in a shooting inside a nightclub. And in Baltimore, which closed 2019 with the citys second-highest number of homicides on record, the police were investigating two killings that happened a few hours before midnight. SARAJEVO (Reuters) - A Bosnian war crimes prosecutor on Tuesday indicted a Bosnian Serb former army general for taking part in the 1995 massacre of about 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, an atrocity described as genocide by two international courts. Milomir Savcic, 60, is accused of commanding the Bosnian Serb Army headquarters 65 Protection Motorised Regiment, which included a military police battalion, to capture, kill and bury adult Muslim Bosniaks from the U.N.-protected eastern enclave of Srebrenica in July 1995. Bosnian Serb forces led by General Ratko Mladic attacked Srebrenica on July 11, 1995, separated men from women and children, and killed about 8,000 Muslims, who were then buried in mass graves. The Srebrenica massacre is regarded as Europe's worst atrocity since World War Two. Savcic consciously helped Mladic and colonel Ljubisa Beara, as well as other commanders of the Drina Corps and Zvornik Brigade, which executed the massacre, to destroy the Muslim men as an ethnic group in the area, the prosecutor said in a statement. Both Mladic and Beara were jailed for life over the Srebrenica genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). "Savcic is accused of planning, commanding and supervising the activities ... during the capture and detention of several hundred Bosniak men at several locations in the Nova Kasaba area, and their illegal arrest, torture and murder," the statement said. "Savcic is accused ... of committing the criminal act of helping in genocide," the statement added. Savcic, who is not in detention, is the president of the Bosnian Serb Republic's war veterans' organization. He holds Bosnian and Serbian citizenship. (Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Giles Elgood) 4,000 US troops ordered to deploy in Middle East amid Iraq unrest: Officials Iran Press TV Wednesday, 01 January 2020 3:04 AM Up to 4,000 American paratroopers have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East region following mass protests outside the US embassy by Iraqi protesters infuriated over Washington's recent deadly military aggression on the Arab country. The US Army's 82nd Airborne Division's alert brigade of roughly 4,000 paratroopers, known as the Deployment Ready Brigade (DRB), has been issued orders to prepare for a possible deployment in the days ahead in Kuwait, three US defense officials told Fox News on Tuesday. At least 500 paratroopers are already making their way to Kuwait, the officials added. Earlier in the day, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement that at least 750 paratroopers were set to swiftly deploy to the region. Esper added that additional forces from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) were prepared to deploy over the next several days. "This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against US personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today," The US defense Secretary said. The US embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad was evacuated on Tuesday after thousands of angry demonstrators gathered outside the gates of the compound to condemn Washington's fatal military aggression that targeted Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) on Sunday. The protesters held up signs calling for the US mission to be shut down and for the parliament to order US forces to leave Iraq. American forces deployed inside the compound fired tear gas, flash bangs and stun grenades to disperse the crowd, however, the Iraqi protesters breached the outer wall of the high-security compound, throwing bricks and stones at the surveillance cameras around the building. Reacting to the developments in Iraq, US President Donald Trump accused Tehran of being behind the mass protests outside the US embassy in Baghdad. Trump issued what he called a threat against Iran, saying in a tweet that Tehran will be held fully responsible for any US lives lost in Iraq and claimed Iran would pay a "big price" in case US facilities are damaged or its forces are attacked in the Arab country. Rejecting the US accusations, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said Washington should abandon its destructive policies in the region and warned US officials against taking any uncalculated action. Iraqi President Barham Saleh called on protesters to avoid any escalation and withdraw from the embassy's vicinity. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Britain's worst mother Karen Matthews is engaged to a convicted paedophile, MailOnline can reveal. She met handyman Paul Saunders six weeks ago as he worked on her bathroom. Matthews, 44, jailed for faking the kidnap of her nine-year-old daughter, has been showing off her engagement ring after Saunders popped the question at Christmas. But former friends of her new fiance have reacted with fury after it emerged that he was jailed for five years in 2010 for having sex with a teenage girl. Karen Matthews (left) has got engaged to handyman Paul Saunders, 56, (right) who was jailed for five years in 2010 for engaging in sexual activity with a 'vulnerable' teenage girl Matthews, seen on her mobile phone on Saturday, is 'head over heels' in love with Saunders and has been seen around her hometown in southern England wearing an engagement ring Matthews, 44, (left) is notorious for faking the kidnap of her nine-year-old daughter Shannon (right) in 2008 when she and a former boyfriend hid the youngster inside a bed for 24 days The 56-year-old abused her over three years and his secret was only discovered when indecent images of the girl were found on his mobile phone. Back in January 2010 Oxford Crown Court heard his offences took place between 2006 and 2009 when his victim was aged between 15 and 17. Saunders, of Blackbird Leys, Oxfordshire, was only caught after he was jailed for eight weeks for benefit fraud in May the previous year. He targeted the 'vulnerable' girl and made indecent images of her, the court heard as he was placed on the sex offenders' register for life. His victim, who is now an adult, said after he was jailed: 'He makes me sick. He should die. I hate him.' Matthews, who sparked one of the country's biggest-ever missing persons hunts when she hid her daughter Shannon inside a bed for 24 days, is said to have confessed her criminal past to Saunders. It is not known if Saunders has admitted his sordid past to her. Matthews no longer has any contact with Shannon or her other children. Matthews was pictured looking elated with her former partner Craig Meehan after Shannon was found alive. Meehan was not involved in the kidnapping plot Matthews in March 2008 holding her daughter's favourite teddy bear as she feigned an emotional appeal for her safe return Matthews (left) and co-conspirator Michael Donovan (right) were both sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2009 and released in 2012 after serving half their sentences Matthews has been seen on numerous occasions with her new beau around the town where she is living in the south of England. She is said by friends to be 'inseparable' from her boyfriend with one saying they are acting 'like teenagers in love.' Saunders is said to be unconcerned about his new girlfriend's past which saw her labeled 'Britain's worst mother'. Matthews led from Dewsbury police station before a court appearance over Shannon's kidnap Matthews had engineered the kidnap of Shannon in Dewsbury, West Yorks. She and her ex-boyfriend's uncle Michael Donovan were jailed in 2008 for the plot to stage Sharon's kidnapping and claim the 50,000 reward for 'finding' her. Matthews made a series of tearful TV appeals for help in finding her daughter as West Yorkshire Police launched one of the force's largest ever searches. Shannon was eventually found by detectives in Donovan's flat, around a mile from her home in Dewsbury, 24 days after she disappeared. Prosecutors said the schoolgirl was drugged and probably kept captive on a leash during her incarceration. Police described Matthews as 'pure evil' after she was found guilty of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. Her then-boyfriend, Craig Meehan, was not involved in the kidnapping plot. However, he was separately convicted of possessing 49 indecent images of children on a home computer. She and Donovan were both sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2009 and released in 2012 after serving half their sentences. Shannon was raised by a new family under a new identity and is now an adult. As part of her release from prison Matthews was given a taxpayer-funded flat but has been banned from any contact with Shannon or her other six children. Saunders will have been released after serving half of his five year sentence. He pleaded guilty to four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, making indecent images of a child and two counts of sexual assault. The mother of his victim described how she lost it when she found the indecent images of her daughter on his phone. She said: 'I went barmy, to say the least, I'm sickened and disgusted.' At the time of the offences Saunders worked as an ambulance driver for mentally ill and disabled teenagers. Look at the situation Castro was facing. He lagged in the polls and was running low on funds. Realistically, his only chance would have been to make an unexpectedly good showing in the Iowa caucuses something that has revived near-dead campaigns in the past. But without being on stage in Des Moines for the last debate before caucus night, and lacking the money for some kind of big media blitz, he had no real chance of pulling off an Iowa surprise. So hes out. The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) planted the idea of third term agenda by President Muhammadu Buhari in the sub-conscious of most Nigerians to further confuse the political space. Mr Oshiomhole stated this when he addressed State House correspondents after the end of a closed door meeting with Mr Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday. Mr Buhari had on Wednesday in a letter to Nigerians to mark the beginning of 2020 reiterated his intention not to contest the 2023 presidential elections. The Nigerian leader, however, expressed determination to help strengthen the electoral process both in Nigeria and across Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP had on Wednesday criticised the president over his New Year message and frowned at his pronouncement not to participate in future elections in the country. The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the president and his party (APC), would have no other option than to exit office at the end of his tenure in 2023. However, the APC chairman said: I am surprised to see that there are people who begin to wonder why should the President reassure Nigerians that he is not going to do Third Term in office because Third Term was planted by PDP. It is still in the sub-consciousness of most Nigerians that the first (sic) Nigerian President tried to do Third Term, emptied the treasury to bribe members of the National Assembly and since that President left, thanks to the National Assembly, no other next President has done eight years in office. You can recall that President YarAdua unfortunately has since joined his ancestors, and President Jonathan did six years and so by the special grace of God, this President (Buhari) whom we pray will do his eight years complete in line with the provision of the constitution. And because there is a level of idleness within a section of the political class people can sponsor all kinds of publications and to give doubt whether or not the President is planning to stay longer. And I think it is his decision that at every interval he needs to remind Nigerians that he is not about to do what a PDP President did. For me it is necessary and in any case it costs us nothing to reassure us that `I am leaving. On those calling on him to resign as APC national chairman, Mr Oshiomhole quoted a proverb that says: Its a tree that bears fruits that attracts stone. He added that, you hardly see people throwing stone at a dry tree palm tree. But if you see a mango tree when it is its season, people throw stones at it when passing. I think that is my lot but my report card is also very, very clear. You my comrades (media) should also help in interrogating the process, how the performance of a National Working Committee of a political part should be evaluated? But I think the evaluation should start mostly, how many elections did you lose, or lost. Last week we saw the British Labour Party Leader that he accepts responsibility for the crushing defeat that the Labour Party suffered under his leadership, he offered in principle having accepted responsibility, will not lead the party in the next election, so he is going to resign because under his leadership the party was rejected by the British electorate. In my own case, and I challenge anyone to say that any of these things are not true. We, the executive members of the party were sworn in on the June 3, 2018, at about 6 p.m. Two weeks later, we went to Ekiti to contest election against a PDP incumbent governor Fayose and we won. Kayode Fayemi today is the governor of that state. Few months later, we went to Osun State, we contested a by-election, we won and we had the Osun State governor elected for his first term. READ ALSO: Then we went for the national elections, you know all the tensions in the country at the time. The gap between President Buhari and the former candidate of the PDP Abubakar Atiku was about four million voters. The one between President Buhari and former President Jonathan in 2015 was about three million. So under my leadership this president has more votes than the first runner-up, we would like to claim credit for that because if it went the other way we would be crucified, he said. Advertisements (NAN) While there may be lull in other sectors of the economy, the telecoms sector has remained consistent, recording greater feats courtesy of regulatory excellence of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) under the leadership of Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta. For the Commission, 2019 has been particularly eventful. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in 2019, carried out a number of regulatory activities towards ensuring increased access to telecoms services, increased consumer education and protection, boosting security of lives and property, sanitising the industry while also driving other initiatives aimed at boosting innovation in the telecoms sector and continuously galvanising the countrys overall economic growth. Impressive growth statistics, despite challenges Generally, despite challenges confronting the telecoms sector, the sector was able to recording impressive statistics during the year, courtesy of smart and effective regulatory role of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), resulting in greener outlook from January 2019 till date. Telecoms continues to be a major contributor to the nations economy, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Telecoms contribution to national gross domestic product (GDP) for the 1st Quarter and 2nd Quarter of 2019 stood at 10.11 percent and 11.39 percent respectively. These contrast with 9.19 percent and 10.43 percent contribution in the 1st Quarter and 2nd Quarter of 2018 respectively. Broadly speaking, general Information and Communication Technology (ICT) contribution to GDP has increased to 13.8 percent currently. Active mobile voice subscribers increased from 174,012,136 in January, 2019 to 180,386,316 at the end of October, 2019 (which is the latest data in the industry, as posted on the NCC official website). Teledensity has also increased to 94.50 percent while internet subscribers increased from 114,306,598 to 123,559,596 during the period under review. Upward trajectory of broadband penetration Broadband penetration increased from 32.34 percent (indicating 61,732,130 Nigerians on 3G and 4G networks) to 37.87% (indicating 72,289,389 on 3G and 4G networks) between January and October, 2019. Various efforts of the Commission in licensing new spectrum bands, re-farming certain frequency bands and driving initiatives for increased broadband infrastructure in the country have also been responsible for this feats. With increase in broadband penetration being recorded on a monthly basis, stakeholders have said that the NCC is well positioned and must be supported by the government through relevant policies to drive the actualisation of the countrys digital economy policy strategy, going forward. This has become necessary since, as usual, the Commission is expected to take the drivers seat in the actualisation of the new broadband target being worked on by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy. Just recently, the new National Broadband Plan Committee was inaugurated to come up with the new broadband target for 2020-2025. With regards to the uptake of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), 110, 500 numbers were ported between January, 2019 and October, 2019, as against 71, 723 subscribers who ported their lines between the same 10-month period in 2018. This increase in porting activities in 2019 is attributable to increased public education and awareness by the Commissions head office and its zonal offices, as they intensified awareness on the availability and usage of MNP across geo-political zones. Stepping up consumer complaints resolution management Also, in terms of consumer complaints management, the Commission received a total of 19,841 complaints from telecoms consumers across its various consumer complaints channels. Of these, the NCC successfully resolved 17,851, representing a 90 percent success rate of consumer complaints resolution during the period under review. Specifically, a total of 18, 717 complaints were lodged through the NCC Contact Centre by the customers to the Commission with a larger percentage satisfactorily solved. Little wonder, therefore, that based on their satisfaction with all these facilities provided for them to resolve their issues, a total of 19,345 satisfied consumers sent notes of commendation/appreciation to the Commission through calls made to the NCC Contact Centre and e-mails received via the NCC Consumer Portal. All of these were to appreciate the various regulatory interventions that helped in satisfactorily resolving their telecoms service-related issues. Also in 2019, exposure to unsolicited text messages by the consumers declined drastically through the popularisation by the Commission and the resultant activation of the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) Short Code 2442 facility by the subscribers. Though, a voluntary service, a total of 22,356, 919 subscribers have now activated the DND service either fully or partially. Aside all these impressive statistics, the Commission, in 2019, focused more on some key initiatives that have put the industry and the economy on a growth trajectory. Telcos listing on NSE and boost in capital market operation Year 2019 will go down in history as a memorable one when the yearnings of most Nigerians to have increased stakes in the telecoms sector got an unprecedented boost through smart regulatory activities NCC. Indeed, one of the remarkable achievements of the NCC in 2019 which has not only impacted the industry but also bolstered the entire economy was the Commissions regulatory efforts in seeing to fruition, the listing of MTN and Airtel Africa on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). Speaking at a forum in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said The MTN listing has helped to translate into action, an important objective of the Commission, which is to promote local investment and ownership in the telecom sector. Also, with MTNs shares available in the capital market, it is expected that Nigerians will buy shares and by purchasing the shares of MTN, they will be financially empowered and be socially transformed. According to Danbatta, One of the benefits of MTN listing and those of other operators to follow, therefore, is that the telco would be able to raise more capital for network expansion which, in turn, will bring about an improvement in the quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) for the consumers of telecoms services, which is also a cardinal function of the Commission. READ ALSO: Undoubtedly, despite the initial volatility seen in the Nigerian capital market earlier in 2019, the listing of the biggest telecommunication company, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa, has helped in increasingly making the market capitalisation bullish. Today, capital market regulator and shareholder bodies have commended the effort of the NCC in making the capital market more resilient through facilitating the listing of MTN, a move that was fallout of the conditions the telecom regulator gave MTN following the telcos violation of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) registration rule in the telecommunications sector. Pioneering 5G trial in W/Africa In 2019, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in its proactive regulatory approach, pioneered the trial of Fifth Generation (5G) technology in Nigeria, becoming the first telecoms regulator in the West Africa to begin such historic trial towards unleashing greater digital revolution in the country. Consequently, 5G trials have been conducted in Abuja, Calabar and Lagos and the coming years can only be more exciting for Nigerians, who will, through 5G network deployment, have access to faster broadband speed to carry out personal and official activities. This will bring about more efficiency, effectiveness and growth. Boosting FGs push for increased security via ECC project One of the flagship projects which the Commission was commended for in 2019 was the resolve of the Danbatta-lead NCC leadership to pay greater attention to the implementation of the Emergency Communications Centre (ECC) project. During the year under review, the NCC has activated and increased the number of operational ECC to 17 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital (FCT), Abuja 18 ECC in all. The list includes: the FCT, Benue, Kwara, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Imo, Anambra, Enugu and Adamawa. Subsequently, the commissioning of the National Emergency Toll-Free Number 112 and the Katsina State Emergency Communication Centre for the North West Zone was successfully carried out on September 23, 2019. Necessary preparations and arrangements are, however, ongoing towards ensuring successful launch/commissioning of such centres, including publicity and enlightenment in the remaining five (5) geopolitical zones and the FCT. In recognition of this important role, the NCCs Danbatta was recognised as Nigerias Goodwill Ambassador in Security and Emergency Management while NCC, as a corporate body, was conferred with the award of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Security and Emergency Management. They received the awards earlier in December at the maiden Security and Emergency Management Awards hosted by the Emergency Digest, a publication of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, in conjunction with the Centre for Crisis Communication. Closely linked to the NCCs efforts in implementing the ECC Project to boost Federal Governments drive to promote security of lives and property, was also the Commissions ongoing efforts towards sanitising the countrys SIM database for increased security in the country. In 2019, over 24 million invalidly-registered subscriber records were scrubbed (deduplicated) by the Commission via Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) in fulfilment of the mandate to establish a credible database of telephone subscribers. Licensing of 10 VAS aggregators Following the development of its Value-Added Service (VAS) Aggregator Framework for the telecoms Value-Added Service (VAS) segment, the NCC, in 2019, awarded the VAS Aggregator licenses to 10 companies to provide aggregator services. This will boost the competitiveness of the telecoms VAS segment of the telecommunications industry. It is also to unlock the huge potential of the telecoms VAS market, which has been estimated to be worth $500 million in the next few years. The licensees are I-Cell Multimedia Limited, Nina-Jojer Limited, 21st Century Technologies Limited, Nitroswitch Limited, HML Consulting Limited, Iykejordan Limited, Cognys Systems Limited, Perpetual Communications Limited, Mobile Intelligence Limited and Aerandir Technologies Nigeria Limited. New Delhi, Jan 3 : Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has reassured Air India's employees that the passenger carrier will remain operational till its privatisation process is complete, one of the airline's unions said on Thursday. Puri was speaking at a meeting with Air India's employees' unions here on Thursday. The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA), one of the unions which was present in the meeting, said that all the unions opposed privatisation, but the minister stated that the government does not have funds to infuse into Air India. "The meeting was called to have constructive dialogue and address the genuine concerns of the employees," the ICPA said in a statement late on Thursday evening. Puri, the union said, said that Air India will run till its privatisation and requested all the unions to cooperate towards the process. According to the ICPA, the minister expressed his displeasure over pilots and engineers demanding the government-owned airline to waive off their notice period. He said pilots and engineers are required to run the airline, the union added. Last week, the ICPA in a letter to Puri said: "It is unfair for the Government of India to keep us bonded with the notice period while we are not being paid on time and our dues are not cleared." Terming the Civil Aviation Minister's earlier statement that if Air India is not privatised by March 31, 2020, the airline will be shut down as "a matter of concern", the pilots' union had said in the letter: "With this uncertainty over the survival of our national carrier and with no 'Plan B', we request you to ensure that we are not treated like bonded labour and allow us to quit Air India without serving the notice period and clear all our dues immediately." At present, the union has 800 pilots as its members. As per the letter, currently 65 pilots have tendered their resignations and are serving the six-month notice period which is due for completion "very soon". The Centre is likely to issue the expression of interest (EoI) for divestment of its stake in the national passenger carrier during the first month of 2020. Union Home Minister Amit Shah heads the panel looking after the divestment process. Its other members include Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and the Civil Aviation Minister. In the previous Modi government, then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley headed the ministerial panel called the Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM). After failing to find a bidder then, the government is working on a war footing to sell Air India to a private player. Trump Putin Jorge Silva/Reuters President Donald Trump berated his former national security adviser Michael Flynn and other senior staff members for holding off on arranging a phone call with the Russian president in January 2017, according to a new book. "Are you kidding me? Vladimir Putin tried to call me, and you didn't put him through? What the hell were you thinking?" Trump said in the middle of a meeting with the UK's prime minister, his first White House meeting with a foreign leader. "Well, sir, you know, you have a lot of calls coming in, and we're trying to manage who you talk to," Flynn responded. "What kind of bulls--- is this? How is it possible that Putin calls me and you don't put the call through? I don't know what you guys are doing," Trump later told his senior staff members. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump berated his former national security adviser Michael Flynn and other senior staff members for holding off on arranging a phone call with the Russian president soon after taking office, according to a new book on the Trump administration's contentious relationship with the Pentagon. In "Trump and His Generals: The Cost of Chaos," the national security reporter Peter Bergen recounted the tenuous conversation between the US president and his staffers, one of many intimate talks whose details were sourced from dozens of interviews with current and former White House officials and military officers. On January 27, 2017, weeks after winning the presidency, Trump had his first official visit from a foreign leader at the White House, with British Prime Minister Theresa May. During lunch, May asked Trump if he had talked to Putin, according to Bergen. "No, I haven't," Trump replied. Flynn, a former three-star US Army general, was nearby and leaned in to tell Trump: "Sir, we're arranging that call now. President Putin called several days ago, but we haven't been able to get it on your calendar yet." Story continues Trump, upset by the response, lambasted Flynn. "Are you kidding me? Vladimir Putin tried to call me, and you didn't put him through? What the hell were you thinking?" Trump said. "Well, sir, you know, you have a lot of calls coming in, and we're trying to manage who you talk to," Flynn responded. Trump called Putin "the only man on earth who can destroy us" and later questioned his staff's decision to hold off on the phone call. "What kind of bulls--- is this? How is it possible that Putin calls me and you don't put the call through? I don't know what you guys are doing," Trump privately told his senior staff members. Administrations typically prepare for high-level discussions between the US president and foreign leaders phone calls that are usually listened to by key staff members. The Trump administration has restricted access to more of these conversations and subsequent transcripts after his July 25 call with Ukraine's president prompted a whistleblower's complaint that led to his impeachment, CNN reported last month. "Nobody is allowed on the calls," a White House official told CNN. "The barn door officially closed after the horse escaped." Trump talks to Putin by phone Drew Angerer/Getty Images According to the White House's record, Trump had a "congratulatory" one-hour phone call with Putin on January 28, 2017. The White House, which said the call included topics ranging from the fight against the Islamic State to the conflict in Syria, described it as "positive" and "a significant start to improving the relationship between the United States and Russia." The call was not the first of its kind. On November 14, 2016, Putin and Trump, then the president-elect, spoke over the phone to "develop a dialogue of partnership with the new administration," the Kremlin said at the time. Putin and Trump's relationship has been intensely scrutinized by Congress and in the Russia investigation led by the special counsel Robert Mueller. In turn, the Trump administration has reportedly sought to obfuscate details about Trump's interactions with Putin current and former US officials told The Washington Post last year that during the G20 meeting in 2017, Trump attempted to take his interpreter's notes and told his linguist not to discuss his conversation with other staff members. In 2018, Trump praised the Russian president's election victory which came amid voting irregularities and harassment of election monitors ignoring his staff's recommendation that said "DO NOT CONGRATULATE." The two presidents spoke again on Sunday. A Kremlin statement said Putin thanked Trump for the US's notice about a potential terrorist plot against St. Petersburg on New Year's Eve. Trump on Tuesday confirmed Russia's statement, tweeting that "President Putin of Russia called to thank me and the U.S. for informing them of a planned terrorist attack in the very beautiful city of Saint Petersburg." "They were able to quickly apprehend the suspects, with many lives being saved," Trump added. "Great & important coordination!" Read the original article on Business Insider Newly appointed Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Thursday has spoken to Republic Media Network's Executive Editor Abhishek Kapoor on a range of issues including his recent remark that India has the right of a pre-emptive strike, that has spooked Pakistan. Elaborating on the security scenario and India's right of pre-emptive strike, Chief of Army Staff General Naravane has said that this is the best of times as the defence forces are focussing on being combat-ready. He added that the threat of terrorism has hovered around the country for long, and now it is time to do what is best for the national interest. The new COAS maintained that Indian army always prefers and does the best for peace and tranquillity. READ | COAS Gen Naravane warns 'Pak can't fool world anymore' in 1st interview post taking charge "I would say it is the best of times. The challenges will always be to remain operationally prepared and combat-ready force to meet any challenge at any time, and that would be my focus and priority area too. This threat of terrorism has been there from quite a long time, we will have to continue to deal with it. We will try our best to maintain peace and tranquillity, but at the same time, we will do what is in our national interest. What we do will depend on the future situation," COAS General Naravane said. READ | Outgoing Army Chief Gen Rawat hails Indian Army's teamwork, says 'COAS doesn't work alone' General Manoj Mukund Naravane issues warning to Pakistan On Wednesday, the new COAS General Manoj Mukund Naravane who took oath as the 28th Chief of Army Staff, on Tuesday, paid tribute to the brave hearts who have sacrificed their lives for the nation at the National War Memorial in New Delhi. In his first media briefing after taking charge, General Naravane began his address by extending his wishes of the New Year to the citizens of the country. He then issued a warning to Pakistan, saying it cannot fool anyone anymore as it wages a proxy war. He said that India had been a victim of terror for a long time, but now the world was getting aware of it. Talking on the increased ceasefire violations, he said that the Army was fully ready to foil all infiltration bids along LoC. READ | Here's what outgoing COAS General Bipin Rawat said about his successor General Naravane About General Manoj Mukund Naravane Before being appointed the COAS, the alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy headed the Army's Eastern Command that takes care of India's nearly 4,000-km border with China. With Gen Naravane taking charge, all the three services heads, including Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and Indian Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria, are now from the 56th course of the National Defence Academy. In his 37 years of service, Gen Naravane served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. READ | Priority to be operationally prepared at all times: New COAS Gen Manoj Naravane Growing Demand for Cancer Research to Drive In-Vitro Diagnostics Market The global In-Vitro Diagnostics Market Growth is expected to exhibit a strong 8.16% CAGR over the forecast period from 2017 to 2023, according to the latest research report from Market Research Future (MRFR). The global in vitro diagnostics market is mainly driven by the growing government support for healthcare research into discovering more potent, more accurately targeted medication for various diseases. This is likely to drive significant innovation in the healthcare research sector in the coming years, thus driving the in vitro diagnostics market over the forecast period. The report presents an analysis of the regional segmentation of the market in detail, covering North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America to provide a comprehensive overview of the market dynamics in each region. Competitive leaderboard analysis is also done for the market by profiling the leading players in the global in vitro diagnostics market. Competitive Analysis In-Vitro Diagnostics Market Leading players in the global in vitro diagnostics market include Danaher Corporation, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Siemens AG, F. Hoffman-La Roche AG, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Grifols S.A., Qiagen N.V., BioMerieux S.A., Sysmex Corporation, Becton Dickinson and Company, DiaSorin S.p.A., Abbott Laboratories, Thermo Fisher Scientific Get Free Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1165 Segmentation In-Vitro Diagnostics Market The global In-Vitro Diagnostics Market is segmented on the basis of product type, technology, application, end use, and region. By product, the global in vitro diagnostics market is segmented into reagents and kits, instruments, data management software, and services. The reagents and kits segment is likely to establish dominance in the global in vitro diagnostics market over the forecast period due to the need to replenish reagents and kits on a regular basis. By technology, the global in vitro diagnostics market is segmented into immunoassay/immunochemistry, clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, microbiology, and hematology. Clinical chemistry holds the largest share in the global in vitro diagnostics market, followed closely immunoassay/immunochemistry. By application, the global market is segmented into infectious diseases and non-infectious diseases. By end use, the global in vitro diagnostics market is segmented into hospitals, research laboratories, and academic institutions. Regional Analysis In-Vitro Diagnostics Market The global In-Vitro Diagnostics Market is likely to be dominated by North America in the coming years due to the strong presence of research laboratories in the medical field in the region. The growing presence of the healthcare research industry in North America is likely to be the major driver for the global in vitro diagnostics market over the forecast period. Growing cancer research is likely to be a major driver for the global in vitro diagnostics market over the forecast period. The growing presence of cancer research organizations in the U.S. is likely to be a major driver for the North America in vitro diagnostics market over the forecast period. Europe is also likely to be a major regional market for players in the global in vitro diagnostics market. Growing cancer research as well as other medical research is likely to be the major driver for the in vitro diagnostics market in the region over the forecast period. Growing government support for the healthcare sector in this region is likely to remain a key driver for the global in vitro diagnostics market over the forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to advance at a rapid pace in the global in vitro diagnostics market over the forecast period. Growing presence of the healthcare sector in the region is likely to be a major driver for the in vitro diagnostics market in Asia Pacific over the forecast period. The medical research industry has emerged as a promising giver of jobs in the Asia Pacific region over the last few years, resulting in steady growth of the in vitro diagnostics market in Asia Pacific. The growing government investment in setting up facilities that could help the nation in critical times such as disease epidemics is likely to be a key driver for the in vitro diagnostics market in Asia Pacific over the forecast period. Many governments in the region have presented significant scope for medical research and healthcare innovation to prosper, leading to a growing demand from the in vitro diagnostics market in the region. Check Avail Discount on Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/1165 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to 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 answer your most important questions. Our Research Analysts are eager to share their knowledge and assist you in refining market research parameters, choosing right market studies, and evaluating both the market scope and the research methodologies of varied segments. We bridge the gap between our clients and their clients by identifying and decoding just the target group, while generating leads with the highest accuracy. Contact Us: Market Research Future (MRFR) 528, Amanora Chamber Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com The Bureau of Land Management oversees Aravaipa. Visitors can come and go as they please, and day hiking is allowed. Permits are required ($5 per person per day, plus a $6 reservation fee), and visitors may not stay more than three days or two nights. There are no designated campgrounds; campers can pitch their tents in any visibly used location (following Leave No Trace guidelines). For those seeking solitude, it is easy to find: Only 50 people are permitted per day. Hikers who would like a curated experience can enjoy a four-day, three-night trip with REI (guides, meals, tents and transportation from Scottsdale included; $1,400) that begins at the east entrance and concludes at the western trailhead. The risk management society, RIMS, announced that Laura Langone, head of Insurance Operations at Airbnb, Inc., will lead the association as president for the 2020 term. As president, Langone is succeeding Gloria Brosius, who is director of Risk Management and Insurance for Pinnacle Agriculture Distribution in Loveland, Colorado. Prior to Airbnb, Langone was the head of Insurance and Risk Management at PayPal and Juniper Networks. Throughout her more than 20-year career in risk management, her other positions have been with Genentech, Marsh, Oracle and the insurance defense law firm, Gordon & Rees, LLP. Langone has been a member of RIMS for 22 years and joined its board of directors in 2016. Langone, who is based in San Francisco, held board positions with the RIMS Silicon Valley chapter, including serving as president for four years. She also volunteered on several RIMS committees and chaired the Enterprise Risk Management Committee in 2015. Todays risk professional cant afford to be complacent. While the world around us evolves, especially with the introduction of new technologies, we must be ready to embrace different perspectives, different strategies and dare ourselves to be different, Langone said. Stepping outside of our comfort zone can be intimidating, but those who are ready for the challenge will find greater opportunities to strengthen their risk programs and elevate their careers, she added. Langone will serve with the following other officers on the RIMS 2020 board of directors: Vice President: Ellen R. Dunkin, Esq.; senior vice president, general counsel and chief risk officer, Amalgamated Life Insurance Co. Treasurer: Patrick Sterling, SPHR, SHRM-SCP; senior director, Legendary People and Risk, Texas Roadhouse. Secretary: Jennifer Santiago, MBA, RIMS-CRMP, ARM; assistant vice president and risk officer, Penn State University. New board members: Twane Duckworth; chief of Risk Management, City of Jacksonville, Fla. Tina Gardiner; manager, Risk Management Services, The Regional Municipality of York (Ontario). Incumbent board members: David E. Arick, ARM; assistant treasurer, Global Risk Management, International Paper Co. Barry Dillard; director, Risk Strategies, Insurance and Compliance, Walt Disney World Resorts. Gary A. Nesbit, CPCU, CSP, ARM, AIC, ALCM, SPHR; senior director of Risk Management, Young Life. Soubhagya Parija; senior vice president and chief risk officer, New York Power Authority. Kristen Peed, CPCU, RPLU, CRM, ARM-E, CIC, AAI; director of Corporate Risk Management, CBIZ, Inc. Robert Zhang; Business Risk & Compliance manager, INGKA China. Ex Officio: Gloria Brosius, RIMS-CRMP; director, Risk Management and Insurance, Pinnacle Agriculture Distributions, Inc. Topics Agribusiness Leadership Risk Management Sharing Economy Chinese police have launched a nationwide operation detaining at least eight people and questioning others, following a Dec. 13 meeting of liberal-minded activists and lawyers in the southeastern province of Fujian. Authorities in the eastern province of Shandong set up a police task force after the meeting in the Fujian port city of Xiamen, and had detained eight people in Fujian, Shandong, Beijing, Hebei, Sichuan, and Zhejiang by Jan. 1. The overseas-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network said a similar gathering took place one year ago in Shandong, which could explain the leading role of the Shandong police. Rights lawyers Ding Jiaxi and Huang Zhiqiang and activists Dai Zhenya, Li Yingjun, and Zhang Zhongshun were among those detained. Rights lawyer and university professor Liu Shuqing, 43, was detained by police in Shandong's provincial capital Jinan on Dec. 31, on suspicion of "subversion of state power." "Police used force to kick open the door of his residence without any warning," CHRD said, adding that Liu had recently undergone cardiac surgery. Liu was allowed back home on Jan. 1, the group said. In the eastern city of Hangzhou, veteran activists Zhu Yufu, Wu Zexi, Xin Zhongcheng, Mao Lijun, and Tang Xiaoyun were detained and interrogated for a day on Dec. 29 after they had dinner with someone who attended the Dec. 13 meeting, CHRD said. The rights website Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch said many of the activists were detained on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power." CHRD called on the ruling Chinese Communist Party to release all the detainees immediately, as their right to freedom of peaceful assembly is protected under international human rights treaties. Others also held Rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, 52, was detained in his hometown of Beijing on Dec. 26 by Shandong police, and police searched his home and confiscated belongings without a search warrant, it said. Ding's wife Luo Shengchun said her husband had likely attended the meeting in Xiamen. "He said he was going to meet friends for a meal," Luo said. "I've asked all [the other families], and they all said it seems that their husbands went to Xiamen." On the same day, university professor Zhang Zhongshun was detained on suspicion of subversion at his home in Yantai, Shandong, despite not having attended the Fujian meeting. Xiamen-based Dai Zhenya, 46, was meanwhile detained on similar charges. He is being held under "residential surveillance at a designated location" that hasn't been disclosed, CHRD said. Zhang's wife Yang Hongni said the family had planned to visit relatives in the United States on the Jan. 15 and had tried to get police to rescind her husband's travel ban. "I have no news of Zhang Zhongshun," Yang said. "It's probably because he went to Xiamen." Going to a cold place Lin Yanping, wife of Dai Zhenya, said she was told her husband would need warm winter clothes where he was going. "In the living room, they told us that they were from the Xiamen police department, and told us to get some very warm clothes for him, because he'd be going to a cold place for investigation," Lin said. "A police officer told us that the [other officers] were from Shandong and that he might be taken to Shandong, allegedly for inciting subversion of state power," she said. Lin said the family has been unable to find out any more about Dai since. "We have no information," Lin told RFA. "We went to that police station and asked which police agency in Shandong took him away." "They wouldn't tell us, so we are very worried now. I don't know about this Dec. 13 taskforce. I just want to know where he is," she said. Activist Li Yingjun, a factory worker from Fujian's Zhangzhou city, was also held on the same day, while lawyer Huang Zhiqiang, 47, was detained on Dec. 29, in the eastern province of Zhejiang on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a charge often leveled at peaceful critics of the regime. Meanwhile, in the southwestern province of Sichuan, police detained businessman-turned-activist Wei Xiaobing, 42, after he distributed T-shirts printed with slogans supportive of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. No clear theme An employee at the Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch website said the latest crackdown was unusual in that there was no clear theme connecting all of the detentions. "In the past, they would divide the opposition into categories, so you would get waves of crackdowns on activist websites, or on lawyers, or the one-off crackdown on the New Citizens Movement," the employee said. "This time it was very complicated." Zhu Yufu's U.S.-based son Zhu Xi said his father is still under close surveillance by the state security police, and that the additional security will likely continue at least until after the annual parliamentary sessions in March. "This time around it has been quite strange: I think a lot of people are very nervous," he said. Repeated calls to the Shandong provincial police department went unanswered during office hours, while calls to the political department of the ministry of public security in Beijing were met with the sound of a fax machine. An official who answered the phone at the political department of the Xiamen police department declined requests for an interview. "We don't know the situation you asked about ... so you have to ask the department that is handling the case," the official said. "I can't answer you about the legal matters. You will have to ask a lawyer." 'China can't go on like this' New Citizens' Movement founder Xu Zhiyong is currently on the run after penning a New Year's message to China's citizens, calling on them to think about whether they want to carry on with an authoritarian government or movement towards democratic constitutionalism, an idea that President Xi Jinping has said has no place in his vision for China. "We are sadly seeing that the Chinese economy is deteriorating, while the stability maintenance regime is depleting national wealth accumulated over more than three decades, and stagnation and poverty are looming," Xu wrote. "China cannot go on like this. Think about it, people! What kind of China do we want to leave for future generations?" Reported by Wong Siu-san and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Xue Xiaoshan for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. CISOs can leave their job for any number of reasons, but a breach or other security incident often hastens their departure. According to Radwares 2018 State of Web Application Security report, 23% of companies reported executive firings related to application attacks. US companies were more likely to say execs were let go after an incident, as were companies in the technology or financial services sectors. While the CISO is not always let go -- Kaspersky reports that senior non-IT employees are laid off at 27% of enterprises (those with over 1,000 employees) that suffer a breach their positions can often be at risk if there were clear security failures. A Nominet survey of over 400 CISOs in the US and UK conducted by Osterman Research found that 6.8% of CISOs in the US and 10% in UK believed that in the event of a breach they would lose their job. Just under 30% of survey respondents believed they would get an official warning. Here are 7 major security incidents that cost security leaders their jobs in recent years. Take them for the learning opportunity that they are. 1. Capital One Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 14:58:35|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close CANBERRA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Australia (SA) endured its driest year in more than a decade according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Adelaide, the state's capital city, received 358 millimetres (mm) of rain in 2019 -- 32 percent less than the long-term average of 528.3mm and the lowest level for the city since 2006. BOM senior forecaster Tom Boeck told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that while data for 2019 has not yet been finalized, it was likely that the rainfall trend was replicated state-wide. "It's likely to be one of the driest years for South Australia as a whole," he said. "Possibly over northern parts of the state, the Northern Pastoral districts -- it's likely to be the driest on record." Adelaide broke its all-time temperature record in 2019, reaching 46.6 degrees Celsius (C) on January 24, and broke its December heat record during a heatwave that sparked more than 100 bushfires. "We certainly started off very hot and finished off very hot as well," Boeck said. During the December heatwave, Australia set a new record for its hottest-ever day. The national average maximum temperature on December 18 was 41.9C, breaking the record set the previous day. "As far as Australia goes as a whole, it's looking like it's going to be the warmest year on record," Boeck said. The BOM is set to publish its comprehensive report on Australia's weather in 2019 later this month. The World Meteorological Organisation has said that the 2010s are expected to have been the warmest decade on record. AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Enverus, the leading oil & gas SaaS and data analytics company, has released its summary of 2019 deal activity and its outlook for 2020. Enverus tracked $96 billion of U.S. oil & gas M&A in 2019, including $11 billion in Q4. However, the annual total was substantially skewed by Occidental's $57 billion acquisition of Anadarko, which was also the largest deal of the decade and the fourth largest oil & gas deal ever. Backing out the Occidental/Anadarko deal, 2019 saw $39 billion in deals or just one-half of the average $78 billion for annual U.S. oil & gas M&A during the last 10 years, which also saw the rise of U.S. unconventional assets. M&A played a key role along the way, with $567 billion spent on shale assets or 73% of the total during that time. E&Ps poured even more into funding drilling, including major ramp ups of oil output in the Bakken, Eagle Ford, and Permian Basin. However, the available capital that made shale possible largely dried up in 2019. Top Five Deals of 2019 Date Buyers Sellers Value ($MM) Deal Type US Play 04/24/19 Occidental Anadarko $57,000 Corporate Multiple 08/27/19 Hilcorp Energy BP $5,600 Property Alaska 07/15/19 Callon Petroleum Carrizo Oil & Gas $2,740 Corporate Delaware/Eagle Ford 12/16/19 WPX Energy Felix Energy II $2,500 Corporate Delaware Basin 10/14/19 Parsley Energy Jagged Peak Energy $2,270 Corporate Delaware Basin "Investors who funded the shale revolution over the last decade have become vocal in advocating for payouts and cut back on providing new capital. That flowed through to limited M&A and a negative reaction to deals for much of the year," said Enverus Senior M&A Analyst, Andrew Dittmar. "However, we saw an uptick in December in the pace of deals and more positive investor reactions to acquisitions. That should bode well for M&A in 2020." Occidental's acquisition of Anadarko highlighted 2019's consolidation in the shale patch. The deal is in the ballpark of Exxon's 2009 acquisition of XTO as the most spent on shale in a deal. Occidental saw 75% of Anadarko's value in shale, including the Permian Basin. Most of 2019's other marquee deals also focused on the Permian. After Occidental/Anadarko, 2019's largest corporate deals were Callon's $2.7 billion merger with Carrizo, WPX's $2.5 billion buy of private Felix Energy II, and Parsley's $2.3 billion acquisition of Jagged Peak. WPX's $2.5 billion acquisition of EnCap-funded Felix in December 2019 was notable for several reasons. Besides being the largest deal of Q4 and fourth largest deal of 2019, the acquisition of a premier private equity position in the Permian shows there are still exits available for the "built to sell" model of private equity portfolio companies. WPX also outperformed the broader markets on news of the deal, compared to most buyers being sold off on news of M&A. Top Five Deals of Q4 2019 Date Buyers Sellers Value ($MM) Deal Type US Play 12/16/19 WPX Energy Felix Energy II $2,500 Corporate Delaware Basin 10/14/19 Parsley Energy Jagged Peak Energy $2,270 Corporate Delaware Basin 11/27/19 Pure Acquisition HighPeak; Grenadier II $1,575 Corporate Midland Basin 10/01/19 Citizen Energy Roan Resources $1,014 Corporate SCOOP/STACK 12/17/19 Banpu Devon Energy $770 Property Barnett The Permian continues to be a key driver of U.S. oil growth and a significant contributor to M&A including accounting for more than 60% of Q4 2019 value. From a buyer's perspective, there are opportunities to shop for private equity portfolio companies that are ready for an exit or acquire the small and mid-cap public companies that have been beat up on Wall Street. During the second half of 2019, smaller E&Ps showed an increasing willingness to accept lower buyout values as capital markets remained tight and financing options narrowed. Less well-capitalized companies that are still short of self-funding and generating positive free cash flow, have a limited set of options to avoid running up debt and facing a restructuring. Besides selling, some are turning to private capital to provide alternative financing options. "Challenges for one company can mean opportunity for someone else and we're seeing that on the private capital side," remarked Enverus Market Research Director, John Spears. "During the exploratory and high growth years of shale, private equity was funding companies to drill and flip acreage. Today, private equity is providing a secondary source of capital to companies that need to grow but don't have the financial means via joint ventures, drillcos, purchasing overriding royalties, and other arrangements." Tight capital raising options for potential sellers is one side of the equation for an M&A surge in 2020. However, for would-be buyers the outlook is more positive. After a year of cutting costs and focusing on efficiencies, larger companies look ready to turn the corner on free cash flow and are instituting dividends and share buybacks to reward investors. Their stock prices are also on the rise, aided by a combination of their own operational improvements and tailwinds from an improving global economic picture and rising oil prices. As investors grow more confident in a company's ability to deliver on free cash flow, they also become more open to acquisitions, provided asset quality is high and the price is reasonable. In addition, larger E&Ps should be better positioned to deliver on returns to investors by leveraging economies of scale, more efficient development, and more favorable service and midstream contracts. Consolidation in the shale patch can either take the form of acquisitions by multi-nationals or mergers among the smaller to midsize players like was seen in 2019. "In the last ten years, we watched U.S. shale upend global energy markets and transform the U.S. into a net energy exporter," concluded Dittmar. "We're now at an inflection point where shale matures from a growth industry to one that generates dividends and share buybacks for its investors. Completing that transition and setting the stage for the next ten years will likely require a round of consolidation and 2020 sets up the needed pieces for this to occur." Top 10 Deals of the Last Decade Date Buyers Sellers Value ($MM) Deal Type US Play 04/24/19 Occidental Anadarko $57,000 Corporate Multiple 12/05/12 Freeport-McMoRan Plains E&P $16,300 Corporate Multiple 07/15/11 BHP Billiton Petrohawk Energy $15,100 Corporate Multiple 07/26/18 BP BHP Billiton $10,500 Property Multiple 03/28/18 Concho Resources RSP Permian $9,500 Corporate Permian Basin 08/14/18 Diamondback Energy Energen Resources $9,200 Corporate Permian Basin 06/19/17 EQT Production Rice Energy $8,200 Corporate Marcellus 11/01/18 Encana Newfield Exploration $7,700 Corporate SCOOP/STACK 11/23/11 KKR; NGP; et al. Samson Investment $7,200 Corporate Conventional 02/24/12 Riverstone; Apollo; et al. El Paso Corporation $7,150 Property Conventional Click Here for additional detail on Q4 and Full Year 2019 Oil & Gas M&A activity. About Enverus Enverus is the leading data, software, and insights company focused on the energy industry. Through its SaaS platform, Enverus provides innovative technologies and predictive/prescriptive analytics, empowering customers to navigate the future. Enverus' solutions deliver value across upstream, midstream and downstream sectors, enabling the industry to be more collaborative, efficient and competitive. With more than 1,000 employees across the globe, the Company's solutions are sold to more than 6,000 customers across 50 countries. Enverus is a portfolio company of Genstar Capital and brings together the technology of Drillinginfo, PLS, 1Derrick, MineralSoft, Midland Map Co., MarketView, DataGenic Group, PRT, Oildex, Cortex, Red Dog Systems and RigData as one company. Creating the future of energy together. Learn more at www.enverus.com. SOURCE Enverus Related Links http://www.enverus.com Michael Jessen and Juliana Custodio have stood strong as a couple throughout TLCs 90 Day Fiance Season 7. The 42-year-old wine entrepreneur and devoted father of two from Connecticut and the 23-year-old Brazilian model may have formed an unlikely connection when they first met at a Croatian yacht party several years ago. But since the show began airing, they have stood up for one another on social media, defended each other against critics, spoken kindly of Michaels ex-wife (and the mother of his two children) Sarah, and co-parented the Jessen kids, Max and CeCe. At the end of 2019, Michael and Juliana headed to Indiana to visit family with Max and CeCe. But Michaels daughter had an unexpected health scare just before the start of 2020 that left the family shaken. Juliana Custodio | Juliana Custodio via Instagram Michaels daughter headed to the hospital at the end of 2019 Usually, Michaels posts about his kids are happy-go-lucky. But during the holidays, Michael shared some scary news about CeCes health. Next to a photo of CeCe using a nebulizer in a hospital bed, the 90 Day Fiance star wrote, CeCe emergency yesterday. She has a peanut allergy and accidentally was served a smoothie with peanut butter as an ingredient. She had a mild allergic reaction, but thankfully not a full-blown anaphylactic shockShes tip-top and back to full health today. He hashtagged the post with relief, health, and parenting scare. 90 Day Fiance fans flocked to the post to share their support and ask how Michaels young daughter was doing now. Glad shes ok! No one wants to be sick around the [festival] no! Wishing you Juliana & the kids an awesome New Years Eve! Have a blaassttt! one supporter wrote. Another viewer inquired, How is she now? Thankfully, it looks like CeCe is on the mend, as Michael responded, Shes all betterthanks! Michaels ex-wife Sarah spent the holidays with her new husband While Juliana and Michael were in Indiana with the kids, it looks like Michaels ex-wife Sarah headed out to California with her new husband. Sarah recently married her longtime boyfriend Sean Naso, a hip-hop artist. The couple celebrated their nuptials with the whole family in tow, including Juliana and Michael. From the looks of social media, theyre all on good terms. It looks like the kids love him, too, as Michael and Sarahs son Max even posts about his new stepdad on his own Instagram. Merry Christmas from #deltaskylounge the most depressing Christmas hashtag ever, Sarah joked in a selfie with her new husband. Gotta work tho! Off to LA. Stay tuned for NASOs new video. Later, she shared shots of the video shoot on Instagram. 90 Day Fiance fans are impressed with Julianas and Sarahs ability to co-parent Many 90 Day Fiance fans were skeptical of Juliana and Michael at first due to their very different financial backgrounds and surprising age difference. But Sarah, Juliana, and Michael seem to get along well and co-parent peacefully, even spending time together regularly for family events. Under a snapshot from Sarahs wedding to Sean, one Instagram user congratulated her on being such a great mom and so welcoming to Juliana, writing: Im so happy for you!!! Youre an amazing [woman]. Your kids are beyond exceptional. You are obviously doing something right in raising such great kids and it looks like you have this coparenting thing down!!! Keep doing you because youre doing a great job! Happy for you two! Sarah, Michael, and Juliana have even spoken out together against editing on the show, which they believe has sometimes misrepresented them. Michael called out TLC for allegedly leaving out crucial parts of his conversation around prenuptial agreements with his new wife. Sarah, meanwhile, pushed back against the idea that she was jealous of or threatened by Juliana, saying parts of her comments were cut out by 90 Day Fiance producers in misleading ways. THE TOP 10 (4, 3, 2, 1): Yellow Jackets, greenways, Big Yellow Taxi, red district donnybrook School Board members and county officials celebrate the opening of Edneyville Elementary School. Here's the Top 10 news stories of 2019, part 3: 4.Yellow Jackets rising The completion of the new Edneyville Elementary School marked the most successful partnership of elected bodies since the five-party partnership that created the Health Sciences Center at Pardee Hospital and signified a long-awaited victory for the apple country. It is gaining back a loss, School Board member Dot Case, a retired Edneyville and North Henderson High School teacher, said during a ribbon cutting last month. We lost our high school so this is big for the community because were finally getting something new and it is fantastic. I cant wait till theres the open house for the community because theyre going to be so awed of this school. It is an awesome school and they deserve it. I was part of this community for 47 years and its like coming home for me. The $25 million 87,000-square-foot facility includes model classrooms, a full-sized gym designed for use by the community outside school hours and accent decor in Yellow Jacket yellow inside and out. 3. Greenways up, down Greenways got two big victories in 2019 and a couple of setbacks. When the Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a greenway master plan on April 1, one county commissioner called the potential for countywide greenways a dream come true to enhance quality of life and serve children, another praised the broad support across business, education and recreation and a third described a countywide greenway network as significant, potentially, as Jackson Park and Blue Ridge Community College. Commissioners "wanted to see something realistic and achievable" that could be achieved "in small bites," Chris Burns, who chaired the Greenway Master Plan Committee. "And most importantly, you wanted it incorporate our mountain values and make it voluntary and that was done." As big was the vote by the state Board of Transportation authorized a $6.4 million grant to acquire the Hendersonville-to-Brevard rail line from Blue Ridge Southern Railroad. Henderson County, the county Tourism Development Authority, the Friends of Ecusta Trail and Conserving Carolina are partnering in the effort. On the minus side, the county would lose a 1-mile paved greenway through the Park at Flat Rock if the new Flat Rock Village Council succeeds in its effort to kill the Highland Lake Road project and the Board of Commissioners in August declined to move ahead with a Kunz Park development proposal that included a bicycle-pedestrian bridge over the French Broad River that would be needed to connect the Mills River Valley Trail with a possible northern leg of the Oklawaha Greenway. 2. Big Yellow Taxi rolls Nowhere was the fight more ferocious in 2019 than in the Village of Flat Rock, which turned from a sedate retiree town into a hotbed of political warfare. At the center of the conflict was the proposed Highland Lake Road widening, which the Village Flat Anne Coletta, shown with husband Paul, takes the oath of office at a Flat Rock Village Council member.Rock residents. Former council member Anne Coletta organized a political action committee, the Cultural Landscape Group, and led a slate of three candidates ran against the road project and took control of the council. True to their primary campaign pledge, the new members, joined by Mayor Nick Weedman, adopted a resolution requesting that the NCDOT drop the project. Supporters of the road project say that the improvements would improve safety, create a nicer gateway to the Village of Flat Rock and prepare for future growth as more retirees flock to the village. The election result, the winners declared, matters more. The people spoke, council member David Dethero said. The people should be listened to. 1.Meadows' announcement rocks 11th District race Maybe we should have suspected back in July, when state Rep. Cody Henson resigned from the state House one day after pleading guilty to stalking his estranged wife, that the year in politics would be anything but dull. Although the announcement from state Rep. Chuck McGrady that he would retire after serving 10 years in the Legislature was not a surprise, many people received the news with disappointment. U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows checks out the apple drop at Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard in Edneyville.McGradys departure meant that Henderson County would lose one of the most effective legislators in Raleigh for the second time in four years. State Sen. Tom Apodaca had risen to become the second most powerful member of the Senate when he retired from the General Assembly in 2016 to launch a lobbying career. Two Republicans and two Democrats have filed for McGradys seat. Republican Party leaders from Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties selected Polk County Commissioner Jake Johnson to fill Hensons seat. Johnson faces Democrat Sam Edney in the November election. Back in 2019, municipal elections held surprises outside of Flat Rock. Longtime incumbents lost in Hendersonville, Saluda and Mills River and two young business owners who happen to be moms too swept to victory in Hendersonville, flipping the council to a female majority. The big news of the 2020 election season came before the dust had settled on the city elections. One of President Trumps most loyal supporters in the House, U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows announced the day before filing closed that he would not seek re-election to a fifth term but hinted he would join Trump or his re-election campaign in some capacity. My work with President Trump and his administration is only beginning, Meadows said in a news release. Although time was limited, candidates found a way to sign up. By the time qualifying closed, 19 candidates had filed for the seat 12 Republicans, five Democrats, a Libertarian and a Green Party candidate. The primary election campaign is upon us already. Thanks to this year's early primary North Carolina joins 14 other states voting on Super Tuesday the congressional primary fight is upon has already. Look for the candidates on the hustings immediately. (Natural News) Ancient fungi might have made their way on land ahead of their plant counterparts. A recent analysis of fossil fungi from the Northwest Territories of Canada suggested that the organisms might be a billion years old. Researchers from Belgium, France and Canada discovered ancient fungi with a complicated and branching shape. They published their findings in the scientific journal Nature. If other studies confirmed their findings, the fungi they found would become the first from that eon that featured a complex structure. Experts believed that the first fungi appeared around one billion years ago. Other lifeforms were also showing up around that time. However, early fungi were thought to be single-celled organisms. It was too early for the microorganisms to develop a multi-branched structure found in complex organisms. This is reshaping our vision of the world because those groups are still present today, explained Corentin Loron, a researcher at the University of Liege and co-author of the study. Therefore, this distant past, although very different from today, may have been much more modern than we thought. (Related: Oxygen loss in ancient oceans led to mass extinctions will history repeat itself?) Ancient fungi might be a billion years old Aside from potentially being some of the oldest fungi in the fossil record, the newly-discovered specimens suggested that the eukaryotes abandoned their oceanic habitat for the land earlier than plants did. The earliest known terrestrial plants came ashore around 470 million years ago. In comparison, the fossilized fungi found by Lorons team apparently not only lived on land but did so a billion years in the past 530 million years ahead of any plant. The fungi were probably colonizing the land before the plants, Loron suggested. A team came across the fossils in shale rock that once made up the bed of an estuary. The ULiege-led research team calculated the age of the fossils using two different dating techniques. First, they performed uranium-lead dating on tiny minerals called detrital zircons that appeared within the shale. Zircon is a very sturdy mineral that resists the weathering effects of the eons. The oldest known zircons came from the Jack Hills of Mid West Western Australia. Their age was estimated to be 4.4 billion years old. The researchers also employed a second dating technique that estimated the age of the organic matter in the shale. They compared the data from the two methods. Ancient fungi might have colonized the land ahead of plants The researchers named the species Ourasphaira giraldae. Their analyses set the age of the fossil fungi between one billion and 900 million years old. O. giraldae bear some resemblance to balloons. The body structure of the ancient fungus branched out into slender filaments that ended in spherical spores, which acted as the fungal equivalents of seeds in flowering plants. The fungi are tiny. Each spore measures several hundred nanometers in diameter, while the filaments that support them only reaches a few dozen micrometers in length. Lorons team also reported uncovering evidence that the same fossils retained some chitin, the fiber that comprised fungal cell walls. They shone infrared light on the specimens, evaluated the reflections, and compared the patterns to chitin in modern-day fungi. The analysis suggested that the light patterns of O. giraldae matched their living descendants, some of which have gone aboard space stations. Previously, the oldest fungi fossils on record came from Wisconsin. Those fossilized spores lived 450 million years ago. If O. giraldae did live on land, something a flood, perhaps must have displaced the ancient fungi into the estuary. It is also possible that the fungi lived in the shallow water of the area. Sources include: LiveScience.com Nature.com An Uber driver in Georgia has graduated thanks to a nearly $700 donation she received from one of her passengers. Latonya Young, 43, dropped out of high school when she became pregnant with her son who is now 26 but she managed to get her GED in 2007 and enrolled at Georgia State University in 2010. However the single mother of three boys had to stop classes due a $693 hold on her account and it was only until she met Kevin Esch last May that she was able to earn her associate's degree in criminal justice because he personally paid the school a few days later. Esch text her: 'Okay, you're all set. Register for your class.' Kevin Esch (left) paid off Latonya Young's debt in May 2018. She had enrolled at Georgia State University in 2010 but had to quit classes due to a $693 hold on her account Young started classes again August 2018 and graduated last month. She told Esch: 'I feel like your $693 is $1 million. I feel like I hit the jackpot' Young had asked the school if she could pay them monthly but they refused. She finally walked across the stage to get her degree last month 'I still have the text that he sent me and my response. I wrote back, "Oh my God",' Young told GMA. 'I told him, "I feel like your $693 is $1 million. I feel like I hit the jackpot".' Young had taken up work with the ride-sharing app as well as Lyft but didn't manage to save the money required to resume her education due to an accident that required her to have two surgeries plus the financial help she gave her mother and sons. Young had asked the school if she could pay them monthly but they refused. After enjoying a deep conversation about his recent divorce and her career goals after picking him up from outside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta the air struck up a friendship. Esch had also tipped Young $120 for the ride via the app. 'That weekend I did make enough money to pay the $693 and I tried to give it to Kevin and he wouldn't take it,' she said. 'He told me to use it for my kids.' Esch had also tipped Young $120 after they bonded during a ride where they discussed his divorce and her career aspirations. Since then they have remained in touch Young tried to return the money to Esch but he declined and told her to spend it on her children Young returned to classes in August 2018. Images posted on their Facebook accounts show how Esch was there to watch Young walk across the stage and receive her degree last month. The pair are seen hugging and holding hands as Esch joined Young's loved ones at the ceremony. 'You never know who God will send to change your life All thanks to the man upstairs... It's not how you start in life... it's how you finish!!' Young posted on Facebook as she celebrated her success. 'I'm encouraging you all that need an extra push not to give up.' When graduation day arrive, Esch posted on Facebook alongside pictures of his new friend: 'So incredibly proud of you.' Esch told GMA it 'was amazing, to be there and to see the smile on her face and to know that she did it'. 'I know she's going to go places much further than that now,' Esch continued. The single mother of three boys had taken up work with the ride-sharing app as well as Lyft but didn't manage to save the money required to resume her education due to an accident that required her to have two surgeries. She also used her money to help her mother and sons Following the graduation, Esch got more of a thrill out of the good deed than he had hoped for after the school sent him a letter to praise him for the generosity Following the graduation, Esch got more of a thrill out of the good deed than he had hoped for after the school sent him a letter to praise him for the generosity. 'What an incredibly special gift! Thank you Dean Nancy Kropf for the heartfelt letter and picture frame to commemorate Latonya's graduation,' Esch wrote on Facebook. 'I am honored to have been a part of the story and hope that it can serve as an inspiration to all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!' The story of Young and Esch has made them local stars, with the pair telling their heart-warming story in media interviews. 'Holy s**t y'all! I am overwhelmed by the response of this whole thing,' Esch wrote on Facebook. 'My heart is full. Thank you for every single message, note and post that you've sent! 'Never in a million years did I think that all of this would come from a random Uber ride over a year and a half ago.' 'I have thanked him so much but I feel like I haven't thanked him enough,' Young told Good Morning America. 'It was not just the money but his willingness and his sacrifice for me to do better in life. This man knew me for maybe 20 minutes.' He added to GMA: 'It was something I could do that I thought was worth it and would really help her.' A woman was shocked to learn she had been breaking the law after police stopped her and told her about a little known road rule. The driver from Sydney's South took to Facebook to share that she was nearly slapped with a $114 fine after police busted her without any windscreen wiper fluid. She got off with a minor defect notice and rushed to get a mechanic to sign off after she refilled the washer so she didn't have to pay the penalty. A Sydney woman was nearly slapped with a $114 fine after she was caught driving with no water in her windscreen wipers (file image) NSW Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the penalty for having no water in the wipers will result in a $114 fine with no loss of demerit points. The rule comes under the Roads Transport Act and states a wiper must be able to remove any obstructing view for the driver. It states that: 'At least one windscreen wiper fitted to the motor vehicle must be able to remove moisture from the part of the windscreen in front of the driver to allow the driver an adequate view of the road ahead of the motor vehicle when the windscreen is wet.' The Sydney driver said she was fined after police caught her flashing her lights at other cars to alert them authorities were in the area. This penalty alone holds a loss of one demerit point and a $110 fine. Earlier this year another woman was fined $114 after leaving her car windows down. The driver who left her car in Leichardt, in Sydney's inner west was penalised after leaving her windows cracked just a few inches. Under NSW road rules, drivers can be fined if they are more than three metres away from their vehicle with the windows open more than two centimetres. MARKHAM, Ont. - Police north of Toronto say they've laid impaired driving charges after a fatal car crash on New Year's Eve. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (738 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. MARKHAM, Ont. - Police north of Toronto say they've laid impaired driving charges after a fatal car crash on New Year's Eve. York Regional Police say the incident happened at around 7:20 p.m. when a Hyundai and Toyota collided in Markham, Ont. They say the driver of the Toyota, a 68-year-old man, was killed. The 40-year-old driver of the Hyundai is facing charges of impaired operation causing death and related offences. Ontario's police watchdog is also investigating. The Special Investigations Unit said the incident happened after a police cruiser started following the Hyundai. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2020. Ayden Le was born at 2 a.m. at Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health to Aileen Pena and Andy Le of Northeast Philadelphia. Read more On New Years Eve, Aileen Pena watched the ball drop in Times Square on a TV in her hospital room at Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health, counting down to the new year between contractions. Two hours later, a 5-pound, 12-ounce boy was delivered. Her first child, Ayden Le, and the hospitals first baby born in 2020. Pena, 25, of Northeast Philadelphia, was due Jan. 14, but when she went in for an 8:30 a.m. checkup on Tuesday with the boys father, Andy Le, her doctors decided to admit her. She was induced at 1:30 p.m. and went into labor around 10. I was kind of in shock, said Pena, who works at a chiropractors office in Mayfair. I didnt think he would come this early. Pena, who declined an epidural, said she was exhausted after the four-hour delivery but was excited for her new role in the upcoming decade: You know, she said, motherhood. In maternity wards around the region, similar stories played out as the country celebrated the birth of a new year. According to an informal survey, dozens more babies were born in hospitals throughout Philadelphia and its suburbs on New Years Day. Between midnight and 5 a.m., Pennsylvania Hospital and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania counted a total of nine births, and Einstein Medical Centers in Philadelphia and Montgomery County counted six, the first at 12:10 a.m. Temple University Hospital counted only one. But it appeared that a baby in Burlington County might have beaten them all. Arriving just two minutes after midnight at the Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly was baby Lucian, a 7-pound, 1-ounce reason to toast Champagne-filled glasses for parents Kuulei and Dakotah of Pemberton. Closer to Philadelphia, it was nearly two hours after baby Le was born that 7-pound, 3-ounce Robert Jay Wise made his debut at Abington Hospital, the first son of Oreland residents Lauren and Robert, who already have three daughters. Pena said that while she and Le were not expecting a New Years Day baby, they had begun to embrace it by the end of the holiday because they believed it would set their son apart from his soon-to-be-born peers. Were blessed, she said. Hes unique. This front page Washington Post story about the siege by pro-Iran militias of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, now ended, is an attempt to score points against President Trump. The subtitle of the story (paper edition) is Trump warns Iran but shows little appetite for deeper involvement. Trump responded to the siege by deploying troops to the region. A president with an appetite for a deeper involvement than that would be a warmonger. Would the Washington Post have characterized the same response by President Obama the same way? I dont think so. The Post would have praised Obama for using a forceful but restrained approach. (Not that Obama would have responded as effectively. He probably would have told the militias to cut it out.) In the very first paragraph of the Posts article, Anne Gearan, Philip Rucker, and Josh Dawsey intone that the attack on the embassy appeared to put Trumps hope for diplomacy with Tehran further out of reach. I dont believe theres much serious hope of U.S. diplomacy with Tehran any time soon, nor is such diplomacy to be hoped for. However, theres no reason to believe that this episode has any bearing on the prospects for negotiations with Iran. Trumps Iran strategy consists of putting maximum pressure on the regime to change its ways (or face an insurrection). If anything, the attack on the embassy is a sign that Trump has been effective in applying pressure. The Baghdad gambit can be viewed as a reaction by Iran to the heat its feeling due in significant part to Trumps policies. If Iran continues to suffer economically and to be stymied in some of its regional ambitions, perhaps the mullahs will want to negotiate with the Trump administration. I very much doubt that they will, but if they dont, it wont have anything to do with the events that took place in Baghdad this week. The Posts coverage of the attack on the embassy in Baghdad is biased and misleading in another respect, as well. The papers other lead story on the subject treats the siege of the embassy as evidence that Iran is ascendant in Iraq. Yet, neither this story nor the one discussed above mentions the fact that Iranian diplomatic outposts in Iraq have been attacked, and indeed torched, by locals. If the attack on the U.S. compound by pro-Iranian forces is evidence that Iran is ascendant, then the attack by anti-Iranian forces on Iranian facilities is evidence to the contrary. Yet, the Post, hides this evidence from its readers. If we didnt know better, we might think that the Post is rooting for Iran in its showdown with the U.S. and its leader, President Trump. Tullow Oil is plugging an oil well in Guyana after failing to find enough oil (Tullow Oil/PA) Investors in Tullow Oil were less than impressed at the struggling oil companys latest update that it had discovered light oil at its Carapa-1 well in Guyana. Shares plunged 6.5%, off 4.15p at 59.85p, as bosses revealed that, although they found oil, the reservoir they are drilling is smaller than first thought. In early trading shares dropped by as much as 20%, before recovering. Mark MacFarlane, chief operating officer, said: The Carapa-1 result is an important exploration outcome with positive implications for both the Kanuku and Orinduik blocks. While net pay and reservoir development at this location are below our pre-drill estimates, we are encouraged to find good-quality oil which proves the extension of the prolific Cretaceous play into our acreage. Expectations were high going into this. There will be a level of disappointment about the sizeDavid Round, BMO Capital Markets The discovery comes after a tough year for Tullow, which saw its chief executive and exploration chief both quit after poor results from its offshore Guyana sites. David Round, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, explained: Expectations were high going into this. There will be a level of disappointment about the size. The well will now be plugged and abandoned due to the quality of the oil not being commercially viable, but bosses hope the information gained will help with future drilling. Mr MacFarlane added: We will now integrate the results of the three exploration wells drilled in these adjacent licences into our Guyana and Suriname geological and geophysical models before deciding the future work programme. The results come as Tullow searches for a new boss after Paul McDade, and exploration director Angus McCoss, quit less than a month ago over a tough year where results from its main fields in Ghana were lower than expected. Since that time, the emergency team has attempted, unsuccessfully, to sell off many of its school properties. Some critics say the starting asking prices were far too high, and demolition costs deterred legitimate investors from bidding. Of the 10 schools Prince has declared blighted, some have received offers from the Gary Housing Authority to expand its housing offerings in the city. Last month, the Gary Housing Authority approved purchase options for high schools of Emerson and Horace Mann. The GHA is also interested in Gary's former Spaulding Elementary School. And last year, the housing authority submitted a $160,000 bid for the Ernie Pyle Elementary School property. In fall 2018, George Carver Elementary, 2535 Virginia St., received a $35,000 bid from Henry Leong, managing member of Little Calumet Greenspace, LLC. The proposal calls for the school to be environmentally remediated, razed and the footprint developed into a logistics complex. The city of Gary made a $100,000 bid during a previous round of bidding on Franklin Elementary School, where the city plans to build affordable housing and mixed commercial properties. Mixed Reaction to Cameroon's Renewed Threats to Separatists By Moki Edwin Kindzeka January 01, 2020 There have been mixed reactions in Cameroon to President Paul Biya's renewed threat to crush separatist fighters in the country's two English-speaking regions. Many Cameroonians were expecting Biya to announce new peace measures in an end-of-year message. President Biya said the security problems in the Northwest and Southwest regions remain the most urgent issue to be tackled in the new year. He said he had taken several measures allowing armed groups and fighters to lay down their weapons, but said the fighters, who are mostly youths, have been brainwashed by Cameroonians in the diaspora. Biya said his military will henceforth show no mercy for those who continue to refuse to surrender and be forgiven. "We will have no other choice than to combat them in order to protect all our fellow citizens," he said. "Our Defense and Security Forces will, once again, perform their duty with restraint, but without weakness. I wish to reassure them of my full support and high esteem." Biya accused Cameroonians in the diaspora of funding violence back at home by continuing to buy weapons and said they should, out of patriotism, refrain from destroying their country. The comments drew immediate criticism from opposition leaders. John Fru Ndi, leader of Cameroon's opposition Social Democratic Front party, says he was scandalized that Biya did not announce measures to stop the separatist crisis that is in its fourth year. He says after the national dialogue Biya held in October, Cameroonians expected him to free separatist leader Ayuk Tabe Julius and his collaborators to allow peace to return. "I expected that in a speech like this he would say Anglophone activists, I pardon you. Now with this olive branch that I have extended, can all those in the bushes {fighters} come out let us talk," he said. "But Mr. Biya said if you want peace be prepared for war. I saw in him then that that was somebody who wanted to fight under all costs before his term comes to an end." Maurice Kamto, leader of the opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement, said Biya is deceiving himself and the world that he is resolving the separatist crisis. He said the president should convene what he called a sincere dialogue. "The broad inclusive national dialogue must deal with among other issues, including particularly the reform of the electoral system, the guarantee of fundamental human rights and public freedoms and the guarantee of the independence of justice," he said. Cameroon is scheduled to hold local and parliamentary elections next month. Fru Ndi said with the current tensions in the English speaking regions, it will be difficult to conduct any elections successfully. Violence erupted in the two regions in 2017 when teachers and lawyers protested alleged discrimination at the hands of Cameroon's French-speaking majority. The crisis has killed at least 3,000 people and displaced over 500,000, according to the United Nations. Separatist leaders on social media described Biya's message as a non-event and said they will continue to fight until they have their independence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As a health services researcher, I have spent more than a decade studying how to increase Americans access to high-quality, cost-effective primary care. I know firsthand that the growing nurse practitioner workforce is well positioned to meet this need. All NPs must complete either a masters or doctoral degree program and have advanced clinical training after their registered nurse preparation. NPs also undergo a rigorous national certification process to be recognized as expert health-care providers. Their numbers have increased from 120,000 in 2007 to 270,000 in 2018, and projections show that the overall NP workforce will almost double between 2013 and 2025. Nearly 90 percent of NPs are capable of delivering primary care services: They can assess patients, diagnose illnesses, prescribe medications, order tests and medical equipment, and admit patients to hospitals. Get the local news in these turbulent times straight to your inbox at 3 p.m. daily Get the local news straight to your inbox at 3 p.m. daily Sign up now> Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Leading fast fashion brand LIME chooses Centric Fashion PLM to power growth strategy CAMPBELL, Calif., January 2, 2020 LIME, a leading fast fashion company in Russia, has selected Centric Softwares Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury, home decor and consumer goods companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals. LIME is Centric Softwares first customer in Russia, marking further growth and geographic expansion for the market-leading PLM company. Founded in 2008, LIME is a fast fashion brand that gives its customers on-trend, luxury-inspired combinable garments at affordable prices. LIME has 80 retail stores across Russia, with plans to expand further in the region as well as internationally. Now incorporating Centrics industry-leading best practices and innovative technologies, LIME aims to become the number one fast fashion brand in Russia. Dmitriy Khokhlov, CEO of LIME, explains that the company decided to implement a PLM solution to provide a foundation for their ambitious growth strategy by streamlining information access and communication across the organization: We have invested in a lot of cutting-edge IT infrastructure and business intelligence tools for planning, but with all departments using different IT tools we suffered from a lack of transparency, out of date information, slow data handling and poor communication with our suppliers. Centric Fashion PLM will provide us with a central platform to orchestrate product-related information in order to increase the speed of product development, improve cooperative work across internal teams and enhance collaboration with suppliers. To expand in a fast and sustainable way, a modern PLM solution is crucial in order to get everyone on the same page. LIME carefully considered many different PLM solutions before selecting Centric Fashion PLM. The platform will be used by both LIME's internal teams and external suppliers. Centric Software is working with an impressive array of global brands. We were immediately impressed by Centric Fashion PLMs out-of-the-box functionality, capabilities for visualization and ability to handle workflows, says Dmitriy. Using Centric Fashion PLM, we will be able to provide our customers with more trendy garments, faster and at a better price point and level of quality. By improving LIME's offer to our customers and fulfilling their expectations, we will drive our growth strategy. Not only will we have happy customers, but well have happier employees as well, through streamlining our operations and making their lives easier! We are thrilled to welcome LIME as our first partner in Russia, says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. Russian fashion brands are seeking innovative technologies and best practices to support their growth strategies and LIME is proof of how Centric Fashion PLM plays a central part in building brand presence and profitability. We look forward to growing our partnership with LIME. Learn more about Centric Fashion PLM Request a Demo LIME (www.lime-shop.ru) LIME was founded in 2008 by a community of like-minded individuals who dreamed and strived to make the world of Haute Couture accessible to all ladies regardless of their wealth and social status. LIMEs corporate philosophy is based on a strong belief that the most fashionable and high-quality garments can be accessible to customers everywhere, not only in luxury stores. LIME provides freedom of choice and ensures the opportunity to create highly desirable fashionable looks for all types of female consumers. LIME mirrors the worlds latest fashion trends and its wide assortment of garments can be found in 80 stores across all of Russia. LIME is a dynamic company that constantly monitors global technological innovations and implements them in its day-to-day operations with one single goal to give customers even more freedom to choose from a vast array of high-quality, comfortable garments for every occasion. Be trendy! Be yourself! Be whoever you want to be! Centric Software (www.centricsoftware.com) From its headquarters in Silicon Valley, Centric Software provides a Digital Transformation Platform for the most prestigious names in fashion, retail, footwear, luxury, outdoor and consumer goods. Centrics flagship Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform, Centric 8, delivers enterprise-class merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, quality and collection management functionality tailored for fast-moving consumer industries. Centric SMB provides innovative PLM technology and key industry learnings for emerging brands. Centric Visual Innovation Platform (VIP) offers a new fully visual and digital experience for collaboration and decision-making and includes the Centric Buying Board to transform internal buying sessions and maximize retail value and the Centric Design Board for driving creativity and evolving product concepts. All Centric innovations shorten time to market, boost product innovation and reduce costs. Centric Software is majority-owned by Dassault Systemes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), the world leader in 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and PLM solutions. Centric Software has received multiple industry awards and recognition, including being named by Red Herring to its Top 100 Global list in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Centric also received various excellence awards from Frost & Sullivan in 2012, 2016 and 2018. Centric Software is a registered trademark of Centric Software Inc.. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. (end) Media Contacts: Centric Software Americas: Jennifer Forsythe, jforsythe@centricsoftware.com EMEA: Kristen Salaun-Batby, ksalaun-batby@centricsoftware.com APAC: Lily Dong, lily.dong@centricsoftware.com Today is the beginning of a new year, a new decade and also a new set of laws. More than 70 laws enacted by the Legislature last year take effect either in whole or in part today. They include several major health care initiatives including a ban on surprise emergency room bills, a tax on vaping products and a requirement that hospitals use patients preferred names and pronouns as well as laws that will benefit employees, including paid sick leave. The states highly controversial red flag law also takes effect today, allowing for the temporary seizure of firearms if someone is displaying high-risk behavior. Other laws provide for a new ban on the sale of cosmetics tested on animals, two new types of license plates and limits on candidate spending of campaign contributions. Heres a rundown of some of the states new laws. HEALTH CARE AB469: No more surprise emergency room bills No longer will patients be saddled with thousands of dollars in surprise emergency room bills. Starting today, hospitals and doctors will not be able to send most patients insured in Nevada whats known as a balance bill the balance of charges his or her insurance company wouldnt pay because the provider was out of network for emergency treatment provided. Now, it will be up to the providers and insurance companies to fight over the payment, or take the matter to an arbitrator, and the patient will only be responsible for paying whatever copay, coinsurance or deductible they would have been responsible for had they gone to an in-network provider. SB263: Taxes on vaping products A major piece of legislation addressing vaping in Nevada takes effect today. For one, the bill places a 30 percent tax on e-cigarettes and their accessories and directs a significant portion of the $8 million a year in revenue it is projected to generate back to vaping prevention activities. The new law also changes an existing statute that made it a misdemeanor for a clerk to sell tobacco products to a minor and allowed for fines of up to $1,000. Now, selling to a minor will no longer be a criminal offense, and civil fines will range from $100 to $500. It additionally calls for warnings to businesses that sell to minors for the first two violations, and a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for the fifth or subsequent violation within a 24-month period. SB364: Hospitals required to use preferred names and pronouns Starting today, hospitals will be required by state law to identify patients by their preferred name and pronouns. Hospitals will also be required to provide cultural competency training to staff members. AB124 + AB176: More protections for survivors of sexual assault Survivors of sexual assault now have their own bill of rights under Nevada law. The new law, passed as AB176, designates a series of specific rights, including the rights to be interviewed by a law enforcement official of their choosing, designate an attendant to provide support during the sexual assault forensic exam and while being interviewed by law enforcment, and consult with a sexual assault victims advocate. Other rights afforded under the law include the rights to prompt DNA testing of any evidence collected and to be informed of the results of that testing. Survivors will also be required under a second new law, AB124, to be provided a document containing medically and factually accurate information about emergency contraception, prophylactic antibiotics and other services for sexual assault survivors by the hospital or emergency medical facility where they are treated. SB192: More robust health insurance benefits for employers that pay lower minimum wage Employers who pay a lower minimum wage because they offer health insurance to their employees now have to meet a higher standard for the coverage they offer. Under this new law, employers are required to offer at least one health plan that includes coverage for hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, prescription drugs and other health care services typically required to be covered under the Affordable Care Act. GUNS AB291: Red flag law goes into effect A major portion of an omnibus gun safety law kicks into effect today, allowing for the temporary seizure of firearms if someone is displaying high-risk behavior. Under the new law, a family member or law enforcement officer may appeal to a court to have an individuals firearms taken away if they pose a risk of injury to themselves or others. Courts are required to grant the request if they find that the person poses an imminent risk, he or she has engaged in high-risk behavior and all other less restrictive options have been exhausted or havent worked. A nonprofit conservative group filed a lawsuit in December seeking to block implementation of the law, but a hearing has yet to be scheduled on the matter, according to the court clerks office. Other significant portions of the bill including a ban of bump stocks and the imposition of penalties for the negligent storage of firearms went into effect in June. EMPLOYMENT SB312: Paid sick leave This new law requires employers with at least 50 employees to allow workers to earn sick leave for each hour spent on the job. The minimum amount of leave for a person working 40 hours a week and 52 weeks a year would be about 40 hours of sick time. AB132: No more being denied employment after testing positive for pot Starting today, most employers will no longer be allowed to deny employment to prospective employees because they tested positive for marijuana. There are, however, exceptions for anyone who is applying to be a firefighter, emergency medical technician, any job that requires an employee to operate a motor vehicle and is required by federal or state law to submit to screening tests, and any other position the employer determines could adversely affect the safety of others. The new law also requires any employer that requires an employee to submit to a screening test within his or her first 30 days of employer to accept and consider the results of an additional screening tests paid for by the employee. EDUCATION SB80: Handle With Care Program A new program within public schools called the Handle With Care Program takes effect today. Under the program, law enforcement officers are now required to notify the program if a child has experienced a traumatic event, including domestic violence, the death of a family member or the arrest of a parent. The program is then responsible for relaying that information to the appropriate point person at the school, who will respond to the childs needs according to his or her training. SB320: New requirements on courses for high-achieving students Starting today, public schools will be required to place students identified for placement in more rigorous courses in math, English, science and social studies in those classes unless their parent or guardian objects. The law also requires public schools to establish more rigorous courses in those subjects if there are a sufficient number of pupils to warrant such a course and there are the resources to do so. ELECTIONS AB345: Omnibus elections bill takes effect You can add same-day voter registration your list of things to look forward to in 2020. Starting this year, voters will be able to sign up to register to vote on Election Day, meaning that they cant be turned away from the polls because they missed the registration deadline. Another portion of this omnibus elections bill Implementation of an automatic voter registration measure approved by voters in 2018. Under automatic registration, the states opt-in registration has been changed to opt-out, meaning anyone signing up for or renewing a drivers license will be automatically registered to vote. SB557: Limits on candidate spending of campaign donations This new law prohibits candidates from paying themselves a salary out of campaign donations and clarifies personal use expenses that cannot be paid out of campaign dollars. TRANSPORTATION AB363: Free drivers license tests, replacement licenses for homeless youth Starting today, there will be no more fees for homeless youth taking their first drivers license test, seeking a replacement drivers license or identification card or seeking a copy of their birth certificate beginning today. This law was proposed by the late Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson. SB181: Electric vehicle license plates Under this new law that takes effect today, the DMV is required to issue special license plates for any entirely electric vehicles. The initial issuance of the license plates will be $125, in addition to any governmental services taxes, and the renewal fee will be $80. The DMV is required to send funds generated by the license plates, in excess of all applicable registration, license and license plate fees, to the State Highway Fund. SB356: License plates for retired military vehicles The DMV will also now be required to design and issue license plates for certain retired military vehicles if it receives at least 25 applications for such license plates. The vehicles must be at least 20 years old and must only be used for exhibitions, parades, charitable events, fundraisers or similar activities unless they meet certain requirements to operate on state highways. OTHER AB376: Explanation of questioning about immigration status Officers in jails will be required to tell people why they are being questioned about their immigration status beginning today. The proposal was one part of a more ambitious bill that was gutted toward the end of the legislative session that would have required local law enforcement to report how often they are transferring people over to immigration authorities and how serious the underlying charges are. SB197: No more sales of cosmetics tested on animals Any cosmetics that are tested on animals today or at any date in the future will be barred from being imported to or sold in the state of Nevada. Anyone who does will be subject to civil and criminal penalties associated with violating the prohibition on deceptive trade practices. However, the new law does allow an inventory of cosmetics that would otherwise be in violation of the bill to be sold on or before June 30. SB367: Pets in homes paid for out of the Account for Low-Income Housing Beginning today, any tenants that acquire housing with money from the states Account for Low-Income Housing will be allowed to keep one or more pets in their residence in accordance with applicable laws and ordinances, so long as they follow certain policies for keeping their pet in a residence, including meeting noise and sanitation standards and vaccination requirements. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 4 NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah along with party's working president JP Nadda has appointed state in-charges to lead the party's outreach programme to counter opposition's campaign against Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019. According to reports, party leader Hemant Biswa Sharma and Rahul Sinha will lead the party's CAA outreach campaign in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Northeast, while Anil Jain will do the same in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. For Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Chattisgarh, Avinash Rai has been handed over the task of presenting and promoting the party's viewpoint on the amended citizenship law. Saroj Pandey has been tasked to coordinate in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Daman and Diu, while Suresh Bhatt has been asked to lead the programme in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and J&K. Party leader Ravindra Raju will lead the initiative in the southern states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry. Live TV Amidst the massive protest Citizenship Amendment Act across the country, the ruling BJP has also decided to hold a public campaign to aware people regarding the new Citizenship Amendment Act. The campaign will start from January 5 and continue till January 15. The BJP government has set a target to reach around three crore families in the awareness campaign. Its parent outfit - the RSS - is likely to join BJP in this awareness campaign. The government is further targeting to get the support of nearly one crore people in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act. To fulfil their target, BJP has formed different public relation groups to connect with people belonging to a different section of people including Buddhist, Dalits and minorities. BJP's top brass including party president Amit Shah, executive president JP Nadda along with other 50 leaders will hold big events in several cities to promote the campaign. The party is also considering to hold a big rally at the end of the entire public awareness campaign. Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a massive public awareness campaign on social media and through its cadres to reach out to the Muslim community and dispel their doubts on the issue. Several videos were also uploaded in BJP's official Twitter handle which explained the Citizenship Amendment Act and said that the Muslims should stop worrying as the new act would not affect them in any way. The BJP's clarification has been necessitated after a slew of protests broke out across the country, a few of which also witnessed violence. The CAA and NRC have become emotive issues among the Muslim community triggering widespread protests across the country. They said party leader Priyanka Gandhi should have gone there to console the children's mothers instead of 'playing politics' in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow/Jaipur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday targeted the Congress over infant deaths at a Rajasthan hospital, saying party leader Priyanka Gandhi should have gone there to console the children's mothers instead of "playing politics" in Uttar Pradesh. Both appeared to refer to Gandhi's visit to the state after violent protests over the amended citizenship law. Other BJP leaders have also attacked the Congress-led government in Rajasthan over 100 deaths in December at JK Lon hospital in Kota. In a tweet on Thursday, chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the deaths should not be politicised. The Centre too has decided to send a high-level team comprising experts from AIIMS, Jodhpur, and health economists to Kota. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the Centre was ready ready to provide any technical help or assistance. "Let us ensure no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of health system capacity," Vardhan wrote to Gehlot. Earlier attacking Priyanka and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said it was extremely sad that despite being women both could not feel the pain of the mothers. In a series of tweets in Hindi, Adityanath said, "The death of 100 innocent children is extremely saddening and heart-wrenching. The death of children is a blot on a civilised society, human values and feelings." "It is extremely sad that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, despite being women, are not able to understand the sorrow of the mothers," he added. He said it would have been better "had Priyanka met and consoled the aggrieved mothers instead of indulging in politics in Uttar Pradesh". Slamming Gehlot, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "The indifference, insensitivity and irresponsible behaviour of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his silence makes the mind all the more sad." BSP supremo Mayawati too questioned the Congress general secretary over her "silence" on the death of at least 100 children in the past month. She said if Priyanka Gandhi does not meet the children's mothers, then her meeting with the kin of the victims of violence during the anti-CAA protests in UP will be "construed as pure theatrics". In another tweet, the BSP leader said, "The death of 100 children in Rajasthan's Kota district is very sad and painful. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his government are still insensitive, disinterested and irresponsible, which is highly condemnable." "But, what is more saddening is the fact that the top leadership of the Congress, especially its general secretary, are maintaining silence over this issue. It would have been better that like she did in UP, she had met the aggrieved mothers, who lost their children due to the laxity of the party's government," she said. Meanwhile, Gehlot said, "The government is sensitive to the death of sick infants in JK Lon Hospital in Kota. There should no politics over the issue. Infant mortality at this hospital is steadily decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. It is our top priority that mothers and children remain in good healthy," Gehlot tweeted in Hindi. Gehlot claimed that the first ICU for children in Rajasthan was established by the Congress government in 2003. "We also established an ICU for children in Kota in 2011," he added. Gehlot said the aim of 'Nirogi Rajasthan' was a priority for the government and an expert team from the Centre could further help improve health services in the state. "We are ready to improve medical services in the state through discussions and cooperation with an expert team from the Centre," he said. BJP state president Satish Poonia too expressed displeasure on the state government's "attitude" towards the issue. "It is regrettable that the state health minister did not even visit the hospital. The chief minister is known for being sensitive. A delegation of BJP MPs had met the families who lost their children. They were in deep anguish. If the government is not sensitive then it is worrisome," Poonia said. He alleged that the BJP MPs were manhandled by Congress workers during a visit to the Kota hospital. Poonia said the BJP does not want to do politics on the issue but it is unfortunate that the state government is not dealing with it seriously. A couple of days ago, a Rajasthan government committee had found that the hospital was short of beds and its functioning needs improvement but cleared the doctors there of any lapses. The three-member committee, which was sent to investigate 10 deaths on December 23 and 24, had said the infants who died on the two days were given the right treatment. The committee submitted that eight out of the 10 infants were referred from other hospitals and thay were at higher risk due to pre-term birth. Realme is now touted to launch a new phone called the 5i in Vietnam in 2020. A Geekbench listing that might correspond to this phone shows that it runs Android 9.0 on 4GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 665 processor. Therefore, this device might be the brand's first budget offering of the year. Working For Notebookcheck Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! English native speakers welcome! News Writer (AUS/NZL based) - Details here A new leak indicates that Realme is to launch a new phone on January 6, 2020. It is apparently to be called the 5i, which may imply the potential for multiple rear cameras at a good price. On that note, a new entry on the Geekbench 4 website suggests that this phone may indeed be decently cost-effective. The new set of benchmarking results is for a device called the "realme RMX2030". It is the second such listing with this new model-number convention, suggesting that it pertains to a 2020 phone. The 'RMX2030' is depicted here as having a processing platform code-named "trinket" - or, in other words, the Snapdragon 665 SoC. It also has 4GB of RAM; therefore, it may be a popular budget option for this part of the new year - should it have a price to match, of course. However, unfortunately, its new Geekbench listing also suggests it will run ColorOS 6 (based on Android 9.0) rather than 7 (a more up-to-date version) out of the box. Finally, its launch in 5 days is touted as for the Vietnamese market only, with no further hints as to a more worldwide release for this putative low-end new Realme phone. Customs in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, has given full play to innovations in science and technology and cutting edge technologies such as big data, 5G, augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI), realizing all-weather "smart" customs services, Science and Technology Daily reported. Customs officer at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport recognizes high-risk passengers and luggage with the help of 5G-glasses and wrist tablets. (Photo/Lyu Yi) To facilitate Guangdong's endeavor to create a first-class international business environment, Guangzhou Customs has made great efforts to intelligentize various customs clearance platforms and services. Focusing on the supervision of physical commodities, the "smart customs" project covers 52 ports in the district of Guangzhou, applicable to various business types such as container, bulk cargo, passengers, cruise terminals, and cross-border e-commerce, according to relevant executives with Guangzhou Customs. A total of 76 construction tasks have been incorporated in the "smart customs" construction, concerning the creation and materialization of such items as an all-weather smart clearance monitoring and command center, supervision of transportation facilities, one-stop online services, automatic shunting at shipside and customs pass, intelligent clearance for passengers via facial recognition, and paperless health supervision. "I remember I used to have to wait line to pass through customs when I returned to China," said a woman surnamed Li, who recently arrived in Guangzhou after a flight from Istanbul. However, Li disclosed that on her last trip, as soon as the plane landed, the registered luggage was sent to the checkpoints before passenger inspection. She added that "the customs officers were equipped with high-tech wearable devices. The measurement of temperature and radiation was conducted smoothly without passengers having to stop. It all felt very high-tech, and the whole process was very quick." More smart devices have been applied to the supervision and monitoring procedures of Guangzhou Customs, becoming a helping hand to customs officials. The small 5G glasses worn by customs officers have a micro camera at a corner of the frame. The wrist tablet they use is an intelligent terminal about the size of a mobile phone, which is connected to the integrated command platform of Guangzhou Customs. In the customs channel, through which nearly 100 people pass every minute, the 5G-based glasses and wrist tablet help customs officers identify members of the crowd via facial recognition. The devices alert officers when they detect a key monitoring target. Meanwhile, ordinary law-abiding passengers can pass through the channels quickly. At Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, one of the world's busiest international aviation hubs, these cutting-edge technologies and devices have reduced the clearance time of law-abiding passengers by 50 percent in the last year. "The integrated command platform of Guangzhou Customs can conduct an intelligent risk analysis of passengers and their luggage. The real-time results are sent to the onsite customs officers via smart wearable devices. All passengers are in the customs surveillance area as soon as they get off the plane," said Chen Xinyi, an official of the customs office at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. On Dec. 25, a batch of fruit weighing 98.6 tonnes arrived at Nansha port of Guangzhou at 3.a.m. The cargo was declared at the local customs via an international trade platform, and was quickly identified as not requiring further examination. Therefore, all the fruit was immediately transported to the fruit market, ready to buy at dawn. "Customs using high-tech can shunt cargo shipside. Goods that do not need inspection are released immediately," said Xiao Bingtian, a manager of a customs broker based in Guangzhou, who was in charge of the customs declaration formalities of fruit, adding that such quick customs clearance helps ensure the quality and sales of fresh produce. This efficiency is the result of the efforts of Guangzhou Customs to combine AR and AI technologies in their work. Since the beginning of 2019, Guangzhou Customs has intensified efforts to solve problems in congested areas by integrating highly intensive information into real scenarios, thus significantly simplifying and optimizing supervision modes and procedures. Inspection robots and remote systems have also been applied to customs clearance in Guangzhou, significantly boosting clearance efficiency. The daily handling capacity of customs at the second phase of Nansha Port has risen from an average of 300 containers to 500 containers. In the selection of new IMPD Chief Randal Taylor, Mayor Joe Hogsett has appointed only the fifth Black person to run a law enforcement agency in the citys nearly 200-year history; and while this history is important, what matters more at this moment is the future of IMPD and its relationship with the community. Appointed in 1992, Chief James Toler was the first Black chief of the Indianapolis Police Department an agency founded in 1903 and now merged into IMPD with the Sheriffs Department patrol division. Chief Taylor joins Marion County Sheriff Frank Anderson, IMPD Chief Rick Hite and interim IPD Chief Bobby Allen as Black men who have led a law enforcement agency in Marion County. Now retired Chief Deputy Eva Talley Sanders is likely both the longest serving and highest ranked Black female in a law enforcement agency in Marion County. While we pause to recognize the historic significance of the moment, what is more pressing are the challenges of the future. Over 400 Black males have been murdered during the last four years. There are unfinished reforms including a use of force board with civilian oversight and an updated use of force policy that were not completed during the previous tenure. In addition, the Hogsett administration has yet to deliver on a review of the citizens police complaint process. The recent police action shooting is a reminder that Chief Roach said he would use multi-agency investigations in fatal police action shootings as long as he was chief but that policy is not an IMPD general orders. There has been a lot of progress, but Chief Taylor inherits the work of unfinished reforms. To his credit, Chief Taylor highlighted a focus on gun violence and reducing both homicides and non-fatal shootings as well as a desire to possibly expand the detectives unit to address unsolved homicides in his first press conference as chief. Chief Taylor, while known, is not as broadly known within the community as some other high-profile officers within IMPD. Questions regarding leadership what will be the direction of the department, responsiveness to the families of victims of homicides, and effectively communicating with diverse and engaged communities are all very real concerns Chief Taylor will need to address immediately. An IMPD Chief cannot be colorblind; they must see race, ethnicity difference. Chief Taylor constituted the only racial diversity in the executive staff during the last administration. To shift IMPDs culture toward its future there must be a critical mass of diverse executive staff. This is a necessity for the future of a department operating in a city that is increasingly becoming more Black, Latinx, Asian American even international in its population. Black leaders did not call for a Black chief of police. Mayor Hogsett chose Chief Taylor because he believed he was the best man for the job. Black leaders did call for greater diversity within the executive staff, a diversity and inclusion plan that looks at hiring, retention and promotion of Black officers, as well as crime reduction plan that addresses gun violence. (Black leaders understand the new chief will need time so we will check-in in the next three to six months for these plans.) An additional concern that will present itself is the emergence of body cameras specifically what will happen if an officer turns the camera off? What if the camera malfunctions? These and many other challenges involving police and community relations should be seen as an opportunity and the community should have some patience as the new chief acclimates to the role. We need to give him a chance. Community leaders called for a more extensive and public search process where a consensus on key values that might undergird either what was sought for in a chief or the direction of IMPD could occur. This did not happen. This was a missed opportunity to get community buy-in on one of the key leaders in the criminal justice system and Chief Taylor will not benefit from what couldve been a model process for selecting a new police chief. Nevertheless, in comparison to the selection of former Chief Roach, and perhaps even former Chief Riggs there was more community input. Leaders with the AACI definitely made their thoughts known. At the end of the day, a competing thought is that the mayor has to make the final call. Input is fine but it is the mayors prerogative the buck stops with him. While I wouldve preferred a more public process, I dont get to pick the chief of police the mayor does. Mayor Hogsett has selected a chief of police. To his credit, he stood by his previous chief during extremely difficulty times. Chief Taylor should have the same support. Our community will be watching for a police department ready to move to the next level. We will be looking for leadership that drives down homicides and non-fatal shootings and defines the next future of the police and community relationship in Indianapolis built on legitimacy, transparency and accountability. The chiefs success is now our success. Best of luck Chief Randal Taylor. Marshawn Wolley is a lecturer, commentator, business owner and civic entrepreneur. Contact him at marshawnwolley@gmail.com. David Roberts says his 2020 started with a literal bang. "At first, I thought it was a thunderstorm coming, but it wasn't. It was a bang on our house," said Roberts. Roberts said he was up late watching New Year's Eve specials on television when around 1:30 a.m., a woman drove into the side of his home on Carter Creek Parkway in Bryan. "I saw bricks everywhere, wood everywhere and had a scratched car," said Roberts. He said he's grateful that he wasn't asleep at the time because the car went right into his bedroom. "Had I been asleep, I would've gotten hurt. I was very fortunate I wasn't in my room," said Roberts. According to a Bryan police report, the driver, 61-year-old Deborah Locckledge said she had a glass of wine about an hour and a half before the crash. Police said they could smell alcohol on her breath and found numerous pill bottles in her purse and several pills in her back pocket. She also said she pulled into the driveway from the road because she felt sick. "I felt it was kind of strange because it was so far away from the road. She drove across our side yard and then hit our corner house and destroyed the room," said Roberts. "But we never thought this would happen." Police conducted several sobriety tests at the scene of the crash. Lockledge was taken to the Brazos County Detention Center and charged with DWI. She was released Wednesday on a $2,000 bond. Boko Haram jihadists behead bride, bridal party days before wedding: diocese Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A jihadist insurgency affiliated with Boko Haram brutally murdered a Christian bride and her bridal party days before her wedding, a spokesperson for a Catholic diocese in Nigeria has confirmed. Father Francis Arinse, the communications director for the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, told the Catholic News Service that every member of the bridal party for former parishioner Martha Bulus was killed by Boko Haram extremists on Dec. 26 in Nigerias northeast Borno state. Arinse said the bridal party was traveling from Maiduguri to Bulus country home in Adamawa at the time they were killed. Bulus wedding was scheduled to take place on New Years Eve in Adamawa state. They were beheaded by suspected Boko Haram insurgents at Gwoza on their way to her country home, Arinse was quoted as saying. According to Arinse, Bulus used to attend St. Augustine Catholic Church in Maiduguri when he was first ordained. The alleged murders of Bulus and her friends fell on the same day in which 11 Christian aid workers were reportedly murdered by Islamic extremists after being taken hostage in Maiduguri and Damaturu. The terror group is known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province, a breakaway group of Boko Haram affiliated with the Islamic Ste in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility. A 56-second video was published by the Islamic States propaganda media arm, Amaq News Agency, showing one of the aid workers being shot and 10 others beheaded. The terror group claimed that the killing of the 11 aid workers was revenge for the killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi thanks to U.S. military operations last October. In the video, captives were shown pleading for the Christian Association of Nigeria and President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue them. Arinse also told the Catholic News Service that there have been a series of abductions in the Maiduguri area recently, and called on government agencies to improve security in northeast Nigeria. Last month, the U.S. State Department listed Nigeria on its special watch list, designating it among countries that have severe violations of religious freedom because of the Nigerian governments inability to thwart an increase in violence and abductions carried out in various areas of the country. In addition to Boko Haram and other extremists in the northeast, thousands of Christians are said to have been killed in Nigerias Middle Belt in recent years due to attacks carried out by nomadic Fulani herder radicals. We are designating [Nigeria] special watch list for the first time because of all of the increasing violence and communal activity and the lack of effective government response and the lack of judicial cases being brought forward in that country, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback told reporters in December. It is a dangerous situation in too many parts of Nigeria. The government has either not been willing to or have been ineffective in their response and the violence continues to grow. The U.K.-based nongovernmental organization Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust issued a report in November claiming that at least 1,000 Christians were killed by Fulani and Boko Haram extremists in 2019 while as many as 6,000 have been killed since 2015. Recently, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai challenged troops not to give terrorists any breathing space, according to the Nigerian news outlet The Punch. That means you must go out at all times, day and night, whether rain or sunshine and make sure you deal with them, Buratai was quoted as saying during a recent visit with troops in Adamawa state. Nigeria ranks as the 12th-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs 2019 World Watch List. In a bid to end the Church feud over burial grounds, the Kerala government on Wednesday proposed an ordinance making burial a right of every Christian at his or her parish cemetery. The ordinance in effect will benefit the Jacobite faction of Malankara Church as the ongoing property dispute between the Jacobite and Orthodox Church had resulted in an undue delay in burials. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the state government has introduced the ordinance as the warring factions were unable to reach a consensus. "The Cabinet had appointed a sub-committee to look into the issue and amicably solve it. But even after reaching out only one faction was ready for discussion. Instances of burial being obstructed were reported. Since it was becoming a social issue, the government intervened, " he said. The dispute between Jacobite and the Orthodox faction over properties is continuing for long in Kerala and even after a Supreme Court verdict in 2017, the feud is yet to die down. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Car drivers license candidates are required to spend an additional two hours learning about the harmful effects of alcoholic drinks on driving in Vietnam from this year on, according to a new fiat issued by the Ministry of Transport. The requirement is included in Circular 38/2019/TT-BGTVT, which has been implemented since Wednesday. Candidates registering for a driving test in 2020 will have to study a two-hour module on prevention and control of harmful effects of alcoholic beverages, said Luong Duyen Thong, an official from the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam. Drivers who registered for their test in 2019 but will take it in 2020 are not required to learn this module, he noted. Another new requirement is driving centers have to install cameras to monitor theory and practice tests and stream them to the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, local transport departments, and relevant agencies from January 1 onward. Simulation modeling has also been added to driving tests while from 2021 candidates will have to practice driving on expressways, mountain passes, and slippery roads. Surveillance devices will be installed in driving-practice cars to monitor the time and distance a driver covers from 2021 forward. From June 1, a QR code will be added on the drivers license to facilitate management. The code will make it easier to spot fake licenses, said Nguyen Van Huyen, director general of the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam. Traffic police officers will use smartphone apps to scan a drivers license to check if its fake. From January 1, bicyclists will be fined if they drink and ride. Cyclists shall be subject to a VND400,000-600,000 (US$17.3-26) fine when they are found riding after drinking alcoholic beverages, says Government Decree 100/2019/ND-CP. Car drivers will be fined VND30-40 million ($1,297-1,729) and have their driving license revoked for 22-24 months if they break regulations on drink-driving. Motorcyclists will face a VND6-8 million ($259-346) and have their driving license revoked for 22-24 months for the same offense. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned that North Korea has indicated it could resume nuclear and missile tests, a U.N. spokesman said on Wednesday, Trend reports citing Reuters. The Secretary-General very much hopes that the tests will not resume, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions. Non-proliferation remains a fundamental pillar of global nuclear security and must be preserved, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said this week that there were no longer grounds for Pyongyang to be bound by a self-declared moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear bomb testing and that a new strategic weapon would be introduced in the near future. Diplomatic engagement is the only pathway to sustainable peace, Dujarric also said. Peter McCabe has taken a year to compile his book on Dundonald cemetery (Liam McBurney/PA) The lives and deaths of ordinary people who did extraordinary things have been explored in a new book on an east Belfast graveyard. Two survivors of the Titanic disaster and a Christian aid worker who spent the Second World War in a prisoner of war camp in the Far East are among those laid to rest in Dundonald Cemetery. The site also holds the remains of Horatio Todd a colourful pharmacist whose local repute led to a Belfast bar being named after him several decades after his death. Those stories and almost 1,000 more have been compiled by Peter McCabe in his book on the cemetery. There is a lot of sadness obviously around a cemetery but I look at cemeteries more as outdoor museums, it gives you a little snapshot of Dundonald or greater Belfast for the last 120 years Mr McCabe, who previously wrote a book on the City Cemetery in west Belfast, said he hoped to encourage people to visit the site and learn more about the people who hailed from the east side of town. There is a lot of sadness obviously around a cemetery but I look at cemeteries more as outdoor museums, it gives you a little snapshot of Dundonald or greater Belfast for the last 120 years, he said. It is important to be reverential to the graves themselves but I think it is important to look at the graves and to recognise what a lot of people who are buried were there are a lot of ordinary people who have done extraordinary things. Mr McCabe, who conducts walking tours of the cemetery, said it took a year to complete the book. Its foreword was penned by East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson. There are a couple of survivors of the Titanic, they are both buried in unmarked graves in this cemetery, said Mr McCabe. There is also the man who launched the Titanic, a man called Robert Falconer Keith. There is Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon here, Fleming Fulton (special school founder) and Horatio Todd is here. A number of guys who died on the first day of the Somme, July 1 1916, are also commemorated here, so there any amount of different people. CS Lewiss life-long friend and confidante, a man called Arthur Greeves, is buried up here as well. Expand Close Horatio Todds grave in Dundonald cemetery (Liam McBurney/PA). PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Horatio Todds grave in Dundonald cemetery (Liam McBurney/PA). Mr McCabe, who is from Dundonald, said most people know little about Horatio Todd other than as the name of a popular bar and restaurant in nearby Ballyhackamore. Horatio Todd was quite a character, he explained. He was a pharmacist and the first president of the Pharmaceutical Society for Northern Ireland. He also had an OBE and was a bird watcher. He did prescriptions for humans but he also did prescriptions for animals, he was a vet prescriber as well. And he was always immaculately dressed and always wore a bow tie. URBANA, Ill. - School test scores often show gaps in performance between white and non-white students. Understanding the complex reasons behind this can help reduce those gaps and promote social equality, explains Mary Paula Arends-Kuenning, associate professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois. Arends-Kuenning is co-author of a study that analyzes math test scores for 9th-grade students in Brazil and breaks down the characteristics associated with performance gaps between different racial groups. "The purpose of the study is to gain a better understanding of why there's a gap between black students and white students in Brazil, in order to inform policies to narrow that gap," she says. Arends-Kuenning and co-author Kalinca Leia Becker, who served as a visiting Fulbright Junior Faculty Scholar at U of I, analyzed various factors that might influence the performance gap. This allowed them to estimate the effect of socio-economic characteristics such as parental education and standard of living and school characteristics such as quality of education. The gap still remaining after accounting for these factors may be due to racial discrimination and stereotypes, Arends-Kuenning says. A unique contribution of this paper is to perform a decomposition (break-down) of factors that influence performance gaps at different test score levels rather than just looking at averages. The researchers found that for students with test scores in the lower and middle range, the performance gaps can largely be associated with socio-economic factors; however, for higher-scoring students, structural factors that might be attributed to discrimination and stereotypes play a greater role. Understanding the complexity of how various factors interact can help inform policy interventions, Arends-Kuenning explains. "For example, we know that parents' education has a big effect on student performance in school. One reason blacks might do worse in school than whites is that the black students have parents who have lower levels of education than the parents of white students. "But we can also look at how those characteristics are rewarded in the school. It might be the case that having a parent with a high school education has more of an impact on your achievement if you're white than it does if you're black. And that could be due to many factors, but one factor might be discrimination. Something is blunting the effect of the education on the students' performance for different racial groups." The researchers used test data from the Brazilian National Evaluation System of Basic Education (SAEB), which is conducted biannually at public schools for 5th-, 9th-, and 11th-grade students. SAEB measures cognitive ability, and also collects information about student and family characteristics. They analyzed math scores from 2015 for students in 9th grade, which is the last year of middle school in Brazil. They compared results from white, brown (mixed-race), black, and indigenous students. The racial distribution of the Brazilian population is 42% white, 48% brown, 9.3% black, and 0.5% indigenous. The study looked at four groups of variables that might influence results. Those included characteristics of the student, such as age and gender; family characteristics, such as parental education level and standard of living; classroom characteristics, such as size, racial composition, and teacher attributes; and school characteristics, such as infrastructure and the principal's gender and race. "This paper is innovative because it looks at differences in performance not just on average, but across the entire distribution, at the 10th, 50th and 90th percentile," Arends-Kuenning says. The study showed that for scores in the lower and middle percentiles, student performance gaps can mostly be explained by differences in socio-economic and school characteristics, such as parents' educational level and education quality. "However, when you get to the upper end of the distribution, we find that the performance gap is also influenced by other factors, which might include discrimination and stereotype threat; that is, how students are treated in school," Arends-Kuenning says. The study's results indicate that it's important to invest in education, not just for the current generation of students. When those students grow up and raise families, it will affect their children too. That's especially important for students who are at the lower end of the performance distribution. "For the high-performing students, other interventions are needed," Arends-Kuenning explains. "The first step is to being aware that there is discrimination, and help students understand that it might be affecting why they are not doing well on standardized tests. The next step is to establish a policy to help students confront stereotype threat." ### The article, "Analysis of Math Test Score Gap Between White and Non-White Students in Brazilian Public Schools: SAEB 2015" is published in The Review of Black Political Economy. [DOI: 10.1177/0034644619879381] Authors are Mary Paula Arends-Kuenning, University of Illinois, and Kalinca Leia Becker, Federal University of Santa Maria, Rio Grande de Sul, Brazil. Funding for the research was provided by the Fulbright Junior Faculty Member Award. Record-breaking astronaut Christina Koch snapped this image of the moon from the International Space Station on Jan. 2, 2020. (Image credit: Astro_Christina/Twitter) Record-breaking NASA astronaut Christina Koch welcomed the decade that the U.S. plans to return to the moon with a stunning moonrise photo. Koch, who recently set the record for the longest space mission by a woman, is still aboard the International Space Station and is looking to the future. To celebrate the new year, Koch posted a stunning moonrise photo to Twitter. "First moonrise seen from the @Space_Station in the decade we go back," Koch wrote in her tweet. Related: Women in Space: A Gallery of Firsts More: The 100 Best Space Photos of 2019 First moonrise seen from the @Space_Station in the decade we go back. pic.twitter.com/Z10wIxnOA5January 2, 2020 See more This moonrise is not only the first that the astronauts are seeing this year, but also this decade. The moonrise, as Koch said, is the first glimpse of the moon in a decade in which humans expect to return to the lunar surface. NASA's Artemis program aims to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024. This will be the first crewed moon landing since NASA's Apollo 17 mission which, in 1972, was the last mission to land astronauts on the moon. Additionally, Koch is one of 17 female astronauts who could be chosen to be a part of the first crew to land on the moon with Artemis. Artemis is named after the Greek goddess of the moon, who is the twin sister to Apollo in Greek mythology. The program's main goal is to return humans to the lunar surface and to develop a long-term human presence on the moon. Within the program, NASA will additionally work with commercial partners to develop the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, a moon-orbiting station for space travelers; the Space Launch System (SLS), a giant rocket; and the Orion deep-space capsule, a spacecraft that will carry up to four astronauts to destinations like the moon or even Mars. Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . JACKSON, Miss. When a Mississippi deer hunter went to his stand Dec. 28, he was hoping to come across a big buck. Instead, he came across something that gave him one of the biggest scares of his life. "I have a metal ground blind," Mack Ginn said.. "It's up on cinder blocks. "The blind has been there a long time. It's a small blind; maybe 4 by 4 (feet). You have just enough room to walk in, sit, and swivel around." Ginn said he arrived at his stand at 6 a.m. He planned to spend much of the day in it, so he brought drinks and snacks. When the blind was originally placed there, it had no floor, but Ginn had a wooden shipping pallet that fit perfectly, so that became the floor. Ginn placed his snacks and drinks on one of the pallet's slats next to a wall. Pictured with his brother John Ginn, Mack Ginn of Lexington, Miss., holds a 4 1/2-foot timber rattlesnake that was in a hunting stand with with him for almost two hours before Ginn discovered it on Dec. 28, 2019. 'It echoed in the blind and sounded like it was in the trees' Gin had been in his stand watching for deer for close to two hours when something startled him. "It was 7:45 when I first heard it," Ginn said. "I heard a rattle. It echoed in the blind and sounded like it was in the trees." Ginn looked up in the trees through a window thinking it might be a cicada, but then realized cicadas would not be active in late December. He then looked down at the ground outside the blind, but saw nothing there either. "That's what it sounded like, but a lot louder," Ginn said. "That's what I thought initially." Ginn said he'd never heard a rattlesnake rattle, but started thinking that if he could imagine what it would sound like, it would be the sound he was hearing. When he pulled his head back in the blind, he saw a rattlesnake between the slats of the pallet. Bitten by a rattlesnake: Why you don't want to be bitten by a rattlesnake from a guy who was He was trapped with a rattlesnake "I jumped up in the chair," Ginn said. "He was right next to me. "My foot was on top of the pallet only a couple of inches from the snake. My first thought was to get away. I literally jumped into the chair because there was no way to get away. When I was in that chair, I realized I had nowhere to go." Story continues Ginn had no room to maneuver in the small blind to get out of it. With the commotion of Ginn jumping in his chair, the snake became more agitated and was striking at the chair each time it moved. Fire at German zoo kills more than 30 animals: 'Close to a miracle' two chimpanzees survived Ginn was in a predicament. He was standing in a chair in a small blind with a large timber rattlesnake that didn't appreciate his company. Ginn decided his only option was to shoot the snake with his rifle that was chambered in .270 Winchester, which is a powerful round. Editor's note: The image below might be disturbing to some readers Mack Ginn was in a hunting stand for almost two hours when this 4 1/2-foot timber rattlesnake began buzzing only a few inches from his foot. He missed at point-blank range Ginn took aim through his scope at the snake's head, fired, and missed. Scopes are great tools for shooting at long distances, but at a couple of feet, not so much. Ginn then put the barrel close to the snake's head as the snake was striking at it and fired. The snake was dead and the rattling stopped, but now his ears were ringing from firing a high-powered rifle in a metal building no larger than a typical public restroom stall. "My ears rang most of the day," Ginn said. "I shot twice. There's no telling what it would have measured on a decibel meter." The snake measured about 4 feet, had eight rattles and girth larger than a canned drink. 'Tumblegeddon': Washington state police spend 10 hours digging out cars buried by tumbleweeds on New Year's Eve 'He had every opportunity in the world to bite me' "It floored me," Ginn said. "I've never even thought I saw a rattlesnake, and then I see one three days after Christmas." He was also surprised that he wasn't bitten. "He had every opportunity in the world to bite me," Ginn said. "By the grace of God, I wasn't." Now that Ginn knows timber rattlesnakes exist on his land, he's making a few changes. He typically does not use a flashlight when coming in and out of the woods in the dark, but he does now. He also plans to change the floor of the ground blind. "That ground blind will have a solid wood floor in there," Ginn said. "I'm putting -inch plywood in it and sealing it. I won't be sitting on a pallet again, that's for sure." Follow reporter Brian Broom on Twitter: @BrianBroom. Iraq: Photos reveal extensive damage to US Embassy in Baghdad as American soldiers rush to region Joseph Henry Loveless: Body found in Idaho cave more than 40 years ago identified as outlaw who escaped jail in 1916 This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi hunter trapped in deer stand with rattlesnake Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], Dec 2 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir administration had organised a two-day national seminar on December 30- 31 to promote 'Kashmiri plays' among the young generation. Speaking to ANI, the organisers said that Sahitya Academy and the government have taken efforts to attract Kashmiri youth who are interested in performing arts. The seminar was conducted at Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages in Srinagar. "The two-day seminar was supposed to be held on August 4-5 but it has been organised now. Writers and actors who are interested in theatre are being told about the Kashmiri dramas and the steps that can be taken to improve the theatre scene in the region," a performing arts professional said. "The base of Kashmiri dramas is folk theatre. Here people are being informed about different forms of drams including radio, television and modern. We will publish a book to provide handy information to our researchers and scholars about dramas," another professional said. "The youth want to participate in theatres. It is an excellent step taken by the administration, we want more experts to come here to interact with youth," a local said. A young girl said that such seminars make youth aware of their culture, art and language. "These events give us awareness about our own language, culture and art. It is important that the older generation comes forward to apprise the young generation about folk theatre and art," she said. (ANI) Thirteen people were on board the UH-60M Black Hawk, part of the Air Force Rescue Team, which took off from Songshan air force base in Taipei just before 8 a.m. It was headed for a military base in Dongao, in the northeast, as part of an inspection before the Lunar New Year holiday later this month, Taiwans Central News Agency reported. The opposition in Bihar on Thursday expressed shock over the "abduction and murder" of an 18- year-old youth who went missing last month on a day the state witnessed anti-CAA protests and whose decomposed, mutilated body was recovered from a pit more than a week later. According to SHO, Phulwarisharif police station, Rafeequr Rehman, a complaint had been lodged by the brother of Amir Hanzla, a resident of Haroon Nagar locality, on December 21 that the boy had gone out in the morning to take part in an anti-CAA rally but did not return even after 12 hours. Notably, a state-wide bandh was organized by Lalu Prasads RJD on December 21 against the amended Citizenship Act, which was supported by alliance partners like Congress as also the Left parties. "We lodged an FIR against 12 persons, four of whom have been arrested so far. Amirs body was recovered from a pit, where it was rotting in the midst of a thick growth of hyacinth, on December 30. "After post mortem, the body was handed over to his family members and efforts are on to nab the other accused", the SHO said. Those named in the FIR were locals who had, on the day of the bandh, hit the streets raising slogans "in support of" CAA and NRC and clashed with demonstrators opposing these, he added. Rattled by the incident, state RJD president Jagadanand Singh on Thursday set up a fact-finding team, which would visit Phulwari Sharif on Friday and submit its report for further action. The five-member committee comprises state vice presidents Ashok Kumar Singh and Tanveer Hasan, state president of the craftsmens cell Madan Sharma and state general secretary Nirala Yadav and state secretary Nirbhay Ambedkar, Singh told PTI. "A communication has been sent to the concerned officials in the district and police administration so that they cooperate with the team, which shall submit its report in three days", he added. Congress MLA Shakeel Ahmed Khan, who is among those named in the FIR lodged against top opposition leaders in connection with the bandh, expressed outrage over the Amirs death and demanded "speedy trial". "The incident raises a question mark over Chief Minister Nitish Kumars claim of good governance. Here is an 18-year- old boy, abducted by small-time thugs of his locality, who murder him and dump his body to a spot that is close to the office of the Deputy SP", Khan said. "We demand expeditious arrests of all the accused, investigation into any complicity on part of the police and a speedy trial so that all those who are guilty, directly or indirectly, are brought to justice", the MLA said. Police sources said on condition of anonymity that the accused had pounced upon Amir while he was raising anti-CAA, anti-NRC slogans. After dragging him to a secluded spot, the accused had apparently held him hostage for more than a day during which they subjected him to immense physical torture which included stabbing with sharp-edged objects, causing profuse bleeding and resulting in death, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A large number of farmers who wanted to stage a demonstration against Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protest the non-implementation of the Swaminathan Report were detained at Bengaluru, Tumakuru, and Shivamogga, police said on Thursday. Bengaluru: A large number of farmers who wanted to stage a demonstration against Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protest the non-implementation of the Swaminathan Report were detained at Bengaluru, Tumakuru, and Shivamogga, police said on Thursday. According to police, the detentions have taken place in certain parts of Tumakuru, near Bengaluru, as well as in Shivamogga. As part of his two-day visit to Karnataka, Modi is scheduled to visit Tumakuru on Thursday to pay his respects to the departed seer of Siddaganga Mutt Shivakumara Swamiji and meet the present pontiff Siddalinga Mahaswamiji. Karnataka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 3rd installment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. He also distributed Krishi Karman Awards to farmers in Tumakuru. pic.twitter.com/lenlRAvVwp ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2020 Later, he was scheduled to address a public meeting where he will give away the Krishi Karman awards. In the evening he will reach Bengaluru to visit the DRDO facility to dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation. Pressing for the implementation of the Swaminathan Report, which recommends a holistic national policy, the farmers under the leadership of Kodihalli Chandrashekar had planned to stage a demonstration at Tumakuru. Before they could leave for Tumakuru, the police detained them. According to Chandrashekar, the farmers have been arrested at Nelamangala, Herohalli near Magadi, Kunigal and Koratagere in Tumakuru district and Shivamogga. Speaking to PTI, Chandrashekar said the BJP has betrayed farmers by not implementing the Swaminathan report. "The BJP could implement all the agenda such as abrogation of Article 370, paving way for Ram Temple in Ayodhya and various other poll promises but it ignored its promise of implementing the Swaminathan report," the farmer leader said. Chandrashekar also said he has been detained at a ground on Magadi Road along with two others while farmers who wanted to take part in the protest have been detained in different parts of the state. Washington: The US is ready to deploy more force in Iraq if needed to defend or prevent more attacks by Iranian-backed militias, Pentagon leaders warned on Thursday. "We are prepared to exercise self-defence, and we are prepared to deter further bad behaviour from these groups, all of which are sponsored and directed and resourced by Iran," Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters. Any further attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad would be met with a "buzz saw," General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff added in a briefing at the Pentagon. A rare direct US assault on an Iran-backed militia in Iraq and its response - an attack on the embassy before withdrawing Wednesday - threatened to spiral into a broader confrontation. The US and Iran are already facing off over the Trump administration's crippling economic campaign against Tehran and suspected Iranian reprisals, and additional American forces were ordered to the region after the embassy attack. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday that the inauguration of the historic Kartarpur Corridor which allows Indian pilgrims to undertake visa-free visit to one of Sikhism's holiest shrines, was an important development in the country's foreign policy in 2019. Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui made the comments at the weekly press briefing while highlighting the success of the foreign policy in 2019. "Another important development in the foreign policy domain was the inauguration of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor on 9 November 2019 by Prime Minister Imran Khan," she said. She added that the ceremony was attended by dignitaries such as former Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and over 12,000 Sikh pilgrims. In November, Pakistan and India separately inaugurated the historic corridor on their sides of the border. ALSO READ| Pakistan rejects Indian Army chief's remark on 'preemptively strike', calls it 'irresponsible' The corridor provides the shortest route to Indian Sikh pilgrims to the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur area of Pakistan's Narowal district, where Guru Nanak spent last 18 years of his life. Responding to another question, Farooqui said that Pakistan greatly valued the SAARC process as it was a regional organization that is of benefit to all the member states. "Unfortunately, we are faced with the situation where the process is hindered because of a certain member. However, this is something on our radar," she said, in a veiled reference to India. In the last three years, India has been distancing itself from the SAARC, citing security challenge facing the region from terror networks based in Pakistan, which is also a member of the grouping. The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu. The 2016 SAARC summit was to be held in Islamabad. But after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18 that year, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due to "prevailing circumstances". The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the Islamabad meet. SAARC summits are usually held biennially and hosted by member states in alphabetical order. ALSO READ| India, Pakistan exchange list of prisoners, nuclear facilities On December 8, 1985 at the first SAARC Summit in Dhaka, the leaders of the seven South Asian states - the Maldives, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka - signed a charter to establish the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Afghanistan became the eight SAARC member in 2007. When asked about Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on a death row in Pakistan, she said that "it is a judicial process and there are important factors involved in it". However, she refused to share any further details. Talking about ties with China, she said all-weather, strategic, cooperative partnership with China was further enriched in 2019 as Prime Minister Khan undertook two important visits to China, in April and October. She said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project was advancing apace. She also said that the Phase II of China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement became effective from January 1, 2020. Under Phase II, Pakistan has secured enhanced and deeper concessions on products of its export interests, revision of safeguard mechanism for protection of domestic industry, inclusion of the balance of payment clause as a safety valve against balance of payment difficulties, and effective enforcement of electronic data exchange. She observed that the positive trajectory of relations with US was further strengthened in 2019 as Pakistan's positive contribution to peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan was acknowledged internationally. "Throughout 2019, Pakistan's foreign policy made significant strides on multiple fronts. New partnerships were forged and the historic and time-tested relationships were further fortified," she added. Mutton is retailing here at Rs 600 a kg, from Rs 500 a kg about a month before. Price of broiler chicken is Rs 150-160 a kg, as compared to Rs 130 a kg earlier. The price of poultry products and mutton have risen by up to 20 per cent in a month, due to a sudden increase in consumer demand with a record fall in temperature this winter. Mutton is retailing in Mumbai at Rs 600 a kg, from Rs 500 a kg about a month before. That of broiler chicken is Rs 150-160 a kg, as compared to Rs 130 a kg earlier. The demand for mutton, chicken and eggs normally increases with onset of winter. The minimum temperature in Delhi was three degress celsius two days ago, the lowest for that day for a century. Demand for mutton is also coming from South Indian states; supply from Rajasthan and Maharashtra was insufficient, said Shahnaz Thanawala, president, Bombay Mutton Dealers Association. A large number of dealers are reported to have come from South Indian states to buy a large quantity of goat meat. Since they are lifting huge quantities and their quest continues, availability has become scarce for local consumers, said a dealer in Mumbai. A couple of retailers say goat supply from Maharashtra has declined after a large number of animals died in the devastating floods last year. Prices of chicken, fish and eggs have also risen sharply. That of fish and organic chicken have risen by 15-20 per cent, and of broiler chicken and eggs by 12-13 per cent across the country. Tandoori chicken in Delhi is now Rs 98 a kg, from Rs 73 a kg in early December. The National Egg Coordination Committee says the price is Rs 515 for 100 numbers in Mumbai, from the earlier level of Rs 496 per 100. The cost of poultry production has jumped significantly due to a sharp increase in feed prices. "All feeds - soybean, maize, oilmeal, bajra - have become costlier by 15-20 per cent in the past few months. With less working capital available from banks, small poultry farms have turned uneconomical and have closed, says Ramesh Khatri, president, Poultry Federation of India. He says the cost of broiler chicken production is now Rs 85-90 a kg, as against Rs 65-70 a few months before. Photograph: Michael Dalder/Reuters Rouhani: US sanctions deprived Iran of earning dlrs 200b IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Ardebil, Jan 1, IRNA -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US Administration should stand accountable for the dlrs-200-billion damages it inflicted on Iran by its unlawful sanctions. The president made the remarks in the inauguration ceremony of a number of airport projects in Ardebil. Rouhani said that the US sanctions were a conspiracy against Iran hatched to gain the aim of breaking Iran's strength and making us surrender. He urged the US to return from this path, saying that such a conspiracy will not work against Iranians. We are ready whenever they retreat from their present position and go back to their first position, Rouhani said. You are not a better nation than us and your government is not better than ours, he told Americans. He further stressed that "we respect your nation and but we oppose your government due to its bad deeds." Earlier, Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei noted that country's officials have unanimously announced that they would not take part in talks, be it bilateral or multilateral, with the United States. Referring to the deep and admirable awareness of the Iranian people in the face of the conspiracies of the enemies over past four decades, Ayatollah Khamenei considered the only cure for the country's problems relying on the people and youth as well as taking the domestic capacities seriously. The Supreme Leader of the Revolution tapped on the offer by the US officials for negotiating and stressed that by negotiations, the US seeks to impose their demands on Iran and showcase the impact of maximum pressure on Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted that the policy of maximum pressure on the Iranian nation is of little importance, and all officials in the Islamic Republic unanimously believe that there will be no negotiations at any level with the United States. 9376**1424 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two babies are dead after Chicago police say a mother jumped from an apartment building with her son before another infant was found unresponsive in a bathtub. Just before 2 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a call and found a woman believed to be in her 30s on the ground along with her 1-year-old son, police said, according to WLS. Security guards guided officers to an apartment on the 11th floor where police say they discovered a 2-year-old unresponsive in the bathtub and a 70-year-old man with several cuts to his face and body, the Chicago Tribune reported. The man told officers his daughter stabbed him then jumped out the window of the apartment with her infant son, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Two babies in Chicago, Illinois, are dead after police say a mother jumped from an apartment building with her son before another infant was found dead in a bathtub. Police did not say whether the 2-year-old was her child, according to the outlet. The two children were taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead, the Tribune reported. The woman and man are both in critical condition. An investigation into what police are calling an apparent murder-suicide attempt is underway, WLS reported. Some of Canada's newest parents rang in the new year by welcoming the first babies born in 2020 moments after the stroke of midnight. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Some of Canada's newest parents rang in the new year by welcoming the first babies born in 2020 moments after the stroke of midnight. In Quebec, baby Henri made his appearance at a Laval hospital just 32 seconds into the New Year, according to l'Hopital de la Cite-de-la-Sante. Amelie Bouchard, right, and Marc-Andre Baillargeon, left, pose with their newborn baby Henri in Laval, Que., on Wednesday, January 1, 2020. In Quebec, baby Henri made his appearance at a Laval hospital just 32 seconds into the New Year, according to l'Hopital de la Cite-de-la-Sante. Father Marc-Andre Baillargeon admitted he'd been "watching the clocks" in the hospital after doctors decided to perform a C-section at around 11:30 p.m. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Marc-Andre Baillargeon Father Marc-Andre Baillargeon admitted he'd been "watching the clocks" in the hospital after doctors decided to perform a C-section at around 11:30 p.m. Henri's early-morning appearance was none too soon for Baillargeon and his partner, Amelie Bouchard, who had been eagerly awaiting their baby's arrival ever since his Dec. 20 due date. Henri, who was a healthy 9 pounds, 6 oz at birth, was decked out in a tiny white knit hat emblazoned with the date "2020" to mark the occasion. The first baby born in British Columbia came at 12:01 a.m. at the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. Fraser Health says the girl, who has been nick-named Clarita, was delivered by emergency C-section at 35 weeks into her mother Claire's pregnancy and weighed 4 pounds, 10 oz. The health authority says the 39-year-old mother's first child was stillborn, delivered in 2017 at 37 weeks, so Clarita's premature birth was especially emotional for her parents. At exactly the same time, at 12:01 a.m., Mohammed, a boy, was born at Toronto's Humber River Hospital. All of the new babies and their mothers are said to be doing well. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2020. With files from Michel Saba After giving consecutive hits in Bollywood, Ayushmann Khurrana is now enjoying the New Year completely. He has arrived in the Bahamas to celebrate his new year. Photos are going viral on social media. He is looking very handsome in these photos, along with his wife Tahira Khan is also having full fun. Tahira looks very hot in a sexy bikini. Ayushmann has shared the photos on Instagram. Ayushman Khurana became romantic with wife on Bahamas vacation Tahira Kashyap shares photo with husband Ayushmann Khurrana Photos are being liked a lot on social media. Lakhs of fans are commenting and liking. These photos are going viral very fast. Ayushmann looks very daring in these photos. His body looks quite fabulous. Girls are getting crazy after seeing this pose. They are enjoying the new year in a very spectacular way. Talking about the films of Ayushmann, he recently appeared in Bala. The film did a decent amount, besides he was seen in Dream Girl. Ayushmann is one of the top actors of Bollywood. Fans also like his films. Fans were also seen giving Happy New Year wishes to Ayushmann Khurrana. Ayushman Khurana considers his brother worthy for lead role What is now the Mayo Clinic had its beginning in the founding of St. Marys Hospital by the Sisters of St. Francis of the congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes in Rochester, Minnesota. Tragedy strikes A tornado struck Rochester Aug. 21, 1883, and destroyed a large part of the town; since the town had no hospital at the time, temporary facilities were improvised to care for the injured. Dr. William Worrall Mayo, who had served as a medical examiner for the Union Army during the Civil War, was appointed by the city council to take charge of this operation, and he obtained the valuable assistance of the Sisters in nursing the many injured. Hospital needed Much of the early success in administration as well as in surgery was due to the guiding spirit and presiding genius of Sister Mary Joseph and her colleagues. The Sisters had been involved in charitable and educational activities in the area, and the tornado disaster in 1883 suggested the need for a hospital in Rochester. Consequently, Mother Alfred convinced Dr. Mayo to take charge of a proposed hospital which the Sisters would build according to his specifications. After much diligence, the Sisters raised the necessary $75,000 and the new St. Marys Hospital was opened Oct. 1, 1889. The original structure had 45 beds and a single operating room. It was staffed by four, and shortly thereafter by another five Sisters. The elder Mayo, affectionately called W-W, semiretired in 1901 and his two sons Dr. William James Mayo and Dr. Charles Mayo largely directed the affairs of the hospital with the able assistance of the sisters from then on. Difficult beginnings The early years of St. Marys Hospital were difficult ones. The physical plant was not without faults, and the staff was much too small. Two-day nursing shifts for the Sisters were not uncommon, and the doctors Mayo themselves assumed some of the nursing duties. Hospital equipment was limited to bare essentials because of the lack of funds. There were other problems as well. Hospitals had traditionally been viewed as institutions for the poor, and there was thus some hesitancy among the economically independent to send their sick to them. A more serious handicap was the religious affiliation of the institution. At that time considerable anti-Catholic sentiment was developing in the Midwest, and attitudes in Rochester reflected this trend. Even though St. Marys had no religious qualifications for patients, this suspicion of Catholic institutions plagued its operations until as late as 1895. Pay as you can From the beginning, the policy existed at the hospital that the patient would pay only according to his or her ability. This policy owed much to the charitable intentions of the Sisters and to the traditional role of the hospital in the 19th century. It seemed to have encouraged the sick to come there, for the number of patients was soon more than the facilities were designed for, but from the beginning, the hospital was financially self-supporting. The policy was abused and the Sisters finally had to rule that no one could be admitted to the hospital without first having been examined by one of the Mayo doctors. This decision in effect closed St. Marys to all but the Mayos patients. Services grow The future of the hospital was thus essentially placed in the hands of doctors Will and Charlie Mayo. The early reports of the hospital show that the first few years almost two-thirds of the patients were treated surgically. While surgery remained prominent for the clinics existence, other medical facilities were expanded greatly after 1914. Men and women were hired with expertise in cardiology, renal diseases, radiology, urology and other allied fields. Laboratory and diagnostic facilities were also expanded to handle the increased work load. Mayo Foundation In 1919, the Mayo brothers dissolved their partnership and donated the Mayo Clinic name, assets, and the bulk of their life savings to consolidate the Mayo Foundation as a private, charitable, not-for-profit organization. Physicians were to be employees and receive a salary but otherwise not benefit personally from the proceeds of the practice. The Mayo Clinic still operates in the same manner, and proceeds beyond expenses are disbursed for patient care, education and research. In addition to its work in medical practice, the Mayo Clinic has played a leading role in medical education. In the early 20th century, it joined the Rockefeller Foundation and Johns Hopkins University in the movement for reform of medical education by establishing a three-year program of graduate medical education. Expansion In 1915, the Mayo Foundation established a formal relationship between the clinic and the University of Minnesota in research and education. St. Marys Hospital treated 300 patients in its first year. Today, more than 6.5 million people have been treated at the Mayo Clinic. The organization has expanded over the years to Jacksonville, Florida and Scottsdale, Arizona. And, a network of clinics serve 62 communities in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Although the Mayo Clinic as an institution later grew beyond the lives of its creators, it is important to remember that it was built upon the practices and ideas of three individuals, W-W, Willie and Charlie Mayo. Thats your history! Red Star's films produced over the past years and screened in 42 countries include award winning titles such as Nawara, Poisonous Roses and Photocopy Released yesterday, the showreel of the Red Star for Production and Distribution, an Egyptian film production company, showcases 12 films which were released in past few years. The short video released on the Facebook, walks the viewer through the company's films such as feature-length drama Nawara (2015), one of the most important achievements of Red Star. The film was debut production for Safy El-Din Mahmoud who heads the company. Set at the time of the 2011 revolution, the film stars Menna Shalaby in a role of a maid, the title character, who works for a wealthy family in a gated community in Cairo. The films has brought dozens of awards including best actress awards to Shalaby, repositioning the young actress in Egypt's and the region's cinematic scene. Other film featured in the video include short One Week Two Days (2016), short documentary Sculpting in Time Nagy Shaker (2017), feature drama Photocopy (2017), drama Poisonous Roses (2018), short Extra Safe (2019), short Habib (2019), among several films which have brought numerous recognitions to its cast and/or crew. Celebrating the company's cinematic wealth in the 12 films, the company reveals that their total score of success includes 122 official selections in the international film competitions, 60 international awards, premieres in 42 countries. "Founded in 2013, Red Star has produced a diverse portfolio of fiction and documentary productions appealing to a wide range of audiences," reads the company's website. "Red Stars vision is to create a bridge between art-house and commercial cinema, creating a milieu in which auteurs and filmmakers are empowered to experiment and tell unique stories that are enjoyed by the majority of moviegoers, without compromising their artistic integrity." 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 Search Keywords: Short link: On the instruction of Azerbaijani President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, the leadership of the Ministry of Defense has visited one of the air defense units with the aim of an unannounced inspection of the combat readiness of the Air Force, the Ministry of Defense said on its website. The bringing the units raised by alert into a state of full combat readiness, strengthening combat duty, protecting important facilities were completed and other actions were worked out. Minister of Defense Zakir Hasanov viewed the combat equipment and air defense systems and highly appreciated the combat and training skills of the military personnel. The minister also wished the military personnel new successes and achievements. The U.S. border fence, covered in concertina wire, separates the United States and Mexico at the outskirts of Nogales, Arizona, on Feb. 9, 2019. (Ariana Drehsler/AFP/Getty Images) Remain in Mexico: US Begins Returning Asylum Seekers at Arizona Port of Entry Migrants who cross the Arizona-Mexico border will be returned to Mexico without any detours in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday that it is expanding the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program in Arizona. The program, commonly known as Remain in Mexico, means foreign nationals who seek asylum at ports of entry on the Southern border from Mexico can be sent to Mexico while they wait for a hearing in an immigration court located in the United States. During their stay, the Mexican government will provide these individuals with humanitarian protection and care. Previously, migrants making an illegal entry into Arizonas Tucson Sector were bused to El Paso Port of Entry before they were taken to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to await their immigration court proceedings. From now on, those individuals will be sent back at the Nogales Port of Entry, south of Tucson. The move, according to DHS, brings the total number of ports of entry that practice MPP returns to seven. The other MPP ports of entry along the Southwestern border include San Diego and Calexico in California, and El Paso, Laredo, Brownsville and Eagle Pass in Texas. The expansion to the Nogales Port of Entry reflects the continued commitment by both the United States and Mexico to a program that has proven effective at reducing human smuggling across the Southwest Border, the federal agency said in a statement. DHS said more than 56,000 illegal migrants have been returned to Mexico under MPP since the policy first came into effect in January 2019. MPP has been an extremely effective tool as the United States, under the leadership of President Trump, continues to address the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis at the border, Acting Secretary Chad Wolf said in the statement. The Department is fully committed to the program and will continually work with the Government of Mexico to expand and strengthen it. I am confident in the programs continued success in adjudicating meritorious cases quickly and preventing fraudulent claims. In an earlier interview with The Washington Post, DHS officials said that the Tucson Sector has lagged behind in the MPP program, mainly because there have been far fewer families crossing the Arizona-Mexico border, making Tucson a less urgent target. But Tucson saw an influx of migrant families at the end of the last year. In November 2019, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted on Twitter that more than 200 people, mostly Central Americans traveling as families, were apprehended by patrol agents near Sasabe, Arizona. An October 2019 CBP report stated that the Tucson Sector apprehended a total of 6,352 individuals this October. Of those, 2,968 were in family groups or were unaccompanied children. Dnipro honors Stepan Bandera Informator Dnipro Marches in honoring Stepan Bandera on the day of his birthday took place not only in Kyiv but also in Lviv, Odesa and the Dnipro. Zaxid.net, Odessa Online Reports and Informant reported this. In Lviv, city and regional officials, Ukrainian Insurgent Army veterans and public figures gathered on Kropyvnytsky Square. They read the prayer for Ukraine and held a public viche. Lviv honors Stepan Bandera ZAXID.NET In Dnipro city, the activists, public and political figures, as well as other people held a torchlight march. The event participants gathered in Rocket Park and walked four streets. In Odesa, several dozen people also honored the memory of Bandera. A small event took place near the Shevchenko Monument. Odesa honors Stepan Bandera odessa online As previously reported, 1,000 people took part in the torchlight procession in honor of Stepan Bandera in Kyiv. Police officers did not record violations during the event. As we know, Stepan Bandera was a Ukrainian politician, ideologist and theorist of the Ukrainian nationalist movement of the 20th century. On his birthday, January 1, Ukraine traditionally commemorates him and holds torchlight marches in his honor. Among the nations TikTok operates in, India stood out for making the most takedown requests in the first half of 2019. India made a total of 109 requests and TikTok provided some information in 47 per cent of those requests In its first transparency report, short video-sharing app TikTok revealed data on the takedown requests, the countries making them, and the per cent of requests it addresses. Among the nations TikTok operates in, India stood out for making the most takedown requests in the first half of 2019, the official blog notes. India made a total of 109 requests and TikTok provided some information in 47 per cent of those requests. 11 government requests to remove or restrict content was also the highest by India Though lower than its initial projections, the double digit growth in Huawei's revenue this year comes despite a spirited campaign by the Donald Trump administration in the US to reduce its global business. Beijing : Chinese technology giant Huawei on Tuesday said its revenue for 2019 is expected to hit a record $122 billion, a growth of 18 per cent over the previous year. In a New Year's message to employees, Huawei's Rotating Chairman Eric Xu wrote that the company sold 240 million smartphones this year, up from 206 million last year. "These figures are lower than our initial projections, yet business remains solid and we stand strong in the face of adversity," he wrote. Xu said the coming year could prove to be even more difficult for the company to "survive and thrive". Survival would be Huawei's first priority in 2020, he said. "That said, the external environment is becoming more complicated than ever, and downward pressure on the global economy has intensified. In the long term, the US government will continue to suppress the development of leading technology - a challenging environment for Huawei to survive and thrive," Xu said in the message. The US added Huawei to the Commerce Department's trade blacklist this year, making it difficult for the company to do business with its American suppliers. "In 2020, we will continue to remain on the US Entity List. We won't grow as rapidly as we did in the first half of 2019, growth that continued throughout the year owing to sheer momentum in the market," Xu said. "It's going to be a difficult year for us. We will have nothing to rely on but the hard work of our people, as well as the ongoing trust and support of our customers and partners," he said. A prosecutor should not have asked a father accused of incest about why his daughter might have made up her allegations against him, Ontarios top court ruled on Thursday. As a result of the questioning, and the judges refusal to stop it, the accused should get a new trial, the Court of Appeal decided. The cross-examination of the appellant about the complainants motive to lie was improper and prejudicial, Justice Mary Lou Benotto wrote for the Appeal Court. The father, identified only as G.H., was convicted in Superior Court in January 2017. One of his daughters had alleged in March 2015 that, over several years, he had touched her sexually and had intercourse with her. At trial in Kingston, Ont., the defence argued the 11-year-old girl had made up her allegations in an effort to have her mother, who was travelling for work, return home. The father, in answer to prosecution questions, denied any wrongdoing and said his daughter was lying. The prosecutor pressed G.H. over defence objections to come up with a reason his daughter would lie. Justice Wolfram Tausendfreund, presiding over the trial, allowed the questioning, saying he thought it relevant to explore what G.H. thought had motivated his daughter to make her allegations. The father said it appeared the girl missed her mother and had made up the story to get her to come home. The Crown in closing heaped scorn on the fathers testimony about his daughters motivation for lying. On appeal, G.H. argued the judge was wrong to allow the line of questioning. In quashing the guilty verdict, the Appeal Court agreed it was improper to ask an accused to comment on the credibility of his accusers. One reason, the court said, is that a jury might unfairly view the accused negatively for being unable to provide a compelling reason for why a complainant made the allegations. The questions did not concern the relationship between the family members, but rather asked the appellant to offer an explanation for the complainants allegations, Benotto wrote. The questioning was misleading because the jury could have been left with the impression that he should have had a credible explanation for the allegations. Also, a key issue at trial was where the daughter had slept the night before she made her complaints. One witness had told police the complainant started out sleeping with her, but got up in the night to go sleep in her fathers room. At trial, the witness said she was confused when she talked to police and distanced herself from her statement. G.H. argued on appeal that the judge had failed to properly instruct the jury about the inconsistent statements. In response, the Appeal Court said the judge should have been clear that the jury could not assume the police statement was true. His failure to be explicit, the court said, amounted to a legal error. The Appeal Court rejected the Crowns position that no miscarriage of justice had occurred even if the errors were made, and ordered a new trial. The principal of Lafayette Elementary School in Washington DC has apologized after a fifth grade lesson on the Civil War and Reconstruction had some children of color role-playing "a person of color drinking from a segregated water fountain and an enslaved person." From CNN: During classroom circles and small group discussions, (principal Carrie) Broquard said, some students said they were uncomfortable with the roles their peers had asked them to play. Others, she said, had been unsure how to respond or stand up for their peers who were uncomfortable. "We deeply regret that we did not foresee this as a potential challenge in role playing so we could set appropriate parameters to protect students," the fifth grade team said Broquard outlined a number of steps the school is taking in response to the lesson. In her letter, she said students who were directly affected have been meeting with the school's social emotional learning team and members of the administration to "process and talk through" the incident. The social emotional learning team and a racial equity committee at the school will work to ensure all assignments are "culturally sensitive and appropriate," she wrote. The staff will participate in a full day of training on equity and race in January, and the school plans to create a diversity and inclusion committee, the letter stated. KISOZI President Museveni has revealed that Uganda and Rwanda will soon take decisive steps to resolve the tensions between the two countries. Mr Musevenis remarks come after he sent an envoy to meet his Rwanda counterpart Paul Kagame. I just want to inform you that I received Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, who had gone as my special envoy to President Kagame, on the issue of the tensions between our two countries, he said in a statement issued on Tuesday, December 31. Ambassador Ayebare was well received by H.E Paul Kagame and they had very fruitful discussions. Soon, the two sides will be taking decisive actions to end the tension. Uganda, I can guarantee, will do its share of the normalization of the relations between our two countries. I salute H.E Kagame, the brotherly people of Rwanda and the people of Uganda, he added. This comes nearly two weeks after the second round of talks between Uganda and Rwanda ended on Friday, December 13, 2020, without the two countries reaching to an agreement about resolving their differences. The meeting, which was part of the implementation of the Luanda peace deal signed in Angola in August, also ended without any joint communique issued to the media, an indication of lack of any concrete agreement. The meeting, held at Speke Hotel in Munyonyo, Kampala, had started with a press conference in which officials from the two countries pledged willingness to resolve their disagreements that culminated in Rwanda closing its border to Uganda, effectively affecting trade and labor movement. Then the meeting was closed to the media. Rwandas Minister for Regional Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe and Rwandas High Commissioner to Uganda Frank Mugambage led the Kigali team. Maj.Gen.Joseph Nzabamwita, the Secretary-general for the National Intelligence and Security Service, and Gen.Patrick Nyamvumba, the Minister for Internal Security, also formed the delegation. On the Ugandan delegation was Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa, State Minister for Internal Affairs Obiga Kania and Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana. It also comprised the head of CMI, Brig.Abel Kandiho, his deputy, Col.CK. Asiimwe, ESO Director General Joseph Ocwet and Police Crime Intelligence Director Col. Chris Ddamulira. The meeting then set to discuss the key contentious issues; Rwanda asked Uganda to stop supporting rebel groups such as Rwanda National Congress (RNC) led by Kayumba Nyamwasa and Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) based in DR Congo. Rwanda also accused Uganda of arbitrarily arresting its citizens without reason. But Kampala denied the claims, with Kutesa insisting that the arrests were made within the law and that Rwandan military officials were arrested trying to infiltrate Kampala security forces. Sources within the meeting, which lasted about seven hours, said that the two sides haggled for long over the two issues, with seemingly no progress in sight. Eventually, they resolved to go and update their presidents over the issues. The implication of the standoff was that the border will remain closed. Related NASA astronauts have literally been playing with fire aboard the International Space Station, as part of experiments to determine how flames behave in space. The 'Confined Combustion' experiments have been conducted since Christmas Eve to determine the how fires spread and behave differently in zero gravity. Due to the differences in gravity, fires could be more dangerous on the moon than on Earth, with more robust fires that spread quicker. The experiments could provide important insights for NASA's upcoming trip to the moon in 2024, and the long-term missions to establish a lunar outpost there. A high-res, still camera image of an experimental fire in low gravity conditions 'Living on the moon is a different environment from space station and Earth, and fires will behave differently there,' said Dr Paul Ferkul, of the Universities Space Research Association, who is working on the project. 'There's reason to believe that fires could be more dangerous on the moon than on Earth,' Dr Ferkul told the Guardian. When a flame burns on Earth, gravity draws colder, denser air down to the base of the flame, replacing the hot air, which rises an effect called buoyancy. This upward flow of air gives a flame its distinctive teardrop shape. But in zero gravity, hot air doesn't move upwards due to the lack of gravity, giving fires a spherical or dome shape. On Earth, a candle burns with a tall, yellow flame (right). In space, a smaller, blue flame burns on the center of the wick According to NASA, buoyancy actually prevents scientists on Earth from gaining a fundamental understanding of how flames spread. However, in microgravity, this buoyancy is eliminated, allowing scientists to better study the physics of flame spread. 'Removing gravity eliminates natural convection; the hot air isn't going up because there is no "up",' said Ferkul. NASA astronauts lit fires in boxes of different sizes, with a fan blowing air through them to provide oxygen which fires need to burn. The crew used cotton, fibreglass and acrylic samples as fuel to see how different air flows and box sizes alter the combustion rates. In the 15 experiments conducted so far the flame has burned for between one and 22 minutes. The experiments examined the behaviour of flames as they spread in differently-shaped confined spaces in microgravity in particular studying the interaction between spreading flames and surrounding walls. Flame spread in confined spaces such as buildings and vehicles may pose a more serious fire hazard than flame spread in open spaces, caused partly by radiative heat feedback from the surrounding walls. Flames spread faster in smaller confined spaces than in larger spaces, even if all other environmental conditions such as oxygen supply and pressure were the same. The tests suggest flames could be more dangerous on the moon than on Earth, due to the lower buoyancy because heat stays closer to the ground. NASA can use this knowledge to improve material selection for its lunar outpost on the moon, which it plans to establish by 2028, as well as fire safety strategies. As part of the space agency's Artemis program, NASA plans to send the first woman to the moon in 2024 and establish 'sustainable missions' by 2028. NASA envisages the moon as an industrial base for further space exploration, as well as a home for refuelling depots and a facility for processing samples from the Moon's surface. The Confined Combustion experiments aren't the first to light fires aboard the ISS; in 2008, NASA launched the Combustion Integrated Rack to understand the fundamentals of the combustion process. The 'Saffire' experiments conducted from 2016 to 2017 investigated large-scale flame spread and material flammability limits, including a fire intentionally lit aboard the Cygnus spacecraft before it burnt up in Earth's atmosphere. New Jersey will provide $9.5 million more in state taxpayer money to family-planning clinics such as Planned Parenthood to make up for federal funding they forfeited by opposing a controversial abortion rule from President Donald Trumps administration. Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday signed a bill into law that immediately allocates the funding for the current fiscal year which he said will help clinics across the state provide health services for tens of thousands of New Jerseyans. Last summer, Trumps administration introduced a rule barring clinics that receive federal aid from telling patients where they can get an abortion. In response, Planned Parenthood announced it was withdrawing from the federal Title X program, which provides $8.8 million in funding to womens health and family-planning centers in New Jersey. About 100,000 residents in the state largely women use such clinics. Of those, about 77,000 use Planned Parenthood. The rule was one of many steps the Trump administration has made to restrict access to abortion, a key issue for many of conservative Christian voters who support the Republican president. Murphy, a Democrat who often opposes Trump, said the president made a conscious decision to block women from vital information critical to their health. Planned Parenthood made a conscious decision to continuing providing vital information to their patients, knowing it would cost them much-needed federal funds, Murphy, dressed in a pink tie, pocket square, and socks to match the color of Planned Parenthoods logos, said before signing the law at his office in Trenton. And today, were making a conscious decision to stand with Planned Parenthood and with all who stand for reproductive rights, and to stop President Trump from harming our fellow New Jerseyans, the governor added. This law (A5802) allocates money in the current state budget that runs through June 30, to replace federal funds the New Jersey clinics gave up. The state Department of Health is in charge of disbursing the funds. The Democratic-sponsored bill passed the Democratic-controlled state Legislature along party lines late last year. The state Senate approved it 25-15 and the state Assembly 49-21 with one abstention. For the additional aid to continue after July 1, the governor and Legislature would have to allocate the funds again in the next state budget. Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver noted that Planned Parenthood clinics focus on much more than abortion, providing family planning, cancer screenings, and other health-care services largely to low-income women but also to some men. Womens health care and reproductive rights are not just the A word,' Oliver said. We cannot have a group of men in Washington, D.C. make determinations about women having access to the care they need. Murphy and Democratic state lawmakers have long been supporters of Planned Parenthood. In 2018, they restored $7.5 million in the state budget after eight years of it being cut by former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican. It was the first the first bill Murphy signed into law after succeeding Christie. Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, criticized the new law Murphy signed Thursday, calling it a disgraceful money grab by the governor and lawmakers to use tax dollars help a group that supports Democrats in elections. The taxpayers of New Jersey should not be forced to fund abortion and make no mistake, that is what this bill will do, Tasy added. Meanwhile, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a sponsor of the legislation, praised Murphy for signing it. But Sweeney, D-Gloucester, also criticized the governor a frequent rival for continuing to freeze other money in the state budget, including funding for a program fighting cancer. Murphy signed an executive order last year freezing $235 million in the budget to make sure revenue projections pan out. Sweeney slammed the move, saying it largely hurt South Jersey, the region he represents. The governor has since released $114 million. But Sweeney suggested Thursday that Murphy is being hypocritical by providing more funding for womens health services while still withholding money for cancer patients. The women of New Jersey deserve the best health care that Planned Parenthood and other clinics can provide, just as cancer patients seeking services in South Jersey do, Sweeney said in a statement. Murphys administration stressed there are no plans to put the new $9.5 million for family planning in reserve. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. From 1992 to now, 190 oil spills occurred in Vietnam, a major cause of sea pollution. According to the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, of 39 ranked countries, Vietnam is one of three countries (the others are China and the US) that had the highest numbers of oil spills (more than 10) in the period from 2005 to 2014. Pham Van Son, director of the SOS Environment Center According to Pham Van Son, director of the SOS Environment Center, which has a practice of dealing with 99 oil spills, 190 oil spills have occurred in Vietnam since 1992, including 37 offshore cases which accounted for 19 percent, 88 cases in coastal areas (47 percent) and 65 cases on land (34 percent). Oil spill incidents mostly occur near the shore due to the higher risk in the area caused by the high traffic density of large vessels. The risk of ships colliding, or ships crashing into habors in the area is much higher than in sea waters. In recent years, oil slicks have spilled over the coast lines of central and southern provinces. The oil spill cases on the mainland mostly occurred in industrial zones, inland and waterway transport routes, petroleum depot/station/shops, transformer stations, petroleum tanks, underground petroleum pipelines, and mining areas using oil. The oil spill cases on the mainland mostly occurred in industrial zones, inland and waterway transport routes, petroleum depot/station/shops, transformer stations, petroleum tanks, underground petroleum pipelines, and mining areas using oil. Of 190 oil spill cases, only 5 incidents were reported by mass media. Another 94 cases were dealt with by the center by the end of November 2019. The information about the cases was kept secret in order to avoid negative impact on enterprises. In these cases, the victims asked for the centers help as they knew the hotline number of the center. Son said: We seem to forget about another culprit which is more dangerous the oil emitted from hundreds of thousands of onshore facilities, petrol stations, mechanical repair stations and car washing stations. The oil from these sources goes into rivers and the sea, while the oil contaminated with bilge oil of nearly 100,000 fishing boats daily discharge directly to the sea." He believes that the total volume of oil discharged quietly to the sea from these sources is hundreds of times higher than the volume of oil discharged from oil spill accidents. Mai Lan Struggling with natural disasters in Vietnam's big cities With more populous cities and higher consumption levels, the impact of natural disasters is worsening. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Choi Ji-won (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network) Thu, January 2, 2020 08:07 739 48be62e941b44f04afae568c32088401 2 Entertainment film,South-Korea,Son-Jae-gon Free Movies featuring animals as the main characters are often CGI-heavy. But director Son Jae-gon chose instead to make actors wear animal masks and outfits in the upcoming movie Secret Zoo. Two other animal comedy movies will hit theaters here in January -- South Korean film Mr. Zoo and Dolittle featuring Robert Downey Jr. However, Son expects the meticulously designed animal costumes and the chemistry between the animal and human characters to differentiate Secret Zoo from the other films. Based on a webcomic, Secret Zoo -- whose Korean title translates to We Dont Hurt (You) -- revolves around the story of a trainee lawyer from a major law firm, Tae-soo, who is appointed as the head of Dongsan Park, a near bankrupt zoo, and put in charge of revitalizing it. Almost all the animals at the zoo, especially the big ones that people usually come to see, are sold to pay off debt, and Tae-soo plans an extraordinary project to imitate the animals. Along with Tae-soo, four employees of Dongsan Park -- a former zoo manager, a veterinarian and two zookeepers -- go behind bars and inside cages to fool the zoos visitors. Ahn Jae-hong plays Tae-soo and a cola-drinking polar bear in the movie. It was fun, especially because I played the animal that I personally like and we made the film in winter. Acting wearing the suits in summer may have been a different story, Ahn said Monday after the movies press screening in Seoul. The actor played Jung-bong in the popular tvN series Reply 1988 and a main role in JTBCs Melo Is My Nature. Read also: Movie based on popular novel puts South Korean gender divide back in focus Meanwhile, Kang So-ra, who plays zoo veterinarian So-won and a lion, said she looked up various sources to study animal movements. Known for her upright, strong female characters -- such as in the movie Sunny (2011) and hit tvN drama Misaeng (2014) -- Kang plays a courageous veterinarian doing whatever she can to save an old and sick polar bear, Black Nose, whom she had befriended since young. The movie also cast veteran actor Park Yeong-gyu as the former zoo manager and a bodiless giraffe, actor Kim Sung-oh as a zookeeper and a gorilla, and actress Jeon Yeo-been as the other zookeeper and a giant sloth. Director Son, who specializes in comedy, is returning to the big screen nearly 10 years after his last piece, Villain and Widow (2010). Son debuted as a director in 2006 with My Scary Girl and is recognized for creating a unique genre incorporating romantic, comedy, and thriller elements. Secret Zoo opens in South Korea on Jan. 15. Topics : This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post A room attendant in the Hotel Trades Council makes nearly $34 an hour in wages at least $10 more than the hourly wage in cities like Los Angeles or Chicago, the union said and receives generous health care and retirement benefits. (Nonunion attendants often make far less.) Members are expected to be politically active: to attend phone banks for candidates, knock on doors, go to rallies. You commit your time to be an activist for your interest, said Mr. Ward, a high school dropout who started as a clerk in the union four decades ago. He now earns a total of $515,000 from his position in the Hotel Trades Council, combined with his roles in the international Unite Here a union for American and Canadian hotel and garment workers and in its local affiliate, according to federal filings. The targets of the unions activism are chosen strategically, either because they further one of the unions narrow interests special hotel permits, casino expansion or demonstrate its political organizing strength. What makes them unique is how much theyre punching above their weight, said Councilman Rory Lancman of Queens, who lost a Queens congressional race in 2012 to a Hotel Trades Council-backed candidate, in an early demonstration of their electoral influence. When a new buyer of the Waldorf Astoria announced that it intended to convert the hotel to condominiums, Mr. Ward seemed to lack leverage so he helped to create some. The City Council soon took up a bill to place a two-year moratorium on condominium conversions. The bill, moved by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson at the unions behest, would have directly affected the new Waldorf owners. There was concern among some senior City Hall officials that the measure might be illegal. Nonetheless, the mere possibility that the bill might pass gave Mr. Ward the pressure he needed to cut a deal that provided the hotels union workers with a $149 million severance package. Trade body Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has sought to remove the anomaly in levying of tax on leave encashment for retiring non-government employees. In its pre-Budget discussion with the Finance Ministry, FIEO has demanded that non-government employees should be treated at par with government employees with regard to tax on leave salary. It also demanded that the present cap of Rs 3 lakh should be removed. Putting forward its demands, the trade body said that Section 10 (10AA (i) of the Income Tax Act provides complete exemption from income tax to central government or state government employees on any amount received as cash equivalent of leave salary in respect of earned leave at his credit at the time of retirement. "However, Section 10 (10AA) (ii) provides an exemption to non-government employees for cash equivalent of leave salary only up to a maximum of Rs 3 lakh," FIEO said. The trade body argued that the limit was fixed in 1998 and hence there was no basis for discrimination between non-government employees and government employees. It noted that in many cases, non-government employees receive less amount as cash equivalent of leave salary as compared to government employees. "For uniformity and simplicity, any cash equivalent of leave salary should be fully exempt from income tax without any limit as has been the case for Central government/state government employees," FIEO said. A Jeremy Corbyn ally today told Sky News presenter Kay Burley to get real after she suggested the Labour Party was in crisis. Andy McDonald, a member of Mr Corbyns shadow cabinet, took exception to Ms Burley saying last months general election was Labours worst result since 1935 and that the party was on the brink. He said: I do caution against thinking our demise is imminent. We still did secure 32 per cent of the Mr McDonald was then interrupted as Ms Burley burst into laughter. She told him: Get real. Kay Burley and Andy McDonald clash on Sky News on Thursday (Sky News) He then replied: Id ask you to get real, Kay. We won 32 per cent of the vote, its not insignificant. But he then conceded: The Tories gained 43 per cent, so were a long, long way off. Weve got an awful lot of work to do, this is a really serious moment for the Labour Party and I dont underestimate it one jot. Jeremy Corbyn on election night (Leon Neal/Getty Images) Later in the interview, shadow transport secretary Mr McDonald also complained of the treatment Mr Corbyn received during the election campaign. I have never ever experienced a general election where a good and decent, principled man has been so vilified and demonised in the way that Jeremy was. Read more from Yahoo News UK Teenage boy, 17, fighting for life after being shot in east London in violent start to New Year No guarantee terrorists can be cured, says UK's top deradicalisation psychologist PETA calls for zoo boycott after fire kills animals in Germany His comments on Sky News were a stark contrast to those of leadership candidate Clive Lewis, who yesterday said Labour is facing an existential crisis following the election disaster overseen by Mr Corbyn. A date for the leadership contest has not been set. Only Mr Lewis and Emily Thornberry have so far confirmed they will stand. Big events to look out for in 2020 Alison Cooper became the CEO of Imperial Brands PLC (LON:IMB) in 2010. This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at other big companies. Next, we'll consider growth that the business demonstrates. And finally we will reflect on how common stockholders have fared in the last few years, as a secondary measure of performance. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels. View our latest analysis for Imperial Brands How Does Alison Cooper's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, Imperial Brands PLC has a market capitalization of UK18b, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth UK2.1m over the year to September 2019. That's less than last year. While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at UK1.1m. When we examined a group of companies with market caps over UK6.0b, we found that their median CEO total compensation was UK3.6m. (We took a wide range because the CEOs of massive companies tend to be paid similar amounts - even though some are quite a bit bigger than others). This would give shareholders a good impression of the company, since most large companies pay more, leaving less for shareholders. Though positive, it's important we delve into the performance of the actual business. You can see a visual representation of the CEO compensation at Imperial Brands, below. LSE:IMB CEO Compensation, January 2nd 2020 Is Imperial Brands PLC Growing? On average over the last three years, Imperial Brands PLC has grown earnings per share (EPS) by 14% each year (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is up 5.4%. Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. It's good to see a bit of revenue growth, as this suggests the business is able to grow sustainably. Shareholders might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts. Story continues Has Imperial Brands PLC Been A Good Investment? With a three year total loss of 35%, Imperial Brands PLC would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. So shareholders would probably think the company shouldn't be too generous with CEO compensation. In Summary... Imperial Brands PLC is currently paying its CEO below what is normal for large companies. Since the business is growing, many would argue this suggests the pay is modest. Unfortunately, some shareholders may be disappointed with their returns, given the company's performance over the last three years. We're not critical of the remuneration Alison Cooper receives, but it would be good to see improved returns to shareholders before the remuneration grows too much. When I see fairly low remuneration, combined with earnings per share growth, but without big share price gains, it makes me want to research the potential for future gains. Shareholders may want to check for free if Imperial Brands insiders are buying or selling shares. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. I am excited to respond to the increased demand for my biomimetic training by offering more courses across the U.S. for 2020. Rebranding to The Nejad Institute is the next step in my vision for providing the highest caliber training, says Nejad. Fresh from his sold-out Fall 2019 biomimetic dentistry classes in London and Beverly Hills, Dr. Matt Nejad, leading expert and educator in cosmetic and biomimetic dentistry, is expanding his education and training offerings with a rebrand as The Nejad Institute with a new website at http://www.nejadinstitute.com. Dentists from around the world attend Dr. Nejad's sold-out classes to learn how to treat damaged, broken and decayed teeth and return them to their original strength, function, esthetics and biomechanical properties. His students gain advanced clinical and practice skills that provide them with an invaluable competitive advantage. I am excited to respond to the increased demand for my biomimetic training by offering more courses across the U.S. for 2020. Rebranding to The Nejad Institute is the next step in my vision for providing the highest caliber training and establishing a research-based educational institute for advanced study. Attendees will learn how the biomimetic approach greatly reduces complications caused by traditional dental techniques, and how to save teeth from additional treatments and more invasive options, says Nejad. The biomimetic approach is the future of dentistry, and more clinicians want to provide their patients with this highest level of dentistry. Im honored to be able to teach it and help advance the quality of dental care. Dr. Nejads 2020 class schedule is as follows: Miami, FL: May 1 and May 2-3 Manhattan, NY: May 29 and May 30-31 Irvine, CA: June 25-28 Chicago, IL: August 7, August 8-9 San Jose, CA: September 25, September 26-27 Irvine, CA: December 3-6 The Nejad Institute currently educates dentists from around the globe in biomimetic restorative dentistry and biomimetic esthetic dentistry. It will soon be adding occlusion and design training. Dr. Nejad is also incorporating mentorship programs and an annual symposium for dentists who have previously completed his training. The Nejad Institutes vision is to provide education, training and research in the biomimetic approach and prepare clinicians to confidently implement the knowledge and techniques in their practices. Biomimetic dentistry offers patients the tangible benefits of keeping their natural teeth as long as possible while avoiding unnecessary root canals and other invasive procedures. More and more patients are realizing the benefits of this approach and demand has, therefore, been increasing steadily. Although some dental institutes have incorporated biomimetic dentistry, most clinicians in practice have had almost no exposure to the updated biomimetic science and techniques. Dr. Nejads biomimetic approach shows how, through extremely strong adhesive bonds, teeth can be restored. He emphasizes preserving intact tooth structure and pulp vitality and creating adhesive restorations that mimic natural teeth in strength, function and biomechanical properties. This is in sharp contrast to traditional prosthodontic retention and stabilization form. More about Dr. Nejad: Dr. Matt Nejad is a renowned biomimetic dentist and speaker with an upscale practice in Beverly Hills, CA. His practice offers a full range of cosmetic and general dental care services. Dr. Nejad is well-known for providing superior cosmetic dental treatments and for his knowledge as a leading expert in biomimetic dentistry. Dr. Matt Nejad graduated from the USC School of Dentistry, receiving recognition for earning the most clinical experience in prosthodontics, cosmetic and advanced reconstructive cases. He completed a comprehensive esthetic and biomimetic training program with Dr. Pascal Magne, a world leader in these fields. Dr. Nejad has been lecturing and teaching training courses in biomimetic dentistry since 2012. For more information about Dr. Matt Nejad and his biomimetic courses, please visit nejadinstitute.com. Dubais Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently held a series of brainstorming sessions on the use of Big Data to improve the public transport network as part of RTAs efforts to realise its vision of Safe and Smooth Transport for All. Through these workshops, five teams from different RTAs agencies and sectors competed in the optimal use of big data to generate ideas contributing to the improvement and operational efficiency of the public transport network in Dubai. Ideas and proposals debated in these workshops will be examined and viable ones will be referred to the concerned RTA bodies for further necessary action, said Adel Shakri, director of Planning and Business Development at RTAs Public Transport Agency. Upgrading the public transport network is a key strategy of RTA as it is directly linked with customers service and happiness. RTA always seeks to broaden and improve the scope of public transit means, such as metro, tram and buses, and big data is the best way forward to realise these objectives. The concept of big data is becoming a focal point in the global business as it opens new horizons and solutions to issues challenging the improvement of the sector. Big data is shaping into a key asset considering the extremely valuable knowledge and informational wealth contained. It contributes immensely to the anticipation of future requirements and potential solutions to the sustained development of various sectors. The public transport network is invariably entwined with peoples lives and we have to anticipate their future needs. We also need to develop optimal solutions to anticipated challenges in the use of big data, concluded Shakri. TradeArabia News Service Haiti Independence Day Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo: On behalf of the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Haiti on the 216th anniversary of your independence. The story of Haitis founding from a rebellion of the enslaved to the creation of a republic based on democratic principles is testament to what can be accomplished when people are determined to work together for the greater good. Haitis Independence Day reminds us that greatness is within our reach when citizens and political leaders put their community and their country first. We hope the New Year will bring all parties together in an inclusive dialogue that ends the political gridlock and results in a government that responds to the pressing needs of the Haitian people. The ties between the United States and Haiti have grown stronger because of our shared aspirations and the deep connections between the American and Haitian people. I wish the people of Haiti a happy Independence Day as well as a New Year filled with peace, unity, and progress in solving national challenges. The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madras High Court that the Mamallapuram town panchayat does not have enough funds to undertake various municipal works in the tourist spot and the major revenue was being collected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The court on its own took up as a Public Interest Litigation, a letter sent by Justice N Kirubakaran on the preservation and maintenance of monuments in the town after it was chosen for the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping last year. Justice Kirubakaran had said in his letter that the tourist town was cleaned and decked up in the run-up to the summit but after it got over, the place was back to its state of being extremely dirty and unpleasant. When the PIL came up for hearing before the division Bench, comprising Justices Vineet Kothari and R Suresh Kumar, three status reports were filed by the Kancheepuram Collector, the Municipal Administration and Water Supply and the administrative officer of the Director General of Police. Advocate General Vijay Narayan said the town panchayat was facing shortage of funds for various municipal works. He said ASI was collecting major revenue from tourists at the rate of Rs 40 per Indian and Rs 600 per foreigner. If the ASI could release some funds to the town panchayat, the latter would be in a better position to undertake such maintenance works in the tourist town, he said. The DGP, in his report, said a separate wing, comprising a Sub Inspector and personnel of four other ranks, well-versed in English, had been formed and was functioning at the town police station exclusively to deal with complaints from foreigners. Besides, policemen well-versed in English have been posted at that station to guide foreigners properly and effectively deal with their complaints, he said. The counter-affidavit by the municipal administration and water supply department submitted that ASI had issued guidelines as per the Ancient Monuments and Aarchaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act. The guidelines said areas around the protected historical monuments have been classified as a protected monument, protected area, prohibited area and regulated area. Applications seeking permission for repair and renovation in the prohibited area and regulated areas should be made before the competent authority, the principal secretary and commissioner, Department of Archaeology, government of Tamil Nadu, it said. The ASI, Chennai circle, has declared wards 8, 9 12 and 13 of Mamallapuram as monumental sites and any construction or renovation was subject to the scrutiny of the competent authority, the counter said. An average of 2,000 tourists on weekdays and 10,000 during weekends and holidays and 50,000 throng Mamallapuram during special holidays and festival days, it said. Accepting that hawkers on roads and path to the beach had resurfaced even after mass drive in coordination with revenue and police officials, the counter said the town has a strong patronage of tourists. The bench, after hearing the AG and ASG, directed the state government to give a list of the recognised NGOs, recognised guides working at the tourist places and other recognised volunteers who can undertake the peer review system to maintain cleanliness and upkeep of the monuments and other places in Mahabalipuram. It then posted the matter for further hearing to January 22. The judges also directed the ASG to file the statistics on revenue received from tourists during the last three years and the funding ASI may be willing to provide for maintenance and upkeep of the tourist places of Mahabalipuram by the town panchayat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Overseas beach getaways are the most popular holidays for UK tourists. Photo: Getty This January will be the most popular month for people to book holidays for the coming year, with 6.4 million people across the nation looking to book getaways this month. Research from Sainsburys Bank Travel Insurance shows more than three quarters (76%) of UK adults will go on holiday in 2020, spending an average of 757 each per getaway. Cruises are the most expensive type of holiday with these holidaymakers planning to spend an average of 1,650 each. READ MORE: Top 10 holiday destinations for 2020 Sun, sea, and sand are the biggest draws for UK holidaymakers with 40% choosing an overseas beach holiday this year, at a cost of 1,039 per person. Other popular vacations are overseas city breaks (28%), at a cost of 588 per person, UK city breaks (24%), costing 356 per person, UK seaside holidays, and UK countryside and walking holidays, at 380 per person. Although holidaymakers are willing to spend significant sums on heading overseas, a fifth (22%) will not be buying travel insurance. READ MORE: EasyJet relaunches package holiday business as profits slide A further 22% will only buy their travel insurance in the week before they travel. These statistics are concerning in light of Sainsburys Bank insurance claims data, it said, which found a typical travel insurance claim was 631 in 2019, nearly the average cost of the holiday people said they were planning. Sainsburys Banks travel insurance claims data shows that half of all claims were due to medical expenses, a fifth for lost or stolen personal possessions, and 15% for cancellation, showing how travelling abroad without insurance can be a big risk to take. READ MORE: A vacation that rejuvenates your body, mind and soul Jason King at Sainsburys Bank said: Booking a holiday at the start of the year will certainly help chase away those January blues. Taking it easy is one of the biggest draws of a holiday, however unexpected events can happen. Think about what kind of travel insurance policy you need as soon as youve booked your holiday. Those members who actively use our services and contribute to our success reap the rewards. For the eighth year in a row, Arizona Federal Credit Unions Board of Directors declared a year-end payout as part of the credit unions Plus Payouts program. The $6 million distribution for 2019 brings the total amount paid to the credit unions members to more than $42 million since the programs inception in 2012. As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, we share excess earnings with our member-owners when the credit union performs well, said Ronald Westad, Arizona Federal president and CEO. Those members who actively use our services and contribute to our success reap the rewards. To qualify for a Plus Payout, members had to have an active Checking Plus Account as of December 31, 2019. In return, members with a qualifying loan or credit card account received a partial refund of any interest they paid in 2019. Accountholders with funds on deposit, received a year-end bonus dividend. To learn more about Plus Payouts and membership at Arizona Federal, visit ArizonaFederal.org/Plus. About Arizona Federal Credit Union Arizona Federal is a $1.9 billion not-for-profit, local cooperative providing financial services and expertise to more than 130,000 member/owners. Founded in 1936, the credit union empowers members to take hold of their financial future through the delivery of leading-edge self-service tools and mobile apps, competitive rates on loans and deposits, robust home loan solutions, small business services and commercial loans, identity protection services, and annual member payouts when the cooperative does well. Arizona Federal has 16 locations across the Phoenix metropolitan area. Deposits are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. For more information: ArizonaFederal.org. Foreign currency service Travelex said today that it has taken all its sites offline after being attacked by a software virus on New Year's Eve. The group said it first discovered the attack on December 31 and immediately took its systems offline to protect data and prevent the virus spreading. It has since been forced to provide foreign exchange services manually in its branches. Many holidaymakers are currently abroad for the Christmas holidays and some have been left unable to top up their Travelex Money Cards, which are available in seven different currencies. Errol Le Boydre, who is visiting Paris from Australia over the New Year period, told the MailOnline he spent two days waiting in limbo, not knowing whether his transaction of 318 ($600 AUD) had gone through. Travelex Chief Executive, Tony D'Souza (pictured), apologised today for the inconvenience caused and said the company had to 'suspend some of our services in order to contain the virus and protect data' 'Disappointed to only find out the full extent over the last hour when we have asked for assistance 2 days ago,' he said. Despite trying to speak to someone on the 31st, after receiving no word for two days he had to physically visit a Travelex office in Paris on Thursday to confirm that his money was safe. Even then the 'staff member was none the wiser and couldn't access our transaction history', he said. It wasn't until Thursday afternoon that someone contacted him through Twitter and advised him to call a number. Despite the inconvenience of not knowing whether the money had gone through, Le Boydre had alternative funds so wasn't left 'high and dry'. 'Im sure youll have some stories of ppl who will be going through a tough time right now,' he added. One Twitter user who didn't have a safety net wrote: Im stranded in Athens with 3 euros left on my Travelex card because both your website and app reloads dont work. This seems to be an issues you have been aware of for at least six hours. Foreign currency service Travelex was attacked by a software virus on Tuesday (file image) Travelex has been pointing customers to a website called Cash Passport to top up their cards instead. Tony D'Souza, chief executive of Travelex, said: 'We regret having to suspend some of our services in order to contain the virus and protect data. 'We apologise to all our customers for any inconvenience caused as a result. 'We are doing all we can to restore our full services as soon as possible.' Travelex said it has drafted in teams of IT specialists and external cyber security experts to isolate the virus and get affected systems back online. It comes as many holidaymakers are abroad for the Christmas holidays. Travelex was at the centre of an IT crisis nearly two years ago, when it mistakenly leaked data on thousands of customers of partner Tesco Bank. The group, which provided foreign currency on behalf of Tesco Bank, shared the customer database by mistake in March 2018, exposing the details of 17,000 people, including full names, emails, phone numbers, IP addresses and the final digits of bank cards. The company told customers on Twitter earlier today: 'We're currently having IT issues and are extremely sorry for any inconvenience. 'At this stage, we're unable to perform transactions on the website or through the app. Sorry again for any inconvenience and we're working around the clock to fix the issues.' A message on its website said: 'This website will be back online soon! This website is temporarily unavailable while we make upgrades to improve our service to you. 'We are sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience. Thank you for using Travelex!' Travelex has taken all its sites offline (pictured today) after being attacked by the virus It comes after millions of Halifax, Lloyds and Bank of Scotland customers started the New Year unable to access their bank accounts after their websites crashed. Online banking was down for customers of all four banks, who took to social media to bemoan the outage on New Year's Day. Large parts of Britain were left unable to access their accounts on their computers or smartphone apps for several hours. Halifax, Lloyds and Bank of Scotland later apologised for the 'issues' and said their systems were now up and running again. London-headquartered Travelex has a presence in more than 70 countries and more than 1,200 branches and 1,000 ATMs worldwide. It processes more than 5,000 currency transactions every hour. The group - founded in 1976 - is owned by global payments platform Finablr, which is listed on the London stock exchange but based in the United Arab Emirates. (Alliance News) - Zenith Energy Ltd said Thursday it has appointed a Gabon government official as an advisor ahead of its planned acquisition of an 80% stake in Anglo African Oil & Gas Congo SAU. Shares in Zenith were down 4.7% at 1.81 pence in London in morning trade while Anglo African Oil & Gas PLC shares were down 15% at 0.64p. Oil & gas producer Zenith is to purchase the 80% stake in Anglo African Oil & Gas's Congo subsidiary for GBP1 million under a sale and purchase agreement, though Anglo African Oil & Gas shareholders have yet to approve the deal. Anglo African Oil & Gas Congo SAU holds a 56% interest in the Tilapia field in the Republic of the Congo. Once the transaction is complete, Anglo African Oil & Gas will become a cash shell on AIM. It intends to use the proceeds from the disposal to finance its day-to-day operations and consider potential reverse takeover options. Ahead of this, Zenith has appointed Andre-Brice Boumbendje - currently employed by Gabon's Ministry of Hydrocarbons & Mines. In 2016, he was made diplomatic council for the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and became Gabon's representative at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna. Boumbendje's appointment is intended to assist Zenith in managing government relations within central Africa's French-speaking countries and the Republic of the Congo in particular. The Republic of the Congo joined OPEC in June 2018, putting it among the oil cartel's newest members. Zenith Chief Executive Andrea Cattaneo said: "The board of Zenith believes that the company possesses the financial, linguistic, geopolitical and technical skills to enhance production in the Congo and to achieve, if the geology allows, success at the Tilapia oilfield. This includes the significant financial obligations that come with developing Tilapia. For these reasons, Zenith believes the transaction to be in the best interests of all parties. "We shall provide further updates to the market in due course regarding the names of further appointments the company intends to make to manage our future operations in West Africa." By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Hindutva is a unifier in a diverse country like India and the freedom of expressing disagreement and dissent exist because of it, RSS joint general secretary Krishna Gopal said on Thursday. He also said that people are free to chose their expression of faith, asserting that their conduct should be in interest of the people and the country. His remarks came at a time when the country is witnessing protests against the amended citizenship law. Drawing distinction between Hindutva and semitic religions, Gopal said disagreement is the basic character of Hindutva and "it is this Hindutva that manages to keep us one at times like this". He further said that Hindutva gives the freedom of thought, ability to question without the fear of blasphemy. Independence to ask questions and freedom to express disagreement are Hindutva and if there is restriction to argue and question, that is not Hindutva, he said, adding, "Hindutva recognises that there are differences in the way people live, eat, access resources. It lets them have their own devis and devtas without imposing rules on them to wear, eat and pray." Describing Hindutva as a unifier, Gopal claimed, "...Because of Hindutva, around 560 royal kingdoms could come together at the time of independence and stay together as one...," he said. Gopal said it is difficult to understand Hindutva but understanding it is like understanding God. He was speaking at the launch of book titled "Hindutva" written by senior RSS leader J Nandakumar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Weeks after opposition parties came down heavily on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for calling all 130 crore Indians as Hindus, RSS Sah Sarkarwah ((Joint General Secretary) Krishna Gopal on Thursday said that Hindutva was the uniting force behind Bharat adding that it is the reason ensured unity in India while nations like Pakistan, USSR and Yugoslavia broke down into smaller countries. Speaking at the book launch of J Nandagopal's 'Hindutva for changing times', the RSS leader said, "Pakistan was divided and two nations were built. It will be divided again and it will be separated into three nations." "USSR, Yugoslavia, etc were also divided but more than 500 princely states were united (in India). This fundamental duty and spirituality that generates the feelings of oneness, this is called Hindutva," he said. Gopal said that independence to follow one's faith and ways to follow that faith is Hindutva. "The independence to the question is Hindutva. Where you won't get independence to question is not Hindutva, where there is no place for curiosity and where one has no right to ask questions. If they say anything against them, it will be blasphemy, that space isn't Hindutva. This is the basic difference between Hindutva and others," Gopal said. Arguing that oneness proliferates in diversity, he said, "There are people who advocate unity in diversity. This is wrong...There is a tree and its growth is reflected in various branches. This is the 'darshan' of India." Gopal said that it was not RSS that coined the term Hindutva. Rather it has become a term over thousands of years of acceptance by people of various faiths, he said. "Where does Hindutva come from you may ask. This is not new but it became more popular in the seventh and eighth century. You would ask why? The reason is that it is for the first time that India was looking at a conqueror that was extremely intolerant. So, diversity in India was in danger," the senior RSS functionary said. "Guru Nanak Dev differentiated between Hindutva and Turks. He entered India and all Indians came on one platform and over 1,100 years, the term was slowly accepted and shared. This platform became Hindutva. Hindutva isn't RSS' coinage. There were all 'Panths' on one platform and there was another Semitic religion. There was a clear cut division. We cannot define Hindutva from spectacles of Semitic religion," Gopal added. He asserted that anyone who prays for the well being of others is Hindus irrespective of their faith and religion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, January 2, 2020 California's sweeping new privacy law, which took effect this week, should spur Congress to finally move forward with a nationwide law. At least, so says Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia). Congress can no longer sit idly by in this data privacy debate, he stated Thursday. We need comprehensive federal legislation, which addresses not only privacy but a range of related consumer protection and competition issues, to afford all Americans the protections they deserve. Warner is among several federal lawmakers who have floated privacy bills in the last year. One proposed bill he introduced, along with Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), would prohibit companies from duping people into consenting to data collection. Another bill that he co-sponsored would require large tech companies to disclose whether they display material to particular users based on personal data collected from them, including their web-browsing and search history. That bill would also require the tech companies to offer a version of their services that doesn't return results based on personal factors, like web-browsing history. advertisement advertisement The ad industry and various business groups have also called for national privacy legislation that would override state laws. But although some politicians on both sides of the aisle have expressed support for a federal privacy bill, there is significant disagreement about specifics. Earlier this year, influential Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) said she would only support a national bill if it was at least as strong as California's new Consumer Privacy Act. That law gives residents the right to learn what personal data is held about them by companies, request deletion of that information, and opt out of the transfer of the data to third parties. California's law could get even stronger, if a new ballot initiative backed by Californians for Consumer Privacy gains traction. Among other provisions, that initiative, dubbed the California Privacy Rights Act, would restrict businesses' ability to use sensitive data like precise geolocation data, race, ethnicity, religion and biometric information. Late last year, Becerra released the initiative's title and summary -- a move that cleared the way for the advocates to begin collecting signatures. The group must gather more than 620,000 signatures for the initiative to appear on the November 2020 state ballot. California isn't the only state with a new privacy law. In October, Nevada residents gained the right to opt out of the sale of some information, including their names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers. And starting in July, broadband providers in Maine won't be allowed to disclose customers' data -- including web-browsing history, precise geolocation information, IP addresses and device identifiers -- without their explicit consent. Pilibhit District Magistrate Vaibhav Shrivastava said that action was taken against people for taking out a religious procession in Kali Nagar area on December 28 as they did not have prior permission for the same. In a press release, Shrivastava stated that Section 144 is imposed in Pilibhit due to which prior permission needs to be taken for taking out the procession. He also said that as per the Allahabad High Court's order permission needs to be taken for using loudspeaker in public place. However, the organisers did not have permission for this, said Shrivastava. This comes after Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh earlier called upon Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to review the FIR. "Call upon Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to review the FIR in Pilibhit against 55 religious devotees who participated in the customary Nagar Kirtan to observe the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas," the Punjab Chief Minister tweeted on December 30. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said the Indian government has put all "resources on the ground to ensure early extradition" of fugitive economic offenders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. "The case of Nirav Modi is under litigation that is being heard at Westminster Magistrates Court in London. We are putting all resources on the ground to ensure early extradition of Nirav Modi to India," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in his weekly briefing. Nirav Modi, who is facing extradition to India in the Rs 13,700 crore Punjab Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, will appear at a UK court via the video link today. He was declared a fugitive economic offender under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act on December 5, 2019. The order on the confiscation of his properties is yet to be issued. "We'll have to see what happens in the video link hearing," Kumar told the reporters. "We have also requested the Antigua and Barbuda government that if they can expedite the legal proceedings so that the process of extradition of Mehul Choksi to India can start," the spokesperson added. Modi is currently lodged at Wandsworth prison in south-west London and is wanted for his alleged role in the Rs 13,570 crore loss caused to the bank along with his uncle, Mehul Choksi. Modi, 48, was arrested in March this year by the Scotland Yard in connection with the case. He did not return to India despite repeated summons from Indian probe agencies and courts. India is seeking his extradition to make him face the law of the land for allegedly committing economic offences. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sixteen inmates killed in Mexican prison riot Local media reported that the dispute was triggered by a soccer game. Sixteen inmates were killed and five wounded in a prison fight in the northern Mexican state of Zacatecas, authorities said, in one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the countrys penal system since President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took power. 16 KILLED, 5 WOUNDED The fight broke out Tuesday afternoon at the Regional Center for Social Reintegration in the town of Cieneguillas, located on the western flank of state capital Zacatecas, the state government said. The government has launched an investigation to determine those responsible for the incident and how the weapons entered the prison. In a press conference Wednesday evening, state Public Security Minister Ismael Camberos said all prison staff working during the fight and on the previous shift would be investigated. The five wounded inmates are in stable condition, Camberos said in the interview. The Alliance supports measures aimed at strengthening Ukraine's capabilities to refute hybrid threats and cyberattacks. Head of the NATO Representation to Ukraine and Director of the NATO Liaison Office, Alexander Vinnikov, says that Ukraine and the Alliance Member States will this year conduct large-scale exercises, taking into account hybrid threats existing in the Black Sea region. That's according to Vinnikovs op-ed "Ukraine-NATO: New Challenges and Opportunities, published in Ukrainian by Tyzhden. Vinnikov says NATO supports measures aimed at strengthening Ukraine's ability to counter hybrid threats and cyber attacks. See also Russia intends to conduct flight exercises over Crimea more often. Read alsoNATO outlines key tasks in reforming Ukraine's security, defense sectors in 2020 "We are stepping up our efforts to support security in the Black Sea region, in particular by increasing the number of joint exercises and port calls, and expanding information exchange. In 2020, Ukraine and NATO will jointly conduct large-scale exercises by the legend related to hybrid threats in the Black Sea region. This is another practical example of NATO support, agreed upon in April 2019 by the Alliance's foreign ministers in response to security challenges in the Black Sea region," Vinnikov wrote. He assured that in 2020, NATO will continue to develop partnerships with their friends around the world, among which Ukraine has the status of a special partner. "NATO Member States have been providing unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, its inalienable right to independently decide on their future. NATO does not and will never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Crimea is Ukrainian territory. We also condemn Russia's aggressive actions in the Black Sea region and the support that Russia provides to paramilitary groups in eastern Ukraine," said Vinnikov. Read alsoKristina Kvien appointed U.S. Charge d'Affaires a.i. in Ukraine He also said that the Member States welcomed the commitment of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky toward a peaceful resolution of the Donbas conflict. "There are high hopes that in 2020 we will see further progress, but today the conflict in Donbas keeps taking people's lives. The leadership of the Alliance has repeatedly emphasized the special responsibility that now lies with Russia, urging the latter to withdraw troops and hardware from the territory of Ukraine and cease all support to militants in Donetsk and Luhansk regions," said the official Vinnikov added that, besides political support, NATO would continue to provide practical assistance to Ukraine. One local rabbi is calling for unity in the face of the latest anti-Semitic attack at a suburban New York rabbis home that left five people injured the night of Dec. 28. Connecticut law enforcement officials have announced that they are stepping up patrols at Jewish institutions across the state. Rallies are also planned in the state to stand against the anti-Semitic attack that took place on the seventh night of Hanukkah in Monsey in Rockland County. Police said Grafton Thomas, 37, entered a rabbis house with a machete during the celebration and stabbed five people. Nearly 100 people were in the home at the time of the attack. It is time for all New Yorkers, no matter race, creed or political affiliation, to come together to stamp out the scourge of anti-Semitism, said rabbi Shneur Brook of the Chabad of Shelton and Monroe. We must educate, especially the youth, about the universal dignity and sanctity of every human life. This knowledge leaves no room for hate of a fellow human being. Chabad of Shelton and Monroe does not have any specific event planned in reaction to the New York incident, said Brook, adding that his monthly Shabbat services/dinner will be dedicated in the merit of the recovery of those injured in the attack, and we're going to encourage congregants to show up in honor of this. The Hanukkah stabbing was only the latest in a series of anti-Semitic attacks in the region. There have been 10 such attacks in the state of New York since Dec. 23, according to the Anti-Defamation League. "We are deeply disturbed by the horrifying act of terror in Monsey, said Brook. As a community, we are very alarmed by the rise of anti-Semitic attacks in and around New York City. Brook said it has been less than three weeks since he was asked to comment on a Jersey City shooting and Jewish blood is once again on the ground here in the New York area. This heinous deed took place during the kindling of the Hanukkah Menorah, said Brook. Just as hatred could not dampen the Jewish spirit thousands of years ago in the age of the Maccabees, the light of the menorah will defeat this current darkness. We call upon every person of good will to fight hatred with love, darkness with light. And together, we will come to see a time where the darkness will be defeated forever. Thomas was arraigned Sunday, Dec. 29, and pleaded not guilty to five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com Oman Cement Co announces new 5000tpd plant 02 January 2020 Oman Cement Co has issued an EPC tender for a new integrated cement plant in Duqm with a clinker capacity of 5000tpd. The plant will be operated as Alsahawa Cement Co (ASCC). The project is expected to be implemented in a backward integration mode, where cement will be produced by ASCC after receiving clinker from its parent company. Through this process, cement is anticipated to be available by September 2021. Construction of the clinker line will begin in parallel with the grinding facility, with the former set to be commissioned by March 2022. Published under Apple is kicking off the new year by signing a multi-year license agreement with British-based GPU chip supplier Imagination Technologies. Imagination confirmed the news in a brief press release which states the new agreement builds on the previous deal between the two companies dating back to 2014 and grants Apple access to Imaginations IP in exchange for licensing fees. The partnership between the two companies goes back to the very first iPhone which used a PowerVR MBX GPU. In 2017 Apple decided to develop its in-house GPU alongside the A11 Bionic chipset which made its debut on the iPhone X and effectively signaled an end to the alliance. The partnership breakdown had a pretty big impact on Imagination as Apples loss meant it lost half its revenue. Back in 2017, Imagination was acquired by Chinese equity firm Canyon Bridge and in the same year accused Apple of infringing its intellectual property. More recently Imagination announced its latest IMG A-Series mobile GPU which is touted as a GPU of Everything with application in mobile computing, automotive and AIoT fields. It remains to be seen if Apple is planning to bring back PowerVR GPUs in its product portfolio. Source | Via Rhode Islands health department is proposing to permanently ban the sale of flavored vaping products in the state. The department issued a public notice last week that it wants to make the temporary ban currently in effect permanent. Democratic Governnor Gina Raimondo supports a permanent ban. A hearing is set for Jan. 7 at the health department in Providence. Spokesman Joseph Wendelken said Tuesday the department is acting now because the temporary ban will soon lapse, and it wants to prevent teenagers and adolescents from vaping, given the significant health concerns. Neighboring Massachusetts last month became the first state in the country to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, e-cigarettes and e-liquids. It came after Republican Governor Charlie Baker declared a public health emergency and imposed a temporary ban in September. Raimondo signed an executive order in September banning the sale of flavored vaping products. In response, the health department issued emergency regulations Oct. 4 to implement a four-month ban, with an optional two-month extension. Raimondo said this month that she wants to permanently ban flavored vaping products to protect children. This is an epidemic and we have to take action, she said. These companies are deliberately targeting addictive tobacco products to our children, resulting in kids who are 10, 11, 12 years old, addicted to tobacco products. Weve got to do something. Its much more pernicious, actually, than smoking. Raimondo said the state shouldnt ban all vaping products because public health experts say the products may help some cigarette smokers quit. The vaping industry has criticized bans on flavored products, calling them the wrong approach to the problem of youth vaping. The Vapor Technology Association has said that a better strategy is raising the age to purchase tobacco and nicotine vapor products to 21 and imposing stricter marketing standards on smoking companies. The minimum age to purchase all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, was just raised from 18 to 21 nationwide. The provision to raise the legal limit was in a massive spending bill passed by U.S. Congress and signed by the president Dec. 20. Rhode Islands health department says in its public notice it considered alternative approaches, overlap with other regulatory provisions, and the economic impact on small businesses before proposing to permanently ban the sale of flavored vaping products. It says it identified no alternative approach or overlap and found the benefits of the proposed rule justify the costs. The department is accepting public comment until Jan. 26. It can amend the states health regulations after going through the established process of proposing an amendment and collecting public comment. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Ralph Northam is about to make the biggest tactical mistake in Virginia since Cornwallis decided to park his army at Yorktown. With his attempt to force local commonwealths attorneys and sheriffs in Second Amendment sanctuaries to enforce his unconstitutional gun laws, Governor Northam is setting himself up for a catastrophic failure. In fact, theres no way for Northam to win the fight he seems intent on picking with Virginia gun owners and Second Amendment sanctuaries. The governor isnt being helped by fellow Democrats such as U.S. congressman Donald McEachin, who said the governor should call out the National Guard to enforce the law, or Attorney General Mark Herring, who blithely says he expects that the laws will be followed once theyre on the books. There are also Democrats, such as Delegate David Toscano, who have been comparing the Second Amendmentsanctuary movement to the Massive Resistance movement that unfolded in Virginia in the wake of the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. Massive Resistance came about after Democratic governor Thomas B. Stanley organized a state-level opposition movement to the integration of public schools in Virginia in the late 1950s. To compare it to todays Second Amendmentsanctuary movement is to compare apples and oranges on a couple of different levels. First of all, the Second Amendmentsanctuary movement is morally just, unlike the Massive Resistance movement of the late 50s and early 60s. The Second Amendmentsanctuary movement isnt about curtailing rights, but rather about protecting their free exercise. Practically speaking, Massive Resistance was a top-down movement, spearheaded by U.S. senator Harry Byrd and his fellow Democrats in the governors mansion and Virginias attorney generals office. The Second Amendmentsanctuary movement, on the other hand, is a hyper-local grassroots movement that has no leader, though state-level Second Amendment groups are doing a good job of informing folks where meetings are taking place and even providing curious supervisors with examples of Second Amendmentsanctuary resolutions that have been approved elsewhere. Thousands of people show up at these board-of-supervisors meetings, and not because Philip Van Cleave or Cam Edwards or Nick Freitas or anyone else told them to be there. Theyre showing up because their neighbor told them about the meeting, or they saw something on Facebook. Theyre showing up and speaking out because they care. Story continues Ultimately, its the people in these Second Amendmentsanctuary communities who are the last line of defense against the infringement of their rights, but thankfully we have several other defensive options at our disposal. We can even thank todays Virginia Democrats for providing a blueprint to follow. Call it passive resistance, not Massive Resistance. Anti-gun Democrats hoping to force compliance with the impending gun-control laws frequently argue that, because Virginia is a Dillons Rule state, county supervisors have no ability to decide which laws will be enforced or not. Thats true, but it doesnt matter, because its not the county board of supervisors that enforces the law, any more than legislators in Richmond or Ralph Northam do. Law enforcement in these Second Amendment sanctuaries is largely the role of the county sheriff and the commonwealths attorney, and Democratic commonwealths attorneys have demonstrated in recent months that its possible to not enforce a state law, as long as youve got the judges to go along with you. Norfolk and Portsmouth commonwealths attorneys Greg Underwood and Stephanie Morales, respectively, announced earlier this year that their offices will not prosecute low-level drug offenses. Morales has apparently persuaded judges in Portsmouth to go along, while in Norfolk, Underwood has had to deal with judges who have refused in some cases to dismiss the charges. Meanwhile, although Governor Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring, and various and sundry Virginia Democrats have railed against the Second Amendmentsanctuary communities for turning the rule of law upside down, sowing chaos, and making mischief, theyve not said a word when these fellow Democrats have decided that certain laws wont be enforced. They seem to simply believe its different when Democrats do it. Its not. Democrats have taught us a thing or two about how to #Resist over the last three years, and Virginias Second Amendment supporters are going to put those lessons to work in the months ahead. * * * Since Virginia Democrats have given commonwealths attorneys the green light to ignore portions of state law they dont agree with, why shouldnt sheriffs have that same authority? After all, theyre usually working with limited resources and already need to prioritize which crimes they will investigate. Why shouldnt a sheriff say hes not going to waste time and resources on investigations that solely involve non-violent possessory offenses against Northams new gun-control laws? Why shouldnt commonwealths attorneys say the same? And why shouldnt the Virginia GOP encourage sheriffs and commonwealths attorneys to do so? They would simply be taking a page from the Democrats playbook. Even if no official or formal policy can be established, word gets around pretty fast in these rural counties, as weve seen with the turnouts for the Second Amendmentsanctuary meetings. Ralph Northam and Mark Herring cant police every decision by every officer to arrest or not, or by every prosecutor to bring a case or dismiss it, nor can they remove the discretion that must be a part of those jobs. The simple truth is that the criminal-justice system couldnt handle full enforcement of every law on the books, especially if the defendants demanded their right to a speedy trial by a jury of their peers. The vast majority of criminal cases in Virginia are plea-bargained down, because if they all went to trial, the system would grind to a halt. I believe that in many rural counties we will see passive resistance adopted in practice, officially or unofficially. But even in those Second Amendment sanctuaries where police chiefs, sheriffs, and commonwealths attorneys decide that theyre going to enforce the unconstitutional gun-control laws heading our way, theres no guarantee of conviction. As I said earlier, the last line of defense in the tactic of passive resistance is the citizens. In order for Ralph Northam to secure a conviction for a violation of one of his proposed gun laws in a Second Amendment sanctuary, heres what would have to happen. First, a law-enforcement officer will have to decide to charge someone for a violation of one of Northams proposed laws. Perhaps its for allowing their 17-year-old daughter to have access to a firearm while she was alone in a rural farmhouse. Sure, she used the gun in self-defense when a couple of meth-heads tried to break in, but the parents broke the law and now they have to be charged. So, the officer arrests Mom and Dad. Next the commonwealths attorney will have to prosecute Mom and Dad for allowing their daughter, whos been trained in responsible gun ownership and even competes in 4H Shooting Sports, to have access to the gun that she used in self-defense. Sure, its a good thing shes alive, but the laws the law. Mom and Dad were at the board-of-supervisors meeting along with a thousand of their neighbors when their local Second Amendmentsanctuary resolution was passed. They know how their neighbors feel. And they decide to fight. They dont plead down to lesser charges. They take it to trial. And now a jury of their peers will have to decide if they should be punished for allowing the little girl theyve watched grow up defend herself against two intruders. What do you think the odds are that Mom and Dad are acquitted? Personally, I dont think that case would ever get prosecuted to begin with, but in most Second Amendmentsanctuary counties I would put the odds of conviction right around 0 percent. Governor Northam can threaten county officials with consequences for not enforcing his gun-control laws, but whats he going to do when juries in rural Virginia start returning not-guilty verdicts for any charges brought under those laws? Before Ralph Northam goes too far down this dead-end road of gun control, he should look at whats happened in a few other states that have passed state-level gun-control laws in recent years. In New York, theres been massive noncompliance with the laws, and the vast majority of prosecutions under the states SAFE Act, which restricts firearm rights, are taking place in just two of New York Citys five boroughs: the Bronx and Brooklyn. A large majority of defendants are young black men without serious criminal histories, who are facing years in prison for non-violent possessory offenses. As Slates Emily Jaffe wrote, the War on Drugs is being replaced by the War on Guns, but its still young minority men who are disproportionately impacted. That will absolutely be the case with any gun-control laws that Northam may sign. The vast majority of enforcement will be in the Richmond, Petersburg, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, and Roanoke areas, with northern Virginia coming up close behind. The vast majority of charges will be for non-violent possessory offenses, the vast majority of defendants will be young black and Hispanic men from Virginias inner cities, and the vast majority of those defendants will not have any serious criminal history, though they may be heading down that road. Instead of offering these individuals a way out, however, Ralph Northam wants to give them a crash course in criminality by putting them in prison. This strategy of passive resistance can be put in place alongside the inevitable court challenges that will come for every new gun-control bill Northam signs into law, but its not a perfect solution. Some counties will absolutely enforce these laws, while the Virginia State Police will do the same. Gun stores cant passively resist any new gun laws, though many will certainly get creative in finding ways to stay within the law and still sell as robust an inventory as they can. Red flag laws, which allow for seizure of firearms from an individual deemed to be an extreme risk of using them for violence, are another issue. If, under such a law, a judge tells a county sheriff to seize someones firearms before that person gets his day in court, how many county sheriffs will refuse? More than a few, I would guess. But if, on the other hand, local law enforcement are the ones that bring an initial petition to the judge, many judges will refuse to issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order and will stick instead with the states civil-commitment laws when they have concerns that someone may be a danger to himself or others. The county sheriffs Ive spoken to say they believe that civil commitment, under which a dangerous individual can be involuntarily confined in a mental-health unit, is a better option than a red flag order, which may force the sheriff to seize any legally owned guns but leaves the supposedly dangerous individual to his own devices. Sheriffs can easily argue that they shouldnt be forced to use a tool they dont believe is as effective as another one at their disposal. If, however, lawmakers expand the categories of people who can file a red-flag petition, the sheriff and commonwealths attorney may not have any input at all before a judge issues an order. If Governor Ralph Northam wants to avoid a fight with Second Amendment sanctuaries, he could also structure the red-flag bill in such a way as to make it the responsibility of the state attorney generals office to handle the petitions, and of the Virginia State Police to conduct the seizure of the firearms. I suspect Northam wants this fight, unfortunately, because he naively believes he can win. Ralph Northam can get his way, but theres no way he can win this fight. He can put the laws on the books, but he cant enforce them. He can threaten public officials with punishment, but he has already allowed commonwealths attorneys to not enforce laws they dont agree with. In most Second Amendment sanctuaries, these unconstitutional gun laws will likely be largely ignored by law enforcement. In those cases where individuals are charged solely with non-violent possessory crimes, such as violating the states universal background check, a jury of their peers will likely choose to acquit them in order to send a message to Richmond. And in deep-blue Democrat-controlled parts of the state, the laws will be strictly enforced, largely against young minority males who arent violent criminals. After all that, he cant even be sure that the violent-crime rate will drop. It didnt happen in Colorado when the state passed a magazine ban and universal background checks back in 2013. In fact, violent crime has increased by 25 percent since then. It didnt happen in Maryland when the state passed the Firearms Safety Act in 2013. Beginning in 2014, Baltimores homicide rate began skyrocketing, and the city has had more than 300 homicides every year since (as opposed to the low 200s in the years before the acts passage). In New York City, violent crime is down but shootings are up. By focusing his efforts on Virginias legal gun owners, Northam is only empowering violent criminals, and he will largely be punishing only young men who may not be making the best choices, but who wont be served by spending years behind bars for giving a gun to their friend to carry in self-defense on the streets of Petersburg. * * * Gun control will be Ralph Northams political Vietnam if he continues down this road, and calling in reinforcements in the form of the Virginia National Guard would only provoke another crisis, both within the Guard itself and in the Second Amendmentsanctuary communities where they would be dispatched. If Northam actually called out the Guard, hed be the first governor to use military force to restrict the exercise of a constitutional right since Arkansas governor Orval Faubus called out the National Guard to block the steps of Little Rock Central High School rather than allow the school to be integrated in 1957. Can you imagine Donald Trump calling out the 101st Airborne to protect the rights of Virginians, as Dwight Eisenhower did to protect the rights of Arkansans? Do Virginia Democrats really want to give that shameful episode of American history a reboot? Again, there is simply no way for the governor to win here, even if he signs every gun-control law that gets to his desk. Even if ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court were to uphold every law he signed, it would only be a Pyrrhic victory at best. He can make all the laws he wants, but hes going to have a heck of a time trying to enforce them. There is another way, though I dont think Governor Northam is likely to take it. He should sit down with gun owners and Republican lawmakers for an honest discussion about ways to effectively promote public safety without provoking a constitutional crisis or widespread civil disobedience. Republican delegate Todd Gilbert has already come up with an excellent plan to combat violent crime in the states urban areas, and it doesnt involve any new gun-control laws. Instead, it empowers cities to work with the U.S. attorneys in the area to identify and target the most violent offenders with one simple message: Youre going to stop shooting. Well help you if you let us. Well make you if we have to. Targeted prosecutions in the federal system put individuals who wont change behind bars for as long as possible, while programs allow young men to actually break away from the cycle of violence and start to take control over their lives. In fact, more and more academics are saying that the broad strokes of gun control are ineffective at addressing the small number of individuals who are driving violent crime in our cities. Professor Bindu Kalesan of Boston University, for example, has noted that gun-related violent crime among youths has been trending upwards in recent years, even in states such as Colorado and Maryland where gun-control laws have been put on the books. She says efforts to stem gun violence must focus on the individuals and groups who are actually committing these crimes, as well as addressing the issues that may drive the violence. What we dont need, she says, are more broad and blunt gun-control laws. Thats the better way to address drug-related and gang-related violence. What about suicide? Red-flag laws may take someones firearms from them, but it leaves them with their pills, their belts, their car keys, knives, and anything else they might use to take their own life. Supporters of red-flag laws claim that gun-related suicides have declined in Connecticut and Indiana, where these laws have been on the books for the longest amount of time, but they never mention that the overall suicide rates in both states have continued to climb, even with red-flag laws on the books. Fewer people may be killing themselves with a gun, but more people are killing themselves overall. I dont know how anybody can call that a success story. Instead of free community college for low-income Virginians, how about spending that $145 million a year on mental-health services instead? You could do quite a bit with that much money, including expanding access in rural areas through telemedicine and mobile clinics, in urban areas through grants to counseling programs, in communities large and small by funding drug-treatment and rehabilitation programs, and in schools by hiring more counselors and psychologists. What about domestic violence? Instead of hoping that violent domestic abusers are going to be stopped by a piece of paper, why dont we empower their victims instead? Allow individuals whove had to take out an order of protection to carry a firearm on an emergency basis, and help with expedited training if need be through state grants given to county sheriffs offices to administer. Also, put some teeth in the existing law. If someone violates an order of protection, dont let them be immediately released on bond after theyve been arrested. Allow high bonds for domestic-violence offenders who have violated orders of protection or have been arrested for abusing the victim while an order of protection was in place. We know the state cant be present at every moment to protect these vulnerable individuals from harm, so the state has an obligation to let them protect themselves. The state also has an obligation, however, to ensure that those violating these orders should face real consequences. In addition, counseling needs to be a part of the consequences. Its not enough to lock them up for a bit and let them stew in their own anger. Rehabilitation has to be a key component of any effort to combat domestic violence. If Ralph Northam would focus on these three areas, not only would he receive backing from gun owners for his proposals, but if he effectively implemented these plans, he could see dramatic reductions in Virginias homicide and suicide rates, and fairly quickly. Instead of the political equivalent of Vietnam, Northam could produce the political equivalent of the first Gulf War; policies that work fast, are effective, and end up enjoying a lot of popular support. I have a feeling that the soundtrack to Virginias politics over the next few months is going to be more Country Joe & The Fishs I-Feel-Like-Im-Fixin-to-Die Rag (And its 1, 2, 3, what are we fighting for?/Dont ask me, I dont give a damn, next stop is Vietnam) than Bette Midlers unofficial anthem of the Gulf War, From a Distance, but Id love to be proven wrong. The choice is ultimately up to Ralph Northam and Virginias Democrats. They can effectively address the states growing number of suicides and its drug- and gang-related violence, as well as domestic violence, without provoking a constitutional crisis and widespread non-enforcement of the laws, or they can go full speed ahead towards an impending political disaster and morass that will be Northams legacy for decades to come and the No. 1 issue for Virginia voters in the federal elections in 2020 and the state elections in 2021. More from National Review Thai retailers kicked off 2020 with a ban on single-use plastic bags, joining the battle against throwaway carriers in the Southeast Asian nation where citizens go through an average of eight every day. The move, taken on Wednesday by several major mall operators and the ubiquitous 7/11 convenience stores, will see customers instead paying a small fee for a reusable bag made of a cloth-like fabric. Thailand is one of the largest contributors to ocean pollution, with plastic bags recently turning up in the stomachs of dead marine mammals like dugongs and green turtles and prompting national soul-searching. A government campaign to eliminate their use by 2022 has seen television channels pixelating plastic bags onscreen -- alongside other no-gos like nudity, smoking cigarettes, alcohol use and violent crime. While Greenpeace's Pichmol Rugrod said the move by the retailers was a good start, she added it was "not enough to solve the plastic crisis." "We should stop the 'throw-away' culture in Thailand," she said. The country will continue to produce plastic packaging and lacks a proper waste management policy, she added, while reusable bags are typically made out of a fabric spun from micro-plastic. "Micro-plastic will then create another problem... it affects the environment in terms of when it's in the soil because it has chemicals," she said. And some shoppers like Viroj Sinchairokekul were unimpressed at having to pay for the new bags. "Instead, I will go to the local markets because they still give us plastic bags," the 63-year-old said, at a Bangkok mall. The European Commission estimates some 70 percent of plastic waste clogs the world's oceans, killing a range of species from turtles, seals, whales and seabirds to fish and shellfish. Malawi banned the production, distribution and import of single-use plastics in 2015, and last November Slovakia banned single-use plastics from 2021. Graham was being sought in the jewelry store case when police said he was charged on Monday with robbing a bank in Arlington County. Police there alleged he passed a note to a bank teller in the 2200 block of Wilson Boulevard demanding money and implying he was armed. He escaped with an undisclosed amount of money. We heeded to people's plights during the pandemic: Stalin on 100 years of governance After Kerala, DMK seeks resolution against Citizenship Act India oi-Deepika S Chennai, Jan 02: The DMK has sought a resolution in Tamil Nadu Assembly against the amended citizenship law which has triggered massive protests across the country. "It is the overwhelming desire of the people of this country that every state assembly should adopt such a resolution to guard the basic features of the Constitution," the DMK chief said in a Facebook post. Stalin urged Chief Minister K Palanisamy to adopt a similar resolution in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on January 6 when the House convenes for the first session of 2020. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 The AIADMK has backed the amendment to the Citizenship Act in Parliament and appealed to the people not to believe in "rumours" being spread about the CAA. This comes after the Kerala Assembly passed a similar resolution in the state Assembly demanding the scrapping of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). While presenting the resolution, Vijayan said the CAA was against the "secular" outlook and fabric of the country and would lead to religion-based discrimination in granting citizenship. Kerala Assembly resolution against CAA has no legal validity: Governor "The Act contradicts the basic values and principles of the Constitution. In view of the anxiety among the people of the country, the Centre should take steps to drop the CAA and uphold the secular outlook of the Constitution," he said. India says 2 soldiers killed in gunfight with militants in Kashmir Iran Press TV Wednesday, 01 January 2020 8:36 AM Two Indian soldiers have reportedly been killed in a gunfight with suspected militants along the restive Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. An Indian military spokesman said on Wednesday that the two army personnel were killed during an operation to intercept Pakistani infiltrators who were trying to sneak into India through the heavily militarized de facto border in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. The search operation had been launched following information about the movement of suspected militants, the official said. India regularly accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants and allowing them across the restive frontier in an attempt to launch attacks. Pakistan strongly denies the allegation. In recent years, southern Kashmir has seen intense fighting between Indian forces and armed Kashmiri fighters, who are demanding independence for the Himalayan region. The conflict has left tens of thousands dead, mostly civilians. Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since their partition in 1947. Both countries claim all of Kashmir and have fought three wars over the territory. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have accused each other of violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement over 3,000 times to date this year. India recently scrapped the semi-autonomy of its part of Kashmir, sparking a new wave of tensions over the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Memorial Service Honoring Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke on January 4th NEWS PROVIDED BY Christ For All Nations Jan. 2, 2020 ORLANDO, Jan. 2, 2020 /Standard Newswire/ -- On Saturday, January 4th 2020, Evangelist Daniel Kolenda and the Christ for all Nations (CfaN) team will host a memorial service to celebrate the life, ministry, and incredible legacy of Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke. The founder and spiritual father of CfaN, Evangelist Bonnke passed away on December 7th 2019. He was 79 years old. Best-known for his pioneering mass-evangelism work throughout the continent of Africa, Evangelist Bonnke was a champion for salvation. All told, more than 79 million people made decisions to follow Christ because of his clear and passionate Gospel presentations. He spoke to some of the largest crowds ever gathered in history, wrote more than 30 books, and left an indelible mark on the global Church. From the beginning, his meetings were marked by miraculous healings and other remarkable displays of God's supernatural power. It is not an exaggeration to say that God used Reinhard Bonnke to transform the continent. Many evangelist, pastors, ministry leaders, and friends impacted by the life of this incredible man of God, will travel to Orlando from around the world to honor Evangelist Bonnke, grieve with his family, and rejoice in his homecoming. In addition, there will be a special time of rich worship. It promises to be a foretaste of heaven. The service will be held at Faith Assembly in Orlando, Florida. The service will be open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early as the doors will close promptly at 11 a.m., out of respect for the family. The service will also be streamed "LIVE" on the ministries web site and also at Bonnke.TV, GOD.TV and other platforms. LIVE coverage begins at 10:00 a.m. (est). Memorial Service location and time: Faith Assembly 9307 Curry Ford Rd Orlando, FL 32825 Saturday January 4th at 11:00 a.m. (est) For further information please visit MEMORIAL SERVICE SOURCE Christ For All Nations CONTACT: Sam Rodriguez, Director of Product Development, 407-854-4400, srodriguez@cfan.org An artificially intelligent Google system could be better at spotting breast cancer than expert radiologists, a new study suggests. The research saw the computer, which was created by Googles AI experts, compared with medical professionals as they both screened mammograms. It found that the AI was largely as good as the humans at spotting incidences of breast cancer and that it was much better at avoiding false positives. Healthcare experts now hope similar technology can be used to improve the rate of detection of breast cancer, which affects one in eight women, and other health issues. The comparison was undertaken by researchers from the US and UK and was published in the journal Nature. It is just the latest to suggest that AI could lead to dramatic changes in healthcare. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Radiologists miss about 20 per cent of breast cancers in mammograms, the American Cancer Society says, and half of all women who get the screenings over a 10-year period have a false positive result. The findings of the study, developed with Alphabet Incs DeepMind AI unit, which merged with Google Health in September, represent a major advance in the potential for the early detection of breast cancer, Mozziyar Etemadi, one of its co-authors from Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said. The team, which included researchers at Imperial College London and the NHS, trained the system to identify breast cancers on tens of thousands of mammograms. They then compared the systems performance with the actual results from a set of 25,856 mammograms in the UK and 3,097 from the US The study showed the AI system could identify cancers with a similar degree of accuracy to expert radiologists, while reducing the number of false positive results by 5.7 per cent in the US-based group and by 1.2 per cent in the British-based group. It also cut the number of false negatives, where tests are wrongly classified as normal, by 9.4 per cent in the US group, and by 2.7 per cent in the British group. These differences reflect the ways in which mammograms are read. In the US, only one radiologist reads the results and the tests are done every one to two years. In Britain, the tests are done every three years, and each is read by two radiologists. When they disagree, a third is consulted. In a separate test, the group pitted the AI system against six radiologists and found it outperformed them at accurately detecting breast cancers. Connie Lehman, chief of the breast imaging department at Harvards Massachusetts General Hospital, said the results are in line with findings from several groups using AI to improve cancer detection in mammograms, including her own work. The notion of using computers to improve cancer diagnostics is decades old, and computer-aided detection (CAD) systems are commonplace in mammography clinics, yet CAD programs have not improved performance in clinical practice. Recommended AI may be the future of radiology The issue, Dr Lehman said, is that current CAD programs were trained to identify things human radiologists can see, whereas with AI, computers learn to spot cancers based on the actual results of thousands of mammograms. This has the potential to exceed human capacity to identify subtle cues that the human eye and brain arent able to perceive, she added. Although computers have not been super helpful so far, what weve shown at least in tens of thousands of mammograms is the tool can actually make a very well-informed decision, Dr Etemadi said. The study has some limitations. Most of the tests were done using the same type of imaging equipment, and the US group contained a lot of patients with confirmed breast cancers. Crucially, the team has yet to show the tool improves patient care, said Dr Lisa Watanabe, chief medical officer of CureMetrix, whose AI mammogram program won US approval last year. AI software is only helpful if it actually moves the dial for the radiologist, she said. Dr Etemadi agreed that those studies are needed, as is regulatory approval, a process that could take several years. Additional reporting by Reuters With at least nine infants dying on 30 and 31 December, the number of deaths at Kotas JK Lon Hospital stood at 100 for the month of December 2019. The babys demise occurred on the same day on which UNICEF said India saw 67,000 births, the highest globally The deaths of eight infants on 30 and 31 December took the toll at Kota's JK Lon Hospital to 100 for December. Lack of hygiene and leaking roofs were said to be the reason behind the spread of infection, India Today reported. Of 500 medical devices, only 200 were functional. There were only 20 nurses against the sanctioned posts of 42 in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In the paediatric ICU, there were only eight nurses against the requirement of 21. In the NICU, of the 71 warmers, only 24 were functional. The hospital has 20 ventilators but only six are working, the hospital records accessed by Hindustan Times showed. Meanwhile, apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) inspected the hospital, where 940 children died in 2019, and found broken windows and gates, pigs roaming on hospital campus and an acute shortage of staff. "It is evident that there was no glass in windows panes, gates were broken and as a result the admitted children were suffering with extreme weather condition [sic]," NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said. A high-level committee of expert doctors and experts, commissioned by Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot to examine the case, lay the blame at the feet of management. It found that though the infants were administered the right treatment, the problem lay in factors such as shortage of beds, the hospital functioning at 150 percent of its capacity and equipment lying unused due to the lack of an annual maintenance contract. While bureaucratic processes, lack of staff and maintenance of medical equipment are major impediments to the smooth running of hospitals, the serious fund crunch at government hospitals is a major concern. As per a report in The Wire, India spent only 1.1 percent of its GDP on healthcare. Another Gorakhpur? The incident is a grim reminder of what occurred in August 2017 at Gorakhpurs BRD Medical College which saw 1,000 child deaths that year where 72 children died over five days allegedly due to lack of oxygen. The deaths should also be a reminder of the immense pressure on major hospitals in districts in the absence of adequate facilities at primary healthcare centres. A report by the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi showed that in 15 states, not a single primary healthcare centre met the national public health standards set by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Dr Kafeel Khan, who was arrested after the deaths in 2017, on Tuesday called the Gorakhpur events a "massacre" that took place for "10 percent commission". Khan, then a paediatrician at the state-run hospital, was accused of negligence, suspended and later arrested. "The massacre happened for just 10 percent commission. It is not a tragedy, it is a man-made massacre, he told PTI. He added that the contractor supplying oxygen to the hospital at the time had written 14 letters, including to the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, for the release of pending payments, but nothing happened. The state government, on the other hand, pinned the reason for the deaths on encephalitis, a viral outbreak that is witnessed in Uttar Pradesh every year. Adityanath ordered an inquiry by a principal secretary rank official into the deaths and said that they had not occurred due to lack of oxygen. The report, however, did not fix any responsibility for the deaths. In fact, of the first 30 deaths that occurred on 10 and 11 August, 2017, only six deaths were related to encephalitis, LiveMint reported. Additionally, when Indian Council of Medical Research prepared a report under National Japanese Encephalitis Control Programme in Uttar Pradesh, especially in Gorakhpur, only 5 to 10 percent of cases were of Japanese Encephalitis. With high death rate of infants, it is apparent that intensive care units are poorly managed and they dont have trained staff," Soumya Swaminathan, secretary, Department of Health R and director general at ICMR, said. Gorakhpurs BRD Hospital caters to patients from 15 districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and also from a few districts in Bihar. At any given point in time, the paediatric department is treating 300 children, but there are only 210 beds. The hospital is not only overcrowded, but it also faces a resource and financial crunch. Down To Earth quoted a Comptroller and Auditor General report released in June 2017 that warned that there was a 27.21 percent shortage of clinical equipment and 56.33 percent shortage of non-clinical equipment, which includes oxygen supply, in this hospital. Infant deaths in UP According to a The Times of India report, 75 percent infant mortality cases in Uttar Pradesh are reported within 28 days of birth, with neonatal infections from labour rooms or due to lack of hygiene of health staff and parents accounting for 20 percent of these deaths. While a recent government report blamed the medical staff for 49 infant deaths at Farrukhabads Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, PTI reported that the deaths occurred due to the apparent lack of oxygen in the ICU. Another 19 infants, who did not survive childbirth, were not part of the government report. All 49 deaths occurred between 21 July and 20 August, 2017. Police said that in the Farrukhabad case, the hospital "did not insert oxygen pipes (into infants' windpipes) after birth", BBC reported. In June, another infant in Bareilly, who was having trouble breathing, lost her life when her parents were reportedly made to visit one department after another for three hours, Politicos play blame game The deaths have already triggered a political slugfest, with Rajasthan health minister Raghu Sharma attacking the BJPs politics over death in the absence of anything else to cover up over the anti-CAA protests, questioning why the BJP had not sanctioned funds sought by the hospital in 2015, 2016 and 2017 when the saffron party was in power. He later added that the state government will provide additional funds to improve facilities at the hospital. Aiming a salvo at the Congress-led government in Rajasthan, Adityanath on Thursday criticised the ruling party for "acting with apathy towards the families who have lost their children". It is upsetting that Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra cannot understand the families suffering despite being mothers. Instead of staging a drama in UP, if Vadra should have met the grieving mothers, who lost their babies solely due to the governments carelessness. They do not worry or sympathise with the people, they only want to indulge in politics, Adityanath said. With inputs from agencies Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Enovates first pure electric model ME7 rolled off the production line at the startups Shaoxing plant on 28 December. The luxury intelligent electric SUV, with a range of 500km, is priced between 366,800 yuan and 381,800 yuan ($52,529-54,677) before subsidy and it is expected to compete against the China-built Teslas local Model 3. The ME7 will be delivered to consumers in the first quarter of 2020 and the automaker has received 8,000 orders for the model, mainly from such first-tier cities as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, according to a media outlet. The Shaoxing facility, with a total investment of 5.5 billion yuan ($788 million), has an expected annual capacity of 60,000 units. It covers a factory area of roughly 330,000 square meters and a floor area of 120,000 square meters. Based on the German industry 4.0 standards, the factorys four production workshops are equipped with 53 quality-monitoring processes, and it uses the "Audit" quality evaluation method adopted by Porsche and BMW, ensuring every ME7 meets the German quality criteria. Enovate said its second model will be a small-sized SUV, to be made in the manufacturers Changsha plant and is expected to be launched next year. Besides, the company will initially offer one new car each year and then accelerate the launching speed to reach the target of eight new vehicles in five years (photo source: Enovate). At the time of writing, Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is trading at around $202 after gaining over 3% since last week. Over the past 24 hours, BCH has lost more than 1.5%. In October, BCH rebounded spectacularly towards the end of the month in response to Bitcoins positive momentum. However, over the last two months, the crypto market has tumbled again and BCH has come crashing down. Will BCH start pushing higher again thanks to recent developments? And if so, what are the next levels of support to look out for? Or will Bitcoin Cash drop further? Lets take a look at the chart, courtesy of TradingView. As you can see from the chart above, the price of BCH recovered during late October before crashing around 45% as we moved through November. The October gains were lost and the price came crawling back down to as low as $200 as the huge market-wide meltdown hit the coin hard. And it seems that the downtrend is continuing as BCH has now fallen below $200 for the first time since March. In addition, Bitcoin Cash is now trading below all its EMAs. BCH needs to try and regain support at around $225, as theres a steep drop to $170 below that. For the time being, I expect BCH to trade below its EMAs for a while and to attempt to recover towards the 200-day EMA even though the market is showing no signs of a recovery just yet. Right now, volume sits at just above $1 billion around half of what it was last week. Safe trades! BCH fundamentals I recently spoke with Bitcoin Cashs strongest advocate, Roger Ver, and discussed the most recent developments on the horizon for BCH. You can find all the details here, but the most juicy news seems to be the recent spike in adoption due to the implementation of smart contracts. Roger, like myself, believes key components for mass adoption are speed and flexibility. What Bitcoin Cash Oracles offers is a way for any user to easily deploy an escrow transaction that can be used to trade globally without the hassle of trusting the other party. Story continues I personally think these trade escrows will be key in terms of adoption, especially for work-related tasks. In a way, they do enable milestone-based funding, which may be the new and better way of conducting ICOs instead of simply creating an extra layer of complexity with STOs that require KYC and accreditation something that goes against what we should be promoting within the crypto ecosystem. Current live BCH pricing information and interactive charts are available on our site 24 hours a day. The ticker bar at the bottom of every page on our site has the latest BCH price. Pricing is also available in a range of different currency equivalents: US Dollar BCHtoUSD British Pound Sterling BCHtoGBP Japanese Yen BCHtoJPY Euro BCHtoEUR Australian Dollar BCHtoAUD Russian Rouble BCHtoRUB Bitcoin BCHtoBTC About Bitcoin Cash Bitcoin Cash was born out of the idea of making Bitcoin more practical for small, day-to-day payments. In May 2017, Bitcoin payments took about four days unless a fee was paid, which was proportionately too large for small transactions. A change to the code was implemented and Bitcoin Cash was born on 1st August 2017. More Bitcoin Cash news and information If you want to find out more information about Bitcoin Cash or cryptocurrencies in general, then use the search box at the top of this page. Heres an article to get you started: By Oliver Knight January 2, 2020 As with any investment, it pays to do some homework before you part with your money. The prices of cryptocurrencies are volatile and go up and down quickly. This page is not recommending a particular currency or whether you should invest or not. You may be interested in our range of cryptocurrency guides along with the latest cryptocurrency news. The post Latest Bitcoin Cash price and analysis (BCH to USD) appeared first on Coin Rivet. [Tuchong] Editor's note: China is set to further open up and optimize its business environment, thanks to a series of new policies taking effect on January 1 which will provide extensive opportunities for international businesses. Let's see what policies are taking effect at the start of this year. China to adjust tariffs on some imported goods China decided to adjust tariffs on some imported goods from January 1, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced on December 23. Temporary tariff rates may apply to more than 850 items of imported goods, which will be lower than the most-favored-nation tax rates, to increase imports and optimize the import structure, the commission said in a statement on the website. From July 1, 2020, China will cut the most-favored-nation tax rates for 176 items of information technology products, and adjust some products' temporary tariff rates accordingly, it said. Foreign Investment Law to take effect The Foreign Investment Law, which was passed by the second session of the 13th National People's Congress on March 15, will come into force on January 1. With unified provisions for the entry, promotion, protection and management of foreign investment, it is a new and fundamental law for foreign investment in China. It aims to improve the transparency of foreign investment policies and ensure that foreign-invested enterprises participate in market competition on an equal basis. Meanwhile, China has approved a draft implementation regulation of the Foreign Investment Law in a bid to foster a more inviting environment for foreign investors and better address their concerns through the building of a sound legal framework. The draft is aimed at facilitating the implementation of the Foreign Investment Law, which was passed in March, and is scheduled to take effect on January 1. New rules to optimize business environment China will implement new regulations that aim to make it easier to do business from January 1, China's state planner said on October 23. The new policies will guarantee equal market access and protect fair competition in the market and make sure that foreign and domestic companies should be treated equally, as should all types of market entities regardless of ownership. China will set up a punitive damage system for infringements on intellectual property, according to the measures. China's first cryptography law to take effect China's first cryptography law, which was passed on October 26, is expected to take effect on January 1 next year. Lawmakers approved the law at the closing meeting of a bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), which started on October 21, after a second review. The enactment of the law was necessary for regulating the utilization and management of cryptography, facilitating the development of the cryptography business, and ensuring the security of cyberspace and information, according to the NPC Constitution and Law Committee. According to the law, the state encourages and supports the research and application of the science and technology in cryptography and protects the intellectual property rights in cryptography. The law outlines the training of talent in cryptography and says that those with outstanding contributions in work on cryptography can be awarded. 97 drugs in new medical insurance catalog to be available for purchase A total of 97 drugs included in China's new national medical insurance catalog will enter the purchasing process within a fixed period on January 1, according to a circular recently issued by the National Healthcare Security Administration and the National Health Commission. The drugs, including 70 new additions and 27 renewed drugs, were approved for inclusion in the catalog after price negotiations between the healthcare security administration and drug producers. The circular also demanded that the drugs be posted on provincial procurement platforms to enable further purchasing. Insurance open to HK, Macao, Taiwan residents Residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan will be able to apply for Chinese mainland social insurance starting January 1 next year, according to provisional regulations issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on December 3. The regulations will apply to people who work, study or live in the Chinese mainland. Residents lawfully recruited and employed by Chinese mainland enterprises should take part in five basic insurance programs endowment, medical, work-related injury, unemployment insurance and maternity. Those who live in the Chinese mainland but are not employed can join endowment and medical insurance programs according to the regulations of the cities they live in. The regulations also cover people who are self-employed or flexible employees. The procedure to join social insurance programs and the benefits are the same as those for mainland residents. Those already in social insurance programs in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan can provide documentation to be exempted from the Chinese mainland programs. (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) Chattanooga Public Library was named one of 59 libraries nationwide to receive a $2,000 Library Census Equity Fund grant from the American Library Association, which awarded the grants to bolster library services to hard-to-count communities and help achieve a complete count in the 2020 Census. We are grateful to the ALA for providing this grant and encouraging libraries to play an important role in the 2020 Census, said CPL Executive Director Corinne Hill. Our library serves everyone in Chattanooga, and we want to make sure each and every person counts in the upcoming census. The efforts of CPL, said ALA President Wanda Brown, will shine a light on all the library workers across the country who are shouldering efforts to reach and inform their communitiesespecially vulnerable and hard-to-count populationsabout the importance of a full and inclusive count. The results of the 2020 Census will affect communities across the country. More than $1.5 trillion in federal funds are allocated each year to state and local governments based on Census data. When residents are missed in the Census, their communities miss out on needed funding for services such as libraries, schools, healthcare, and transportation. The U.S. Constitution requires a census of all residents every 10 years. In the 2020 Census, residents will have the choice to respond online, by phone, or by mail. The U.S. Census Bureau will send mailings to households prior to Census Day, which is April 1. To help achieve a complete count in the 2020 Census, Americas libraries are informing their communities and providing access to the online response option. To learn more, visit ala.org/census and follow the conversation on social media with #CountOnLibraries. As part of Chattanooga's Complete Count Committee, CPL and other Chattanooga organizations are working together to ensure everyone gets counted in the 2020 Census. For more information and to pledge to get counted visit connect.chattanooga.gov/census2020 or text "CHA Census" to 97779." Data released by a Brazilian crime watchdog on Thursday showed shootings in the greater Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area dropped nearly 24% in 2019. There were 7,363 shootings reported last year, down from 9,642 in 2018, according to the Fogo Cruzado organization, which compiled and verified the data. The public oversight group reported 1,517 shooting deaths and 1,357 injuries from gunfire last year, slightly above 2018 levels. Since Fogo Cruzado doesn't have access to official police registries, deaths totals are likely expected to be higher. Shootings declined steadily in Brazil's top tourist destination in the second half of 2019. In December, Fogo Cruzado registered 362 shootings, nearly half the number recorded in the same month a year earlier. Data released by a Brazilian crime watchdog Fogo Cruzado revealed that shootings in the metro Rio de Janeiro area dropped 24% in 2019. There were 7,363 shootings reported last year, down from 9,642 in 2018, Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel took credit for independent data that indicate shootings in the metro area decreased by 24% last year. However, 1,517 shooting deaths and 1,357 injuries Gov. Wilson Witzel, who campaigned on a platform of zero tolerance for crime, boasted about the decline in shootings. 'Throughout 2019, we acted rigorously in the crackdown on crime, in addition to valuing our police,' Witzel tweeted. Witzel has referred to criminals as 'narco-terrorists' and proposed using helicopters as platforms for snipers, who could target anyone carrying large firearms. During his tenure, police have ramped up the use of deadly force. In 2019, a total of 189 people were hit by stray bullets in the Rio de Janeiro metro area. Pictured above are people carrying the coffin of Agatha Sales Felix, who was hit by a a stray bullet last year. Police eventually announced that it was an officer who fired the shot that killed the eight-year-old girl However, not all victims of gun violence in Rio are criminals. Agatha Sales Felix died September 20 after she was hit by a stray bullet while riding in a van in the Complexo do Alemao slum. She was killed by a police officer, who investigators say lied when reporting that he had been shooting at an armed suspect. In 2019, a total of 189 people were hit by stray bullets, more than one-quarter of whom died, according to Fogo Cruzado. It is unclear who fired the bullets in most of those cases. Fogo Cruzado, or 'Crossfire,' is a free app that was created by Amnesty International Brazil in 2016. It helps residents track shootings in real time by combining crowd-sourcing data and monitoring social media. Courtesy of Lone Star College-North Harris / Submitted As of Jan. 2, Lone Star Colleges Archie L. Blanson will lead LSC-North Harris as interim president while the search for a permanent president is underway. According to the colleges announcement on Thursday, the position was previously held by Gerald Fernandez Napoles who is now vice chancellor of the LSC system and special assistant to the chancellor. Search For Amador County Murder Suspect View Photos Update at 4:25 p.m.: The driver of a ride-sharing company helped in the capture of 20-year-old Sean Purdy, who is a suspect in his fathers murder. The son was captured around noon today by Washoe County Sheriffs Deputies just south of Incline Village in Nevada. Sheriffs officials relay that deputies got a tip from an Uber or Lyft driver who picked up Purdy. Further details on his arrest and the murder are below. At this time, Purdy has only been charged in Nevada with obstructing justice and resisting arrest. Update at 1:45 p.m.: Amador County fugitive, 20-year-old Sean Purdy, who was being sought for allegedly murdering his father, has been captured by Washoe County Sheriffs Deputies just south of Incline Village in Nevada. In a statement, Sheriff Darin Balaam expressed his deep appreciation to all the deputies and investigators from multiple agencies who have tenaciously worked for the safety of the community during the past 12 hours. Additionally, instead of waiting for extradition, Amador County Detectives are heading to the Washoe County Jail to interview Purdy and then will take the necessary steps to bring him back to California. Further details on Purdys arrested have not yet been released. No motive or additional details on how the father was killed have been released. The murder investigation remains under the Amador County Sheriffs office jurisdiction and is ongoing. Reporter Tracey Petersen contributed to this report. Original post at 11:27 a.m.: Pioneer, CA A 20-year-old man is suspected of killing his father in Amador County. 52-year-old Lance Purdy was allegedly killed at his Pine Grove home yesterday and 20-year-old Sean Purdy is being sought in connection to the incident. The father had just flown home to check on his son, and officials were notified by the mother, after she was unable to reach her husband. The Washoe County Sheriffs Office in the Lake Tahoe area reports that Sean Purdys vehicle was spotted at around 1am today outside a 7-11 in Incline Village, and he took off running when he spotted deputies nearby while exiting the convenience store. An active search is ongoing. Maharashtra Home Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said that the state is considering enacting a Public Security Act on the lines of Chhattisgarh. "To tackle the menace of Naxalism in the state, we are considering enacting a Public Security Act on the lines of Chhattisgarh. After discussions with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, soon the Public Security Act will be implemented in Maharashtra also," Shinde said. Home Minister Shinde said this after meeting senior police officers about Naxal-affected zones of Maharashtra. Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005 was passed by the State Assembly in 2005. The law provides provisions to the police to detain a person for committing acts that pose an obstacle to the administration of law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It doesn't take a crystal ball to see that the Middle East's 2020 will be tumultuous. Libya's civil war has taken a dangerous turn, with Russian mercenaries and Turkish forces joining the fray as Gen. Khalifa Hifter's forces push into the capital. Yemen's still ravaged by economic blockade and war, despite recent efforts on all sides to de-escalate the conflict. Syria's civil war continues to metastasize, with a massive new wave of refugees fleeing violence in Idlib. Large-scale popular protests are challenging Iraq's government, which is bracing for fallout from the growing confrontation between the United States and Iran. Israel and the Palestinian territories could dramatically change their relationship, as the prospects of a two-state solution dissolve. And protest movements throughout the region could shake up half a dozen regimes. Here are three trends to watch in the Middle East over the coming year. 1. Every government is on edge about the U.S. 2020 election Usually, when the U.S. government changes hands, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East remains steady and consistent. No more. If a Democrat replaces Donald Trump in the Oval Office, Middle Eastern regimes expect sharply reversed policies on such front-line issues as the nuclear agreement with Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian relationship, relations with Turkey, and alliances in the Gulf. If Trump remains in office, he will be unleashed, convinced by his electoral success that even his most controversial policies were right. Facing such different possible futures, Middle Eastern governments could choose one of two approaches. They have good reason to be cautious, reaching out to both sides of the American partisan divide to ensure continuity in their relations. But some may see a closing window of opportunity for cherished goals - including potentially destabilizing moves that the Trump administration may wish to encourage, seeing possible political advantages. That means there's an unusually high risk that Israel will annex the West Bank or launch a major military strike against Iran or Hezbollah over the next 11 months. Key regional players such as Saudi Arabia's crown prince, the United Arab Emirates and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu placed all their bets on Trump's presidency. Their enthusiastic embrace of Trump brought near-complete impunity for their regional adventurism, atrocities such as the murder of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi, and controversial domestic policies. That close relationship came at a cost, though: Both Congress and the U.S. public increasingly identified them as Republican allies. Should a Democrat take the White House, Saudi Arabia in particular can expect serious repercussions. Their assessment of the likelihood of a new American administration in 2020 will likely guide their decision-making in the coming months. 2. Conflicts in the gulf region are getting harder to control The Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran has inflicted economic pain - while accomplishing few or none of its strategic objectives. For all its internal problems, the regime is unlikely to collapse. Seeing no diplomatic openings ahead, Iran and its proxies have launched a series of escalating attacks on U.S. interests. After avoiding responding to such earlier incidents as suspected Iranian attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, the U.S. bombed Katai'b Hezbollah targets in Iraq. While all players have thus far managed the conflict to avoid escalation, this will become increasingly difficult. Expect continued escalation between Iran and the United States across the Persian Gulf region, Iraq, Syria and even Lebanon as these dynamics continue. While neither the U.S., its allies, nor Iran wants war, the complexity of the situation, the number of potential spoilers, and the uncertainty generated by Washington's turmoil raise the risk of unintended escalation. Even without war, Iraq will suffer the collateral damage of this confrontation, as it is torn between its close relations with both Iran and the United States. Remarkably, the Trump administration has abandoned the U.S. strategic consensus that it's essential to support the Iraqi government that the United States largely created - and has instead single-mindedly focused on confronting Iran and its allies, even when that endangers the coalition's campaign against the Islamic State. The U.S. strike against an Iranian-backed militia has been predictably destabilizing. Protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, as popular opinion which had been focused on Iran's presence in recent weeks has turned sharply against the United States. Don't be surprised if Iraqi politicians begin demanding that U.S. forces leave the country. 3. Protests and more protests 2019's wave of protests across the Middle East rivaled those of the Arab Spring in 2011 - and in some ways were more impressive. Protests challenged regimes in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon; forced political change in Algeria; and overthrew the Sudanese regime. More will come. Lebanon's economic crisis is intersecting with the protests in unprecedented ways, while the sudden death of Algeria's military strongman and the election of a new president has opened the door to the possibility for real change. Sudan's remarkable democratic transition will be sorely tested. Popular dissatisfaction had been building in these countries - and others - for years, with widespread discontent over worsening unemployment, food shortages, crippled or nonexistent public services, and corrupt or repressive governments were amplified by a new generation's impatience. New protest waves were only a matter of time. Sudan's remarkable success offers a glimmer of hope that protest movements may break with recent patterns of failure in 2020. Protesters have learned from past failures, showing remarkable resilience, creativity and political discipline. However, keep an eye on whether these sustained peaceful protests will tip over into violence, as loosely organized opposition coalitions fray and impatient regimes use harsher policing tactics. In Iran, brutal repression seems to have quashed its 2019 protests but the underlying grievances simmer. In Iraq and Lebanon, the governments' violent attacks on protesters haven't yet slowed those demonstrations - and could escalate from arrests and beatings to slaughter. Don't be surprised if protests erupt in other countries this year. Egypt's government has been intensifying its repression, arresting journalists and shuttering civil society while its economy has struggled. Jordan's economic struggles have become more pressing under the weight of Syrian refugees and reduced aid from the Gulf, and Israel's annexation of the West Bank could spill over onto Jordan's territory. Oman's long-ruling Sultan is reportedly critically ill, and his succession is of great interest to its bickering gulf neighbors. While renewed protests in Syria against Assad's brutal regime are difficult to imagine, the dramatic spillover of Lebanon's economic crisis into Syria poses a challenge that the regime cannot kill its way out of, and few if any other nations are likely to send assistance. Expect these three trends to bring numerous crises during this U.S. election year, shaping the challenges that will await the next administration. - - - Lynch is a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, where he is the director of the Project on Middle East Political Science. He is also a non-resident senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Program and the co-director of the Blogs and Bullets project at the United States Institute of Peace. Lynch is the editor of "The Arab Uprisings Explained: New Contentious Politics in the Middle East" and the author of "The Arab Uprising: The Unfinished Revolutions of the New Middle East." For other commentaries by political scientists from universities around the country, see www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage Arabic-speaking medical students in war-torn Syria are providing translation services to an online educational company in exchange for free access to videos that teach clinical processes and procedures. In a letter to The Lancet, Dr. Lamia Kouba of Damascus University and colleagues write that the eight-year-long war in Syria has prompted more than 50% of Syrias physicians to leave the country. Thats left medical students more reliant on material available via the internet to supplement their education. The university cannot provide good, high-quality education we need and what future doctors deserve in a country that actually lacks physicians at the moment, Kouba, who led a team of med students in translating e-learning materials into Arabic, said in a phone interview. Online courses and educational material have become very popular among students looking to complement their university education. However, due to the lack of reliable material in Arabic, the language in which medicine is taught in Syria, students have not been able to use these online resources, Kouba and her colleagues write. Early last year, Kouba gathered a group of medical students from Damascus University, the University of Aleppo and Tishreen University and began translating medical videos uploaded onto YouTube by the U.S.-based learning platform Osmosis. Osmosis, a for-profit provider of online courses that was started by two medical students at Johns Hopkins University, offers content on clinical processes and procedures. In exchange for the translations, Osmosis granted the students of all nine medical schools in Syria free access to their content. Within a year, more than three fourths of the videos uploaded on the Osmosis YouTube channel had Arabic subtitles and more than 3,000 Syrian medical students had become Osmosis members. Medical students who translate English content into Arabic are seniors and are very knowledgeable . . . It would be nice to have quality control to verify the accuracy of the translations, this is, however, hard to achieve, noted Dr. Tareq Al Saadi, of the University of Illinois, Chicago, who was not part of the translation team. Having some imperfect, less-reliable translations is better than not having any translations at all, he told Reuters Health by email. However, Al Saadi believes online learning platforms should provide discounted subscriptions or make the content available for free to students who are not able to afford them, even without contributions in the form of translating content. Translation in exchange for free access is not always possible, and this will just limit students chances of benefiting from the content, Al Saadi added. Medical students who were part of the project in Syria say the real benefit lies in having the videos translated. Now, since most videos have been translated into Arabic, I think, for them (Osmosis) to offer these videos for free, without a quid pro quo would be easier, Dr. Ahmad Al-Shihabi, a member of the Osmosis translation team at Damascus University, said in a phone interview. Students in Syria are at risk of losing access to online educational material due to U.S. trade sanctions, which have already resulted in other prominent platforms, such as Coursera, restricting access to their content in Syria. The issue here is finding a free resource that is accessible . . . Education has a price, for sure. But at the same time, having it for free, a lot of students would benefit from it, Al-Shihabi told Reuters Health in a phone interview. As Osmosis expands its YouTube offerings, Kouba and her team continue to translate the videos. Search Keywords: Short link: The past 10 years probably will go down as the decade of Marvels domination and Netflixs ascension. But despite all the tumult and the perpetual rumors of cinemas supposed demise, good stuff no, great stuff kept getting made. It can be harder to find. Mega-blockbusters suck up most of the big screens and the small ones are increasingly crowded with infinite choice. Yet the medium is as vibrant as ever, thanks to the influx of new voices (though still not enough of them) and the undying need of filmmakers to tell stories with light and sound. The movies abide. The impossibility of an exercise like this is only a reminder of just how very alive cinema is. The next 50 movies on our list, or yours, might be just as good. 1. Tree of Life: All the mystery and harmony of life, in the memory-tinged detail of a small-town 1950s Texas family but writ across time and the cosmos. Terrence Malicks radiant 2011 film maps individual existence against eternity, turning an intimate tale epic. It has Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain and dinosaurs and its one of the most sublime and soul-stirring movies ever made. Jake Coyle 2. Phantom Thread: Paul Thomas Anderson already was having an incredible decade with The Master, from 2012 and Inherent Vice, from 2014. Then, three years later, Phantom Thread came along and with its lush haute couture, blushing heroine, ornery genius and poison mushrooms, he somehow blew all the others out of the water. Anderson made a black romantic comedy for his eighth feature but imbued it with enough prestige dressings to elevate it above such a pedestrian form. Lindsey Bahr 3. Margaret: Kenneth Lonergans other two, also exceptional features (You Can Count on Me, Manchester by the Sea) are better known partly because Margaret was tied up for years in a legal battle and an editing nightmare. But Lonergans longer cut (not what was briefly released in theaters but whats available on DVD) is a New York masterwork of great depth and scope. A teenager (Anna Paquin) comes to question everything after witnessing a traffic death. Culminating with an embrace in a theater (with an extraordinary J. Smith-Cameron), Margaret is about a self-centered young woman awakening to the dramas all around her. Coyle 4. Lady Bird: A Sacramento teen navigating her senior year of high school in the early aughts doesnt necessarily sound like important cinema but thats exactly why Greta Gerwigs semi-autobiographical solo directing debut is so great. The naivete and angry restlessness of young adulthood is given a crackling form in Christine Lady Bird McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), a perfectly imperfect heroine who clashes with her mother and desperately yearns for something anything that takes her away from the familiar, whether thats a boy on the nice side of town or a college on the other side of the country. It is, ultimately, a loving look at a young woman who hasnt yet become her fully realized self and the town that, despite her best efforts, has shaped her to her core. Bahr 5. Moonlight: Barry Jenkins coming-of-age tale is separated into three sections Little, Chiron and Black but its lyricism, beauty and ache is undivided. Theres a haunting even radical intimacy to Moonlight. Years later, Chiron feels like someone you once met and will know forever. The movies soft blue light shines and shines and shines. Coyle 6. Somewhere: Writer-director Sofia Coppola has always been able to see the dreamy banality in the sensational, whether its in the life of Marie Antoinette, the suicides of five sisters, or, in the case of Somewhere, the life of a movie star (Stephen Dorff) living in the most tabloid-ridden hotel in Los Angeles: the Chateau Marmont. Quiet and restrained and with the roads and cars and excess of Los Angeles as the backdrop, Somewhere gazes in on a father coming to the realization that very soon his almost teenage daughter (Elle Fanning) wont need him at all. Its neither cold nor depressing, however, but a warm-hearted look at the isolation, the silliness and even the universality of this rarefied world. Bahr 7. Cold War: Pawel Pawlikowski made two staggering masterpieces in the last decade, both expressively black-and-white, both devastatingly taut. First was Ida, then came Cold War. Its a stunning back-to-back. The two films, so austere yet so expressive, feel like they come from another time. Choosing one isnt fair but I gravitate more to the Cold War for the sensual performances of Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot as lovers brought together and torn apart in postwar Poland. Its a romantic and bleak portrait of love and art under totalitarianism. Coyle 8. Certified Copy: Can a fiction be truth? Thats the heady question behind the great Abbas Kiarostamis Certified Copy, in which an antiques dealer (Juliette Binoche) and a writer (William Shimell) debate the essence of authenticity in art and what, exactly, constitutes a reproduction (perhaps everything). The film has its own metamorphosis of sorts too as the nature of even their relationship becomes amorphous and obscured when a farce about the two being married ends up becoming very real. It was an audacious and provocative film to kick off a decade of cinema and while the answers remain elusive, the experience and ideas are those that nine-plus years on have continued to provoke. Bahr 9. Inside Llewyn Davis: As they were in the two previous decades, the Coen brothers were as vital as any filmmaker over the past 10 years. Their output: True Grit Hail, Caesar! The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and, most of all, this melancholy gem set in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the winter of 1961. The title character (Oscar Isaac) is a musician, recently made solo by the death of his singing partner, whose talent isnt quite enough, whose luck is lacking and whose cat wrangling abilities are definitely insufficient. Llewyn never catches a break. Thank God the Coens did. Coyle 10. Grand Budapest Hotel: Wes Andersons precise and beautiful aesthetics have a way of becoming the only thing people talk about or seem remember from his films, which is unfortunate because its also something that can be weaponized against him. But The Grand Budapest Hotels mastery is undeniable. Within this fun and sumptuous caper confection about a dandy concierge, Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes), who presides over a splendid old-world hotel that is quickly becoming as much of a relic as his aristocratic-servant values, is an unexpectedly moving commentary on the last vestiges of civilization in a time between two dehumanizing world wars. Its the kind of film that has the audience yearning for and mourning something that never even really existed. Bahr Also: Dawson City Frozen Time, Melancholia, The Florida Project, The Social Network, Timbuktu, Cameraperson, The Immigrant, A Separation, I Am Love, Burning, Senna, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Phoenix, Mad Max: Fury Road, Faces Places, At Berkeley, The Deep Blue Sea Long gone are the days when education levels weren't inherently tied to income levels. Twenty-first-century teens as young as high school freshmen consider what colleges are available to them sooner rather than later to make a decent living in the long run. Be it grades or moneymany young adults automatically choose the more convenient access to community college to begin their undergraduate education. With 41% of all undergrads in a two-year school, according to the American Association of Community Colleges, Stacker looked to Niche to find out the top community colleges in every state across the country. Iranian-Backed Protesters Withdraw From US Embassy Compound in Baghdad By VOA News January 01, 2020 Iranian-backed paramilitary groups protesting U.S. airstrikes in Iraq withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad Wednesday after a second day of protests while Tehran and Washington traded threats. Earlier, U.S. security personnel fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of demonstrators after they hurled rocks at the building, and tried to set fire to its walls and security booths at the compound's main entrance. Wednesday's protest came a day after a mob tried to storm into the embassy, They got as far as a security perimeter, where they used a battering ram to knock down the steel door of a visitor's center and set a security post on fire. The protesters are angered by Sunday's U.S. airstrikes on an Iranian-backed militia group, Kataeb Hezbollah, action the U.S. says was a response to the killing of a U.S. contractor in a rocket attack last week. U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook told CNN, "Our diplomats are safe and so is our embassy. Today the situation is much better. There is no imminent threat to American property or personnel." But the Pentagon is sending an additional 750 troops to the Middle East in what Defense Secretary Mark Esper called "an appropriate and precautionary action." "We rely on host nation forces to assist in the protection of our personnel in country, and we call on the government of Iraq to fulfill its international responsibilities to do so," he said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is postponing this week's five-nation European and Central Asian tour, which was supposed to have begun Friday in Ukraine. A State Department spokeswoman said Pompeo "needs" to be in Washington "to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East." Pompeo tweeted Tuesday that terrorists orchestrated the embassy attack. He named Kataeb Hezbollah militia commander Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, along with Qays al-Khazali, Hadi al-Amari and Faleh al-Fayyad, and posted a picture of all four outside the embassy. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a speech on state television denounced the American attack on the Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary network in western Iraq. "I and the government and the nation of Iran strongly condemn this American crime," Khamenei said. The Iranian leader claimed Tehran had nothing to do with the Baghdad protests, condemning U.S. President Donald Trump's New Year's Eve threat that Iran "will pay a very big price" if it damaged the U.S. Embassy or injured American personnel stationed there. "This is not a warning," Trump said. "It is a threat." Khamenei responded to Trump, saying, "Be logical. ... The people of this region hate America. Why don't Americans understand this? You Americans have committed crimes in Iraq, you have committed crimes in Afghanistan. You have killed people." Despite the conflict, Trump said he did not see the demonstrations escalating into a war. "I don't think Iran would want that to happen. It would go very quickly," Trump said, touting superior U.S. military strength. Trump spoke Tuesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi about the need to protect U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq, and in his late-night comments to reporters he thanked the Iraqi government. "They stepped up very nicely," Trump said. fense systems and additional reconnaissance capabilities, in response to what officials see as a growing threat from Iran and its proxies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netflix in a multi-million dollar deal took a massive leap last year in its commitment to becoming a major movie player by purchasing Albuquerque Studios and making it the streaming giants U.S. production hub. Albuquerque Studios at Mesa del Sol includes nine sound stages, production offices and a backlot. Ty Warren, Netflix vice president for physical production, previously told the Journal that between the infrastructure and existing crew base in New Mexico, it was a win for the company to move here. I think you look at the amount of content that were making, specifically, here in Albuquerque, and were making a large piece of content here, it makes economic sense for us to have a hub here since the content were creating is here Warren said. The states track record has been good by producing high-quality films and series. That is what intrigued us, he said. Theres also the support of the community and relationships coming out of us being there. Netflix even has seat on the board of the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. The companys New Mexico projects already have included the Emmy-winning Western series Godless, as well as Longmire, Chambers, Messiah, The Ridiculous 6, Daybreak, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Walk. Ride. Rodeo. A conservative estimate is that the purchase of Albuquerque Studios will produce an additional 1,000 jobs per year to the state. As part of the purchase agreement, Netflix committed to direct spending on its own productions here of at least $600 million in the first five years occupying the studio, and $400 million in direct and indirect spending, which includes leasing the facility to other production companies, in the following five years. And the studio acquisition is expected benefit other major studios in New Mexico I-25 Studios, Garson Studios, Santa Fe Studios and Las Cruces Studios as other productions seek studio space. Albuquerque has regularly been ranked in the top 10 of the trade magazine Moviemakers best places to be a filmmaker. The sound of gunfire echoed across Birmingham New Years Eve, but authorities say the number detected by high-tech ShotSpotter recordings dropped from a year ago. From 3 p.m. Dec. 31 until 3 a.m. Jan 1, the citys gunfire detection system recorded 965 shots fired, said Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams. That is an 18 percent decrease from last year, when ShotSpotter detected 1,181 shots during the same time period. As they do each year, Birmingham police warned residents not to celebrate with gunfire. The department had additional officers on hand to address citizen reports and ShotSpotter indications of those who chose to participate in the reckless behavior of firing guns on New Years Eve. Fortunately, there were no reports in Birmingham of anyone injured by the celebratory shooting. One woman was injured by shattering glass when her east Birmingham apartment was fired on and another man was wounded when he was shot in Inglenook, but neither were believed to involve celebratory gunfire. Its better, but we wish we wouldnt have had anyone, participating in celebratory gunfire, Williams said. It seems some people are adhering to our request. During the New Years Eve shift, Birmingham police stopped 83 vehicles either in traffic stops or safety checkpoints. From those stops, police issued 55 citations, and made eight arrests three of those for felony charges. Four weapons both handguns and rifles were confiscated. In the other case, the attorney general sued J.D. Nursing and Management Services and its former CEO in 2017, alleging the company failed to pay more than 20 personal-care aides more than 150 hours worth of wages each, officials said. After the city won a court ruling in the case last month, the attorney generals office said it will seek to collect about $195,000 for the workers. Officials also said $22,050 is owed in penalties to the District. In a measure with regionwide implications, the Turkish parliament approved a motion Jan. 2 to deploy forces to Libya during an extraordinary meeting before the start of its 2020 legislative session next week. Though details remain unclear on the involvement of Turkish troops in direct combat operations, the vote established a one-year mandate for Turkish forces to transfer weapons, planes and vehicles in support of the UN-recognized Tripoli government headed by Fayez al-Sarraj. Turkish units will also help establish elite Libyan forces, exchange counterterrorism intelligence and play a larger strategic role through operational cooperation and joint exercises with Sarrajs Government of National Accord forces amid an ongoing offensive on Tripoli led by eastern Libya commander Khalifa Hifter. The news comes one week after Sarraj submitted a formal request for Turkish military support, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in December was the prerequisite for a troop deployment. While Turkish drones and proxies have been increasingly active in Libya over the past year, the parliamentary vote, passed 325-184 with 80 abstentions, is expected to complicate a civil war and escalate tensions between regional actors who back opposing sides in the conflict. This is a repeat of the mistake that the governing party in Turkey made in Syria, Faruk Logoglu, former Turkish ambassador to the United States, told Al-Monitor. They are going to repeat the same mistake on perhaps a less controllable scale in Libya. He added, Its wrong. It will not serve the benefit of the Libyan people, nor will it serve the interests of the Turkish Republic. I think it will only serve to prolong, deepen and widen the conflict in Libya. Following the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, the nation has undergone nearly nine years of conflict. Late last year, Hifter said his Libyan National Army (LNA) would take Tripoli in an offensive that continues with the backing of Russian mercenaries and the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Despite formal recognition as Libyas current prime minister, Sarraj has primarily received military support from Turkey in recent months. LNA forces have retaliated, taking several several Turkish sailors hostage last summer and shooting down a number of Turkish drones. Such divisions have wrought comparisons to proxy wars like the one in Syria, where Turkish forces have also backed militias, but a Libya deployment might pose greater threats to Turkish forces, said Soner Cagaptay, the director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Potential conflicts may arise in keeping logistics lines open, because in between Turkish and Libyan sea space theres going to be Egyptian and Greek planes and ships, Cagaptay told Al-Monitor. Theres a pretty serious risk of escalation coming up. The same day as the Turkish parliamentary vote, the leaders of Cyprus, Greece and Israel signed an accord to construct a $6 billion gas pipeline that will run through tracts of the eastern Mediterranean recently claimed by Turkey in an agreement with the Sarraj government. The parallel developments could lead to a multinational escalation in the Mediterranean, as well as in Libya, where media reports also indicate Turkish-backed rebel fighters from Syria are being transferred to support ground operations against the LNA. Speaking to the CNN Turk, Numan Kurtulmus, deputy chairman for Erdogans ruling Justice and Development Party, said the mandate will ensure that the legal government in Libya remains in place and Turkeys natural rights [in the Mediterranean] are maintained. All major opposition parties voted against the measure or abstained, with Iyi Party leader Meral Aksener calling troop deployment a threat to our national security that would needlessly endanger the lives of our troops. We became part of Syrias civil war, and what did Turkey gain? Aksener asked ahead of the vote. It gained 5 million refugees, it spent $50 billion, it became a neighbor with Russia on both its northern and southern borders. In response to the mandate, the Foreign Ministry of Egypt released a statement saying such a deployment could negatively affect the stability of the Mediterranean region, and called for a response from the international community. Shortly after the vote, Erdogan spoke with US President Donald Trump by phone in a discussion that stressed the importance of diplomacy in resolving regional issues, according to the Turkish presidency. Though questions remain on the impact of a UN Security Council resolution banning the weapons transfers to Libya and whether the Turkish military has the capacity to hold two fronts in both Syria and Libya, Turkish lawmakers said significant developments would not take place in the coming days, without providing further details. Cagaptay told Al-Monitor, This prepares the groundwork for Libya to become the new Syria in the sense that you will have Turkish-backed forces in the west and Russian-backed forces in the east and maybe the ultimate 'deal' is going to be ironed out again between [Vladimir] Putin and Erdogan. While unable to help Con Vaitsas with his CD player (C8) quest, Brendan Barr of Albion Park does have some helpful news for fellow vinyl aficionados. "After my grandson decided to test how well his new toy truck would rotate on the turntable of my record player (circa 1980) thus destroying the stylus, I trawled a few electronics stores without finding a replacement. Luckily a knowledgeable and youthful store employee suggested a nearby local business, and bingo, I had a replacement from Goldring Stylus via express delivery in no time, and I am now back in the vinyl groove!" John Ellis of Westleigh recently purchased a coir doormat, which came with a card pronouncing the mat to be sturdy and durable and with care instructions. "The care instructions contained the following helpful hints: Shake or brush regularly to avoid dirt build up. Do not iron. "Could anyone explain what the difference is between Australian Breakfast Tea and Australian Afternoon Tea?" asks Jenny Archbold of Bellingen. "And does it matter if you use them the other way round?" "The bloody flies have survived the bushfires, judging by the frequent use of the Australian Salute by those interviewing and being interviewed on the scene," observes Jack McCann of Wollstonecraft. On a serious note, Philip Cooney of Wentworth Falls offers a reminder to those currently relying on portable generators: "Run them outside, in a well-ventilated location. We have lost enough lives to these fires already, without having someone die of carbon monoxide poisoning." Exterior of the 313@Somerset outlet. (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore) SINGAPORE Five years ago, in 2014, three good friends, Lee Hon Wai, Tan Kok Meng, and Mok Wai Peun founded Go Noodle House, inspired by Tan's mother's fishbone stock. Since then, they have opened 37 outlets in Malaysia and Australia with their first Singapore outlet at 313@Somerset. Theirs is a company that holds steadfast to the timeless tradition of making everything by hand, as I learned in a media trip where, along with other food writers, we were brought around their central kitchen to see first hand how the noodles go from dough to bowl. "I hope every customer finds our handmade noodles and bursting meatballs in the family recipe fish bone broth with a shot of five-year shaoxing hua diao jiu (rice wine) just as satisfying a meal as it was for us to cook each bowl from scratch," co-founder Hon Wai shared in an email interview. He went on to say that their "menu is an extensive one and the prices are kept extremely affordable so that customers can come back often to tuck into their favourites and try new things at every visit." READ MORE: Malaysian-style Nasi Lemak lands in Singapore Hot bubble tea, anyone? Emma serves both hot and cold versions of bubble tea made with ingredients flown in from Japan Chinese New Year 2020: Our picks for the most unique yu sheng to toss Handmade noodles at their KL kitchen. (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore) The decision to open an outlet in Singapore was not without its fair share of challenges. "The strict labour laws were a huge challenge in Singapore," Hon Wai explained. "Importing ingredients for the restaurant has not been easy either as stringent standards laid out by the local government must be followed to the letter. Having said that, were confident that Singapore is a great country to do business in due to its strategic location as a tourist hub, the metropolitan palate of its citizens, and its safe and peaceful environment." As with the Malaysia outfit, Go Noodle House's first Singapore outlet is dripping with chinoiserie authenticity from the moment you step in. The decor is designed to mimic a Chinese pavilion with its focus on dark woods, linen screens, and lanterns. Tables are spaced rather far apart from each other although it's evident that the mise-en-scene can accommodate far more than what it currently holds. I like this spaciousness. It shows the restaurants priority for the customers' comfort, a consideration very few establishments afford diners. Story continues Shaoxing Hua Diao jiu (cooking wine). (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore) The menu here mirrors closely the one across the causeway. Each bowl of noodle or soup comes with a small cup of three-year-old shaoxing hua diao jiu (cooking wine) that can be added into the soup. I highly recommend dousing the bowl with this potent concoction to give the soup a good kick of flavour. You can also choose from the signature superior soup or the homemade spicy soup as well as either the mi xian or bee hoon. There's the option of adding proteins and vegetables as well which that no two dishes are the same. And for a restaurant in Orchard Road, I dare say these prices might make you blink twice. Table service, hand made noodles, and aged cooking wine for below S$15? Outrageous. Fresh Fish Slice Soup. (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore) My first two selections for the evening comes without noodles. The first is the fresh fish slice (S$12.90++) of mackerel. Like my chunky thighs, they are very meaty and fresh (I said what I said). The second is the handmade fish paste (S$11.90++), a true labour of love with each nugget precisely crafted by hand using a spoon. The magic of the broth is in its absorption of whatever meat it is served with, and here it is sweeter than the mackerel, but not unpleasantly so. Signature bursting meatballs. (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore) I had the third bowl of signature bursting meatballs with Go Noodle House mi xian noodles (S$10.90++ for the superior soup, S$11.99++ for the spicy soup). The noodles are, of course, handmade in their factory in Malaysia and shipped over frozen in -20C blocks. Go Noodle House's signature bursting meatballs is a round shell of pork meat that encases juicy and flavourful minced pork which makes the broth here bolder in taste than the previous two bowls. The mi xian noodles are light and slippery, and though I don't recommend it, you should try to eat it without chewing. It goes down like a dream. Hakka sauce with century egg. (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore) Pan mee enthusiasts will be pleased to know that one portion of Go Noodle House's Hakka Sauce with Century Egg (S$9.90++) is enough to fit two. I'm slightly taken aback at the affordability of this dish versus its size. Here, the noodles are coated liberally in pork lard and served with century egg, fried lard, anchovies, minced pork, and black fungus. It's silky, luscious, and packed with a robustness that hugs each strand. Every element contributes to the flavours of the dish, especially the century egg. Academically the plate works due to its tripartite of texture and flavours and is my preferred choice than to the one doused in dark sauce. In KL, I had the opportunity to try the Trio Platter (S$12.90++) that comes with five-spice meat roll, crispy fuchuk, and pork gold coin. It's an easy plate of snacks that goes fabulously with their intense chilli. Dip gently. This spicy potion is potent. But I beg of you to please order the youtiao (S$4.90++). Order whatever you wish from the exhaustive list of appetizers, but you must have this. You cannot go wrong when a group of food writers unanimously agree on the brilliance of these long sticks of crispy dough dipped into sweet kaya. I only wish they were more generous with the Kaya dip. There's simply no way we're going to politely dip our freshly fried youtiao on a tiny bit of kaya. Bring it on, I say. Bring it on. Website | 313 Orchard Rd, #B3-37/38 313@Somerset, Singapore 238895 10am - 10pm daily Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly $2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, was further remanded in custody at a hearing on Thursday and asked to appear on 30 January London: Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly $2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, was further remanded in custody at a hearing on Thursday and asked to appear on 30 January. Modi appeared for his regular 28-day "call-over" appearance from London's Wandsworth prison at Westminster Magistrates' Court. His extradition trial is scheduled for 11 May and is expected to last over five days. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram who was the judge on Thursday, asked if there are any other issues to be discussed now. Modi, wearing black, light grey and white sweat shirt and grey bottom, said no. The 48-year-old had moved yet another bail application last November with an "unprecedented" house arrest guarantee, akin to those imposed on terrorist suspects, as well as citing mental health issues from being behind bars at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London since his arrest in March. But the bail plea was turned down by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot over continued fears of witness intimidation and failure to surrender before the court for his extradition trial in May 2020. "The past is a prediction of what might happen in the future," Judge Arbuthnot had said at the time. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which represents the Indian government in the extradition proceedings, said there is no further prospect of an appeal for bail in a higher court as the UK High Court has already turned down Modi's plea earlier this year. You only get to go once and can't keep appealing over and over, a CPS spokesperson had said. Meanwhile, Modi must appear for "call-over" hearings at Westminster Magistrates' Court until the case management hearings for his extradition trial kick in over the coming weeks. The diamond merchant denies the charges of fraud and money laundering and his defence team, led by barrister Hugo Keith, has claimed that the Indian government has wrongly "blackened" Modi's name as a "world-class schemer". Modi has been behind bars at Wandsworth, one of England's most overcrowded prisons, since his arrest on 19 March on an extradition warrant executed by the Scotland Yard on charges brought by the Indian government. During subsequent hearings, the UK court has been told that Modi was the "principal beneficiary" of the fraudulent issuance of letters of undertaking (LoUs) as part of a conspiracy to defraud PNB and then laundering the proceeds of crime. Our guide to new art shows and some that will be closing soon. ARTS OF CHINA and ARTS OF JAPAN at the Brooklyn Museum (ongoing). Redesigning an American museums Asian wing is no mean feat. But these exhibitions, reopened after a six-year renovation, successfully integrate stunning pieces by contemporary Chinese and Japanese artists into the institutions century-old collection of antiquities, drawing 5,000 years of art into a single thrilling conversation. Look out for the 14th-century wine jar decorated with whimsical paintings of a whitefish, a mackerel, a freshwater perch and a carp four fish whose Chinese names are homophones for a phrase meaning honest and incorruptible. (Will Heinrich) 718-638-5000, brooklynmuseum.com AUSCHWITZ. NOT LONG AGO. NOT FAR AWAY at the Museum of Jewish Heritage (through Aug. 30). Killing as a communal business, made widely lucrative by the Third Reich, permeates this traveling exhibition about the largest German death camp, Auschwitz, whose yawning gatehouse, with its converging rail tracks, has become emblematic of the Holocaust. Well timed, during a worldwide surge of anti-Semitism, the harrowing installation strives, successfully, for fresh relevance. The exhibition illuminates the topography of evil, the deliberate designing of a hell on earth by fanatical racists and compliant architects and provisioners, while also highlighting the strenuous struggle for survival in a place where, as Primo Levi learned, there is no why. (Ralph Blumenthal) 646-437-4202, mjhnyc.org AGNES DENES: ABSOLUTES AND INTERMEDIATES at the Shed (through March 22). Well be lucky this art season if we get another exhibition as tautly beautiful as this long-overdue Denes retrospective. Now 88, the artist is best known for her 1982 Wheatfield: A Confrontation, for which she sowed and harvested two acres of wheat on Hudson River landfill within sight of the World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty. Her later ecology-minded work has included creating a hilltop forest of 11,000 trees planted by 11,000 volunteers in Finland (each tree is deeded to the planter), though many of her projects exist only in the form of the exquisite drawings that make up much of this show. (Holland Cotter) 646-455-3494, theshed.org HANS HAACKE: ALL CONNECTED at New Museum (through Jan. 26). For this German-born American artist, what matters most about art is what you cant see: the hidden systems of class, power and capital that assign value and importance to the pictures and objects we see. Haacke won fame and grief in the 1970s for polling museumgoers about their beliefs and their bank accounts, and for deadpan installations that disclosed one collectors links to the Nazis, anothers to the coup detat in Chile. Theres no denying these midcareer works were Haackes best: His early fan-blown tarps or water-pumping tubes look hippie-dippie today, while more recent antigovernment installations (torn flags, MAGA hats, dismembered Statue of Liberty dolls) are embarrassing. But his example pervades the work of todays young artists, who never even knew a time before we were all connected. (Jason Farago) 212-219-1222, newmuseum.org The paedophile fiance of Karen Matthews was arrested today on suspicion of breaching his bail conditions. Paul Saunders was arrested and released under investigation today, hours after his relationship with Britain's 'worst mother' was revealed. According to The Sun, the 57-year-old was detained 'on suspicion of a breach to his notification requirements'. Saunders was jailed in 2010 for having sex with a teenage girl, who said after his conviction: 'He makes me sick. He should die. I hate him.' Since his release he has found love with 44-year-old Matthews, who faked her daughter Shannon's kidnapping in 2008 in a plot to claim 50,000 reward money. Karen Matthews (left) has got engaged to handyman Paul Saunders, 56, (right) who was jailed for five years in 2010 for engaging in sexual activity with a 'vulnerable' teenage girl Matthews, 44, (left) is notorious for faking the kidnap of her nine-year-old daughter Shannon (right) in 2008 when she and a former boyfriend hid the youngster inside a bed for 24 days Matthews met handyman Saunders six weeks ago as he worked on her bathroom and has been spotted with an engagement ring after he proposed over Christmas. Saunders abused his teenage victim over a three-year period and was only caught after he was separately jailed for benefits fraud. The sexual abuse was discovered when indecent images of the girl were found on his mobile phone. In January 2010, Oxford Crown Court heard his offences took place between 2006 and 2009 when his victim was aged between 15 and 17. Saunders, targeted the 'vulnerable' girl and made indecent images of her, the court heard as he was jailed for five years placed on the sex offenders' register for life. His victim, who is now an adult, said after he was jailed: 'He makes me sick. He should die. I hate him.' Matthews has been seen on numerous occasions with her new beau in the south of England where she lives. She is said by friends to be 'inseparable' from her boyfriend with one saying they are acting 'like teenagers in love.' Matthews has confessed her criminal history to Saunders, who reputedly 'can't be bothered about her past'. It is not known if Saunders has admitted his own sordid past to his new lover. Matthews no longer has any contact with Shannon or her other children. Matthews was pictured looking elated with her former partner Craig Meehan after Shannon was found alive. Meehan was not involved in the kidnapping plot Matthews in March 2008 holding her daughter's favourite teddy bear as she feigned an emotional appeal for her safe return Matthews (left) and co-conspirator Michael Donovan (right) were both sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2009 and released in 2012 after serving half their sentences Matthews and her ex-boyfriend's uncle Michael Donovan were jailed in 2008 for the plot to stage Sharon's kidnapping and claim the 50,000 reward for 'finding' her. She made a series of tearful TV appeals for help in finding her daughter as West Yorkshire Police launched one of the force's largest ever searches. Matthews led from Dewsbury police station before a court appearance over Shannon's kidnap Shannon was eventually found by detectives in Donovan's flat, around a mile from her home in Dewsbury, 24 days after she disappeared. Prosecutors said the schoolgirl was drugged and probably kept captive on a leash during her incarceration. Police described Matthews as 'pure evil' after she was found guilty of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. Her then-boyfriend, Craig Meehan, was not involved in the kidnapping plot. However, he was separately convicted of possessing 49 indecent images of children on a home computer. She and Donovan were both sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2009 and released in 2012 after serving half their sentences. Shannon was raised by a new family under a new identity and is now an adult. J apanese prosecutors have raided the Tokyo home of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn. It came after he skipped his 1.5 billion yen (10 million) bail before a trial on financial misconduct charges in Japan and fled to Lebanon. It is unclear how Ghosn avoided the surveillance he was under in Japan. Reports that he was carried out of his home in a wooden case for a musical instrument and spirited out of the country on a private jet have been described as fiction by his wife Carole. Ghosn denies the charges against him. On Tuesday the 65-year-old, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, said he left for Lebanon because Japans judicial system was unjust and he wanted to avoid "political persecution. He said he would talk to reporters next week. A view of a house where is believed that former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn lived before he fled to Lebanon / REUTERS The ex-car manufacturing boss's wife is alleged to have helped plan the escape which was carried out by a paramilitary-style group, according to the Lebanese news channel MTV. Lebanon said Ghosn entered the country legally. His lawyers in Japan say they had no knowledge of the escape and had all his passports. There were unconfirmed reports in Japan today that Ghosn had a second French passport. Turkish media reported that he flew to Lebanon on a private jet via Istanbul, prompting authorities there to investigate possible security flaws. A policeman leaves the residence of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn / AP Earlier it was also reported that there were no official records in Japan of Mr Ghosn's departure, but a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon, which says Mr Ghosn has entered the country legally so there is no reason to take action against him. Private security guards stand outside of the home of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Beirut, Lebanon / AP Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV, without identifying sources, reported that Mr Ghosn had two French passports. Japanese media also reported on and released pictures of the raid on his home while Government offices are closed this week for the New Year holidays. Mr Ghosn, who was charged with under-reporting his future compensation and breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence. Mr Ghosn has insisted he is innocent / REUTERS He says authorities trumped up charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan Motor Company and alliance partner Renault SA. Although slavery has been a part of history since the dawn of man, Progressives have convinced themselves that it existed only in America and only as to blacks. Combining this historic blindness with excessive deference to student sensibilities reached peak wokeness in a Washington, D.C. elementary school. Fifth-grade teachers at Lafayette Elementary School, as part of teaching about the Civil War and Reconstruction, asked students to show their understanding of the material by creating "living pictures," podcasts, or dramatic readings. Problems arose, though, when some students asked others to... Well, let's quote from CNN to grasp the full horror: Some students of color were asked by their peers to play roles that are "inappropriate and harmful," including "a person of color drinking from a segregated water fountain and an enslaved person," the team wrote. During classroom circles and small group discussions, [Principal Carrie] Broquard said, some students said they were uncomfortable with the roles their peers had asked them to play. Others, she said, had been unsure how to respond or stand up for their peers who were uncomfortable. Responding to complaints, the principal sent a letter to families confessing that students "should not have been tasked with acting out or portraying different perspectives of enslavement or war." The fifth-grade team added, "We deeply regret that we did not foresee this as a potential challenge in role playing so we could set appropriate parameters to protect students." The school also took steps to respond to the student's emotional trauma: In [Borquard's] letter, she said students who were directly affected have been meeting with the school's social emotional learning team and members of the administration to "process and talk through" the incident. The social emotional learning team and a racial equity committee at the school will work to ensure all assignments are "culturally sensitive and appropriate," she wrote. The staff will participate in a full day of training on equity and race in January, and the school plans to create a diversity and inclusion committee, the letter stated. "As the leader of the Lafayette school community, I am distressed this happened and saddened our students were hurt," Broquard wrote in the letter. "The voices of our students, their resilience and their compassion continue to inspire me to lead us all forward in a better way." In addition to the school's mea culpas, the school district also apologized and promised action: District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) called the lesson inappropriate and said the school was responding to the situation. "We acknowledge the approach to learning that took place around this lesson was inappropriate and harmful to students," DCPS said in a statement to CNN. "The school recognized its mistakes, addressed the matter with families, and is actively reinforcing values of racial equity across the entire school community. We support Lafayette Elementary as it nurtures young scholars to be models of social awareness and responsibility." One really doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. It's certain that the philosopher George Santayana, who famously said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," would strongly disagree with the school's attitude. A real education would teach students that slavery has been an integral part of human existence since the dawn of time. Indeed, it's so integral that it is still present today throughout the Middle East and Africa. What makes Western civilization different is that the Enlightenment combined Judeo-Christian beliefs with ancient Greek reasoning to conclude that slavery is a moral wrong, a concept that culminated in America with a bloody Civil War. Unlike the D.C. public school system, Jews around the world believe that it is important to remember the immediacy of slavery so that they never forget its evil. That's why the Passover Haggadah has participants recite every year, "When we were slaves in Egypt." The immediacy of this language is both a reminder of the sins of slavery and the wonders of freedom. Perhaps Progressives could learn from that. on Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging the December 18 decision of the NCLAT restoring as the executive chairman of the group. The Tata Group sought stay of the verdict by which the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) ruled as "illegal" the appointment of N Chandrasekaran as head of the holding company of over $110 billion salt-to-software conglomerate. "We have challenged the NCLAT decision in its entirety," a lawyer associated with the matter said. The petition has sought a direction from the apex court to set aside or quash the findings of the tribunal which held that the group's chairman emeritus Ratan Tata's actions against Mistry were oppressive. The NCLAT had stayed the operation of the judgement with respect to reinstatement of Mistry for four weeks to allow the Tatas to appeal. The NCLAT had also quashed the conversion of into a private company from a public firm. It also directed not to take any action against Mistry, whose family owns some 18 per cent interest in Tata Sons. The remaining 81 per cent is held by Tata Trusts and Tata Group along with Tata family members. Mistry, scion of the wealthy Shapoorji Pallonji family, had in December 2012 succeeded Ratan Tata as the Executive Chairman of Tata Sons, a post that also made him the head of all Tata group listed firms such as Tata Power and Tata Motors. In an overnight coup, he was removed as the Chairman of Tata Sons in October 2016. Along with him, the entire senior management too was purged and Ratan Tata was back at the helms of affairs four years after he took retirement. Mistry challenged the removal before the Mumbai bench of National Company Law Tribunal but lost and then went in for appeal at the NCLAT. Tatas had cited alleged failure of Mistry to "deliver on the promises that he had made at the time of his selection as the Chairman" and inability to lead the group in a cohesive manner and failure in providing proper guidance and support to the group as the reasons for his sacking. Mistry had contended that he was removed because of his "efforts to remedy past acts of mismanagement", for resisting interference of Ratan Tata and for instituting a formal governance framework to regulate the role of Tata Trusts. The "legacy hotspots" included shutting down the small car Nano project; cutting losses with expensive decisions in firms such as Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) and Tata Teleservices Ltd; and Air Asia fraud. The NCLAT ordered Ratan N Tata and the nominee of the Tata Trusts to "desist from taking any decision in advance which requires majority decision of the Board of Directors or in the Annual General Meeting". Also, the company, its Board of Directors and shareholders were ordered not to exercise power under Article 75 against Mistry. Powers under Article 75 had not been exercised since inception and "can be exercised only in exceptional circumstances and in the interest of the company, but before exercising such power, reasons should be recorded in writing and intimated to the concerned shareholders whose right will be affected, it said. Mistry was the sixth chairman of Tata Sons and had a tenure up to March 2017. The NCLAT order gives him five more months at the helm of Tata Sons if the said order is not stayed or overturned by the Supreme Court. Declaring the decision of the Registrar of to change character of Tata Sons from public company to private one as "illegal", NCLAT asked the RoC to correct records to show the company as public company. The court also stated that some observations in the July 9, 2018 judgment passed by the NCLT were "inappropriate and avoidable". These included appreciating activities of Tata Sons and highlighting its products, which had no bearing on merits of the case, it said, adding certain observations against Mistry were "undesirable and based on extraneously sourced material not on record". Stating that such observations cast "impact on the reputation" of Mistry, the NCLAT expunged those remarks while setting aside the July 9, 2018 Judgment of NCLT, Mumbai. After the judgment was pronounced, Tata Sons counsel had prayed for suspension of part of the judgment reinstating Mistry. "With a view to ensure smooth functioning of the company, while we are not inclined to suspend the judgment pronounced today in its totality, but suspend the part of the judgment so far as it relates to replacement of the present Executive Chairman and reinstatement of Mistry for a period of four weeks," the NCLAT said. "Rest of the judgement and directions including the direction to reinstate Cyrus Pallonji Mistry as director of the company and directors of three Tata shall be complied forthwith," it said. One of the night's few mortal locks, Zellweger came on strong early this season with her passionate performance as Judy Garland, and she has never given up her place as the best-actress frontrunner. Though Johansson is the only nominee who's also fronting one of the best-drama contenders, this is Zellweger's to lose and she won't. Globe frontrunner: Renee Zellweger captures Judy Garlands fragility and the sense of defeat that plagued her at the end. Credit:Universal Pictures Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory Adam Driver, Marriage Story Joaquin Phoenix, Joker Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes Driver couldn't be having a better year: Alongside recent star turns in The Report and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, he has delivered one of his most moving performances in Marriage Story, which scored more Golden Globe nominations than any other film. If he weren't up against Phoenix, he'd win this in a walk, but Phoenix, a six-time nominee who won a Golden Globe for Walk the Line, likely has the edge for his more talked-about, transformational performance. Globe frontrunner: Joaquin Phoenix's acclaimed turn in Joker. Best Motion Picture, Drama 1917 The Irishman Joker Marriage Story The Two Popes If the Hollywood Foreign Press Association picks Martin Scorsese's The Irishman or Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story, everyone will simply nod and say, "That seems about right." Which is why I think it may not happen! After all, this is the voting body that swerved from last year's perfectly respectable best-drama choice, A Star Is Born, and selected Bohemian Rhapsody instead. It wouldn't be a Globes ceremony without a big victory that comes out of left field, and I think Joker could provide the shock of the night. Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy Awkwafina, The Farewell Cate Blanchett, Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Ana de Armas, Knives Out Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart Emma Thompson, Late Night The Globes always pay heed to where the Oscar wind is blowing, and since Awkwafina is the only contender in this eccentric category with any real chance at earning an Academy Award nomination, that could give her an advantage. Still, her odds have dwindled since she was snubbed by the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and that could open the door for an up-and-comer like de Armas, the Knives Out lead, to prevail instead. Globe hopeful: Awkwafina playing the granddaughter to her dying grandmother (Zhao Shuzhen) in The Farewell. Credit:Casi Moss Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy Daniel Craig, Knives Out Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Taron Egerton, Rocketman Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name Could this category give us Sunday's most delicious upset? My brain is telling me that DiCaprio should take the award easily: He's an 11-time Globe nominee who has won three times before, and the Hollywood foreign press counts on his star wattage to keep their lights on every year. That said, Rocketman star Egerton has campaigned much more extensively than his reticent competitors, and though he's hindered by the fact that his performance as Elton John comes in the shadow of Rami Malek's Globe-winning Bohemian Rhapsody turn just last year, I can't underestimate Egerton's willingness to press the flesh. DiCaprio is probably safe, but oh man: If he loses, that reaction-shot GIF is going to be brutal. Globe frontrunner: Leonardo diCaprio plays Rick Dalton, a big-time actor who fears he is a has-been, in Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood. Credit: Best Motion Picture, Comedy Dolemite Is My Name Jojo Rabbit Knives Out Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Rocketman His screenplays for Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained earned Quentin Tarantino a pair of Oscars and a pair of Golden Globes, but he has never taken the top award from either voting body. The Globes will rectify that by giving Once Upon a Time in Hollywood the best-comedy trophy. Will the Oscars follow suit? Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell Annette Bening, The Report Laura Dern, Marriage Story Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers Margot Robbie, Bombshell Dern is considered the Oscar front-runner, but if there's any ceremony she might lose at, it's this one: The Globes love a surprise supporting-actress winner, and a vote for Lopez would give them plenty of superstar flash. I also wonder whether Dern, who is on the Oscars' Board of Governors, might be so associated with that group that the Hollywood Foreign Press will feel permission to go a different way. Then again, she is a four-time Globe winner who served as Miss Golden Globe at age 15. Expect a photo finish. Golden Globe frontrunner Laura Dern, left, with nominee Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story. Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes Al Pacino, The Irishman Joe Pesci, The Irishman Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Pitt has never won an Oscar for acting, but the Globes haven't proved as hard to impress: He triumphed in this category back in 1996 for Twelve Monkeys, and Sunday, he'll win again. Globe frontrunner: Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Best Director Bong Joon Ho, Parasite Sam Mendes, 1917 Todd Phillips, Joker Martin Scorsese, The Irishman Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood This will be a true clash of the titans, as Scorsese and Tarantino face the surging Bong. Scorsese has won this Golden Globe three times before, while Tarantino would be picking up his first award in the category. On paper, both of them would be a safer bet than the man I'm putting my chips on: Bong, who I increasingly think will win the best-director Oscar, too. Globe frontrunner: Director Bong Joon-ho with his Palme d'Or award for the film Parasite. Credit:AP Best Screenplay Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story Bong Joon Ho and Jin Won Han, Parasite Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Steven Zaillian, The Irishman Baumbach was denied a best-director nomination in part because Marriage Story is considered more of a scripting accomplishment. Here, then, is the perfect category for Globe voters to make it up to him, though he'll face formidable competition from two-time winner Tarantino. Best Foreign-Language Film The Farewell Les Miserables Pain and Glory Parasite Portrait of a Lady on Fire It's way past time for the Golden Globes to open their top drama and comedy-musical categories to films made outside the English language, but in the meantime, this will be an easy win for Parasite. Best Animated Feature Film Frozen 2 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World The Lion King Missing Link Toy Story 4 This Globe almost always goes to a Pixar film, and though Incredibles 2 lost last year to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, Toy Story 4 should have an easier road to victory. Meanwhile, let's enjoy the delicious shade of the Golden Globes nominating the photorealistic remake of The Lion King for this category, despite the fact that Disney has positioned it as a live-action movie for awards purposes. Best Original Score Alexandre Desplat, Little Women Hildur Gudnadottir, Joker Randy Newman, Marriage Story Thomas Newman, 1917 Daniel Pemberton, Motherless Brooklyn If you're related to competing cousins Randy and Thomas Newman, filling out your Golden Globes pool could prove awfully fraught. The latter Newman is better situated thanks to a war movie that makes more pervasive use of his music, but I think the Globes are down to clown and will go for Gudnadottir's Joker score instead. Best Original Song Beautiful Ghosts (Cats) Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber I'm Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman) Elton John and Bernie Taupin Into the Unknown (Frozen 2) Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez Spirit (The Lion King) Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Timothy McKenzie and Ilya Salmanzadeh Stand Up (Harriet) Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo You've got two of the music world's biggest stars going to head-to-head here in Swift and Beyonce, and they're up against another mammoth song from the Frozen franchise. Still, the Globes love legacy acts don't forget that Let It Go from the original Frozen lost to a U2 song you'd be pressed to name. For that reason, I think they'll be inclined to reward the new song 72-year-old John wrote with Bernie Taupin for Rocketman. RACINE A Chicago man is facing charges after he reportedly sexually assaulted his girlfriends daughter multiple times. Joshua J. Vega, 25, is charged with felony repeated sexual assault of a child. According to the criminal complaint: On Aug. 9, a mother and father of a 9-year-old girl and her aunt spoke with a Racine Police Department officer. The aunt told officers that while her niece was visiting her, the girl said that her mothers boyfriend, Vega, allegedly touched her down there and made her touch him. The girls aunt contacted police, who said the incident needed to be reported to Racine Police because the incident occurred at the girls mothers house in Racine. The girls father said that when he talked to his daughter about it, she said that Vega told her Dont tell anybody because theyll call the cops and Ill be arrested for a long time, the complaint said. As soon as the girls mother learned that Vega had reportedly been sexually assaulting the girl, the mother said she kicked Vega out. The girl was interviewed in Indiana and alleged that Vega touched her multiple times. As of Thursday afternoon, Vega remained in custody on a $75,000 cash bond, online records show. If convicted, Vega faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A preliminary hearing is set for Wednesday at the Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. 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. New Delhi: Communist Party (Marxist) (CPI (M) national general secretary Sitaram Yechury has strongly targeted the central government over the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Citizenship Register (NCR). Many serious charges have been made to abolish it, promote electoral bonds (electoral donations) and end the transparency of the government. North Korea ready for nuclear test again, alarm bell for America He has attacked other ministers including PM Modi, saying that today they are asking the residents here to prove their credibility, who themselves cannot show up to their academic degree. Yechury wrote on his Twitter handle, 'A government that closed the RTI is promoting electoral funding, in whose governance there is nothing called transparency.' 'Children study in Michigan school, go abroad and eat beef' Sitaram Yechury said that the PM and the ministers cannot show up to their degrees, but are asking the people to prove their citizenship. They cannot escape by doing all this. He said that documents are being prepared for NPR, NRC, which is meant to harass the Indians here. Thus the central government should stop harassing people and end the NPR and the partisan NRC with immediate effect. "Atrocities against Hindus in Pak, Congress still agitating against Dalits and victims"- PM Modi CHICAGO, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) announced that it has completed the divestiture of its Lender's Bagel business to Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V. The transaction included the Lender's brand and related intellectual property, the production facility in Mattoon Ill., and inventory. About Conagra Brands Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Marie Callender's, Banquet, Healthy Choice, Slim Jim, Reddi-wip, and Vlasic, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com. For more information, please contact: MEDIA: Dan Hare 312-549-5355 [email protected] INVESTORS: Brian Kearney 312-549-5002 [email protected] SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc. Related Links http://www.conagrabrands.com Imperial Valley News Center Secretary Michael R. Pompeos Call with Iraqi PM al-Mahdi Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke Wednesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi and condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the December 31 Iran-backed terrorist attack on U.S. Embassy Baghdad. Secretary Pompeo noted the measures the Government of Iraq has taken to improve the security situation and stressed the Government of Iraqs obligation to prevent further attacks against our diplomatic mission The Secretary affirmed that we want an Iraq that is free, independent, and sovereign, and stressed that the United States, under President Trump, will continue to work toward that end. Two women reportedly attacked a Jewish man after he tried to record their anti-Semitic tirade in Brooklyn, New York, on New Years Day, New York Post reported. According to law enforcement sources, two black women taunted the 22-year-old Hasidic Jew with anti-Semitic slurs, and when he tried to film it, a 24-year-old woman grabbed his cellphone, broke it in half, and threw it on the ground before punching him in the throat, PIX 11 reported. Authorities said the young Jewish man suffered minor injuries after he was hit in the face with a cellphone, Fox reported. The women reportedly yelled slurs like [expletive] you Jew and I will kill you Jews, the Post reported. Police arrested the two women at Broadway & Rutledge Street in Williamsburg on Jan. 1. After they were taken into custody, 34-year-old Arugudo Jacinte was charged with assault, robbery, harassment, and criminal mischief. The other woman, 24, hasnt had charges filed against her yet. The police did not confirm whether the alleged attack was classed as a hate crime. The 22-year-old man was taken to the hospital for treatment, NBC reported. The attack comes after a string of anti-Semitic attacks, the latest being a stabbing rampage at a Hasidic Jewish Rabbis home in Rockland County, New York, by a man wielding a machete. The NYPD identified him as 37-year-old Grafton E. Thomas. The attack occurred around 10 p.m. local time on Saturday. The house is located on Forshay Road, Monsey, according to a tweet from the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) for the Hudson Valley region. OJPAC added that the five people with stab wounds had been transported to local hospitals. Two of them are in a critical condition, with reports that one victim was stabbed in the chest. At 9:50 this eve, a call came in about a mass stabbing at 47 Forshay Road in Monsey (Rockland County; 30 miles North of NYC). Its the house of a Hasidic Rabbi. 5 patients with stab wounds, all Hasidic, were transported to local hospitals. OJPAC (Hudson Valley Divison) (@OJPACHV) December 29, 2019 Epoch Times reporter Melanie Sun contributed to this article. Joy Ranch reopens under new ownership Joy Ranch near Watertown has reopened under new ownership. Iraq's Hashd Shaabi calls its protesters near U.S. embassy in Baghdad to withdraw BAGHDAD, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces called Wednesday on protesters who stormed the U.S. embassy in Baghdad to withdraw, a Hashd Shaabi statement said. The statement attributed the withdrawal to the respect of the Iraqi government call, which ordered the withdrawal earlier in order to preserve the prestige of the state. The Hashd Shaabi "tells the masses who are there (at the U.S. embassy) that your message has arrived," according to the statement. Meanwhile, the Hashd Shaabi appreciated the position of the caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who is the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, and other political, religious, cultural personalities who reject and denounce the U.S. attack on the Hashd Shaabi's bases in western Iraq, according to the statement. The Hashd Shaabi also called on Iraqis to participate in a funeral in Baghdad's southern district of Jaderiyah for the deaths of the Hashd Shaabi members who were killed in the U.S. airstrikes on Sunday evening. The statement came after dozens of demonstrators continued their sit-in protest and their attempts to advance toward the outer walls of the U.S. embassy, but the U.S. troops fired tear gas to disperse them and keep them outside the U.S. embassy compound. Local media reports said that the protesters in front of the U.S. embassy started to gradually withdraw from the scene after the statement which demanded the protesters to withdraw in respect to the Iraqi government call. On Tuesday, a statement by the office of Abdul Mahdi called on the demonstrators to leave immediately, saying that "any attack on foreign embassies is an act that will be strictly prevented by the security forces, and will be punished severely by the law." The protests started on Tuesday when hundreds of mourners, wearing Hashd Shaabi's military uniforms, rallied outside the embassy chanting slogans condemning airstrikes by the U.S. forces against Hashd Shaabi bases in Iraq. The protest then turned violent as the protesters managed to broke into an outer yard of the embassy, but were repelled by the security forces who deployed tear gas against them. Local media aired photos showing Qais al-Khazali, head of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq militia, and top Hashd Shaabi leader Hadi Al Amri and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis participating in the protest. On Sunday evening the U.S. forces bombarded headquarters of Hashd Shaabi's 45th and 46th Brigades, leaving 25 killed and 51 injured. A U.S. military statement said that U.S. forces attacked on Sunday evening five bases of Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) in Iraq and Syria in response to repeated attacks by KH against U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq. Upset over the resignation of Allahabad University Vice Chancellor Ratan Lal Hangloo, members of the Allahabad University Constituent College Teachers Association (AUCCTA) on Thursday threatened to boycott their classes. During a press conference here, general secretary of AUCCTA Umesh Pratap Singh claimed that Hangloo was pressured to resign from the post to stop appointments in the university and its affiliated colleges. "He did not resign because of personal reason," Singh said. "When I spoke to Hangloo over the phone yesterday, he told me that he was upset with the officials of the HRD Ministry. Hangloo said he got at least 10 calls asking him to resign, failing which he would be suspended," the general secretary of the association claimed. Singh said AUUCTA has written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind urging him to intervene in the matter. Allahabad University acting Vice-Chancellor K S Mishra denied reports of mass resignations of administrative officials. He told PTI that only chief professor Ram Sewak Dubey had resigned from his post, but it was rejected by the university. This came after PRO of the university Chittaranjan Kumar claimed, earlier in the day, that various university officials had resigned from their posts over the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Secretary of Defense Mark Esper speaks about airstrikes by the U.S. military in Iraq and Syria, at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 29, 2019. (Tom Brenner/Reuters) Iran May be Planning More Attacks on US Interests: Secretary of Defense Iran might be planning additional attacks on U.S. interests in the Middle East following the missile attack on an Iraqi base last week that left an American dead and the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad by Iranian-backed militias, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Jan. 2, as leaders of Iran and the United States said they wanted to steer clear of war but warned of their armies capabilities. Iran and Iran-backed groups also downed a U.S. drone last year and have carried out other attacks on U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq in recent months. Without providing details, Esper told reporters at the Pentagon that the United States has indications that more Iranian provocations may be in the offing. If that happens, he said, the United States will take actionpreemptively, if it has enough warning. The latest trigger came after Kataib Hizbollah (KH), an Iran-backed terror group thats part of the Iraqi government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces, conducted a rocket attack on an Iraqi base near Kirkuk last week that killed one American contractor and wounded many American and Iraqi soldiers. The headquarters of Kataeb Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades militia, lies in ruins in the aftermath of a U.S. airstrike in Qaim, Iraq, on Dec. 30, 2019. (AP Photo) President Donald Trump authorized the airstrikes on Dec. 29 on five targets related to the group in Iraq and Syria, killing dozens of fighters and wounding dozens of others. This week, multiple Iran-backed militia groups gathered at the U.S. Embassy, breaching its outer walls, hurling rocks at buildings, and torching the walls and guard posts. The violent rallies left damage to exterior entry facilities and buildings at the embassy compound, Esper said in a statement. We know it was Iranian-backed Shia militias because key leaders were spotted in the crowd and some militia members showed up wearing their uniforms and carried the flags of their militia, including KH, he said, following up on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pointing out four militia leaders seen in the crowd at the embassy. The attack today was orchestrated by terrorists Abu Mahdi al Muhandis and Qays al-Khazali and abetted by Iranian proxies Hadi al Amari and Faleh al-Fayyad. All are pictured below outside our embassy. pic.twitter.com/2QfGGrfmDd Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) December 31, 2019 Militias backed off Wednesday at the behest of the Iraqi government but celebrated what they said was an accomplishment. After achieving the intended aim, we pulled out from this place triumphantly, said Fadhil al-Gezzi, a militia supporter. We rubbed Americas nose in the dirt. One hundred Marines were deployed from Kuwait and 750 paratroopers from the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division were deployed in reaction to the rallies. More troops would be deployed over the next several days, Esper said Tuesday. Thursday, he told reporters that well take it day by day. Speaking alongside Esper, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the United States has sufficient forces at the Baghdad Embassy to defend it. We are very confident that the integrity of that embassy is strong, and it is highly unlikely to be physically overrun by anyone, Milley said. There is sufficient combat power there, air and ground, that anyone who attempts to overrun will run into a buzz saw. U.S. Army Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division, deployed from Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, head to the U.S. Central Command area in response to events in Iraq, on Jan. 1, 2020. (Capt. Robyn Haake/U.S. Army/AFP via Getty Images) Both President Donald Trump and Iranian leaders have said they dont want to go to war. After promising on New Years Eve that the Marines arrived quickly in Iraq and that the situation wouldnt become a Benghazireferring to the 2012 killings of four American officials in a diplomatic compound in LibyaTrump said he didnt foresee going to war with Iran. I dont think that would be a good idea for Iran, he said. It wouldnt last very long. Do I want to? No. I want to have peace. I like peace. And Iran should want peace more than anybody. So I dont see that happening. Revolutionary Guards Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami said Thursday, according to semi-official agency Tasnim, that Iran wasnt moving toward war with the United States but wasnt afraid of any conflict. We are not leading the country to war, but we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak correctly with the Iranian nation. We have the power to break them several times over and are not worried, he said. Attackers and assailants set fire to a gate as smoke rises from inside the compound of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 1, 2020. (U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Desmond Cassell/Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs/Handout via Reuters) Irans Army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi added to state-controlled IRIB that Iranian forces were ready to fight. Our armed forcesmonitor all moves, and if anyone makes the slightest mistake, they will decisively react, and if the situation heats up, we will show our abilities to the enemy, he said. Esper called on American allies to support the United States against Iran. Let me speak directly to Iran and to our partners and allies. To Iran and its proxy militias: we will not accept continued attacks against our personnel and forces in the region, he said in the statement. Attacks against us will be met with responses in the time, manner, and place of our choosing. We urge the Iranian regime to end their malign activities. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. SIOUX CITY -- Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar said Thursday she'll never gain the votes of devoted Donald Trump supporters, but asserted she's making inroads with disaffected Iowans and others who have noticed the president hasn't followed through with plans to address national infrastructure needs and created a trade war with China. In an hour-long talk with the Journal's editorial board, Klobuchar made many mentions of times she's worked with Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, of Iowa, on common sense measures such as laws governing farm bankruptcies. Klobuchar, a U.S. senator from Minnesota, in late December reached the benchmark of campaigning in all 99 Iowa counties, shortly after Siouxland stops on Dec. 23 in Ashton and Sheldon. Klobuchar said she heard from Iowans who are disgruntled with the impact of tariffs on farming operations and who have observed the updated Environmental Protection Agency renewable fuel standard isn't as supportive of ethanol as Trump had said it would be. She noted 70 waivers have been granted to oil companies, to the detriment of the usage of corn-based ethanol, which has been a key industry in Iowa. "People do bring it up," she said. "I've always believed we should be investing in the farmers and the workers of the Midwest, instead of the oil cartels of the Mideast... You will find in my record strongly advocating for ag, but also advocating in rural communities and strongly advocating for biofuels." Klobuchar also said she has been involved in setting details from the Senate Agriculture Committee for three agriculture policy Farm Bills since 2007. "I'm from the heartland; it is not flyover territory for me," Klobuchar said. The senator said the tone by Trump has been coarse, given "mean tweets" and other statements, which she said emboldened people on the far right of the political spectrum and resulted in church shootings where minorities have been targeted. Klobuchar said Trump has not only divided Americans, but forgotten how policies impact people in their lives. Stating the need to address climate change, she said it is a vexing issue and will require difficult decisions, such as businesses bearing higher expenses or taxes to reduce carbon emissions. She said climate change has already resulted in higher expenses in family budgets, in the form of higher insurance premiums for coverage for flooding and fires. Klobuchar said she takes this issue seriously, because she saw how a substantial economic change to existing industries were previously exhibited in iron ore mines in northern Minnesota, where some of her relatives worked. "You have to think about that when you are developing public policy," she said. "Most mainstream proposals that want to get to carbon-neutral (emissions) by 2050 envision that there is going to be a dividend back to people at some levels of income. You do that, and then you also help the areas that are going to see some level of transition in jobs. So you need to make sure you create incentives not just for green energy jobs, but (also) for manufacturing jobs to come in," she said. The Iowa caucuses are now one month away, on Feb. 3, as the first state contest in the nominee selection system. Klobuchar has been polling fifth of 14 candidates -- there were 15 Democrats until Julian Castro dropped out just before Klobuchar spoke Thursday -- behind the top tier of Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Klobuchar spoke about where she fits politically in the field. "I don't really like labels. I think I'm a proven Progressive, which means you make progress. You have to prove you are making progress. To me, that means making progress, having people's back. I think I have been classified as being in the moderate lane in this primary. That's all fine," she said. "But I think you can also have someone who is moderate in tone, which I think is really important right now, because I don't think the people are looking for the loudest voice in the White House. I'm proud of the work I have done across the aisle." After the editorial board meeting, Klobuchar held a town hall meeting at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City. Another Democrat campaigning in Sioux City on Thursday was Tom Steyer. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 State-run telecom firm has started the process to monetise assets worth Rs 23,000 crore as it aims to turn profitable in the next fiscal year, a top official of the company said on Thursday. The company has already submitted plans to the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) to monetise Rs 6,200 crore worth assets that include 36 acres of land bank in Mumbai, shops-cum-offices in Delhi, and residential quarters in Noida etc. "We have identified assets worth Rs 23,000 crore that can be monetised. These are all prime properties in Mumbai and Delhi. We have submitted plans to monetise Rs 6,200 crore worth of assets to DIPAM. With the completion of VRS and asset monetisation, we expect to become profitable in the next fiscal," Chairman and Managing Director Sunil Kumar told PTI. The company has received interest from 14,387 employees for the voluntary retirement scheme which Kumar expects will result in annual savings of Rs 1,700 crore for The loss-making PSU has a total of 18,422 employees. The company looks to realise around Rs 5,000 crore from the sale of its land parcels located at prime locations of Mumbai like Vasai hill, Mulund, Simpholi etc. "MTNL has assets at all the prime locations. Residential as well as commercial complexes can be developed on these properties. Around Rs 1,000 crore worth assets have been initiated for monetisation in Delhi also," Kumar said. MTNL shops-cum-office complexes in seven DDA markets in Delhi along with 96 quarters in NOIDA and 398 quarters purchased by MTNL in various housing complexes in Mumbai are also going to be for monetisation in the first phase, he said. The company has started vacating prime office space Khurshid Lal at Janpath and also some parts of its corporate office in CGO building. "I am going to substantially vacate corporate office also. MTNL is expecting to earn around Rs 500600 crore per annum through renting," Kumar said. The company had posted a loss of Rs 3,388.07 crore and a revenue of Rs 2,085.41 crore in 2018-19. The total debt on the company is around Rs 20,000 crore. The finance cost of MTNL was around 50 per cent of the revenue. The government has approved a Rs 68,751-crore revival package for loss-making BSNL and MTNL, including 4G spectrum allocation and voluntary retirement scheme. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Tens of thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in Gaza on Wednesday to mark the 55th anniversary of President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah movement. The territorys Hamas rulers permitted the event for the first time in years. The militant Islamic group Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip by force from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in 2007, allowed Fatah supporters to celebrate on a Gaza City street. They denied their request to organize the event at one of the citys public squares or parks. But the crowd was so big that several thousand people made their way to nearby Saraya Square, the site of the last massive anniversary festival that Hamas allowed in January 2013. The Hamas takeover left the Palestinians divided between two governments, with Hamas controlling Gaza and the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority governing autonomous areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Fatah and Hamas remain bitter enemies, and repeated attempts to reconcile have failed. But in recent months, they have both pledged to hold new elections. Hamas decision to permit Wednesdays demonstration appeared to be a goodwill gesture toward Fatah. This year is the year of Palestinian unity and Fatahs unity behind its leader Mahmoud Abbas, said Ahmed Hilles, the top Fatah official in Gaza. Fatah sought to portray the large turnout as a reflection of its good standing, though its popularity has plunged in recent years. Abbas failed to regain control of Gaza or move closer to his goal of establishing an independent Palestinian state. Further hurting Abbas standing, the Palestinian leader slashed the salaries of thousands of Palestinian Authority civil servants in Gaza. The step, meant to put additional pressure on the cash-strapped Hamas government to provide for its people, backfired and provoked anger toward Abbas. Hilles promised to work on restoring the full payments to the workers. We are one movement and one people, he said. On Tuesday, thousands of Fatah supporters who are loyal to Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah strongman who is now a rival of Abbas while living in exile, organized a similar rally in the middle of the city. Despite the challenges, the participants said they hope Hamas will allow them to mark the anniversary every year. We came here to tell everybody that Fatah is still well, said Mohammed al-Raqagh, a supporter draping the Palestinian flag around his body. Fares Akram is an Associated Press writer. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A project that maintains seismic monitoring stations in Alaska needs more funding to continue fully operating, officials said. Scientists, lawmakers and federal agencies are promoting the permanent installation of the Transportable Array Network, The Anchorage Daily News reported Tuesday. The National Science Foundation project was installed temporarily beginning in 2014. The stations can monitor earthquake activity and track weather, wildfires and volcanoes. The system can also detect North Korean nuclear testing, officials said. Many of the networks stations... Martin Scorsese says he turned away from Hollywood studios and began relying on independent financiers such as Netflix to make his films in the mid-2000s because he was tired of fighting studio executives who wanted shorter run-times Martin Scorsese says he turned away from Hollywood studios and began relying on independent financiers to make his films in the mid-2000s because he was tired of fighting studio executives who wanted shorter run-times. Fresh off the release of his 3.5 hour mob epic The Irishman on Netflix, Scorsese sat down for a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times, published Thursday. He revealed how he initially hesitated to pursue The Irishman project - which took a decade to complete - with Netflix instead of a traditional studio because it meant that the film would be released on the streaming platform. However, he said that by that point in his career he had begun to view studio executives as his 'enemies', after having weathered years of debates over previous films. 'It's like being in a bunker and you're firing out in all directions,' Scorsese said. 'You begin to realize you're not speaking the same language anymore, so you can't make pictures anymore.' Scorsese revealed how he initially hesitated to pursue The Irishman - which took a decade to complete - with Netflix instead of a traditional studio because it meant that the film would be released on the streaming platform. Pictured (left to right): Jesse Plemons as Chuckie O'Brien, Ray Romano as Bill Bufalino, Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran and Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa As he reflected on his five decades in the movie industry - over the course of which he's won numerous awards - Scorsese explained that the macabre moments in some of his earlier films likely stemmed from having lost two of his friends in close succession when he was a teenager. The New York City-native watched as one of the friends was buried in a graveyard near a factory in Queens. 'I said: "This is what it comes to?"' Scorsese told the Times. 'To squeeze us in a little plot of land in Queens somewhere, against this ugly, destructive backdrop? 'It was a shock and an awakening an awakening to what, I'm not sure, but a change.' Scorsese would go on to make a number of films with graphic depictions of death until around the mid-90s, when he decided to move away from the crime genre. Scorsese explained that the macabre momenta he favored earlier in his career stemmed from having lost two of his friends in close succession when he was a teenager. The director is seen working with Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver in 1976 The director said when he came to the final stages of editing The Aviator in 2004, he was so stressed out that he took a break and began relying increasingly on independent financiers For the next two decades he said he found himself exhausted by working with studios as he was consistently butting heads with executives who wanted to shorten run-times. He said when he came to the final stages of editing The Aviator in 2004, which was co-produced by Warner Bros and Miramax, he was so stressed out that he took a break from the business. 'I said if this is the way you have to make films then I'm not going to do it anymore,' he said. Going forward, Scorsese would rely increasingly - but not entirely - on independent financiers for his films. At the time that De Niro approached him about The Irishman over a decade ago, Scorsese was working on a project with Paramount that ultimately never came to fruition. He said he was wary about adding another mafia film to his repertoire, but ultimately decided to do it so he could tell a story about 'criminals whose lengthy life spans become a curse that burns their misdeeds into their souls'. Scorsese eventually signed on and later accepted a deal with Netflix, which covered the entire $160million budget. The Irishman was watched by more than 26.4 million viewers in its first week on the site, Netflix said. Scorsese and his daughter Francesca Scorsese are pictured at the world premiere of Netflix's ROLLING THUNDER REVUE: A BOB DYLAN STORY BY MARTIN SCORSESE in June 2019 Despite his past struggles with studio executives, Scorsese is working with Paramount on his next film, Killers of the Flower Moon. He says he hopes to dedicate more of his time to things other than filmmaking as he comes to terms with his age. 'I would love to just take a year and read,' he said. 'Listen to music when it's needed. Be with some friends. Because we're all going. Friends are dying. Family's going.' However, he admitted that he finds it hard to resist the urge to make movies. 'I'll read a book or I'll meet a person and I'll say: "Ah! I'm going to make a film on this,"' he said. 'Over the years I've been able to do it. Now it's narrowing way down. 'The problem is, time is limited and energy is so limited the mind, also, of course. Thankfully, the curiosity doesn't end.' In support, they presented several accounts of attacks on teachers drawn from a December survey of members. The accounts told of teachers suffering bruises, cuts, torn ligaments, concussions and, in one case, a miscarriage after a pregnant teacher was punched repeatedly in the stomach. We are done being assaulted. We are done being hurt. We are done with students being assaulted, said NSEA President Jenni Benson. We are urging state lawmakers to work with us to address this crisis of violent student behavior. LB 147 is a step in the right direction. Lawmakers used a rare pull motion at the end of the 2019 session to get the measure out of committee and to the full Legislature. Groene filed the motion after his committee deadlocked over the bill. Under a compromise amendment developed by education groups, LB 147 would make clear that school personnel can use physical intervention with a student to protect that student or other people from physical injury. Personnel could also use physical intervention to secure property that the student could use to cause injury. An ex-top Google exec says he witnessed a bullying culture where bosses screamed at employees, people were referred to as their race and their 'Don't Be Evil' mantra became a joke as the company pushed to work with China. Ross LaJeunesse, who worked at Google for a decade and was their head of international relations when he left in May 2019, claims he was sidelined by the company for championing diversity and human rights. The 50-year-old - now a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine - detailed his grievances with Google in an online essay published on Thursday. 'The company's motto used to be 'Don't Be Evil',' LaJeunesse said. 'Things have changed.' Ross LaJeunesse, who worked at Google for a decade and was their head of international relations when he left in May 2019, claims he was sidelined by the company for championing diversity and human rights Google rebuffed the criticism, noting that LaJeunesse's remarks come in the context of an election campaign. 'We have an unwavering commitment to supporting human rights organizations and efforts,' Google said in a statement. 'We wish Ross all the best with his political ambitions.' Detailing Google's workplace culture, LaJeunesse claimed senior staffers would bully and scream at young female employees, causing them to cry at their desks. He also claimed that a meeting, his boss said: 'Now you Asians come to the microphone too. I know you don't like to ask questions.' 'At a different all-hands meeting, the entire policy team was separated into various rooms and told to participate in a 'diversity exercise' that placed me in a group labeled 'homos' while participants shouted out stereotypes such as 'effeminate' and 'promiscuous,' he said. 'Colleagues of color were forced to join groups called 'Asians' and 'Brown people' in other rooms nearby.' He claims he routinely raised these instances with HR and other senior execs and was assured they would be dealt with. LaJeunesse claims that eventually he was accidentally cc'd on an email from a senior HR director. 'In the email, the HR director told a colleague that I seemed to raise concerns like these a lot, and instructed her to 'do some digging' on me instead,' he said. LaJeunesse joined Google in 2008 and was head of the company's head of public policy for Asia Pacific before taking the international relations position. He said he was behind Google's landmark policy push to stop censoring search results in China back in 2010, which greatly angered the China government. 'The decision infuriated not only the Chinese government, but also frustrated some Google product executives eyeing the huge market and its accompanying profits,' LaJeunesse said. He claims executives for the Maps and Androids product started pushing to launch their products in China, which he pushed back against. LaJeunesse said he was 'alarmed' to learn in 2017 that Google had started the development of a new censored search product for China called 'Dragonfly'. 'Dragonfly was only one of several developments that concerned those of us who still believed in the mantra of 'Don't Be Evil',' he said. 'I was also concerned that Cloud executives were actively pursuing deals with the Saudi government, given its horrible record of human rights abuses.' In response to LaJeunesse's claims, Google said in a statement: 'We have an unwavering commitment to supporting human rights organizations and efforts' He said it eventually became clear to him that he was losing the ability to influence product development and deals being pursued by Google. LaJeunesse said it was at this point that he started advocating heavily for a formal Human Rights program at Google. He claims he was repeatedly blocked or turned down by senior executives. 'At this point, a colleague was suddenly re-assigned to lead the policy team discussions for Dragonfly. As someone who had consistently advocated for a human rights-based approach, I was being sidelined from the on-going conversations on whether to launch Dragonfly. 'I then realized that the company had never intended to incorporate human rights principles into its business and product decisions. Just when Google needed to double down on a commitment to human rights, it decided to instead chase bigger profits and an even higher stock price.' LaJeunesse said that he was told last year they were reorganizing and that there was no longer a position for him. He claims Google said, only after he hired legal counsel, that there had been a misunderstanding and he was offered a small role. LaJeunesse said he chose to leave and claims standing up for the 'LGBTQ community, for colleagues of color, and for human rights' cost him his job. He contended that as Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin left operation of the company to hired executives, the spirit of doing the right thing gave way to profit over principles. 'No longer can massive tech companies like Google be permitted to operate relatively free from government oversight,' LaJeunesse said. BEIRUTFugitive former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn met Lebanons president after fleeing from Japan, where he was smuggled out of house arrest by a private security company, two sources close to Ghosn said on Wednesday. One of the sources said Ghosn was greeted warmly by President Michel Aoun on Monday after flying into Beirut via Istanbul and was now in a buoyant and combative mood and felt secure. The plan to slip Ghosn out of Japan, which marked the latest twist in a year-old saga that has shaken the global auto industry, was crafted over three months, the two sources said. It was a very professional operation from start to finish, one of them said. In his meeting with the president, Ghosn thanked Aoun for the support he had given him and his wife Carole while he was in detention, the sources said. He now needs the protection and security of his government after fleeing Japan, the sources added. The meeting between Aoun and Ghosn has not been made public, and a media adviser to the presidents office denied the two men had met. The two sources said specifics of the meeting were described to them by Ghosn. Ghosn could not be reached for comment on the meeting and has been silent publicly other than to issue a written statement shortly after his arrival, saying he had escaped injustice and political persecution. Lebanese officials have said there would be no need to take legal measures against Ghosn because he entered the country legally on a French passport. However, Ghosns French, Lebanese, and Brazilian passports are with lawyers in Japan. The French and Lebanese foreign ministries have said they were unaware of the circumstances of his journey. Lebanon has no extradition agreement with Japan. Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faces four chargeswhich he deniesincluding hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East. He has enjoyed an outpouring of support from Lebanon since his 2018 arrest, with billboards proclaiming, We are all Carlos Ghosn erected in solidarity with his case. Under the terms of his bail, he had been confined to his house in Tokyo. Also, he had to have cameras installed at the entrance. He was prevented from communicating with his wife, Carole, and had his use of the internet and other communications curtailed. The sources said the Lebanese ambassador to Japan had visited him daily while he was in detention. Fiction While some Lebanese media have floated a Houdini-like account of Ghosn being packed in a wooden container for musical instruments after a private concert in his home, his wife called the account fiction when contacted by Reuters. She declined to provide details of the exit of one of the most recognized titans of industry. The accounts of the two sources suggest a carefully planned escape known only to a few. They said a private security firm oversaw the plan, which involved shuttling Ghosn out via a private jet to Istanbul before pushing onward to Beirut, with even the pilot unaware of Ghosns presence on board. An attorney for Ghosn said he would hold a news conference in Beirut on Jan. 8. The sources close to Ghosn, however, said a date for the news conference had yet to be finalized. They said Ghosn was unwilling to share details of his escape so as not to jeopardizes those who aided him in Japan. He is staying at the home of a relative of his wife, but plans to return soon to a gated villa in the upscale Beirut neighborhood of Achrafieh, one of the sources said. Nissan sacked Ghosn as chairman, saying internal investigations revealed misconduct, including understating his salary while he was its chief executive and transferring $5 million of Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest. In Lebanon, Ghosn is considered a poster boy for success in a country where rampant unemployment pushes young Lebanese abroad to find work, and the economy relies heavily on remittances amid a deep financial crisis that has sparked a wave of protests. Ghosn was born in Brazil of Lebanese descent and lived in Lebanon as a child. He oversaw a turnaround at French carmaker Renault that won him the nickname Le Cost Killer and used similar methods to revive Nissan. By Eric Knecht Senior NCP leader D P Tripathi, who was known for his political acumen and wit, passed away on Thursday here after a prolonged illness, his family said. He was 67. Tripathi, who was the general secretary of the (NCP), was battling cancer. Describing Tripathi as a scholar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said he was a perfect blend of diligence and intelligence. "A firm voice who took a stand for my party as a spokesperson and general secretary. He has been with us since the establishment of the and played a very important role at the level. His demise is a personal loss to me. May his soul rest in peace!" he tweeted. Party MP Supriya Sule said Tripathi was a guide and mentor. "We will miss his wise counsel and guidance which he had given us from the day the NCP was established," she said. "May he rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers are with his family members. Heartfelt condolences," Sule said. Known in Delhi's political circles as an erudite personality, Tripathi began his career as a students' leader. He was the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) from 1975-77 and was even jailed during the Emergency. Tripathi, who was visually challenged, had also been a lecturer of political science at the Allahabad University. From becoming a close aide to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi to growing close to NCP president Sharad Pawar, Tripathi enjoyed warm relations with leaders across party lines. Known for his witty one-liners and his proficiency in Hindi and English, Tripathi had also served as a NCP spokesperson. When there was a buzz about merging of the NCP with the Congress, Tripathi had said, "We are there to emerge, not merge." In the same breath, he said in Hindi, "Hum lay chahate hain, vilay nahi (We want coordination and not merger)." During his stint as a parliamentarian from 2012-2018, Tripathi's attendance in the Rajya Sabha was 98 per cent, despite battling cancer during that phase. When the opposition tried to rally against the Modi government over Rafale deal, EVMs and economic slowdown, Tripathi represented the NCP. He was active until last month when the Shiv Sena, the Congress and the NCP were engaged in hectic parleys over government formation in Maharashtra. Tributes poured across party lines condoling his death. Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recalled how he would discuss world affairs with the senior NCP leader. "Deeply grieved to learn of the passing away of DP Tripathi. Since 1973, when we joined JNU, have discussed and debated the world with him. Always open-minded and pragmatic. Will miss him very much," he tweeted. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury recalled Tripathi as a "fellow traveller" and said he will be missed. "Comrade, fellow-student, fellow-traveller and much more. From university and right until his last days we spoke, argued, disagreed, and learnt so much together. You will be missed, my friend. Deepest condolences," he said in a tweet. The JD(U), which is in power in Bihar, described the deceased leader as a distinguished parliamentarian, an extraordinary speaker, thinker and writer. The party noted that Tripathi commenced his political journey as a president and became one of the most prominent politicians of India. Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary recalled 'DPT', as Tripathi was fondly known, as an orator and a fighter. "DPT emerged out of student politics and made a mark with his sharp oratory and intellect. Known as a fighter who made his way through illness and adversity, Tripathi ji was always good counsel and a man who kept promises and maintained relationships," he said. Congress leader Manish Tiwari remembered Tripathi as a "friend, philosopher and guide". "My friend philosopher and guide the irrepressible, irreverent, incisive and intellectual DP Tripathi is no more. RIP Professor you have left us when this nation perhaps needed you most," he tweeted. Actor Shahid Kapoors wife Mira Rajput spent the first day of the new year in company of her children Misha Kapoor and Zain Kapoor. She shared an adorable picture with them on Instagram. Sharing it, she mentioned that she is happiest in their company. In the picture, Mira can be seen lying on grass with both her kids hugging her. While Zain and Misha had their backs to the camera, Miras face is covered with Zains hair. It is not clear but it looks like she is kissing her son. Mira also shared a video clip which shows the glimpse of early morning, at the crack of dawn perhaps. Sharing it as Instagram stories, she wrote New Dawn, New Day, New Dacade along with 010120 showing below. It is not clear where Mira spent Christmas and New Year but from her many posts we gather that she was with her family including her sisters and their kids for the winter vacations. However, the one person missing in the frames in actor Shahid Kapoor. The actor is not as prompt as his wife in sharing details from his personal life. On Christmas day, however, Mira shared a picture of him dressed like Santa Claus. Through much of December last year, Shahid had been busy shooting for his upcoming film, Jersey. A report in Mumbai Mirror had quoted a source as saying that the films shoot began on December 2. Also read: Ananya Panday equates struggle to not appearing on Koffee With Karan, Siddhant Chaturvedi has a savage reply Quoting a source, the report had said, After prepping for almost two months on a turf in suburban Mumbai, Shahid will start shooting from December 2. The month-long schedule stretches right up to December 30. After that, the team will take a break for around four-five days for the New Year before regrouping in Chandigarh for the second schedule. Jersey is the Hindi remake of Telugu hit of the same name. The film, which stars Mrunal Thakur as its female lead, is being directed by by Gowtam Tinnanuri, who helmed the original as well. Follow @htshowbiz for more Realty firm Puravankara Ltd will invest Rs 125 crore to develop a housing project in Pune in partnership with a local builder. The company said it will construct 236 apartments in this four-acre project 'Purva Aspire' and is expecting a revenue of Rs 200-250 crore. The first phase of this project will be ready by September 2023. Puravankara said it has identified Pune in Maharashtra as one of the core 5-6 cities for growth and plans to launch various projects, comprising around 10 million sq ft, in the coming years. "Pune is one of the key markets for Puravankara. In the last one decade, Pune has emerged as an IT and automobile hub. The residential real estate market in Pune has picked up quite well as compared to other cities in past three years," said Abhishek Kapoor, COO-Residential, Puravankara. The company is evaluating various joint venture proposals to expand its presence in Pune market. Puravankara has 40 million sq ft of projects which are completed and delivered; around 20 million sq ft under development. Currently, the total land asset of the company is nearing 70 million sq ft. The company had posted a 28 per cent increase in consolidated net profit at Rs 27.5 crore for the September quarter on higher sales. Total income for the second quarter rose to Rs 623.81 crore from Rs 499.28 crore in the corresponding period of 2018-19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Betsy Gall; his children: sons, Grady (17), Gavin (15) and daughter Sophie (13); his parents, Bruce and Elaine Gall; his older brother, Christian (Diane); and nephew/godson, Andrew Gall; his in-laws, Mike and Gail Lewis and family of Eden Prairie, Minn.; and abundance of nationwide friends and his cancer-affected patients and their families. Dr. Gall was a successful and extremely caring physician practicing oncology and hematology for 20 years at Minnesota Oncology/Hematology Practice and recently in North Carolina. He was elected to the Board of Directors of MOHPA, was a Chief of Staff at Fairview Ridge Hospital in Burnsville, Minn. and a member of several medical societies and associations. He dedicated his professional life to his patients and was a fervent advocate for patient treatment. He felt honored and blessed to help and show kindness and compassionate professional excellence of treatment to those in need. Matt volunteered at Lutheran Hospital in Beaver Dam during his high school and early college years meeting with elderly residents in the hospital where he was born. There are four major missions bound for Mars this year, with the USA, Europe, China and the United Arab Emirates all preparing to depart in the summer. The flurry of Martian launches are due to the fact that, in July 2020, Earth and Mars are ideally positioned relative to each other for spaceships to land. Three of the four missions will see rovers landing on the planet in search of ancient signs of life, the other mission will see a UAE-built orbiter study the atmosphere. There are hundreds of other space missions in 2020 not going to Mars, including the first commercially operated flights to the International Space Station. There will also be hundreds of new satellites sent into space by SpaceX and OneWeb as part of their 'clusters'. Here are the big launches to watch out for in 2020. Scroll down for video NASA's Mars 2020 Rover will pick up samples of rock and soil from the red planet, deposit them in tubes and leave them on the ground for a future mission to return them to Earth. NASA Mars 2020 rover launch By July all the talk will be of Mars, as rovers destined for the Red Planet are launched by by Europe, America and China. There are multiple missions to Mars in 2020 due to its optimum position relative to Earth, making journeys shorter than they would be otherwise NASA is launching the Mars 2020 Rover and the Mars Helicopter Scout to gather rock samples for an eventual return to Earth. The rover will leave for Mars in July or August 2020 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base and will travel aboard the two-stage Atlas V-541 rocket, provided by the United Launch Alliance. NASA's robotic vehicle passed its 'driving test' last week and won't move again until it arrives on the Red Planet in mid-February 2021. The semi-autonomous vehicle will search for signs of ancient microbial life within the Jezero crater, which contains a dried up lake once filled with water. During its mission, the rover will drive about 650ft a day collecting rock and soil samples, depositing them in small tubes and leaving them for later collection. ESA and Roscosmos ExoMars mission The European Space Agency (ESA) are working with the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) to launch the Rosalind Franklin rover using the Kazachok lander. The European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin Rover has been named after the English chemist who helped unlock the secrets of DNA. It will launch in July 2020 The Rosalind Franklin, previously called the ExoMars rover, is named after the English chemist who made key contributions to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite. Like the NASA Mars 2020 rover, the Rosalind Franklin's goal is to find out whether life has ever existed on the Red Planet. The British-built rover will head out on an eight month mission that will see it travel 330ft per day as part of its study of the surface of the Red Planet. The Trace Gas Orbiter, which has been at Mars since October 2016, will act as a relay station for the mission that also includes the Russian stationary service platform. China's Mars Global Remote Sensing Orbiter, Lander and Small Rover mission China are sending the Mars Global Remote Sensing Orbiter and Small Rover to the planet - the first Chinese mission to another planet using its own delivery vehicle. In 2020 China will launch a mission to Mars that will see it deploy a lander and an orbiter over the Red Planet The Chinese mission will launch in July 2020 on board the Long March 5 heavy lift rocket in search for evidence of past life and to assess the planet's environment. On December 27 China successfully tested the Long March 5 by launching a test satellite into low Earth orbit. The solar-powered rover will carry ground-penetrating radar, multi spectral camera, a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy instrument and payloads for detecting the climate and magnetic environment. UAE's Hope Mars Mission The United Arab Emirates are also planning to launch for the Red Planet. They are launching the Hope Mars Mission orbiter on a Japanese rocket in July 2020. The United Arab Emirates are also launching a probe for Mars in 2020 that will see it study the lower atmosphere on the Red Planet The probe will study the climate of the Red Planet every day and through seasonal cycles to better asses weather events in the lower atmosphere such as dust storms. It's the first planetary space mission led by an Arab-Islamic country and will arrive in 2021, the 50th anniversary of the UAE's formation. It was built in collaboration with the University of Colorado Boulder, University of California Berkeley and Arizona State University. All four missions are due to arrive at the Red Planet in February 2021 and have the search for ancient signs of life as part of their objectives. ESA and NASA Solar Orbiter launch In February the European Space Agency are launching the Solar Orbiter on board an Atlas V from Cape Canaveral in the USA. The European Space Agency are launching their Solar Orbiter in 2020 in the hope of discovering the secrets of how the Sun's 'Plasma Bubble' envelops the solar system Its goal is to help astronomers understand how our star creates and controls the giant bubble of plasma that surrounds the whole solar system. The mission in collaboration with NASA, will investigate how this solar fired plasma bubble influences the planets within it. Once in space the craft will repeatedly use the gravity of Venus and Earth to raise its orbit above the poles of the Sun. ESA says this will provide new perspectives on our star, including the first images of the Suns polar regions ever captured. NASA Orion lunar spacecraft launch The first flight of the Orion lunar spacecraft is also due to happen in 2020 - launching on the new NASA Space Launch System (SLS) rockets. In 2020 in Orion spacecraft will fly to the moon in a test flight for the Artemis mission that will eventually see the first woman and next man step foot on the lunar surface The SLS will be the largest rocket ever built and will get the Artemis astronauts to the moon, carry parts into space for the Lunar Gateway space station, and launch future some commercial International Space Station missions. Artemis 1 will see the uncrewed Orion craft spend three weeks in space including a six day retrograde orbit around the moon. The launch, expected for November 2020, is designed as a test of the module that will take astronauts back to the moon in 2024. There is speculation the SLS and first uncrewed Artemis flight around the moon could slip until 2021, but at the time of writing it was scheduled for 2020. ISS astronaut launches Its not just the rovers and uncrewed modules having all the fun there will be crewed missions from Virgin Galactic, China, SpaceX and Boeing in 2020. SpaceX are one of two commercial companies expected to start operating flights to the International Space Station for international astronaut crew in 2020 There will also be a crew change on board the International Space Station as Russian and American crew change over on the space station. The first two missions there and back will be on board Russian owned Soyuz crafts but NASA says a commercial ship will take crew to the ISS in May. The SpaceX Dragon 2 module is due to take Expedition 64 and 65 to the station in May as part of the NASA Commercial Crew program - including two American and a Japanese astronaut. It will be the first time a craft other than the Russian Built Soyuz has been used to transfer people to the station since the Space Shuttle Atlantis made its final trip in November 2009. Boeing, who recently had a problem with its first uncrewed Starliner test flights, is also expected to operate the commercial space taxi service to the ISS from 2020 Then in December 2020 the Boeing Starliner CST-100 will take expedition 66 and 67 crew to the station including two Americans, a European and a Russian. That mission will be only the fourth US Spaceflight with a female commander. Boeing's Starliner ran into issues during its uncrewed test flight in December when a timing glitch meant it couldn't dock with the ISS. This is likely going to have to be repeated before a crewed mission, although NASA said if there were crew aboard the issue could have been resolved to allow the docking to happen. Chinese Tianhe-1 space station launch The first part of the Chinese space station is due to be launched in 2020 - the core module is known as Tianhe-1 or Harmony of the Heavens. The first module is being launched by the heavy-lift rocket Long March 5. The complete Chinese space station will be assembled in orbit from pieces launched from Earth on separate missions. The final, complete Chinese space station will be about a fifth the mass of the International Space Station and is due to be completed and occupied by 2023. Japans Hayabusa2 asteroid sample-return mission We will also get some samples of an asteroid returned to Earth as Japans Hayabusa-2 is expected to drop its samples of the Ryugu asteroid in the Australian desert. Scientists hope will provide clues into what the Solar System was like at its birth some 4.6billion years ago Hayabusa-2 was launched in 2014 by the Japanese Space Agency JAXA with the aim of bringing samples from under the soil of an asteroid back to Earth. The probe was sent 186 million miles from Earth to the asteroid Ryugu, whose name means 'Dragon Palace' in Japanese. The return of the samples should happen in December, so any delay could see it slip to 2021, according to the Japanese space agency JAXA. China's Change 5 sample return mission China is also launching the Change 5 sample return mission to the Moon where it will collect sample and bring them back to Earth for study. It will launch on the Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre on Hainan island late in 2020. The aim of China's space agency is to bring back about 4lb of lunar samples from a site near a volcanic formation on the western edge of the near side of the moon. In another sample return mission, OSIRIS-Rex by NASA will sample Bennu in July although the samples won't return to Earth until after 2021. Commercial launches including Virgin Galactic Other launches in 2020 will see hundreds of small communications satellites launched by OneWeb and SpaceX as part of their 'constellations'. Virgin CEO Richard Branson, appeared in a sky diving simulator as he wears Virgin Galactic's new space-wear system, developed in partnership with Under Armour. He is expected to fly to the edge of space with his spaceliner in 2020 These have proved controversial as astronomers claim they interfere with observations, creating a streak that obscures the view of stars and planets. Both companies say they are working to ensure their satellites have minimal impact on the sky as viewed from Earth. Richard Branson is due to make his first flight to space in 2020 - he will be the first commercial passenger on the first commercial flight of the space liner. The billionaire entrepreneur will fly to space on board the VSS Unity as the company begins taking fee-paying passengers out of the atmosphere for the first time. Launches will be happening all over the world - from Russia and the USA to China and India - it's going to be a busy year for space ports. 62-year-old commander and other officials were on a routine mission to visit soldiers in Yilan when the crash happened. Taiwans top general has been confirmed dead after a helicopter made an emergency landing in northern Taiwan, the defence ministry has said, just days before the island goes to polls to elect a new president. Chief of general staff General Shen Yi-ming and seven other people were killed after the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crashed in mountains near Taipei on Thursday, according to defence ministry spokesman Shih Shun-wen. Shen, 62, and several top military officials were on a routine mission to visit soldiers in the northeast Yilan county before the lunar new year later this month. For a few hours following the crash, the fate of Taiwans top general was unclear, with conflicting reports claiming that he was among the five people who survived, while another said he remained missing. Five others have been rescued. Five have survived while the other eight of our colleagues on board were killed. We are deeply saddened and give our condolences to their families, Air Force Commander Hsiung Hou-chi told reporters. Ross Feingold, Asia political risk analyst, told Al Jazeera that since the location of the crash is remote, it will take some time to conduct a proper investigation. The weather in northern Taiwan is quite good today, so at least initially it doesnt appear to be weather related; it may be mechanical related, Feingold said. Election issue Feingold told Al Jazeera the accident involving senior leadership will be part of political discussion as Taiwan gears up for elections set for January 11. President Tsai Ing-wens office announced that she will cancel all campaign activities for three days after the tragedy. As commander-in-chief, President Tsai and the cabinet team will focus on the rescue operations as well as clarifying the cause of the incident, it said in a statement. Tsai is seeking a second term against Kaohsiung city mayor Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang (KMT) party in the January 11 elections when Taiwan will also elect a new parliament. Han who will stop campaigning for two days and the KMT also expressed condolences to the victims. Feingold told Al Jazeera that one of the most prominent issues in the election is Taiwans national defence with regard to threats from China. Once the candidates return to campaigning, I think well see President Tsai emphasise that she has been a supporter of the military and shes been a supporter of increased miltary spending. The other side will probably look for a way to criticise, for example by saying, Yeah you spend more money on the military but youre not spending it correctly; youre not spending on enough maintenance,' Feingold said. There have been a number of incidents involving Black Hawk helicopters purchased from the United States in recent years in Taiwan. In 2018, a chopper belonging to a government rescue agency crashed during a medical mission off outlying Orchid Island, killing six people on board. There were also two crash landings in 2016 and 2018 with no casualties. The chopper carrying 13 people disappeared from radar less than 15 minutes after taking off, according to Hsiung, adding that the ministry had set up a taskforce to investigate the incident. We are investigating whether (the cause) was environmental or mechanical, he said. The ministry has dispatched ground troops and rescue helicopters to the crash site in northeastern Taiwan. It had been raining in the mountains in the past few days, the mountain roads are muddy and very steep. We are racing against time, Chen Chung-chi, a supervisor of the operation, said earlier Thursday. Libreville, Gabon (PANA) - President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who is slowly returning to business after suffering a stroke in October 2018, finds a government that has been shattered by scandals of public funds embezzlement, consequences of arrests of several members of the government and senior officials of his administration The decision to withhold military aid to Ukraine came directly from Donald Trump, despite warnings that doing so could be illegal, according to unredacted documents quoting a senior White House official. Redacted portions of internal Trump administration emails reportedly show how officials' efforts to carry out presidential orders to withhold $391 million in assistance to Ukraine continued despite warnings from Defence Department staff that such a hold violated US law. The decision to hold the funds came at the "clear direction" of Mr Trump, said associate director of national security programs Michael Duffey in a 30 August email, which was reported on by experts at New York University Law School's Just Security forum. Mr Trump was impeached by Congress last month for allegedly withholding the aid in return for Ukraine's president announcing investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and a debunked conspiracy theory alleging that Ukraine -- not Russia -- interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Censored copies of nearly 300 emails between Office of Management and Budget officials and Pentagon executives were released to the Center for Public Integrity last month in response to the group's lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act, including one which showed Mr Duffey asking Pentagon comptroller Elaine McCusker to hold off on releasing congressionally appropriated military aid to Ukraine just 91 minutes after Mr Trump's infamous 25 July phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Show all 26 1 /26 Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Donald Trump Accused of abusing his office by pressing the Ukrainian president in a July phone call to help dig up dirt on Joe Biden, who may be his Democratic rival in the 2020 election. He also believes that Hillary Clintons deleted emails - a key factor in the 2016 election - may be in Ukraine, although it is not clear why. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Whistleblower Believed to be a CIA agent who spent time at the White House, his complaint was largely based on second and third-hand accounts from worried White House staff. Although this is not unusual for such complaints, Trump and his supporters have seized on it to imply that his information is not reliable. Expected to give evidence to Congress voluntarily and in secret. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Second Whistleblower The lawyer for the first intelligence whistleblower is also representing a second whistleblower regarding the President's actions. Attorney Mark Zaid said that he and other lawyers on his team are now representing the second person, who is said to work in the intelligence community and has first-hand knowledge that supports claims made by the first whistleblower and has spoken to the intelligence community's inspector general. The second whistleblower has not yet filed their own complaint, but does not need to to be considered an official whistleblower. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rudy Giuliani Former mayor of New York, whose management of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001 won him worldwide praise. As Trumps personal attorney he has been trying to find compromising material about the presidents enemies in Ukraine in what some have termed a shadow foreign policy. In a series of eccentric TV appearances he has claimed that the US state department asked him to get involved. Giuliani insists that he is fighting corruption on Trumps behalf and has called himself a hero. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Volodymyr Zelensky The newly elected Ukrainian president - a former comic actor best known for playing a man who becomes president by accident - is seen frantically agreeing with Trump in the partial transcript of their July phone call released by the White House. With a Russian-backed insurgency in the east of his country, and the Crimea region seized by Vladimir Putin in 2014, Zelensky will have been eager to please his American counterpart, who had suspended vital military aid before their phone conversation. He says there was no pressure on him from Trump to do him the favour he was asked for. Zelensky appeared at an awkward press conference with Trump in New York during the United Nations general assembly, looking particularly uncomfortable when the American suggested he take part in talks with Putin. AFP/Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pence The vice-president was not on the controversial July call to the Ukrainian president but did get a read-out later. However, Trump announced that Pence had had one or two phone conversations of a similar nature, dragging him into the crisis. Pence himself denies any knowledge of any wrongdoing and has insisted that there is no issue with Trumps actions. It has been speculated that Trump involved Pence as an insurance policy - if both are removed from power the presidency would go to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, something no Republican would allow. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rick Perry Trump reportedly told a meeting of Republicans that he made the controversial call to the Ukrainian president at the urging of his own energy secretary, Rick Perry, and that he didnt even want to. The president apparently said that Perry wanted him to talk about liquefied natural gas - although there is no mention of it in the partial transcript of the phone call released by the White House. It is thought that Perry will step down from his role at the end of the year. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Joe Biden The former vice-president is one of the frontrunners to win the Democratic nomination, which would make him Trumps opponent in the 2020 election. Trump says that Biden pressured Ukraine to sack a prosecutor who was investigating an energy company that Bidens son Hunter was on the board of, refusing to release US aid until this was done. However, pressure to fire the prosecutor came on a wide front from western countries. It is also believed that the investigation into the company, Burisma, had long been dormant. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Hunter Biden Joe Bidens son has been accused of corruption by the president because of his business dealings in Ukraine and China. However, Trump has yet to produce any evidence of corruption and Bidens lawyer insists he has done nothing wrong. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Barr The attorney-general, who proved his loyalty to Trump with his handling of the Mueller report, was mentioned in the Ukraine call as someone president Volodymyr Zelensky should talk to about following up Trumps preoccupations with the Bidens and the Clinton emails. Nancy Pelosi has accused Barr of being part of a cover-up of a cover-up. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pompeo The secretary of state initially implied he knew little about the Ukraine phone call - but it later emerged that he was listening in at the time. He has since suggested that asking foreign leaders for favours is simply how international politics works. Gordon Sondland testified that Pompeo was "in the loop" and knew what was happening in Ukraine. Pompeo has been criticised for not standing up for diplomats under his command when they were publicly criticised by the president. AFP via Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Nancy Pelosi The Democratic Speaker of the House had long resisted calls from within her own party to back a formal impeachment process against the president, apparently fearing a backlash from voters. On September 24, amid reports of the Ukraine call and the day before the White House released a partial transcript of it, she relented and announced an inquiry, saying: The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Adam Schiff Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, one of the three committees leading the inquiry. He was criticized by Republicans for giving what he called a parody of the Ukraine phone call during a hearing, with Trump and others saying he had been pretending that his damning characterisation was a verbatim reading of the phone call. He has also been criticised for claiming that his committee had had no contact with the whistleblower, only for it to emerge that the intelligence agent had contacted a staff member on the committee for guidance before filing the complaint. The Washington Post awarded Schiff a four Pinocchios rating, its worst rating for a dishonest statement. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman Florida-based businessmen and Republican donors Lev Parnas (pictured with Rudy Giuliani) and Igor Fruman were arrested on suspicion of campaign finance violations at Dulles International Airport near Washington DC on 9 October. Separately the Associated Press has reported that they were both involved in efforts to replace the management of Ukraine's gas company, Naftogaz, with new bosses who would steer lucrative contracts towards companies controlled by Trump allies. There is no suggestion of any criminal activity in these efforts. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Taylor The most senior US diplomat in Ukraine and the former ambassador there. As one of the first two witnesses in the public impeachment hearings, Taylor dropped an early bombshell by revealing that one of his staff later identified as diplomat David Holmes overheard a phone conversation in which Donald Trump could be heard asking about investigations the very day after asking the Ukrainian president to investigate his political enemies. Taylor expressed his concern at reported plans to withhold US aid in return for political smears against Trumps opponents, saying: It's one thing to try to leverage a meeting in the White House. It's another thing, I thought, to leverage security assistance -- security assistance to a country at war, dependent on both the security assistance and the demonstration of support." Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal George Kent A state department official who appeared alongside William Taylor wearing a bow tie that was later mocked by the president. He accused Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trumps personal lawyer, of leading a campaign of lies against Marie Yovanovitch, who was forced out of her job as US ambassador to Ukraine for apparently standing in the way of efforts to smear Democrats. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Marie Yovanovitch One of the most striking witnesses to give evidence at the public hearings, the former US ambassador to Ukraine received a rare round of applause as she left the committee room after testifying. Canadian-born Yovanovitch was attacked on Twitter by Donald Trump while she was actually testifying, giving Democrats the chance to ask her to respond. She said she found the attack very intimidating. Trump had already threatened her in his 25 July phone call to the Ukrainian president saying: Shes going to go through some things. Yovanovitch said she was shocked, appalled and devastated by the threat and by the way she was forced out of her job without explanation. REUTERS Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Alexander Vindman A decorated Iraq War veteran and an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, Lt Col Vindman began his evidence with an eye-catching statement about the freedoms America afforded him and his family to speak truth to power without fear of punishment. One of the few witnesses to have actually listened to Trumps 25 July call with the Ukrainian president, he said he found the conversation so inappropriate that he was compelled to report it to the White House counsel. Trump later mocked him for wearing his military uniform and insisting on being addressed by his rank. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Jennifer Williams A state department official acting as a Russia expert for vice-president Mike Pence, Ms Williams also listened in on the 25 July phone call. She testified that she found it unusual because it focused on domestic politics in terms of Trump asking a foreign leader to investigate his political opponents. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Kurt Volker The former special envoy to Ukraine was one of the few people giving evidence who was on the Republican witness list although what he had to say may not have been too helpful to their cause. He dismissed the idea that Joe Biden had done anything corrupt, a theory spun without evidence by the president and his allies. He said that he thought the US should be supporting Ukraines reforms and that the scheme to find dirt on Democrats did not serve the national interest. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Tim Morrison An expert on the National Security Council and another witness on the Republican list. He testified that he did not think the president had done anything illegal but admitted that he feared it would create a political storm if it became public. He said he believed the moving the record of the controversial 25 July phone call to a top security server had been an innocent mistake. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Gordon Sondland In explosive testimony, one of the men at the centre of the scandal got right to the point in his opening testimony: Was there a quid pro quo? Yes, said the US ambassador to the EU who was a prime mover in efforts in Ukraine to link the release of military aid with investigations into the presidents political opponents. He said that everyone knew what was going on, implicating vice-president Mike Pence and secretary of state Mike Pompeo. The effect of his evidence is perhaps best illustrated by the reaction of Mr Trump who went from calling Sondland a great American a few weeks earlier to claiming that he barely knew him. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Laura Cooper A Pentagon official, Cooper said Ukrainian officials knew that US aid was being withheld before it became public knowledge in August undermining a Republican argument that there cant have been a quid pro quo between aid and investigations if the Ukrainians didnt know that aid was being withheld. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Hale The third most senior official at the state department. Hale testified about the treatment of Marie Yovanovitch and the smear campaign that culminated in her being recalled from her posting as US ambassador to Ukraine. He said: I believe that she should have been able to stay at post and continue to do the outstanding work. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Fiona Hill Arguably the most confident and self-possessed of the witnesses in the public hearings phase, the Durham-born former NSC Russia expert began by warning Republicans not to keep repeating Kremlin-backed conspiracy theories. In a distinctive northeastern English accent, Dr Hill went on to describe how she had argued with Gordon Sondland about his interference in Ukraine matters until she realised that while she and her colleagues were focused on national security, Sondland was being involved in a domestic political errand. She said: I did say to him, Ambassador Sondland, Gordon, this is going to blow up. And here we are. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Holmes The Ukraine-based diplomat described being in a restaurant in Kiev with Gordon Sondland while the latter phoned Donald Trump. Holmes said he could hear the president on the other end of the line because his voice was so loud and distinctive and because Sondland had to hold the phone away from his ear asking about the investigations and whether the Ukrainian president would cooperate. REUTERS But unredacted versions of the emails viewed by Just Security show a reply from Ms McCusker asking Mr Duffey if he'd cleared his instructions with the Pentagon's general counsel's office. Ms McCusker reportedly continued to press Mr Duffey as to the legal justification for the hold, which raised concerns among Defence Department officials who believed withholding the funds without notifying Congress violated a 1974 law that prohibits the president from "impounding" appropriated funds for more than 45 days without permission from the legislative branch. On August 9, she sent a warning to Mr Duffey that failure to release the funds before August 12 would imperil the Pentagon's ability to legally spend them before the end of Fiscal Year 2019 on October 1. As we discussed, as of 12 AUG I dont think we can agree that the pause will not preclude timely execution. We hope it wont and will do all we can to execute once the policy decision is made, but can no longer make that declarative statement," she wrote, referring to Trump administration talking points which falsely claimed that the hold would not impact whether Ukraine would receive the funds. When Mr Duffey informed Ms McCusker that the hold would continue just under two weeks later on August 26, she again asked him about "the status of the impoundment paperwork" required under that 1974 law, to which Mr Duffey replied: I am not tracking that. Is that something you are expecting from OMB? Ms McCusker responded: Yes, it is now necessary legal teams were discussing last week. In another email to Mr Duffey that day (which was heavily redacted by Trump administration officials) Ms McCusker complained that OMB General Counsel Mark Paoletta appears to continue to consistently misunderstand the process and the timelines we have provided for funds execution," and informed him that both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees were asking about the status of the funds, which had broad bipartisan support. The complaints about the lack of legal justification for the hold continued up until just before 11 September, when the funds were released after the White House learned of the whistleblower complaint which later touched off the House's impeachment inquiry into Mr Trump. Chuck Schumer calls for trial witnesses after explosive report into Ukraine funding In a statement, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the newly-revealed unredacted emails further justify Democrats' calls to have Mr Duffey, White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former National Security Adviser John Bolton and Mulvaney aide Robert Blair testify at Mr Trump's forthcoming impeachment trial, and called them a "devastating blow" to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's push to hold a quick trial without witness testimony. These emails further expose the serious concerns raised by Trump administration officials about the propriety and legality of the presidents decision to cut off aid to Ukraine to benefit himself," Mr Schumer said. This new evidence also raises questions that can only be answered by having the key Trump administration officialsMick Mulvaney, John Bolton, Michael Duffey and Robert Blairtestify under oath in a Senate trial. "Importantly, that Mr Duffey said there was clear direction from POTUS to continue to hold only further implicates President Trump and underscores the need for the Senate to subpoena the witnesses and documents weve requested at the onset of a trial. "The American people deserve a fair trial that gets to the truth, not a rigged process that enables a cover-up. The suspect in the Hanukkah stabbings at a rabbi's home north of New York City Dec. 28 was kicked out of Marine boot camp after traces of marijuana were found in his system, his lawyer said Thursday. Grafton Thomas, who is facing state and federal charges in the attacks, had also broken his wrist in training, defense lawyer Michael Sussman said in a conference call with reporters. Sussman said he had reviewed documentation showing that Thomas left for recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina, in November 2002 after having passed "mental, physical and academic requirements" to become a Marine. Between 60 and 90 days after his arrival at Parris Island, Thomas was sent home with a broken wrist. "His mother was advised that a trace of marijuana was found in his system," Sussman said. "That's the only information we have about the nature" of his leaving the Marines. Thomas' mother, Kim Thomas, a registered nurse who works at a Bronx hospital, said her son was looking for a purpose in life after graduating high school in 2001 and decided on the Marines. Related: Hanukkah Stabbing Suspect Was Kicked Out of Marine Corps Boot Camp "It was early after we moved up here" to Rockland County north of the city and "he was trying to figure out which direction he wanted to go with his life," she said. Her son "met friends who were also thinking of being in the military and they spent time, you know, talking, and he decided he was going to go" join the Marines, she said. Military officials told the Associated Press Tuesday that Thomas was separated from the service on grounds of "fraudulent enlistment," which could mean that he made false statements in the recruiting process. Capt. Karoline Foote, a Marine spokeswoman, said she was barred from giving details on Thomas' separation. "Those specifics are administrative in nature and therefore information we are required to keep private," Foote told the AP. Thomas, 37, of Greenwood Lake, N.Y., was charged in Rockland County Sunday with five counts of attempted murder and one of robbery. He is also facing federal hate crimes charges. The criminal complaint against him alleges that he entered the home of a rabbi in Monsey, New York, Saturday night and used an 18-inch machete to stab and slash five Hasidic Jewish men. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the attack in Monsey was the 13th anti-Semitic incident in three weeks in New York state, and called it an act of "domestic terrorism." Earlier in December, four people were shot and killed in what officials called an anti-Semitic attack at a kosher grocery store in Jersey City, across the Hudson from Manhattan. In the conference call, lawyer Sussman said his client was a disturbed individual who had gone off his antipsychotic medications. He said Thomas was diagnosed as a "paranoid schizophrenic" in being granted Social Security disability payments. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Read More: Demonstrators Will 'Run into a Buzzsaw' If They Try to Overrun US Embassy: Milley ANKARA, Turkey - Turkeys parliament on Thursday authorized the deployment of troops to Libya to support the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli that is battling forces loyal to a rival government seeking to capture the capital. Turkish lawmakers voted 325-184 at an emergency session in favour of a one-year mandate allowing the government to dispatch troops amid concerns that Turkish forces could aggravate the conflict in Libya and destabilize the region. The Tripoli-based government of Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj has faced an offensive by the rival regime in the east and forces loyal to commander Gen. Khalifa Hifter. The fighting has threatened to plunge Libya into violent chaos rivaling the 2011 conflict that ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that Sarraj requested the Turkish deployment after he and Sarraj signed a deal that allows Ankara to dispatch military experts and personnel to Libya. That deal, along with a separate agreement on maritime boundaries between Turkey and Libya, has led to anger across the region and beyond. Ankara says the deployment is vital for Turkey to safeguard its interests in Libya and in the eastern Mediterranean, where it finds itself increasingly isolated as Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel have established exclusive economic zones paving the way for oil and gas exploration. A Libya whose legal government is under threat can spread instability to Turkey, ruling party legislator Ismet Yilmaz argued in defence of the motion. Those who shy away from taking steps on grounds that there is a risk will throw our children into a greater danger. The government has not revealed details about the possible Turkish deployment. The motion allows the government to decide on the scope, amount and timing of any mission. Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation and discussed the situation in Syria and in Libya, the Turkish presidents office said soon after the vote. A brief statement said they discussed the importance of diplomacy in solving regional issues. Egypts foreign ministry condemned in the strongest language the Turkish parliaments authorization to deploy troops, saying Turkey would carry full responsibility for the negative effect it would have on the stability of the Mediterranean region. Egypt, which neighbours Libya, has backed the regime in the countrys east. The leaders of Greece, Israel and Cyprus denounced the move as a dangerous threat to regional stability and a dangerous escalation of the Libyan conflict that violates U.N. resolutions and undermines international peace efforts. The repercussions of such a reckless move will be dire for the stability and peace of the entire region, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a joint statement after signing a deal for a pipeline conveying east Mediterranean gas to Europe. Ankara should refrain from taking such action, which blatantly violates Libyan national sovereignty and independence. Numan Kurtulmus, deputy chairman of Turkeys ruling party, welcomed parliaments vote, telling CNN-Turk television the mandate will ensure that the legal government in Libya remains in place and Turkeys natural rights (in the Mediterranean) are maintained. He added that the mandate does not mean that troops will be quickly sent tomorrow to conduct operations. Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay told state-run Anadolu Agency that Turkey would send the necessary number (of troops) whenever there is a need. But he also said it would not dispatch forces if Libyas rival government halts its offensive. Turkeys main opposition party, CHP, had vowed to vote against the motion arguing that the deployment would embroil Turkey in another conflict and make it a party to the further shedding of Muslim blood. Before the vote, CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu called on the government to work for the establishment of a United Nations peacekeeping force in Libya. Kurtulmus, the ruling party official, said the mandate does not exclude a peacekeeping force. He said, however, the government believes that U.N. peacekeeping missions were not successful in ending conflicts in the past. Two other opposition parties voted against the motion. We cannot throw our soldiers in the line of fire of a civilian war that has nothing to do with our national security, Aytun Ciray, a member of the opposition Good Party, said during the parliamentary debate. However, Erdogans ruling party is in an alliance with a nationalist party, and the two held sufficient votes for the motion to pass. Fighting around Tripoli escalated in recent weeks after Hifter declared a final and decisive battle for the capital. He has the backing of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as France and Russia, while the Tripoli-based government receives aid from Turkey, Qatar and Italy. _____ AP writer Menelaos Hadjicostis contributed from Nicosia, Cyprus. On This Day The Day Anti-Chinese Rioting Erupted in British-Ruled Yangon A location somewhere in Yangons Chinatown during British rule. YANGONOn this day 89 years ago, anti-Chinese riots broke out in Myanmar, killing 14 people including two monks. A brawl between Burmese people and Chinese expats at a noodle eatery in Chinatown in downtown Yangon led to riots that lasted for 10 days after a Burmese Buddhist monk was struck with a spear. The riots spread across Yangon, and the Burmese communities accused the British colonial government of being biased towards Chinese expats. Police kept the monasteries under surveillance to prevent Burmese people from gathering there, and provided security to help Chinese escape Burmese-majority neighborhoods. However, the citys Burmese residents complained that the British government failed to offer similar protection to Burmese people as they fled Chinese-majority neighborhoods. Burmese communities suffered more in the riots. After the violence started to spread outside Yangon, the British government and influential Chinese and Burmese figures intervened, and the riots were brought to an end. The anti-Chinese riots followed anti-Indian riots, the establishment of the nationalist organization Doh Bamar Asiayon (the We Burmans Association), and anti-British government movements led by Saya San. Myanmars political writers of the time suggested that the British government incited racial hatred to distract Myanmar people, who were becoming increasingly politically aware, from resisting oppressive colonial rule. Another wave of anti-Chinese riots hit Yangon in 1967, 19 years after Myanmar regained independence from the British in 1948. The riots broke out after Chinese students who were influenced by Chinas Cultural Revolution defied the governments instruction not to wear badges depicting Mao Zedong or carry copies of Maos Little Red Book to school, souring Sino-Burmese relations. Some suggested that the riots were instigated by the military regime of General Ne Win in order to channel public anger over rice shortages in an agricultural country. You may also like these stories: Myanmar MPs Approve Discussion to Regulate Chinese Banana Plantations The Living History: Dagon Taya & Modern Myanmar Literature The Day the British Annexed Upper Myanmar The red brittle star, Ophiocoma wendtii. Credit: Lauren Sumner-Rooney Scientists have shown for the first time that brittle stars use vision to guide them through vibrant coral reefs, thanks to a neat colour-changing trick. The international team, led by researchers at Oxford University Museum of Natural History, described a new mechanism for vision in the red brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii, a relative to sea stars and sea urchins, which lives in the bright and complex reefs of the Caribbean Sea. Their findings are published in Current Biology today. This species first captured scientific attention more than 30 years ago thanks to its dramatic change in colour between day and night and its strong aversion to light. Recently , researchers demonstrated that O. wendtii was covered in thousands of light-sensitive cells, but the exact behaviours they control remained a mystery. The new research shows that O. wendtii is able to see visual stimuli, and that its signature colour-change might play an important role in enabling vision. Lauren Sumner-Rooney, a research fellow at Oxford University Museum of Natural History who studies unusual visual systems, has been working with Ophiocoma for several years at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and the Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin. Alongside team members from the Museum fur Naturkunde, Lund University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Sumner-Rooney ran hundreds of behavioural experiments to test the brittle stars' 'eyesight'. The brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii shelters in a crevice Credit: Heather Stewart "These experiments gave us not only the first evidence that any brittle star is able to 'see'," says Sumner-Rooney, "but only the second known example of vision in any animal lacking eyes". The animals were able to seek out areas of contrast, which the researchers think may mimic structures that could offer shelter from predators. Although it appears that their vision is very coarse, on the crowded tropical reefs disturbed brittle stars never have to look too far to make a dash for the nearest cover. However, an unexpected discovery raised new questions about how this visual system worked. "We were surprised to find that the responses we saw during the day disappeared in animals tested at night, yet the light-sensitive cells still seemed to be active," says Sumner-Rooney. The team set about trying to identify what caused this dramatic shift in behaviour, eliminating possible factors such as loss of motivation and low light intensity making vision too difficult. The one they couldn't rule out was O. wendtii's characteristic change in colour, from a deep red during the day to beige at night. Previously, Sumner-Rooney's team showed that another closely related brittle star, Ophiocoma pumila, was also covered in light sensors, but it doesn't exhibit the same colour change. Curiously, this paler species also failed their eye-test. Close-up of the arm plates of Ophiocoma wendtii Credit: Lauren Sumner-Rooney Combining a suite of techniques, the researchers reconstructed digital models of individual light-sensing cells in the two species, with and without O. wendtii's dark daytime pigmentation. They demonstrated that, during the day, the pigment restricted light reaching the sensors to a narrower angle that corresponds to their hypothesised visual resolution. Without this pigmentin O. pumila, or during the night in O. wendtii - light could reach the sensors from a much wider angle, making vision impossible. "It's a very exciting discovery," explains Sumner-Rooney. "It had been suggested 30 years ago that changing colour might hold the key to light-sensitivity in Ophiocoma, so we're very happy to be able to fill in some of the gaps that remained and describe this new mechanism." Although this is the first visual system proposed to work using whole-body colour change, the scientists have also identified potential similarities with a sea urchin, distant relatives of brittle stars. Only one species of sea urchin has 'passed' the same tests for vision, and it also, independently, changes colour in response to light levels. Future work will probe whether this sea urchin, the only other animal in the world known to see without eyes, might be using a similar trick to Ophiocoma. Algeria will soon unveil proposals to peacefully settle the current crisis in neighboring Libya, the country's Foreign Minister, Sabri Boukadoum, said on Thursday CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd January, 2020) Algeria will soon unveil proposals to peacefully settle the current crisis in neighboring Libya , the country's Foreign Minister, Sabri Boukadoum, said on Thursday. "In the coming days, Algeria will put forward proposals aimed at achieving the peaceful settlement of the Libyan crisis the strictly intra-Libyan settlement," the minister said during a ceremony of sending humanitarian aid to Libya. After the ouster and assassination of then-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country was plunged into a brutal civil war. Today, Libya is divided between two centers of power an elected parliament in the country's east, supported by the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar, and the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in the west. On December 12, Haftar announced the beginning of a decisive battle in his campaign to capture Tripoli, which has been underway since last April and has resulted in vicious fighting in the city's outskirts. In late December, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the GNA had officially requested Ankara's help to repel the offensive against Tripoli, the seat of the internationally-recognized government, by the Libyan National Army. Turkey promised to deploy its armed forces to fend off Haftar's forces. For more than two centuries, Christianity suffered under the Roman Empire. Christians were arrested, tortured, mutilated, burned, and starved. Christian buildings and the homes of Christians were torn down and their sacred books burned. The religious persecutions came to an end when Emperor Constantine ascended the throne. Unlike his predecessors, the emperor was a great patron of the Church. He built an extraordinary number of basilicas around the length and breadth of the empire, granted privileges to clergy, endowed the church with land and wealth, and even returned property confiscated from Christians by earlier rulers. Battle of the Milvian Bridge by Giulio Romano, 1520-24. What made Emperor Constantine convert to Christianity has been debated and discussed by theologians and historians for centuries. It is possible that Constantine's mother exposed him to Christianity from an early age. But many historians believe that Constantine experienced a dramatic event in 312 just before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge began, on the banks of Tiber on the outskirts of modern-day Rome, leaving a profound effect on the future emperor. Eusebius, one of the Christian Church's early historians, describes a vision that Constantine had while marching towards the site of the battle: ...while he was thus praying with fervent entreaty, a most marvelous sign appeared to him from heaven, the account of which it might have been hard to believe had it been related by any other person. ...about noon, when the day was already beginning to decline, he saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the Sun, and bearing the inscription 'conquer by this'. At this sight he himself was struck with amazement, and his whole army also, which followed him on this expedition, and witnessed the miracle. At first Constantine was unsure of the meaning of the apparition, but the following night he had a dream in which Christ explained to him that he should use the sign against his enemies. Constantine then commanded his troops to adorn their shields with the Christian symbol, the Chi-Rho, which he had seen in the skies. Constantine's army won the battle, and the new emperor dedicated the victory to Christ whom he believed had helped him. But what was the celestial event that had such a transforming effect on Constantine? Geologists believe Constantine had witnessed a meteorite impact, and the crater the impact had left behind is still out there in central Italy. The Sirente crater, located in the highlands north of the Sirente massif, is small and circular, and although there have been a lot of theories about its formation, Swedish geologist Jens Ormo believes its an impact crater. Its shape fits and it is also surrounded by numerous smaller, secondary craters, gouged out by ejected debris, as expected from impact models, Ormo explains. Image credit: visitabruzzo.altervista.org Radiocarbon dating puts the crater's formation at about the same time Constantine had his celestial vision. An impact generating a crater the size of one at Sirente would have been visible from a great distance. Before it hit, the meteorite would have blazed across the sky in a large fireball mesmerizing Constantine and his troops. It would have struck earth with the force of a small nuclear bomb, about one kiloton in yield. The age of the crater also corresponds to local history. A nearby village was suddenly abandoned possibly because of fire during the 4th century. Catacombs dating to the same period reveal many bodies interred in a hasty manner. A local legend, passed orally, also provides a vivid description of the cataclysmic event. One version of the legend goes thus: And then, an uproar hit the mountain and quartered the giant oaks announcing the violent arrival of the Goddess. A sudden and intense heat overwhelmed the people and a shout echoed all around, splitting the air with its trail of violence. All of a sudden, over there, in the distance, in the sky, a new star, never seen before, bigger than the other ones, came nearer and nearer, appeared and disappeared behind the top of the eastern mountains. Soon the star shone as large as a new sun. An irresistible, dazzling light pervaded the sky. The oak-leaves shuddered, discolored, curled up. The forest lost its sap. The close spacing in both time and geography between the Milvian Bridge and the Sirente impact site have led researchers to reexamine the historic events. According to one study, Constantine and his military forces were camped only 100 km from the impact site before the battle of the Milvian Bridge. This must have given them a clear view of the mushroom cloud that would have likely arose following the impact, deeply influencing him and turning the tide of the conflict and the course of Christianity. Image credit: visitabruzzo.altervista.org Image credit: visitabruzzo.altervista.org Image credit: visitabruzzo.altervista.org A look at the way history treated certain avant-garde women cartoonists in the years preceding World War I can answer several questions on why the modern feminist movement is met with still met with hostility. In 1909, Rose O'Neill dreamt of Kewpies one night and finally drew them on the Christmas issue of Ladies Home Journal. The Kewpies were elfin kid characters that revolutionised cartoons, their meteoric popularity sparking comparisons with Mickey Mouse. Turns out O'Neill wasn't the only one obsessed with them; there was suddenly Kewpie-inspired merchandise that people were willing to queue up for. O'Neill had in 1896 already become the first comic artist to publish a strip, seen in the magazine Truth. It was a simple drawing of a woman overhearing a fight between the publisher and an irate customer. However, with Kewpies, her politics burgeoned. A cogent voice in the growing chorus of suffragettes, she used Kewpies to cement her advocacy for women's suffrage. Even though drawing cute and cuddly kids was considered one of the more 'acceptable' jobs for women in pre-World War I America, O'Neill was able to revolutionise the idea of art as activism with what was expected of her: stick to the 'womanly' careers in art and illustration if they wanted to work. Like O'Neill, the history of America's women cartoonists, most of whom were suffragettes, is a story for the ages. However, even though over a 100-years-old, certain perspectives on suffragettes have also, unfortunately, stood the test of time. And seemingly, a look at the way history treated certain avant-garde women cartoonists in the years preceding World War I can answer several questions on why the modern feminist movement is met with still met with hostility. "There was an attempt to create this idea that suffragettes are just lonely, frustrated, angry women who have nothing better to do. That is not very different from what is said about feminists these days...," says artist and filmmaker Aarthi Parthasarathy, in her talk exploring the representation of women in comics, at the Tata Literature Live! in Mumbai. Popularised by some of the most successful American illustrators at, pictures of cuddly, round-faced kids were an indispensable part of the women's suffrage movement. Before O'Neill, Grace Drayton had already introduced them in her first strip, Naughty Toodles (1903). "It set the style for more than 30 years of comics by the artist...Though the names of the comic strips changed through the years, essentially the same cherubic kids run through her comic pages," writes Trina Robbins in her recording of a century of women cartoonists, Pretty in Ink: North American Women Cartoonists 18962010. In an America where the presence of a huge gender gap was being acknowledged amid the anxiety of being at war, bringing "cherubic kids" to comic strips was a major coup in getting other artists to join the movement for women's franchise. "It defused the intensity of the subject which was anyway contentious, and secondly, it brought children's rights and women's role as mothers to the fore," Parthasarathy adds. Around the same time, anti-suffrage propaganda began to crop up in the United States with the proliferation of artwork that turned violent towards activists. Interestingly, the same celebration of violence can be traced in the reception of the Black Lives Matter movement. In one such poster, a woman was famously seen running behind Satan with a "votes for women" placard. Another poster, titled the Appeal of Womanhood, originally created by Harold Bird for a national league formed to oppose women's suffrage, showed a 'lady' denying the right to vote. "There was and still is this irrational fear that if women gain rights, men somehow lose them," Parthasarathy says. However, the emerging class of suffragettes comprised activists who responded to this cynicism by subverting the same inflammatory image of women demanding to be enfranchised, as seen in Louise Jacobs' rendition of 'No Votes Thank You'. Fortunately, Jacobs' argument for why women must get to vote has come to be more recognisable than the original. As puerile as it was, the diatribe against women's suffrage elicited scathing responses from the Artists Suffrage League. The collective was dedicated to designing material to be used in rallies and protests demanding the right to vote. The group published an illustrated poem, Beware! A Warning to Suffragists, which famously derided the popular anti-suffrage argument that women were 'unfit' to vote, even though they were helping stabilise the dwindling economy by working in factories: Dont earn your living If you can, Have it earned for you By a man. Then sit at home From morn till night, And cook and cook With all your might It may be slow But you can say, Its just as slow In Holloway. While women's suffrage was established wholly in America in 1920, several other artist networks emerged and collaborations flourished. Incidentally, women started entering the workforce in great numbers which proved to be almost strategic with The Great Depression. In the comic world, the women artists who fought for their rights before the First World War, set the stage for more progressive illustrators to continue their legacy. And so, corsets went back into the closet as fashionable, wisecracking women characters took over pages. According to the most recent government data on the national outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury, a total of 2,561 hospitalized EVALI cases or deaths have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of Dec. 27 from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories of Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. Fifty-five deaths have been confirmed in 27 states that include Massachusetts which has three reported EVALI deaths to date in 2019 and the District of Columbia. States with the highest number of hospitalized EVALI cases by date of admission between March 31 and Dec. 21 or related deaths as shown in information from the CDC include Texas and Iowa with 200 to 249 cases followed by California with 150 to 199 cases. Massachusetts is among the states with between 50 and 99 cases reported to the CDC. States with confirmed EVALI deaths besides Massachusetts, California, Texas and Iowa include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The CDC has said data suggests the EVALI outbreak began in June and both emergency room related visits and new hospitalized cases have been declining since a peak in September. However, the CDC said visits to the ER associated with possible EVALI have not declined to pre-June levels and the illness remains a concern and related deaths as well as new cases are still being investigated. The CDC has said laboratory findings indicate that Vitamin E acetate is closely associated with EVALI. The substance is an additive in some THC-containing e-cigarette products. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is a chemical found in most cannabis products and can impact parts of the brain, including those associated with mood to create a pleasurable high. According to the CDC, all EVALI patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette products, and most report a history of using THC-containing products with THC present in most of the samples tested by the Food and Drug Administration to date. Some 152 different THC-containing product brands were reported by EVALI patients. Among cases of hospitalized EVALI patients reported to the CDC with available data as of Dec. 3, 67 percent among 2,155 patients with data on sex were male and 78 percent with under 35 years old with a median age of 24. There has been a surge in the use of flavored e-cigarette products by young people in recent years. Massachusetts became the first state in November to permanently ban retail sales of all flavored tobacco, including sales of such vape products that is already in effect and sales of menthol cigarettes beginning in June. UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick has been confirmed as the country's worst-hit hospital by overcrowding in 2019. A total of 13,941 people were left on trolleys in UHL last year, according to an end-of-year analysis by the Irish Nurse and Midwives Organisation (INMO) released this Thursday. The report shows that trolley figures nationwide have hit record-highs, with 118,367 patients going without hospital beds in last year. This confirms 2019 as the worst-ever year for hospital overcrowding since records began - 9% higher than 2018. Cork University Hospital accounted for 11,066 patients on trolleys, followed by University Hospital Galway with 7,993, South Tipperary General Hospital with 6,942 and University Hospital Waterford with 6,313. Read also: UHL overcrowding and superbug combine to create fire safety problem Sinn Fein TD for Limerick Maurice Quinlivan, who has described the situation as truly appalling, said: The 2019 figures of almost 14,000 people is a national scandal; it is both unacceptable and disgraceful. The Minister for Health and Fine Gael are clearly not fit for the role, he continued, they have utterly failed the people of Limerick. This is truly appalling and shows utter contempt from the Government. These are not just figures they are real people, people we know, often family members and many of them elderly often lingering on trollies for hours or days. There are many solutions ranging from ensuring increased investment for transitional care beds, adequate step-down facilities, home care packages, and home help hours to ensure that all patients who can be moved home or to a more appropriate care setting all these will help. The INMOs general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: Things are getting worse, not better. These figures should be falling, but were going the wrong direction. Overcrowding used to be a winter problem. Now its an all-year problem, which gets worse in winter. Our members are rightly appalled by the conditions they are forced to work and care for patients in. 2020 should be a year where understaffing and overcrowding are brought under control, but that simply wont happen without investment and an end to the recruitment ban. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 19:40:06|Editor: ZX Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Conservatory of Music (SHCM) and the Shanghai Media Group announced on Thursday the shooting of China's first live-action 8K opera film featuring legendary Chinese composer He Lyuting. He was one of the most influential Chinese musicians in the 20th century and the first president of the SHCM after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The film is based on an original stage play that celebrates the SHCM's 90th birthday in 2018. Liao Changyong, president of the SHCM and Fang Qiong, a renowned soprano will star in the film, which is expected to be screened in 2021. The Hanukkah stabbing suspect accused of attacking five Orthodox Jews had Jewish friends growing up and even reportedly did Sabbath chores for them. Grafton Thomas is accused of carrying out the bloodied attack on Saturday night on the seventh night of Hanukkah when he stormed into a rabbi's home. Prosecutors say Thomas burst into Rabbi Chaim Leibush Rottenberg house in the New York suburb of Monsey at around 10pm and began wildly swinging a machete at dozens of worshipers. But the 37-year-old was born in the Jewish neighborhood of Crown Heights and even helped Jews carry out tasks on the Sabbath that they were forbidden to perform under Jewish law. Kim Thomas told how her son would help one Hasidic Jewish family observe the Sabbath by taking part in a practice commonly known as serving as a 'Shabbos goy'. Grafton Thomas (above leaving a court hearing after pleading not guilty on Sunday) was charged in the stabbings of five Hasidic Jews at a Hanukkah gathering in Monsey, New York The moment the attacker stormed into a rabbi's house in Monsey with a machete before allegedly knifing five Hanukkah party guests was captured on CCTV She told the New York Post: 'Grafton grew up going there on a Friday afternoon to turn off the lights for them. 'If he goes down there, anyone that sees him on the block, in the neighborhood, hugs him, welcomes him.' Thomas' aunt also previously said that he grew up in the Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and 'lived peacefully' among Jewish neighbors. She said Thomas had not been taking his medication and recently went missing for a week, saying he was 'sick' but not a 'monster' and just needed help. On the night of the attack, Thomas' internet browser was used to read an article headlined, 'New York City increases Police presence in Jewish neighborhoods after possible anti-Semitic attacks. Here's what to know'. Authorities allege that Thomas' journal contained references to Adolf Hitler, a swastika and 'Nazi culture'. Journals found at Thomas' home included comments like 'Hebrew Israelites' took from the 'powerful ppl (ebinoid Israelites)'. Kim Thomas, mother of Grafton Thomas, during a news conference on Monday. She claimed her son's writings about Jewish people were a result of his illness rather than any hatred of those who practice the religion Law enforcement agents recovered journals from Thomas' home that included references to Jews and anti-Semitism. His writings also questioned 'why ppl mourned for anti-Semitism when there is Semitic genocide' and included a page with drawings of a Star of David and a swastika. A phone recovered from his car included repeated internet searches for 'Why did Hitler hate the Jews' as well as 'German Jewish Temples near me' and 'Prominent companies founded by Jews in America,' the police complaint said. But Kim Thomas disputed allegations he had 'anti-Semitic sentiments' and said his writings are a symptom of his mental illnesses, which lawyers claim include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, rather than any hatred toward Jewish people. The 55-year-old said: 'He writes all over the paper, he circles letters or words like a typical schizophrenic mind.' Defense attorney Michael Sussman said he visited Thomas' home and found stacks of notes he described as 'the ramblings of a disturbed individual' but nothing to point to an 'anti-Semitic motive' for the attack. Footage emerged of Thomas calmly strolling through a New York City bodega (above) just moments before his arrest Kim Thomas also confirmed claims by her pastor that she tried to get her son committed during a court hearing in May but he received 'no help' and was instead arrested for threatening police. Around 50 to 70 people were inside Rottenberg's home on Forshay Road when the attack unfolded. Thomas has already pleaded not guilty to five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary. He is also facing charges of federal hate crimes after the discovery of the journals at his home. The attack was the latest in a string of violence targeting Jews in the region, including a December 10 massacre at a kosher grocery store in New Jersey. Last month in Monsey, a man was stabbed while walking to a synagogue. Three people were hurt in an explosion at a South Dakota petroleum distributor on Dec. 30, the companys co-owner said. The explosion happened around 2 p.m. in the truck maintenance shop of Harms Oil just west of Aberdeen. Co-owner Jason Harms confirms three people were hurt. Brown County Chief Sheriffs Deputy Dave Lunzman said two of the men suffered severe burns and were flown to a burn unit in Minneapolis. But all three men suffered non-life-threatening injuries, he said. Traffic on nearby Highway 12 was blocked shortly after the explosion, the Aberdeen News reported. Heavy smoke could be seen following the explosion. Brown County Emergency Management Director Scott Meints said crews had the fire under control about three hours later. He said the maintenance shop was severely damaged. Authorities dont know what caused the explosion and it remains under investigation. State investigators went inside the damaged truck maintenance shop on Tuesday, Lunzman said. An insurance company was expected to visit the site this week, he said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Energy Oil Gas South Dakota Hoan Kiem lake in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) 1. NA adopts resolution on piloting urban administration model in Hanoi The 14th National Assembly passed a Resolution on piloting an urban administration model in Hanoi at its eight session on November 27. This provides an important basis for the capital city to improve operation efficiency of its political system, streamline payroll, arrange apparatus, and improve state management in 177 wards across the city. 2. Party and political system building work bear fruits In 2019, the municipal Party Organisation continued its efforts to promote the Party building work in a comprehensive manner, channeled focus on building a strong and pure political system, and paid due attention to the studying and following of President Ho Chi Minhs thought, morality and lifestyle. The city drastically carried out Directive No. 15-CT/TU on strengthening the leadership of the party committees at all levels in the reception of citizens and the settlement of complaints and denunciations in the city, and Resolution No.15-NQ/TU on building strong and pure party committees and ensuring social order in all communes, wards and towns. Besides re-arranging and streamlining the political apparatus, the city also promoted the role of the Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations so as to build the great all-people solidarity bloc and develop a prosperous city. 3. Hanoi witnesses robust economic growth, takes lead in FDI attraction Hanois gross regional domestic product (GRDP) is estimated to reach a four-year high growth rate of 7.62 percent in 2019. Thanks to the citys efforts to improve its business and investment climate, more investors have shown their interest to land investment in the city. Hanoi lured 8.05 billion USD in foreign investment in 2019, the highest amount after 30 years of reform and integration. It has led the nation in terms of FDI attraction for the second year in a row. This year, the city welcomed over 28.9 million visitors, up 10.1 percent year on year, of which around 7 million are foreign visitors. Total tourism revenue in the year was estimated to surge 34 percent to 103.81 trillion VND (4.49 billion USD). 4. Hanoi obtains significant results after ten years building new style rural areas After ten years of implementation, the National Target Programme on New Style Rural Areas and the Party Committees Programme No.02-Ctr/TU on developing agriculture, building new-style rural area and improving local livelihoods have shown positive results. To date, the city has six districts and 356 communes (or 92 percent of the total communes) recognised as new-style rural areas, particularly there are three communes achieving advanced criteria. Actually, the programmes have cast a new look to the rural areas while improving livelihoods in the city. 5. External affairs are promoted Along with boosting cooperative relations with cities and provinces across the country, Hanoi has enjoyed sound relations with its foreign partners, with more than ten international agreements signed. Besides, the city welcomed 204 foreign delegations and leaders of large corporations in the world. Particularly, the city worked closely with competent ministries, sectors and agencies to successfully host the second DPRK-USA Summit on February 27 and 28, leaving lasting impression on international friends. 6. Hanoi named member of UNESCOs Creative Cities Network Hanoi, together with 65 cities in the world, was designated as part of the UNESCO Cities Network on October 30. The move is expected to create favourable conditions for Hanoi to position its brands as well as affirm its stature as the creative capital of Vietnam in the Southeast Asian region and the world. The event particularly took place on the occasion that the city celebrated the 20th anniversary of its recognition as City for Peace by the UNESCO (July 16). 7. Hanoi achieves outstanding results in social welfare Thanks to the municipal Peoples Councils Resolution No.04/2019/NQ-HDND dated July 8, 2019 on specific policies on stabilising livelihoods of the poor, in 2019, nearly 15,400 households escaped from poverty, or 433.5 percent of the yearly plan. By the end of this year, the citys poverty rate is expected to drop to 0.42 percent, and there is no impoverished families in the citys nine districts in accordance with the nations multidimensional poverty scale. 8. Hanois education sector develops comprehensively Hanoi continues to affirm its leading position in the country in terms of education quality. In the national competitions for excellent students, the city had 14 first prizes, 42 second prizes, 56 third prizes and 38 consolidation prizes. At international contests, local students won 78 gold medals, 84 silver medals, 95 bronze medals and 30 consolidation prizes. In 2019, Hanoi has for the first time successfully hosted the International Mathematics and Science Olympiad for Primary School, drawing the participation of 1,700 people from 24 countries and territories worldwide. 9. Local athletes greatly contribute to Vietnams success at SEA Games 30 The Vietnamese delegation bagged 98 gold, 85 silver and 105 bronze medals at the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 30) in the Philippines. Of the total amount, Hanoi athletes contributed 34 gold, 27 silver and 25 bronze medals. 10. Hanoi ensures political security, social order The capital city has witnessed positive changes in traffic safety and urban order. Hanoi worked hard to enhance fire prevention, search and rescue work, prevent terrorism activities, and ensure safety for important political events. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Centre will send a high-level team comprising experts from AIIMS, Jodhpur and health economists to a government hospital in Rajasthan's Kota, where 100 infants died in December, to assess the infrastructural gaps and measures to be taken to prevent further deaths. The health economists will look into the gaps in the infrastructure of the JK Lon hospital to ascertain how much funds will be required for strengthening it. "The high-level team being despatched by @MoHFW_INDIA incl experts from AIIMS Jodhpur, Health Finance & Regional Director, Health Services Jaipur. It will reach #Kota tomorrow. In my letter too to @ashokgehlot51 ji, I've offered all possible assistance to prevent any further deaths (sic)," Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a tweet on Thursday. The team of experts will carry out a gap analysis, along with state government officials, in terms of clinical protocols, service delivery, manpower availability and equipment for maternal, newborn and paediatric care services at the hospital. "They will develop a joint action plan, based on gap analysis, for providing required technical and financial support to Kota Medical College through National Health Mission and state Medical Education Department. "The team members will visit JK Lon Hospital and Medical College, Kota along with state government officials from January 3 and submit a detailed report," a statement issued by the health ministry said. Vardhan has also written to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, assuring him of all assistance and urging for measures to stop the deaths of children at the hospital. ALSO READ | State, Centre should cooperate to stop such incidents: Lok Sabha Speaker on Kota infant deaths "We are ready to provide any technical help or assistance. Let us ensure no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of health system capacity," he has written in his letter to Gehlot. In the letter, Vardhan stated that while "it is heartening to note that Rajasthan is persistently showing significant decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) for the last four years, available information from Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU) under the National Health Mission, and the state government have showed higher mortality rate of 20.2 per cent in JK Lon Hospital during 2019 in comparison to the preceding two years (Year 2018 = 14.3 pc; Year 2017=4.3 pc)". Further, the Union health minister has requested Gehlot to "assess the situation and take proactive steps to avoid these preventable child deaths". "We, from Government of India, are ready to provide any technical assistance in this matter. We look forward to your continued support and cooperation for improving child survival in the country, so as to ensure that no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of our health system capacity," the statement said. According to Union health ministry officials, a preliminary probe has suggested that over 70 per cent of important equipment, including infusion pumps, warmers, oxymeters, nebulisers, meant for newborns, were not in a working condition at the JK Lon hospital and there was a paucity of staff in the paediatrics department. A recent review also revealed that the mortality rate at the hospital was 20.2 per cent in 2019, as against the 14.3 per cent in the preceding two years, an official said, adding that this meant one in five infants admitted to the hospital last year died from preventable causes. The ministry was yet to receive a formal report from the state in the matter, the official said. Besides, another committee also pointed out that the deaths could be due to a lack of oxygen pipelines in the hospital and also because of extreme cold conditions, a senior health ministry official said. It also pointed towards an increased referral of critical cases and stated that the number of beds in the hospital was less than the flow of patients. "I informed @ashokgehlot51 ji that Rs 91.7 lakhs has already been advanced to JK Loan Hospital during 2019-20 under National Health Mission. Kota District alone has an annual allocation of Rs 27.45 Cr for '19-20, from the annual budgeted amount of Rs 1788.97 Cr for Rajasthan state (sic)," Vardhan said in another tweet. "I told @ashokgehlot51 ji that #Rajasthan may go ahead and propose for further financial assistance in the upcoming Rajasthan National Health Mission (NHM) meeting after doing their gap analysis. We'll do our best to prevent further deaths, I assured him fully," the Union health minister wrote on Twitter. New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday informed that India had reached out to countries and India's perspective on CAA and NRC has been communicated. The ministry's official spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said this during his weekly media briefing in New Delhi. "We did reach out to countries across all geographical regions, we did write to our missions to share our perspective on the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens with the host government," he said when asked about the reported concerns of foreign diplomats in India regarding CAA. Kumar explained that it has been clarified that first and foremost it is an internal matter and then any misgiving against the act was cleared. "India stands by its statement that the Act provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring countries living in India," he said adding, "It (CAA) does not change the basic structure of the Constitution." Live TV On the matter of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) reportedly discussing Kashmir issue in a meet, the MEA called it "entirely speculative". "We are not aware of any such meetings of OIC on India-related matter," he said. He also mentioned that another date for the annual meet between India and Japan will be finalised soon and that they were in dialogue with the Japanese side through diplomatic channels. "We are in touch with the Japanese side through diplomatic channels, we do hope that very soon we will come to the finalisation of a date," Raveesh Kumar said. The annual India-Japan Summit was supposed to be held in Guwahati on December 15-17 but was cancelled due to the ongoing anti-CAA agitation in Assam. Violent protests erupted in several parts of the country in the past few weeks over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists, and Christians who fled from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh fearing religious persecution and have been living in India on or before December 31, 2014. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-02 22:07:09 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 937 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 2, 2020 / Mota Ventures Corp. (CSE:MOTA) (the "Company") is pleased to announce it has signed a binding letter of intent dated January 2, 2020 (the "LOI") which outlines the terms and conditions pursuant to which, the Company will acquire (the "Proposed Acquisition") all of the share capital of Tropical Verde Coast Ltd. ("Tropical Verde").Tropical Verde is an arms'-length party that holds a Tier 1 cultivation license in Jamaica. Tropical Verde is focused on cultivation and extraction of cannabis as well as distributing cannabis products in herb shops, dispensaries and health and wellness retail locations across the Caribbean. Tropical Verde is currently finalizing its irrigation systems, fencing and security on five acres of leased property, and anticipates that growing will commence by late Q1 2020. Jamaica has a long and rich history of producing high-quality marijuana products. Jamaica's outdoor growing conditions coupled with the availability of unique strains, position it to be a leader in the Caribbean region. As a result of the acquisition, Mota Ventures will indirectly hold a 49% stake, and a 95% net profit royalty of a medical cannabis company that holds a tier 1 Cultivator's license in Jamaica to produce cannabis for medicinal purposes."This transaction shows Mota Ventures strategic commitment to becoming a low cost producer and distributor of high quality CDB products globally. The Caribbean region is a very large emerging market with Jamaica leading the way," said Joel Shacker, Chief Executive Officer of the Company.The LOI contemplates that the Company, would acquire all of the issued and outstanding share capital of Tropical Verde in consideration for Cdn$5,000,000, which will be satisfied through the issuance of 11,111,111 common shares (the "Consideration Shares") at a deemed price of Cdn$0.45 per share, to the existing shareholders of Tropical Verde. The Consideration Shares will be subject a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period, in accordance with applicable securities laws.The Proposed Acquisition remains subject to a number of conditions, including completion of due diligence, receipt of any required regulatory approvals, and the negotiation of definitive documentation, which is expected to include additional warranties, representations, covenants and terms and conditions that are customary and consistent with industry standards for this type of transaction. The Proposed Acquisition cannot be completed until these conditions have been satisfied.The Company also announces that with completion of the acquisition of NNZ Consulting Corp. ("NNZ"), the board of directors has decided to award Nima Bahrami, the President of NNZ, a bonus of 250,000 shares of the Company for the instrumental work he did in arranging the transaction. All shares issued to Mr. Bahrami will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period in accordance with the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange.About Mota Ventures Corp.Mota Ventures is seeking to become a large-scale vertically integrated low-cost producer and exporter of the highest quality CBD products worldwide. The 2.5 hectare site located in Colombia has optimal year round growing conditions and access to all necessary infrastructure. The site is located approximately 2 hours outside of Bogota 20 minutes away from the free trade zone and 30 minutes away from the international airport. Phase one will consist of a state of the art 60,000 square foot greenhouse with the capacity to produce more than 14,000,000 grams per year along with build out of the Company's extraction facilities. The Company will focus on CBD extraction to produce pure raw CBD, with the goal to make value added CBD products and create its own brand to be sold internationally.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORSMOTA VENTURES CORP.Joel ShackerChief Executive OfficerFor further information, readers are encouraged to contact Joel Shacker, Chief Executive Officer at +1.236.521.2177 or by email at IR@ motaventuresco.com or www.motaventuresco.com The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the Proposed Acquisition and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to the Proposed Acquisition, the anticipated business activities of NNZ and Ihuana and the reliability of third party information and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. For the purposes of such statements, the Company has assumed the regulatory regime in place in Colombia will continue to permit Ihuana to cultivate non-psychoactive cannabis and produce CBD. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include changes to the regulatory regime in Colombian with respect to the cultivation of non-psychoactive cannabis and production of CBD. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.SOURCE: Mota Ventures Corp. Sydney New Years Eve spectacular fireworks welcome 2020 (Photo by Hanyue Li) Sydney, Jan. 1 (Peoples Daily Online/Yuting Ma) On the evening of 31 Dec. 2019, over one million revelers celebrated New Year's Eve at Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia. As one of the first cities on earth to ring in the new year, Sydney spectacular fireworks lit up the sky to welcome 2020. Sydneys organizers had been perfecting the city's New Year's Eve display for the last 15 months, with more than eight tonnes of fireworks and a huge lighting beam brightened the sky. Fireworks director Fortunato Foti, who has worked on every New Year's Eve since 1997, said Fireworks is about bringing communities together, not only from Sydney, from rural areas, from interstate and overseasit's about bringing a bit of happiness to people. New Years Eve 2020 was the most choreographed event to date. More than 100,000 pyrotechnic effects featured across the two major harbor fireworks displays. These included color-changing stars, stained glass designed shells, glittering willow effects and 'pyrograms' producing 2D shapes. Revelers saw pyro mine letters spelling out 'Sydney' fall from the bridge as they counted down to midnight. Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore said, The Sydney New Year's Eve show is our gift to the world. It's about saying welcome to Sydney and welcome to 2020 - to locals, visitors, migrants, refugees and more than one billion viewers across the globe. In the face of the horrific ongoing bushfires in Australia, the local government harnessed the enormous power of the event to raise more money for the Australian Red Cross' Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund. It is said that the Refugee Council of Australia is the City of Sydney's official charity partner for New Year's Eve, showing a movement of welcome. As of the morning of January 1, the total amount raised online has exceeded $2 million, with continuing to roll in. Amid a surge in passenger traffic, Huntsville International Airport has been nominated as one of the nations top small airports. And airport officials are urging you to vote it as the nation's best. According to the airport, a panel of experts nominated it as one of the USA Today 10 Best Readers Choice 2020 Small Airports in the United States. Huntsville International is among 20 nominees across the country and the only airport from Alabama. You can vote your support of the airport as the online contest continues through Jan. 13. So far, Huntsville International is in second place nationally behind T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, R.I. Huntsville climbed to the top spot last week before slipping to No. 2. Thanks You Guys!!! Your Votes took us to the top! There are still many more days of voting ahead to keep us at #1! Vote here every day to help HSV stay #1: https://t.co/WFL4pRPrs1 pic.twitter.com/yONjRZ4z30 HSV (@FlyHSV) December 28, 2019 Delta, American, United, Silver Airways and Frontier all fly into this small Alabama airport with nonstop service to 10 major destinations across the country, is how the airport is described on the online ballot. The airport is small and easy to navigate, with an onsite hotel and a nice range of food and beverage options for an airport of its size. The Huntsville airport, long identified for its above average airfares, has also seen passenger traffic increase by 24.9 percent year over year from 2018 through October 2019. Airport officials frequently remind customers that the airlines set the fares, not the airport itself. We want to show the rest of the country that there is a great airport in north Alabama and we want to draw attention to our region as a whole, Jana Kuner, Public Relations Manager at Huntsville International Airport, said in a statement. HSV is proud to be a part of this community. We serve the best of the best in the country with folks flying in and out every day that are changing the world. Our community continuing to be nominated for honors like this proves that we have something very special here. If you so choose, click here to vote for Huntsville International Airport. Russia foils militant rocket attack on its airbase in Syria's Latakia Iran Press TV Wednesday, 01 January 2020 2:03 PM The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Russian surface-to-air missile systems have managed to foil an attack by foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants against the strategic Hmeimim airbase in Syria's western coastal province of Latakia. The Britain-based war monitor said several explosions were heard in the city of Jableh, located 25 kilometers (16 miles) south of Latakia, early on Wednesday as militants launched projectiles at the military facility. None of the projectiles struck the site as Russian systems intercepted and shot them down. Back on December 23, the Observatory reported several loud booms in the vicinity of Jableh. Local sources, requesting not to be named, said they were the sounds of Russian air defense systems, which targeted unmanned aerial vehicles as they were flying over the area. Car bomb kills 3 in Turkish-controlled northern Syrian town At least three people lost their lives and four others sustained injuries when a car rigged with explosives went off in an area of Syria's northern province of Raqqah, controlled by Turkish military forces and their allied militants ever since they launched a ground offensive against militants from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Syria's official news agency SANA said the attack took place on Wednesday in the village of Suluk, which is located in the Tal Abyad district of the province. There was no immediate claim for the act of terror. A car bomb killed at least eight civilians, including a woman and a child, and wounded 21 others in the same Syrian village on December 23. On October 9, Turkish military forces and Ankara-backed militants launched a long-threatened cross-border invasion of northeastern Syria in a declared attempt to push YPG militants away from border areas. Ankara views the US-backed YPG as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since 1984. On October 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a memorandum of understanding that asserted YPG militants had to withdraw from the Turkish-controlled "safe zone" in northeastern Syria within 150 hours, after which Ankara and Moscow would run joint patrols around the area. The announcement was made hours before a US-brokered five-day truce between Turkish and Kurdish-led forces was due to expire. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BERLIN Seven months after his coalition with the far right collapsed in a spectacular scandal, Sebastian Kurz, Austrias former conservative chancellor, stood before television cameras on Thursday and announced a new government this time with the progressive Greens. We chose a new path, Mr. Kurz beamed. It was a challenge for both sides, because the differences between the two sides are big. The result, he said, was a new kind of compromise. We did not try to negotiate the lowest common denominator but consciously tried to unite the best of both worlds, Mr. Kurz said. Thats how it is possible that both the Greens could keep their central campaign promises and so could the Peoples Party. Werner Kogler, the Greens leader, who will serve as vice chancellor, put it more bluntly: We were elected for different things. India will have to evolve its model of theaterisation to fight future battles and it could involve the creation of three to four theatre commands for effective command and control of the three services and pursuing national objectives, said two leading experts on jointmanship or co-ordination and integration in terms of strategy, capabilities and execution across the three services. As the countrys first chief of defence staff (CDS), the mandate given to General Bipin Rawat includes facilitating the restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing jointness in operations, including through establishment of theatre commands. The government expects the CDS to achieve key jointmanship targets in three years. Setting up theatre commands is critical as the military has too many service commands handling a single adversary, said Lieutenant General Satish Dua (retd), who was the senior-most military officer handling all tri-service affairs until October 2018. Take the case of Pakistan. We have a total of seven commands taking care of the western neighbour. In my view, India needs to create three theatres --- northern, western and southern --- with tri-services assets to protect its interests, he said. The northern and western theatres would take care of China and Pakistan, respectively, he said. Theaterisation refers to placing specific units of the army, the navy and the air force under a Theatre Commander. Such commands will come under the operational control of an officer from any of the three services, depending on the function assigned to that command. Creating theatres would involve merging the existing commands and the department of military affairs under the CDS will have to adopt a cautious approach to avoid turbulence that could accompany the restructuring, Dua said. Some existing commands can be merged now and some in phases to avoid turbulence, he said. Dua was intricately involved in promoting jointness in the military before retiring as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee on October 31, 2018. The military would require four theatres to execute its missions, with two commands assigned the role of handling China, said Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), who heads the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, a think tank set up by the defence ministry 12 years ago. Bhatia was part of the Lieutenant General DB Shekatkar (retd) committee whose recommendations on military reforms are being implemented by the government to make the armed forces more effective. The committee is among the several panels that have recommended the appointment of CDS. We can have two theatres for China (north-western and north-eastern), one for Pakistan (western) and a fourth one for peninsular India (southern). The countrys geography requires two theatres for China, even though the northern adversary has only one theatre for India. Thats because the geography on their side is different and allows excellent connectivity all along the border, he said. Both Dua and Bhatia said the theatre commands could be headed by the best officers from any of the three services. The two experts said the model of theaterisation formulated by other leading militaries such as the United States and China would not work for India and the country would have to come up with its own mission-specific theatres. On Wednesday, Rawat said he would work towards creating theatre commands to prepare the military for future battles, adding that Indias armed forces need not necessarily imitate the models devised by western militaries for this. The US department of defense has 11 combatant commands, each with a geographic or functional mission. The ones tasked with defending American interests across geographies are the Africa Command, Central Command, European Command, Indo-Pacific Command, Northern Command and Southern Command. Similarly, the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army has five theater commands --- eastern, southern, western, northern and central, with its western theater handling the entire border with India. The Indian model will have to be different because we are not an expeditionary military. The US model, for instance, doesnt look at their own wars; it looks at others wars. Our model will be based on our security needs and I am confident that its implementation can kick off within three years, said Dua. Bhatia concurred that the country would have to devise its own theaterisation model as other global models would not work in the Indian context because the threats and challenges we face are vastly different. Commenting on theaterisation on Wednesday, Rawat said, We can have our own system. We will work out a mechanism. We have to study and work with the three services to come out with a mechanism that suits the Indian system. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Communities across East Gippsland have run out of basics like water and toilet paper, as frantic efforts to reach them continue on Thursday. CFA chief officer Steve Warrington said some people remained "absolutely isolated" from help, days after fire first ripped through vast swathes of the state on New Year's Eve. Scenes from Mallacoota after the Gippsland bushfires. Credit:Rachel Mounsey "We're able to help towns and communities within the CBDs of these communities but our ability to protect people's homes further out is really complicated," Mr Warrington told the ABC. The U.S. Constitution mandates a count of the entire population to take place every decade. The process is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which is part of the federal Department of Commerce. The data gathered from the decennial count is used to determine the number of representatives each state will have in Congress. Its also used to redistrict political maps, and the amount each state gets from various federal funding programs is tied to its census-determined population. DENVER, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Atkins is kicking off 2020 with a new integrated national marketing campaign, "Any Questions?" featuring brand spokesperson Rob Lowe. Lowe answers questions from consumers that came in through social media, busting myths and stating the truth about living an Atkins low carb lifestyle to empower and educate consumers. With each ad addressing a different question and theme, the campaign will run across television and digital media. Building on a more robust partnership together, Atkins has signed Lowe for three more years as their official brand spokesperson. The renewal includes equity, and positioning Lowe as a creative strategic partner, establishing leadership in delivering the brand's mission and vision. Lowe has followed an Atkins eating approach for more than 20 years, and authentically delivers a message about how living a low carb lifestyle has been his choice for looking and feeling good, with optimal health and energy to sustain his busy life. An advocate for the Atkins products, Lowe chooses a variety of Atkins bars, shakes and indulgent treats to power him throughout his days. "Health and wellness are an essential part of my life, and living an Atkins low carb lifestyle for more than 20 years has kept me feeling great, and being at my best self," said Lowe. "I want to share this experience through my work with Atkins, and spread the word of their mission in making the world a healthier place. This partnership is a natural fit, and I look forward to continuing in our creative strategic direction. By answering people's questions directly, I hope to show them that living an Atkins lifestyle is easy, personalized and flexible, and you get to enjoy great-tasting food." Showcasing the Atkins approach, products and Lowe's personal experience living an Atkins lifestyle, the brand is extending the ad buy for the first time beyond cable to target sports- and lifestyle-focused programming, primetime regional network television, connected TV and expanded digital media to engage with consumers who want to follow a self-directed and personalized healthy lifestyle approach. "Rob has an intrinsic connection to the Atkins brand, and we look forward to working together in our partnership, continuing to raise awareness for our nutritional philosophy and mission," said Scott Parker, chief marketing officer. "Rob understands how the greatest epidemics of our time and the health of our world, are all connected to how we eat. Our campaign, 'Any Questions?,' focuses on what Rob does best engaging with people helping them understand the ease and accessibility of the Atkins approach to eating, our products and the many benefits." The first ads began airing on December 30 and are part of an integrated marketing campaign comprised of advertising, marketing, public relations and social media. Consumers can visit www.Atkins.com/askrob to see all of the ads and digital spots. The creative was executed by Acme Idea Company of Norwalk, Conn. About Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. The Atkins product portfolio consists of nutrition bars, ready-to-drink shakes, snacks and confectionery products. Over the past 45 years, the Atkins brand has become an iconic American brand rooted in the nutritional principles of reduced sugar and carbohydrates, with optimal protein and good fats. Atkins products are available online at Atkins.com and in more than 43,000 locations throughout the U.S. and internationally. To learn more about Atkins, visit www.atkins.com. SOURCE Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. 2019 may have been a turbulent year for the Indian creative industry but our ad heroes chose to shine even through the storms. So as we begin the new year we look at some names who are expected to lead major developments in the advertising world. With their achievements this year, we place these names on the list of those to be watched out for. The list is not in any particular order. Read on... Piyush Pandey Behind one of the advertising gems this year-Fevikwiks Phenko Nahi Jodo campaign, adman Piyush Pandey, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy Worldwide, continues to leave people awestruck with his achievements. Pandey became the first Indian to become a Global CCO in 2018. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honor of the Padma Shri in 2016. In 2018, he also became the first Asian along with his brother Prasoon Pandey (film director) to be honoured with the prestigious Lion of St. Mark award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Under Pandeys charge, Ogilvy India also won the countrys first Grand Prix in the Creative Effectiveness category in 2018, for the Savlon Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks campaign. Prasoon Joshi Prasoon Joshi, CEO & CCO of McCann Worldgroup India and Chairman McCann Asia Pacific, has been one of the minds behind the high decibel advertising campaigns that played a significant role in fetching victory for the BJP. The ad veteran who wears many hats- lyricist, author and screenwriter has played an integral role in helping the agency strike creative gold. McCann Worldgroup Indias campaigns for Ikea, Kwality and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation led Indian shortlists at WARC Prize for Asian Strategy 2019. Moreover, Joshis focus on creative excellence is proven year in and year out by honours in Cannes, by winning the first D&AD Gold Award in India and in winning Grand Prix awards in multiple international awards show. Tista Sen One of Wunderman Thompsons best work this year was the agencys work for Lux-Soap with a Lump. Tista Sen, Regional Creative Director, Wunderman Thompson, South Asia, has played an instrumental role in putting this campaign together that resonated very well with consumers. Sen ranked 20th most creative person in Asia. After assisting on over 60 commercials she started as a writer in Lowe, where she worked on Johnson and Johnson, Unilever, Cadburys and Oberoi Hotels to name a few. Then a stint at Ogilvy followed with a second innings at Lowe. Growing up amidst big brands, big ideas and big thinking as Senior Creative Director, she created sunsilkgangofgirls.com for Unilever. CVL Srinivas CVL Srinivas, Country Manager, WPP, in 2019 spoke extensively about integration and partnerships that drive strategic value for WPP clients. Under his leadership, agencies saw a lot of integration and specialised units were set up to leverage the combined strength of creative, media and digital departments. The agencies worked as a cohesive unit based out of the WPP headquarters. 2020 is thus expected to be better and bigger for WPP and Srinivas. Anupriya Acharya One of the biggest announcements in the ad industry this year was that of Anupriya Acharya, CEO of Publicis Media, becoming the first Indian woman to take charge of a multinational holding companys regional group structure with her newly minted role of Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, for the Paris-headquartered Publicis Groupe. The industry now waits for her to complete a year with the brand and see what changes she brings about. Sonal Dabral Over his 30-year career, Sonal Dabral, Chief Creative Officer, South & SE Asia & Vice Chairman, India, Ogilvy, has led agencies to the top position in three different markets across Asia. The 2020 Jury Presidents for Cannes Lions were recently announced and Dabral has been selected to lead the Direct Lions Jury. He helped drive Ogilvy Mumbai to be India's No. 1 creative agency. Dabral also led Ogilvy Singapore to the top position in Asia, the third most awarded office in the world at Cannes Lions 2007, a first for an Asian agency. It will be now interesting to see what magic Dabral creates at Ogilvy this year and further. Agnello Dias Dentsu Aegis Network this year re-designated Agnello Dias as its Creative Chairman. This is in addition to his role as Co-founder, CCO, Taproot Dentsu. His mandate includes mentoring and value-adding to creative teams across the entire DAN India network. In 2019, Dias was also inducted into Ad Club Calcuttas Hall of Fame, an honour that only ad-land legends like Alyque Padamsee Ram Sehgal, Piyush Pandey and R Balki have been inducted with. Titus Upputuru With over 24 years of experience, Titus Upputuru, Creative Head, Taproot Dentsu, Gurgaon and National Creative Director, Dentsu One, has helped build brands like Honda, Sprite, Fanta, Limca, Vodafone, GSK, Sony, L&T, Chaayos in India and Afghan Telecom in Afghanistan. Upputuru played a key role in Taproot Dentsus campaign for HarperCollins India one of the agencys best work this year. He has won many major international and national awards, including The One Show, the D&AD, The Communication Arts, Adfest, Spikes Asia, The ABBYS and the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award. He has had his work published in the German Publication Lurzers Archive. His campaign for Afghan Telecom has won the interest of the White House, where it has been exhibited. Anand Bhadkamkar One of the other announcements that made big headlines this year was that of Anand Bhadkamkar, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Greater South, being promoted as CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network India. Bhadkamkar has been with the network for 11 years and has seen it grow from Aegis Media to Dentsu Aegis Network. PG Aditiya Dentsu Webchutney won six Lions at Cannes in June - the maximum by any Indian agency this year. The agencys work for Swiggy won them laurels. Aditiya, Executive Creative Director at Dentsu Webchutney-one of the minds behind the creative genius-Voice of Hunger has led some of the agencys big wins from Axe, Google India (part of the creative team), and creatively led the biggest pitch and win for Flipkart in November 2014. He has been with the agency for over seven years now. He began as a Copywriter at the agency in 2012. Hari Krishnan Hari Krishnan was last month appointed as CEO of Mullen Lintas as he moved on from Lowe Lintas where he was President and was spearheading the South operations. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Krishnan has worked across multiple product categories and consumer segments. Before his stint at Lowe Lintas, South, he was CEO of MullenLowe Group, Sri Lanka, where he led the acquisition and transformation of the agency. Under his watch at Lowe Lintas, Bangalore, the agency saw a slew of new business acquisitions such as PhonePe, Xiaomi, ShareChat, MedLife, Cure.fit, Lenskart, Cricbuzz, 3M Scotch Brite, Manipal Healthcare, Britannia Timepass and Shell Lubricants. Swati Bhattacharya Swati Bhattacharya has played an integral role in helping Chief Executive and Chairman Rohit Ohri to turn FCB Indias creative and business fortunes in the past couple of years. The agency this year won a face-saver Gold for the country at Cannes 2019 in the Sustainable Development Goals category for The Open Door Project for Millennium School. Another campaign by the agency for Project Streedhan has been a big hit for the agency this year. Bhattacharya has been one of the bright minds behind the highly-awarded and appreciated Sindoor Khela campaign. Sukesh Nayak One of the bright minds behind some of the agencys best works this year: the World Cup campaign and Unilevers Kumbh campaign for its Hamam soaps have been Sukesh Nayak, Ogilvy Indias Chief Creative Officer-West. From about 23 entries in the Glass Category: The Lion for Change for Cannes 2019, the only entry from India to be shortlisted was Ogilvy for their work for Hamam. Nayak has been with the agency since 2000. Vikram Pandey (Spiky) Spotifys campaign Sunte Ja brings back the joy of watching a good old TV spot with a casting that couldnt be more refreshing with Anil Kapoor in the lead. At the helm of this work was Vikram Pandey (Spiky), National Creative Director, Leo Burnett India. Pandey. He joined Ogilvy India as a management trainee and stayed on for three years. He worked with Manoj Motiani and Jignesh Maniar at Ogilvy; and some of the brands he handled are Fevicol, Castrol, Kotak Mutual Funds and Fevistick. He then moved on to Leo Burnett, where he has worked on brands such as Reliance Mobile and McDonalds. Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 22:01:22|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Africa is working to alleviate impact of the drought currently gripping some parts of the country, said Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu on Thursday. She said in a statement that the Cabinet was looking at the issue and appealed to citizens to take the problem seriously. "I Would like to urge all South Africans to be responsible in how matters of the drought are carried on all platforms," she said, adding that "this is not a small or trivial matter, and government at the level of Cabinet continues to be seized with the need to alleviate the plight that emanates from this unfortunate act of nature." Sisulu said that different departments are working together to determine the support for the worst hit areas. "The challenge of the drought can only be permanently resolved by the arrival of the much anticipated rains. The process to finalize the relevant type and size of assistance rests with the National Disaster Management Centre," the minister said. The department said regions like Gauteng Province were yet to fully recover from the previous drought which began in 2014. The recovery was affected by the low summer rainfalls. BEIRUT (AP) Interpol issued a wanted notice Thursday for former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who jumped bail in Japan and fled to Lebanon rather than face trial on financial misconduct charges in a dramatic escape that has confounded and embarrassed authorities. Lebanese Justice Minister Albert Serhan told The Associated Press in an interview that Lebanon will carry out its duties, suggesting for the first time that the automotive titan may be brought in for questioning. But he said Ghosn entered the country on a legal passport, and he appeared to cast doubt on the possibility Lebanon would hand Ghosn over to Japan. The Interpol notice is the latest twist in Ghosn's daring escape, which spanned three continents and involved private planes, multiple passports and international intrigue. Turkey made several arrests Thursday as part of an investigation into how he passed through the country. Ghosn's arrival in Lebanon jolted the nation, already in the midst of a crippling political impasse and its worst economic crisis in decades. Lebanon must now decide how to deal with the Interpol-issued Red Notice, which is a non-binding request to law enforcement agencies worldwide that they locate and provisionally arrest a fugitive. A Red Notice is not an arrest warrant and does not require Lebanon to arrest Ghosn. Shortly afterward, Ghosn issued a statement his second this week seeking to distance his Lebanese wife and family from any role in his escape. The allegations in the media that my wife Carole and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan are false and misleading. I alone organized my departure. My family played no role, he said. Ghosn, who is Lebanese and also holds French and Brazilian passports, was set to go on trial in Japan in April. He arrived in Lebanon on Monday via Turkey and hasn't been seen in public since. In a statement Tuesday, he said he fled to avoid political persecution by a rigged Japanese justice system. Story continues How he was able to flee Japan, avoiding the tight surveillance he was under while free on 1.5 billion yen ($14 million) bail, is still a mystery, though Lebanese authorities have said he entered the country legally on a French passport. His lawyer in France, Francois Zimeray, told Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV that he was in frequent contact with Ghosn since he arrived in Lebanon, and Ghosn appeared to be filled with a fighting spirit." Ghosn was eager to start clearing his name at the news conference next week, Zimeray said. Ghosn, who grew up in Beirut and frequently visited, is a national hero to many in this Mediterranean country with close ties to senior politicians and business stakes in a number of companies. People take special pride in the auto industry executive, who is credited with leading a spectacular turnaround at Nissan beginning in the late 1990s and rescuing the automaker from near-bankruptcy. Even as he fell from grace internationally, politicians across the board mobilized in his defense after his arrest in Japan in November 2018, with some suggesting his detention may be part of a political or business-motivated conspiracy. Lebanon's foreign minister repeatedly called for his release. Serhan said prosecutors will summon Ghosn and listen to him, and at a later stage if there are any measures to be taken, then the precautionary measures will be taken. We are a country of law and respect the law and ... I can confirm that the Lebanese state will implement the law," the justice minister said. At the same time, Serhan said that Lebanon has not received an official extradition request from Japan, and he noted that the two countries do not have an extradition treaty. Mr. Ghosn arrived to Lebanon as any ordinary citizen. ... Lebanese authorities have no security or judiciary charges against him. He entered the border like any other Lebanese using a legal passport, he added. There were mixed reactions in Lebanon to Ghosn's return, with some cheering his freedom and others lamenting his arrival as yet another corrupt'' Lebanese to contend with. I like this man. He has a brain and he developed Nissan and Renault from the ground up. He came back to his mother country which embraced him," said Ghassan al-Baba, a 52-year-old taxi driver and former employee of General Motors in Kuwait. He is a part of the corrupt, but the corrupt from the outside. Here, he didnt do anything wrong. On the contrary, he is going to bring money to Lebanon, he said, reflecting a longstanding Lebanese hope that Ghosn would one day help rescue Lebanon's failing economy. Sadiq Taher, a 42-year-old contractor among anti-government protesters who have been demonstrating against corrupt Lebanese politicians for weeks, said Ghosn is crooked on a global level and Lebanon does not need more financial whales. In Turkey, the state-run Anadolu Agency said Turkish authorities detained seven people as part of an investigation into how Ghosn fled to Lebanon via Istanbul. The private DHA news agency reported that those detained are four pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Japan raided Ghosn's Tokyo home. Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV, without identifying sources, reported Thursday that Ghosn had two French passports. Japanese news reports said that there were no official records in Japan of Ghosns departure but that a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. The Hurriyet newspaper said the plane carrying Ghosn landed at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 29. Ghosn was not registered upon landing and was smuggled onto another plane that left for Lebanon, the paper reported. Ghosn, who is charged in Japan with under-reporting his future compensation and breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan Motor Co. and Renault. In another twist, two Lebanese lawyers submitted a report to the Public Prosecutor's Office against Ghosn Thursday, saying he violated Lebanese law by visiting Israel. 'The two countries are in a state of war. Ghosn visited Israel in 2008 and met officials including the prime minister and the president. At the time he announced the launch of electric cars in Israel. In Beirut's affluent residential neighborhood of Ashrafieh, several security guards stood outside Ghosn's rose-colored mansion Thursday along with about two dozen journalists. Since news of his arrival, journalists, including many from the Japanese media, have flocked outside the building, trying to capture any proof of his presence. At one point, a Lebanese lawyer who said he worked for Nissan appeared, claiming the building belonged to the auto company, not to Ghosn. One of Ghosn's neighbors, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they are "split as to whether they are with or against his return. It sounds like his escape could be the new Netflix show, his wife joked. ___ Associated Press writers Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, John Leicester in Paris and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed reporting. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama Bassem Mroue is on Twitter https://twitter.com/bmroue A collection of relatively affordable, sun-belt markets are among those in which home value growth in 2020 is most expected to outperform the national average, according to a panel of experts recently surveyed by Zillow. As part of the Q4 2019 Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey, sponsored by Zillow and administered by Pulsenomics, a panel of more than 100 U.S. economists and real estate experts was asked to rate their 2020 expectations for home value growth compared to the nation in 25 large markets nationwide. On average, panelists said they expected U.S. home values to grow by 2.8% in 2020. In order to create a score for each of the 25 markets analyzed, the share of panelists saying they expected a market to outperform that average was weighed against the share saying they expected it to underperform. Austin, Atlanta and Charlotte, scored highest among the panelists, with scores of 76, 59 and 51, respectively. A whopping 83% of respondents said they expected Austin to outperform, undercut slightly by the 7% that said they expected the Texas state capital to underperform. And even though Charlotte received a lower overall score than Austin, it was the only market among the 25 analyzed in which none of the panelists said they expected it to underperform. Of the 14 markets that received a positive score (a higher share of panelists said they expected the market to outperform than underperform), 11 were in Texas or elsewhere in the Southwest or Southeast. Portland, Minneapolis and Denver were the only non-Southern markets to make the list of those expected to outperform. Seattle was the only market to receive a neutral score, with an even 40% of panelists each saying they expected it to underperform and overperform, and the balance saying they expected Seattle's housing market in 2020 to perform about on par with the national average. A group of pricey California markets topped the list of those most expected to underperform, with the worst scores tallied in San Francisco (-40), San Jose (-38) and Los Angeles (-35). Of the 10 markets that received negative scores, six were in California (the three mentioned above, plus Riverside, Sacramento and San Diego). Cincinnati, Columbus, Miami and Oklahoma City rounded out the list of 10 markets most expected to underperform. Story continues And panelists didn't just expect those large California markets to underperform, but maybe still grow slightly in many cases, they said they expected the typical home values in those places to outright fall, ending 2020 lower than where they began the year. Panelists, 42 total, who thought at least one major metro would see falling home values in 2020 generally agreed that California markets would make that list. A majority (57%) of these panelists expect home values to fall in San Francisco, and half said they expected the same in San Jose. More than a third (38%) said they expected home values in L.A. to fall in 2020, followed by 29% in both San Diego and Riverside, and 24% in Sacramento. Nashville was the only market analyzed in which no panelists said they expected home values to fall in 2020. markets expected to fall The post Looking for the Housing Markets Most Likely to Outperform in 2020? Look South appeared first on Zillow Research. Accord creates new tensions between Greece and Turkey as Ankara says EastMed project cannot proceed without its consent. The leaders of Greece, Israel and Cyprus met in Athens on Thursday to sign a deal for an undersea pipeline that would carry gas from new offshore deposits in the southeastern Mediterranean to continental Europe a move that has riled Turkey. The 2,000-km (1,243-mile) EastMed pipeline is intended to provide an alternative gas source for energy-hungry Europe, which is currently largely dependent on supplies from Russia and the Caucasus region. As now designed, the pipeline would run from Israels Levantine Basin offshore gas reserves to Cyprus, Crete and the Greek mainland. An overland pipeline to northwestern Greece and another planned undersea pipeline would carry the gas to Italy. The project, with a rough budget of $6bn, is expected to satisfy about 10 percent of the European Unions natural gas needs. But it also is fraught with political and logistical complexities. The race to claim offshore energy deposits in the southern Mediterranean has created new tensions between Greece and Cyprus, on the one side, and historic rival Turkey. Ankara has raised the stakes with recent moves to explore waters controlled by the two EU member countries. The East Med proposed gas pipeline Cyprus and Greece are particularly disturbed that Turkey sent warship-escorted drill ships into waters where Cyprus has exclusive economic rights. Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said the EastMed pipeline, while not aimed against Turkey, affirms that Greece and Cyprus hold sovereign rights to the waters they control. Before departing for the Greek capital, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said the three countries have established an alliance of great importance that would bolster regional stability and turn Israel into an energy powerhouse. 191210093229758 Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz has said the EastMed pipeline would take up to seven years to build and that its advantages include being less vulnerable to sabotage and not crossing many national borders to reach markets. Anastasiades said in a New Years Day interview with Cypruss Phileleftheros newspaper that the agreement sends messages in every direction. Especially under current conditions, it demonstrates the strong political will of the countries involved, as well as the European Union, that they dont accept Turkeys unlawful actions, Anastasiades said. Libya-Turkey Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that no project can proceed without his countrys consent following a maritime border agreement that Ankara signed with Libyas Tripoli-based government. The Cypriot government has licensed Italian energy company Eni, Frances Total, and the United States companies ExxonMobil and Noble Energy to carry out exploratory hydrocarbons drilling in the countrys offshore economic zone. On Thursday, the president of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus condemned the EastMed project, decrying the exclusion of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots from it. President Mustafa Akinci said in a statement that the project contradicts geographical facts, [is] unreasonable in economic terms, and was decided on purely political concerns. He said the pipelines route was much longer and more expensive than other alternatives. Geographical facts indicate that exclusion of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots from the energy equation in the Eastern Mediterranean is impossible, Akinci said. Today, Japan is suffering a fall in population and human resources. The country needs more partners to expand its business, strength, and innovation elsewhere. In that sense, Vietnam is one of the most powerful partners in the region. Takeo Nakajima, the newly-elected chief representative of the Japan External Trade Organizations Hanoi Office The population of Vietnam is growing steadily, and the number of people who speak Japanese is growing. Therefore, it is a logical and strategically sound decision to do business in Vietnam. Historically, Japanese companies started Asian business in China, Thailand, and South Korea. Now the labour, land, and transportation costs of doing business in those countries is higher than before. The Vietnamese government, as well as the society, now welcome more investment from Japan into the country. Tech-based industries The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) has piloted some innovative projects in new industries of digital technology, healthcare, the Internet of Things, and services across the ASEAN, including in Vietnam for the last fiscal year. There are untapped business opportunities to solve social issues in Vietnam. Japan has experienced similar issues through industrialisation in the 1950s to 1970s, but we now have the knowledge and the tools to tackle them. Among those initial projects, healthcare has the greatest potential to grow when this sector is prioritised by the Vietnamese government. The healthcare system in Vietnam should be modernised. The country faces ageing society issues in the next 20 years, and the government and people should prepare for this. Japan tackles exactly this difficult issue and so we can contribute to that. Vietnam also needs to upgrade its living space, transportation, and infrastructure, but the hardware is not enough; software that controls energy, communication, and safety should be considered as well. The country needs software, telecommunications, and management systems to make that infrastructure user-friendly and safe. The train system requires time management, a smooth ticketing system, safety precautions, and services for disabled people. Tokyo has built one of the most complicated subway systems in the world, where every train runs every minute. On the other hand, Vietnam has areas and sectors that are more advanced than in the Japanese economy, particularly in the consumer sectors. Vietnam has ride-hailing and delivering platforms like Grab and GoViet, while Japan does not have that kind of systems. In addition, smartphones are more popularly used by the Vietnamese. For business-to-business (B2B), however, the Japanese systems are much more advanced, in terms of business transactions, factory automation, and government systems. To attract investment in the high-tech sector, incentives are important, but they should be easier to apply. The incentives cannot solely drive more investment businesses need markets and reliable partners as well. Movements in investment As the Vietnamese business environment improves, more Japanese companies invest here. And now, more Vietnamese groups are pouring money into Japan. For example, FPT already has ten offices across Japan and more Vietnamese companies also set up there. The more the Japanese companies know about Vietnamese partners, the more they expand business with Vietnam. To assist Japanese businesses to establish an entity in Vietnam, the JETRO provides several different services. First, companies need accurate information about whats happening in Vietnam. We try to provide reliable information to them in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and other organisations. Some companies may need to exhibit their products and services to Vietnamese consumers. JETRO assists them to participate in these trade shows and facilitate business matching. The JETRO Business Support Center provides temporally office spaces as well. More than 85 Japanese companies use this facility in total and more than 55 companies have successfully established entities here. Japanese investment in Vietnam is more diversified than before. Manufacturing is the largest sector among them in terms of value. In terms of numbers, we see more non-manufacturing sectors investing in Vietnam, such as retail, restaurants, wholesale, education, human resources, IT, construction, and transport. Regarding the purpose of the investment, in the past they were mostly export-oriented. Recently, more companies are interested in the Vietnamese market, which is reflecting the growing domestic B2B and business-to-consumer markets. Vietnam is becoming wealthier the market is still limited but the average consumer now has more consumption power. Consumer products such as electronics, motorcycles, and processed foods, as well as related services, are very attractive for Japanese companies and this trend will continue to be maintained in the future. Agriculture is one of the bright spots in Vietnam too, where 40 per cent of the population is involved. There are resources, but they lack modern technologies and a newer business model. On the contrary, Japanese agriculture is more technology-concentrated and its high productivity comes with a sensitive business model. In the past few years, we have had huge Japanese investment projects in Vietnam big energy projects in 2017 and a smart city project by Sumitomo and BRG Group in 2018, for example. For this fiscal year, we have not seen that kind of large project, but the number of projects as a whole has been growing. Japanese investors still face problems in doing business in Vietnam, such as unclear regulations, permitting processes, land acquisitions, commercial transactions, and import and export rules. However, The Ministry of Planning and Investment and other government agencies in Vietnam have been very active in tackling those issues. Recently, we see hiring and securing people is the largest challenge for Japanese companies according to JETRO surveys. Over the past several years, regulatory issues have been the number one concern but now, securing people is at the top. By the same token, labour costs, which increase significantly every year, become a big challenge. Katsina State Police Command says it has rescued six kidnapped teenage girls in Batsari Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. A statement issued in Katsina on Thursday by the commands spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, stated that the victims were kidnapped while working in a farm at Mata-Mulki Village in Batsari. Isah said that the police received a distress call at about 12:30 p.m. that unrepentant bandits with AK47 rifles kidnapped some girls working in a farm at Mata-Mulki Village. He said that the Operation Puff Adder team, led by Divisional Police Officer in charge of Batsari, swiftly moved to the area. The team gave the hoodlums a hot chase into the forest and engaged them in a gun duel. The bandits abandoned the victims and ran into the forest, the police successfully rescued the six girls, Isah said. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates People visit a showroom of Ant Financial in Hangzhou, China on June 8, 2018. China's Ant Financial, an affiliate of ecommerce giant Alibaba Group Holdings, has joined the race for a digital banking licence in Singapore, the company said in a statement on Thursday. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has said it will issue five such licenses, as it embarks on the biggest liberalisation of its banking sector in two decades. "In line with our commitment to promoting financial inclusion globally, we have submitted an application to the Monetary Authority of Singapore for a digital wholesale banking license," a spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement. "We look forward to contributing to the development of the digital banking landscape in Singapore." Gaming firm Razer Inc also on Thursday said it was leading a consortium that has applied for a license, while earlier this week Singapore Telecommunications Ltd and Southeast Asian ride hailing firm Grab said they were teaming up for a bid of their own. MAS, Singapore's central bank, is set to issue up to two "digital full bank" licenses and three wholesale bank licenses. The city-state is set to announce the winners in mid-2020 and the digital banks are expected to start operations in a phased manner from mid-2021. A spokeswoman for MAS said it could not comment on individual license applications. Begusarai, Jan 2 : Union Minister Giriraj Singh has said the Bhagwat Geeta should be taught in schools to prevent children from drifting away from the culture and traditional values. When children go abroad they start eating beef because they were not well versed in their culture and religion, he said speaking at a function. Thus, they should be taught the Bhagwat Geeta, he added. "We send our children to the missionary schools. They get through IITs, become engineers, go abroad and start eating beef because we don't teach them our culture," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said. It's not the first time that Singh has made such comments. Earlier, he said they would use techniques that the cow would bear only she-calves and there would be no case of lynching. At elections rallies, he said those opposing Narendra Modi should go to Pakistan. JERUSALEM With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under indictment, Israels Supreme Court on Thursday refused to weigh in on whether a prime ministerial candidate charged with serious crimes can be asked to form a new government. The decision gave Mr. Netanyahu a temporary reprieve ahead of a general election on March 2, and staved off a potential showdown between the government and the judiciary. The judges appeared to leave open the possibility of revisiting the case if Mr. Netanyahu ends up in a position to form a government after the election. On Wednesday, in his fight for survival, he took the contentious step of asking Parliament to grant him immunity from prosecution. Mr. Netanyahu is Israels first sitting prime minister to be charged with crimes, and the first to run for re-election while under such a serious legal cloud. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore to the family of firefighter Amit Kumar Balyan who died in Peeragarhi fire incident on Thursday. "Amit Baliyan laid down his life while serving the people of Delhi. Nothing can bring back a loved one lost, but Delhi govt will provide his family with ?1 crore as financial assistance. It's the least we can do as a society..." Kejriwal said in a tweet. Balyan died after he was trapped in the debris of a portion of a factory building which collapsed in the fire. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Michigan Waitress Surprised by Customer Ahead of the New Year by Receiving $2,020 Tip on $23 Meal A Michigan waitress started the new year on a positive note after she received an 8,700 percent tip from one of her customers in a random act of kindness. Danielle Franzoni was shocked to discover that the person she had just waited on at Thunder Bay River Restaurant in Alpena on Sunday left her a $2,020 tip for their $23 meal. I asked my manager, was this real? she recalls to The Alpena News. Things like this dont happen to people like me. The moment was even more special as the hours and months leading up to the generous tip were quite difficult for Franzoni, a recovering addict who recently moved to Alpena to stay clean after living in a homeless shelter one year ago. Prior to going to work on Sunday, Franzoni, 31, told the outlet her neighbors house had burned down. She was also getting ready to spend the final day in her old home and anxiously preparing to move into her first house. With the emotional events unraveling before her, Franzoni found herself crying once she arrived at work, she told the outlet. RELATED: North Carolina Waitress Gets a $10,000 Tip and Splits It with Her Coworkers That all changed, however, when she went over to the table and saw the tip, along with the words Happy New Year and 2020 Tip Challenge, written across the check. They dont know nothing about my story, they dont know where Ive come from, they dont know how hard its been, Franzoni explained to The Alpena News. Theyre really just doing this out of the kindness of their heart. The waitress and single mother, who has relied on a number of resources in Alpena to stay sober and rebuild her life, said she plans to use the tip money to get her drivers license back and finish redesigning her daughters bedrooms. Ive never been able to do that. I cant wait, she told the outlet, adding that the rest of the funds will go into a savings account for emergencies. Story continues RELATED VIDEO: Should You Be Tipping In Cash Only? That is, aside from $20.20, which Franzoni decided to leave as a tip for her server on Sunday night after receiving the generous New Years gift. That was my pay it forward, she said. I couldnt do the other one. Franzoni said she dreams of opening a women and childrens sobriety house one day and hopes her story will inspire others to perform random acts of kindness in their daily lives. Arkansas Judge Don McSpadden recused himself without explanation Tuesday from Hunter Bidens paternity case after ordering the son of former Vice President Joe Biden to hand over all income records over the past five years. McSpadden, of Independence Countys circuit court, had said that the handing over of financial information was in the well-being of 1-year-old Baby Doe, the child of Biden and Lunden Alexis Roberts, the plaintiff in the case. McSpadden also ordered that the financial information be under seal and only available to the attorneys in the case. Other individuals have attempted to use the case to get access to Bidens financials. Private investigator Dominic Casey filed a motion to intervene on December 27, claiming that access to Bidens financials show a counterfeiting scheme in Ukraine that accumulated a $150 million fortune. Another man, defrauded investor Joel Caplan, filed a different motion to intervene on behalf of other investors who were allegedly swindled by Biden in a systemic, formulaic and Biblically-sized multi-billion dollar stock scheme called The China Hustle. Caplan filed 64 pages of exhibits on Tuesday. McSpadden recused himself before ruling on either motion. Brent Langdon, Bidens attorney, called Caseys filing a scheme by a non-party simply to make scandalous allegations in a motion filed Monday. Roberts said in her case filed in May that Biden fathered her child during a past relationship, which Hunter Biden initially denied and refused to submit for a paternity test. But after a DNA test proved Biden was indeed the father in November, he did not contest the paternity. Roberts has asked the court to make Biden pay the $11,000 cost of her paternity case. McSpaddens order Tuesday didnt provide a specific reason for his recusal, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported. One of the clearest indicators of a judges integrity is when he or she recuses from a case, Robertss attorney Clinton Lancaster said on the news. It highlights the ethos and values that make the judiciary such a powerful, separate branch of government. Our client sincerely thanks Judge McSpadden for his time and attention to what has become a difficult and convoluted child support matter. Story continues According to Rule 2.11 of the Arkansas Code of Judicial Conduct, A judge shall disqualify himself or herself in any proceeding in which the judges impartiality might reasonably be questioned. More from National Review Web Toolbar by Wibiya Here at The Canadian Business Daily we like to give credit where it's due. That's why our "award" for having Canada's most racist police goes to Gatineau. If you're black or from some other disenfranchised group, and particularly when it's late at night, expect that if you see the Gatineau police while driving or on foot you will be stopped for some as-hole reason. Just ask Officer Bergeron, badge number 5708. A black male was driving in Gatineau and making a right-hand turn late at night on Boulevard Maloney when he spotted one of these fine officers turning onto the street. Naturally, this officer from Canada's most racist police force did what any self-respecting representative of such a racist organization would do. Seeing the black male, Officer Bergeron made a U-turn to follow this black male for about five minutes. When the black male asked why he was stopped, Officer Bergeron replied that it was because he saw that he was driving a "rented car." The black male driver responded that "driving a rented car" in no way constitutes a criminal offence or grounds for a police officer to stop anyone. Officer Bergeron responded that he, as a representative of the Gatineau Police Department, could basically stop him for any reason he dreamed up, including the fact that the male was driving a rented vehicle. It became quickly apparent to the black male that he was being subjected to racial profiling and the practice of "carding," in which black males and other disenfranchised populations are stopped simply so that the police can check their driver's license because, of course, black males obviously must be criminals on the loose, out on bail, or wanted by the police. Unfortunately, the list of racist behaviours by the Gatineau Police, which include illegal detentions and beatings of disenfranchised civilians, are all too commonplace. The police force has accumulated a long rap sheet of harassment. This includes the black male that two Gatineau police officers stopped because he was walking across the grass of a commercial establishment. The black male, versed in law, responded that walking across the grass was not a violation of the Canadian Criminal Code, and asked what the problem was. They said, "Nothing," and left because they were expecting one of the less-educated "local Negroes" not as educated about their rights. One black male was actually ticketed by two racist Gatineau police officers for "not walking on the sidewalk" of a Gatineau residential neighbourhood. And what about the black male who was rushing back to the restaurant he came from to use the washroom? This black male was cross-questioned for 15 minutes for "walking funny." Later that same night, two other Gatineau police officers, after 11 p.m. in a very quiet residential area, stopped the same black male because in their view he didn't cross exactly at the intersection. How about the Gatineau police officers who stopped a black male because they didn't like the sound of his car? And tell me, in what other part of Canada would you find such as-hole behaviour by the police? Only in Gatineau, mon ami(e). Gatineau's police force is not much better than the racists who stalked black people during the 1950s in parts of the American South, which include Georgia or Alabama. The Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said the states would have to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. A day after Kerala Assembly passed a resolution seeking withdrawal of the citizenship law, Prasad said there is no escape from the implementation of the law, and emphasised such a procedure is against the Constitution. "I want to gently remind these parties (who oppose the law), to seek proper legal advice. Article 245, 256 and other provisions state that Parliament has the complete power to pass laws regarding naturalization and citizenship," said Prasad. The Chief Ministers of nine states, including Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan, have opposed the law and refused its implementation. According to the Article 256 of the Constitution the states are obliged to comply with the laws made by Parliament, cited Prasad. He also added that due to vote bank politics many state governments are claiming that they would not implement the citizenship law. The law, for the first time, introduces religion as a test for the citizenship. The government says the law will help minorities in the three Muslim-dominated neighbouring countries - Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan -- to avail citizenship if they flee the country and seek safe haven in India due to religious persecution. Whereas the opposition parties say this is a deliberate discrimination against the Muslims and violates the essence of the secular principals of the Constitution. Prasad said that both houses of the Parliament discussed the law and then passed it, and the law has to be implemented. "All governments talking about not implementing the law, need to know that once they have taken oath, they are bound by the Constitution," he added. 59 petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of this law. The Supreme Court is scheduled to begin hearing on the matter on January 22. A Dungannon man whose brother has been a long-term resident at a nursing home branded one of the worst in Northern Ireland said his family is shocked by the health regulator's decision to impose a closure notice. Valley Nursing Home in Clogher, Co Tyrone will shut soon unless the owners can successfully prove to the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) that the home is safe. In the meantime, health bosses need to find alternative accommodation for the 75 people currently living there. Read More Donal Cullen (62) has been a patient for five years. His brother Gerry said: "He was a seriously ill man when admitted to Craigavon Area Hospital in 2014 and after it was explained to us what his needs were going to be, Valley care home was the only one capable and willing to take him. "They made a promise to our family to give him the best care and nurse him back to some sort of health, and the quality of life he enjoys today is testimony to the dignified and professional care he has received over the past five years. "The staff at the care home have the full support of the Cullen family. We do not recognise the home as the one portrayed over the past two days." Mr Cullen said it came "as a total surprise to the families of those resident there that it is now being called one of the worst in Northern Ireland. As a family, we simply can't see where that has come from". He said many of the families are now "fearful of what will now happen to their relatives". It's understood families of residents have agreed to appoint a family representative to deal with the ongoing issues resulting from the closure notice. Valley Nursing Home said it was committed to providing the highest level of care to its residents "and continues to do so". It said the home had achieved full compliance with previously issued failure-to-comply notices as of October 16. "We are continually working closely with the Southern and Western Trusts as well as the RQIA through these matters of concern," it added. "We would like to take this opportunity to give the residents, their relatives, our staff within the home and the wider community the reassurance that there is full commitment during this process." On Tuesday, RQIA chief Olive Macleod said Valley Nursing Home had been inspected on 10 occasions "and we're not seeing a sustained improvement. In fact, we are seeing a deterioration". She described it as "one of the worst homes we have seen in Northern Ireland". On being asked over reports of a deal between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan wherein an OIC meeting will be called to discuss the Kashmir issue, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in his weekly briefing said, 'The reports are entirely speculative. We are not aware of any such meetings of OIC on India related matter.' (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday rebuffed claims of any upcoming meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Kashmir and dubbed the reports as 'speculative'. Asked about reports of a deal between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to convene an OIC meeting to discuss the Kashmir issue, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in his weekly briefing, "The reports are entirely speculative. We are not aware of any such meetings of the OIC on India-related matters." "We have reached out to almost all countries across the world. These reports are coming out from Pakistan," Kumar added. The Pakistani media last month reported that the OIC has decided to convene a meeting on the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir and the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act. The new reports came after the recently appointed Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud undertook his maiden visit to Pakistan earlier this month during which he extended Riyadh's "steadfast support to Pakistan's core national interests." Catch the latest news, live coverage and in-depth analyses from India and World. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. In the modern age of business gurus and thought leaders, theres no shortage of leadership and management insights to be found. But as another decade comes to a close, it can be a useful practice to look back through the past for guidance and insight that can help inform the problems of today. For example, some of the most important and relevant lessons for todays current and aspiring business leaders can be found within the works of one of the greatest historical thinkers of the 20th century, George Orwell. An acclaimed novelist, journalist, and critic, Orwell is perhaps best known for his fierce denunciation of totalitarianism and support for social justice. Related: 22 Qualities That Make a Great Leader To the uninitiated, it can be easy to overlook Orwell as a source of knowledge for good management practice. But the lessons found in Orwells works are timeless, and they extend far beyond the domains of literature and politics. Below are just a few insights todays business leaders can gain from Orwell. Lessons in language But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. George Orwell, 1984 One lesson that can be gleaned from the writings of Orwell is his deep insight into the interrelated role of language and thought. As was perhaps best illustrated in his dystopian novel, 1984, Orwell was keenly aware of how those in positions of authority can use language to shape and control the thoughts and behaviors of others. For todays business leaders unaware of the power that their language may have on those they lead, Orwells insights offer a cautionary tale. For we know from research that when harmful actions are relabeled to appear more benign, employees may be more willing to engage in morally reprehensible behavior. Examples of such euphemistic language include positively labeling employees who comply with morally questionable commands as team players, or resorting to the tired adage its just business to justify the harmful consequences of ones actions. Avoiding such pitfalls requires that both leaders and employees alike remain diligently attentive to the behavior they are engaging in, and avoid becoming distracted by the language used to describe the behavior. To do so, however, will not be an easy task, given the pervasiveness of euphemistic language in business. But as Orwell himself once said, to see what is in front of ones own nose needs a constant struggle. Lessons in leadership Always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. George Orwell, 1984 All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. George Orwell, Animal Farm Perhaps one of the most relevant management insights found in the works of Orwell involves the potential for those in positions of authority to turn despotic. As the above quotes suggest, Orwell was all too aware of the potential for power to corrupt, and for leaders to use their authority to consolidate power and privilege for their own benefit. Organizational leaders looking to curb their despotic impulses will do well to heed Orwells warning about the intoxicating nature of power. As research suggests, the psychological experience of power can sometimes blind individuals to the moral implications of their actions, causing them to narrowly pursue their own selfish interests. But as this research further suggests, such abuses of power can be mitigated when leaders hold morality as an important and central aspect of their identity. Related: 50 Rules for Being a Great Leader Lessons in loyalty Being in a minority, even in a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad. George Orwell, 1984 Orwell also has important insights for todays employees faced with abusive or despotic leadership. As many of his most popular works suggest, those leaders who wish to abuse their power rely on loyal constituents who are either blindly loyal or unwilling to speak out in the face of tyranny. But the extent to which the tyrants of Orwells novels are willing to go to suppress a few dissenting voices speaks to the power of minority influence. For employees wondering whether they should speak out in the face of destructive forms of leadership, Orwells insights should serve as a source of empowerment. As the research on minority influence suggests, even single individuals willing to challenge the norms of the environment may be sufficient in destabilizing the environment over time. Related: 6 Habits of Effective Entrepreneurial Leadership Lessons in life It is a feeling of relief, almost of pleasure, at knowing yourself genuinely down and outYou have talked so often of going to the dogs, and you have reached them, and you can stand it. George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London In his first full-length work, Down and Out in Paris and London, Orwell recounts some of his most memorable interactions with people who, despite facing considerable hardship, still maintained a positive outlook on life. And it is here where one can find a final lesson from Orwells writings: remain positive in the face of adversity. For todays business leaders and entrepreneurs alike, adversity is an inevitable part of the process and it can come at any time and in a variety of forms. But adversity can be beneficial, not only for your ability to develop resilience for adverse events you have yet to face, but also to help you appreciate those things you might have previously taken for granted. So the next time you find yourself down-and-out, remember to reflect on the things you do have. As one poor traveler said to Orwell when explaining the importance of keeping a positive outlook in the face of adversity, The stars are a free show; it dont cost anything to use your eyes. Related: 20 Leadership Quotes From the World's Most Influential Leaders 5 Free Ways to Invest in Your Startup's Culture Why George Orwell Matters for Great Business Leadership Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Sorting out Cork people for ages... Q: Cmere whats the story with a southsider correcting my grammar? I met this Model Farm Road Princess (thats her name on Instagram lah) out on New Years Eve, back to her place, smooch, smooch, hands all over the gaff, matter of time before shes the proud recipient of some Dowcha Donie love. Anyway, she goes for some getting to know you chat, asks if I saw the aggro in the nightclub, I says I had went to the toilet by then, she says, its I had GONE to the toilet and showed me the door. I told my friend whos doing law about this and he said I do be the victim of being othered because of my Norry ethnicity. So, like, can I sue her now for violating my human rights? Dowcha Donie, Blackpool. A: There are a lot of surprises there. For starters, Im amazed you know someone doing law. (Is he doing it at night, from prison, by any chance?) Secondly, I asked my Posh Cousin about this. She said Norry isnt an ethnic group. Its just bad luck. Q: Hey, its Ken here from Douglas Road Doctors with American actors. Im seeing this woman even though shes from Carrigaline, and decided to surprise her by not mentioning how much I earn over the festive season. Thats just Dr Ken kiddin ya now, Iactually had it printed on my Christmas jumper when I went for dinner on the big day in her Mams house. The poor Mam collapsed when she saw me, she didnt realise how much I earn from private patients. I started fanning a piece of paper over her head to bring her around, her husband Con (thats his actual name) said surely there must be something else you can do Dr Ken, I said not really, Im a consultant and now they think Im a fake. How can I show them that Dr Ken is the real deal? Dr Ken, Douglas Road, the Mam recovered and is doing well. A: My neighbour is a nurse in CUH. (Dont ask me how she can afford Ballinlough.) I said, whats the best way to show someone youre a real doctor. She said, wait until theyre not looking before you Google their symptoms. #DrGoogle Q: So, Im the leading social media influencer in the western Europe measured by the numbers of times I got married so I could get free flowers from struggling local producers. #SupportLocal #CorcaighAbu #ItsTheirFaultForBeingSmall. Anyway, #2020Baby, I just got a social media brand audit there and they recommended that I get behind a campaign because that plays well with the 15-24 crowd whod believe any old shite. So they said you need to get behind something youre really passionate about, so I said I dont think people will support a campaign to get me a new Audi 4x4, so they said we need another 3 grand to help you further so I hung up. So, do you know any campaign that would play well with the #SnowFlakeGeneration? @YouSoWishLike, Turners Cross and Monte Carlo A: My 27-year-old niece, Radical Ruth, is all over this area. I said, what really irritates you? She said, leading-edge smartphones. I said, is it the sweatshops or the carbon footprint? She said, no its the price, theyre sooooo expensive. Q: Howre oo goin on. You might remember I was onto you last week with the story of how I took magic mushrooms on Christmas day, grabbed the mic in 11 oclock Mass and said deep down were all women, and now everyone in Dunmanway is calling me Dan Paddy Mandy. Well, I am now a designated legend among the local hippies, who have had plenty time to consider the merits of the situation, given that most of them maintain an arms length relationship with what you might call a job. On top of that, I got a phonecall from a producer in Channel 4, who wants to put me in a documentary called Transgender Bog(wo)men on Drugs. Ive a bad feeling about this to be honest. Do you think I should say yes? Dan Paddy Andy, head north from Dunmanway until you see a man practising his Bafta speech. A: Im not the best person to ask here, I rarely say no to anything. My friend Colm has a PR company, its called Bad Publicity. #Nice. I told him your story, he said dont go near it. I said why? He said, you dont want the word going around that youre from Dunmanway. Q:Its all guns blazing on our WhatsApp group, Douglas Road Moms Who Wouldnt Say it To Your Face. Weve all agreed not to replace our 192c Range Rovers this January because of polar bears and shit, so we all have 10 grand burning a hole in our pockets, dont tell the taxman. Laura_AmazingBoneStructure says we owe it to ourselves to head for Dubai, but Iseult_NewSmeg said no because of the carbon footprint and Dubai is as common as a batter burger. So like, tell me how we can spend 10 grand ethically without using the word charity? Dee, Douglas Road. A:My neighbour Denise describes herself as an Ethical Spending Consultant. I said, how does it work. She said, you give me 10 grand, I give you a bag for life and buy a luxury yurt for myself in Glengarriff. #ImInTheWrongBusiness. During the 1982 Falklands War, the British were able to reclaim their territory from invading Argentinian forces. During the war, the British received support from France but formerly secret documents show that the French may have been working both sides of the conflict. In May of that year, the Argentine forces used Exocet missiles during an airstrike that killed 32 people. The missiles were fired at the British ships HMS Sheffield and Atlantic Conveyor. The missiles were sold to Argentine by France prior to the war before it seemed likely the two countries would enter into combat with each other. When the war began, France embargoed weapons sales and support for Argentina. They also allowed the British to use French ports in West Africa and provided them with information on the weapons and planes that they had sold to Argentina. French President Francois Mitterrand made the decision to aid the British. While the UKs Secretary of State for Defence Sir John Nott praised France as being the UKs greatest ally, members of the French government were not pleased with their presidents decision. The French ambassador to London, Emmanuel de Margerie, wrote a scathing description of Margaret Thatcher as Victorian, imperialist, and obstinate with a tendency to get carried away by combative instincts. French official Bernard Dorin decried Britains superpower arrogance and their profound contempt for Latinos. He made these claims in a document titled, The Falklands: Lessons from a Fiasco. A BBC investigation has uncovered evidence that, even though the embargo was in place, a team from France worked with the Argentine troops in the Falklands during the war. The team allegedly tested the missile systems to ensure they would fire. Three of the missiles failed and the team repaired the issue which allowed the missiles to be used against British troops. During the war, 659 Argentinian and 253 British troops were killed. The Falklands War began when Argentinian troops invaded the Falkland Islands on April 2, 1982. The Falklands are a British territory located in the southwest Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Argentina. Argentina has long claimed rights to the islands, which they call Malvinas. Argentina inherited the islands from the Spanish crown in the early 1800s. Most of the residents of the Falklands are of British descent. Britain claims rights to the islands based on their long-term administration of them and on the principle of self-determination for the islanders. Argentina did not believe that the UK would respond with force if they invaded the islands. But, despite being 8,000 miles away, British Prime Minister Margaret sent a force of warships and hastily refitted merchant ships to reclaim the British territory. The British submarine HMS conqueror sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano on May 2, 1982. 300 crew were lost with the ship. After that, the Argentine military kept their ships in port. But the Argentine air force was still a threat to the British. Their aircraft sank several British warships. Still, the British were able to land on the Falklands on May 21, 1982. The conscripted Argentinian troops had plenty of time to dig in and fortify their defenses but they were not trained well enough to defend against the oncoming British forces. Another Article From Us: British Commando Took Out ISIS Fighter With a WW2 Fairbairn-Sykes Knife On June 11, 1982, the battle for the capital, Stanley, was underway and the Argentinians surrendered on June 14, 1982. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Castro had announced his bid last January in San Antonio, saying that no front-runners are born in his neighborhood. His mother, Rosie, is a political activist, and his twin brother, Joaquin, is a U.S. congressman. He was the youngest member of Obamas Cabinet when confirmed to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2014, and he was considered by Hillary Clinton as her running mate in 2016. A lifelong bureaucrat with a taste for the fine print, Kabiraj realised the law would allow him to suspend - and even cancel - the passports of overseas Indian men who had misled their wives. (Photo: NDTV) Chandigarh: In a pink-walled room of a government office at the foot of the Himalayas, women spend their days cancelling the passports of runaway husbands. Midday on a Monday, the father of a woman who married a merchant marine is explaining how the husband lied about being single and failed to disclose the fact that he had a child and a warrant for his arrest. The case, says worker Amritpal Kaur, should qualify for immediate impoundment of the man's passport. Kaur isn't a government employee at all. She and the other women who work in the passport office are abandoned wives, volunteering their hours at the office to help women like them. Sibash Kabiraj, regional passport chief in Chandigarh, says it all began when the wives started coming to him and pleading for help. A lifelong bureaucrat with a taste for the fine print, Kabiraj realised the law would allow him to suspend - and even cancel - the passports of overseas Indian men who had misled their wives. The Passport Authority requires approval from the central government to take away a passport but can do so if the holder lies or withholds information, or if there is a warrant or court summons, among other reasons. But there was a problem. "One suspension of a passport, it requires a lot of paperwork," he says. Not one to be stopped, he explained passport law to the women, gave them a room with a computer, printer and fax machine, and told them if they would do the paperwork, he would sign it. It's the women's best way of seeking justice from their far-away husbands, he says. In the past year and a half, the women have managed to suspend more than 400 passports and revoke 67 others, Kabiraj says. In all, more than 5,000 women have filed abandonment complaints with the Ministry of External Affairs. In all, more than 5,000 women have filed abandonment complaints with the Ministry of External Affairs. Indians living abroad aren't an easy group to take issue with. They sent $79 billion in remittances to India in 2018, the most of any country in the world, according to World Bank data. They're expected to send $82.2 billion in 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called non-resident Indians, or NRIs, the "brand ambassadors of India". But the government's policy think tank NITI Aayog nicknamed them "non-reliable Indian grooms". The wives say many of the men demand - and often get - tens of thousands of dollars in dowry, despite the practice being illegal. The husbands can use that money to establish themselves overseas and obtain permanent residency or a new passport, leaving their wives and children behind - and in limbo. An abandoned woman has no status, says Shiwali Suman, who organises abandoned wives in New Delhi. "Are we divorced, single, widowed?" she asks. "What are we actually? We are not able to be categorized." The men deny they have done anything wrong, saying they did their best but were taken advantage of by their wives. One says his life is 'hell' now and he no longer trusts women. The wives left behind don't see it that way. In recent months, city and rural women alike have begun staging protests. One woman at a recent protest in Jalandhar in Punjab said time was up for the runaway men: "There's a fire erupting in all of us." Reena Mehla was 24 when she got married. Five years later, she says, her husband told her he was going to work extra police duty shifts elsewhere in India, and instead hired smugglers to take him to the United States. Rahul Kumar now lives in the Bronx. Mehla wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs, the US Embassy, US Citizenship and Immigration Services and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, searched Facebook, and eventually found him. She scrolls through dozens of emails she sent to foreign officials and the letter showing his passport was revoked; according to the US Justice Department immigration court hotline, his status in that country is pending. Then she pulls up one of their wedding pictures and kisses it. When asked if she still loves him, Mehla stretches her arms and grins. 'Too much!' She had the inner strength to leave her rural home and move on her own to Chandigarh to volunteer in the passport office. "Even our soul is not allowed because a husband is everything. A husband is like God," she says. She shares her flat with several women, including Amritpal Kaur. Because most of the women in this story go by the name Kaur, Reuters is using their first names on second reference to ease confusion. When Amritpal talks about her marriage, she keeps coming back to the money she spent on it: She says she forked over $28,000 on the dowry and wedding; three days after they were married, she says, her husband told her to get $14,000 more from her father. Her husband, Kulpreet Singh, said all the money she had earned working for two years in England also needed to come to him, she says. Two weeks after the wedding, he left for Australia. For months afterward, he told her he had a surprise. She was so excited she ordered a $3,500 diamond ring for him. His surprise, she says, was divorce papers. Rahul and Kulpreet did not respond to requests for comment. Amritpal now shares a rented flat in Chandigarh with Reena and several other women. As a reminder of their mission, they've named the computer folder that holds their files 'Mission Shakti'. "Shakti is women's spiritual power to fight against this," Amritpal says. "We don't want any other girls to be victims like us." Every day, women with husband problems pile into Satwinder Kaur's family courtyard in a village surrounded by mustard fields that blaze like the sun. Only a few thousand people live in Toosa, but her relationships span the globe. She's helping nearly 400 women who've been abandoned by their men, she says, getting several of their runaway husbands deported from their adopted countries and jailed. Every few minutes her phone rings. Satwinder's own husband left her in 2015. He now lives in Poland. In Toosa, women don't venture out at night and are rarely left home alone, even in walled family compounds. Satwinder is slowly breaking through this - and in the process has become a symbol of a newfound willingness to fight back against a patriarchal system. She runs a WhatsApp group and Facebook page, and tells rural women what paperwork they need to cancel their husbands' passports. She also organizes protests. Satwinder Kaur's has filed 11 court cases against her NRI husband who abandoned her. "It's hard to be a middle-aged, childless woman whose husband has left her," she said. She holds up photographs of fantastically lavish weddings produced from plastic bags or passed around on mobile phones and shared on WhatsApp. From Facebook, there are other pictures: of the husbands' foreign girlfriends and children and anniversary cakes. Even for Satwinder, who has filed 11 court cases against her husband, it's hard to be a middle-aged, childless woman whose husband has left her. Her ferocity is in constant battle with her fear. She sends her husband WhatsApp messages every day. She can tell he's read every one of them because of the little blue checkmarks, but he hasn't replied since January. Neighbours and even relatives call her banj, or 'rotten womb', she says. "In my own house, I was called that." A lecturer and electrical engineer, her husband, Arvinder Pal Singh, sees it differently. He says he moved to Europe because of pressure to earn more. He says he tried and failed to bring Satwinder to Europe on a student visa and says he was blindsided by problems between his wife and his mother when he returned home for a visit. He lost his job and moved twice. He told Satwinder he would send money again when he had it. Two months later she filed a case with the police and his father was arrested, he says. He later got a call from the Indian Embassy saying his passport had been cancelled. He stopped sending money and filed for divorce, which didn't go through. Arvinder says he no longer trusts women and calls himself a refugee. "I don't have family. At least she is with family. She is in her home country. I don't have a country. I don't have a place to stay, and where I'm standing it's already raining outside," he says. "This is hell." He says he would be arrested if he returned to India and doesn't believe he would get a fair hearing in court. Now undocumented, he uses smugglers to move. Baljit Kaur lives two lives. In the first, she's a policewoman, composed and authoritative in a pressed uniform and red lipstick. In the second, she's an aging bride, abandoned by her husband and sleeping under sheets printed with red hearts. "I never imagined a woman of my age would end up like this," she says. "I thought my life would be different." Baljit, 42, was one of four siblings born to an army officer and his wife in Punjab. She waited for her siblings to settle, so, at age 39, was late to marry. When pushed, she paid a large dowry, even though as a cop, she knew such payments were illegal. Before the wedding, Baljit says, her fiance, Harmandeep Singh Sekhon, would call to ask how much cash she would give his family. After the wedding, she says, her in-laws complained she hadn't brought as much as her sister-in-law. Soon Baljit understood why she'd been chosen: "I understood he didn't want me, he only wanted money." Baljit Kaur who's a policewoman and an aging bride says, "I thought my life would be different." One month and two days after they married, her husband returned to the United States. He'd lived there before, and they'd talked about moving there together. A week after he arrived, she says, he called saying he had no job and needed her to send money. She refused. She last spoke to her husband on October 6, 2014. They have been locked in a legal battle ever since. She has been granted ownership of their house and has won maintenance costs, but those have yet to be paid, she says. She has spent more than $4,000 on lawyers' fees. "I have a job, I can manage. But what about the girls who can't?" she says. Harmandeep did not respond to requests for comment. Baljit became a cop in 1995. She worked her way up through training courses and exams and is an assistant sub-inspector at Fatehgarh Sahib District headquarters in Punjab. She has a sunny government flat with a plant-filled terrace and drives both a scooter and a car. Her hard-won career makes it even more humiliating that she was abandoned so publicly - and yet so intimately. As a police officer, shouldn't she have seen it coming? "Sometimes she was brave," said Harpreet Kaur, a fellow officer who would pace the police station corridors with Baljit as she confided her troubles. "Sometimes she would say...that people would laugh at her because she was a police officer and this thing happened." Baljit is spare with the details but admits she contemplated suicide: once before marriage when her husband was demanding money, other times after he left her. Baljit still says she doesn't feel like living. Her mother, whose imagined grief stopped her from committing suicide before, died in May. "What else remains?" she asks. "I am alone." Of abandoned brides like herself, Baljit says: "We are like dead bodies walking. We have no place in society. We can't live and we can't even die." Baljit's fellow officers have rallied around her. At lunchtime, half a dozen officers layout newspapers on a desk and unpack their tiffins for a shared meal. "We are her family," Inspector Kuldeepak Sharma says. "She is not alone here." Sarbjeet Kaur's husband stopped sending money for his daughter's school fees in 2016, with three months left in the term. Sarbjeet sold her sofa and two cupboards so she could finish. Last year, she sold the gold earrings her parents had given to her daughter - again, for school fees, this time at her new, cheaper school. "I'm living a double life," Sarbjeet says, crying as she explains that she couldn't tell her parents she had sold the earrings, so she said she had lost them. Sarbjeet married Daler Singh in 2008. It wasn't until she was pregnant that he talked of going abroad, she says. Her brother had gone to Italy, and it was eight years before he came back for a visit. She said no. He told her: "'There is nothing here. There are no jobs, no money. Whatever job you do, you don't make money.'' She eventually agreed. When her family got angry, she replied that Singh would never lie to her or leave her. Singh went to South America first, then Mexico, Sarbjeet says. She sold her jewellery for almost $5,000 to help him cross into the United States in late 2010, she says, and borrowed $3,600 from her parents to help him enter Canada four years later. She wanted her daughter, Ekampreet, to study in Canada, so she pawned her cousins', aunts' and friends' jewellery for $700, too. He did send money back, but only for his family, she says. "Don't worry,'' she says he told her, 'my one-month salary will buy your jewellery back and I'll pay back your parents, too.' She shows pictures of him posing beside fancy cars on Facebook; she knows he was actually working as a gas station attendant. In 2015, he asked for a divorce, saying he needed a paper marriage to a Canadian woman so he could stay while the government processed his refugee application. When Sarbjeet confronted the new woman in a series of audio messages on Facebook Messenger, the other woman said she would also fight. 'You have a daughter,' she said. 'I have a son.' Sarbjeet's husband, Daler Singh, called her description of events 'fake'. He says he was 17 - a minor - when he married her, and that they have now been separated for a decade. He says he has given her money and property but didn't give any further details or respond to specific questions. Sarbjeet lives in sugar cane country where the chimneys of brick factories occasionally pierce the fields to puff gray smoke. Her parents keep cows. She wants better for her daughter, so offered the new woman a compromise: If Singh would call his daughter regularly and send $142 a month for her expenses, she would drop her case and stop trying to cancel his passport. He did for a while, then he stopped, she says. Now Sarbjeet worries constantly about money. Sarbjeet was a beautician before she got married. These days she stitches salwar kameez and simple dresses on a pedal-operated machine beside her bed to earn money. She charges $2 for a dress, which takes her two days to finish. If there's a rush, she can do it overnight. The stress has sometimes overwhelmed Sarbjeet. When Ekampreet was 3, Sarbjeet tried to commit suicide by drinking rat poison. Five years later, she tried again by slitting her wrists. She went twice to a hospital in Amritsar for depression. Now, she says, she is stronger. In March, Sarbjeet applied to have Singh's passport impounded. Satwinder, whom she met late last year, helped. Eventually, the passport office called to say it was done. When asked about her father, Ekampreet says only that she wants to ask him what she did wrong and why he left her. Shuffling through a stack of pictures, she comes across a wedding photo of her parents, her mother in a bright red and gold sari. She quickly buries it in the looked-at pile. Catch the latest news, live coverage and in-depth analyses from India and World. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Pro-Iranian militiamen and their supporters set a fire during a demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 1, 2020. (Khalid Mohammed/AP Photo) Trumps Top Iran Official: Attack on Baghdad Embassy Orchestrated by Iranian Regime President Donald Trumps special representative for Iran said that the Iranian regime was behind the attempt to gain access to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The embassy was stormed on Dec. 31, 2019, by various Iran-backed militias and demonstrators. The groups set fire to outer walls and guard posts, hurled rocks at buildings, and threatened to kill Americans if they got inside the embassy. The groups dispersed on Jan. 1 after gathering for a second day following reinforcements and rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades from U.S. troops and security forces. Brian Hook, the special representative, said during an appearance on CNNs New Day on Wednesday that Trump ordered measures that were necessary to protect our troops, including the deployment of a contingent of Marines from Kuwait. This is orchestrated by the Iranian regime, Hook said. These are the kinds of tactics they used. 40 years ago they stormed our embassy. And here we are 40 years later and theyre directing the terrorist groups to then attack our embassy. This Jan. 1, 2020, image provided by Maxar Technologies shows black smoke coming out of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad. (Satellite image 2020 Maxar Technologies via AP) Attackers and assailants set fire to a gate as smoke rises from inside the compound of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 1, 2020. (U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Desmond Cassell/Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs/Handout via Reuters) He said the people who gathered at the embassy didnt represent the Iraqi people. We have seen recent protests in Iraq against the Iranian domination in Baghdad. So we have seen thousands of Iraqis rise up against Iranian domination. Iran has been running an expansionist foreign policy for some time. President Trump is standing up to that. And the regime is not used to being told no, but for the last three years, weve put in place the kind of sanctions and other deterrent measures that have weakened the regime and weakened its proxies, he said. So the regime does not enjoy the support of the Iraqi people. You had a handful of terrorists who were at our embassy yesterday, but that does not represent the views of the Iraqi people who want Iran out. Hook said that the situation became pretty calm, adding: The president and the secretary worked very closely with the Iraqi government. Their security forces have taken all the necessary measures to disperse the crowd there so that were not facing an imminent threat to American personnel or to the protection ever our facility in Baghdad. In this photo provided by U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Marines assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC) 19.2, prepare to deploy from Kuwait in support of a crisis response mission on Dec. 31, 2019. (U.S. Marine Corps photos by Sgt. Robert G. Gavaldon via AP) A U.S. Army paratrooper of an immediate reaction force from the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, reaches for his weapon shortly before boarding a C-17 transport aircraft leaving Fort Bragg, North Carolina on Jan. 1, 2020. (Jonathan Drake/Reuters) President Donald Trump also said that Iran was behind the protests, which were described by some as being provoked by U.S. airstrikes on the Iran-backed terror group, Kaitaib Hezbollah, after the group killed an American civilian contractor. Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible, Trump said on Tuesday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the attack on the embassy was orchestrated by terrorists Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qays al-Khazali and abetted by Iranian proxies Hadi al Amari and Faleh al-Fayyad, circulating photographs showing the men outside the embassy. Todays attack against the U.S. Embassy should not be confused with the legitimate efforts of the Iraqi protestors who have been in the streets since October working for the people of Iraq to end the corruption exported there by the Iranian regime, he added on Tuesday. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goldgroup Mining Inc. (Goldgroup or the Company) (TSX:GGA, OTC:GGAZF, BMV SIX:GGAN.MX) provides a response to DynaResource, Inc.s (DynaUSA) news release from December 20, 2019. The Company is currently awaiting the written judgment of the 11th Federal Circuit Collegiate Court in Mexico to be published to assess its contents and reasons for judgment. The Company will continue to pursue all legal avenues in Mexico to achieve a favorable resolution to the DynaUSA dispute. In addition, the Company will continue the enforcement of the final judgment from the United States District Court for the District of Colorado (the Court) which confirmed the Companys previously announced favorable award in the arbitration against DynaUSA. See news releases dated August 31, 2016 and May 14, 2019. The order accompanying the final judgment, dated May 9, 2019, rejected every argument DynaUSA raised since the favorable result Goldgroup reached in the 2016 arbitration. Further legal proceedings might occur in the U.S. or Mexico. As of the date of this release, however, Goldgroup has a final judgment and detailed order confirming the expansive relief set forth in the arbitration award. About Goldgroup Goldgroup is a Canadian-based gold production, development, and exploration Company with a significant upside in a portfolio of projects in Mexico, including a 50% interest in DynaResource de Mexico, S.A. de C.V., which owns 100% of the high-grade gold exploration project, San Jose de Gracia located in the State of Sinaloa. In addition, the Company operates its 100%-owned Cerro Prieto heap-leach gold mine, in the State of Sonora, Mexico. Goldgroup is led by a team of highly successful and seasoned individuals with extensive expertise in mine development, corporate finance, and exploration in Mexico and Ecuador. Goldgroup's mission is to increase gold production, mineral resources, profitability and cash flow, with a view to building a leading gold producer. Story continues For further information on Goldgroup, please visit www.goldgroupmining.com On behalf of the Board of Directors Investor Relations Toll Free: 1-877-655-ozAu (6928) CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain information contained in this news release, including any information relating to future financial or operating performance, may be considered "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law) and "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Actual results could differ materially from the conclusions, forecasts and projections contained in such forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements reflect Goldgroup's current internal projections, expectations or beliefs and are based on information currently available to Goldgroup. In some cases forward-looking information can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. Certain assumptions have been made regarding the Company's plans at the Cerro Prieto project. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Goldgroup and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors including, without limitation: uncertainties related to actual capital costs, operating costs and expenditures, production schedules and economic returns from Goldgroup's projects; uncertainties associated with development activities; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral resources and precious metal recoveries; uncertainties related to current global economic conditions; fluctuations in precious and base metal prices; uncertainties related to the availability of future financing; potential difficulties with joint venture partners; risks that Goldgroup's title to its property could be challenged; political and country risk; risks associated with Goldgroup being subject to government regulation; risks associated with surface rights; environmental risks; Goldgroup's need to attract and retain qualified personnel; risks associated with potential conflicts of interest; Goldgroup's lack of experience in overseeing the construction of a mining project; risks related to the integration of businesses and assets acquired by Goldgroup; uncertainties related to the competitiveness of the mining industry; risk associated with theft; risk of water shortages and risks associated with competition for water; uninsured risks and inadequate insurance coverage; risks associated with potential legal proceedings; risks associated with community relations; outside contractor risks; risks related to archaeological sites; foreign currency risks; risks associated with security and human rights; and risks related to the need for reclamation activities on Goldgroup's properties, as well as the risk factors disclosed in Goldgroup's Annual Information Form and MD&A. Any and all of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Although Goldgroup believes that the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on reasonable assumptions, readers cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent with such statements. Accordingly, readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking information. Goldgroup expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except as may be required by, and in accordance with, applicable securities laws. Bengaluru/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday came down heavily on the Congress saying the party with its allies has gone to the extent of rebelling against Parliament in its stance against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Addressing a gathering at Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Bengaluru, the Prime Minister said, "Congress's hatred against us(BJP) is now revealed in its stance against parliament. Congress and its allies are now agitating against parliament..in fact they are protesting against the poor, the Dalits and all those who came to India to save themselves from religious persecution in the neighbouring countries." Pointing out the logic behind Citizenship Amendment Act passed in parliament in Dec last which provides citizenship to the persecuted minorities, Modi said, "Pakistan was created on the basis of religion. Right from its birth, the minorities were discriminated against for their faith. "Sikhs, Jains, Hindus, Christians had to flee Pakistan and take refuge in India. They were forced to leave their homes and come to India. These people were oppressed, deprived and feared for their life and dignity in Pakistan. But, Congress is not speaking against Pakistan..It is taking out protest marches, agitating on streets against those people who came to India to protect their daughters from rapists." "Why is Congress party not speaking against Pakistan which destroyed the lives of lakhs of people?" questioned Modi. "It is our duty to stand with these people who did not flee their homes out of choice and help them," he stressed. "Most of these refugees are Dalits and it is a responsibility bestowed on us by our national culture to help and protect the vulnerable. We cannot leave them to fend for themselves," he asserted. "Those who are protesting against Indian parliament should protest against Pakistan and highlight the wrongs it has committed against its minorities in the last 72 years," he thundered. The government is focussing on providing homes, clean fuel, good living conditions, Prime Minister Modi said. He also appealed the gathering to intensify movement against single-use plastic and support water conservation. Chennai Police have registered cases against 311 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, including party's secretary H Raja, following a protest by them at the Marina beach here on Wednesday. The party workers, including senior leaders H Raja, Pon Radhakrishnan, L Ganesan and CP Radhakrishnan were detained when they staged a protest near Gandhi Statue at the Marina beach, demanding the immediate arrest of Tamil writer Nellai Kannan for his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The BJP workers have been booked under section 143, 145 and 341 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Tamil Writer, on the other hand, has been arrested in Perambalur on charges of making hate speech against Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah during a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. On the basis of multiple complaints filed by the BJP leaders, the writer has been booked under Sections 504, 505(1) and 505(2) of the IPC. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Planes owned by a Abdel Hakim Belhaj and carrying Turkey-back Syrian fighters have landed in Libya to support the Government of National Accord reports Jisr. The French RFI radio reported that Syrian fighters sent to Libya by Turkey had arrived, one after the other, after video clips were published showing them in the capital Tripoli. French radio quoted sources in the Libyan Mitiga airport as saying that a large number of Syrian fighters had arrived in Libya by way of unregistered air transports. RFI reported that the Libyan Afriqiyah Airlines company and Ajniha company, owned by Abdel Hakim Belhaj residing in Turkey, had carried out the transport of these fighters from Turkey to Tripoli with the aim of assisting the forces allied with the Government of National Accord. It reported that between Friday and Sunday, four planes landed at Mitiga airport, bringing in fighters from Turkish-allied groups. Sarrajs government denied that Syrian fighters had arrived in Libya, while the Syrian rebel group the National Army also denied sending its fighters there. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Sterlite Technologies (STL) jumped 7.02% to Rs 126.45 after the company said it secured a multi-year deal worth about Rs 1800 crore to design, build and manage a rural broadband network across 3,000 gram panchayats in Telangana. STL, a global data networks innovator, was recently awarded the mandate to create a high speed rural broadband network from Telangana Fiber Grid Corporation (T-Fiber). Supporting the vision to establish a 'Digital Telangana', T-Fiber and STL will work together for enabling affordable and high-speed broadband connectivity to 6 million rural citizens in the state of Telangana. STL was awarded a work order for about Rs 1100 crore for Phase-1 of the project. The total project value is worth about Rs 1800 crore for which STL has received the letter of intent. This turnkey project entails designing and building an end-to-end rural broadband network across 11 districts, 3000 gram panchayats of Telangana and managing the network for an additional seven years. The project has a significant Operations and Maintenance (O&M) revenue stream, close to 30% of the overall Project value. The STL stock continues to trade above its 50 days simple moving average placed at 123.94 and below its 100 days simple moving average placed at 132.09. These levels will act as support and resistance in near term. Last month, Sterlite Technologies signed a multi-year, multi-million dollar strategic digital transformation agreement with Telekom Albania, the first mobile communications company in Albania. STL and Cognity will deploy leading edge end-to-end open and modular software solutions from STL's next-generation BSS/OSS portfolio. This will help Telekom Albania to centralize, automate and digitize operations across its mobile telephony, wireless broadband, landlines, mobile IPTV, for consumer and enterprise customers. STL offers end-to-end data network solutions. The company designs and deploys high-capacity converged fibre and wireless networks. STL's expertise ranges from optical fibre and cables, hyper-scale network design, and deployment and network software. On a consolidated basis, STL's net profit rose 21.6% to Rs 159.56 crore on a 25.4% increase in net sales to Rs 1359.69 crore in Q2 September 2019 over Q2 September 2018. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ardila Syakriah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, January 2, 2020 15:48 739 48be62e941b44f04afae568c3209a5e2 1 City flood,Greater-Jakarta,Twitter,disaster,rescue-efforts Free People are taking to social media to alert their neighbors and ask authorities for help, as the widespread flooding that hit Greater Jakarta on Jan. 1 has left people stranded on the upper floor and even the rooftop of their homes. The residents of Villa Nusa Indah in Bogor, West Java, were trapped by floodwaters up to 3 meters high that inundated their homes on Wednesday morning, following the heavy downpour that began in the afternoon on New Years Eve. Those in single-story houses were forced onto their rooftops, where they marked New Year's Day with limited food supplies and without a change of clothes. Community unit (RT) head Subadri said that residents in Bojongkulur, Villa Nusa Indah, waited 12 hours before a search and rescue (SAR) team arrived to evacuate children and the elderly. "Our area is located between the Bogor and Bekasi administrations, so evacuation always comes late," Subadri told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. The team arrived at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, after the residents had waited half a day to be rescued, he said, and only after the residents had been able to reach the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) in Bogor and ask for help. Subadri, who oversees an RT covering 42 households, said the evacuation took about four hours because the team was equipped only with two rubber dinghies that could each carry two people in addition to the rescuers. As a result, many residents remained trapped in their homes and some were drenched in the rain that fell later that evening. Although the floodwater had started to recede by Thursday morning, Subadri said that many residents were running out of food because their houses were filled with mud. Bojongkulur resident Anto Simanjuntak shared a second-floor bedroom with 12 other family members as they waited for the water to recede. "This is the worst flood I've ever experienced in the past 10 years. There was a similar flood in 2007, but it didn't get 3 meters high," he said. Anto said that he and his family received no disaster relief aid on Wednesday, and that they were now relying on other relatives for food and spare clothing. Villa Nusa Indah became a trending Twitter topic on Wednesday, when its residents posted pictures and videos of the area's flooding that drew the attention and sympathy of netizens. Some residents also shared their stories of being trapped in their homes while they asked for help in being evacuated. Twitter user Rofik Rosyid (@rofikrasyid) uploaded a picture of flooded houses and submerged cars in Villa Nusa Indah. Kenapa semua fokus ke Jakarta? Bekasi sama Bogor juga banjir, belum ada satu petugas pun yg mengevaluasi keluarga kami di Villa Nusa indah 1 blok N5 no 10, Gunung Putri, tolong kami pak @ridwankamil @BupatiBOGOR#BanjirJakarta #banjir2020 #banjirbogor #banjirjawabarat #jawabarat pic.twitter.com/V6If03jX0S rofik rasyid (@rofikrasyid) January 1, 2020 "Why is all the focus on Jakarta? Bekasi and Bogor are flooded as well, and not a single [SAR] officer has evacuated our family in Villa Nusa Indah [...] Help us Pak @ridwankamil," he wrote, tagging the official account of West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil. Rofik's tweet had been retweeted more than 3,000 times by 3 p.m. on Thursday. "Last night, after I turned on my phone and tweeted, thank God for everyone's help, we were given meals. Thank God, the water has now receded, so everyone's cleaning their houses," he told the Post. Nita Oktaviani (@nittonitnot) of Depok, West Java, in replying to another tweet on Wednesday that asked for help, shared a picture of houses standing in up to 1.5 meters of water in Pondok Bahar Permai in Tangerang, Banten. "This evening, the water reached as high as 1.5 meters inside the house, but no assistance has come. Many people need evacuation and supplies," she wrote in the caption. Mbaaa di Pondok Bahar Permai juga. Malam ini ketinggian air mencapai 1.5 meter di dalam rumah tp belum ada bantuan datang. Banyak yg butuh evakuasi & logistik pic.twitter.com/mQ9sYlzY5T nitto (@nittonitnot) January 1, 2020 While she was unable to help on her own, Nita said she was worried about her parents, who were trapped on the second floor of their house in the area and were running out of food as they waited to be evacuated. Nita told the Post on Thuesday that the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) had asked for her parents' contact information, but she was unsure they would be evacuated soon, since their house was located at the very rear of the complex. Basarnas spokesman Yusuf Latif said that the agency was experiencing difficulty reaching several areas in Bekasi and Tangerang, as the flooding had cut off access. He added that the agency was overwhelmed by many requests for evacuation, since it had only 13 teams available for deploying across Greater Jakarta on Wednesday. Yusuf said 38 teams with two dinghies each were deployed on Thursday, including to hard-hit areas like Vila Nusa Indah, Pondok Bahar and Kemang Pratama. "Another hindrance in the evacuation effort is that the rubber dinghies are sometimes torn by nails or gates in the water, so the team must return [to base] to collect new boats," he told the Post on Thursday, adding that the agency would later determine the best equipment for completing the evacuation. Yusuf added that the agency had gathered data on those areas that were not evacuated on Wednesday. It had also made the teams' contact details public, so that affected residents could call them directly for help. Taiwan's main political parties suspended election campaigning just days ahead of general elections on Jan. 11 after a top military chief charged with organizing a defense against possible invasion from China died in a helicopter crash. The UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crashed in a mountainous area with 13 people on board, soon after taking off from the military airport in Songshan on , killing chief of general staff Gen. Shen Yi-ming and seven other people. Five people survived. The chief of general staff is responsible for overseeing Taiwan's defense against China, which has threatened to use military force to annex the democratic island, which has never been controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, nor formed part of the People's Republic of China. The chopper went missing from the radar screen 10 minutes after takeoff, crash-landing in the heavily forested Wulai mountain area southeast of the capital, Taipei. Shen, 63, was promoted in July after serving as commander of Taiwans air force, and had been a popular military leader. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suspended all public campaign events through after the fatal crash. "We are utterly saddened at the loss of these pillars of our nation," the party said via its official Twitter account. The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) suspended campaigning until the end of . The military said in a statement that the aircraft made a "forced landing," and the reasons for the crash were as yet unknown. 'Maintain military stability' The Blackhawk helicopter that crashed was designed for search and rescue and had been delivered in 2018, according to the defense ministry. Incumbent DPP president Tsai Ing-wen, who looks set to win a second term in office on Jan. 11, said she had asked the defense minister to launch an investigation. "We must find out the reason for the incident," she told reporters in the northeastern county of Yilan, where the helicopter had been heading after setting out from Taipei. "The most important thing is ... to maintain military stability and ensure the security and stability of our country," Tsai said. Turnout in the Jan. 11 poll, which will select the next president and Legislative Yuan, looks set to be high with strong voter involvement, partly on the back of fears for Taiwan's democratic way of life in the light of recent protests in Hong Kong. "I have always supported the [DPP and other pro-independence parties], and I have come back from the United States [to vote]," a woman who gave only a surname Chen told RFA in Taipei on . "It seems that the odds are good [for a Tsai victory], but I don't know if there will be any funny business," she said. Lawmakers passed Taiwan's first Anti-Infiltration Law on Dec. 31 following repeated warnings from Taiwan's national security agencies that China is pouring in backdoor resources and stepping up "United Front" propaganda work to boost support for the pro-China KMT, or nationalist party, ahead of the election. The new law forbids any organizations or individuals sponsored by foreign powers from providing political contributions, campaigning, lobbying, or disseminating fake news meant to interfere in elections. 'Hong Kong, Taiwan ' An office worker surnamed Hwang said the results were still unpredictable. "I think the elections here Taiwan will be very irrational, especially in the last few days, there are a lot of things that could change," Hwang said. But he said he expects the refusal of the Hong Kong authorities to accede to the demands of the city's pro-democracy movement and the violent suppression of demonstrators could have a profound impact on turnout. "The willingness to come out to vote will increase, and I feel that there is maybe a sense of anxiety, with people saying 'Hong Kong, Taiwan ,'" Hwang said. Fan Shih-ping of National Taiwan Normal University said the helicopter crash is unlikely to have much of an impact on the poll result at this stage in the campaign. "This shouldn't affect the election very much, although it is an unexpected incident and it is more difficult to investigate political factors," Fan said, in a reference to speculation over whether there could have been foul play involved in the crash. "It might not bode too well for certain ... DPP candidates for the legislature, because Tsai Ing-wen could perhaps have raised some momentum for them," he said. Cheng-Feng Shih, Dean of the College of Indigenous Studies at National Dong Hwa University said people are likely most concerned about the findings of the investigation, which won't emerge for several months. "Everyone is thinking, maybe this wasn't an accident," Shih said. "Was it due to uncontrollable factors, or worse, external forces?" "Right now, everyone is going to be thinking about this." Reported by Hsia Hsiao-hwa and Hwang Chun-mei for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Chung Kuang-cheng for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. 14:24 | Lima, Jan. 2. In his speech during a ceremony marking the opening of the Judicial Year 2020, he noted that the consequences of said constitutional crisis , in social and economic terms in the long term at least are still being dealt with. The devastating wildfires that are currently ravaging through Australia have left experts fearing that an estimated half-billion animals are dead. As more than 130 fires continue to burn across New South Wales and Victoria, ecologists from the University of Sydney believe 480 million total mammals, birds and reptiles have died since September, news.com.au reports. Part of the heartbreaking count includes 8,000 koalas from New South Wales, which equates to a third of the regions entire koala population. That figure is expected to increase as the fires worsen throughout the week. Koalas have reportedly been hit the hardest due to their slow-moving nature and the fact they only eat eucalyptus tree leaves which are comprised of oil, making them highly flammable. The fires have burned so hot and so fast that there has been significant mortality of animals in the trees, but there is such a big area now that is still on fire and still burning that we will probably never find the bodies, Nature Conservation Council ecologist Mark Graham said, according to the local outlet. [Koalas] really have no capacity to move fast enough to get away [from the fast-moving flames], he added. Nathan Edwards/Getty A koala in recovery | Nathan Edwards/Getty RELATED: Australian Firefighters Who Died Bravely Defending Communities Were New Dads & Close Friends The rising numbers have become increasingly concerning to environmental activists, including Stand Up for Nature, an alliance of 13 organizations, and nonprofit wildlife conservation organization, Science for Wildlife. In a letter to New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Stand Up for Nature called for an immediate and temporary halt on logging of native forests until experts could efficiently understand the wildfires impacts on the species and habitat. The impact on many species has been extreme and is ongoing. The full scale of wildlife losses will probably never be known, but they will surely number in the millions, the letter read, according to news.com.au. The effects of the catastrophic fires have been so far-reaching that allowing further loss of habitat and impact on native species would be unconscionable. Story continues These unprecedented fires have jeopardized the long-term viability of threatened species populations and forest ecosystems in several areas, the letter continued. We therefore call on the government to ensure logging industry workers are supported during this process, either with alternative employment options, financial assistance or other worthwhile alternatives. We stand ready to engage constructively with the industry and government to achieve this goal. The unprecedented circumstances have also been eye-opening for Science for Wildlifes executive director Dr. Kellie Leigh. Were getting a lot of lessons out of this and its just showing how unprepared we are, Leigh said, according to the local outlet. Theres no procedures or protocols in place even wildlife carers dont have protocols for when they can go in after the fire. The Australian bushfires | David Gray/Getty In addition to the animals, the ravaging blazes have left 17 people dead including two firefighters, Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew ODwyer and many others unaccounted for, as well as forced hundreds from their homes and left thousands stranded, CNN reported. Millions of acres of land across the continent have also been destroyed from the flames, including 8.9 million acres of land in New South Wales, 2.9 million acres in Western Australia, 1.9 million acres in Victoria, at least 618,000 acres in Queensland, and more than 225,000 acres in South Australia, according to CNN. On Wednesday one day after what was reportedly deemed the deadliest day of the fire crisis since its start Australia deployed military ships and aircraft to help victims and communities in need. RELATED VIDEO: Wildfires Are Sweeping Across California Causing Thousands to Evacuate A state of emergency was also declared in New South Wales in December, which gives the Rural Fire Service commissioner extraordinary powers to make decisions for using and allocating government resources, according to CNN. As of Thursday, there are 2,000 firefighters working in New South Wales alone, with additional help arriving from the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. With strong winds and high temperatures expected to come in on Saturday, officials are warning residents that they could create incredibly dangerous conditions even worse than past weeks and mandating that they evacuate. T he psychologist who developed the Governments main deradicalisation programme today said it can never be certain that terrorists have been cured. Christopher Dean set up the Healthy Identity Intervention (HII) rehabilitation scheme for prisoners convicted of offences linked to extremism. It was one of the courses attended by Usman Khan, who stabbed two people to death near London Bridge on 29 November. Khan was a convicted terrorist who had been a member of an al Qaeda-inspired group that plotted to blow up the London Stock Exchange. Mr Dean told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that some offenders who take part in his scheme regress afterwards for complex reasons such as who they mix with. They may come into contact with individuals or they may go through a spell in life where they may begin to re-engage with groups or causes or ideologies associated with their offending behaviour, he said. I think we have to be very careful about ever saying that somebody no longer presents a risk of committing an offence. I dont think you can ever be sure. We have to be very careful about saying someone has totally changed or has been cured. Khan killed Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, during a knife rampage at a prisoner rehabilitation event in Fishmongers Hall before being shot dead by police. The 28-year-old had been released from prison on licence in December 2018 when he was reportedly responding to rehabilitation. Mr Dean said: The two main aims of healthy identity intervention are primarily to try and make individuals less willing or prepared to commit offences on behalf of a violent extremist group cause or ideology. If we can reduce someones relationship or identification with a particular group, cause or ideology, that in itself may have an impact on whether theyre willing to offend or not. As part of the HII scheme, offenders attend sessions with a psychologist who encourages them to talk about their motivations, beliefs, identity and relationships. Mr Dean said HII was only one part of attempts to manage such offenders, adding: I think we need to be careful about suggesting that interventions in themselves are the solution. There has been no evaluation of the schemes long-term success. A government spokesman said the new counter-terror Bill will keep terrorists in prison for longer and strengthen licence conditions if they are released. The next meeting of the beef taskforce will take place on Monday, January 9, with Irish and UK retailers invited to participate to discuss market trends and requirements, specifically bonus criteria currently applied to Irish beef cattle prices. Hopefully, New Year hostilities will not break out in the sector in the meantime, but that cannot be guaranteed. Tensions in the sector were obvious at the inaugural meeting of the taskforce on December 3. And farmers patience has been tested further by the mid-December price comparison which showed that a heifer was worth 156 more (for a 330kg carcase) north of the border, a huge differential which widened from 105 a month earlier. On December 3, the task force chairman requested and received a re-affirmation from stakeholders of adherence to a peace clause in the September 15 sector agreement, and that all relevant issues would be brought in the first instance to the task force for resolution. However, two day later, IFA president Joe Healy led a protest at the Aldi distribution centre in Co Kildare, followed over the next 10 days by similar protests at the distribution centres of Lidl, Tesco, Musgraves, and Dunnes Stores. Meat Industry Ireland jumped into the fight straight away, accusing IFA of an irresponsible and completely unjustified illegal blockading stunt, and not giving the task force due time to address the many actions in the beef sector agreement. The flare-up clearly demonstrated the knife-edge potential for continuing low prices for beef cattle to trigger disruption in the sector, and the possibility even of a repeat of the early autumn blockade for over a month of beef factories. Without a significant price increase, farmer organisations remain under pressure to act. Newly elected IFA president Tim Cullinan has made that clear, saying the priority for the first month of his presidency is the beef crisis: Factories have to realise if they want a beef industry in Ireland, they will have to pay for it. The Department of Agriculture is examining why the expected increase in the composite beef price didnt occur, following the application of the September 15 sector agreement bonuses. To make matters worse, processors enforced carcase weight restrictions and penalised for heavier cattle. They indicated to the taskforce on December 3 these were pre-existing weight restrictions previously applied in a flexible manner, but enforced in December apparently regardless of the inevitable backlash from farmers. Farmer organisations also told the task force of difficulties with processors on producer organisations. And the taskforce view expressed, that there should be no discrimination against farmers who participated in the autumn protests and more recent protests, also pointed to underlying tensions, even though processors rejected any claims of discrimination against protesters. All told, there was little sign on December 3 of the task force developing a sustainable pathway for the future of the beef sector, in terms of economic, environmental and social sustainability, as hoped for by Agriculture Minister Michael Creed. He promised timelines for implementation of agreed commitments, and nothing less may be needed to keep the peace. On December 3, the task force noted the gap between Irish and EU beef cattle prices, and the consensus amongst farm organisations that market trends indicated the price should increase. The task force also noted the processors view that some price improvement should arise in the short-term. That materialised the week after, with the R3 steer price increasing by about 4c/kg and the R3 heifer price gaining about 4.4c. However, the glaring price differential revealed between farms in Northern and Southern Ireland proved processors have a long way to go to restore peaceful relations with cattle farmers. A Loose Park Contemporary Makes the Most of Its Stunning Location - In Kansas City Entrepreneurs and philanthropists Jason Holmes and Kevin Westrope were living complex and busy lives with homes in Dallas, Puerto Vallarta, and Union Hill, when they decided to simplify. Kansas City would remain their home base, but they were ready to create a spacious, light-filled home that would meet all of their needs. An "upscale" local mag is mostly sponsored content garbagetoday they share pix of this fancy corner house that always has every light on and provides passersby a clear view inside already . . . Checkit: Representative image The Government of India, earlier this week, launched a new online portal called the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) for blocking or tracking stolen phones. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad announced that the new Centre for Development of Telematics (CDOT) will work with Delhi Police and telecom operators for tracing lost phones. Unlike the already-available Find my iPhone and Find my Device found on iPhone and several Android smartphones that require an active internet connection, CEIR only needs the smartphones IMEI number, which is unique to every device. CEIR is currently accessible to users living in Maharashtra and Delhi NCR. The service is expected to roll out soon across the country. The website allows users to put a request for blocking a stolen or a lost smartphone, unblock a found mobile, and even check the request status. First things first, users need to know the IMEI number which is written on the mobiles retail box or on the invoice. The IMEI number of a particular mobile can also be found by dialling *#06#. To find a stolen or a lost smartphone, -The user first needs to register an official complaint of a lost or a stolen mobile in the nearest police station.-Next, visit the CEIR website at https://ceir.gov.in/Home/index.jsp and click on Block stolen/ lost mobile to raise a request. -Fill in the required details including your mobiles unique IMEI number, the purchase invoice, and the date and place where the mobile was lost or stolen. The complainant also needs to upload the police complaints picture on the CEIR website. -Enter a mobile number that can be used to contact and for receiving the One-Time-Password (OTP). Once done, enter the OTP, click on the declaration and then, click on Submit. -You will receive a Request ID, which can be used to track the status. To check the status of your raised request for lost or stolen mobile, -Go to the CEIR website. -Click on the Check Request Status and enter the Request ID. Once youve found your lost or stolen mobile, you can unblock it online. -Click on Unblock Found Mobile -Enter the Request ID and the mobile number entered previously for getting the OTP. Users can enter the same mobile number or a different one to get a new OTP in the third block. -Enter the new OTP and click submit. The tagline Your best buys are always at Frys once blanketed Bay Area airwaves, but thats no longer true of the computer retailers Palo Alto store. A temple of electronics known as ground zero for geek culture, the Portage Avenue Frys Electronics closed last week after almost 30 years in business. The Palo Alto store was a fixture for techies everywhere. Its sad they closed, said Abbi Vakil, who works as a hardware engineer in the city. You will not find an engineer in the Bay Area who hasnt gone to Frys for some kind of prototype building. Frys Electronics, a San Jose company that still has dozens of stores from California to Georgia, including seven in the Bay Area, said on Twitter that it had not been able to renew the Palo Alto stores lease. But customers from Sunnyvale to Seattle have been sharing photos and videos of empty shelves on social media for months, raising speculation that the chain may be heading for bankruptcy or shrinking significantly. Frys has adamantly denied the rumors, saying the shelves are empty because it has shifted to a consignment model, meaning that suppliers get paid for goods only after a store has sold them. It said on Twitter its not going out of business, explaining that the shift to consignment takes time and that 245 vendors have agreed to the new terms. The company did not respond to requests for comment. Consignment is rare among consumer electronics retailers, though San Franciscos B8ta uses it to sell newer, more experimental gadgets, and the company working to reopen Toys R Us stores is using a similar business model, according to Chain Store Age magazine. The challenge is persuading suppliers to embrace the model. If they dont, then there wont be any goods to fill the shelves. If shelves are empty and they (Frys) have moved everything to consignment, that does sound suspicious, because it suggests a cash crunch, said Sucharita Kodali, retail analyst at Forrester Research, a market research firm. Most big-box retailers will try to pack shelves to look full. Consignment can work for some products, but those sold by Frys once hard-to-find gadgets and computer parts are widely available at low prices elsewhere, she said. Founded in 1985 by brothers John, Randy and David Fry and business partner Kathryn Kolder, Frys catered to Silicon Valleys appetite for computer hardware, everything from routers to motherboards. It even expanded into kitchen appliances and office furniture. Its stores often had quirky themes, ranging from sci-fi in Burbank to Mayan in San Jose. In the mid-1990s, before high-speed internet connections made software easy to download, the stores served as a teenage hangout, allowing customers to play video games and try new hardware. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Besides Best Buy, few computer chains like Frys are still in business. Circuit City, CompUSA, Computer City, Incredible Universe and others are long gone. Target, Walmart and other general retailers now have well-stocked electronics sections. And electronics are a big category for Amazon, which Frys once sought to compete with by buying online retailer Cyberian Outpost after the collapse of the dot-com bubble in 2001. The situation at Frys upsets longtime customers like Sam Tang, a marketer in Seattle. It makes me sad to see it in this state, but I just wish it would go faster, Tang said. Hes frequented the Renton store, about 15 miles from Seattle. For months, the shelves have been empty. Employees told him that the likelihood of that store remaining open is slim. Tang said it reminds him of the fate of the Blockbuster video store chain another famous retail name that has all but vanished. Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. focused on civics education in his annual year-end report on the federal judiciary, saying we have come to take democracy for granted, and civic education has fallen by the wayside. In our age, when social media can instantly spread rumor and false information on a grand scale, the publics need to understand our government, and the protections it provides, is ever more vital, Roberts said in the report , which each year provides statistics on the judicial workload but also adopts a theme, often filled with historical references. The year-end report is usually devoid of anything controversial, though a year ago Roberts used the report to push for tougher safeguards for judicial employees from workplace harassment. With Roberts preparing to preside over the impending impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the U.S. Senate, the 2019 report includes a few passing references to justice and the importance of an independent judiciary. We should celebrate our strong and independent judiciary, a key source of national unity and stability, Roberts wrote. But we should also remember that justice is not inevitable. We should reflect on our duty to judge without fear or favor, deciding each matter with humility, integrity, and dispatch. Most of Roberts report is devoted to a discussion of civics. By virtue of their judicial responsibilities, judges are necessarily engaged in civic education, Roberts wrote. He cited as one example the courts 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the great school desegregation case, as he called it. Then-Chief Justice Earl Warren illustrated the power of a judicial decision as a teaching tool by keeping his unanimous opinion for the court on such a contentious issue to a mere 11 pages, short enough that newspapers could publish all or almost all of it and every citizen could understand the Courts rationale, Roberts wrote. See Education Weeks Citizen Z project , featuring ongoing coverage of the role that schools are playing in preparing the next generation of citizens. Roberts highlighted several civics education efforts of the federal courts, such as mock trials organized by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, in which students participate in realistic judicial exercises in real courtrooms and are presided over by federal judges. The chief justice noted that three federal appeals courts have opened education-related centers. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit recently opened its Justice for All Learning Center in the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in New York City, he said. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit has helped open the Judicial Learning Center at the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis. And the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, based in San Francisco, has dedicated space in the Robert T. Matsui U.S. Courthouse in Sacramento for the Anthony M. Kennedy Library and Learning Center, named for the Supreme Court justice who retired in 2018 and has been an advocate for civics education. Roberts also noted that individual judges at all levels of the federal court system, including bankruptcy judges and magistrate judges, are personally involved in national, regional, and local education programs. He mentioned the work of the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, who over the past two decades has quietly volunteered as a tutor at a local elementary school, inspiring his court colleagues to join in the effort. That judge is Merrick Garland, whose nomination for the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama was blocked by Senate Republicans in 2016. Garland volunteers at J.O. Wilson Elementary School in the nations capital. I am confident that many other federal judges, without fanfare or acclaim, are playing similar selfless roles throughout the country, Roberts said, who also mentioned efforts by retired Justice Sandra Day OConnor to form iCivics, which provides educational resources about civics, including video games. As they say, to reach people you have to meet them where they are, Roberts wrote in an aside, in reference to video games. He noted that Justice Sonia Sotomayor has picked up the work of OConnor, who stepped back from public life in 2018 after she revealed a diagnosis of Alzheimers disease. The chief justice also mentioned the education-related work of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Civic education, like all education, is a continuing enterprise and conversation, Roberts said. Each generation has an obligation to pass on to the next, not only a fully functioning government responsive to the needs of the people, but the tools to understand and improve it. Photo: Chief Justice John Roberts joins other justices of the U.S. Supreme Court for an official group portrait at the Supreme Court Building in Washington, Thursday. June 1, 2017. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Related reading: How History Class Divides Us Schools Teach Civics. Do They Model It? The number of foreign visitors dropped 5 percent last year amid a drumbeat of bad news and international condemnation. There were the Amazon forest fires. Then a devastating oil spill. A record number of killings by police in Rio de Janeiro. And through it all, a president who revels in political provocation saying hed rather have a dead son than a gay one, calling for criminals to be killed in the streets like cockroaches, insulting the appearance of the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. FORT WORTH, Texas - A Texas man who used affluenza as a defence at his trial for killing four people while driving drunk was arrested Thursday after authorities say he violated the terms of his probation. Ethan Couch, 22, was booked into a jail in Fort Worth after he tested positive for THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, court records show. Couchs attorneys, Scott Brown and Reagan Wynn, said their client has been intensely monitored for alcohol and illegal substance use for more than 20 months and has never been positive for the use of any substance before. We cannot make any further statement until we have the opportunity to conduct an investigation to determine if, in fact, Ethan ingested THC and, if so, if it was a voluntary act on his part, Brown and Wynn said in a statement. Jail records did not indicate whether his bond had been set Thursday afternoon. Couch became known as the affluenza teen during his manslaughter trial for the 2013 crash. Couch, 16 at the time of the crash, was found to have a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit for adult drivers after the crash. But a psychologist told a juvenile court that he was affected by affluenza, or irresponsibility caused by family wealth. A judge originally sentenced Couch to 10 years of probation. But he was later jailed after attending a party where alcohol was served and then fleeing to Mexico with his mother to avoid punishment. He was released in 2018 after serving a nearly two-year sentence. In 2013, Couch lost control of his familys pickup truck after he and his friends had played beer pong and drank beer stolen from a Walmart. He veered into a crowd of people helping the driver of a disabled vehicle on the side of the road. Authorities later estimated that he was going 70 mph in a 40 mph zone. The crash fatally injured the stranded motorist, a youth minister who stopped to help her and a mother and daughter who came out of their nearby home. Tonya Couch, Ethans mother, is awaiting trial on charges of hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering arising from when they fled to Mexico in 2015. She has been in and out of jail since then. Bexar County deputies can now ditch their razors, following a change to the sheriff's office's grooming policy. Sheriff Javier Salazar announced Thursday that all uniformed personnel will be allowed to have beards year-round for the first time. Employees should probably hold tight to those trimmers, however, because those who choose to wear beards will have to "maintain a neat and professional appearance." The beards must allow deputies to wear gas masks and breathing apparatus. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox The rule change follows Salazar's recent decision to relax the tattoo policy and allow deputies to display their ink. The new grooming policy brings BCSO in line with agencies in Houston, Austin, and Dallas. The Travis County Sheriff's Office enacted a similar policy in August, giving a green light to both beards and ponytails. The San Antonio Police Department banned its officers from having visible tattoos in 2014. Salazar was the spokesperson for the department when Chief William McManus enacted the ban, as part of an effort to have officers appear more professional. It's something that's been in the works for some time now, Salazar said at the time. On Thursday, the sheriff noted attitudes have shifted in the six years since that policy change. "Times and attitudes have evolved," Salazar said in a statement. "The true measure of a professional is not what they have on their face or arms, but how well they serve their community." Mark Dunphy is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read him on our breaking news site, MySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mark.dunphy@express-news.net | @m_b_dunphy (Newser) Julian Assange says he's "slowly dying" behind bars, where he might be stuck in solitary confinement. British journalist and ex-Army officer Vaughan Smith, a friend of Assange, said as much after talking to the Wikileaks founder: "He said to me, 'I'm slowly dying here,'" Smith told Russian state TV network on Tuesday, per Gizmodo. "His speech was slurred. He was speaking slowly. Now, Julian is highly articulate, a very clear person when he speaks. And he sounded awful and it was very upsetting to hear him. He didn't actually say he was sedated. It seemed fairly obvious that he was and the idea that hes been sedated has come from several people whove visited him who have clearly been told." story continues below Vaughan says Assange is "clearly" being held in solitary 23 hours a day, and the Express states that as fact. Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan whose work has involved torture victims, says "I know how they behave, and [Assange] is behaving exactly as a torture victim behaves." A UN official who spoke with Assange in October came to a similar conclusion. Back in May, Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars for skipping bail in 2012 and tossed in Britain's Belmarsh prison; this after he spent seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, seeking asylum. Solitary confinement can be considered a form of psychological torture under international law, although certain countriesthe US includedstill use it. (See what 60 doctors said about Assange's condition.) A pall of gloom descended on Mundhe village in Maharashtra's Satara district, following the death of Indian Army soldier Naik Sandip Raghunath Sawant, who was killed during a counter-insurgency operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera sector on Wednesday. Sawant (29) and Rifleman Arjun Thapa Magar (25) were killed when the Army foiled an infiltration bid by heavily armed terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on New Year's day. Sawant and his wife were blessed with a baby girl recently and he had come home for his daughter's naming ceremony, having returned to his posting just 15 days ago, one of the deceased soldier's relatives said. A day before the incident, Sawant had spoken to his elder brother, he said, adding that the martyred soldier had joined the Indian Army in 2011. The tragic on the very first day of the new year had shocked the village, sarpanch Ramesh Lavate said. According to Indian Army sources, Sawant's remains will be flown in from Delhi to Pune on Thursday night and will be brought to his native village thereafter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Inside Hook For the first time in its 77-year history, stars at the Golden Globe Awards will be served a vegan meal as part of the Hollywood Foreign Press Associations sustainability efforts. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the decision to go for an entirely plant-based menu was a last-minute one. A menu previewed earlier in December contained fish, and Matthew Morgan, executive chef at the Beverly Hilton where the awards ceremony is held, got the call about the change just a few days before Christmas. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday paid his obeisance to Guru Gobind Singh on his birth anniversary and hailed the tenth Sikh Guru saying that he devoted himself to fight against injustice and wrongdoing. "On the occasion of Guru Gobind Singh's Prakash Parv (birth anniversary), I pay my obeisance and bow on his feet. The tenth Sikh Guru and the founder of the Khalsa Panth, devoted himself to fighting against injustice and wrongdoing", Shah tweeted. Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also took to twitter to extend his wishes and pay respects to Guru Gobind Singh. "I join the sangat in paying obeisance to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on his Parkash Purav. Spiritual leader, philosopher and warrior, Guru Sahib founded Khalsa Panth and gave Sikhs the tradition of five K's," Puri tweeted. Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar offered prayers at Patna Sahib Gurudwara, in Patna on this occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the city's revamped C-PACE program, Salt Lake City is in a position to lead the country in renewables and carbon reduction. Under Mayor Jacqueline Biskupski's leadership, Salt Lake City has set aggressive sustainability goals for 2030 to be 100% renewable by 2030 and cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2040. Mayor Biskupski said "C-PACE was the lowest cost of capital for the developer, Portman Holdings, which enabled the project to proceed. We expect that C-PACE is going to be a catalyst to enable the City to meet our sustainability goals." Opening in 2022, the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City will be the first 4-star large hotel delivered to thriving Salt Lake City since the City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The 700-room upscale, full-service hotel will be located in downtown Salt Lake City and will serve as the Salt Palace Convention Center's on-site hotel. Projects like this are designed to meet the demand for large capacity hotels for Salt Lake City's growing convention industry. CleanFund's contribution to the $377 million in total project costs will be used to fund C-PACE eligible energy efficiency improvements such as heating and cooling systems, interior lighting and equipment, fans, heat rejection, pumps, and water systems. As a result, the hotel's energy performance is projected to exceed the energy code compliance level by over 20 percent. "The project has always had an ambitious construction and capital plan," said Portman Holdings President, John Portman, IV. "We were fortunate enough to work with talented and capable people with the City and County to learn what sustainable financing resources were available to the project. Once we were introduced to C-PACE, we immediately saw the opportunity to cost-effectively fund the sustainable elements of the project. CleanFund provided the capital in an upfront manner and was a delight to work with. We are very pleased with how they approached the deal and the partnership, especially given the overall complexity of the project." Salt Lake City wanted the project to move forward and with no further tax incentives available, they reached out to the Utah C-PACE program. "We recently redesigned the Utah C-PACE program with new legislation that not only addresses the potential credit risks of C-PACE and enabled the program to work as it was originally intended. The goal of the C-PACE program is to make it easy and affordable for Utah's commercial buildings owners to invest in upgrades that will not only benefit their bottom line and their tenants, but also the planet," said Theddi Wright Chappell, Director of the Utah C-PACE Program. C-PACE is the ideal financial tool for large projects that need cost-effective capital and incentives to make the needed energy efficiency and clean energy improvements. Woolsey McKernon, Managing Director for CleanFund said, "The Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City project was the most heavily sought-after project with an extremely competitive RFP process. In the end, CleanFund provided the most attractive financing package that worked for Portman Holdings." The CEO of CleanFund, Lain Gutierrez, added "This transaction demonstrates that C-PACE fits well within a highly structured capital stack for large marquee projects. I'm also pleased to see C-PACE has matured to the point that a top-tier developer such as Portman Holdings would choose to incorporate C-PACE in its financing." The City plans to host a ceremony on January 10th to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City and the largest C-PACE deal in history. ABOUT CLEANFUND Founded in 2009, CleanFund is the leading direct lender of Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy providing long-term financing for energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable energy and seismic improvements to commercial, multifamily and other nonresidential properties in the U.S. Visit us at www.CleanFund.com ABOUT PORTMAN HOLDINGS Throughout the past 62 years, Portman Holdings has developed over 65 million square-feet of premium real estate around the world with a focus on hospitality, office and mixed-use properties. The vertically integrated real estate development, investment and management company commands a successful global network and has a proven track record with the world's top financial institutions. Teams in the company's global offices seamlessly connect to develop, finance and manage a diverse portfolio in the world's core and emerging markets. Portman Holdings continues to achieve success through investor, partner and client relationships that deliver exceptional real estate projects. For additional information, visit www.portmanholdings.com Contact for CleanFund: Alice Reeve (415) 256-8000 Contact for Portman Holdings: Jennifer Graham (404) 614-5307 SOURCE CleanFund Commercial PACE Capital Related Links http://www.cleanfund.com Kristina Kvien, deputy chief of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Ukraine, has been appointed as the interim charge daffaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. In a video posted on Facebook on January 2, Kvien said that the U.S. "policy of strong support for Ukraine remains steady." "Our embassy team will continue to partner closely with the Ukrainian government and civil society and support Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, and support reforms that will help Ukraine build its prosperous European future," Kvien said. Kvien replaced William Taylor, who stepped aside earlier on January 2 after serving in the post since May 18, 2019. Taylor said good-bye to Ukrainians in a video statement on December 31, saying he was "very optimistic" about Ukraine's future. Taylor was launched into the forefront of the impeachment hearings against U.S. President Donald Trump in November when he testified that one of his staffers overheard Trump ask U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland about investigations against Joe Biden, one of the president's main political rivals. During his testimony, Taylor also criticized Trumps decision to delay military aid to Ukraine and a White House invitation to Zelenskiy, saying it ran counter to U.S. foreign policy goals in the region and damaged Washingtons relationship with Kyiv. Taylor's appointment was set to expire in early January but the State Department did not extend his stay. Moscow, Jan 2 : Russian President Vladimir Putins 2020 agenda will include domestic and international events, but the main focus will be on the 75th anniversary of celebration of the Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. Putin has invited dozens of foreign leaders to attend the May 9 celebration, TASS News Agency said in a report on Wednesday. Many have already confirmed their participation, while others haven't made up their mind yet. In particular, US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in visiting Moscow but his visit was yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, Putin is expected to deliver his State-of-the-Nation address to the Federal Assembly (Parliament) on January 15. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that the address would set short-term goals and objectives. Putin is likely to hold another annual televised question and answer session dubbed 'The Direct Line', which usually takes place in late spring or in early summer, and his annual news conference, usually held in December. Putin will start his 2020 series of foreign visits with a visit to Turkey and will attend the launch ceremony of the TurkStream gas pipeline with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A volunteer firefighter killed during the NSW bushfire crisis has been farewelled in an emotional funeral procession involving his fiancee and young son. The funeral service for Geoffrey Keaton. Credit:Ben Rushton Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died when his fire truck rolled while battling the large Green Wattle Creek blaze near the town of Buxton on December 19. Mr Keaton was remembered at a funeral at Pinegrove Memorial Park in Minchinbury, western Sydney, on Thursday morning. Fiancee Jess Hayes and young son Harvey were part of a long procession of fire trucks that drove to the service in tribute to Mr Keaton. A heartbroken family struggling to deal with the deaths of a father and son has been dealt another devastating blow. Dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, died trying to defend their home from bushfires in Cobargo in the south east of New South Wales on Tuesday. Tragically, within 30 hours of their deaths, Robert's mother Edna Salway died peacefully. Dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, died trying to defend their home from bushfires in Cobargo The remains of burnt out buildings are seen along main street in Cobargo on December 31 Dean Hancock, Robert's son-in-law and Patrick's brother-in-law, shared the sad news to friends on Thursday. 'We have been dealt the most horrific and devastating blow to our family, imaginable!!!' he wrote. 'Robert and Patrick were two of the most amazing and genuine pair of blokes that I have ever had the honour of meeting!' Dean Hancock (right), Robert's son-in-law and Patrick's brother-in-law, shared the sad news to friends on Thursday Patrick Salway, 29, pictured with his pregnant wife Renee - died fighting the fires with his dad Robert Salway as they continued to ravage areas of NSW The remains of burnt out buildings are seen along main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo on December 31, 2019 Mr Hancock told of their heroic actions before they were hit by a fireball in the moments before they were about to leave their property. 'These two heroes, were hit by a fireball less than 10metres from the back door of Rob's house, so hard that Patrick was still seated on the four wheeler...On a 260 acre property that had less than 3 acres of bush land...,' he continued. 'They were in the final stages of preparing their property before leaving... Rob had been ripping his beloved paddocks up, to remove as much fuel in the path of the fire as he could. 'As a grass and turf farmer, this would have been his last ditch effort - his final card to play. 'Shortly before 5am, on Tuesday morning, they were gone - Rob in his tractor on one side of the fence, Pat on the bike, the other side - facing each other. 'We are so f**kin' heartbroken!!! 'Today (Thursday), about 30 hours later, Rob's mother, Nanna Salway, passed away peacefully in Bega, without even knowing about her beloved son and grandson. 'Three generations in 30 hours.' Patrick Salway (pictured with his wife Renee) was found by another family member after trying to tackle a bushfire attacking his family home The family has already been targetted by scammers who created a GoFundMe page and raised almost $4,000 before it was shut down. Mr Hancock slammed the 'lowest piece of sh*t' who took advantage of the family during a grieving time. A fundraiser organised by family and friends and has already raised $14,036 of the $2,000 goal. 'You will leave a massive, massive hole in the dynamic of, not only this family, but the whole community.' A large number of farmers who wanted to stage a demonstration against Prime Minister Narendra Modi protesting the non-implementation of the 'Swaminathan Report' were detained at Bengaluru, Tumakuru and Shivamogga, police said on Thursday. According to police, the detentions have taken place in certain parts of Tumakuru, near Bengaluru as well as in Shivamogga. As part of his two-day visit to Karnataka, Modi is scheduled to visit Tumakuru on Thursday to pay his obeisance to the departed seer of Siddaganga Math Shivakumara Swamiji and meet the present pontiff Siddalinga Mahaswamiji. Later, he would address a mega public meeting where he will give away the Krishi Karman awards. In the evening he will reach Bengaluru to visit the DRDO facility to dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation. Pressing implementation of the Swaminathan Report, which recommends a holistic national policy, the farmers under the leadership of Kodihalli Chandrashekar had planned to stage a demonstration at Tumakuru. Before they could leave for Tumakuru, the police detained them. According to Chandrashekar, the farmers have been arrested at Nelamangala, Herohalli near Magadi, Kunigal and Koratagere in Tumakuru district and Shivamogga. Speaking to PTI, Chandrashekar said the BJP has betrayed farmers by not implementing the Swaminathan report. "The BJP could implement all the agenda such as abrogation of Article 370, paving way for Ram Temple in Ayodhya and various other poll promises but it ignored its promise of implementing the Swaminathan report," the farmer leader said. Chandrashekar also said he has been detained at a ground on Magadi Road along with two others while farmers who wanted to take part in the protest have been detained in different parts of the state. Mumbai, Jan 2 : In what could lead to a potential Centre-state row, Maharashtra's proposed tableau for the prestigious Republic Day Parade this year has been rejected, sparking strong reactions in the state political circles here on Tuesday. Similarly dismissed is a tableau planned by the West Bengal government - both the states have non-Bharatiya Janata Party governments and have taken a strong stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act and other recent issues. In a sharp reaction, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut demanded to know "what is the conspiracy behind this?" and questioned the state BJP's silence on the issue. "If the Congress was at the Centre, and such a thing would have happened, would the state BJP remain silent on it?" he asked. Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule slammed the BJP for rejecting the state's tableau, terming it as an "insult" to both Maharashtra and West Bengal. "Republic Day is celebrated all over India and all states should participate in the parade. But the (BJP) government is acting aggressively and treating non-BJP ruled states with discriminatory behavior," said Sule, the daughter of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. She said both Maharashtra and West Bengal have played a vital role during the country's freedom struggle and this action was condemnable. Congress's national Secretary Sanjay Dutt said the Centre's decision was "an insult to the people and martyrs of both states who played a key role in the Independence movement". "The arbitrary rejection by the BJP government of the tableaux of both states smacks of political vindictiveness against non-BJP Opposition governments. Will the Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis stand up and speak for this blatant injustice done to Maharashtra which has an illustrious legacy to the freedom struggle," Dutt asked. From the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, senior Cabinet minister Jitendra Awhad said this was an affront to the people of the state and a blow to the federal structure of the country because of the politics pursued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "For the last 70 years, Maharashtra's tableau has been displayed in the R-Day Parades... we have even been adjudged winner several times, with topics like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Sant Tukaram and spreading social messages," Awhad said. As retired dairy and beef farmers, Ila and Ken Oyster of Kensington rarely took vacations, but on a last minute decision to get away for their 55th anniversary, they took off for Cape Vincent, New York, on the St. Lawrence River. They rented a cottage at Angel Rock Cottages for a week, watching cruise ships, freightliners, tug boats and saltys pass by their cottage day and night from the deck, not to mention all of the locals fishing on the river or the many commuting from New York to Wolf Island and back. Although the tourist season had just ended on Labor Day, there were lots of shops, antique and gift, still open. They never got bored after the sun went down as they brought along our Farm and Dairy to keep informed as to what was happening back home. STAY INFORMED. SIGN UP! Up-to-date agriculture news in your inbox! A federal judge dismissed a long-standing legal claim against Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who was among the half-dozen defendants named in a lawsuit filed by a wrongfully convicted former death row prisoner. Ex-prisoner Alfred Dewayne Brown sued in June 2017 in an effort to get compensation for the 12 years he spent behind bars before a retired cop found old evidence in his garage that paved the way to the Houston mans release. A federal judge put the lawsuit on hold while special prosecutor John Raley reinvestigated the 2003 crime to figure out whether Brown was actually innocent and thus entitled to money or whether he could be guilty and should be retried for the slaying of Houston police officer Charles Clark. Even after Raleys report cleared the former prisoner a controversial finding opposed by police officials with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts said in June that Brown still would not be able to get state compensation. The states refusal to dole out the nearly $2 million Brown could have been entitled to under law prompted his legal team to restart the civil suit. Though they argued to keep Ogg in the case, a federal judge in December decided she shouldnt be sued individually when the county itself was also being sued. Browns civil lawyer did not respond to the Chronicles request, and a district attorney spokesman declined to comment. On HoustonChronicle.com: Special counsel files grievance against ex-prosecutor accused of hiding evidence The now-37-year-old was originally sent to death row in 2005, when he was convicted of gunning down the police officer during a botched robbery of a check-cashing store. Two others were convicted in the case one for killing store clerk Alfredia Jones and the other for driving the getaway car but Brown long maintained his innocence, saying he at his girlfriends home the whole time. Following years of appeals, he was freed in 2015 after a police investigator uncovered phone records in his garage that defense lawyers said corroborated Browns alibi, showing he was at his girlfriends house. Afterward, his attorneys endeavored to get Brown money for his time behind bars. First, they went to the comptroller in an effort to get state compensation. But getting the state funds required a declaration of actual innocence, and when Brown was freed then-District Attorney Devon Anderson simply dismissed the case but did not seek that declaration. So the comptroller refused Browns initial request for money, and Brown went on to sue the city, county, district attorney and some individual officers for wrongfully sending him to prison. In the process of gathering evidence for the lawsuit, the district attorneys office found an old email that heightened questions about whether prosecutors may have purposely failed to turn over evidence before Browns 2005 trial. Ogg appointed Raley to reinvestigate, and early this year the longtime Houston lawyer determined Brown was innocent of the crime. A local judge signed another motion to dismiss the murder case, this time specifically noting that Brown was actually innocent. But the comptroller still refused to approve payment, arguing that the judge did not have jurisdiction to amend the judgment on an already-dismissed case. Related: Ex-death row inmate Alfred Brown 'bluffed his way out of prison,' county alleges Afterward, Houston Chronicle reporting revealed that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had intervened to oppose giving Brown compensation, penning an apparently unsolicited letter to the comptroller questioning the local judges jurisdiction as well as whether Brown was truly innocent. Now, the lawsuit against the county and city will continue. Because offices within counties - such as sheriffs offices or district attorneys offices - cannot be sued under state law, the legal claim initially went after Ogg in her official capacity. But Judge Lee Rosenthal said in a Dec. 20 opinion that suing her individually was redundant with suing the county. Kim Ogg is an entity capable of being sued in her official capacity, Rosenthal wrote. But Ogg is sued because she represents Harris County, not the Harris County District Attorneys Office. Brown cannot bring claims against the Harris County District Attorneys Office, a nonjural entity, by suing Ogg in her official capacity. Harris County is the real party-in-interest to Browns official-capacity claims against Ogg. Patna (Bihar) [India], Jan 3 (ANI): Six people have been arrested for attacking police personnel here on Thursday. The incident took place when the police got the information that a group of persons are engaged in a fight at Rajendra Nagar and went there to control law and order. "We went there and try to control the situation but they attacked us. Six of them have been arrested," said Mukesh Kumar, Inspector, Kadam Kuan Police Station. In another incident, a cop got injured after he was allegedly attacked by a group of men who were listening to loud music on their mobile. They purportedly attacked him when he asked them not to do so. Further, an investigation is underway. (ANI) TAMPA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / January 2, 2020 / As the owner of Bella's Cleaning Service, Inc., Nick Stroboulis aims to help his clients achieve cleaned and organized spaces. Even though some business owners might have hesitations when it comes to hiring a commercial cleaner, he explains why it's vital to hire a professional. Increase in Overall Productivity According to Nick Stroboulis, some businesses often focus on outsourcing services such as IT, Marketing, and others, but they don't think about hiring a commercial cleaning service. While some companies can afford to have a full-time cleaning staff, smaller businesses aren't as lucky. If a business doesn't have a cleaning service, the owners or employees might be responsible for the cleanliness of the space. This can distract them from other more important responsibilities. By hiring a professional cleaning service, everyone can focus only on their tasks, and business productivity will increase. Save Time & Money Commercial business owners often think they're saving money by not hiring a professional cleaner and having their employees be responsible for tidying up the office. In reality, by using their employees to tidy up the office, they're taking them away from the job they hired them to do. Time is one of the most critical resources of any business. When businesses use their time wisely, they'll save the most money. According to Nick Stroboulis, hiring a professional cleaning service will actually help them save money in the long run. Safety First Nick Stroboulis, who owns a commercial cleaning company, knows that safety is the most important thing. Professional cleaners have the right skills and training to take on all of those tasks. Cleaners know all of the tricks to handle chemicals and get everything sparkly clean safely. They know the proper and safe way to clean windows, carpets, furniture, and more. Better Image For the Business Nick Stroboulis mentions one of the best reasons why a business should hire a professional cleaning service is to maintain the overall appearance of the business. Clients will feel more comfortable when they walk into an office that is cleaned and organized. A clean office space gives the company a reputable image. Nick Stroboulis currently lives in Florida with his wife. He has a long business career as a business owner. He owned Main Street Bail Bonds, and New Jersey Fugitive Recovery Group. Nick Stroboulis also worked for American Express Co., Airlines Reporting Corp, and Arpol Travel Agency. CONTACT: Caroline Hunter Web Presence, LLC +1 7865519491 SOURCE: Web Presence, LLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/571826/Reasons-Businesses-Need-a-Professional-Commercial-Cleaner-According-to-Nick-Stroboulis Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former MP, DP Tripathi passed away in Delhi on Thursday after a prolonged illness. Party leader Supriya Sule expressed her condolence over the demise of the party veteran and said, "Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of DP Tripathi. He was the General Secretary of NCP, and a guide and mentor to all of us. We will miss his wise counsel and guidance which he had given us from the day NCP was established". "May he rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers with his family members. Heartfelt condolences," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Modern policing in a democratic society is based on policing by consent. This acknowledges the importance of public cooperation for the effective functioning of the force. Naturally, such cooperation is negated when the police use physical force against the public. Such action negates the principle of minimum force that makes it clear that the police cannot take on the role of the judiciary or the State in punishing the guilty. The last few weeks have seen scores of police-public confrontations across India due to the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests. At least 25 protesters have been reportedly killed and many more injured. Large numbers of police personnel have also been injured. The anti-CAA protests, which have seen the extensive participation of young people, have raised three questions: One, can Indias police force manage mass agitations that have the potential for sporadic violence? Second, whether the police leadership is acting as servants of the law, and no one but the law? And, third, whether the police response against protesters has been professional and unbiased? The need to insulate the polices leadership from extra-legal pressure, to build up specialist capacity in areas such as maintaining public order, and to ensure accountability for misuse of authority are repeated whenever recommendations are made to improve policing in India. Incremental changes have taken place, but by-and-large, the status quo prevails. Meanwhile, in most states, the armed police are over-deployed, poorly led and under-equipped, while the civil police are understaffed and thinly spread on the ground. However, the Central Armed Police Forces are now million-strong and well resourced. Compare the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police. While both have more or less the same number of personnel, the UP Polices budget of ~17,000 crore is 25% less than that of the CRPF, though its personnel remains on call 24x7, and their expected deliverables are complex, and under constant public scrutiny. The Rapid Action Force (RAF) battalions of the CRPF are well-trained, competently led, and equipped with the state-of-the-art anti-riot equipment. But they are deployed sparingly, unlike the UP Police. In states, both the armed and the civil police suffer from severe training deficiencies. Concepts such as work-life balance are absent for their personnel. Scientific research to upgrade policing methods is negligible when compared with other domains such as defence or health. The National Police Mission is yet to get off the block, whereas as the National Health Mission with funding of ~35,000 crores has made a huge difference. The Modernisation of Police Fund has a meagre budget of ~ 3,000 crores per year, and it is restricted to infrastructure and logistics. Even these limited funds are spent mostly by the central police forces, and not the states. To those asserting that the Centre cannot intervene to meet the needs of the state police forces, since policing and public order are on the states list of the Constitution, I can only point out that training and research are in the Union List (Entry 65). As a citizen, I too deplore the use of excessive force by individual police personnel in a misguided effort to suppress the agitation. There are no compensations for lives lost. An impartial inquiry is needed into each incident, with an action taken against delinquents and restitution to victims. At the same time, as a former police officer, I am concerned about the safety of policemen deployed to tackle violent public order situations, because they are inadequately equipped and poorly trained. The United Nations guidelines call for developing a range of weapons and ammunition that would enable a differentiated use of force in varied situations, including less-lethal weapons to limit fatalities. Self-Loading Rifles or other combat firearms are not designed for dispersing mobs. Police personnel sent to face mobs need to be equipped with shields, helmets, and body-protectors. Without adequate training to function in formations, you cannot expect controlled use of force while dispersing violent mobs. And it is only with better intelligence on public mood and prior outreach to community leaders that protests can function as a safety valve essential in a democratic polity. The number of people killed in police firing in India is a fraction of the 1,000 killed annually by police action in the United States. Yet our police needs to remake the image of being lathiyals (baton-wielders) , a legacy of colonial times. Winning public support is essential to transform the police and meet the aspirations of a 21st century India. And this can happen only if the police image is that of a professional and impartial force, which protect the people and uphold the rule of law. Jayanto N Choudhury retired as DG, NSG. He was earlier DGP Assam before which he served with the Intelligence Bureau, in NE states and Bengal The views expressed are personal US embassy in Baghdad suspends consular operations Iran Press TV Wednesday, 01 January 2020 8:53 PM The US Embassy in Baghdad says it has suspended all of its public consular operations, a day after thousands of Iraqi demonstrators gathered there to condemn Washington's fatal military aggression targeting Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). "Due to militia attacks at the US Embassy compound, all public consular operations are suspended until further notice. All future appointments are cancelled. US citizens are advised to not approach the embassy," it said in a statement on Wednesday. This comes after US Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced on Tuesday that the country would send approximately 750 soldiers to the Middle East as an immediate response to the events in Iraq, Thousands of protesters managed to reach the US diplomatic mission which is located in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Tuesday, chanting "Death to America" and burning US flags. The demonstrators also held up signs calling for the US mission to be shut down and for the parliament to order US forces to leave Iraq. American forces deployed inside the compound fired tear gas, flash bangs and stun grenades to disperse the crowd, however, the Iraqi protesters breached the outer wall of the high-security compound, throwing bricks and stones at the surveillance cameras around the building. The incident came just a day after US forces conducted airstrikes on a number of Kata'ib Hezbollah bases in the western province of Anbar. The aerial aggression killed at least 27 individuals and wounded 51 others, according to the latest toll released on Monday by the PMU, commonly known by its Arabic name Hashd al-Sha'abi. The targeted Kata'ib Hezbollah forces belonged to Brigades 45 and 46 of the PMU. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 04:39:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Employees of China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) pose for photo during a walkathon in the desert in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Jan. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Nie Yunpeng) China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC), a Chinese company undertaking a construction project in Kuwait, holds a walkathon joined by company's employees to celebrate the New Year. KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) held a walkathon on its construction site in Kuwaiti desert to celebrate the New Year on Wednesday. More than 1,000 Chinese and foreign employees of CGGC participated in the event. At the opening ceremony, 240 trucks and other construction machines were arranged in the desert to form the English abbreviation of the group "CGGC." The aerial photo taken on Jan. 1, 2020, shows trucks of China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) arranged in the form of CGGC in the desert in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait. (Xinhua/Chen Cichao) The participants wearing colored T-shirts with CGGC's logo, held their national flags while running along the road. Despite the cool wind, the Chinese and foreign employees cheerfully finished the walkathon. Some foreign employees delightedly shouted "Happy New Year" to each other during the walkathon. Li Minggang, Chinese ambassador to Kuwait, said at the opening ceremony that the walkathon shows the healthy spirit of Chinese companies. Employees of China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) take part in a walkathon in the desert in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Jan. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Nie Yunpeng) CGGC is contributing to the construction of Kuwait's livelihood project, Li noted. "I hope that our team will achieve greater achievements in the new year." He Baisen, general manager of CGGC's infrastructure networks at the AL Mutlaa Residential Project, said that the employees are whole-heartedly working at the construction site. "In the new year, our team will continue to work hard to help the Kuwaiti people in pursuit of a better life," he noted. Mohammed Abd ELbaky Aabbas Zalhaf, a foreign engineer of CGGC, said that it is the third time for him to participate in such activities organized by CGGC. "I am very happy to celebrate the New Year with my Chinese brothers," he said. "It will be a beautiful and prosperous year and I wish all our brothers and CGGC a happy New Year," he said with a smile. Foreign employees of China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) perform at the opening ceremony of a walkathon in the desert in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, on Jan. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Nie Yunpeng) Sherif Salah, another engineer of CGGC, told Xinhua that he loved the activity very much. "The new year has come and I hope that CGGC will achieve outstanding achievements in Kuwait and other parts of the world," he added. CGGC's infrastructure network is part of the Kuwaiti AL Mutlaa Residential Project, an important welfare project able to accommodate 400,000 people upon completion. The construction site of CGGC covers nearly 30 square km and the construction was started in April 2017. Iraqi army soldiers are deployed in front of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 1, 2020. (Nasser Nasser/AP Photo) Damage to US Embassy in Baghdad Following Attack Revealed in New Photos Newly released photos reveal the extent of damage inside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, after the building was stormed by some Iran-backed militiamen and their supporters in retaliation for the United States conducting defensive strikes on targets related to the group in Iraq and Syria. Photos of the damage were released on Jan. 1 by The Associated Press, and show the charred remains of a reception room, shattered windows, and scattered debris inside the embassy compound. The protesters, which included members of the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah, on Dec. 31 breached the outer walls of the embassy in Baghdad, threatening the lives of Americans inside. The attack today was orchestrated by terrorists Abu Mahdi al Muhandis and Qays al-Khazali and abetted by Iranian proxies Hadi al Amari and Faleh al-Fayyad. All are pictured below outside our embassy. pic.twitter.com/2QfGGrfmDd Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) December 31, 2019 Some Iraqi security forces tried to keep the groups at bay as the crowd scrawled slogans on walls, hurled stones at buildings, and chanted death to America. The attack came after the United States had launched defensive strikes against the group following the death of a U.S. defense civilian contractor in a Kataib Hizbollah rocket attack on a northern Iraqi military base. The orchestrated attack on the embassy prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to order the deployment of about 750 soldiers from the U.S. Armys 82nd Airborne Division alert brigade to Kuwait. After two days of attacks and clashes with U.S. security forces, the Iranian-backed mob withdrew from the perimeter of the Baghdad complex, the Iraqi military confirmed in a statement. All protesters have withdrawn, tents dismantled, and other forms of demonstrating that accompanied these protests have ended, and the Iraqi security forces have completely secured the embassy perimeter, it stated. Iraqi army soldiers are deployed in front of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 1, 2020. (Nasser Nasser/AP Photo) Iraqi army soldiers are deployed in front of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 1, 2020. (Nasser Nasser/AP Photo) The withdrawal, which followed calls from the government and senior militia leaders, ended a two-day crisis marked by the breach of the largest and one of the most heavily fortified U.S. diplomatic missions in the world. U.S. Marines were guarding the compound on Jan. 1, responding with tear gas and by dropping flares from aircraft. There were no injuries on either side and no U.S. staff were evacuated from the compound. Kataib Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group targeted by the U.S. airstrikes, initially refused to leave, but later bowed to demands to disperse. The group is separate from the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon, although both are backed by Iran. Maxar Technologies shows black smoke coming out of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 1, 2020. (Satellite image 2020 Maxar Technologies via AP) We dont care about these planes that are flying over the heads of the picketers. Neither do we care about the news that America will bring Marines, said Mohammed Mohy, a spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah. On the contrary, this shows a psychological defeat and a big mental breakdown that the American administration is suffering from. Trump on Dec. 31, 2019, dismissed concerns that tensions between the United States and Iran could spiral into a war amid the unrest. Do I want to? No. I want to have peace. I like peace, the president told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. And Iran should want to have peace more than anybody. So I dont see that happening. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Cars drive down a freeway as smoke shrouds the Australian capital of Canberra on Wednesday. Australia deployed military ships and aircraft to help communities ravaged by apocalyptic wildfires that destroyed homes and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline. Located on "little" Santa Monica Boulevard, at the very apex of the "Golden Triangle," offers an unmatched location, with convenient access to local business in neighboring West Hollywood and Century City business districts. The building is tenanted by a cigar club, a hair salon and a skin and beauty salon at the ground level, and various psychologists and other professional tenants in the second floor offices. Optimus intends to renovate the building with upgrades to the retail and office spaces while preserving the historically significant and abundantly charming architecture, and will be looking to stabilize the property following a protracted period during which the Property underperformed, as it was embroiled in litigation. Kamyar Shabani, one of the principals of Optimus, stated, "We have always loved this building, and once we had the opportunity to acquire it, we pulled out all the stops." K. Joseph Shabani, Optimus' other principal added, "We have had a lot of success with several properties in Beverly Hills, and with this particular asset, we see a lot of potential for growth under Optimus' management approach." Optimus Properties, LLC, located in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Kamyar Shabani and K. Joseph Shabani and employs a disciplined investment approach focused on value creation in office, retail, office and medical office properties throughout Los Angeles. SOURCE Optimus Properties, LLC Iraq protests highlight U.S.-Iran rivalry, and missteps Two days of protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, set off by deadly American airstrikes over the weekend, highlight miscalculations by both of the countrys most powerful patrons: Iran and the United States. Irans proxy militias have played a crucial role in the fight against the Islamic State, making them an unlikely bedfellow of the United States. But one of them killed an American contractor in an attack last week on an Iraqi military base, apparently without fear of retaliation. The Trump administration, which has dismissed the depth of Irans determination to re-establish itself as the most powerful force in the region, seems not to have anticipated that its retaliatory airstrikes on an Iranian militia would set off a broad outcry in Iraq. Details: Some protesters forced their way into the embassy compound on Tuesday and set some of its outbuildings on fire. The crowd, which was smaller on Wednesday, retreated after the Iranian-backed militias that had organized the unrest ordered them to leave. Background: Heres why the protesters targeted the embassy, and why demonstrations in Iraq have centered in recent months on Irans outsize influence there. Whats next: The Iraqi governments decision to allow the protesters to enter the secure compound that includes the embassy may threaten a continued American presence in the country. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled a planned trip to Ukraine and four other nations so that he can stay in Washington to monitor the tensions in Baghdad. (Alliance News) - Craven House Capital PLC on Thursday said the value of its interest in its investment holding company unit fell by 34% in the six months to the end of November. The value of the firm's holding in subsidiary Craven Industrial Holdings PLC fell by 25% to USD20.5 million from USD27.4 million on May 31. Agircultural investment firm DLC Holdings Corp, a 68% owned investee which is listed in Toronto, saw its share price fall by 56% during the six-month period to CAD0.27, roughly 15 pence, from CAD0.21. Craven House said: "There has been no deterioration in the valuation of the underlying holdings of DLC and management believe that the end of period share price represents a significant discount to the orderly liquidation value of DLC. Management also believes that the political and economic situation in South America will likely provide for further acquisition opportunities as distressed sellers are forced to liquidate good properties." The valuation of the firm's investment in electrical devices accessories producer Qeton Ltd shrunk 36% during the period to USD305,000 from USD414,000. Craven House explained: "Qeton remains profitable, however trading is likely to continue to be subdued in comparison to historic levels due to weakness of currencies in local markets, particularly the Angolan Kwanza versus the US Dollar." Craven House Capital shares were untraded in London on Thursday, last quoted at USD2.20 each. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Australian Pacific Coal Limited (ASX:AQC). What Is Insider Buying? It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise. Check out our latest analysis for Australian Pacific Coal The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Australian Pacific Coal In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider Buguo Wang bought AU$491k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.50 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$0.16. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is encouraging to see an insider paid above the current price for shares, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Buguo Wang. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! ASX:AQC Recent Insider Trading, January 2nd 2020 Australian Pacific Coal is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Story continues Insider Ownership Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 15% of Australian Pacific Coal shares, worth about AU$1.2m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. What Might The Insider Transactions At Australian Pacific Coal Tell Us? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Australian Pacific Coal shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Australian Pacific Coal insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. 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, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The Wests Present Misconduct Has a Long History By James ONeill January 01, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - One of the persistent themes of western political leaders is that they support the notion of the rule of law. By this they generally mean the system of law as developed by western nations, and in the international context the formulation over the past 120 years or so of international law. By this of course, they mean their law. Any deviation from this by non-western nations is to be deplored and where appropriate punished. The epitome of this approach was to be found in the Nuremberg trials and their Japanese equivalent that followed victory in the Second World War. The waging of war was declared to be the supreme international crime. The chief American counsel at the Nuremberg Tribunal, Robert Jackson, stated that the Nuremberg trials placed international law squarely on the side of peace as against aggressive warfare. The Nuremberg and Tokyo trials may be seen in retrospect as the apogee of the concept that waging war was an offence against humanity. Since 1945 the major western powers, notably but not exclusively limited to the United States, have waged almost continuous war. This has mostly been directed at countries that lack the ability, military or otherwise, to fight back. Neither is this a new phenomena. Wikipedia has an astonishing list of wars involving the United States going back to the Revolutionary War of 1775-1783 and continuing almost unabated up to the present day. With unintentional humour, World War Two is listed as a United States-Allied victory. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter As any student of that war knows, the vast bulk of the fighting and the casualties, took place on the eastern front between Germany and its allies and the Soviet Union. The war had been waging for more than two years before the Americans became a formal party. Total American losses during World War II were just over 407.000, fewer than Russia lost in the battle of Stalingrad alone (478,000 killed or missing) over a period of five months. The Wests proclivity for war continued unabated after the end of World War Two. The Korean War (1950-53), the Vietnam War 1945-1975), Afghanistan (2001-?, Iraq 2003- ?) and Syria (2008 ?) are only some of the better known conflicts. There were constant lesser battles carried out by the United States and its allies, particularly in the Caribbean and Latin America, seen (by the United States) as part of its own sphere of influence since the Munro doctrine was first proposed in December 1823. One of the outstanding features of these post-World War II invasions, occupations, or warfare by other means, is that they have shown a diminishing degree of success. Where they have been unsuccessful on the battlefield, the United States has continued to wage economic and financial war on its foes. The classic illustration of this is the Korean War, the origins and conduct of which has always been grossly misrepresented by the West. It is however, instructive on a number of levels. The North-South boundary was drawn by two United States functionaries following the defeat of the occupying Japanese in 1945. The Soviet army, which occupied the North following the end of the war, withdrew in 1948. The United States, which occupied the South, has never left and today sees South Korea as an essential element in its encirclement of China. There are literally hundreds of United States military bases in proximity to or aimed at China, yet the western media are solely preoccupied with alleged Chinese aggression actual or potential. Apart from its multiple military bases, the United States regularly carries out military exercises with its regional allies such as Japan and Australia that are thinly disguised preparations for waging war on China. One such regular exercise practices blockading vital Chinese trade routes through the Straits of Hormuz. The Korean War was instructive on a number of levels. The invasion of the North by United States and Allied troops reached the Chinese border, which threatened the new PRC. We now know that the United States military command sought President Trumans consent to use their virtual monopoly of nuclear weapons (certainly China had none) to bomb the PRC. The primary objective was to reinstate the Chiang Kai Shek Government that had fled to what was then called Formosa following its defeat in the Chinese Civil War. The intervention of the PRC in the Korean War was decisive. United States and Allied troops were rapidly expelled from the North. What was instructive also however was that the United States used its overwhelming air superiority to effectively destroy North Koreas civilian infrastructure and food producing capacity. This was instructive on a number of levels. Not only was the destruction of civilian targets a monumental war crime (for which they hung Germans following the Nuremberg trials), but there has never been legal accountability for these crimes. Again, this precedent is instructive for the actions and lack of accountability for American war crimes to this day. Despite enormous Western pressure, most of it illegal under international law, the North Koreans have survived to this day. There is still no peace treaty to formally end the war, although it is now more than 66 years since the armistice. North Korea is now a nuclear armed power and in this writers view any expectation that they will disarm is delusional. Those nuclear weapons, and the military protection of Russia and China are the major deterrent to further United States aggression in the region. Vietnam was a similar defeat for United States imperialism in the region. Again, a long war (1945-1975) fought first by the French and then by the United States and its Western allies following the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu In May 1954. Although the United States did not use nuclear weapons, they employed a full range of other chemical and biological mechanisms, the use of which were again war crimes perpetrated on a civilian population. The consequences of this chemical and biological warfare persist to the present day in the form of ravaged agricultural land, and most distressingly, children still being born with deformities directly attributable to the chemical and biological warfare agents employed by the United States throughout the war. Again, in what is by now a manifestly common pattern, the perpetrators of these war crimes remain completely immune from prosecution, notwithstanding token prosecutions of low level military officers such as Lieutenant William Calley for the My Lai massacre. An article in the United States publication Foreign Policy (21 May 2019) in titled America Loves Excusing its War Criminals is a perfect encapsulation of the reality. More recently two other major wars illustrate a number of facets, including deceptive motivations for the wars; persistent lying about the realities following the invasions; and the extraordinary difficulties by the victim nations in dislodging the invaders, even decades later. The two wars in question are Afghanistan (2001 to the present and counting) and Iraq (2003 to the present and counting). In both cases the ostensible justification for the invasion were blatant lies. Ron Susskinds book on Bushs Treasury Secretary Paul ONeill (The Price of Loyalty 2004) revealed how the decision to invade Afghanistan was made well before the purported reason of the events of 11 September 2001. Rather, the invasion and occupation had more to do with Afghanistans strategic location and the oil routes from the Caspian Sea basin than any alleged role by Osama bin Laden who was alleged (falsely) to have orchestrated the use of aeroplanes to destroy public buildings in New York and Washington. In Iraqs case the monstrous lies told and repeated ad nauseam by loyal allies, was Saddam Hussains weapons of mass destruction. It is not difficult to perceive recurring patterns here. Countries that are strategically located with valuable resources become the object of invasion, occupation and the theft of those resources and suffering enormous civilian casualties (well over 1 million people in the case of both countries). None of the allegations ever bear any resemblance to the truth. Similarly, in another recurring pattern, none of the perpetrators of these monstrous activities ever face a court holding them to account for their crimes. There are of course many examples. When one examines the record of invasions, occupations, demonstrable lies uttered in justification, and ongoing theft of natural resources it is impossible to reconcile this history with the rules based international law mantra so solemnly repeated by western leaders. There are however, some encouraging signs that this era of lawless banditry may be approaching its end days. I refer here to the rapid rise of China, or more accurately, the reemergence of China as the dominant power in the world. Through a variety of initiatives, of which the BRI is the biggest and best known (and significantly, opposed by the United States and Australia). There are a variety of other economic and political initiatives that are of a truly transformative nature. Their very successful present and likely future trends are a major reason the United States is using every weapon in its political, economic and financial arsenal to oppose and undermine these predominantly Chinese led initiatives. In this writers view, that attempted sabotage will ultimately fail, although at considerable cost to a number of nations. As we enter 2020 however, these initiatives, from China in the East to Russia in the West and beyond, offer the best prospect of a stable world than the past disastrous two centuries of western dominance have proved to be. James ONeill, an Australian-based Barrister at Law, exclusively for the online magazine New Eastern Outlook. Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here Kolkata, Jan 2 : The BJP on Thursday formally lost control over the only civic body it was running in West Bengal, with the Trinamool Congress members passing a no-confidence motion against Bhatpara Municipality Chairman Sourav Singh. Amid stringent security, the no-confidence motion was passed with a 19-0 margin at a special session of the municipality. None of the BJP councillors attended the session. However, BJP MP from Barrackpore Arjun Singh later claimed the voting was held in violation of rules. "We will move the Calcutta High Court soon," he said. On the other hand, the Trinamool leadership said the voting process followed the due process of law.A After coming out with its most spectacular showing in the state mid last year by capturing 18 of the 42 Lok Saba seats, the BJP retained the momentum capturing one municipality after another as Trinamool councillors crossed over to the BJP in waves. Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas district opened the floodgate of desertions from the Trinamool ranks to the BJP, days after the party snatched the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat. Arjun Singh, a former Trinamool MLA known for his muscle power and money power, crossed over to the BJP and pocketed the LS seat by unseating former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi. In June, 19 Trinamool councillors had switched their allegiance to the BJP. The BJP tally had at one time swelled to 26 in the 34-member board. But the script was reversed soon, as the Trinamool fought back to wrest control of all the seven municipalities which had swing the BJP's way after the LS polls. In November, the BJP got a huge blow, as 12 of its councillors in Bhatpara municipality returned to the Trinamool Congress, which regained a majority. The Trinamool win in Thursday's no-confidence motion has only formalised the process. India, Pakistan Exchange Lists of Nuclear Facilities Amid War Threat Sputnik News 12:13 01.01.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): Despite downgrading diplomatic relations in the aftermath of a "unilateral decision" by the Indian Parliament to revoke the disputed Kashmir region's special status last August, arch-rivals India and Pakistan have continued to fulfill their formal obligations under bilateral agreements. India and Pakistan have exchanged lists for their nuclear facilities in accordance with a 1988 agreement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Wednesday. "India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear installations between India and Pakistan", the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. It is the 29th time since 1992 New Delhi and Islamabad have exchanged lists of their nuclear facilities. The aforementioned agreement was signed on 31 December 1988 and entered into force on 27 January 1991. It states that the two countries must inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year. Both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons and, along with Israel and South Sudan, they are not parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Last year, when relations between the two south Asian countries reached a nadir, leaders from Pakistan threatened India with nuclear attack while Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also announced his country might consider changing its nuclear weapons doctrine by doing away with a "no first use policy" in the future. Indian Army Chief MM Naravane on Tuesday also emphasised that If Pakistan does not stop "its policy of state-sponsored terrorism", India reserves the right to preemptively strike at the sources of the terror threat. "This intent has adequately been demonstrated in our response during surgical strikes and Balakot operation", the Naravane said. In the midst of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status in August 2019, Pakistan recalled its diplomat and also sent back India's representative from Islamabad. The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government raised the issue at every international forum, giving a clarion call to the world leaders to intervene for the benefit of the region. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Four Goa Congress leaders resigned from the party on Thursday to protest against its stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens. Panaji Congress block committee president Prasad Amonkar, North Goa minority cell chief Javed Sheikh, block committee secretary Dinesh Kubal and former youth leader Shivraj Tarkar, after quitting the party, said they were in favour of the amended citizenship law. Talking to reporters here, Amonkar accused the Congress of trying to "mislead the public, specially minorities," on the new citizenship law. "We oppose the wrong stand taken by the Congress on CAA and NRC. As an opposition, we need to be critical and not just oppose something for the sake of opposing. The Citizenship Amendment Act needs to be welcomed," he said. The Congress should stop "misleading people and creating fear in the minds of minorities for political mileage", Amonkar said. "We all were part of the Congress' protest held last week against the CAA and NRC. But, we realised that the leaders, through their speeches, were trying to create fear in the minds of minorities. This is not right," he said. Goa is a peace-loving state and the Congress is trying to instigate the minorities, Amonkar alleged. TheCitizenship Amendment Acthas been enacted through a democratic process and seeks to give citizenship to refugees who have had centuries of cultural affinity with the Indian ethos, he said. "The CAAaddresses concerns of minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Members of the majority community in those countries, who want to apply for Indian citizenship, will still be able to so as per the existing provisions," Amonkar added. The Congress has been opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, while terming it "unconstitutional". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) What is a fashion magazine without photo shoots? Without those glossy images of models, photographed in glamorous locales and produced by a small army of hairstylists, makeup artists, editors and assistants? Its a more environmentally friendly magazine, for one. Or so says Italian Vogue, which aims to make a statement about sustainability this month by omitting photo shoots. In his January 2020 note to readers, Emanuele Farneti, the editor in chief, described what it takes to fill one issue of his magazine (in this example, the traditionally thick September issue) with original photographs: One hundred and fifty people involved. About twenty flights and a dozen or so train journeys. Forty cars on standby. Sixty international deliveries. Lights switched on for at least ten hours nonstop, partly powered by gasoline-fuelled generators. Food waste from the catering services. Plastic to wrap the garments. Electricity to recharge phones, cameras Owning up to this pollution was important to Mr. Farneti, particularly after he and the 25 other international Vogue editors made a pledge in December to help preserve our planet for future generations and show respect for our natural environment. 2019 was a tumultuous year for Syria, with regime advances, stalling political processes and economic woes. Brocar Press runs through the past year's biggest events. Blood, tents, economic collapse, the failure of the first step in the political solution2019 saw all of these and other issues, as experts predict that the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act will be a card scrambling the deck and leading towards a solution in the country that has seen war for nine years after the regime imposed a military solution to repress Syrian demands for freedom and international and regional powers rushed to divvy up the country. Tahrir al-Sham expands and takes Idleb Under the shadow of the Sochi deal and the truce between the opposition and the regime, 2019 began with a war carried out by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham against opposition groups in the western Aleppo countryside and in the northwestern Hama countryside and Idleb, whereby it imposed its control and influence over the Idleb area militarily as well as politically by way of its Salvation Government. Tahrir al-Sham put an end to the presence of rebel groups that had held weight in the Syrian regime war. Victory declared over ISIS In March, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by the US-led International Coalition, announced that they had taken control over the village of al-Baghouz in Deir ez-Zor in northeastern Syria, the last pocket of what had turned into a stronghold controlled by the Islamic State (ISIS). The operation to take control of al-Baghouz led to the deaths and capture of hundreds of ISIS members and their families including women and children, both Arabs and foreigners. As the SDF declared victory over the group, ISIS later registered movements and operations in the Syrian desert. Syria officially without the Golan On Mar. 25, 2019, cameras showed the American president singing a document in Washington, which recognized Israels sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan, with another vow to recognize Israels right to defend itself. The reaction of the Syrian regime and its allies in the so-called resistance alliance came in statements that criticized and rejected the confirmation of the grab of Syrian territory, which Israel had annexed in a separate decision in the era of Hafez al-Assad, when cannons were turned on Idleb and Hama. The regime enters the safe zone After Tahrir al-Sham opened 2019 with a war to eliminate rebel groups, the regime escalated its violations of the Sochi agreement, signed between Russia and Turkey in 2018, beginning with an escalation in February, before then stepping up bombardments in spring of that year in preparation for a military action that ended in August. Throughout this period, it took control over areas of the northern Hama countryside (the towns of Kafr Zeita and al-Ltamaneh) and western Hama countryside (Qalat al-Madaiq and the surrounding al-Ghab Plains). The regime also reached the outskirts of Idleb, taking control over Kafr Naboudeh, al-Hbeit, Khan Sheikhoun and Murak on the international highway, where the ninth Turkish observation point is located, which is still present, and brings in logistical materials through a regime checkpoint. Notably, the areas where the regime advanced had been under the influence of Tahrir al-Sham. Turkey mobilizes east of the Euphrates Regime forces halted their advance, while Turkey on Oct. 9, 2019, announced the launch of a military operation against the SDF east of the Euphrates. The operation was suspended after Turkish forces and forces from the National Army took control over broad areas east of the Euphrates, while the Turkish-American and Turkish-Russian agreements began with regards to the area which Ankara said it wanted to be a safe zone. After the Sochi deal was signed between Russia, which is allied with the regime, and Turkey, Syrian regime forces entered into the area east of the Euphrates where it had been expelled since the first years of the revolution. The Constitutional Committee Oct. 30, 2019, saw the launch of the Constitutional Committee which is supposed to work to reformulate Syrias constitution as a first step towards the stumbling political solution. But the regime derailed the committees work after proposing via its delegation, political agendas that have nothing to do with the constitution and go against the committees mandate, and which they described as national principals. The regime resumes Idleb battle Regime forces backed by Russians and militias resumed military operations in Idleb, whereby it took control over widespread areas in the southern and eastern countryside of the province and made it up to the outskirts of the city of Maraat al-Numan on the international Aleppo-Damascus highway. Notably, the military mobilizations coincided with the political movements, with observers linking the regime movements in Idleb to those of Turkey east of the Euphrates, in an indication that the Russian-Turkish agreement had changed the map of control in Syria. The regime and Russias operation killed and wounded thousands of civilians and expelled more than a million people since the start of the year to camps and border villages according to official statistics. Baghdadis death and the fate of Syrian oil US President Donald Trump on Oct. 27, 2019, delivered a speech at the White House in which he declared the death of the ISIS leader in an American operation, which killed him in the town of Barisha in northern Idleb. After describing Baghdadis last moments, in which he said he fled into a tunnel and screamed and wept before blowing himself up with his children, Trump discussed Syrian oil, saying that it was for the Americans and Kurds. Russia east of the Euphrates Russian entrenched its military presence east of the Euphrates in accordance with the Sochi agreement with Turkey, with the deal allowing joint Turkish-Russian patrols on the safe zone border. The Russian Zvezda channel reported on Nov. 14, 2019, that Russian forces had sent three helicopters, one of them an M8 and two M35s from Hemeimeem to the Qamishli airport, as well as a Pantsir missile system, saying that the aim of these was to secure the operations of the military police carrying out patrols in northern Syria, in accordance with the terms of the Russian-Turkish military deal. Daraa returns to chaos There was no end to protests against the regime and its security grip in Daraa, which had carried out a settlement with the regime that Russia guaranteed last year. Security chaos reigned in the province, with fingers of blame pointing to the regimes implications in it. In addition to the return of graffiti on the walls, roadblocks and strikes, and the revolutionary flag being raised, there were protests at night in Daraa in solidarity with Idleb. Caesar law The year 2019 ended with the most prominent event with the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which experts believe could alter the course militarily and politically. President Trump signed the act on Dec. 20, 2019, putting the law into effect, years after it was put forward and impeded for various reasons. The law is a card that will scramble the deck and flip the table on the players. The signing coincided with prominent events in Syria, which included the rush to normalize with the Syrian regime; the major and quickening economic collapse in the interior; the regimes rejection of the political solution by obstructing the Constitutional Committee; and the attempts at reconstruction in the areas it controls. It is expected that brakes will be put on the normalization attempts and reconstruction will be derailed, and that the economic situation will be made worse, and that the regime will head toward a political solution. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 20:49:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, speaks at a symposium at the Ministry of Finance in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng has called for tightened controls on fiscal expenditure and efforts to consolidate the progress of tax and fee cuts. More efforts should be made to improve the quality and efficiency of proactive fiscal policies and more attention should be paid to structural adjustments, Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said Thursday at a symposium at the Ministry of Finance. Fiscal expenditure should be decided based on fiscal revenue and the management of the budget performance evaluation should be strengthened, Han urged. Expenditure in key areas should be secured and the transfer payments to local governments, especially areas with difficult conditions should be increased, according to the vice premier. Han also stressed the need to actively forestall and defuse local governments' debt risks and make good use of the special local government bonds. Extreme weather conditions similar to those that stoked catastrophic blazes in East Gippsland and on the NSW South Coast on New Year's Eve are set to hit major fire grounds in NSW and Victoria on Friday and Saturday. Emergency services are evacuating towns ahead of forecast dangerous winds and heat, which will be driven by a hot air mass over Western Australia that triggered a catastrophic fire danger rating in the Goldfields and Eucla regions on Thursday. The most dangerous conditions for fires extending over Victoria's east and NSW's south-east coastal areas are forecast for Saturday. Credit:George Mill The hot air is sweeping over south-eastern Australia, bringing hot, dry northerly winds at up to 35 kilometres an hour and temperatures ranging from the mid-30s to 40-plus degrees. Meteorologists have warned South Australia - where fires are burning in the Mount Lofty Ranges and on Kangaroo Island - and Victoria's Mallee region will experience dangerous conditions on Friday. A Republican Assembly member says Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb should resign his leadership post after he crashed his state-owned SUV into a ditch and was charged with DWI on New Years Eve. That he hasnt done so already is a disgrace, Assemblyman Kieran Lalor of the Hudson Valley said in a tweet. Lalor, R-East Fishkill, is the first Assembly Republican to publicly call for Kolb to step down as GOP leader. Other Republican Assembly members said today they would reserve judgment on Kolb, R-Canandaigua, until he addresses the GOP conference at the beginning of this years legislative session on Jan. 8. Assemblyman Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, a nine-term Republican, said he spoke with Kolb and other senior GOP members since news of the minority leaders arrest was disclosed New Years Day. Obviously, everybody is very disappointed, Barclay told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. But Brian has built up a lot of good will in the conference. I dont think theres a movement to push for his resignation. I think we want to give him a chance to present his story when were back in session next week. Barclay, the ranking member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, is among GOP leaders who would be a leading candidate to succeed Kolb if he resigns as party leader. Kolb called Barclay to inform him of his arrest before it was disclosed New Years Day, Barclay said. But Kolb did not discuss details of the DWI arrest or how it may affect his political future. Lets face it, drinking and driving is not a good circumstance for anybody, Barclay said, adding Republicans will have to decide whether he should continue as their leader. The one thing I know about Brian is that he has always put the conference first. Assemblyman John Salka, R-Brookfield, said he also plans to withhold judgment until Republicans meet with Kolb next week. Assemblyman Kolb is going to have a major decision to make," Salka said. "I want to get all the facts and see what the pulse of the conference is regarding our next actions. Kolb, 67, had a blood alcohol content over 0.08 percent, the states legal limit, the Ontario County sheriffs office said in a news release announcing his arrest on DWI charges Tuesday night. Kolb crashed his state-owned 2018 GMC Acadia into a ditch in front of his home at 10:27 p.m. New Years Eve, deputies said. Kolb issued a statement New Years Day in which he took responsibility for his actions. There is no excuse and no justification for what occurred Tuesday evening, Kolb said. I made the wrong decision, and it is one I deeply regret. Kolb, now in his 10th term in the Assembly, was elected as the Assemblys minority leader in 2009. Read more NYS Assembly minority leader Brian Kolb crashed in front of his home before DWI arrest Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Remember the time people did crazy things when the amendment in Motor Vehicles Act was executed back in September of 2019? Well, it seems like the antics have made a comeback. According to a PTI report, a 20-year-old man set his motorcycle on fire after being challaned by the traffic police. The incident took place in Delhi's Greater Kailash area. Representative Image/Twitter He set his motorcycle on fire after he was challaned by the traffic police in south Delhi's Greater Kailash area on Wednesday, police said. A senior police official said that Vikas, a resident of Sangam Vihar, was challaned for riding his motorcycle without a helmet. After the traffic police challaned him and impounded the motorcycle Vikas got angry and set his own bike on fire. A case has been registered against the accused and he has been arrested. Representative Image/Twitter This incident is strongly reminiscent of the one that took place in September last year, where a Delhi man set his bike on fire after being challaned. He was fined more than Rs 11,000 for three violations: drunk driving, riding without a helmet and not carrying the registration certificate. Rakesh, a resident of Sarvodaya Enclave set his bike on fire in south Delhis Sheikh Sarai area. Delhi: A man allegedly set his bike on fire today after Delhi traffic police issued a challan to him for violating traffic rules, in Sheikh Sarai area. According to the police, he was in an inebriated condition. pic.twitter.com/hfHH7Gc6Lc ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2019 Many people were fined huge amounts under the then-new MV Act which was put in to effect on September 1, 2019, and it enraged the general public. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 22:40:25|Editor: yan Video Player Close JUBA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Thursday it has facilitated the release of 23 people previously held by a rebel group in South Sudan. The charity said in a statement issued in Juba that it received a request from the National Salvation Front (NAS), an armed group active in the Equatorial region - to facilitate the release of 23 people, including 11 children. Among the freed children is a four-year-old child of a late volunteer of the UN migration agency, International Organization for Migration (IOM), who was killed during fighting last October. "The operation took place on December 31st in coordination with all relevant authorities, allowing families to be reunited with their loved ones at a time of celebration. Before bringing them to Juba, the ICRC, acting as a neutral intermediary, ensured that the released persons were handed over voluntarily and that their health condition allowed them to travel safely," said James Reynolds, ICRC Head of Delegation in South Sudan. South Sudan's 2018 peace agreement entrusts the ICRC to facilitate release of prisoners of war. The agency said this is the fourth time it facilitated the release of persons held in captivity since the signing of the peace agreement in September 2018. The remarkable thing about major museum shows is that they can transcend the objects themselves to become global cultural phenomena. You might not be in Paris for the Louvres record-breaking Leonardo da Vinci show (on now through Feb. 24), but youll certainly have heard of the waiting list, not to mention the multiple controversies. So while you may not be in New York in March, Paris in May, or Madrid in October, weve compiled a list of what should be the biggest and/or most influential shows of the year. Check them out in chronological order. Or wait a few months, and theyll be clogging your social media feeds on their own. Furusiyya: The Art of Chivalry Between East and West at the Louvre Abu Dhabi Feb. 19May 30 In a textbook example of what the two year-old Louvre Abu Dhabi set out to achieve, a sweeping show of more than 130 historic objects from France, Iraq, Spain, and Syria will tell the story of knighthood in the medieval ages. The artworks have been culled from a series of French museums including Frances national museum of the Middle Ages in Paris, the Musee de Cluny, and they combine objects in the permanent collection of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Expect lots of swords.Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi Gerhard Richter: Painting After All at the Met Breuer March 4July 5 Richter is a fantastically interesting artist who, through no fault of his own, has principally become known for the prices his art achieves at auction. In 2015 a very large abstract work he painted in 1986 sold for $46.3 million at Sothebys in New York. But once you move past the prices (the highest of which, not incidentally, go to some of his most boring paintings), youll discover one of the 20th centurys most interesting painters. His art manages to blur the lines between photography and painting to evoke memory, loss, and repression. Now, 100 works, which comprise Richters first major U.S. show in more than 20 years, will allow viewers to see his genius for themselves. The Met Breuer, New York Niki de Saint Phalle at MoMA PS1 April 5Sept. 7 Saint Phalle, who was born in 1930 and died in 2002, was something of a late bloomer. She didnt start to make art professionally until she was in her 30s, after her first career as a model ended. She quickly became famous for her ebullient sculptures of flying women, Gaudi-esque architectural monuments, books, paintings, jewelry, and womens- and LGBTQ-rights activism. This show, her first in New York, will include 100 objects that convincingly make the case for her continuing relevance and visual potency. The Museum of Modern Art, New York Body and Soul: Sculpture in Italy from Donatello to Michelangelo at the Louvre May 6Aug. 17 Once the dust has settled from the Louvres Leonardo show, visitors will be able to turn their sights onto a new exhibition of Italian masterworks, assembled in collaboration with the Castello Sforzesco museum in Milan. The exhibition is a sequel, of sorts, to the 2013 show Springtime in the Renaissance, which outlined the genesis of arguably the most important sculptural period of the last 1,000 years. The show will be more triumphant than its predecessor, with an emphasis on sculptures that highlight bodily movement and contortions and others that demonstrate sculptors ability to evoke heightened emotion. It might not get the crowds that the Mona Lisa does, but that means youll be left alone with one of the most interesting exhibitions in recent memory. The Louvre, Paris The Princely Collections, Liechtenstein: Five Centuries of Painting and Sculpture at the National Gallery of Canada June 5Sept. 7 Even royal families can fall on hard times, and the Princely House of Liechtenstein is no exception. After the Second World War, the Soviets annexed their vast landholdings in then-Czechoslovakia. In an effort to make themselves whole, the family sold off a trove of artworks including a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Now these and other works will be reunited in a traveling exhibition comprised of 86 paintings and sculptures. Masterpieces in themselves, the exhibition will be particularly fascinating as seen through the lens of a single collecting family.National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa Marina Abramovic: After Life at the Royal Academy of Arts Sept. 26Dec. 8 This solo exhibition will be Abramovics first major survey in the U.K. and, more astounding, the Royal Academys first female solo show in its 250-year history. Most people know Abramovic for her endurance-style performance art, and understandably so. When someone spends more than 730 hours staring at strangers in the Museum of Modern Art, its hard to forget. But Abramovics 50 year-career has entailed much more than mere endurance, and the survey will include photos, video, and work shes made specifically for the exhibition that have nothing to do with performance. Dont worry, though, there will be plenty of performances, too.Royal Academy of Arts, London Raphael at the National Gallery March 5June 14 Next year will mark the 500th anniversary of Raphaels death at age 37. There will be multiple exhibitions to honor the painter, who created a spectacular amount of paintings, drawings, and frescoes in a relatively short period. Among others, the Gemaldegalerie in Berlin has already opened a show of five of the artists paintings of the Virgin Mary, and the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome will put on a sweeping exhibition in the spring. In the fall the National Gallery will put on its own major show, with its 10 Raphaels augmented by loans from the Vatican, Louvre, and Uffizi. The National Gallery, London Gego at the Guggenheim Oct. 9March 21 Gertrud Goldschmidt (1912-1994), who went by the name Gego, is famous for her hanging wire sculptures. At the works best, its spidery lines and disorienting asymmetry give viewers the impression of having tripped and stumbled into a computer simulation. She produced much more than sculpture, and the Guggenheims retrospective, which will include about 200 artworks from her very long, storied career, should have something for everyone. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York The Morozov Collection at the Fondation Louis Vuitton Oct. 13March 15 Four years ago, the Fondation Louis Vuitton put together an unprecedented exhibition of modern masterworks that once belonged to the industrialist Sergei Shchukin, a man whose fortune (and art) were confiscated by the Russian state after the revolution. Now, in a sequel of sorts, the Fondation is resurrecting another prewar collection assembled by Moscow philanthropists Mikhail and Ivan Morozov, with work lent from museums including the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. The Morozov brothers amassed a spectacular impressionist and modern collection with art by Monet, Van Gogh, Matisse, and Picasso, all of which was dispersed into the aforementioned Russian museums. For anyone unwilling or unable to schlep to see individual works in those individual museums, this exhibition is a rare treat. The Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris The Magritte Machine at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum Oct. 27Feb. 28 In 1950 the surrealist painter Rene Magritte wrote out a thought experiment where he conceived of a universal machine for making paintings in an attempt to automatize artistic creation. Now the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum is taking Magritte at face value with an exhibition that attempts to connect the artists work to the so-called Magritte Machine. Shaky as the exhibitions premise might sound, the organizers have stacked the deck with about 65 canvases in an effort to ensure the execution is a slam dunk. The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Madrid (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Act amended: What this would mean to the Pakistan Army Let Abhinandan go: When Pakistan Army chief was jittery and his legs shook in nervousness Pak govt seeks stay on Supreme Court's ruling on Army chief Bajwa's extension International oi-PTI Islamabad, Jan 02: Pakistan government on Thursday sought a stay order from the Supreme Court against its November verdict in the extension of service case involving Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Prime Minister Imran Khan had extended Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure through a notification on August 19. However, the Supreme Court suspended the government order, citing irregularities in the manner the army chief, a close confidant of Khan, was granted an extension. The government in its plea requested the apex court "to accept the application and suspend/stay the operation of the impugned judgment dated November 28, 2019, in the interest of justice". This is the second petition filed in this high-profile case by the government, Geo News reported. Pak SC grants 6-month conditional extension to Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa On November 28, Bajwa, 59, got a six-month conditional extension from the apex court, ending an unprecedented legal wrangle that shook the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and pitted the powerful military against the judiciary. On December 26, the law ministry had approached the top court against its detailed judgement, issued on December 16, in which the government was ordered to legislate on Gen Bajwa's extension within six months. The petition filed on Thursday prayed to the court that "The petitioners have a strong prima facie case to succeed; hence the operation of the impugned judgement may be suspended/stayed till the final decision of this civil review petition." It further stated that the "balance of convenience lies in favour of the petitioners" and if the "injunction as prayed is not granted, the petitioners will suffer irreparable loss. The plea asked the chief justice to "constitute a larger bench comprising five judges so as to hear the review petition. In its previous petition against the detailed order, the government had pleaded the court to keep the proceedings in-camera. On Wednesday, at an emergency meeting of the Cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Khan, approved amendments to the Army Act, nearly four weeks after it assured the Supreme Court of passing a legislation on the extension and reappointment of an Army chief within six months. Amid Kashmir tension, Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa gets 3-year extension The amended Bill will now be presented before the Parliament to come into effect. Though the details regarding the amendments are not yet clear, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak said it includes a proposal to extend the tenure of all the three services chiefs. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 16:15 [IST] Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 17:41:54|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DHAKA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Considering the plight of the cell phone users, the Bangladeshi government has withdrawn its sanction on mobile network coverage within a kilometer of the Bangladesh-India border Wednesday. Three days after imposing the sanction, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on Wednesday issued a fresh order, directing all the four mobile operators - Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink and Teletalk -- to restore network coverage in the bordering areas. Citing security concerns, BTRC issued the network suspension order on Sunday. A senior BTRC official Thursday told Xinhua that the government decided to restore network in consideration of the plight of the cell phone users in the bordering areas. The BTRC in its order to the operators issued on Sunday said they have to suspend mobile network coverage in the border areas "for the sake of the country's security in the current circumstances." In this reflection I am using the phrase welcoming a new decade very cautiously as I am mindful of the controversy over whether January 1 2020 should be regarded as the beginning of a new decade or the end of the last decade. For those who argue that 2020 is the last year of the current decade, not the beginning of a new one, their argument is that because there was no Year Zero when the current era began more than 2,000 years ago, all decades, centuries and millennia begin with Year 1 such as 1-10, 11 to 20, 1991 to 2000, 2011 to 2020, meaning that 2020 is only the end of the last decade. However in a recent YouGov survey, 64 per cent of Americans said January 2020 is the beginning of a new decade, not the end of the last one. Many of the respondents argued that because people use the term decade to discuss culture and chunks of history, it should run from 0 to 9, not 0-10. They also argue that the definition of a decade is just any 10-year span, and that where the first count begins is fairly arbitrary. I align myself with this non-professional view. My aim in this piece is to reflect on a few issues that impacted heavily on national discourse in the last ten years. One of the remarkable debates during this period is on the nature and trajectory of the current wave of the countrys democracy, which formally started on May 29 1999. Though democracy is a journey, not a destination, it has rather been a bumpy ride for the country. Luckily the democratic train has kept moving and has not fallen off its tracks. In what may perhaps be regarded as a consolation, some have made a distinction between mature democracies and societies in transition. The argument is that for societies in transition such as ours, democracy will actually aggravate the structures of conflicts in the short to medium terms because the free speech guarantees of liberal democracy will unleash many bottled up feelings from the era of authoritarianism. Following from this, it could be argued that some of the hiccups from our current democracy journey such as the rise of separatist groups and the widening of social distance among Nigerians, are normal in this period of transition. In transition societies, the chances of democratic reversals are quite high. This largely explains why each of the governments we have had since 1999 made efforts to constrict the democratic space. For instance, under Obasanjo politics was literarily defined as a do-or-die affair, with a sitting governor kidnapped and some high-profile politicians like Bola Ige murdered. Obasanjo also used state agencies like the EFCC as attack dogs on his political opponents including instigating a Kangaroo impeachment of Governors he fell out with. Under Yaradua, the killing of hundreds of members of the Boko Haram in Bauchi and Yobe in 2009, including the extra judicial killing of the sects leader Mohamed Yusuf, helped to radicalize the group. Though the Buhari government claims it has degraded the terrorist group, the government seems unwilling to acknowledge the capacity of the group to re-invent itself. For instance from initially attacking soft targets through suicide bombing, it now takes the fight to hard targets such as military bases. Under the amiable Jonathan government, the police orderlies of Aminu Tambuwaal, then Speaker of House of Representatives, were suddenly withdrawn after he decamped from the ruling PDP to the then opposition APC. Under Buhari not only are court orders being flagrantly disobeyed and regime critics detained, the government is mulling policing the internet and regulating the social media. The good thing however is that Nigerians are not easily cowed. Nigerians and the Nigerian media remain boisterous and critical of government policies they are unhappy with. In essence, while our democratic journey may be moving in a zigzag fashion, the journey seems to be progressing all the same despite the bumps and the snail pace of the ride. On the economic front, quite a number of bold steps were taken over the years. While some successes were recorded such as in the telecoms sector (most Nigerians in urban centres now own mobile phones compared to the situation ten years ago) and in the internet sector (the country has one of the highest internet penetration rates in Africa), there seem to have been reversals in other areas. For instance following the rebasing of the countrys GDP in 2013, the country not only became the largest economy in Africa but the 26th largest in the world. It was also at that time said to be one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In fact in 2014, Nigeria was included in the MINT emerging economies. MINT is a neologism referring to the economies of Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey. The term was originally coined by the Boston-based asset management firm Fidelity and popularized by the British economist Jim ONeil, a former Goldman Sachs analyst, who had in 2011, coined the acronym BRIC to refer to the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC was later turned to BRICS when South Africa was bracketed into the group). The inclusion of Nigeria among the MINT economies raised hopes that it could spur the country to struggle to become a member of the G20 as other MINT economies were. In the same 2014, Filipino billionaire, Enrique Razon, was quoted as declaring during the closing activities of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2014, that Nigeria was the best place in the world to invest that year. Remarkably just like our democracy journey, the trajectory of our economic progress has been up and down to put it mildly. For instance a report by the World Poverty Clock in 2018 showed that Nigeria has overtaken India (which has seven times its population) as the poverty capital of the world, with 86.9 million Nigerians said to be living in extreme poverty. Also though the Obasanjo government paid off Nigerias external debts to the London and Paris clubs in 2005 (when it paid off about $30 billion in accumulated debt to the London and Paris clubs for about $12 billion - an overall discount of about 60 per cent), Nigeria has once again turned into a heavily indebted country. For instance while Nigerias total public debt stock in 2015 was $63.80bn, (comprising $10.31bn of external debt and $53.49bn domestic debt), by June 2019, the total debt stock was $83.883bn, (made up of $27.163bn of external debt and $56.720bn of domestic debt). Despite this debt profile and the increasing depletion of our foreign reserves, the Buhari government still wants to borrow another $30bn (equivalent to our total debt to the Paris and London clubs by 2005 when phrases like Debt burden and Debt Overhang spurred various global movements for debt forgiveness or cancellation of the indebtedness of African countries). While the Buhari government says it is borrowing to invest in infrastructure, many have wondered whether it was not precisely similar excuses that previous governments used to accumulate the debts that Obasanjos government paid off on a discounted rate in 2005. People also wonder what happens to the billions of dollars the various anti-corruption agencies such as the EFCC and the ICPC often claim they have recovered. Another major issue in the last decade is the farmers-herders conflicts across country. Though the issue predated the Buhari government, it became more generalized across the Southern parts of the country (rather than confined largely to Benue and Plateau states that used to be the epicentres of the conflict). While the primary cause of the conflict is struggle over environmental resources such as water and grazing land, the issue also conflates with the religious and ethnic divides in the country. For instance because Buhari, a Muslim Fulani, has not been able to show tough love to the Fulani herdsmen (as Obasanjo did with the OPC for example), there have been suggestions that he treats them with kids gloves only because he shares the same ethnic and religious identities with them. In essence, while the primary cause of the conflict is economic and environmental, the mismanagement of the optics of the conflict means it now has conflated with ethnicity and religion. In general, in the last ten years, there has been sharp contestations over the bases of the countrys statehood with words like restructuring, power shift, true federalism and resource control used as arrows in the contests. Remarkably, under Obasanjo and Jonathan, (both presidents from the Southern part of the country), the contestations came mostly from the North while under the Buhari, a Northern Muslim, the challenge comes predominantly from the South and from Christians. The family of a man who was stabbed in the head during a Hanukkah party in New York have held a tearful press conference, pleading with the public to help stop a surge in anti-Semitic attacks. Two of Josef Neumann's seven children spoke outside their home in New City on Thursday, where they also revealed that their elderly father may never regain consciousness after being attacked by Grafton Thomas, 37, on Saturday night. 'The prognosis is not good... The doctors do not have high hopes for him. If he wakes up, he may never be able to walk, talk or even process speech again,' daughter Nicky Kohen stated. She added that her father, who is 72 years old, suffered a 'fractured skull' and had been 'sliced through his neck'. Kohen went on to urge members of the public to help combat hate crimes. 'It has to stop, I'm begging you if you are watching this, please stand up and stop this hatred, it cannot keep going on,' she said, fighting back tears. Two of Josef Neumann's seven children spoke outside their home in New City on Thursday, where they also revealed that their elderly father, Josef, may never regain consciousness following Saturday night's Hannukah party attack in nearby Monsey Neuman's family released this harrowing photo of the 72-year-old laying unconscious in his hospital bed 'As a family, we believe that God has a plan, and we guess he's a big part of it,' Kohen continued, speaking of her dad, who formerly operated a fish market in Rockland County. She told reporters that she is praying for a miracle and hopes that her father 'wakes to a changed world with peace, unity and love for all.' Neumman's son, David, also addressed news crews before he broke down while speaking at the microphones. On Wednesday, the siblings released a photo that showed the extent of their father's facial injuries as he lay unconscious in his hospital bed. They revealed it was a difficult decision to share the graphic image, but felt it was necessary to do so in order to people to comprehend 'how severe this attack was.' Josef Neumann's children, Nicky Kohen (left) and David Neumann (right), both addressed the media, where they pleaded with the public to help stop anti-Semitic hate crimes It has to stop, I'm begging you if you are watching this, please stand up and stop this hatred,' Kohen urged Neumman's son, David, also addressed news crews before he broke down while speaking at the microphones According to a criminal complaint, Neumann was one of five people injured when the alleged attacker, Grafton Thomas, entered the rabbi's home next door to a synagogue and said 'no one is leaving'. Thomas then allegedly took out a machete and started stabbing and slashing people in the home packed with dozens of congregants. The five victims suffered serious injuries - including a severed finger, slash wounds and deep lacerations. Thomas has pleaded not guilty to charges including five counts of attempted murder. The alleged attacker, Grafton Thomas, 37, has pleaded not guilty to charges including five counts of attempted murder. He is also charged with federal hate crimes after his handwritten journals containing anti-Semitic references were found The suspect, wearing a hood and scarf, makes his way up stairs to Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg's Shul carrying the blade TIMELINE OF ATTACKS ON JEWS IN NEW YORK SINCE HANUKKAH BEGAN Jan. 1 - A 21-year-old Hasidic Jew is punched in the throat by two women as he tries to film them yelling anti-Semitic slurs at him in Brooklyn Dec. 31 - Jewish boy, 15, is attacked on a Brooklyn bus at knife-point as two assailants steal his earpods and yarmulke Dec. 28 - A suspect, believe to be Grafton Thomas, 37, enters a rabbi's home during a Hanukkah celebration in Monsey and attacks five with a machete Dec. 27, 7am - Man in hoodie threatens to shoot up Lubavitch headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn Dec. 27, 12:40am - Tiffany Harris, 30, is arrested for allegedly slapping three other women in the face and head on a Crown Heights corner Dec. 26, 3:20pm - Homeless woman, 42, yells anti-Semitic slur and then strikes a Jewish woman in the head with her bag in front of her three-year-old son Dec. 25, 1am - A Jewish man wearing a skullcap while walking in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn was punched in an unprovoked attack Dec. 24 - A 25-year-old Jewish man had a drink thrown at him by a group shouting anti-Semitic slurs Dec. 24, 6pm - A Jewish man, 56, was punched in the head by one person as the same group filmed the incident and laughed Dec. 24, 5:30pm - A Jewish man is attacked by a group of teens with a camping chair and is punched several times Dec. 23 - A Miami man was arrested for making an anti-Semitic remark and attacking a man in midtown Manhattan Advertisement He is also charged with federal hate crimes after authorities said they found his handwritten journals containing anti-Semitic references and that he had recently used his phone to look up information on Hitler and the location of synagogues. Thomas was arrested within two hours of the attack. When police pulled his car over in Manhattan, he allegedly had blood all over his clothing and smelled of bleach but said 'almost nothing' to the arresting officers. Authorities say they discovered a blood-stained 18-inch machete and a knife smeared with dried blood and hair from Thomas' car after the attack. The stabbings, which occurred on the seventh night of Hanukkah, came amid a series of violent attacks targeting Jews in the region that have led to increased security, particularly around religious gatherings. An attorney retained by the alleged attacker's family, Michael Sussman, said Thomas had been hearing voices and may have stopped taking psychiatric medications recently. A criminal complaint said journals recovered from Thomas' home in Greenwood Lake included comments questioning 'why ppl mourned for anti-Semitism when there is Semitic genocide' and a page with drawings of a Star of David and a swastika. A phone recovered from his car included repeated internet searches for 'Why did Hitler hate the Jews' as well as 'German Jewish Temples near me' and 'Prominent companies founded by Jews in America,' the complaint said. On the day of the stabbings, the phone's browser was used to access an article titled: 'New York City Increases Police Presence in Jewish Neighborhoods After Possible Anti-Semitic Attacks. Here's What To Know,' the complaint said. Sussman said he visited Thomas' home and found stacks of notes he described as 'the ramblings of a disturbed individual' but nothing to point to an 'anti-Semitic motive' or suggest Thomas intentionally targeted the rabbi's home. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: AIMIMs Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi has said that no one can kick Muslims out of the country. Addressing students after inaugurating Owaisi School of Excellence here on Wednesday, he said Many are pondering over what is going to happen. Nothing will happen. There is no one born yet, who can kick us out of the country. I have told this before, and I am telling it now: this was our country, is our country and will remain so. The country is not anyones property. Akbaruddin, who could not attend United Muslims Action Committee (UMAC) meeting at Darussalam, spoke on CAA, NCR and NPR. We (Asaduddin and Akbaruddin) are not among the ones who get frightened so easily. We have left fear behind. Neither are we afraid of jail, nor are we of swords or daggers or bullets. When the time comes, we will lay our heads down for sacrifice, I swear this by Allah, he said. Akbaruddin Owaisi recently returned from Saudi Arabia, where he had gone to perform Umrah. BATEMANS BAY: Tens of thousands of holidaymakers fled seaside towns on Australia`s east coast on Thursday as bushfires approached, and military ships and helicopters began rescuing thousands more trapped by the blazes. Fuelled by searing temperatures and high winds, more than 200 fires are burning across the southeastern states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, threatening several towns. The NSW state government declared a state of emergency, beginning on Friday, giving authorities the power to forcibly evacuate people and take control of services. "It is hell on earth. It is the worst anybody`s ever seen," Michelle Roberts said by telephone from the Croajingolong Cafe she owns in Mallacoota, a southeastern coastal town where 4,000 residents and visitors have been stranded on the beach since Monday night. Live TV Roberts hoped to get her 18-year-old daughter onto a naval ship, which arrived off the town on Thursday, in order to escape the fires and thick smoke engulfing the town. The HMAS Choules is expected to make two or three voyages over the coming days, state authorities said. Elsewhere, long queues formed outside supermarkets and petrol stations as residents and tourists sought supplies to either bunker down or escape the fires, emptying shelves of staples like bread and milk. More than 50,000 people were without power and some towns had no access to drinking water. "Everyone`s just on edge," said Shane Flanagan, a resident of Batemans Bay on the NSW coast. Authorities urged a mass exodus from several towns on the southeast coast, an area popular with tourists during the summer holiday season, warning that extreme heat forecast for the weekend will further stoke the fires. "The priority today is fighting fires and evacuating, getting people to safety," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Sydney. "There are parts of both Victoria and New South Wales which have been completely devastated, with a loss of power and communications." Eight people have been killed by wildfires in NSW and Victoria since Monday and 18 are missing, officials said on Thursday. Temperatures are forecast to soar above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) along the south coast on Saturday, bringing the prospect of renewed firefronts to add to the around 200 current blazes. "It is going to be a very dangerous day. It`s going to be a very difficult day," NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said. Kwanzaa in San Francisco wraps up on New Year's Day with the lighting of the final candle at a church, organizers said. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the last of seven candles of the kinara will be lit at St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church at 2097 Turk Blvd. The celebration of Kwanzaa, which was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966, provides critical tools for addressing the challenges faced by the African-American community through The Seven Principles. Kwanzaa is celebrated by more than 30 million people around the globe. The 2019 celebration in San Francisco, the city's 14th annual, started at noon on Dec. 26 at City Hall. Two arrests have been made in connection with a homicide that occurred when a man tried to stop a suspect from taking his laptop at an Oakland coffee shop the morning of New Year's Eve, police said Wednesday. Joanna Watson, an Oakland Police Department spokeswoman, said via email that two arrests have been made "so far" in what she described as a homicide occurring around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 2000 block of Mountain Boulevard in Oakland's Montclair district. The case began when a suspect approached the victim inside the Starbucks on Mountain Boulevard and took the victim's laptop, according to police. The victim followed the suspect in an attempt to recover the laptop, but was critically injured as the suspect's vehicle fled in the 6100 block of Antioch Street, police said. The victim was taken to the hospital but succumbed to his injury, according to police. A suspect has been arrested in a Brentwood stabbing that sent a Petaluma man to the hospital with multiple wounds early New Year's Day, police officials said. Officers found Robert Panga, 20, of Brentwood, at the scene of the stabbing at the Best Western Brentwood Inn at 8820 Brentwood Boulevard Wednesday and arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder, police said. The 21-year-old victim, who was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, is expected to survive, police said. A man accidentally shot himself in the leg in San Jose early Wednesday and was taken to the hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening, police said. The man fired a handgun accidentally at 1:40 a.m., injuring himself, police said. The incident took place in the 1200 block of Fritzen Street, according to police. A residential burglary suspect was arrested in Fairfield hours after the break-in Monday morning thanks to the victim's video surveillance system at the home, police said. Marcos Olague, 38, was arrested after officers responded around 7:30 a.m. Monday to a resident who said his security system showed someone in his home in the 2000 block of Cormorant Drive, but the suspect had fled before officers arrived. Officers obtained photos and video of the suspect and then at about 11 a.m., the officer who took the initial burglary report spotted the suspect based on distinctive clothing he was wearing, according to police. He was identified as Olague, a Fairfield resident who was booked into county jail on suspicion of residential burglary, possession of burglary tools and vandalism, according to police. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. How Finland's Sanna Marin is leading the way for progressives in Europe in 2020 and making equality the focus of her new government. Last month, Sanna Marin was sworn in as Finlands new prime minister a development that made headlines due to her age and gender. At 34, Sanna Marin is currently the worlds youngest prime minister, the head of a progressive women-led coalition in Finlands Eduskunta. A millennial and active social media user, she unabashedly defends the interests of young people, putting the environment and diversity at the heart of an agenda borne of hope for a better world. She speaks clearly and to the point, capturing attention and cutting through political discourse. Marins rise to power exemplifies Finlands meritocratic and socially liberal society. Marin was born into a family troubled by alcoholism and poverty. After her parents separated, she found stability with her mother and her mothers same-sex partner, in what she has subsequently termed a rainbow household. This upbringing instilled a strong sense of social justice in Finlands new PM, and a determination to create a society where every child can become anything, and where every person can live and grow in dignity. She starts this mission from a strong base. Finland was one of the first countries in the world to give women the vote in 1906; today it boasts high scores across global equality indices (the Finnish parliament is roughly gender-split). Marin has already begun building on this base, giving her cabinet the highest proportion of female representation in the European Union. 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 Marins politics put her in a strong position to take the country forward. Her green credentials, for instance, dovetail with Finlands efforts to decarbonise its economy by 2035. Thats not to say shell be immune to challenges. The technical recession it seems likely Finland will slip into a technical recession this year could hold back Marins progress on a range of societal issues, including homelessness. Back in 2008, Finland became the first country in Europe to introduce a policy of paying rent with the help of government benefits, rather than arranging short term accommodation for in hostels or shelters. The policy has brought long-term homelessness down by 21% in the past eleven years, and yielded savings of 15,000 ($16,500) per person per year. Its an incredible feat, one that has bucked the wider European trend, yet it could also be undone by a recession. Marin may also struggle to push forward the excellent work the country has done to eliminate gender pay disparities. According to the World Economic Forums Gender Gap Index, Finland currently has gender pay parity across 83.2% of its economy, behind only Iceland and Norway. To further narrow the gap, however, the country will require the willpower of private enterprises that care little for social policy. What is Finland's universal basic income scheme? Furthermore, gender representation continues to be lop-sided in certain fields, such as STEM, where two-thirds of senior academic posts are held by men, despite women accounting for 60% of new PhDs. Marin sees part of the remedy to this as education. She and her women-led coalition are already advocating a programme that will teach gender education and the fundamentals of fairness from kindergarten through to the workplace. This, it is hoped, will help to dispel the outdated stereotypes that hang over some sectors, and so tear down barriers to entry to them. Marins clear appetite for progress could spell a new dawn for Finnish politics. The country has had female leaders before, including two prime ministers and a president. Yet Marin is a new kind of leader, a new breed of young centrist whose voice is clear and message purposeful. Against a backdrop of stirring populism and social conservatism, Marin is a breath of fresh air for Finnish politics. That she and her team will face hurdles in the next four years is certain; not least because theyre women. What makes them likely to prevail is that they offer something different from previous administrations: a voice of hope and a determination to bring about real social change. Once again, Finland is trail-blazing. The question is: will other countries follow their lead? Marja Makarow is chair of Technology Academy Finland (TAF), a body that oversees the biennial 1 million Millennium Technology Prize and ground-breaking innovations that support sustainable development. New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANSlife) Vietnamese carrier, Vietjet is the first airline to connect the two biggest economic, cultural and tourist centers of Vietnam with the India's Capital. Direct flights daily from Delhi to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, make it a great option for quick getaways, long weekends and even wedding celebrations. These two routes make Vietnam a short hop away from India; which thus far has been a long haul due to the multiple stops in Thailand or Malaysia. With Vietnam now a stone's throws away we decided to check out what the carrier and the country had to offer. First and foremost, the experience of flying Vietjet-faultless. The late night flight gets you in Hanoi in time to check in and have the entire day to explore the city. If you're flying Skyboss you'll get the added advantage of lounge access, priority chek-in, 30kgs of checked baggage and 10kg hand baggage, priority seat selection and food and beverage service in flight. You also get private vehicle to ferry you to the aircraft and a No fee for your Date/flight/ Route change (*)' and can schedule a change 3 hours before the departure time. Once in Hanoi you'll find that the capital city is a buzzing hub of culture, history and interesting cuisine. First was a rickshaw ride to the old quarter for an egg coffee. Different to the rickshaws back home, here the pedal cabbie is seated at the back and you in the front; allowing one to get a bird's eye view of the sites, and partake in the sounds and smells of the city. The egg coffee wonderful in taste reminds one of cake with coffee. Must see attractions in the city are the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, The Imperial Citadel and The Temple of Literature. In the evening make time for a show, walk around the beautifully lit up Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son and dine at the many street restaurants serving delicious local cuisine. If you love to shop, then head to the many night markets which are open till the wee hours in the morning. Ha Long Bay, a few hours drive from Hanoi should be on everyone's bucket list. Featuring thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes which appear amidst clear blue waters, the place is a sight to behold. The UNESCO world Heritage Site is a popular travel destination as besides the natural beauty affords a variety of activities one can immerse themselves in. One can explore the historic Thien Cung limestone cave or kayak through the Sung Sot Cave. If you're thinking of a honeymoon to Vietnam then you can feel like your part of the Bollywood movies at Ha Long Bay-all you need to do is rent a catamaran and sip on champagne while watching the sunset. Vietnam boasts of lush mountains, bustling cities and golden sand beaches along with various UNESCO-listed world heritage sites, providing an enthralling experience to Indian travellers. Our next stop is Ho Chi Minh City which is a mix of commerce and culture offering the best of both. Ranging from towering skyscrapers to tree-lined streets with ageing villa, and Haute cuisine to humble street food; but don't take our word for it, go check it out yourself. The New Delhi - Ho Chi Minh City route operates four return flights per week on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The flight departs from New Delhi at 23:50 and lands in Ho Chi Minh City at 06:10. The return flight takes off from Ho Chi Minh City at 19:00 and arrives in New Delhi at 22:50. (All in local times). The New Delhi - Hanoi route operates three return flights per week on every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday starting from December 7, 2019. The flight departs from New Delhi at 23:50 and lands in Hanoi at 05:20. The return flight takes off from Hanoi at 19:10 and arrives in New Delhi at 22:50. tb/ Turkey plans to build model area in Syria safe zone Turkish Vice President stated that the government was working on area where Syrians can leave peacefully. Ankara will build a model area inside the safe zone in northern Syria which was recently liberated from terrorists in a Turkey-led operation, said Vice President Fuat Oktay. "WE HAVE TO CREATE A SOLUTION WITHIN SYRIA" We are working on an area where the Syrians can live and the Syrians in Turkey can return voluntarily, Oktay said on Wednesday. "We are thinking of building an area in 2020 that can serve as a model, at least physically," he said, stressing this requires international financial support. We have to create a solution within Syria. We cannot face the problems caused by the world on our own, Oktay added. Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkeys borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syrias territorial integrity. Why stay at home while the Gastro-Promenade of Etyek awaits you with hurka, sausages, mulled wine and live music? Break the ice and start 2020 in Etyek! Programme: 1. Gingallo Chocolate Open workshop chocolate making presentation (at 10.30 am, 12am, 1.30pm, 3.00pm, 4.30pm) Tasting of special handcrafted chocolates 2. Piknik Park Petting zoo Horse-riding for kids in the park 3. Aubergine Cellar Pumpkin soup with roasted pumpkinseed BBQ ribs and chicken drumstick from the smoker Pulled pork sandwich and handmade hamburger Real Italian espresso, cappuccino and hot chocolate 4. Dessert Cellar Rum-cherry-vanilla cake Chocolate cake with red wine, chocolate and orange cheesecake 5. Vertes Cellar Tasting of the wine of the house 6. Garaguly Estate And Wine Cellar: Ats Family Winery (Mad), Balla Geza Winery (Arad) 7. Milan Cellar - Chalet (Cabin) Zalan Bean-goulash with smoked trotters Homemade pork jelly and custy hurka Mulled wine, hot tea and palinka 8. Courtyard Of Transylvanian Flavors And Sobol Winery Meatball and tripe csorba, Transylvanian meech Tarpa Palinka and wines from Etyek 9. Gombai Sparkling Wine Cellar Sparkling wine and wine specialties 10. Arpas Laci Sonkamester Pinceje: Nyakas Winery (Etyek-Buda), Pregitzer Estate (Etyek-Buda), Tiffan Winery (Villany) Traditional pig slaughter from 9 am and pork roasting Ham and sour cream bread, ham-plate, pulled pork Artisans: Chilion, Gyurma Trend, Fanni foltjai, Sapi Fruit Wines, Schubert Apiary 11. Halmi Cellar Spicy mulled rose with blackberry Rosehip tea, wines, wine spirits, artisan syrup 12. Chateau Ujhegy - Takats Pince Deer stew with forest mushrooms Homemade hamburger: deer and duck 13. Szent Orban Cellar Gezemice-langos scone from Etyek 14. Kacsor "Kira" Pince Wines from Etyek, bread with goose greaves, scone and home-made strudels Etyek Beer Manufactory 15. Rezeda Terrace Mulled wine with cardamom, egg liquor and Etyek wines Trotters bean soup and homemade greaves spread bread Crusty duck leg and oven baked smoked trotters Grilled pork and steak potato Chestnut cream soup with rum raisins and pancake variations Coffer coffee 16. IBI Cellar: Etyek Events Team games about wine 17. Berenyi Cellar: Family Cellars Orosz Gyula (Etyek), Cellar Vabrik (Etyek-Buda) STELAZSI selected finesses 18. Dorak Guest Court Farm visiting and petting zoo: horse, donkey, llama, many others Smoked goods sale and cottage flavors: bean goulash with smoked trotter, trotter and tripe stew, roasted pork, cabbage Jam and syrup sale 19. Lucza Pince (Etyek-Budap) 20. Debreczeni Pince: Debreczeni Ferenczi Csaladi Boraszat (Etyek es Szekszard) 12-17 pm harmonica music Pork jelly, bean goulash, homemade strudels Mulled wine, wines from Etyek and Szekszard 21. Etyek Cheese Road Station: Tamas Duzsi (Szekszard) Cheese specialties and curd dessert Etyeki Czimeres Palinka 22. Fono Press House 2pm and 3pm Association of Young Sheppard Musicians 23. Rokusfalvy Estate Gourmet experiences with Restaurant Rokusfalvy: hot minestrone soup with parmigiano, lamb stew with peanut and curry with bulgur Etyek coffee all around the world 10 am Craftwork for children 12 am Rokusfalvy Reserve wine tasting on the Champagne Terrace free entry but registration needed 1.30 pm and 3 pm: Glass in the hand special cellar tour 2.30 pm Piknik Matine movie for children Artisans: Feszek Cheramic, Gretae Handmade Design Transfer Buses with 760 marks leave from Kelenfoldi Palyaudvar every hour (according to regular schedule), which will be supplemented with extra rides in case of higher demand. Full price return tickets are: 1.120,-Ft for Etyek, autobusz-fordulo station. The usual discounts at Volanbusz may be used with valid documentation. (e.g. student ID). For detailed schedule please visit here. Entry: free of charge Venue: Gastro-Promenade, Etyek 2091 Etyek More: etyekipiknik.hu 5G promises not just super-fast connections and more bandwidth than Wi-Fi and 4G LTE but also better connectivity, low latency, and support for thousands of devices in one location, all of which are attractive manufacturing facilities, but it will be a while before it becomes the norm there, experts say. According to Gartner, smart factories are major opportunities for 5G. While some use cases can be achieved with existing 4G LTE, most require the low latency and high reliability offered by 5G. Industrial companies have a significant and immediate appetite for 5G, said Sachin Lulla, global digital strategy and transformation leader at Ernst & Young. A new wave of hyper-connectivity is set to redefine the enterprise. And manufacturing will lead value creation from 5G investment, he said, followed by energy and utilities, health care, the public sector, and transportation. Today, the lack of reliable, low-latency, and high-bandwidth connectivity has hurt the adoption of cutting-edge technologies that need that kind of support, he said. With 5G that is about to change bringing inter-connectivity between machines, materials, and people, unlocking millions of dollars in value. That value will come from increased productivity, lower inventory, improved uptime, worker safety, and agile supply chains, he said. According to a recent survey Ernst & Young conducted in the U.K., 10% of companies are already allocating money for 5G, and 50% of enterprises plan to upgrade to 5G in the next two years. Manufacturers are even more aggressive, with almost two-thirds planning to implement 5G within two years of availability. Many industrial companies have already started adopting and testing 5G, he added. Automakers like 5G Audi, for example, has already started testing 5G for robotic motion control, he said. Nokia's 5G Oulu factory is using 5G for in-factory connectivity, a combination of edge computing and cloud computing, and IoT analytics. According to Lulla, that's already resulted in 30% to 50% time savings in product delivery. The identify of those involved has not yet been released: AP Police in Chicago have launched an investigation into the death of two toddlers after a woman reportedly grabbed her son and jumped from an 11th-floor apartment having first stabbed her father. Officials said they were called to the apartment complex in the citys South Shore neighborhood in the early hours. A woman was found lying on the ground, with her one-year-old son lying nearby. In the womans apartment, police found a two-year-old boy lying unresponsive in the bathtub. It is believed that boy was also a son of the woman In addition they discovered a 70-year-old man with stab wounds to his body and face. The child in the bathtub appeared to be scalded from the water and he had some lacerations on his head, said department spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, according to the Chicago Tribune. He said it appeared the youngest of the two boys had been thrown from the apartment building to his death. Based on the positioning of the bodies and available evidence.it appears as though the baby was thrown out of the window and the woman followed, he added. Were assuming something broke her fall because she survived, which is unusual after falling from that distance. Officials have not yet released the names of the individuals involved in the incident, which happened at around 2am on Thursday. The newspaper said the man told officers who arrived at the scene, that his adult daughter began stabbing him and then jumped from the 11th floor with her 1-year-old-son. Mr Guglielmi said detectives believe the woman in her 30s is the granddaughter of the male victim, rather than his daughter. He said they also are operating under the assumption that these are the womans children but need to confirm that. Both boys were pronounced dead at Comer Childrens Hospital, officials said. The woman and the man both were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Centre, where they are said to be in a critical condition. Police said if and when the woman recovered, they would investigate pressing charges against her. Story continues From what was described to me, its just been a very difficult scene for detectives having to see children like this, said Mr Guglielmi. Its hard for anybody including cops and detectives theyre mothers and fathers, too. For anybody to have to see a child lifeless in a bathtub is exceptionally difficult. Additional reporting by Associated Press Read more Planes grounded at Chicago OHare airport due to heavy fog Thirteen people shot at house party in Chicago Rapper Juice Wrld dies aged 21 American Airlines flight slides off icy runway in Chicago Watersheds, rivers, acequias and community ditches are all vital parts of our water systems, but dams are perhaps the most important pieces of water infrastructure. The critical nature of dams does not involve just water delivery so much as water storage. In a best-case scenario, dams hold spring runoff in lakes and reservoirs for delivery in drier summer months. Dams are a crucial component of the complex system by which the state administers water to users and meets its delivery obligations to other states. Lakes and reservoirs also provide recreational value through camping, boating and fishing. In a worst-case scenario, some of New Mexicos dams are a potential nightmare. When a levee or dam fails, thousands of gallons of water can flood the areas below it, threatening property, livestock and human life. In rural areas, the primary consequence is that the water contained by the dam is no longer available. As our cities and suburbs have crept into what once was agricultural land, the potential for loss of life from a dam failure has grown. It is an easy problem to overlook: most dams appear to be sturdy enough. Upon closer inspection though, many of our dams are old and in desperate need of upkeep. In fact, the Office of the State Engineer maintains a list of dams in New Mexico, classifying the hazard potential and condition of each locally, privately and state-owned dam. The shocking thing is that 179 dams in the state are in poor condition, with another five listed as unsatisfactory. Scarier still is that two of those five carry a high hazard potential, meaning that dam failure or misoperation will probably cause loss of human life. Many dams classified as being in poor condition also carry a high hazard potential. To be fair, most of the dams on the state engineers list are relatively small and in rural areas, whereas many of the larger dams are maintained by federal agencies. Also, a number of the poor designations are for dams without adequate design information; they could be fine, but we just dont know. There is, however, some good news: New Mexico is in an excellent position to address these concerns. Recent estimates indicate the state expects almost $800 million in new money this year. State agencies and advocates from every corner of state government are asking for budget increases. I have no doubt most of those requests are valid. Still, if we are serious about protecting several of our states most vital resources water, land and people the state must further commit to funding dam restoration and repair. Some work has already been done on dams across the state, so the problem has not been ignored so much as under-prioritized. While I believe that the total cost of addressing this issue is significantly more, I plan to introduce a bill in the 2020 legislative session to appropriate $100 million for dam repair and renovation. Our water and our safety are too precious for us to ignore any longer. (State Sen. Pete Campos is a Democrat representing District 8, which encompasses portions of Colfax, Guadalupe, Harding, Mora, Quay, San Miguel and Taos counties. He resides in Las Vegas, N.M.) A few days back, Nokia Corporation NOK communicated that it has expanded its long-standing partnership with SETAR a leading communications provider in Aruba. Marking its first end-to-end 5G deal in Latin America, the Finnish telecom network equipment maker aims to upgrade the operators RAN and modernize core elements and data management systems. Financial terms of the deal remained undisclosed. Nokias share price rose 0.54% in Tuesdays trading session to close at $3.71. Nokia currently has more than 50 5G commercial contracts worldwide. This deal demonstrates customer confidence in Nokias abilities in radio. The upgrade will provide SETAR with new business services in areas like hospitality and healthcare. Going forward, the company is likely to benefit from accelerated time-to-market and improved total cost of ownership. Markedly, Nokia already works with SETAR to run a 4.5G island-wide network using Single RAN Advanced AirScale technology. The entire island country is expected to be connected by 5G network within two years. The move, in turn, will help create new services for the islands 110,000 inhabitants and 2 million annual tourists. The project includes site simplification by deploying Nokias AirScale dual and triple band Remote Radio Heads, reducing more than 60% space requirements. The upgrade to 5G will be done using Nokias massive MIMO technology with 64 antennas to enable new mobile broadband uses cases like FWA, AR/VR and smart cities. It involves enhancing SETARs network architecture with Centralized RAN and AirScale Cloud Controllers to support more capacity while managing network resources more efficiently. In the last reported quarter, Nokias net sales increased 4.2% year over year to 5,686 million. The performance was driven by improved industry demand and competitiveness of its end-to-end portfolio, coupled with growth across four out of six regions and all customer types. While sales increased in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America (up 14%, 6%, 6% and 7%, respectively), it declined in Greater China and Middle East & Africa (down 21% and 7%, respectively). Due to margin pressure and additional 5G investments, Nokia lowered its 2019 and 2020 guidance. For 2019, the company expects non-IFRS earnings per share of 0.21 (+/- 3 cents), which was previously projected between 0.25 and 0.29. Non-IFRS operating margin is anticipated to be 8.5% (+/- 1 percentage point), clipped from earlier forecast of 9-12%. For 2020, non-IFRS earnings per share are expected to be 0.25 (+/- 5 cents) compared with the previously anticipated 0.37-0.42. Non-IFRS operating margin is likely to be 9.5% (+/- 1.5 percentage point), trimmed from previous estimate of 12-16%. Shares of Nokia have lost 33.4% against the industrys growth of 27.8% in the past year. The company topped earnings estimates twice in the trailing four quarters, delivering a positive surprise of 81.6%, on average. Story continues However, Nokia is witnessing healthy underlying momentum in its focus areas of software and enterprise, which augurs well for its licensing business. It has launched more than 15 live 5G networks with customers, including Sprint, Verizon Communications, AT&T and T-Mobile in the United States; Vodafone Italy and Zain in Saudi Arabia; and SKT, KT and LGU+ in Korea. Nokia currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the industry are Qualcomm Incorporated QCOM, Ubiquiti Inc. UI and PCTEL, Inc. PCTI, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Qualcomm has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 14%. Ubiquiti has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 9.4%. PCTEL surpassed earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the surprise being 150.6%, on average. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers Most Likely for Early Price Pops. Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.6% per year. So be sure to give these hand-picked 7 your immediate attention. See 7 handpicked stocks now >> 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 PCTEL, Inc. (PCTI) : Free Stock Analysis Report QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Nokia Corporation (NOK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ubiquiti Inc. (UI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, January 2, 2020 10:55 739 48be62e941b44f04afae568c3208e479 1 Politics Jokowi,Prabowo,Kaesang-Pangarep,New-Year,Bobby-Nasution,Didit-Hediprasetyo Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo welcomed defense minister and Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto as his first guest of 2020 on Wednesday at Gedung Agung state palace in Yogyakarta. Tamu pertama di tahun 2020. pic.twitter.com/2ulWpLdKou Joko Widodo (@jokowi) January 1, 2020 In the 2020 new year, Pak Prabowo is the first prominent guest that I have received, Jokowi said after the meeting. Jokowi's youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, accompanied him in receiving Prabowo, who arrived with his son, Didit Hediprasetyo. The four then lunched together at the palace Jokowi said that he and Prabowo talked about family matters as well as state affairs during the meeting. Separately, Prabowo thanked the President for taking the time to meet him and his son, adding that the pair had also spoken about their plans for the new year. [Jokowi] has big plans that must be synchronized, and I am optimistic that the prospects are good and we have a good strategy, Prabowo said. I am personally optimistic about the coming year, even though it will require a lot of hard work. The meeting came a few days after Prabowo received Jokowis son-in-law, Bobby Nasution, in connection with Bobby's intention this year to run for mayor of Medan, North Sumatra. (kmt) Lashkar, SIMI, ISIS, urban naxals: Indias internal security challenge in 2020 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 03: One of the key focuses of the Narendra Modi government has been internal security. While the government has dealt with an iron fist on issues relating to terror, there are bound to be challenges this year as well. While internal security challenges would remain, the immediate agenda would be to control the protests around the citizenship law. It is the violence which is the key concern of the government and with various reports suggesting the presence of radical groups and terror organisation, the challenge has only become immense. Kashmir would also be a challenge. With the restrictions being eased out, there is also a risk that terror groups may look to raise their ugly head. The government would however continue its crackdown against the funding in the Valley, which is a very important component in the fight against terror and separatism. Indias biggest internal security headache would be the migrants from Bengal, radicals from Kerala Probably for the first time one has seen sustained action against the Separatists of Kashmir. The National Investigation Agency and the Enforcement Directorate are probing a series of cases against these persons. Officials tell OneIndia that they had been told by the government to go hard on such elements. It would be absolutely necessary for the next dispensation to have a similar attitude failing which things could get back to square one. The next is the policy on Pakistan. This would be a tough road ahead as it has never been easy dealing with the neighbour. Several intelligence reports suggest that Pakistan would up the ante. For instance, it plans on re-launching the Lashkar-e-Tayiba in a big way in Kashmir. This decision was taken post the ban on Azhar as the ISI wants the heat on him to lower down. Another danger that has been lurking for sometime now is the menace called the Islamic State. This is a problem that South India faces more than any other part of the nation. The agencies have launched multiple probes and also put in place several strategies to ensure that the ISIS remains grounded. The government would have a whole new challenge dealing with this problem, especially in the wake of the Sri Lanka blasts. The attacks only showed how close the ISIS has got to India. The NIA is probing a series of cases relating to the ISIS in states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Kerala, several persons went missing and it was later found that they had joined the ISIS. Moreover in states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it has been found that the ISIS has been aligning with local radical groups to further its agenda. An NIA officer says that if not controlled and probed well, it could spiral into a major crisis. SIMI link to ISIS: Why Kerala, Tamil Nadu have become ticking time bombs Similar developments have been found in West Bengal as well. The ISIS recently announced its Emir for the region and the agencies are watching these developments closely. The ISIS has been trying to expand its reach by roping in groups in Bengal and Bangladesh. The other major issue would be pertaining to naxalites and their friends in the cities. The agencies have unearthed several plots and it had been found that the naxalites operate largely on the agenda set by their mentors in the cities. Recently the Pune Police unearthed a major case in which it was found that the trouble during Bhima-Koregaon was masterminded by several activists in the cities. The agencies have largely managed to keep such elements quiet and more importantly curbed their flow of funds. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at 9 PM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. India cant lag behind: PM Modi asks young DRDO scientists to spread wings Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said investment in research and innovation in defence technology is important to help India keep pace in a world where rapidly changing technology was defining strategic dynamics. Read more Pakistan to induct upgraded JF17 fighters that took maiden flight in China The new version of the fighter aircraft jointly developed by China and Pakistan with upgraded fighting capabilities made its maiden flight in December and the first batch is set to be inducted by Islamabad in 2020. Read more The hug taught me many lessons: K Sivan on PM Modis embrace after Chandrayaan 2 failed Looking ahead to the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 in addition to a maiden solar expedition in 2020, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Sivan recalled on Thursday how Prime Minister Narendra Modis hug after the space agency lost contact with Chandrayaan 2 lander Vikram in September, had taught him many lessons. Read more Kicks SUV, exports power Nissan sales in December of 2019 Nissan Motor India has registered a decent performance in December of 2019 with a 49% month-on-month growth in domestic sales figures and exporting 10,791 units - the companys highest ever monthly shipment in five years. Read more Fact Check: Did Canada deport Indian students for submitting fake IELTS results? Heres the truth A video claiming Canada deported Indian students for submitting fake International English Language Testing System (IELTS) results is doing rounds of the Internet. Read more Another ticket collector on the rise in Indian cricket - Meet the man who dismissed Ajinkya Rahane Fast bowler Himanshu Sangwan was the star performer for Railways as he took six wickets to guide his team to a sensational win over the star-studded Mumbai in Ranji Trophy. Read more Four apartment complexes in Maradu in Kochi will be razed next weekend for flouting coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms but local residents have hit the streets again saying most of the promises remain unfulfilled. Prior to the controlled explosion, the walls of the building have been removed. And once the final nod is given by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization, explosives will be inserted into the flats, officials said. They said around 800 kgs of explosives have reached the port city for this and more will come in a few days. However, many locals living around the building complex said their dwellings have developed cracks and they will deteriorate further after the explosion. Agitated, they have started a hunger strike against the district authorities for ignoring their safety concerns. They said though the district administration has promised compensation and insurance coverage in case of any damage to their properties they were yet to receive any assurance in this regard. We have asked the authorities to first demolish the flats that are in areas with sparse population. Then we can gauge the exact damage and act accordingly. But they are first demolishing H2O Holy Faith flats that are situated in the midst of many houses on Jan 11, said K R Shaji, spokesperson of the local residents. He said after minor demolition of walls some of the houses in nearby areas had developed cracks and they will widen after final explosions. Earlier, the authorities had decided to carry out controlled implosion to bring down about 10 lakh sq feet concrete structures. Experts say controlled implosion is an accepted demolition technique in which explosives will be placed on strategic spots of structures and ignited to raze within its perimeters. To prevent debris from falling far, the buildings will be covered with sheets of iron mesh and geo textiles, officials said. This is the first time in the country such major concrete structures are being pulled down for violating CRZ norms. The Kochi flats case came up in 2007 after the vigilance wing of the states local self-government body had directed the Maradu Panchayat to cancel 31 building permits for various violations, including coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms. But, later the Kerala High Court had stayed its order and construction continued. The Kerala State Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA) had moved the top court in 2016, saying five buildingsfour occupied and one under constructioncame close to the backwaters violating CRZ III norms. According to CRZ III, if an area is notified it should be relatively undisturbed and untouched. In May this year, the SC had ordered the demolition of these flats saying they violated CRZ norms. On September 6, it pulled up the state for not implementing its order and gave an ultimatum. It passed severe strictures against the state for flouting its judgments repeatedly. It gave an ultimatum to demolish the flats by September 20. On September 20, the state government filed an action taken report and the chief secretary tendered an apology to the top court. He gave an undertaking that the flats would be demolished by the second week of January. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Though deep fakes havent quite entered our dystopian mediascape just yet, selective edits are proving to be a problem, as shown by a deceptively cut video of Joe Biden suggesting an idea consistent with white nationalism, which made the rounds on social media on Wednesday night. Our culture is not imported from some African nation, or some Asian nation, Biden says in the clip. Its our English jurisprudential culture. Our European culture. Biden proclaims the 'European' identity of America: "Our culture is not imported from some African nation." pic.twitter.com/mG1ys8fzWB (@mooncult) January 2, 2020 Out of context, the statement fits comfortably within the confines of white nationalist rhetoric, an idea more likely to be expressed by a candidate promoted by Steve Bannon, to pick an example at random. But the quote is from a March 2019 speech in which Biden expressed his regrets for the role he played in the Clarence Thomas hearings without actually apologizing to Anita Hill. Biden said he wanted to change the culture that tolerates the sexual abuse of women, not promote the idea that European culture is superior to that of other continents. Videos stripped of their context were a frequent concern last year, including an RNC cut of a comment by Kirsten Gillibrand suggesting the New York senator wanted to expand Social Security to undocumented immigrants. Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar was a frequent target of such misinformation from the right, including an instance in which Senator Marco Rubio tweeted out a video of Omar saying Americans should be more fearful of white men, without any mention of her discussion of attacks by right-wing extremists killing four times as many Americans as Islamist extremists between 2009 and 2018. (Trump, with his habit of long paraphrases of other characters in his speeches, has been targeted as well.) That such a video emerged on the first day of 2020 suggests just how prevalent the practice is likely to be in the coming election year. Raging bushfires are forcing flying foxes to leave their offspring as they desperately search for food while their habitats are razed to the ground, according to a local wildlife rescue service. An animal carer with Wildlife Rescue South Coast, in New South Wales, said 300 flying fox pups had been abandoned in fire hit areas, threatening the local viability of the species. The flying foxes - a time of bat - began to fly south in spring as fires burned in the north of New South Wales. Huge numbers of flying foxes, including an entire generation in South Australia, have been wiped out by bushfire, drought and abandonment of their young Extreme weather conditions including bushfire (pictured in Nowra) and drought has forced flying foxes and other species to flee their habitats leaving them extremely vulnerable However they, along with local colonies, were caught up in the deadly bushfires around the area and many fled, leaving behind their young to fend for themselves. Wildlife Rescue South Coast secretary Jenny Packwood told Daily Mail Australia the flying foxes were likely abandoning their young because of starvation. 'The situation is dire. I fear we are witnessing the extinction of a species,' she said. 'We believe that due to the excessive drought, many Grey-headed Flying-foxes were literally falling out of the sky in southern Queensland. 'Then, followed by the massive fires we believe that the mothers have flown south in search of food.' Mrs Packwood said flying fox pups were completely reliant on their mother for relocation and survival. Wildlife Rescue South Coast secretary Jenny Packwood said she fears we are witnessing the beginning of a species' extinction (flying foxes being cared for by Mrs Packwood) 'Flying-fox babies are attached to their mothers by holding onto her nipple which is located in her wing pit, and wrapping their feet across her body,' she said. 'If they are malnourished they are unable to hold on. Mothers could also be abandoning because of starvation. 'We're calling it a starvation event. I've never seen an abandonment like this before.' Mrs Packwood said the flying fox colony nearest her had been at a population level of nearly 20,000 but estimated it had been reduced to as little as 5,000 as they fled the flames. They hope to be able to continue to care for the young animals until a suitable habitat can be found for them and are asking for donations to achieve that goal. 'We have had heat events, starvation where all animals are affected, but I've never seen so many abandoned babies,' she said. Meanwhile in South Australia there are fears an entire generation of flying foxes has been wiped out by a heatwave. Mrs Packwood said the flying fox colony on the South Coast was at a population level of 20,000 and had been reduced to as little as 5,000 in only a couple of days Fire and drought continues to ravage native species who are being forced out of their habitat to seek a new one leaving many starving, dehydrated and malnourished Up to 8000 flying fox pups died in the heat and 400 survivors are in the care of Fauna Rescue in Adelaide. Fauna Rescue flying fox coordinator Sue Westover told The Advertiser she was nursing 61 of the flying fox pups in her own home. 'Basically, a whole generation of flying foxes has been wiped out in Adelaide this year, which is pretty sad,' Mrs Westover said. 'They're listed as vulnerable now and I'd say it won't be long until they're on the endangered list.' Professor of conservation biology at the University of Sydney Mike Letnic said other native animals including koalas, potoroos and echidnas were also forced to relocate. Professor Letnic told the publication some animals would be 'locally extinct' in these areas. 'Animals that typically survive in these patches that dont burn can recolonise from these refuges, but there may be too few pathways to allow for effective recolonisation. It will depend on how many refuges are left,' he said. The national irrigation department has reported a staggeringly low level of water reserves in northern and central regions, signalling the threat of a severe drought in 2020. Hoa Binh reservoir in December 2019 was at its lowest level since it opened 30 years ago. VNA/VNS Photo According to the latest survey by the General Department of Irrigation conducted in December, water levels in several reservoirs in the northern delta had fallen to 62.2 per cent of their total capacity. By the time reservoirs start releasing water for farmers to prepare to plant their winter-spring rice crops in less than two weeks, reservoirs would be at 58 per cent of capacity, equivalent to 9.51 billion cubic metres. That would leave the northern delta short of more than seven million cubic metres of water, the irrigation department warned. The central region, which is also preparing to plant crops, is in the same situation. Some reservoirs in the northern part of the region had fallen to 66 per cent capacity, reported the irrigation department. Going south Water reserves in reservoirs in the south had dropped to as low as 49 per cent. Two reservoirs were reported to be below the catastrophic drought of 2015, with A Vuong at 22 per cent and ak rinh currently at 59 per cent capacity. Water reserves in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces two localities most vulnerable to drought in Vietnam were barely higher than in 2015 by 6 to 9 per cent, according to the department. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) held an emergency meeting on December 28 to examine the drought outlook for the upcoming crop season and 2020, and come up with solutions to alleviate the impacts of the expected drought. Department of Crops Director Nguyen Nhu Cuong said at the meeting that up to 7,400ha of fields in the north would face problems accessing water, with Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc and Phu Tho most affected. The irrigation department warned that the northern part of the central region would be vulnerable to drought in some areas during the winter-spring crop season with between 4,500 and 9,000ha short of water. Thanh Hoa Province faced up to 3,750ha at risk while Nghe An had a potential 5,000ha that could be damaged, with a further 250ha at risk in Thua Thien-Hue. Forecasts for the south were bleaker as irrigation officials believed some areas would suffer small-scale droughts in the winter-spring season and mild or severe droughts in the summer-autumn season. Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan are most vulnerable to drought in the region, reported the irrigation department. Dead storage capacity Unfavourable weather conditions offered little hope of alleviating the water shortage as total rainfall in the first six months of 2020 was forecast at 30-60mm a month, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. The outlook has become so tense that Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has urged MARD to publicly announce the water shortage and work on solutions to adapt to the drought. EVN, which operates several hydroelectric power plants in the north and central regions, is under great pressure to maintain power supplies. EVN Deputy General Director Ngo Son Hai said this year was the first time no floods had arrived on the Da River since the dams went into operation three decades ago. The Hoa Binh reservoir was at its lowest level of only 54 per cent, and could plummet to only 8 per cent following water releases for agricultural purposes this year, he said. Another big reservoir at Tuyen Quang could also go down to 8 per cent by that time, Hai added. That would leave them at dead storage capacity, he said. Agriculture Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong demanded all localities affected by the drought to develop detailed plans to ensure sufficient water for their crops. Hanoi, one of the localities to be hardest hit, had already mapped out a plan to install more permanent pumping stations as well as seasonal pumps along the Hong River, said Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Chu Phu My. The city was also considering switching to crops that consumed less water to prepare for the drought, he said. VNS Reservoirs in northern Vietnam warned of serious water shortage The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has warned that northern localities are facing water shortages as reservoirs are drying up. After initial hiccups, broadband internet services were restored in 80 government hospitals and nursing homes in Kashmir, officials said, a move which is being seen as a big relief for patients and healthcare professionals in the Valley. Medical Superintendent of Chest Disease hospital in Srinagar Dr Saleem Tak confirmed that internet started working in the facility on Thursday "which is a big relief to us as well as for patients". An official of the Jammu and Kashmir administration said, "Broadband high-speed internet connectivity was restored at 80 government hospitals, including health centres and offices linked to the department of health, across Kashmir." The internet services were to start at the government-run hospitals from midnight of December 31 as a new year gift to the people in the Valley but it could not resume due to some technical issues, officials said. Tak said restoration of internet facilities will help hospitals to update their patient care records, especially about centrally-sponsored schemes like the Ayushman Bharat. "It will help poor patients to receive medical facilities free of cost," he told PTI. "Now we can consult other doctors across India and the world for seeking guidance related to patient care and also updating our system for which internet is necessary," he said. Principal of Government Medical College in Srinagar Pervez Shah also confirmed that internet was working at seven hospitals out of the eight associated facilities. Work was on for restoration on internet services in one nursing home, he added. Internet services, landline and mobile phones were snapped across Jammu and Kashmir on August 4, a day before the Centre's announcement to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divide it into two union territories. Though most services, except mobile internet, were restored in Jammu within a week, Kashmir saw landlines and post-paid services being restored in phases. However, internet and pre-paid mobile services in the valley are yet to be restored. Mobile Internet services were restored in Kargil district of Ladakh last Friday after remaining suspended for 145 days. The services were restored in view of complete normalcy returning to Kargil, with no untoward incident taking place over the past four months, officials had said. Broadband services were already functional in Kargil. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A routine doctors visit for a sore throat brought more than $28,000 in charges for one New York City woman in our latest Bill of the Month installment. Woman hit with $28,000+ bill after throat swab test at doctor's visit Play David Begnaud of CBS This Morning, in partnership with NPR and Kaiser Health News, discussed the case with KHN Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Rosenthal in the Dec. 31 broadcast. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Apple used to license Imaginations graphics chip designs for use in iPhones and iPads, but moved to its own designs in 2017. Photo: Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Apple (AAPL) has signed a deal with UK chipmaker Imagination Technologies, two years after the Californian technology giant sidelined the company. Imagination announced Thursday it had signed a multi-year license agreement with Apple for its intellectual property. It didnt specify what technology Apple would be licensing, saying only the iPhone maker would have access to a wider range of Imaginations intellectual property in exchange for license fees. Imagination designs microchips that can be used for computing, artificial intelligence, machine vision, and graphics. The deal with Apple comes two years after the tech giant ditched Imagination as a supplier, sending its share price into turmoil. READ MORE: UK economy 'limped through' end of 2019, survey shows Apple used to license Imaginations graphics chip designs for use in iPhones and iPads, but moved to its own designs in 2017. Apple was Imaginations biggest customer, accounting for around half its revenues, and the news Apple was going it alone sent Imaginations share price crashing over 70%. Hertfordshire-based Imagination, which employs over 500 people, was sold to Chinese private equity group Canyon Bridge Capital Partners for 500m shortly after the share price collapse. Accounts filed with Companies House show Imaginations revenue rose 9% to 86.4m in 2018, the most recent period accounts are available for. Imagination made a pre-tax profit of 1m for the year, bouncing back from a 43.7m loss in 2017. Imagination said in its accounts, filed in August 2019, that it had received significant support from Canyon Bridge Capital and flagged that talks with Apple were ongoing. Products based on Imagination IP are used by billions of people across the globe in their phones, cars, homes, and workplaces, Imagination said in Thursdays statement. 3 1 of 3 Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Michael Minasi, Photographer Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Wines are always better when paired with music and friends. This is especially true when the wine you are sipping is in the place where it was made, specifically the winery. Our local wineries are hosting special concerts inside during the months of January, February, and March since it can be quite chilly. These inside concerts are more intimate with an emphasis on the wines paired with fellowship and the music. In many cases, food is available at the winery for purchase. Some wineries have indoor concerts with local acts while other wineries like Bernhardt Winery bring in regional musicians and charge a nominal concert fee plus cost for appetizers and desserts along with provisions for your picnic dinner. Thousands of people wait in line to shop at the first Uniqlo store in Viet Nam on its opening day. Photo courtesy of thanhnien.com.vn HCM CITY With the opening of the first Uniqlo store in Viet Nam, HCM City has added another fashion giant to its growing list of popular brands. On its opening last month, the Japanese-owned Uniqlo store on District 1s ong Khoi Street attracted more than 2,000 customers waiting in line to shop, generating VN5.5 billion worth of sales. According to the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper, queuing to have the first shopping experience in HCM City is not new, as similar cases were seen when H&M opened its first store in Vincom Centre downtown. Uniqlo, Zara and H&M are three giant fashion names that have chosen HCM City as their first market in Viet Nam. Similarly, Calvin Klein, Mothercare, Old Navy and Mango initially settled in HCM City before expanding their business to Ha Noi and other cities. In addition to world-famous fashion brands, local firms such as Canifa, NEM and Ivy Moda have successfully grown their business nationwide, with the first stop being HCM City. More than half of about 110 Canifa stores are located in HCM City along Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, Vo Van Tan Street and Hai Ba Trung Street, among other prime locations. While Canifas revenue was over VN1,000 billion last year, other brands generated VN400 billion to 500 billion each. Local shops Thanh Huong, a shop owner in District 3, said that it is easy to score some fashion items at reasonable prices from Marc, Guma, Toto, Clothe or Angle Lam while wandering around Le Van Sy or Tran Quang Dieu streets. These brands have high-quality clothing and do not sell mass products. Clothing from Zara or H&M might be considered cheap overseas, but they are not affordable to HCM City reidents, she added. Thai Thanh Hien, a retired official, said that she has been wearing dresses from Miu Rex Tokyo for years. The store always gives me a heads-up when it has a promotion. I usually buy up to four pieces of clothing when they're on sale, she added. In addition to districts 1 and 3, District 5 hosts many popular fashion stores, including Yame, Toto, Lime Orange, MWC, Song Nhac, SuSu, and Kboy, among others. As many foreign retail groups enter HCM City for business, the fashion market has become very competitive and expensive to invest in. A representative of Uniqlo said that high real estate prices had made it challenging to find a perfect spot to launch the premium fashion store. This explains why many Vietnamese fashion chains cannot expand their businesses as their financial resources are not sufficiently strong. Huge potential HCM City is a young, attractive market with huge consumer potential, according to experts. According to research conducted by Nielsen a year ago, Vietnamese peoples love for branded items ranks third worldwide, after China and India. This statistics are surprising as Viet Nam is officially classified as a low- to middle-income country. Meanwhile, Statistics Portal, a German research company, predicts that the annual growth of the Vietnamese fashion market will reach more than 22 per cent between 2017 and 2022. By 2022, the market could generate revenue of US$988 million, it said. Vu Quoc Chinh, a marketing expert from HCM City University of Economics, said that HCM City has a large market size with 10 million people who have a higher than average income. Fashion brands and luxury brands always aim for cities with the largest purchasing power, like HCM City. Though locals' higher incomes do not necessarily mean they are willing to pay, HCM City people love to try new things, Chinh said. Most market research has pointed out that southern consumers are sensitive to experiencing new things and taking challenges. This has shaped a fast-changing consumer culture, which is beneficial to business development plans, he added. Northern people are also fond of luxury products, but being a more conservative part of Viet Nam, it takes more time to successfully introduce a product to northerners. As such, it is safer for fashion brands to start from HCM City. Despite this, Chinh admitted that a good piece of cake often attracts lots of flies and the fashion market in HCM City is highly competitive. It is important for fashion firms to constantly update their portfolios and services. A retail expert from Ha Noi, Vu Vinh Phu, said that purchasing power in HCM City is higher than that of Ha Noi, particularly for fashion goods. The young generation from the north might be able to catch up with the south soon, but it is not the case with the older generations. As HCM City is a centre for young artists and passionate youth, it is easy to understand that it is the perfect spot for fashion brands to settle their business there, Phu added. VNS Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts delivered a rebuke to Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, a day after becoming the third U.S. senator barred from entering the Philippines in response to the lawmakers vocal stances condemning human rights offenses in the country. The Philippines government announced the ban on Markey on Wednesday, a week after the Duterte barred Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Patrick Leahy of Vermont. The ban against Markey comes as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently passed a bipartisan resolution highlighting the cases of Senator Leila De Lima and journalist Maria Ressa. In a statement Thursday, Markey said the Duterte government has wrongfully imprisoned Senator De Lima for more than 1,000 days and has repeatedly jailed Ms. Ressa in response to their work to expose extrajudicial killings and other abuses by the Filipino security forces war on drugs. President Duterte is sorely mistaken if he thinks he can silence my voice and that of my colleagues, Markey said. He has already failed to silence Senator De Lima, Maria Ressa, and others in his country who have spoken truth to power. I stand with the people of the Philippines and with my states vibrant Filipino-American community in fighting for the highest democratic ideals and against the strongman tactics of the Duterte government. President Duterte is sorely mistaken if he thinks he can silence my voice. He has already failed to silence @SenLeiladeLima and others who have spoken truth to power. I stand with the people of the Philippines in fighting against his strongman tactics.https://t.co/IZ5udRHZgu Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) January 2, 2020 The Philippine Star reported that the 2020 U.S. budget signed by President Donald Trump includes an amendment authorizing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to bar individuals behind De Limas detention, based on credible information, from entering the U.S. The budget provision also allows Pompeo to apply the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, imposing sanctions and freezing the U.S. assets of individuals who violate human rights, which prompted Dutertes ban of Durbin and Leahy. Markey, who faces a 2020 primary challenge from U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy and labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan, was one of five senators calling for the release of De Lima. De Lima has remained in detention since 2017 on charges she received money from drug lords, the Philippine Star reported. De Lima says the charges have been concocted because of her critiques of Dutertes violent anti-drug crackdown. Bollywood has always stood up for several causes, right from mental health issues to diseases like cancer, AIDS, etc. A lot of Bollywood celebrities such as Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar support various causes. Recently, Sara Ali Khan teamed up with Arjun Kapoor's sister Anshula Kapoor for a fundraising platform to raise funds for children affected by HIV. Also Read | Sara Ali Khan 'feeling Blue' In Maldives With Ibrahim; Enjoys A Lavish Floating Breakfast Also Read | Saif Ali Khan Says He Could Have Acted In Love Aaj Kal 2; Wishes Well For Daughter Sara Sara Ali Khan's association with Anshula Kapoor's Fankind Sara Ali Khan is currently vacationing in North Male Atoll, Maldives and is also updating her fans with pictures of the same. Sara posted of a streak of pictures enjoying her get away with her brother Ibrahim Ali Khan. Amidst her vacation pictures, Sara also posted a video wherein her fans can watch a special screening of her next movie with her, even before the movie releases in the theatre. All they need to do is log on to fankind.org/Sara and contribute as their donations will support Committed Communities Development Trust to help provide care and support to children & families affected by HIV. Also Read | WATCH: Sara Ali Khan And Janhvi Kapoor Snapped Post Lunch In Bandra Through Anshula Kapoor's online fundraising platform Fankind, the Simmba actor will help raise funds for the Mumbai-based NGO Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT). Sara, in a statement, said that she is grateful to CCDT for the wonderful work that they do by supporting children and families affected by HIV. Not only do they provide shelters and infrastructural help to those directly affected by AIDS, but they also ensure that families don't fall apart after a member is diagnosed. She also added that today, social stigma and emotional trauma are as important issues to address for families as actually supporting those that are affected by HIV. Over the years, CCDT has been working towards reducing stigma and discrimination and ensuring that people have access to treatment, information and prevention services. Also Read | Kartik Aaryan & Sara Ali Khan Spotted Post Dubbing For 'Aaj Kal' Amid Breakup Rumours Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Begusarai: Union Minister and BJP's Fire Brand leader Giriraj Singh is once again in the headlines for his statements. This time he has said that instead of teaching our culture and traditional values to children, we send them to missionary schools and then most of them go abroad and start eating beef. Giriraj Singh further said that there is a need to teach the verses of Gita to children in private schools. "Atrocities against Hindus in Pak, Congress still agitating against Dalits and victims"- PM Modi Giriraj Singh has said, "Bhagavad Gita should be taught in schools, we send our children to missionary schools, they study from IIT, engineer, go abroad and most of them eat beef. Let's start. Why? Because we did not teach them about our culture and traditional values. " Hong Kong: 10,000 people did this work instead of celebrating on New Year Giriraj Singh said during a religious ceremony that today Sanatan Dharma is alive, so democracy is also alive. Whence will we become fundamentalists when our ancestors and religion taught that ants feed jaggery and give water to trees, yet people call us fundamentalists. Giriraj Singh further said that not only that, we also feed the snake of the sleeve on the day of Nag Panchami. US President Donald Trump moves its army in midst of growing turmoil in Iraq A record 500-plus young pianists, nearly half from Asia, applied to take part in the 2020 edition of Poland's prestigious Chopin competition, its organisers said Thursday. Winning the event, which began in 1927 and is held every five years in the Polish capital, is seen as a ticket to playing the greatest venues in the world. It is reserved for pianists between the ages of 16 and 30. The 19th-century French-Polish romantic composer's music has long drawn pianists from Asian countries like China and Japan and this year's competition is no exception. More than 100 of the applicants for the 18th edition come from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the Warsaw-based Fryderyk Chopin Institute told AFP. There were also strong representations from Japan, with more than 90 applicants, and Poland, with more than 60. Thirty-five of the individuals are South Korean, just like the winner of the last edition, Cho Seong-Jin. Other countries notably represented include the United States, Canada, Russia, Italy and France. A committee will now select around a third of the candidates to participate in the April preliminaries, whose outcome will decide which 80 pianists perform in the October 2-21 competition. The juried performances are open to the public and always sell out. Several members of this year's jury hail from Asia, including Vietnamese Montreal-resident Dang Thai Son, China's Sa Chen and Japanese-French pianist Akiko Ebi. Over the years the competition has helped to launch the careers of pianists such as the Italian Maurizio Pollini and Argentine's Martha Argerich. Born in 1810 in Zelazowa Wola, near the Polish capital, Frederic Chopin fled his homeland just before the 1830 uprising against the occupying forces of Tsarist Russia. The composer later lived in the Austrian capital Vienna before moving to Paris, where he died aged 39 after years of poor health. Described by 19th century German composer Robert Schumann as "cannons hidden among blossoms", Chopin's music remains a symbol of Poland's long struggle for freedom. Argentinian pianist Marta Argerich was one of the musicians whose careers were launched by the Chopin competition When Rep. John Lewis announced Sunday night that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, you could almost hear the country cry. Democrats and Republicans, Hollywood actors and people who had simply met the congressman in an airport, all went to Twitter to ask the 17-term Georgia Democrat to fight one more time. You are loved. You are respected. You are magnificent, Ava DuVernay wrote. Praying for you, my friend, former president Barack Obama tweeted. The Late Show host Steven Colbert called Lewis a leader, a teacher, an example for us all, while Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Lewis longtime friend who counts Lewis as a hero as he mounts his own fight against Parkinsons disease, wrote, They dont make them stronger or braver. From Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Kellyanne Conway and everyone in between, the outpouring of emotion tells you almost everything you need to know both about Lewis, the civil rights icon, and the moment were living in today. Americans have always found our heroes at the darkest times in our history, but its rare that our history is still living alongside us, as Lewis is. After a weekend when a man stabbed five people at a Hanukkah party and another man shot two in a Texas church, we look for leaders to tell us well get through this era of hate, with Americans killing Americans because of their religion or skin color or for no reason at all. Without Lewis, who would tell us theyve seen worse and believe this will get better, too, if we fight to make it happen? Lewis was born in Troy, Ala., when the South segregated blacks and whites so thoroughly that Lewis was unable to vote, to enroll in his local college and even to get a public library card. Young Lewis sent a letter to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., already a civil rights leader, and joined the Freedom Riders, insisting on integration of the South through nonviolent protest. That led Lewis on a journey to speak alongside King, who called Lewis the boy from Troy, as the youngest leader at the 1963 March on Washington. He stood in front of Alabama state troopers in Selma in 1965 before they beat him trying to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge; and stood next to President Lyndon Johnson when he signed the Voting Rights Act later that year. Lewis was arrested 40 times before he was elected to Congress and five times since in what he calls his mission to help redeem the soul of America. Its a mission he continues today. I met Lewis in his Capitol Hill office in 1989 two years after he was first elected to represent the Fifth District of Georgia. I was just a high school student from the district stopping by with my mother to sign the guest book while we were in Washington. Come in and visit, the congressman said with a smile. Have you been to the Capitol? Ill take you there. Lewis walked us through the Capitol tunnels past the state student art exhibits This one is from Atlanta! and over to the House floor. He asked the clerk to turn on the electronic voting board and told me to give it a try. I voted yes. I have never forgotten the thrill of that day, the kindness John Lewis offered my mother and me, or the similar stories Ive heard from other Atlantans from all walks of life inspired by their member of Congress and proud, always, of the man he is. How many Americans can say the same? Throughout his career, those who know Lewis have described him as a man of fame without pretense, often walking alone in an airport and without an entourage at events. He stands tall, even at 5 feet, 6 inches, and can command a room with just a whisper of wisdom on fairness or justice or the requirement to act for what we know is right. He has joyfully taken his fight to young people with graphic novels about the Civil Rights movement and a mobbed appearance at ComicCon. But hes kept his fight for equality alive by expanding it to immigration and health care and criminal justice reform. Lewis led the sit-in on the House floor in 2016 to push for gun safety legislation and, earlier this year, added his voice to the call for the presidents impeachment, which started the momentum to make it a reality. When John Lewis says something is not right, Democrats always listen. Many Republicans do, too. One voice that has been absent in the chorus of well-wishes for Lewis since Sunday has been the presidents. But thats certainly not a surprise in light of Lewis impeachment vote and Trumps 2017 tweet that Lewis was, All talk, talk, talk no action or results. Sad! He added that district is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested). Speaking from experience, neither is true. But if we know anything of Lewis, its that he has already forgiven the truly unforgivable in the past and likely will again. Hes seen the very worst that our country can be and stayed faithful that someday it would get better. That, in essence, seems to be what the grief over Lewiss news has been about. John Lewis is living proof, still, that Americas darkest days can see the dawn, that hate can subside, and that there is still a place for dignity, character and truth in our country and our capital. Dont go yet, John Lewis. We need you. Patricia Murphy covers national politics for The Daily Beast. Previously, she was the Capitol Hill bureau chief for Politics Daily and founder and editor of Citizen Jane Politics. Follow her on Twitter @1PatriciaMurphy. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Evidence for life on other planets may already be sitting on a hard drive on Earth, but we may not realise that's what it is, a science philosopher claims. The question of whether we are 'alone in the universe' is one that has been pondered by scientists, writers and philosophers for generations. There have been dozens of missions launched to search for life beyond the Earth and authors have written countless books on the subject. Scientific philosophy professor, Dr Peter Vickers, from Durham University, says scientists need to have an open mind when considering life elsewhere. In an article for The Conversation, he says conventional thinking or any bias towards life as we know it could be causing us to miss out on a major discovery. Scroll down for video It may not be little green men, but scientists need to have an open mind when considering life elsewhere in the universe, says scientific philosophy professor, Dr Peter Vickers 'Plenty of breakthroughs happen by accident, from the discovery of penicillin to the discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang', the philosophy professor said in the article. 'These often reflect a degree of luck on behalf of the researchers involved. When it comes to alien life, is it enough to assume 'we'll know it when we see it'? One of the techniques scientists can use in trying to identify alien life is to look for biosignatures - that is any substance that provides scientific evidence of past life. It could be an element, isotope or molecule that would need life in order to be present in any given environment. 'Recent years have seen changes to our theories about what counts as a biosignature and which planets might be habitable, and further turnarounds are inevitable', said Dr Vickers. 'But the best we can really do is interpret the data we have with our current best theory, not with some future idea we havent had yet.' A recent study found that it is common for distant exoplanets orbiting faraway stars to have water in their atmosphere. Scientists from the University of Cambridge scoured the composition of 19 worlds for five years and found that water is often spotted but in low amounts. A total of 14 of these worlds had water vapour floating in its atmosphere, and key chemicals sodium and potassium were each present on six. It is vital researchers approach any future search for life with an open mind and be prepared to discover 'the unexpected', he wrote. 'Studying the universe largely unshackled from theory is not only a legitimate scientific endeavour it's a crucial one.' There are a lot of world's in the universe, so the chance of alien species evolving, event at a microbial level, is very high, say astronomers. One of the most famous Hubble Space Telescope images is of nearly 10,000 galaxies in a small region of the night sky called the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. In each of the galaxies there are an average of about 100 million stars and each star is likely to have at least one planet, according to exoplanet researchers. The most extensive survey of atmospheric chemical compositions of exoplanets to date has revealed trends that challenge current theories of planet formation and found that water is common but scarce on alien worlds Space agencies are launching ever more sensitive instruments in search of exoplanets and alien life within those distant galaxies and within our own Milky Way. Some are even hunting much closer to home. There are four missions launching for Mars this year and three of them have the hunt for life on the Red Planet as a primary objective. Missions are also being planned to search the moons of the gas giants and telescopes are hunting for planets in the habitable zone of other stars. One example is NASA's planned $7 billion HabEx telescope that will launch in the 2030s on a 10-year search for a 'second Earth' within the Milky Way galaxy. The European Space Agency has launched its Cheops satellite that will hunt for habitable planets and NASAs TESS has been finding exoplanets since 2018. With the discovery of more than 3,500 exoplanets, and another one found every day, the search for life has started to shift away from the solar system. There are dozens of 'potentially habitable planets' orbiting alien stars - when looking for those in a similar position to Earth and with an Earth like make up. This view of nearly 10,000 galaxies is called the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, it is a small region of space and in each of the galaxies there are an average of about 100 million stars and each star is likely to have at least one planet, according to exoplanet researchers Dr Vickers says scientists need to consider a wider approach to the search. 'In the search for extraterrestrial life, scientists must be thoroughly open-minded', he said in the article. 'This means a certain amount of encouragement for non-mainstream ideas and techniques.' He said each and every new exoplanet discovered by scientists is rich in physical and chemical complexity. 'It is all too easy to imagine a case where scientists do not double check a target that is flagged as 'lacking significance'. 'However, its great significance would be recognised on closer analysis or with a non-standard theoretical approach.' He says we need to be prepared to search in unexpected places and take a less rigid approach when hunting for life elsewhere in the universe. 'One thing I have learnt, having spent over 20 years in this field of exoplanets, is to expect the unexpected', said Scott Gaudi of Nasa's Advisory Council. 'The only way to know for certain if they have life is to go out there and look.' Former US Senator Hillary Clinton has been appointed as 11th chancellor of Queens University Belfast (QUB), on January 1, and became the first female to take up the role. She had received an honorary doctorate from the University in October 2018 and will now serve as chancellor for five years, effective immediately. It is our pleasure to introduce #HillaryClinton as our 11th Chancellor and 1st female Chancellor. Welcome to the @QUBelfast family @HillaryClinton. Find out more below and here: https://t.co/6NlonwYmXK#LoveQUB pic.twitter.com/CLQitoZIkS Queen's University Belfast (@QUBelfast) January 2, 2020 Clinton, in a statement, said that it is a great privilege for her to become the Chancellor of QUB and have grown a strong relationship with over the years. The University is making waves internationally for its research and impact and I am proud to be an ambassador and help grow its reputation for excellence, she said. Read: Clinton Mocks Bernie Sanders' Tuition-free College Plan; Compares It To 'chocolate Milk' Stephen Prenter, Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Senate expressed his delight on the appointment of the former US Secretary of State as the new chancellor. Secretary Clinton has made a considerable contribution to Northern Ireland and as an internationally recognised leader will be an incredible advocate for Queens and an inspirational role model for the Queen's community, said Prenter in a statement. Read: Hillary Clinton Calls British Government 'inexplicable And Shameful' Three roles for Clinton As Universitys chancellor, Clinton will have to fulfil three main roles with the first one to be ceremonial one where she will have to preside at degree congregations. In the second, ambassadorial, role, she will help open door for the University in achieving its mission. She will also play the role of advisor where she will provide counsel and guidance to the Vice-Chancellor and senior management. Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, won the presidential primary in 2016 but lost against the current US President Donald Trump. She was the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001 when Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President. According to QUB, she is a strong advocate for Northern Ireland and an inspirational role model for the Queens community. Read: Never Say Never': Hillary Clinton On Standing In US Presidential Elections Read: Hillary Clintons Message On National Run For Office Day US President Trump's Attorney Rudy Giuliani said he had learned about highly extensive corruption during his recent trip to Ukraine. Giuliani spoke on his way into Trump's Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve gathering. He said the corruption involved the highest levels of the Obama administration and the Bidens laundered millions of dollars out of the country. Giuliani also said he was willing to testify in the Senate impeachment trial. Giuliani, a former US Attorney and was also Mayor of New York, said he would "love" to try the case. The government has no option but to privatise Air India as it has around Rs 80,000-crore debt and needs cooperation of the employees for carrying out the privatisation process, civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri is said to have told the airline unions on Thursday. At a meeting with some 13 Air India unions in Delhi, Puri also said that the government was trying to address the concerns of the employees regarding issues such as job protection post privatisation, a union representative said. The unions, however, opposed to the legacy carrier going into private hands and stressed that the airline employees are capable enough to run it provided they get the government support, the representative said. "The minister said that Air India has a debt of Rs 80,000 crore and no expert has solution to that. In this situation, privatisation is the only choice left for the government," one of the union representatives told PTI after the meeting, which lasted for an hour. He also said that Puri sought cooperation from all airline unions in carrying out the disinvestment process of the national carrier. Later Puri, who is the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, tweeted that he had a "long and useful" discussion with the union representatives and that the two sides will meet again in the next 10 days. "Had a long & useful discussion with representatives of various @airindiain unions in context of the forthcoming privatisation of the airline," the minister said in a tweet. "Unions expressed their concerns which were duly noted. We have agreed to meet again in the next 10 days to carry forward our discussion," he said. The minister also told the unions that the Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM), headed by home minister Amit Shah, has met only once and he will take all concerns of the employees to it at its next meetings, the union representative said. Last week, a senior Air India official said the airline might have to go out of business in the manner similar to the now-defunct Jet Airways if a new investor does not come on board by June. Days later, Puri said the airline will continue operations till it was privatised. "On our part, we flagged our major issues such as job protection, clearing of our dues held on account of 25 per cent reduction in wages/ allowances, continuation of medical benefits, gratuity and provident fund protection, leave encashment, and passage benefits, among others," he had said. The union representative said the minister told the representatives on Thursday that he had already "committed" about clearing of the pending dues in the Parliament and as far as the issue of job protection was concerned, the government will try to incorporate it in the Expression of Interest (EoI). "The minister, however, did not give any specific date for the issuance of the EoI," the union representative said. On December 31, Puri said the government will try to come out with EoI for Air India sale in the next "few" weeks. Civil aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola and Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani were also present at the meeting. On issuance of free travel passes for retired employees after disinvestment, the minister was not "inclined" to continue the practice as it was found to be objectionable to most parties, as per the union representative. However, the minister said he will revert on it only after studying the issue. Employees of Air India are allowed a limited number of free travel on the airline's domestic flights every year. While disinvestment-bound Air India's net loss in 2018-19 was around Rs 8,556 crore, its current total debt is around Rs 80,000 crore. "Air India is running. Air India will keep on running. But Air India has to be privatised because it is incurring a daily loss of Rs 20-26 crore. This is taxpayer's money that can be more profitably spent," Puri said on December 31. The AISAM has approved re-initiation of process for the the government's 100 per cent stake sale in Air India along with Air India Express and the carrier's stake in joint venture AISATS. In 2018, the government's effort to sell 76 per cent stake as well as transfer the management control to private players failed to take off as not a single bidder turned up. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scientists have shown for the first time that brittle stars use vision to guide them through vibrant coral reefs, thanks to a neat colour-changing trick. The international team, led by researchers at Oxford University Museum of Natural History, described a new mechanism for vision in the red brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii, a relative to sea stars and sea urchins, which lives in the bright and complex reefs of the Caribbean Sea. Their findings are published in Current Biology today. This species first captured scientific attention more than 30 years ago thanks to its dramatic change in colour between day and night and its strong aversion to light. Recently , researchers demonstrated that O. wendtii was covered in thousands of light-sensitive cells, but the exact behaviours they control remained a mystery. The new research shows that O. wendtii is able to see visual stimuli, and that its signature colour-change might play an important role in enabling vision. Lauren Sumner-Rooney, a research fellow at Oxford University Museum of Natural History who studies unusual visual systems, has been working with Ophiocoma for several years at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and the Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin. Alongside team members from the Museum fur Naturkunde, Lund University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Sumner-Rooney ran hundreds of behavioural experiments to test the brittle stars' 'eyesight'. "These experiments gave us not only the first evidence that any brittle star is able to 'see'," says Sumner-Rooney, "but only the second known example of vision in any animal lacking eyes". The animals were able to seek out areas of contrast, which the researchers think may mimic structures that could offer shelter from predators. Although it appears that their vision is very coarse, on the crowded tropical reefs disturbed brittle stars never have to look too far to make a dash for the nearest cover. However, an unexpected discovery raised new questions about how this visual system worked. "We were surprised to find that the responses we saw during the day disappeared in animals tested at night, yet the light-sensitive cells still seemed to be active," says Sumner-Rooney. The team set about trying to identify what caused this dramatic shift in behaviour, eliminating possible factors such as loss of motivation and low light intensity making vision too difficult. The one they couldn't rule out was O. wendtii's characteristic change in colour, from a deep red during the day to beige at night. Previously, Sumner-Rooney's team showed that another closely related brittle star, Ophiocoma pumila, was also covered in light sensors, but it doesn't exhibit the same colour change. Curiously, this paler species also failed their eye-test. Combining a suite of techniques, the researchers reconstructed digital models of individual light-sensing cells in the two species, with and without O. wendtii's dark daytime pigmentation. They demonstrated that, during the day, the pigment restricted light reaching the sensors to a narrower angle that corresponds to their hypothesised visual resolution. Without this pigment - in O. pumila, or during the night in O. wendtii - light could reach the sensors from a much wider angle, making vision impossible. "It's a very exciting discovery," explains Sumner-Rooney. "It had been suggested 30 years ago that changing colour might hold the key to light-sensitivity in Ophiocoma, so we're very happy to be able to fill in some of the gaps that remained and describe this new mechanism." Although this is the first visual system proposed to work using whole-body colour change, the scientists have also identified potential similarities with a sea urchin, distant relatives of brittle stars. Only one species of sea urchin has 'passed' the same tests for vision, and it also, independently, changes colour in response to light levels. Future work will probe whether this sea urchin, the only other animal in the world known to see without eyes, might be using a similar trick to Ophiocoma. ### For further information: Lauren Sumner-Rooney Research fellow Museum of Natual History lauren.sumner-rooney@oum.ox.ac.uk 01865 272 950 Notes to editors The full paper is published today as: Sumner-Rooney L, Kirwan JD, Lowe EK, and Ullrich-Luter E. Extraocular vision in a brittle star is mediated by chromatophore movement in response to ambient light. Current Biology, 30: 1-9. After months of stalling, federal regulators announced a national ban on the sale of mint- and fruit-flavored e-cigarette cartridges, but spared tobacco- and menthol-flavored vapes. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said manufacturers will have 30 days to stop making and selling closed-cartridge mint- and fruit-flavored vapes, according to the Wall Street Journal. The new restrictions are part of an effort to curb vaping and nicotine addiction among youth. The ban targets those closed flavored vape pods, which are small containers that contain vaping liquids that are popular among teens. But the action would not affect so-called open tank systems commonly sold at vape shops. The banned flavors mint and fruit could still be sold in tank vaping systems, the Journal reports. The move is seen as a compromise between the Trump administration officials, who have expressed a desire to combat youth nicotine addiction, and those in the White House who are concerned about how the ban would impact Trumps chances in the 2020 election, Wall Street Journal reports. Industry officials also raised concerns about the impact the ban would have on small businesses. In Massachusetts, officials have adopted even stricter regulations on flavored tobacco and vape products. Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law An Act to Modernizing Tobacco Control on Nov. 27, making Mass. the first state to permanently ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including mint and menthol cigarettes. Fourteen people, including 13 firefighters, were injured after a battery factory collapsed after a fire broke out in Delhi's Peeragarhi on Thursday morning. A security guard of the factory was also injured, a police officer told reporters and said one person was still trapped under the debris. The building at Udyog Nagar area collapsed following an explosion when firefighters were dousing the blaze, an official said, adding that the fire department had received a call at 4.23 am. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said here on Thursday that as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) was passed by Parliament, the states have no option but to implement it. The senior BJP leader was here to take part in his party's campaign to "bust false propaganda" against the controversial act. Referring to a resolution passed by the Kerala assembly against CAA, and similar voices from non-BJP states such as West Bengal, the minister said it was a constitutional obligation of chief ministers to implement the law. "Citizenship is a subject which falls under the Union List of the Constitution. Which means Parliament has the powers to enact laws regarding citizenship. It is the duty of all the CMs to implement it. It is also their constitutional obligation," he said. "They all have to implement the CAA. There is no other option," Meghwal told reporters here. "Congress and other opposition parties claimed that CAA was passed without proper consultation...But the consultation process started in 2016. As demanded by the opposition, the draft of the Bill was sent to a joint committee of MPs from all the parties," he said. "The committee held discussions with stake-holders as well as affected people. They even visited the North-East, Kolkata and Assam, where affected people live. So this allegation by the Congress does not hold up," he said. Amendments in favour of Hindu refugees living in Gujarat and Rajasthan were enacted when Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister in 2005, Meghwal added. "It appears opposition parties have decided to protest against CAA to put a brake on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's soaring popularity," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three apartment complexes across Alabama sold recently in deals totaling $23.5 million, according to Newmark Knight Frank Multifamily. The properties are in Montgomery, Mobile and Gadsden. Senior Managing Directors Bo Flurry and Justin Uffinger of Newmark Knight Franks Birmingham office, along with Director Derek DeHay of the firms National Affordable Housing group, represented the seller in the sale of Liberty Square in Montgomery. It was sold by Birmingham-based The Gateway Companies to Zimmerman Properties of Springfield, Mo. Liberty Square, a 168-unit affordable apartment community built in 2003, sold for $9.34 million. It was 90 percent occupied at the time of sale. Flurry and Uffinger also represented the seller in the two additional transactions. Carondolet, a 196-unit complex in Mobile built from 1973 to 1978, was sold by Birmingham-based Durham & Associates to an entity managed by Dobbins Group of Birmingham for $11.6 million. It was 92 percent occupied at the time of sale. And in Gadsden, the 60-unit Williamsburg Townhomes, built in 1973, was sold by Birmingham-based Oak Manor Partners to a California-based investor for $2.55 million. It was 95 percent occupied. We are seeing a ton of investor interest in affordable, value-add and workforce housing and each of these properties were in high demand throughout the marketing process," Flurry said. "These properties offer investors the opportunity for significant return on investment. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 12:26:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- As roughly 100,000 dazzling fireworks exploded in the air above Sydney Harbour, the Australian metropolis of Sydney became the first major city to celebrate the arrival of 2020 with the brightest beams of light in the Southern Hemisphere. Freddie, who works in Melbourne and did not give his last name to Xinhua, was among over 1 million local and international revelers witnessing the new year's eve fireworks. Wishing for world peace, he also voiced hope that the wildfires in Australia will go out soon. Like him, numerous people had expectations and hopes for a new year as they gathered in a festive mood at such iconic sites as Berlin's Brandenburg Gate and the River Thames in London. The past year was turbulent for many people, as their lives had been impacted by insufficient resources, trade tensions, regional conflicts and wars, and the deteriorating environment. Unity and cooperation is more than ever needed in a new year for humankind to strive for a better tomorrow. EXCHANGES BRING HAPPINESS At New York City's Times Square, an hours-long celebration, which culminated in the 60-second countdown to the new year and the following confetti-filled festivities, brought some 1 million revelers from across the world to the heart of the city. A Chinese folk dance amazed the crowd with the unique beauty of the Chinese culture along the ancient Silk Road and the passion and hospitality of its people. Co-organized by the Sino-American Friendship Association and the Times Square Alliance, the performance featured over a dozen female dancers dressing like figures of Dunhuang murals in Mogao Caves, a UNESCO world heritage site in northwest China's Gansu Province. The celebration before the ball drop included an array of kaleidoscopic performances from global artists and pop stars, including South Korean boy band BTS. In Britain, fireworks illuminated the sky over cities such as London, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Nottingham. London Mayor Sadiq Khan told Xinhua he hopes the fireworks display will show the world that London is still a confident "global city," as Britain prepares to leave the European Union on Jan. 31. "London is open-minded, open to people, trade, and ideas for more than a thousand years. That's not going to change," said the mayor. He highlighted Chinese tourists, investors and students' contribution to London, noting it's a win-win option for both Britain and China. "I'm looking forward to even more tourists, visitors, students, investors from China coming to London, investing in our city, and experiencing London's experience going forward in 2020," he said. DEVELOPMENT REMAINS PRIORITY In a New Year speech delivered on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to achieve the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects for China in the "milestone" year. Xi pledged to lift all rural residents living below the current poverty line out of poverty and eliminate poverty in all poor counties. Zambian President Edgar Lungu in his New Year address described 2019 as "a very challenging year" with extreme weather greatly affecting agricultural production and electricity generation. He said his government has made plans to get the landlocked central African country out of a harsh economic situation, and pledged the continued empowerment of women in national development. On the new year's eve, the Palestinians living in the impoverished coastal enclave of Gaza Strip under Israeli siege since 2007 wished for a better life in the year of 2020. Wassim Abdu, a 40-year-old owner of a flower store in Gaza downtown, said he wishes that Gaza will regain its vitality in the new year, adding, "I also hope that the Israeli blockade will end in a way that improves the dying economy of Gaza." Not far away from Abdu's store, fruit seller Ahmed Lubbad arranged fresh fruits on his donkey-pulled cart, waiting for customers. "We need jobs, reconciliation, an end to the blockade and the disturbances to which Gazans have been exposed over the past years," he said. "Poverty is not the biggest problem in Gaza. The biggest problem is the ongoing political conflicts that have deteriorated the economic conditions," Lubbad said. UNITY URGED TO COUNTER CHALLENGES In his New Year speech, Xi also said China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development, safeguard world peace and promote common development. "We stand ready to join hands with people around the world to actively build the Belt and Road, push for the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and work tirelessly to create a better future for humanity," the Chinese president said. Many world leaders have called for social cohesion to address challenges and difficulties facing their country and people, and humankind at large. "We live in a turbulent, dynamic, contradictory time, but we can and must do everything for Russia to develop successfully, so that everything in our life changes for the better," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his New Year speech on Tuesday. "Only together will we resolve those issues faced by our society and our country today. Our unity is the foundation for achieving the highest goals," he said. Tackling climate change was a highlight of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's New Year message broadcast on Tuesday. "The warming of our planet is real, threatening," Merkel said. "The crises arising from global warming are man-made. So we have to do everything humanly possible to meet this challenge to humanity." Merkel said the younger generation will have to live with the consequences of climate change if politicians do not act, adding that she will do her utmost to ensure that Germany "makes its contribution ecologically, economically, socially" to get the issue under control. Carlos Ghosn The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images The escape of Carlos Ghosn from Japan to Lebanon has captured the world's attention. But how, exactly, the former auto executive disappeared under intense surveillance, remains the source of much mystery. Theories have ranged from a musical instrument case to forged passports and help from Turkey. Here's what we know so far. Read more on Ghosn's dramatic international escapade here. In just over a year, Carlos Ghosn went from superstar automotive executive to international fugitive, and the story of his mysterious escape from Japan has captivated the world's attention. From musical instrument cases, to paid-off airport employees, and a forged passport, the stunt has no shortage of paths for digital sleuths to investigate. Lebanese officials have said, according to Reuters, that the 65-year-old entered the country legally. How he got there, however, is another question. Ghosn wasn't required to wear an ankle bracelet, like many house-arrest subjects are required. Despite that, he was under near-constant surveillance by authorities who undoubtedly watched his every move, making his flight all the more gripping of a tale. Here are the theories of Ghosn's escape, and how well they're backed up by what we know so far: A months-long caper Carlos Ghosn in Beirut, Lebanon house REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir Ghosn hired "private security operatives" to smuggle him out of Japan, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the escape. It's a move that would have taken months to plan and execute, The Wall Street Journal reported, confirming some of the FT's story. The complex nature of the escape is also the very reason Ghosn was not allowed contact with his wife, who the paper said played a large role in his flight. In a statement released Thursday, Ghosn denied these reports. "There has been speculation in the media that my wife Carole, and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan," he said through a representative. Story continues "All such speculation is inaccurate and false. I alone arranged for my departure. My family had no role whatsoever." A musical instrument case A Japanese prosecutor carries bags as he leaves the residence of former auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn in Tokyo on January 2, 2020, after Ghosn fled Japan to avoid a trial. - Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, who fled to Lebanon to avoid a Japanese trial, had a second French passport, a source said on January 2, as authorities raided his Tokyo residence as part of a probe into the embarrassing security lapse. (Photo by STR / JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images) Photo by STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images Ghosn's getaway likely began at his Tokyo home, where he was staying following a release from jail in April. Conditions of his $4.6 million bail said he was to maintain a "registered domestic address" in Japan. There were also restrictions on his travel and communications. The Lebanese TV channel MTV, which cited no sources, said Ghosn fled the flat in a musical instrument case that was used by a band playing a holiday party at his home in the days before his escape. As the Georgian ensemble packed up, the news station said, Ghosn slipped into a large case. However, people close to Ghosn denied the musical instrument theory, the Financial Times reported. Turkish assistance Carlos Ghosn billboard Beirut Lebanon OSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images Once at the airport, Ghosn boarded a flight to Turkey in order to connect to Lebanon. His lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, said that he still had possession of Ghosn's three passports from Lebanon, Brazil, and France, The New York Times reported. So what did Ghosn use to enter Turkey and Lebanon? According to Salim Jreissati, the Lebanese minister for presidential affairs, Ghosn "entered the country legally using his French passport and Lebanese ID." A French deputy minister said the country would be "very angry" if a "foreign citizen fled the French justice system," according to a New York Times report of a local radio interview. On Thursday, Turkey detained four pilots suspected of helping Ghosn flee via the off-the-books stop in Istanbul. What happens next Journalists stake out at the back entrance of a building which houses an office of Junichiro Hironaka, a lawyer for Nissans former Chairman Carlos Ghosn, in Tokyo Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. Ghosn, who is awaiting trial in Japan on charges of financial misconduct, has arrived in Beirut, a close friend said Monday. He apparently jumped bail. It was not clear how Ghosn, who is of Lebanese origin and holds French and Lebanese passports, left Japan where he was under surveillance and is expected to face trial in April 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Colombo) Associated Press Ghosn is expected to hold a press conference in the coming days, and has retained the services of US-based public relations firm Glover Park Group. Until then, Japanese authorities will have plenty of questions to answer. And the internet will continue to be the internet. Read the original article on Business Insider LAS VEGAS and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The year 2019 has been wondrous for tech innovators and influencers and the tech industry grew at the best in the past few years. There are millions of startups founded in 2019 worldwide and growing with the help of the latest technology solutions. In this competitive era, Mobile Apps are necessary for any business to reach their clients or customers at anytime and anywhere. Mobile Apps help businesses to grow sales and achieve business goals easily. People are using smartphones to get the things done in hassle-free ways like booking a cab or movie to make payments digitally. With the use of the latest technologies like AI, Blockchain, Internet of Things, AR, VR, and many more, app developers build the most secure and easy to use solutions for any business requirements. It can be seen remarkable growth in App Industry in past years and expect more in the coming years by the research team at Hyperlink InfoSystem. With 8+ years of experience in the industry, the company has developed more than 3000 Apps for startups to enterprise-level businesses around the world. During this period, the team worked on the most complex client requirements and on the latest technologies to build custom and successful solutions. As one of the industry leaders, Hyperlink InfoSystem is always ready to offer the best price for the solution clients need. One common question "How Much Does It Cost To Develop An App?" is raised in every person's mind with having an idea of app development. The company has made some deep research on the current industry trends and taken some surveys to answer this well-known question. Hyperlink InfoSystem hopes that people find the below information helpful and hire the best solution providers in 2020. The company provides experts around the world. Below mentioned cost and time-frames are based on some common features and functionalities of different types of Apps and it may vary as per clients' requirements. Know The Approx Mobile App Cost & Time-Frame Idea for Types of Applications: On-demand Apps: This category covers Food Delivery, Grocery, Beauty, Healthcare, Taxi and many more. Hyperlink InfoSystem has considered a few types of Apps to find the best cost and time-frame for On-demand Apps. Approx Cost & Time-Frame To Build On-demand App: i) Basic Version of On-demand Apps: $15,000 to $ 20,000 & Development time will be around 2 to 2.5 Months. ii) Middle Version of On-demand Apps: $20,000 to $30,000 & Development time will be around 2.5 to 3 Months. iii) Fully Functional Version of On-demand Apps: $30,000 to $ 50,000 & Development time will be around 3 to 4 Months. Business Apps: Businesses have huge opportunities to grow and achieve the goals by reducing challenges, boost productivity, enrich customer services and earn more profits without waiting for years using custom solutions for the business requirements. Approx cost to develop this kind of apps will between $8,000 to $20,000 and the delivery time will be around 3 to 4 months. Financial App: This category covers Digital Wallet, Banking, Accounting, Investment, Insurance, and other payment apps. This type of Apps needs to be more secure as it will manage financial transactions of users. As per Hyperlink InfoSystem's research, the approx cost to develop this type of apps is between $30,000 to $60,000 and the average time to deliver the best solution will be around 5 to 7 months. Social Apps: Social Apps are something that every people using around the world to stay connected with friends or community and get updated with the latest happenings around the world. With some common features, this app will cost around $15,000 to $30,000 and the delivery time will be around 2.5 to 3 Months. Game Apps: Today games attract people from any age group around the world. People spend a good amount of time to play different games on smartphones. This type of apps needs more effort from developers to designers and each person connected with the process of Game development. With basic graphics and few screens, game development will cost around $30,000 to $50,000 and it will take 4 to 5 months to build the best Game. E-commerce Apps: As Shopping Trends are changing year by year, people nowadays use smartphones to purchase things any user wants to buy from apps. To go ahead with the competition, these types of apps are must be owned by each retail business. It will boost online presence and reach more customers worldwide. This app will cost around $20,000 to $35,000 and the delivery time will be around 2.5 to 3.5 months. Note: Mentioned Cost & Time Frames are based on some common features and it will vary for your custom requirements. "Regardless of cost, quality-deliverance and dedication to the timeline are the two major concerns for every business. This survey is especially for those who are planning to invest their money in app development and technology. Thus, Hyperlink InfoSystem wanted to make a whole guideline about it and the company did it. At Hyperlink InfoSystem, we're committed to delivering custom solutions with the best cost and time frame." said CEO of Hyperlink InfoSystem, Mr. Harnil Oza. CEO Continued "Our teams tried to research and provide the best information about the cost and time-frame ideas to develop an App in 2020. To know the exact cost as per your budget and requirement, you can contact Hyperlink InfoSystem at any time. We're always ready to discuss unique requirements and provide the best quote in the industry." About Hyperlink InfoSystem: Hyperlink InfoSystem is an established & popular top web & mobile app development company based in New York, USA with the development center in India. Company's talented team of 200+ developers offer world-class services in the area of Mobile app & Web Development, Blockchain Development, AR & VR App Development, Game App Development, Artificial Intelligent & much more. Since 2011, the company has successfully built 3000+ mobile apps for more than 2200 clients around the world. Company is listed as one of the Top App Development Companies to work with in 2020 by leading research platforms. You can review the links below; https://clutch.co/directory/mobile-application-developers https://topappdevelopmentcompanies.com https://appdevelopmentcompanies.co/ Also Listed As Top Salesforce Developers in 2020, https://clutch.co/it-services/salesforce https://topappdevelopmentcompanies.com/agencies/salesforce-development Contact Details: Hyperlink InfoSystem Harnil Oza +1-805-744-1224 [email protected] New York Address: One World Trade Center, 285 Fulton Street suite 8500, New York, NY 10007, United States California Address: 607 Arcadia Terrace Unit 201 Sunnyvale, CA 94085 United States SOURCE Hyperlink Infosystem [January 02, 2020] Adviser to Ave Maria Mutual Funds Announces Portfolio Manager Changes and Promotions Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc. (the Firm), the investment adviser for the Ave Maria Mutual Funds, has announced portfolio manager changes and promotions effective January 1, 2020. For the Ave Maria Rising Dividend Fund (Ticker: AVEDX), Joseph W. Skornicka, CFA was named Lead Portfolio Manager, joining co-Portfolio Manager, George P. Schwartz, CFA. For the Ave Maria Growth Fund (Ticker: AVEGX), Adam P. Gaglio, CFA was named Lead Portfolio Manager and is joined by Chadd M. Garcia, CFA as co-Portfolio Manager. For the Ave Maria Bond Fund (Ticker: AVEFX), George P. Schwartz, CFA was named co-Portfolio Manager, joining Lead Portfolio Manager Brandon S. Scheitler. Additionally, Timothy S. Schwartz, CFA was named the Firm's President and Joseph W. Skornicka, CFA was named Chief Investment Officer. Cathy M. Stoner, CPA, IACCP was named Chief Financial Officer and both Adam P. Gaglio, CFA and Chadd M. Garcia, CFA were promoted to Vice Presidents. George P. Schwartz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, remarked, "The long-planned retirement of our esteemed colleague, Richard L. Platte, Jr., CFA created the opportunity for these promotions. The Firm's investment professionals have proven themselves as outstanding portfolio managers and research analysts and are enthusiastically pursuing their new assignments." About Ave Maria Mutual Funds Ave Maria Mutual Funds is the largest family of Catholic mutua funds in the U.S with $2.6 billion in assets under management. The five no-load funds invest in companies that do not violate core values and teachings of the Catholic Church. The two largest funds are the $962 million Ave Maria Rising Dividend Fund (Ticker: AVEDX) and $857 million Ave Maria Growth Fund (Ticker: AVEGX). For more information about Ave Maria Mutual Funds, call 1-866-AVE-MARIA (866-283-6274) or visit www.avemariafunds.com. About Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc. Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc. is a Registered Investment Adviser. Founded in 1980, the Firm is headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan with a branch office in Ave Maria, Florida. In managing the Ave Maria Mutual Funds, investments are made only if companies meet the Funds' financial and moral criteria. As such, returns may be lower or higher than if decisions were based solely on investment considerations. The Funds' method of security selection may or may not be successful and the Funds may underperform or outperform the stock market as a whole. All mutual funds are subject to market risk, including possible loss of principal. For more information about Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc., visit www.schwartzinvest.com. Request a prospectus, which includes investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses and other information that you should read and consider carefully before investing. The prospectus can be obtained by calling 1-866-283-6274 or it can be viewed at www.avemariafunds.com. Distributed by Ultimus Fund Distributors LLC. 9328572-UFD-12/30/2019 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005054/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] NEW YORKThe spate of anti-Semitic acts carried out over the past few months across the New York metropolitan area is unprecedented, Jewish leaders say, with one calling the violent nature of the incidents fundamentally alien to the American experience. In interviews with The Epoch Times, Jewish leaders shared what they believe the attacks have stemmed from, and why they are occurring. They noted the increasing degree of polarization within our society and spoke about strengthening hate crime laws to deter targeted acts, as well as community and government responsibility to ensure safety. A former Israeli justice minister says that shes deeply concerned over the rise in anti-Semitic attacks in New York and around the world. All people of conscience must be outraged by the fact that 75 years after the Holocaust, Jews are once again being targeted at prayer and in the streets, former Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked told The Epoch Times. Meanwhile, lawmakers are urging New Yorks governor to declare a state of emergency over the string of anti-Semitic crimes and to deploy the National Guard to patrol Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods. On Dec. 30, a man was charged with federal hate crimes for stabbing five people who were celebrating Hanukkah at a rabbis home north of New York City, in the Orthodox Jewish community of Monsey in Rockland County, New York. Authorities said they found handwritten journals containing anti-Semitic references in the home of the suspect, who was identified as 37-year-old Grafton Thomas. Thomas, who has pleaded not guilty to five state charges of attempted murder and one count of burglary, is facing five counts of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by attempting to kill with a dangerous weapon and causing injuries. He was arrested in New York City within hours of the attack. The rampage, carried out with a machete, was just the latest in a flurry of attacks in the New York area. Earlier in December, a shooting at a kosher supermarket in New Jersey left two Hasidic Jews dead, and in a separate incident in November, a man was stabbed while walking to a synagogue in the Monsey area. In my own recollection, I cannot recall a time in America where weve seen as many acts of violent anti-Semitism that we have seen, Allen Fagin, executive vice president and chief professional officer of the Orthodox Union (OU), told The Epoch Times. OU, one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the nation, is headquartered in New York. Roughly a third of the population of New Yorks Rockland County is Jewish, including a large enclave of Orthodox Jews who live in secluded communities. Theres been anti-Semitism for thousands of years and that is almost a permanent condition of the Jewish people, Fagin said. But what weve seen in the last period of months is an increase in violent criminal activity. Fagin added that there is something that has loosened those bonds of constraint. According to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, there have been 13 anti-Semitic attacks in New York since Dec. 8, 2019. On Dec. 27, the New York City Police Department said it would step up patrols in heavily Jewish neighborhoods in the borough of Brooklyn, following at least eight anti-Semitic incidents in two weeks. In an official statement, Cuomo also said that hes directing state police to increase patrols and security in Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods across New York State. Targets, Again The shocking nature and the sheer number of anti-Semitic attacks has also caught the attention of top Israeli officials, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Dec. 30 condemning the recent displays of anti-Semitism. Shaked, via text message, said we must combat all forms of anti-Semitism, whether from the far-right, far-left, or radical Islamists, adding that it is inconceivable these kinds of attacks are still taking place today and are increasing around the world. She called on all governments and municipalities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, as President Donald Trump did through his recent Executive Order. Adopting the definition would provide physical security to Jewish communities, and swiftly prosecute all anti-Jewish hate crimes to the full extent of the law, Shaked said. The State of Israel, she added, will always stand with Jewish communities and democratic governments around the world in the fight against anti-Semitic hate. Cuomo, meanwhile, called the Monsey rampage an act of domestic terrorism that sought to incite hate and generate fear. A Different Kind of Ferocity Jewish leaders said they havent seen such levels of violent anti-Semitic acts before, and in such quick succession. The presidents daughter, Ivanka Trump, who is Jewish,wrote on Twitter, Attacks on Jewish New Yorkers were reported almost every single day this past week. In prior cases of hate crimes, individuals often copy the behavior of others, but there are more complicated and pervasive underlying causes that need to be examined, Fagin said. Why these attacks? Why now? And why with a fundamentally different kind of ferocity than we have seen previously, he said. Its one thing to scrawl a swastika on a sidewalk another to walk into a place of worship and kill people. This is something that is so fundamentally alien to the American experience that I think everyone is trying to understandwhere does this come from? Over the past few years, hate crime incidents overall have steadily increased, according to data from the FBI. In 2015, 5,850 hate crime incidents were reported to law enforcement agencies. In 2016, the number increased to 6,121, and in 2017the bureaus latest data reportthere were a recorded 7,175 hate crime incidents. Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president at the New York Board of Rabbis, told The Epoch Times there is a general lack of civility and lack of respect for people deemed different, calling it a disease has spread into too many places and too many people. There is intolerance for difference, and unfortunately, the Jews have been on the front lines of these attacks throughout history, Potasnik said in a previous interview. We are often depicted as being on the other side, we walk on a different path than everybody else, and because of that, we are subjected to this hatred that doesnt go away. Combating Hate In wake of the string of attacks, four Orthodox Jewish lawmakers signed on Dec. 29, 2019, a joint letter to Cuomo, urging the governor to declare a state of emergency and to deploy the New York State Police and the New York National Guard to visibly patrol and protect Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods throughout our state. In the letter, the lawmakers wrote that anti-Semitic hate crimes have risen to frighteningly high numbers in the past few months and that Orthodox Jews have been targeted with a rash of violence unseen in modern history. They also asked Cuomo to appoint a special prosecutor for purposes of investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of anti-Semitic violence. Lawmakers said that the prosecutor should immediately assume control of cases already under the jurisdiction of local district attorneys. Simply stated, it is no longer safe to be identifiably Orthodox in the State of New York. We cannot shop, walk down a street, send our children to school, or even worship in peace, they wrote. The letter was signed by New York state Sen. Simcha Felder, New York state Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, New York City Councilman Chaim Deutsch, and New York City Councilman Kalman Yeger. According to Fagin, part of the solution to ending the attacks is more police protection and stronger laws that make hate crimes the first priority in how theyre dealt with and how they are prosecuted, as well as the punishments given to perpetrators. Potasnik, meanwhile, cast some of the blame on new bail reform laws passed in April 2019, noting that some of the perpetrators in the recent spate of attacks have been quickly released without bail. The legislation was estimated to cause at least a 40 percent reduction overall in the states pretrial jail population, according to the Vera Institute of Justice. I dont think that was the purpose of the legislation, Potasnik said, referring to the quick catch and release of the perpetrators. While there is a role for the government to play in increasing security and protection, Fagin said the Jewish community also has an obligation to do everything possible to protect ourselves. That includes, for example, making sure their institutions have the physical surroundings and equipment necessary to secure physical premises. Those attending services should also have training in how to deal with emergency situations, including training on active-shooter situations, he said. This is the responsibility of not just the government, but the responsibility of our communities as well. From The Epoch Times A New Years Eve celebration turned tragic shortly after midnight when a 61-year old nurse was killed after being struck by a stray bullet in a suburban cul de sac. Harris County deputies responded to a report of a gunshot victim in the 12300 block of May Laurel Drive in Laurel Oaks, just north of Houston, shortly after midnight Wednesday. Deputies said Philippa Ashford, 61, and her family had been discharging fireworks with their neighbors in the cul de sac of their street when she suddenly cried out that she had been shot, struck by a bullet fired from an unknown location. Ashford died at the scene from a single gunshot wound shortly after EMS arrived. Deputies believe Ashford was struck by celebratory gunfire from outside the immediate neighborhood. The seemingly annual random acts of violence on New Years Eve have plagued the Houston area in recent years. Today we add another example of an innocent life taken due to this senseless and reckless behavior. Unfortunately, deaths like this are not rare, said Ed Gonzalez, the Harris County sheriff. Our region has a long history with celebratory gunfire. Investigators canvassed the area and could not locate the source of the gunfire, finding no evidence of shooting from anywhere close to the crime scene. We have no indication that any family member or anybody in the cul de sac was discharging a firearm and weve walked the streets and canvassed up and down to see if we can find any shell casings in the neighborhood and are not finding anything, said Sgt. Ben Beall, a spokesman for the Harris County Sheriffs Office. By Wednesday afternoon, the Laurel Oaks cul de sac where Ashford was killed was filled with cars, mostly visitors paying respects to Ashfords family. Neighbors said Ashford had lived in the home for years but moved out sometime in the last five years, leaving the residence to her son, Cornell Porter. Ashford still owned the home at the time of her death, according to property records. Khalil Muhammad, who lives across the cul de sac from the home where Ashford was killed, said Porter was hosting family and friends for a New Years celebration. He was in his home with family around midnight when he heard loud bangs from outside, unable to distinguish a gunshot amid the cacophony of fireworks. We saw the lights flashing, about (midnight) everything started exploding around here, Muhammad said, adding it was not out of the ordinary for New Years Eve celebrations in the neighborhood. A woman answered the door at Ashfords home, declining to comment on the tragedy in order to give the family time to grieve. For the last 12 years Ashford worked as a nurse manager for the Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment Service at the Menninger Clinic, a mental health and addiction treatment facility in southwest Houston. Known as Phil, Ashford was board certified in psychiatric nursing, with an expertise in motivational interviewing, mentalization-based therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and community integration. Armando Colombo, president and CEO of the Menninger Clinic said in a statement that the clinic would hold a memorial service to honor Ashford and will provide grief counseling and support to employees impacted by her loss. The Menninger Clinic community is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Philippa Phil Ashford, who was a nurse manager at our hospital and served as a leader and mentor to our nursing and clinical team, Colombo said. Our hearts go out to her family and friends at this very sad time and we offer our support and deepest sympathy. In 2015, Ashford was presented with the Texas Nurses Association District 9 Top 25 Outstanding Nurses Award. She was also an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society and the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Houston police and Harris County deputies issued public alerts on New Years Eve warning the public not to discharge their weapons while celebrating. Celebratory gunfire can be classified as deadly conduct, a misdemeanor offense that carries a punishment of up to $4,000 fine or up to one year in prison. Despite pleas from public officials, these celebrations are a chronic problem in the Houston area each New Years Eve. Houston police arrested eight men for shooting guns in the air a year ago. In 2015, a man in southeast Houston was struck and killed by a stray bullet as he watched New Years fireworks. Two city residents were accidentally killed by gunfire on New Years Day in 1997. Stray New Years bullets pose a danger to residents across Texas. State Rep. Armando Martinez of Weslaco was struck in the head on Jan. 1, 2017. He was rushed into surgery, though he survived. When the Legislature convened in Austin weeks later, Martinez filed a bill to make firing a gun without an intended target a crime. The bill died in committee. In Austin just after New Years Eve, a woman was nearly struck in the head after a bullet entered her East Austin home, an Austin police officer said. Senior Police Officer Bino Cadenas said Wednesday on Twitter that a bullet came through the womans roof at her home off and almost hit her while she was sitting on her sofa. And in Cleveland, a man who news reports said was firing off rounds to celebrate the new year accidentally killed his girlfriend. Gonzalez said one of his priorities in the new year will be a gunfire reduction program, in an effort to help reduce indiscriminate gunfire and educate gun owners on the dangers of discharging their weapons. Reminding people about the basic law of physics and the annual misguided tradition of shooting guns in the air, Gonzalez said. What goes up must come down. Its a crime and you can kill someone. We must elevate the message that this will not be tolerated in Harris County. The Austin American-Statesman and the New York Times contributed to this report. nick.powell@chron.com zach.despart@chron.com Global stock markets powered ahead on Thursday as investors welcomed 2020 with a raft of gains after China's central bank announced fresh stimulus. Asian stocks kicked off the New Year on the front foot, with most rallying out of the blocks on lingering trade optimism and the stimulus news. Europe also shone as investors remain upbeat about the global outlook after Washington and Beijing finally reached a partial trade agreement to de-escalate their trade conflict. Wall Street joined the global trend, with all three major US indices rocketing to fresh records. Some Brexit uncertainty has meanwhile been removed with Britain set to leave the European Union on January 31, but the pound still slipped after news that Britain's manufacturing activity slumped in December for the eighth month in a row. - 'Wasting little time' - "2019 was a good year on the whole for stock markets and they seem to be wasting little time in attempting to push higher again with the bourses following the lead of their Asian peers," said XTB analyst David Cheetham. "Expectations that a 'Phase One' trade deal between the US and China will be signed in less than two weeks have boosted sentiment but the main driving force appears to be the announcement of a further easing of monetary policy from China's central bank." However, geopolitical worries resurfaced following a warning from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests had ended, with talks with the United States going nowhere. Shanghai and Hong Kong led gains after the People's Bank of China said it would lower the amount of cash lenders must keep in reserve, freeing up more than $100 billion for loans to small businesses. The move comes as leaders try to kick start growth in the world's number two economy, which is running at its weakest for almost three decades. - 'Not suddenly ok' - Prices also won support after Donald Trump said New Year's Eve that the mini China-US trade deal will be signed off in Washington on January 15, and he will later travel to Beijing for the next phase of talks. The signing will smooth concerns that the pact could suffer a last-minute collapse, which has niggled some traders. But some analysts warned that investors should not expect the stock market party to go on forever. "There's plenty of reason to be more optimistic heading into 2020 but then, there's also plenty of reason for caution too," said Craig Erlam, Senior Market Analyst at Oanda. "Everything is not suddenly okay because the US and China are about to sign a phase one trade deal, or because the UK and EU are preparing to discuss the future relationship rather than the divorce. It could be another turbulent year with many surprises along the way," he said. - Key figures around 2140 GMT - New York - Dow: UP 1.2 percent at 28,868.80 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.8 percent at 3,257.85 (close) New York - Nasdaq: UP 1.3 percent at 9,092.19 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.8 percent at 7,604.30 (close) Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 1.0 percent at 13,385.93 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.1 percent at 6,041.50 (close) EURO STOXX 50: UP 1.3 percent at 3,793.24 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 1.3 percent at 28,543.52 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.2 percent at 3,085.20 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: Closed for a public holiday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3139 from $1.3257 at 2200 GMT Euro/pound: UP at 85.02 pence from 84.58 pence Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1172 from $1.1213 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 108.54 from 108.61 yen Brent Crude: UP 0.4 percent at $66.25 per barrel (close) West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.2 percent at $61.18 per barrel (close) burs-jmb/dg As the PFI stares at a ban, here is what you should know about the organisation India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 02: Popular Front of India (PFI) is back in the spotlight after the Uttar Pradesh accused the Kerala-based radical group of instigating violence during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) protests. The PFI is likely to be labelled a proscribed organisation by the home ministry for not just allegedly instigating protesters in UP violence but its involvement in anti-India activities. Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad statement on Wednesday provides us the clue that the government may act tough against the outfit. From Ansarulla in Tamil Nadu to PFI in Kerala, the feeder modules of the ISIS down South NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 Talking to media persons in New Delhi, he said, many allegations against the PFI have come including its connection with Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). The Law Minister said, Home Ministry will decide on further action based on evidence. The statement comes a day after Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Chandra Maurya said that organisations like PFI are responsible for inciting violence in the state and such organisations should be banned. What is the PFI The PFI was formed in 2006 in Kerala as a successor to the National Democratic Front (NDF), formed to protect the interests of Muslims in Kerala following the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The PFI has often been accused of associating with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India. Most of the office bearers of the PFI have been associated with the SIMI in the past. They have held positions in the SIMI before it had been banned. The PFI has been under the radar of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as its members were linked to ISIS modules in Kerala that went on to join the terror outfit in Syria and Iraq. SDPI SDPI formed in 2009 is PFI's political front, working for the "advancement and uniform development" of all citizens, including Muslims, Dalits, Backward classes and Adivasis. Expansion: The activities of the NDF were restricted to Kerala alone. There was a decision that was later on taken to unify like-minded outfits from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The PFI then was born in 2006 with the merger of NDF, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and the Manitha Neethi Pasarai in Tamil Nadu. By 2009 more organisations merged with the PFI. They were Goa Citizen's Forum, Rajasthan's Community Social and Educational Society, West Bengal's Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha Samithi, Manipur's Lilong Social Forum and Association of Social Justice, Andhra Pradesh. The SIMI connection: Also, the PFI is often associated with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India. Religious rewards: The Intelligence Bureau has said that the PFI is violent in nature. Its one-point agenda is to attack the Right Wing. They preach to their cadres that attacking those who oppose Islam would earn them religious rewards. the PFI has been accused of chopping off a professor's hand who had allegedly hurt religious sentiments in Kerala. 37 PFI cadres were arrested. With sole agenda of eliminating Right Wing how PFI became Indias most radical outfit In an affidavit before the Kerala High Court, it was submitted that the PFI was involved in 27 murders. In another report, the Kerala government said that there was 87 attempt to murder cases against PFI cadres. The NIA dossier: The NIA speaks about the killing of RSS worker Rudresh in Bengaluru. Further, it details the professor's hand-chopping case at Idukki. While giving details about a Kannur training camp from where country-made bombs and swords were seized, the NIA report to the Home Ministry also speaks about an Islamic State module case. The NIA says that the approach of the PFI is radical in nature. It speaks about recruiting only committed Muslims into its fold. It also states that the cadres train with clips of the Babri Masjid demolition and this is clearly a sign that it is trying to radicalise its cadres. It is trying to run a parallel administration. It speaks about the Darul Khada an outfit comprising Muslim scholars, social workers and advocates. This was set up in 2009, by SDPI national chief E Aboobacker. The NIA says that they run a parallel judiciary which settles a host of issues. The NIA dossier also states that in July 2009, a Kerala level declaration was passed by the Darul Khada in Malappuram in which it had called upon the Muslim community not to attend civil courts, but get all issues sorted out by it. PFI banned in Jharkhand: Why every other state should act against this radical outfit The NIA also cited the most recent case it is probing in connection with Love Jihad. It speaks about the Sathyasarani Islamic Dawah an affiliate of the PFI. It says that this organisation is running an Islamic conversion centre and also details the rigorous religious training it is imparting. UP govt seeks ban on PFI: The Uttar Pradesh Police has sought a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), days after its complicity was suspected in the recent statewide violent protests against the amended citizenship law. Uttar Pradesh IG (Law & Order) Praveen Kumar has said that more than 25 people affiliated with PFI have been arrested across the state for their involvement in different criminal activities. The UP Police has arrested Wasim the UP chief of PFI in connection with the anti-CAA violence. The other two members Nadeem and Ashfaq have confessed before the police that they devised a strategy for the protest and publicised it using social media. PFI rubbishes govt claim: However, the Popular Front of India (PFI) has rubbished the claims of the Uttar Pradesh Police. PFI's General Secretary M Muhammed Ali Jinnah in a statement termed the UP police allegations as "absurd" and a "face-saving act" by the Uttar Pradesh Police. Jharkhand bans PFI: Jharkhand had banned the outfit in its state in February last year. Raghubar Das government alleged that the members of the outfit are 'influenced by ISIS'. In Assam too, there is a huge cry asking for the outfit to be banned. As many as 23 people have died in anti-CAA protests so far, a majority of them in Uttar Pradesh alone. John D. Rockefeller reached the age of 97 and may have been the richest person who ever lived. But even he did not have enough years and money to pursue all the worthy projects he could imagine. One of his worthy projects was the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, which gave the best medical entrepreneurs well-funded labs and freedom from the duty to teach. It also gave them another crucial freedom: they could instantly pivot their research toward serendipitous discoveries arising from their trial-and-error-experiments. Sometimes they boldly succeeded, as when Oswald Avery identified DNA as the genetic material. Much later, medical entrepreneurs again used nimble trial-and-error adjustments, this time on chemotherapy cocktails, to achieve bold successes in curing childhood leukemia and Hodgkins lymphoma. Even more recently, others persevered in trial-and-error experiments to identify many promising longevity drugs and genes that extend the lives of yeast and mice. Now combinations can be tested, as in Churchs research to see which are most safe and effective in mice. Soon combinations could be tested in humans. At a minimum, incremental progress is possible; at a maximum, we can achieve breakthroughs. We do not need to wait decades or centuries; the breakthroughs can happen in years. John Boyd first went to Harrisburg to shared his experiences using General Assistance on June 4, 2019, during a rally inside the state capitol. Read more Days before Christmas the Pennsylvania Supreme Court voted to deny a critical lifeline to people in need. Specifically, the Supreme Court ruled that it was OK for the lower Commonwealth Court to rule that the groups challenging a law that eliminated Pennsylvanias general cash assistance program were not likely to win their case. Therefore, the state had no obligation to restore the monthly relief to some 11,000 Pennsylvanians in need while the underlying case moves through the courts. General Assistance should never have been eliminated in the first place. And the disgraceful and cowardly decision to remove this lifeline instead of standing up for the most vulnerable among us will begin to more thoroughly ripple throughout the commonwealth. To say that I am angry by this ruling and the way people living in poverty and in distress are treated in Pennsylvania is an understatement. This is a travesty of justice and appalling indifference toward struggling Pennsylvanians. The program provided roughly $200 a month to help people in need afford lifes bare necessities assistance that is later reimbursed to states by the federal government. It was eliminated during 2019-20 state budget negotiations in a so-called compromise over other budgetary issues. Bear in mind that legislators receive almost this amount daily for days in which we are in legislative session. It is immoral to attack families living below the poverty line, veterans, domestic violence survivors and people in active drug treatment, but thats exactly what their government is doing to them in eliminating GA. We are talking $24.5 million in a $34 billion dollar budget. I dont know how the legislators who voted to end this critical program and the justices who backed them up justify this to themselves or look the folks they are hurting in the eye and tell them that their lives are just not worth it. Our obligation as public servants is to do whats in the best interest of all Pennsylvanians, not just those who see programs and services for the poor as something that can be bargained away. However, thats the exact message sent to those on this program back in June when they ended it. And now our states highest court refuses to judge the eliminated program on its merits, washing their hands of it as they send the case back to the lower courts for what will no doubt be prolonged litigation. I refuse to give up on people who are regularly given no voice in our halls of government, and I continue to look for other ways to reinstate this small benefit to Pennsylvanians in distress. After the program was eliminated, I introduced legislation (H.B. 1709) with state Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester, that would connect people who were kicked off GA with emergency relief. Our bill has languished in the House Health Committee ever since. As we head into the new year and a new decade, I ask my colleagues to seriously think about our moral obligations to those we serve. State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta represents the 181st Legislative District in Philadelphia. Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. " " Paa Joe is a renowned master craftsman who creates fantasy coffins as part of Ghana's tradition of abebuu adekai, which started in the 1950s. Photo courtesy of Benjamin Wigley, director of "Paa Joe and the Lion" Renowned for its amazing wildlife sanctuaries, the Republic of Ghana is often called West Africa's "golden child." International companies like Google, Guinness and Coca-Cola have set up facilities in Accra, the nation's capital city. But Accra is also known for another industry this one more homegrown. And it's, well, a business so unique that it's caught the eye of death care providers all over the world. You see, in Ghana there's big demand for big coffins, oftentimes shaped like chili peppers, taxi cabs, even Nike sneakers just about any object imaginable. Each one's a vibrant work of art, requiring skillful carpentry. In the Ga language, the funerary boxes are called "abebuu adekai," which means "proverbial coffins." English-speakers know them by another name: "fantasy coffins." The practice of building fantasy coffins is effectively limited to Ghana and Togo (a neighboring country). According to Genevieve Keeney, this region has a corner on the highly specialized artform. A licensed embalmer, Keeney's the president and chief operating officer of the National Museum of Funeral History (NMFH) in Houston, Texas. Keeney says she's never "come across or been presented with" any parallels to fantasy coffins from other parts of the globe. "I get made aware of quite a lot of interesting rituals and customs and have yet to hear of anything close," she says. Her museum houses the largest collection of fantasy coffins outside Ghana. Altogether, the NMFH has a dozen on permanent display, their shapes ranging from a Mercedes-Benz to a red-legged crab. Similar coffins have been showcased at the University of Iowa, the Brooklyn Museum and the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris, France. " " This pink fish fantasy coffin carved by Ghana's Eric Kpakpo Addotey is an example of one often used to bury fishermen and fishmongers. These fantasy coffins are designed to reflect the personality, career, accomplishments or unfulfilled dreams of the deceased. Nana Kofi Acquah/Getty Images for Lumix Advertisement Honoring the Departed The ornate coffins reflect traditional beliefs about ancestry and death. Modern fantasy coffins were devised by the Ga people, who are members of the greater Accra region's Ga-Adangme ethnic group. In their culture, dying is seen as a period of transition. It's also thought that the deceased have the power to affect living relatives from beyond the grave. Keep your loved ones happy post-mortem, and they might grant you some blessings down the road. So making a good impression on newly dead family members is considered hugely important. That's where fantasy coffins come in. Traditionally, it was common practice to bury a corpse with some personalized trinket like a miniature canoe that represented the individual's former career. Back in the 20th century, an Accra-area carpenter by the name of Seth Kane Kwei did something similar, but on a much larger scale. Kwei was born in 1922 and by all accounts, he had an entrepreneurial spirit. When Kwei was a young man, he persuaded the family of a local chief who died unexpectedly to bury the leader in a cocoa pod-shaped palanquin he had ordered just before his death. Then in the 1950s, Kwei's grandmother died. Remembering the chief, he crafted an elaborate coffin for her in the shape of an airplane, as a way of celebrating her lifelong interest in aviation. The project changed his life. Soon, Kwei was approached by mourning clients requesting personalized coffins whose designs would tell the stories of their occupants. One early customer commissioned a boat-shaped unit for his dead father, a fisherman. And the rest was history. " " This fantasy coffin resembling a lion is on display at the Artists Alliance Gallery in Accra, Ghana. Wikimedia Advertisement Going Out in Style Kwei probably wasn't the sole inventor of fantasy coffins as we now know them. Yet he undoubtedly deserves credit for popularizing the artistic funerary boxes. Artistic coffins did become the specialty at Kwei's workshop, where his skills were passed on to his sons and grandson. Some of Kwei's other apprentices, like the carpenter Paa Joe, would go on to found competing fantasy coffin businesses in Accra. Paa Joe is now considered one of Ghana's most renowned coffin artists, and his works have been exhibited in New York City's premier American Folk Art Museum. Given their often-elaborate shapes, it's easy to forget that first and foremost the caskets must be functional. "The body and coffin are buried in the ground after the funeral service," Keeney notes. On the Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop's official website, patrons are told that a fantasy coffin can usually be completed within a week or two of the down payment. Building materials vary. Most fantasy coffins are intended for use in funerals. But some are tailor-made display pieces built to wow the guests at foreign art galleries and museums. The latter tend to be made of hard woods like African mahogany. A coffin of this sort can easily sell for $3,000 to more than $9,000. Meanwhile, funeral-ready coffins will consist of cheaper, lightweight woods. Regardless of where the coffins are headed, they all need to be sanded, painted and re-sanded before the client hauls them off. As for the shapes, that's up to the buyers. A Delaware man once asked Eric Adjetey Anang (Seth Kane Kwei's grandson) for a coffin modeled after a Leinenkugel-brand beer bottle. Other artists have built human-sized wooden cameras, eagles and hairdryers for their customers. In Ghana, bodies often spend months or even years inside refrigerated storage units while the family of the deceased organizes the funeral. After the date and time are set, and the coffin's paid for, the event can proceed. Ghanaian funerals are lengthy, expensive affairs that can last for three full days at a time. Apart from the guests, a typical list of attendees can include musicians, DJs, photographers, caterers and bartenders. Visitors can help the family recoup some of the costs by raising funds on-site while also making time to dance the night away. Now That's Interesting Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter is said to have purchased two fantasy coffins during a visit to Ghana. She spent 2019 completing her next big-screen release alongside husband Ben Falcone entitled Superintelligence. And Melissa McCarthy rung in the new year with a sweet reward: a trip to McConnell's Fine Ice Creams in Studio City, Calif. alongside her daughters Georgette, nine, and Vivian, 12. The Bridesmaids actress, 49, kept comfy in an oversize grey hoodie and a pair of black leggings. On-the-go: Melissa McCarthy rung in the new year with a sweet reward of sorts - a trip to McConnell's Fine Ice Creams in Studio City, Calif. alongside her daughters Georgette, nine, and Vivian, 12 She kept her brunette tresses tied into a tousled bun and shaded her vision with bronze sunglasses. Her sighting comes a week after McCarthy filled in as a guest host for James Corden on the Late Late Show. During the broadcast, she and fellow actress Allison Janney hammed it up for some 'deleted' scenes from upcoming movie releases including Cats, Star Wars and Little Women. Busy: The Bridesmaids actress, 49, kept comfy in an oversize grey hoodie and a pair of black leggings McCarthy took to Instagram on the day of to share a photo of herself sitting in a makeup chair surrounded by her beauty team as she got ready for the show. 'Its takes a village, Princess Leia buns and a Cats wig to guest host the @latelateshow,' she captioned the shot. The ladies first introduced their nixed scene from Cats, with McCarthy saying: 'Believe it or not, we wrote that song ourselves. When Andrew Lloyd Webber heard it, he got jealous and we got cut out.' Comfy: She kept her brunette tresses tied into a tousled bun and shaded her vision with bronze sunglasses Caffeinated: McCarthy carried a cup of iced coffee in hand as she left the premises Active: The actress carried her belongings in a red crossbody tote Bonding: Her kids were also comfortable in black leggings McCarthy and Janney grew into giant-sized versions of themselves in their rendition of Little Women before they broke into a scene from Star Wars, a film they jokingly referred to as a little 'indie' movie that people 'probably aren't going to see anyway.' The two ended up getting cut from the scene thanks to the excessive 'lightsaber sounds' they were making. McCarthy, clad in Princess Leia buns, closed out the sketch by 'breastfeeding' baby Yoda, who she called 'cute, but a biter.' The comedienne has been wed to filmmaker Ben Falcone since 2005. Gussying up: McCarthy took to Instagram on the day of to share a photo of herself sitting in a makeup chair surrounded by her beauty team as she got ready for the show The cyber crime police of Pune have seen a spurt in the number of cases involving homegrown method of Unified Payment Interface (UPI)-based payments in the city. While there are multiple ways deployed to dupe gullible users, the problem arises especially with platforms that provide an option to generate payment requests. UPI-based payment options Google Pay and PhonePe are extremely popular in the country. The facility of generating payment requests on a few UPI platforms is being used by fraudsters to cheat victims, say officials of the Pune city cyber police. In four cases, one of the above-mentioned two UPI-based payment options, was used as a mode of committing fraud after convincing the victim to download the application for smoother transactions. In all four cases, the victims had registered a household item for sale on an e-commerce platform. Two such cases were registered in Vishrantwadi when two women, unknown to each other, received calls in response to their advertisement on the e-commerce platform for sale of household items. Both women lost Rs 50,000 each as the caller sent them a payment request disguised as a payment. A woman from Erandwane, lost Rs 23,999 in the exact same manner on September 29. On October 9, a woman from Wakad was asked to scan a QR code to receive payment for a fridge she wanted to sell on the e-commerce platform. She received a link after scanning the code and lost Rs 49,986. These cases were registered at various police stations in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad under Section 420 (punishment for cheating) of Indian Penal Code along with Sections 66(c), 66(d) of Information Technology Act. Cases registered by Pune cyber crime branch Cheating fraud 2018: 3,654 2019: 4,573 Cheating business fraud 2018: 561 2019: 1,795 Social media 2018: 824 2019: 814 Hacking 2018: 157 2019: 111 Data theft 2018: 32 2019: 15 Mobile offences 2018: 106 2019: 88 Total 2018: 5,524 December 26, 2019: 7,564 -All numbers until December 26, 2019 -There are multiple sub-titles under every title under which the data gets recorded -The format is updated annually to fit increasing types of online crimes -Cyber police station was given machinery to register FIRs in June 2019 WHAT IS UPI? Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood. It also caters to the Peer to Peer collect request which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and convenience. Each Bank provides its own UPI App for Android, Windows and iOS mobile platform(s). Source: cashlessindia.gov.in Examples of UPI-based services Google Pay PhonePe BHIM PayTM MobiKwik SBIPay Bank applications MANILA, Philippines Incoming Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff LtGen. Felimon Santos, Jr. believes that the people in Mindanao have welcomed the change that the termination of Martial Law has brought to the region. He said that the military has explained very well to the local government units in Mindanao who had been initially closed to the idea of lifting the Martial Law on why it should no longer be extended further. The official also ensures that the security in the region will be tightened even more, with checkpoints and regular soldiers on patrol still in place. I assure them na kahit walang martial law our security measures are in place even we will enhance pa yung security to ensure na walang mangyari, said Santos. Former Sulu governor, Abdusakur Tan, Sr. agrees. Nakikita na nag-iimprove dahil pag lagi tayong nasa martial law ibig sabihin magulo, he said. (from the report of Dante Amento) /mbmf The post Incoming AFP Chief ensures tighter security in Mindanao despite Martial Law termination appeared first on UNTV News. Wellington, Jan 2 : Smoke from the raging bushfires in Australia has turned the skies in neighbouring New Zealand into an "eerie" yellow colour along with haze and a burnt smell in the air. The smoke first reached New Zealand's South Island on Tuesday turning skies a hazy yellow. By Thursday, the haze and burnt smell had also reached the North Island. "I have never seen anything like the haze over the past 48 hours," Arthur McBride of glacier tour company Alpine Guides told the BBC on Thursday. Tourist flights up to Tasman, Franz Josef and Fox glaciers are a popular way to experience New Zealand's stunning mountain scenery. But for the past days, visitors have endured a thick yellow haze, instead of the white snow and bright blue skies expected. "Wednesday afternoon was particularly bad," McBride said, adding: "The smell of woodsmoke is still distinct." Over the past days, a few trips also had to be cancelled, he said. Australia and New Zealand are separated by around 2,000 km of the Tasman Sea. The peaks around the tourist city of Queenstown were also covered in haze. Over the past days, the people of Dunedin on South Island woke up to a noticeably darker sky, according to local media, and there's been a strong yellowish twilight over the town. Australia is grappling with bushfire crisis fuelled by record-breaking temperatures and months of drought, the BBC reported. At least 17 people are confirmed to have been killed by the bushfires, which have burned vast areas of several Australian states, including the worst-hit New South Wales. Several people were still missing with conditions expected to worsen over the weekend. A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Conjola, New South Wales, a lakeside national park known as a nature-lovers paradise. Bushfires have laid waste to the land and destroyed at least 89 homes - NYTNS / Redux / eyevine Australia deployed ships and helicopters on Wednesday to help towns devastated by bushfires that have left at least 17 people dead nationwide and destroyed more than 1,200 homes. At least seven people have died this week in New South Wales as fires rage across Australia. Another two people are missing. Record high temperatures and months of drought have created catastrophic conditions, with New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria hit particularly hard. In New South Wales tens of thousands of people are without power or communications after around 120 fires ripped through electricity infrastructure, phone lines and mobile towers. In Bateman Bay at least 31,000 people have been affected. Neil Pharaoh, whose mother lives in Bateman Bay, said: There is no power, no mobile, no internet or utilities, the town is out of fuel and food, and no open roads to get in or out. The water catchment for the bay has all been burnt Residents are all worried about sewerage which is expected to start overflowing shortly without the pumping stations, and running out of tap water shortly, he wrote. In Mallacoota, Victoria, four thousand people were trapped on the beach after flames encircled the town. On Wednesday, helicopters were used to fly firefighters in and out of the area for shift changes after battling around the clock to save the town, and police boats brought drinking water and other vital supplies to those stranded. Andrew Crisp, Victoria's emergency management commissioner, said the 176-metre-long HMAS Choules may be used to evacuate many of those stranded in Mallacoota, though with a capacity of 1,000 it will be insufficient alone. HMAS Choules is due to arrive on Thursday. A firefighter hoses down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales Credit: AFP Gladys Berejiklian, NSW premier, said authorities were working to restore communications with areas cut off by the fires, though she warned conditions will deteriorate again over the weekend. "Weather conditions on Saturday will be as bad as they were" on Tuesday, Ms Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. Story continues Staff at a small zoo in New South Wales defied an evacuation order so they could protect the 200 animals from harm, relocating some animals to a keeper's home. Chad Staples, director of Mogo Zoo, said on Wednesday that the situation had been apocalyptic (it) felt like Armageddon. Right now in my house there's animals of all descriptions in all the different rooms, that are there safe and protected... not a single animal lost," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Australia's capital Canberra was shrouded in thick smoke on Wednesday, reaching about 20 times hazardous levels, prompting health warnings. In Lake Macquarie, in eastern New South Wales, Luke Pearson, his partner and their three children were forced to flee their home on Wednesday. Mr Pearson told the Daily Telegraph that the family had just moved in to their house six weeks ago, but once three of the four roads in and out of the area were cut off by fire, they had no choice but to evacuate. We have the fire app, it beeps whenever a fire gets within 25km. We looked and it said three of the four roads were already down, and we could see the smoke billowing, he said. The rubble of buildings sits on the ground after they were destroyed by fire in Cobargo, New South Wales Credit: Rex The warning said to keep an eye out of embers and spot fires We packed up and left Our middle child has asthma and we have already had a few smoky days in the past couple of months, he said. The family fled to stay with relatives around 40km away. Elsewhere in the Lake Macquarie region, Miriam Basset and her family were keeping alert and prepared for the worst late on Wednesday. We are still being vigilant. We live on the corner of a farm, surrounded by grass, she said. We are keeping an eye out for to make sure there are no spot fires. We have smoke all around us. Smoke from Australia in Queenstown, New Zealand. Today vs yesterday. pic.twitter.com/laBw9bHJMQ var = Jason Thompson (@Agent_Jase) December 31, 2019 Ms Basset said her family had fire hoses and two generators ready, and buckets of water around the place, and had removed as much flammable material from the house as possible. The adrenaline pushing you along The people fighting last night to defend their properties, I can only imagine how exhausted they are, she said. Ms Basset said a friend witnessed his neighbour having to drive her car through flames to escape her property. She couldnt get out because burning trees fell across her driveway so she had to drive through a paddock downhill, with her lights on because of the smoke. There were flames leaping up around her car as she drove, she said. The woman was able to escape to the nearest evacuation centre. Being surrounded by fire, the intensity of the heat, the sheer ferocity of it really struck us, it has been immense, she said. L ebanon has received an international wanted notice from Interpol for Nissan's ex-chairman Carlos Ghosn, the country's justice minister said. Albert Serhan said that the Red Notice for the former automotive titan was received on Thursday by the prosecution. Mr Ghosn skipped bail before a trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges and fled to Lebanon via Turkey. Authorities have said that he entered legally on a French passport. Interpol's so-called Red Notices are requests to law enforcement agencies worldwide that they locate and provisionally arrest a wanted fugitive. Mr Serhan, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, said the Lebanese prosecution "will carry out its duties", suggesting for the first time that Mr Ghosn may be brought in for questioning. But he said that Lebanon and Japan do not have an extradition treaty, ruling out the possibility that Beirut would hand Mr Ghosn over to Japan. Sources close to Mr Ghosn said he decided to flee Japan after learning that the second of his two trials had been delayed until April 2021 and also because he had not been allowed to speak to his wife as part of strict bail conditions. He was smuggled out of Tokyo by a private security company, a plan that was in the works for three months and involved transit through Turkey, it has been reported. Police detained seven people on Thursday , including four pilots, as part of an investigation into Mr Ghosn's passage through the country, a Turkish police spokeswoman said. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Brisk and cold with a mix of clouds and sun. There might be a stray flurry or snow shower later in the day, mainly north of the area.. Tonight Partly cloudy, breezy, and bitterly cold. Wind chills close to 0 degrees. There might be a flurry or snow shower, especially north. A local Shiromani Akali Dal leader was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne assailants at Umarpura village here, in what the opposition party claimed was a "politically-motivated murder" carried out at the behest of the ruling Congress. The 50-year-old Gurdeep Singh's killing on Wednesday is a second instance of fatal attacks on SAD leaders in the state since November, when Dalbir Singh Dhilwan was killed in Gurdaspur. Gurdeep, whose wife is a village head, was killed when he was coming out of a gurdwara after offering prayers, the police said. Gurdeep was said to be a close associate of senior Akali Dal leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, who alleged the crime was carried out by Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang and demanded a CBI probe. "It is a politically-motivated murder (carried out) at the behest of the Congress," he told a press conference in Chandigarh. The police said the assailants managed to flee after pumping five bullets into Gurdeep's body, who died on the spot. The police also said they have booked five people including a father-son duo, Nirmal Singh and Harmanjeet Singh, in connection with the killing. The police said Harmanjeet is wanted in several criminal cases. Station House Officer (SHO) Tarsem Singh said raids were being conducted at their possible hideouts to nab them. The police are also examining CCTV footage obtained from nearby areas. Majithia, who was accompanied by former minister Daljit Singh Cheema at the Chandigarh presser, said Gurdeep was very close to him and he had served the party for a long time. Majithia also claimed the killing was a culmination of "threats" being issued to him with the warning of dangerous consequences if he did not stop speaking against an alleged "minister-gangster nexus" in Punjab. "A message has been sent to me (with this murder) that my close political associates will be targeted if I do not stop speaking for justice for former Akali Sarpanch Dalbir Dhilwan who was also murdered in the same way like Baba Gurdeep Singh," said Majithia. The Akali leader said he had approached Punjab Direct General of Police Dinkar Gupta last November, seeking action against the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang but nothing was done. Majithia said he had also sought safety for his associates from the Punjab police and but nothing was done. The SAD had described Dhilwan's killing also as a "political murder". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Both the census and subsequent reapportionment of U.S. House seats are required by the U.S. Constitution to ensure every member of the U.S. House represents an equal number of people. That number was 709,760 constituents per congressman following the 2010 census, though each state is guaranteed at least one representative even if its population falls short of that mark. If it rises, as expected, to approximately 770,000 residents per representative, then U.S. House seats capped by law at 435 since 1913 must be redistributed among the states to ensure continued equal representation. Each state also is entitled to two seats in the U.S. Senate. A state's total number of representatives and senators is the number of electoral votes the state casts for president every four years. Indiana has had nine representatives in the U.S. House since 2003. In fact, the Hoosier State and Wisconsin (eight representatives) are the only Midwestern states that have not lost, and are not poised to lose, a representative following a national census this century. A Canadian man went on a month-long motorcycle adventure across Mongolia with his son but left their cell phones to bond without the digital addiction. Jamie Clarke invited his son Khobe for a trip to Mongolia without the distraction of social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. Speaking to a Canadian news channel, Khobe confessed that the idea of leaving his phone behind for a month and not being able to communicate with anyone scared him. He said that his friends thought it was a ridiculous idea to leave the phones behind and they also put a bet about the day Khobe would crumble down. Though the duo was travelling without any communication line, The Garmin (GPS satellite communicator) helped their family keep a track. Read: Mongolia: Five Things To Do When You Visit This Quaint Country Jamie, as a father, felt partly responsible for his sons digital attachment as he facilitated it right from his childhood days. He said he would play a "little Brick Breaker" on his Blackberry phone with his son right before bedtime and he slowly got hooked on to it. Jamie said that if he could time travel 15 years back, he would tell his younger self to not do it. Khobe said that it was a bizarre experience initially and he felt that he was on a different planet altogether. Jamie recalled an incident where the duo had travelled for hours across a huge valley with their bike and he felt meditative. But as soon as they removed their helmets, Khobe said that it was a terrible experience for him and that he should not be left with his own thoughts like that. Jamie said that he ended up learning many things about his sons life when he shared about his experiences at school, struggles with friends, and life in general. Read: Mongolian Police Arrests 800 Chinese Citizens In Cyber Crime Probe Problematic smartphone usage in youngsters Recently, researchers found out that youngsters exhibit 'problematic smartphone usage' (PSU) and almost a quarter of them are so dependent on their mobile devices that they become "panicky" when denied constant access. The report claimed that 23 per cent of the people exhibited PSU in a way that is consistent with a behavioural addiction. Read: Digital Detox: The New Travel Trend To Look Forward To In 2020 Read: Canada Man Carries Amputated Arm With Him Everywhere He Goes; Here's His Story Interview transcripts released under a FOIA lawsuit by government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) show McCabe passed along internal FBI information about its investigation into 2016 Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. From the Daily Beast: In the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign, the Journal broke news about an FBI investigation involving then-candidate Hillary Clinton, describing internal discussions among senior FBI officials. The apparent leak drew scrutiny from the bureaus internal investigation team, which interviewed McCabe on May 9, 2017, the day President Donald Trump fired James Comey from his post as FBI director. The agents interviewed him as part of an investigation regarding a different media leak to the online publication Circa, and also asked him about the Journal story. In that interview, McCabe said he did not know how the Journal story came to be. But a few months later, his story changed after he reviewed his answer. McCabe originally told investigators that he didnt know how the WSJ story came about. But several months later in a follow-up interview, McCabe admitted he had leaked the information in question. I remember saying to him, at, I said, sir, you understand that weve put a lot of work into this based on what you told us, an FBI agent told the Daily Beast. I mean, and I even said, long nights and weekends working on this, trying to find out who amongst your ranks of trusted people would, would do something like that. And he kind of just looked down, kind of nodded, and said yeah Im sorry. Meanwhile, Trump insider Roger Stone is currently on trial for lesser crimes, despite the fact the FBI raided his Florida home with CNN covering it all from the street last year. Andrew McCabe lied on CNN and said weve never seen an Oval Office photo like the one with Trump and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. A simple online search will turn up a bevy of past US presidents with Russian officials in the White House. Its a boy for Loren and Alexei Brovarnik! The 90 Day Fiance stars revealed the gender of their first child on January 2. The couple announced that they were expecting a baby in October 2019. Baby Brovarnik is due in May 2020 Both Loren and Alexei shared the news of their babys gender on Instagram. While Loren said in a TLC video that she was expecting a girl based on her cravings and pregnancy symptoms, her husband was confident hed be the father to a son. Loren was I bit shocked but I knew it needless to say we wouldnt have it any other way! he wrote in his post. Loren, 31, is already envisioning what life will be like as parents to a baby boy. They say there is no bond stronger than the one between a mom and her son, so the fact that Im getting a mommys boy has me over the moon, and the fact that Alex has a new fishing buddy and a mini-him, if you will, has him very excited! she told People. The Brovarnik name gets carried on another generation! Loren also said that even though they now know the babys gender, theyre holding off on decorating the nursery until she gets closer to her due date. Were very superstitious, so we dont want to bring anything into the house until the very, very end, she explained in the video. Loren and Alexei have been married since 2016 Loren and Alexei Brovarnik on 90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk | TLC Loren and Alexeis romance was featured on season 3 of 90 Day Fiance. The new York native met Alexei, now 31, on a Birthright trip to Israel in 2013. She and the paramedic fell in love, and they tied the knot in 2015 in the U.S. (They had a second wedding in 2016 in Israel.) Not only did the couples romance blossom in Israel, but their first child was also conceived in the country. We are just overjoyed and cannot wait to meet our baby this spring! The fact that it happened in Israel just makes it that much more special for us. We have been through a lot, and were just so excited for this next journey together! Loren told Us Weekly shortly after the couple revealed they were expecting. Pregnancy hasnt been easy, Loren says At the time, Loren also shared that her first trimester wasnt easy. But Alexei stepped up, she said, calling him an amazing support system. For his part, it sounds like Alexei cant wait for the baby to arrive. Yes its tru we are pregnant couldnt be more excited, I AM GOING TO BE A DADDY !!! he wrote in an Instagram post announcing the pregnancy. Since appearing on 90 Day Fiance, Loren and Alexei have gone on to appear on two spinoffs of the hit TLC series: 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? and 90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk. Read more: 90 Day Fiance: Ashley Martson Finally Responds to Loren Brovarniks Claims That She Stole Her Pregnancy Photo Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! A week ago, the top Republican in the New York state Assembly, Brian M. Kolb, published a guest column in a local newspaper warning against the dangers of drunken driving, especially during the holidays, noting that tragedy can be only one bad decision away. Kolb, 67, personally proved his point days later when he was arrested and charged with drinking and driving on New Years Eve. Kolb, the Assemblys Republican minority leader who represents a district outside Rochester, found himself offering a follow-up story of sorts on Wednesday, in the form of a statement admitting to his mistake. I fully recognize the severity of the situation and I am profoundly sorry, Kolb said in the statement. There is no excuse and no justification for what occurred Tuesday evening. I made the wrong decision, and it is one I deeply regret. Kolb was driving his state-issued 2018 GMC Acadia just in front of his home around 10:30 Tuesday night in the town of Victor, New York, about 15 miles southeast of Rochester, when he drove into a ditch, the Ontario County Sheriff Kevin Henderson said. Henderson said one of his deputies, called to the scene by a passerby, administered several field sobriety tests and then took Kolb to the county jail. There, an alcohol breath test indicated that the assemblymans blood alcohol content was over 0.08%, the sheriff said. Kolb was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, and released pending a future court appearance, the sheriff said, adding that no one was hurt and no other vehicles were involved in the crash. Henderson, a Democrat elected into office, said he has long known Kolb and worked alongside him in public service. But, he added, the assemblyman would be treated like any other defendant in such cases. This is what we do for anyone in this situation, he said. He was treated like anybody else. Kolb, a 20-year veteran of the Assembly, and its minority leader since 2009, represents Ontario County and a portion of Seneca County. He has been reelected nine times and had managed to avoid the corruption scandals that have engulfed many other Albany legislators. He sought to parlay that record into higher officer in 2018 when he briefly campaigned to unseat Gov. Andrew Cuomo. As a lawmaker, he helped push for legislation to crack down on drinking while driving with children as passengers. One of Kolbs Republican colleagues in the Assembly, Kieran Michael Lalor, used Twitter to call for Kolb to step down as minority leader. That he hasnt done so already is a disgrace, Lalor wrote on Twitter. A spokesman for Kolb declined to elaborate on the statement or to comment on Lalors call for the legislators resignation as minority leader. Kolbs Dec. 24 column in the upstate Daily Messenger newspaper warned against drunken driving during the holidays, and it highlighted that December was National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. Many of our holiday traditions, especially our New Years Eve celebrations, involve indulging in spirits, he wrote. Done safely, and in moderation, these can be wonderful holiday experiences. However, tragedy can be only one bad decision away. He continued, Do not operate a vehicle if your ability to do so is impaired, adding, Please consider the ramifications of impaired driving, especially as we prepare to close out 2019 and welcome in a new decade. Activists Ekta and Ravi Shekhar returned home to their 14-month-old baby here on Thursday, a day after an Uttar Pradesh court gave bail to them and 56 others arrested for protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC nearly two weeks ago. The Shekhars, who run the environment NGO Climate Agenda and made national headlines with many voicing concern about their toddler daughter being left alone, were among the 59 people taken into custody during the protests on December 19. On Wednesday, the court of the additional sessions judge, Varanasi, granted bail to Ekta (32) and Ravi (36), residents of Mehmoorganj, and 56 others, ending their ordeal. The bail application of the couple -- nabbed along with other protesters from Left groups from Beniyabagh and nearby localities for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CRPC -- was initially cancelled by a lower court and the next hearing fixed for January 1. In their absence, their baby was being taken care of by her grandmother Sheila Tiwari, uncle Shashikant and her aunts. Also read: Anti-CAA stir: In a first, Kerala passes resolution against Citizenship Amendment Act Also read: Yogi Adityanath rebuffs accusations of police abuses; defends 'strict' action to quell protests Dramatic body camera footage has revealed the moment police in Alabama rescued a woman who had been kidnapped at knife-point, smashed in the face with a tire iron and kept inside a cage in her captor's van. The suspect, Sean E. Sanders, 51, was arrested just moments after the victim was freed from the 1997 Ford Aerostar Cargo van in Brookside on Sunday following a dramatic standoff with police. Authorities were alerted to the brutal kidnapping after a witness saw the woman bleeding from the head and screaming, 'help he's going to kill me', as she was being forced into Sanders' van. Police say the van had its doors chained from the inside and multiple cages in the back. The windows were covered with blankets to block people from seeing inside. Dramatic body camera footage captured the moment police in Brookside, Alabama were able to free a woman from a van after she was kidnapped and held at knifepoint by her captor on Sunday The officers were filmed struggling as they dragged Sanders from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs The suspect, Sean E. Sanders, 51, (above) was arrested just moments after the victim was freed from the 1997 Ford Aerostar Cargo van in Brookside on Sunday following a dramatic standoff with police The witness who first spotted the kidnapping drove after Sanders' van as he frantically called 911 to provide police with details. Responding officers with the Brookside Police Department later saw the van passing a church and tried to stop it but Sanders allegedly rammed into a witness and fled. Police said they managed to block Sanders' van on a nearby road. Sanders is accused of trying to run over an officer before authorities fired shots into the van that disabled the vehicle. Police said Sanders then crawled into the back of the van with the victim. Officers tried to negotiate with him for 35 minutes as he allegedly held the victim at knife-point in the back of the van. Sanders, who police say has a history of being arrested for assault and kidnapping, demanded that the officers kill him. Fearing immediate danger to the victim, officers said they made the decision to force their way into the back of the van. Authorities were alerted to the brutal kidnapping after a witness saw the woman bleeding from the head and screaming, 'help he's going to kill me', as she was being forced into Sanders' van Police say the van had chained doors and multiple cages in the back. The windows were covered with blankets to block people from seeing inside Dramatic footage showed the officers using a taser to subdue Sanders before they were able to pull the terrified victim from the van. The officers were filmed struggling as they dragged Sanders from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs. Sanders, who is originally from Los Angeles, was charged with kidnapping, attempted murder of a police officer, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief The victim told police that Sanders had planned to drag her into the woods and kill her. Police believe the two may have known each other from possibly living on the streets. The victim was seriously injured in the ordeal and was hospitalized. She remains in a stable condition after suffering cuts to the head and face. Two officers were also left with minor injuries sustained during the arrest and were treated on the scene. Sanders, who is originally from Los Angeles, was charged with kidnapping, attempted murder of a police officer, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. He allegedly admitted to kidnapping the victim against her will, assaulting her and trying to run over a police officer. He is being held in Jefferson County jail on a $191,000 bond. During his arrest, police also seized his three dogs that were inside the van. They have since been taken in by animal control officers and are safe and healthy. Fearing immediate danger to the victim, officers said they made the decision to force their way into the back of the van. Dramatic footage showed the officers using a taser to subdue Sanders before they were able to pull the terrified victim from the van The officers were filmed struggling as they dragged Sanders from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs He allegedly admitted to kidnapping the victim against her will, assaulting her and trying to run over a police officer Sanders appears to have no previous criminal history in Alabama, other than two traffic violations. 'He's a homeless transient who has been living out of his van in Alabama for at least the last three months,' Brookside Police chief Mike Jones told ABC News. He was living in his van in a Starbucks car park and frequent customers had rallied round him in recent weeks by bringing his dogs food and trying to help him. One of the women who helped him said she was shocked when she heard of Sunday's incident. 'He was a very, very smart nice guy. Im always on the paranoid side and I never felt uncomfortable around him,' she told AL. 'He was very lonely. It was hard to leave him because he kept wanting to talk.' According to those who helped him, Sanders said he moved to Alabama from California to avoid the gangs there and to see his brother. The woman said he attended a Fultondale church and was part of a Bible study group in Homewood. She even attended his recent baptism and paid for a hotel room for him to use to shower the night before. Another woman helped him get an apartment, that is federally subsidized, in Ensley that would accept his three dogs. Sanders, who police say has a history of being arrested for assault and kidnapping, demanded that the officers kill him Alberta Premier Jason Kenney (C) announces the launch of the Canadian Energy Centre (CEC) as Energy Minister Sonya Savage and CEC managing director and CEO Tom Olsen look on at a press conference in Calgary on Dec. 11, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Greg Fulmes) Kenneys War Room Takes On Well-Funded Campaigners Smearing Oilsands Two-pronged approach: Fight misinformation and tout industrys contributions News Analysis The Canadian Energy Centre (CEC)Alberta Premier Jason Kenneys war roomis still finding its feet in its mission to raise the publics understanding of Canadas energy sector using a fact-based approach to combat what it believes is misinformation. Launched Dec. 11, 2019, the provincial corporation has been publishing articles on various topics, including benefits to Indigenous communities and the opportunity offered by Canadian liquified natural gas (LNG) to reduce global emissions. Its also rebutting op-eds that it sees as having ignored important facts, like one recently in The Globe and Mail. However, despite facts like Canada accounting for just 1.6 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the industry has been fighting a losing battle against well-funded environmental activists for public opinion. The toll on Albertas economy is significant, and Kenney determined that a new weapon was sorely needed in the war of words to try to turn the tide. Opponents of the oilsands are funded by both foreign and domestic sources, and their campaigns have been exposed mainly by researcher Vivian Krause, as cited by Kenney, and also the group Friends of Science. The foreign sources include but go beyond certain U.S.-based multi-billion-dollar foundations. For example, Trevor Loudon, a noted New Zealand-based researcher on radical left movements, has pointed the finger at China and Russia, which also want to land-lock oil and gas in Alberta and isolate the U.S. product in a bid to weaken the worlds largest economy. Those campaigns have divided our country and devastated the Alberta economy. They have also ignored that Canadian industry is leading the way in cleaning its operations, resulting in innovations with applications around the world, said Tom Olsen, CEO of the CEC, on its website. But the CEC has a lot to prove after making two logo gaffes and being called a propaganda arm of the Alberta govt by Andrew Leach, an energy and environmental economist and University of Alberta business professor. Nevertheless, the CEC, with its $30 million-a-year budget, isnt the first effort to balance the messaging to the masses. The $31 million Keep Canada Working campaign for the Trans Mountain pipeline, launched by the former NDP government of Rachel Notley in January 2019, was another pan-Canada endeavour. ENGOs Get More Political Friends of Science has described how foreign-funded federally registered charities and non-profits are denigrating the oilsands while being subsidized by Canadian taxpayers, due to recent changes to the Income Tax Act. The charity status granted to many ENGOs [environmental NGOs] that allows them to avoid income taxation while still carrying extensive political activity and lobbying is anomalous, according to the groups Fear and Loathing report released Dec. 11. The report says Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government passed legislation authorizing charities to carry on unlimited public policy dialogue and development activities to influence laws and policies. There used to be a 10 percent limit on partisan political activity and now theres no limit. Now, registered charity status gives activist environmental groups the freedom to spend all of their revenues on activities like blocking pipelines and resource development. The tax change is consistent with the Canadian governments intent to show that it is a reliable partner in fighting climate change. Canada sent a massive contingent of 156 delegates to the United Nations COP25 climate conference in Madrid in December. That was more than double the number sent by the United States and drew criticism from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Is this really necessary or just financially wasteful and environmentally irresponsible overkill? said Aaron Wudrick, the organizations head. Industry Should Blow Its Horn The Kenney governments efforts to fight back against the climate alarmist narrative by focusing on facts is one thing; another thing is that the Canadian industry needs to promote its commitment to good governance, transparency, and lower carbon intensity, says Maria van der Hoeven, senior fellow at the Clingendael International Energy Programme. Canada is really at the top, said van der Hoeven, a former Dutch politician who headed the International Energy Agency from 2011 to 2015, when talking about transparency and regulation in producing oil and gas on a recent ARC Energy Institute podcast. She said the oil companies working in the oilsands are doing a good job but need to be better communicators. Cant blame others for your bad reputation if you dont do something about your bad reputation yourself, she said. For example, the Canadian LNG story is not well-known in Europe, according to van der Hoeven. With our focus on ever-improving environmental standards and our commitment to labour and human rights, Canada should be the worlds supplier of choice. There is no question about that, wrote Olsen in an op-ed for the Medicine Hat News. Will buyers of oil and gas put greater emphasis on adherence to environmental standards, governance, and social issues? If that increasingly becomes the case, as it is in other industries like institutional investing, then the demand for Canadian products should go up. Europe cant like being so dependent on Russian gas; its likely to readily embrace a Canadian alternative if available. Liquified Natural Gas Tim McMillan, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), has been very active in getting the industrys message out. CAPP registered with Elections Canada in order to advertise during the 2019 election run-up. Thats no less than what Kenney encouraged from industry participants. What climate alarmists and environmentalists seem to be ignoring is that shutting down Canadas oilsands wont make a difference in global emissions and could even have the opposite effect if higher-emission products filled the void left by Canadas oilsands, say the CEC and McMillan. LNG is the key. McMillan says it will replace coal as the worlds second-largest energy source and Canada has a vital role to play. LNG Canada, a $40 billion pipeline project carrying natural gas across northern B.C. to the west coast for liquefaction and export, will employ 4,500 people at a work camp in Kitimat. It could create an economic boom like what Albertas Fort McMurray once experienced. While the Canadian industry innovates to produce oil and gas more cleanly, China is planning to add another 300 coal-fired power plants that will make the same amount of energy as that generated by all of the coal-fired power plants in the EU. This is another example of the worlds second-largest economy thumbing its nose at international norms like the 2009 Copenhagen Accord and the 2015 Paris Agreement. McMillan wrote in an op-ed that Canada can help bring people out of energy poverty while reducing global GHG emissions. China and India, which produce more than 20 percent of the worlds emissions, could use Canadian expertise if opponents to the oilsands werent so fastidious in opposing its development. One firefighter died and 14 other firefighters were injured after a factory building collapsed in Delhis Peeragarhi on Thursday, the fire department said. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore to the family of firefighter Amit Kumar Balyan who died in Peeragarhi fire incident on Thursday. Out of three other locals who also joined the rescue operations, one is critically injured, the officials said. The case has been transferred to Crime Branch now, Delhi police officials said. Kejriwal took to Twitter to condole the loss of life. With extreme sadness I have to tell, that one of our brave lives was martyred while saving people from fire. Our firemen save people by putting their lives at risk under extremely risky conditions. May his soul rest in peace, the chief minister said in a tweet. firemen https://t.co/Z6K2dYVazW Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 2, 2020 Early Thursday a fire had broken out in the four-storey building. At least 35 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Watch | At least 14 injured as factory building collapses in Delhis Peeragarhi A call was received around 4 .23 am about a fire in a factory at Udyog Nagar, Peeragarhi, and accordingly seven fire tenders were sent for rescue operations, said Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Service. However, later due to a blast the building collapsed and several people, including fire brigade personnel, were trapped. Rescue operations are underway, he added. Virginia Roberts Guiffre vows to take down Prince Andrew this 2020. According to her, the Duke of York thinks that he is above the law, but she issued a warning to the royal prince as her case against is set to be heard again in court by the end of this month. The accuser of Prince Andrew, who claimed to have been trafficked as a sex slave to the royal by billionaire pedophie Jeffrey Epstein, vowed to bring about change in 2020. She wanted this year to go down in history and not in a very good way. The investigation on the life of the Epstein continues despite his death by suicide inside the prison in 2019. Sources of Telegraph U.K. revealed that the court date for Virginia's case has been set to January 16, 2020. A judge in New York will be considering whether a new set of documents is to be opened. Explosive allegations concerning Epstein and his relationship with Prince Andrew are said to be all in that tranche of documents. The hearing will also send notifications to third parties named in those documents. The source said that one of whom is the Duke of York. No Longer A Royal After the disaster interview he gave to BBC Newsnight, Prince Andrew decided to take a step back from his royal duties. Although the goal was to clarify his name and his connection to the sex convict Jeffrey Epstein, his lack of empathy for Epstein's victims was notable during the interview. There was no sign of regret from ever being connected to the disgraced financier. This is what people was angry about. When Prince Andrew decided to resign from his royal duties, his mother, the Queen agreed to it. According to the sources of PEOPLE, Queen Elizabeth consulted Prince Charles and Prince William regarding the decision. Sources said that they all agreed that it was the best decision for the family. Although Prince Andrew has denied all allegations made by Virginia Roberts Guiffre, he might further damage his relationship with the rest of the royal family when the U.S. judge decides to unseal the documents to reveal new evidence on the accuser's claim. Prince Andrew's absence in this year's Christmas walk was also notable. The Duke of York also did not attend the other holiday festivities hosted by the Queen for the royal family. New Evidence The documents that the accuser pushes for include depositions of 29 people, including a number of witnesses as well as that of Jeffrey Epstein himself. The hundreds of people who have been notified concerning the mention of their names in the documents will be given a chance to respond to the allegations. The Duke's name has been mentioned in several of the documents. However, Buckingham Palace refused to comment on whether the court has notified them or not. The documents requested to be opened is part of the evidence Guiffre will use to fuel the defamation lawsuit she filed in 2015 against Ghislaine Maxwell, an heiress and former business partner of Jeffrey Epstein. Virginia Roberts Guiffre has repeatedly claimed that she was trafficked by Epstein through the help of Maxwell. She also claimed that she had three sexual encounters with the Duke of York and that the first one was when she was only 17 years old. The Duke of York categorically denied the allegations by saying that it simply did not happen. And although everyone is waiting for what might unfold in the months to come, the accuser promised to make 2020 a year to be remembered as she vows to make sure Prince Andrew will go down. For more than two years, Pakistans former ruling and current leading opposition political party rallied behind the slogan Respect the vote to assert civilian supremacy and push for an end to the militarys manipulation of politics. But the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has now agreed to support proposed legislation that would grant General Qamar Javed Bajwa a new term in office. The step will have larger implications as Bajwa will likely continue to institutionalize the militarys already-predominant role in determining the nuclear-armed nations security, economic, and foreign policies while keeping its anemic political parties on a tight leash. What I know from the news is that the Pakistan Muslim League will extend unconditional support to the amendments in the Army Act, lawmaker Rana Sanaullah, a key PML-N leader, told reporters on January 2. We do not want to make the army and the office of it chief in particular controversial. But the PML-Ns stance has attracted increasing criticism from journalists, party activists, and civil society leaders. By licking the PTIs spit on the issue of amendments to the Army Act, [PML-N leaders] Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif have granted historic respect to the vote and the votes, journalist Talat Hussain wrote on Twitter. The PML-N took this decision to preserve the greater interest of the Sharif family, Ansar Abbasi, another journalist, ridiculed the decision while referring former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs family. This is like [the PML-N] committing fraud with its own supporters, he told the private Samaa television. They advocated respect for vote and what direction have they moved towards now? On January 1, the administration of Prime Minister Imran Khans ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) finalized draft amendments to the Army Act, a law that regulates service in the largest branch of the countrys military, and the constitution. In December, Pakistans Supreme Court gave the government six months to decide the issue of Bajwas new term after it overturned a government order granting him three more years in office. On January 2, senior PTI leaders, all senior administration figures, approached PML-N and other opposition parties for support to turn the proposed legislation into a law or act of parliament. The PTI only has a wafer-thin majority in the National Assembly or lower house of the parliament but is in the minority in the upper house or Senate. Constitutional amendments need a two-thirds majority in both houses. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the young leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), another major opposition group, however, was more circumspect. The Peoples Party wants to positively engage with the democratic legislative process. Some parties seem to want to side step the legislative process, he tweeted after meeting the PTI delegation on January 2. The more important the legislation the more important it is for us to follow the democratic process. PPP will take this up with other political parties as well. Lawmaker Mohsin Dawar, leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, a civil rights movement, was adamant in opposing the proposed legislation because, he argued, laws shouldn't be changed to suit personal ambitions. This will be a major setback for the struggle for civilian supremacy in Pakistan, he tweeted. Laws shouldn't make institutions subservient to ambitions of individuals. Laws should ensure that institutions work within their mandate. The issue is expected to dominate Pakistani politics in the coming days. tech2 News Staff TikTok has released its first transparency report that details which countries have submitted requests for content removal as well as access to user data, and hey, India ranks number one in that. Not surprising given the whole TikTok ban saga we witnessed last year. The Indian government reportedly sent as many as 107 requests for user data and 11 requests to remove or restrict content or account on the platform, of which eight were categorised as emergency requests. A total of 143 accounts were specified in these requests. The report does not specify how TikTok reached a verdict for each of these requests but does mention that the platform complied with 47 percent of these requests. This transparency report compiles the data from 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2019. Followed by India, is the US, which sent out 79 requests for user data, along with six requests for content takedowns. TikTok says it complied with 86 percent of the user data requests and restricted or blocked seven accounts related to the content takedown requests. Country Legal Requests Emergency Requests Total Requests Total Accounts Specified Percentage of Requests Where Some Information Was Produced India 99 8 107 143 47% US 68 11 79 255 86% Japan 28 7 35 39 21% Germany 9 3 12 12 25% Norway 6 5 11 15 33% Table 1: Depicts the top 5 legal requests for user information received by TikTok. Interestingly, China is absent from the report. TikTok claims it did not receive a single takedown request from the Communist Party of China in the first half of 2019. But this is probably because TikTok does not operate in China. The Chinese version of the app, which runs as a separate organisation, is called Douyin. There were allegations of TikTok taking down content related to the Hong Kong protests from other countries though. Whether that would come under China requesting content takedown is open to interpretation. Country Government Requests Total Accounts Specified Accounts Removed or Restricted Content Removed or Restricted India 11 9 8 4 United States 6 7 7 1 Japan 3 5 4 1 Australia 2 2 2 0 France 2 2 2 0 Table 2: Depicts top 5 government requests received by TikTok to remove or restrict content. Per the report, TikTok also received 35 requests from Japan, 12 from Germany, 11 from Norway, eight from France, six each from the UK, Sweden and South Korea, five from Australia, three each from Israel and Italy, two from Poland and one each from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hungary, Iceland, Jordan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland and Turkey. TikTok head of public policy, Eric Ebenstein also reveals how the company decides to comply with a takedown request or how it considers any such requests in the first place. He writes in a blog, We take any request from government bodies extremely seriously, and closely review each such request we receive to determine whether, for example, the request adheres to the required legal process or the content violates local law. TikTok adds that any information request we receive is carefully reviewed for legal sufficiency, to determine whether, for example, the requesting entity is authorised to gather evidence in connection with a law enforcement investigation or to investigate an emergency involving imminent harm. Kim Dong-jin, chairman of Hulbert Memorial Society, speaks next to the Homer Hulbert tomb at Yanghwa Foreign Missionary Cemetery in Seoul on Dec. 16. Former President Kim Dae-jung had Hulbert's name inscribed in Korean on the tombstone in 1999. /Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk Kim Dong-jin spent three decades researching Hulbert and calls on Koreans to remember him By Kim Se-jeong Back in 1989 when Kim Dong-jin was working in New York at Chemical Bank headquarters, he was called in for a meeting with Richard Hulbert, the senior standing auditor. Hulbert presented a piece of paper to the worried young Korean banker. "He said he was a grandson of Homer Hulbert, then asked me to translate it. The letter was from the Korean government, recognizing his contributions to the Korean independence and inviting him to Korea," Kim explained to The Korea Times. He is now serving as chairman of the Hulbert Memorial Society. "It was a total shock for me as Hulbert has been my hero since I was in college. I already knew about Hulbert through the book 'The Passing of Korea' and was amazed by him. And I always imagined meeting with his descendants someday. I explained to Richard that I had been deeply impressed by his grandfather's book and that I wanted to learn more about his grandfather." After their first meeting, Kim was invited to the grandson's New York home where he kept a few of his grandfather's belongings, including traditional furniture from Korea. Later, Kim also met Hulbert's other descendants, visited their homes and saw Hulbert's other belongings, including a letter from Emperor Gojong to Hulbert. "The meeting with Hulbert's grandson in the office gave me a mission for the rest of my life. I felt this was God's mission for me to uncover Hulbert's story." For the next 20 years, he spent his personal time and money collecting Hulbert's belongings and finding ways to commemorate him. Since his retirement 10 years ago, Kim has had more time to research Hulbert and restore his legacy. The Korea Times met him in the office of the Hulbert Memorial Society in western Seoul to talk about his passion for studying Hulbert's life. Who was Homer Hulbert? Homer Hulbert was born in New Haven, Vermont, in 1863. His mother Mary Elizabeth Woodward Hulbert's great grandfather was Eleazar Wheelock, founder of the prestigious Dartmouth College. Hulbert went to Dartmouth College before attending Union Theological Seminary. In 1886, he came to Korea as a teacher at Royal College, Korea's first Western school. In 1891, he resigned from the teaching position and returned to the U.S. Two years later, in 1893, he returned to Korea as a Methodist missionary and stayed until 1907. In 1949, at the invitation of the Korean government, he returned to Korea and died one week later. Altogether, he stayed in Korea for 20 years. Modern educator and Hangeul advocate Hulbert came here to teach Western knowledge to Koreans. He sought to expand the minds of young students through his teaching of mathematics, geography, world history, English and other subjects. But Kim also calls Hulbert a Hangeul _ Korean alphabet _ advocate. According to Kim, Hulbert had linguistic talents and studied as many as seven languages before coming to Korea. In 1889, he published an article, "The Korean Language," in the New York Tribune, explaining the characteristic of the Korean language," Kim explained, showing the copy of the published article. In his memoir, Hulbert wrote that a week after learning to read and write Hangeul he began to realize how underutilized and underappreciated it was by the Koreans he encountered, despite the native script's excellent characteristics. At the time Hanja was still the predominant official script. He began advocating for its greater use. An excerpt from Saminpilji, the textbook Homer Hulbert wrote for his students using Hangeul. Kim obtained the original copy of the book from Hulbert's grandson Bruce. /Courtesy of Kim Dong-jin In 1891, he authored "Saminpilji," a textbook for his students written only in Hangeul, in an attempt to spread the use of the native Korean alphabet. In the book's preface, Hulbert made his case for Hangeul that the Korean alphabet is easy to read and to understand and that using Hangeul would contribute to abolishing social classes in Korean society. Kim said he initially doubted Hulbert was fluent in Korean. "I had a doubt whether his Korean could have been so good to write Saminpilji. But, through research, it became clear that he was very fluent in Korean." In 1903, he published a writing on Korean language in the Smithsonian Institution's Annual Report, saying "Korean surpasses English as a medium for public speaking." Hulbert compared the Korean language with the Dravidian language used in southern India and the language of Efate, currently the Republic of Vanuatu, and published his findings in "Korea Review," an academic magazine which he published 1901-06. Kim said Hulbert also had a great interest in Korean culture. Korean song, Arirang, with western musical notation published in The Korean Repository, English periodical in February, 1896. /Courtesy of Kim Dong-jin Hulbert gave the traditional song "Arirang" its Western musical notation and shared it with the outside world for the first time. He published it in the English periodical "Korean Repository" in 1896 and helped it find its way into "The History of Foreign Music," a paper published in New York in 1908. He also translated 123 Korean proverbs into English. In translation, he also explained the context in the meanings of the proverbs. Expert on Korean history Kim said Hulbert studied Korean history very seriously and wrote prolifically about it. In 1898, 12 year after arriving in Korea, he published his first long article on Korean history titled "The Mongols in Korea." That was followed by "The History of Korea" (1905) covering the entire history of Korea from Dangun, the legendary founder of Gojoseon, through to the Daehan Empire. In 1906 he published the contemporary history book "The Passing of Korea" in an attempt to make Japanese atrocities known to the world. In it, he criticized the U.S. government of indifference to injustice in Korea. Kim read this book when he was a college student. Fight for Korea's independence "Hulbert's children and grandchildren are proud of the grandfather as an educator in Korea. But for me and many Koreans, he should be remembered for his fight for Korea's independence," Kim said. Hulbert stayed in Korea during turbulent times. Korea was forced to sign the Eulsa Treaty in 1905 which put Korea under Japan's protection before becoming an official colony of Japan. Hulbert became close with Emperor Gojong and was asked to speak on behalf of Korea. Right before Eulsa Treaty was signed in 1905, Hulbert delivered the emperor's hand-written letter to then-U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, which fell on deaf ears. Emperor Gojong's letter of appointment for Homer Hulbert as a special envoy to the Hague Peace Conference. Kim obtained the original document from the Dartmouth College. /Courtesy of Kim Dong-jin In June 1906, Hulbert was again called in to become the emperor's envoy to visit state heads of western superpowers, as well as to assist three Koreans set to attend a peace conference in the Hague the following year. The names of three Korean envoys Yi Tjoune, Yi Sang-seol and Yi Wi-jong are well-known, but it's not so well-known that Hulbert was also an envoy to the Hague peace conference. Their mission failed as a result of Japan's lobbying toward the world's powers against allowing the three to attend the meeting. After the Hague, Hulbert couldn't return to Korea due to Japan's frontline efforts to keep him out. He returned to the United States and settled in Springfield Massachusetts. But his fight for Korea's independence continued at home. The New York Times carried an interview with Homer Hulbert in its article published July 20, 1907. Kim obtained the copy from the Times archive. /Courtesy of Kim Dong-jin "Between 1907 and 1945, the number of public lectures he gave on Korea was more than 1,000 and of his newspaper articles and interviews was almost 5,000," Kim wrote in his recent book. The papers in which he published articles included the New York Times, the New York Herald, the Salk Lake Tribune, the Pacific Monthly, Harper's Magazine and the San Francisco Call, etc. In August 1945, Imperial Japan surrendered ending World War II and Korea finally won its freedom. Hulbert's return to Korea took a few years because he wanted to stay with his ill wife, May. After she passed away in 1948, Hulbert set off on his journey to Korea in 1949. An article on Homer Hulbert carried by the Springfield Union, a local paper in Springfield, Massachusetts on July 2, 1949, right before his final journey to Korea. It was one of the last interviews Hulbert gave to local media. /Courtesy of Kim Dong-jin Before leaving for Korea, he gave an interview with the local Springfield Union newspaper and said, "Koreans are among the world's most remarkable people." In a separate interview with the Associated Press, he famously said: "I would rather be buried in Korea than in Westminister Abbey!" People gather outside Bumingwan, currently the Seoul Metropolitan Council, in Seoul, where Homer Hulbert's state funeral ceremony took place on Aug. 11, 1949. Kim obtained the picture from Hulbert's granddaughter, Judith. /Courtesy of Kim Dong-jin He arrived in Incheon on July 29, 1949. Fatigued by a long boat journey, the 84-year-old passed away on Aug. 5, just a week after his arrival. A state funeral ceremony honoring his achievements was held and his body was laid in the Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery. In 1950, the Korean government posthumously awarded Hulbert with Taegeuk Order of Merit for National Foundation, the highest award for foreigners, for his contribution to independence. Collecting Hulbert's belongings Leaving New York in 1991, Kim took away some of Hulbert's belongings given to him by his family members and has collected others since then. "I am hoping to open the Hulbert Museum sometime," Kim said. He traveled around the world to collect his belongings, mostly his writings. He went to the Dartmouth College Library where he was able to get a photocopy of Hulbert's special envoy appointment by Gojong. "But when there was no technology, I had to make a hand-copy of every document," Kim said. He added gathering Hulbert's belongings was a big challenge. "He left Korea suddenly and the Japanese seized his properties and belongings." One of the latest additions to his collection was the document filed by the Japanese Office of the Resident-General in which Ahn Jung-geun, a heroic Korean independence fighter who in 1909 assassinated the resident-general of Korea, Ito Hirobumi, mentioned Hulbert. "In the writing, an interrogator asks Ahn if he knew Hulbert and his answer is this: 'I never met Hulbert. But Koreans must not forget his name even for one day.' I think this quote speaks volumes to who Hulbert is." Books on Hulbert Kim wrote four books on Hulbert. The first book was published in 2006 a facsimile of Saminpilji, the first Hangeul textbook Hulbert wrote for his Korean students. In 2010, his second book, "Crusader for Korea, Homer B Hulbert," was published. In 2016, he translated 57 writings, mostly written in English, of Hulbert into Korean and made them into a book. The latest book "Homer B. Hulbert: Joseon Must Blossom!" was published in November and is an enlarged and deepened version of his 2010 book. Hulbert Memorial Society and tombstone In 1999, Kim founded the Hulbert Memorial Society, which gave him a systematic approach for carrying out research and commemorating activities on the important historical figure. That year was also significant because Hulbert's tombstone in Yanghwajin was finally completed. "When he died, then-President Syngman Rhee promised to write Hulbert's name on the stone, but it didn't happen because of the Korean War. In 1999, the Hulbert Memorial Society made an official request to then-President Kim Dae-jung to do it and the president accepted the proposal," he said showing the tombstone at the cemetery. Kim Dong-jin, chairman of the Hulbert Memorial Society, speaks during an interview in his office in Seoul on Dec. 16. /Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk TICKERS: TSG; TSGZF Source: Bob Moriarty for Streetwise Reports (1/2/20) Bob Moriarty of 321gold discusses the similarities between this project and the Witwatersrand deposit in South Africa. I've been writing about Novo Resources and their Witwatersrand lookalike deposit for over five years. Well, Quinton Hennigh is associated with another Wits lookalike, this time in Brazil. It wouldn't be the first time I wrote about a Wits deposit in Brazil, I was writing about Desert Sun in 2003 when they had a $7 million dollar market cap well before they were taken over by Yamana for $500 million in 2006. Yamana's Jacobina deposit is the same age as another similar type deposit in Brazil named Castelos de Sohnos owned by TriStar Gold Inc. (TSG:TSX.V). In both deposits free gold of unusually high purity is found in reefs of quartz cobbles. While the "experts" call these deposits "paleoplacer," they aren't placer. All "paleo" means is old so "paleoplacer" simply means old placer. Since the discovery of gold in the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa during 1886, experts have debated the origin of the gold there. In general there have been two camps. One camp holds that there were giant mountain ranges containing veins of rich gold and as the earth aged, rain and erosion caused the gold to be released from the rock and washed downstream. That's the "paleoplacer" group. The other group believes that in a way similar to many gold deposits today, gold deep in the earth is taken into solution in the presence of hot, caustic solutions of sodium and chloride and brought to the surface through fissures in the ground. When either the chemistry or pressure or temperature of the water changes, the gold precipitates out forming gold deposits. These systems are named epithermal deposits. You can go to any bar in Toronto during PDAC or Vancouver during Roundup and start a fight just by supporting one theory or the other. Everyone has a dog in the fight and wants to defend their position. Often to the death, it appears that nothing in life outweighs defending one's pet theories. Alas, there was a third theory of where the gold came from in the Wits Basin, long since forgotten. In 1986 Ed Antrobus wrote a book called, Witwatersrand gold100 years: A review of the discovery and development of the Witwatersrand Goldfield as seen from the geological viewpoint. It was a limited edition of only 1000 copies and can be quite hard to find. I bought the book about ten years ago and was quite surprised to learn that there was indeed a third theory of where the gold came from. It wasn't long after the discovery of the Wits that someone sat down and thought about how the gold got there. The author of the 3rd theory rejected both the paleoplacer concept and the epithermal theory because while elements of each existed, neither gave a really satisfactory and simple answer to the question. This theory suggested that the gold was in solution in the water and as the chemistry of the water changed the gold came out of solution. We know that today the most gold in the world is found in salt water due to the presence of both sodium and chlorine. Working backwards, our expert determined that due to the chemical composition of salt water 2-3 billion years ago, it had the potential for containing a lot more gold than salt water does today. Between a thousand and ten thousand times as much. That's the same theory that Quinton Hennigh has proven in Western Australia in the Pilbara Basin with Novo Resources. He has not only put a small test mine into production at a very low cost, he is hitting bonanza grades intersections in drilling and taking surface samples. I'm not sure it makes a world of difference in a mining project as to just how gold got there. The Wits is a perfect example, it's produced over 40% of all the gold ever produced yet the source is still subject to a constant debate. But I think understanding the source of the gold would give a higher potential to finding a bigger deposit if you fully understood it. What everyone seems to be missing in the paleoplacer theory is that placer deposits generally are found in rivers and streams where the heavier gold than the background gravels gets washed downstream and trapped in lower flow areas. No one mines basins for placer gold. It just isn't done. Rivers and creeks flow. In basins the water pretty much sits. If the gold was associated with the cobbles in these "paleoplacer" deposits why isn't there any gold within the cobbles? The experts have mistaken coincidence with causality. The gold is associated with the water, not the rocks. In addition, the purity of the gold in Western Australia with Novo Resources and in Brazil with both Jacobina and the Castelo de Sonhos deposit is nearly pure, measuring as high as 95-96 parts pure. Placer deposits in the Mother Lode Belt in California are typically 75-90 parts pure and purity above 85 parts is unusual in Alaska placer deposits. In placer deposits, the gold is always mixed with silver and copper as well. TriStar Gold, headed by Nick Appleyard as President and CEO, was smart enough to ask Quinton Hennigh to come on board as an outside director. No matter how the gold got there, the similarities in the type of deposit and age of deposit between the two companies are striking. TriStar was formed in 2010 and picked up on option from a private owner on the 72,067 ha Castelo dos Sonhos gold project in Brazil. The property is a plateau measuring 15km by 12km standing 300 meters above the surrounding terrain. Between the 1980s and the mid-90s the creeks and drainages from the plateau were mined by local artisanal miners who recovered an estimated 250,000 to 320,000 ounces of gold. The option agreement called for TriStar to pay the owner $2.4 million over a three-year period for 100% ownership of the deposit. In addition, the company was required to incur exploration expenses of about $3.25 million over two years. The owner retained a 2% NSR and will receive an additional $1 per ounce of gold over 1 million ounces defined in a reserve. Barrick worked on the project in 1995 and 1996. TriStar has their entire exploration data and drill core. The project had a 43-101 done on it in 2014 that showed 182,000 ounces of gold in the indicated category and an additional 98,000 ounces in inferred. In January of 2016 after a reevaluation of the project and direction by management the project, TriStar issued a exploration target range at Castelo de Sonhos of between 2.1 million ounces of gold in 50 million tonnes at 1.3 g/t to 4.3 million ounces of gold in 84 million tonnes at 1.6 g/t. Those numbers are conceptual in nature and will require more drilling and surface sampling. There is no guarantee that any future resource will achieve those targets. What is clear is that this is a Wits lookalike. The deposit has been barely explored so there is a high potential for the company meeting their target goals. Due to the price of gold, TSG has been fairly quiet for the last couple of years but with the renewed interest in gold and higher prices, the company has come back to life with a vengeance. Two drill rigs have been mobilized to the project. Phase 1 drilling will begin shortly and continue through January. TriStar plans on issuing an update 43-101 resource and PEA by mid-2017. A phase 2 program is scheduled to begin in January/February and continue though May. Given that Quinton Hennigh has spent 15 years thinking about how gold precipitated from salt water into conglomerate reefs in the Witwatersrand Basin and the Pilbara Basin, it was a good move of TSG to request his help. Quinton has developed a low cost way of mining the reefs in Western Australia that is easily transferrable to Brazil as well. Once you understand the limits and potential of Wits type system, exploration and exploitation become cheap and easy. I really like the TriStar story. They have a resource now. They have the money to add to that resource. They have the technical and management bandwidth to keep things under control and best of all, they have a financial tailwind from the higher price of gold that will make financing possible without terrible dilution. Given all the positives, I'm a bit surprised the market hasn't given them a higher valuation. That will change as their story becomes better known. Brazil happens to be one of the more mining friendly jurisdictions in South America and that's a giant plus. TriStar is an advertiser and I am biased naturally. Please do your own due diligence. I share in neither your profit nor your losses. TriStar Gold Corp TSG-V $.19 (Jan 02, 2020) TSGZF-OTCBB 178.7 million shares TriStar Gold website. Bob Moriarty founded 321gold.com, with his late wife, Barbara Moriarty, more than 16 years ago. They later added 321energy.com to cover oil, natural gas, gasoline, coal, solar, wind and nuclear energy. Both sites feature articles, editorial opinions, pricing figures and updates on current events affecting both sectors. Previously, Moriarty was a Marine F-4B and O-1 pilot with more than 832 missions in Vietnam. He holds 14 international aviation records. [NLINSERT] Disclosure: 1) Bob Moriarty: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: TriStar Gold. TriStar Gold is an advertiser on 321gold. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. 2) The following companies mentioned are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. 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The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. New Delhi, Jan 2 : Tata Sons on Thursday moved the Supreme Court, challenging the reinstatement of Cyrus Mistry as its Executive Chairman by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) as its verdict "would tear apart the rights of majority shareholders and directors enshrined under the Articles and the 2013 Act and disenfranchise all other shareholders including the Tata Trusts". The petition said Article 118 (of the Companies Act), which provides for selection of the Chairman, has been given a complete go-bye through the NCLAT judgement without even giving a finding on how the same is illegal. "In other words, the NCLAT judgment has re-written the Articles of Tata Sons, where the majority shareholders are subject to the minority - capsizing the fundamental rule of corporate democracy," said the petition. Tata Sons has challenged the complete order of the NCLAT, pronounced on December 18, restoring Mistry as Executive Chairman and also his immediate reinstatement as director of Tata Sons and three group companies - Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS), Tata Industries Ltd and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd. The petition seeks to set aside the NCLAT order in the wake of the TCS Board Meeting slated for January 9. The petition contended that Mistry did not seek his restoration as Executive Chairman of Tata Sons, yet the NCLAT judgement granted relief, which was not sought. "Respondent (Mistry and others) specifically pleaded before the NCLT that they are not seeking reinstatement of Cyrus Mistry. The tenure of Cyrus Mistry as the Chairman and Director of Tata Sons expired in March 2017 and thus for good reason the Respondents did not seek such reinstatement," said the petition. The company is likely to mention the petition for urgent listing on January 6 after the apex court reopens after vacation. The NCLAT, while reinstating Mistry, held that the appointment of N. Chandrasekaran as his successor is illegal, observing the haste in Mistry's removal as Chairman of the Tata group's holding company, and this action itself completely ignored the interest and oppression of minority shareholders. However, the appellate tribunal had granted the Tata Group four weeks to file an appeal against its judgement. The restoration order will only be operational after this time period. Tata Sons' petition said the direction to restore Mistry for his remaining term, without noticing that the term has come to an end is a recipe for disaster, for the reason that it will create unnecessary confusion in the working of companies and lead to more conflict. "The companies, as noticed by the NCLAT, are large corporations having many subsidiaries and that Tata Group employees half a million people and contribute substantially to the economy of the country. Any shadow over the management of any of these companies puts public interest in jeopardy," said the petition, stating the consequences of the direction is to put back Mistry as a director of a slew of companies and not merely Tata Sons. "Any extension of the tenure available at the time of initial appointment would be ultra vires the jurisdiction of the NCLAT and would have to be set aside for that reason without more," contended the petitioner. D ylan Jones says the fashion industry is facing a new dawn following years of Brexit uncertainty. The menswear chair of the British Fashion Council called on his industry to work with the Government to move forward and prosper in 2020. Ahead of London Fashion Week Mens, which runs from Saturday until Monday, Jones said: There has been a lot of conversation about Brexit, most of which has been anti-Brexit which I understand. Now that we have some clarity, I would hope that government will be able to work closely with us [the BFC] and trade bodies to try and alleviate some of those fears. We have to be positive now. We have a new situation and a new dawn. The UK is set to leave the EU on January 31. Jones, who is also the editor of GQ Magazine, said: There are many people in our industry [fashion] that were advocating for a second referendum. I think now is the time to move forward and try and get in place deals which will be beneficial to all the people who work for our industry. This is the 15th edition of London Fashion Week Mens, which will be based at the Truman Brewery in east London. Jones predicted that some of the designers showing including Wales Bonner, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, Martine Rose and Bethany Williams might reflect political unrest in their collections. London has always fostered a kind of culture of outrage, he said. There might be some of that. But I hope [the event] will work as a platform for a host of young creatives to go and get exposure for their collections and help their businesses. Jones added: The week lives or dies by the talent seen on the catwalk and as we know, London is the most regenerative city in the world. So it is exciting. For the first time, the BFC is collaborating with its Italian counterpart, the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. It means British brands will be showcased in Milan during its own mens fashion week. Carlo Capasa, CNMI chairman, said: The collaboration is a precious opportunity for both of us to establish a bridge between our cultures. A government spokesperson said: British fashion is internationally celebrated for its creativity and is one of the UKs great success stories. Its actually comical to me that everyone thinks I walk around with a stack of CliffsNotes from Eds office on what to say and what to do," Lopez said. "Once you get past the comedy of it, its really insulting (to say) I cant formulate an opinion or an argument on my own based on my knowledge of how city government and City Council works without having Ed spoon-feed it to me. Amid anxieties over a nationwide citizen count by government, Al Jazeera visits a detention centre coming up in Assam. Goalpara, Assam Ali, 25, is an electrician working at Indias largest detention centre currently under construction in Assam states Goalpara district in northeast India. As he takes a break from his work to rest in front of the centres hospital block, a thought occurs to him. Today I am working here. Tomorrow, it could be a jail for my brother-in-law, he says. It will ruin my sisters family. Alis brother-in-law failed to make it to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a list published in Assam this year which declared 1.9 million people as illegal migrants, who now face either detention in a camp like the one coming up at Goalpara, or deportation. Spread around nearly 300,000 square feet (28,000 square metres or 2.8 hectares) of land, the detention centre in Goalparas Matia village, 126km (78 miles) from state capital Dispur, can house 3,000 people. The Goalpara detention centre can hold up to 3,000 people [Tawqeer Hussain/Al Jazeera] The centre is situated in a remote area of Goalpara with open land on its three sides and a road linking it to the main city of Guwahati in the front. 190914153846262 On one side, the road to the detention centre passes through what is known as the ghost mountain. According to local residents, legend has it that ghosts used to rule the mountain centuries ago and no human was allowed to cross it. I feel it is the same situation here. Any person who goes to this detention centre will not come back, said Ghulam Nabi. How is it human to isolate a person from the population, from his family and put him behind these giant walls? asked Nabi, pointing towards the high walls of the compound. Besides a hospital, the centre will have a dining area, school, recreational centre, and two separate lodging facilities designated for male and female inmates. Male and female inmates will be kept in separate areas divided by a six feet red-coloured wall. There will be 13 male blocks of four storeys each and two female blocks of the same size, Rabindra Das, an engineer with Assams police housing board and incharge of the construction of the detention facility, told Al Jazeera. The entire compound is surrounded by two walls, the inner being 20 feet high, followed by the outer wall six feet high, Das said. As a security measure, the detention centre has six watchtowers for round-the-clock monitoring, supported by a 100-metre high-beam light. Officials said the federal detention centre will be completed by April [Tawqeer Hussain/Al Jazeera] According to officials at the construction site, the centre was sanctioned by Indias federal home ministry in June last year and was supposed to be completed by December. However, the deadline has now been pushed to April this year. It is a central government project. We have to finish the entire construction by April, said Das. Indias other detention centres While the government has not yet announced a nationwide NRC, a number of detention centres are coming up across the country. In Assam, which has witnessed a movement against mainly Bangla-speaking migrants for more than four decades, at least six detention centres are already operational. On December 3, Indias Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy, in a written response, informed the Parliament that an existing detention centre in Goalpara has 201 inmates, Kokrajhar has 140, Silchar 71, Dibrugarh 40, Jorhat 196, and Tezpur centre holds 322 inmates. There have been nearly 100 deaths in these centres since 2008, including suicides by the inmates. In July, another Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, said all the states have been asked to establish detention centres according to a Model Detention Centre Manual prepared by the government. A number of detention centres are being prepared across India [Tawqeer Hussain/Al Jazeera] On December 22, the southern state of Karnataka opened a centre for undocumented migrants in Nelamangala, some 40km (27 miles) from the capital city of Bengaluru. An existing government building with six rooms, a kitchen and a security room was turned into a detention centre which can house 24 inmates. Recently, two watchtowers and a compound wall were added to secure the area. The western state of Goa inaugurated its first detention centre on May 29 last year, while Rajasthan has a centre located inside a federal jail. Reports said a detention centre in the state of Punjab is expected to be completed by May this year. In the national capital of New Delhi, a detention centre has been operational since 2006 and is run by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). In the western state of Maharashtra, the previous BJP government identified a piece of land on the outskirts of the financial hub of Mumbai to build a detention centre. However, current Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who leads a coalition government with the main opposition Congress and other parties, recently assured the states Muslims to not worry, indicating that his government may not follow the centres order on establishing a detention centre. Reports said the government of West Bengal state also identified two locations near capital Kolkata and in North 24 Parganas district to construct detention centres. But Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a staunch critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, last week said: Dont fall for rumours. I am ready to give my life but I will not allow BJP to set up detention camps in [West] Bengal, never. Kerala, another Indian state governed by a left-wing coalition, also put on hold the identification of land for a proposed detention centre. Though there are no official figures, Indias powerful Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing an election rally in September 2018, claimed the country has about four million undocumented migrants. Shefali Hajong, whose name was excluded from the final NRC list in Assam, is a construction worker at the Goalpara detention centre [File: Anuwar Hazarika/Reuters] Muslims fear nationwide NRC Among the 1.9 million undocumented migrants who could not make it to the NRC list in Assam, nearly half were Muslims, according to a report by the United Against Hate group. Now, Indias 200 million Muslims fear the process will be implemented across the country by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to marginalise the community. The passing of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) last month has aggravated such fears, leading to huge protests across the country and resulting in at least 26 deaths so far. The CAA grants Indian citizenship to six religious groups, except Muslims, from the neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who came to the country before 2015. Critics say the law violates Indias secular constitution by making religion a basis for citizenship. Muslims, on the other hand, fear the CAA is a precursor to NRC aimed at making their nationality questionable. Recently, Prime Minister Modi contradicted his home minister by claiming his government never considered a nationwide NRC. Since my government has come to power, since 2014 to now, I want to tell [1.3 billion] citizens, there has been no discussion on even the word NRC, Modi said at an election rally in New Delhi. However, Modis government has allocated almost $130bn for creating a National Population Register, which activists say will serve as a database before the NRC is implemented. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Modi of lying. The RSSs prime minister is lying to Bharat Mata [Mother India], Gandhi said in a tweet. The RSS refers to the far-right Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (or National Association of Volunteers), which draws its inspiration from European Nazis and mentors the ruling BJP. BJP spokesman Sambit Patra told Al Jazeera that there is no connection between setting up of the detention centres and the NRC. Dont link it with Muslims. Detention centre is for foreigners who are in India illegally, he said. But Tanweer Fazal, who teaches political science at New Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University was not convinced. It is an easily understood fact if a non-Muslim gets excluded from NRC, then CAA can be his saviour. So only Muslims are left to go to the detention centres, he told Al Jazeera. As a fourth-generation florist, Hannah Tiffin has a deep appreciation and passion for working with flowers whether its making bouquet arrangements, pressing and drying flowers, or even painting them on canvas. Growing up as the daughter of a Naval man and amidst a family of successful entrepreneurs, the Midland native has lived elsewhere and explored other careers. However, she eventually decided to carry out what she calls her legacy as a florist here locally. Its in my blood; Its what Im supposed to be doing; Its what Ive always done, she said. Even as a little girl, I used to play florist. Last year in January, Tiffin opened Hannahs Flowers on Grove Street, offering floral services for weddings, events and daily occasions. Her client-base quickly grew. Less than a year later, she moved her shop to 1531 Washington St., in the Midland Towne Center plaza. The new location allows for much more room to work and store flower arrangements, which her growing client-base now requires. Tiffin said expanding her one-year-old business has been scary, yet exciting. Its almost like when things are too great and you dont want to mess them up its like that, she said. Its kind of surreal and Im cautious, but theres another part of me thats screaming and going, yay! like I won the lottery. She said she never expected to be so successful so quickly, as she's used to the struggle entrepreneurs know well. Opening this last year, I was sure ready for the struggle, I guess, that I knew. And when I didnt have that struggle and I just went straight to what I see as a success, thats a whole other ball of wax a whole other set of skills that was needed because Im used to just fighting uphill and being up there and figuring out what to do, she said. However, Tiffin she said she attributes the growth of Hannahs Flowers to the support of the Midland community. She said she already has as many bridal clients booked for 2020 as she had in all of 2019, and is even beginning to book into 2021. Midland has been so good to us and supported us, Tiffin said. "They really have above and beyond taken care of us. She said she wouldnt have moved and expanded her business if it werent for the communitys support. With the set-up of the new shop still in progress, Tiffin said her focus in 2020 will be putting love and time into the new location and doing well in her work. She said she also installed a local peony farm, which will bloom this year. However, she has big plans for the future of Hannahs Flowers, as most entrepreneurs do. She said in 2021 and beyond, she will continue consulting for other shops in the region, continue learning about the industry, possibly hiring some employees, and she will be doing some larger flower installations, such as floats for well-known national parades. Hannahs Flowers is open now, Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 989-750-7200 or visit https://www.hannahsflowers.shop/ Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Susanna Twidale (Reuters) London, United Kingdom Thu, January 2, 2020 07:05 739 48be62e941b44f04afae568c32087aa2 2 Environment Britain,zero-carbon,fossil-fuel,environment Free Britain, the birthplace of coal power, produced more electricity from zero-carbon sources such as wind, solar and nuclear than from fossil fuel plants for the first time in 2019, National Grid said on Wednesday. Having built the world's first coal-fired power plant in the 1880s, coal became Britain's dominant electricity source and a major economic driver for the next century. But last year Britain became the first G7 country to commit to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and in November will host the United Nations' international climate talks in Glasgow. "As we enter a new decade, this truly is a historic moment," said National Grid Chief Executive John Pettigrew, referring to the company's latest data. The data shows wind, solar, hydro, nuclear and imports produced about 48.5 percent of Britain's electricity in 2019 while fossil fuels such as coal and gas contributed about 43 percent. The rest came from biomass. The increase in zero-carbon power marks a huge shift from almost two decades ago when fossil fuels provided about three quarters of the country's electricity. The shift has been mainly thanks to a rapid increase in Britain's renewable power capacity, with wind, solar and hydro producing more than a quarter of the country's electricity in 2019, up from only 2.3 percent in 1990. Read also: British Airways owner IAG commits to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 This figure is expected to continue to grow as more large offshore wind farms are built. The National Grid data shows that 8 percent of Britain's electricity came from imports from Europe via interconnectors with France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Ireland. About 66 percent of these imports came from zero-carbon generation. The data confirmed expectations for growth in low-carbon power published by National Grid in mid-2019, based on data for the first five months of the year. Britain's windy coastlines in particular have proved to be an ideal host for large wind projects, with the northwest coast of England home to the world's largest offshore wind farm, Orsted's Walney Extension. Since President Trumps inauguration in 2017, his administration has secured the confirmation of more than 180 federal judges, including 50 now sitting on federal appellate circuits and two sitting on the United States Supreme Court. Whatever his ultimate legacy, Trump can reasonably claim credit for having outpaced every president since Reagan in appointments to the federal circuit courts. The sheer number of circuit nominees installed by the president has secured a Republican-appointed majority on the nations twelve federal appellate courts. Trumps rapid makeover of the federal judiciary was made possible by then-Senate majority leader Harry Reid in 2013, when Reid famously availed himself of the so-called nuclear option, amending Senate rules to allow most federal judicial nominees to be approved by 50 votes rather than the 60-vote majority that had been required since 1975. At the time, then-Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell had a warning for Reid and his Democratic colleagues: I say to my friends on the other side of the aisle, you will regret this, and you may regret it a lot sooner than you think. While Reid is now expressing concern about the state of the judiciary, as well as the fate of future progressive legislation under a Supreme Court with two Trump appointees, he apparently has no regrets about his decision to abrogate Senate rules after watching a Republican-controlled Senate use the opening that abrogation created to install a stable of originalist judges. In a recent op-ed, Reid not only defended his use of the nuclear option in the face of unprecedented Republican efforts to obstruct Obamas nominees, but exhorted a future Democrat-controlled Senate to double down and maintain the simple-majority voting threshold for most judicial appointments. He likewise called for the elimination of the Senate filibuster, which, in tandem with the nuclear option, would ensure future congressional Democrats could pass big solutions without regard for the objections of an obstreperous Republican minority. A future Democratic president, he wrote, would be able to choose jurists who have spent their careers fighting for progressive values without having to cater to unreasonable Republicans. Story continues The nation faces circumstances that require Democrats to act boldly, Reid argued. Given the supposed gravity of our current circumstances, he claimed that the country can ill-afford a stolen Supreme Court that will invent reasons to gut any effort big enough to deal with those problems. One cannot help but question whether a former senator who lavished praise on the Courts ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges is the ideal candidate to lament the breadth of judicial imagination. But I digress. It is undoubtedly true that both sides of the political aisle have long trafficked in consequentialist rhetoric where the issue of judges is concerned. But Reids naked call for jurists who have spent their careers fighting for progressive values is revealing; it tells us what Reid and other progressive leaders think the judiciary is for. Progressive thinkers such as Simon Lazarus insist that a good jurist is one who helps to effectuatenot frustratelegislators operational design. Judges, in this view, are robe-wearing sophists who provide the intellectual and procedural rubber-stamp to the big solutions of Democrats who act boldly to meet the demands of the political moment. This view is, of course, exactly backwards: Frustrating the operational design of the legislature, at least when that operational design is unconstitutional, is the purpose of a coequal judiciary. Perhaps the professed originalism of many Trump-appointed judges is an inappropriate framework for constitutional and statutory interpretation. But at least their originalism functions as a coherent interpretative framework, one that certainly outduels careers fighting for progressive values in the cosmic battle for judicial brownie points. This big idea problem has frustrated progressive judicial-advocacy groups, as Evan Mandery of John Jay College of Criminal Justice described in a January article for Politico magazine. While Mandery claims that originalism, for all its pretenses, is no more than a fig leaf for injecting politics into the judiciary, he concedes that the originalists professed deference to the original meaning of the Constitution gives the Federalists a deeply appealing claim to a neutral, timeless American tradition. The lack of a progressive analogue to originalist jurisprudence is something that he claims is endemic to liberal politics, which tends to traffic in the rhetoric of identity and outcomes, while conservatives, by contrast, prefer the language of first principles (which, conveniently, lead directly to their preferred outcomes). It might be the case, conveniently or otherwise, that a faithful interpretation of the Constitution is, more often than not, aligned with the preferred outcomes of conservatives. That would say more about the relative constitutionality of conservatives preferences than it would about the ideological self-dealing of their judicial appointments. But instead of litigating the case for or against originalism, and wading into the minefields of originalist hypocrisy or the messy moments of nexus between originalism and common-law principles of interpretation, wed be better off asking Reid and Mandery what alternative interpretative structure they have in mind. Perhaps its true that originalism is nothing more than a concoction of libertarian oligarchs scheming to stifle the regulatory state. Maybe the institutional progeny of the Powell Manifesto really have infected the judiciary. But what other options are there? Fabricating tenuous jurisprudence in pursuit of progressive values? Elena Kagan famously claimed were all textualists now. Apparently, Harry Reid would prefer that we all be consequentialists instead. More from National Review live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The chief executive officer and managing director of Tata Steel, T V Narendran has suggested to the government to focus on "cost of business" to make industries, particularly the manufacturing sector, more competitive. "As the government has focused on ease of doing business, it should also focus on 'cost of business' to make industries, particularly the manufacturing sector, more competitive in the prevailing market," Narendran told reporters on Wednesday. "We have been controlling the cost of business inside the work but outside the plant, it is not in our hands but the Central and state governments," the Tata Steel CEO said. He said that such an initiative would certainly improve competitiveness of the domestic industries, particularly the manufacturing units. Referring to the prevailing scenario in the steel sector, Narendran said that 2019 had been a difficult year for the steel sector and "the Tata Steel is not an exception as we have our own set of challenges to deal with". However, Narendran said, "We have seen some signs of improvement in the last few months of 2019, which reflected with improved demand of steel shot up a bit and steel prices going up again." He said that the steel prices almost shot up to Rs 10,000 per tonne during the last six to eight months. As far as development of the steel city of Tatanagar is concerned, he said that the Tata Steel has not slowed down investment despite difficult times of the company, demonstrating the companys commitment. Narendran urged the city to make sacrifices to make the company sustainable, profitable and competitive. He expressed confidence that the company will improve its performance in the last quarter (January-March) of the current fiscal as 'demand of steel is okay'. The January to June months would be favourable for the steel sector in view of the activities in construction and infrastructure sectors, he said. Commenting on the prevailing economic slowdown, he said. April to October had been the worst period for the steel sector, which has started looking up from November. "We are expecting to perform well in the last quarter of the current fiscal," he said, adding the government has also taken various decision such as cut in corporate taxes and the recent announcement of investment in infrastructure sector. KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department will officially disband their Mounted Patrol section on Jan. 10. The department to put the Mounted Patrol section on hold in November of 2019. The officers in that section will move to work regular shifts in hopes of increasing the homicide case clearance rate. By Ahmed Aboulenein BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups who stormed the U.S. Embassy's perimeter and hurled rocks in two days of protests withdrew on Wednesday after Washington dispatched extra troops and threatened reprisals against Tehran. The demonstrators, angry at U.S. air strikes against the Tehran-backed Kataib Hezbollah group in which at least 25 people were killed, threw stones at the building while U.S. forces stationed on the rooftops fired tear gas to disperse them. By mid-afternoon, most appeared to have obeyed a call to withdraw, issued by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) umbrella group of mainly Shi'ite militia, which said the demonstrators' message had been heard. Young men used palm tree branches to sweep the street in front of the embassy compound. Others packed up equipment and vans arrived to take people away. Some left to set up a protest camp in front of a nearby hotel. Iraq's military said all protesters had left by the evening. The protests marked a new turn in the shadow war between Washington and Tehran playing out across the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump, who faces a re-election campaign in 2020, accused Iran of orchestrating the violence. He threatened on Tuesday to retaliate against Iran but said later he did not want war. Iran, under severe economic duress from punishing U.S. sanctions put in place by Trump, denied responsibility. The unrest followed U.S. air raids on Sunday against Kataib Hezbollah bases in retaliation for missile attacks that killed a U.S. contractor in northern Iraq last week. On Tuesday, crowds chanted: 'Death to America!', lit fires, and smashed surveillance cameras. They breached an outer perimeter of the embassy but did not enter the main compound. BIGGEST U.S. EMBASSY The huge embassy, built along the banks of the Tigris River in central Baghdad's fortified "green zone" during the American occupation following the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, is the biggest U.S. diplomatic mission in the world. Story continues Washington said its diplomats were safe and it was rushing hundreds of extra troops to the region. The State Department said on Wednesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo decided to postpone his upcoming trip to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus to remain in Washington and monitor the situation in Iraq. [L1N29606E] Pompeo spoke on Wednesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the State Department said. Pompeo said on Twitter that Abdul Mahdi had agreed that Iraq "would continue to uphold its responsibility to keep U.S. personnel secure and would move the Iran-backed attackers away from @USEmbBaghdad." Pompeo wrote on Twitter he thanked the emir in the call "for Qatars solidarity in the face of Irans malign regional influence," including the attack on the embassy in Baghdad. The embassy said all public consular operations were suspended and all future appointments cancelled. The anti-American action came after months of protests in Iraq against the government and the Iran-backed militias that support it. Many Iraqis complain their country has become a battlefield for a proxy war for influence between Washington and Tehran, and that their leaders are too beholden to outside powers. Iraq's government has long faced frictions in its close relations with the two foes. Trump spoke to Abdul Mahdi on Tuesday and demanded Iraq protect the embassy. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday condemned the U.S. attacks. Iran summoned a Swiss envoy, who represents U.S. interests in Tehran, to complain about what it described as "warmongering" words from Washington. U.S. officials said 750 extra troops would initially be based out of Kuwait and as many as 4,000 troops could be sent to the region in coming days. More than 5,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq supporting local forces. The air strikes have galvanized calls inside Iraq to expel them. Many in the crowd outside the embassy said ending Washington's presence in Iraq was their main goal. 'DEVIL'S DEN' Despite decades of enmity between Iran and the United States, Iran-backed militias and U.S. forces found themselves on the same side during Iraq's 2014-2017 war against Islamic State fighters, with both powers helping the government recapture territory from militants who had overrun a third of Iraq. Since then, U.S. troops have yet to leave, while the Iran-backed militias have been incorporated into the security forces. Abdul Mahdi, who has announced plans to step down in the face of anti-government protests in which more than 450 people were killed, is backed by Iran and its allies. The militia may have decided to pull back from the embassy to avoid making him look weak or to avert clashes with government forces. Overnight, demonstrators pitched tents and camped outside the embassy walls, then brought food, cooking equipment and mattresses during the morning, indicating plans to stay before the withdrawal call. "Our sit-in is eternal, until this devil's den is closed off forever, but don't give anyone an excuse to make your protest violent. Don't clash with security," one protest leader told the crowd from a stage erected at the embassy before the departure. (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; Additional reporting by David Shepardson and Chris Sanders in Washington; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Peter Cooney) Air Force General Shen Yi-ming died in the incident - AP Taiwan was plunged into mourning on Thursday after its top military official died alongside seven others in a helicopter crash in a mountainous area near the capital, Taipei, in the north of the island. General Shen Yi-ming, ,62, had been on a routine mission to visit troops in Yilan county ahead of the Lunar New Year when his UH-60M Black Hawk disappeared from radar less than 15 minutes after taking off at 8:07am, the defence ministry confirmed. Pictures released by emergency authorities showed the choppers mangled wreckage, blades shattered into pieces, where it had crashed into a forest shrouded in mist. Out of the 13 on board, five miraculously survived. The crash occurred the week before Taiwans general election, when incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen, known as a strong US ally, will face off against Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang party, which has advocated for closer ties with China. Both candidates immediately called off campaign activities until the weekend, with President Tsai travelling to Yilan to offer support to rescue teams. Air Force General Shen Yi-ming died in the incident Posting on her Facebook page, Ms Tsai expressed sorrow that Taiwan had lost several excellent officers, including General Shen, who was an outstanding, competent general who was loved and esteemed by everyone. She urged the defence secretary to quickly establish the exact cause of the incident. Hsiung Hou-chi, an air force Lieutenant General, told an afternoon press conference that the defence ministry had set up a taskforce to investigate and dispatched ground troops and rescue helicopters. We are investigating whether [the cause] was environmental or mechanical, he said, but added that the helicopters condition was not ideal. For several hours, the fate of General Shen remained uncertain. He was reported to have been initially found conscious by a fire department search team but later died in hospital. As a graduate of Taiwan's Air Force Academy in 1979 and the US Air War College in 2002, he had served as air force commander, before taking office as chief of general staff in July last year. Story continues The role put him at the heart of maintaining Taiwans military capabilities in the face of increasing threats from neighbouring China. Rescue workers searched the remains of the Black Hawk helicopter at a mountainous area near Taipei Beijing wants to annex the island, which functions like any other democratic nation with its own military, currency and elections, and China has made clear it will do so by force if necessary. [His death] is a great loss for our country, Andrew Yang, a former defence minister told The Telegraph. He was a highly accomplished officer and highly respected... he made great efforts to maintain the high alert and readiness of the military. Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, said General Shen was also instrumental in maintaining Taipeis strong relations with Washington. [He] had emerged as the pre-eminent leader of the evolving military response to the challenge the Peoples Republic of China poses to the islands freedom and democracy, he said. He was a top candidate for minister of national defense in a second Tsai term. He had excellent relationships within his own military and in the US and was highly respected. He was also a kind and personable man steeped in humility. The United States, which has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is its strongest international backer and main arms supplier, sold the island 60 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in 2010. It is not known if the crashed helicopter was one of them. However, the incident was the latest in a series of aviation accidents in Taiwan, after the 2018 crash of a Black Hawk helicopter off its east coast killed six people aboard and the crash of an F-16 fighter jet killed a pilot the same year. In 2016, the navy fired a supersonic missile in error, hitting a fishing boat in waters that separate Taiwan from diplomatic rival China. Ross Feingold, an Asia political risk analyst, said the tragedy would inevitably feed into public debate about military preparedness. There are a number of issues that are not resolved, whether recruitment, retention, maintenance or mission creep, he said. Cork will be the central focus for a series of national events this year to commemorate the start of the country's battle for independence. These events will include the deaths of two of the citys Lord Mayors Tomas MacCurtain (March 1920) and Terence MacSwiney (October); the Kilmichael Ambush (November) and the burning of Cork City (December). Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, said the government would provide 1m towards the Cork commemorations this year, in addition to money which will be spent by the city and county councils. She made the announcement in City Hall, pointing out that it was a fitting venue considering the fate the two first citizens and the fact the original building was burned by British forces. I want to appeal to all the people of Ireland to take this opportunity to engage with the events of 1920. It was a seminal year in our history. I encourage everyone to learn more about it and to take the time to reflect on what happened, she said. Deputy Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Susan McCarthy, pointed out that tomorrow marks the anniversary of the start of the IRA offensive in Cork when they attacked the RIC barracks in Carrigtwohill. From these early shots the intensity of the War of Independence rapidly accelerated, she said. Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr John Sheehan, welcomed members of the MacCurtain and MacSwiney families to the event in City Hall and pointed out that the latter's death on hunger strike in Brixton prison made international headlines. He said the city council will hold a special meeting on January 30 to mark 100 years to the day that the first Republican-controlled city council met. Other significant commemorations around the rest of the country will include the 1920 local elections (January and June), the Connaught Rangers Mutiny (June), the Burning of Balbriggan (September), Bloody Sunday in Croke Park (November), and the execution of Kevin Barry (November). Details of events planned throughout the year will appear on http://www.decadeofcentenaries.com and on both local authority websites as they are finalised. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea chief Rep. Lee Hae-chan, second from left, shakes hands with retired Army Gen. Kim Byung-joo, who was a former deputy commander of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command and joined the party ahead of the 2020 general election, Thursday, at the National Assembly. By Jung Da-min The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) are pursuing different policies toward North Korea. The DPK has emphasized the importance of continuing dialogue in 2020, while the LKP criticized this engagement policy for bringing no results. The two parties showed different reactions to North Korea's New Year message which implied the possibility of resuming the tests of strategic weapons such as nuclear weapons or intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). North Korea delivered this message on New Year's Day announcing the results of the 5th plenary meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the country's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, which lasted for four days from Dec. 28 to 31. The DPK has emphasized the need to restore the momentum of inter-Korean dialogue, acknowledging that the current relations between the two Koreas are in a difficult situation, as are North-U.S. relations. "North Korea's resuming of ICBM or nuclear weapons tests or developing new strategic weapons to escalate the tensions would not only threaten the peace on the Korean Peninsula but also harm the North itself too," the DPK's top spokesman Rep. Hong Ik-pyo said. "The North should return to its original intention in 2018 when it was developing the dialogue momentum (with the South)." But the LKP highly criticized President Moon Jae-in's engagement policy toward the North. "The government has consistently pushed ahead with its engagement policy toward the North while government officials have represented the North Korean side numerous times," LKP spokesman Lee Chang-soo said. "The North never mentioned our government or inter-Korean relations. It is a shame that our President has emphasized the South's role as a driver. It is a passing of the South and the Moon Jae-in government." The main opposition Liberty Korea Party chief Hwang Kyo-ahn, second from left, speaks during a Supreme Council meeting of the party, Thursday, at the National Assembly. Yonhap Representative Image: Google, Facebook, Twitter mobile apps Big Tech companies could soon face policy changes with regards to access and disclosure of anonymous non-personal user data, The Economic Times reported. It will also reveal any such acquisition to public. The Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) may make it mandatory for companies such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon to sell publicly available user data to government and private entities, the paper quoted a senior official say. The data would include public information gathered by companies during the course of their operations. The move would be subject to 'an exhaustive consultation process' in line with intellectual property (IP) models for medicines, the official said. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. The data would be shared for an economic fee as these companies do the work, ensure competition and universal access to citizens database, the report stated. There is a lot of misunderstanding among companies. The government will not take the data for free, and whatever it takes will be revealed to the public, an official said. The move comes after MeitY changed its stance on monetisation and ownership of public data, and said companies and not the government should be the responsible party. It would impact current norms, by which companies have to take user consent before allowing access, where there is no alternative offered. Another official told the paper that consensus among ministries is for the public data guidelines and private data legislation to be streamlined. Experts feel that India could tie up with other interested parties such as the European Union and Japan to work out a way around the stronghold over public data held by Big Tech. For perspective, US-based Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook, and China-based Tencent and Alibaba hold close to 67 percent of all data market by value, a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report on digital economies found. The proposed plan, which follows the tabling of the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill in the Parliament, violates intellectual property rights (IPR), industry groups told the paper. Data acquisition by the government will not pass muster in a court of law, since the companies have gathered the data after spending time and resources, the official added. Justice BN Srikrishna, who led the panel that prepared the draft bill, called the bill placed in Parliament 'dangerous' and can turn India into an 'Orwellian state'. A young seal at a Chinese aquarium has died in front of horrified parents and children after its head got sucked into a drain. Distressing footage shows other spotted seals, a protected species in the country, desperately tugging at their friend's flippers to save it before a member of staff tried to wrestle the animal free. The ocean park said it was 'saddened' by the death of the aquatic mammal and was investigating the matter. Footage taken by one visitor shows one of the seal's friends trying to pull the animal out of the drain pipe by tugging at its flipper. It then shows a worker pulling the seal in a bid to free it The young spotted seal died on Sunday in front of horrified children at an aquarium in China The incident took place at noon on Sunday at Sun Asia Ocean World in the city of Dalian in north-eastern China's Liaoning Province, according to the park. A video taken by one visitor and shared on short-video platform Douyin shows a seal appearing lifeless as its head was firmly jammed in a hole at the bottom of a large water tank. Three other seals attempted to nudge the motionless animal free by swimming around its body. One of them was seen trying to pull the trapped seal by its flippers. A male worker then entered the water and attempted to yank the seal out of the drain by repeatedly pulling it. The clip then shows the worker checking the seal, believed to be dead, on shore. According to one eyewitness, the animal carer failed to free the seal because the suction of the drain pipe was too strong. The carer had to turn off the water pump before he dragged the mammal out of the pool, the eyewitness described in a post on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter. 'The seal's blood turned the tank red,' the web user lamented. According to one eyewitness, the animal carer failed to free the seal because the suction of the drain pipe was too strong. He had to turn off the water pump before pulling the seal ashore Sun Asia Ocean World said in a statement on Monday that the incident was an 'accident'. It said that the young spotted seal had pulled open a protective board over the drain with its mouth and claws before being sucked in. The park added that its professional trainers had tried all they could to carry out emergency rescue, but in vain. It said that it was 'saddened' by the death of the animal, which had been bred and raised by its team. The park vowed to 'continue with its protection and conservation efforts towards marine animals' and investigate the matter. Spotted seals live in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean and can be found along the north-eastern cost of China, particularly on the Liaodong Peninsula near the Yellow Sea. The species gets its name from its coat pattern. They are a second-class protected animal species in China - along with heavily trafficked pangolins and Asian black bears. Hunting, farming or trading of spotted seals without permission is prohibited by China's Wildlife Protection Law. Despite legal protection, spotted seals are one of the most hunted wild animals in China due to their waterproof skin and highly desirable genitalia - a traditional answer to 'Viagra'. Spotted seals live in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean and can be found along the north-eastern cost of China. They are a second-class protected animal species in China (file photo) The death of the young seal has sparked outrage among the Chinese public, who accused the aquarium of avoiding its responsibility. One person known as 'ready fei' criticised on Weibo: 'The fact that it could open the protective board means that was a safety hazard. Stop using excuses. [The park should] shut and rectify its problems.' Another reader 'cheng meng xue zhang' paid their tribute to the dead seal on the same platform: 'R.I.P. May you be a free seal in your next life.' China Cetacean Alliance, a coalition of international animal protection and conservation organisations, condemned the park for failing to look after its animals, let alone to protect them. The group said on its official account on Weibo: 'If a venue that keeps animals in captivity cannot ensure their basic life safety, how can it carry out conservation or education?' This is not the first time Sun Asia Ocean World has been blasted over its treatment of animals. In June 2018, one animal trainer at the park was caught putting red lipstick on a beluga whale. The aquarium issued a public apology and expressed its 'deep remorse' after a video of the incident had drawn it waves of criticism. At the stroke of the midnight hour on August 15, when the world was sleeping, India woke up to life and independence. However, a price was paid in the form of millions of people, separated from their loved ones in the name of freedom, dying and displaced. And while millions of archives speak of the political side of things, the narrative about lovers being torn apart because of Partition is limited. Among those covering the issue is veteran writer and producer Ravi Rai in his book The Tatoo on My Breast. A love story set in Sukkur, a small town that is now in Pakistans Sindh province, the book aims to highlight the pain of the Sindhi community during the Partition era. I want the new generation to know about the kind of emotions and love they had for the country and what all they have gone through to attain freedom, says Rai, who is Sindhi himself and intends to contribute to his community with this book. They have risen from ashes and it is an inspiring story, so people should know about it, he adds. Revisiting the past through an extended Sindhi family living in Sukkur, Rais protagonist Sadhana, the grand daughter of a wealthy Sindhi merchant, leads the story with her love interest Rehman, a meek boy next door. While the two are unaware of their emotions for each other in the beginning, the parallel story about the head of the family Dada and his son Govind both following Gandhian and Hindutva ideologies respectively helps ground the love story in Partition-era Sindh. Rai tries to immerse the reader in the setting of the story, using details such as food, culture, folklore, costume, language, and even names to explain how Sindhi families lived in those times. Interestingly, I have taken all the references for names and food from my family members. The only thing that I had to work hard was to transport my readers to Sukkur because I havent ever gone there, shares the author, adding that he found himself transported to Sindh while doing his research on the area. When asked why he chose a love story, he confesses that it was important to make the topic more accessible while explaining things happening around that love story. My hero is Dada, who experiences the pain of Partition the most. But at the same time I wanted to tell a love story because there are many love stories which were torn apart owing to the incident, reveals the author, opining that any love story becomes bigger when it is backed by history. While the book portrays a beautiful love between Sadhana and Rehman, it also paints a clear picture of the horrors that the women caught in the Partition had to endure. Sadhana, who gets married to her cousin, loses her husband barely 15 days into the marriage and returns to her parental home. She realises her love for Rehman and plans to escape from her family to be with him, but they are pulled apart once again due to riots, this time for good. Although the story seems to end here, Rai brings a little twist to the story by introducing the philosophical concept of reincarnation the love saga is revisited through Abella Alejandro, a 23-year-old Spanish human rights activist who realises that she is the reincarnation of Sadhana, and begins searching for her Rehman. Abella searches high and low for her long-lost lover, all the while continuing her humanitarian work for the Rohingya Muslims in Burma. I kept it open for the readers. Although Sadhana lives with her husband, one never forgets their first love. Thats what I wanted to bring in the story, he explains. When asked about the books catchy title, Rai explains the history behind women getting tattoos on their body. He says that women would tattoo their husbands names on their hands, believing that even if their skin goes the name would remain. Women were also kidnapped by mobs and made to get tattoos on their private parts. My protagonist too gets herself a tattoo on her breast for her loved one, so that her love becomes immortal, muses the author in conclusion. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release Rs 50,000 crore for development of state which was recently affected by floods. "I request Prime Minister to release more funds for the state and seek Rs 50,000 crore for the development of the state as it was recently affected by severe floods," Yediyurappa said while addressing the event here," he said. The Chief Minister said he has raised the demands earlier too. As many as 40 lakh families were affected by floods in August last year and 22 districts were severely affected. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 17:32:53|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's Oil Ministry said on Thursday that Iraq exported more than 106 million barrels of crude oil in December 2019, bringing in revenues of over 6 billion U.S. dollars. Iraq's total exports of crude oil in December exceeded 106.265 million barrels with an average of 3.4 million barrels per day, a ministry statement said, citing statistics of the State Organization for Marketing of Oil. The average selling price for crude in December 2019 was 63.05 dollars per barrel, the statement added. About 103 million barrels were exported from Iraq's central and southern oil fields via Basra ports, while about 2.8 million from the northern province of Kirkuk via the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean, it said. Iraq also exported 347,707 barrels of crude oil to neighboring Jordan in December 2019, according to the statement. Iraq's economy heavily relies on exports of crude oil, which account for more than 90 percent of the country's revenues. A Casper businessman posted six-figure bail Tuesday, days after the Wyoming Supreme Courts reversal of his sexual assault conviction. The check, issued to Natrona County District Court, cleared the way for Tony Cercy, 57, to be released from a Newcastle prison camp where he had been serving a six- to eight-year prison term on a third-degree sexual assault conviction. That conviction was reversed on Friday by the states appellate court. In its written opinion, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that jurors who convicted Cercy were not properly instructed on law governing the crime. Because the case remains open and is eligible for retrial, the reversal did not mean Cercy walked free. He remained held in prison while the state Supreme Court delivered its decision to Natrona County District Court, where Cercy was tried. Then, a judge had to set a bond requirement. On Monday, Cercys lawyers filed an emergency request to Natrona County District Court Judge Daniel Forgey for a new requirement. In the filing, defense lawyers stated that prosecutors had not responded to their requests for a setting allowing for Cercys release. The next day, Cercys defense team stated District Attorney Dan Itzen said he was unopposed to Cercys release on $100,000 bail, which matches the amount he posted before the now-reversed conviction. Forgey the same day set the requested bond condition and a representative for Cercy posted bail with the courts clerk. If the case goes to trial again, it will be Cercys third time facing a jury on the same charge. In February 2018, a Natrona County jury found Cercy not guilty on counts of first- and second-degree sexual assault but did not come to a conclusion on a third charge. Prosecutors re-filed the case and, in November of the same year, a jury in Hot Springs County found Cercy guilty of the sole remaining count. Forgey ordered Cercy to jail immediately after the conviction. And, in February, the judge then ordered he serve the prison time. Whether Cercy will again go to trial is not clear: Itzen said by phone early Tuesday afternoon that he had not decided whether to charge Cercy again. He reiterated a Friday statement to the Star-Tribune that he would speak to Cercys accuser and her family before making a decision. Defense attorneys, however, have characterized the prosecutions case as nearly impossible. In its Monday filing, the defense team wrote that the Supreme Courts decision will make it far more difficult for prosecutors to convict Cercy. If Cercy is to be retried, a federal court will have to make a ruling on a still-unresolved defense claim to a Fifth Amendment violation, argued Cercys defense attorneys Jeff Pagliuca and Ian Sandefer. The decision precludes shortcuts circumventing the first jurys acquittal and the law of Wyoming (not to mention the U.S. Constitution), the filing states. No longer will the prosecution be allowed to recharacterize acquitted conduct as some nonexistent distinct offense. Love 20 Funny 15 Wow 8 Sad 6 Angry 27 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. If Twitter is not only a social media network but also a window offering a glimpse of the tweeter's psyche, Donald Trump this holiday season appears to be a rumbling, erupt-any-instant human volcano. Since the US House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against the American president on December 18, Mr Trump has transformed his Twitter thumbs into a sword to wound political opponents and a shield to defend himself from (in his words) "an unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power by Democrat lawmakers". Chief recipient of Mr Trump's fury is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and on Christmas Day he fired off a two-part tweet that summarised his grievance with specificity and sarcasm. "Why should Crazy Nancy Pelosi, just because she has a slight majority in the House, be allowed to Impeach the President of the United States? Got ZERO Republican votes, there was no crime, the call with Ukraine was perfect, with 'no pressure'. She said it must be 'bipartisan... & overwhelming,' but this Scam Impeachment was neither. Also, very unfair with no Due Process, proper representation, or witnesses. Now Pelosi is demanding everything the Republicans weren't allowed to have in the House. Dems want to run majority Republican Senate. Hypocrites!" What's driving the president to blood-boiling distraction is that the speaker has refused to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, where a trial will take place. With Mr Trump's Republican Party in control of that chamber, acquittal is a foregone conclusion, and the White House mightily wants a speedy process to end the whole matter. Working with New York Senator Charles Schumer, the minority leader, Ms Pelosi is holding back until the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell outlines definite trial procedures. Will witnesses be called? Will documents the White House refused to give the House be made available? When the Senate begins proceedings, each senator will be asked to take an oath that includes this pledge: "I will do impartial justice according to the constitution and laws: so help me God." Mr McConnell, however, is on the record with an alternative viewpoint. Six days before the House acted, he told Fox News: "We have no choice but to take it [impeachment] up. But we'll be working through this process hopefully in a fairly short period of time, in total co-ordination with the White House counsel's office and the people who are representing the president. I'm going to take my cues from the president's lawyers." A few days later, he went further, telling reporters: "I'm not impartial about this at all. I'm not an impartial juror." Candour is a virtue in most cases, but Mr McConnell didn't sound as though he's promising to "do impartial justice". Speaker Pelosi, a House member for 32 years, understands political hardball. She knows that once Leader McConnell, a 34-year Senate veteran, gets the articles, he'll orchestrate the trial as he wants. Ms Pelosi, not nearly as active on social media as Mr Trump, sent this tart tweet the day after the impeachment votes: "When our Founders wrote the constitution, they suspected we might one day have a rogue president. I doubt they thought we would have a rogue president and a rogue leader of the Senate at the same time." When the speaker will send the official paperwork to Mr McConnell is Washington's most popular guessing game today. If she delays too long, the public might perceive what she's doing as a political ploy to weaken the president or to infuriate him even more. In November and December, she pushed to complete the inquiry of Mr Trump expeditiously. To seem to dawdle now would send a contradictory message, raising questions about motives and tactics. In addition, she needs to consider how a trial might affect voting in the Iowa caucus on February 3 and the delivery of Mr Trump's State of the Union address the following day. Would a president visit the Capitol to speak to Congress while under indictment, which is how impeachment should be viewed? A recent ABC News/'Washington Post' survey revealed that 71pc think the president should allow his aides to testify in a Senate trial. A striking 64pc of Republicans approved such testimony. Mr Schumer wants, among others, Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, and John Bolton, the former national security adviser, to explain exactly what happened in withholding military assistance to Ukraine after it was approved by Congress. Was the president seeking to use government aid to obtain information helpful to him and damaging to his opponents? It's clear. Both Democrats and Republicans will need to act judiciously going forward. Though everyone knows the ultimate outcome, the stakes couldn't be higher. Next November, American voters will serve as what might be considered a collective tribunal of appeal, either affirming Mr Trump's acquittal or deciding he's guilty and not worthy of re-election. Expect his Twitter account to keep rumbling volcanically until all the ballots are counted. Robert Schmuhl is professor emeritus of American studies at the University of Notre Dame and adjunct professor in the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University. He's the author of 'The Glory and the Burden: The American Presidency from FDR to Trump' HyperPay, the leading payment processing company in MENA, closes an investment round led by Mada Investment Company HyperPay, a Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based payment processing company, closed an 8-digit funding round. The round which also included successful exits for investors who participated in early-stage funding was led by Mada Investment Company, with participation from Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), iNet, MEVP, and other investors. This funding will be used in three key areas, which are investing in infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, growing a suite of products, and accelerating expansion across Egypt and the GCC. Founded in 2014 by Muhannad Ebwini, CEO, HyperPay is a payment service provider which processes millions of transactions every year for thousands of merchants selling goods and services online in MENA. Since its launch in 2014, the company has enabled more than 1,000 internet businesses, across almost every industry. FinSMEs 02/01/2020 FinSMEs 02/01/2019 The NCP on Thursday said the Modi-led government's rejection of Maharashtra's tableau for the Republic Day parade was an insult to the state which had made "valuable contribution" in India's freedom struggle. NCP MP Supriya Sule said the Modi government was meting out "step-motherly treatment" to states. "The government is behaving in a prejudiced manner. It is expected that it should behave in an impartial manner," she tweeted. "Rejection of the tableaux of Maharashtra and West Bengal is an insult to the valuable contribution of the two states in India's freedom struggle," the NCP leader said. She was responding to reports that the the Ministry of Defence has selected 22 tableaux out of 56 proposals for the Republic Day parade. The selected tableau will feature 16 states and Union territories and six Central ministries. The ministry had received 32 tableau proposals from states and Union territories and 24 from Central ministries and departments. Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad said the decision to reject the tableau has hurt the "asmita" (self-respect) of people of the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday arrived here on a day-long visit, amidst criticism of the UAE for siding with Saudi Arabia to put pressure on Pakistan to skip a key conference of Muslim nations in Malaysia. Prime Minister Imran Khan received the Crown Prince at the Nur Khan Airbase and personally drove him from the airport. It was for the second time that Khan drove his vehicle as he did in January last year when the prince visited. The visit comes in the wake of the controversy created due to Pakistan skipping the Kuala Lumpur summit to apparently appease Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Prime Minister Khan had confirmed Pakistan's participation in the summit hosted by Malaysia, but skipped the event at the eleventh hour due to pressure exerted by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - key financial backers of the cash-stripped country. The Summit from December 19-21 was seen by Saudis as an attempt to create a new bloc in the Muslim world that could become an alternative to the dysfunctional Organisation of Islamic Cooperation led by the Gulf Kingdom. The Foreign Office said that the prince will have a one-on-one meeting with the prime minister. This will be followed by a luncheon hosted by Khan. "The exchange of views between the two leaders will cover bilateral matters and regional and international issues of common interest," the FO said. Frequent exchange of high-level visits between Pakistan and the UAE is reflective of the importance that the two countries attach to their fraternal ties, it said. The visit illustrates the strength and substance of the Pakistan-UAE special relationship, based on commonalities of faith, cultural affinities, and a shared resolve to take mutual cooperation to a new level, the FO said. The UAE is Pakistan's largest trading partner in the Middle East and a major source of investments. The UAE is also among Pakistan's prime development partners in education, health and energy sectors. It hosts more than 1.6 million expatriate Pakistani community, which contributes remittances of around USD 4.5 billion annually to the GDP. This is the Crown Prince's second visit to Pakistan since Khan took office in August 2018. He had last visited Pakistan on January 6 last year, just weeks after his country offered USD 3 billion financial assistance to Pakistan to deal with its balance of payment crisis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Austria's conservatives led by Sebastian Kurz have agreed to form a coalition government with the Greens after a final round of talks capping almost three months of negotiations. It will mark the first time the Green party has been in power, after Kurz's alliance with the far-right collapsed in a corruption scandal and triggered elections in September. Kurz's People's Party (OeVP) and the Greens made gains in the election, bringing them together in unlikely negotiations given the 33-year-old's carefully groomed image as a hardliner on immigration. "The OeVP and Greens have agreed on a government programme together," a Greens representative with knowledge of the negotiations, who declined to be named, told AFP on Wednesday. An OeVP official confirmed the same to AFP. The two parties' leaders are to make a statement. Despite progress to bridge the significant gaps, observers said the new government would face challenges after Kurz's previous rule with the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) saw a raft of anti-immigration measures passed, sharply dividing Austrians. "2020 as a political year of change" ran the main online headline of the Kurier daily earlier Wednesday. Both the OeVP and the Greens will be hard-pressed to show they have not compromised too much on their key principals and campaign promises when they present the joint government programme, which is expected Thursday. "From his (Kurz's) perspective, it's a huge stretch and it's also a danger that over time he might lose some of the voters he gained from the Freedom Party," analyst Thomas Hofer told AFP. In the September polls, the OeVP managed to pick up disenchanted FPOe voters, getting 37.5 per cent in total. The Greens secured 13.9 per cent of the vote, their best-ever result, due to the environment replacing immigration as top concern in the country of 8.8 million people. Hofer said other European countries, such as Germany, could also see Conservative-Green party coalitions in the future. Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Luxemburg already have Greens in government. "Kurz is setting a certain trend maybe ahead of time, and this is certainly something also on the international stage that he would be able to sell," he said. Hofer described Greens chief Werner Kogler, who is expected to be vice-chancellor, as a "pragmatist" who had stabilised the party. The 58-year-old took on the leadership after the party lost all their parliamentary seats in a shock defeat in 2017, largely due to infighting and splits. A congress of the party's almost 280 delegates must still endorse the coalition agreement, but they are expected to do so. "It's a historical chance for them," Hofer said. As junior coalition partner, the Greens would get four ministries, including an enlarged environment ministry that also comprises infrastructure, traffic, energy and technology, according to a party representative familiar with the negotiations. The OeVP will maintain control of the rest, including the coveted interior ministry -- previously headed by a far-right official and embroiled in scandal -- and the finance portfolio. Greens official Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic told the Standard daily in an interview that compromises are "part of democracy", and that the coalition partners would address challenges rather than "feign harmony and sweep difficult topics under the carpet". The far-right FPOe -- previously riding a wave of populist sentiment seen across Europe -- was routed in the polls after the so-called "Ibiza-gate" graft scandal brought down their then-leader and vice-chancellor in May and caused the government to collapse. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SINGAPORE (Jan 2): Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) has set up a working group to review the retail bonds regulatory framework. Comprising industry professionals and investors, the group will discuss matters such as the admission criteria for retail bond listings, the continuing obligations of issuers of such bonds, and ways to protect bondholder interest in the event of a default or restructuring. The working group is expected to present its recommendations and views to SGX RegCo by mid-2020. This will be followed by a public consultation, likely take place by the end of the year. We are reviewing the retail bonds framework following recent developments and feedback from the market. The possibility of tightening the admission criteria including requiring a minimum level of subscription by institutional investors and a credit rating are among matters to be discussed, says Michael Tang, SGX RegCos head of listing policy and product admission. The market regulators announcement comes just days after the Securities Investors Association of Singapore (SIAS) on Monday urged an investor attempting to buy over the debt of embattled water treatment firm Hyflux to be more transparent in its offer bid. See: SIAS calls on Aqua Munda to show 'more transparency' in bid for Hyflux debt SIAS is one of the eight organisations roped in by SGX RegCo to review the retail bonds regulatory framework. The working group will also include representatives from financial services firm Perpetual (Asia) Limited; law firms Allen & Gledhill, Allen & Overy, and Clifford Chance; as well as the three local banks DBS, OCBC and UOB. Hyflux found itself on the brink of bankruptcy after it went on a debt-fuelled expansion drive just as oil prices started to collapse and Middle Eastern states began to cancel their infrastructure projects. In 2013, it also opened the Tuaspring desalination and power plant, which was built with more than $1.4 billion in bank loans as well as the sale of perpetual securities to 34,000 retail investors who now stand to lose almost all their money if the company goes bust. Story continues Hyflux in late-November 2019 finally signed a $400-million restructuring agreement with Middle Eastern utility player Utico FZC. Under the latest deal, Utico and co-investors will acquire new Hyflux shares representing a 95% stake of the enlarged capital of the company for a total of $300 million. Hyflux will also get a working capital loan of up to $100 million. See: Hyflux finally signs $400 mil rescue deal with Utico The working group will also provide views on how individual investors can be better served when bonds they hold are in distress. We want to hear suggestions on how to fund trustees acting for bondholders and ways to help bondholders organise themselves, says SGX RegCos Tang. Carlos Ghosn said in a statement on Thursday that his family played no role whatsoever in his exit from Japan. Lebanon has received an Interpol arrest warrant for former Nissan boss turned international fugitive Carlos Ghosn, while Turkey launched an investigation on Thursday into his daring escape from Japan via Istanbul. The Interpol red notice, which calls on authorities to arrest a wanted person, was received by Lebanons internal security forces and has yet to be referred to the judiciary, a Lebanese judicial source told Reuters News Agency. The former Nissan boss revealed on Tuesday that he had fled to Lebanon to escape what he called a rigged justice system in Japan, where he faces charges relating to alleged financial crimes. Sources close to Ghosn said a delay in a trial and a strict ban on communicating with his wife motivated him to go ahead with a plan to use a private security company to smuggle him out of Japan via private jet. A senior Lebanese security official said it was not yet clear if Ghosn would be summoned for questioning over the Interpol warrant but said Lebanon does not extradite its citizens to foreign states. In past cases, where Lebanon has received red notices for Lebanese citizens resident in the country, the suspects have not been arrested but their passports have been confiscated and bail has been set, the judicial source told Reuters. Ghosn, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, has deep ties to Lebanon, the country of his childhood, where his investments include a stake in a bank, real estate and a vineyard. Turkish police on Thursday arrested seven people, including four pilots, as part of an investigation into Ghosns passage through the country, a police spokeswoman said. She said the other detainees were two airport ground staff and one cargo worker and all seven were expected to give statements in court on Thursday. Flight tracking data suggests Ghosn used two different planes to fly to Istanbul and then to Lebanon. Trial delayed The sources close to Ghosn said he was prompted to flee after a recent court session where he learned that the second of two trials would be delayed until April 2021. They said they needed another whole year to prepare for it He was distressed about not being able to see or speak to his wife, one of the sources close to Ghosn said. A request to see or speak to his wife over Christmas was also denied, the sources added, part of strict conditions set on his bail. The sources said Ghosn had grown distressed that authorities were pressuring his family to draw a confession from him after his daughter and son were questioned by Japanese prosecutors in the United States in early December. In just his second public comment since landing in Beirut, Ghosn said in a statement that his family played no role whatsoever in his exit from Japan. I alone arranged for my departure, he said. Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faces four charges for alleged financial crimes including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East. He denies the charges. Japanese public broadcaster NHK said on Thursday that Japanese authorities allowed Ghosn to carry a spare French passport in a locked case while out on bail, potentially shedding some light on how he managed to escape despite his other passports being held by Japanese lawyers. No one was immediately available for comment at the office of Ghosns lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, or at the French embassy in Tokyo, or at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. They've been dating since 2012. But Ansel Elgort, 25, and his high school sweetheart Violetta Komyshan, 23, appeared to be more in love than ever during a vacation in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday. In a very cheeky snap posted to the actor's Instagram, Ansel picked up and kissed a bikini clad Violetta while standing on one of the Caribbean nation's pristine white beaches. Getting away from it all: Ansel Elgort, 25, and his high school sweetheart Violetta Komyshan, 23, appeared to be more in love than ever during a vacation in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday The Baby Driver star's hand clutched the pert derriere of his girlfriend of eight years. He captioned the sun-soaked post: 'How you gon be mad on vacation?' The couple have been dating ever since they met at the performing arts high school LaGuardia in New York City. They did briefly break up in 2014, citing busy work schedules. Paradise: Elgort and Komyshan's stay in the Dominican Republic has put them in good company, as the Caribbean nation has recently attracted an array of A-listers Elgort and Komyshan's stay in the Dominican Republic has put them in good company, as the Caribbean nation has attracted an array of A-listers who value their travel destinations being family-friendly and private including Beyonce and Jay-Z. No doubt celebrities will be able to focus on their loved ones as Cardi B took a trip to the Caribbean country in October to throw her grandmother an 80th birthday bash. Golden Globe nominee Taron Egerton and Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul have recently splurged on lavish birthday celebrations in the Dominican Republic as Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell Williams, Justin Bieber, and the Kardashians have also enjoyed relaxing times there without fear of being bothered. Sir Keir Starmer is the early front-runner to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, according to the first major poll of the contest. The centrist shadow Brexit secretary would beat Rebecca Long Bailey by 61 per cent to 39 per cent in a run-off, according to the YouGov survey. The poll, reported by the Guardian, shows Mr Starmer in the lead in every UK region and age group. Mr Starmer has yet to say whether he will run, while Ms Long-Bailey - seen as the preferred choice of Mr Corbyn's allies - has said she is considering it. Survey: This chart shows potential support for Labour leadership candidates, with Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey the two early front-runners New leader? Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) is the early front-runner to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, according to the first major poll of the looming party contest The poll of 1,059 Labour party members put Mr Starmer on 31 per cent of first choice votes, with Ms Long-Bailey on 20 per cent. Jess Phillips, the outspoken MP for Birmingham Yardley who has yet to declare her intentions, is in third place in the poll with 11 per cent. Clive Lewis and Yvette Cooper are next on seven per cent, with Emily Thornberry on six and Lisa Nandy on five. With less popular candidates eliminated, a final run-off would see Mr Starmer beat Ms Long-Bailey in the last round, according to the survey. The election process will be officially launched next week as Labour picks up the pieces from its worst general election defeat since 1935. Labour dropped to 202 seats and suffered a succession of historic defeats in its former working-class heartlands in the north of England. In one particularly symbolic blow, the Conservatives won the County Durham seat of Sedgefield - formerly held by Tony Blair who led Labour to three election victories. Rebecca Long-Bailey (pictured) - seen as the preferred choice of Mr Corbyn's allies - has said she is considering a bid for the Labour leadership So far, only Ms Thornberry and Mr Lewis have formally announced they will run to succeed Mr Corbyn. According to the survey, Mr Starmer is backed as first choice by 34 per cent of Remainers in the survey, but only supported by 17 per cent of Leavers. Ms Long-Bailey is rated first choice by 19 per cent of Labour members who voted Remain, but scores 31 per cent of those who voted Leave. Most Labour members are Remainers, although some of Mr Corbyn's allies have blamed the party's shift towards a pro-Remain position for its election defeat. After initially ruling out a second Brexit referendum, Mr Corbyn eventually promised to support one - but refused to say how he would vote. Ms Long-Bailey has blamed the party's 'compromise solution' on Brexit, as well as a lack of trust among voters, for its election defeat. The survey was commissioned from YouGov by the Party Members Project, which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. While it may not be enough for some shareholders, we think it is good to see the Credit Suisse Group AG (VTX:CSGN) share price up 15% in a single quarter. But if you look at the last five years the returns have not been good. After all, the share price is down 45% in that time, significantly under-performing the market. Check out our latest analysis for Credit Suisse Group In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During five years of share price growth, Credit Suisse Group moved from a loss to profitability. Most would consider that to be a good thing, so it's counter-intuitive to see the share price declining. Other metrics may better explain the share price move. Arguably, the revenue drop of 5.1% a year for half a decade suggests that the company can't grow in the long term. That could explain the weak share price. You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). SWX:CSGN Income Statement, January 2nd 2020 Credit Suisse Group is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. You can see what analysts are predicting for Credit Suisse Group in this interactive graph of future profit estimates. What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for Credit Suisse Group the TSR over the last 5 years was -31%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective Credit Suisse Group shareholders are up 24% for the year (even including dividends) . But that return falls short of the market. On the bright side, that's still a gain, and it is certainly better than the yearly loss of about 7.2% endured over half a decade. So this might be a sign the business has turned its fortunes around. Before forming an opinion on Credit Suisse Group you might want to consider these 3 valuation metrics. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CH exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Baltimore City slid further into chaos and just broke its highest ever per-capita homicide rate after recording its 347th murder on Monday. With about 602,000 residents, Baltimore City's homicide rate breached 57 per 100,000 residents after 13 people have been murdered since Dec. 21. The annual death toll has only hit 342 on two other occasions, onetime in 2017 and another in 2015. Breaching the 342 level to 347 is uncharted territory and suggests the situation will get worse in 2019. This is the 5th year the city has recorded murders over 300, due mostly to the Ferguson effect post-2015 riots and socio-economic deterioration in the town. The highest ever per-capita homicide rate and an out of control opioid epidemic comes as the total population in the city crashes to a 100-year low, many are fleeing the city for the suburbs as the local economy continues to dive deeper into a depression, never recovered since 2008. Baltimore City Mayor Bernard "Jack" Young held an end-of-year news conference on public safety Monday. Young said, "Our residents deserve to live without the fear of violence and it is my obligation and duty to leverage every resource and tool available to stop the cycle of violence that is crippling our city." He added, "We cannot stop violent crime through policing alone. We must use both community-based interventions and an integrated crime-fighting strategy." Young also wrote an op-ed in The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday about his new strategy to turn Baltimore City around will focus on identifying and charging gun crimes and holding weekly case reviews with the police department and the State's Attorney's Office. Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said the number of people killed in the city this year is "deeply disturbing." "That level of violence simply cannot be tolerated in a civil society, much less in a great city like Baltimore," Harrison said. He said the department would start treating the "actual disease" of violence, instead of what he characterized as the symptoms. "[W]hen we only treat symptoms and never deal with root cause issues, violence, like a disease, builds resistance. It gets stronger and becomes more difficult to eradicate," Harrison said. With no signs of abating, the murder crisis in Baltimore City will likely get worse. Please do yourself a favor in 2020 and avoid traveling to the city considering its per capita homicide rate is one of the highest in the country. Washington DC: American actor Kevin Spacey has settled the sexual harassment case brought against him by an unnamed massage therapist who died earlier this year. As per the Hollywood reporter, the settlement terms between the actor and the accuser's son who died on September six had not been revealed and a federal judge still had to sign. The masseuse filed a complaint under John Doe, claiming that Spacey attacked him at a massage session in Malibu three years ago. The star was accused of trying to fondle the accuser's genitals and attempting to kiss him. Nevertheless, as per the Hollywood reporter, after the alleged victim expired, the court permitted the special administrative officer of his estate, his son, as a defendant in litigation. Spaceys and the son's both attorneys agreed that the lawsuit should be dismissed by prejudice, which is to say that it could not be filed again, said the Federal Court paperwork lodged in California on Monday. Spacey has been accused of sexual misconduct by over a dozen people. One of them was the ex-husband of Princess Martha Louise of Norway, Ari Behn, who accused Spacey in 2007 of taming him under a table. On Christmas Day Behn committed suicide. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Iltija Mufti, daughter of detained PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, was detained by the police on Thursday and placed under house arrest after she tried to visit her grandfather Mufti Mohammad Sayeeds grave at Bijbehara to pay homage on his fourth death anniversary. Iltija has been politically active after the detention of her mother following the scrapping of Article 370 on August 5. Iltija Mufti | file Mufti Sayeeds fourth death anniversary will be observed by the party on January 7. Mufti had died while serving as the CM of then PDP-BJP coalition government on January 7, 2016. Iltija said when she stepped out of her home at Gupkar she was detained by the police. They have placed me under house arrest not allowing anybody inside. Is it illegal to visit my grandfathers grave and pray for his soul? Do I need permission for everything from the authorities now? an angry Iltija told this newspaper. Iltija said being an SSG-protected she has got security cover. Why did they have to refuse permission to visit my grandfathers grave? I am not a criminal. I am not a terrorist but a private citizen. Attacking the administration, Iltija said, They have turned Kashmir into hell. She said she wanted to speak to the media but was stopped by the authorities. Now, they are telling me that whenever I am in Srinagar, I have to tell them and seek permission to visit somewhere. Why should I seek permission? Who are they? questioned Iltija. US Army bans China's TikTok over security worries Iran Press TV Wednesday, 01 January 2020 5:54 AM US Army soldiers have been banned from using the hugely popular short video app TikTok over a security threat, according to an Army spokeswoman. The decision to ban the Chinese-owned app was made following the lead of the Navy and guidance from the Defense Department, the spokeswoman said on Tuesday. "There was a Cyber Awareness Message sent out on 16 December identifies TikTok as having potential security risks associated with its use," Army spokesperson Lt. Col Robin L. Ochoa told CNN. "The message directs appropriate action for employees to take in order to safeguard their personal information. The guidance is to be wary of applications you download, monitor your phones for unusual and unsolicited texts etc., and delete them immediately and uninstall TikTok to circumvent any exposure of personal information." "It is considered a cyber threat," Ochoa told Military.com. "We do not allow it on government phones." Last month, the Navy banned the app, owned by the China-based tech company ByteDance, from government-issued mobile devices, saying it represented a "cybersecurity threat." In October, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a member of the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, sent a letter to acting director of national intelligence Joseph Maguire, asking him to assess TikTok and other China-based companies for potential security risks. The lawmakers argued that because ByteDance is based in China, TikTok could be forced "to support and cooperate with intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party." TikTok responded with a statement, saying, "Our data centers are located entirely outside of China, and none of our data is subject to Chinese law." "Further, we have a dedicated technical team focused on adhering to robust cybersecurity policies, and data privacy and security practices." The US military had been using the app as a tool to recruit and a way to reach young people, but it started to discourage personnel from using it in mid-December, according to Military.com. Military personnel are allowed to use the app on their personal devices, but the Pentagon has warned that those using the app in their private lives to be cautious. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ayushmann Khurrana and his wife Tahira Kashyap, who are currently enjoying a vacation in the Bahamas, do not shy away from appreciating each other and putting up affectionate posts on their relationship and professional successes. The duo never miss an opportunity to highlight each other's hard work and efforts. Be it the occasion of their wedding anniversary or upcoming projects, they have time and again given some major couple goals to fans. Likewise, they do not lag behind in setting parent goals too. Recently, Tahira Kashyap showered her love for son Virajveer on the occasion of his birthday. Giving a piece of advice to their son, she wrote that Virajveer is her everything. While stating a fact that Viraj shares his birthday with Daisaku Ikeda, a great man with great vision, she wrote, 'may you follow the ideology of humanity and love over anything else. To have acceptance and to value people. Spread the love that you have and see your happiness grow too. My birthday boy I love you'. In the picture, Ayushamann Khurrana's son is clicked smiling while enjoying his vacation. Check out her post: READ | How Ayushmann Khurrana And Tahira Kashyap Celebrated The New Year At The Bahamas Tahira keeps posting glimpses of their kids on social media with detailed captions and a bit of advice for their kids. Meanwhile, Ayushmann, who is often busy promoting his various Bollywood projects, also tries to spend some quality time with his wife and two kids. A couple of months back, he grabbed the opportunity and wrote a heartfelt note on the occasion of her daughter Varushka's birthday. READ | Akshay Kumar Is The 'Woh' Between 'Pati' Ayushmann Khurrana And 'Patni' Tahira Kashyap READ | Ayushmann Khurrana And Tahira Kashyap's Loveful Picture Celebrating Christmas Wins Hearts Upcoming projects of Ayushmann Khurrana In 2019, Ayushmann's films Article 15, Dream Girl and Bala were back to back hits at the box-office. The films not only performed well but also blew the mind of critics and the audience with the content. The 35-year-old actor recently wrapped the shooting schedule for his upcoming movie Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, which is a sequel to his 2017's release Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. Apart from the rom-com, he will also share screen space with Amitabh Bachchan in a comedy-drama, Gulabo Sitabo, directed by Shoojit Sircar. READ | Ayushmann Khurrana's Wife Tahira Kashyap Reveals Her Year-end Plans With Husband Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. A local Shiromani Akali Dal leader was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne assailants at Umarpura village here when he was coming out of a gurdwara after offering prayers, police said on Thursday. Gurdeep Singh, whose wife is a village head, was killed on Wednesday, they said. The assailants managed to flee after pumping five bullets into Singh, who died on the spot, they said. Singh was said to be a close associate of senior Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. The police have booked five people including a father-son duo, Nirmal Singh and Harmanjeet Singh, in connection with the killing. The police said Harmanjeet is wanted in several criminal cases. Station House Officer Tarsem Singh said raids were being conducted at their possible hideouts to nab them. The police are also examining CCTV footage obtained from nearby areas. This is second fatal attack on SAD functionaries in the state since November last year, when the party's Dalbir Singh Dhilwan was killed in Gurdaspur. The SAD had described Dhilwan's killing as a "political murder". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BOSTON, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by Class Counsel regarding the Columbia Gas Explosion Class Action Settlement. The deadline to file claims related to the 2018 Columbia Gas Over-Pressurization event has been extended by Court order to January 31, 2020. Plaintiffs' Co-Lead Counsel, Elizabeth Graham said, "We are planning to hold three town hall meetings to help people file claims and answer any questions. Anyone who was impacted by this event is encouraged to file a claim -- even if they already filed a claim through Insurance or through the Columbia Gas-managed process. "This is real money and it's easy to file a claim. An average family of four could get a lump sum payment of $1,050 to $9,500 based on the severity of disruption caused by the Incident." The $143 million Settlement will pay claims for major losses, as well as any minor inconvenience experienced. This includes evacuations, evacuation expenses, loss of gas service, heating expenses, lost wages, lost business income, property damage, and emotional distress. Both English and Spanish-speaking agents will be on hand to assist and answer questions regarding the claims filing process. All town halls will be held on Saturdays in January: January 4, 2020 - 12:00pm - 5:00pm - January 18, 2020 - 12:00pm - 5:00pm - January 25, 2020 - 12:00pm - 3:30pm Town Hall Location: Greater Lawrence Technical High School 57 River Rd Andover, MA 01810 All residents attending the town hall sessions should bring with them proof of residency in the class area for the period of September 2018 (e.g. utility bills, pay stubs, cell phone bills, lease agreements). Please do not contact Greater Lawrence Technical High School. Instead, please call 1-833-927-0819 or visit ColumbiaGasExplosionSettlement.com for more information. SOURCE John Roddy, Bailey & Glasser; Frank Petosa, Morgan & Morgan; M. Elizabeth Graham, Grant & Eisenhofer, P.A. Related Links http://ColumbiaGasExplosionSettlement.com The Agra district jail on Wednesday released nine inmates who were not able to pay penalty amount and were languishing behind bars for an extended period after being booked for petty offences. A local social worker paid the penalty amount of 61,333 for the release of the nine inmates. Superintendent of district Jail Shashikant Mishra said, With the efforts of Pravendra Kumar Yadav, a social worker from the city, nine prisoners were released from jail. He gifted them freedom on the occasion of the sixth death anniversary of his late father Shri Niwas. The penalty amount collectively for the release of the under-trial prisoners was 61, 333. The aim behind the release of the inmates was to make them free on the occasion of the first day of the New Year, informed Mishra. He said, So far 313 inmates have been released who were helped by others as they were not able to pay the penalty amount. We have collected 21 lakh of penalty amount after the release of the prisoners. The amount for the release of the prisoners was paid by various NGOs, doctors, businessmen and others, he informed. Yogesh Dubey SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Syracuse, NY -- A 15-year-old boy from Clay will go to state prison after admitting Thursday that he stabbed a 15-year-old boy from Cicero to death during a fistfight a year ago. Maurice Martin will get a one- to three-year prison sentence in Zakariah Ibrahims death on Dec. 30, 2018. Given that hes already spent a year at Hillbrook Detention Center awaiting trial, hell be eligible for parole right away. But defense lawyer Charles Keller said he told the family that, realistically, Martin would likely spend another year in state custody before his mandatory release (assuming good behavior) after two-thirds of the sentence. There were still big questions left to be answered, however, after Martin pleaded guilty Thursday: where will he go to school once released from prison? Will he have a criminal record? Keller noted that Martin would likely be a high school senior when he gets out of prison, even if he spends another year behind bars. Keller did not name the district in court Thursday, but Martin was enrolled in Liverpool schools. The district would be required to take him. That doesnt mean that Martin would be able to fully participate: he could be barred from extra-curricular activities or sports, Keller indicated. The district had not said anything about how it would comply with the requirements to educate Martin, the lawyer added. In some other cases, schools have sent tutors to a students home instead of allowing the student back into classrooms The district had raised a couple concerns: a disruption in the school and Martins personal safety, Keller said. That left Martin with few guarantees, the lawyer noted. County Court Judge Matthew Doran noted that Martins schooling was certainly significant, but outside this courts authority. Martin admitted that he was fighting with Zakariah Ibrahim near the victims familys house when he pulled out a knife and stabbed Ibrahim to death. His guilt hasnt really been debated in court for months, but his case almost went to trial over another unresolved issue: whether hed get a sealed record if he pleaded guilty. Thats been the big question as lawyers hammered out a plea agreement, and presumably again Thursday as lawyers met with the judge in chambers. Martin hopes the judge will grant him youthful offender status -- sealing his record -- at sentencing in February. Thats his best chance to move on with life after release, his lawyer has argued. But Moran said the victims family strongly protested the sealed record for the opposite reason: they didnt want Ibrahims death erased from their minds. The judge again Thursday said he would wait to decide whether to grant Martin youthful offender status at sentencing. Under law, hes required to consider it due to Martins age, Both families shed tears on opposite sides of the courtroom as Martin admitted stabbing Ibrahim to death. The plea came after about 45 minutes of private conversations among the lawyers and judge, and later Martin and his two assigned lawyers, Keller and Kerry Buske. Martin remains jailed at Hillbrook until sentencing Feb. 3. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Pakistan government on Thursday sought a stay order from the Supreme Court against its landmark verdict in the extension of service case involving Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Prime Minister Imran Khan had extended 59-year-old Gen Bajwa's tenure through a notification on August 19. However, the Supreme Court suspended the government order, citing irregularities in the manner the army chief, a close confidant of Khan, was granted an extension. The government in its plea requested the apex court "to accept the application and suspend/stay the operation of the impugned judgment dated November 28, 2019, in the interest of justice". This is the second petition filed by the government in this high-profile case. On December 26, the law ministry had approached the top court against its detailed judgement, issued on December 16, in which the government was ordered to legislate on Bajwa's extension within six months. The government urged the apex court to form a larger bench to hear the case and set aside the earlier judgment. On November 28, Bajwa got a six-month conditional extension from the apex court, ending an unprecedented legal wrangle that shook the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and pitted the powerful military against the judiciary. The petition filed on Thursday prayed to the court that the "petitioners have a strong prima facie case to succeed; hence the operation of the impugned judgement may be suspended/stayed till the final decision of this civil review petition." It further stated that the "balance of convenience lies in favour of the petitioners" and if the "injunction as prayed is not granted, the petitioners will suffer irreparable loss. The plea asked the chief justice to "constitute a larger bench comprising five judges so as to hear the review petition. In its previous petition against the detailed order, the government had pleaded the court to keep the proceedings in-camera. On Wednesday, at an emergency meeting of the Cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Khan, approved amendments to the Army Act, nearly four weeks after it assured the Supreme Court of passing a legislation on the extension and reappointment of an Army chief within six months. The government was planning to table the Bill in the parliament for approval if it failed to get relief from the court, according to sources in the government. According to the copy of the Bill called 'Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2020', an extension in the tenure of an army chief cannot be challenged in any court of law in the future, Geo News reported. A delegation of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, headed by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, met with Opposition PML-N leaders on Thursday for bipartisan support for the bill, which is expected to be tabled in the National Assembly on Friday. After the meeting, the PML-N said it would support the bill as it "does not want the position of COAS to become controversial". Natalia Vodianova is engaged to longtime love Antoine Arnault! The 37-year-old model made the announcement on Instagram, sharing a seaside selfie with the Berluti CEO (whose father, Bernard Arnault, is the chairman and chief executive officer of luxury conglomerate LVMH). This year has been beautiful and very memorable 2020 here we come Cant wait to celebrate next year with our loved ones @antoinearnault Vodianova captioned the post, putting her pear-shaped diamond ring which appears to be set horizontally on full display. Her followers and friends in the fashion industry were quick to congratulate the happy couple who have been together since 2011 and share two sons (Maxim, 5 and Roman, 3) in the comment section. Happy New Decade! Such a special year ahead for you and @antoinearnault. Enjoy every second! , one social media user wrote. Another said, wish u a lot of love and happiness for 2020 ! In addition to his work at Berluti, Arnault is the chairman of the Italian clothing company Loro Piana and the head of communications and image at LVMH. According to Forbes, his fathers company LVMH (which owns 70 brands including Louis Vuitton and Sephora) has a net worth of $112 billion, making Bernard, 70, the worlds second-richest man behind Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The stylish pair typically attend fashion shows together, but otherwise keep a low-profile. However, in March, Arnault posted a sweet photo with the Russian model after an annual gala benefiting her charity, Naked Heart Foundation. Victor Boyko/Getty RELATED: Natalia Vodianova Expecting Fourth Child Story continues 8 years after you continue to amaze and inspire me All these efforts and countless months of work and stress were worth it!!! Congratulations my for another incredible Love Ball this time in Qatar! A very special thank you to our host @almayassabnthamad for such a special welcome. he wrote alongside the snap. In 2017, Arnault opened up to W Magazine about his undefinable partner, saying, Since almost our first date, it has been a superb roller coaster ride. Natalia Vodianova | Scott Garfitt/REX/Shutterstock I remember seeing her and my jaw sort of dropped internally, he recalled of the first time they met on a shoot for a 2008 Louis Vuitton campaign. I mean, of course shes beautiful, but she has something undefinable. Theres an aura about her. The model also shares three children with ex-husband Justin Portman: sons Lucas, 18, and Viktor, 12, and daughter Neva, 13. BUENA VISTA, MI Buena Vista Charter Township has scheduled a town hall meeting regarding the proposed merger of its police and fire departments. The town hall will take place Friday, Jan. 3 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Buena Vista Community Center, located at 1940 S Outer Drive, west of I-75. The townships goal is to gauge public opinion, answer questions and provide information to residents regarding a potential merger of the townships public safety departments. If implemented, the merger would lead to job cuts for some firefighters and police officers would be cross-trained to handle firefighting duties, said township Superintendent Torrie McAfee. This would not affect services, McAfee said. The merger is being considered for its potential savings, which could be necessary for the township to avoid cuts to employees, McAfee said. What were looking to do is plan for the future properly, McAfee said. The Buena Vista Board of Trustees tabled action on a potential merger after discussion and public dissent during its Monday, Dec. 16 meeting, according to reporting by ABC12. The board will have final say in whether the merger will happen, McAfee said. Police Chief Reggie Williams said it was too early to comment on the potential merger. TICKERS: IMG; IAG Source: Streetwise Reports (1/2/20) The transaction is briefly reviewed and assessed in a BMO Capital Markets report. In a Dec. 23 research note, BMO Capital Markets analyst Jackie Przybylowski reported that IAMGOLD Corp. (IMG:TSX; IAG:NYSE) agreed to sell its 41% interest in the Sadiola gold project in Mali to Allied Gold for $31.1533.65 million plus payments for two future sulphides-related milestones there. The deal is expected to close in April 2020. "This is a fair price as the transaction is in line with (or slightly better than) our $30.5 million net asset value for the asset," Przybylowski commented and summarized the deal. IAMGOLD's co-owner of Sadiola, Ashanti Gold, also agreed to sell its 41% interest, for an equal amount. (The Mali government owns the other 18%.) The total consideration going to IAMGOLD for Sadiola, its founding asset, will consist of $25 million, up to $2.5 million in cash to account for the cash balance at the asset and $6.15 million in a cash dividend. The two milestone payments are $12.5 million on production of the first 250,000 ounces and $12.5 million on subsequent production of the same amount, all from the Sadiola sulphides project. Przybylowski noted that IAMGOLD intends to use the proceeds to fund future growth projects that include Saramacca at Rosebel, slated to commence production in 2021, as well as Cote Lake and Boto. BMO has a Market Perform rating and a US$3.75 per share target price on IAMGOLD, whose stock is currently trading at around US$3.77 per share. [NLINSERT] Disclosure: 1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. Disclosures from BMO Capital Markets, IAMGOLD, December 23, 2019 IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES Analyst's Certification I, Jackie Przybylowski, hereby certify that the views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about the subject securities or issuers. I also certify that no part of my compensation was, is, or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in this report. Analysts who prepared this report are compensated based upon (among other factors) the overall profitability of BMO Capital Markets and their affiliates, which includes the overall profitability of investment banking services. Compensation for research is based on effectiveness in generating new ideas and in communication of ideas to clients, performance of recommendations, accuracy of earnings estimates, and service to clients. Company Specific Disclosures Disclosure 9B: BMO Capital Markets makes a market in IAMGOLD and AngloGold Ashanti in United States. For Important Disclosures on the stocks discussed in this report, please click here. I have been an admirer of Deborah Orrs trenchant newspaper columns for many years. Challenging dogma with new perspectives, her writing is unpredictable, singular and always exciting as she forensically dissects lifes complexities and contradictions. And here we have it: finished just before her death from breast cancer at just 57 last year, her masterpiece her memoir about growing up working-class in Motherwell, south-east of Glasgow, the daughter of John, a factory worker, and Win, a controlling enigma of a woman Orr spent her life trying to reconcile herself to and understand. There are mothers who will never cease to refuse their daughters their own identity in whatever way they can, she writes, My mother was one of them. To the backdrop of the vast Ravenscraig steelworks that stunning dystopian panorama in whose shadow the community lived, Orr tells her family story through the framework of childhood objects she discovers in a bureau she inherits from her parents. Its the story of her family but its also a social commentary of Britain, from the introduction of council homes to the reign of Margaret Thatcher, the miners strikes and the move away from streaming in schools to entirely mixed-ability comprehensive education, at each juncture reflecting on the very real effect of political decisions and all their unintended consequences on real peoples lives. Its also Orrs story as she traverses the social classes (What was wrong with honest Heinz Salad Cream, deliciously tangy? Everything possible, I came to understand), going against her parents wishes to get a degree from St Andrews and becoming the first female editor of the Guardians Weekend magazine before she was 30. (I think they found my appetite for achievement exhausting, she says of her parents.) No one in Orrs family, least of all the man she would marry and divorce acrimoniously, the author Will Self, comes away from her pen unscathed (Is it memoir therapy? Or is it vengeance?) but she is most unforgiving when she turns the scalpel on herself. There is a telling anecdote when Orr notes her fathers occupation in her marriage documents as semi-skilled labourer, a description which her mother finds hurtful. Orr, inexplicably, cant understand why her mother is so upset by this but does admit that she used her childhood to amplify her success: The more humble my beginnings, the more I appeared to have achieved I emphasised my lowly parents to feel prouder of myself. Self-critical: Deborah Orr played up her lowly origins to feel prouder of herself This book is an exploration of what it is to mother well and why, despite her mother being a good mother in some ways, Orr struggled with her and struggled with so many of her relationships, even failing, in her eyes, to mother well myself. This book is not perfect. Other peoples childhoods are not as endlessly fascinating to other people as our own are to ourselves, and despite her finely tuned antennae for diagnosing narcissistic behaviour in others, Orr often seems oddly unable to spot it in herself. But this is a fascinating look into the childhood of one of our most important journalists and an attempt after what she describes as a decade of crisis in her personal life to regain control of the narrative that shaped her. Early in the book Orr describes how Win named all her dolls for her. Win, she writes, was in charge of all the words. Now, after her and her mothers death, its Orrs turn to take charge of my own family, in my own words. A China Daily newspaper box in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on Dec. 6, 2017. China Daily is a Chinese state-run newspaper published in the English language. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times) Indiana Representative Plans Push to Stop China Daily Distribution to Members of Congress WASHINGTONRep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) says most mornings in his congressional office, he receives a packet of newspapers from across the United States, many of which he goes through seeking helpful facts and credible analyses of the issues of the day. But solid facts and legitimate analyses arent what he sees in the China Daily editions that often come along with the other publications, and Banks is determined to put a stop to the deliveries of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda sheet on Capitol Hill. What people dont know is that every morning, we receive a packet of journals and newspapers, and, while that is very helpful to me as a policymaker, the China Daily being included on an almost-daily basis in that packet is a dangerous precedent, Banks told The Epoch Times on Jan. 2. Not just because its a propaganda rag, but because of who owns it and how its paid for, and for that to show up on the doorstep of every member of Congress, to be distributed to every member of Congress team, and oftentimes to be lying around for constituents visiting offices to read, which is what most of these newspapers end up doing, is almost an endorsement of them as a legitimate news source, which they are not, Banks said. Banks said that when he initially raised the issue with Phil Kiko, the chief administrative officer (CAO) of the House of Representatives, he was told the daily packet wasnt under that offices control. But, as you can imagine, security on Capitol Hill is pretty tight, and every morning, I receive these packets on my doorstep, so somebody has to know where they come from, how theyre packaged and funded, Banks said. When you realize there are strict lobbyist rules for disclosure and such, its pretty clear that somewhere along the line our rules are being ignored. In his Sept. 30, 2019, letter to Kiko, Banks noted that the China Daily is owned and bankrolled by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China, the agency responsible for monitoring and controlling all media produced in the one-party state. China Dailys increasing reach is part of a broader foreign disinformation initiative started by former [Chinese] premier Hu Jintao. The Chinese Communist Party committed $6.6 billion to foreign propaganda efforts in 2009 and, according to Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) receipts, has spent over $20 million on the China Daily since 2017. Chinas massive financial commitment speaks to the seriousness of their effort to sway foreign sentiment. Stories in the China Daily and in the four-to-eight page supplements the CCP pays to insert in major U.S. dailies such as The Washington Post and The New York Times serve as cover for Chinas atrocities, including its genocide of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region and its support for the crackdown in Hong Kong, Banks wrote. Kiko responded to Banks in an Oct. 8, 2019, letter in which he said the China Daily is among multiple newspapers distributed to Capitol Hill offices by the Lanham, Md.-based National News Agency. My office does not directly contract with National News, nor does it pay for or distribute such publications, Kiko told Banks. National News claims on its web site that it targets every single decision maker within the House and Senate every day. Kiko, who has been CAO since August 2016, is a longtime aide to Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). He was retained as CAO when Democrats regained the House majority in January 2019. Banks said his letter to Kiko and a more recent one to House Administration Committee Chairman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the panels ranking Republican, were lost in the impeachment debate and controversy in December. Neither Lofgren nor Davis have responded to Banks. We go back into session next week, and I will be following up with those leaders to make sure theyre paying attention to the issue in my letter, Banks told The Epoch Times. Dave Gasperetti, National News vice president for public relations, initially denied in an interview on Jan. 2 that China Daily is among the publications his company distributes to congressional offices, then said, what we deliver is proprietary, and I dont have to tell you. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc. Port has a unique responsibility to implement the new Government's development policies, and I believe that the commitment of all its employees will help to build a better future for ports in the country Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) commenced duties in the New Year on 1 January 2020 at a ceremony blessed with multi-religious activities held at its Chaithya premises in Port of Colombo. Minister of Roads and Highways and Minister of Ports & Shipping the Johnston Fernando was the chief guest of this event. The ceremony began with the reading of the public service pledge and swearing in to support the newly elected government's program. Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) commenced duties in the New Year on 1 January 2020 at a ceremony blessed with multi-religious activities held at its Chaithya premises in Port of Colombo. Minister of Roads and Highways and Minister of Ports & Shipping the Johnston Fernando was the chief guest of this event. The ceremony began with the reading of the public service pledge and swearing in to support the newly elected government's program. Addressing the event Minister of Roads & Highways and Ports & Shipping the Johnston Fernando said this year 2020 is very special to all of us in the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. Port has a unique responsibility to implement the new Government's development policies, and I believe that the commitment of all its employees will help to build a better future for ports in the country. Minister of Roads & Highways and Ports & Shipping the Hon Johnston Fernando is addressing the event The minister noted also that the shortsighted decisions taken by the previous administration have caused negative impacts on the national economy. While appreciating the new appointment of the SLPA chairperson, the Minister asserted that appointing a leader who led the army with over two hundred thousand war heroes as the chairperson of the SLPA is assurance of laying the strong foundation to enhance the future of the ports. Meanwhile, addressing the event State Minister of Ports Development Affairs the Kanakata Herath said, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority has a unique role to play in strengthening the economy of the country, fulfilling the aspirations of the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister the Mahinda Rajapaksa. Newly appointed chairperson of the SLPA General ( Retd.) Daya Ratnayake also addressed the event. I am very happy to join the SLPA as we are welcoming the New Year with a fresh look for a new country, Gen. ( Retd.) Ratnayake said. SLPA Chairperson General (Retired) Daya Ratnayake is addressing the event The national leadership is committed to making the country prosperous by making needful decisions based on the Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour. Sri Lanka Ports Authority's goals in 2020 are to accelerate the Colombo South Port Development Project, transform the regional ports into profit-making ports, and protecting employees satisfaction, he further observed. The Port Authority is one of the national economic empowering institutions and its employees are unique. In the journey of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, all should work together to achieve its mission, the logistic excellence on the silk route, he added.The national leadership is committed to making the country prosperous by making needful decisions based on the Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour. Sri Lanka Ports Authority's goals in 2020 are to accelerate the Colombo South Port Development Project, transform the regional ports into profit-making ports, and protecting employees satisfaction, he further observed. Ports and Shipping Ministry Secretary Priyantha Mayadunne, Managing Director of SLPA Captain Athula Hewawitharana, Additional Managing Director of SLPA Upali De Zoysa, Divisional Heads, Executive Officers, Ports and Shipping Ministry representatives and representatives of the trade unions also graced the event. A tree-planting program was also launched to coincide with the commencement ceremony for the year 2020. The peacefulness of countries all around the world is evaluated by a report known as the Global Peace Index (GPI). The GPI was first produced in May 2007 and has been released annually since then by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) and other partners. Presently, the GPI ranks 163 countries and territories all around the world. Three broad factors or themes are used in determining the peacefulness of a nation: Level of militarization. Domestic and international conflicts. Level of safety and security in a society. A low index indicates a peaceful nation while a higher GPI is an indicator of a lack of peace. The Most Dangerous Countries in the World The GPI figures from 2018 show that Syria is the most dangerous county in the world with an index score of 3.600 followed by Afghanistan with 3.585. South Sudan is third with 3.508 while Iraq and Somalia are fourth and fifth with scores of 3.425 and 3.367 respectively. Other dangerous countries include Yemen (3.305), Libya (3.262), the Democratic Republic of Congo (3.251), and others. Officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic, Syria is a country in Asia that has been in a civil war inspired by the Arab Spring back in 2011. Since then, the conflict has been between Ba'athist Syrian Arab Republic, which is led by the president, and rebel forces. As of 2016, the estimated deaths from the conflict stood at 400,000 people. This ongoing war is the reason why Syria is the most dangerous country in the world. Also located in Asia, Afghanistan has also experienced seasons of conflict that have seen to this low placement on the GPI. An example of a recent conflict was the emergence of the Taliban in the early stages of the 1990s. Even after the Taliban was removed from power in 2002, the group continued to control some parts of Afghanistan. The famous Osama bin Laden, who was killed in 2011 in Pakistan, also led the Al Qaeda terrorist group that sowed unrest in the region. South Sudan became the youngest country in the world after it received its independence from Sudan back in 2011. Unfortunately, it ranks as one of the most dangerous countries in the world due to the conflict that started in December 2013. The conflict started after the president accused the vice president and other people of trying to carry out a coup detat. In such a short time, the civil war has claimed the lives of an estimated 400,000 people and displaced at least 4 million people. Almost two million of these displaced people are internally displaced while others have fled to other countries such as Sudan and Uganda. International Reception of the GPI There have been mixed reactions to this way of measuring a countrys safety from the international community. A number of international figures such as the late Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, and others have expressed their approval of the index. On the other hand, it has received some criticism from people who argue that the GPI does not take into account of some indicators. An example of such an indicator is violence towards children and women. Amazon employees say the company is threatening to fire workers for publicly pushing the company to do more to combat climate change. Amazon Employees For Climate Justice, a climate change advocacy group founded by Amazon workers, said Thursday that the company sent letters to members telling them that they could be fired if they continued to speak to the press. 'This is not the time to shoot the messengers,' said Amazon employee Maren Costa, in a prepared statement. 'This is not the time to silence those who are speaking out,' Costa added. According to The Washington Post, a lawyer for Amazon sent a letter to Costa and Costa and Jamie Kowalski, an Amazon software development engineer, who were interviewed by the newspaper in October. Scroll down for video Amazon employees, Maren Costa (left) and Emily Cunningham (right) say the company is threatening to fire workers for publicly pushing the company to do more to combat climate change In a letter dated for November 22, 2019, Amazon attorney, Eric Sjoding, accused the employees of violating the companys external communications policy. Amazon employees protest outside the company's headquarters in Seattle in September 2019 Last year, more than 8,000 staffers signed an open letter to CEO Jeff Bezos, demanding Amazon cut its carbon emissions and end its use of fossil fuels. Employees protest in September 2019 In the letter dated for November 22, 2019, attorney, Eric Sjoding, accused the employees of violating the companys external communications policy. The letter reportedly warned that future infractions could 'result in formal corrective action, up to and including termination of your employment with Amazon'. Sjoding said the employees should 'review the policy again and in the future anytime you may consider speaking about Amazons business in a public forum'. Costa told the Post that 'it was scary to be called into a meeting like that, and then to be given a follow-up email saying that if I continued to speak up, I could be fired'. 'But I spoke up because Im terrified by the harm the climate crisis is already causing, and I fear for my childrens future,' she added. Amazon, which relies on fossil fuels to power the planes, trucks and vans that ship packages all over the world, has an enormous carbon footprint. And Amazon workers have been vocal in criticizing some of the company's practices. Last year, more than 8,000 staffers signed an open letter to CEO and founder Jeff Bezos, demanding that Amazon cut its carbon emissions, end its use of fossil fuels and to stop its work with oil companies that use Amazon's technology to locate fossil fuel deposits. A third employee also said she was informed in October that she had violated the company's policy. Emily Cunningham, a user-experience designer, spoke out on social media and to news outlets about Amazon's climate impact. 'It was a clear attempt to silence me and other workers who have been speaking out about the climate crisis,' Cunningham told the Post. The online shopping giant said Thursday that employees can suggest improvements to how it operates within the company. 'Our policy regarding external communications is not new and we believe is similar to other large companies,' Amazon said. The company in September released details on its carbon footprint for the first time after a campaign by employees. It rivals the emissions of a small country. Amazon has pushed recently to reduce its carbon footprint. In September, CEO Jeff Bezos (pictured in September) vowed to make Amazon carbon neutral by 2040 Amazon has pushed recently to reduce its carbon footprint. In September, CEO Jeff Bezos vowed to make Amazon carbon neutral by 2040. The world's richest man said at the time that a part of that pledge is an order for 100,000 electric delivery vans from a start-up they have invested in. The world's richest man said at the time that the company will be ordering 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from US vehicle design and manufacturing startup Rivian Automotive LLC and would use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030, up from 40 per cent today. Cutting emissions is a challenging goal for the online retail giant, which delivers 10 billion items a year and has a massive transportation footprint. 'We know we can do it and we know we have to do it. We want to use our scope and our scale to lead the way,' Bezos said in September. Amazon will meet the goals of the Paris climate accord 10 years ahead of schedule, according to Bezos after the Trump administration announced in June 2017 that it would be withdrawing from it. The Paris Agreement, which was first signed in 2015, is an international agreement to control and limit climate change by 2050. It hopes to hold the increase in the global average temperature to below 3.6F and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 2.7F. An entity can become carbon neutral by balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases cause global warming, which can lead to rising sea levels and more destructive meteorological events. Major tech companies have been grappling with how to deal with employees who increasingly are speaking publicly about corporate policies and practices. Five workers fired from Google late last year have filed federal labor practice complaints against the company, claiming they were let go because they were involved in employee organizing activities. Google disputes that, saying they were let go for violating the company's data security policy. The company's employees have protested a wide range of issues at Google, including its handling of sexual misconduct claims. An inmate caught with a tiny cellphone smuggled into a federal prison in Petersburg was sentenced to 10 months in prison Monday. Kevin Lavon Smith, 32, was arrested Nov. 15 the day before he was to be released from prison on an unrelated offense and charged with possessing contraband at the Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg. The finger-sized, fully functional cellphone was smuggled into the prison by a female visitor who hid it in her bra. An officer spotted Smith taking it from one of her pockets as their visit was ending June 20. In court papers, the government asked U.S. District Judge David Novak to impose a 12-month term, while Smiths lawyer asked that he be sentenced to time already served. Court records show Novak imposed 10 months with credit for time already served since mid-November. Smith was serving a three-year sentence imposed in 2017 for violating the terms of his supervised release by abusing drugs. In 2014, he was sentenced to nine months followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. At least 48 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in tribal fighting in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur, the Red Crescent said on Thursday. The armed clashes broke out on Sunday night in El Geneina, capital of West Darfur state, and continued until Monday between Arab and African tribes during which several houses were torched, it said. At least 48 people were killed and their bodies transferred to a morgue in the city and 241 wounded, including 19 in critical condition who were flown to Khartoum for treatment, it said in a statement. "This morning the situation is calm," it said, adding that several homes had been torched. The Khartoum government imposed a curfew across West Darfur on Monday and has launched an investigation into the bloodshed, while a delegation of senior officials visited the area. The government also deployed troops to El Geneina to restore order. Residents of El Geneina who spoke to AFP by phone said security forces were patrolling main roads in the city, confirming that the fighting had subsided. According to Sudanese media, the fighting erupted after a row between two people. A woman reached by phone said she had fled the Krinding camp for displaced Masalit, a non-Arab ethnic group, near El Geneina after assailants torched tents there. "Our tents were set on fire. We have no food and only the clothes on our back and there are bodies littering the ground," she told AFP. In January 2016, six people were killed in unrest in West Darfur following violence involving Masalit tribesmen and members of the Arab Beni Halba tribe. Those clashes sparked rallies in Khartoum, with protesters marching to the prime minister's office and the justice ministry carrying signs calling for an "end to massacres in the camps of the displaced" and on authorities to punish the culprits. Darfur -- made up of five states -- spiralled into conflict in 2003. The Darfur fighting broke out when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated government of now ousted president Omar al-Bashir, which they accused of marginalising the region. The conflict left around 300,000 people dead and displaced 2.5 million others, the UN says. Bashir, who is behind bars for corruption and awaiting trial on other charges, is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in Darfur. Sudan said on December 22 it had opened a probe into crimes committed in Darfur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Israel's parliament for immunity. In a fiery speech in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Netanyahu accused the justice system of selective enforcement, calling the prosecution a politically motivated coup to oust him from office. The Israeli Supreme Court decided today to reject a separate petition to prevent Netanyahu from running for office again. Why it matters: The immunity law aims to allow officials to pursue matters of public interest without fear of prosecution. It can be invoked in four cases: to protect freedom of expression, to curtail prosecutors acting in bad faith, to prevent a needless trial when the Knesset has already taken action against a member and to stop criminal proceedings that would damage the Knesset and the public interest. The move puts Netanyahu's trial squarely in the center of the campaign for the March elections, pushing aside Iran, Hamas and other important challenges. Whats next: Netanyahus request would normally go through the Knessets House Committee before going to a vote by the full 120-member body. But political paralysis has prevented the formation of such a panel for months, likely delaying the immunity request until the March 2 elections. Netanyahu would then need a simple majority of 61 coalition members from right-wing and religious parties to stay the prosecution. Opposition parties have called for the creation of a temporary committee now while Netanyahus allies are in the minority, but the effort is a long shot. As such, Netanyahus campaign goal will be to attack the justice system while describing himself as the victim of deep state forces that cannot beat him at the polls. If he loses, hell face a trial that will start as soon as this spring and most likely mark the end of the Netanyahu era. Know more: Ben Caspit explains that much now rests on whether the prime minister decides to run a grievance-fueled election campaign against the prosecution or lets the justice system run its course while highlighting his accomplishments as a statesman. Different from Lake Wobegon, where all the youngsters are above average, most downstate Illinois schools perform below the statewide averages on achievement tests. I write not to criticize, but to evaluate, and to explore what might be done to boost achievement. The Illinois School Report Card produced by the states board of education offers a trove of information about our schools and their students. You can slice and dice the data on its website. What you will find is depressingly predictable: School district performance strongly correlates with household income, and not with spending. Since downstate communities are overall less wealthy than those in metro Chicago, performance is also, generally, less robust. The sample of school districts I looked at across Illinois was consistent: Both downstate rural and urban school districts generally performed below the statewide averages for 11th grade language and math tests. The downstate exceptions were suburban-type districts on the edge of cities, as outside Peoria and Champaign-Urbana, where, lets be honest, many families locate to avoid the problems of city schools. Schools such as Dunlap (outside Peoria) and Mahomet (Champaign) spend less per pupil than their nearby city schools and perform much better. The state Report Card includes fascinating scatterplots of all schools. You will see strong correlations between the percentage of low-income families in districts and performance; the fewer low income, the higher the test scores. On the other hand, there is almost no correlation I can see in the scatterplot for spending and performance. The scatterplot resembles a goose egg, standing up. That doesnt mean spending is unimportant. I am confident the many suburban schools that pay an average of more than $100,000 per year for teachers are able to attract, overall, a greater percentage of teachers who earn masters degrees in substantive areas such as science, math and English than in school districts near my town, where average salaries are under $50,000. The high-spending schools generally have larger enrollments as well, and thus offer more foreign languages, earlier, and a richer array of challenging coursework. Yet I would guess that even if the suburban schools paid as little as my rural districts, their students would still perform much better than average because the parents and peer pressure would demand it. Parents would create and fund foundations to provide what they think their children need to get into top colleges. We in Illinois are at present embarked on a gradual increase in the state funding for low-wealth districts, which includes most rural districts, so long as state funding is available. I am all for this. Yet, if improved performance doesnt follow, taxpayers might say: Why are we doing this? I dont fault my local school teachers for below average performance, but I do believe school superintendents and their boards must up their game. I fear the supes often caress their boards with cherry-picked information from the school district report cards, showing improvement here and there, yet ignoring that the schools are still performing below average. The school boards often think that if they are doing as well as the under-performing school district down the road, they are doing just fine. Not true. Parents with ambitions for their young are not likely to locate in small towns where the schools are below average, and I can assure you such families check out the statewide school report cards. Poor-performing schools bode ill for the future of rural America, and for all America. The performance problems I dont know why school leaders dont shout this to the high heaven, in their own frustration lie primarily with the families and communities in which the schools are embedded. Low-income families often fail to create strong expectations for success among their children, nor do they provide the discipline and support at home necessary to achieve high aspirations. So, what can be done? Schools in big city China require English from kindergarten through high school. If a rural district offered Mandarin from the earliest grades and my Chinese friends believe such could be arranged young parents would take notice, I can assure you. Yet I fear that most downstate school boards would consider that way too far outside the box, comfortable in their misguided belief that the U.S. is still the center of the world. Schools are already providing breakfast, lunch and after-school snacks for the low-income. Should schools provide even more social services? I dont think schools can become in loco parentis (in place of parents), at least not effectively. Yet, somehow, schools and communities churches, private charity, neighborhood groups must engage and stimulate clueless families to do a better job of parenting for success. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 These offers will be exclusive to HDFC Credit Cards, Debit Cards (only EMI) and HDFC Loans. Samsung, Indias largest consumer electronics and smartphone brand, today announced exciting cashback offers on Galaxy A series smartphones for consumers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states. With the announcement of Samsungs Sankranti Sambaralu offers, customers in the region can buy Galaxy A series smartphones at a never before price. The offer will be valid from January 1, 2020 through January 20, 2020. During these twenty days, smartphones such as Galaxy A20/20s, Galaxy A30/A30s, Galaxy A50/A50s and Galaxy A70/A70s will be eligible for 7.5 per cent cashback offers. These offers will be exclusive to HDFC Credit Cards, Debit Cards (only EMI) and HDFC Loans. Additionally, Samsung is offering No Cost EMIs from all leading financiers on the purchase of Galaxy A smartphones. Grab Samsung Galaxy A series smartphones at the best prices and make this festive season a memorable one. --Press Release-- Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. An Iranian general declared today that Tehran was not afraid of war after Donald Trump threatened the country after the siege at the US embassy in Iraq. President Trump said that he was holding Iran 'fully responsible' for Tuesday's carnage which saw the consulate in Baghdad besieged and set ablaze by a pro-Iran mob. 'We are not leading the country to war, but we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak correctly with the Iranian nation.' Islamic Revolutionary Guards Commander, Brigadier General Hossein Salami warned. 'We have the power to break them several times over and are not worried.' Trump had said in a tweet on Tuesday that Iran would be 'held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat.' Scroll down for video. In response to Donald Trump saying that he would hold Iran 'fully responsible', Brigadier General Hossein Salami said 'we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak correctly to the Iranian nation' Pro-Iranian militiamen and their supporters set a fire while U.S. soldiers fired tear gas during a sit-in in front of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday The first contingent of a paratroop infantry battalion from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division bound for Kuwait receive a briefing as they prepare to leave Fort Bragg, North Carolina on Wednesday The first wave of 750 U.S. Army paratroopers from a rapid reaction force were dispatched from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Kuwait yesterday. Iran-backed militiamen have withdrawn from the US embassy compound in the Iraqi capital but tensions remain high after two days of clashes. On Tuesday, some 6,000 pro-Iran Shiite militia fighters stormed U.S. embassy in Baghdad, set walls ablaze and chanted 'Death to America!' in a violent retaliation for American air strikes. There were no reports of American casualties, and the attack was repelled after 100 Marines rapidly reinforced the compound. US Secretary of Defense Pompeo said in a statement that the attack was 'orchestrated by terrorists' and 'abetted by Iranian proxies', tweeting pictures that he said showed US-designated terrorists with Iranian ties outside the embassy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday condemned U.S. attacks on Iranian-allied militias in Iraq, blaming the United States for violence in Iran's neighbour. A protester places a shoe at a placard with U.S. President Donald Trump illustration outside the U.S. Embassy during a protest yesterday to condemn air strikes on pro-Iran militia Iran's Army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Thursday his forces were ready to confront the 'enemy'. 'Our armed forces ... monitor all moves, and if anyone makes the slightest mistake, they will decisively react, and if the situation heats up, we will show our abilities to the enemy,' Mousavi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB. Iran protested on Wednesday to a Swiss envoy, who represents U.S. interests in Tehran, over what it called 'warmongering statements' by American officials. India on Thursday said that even as negotiations continue to settle the border dispute with China, the two sides should ensure the issue does not cloud the overall relationship. The Special Representatives of the two countries on the border issue National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and State Councillor Wang Yi met in New Delhi last month and agreed to intensify efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution and to work on more confidence-building measures (CBM). China proposed some early harvest proposals, including an agreement to settle the border in the Sikkim sector, though India linked this to progress on the middle sector of the boundary in Uttarakhand. Answering a question at a regular news briefing, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar refused to go into details of the early harvest proposals or other aspects of the negotiations and said both sides would have to ensure that the border dispute didnt cloud the overall relationship. There was a feeling it (border issue) should be addressed from a strategic perspective of India-China relations. While discussions continue under the Special Representatives framework, there should be peace and tranquillity on the border, he said. A proper discussion on the boundary issue is important for the overall development of the bilateral relationship, he said. Keeping the overall umbrella of the relationship in mind, it is important for India and China to work together and cooperate together, he added. The 49 year victim was riding the CTA Blue Line train when he got into an argument with another male passenger who stabbed the 49-year-old in the abdomen, Chicago police said. The bomb squad was called after fears a homemade explosive device had been found inside a suburban home in Geelong. Police cordoned off part of Kana Street in Grovedale after the suspected pipe bomb was discovered on Thursday afternoon. Some houses in the neighbourhood had to be evacuated while officers moved in to retrieve the explosive. Bomb squad officers from Victoria Police have evacuated a suburban street near Geelong (pictured) after being called to a residence where they allegedly found a homemade explosive 'The premises is secure and awaiting the arrival of the Bomb Response Unit. Evacuation of nearby residence is now underway,' a Victoria Police statement read. 'Victoria Police Bomb Response Unit are on route from Melbourne. The matter is contained and there is no risk to the community at this point in time.' At about 2.50pm bomb retrieval officers safely detonated the device which police said was not an explosive. 'The surrounding area has been rehabilitated and residents have now returned to their homes,' the statement continued. 'The search of the premises is continuing by police.' Hundreds of U.S. paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division boarded C-17 Globemaster aircraft on January 1. They are part of the 750 sent to the Middle East after an Iran-backed militia fired rockets that killed a U.S. contractor and, in response, U.S. airstrikes killed two dozen militiamen. Then pro-Iranian protesters, guided by Iraqi politicians, attacked the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. This is President Donald Trumps Iraq moment. He said it wont be another Benghazi, where terrorists attacked a U.S. diplomatic compound and a CIA annex, killing U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, causing the U.S. to withdraw from the city. The Trump administration is now at a crossroads in its Iran policy and in its wider Middle East strategy. Since walking away from the flawed Iran deal, the U.S. has been pushing maximum pressure sanctions against Iran. Iran has been testing American resolve, attacking oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman in May and June 2019, downing a sophisticated U.S. drone, sending a drone swarm to attack Saudi Arabia, and firing rockets at Israel. Iranian-backed groups have also carried out eleven attacks on bases in Iraq where U.S. forces are present. Trump had been reticent to retaliate, calling off strikes in June after the drone downing. But in mid December, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned of a decisive response if the rocket attacks continued. The U.S. also sanctioned Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, including Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, and Qais Khazali, leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq. The message was clear: If its forces are harmed, the U.S. will take action and will pressure Irans proxies in Iraq. Kataib Hezbollah, led by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, launched 32 rockets at the K-1 military base on December 27, killing a U.S. contractor and wounding four U.S. personnel. Muhandis has a long history of attacking Americans, plotting attacks on the U.S. embassy in Kuwait in the 1980s. He has worked with Hezbollah in the past, and in the mid 2000s he opposed the U.S. in Iraq. U.S. airstrikes in December killed two dozen Kataib Hezbollah members, including officers of the unit in Syria and Iraq, in contrast to similar airstrikes Israel has carried out against pro-Iranian groups there. Israel prefers precision strikes that usually kill fewer people. Israel allegedly struck Kataib Hezbollah in June 2018. For the U.S., the decision to strike was about sending a message that Irans proxies will pay for their actions. Story continues On December 30, a senior State Department official said that the U.S. is serious about confronting Irans activities. Pompeo has said that all Iranian-commanded forces must leave Syria. He went to Iraq in May 2019 to warn of credible threats against us by the Iranians and their proxies. Irans regime studies U.S. decision making and has been poking and prodding all year. It strikes at U.S. allies to see how Israel and Saudi Arabia will respond. Riyadh did not respond to the September attack on Abqaiq; Israel has carried out more than 1,000 airstrikes on 250 targets in Syria. Iran also wants to show the U.S. that it can circumvent sanctions. Indias foreign minister visited Iran in December, and Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif went to Qatar, Oman, Russia, and China. Irans president recently went to Malaysia and Japan. Iran, Russia, and China held a joint naval drill, and Iran is working on an economic port agreement with India in Irans Chabahar, port which is a lifeline for Afghanistan. Unsurprisingly, Iran has hosted the Taliban, in an effort to pressure the U.S. in Afghanistan. What can the U.S. do next? Senator Lindsey Graham has called on allies in Iraq to stand with the US. Pompeo has called out senior Iraqi politicians and militia leaders for their ties to Iran and for their role in attacking the embassy. He has also called on leaders in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to build support for U.S. responses. There are several hurdles now in Iraq. This is Americas Iraq 5.0 moment. In August 1990, the U.S. sent forces to Saudi Arabia to confront Iraqs invasion of Kuwait. The U.S. returned to Iraq in 2003 to remove Saddam Hussein. After the 2007 surge to defeat the Iraqi insurgency, American forces left in 2011. President Barack Obama sent troops at the invitation of Baghdad to help defeat ISIS. Now, facing a potential confrontation with Iran, the US. deployment to Iraq to defend the embassy has been a major focus for CENTCOM, U.S. special forces, and Operation Inherent Resolve, the anti-ISIS campaign. This indicates how serious U.S. forces are in taking the next step. Trump has spoken out against endless wars, but his team wont countenance more attacks on U.S. forces. This could lead to calm, if Tehran appreciates that Washington is serious; to clearer U.S. support for Israels actions against Iran; and to an anchoring of U.S. forces in areas of southern Syria and the autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq, a stable and safe area where the U.S. is generally welcome. But Iraq is at a crossroads as well. Three months of Iraqi protests, often against Irans heavy-handed role in the country, means that many Iraqis are disappointed by the abuses of the same militias that target Americans. Iraqs prime minister has resigned because of the protests, and Iraqs president must choose a new leader. Amid a major crises with the U.S. and Iran, Iraqis are caught, held hostage by militias but wanting to avoid another round of fighting. Iran wants to pressure the U.S. to leave Iraq. So far Trump is keen on a show of force to demonstrate that Iran wont win this round. More from National Review Indonesian Deputy Minister for Maritime Affairs Arif Havas Oegroseno points to the North Natuna Sea on a new map of Indonesia during talks with reporters in Jakarta, July 14, 2017. China has a right to sail ships near the Natuna Islands, a foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday, as Beijing hardened its stance in a diplomatic spat after Indonesia protested about dozens of Chinese boats, including two coast guard ships, entering its Exclusive Economic Zone late last month. When a reporter asked him about an Indonesian government statement a day earlier saying there was no legal basis to Beijings claims that its ships could sail in Indonesias exclusive zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang rejected that assertion. Chinas position and propositions comply with international law, including UNCLOS [the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea], he told a press conference in the Chinese capital. So whether the Indonesian side accepts it or not, nothing will change the objective fact that China has rights and interests over the relevant waters. The so-called award of the South China Sea arbitration is illegal, null and void and we have long made it clear that China neither accepts nor recognizes it. The Chinese side firmly opposes any country, organization or individual using the invalid arbitration award to hurt Chinas interests, he said. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in its complaint against China, saying there was no legal basis for Beijing to claim historical rights in the sea. Beijing rejected the ruling and launched a building spree in territories it controls in the sea. On Monday, Indonesian officials summoned Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian and lodged a protest with Beijing after confirming that 63 Chinese fishing boats and two coast guard ships had sailed into Jakartas territorial waters off the Natuna islands since Dec. 19. The next day, as he responded to the initial criticism from Indonesia, Geng told a press conference that China had sovereignty over the Nansha Islands the Chinese name for the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters near the Nansha Islands. China has historical rights in the South China Sea and Chinese fishermen have long been engaging in legal and legitimate fishery activities in waters near those islands, he told reporters Tuesday. The China Coast Guard were performing their duty by carrying out routine patrols to maintain maritime order and protect our peoples legitimate rights and interests in the relevant waters, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman added. On Wednesday, Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement dismissing Chinas historical claims to the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on the grounds that Chinese fishermen have long been active in those waters. Those claims are unilateral and have no legal basis and have never been recognized by the 1982 UNCLOS, the Indonesian ministry said. We urge China to explain the legal basis and provide clear a definition for its claims on Indonesian EEZ based on 1982 UNCLOS, the statement said. Nine-Dash Line China, through its so-called Nine-Dash Line vaguely located demarcations on maps claims most of the South China Sea as its own, while Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims. In 2016, a dispute erupted between Indonesia and China after Beijing accused the Indonesian Navy of firing at a Chinese fishing boat and injuring a crew member during a standoff in Natuna waters, an area that Beijing claimed as its traditional fishing ground. Indonesian officials said warning shots were fired at several Chinese-flagged ships allegedly encroaching, but no one was injured. In 2017, Indonesia asserted its claim to the region at the far southern end of the South China Sea by renaming the waters around the islands as the North Natuna Sea and establishing an integrated military unit in the chain. Muhammad Haripin, a researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, said Jakarta should take a stronger stance against foreign fishing boats entering its waters illegally. They must be arrested so that there is a deterrent effect, Haripin told BenarNews. The government can also provide security for Indonesian fishermen so they will not be afraid to go to the sea. PHOENIXRandom gunfire struck and injured a toddler on New Years Eve in a Phoenix backyard, police said Wednesday. The 3-year-old boy was expected to survive the wound left by a bullet fragment Tuesday night, the Arizona Republic reported. Police are searching for whoever fired the shots, said Phoenix police Sgt. Mercedes Fortune. Though it wasnt immediately clear why the shots were fired, shooting guns into the air to celebrate the New Year and other holidays is a longstanding practice in some places. In Arizona, the practice became a felony punishable by up to two years in prison after a stray bullet killed a 14-year-old girl in Phoenix. The measure stiffening penalties was called Shannons Law after Shannon Smith, who was killed by a stray bullet in 1999. Since then, police have knocked on doors to warn people about firing guns on holidays. They can also use a system called ShotSpotter, a system that pinpoints the location where a gun has been fired. Celebratory Gunfire on New Years Eve Although rare, people being shot by celebratory gunfire on New Years Eve and other holidays like the Fourth of July does happen, prompting law enforcement authorities to caution people that bullets fired into the air can endanger peoples lives. Our message has always been not to do it because its dangerous and illegal in our city, police Lt. Mario Campos said. Bullets can travel a long distance. Any gunfire discharged into the air has to come down and land on something. A 9-year-old boy in Cleveland was wounded by a stray bullet last New Years Eve as he watched television inside his familys home. The boys mother declined to be interviewed. Another 9-year-old boy in Atlanta was shot in the abdomen by celebratory gunfire early January 2019, while he and his family set off fireworks. A 4-year-old boy was killed in 2010 in Decatur, Georgia, when an AK-47 round penetrated a church roof and struck him in the head as he sat next to his parents during a New Years Eve service. A 2004 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people struck by gunfire shot into the air are most likely to be hit in the head. By Mark Gillispie The Golden Globe will also provide glass cups to avoid plastic waste The association's president, Lorenzo Soria revealed the requested change came just two weeks before the ceremony The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced on Tuesday that it will serve vegan meals to raise awareness about food consumption and waste The Golden Globes, known as 'the party of the year,' will take a stab at environmental sustainability by serving a completely plant-based menu for its 77th annual award show this Sunday. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the eco-friendly move on Thursday as a part of an initiative to raise awareness about food consumption and waste. HFPA president Lorenzo Soria revealed that there was an initial push back at the idea by the award ceremony's venue, The Beverly Hilton, but the organization felt strongly about the switch. 'If there's a way we can, not change the world, but save the planet, maybe we can get the Golden Globes to send a signal and draw attention to the issue about climate change,' he said. 'The food we eat, the way we grow the food we eat, the way we dispose of the food is one of the large contributors to the climate crisis.' Pictured: the Golden Globes latest plant-based menu, including entree items like King Oyster Mushroom Scallops and Wild Mushroom Risotta, as well as roasted baby purple and green Brussels sprouts and carrots Pictured: King oyster mushroom scallops on a bed of wild mushroom risotto with roasted Brussels sprouts, prepared by Beverly Hilton Executive Chef Matthew Morgan He continued to say that rewriting the menu just two weeks before the Golden Globes came with its own set of challenges. Soria said: 'People were basically saying it's too late, we're ready with all the orders, the holidays and all that, but after we began discussions, meeting for one or two days, [the hotel] accepted the change completely.' 'They started to experiment with how to do plant-based meals that was not just their symbolic steps, but also something that guests will enjoy.' HFPA President Lorenzo Soria (pictured) said the Golden Globes can assist in 'draw[ing] attention to the issue about climate change' by switching to a vegan awards ceremony dinner Morgan (pictured): ''It was a little shocking when first mentioned, because of being very close to the actual Globes and having already decided on a menu, but once we thought about it and the message that it sent, we were really excited about it' Matthew Morgan, executive chef at The Beverly Hilton, was surprised by the sudden request, but understood the importance of the positive message. 'It was a little shocking when first mentioned, because of being very close to the actual Globes and having already decided on a menu, but once we thought about it and the message that it sent, we were really excited about it. That's something I stand behind myself,' Morgan said. 'We had the menu with fish. Then we got together with the HFPA and they wanted to make this change to send a good message. It's definitely the first Golden Globes that has gone vegan,' he told the Hollywood Reporter. All produce and vegetables are locally and substainably sourced. The 2019 Golden Globe menu that included fish as a main entree, as well as a vegetarian option, for guests Morgan (pictured) posing with the Golden Globes original menu at the olden Globes Annual Menu Unveiling The Golden Globe was originally set to set to serve a Chilean Seabass entree (pictured), as revealed at the Golden Globes Annual Menu Unveiling at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on December 16 The Golden Globe's signature drink, the Moet Golden Hour Instead of a traditional chicken dinner, the Beverly Hilton's menu includes entree items like King Oyster Mushroom Scallops and Wild Mushroom Risotto, as well as roasted baby purple and green Brussels sprouts and carrots. The signature drink will be Moet Golden Hour, as shown at the Golden Globes Annual Menu Unveiling at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on December 16. Last year, guests were delighted with guests with Chilean Seabass with Forbidden Black Rice and Sweet Peppter Concasse as the entree. An alternative, vegetarian entree was offered, featuring Stuffed Honeynut Squash with additional Piquillo Pepper Hummus and Chickpeas. Morgan revealed that the changes weren't too difficult. He said the first course was already vegan and the main course had an alternative vegan option. They simply enhanced the dish to add some 'pop and color to the plate.' The Hollywood Foreign Press Association will continue their sustainability efforts by serving naturally alkaline and sustainably-sourced natural spring water as part of a partnership with Icelandic Glacial. The water will be served in glass bottles to eliminate plastic waste in the ballroom and the red carpet, which the HFPA plans to reuse at other events. 'The climate crisis is surrounding us and we were thinking about the new year and the new decade. So we started talking between us about what we can do to send a signal,' said Soria, who did a last minute tasting on December 30. 'We don't think we'll change the world with one meal, but we decided to take small steps to bring awareness. The food we eat, the way it is processed and grown and disposed of, all of that contributes to the climate crisis,' he continued. In September, HFPA announced the Ricky Gervais will present the 2020 Golden Globes for a fifth time. 'As soon as NBC called and said, 'Do you want to do it?' I thought, 'Well, that's Christmas ruined because I've got to work',' Gervais told the Hollywood Reporter. 'People think that I'd go out there and I'd get drunk and say off-the-cuff [things]. I don't. I write jokes.' Some eyebrows raised at the announcement, due to Gervais' history of candidly brash comedy that can sometimes place heat on award show attendees. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Ricky Gervais (pictured) would host the 77th annual Golden Globe awards ceremony this upcoming Sunday In 2016, there were gasps when Gervais made a joke about Caitlyn Jenner's car crash that killed one woman and his jab at Mel Gibson's drinking. 'I like to drink as much as the next man, unless the next man is Mel Gibson,' he said. Gervais says he doesn't feel his brand of comedy, or the marketing of it, has been phased out. 'I don't think I do a brand of comedy. I think what you mean is the marketing of [my comedy]. My marketing is, 'He doesn't care. He doesn't care what anyone thinks of him. He says the unsayable,' which just isn't true,' he said. 'I don't say the unsayable or they wouldn't all be laughing. They would be leaving.' Soria's vegan menu announcement comes after the Golden Globes received backlash for the The Hollywood Foreign Press Association category. Soria (pictured) responded to backlash surrounding the The Hollywood Foreign Press Association by saying, 'What happened is that we don't vote by gender. We vote by film and accomplishment' 'What happened is that we don't vote by gender. We vote by film and accomplishment,' Soria told Variety at the Globes announcement ceremony. Female directors, including Honey Boy's Alma Har'el, criticized the list on Twitter. 'I feel you but know this. I was on the inside for the first time this year. These are not our people and they do not represent us. Do not look for justice in the awards system. We are building a new world,' she wrote. She then shared a list of the many female film directors who she thought qualified for a nomination in the category this year. Director Alma Har'el criticized the Golden Globes all-male nominee selection for the Best Director Motion Picture category on Twitter 'Lulu Wang, Mati Diop, Greta Gerwig, Olivia Wilde, Lorene Scafaria, Marielle Heller, Melina Matsoukas, Chinonye Chukwu, Celine Sciamma. Made films this year that reached people and touched them. That's our awards. No one can take that away,' she continued. 'Keep fighting for more women & POC behind the camera by supporting their films. Don't make your end game the political money that trades hands in the form of movie campaigns for people who can't see us and recognize us.' 'Every year, somebody gets left out,' Barry Adelman, one of the executive producers of this year's Globes, told Variety, adding 'a lot of the big television shows are created by women, so I think across the board there is a good representation'. The last time a woman received a Golden Globes nomination for Best director was in 2014, when Selma's Ava DuVernay received a nomination for the 2015 awards - the only one that year. Before her it was Zero Dark Thirty's Kathryn Bigelow in 2012. Neither won. DailyMail.com reached out to The Hollywood Foreign Press Association for further comments. The Golden Globes will air on NBC on Sunday night 8/ET 5/PT. A French citizen, native of Angola, died in the custody of US immigration agents in hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to immigration officials. French consular services have been notified, and are trying to locate the person's relatives. A statement from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday said the detainee had died on Sunday at the Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque while in federal custody. ICE did not provide identifying information, except to say that he or she was "a 40-year-old native of Angola and citizen of France." According to Buzzfeed news, the detainee was a man who had been in ICE custody since 12 November. He had been held at the Otero County Processing Center until 11 December, when he was moved to the Torrance County Detention Facility, whose staff sent him to hospital for treatment. "An autopsy is pending to determine the official cause of death," ICE said, without providing any information about why the detainee was taken to hospital, where he or she was detained or for how long. The statement also said that the Consulate General of France in Washington has been notified and that French officials "are attempting to locate the next of kin." This is the latest in a number of deaths of immigrants in US custody during crackdown on illegal immigration, which has been central to US President Donald Trump's administrations platform. The US has implemented measures to cut down on people crossing over its southern border. The death follows that of Nebane Abienwi, 37, of Cameroon, who ICE said died in its custody in San Diego, California in October after a brain hemorrhage. Later that month a Cuban, Roylan Hernandez-Diaz, 53, died of an apparent suicide while in ICE custody in Louisiana, the agency said. Between December 2018 and May 2019, five children from Guatemala died in detention after their apprehension by US border officers. Clamping down on both legal and illegal immigration has been a central platform of US President Donald Trump's administration. He has implemented numerous measures to curb a sharp increase in people crossing over the southern US border which overwhelmed the immigration system, but several of his policies on migrants have been blocked in court and sparked controversy. Human Rights Watch said the death of Hernandez-Diaz raised "disturbing questions about a system we know has failed to protect asylum seekers and other immigrants in its care over and over again." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Singapore Thu, January 2, 2020 14:12 739 48be62e941b44f04afae568c3209751f 2 SE Asia #singapore,#politics,opposition,party,fake-news,trial Free A Singapore opposition party said on Thursday it was prepared to legally challenge a government order to attach correction notices to its online posts, accusing the government of using a new fake news law to stymie political debate. It marks the first time such a case could head to court since the law came into effect in October. The Singapore Democratic Party, which has no current representation in parliament, was last month told to issue the notices on an article on its website and related Facebook posts that discussed white-collar jobs in the city-state. It attached the notices, but on Thursday said it stood by its content and asked for the correction notices to be retracted by the labour ministry. "We call on the Minister to not only retract the Correction Directions but also issue an immediate, unambiguous and public apology to the SDP... failing which we will be obliged to pursue the matter in a court of law," SDP said in a statement on its website. The law requires recipients of correction orders to comply even if they intend to appeal. The labour ministry did not have an immediate comment on the SDP's post when contacted by Reuters. The law empowers ministers to ask online media platforms and users to carry corrections or remove content the government deems false and harms public interest. Rights groups fear the law may curb free speech, and opposition politicians say it could give the government too much power as elections loom. Singaporean diplomats have recently defended the law in letters sent to global media outlets like the South China Morning Post and Britain's The Economist, saying the correction directions did not restrict debate and gave readers more information. SDP accused the labour ministry of using the law for "political-partisan purposes to stymie legitimate criticism". "That the general election is not far away makes our case even more salient," it added. The three-month-old law has been used four times since Nov. 25 with figures linked to other opposition parties who were also told their online posts must carry a banner stating they contain false information. Singapore's next general elections must be held by early 2021, but the government is widely expected to call for a vote in the next few months. By Ganesh Nagarajan Bosch Ltd., the Indian unit of the worlds largest auto-parts supplier, plans to join its parent, Robert Bosch GmbH in cutting jobs as the South Asian nation witnesses one of its worst auto sales slowdowns in decades. The German company will cut a couple of thousand jobs in India in the next four years, India Managing Director Soumitra Bhattacharya said. About 10% of 3,700 white-collar jobs and a slightly higher percentage of 6,300 blue-collar jobs will be cut, he added in an interview in Bengaluru on Dec. 30. There is a transformation happening across the industry, Bhattacharya said. We looked at that as an opportunity to transform the company even before the downturn started. Carmakers across the world will shed 80,000 jobs in the coming years amid shrinking demand. That will hit sales at autopart makers. In India, Bosch expects auto sales to only recover in the next two-three years after plummeting in 2019 because of regulatory changes, threat of electrification, a liquidity crunch and an economic slowdown. Still, the German component maker sees the demand for internal combustion engine vehicles leading growth in the auto industry in India. Both ICE and electric powertrains will coexist for a long time, Bhattacharya said. He forecast that 80% of the vehicles will run on ICE the rest on electric by 2030 in the nation. Bosch Indias profit fell 66% in the quarter ended Sept. 30, from a year earlier. Its share price dropped 22% last year. Indias auto sector is going through cyclical and structural changes because of electrification, technological shift and the advent of shared mobility, Bhattacharya said. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday arrived in Islamabad on a day-long visit, amidst criticism of the UAE for siding with Saudi Arabia to put pressure on Pakistan to skip a key conference of Muslim nations in Malaysia Islamabad: Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday arrived in Islamabad on a day-long visit, amidst criticism of the UAE for siding with Saudi Arabia to put pressure on Pakistan to skip a key conference of Muslim nations in Malaysia. Prime Minister Imran Khan received the Crown Prince at the Nur Khan Airbase and personally drove him from the airport. It was for the second time that Khan drove his vehicle as he did in January last year when the prince visited. The visit comes in the wake of the controversy created due to Pakistan skipping the Kuala Lumpur summit to apparently appease Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Prime Minister Khan had confirmed Pakistan's participation in the summit hosted by Malaysia but skipped the event at the eleventh hour due to pressure exerted by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - key financial backers of the cash-strapped country. The Summit from December 19-21 was seen by Saudis as an attempt to create a new bloc in the Muslim world that could become an alternative to the dysfunctional Organisation of Islamic Cooperation led by the Gulf Kingdom. The Foreign Office said that the prince will have a one-on-one meeting with the prime minister. This will be followed by a luncheon hosted by Khan. "The exchange of views between the two leaders will cover bilateral matters and regional and international issues of common interest," the FO said. Frequent exchange of high-level visits between Pakistan and the UAE is reflective of the importance that the two countries attach to their fraternal ties, it said. The visit illustrates the strength and substance of the Pakistan-UAE special relationship, based on commonalities of faith, cultural affinities, and a shared resolve to take mutual cooperation to a new level, the FO said. The UAE is Pakistan's largest trading partner in the Middle East and a major source of investments. The UAE is also among Pakistan's prime development partners in education, health and energy sectors. It hosts more than 1.6 million expatriate Pakistani community, which contributes remittances of around USD 4.5 billion annually to the GDP. This is the Crown Prince's second visit to Pakistan since Khan took office in August 2018. He had last visited Pakistan on 6 January last year, just weeks after his country offered $3 billion financial assistance to Pakistan to deal with its balance of payment crisis. An uneasy calm enveloped the U.S. Embassy in Iraq on Thursday as new images from the scene revealed extensive damage following days of sometimes violent protests by Iranian-backed militia members and their supporters. The photos show a burned and charred reception area, smashed windows and vandalized rooms left behind by supporters and members of the Iranian-trained Hashed al-Shaabi military network, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported, and the embassy was not evacuated. The Pentagon sent hundreds of troops to the region, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he would delay a trip to Central Asia and Europe to focus on "the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security" of Americans there. "Well continue cooperation (with Iraq) to hold Iran and its proxies responsible," Pompeo said. The embassy protest erupted Tuesday, two days after U.S. airstrikes killed at least two dozen Iran-backed fighters in Iraq. Demonstrators shouting "Death to America!" smashed their way into the embassy compound and set fire to a reception area as U.S. combat helicopters swooped over the complex. Militia leaders with the Popular Mobilization Forces ultimately ordered supporters to retreat, declaring the demonstration a win in the battle to expel U.S. troops from Iraq. After achieving the intended aim, we pulled out from this place triumphantly, said Fadhil al-Gezzi, a militia supporter. We rubbed Americas nose in the dirt. Protests are nothing new in Baghdad, but most have targeted the Iraqi government and what Sunni Iraqis view as meddling by Iran's Shiite government. James Piazza, a Penn State political science professor specializing in the Islamic world, said the clashes underscore the struggle in Iraq between the Shiite majority long oppressed under Saddam Hussein and Sunnis who make up about one-third of the nation of 40 million people. Story continues "The PMF has vowed further acts of revenge against the U.S. for the airstrikes," Piazza told USA TODAY. "It may become impossible for the Iraqi government to balance Sunnis and Shiites." Kirsten Fontenrose, former senior director for Gulf affairs at the National Security Council, said Iraqis should demand their government not follow the political path Iran has taken. Its up to Iraqis who see a different future for themselves, to demand that their government rein in actors who want to impose on them this very un-Iraqi plan for the country," Fontenrose said. "They cant expect Americans to remain in the country as targets while the remnants of their government enable Irans thugs. Raed Jarrar, an Iraqi-born activist now based in Washington, D.C., said most Iraqis want an end to all foreign intervention. Jarrar said the embassy protest was clearly orchestrated by the Iran-backed militia, but that the U.S. should not respond by escalating its proxy war against Iran in Iraq. "The U.S. and Iran are seen by the majority of Iraqis as partners in crime when it comes to supporting these sectarian militias," Jarrar said. "The right move is to de-escalate, withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq, and end U.S. military aid to the Iraqi government and its deadly sectarian militias." Pompeo defended the airstrikes as a "decisive response" to weeks of militia rocket attacks targeting Iraqi bases that host U.S. troops, including one Friday that killed a U.S. contractor. Sunday's "defensive" airstrikes targeted three sites in Iraq and two in Syria that included weapon storage facilities and command and control locations, the Pentagon said. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said 750 soldiers were immediately deployed to the region. At Fort Bragg in North Carolina, hundreds of paratroopers boarded C-17 aircraft as part as the Immediate Response Force. Esper said additional soldiers from the force are prepared to deploy over the next several days. The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world, Esper said. President Donald Trump, on Twitter, accused Iran of orchestrating the embassy violence and warned that Iran "will pay a very BIG PRICE!" Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dismissed allegations of Iranian involvement. Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, was unmoved by Trump's warning of repercussions. "Firstly, you cant do a damn thing since this issue is not related to Iran, and secondly, you should be logical and come to find the root causes," General Salami said in Tehran. "The Americans should come to realize that people in the region, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, hate them for their crimes and this hatred surfaces somewhere." Contributing: Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; Rachael Riley, Fayetteville Observer; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iraq embassy attack damages US compound; Fort Bragg soldiers deployed MUKONO The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Mukono, Mr. Fred Bamwine has told over three thousand candidates who on Thursday, January 2 turned out in Mukono for the ongoing UPDF nation wide recruitment exercise that one of the fundamental changes Uganda has experienced is the quality of its military, the UPDF. The Armed Forces of Uganda prior to 1986 were the worst burden our citizens have encountered. They were meant to protect the people but rather violated their rights, said the RDC, adding that, the discipline that the National Resistance Army and later the UPDF exhibited has totally erased the bad image that was associated with Ugandas military. The RDC told the recruits that many failures or criminals running away from arrest were enrolled in Ugandas past armed Forces. However, today, the UPDF has changed that trend. We have no place for criminals and fugitives in the Force. We only recruit professional and disciplined personalities, said Mr. Bamwine. The Head of UPDF Team Five recruitment, Brig Winston Byaruhanga informed the successful recruits that their bright future lies on the extent of their discipline because discipline is the backbone of the armed Forces. He tipped the recruits that they must put maximum love in the training in order to overcome the difficulties associated with it. Its the spiritual or conceptual will you put in the training that will help you overcome the physical challenges you will encounter, he said. The recruitment team in Mukono center today handled Mukono, Kayunga, Buikwe and Buvuma Districts. The recruitment center was graced with local council leaders, district internal security officers and Gombolola Internal Security Officers and Police, among others. Related Argo Group International Holdings Ltd., the Bermuda-based re/insurer, announced it has agreed with activist shareholder Voce Capital Management to change the composition of Argos board with the addition of three new directors. The agreement ends a contentious dispute with Voce, which has been rumbling along for nearly a year. Voce had sought to place new directors on the Argo board to counter its concern over shockingly high corporate expenses such as pricey real estate, an office art collection, and former CEO Mark Watson IIIs personal use of company-owned aircraft and housing. Voce is a hedge fund that owns close to a 6% stake in the insurer. As part of the cooperation agreement between Argo and Voce, Carol A. McFate will join the Argo board, subject to regulatory approval and completion of due diligence. McFate will fill the seat of former CEO and director Watson. She will join the boards Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and an additional committee as selected by the board. Additionally, Voce will work with Argos Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to identify and evaluate two new independent director candidates to stand for election at the companys 2020 annual general meeting of shareholders. One of those two new director candidates will be selected from the slate of individuals nominated by Voce for election at the requisitioned special general meeting of Argos shareholders. In November 2019, Argo announced the sudden and immediate retirement of Watson as chief executive officer. His departure came on the heels of an October announcement that the Securities and Exchange Commission had subpoenaed Argo over its executive compensation. In November, Voce renewed its fight with the Argo board, calling for a special meeting of Argo shareholders to elect five independent board members. In a statement about the cooperation agreement with Voce, Argo said McFate brings extensive global insurance and financial expertise. As chief investment officer of Xerox Corp. from November 2006 to October 2017, she oversaw over $12 billion in retirement investment assets for North American and U.K. plans. Prior to Xerox, McFate served as executive vice president and global treasurer for XL Global Services, Inc., a subsidiary of XL Capital, Ltd., the Bermuda-based re/insurance company (now part of AXA Group). She has also held various senior executive positions with AIG and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. We are pleased to have reached a constructive agreement with Voce and value their input as we continue to enhance our Board composition and governance practices, said Thomas A. Bradley, chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. We are pleased to welcome Carol to the board. Her strong leadership and executive experience in the insurance and investment management industries will help drive continued value creation for our shareholders. Daniel Plants, founder and chief investment officer of Voce, said: We made a substantial investment in Argo because we believe it has significant untapped value that can be realized. The appointment of Carol McFate to the board, the addition of two other independent directors selected with Voces input, and the companys ongoing governance improvements, are substantive and positive developments that give us confidence in the new course that Argo has charted. We look forward to working with Argos board and management in the shared pursuit of creating value for all shareholders. Voce has also agreed to certain standstill provisions and to withdraw its proxy solicitation to seek board changes at a requisitioned special general meeting of shareholders. The agreement between the Company and Voce will be filed on Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Source: Argo Related: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called on scientists and innovators of the country to widen their horizons, as he assured them that thegovernment was completely with them. "Your capability is vast, you can do many things, widen your horizons,change the parameters of your performance...fly spreading wings...there are opportunities, I'm with you," he said. Addressing a DRDO event here, he said he was assuring them, as the Prime Minister, that the government was completely with the scientists of the country and innovators. "You all are aware that along with air and sea, cyber and space will define the world's strategic dynamics. Along with this, intelligent machines will play a key role in the defence sector in the days to come. In such a situation, India cannot lag behind," he said, adding that to protect the citizens, borders and interests, it was importantto invest in future techniques and innovation. The Prime Minister was speaking after dedicating to the country the Young Scientists laboratories formed by Defence Research and Development Organisation to start focused research in advanced technologies. DRDO Young Scientist Laboratories, in short DYSLs, are located at Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai Kolkata and Hyderabad. Each lab works on a key advanced technology of importance to the development of futuristic defence systems, DRDO said, adding that selected young scientists of the organisation, under the age of 35 years, have been given this opportunity to work in identified research areas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iltija Mufti (L) and Mehmbboba Mufti (Image: Twitter) Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, has been detained at her home, News18 has reported. Mehbooba Mufti has been in detention since August 5 last year when the Indian government abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to revoke the special status to granted to J&K. Itija was also handling Mehbooba Muftis Twitter handle since August 2019. On January 2, Iltija Mufti said she was detained by police at her residence here after she tried to visit the grave of her grandfather and former J&K chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in south Kashmir. Iltija, a Special Security Group protectee, said she had sought permission to visit her grandfather's grave in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag district. "I have been detained at home and not allowed to move anywhere," Iltija told PTI. However, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Munir Khan denied that Iltija was detained and said "the Ananantnag district administration did not give clearance for her visit". "We also have to keep in mind that she is an SSG protectee who has to take police clearance before visiting anywhere," Khan added. Barricades have been erected at Gupkar road which leads to the 'Fairview' residence belonging to Iltija's mother and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti Mediapersons were not allowed by police to reach the residence and the road was open only for security personnel and residents of the high-security area of the city. Sayeed, the two-time chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, had passed away after a brief illness on January 7, 2016. "I wanted to go to visit my grandfather's grave. It is my right. Is it a crime for a granddaughter to visit her grandfather's grave or do they think I am going to organise stone pelting or a protest there," Iltija said. She accused the civil and the police administrations of being "arrogant", alleging "they do not want peace in the Valley". Photo: 1-800-GOT-JUNK? A Kelowna crew found a personal item for a client in Vancouver and shipped it out on Dec. 20 It was something Yoree Grozenok, Kelowna franchise partner for 1-800-GOT-JUNK? said he had to do for his client. A client from Vancouver contacted the company for a crew to help clean out her late sisters house in Kelowna but asked them to keep an eye out for a specific item. Shes hoping to find a very special item that her sister had from her father - which was a violin, that her father used to play, explains Grozenok as they did a walkthrough of the home. We took it personally to find the violin in the house for her as well as clean the house for her. As they continued walking through her sister's home, Grozenok explains how the client got overwhelmed with emotion. My client had to settle all of her affairs, at the same time to go through a celebration of life for her sister - it was a very emotional time for her and it was a very stressful time for her because she was trying to handle everything at once, explains Grozenok. Not only did the crew find her fathers violin inside a case, but they also found a picture of her dad playing the violin at an event and sheet music. She was absolutely ecstatic, I dont think she realized that it was possible to find something like that, explains Grozenok when they told her the good news. Maybe she didnt believe that we would be able to find it I think she was very touched on a very personal level that we put the effort to find the item inside of her sisters house. She almost broke down crying when she was talking about it. Grozenok says finding special items happens fairly often, but it usually happens when the client is with them, making this case unique. It was a big deal because it was the size of the job - it was a big job - and sifting through the items that was a big effort for us and at the same time the lady was outside of Kelowna and we had to find something without her present and send it to her. We deal with a lot of people who are going through some sort of family change and we always try to go above and beyond for our clients. If there is any memory we can preserve we will always try to do that, says Grozenok. There was a personal moment for him too, thats why he encouraged his staff to do something special for this client. I felt very connected to that story because my dad passed away tragically 14 years ago and I just imagine what it would mean for me to find a memory of my dad, many years later, especially a special item such as a violin that her dad used to play, and a picture that she hasnt seen before to me that was very important because I would feel exactly the same way if this moment was created for me. They packaged the violin and other items very carefully and shipped it out to Vancouver to their client on Dec. 20. at no extra cost to her. Bhopal: A booklet, which was distributed during the 10-day camp of Congress Seva Dal, has claimed that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had "physical relationship" with the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse. Congress Seva Dal chief Lalji Desai said that the writer has written the booklet on the basis of evidence. "Writer has written it on the basis of evidence. But that`s not important for us whether he was gay or not. In our country today, everyone has a legal right to have their own preferences," Desai told ANI. The booklet, titled `Veer Savarkar Kitne Veer?` gave a reference citing page 423 the `Freedom at Midnight` book written by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, which states that Godse had a homosexual relationship with his "political guru" Savarkar before the former turned celibate. Live TV The booklet also claimed that Savarkar encouraged his followers to rape women from minorities and pelted stones at mosques when he was 12 years old. BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma accused Congress of defaming people patriots. "Congress wanted to portray Savarkar as anti-Muslim. Congress has followed the Muslim appeasement policy. Savarkar was a patriot. This is non-sense. They are doing character assassination of patriots. Congress leaders should stop defaming patriot like Savarkar. Congress never liked freedom fighters," he told reporters here. For the unversed, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has constituted a panel to decide whether legendary Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem 'Hum Dekhenge' is offensive to Hindu sentiments or not. The controversy erupted after the poem was recited at the IIT-Kanpur campus. Reacting to the same, Bollywood's ace lyricist Javed Akhtar termed the incident "absurd and funny". So much so, that he says it's difficult to talk about it seriously. BCCL "Calling Faiz Ahmed Faiz 'anti-Hindu' is so absurd and funny that it's difficult to seriously talk about it," he was quoted as saying by ANI. #WATCH Javed Akhtar:Calling Faiz Ahmed Faiz 'anti-Hindu' is so absurd&funny that its difficult to seriously talk about it.He lived half his life outside Pakistan,he was called anti-Pakistan there.'Hum Dekhenge' he wrote against Zia ul Haq's communal,regressive&fundamentalist Govt pic.twitter.com/nOtFwtfjQ9 ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2020 Furthermore, Javed Akhtar said that Faiz wrote the poem 'Hum Dekhenge' against the then Pakistan government run by the former President of the country Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. "He lived half his life outside Pakistan, he was called anti-Pakistan there. 'Hum Dekhenge' he wrote against Zia ul Haq's government which was a communal regressive and fundamentalist government," Akhtar added. BCCL Rejecting the claim that the poem is anti-Hindu, he explained the phrase from the poem and said, "He has mentioned a phrase - 'Goonjega an-al-haq ka naara' which means 'aham brahma', which means that the creator and creation is one, it is not an Islamic thought." BCCL On Thursday, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur set up a committee to look into the issue. This move came after some faculty member complaint that the students who took out a peaceful march in the campus on Dec 17 against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act and in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia students, sung it as a mark of protest, which hurt the sentiments of other communities. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before Dec 31, 2014. The Master of the Rotunda Maternity Hospital has described the birth of identical triplets on New Years Day as incredibly unusual and a one in a million occurrence. The three baby boys who were born just before noon to Annmarie Byrne-Ryan and David Ryan are spontaneous triplets which means they were conceived without medical intervention. Speaking just hours after the births Ms Byrne-Ryan told RTE that the pregnancy had been unexpected. They're doing well. Ive yet to see all three together. Davids been up and down, back and forward to the NICU ward taking loads of pictures, keeping me updated. So Im anxious myself to get down to see them. The couple will have built-in babysitters at home, with Davids son Jordan and Annmaries daughter Shauna, both of whom are 18. Together, they also have Mason who has just turned two years. Ms Byrne-Ryan admitted that she was a little bit tired and in a little bit of pain. She added that she was just relieved theyre here, theyre healthy and all is good at the moment anyway, thank God. The Swords, Co Dublin native had been scheduled for delivery on January 8, but her waters broke unexpectedly at home in the early hours of New Years Day. She admitted that the pregnancy had been a surprise and it was such a shock when told she was pregnant with triplets. We got married at the end of April and went on honeymoon to Dubrovnik in May, and where most people come back with fridge magnets, myself and David brought home triplets. So we were in shock about that and we didnt even know we were having them obviously until I had a bit of a bleed nine or ten weeks in and we came into the hospital and we found out then. Then it was even more of a shock to find out they were identical. We found out later down the line that they were identical I think it was maybe three or four months. I have only one ovary myself because I had an operation and had an ovary removed in this hospital when I was 18. So they were baffled with that as well. Were blessed, absolutely blessed. Its going to be tough, but weve plenty of support from both families so well just have to do it, she said. Master of the Rotunda Professor Fergal Malone told RTE radios Morning Ireland that the vast majority of triplet pregnancies are a result of fertility therapy. Only about 10 per cent of triplet pregnancies occur spontaneously, just naturally without any medication or intervention at all. Probably no more common than one in a million or even less. The embryo splits once into two identical twins, and then one of those splits yet again into now an identical triplet. So not only one split but two splitting to achieve identical triplets is incredibly rare. You would always do your best to try and deliver triplets during the day if possible, when your staffing is a little bit better than at night. So when you know that a patient is about to go into labour with triplets, or she's going into labour, you then mobilise additional neonatal resources, additional nurses and doctors to come in. So everyone is on standby, jumps in, and everything is done in a calm controlled manner. But it's because we're so busy we have that depth available. Prof Malone said it was hoped the triplets would spend no more than two or three weeks in nursery before they can go home. The downside from the hospital's perspective is that the hospital is now closed to external admissions from neonatal perspective for a short while until we catch up. But that's because we're so busy anyway. So it does add a small little extra demand on us, but we handle it. State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass accused the Congress, KMSS and Leftist parties of being involved in violence during anti-CAA protests Guwahati: The Assam BJP on Thursday accused the Congress, "overground Maoist body KMSS" and Leftists parties of being involved in the violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act last month. State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass also alleged that workers of these three organisations had brought bottles of liquor in three trucks and torched party MLA Binod Hazarika's house at Chabua on 12 December using them. Dass charged them with plotting for three months to burn Hazarika's house, the treasury office, a post office, the railway station and other government properties at Chabua in Dibrugarh district. "BJP workers have filed FIRs that the KMSS, Congress and the Leftists were involved in Chabua violence. They brought three trucks of liquor bottles, poured the alcohol on the MLA's house setting it ablaze. We urge the state government to institute an enquiry into the violence," the BJP leader said. He termed the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) led by Akhil Gogoi as an "overground Maoist organisation". Asked why he was describing the KMSS as so, Dass said "Books on Maoist ideology were found in its Guwahati office." Following the arrest of Akhil Gogoi on 12 December, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on 26 December carried out searches at his residence and office in Guwahati and seized several items including nine books with one on the life of Mao Zedong and another on Marxism. "There was a conspiracy by a section of the protesters to burn down the state secretariat (Janata Bhawan in Guwahati) during the protests on 11 December," the state BJP chief said. He claimed that he has examined at least 400 video footage of the violence of that day and found that some people were carrying two matchboxes in their each pocket to set ablaze the Janata Bhawan. Dass said, "According to intelligence reports, the Congress during the NRC pilot project in Barpeta in 2010 had planned to burn down the district deputy commissioner's office where people's land deeds are recorded." The Congress has suddenly arrived at the scene and created disturbances, he said adding, "They should go to the house of each of the 855 Assam Agitation martyrs for failing to give them the honour they rightly deserved." Protests against the new citizenship law were being held democratically and peacefully by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Dass said adding that political parties are taking advantage of the situation. On protesters showing black flags to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal being beaten up by the police, he urged the agitators to display black flags from one place only and requested the police not to chase them away. Asked if jihadis were involved in the mayhem as state head of the Islamic outfit People's Front of India was arrested, the BJP leader said, "Possible". To a question, he said, "Our 42 lakh BJP workers will never allow Bangladeshis to enter Assam. After Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, not a single person from that country illegally entered India as he has taken up the issue with the government there. All those who entered here illegally were during the Congress rule," he asserted. Dass said he was confident that in the 2021 Assembly elections, the BJP would win 100-plus constituencies in the 126-seat House. "We have taken all measures to safeguard the interests of Assam. People have to have faith in us. We will not give an inch of land to foreigners," Dass said. Saudi Arabia condemned attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad, the Saudi foreign ministry said in statement published by the kingdom's official press agency on Thursday. Supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups who stormed the US Embassy perimeter in two days of protests withdrew on Wednesday after Washington dispatched extra troops and threatened reprisals against Tehran. The unrest followed US air raids on Sunday against Kataib Hezbollah militia bases in retaliation for missile attacks that killed a US contractor in northern Iraq last week. Search Keywords: Short link: Soldiers are seen outside the Mormon community La Mora, in Sonora, Mexico, on Nov. 7, 2019. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters) Mexico Says a Total of 7 Detained in Killing of 9 Americans MEXICO CITYProsecutors in Mexico said a total of seven suspects have now been detained in connection with the Nov. 4 slaughter of nine U.S. dual-national women and children. Federal prosecutors said three men were arrested in recent days and charged with organized crime for drug offenses, though none apparently yet faces homicide charges. They said four other suspects are being held under a form of house arrest. The name of one suspect announced by federal prosecutors Dec. 30 partially matches the police chief of the town of Janos, Chihuahua, near where the killings occurred. Local media reported the police chief had been arrested in the killings of members of the extended LeBaron family. They reported the police chief had been in the pay of the La Linea drug gang. However, prosecutors in Mexico are barred by law from identifying suspects by their full name, and would not confirm the mans identity. But Julian LeBaron, who lost relatives and friends in the ambush, said the police chief had been arrested and added: that should be very worrying to everyone. Who vets them? LeBaron asked. He (the police chief) was there for 13 years, he said, questioning how state authorities could not have known the man was working for a drug cartel. A general view of the entrance to the community of LeBaron on Nov. 8, 2019. (Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images) Many members of the extended family have questioned why Mexicos strict gun laws prevent them from having firepower equal to the cartels. The police have a local monopoly on weapons and they participate in the murder of women and children, LeBaron said. Authorities have suggested a drug gang was responsible for the ambush that killed nine American women and children whose families have lived for decades in Chihuahua and neighboring Sonora state. They consider themselves Mormon but are not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and many have dual U.S.-Mexican citizenship. James Argent has reportedly checked himself into a 'specialist facility' in Thailand to focus on recovery after suffering 'two drug overdoses' last year. The former TOWIE star, 32, was recently rushed to hospital for the second time in two months after friends and family feared he had attempted a second 'overdose'. James' on/off girlfriend Gemma Collins was reportedly 'worried sick' following his admission but vowed to stand by her man in his time of need. Stepping out: James Argent has reportedly checked himself into a 'specialist facility' in Thailand to focus on recovery after suffering 'two drug overdoses' last year (pictured in December 2019) James has allegedly started the New Year with an indefinite stay at a 20,000 a month retreat until he feels 'happy and healthy' enough to come home. An insider told The Sun: 'Arg has jetted off to Thailand to start the New Year at a specialist facility. 'He has realised he needs help with his recent addiction issues and with his weight loss battle, so has turned to professionals.' Fearful: James' on/off girlfriend Gemma Collins was reportedly 'worried sick' following his admission but vowed to stand by her man in his time of need (pictured in October 2019) They said: 'Arg is receiving some of the best care in the world and so is in an environment to finally improve his physical and mental state.' MailOnline have contacted James' representatives for further comment. Last month paramedics rushed to James' 1.3million home in South Woodford, Essex where they found the star 'disorientated' shortly before friends - including Mark Wright - rallied around in a bid to help him get the support he needs. Insiders revealed to MailOnline: 'Mark was at his house for around six hours to support him. This was after Arg had been to hospital and come home again... 'Arg cant afford rehab but Mark and other close friends and family are clubbing together to put him in a good place so he can overcome this.' Mark and Arg - nicknamed 'Marg' - were two of the original stars of TOWIE from its 2010 inauguration before Mark left after three seasons. Starting afresh: James has allegedly started the New Year with an indefinite stay at a 20,000 a month retreat until he feels 'happy and healthy' enough to come home Struggles: The health scare came less than two months after reports emerged that police 'broke into' his home after he reportedly failed to return Gemma's phone calls The scare was apparently a 'wake-up call' to James who now 'accepts he needs professional help'. The health scare came less than two months after reports emerged that police 'broke into' his home after he reportedly failed to return Gemma's phone calls. Medics examined the reality star and his parents reportedly insisted they could look after him. Support: Last month paramedics rushed to James' 1.3million home in South Woodford, Essex where they found the star 'disorientated' shortly before friends - including Mark Wright - rallied around in a bid to help him get the support he needs Arg has battled drink and drug addiction since finding fame on TOWIE. In 2014 he was suspended from the show after he failed a routine drugs test. James checked into The Priory and returned to the ITV reality show in 2015. The TV star spent three months in a facility in Thailand over the festive season in 2016 in a bid to curb his addiction and revealed he checked himself in to a programme in order to get the 'ongoing support' he needed. In August 2018, Arg returned to rehab following a split from Gemma in a bid to tackle his demons. Profiting from the Digital Shift: Time Series Databases as Value Creation Engines Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), a leading IT and data management research and consulting firm, today announced it will host a webinar titled Profiting from the Digital Shift: Time Series Databases as Value Creation Engines, featuring John Santaferraro, research director of business intelligence and data warehousing at EMA, and Tim Hall, vice president of products at InfluxData. In the digital world, leading organizations are already managing transactions in nanoseconds, engaging customers or employees in real-time, and delivering flawless services powered by networks of machines and sensors. Digital innovation moves at a pace difficult to understand. It has already gone through three very significant shifts, from applications to engagement to intelligence. To make the most of these shifts, time series databases provide new capabilities to replace the inefficiencies of legacy systems. With a time series database, developers can deploy modern applications without limitations in time, geography, and scale. During this webinar, Santaferraro and Hall will discuss the value organizations will realize with a time series database, including: How time series databases eliminate barriers in time, geography, and scale How developers can easily deploy modern, time-sensitive applications How stakeholders can engage customers with responsive intelligence How modern applications create value and competitive advantage The webinar is Wednesday, January 15 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Registration is available at http://info.enterprisemanagement.com/profiting-from-the-digital-shift-webinar-pr. About EMA Founded in 1996, EMA is a leading industry analyst firm that specializes in providing deep insight across the full spectrum of IT and data management technologies. EMA analysts leverage a unique combination of practical experience, insight into industry best practices and in-depth knowledge of current and planned vendor solutions to help their clients achieve their goals. Learn more about EMA research, analysis and consulting services for enterprise line of business users, IT professionals and IT vendors at http://www.enterprisemanagement.com. Just six weeks ago, on Nov. 19, thousands of teachers across the state came to the statehouse to rally for higher pay and fewer standardized tests as as legislators met for Organization Day, among other things. But just days before a new legislative session was to begin, the handful of visitors, staff and interns walked quietly through the halls, making the building feel more like church than a government office building. Cat owners who fail to have their pet microchipped could be fined or prosecuted under rules being proposed by ministers. The Government plans to introduce compulsory microchipping for cats to subject them to the same safety measures that already apply to dogs. Ministers believe the move will help to combat cat theft and identify pets which are injured or killed on roads. It follows controversy after the policy came in for dogs in 2016 because owners were fined up to 500 for failing to comply. This time, ministers are calling for owners to microchip their cats before they force them to do so following a consultation. Cat owners who fail to have their pet microchipped could be fined or prosecuted under rules being proposed by ministers. The Government plans to introduce compulsory microchipping for cats to subject them to the same safety measures that already apply to dogs. (File image) The consultation is looking into the effects of making the move mandatory on owners, rescue centres and on cats. The closing date for evidence is January 4. A spokesman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said: This Government has always urged cat owners to microchip their pets as the right thing to do as responsible pet owners and is now taking steps to introduce compulsory cat microchipping to give pet owners peace of mind, help tackle cat theft and identify cats injured or killed on roads. Zac Goldsmith, animal welfare minister, added: Microchips are often the only hope of reuniting lost pets with their owners so it truly is the best New Years resolution you could make to protect your furry friend in 2020. Since compulsory dog microchipping was introduced, 92 per cent of dogs are now microchipped. It is only mandatory for cats involved in the Pet Travel Scheme. Cats Protection reported that, during 2018, eight out of ten stray cats handed in to its adoption centres in England were unchipped. Ministers believe the move will help to combat cat theft and identify pets which are injured or killed on roads. It follows controversy after the policy came in for dogs in 2016 because owners were fined up to 500 for failing to comply. (File image) Jacqui Cuff, from the charity, which already microchips animals that are being rehomed, said: It is a safe and permanent form of identification. Microchipping ensures lost cats can quickly be returned home and that owners can be informed if their cat is injured and taken to a vet. But Paula Boyden, veterinary director at the charity Dogs Trust said that, of the microchipped dogs seized last year, 69 per cent could not be reunited because of incorrect contact details. She said: We see first hand the heartbreak that dog owners suffer when they are separated from their pets, as well as the joy of being reunited. 'This is why it is so important that owners keep their details up to date. Doing so significantly increases the chances of a lost or stolen dog being reunited with their owner. Shiv Sena MLC Diwakar Raote on Thursday refuted reports of being unhappy with the party on not being made a cabinet minister in Maharashtra government, saying he is a loyal 'Shiv Sainik' and will always be so. "I am a loyal Shiv Sainik and will always be. I obey the orders given by my leadership. I was there in oath ceremony and also during the cabinet expansion. There is no question of being unhappy with the party," Raote said. A total of 36 leaders from Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, including Ajit Pawar and Aaditya Thackeray took oath as ministers in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government on Monday. Meanwhile, BJP leader Eknath Khadse claimed he has been informed by the BJP core committee that he was denied the ticket in last year's Assembly elections because former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and party leader Girish Mahajan were unhappy with him. Instead of Khadse, the BJP had given the ticket to his daughter Rohini Khadse in the assembly polls. However, she lost to the party's state unit chief Chandrakant Patil from Muktainagar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Logo of Ant Financial Services Group is seen next to a logo of Alipay at the Digital China exhibition in Fuzhou, Fujian (Reuters) - China's Ant Financial, an affiliate of ecommerce giant Alibaba Group Holdings, has joined the race for a digital banking licence in Singapore, the company said in a statement on Thursday. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has said it will issue five such licenses, as it embarks on the biggest liberalisation of its banking sector in two decades. "In line with our commitment to promoting financial inclusion globally, we have submitted an application to the Monetary Authority of Singapore for a digital wholesale banking license," a spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement. "We look forward to contributing to the development of the digital banking landscape in Singapore." Gaming firm Razer Inc also on Thursday said it was leading a consortium that has applied for a license, while earlier this week Singapore Telecommunications Ltd and Southeast Asian ride hailing firm Grab said they were teaming up for a bid of their own. MAS, Singapore's central bank, is set to issue up to two "digital full bank" licenses and three wholesale bank licenses. The city-state is set to announce the winners in mid-2020 and the digital banks are expected to start operations in a phased manner from mid-2021. A spokeswoman for MAS said it could not comment on individual license applications. (Reporting by Leng Cheng and Brenda Goh in Shanghai and Nikhil Kurian Nainan in Bengaluru; Editing by Alex Richardson) A confession signed by a British student saying she invented a gang rape is 'highly unlikely' to have been composed by her, a respected linguist said last night. It was much more likely to have been the words of a Cypriot policeman dictating what she should write, Dr Andrea Nini said. The statement which the Daily Mail can reveal for the first time is the crux of a case that has sparked a diplomatic incident, with the teenager dragged to court and convicted of lying. A confession signed by a British student saying she invented a gang rape is 'highly unlikely' to have been composed by her, a respected linguist said In July, the 19-year-old, in her summer before university, went to police in party resort Ayia Napa to say she had been raped by up to 12 Israeli youths. She retracted her statement ten days later under duress, she says, after police on the island 'threatened' her. But rather than being allowed home, she was hauled to court and charged with the crime of 'public mischief'. The girl's shambolic trial, which has led to her being stranded on Cyprus, centred around the statement which she says Detective Sergeant Marios Christou forced out of her after eight hours of questioning without a lawyer. Written in the woman's handwriting, the disputed text contains sentences such as 'The report I did...was not the truth,' and 'I discovered them recording me doing sexual intercourse'. The teenager, from Derbyshire, says these are not her words but are 'Greek English' as it was told to her. The statement is the crux of a case that has sparked a diplomatic incident, with the teenager dragged to court and convicted of lying Dr Nini, who gave evidence to the trial on her behalf, said she would have to be a 'criminal mastermind' to fake the structure of sentences to make him believe they came from a 'non-native English speaker'. The forensic linguist, who is registered as an expert adviser with the UK's National Crime Agency, said there was 'very compelling linguistic evidence' the retraction was dictated by a non-English person. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has raised concerns about the trial since the teenager's conviction on Monday. His staff have been in touch with Cypriot authorities ahead of sentencing on Tuesday when she faces up to a year in jail. She has claimed Mr Christou wore her down over eight hours of questioning during which she says she was threatened and prevented from using the toilet. She said she eventually signed the statement at 1.29am in the hope she would be allowed home. During her trial, she told Famagusta District Court: 'Marios was approaching me and shouting at me to stop crying. I felt vulnerable. I felt like I was in danger as he wasn't going by the law, I wasn't allowed a lawyer.' Of the statement she signed, she said: 'This is not proper English. It is in Greek English. I'm very well educated, I'm going to university. It does not make grammatical sense.there is not one sentence there that an English person would write.' But Mr Christou is adamant that the woman was free to write the key part of the statement herself. It reads: 'The report I did on the 17th of July 2019 that I was raped at ayia napa was not the truth. The truth is that I wasnt raped and everything that happened in that appartment (sic) was with my consent. Relief: The men accused were whisked back to Israel, arriving at Ben Gurion airport to chants of 'the Brit is a whore' 'The reason I made the statement with the fake report is because I did not know they were recording & humiliating me that night I discovered them recording me doing sexual intercourse and I felt embarrassed so I want to appologise (sic), say I made a mistake.' Dr Nini, of Manchester University, said it was 'highly unlikely' someone of the defendant's background would have composed the statement in that way. 'Of the two hypotheses; that it was composed by the defendant or that it was dictated by a local police officer, my conclusion from the linguistic evidence is the latter,' he said. 'For example, "doing sexual intercourse" is not something a native English speaker would say. They would say 'having sexual intercourse'. Israel signs billion-dollar gas pipeline deal with the Cypriots The leaders of Cyprus and Israel met last night to sign a billion-dollar gas pipeline deal only days after the British teenager was convicted. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades came together in Athens for the historic deal, which also involved Greece. Only a few months ago Cyprus and Israel were facing a diplomatic nightmare when the British tourist accused 12 Israeli citizens of raping her in Ayia Napa. It has been suggested that the fate of the youths who were arrested but then released without charge was followed closely by those in high places in Israel. On the day the Briton was hauled in for questioning and made her sudden retraction, the Greek foreign minister was visiting Israel and seemingly taking an interest in the case. Relations between Cyprus and Israel have been growing in recent years. The deal between the countries and Greece is for a massive pipeline project to ship gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe. Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mr Netanyahu and Mr Anastasiades took part in the ceremony at which their respective energy ministers signed the deal. The EastMed project is expected to make the three countries key links in Europe's energy supply chain. Advertisement Despite Dr Nini's evidence, judge Michalis Papathanasiou ruled the student had written the statement freely, sealing her fate. 'I think it's very surprising that the judge dismissed my evidence,' Dr Nini said. 'I don't see how it could have been faked. She would have to be a criminal mastermind.' The student who had three unconditional offers to start university in September has been stranded on the island for five months. She said she was having consensual sex with a holiday fling when she was pinned down and attacked by several men. After fighting free, she fled in tears and friends took her to a medical centre. Police rounded up 12 Israelis, aged 15 to 22. Three who denied sleeping with the girl admitted it when their DNA was found. Several were eliminated from enquiries within a few days but seven were held until the woman made her retraction. They were whisked back to Israel, arriving at Ben Gurion airport to chants of 'the Brit is a whore'. They have always denied raping the girl. Women's rights groups have called for tourists to boycott the island. Cypriot police claimed Israeli journalists 'planted' a used condom at the scene. Reporters had gained access to the room, where they said they found the contraceptive under a bed. But police said it must have been planted as the room was thoroughly searched. Almost 120,000 has been raised on a crowd funding page for the girl's appeal, which her lawyers plan to take to the European Court of Human Rights. British student who faces jail in Cyprus urges Boris Johnson to intervene and end her 'waking nightmare' over gang-rape claim The British student convicted of lying about a rape allegation in Cyprus has urged Boris Johnson to intervene in her case. The 19-year-old faces up to a year in prison after she was found guilty of 'public mischief' over her claim that 12 Israeli men gang-raped her in Ayia Napa. Lawyers and campaigners have raised doubts about the verdict after the teenager said she was forced to sign a retraction statement by Cypriot police. The Foreign Office says the UK is 'seriously concerned' about the fairness of the woman's trial and it is understood officials have raised the 'deeply distressing case' with the Cypriot authorities. Speaking to The Sun, the British woman called on the PM and foreign secretary Dominic Raab to intervene personally. 'Every second of this ordeal has been a waking nightmare,' she said. 'I'm 19 and all I want to do is clear my name and come home to my family. 'I would say to both the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister, both of whom are fathers, please support me with your actions, not just with your words. Time is running out for me. Please, please help.' The British student convicted of lying about a rape allegation in Cyprus has urged Boris Johnson (pictured) to intervene in her case The woman has been on bail since the end of August, after spending a month in prison, and could face up to a year in jail and a 1,700 euro 1,500 fine when she is sentenced on January 7. The teenager's mother has said she would 'definitely' like Mr Raab to intervene in the case. She told BBC Radio 4 earlier this week: 'I would love the Foreign Secretary to get involved, that would be fantastic.' The mother said they will be appealing against the verdict 'without question' and hoped the FCO could help them progress the case to the Cypriot Supreme Court. A number of prominent legal figures in Cyprus have written to attorney general Costas Clerides urging him to intervene in the case. But the government of Cyprus has said it has 'full confidence in the justice system and the courts'. The attorney general said on Tuesday that he could not suspend the trial because she had levelled 'grave accusations' against police investigators that had to be adjudicated in court. Judge Michalis Papathanasiou said he believed the woman had made false allegations because she felt 'embarrassed' after realising she had been filmed having sex in a video found on some of the Israelis' mobile phones. 'The defendant gave police a false rape claim, while having full knowledge that this was a lie,' he said. 'There was no rape, or violence, and police had carried out a thorough investigation making all necessary arrests.' Export figures underpin strong 2019 for Vietnam - illustration photo Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh reported at the annual review conference in Hanoi last week that Vietnams foreign trade for the first time reached over $500 billion in 2019, up 7.6 on-year, with a record trade surplus of $9.94 billion. Under that, the total export turnover is estimated at $263.45 billion, up 8.1 per cent on-year, exceeding the targets set by National Assembly and the government. Meanwhile import has been well controlled at $253.5 billion. It is the fourth year in a row that Vietnam has recorded a trade surplus. The recent efforts of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to negotiate and open markets through free trade agreements have helped enterprises reach positive results. Exports to the ASEAN hit $23.4 billion, up 2 per cent on-year, while those to Japan reached $18.6 billion and South Korea $18.4 billion, up 7.6 and 10 per cent, respectively. The number of commodities joining the $1 billion export club increased from 20 in 2010 to 31 in 2019. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc applauded the achievements, stating, In the context of the global downturn, even larger countries being unable to reach a growth high. We recognise objectively the comprehensive achievement of 2019 as a direct and great contribution across the whole of industry and trade. The main driving force for economic growth is still the industrial sector, the PM added. This is especially true for processing and manufacturing and trade, reflected in the high consumption demand of the economy. In comparison with other countries in the region, Thailand witnessed 4 per cent of export growth, while Malaysia and Indonesia were estimated to see an export growth reduction in 2019 by 1.8 and 5.7 per cent, respectively. Along with a bright spot in import and export activities, the production index of the whole industry is estimated to increase by 9.1 per cent, exceeding the set target of 9 per cent. The highlight is that the manufacturing and processing industry maintained growth momentum, up 10.5 per cent on-year, creating solid motivation to achieve the overall growth plan of the whole industry. The positive contribution to industry growth includes the part played by major projects in operation, including the Formosa Ha Tinh steel complex working at full capacity through two blast furnaces and with expected output of 6.7 million tonnes per year; and the VinFast automobile factory, which was inaugurated and officially put into operation in June, three months earlier than initially planned. The year has also seen completion and official operation of the Vinh Tan 2 solar power plant, with expected annual supply to the national electricity system of about 68.4 million kilowatt hours. As the leading auto manufacture, assembly, and distribution company, Truong Hai Auto Corporation, known for THACO, earned $14.5 million from exports of components and spare parts this year. In 2020 we seek to export 1,026 cars of all types to foreign countries, said THACO chairman Tran Ba Duong. The group plans to expand reach further into Southeast Asian nations such as the Philippines, in an attempt to hit $21 million in exports in the upcoming year. However, the year to come remains challenging due to the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China, as well as trade fraud and global trade estimated to grow slowly. In 2020, Vietnam has set a target that the countrys total import-export turnover will increase by 7-8 per cent on-year. Ten significant events in industry and trade in 2019 - Vietnams total import-export turnover is again flying high, exceeding the $500 billion threshold. The impressive performance reflects the continuous efforts of the Vietnamese government, along with relevant ministries and localities, amid global trade tensions and lingering recession worries; - Vietnam has been making spectacular strides in its international integration thanks to free trade agreements. The country is showing its strong commitment to keep an open, highly-integrated economy. Within the first year of enforcement of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the deal has ushered in an outlook for Vietnam to boost exports to a double-digit figure in various sectors and types of goods, particularly in Vietnams export strengths such as seafood, textiles, and machinery equipment, among others; - Vietnamese regulators are ramping up their efforts to mitigate the phenomenon of trade fraud through labelling of the origin of goods and stabilise the market. Local authorities emphasised they have instructed provincial and municipal departments to step up inspection and verification of certificates of origin, a document that accompanies all international shipments. In 2019, the prime minister issued Decision No.824/QD-TTg approving a project which is part of the Strengthening State Management over the Circumvention of Trade Remedies, and Fraudulent Acts of Origin scheme; - The Ministry of Industry and Trade is the first to connect with the National Public Service Portal; - Vietnam has become one of the most promising markets in Southeast Asia thanks to breakthroughs in the e-commerce sector. The country has been assessed as one of the regional fastest expanding e-commerce markets with growth rate of more than 25 per cent, and will hit $13 billion in market value by 2020; - The Vietnamese people give priority to using Vietnamese goods programme; - The electricity approach index keeps improving. The Doing Business 2019 report, published by the World Bank, pointed out that Vietnams electricity approach index has continued to rise for the sixth year with 88.2 points, up 0.26 points on-year, and ranked fourth in the ASEAN-4 and is one of the top four best-performing members of the CPTPP; - Vietnam succeeded in manufacturing the 500kV backed-up power transformer with capacity of 467 megavolt amperes; - The process of restructuring market management forces has achieved positive results; - Vietnam has achieved breakthrough development in solar energy with an installed capacity of nearly 5,000MW. The governments incentive mechanism for developing solar power has created strong motivation to attract investors to participate in solar power production. This is a signal of the positive effects due to the governments incentive mechanism for solar power development. New Delhi, Jan 2 : Hollywood star Gerard Butler started the new decade with an Indian adventure. The "P.S. I Love You" star ringed in the new year soaking in the vibrancy of Indian culture in Rishikesh. Butler took to Instagram to share a photograph of himself doing the Suryanamaskar at the Himalayan hills of Rishikesh. The image gives the impression that the actor is holding the sun in his hands. "Let your light shine in to the new decade. Sending you all love. Happy New Year from the Himalayas," he wrote along with the image. Fitness enthusiast Yash Birla also shared some moments from his meeting with the Hollywood star, credited for movies like "300", "How to Train Your Dragon", "The Hidden World" and thriller trilogy "Olympus Has Fallen", "London Has Fallen" and "Angel Has Fallen". "Rishikesh is rising... London has not fallen... 300 percent ... a day well spent and most memorable in the resonance of the holy Ganges @gerardbutler," Yash wrote. The images posted by Yash show Butler posing with Birla. Butler is seen wearing a T-shirt, baggy pants and a scarf. The river Ganges can be seen in the background. It is believed that Butler was accompanied by his girlfriend Morgan Brown. Last month, Butler also joined Buddhist worshippers for a festive service by Buddhist monk the Dalai Lama in Karnataka. In one image, the actor is donning a tilak on his forehead as he posed for pictures with devotees and pilgrims. This is not Butler's first trip to India. He escaped getting attention during his trip to Jaipur a few years ago. In 2009, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan organised a bash for the Hollywood star in Mumbai. Protesters leave US embassy in Baghdad Protesters withdrew from US embassy perimeter in Baghdad after the Hashd al-Shaabi forces ordered them to leave. Iran-backed militias on Wednesday withdrew from the compound of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, the Iraqi army said. The protesters also dismantled their tents outside the Green Zone in Baghdad on the edge of the Tigris River, the Iraqi Ground Forces Command said in a written statement. Earlier on Wednesday, in a statement, the Hashd al-Shaabi group, or Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of various anti-Daesh/ISIS militias in Iraq, urged protesters to vacate the premises. We call on the crowd in front of the U.S. Embassy to respect the call of the Iraqi government and to withdraw from the area for the protection of state institutions. Protesters leave US embassy in Baghdad WATCH US STARTED DEPLOYING ADDITIONAL TROOPS TO THE REGION The US defence secretary, Mark Esper, announced that 750 airborne troops would be deployed to the region immediately. Up to 3,000 soldiers are reportedly being prepared to move out to the Middle East, adding to the 14,000 sent there since May in an effort to counter Iran. This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against US personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today, Esper said in a written statement. The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 2) The camp of Senator Leila de Lima on Thursday denied it initiated contact with the two American lawmakers who proposed the US ban on Philippine officials supposedly involved in her detention. Fhillip Sawali, De Limas chief of staff, said US Senators Richard Durbin (D-Illinois) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), who drew up the controversial resolution in the 2020 spending measure, reached out to them instead about the senators case. It wasn't us actively seeking out people, even personalities who would want to take a stand or propose resolutions, Sawali told CNN Philippines The Source. (There was) connection in the sense that, from time to time, they would consult us. And we would send briefer when asked about any update or development in the personal and work situation and in the case of Senator De Lima... It's their own initiative. They are the ones who have this exclusive idea (of the travel ban)," he added. President Rodrigo Duterte last week ordered the Immigration bureau to deny entry to both Durbin and Leahy, with Malacanang calling the American legislators imperious and unfinformed. The two introduced the amendment in the US 2020 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, which stated that "the Secretary of State shall apply subsection (c) to foreign government officials about whom the Secretary has credible information have been involved in the wrongful imprisonment of...Senator Leila de Lima who was arrested in the Philippines in 2017." Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo added that once the ban is enforced, the government would also require US nationals to secure visas before entering the country. Both Durbin and Leahy slammed the statement, saying Filipinos residing in the US would suffer from the Philippine governments latest move. "Illinois is proudly home to a vibrant, hardworking Filipino community. The Duterte regime should stop threatening the travel of these Filipino Americans and so many others who travel between our nations, and instead release Senator de Lima or assure a quick and credible trial," Durbin said in a previous statement. READ: US senator asks Philippine govt to free De Lima instead of denying visas to Americans EXPLAINER: How the US budget law bans Philippine officials Malacanang earlier said it remains unfazed with the travel ban, citing the need for credible information against Philippine officials before the provision can be enforced by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo. De Lima, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested in 2017 over charges for her alleged links to illegal drug circulation in the New Bilibid Prison, while serving as Justice Secretary from 2010 to 2015. New Delhi, Jan 2 : The Congress screening committee has started filtering names of prospective candidates for the Delhi Assembly polls, as the party central election committee (CEC) is likely to meet on January 10 to finalise names. According to the party, the winnability is the criteria for selection of candidates as many senior leaders are keen to contest the polls. The Congress has no member in the outgoing Assembly. P.C. Chacko, the party's in-charge for Delhi, said, "Candidates for each constituency are being considered. The party has not asked senior leaders to contest, unlike the Lok Sabha polls, but if they seek ticket the party will take a view." In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even three-time Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit contested. But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the polls winning all the seven seats in the national capital. Many veterans, including state party chief Subash Chopra, Parvez Hashmi, Master Bijender and Krishna Tirath, are keen to contest the polls. Those close to late Sheela Dikshit are also seeking the ticket. It is facing the tough task of balancing several factions in the party. Many young leaders are also in the race for the party ticket, expecting support from Rahul Gandhi who has been backing youth in the ticket distribution. However, the Congress has tough battle ahead, given an entrenched Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and an aggressive BJP are raring to go the whole hog in polls, likely by February. The Congress manifesto may see many promises, including the free 600 unit power and the Sheela Pensions for old age and destitute. IANS miz/pcj People living in the outlying district of Nha Be and District 4 in Ho Chi Minh City have been familiar with a 'zero dong' mobile clothing store run by a senior married couple, who sell clothes to local low-income workers and accept but a smile from buyers as payment. Nguyen Van Tu, 80, and his wife Le Thi Be, 65, have run their free clothing store for three years. In the early days of the charitable business, they set up in a small space in front of their house in an alley on Nguyen Van Tao Street in Nha Be and spent their own money buying old clothes from second-hand clothing shops. Tu told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that they named their shop 'all-you-can-wear clothes for zero dong' instead of calling it a charity shop because they wanted to show respect for hapless people. The 80-year-old man said he is happy as long as his customers are free to choose the items they like and pay him with a smile. Tu and Be have since expanded their business by adding a mobile store. Nguyen Van Tu (R) and Le Thi Be next to their mobile clothing store down an alley on Nguyen Van Tao Street in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre A woman donates her clothes to Nguyen Van Tus mobile shop. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Van Tu gives free clothes to people on a street in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Every day, the husband drives a tuk-tuk carrying free clothes around neighborhoods where many blue-collar workers live to offer them clothes at no cost. He frequents District 4 in the morning and Nha Be District in the afternoon. Le Thi Kim Anh, a 55-year-old housekeeper in District 4, told Tuoi Tre that she appreciates what Tu does as he only gives away intact and clean clothes. As word spreads about Tu and Bes charitable work, more people have donated garments to the husband whenever they see him drive by, or even brought the items to the couples doorstep. Tu currently communicates with people with the help of an electrolarynx as he has lost his voice after a serious illness. Asked what they wish for in their old age, the couple said they want to maintain the zero dong clothing business for as long as possible. I feel happier and stronger when I see people able to find a piece of garment that fits them, Tu said. Nguyen Van Tu (R) talks with a woman on a street in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Van Tu parks his tuk-tuk on a street in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Van Tu gives free clothes to a woman in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Le Thi Be runs their fixed clothing store in an alley on Nguyen Van Tao Street in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Van Tu drives a tuk-tuk offering free clothes in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 15:09:36|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- There has been no change in a position that South Korea and the United States will carry out their joint annual military drills in an adjusted manner to back up diplomatic efforts for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, South Korean defense ministry said Thursday. Choi Hyun-soo, defense ministry spokesperson, told a press briefing that there has been no change in the position that the South Korea - U.S. joint military exercises will be adjusted and conducted under a close coordination between the two sides to support diplomatic efforts for the denuclearization. Asked about whether to refrain from staging large-scale military drills in the future, Choi noted that it remained to see how things go, declining to elaborate further. Seoul and Washington had conducted large-scale annual springtime war games in March, but the two sides decided last year to end the Key Resolve command post exercise and the Foal Eagle field training exercise. The war games were replaced by a modified command post exercise, codenamed Dong Maeng, to back up efforts for the complete denuclearization of and the permanent peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula. Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump held their first summit in Singapore in June 2018. The second Kim-Trump summit was held in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi in February last year, but it ended with no agreement. Kim and Trump had an impromptu meeting at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom last June, agreeing to resume working-level denuclearization negotiations. Lebanese lawyers on Thursday filed a report to the judiciary demanding fugitive auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn be prosecuted over a trip he made to Israel as Renault-Nissan chairman in 2008. Ghosn -- who holds Lebanese, French and Brazilian citizenship -- jumped bail in Tokyo in mysterious circumstances and arrived in his native Lebanon early on Monday. The tycoon had travelled to Israel in 2008 to support a partnership with Shai Agassi, an Israeli entrepreneur who had launched an ill-fated electric vehicle venture called "Project Better Place". Three lawyers "submitted a report to the public prosecutor against businessman Carlos Ghosn for the crime of having entered an enemy country and violated the boycott law," the state news agency reported. They said several contracts had been signed during his January 2008 trip and added that Ghosn had taken part in several economic conferences. "Doing business with Israel is not a matter of opinion -- any normalisation is forbidden by law," Hassan Bazzi, one of the lawyers, told AFP. Lebanon is technically still at war with Israel, which occupied the south of the country until 2000, and forbids its citizens from travelling there. Interpol, the international police cooperation body, has issued a "red notice" for Ghosn's arrest in the wake of him fleeing Japan, but Lebanese judicial sources have said he cannot be extradited there. Ghosn stands accused in Japan of deferring part of his salary until after his retirement and concealing this from shareholders, as well as syphoning off millions in Nissan cash for his own purposes. He has denied all charges and has announced a press conference for next week. Ghosn entered Lebanon on a private jet from Turkey using his French passport, according to airport documents seen by AFP. "Where were the public prosecutor and general security when Ghosn visited Lebanon, after he travelled to occupied Palestine and was photographed there?," Bazzi asked. General security is Lebanon's main intelligence agency, which routinely investigates Lebanese citizens suspected of ties with Israel. "Lebanon prosecutes poor people while those who have earned millions by investing with the enemy are treated as national heroes," Bazzi said. In 2017, French-Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri was arrested and briefly questioned for filming part of his film "The Attack" in Israel. Kolkata, Jan 3 : Clashes were reported between members of two groups in a few pockets of West Bengal's 24 Parganas North district after a shopkeeper was found hanging in a local club, prompting the police to issue prohibitory orders on people's movements and temporary suspension of internet. The prohibitory orders were clamped in Deganga, Amdanga and Duttapukur areas of the district, police sources said, while describing the situation as "under control". The police would review the situation before resuming the internet services or relaxing the orders enforced under section 144 of the Indian Penal Code, sources said Twelve people have been taken into custody after the Tuesday evening clashes that followed the discovery of the body of the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper, who had put up a stall at a local programme, had reportedly quarrelled with a woman during trade. He was found hanging inside a local club, which triggered violence, with the deceased's relatives running amok and indulging in loot and arson blaming club members for his death. As the other side also retaliated police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the two groups and managed to restore order. Satellite photos from Copernicus show dramatic images of the bushfires in Australia. (Copernicus Sentinel data 2020) The unfolding natural disaster of mass wildfires spreading across swathes of Australia has sparked global headlines - with the sheer magnitude of the catastrophe difficult to convey. Satellite images taken by the European Unions Copernicus system in the past few days show the scale of devastation firefighters are trying to tackle across New South Wales and Victoria. The fires, which number at least 200, have killed 18 people since they started burning in September. The images show huge fires and massive clouds of smoke engulfing vast amounts of ground. At least eight people have died this week in NSW and neighbouring Victoria, Australias two most-populous states, where more than 200 fires are currently burning. Some 12.35 million acres of land an area almost the size of Croatia have burned nationwide over the past few months, with more than 1,300 homes destroyed. Some 50,000km2 of land an area more than twice the size of Wales, or nearly the same size as the state of West Virginia in the US have burned nationwide over the past few months, with more than 1,300 homes destroyed. The fires are significantly larger than recent events in the Amazon Rainforest (9,000km2) and California (about 4,500km2). Flames have reportedly reached more than 70 metres in height. The size of the smoke plume generated is even larger. According to Antti Lipponen, a research scientist at Finnish Meteorological Institute, the area of thick smoke is larger than the area of EU and more than 14 times the area of Japan. Huge #smoke plume from #Australia #bushfires observed today (1 Jan 2020). The area of thick smoke is about 5 490 000 km (2 119 700 sq. miles). For comparison, that is larger than the area of EU and more than 14 times the area of Japan! #NSWFires : https://t.co/Ng6VBIiWXm pic.twitter.com/ZwmPbsIQCx Antti Lipponen (@anttilip) January 1, 2020 Cooler weather since Tuesday has helped authorities, and people caught up in the fires have formed long queues of vehicles at petrol stations and supermarkets as they wait to restock supplies. Story continues But high temperatures and strong winds are expected to make things worse again on Saturday. It (fires) will continue to go on until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today. Areas affected by the bushfires, compared to Britain. (PA Graphics) Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale, Australia, on Monday. (Glen Morey via AP) Authorities in New South Wales have ordered tourists to leave a 155-mile zone on the south coast. Transport minister Andrew Constance described it as the largest mass relocation of people out of the region that weve ever seen. 381 homes have been destroyed in New South Wales this week while 68 have been burned in Victoria. It emerged today that 480 million mammals, birds and reptiles are thought to have been killed, according to ecologists at the University of Sydney. Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Services (WIRES) volunteer and carer Tracy Dodd holds a kangaroo with burnt feet pads after being rescued from bushfires in Australia's Blue Mountains area. (REUTERS/Jill Gralow) A third of the koala population in New South Wales - 8,000 of the animals - are believed to have died. More are thought to have died in other areas and the toll is likely to increase. The marsupials eat leaves on the highly flammable eucalyptus trees. I need to begin with a disclaimer: this will be a positive article written to encourage Christians that we can face any circumstance we encounter this year with optimistic, joyful faith in our Fathers power and provision. However, to get there, I need to explain why this topic is on my mind today. Its Time We Dealt With Your Religious Intolerance On last Sundays Meet the Press, NBC News anchor Chuck Todd read and endorsed a letter claiming that supporters of Donald Trump want to be lied to since they believe in fairy tales such as Noahs ark. Leaving the politics of this claim aside, lets note that Jews believe in Noahs ark because it is described as an historical event in the Torah (Genesis 6-9). Jesus (Matthew 24:37-39) and Peter (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5) believed in its historicity as well. And Muslims find it in the Quran (29:14-15). A recent article in Medium goes further in denigrating biblical faith. In Dear Christians, Its Time We Dealt With Your Religious Intolerance, the writer laments that his Nigerian grandfather was chased from his village by Christian converts because he refused to convert to Christianity. He also notes that Christian missionaries imposed upon his father a new name, age, language, and clothing they deemed more appropriate to the faith. He points to John Allen Chau, the Christian who broke numerous laws and was then killed while attempting to share the gospel with an unreached people group off the coast of India. The authors conclusion is that any religion that believes others need to accept its message or face damnation is egotistical, intrusive, invasive, and intolerant. He is convinced that we should oppose such religions as vehemently as he does. Of course, sins committed in the name of a religion or ideology are not necessarily the fault of that religion or ideology. As a Christian, I strongly believe that the writers grandfather and father were treated horrifically and indefensibly. We should not blame all Muslims for 9/11 or all atheists for Lenins atrocities. And we should note that the writers rejection of religious intolerance is itself a form of intolerance. ISIS beheads Nigerian Christians While American Christians should note and respond to those who demean or attack our faith (1 Peter 3:15-16), we should also remember those who are facing far worse persecution than we experience. Im thinking of the eleven Nigerian Christians who were executed by ISIS terrorists, ten of them by beheading. It is thought that they were killed on Christmas Day. And government oppression in China that seeks to rewrite the Bible, tears down hundreds of church buildings, and imprisons pastors. Open Doors states in its 2019 report that 245 million Christians around the worldone in nine globallyare currently suffering from persecution. On average, eleven believers are killed every day for their faith. The countercultural way to be blessed Jesus taught us: Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account (Matthew 5:11). Notice that our Lord says when, not if. Persecution is inevitable for true followers of Jesus (cf. John 16:33). Those who hate our Father will hate his children (John 15:18-21). Paul was blunt: All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). Here we learn that if we are not facing opposition for our faith, we should ask whether our faith is as public and uncompromising as it should be. Im not suggesting that we need to seek to be persecuted. But I am suggesting that we should not be surprised when we are. What persecution teaches us Jesus continued: Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:12, my emphasis). Persecution forces us to decide whether we are living for reward on earth or reward in heaven. Until we face opposition for our faith, we can easily deceive ourselves into thinking that we can live for this world and the next. When we are forced to choose between treasures on earth and treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20), we discover which truly comes first for us. This discovery is crucial whether we are facing persecution or not since where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (v. 21). 65,000 students began the new year in worship More than 65,000 college students gathered in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, to begin the new year with worship, Bible teaching, and prayer. The purpose of Passion 2020, which ends today, is you and me saying goodbye to lesser things and saying yes to Jesus, the One whose name is above every name. Those attending are seeking to live in such a way that their journey on earth counts for what is most important in the end. Lets join them. NOTE: Im pleased to announce that A Pastors View launches on Tuesday, Jan. 7. This new ministry of support and encouragement for pastors and church leaders will offer free resources and a monthly teleconference with Pastor Mark Turman and me. If you are a church leader, I invite you to subscribe to A Pastors View here. Publication date: January 2, 2019 Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Jean Baptiste Lacroix/Stringer For more from the Denison Forum, please visit www.denisonforum.org. The Daily Article Podcast is Here! Click to Listen WARSAW, Poland - A Polish court has convicted a pro-government justice official for violating the good name of Polands judges by calling them ordinary thieves and has ordered a public apology and a roughly $5,000 fine. The ruling Thursday has special significance at a time when the right-wing government is taking steps to subordinate the judiciary. The Warsaw provincial court ruled against former prosecutor Stanislaw Piotrowicz, who is now a member of the top constitutional court. The verdict is subject to appeal. Piotrowicz made the remark in 2018 at the height of public protests against government appointments to a top judicial body. He supported the appointments and alleged that some judges did not meet standards and needed to be replaced. The head of the Supreme Court, Malgorzata Gersdorf, and judge Krzysztof Raczka sued Piotrowicz for violation of their personal rights. The Concerned Citizensa Group (CCG) made two visits to Srinagar since August 5, 2019 when the Narendra Modi government revoked the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two Union Territories. The first visit to assess the mood of the people of the Kashmir Valley was undertaken on September 17. When four members of the group a Yashwant Sinha, Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Kapil Kak, Sushobha Barve and Bharat Bhushan a landed at Srinagar Airport, they were welcomed by a posse of policemen led by the District Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police of Budgam district. They informed the other three members were free to go to Srinagar, but Yashwant Sinha would not be allowed to leave the airport. The fifth member of the group, Wajahat Habibullah had reached the city earlier. However, those accompanying Sinha were told that should they want to return to Delhi along with him that too could be arranged. After much insistence that a written order be produced giving reasons why Yashwant Sinha could not leave the airport, after a couple of hours an order from DC, Budgam was produced. It claimed that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was in force in Budgam, where the Srinagar Airport is located, and that if Sinha left the airport there was apprehension of breach of peace in the district. He was therefore advised to not move out of the Arrival Lounge of the airport. At Sinhaas insistence DC, Budgam held court at the airport lounge to hear his point of view. However, Sinhaas representation fell on deaf ears. Attempts to put him on the next flight to Delhi failed as he insisted that he be given an official order sending him back to Delhi as the DCas order had advised his confinement to the Arrival Lounge and said nothing about being asked to return to Delhi. Finally, an order came signed by the SSP, Budgam, modifying the earlier order which Sinha said he would defy and offered himself for arrest for not obeying the order under Cr P C Section 144. On the pretext of arresting him, he was forcibly put on wheelchair while other members of the CCG were locked up in the Airport Lounge under the charge of the Tehsildar and Deputy Tehsildar of Budgam. After half an hour or so the doors of the Lounge were opened when it transpired that Sinha had been forcibly put on the last flight to Delhi. The police pretended that no one had locked up the CCG members in the Lounge and the SSP threatened to sack the person who had done such a thing! The rest of the group then proceeded to Srinagar after the six hour drama at the airport. Over the next 24-hours, the CCG members met a cross-section of journalists, civil rights activists, and a member of parliament from Kashmir. This was not an easy task as there was communication blockade with both landlines and mobile phone services suspended. The second visit of the CCG took place from November 22 to 26. Although during this visit, the members of the CCG were allowed to enter Srinagar, they were initially prevented allegedly for their own safety from visiting Pulwama claiming aimpending terrorist threatsa and later on they were told that they could not visit Shopian, Kulgam or even adjoining Budgam a basically, their movements were limited to Srinagar District. Fortunately, people of these areas were allowed to come to Srinagar to meet the CCG in the hotel. A fairly large number of interactions became possible because of this. The CCG applied formally to the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar to pay a visit to four arrested leaders: Former Chief Ministers Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah of the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti of Peoplesa Democratic Party as well as former MLA Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Some members of the group had managed to talk to Farooq Abdullah and Yusuf Tarigami on telephone promising to pay them a visit. However, the District Commissioneras office informed the CCG orally that they could not do so as only family members and officials permitted by the Union Home Ministry in Delhi could visit the arrested leaders. The findings of both the visits are given below. Response of Kashmiris during September 17 to 18 visit: There was an air of depression when one talked to the local citizens. aWe have lost our language (Urdu was the official language of the state), our state, our Constitution, our flag and our autonomy,a one of them summed it all up in these words. Most believed that the events beginning on August 5 and the subsequent ratification of the governmentas decisions in Parliament demonstrated that this was the end of politics in Kashmir and a process of controlling Kashmiris by force had begun. People are shocked and unable to recover from it. Another person said that Kashmiris knew that Article 370 of the Indian Constitution might go one day. aEven the Congress party wanted to remove it from the Constitution. It had been hollowed out over time and was dead in 1953 itself. Removing the remaining provisions of Article 370 was nothing more than completing its authalaa (last death rituals among North Indian Hindus). However, it had a symbolic value in keeping the Kashmiris in good humour,a remarked another Kashmiri wryly. Many wondered why the BJP government in Delhi needed to abrogate the provisions of Article 370 and Article 35A in the manner it did creating shock and awe all around besides plunging entire Kashmiri society into misery. Kashmiri students in the rest of India were unable to pay their fees or receive financial help from home because of the communication lock down which affected even banking transfers. Hospitals were open but there was no public transport or any way of getting in touch with doctors. People felt that India had now put Kashmiris in a cage and conveyed to them definitely that Delhi will no longer listen to them. aWhen they saw what happened in Parliament where all parties supported the Modi governmentas move, they finally knew that they were all alone. What happened was not surprising but the way it happened stunned people. The break-up of the state seemed like a vengeful act a as if we were being punished for something. There are people who wonder why a Union Territory was created? Why have I been gagged? You have had your way but let me also have my say,a argued a passionate senior citizen. It seemed that it was not so much the suddenness of the August 5 move by the Modi government but the way the entire operation was conducted by it that had shocked people. aThe wound is so deep that it numbs you. It has brought shame. Family conversations are no longer possible. Parents know that their children have an uncertain future. Those who can afford to do so are sending their children abroad. Others are moving them out of Kashmir to the rest of India in the hope that they would remain safe,a lamented a parent. The group found that there was both gloom and anger in the air and there was no outlet for sharing their emotional anguish with the people of the Valley as it was locked up and communications shut down. aWhy have you created an atmosphere where everyone must support you and anyone who does not agree with you is designated an enemy?a a Kashmiri asked. Even those who used to say that the future of Kashmir lies with India, people claimed, were unable to say that now. aIndians are seen as liars and Narendra Modi- Amit Shah as dacoits. People feel at one level that it is good that those who were with India are in jail. They laughed at Farooq Abdullah and thought he had got his just desserts (for supporting India) when he was arrested under the PSA (Public Safety Act),a claimed a social activist. Another belonging to the National Conference asked, aHave people forgotten that Dr. Farooq Abdullah had said aBharat Mata ki Jaia at the memorial meeting for Atal Bihari Vajpayee? Did he not stand for India always? What does Rule of Law mean in a country where Farooq Abdullah can be arrested under PSA? Is that not a self-goal by India?a The big question that seemed to beg an answer was: Will Kashmiris reconcile to the situation or will there be a backlash? While no one seemed to have a clear answer to this question, there was apprehension about how the situation might unfold. There were those who said that it is quite possible that nothing might happen immediately but warned, aDonat take the surface calm as acceptance of the situation. Things can change quite suddenly in Kashmir.a Others said that Kashmiris are known to take time to understand the situation, assess their own capability to take on the state and then they look for an opportunity. Yet some others suggested that because the entire situation was unexpected, people also had to be creative in their response. For the time being, however, they seemed to have chosen mass civil disobedience a not opening their business establishments except for a couple of hours in the morning. No one seemed to have given the call for strike but people had opted for business closure as a mark of protest on their own. Schools and colleges were shut and although government offices were formally open, as public transport was suspended, only those who had access to private transport attended. Meanwhile it seemed that the Central government was trying to put together an alternative to the jailed mainstream political leaders by putting together a rag-tag group of Panches, Sarpanches, members of NGOs sponsored by the Army and ainformersa networksa . However, it did not seem to be reaching anywhere. While people seemed to be waiting for a new leadership, it was unlikely that they would accept an imposed set of leaders like the motely crowd being put together by the government. One thing however is clear, no one seems in favour of India even though they are not speaking up for Pakistan. aPeople are waiting to see what Pakistan will do. They donat want to listen to the mainstream leaders and surprisingly they donat want to look up to the militants either. They say the militants are not educated, are emotional and take self-harming decisions like telling people not to sell their horticultural produce,a a Kashmiri social activist said. He predicted that the militant pressure not to sell apples this season will fizzle out soon. CCGas November 22-26 visit: Nothing is normal: The mass civil disobedience which had begun after the August 5 decisions of the Central government was continuing when the members of the CCG visited Kashmir again more than a month later. Shops and establishments which used to open only for a couple of hours every morning had extended their opening hours due to the winter setting in. However, when the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, made an announcement in Parliament on November 20 that everything was normal in the Kashmir Valley, shops and establishments were once again shut down in protest. The education sector has been severely hit with schools, colleges and universities remaining shut in the Valley since August 5. Some schools, mostly private, that had opened were functioning with an average 10 to 30 per cent attendance. School buses were not running and parents had to ferry their children to school and back. In government schools, attendance was reported to be nil while all teachers were present. Public transport was still off the roads. Internet was still down although post-paid mobile services had started minus SMS (short message service). Fruit was being evacuated from orchards to the wholesale markets and trucks were plying on the highways carrying apples to far away markets. The process was not as smooth as in the previous years because of militant threats and the killing of some truck drivers and their assistants as well as non-Kashmiri labour engaged by orchard owners. The entire political leadership of the mainstream political parties was still in jail. The Union Home Minister has claimed that of a total of 5,161 people arrested most had been released, with only 609 still in detention. Local human rights activists are in the process of compiling their own list of detainees. They claimed that 58 mainstream political leaders were in jail in Srinagar itself while a total of 350 were estimated to be incarcerated in the jails of J&K and about 240 distributed in jails in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and in Delhi. aThe total number could be much higher,a one of them claimed. Those arrested and later released have had to provide acommunity bondsa signed by neighbours, village co-residents, family members, etc. These bonds commit them to not publicly criticise the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 or any related government policy. If they violate the bond then those who have given the commitment on their behalf are liable to be arrested. So they are virtually being held hostage by the state which is projecting community bonds as an innovative achievement. A significant thing to note was that after August 5, it was not only the government which asked non-Kashmiris to leave the Valley. Even Kashmiris did the same. Surprisingly, their reason for this were twofold: one, they did not want to be blamed for any violence against non-Kashmiris or even their killings in an extreme case; and two, and this is what is surprising, they apparently wanted to show that they too could initiate demographic change! It is significant that the killing of five West Bengal Muslim workers and two Muslim truck drivers in Shopian was not protested to by the locals. This was unprecedented and is being explained by some saying that at one level locals think that this will deter outsiders from settling in the Valley. aDeath of expectationsa and politicisation of society: There was fear, apprehension and bewilderment amongst the Kashmiris mixed with a great deal of anger. Bewildered Kashmiris asked, aWhat does India want from us? What are your expectations from us? As for us, any expectation from India is dead.a A Kashmiri journalist pointed out how serious it could be when an entire society gives up hope for a better future: aWhen people stop protesting and accept virtual death quietly, then it is not only death of expectations but also the death of the State.a aI have never seen such mourning in this society. We have lost the capacity to talk to each other even though we want to unburden ourselves. The silence here is deafening. The people are befuddled. But when in their senses and less confused, they say violence is not the way to fight a fascist state. We have seen brute force at our doorstep before in the1990s but we havenat seen this. This is totalitarianism, fascism,a observed another Kashmiri newspaper editor. The silence of the Kashmiris, certainly shows a lot of maturity. That alone has prevented the situation from becoming violent. aWe will wait till we are stronger in articulating our point of view. They used to say about Hitleras Germany that something has happened but it is yet to eventuate. So the situation in Kashmir is also yet to eventuate and it could unfold in a hundred different ways,a said a Kashmiri public intellectual. Another Kashmiri, a politician, said, aWe have been insulted and we have not reacted deliberately and we must not react immediately. We may do nothing but the ground is ready for those with guns. That fear is imminent.a Almost every Kashmiri has now become political and it is difficult to separate individuals from the politics that has been forced on them. Earlier, most people wanted to distance their children from the politics of resistance. Now they themselves want to participate in it for the sake of their childrenas future. Even in middle class families there is grudging support for militancy because they say dialogue has not resulted in anything. Yet they donat know what the road ahead could be. The deliberate silence of the Kashmiris and their spontaneous civil disobedience may turn into non-cooperation in the coming days. Fear of demographic change: The revocation of Article 35A and the abrogation of the special provisions of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution has led to fears of demographic change in the Kashmir Valley and in the Muslim-dominated areas of Jammu. The Kashmiris seemed to be working within an ideological frame. They believe that the Indian government wants to marginalise them if not annihilate them. This fear is expressed most vividly as fear of demographic change by creating new settlements for outsiders. There is also fear of the National Register of Citizens and how it could be used to legitimise settlers. Three emerging strategies of the government are being watched with a lot of apprehension by Kashmiris: reconstruction and renovation of temples, setting up of a Medical City, and planning of settlements for Kashmiri Pandits and ex-servicemen. The Central government has announced a plan of renovating and reconstructing 50,000 temples in the Kashmir Valley. However, Kashmiri Pandit activists in the Valley point out that in the entire Valley there are only 1842 temples, springs, caves and shrines that are considered holy and of these only about 1100 are big or small temples. aWho is giving them this number of 50,000 when even after including the Jammu region the number of temples is not more than 4,000?a they ask. Kashmiris believe that the number may have come from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the mother organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi. A survey of broken or run-down temples is apparently being conducted by the Army. aThis is a programme of the RSS. These temples will be their base. They could even be located near army camps. They are saying that a priest and a caretaker will be appointed for each temple and even their salaries are being specified. That will mean one lakh RSS-men in these temples which we expect will be built by the Army. If they come with their families, the number could go up to three to four lakh outsiders,a observed a Kashmiri civil rights activist. This plan of demographic transition, he believed, could be used in presently Muslim- dominated Poonch and Rajauri in Jammu as well. He also apprehended resistance once land acquisition for these temples begins because then people will know that this is being done for demographic change. The second prong of the governmentas strategy for bringing about demographic change, Kashmiris believe, would be so-called development projects like setting up a Medical City or Medicity with hospitals, medical and nursing colleges, super- speciality treatment centres, and residential accommodation for doctors, nurses and other paramedics. They believe that it might be difficult for local residents to oppose such ventures, which will necessarily bring outsiders to reside in the Valley, because they will be packaged as development projects. The third strategy, the locals believe the government may use for demographic change is to create settlement enclaves for Kashmiri Pandits and ex-servicemen (Sainik Colonies). These plans have been on the drawing board for long but now apparently the process of land acquisition for such settlements has begun. aThese will be militarised ghettos,a predicted a Kashmiri. Internet communication lockdown: Internet ban in J&K began on August 5 and has continued since till the time of writing this report. The ban has affected students, job seekers, entrepreneurs, businesses and ordinary citizens alike. aWhy was internet not blocked when the terrorist attack of 26/11 took place in Mumbai? Why was it imposed on Kashmiris because of the actions of the Modi government?a a businessman asked. There are estimated to be 14 lakh children who were learning from online services. Those wishing to appear for NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) or other competitive examinations for higher education are unable to do so because of lack of internet. The tourism sector is in tatters because of the internet ban a it can neither market itself nor take any bookings. Kashmir had a nascent IT sector servicing Europe and the US. The lack of internet connectivity has meant that the IT sector is completely shut down. The handicrafts sector too has suffered. The months of July and August is when the handicrafts businesses book export orders for Christmas and New Year sales. However, both months were engulfed by the crisis imposed on the Valleyas economy by the governmentas decisions. Another businessman said, aToday every sector is based on the internet. And we have not had internet connection since August 5. Tourism was the first sector to be hurt and we suspect it would be the last to recover. The advisory (to the tourists to leave the Valley) was given by the government. So the resultant business losses were not our fault. Who will make good these losses? The government ought to come forward and do something.a A representatives of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce said that one of the consequences of shutting down the internet has been that the government is losing out on GST. aWe have been asked to file our GST returns. Now that requires internet connectivity and SMS services to get the OTP (one time password) for filing returns. So we have been told to physically go to the District Commissioneras office and some internet booths have been set up there for filing GST returns. The moot question is a how do we generate bills with a four month long internet shut down and still file returns?a one of them asked. New entrepreneurs can also not register their ventures without the internet, he pointed out. Journalism and media services are also badly affected by internet blocking. Initially a closely monitored media centre with internet facilities for accredited journalists was opened in a hotel in Srinagar. But now it has been shifted to a government facility where probably monitoring of communication is easier. Even government functioning has been affected by internet-blocking. People were unable to pay their electricity bills because the Power Development Corporation could not generate bills online. Only now have they begun to do so. Interestingly, even the security forces have been handicapped by loss of internet facilities because social media posts helped them identify militants who were foolish enough to post their pictures on Facebook or Instagram. While there has not been a surge in militancy the blocking of social media has meant that the security forces have lost a valuable source of information. Business and Horticulture losses mount: Kashmiras economy plunged into an abyss with the government advisory issued in early August asking tourists and the non-Kashmiri labour force to leave. Even non- Kashmiri students studying in the Valley were advised to go home. In one move the entire economy was shattered across sectors ranging from tourism, handicrafts, Information Technology, industry and horticulture at a time which is normally their peak time. aIt hurt the economy grievously and that process has not stopped,a claimed a representative of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He put the total estimate of loss to Rs.12,000 crore and mounting. However, he also agreed that this figure may not be a correct estimate as lack of communication with different districts had made assessment of the overall loss difficult. The agricultural sector was one of the worst affected after August 5. The first sector to suffer was sheep-breeding. August 12 was the festival of Eid and this time because of the blockade imposed on the population, Eid was not celebrated publicly and not even 30 per cent of the sheep were sold (they are sacrificed on Eid). The remaining 70 per cent according to farmersa representatives were sold at throwaway prices after Eid. A spokesperson for the Kisan Tehreek said that although there was a bumper crop of cherry and pear this year, most of it could not be sent to other states even before August 5 (Cherry season is June and it is transported out in July) because of restrictions on highway movement. aTwo days were reserved for the movement of army convoys and on the other days civilian traffic allowed only between 10 AM and 6 PM. This affected the distribution of the cherry and pear crop,a he said. After the August 5 internet shutdown the sale and distribution of apples was also affected. On top of that in the first week of November, an unexpectedly early and heavy snowfall destroyed many standing apple trees and the plucked fruit could not be packed and sent to the market. When it eventually did the quality of the fruit had deteriorated and it did not fetch the price it should have,a he explained. Because of later harvesting, the estimate of the Kisan Tehreek was, that there was a 20 per cent reduction in the produce. Despite a bumper crop, more and more apples deteriorated to become Grade C (Kashmir produces about 40% Grade A apples, 30 per cent Grade B and 30 per cent Grade C). Of the estimated 24 lakh MT of apples produced, apparently not more than 6 lakh MT has been transported for distribution. The market intervention by NAFED has not been very successful. aRates were announced for various grades of apples but then were brought down using California standards for grading our apples. Only 1.5 lakh boxes of out of 10 to 11 crore boxes were taken by NAFED and then sold cheaply bringing the overall market price down for whatever was not sold through it. The movement on the highways is still not normal. Because of road blockage our fruit has deteriorated. Trucks are not allowed into the interiors of the districts and so the farmer has to bring the fruit to the highways. Even that leads to deterioration in quality,a another Kisan Tehreek representative pointed out. He added that the total cold storage capacity in the Kashmir Valley was only for about 5 to 6 lakh boxes. Grade C apples and waste fruit accounted for an estimated 5.5 lakh MT this year and ideally it could be used in fruit processing units but there arenat enough of them, he said. Due to untimely heavy snowfall on November 7 orchards and saffron fields have been damaged. According to Kisan Tehreek, aThe government is saying that only 35% apple trees have been destroyed but our estimate is that about 45% trees have been destroyed and the total loss to horticulture is about 70%. Of the apple trees destroyed about 35 % cannot stand again because the damage is severe. The government ought to declare this a national calamity. The fruit is insured, but not the trees. There is 40% damage to saffron fields a only three harvests of saffron had been done up to now and two more were left. But now snow has destroyed the crop. Almond trees have also been damaged and so have walnut trees which grow at higher altitudes and there the snowfall was much more.a The Kashmir Valley does not have big industry and houses mainly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). aAs skilled labour from outside the region was asked to leave by the government, 80% of the production of the MSME sector has been hit,a claimed a representative of the Chamber. The other issue of payment of bank loans. aWhen we do no business, how can we repay our bank loan instalments? So bank defaults will go up. To deal with defaulters, banks have told creditors that there will be no one-time settlements of loans. They are saying that they will sell the mortgaged property of the defaulters and recover their money. But who will they sell it to? We apprehend a big storm coming and are fearful of it,a a businessman said. The overwhelming feeling among the people the CCG met was that the economic losses suffered by the Kashmiris, except for the sudden snowfall, were inflicted by the Government of India. For the first time people are saying that they must file a legal case against the Central government seeking compensation so that it becomes a deterrence for future misadventures. aThe government prevented the movement of trucks on the highways and therefore they must take responsibility for hurting the apple trade,a a Kashmiri apple grower remarked. A civil society activist urged Indian civil society organsiations to join in filing a petition seeking compensation for Kashmiris affected by its policies. aWe donat have much hope in the J&K High Court. So the compensation suit must be filed in the Supreme Court. Perhaps some Indian civil society groups could join the J&K Chamber of Commerce in filing the suit.a Approval of militancy: People in Kashmir tend to think that protests and civil disobedience will make no difference to the Government of India. So they are asking: What should be done which would make a difference? The prevalence of such questions may in fact be preparing the ground for a new phase of militancy. Kashmiris say that the Indian state is on an ideological high. Therefore, it is unable to see that through its actions and pronouncements it is also encouraging and provoking extremist elements in J&K. aThey feel emboldened and claim that they have been proven right. A section of militants and ex-militants says that Narendra Modi is our ally because he has drawn the lines of the conflict clearly with no subterfuge,a said a civil society activist. Approval of militancy is going up at a time when Pakistan is not interested in promoting an armed struggle in Kashmir, caught up as it is in compliance with FATF (Financial Action Task Force) guidelines on preventing money laundering and terror financing. aThe mood here is for suicide vests. Even members of elite families want to join the militancy. They say that now they can expect nothing from India as it can give them nothing,a a Kashmiri claimed. That there is approval, even if not vocal, was evident in public silence on militants killing innocent truck-owners and five non-Kashmiri Muslim workers. aPeople donat support the killing of innocents but they do not mind the message it sends to rest of India in the context of fears of demographic change,a a Kashmiri from Shopian said. He claimed that most of the recent killings were the work of a known militant commander and even if he ordered the killing of ten more innocents, he will remain a hero for the locals. aThis is because people say that India has been unjust and in an unjust world, these kind of killings will happen,a he explained. There are youngsters in Kashmir who say that if we could do it (pick up arms) in the 1990s, it can be done again. However, it seems that the international climate, the state that Pakistan finds itself in and the wisdom of Kashmiri elders is preventing the youngsters from joining militancy. The extremist elements are present on the ground in Kashmir but it seems that they are unable to do much because of a variety of circumstances. A youngster explained, aThe only thing that is stopping militancy flaring up is Pakistan. There are hundreds of OGW (over-ground workers) in Shopian alone. They act as informers of the militants. They do not have arms and should they become available all these OGWs will pick them up gladly. But Paksitan is not opening the tap of militancy. So the militants today neither have money nor arms.a He pointed out that militant finance had also been harmed by the condition of apple trade. aIn Islam here there is a concept of aushra which is a portion of agricultural income which can be given to anyone for a good cause, even jihad. This is about 10% of the agricultural income of an individual or family. And people would give it to youngsters engaged in militancy as well. Even commission agents in wholesale market do not take their commission on 10 % of the apple boxes whose sale proceed will go towards aushra. Indian security forces do not understand this and they are constantly bewildered about how the militants finance themselves,a he explained. Search for alternative leadership: The Central governmentas search for a new leadership in Kashmir seems to be two pronged: One, wean away some ambitious and experienced politicians from the mainstream political parties; and create new leaders from amongst the representatives of local bodies, the Panches, Sarpanches and representatives elected to the Block Development Councils. The names of some politicians from the Peoplesa Democratic Party have been doing the rounds as those who could form the core of a new political formation. Some of them have had meetings in Delhi with the powers that be. However there seems to be no urgency in these efforts even to form a coalition of those willing to coordinate and cooperate with Delhi. The promotion of a new leadership from the local body representatives also seems to be a non-starter. The most important thing to note is that only about 30 per cent village and halqas have elected or aselecteda (only one contestant) representatives. The voting did not exceed about 7 per cent. And nearly 70 per cent of the villages in the Valley have no panchayat at all as no one had come forward to contest. In some villages and halqas there is either only one Sarpanch and no Panches or no Sarpanch and only one or two Panches. So there is very little that qualifies these village Panches and Sarpanches as democratically representative. A group of Panches and Sarpanches that the CCG members met seemed to suggest that they were being used by marketing them as future leaders without trying to build their legitimacy on the ground. aThere are arrangements for about 700 of them in hotels in Srinagar as ostensibly they cannot go back to their villages. But the reality is that only about 70 Panches and Sarpanches are staying in the hotels. The rest come only to collect their half of the money that these hotel owners get from the government which is Rs.1700 per day per person. This has already become a racket,a one Panch said. Another Panch, and the most vocal of them, said, aAmit Shah and Prime Minsiter Modi have marketed Panchayats as grassroots democracy in the Valley. But here we are seen as people who wanted the abrogation of Article 370. We may not be worthy of consultations but what would have happened if we had been consulted on removing Article 370 or Article 35A? The entire propaganda about panchayats is fake. Governmentas aBack to Village-Ia started in June did not work at all and now they have announced aBack to Village-IIa. People are so sceptical that they are saying aAfter Back to Village-Ia you took away Article 370, what do you want to do after aBack to Village-IIa ?a Hardly any work is being done in villages in the Valley, according to these village body representatives. aNo funds are being utilised in the villages. All government schemes are geo-tagged and require internet connectivity which is not there. So nothing is happening. There are other hurdles as well,a said another Sarpanch. Most complained that they had been promised a monthly stipend of Rs. 1500 for a Panch and Rs.2500 for a Sarpanch but since last December most claimed to have received only about Rs.5500 in total. The Panchayat Houses in the villages are in ruins and no one sits there, not even the Village Level Workers. If from this rag-tag bunch of people, the Central government wants to create a new leadership for Kashmir, it is clearly faced with an uphill task. Shape of things to come: Neither the Kashmiris nor the Central government seem to have a clear plan of how to deal with the emerging situation in J&K. Kashmiris may be doing nothing at present to protest the Central governmentas actions except showing civil disobedience, but there is feeling prevalent among them that the sacrifice of thousands of their youngsters will not be allowed to go waste. aThe movement may be at its lowest ebb but people feel that it will rise again when the circumstances and the world order changes. As of now there is no plan. People say that the Valley is like a volcano. No one knows when and how it will erupt,a a Kashmiri youngster claimed. There is a slow realisation even among those (e.g. Kashmiri Pandits, living in the rest of India) who welcomed the removal of the provisions of Article 370 that the Central government does not seem to have a plan for the way forward. aThey must start talking to the people start a process of some kind. There is only a short window left for doing that. After that it is quite possible that a Wahabi/Jamat-e- Islami discourse might take over. No one is talking to hoteliers, houseboat owners, orchard owners and transporters to find out how they have been affected. At least the government should talk to them,a one of them said. Another Kashmiri who claimed that he had never identified with Pakistan or the separatists said, aThe people of Kashmir have responded with great maturity. The Central government needs to incentivise it. Begin by reducing the presence of the military. Remove the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Recognise that militancy is not driven by military strategy but by emotions. Deal with the militants at the level of their emotions and convince them that they should live for their notion of aazadia and not die for it. But most importantly the Centre should undo a part of what they have done and then open a window for dialogue.a But a dialogue with whom? A Kashmiri summarised the dilemma of the government saying, aThe only thing that the government in Delhi can do is to start a process of political engagement. But those it could engage with are the same people it has jailed. It is an earthquake like situation. The quake is over but rescue, relief and rehabilitation is yet to start.a How things shape up in Kashmir will depend entirely on the government in New Delhi. If, however, normal politics is not given a chance, the people will find their own way of dealing with the reality they face. Conclusion: The psyche of the people of Kashmir has been deeply wounded by the actions of the government of India. In view of the above findings, the CCG would like to make the following demands on the Central government: 1. Release forthwith all Kashmiris who were taken into preventive detention under Public Safety Act (PSA) a whether they are politicians, businessmen, academics, opinion makers or students - if they are not accused of any crime. If there are specific cases against individuals and they have been sent to jails outside the state, they should be brought back and housed locally. It is a punishment for their family members to travel to UP, Delhi, Rajasthan or Haryana to meet the prisoners. 2. Restore all internet and mobile phone connections in J&K. It is immoral to impose a collective punishment on the entire population of a region. 3. Lift all curbs on all peaceful political activity and allow peaceful public protests 4. Lift all restriction on the movement of public and commercial vehicles on the national highways to restore normal road communication links. 5. Alleviate the fears of the Kashmiris about their future by starting a multi- level dialogue process with all those affected by the events following August 5 6. CompensateKashmirifarmersandbusinessmenfortheireconomiclosses which were the direct result of unilateral action by the government. 7. Restore land rights to the local inhabitants and give up plans of demographic change and last but the most important:- 8. Restore the statehood of J&K by reuniting the two union territories created after August 5. Signatories Yashwant Sinha, former Finance and Foreign Minister of India Wajahat Habibullah, former National Chief Information Commissioner Air Vice-Marshall (R) Kapil Kak Bharat Bhushan, Senior Journalist A White Island volcano survivor who worked as a tour guide is now awake and talking in hospital despite suffering burns to 80 per cent of his body. Jake Milbank, from New Zealand, was working as a tour guide on the island on December 9, celebrating his birthday when the volcano erupted. The 19-year-old was among those critically injured in the event with burns to 80 per cent of his body and is currently recovering in intensive care at Middlemore Hospital. Jake Milbank (pictured), from New Zealand, was working as a tour guide on the island on December 9, celebrating his birthday when the volcano erupted He was working as a tour guide (pictured) and was among those critically injured in the event with burns to 80 per cent of his body Some 47 tourists - from New Zealand and overseas - were on or around the crater, located off the coast of the North Island, at the time of the blast. Pictured: Smoke rises into the air after the explosion on Monday Jake has had to undergo surgery every few days as his parents, Janet and Steve, remain by his side. They told the Whakatane Beacon their son is now awake and talking despite going for frequent surgeries to have skin grafts. Mr Milbank said because Jake has such little skin the recovery process is going to be long and slow. 'They are checking the work that they have done already, making sure there is no infection and tidying him up,' Ms Milbank said. In order to recover Jake is in a pressurised, temperature-controlled pod. Ms Milbank said he is aware of what he went through but still remains upbeat and 'has a lot going on in his mind, but is taking it in his stride'. The parents said both doctors and themselves have been impressed with the nature of Jake's recovery and how he is coping with the catastrophic event. 'It is early stages; it is going to be a long road. We are taking it one day at a time. He is not out of the woods, he is still in ICU, so we are still plugging away day-by-day,' Mr Milbank said. Tourists desperately scramble on to a boat to evacuate the island after the eruption, shortly after 2pm local time As well as undergoing treatment for the burns and loss of skin, Jake is also doing physiotherapy to stretch his limbs and keep him mobile. The Milbank's said they are grateful to everyone who helped rescue and treat their son, including the community, hospital staff, helicopter pilots and White Island Tours crew. 'Just a big thank you for the amazing job they did getting them off the island, it pretty much saved their lives,' Mr Milbank said. He said a White Island Tours boat skippered by Paul Kingi turned around and returned to the island after the eruption and got everyone off they could. They also thanked the ambulance officers, coastguard and Australian burns surgeons who were at Middlemore treating Jake. The eruption killed 17 people, with the 17th unidentified victim dying on December 22, and left many injured. Authorities said the two missing bodies - identified as New Zealand tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman, 40, and Australian teenager Winona Langford, 17 - may never be found. Year 2019 saw many notable changes in the Indian automobile industry. Several launches within the year showcased how the auto makers are gearing up for the BS-VI emission norms as well as the ongoing electric vehicle revolution in the country. Meanwhile, new entrees were also seen in the market with impressive products which topped the sales chart for months to come. As the year 2020 starts, this evolution is expected to continue with a host of electric cars on the lineup alongside the BS-VI compliant variants of many existing as well as new vehicles. Here is a list of exciting cars ready to hit the Indian automobile market this year and what can be expected of them. New Models Hyundai Aura Hyundai Aura (Image: Hyundai India) One of the most anticipated launches in this list, the compact sedan from the house of Hyundai will come as a successor to the companys Xcent. Notably, this will also be one of the first cars to hit the Indian markets this year, with its launch scheduled for January 21. Judging from the cars unveil back in December last year, Hyundai Aura has been seen to borrow its looks from the Grand i10 Nios, complete with boomerang-shaped LED DRLs and Hyundais iconic cascading grille at the front. As for the performance, the Aura will come with three BS6-compliant engines, with one of them being a turbo-petrol unit that is currently also seen on the Hyundai Venue. Interestingly, the 1.2-litre petrol engine will also come with a factory-fit CNG variant. Check out all you need to know about the Hyundai Aura here. Tata Altroz Tata Altroz (Image: Tata Motors) Right after the launch of Hyundais Aura, Tata Motors will be bringing a new premium hatchback - Tata Altroz on January 22. Set to take on the likes of Maruti Suzuki Baleno upon its launch, the Altroz will sport the Tata Motors Impact 2.0 design language that will see the likes of projector headlamps, LED DRLs, split tail lamps, piano black ORVM and much more. For now, the company will be introducing two engine options on the Altroz, both with 5-speed manual transmission. An option for automatic transmission is expected to hit the markets at a later point, as is an electric iteration of the Altroz. Maruti Suzuki XL5 Maruti Suzuki XL5 Maruti Suzuki has been spotted testing a new hatchback in the country which is expected to be launched in the starting months of the year. The XL5, as it is named for now, will likely come as a premium version of Maruti Suzuki WagonR and will be sold through the companys Nexa dealerships. Expect all the bells and whistles of the XL6 on this one too. On the outside, this would mean LED head lamps, tail lamps, a bigger body cladding than the WagonR as well as bigger wheels which have been picked up from the Ignis. As for its power, the XL5 is expected to come with two engine options which will likely be the same ones as those on the WagonR. In addition, the car is expected to come with better safety features including more air bags, ABS and EBD. Tata Gravitas Tata Gravitas (Image: Cardekho) Tata Motor unveiled its 7-seater SUV named Buzzard at the Geneva Motor Show last year. The company will be bringing the same model to India under the name Gravitas. As a bigger alternative to the Tata Harrier, the Gravitas is expected to mark its debut in the country during the Auto Expo 2020. Tata Gravitas is expected to come with 2.0-litre diesel engine with BS6 compliance. Naturally, the SUV is longer and taller than the standard Harrier but is based on the same design language. Slight changes will include a redesigned bumper as well as rear end. Facelifts New-Generation 2020 Honda City 2020 Honda City (Image: Honda) With its fifth-generation model having been unveiled in Thailand last year, Honda will bring the new-gen City to India in 2020. This time, the company has gone for a more angular and sharper look on the renowned sedan and has equipped it with all the latest features seen on most of the Honda models, including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support. As for its performance, the new Honda City revealed in Thailand gets a new 1.0-litre turbocharged engine with 120 bhp power and 173 Nm of peak torque. It is yet unsure if the Indian-spec model will carry the same engine, though the seven-step CVT gearbox might make its way to India. Honda is expected to showcase the new-gen City at the Auto Expo this year. If it does, the sedan will likely go up for sale shortly afterwards. New-Generation Hyundai Creta 2020 Hyundai Creta/ Hyundai ix25 (Image: Indian Autos Blog) The big unveil for Hyundai at the 2020 Auto Expo, 2020 Hyundai Creta will be the second generation of the SUV in India. This time, Hyundai will have to compete with a couple of solid entries in the segment with the Creta, namely Kia Seltos and MG Hector. So we can expect the South Korean auto maker to put its best foot forward. Since the 2020 Creta has already been unveiled in China, we have a pretty good idea of how the SUV looks and what it has on offer. Sporting the companys signature design as seen on the Venue and the Kona. Notably, the SUV will come with a larger wheelbase this time which can eventually evolve to a seven-seater model later in the year. 2020 Hyundai Creta will be powered by a range of BS-VI compliant engines and will have both manual and the automatic transmissions on offer. 2020 Mahindra Thar 2020 Mahindra Thar spy shots (Image: Automobile Enthusiast) After a decade-long run in the Indian market, Mahindra Thar will see a refreshed version hitting the Indian market this year. The homegrown auto maker has already been spotted testing the new-gen Thar on the Indian roads and is likely to launch the variant this year with updates on its looks as well as engine. From what is known so far, the 2020 Mahindra Thar will come with a BS-VI compliant 2.0-litre engine option as well as independent suspension at the front. As for its design, not much is known as only camouflaged images of the new Thar have been spotted so far. Electric Tata Nexon EV Tata Nexon EV (Image: Tata Motors) The most anticipated electric car of the year, the Nexon EV was unveiled by Tata Motors in December last year and is poised to come as the countrys most affordable electric SUV once it is in the market. Tata Motors has used a new design on the Nexon EV that might also make its way to the 2020 Nexon. Some exclusive highlights in blue around the car will help differentiate the EV version from the IC engine counterpart. In addition, there will be a unique Electric Teal colour option for the Nexon EV. As for its powertrain, the Nexon EV is powered by 95 kW (129 hp) electric motor that produces 245 Nm of torque and is backed by a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. With this, Tata Motors claims that the Nexon EV can reach up to 60 kmph in 4.6 seconds and a speed of 100 kmph in 9.9 seconds. Couple that with a promised range of over 300 km on a single charge and the Nexon EV becomes a promising EV prospect at an expected price of around Rs 15 lakh upon its launch. MG ZS EV MG SUV On the premium end, MG Motor will be launching its global electric SUV - MG ZS EV in India. The electric SUV has already been showcased in the country in December and since then, the ZS EV has received encouraging feedback. The electric iteration of the MG ZS also claims impressive numbers to back that. An electric drivetrain with 143 PS power enough for an acceleration of 0 to 100 in 8.5 seconds and a 44.5 kW battery with a range of 340 km backing it up. In addition, MG Motor has made big promises on setting up an EV charging network for the ZS EV buyers. So as and when the company launches its electric SUV in the market, the ZS EV will likely impact the overall ownership of electric cars in India. James Packer arrived in the celebrity ski town of Aspen, Colorado, for Christmas last week with his girlfriend, Kylie Lim. And the billionaire casino mogul risked an awkward run-in with his ex-fiancee Mariah Carey, 49, who was also in Aspen for the holidays. According to Woman's Day, the 52-year-old businessman did not want to bump into the pop diva at 'his usual bars and restaurants'. Fancy seeing you here! James Packer risked an awkward reunion with his ex-fiancee Mariah Carey, after they jetted to Aspen for the holidays at the same time. Pictured with his current girlfriend, Kylie Lim, in 2017 James has been pictured out and about in Aspen with Kylie and their friends on several occasions recently. The Australian is said to own a $20million (USD$14million) property there, which he bought in 2013 with his ex-wife Erica Packer (nee Baxter). It is believed James and Kylie started dating in early 2018, after being introduced to each other six months earlier by mutual friends. Reports: According to Woman's Day, the 52-year-old businessman did not want to bump into the pop diva at 'his usual bars and restaurants'. Pictured in 2017 Aspen is one of Mariah's favourite holiday destinations. She arrived there just in time for Christmas and has been pictured on the slopes with her boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka, and her children, Moroccan and Monroe. The singing sensation was also seen shopping at the town's Louis Vuitton store. James ended his engagement to Mariah in 2016 after a whirlwind 18-month romance. He spoke about their failed relationship in his 2018 biography, The Price of Fortune: The Untold Story of Being James Packer. Snow queen: Aspen is one of Mariah's favourite holiday destinations. She arrived there just in time for Christmas and has been pictured on the slopes with her boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka Kids: Mariah brought along her children, Moroccan and Monroe, eight, for her winter holiday He told author Damon Kitney that their romance had initially been 'fun', but he soon realised he had made a mistake. James added: 'Wherever we went, we were on the top table and that was because of her, not me. She was kind and she took an interest in my life.' The businessman, who was admitted to a rehab centre in March 2018, acknowledged he was struggling with his mental health at the time of their relationship. Exes: James ended his engagement to Mariah in 2016 after a whirlwind 18-month romance. Pictured on May 14, 2016 in New York City In February 2016, just a month after he proposed to Mariah with a $12.7million, 35-carat diamond ring, he was apparently not coping well. 'I was in a bad, bad way,' James said, reflecting on that dark period of his life. As well as struggling with depression and anxiety, he was also facing financial strain. 'I don't know if I started crying, but I thought to myself, "I don't want to have $1.4billion of debt any more. Why am I doing this?"' he said. Eventually, it all became too much and the relationship collapsed, with James and Mariah calling it quits in October 2016. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru are working on a novel method to diagnose a broad range of diseases, which uses the mechanical properties of cells as compared to commonly used chemical-based lab tests. G K Ananthasuresh from IISc-Bangalore, and his former student Sreenath Balakrishanan, who now works at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Goa, developed a method to predict a cell's biochemistry just based on the shape of its nucleus, which hosts the genetic material. Their mechanical model, described in the Biophysical Journal, revealed the relationship among three parameters of the nucleus such as its surface area, volume, and projected area or the two-dimensional view of a cell. According to this model, the shape of the nucleus changes as its enveloping membrane undergoes an increase in tension due to changes in a protein called actin. Using this model, they assessed alterations in the shape of liver cell nucleus caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. "We have decomposed the individual contributions to nuclear morphology, and used that to predict changes in levels of proteins by merely measuring the alterations in the shape of the nucleus," Balakrishnan told PTI. The scientists validated their findings by showing that liver cells expressing HCV proteins possessed enhanced cellular stiffness, and reduced stiffness of the nucleus. They believe that measuring and standardising changes in the mechanical properties of cells can lead to a new approach for disease diagnosis. "Our lab's key contribution to this field is the identification that we need to employ inverse mechanics to gather more information from mechanical measurements," Balakrishnan said. "For example, cell stiffness can change due to many factors such as the nucleus, cytoskeleton and cell membrane. By just measuring the changes in cell stiffness can we specifically say which component has changed," he said. Conventionally, Balakrishnan said, diagnostic procedures detect the change in the levels of chemicals in tissues and cells that correspond to disease states. "We are working on what can be done with the mechanical response" Ananthasuresh told PTI on the sidelines of an international conference held last month at IIT-Mandi, where he was a keynote speaker. "Because whenever there's a healthy cell that becomes abnormal in a disease condition, definitely its mechanical response changes because some constitution inside the cell has changed," he said. Such lab tests and chemicals assays, Balakrishnan added, involve the use of costly perishable reagents, which he believes takes the technology away from poor communities. Additionally the chemical tests also require sufficient quantities of sample cells, depending on the sensitivity of the tests developed. Balakrishnan said using mechanical properties instead to develop diagnostic procedures can overcome this problem, since these can be measured using the same instrument repetitively for vast quantities of sample. "For example, if you squeeze a cell, and leave it, allowing it to recover, the time of recovery can be an indicator of the health of the cell," explained Ananthasuresh, as an example of how physical forces and mechanical properties of cells can become diagnostic principles. To build diagnostic devices which work on these principles, the scientists said the physical properties of cells need to be broken down to contributions from their individual components. They said this can be done by mechanical modelling of cells and their components, and finding how these are related to each other by physical forces. Both Ananthasuresh and Balakrishanan, however, agreed that the field is very nascent, with very few people across the world working on it. While mechanodiagnostics may not become a clinically viable method to test for all diseases, Balakrishnan said, some conditions affecting the morphology of whole cells like cancer, malaria, and sickle cell anemia may be assessed with the emerging technique. He said these diseases are known to cause changes in the physical and biomechanical properties of cells, which result in several-fold increases or decreases in cell stiffness, and eventually cause breakdown of the bodily functions. Balakrishnan cited the example of a study by T. R. Kiessling from Leipzig University in Germany who used a device to capture and stretch cells flowing through them to measure their deformability, using which his team assessed suspended breast cancer cells. Researchers have also developed mechanodiagnostic devices which harness the differences in stiffness of normal red blood cells (RBCs) from infected ones to separate the diseased cells from healthy ones, according to Ananthasuresh, a recipient of the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 2010. "It took a long time for biologists to believe that the mechanical response does change in abnormal cells and can be an indicator of disease conditions. And now hardly, I can say 10-15 people across the world are working on mechanodiagnostics," Ananthasuresh said. "But no one disagrees that disease conditions alter the mechanical properties of cells, and that itself is a huge step forward," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) STORY LINK Pound US Dollar (GBP/USD) Exchange Rate Sinks as US Factory Output Improves in December GBP/USD Exchange Rate Edges Higher as US Economy Starts Off on Softer Footing GBP/USD Exchange Rate Sinks as UK Manufacturing PMI Falls Below Forecasts GBP/USD Outlook: Brexit Developments in Focus Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound US Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate fell by -0.6% today, with the pairing currently trading around $1.315 after the US factory output figure showed a slight expansion at 52.4 in December.Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at IHS Markit, comments:The US manufacturing sector continued to recover from the soft-patch seen in the summer, ending 2019 with its best quarter since the early months of 2019.The overall rate of expansion nevertheless faltered somewhat in December and remains well below that seen this time last year, suggesting producers are starting 2020 on a softer footing than they had enjoyed heading into 2019.As a result, US markets reacted favourably as the New Year promises some improvement for one of Americas largest sectors.Today also saw the US Initial Jobless Claims for December beat forecasts at 222 thousand, providing further uplift for the USD/GBP exchange rate.Meanwhile, American markets have remained fixated on US-China trade developments following US President Donald Trumps that a phase one trade deal could be secured on 15th January.Any signs of improving relations between the worlds two largest economies, however, could weaken the safe-haven Greenback as investors seek out riskier assets instead.The Pound (GBP) has remained subdued today after this mornings publication of the UK Markit Manufacturing PMI figure for December, which fell below forecasts at 47.5.Duncan Brock, Group Director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, was downbeat in his analysis, saying:The pace of manufacturings decline in December will set alarm bells ringing as production levels sank at their fastest levels since July 2012 and with no sign of immediate recovery in sight.Brexit has remained at the forefront of British market concerns, however, with the 31st January exit from the European Union continuing to hold back the Pound as investors become increasingly jittery over the future for the UK economy.US Dollar (USD) investors will be awaiting tomorrows release of the US ISM Manufacturing PMI, which is expected to improve from 48.1 to 49. As a result, we could see the Greenback rise further against the struggling Sterling.Tomorrow will also see the release of The Federal Market Open Market Committees (FOMC) minutes. Any dovish commentary about the state of the US economy, however, could clip some of the US Dollars gains.Sterling traders, meanwhile, will be keeping a close eye on Brexit developments this week, with any further signs that the UK economy could face challenges in the coming year weakening the GBP/USD exchange rate. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: American Dollar Forecasts Dollar Pound Forecasts Egypt said the Turkish military intervention in Libya threatens Arab national security in general and Egypt's national security in particular, which requires taking all measures to protect Arab interests Egypt strongly condemned on Thursday a vote by Turkey's parliament vote to allow a troop deployment to Libya, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday. "Egypt stresses that the approval to deploy Turkish troops to Libya is considered a blatant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions on Libya, especially resolution 1970 (2011), which imposes a [ban on military cooperation with Libya]," the Egyptian foreign ministry said. The ministry added that two MoUs recently signed between Turkey and Libya's Fayez Al-Sarraj violated the Skhirat agreement of December 2015. The Turkish military intervention in Libya threatens Arab national security in general and Egypt's national security in particular, which requires taking all measures to protect Arab interests, the statement said. The ministry said that Egypt reasserts the Arab position that rejects any foreign interference in Libya, a position adopted by the League of Arab States' council in its meeting on 31 December 2019. The foreign ministry added that Turkey is supporting terrorist organisations that are being transported from Syria to Libya. "This shows the necessity to restore the nation state in Libya and the institutions in the country," said the statement. Egypt said that any Turkish deployment could negatively affect the stability of the Mediterranean region and called on the international community to respond to the move. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is holding a meeting with the Egyptian National Security Council to discuss the latest developments. Search Keywords: Short link: Karnataka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (January 2) said that the government is focusing on formulating a cash crop and export-centric farming system, while releasing the 3rd installment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi of Rs 2000 for the period December 2019 - March 2020. He also distributed Krishi Karman Awards to farmers in Tumakuru. The Prime Minister said that the effort of the Central government has led to an increase in the production and export of spices in the country. Addressing a gathering after distributing Krishi Karman Awards, Modi said, "There was a time in the country when one rupee was sent for the poor and farmers, but only 15 paisa used to reach them and the rest 85 paise was consumed by middlemen. Today, all the money that is sent from Delhi is deposited in the farmers' account." Live TV Distributing Agriculture Ministers Krishi Karman Awards for Progressive Farmers and Commendation Awards to the states at a public meeting in Tumkur, he said this will benefit approximately 6 crore beneficiaries and distributed Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to select farmers of Karnataka. The Prime Minister also handed over certificates to beneficiaries under PM Kisan from 8 states / UTs. He also handed over the keys of Deep Sea fishing Vessels and Fishing Vessel Transponders to select farmers of Tamil Nadu. Referring to the governments efforts on the Fisheries sector, the Prime Minister said the government is working at three levels to strengthen the sector. -First - Encouraging fisheries in villages through financial assistance to fishermen. -Second- Modernizing the fishing boats under the Blue Revolution Scheme. -Third - Constructing modern infrastructure related to fish trade and business. Prime Minister said, fishermen have been linked to the Kisan Credit Card facility. New fishing harbors are being built in large rivers and in the sea for the convenience of fish farmers. A special fund of Rs 7.50 thousand crore has also been created for modern infrastructure. Fishermen's boats are being modernized for deep sea fishing and navigation devices are being installed in boats for the protection of fishermen with the help of ISRO. Keeping in view the nutritional security of the country, he also requested to create a new category in the Krishi Karman Award, for Nutri Cereals, Horticulture, and Organic Agriculture. This will give impetus to people and states doing better work in these areas, he added. On the occasion, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar informed that a toll-free number for the beneficiaries of PM-Kisan Yojana, 155261 has been started at which the farmers will be able to know their payment status. He also informed about the governments commitment to social security for small and marginal farmers and added that two welfare schemes PM-Kisan which provides income support, and PM- Kisan Maandhan-Yojana (PM-KMY) for pension assistance are being implemented. The minister added that a mobile application is also being developed for ease of access to PM Kisan Portal facilities for farmers. Could things get any worse in the 2020s? That seemed to be the question, unfortunately, on a lot of peoples minds when the calendar flipped at midnight January 1, as the giant ball dropped and anxiety levels spiked into the howling winds of an already-dreaded election year. This much is already clear: For Americas estimated 750,000 or more homeless people, 2020 looks like the year that things will go from bad to much, much worse. While the rest of the nation was focused, understandably, on other things in mid-December either holiday shopping for most normal folks, or the impeachment of the 45th president for me and a few million other political geeks the Trump administration was quietly gearing up for a harsh election-year push on homelessness. It would heavily target that state our POTUS hates most, in California, and appeal to his voting base that thinks cruelty is the point of U.S. politics. READ MORE: Crazy California homelessness schemes are everything you feared about Trump | Will Bunch Experts say the Trump White House working with his secretary of housing and urban development, Ben Carson is on the brink of a new policy that may include an executive order from President Trump but is almost certain to rely on a new tough love approach for those on the margins of American society, if such as thing can be all tough with no love. The likeliest schemes could turn food from a daily necessity into a bargaining chip, to lure the unhoused away from view in city centers and into large, out-of-site warehouses. This new cruelty-is-the-point federal approach to homelessness looks much more certain after Team Trump quietly forced out the Obama-era appointee who ran the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and replaced him with a Republican consultant whose police-heavy approach to the issue led his critics in Congress to brand it in a recent letter as cruel, punitive, ineffectual, and expensive to run. In other words, it sounds like this new homeless czar Robert Marbut Jr., a former San Antonio city council member is a perfect fit for the Trump White House. Policy-wise, this is a big deal. It means homelessness is about to join climate change, air and water pollution, refugee policy, peace in the Middle East and North Korea, election security, reducing deficits and a long list of other areas where America is moving backwards after we elected a reality-show clown as commander-in-chief in order to own the libs. While both a) statistics and b) walking or driving through the heart of most big cities reveals that homelessness has been getting worse across the nation a combination of many factors, including unaffordable urban housing, the opioid crisis, inadequate mental health services and bad policy choices by both Republicans and Democrats. Yet there are some cities that have shown success is possible. Many say the approach known broadly as Housing First getting people into adequate shelter before other much-needed services works when done properly, so unsurprisingly the new Trump idea is to do the polar opposite. But in some ways, the politics here is more even more troubling than the policy. The late vice president Hubert Humphrey said famously that the moral test of government is how it treats children, the elderly, and those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped. To say that Donald Trump and his administration have spectacularly flunked this moral test would be grading upward on a curve. Under Trump, the nation once bestowed with a Statue of Liberty for welcoming the worlds desperate people yearning to breathe free is now turning away virtually all refugees, and hoping to build a giant wall to make that even easier. Babies and toddlers have been ripped from their mommies and daddies and psychologically scarred for life when families do breach the border. In cold, inadequate facilities, unthinkable record numbers of migrants are dying. Given this history, does anyone truly believe that adding homelessness to the portfolio of Donald Trumps goon squads over-policing people without homes and dumping them into what sound like urban internment camps, is a good idea? The seminal essay of the Trump era, of course, has been Adam Serwers The Cruelty Is The Point in the Atlantic, which posited that seemingly unrelated Trumpian moves from the (mostly) Muslim travel ban to chanting Lock. Her. Up!" at rallies years after any threat from Hillary Clinton was vanquished are all bonded by the notion that their community is built by rejoicing in the anguish of those they see as unlike them, who have found in their shared cruelty an answer to the loneliness and atomization of modern life. READ MORE: Emboldened Trump hopes a cruel border crisis will get him reelected in 2020 | Will Bunch Its almost impossible not to see a new Trump homelessness policy on those terms. According to insiders, the 20 or so cities that would be targeted in any 2020 moves would include 12 localities in California as well as the presidents native New York City, areas that have earned Trumps contempt in 2020 as liberal bastions. And any controversy over his moves would peak right at the time Trump needs to rally his 63 million angry troops for the November election. The idea that compassion might be a part of any solution to homelessness seems a non-starter. If its a lack of compassion you want, then Marbut who just replaced that Obama appointee, Matthew Doherty, at USICH appears to be your man. The scion of a Texas-based media empire who meandered into conservative policies and then marketed himself as a homelessness guru by, in true Trumpian fashion, constantly failing upwards, Marbut once described his own cruelty-point ideas as Housing Fourth. That means an approach that places all blame on the individual and none on society, essentially outlawing panhandling and denying food or a roof to folks until they pass drug tests or otherwise meet behavioral goals. Diane Yentel, president and CEO for the National Low Income Housing Coalition, told Citylab which has been covering the heck out of this story while most media outlets have largely ignored it that Marbuts record and approach is punitive and dehumanizing, and that his giant warehouse "strikes me as a throwback to 19th-century poor houses. The poor house approach seems a good way to describe Marbuts signature project in San Antonio that carries the Orwellian name of Haven for Hope (but that former residents have nicknamed Haven for Dope). Based on past reporting about the grim campus-like project on the western edge of the Texas city, its hard to say which is worse about Haven for Hope: Its hundreds of calls reporting rapes, assaults and other crimes or its brutal practices that require new arrivals to sleep outdoors on concrete in a Prospects Courtyard until they pass a drug test. According to Citylab, Marbut defends his record and his policy ideas with answers that arent really true. A claimed 80 percent decline in homelessness in San Antonio appears to be no really decline at all, just moving people away from the tourist zone. And Marbuts statement that the homeless spend 93 percent of the money from panhandling on drugs, alcohol or sex is false (youll be shocked to learn the biggest portion is spent on ... food). Did I mention that Marbut is going to be right at home inside the Trump administration? Over the last year, early warnings of a big Trumpian shift on homeless policy have largely been false starts. Turning around the aircraft carrier of federal policy requires more than a couple of 5 a.m. tweets (who knew?). But just as the president finally found my Roy Cohn in Bill Barr to serve as attorney general, Trump seems to now have my Stephen Miller ready to do for Americas homeless what Miller has done for migrants. And so just as the images of crying toddlers or dead migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and kids sleeping under metallic sheets or stuffed behind chain-link fences would define what America became in the early Trump years, the pictures we remember from 2020 may be cops brutally busting up tent cities and huddled masses on hard asphalt courtyards. Or if were lucky this can be the year that the United States begins a better, smarter debate on a serious agenda for ending homelessness. But in doing so, we can never forget that for one side, the cruelty is the point. . Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): In a bid to end the Church feud over burial grounds, the Kerala government on Wednesday proposed an ordinance making burial a right of every Christian at his or her parish cemetery. The ordinance in effect will benefit the Jacobite faction of Malankara Church as the ongoing property dispute between the Jacobite and Orthodox Church had resulted in an undue delay in burials. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the state government has introduced the ordinance as the warring factions were unable to reach a consensus. "The Cabinet had appointed a sub-committee to look into the issue and amicably solve it. But even after reaching out only one faction was ready for discussion. Instances of burial being obstructed were reported. Since it was becoming a social issue, the government intervened, " he said. The dispute between Jacobite and the Orthodox faction over properties is continuing for long in Kerala and even after a Supreme Court verdict in 2017, the feud is yet to die down. (ANI) (Newser) A New Year's Eve road race in Brazil offered what Yahoo Sport Australia deems an "electrifying finish"though the competitor who came in second likely isn't looking at it that way. That's because 19-year-old Olympic runner Jacob Kiplimo pulled what USA Today calls a "big no-no": He started celebrating his "win" by raising his arms in the air right before he crossed the finish line of the 9.3-mile San Silvestre de Sao Paulo race, with 23-year-old Kibiwott Kandie uncomfortably close behind him. story continues below And that's when Kandie saw his opportunity and rushed right past the teen from Uganda; videos taken from a variety of angles show the moment Kandie sweeps past a surprised Kiplimo. Not only did Kandie win the race, but he also set a record as the first man to break 43 minutes in the race, with a time of 42 minutes, 59 seconds. Kiplimo came in at exactly 43 minutes. CBS News notes that if he hadn't started celebrating prematurely, he, too likely would've gained a second and broken the 43-minute mark. (This runner had harsh words for Nike.) A Tamil orator, who allegedly made provocative remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah last week was arrested and produced before a court in Tirunelveli on Thursday, which remanded him to judicial custody for 12 days. Hours after Nellai Kannan was taken into custody last night by Perambalur District police, he was picked up by Tirunelveli police personnel. They brought him to Tirunelveli, about 620 km from here and produced before a judicial magistrate court, which remanded him to judicial custody. "He will have to be produced in court on January 13. Kannan has been directed to be taken to Madurai prison," a Tirunelveli district police official told PTI. Nellai Kannan was whisked away from a lodge by a police team in Perambalur district in connection with complaints against him by the BJP and the ruling AIADMK. He is a Tamil litterateur and has taken part in several television shows based on literature and oratory. The arrest came after top Tamil Nadu BJP leaders staged a demonstration near Gandhi statue point on the Marina beach front here, demanding his arrest over the remarks. The BJP had also petitioned Governor Banwarilal Purohit, seeking action against Kannan. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri condemned the arrest. Kannan made the alleged remarks at an event organised by the Social Democratic Party of India on December 28. The BJP had on Monday lodged a police complaint seeking his arrest and prosecution. State BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathi had alleged that Kannan called out the names of Prime Minister and Home Minister at the meeting and told the gathering he was "shocked as to why Muslims have not yet killed the Prime Minister and Home Minister..." Kannan's remarks "are an open threat to the lives of the Prime Minister and the home minister," Narayanan said. Also, the spokesman had alleged that the remarks were an attempt to incite violence, a criminal intimidation, and abetment to murder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Victoria Tin-bor Hui, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, will examine Hong Kong and China in Hong Kongs Last Stand?, a World Affairs Forum event at Stamfords Ferguson Library on Sunday, Jan. 12. Huis research examines the centrality of war in the formation and transformation of China in history. She focuses on comparative history of Asia and Europe, state formation and state-society relations, contentious politics and resistance movements, transformation of world politics, political culture, Asian and Confucian values and Chinese politics. As a native of Hong Kong, Hui also analyzes Hong Kong politics. She maintains The Umbrella Movement and Beyond, a blog covering the movement. Iran not after wars: Ayatollah Khamenei ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 1 January 2020 / 14:54 Tehran (ISNA) - On the occasion of the auspicious birth of Lady Zeinab al-Kubra (p.b.u.h.), thousands of nurses from across the country met with the Leader of the Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday. The following are the statements his eminence made at this meeting: Look at what the US is doing in Iraq and Syria. They're taking revenge on Hashd al-Sha'bi for defeating ISIS. Since Hashd al-Sha'bi crippled and destroyed ISISwhich the U.S. had createdthey're taking revenge. The Iranian government the Iranian nation and I strongly condemn the US's malice. That guy [Donald Trump] has tweeted that we see Iran responsible for the events in Baghdad and we will respond to Iran. Firstly, you can't do anything and secondly, if you were logical which you're not you'd see that your crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan have made nations hate you. If the Islamic Republic decides to challenge and fight, it will do so unequivocally. We're not after wars, but we strongly defend the Iranian nation's interests, dignity and glory. If anyone threatens that, we will unhesitatingly confront and strike them. People have economic demands, mostly rightful ones. In the events of November, people had demands but the enemy had prepared agents to cause sedition. It used the opportunity to harm the country. With their insight and astuteness, people withdrew and the seditionists were left alone. Those who abuse people's demands, attack fuel and wheat warehouses to set them on fire and destroy infrastructures, which belong to the people, some of them may do this based on emotions. But, the main orchestrators are linked to foreign intelligence services. A senior official of the country said a foreign politician said during the recent riots he had heard the stupid U.S. officials in Washington say happily, "Iran is done this time!" He said when the events had finished, the Americans were very upset that it hadn't worked again. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address GUWAHATI: Amid the ingoing protests in different parts of Assam against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday (January 1) stressed that his government was committed to protect the interest of the indigenous Assamese and the new legislation will not have any adverse effect on the lives of indigenous Assamese. "The government has given suggestion to the Central government, which is in a process to frame the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act to incorporate state government`s view so that interest of indigenous people remains protected," Sonowal told media. The Assam CM remarked that he is also "son of this soil and will not compromise with the interest of indigenous people" at any cost. Sonowal urged the people of Assam to trust him and not get misled by rumours spread by oppoistion parties on the CAA. "I would like to make an appeal to the people of my state to have trust in me. I am your son and we are in power due to your blessings. We, son of the soil, are running this government since 2016 but never compromise with the interest of people. Please do not isolate me from you...where will I go if you do so....just wait and watch for some time, all false campaign will fall flat," he said. Sonowal blamed the 'destructive elements' for causing violence and arson in Assam after the passage of Citizenship Amendment Bill. "A section has misguided the people by claiming that the CAA will make 1.5 crore Hindus of Bangladesh eligible for citizenship. I know you will not believe me now but the reality is that very few people already living in Assam for decades will get citizenship because of this Act. It will become clear when we publish the list after their applications are processed," he said. "My government will not take any step that goes against the indigenous Assamese people. There is no point in being the chief minister if I cannot protect the interests of the very people who elected us. Assam was, is and will be for the Assamese people and no force can threaten our language, culture and existence," added Sonowal. The Assam chief minister also reminded the people about the works done by the BJP for the people of Assam and attacked Congress for destroying the state. "It is amusing to see that the BJP which worked so tirelessly for the development of the state has become the villain and those looted the state and did nothing to defend the state from invasion of foreigners are part of agitation," said Sonowal. Dance drama Cottonwood Tree in Stormy Days is staged in Beijing's Erqi Theater over December 12-13. [For China Daily] Around a century ago during the age of upheaval in China, a pair of revolutionary martyrs exchanged their vows, accompanied by a macabre rifle salute. In 2002, this true story was adapted into a heart-wrenching dance drama entitled Cottonwood Tree in Stormy Days, winning the Wenhua Award, a top national award for the performing arts, in 2004. After more than a decade, Guangdong Song and Dance Ensemble decided to stage the production once again, bringing it to Beijing's Erqi Theater for two performances on December 12 and 13. The story took place during the Guangzhou Uprising of 1927 in South China's Guangdong Province, where Communists attempted to wrest control of the city from Kuomintang forces. Zhou Wenyong and Chen Tiejun, both leading members of the uprising, pretended to be a married couple in order to avoid drawing attention to their undercover work, but over time developed a real affection for one another. After the uprising failed, they were betrayed, arrested and sentenced to death. Zhou asked for a photo with Chen as his final wish, and Chen made a speech, announcing to the public their love for each other. Director of the dance drama, Wen Zhenya, says this reproduction is not a duplication of earlier versions of the show. He wanted the story to be historically accurate while keeping up with modern aesthetics. In keeping with the story, the production incorporates iconic elements from Guangdong, including qilou, a streetside architectural form prevalent in the region, and kapok flowers, Guangzhou's floral emblem. Using innovative stage design, the show aims to send audiences back in time. "We present the stage as old, faded black-and-white photographs," Wen says. "Advanced technology today is able to produce rich colors on stage, but I want to go back and present the audiences with simplicity that evokes a sense of nostalgia." While the stage, props and costumes are mainly in monochrome, it is contrasted with the bright redness of certain objects, creating a striking visual effect. Dancers in their 20s, Jin Chao and Wang Minrui (C), perform the male and female protagonists in the drama. [For China Daily] For example, as the female protagonist Chen Tiejun runs away from an arranged marriage at the beginning of the story, a red wedding ribbon is shown to bind her to the feudal marriage system. Xiao Suhua, a professor from Beijing Dance Academy, says: "Its structure is a breath of fresh air. The scenes are smoothly connected and the performance is reserved yet expressive." The martyrs Zhou and Chen were aged 23 and 24 respectively, when they were executed. To faithfully present their story, Wen chose dancers in their 20s to perform the roles. "For the first production, the protagonists were designed to be senior Communists in their 30s; but for this new production, they are young adults, full of vigor and idealism," Wen says. Young dancers from the ensemble, Jin Chao and Wang Minrui, took up the roles of the male and female protagonists, respectively. The dancers say despite being set in a different era, the story resonates with them personally. "I cannot truly feel what it is like living in that tumultuous era, but I understand their passion and aspiration. It is essentially a story about young people striving to make their dreams come true," Wang says. Jin adds that since the production debuted in Guangzhou this September, he has gradually developed a deeper understanding of the character: "They are both aspirational, knowledgeable young people, who devote their lives to revolution. Even for today's young people, this story is stimulating and inspirational. "In the final scene where their wedding takes place prior to their execution, the fact they could face death like that is both touching and romantic." The ensemble decided to restage the dance drama to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and also the 70th anniversary of the ensemble's establishment this year. "I believe that today's young people need the spirit of patriotism. Our life today is built on the sacrifice of countless young people like Chen and Zhou. We need to remember our heroes," Wen says. (Source: China Daily) Flash Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said he would ask the parliament to grant him immunity from prosecution in three corruption cases. In a statement broadcasted live on Israel's main TV channels, Netanyahu said he would submit his request to the Speaker of the Parliament Yuli Edelstein in order to "continue to serve you for the sake of the future of the State of Israel." He submitted the request only four hours before the midnight deadline on Wednesday. The request could delay the cases against Netanyahu and secure him several more months at the office, enabling him to run for another term in the national elections on March 2. Netanyahu was indicted on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Benny Gantz, chairman of the Blue and White party, Netanyahu's main rival, said the party "would do anything possible to prevent the immunity." He accused Netanyahu of "endangering the civilian basis of equality before the law" with trying to shield himself from standing to trial. Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the right-wing Israel Our Home party, also denounced the move, saying that Netanyahu "has been only interested in his immunity and took the State of Israel as his hostage." Israel's political system has been paralyzed over the past year amid two rounds of national elections that failed to yield conclusive results. Pompeo's trip will be rescheduled in the near future and he looks forward to the visit at that time. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has postponed his visit to Ukraine and other countries. Read alsoU.S. Secretary of State Pompeo to visit Ukraine on Jan 3 "Secretary Pompeo must postpone his visit to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus due to the need for the Secretary to be in Washington, D.C., to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East," U.S. Department of State said in a press statement. It is noted Pompeo's trip will be rescheduled in the near future and he looks forward to the visit at that time. (Natural News) Parents wanting to take their children to see the latest Star War flick, be warned: If you choose an Alamo Drafthouse movie theater, youll be bombarded with an obscene drag queen raunch-fest as part of the chains signature pre-show performance. According to reports, the Texas-based movie chain has been surprising Star Wars moviegoers with these drag queen performances unannounced, which has sent many angry parents straight to Twitter to air their grievances. Alamo Drafthouse has yet to respond to any of this outrage other than to claim that drag queens align with the Star Wars films fashion themes, which somehow makes them a permissible feature for young children to watch before the movie starts rolling. Video footage of a pre-show drag queen performance at an Alamo Drafthouse location in Chandler, Arizona, was shared to Twitter, revealing the utter depravity that parents and their children were exposed to without even knowing that it was going to take place. Absolute bulls**t to unexpectedly force sexuality conversation on little children at family movie night Disney, you absolute pieces of s**t, wrote one outraged Twitter user who shared this vile footage with his followers, adding that his seven- and eight-year-old sons were asking him why the boys looked like girls in crazy clothes. To be fair, this is the type of thing that parents should automatically expect from the likes of Disney, which had already made it clear that The Rise of Skywalker would feature LGBTQ themes. But its still highly inappropriate for Alamo Drafthouse to trick parents with unannounced pre-show drag queen performances without their consent. We are in a war for our morality, from every angle, lamented one Twitter user in response to the video footage of Alamos drag queens. Depravity everywhere. Indoctrination and indecent seems to be their philosophy absolutely evil! wrote another, following another tweet from someone else who tweeted New York Senator Chuck Schumer directly to ask him: Is this the America you envision for your grandchildren? Alamo Drafthouse doubles down on drag queen pre-shows, says theyre perfectly normal for children PJ Media reportedly reached out to Bryan Schomer, the very young-looking manager of the Alamo Drafthouse Chandler location, to seek answers about why Alamo is tricking parents like this. But his only response was one of defense for the chains disgusting decision. Its perfectly normal to have people discussing fashion from the movie in the pre-show, was Schomers canned response. When further pressed about how these arent mere people, but rather adult performers sashaying around in makeup and bikinis, Schomer went on to state: Its a PG-13 movie and the pre-show is about the movie. Theres nothing in it that would be unusual. Many upset moviegoers have tried to reach someone at Alamo Drafthous above Schomers paygrade, but thus far all of them have been unsuccessful. As it turns out, Alamo Drafthouse doesnt want to interact with its patrons and has actually put systems in place to ensure a constant communications firewall. PJ Media found a number for the corporate office in Texas but was routed through an automated switchboard that hung up every few seconds before anyone answered the phone, writes Megan Fox for this media outlet. The switchboard only had two options: contact a local theater or a dial-by-name directory. As of publishing, the corporate office has not issued any official response. Chandler manager Schomer said he did not get any direct complaints from patrons but had heard about it through others. Our advice is to avoid Alamo Drafthouse at all costs and show the company what the American people really think about this perversion being forced down the throats of our children. For more related news about the transgenderism agenda to destroy our nations youth, reader Gender.news. Sources for this article include: PJMedia.com Twitter.com NaturalNews.com Facebook.com Emergency crews pulled Kleven and the two children who later died from the vehicle after it had been submerged in the water for several minutes. The infant girl whos now in critical condition could not be removed until the vehicle was pulled from the water. Banding together for broadband Light at the end of the fiber? Megabits and economics Models for a broadband future? (TNS) Anne Clyncke, who lives near Yampa in south Routt County, Colo., sometimes has to go to the library to use the computer for her job if her family has hit the cap on their satellite internet service.On Colorados Eastern Plains, the city of Fort Morgan invested $6 million of its own money to build a fiber-optic network after years of hearing from residents and businesses struggling to make do with inadequate internet service.The two scenarios underscore that the digital divide isnt just between urban and rural. Outside the Interstate 25 and 70 corridors, where great distances and low populations make providing internet more expensive, there can be wide variations of service and coverage.State officials say 87% of rural Colorado has access to broadband, but that number comes with asterisks. State and federal officials acknowledge that more precise mapping is needed to pinpoint which areas need to be brought up to speed.You can look at maps and say, Oh, this community is served. Well, the community within a quarter mile of the community center may be served, but the folks outside of that are either underserved or completely unserved, said Nate Walowitz, the regional broadband program director at the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments.The council is among the public agencies across Colorado leveraging state and federal grants and building partnerships to deliver the reliable, high-speed internet they agree is a necessity, not a luxury, in the 21st century. They say up-to-date service is key to growing the economy in rural communities and luring people looking to escape the congestion and rising costs of the Front Range and mountain hot spots.In Routt County, where places such as Steamboat Springs face pressure from growing populations and high prices, it would make sense for people to relocate to some of the smaller outlying communities, such as Yampa and Oak Creek and Hayden, said Tim Corrigan, a county commissioner.But without adequate broadband service, its a nonstarter, he said.The Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have spent billions of dollars nationwide to extend broadband internet to outlying areas. In Colorado, state agencies have allocated tens of millions of dollars in local grants to build out high-speed networks.The state distributed $20.2 million in mineral severance tax revenues from 2013-18, said Greg Winkler, a regional manager with the Department of Local Affairs. Local governments matched the state funds, boosting the total to $40.4 million, he added.Our executive director as of August of this year has allocated $5 million a year for the next five years, so thats another $25 million, Winkler said.The money will go for so-called middle-mile development, or the fiber network that hooks up to the large-capacity trunks and lays the groundwork for connections to homes and businesses.Rather than waiting for the big internet providers to lay more fiber to sparsely populated parts of the state, more and more rural communities are using grants, local money and forming public/private partnerships to find their own solutions.A $750,000 grant from the Department of Local Affairs helped Routt County, the city of Steamboat Springs, the local school district, hospital and the Yampa Valley Electric Association to install a $2.2 million fiber-optic network connecting those anchor institutions. The group, called Northwest Colorado Broadband, formed about five years ago and negotiated with Wyoming-based Mammoth Networks to provide the middle-mile infrastructure.Were beginning to see some results, Corrigan said. Unfortunately, its still all in Steamboat Springs. We have been unable to identify a private partner that is really interested in getting out to serve the outlying parts of the county.The ranch where Anne Clynckes family raises hay in south Routt County and where she works remotely as a consultant for an Atlanta-based firm is one of those outlying areas. The family receives internet via satellite, which is expensive and has caps on the data.Clynckes children cant do some of their homework online. Her husband wants to stream a livestock auction instead of driving hours to attend in person. The familys previous satellite company would sell customers extra data, but the current one doesnt. So, they still stream the hours-long auctions, but it catches up with them.It will eat up our data and it will be slow later on in the month, Clyncke said. Sometimes Ill travel to the library to work if were out of data.In north Routt County, the charter school where Brandon LaChance is executive director combines its DSL service, which runs over phone lines, and internet via satellite.We kind of have a piecemeal approach of two services that dont complete a whole service for us, he said.However, the less-than-ideal internet at North Routt Community Charter School is light-years ahead of that in homes of many of the students and staff members. Several of the homes in the area about 17 miles north of Steamboat Springs have only a dial-up connection, which is slower than DSL, or satellite internet. Or nothing.LaChance has a dial-up connection. Besides slow, unreliable internet, his cellphone service is poor, he said. While home recently to take care of his sick kids, he couldnt access his email on his phone nor respond to a reporters request for an interview about his schools internet service.Through the years, proposals by companies to serve the area have fallen through, including one to run fiber to the school. After the school spent money on a connecting line, LaChance said the company backed out, saying it had made a math mistake.LaChance said hes proud of his schools culture, which emphasizes reading and collaboration, and the fact that our kids arent walking around with cellphones and wires hooked up to their heads.But as much as we enjoy the lack of access at the certain appropriate times in a school, we dont have that access when its needed, he said.The only hope that LaChance sees on the horizon is the Yampa Valley Electric Association and its subsidiary, Luminate Broadband. Yampa Valley, part of Northwest Colorado Broadband, is using infrastructure, rights of way and other facilities it has to deliver electricity to members of its cooperative to now deliver fiber-optic broadband, which transmits data by light signals over long strands of glass.Weve seen a little bit of growth and interest from internet service providers in coming into the community to help build out the infrastructure, but we didnt see a lot of interest, said Steve Johnson, CEO and general manager of Yampa Valley and president of Luminate. We want to see northwest Colorado have broadband equivalent to what other parts of the country have.Johnson lives in the same neighborhood as LaChance. He knows the struggles area residents face. He sees kids routinely congregate at a local store so they can tap into the internet.Yampa Valley has all the infrastructure. We have the ability to do it because of what we do on the electric side. If we dont do it nobody else is going to, Johnson said.Luminate got word that it will receive state funds and is applying for more. After about eight months of construction, the company can serve roughly 5,000 customers. It hopes to increase that to 23,000 homes and businesses by the second quarter of 2021.Luminate runs fiber to the home and offers customers speeds up to 1 gigabit, or 1,000 megabits.Other rural electric associations in Colorado and across the country are reprising with broadband the role they played in the last century with electricity and phone service serving people in places where private companies cant afford or dont want to go. The FCC has approved broadband funding for REAs. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance says more than 110 electric cooperatives are working on providing broadband internet to rural areas.The importance of access to high-speed internet goes far beyond being able to stream movies. It can make or break a local economy, business and government leaders say.In the past, poor broadband service has discouraged people from moving to the Crawford and Paonia areas in Delta County, said Liz Heidrick, the owner of Needleock Mountain Realty and Land.When people ask about the area, one of the first things they ask is how fast is the internet. It wasnt like that when I first started 15 years ago, Heidrick said.Thanks to Elevate Fiber, a subsidiary of the Delta-Montrose Electric Association, Heidrick said the news is better these days. Paonias service was upgraded first, and then Crawfords, she said. She credits better internet service for a 20% to 25% jump in her sales.Literally, our sales have increased as a result of people being able to access internet in a rural setting, Heidrick said.The fact that people and business throughout Fort Morgan now have access to as much as 1 gigabit of broadband service is a marketing tool for the northeast Colorado community.In terms of economic development, its something youre going to find in all of our marketing materials, said Sarah Crosthwaite, the citys economic development specialist.Crosthwaite believes the upgraded service has helped the city retain businesses and makes it a standout in the area. I think theres a little bit of a shock that we have it, she said.For several years, businesses in Fort Morgan told city officials that they couldnt operate with the available internet. But there was a limited number of internet providers around and the larger companies didnt seem interested in providing higher-speed service to the area, said John Brennan, the deputy city manager and city clerk.We were really at a disadvantage, Brennan said.So, the city, which owns and operates its own utilities, decided to build its own network, starting construction in 2017. In 2018, Fort Morgan signed an agreement with a Nebraska-based internet provider, Allo Communications. Allo leases and operates the system, which can provide speeds of up to 1 gigabit.Brennan said the city has invested about $6 million of its reserves on the project. He said other communities are looking at what the northeastern Colorado city has done.The council has decided it was something that was necessary for the future of the city and was willing to make that investment, Brennan said.The city expects to make back its investment through its lease with Allo.Across the state and to the mountains in the west, another venture is making strides. The Northwest Colorado Council of Governments has teamed up with state agencies, municipalities, counties and companies on Project Thor, a roughly 400-mile fiber-optic loop that started taking form in 2014.The network leases space on systems put in place by the Colorado Department of Transportation, CenturyLink and others. It is designed to provide redundancy for communities that can find themselves with no internet for hours or longer if someone on a backhoe, for example, cuts a line. It also provides the building block for communities or companies to expand service to under-served or unserved areas.The loop starts in Denver, runs west to Rifle, heads north toward Meeker, along U.S. 40 into Steamboat Springs and then back to Denver. The top speed is 200 gigabits.We were focused primarily on local projects, whether it be getting broadband access to the town of Red Cliff to helping and working with communities in Routt County and Steamboat Springs and their alliance, said Walowitiz, the councils regional broadband program director.So far, Project Thor, named after the hammer-wielding Norse god, has received $1.27 million in grants from the Department of Local Affairs and another $1.5 million from local governments. Segments of the network are up and running, while others will be tested and come online soon.We do think theres a potential for this to be a public template, said Jon Stavney, executive director of the regional council. The state and CDOT are watching.So is CenturyLink. The company has taken its lumps for getting federal money to serve rural areas even while many communities still have inadequate service.I hear it firsthand when I travel around the state, said Guy Gunther, CenturyLinks senior director of consumer broadband strategy.Gunther said he tells people that while the FCC takes input on which areas to target, at the end of the day its their decision. But that hasnt stopped the company from looking for ways to get broadband to more of rural Colorado despite the geographic and economic challenges, he said. For example, CenturyLink took advantage of roadwork being done on Cottonwood Pass to lay fiber that will help improve service to Crested Butte and Buena Vista. US President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (L) speaks during a tour of the H&K Equipment Company in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania on January 18, 2018. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will lead a group of U.S. officials who will attend the World Economic Forum later this month in Davos, Switzerland, the White House said Wednesday. Mnuchin will be joined by officials including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and White House senior advisors Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. Also attending will be Keith Krach, a State Department under secretary for growth, energy and the environment, and Christopher Liddell, a White House deputy chief of staff. Reuters reported on Dec. 17 that President Donald Trump planned to attend the annual Davos economic forum, citing a source familiar with the plan. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that Trump is still expected to attend at this time. In 2019, Trump had to cancel his plan to attend the annual gathering of global economic and world leaders due to a government shutdown. He attended the Davos forum in 2018. The World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort town is scheduled to run Jan. 21-24. Events in Congress could affect the Republican president's attendance at the event. Trump, who became the third American president to be impeached on Dec. 18, faces a trial on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress once House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, sends the charges called articles of impeachment to the Republican-controlled Senate. A dispute between Pelosi and Senate Leader Mitch McConnell over how the trial will be conducted arose after the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump. A white nationalist who claimed during a Senate campaign to have drunk the blood of a slaughtered goat, and who spoke at a notorious neo-Nazi rally in Virginia, has been arrested on charges of kidnapping. Augustus Sol Invictus, 36, was arrested by authorities while he was at a shopping mall in Brevard County, Florida. His arrest warrant, issued by officials in South Carolina, related to charges of of domestic violence and kidnapping. Officials in Florida described him as as an out of state fugitive. Mr Invictus, a lawyer who legally changed his name from Austin Gillespie, was among the speakers at a white supremacist and neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the summer of 2017. Charlottesville one year on Show all 15 1 /15 Charlottesville one year on Charlottesville one year on Mary Grace, from Durham, North Carolina, walks through the downtown mall area August 11, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville has been declared in a state of emergency by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam as the city braces for the one year anniversary of the deadly clash between white supremacist forces and counter protesters over the potential removal of Confederate statues of Robert E. Lee and Jackson. A "Unite the Right" rally featuring some of the same groups is planned for tomorrow in Washington, DC. Getty Charlottesville one year on Chris Jessee (R) hands out placards to people visiting downtown Charlottesville as the city marks the anniversary of last year's 'Unite the Right rally' in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, 11 August 2018. On 12 August 2017, a bloody clash between white supremacists and counterprotestors in Charlottesville left three people dead and dozens injured Getty Charlottesville one year on A member of the Virginia State Police waits outside the park where a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee is located August 11, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville has been declared in a state of emergency by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam as the city braces for the one year anniversary of a deadly clash between white supremacist forces and counter protesters over the potential removal of Confederate statues of Robert E. Lee and Jackson. A "Unite the Right" rally featuring some of the same groups is planned for tomorrow in Washington, DC Reuters Charlottesville one year on A woman displays a shirt ahead of the one-year anniversary of 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" protests, in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 10, 2018. Reuters Charlottesville one year on A sign reading "Strength, which was taken down at the request of police officers, hangs by the statue of Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee, ahead of the one-year anniversary of 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" protests, in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 10, 2018. Reuters Charlottesville one year on Law enforcement arrives ahead of the one year anniversary of 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" protests, in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 10, 2018 Reuters Charlottesville one year on A vendor displays wares on the mall as State Police lock down the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. The Governor has declared a state of emergency in Charlottesville AP Charlottesville one year on A Police bike patrol takes a break in the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. State and local authorities framed the weekend's heightened security as a necessary precaution. AP Charlottesville one year on State Police arrest a local resident, John Miska, in the locked down downtown area in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. Miska purchased razor blades, which are banned items, in a downtown drugstore. On the the anniversary of white supremacist violence, state and local authorities framed the weekend's heightened security as a necessary precaution. AP Charlottesville one year on State Police escort local resident, John Miska, red hat, after he was arrested in the locked down downtown area in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. Miska purchased razor blades, which are banned items, in a downtown drugstore. On the the anniversary of white supremacist violence, state and local authorities framed the weekend's heightened security as a necessary precaution. AP Charlottesville one year on A group Anti-fascism demonstrators, march in the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, AP Charlottesville one year on A group anti-fascism demonstrators march in the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., AP Charlottesville one year on People receive first-aid after a car accident ran into a crowd of protesters in Charlottesville, VA on August 12, 2017. A vehicle plowed into a crowd of people Saturday at a Virginia rally where violence erupted between white nationalist demonstrators and counter-protesters, witnesses said, causing an unclear number of injuries AFP/Getty Charlottesville one year on Alt-right rally members in Lee Park in Charlottesville, VA on Saturday August 12, 2017 White nationalist 'Unite the Right' rally, Charlottesville, USA Rex Charlottesville one year on A counter protester who got hit with a stick by alt-right member covered with blood on his face in Lee Park in Charlottesville, Rex The so-called Unite the Right rally, which saw people march with Nazi symbols and torches, erupted in violence amid clashes with protesters. The rallys purported original intention was to highlight opposition to plans to remove a statue of onetime confederate icon Robert E Lee. The Miami Herald said another white nationalist leader, Richard Spencer, credited Mr Invictus with writing the so-called Charlottesville statement that claimed, among things, that whites alone defined America as a European society and political order. White supremacist who killed woman after driving car into Charlottesville protesters begs judge to show him 'mercy' Violence at the event resulted in the murder of a young woman, Heather Heyer, who was among the anti-Nazi protesters, and who was fatally injured when 20-year James Fields slammed a car into a group of people. Fields was last year sentenced to life in jail without the possibility of parole, after pleading guilty to more than two dozen charges. Donald Trump found himself at the centre of intense controversy after seeking to suggest there were very fine people on both sides. In 2016, Mr Invictus failed in a Senate bid when tried to win the seat held by Marco Rubio. The Herald said news of the arrest was first reported on Twitter by the journalist Nick Martin, who focuses on covering hate and extremism. Jail records showed Mr Invictus was being held without bond and was due to appear before a judge on January 15. Additional reporting by Associated Press Judge Grainne Malone said she could clearly see that the garda had been affected by what McNally. (stock photo) A Father-of-one told a garda that he would rape the officer's mother, sister and disabled niece after he became verbally aggressive in a Dublin station. Richard McNally (31) was annoyed about a push bike which had been taken off him, but he had directed his anger at the wrong person, a court was told. The defendant has a "somewhat short fuse and he needs to learn to lengthen it", his solicitor said. Judge Grainne Malone said she could clearly see that the garda had been affected by what McNally had said to him, and she did not think anyone should have to put up with that level of abuse. Judge Malone imposed a two-month prison sentence. The defendant, of Bridgefoot Street in the south inner city, pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, provoking a breach of the peace. Dublin District Court heard the incident happened at Bridewell Garda Station last September 11. Garda Joseph Melvin told the court that he was leaving the public office of the station with two other officers at around 1pm when McNally started verbally abusing him and threatened to "get me back". Temper Gda Melvin said McNally then threatened that he would rape the officer's "mother, sister and handicapped niece". Gda Melvin said he did not know McNally, the defendant was not under arrest at the time and this was the garda's first time dealing with him. The court heard McNally had 115 previous convictions, but had not been in trouble for some time. Defence solicitor Paul Byrne said his client had a "bad temper" and a "somewhat short fuse" and he needed to learn to lengthen it. Mr Byrne said McNally accepted that he had said horrific things and had behaved atrociously. He had written a letter of apology to the garda. In the letter, McNally had made some reference to a bicycle which had been taken off him, but this had nothing to do with Gda Melvin, the court heard. Judge Malone said gardai were affected by the abuse hurled at them, particularly when reference was made to family. She said she had considered sentencing McNally to community service but she did not believe it was "sufficient punishment" and she jailed him for two months. BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ossia Inc. ("Ossia"), the company that created Cota Real Wireless Power, today announced its participation in the highly selective Plug and Play Northwest Arkansas Supply Chain Program. As part of being selected into the program, Ossia has been chosen for supply chain pilots with both Walmart and Georgia-Pacific. Northwest Arkansas Selection Day Event In order to gain entry into Plug and Play Northwest Arkansas Supply Chain Program, Ossia first participated in an invite-only Northwest Arkansas Selection Day Event ("Selection Day"). Corporate and institutional sponsors of the event included Walmart, Tyson, J.B. Hunt, Georgia-Pacific, the Walton Family Foundation, University of Arkansas and the Northwest Arkansas Council. While 75 startups were initially evaluated for participation, only 25 startups were invited to Selection Day. Then at the end of Selection Day, only 12 startups were ultimately selected into Plug and Play Northwest Arkansas Supply Chain Program. Ossia was one of the startups selected for advancement into the program. "We are extremely pleased with our selection of the twelve best and brightest startups into the Plug and Play Northwest Arkansas Supply Chain Program," says Harvey Williams, Senior Associate of Plug and Play Tech Center. "Since being admitted into the program, these startups have already accomplished great things with our corporate sponsors, Venture Capital partners, and industry experts. Ossia has been an ideal participant in the program." "We are thrilled to welcome Ossia into Northwest Arkansas' inaugural Plug and Play Supply Chain and Logistics accelerator program," says Nelson Peacock, President and CEO of Northwest Arkansas Council. "With the presence of world-class global companies combined with leading educational institutions, this region has long been a leader in supply chain management and innovation. Ossia's game-changing technology has the potential to disrupt the entire landscape of logistics and supply chain management." Northwest Arkansas Supply Chain Pilot Programs As part of Ossia's selection into the Plug and Play Northwest Arkansas Supply Chain Program, Ossia was chosen for pilot programs for its Cota technology with two of the program's corporate sponsors, Walmart and Georgia-Pacific. "Walmart and its supply chain are always looking to utilize cutting-edge technology to deliver the best experience to both our associates and our customers," said Cameron Geiger, Senior Vice President of Walmart. "We have been very excited to pilot Ossia's asset tracking solution in our large ambient distribution centers. It's going great so far, and we are optimistic it will bring tremendous efficiencies to the logistics and supply chain process once commercialized at scale." "There is a tremendous opportunity for Cota wireless power to meaningfully enhance or improve supply chain and logistics management. Not only will it have an impact on the cost and performance efficiencies for the entire value chain, but it will also allow for technology innovation through new products and services enabled by Real Wireless Power being established in the environment," says Preston Woo, Chief Strategy Officer, Ossia. "We are honored to be selected into the Plug and Play Supply Chain program, the world's largest end-to-end supply chain innovation platform, and thrilled at being chosen for pilots with two of the most iconic and advanced companies, Walmart and GP, to innovate directly in their supply chain." There will be a Plug and Play Northwest Arkansas Supply Chain & Logistics Summit from January 30 to 31, 2020 to showcase progress with corporate pilot programs and to confirm additional commercialization opportunities that have evolved out of these partnerships. About Ossia Ossia Inc. is leading the world on what is possible with wireless power. Ossia's flagship Cota technology redefines wireless power by safely delivering remote, targeted energy to devices at a distance. Ossia's Cota technology is a patented smart antenna technology that automatically keeps multiple devices charged without any user intervention and enables an efficient and truly wire-free, powered-up world that is always on and always connected. Ossia is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Visit our website at www.ossia.com . About Plug and Play Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play has built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, its programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 25 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 10,000 startups and 300 official corporate partners, Plug and Play has created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. Plug and Play provides active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in the Plug and Play community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club and PayPal. For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com. Related Links http://www.ossia.com https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/about/ http://www.ossia.com/cota Contact: Nicole Paleologus, 1-215-478-4815, [email protected] SOURCE Ossia Related Links http://www.ossia.com All of those Northern Ireland prisoners given Christmas leave to return home over the festive break are back behind bars, it has been confirmed. The Prison Service granted leave for 26 lags - 42 fewer than in 2018. They were granted leave for various periods from Christmas Eve until Thursday. Of those released, 17 were granted home leave from Magilligan Prison, eight from Maghaberry Prison and one from Hydebank Wood College for young offenders and women. Conditions were placed on all those successfully granted the leave. The Prison Service received a total of 87 applications in Northern Ireland, ultimately refusing 61 requests. Last year 68 prisoners were granted Christmas home leave, 11 fewer than in 2017. Prisoners granted home leave have been subject to a risk assessment and have either completed a home leave programme or undergone periods of unaccompanied testing in the community. All prisoners granted leave must have served at least 50% of their sentence. Those released must be within three years of their jail terms end, have been recommended for release by parole commissioners and have successfully completed an unaccompanied overnight release in the past. Only those sentenced before October 31 are eligible and those on remand - that is awaiting trail - are not eligible. Northern Ireland prisons house 1,448 prisoners, according to the latest statistics released by the Department of Justice. LONDON, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Milbank LLP is pleased to announce that highly respected M&A attorney Lisa O'Neill has joined the firm's London office as a partner, further strengthening Milbank's global corporate capabilities. Recently recognized by Legal 500 UK as "Individual of the Year" for Corporate and Commercial M&A, Ms. O'Neill's practice focuses on advising companies on a wide range of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, takeovers, joint ventures, reorganizations and commercial contracts. She advises a broad range of clients listed in the FSTE 100, Fortune 250, international energy companies, infrastructure funds, private equity funds, and financial institutions. Among Ms. O'Neill's notable transactional matters, she recently advised global industrial gases company Praxair, Inc. on the $6 billion sale of the majority of its businesses in Europe to Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation and the $3.3 billion divestment of North American and South American assets by Praxair and Linde AG to Messer and CVC Capital Partners Fund VII. The divestments were required for the consummation of the $90 billion Praxair-Linde merger. "Lisa is an exceptionally talented lawyer and we are pleased to welcome her to the firm," said Milbank Chairman Scott A. Edelman. "Lisa's addition to the firm marks an important milestone in the continued growth of the firm's transactional capabilities globally and our commitment to growing to meet the evolving business goals of our clients." Norbert Rieger, Global Head of Corporate Group, added: "The addition of Lisa underscores our commitment to growing our global M&A practice at the highest levels in the market. She is well respected and knowledgeable in a range of industries, and her depth of experience advising corporates on sophisticated M&A transactions will be invaluable to our clients. We are thrilled to welcome her." "Lisa has a terrific blend of both public and private M&A experience that complements our transactional practice and will be of great value to our clients in Europe and globally," added Suhrud Mehta, Co-Managing Partner of the firm's London office. "Her prominence in the City is well-earned. She is a talented and entrepreneurial practice builder and will play a major role in helping to grow our London team." Ms. O'Neill joins Milbank from McDermott Will & Emery LLP, where she was a partner. She has been consistently recognized for her corporate work and was most recently named "Best in Mergers & Acquisitions" by EuromoneyLMG's Women in Business Law Awards, 2019; The M&A Advisor's 2019 International M&A Awards in the "M&A Deal of the Year" category; and was honored by Law360 as "Most Valuable Player, Mergers & Acquisitions" in 2019. "I am excited to join Milbank's premier transactional practice," said Ms. O'Neill. "The firm has an excellent reputation for its deep industry knowledge, and that, combined with its global, integrated platform, will be of tremendous value to clients." Milbank celebrated its 40th anniversary in London this year, which has been marked by explosive growth. With over 140 lawyers in London advising on UK, pan-European, Asian, African and other global matters, the firm can offer clients a depth of strong expertise coupled with first-rate client service. The strong connection between Milbank's global practices enables the firm to handle the most complex transatlantic mandates in the world. ABOUT MILBANK Milbank LLP is a leading international law firm that provides innovative legal services to clients around the world. Founded in New York over 150 years ago, Milbank has offices in Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, DC. Milbank's lawyers collaborate across practices and offices to help the world's leading commercial, financial and industrial enterprises, as well as institutions, individuals and governments, achieve their strategic objectives. To learn more about Milbank and its attorneys, please visit www.milbank.com Contact: Jocelyn De Carvalho, Public Relations Manager; +1.212.530.5509; jdecarvalho@milbank.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1060718/Milbank_Lisa_O_Neill_photo.jpg STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A dead deer with a wound and missing antlers found in the woods of New Springville is raising concerns with some in the neighborhood about possible hunting. Local resident Eddie Roman said he found the deer around 2 p.m. Friday in the woods off Ashworth Avenue. The deer had a wound near its hind legs, and was missing its antlers. Roman believed the deer had been hunted with a bow or crossbow. Male deer typically shed their antlers in late winter or early spring. Its really close to residential homes, Roman said, raising concerns about the safety of local residents. Thats not cool because there are homes visible in the area. POACHING CASE IN 2015 If the deer had been hunted, it wouldnt be the first case on Staten Island. A series of federal, state, and local regulations make most forms of hunting in the five boroughs effectively illegal. A Mariners Harbor man admitted in March 2015 to illegally poaching deer on Staten Island. It was believed to be the first deer poaching case in modern New York City history. Another man was arrested in May 2017 after hitting a squirrel with a bow and arrow at his home in Eltingville. Authorities at the time charged the man with torturing and injuring animals, reckless endangerment and violating a state Environmental Conservation Law Roman made the office of Assemblyman Mike Reilly (R-South Shore) aware of what he had found. The office said it notified the state Department of Environmental Conservation. A spokeswoman for the department confirmed they had been notified, but that the deer had not yet been found by investigators. There is one other ongoing deer hunting investigation, she said. POPULATION CONTROL EFFORT The Advance also reported Tuesday that the city had relaunched its deer-vasectomy program in early December, and contractor White Buffalo would be continuing the work through January. The Parks Department said 98 percent of the Islands male antlered deer were sterilized since the program started, while fawn births have dropped by 77 percent. Borough President James Oddo and the state Department of Environmental Conservation have been working to bringing a controlled cull to state-owned property only like Clay Pit Pond Park. However, it does not look like the city plans to be a partner in the effort unless it thinks the vasectomy program isnt working. Earlier in December, Mayor Bill de Blasio said hes seen consistent progress in the Islands vasectomy program and that he would stand by his administrations current approach until we think the policy is not working. C Shivakumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Urban Housing Policy, the final draft of which was submitted earlier this year, is likely to be delayed as it may undergo some revisions as suggested by the World Bank. The World Bank had engaged a consultant to help with the Policys finalisation. Subsequently, on December 16, the State government issued a Government Order (GO), a copy of which is available with Express, for appointing a committee that would collaborate with the consultant to finalise the housing and habitat plans. The 11-member committee will be chaired by the Housing Secretary. Early 2019, the World Bank team held talks with Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu Housing Board, Slum Clearance Board and other departments officials for implementing the $500 million Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development for Urban Poor project in Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. It is learnt that the World Bank team has decided to change the financing method from Investment Project financing (loans provided for activities that create physical and social infrastructure to reduce poverty and create sustainable development) to Development Policy loan (funds rapidly-disbursed to help State address the actual or anticipated development financing requirements and promote policy reform). The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), an international enterprise owned by the German Federal government, has appointed Ernst and Young agency to understand the current housing scenario and formulate the draft Urban Housing and Habitat Policy for Tamil Nadu. The Policy, which is on the verge of completion, aims to develop temple lands, institutional lands and defunct public sector units lands in core areas of cities for optimum usage. As per official records, 1,630 acres of land is needed to build houses under the Affordable Housing in Partnership in Chennai alone. It is learnt that the State government is identifying surplus lands with its various departments so that the same can be transferred to the Slum Clearance Board to construct homes for the houseless who do not own any land. Meanwhile, plans are on to initiate a Geographic Information System-based land database for all land assets of the government, which will be updated on a regular basis and accessible to all State departments. The proposed draft comes in the wake of a survey, conducted under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), estimating the housing demand in Tamil Nadu to be 1.39 million. The Uttar Pradesh police has charged five men, accused of setting a 23-year-old rape victim on fire in Unnao last December, with murder, police officials familiar with the matter said on Thursday. On December 5, the five accused allegedly set the woman her on fire when she was going to Rae Bareli to attend a court hearing in the rape case filed by her. A charge sheet, charging the five with murder under Section 302 of the IPC has been submitted on Wednesday, said Unnao superintendent of police Vikrant Veer on Thursday. The five men who assaulted the woman included Shivam Trivedi and Shubham Trivedi, the two accused in the gang rape case. The victim had accused Shivam and Shubham of abducting and raping her in December 2018. The FIR in the case, however, was registered in March 2019. Key accused Shivam was arrested in September and sent to jail. He was later granted bail by the Allahabad high court on November 25, and 10 days later the woman was set ablaze. In her statement, recorded before an administrative magistrate at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (Civil) Hospital in Lucknow on December 5, the woman had said the two men, accompanied by Hari Shankar Trivedi, Umesh Bajpai, and Ram Kishore Trivedi, accosted her at Gaura crossing, pressured her to withdraw the case, and then, when she declined, set her ablaze. The woman was airlifted to New Delhi and admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital after she suffered 90% burns. She died on the night of December 6. Additional superintendent of police, Vinod Kumar Pandey, who is heading a Special Investigation Team formed to probe into the case said: The charge sheet was prepared based on those evidences that we had against the five. The case had triggered a political storm with opposition parties accusing the Uttar Pradesh government of failing to provide security to the woman and her family. The government, however, maintained that the administration would leave no stone unturned to ensure punishment to the guilty. The victims father had alleged that he learnt about the death of his daughter from the media, and no one from the district administration cared to inform him. Isnt it insensitive that a father is not told about his childs death, the womans father said, adding that he would fight for justice till his last breath. It doesnt matter how much time it takes, a year or 20 years, I will keep fighting and ensure capital punishment. (With agency inputs) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president Shyam Jaju has filed a petition in the Human Rights Commission (NHRC), seeking action against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi alleging violation of human rights against the Hindu refugees from Pakistan who are living in the capital. In its petition, Jaju, who is the in-Charge of BJP's Delhi unit, has alleged that the Delhi government is depriving Hindu refugees of the basic facilities which are part of the fundamental rights as mentioned in the constitution. The petition further said that a BJP delegation, led by Jaju, recently visited and inspected the refugee camps located at the Signature Bridge in New Delhi and found that the refugees were forced to live in severe conditions in the absence of basic facilities of water and electricity. The development has come amid the row over the newly-passed Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which seeks to grant citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India will host the 36th International Geological Congress, aimed at the development of Earth Sciences, in the National Capital Region (NCR) from March 2-8, the organisers said on Thursday. Described as the "Olympics of Geosciences," the event will witness debates and discussions on a wide range of issues affecting the world, such as sustainable development, climate change, water and mineral resources. India is the only Asian country to host the Congress twice. The 22nd session of IGC was held in New Delhi in 1964, the organisers said in a statement. The event is expected to be attended by nearly 6,000 delegates from across the world, they said. "It is a wonderful opportunity for the country to host such a significant event aimed at the development of Earth Sciences," Professor V. P. Dimri, President, 36th International Geological Congress (IGC) said. "The 36th IGC has been designed to enable the participation of meritorious geoscientists worldwide and give them the opportunity to explore the best of the geological wealth of the Indian Subcontinent, Dimri said in the statement. The organisers said that the event will offer a host of opportunities to the mining & mineral, and the allied industries of the country, apart from the scientists, researchers and academia. The theme of the science programme at the 36th IGC is Geosciences: The Basic Science for a Sustainable Future. "The excitement of the grand scientific spectacle unfolding in March 2020 is building up! This event will prove beneficial not only to the geoscientific community, but also to the society at large," Rasik Ravindra, Secretary General, 36th IGC said. "70 exciting field trips covering the geological superlatives of India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are in store for the delegates," the statement said. The IGC is a geoecientific event held under aegis of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). The first session of IGC took place in France in 1878. Since its inception, 35 Congresses have been hosted by 24 countries throughout the world, according to the statement. This year's event is being jointly funded by the Ministry of Mines and the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India and supported by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) along with the science academies of Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New interim chairman of Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank says he expects the bank to post a record profit for 2019. Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd. is replacing its chairman as controlling shareholder Anbang Insurance Group Co. Ltd. puts its stake in the regional bank up for sale. The bank played a key role in financing an overseas acquisition spree before Anbangs collapse and takeover by the government. Chen Ping resigned as chairman of the bank as his employment contract expired, Caixin learned from exclusive sources. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) working group in charge of the takeover of Anbang named Xie Shaobo as interim chairman. Xie, currently an executive at Ping An Bank, was appointed by the CBIRC last year to monitor Chengdu banks risk. Since the government took over Anbang last year amid a fraud investigation into founder and former Chairman Wu Xiaohui, the regulator has been trying to sell off the fallen financial giants assets, including the stake in the Chengdu bank. Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank was a major contributor to Anbangs consolidated assets and an important funding tool for its foreign acquisitions. The government team now in charge of running Anbang found a host of murky entanglements between Anbang and Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank in connection with Anbangs overseas asset purchases, Caixin learned from sources with knowledge of the matter. On Tuesday, interim Chairman Xi at the banks annual meeting announced a delay in releasing the banks 2018 annual report, citing efforts to deal with the banks equity ownership relations with Anbang, Caixin learned from sources. The banks inter-bank business has declined, but liquidity has remained stable and above regulatory requirements, Xie disclosed at the meeting, according to the sources. As of the end of 2019, the bank had deposits of 383.4 billion yuan ($55.05 billion) and a 1.52% nonperforming loan ratio, down 0.21 of a percentage point from the beginning of 2019, Xie said. He said he expected the bank to report a net profit of 5 billion yuan for 2019, a record high. Anbang holds a 55.5% stake in the bank through various affiliates. Two of the affiliates are Zhejiang Guoheng Industry Co. Ltd. and Beijing Taoli Investment Management Co. Ltd. Chen was the legal representative of the companies controlling shareholder, Beijing Guotong Gaosheng Investment Co. Ltd., a company actually controlled by Wu. Anbang tried to sell the 35% stake it directly owns in the bank for 16.8 billion yuan but failed to reach a deal. In December, Anbang resumed its efforts to sell the full 55.5% stake in the bank. Anbang plans to sell the 5.55 billion shares, including those held by related companies, for nearly 26.2 billion yuan, according to a post published Monday on the Beijing Financial Assets Exchange (BFAE). The post shows Anbang selling its own 3.5 billion shares plus 2.05 billion shares put up for sale by Anbangs regulatory restructuring team and owned by 10 other shareholders that are actually controlled by Anbang, sources told Caixin. Former Chairman Chen, 54, came from the same home town as Anbang founder Wu, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for fundraising fraud and embezzlement in May 2018. Before joining the Chengdu bank, Chen was the Party secretary and vice chairman of Anbangs property insurance unit and later chairman of Anbangs life insurance unit, as one of Anbangs core senior management. When Wu showed interest in investing in the bank in 2010, Chen was the contact person at Anbang to negotiate with the banks then-Chairman Fu Zuoyong, who was placed under corruption investigation in December in relation to a fallen senior provincial official. Contact reporter Denise Jia (huijuanjia@caixin.com) Caixin Global has launched Caixin CEIC Mobile, the mobile-only version of its world-class macroeconomic data platform. If youre using the Caixin app, please click here. If you havent downloaded the app, please click here. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 18:24:58|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JAKARTA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia from January to November drifted 3.55 percent higher to 14.92 million people, the Central Bureau of Statistics announced here on Thursday. The number of foreign holiday makers from the ASEAN member nations traveling to Indonesia in the period increased the most by 18.11 percent on the year, said Kecuk Suhariyanto, head of the bureau. Visitors from Malaysia contributed the biggest number to the Indonesian foreign tourist arrivals in the first 11 months with figures of 2.83 million people (19.01 percent), followed by China, Singapore and Australia which contributed 1.92 million people (12.87 percent), 1.74 million people (11.64 percent), 1.26 million people (8.47 percent) respectively, the official said. However, the number of foreign tourist arrivals from Asian countries, excluding those of the ASEAN member nations, drifted down the most by 9.93 percent in the period, he said. With the figure of foreign tourist arrivals recorded in the first 11 months, Suhariyanto said that the bureau has estimated that the number of foreign travelers coming into Indonesia is expected to reach between 16.1 million and 16.3 million people by the end of 2019. In 2018, foreign visitors coming to Indonesia reached 15.8 million people, according to the bureau. US President Donald Trump discussed the situation in Libya and Syria with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call Thursday after the turkish parliament passed a bill allowing troop deployments to Libya to shore up the UN-backed government in Tripoli. The White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement that Trump told Erdogan that "foreign interference is complicating the situation in Libya". The statement added that both leaders agreed on the need for de-escalation in Syria's Idlib to protect civilians, a day after eight people were killed in a Syrian missile strike in the province. Search Keywords: Short link: Construction under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) speeded up in 2019, with about 11.22 lakh houses completed in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh against 3.62 lakh units finished the year before, a report has said. Uttar Pradesh has been the differentiator in 2019, completing 4.30 lakh houses, the highest for the country, under the Modi governments affordable housing programme for the urban poor, leading real-estate company Anarock said in its report. "The government's aggressive push towards achieving its target of Housing for All by 2022 has yielded tangible on-ground results, Anuj Puri, chairman, Anarock Property Consultants, said. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil together built more than 8.69 lakh houses under the PMAY (U), which has set a target of building 1.12 crore houses. Of these, nearly 92% of the units had been sanctioned, the report said. A similar housing plan is also available for rural areas. Launched in 2015 to achieve affordable housing for all, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana aims to build 20 million houses by March 31, 2022, with the Centre and the states extending subsidies under various components. By the end of 2019, nearly 9.33 lakh homes had been occupied in UP, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. In total, nearly 32 lakh homes were completed across the country by 2019. As many as 28.42 lakh homes are already occupied. Timely construction remains a challenge, but the introduction of new and effective technologies such as prefabricated construction can help achieve this target within the stipulated deadline, Puri said. How do states stack up The ministry of housing and urban affairs data shows that as on December 27, 2019, UP, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh together accounted for nearly 35% of the 32 lakh houses completed under PMAY (U). Uttar Pradesh stepped on the gas in 2019. Heading into 2019, Indias most populous state had only 68,660 homes completed but by the end of the year, the numbers rose to around 4.30 lakh. Around 3.61 lakh homes were built in 2019. Another 4.31 lakh homes are already occupied, the highest among states and union territories. Gujarat finished a close second with more than 3.69 lakh homes against 1.66 lakh homes completed in 2018. Another 3.32 lakh homes are already occupied. Andhra Pradesh ranked third, with over 3.23 lakh homes against around 1.27 lakh houses readied in 2018, the Anarock report said. In the Northeast, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura built 72,860 PMAY (U) homes against 24,915 units completed in 2018. More coming A look at the data for homes sanctioned under the PMAY (U) reveals a huge jump in Andhra Pradesh. The number of sanctioned houses more than doubledfrom 9.65 lakh units in 2018 to 20.05 lakh houses in 2019, the most for any state in the country. Uttar Pradesh comes second with 15.71 lakh homes sanctioned against 7.61 lakh units in 2018. Berlin, Jan 2 : A fire that broke out in a German zoo in the early hours of the New Year has killed more than 30 animals, the local media reported on Wednesday, calling it "one of the worst zoo accidents in decades." The fire in the zoo of the west German city Krefeld might be triggered by a sky lantern that has first set the roof of the monkey house on fire, local media quoted police as saying. Police are currently investigating into the accident, the Xinhua news agency reported. Among the animals killed in the fire were orangutans, gorillas and smaller monkeys such as golden tamarins and pygmy marmosets, as well as fruit bats and birds. Two chimpanzees survived the fire and were anesthetized and moved to a neighbouring house. The zoo, home to almost 200 species and a total of around 1,000 animals, has over 4,00,000 visitors a year and 75 employees. The monkey house was opened in 1975, with a floor area of 2,000 square meters. Low-cost investing pioneer Vanguard has finally followed other peer brokerage firms in eliminating stock commissions entirely. Charles Schwab was the first major broker to give investors zero-commission online trades, pressuring rivals to follow suit. Schwab announced on Oct. 1 that commissions would go from $4.95 for online trading of stocks and ETFs to zero. TD Ameritrade and ETrade quickly matched Schwab's move, and Fidelity followed a week later. This move expands Vanguard's commission-free platform, which has included mutual funds since 1977 and nearly every ETF in the industry since 2018, a company release said. Vanguard helped revolutionize the investment business by keeping costs as low as possible, an idea pushed by founder Jack Bogle. Bogle started Vanguard in 1975 under the name First Index Investment Trust and retired as Vanguard's chairman and CEO in 1996. Given its history, Vanguard's announcement on Thursday is unsurprising, as lowering the cost of investing is "business as usual for Vanguard," said Karin Risi, managing director of Vanguard's retail investor group, in the release. "For 45 years, we've been dedicated to lowering the cost of index and active funds, ETFs, advice, and brokerage services to help investors achieve better outcomes," Risi said. As the investment industry continues to move toward eliminating fees, Vanguard said it encourages investors to "look beyond commissions and consider the all-in cost of their brokerage relationships, including fees, expenses, and opportunity costs." In addition to eliminating stock commissions, Vanguard also announced that it has plans to update its online experience and redesign its mobile app. GARY A Hammond man is facing felony drug dealing and firearm charges after being pulled over for speeding, police say. Michael Peavy, 26, was going 103 mph in a 55 mph zone when an Indiana State Police trooper pulled him over around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday near the Burr Street Bridge on Interstate 80/94, police said. When the trooper approached the 2016 Chrysler 200 Peavy was driving, there was a strong smell of raw marijuana and Peavy appeared to be sweating profusely, according to an ISP news release. While Peavy was reaching for documents, the trooper noticed a black handgun handle near Peavy's feet. The trooper then ordered Peavy to step out of the vehicle. However, Peavy ignored the request and tried to start his car, the release states. The trooper then opened the driver's side door of Peavy's car and arrested him. A search revealed there was 100 grams of marijuana, which Peavy purchased from Illinois, and a Glock 22 handgun with an extended 50-round barrel magazine in the car, police said. During Pendleys term at the BLM so far, there has been an increase in leasing oil and gas prospects on federal lands. In Nevada, instead of holding traditional quarterly lease sales, the BLM began holding monthly lease sales in September. The agency offered nearly 1.8 million acres of land, much of it in big game migration areas or sage grouse habitats, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Port has a unique responsibility to implement the new Government's development policies, and I believe that the commitment of all its employees will help to build a better future for ports in the country Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) commenced duties in the New Year on 1 January 2020 at a ceremony blessed with multi-religious activities held at its Chaithya premises in Port of Colombo. Minister of Roads and Highways and Minister of Ports & Shipping the Johnston Fernando was the chief guest of this event. The ceremony began with the reading of the public service pledge and swearing in to support the newly elected government's program. Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) commenced duties in the New Year on 1 January 2020 at a ceremony blessed with multi-religious activities held at its Chaithya premises in Port of Colombo. Minister of Roads and Highways and Minister of Ports & Shipping the Johnston Fernando was the chief guest of this event. The ceremony began with the reading of the public service pledge and swearing in to support the newly elected government's program. Addressing the event Minister of Roads & Highways and Ports & Shipping the Johnston Fernando said this year 2020 is very special to all of us in the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. Port has a unique responsibility to implement the new Government's development policies, and I believe that the commitment of all its employees will help to build a better future for ports in the country. Minister of Roads & Highways and Ports & Shipping the Hon Johnston Fernando is addressing the event The minister noted also that the shortsighted decisions taken by the previous administration have caused negative impacts on the national economy. While appreciating the new appointment of the SLPA chairperson, the Minister asserted that appointing a leader who led the army with over two hundred thousand war heroes as the chairperson of the SLPA is assurance of laying the strong foundation to enhance the future of the ports. Meanwhile, addressing the event State Minister of Ports Development Affairs the Kanakata Herath said, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority has a unique role to play in strengthening the economy of the country, fulfilling the aspirations of the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister the Mahinda Rajapaksa. Newly appointed chairperson of the SLPA General ( Retd.) Daya Ratnayake also addressed the event. I am very happy to join the SLPA as we are welcoming the New Year with a fresh look for a new country, Gen. ( Retd.) Ratnayake said. The Port Authority is one of the national economic empowering institutions and its employees are unique. In the journey of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, all should work together to achieve its mission, the logistic excellence on the silk route, he added. Subscriber content preview BELLEVUE The Cascade Yard office park, at 3310 146th Place S.E. and related addresses, has sold for almost $114.5 million, according to King County records. The seller was MG-Bellevue Office Park JV LLC, associated with Miller Global Properties of Denver, which acquired the property in 2016 for about $80.5 million. The buyer was Cascade Yard Owner LLC, which is associated with Pacific Coast Capital Partners. . . . New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday while attacking the anti-citizenship law protestors said, we can't leave minorities from Pakistan to their fate and India has a responsibility to protect them. Pakistan was formed on the basis of religion and minorities were being persecuted there. The persecuted were forced to come to India as refugees. But Congress and its allies don't speak against Pakistan, instead they are taking out rallies against these refugees, PM Modi said while addressing a rally in Karnatakas Tumakuru. Those who are agitating against the Parliament of India today, I want to say that today need is to expose activities of Pakistan at the international level. If you have to agitate, raise your voice against Pakistan's actions of last 70 years, he said. Strongly defending the CAA, he said it was adopted by Parliament in a historic move, but that the Congress and its allies and the ecosystem created by his partys rival were now against the very institution. Earlier in the day, PM Modi arrived at the Yelahanka air base by a special plane on a two-day visit to Karnataka to attend events in Tumakuru and Bengaluru. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Union Ministers D V Sadananda Gowda and Pralhad Joshi and state Revenue Minister R Ashoka were present to welcome Modi. Yediyurappa greeted the Prime Minister by garlanding him and offering a shawl and adorned him with a Mysuru Peta (turban). In the evening, the Prime Minister will visit the DRDO facility to dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation. He will stay at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday. On Friday, Modi will inaugurate the 107th Indian Science Congress at the University of Agriculture Science in Bengaluru. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. It presents an interesting separation of powers issue, Emmert said. In theory, a prosecutor should be able to say Im going to choose which of these crimes Im going to prosecute thats prosecutorial discretion but what these prosecutors are doing is essentially deciding not to prosecute a whole class of offenses. Thats where the separation of powers issue comes in. The legislature has the power to say whats illegal. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here A teen mountain climber miraculously survived a 500-foot fall from a snowy Oregon mountain this week. The adventurous 16-year-old was out with friends when he fell from the Pearly Gates area of the states Mount Hood, which is just below the final section to get to the summit, according to CNN and the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. He was visiting from Canada to complete his 90th climb. While the teen fell down to the Devils Kitchen section of the mountain, a staggeringly long fall, he somehow only suffered a broken leg. Rescuers will be bringing the patient down from approximately the location the arrow is pointing to, known as The Devils Kitchen pic.twitter.com/yNhIrsodgn Lt. Brian Jensen (@LtBJensen) December 30, 2019 According to the sheriff's office, officials first received a call about the injured climber around 9 a.m. with rescuers reaching him and splinting his leg about four hours later. More than 10,000 people climb the 11,250-foot mountains summit each year, which is east of Portland, according to the sheriff's office. %image1 "He thought he was going to stop somewhere, and he was trying to arrest the fall with his ax, but it just didn't happen because he was rolling so fast that he couldn't do it," the teens father, told CNN affiliate KATU, adding: "He's talking to family and friends. He's in good spirits." Despite the injury, the teens father said they plan on going back up once hes fully recovered to tackle the mountain together. Lt. Brian Jensen of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office told the station that It's a technical mountain it's not a Sunday stroll, it's inherently dangerous." When attempting a tricky climb on Mount Hood, the USDA Forest Service recommends carrying a map of the area as well as a compass, flashlight with extra batteries and extra essentials like food and clothing. The agency also suggests hikers bring along a first aid kit as well as a pocket knife and a candle with matches in a waterproof container. Story continues Proper gear is critical and the agency points to waterproof boots as well as durable rain gear and hats and gloves made of material like wool or polypropylene that can get wet while still retaining warmth. For backcountry and wilderness trips, the Forest Service recommends all hikers sign in at the trail register beforehand. To prevent hypothermia, the agency says staying dry and preventing exposure to wind are important steps. Additionally, eating and drinking throughout the day and preventing exhaustion can help. Lastly, watching for symptoms can be imperative, which include uncontrollable shivering, slurred speech, memory lapses or incoherence, as well as irrational behavior, fumbling hands, frequent stumbling, drowsiness or exhaustion, hallucinations, blueness of skin, dilation of pupils, weak or irregular pulse, or unconsciousness. India and Japan are in touch through diplomatic channels and "very soon" the dates of the annual bilateral summit, postponed last month in the wake of violent protests over the amended citizenship law, will be finalised. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to this country for the annual summit with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Guwahati on December 13 was postponed in the wake of the violent protests in the northeastern states. "We are in touch with the Japanese side through diplomatic channels. We do hope that very soon we will come to the finalisation of the date," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing. Asked whether two summits will be held this year, he said, "It is an annual mechanism, the summit which was supposed to be held in December that is the one which is getting postponed. But all these matters which will be under discussion with the Japanese side." Kumar had said last month that both sides decided to "defer" Abe's visit for the December 15-17 summit to a mutually convenient date. Read: Passport Dept Seeks MEA Nod To Prosecute Medha Patkar Cancellation amid nationwide protests The cancellation of the Japanese prime minister's trip came a day after Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan called off their visits to India in view of the situation arising out of the enactment of the amended Citizenship Act. Guwahati had seen violent protests over the newly amended law, which provides for granting citizenship to non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Diplomatic sources had said the Japanese government clearly conveyed to New Delhi that it would not be possible for Abe to travel to Guwahati in view of large-scale protests in the northeastern region. Asked about Indo-China boundary negotiations last month and talk of early harvest to the boundary question, Kumar said there was this feeling that the boundary issue should be addressed from a strategic perspective of Indo- China relations. "It was also decided that while the discussions go on under the Special Representative talks framework, there should be peace and tranquillity along the border which is very important for the overall development of the bilateral relationship," Kumar said. "We also highlighted that a proper discussion on the boundary is important for the overall development of our bilateral relationship," he said. Read: MEA Denies Recalling Indian Ambassador To Austria Noting that these were sensitive negotiations, the MEA spokesperson said one issue should not cloud the overall relationship. India and China last month agreed to intensify efforts to achieve a "fair", "reasonable" and mutually acceptable solution to the vexed boundary issue, resolving that its early settlement will serve the fundamental interests of both countries. There was a consensus during "constructive" border talks here between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval that both sides should respect each other's sensitivities and concerns in order to build mutual trust, according to the MEA. Read: Japan's Emperor Naruhito Hopes New Year 'will Be Free Of Natural Disasters' Read: Japanese Media Slams Carlos Ghosn's Escape To Lebanon, Calls His Act 'cowardly' Photo: China News Service As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, where will the world and China go? The uncertainties of the future are certain, but the world will face more uncertainties than China. If we take the US, we find the country is going to have an election amid the utmost split society since the end of World War II. The US will also face challenges brought about by a weakened world economy, the shadow of the trade war it launched and the impact of a volatile stock market. The Korean Peninsula and hotspots in the Middle East won't be easy either for the US. The Brexit soap opera will continue as Europe handles a headache with its stagnant economies. Social contradictions are escalating as the refugee issue and the wealth gap worry Europeans. The European Union's ability to solve problems is weakening and Brussels has gotten the cold shoulder from Washington. This dilemma could last throughout even the entire 2020s. Japan and South Korea will be stronger than most other countries in dominating their own development strategies. Given the highly risky global situation, the two countries are not strong enough. The US won't give up using the two countries as its pawns, in which case the two Asian countries will have to figure out a proper position between China and the US. Due to the two countries' needs for stability, they are not likely to become world-class highlights in the 2020s. Emerging economies will be the protagonists in the 2020s in terms of development. India will be one of them, but lacks stable development and faces long-term risks triggered by religious issues and people's fury at the wealth gap. As for China, 2020 and the 2020s mean both opportunities and challenges. Western public opinion has been focusing on China and the US conflicts despite relaxed trade tensions and China's growing economy and financial risks. Economists like Paul Krugman, who predicted crisis for China in 2011, have become more cautious when commenting on the Chinese economy. It is still popular to play down China's economy but now more voices are heard to warn Western economists not to underestimate China. Across the world, China is still one of the best among the major economies in terms of comprehensive development. With a stable political structure, China is capable of dealing with various challenges. Thanks to its reform and opening-up, China is on the right track to develop with the characteristics of both a big power - stability - and of an emerging country - resilience. Though suppressed by the US, China has mitigated the impact by comprehensively opening its arms wider to the world. China will not be isolated. More importantly, domestic demand in China is growing to become the main engine for the country's development. China will focus on the domestic market in 2020 as well as the entire 2020s. Outside pressure cannot stop the country advancing. But we should be alert to prevent outside pressure from changing some Chinese people's mentality and its impact on internal policies. The Chinese government is resolute in promoting all-round reform and opening-up, and has launched policies to stimulate the economy, especially the private sector. The year 2020 is an important link between the past and future for China. The Chinese people will be more confident if we handle affairs properly in 2020. China's rapid development has not run out of luck, but is the fruit of its strong political system. China and the 2020s - the new decade - won't fail each other. Heres a school law dispute that probably would have never happened during the heyday of the blue-ink mimeograph machine. A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a curriculum provider alleging that Office Depot infringed its copyright when it copied Eureka Math at the request of school districts. Great Minds , the Washington-based nonprofit publisher of the curriculum, offers a broad copyright license to schools and the public for free downloads of Eureka Math for non-commercial use. But the terms of the license reserves the right to collect royalties when the curriculum is copied for commercial purposes. Court papers say Office Depot Inc. , the Boca Raton, Fla.-based retail chain of some 1,300 retail outlets nationwide, engages in a specialty market marketing its copying services to schools and school districts. In 2015, Office Depot entered into a separate licensing agreement with Great Minds to pay royalties for copying Eureka Math. But Office Depot ended the agreement after a federal district court in New York state ruled against Great Minds in a copyright challenge to FedEx Office and Print Services Inc. over that chains copying of Eureka Math for school districts. Great Minds sued Office Depot in 2017, asserting essentially the same theory of copyright infringement rejected in the FedEx case, that Office Depot was deliberately and willfully infringing [Great Minds copyrights] by actively soliciting customers for commercial reproduction of Eureka Math, the publishers suit said. A federal district court in California dismissed Great Minds suit, and in a Dec. 27 decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, based in San Francisco, unanimously upheld the dismissal. The appeals court, in Great Minds v. Office Depot Inc. , said there was no dispute that schools and districts could copy Eureka Math for free under the terms of Great Minds license. The question was whether schools and districts could hire Office Depot to make the copies of curriculum materials. Office Depot is not a downstream recipient of the schools licenses, the court held. That Office Depot employed field representatives to advertise the availability of copying services for schools and school districts that use Eureka Math does not confer a licensee status on Office Depot, the court said. Nor was it legally significant that Office Depot employees did the copying, as Great Minds argued, the court said, adding that the publishers arguments would produce these absurd results": A teacher could copy Eureka Math on an Office Depot-owned copy machine for a fee in-store, but could not hand the materials to an Office Depot employee to be copied; A school could pay a copy machine provider a monthly fee to keep a machine on site to copy Eureka Math, but could not pay Office Depot employees to make the same copies; and A school could permit teachers to copy Eureka Math on school-owned or leased machines, but could not pay a high school student to make the same copies. Great Minds interpretation cannot be correct, the court said. The license itself provides no basis to distinguish between permitted copies of Eureka Math made by a licensees own employees (e.g., school teachers or staff) versus those made by a third-party contractor (e.g., Office Depot employees). New Delhi, Jan 1 (UNI) India and Pakistan on Wednesday exchanged, through diplomatic channels, simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody. "This is in keeping with the provisions of the 2008 Agreement under which such lists are exchanged on 1st January and 1st July, every year," an MEA statement said here. In addition, Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to 14 believed-to-be Indian civilian prisoners and 100 Indian fishermen who are in Pakistans custody, it said. A number of native Australian birds are making the bushfire crisis worse. The Whistling Kite, the Black Kite and the Brown Falcon are all known to use fire as a way to flush out prey from fields in Australia. The birds' behaviour has led to the nicknames 'arson raptors' or 'firehawks' as they are seen spreading fires by picking up flaming sticks and dropping them into dry fields to scare out smaller animals. Until 2018 it was thought the birds of prey were simply spreading fire by accident, according to National Geographic. Local experts, like Anthony Molyneux of the Alice Springs Desert Park was among the skeptics. 'If [hawks] have missed the prey and perhaps grabbed a stick... they will then drop that stick or rock. 'If the stick is smoldering or on fire, it will then start another fire,' he said. The Whistling Kite, the Black Kite and the Brown Falcon are all known to use fire as a way to flush out prey from savannas in Northern Australia (pictured) But further research into the raptors' behaviour found they were intentionally spreading the fires for their own benefit. Northern Territory lawyer turned bird expert Bob Gosford started a major research project in 2012 based off Aboriginal records of the phenomenon. The idea was sparked by reports in the past century from the biography- 'I, the Abioriginal' about Alawa language group leader, health worker and activist Phillip Waipuldanya Roberts. A first-hand account of a sighting by Waipuldanya inspired Gosford to co-author a 2017 report into the raptors in the Northern Territory. 'I have seen a hawk pick up a smouldering stick in its claws and drop it in a fresh patch of dry grass half a mile away, then wait with its mates for the mad exodus of scorched and frightened rodents and reptiles. When that area was burnt out, the process was repeated elsewhere. We call these fires Jarulan,' Waipuldanya said. It led to the publication of the peer-reviewed journal in late 2017- 'Intentional Fire-Spreading by 'Firehawk' Raptors in Northern Australia', which was co-authored by Dr Mark Bonta, assistant professor of earth sciences at Penn State Altoona. The birds' behaviour has led to the nicknames 'arson raptors' or 'firehawks' as they are seen spreading fires by picking up flaming sticks and dropping them into dry fields to scare out smaller animals (pictured) The publication compiled seven years of research into the behaviour of firehawk raptors in the Northern Territory working alongside local aboriginal land groups conducting controlled burns in grasslands. Findings determined the birds were in fact spreading fire intentionally, something Gosford confirmed to ABC news. 'Black kites and brown falcons come to these fronts because it is just literally a killing frenzy. 'It's a feeding frenzy, because out of these grasslands come small birds, lizards, insects, everything fleeing the front of the fire,' he said. The Whistling Kite, the Black Kite and the Brown Falcon have been nicknamed 'firehawk' (pictured) because of their unusual behaviour in spreading fire to capture small prey Field work in the Northern Territory in May 2018 is hoping to build on existing research to get a better handle on the way the species use smoke and fire. The research has focused on the Northern Territorys tropical zone but there have been reports from around Queensland and Western Australia of similar patterns. Independent Researcher Dr Mark Bonta told the Daily Mail Australia its fairly widespread knowledge among Indigenous communities. I havent found an indigenous group that Ive contacted that isnt aware of it and a lot of these non-indigenous firefighters in some of these communities are familiar with it, he said. But he said the birds are likely to cause more damage outside of traditional fire seasons. It does seem to be the specific case that they spread fire when there isnt much fire in the landscape, when resources are scarce, when theyre hungry, so that when you have abundant fire on the landscape- they dont really need to do anything with existing fires- for example even with cooking fires, he said. But researchers are scared the fire-bug reputation of the native Australian animal could cause people to start killing them. 'Firehawks' or 'Arson Raptors' - Three species of birds have been nicknamed 'firehawks' and 'arson raptors' because of their tendency to spread flames as a way of cornering prey - The Whistling Kite, the Black Kite and the Brown Falcon have all been seen at fire fronts picking up flaming sticks and dropping them into dry fields to spread fire to dry areas - The birds then target the small birds, lizards and insects which flee the grasslands - The behaviour is typically seen out of bushfire season when resources are scarce and fire is limited across the landscape - The range of the birds' reported activity spans an area approximately 2,400 by 1,000 kilometers across part of northern Australia Advertisement As a major factor in spreading fires, I wouldnt think that birds would be a major contributor- they are a real risk when fires are controlled they do cause damage, Dr Bonta said. Hes concerned people may see the birds as a threat and start targeting them unfairly. Overall I think its more in the sense theres going to be more shooting of raptors- which I dont think is legal- but that people will continue to kind of denigrate them- but certainly with non-aboriginal people who might blame it on the birds. I would be cautious there- I would hate people to blame it on birds, he said. Researchers are hoping to publish the new findings at some point later this year. by Sumon Corraya For some Islamist clerics, milk banks are contrary to Islam because people who drink the same woman's milk cannot marry together. Some 30 children per thousand die from malnutrition in Bangladesh. Dhaka (AsiaNews) The Institute of Child and Mother Health, a private hospital in Matuail (Dhaka Division), was scheduled to launch Bangladeshs first human milk bank last month, but could not start because of opposition from Muslim radicals. The bank was set up in order to counter widespread child malnutrition in one of the countries in the world most affected by the problem. For radical Muslim clerics however, the scheme violated Islamic law and must be scrapped. The milk programme was supposed to feed up to 500 orphans and infants of working mothers, and was especially important since child nutrition is essential to avoid stunted growth in the newly born. The project was set to open on 1st December, but has been postponed to a date to be determined. Its founder and coordinator, Dr Mojibur Rahman, raised funds from private donors to pay for it and brought all the equipment from Spain. "I visited Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan to see their human milk banks, he said. I learnt their laws and talked with Muslim clerics. We were ready to begin our service, but because of the opposition of [local] Muslim clerics, weve paused the project for now. The doctor noted that he submitted the programme to the Islamic Foundation. As a Muslim, I will not break any Islamic law. For this reason, I hope people will support us in helping malnourished and orphaned children. Bangladesh has high rates of child malnutrition and stunted growth, he added. Thirty children die out of a thousand. Around 176 mothers per 100,000 die during child birth. National Tafshir Parishad, an Islamist group, sent a legal notice to the hospital, stopping the programme. A spokesman for the group, Ataur Rahman, said that Sharia (Islamic law) does not allow milk banks. They would be against Islam. Milk banks create the risk of marriage between people who drank the same woman's milk. Other Muslim experts instead back the project. Maulana Farid Uddin Masud, president of the Islamlah Muslimin Council and Khatib (sermon leader) at the Eidgah in Sholakia, Kishoreganj district, is one of them. If other Muslim majority nations such as Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Malaysia have created milk banks, Bangladesh can also set up this kind of bank. I think many children will benefit from the project, he said. We should see how they solved the issue. For Edward Pallab Rozario, a Catholic doctor, Human milk banks are needed for orphans and critically ill children. They can save babies treated in intensive care units and those whose mothers are not available. I think Bangladesh should set up some human milk banks. A California man is facing multiple felony charges in Alabama after allegedly kidnapping a woman at knifepoint and holding her hostage on Sunday. Brookside Police Department officers said they found the woman inside of a cage in the back of a van. Police bodycam footage shows her dramatic rescue and the suspect's arrest. It was Jay Bostic who alerted emergency responders to the incident. "I think any human being that has any moral responsibilities, they should always help someone that's in distress," he told WVTM, our sister station in Birmingham, Alabama. If not for his call, police officials believe the outcome could've been very different. "I believe he was an angel sent by God," said Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones. "Because when he rolled up on the scene, according to the victim, even in our investigation, we determined that the suspect had every intention of dragging this lady into the woods and potentially murdering her." Watch the bodycam footage in the video below: Officers responded to a report of a kidnapping around 2:45 p.m. Sunday in Brookside, Alabama, located about 15 miles northwest of downtown Birmingham. A short time later, police said the suspect's van was seen ramming Bostic's vehicle. The driver refused to stop for police, initiating a chase. "(Officers) observed an injured female victim bleeding from her head being held against her will and forced to the floorboard by the suspect," a police official said. "Officers attempted entry into the suspect vehicle. The suspect fought officers and rammed a police unit fleeing the scene." Authorities said they were able to barricade the van. Police said the suspect then tried to run over an officer, who shot into the vehicle as it drove into the front yard of a nearby residence. "Assisting officers barricaded the suspect vehicle and established a tactical perimeter surrounding the suspect vehicle," Brookside police said in a release. "The suspect held the victim at knife point barricaded in the rear of the van." Police said the suspect was demanding them to kill him while holding the woman hostage. "The tactical units breached the rear of the suspect vehicle, made entry into the vehicle, rescued the victim, and took the suspect into custody," police said. Authorities said the suspect Sean Sanders, of Los Angeles has an "extensive criminal history involving assault, kidnapping and narcotics arrest" and his van was equipped with a cage in the back and metal caging over the windows. Police said blankets were used to conceal the interior and the doors were chained shut from the inside. The victim was taken to the hospital, where she's listed in stable condition, police said. Authorities said two Brookside officers suffered minor injuries while entering the van and arrested Sanders. The MEK s role was notable in transforming this from an ordinary economic protest into a nationwide uprising for regime change, with its Resistance Units taking part in extraordinary acts of rebellion by plastering up posters of MEK leaders and slogans across the country. The MEK reported that the Iranian regime resorted to a bloody crackdown on protests, with over 1500 killed during the protests and 615 victims identified so far by the MEK A former member of the European Parliament and ardent MEK supporter Struan Stevenson wrote in The Scotsman on December 30 that the nationwide uprising has been largely ignored in Western media, even though Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and so-called moderate President Hassan Rouhani ordered their thug troops to shoot-to-kill MEK protesters. Stevenson, who is the Coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change (CIC) and has spoken at many MEK events, wrote: IRGC thugs and security agents have scoured the countrys hospitals, dragging the wounded from their beds. While the fate of those imprisoned remains largely unknown, there are many reports of protesters being tortured to death. He then named several of the protesters who were tortured to death in prison by the regime, including Hamid Sheikhani, 35, Kaveh Veisani, 30, Halimeh Saimiri, whose age is not noted, and Arvin Ranin, 17. All four were arrested in different cities on different dates and their families were kept in the dark until they were asked to pick up their loved ones body or their relatives body was found dumped. Ranins family even had to pay for his body to be returned. Stevenson, who has written many op-eds about the MEK since leaving office in 2014, wrote: The uprising was triggered by the regimes decision to triple the price of gas. This was the last straw for a nation whose citizens have been impoverished by the venally corrupt regime that for 40 years has stolen Irans wealth for the benefit of its rulers and to wage proxy wars across the Middle East, in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq. He explained that this was why the Iranian people attacked the banks and institutions linked to the regimes security forces and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Its why the MEK led chants like Forget Syria, what about us? and The enemy is here; they are lying when they say it is America. The Iran protests were political with protesters demanding regime change and calling for the ousting of Khamenei and Rouhani. Stevenson advised that the world must stop treating the Iranian regime like a normal nation-state because the regimes belligerent, repressive and vicious behavior shows that appeasement is futile. He urged the United Nations to establish a fact-finding mission to determine the true numbers of those killed and injured. Then, the UN should hold those responsible to account in the international courts of justice. He wrote: The ayatollahs have committed appalling crimes against humanity that require an immediate response from the international community There can be no impunity for those guilty of such chilling atrocities. The West must show support for the oppressed Iranian millions, who now look to the UN Security Council for urgent help. Simmons cased damage to the building, fencing and power generating structures that is estimated to cost more than $24,000 to repair. He is alleged to have stolen between 800 and 1,000 pounds of copper wire. He sold some of it at Rich Metals in Davenport as well as Del's Metal in Rock Island. Simmons and Ettore also went to locations in Johnson County, Muscatine County and Clinton County to steal copper, with the last burglary occurring Tuesday. When deputies searched Simmons apartment, they found 4 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Simmons is on parole for convictions of third-degree burglary and second-degree theft. Ettore was found in possession of some of the 700 pounds of copper stolen during Tuesday's burglary of a Clinton substation. The copper taken in that break-in is valued at more than $2,000. He scrapped 182 pounds of copper on Dec. 21 for which he was paid $378.40. Then on Dec. 23, he sold for scrap 138 pounds of copper for $311.40. Ettore is on parole a conviction of possession with the intent to deliver methamphetamine. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation in Libya with his U.S. counterpart, President Donald Trump, in a phone call Thursday, the Turkish Presidency said less than an hour after Ankara passed a bill allowing troop deployment to Tripoli, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. In the phone call, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional developments. Erdogan and Trump "stressed the importance of diplomacy in resolving regional issues," the Turkish Presidency said. Regarding the actions targeting U.S. security units in Iraq, Erdogan stated that Turkey is closely following the developments with concern and sorrow. He also expressed his satisfaction that the actions targeting the U.S. Embassy in Iraq have ended. The Turkish Parliament approved the mandate to send troops to Libya Thursday in support of the conflicted country's U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) upon a formal request for military support from Turkey. The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) held an emergency meeting to discuss the Libya mandate foreseeing the sending of Turkish troops to the country. In a severe blow to Pakistan, its ally US on Thursday has issued a security advisor to its air carriers (Commercial & US) to exercise caution while flying in Pakistan airspace due to terrorist activity. The advisory states that those 'planning to fly in, out of, within or above Pakistan airspace' must review its current security information. Moreover, the advisory warned that US civil aviation may be attacked by Pakistani militants. US warns air-carriers of Pak terror The advisory states," There continues to be a risk to US civil aviation from attacks against airports and aircraft, particularly at low altitudes. The ongoing presence of extremists/militant elements operating in Pakistan pose a continued risk to US civil aviation from small arms fire, complex attacks against airports, indirect weapons fire which could occur with little or no warning". The advisory is applicable to all US carriers and commercial operators, except operators who are foreign. Over 500 people killed in 370 terror attacks in Pakistan in 2019: report Here is the security advisory: Pak may remain on FATF Grey List beyond Feb 2020: Report Pak's terror record Earlier on December 31, a think-tank reported that nearly 370 terror attacks were caused in Pakistan in 2019 which has resulted in 518 fatalities. "Nearly 370 terror attacks were reported during 2019 that left 518 persons dead in the country," the report said, adding that the civilian fatalities declined by about 36 percent. Only two militant outfits -- the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) splinter groups and the Islamic State (IS) -- claimed responsibility for 12 and one attacks respectively. Rajnath Singh: Pak being blacklisted by FATF will be the last nail in coffin for terrorism FATF blacklisting looms In November, reports stated that Pakistan may remain on the Financial Action Task Force's Grey List beyond February 2020 for money laundering and terror financing due to its "risk profile". Pakistan was placed on the Grey List by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in June last year and was given a plan of action to complete it by October 2019, or face the risk of being placed on the Black List with Iran and North Korea. The FATF retained Pakistan on the Grey List and warned the country of action for its failure in combating money laundering and terror financing in October. READ | 'Pakistan Must Put In More Efforts To Come Of FATF Grey List': Pak Gov A preliminary investigation suggests that flames from flying lanterns might have sparked a fire at the Krefeld zoo tha killed dozens of monkeys Flames from flying New Year's Eve lanterns might have sparked a blaze that killed dozens of monkeys at a zoo in northwestern Germany, management and security services said Wednesday. The blaze tore through the monkey enclosure shortly before midnight, killing at least 30 animals, police said. The enclosure housed gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and marmosets. Only two chimpanzees survived, as well as a family of gorillas in a nearby building. "Our worst fears have been realised," Krefeld zoo, which specialises in primates, announced on its Facebook page. Tearful visitors lit candles and left flowers and soft toys at the entrance of the zoo on Wednesday. One of the tributes asked simply "Why?". Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to other buildings at the zoo in North Rhine-Westphalia. Focus on fireworks Preliminary findings suggest the fire might have been caused by flying paper lanterns, which float into the air when lit. Three lanterns bearing hand-written New Year's wishes were discovered in the smouldering debris. These types of devices have been banned in the region since 2009. Police, who have launched an investigation for "arson through negligence", were contacted late Wednesday by a number of people who may have used these lanterns. Krefeld police said investigators were verifying their statements. People spent around 113 million euros ($127 million) this year in Germany for New Year's fireworks, sector federation VPI data shows The German animal protection association quickly called for all kinds of fireworks to be banned near zoos, farms and kennels. The deadly blaze was "terrible proof of the dramatic consequences for animals" from "uncontrolled" celebrations, the group said. Germans often use powerful fireworks to celebrate the New Year and in Berlin, rescue services on Wednesday recorded 22 injuries, some of which required amputations, from the holiday. That was roughly comparable to levels seen in previous years. The effect of fireworks on air quality has also begun to spark debate and the federal environment agency UBA estimated that the amount of fine particles released in one night was comparable to two months of highway traffic. Several major German supermarket and hardware chains have decided to stop selling fireworks. Demand remains strong for now however, with the people spending around 113 million euros ($127 million) for New Year fireworks, the same amount as last year, according to sector federation VPI. The Krefeld zoo would remain closed New Years Day because employees were "in shock", its management said Around 57 percent of the county's inhabitants would support a ban on firework sales but 84 percent of those questioned also said they looked forward to displays next year. Krefeld zoo planned to remain closed Wednesday with employees "in shock" owing to the "terrible tragedy", management said. The zoo has around 1,000 animals and attracts some 400,000 visitors a year. Explore further German fireworks sales fizzle on climate anxiety 2020 AFP (CNN) Carlos Ghosn was once feted in Japan as a titan of the auto industry, the charismatic boss of emblematic automakers Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors. If he wasn't one of the country's most recognizable faces then, he certainly became one when he was spectacularly fired after being arrested in November 2018 on suspicion of financial misconduct. The terms of his 1.5 billion yen bail (that's $13.8 million) required that he remain in Japan in advance of his trial, set for 2020. Deemed a flight risk, Ghosn's three passports were confiscated, held by his defense team in order that he could not leave the country. Even then, he was placed under strict surveillance and he was subject to restrictions on his use of phones and computers. If he couldn't leave his Tokyo apartment to buy a carton of milk without someone knowing about it, how on earth did he just manage to flee the country? In the absence of hard facts, there has been plenty of speculation. Among the more outlandish theories to be raised in Lebanese media was that he was smuggled out in a box designed for musical instruments, after a private performance at his home by a Gregorian music ensemble. Or, were the circumstances of his escape more prosaic, and did he give Japan the slip with the aid of a fake passport, as the French news journal Les Echos reported? (One of the three passports held by Ghosn was French.) Whatever the truth -- and Ghosn himself did not elaborate in a statement attacking the "rigged Japanese justice system" -- such an escape would have required elaborate planning, and not inconsiderable resources. Junichiro Hironaka, the lawyer who represents Ghosn, said he must have had the help of a "large organization" to have fled. What seems certain is that, somehow or other, he evaded surveillance in Tokyo. Ghosn certainly has form for disguising himself: When he left jail after being freed on bail, he left court dressed as a maintenance worker, in an apparent effort to evade the gathered media. (It wasn't successful.) Then comes the question of how he left Japan. The Wall Street Journal said Ghosn made it to Lebanon via Turkey, a version of events corroborated by French outlet Les Echos, among others. This was backed up by data from flight tracker Flightradar24, which shows a private jet flying from Osaka, Japan, to Istanbul, Turkey, and then another continuing to Lebanon at the time Ghosn is said to have arrived in the country. Whatever the manner of his departure from Japan, his arrival in Lebanon -- where he grew up after his family moved from Brazil -- appeared a great deal more conventional. Ghosn arrived in Beirut as the day broke on Monday, apparently landing from Turkey without so much as a raised Lebanese eyebrow. "Carlos Ghosn entered Lebanon at dawn yesterday legally," Lebanon's ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement reported by the country's national news agency. "The circumstances surrounding his departure from Japan and entry into Beirut are unknown and all chatter about it is a private matter [pertaining to Ghosn]," the statement said. Surprise and anger in Japan In Japan, meanwhile, there was consternation. Hironaka told reporters Tuesday that his client's flight from Japan was a "complete surprise." "We are puzzled and shocked," he said, explaining that Ghosn didn't have his passports and "could not possibly use them." Masahisa Sato, a lawmaker with Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democrat Party (LDP), said Ghosn had plainly jumped bail. "If this is true, it was not 'departing the country,' it was an illegal departure and an escape, and this itself is a crime," he said, according to AFP. "Was there help extended by an unnamed country? It is also a serious problem that Japan's system allowed an illegal departure so easily," said Sato, a former minister of state for foreign affairs. There was fury in France, too, where Ghosn had engineered a complex and sometimes uneasy alliance between Nissan, Mitsubishi and the French automaker Renault. The French government was "very surprised" that Ghosn had left Japan, economy secretary Agnes Pannier-Runacher told France Inter radio. Ghosn is "not above the law," she said, adding that "if a foreign citizen fled French justice we would be really angry." Safe in Beirut, Ghosn released a statement, saying that he had "not fled justice -- I have escaped injustice and political persecution." He's unlikely to be forced to return: Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan. In any case, Lebanon has plenty of problems of its own -- the country is in the throes of a political and economic meltdown, and entering into a complex extradition process is likely to be low down on its list of priorities. In his statement, Ghosn said he looked forward to communicating "freely" with journalists starting next week. Perhaps he might elaborate on how pulled off the escape of the decade. This story was first published on CNN.com, "How did Carlos Ghosn escape from Japan without any of his three passports?" STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Mayor Bill de Blasios 2020 is off to a piping hot start. He kicked off the new decade by tweeting his ire at Dominos for apparently selling pricey pizza pies to diaper-wearing Times Square revelers. De Blasios reaction came after a New York Post report claimed the Midtown-based chain was slinging pizzas to New Years Eve customers for $30. Heady play, Dominos. Jacking up your prices on people trying to celebrate the holidays? Classy, @ dominos, de Blasio tweeted. To the thousands who came to Times Square last night to ring in 2020, Im sorry this corporate chain exploited you stick it to them by patronizing one of our fantastic LOCAL pizzerias. The tweet, which had less than 2,000 likes, was met with thousands of responses. Jacking up your prices on people trying to celebrate the holidays? Classy, @dominos. To the thousands who came to Times Square last night to ring in 2020, Im sorry this corporate chain exploited you stick it to them by patronizing one of our fantastic LOCAL pizzerias. pic.twitter.com/rO6I9oYIku Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 1, 2020 The responses, many of which dug into the mayor, focused on an assortment of topics: Pricey New York City pizza pies costing approximately $30 as is, local Dominos businesses being owned by actual New Yorkers, and Thats not exploitation, its supply and demand you utter spoon. One persons beloved response referred to de Blasio as a melon head. They've also been doing this for 15 years, and all those "local" businesses (as a franchise Domino's is a local business too, btw) are also doing this upcharge service on NYE as well. Stick with what you're good at, arresting churro vendors and turnstile jumpers.... Ethan Case (@EthanCase) January 1, 2020 Dominos addressed de Blasios comment Thursday. Every store in [New York City] is owned by a local resident, a Dominos spokesperson told FOX Business. Every employee is a local New York resident. Those stores provide jobs to thousands of his fellow citizens. With his comments, the mayor is suggesting that New Yorkers who own or work at a franchise are lesser than those who dont. In 2014, while dining at Goodfellas in Dongan Hills, de Blasio doomed himself by using a fork and knife to munch on a slice in the popular pizzeria. The treasonous act of consuming pizza with utensils was immediately dubbed Forkgate, and the mayors reputation was reduced to tatters on Staten Island. It never recovered. In my ancestral homeland, it is more typical to eat with a fork and knife, said de Blasio in defense. I have been in Italy a lot, and I have picked up the habit -- for a certain type of pizza. When you have a pizza like this, it had a lot on it, you know, I often start with a knife and fork, but then I cross over to the American approach, and I pick it up when I go farther into the pizza. 'Roaring Twenties' prayer initiative calling on 1M young Christians to fast, pray for awakening Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christian leaders are calling on 1 million people, particularly youth in the United States, to fast and pray for an awakening at the beginning of each year this decade as part of the "Roaring Twenties" fast. The Roaring Twenties fast is fundamentally about cultivating expectant hope for another great spiritual awakening in America and in the nations around the world amid bitter divisions and political turmoil. In an interview with The Christian Post on Tuesday, Malachi O'Brien, a pastor at the Kansas City-area Church at Pleasant Ridge and former second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, recalled an experience he had with Think Eternity founder and evangelist Matt Brown while they were attending a young leaders gathering featuring Louie Giglio back in June. There, Giglio shared a phrase about what God was doing on Earth in the upcoming decade, "the roaring '20s." "I just began to really think on that, that there's such a direct correlation from the 1920s to the 2020s. So many things politically, spiritually, economically. The decade began one way, it ended a vastly different way," O'Brien said. The Lord put it on O'Brien's heart to call 1 million young people to fast and pray through the next decade, especially given how prayer has shaped recent decades. In 1995, Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade, issued a call for fasting in hopes of spiritual revival, which was considered radical at the time, he noted. Leaders such as Ronnie Floyd, Jerry Falwell, Steve Gaines, Lou Engle, John Piper, and many others joined him in fasting for revival. By the end of the 1990s, two global 24/7 prayer movements were launched, one in the United Kingdom and one in the United States. "I believe that the Lord wants to mark a new generation, mark them with spiritual hunger and thirst that they rest not in what we can do when we have large stadium gatherings or when we do large events, but let them be marked that it's not by might nor by power but by His Spirit. And to know that there is something powerful that happens when we really consecrate ourselves to a place of fasting and prayer." Pastor Jentezen Franklin, whose Free Chapel church in Gainesville, Georgia, corporately fasts and prays each January, also came on board to support the initiative. What they soon found was as they put forward plans for the Roaring Twenties fast, others were sensing the Holy Spirit calling them to similar things, O'Brien said. Think Eternity's digital mission director Jon Groves said that growing up as the son of an evangelist he was often exposed to "revival" churches and having revival meetings regularly. Yet when he became a pastor he started studying revivals of history, great awakenings, and culture-shifting movements that shook entire continents. "And that's what I began to crave," Groves said in comments emailed to CP on Tuesday. "Throughout history, communications shifts and true revivals have walked hand in hand. The printing press and Martin Luther. Movable type printing and George Whitefield. Television and Billy Graham. And today, in the biggest communication shift in 500 years, with social media apps and networks exploding by the millions every single day. "There has never been a greater opportunity to flood the world and saturate the air with the message of the Gospel. To raise up digital Billy Grahams, cultural missionaries, to take Christ to culture," he said. Although the data show that the faith of young people is dissolving by the millions, "we serve a God who loves to baffle statisticians," Groves stressed. "My prayer is that it does not end in January, but that its ripple will be seen and roar will be heard for generations to come, the next great awakening. And just like the wave starts in the student section, we're targeting young people in this movement as well. Jesus chose 12 teenage disciples to turn the world upside down. And if Jesus did it before with 12, we cannot even imagine what He will do with 1 million young people consecrated to the cause of Christ." The younger generations have rarely been taught about fasting and thus do not know the power of it, he said. "But if we want to see God do something new in and through us, we're going to have to be stretched in new ways. "When you fast, you encounter and realize the presence of God in such a unique way. My desire for all those who participate is that just as Jacob left his encounter with God having a limp, that my generation would forever be dissatisfied with anything less than a miraculous move of God." Googles first head of policy in Asia and a key player in the firms 2010 decision to withdraw its search engine from China says he was forced out of the company for pursuing an official company commitment to human rights. Ross LaJeunesse, who is now running for Maine Senator Susan Collins seat, told The Washington Post in an interview that he didnt change. Google changed, causing him to leave his role as global head of international relations in April. Dont be evil used to top the companys mission statement. Now when I think about Dont be evil, its been relegated to a footnote in the companys statements, he said. According to emails and documents reviewed by the Post, Kent Walker, Googles top lawyer and LaJeunesses mentor, raised the concern that a formal commitment to human rights could increase Googles liability after LaJeunesse began to advocate for a formal human-rights program. LaJeunesse alleges that Walkers opposition was based on concerns that an official human rights program might jeopardize Googles business in oppressive foreign countries, where its operation is contingent on state cooperation. I was very conscious that we could use that narrative internally to guide conversations and get into conversations we needed to get into, like decision-making about Dragonfly, LaJeunesse said. We could say, Hey, we committed to doing this. We better do it. If we dont do it, were really going to be raked over the coals. But his efforts drew resistance from Walker, despite their previous relationship and work in helping Google extract itself from China in 2010 after hackers targeted the accounts of Chinese human-rights activists. Addressing each of these issues on its merits is likely to feel more grounded and authentic and fit better with Sundars product focus, Walker wrote in an June 2017 email, referencing Googles CEO to several other executives. LaJeunesse said his efforts quickly got bogged down by one series of excuses after the other, and was told in February that his role was being eliminated in a reorganization of our policy team, according to a Google statement. Story continues We have an unwavering commitment to supporting human rights organizations and efforts, Google spokeswoman Jenn Kaiser told the Post. She added that Ross was offered a new position at the exact same level and compensation, which he declined to accept. But LaJeunesse disagrees. Just when we needed a human rights lens for all of our activities, we went in the opposite direction, he said. LaJeunesse, who did not sign a non-disclosure agreement when he left in the company, also cited toxic examples of Googles corporate culture in a Medium post published Thursday. The entire policy team was separated into various rooms and told to participate in a diversity exercise that placed me in a group labeled homos while participants shouted out stereotypes such as effeminate and promiscuous. Colleagues of color were forced to join groups called Asians and Brown people in other rooms nearby, he wrote. LaJeunesse said that there was no follow up when he brought concerns to HR, despite assurances the problems would be solved. More from National Review Noted cosmetic surgeon Dr Viral Desai from Mumbai, who was accused by a television actress of rape in August last year, has been granted anticipatory bail by the Mumbai Sessions Court. The complainant had filed a complaint against Dr Viral Desai, alleging that he tried to sexually assault her in his clinic on August 9, 2019. Based on the complaint, a case of rape was registered. Dr Viral Desai has claimed that he and the complainant were in a consensual relationship and that she had purposefully misrepresented the facts in her complaint. He submitted evidence in the form of photographs and WhatsApp messages exchanged with the complainant, which showed that he and the complainant were in a consensual relationship since last few years. Dr Desai drew the attention of the court to the fact that immediately after the alleged incident of rape, the complainant herself took the doctor for dinner to a restaurant from his clinic and continued to chat with him on a regular basis. Additional Sessions Judge Kalpana S Hore granted relief to Dr Desai on November 19, 2019. Dr Desai's counsel, Parvez Memon, senior partner of MZM Legal, pointed out to the court that the complainant is a forty-two-year-old actress who is going through a troubled marriage and is amidst a divorce case in the family court. There cannot have been a relationship on the basis of a promise of marriage since the complainant was already married, argued Memon. "We are happy with the order of the anticipatory bail passed by the court. This is the triumph of truth and justice over falsehood and malice. The complainant has resorted to abuse the process of law with ulterior motives which was exposed by us in court through cogent evidence suggesting a consensual relationship," said Memon. In a related development, on September 3, 2019, the City Civil Court had restrained the actress from publishing defamatory material against Dr Desai on social media. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ava DuVernay New Series Cherish The Day Coming To OWN Network Ava DuVernay, the creative force behind Selma and critically acclaimed documentary When They See Us, is expanding her effort to bring Black representation to the arts. This time she collaborates with the Oprah Winfrey Network again for the upcoming romantic series titled Cherish The Day. The romantic anthology drama follows the relationship of one couple that spans a single day. Each episode dives deep into the complexity behind relationships. The first season uncovers the interactions between Gently James, played by Xosha Roquemore, and Evan Fisher, played by Alano Miller, while living in Los Angeles. DuVernay continues bringing women of color both in front and behind the screens. Cherish The Day reached full gender parity with a production crew of over 50% women. She also added 18 department female heads. The show debuts February 2020 on the OWN Network. ADVERTISEMENT The Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper spoke with DuVernay along with Miller and Roquemore about the series at the ARRAY Creative Campus. LOS ANGELES SENTINEL (LAS): We are here at the ARRAY Creative Campus. What would you say to someone who is struggling to find success in their creativity? XOSHA ROQUEMORE: You just have to keep going especially on the hard days when you dont believe in yourself. When Im having those moments, I try to replay the tape in my head of the positive times in my life. ALANO MILLER: I would also add that it is about having the opportunity to practice. If you are able to practice then you are actually doing your creative work. Go in and just give it your best. AVA DUVERNAY: If you are an actor, you might not get representation right away or land that big movie. But you have to ask yourself these questions. Are you studying? Are you reading the greats? Are you breaking down performances? It is about knowing that there is value in each of those steps. If you try to get there too early, you wont enjoy the process. Embrace the steps. Its the most beautiful part of the journey. Sad thing is that most people dont know that while they are going through it. LAS: Cherish The Day portrays a variety of Black representation. For example, Alanos character Evan is upper class yet he enjoys a variety of hobbies. Whats your opinion on Hollywoods lack of representation of Black roles? DUVERNAY: Yes we do find that type of limited representation within television and film historically. We live in a golden age right now where we can witness all kinds of Black people. I think one of the great things about the L.A Sentinel is that it is our historically Black newspaper here in Los Angeles. Just as you are transitioning to digital and changing, so are artists. We are pushing away the stereotypes of what Black people should be on screen. ADVERTISEMENT LAS: The show stars the great Cicely Tyson. How was your experience working with her on set? ROQUEMORE: Sometimes we get so busy on set that everything becomes crazy. But she knows how to take that and replenish to jump back in. I thought that was amazing. MILLER: There is something that is just magnetic about her. She just walks into a space and you are just drawn into her presence. There is a centermost wisdom from her that allows you to put your guard down. I always admired that. Amid the ongoing tussle between Centre and West Bengal government over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Union Ministry of Defence has rejected West Bengal's tableau proposal for the upcoming Republic Day Parade on January 26. The tableau proposal of West Bengal was rejected after the expert committee made a few objections, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Wednesday. It is learnt that the West Bengal government has given three proposals on tableaux for January 26 parade - 1. Kanyashree, 2. Save Green, stay clean, 3. Jol dhoro Jol bhoro. As per rule, uniqueness which distinguishes the theme from other states is the foremost criteria for selecting a theme and proposal for 'Kanyashree' was rejected in 2015 on the ground that central government has similar project naming 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'. The 'Save Green, Stay Clean' proposal of West Bengal was also not deemed unique by experts because the central government has 'National Clean Air Programme.' The 'Jol Dhoro Jol Bhoro' proposal was rejected because Centre already has a similar programme named 'Atal Jol Yojana'. Live TV "The tableau proposal of the government of West Bengal was examined by the expert committee in two rounds of meetings. The tableau proposal of the government of West Bengal was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting," a Defence Ministry release said. The Defence Ministry stated that 22 proposals comprising 16 states and Union Territories and six ministries and departments have been shortlisted for the Republic Day Parade. The shortlisting was done from as many as 56 tableau proposals - 32 from states and Union Territories and 24 from various ministries and departments - received by the central government. Pakistan has rejected India's new Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane's statement that New Delhi reserves the right to "preemptively strike" across the Line of Control (LoC), terming his remarks as "irresponsible". In an exclusive interview to PTI barely hours after taking charge of the 1.3-million strong force, Army Chief Gen Naravane on Tuesday said India reserves the right to "preemptively strike" at sources of terror. He asserted that a "new normal" in the country's response mechanism to acts of cross-border terrorism has already been "emphatically" displayed. "If Pakistan does not stop its policy of state-sponsored terrorism, we reserve the right to preemptively strike at the sources of terror threat and this intent has adequately been demonstrated in our response during surgical strikes and Balakot operation," Gen Naravane said in New Delhi, in a stern warning to Islamabad. Reacting to Gen Naravane's remarks, the Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement on Wednesday said, "We reject the new Indian Army Chief's irresponsible statement regarding 'pre-emptive strikes' across the LoC" inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). "There should be no doubt about Pakistan's resolve and readiness to thwart against any aggressive Indian move", inside its territory or PoK, it said. "No one should forget Pakistan's befitting response to India's Balakot misadventure," it added. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14. On February 26, Indian fighter jets entered deep inside Pakistan and bombed JeM terror camps in Balakot. The air strike was followed by an aerial combat between air forces of the two countries on February 27 when Pakistan jets entered India. While chasing Pakistani jet an Indian Air Force jet crashed in PoK following which its injured pilot was captured. The pilot was handed over to India on March 1. "Despite India's provocations, Pakistan would continue contributing to all efforts of promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond," the statement said. The Foreign Office also said it will continue to highlight the issue of Kashmir on international forums. "Pakistan reaffirmed its unflinching support and solidarity with the Kashmiri people as the inhuman lockdown" in Jammu and Kashmir reaches 150 days, it said. The FO also said India must immediately lift the continuing communication restrictions in Kashmir. Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5 and bifurcating it into two union territories. Reacting sharply to India's decision, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi and expelled India's high commissioner. India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. Following the abrogation of Article 370, the Indian government imposed restrictions, including ban on mobile phones and Internet, in Jammu and Kashmir to maintain law and order. The restrictions are being gradually lifted in a phased manner. Twenty-two proposals, 16 from states and union territories and six from central ministries -- of the total 56, have been short-listed for the 2020 Republic Day parade, the Defence Ministry said on January 1. The Ministry had received 32 tableau proposals from states and union territories and 24 from central ministries and departments. "Out of these, 22 proposals, comprising 16 states/UTs and 6 ministries/departments, have finally been short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2020 after a series of five meetings," a statement by the ministry said. West Bengals proposal rejected The proposal sent by the West Bengal government was rejected after an Expert Committee examined it in two rounds of meeting, it said. "The tableau proposal of the West Bengal government was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting, the statement said. "It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the Government of West Bengal was short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process," it added. Reacting to the rejection, Member of Parliament (MP) from West Bengals ruling Trinamool Congress, Saugata Roy, told NDTV that it was an insult to the state. As per the procedure, the Defence Ministry invites proposals from all states, union territories, central ministries and departments. These proposals are then evaluated in a series of meetings of the Expert Committee comprising eminent persons in the fields of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography, etc. The committee examines these proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations, the statement said. Due to time constraints, only a limited number of tableau can be short-listed for participation in the parade. "The selection process in vogue, leads to participation of the best tableau in the parade," the statement added. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade this year. (With inputs from PTI) US troops fired tear gas in response to violent protests at the country's embassy in Iraq, as militiamen set fire to the building for a second day. Defence Secretary Mark Esper said about 750 troops would be deployed after one of the worst attacks on a US diplomatic mission in years. Iran-allied militiamen and supporters had camped out at the gates overnight, a day after breaking into the compound and vandalising a reception area. They began to withdraw on New Year's Day as troops came in, heeding a call from the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella group that gathers mainly Shia militia. By evening, all had withdrawn from the perimeter of the compound, the Iraqi military said. A protest camp has been set up in front of a nearby hotel. Additional forces from the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division are also prepared to deploy in the next several days. Mr Esper said: "This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against US personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today. "The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world." Asked about the possibility of war with Iran, US President Donald Trump said: "Do I want to? No. I want to have peace. I like peace. "And Iran should want to have peace more than anybody. So I don't see (war) happening." Earlier on Tuesday, protesters, many of them in militia uniforms, had marched outside the embassy compound , shouting slogans against the US, Israel and Mr Trump. They pelted the entrance with stones and set fire to a reception area after forcing their way into the site. One protest leader told crowds: "Our sit-in is eternal, until this devil's den is closed off forever, but don't give anyone an excuse to make your protest violent. Don't clash with security." Gunfire was heard and there were reports of tear gas, with the Reuters news agency saying 12 people involved in the protests were injured. Story continues The State Department has said all American personnel are safe and that there are no plans to evacuate the embassy. Mr Trump blamed Iran for the protests and called on Iraq to protect the diplomatic mission, tweeting: "Iran is orchestrating an attack on the US Embassy in Iraq. "They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!" :: Listen to Divided States on Apple podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , and Spreaker Iran has rejected accusations it was behind the violent protests. The protesters are angry at Washington for the strikes that killed more than two-dozen fighters from an Iran-backed militia over the weekend. Iraq has condemned the airstrikes. US officials said the move was in response to rocket attacks on a military base in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Friday, which left a US contractor dead. Google's former top diplomat now blames the company's "disengaged" founders and earnings-driven leadership for Google's departure from its core value, "Don't be evil." Ross LaJeunesse, who joined Google in 2008 and was head of international relations until last May, according to his LinkedIn profile, said in a Medium post Thursday that Google has changed into a company that values profits over human rights. As head of public policy for Asia-Pacific in 2010, LaJeunesse said he steered the company's removal of its search engine from China after the founders determined they could not provide an increasingly censored product while adhering to Google's internal values. But seven years later, LaJeunesse said he was "alarmed" to learn of Google's renewed ambitions in China with project "Dragonfly." LaJeunesse, who is now running as a Democrat for Susan Collins' Senate seat in Maine, said his attempts to adopt a companywide human rights program were blocked. In interviews with The Washington Post, LaJeunesse said Google's public policy chief, Kent Walker, had worried the formal commitment could expose Google to further liability. When a colleague was later appointed to lead policy for Dragonfly, LaJeunesse said he felt "sidelined." Google later ended the Dragonfly project after employee pushback, The Intercept reported in late 2018. "I then realized that the company had never intended to incorporate human rights principles into its business and product decisions," LaJeunesse wrote in the Medium post. "Just when Google needed to double down on a commitment to human rights, it decided to instead chase bigger profits and an even higher stock price." LaJeunesse said after raising several concerns with human relations, he was told his job was eliminated due to a "reorganization." He said he declined a "small role" he was offered "in exchange for my acquiescence and silence" after hiring a lawyer. LaJeunesse said he had been highly rated by peers at the company and in performance reviews. Google did not immediately confirm this information. In a statement, a Google spokesperson said: "We have an unwavering commitment to supporting human rights organizations and efforts. That commitment is unrelated to and unaffected by the reorganization of our policy team, which was widely reported and which impacted many members of the team. As part of this reorganization, Ross was offered a new position at the exact same level and compensation, which he declined to accept." The main thing that has changed at Google, according to LaJeunesse, is its leadership. After founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin "disengaged," he wrote, "A new CEO was hired to lead Google Cloud and a new CFO was hired from Wall Street, and beating earnings expectations every quarter became the key priority." Page and Brin recently stepped down from their executive positions at Google's parent company, Alphabet, though they still own controlling voting shares and will remain active on the board. Although he didn't mention her by name, the Wall Street CFO LaJeunesse refers to is Ruth Porat, who joined Google in 2015 from Morgan Stanley. Porat quickly gained a reputation for reining in spending and growing the company's revenues. LaJeunesse also contends in the Medium post that Google's products have become more focused on squeezing out profit than balancing human rights concerns. "Some will say that Google was always a bad corporate actor, with less than transparent privacy practices. But there is a significant difference between serving ads based on a Google search and working with the Chinese government on artificial intelligence or hosting the applications of the Saudi government, including Absher, an application that allows men to track and control the movement of their female family members," he wrote. "Executives hell-bent on capturing cloud computing revenue from Microsoft, Oracle, and Amazon had little patience for those of us arguing for some form of principled debate before agreeing to host the applications and data of any client willing to pay." LaJeunesse isn't the only Google veteran speaking out against his former employer. CNBC interviewed several former longtime Google employees who echoed many of LaJeunesse's criticisms and called the company "unrecognizable." Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. WATCH: How Yandex is beating Google in Russia Region 2 committee members, pictured left to right, Steve Chizuk, Kiran Batheja, Lillian Delucia, Rabin Kayastha, Barbara Piascik, Jill Johnson, Michele Mecomonaco, Kristen Zebrowski, Hugh Chisholm, Melissa Phelps and Dave Evangelista, were just some of the institute attendees who made a donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation in exchange for being able to wear jeans on the second day of the event. The two pre-sessions, which received very good evaluations by attendees, were: A CHFP, HFMA member-only study group, which included a chance to take Module I of the exam immediately following the presentation. A Medicare Cost Report 101 presentation, which was created after chapter leaders heard from members about the lack of understanding regarding the cost report and how the operations and transactions performed by various departments within an organization can impact the cost report and reimbursement from the Medicare program. A few new additions to the event, which were well-received by the 381 institute attendees, included: A lounge area for taking calls and/or doing work as well as a lounge sponsorship opportunity. Use of the CVent App, which received positive reviews and allowed the event to go paper free. A Jeans Day for day 2 of the institute because it is held in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Attendees could wear jeans in exchange for a donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. This effort raised $1,241 for the cause. A movie night, showing 12 Strong, The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers, which featured the story of one of the events keynote speakers, Mark Nutsch, who led a Green Beret team of U.S. Special Forces on a covert mission to Afghanistan. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 16:05:42|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday appointed a five-term ruling Democratic Party lawmaker as justice minister in order to speed up a reform drive for the prosecution office, according to the presidential Blue House. Moon nominated Choo Mi-ae, a five-term legislator and a former chief of the Democratic Party from 2016 to 2018, to lead the justice ministry on Dec. 5, 2019. She served as a judge at district courts from 1985 to 1995, becoming a lawmaker of the Democratic Party in 1996. Choo went through the parliamentary confirmation hearing last week, but a formal hearing report was not adopted. The president can appoint a minister without the parliamentary approval. The appointment came around two and a half months after Cho Kuk stepped down as justice minister over alleged wrongdoings involving his family. Cho was indicted later on several charges. The indictment was criticized by some local experts as it was seen as prosecutors' push to prevent the prosecution reform by Cho, a former reform-minded law professor and a former senior presidential secretary for Moon in charge of civil affairs. Choo's appointment was forecast to accelerate the reform of the prosecution office, one of the major campaign pledges for Moon. The president said during his New Year's event earlier in the day that he will make a "clear change" this year in the South Korean society by reforming the agencies of power. In South Korea, the agencies of power refer to the prosecution office, the police, the state intelligence agency and the national tax service. The National Assembly passed a bill late last year to launch a special anti-corruption investigation unit, tasked with looking into the wrongdoings by high-ranking government officials that include prosecutors, judges and senior police officers. The special investigation unit, expected to be established as early as in July, would break the decades-long exclusive authority of indictment possessed by prosecutors. By Express News Service BHOPAL: Accusing the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh of patronizing violent protests against the Sikh community in villages of Sheopur district, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa has sought immediate intervention from Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the issue. Sirsa, who is also an MLA of Shiromani Akali Dal (ruling NDAs key constituent) in Delhi has sought immediate intervention from Home Minister Amit Shah in the issue of forcefully expulsion of Sikhs from Madhya Pradesh villages. He also demanded strong action against Chief Minister Kamal Nath and his government for patronizing such violent actions against Sikhs in the state. In a statement released on Monday, Sirsa (who is also national spokesperson of Shiromani Akali Dal) alleged that the Kamal Nath government is patronizing violent protests against the Sikhs in some villages falling in Karhal Tehsil of Sheopur district. He said that these people have been given police protection and they are openly raising slogans to expel the Sikhs from these villages and usurp their properties. The SAD leader further said that not only this but these people are also raising slogans that "whosoever will support Sikhs will be given beating with shoes and throw out Sikhs from Karhal". They were also threatened to meet the same fate of 1984 genocide and those people repeatedly announced this from their gathering. He added that on one hand, the country has passed Citizenship Amendment Act and is inviting Sikhs from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to come to India where they will get protection against all the abuses. But on the other hand, the occurrence of incidents like those in Madhya Pradesh has raised concern in the Sikh community. He also announced that a delegation from the DSGMC will visit the affected families soon and it will provide every help and support to these Sikh families. Meanwhile, acting in the matter, the chief minsiterordered a detailed probe into entire matter on Thursday including the administrative action having been taken to remove encroachment from public and private lands in villages under Karhal tehshil of Sheopur district. He has said that some people from Sikh community have alleged discriminatory action by the local administration, after which the authorities have been asked to ensure that injustice isnt meted out to anyone. Also, a Committee comprising Sikh community members has been constituted under convenership of Congress leader Narendra Saluja. The Committee members will tour the concerned villages and meet the affected villagers before submitting report in the matter to the CM. Border Cave excavation. Credit: Dr. Lucinda Backwell "The inhabitants of the Border Cave in the Lebombo Mountains on the Kwazulu-Natal/eSwatini border were cooking starchy plants 170 thousand years ago," says Professor Lyn Wadley, a scientist from the Wits Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (Wits ESI). "This discovery is much older than earlier reports for cooking similar plants and it provides a fascinating insight into the behavioural practices of early modern humans in southern Africa. It also implies that they shared food and used wooden sticks to extract plants from the ground." "It is extraordinary that such fragile plant remains have survived for so long," says Dr. Christine Sievers, a scientist from the University of the Witwatersrand, who completed the archaeobotanical work with Wadley. The underground food plants were uncovered during excavations at Border Cave in the Lebombo Mountains (on the border of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, and eSwatini [formerly Swaziland]), where the team has been digging since 2015. During the excavation, Wadley and Sievers recognised the small, charred cylinders as rhizomes. All appear to belong to the same species, and 55 charred, whole rhizomes were identified as Hypoxis, commonly called the Yellow Star flower. "The most likely of the species growing in KwaZulu-Natal today is the slender-leafed Hypoxis angustifolia that is favoured as food," adds Sievers. "It has small rhizomes with white flesh that is more palatable than the bitter, orange flesh of rhizomes from the better known medicinal Hypoxis species (incorrectly called African Potato)." The Border Cave plant identifications were made on the size and shape of the rhizomes and on the vascular structure examined under a scanning electron microscope. Modern Hypoxis rhizomes and their ancient counterparts have similar cellular structures and the same inclusions of microscopic crystal bundles, called raphides. The features are still recognisable even in the charred specimens. Over a four-year period, Wadley and Sievers made a collection of modern rhizomes and geophytes from the Lebombo area. "We compared the botanical features of the modern geophytes and the ancient charred specimens, in order to identify them," explains Sievers. Hypoxis rhizomes are nutritious and carbohydrate-rich with an energy value of approximately 500 KJ/100g. While they are edible raw, the rhizomes are fibrous and have high fracture toughness until they are cooked. The rhizomes are rich in starch and would have been an ideal staple plant food. "Cooking the fibre-rich rhizomes would have made them easier to peel and to digest so more of them could be consumed and the nutritional benefits would be greater," says Wadley. Hypoxis angustifolia growth habit. Credit: Prof. Lyn Wadley/Wits University Wooden digging sticks used to extract the plants from the ground "The discovery also implies the use of wooden digging sticks to extract the rhizomes from the ground. One of these tools was found at Border Cave and is directly dated at circa 40,000 years ago," says co-author of the paper and co-director of the excavation, Professor Francesco d'Errico, (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Universite de Bordeaux, France and University of Bergen, Norway). Dr. Lucinda Backwell (Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales, ISES-CONICET, Tucuman, Argentina) also co-authored the paper and was a co-director of the excavation. The plants were cooked and shared The Hypoxis rhizomes were mostly recovered from fireplaces and ash dumps rather than from surrounding sediment. "The Border Cave inhabitants would have dug Hypoxis rhizomes from the hillside near the cave, and carried them back to the cave to cook them in the ashes of fireplaces," says Wadley. "The fact that they were brought back to the cave rather than cooked in the field suggests that food was shared at the home base. This suggests that the rhizomes were roasted in ashes and that, in the process, some were lost. While the evidence for cooking is circumstantial, it is nonetheless compelling." Border Cave entrance in the Lebombo Mountains, South Africa. Credit: Ashley Kruger Discoveries at Border Cave This new discovery adds to the long list of important finds at Border Cave. The site has been repeatedly excavated since Raymond Dart first worked there in 1934. Amongst earlier discoveries were the burial of a baby with a Conus seashell at 74,000 years ago, a variety of bone tools, an ancient counting device, ostrich eggshell beads, resin, and poison that may once have been used on hunting weapons. The Border Cave Heritage Site Border Cave is a heritage site with a small site museum. The cave and museum are open to the public, though bookings are essential [Olga Vilane (+27) (0) 72 180 4332]. Wadley and her colleagues hope that the Border Cave discovery will emphasise the importance of the site as an irreplaceable cultural resource for South Africa and the rest of the world. About Hypoxis angustifolia Hypoxis angustifolia is evergreen, so it has visibility year-round, unlike the more common deciduous Hypoxis species. It thrives in a variety of modern habitats and is thus likely to have had wide distribution in the past as it does today. It occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, south Sudan, some Indian Ocean islands, and as far afield as Yemen. Its presence in Yemen may imply even wider distribution of this Hypoxis plant during previous humid conditions. Hypoxis angustifolia rhizomes grow in clumps so many can be harvested at once. "All of the rhizome's attributes imply that it could have provided a reliable, familiar food source for early humans trekking within Africa, or even out of Africa," said Lyn Wadley. Hunter-gatherers tend to be highly mobile so the wide distribution of a potential staple plant food would have ensured food security. Explore further Archaeologists and anthropologists peer into original homes of the past to see what made us who we are today More information: L. Wadley el al., "Cooked starchy rhizomes in Africa 170 thousand years ago," Science (2019). Journal information: Science L. Wadley el al., "Cooked starchy rhizomes in Africa 170 thousand years ago,"(2019). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi 1126/science.aaz5926 The attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad Dec. 31 was a public disgrace for Iranian militias in Iraq, as they failed to attract public support, forcing them to end the attack before they planned to without succeeding in their goals. Despite the mass mobilization, only a few hundred people attended the protests against the US Embassy, stating publicly they would stay there until the embassy closed and US troops left Iraq. They set up tents and cooking facilities in preparation for an extended stay. They organized groups at the Green Zone gates to help facilitate entrance for volunteers interested in joining the protests. Al-Monitor was able to see several invitations in WhatsApp groups and other communication platforms and on social media beseeching people to join them from all parts of Iraq. However, not only did the number of protesters at the US Embassy not increase, but it decreased significantly. They organized another attack on the second day, Jan. 1, and comparisons between the two attacks showed clearly the number had reduced. Many of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) factions were silent about the attack, and none of their members participated. Only members of Kataib Hezbollah, Kataib Sayyed al-Shohada, Badr Organization, Saraya al-Khorasani and Asaib Ahl al-Haq participated in the attack, as their respective flags were seen at the protests. It is clear that public opinion has turned against Iran-backed militias in Iraq especially since the beginning of anti-government protests Oct. 1 in which militias close to Iran are accused of being involved in the death of protesters and the abduction of a large number of them. Their conduct during the violent anti-US protests only served to raise more criticism against them, as they raised their militia flags and put Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei photos on their chests. One could barely see Iraq flags. Their slogans were also mostly about Iran, like Qasem Soleimani is our leader and US out out, Iran remain free. The last slogan was very controversial in comparison with the slogans during anti-government protests, one of which was Iran out out, Iraq remains free." This has presented them as loyal militias to Iran with no sympathy for Iraq or Iraqis. Many also criticized government behavior in dealing with the anti-government protests in comparison with the militia protests against the United States. More than 500 kids were killed in cold blood during the anti-government protests trying to pass Al-Jumhuriya Bridge to reach the area that leads to the Green Zone. And the protesters failed to pass through despite the fact 500 of them were killed. But the militias were able to enter the Green Zone in one hour without any problem or difficulties, a group of protesters in Tahrir Square told Al-Monitor. In their raid against the US Embassy, the militias appeared as rioters, chaotic forces, disloyal and unpatriotic. The protesters in Baghdads Tahrir Square in addition to the other cities protesters issued statements denouncing the Green Zone protests, saying, We are not a part of this protest, and we will continue protesting against the government until they fulfill our demands. Iraqi officials also were quick to condemn the attack on the US Embassy. Iraqi President Barham Salih said, This [attack on US Embassy] is targeting Iraq, its sovereignty and its state before it is targeting any other party. Caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi also warned those who were responsible for the embassy attack would face severe punishment. Sunni forces, Kurdistan Region authorities, Ayad Allawis National Coalition (Watania), many Shiite parties like Ammar al-Hakims Wisdom Movement and even the Sadrist Movement all condemned the attack on the US Embassy in separate statements. In contrast with Iraqi politicians' positions, Iranian authorities praised the raid against the United States in Iraq, blaming the United States for crimes against the Iraqi people, which turned Iraqis against the United States. Oh Americans, you have committed crimes and you have killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The people in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are upset with the Americans, and this resentment will manifest itself somewhere and it is a natural consequence of American political and security measures in the region, Khamenei tweeted. The United States' strong reaction to the attack on its embassy alongside the Iraqi people's disappointment in Iran and its proxy roles in Iraq was a big shock for the militias and have left them in a difficult situation. US President Donald Trump warned Iran, tweeting Iran "will be held fully responsible for lives lost or damage incurred at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. US Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller returned to the embassy from his New Year vacation on the night of the first day of the protests. Marines were deployed to the embassy during the protests, and US Apache helicopters began flying over the protesters and other parts of the Green Zone to reinforce the already well-fortified embassy. The helicopters have expanded their area of coverage since Jan. 2, as witnessed by Al-Monitor with many more flying over areas outside of the Green Zone. A large number of Iraqi security forces were also deployed and positioned in the front of the US embassy to prevent any future attack on Jan 2. Although the attack on the embassy was a dangerous move, it has provided great support to anti-Iranian forces and anti-government protests in Iraq. The protesters in addition to anti-Iran political forces have accused Iran for a long time of creating and supporting militias out of Iraqi government control. Iran always denied this, and the militias have claimed they are part of government forces under control of the prime minister. But the move against the US Embassy showed clearly they are indeed out of government control, loyal to Iran and against the Iraqi people. Iranian militias have clearly been exposed as distinguished from Iraqi national forces, providing an opportunity for the Iraqi government and the international community to isolate them even further and put more pressure on them, which will empower the Iraqi state against the outlaws. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 2) Malacanang has banned another American lawmaker from entering the Philippines over calls to release Senator Leila De Lima. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts is the third US official to be barred entry to the Philippines. Last week, Panelo announced that the Bureau of Immigration has been ordered to refuse entry to American Senators Richard "Dick" Durbin and Patrick Leahy. The two authored the resolution that bans all Filipino officials who played a role in putting De Lima in jail from entering the United States. The measure became of the US federal budget for 2020 that was signed by President Donald Trump. "Lumalabas sa news items na very strong ang endorsement ni Markey [It appears that Markey has very strongly endorsed the measure," Panelo said in a press briefing Thursday. EXPLAINER: How the US budget law bans Philippine officials Markey wrote in a tweet back in October that Durbin and Leahy "are right to push for accountability in the Philippine government," adding that she should be freed immediately. https://twitter.com/SenMarkey/status/1179844045574676480 ] De Lima, a member of the opposition and a vocal critic of the bloody war on drugs of the Duterte administration, has been detained since February 2017 for supposedly abetting illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison while she was Justice secretary from 2010 to 2015. Durbin has maintained that De Lima has been imprisoned for "highly questionable charges," even as Malacanang insisted that her detention has legal basis. READ: US senator asks Philippine govt to free De Lima instead of denying visas to Americans Panelo also said that should the order banning select Philippine officials from entering the US be implemented, Malacanang will retaliate by requiring all US citizens to secure travel visa before coming to this country. Under the current setup, US citizens visiting the Philippines do not need to apply for a visa for a stay of not more than 30 days. Durbin warned on Tuesday that Filipino-Americans may also suffer with this threat of a visa requirement. Texas church shooting victims honored in vigil; church forgives shooter: 'The battle belongs to God' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Dozens of worshipers returned to West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, Monday night to honor two victims gunned down during the Lords Supper the previous day. The Texas church held a vigil to commemorate security guard Richard White, 67, and grandfather Anton "Tony" Wallace, 64, who were shot and killed by 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen during a worship service Sunday morning. The gunman was taken down by Jack Wilson, a 71-year-old firearms instructor. The Christian Chronicle reports that worshipers gathered in the church fellowship hall, next door to the closed auditorium where the shooting occurred, to grieve, pray and sing hymns including Amazing Grace, Precious Memories and It Is Well With My Soul. Outside the church, more than 100 came together on the lawn and in the parking lot to sing hymns and hear a message of restoration and forgiveness, according to the Star-Telegram. What happened yesterday is not something that we will ever be able to explain, senior minister Britt Farmer told church members. There is evil in this world, and evil took two of my dear friends yesterday. Not a bullet from a gun evil. Not ideology evil. Weve lost great men, he said, but added that the battle belongs to God. I love this community. I love this church. I love this state. And I love our country, and I love our freedoms. And Im not going to let evil take that away, he said. Kinnunen, who had a history of run-ins with police and troubles with drug abuse and mental illness, had attended the church before the shooting occurred. The church had previously provided Kinnunen with food on multiple occasions, but when he asked for money he wasn't given any, according to Farmer. Authorities say Kinnunen's motive remains under investigation. On the day of the shooting, Kinnunen slipped into the Sunday service wearing a long black wig, a fake beard, and a bulky jacket. This time, he pulled out a shotgun during the communion service and fatally shot two parishioners. During the vigil, Farmer described Wallace, who was killed as he served communion, as his best friend. Preachers dont have many best friends, Farmer said, according to The New York Times. If youve never been a preacher, you dont understand that. But he was my best friend, and he died saving lives. Mike Tinius, one of the churchs five elders, wrapped an arm around Farmer and led the church in prayer during Mondays service. With all of our hearts, we ache. And with all of our hearts, we love, Tinius prayed. What we feel as loss, we know is your gain. Guide us in how we handle the losses that your way be our way. The elder added, Father, we even grieve the soul of the one who wronged us. Another minister at the church, Jack Cummings, told FOX29 the church forgives the shooter for his actions. "We bear no ill will toward the individual, his family," he said. "We pray for the best for all of them. Wilson, who fatally shot Kinnunen within seconds of the attack, told NBC's Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate station KXAS Monday that he killed an evil on Sunday, not a human, and that that is how he's coping with what took place in the auditorium. "I dont feel like Im a hero. I feel like I did what I needed to do to stop an evil threat," said Wilson. On Facebook, Wilson wrote that the events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in, but added that evil exists and I had to take out an active shooter in church. Im thankful to GOD that I have been blessed with the ability and desire to serve him in the role of head of security at the church, he wrote. I am very sad in the loss of two dear friends and brothers in CHRIST, but evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed. Please pray for all the members and their families in this time. Thank you for your prayers and understanding. As part of a $738 billion spending bill, President Donald Trump signed into that federal tobacco purchasing will be increased from 18 to 21. The law will only affect the selling of a tobacco product (cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes) to anyone under 21. This law doesn't affect the possession of tobacco products from ages 18-20. This key difference has Red Wing Police Chief Roger Pohlman raising a slight concern. "It's too early to tell yet how it's going to work out." The law changed for vendors after President Trump signed the bill on Dec. 20. Raising the sales age from 18 to 21 was becoming more frequent around the country, with individual states and cities raising the age themselves. Prior to the bill signage, there were 19 states that raised the tobacco purchasing age from 18 to 21. ADVERTISEMENT Pohlman said the police and the Red Wing City Attorney's office are working closely to monitor the new law in affect. Having a law that affects purchasing, while the possession law stays the same, will be difficult to enforce. While the police department won't be doing any compliance checks to try and catch vendors early on, Pohlman said they're going to use the opportunity to educate, rather than fine or ticket. Pohlman said the police department have an educational program that helps vendors identify potential illegal sales. The end goal, Pohlman says, is to prevent sales to someone under age, not to fine vendors. The law will also affect vaping products, which could be helpful for school districts and police departments across the country. A state student survey found that vaping among Minnesota teens jumped between 2016 and 2019, with 54% more 11th graders reporting they'd vaped within the last 30 days in the most recent survey. Last February, the Republican Eagle reported concern throughout Goodhue County from high school principals concerned over the dramatic increase in vaping. Cities like River Falls have been advocating for statewide change for months. Pohlman thinks the new purchasing law could be helpful for curbing vape use by teenagers. Pohlman also said the city, and others too, have a chance to now discuss a possession law that matches the new tobacco sales law. Pohlman is excited at the potential for this discussion. Pohlman said they police department will be sending letters to residents to explain the new laws, just in case anyone didn't learn news in the past couple of weeks. WASHINGTONHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are locked in a stare-down over the terms of President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, which carries political risks for both sides if it continues deeper into January. The two-week congressional holiday break produced no new negotiations on the contours of the Senate trial, according to people familiar with the matter. Pelosi is leaving the talks with McConnell up to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, with whom shes been co-ordinating, officials in the speakers office said. Pelosi has held up delivering to the Senate the two articles of impeachment adopted by the Democratic-majority House, saying she wants to see a fair process for the trial. Officials in Pelosis office said she and Schumer are in lockstep on what that means: trial procedures that would include documents and testimony from witnesses that were blocked by Trump during the Houses impeachment inquiry. Neither Sen. McConnell, nor any Republican senator, has articulated a single good reason why the trial shouldnt have these witnesses or these documents, Schumer said at a news conference Monday in New York. McConnell is showing no signs of shifting off his position that a vote on calling witnesses can be left until after the impeachment case is argued by House managers and Trumps counsel. While most lawmakers wont return to Washington until next week when haggling over the trial process is likely to begin in earnest McConnell is expected to deliver remarks on the Senate floor Friday criticizing the Democrats position. In the background is the 2020 election campaign that will decide control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, and thats putting pressure on both sides in the impeachment drama. For Schumer and Pelosi, withholding the impeachment articles and demanding more witnesses has given them a chance to raise questions about whether Trumps trial in the Republican-controlled Senate can be fair. McConnell made clear he has no intention of being impartial despite an impeachment oath that has traditionally required senators to deliver impartial justice and said hes closely co-ordinating with the White House. Raising the fairness question also gives Schumer and other Democrats a pressure point on a few GOP incumbents facing tough re-election campaigns, such as Maine Sen. Susan Collins, and Republican senators like Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska whove occasionally shown willingness to break with both McConnell and Trump. Democrats would need at least four Republican votes to call witnesses. Murkowski and Collins in the past week have chided McConnell for saying hes consulting with the White House on the trial. Collins said she is open to witnesses at some point later. Still, both indicated theyd support waiting to decide on other testimony until after presentations by the House and Trumps defence similar to the process used in the 1999 impeachment trial of then-President Bill Clinton. Thats the same argument made by McConnell. Pelosis delay could backfire if it continues for more than a week or two. Republicans are arguing that Pelosi withholding the articles of impeachment contradicts the main message from Democrats during impeachment: that Trump is such a danger to national security and the next election that he must face swift consequences for his actions. Republicans also say the demand for more testimony and documents underscores what they describe as weak evidence for the impeachment articles. A long delay also risks pushing the impeachment trial deeper into the presidential primary season. Five Democratic candidates who serve as senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker and Michael Bennet would be kept off the campaign trail and trapped in Washington during the length of the trial as silent jurors. The first contest, the Iowa caucuses, is Feb. 3 and the New Hampshire primary is a week later. Trump has been exploiting the delay to attack Pelosi and the impeachment process in the House. McConnell said last month that if Democrats never send over the articles of impeachment it would be fine with me. But that would leave the impeachment hanging in the background, unresolved, as the 2020 campaign is fully underway. That could heighten the risk for several vulnerable Republicans being targeted by Democrats seeking to gain control of the Senate. McConnell and other Trump allies in the Senate instead have been manoeuvring for a quick trial that is all but certain to result in the presidents acquittal. That would give the Trump and GOP senators running for re-election an opportunity to claim vindication and put more distance between the impeachment and election day in November. We know the Presidents not going to be removed from office. So the question is just how long do we want this to be foisted on the American people? McConnell said in a Dec. 18 appearance on the Hugh Hewitt radio program, laying out his vision for a trial. What I think we ought to do is listen to the arguments, have a period of written questions, and then vote on the two articles of impeachment. Both parties are honing their argument to enhance their negotiating positions. The president was impeached by the House for allegedly abusing his powers to try to force Ukraine to open a politically damaging investigation of Democrat Joe Biden in exchange for security aid, and then obstructing the House investigation. Schumer on Monday cited a New York Times report that outlined how Trumps withholding of aid to Ukraine set off a struggle in the White House, with some top presidential advisers trying to get him to reverse course. This new story shows all four witnesses we Senate Democrats have requested Mick Mulvaney, John Bolton, Michael Duffey, and Robert Blair were intimately involved and had direct knowledge of President Trumps decision to cut off aid in order to benefit himself, Schumer said. Simply put: in our fight to have key documents and witnesses in a Senate impeachment trial, these new revelations are a game changer. Democrats say they are united behind Pelosis and Schumers demands. Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, the most vulnerable Democrat up for re-election next year, wrote an opinion essay in the Washington Post this week saying the Senate must conduct a full, fair and complete trial that includes witness testimony. Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from Trump-friendly West Virginia, also has supported calling new witnesses. Michigan Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee said Tuesday on CNN that Pelosi should hold the articles of impeachment indefinitely until we have some assurances that the trial isnt going to be a sham. Republicans scoff at the idea that Pelosi has any leverage over McConnell, arguing that the impeachment went ahead without waiting to see whether courts would compel more witnesses to testify in the House because Democrats set a political deadline. One GOP aide said that Pelosis attempt to dictate Senate process would only alienate moderate Republicans. Read more about: Almost 4,000 patients waited longer than 12 hours in packed emergency departments across Northern Ireland in October Almost 4,000 patients waited longer than 12 hours in packed emergency departments across Northern Ireland in October. An average of 127 people spent half a day or more waiting to be treated or admitted to hospital every day during October after turning up looking for emergency care. The number of 12-hour breaches in emergency departments (ED) over the 31 days was more than double the amount that occurred in October 2018. Read More It also represented a 13% rise in the number of people waiting longer than 12 hours compared to September, up from 3,481 to 3,949. The figures make for grim reading, coming before the likes of any flu outbreaks, and have prompted fears that thousands of seriously ill people will spend hours languishing on hospital trolleys this winter. It is likely there will also be an impact on the overstretched Ambulance Service as paramedics spend hours off the road while waiting to book their patients into EDs. According to Health and Social Care Board statistics, casualty departments here have consistently struggled to cope with demand compared to last year. In April 2018 a total of 1,413 12-hour breaches were recorded, compared to 3,641 in April 2019. In August 2018 there were 1,499 12-hour breaches, increasing by 50% in August 2019. Overall, the number of 12-hour breaches looks set to spiral this financial year compared to 2018/19. Between April 2018 and the end of March 2019, 25,326 people spent more than 12 hours in EDs waiting for treatment or to be discharged. However, by the end of October 2019 and with another five months to be factored in, 22,057 12-hour breaches had already occurred. The figures have been branded a "record-breaking" failure by a leading emergency care doctor, who has blasted the situation being endured by staff and patients here. Dr Ian Crawford, vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in Northern Ireland, said: "A staggering 3,949 patients spent longer than 12 hours in our EDs in October 2019 - yet another record-breaking systemic failure for our patients and staff. "It is simply unacceptable that, in the absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly, no one is being held to account for the ever-deepening crisis in health and social care. "Political oversight is immediately required to secure the corrective investment to increase staffing, the number of acute hospital beds and the social care that are fundamentally required." The figures come as the deadline for the political parties to get the Assembly back up and running is fast approaching. Secretary of State Julian Smith has given MLAs until January 13 to re-establish the Executive or face another election. They are coming under increasing pressure to find a resolution as Mr Smith has continually insisted that he cannot intervene to address the deepening crisis in the health service. Thousands of health service employees have already staged walk outs, with further strike action planned for the New Year. The Royal College of Nursing has already said its members will strike on January 8 and 10 after taking part in a 12-hour walkout on December 18. Meanwhile, most recent government figures revealed there are more than 300,000 people waiting for a first outpatient appointment. And in November a doctor working in Antrim Area Hospital's ED hit out at the conditions being endured by patients and staff. Addressing patients at the ED, Dr Hugo Dowd revealed 10 patients had been waiting on trolleys for more than 12 hours to be admitted to a ward, while a further 100 people were waiting to be seen. Clearly exasperated by the situation, he said the backlog of patients waiting for a hospital bed was slowing down the speed at which his staff could treat patients arriving at the ED. "I don't have 100 doctors, I don't have 50 doctors, I have eight," he said. "You will not be seen in the order in which you have arrived, but in the order of priority. "That means that some people may seem like they are going ahead of you, please be patient, if we are doing that it is to speed up the whole of the time people are in this department "Sometimes we order X-rays and bloods early so that when the doctor sees you, she or he can sort you out quicker. "Everyone who has turned up will get seen but some of you listening to this are going to be here for another six or seven hours." Foyle Search and Rescue saved twenty-seven people from Derrys River Foyle in 2019 and dealt with around 400 incidents. The volunteer-run organisation is however thankful that less bodies had to be recovered than in recent years and that incidents have decreased overall. In the past year, as well as the twenty-seven rescued from the water, 164 people were taken from the railings to safety and three bodies were recovered from the River Foyle. The total number of incidents dealt with throughout the year is 394 which is down on a figure of around 500 last year. Bodies recovered also decreased from nine in 2018. Nowadays FSR plays an important role in referring people at risk on to the Community Crisis Intervention Service (CCIS) which has been running since the beginning of this year. The Derry News recently reported that permanent funding is being sought to secure the future of CCIS which has been granted a reprieve until March. In its pilot year the de-escalation service assisted over 100 people in varying degrees of crisis, including those at risk of suicide or self-harm. FSR volunteer, Carole McAleer, said both organisations have a brilliant relationship and CCIS allows people to get immediate help rather than having to spend time on a waiting list in a time of crisis. It should be extended and should get the funding because it is a vital service that is really needed in the town, especially recently with everything going on too. People campaigned to get the service and it is important that now when we have it that we keep it for as long as possible because it is working. Over more than twenty-five years FSR has found every person who entered the river and returned them to their families - it can take days and sometimes weeks to do so. At the time of writing this week the team continues to search for a person who has been missing for over five weeks, while also dealing with emerging incidents. Thoughts and prayers Stephen Twells, FSR Chairman, extended the thoughts and prayers of all its volunteers and staff to those who lost a loved one in 2019, or found themselves in despair. 2019 has been a busy year for FSR and I am very proud of each and every one of our volunteers and staff for their commitment and determination during the last 12 months in helping those in need. The Charity as always pulled together, providing the best service we could to make a difference. However, none of this could have been achieved without the support from many, such as PSNI, NIFRS, NIAS, Coast Guard, PHA, CCI, DCSDC, WHSST, NISAR. He added: Our Duty Teams were provided with hot meals & Beverages from Dominos, Nandos, Four Star, Ricks, etc: but most importantly the overwhelming and unwavering generosity, plus emotional support from many individuals, working groups, community organisations and in particular families and friends who worked with us. So as we say farewell to 2019 and welcome in 2020, we continue to provide a suicide prevention and water rescue service to our city and beyond. I would like to wish all our colleagues in the statutory and voluntary emergency rescue services as well as all of our supporters everywhere a Happy and Peaceful New Year. FSR predominantly operates in Derry but also assists with search and rescue operations UK and Ireland wide when required. It was set up by local people in 1993 in response to the alarmingly high number of drownings in the river 30 people within 18 months - and has adopted the role of preventing suicide and supporting families in the City. Its aim is to reduce the number of people who die through drowning in the River Foyle one of the coldest and fastest flowing rivers in Europe. Volunteers are from the local community and selflessly give up hours of their personal time every week to help those in need. Julian Castro has suspended his presidential campaign. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images With the Iowa caucuses a month away, former Housing secretary Julian Castro said Thursday that he is ending his bid for the presidency. The announcement came in a four-minute video in which Castro said his campaign shaped the conversation on issues such as immigration and police reform, but also acknowledged the difficult circumstances of this campaign season, an apparent allusion to his inability to gain a foothold in a crowded Democratic primary. Its with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today. Im so proud of everything weve accomplished together. Im going to keep fighting for an America where everyone countsI hope youll join me in that fight. pic.twitter.com/jXQLJa3AdC Julian Castro (@JulianCastro) January 2, 2020 For months, Castro has struggled to keep pace with the fundraising and polling of top-tier candidates. In October, he threatened to suspend his campaign if he wasnt able to bring in $800,000 in ten days. He hit the goal, giving him a few more months in race. In November, one of his biggest fundraising days came during the Democratic debate, from which he was excluded. Castros weak polling kept him out of the last two debates and led him to advocate for the Democratic National Committee to change its qualification criteria. The DNC said no. Castro also raised issues in recent months with Iowa and New Hampshire playing such a prominent role in the presidential nominating process. Iowa and New Hampshire are wonderful states with wonderful people, he said in November. But theyre also not reflective of the diversity of our country, and certainly not reflective of the diversity of the Democratic Party. After Kamala Harriss departure from the race in December, Castro blamed the media for sidelining women and candidates of color. The medias flawed formula for electability has pushed aside women and candidates of color. Our partys diversity is our strength, and its a shame that were headed for a December debate without a single person of color. Julian Castro (@JulianCastro) December 4, 2019 At 45, Castro is a safe bet to stick around in politics. In the video posted Thursday, he vowed to keep fighting for an America where everyone counts. How he does that remains an open question. His name is sure to come up when theres finally a Democratic nominee and that person is in need of a running mate. For now though, hell get to bask in the ritual that has emerged after candidates leave this Hunger Gamesesque primary: glowing tributes from his former rivals. Thank you @JulianCastro for being a powerful voice, for proposing bold and progressive plans, and for using your campaign to help people who need it now. You made this race strongerand you will continue to be a leader in our party and our country for many years to come. pic.twitter.com/SWlsDC9HcS Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 2, 2020 Julian brought a bold vision of justice and equality to this race. He puts people first and speaks up for the most vulnerable. I know hell continue to be a leader in the fight to better our democracy. https://t.co/50gcdY2gz7 Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 2, 2020 Im going to miss seeing my friend @JulianCastro on the trail. Thank you, Julian, for bringing your ideas and leadership to this raceyour voice and campaign were invaluable in sticking up for underrepresented communities and pushing the field forward. pic.twitter.com/qVaMi9X6gd Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 2, 2020 Justice for Nikki! a large crowd chanted three times outside the Clark County Courthouse after a judge set $750,000 bail Thursday morning for the suspect in the slaying of the transgender Vancouver teen. David Y. Bogdanov, 25, of Vancouver appeared in Superior Court for a bail review hearing and arraignment about two weeks after prosecutors requested and were granted a no-bail hold in the case. He was arrested Dec. 17 on suspicion of second-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Nikki Kuhnhausen. In addition to murder, prosecutors have filed a single count of malicious harassment against Bogdanov now legally called a hate-crime offense in Washington. The charge was added under its former name which was changed during the last legislative session because the crime is suspected to have happened after the laws refinement, which included adding gender identity or expression to the states list of protected categories. Authorities allege Bogdanov strangled Kuhnhausen after learning she was transgender. Kuhnhausen disappeared in early June. Her remains were discovered Dec. 7 after someone reported finding a human skull in the woods at Larch Mountain, southeast of Battle Ground. During Thursdays hearing, Judge David Gregerson said $750,000 bail was appropriate because, despite the allegations being among the most serious, Bogdanov lacks criminal history. Senior Deputy Prosecutor Colin Hayes had requested a continuation of the no-bail hold or, alternatively, $6 million bail. Hayes said the allegations show that Bogdanov has a propensity for violence and poses a risk to the community, particularly the LGBTQ community. Kuhnhausens mother, Lisa Woods, also addressed the judge before bail was imposed. Woods said her daughters alleged killer does not deserve the chance to be released before trial. I want to stress that the LGBTQ community is not safe with this monster on the streets, Woods said. During Bogdanovs first court appearance Dec. 18, a defense attorney said hed be arguing against the no-bail condition. Since then, advocates for the transgender community have called on Clark County to support Kuhnhausens family and attend the bail hearing so that Nikkis murder cannot be brushed aside, according to a post on the Facebook page Justice For Nikki. Hundreds of people attended a Dec. 20 vigil for the teen at Vancouver United Church of Christ in Hazel Dell. Profoundly disappointed About a hundred supporters came out Thursday morning, lined up in the rain outside the county courthouse. They were encouraged to wear pink and remain civil. Once the basement courtroom was full, the remaining supporters were sent to another room on the fourth floor to watch Bogdanovs hearing on live video. The large group in the basement was quiet during the hearing, but there were several audible gasps when the judge set bail. Outside the courthouse, surrounded by supporters, Kuhnhausens family said they were disappointed and saddened by the judges decision. He doesnt deserve to be out on the street. And the judge was wrong. The judge was wrong in this particular case, said Michelle Bart, president and co-founder of the Vancouver-based National Womens Coalition Against Violence & Exploitation. Bart noted that bail was recently set at $2 million in an attempted murder case involving teenage suspects and a 66-year-old victim. Nikki Kuhnhausen did not get justice today. And this hurts me, because we spent so much resources looking for her, Bart said. NWCAVE and others placed thousands of flyers around Clark County and Portland, and campaigned to keep Kuhnhausens disappearance in the publics eye the entire time she was missing. There is a lack of trust of law enforcement and the judicial process within the trans community, said Devon Rose Davis, a clinical social worker and activist from Portland working with NWCAVE. No one is charged in more than 50 percent of the cases involving the murder of trans women nationwide, Davis said. According to the FBIs 2018 Crime in the United States report, the clearance rate the calculation of cases that end with an arrest or identification of a suspect who cant be apprehended for all murders and non-negligent homicides for that year was 62.3 percent. It is difficult as a member of the trans community to take part in a process like this, knowing full well that these things usually do not go in my communitys favor, she said. Were profoundly disappointed. Among Kuhnhausens supporters Thursday was Jamie Potter, a Portland resident whose own 17-year-old daughter is transgender. The judges decision on bail is tragic, he said. His daughter transitioned at 7 years old. The experience has made him acutely aware of the challenges faced by LGBTQ people and the need to create change. Everybody deserves a chance at life. No one would choose to put themselves into this body, into this life. People are born this way, and they deserve the same respect as any of us do, Potter said. -- The Columbian Jack Wilson is a hero alright. It took him only six seconds to kill a gunman at a Texas church, saving countless lives. Unfortunately, that kind of split-second heroism has been turned into a PR tool by gun advocates. The reality of Wilson's heroism is a lot more complex. He wasnt just an ordinary parishioner, as gun advocates may want you to believe. The churchs volunteer security team member is a firearms instructor, gun range owner and former reserve deputy with a local sheriffs department, according to a New York Times detailed account. In other words, hes exactly the kind of man you want around with a firearm. But we know nothing about the at least six other parishioners who also appeared to draw their handguns at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas. And that's terrifying. Jack Wilson, 71, poses for a photo at a firing range outside his home in Granbury, Texas, on Monday. The real story here isn't heroism Of course, that wouldnt matter to the churchgoers of that community of roughly 18,000 residents, right? What matters is that Wilson saved them with a single shot and other gun-wielding parishioners were ready just in case Wilson failed. But have we really reached a point when each of us need to carry a firearm anywhere we go? Gun advocates certainly think so. They point to Wilson and the new Texas law that allows him and others to carry firearms inside the church. President Donald Trump said as much on Twitter Monday. Our prayers are with the families of the victims and the congregation of yesterdays church attack. It was over in 6 seconds thanks to the brave parishioners who acted to protect 242 fellow worshippers. Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019 Texas has one of the nations least restrictive gun laws, including allowing armed security at houses of worship and allowing parishioners to bring their weapons to church. Gun advocates didnt waste any time after the recent church incident to promote the idea of arming oneself. Story continues The Second Amendment gives Americans the right to bear arms. And that isnt going anywhere. But that constitutional amendment doesnt spell out the types of firearms Americans should bear, nor does it give Americans the right to sell them to anyone to carry anywhere. Monsey, New York, stabbing: Another apparent anti-Semitic hate attack. When will it stop? The gunman at West Freeway Church of Christ, 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen, apparently had a long criminal history, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Authorities say theyre still investigating the motive of Sundays shooting, and there were no immediate details about how he got the firearm he used at the church. We know firearms are readily available to anyone who wants one, really. And thats part of the problem. Sundays shooting isnt just about Jack Wilsons heroism. Its about how Kinnunen got a hold of a weapon in the first place, given his criminal record. Elvia Diaz is an editorial columnist for The Arizona Republic and azcentral, where this column originally appeared. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Texas church shooting: Jack Wilson's heroism isn't the story Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 15:50:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has given the go-ahead for the launch of China's first self-developed 13-valent pneumonia vaccine to better protect babies from a leading cause of death. The pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine, the second of its kind in the world, is produced by Yunnan-based Walvax Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and is designed to protect children who are six weeks or above but have not yet reached their sixth birthday from the invasive pneumococcal disease caused by 13 serotypes. The only 13-valent pneumonia vaccine available in today's global market is manufactured by U.S. biopharmaceutical company Pfizer. In 2016, the product won approval to enter the Chinese market. With over 15 million newborns in 2018, China has a huge clinical demand for the 13-valent pneumonia vaccine, which is recommended by the World Health Organization to shield children from the infectious disease, a major killer of children under five. According to data from the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, pneumonia kills more children than any other infectious disease, claiming the lives of over 800,000 children under five every year worldwide, or around 2,200 every day. While speeding up the approval of imported new drugs to meet urgent clinical needs, the NMPA is supporting domestic enterprises in terms of research and development applications, full-cycle guidance and streamlined procedures to fast-track the launch of home-developed vaccines. It is interesting to note how any discourse that expresses reservation or dissent against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has become synonymous with supporting rioting and violence. The faceless and abusive trolls slam even articles written by well-meaning and learned people peacefully on the media or on social media, with a single refrain (in addition to the verbal abuse): So are you justifying the burning and violence on the streets? It is a different matter that if you look at the violence lurking behind these verbal comments, one would almost wonder if these would not be the very folks on the streets lynching anyone who does not think, eat, dress, or pray to the same gods as themselves. Unfortunately, even the Prime Minister, in his speech to the nation all but equated the incidents of riots and violence with the broader dissent against CAA. Why else would he completely reject the voices of some of the most intellectual, learned and peaceful in our society that are asking the government to at least take a second look at the Act? Let us be very clear. The PM is right in that no sane person can argue that violence and rioting have any place in a democracy. Those who indulge in the destruction of public property and loss of innocent lives need to be dealt with without mercy. But will a sane person argue that riots and violence will never occur in a democracy? They do, even in the best of democracies. But preventing situations that could lead to lumpen elements, criminals, scandal-mongers and other agents provocateurs exploiting even legitimate social unrest for their own loathsome agendas is the job of the government. So is managing such situations when they do happen, rather than lump genuine protesters with the troublemakers and grind them all under one mill. Sadly, even the PMs speech would have one believe as if the two categories are one and the same. But are they? As ordinary citizens, dont we know that often, it is our political parties the opposition and ruling parties alike who deploy rowdies and goons to pelt stones, burn tyres, block roads and damage public property? Ordinary citizens have little incentive to riot, especially when for most of us in India, even day-to-day living is a challenge. We do not have an affordable public health system that works; we do not have an inexpensive educational system that works; police is available only for the protection of the rich and powerful, and so is the judiciary; enforcing any rights even contractual rights is virtually impossible; we do not even have reasonable roads to drive on or side-walks to walk on; our municipalities keep our townships and villages festering on heaps of garbage; 40% of our population lives on less than Rs 100 a day. Small-time vendors and entrepreneurs have had to battle the fallout of demonetisation and GST implementation; others have to run from pillar to post to link ones PAN Card with ones Aadhaar Card, because some government clerk added or deleted a dot before or after an initial or misspelt a name. Where is the time and capacity for the common citizen or student, whether they agree or disagree with CAA, to engage in riots and risk arrest, and be at the mercies of a largely corrupt and brutal police? Are we to seriously think that it is beyond the pale of imagination that the violence we have witnessed was the handiwork of, say, any of the political parties or coalitions opposed to the ruling party, wanting to embarrass the ruling party in the name of CAA? Or, going by our political history, is it any less in the pale of possibility that the ruling party itself may be behind some of the violence, staged to give all anti-CAA protesters a bad name? And they are succeeding as we see today by smearing all protesters with the same brush. Or, can we absolutely rule out the hand of the police themselves behind at least some of the burning of public property in order to justify their disproportionate use of force upon protesters? Given the Indian reality, I would say, any of these is far more likely than the possibility of any spontaneous rioting by citizens protesting against the CAA, even if they can be identified by what they wear. We are being assured by the Prime Minister that there has been no discussion on a nation-wide NRC right now. Does that mean there would be such a discussion later? Wasnt nation-wide NRC among the BJPs poll promises? Hasnt Home Minister Amit Shah said repeatedly over the last two years that a nation-wide NRC would be completed before 2024? So, whom do we believe the countrys PM or the HM? And now, before the embers of the discourse on CAA and NRC have even been doused, we have another confounding variable flung into the narrativethe National Population Register (NPR), overlaying the Aadhaar, National Census, CAA and NRC. One wonders, wheres the need for so many disaggregated sources of data? After all, there is a fair degree of overlap between the data covered by the National Census and the NPR. So why cant the NPR be subsumed under the National Census with some minor tweak, saving the country and the citizens much expense and fatigue? After 40 years of fairly trouble-free movement in and out of the countrys airports, last week suddenly, my routine laminated copies of Aadhaar, driving licence and original corporate identity cards were all rejected at the Bengaluru airport, with the CISF constable insisting on original document. Really? And risk losing one of the original documents during travels, only to run from pillar to post all over again? Whats the country coming to that a citizen has to carry original identity documents upon ones person at all times?! (The writer is Director, Schulich School of Business, India Programme) Museums in Rome free on first Sunday of every month. Italy's state-run museums and archaeological sites are open free of charge on the first Sunday of every month, with the next edition of Domenica al Museo taking place on 5 January 2020. Rome's civic-run museums are also free on 5 January - for residents of the capital - for information see Musei in Comune website Portland police were called to seven different shootings in the first five-and-a-half hours of 2020. Four people were injured. There have been no arrests. Police found more than 90 spent cartridge casings at the crime scenes. The wild night came just hours after Portland named Jami Resch its new police chief. Resch filled the post left suddenly and unexpectedly by Danielle Outlaw, who took the top job in Philadelphia. The Portland Police Bureaus Gun Violence Reduction Team is investigating all seven incidents. The first call to police came at 12:08 a.m. Wednesday. Shots fired around the 4000 block of Southwest Macadam Boulevard, callers said. Police found more than 40 cartridge casings but the shooters were long gone. The next call came just 13 minutes later: Gunfire reported near the 12400 block of Southeast Powell Boulevard. An unidentified man was seriously injured with a gunshot wound and was taken to an area hospital. The victim is expected to survive. Police arent yet saying where or when the third shooting took place. All theyre saying publicly is that a victim walked into an area hospital with a gunshot wound. At 1:37 a.m., the fourth shooting occurred, this one near the 600 block of Southeast Alder Street. Police found evidence of gunfire at the location but found no suspects and no one injured. Shooting No. 5 came at 3:13 a.m. near the 11200 block of Southeast Division Street. Investigators found more 40 cartridge casings from multiple firearms. Barely 45 minutes later: Shooting No. 6, the most serious event of the night. Two people had been shot near the 3500 block of Northeast 148th Avenue. The victims names and conditions were not released by the police. Finally, at 5:32 a.m., the seventh shooting occurred near the 9600 block of North Woolsey Avenue. There was evidence of gunfire at the scene. It definitely was one of the busiest nights for our gun violence team, said Officer Carlos Ibarra. They basically just went from shooting to shooting all night. Some of the shootings were dead serious. The event at Southeast Division Street and 112th Avenue was essentially a firefight between opposing groups. We had multiple reports of people shooting at one another, some with long guns... rifles, Ibarra said. Others may have been just misguided revelers marking the new year. There is some indication that the first shooting of the night on Southwest Macadam fell into that category, Ibarra said. The seven incidents appear to be unrelated, police officials said. Police are asking any witnesses to contact them, either by phone (503-823-4196) or email (GunTaskForce@portlandoregon.gov) Jeff Manning, jmanning@oregonian.com Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A Texas judge ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $100,000 in legal fees and refused to dismiss a lawsuit that targets the Infowars host for using his show to promote falsehoods that the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax. Jones is being sued for defamation in Austin, Texas, by the parents of a 6-year-old who was among the 26 people killed in the Newtown, Connecticut, attack at an elementary school. Similar lawsuits against Jones have been filed by other Sandy Hook families in Connecticut courts. In what is now the most recent court setback for Jones, State District Judge Scott Jenkins of Texas where Jones operates Infowars ruled Dec. 20 that Jones defense team intentionally disregarded an earlier order to produce witnesses. He ordered Jones to pay legal fees to attorneys representing a Sandy Hook father who brought the lawsuit, Neil Heslin, and denied a request to dismiss the case. Wade Jefferies, an attorney for Jones, said in an email they would appeal the decision to not dismiss and challenged how much Jones was ordered to pay. In my opinion, and every lawyer with knowledge of the case I have talked to agrees, the attorneys fee awards are excessive, Jefferies said. Jenkins orders were first reported by The Daily Beast. Families of the Sandy Hook victims say they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones followers because of the hoax conspiracy promoted on his show. The shooting at the elementary school left 20 first-graders and six educators dead. The 20-year-old gunman, who also killed his mother at their Newtown home, fatally shot himself. Jones has since acknowledged that the Sandy Hook killings occurred. His attorneys have previously defended his speech in court as rhetorical hyperbole and deny it was defamation. In June, the father of 6-year-old Noah Pozner, one of the Sandy Hook victims, won a defamation lawsuit against the authors of a book that claimed the shooting never happened. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Texas Legislation For years, Google tasked Ross LaJeunesse with executing its plan to protect human rights in China, after Google announced a decade ago it would stop censoring search results there to safeguard security and free speech. LaJeunesse took the mission to heart: He later devised a human rights program to formalize Google's principles supporting free expression and privacy. He began lobbying for it internally in 2017 - around the time when the tech giant was exploring a return to China, in a stark reversal of its 2010 move that made its search engine unavailable there. Now, LaJeunesse is alleging that Google pushed him out for it in April. "I didn't change. Google changed," LaJeunesse, who was Google's global head of international relations in Washington, D.C., told The Washington Post. "Don't be evil" used to top the company's mission statement. "Now when I think about 'Don't be evil,' it's been relegated to a footnote in the company's statements." Within Google, China was seen as a booming market that represented concerns about the ways technology could be used to suppress free expression or enable surveillance. LaJeunesse modeled his human rights program on the way Google approached privacy and security issues, designing the team of employees, in functions like supply chain, policy, and ethics and compliance, to help Google integrate, coordinate and prioritize human rights risk assessment. But his mentor Kent Walker, Google's powerful chief lawyer and head of policy, bristled at the idea, according to interviews with LaJeunesse and emails and documents viewed by The Post. Walker raised the concern that a formal commitment to human rights could increase Google's liability, LaJeunesse said. "We have an unwavering commitment to supporting human rights organizations and efforts," said Google spokeswoman Jenn Kaiser, who said LaJeunesse's departure was due to a "reorganization of our policy team." Walker declined to comment. Google's shifting moral calculus around China illustrates the tech giant's transformation from an organization that portrayed itself as an exception to corporate norms into one driven by business imperatives and market opportunities. "Google is not a conventional company," its co-founders wrote in 2004. When Google announced the suspension of its search engine in China, it cast the move as being driven by ethical concerns. "We don't want to run a service that's politically censored," co-founder Sergey Brin said onstage at TED in 2010. Eight years later, Google confirmed it was working on Project Dragonfly, a secretive plan to launch a censored search app in China, which would have blacklisted terms like "student protest" and link a user's searches to their phone number, according to the Intercept. "It's a wonderful, innovative market. We wanted to learn what it would look like if we were in China, so that's what we built internally," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said about Dragonfly at a Wired magazine conference in 2018. "Given how important the market is and how many users there are - we feel obliged to think hard about this problem and take a longer-term view." "It's not enough to just say we believe in human rights," said David Kaye, United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, who interacted with LaJeunesse in human rights circles. "It's extremely important for people like Ross, who are making arguments for human rights inside the company, to have the support of the company itself - from the senior leadership on down." The 11 years that LaJeunesse spent at Google mirrors a period of change at the Silicon Valley giant. After news of Project Dragonfly leaked, more than 1,400 employees signed an internal letter criticizing Google's failure to be transparent about its plans in China, part of a recent trend of tech workers taking their employers to task for business and labor practices. Months earlier, employees petitioned executives to protest Project Maven, a deal with the Pentagon to provide computer vision for drones, which it later decided not to renew. But LaJeunesse is one of the most senior former executives to break ranks after he says he was sidelined with the offer of a much smaller role amid the reorganization of the policy team. He said he received a 98% approval rating as a manager in his most recent review and had been a member of Google's uber-selective Foundation program for top talent since 2012. LaJeunesse, who is openly gay and was a member of the Google policy team's Diversity & Inclusion Council, believes he was also targeted for his internal advocacy work on diversity. Google said the reorganization was unrelated to individual performance and that LaJeunesse's old role did not fit into the new structure, which divided policy into regional teams and particular products. Rather than accept what he saw as a demotion, especially when his days at Google seemed to be numbered, LaJeunesse left the company without signing a nondisclosure agreement, in order to speak freely about what he sees as Google's abuse of corporate power. In November, LaJeunesse launched a campaign to run for Senate as a Democrat challenging Susan Collins in Maine, where he was born and raised, a return to his political roots. "Ross was offered a new position at the exact same level and compensation, which he declined to accept," said Google's Kaiser. "We wish Ross all the best with his political ambitions." Workers at major tech companies including Google, Amazon and Microsoft have increasingly raised ethical concerns as the products they helped develop have been put to use in controversial military applications or as a surveillance tool for law enforcement and repressive regimes. Some of Google's internal critics say the company has gone to great lengths to silence them. Several activist Google workers claim they were unfairly terminated recently because Google wanted to extinguish their dissent. Brett Solomon of Access Now, an international group advocating for an open and free internet, publicly called on Google, Facebook and Twitter to prioritize human rights during an event at the U.N. headquarters in January 2019. He said it's alarming to hear tech companies invoke ethics as a way to govern artificial intelligence and other technology. "Ethics are subjective and it depends upon the company," said Solomon. Decisions made by tech companies on human rights "have real implications for marginalized populations - the Uighurs in China, the protesters in Hong Kong, the democracy advocates in Iran," he said. Over the past year, particularly after the United Nations rebuked Facebook for its role in spreading ethnic hatred of the Rohingya people in Myanmar, there has been more openness to the idea that a human rights framework can help navigate problems posed by Big Tech. Both Twitter and Facebook have hired human rights directors. Facebook told The Post the director was hired six months ago and will be announced in January. Google's Kaiser said it does not have an equivalent role and instead relies on cross-functional cooperation between teams. When Google launched its localized search engine in China in 2006, the company justified censoring results by arguing that Google's presence in search could make China more open because it indicated when information had been blocked, unlike competitors in the Chinese market Baidu and Yahoo. Google complied with the Chinese government's increasing demands for more takedowns for nearly four years, until the company at the end of 2009 discovered a sophisticated cyberattack, originating in China, to steal Google's code and access the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Google dispatched LaJeunesse to Hong Kong in January 2010, as Google's first head of policy in Asia. He negotiated directly with the Chinese government, traveling to Beijing every week for months. Tensions were running hot. During a phone call with Walker and David Drummond, now the top lawyer for Google parent company Alphabet, LaJeunesse said he stressed his concern about the safety of employees in China. Drummond heatedly replied that he did not need to be reminded to consider the fate of Chinese employees, according to LaJeunesse. That evening, Walker called LaJeunesse to give him a pep talk and assure him that he was doing the right thing, LaJeunesse said, recalling it as one of the most compassionate acts he experienced at Google. Drummond did not respond to requests for comment. LaJeunesse "was basically the guy that [Google leadership] depended on for two and a half years of the most fraught relationship the company has ever had," said William Fitzgerald, who handled communications for Google Cloud AI and worked for LaJeunesse in Hong Kong. Fitzgerald left Google in 2018 and launched the Worker Agency, a campaign advisory firm in San Francisco. Within a year, however, LaJeunesse said he was approached by the Maps team about launching in China. New plans to reenter the market, which seemed to be introduced every year, were largely driven by fears around losing control of Android, Google's open-source mobile operating system. Without agreeing to China's demands for censorship and access to user data, Google could not launch an app store or operate an official version of Android with demands that Chinese phone manufacturers give apps like Google Search space on the home screen. As Google's go-to policy guy for China, LaJeunesse interceded when proposals raised concerns, such as Project Sidewinder, an app store for Android phones in China. But for Google, the debate around China was also existential. The Chinese market represents not just Google's best chance at another billion users, but also the future of innovation, talent and artificial intelligence. In December 2017, Google launched an academic AI Center in Beijing, which alarmed LaJeunesse because he knew from experience that in China there was no distinction between the government, industry and academia. LaJeunesse said he had heard about Project Dragonfly before Google had even given it a code name. But in 2017, he says, he was alarmed to notice Google moving forward with its plans, even after he warned that the Chinese government would expect access to user data. Around the same time, Google's cloud-computing division was barreling ahead with Project Maven, its plans to provide computer vision technology to the Pentagon for use in drones, and pursuing potential deals to provide cloud computing to the Saudi government, LaJeunesse said. LaJeunesse says he became convinced that Google needed to adopt a formal human rights program because he could no longer be certain that he or his deputies would be in the room or that their advice would be heeded, he told The Post. LaJeunesse said he saw Google expanding so quickly and with such zeal into dangerous new ventures and countries with weak rule of law, just as its co-founders seemed more removed and new decision-makers were at the helm. Google says it conducts human rights impact assessments across its products and services. At first, his vision for a human rights program was grand. While LaJeunesse was still in Asia, he had seen Google overhaul privacy policies after a scandal around Google Street View collecting WiFi data, including training employees in privacy principles and elevating a director of privacy. In his initial pitch to Walker in June 2017, LaJeunesse mentioned that companies like Yahoo put a program in place only after a human rights disaster. Here, Google had a chance to lead and even tout all the human rights work it was already doing, such as Google's role as a founding member of Global Network Initiative, a consortium of companies, nonprofits and academics that does human rights spot-checks and publishes an annual report. "I was very conscious that we could use that narrative internally to guide conversations and get into conversations we needed to get into, like decision-making about Dragonfly," said LaJeunesse. "We could say, 'Hey, we committed to doing this. We better do it. If we don't do it, we're really going to be raked over the coals.' " But after seeing Walker's face when he first floated the idea, LaJeunesse said he decided to dial it back to a "narrative" around human rights. LaJeunesse kept the vital part of his grand plan: asking Google to publicize its commitment to established legal standards. Over the next two years, LaJeunesse says, Walker continually raised new reservations or questions, without ever vetoing the project. In response to LaJeunesse's first official memo, Walker said it would be better to have product teams deal with human rights. "Addressing each of these issues on its merits is likely to feel more grounded and authentic and fit better with Sundar's product focus," Walker wrote in an email to several executives in June 2017, referring to Google's CEO. "It's like quicksand. You get bogged down in this lack of confrontation, lack of clarity," said LaJeunesse. As Google faced PR crises over Maven and Dragonfly, LaJeunesse tried reframing the proposal in ways he thought would be palatable to Google's higher-ups. He sent his deputies to meetings about the formation of an AI ethics council instead of going himself, hoping Google might be more open if the advice was not coming from him. Google said its decision-making is guided by a set of AI principles, launched in June 2018, which say that Google will not design or deploy AI in technologies whose purpose contravenes "widely accepted principles of international law and human rights." "I was always very constructive. I'm not a flamethrower. I really believe that you get things done by working with people," LaJeunesse said. "But it was one series of excuses after the other," down to even which of Google's corporate blogs its statement should appear on. In February, LaJeunesse was informed his role would be eliminated as part of a reorganization of Google's D.C. office, which included shifting the focus of two of his team members working on human rights. Google offered him the position of foreign policy institutions leader, which sounded to LaJeunesse like a glorified lobbyist position. Before the D.C. office overhaul, LaJeunesse had a 23-person team that worked on issues from election safety in Latin America to fighting Russia and China over the future of the internet to developing relationships with many of the civil society organizations railing against Google. Three months after LaJeunesse's departure, at a Senate hearing on Google and censorship through search engines, the company testified that Dragonfly had been "terminated." But Google did not rule out plans to relaunch search in China. "Just when we needed a human rights lens for all of our activities," LaJeunesse said, "we went in the opposite direction." Zachary Sutterfield once was confined to a bed in the intensive care unit, unable to remember anything, after suffering severe injuries in a catastrophic apartment fire that killed five people. His future was, at best, uncertain. But life is vastly different and infinitely more hopeful today for Sutterfield, the most critically injured survivor of the deadly 2018 fire at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos. Hes able to travel, go out with friends, go shopping, eat at restaurants, clean the house by himself and speak publicly to large audiences about his ordeal. The past month has been marked by many firsts. Sutterfield, 21, just celebrated his first Christmas at home with his family in San Angelo a world away from the sterile hospital room where he spent his last Christmas. He recently walked on a beach with his parents. He embarked on his first public speaking engagement since the fire before an audience of Pasadena high schoolers. He returned to San Marcos for the first time to see two friends graduate from Texas State University. More Information Public and private sources are offering a reward of up to $110,000 for information leading to the identification or arrest of the person who set the deadly fire at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477). The David A. Ortiz Foundation, which provides smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and several scholarships to graduating high school seniors, can be found on Facebook and Instagram. Donations of any amount can be made to the foundation through its Facebook page or Venmo. See More Collapse And hes planning for the future. Sutterfield is about to resume his college studies at Angelo State University. He returns to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston this week to continue his medical treatment and rehabilitation therapy at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research and the Center for the Intrepid. I feel about back to where I was, 90 percent or so, Sutterfield said. I take the victories as they come. Hes a walking symbol of hope and the public face of a crime that remains unsolved. Two hours before sunrise on July 20, 2018, an arsonist set a fire at the Iconic Village complex, just blocks from the Texas State campus. A suspect hasnt been identified. The motive remains unknown. The flames were so intense that they wrapped around all four sides of Building 500 within minutes as most occupants were asleep. Two of those killed were Sutterfields friends David Angel Ortiz, 21, of Pasadena and Haley Michele Frizzell, 19, of San Angelo. The others were Dru Estes, 20, of San Antonio; Belinda Moats, 21, of Big Wells; and James Phillip Miranda, 23, of Mount Pleasant. All had been living in second-floor apartments in that building. On ExpressNews.com: I didnt recognize myself A fire at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos killed five people, including his friends. Zachary Sutterfield wonders why he was the lucky one. Sutterfield escaped, badly burned and broken. Hed been asleep on a couch inside Ortizs and Frizzells apartment when he awoke to uncomfortable heat and saw orange and blue colors dancing outside the living room window. The three of them ran outside. Sutterfield caught fire and leaped from the second-story balcony. Witnesses tried to smother the flames consuming him. He suffered life-changing injuries third-degree burns to almost 70 percent of his body and a traumatic brain injury. He was airlifted to San Antonio, where he remained for months and endured 29 surgeries. Sutterfield estimates he still faces another three to five years of recovery in San Antonio. But today he sounds far stronger and more energetic than he did a year ago. His memory is much better. His razor-sharp sense of humor is intact. And hes full of excitement about the future. I think Ill be able to take care of myself soon enough, he said confidently. Ill be on my own soon and kicking butt. Hes become fiercely independent, said his father, Karl Sutterfield, 51, who is retired from the Army. He doesnt want us waiting on him. He wants to do everything pretty much on his own. And hes doing remarkable things every day. A pivotal moment came in October, when neurosurgeons replaced part of Zachs skull, which was removed immediately after the fire to relieve pressure on his swelling brain. Doctors replaced that missing bone with a thick plastic called PEEK. The material was designed to be an exact fit, almost like a puzzle piece. His memory has vastly improved since that procedure, said his mother, Deona Jo DJ Sutterfield. Soon after the surgery, Zach was allowed to go home to San Angelo with his parents and his service dog, Sketch, for the first time. They were able to celebrate Christmas in familiar surroundings. Man, it was just the polar opposite of last year, he said. It was so nice to be home I loved it. The family members didnt exchange Christmas gifts, but just enjoyed each others company. They also took a few trips. They visited relatives in the Houston area, walked on the beach together in Galveston and stopped in Pasadena, where Sutterfield spoke Dec. 19 to a large crowd of students on behalf of the David A. Ortiz Foundation. The nonprofit, established in honor of Sutterfields friend who died in the fire, provides smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and several scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Sutterfield said he spoke to the teens about fire safety, recovery and dealing with struggles. Many approached him afterward to meet him and his canine companion. It was a very empowering thing, he said. I always wanted to be a teacher, so it just felt very natural. On ExpressNews.com: An emotional roller coaster Parents describe brutal aftermath of San Marcos fire that gravely injured son, killed his friends Leaps and bounds better Ortizs parents are grateful that Sutterfield is speaking up about what happened and educating students on staying safe when they move away from home. Zach did a much better job than any of us could have done delivering this message, said Gina Ortiz, a Spanish teacher at Pasadena Memorial High School. I think it was good for him to do it, too. My husband and I are so happy for Zach and his family that he is doing so much better and that he is starting to take back his life. Sutterfield, who was active in speech and debate throughout high school, said he would love to tell his story across the country someday, much like Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons two men who speak publicly about surviving devastating injuries in a deadly dormitory fire at Seton Hall University 20 years ago. I would love to make a career out of it, Sutterfield said. If I could do that and teach as well, it would be the best. Last week, he and his parents flew to Florida to attend the Orange Bowl an opportunity offered through the Fisher House Foundation, which provided free housing to Sutterfield and his family at JBSA during his recovery. Capital One paid for their game tickets, air fare, hotel and meals. Sutterfield also recently returned to San Marcos for the first time to see his friends graduate from Texas State the school where he was trying to transfer at the time of the fire. That visit stirred up difficult emotions. It was hard, he admitted. It made me uncomfortable. I felt like I stood out more there. As soon as we said hello to them and congratulated them on their graduation, we hit the road pretty quickly because its hard for me to be in that town. I thought a lot about, If I had not been injured, would I have eaten at that place? or How often would I have walked that road? (There was) a lot of reminiscing and wishing things were different. Sutterfield is preparing to resume his college studies at Angelo State University, where he previously attended classes for two years. The school has made special accommodations so he can watch his classes live through a computer monitor and ask questions of the instructors, though he will be off-site. Hes enrolled in two literature classes for the spring semester. Sutterfield still plans to get a bachelors degree in English and to secure his teaching certification. He also plans to pursue a masters degree in education. He ultimately wants to teach English or speech to eighth- or ninth-grade students. And he someday might run for political office. I am leaps and bounds better than where I was even three months ago, he said. Thats all (because of) people just wishing the best for me, praying, keeping us in their hearts. On ExpressNews.com: Grieving relatives of San Marcos fire victims beg for answers on first anniversary of crime Awaiting artificial hands But Sutterfield doesnt kid himself. He knows a long road is ahead. There still are many more surgeries to come and challenges to face. At some point, he will undergo a series of surgeries to equip him with a pair of artificial hands. He lost most of his fingers and both thumbs in the fire. A doctor from Sweden who perfected osseointegration of the hands will come to San Antonio to perform those procedures. Rods or prosthetic fingers will be connected to Sutterfields metacarpals. Those extensions will be equipped with electrical sensors so they work like regular fingers. These will be the first such surgeries in the United States, Sutterfields family said. Sutterfield also plans to undergo another surgery to give his head and neck more mobility. Hell receive some fat deposits to allow his skin to look more uniform and well rounded. And hell choose a plastic or prosthetic ear to replace his damaged right ear. Because he expects to be in San Antonio for some time, Sutterfield and his mom have moved into military housing at Fort Sam. This is where hell work to become fully self-sufficient bathing, cleaning house, cooking, doing his own laundry with the goal to live by himself one day. He is eventually going to move out, his mother said. Hes got to have his own freedom. Karl and I both know that. We just want to encourage it as much as possible. Sutterfield proudly described how he cleaned house by himself one day recently to surprise his parents. I dusted the furniture, I vacuumed, I did the dishes and unloaded the dishwasher and cleaned the kitchen, he said. It was very nice. I loved it. He dreams of a future when hes free of any constraints tying him to a particular location. He wants a tiny house or perhaps a camper that hooks up to a truck so he can drive off whenever he feels like it. I dont need a lot of things, Sutterfield said. I would love just a nice kitchen in a tiny home and like a cot. But I have to have a nice kitchen - thats my one stipulation. Peggy OHare reports on the census, demographics and occasionally crime and general assignments in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: @Peggy_OHare Lakhimpur : , Jan 2 (IANS) In a third attack in the past one week, a 55-year-old farmer was injured by a tiger in Kaanp Tanda village near the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve on Wednesday. The farmer received injuries on his hands and right leg and was admitted to a community health centre in Bheera. His condition is said to be stable. The victim, Paragu Bihari, a resident of Kaamp Tanda village, was walking towards his field when a tiger suddenly appeared in front of him from a cane field and pounced on him. Paragu immediately screamed for help and a few villagers working nearby rushed to rescue him. This is the third such incident of tiger attack in the past one week in the area. One person was killed and three others were injured in a single day in a tiger attack. According to forest department sources, the population of tiger in the area is around 100 and the decreasing forest cover has led to an increase in man-animal conflict. "Lack of food in the forest area brings the big cat towards human habitation. Our past records also show that tiger attacks increase in the winter season. Tigers are known to take shelter inside sugarcane fields for months and hunt wild boars and blue-bulls (nilgai) with much ease. We have already alerted all the outlining villages to refrain from entering the forest area and move in groups, especially near sugarcane fields," said divisional forest officer Anil Patel. The forest department has also offered to relocate the villagers in Kaamp Tanda village to outside the forest area with a decent compensation but they are yet to agree to the proposal. KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Polk County (Iowa) Chief Deputy Assessor Amy Rasmussen, RES, AAS, assumed the office of President of the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) on January 1, 2020. As President, Ms. Rasmussen is Chair of the Board of Directors and presides at all meetings of the Board and membership. She previously served as IAAO President-Elect in 2019, Vice-President in 2018, and was on the IAAO Board from 2014-2016. Amy Rasmussen New IAAO President In addition, her IAAO service includes serving as Chair of the Professional Development Committee; as a Subject Matter Expert for the USPAP Committee; Chair of the Finance Committee; member of the Planning and Rules Committee; and as a Senior Specialty Instructor and a Professional Advisor. She has also served as a board member of the Iowa Real Estate Appraiser Examining Board and was on the Board of Directors of the Institute of Iowa Certified Assessors. She has achieved the IAAO Assessment Administration Specialist and Residential Evaluation Specialist designations, she is an Iowa Certified Assessor, and a Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser. She received a Master of Public Administration in public policy from Drake University and a Bachelor of Science, psychology from Iowa State University. In recent elections to join Ms. Rasmussen on the IAAO Executive Committee for one-year terms were Greg McHenry, AAS, Appraiser for the Riley County Appraiser's Office in Manhattan, Kansas, as IAAO President-Elect for 2020, and L. Wade Patterson, former County Assessor in Garfield County, Oklahoma, as IAAO Vice-President for 2020. New Board members recently elected for three-year terms beginning January 1 were Dinah Kilgore, Executive Director/Chief Appraiser of the El Paso, Texas, Central Appraisal District; William Healey, RES, Chief Assessor with the City of Lewiston, Maine; and G. Cecil Jackson Jr., AAS, RES, Tax Director for Gaston County, North Carolina. David Brian Sanford, CAE, Deputy Real Estate Assessor in Chesapeake, Virginia, and was appointed to fill the remaining two years of a recently vacated three-year term. Additional details on the Board members are available at www.iaao.org/Board2020. Background IAAO is the leading nonprofit, educational and research association for individuals in the assessment profession and others with an interest in property valuation and taxation. IAAO's mission is to promote innovation and excellence in property appraisal, assessment administration and property tax policy through professional development, education, research, and technical assistance. IAAO currently serves approximately 8,000 members worldwide. Media contact: Mike Ardis [email protected] 816-701-8141 SOURCE IAAO Related Links https://www.iaao.org Anne Innis Dagg was the first female biologist to study giraffes; while all the men who preceded her had observed firsthand that male giraffes are super queer (their primary form of play is a game dubbed "penis fencing," which is exactly what it sounds like), only Dagg was willing to write it down and publish it. Dagg's work on giraffes several of the seminal books on the animals was initially mocked or ignored, partly because of her pioneering approach of living among the animals (as opposed to observing them at a distance) offended the establishment; partly because of her gender. Though Dagg earned a PhD and taught for decades, she was denied tenure. She continued to produce challenging, brave, brilliant work at the intersection of biology and gender politics, ranging over both scholarly and popular works. In particular, she specialized in pointing out the lack of rigor in her male colleagues' work when discussing sex and gender among animals, and how that spilled over into the way the field was organized, and gender bias within research institutions and in research publishing. Her 2004 book, Love of Shopping is Not a Gene, is an absolute must-read book on the subject, addressing the total absence of rigor and falsifiability in hypotheses from male biologists to explain human gender and power roles with reference to animal behavior and/or the imaginary lives of early hominids howlers like "Rape is genetic" or "Black people are genetically destined to have lower IQ scores than white people." These comforting fairy tales (I always think of them as being reducible to, "But honey, it's not my fault I'm fucking my undergrads, it's because of the chimps!") are especially in vogue today, as white nationalists, plutocrats (and their bootlickers), and other advocates for gross inequality and population-scale subjugation seek to justify their ideology by claiming that it is biologically determined, and any attempt to change it is literally unnatural. Exhibit A for this is Jordan Peterson, whose obsession with a single species of lobsters is the founding myth of a transphobic, misogynist cult. Dagg anticipated this debate decades in advance and repeatedly demolished its arguments for anyone who would listen, wielding science to slice through the self-serving bullshit of mediocre thinkers who want so desperately for their privilege to be the result of a biological process and not their own sociopathy. Despite organized campaigns to marginalize Dagg and her work, she never gave up and was hugely influential on all kinds of scholars and thinkers. She was my own undergrad advisor at the University of Waterloo's Independent Studies program, and was an excellent mentor to me there. More broadly, she inspired generations of largely female giraffe biologists (I just met a giraffe keeper at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom who was a fan!), serving as a mentor and inspiration. Dagg just received the Order of Canada, the second-highest honor awarded to Canadians (after the Order of Merit). The honor comes on the heels of The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, a documentary on Dagg's life and work. This is wonderful news, seriously. Dagg is such a clear, uncompromising advocate for a rigorous approach to biology both as a means of understanding other animals and as a means for understand humans and is such a strong tonic against those who would abuse this tool for making sense of human behavior and social organization and she has accepted her marginalization as the price for her commitment to the truth. Anne Dagg, Queen of Giraffes, appointed to Order of Canada among recipients with global influence [Stephanie Levitz/The National Post] Dear Editor, Just a few random thoughts: Americans are growing tired of our ancestors being compared to the illegal immigrants who are flooding our country today. Settling in an undeveloped land and building a civilization is not comparable to sneaking into a post-industrial nation illegally and signing up for welfarethe second they get here. A little reality check for quid pro quo Joe Biden: Trump didnt hold the Ukranians hostage to a billion-dollar aid package, you did. Trump didnt demand that the prosecutor that was investigating his son be fired, you did. And finally, Trump darn sure didnt run his big mouth like a barroom drunk bragging about it. All clear? Now let me see if Ive got this straight: They exonerate Hillary because James Comey thinks she didnt intend to do what she actually did. In the meantime, they couldnt find that Trump did anything wrong, but they think he intended to do what he didnt do, so we have to impeach hom for it. What am I missing? Dale Riley East Alton Infant deaths at JK Lon Hospital in Kota rise to 100: The BSP supremo said it would have been better if like Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would have met the mothers of the infants who have died at J K Lon Hospital in Kota, due to the apathy of the Ashok Gehlot government. Infant deaths at JK Lon Hospital in Kota rise to 100: The shocking death of more than 100 infants at the J K Lon Hospital in Rajasthans Kota has failed to wake up the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government which is in deep slumber and failed to provide the basic healthcare facility to the people. It is also a matter of pity that most of the child care activists and NGOs are maintaining a stoic silence on the infant death case while the media is busy covering the political issues related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Population Register (NPR). Even the top Congress leaders havent said anything on the issue so far. Reports said 8 newborns have lost their lives at JK Lon Hospital in Kota in the last two days. Speaking on the tragedy, Dr. Amrit Lal, HOD, Pediatrics Department, said the newborns died due to various reasons in the last two days and there were 100 deaths in the month of December. If we go by the reports, the largest government-run hospital was functioning at 150% of its capacity and some patients were sleeping on the floor due to lack of beds. Apart from that, the hospital doesnt have a proper oxygen supply facility which is said to be the main reason behind infant deaths. On Thursday, BSP supremo Mayawati slammed Congress General Secretary (UP-East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for not paying heed to the Kota hospital tragedy. Taking to Twitter, the BSP supremo said it is sad that Priyanka is keeping mum on the deaths of 100 children in Congress-ruled Rajasthan. It would have been better if like Uttar Pradesh, she would have met the mothers of the infants who have died at J K Lon Hospital, due to the apathy of the Gehlot government, Mayawati added. The Kota infant death case has exposed the Rajasthan governments apathy towards the already neglected health sector in the state, let alone CM Ashok Gehlots tall claims on child rights protection and human trafficking issue. Gehlot, who was the first person to came out in solidarity with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over the anti-CAA protest, didnt even say a word on the infant death case on December 28, 2019. Apart from ordering all hospitals attached to medical colleges to check the functional status of all medical types of equipment at J K Lon Hospital and send a report, the Rajasthan government has done nothing while the infant deaths are growing now. Pleading not guilty in the entire case, CM Ashok Gehlot and health minister Raghu Sharma had said that most of the infants were referred to the hospital in critical condition from nearby districts and from neighbouring Madhya Paradesh. Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma, who had reportedly blamed the visiting BJP leaders for spreading infection at the infant care unit in J K Lon Hospital, said the state government is saddened by this. Softening his stand on the incident, Sharma said it is the responsibility of the Rajasthan government to give clinical support to its people and the state govt saved all the children who were in a condition to be saved but failed to save those who were brought with critical ailments. Talking to reporters in Jaipur, Sharma said the Congress government in Rajasthan has brought down the child mortality rate while the BJP is politicising the issue at the behest of the PMO. The minister also said the BJP was in power in the state in 2015, 2016, and 2017 but it didnt release the funds sought by the hospital authority. On December 31, 2019, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) working president JP Nadda had sent a 3-member committee of its MPs to JK Lon Hospital to take stock of the situation. Rajya Sabha MP Kanta Kardam, West Bengal MP Locket Chatterjee, and Dausa MP Jaskaur Meena were in the committee. The members blamed the Gehlot government over the lack of basic infrastructure at the hospital. Today, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said he has written a letter to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot requesting him to look into the matter. Extending all possible support from the BJP and Centre, Harsh Vardhan said the number of deaths is higher this time compared to the last few years. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App 'Is the appointment of a CDS likely to achieve the creation of battle-ready, tri-service military commands, from the current 17 single-service commands?', asks Ajai Shukla. IMAGE: India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat arrives to inspect the guard of honour at South Block in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal KIshore/PTI Photo On New Year Day 2020, the army has its 28th chief, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, and the military its first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat. Congratulating General Rawat, who he described as 'an outstanding officer who has served India with great zeal', Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi tweeted: 'This institution carries tremendous responsibility of modernising our military forces'. Modi also acknowledged that the ministry of defence, as it earlier existed, was short of military domain expertise. He tweeted: 'Creation of the Department of Military Affairs with requisite military expertise and institutionalisation of the post of CDS will help our country face the ever-changing challenges of modern warfare'. Several questions remain, however, over General Rawat's role and functions. Is the CDS the commander of all three services -- army, navy and air force? Yes, at a purely ceremonial level. In rank and salary, General Rawat will remain the equal of the army, navy and air force chiefs, with the government having notified the CDS in 'the rank of a four star general with salary and perquisites equivalent to a service chief'. However, he will also be the ex officio 'Permanent Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee' -- a body that includes all three service chiefs. As its permanent chairman, General Rawat will be the first amongst these equals, like an elder in a gentlemen's club. However, the government has specifically stated: 'CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three service chiefs'. General Rawat's second and more consequential role, from where he will draw substantive power over the services, will be as head of a new 'Department of Military Affairs' in the MoD. In this capacity, he will oversee substantive matters relating to the three services, including promotions, postings and foreign assignments. This will translate into enormous clout. Who will be senior, the CDS or the defence secretary? In rank, precedence and salary, General Rawat -- like the three service chiefs -- will be senior to the defence secretary, since service chiefs are the seniority equivalent of the Cabinet secretary. Traditionally, the defence secretary, who heads the department of defence, enjoys greater importance than the MoD's other four secretaries -- who head the department of defence procurement, defence research and development, ex-servicemen's welfare and defence finance. In the Allocation of Business Rules, the defence secretary is responsible for the 'defence of India'. Though the defence secretary has shed many of his responsibilities to the DMA, he retains responsibility for the defence of India and for making 'defence policy'. He also remains responsible for all capital procurements from the defence budget. It is likely that, while the CDS will be nominally senior to the defence secretary, the latter will remain more influential. Is the appointment of a CDS a masterstroke that will achieve defence modernisation? As CDS, General Rawat can improve tri-service coordination and economise by eliminating duplication of military resources and facilities. He can also improve the military's operational readiness by prioritising procurement of more urgently needed equipment. However, while obtaining more bang for the buck, he can do little about the primary obstacle to modernisation -- which is a defence budget that is under 16% of the central government's expenditure. This is inadequate for equipping the military with sufficiently modern weaponry. Nor is the defence allocation likely to rise in absolute terms, given the current 4.5% economic growth rate. Is the appointment of a CDS likely to achieve the creation of battle-ready, tri-service military commands, from the current 17 single-service commands? The government has formally given the CDS the task of 'restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands'. This would greatly improve the operational posture of the three services and create a culture of integrated tri-service operations. However, there is deep institutional resistance to creating theatre commands, especially from the air force. Asked on Wednesday whether he would be able to change entrenched mindsets, General Rawat was cautious. 'That is something we will have to study. We will work with the three services and I'm sure we will come out with a mechanism that will suit the Indian system. We don't have to copy systems (of tri-service integration) from other countries, we will do what suits us best,' General Rawat said. In 2001-2002, a group of ministers recommended that a CDS be appointed to serve as a single point military advisor to the government. Has that been achieved? Not really. The CDS notification states he 'will act as the principal military adviser to Raksha Mantri on all tri-services matters. The three chiefs will continue to advise RM on matters exclusively concerning their respective services'. This compromise serves a dual purpose. It reduces resistance within the three services to creating a CDS, by preserving the three chiefs's access to the RM. At the same time, it reduces the government's reliance on a single-point advisor. The army, navy and air force chiefs would be able to provide the RM with greater domain knowledge about their respective services, allowing the CDS to focus on tri-service coordination. This article by David Roza and James Clark originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues. Movie critics everywhere are wetting their pants over 1917, a taut portrayal of World War I combat that Task & Purpose praised as the best war movie in years. For many Americans, the film will be their first on-screen exposure to the horrors of World War I, which is largely overshadowed in the American zeitgeist by the triumph of World War II. But that doesn't mean it has to be the last time state-side movie-goers step foot into the trenches. To begin to understand the experience of World War I, as well as the similarities between soldiers that extend across all wars and eras, the Task & Purpose staff put together a list of the most visceral, engaging and informative depictions of The Great War that we know of. Here are 7 World War I movies you should check out. 1. Gallipoli (2015) This seven-part Australian TV drama follows a small squad of soldiers with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) throughout the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I. In terms of style, it's a beautifully shot and historically accurate period piece, but the narrative structure is what really makes it worth watching. Because the show focuses on a tight-knit infantry unit, it feels very similar to HBO's acclaimed series, Band of Brothers. As the war wages on, you come to care deeply about the main characters, and like their brothers-in-arms on screen, you too mourn their loss when they're gone. Gallipoli can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. 2. They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) This critically acclaimed documentary by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is a must-see. As Task & Purpose previously reported, the project was four years in the making, and paints a vivid picture of the Great War by putting a premium on emotional authenticity as it follows British soldiers assigned to the Western Front between 1914 and 1918. They Shall Not Grow Old can be streamed on HBO. 3. Paths of Glory (1957) Before Full Metal Jacket and Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick directed Paths of Glory, which stars Kirk Douglas as a French colonel on the Western Front who tries to defend three of his soldiers in court after they are arrested on false charges of cowardice by a general attempting to save face. The film portrays the claustrophobia of trench warfare and the opulence of megalomanical generals in vivid, terrifying contrast. Paths of Glory is available on most video streaming platforms. 4. The First World War (2005) What the hell was World War I even about? Why did it start and how do all the events depicted in these movies link together? While this 10-part British documentary isn't exactly fast-paced, it does do an excellent job explaining the origins of the war and the experience of fighting it. The soundtrack is spot-on and the film pairs archival footage with circa-2005 clips of the same cities and fields where the events of WWI took place, which has a really convincing effect of making the century-old conflict come alive. The First World War is available for free on YouTube. 5. The Lost Battalion (2001) While The Lost Battalion is a made-for-TV World War I flick, that's no reason not to give it a look. The A&E drama is based on the exploits of the nine companies with the U.S. Army's 77th Infantry Division, who endured a nearly week-long siege against a numerically superior German force. Cut off and surrounded in the Argonne Forest, some 500 American soldiers faced food, ration, medical, and ammunition shortages; suffered through ceaseless artillery barrages (from friend and foe alike). Yet they held their ground, and paved the way for Allied forces to break the German lines. By the end of the battle just 200 men with the so-called "Lost Battalion" returned to the Allied lines, the rest were missing, dead, or captured. The Lost Battalion can be streamed on YouTube. 6. All Quiet on the Western Front (1979) A lot of Americans students first encounter 'All Quiet On The Western Front' in the classroom, but the on-screen version captures the desolation of trench warfare almost as much as Erich Maria Remarque's original novel infamously did. All Quiet on the Western Front can be streamed on YouTube. 7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) Besides being an insanely long epic with questionable historical accuracy, Lawrence of Arabia is also a captivating look at what WWI was like outside of the mud-filled trenches of the Western Front. Cavalry charges, railway sabotage and sweeping desert panoramas fill up this tome of a film, which acclaimed director Steven Spielbierg once called a "miracle." Lawrence of Arabia is available on most streaming platforms. More articles from Task & Purpose: Heres a behind-the-scenes look at how '1917' shows World War I combat like never before By the hammer of Thor! A Nevada National Guard soldier can now rock a Norse beard Watch the actors of 'Top Gun: Maverick' nearly puke in their helmets as they pull 7 to 8 Gs NEW YORK, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ready Capital Corporation (NYSE: RC) ("Ready Capital" or the "Company") today announced that in December 2019 the Company closed on the acquisition of a portfolio of approximately 45 million of small balance commercial loans in Ireland. As part of the transaction, the Company entered into an agreement with the counterparty to acquire future originations of similar commercial real estate loans in Ireland. The acquisition represents Ready Capital's first investment outside of the U.S. Thomas Capasse, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented, "We are excited to expand our investment footprint into Europe. Our ability to pursue non-U.S. opportunities is a testament to the relationship channels that we have developed globally. We believe this acquisition and forward flow program will provide accretive benefits to the Company in 2020." About Ready Capital Corporation Ready Capital Corporation (NYSE: RC) is a multi-strategy real estate finance company that originates, acquires, finances and services small- to medium-sized balance commercial loans. Ready Capital specializes in loans backed by commercial real estate, including agency multifamily, investor and bridge as well as U.S. Small Business Administration loans under its Section 7(a) program. Headquartered in New York, New York, Ready Capital employs over 400 lending professionals nationwide. The company is externally managed and advised by Waterfall Asset Management, LLC. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "could," "would," "may," "potential"" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, without limitation, the risk factors and other matters set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 2018 filed with the SEC and in its other filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Contact Investor Relations Ready Capital Corporation 212-257-4666 [email protected] SOURCE Ready Capital Corporation Related Links https://readycapital.com WASHINGTON Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday canceled a weeklong trip to Ukraine and four other nations to stay in Washington and monitor tensions in Iraq after protesters broke into the United States Embassy compound in Baghdad and wrecked parts of it, the State Department said. The departments spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus, said in a statement that Mr. Pompeo aimed to ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East by staying in Washington and would travel in the near future to the countries he had been scheduled to visit. The Iraqi protesters, who were mostly members of Iranian-backed militias, broke into the embassy compound on Tuesday and set some outbuildings on fire. The attackers trapped diplomats and other embassy employees inside larger buildings, but the ambassador, Matthew Tueller, was outside the country on leave. The protests on Wednesday were calmer, and no demonstrators breached the gates. Protesters dispersed in the afternoon, and there were no reports of injuries. Former State Department officials and associates of Mr. Pompeo say he has been keen to ensure that American diplomats are not harmed under his watch, especially because as a congressman, he was among the most scathing critics of Secretary of State Hillary Clintons handling of a militant groups attack on an American compound in Benghazi, Libya. The 2012 assault resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. Indrani Mukerjea, prime accused of Sheena Bora murder case files bail plea in special CBI court India oi-Mousumi Dash Mumbai, Jan 03: Indrani Mukerjea filed a bail application in a special CBI court in Mumbai on Thursday. She is imprisoned for alleged role in her daughter Sheena Bora's murder. Reportedly, in the bail application, Indrani gave the grounds of merits in the case. In her all earlier bail applications she filed on medical grounds. In December 2019, the CBI court had rejected a petition filed by Indrani when she sought to bail citing her deteriorating health. It was her fourth bail plea which has been rejected by the court. Sheena (24), the daughter of prime accused Indrani from her an earlier marriage, was allegedly killed in April 2012. The crime came to light in August 2015 after Indrani's driver Shyamvar Rai, who was arrested in another case, spilled the beans. In 2015, the alleged murder mystery came into light. Indrani name was revealed to police after her driver, Shyamvar Rai, who was arrested in another case in August the same year, revealed the murder plot. Police arrested Indrani, Khanna and the driver for the alleged murder of Sheena Bora. And Peter was arrested later for being involved in the murder case. However, Peter and Indrani are now divorced. Sheena Bora murder case: CBI Court rejects Indrani Mukerjea's bail plea The CBI, who took over the murder case, had alleged that financial dispute was the reason behind the murder of Sheena Bora. A white police officer who was fired after he killed a black driver when he shot through the windshield of a car 15 times will now get his job back. An Arkansas judge ordered the city of Little Rock on Thursday to reinstate officer Charles Starks after he was terminated over the fatal shooting of Bradley Blackshire. Dash cam footage captured the moment Starks fired at least 15 times through the windshield of a car the 30-year-old was driving back in February. An Arkansas judge ordered the city of Little Rock on Thursday to reinstate officer Charles Starks after he was terminated over the fatal shooting of Bradley Blackshire Starks and another officer were attempting a traffic stop at the time after receiving reports the car was stolen. The officer was filmed firing into the car after Blackshire refused to get out and started driving forward. Starks was never charged in connection with the death of the father-of-five after prosecutors declined to pursue a case. Police commanders fired Starks in May saying he violated department policy. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox on Thursday upheld the Little Rock Civil Service Commission's ruling that Starks violated policy requiring officers to move out of an oncoming vehicle's path if possible rather than fire. But the judge said a 30-day suspension and reduction in salary to an entry level officer were more appropriate sanctions that being fired. 'The court is not minimizing the loss of human life and other material consequences from the subject incident,' Fox wrote in his judgement. Dash cam footage captured the moment Starks fired at least 15 times through the windshield of a car the 30-year-old was driving back in February Starks was never charged in connection with the death of the father-of-five after prosecutors declined to pursue a case, saying the car was moving and an 'imminent threat' that justified the use of deadly force 'There are, however, any number of possible scenarios where the consequential results could have been even more substantial, to both civilians as well as law enforcement personnel.' A spokeswoman for Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott said the city will appeal Fox's ruling. When he declined to press charges against Starks back in April, Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley said the car was moving and an 'imminent threat' that justified the use of deadly force. Blackshire's family filed a federal lawsuit in June claiming Starks and the second officer used excessive force and failed to provide medical care. Blackshire's family in a statement said they were 'alarmed and dismayed' by Fox's decision. 'We hope the city will appeal the judge's erroneous ruling. In the meantime, we will continue to pursue justice for Bradley Blackshire in federal court,' the family said. In his ruling, Fox noted that several police officials recommended Starks be exonerated before the city's police chief ordered the officer's firing. Love Island star Vanessa Sierra spent New Year's partying at Icebergs in Bondi. And on Thursday, the 24-year-old decided to speed-up her recovery from her big night as she indulged in an IV treatment. Taking to Instagram, the reality star showed herself hooked-up to a drip which delivered a number of restorative vitamins to her bloodstream. That's one way to get over a hangover! Love Island star Vanessa Sierra, 24, (pictured) got IV therapy after her New Year's party which she shared to Instagram on Thursday The busty brunette was seen sat on a couch during treatment, with her appearing calm and relaxed while making sure she was at her best. The IV drip procedure takes about 45 minutes, with a number of vitamins and minerals replenishing and detoxifying the body. 'Best NYD recovery,' Vanessa captioned the clip. Appearing on the second season of Love Island, Vanessa has gained a legion of followers with her racy bikini snaps. 'Best NYD recovery': Vanessa showed herself getting an IV drip, with her sat comfortably on a chair during the 45-minute procedure Appearing on YouTube earlier this month, Vanessa shared a cheeky question and answer game with a female friend. Vanessa filmed a YouTube clip and revealed how many people she's slept with, while admitting she thinks Australian tradies are 'hot'. The tattooed brunette revealed she has slept with eight people in the cheeky clip, before her friend joked: 'I'm pretty sure you've had more than eight!' Vanessa then explained that she's had four boyfriends since last August. Spilling the beans! Vanessa then explained that she's had four boyfriends since last August At one point, the girls walked past a work site packed with British tradesmen. 'The tradies are just not the same as in Australia. In Australia, they're so hot. Here, they're old,' she said. Vanessa revealed on YouTube in November, that she left Australia for London on a one-way ticket. 'I have just booked a trip to London leaving tomorrow. One way ticket,' she began in her video, titled 'the reason why I left Sydney'. London bound! Vanessa only recently jetted to the UK, before making her way back to Sydney for the New Year 'All of last year I was living in the UK. I was supposed to move to the UK this year, but the reason I didn't was because I got accepted for Love Island,' she told fans. She revealed that the reason for her impromptu trip abroad was to surprise her best friend in France. Vanessa's friend Luke Erwin drove her to the airport as they spoke about her impending solo trip. Luke joked that she should join the mile high club, but Vanessa said back with a straight face: 'I already joined it a few times.' 'Oh really?' he said in shock, to which she seemingly joked back: 'Yeah, I'm like the President's club now, like you've done it so many times you gain points and stuff.' Now, however, Hogans letter of consent has cleared the way for refugee resettlement agencies to continue their work in the states two large metropolitan areas, Chandrasekar said. Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. Jack Young (D) and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) have both issued letters of consent. Leaders in Prince Georges County and Baltimore County are in the process of doing the same. WandaVision (Credit: Disney) There's some good news for Marvel fans to bring in the New Year. WandaVision, the new series from the superhero studio, has moved up from an initial planned air date of 2021 to later this year. It will air on Disney+, the new Disney-owned streaming platform set to land in the UK some time in March. Is this not what 2020 vision means? From #ToyStory 4 and Aladdin to #LizzieMcGuire and WandaVision, heres a look into our future at the blockbusters and Originals coming to #DisneyPlus this year. pic.twitter.com/QHGMHat89n Disney+ (@disneyplus) January 1, 2020 Its intriguing if not slightly baffling premise will be set in the 1950s, around Avengers heroes Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and sentient android boyfriend Vision (Paul Bettany). And rather than being an action-packed drama, it will reportedly be a 'sitcom' though how loose that genre may be applied we don't know. Bettany and Olsen in Captain America: Civil War (Credit: Disney/Marvel) Alongside Bettany and Olsen will be Mad Men star Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau (best friend of Captain Marvel), Randall Park reprising his role as FBI agent Jimmy Woo from Ant-Man and The Wasp, and Kathryn Hahn as 'a nosy neighbour'. Speaking about the series at the San Diego Comic-Con last year, Olsen said that the show is 'gonna get weird'. Were gonna go deep, were gonna have lots of surprises, and were gonna finally understand Wanda Maximoff as the Scarlet Witch, she added. Matt Shackman, who's directed episodes of Game of Thrones and Fargo, will be helming the first six episode run, with Jac Schaeffer, writer of the new Black Widow movie, penning the scripts. The Shiv Sena on Thursday admitted that there was a tussle among senior leaders of the three ruling alliance parties in Maharashtra for key Cabinet berths, and said some MLAs could not be inducted as ministers because the list of probables was huge. It also took a dim view of some people vandalising the Congress office in Pune to protest against non-inclusion of party MLA Sangram Thopte in the ministry. The Congress used to call Shiv Senas protests as rada culture (hooliganism), but what Thoptes alleged supporters did was exactly the same, it said. This does not suit the Congress culture, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expanded his month-old ministry on Monday by inducting 36 ministers. The Cabinet expansion was, indeed, delayed but it finally happened. There were some sparks of disappointment from those who could not make the cut, but the list of probables was huge, the Shiv Sena said. It said the opposition (BJP) may be bubbling over such developments, but even the previous Devendra Fadnavis government was no exception to such discontent during its Cabinet expansions. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also said it kept its word by inducting three Independents, who extended support to the Shiv Sena, unlike the Congress and NCP. A strong and experienced Cabinet is in power, it should be allowed to function, the Sena said. On Shiv Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav expressing shock over his exclusion from the ministry, the Marathi daily said Cabinet berth was not promised to anyone, including Jadhav, who joined the Thackeray-led party after quitting the NCP. Jadhav claimed Thackeray promised to make him Cabinet minister. As per our information, no such promise was made to him. Thackeray must have asked him to join the Sena ahead of the Assembly polls and be part of the government, it said. The Shiv Sena joined hands with the Congress and NCP, its traditional adversaries, after its alliance with the BJP collapsed over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post following the state Assembly polls held in October last year. Noting that there was a tussle over portfolio distribution, the Shiv Sena said senior Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan, who has been inducted into the state Cabinet, needs a ministry like revenue. But the ministry is currently with another Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, it pointed out. Expressing displeasure over vandalisation of Congress office in Pune, the Sena said though Sangram Thopte distanced himself from the protest, the way such discontent has come out does not suit the Congress culture. The Congress used to call Shiv Senas protests as rada culture, but what Thoptes alleged supporters did in the Pune Congress office was exactly the same, it said. Another Congress hopeful was three-time MLA Praniti Shinde, whose supporter wrote a letter in blood to party chief Sonia Gandhi, claiming that Shinde and her father worked hard for the party and always remained loyal to the leadership. Praniti Shinde, the MLA from Solapur, is the daughter of veteran Congressman and former Maharashtra chief minister and Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde. Her father could become chief minister and Union home minister because of the Gandhi family and the Congress, the Sena claimed. Pompeo Postpones Trip To Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia Amid Iran Tensions By RFE/RL January 01, 2020 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has postponed his upcoming travels to Ukraine, Belarus, and two Central Asian nations due to rising tensions in Iraq and the Middle East. The January 1 announcement by the State Department came as U.S. administration officials continued to respond to events in Baghdad, where a mob stormed the U.S. Embassy compound, an attack that appeared to have been led mainly by pro-Iran militias in Iraq. U.S. defense officials said more troops were being sent to the region in response to the incident, which began December 31 but began to defuse by January 1. U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump reacted angrily to the attack, accusing Iran of instigating it. Pompeo's visit to Ukraine, scheduled for January 3, would have been the highest level visit to Kyiv amid the ongoing impeachment proceedings in Washington. After Kyiv, he was also scheduled to visit Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus. However, the trip was pushed back "due to the need for the secretary to be in Washington, D.C. to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East," department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. "Secretary Pompeo's trip will be rescheduled in the near future and he looks forward to the visit at that time," she said. No U.S. personnel were injured in the attack on the Baghdad embassy, and U.S. officials said they had no plans to evacuate the facility. However, all consular services have been suspended indefinitely. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pompeo-postpones-trip-to -ukraine-belarus-central-asia-amid -iran-tensions/30355315.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Denmark is a beautiful Scandinavian country that has numerous islands. The picturesque city has a lot to offer to its tourists. Apart from the ancient royal history of the country that gets tourists flocking from different places, this country is filled with tiny serene villages worth visiting. The country is filled with breathtaking nature all around, with cliffs, pine forests, islands, rivers, and floating sand dunes. One will be amazed to see such vast natural beauty that sits hidden deep in this country. The wild horses and relaxing seals are another great reason to be here. Listed below are the top 5 things to do in Denmark. Top 5 Must-do things in Denmark National Park In Denmark The country is known for its national park. The Thy National Park is an iconic place as it is the first national park in Denmark and stretches across 12 km of land. The cool breeze makes it a perfect hiking and biking spot. Great flora and fauna can be found here, you may even spot some rare species including the vast variety of birds hidden in the forests. The Egeskov Castle Another famous place is the Egeskov Castle that was built years back in the Renaissance era. You will be amazed by the magnamity of the huge castle Some of the best things to see here include the Knights Hall, spires and a moat. Underground Maritime Museum The Maritime Museum has been designed by Bjarke Ingels and it resembles the castle described in Shakespeare's hamlet. This museum is situated very close to the capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen. The best thing about this museum is that it is underground and gives a unique experience. READ: Blizzard In Colorado Ruins Travel Plans As Hundreds Of Flights Remain Cancelled Legoland in Billund It is impossible to visit Denmark and not visit the town full of Legoland. We all grew up to playing lego but playing lego with 40 million blocks of Lego is definitely something worth experiencing. More than 25 acres of Lego-themed parks are present in Billund waiting for you to go build something new. READ: Pink Shuttle, An Initiative To Help Afghanistan Women Navigate While Travelling The Oresund Bridge It is the longest bridge in Europe and is a must-visit especially when it is surrounded by water for almost 5 miles. It is the one bridge connecting Denmark to Sweden. Driving across the beautiful sea is a view one must not miss out on. READ: New Jersey Faces Highest Holiday Travel Volume Since 2005 Three teenagers have been found guilty of killing an Uber Eats delivery driver as he tried to stop them stealing his scooter. Iderval Da Silva, 46, was punched and kicked by the thugs in Battersea, west London, in May last year. He was left unconscious on the ground and died three days later from a bleed on the brain. Iderval Da Silva, 46, (right) was punched and kicked by the thugs in Battersea, west London, in May last year. Jadan Richards, 19, (left) has been found guilty of his murder Following an Old Bailey trial, a 16-year-old boy and 19-year-old Jadan Richards, from Wandsworth, were found guilty of murder. A youth aged 17 was found guilty of manslaughter but cleared of murder. Prosecutor Tony Badenoch QC had told the trial how Brazilian Mr da Silva had parked his scooter outside a Battersea cafe on May 25 last year. A group of young men spotted the unattended moped and one of them made to snatch it, he said. When Mr Da Silva tried to stop him, he was set upon with 'fists and feet'. Mr Badenoch said his client was murdered purely because the gang wanted his vehicle. 'It was on a Saturday afternoon in Battersea, on May 25, that he parked his scooter outside a cafe in the sunshine. 'What was to happen shortly after had nothing to do with him other than the mere fact that he owned a scooter. 'It was momentary explosion of short-lived violence that killed Mr Da Silva.' Doreen Graham, who was sitting outside the cafe, told the court she saw Mr da Silva run up to the moped and push a teenager who was trying to jump on. 'I saw him get up pretty quickly and he ran towards this moped bike. I thought: "what's going on?" 'They were exchanging punches with each other. After about three punches, I saw three other guys come like wild fire.' 'I thought, "this is going to be war and I just froze".' Sighing heavily and shaking her head, she described how the youths started kicking Mr da Silva before another three teenagers ran in from the opposite side of the fight. She told the court how one of the thugs kicked Mr da Silva twice while he was on the ground. Mr Da Silva was left unconscious on the ground and died three days later from a bleed on the brain. Pictured is his bike after the shocking attack Described only as the 'stomper' in court, the young man then slowly lifted his right foot and stamped on Mr Da Silva's head. She said: 'The man was already on the floor and he kicked him on the side and then in the head. 'When he stomped on his head, I saw the man's body curl up and he just stayed there. 'There was pandemonium going on. Everyone got mixed up in the crowd and then they scattered, and it was just the man and his bike on the floor. 'It was horrifying because he was bleeding from the mouth. 'I was feeling so unwell. At that point I thought the man was already dead because of that kick. 'It was so shocking, and I just went numb and I said to myself, "Oh my god, I think he is dead." Another witness, Natalie Ferreira, told how her mother rushed in to try and help Mr da Silva escape, but to no avail. Ms Ferreira said: 'As my mum was trying to help him [Mr Da Silva], he had both arms up as he tried to gain his balance. My mum was grabbing him. He was still getting hit. 'She was trying to get him away from the boys. She was screaming, 'help, help him'. She was asking other people round to help him.' Scooter food delivery riders held a rally Parliament Square in solidarity after Mr Da Silva's murder Ms Ferreira described how, as the other boys ran away, only one 'cocky' and 'over-confident' boy stayed to kick Mr da Silva one last time before running off. The jury deliberated for more than 20 hours to reach its verdicts. Jasire Frazer, 18, from Wandsworth, and a 17-year-old were cleared of murder and the alternative charge of manslaughter. Another 17-year-old boy was cleared on the judge's direction midway through the trial. Judge Mark Dennis QC adjourned sentencing until February 5. Sally-Anne Russell, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'This is a tragic case of a man who died trying to protect his property. However, faced with the youths he was outnumbered. 'Witnesses watched on in horror as the unprovoked attack unfolded. They rushed to Mr Da Silva's aid after the attackers fled, but the level of violence was such that a few days later Mr Da Silva died from his injuries. 'This was a senseless loss of life. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Da Silva.' "Online sales continue to make up a larger portion of overall retail sales," says Joey Froedge, Vice President of Digital Commerce at SVS. "Consumers, especially millennials, continue to shop online at a faster rate for everything including gift cards. Our research shows that millennials prefer to buy lots of gift cards, more than 10 each year, and almost 50% of those gift cards are purchased online." Often, retailers don't have the resources or expertise to sell gift cards online. Instead, they turn to businesses like SVS and CashStar to enable their gift cards to be sold online. SVS helps its customers sell more gift cards online by offering innovative, more personalized ways to deliver a gift card. SVS allows companies like CashStar to activate the gift cards while SVS ensures they remain secure and are redeemable through any retail channel. CashStar, owned by California-based Blackhawk Network, helps retailers sell more gift cards online and to other businesses with its gift card sales tools. Their partnership with SVS allows them to value the gift cards and deliver them in near real time, creating a better consumer experience. The partnership between these two companies allow retailers to deliver a great gift card purchasing experience to consumers. About SVS: As a leading prepaid provider, SVS manages more than 700 hundred million card products and processes over 1.5 billion transactions annually. We partner with top retailers around the world to offer stored value solutions that will effectively drive the behavior that will lead to business success. SVS is headquartered in Louisville Kentucky, USA, and owned by the Atlanta-based FleetCor Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: FLT). For more information, visit: www.storedvalue.com. SOURCE SVS Related Links http://www.storedvalue.com The BJP in Telangana on Thursday hit out at the ruling TRS and opposition parties for protesting the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act and said it would expose the alleged nexus between the ruling party and AIMIM in the coming municipal polls in the state. "They (parties) are raising a hue and cry about CAA.. Every step taken by TRS is for the benefit of MIM," state BJP chief K Laxman alleged. "People have understood that it is to appease Owaisi and Majlis," he said in his address at a Meet-the-Press here. He sought to know the reasons for TRS opposing the CAA. "TRS parliamentary party floor leader Nama Nageswara Rao came out (of parliament) and said we opposed (CAB) because the word 'Muslim' was not mentioned in the bill. I asked for a clarification to which they have so far not responded... neither Nama Nageswara Rao nor KTR (TRS working president K T Rama Rao)," he said. Taking a jab at the TRS and other parties for protesting the CAA, the BJP President asked whether the parties were referring to the Muslims of Pakistan or Bangladesh. Laxman claimed that those belonging to other countries, irrespective of religion, can applyunder "naturalization process" and get citizenship. He also claimed that people have now understood the reality and were hitting the streets in support of CAA. "... People are now wondering why the Congress, TRS, Communists are indulging in such low-level . All nationalist forces are looking towards BJP," he said. The state BJP has organised rallies in Hyderabad, Karimnagar, and the party is conducting seminars and other meetings with intellectuals in support of CAA. He asked TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) and even Majlis party (AIMIM) to clarify whether they were speaking in support of Muslims of Bangladesh or Pakistan. Laxman alleged it was AIMIM which threatened Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen not to enter Hyderabad again when she had visited the city some years ago. Asked about BJP's strategy for the coming municipal elections, Laxman said his party would highlight the 'failures' of the TRS government and how it 'misused' funds given by the Modi government to local bodies under the 14th Finance Commission. ".. BJP's policies (are) making the common man think in favour of the saffron party. Besides, we are going to expose the nexus between the TRS and Majlis," he said. BJP would contest all the seats and wards and on its own in the municipal elections, Laxman added. The municipal polls are scheduled to be held on January 22, while the counting will take place on January 25. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior gardai have vowed to sustain their relentless campaign against organised crime gangs to prevent the emergence of a Kinahan Mark II mobster. Officers say they are determined to continue their crackdown on the Kinahan crime cartel and dismantle other gangs led by would-be successors. As a result of intelligence, daily surveillance and garda interventions, there have been no murders related to the Kinahan group in the past 18 months. However, the assistant garda commissioner in charge of special crime operations, John O'Driscoll says there will be no let up in their push against the gangs in the new year. He told the Herald the force had to be ready for new challenges, such as the growth in cyber crime, and the increasing diversity of the gangs' activities. Mr O'Driscoll also warned of the dangers of corruption that had already been posed in other jurisdictions through the growth of influence and abuse of power by crime lords. "Money is power and there is no end to how that can be abused," he said. Since the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (Docb) was established in March 2015, it has seized illicit drugs with a street value of 168m, with 21m worth of that haul confiscated this year alone. Docb has also seized a total of 109 firearms, comprised of 11 machine guns, 66 handguns, seven assault rifles, five rifles, eight shotguns and a dozen stun guns as well as 3,380 rounds of ammunition. All of those firearms were recovered in this jurisdiction but another couple of guns, believed linked to the Kinahan outfit, were also seized in the UK. Officers also confiscated 10.8m in cash, of which 2.5m was seized in 2019. Surveillance Armed gardai have inltervened 73 times in incidents where there was a serious threat to life, as a result of either intelligence, surveillance or regular patrolling. Mr O'Driscoll pointed to the importance of the illicit drugs market as a major source of income for organised crime gangs and noted that an estimated 30bn was being spent annually at retail level within the EU. Analysts reckon that 31pc of that money is being spent on cocaine, 25pc on heroin, 39pc on cannabis and 5pc on amphetamines and MDMA. A recent report from Europol showed how the violence and corruption, which had been long seen in drug-producing countries, was now increasingly evident within the EU. The past year, according to Mr O'Driscoll, continued to show the importance of international co-operation and intelligence sharing and the role it played in helping the gardai to dismantle organised crime gangs. The gangs had widened their activities from drug trafficking and related crimes to human trafficking and migrant smuggling, as well as moving into emerging markets in online trading of illicit goods. He also pointed out that the global aspect of transnational crime had risen to unprecedented levels as gangs availed of new technologies. He said the gardai planned to expand its cyber-crime unit in the new year and its national protective services bureau would continue to tackle online child exploitation and child porn as well as sexual crimes and domestic abuse. NEW YORK, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces it has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (OTCQX: TCNNF) between September 25, 2018 and December 17, 2019, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for Trulieve investors under the federal securities laws. To join the Trulieve class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-1745.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] 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) Trulieve overstated its mark-up on its biological assets; (2) therefore, Trulieve's reported gross profit was inflated; (3) Trulieve engaged in an undisclosed related party real estate sale with Defendant Rivers' husband; and (4) as a result, defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than February 28, 2020. 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 http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-1745.html or to discuss your rights or interests regarding this class action, please contact Phillip Kim, Esq. of Rosen Law Firm toll free at 866-767-3653 or via e-mail at [email protected] or [email protected]. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: 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. Rosen Law Firm has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. Related Links https://www.rosenlegal.com The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has said that by rejecting West Bengals tableau at this years Republic Day parade, the BJP has insulted the people of the state for protesting the amended Citizenship Act. The BJP, however, countered saying TMC should stop doing politics on every issue. West Bengal Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Tapas Roy told news agency PTI, Just because West Bengal has been opposing anti-people policies of the BJP government, a step-motherly treatment is being meted out to the state. As we have opposed anti-people laws like CAA, the Centre has rejected our tableau proposal. This is not the first time that West Bengals tableau proposal has been rejected, he said adding that the BJP would get a befitting reply for it in the near future. ALSO WATCH | This Panchkula teen will watch 2020 Republic Day parade from PM Modis box The West Bengal BJP, meanwhile, said the tableau was rejected as the state government didnt properly follow the rules and procedure in submitting the proposal. The state government has not followed the rules. Other states have followed them, so their tableau proposals were accepted. The TMC should stop doing politics on each and every issue, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said. The proposals of 16 states/Union Territories and six ministries/departments have been shortlisted for taking part in this years Republic Day parade, but the tableau pitch made by West Bengal did not make the cut. The Bengal governments proposal was rejected after an expert committee examined it in two rounds of meeting, a statement by the defence ministry said. It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the Government of West Bengal was short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process, it said. A total of 56 tableaux proposals (from 32 from states/UTs and 24 from ministries/departments) were received for being considered for the 2020 parade. Of these, a total of 22 proposals have been shortlisted after five meetings. The Australian share market finished first trading day of 2020 in the green on Thursday, 02 January 2020, buoyed by easing Sino-U. S. trade tensions and positive policy thrust from China. Most of ASX sectors inclined, with healthcare and tech sectors being notable gainers, and helped to offset losses in the heavyweight banking and mining sectors. At closing bell, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index inclined by 6.48 points, or 0.1%, to 6,690.58, while the broader All Ordinaries rose 7.56 points, or 0.11%, to 6,809.96. CY2019 was officially the best year in a decade for the Australian sharemarket, with the ASX 200 surging by 18.4%. Sydney market commenced trading with firm footing on their first trading day of 2020, amid Sino-U. S. trade deal progress. The U. S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Phase 1 of trade deal with China would be signed on Jan. 15 at the White House. That came following reports indicating Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, Beijing's top trade negotiator, could sign the agreement. News of monetary policy easing by China, the region's top trade partner, also aided sentiment after the country's central bank on Wednesday cut the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves to boost the economy. The People's Bank of China announced on Wednesday that it was going to lower the reserve requirement ratio for banks by 50 basis points with effect from Jan. 6. Afterpay shares rose 4.5%, after the Melbourne-based fintech firm said California had approved its lending license for the U. S. state. That came as California regulator rejected a similar application for Sezzle Inc, an Afterpay competitor, knocking that stock down 20% to its lowest since its July debut. Healthcare shares climbed, with drug maker CSL advancing 1%, while Cochlear strengthened 1.3%. The energy shares were also up, with index heavyweight Santos gaining 0.7%, while Woodside Petroleum rose 0.4%. Oil prices notched the biggest annual gain in three years in 2019, supported by a thaw in the prolonged U. S.-China trade war and ongoing supply cuts from major oil producers. ECONOMIC NEWS: Australia Manufacturing Activity Deteriorates Most Since 2016 - Australia's manufacturing activity contracted the most since the survey began in May 2016, IHS Markit survey results showed Thursday. The Commonwealth Bank manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 49.2 in December from 49.9 in November. A score below 50 indicates contraction in the sector. Despite rising exports, new orders declined at the fastest pace in the series history. This in turn contributed to another fall in backlogs of work. Facing lower sales, firms cut production for a fourth straight month and at a survey-record pace. Employment also decreased in December. CURRENCY NEWS: The Australian dollar, sensitive to shifts in broader risk appetite, was higher against the U. S. dollar on Thursday. The local currency was quoted at $0.7006 after rising from levels around $0.692 last week. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alphabet GOOGL is making every effort to revolutionize the healthcare industry on the back of its innovative technologies. We note that the companys search division, Google, has recently come up with an advanced system based on AI that can efficiently detect and diagnose breast cancer early. Notably, breast cancer is the most common and deadly form of the disease worldwide. Google acquired company DeepMind has been conducting research on this particular innovation in collaboration with Cancer Research UK Imperial Centre, Northwestern University and Royal Surrey County Hospital. The latest AI model has shown it is capable of detecting breast cancer at early stages in mammogram screenings that even radiologists fail to identify. Moreover, the model reflects the companys deepening focus toward transformation of breast cancer screening patterns and treatment methods. Importance & Scope for New Model We believe the new AI system is likely to bring a major breakthrough in the field of radiology. In a dataset of de-identified mammograms from over 25,000 women in the U.K. and over 3,000 women in the United States, the model was capable enough to result in 5.7% and 1.2% reduction of false positives in the United States and the U.K, respectively. Further, it resulted in a 9.4% and 2.7% percent reduction in false negatives in the United States and the U.K., respectively. Notably, the traditional method of breast cancer detection via mammogram and usage of low-energy X-rays are failing to diagnose the disease early, which is crucial in this case. Consequently, the model, which has been successful in early detection, holds immense potential and has scope for future application in todays world as rates of breast cancer occurrence are increasing at an alarming rate. Alphabet Inc. Price and Consensus Healthcare Attracting Tech Behemoths The growth prospects in the multi-trillion-dollar healthcare industry are immense. Consequently, the industry has been attracting tech behemoths such as Amazon AMZN, Apple AAPL, Microsoft MSFT and many others apart from Alphabet to foray in it. Amazon is constantly trying to disrupt this particular space driven by focus on revolutionizing the healthcare sector. The e-commerce giant is leaving no stone unturned to replace the time-consuming traditional healthcare methods with faster and technically efficient processes. Meanwhile, Apple has undoubtedly become a frontrunner in this field primarily owing to Watch Series, HealthKit and Health app, which help users in monitoring their health. Microsoft is also strengthening presence in this industry on the back of well performing Azure, which is witnessing increasing adoption in order to support healthcare workloads. Consequently, growing initiatives by the abovementioned companies are intensifying competition in the healthcare space. Nevertheless, growing healthcare initiatives backed by strong inflow of resources via funding rounds are likely to aid Alphabet in its health related projects. Moreover, its strengthening endeavors toward the advancement of cancer treatments are noteworthy. Currently, Alphabet carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers Most Likely for Early Price Pops. Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.6% per year. So be sure to give these hand-picked 7 your immediate attention. See 7 handpicked stocks now >> Click to get this free report Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research A woman anti-CAA protester in Chennai has come under the scanner of the police after her social media profile shed light on her role as a researcher with a Pakistan body, a top official said Chennai: A woman anti-CAA protester has come under the scanner of the police after her social media profile shed light on her role as a researcher with a Pakistan body, a top official said on Wednesday. A probe would be carried out to ascertain whether the woman, Gayatri Khandhadai, has links to Pakistan-based "Bytes for All", Chennai Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan told reporters. Police sources told PTI that the woman protester has been a part of a slew of agitations held in the city against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and was also associated with the 'kolam,' demonstrations. She was present at the Madras University premises as well when the students there protested against the citizenship law last month, they said. Dwelling on her background, Viswanathan said Khandhadai has the support of local outfits in Tamil Nadu, including an NGO. "If you look at her Facebook profile, she says that she is a researcher at Bytes for All, Pakistan," the senior police official said adding this body seemed to be linked to the Association of All Pakistan Citizen Journalists. The extent and nature of the protester's "Pakistani connection," and "what," it is all about will be probed, he said. A check will be done to find out if there is any other "information," about her, he said. He clarified that none were arrested or detained for drawing 'kolam,' (rangoli) in Besant Nagar days ago. Viswanathan maintained police personnel had to interevene when an elderly resident there objected when protesters drew words opposing CAA (alongside a kolam already drawn up by his family members) in front of his house. The commissioner also released video clips to substantiate his claim that police had to intervene after the resident's objection. The clip shows an elderly man asking why the words were drawn up (by protesters) and a woman bringing a bucket of water from inside the house and erasing it. On Sunday, police had said eight people, including five women, were picked up for holding the protest without permission and causing inconvenience to others but were later let off. DMK president MK Stalin has hit out at the AIADMK government for the police action, saying the detained persons were only excercising their right to protest. The group of women who drew rangoli against the CAA, had called on Stalin on Monday at the party headquarters to thank him for supporting them. Flash Tourists from China and India will be granted a 15-day visa-free travel to Malaysia from January 1 to December 31 next year in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2020, according to the Malaysian government. Tourists may apply through the government's visa application website Electronic Travel Registration and Information (eNTRI). Once registered, tourists can travel to Malaysia within three months. Each application can only be used once, and no extension is allowed. Re-application is available for the same short-term visa 45 days after they leave Malaysia. Malaysia has seen increased arrivals of Chinese and Indian tourists in the first nine months this year, according to Tourism Malaysia director-general Musa Yusof. It received 2.41 million Chinese tourists and nearly 540,000 Indian tourists, an increase of 5.7 percent and 23.2 percent, respectively. A father and his two children pose for a photo in front of their new house in Tashi Dushi Village, a two-hour drive from downtown Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The village was constructed to accommodate herders who were relocated. [Xinhua] In a narrow workshop built outside rows of neatly arranged two-story villas, Phuntsok Tsering was offering guidance to villagers learning Tibetan embroidery. The 37-year-old has been running an embroidery cooperative for three years in a newly constructed village named Tashi Dushi, or happiness all year round. The village is a two-hour drive from downtown Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. For all of his students, with most of them having relocated from several high altitude locations, Phuntsok Tsering repeatedly stresses that there should be no room for error in their needlework if they wish to get good prices for their work. These include tapestries, curtains and apron-like accessories that Tibetan women wear. Originating in the ninth century, Tibet's embroidery features highly religious subjects ranging from Buddha to monasteries and the holy Potala Palace, which towers over downtown Lhasa against a backdrop of rolling mountains. "The color of thread filling for Buddha's skirts must be exactly the same as the one from the thangka," said Phuntsok Tsering, referring to the ancient Tibetan Buddhist painting. "The width of the ribbons should also be accurate, otherwise it will be a failure in a cultural sense and monetary as well." An exquisite tapestry requires 15 days of work by a skilled embroider and can fetch thousands of yuan. That is a good salary for Phuntsok Tsering's apprentices, considering that not long ago many people were still impoverished by national standards defined as living on less than 2,300 yuan ($328) a year. In a village of relocated farmers and herders, Phuntsok Tsering's workshop has offered plenty of opportunities for locals to socialize, to be in awe of their own legacy, while at the same time increase their incomes during cold seasons when job opportunities are rare. Phuntsok Tsering started his eight years of studying religious painting and needlework at age 22, with a master in Qamdo, Tibet. Tsedrub, 45, who was bent over an embroidered apron at a sewing machine, said she liked to be at the workshop in the winter. People would sit idle if not for Phuntsok Tsering's cooperative, she said. Phuntsok Tsering and Tsedrub were among hundreds of people who applied for a place in a relocation program aimed at helping farmers and herders who live in isolated places escape poverty. In 2016, each family was given a two-story house, decorated with colorful cloths in traditional Tibetan style. They were also offered jobs at a nearby base for growing medicinal herbs and a cattle farm. To diversify available jobs, local authorities offered incentives to Phuntsok Tsering, providing him a space free of charge, and exempting his workshop from electricity and water bills, in the hope that he could teach his trade to more villagers. "I now have five villagers on board," he said. "I am happy to see people lead better lives because of Tibetan embroidery." (Source: China Daily) Austria's Conservatives led by Sebastian Kurz on Wednesday agreed to form a coalition government with the Greens after a final round of talks capping almost three months of negotiations. It will mark the first time the Green party has been in power, after Kurz's alliance with the far-right collapsed in a corruption scandal and triggered elections in September. Kurz's People's Party (OeVP) and the Greens made gains in the election, bringing them together in unlikely negotiations given the 33-year-old's carefully groomed image as a hardliner on immigration. "The OeVP and Greens have agreed on a government programme together," a Greens representative with knowledge of the negotiations, who declined to be named, told AFP. An OeVP official confirmed the same to AFP. The two parties' leaders are to make a statement later Wednesday. 'Huge stretch' Despite progress to bridge the significant gaps, observers said the new government would face challenges after Kurz's previous rule with the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) saw a raft of anti-immigration measures passed, sharply dividing Austrians. "2020 as a political year of change" ran the main online headline of the Kurier daily earlier Wednesday. Both the OeVP and the Greens will be hard-pressed to show they have not compromised too much on their key principals and campaign promises when they present the joint government programme, which is expected Thursday. "From his (Kurz's) perspective, it's a huge stretch and it's also a danger that over time he might lose some of the voters he gained from the Freedom Party," analyst Thomas Hofer told AFP. In the September polls, the OeVP managed to pick up disenchanted FPOe voters, getting 37.5 percent in total. The Greens secured 13.9 percent of the vote, their best-ever result, due to the environment replacing immigration as top concern in the country of 8.8 million people. Story continues Trend setter? Hofer said other European countries, such as Germany, could also see Conservative-Green party coalitions in the future. Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Luxemburg already have Greens in government. "Kurz is setting a certain trend maybe ahead of time, and this is certainly something also on the international stage that he would be able to sell," he said. Hofer described Greens chief Werner Kogler, who is expected to be vice-chancellor, as a "pragmatist" who had stabilised the party. The 58-year-old took on the leadership after the party lost all their parliamentary seats in a shock defeat in 2017, largely due to infighting and splits. A congress of the party's almost 280 delegates must still endorse the coalition agreement, but they are expected to do so. "It's a historical chance for them," Hofer said. As junior coalition partner, the Greens would get four ministries, including an enlarged environment ministry that also comprises infrastructure, traffic, energy and technology, according to a party representative familiar with the negotiations. The OeVP will maintain control of the rest, including the coveted interior ministry -- previously headed by a far-right official and embroiled in scandal -- and the finance portfolio. Greens official Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic told the Standard daily in an interview that compromises are "part of democracy", and that the coalition partners would address challenges rather than "feign harmony and sweep difficult topics under the carpet". The far-right FPOe -- previously riding a wave of populist sentiment seen across Europe -- was routed in the polls after the so-called "Ibiza-gate" graft scandal brought down their then-leader and vice-chancellor in May and caused the government to collapse. (AFP) Acwa Power, a leader in power generation and water desalination projects, has signed with an agreement with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) for pursuing opportunities to enhance local content in Saudi Arabia. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Thamer Al Sharhan, managing director at Acwa Power and Fuad Mosa, VP of Local Content & Business Development at Sabic. The partnership is in alignment with Acwa Powers commitment to play a leading role in developing and promoting local content and establishing end-to-end Saudi value chain for all its activities and projects in the Kingdom. Al Sharhan said: One of the key strategies of Acwa Power is to encourage and develop local content in the markets we operate in. As such, we are perfectly aligned with the local content strategies of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which is not only the way-to-go for achieving economic diversification goals but also ensuring competitiveness of the local economy besides creating opportunities for local businesses and young Saudis. Acwa Power looks towards this next phase of our efforts to enhance localization with the support of our partner; Sabic. Partnering with the like-minded entity we hope to create synergies in our local content endeavours and are confident this partnership shall prove to be a giant step in the right direction. Through our Sakaka Solar PV project, already we are seeing the benefits of supporting local content for the wider industry through numerous success stories. In addition to developing local businesses expertise in the renewable sphere, our efforts have also helped inject additional investment in the Saudi economy, Al Sharhan added. Under the terms of the agreement, Sabic will support Acwa Powers efforts to develop local content in the country by assessing and conducting feasibility studies for potential opportunities which could add value to the local economy and generate employment for Saudi nationals. Sabic will also provide market research related to the local supply chain and facilitate collaboration between Acwa Power and potential local and international partners with expertise in the field. It will additionally support Acwa Powers efforts through the Daem and Muaahal programs powered by Sabic. Similarly, Acwa Power will explore the localization potential of relevant international players to support the feasibility studies being undertaken by Sabic. Acwa Power will also provide Sabic with up-to-date technology trends, market insights and will support the growth of research and development in the renewable energy sector in the region. In November 2019, Acwa Power established Acwa Industrial Investment Company (AIICO), a business unit dedicated to enable local content development and industrialization in the Kingdom. AIICO will focus on complying with mandatory local content targets for new projects, enhancing Acwa Powers capacity to competitively increase Saudi exports abroad, promoting innovation, transferring knowledge, and creating job opportunities. TradeArabia News Service The making of the new drama Just Mercy was a highly personal experience for Jamie Foxx, who plays a real-life Alabama logger named Walter McMillian wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death in the 1980s. For me as a black man, I felt a responsibility of all of us saying, OK, take a look at what can happen to you,' Foxx said in a moving conversation about the film with his co-star Michael B. Jordan, who plays defense lawyer Bryan Stevenson and is also the films co-producer. Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, fought to get McMillian off death row and exonerated. Also Read: The Echoes of 'Just Mercy' in Montgomery, Alabama - and Beyond Foxx, who grew up in Texas, felt a strong connection to the films story of a miscarriage of justice because his own father, a teacher in south Dallas for 25 years, was convicted and sent to jail when he was still a child. Im from the South, Foxx told Jordan. My father was put in jail for $25 worth of illegal substance. The very judge that he would have come visit the school and talk to the kids was the judge that presided in this case, putting him in jail for seven years. Now hes sitting in jail with people who he used to teach. Foxx said he drew on that emotion to portray McMillian in his frustration, confusion and despair. Jordan said that he felt a need to bring a broad audience to this story. There are so many people I know that are great people that just had a sty deck of cards, he said. People need to see this story, they need to know this exists. He also credited Stevensons inspiration for him and potentially for others as well. Listening to him speak, it is a call to action, Jordan said. He puts things in such laymans terms you feel you can do anything. The big issue doesnt feel so paralyzing. I can vote, I can be part of the solution. Watch their full conversation in the video above. And see Stevenson speak about the film and why he took on McMillians case in this video. Read original story How Jamie Foxx Channeled His Own Fathers Jailing in Just Mercy (Video) At TheWrap Kayakers rescued from Calf by Port Erin RNLI and Coastguard Credit: Port Erin RNLI Lifeboat and coastguard crews from Port Erin were called to aid two kayakers in distress on the Calf of Man. Yesterday at around 3:15pm RNLI lifeboat Muriel was launched after Belfast Coastguard informed them of the situation. Crews stood by at the Sound as Port Erin Coastguard recovered the casualties, who were uninjured. Muriel returned to the Port Erin lifeboat station at 3:45pm. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released a new image of baby Archie. [Photo: Getty] Yahoo is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Prices were correct at the time of publication. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a new photo of seven-month-old son, Archie, on New Years Eve. The couple, who are currently in Canada, posted a video to Instagram featuring a few of their favourite moments in 2019. It included a new picture of Prince Harry holding Archie, the latter clad in a grey bobble hat, brown coat and pair of matching Ugg boots. The sheepskin-lined boots were given to the royals during their royal tour of Australia in October 2018. The item of footwear was a gift from Australias Governor General, Pete Cosgrove, and his wife after it was announced that Meghan was pregnant with the couples first child. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were given the Ugg boots by Australia's Governor General Peter Cosgrove and wife Lynne Cosgrove on October 16, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. [Photo: Getty] The Erin Booties cost 50 and come in sizes XS-L to suit babies who are 0-24 months. Archies brown cord jacket with striped lining was by British brand, Boden, and featured applique detail of the founder's dog, Sprout. The outerwear recently went in the sale, down from 32 to only 16, and promptly sold out. Baby Archie wore a Boden coat and Uggs. Boden is quickly becoming one of the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs go-to brands for baby Archie. The young royal was also dressed in the label for the families first Christmas card, where he wore a Cashmere Grey Polar Bear Jumper that is still available to buy for 65. Shop Archies Ugg boots Shop an affordable alternative Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Style UK: Economic development must go together with environmental protection and social development to ensure sustainable growth and prosperity, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers the closing statement at the government-to-locality teleconference on Tuesday in Hanoi. VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat Concluding the government-to-locality teleconference on the final day of 2019, the Government leader emphasised future development orientations that would not sacrifice the environment in the pursuit of economic growth, a message that was highly appreciated as the public becomes more restless over worsening air pollution, water contamination, overflowing landfills and climate change. PM Phuc also stated that aside from the environment, it was also essential for the central Government and local governments to focus on cultural and social civilisation, saying that upholding these three aspects while maintaining growth was the true direction of a socialist-oriented market economy. He added that Vietnam must strive to make the best environment to create a community of patriotic businesspeople, who were law-abiding, respectful of their origins and would weave their will with the countrys ambitions to become a powerful, prosperous and independent nation. At the meeting, the Government leader recognised impressive socio-economic achievements recorded in 2019, but pointed out existing problems such as slow disbursement of public investment capital and the stagnant equitisation of State-owned enterprises, as well as drug use among youths. Improvements to legal policies and the removal of difficulties for businesses as well as measures to change the country's growth model in a practical and effective manner based on promoting the application of science-technology, innovation, and improving human resources were necessary, the Government leader stressed. Along with harmonising the development of the economy, culture, society and the environment, we must reinforce defence-security and accelerate international integration, the PM added. Regarding the Mekong Delta' request for infrastructure development in the region, PM Phuc said the Ministry of Transport would consider local government proposals and focus on developing a functioning, well-planned infrastructure system for the region. Co-ordination needed In the new year, the PM asked ministries and localities to ensure a warm Tet holiday for all people, especially poor households, social policy beneficiaries and residents in remote and isolated areas. Also during the teleconference, Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam urged the Government, National Assembly, ministries and localities to focus on implementing the national security strategy in 2020 and strengthen co-ordination to ensure national interests and security in all fields. Lam noted that in 2019, the number of criminal cases dropped 7.39 per cent year-on-year, an impressive figure compared to the ministrys target of 3-5 per cent. Police handled 97,000 cases, notably drug trafficking, corruption, trade fraud and environmental violations, the minister added. Regarding defence work, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Phan Van Giang, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army and Deputy Minister of National Defence, said in 2019, the army promoted its core role of building an all-people defence and actively participated in the settlement of natural disasters, environmental incidents, search and rescue, poverty reduction, and new-style rural building. The Ministry of National Defence also took part in exercises with other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to ensure navigation security, he said, adding that the ministry was building militia forces in coastal areas to defend the nations sovereignty over its seas and islands. Law building The same day, PM Phuc chaired the years final regular cabinet meeting in Hanoi, focusing discussions on the institution and law building work. The cabinet members listened to brief reports on a draft law on amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the law on settlement of administrative violations, as well as proposals on building a draft revised law on insurance business, a draft revised law on preventing and combating drug, and a draft revised law on inspection. They also proposed building a resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee on promulgating principles, criteria and norms for the allocation of public investment capital in the 2021-25 period. Concluding the meeting, PM Phuc essentially agreed with the principles suggested by the Ministry of Finance, noting that insurance is a sensitive market. Regarding the draft revised law on drug prevention and combat, the PM agreed with proposals of the Ministry of Public Security and requested it to complete dossiers and send to the Ministry of Justice for supplementation to the law building programme in 2020. Pertaining to the draft revised law on inspection, PM Phuc agreed with the Government Inspectorates recommendations and emphasised on the reform of inspection activities towards improved efficiency. The Government leader also agreed to assign the Ministry of Planning and Investment to collect the opinions of the cabinet members at the meeting to complete a report for submission to the National Assembly Standing Committee, allowing the building of a resolution on principles, criteria and norms for the allocation of public investment capital in 2021-25 in line with the amended law on public investment. VNS How can the sea be protected amid rapid economic development in Vietnam? A weak legal framework and economic pressures are barriers to the management effectiveness of MPAs (marine protected areas). Distracted driving is a rapidly increasing cause for driving fatalities in America, which is why Dixie Law Group is promoting their scholarship aimed at ending texting and driving. Applicants for the scholarship are to paint their cars (with washable car paint) to send the message that texting and driving is not okay. Dixie Law Group is home to some of the leading car accident attorneys in Louisville. Every day they see the disastrous effects of texting and driving, and are motivated to make a difference. This is why Dixie designed the Paint Away Texting and Driving scholarship, aimed at all students and leaning away from the traditional essay-writing required in many scholarships. Dixie believes that responsible driving is accessible to everyone, no matter their academic record, beyond being enrolled in or accepted into an accredited college or university. The submission period opens January 1st, 2020, and closes April 1st, 2020. To qualify for Dixies scholarship, applicants must: 1) Provide proof of enrollment in, or acceptance for the upcoming year, an accredited university or college (to be verified upon winner selection) 2) Paint an anti-texting and driving message on their or a consenting car owners car 3) Post a photo of themselves with their cars on Facebook with the hashtag #donttextanddrive and tag @dixielawgroup Only submit one application per applicant The winner will receive $1000 to go towards their education and will be chosen two weeks after the closing deadline. Applicants are encouraged to get creative with their designs without compromising driver visibility and safety. About Dixie Law Group: The Dixie Law Group, PSC, is a personal injury law firm with two offices, one in the south end of Louisville on Dixie Highway and the other in Bullitt County. The Dixie Law Group is not a volume TV firm. They carefully select the cases they accept because they devote the proper amount of time and energy that each case deserves. They take cases ranging from car accidents, truck accidents, and premises liability. Clients represented by the Dixie Law Group get to know their lawyer on a personal level. The lawyers utilize their experience in the courtroom to challenge the insurance companies to attain full justice for their clients. A humanitarian catastrophe is underway in Syrias northwestern Idlib province. As pro-government forces double down on Idlib and appear to close in on the key highway town of Maaret al-Numan in the provinces southern reaches, they are spurring the latest wave of tens of thousands of people fleeing their homes toward the relative safety of the provinces north. The United Nations counts more than 235,000 people displaced in the past two weeks alone, largely from Maaret al-Numan and its surrounding countryside. But after years of pro-government advances on opposition-held territory, Idlib remains Syrias final bastion of rebel control. There is, effectively, nowhere else to run. Idlib has long been a byword for coercive displacement in Syrias war the final stop for displaced people and rebel fighters as government forces seized pocket after pocket of territory from rebels in recent years. The displacement followed a morbid rhythm: siege, devastating bombardment, surrender and, finally, lines of green government buses sent into flattened neighborhoods, to take hundreds of thousands of residents and opposition fighters north to Idlib, which has remained under rebel control. Displaced families from east Aleppo, Daraa, eastern Ghouta and elsewhere now live crammed in Idlib province. Some live in rented homes or with relatives. Others shelter in makeshift tents, or simply camp out on waterproof sheets under olive trees. Counted alongside Idlibs original residents, they number roughly 3 million people. But with Idlib the last major pocket of territory still held by rebel forces, what could be the fate of millions of displaced civilians and fighters with few other options for areas to flee to? The answer is unclear. There is no 'Idlib' for Idlib, Elizabeth Tsurkov, a fellow at the US-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, told Al-Monitor. There is no [other] place where these people who refuse reconciliation, who refuse to surrender to the regime can be dumped in. Turkey, just across the border from Idlib, has long been a destination for Syrians desperate to flee violence at home, with a booming market of people smugglers working to guide people across for a high price. But the closed Turkish border is guarded by snipers, and few recently displaced are able to pay the cost of transport. Most people are fleeing toward the Turkish border areas but they are unable to enter Turkey, said Kutaiba Sayd Issa, general manager of Violet, a nongovernmental organization that provides humanitarian aid in northern Syria. The group is among those that have provided transport for Syrians from bombed-out southern Idlib province to the northern border areas in recent days. Instead, he said, families are simply amassing along the Syrian side of the border, with little in the way of shelter to protect them from winter cold and flooding. The harsh weather in recent weeks has devastated makeshift camps there, leaving tents, mattresses and other belongings submerged in mud. The crisis underway is unprecedented in Idlib, Issa told Al-Monitor. The devastation has only been building since pro-government and Russian forces launched their onslaught earlier this year. In late April, Syrian and Russian forces ramped up bombardment of Idlib province, raining airstrikes and artillery fire on largely civilian targets. The assault came despite a deal in late 2018 that, in theory, saw Turkey and Russia draw up a safety buffer zone around much of Idlib province. But since April, more than 1,000 people have been estimated killed in the barrage of bombings, while pro-government forces have seized swathes of southern Idlib province, including the strategic highway city of Khan Sheikhoun. In their wake, the bombings have left behind burnt crop fields, cratered local markets and hospitals reduced to rubble. In Maaret al-Numan, virtually all medical workers were evacuated this week after years of holding fast amid bombings, according to Orwa Khalifeh, an advocacy officer for the Syrian American Medical Society, which funds medical facilities in Syria. Facilities in the city were among the dozens targeted in direct attacks by pro-government and Russian forces since late April. Medical staff themselves have been harmed in the attacks, with one dentist injured by shrapnel in his Maaret al-Numan clinic in October taking shelter with family north of the city. He is among the thousands of residents who has fled the city since last week. And the bloodshed only risks worsening. Rebel fighters now vying to stem an all-out advance by government ground forces are among those who refused reconciliation deals in pockets of opposition territory elsewhere that fell to Damascus, or are among the array of hard-line Islamist groups that hold sway in Idlib, including al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that still controls much of the province. These fighters are unlikely to ever reconcile with the regime, to ever surrender to it, Tsurkov said. The regime will either have to kill them or capture them. One displaced Maaret al-Numan resident, journalist Sonia al-Ali, followed the violence from afar on the night of Dec. 26 as she took shelter in a town just south of the Turkish border. She and her family fled their home in recent days as pro-government forces began seizing villages south of Maaret al-Numan. The quick ground advances and an unprecedented uptick in bombardment since last week spurred them to leave, according to Ali. They took few belongings with them. The family were among the last of the citys residents to flee, leaving behind a ghost town. Everything thats happening tells me it will be a long wait before I can return home [to Maaret al-Numan]," she told Al-Monitor by phone. That city now sits empty. Two young cousins aged eight and 12 have been found safe and well after they went missing from their home in the middle of the night. Brianna Savage, eight, and Leah Giles, 12, had last been seen at about 1am this morning in the Greenlands area of Redditch, Worcestershire. West Mercia Police detectives revealed at about 11.30am today that they had been located, having earlier said that they were 'deeply concerned for both girls'. Brianna Savage (left), eight, and Leah Giles (right), 12, had last been seen at about 1am today The girls were both found in Redditch. Leah was described as being 5ft 3in, mixed race and with long dark curly hair which is usually tied back. She had been wearing a special boot because she broke her toe and may have been limping. It was also said that she could have been wearing a black puffa jacket. Brianna is white with strawberry blonde hair which is in plaits in a fishtail. Police previously said they believed the girls left home of their own accord and said nobody else is involved with their disappearance. The girls went missing from the Greenlands area of Redditch, Worcestershire (file image) The force today released a photo of Leah in her school uniform and one of Brianna brushing her teeth while smiling for the camera. A police spokesman later said: 'Thank you to everyone who shared our appeal to help find two girls who were missing from home in Redditch. 'We're pleased to report both girls have been found safe and well.' Inspector Lee Page added: 'We are really very grateful to everyone who shared our appeal earlier today to help find the girls and are pleased to say they have been found safe and well.' Rio Grande International Study Center executive director Tricia Cortez has been named the 2019 Laredoan of the Year by the Laredo Morning Times. Cortez worked at the epicenter of numerous issues in Laredo during the course of the 2019 calendar year, pushing back against the border wall and making her impact known in many other facets in town with her work at the RGISC, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. But she does not want to accept this award alone, giving thanks to everyone at the organization who has played a vital role in all of their successes. I want to accept this on behalf of our organization and our board, the river and the environment, Cortez said. RGISC has just really, really come out on the local, state and national stage because I think we have fearless leaders within the organization, on our board especially and our staff. We have people who are fearless and willing to take on really difficult, controversial issues rooted in the science and go from there. Wherever there is an issue taking place in the Gateway City, Cortez has been there to fight for her community and for the environment that surrounds it. Since taking over as the executive director role of Laredos only environmental nonprofit organization a title she assumed in May 2010 she has fought to protect the Rio Grande and the natural resources in town. That includes suing President Trump over his national emergency declaration and lobbying Laredo City Council and the Webb County Commissioners Court to file amicus briefs for the lawsuit while writing a resolution in opposition of the border wall, helping create the Where Is The Emergency Coalition and numerous other events in the city to showcase the river and its beauty. Cortez graduated from Princeton University with a bachelors degree in public policy from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, minoring in Mandarin Chinese. She started to work for the school newspaper there, the beginning of a career that took her to where she is now. She moved back to San Antonio, working in music and as a legal clerk, also doing some freelance writing. But then she saw the border was bursting its way onto the scene in the early 2000s, with the passing of NAFTA happening and the border discussion rapidly growing. She ended up moving to Laredo thinking it would be a one- or two-year stint, but she grew in awe of Laredo and everything about it. I didnt have ties to Laredo, Cortez said. I thought, Oh, its two hours away from San Antonio. Itll be totally like San Antonio. So different, and I was just fascinated by this place, its people, the politics, its history and the culture. And it just felt like being at this giant buffet, and the stories were so rich and so wonderful. I ended up staying. Upon moving to Laredo, Cortez worked for the Laredo Morning Times as a reporter from 2001-08, working on some of those fascinating stories she discussed and getting more and more deeply invested with the place by the day. And then after taking some time off, she went to join the RGISC on what was supposed to be a six-month grant. Then RGISC went through some tough times, and Cortez said there was the chance it could have closed its doors and ceased operations. Yet Cortez and others vowed to make sure that would not come to fruition. It was on the verge of possibly closing and shutting down, so there was a group of us that said this was going to not happen, Cortez said. This organization its too important and it has such a rich history. So, we worked really, really hard to stabilize it financially and with leadership and reengaging with the community. The rest is history. In her time at the RGISC and serving as executive director, the organizations impact has only continued to grow, and it is now part of one of the largest storylines in the United States. RGISC is doing everything in its power to keep the community informed and in tune about what is taking place in regards to the border wall making its way to the area. The organization is putting in endless amounts of time trying to fight it, suing the Trump administration in the lawsuit titled RGISC vs. Trump over the national emergency declaration, which allowed him to fund $1 billion of work for the border barrier into Webb County. Support for RGISC and its fight against it has been seen all over. At a recent protest along the river earlier this month, Laredoans along with many from the Valley and local politicians voiced their opinions and fought for their city, for their community and to protect the Rio Grande. The river is among the 10 most endangered rivers on the planet, and it is the main source of drinking water for most people in town. I think the wall is one of the more critical and significant issues that Laredo has faced in its 265-year history, Cortez said. Its up there at the top, because youre talking about people from Washington DC making decisions for us without involving us. That is not the only thing Cortez and the RGISC have tried to do to protect the environment, the Rio Grande, the species that live in it and the people that live in the region. In the mid-2000s, some RGISC leaders began their work in the single use plastic ban ordinance. No matter where you were in town, Cortez said you could see plastic bags lying around anywhere you went. In 2014, Laredo City Council passed the single use plastic bag ordinance, and it would take effect the following year in 2015. Other cities in the state had ordinances just like it, ranging from Dallas to Austin to Brownsville. Its sad to know that maybe 8% of all plastic ever made has been recycled, Cortez said. The rest is left into our environment. It either gets incinerated, its in our oceans or our rivers, or its in the landfill. Weve become more deeply involved with that movement, and we also want to work with the city to keep pressure on our state government to enact laws that allow cities like ours to make laws that we feel our in the best interest of our people. Laredo merchants sued the city and alleged the ban violated state laws, arguing that it was a container or package. In June 2018, the Texas Supreme Court ruled the Laredo ban violated state law, which overturned the citys historic ban. The city, thanks to Cortez and RGISC, was on the map and in the national discussion for its fight and determination in this matter, too. Cortez would discuss this in the Netflix series Broken that came out in 2019, detailing the work as Netflix highlighted Laredo. I think they came here in January 2019, but they reached out to us I think in the fall, Cortez said. (They were) trying to understand the Laredo story a bit better because they went around the globe and were trying to figure out which stories resonated most and were most impactful, and they chose ours. Cortez never thought she would be where she is today. She was born and raised by a single mother in San Antonio, who was an activist and was very involved with the Chicano Movement of the 1960s. Her mother was a nurse by training. She was also a very creative writer, and Cortez said she learned so much from her about being aware of what is taking place, fighting for what you believe in and not ever being afraid to speak your mind, because change will not occur if you dont. I think you have to find what moves you, and you have to find your passion and what drives you, Cortez said. Ive always tried to do that with work, and I would never take a job that I didnt love. Life is short. Why be miserable and working at a place you dont love? All Cortez and the RGISC want to do is make a better Laredo and protect the beautiful resources like the Rio Grande. Cortez has two children of her own one is 3 years old and one is 5 and she wants to create the best future possible for them, her family and so many others. That is Cortezs mission, and her and the organizations work to better Laredo has helped her earn the selection of Laredoan of the Year for 2019. I think having become a Mom really reinforced in me why this work is so important, Cortez said. Its about the future that we leave for them and their grandkids. When they ask what did you do then? I want to be able to say that we did everything that we could. We left everything. We left everything on the stage. I think thats been really important, and I really cant stress the leadership within RGISC. I cant stress that enough because I would not be able to do any of this work if I didnt have smart, passionate people with our board, the border wall group, the plastics group and other things like that. cjackson@lmtonline.com Twitter: @cjacksonlmt Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who has repeatedly hammered the Uttar Pradesh government for insensitive handling of rape victims and anti-Citizenship Act protestors, found herself in the firing line on Thursday with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BSP chief Mayawati asking her to show similar compassion to the victims of infant deaths at a government hospital in Congress-ruled Rajasthan. Priyanka Gandhi was accused by both of playing politics in UP over anti-CAA protests, instead of consoling the mothers of about 100 children who died at Kotas JK Lon hospital in the month of December allegedly due to poor medical care at the government-run facility. The UP chief minister said it was extremely sad that despite being women both Priyanka and the Congress President Sonia Gandhi could not feel the pain of the mothers. The death of 100 innocent children is extremely saddening and heart-wrenching. The death of children is a blot on civilised society, human values and feelings. It is extremely sad that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, despite being women, are not able to understand the sorrow of the mothers, Adityanath said. He went on to say it would have been better had Priyanka met and consoled the aggrieved mothers instead of indulging in politics in UP. Yogi Adityanath also accused Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of indifference, insensitivity and irresponsible behavior while questioning his alleged silence on the infant deaths. BSP chief Mayawati had earlier in the day also asked Priyanka Gandhi similar questions and said if Gandhi does not go and meet the childrens mothers, then her meeting with the families of anti-CAA protestors in UP will be seen as pure theatrics. Mayawati called Gehlot and his government insensitive, disinterested and irresponsible but reserved her sharpest criticism for Priyanka Gandhi. What is more saddening is the fact that the top leadership of the Congress, especially its general secretary, is maintaining silence over this issue. It would have been better if, like she did in UP, she had met the aggrieved mothers, who lost their children due to the laxity of the partys government, Mayawati said. On a day when Priyanka was accused of selective empathy, she continued her focus on BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh with a tweet targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On 359 out of 365 days in the year 2019, Section 144 was imposed in Varanasi town, the P.Ms own constituency, and he has the gall to say that people have nothing to fear? Priyanka tweeted on Thursday. Congress spokesman Virendra Madan, however, addressed the Rajasthan question and said no parallel could be drawn between the goings-on in UP and the deaths of infants in the Congress-ruled state. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also appealed that the infant deaths are not politicized and said his government was ready to improve the health infrastructure in the state with the Centres help, if required. The government is sensitive to the death of sick infants in JK Lon Hospital in Kota. There should no politics over the issue. Infant mortality at this hospital is steadily decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. It is our top priority that mothers and children remain in good health, Gehlot tweeted in Hindi. A Rajasthan government panel had cleared the government hospital doctors of any negligence a few days ago while adding that the hospital was short of beds and that its operation needed improvement. India's newly-appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat has given directions that a proposal to create Air Defence Command be prepared by June 30 this year. General Bipin Rawat held a meeting with important functionaries of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (Hq IDS) soon after assuming charge as Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) on Wednesday and directed various branch heads to come up with recommendations for inter-service synergy and jointness in a time-bound manner. A Defence Ministry release on Thursday said he also set out priorities for the execution of synergy by June 30 and December 31 this year. "The CDS also directed that a proposal to create Air Defence Command be prepared by June 30, 2020. He also set out priorities for the execution of synergy by June 30 and December 31, 2020. Some of the areas identified for jointness and synergy include the creation of common logistics support pools in stations where two or more services have their presence," the release said. Emphasising collegiate system of functioning, General Rawat directed that all three services and Coast Guard must be consulted and their views obtained in a time-bound manner. "Decisions will, however, be taken to ensure the optimisation of resources. Efforts will be made to cut out infructuous ceremonial activities, which are manpower intensive. The CDS stressed that all must work towards accomplishing desired results and coming up with healthy views and ideas," the release stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FILE PHOTO: A video statement made by the former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn is shown on a screen during a news conference by his lawyers at Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish police detained seven people, including four pilots, on Thursday in an investigation into how ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn transited through Istanbul en route to Lebanon after fleeing Japan, a police spokeswoman told Reuters. She said the other detainees were two airport ground workers and one cargo worker and all seven were expected to give statements before a court on Thursday. Media reports said Turkey's interior ministry had begun an investigation into Ghosn's transit. The former Nissan <7201.T> boss revealed on Tuesday he had fled to Beirut to escape what he called a "rigged" justice system. People familiar with the matter told Reuters that Ghosn, one of the world's best-known executives, had arrived in Beirut on a private jet from Istanbul on Monday. Hurriyet news website, citing an interior ministry official, said Turkish border police were not notified about Ghosn's arrival, and neither his entry nor exit were registered. A plane carrying Ghosn arrived at 5:30 am (0230 GMT) Monday at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Hurriyet reported, adding that prosecutors ordered the arrests after widening their investigation. Flight tracking data from that time suggests that Ghosn used two different planes to fly into Istanbul and then on to Lebanon. Japanese authorities allowed Ghosn to carry a spare French passport in a locked case while out on bail, public broadcaster NHK said on Thursday, shedding some light on how he managed his escape to Lebanon. The businessman, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, was smuggled out of Tokyo by a private security company days ago, the culmination of a plan that was crafted over three months, Reuters has reported. Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faces four charges, including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East. He denies the charges. (Additional reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Jane Merriman) Students take part in a protest rally against the National Register of Citizens and the amended Citizenship Act. (File photo) Kanpur: IIT-Kanpur has formed a committee to inquire into a complaint against the recitation of Faiz Ahmed Faiz's noted poem Hum Dekhenge on campus by students to express solidarity with their peers at Jamia Milia Islamia, the institutes deputy director Manindra Agarwal said. He said a "very peaceful protest" was students to express solidarity with their peers at Jamia Milia Islamia held on December 17 by about 300 students of the premier institute at its premises as they were not allowed to go out due to enforcement of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in the city. An IIT-K student sang the poem Hum Dekhenge by eminent poet Faiz and a complaint was filed by Dr Vashimant Sharma, a temporary faculty member, and about 16 others including faculty members and students. The written complaint filed by them with the IIT director states that the poem had some wordings that could hurt the sentiments of Hindus, Agarwal said. "A committee of six members was established, headed by me, to investigate the matter. Some students have been questioned, while the others will be questioned after they return to the institution after the holidays," the deputy director said. Agarwal also said there was a war of words on social media war between those supporting the recitation of the poem and those who opposed it. "It was contributing to escalation of the situation and hence we requested both sides to stop it and they obliged," he said. Using a crystal ball won at the Schueberfouer in 2011, we gazed into the future. Heres some of whats in store for Luxembourg in the 2020s. 2020: Free public transport becomes a reality in Luxembourg, but it will go unnoticed by thousands of residents who werent aware you were supposed to pay in the first place. 2021: Someone will move here and get annoyed by X, so theyll create a petition to ban X. Long-term residents will suddenly get very defensive of X, although theyre also annoyed by it. X will eventually be outlawed even as old-timers now consider it a sacred tradition. A society will be created for the preservation of X. 2022: After years of promises, marijuana will finally become legal and available, which overnight transforms the populace from introspective and quiet to introspective and quiet. 2023: Jean-Claude Juncker will emerge from retirement to begin a new political career. Despite scepticism and concerns about his health, hell again dominate national politics until its discovered in 2029 that hes a cyborg and that the real Juncker retired to a Belgian monastery in 2007. 2024: Following pressure from foreign-born residents, seven new languages will be added to the list of official languages. These include Mandarin, Bengali, the fictional Valyrian, and body language. Civil servants briefly consider protesting but will begrudgingly consent after theyre offered a language bonus. 2026: Embarrassed by having sunk another 100 million in unsuccessful asteroid-mining ventures, leaders will announce that the real plan the whole time was to explore using celestial bodies as sites for affordable housing, which sounds crazy at first considering the inconvenience of taking a rocket to and from work every day, but will end up being a viable option for many people who cant afford a home here. 2027: Despite the tram, free public transport, and dozens of new park-and-ride garages on the periphery of the capital, traffic will continue to worsen, prompting frustrated leaders to give up and rebrand Luxembourg as a global destination for people who love being stuck in their cars. An advertising company will be paid big money to create the new slogan: Luxembourg: come for a day, stay for a week. 2029: The roadworks that have been paralysing much of Luxembourg City since the late 2010s finally come to an end. Following initial relief, residents are overcome by sadness when they realise they had more frequent and meaningful contact with the workers than with any of their friends and relatives. Read more at wurst.lu Photo credit: JP Gomez Algeria released on Thursday 76 prominent anti-government protest figures from detention, including well-known independence war veteran Lakhdar Bouregaa, state television and a lawyer said. Bouregaa was freed from an Algiers prison after six months in detention, an AFP photographer said. "His trial, which was due to start this morning, has been postponed and the judge has decided to release him," his lawyer Abdelghani Badi said. State television said 75 members of the "Hirak" anti-government protest movement were also freed -- over half of the 140 who had been detained by the authorities, either convicted or awaiting judgement. Bouregaa, 86, was arrested in June at his home in Algiers for "insulting a state body" and "taking part in a scheme to demoralise the army with the aim of harming the nation's defence". His supporters attributed his detention to his criticism of army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah, who became Algeria's de facto strongman after the fall of longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika last April. Gaid Salah died of a heart attack in December. Badi said that Bouregaa, who underwent emergency surgery for a hernia during his detention in November, would remain free during his trial, postponed until March 12. Bouregaa was a commander of the National Liberation Army -- which fought French colonial rule -- and a founder in 1963 of the Front for Socialist Forces, one of Algeria's oldest opposition parties. Before his arrest, he took part in the demonstrations that have rocked Algeria since last February -- initially against Bouteflika, and then the wider establishment, after the president was forced to resign. Bouregaa's arrest provoked outrage, notably from supporters of the "Hirak", who branded him a "prisoner of conscience" and demanded his release. Among other detainees freed on bail Thursday was retired general Hocine Benhadid. The 73-year-old was accused of "demoralising the army" after criticising Gaid Salah. Mohamed Tadjadit, an activist nicknamed the "Hirak poet" was also among those released, according to the National Committee for the Liberation of Prisoners, a support group. Abdelhamid Amine, who was sentenced to three months imprisonment for his anti-government cartoons under the pen name "Nime", was released after serving one month, according to the support group. Many protesters were arrested ahead of an unpopular presidential election in December, many for waving Berber flags at protests or making critical comments online. Some were acquitted, often after months of pre-trial detention while 30 were convicted of "attacking the integrity of the territory" and released after serving six month sentences. After a vote marred by low turnout, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, an ex-premier under Bouteflika, was sworn in as Algeria's new president on December 19. Bangladesh's paramilitary force chief said on Thursday that a total of 445 Bangladeshi nationals returned from India in last two months following the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) by the Indian government. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Maj Gen Md Shafeenul Islam disclosed the figure during a press briefing here. "About 1,000 people were arrested in 2019 for illegal border crossings from India to Bangladesh, with 445 of them returning home in November and December," Islam was quoted as saying by bdnews24.com. After verifying their identities through local representatives, BGB came to know that all the intruders are Bangladeshis, he added. Last week, Islam visited India where he said that the creation of the NRC is completely an "internal affair" of India and the cooperation between the border guarding forces of the two countries is very good. He said the BGB will continue to do its work of preventing illegal border crossings as per its mandate. A BGB delegation, led by Islam, was on a bilateral visit to India to hold DG-level border talks with its counterparts, the Border Security Force (BSF). The talks took place from December 26-29, during which a host of issues related to cross-border smuggling and activities of criminals and others along the 4,096-km-long front were discussed. Responding to a question, Islam said, "No discussion was held at the conference over the (NRC) issue". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Trend Iran would remain connected to international trade by accession to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Vice President of Iran-China Chamber of Commerce Majid Reza Hariri told Trend. "The issue with FATF is of economic, banking nature. However in our country this has turned into a security and political issue," Hariri said. He said that once Iran considers its national interests, along with political, trade and security issues, it will make a decision. "Even if the sanctions are lifted, in terms of international trade without FATF - we cannot be active," Hariri said. "As a businessman, I can say that without FATF, we have no place in global financial system, so we need to decide if we want to be there or not," he said. The FATF was established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 Group to combat money laundering. FATF has 37 members and its secretariat is in Paris. The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. During the recent FATF meeting, Iran has been warned that it may be added to the list of non-cooperative countries within the next three months if it does not completely fulfill the FATF requirements. Iran fulfilled 37 of 41 FATF requirements. The remaining four requirements refer to the legislative field. Although four conventions have been approved and sent to the Expediency Board, the CFT and Palermo conventions have not yet been ratified by the Board. Iran was included in the FATF blacklist in 2007. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz - Recognized as the best and most innovative academia connect program that promotes employability within students PUNE, India, Dec. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Xpanxion, a UST Global company, is pleased to announce that Xpanxion India was awarded the "Best Industry-Academia Connect Program - 2019" at the SEAP Pune Connect 2019, for creating a significant impact in academia through campus collaboration. SEAP (Software Exporter's Association of Pune) aims to stimulate better interactions among Software Export units in Pune and plays a pivotal role in its member companies. The Industry-Academia Connect Program award acknowledges companies who take a sincere effort in making the fresh graduate's industry-ready, shaping up the future of academia through joint research and curriculum development. Xpanxion's Industry academia program has made significant strides during the past few years which has shaped a momentous impact in strategic engagement with academia. Through this program, Xpanxion has created an ecosystem to groom and orient fresh graduates to gain a real-time exposure of working in the IT industry. It provides graduates with a breadth of experience by giving them a chance to work and develop skills and knowledge across disruptive technologies, processes and methodologies. And, as the graduates develop a broad understanding of the latest technologies, they are provided with a chance to unleash and work on their own ideas and innovate for their better tomorrow. With impressive entries, the 8th annual SEAP Pune Connect, 2019 program attracted a record number of impressive public and private companies. The event served as a platform to meet peers, customers, investors, partners, mentors, and other affiliates. This year's edition had 25+ speakers from the industry and attracted many hundreds of people to attend the event in Pune. On this glorious day, Mr. S. Ramprasad, President, Xpanxion, accepted the award, who also serves on the board of several educational institutions and has provided various strategic inputs for Industry collaborations. Upon receiving the Best Industry-Academia award he said, "Our commitment towards academia will continue as we will invite more fresh graduates to our research and innovation lab to work on some of the most disruptive technologies and solve business and technical problems for society." He further added, "I am thankful to SEAP for recognizing our efforts, we will continue enhancing our industry-academia connect program and will reach out to a greater number of colleges and students in the upcoming years." About Xpanxion: Xpanxion, a UST global group company Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia is a leading global product & platform engineering company helping its 50+ global client base for 20 years of technology excellence. Xpanxion offers Product & platform engineering, Digital Solutions, QA, Automation and concept design capabilities to its clients. For additional information, visit us at www.xpanxion.com. About UST Global UST Global is a leading digital technology solutions company that provides advanced computing and digital services to large private and public enterprises around the world. Its clients include Fortune 500 companies in banking and financial services, insurance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, shipping, technology, semi-conductor and telecom. UST Global believes in building long-term, strategic business partnerships through client-centric global engagement models that combine local experts and resources with the cost, scale, and quality advantages of global operations. For more information, please visit: www.ust-global.com Media Contacts, Xpanxion: Aadarsh Ranjan +91-9923699112 [email protected] Media Contacts, UST Global: Tinu Cherian Abraham +91-7899045194 Neha Misri +91-9972631264 Global PR and Marketing UST Global [email protected] Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/540539/UST_Global_Logo.jpg SOURCE UST Global San Francisco, Jan 2 : In a ray of hope for those who have to go for breast cancer screening and even for healthy women who get false alarms during digital mammography, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Google model has left radiologists behind in spotting breast cancer by just scanning the X-ray results. Reading mammograms is a difficult task, even for experts, and can often result in both false positives and false negatives. In turn, these inaccuracies can lead to delays in detection and treatment, unnecessary stress for patients and a higher workload for radiologists who are already in short supply, Google said in a blog post on Wednesday. Google's AI model spotted breast cancer in de-identified screening mammograms (where identifiable information has been removed) with greater accuracy, fewer false positives and fewer false negatives than experts. "This sets the stage for future applications where the model could potentially support radiologists performing breast cancer screenings," said Shravya Shetty, Technical Lead, Google Health. Digital mammography or X-ray imaging of the breast, is the most common method to screen for breast cancer, with over 42 million exams performed each year in the US and the UK combined. "But despite the wide usage of digital mammography, spotting and diagnosing breast cancer early remains a challenge," said Daniel Tse, Product Manager, Google Health. Together with colleagues at DeepMind, Cancer Research UK Imperial Centre, Northwestern University and Royal Surrey County Hospital, Google set out to see if AI could support radiologists to spot the signs of breast cancer more accurately. The findings, published in the journal Nature, showed that AI could improve the detection of breast cancer. Google AI model was trained and tuned on a representative data set comprised of de-identified mammograms from more than 76,000 women in the UK and more than 15,000 women in the US, to see if it could learn to spot signs of breast cancer in the scans. The model was then evaluated on a separate de-identified data set of more than 25,000 women in the UK and over 3,000 women in the US. "In this evaluation, our system produced a 5.7 per cent reduction of false positives in the US, and a 1.2 per cent reduction in the UK. It produced a 9.4 per cent reduction in false negatives in the US, and a 2.7 per cent reduction in the UK," informed Google. The researchers then trained the AI model only on the data from the women in the UK and then evaluated it on the data set from women in the US. In this separate experiment, there was a 3.5 per cent reduction in false positives and an 8.1 per cent reduction in false negatives, "showing the model's potential to generalize to new clinical settings while still performing at a higher level than experts". Notably, when making its decisions, the model received less information than human experts did. The human experts (in line with routine practice) had access to patient histories and prior mammograms, while the model only processed the most recent anonymized mammogram with no extra information. Despite working from these X-ray images alone, the model surpassed individual experts in accurately identifying breast cancer. This work, said Google, is the latest strand of its research looking into detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, not just within the scope of radiology, but also pathology. "We're looking forward to working with our partners in the coming years to translate our machine learning research into tools that benefit clinicians and patients," said the tech giant. The phones of nearly every Michigander are inundated with robocalls with dubious offers to deal with student loan debt, handle a non-existent problem with the IRS or extend a vehicle warranty. Now, you could help stop the calls by filing a complaint with the Michigan Attorney Generals office. "The message we want to send loud and clear is if you are engaged in this kind of illegal activity, we are going to come after you. And we are going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law, Attorney General Dana Nessel said at a press conference unveiling a new Robocall Crackdown Team recently. MLive sat down with Wisam Naoum, an assistant attorney general in the AGs Corporate Oversight Division and a member of the new Robocall Crackdown Team, to learn more about what the team hopes to learn from your robocalls. This is such a difficult and pervasive problem that for years federal enforcers, state enforces have struggled to deal with it as the scope of the problem has increased rather dramatically. Were now just starting to develop these capabilities to fight back, Naoum said. There are legal robocalls, including from companies whose lists youve signed up for, your pharmacy reminding you a prescription is ready or requesting money for a charitable organization or political party. And then there are the illegal ones, which include those trying to sell you something over $25; people calling even if youre on the national Do Not Call Registry; calls where the caller doesnt provide their full name, who they are calling for and a phone number that will be answered by a live operator; and calls that use spoofing to impersonate a misleading number or inaccurate caller ID. Its those illegal ones the state wants to hear about. Naoum answered questions about how to report those calls to help with the crackdown. Q: How can everyday Michiganders help the Robocall Crackdown Team? A: Reporting all the information that youre getting from these calls. What we tried to do when we set up this complaint form was to make it as easy for the complainee, while at the same time making it easy for the investigators and the attorneys working on these potential cases to actually do something with that information if its a good lead. And it all depends right? You want the public to be able to fill in as much as they can, from not just you know the number they received the call, but what was the scam about, what were they trying to do, did you lose any money, whos your service provider? All these things give us little tidbits that allow the investigator to further the case along just a little bit further or it gives us good data points for our data tracking for us to spot like a trend. ...it allows us to do a lot, but really we need the public to not only just fill out the basics, but to really fill out as much as they can. Q: Where do people report robocalls? A: Its at mi.gov/robocalls. Q: What kind of information is helpful to know when members of the public want to report these robocalls? In general, Naoum said, good information to have includes: - your phone number - the number that called you - the exact time that they called you - what the scam was about - any information you could glean from them Q: Should people pick up the phone to get that information? A: We advise not. But if theyre in a scenario where they do, well take the information. What we advise is, quite frankly if you dont recognize the phone number dont answer. Let it go to voicemail if its important theyll leave you a voicemail and you can call back. You shouldnt be answering these phone calls, you should not press one when prompted. you should just hang up. Theres usually a one- or two-second delay in these phone calls, and thats due to sort of the auto-dialer technology. And right away you should know that you should hang up once you hear that pause. And then if its an automated call just right away hang up. Q: Should people report every time they get a robocall? ... If you get calls every day about your student loan debt you dont have, do you report that once or do you report it every day? A: The best practice I would say is if theyre diligent have the time, is to report it as often as they can, as often as they get it. But we understand that its a time-consuming process and that youre probably inundated with robocalls. But again, the first priority is protecting yourself. The second priority is getting that information that you can get to us. So I think if they follow sort of the guides that weve given, theyll be better protected. But then, to the extent that theyre still inundated and theyre still getting them, absolutely report them to us. Q: What about voicemails, are those helpful? A: Any recording is actually helpful so on the complaint form we sort of instruct folks to, if they do have a recording to send that over to us via email. And on the robocall complaint form there is an email address and instructions on how to do that. And again from an enforcement perspective, right, youre just giving us more tools to win a case, essentially, and a recording goes a long way. Q: What kinds of calls should people not report? A: Anything that is essentially flagged as legal on the website, you dont need to report those. ... lets say you are online, and youre looking for a mortgage or something like that. Certain companies will have when you fill in information for like you want to estimate or a quote, given the language and what youre signing up for... youre likely going to give them express consent to contact you. So, If youve done something like that if youve given a company express consent to do that, dont report that. If youre an existing customer of a company and they robocall you dont report that. If its a political call dont report that. If its someone soliciting for a legal charity thats not fraudulent in any way thats usually going to be legal. So theres certain things that are legal that we dont really need reports on and those will be listed on the website. Q: I heard from one person who said they get between 12 and 20 robocalls per day. Is there anything people can do to make themselves less likely to get robocalls? A: Yes, not answering them, number one. And then we have a lot of materials on the website under the 'protect yourself banner. Q: How many complaints does the AG get about robocalls currently, before this enforcement push? A: This is the number one complaint we receive in this office and thats why youve seen the AG act aggressively on this issue it is far and away the number one complaint we get. Q: How long do you think it will take before Michiganders see a noticeable decrease in robocalls because of this effort? A: So, this is going to take some time. This is not announcing this was not you know this the silver bullet and robocallers are going to look at it and stop calling into Michigan. This is a wide-ranging initiative that draws on partnerships with federal agencies and were working with them to develop a lot of protocols... Were working with the carriers to see what works best for them and what we can do from the legal side of things to help them. And likewise, theyre talking to us to see what the best ways to help us on enforcement are. So, for instance, trace-back. Weve been developing the ability to trace back robocalls to the ultimate caller, whereas previously we werent able to do that. That relies on a partnership between law enforcement and the carriers for instance. So youre going to see a lot of action from different players, whether its industry, state government, federal government that are working on this. So, all the things that were implementing were implementing together. And hopefully, were going to start to see some benefits from this soon. But were not again, were not sure. These people are that are making these calls are dynamic, theyre sophisticated, theyre clever. And so, so far theyve been a step or two ahead but now were closing the gap. Well see how they respond. Q: One of our commenters saw the initial story about the Robocalls crackdown effort and quipped next time she is going to ensure everyone receives a pet unicorn. What do you say to people who have no hope that robocalls can be stopped? A: Again, this is something that is not a silver bullet, were not going to stop every robocall from anyone ever. If youre thinking of it in that sense, thats probably the incorrect way to do it. And were also a government agency that is resource-limited in the sense of how much the legislature gives us, and we do with that what we can. ... one of the partnerships were developing is with the public. And so, if theyre better protecting themselves, that makes our lives a little bit easier. If theyre also reporting these vigilantly it makes our lives a lot easier, because were able to track data trends, see exactly whats happening, and so on so forth. So I mean were hoping to eventually get to the point where we can stop a robocall campaign in their tracks, for instance, which we havent had the capability to do in the past. Prime Minister was confronted by angry residents who cursed and insulted him Thursday as he visited a wildfire-ravaged corner of the country. Locals in Cobargo, in New South Wales, yelled at him, made obscene gestures and called him an "idiot" and worse, criticizing him for the lack of equipment to deal with the fires in town. They jeered as his motorcade drove off. In the New South Wales town of Quaama, a firefighter refused to shake hands with him. "Every single time this area has a flood or a fire, we get nothing. If we were Sydney, if we were north coast, we would be flooded with donations with urgent emergency relief," a resident said in Cobargo. The outpouring of anger came as authorities said 381 homes had been destroyed on the New South Wales southern coast this week. At least eight people have died this week in New South Wales and the neighbouring state of Victoria. More than 200 fires are burning in Australia's two most-populous states. Blazes have also been burning in Western Australia, South and Tasmania. "I'm not surprised people are feeling very raw at the moment. And that's why I came today, to be here, to see it for myself, to offer what comfort I could," Morrison said, adding, "There is still, you know, some very dangerous days ahead. And we understand that, and that's why we're going to do everything we can to ensure they have every support they will need." Morrison, who has also been criticised over his climate change policies and accused of putting the economy ahead of the environment, insisted that is "meeting the challenge better than most countries" and "exceeding the targets we set out." WATCH: Australian Prime Minister gets cold reception in town ravaged by wildfires pic.twitter.com/IqOt6ClxhX BNO News (@BNONews) January 2, 2020 Cooler weather since Tuesday has aided firefighting and allowed people to replenish supplies, with long lines of cars forming at gas stations and supermarkets. But high temperatures and strong winds are forecast to return on Saturday, and thousands of tourists fled the country's eastern coast Thursday ahead of worsening conditions.New South Wales authorities ordered tourists to leave a 250-kilometre (155-mile) zone. State Transport Minister Andrew Constance called it the "largest mass relocation of people out of the region that we've ever seen". New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a seven-day state of emergency starting Friday, which grants fire officials more authority. It's the third state of emergency for New South Wales in the past two months. "We don't take these decisions lightly, but we also want to make sure we're taking every single precaution to be prepared for what could be a horrible day on Saturday," Berejiklian said. The early and devastating start to Australia's summer wildfires has led authorities to rate this season the worst on record. About 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned, at least 17 people have been killed, and more than 1,400 homes have been destroyed. The crisis "will continue to go on until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months," the prime minister said. In Victoria, where 83 homes have burned this week, the military helped thousands of people who fled to the shoreline as a wildfire threatened their homes in the coastal town of Mallacoota. Food, water, fuel and medical expertise were being delivered, and about 500 people were going to be evacuated from the town by a naval ship. "We think around 3,000 tourists and 1,000 locals are there. Not all of those will want to leave, not all can get on the vessel at one time," Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Smoke from the wildfires made the air quality in the capital, Canberra, the worst in the world, according to a ranking Thursday. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Pulakeshinagar police have arrested three people in connection with the Muthoot Finance burglary case and have seized eight kgs of gold ornaments. In the wee hours of December 22, a gang of burglars had gained entry into the firm located in Cooke Town in Pulakeshinagar by drilling the wall of the toilet. Breaking open the safe, the gang had decamped with 70 kgs of pledged gold ornaments wo r th ab o u t Rs 16 crore. The East division police had formed special teams to crack the case and the team had gone to Delhi, Nepal and other places to nab the accused. It is learnt that the security guard of the firm had gone absconding after the incident and the police were on the lookout for him. Based on several clues, the police zeroed in on three accused persons and arrested them. Eight kgs of stolen gold ornaments have been recovered from them. Investigation has revealed that 12 people were involved in the burglary. The gang, soon after committing the crime had gone to a lodge, and had distributed the loot equally and then had dispersed. We are on the lookout for absconding accused persons, a senior police officer said. Phuket Governor offers New Year blessings for 2020 PHUKET: Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana yesterday attended a special blessing ceremony for the New Year, and called on people to continue their support and good deeds to help make Phuket a better place. culture By The Phuket News Thursday 2 January 2020, 11:59AM The special blessing ceremony for the Near Year at Saphan Hin yesterday (Jan 1) included offering alms to monks. Photo: PR Dept The special blessing ceremony for the Near Year at Saphan Hin yesterday (Jan 1) included offering alms to monks. Photo: PR Dept The special blessing ceremony for the Near Year at Saphan Hin yesterday (Jan 1) included offering alms to monks. Photo: PR Dept The special blessing ceremony for the Near Year at Saphan Hin yesterday (Jan 1) included offering alms to monks. Photo: PR Dept The special blessing ceremony for the Near Year at Saphan Hin yesterday (Jan 1) included offering alms to monks. Photo: PR Dept The special blessing ceremony for the Near Year at Saphan Hin yesterday (Jan 1) included offering alms to monks. Photo: PR Dept Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana at a special blessing ceremony for the Near Year at Saphan Hin yesterday (Jan 1). Photo: PR Dept Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana at a special blessing ceremony for the Near Year at Saphan Hin yesterday (Jan 1). Photo: PR Dept At the ceremony, held at Sapan Hin yesterday morning, Governor Phakaphong wished one and all a joyful, happy and prosperous New Year. Joining the Governor in his New Year blessings were all three Phuket Vice Governors Wongsakorn Nunchukan, Pichet Panapong and Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai along with Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana and other officials. Phra Kru Prakhunsutthakit, Deputy Abbot of Wat Wichit Sangkharam, led the formal blessing ceremony, which included a sermon titled Generosity and unity, it will make society happy. After the ceremony, Governor Phakaphong said, I have received good cooperation from everyone. We have jointly developed Phuket as a top province in Thailand. In 2020, I hope I will continue to receive cooperation from all of you to create unity, reconciliation and spiritual volunteer to do good for the nation and His Majesty, and we will unite to develop Phuket. I love Phuket province, and I want to make Phuket a famous and beautiful tourist destination that is international standard. May the Buddhist triple gems of LuangPor Chaem of Wat Chalong, and Thao ThepKasattri and Thao Srisoonthorn [the Phuket Heroines] and all the sacred things bless you and your family to be healthy and joyful. Also may everyones wish to be granted for the whole 2020, he added. Governor Phakaphong also presented his New Year blessings in a video and in a letter personally signed. The top cop hunting for two missing Idaho children has issued a stark warning to their fugitive mother through DailyMail.com. Show us proof that the kids are still alive and this whole thing will go away, said Gary Hagen, assistant chief of police in Rexburg, Idaho. But he said his force is getting no cooperation from the mother, librarian Lori Vallow, or her new husband, Mormon Doomsday author Chad Daybell as they search for the youngsters and so he has to fear for the worst. We have absolutely no idea where they are. We have no indication that they arent alive but equally we have no indication that they are not dead, he said in an exclusive interview. 17-year-old Tylee Ryan (left) and Joshua JJ Vallow, 7, (right) have not been seen or heard from since September but cops only realized they were missing two days before Thanksgiving when they were asked to conduct a welfare check by relatives who had been unable to contact JJ since September Show us proof that the kids are still alive and this whole thing will go away, said Gary Hagen, assistant chief of police in Rexburg, Idaho, said in a message to Lori Vallow Lori Vallow, 46, (right) is on the run with husband Chad Daybell, 51, (left) after authorities learned Lori's children Joshua, seven, and Tylee, 17, have been missing since September Hagen was talking as the hunt for 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and Joshua JJ Vallow, 7, heats up. The FBI has now joined the search. The youngsters have not been seen or heard from since September but cops only realized they were missing two days before Thanksgiving when they were asked to conduct a welfare check by relatives who had been unable to contact JJ since September. Already four deaths and one attempted murder are linked with either Vallow, 46, or Daybell, 51, over the past two years. They married just two weeks after Daybells first wife Tammy died, aged just 49. Her obituary said she passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 19. She was buried in her hometown of Springville, Utah, in a cemetery where Chad Daybell once worked but her body has now been exhumed to see if there was any foul play. One of the couples five children who answered the door at the Daybells neat single-story brick house in Salem, Idaho, said he had been told he must not say anything about the case. He referred DailyMail.com to the couples lawyer Sean Bartholick who had no comment. In an earlier statement, Batholick said: 'Chad Daybell is a loving husband and has the support of his children in this matter. Lori Daybell is a devoted mother and resents assertions to the contrary. 'We look forward to addressing the allegations once they have moved beyond speculation and rumor.' We have absolutely no idea where they are. We have no indication that they arent alive but equally we have no indication that they are not dead, Hagen said in an exclusive interview. 17-year-old Tylee Ryan is pictured right and Joshua JJ Vallow, 7, is pictured left The apartment complex where Joshua and Tylee lived in Rexburg is pictured Vallows husband Joseph Ryan was just 59 when he died of an apparent heart attack in 2018. He was cremated so his body cannot be exhumed. She then married Charles Vallow, who was shot dead by her brother Alex Cox after the three got into an argument when he went to pick up JJ in July. Vallow was 62. Cox, who had served prison sentences in both Texas and Utah for violent assaults, died on December 12, the day after Tammys body was dug up. He was 51. The cause of his death has not been released. And Brandon Boudreaux was shot at as he drove in Gilbert, Arizona, on October 2. The Jeep that his would-be killer was driving was registered to Charles Vallow, who had died three months earlier, court papers show. Boudreaux told the Arizona Republic that his wife, Melani Lori Vallows niece had joined Daybells cult and suddenly asked for a divorce over the summer. Cops believe that if the two children are not dead already their lives are in danger. We are aware that in the weeks after Tammy Daybells death, Lori Vallow/Daybell and Chad Dabell told witnesses that Loris daughter had died a year before the death of her father, which is untrue, Rexburg police chief Shane Turman said in a press release. Around that same time Chad told another witness that Lori had no minor children.' Turman said no charges have yet been made because his department wants to focus on finding Tylee and JJ. Lori Vallow married Chad Daybell (left) just weeks after his first wife, Tammy Daybell (right) was found dead under mysterious circumstances on October 19 in Rexburg Tammy was buried in her hometown of Springville, Utah, in a cemetery where Chad Daybell once worked but her body has now been exhumed (grave pictured) to see if there was any foul play Tammy's obituary said she passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 19. The home where she was found dead is pictured If we find that harm was done to these children within our jurisdiction, we will prosecute whoever caused that harm,' he said. Lori Vallow has completely refused to assist this investigation, Turman added. We know the children are not with Lori and Chad Daybell and we have information indicating that Lori knows either the location of the children or what happened to them. It is astonishing that rather than work with law enforcement to help us locate her own children, Lori Vallow has chosen instead to leave the state with her new husband. Daybell has written some 25 books and was known as a 'prepper' someone who is getting ready for the End of Times, Dr. Cristina Rosetti, a PhD who spent four years researching fundamentalist Mormons, told DailyMail.com. 'They become hoarders, for lack of a better word, gathering a lot of food, water, and ammunition,' Rosetti added. 'This is not something out of the ordinary, it is something that Mormonism encouraged at a time and there has been a history of people preparing for the last days.' Daybell was a member of a group called Preparing A People. On its website, he described himself as 'author, publisher, speaker, visionary.' Lori Vallow (right) is pictured here with her previous husband, Charles Vallow (left), who was fatally shot 'in self defense' by Lori's brother in July 2019. Cox himself died on December 12 Michael and Nancy James, who run the organizations website say they have been cooperating with police in their search for Daybell and Vallow and have removed any promotional material for the couple as it would be inappropriate for them to keep it on the site. Like everyone, we are deeply disturbed over media reports involving Mr. Daybell and his new wife Lori Vallow and her 2 missing children, the Jameses wrote on the site. We do not share any of Chad Daybell's or Lori Vallow's beliefs if they are contrary to Christian principles of honesty, integrity and truth, or if they do not align with the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they added. Daybell claims his religious views were formed as a young man when he had two near-death experiences. The first was when he was cliff jumping as a 17-year-old and he 'crossed into another dimension and realized there was a world beyond this one.' The second was in his early-20s when he was smashed around in heavy surf. 'He was hit with a monstrous wave at La Jolla Cove in California,' the biography for his book Living on the Edge of Heaven states. 'While his body was being tossed by the wave, his spirit was visiting with his grandfather, who showed him future events involving his still-unborn children. 'This accident caused his "veil" that separates mortal life from the Spirit World to stay partially open, so he often feels as if he has a foot in both worlds.' He has written about apocalyptic times in a series of 'Times of Turmoil' books. One of the books, Days of Fury, tells of Mormons coping with the imposition of martial law and the aftermath of an earthquake in Salt Lake City, Utah. Chad Daybell's previous wife, Tammy Daybell, died at their home in Rexburg, Idaho, in October and was buried in Springville, Utah. Chad's new wife, Lori, was also widowed in 2019 when her husband, Charles Vallow, was shot dead by her brother, Alex Cox, in July in Chandler, Arizona 'Many Saints have found refuge and safety at mountain camps, but many others are coping with other natural disasters and civil disturbances that continue to plague the nation's city,' a promotional blurb for the book reads. 'Meanwhile, a convoy of United Nations peacekeepers is making its way to Utah to assist in the full invasion of the United States by the Coalition forces, which will spark World War III.' But Daybell's career as an author has now been overshadowed by the mystery of his disappearance and the deaths of so many people associated with him and his new wife. Lori's former mother-in-law, Kay Varrow Woodcock wrote on Facebook: 'Things started changing over the past 18+ months when Lori began spending all her time with a new religious group, that we refer to as a 'cult'. Woodcock, who lives in Lake Charles, Louisiana, told Fox 10 that Lori's personality had changed over the past 24 months. 'To think that within the last two years she has completely changed into a monster, I'm making an understatement,' Kay said. She added: 'Something happened to her. Once she got involved with that cult with Daybell, she just turned off. The person we knew just went away.' The first full-length trailer for A Quiet Place 2 teases new scares in the highly anticipated sequel filmed in Upstate New York. A Quiet Place: Part II will go back in time to show the first day that aliens began attacking Earth in a scary street scene shot in Akron, N.Y. Then the story will pick back up to where the surviving Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe) left off in the first movie, venturing into the post-apocalyptic world and finding new monsters: People. The people that are left, theyre not the kind of people worth saving," new addition Cillian Murphy (Inception," The Dark Knight) ominously says. Director John Krasinski (The Office, Tom Clancys Jack Ryan) filmed the highly anticipated sequel to A Quiet Place this past summer largely in Western New York, including in Olcott, Akron, and Barcelona Harbor on Lake Erie; a shot in the trailer also shows the South Grand Island Bridge in Tonawanda. The production featured 300 background actors working a total of 1,335 shoot days, created 400 hires and invested more than $10 million in the region. Its unclear if Krasinskis character will also appear -- though the flashback scenes make it seem likely -- but his wife, Blunt, and their onscreen children will be joined by Murphy and Guardians of the Galaxy actor Djimon Hounsou in the cast. A Quiet Place was one of the best-reviewed and top-grossing movies of 2018, earning $340 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. The film follows a family forced to live in silence, using sign language to communicate while hiding from extraterrestrial monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. Scenes were filmed in 2017 throughout Upstate New York, including in Little Falls (near Utica), Pawling, New Paltz and Beacon. Blunt won a Screen Actors Guild Award for best supporting actress for her role in the 2018 horror film. A Quiet Place was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Achievement in Sound Editing. A Quiet Place: Part II" is scheduled for release in March 20, 2020. i can actually say i biked across the bridge in a quiet place 2 and i can actually say i almost got hit by a car when i biked across the bridge in a quiet place 2 pic.twitter.com/0PFxbXWVY1 Josh Pawlik (@joshpawlik_) January 1, 2020 Various issues including the death of infants at Kota hospital were discussed during the meeting with party president Sonia Gandhi here on Thursday, said Congress' Rajasthan affairs in-charge Avinash Pandey. Pandey, who met Gandhi at her residence here, told ANI: "It was a pre-scheduled meeting in which various issues were discussed. She is very serious about Kota issue (infant deaths). The Chief Minister (Rajasthan) has sent a detailed report to her." Eight more infants died at a hospital in Kota in the past two days, taking the total toll of children who died in the hospital last month to 100. Dr Amrit Lal Bairwa, who heads the Pediatric Department at JK Lone Hospital, said three children died on December 30 and five more on December 31. "All of them were newborns," he said. Bairwa said that all of them had "low-birth-weight and hypothermia." Seventy-seven children had died in the hospital till December 24. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By PTI PATNA: The Bihar government's proposed tableau based on the theme of "Jal-Jivan-Haryali mission" for the Republic Day parade in Delhi has failed to find favour from the Centre. Rejection of the proposal means that Bihar will not be represented in the grand Republic Day parade at Rajpath in the national capital. Sources in Bihar Information Centre, Delhi, confirmed the rejection of Bihar's proposed tableau. They said the bid did not find favour on the ground that it did not fullfill the necessary criteria laid down for chosing tableaux from the states for the occasion. Bihar had put forward its tableau based on the theme of 'Jal-Jivan-Haryali Abhiyan' launched by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in October 2019 to boost green cover and the groundwater table in the state. ALSO READ | Lalu's 'ghosts' threaten to cast their spell on Bihar politics as Assembly polls near Kumar at present is criss-crossing the state to propagate the water-life-greenery programme among the people. Opposition RJD took a potshot at the NDA government at the Centre for "humiliating" the people of Bihar by dismissing its tableau. "They (NDA government at the Centre) earlier shot down Bihar's demand for special status and has now rejected a proposal to showcase its scheme through a tableau on the Republic Day. This is the truth of the 'double-engine' government trumpeted by the BJP," RJD spokesman Mritunjan Tiwari said. The NDA governments at the Centre and in Bihar are cited by the ruling coalition leaders as "double engine" government to propel development in the state. The ninth Senate was inaugurated six months ago and many members of the chambers took their oath offices then. This was after President Muhammadu Buhari issued a proclamation letter about two weeks after he was sworn in for a second term. The letter proclaimed the termination of the eighth assembly as well as commencement of the ninth. Lawmakers, thereafter, elected leaders for both chambers. They elected Ahmad Lawan as Senate President and Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Upon resumption, the Lawan-led Senate has, on many occasions, assured Nigerians that the legislative arm will work for the good of Nigerians. While many have commended some legislations of the ninth Senate, other actions of the lawmakers have been criticised with many Nigerians tagging the Senate and its leadership as a rubber stamp. In this analysis, PREMIUM TIMES reviews some of the highs and lows of the ninth Senate so far. HIGHS 1. Cordial relationship with the Executive One striking feature about the new assembly is the new found love that exists between it and the executive. It is as though both are parties are willing to do anything to make the other comfortable. Past assemblies, especially the eighth Senate, had sour relationships with the executive. Many setbacks suffered by the eighth Senate was largely as a result of lack of understanding between both arms of government. Senate President, Ahmed Lawan Being one of his campaign promises, Mr Lawan has, so far, managed to maintain that good relationship with the executive. 2. Speedy budget passage This is probably the biggest achievement of the ninth Senate and the entire National Assembly in 2019. Delays in passage of national budget had been a major failure for previous assemblies as it usually takes not less than three or four months to pass it. This was not different in the eight Senate. In 2016, President Buhari presented the budget on December 22 but it was not passed until March 23, 2017. The 2018 budget was presented on December 14, 2017 and passed on March 11 of the next year. The 2019 budget was passed on April 30 after it was first presented to the National Assembly in December 19, 2018. The National Assembly had blamed delayed budget passage on late presentation, failure of MDAs to appear before committees, oversight functions, among others. But this time, the 2020 budget was presented on October 8 and passed on December 8. This time also, all MDAs were present to defend their budgets this is not unrelated to the presidents instruction asking representatives of MDAs to remain in the country until after their budget defence. This is also not unrelated to the new found understanding between the executive and the legislative arms of government. 3. Prompt attention to crucial bills One other characteristic of the ninth Senate is the prompt attention as well as speedy passage of bills that are deemed important. Advertisements Some of these bills are the Appropriation Bill, which was passed within two months, the Finance Bill, which was quickly attended to even though lawmakers did not have copies of the bill at the stage of second reading; the Deep Offshore and the Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Act and the Public Procurement Act. Other actions speedily addressed include the confirmation of nominees sent by the president. Some of them are the nominees for the board of Niger Delta Development Commission, Asset Management Coporation of Nigeria, INEC RECs, NAHCON, Chief Judge of Federal High Court, among others. LOWS 1. Budget padding As it has been with previous assemblies, the ninth Senate is no different in this regards. The ninth Senate has been found guilty of inserting extra costs into the 2020 budget most of which are hidden under dubious implementation of projects. Members of the National Assembly had on December 8, passed the 2020 budget of N10.6 trillion against the N10.3 trillion presented by the president a difference of about N264 billion. PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the budget was padded with the Federal Capital Territory Administration and Universal Basic Education Commission getting the biggest chunk of the increments. Surprisingly, President Buhari, known for strict attention to transparency, signed the budget without raising the issue of additional costs in the budget. President Muhammadu Buhari In 2016, the parliament was accused of padding the budget with about N481 billion. Also, Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo in 2017, delayed signing of the budget because of the removal of priority projects and introduction of new projects by lawmakers. In 2018, Mr Buhari accused the lawmakers introducing non-essential projects in the budget. He said the lawmakers introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion. Similarly, before signing the 2019 budget, the President said the addition of about N90 billion to the N8.83 trillion he submitted to the legislature would make it difficult for the government to realise its set objectives. The presidents decision to sign 2020 budget without raising alarm is again, not unrelated to the new found love between the two arms. 2. Non-transparency of budget Even though N128 billion has been allocated to the National Assembly, details and releases of line items remain unknown weeks after the budget has been passed and signed. National Assembly Many Nigerians and civic groups have urged the legislature to make public its budget with details of specific funding for each budgeted item. 3. Checks, Balances Despite the cordial relationships that exists between the two, the ninth Senate has failed to check most of the actions of the executive, especially that of impunity. One of such instance was the presidents decision to disobey the rule of law by ignoring court orders in the case of activists, Omoyele Sowore. Mr Sowore was arrested alongside an activist, Olawale Bakare, on August 3 by the State Security Service for planning a protest to call for revolution. They were charged with treasonable felony, fraud and abusing the president. The DSS rearrested Sowore after he was released by the court The court had granted the duo bail twice, but the SSS, which reports directly to the president, failed to obey the court orders and instead kept them illegally in detention. Barely 24 hours after they were released, armed officials went into the court premises to violently apprehend the duo, the first time in the nations history. This time, both the Senate and the presidency kept mum on the matter. The Senate only reacted six days later by asking its committee on Judiciary to investigate the matter. Another instance is failure of the Senate to question the $29 billion loan request of the president a loan which he said is to execute key infrastructural projects across the country between 2016 and 2018. Even though the same request was rejected by the previous Senate, the Senate President has said the ninth Senate will approve the request. The former senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani A former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, had also explained that the eighth Senate rejected the Presidents loan request to save Nigeria from sinking into the dark gully of a perpetual debt trap. But the Senate, currently filled with loyalists of the president, has already begun considering the loan request. 4. Lateness What was a norm in the previous Senate, has continued in this Senate. Since its inauguration, members of the upper chamber have portrayed lateness to seesions and disorderliness with all the principal officers culpable. A report by this paper in 2017 showed how this menace characterised the previous Senate. Also, the former chief whip, Olusola Adeyeye, who spoke at the valecdictory session to mark the end of the eight Senate, had, among other things, urged members of the ninth Senate to curb the habit of resuming plenary late. By interpretation of the standing order, plenary is supposed to start at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. But never have the lawmakers complied with this rule. As a matter of fact, the first session on June 13, commenced at 10:35 a.m. this was 14 minutes after the Senate President walked into the chamber. Subsequent plenary sessions have been delayed by at least 20 minutes or even an hour. By PTI KOLKATA: The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA) on Thursday organised a two-hour sit-in outside the varsity campus to protest against the attack on a colleague allegedly by BJP workers and vowed not to be "intimidated by saffron forces". Around 100 JUTA members, accompanied by students and non-teaching staff of the institute, took part in the demonstration which also condemned the threat to another JU teacher on social media, purportedly by a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) member, on Wednesday for expressing solidarity with those raising their voice against the amended Citizenship Act and proposed nationwide NRC. Teachers of various faculties of the JU unanimously voiced their concern against "the intimidatory tactics by saffron forces to muzzle democratic protests", JUTA General Secretary Parthapratim Roy said. The teachers will continue to raise their voices against any effort to curb freedom of expression, he said. Roy said the sit-in was initially planned to condemn the attack on Doyeeta Majumder, assistant professor of the English department, allegedly by a few women activists of the BJP near the campus on December 30. Majumder was allegedly roughed up when she protested against the 'disparaging remarks' against the institute and a particular community at a BJP rally. "Two days after this incident, on January 1 a teacher of Mass Communication department Swantan Chattopadhyay was threatened on Facebook messenger by a person who said Chattopadhyay was being identified for his stand on some contemporary issues. The message further said Chattopadhyay should keep in mind that time will change one day," Roy said. The Facebook message was sent by someone, who is known as a leader of the BJP's youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuba Morcha, Roy claimed. Majumder filed a complaint with the police for the attack on her and two of her students who had tried to save her. Chattopadhyay claimed to have forwarded the screenshots of the threat message to the Kolkata Police cybercrime cell. Protesters rally in Hong Kong on New Year's Day Iran Press TV Wednesday, 01 January 2020 10:25 AM Tens of thousands of protesters have held anti-government rallies in Hong Kong on New Year's Day, clashing with security forces. Protesters, some of them waving US flags, started the rally from Victoria Park in the Causeway Bay district usually packed with tourists and shoppers and were scheduled to finally gather in the commercial heart of the international financial hub on Wednesday. The rally had received police approval in advance. Clashes, however, erupted between police and protesters mid-way during the rally, after masked protesters hurled petrol bombs at officers. Police also fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the Wanchai district. On the other part of the city, protesters were carrying banners listing their main demands, including an independent inquiry into the police handling of seven months of protests. Police had deployed more than 6,000 officers ahead of the rallies on Tuesday to provide security on New Year's Day. The city cancelled its traditional New Year Eve's fireworks display due to safety concerns, but a light show and smaller-scale fireworks took place. A firefighter puts out a fire lit by protesters in the Kowloon district of Hong Kong, on December 31, 2019. (Photo by AFP) Late on Tuesday evening, police had to fire tear gas and use water cannon to disperse protesters, who occupied roads outside shopping malls and set fire to barricades in the Mong Kok district. Meanwhile, police arrested several people in the nearby Prince Edward neighborhood. The city has been rocked by protests since June over a proposed bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China. The bill was later withdrawn, but the protests continued, although they have lost much of their steam lately. China has condemned violence in the semi-autonomous region, censuring foreign powers, including the United States and Britain the former colonial power in the city for stirring anti-establishment sentiment and interfering in the country's internal affairs. Chinese president wishes Hong Kong well In a New Year video message broadcast on Chinese media, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Hong Kong's recent crisis was concerning and that the "people of our motherland" expected stability in the city. "Without a harmonious and stable environment, how can people live in peace and enjoy their work?! I sincerely wish Hong Kong well and our Hong Kong compatriots well," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Among the list of new restaurants and eateries to try in 2020 in Montgomery County, Heather Martin and her husband Arron are opening the first Houston location of Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea in the new Windcrest Village shopping center in Magnolia. Its going to be a place for everyone, Martin says. Originally founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1993 by Wei and Lisa Bee near The University of Michigan, it was inspired by their love of everything food related including drinks such as teas and coffee. In Texas there are locations open in Dallas and Austin owned by other franchisees. The cafe has locations across the nation. The cafe hosts a mixture of globally inspired drinks. It celebrates a classic cafe menu. Among the common coffee drinks such as americano, expresso, cappuccino and lattes there are specialty drinks that will only be served unique to the coffeehouse such as Dragon Eye, French Vietnamese Au Lait and more. It has a lot of Asian influences, with the coffee and the coffee beans, Martin says. We use real ingredients wherever we can, she said. For example for their strawberry drinks instead of using strawberry sweeteners theyll use real strawberries. Because Wei and Lisa Bee traveled the world together, they have brought different coffee and teas from regions around the world to the coffeehouse, Martin says. The Martins plan to help out in the community as well. They plan volunteer work, partnerships within the community and community events. Were hoping to have a happy place for people to go and relax. Well have game nights, live music and a lot of the art on our wall will be from the community. So well have spotlight for different artists every couple of months. And just be a really nice place to go and get away, she said. Martin says that the 1,896 square-foot cafe is set for opening towards the end of February or first of March, depending on when the building will be finished and employees can be trained. laraib.hashmi@chron.com Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have successfully used a laser-assisted imaging tool to "see" what happens in brain cells of mice learning to reach out and grab a pellet of food. Their experiments, they say, add to evidence that such motor-based learning can occur in multiple areas of the brain, even ones not typically associated with motor control. "Scientists should be looking at the entire brain to understand specific types of learning," says Richard Huganir, Ph.D., Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and Director of the Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Different parts of the brain contribute to learning in different ways, and studying brain cell receptors can help us decipher how this works." The work, say the researchers, may ultimately inform efforts to develop treatments for learning-based and neurocognitive disorders. In a report on the work, appearing online Dec. 31 in Neuron, Huganir and his research team say they focused on AMPA-type glutamate receptors, or AMPARs, key molecules that help send messages between brain cells called neurons. AMPARs function like antennas that form along the surface of a particular spot on neurons called a synapse, where it receives molecular signals from other neurons. To monitor and measure AMPAR levels in mouse brains, scientists previously had to dissect the organ before and after a learning experiment and compare differences. Now, scientists have ways to directly view the brain during learning, recording thousands of synapses at a time. In the new experiments, scientists injected DNA-encoding AMPARs carrying a fluorescent tag into the brains of mice, and used an electrical pulse to get neurons to absorb the AMPAR DNA. Next, with a tool called two-photon microscopy, the scientists used a laser -- essentially an intensely focused beam of light -- to detect and measure the amount of fluorescence coming from the tagged AMPARs. More fluorescence is an indication of increased AMPAR activity and messaging between neurons, a good sign that learning and memory building is taking place in those neurons, Huganir says. To "see" what learning looked like in the test animals' neurons, Huganir's team trained mice to reach for and grab a food pellet placed just outside their cage using their paws. Normally, mice get pellets with their mouths. While the mice were learning how to reach for the pellet, the scientists found an approximately 20% increase in the activity of AMPARs in an area of the brain known as the motor cortex, which is known for controlling and precisely moving muscles. On neurons, the AMPARs look like lights on a Christmas tree and glow brighter with increasing activity. But the experiments also showed the same increase in AMPAR activity levels in the visual cortex too. "This made sense because vision is very important for motor control," says Richard Roth, Ph.D., currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, but who performed experiments for this study as a graduate student in Huganir's laboratory. "So, we did the same experiment again, but with the lights switched off," says Roth. Using infrared light, which the mice couldn't see, the mice eventually learned to successfully grab the food, but there was a smaller increase (10%) in the activity of AMPARs in the visual cortex. "We believe the mice brains are using different sets of sensory cues in the dark to learn the motor task, including touch and smell, enabling these other senses to take over," says Roth. Next, the research team repeated the experiments using specialized light-activated modulators to shut down neurons in either the motor or visual cortex. If the mice were trained to get the pellet with the room lights on, the mice could not complete the task if their visual cortex was shut down. "Clearly, these mice relied on learning centralized in their visual cortex to reach the pellet," says Roth. However, mice initially trained to grab the pellet in the dark could still complete the task, even if their visual cortex was shut down. "We've traditionally thought that motor-based learning happens solely in the motor part of the brain, but our studies and others now show that it's not as specific as we had thought. There is more of a brainwide effect in learning," says Roth. Huganir notes that among the genes that control neuronal receptors involved in learning is SYNGAP. His and others' research has shown that when the gene is mutated, it contributes to conditions including intellectual disability, autism and schizophrenia -- all conditions marked in part by disrupted thinking and learning. ### This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01NS036715 and P50MH100024). Other scientists who contributed to this research include Robert H. Cudmore from the University of California School of Medicine, Davis; Han Tan and Ingie Hong from Johns Hopkins; and Yong Zhang from Peking University, Beijing. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.12.005 BEIRUT - Interpol issued a wanted notice Thursday for former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who jumped bail in Japan and fled to Lebanon rather than face trial on financial misconduct charges in a dramatic escape that has confounded and embarrassed authorities. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this March 6, 2019, file photo, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn travels in a car, in Tokyo, after posting 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) in bail once an appeal by prosecutors against his release was rejected. On Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, Japanese prosecutors raided the Tokyo home of Ghosn, who skipped bail while awaiting trial on financial misconduct allegations, and left for Lebanon. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko. File) BEIRUT - Interpol issued a wanted notice Thursday for former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who jumped bail in Japan and fled to Lebanon rather than face trial on financial misconduct charges in a dramatic escape that has confounded and embarrassed authorities. Lebanese Justice Minister Albert Serhan told The Associated Press in an interview that Lebanon will carry out its duties, suggesting for the first time that the automotive titan may be brought in for questioning. But he said Ghosn entered the country on a legal passport, and he appeared to cast doubt on the possibility Lebanon would hand Ghosn over to Japan. The Interpol notice is the latest twist in Ghosn's daring escape, which spanned three continents and involved private planes, multiple passports and international intrigue. Turkey made several arrests Thursday as part of an investigation into how he passed through the country. Ghosn's arrival in Lebanon jolted the nation, already in the midst of a crippling political impasse and its worst economic crisis in decades. Prosecutors arrives at former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn's residence for a raid in Tokyo Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. Japanese prosecutors raided his Tokyo home after he skipped bail and fled to Lebanon before his trial on financial misconduct charges. (Yuki Sato/Kyodo News via AP) Lebanon must now decide how to deal with the Interpol-issued Red Notice, which is a non-binding request to law enforcement agencies worldwide that they locate and provisionally arrest a fugitive. A Red Notice is not an arrest warrant and does not require Lebanon to arrest Ghosn. Shortly afterward, Ghosn issued a statement his second this week seeking to distance his Lebanese wife and family from any role in his escape. The allegations in the media that my wife Carole and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan are false and misleading. I alone organized my departure. My family played no role, he said. Ghosn, who is Lebanese and also holds French and Brazilian passports, was set to go on trial in Japan in April. He arrived in Lebanon on Monday via Turkey and hasn't been seen in public since. In a statement Tuesday, he said he fled to avoid political persecution by a rigged Japanese justice system. How he was able to flee Japan, avoiding the tight surveillance he was under while free on 1.5 billion yen ($14 million) bail, is still a mystery, though Lebanese authorities have said he entered the country legally on a French passport. FILE - In this April 25, 2019, file photo, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn leaves Tokyo's Detention Center for bail in Tokyo. By jumping bail, Ghosn, who had long insisted on his innocence, has now committed a clear crime and can never return to Japan without going to jail. (Kyodo News via AP, File) His lawyer in France, Francois Zimeray, told Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV that he was in frequent contact with Ghosn since he arrived in Lebanon, and Ghosn appeared to be filled with a fighting spirit." Ghosn was eager to start clearing his name at the news conference next week, Zimeray said. Ghosn, who grew up in Beirut and frequently visited, is a national hero to many in this Mediterranean country with close ties to senior politicians and business stakes in a number of companies. People take special pride in the auto industry executive, who is credited with leading a spectacular turnaround at Nissan beginning in the late 1990s and rescuing the automaker from near-bankruptcy. Even as he fell from grace internationally, politicians across the board mobilized in his defence after his arrest in Japan in November 2018, with some suggesting his detention may be part of a political or business-motivated conspiracy. Lebanon's foreign minister repeatedly called for his release. Serhan said prosecutors will summon Ghosn and listen to him, and at a later stage if there are any measures to be taken, then the precautionary measures will be taken. We are a country of law and respect the law and ... I can confirm that the Lebanese state will implement the law," the justice minister said. A private security guard, center, stands as journalists film through the garage window of the home of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. Turkish authorities have detained seven people as part of an investigation into how Ghosn, who skipped bail in Japan, was able to flee to Lebanon via Istanbul, Turkish media reported Thursday. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) At the same time, Serhan said that Lebanon has not received an official extradition request from Japan, and he noted that the two countries do not have an extradition treaty. Mr. Ghosn arrived to Lebanon as any ordinary citizen. ... Lebanese authorities have no security or judiciary charges against him. He entered the border like any other Lebanese using a legal passport, he added. There were mixed reactions in Lebanon to Ghosn's return, with some cheering his freedom and others lamenting his arrival as yet another corrupt'' Lebanese to contend with. I like this man. He has a brain and he developed Nissan and Renault from the ground up. He came back to his mother country which embraced him," said Ghassan al-Baba, a 52-year-old taxi driver and former employee of General Motors in Kuwait. He is a part of the corrupt, but the corrupt from the outside. Here, he didnt do anything wrong. On the contrary, he is going to bring money to Lebanon, he said, reflecting a longstanding Lebanese hope that Ghosn would one day help rescue Lebanon's failing economy. A woman walks past the home of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. Turkish authorities have detained seven people as part of an investigation into how Ghosn, who skipped bail in Japan, was able to flee to Lebanon via Istanbul, Turkish media reported Thursday. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Sadiq Taher, a 42-year-old contractor among anti-government protesters who have been demonstrating against corrupt Lebanese politicians for weeks, said Ghosn is crooked on a global level and Lebanon does not need more financial whales. In Turkey, the state-run Anadolu Agency said Turkish authorities detained seven people as part of an investigation into how Ghosn fled to Lebanon via Istanbul. The private DHA news agency reported that those detained are four pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Japan raided Ghosn's Tokyo home. Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV, without identifying sources, reported Thursday that Ghosn had two French passports. Japanese news reports said that there were no official records in Japan of Ghosns departure but that a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. The Hurriyet newspaper said the plane carrying Ghosn landed at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 29. Ghosn was not registered upon landing and was smuggled onto another plane that left for Lebanon, the paper reported. Private security guards flank a man who identified himself as a family doctor speaks to journalists as he enters the home of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. Turkish authorities have detained seven people as part of an investigation into how Ghosn, who skipped bail in Japan, was able to flee to Lebanon via Istanbul, Turkish media reported Thursday. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Ghosn, who is charged in Japan with under-reporting his future compensation and breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan Motor Co. and Renault. In another twist, two Lebanese lawyers submitted a report to the Public Prosecutor's Office against Ghosn Thursday, saying he violated Lebanese law by visiting Israel. 'The two countries are in a state of war. Ghosn visited Israel in 2008 and met officials including the prime minister and the president. At the time he announced the launch of electric cars in Israel. In Beirut's affluent residential neighbourhood of Ashrafieh, several security guards stood outside Ghosn's rose-colored mansion Thursday along with about two dozen journalists. Since news of his arrival, journalists, including many from the Japanese media, have flocked outside the building, trying to capture any proof of his presence. At one point, a Lebanese lawyer who said he worked for Nissan appeared, claiming the building belonged to the auto company, not to Ghosn. One of Ghosn's neighbours, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they are "split as to whether they are with or against his return. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. It sounds like his escape could be the new Netflix show, his wife joked. ___ Associated Press writers Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, John Leicester in Paris and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed reporting. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama Bassem Mroue is on Twitter https://twitter.com/bmroue Every 10 years the U.S. Census Bureau takes on the arduous task of counting every single person living in the United States. Its about that time again. Counting everyone in America isnt easy, and some places are harder to count than others. In Alabama, roughly 18 percent of people live in what the Census Bureau designates as hard to count areas, according to recently released data from the Census and the Associated Press. Alabama has plenty of reasons to ensure every single person gets counted. The 2020 Census is very important to the future of our state, with funding for many important programs that support schools, roads, health care and dozens of other areas of our state, said Mike Presley, with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, in an interview with AL.com earlier this month. The 2020 Census will also help decide whether Alabama loses a congressional seat, and the electoral vote that comes along with it. Right now, it looks likely that Alabama will lose a seat. The Census Bureau created a metric called the low response score, which aims to predict how many people in a given area will not respond to the 2020 Census on their own. There are many factors that play into the Census low response score, including access to internet, poverty rate, race and whether a person rents or owns the house they live in. The low response score represents the percentage of people living in an area who arent expected to respond to the Census on their own. A high low response score means people in that area are less likely to respond. Low response scores vary widely within Alabama and the rest of the country. The AP assigned characteristics to areas that might make them more difficult to count. In the Black Belt, an impoverished region stretching across south-central Alabama and much of the South, many of these characteristics combine, making it one of the hardest regions in the U.S. to count. Greene County, in the Black Belt, has the worst median score in Alabama at 29.3. That means nearly 30 percent of households in Greene County arent expected to respond to the Census. Its the 24th worst score of any county in the United States. The AP lists several characteristics explaining why Greene is so difficult to count. Among them are the fact that many people there, including children, live below the poverty line. Another factor is an abundance of vacant housing there. Greene also has a large African American population - along with much of the Black Belt. Thats another factor that the AP says makes an area harder to count. The Black Belt will be the hardest region in Alabama to count during the 2020 Census. | Graphic by Ramsey Archibald In total, Alabama has a median score of 20.8, which is the 16th worst in the country. That means nearly 21 percent of people arent expected to respond to the first round of Census questions. Gov. Kay Ivey said in August she hopes the state can achieve 80 percent participation. Jefferson County, the largest county in the state and home to Birmingham, has a median low response score of 23.3. Birminghams median score is worse than its home county at 27.7, and 63 percent of people in Birmingham live in hard-to-count areas. About a quarter of all households in Alabamas major cities are not expected to respond. Montgomery Countys median score is 24.4, while Montgomery city is close with a 25.8. Mobile County has a median score of 23.2, and Mobile city has a 24.1. Madison County, home of Huntsville, scored the best of Alabamas Big Four counties with a median low response score of 19.4. Huntsville proper has a 21.1. Large numbers of young people who move often and rent apartments are part of what make college towns difficult to count. Auburn and Tuscaloosa both have poor response scores. At 28.4, Auburn has the highest median score of any Alabama city with at least 10,000 people. Tuscaloosa isnt far behind at 27.8. In Auburn, more than 85 percent of people live in census tracts that are difficult to count. But there are some places in Alabama that are significantly easier to count. With a median low response score of 9.8, more than 90 percent of people in Mountain Brook are expected to respond. Twenty-five of Alabamas 67 counties have median scores lower than 20, led by Fayette Countys 16.6. Do you have an idea for a data story about Alabama? Email Ramsey Archibald at rarchibald@al.com, and follow him on Twitter @RamseyArchibald. She has been visited by police and ambulance crews at her Kings Cross apartment several times over the past few months. And Tziporah Malkah has revealed she needs to find a new home by the end of the week because she is being evicted on Friday. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the 46-year-old former model claimed she had received an eviction notice from her landlord. 'I want to get out': Tziporah Malkah (pictured), formerly known as Kate Fischer, has revealed she is being evicted from her apartment in Kings Cross, Sydney, on Friday Tziporah, previously known as Kate Fischer, shared what appeared to be a letter to a stakeholder, expressing her belief that the eviction was not 'legal'. 'Last night, I discovered that I was being evicted on the third of January. Given that is four days away and the time of year, and I'm on a lease, this is not ideal nor is it legal,' she wrote. 'I have gone out of my way to explain that, as a contractor, I missed out on pay before Christmas and the same thing happened last year.' 'Not legal': In a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday - which appeared to be a letter to a stakeholder - Tziporah claimed she had received an eviction notice from her landlord She added: 'I've spoken and communicated with you often enough to know this, and when I have responded to communication you've assured me that these were merely automated messages.' Tziporah alleged that the person to whom she had been writing had 'told the landlady' she would be moving out at the end of her lease, which she described as 'improper conduct. 'Now she is trying to break my lease. The ombudsman is keen to hear more. I am endeavouring to get out of this toxic, nasty little apartment as soon as possible. However, it won't be on the third,' she concluded. Is everything okay? It comes amid growing concerns for Tziporah's welfare, with police and ambulance crews showing up at her Kings Cross apartment several times in recent months 'Believe me, I want to get out of here more than anyone.' It comes amid growing concerns for Tziporah's welfare, with police and ambulance crews showing up at her Kings Cross apartment several times in recent months. She has filmed a handful of these encounters and uploaded the footage to social media, while assuring fans she is doing just fine. What happened, Kate? In a recent interview with The Weekend Australian, Tziporah clarified that she is a 'psychopath' but 'not insane'. Pictured in Sydney on August 7, 1997 In a recent interview with The Weekend Australian, Tziporah clarified that she is a 'psychopath' but 'not insane'. She also insisted she has 'no mental health problems' to speak of, before adding: 'I'm a Jew - isn't that crazy enough?' Many Australians will remember Tziporah for her engagement to billionaire James Packer in the late '90s. In happier times: Many Australians will remember Tziporah for her engagement to billionaire James Packer (left) in the late '90s Tziporah split with James after a two-year engagement in 1998 and later relocated to the U.S., eventually becoming an American citizen. She also famously appeared in the film Sirens, about the hedonistic and creative lifestyle of artist Norman Lindsay, alongside Elle Macpherson and Portia de Rossi. Upon her return to Australia several years ago, however, she found herself broke, homeless and living in anonymity. Claim to fame: She famously appeared in the film Sirens, about the hedonistic and creative lifestyle of artist Norman Lindsay, alongside Elle Macpherson (centre) and Portia de Rossi (left) Eventually she found work in aged care in Melbourne, but was thrust back into the headlines in 2016 when unflattering photos of her wearing a bedsheet outside of her house were splashed across the tabloids. She has since embraced her return to the spotlight, appearing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2017. She has also signed with celebrity agent Max Markson, whose previous clients include Lara Bingle and Clare Werbeloff, a.k.a. 'The Chk-Chk Boom girl'. Santa checks his list twice as he reviews SWAGTRON product bound for Toys For Tots. Were proud to be able to give Santa a helping hand." SWAGTRON, the leader in affordable light electric vehicles including electric scooters and e-bikes, is donating nearly $35,000 worth of productapproximately 600 kids scootersto Toys For Tots. The donation is the result of the brands first annual holiday charity drive, Giving Is Swag. Throughout the holiday buying season, SWAGTRON ran a Give 5, Get 5 donation and discount program on all purchases made through SWAGTRON.com using code GIVING-IS-SWAG at checkout. The brand donated 5 percent in-kind from any purchase made using the code to Toys for Tots, and consumers received 5 percent off the price of their purchase. Donations were also able to be made directly without purchase at SWAGTRON.com/giving. SWAGTRON matched 100 percent of donations from all sources resulting $34,560 worth of SWAGTRON product being donated to Toys For Tots. Were proud to be able to give Santa a helping hand, says Jason Wakefield, SWAGTRON CMO. Its truly been an honor to be able to give back as a brand, and based on this years success, we look forward to making Giving Is Swag an annual tradition. Eight pallets of product were loaded onto a truck bound for the Marine Toys For Tots where the items will be processed and distributed to children in need. In addition, SWAGTRON is giving away $50,000 worth of its Swagcycle Pro electric scooter bikes autographed by some of the biggest names in music, including Sid Wilson of Slipknot, Pop Evil, Bryce Vine, Donnie Wahlberg and Jordan & Jonathan Knight of New Kids On The Block , Illenium, Krewella, Sevendust, Shinedown, Papa Roach, Skillet, Alien Ant Farm, 12th Planet, Asking Alexandria, Memphis May Fire, Scott Stapp of Creed and more such as World Champion & Olympic Hurdler, Grant Holloway. The giveaway, designed to help raise awareness for the charity drive, gave fans the chance to enter to win an autographed Swagcycle Pro from the artist or athlete of their choice. Winners will be announced throughout the month of January. Just a few of the $50,000 worth of autographed SWAGTRON Swagcycle Pros being given away. To ensure transparency and authenticity, all direct financial donations were accepted and processed through the With Arms Wide Open Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit founded by Creed frontman Scott Stapp. SWAGTRONs Giving Is Swag holiday charity drive will be an annual event. For more information, visit SWAGTRON.com/giving. ABOUT TOYS FOR TOTS Toys for Tots, a 72-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides happiness and hope to disadvantaged children during each Christmas holiday season. The toys, books and other gifts collected and distributed by the Marines offer these children recognition, confidence and a positive memory for a lifetime. It is such experiences that help children become responsible citizens and caring members of their community. Last year the Marine Toys for Tots Program fulfilled the holiday hopes and dreams of 7 million less fortunate children in 800 communities nationwide. Since 1947 over 251 million children have been assisted. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not for profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. For more information, visit http://www.toysfortots.org. ABOUT WITH ARMS WIDE OPEN FOUNDATION The With Arms Wide Open Foundation was founded in 2000 by Scott Stapp, Creed frontman whose rock band sold more than 50 million records worldwide. The Foundation's mission: bringing hope to children and families in need." Creed donated proceeds from its Grammy award winning hit song With Arms Wide Open, from the Human Clay album. Creed also contributed $1 for every ticket sold on the Human Clay Tour. For the last 20 years, Scott devoted himself to "paying it forward" to others in need through numerous outreaches at the US and global levels helping underprivileged children and families around the world. The Foundation has donated over $1 million dollars to various causes and more than 100 organizations, including the Navajo Youth Program, Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, American Red Cross, Orphanetwork, New Yorkers for Children, Second Harvest Food Bank, St. Jude Children's Hospital, and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For more information, visit https://www.witharmswideopenfoundation.org/. GET SOCIAL: @SwagtronUSA on Facebook and Twitter, @SwagtronOfficial on Instagram ABOUT SWAGTRON SWAGTRON is the industry leader in light electric vehicles, having evolved as the forefront brand in its category. SWAGTRON was celebrated for being one of the first brands of electric rideables on the scene to offer UL certification for electrical and charging safety. SWAGTRON continues to expand and improve its line of innovative rideable products to make micro mobility solutions accessible to everyone. Learn more at Swagtron.com. David Smith, a town councilor in Middlesbrough. Dorothy Cummings McLean MIDDLESBROUGH, North Yorkshire, England ( LifeSiteNews ) An English town councillor who hopes to make government-owned facilities gender-neutral has been charged with nine counts of sexually touching a child. David Smith, 30, represents Coulby Newham, a suburb of Middlesbrough, in the Yorkshire towns local government, or council. Since his arrest, he has resigned from membership in the Conservative Party, but not from his position. According to the BBC, Smith is due in court on August 7. He denies the charges. I completely reject these spurious allegations and removing myself from the party will ensure I can focus all my efforts on fighting to clear my name, he said. Smith also called the accusations damaging lies. According to the local news website Teesside Live, last month Smith asked the mayor of Middlesbrough to introduce gender-neutral washrooms in the Middlesbrough Council buildings. Last month he produced a statement announcing his meeting with the mayor and reminding readers that the issue of gender neutral toilets was part of his campaign. On Tuesday June 18, I am meeting Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston and one of the issues I will be bringing up is one that I included in my local election campaign gender neutral toilets, he stated. Smith explained that his interest in toilets stemmed from interactions with transgender and non-binary people in the area. Through my time interacting with local transgender and non-binary people, Ive seen firsthand the difficulties faced by these individuals when accessing public toilets and changing rooms, he said. The feeling of humiliation is an experience that most of us dont go through when visiting a public toilet and, in 2019, that is simply unacceptable. Smith stated that throughout England, pubs, shopping centres, universities, and schools are becoming gender neutral so that our transgender and non-binary family and friends feel safe when using the facilities. He hoped the Middlesbrough Council would become a trailblazer for other local governments and make all of its facilities gender-neutral. The councillor acknowledged that some people might have concerns but that the risk does not increase once public toilets become gender neutral. Smith did not specify what was at risk when women-only spaces are frequented by males. He hinted, however, that if a man wanted to hurt a woman or girl in a public washroom, he would do so whether it was a woman-only space or not, saying, In fact, if anyone has any intention in committing a crime at present, they will do so. This is about creating a much more safer [sic] environment for transgender and non-binary people, he emphasized. After charges of child sex assault were laid against him, Smith released a statement describing the work he had done as a Middlesbrough councillor, making special mention of his LGBT advocacy. I have worked hard to ensure I serve the people of Coulby Newham to the best of my ability, he wrote. From tackling the issue of potholes, ordering bollards to be installed to ensure the public stop parking on a residents property, highlighting the ever increasing issue of drug use and being a very proud advocate of the local LGBTQ community, he continued. This is who I am as a person and a community activist. Smith was elected in May this year. Councillors are considered volunteers, not salaried employees, therefore they receive an allowance instead of a salary. According to Teesside Live, the basic allowance given to all councillors in Middlesbrough is 6,378 ($7,978). T aiwan's top military official was among eight people killed today when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed in mountains near the capital. General Shen Yi-ming was heading from Taipei to visit troops in the north-eastern city of Ilhan when the helicopter carrying 13 people, including several senior military figures, disappeared from radar around 8.20am local time. Defence ministry officials said five people survived. The two pilots, who were said to be highly experienced, were among the dead. The UH-60M helicopter took off shortly after 7.50am from Songshan air force base in Taipei. It went down in a mountainous, heavily forested area south-east of the capital. There were reports the helicopter had been forced to attempt an emergency landing in poor weather. The wreckage of the Black Hawk helicopter Earlier reports said some people had been found alive, with others trapped under fragments of the helicopter. General Shen, 63, had taken over as chief of the general staff in July after serving as commander of Taiwans air force, which is undergoing a substantial upgrade with the arrival of the most advanced version of the US F-16V fighter. Alexander Huang, a strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan, who had known General Shen for a decade, said he had stood out as a pilot and an officer. He was very calm and stable and unlike other army guys he was always smiling, so he had a specific leadership style that also made him a popular leader in the entire military, he said. And the first and last decider is the Supreme Leader. And an alibi to fade the crimes made by this regime and hide the responsibility of the Supreme Leader is nothing but a joke. After the massacre in the November Iran protests, the Supreme Leaders aides are trying, in any way, to clear his hands from the blood of the more than 1500 protesters killed by security forces. And in this regard, one of the regimes publications called Khat-e-Hezbollah (Hezbollahs Path) has entered without any reason in this subject and recounted the events after the 2009 protests and the cruelly and extreme situation in the Kahrizak prison and criticizing the main actor Saeed Mortazavi in an attempt to shift the focus from Khamenei as the main executor of the most recent massacre in November, while everybody is informed that exactly one day after the protests started, at 6.45 am he ordered the suppression of protesters, and the IRGC started to shoot and kill the people. Iranian authorities seem incognizant of the fact that the more they bring up the issue of the crackdowns, the more their crimes become exposed, and the hatred of the Iranian people will incite more and more towards Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The ISNA News Agency carried a report on 29 December with the title The new dimension of the Kahrizak detention center, citing Khat-e-Hezbollah about the Kahrizak story. Some observers have compared Irans cruel dungeons to the camps in Auschwitz. During the 2009 uprising, the Kahrizak detention center was set up to suppress protesters. It was a secret place, while Saeed Mortazavi launched a massacre and tortured protesters there, causing so much catastrophe that Khamenei was eventually forced to shut down the killing center to prevent further scandals for the regime. Now, this newspaper is claiming that the main executor Saeed Mortazavi had lied to the Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei about the situation in this detention center. Its very clear that the intention of this newspaper is to disclaim any responsibility from Khameneis order to kill protesters in the recent protests. The release of the tragedy that took place in this detention center forced the supreme leader to call the Kahrizak detention center where the crime had taken place and discredited the regimes honor in the world, and demand that the detention center be closed eventually. And at least that happened, and the detainees were transferred to Evin Prison. Now, everybody knows that Saeed Mortazavi was tried in a kangaroo court and was released later under article 85 of the penal law. Under Article 85 of the Penal law, a prisoner can be released after serving two-thirds of his sentence. At least we must say that all these tries will not change anything in the situation of the Iranian regime, in which it is stuck. Change in Iran is imminent and this regime is at the end of its era. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc. (the "Company" or "Rexford Industrial") (NYSE: REXR), a real estate investment trust focused on owning and operating industrial properties located in Southern California infill markets, today announced that, under its "At the Market" stock offering program ("ATM"), the Company issued an aggregate of 2,972,129 shares of common stock during the quarter ending December 31, 2019. The shares were issued at a weighted average offering price of $46.77 per share, receiving gross proceeds of approximately $139.0 million and net proceeds of approximately $136.9 million. The Company used the net proceeds of the ATM to fund acquisitions, for working capital and other general corporate purposes. A registration statement relating to these securities has been declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. The offering of these securities will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and related base prospectus. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the related base prospectus may be obtained from the Internet site of the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov. About Rexford Industrial Rexford Industrial, a real estate investment trust focused on owning and operating industrial properties in Southern California infill markets, owns 213 properties with approximately 26.6 million rentable square feet and manages an additional 19 properties with approximately 1.0 million rentable square feet. For additional information, visit www.rexfordindustrial.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," or "potential" or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. While forward-looking statements reflect the Company's good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, they are not guarantees of future performance. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, see the reports and other filings by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes. Contact: Investor Relations: Stephen Swett 424 256 2153 ext. 401 [email protected] SOURCE Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc. Related Links http://www.rexfordindustrial.com Vatican City, Jan 2 : Even as Pope Francis apologised for slapping a woman's hand while greeting the faithfuls at St Peter's Square here on New Year's eve, Twitterati on Thursday offered mixed reactions over the unsavoury incident. "Love makes us patient. So many times we lose patience, even me, and I apologise for yesterday's (December 31) bad example," the Pope was quoted as saying by a media report. One Twitter user posted the video clip of the incident and wrote: "I think his reaction was appropriate. #PopeFrancis #popeslap." One user posted a meme showing the woman as year 2019 and Pope as year 2020. She wrote: "Let's start the new year like #PopeFrancis did!" "You had one job #PopeFrancis," wrote another user. One supporter had this to say: "I'm sorry but that woman was doing too much... plus, it was only a little pop... be easy on A@Pontifex #PopeFrancis." One user posted a sarcastic post: "Look at this white old man smacking a woman's hand for wanting to shake his hand. You can tell that this incident clearly proves that he's a man of great patience & acceptance. Not to forget that the look of pure rage on his face which clearly shows his unconditional love. #PopeFrancis." One Twitter user posted another clip of the Pope allegedly withdrawing his hand as the faithfuls kneel before him and try to kiss his hand. "This is funny & WEIRD!! It's a custom to shake & kiss Pope's hand BUT Pope Francis seems DISGUSTED with the ceremony & yanks his hand away!! Least he can do is smile kindly & bless but see his attitude!! It's like he's saying 'Get on with it you low life'. #PopeFrancis #popeslap." An otherwise serene Pope Francis had lost his cool momentarily on New Year's eve when the woman devotee had pulled at the pontiff's arm while he was greeting the faithfuls in St Peter's Square here. As the 83-year-old Pope turned away after greeting the pilgrims standing behind the barricades along the kerbside to have a look at the nativity scene at the St Peter's square on December 31 night, the woman caught hold of his arm and pulled him close after he had extended his hand towards her. A visibly annoyed pontiff gave a couple of light taps on her arm to get himself freed from her grip, even as his security personnel and accompanying officials intervened. The Pope looked upset after the incident as he walked away from the crowd. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 2, 2020 / Compare-autoinsurance.org (http://compare-autoinsurance.org) is a top auto insurance brokerage website, providing car insurance quotes online from trustworthy agencies all over the United States. This website offers car insurance info about different coverage types and money-saving tips. Online car insurance quotes are designed to help drivers get the best deals suitable for their finances and car model. 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CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing Company Person for contact Name: Gurgu C Phone Number: (818) 359-3898 Email: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.biz Website: http://compare-autoinsurance.org/ SOURCE: Internet Marketing Company View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/571808/Who-Should-Use-Online-Car-Insurance-Quotes TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel's InterCure Ltd said on Thursday its subsidiary Canndoc has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Tilray Inc for the import and export of medical cannabis. Canndoc has an option to import 2.5 tonnes of high quality cannabis from Tilray's facilities in Portugal, with a first shipment of 250 kilograms already on its way to Israel. The cannabis will be sold as finished products in Israeli pharmacies. Canndoc said to its knowledge this is the first medical marijuana imported commercially to Israel. The Israeli company will also export up to 5 tonnes of cannabis for use in products marketed by Tilray, subject to Canndoc's receipt of an export license. Canndoc will supply about 1.5 tonnes by the end of the second quarter. If Canndoc does not receive regulatory approval by April 1, it has an option to sell its marijuana to Tilray for marketing in Israel under the Tilray brand or under a joint brand the two companies might establish. "The joint operations enable the two companies to offer a variety of high quality products to patients in Israel and in the near future, to the world," Canndoc Chairman Ehud Barak, a former prime minister of Israel, said in a statement. Israel's market for medical marijuana is expected to reach 100,000 patients by the end of 2020. (Reporting by Tova Cohen, Editing by Ari Rabinovitch) Chandrayaan-3 will consist of lander and rover and will cost approximately Rs 250 crore. 2019 was a glorious year for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and to keep the momentum going, ISRO chief K Sivan addressed the media today. Sivan outlined ISRO's upcoming launches and missions. 2020 will be the year for India's third moon mission, called the Chandrayaan 3. Additionally, ISRO hopes to take big strides with regards to its first human space mission, Gaganyaan, as well. Chandrayaan 3 Addressing the media, during the press conference at the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru, Sivan officially announced that Chandrayaan 3 project was underway after it was accepted by the government. The work on the project is going smoothly said Sivan. He also announced that the orbiter for Chandrayaan 2 will be used for the Chandrayaan 3 mission since it was a success and is functioning smoothly. The orbiter has a mission life of one year, but is supposed to work for the next seven years. The third moon mission will consist of a lander and rover as well. Sivan also mentioned that the cost of the upcoming Chandrayaan-3 mission along with the lander and the rover would come to approximately Rs 250 crore. The entire cost of the mission, however, could reach up to Rs 365 crores. Indian Space Research Organisation Chief K Sivan: Government has approved Chandrayan-3, the project is ongoing. pic.twitter.com/KcJVQ1KHG7 ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2020 Union Minister Jitendra Singh had said on Tuesday, that India will launch Chandrayaan-3 in 2020 and had asserted that the mission will cost less than the previous lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2. This is because of the already present infrastructure from the previous mission. Sivan did mention that they are targetting a 14-16 month timeline to complete the mission but that will depend on how the work progresses. Gaganyaan updates The Gaganyaan mission will also be another main focus for the agency this year and work on the first human spaceflight mission will be done in parallel with Chandrayaan 3. Gaganyaan will see India sending human beings into space for the first time for a minimum of seven days in 2022, said Sivan. But test flights are likely to begin by the end of this year if everything goes smoothly. The spacecraft that will carry the astronauts will be developed by ISRO and will consist of a service module and a crew module, collectively known as the Orbital Module. According to PIB, the process for selection of astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission has been completed and four astronauts have been shortlisted. The process of selecting four astronauts for the 'Gaganyaan' mission is completed, says #ISRO chairman in Bengaluru today.#Chandrayaan3 mission to the Moon, comprising a lander and a rover, is approved by the government: ISRO chairman: https://t.co/r9II6HKmKi pic.twitter.com/EnYiGALZZr MIB India (@MIB_India) January 1, 2020 After a series of tests conducted both in India and in Russian, four Indians from the Indian Airforce have been selected. The crew that will be launched into space is supposed to consist of three members but ISRO is not taking a risk. Russia will be training the astronauts and sharing their expertise on human space flights. Training is set to begin by the third week of January. Recently Consulate General of Russian Federation, Consul-General, O Avdeev reiterated their commitment to helping out to when he said, "There is excellent cooperation between the Russian Space Corporation 'Roscosmos' and the Indian Space Research Organisation for the human space flight program." Russia had offered its commitment to share its expertise in training future Indian astronauts for faster adaptation to overstress and weightlessness, which is a prerequisite, at the bilateral summit in September at Vladivostok between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chandrayaan 2 When asked about the reason Chandrayaan 2 failed its landing, Sivan said the reason for the crash was the velocity of the lander was not reduced enough. While the rough breaking phase went as it was supposed to go, the velocity was not reduced in the second phase due to which, in the third phase, the lander went out of control leading to a hard landing. ISRO chief K Sivan: We have made good progress on Chandrayan-2, even though we could not land successfully, the orbiter is still functioning, its going to function for the next 7 years to produce science data pic.twitter.com/6tw683HTnk ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2020 Singh had also said that it was wrong to term Chandrayaan 2 as a disappointment as it was India's first attempt at landing on the moon and no other country has been able to do it in their first attempt either. 2019 updates Sivan said that the agency couldn't launch all the satellites last year as planned, but assured of its completion by March 2020. He also said that Chandrayaan 2 was not the reason but the necessary systems needed for the satellites, werent available. This year apparently will witness more than 35 launches. Sivan congratulated the Chennai techie, Shanmuga Subramaniam, who found the crashed lander after failed attempts by NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) but said that it was ISROs policy to not release the picture of the crashed module. "We know where it crashed and where it is located," he said. ISRO chief K Sivan: The land acquisition for a second space port has been initiated and the port will be in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. pic.twitter.com/Lc8OU3uaRf ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2020 The ISRO said the agency is also working on acquiring land to build a second space port and have selected an area of around 2,300 acres in Thoothukudi, a village in Tamil Nadu. The agency had also added a public viewing gallery in the existing space port in Sriharikota has been upgraded to include a public viewing gallery because the number of people who want to watch the ISRO launches are increasing. Creepy Joe is back. Sounding a bit like Humbert Humbert, the aging pervert from Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 Lolita, Joe Biden told an 11-year-old at a campaign rally this: BIDEN: How old are you honey? 11 years old. Talk to me before we leave, ok? What is it with this guy? pic.twitter.com/t9v54gaRP6 ALX (@alx) January 2, 2020 Talk to him before she leaves? Sounds like a classic 1940s or 1950s pickup line...and delivered to a child. It's hard to confirm where this tape came from, but it appears authentic, given that the backdrop matches that of another Dec. 30 video. Is he a pervert? Hard to say, but probably not, given that perverts usually get caught early. He's certainly creepy, though, and he's done this many times. He may have not noticed anything weird about what he said, but the rest of us do. He may be oblivious, quite likely because he's showing signs of dementia and moving into his default modes, which are seen in people who acquire this condition. It comes on a string of such creepy statements to girls, as well as his many child-touching incidents, with many photos on Twitter of children recoiling from his creepy gropes. Tweeter ALX, who seems to be a Republican activist, came up with more Biden creepathons, apparently recent. BIDEN: After this is over, come talk to me. Promise? Anyone under 15 you get something special today. pic.twitter.com/AoXGx1h9Ay ALX (@alx) December 30, 2019 By the way he gave me permission to touch himpic.twitter.com/Gfsx3TForb ALX (@alx) January 2, 2020 The Washington Examiner noted that Biden had pledged to cut that out early last year...and hasn't. Shortly after that pledge, he told a ten-year-old she was "good-looking." He's not quitting. He may not even know how to quit. It's in his DNA that he's got some thing for the little girls, and he can't stop himself. Despite his promises, his creeperie has grown worse. As American Thinker's terrific Andrea Widburg noted to me this morning, "I wonder how low Democrats have sunk that they look at this creepy, demented, pandering, mean-spirited, low IQ man as their great hope to defeat Donald Trump." Image credit: Twitter screen shot. NAPLES, Fla., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The independent authority on Search vendors, topseos.com, has announced their rankings of the best search engine optimization companies for the month of January 2020. The rankings highlight leading and top contending Search marketing companies that assist businesses in acquiring traffic and leads through the organic search results produced by major search engine providers. The rankings of the best SEO companies for January 2020 include: 1) DMA | Digital Marketing Agency 2) marketingagency.io 3) WebMarketingAgency.com 4) Slamdot 5) Chile Media, LLC 6) Boostability 7) OMG National 8) High Level Marketing LLC 9) City Ranked Media, Inc. 10) Bruce Clay Each of the companies featured in the produced rankings are placed through a meticulous evaluation process to determine which offer consistently exceptional SEO solutions. The evaluation process involves the use of five areas of evaluation for the purpose of benchmarking and comparing the different Search providers. The five areas of evaluation include on page optimization, off page optimization, needs analysis, keyword analysis, and reporting methods. Each month adjustments are made to the rankings based on the latest research conducted by the independent research team and to take into account new developments with leading and top contending digital marketing firms. To view the rankings of the best SEO companies visit: https://www.topseos.com/rankings-of-best-seo-companies About topseos.com topseos.com is an online provider of independent reviews and ratings. The ratings of the best search engine marketing companies are released monthly to assist businesses in connecting with search engine optimization companies which feature a history of effective solutions. Thousands of search engine marketing companies are put to the test while only the absolute best companies are highlighted in the ratings. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE topseos.com Related Links https://www.topseos.com Chico police DUI arrest leads to heroin arrest Police in Chico said a DUI arrest lead them to a second arrest, for heroin. Chico police said they contacted Jonathan Ryan as a witness to a DUI in Chico. Officers said when they approached Ryan who was in his truck, they saw him injecting heroin. Police arrested Ryan and booked him into the Butte County Jail. Redding CHP: Man arrested for DUI following Churn Creek Road accident A major crash closed a busy Redding road for hours. Now investigators said the driver was under the influence. A pickup truck pulling a large trailer over-turned at Churn Creek and Orchard Lane just after 7 p.m. Wednesday night. Officers closed the road for about two hours. A CHP officer on the scene said the man and woman inside the Ford F-250 suffered major injuries. Officers said the driver will be arrested for DUI. His name has not yet been released. Man arrested in Yuba City for possession of explosives and burglary tools The Sutter County Sheriff's Office is investigating after arresting a man armed with explosives. Deputies tracked Carlos Alvarado to a homeless camp after a report of a suspicious person in a nearby neighborhood on 2nd street. Deputies said Alvarado was in possession of Molotov cocktail explosive devices. It's not clear what he planned to do with them. Alvarado was arrested for possession of explosives, burglary tools, and illegal drugs. Chico fire continues warehouse fire cleanup The investigation continues this morning into the cause of a toxic warehouse fire in Chico. Fire officials said more than 14,000 gallons of fuel burned in the fire. At Hunt and Sons distribution. Chief Steve Standridge said some of that fuel spilled onto Big Chico Creek. Action News Now has reached out to Butte County Environmental Health as well as Fish and Wildlife about how much fuel spilled. So far, we haven't heard back. The cause of the fire hasn't been determined. Man arrested in Tehama County for Washington State murder A man wanted for a murder in Washington state is waking up behind bars in Tehama County. Police said it was a Facebook post that led them to Jeremy Staeheli. He was at the Hampton Inn on Adobe Road in Red Bluff. Investigators in King County Washington say Staeheli murdered Brandt Stewart in December. He will be transported back there to face second-degree murder charges. Impeachment trial: Senate awaits Pelosi to send articles Congress returns Thursday with no date set for President Trumps impeachment trial. Its still unknown if the trial will allow for new witnesses. Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal attorney said he is ready to talk. If house speaker Nancy Pelosi sends the articles to the senate, the trial could begin as early as this month. Iraqi security forces regain control of area around US Embassy after second day of protests Violence at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq has subsided. The Department of Defense released a new video showing hundreds of paratroopers from the 82nd airborne division preparing for deployment in response to the violence. Iran has denied involvement in the attack. Trump administration plans to ban most flavored e-cigarette cartridges, but not menthol The Trump Administration said it may soon temporarily ban certain flavored e-cigarette pods. As of December 27, the CDC said over 2,500 cases of lung injuries linked to e-cigarettes or vaping products have been reported. At least 55 deaths have been confirmed in 27 states. Chico Fire receives $10,000 grant for professional drone The Chico Fire Department received a $10,000 grant from Cal Water to buy a professional drone. The drone can fly in bad weather and has the infra-red capability. Fire reps said the drone can be used to help locate lost or trapped hikers and with water rescues. They also expect to use it on vegetation and wildland fires, to help provide life-saving information to firefighters. Fans of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! were treated to a brand new trailer of 'mystery stars' revealing the last time they were in the news. In an Instagram post shared by the show on Thursday, the caption read: 'Righto then you secret celebs, when was the last time you were in the news? That sound you hear is Australia rushing to Google after watching this vid.' The first celebrity featured, who had a warthog emoji masking their face, revealed they're hoping to be featured on Daily Mail Australia. 'I stand at the front of my house hoping they get me full nude!' In a brand new teaser trailer for I'm A Celebrity... a mystery star revealed they're hoping to be featured 'full nude' by Daily Mail Australia 'Sometimes I stand at the front of my house hoping the Daily Mail will get me full nude, because I look really good nude,' they said. The celebrity masked as The Cat revealed she was last in the news 'this week'. 'I was in the headlines of (bleeped) airport, I got stopped,' they teased. It's believed Australian entertainer Rhonda Burchmore is the campmate behind the cat emoji, because of the visible rings, which she's previously worn on red carpets. Who's the feisty feline? The celebrity masked as the cat (right) told producers she was last in the news 'this week'. 'I was in the headlines of (bleeped) airport, I got stopped,' she said. The star behind the cat emoji is believed to be Australian entertainer Rhonda Burchmore (left) They were followed by the celebrity hidden by The Fox emoji, who admitted their 'jokes have sometimes put me in hot water'. It's believed the fox is former MAFS star-turned-comedian Ryan Gallagher whose identity on the show was all but confirmed after an editing fail. The editing mishap revealed the ship's wheel tattoo on his wrist - the exact same tattoo where the reality star's is located. Guess who? The celebrity hidden by The Fox emoji (left) admitted their 'jokes have sometimes put me in hot water'. Could it be former MAFS star-turned-comedian Ryan Gallagher Meanwhile, the final mystery celebrity masked with the lion emoji said: 'The last time I was in the news was probably when I surprised my audience that I was having a career change.' While fans of the show keep guessing, celebrity chef Miguel Maestre has been the only confirmed campmate so far. Other stars tipped to appear on the show include The Project's Tommy Little, television presenter Tom Williams and Collingwood star Dale 'Daisy' Thomas. Another career swapping celeb: Meanwhile, the final mystery celebrity masked with the lion emoji said: 'The last time I was in the news was probably when I surprised my audience that I was having a career change' In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, a Channel 10 spokesperson said: 'We welcome speculation about the cast of I'm A Celeb, that's all part of the fun. 'You'll have to tune in on Sunday 5 Jan to see the big names step into the South African jungle this season. Keep guessing!' I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here premieres Sunday, January 5 at 7.30pm on Channel 10 Washington President Donald Trump entered the new year facing flare-ups of long-burning crises with two old adversaries Iran and North Korea which are directly challenging his claim to have reasserted American power around the world. While the Iranian-backed attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad seemed to be under control, it played to Trump's worry that American diplomats and troops in the Middle East are easy targets and his stance that the United States must pull back from the region. In North Korea, Kim Jong Un's declaration Wednesday that the world would "witness a new strategic weapon" seemed to be the end of an 18-month experiment in which Trump believed his force of personality and vague promises of economic development would wipe away a problem that plagued the last twelve of his predecessors. Both the Iranians and the North Koreans seem to sense the vulnerability of a president under impeachment and facing re-election, even if they are often clumsy as they try to play those events to their advantage. The protests in Iraq calmed on Wednesday, at least for now, and Kim has not yet lit off his latest "strategic weapon." But the events of recent days have underscored how much bluster was behind Trump's boast a year ago that Iran was "a very different nation" since he had broken its economy, and belied his famous tweet: "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea." Today the most generous thing one could say about those statements is that they were premature. Many foreign policy experts say he misjudged the reactions of two major American adversaries. And neither seem to fear him the critique he leveled at Barack Obama back in the days when Trump declared America's toughest national security challenges could be solved as soon as a president the world respected was in office. The core problem may have been Trump's conviction that economic incentives alone choking off oil revenues in Tehran and the prospect of investment and beach-front hotels in North Korea would overcome all other national interests. He dismissed the depth of Iran's determination to re-establish itself as the most powerful force in the region, and Kim's conviction that its nuclear arsenal is its only insurance policy to buoy one of the last family-controlled Stalinist regimes. "After three years of no international crises," Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote on Tuesday, Trump is "facing one with Iran because he has rejected diplomacy and another with North Korea because he has asked too much of diplomacy." "In neither case has Trump embraced traditional diplomacy, putting forward a partial or interim pact in which a degree of restraint would be met with a degree of sanctions relief." Trump does not engage with such arguments, simply repeating his mantra that Iran will never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons and that North Korea has committed to full denuclearization, even though that overstates Kim's position. Trump's top national security officials, starting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, offer a more nuanced view, saying over time Iran will realize it has no choice but to change its ways, and expressing optimism that "Chairman Kim will make the right decision and he'll choose peace and prosperity over conflict and war." Increasingly, such lines sound like a hope, not a strategy. And that is Trump's fundamental problem as he enters 2020: His diplomacy has not produced a comprehensive plan to gather the nation's estranged allies into a concerted course of action. The absence of a common approach is hurting the most in Iran. When Trump abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal, his aides sounded confident that the Europeans, China and Russia would follow suit. They did not. Meanwhile, the Iranians have a fine sense that "maximum pressure" campaigns work in both directions. They are vulnerable to cutoffs in oil flows. But the U.S. is vulnerable to attacks on troops and tankers. And the attack on the outer walls of the American embassy in Baghdad was clearly designed to send a shiver down the spine of Trump's aides, who remember that a hostage crisis led to President Jimmy Carter's re-election defeat 40 years ago. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Trump returned to a well-known stance on Tuesday, emphasizing that he did not want a war but also warning Iran that if it started one, any conflict "wouldn't last very long." North Korea is a harder problem. By breaking the mold and agreeing to meet the North Korean leader face to face, the first for an American president since the end of the Korean War, he had the makings of a breakthrough. But he failed to get a nuclear freeze agreement from the North in return for the meeting, meaning that the country's nuclear and missile production churned along while the adversaries returned to their old stances. And Trump's team could not back itself out of the corner the president put them with his vow for no serious sanctions relief until the arsenal was disbanded. Trump did cancel joint military exercises with South Korea but that was not enough for Kim. But perhaps Trump's biggest miscalculation was over-relying on the personal rapport he built with Kim, and overinterpreting the commitments he received from the young, wily North Korean leader. That continues. On his way to a New Year's party at his Mar-a-Lago club on Tuesday night, the president focused on their relationship, as if Kim's declaration that he was no longer bound by any commitment to cease missile and nuclear testing didn't exist. He misrepresented the agreement in Singapore, describing it as if it were a real estate deal. "But he did sign a contract," he said of the vague declaration of principles reached in Singapore in June 2018. In fact, it was not a contract, it had no binding force, and it referred to the "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." That phrase means something very different in Pyongyang than it does in Washington: It means the North expects the United States to pull back its own nuclear-backed forces, including submarines and ships that can deliver such weapons to the peninsula. So now Trump finds himself in roughly the same place his predecessors did: Awaiting a new missile test. But buried in Kim's New Year's statement was a suggestion of what he really has in mind: talks with the U.S. about the "scope and depth" of the North's nuclear force. That means he isn't interested in denuclearization. He's interested in arms-control talks, like the U.S. conducted for decades with the Soviet Union. And arms control would achieve what Kim, his father and his grandfather all sought: that insurance policy for the family. One Ukrainian military received burns in the result of fire in Donbas as Defense Ministry of Ukraine reported. The fire occurred on December 31 in the territory of campsite of 235th joint forces center of training of the military units and detachments. One of the tents caught fire. The wind shifted fire to other tents. Totally, three tents were burned. Wounded Ukrainian military stays in the hospital; his state is satisfactory. The investigation has started on this case. As we reported, the casualty rate of Donbas occupants exceeded 1,5 thousand people in 2019. As we reported earlier, on December 29, Ukraine and representatives of the militant-held Donbas exchanged prisoners; these are political prisoners, POWs and civilians, some of which were not even convicted. The venue was Mayorske checkpoint in Donetsk region. The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Tripartite Contact Group (TCG), Martin Sajdik, welcomed the exchange of detained persons between Kyiv and Temporary Occupied Territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. This was reported by OSCEs press center on its official website. "I sincerely welcome the mutual release and exchange of detainees today, pursuant to a common decision of the Trilateral Contract Group, with the participation of representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, taken on 23 December 2019," Sajdik said. Publication of preclinical proof-of-concept data for BNT211 reports Claudin 6 (CLDN6) as a novel target for CAR-T cell therapy of solid tumors and introduces CARVac, a first-in-kind RNA vaccine approach promoting the amplification and persistence of CAR-T cells in vivo Combination of CAR-T cell therapy with CARVac highlights the value of cross-platform synergies to address key development challenges in the treatment of cancer Applicability of CARVac to various CAR-T cell therapeutic targets offers broad potential to improve therapeutic efficacy of CAR-T cell therapies across a range of solid and liquid tumors First-in-human Phase 1/2 clinical trial for BNT211 in multiple solid tumors including ovarian, testicular, uterine and lung cancer intended to start in 2020 MAINZ, Germany, Jan. 02, 2020 on the company's novel CAR-T therapeutic approach for solid tumors which utilizes a C AR-T Cell A mplifying R NA Vac cine, or CARVac. The report entitled "An RNA vaccine drives expansion and efficacy of claudin-CAR-T cells against solid tumors" provides preclinical proof-of-concept data for BioNTech's first CAR-T product candidate BNT211, an autologous CAR-T cell therapy targeting the oncofetal antigen Claudin 6 (CLDN6), and outlines CARVac as a broadly applicable RNA vaccine approach to improve therapeutic efficacy of CAR-T cell therapies. Although CAR-T cell therapy has shown significant clinical efficacy in blood cancers, it still faces major challenges in solid tumors, including a limited number of identified cancer-specific solid tumor targets, inefficient infiltration of CAR-T cells into solid tumors and insufficient CAR-T cell persistence. BioNTech aims to overcome these hurdles by targeting CLDN6, a novel tumor specific antigen expressed in multiple solid tumors, in combination with an RNA vaccine promoting the amplification, persistence and efficacy of CAR-T cells in vivo. In the published study, a second generation CLDN6-CAR-T therapy with a 4-1BB costimulatory domain (BNT211) was evaluated both in vitro in tumor cell lines and in vivo in mice with human ovarian cancer transplants. In mice, CLDN6-CAR-T cell therapy demonstrated complete tumor regression of transplanted large human tumors within two weeks after treatment initiation. Furthermore, the combination with CARVac achieved an improved engraftment, proliferation and expansion of CAR-T cells in vivo resulting in tumor regression even at sub-therapeutic CAR-T doses. CARVac was also successfully applied for CAR-T cells targeting the pan-cancer antigen CLDN18.2 and CD19, the target of approved CAR-T cell therapies. The combination of CAR-T cell therapy with CARVac underlines the value of cross-platform synergies to address key development challenges in the treatment of cancer. BioNTech intends to initiate a first-in-human Phase 1/2 clinical trial for BNT211 this year in solid tumors, including ovarian, testicular, uterine and lung cancer. Manufacturing to support clinical trials of BNT211 will be conducted in-house at BioNTech's state-of-the-art GMP certified cell therapy manufacturing facility in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, which has been in operation since 1999. BioNTech initiated a multi-year capacity expansion at the facility in 2018 which it expects to complete in 2020. About BioNTech BioNTech was founded in 2008 on the understanding that every cancer patient's tumor is unique and therefore each patient's treatment should be individualized. Its cutting-edge pipeline includes individualized mRNA-based product candidates, innovative chimeric antigen receptor T cells, novel checkpoint immunomodulators, targeted cancer antibodies and small molecules. BioNTech has established relationships with seven pharmaceutical collaborators, including Eli Lilly and Company, Genmab, Sanofi, Bayer Animal Health, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Genevant and Pfizer, and has published over 150 peer-reviewed publications on its scientific approach. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended including, but not limited to, statements concerning development of BNT211. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "may," "should," "expects," "intends," "plans," "aims," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. The forward-looking statements in this press release are neither promises nor guarantees, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond BioNTech's control and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should review the risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" and those described in BioNTech's Prospectus filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, BioNTech disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in the event of new information, future developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements are based on BioNTech's current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof. For more information, please contact: BioNTech SE Michael Boehler, MD, Head of Global External Communications Tel: +49 For all media inquiries: Trophic Communications Gretchen Schweitzer / Stephanie May, PhD Tel: +49 Far be it from me to make a Star Wars reference in the title of this column, but for tens of thousands of working Idahoans, the new year brings with it a new hope for stability and prosperity. As you are reading this, more than 50,000 Idahoans have access to quality health care. For many, its the first time in their adult lives. Medicaid expansion is not only Idahos greatest legislative achievement in a generation, it may prove to be the greatest gift to countless Idaho families in their lifetimes. For the time being, Idahoans are getting exactly what they voted for: clean Medicaid expansion. Despite the efforts of angry politicians in the statehouse, Idahos Medicaid expansion program will begin free of costly restrictions and barriers to coverage. That could change, but the prospects dont look good. The feds already rejected a politician-driven scheme to bilk Idaho taxpayers out of $42.5 million per year by keeping thousands of Idahoans on costly taxpayer-subsidized plans. A federal appeals court is likely to reject paperwork penalties (so-called work requirements) in several states that have expensive restrictions similar to those being proposed by Idaho. On the positive side, Idahoans are broadly supportive of enhancements to Medicaid expansion that would increase access to mental health and substance abuse services (the IMD waiver). In sum, Idaho is in a much better place than it was just a couple years ago thanks to you whether you were a volunteer, a voter or both. NBC News recently did a story about Idahos Medicaid expansion program and, at least implicitly, painted the issue in political terms. The idea being that one political party favors Medicaid expansion over another. Idahoans overwhelmingly proved that wrong at the ballot box. By voting with your brains and your hearts, you sent a clear message to the angry politicians that Medicaid expansion is not only the smart thing to do, but the right thing to do. More than 70-percent of the states red, blue and purple have come to the same conclusion, with more to follow. Idahoans and Americans at large have decided that healthcare is not a political issue. Its a moral issue that affects families, communities and entire states. Idaho is better off than it was just a couple years ago because residents voted for personal values rather than political values. There used to be a divide in this country surrounding healthcare: Medicaid Expansion states versus non-Medicaid expansion states. That divide is closing quickly and its no surprise why. Medicaid expansion states are healthier, stronger and more prosperous. Idaho is a prime example. Not only are 52,000 more Idahoans going to have quality health care access, we will bring $400 million in federal funds back into the state which will generate thousands of jobs and save lives. Whether you realize it or not, your vote in 2018 was perhaps the most important vote you have ever cast. It was literally a life or death vote for many Idahoans. Health care doesnt discriminate based on your political affiliation. As you are well aware, the angry politicians will try to take your health care away in 2020. They already tried last session, theres no reason to suspect they wont try again. By extension, they will try to take away your vote. After all, youre the ones who are responsible for Idahos greatest legislative achievement in a generation. Taking away health care from thousands of Idahoans is a direct attack on what you voted for. I dont care what your politics are, no one has the right to take away your vote. Idaho is better off than it was just a couple years ago because you were willing to fight for your vote. As we embark on a new decade, I will spend a few minutes giving thanks to the voters of Idaho who gave new hope to thousands of families all over the state with Medicaid expansion. However, as an Idahoan and an American, I find it necessary to continue fighting for the most basic right we all share: our vote. Idaho is better off than it was just a couple years ago because we understand this fundamental right can make all the difference in the world to thousands of people. It already has. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 by Richard Whitman , Columnist, December 31, 2019 Here I sit, on the last day of the year, the industry still on its one-to-two week year-end hiatus, wondering what to fill this column with. Then, like a bolt from the blue, it struck me. Why not a review of the most-read Mediapsssst columns of the year? Brilliant, right? Honestly I dont know how I do it sometimes. The most read Mediapsssst column this year was a report on WPP, burying the hatchet with its longtime-and-then-ousted CEO Martin Sorrell and acquiring his company S4 Capital. Yes, apparently you like a good April Fools pull of the leg as much as I do. Omnicom captured the next two slots with stories about corporate restructurings, including a piece reporting the company was integrating its specialist agencies Accuen and Resolution Media into its three main media agency brands: OMD, PHD and Hearts & Science. CEO John Wren disclosed the news to analysts back in April, but he wasnt kidding. advertisement advertisement A story about OMD flattening its organization with the elimination of regional presidential posts and other positions was third-most-read. A clever bit of political ad campaign news was the fourth-most-popular item this year, thanks to Toronto agency Public Inc. which mixed a little levity with the serious subject of Trumps racism. Its nice to be able to laugh a little amid all the horror that began two years, 345 days, one hour, 22 minutes and some seconds ago, but whos counting? (Among others, the folks behind this real-time site are.) An in-depth report on the state of the media landscape by GroupM president of business intelligence Brian Wieser and former North American CEO Rob Norman rounded out the top-five, most-read Psssst pieces of the year. They titled the report The Great Disruption, and having covered the media business for a while now, I wonder if there will ever be a time when it isnt being disrupted by some event, technology or other phenomenon. I sure hope not; that wouldnt be any fun. Happy New Year to you all. Heres hoping for lots of exciting disruption in 2020. Jaipur, Jan 2 : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday tweeted her anguish over the rising number of infant deaths at J.K. Lon Hospital in Kota, and targeted Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for their insensitivity towards the issue. In her first tweet, she said, "The death of over 100 kids in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan is a matter of pain and sadness. What's highly condemnable is that Gehlot remains insensitive and highly irresponsible towards the issue." In her second tweet, the BSP supremo said, what made the story sadder was that the top leadership of the Congress, which included a woman General Secretary (Priyanka), had kept mum on the issue. "It would have been better had she met those poor mothers who lost kids in the manner she met UP (protest) victims," she tweeted. "If the Congress woman General Secretary fails to go and meet the mothers of deceased kids in Rajasthan's Kota district, her act of meeting victims of any matter in UP will be considered a mere political drama being played for selfish political ambitions, with which UP public should remain cautious," the BSP chief said in third tweet. Later, Gehlot took to twitter and without mentioning Mayawati's name said the state government was quite sensitive about the issue and there should be no politics on this. "The death rate is continuously declining in this hospital, and we shall try to reduce it further. Health of mothers and their children remains our top priority," he said. In his second tweet, he said the ICU for kids was started in Rajasthan in 2003 during the Congress regime. Even in Kota, the ICU was set up in 2011 under our government, he added. In third tweet, the Chief Minister said the central expert team was welcome to help improve health services. "We are ready for the improvement of medical services with their consultation and cooperation. #NirogiRajasthan is our priority," Gehlot said. He said the media was welcome to provide facts without any pressure. Just for record: In an overnight operation in September, six BSP legislators were poached by the Congress, dealing a big blow to Mayawati. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.2 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: Some 21,767 tons of grown shrimp have been collected at 10 facilities operating in Irans Bushehr province, Deputy Director of the Bushehr Fisheries Department Soghra Ashraf said, Trend reports via IRNA. Ashraf noted that besides, 1.8 billion of small shrimps have been released to 1,100 cages on the territory of 5,100 hectares. The deputy director added that the shrimp production last Iranian year (March 21, 2018-March 21, 2019) amounted to 23,000 tons and a decrease of 1,200 tons was observed, compared to the preceding year. Ashraf said that it was planned to grow 27,000 tons of shrimp in a cage on the territory of 5,500 hectares this year. The deputy director noted that 90 percent of the produced shrimp is exported to China, Russia and countries around the Persian Gulf. Irans Bushehr province is one of the main provinces of the country in the field of fish breeding, and 60 percent of total annual shrimp production in Iran accounts for this province. Seen above is former People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo's Facebook page. Ahn said Thursday in the post that he will return to South Korea's political arena. / Courtesy of Ahn Cheol-soo's Facebook page By Jhoo Dong-chan Former People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo will return to South Korea's political arena, according to his Facebook post, Thursday. Political analysts and incumbent lawmakers, however, downplayed Ahn's return, claiming his influence is likely to be limited. Ahn, who is staying at Stanford University as a visiting scholar in California, halted his political activities shortly after his defeat in the Seoul mayoral race in June 2018. He then left South Korea to study abroad. "I spent about one year abroad to look back on my six-year political career. And I would like to give a sincere apology for failing to live up to the expectations of my supporters," Ahn said in his Facebook post. "My original intention contributing to Korea's future remains undeterred. South Korea is unfortunately going backward at the moment. Korean politics are also deteriorating even worse than the time I was first called upon eight years ago. Our future generation is being, and will be, squeezed out under the current political landscape. Now, I am heading back to the people and taking a step forward for the future." The former presidential candidate's return is expected to bring about a political upheaval, especially with the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party (BMP) on the verge of splitting. His return would also trigger a possible political reform in centrist as well as conservative factions here before the general election slated for April this year. "His ability to seize an opportunity is the best," Rep. Park Jie-won of minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) said sarcastically. "Main opposition Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn's leadership is now under question over whether conservative parties will join forces to win the April general election. Perhaps Ahn believes it's the right time for him to step in. Unfortunately, it's impossible for conservative parties to establish a so-called grand conservative integration to challenge the liberal Moon Jae-in government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea with or without Ahn's return." Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the BMP welcomed Ahn's return. "Ahn's ambition for so-called new politics is still valid. I hope he will do his part for the country," Rep. Ha said. "Regardless of his return, I and my fellow lawmakers will break away from the BMP to create a new conservative party. It's still too early to speak about a possible partnership with Ahn." Ahn left Korea for Germany in September 2018 after he was defeated in the June 13 Seoul mayoral race that year. After spending one year in Germany, he left Germany for California to study at Stanford University as a visiting scholar in October 2019. His party, the People's Party, merged with the center-right Bareun Party in 2018, creating the Bareunmirae Party (BMP) shortly before the election. The BMP has been largely split since Ahn left after the mayoral election members of the now-defunct Bareun Party led by Yoo, and those from the People's Party formerly led by Ahn. After several members of the Party for Democracy and Peace decided to quit and work independently in August, critics anticipated that minor parties may merge to create a bigger political force to prepare for the upcoming elections in April. Girl was found living in a tent used by the homeless, scavenging for food scraps Anastasia (pictured) was found living on a rubbish dump in Odessa over the Christmas period A father is accused of collecting his daughter from an orphanage only to abandon her at a rubbish dump in Ukraine months later. Officials are launching an inquiry after a girl who is believed to have spend Christmas on the tip was found living in a tent used by homeless scavengers and searching the dump for scraps in the city of Odessa in south-central Ukraine. The girl, identified only by her name Anastasia, had reportedly been seen at the tip several days previous to police turning up on December 30 and handing her over to social workers who returned her to the care home. Police are investigating why the three other homeless people she was sharing a tent with had not reported her to officials. Children's worker Nata Samokhina, who eventually discovered the girl, said: 'It is incredible how many people passed by and did not pay attention to her, none of them called the police.' Nata confirmed that the girl's biological father, whose name was not reported, had collected the child from the orphanage in June this year. The girl, identified only by her name Anastasia, had reportedly been seen at the tip several days previous to police turning up on December 30 Police are investigating why the three other homeless people she was sharing a tent with had not reported her to officials The rubbish dump where the girl was found. Children's worker Nata Samokhina, who eventually discovered the girl, said: 'It is incredible how many people passed by and did not pay attention to her, none of them called the police' She claims he had simply decided it was too much work for him, and had abandoned her. Valentina Kartasheva, who works at the orphanage said: 'We did not want to give her to him, we had a feeling. But we had to obey the law. 'Thank God she is alive. She is currently in a state of shock.' The rubbish tip where the girl was living. Valentina Kartasheva, who works at the orphanage said: 'We did not want to give her to him, we had a feeling. But we had to obey the law' Kartasheva has stressed that after undergoing all the necessary medical checks, Anastasia, whose age has not been reported, would return to her friends that she had in the children's home. Representatives of the orphanage have highlighted that they would do their best to make sure Anastasia's father loses his parental rights to prevent him from trying to claim her again. US aviation regulator FAA on Thursday warned America's airlines and their pilots that there is risk involved in operating flights in Pakistan airspace due to "extremist or militant activity", according to an official document. "Exercise caution during flight operations. There is a risk to US civil aviation operating in the territory and airspace of Pakistan due to extremist/militant activity," said the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a notice to airmen (NOTAM) dated December 30, 2019. The NOTAM is applicable to all US-based airlines and US-based pilots. The US regulator said in its NOTAM that there continues to be a risk to US civil aviation sector from attacks against airports and aircraft in Pakistan, particularly for aircraft on the ground and aircraft operating at low altitudes, including during the arrival and departure phases of flights. "The ongoing presence of extremist/militant elements operating in Pakistan poses a continued risk to US civil aviation from small-arms fire, complex attacks against airports, indirect weapons fire, and anti-aircraft fire, any of which could occur with little or no warning," it said. The FAA said that while, to date, there have been no reports of man-portable air defense systems or Manpads being used against the civil aviation sector in Pakistan, some extremist or militant groups operating there are suspected of having access to these Manpads. "As a result, there is a potential risk for extremists/militants to target civil aviation in Pakistan with Manpads," it said. The regulator added that pilots or airlines must report safety or security incidents - which may happen in Pakistan - to the FAA. Pakistan on July 16 last year opened its airspace for India after about five months of restrictions imposed in the wake of a standoff with New Delhi. Following the Balakot airstrikes by the Indian Air Force, Pakistan had closed its airspace on February 26 last year. Pakistan in October last year had denied India's request to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's VVIP flight to use its airspace for his visit to Saudi Arabia over the Kashmir issue. Yemen Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammed Mohatar Alashabi on Thursday called on Minister for Interior Ijaz Ahmed Shah and discussed matter of mutual interests ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Jan, 2020 ) : Yemen Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammed Mohatar Alashabi on Thursday called on Minister for Interior Ijaz Ahmed Shah and discussed matter of mutual interests. The ambassador lauded the performance of interior minister, interior ministry and officials of law and enforcing agencies for effectively handling security related issues, said a press release. He said it was a good omen that Islamabad had again been declared a family station by the United Nation and this credit went to the efforts of law enforcing agencies. The ambassador also expressed satisfaction over facilities available in the Federal capital. The interior minister said the system had been up-graded for provision of family and student visas. All facilities would be provided to the applicants who applied for visas as per the set procedure, he added. The minister said a proposal was under consideration to fix tenure of student visa as per the degree awarding time. The ambassador thanked the interior minister for extending full support to Yemeni families and students. On Oct. 10, Zheng Xuexuan, board director of China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), met with Davlatali Said, Tajikistans First Deputy Prime Minister. The two met at CSCECs headquarters in Beijing. Zheng Xuexuan welcomed Said and gave details on the history and business of CSCEC, especially the companys overseas achievements in recent years. He said that, as the largest construction group around the globe, CSCEC hopes to actively participate in the construction of infrastructure projects in Tajikistan. Said spoke highly of CSCECs performances and said that Tajikistan welcomes CSCEC to participate in the countrys major infrastructure projects. The two sides also conducted in-depth exchanges on specific cooperation issues. Officials from the Tajik government and the Tajik Embassy in China, directors from the China Construction Bank, officials from CSCECs Financial Operations Department and Overseas Business Department, as well as people from the China State Construction International Holding Ltd. and China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd., attended the meeting. (Newser) Donnie Wahlberg welcomed 2020 with a matching tip, his wife Jenny McCarthy revealed on Twitter Wednesday. "@DonnieWahlberg starting 2020 off like the amazing man he is. #ihop #2020tipchallenge," McCarthy tweeted alongside a photo of the couple's $78 bill from an Illinois IHOP, to which Wahlberg added a $2,020 tip and the words "Happy New Year, 2020 Tip Challenge." As USA Today reports, a Michigan server apparently kicked off the aforementioned challenge when she went public with the $2,020 tip someone left her on New Year's Day; that receipt also had "2020 Tip Challenge" written on it. (Wahlberg also once found a fan a kidney match.) Irish Rail was lambasted by commuters over a new website that suggested they take the Dart outside of rush-hour services because of overcrowding on peak-time trains. Records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal how angry passengers asked if Irish Rail wanted them to lose their jobs. Minister of State Finian McGrath also weighed in, forwarding correspondence from a furious constituent and asking what was being done about the "serious health and safety" issue of overcrowded trains. The PeakTime website was launched in September to try to encourage commuters to be more flexible about which train they catch in a bid to avoid crowds. However, it met with a fierce reaction from customers, with one describing it as "frankly an insult and condescending". "It is the lack of departures and carriages that cause this overcrowding problem and [it] is an unacceptable level of service," wrote the passenger. Mr McGrath forwarded another angry letter, which said the new PeakTime service was an "insult to the intelligence of commuters". It said: "Nobody would travel on those overcrowded Darts at those times if they didn't have to, and I'm sure that people who work flexi hours have figured out themselves the less hazardous journey times." Mr McGrath in his letter said he had "several anxious constituents" who were long-time service users that had to "battle" for a place on rush-hour trains. In a personal letter back to the minister, Irish Rail chief executive Jim Meade said there were plans to add 41 carriages to the commuter and intercity fleet in early 2022. A further 300 carriages would be added as part of the ambitious Dart expansion plan, with the first carriages likely to enter service in 2024, he said. Mr Meade said these "significant investments were in motion to address the capacity constraints on our services". Much of the ire of Irish Rail passengers came to the company via email and Facebook, with a number complaining the PeakTime.ie service was not even working on their phones. "What an absolutely shambolic service," wrote one user. "Actually cannot believe the neck of [them]." Another said: "Of course, I will just tell my boss to expect me when they see me. Change my roster to suit Irish Rail." One furious passenger wrote: "Are you actually for real please be late for work so we can fit more people on the train." Another lamented that an ambitious plan for Dart underground had not been implemented when it was planned during the 2000s. "This is what happens when your politicians are morons who get carted around in limos," they said. Others were a little more constructive, with some suggesting Irish Rail should be talking to business owners about staggering work times. "It's hardly [our] decision to travel at their horrible times," they said. Users also criticised crime on Dart services and the frequent breakdown of accessible lifts. "What time are there less muggers?" said one passenger. On Wednesday, a new Nebraska law raised the age to buy tobacco products to 19. But, depending on who you talk to, that might already be a moot point. A spending bill passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump on Dec. 20 contained a provision raising the national minimum age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21. Normally, such laws take several months to go into effect, but a tweet by FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn on that same day seemed to indicate the law changed immediately. "Today, @POTUS signed legislation to raise the federal minimum age of sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years," the tweet said. "It is now illegal for a retailer to sell any tobacco product including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes to anyone under 21." The issue has left retailers confused and many are taking the safe route. "After receiving federal guidance, we immediately implemented the change. All of our registers were also updated to reflect the revised age verification check," said Tina Pothoff, senior vice president of communications for Hy-Vee, which has stores in eight states including Nebraska. She said the company, which has a store in Columbus, has ordered new signage for all of its stores to communicate the change to customers. Walmart had already stopped selling tobacco products to anyone under 21 as of July 1, and Walgreens implemented the same policy Sept. 1. It makes sense for large retailers that have stores in multiple states to play it safe, because different jurisdictions may enforce the law differently. Also, more than a dozen states either already have raised the tobacco-purchasing age to 21 or are in the process of doing so. Locally, the Columbus Police Department early Tuesday issued a reminder to residents on its Facebook page. "At midnight, the new tobacco law takes affect in Nebraska. You must be 19 to use or be in possession of tobacco and vaping products," CPD wrote. "Eighteen states in the union have raised the tobacco age to 21 however Nebraska is not one of them. The federal law also requires individuals to be 21 to purchase tobacco and vaping products. This is a confusing issue due to local and state law enforcement not being able to enforce federal laws." Local officials can only enforce what is written into state law, and that age as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday is 19. That means a retail clerk in Nebraska cannot be cited for selling tobacco products to a 19- or 20-year-old. However, a business could face a civil fine if an FDA compliance check showed it was selling to people under 21. The reaction from businesses varies. Marty Jarvis, marketing director for B&R Stores, which owns Super Saver and Russ's Market, said it will restrict tobacco sales to those 21 and older starting Wednesday. A spokesperson for Casey's said the company is "committed to the responsible sale of all age-restricted products. We have taken steps to comply with the new federal tobacco regulation and only guests that are 21 years or older can purchase tobacco or vapor products in our stores. "Our policy and team member training requires that every guest who appears under the age of 40 must present valid photo identification when purchasing any age-restricted product. Columbus Police later on Tuesday issued a response on its Facebook page after viewing comments from residents regarding the tobacco/vaping law change. "Each business must still comply with federal laws in order to be in compliance with their tobacco license. When the business has a sign posted that states 'you must be 21 to purchase' they are correct according to the federal law and to their store policy. Local and state law enforcement is unable to enforce federal laws," CPD wrote. "That is not to say that the federal agencies could not come to Columbus and enforce those laws. It is similar to the federal law that restricts marijuana in Colorado, however their state law differs. "It is unfortunate that the laws are confusing. The Columbus Police Department is only responsible for enforcement of the laws that the legislature passes. Hopefully this gives some clarification to this issue." Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 UPDATED 3:55 p.m. with the suspects name. An armed man was killed early Thursday in a police shooting in a residential Hillsboro neighborhood, authorities say. Hillsboro police said officers responded to a report of an armed man inside a condo in the 300 block of Northeast Edgeway Drive shortly after 1 a.m. The condo development is named Meadows at Heron Creek. After officers showed up, the man, later identified as Stanley Hayes, 69, of Hillsboro, fired multiple rifle and pistol rounds from inside the condo over about a half-hour, police said. Homes and cars were hit, but no one was hurt. Police say Hayes was firing into the street behind his condo, striking vehicles and residences across the street. Police say he did not begin shooting until after they arrived. Hayes eventually emerged from the condo, police said, and an officer-involved shooting ensued. An officer at the scene said it appeared Hayes experienced a mental health crisis and was making delusional statements. Witnesses say Hayes was shot about 50 to 60 feet from the door to his unit. Hayes later died at a hospital, police said. No officers were hurt. Dispatch audio from a streaming site shows a volatile situation in which officers reported multiple shots being fired in the condo. Police reported hearing the man yelling and described him as delusional. At one point, according to the audio, Hayes was at the window with a rifle, then he pointed the rifle out the window. At another time he was seen armed with a handgun. Daniel Deskins, 37, said he and his wife were awakened overnight by the sounds of a loud disturbance next door. They called 911. He said the dispatcher advised them to wake the couples 10-year-old son and keep him with them. They turned up the TV in an effort to drown out the sounds. We just kind of hunkered down in the living room and put headphones on our son and hoped for the best, Deskins said. He said he heard shouting, then gunfire. The incident went on for about 90 minutes, he said, calling it a pretty scary, pretty intense night. He said the man next door had recently moved in. Allison Stumbo, 61, a longtime resident of the complex, said she heard gunfire on and off for about a half-hour. Given the time of year, I thought it was just people using up their fireworks, she said. Then she heard a quick succession of gunfire that she suspects was from the police shooting the man. She went outside and saw at least five officers surrounding Hayes. Stumbo said most neighbors keep to themselves. We dont each other very well," she said. "This place is quiet. Very few disturbances. The shooting is one of two involving Oregon law enforcement officers in early 2020. A Jackson County sheriffs deputy shot an armed man who confronted deputies while they were attempting to secure the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday night near Central Point. The man, who had been armed with a gun, later died. Both cases are under investigation. No one involved in either shooting has been publicly identified. Noelle Crombie and Jim Ryan contributed to this report. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; skavanaugh@oregonian.com; @shanedkavanaugh Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo's Call with Iraqi PM al-Mahdi Readout Office of the Spokesperson January 1, 2020 The following is attributable to Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus: Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke today with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi and condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the December 31 Iran-backed terrorist attack on U.S. Embassy Baghdad. Secretary Pompeo noted the measures the Government of Iraq has taken to improve the security situation and stressed the Government of Iraq's obligation to prevent further attacks against our diplomatic mission. The Secretary affirmed that we want an Iraq that is free, independent, and sovereign, and stressed that the United States, under President Trump, will continue to work toward that end. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Amid a political storm over the death of infants at a Kota hospital, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said it is important for the governments at the Centre and in Rajasthan to work together to stop such incidents. Birla, who is MP from Kota, said he has requested the Congress government in the state to send a proposal to the Centre in order to deal with the issue. "Kota is my Lok Sabha constituency and I feel extremely sad whenever any such incident happens. I went there myself. On this topic, I requested the state government and had a chat with Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on how both governments can work together," he told reporters here. BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, as well as BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday attacked the state government in Rajasthan over 100 deaths in December at the state-run JK Lon hospital in Kota. "The state government should endeavour to make sure that health services are available everywhere. Instead of going into statistics, it should try to stop the death of infants," Birla said. He added that he has also asked the central government to send a team of specialists to Kota to figure out how to stop such incidents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Having overlooked previous rocket attacks, the administration had little choice but to respond when the Dec. 27 strike killed an American and injured others. However, had it limited its response to Syria, where there are ample Iranian targets, it might have avoided the damaging backlash in Iraq. U.S. forces at the Baghdad embassy and in the nearby region have now been reinforced. But the best way to respond to Iranian aggression in Iraq is to encourage political reforms that will limit Iranian influence and that, at least until this week, had considerable public support. China Wood Optimization (Holding) Limited (HKG:1885) shareholders have seen the share price descend 14% over the month. Looking further back, the stock has generated good profits over five years. It has returned a market beating 85% in that time. Check out our latest analysis for China Wood Optimization (Holding) In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During five years of share price growth, China Wood Optimization (Holding) achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 0.9% per year. This EPS growth is slower than the share price growth of 13% per year, over the same period. So it's fair to assume the market has a higher opinion of the business than it did five years ago. That's not necessarily surprising considering the five-year track record of earnings growth. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). SEHK:1885 Past and Future Earnings, January 2nd 2020 We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on China Wood Optimization (Holding)'s earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for China Wood Optimization (Holding) the TSR over the last 5 years was 91%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective China Wood Optimization (Holding) shareholders are up 4.9% for the year (even including dividends) . But that was short of the market average. It's probably a good sign that the company has an even better long term track record, having provided shareholders with an annual TSR of 14% over five years. Maybe the share price is just taking a breather while the business executes on its growth strategy. Is China Wood Optimization (Holding) cheap compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide. If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Actor Mollie Fitzgerald, who featured in a minor role in "Captain America: The First Avenger", has been arrested by the police in the US state of Missouri, for allegedly stabbing her mother. Fitzgerald, 38, was arrested on New Year's Eve by the police in Olathe, Kansas, the Olathe Police Department said in a statement posted on Twitter. According to the police, its officers responded to an armed disturbance at the home of her mother, 68-year-old Patricia E Fitzgerald. Upon arriving, Patricia was discovered with an apparent stab wound, and was pronounced dead on the scene. "A 38-year-old, white female, known to the victim, was contacted on scene and transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.This case remains under investigation by the Olathe Police Department," the police initially said. After the investigation, the police arrested Mollie and charged her with second-degree murder. She is being held on a USD 500,000 bond, reported the Kansas City Star. Mollie portrayed Stark Girl in Chris Evans-starrer "Captain America: The First Avenger". She also worked as an assistant to the film's director Joe Johnston. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In this photo from April, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn leaves Tokyos Detention Centre for bail in Tokyo (Kyodo News/AP/File) Having long protested his innocence, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn has committed a clear crime by jumping bail and can never return to Japan without going to jail. So he now has burnt his bridges to Japan, Stephen Givens, a lawyer and expert on Japans legal and corporate systems, said on Wednesday. This is going to end in basically a stalemate with him spending the rest of his life in Lebanon. How exactly Mr Ghosn fled surveillance in Japan and emerged in Lebanon, or who might have directed the dramatic escape, remains unclear. The Tokyo District Court revoked his bail, Japanese media reports said, meaning authorities would seize the 1.5 billion yen (10.5 million) Mr Ghosn had posted on two separate instances to get out of detention. Mr Ghosn was first arrested in November 2018, released and then rearrested. The court was closed for the New Years holidays on Thursday and could not be immediately reached for comment. I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japan's legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to upholdCarlos Ghosn Mr Ghosn had been out on bail while awaiting trial on various financial misconduct allegations. The trial was expected to start in April, though no date had been set. How the Japanese authorities might investigate Mr Ghosns escape and what action they might take on the apparent security lapses also remains unclear. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. Mr Ghosn, who is of Lebanese origin and holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports, disclosed his location in a statement through his representatives but did not say how he managed to flee Japan. He promised to talk to reporters next week. He said he wanted to avoid injustice and political persecution. I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japans legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to uphold, the statement said. Expand Close Carlos Ghosn: Details of his daring escape from Japan may be confirmed in a promised talk with reporters next week (Koji Sasahara/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Carlos Ghosn: Details of his daring escape from Japan may be confirmed in a promised talk with reporters next week (Koji Sasahara/AP) His lawyer Junichiro Hironaka denied all knowledge of the escape, saying he was stunned. He said he did not expect Mr Ghosn to return to Japan. When asked if Mr Ghosn had taken any of the documents being prepared for the trial, Mr Hironaka said he had not checked but said he doubted Mr Ghosn would care about a trial he had taken such pains to avoid. Japanese media reports said on Wednesday there were no official records of Mr Ghosns departure from the country, but a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. One report said he sneaked out from his Tokyo home hiding in a case for a musical instrument. Lebanons minister for presidential affairs, Selim Jreissati, told the An-Nahar newspaper that Mr Ghosn entered legally at the airport with a French passport and Lebanese ID. France has reacted with surprise and confusion, denying any knowledge. Speculation is rife that a foreign or Japanese government, or both, might have been involved, or maybe simply turned a blind eye to allow the escape and spare the public from a potentially embarrassing trial. With him missing, Mr Ghosns trial is suspended. But a trial is still pending against Nissan as a company and Greg Kelly, another Nissan executive. Mr Kelly, an American, has said he is innocent. Mr Kellys allegations overlap with those charges against Mr Ghosn related to the under-reporting of Mr Ghosns future compensation. Those charges are less serious than the additional breach of trust accusations against Mr Ghosn. Mr Ghosn has been charged with breach of trust in having Nissan shoulder his personal investment losses, and diverting payments in Saudi Arabia and Oman for personal gain. He has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up the charges to prevent a fuller merger between Nissan and alliance partner Renault SA. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on the agitators protesting against the Citizenship Act to raise their voice against Pakistan's atrocities on its minorities for the last 70 years. Defending the contensious law, the Prime Minister said protecting and supporting minorities of neighbouring countries who have sought refuge in India was our cultural and national responsibility. Modi also targetted Congress and other parties for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act. "Those who are protesting against the Parliament of India, I want to tell them that the need was to expose Pakistan's deeds on the world stage. If you want to protest, protest and raise voice against Pakistan's deeds for the last 70 years, you should have that guts," he said. Addressing a gathering at Siddaganga Math near Bengaluru, he said, "If you want to shout slogans, shout against the way in which atrocities are happening against minorities there; if you want to hold rallies, hold it in favour of dalits and downtrodden who have come from Pakistan (to India). If you want to do dharna, do it against Pakistans deeds." Modi was speaking after paying respects at the 'Gadduge' (final resting place) of Shivakumara Swamiji at Siddaganga Math, a prominent Lingayat seminary. Pointing out that few weeks ago the Parliament passed the CAA, Modi said, however, the Congress and its allies and the ecosystem created by them are standing up against the Indian Parliament. He said, "the kind of hate they have towards us (BJP), similar voice can be heard against the country's Parliament these days. These people have begun protest against the country's parliament...These people are protesting against dalits, suppressed and downtroden who have come from Pakistan seeking refuge." Pointing out that Pakistan was born on the basis of religion, and India was divided in the name of religion, Modi said from the time of partition, people of other religion in Pakistan faced atrocities. "Whether it is Hindu or Sikh or Christian or Jain atrocities have increased against them in Pakistan with time. Thousands of such people had to leave their houses had to come to India as refugees," he said. "It is our duty to help refugees who have come from Pakistan... most of the Hindus who have come from there are dalits and downtrodden, we cannot leave them like that, protecting them is our cultural and national responsibility, he said, adding "we should also help Sikh, Jain and Christians who have come from Pakistan." (With PTI Inputs) For all the Latest India News, South News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A young man walked toward his mother and a garda while bare-chested and brandishing a knuckleduster and kitchen knife, it is alleged. Stephen Hennessy (22) is accused of raising a weapon in each hand during a confrontation in his west Dublin home after gardai were called out. He is facing circuit court trial after a judge ruled the case was too serious to be dealt with at district court level. Mr Hennessy is alleged to have produced both weapons in the course of a dispute at his home address at Buirg An Ri Walk, Balgaddy, Clondalkin, on August 6, 2017. Intimidate The charge alleges that he produced them in a manner likely to intimidate while appearing to be about to commit an assault. Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had consented to the case being dealt with summarily at district court level, subject to jurisdiction being accepted by a judge. Judge David McHugh asked for an outline of the allegations so he could consider the issue of jurisdiction. Sgt Callaghan told Blanchardstown District Court that gardai were called to the address in Balgaddy. A man was bare-chested and was pulled back into the house by a friend, the court heard. Gardai spoke to the injured party, who said she had had a fight with her son, Sgt Callaghan said. Gardai followed the woman into the house and it was alleged that the accused was in the kitchen with a knife in one hand and a knuckleduster in the other. He "walked towards the garda and his mother with the weapons raised", Sgt Callaghan alleged. Mr Hennessy was directed to desist and did so, she added. Judge McHugh refused jurisdiction to deal with the case and said he was adjourning it for the DPP to consider her "next step". He remanded the accused on continuing bail, to appear in court again on January 23. Mr Hennessy has not yet indicated to the court how he intends to plead to the charge. Over a dozen Chinese lawyers and activists were detained or went missing in the final days of 2019 in a crackdown on participants of a private democracy gathering, rights groups said Thursday. The Chinese government has severely reduced the space for civil liberties since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, rounding up rights lawyers, labour activists and even Marxists students in various sweeps. The latest crackdown was linked to a December gathering in the east coast city of Xiamen in Fujian province, where participants discussed "democratic transition in China," said Human Rights Watch researcher Wang Yaqiu. The period around Christmas and New Year is traditionally when China chooses to sentence prominent dissidents in an effort to minimise international media attention, "so it is not a surprise that they chose this particular time to launch a manhunt of activists," Wang said. The meeting involved a small group of people "peacefully discussing politics in a private space," she said. Ding Jiaxi, a prominent Beijing-based disbarred lawyer previously jailed for protesting against official corruption, was among the activists known to have been detained across the country since December 26, according to China Human Rights Defenders (CHRD). At least seven people, including Shandong-based disbarred lawyer Liu Shuqing, were released after being detained for questioning. Other civil society figures, including pro-democracy activist Xu Zhiyong and human rights lawyer Tang Jingling, have gone missing or are currently unreachable, CHRD said. At least two of the people detained, activists Dai Zhenya and Zhang Zhongshun, are suspected of "subverting" or "inciting subversion" of state power, a charge often used to silence dissidents in China. The crackdown showed how the authorities have "zero tolerance of even just private discussion on issues like democracy and human rights," Amnesty International researcher Patrick Poon said. According to CHRD, five activists were taken in for questioning by Jinhua city police in eastern China's Zhejiang province, on December 29, after having had dinner with someone who attended the Xiamen gathering. Another lawyer, Lu Tingge, was held overnight for questioning on New Year's Eve by police in the northern city of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, CHRD said. Police in Shandong province, whom CHRD said were heavily involved in the crackdown, as well as Jinhua and Shijiazhuang police, did not respond immediately to AFP's requests for comment. "This round of detentions and harassment is the continuation of the larger crackdown on civil society," Wang said. On December 30, a court in southwest China's Chengdu sentenced Wang Yi, the leader of an underground Protestant church, to nine years in prison for "incitement to subvert state power. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A female paedophile once described by police as "sinister and totally evil" is to be released from prison after 10 years. Angela Allen was one of four female accomplices, including nursery worker Vanessa George, who were convinced by Colin Blanchard to sexually assault young children and share the images. Allen, from Nottingham, pleaded guilty to four child sex assaults and one count of distributing an indecent image at Bristol Crown Court in 2009. She was handed an indeterminate sentence and told she must serve at least five years in prison before she could apply for parole. Angela Allen admitted a string of child sex offences at Bristol Crown Court / PA Archive/PA Images A spokesman for the Parole Board confirmed that an oral hearing had been held last month, which ruled Allen could be released. Allen, George and ring leader Blanchard, along with Tracy Lyons and Tracy Dawber, were all jailed for their role in the abuse, which prosecutors described as "one of the most sickening paedophile rings this country has seen". Colin Blanchard / PA Archive/PA Images IT consultant Blanchard was described as "warped, wicked, dangerous, devious and manipulative" as he was sentenced to an indeterminate sentence with a minimum term of nine years in 2011. George, who abused young children at Little Ted's nursery in Plymouth, where she worked, was released from prison last year. Vanessa George / PA Archive/PA Images Police described jobless mother-of-one Allen as "sinister and evil" and said she was living on the "fringe of society" in a run-down house with no furniture. Detective Superintendent Adrian Pearson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said as she awaited sentence: "Angela Allen is a sinister and totally evil individual. "She has shed not a tear of remorse for her victim." Allen was handed an indeterminate sentence at Bristol Crown Court / PA A spokesman for the Parole Board said: "We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Angela Allen following an oral hearing in December 2019. "Parole Board decisions are solely focused on whether a prisoner would represent a significant risk to the public after release. "The panel will have carefully looked at a whole range of evidence, including details of the original evidence and any evidence of behaviour change. Paris: France "will not extradite" Carlos Ghosn if the former Nissan boss, who fled Japan to avoid a trial and who has French citizenship, arrived in the country, junior economy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said Monday. "If Mr Ghosn arrived in France, we will not extradite Mr Ghosn because France never extradites its nationals," Pannier-Runacher told France's BFM news channel. The remark comes at a time when there are reports doing the rounds that Ghosn left Japan on second French passport. The ex-Nissan boss, who fled to Lebanon to avoid a Japanese trial, was carrying one of his two French passports, local media said Thursday, as Japan launched a probe into the embarrassing security lapse. Ghosn, who faces multiple charges of financial misconduct that he denies, won bail in April but with strict conditions, including a bar on overseas travel. His lead lawyer Junichiro Hironaka has said lawyers hold three passports belonging to the international tycoon, who holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese nationalities. But public broadcaster NHK said the court had allowed him to keep a second French passport so long as it were kept "in a locked case" with the key held by his lawyers. There is no emigration data showing Ghosn's departure from Japan but he entered Lebanon on a French passport, NHK said. Prosecutors and police are poised to launch an investigation into the stunning escape, suspecting he departed "in an unlawful manner," NHK said. Authorities plan to analyse security camera footage from his residence and other places they suspect Ghosn appeared before he fled, NHK said. Police suspect "several" people accompanied him to help him escape, it added. Immediate confirmation of the report was not available. When his defence lawyers were arguing for bail, prosecutors claimed he was a flight risk with powerful connections, but Ghosn himself had said he wanted to be tried to prove his innocence. One of his lawyers also said he was such a famous face that he had no chance to slip away undetected. Some countries allow people to have two passports of the same nationality, for reasons including if they are travelling to nations in conflict with one another. A white nationalist who headlined the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, Augustus Sol Invictus, has been arrested in Florida on felony charges. Brevard County Sheriffs deputies arrested the 36-year-old Orlando-based lawyer outside a gym in a mall in Melbourne, Florida, on Monday. He was charged with kidnapping, high & aggravated domestic violence, as well as possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Invictus was arrested on an out-of-county warrant from the Rock Hill Police Department in South Carolina and was described as an out-of-state fugitive in the police report. The arrest was first reported on Twitter by author Alexandria Fannella and Nick Martin, a reporter for The Informant. Invictus, who was born Austin Gillespie, according to the Independent, ran for the Florida Senate in 2016 as a libertarian. He was also a headliner at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and was credited by white nationalist Richard Spencer, who organized the rally, as writing the a draft of the Charlottesville statement. Invictus had been under surveillance since Christmas Day by police in South Carolina, who tipped Florida officials about his possible whereabouts in the sunshine state, Brevard County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Tod Goodyear told CBS. Invictus has agreed to be extradited from Florida and will be transported to South Carolina to face charges in the next few days,' reported Martin on Twitter, citing the Rock Hill Police Department. Invictus is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear on Jan. 15, according to jail records. Advertisement A textile factory that was once owned by an eccentric entrepreneur and was home to 600 workers lies abandoned as it waits for demolition. Dobroyd Mill is at the heart of the village of Jackson Bridge near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. A series of captivating photographs, taken by urban explorer FreakyD, have revealed how the once thriving textile hub has now become a dilapidated shell. Dobroyd Mill, at the heart of the village of Jackson Bridge near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, lies abandoned as it waits to be demolished A series of captivating photographs, taken by urban explorer FreakyD, have revealed how the once thriving textile factory has now become a dilapidated shell. Pictured: Colour swatches over the walls under the stairs The snapshots showed the large stone outbuilding with shattered windows, a crumbling facade and graffiti-strewn machines that have not been touched in years. The urban explorer that took the snapshots said: 'This mill is now pretty much empty due to the pending demolition but some of the engineering workshops still contain paperwork and tools which help form a connection to what the building used to be. 'Large bins of textile waste and rolls of wool hint at the heritage of this once thriving workplace. 'This location is in a very sorry state, heavily damaged by water and being left for so long, causing the building to become very dark and dingy. The snapshots showed the textile mill with shattered windows, a crumbling facade and graffiti-strewn machines that have not been touched in years At one point, the mill was one of the most reputable spinners of worsted cloth - a very fine smooth cloth woven from wool - in the world but it ultimately succumbed to the decline of the textile industry. Pictured: Staircase covered in debris The mill employed generations of local families over the last century and a half with 600 staff on site at its peak in the 1960s. Pictured: Some of the mill's old machinery 'Water damage always leaves buildings feeling "spongy" and unsafe but when that's coupled with some previous demolition work, the once strong, impressive stone walls now feel uncertain and crumbling.' The wool mill, which quickly became acclaimed for its high-quality product, was first built on the site in 1829. Much of the current property dates back to 1870 before the Dobroyd Mills Company was officially founded on the site by William Haigh in 1919. It has employed generations of local families over the last century and a half with 600 staff on site at its peak in the 1960s. The site is in a very sorry state, heavily damaged by water and the building has become very dark and dingy having been left for a long period of time At one point, the mill was one of the most reputable spinners of worsted cloth - a very fine smooth cloth woven from wool - in the world. But the site ultimately succumbed to the decline of the textile industry. It was acquired by Z Hinchliffe & Sons in the 1990s with the intention to support a contract with a national retail client before the deal fell through just over eight years ago. Several small businesses have occupied areas of the site since but the building itself has now been left to decay to the point where it is easier to knock it down than refurbish. Several small businesses have occupied areas of the site since but the building itself has now been left to decay to the point where it is easier to knock down than refurbish Some of the engineering workshops still contain paperwork and tools which help form a connection to what the building used to be The location of this mill is especially peaceful as the large stone structure housing thousands of broken glass windows is sat beside a small stream with a bridge over a nearby waterfall The founder of the company, William Haigh, was a World War One pilot, civilian hero, textile magnate and philanthropist. Mr Haigh, who died in 1956, was known locally as Buffalo Bill due to his fondness for broad-brimmed hats. He reached the rank of flight lieutenant during wartime before he pioneered aviation as a means of business travel. He reportedly also once saved a stewardess from being sucked out of a plane at the start of the 20th century when a fuselage door fell off before the flight landed safely in Paris. An old turntable has been battered by both time and the elements as it lay on the floor of the factory surrounded by moss and shattered glass FreakyD said it was fascinating to investigate an industrial site so heavily linked with its community. Picutred: One of the old electrical boxes at the mill Speaking in 2003, his family said: 'In many ways he was an almost unbelievable man, hugely energetic and an innovator but a modest one, too. 'He mixed with the great and good, including Churchill and royalty, but never lost sight of his backyard and the hundreds who worked for him. 'In the 1920s he helped to provide water and electricity for the local community.' Haigh's passion for the wool industry made him an expert on its history, and quirky vocabulary, and he not only collected historic wool weights but turned the symbol into Dobroyd's trademark. Much of the current property dates back to 1870 before the Dobroyd Mills Company was officially founded on the site by William Haigh in 1919 The site is currently undergoing a programme of demolition and has been earmarked for a new estate of apartments, houses and office space FreakyD said it was fascinating to investigate an industrial site so heavily linked with its community. He said: 'The location of this mill is especially lovely, looking up at the large stone structure housing thousands of broken glass windows and sat beside a small stream supporting a bridge over a peaceful waterfall. 'The contrast of the surrounding nature and the hard-industrial building gives this place a unique character. 'With the change of our economy, buildings like this are no longer needed and will always be destined to come down but it is nice to see a window into our past where honest work took place, where people developed manual skills and built lifelong careers.' The site is currently undergoing a programme of demolition and has been earmarked for a new estate of apartments, houses and office space. Heres one thing to remember about the Golden Globes: It only has 87 voters, or slightly more than 1% as many as the Oscars do. And those 87 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association bring with them a variety of competing agendas, which makes predicting what theyll do maddening at times. For the most part, though, they like to think their votes will put them on the right side of history. (Ill let you decide whether last years choices of Bohemian Rhapsody for dramatic film and Green Book for comedy did that, but the HFPA was surely pleased that the Academy more or less followed suit.) The voters also like to spread the wealth, with their top films rarely sweeping too many categories. (La La Land going seven-for-seven in 2017 was a real anomaly.) And in the television categories, the groups focus is on finding shows and performances that are new to the awards game unlike the Emmys, they almost never give a show the same award in consecutive years. Also Read: Golden Globes 2020: The Complete List of Nominees Heres what we think will happen on Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton. FILM CATEGORIES Best Motion Picture Drama Nominees: The Irishman Joker Marriage Story 1917 The Two Popes Marriage Story received more nominations, six, than any other film so why does it seem to be an underdog here? Maybe because The Irishman and 1917 feel bigger and more significant, and because those who work with the group say theyve also got a real passion for The Two Popes. If voters go for the movie they enjoyed the most, as they did last year with Bohemian Rhapsody and the year before with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, this could go to The Two Popes or even Joker in something of an upset; if they want the more substantial film, itll be Irishman or 1917. Unlike some Oscar voters, the HFPA doesnt have a problem with Netflix, which treats them very well so even though The Irishman might be more divisive and maybe not even as well liked overall, the heft it has as Martin Scorseses last word on gang movies could give it a very slight edge. Story continues Predicted winner: The Irishman Also Read: Golden Globes Voters Offer a Timid Slate of Nominees - Except for 'Joker' judy garland renee zellweger Roadside Attractions Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Nominees: Cynthia Erivo, Harriet Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story Saoirse Ronan, Little Women Charlize Theron, Bombshell Renee Zellweger, Judy For months, Renee Zellweger has been the presumed front-runner for channeling Judy Garland in Judy. This will be her first real test, and it seems unlikely that Globes voters will resist but Charlize Therons performance as Megyn Kelly in Bombshell broke late and picked up momentum, so she cant be ruled out. Predicted winner: Renee Zellweger, Judy Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Nominees: Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory Adam Driver, Marriage Story Joaquin Phoenix, Joker Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes Divorced dad or disturbed loner? Adam Driver and Joaquin Phoenix are probably the two strongest contenders here, with Jonathan Pryce and Antonio Banderas angling for what would be a big upset. Driver also has performances in The Report and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to bolster his resume, while a Phoenix win would likely be the best way to recognize Joker, which a number of Globes voters are said to have loved. Predicted winner: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker Also Read: 2020 Golden Globes Nominees React: From 'Beyond Excited' to 'Truly Blessed' Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominees: Dolemite Is My Name JoJo Rabbit Knives Out Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Rocketman The two likeliest winners in this category have always been Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Jojo Rabbit but numbers alone would suggest that the former film has the upper hand: it received five nominations, tied with The Irishman and trailing only Marriage Story, while Jojo is only nominated in one other category, actor in a comedy. The only thing that could hurt OUATIH would be the Globes longstanding tendency to spread the wealth with Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt favorites in their categories and Quentin Tarantino a possible frontrunner for both directing and writing, will they want to give something else an award here? Probably not if they are looking to avoid a Tarantino sweep, theyll probably do so in a different category. Predicted winner: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood The Farewell Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominees: Ana de Armas, Knives Out Awkwafina, The Farewell Cate Blanchett, Whered You Go, Bernadette? Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart Emma Thompson, Late Night While Blanchett and Thompson are legends, their films werent widely seen. Nominations in other categories would suggest that Knives Out and The Farewell are the two films here that voters like the best, and Awkwafina is certainly the person in this group that the HFPA will most want to see on stage at the Globes. Predicted winner: Awkwafina, The Farewell Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominees: Daniel Craig, Knives Out Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Taron Egerton, Rocketman Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name While Taron Egerton would help the HFPA justify the musical part of this categorys name, he has the disadvantage of being in a category with two icons, Leonardo DiCaprio and Eddie Murphy, both of them in well-liked movies. Murphy has a real shot, particularly if voters are trying to spread the wealth, but DiCaprio probably has more across-the-board support. Predicted winner: Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Best Director Motion Picture Nominees: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite Sam Mendes, 1917 Todd Phillips, Joker Martin Scorsese, The Irishman Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood This one is tough. If 1917 or The Irishman win in the drama category, it stands to reason that Sam Mendes or Martin Scorsese should win here. But the two categories have matched only twice in the last six years, and Globe voters could easily go to Quentin Tarantino or Bong Joon Ho, whose films will likely win in the comedy and foreign language categories, respectively. Bong is the real wild card here Globe rules prevented his film from being nominated in one of the two top film categories, and voters could make a big statement by giving him this award (or the screenplay prize). Im guessing Tarantino but Im tempted to go with Bong. Predicted winner: Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Nominees: Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell Annette Bening, The Report Laura Dern, Marriage Story Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers Margot Robbie, Bombshell A vote for Laura Dern also honors her performance in Little Women and gives Marriage Story a win, so shes a strong contender. But will Jennifer Lopezs star power, and that pole dance in Hustlers, be enough to convince voters that they want her on their stage? Probably. Predicted winner: Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Nominees: Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes Al Pacino, The Irishman Joe Pesci, The Irishman Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood In a formidable lineup of actors who are almost all co-leads in their movies, the edge may go to the most undeniable movie star of the bunch. In fact, Brad Pitt is probably one of the surest bets for a OUATIH win. Predicted winner: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Best Screenplay Motion Picture Nominees: Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won, Parasite Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood Steven Zaillian, The Irishman By combining original scripts and adaptations into a single category, Globe voters created a strong field in which any one of the film nominees could conceivably win. If Quentin Tarantino doesnt win Best Director, he probably will win here but if he wins director, this could be a spot for any of the other nominees. Parasite is absolutely possible and so is The Two Popes, but this may be the easiest place to honor Noah Baumbach and Marriage Story. Predicted winner: Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story Best Motion Picture Animated Nominees: Frozen II How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World The Lion King Missing Link Toy Story 4 The last installments of Frozen, How to Train Your Dragon and Toy Story all won in this category, but will voters want to go back to any of those franchises a second time? And Disney didnt even submit the live-action remake of The Lion King to the Globes as an animated film, so its chances of winning in a category where it didnt want to be are slim. If voters balk at honoring a sequel, itll help Missing Link, the only non-sequel or remake in the category, and a film from a company, Laika, that has avidly courted the HFPA. (Of course, so has everybody else.) Ill pick the sequel that feels the least like its predecessors, Toy Story 4, to win in a close race with Missing Link. Predicted winner: Toy Story 4 Parasite Bong Joon Ho Best Motion Picture Foreign Language Nominees: The Farewell Les Miserables Pain and Glory Parasite Portrait of a Lady on Fire The Farewell is a crowd-pleasing film that would have been nominated in the comedy category except for Globes rules excluding foreign-language films from that category, but Parasite also has nominations for director and screenplay. The HFPA is smart enough to know that if they give the award to anything else, theyll look silly. Predicted winner: Parasite Best Original Score Motion Picture Nominees: Motherless Brooklyn Little Women Joker 1917 Marriage Story If Joaquin Phoenix doesnt win for Joker, this category could be the movies consolation prize and while that would be an adventurous choice musically, Globe voters dont usually get adventurous here. In fact, they usually go with the most obvious choice, which this year is clearly Thomas Newmans essential score for 1917 over his cousin Randys more intimate work on Marriage Story. Predicted winner: 1917 Best Original Song Motion Picture Nominees: Beautiful Ghosts from Cats (Im Gonna) Love Me Again from Rocketman Into the Unknown from Frozen 2 Spirit from The Lion King Stand Up from Harriet At one point, I might have suggested that Globes voters would want to glory in the fact that they nominated Taylor Swift when the Academy didnt even shortlist her for the song she wrote with Andrew Lloyd Webber for Cats. But now that the film is a fiasco of epic proportions, HFPA members know theyll be ridiculed if they give that movie any awards. Robert Lopez and Kristin Anderson-Lopez won Oscars for the original Frozen and for Coco, but they lost both times at the Globes and may be up against too much celebrity here. Cynthia Erivo has a real chance to win for Stand Up from the movie in which she also stars, and she apparently wowed the voters at her HFPA press conference. But Elton John for Rocketman and Beyonce for The Lion King are clearly formidable as well. I give a slight edge to Elton because they liked his film enough to also give it picture and actor nominations. Predicted winner: (Im Gonna) Love Me Again from Rocketman TELEVISION CATEGORIES Best Television Series Drama Nominees: Big Little Lies The Crown Killing Eve The Morning Show Succession The Globes rarely have repeat winners in this category which wont be a problem, considering that last years winner, The Americans, is now off the air. But one otherwise strong contender, The Crown, won in this category three years ago, and Big Little Lies won four awards in 2017, when the HFPA and HBO pretended it was a limited series rather than a continuing one. Those past wins might give a boost to two newer shows, Succession and The Morning Show and given the HFPAs love for finding and saluting first-year shows, and the fact that their members are said to adore The Morning Show, Ill go with Season 1 of that show beating Season 2 of Succession. Predicted winner: The Morning Show The Morning Show Jennifer Aniston Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Drama Nominees: Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show Olivia Colman, The Crown Jodie Comer, Killing Eve Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show Olivia Colman could be irresistible for what shes done in taking over the Queen Elizabeth role in The Crown but if the two Morning Show nominees dont split the vote, that show could well win here too. Its been 17 years since Jennifer Aniston has won a Globe, and the voters may want to welcome her back. Predicted winner: Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama Nominees: Brian Cox, Succession Kit Harington, Game of Thrones Rami Malek, Mr. Robot Tobias Menzies, The Crown Billy Porter, Pose Game of Thrones and Mr. Robot have had enough Globes success that those shows dont need final-season parting gifts from the HFPA, and Tobias Menzies is probably a less likely winner than his The Crown castmate Olivia Colman is in her category. While voters would no doubt love the shot of energy that Billy Porter would bring to the stage, Brian Cox and Succession are just too formidable. Predicted winner: Brian Cox, Succession Best Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominees: Barry Fleabag The Kominsky Method The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel The Politician The Kominsky Method won last year. A series hasnt won the Globe in this category in consecutive years since Glee in 2010-2011, and Kominsky doesnt seem likely to do it either. Maisel won two years ago, so it gets docked a notch as well, while Barry was nominated last year. If voters are truly looking for something new, thatd be The Politician but Fleabag is a first-time nominee and was the hottest show at the Emmys this year. The question is whether the HFPA wants to pick something the Television Academy already honored and the answer, I suspect, is that Season 2 of Fleabag was so cool that theyll be OK doing just that. Predicted winner: Fleabag Phoebe Waller-Bridge Fleabag Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominees: Christina Applegate, Dead to Me Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Kirsten Dunst, On Becoming a God in Central Florida Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag Rachel Brosnahan has won in this category the last two years in a row, but the Globes have only had the same winner in three consecutive years once, when Sarah Jessica Parker did it from 1999 through 2001. Theres too much competition for Brosnahan to do that, particularly in the form of Kirsten Dunst and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Dunst has the newer show, but Waller-Bridge is the years hottest star. Predicted winner: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominees: Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method Bill Hader, Barry Ben Platt, The Politician Paul Rudd, Living With Yourself Ramy Youssef, Ramy Douglas won last year. Hader would be the obvious choice except that he was nominated last year, and voters might look for someone on a newer show, either Ben Platt for The Politician or Ramy Youssef for Ramy. The again, that ronny/lily episode of Barry was pretty awesome, and the show did come into its own in Season 2. Predicted winner: Bill Hader, Barry Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Nominees: Catch-22 Chernobyl Fosse/Verdon The Loudest Voice Unbelievable Shockingly, HFPA voters completely overlooked When They See Us in this category. With Ava DuVernays miniseries out of the running, the strongest candidates are probably the Emmy winner, Chernobyl; the newest show, Unbelievable; and the flashiest one, Fosse/Verdon. Chernobyl would be the obvious choice and Unbelievable the trendy one, but I hear the voters really loved Fosse/Verdon. Predicted winner: Fosse/Verdon Michelle Williams and Sam Rockwell in Fosse/Verdon Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Nominees: Kaitlyn Dever, Unbelievable Joey King, The Act Helen Mirren, Catherine The Great Merritt Wever, Unbelievable Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon Helen Mirren is, you know, Helen Freakin Mirren. Merritt Wever is an Emmy favorite whos never before been nominated for a Globe, so they owe her. And Michelle Williams is dazzling as Gwen Verdon in the miniseries that voters might like best in this category. Predicted winner: Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Nominees: Christopher Abbott, Catch-22 Sacha Baron Cohen, The Spy Russell Crowe, The Loudest Voice Jared Harris, Chernobyl Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon If a Fosse/Verdon sweep is unlikely, which I think it is, itll be hard to overlook Jared Harris in Chernobyl. And itll also be hard for the HFPA not to give something to that powerful miniseries. Predicted winner: Jared Harris, Chernobyl Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Nominees: Patricia Arquette, The Act Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown Toni Collette, Unbelievable Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies Emily Watson, Chernobyl Just about everybody in Season 1 of Big Little Lies won an award so why not HFPA favorite Meryl Streep for Season 2? Helena Bonham Carter and Toni Collette could supply some pretty good reasons why not, but voters will remember how Streep stole the show the last time she took the stage at the Globes. Predicted winner: Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Nominees: Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method Kieran Culkin, Succession Andrew Scott, Fleabag Stellan Skarsgard, Chernobyl Henry Winkler, Barry I would say that the favorite is Andrew Scott from Fleabag, but by my reckoning that would give that show three Globes and only two series in the last decade, Homeland and Glee, won that many awards in a single show. (Three miniseries did as well.) Still, despite the possibility of a Kieran Culkin win, how do you not give an award to the hot priest, especially after the Emmys didnt even nominate him? Predicted winner: Andrew Scott, Fleabag Read original story Golden Globes 2020 Predictions: Expect Wins for Scorsese, Tarantino and Bong Joon Ho At TheWrap The Assam BJP on Thursday accused the Congress, "overground Maoist body KMSS" and Leftists parties of being involved in the violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act last month. State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass also alleged that workers of these three organisations had brought bottles of liquor in three trucks and torched party MLA Binod Hazarika's house at Chabua on December 12 using them. Dass charged them with plotting for three months to burn Hazarika's house, the treasury office, a post office, the railway station and other government properties at Chabua in Dibrugarh district. "BJP workers have filed FIRs that the KMSS, Congress and the Leftists were involved in Chabua violence. They brought three trucks of liquor bottles, poured the alcohol on the MLA's house setting it ablaze. We urge the state government to institute an enquiry into the violence," the BJP leader said. He termed the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) led by Akhil Gogoi as an "overground Maoist organisation". Asked why he was describing the KMSS as so, Dass said "Books on Maoist ideology were found in its Guwahati office." Following the arrest of Akhil Gogoi on December 12, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on December 26 carried out searches at his residence and office in Guwahati and seized several items including nine books with one on the life of Mao Zedong and another on Marxism. "There was a conspiracy by a section of the protesters to burn down the state secretariat (Janata Bhawan in Guwahati) during the protests on December 11," the state BJP chief said. He claimed that he has examined at least 400 video footage of the violence of that day and found that some people were carrying two matchboxes in their each pocket to set ablaze the Janata Bhawan. Dass said, "According to intelligence reports, the Congress during the NRC pilot project in Barpeta in 2010 had planned to burn down the district deputy commissioner's office where people's land deeds are recorded." The Congress has suddenly arrived at the scene and created disturbances, he said adding, "They should go to the house of each of the 855 Assam Agitation martyrs for failing to give them the honour they rightly deserved."Protests against the new citizenship law were being held democratically and peacefully by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Dass said adding that political parties are taking advantage of the situation. On protesters showing black flags to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal being beaten up by the police, he urged the agitators to display black flags from one place only and requested the police not to chase them away. Asked if jihadis were involved in the mayhem as state head of the Islamic outfit People's Front of India was arrested, the BJP leader said, "Possible". To a question, he said, "Our 42 lakh BJP workers will never allow Bangladeshis to enter Assam. After Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, not a single person from that country illegally entered India as he has taken up the issue with the government there. All those who entered here illegally were during the Congress rule," he asserted. Dass said he was confident that in the 2021 Assembly elections, the BJP would win 100-plus constituencies in the 126-seat House. "We have taken all measures to safeguard the interests of Assam. People have to have faith in us. We will not give an inch of land to foreigners," Dass said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) But he will return on Friday after vowing to come back if the bushfires worsened Mr Elliott flew out to London with his wife earlier this week for a holiday He shared a before-and-after photo of his house that was burned to the ground Mr Zubrzycki, from Rosedale in Victoria, wants to put pressure on Elliott to quit A man who lost his home to fires in NSW has blasted the Minister for Police and Emergency Services for holidaying in Europe during the raging bushfire crisis. John Zubrzycki posted an impassioned plea for Australians to send David Elliott a WhatsApp message urging him to quit. Mr Zubrzycki also shared a before-and-after photo of his family beach house which was reduced to rubble in Rosedale - 20kms from Batemans Bay - this week. 'While NSW burned the Emergencies Minister left for a holiday in Europe,' he wrote. 'Instead of your sympathies, which I know are sincere, text him (whatsapp from overseas or twitter at @davidelliottMP) and take him to account for his crass and corrupt culture of entitlement.' Mr Zubrzycki then shared Mr Elliott's personal telephone number. John Zubrzycki shared a before-and-after photo of his family beach house which was reduced to rubble in Rosedale - 20kms from Batemans Bay - this week What Mr Zubrzycki's Rosedale home looked like before bushfires destroyed it Mr Zubrzycki posted an impassioned plea for Australians to send David Elliott a WhatsApp message urging him to quit David Elliott jetted out to London with his wife earlier this week, but will land back in Australia on Friday morning ahead of Saturday's catastrophic conditions 'The most serious emergency this state has faced in many years and he is on holidays,' Mr Zubrzycki wrote. Mr Zubrzycki encouraged people to share his post and ask their friends to message Mr Elliott. 'Hopefully this small peaceful act of civil disobedience in Gandhian style will do something,' he wrote. 'The media is not holding him to account so you must. Again no comments or emoticons, just text your disgust. Mr Zubrzycki told Daily Mail Australia he was particularly disturbed that Mr Elliott's staffers seemingly went into damage control over the backlash to his poorly-timed European getaway. 'All negative comments on Mr Elliott's Facebook page were being deleted by his staffers making it appear as if he had full community support,' he said. Outraged locals still managed to make their opinion known, blasting the minister as a 'disgrace'. A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Conjola (pictured) on New Year's Eve, as officials prepare for a 'horrible day' on Saturday, with blistering temperatures and high winds likely to make conditions far worse This satellite image shows the devastation of the fires devastating the coastal town of Batemans Bay, on the NSW south coast, early Wednesday morning as the blaze continues to spread 'Keep cutting those fire budgets and enjoy that holiday. Nothing happening back here,' one man said. 'When do you think might be a good time to reinstate those fire service budget cuts? Maybe when you get back from your holiday?' said another. Mr Elliott jetted out to London with his wife earlier this week, and promised to return if the bushfire crisis worsened. He will land back in Australia on Friday morning ahead of Saturday's catastrophic conditions. Acting emergency services minister Anthony Roberts defended Mr Elliott's holiday, saying the operational side of things doesn't stop because there's a different minister. 'David's been on the line for about 112 days before he took his family away for a holiday that he'd already postponed a number of times,' Mr Roberts said on Thursday. 'He's had the death of his father this year and of his wife's father, it's been a very difficult year for him. We have a very clear chain of command, we have the Premier, the minister and the commissioner.' The NSW government has declared a third state of emergency of the bushfire season ahead of re-elevated fire risk over the weekend. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the declaration would come into effect from Friday morning, with severe to extreme conditions forecast for Saturday. Tourists and residents have been told to evacuate a 250km stretch of the New South Wales south coast (pictured) as devastating bushfires threaten the area 'All our personnel, all our agencies know that from tomorrow they will be subject to forced evacuations, road closures, road openings and anything else we need to do as a state to keep our residents and to keep property safe. We don't take these decisions lightly,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Thursday. Mass evacuations from bushfire-ravaged southern NSW, meanwhile, have been hampered by massive traffic queues and petrol shortages. More than 110 blazes continue to burn across NSW on Thursday afternoon, with more than 50 burning out of control. Among the blazes are the 260,000-hectare Currowan fire on the NSW south coast, the 130,000ha Dunns Road fire in the Snowy Valleys and the 105,000ha Green Valley fire east of Albury. A total of 18 people have died during this year's horror bushfire season and more than 1,298 homes have been destroyed. AUSTRALIA'S BUSHFIRE CRISIS AT A GLANCE NEW SOUTH WALES: - 15 lives lost, four in the past 48 hours - One person remains missing - More than 110 bushfires burning - 3.6 million hectares burned, greater than the size of Belgium - 1,298 homes confirmed destroyed VICTORIA: - Two people dead, 17 more missing - About 50 bushfires burning - More than 766,000 hectares burned - 68 structures confirmed destroyed but this number is expected to rise significantly TASMANIA: - More than 30 bushfires burning, seven of significance - 8000 hectares burned - One home confirmed destroyed SOUTH AUSTRALIA: - One person dead - About 20 bushfires burning, three of significance - More than 60,000 hectares burned - 88 homes confirmed destroyed QUEENSLAND: - About 30 bushfires burning - 250,000 hectares burned - 45 homes confirmed destroyed WESTERN AUSTRALIA: - More than 30 bushfires burning, two of significance - 1.2 million hectares burned - One home confirmed destroyed Advertisement Turkish authorities have detained seven people as part of an investigation into how former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who skipped bail in Japan, was able to flee to Lebanon via Istanbul, Turkish media reported Thursday. The private DHA news agency reported that those detained were four pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. Ghosn fled to Lebanon this week before his trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges. Turkish media reports said he flew to Lebanon on a private jet via Istanbul. Lebanon has said that Ghosn entered the country legally and there was no reason to take action against him. On Thursday, Lebanon said it received an arrest warrant from Interpol. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon. Ghosn, who was charged with under-reporting his future compensation and a breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence. Narration: Weeks before the presidential election, Taiwans public opinion is settling in favor of the incumbent president. Tsai Ing-wen: Here, I would like to reiterate that Taiwan will never accept one country, two systems. Narration: Tsai polled at low teens 12 months ago. What changed since then? Joey Siu: None of the promises made by the Chinese Communist Party could be trusted. I mean, Hong Kong is a very good example. Taiwanese: I really think democracy is hard to come by! The recent events really make us feel its precarious. Simone Gao: Do you think this election will be a referendum on the Chinese Communist Party? Ted Yoho: I think it will be, and I think it will be a strong referendum. Taiwans Presidential Election A Referendum on the CCP? Host: Welcome to Zooming In, I am Simone Gao. On January 11, 23 million Taiwanese people will elect their next president and a new Legislative Yuan, which is one of the five branches of government in Taiwan. Against the backdrop of a grand conflict between China and the U.S., Taiwans choice will decide their relations with the two most powerful countries in the world. The stakes are also high for America and China. To the United States, Taiwan is an ally, a strategic partner and a friend that America once betrayed. To the Chinese Communist Party, reunification with Taiwan is a promise, a manifestation of the Partys power and part of the so-called Chinese Dream. What will the upcoming presidential election in Taiwan bring to all parties concerned? Lets explore in todays episode of Zooming In. Part 1: A Good Hand Ruined for the KMT Narration: At 8:45 p.m. on November 24, 2018, while votes were still being counted, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)s candidate, Chen Qimai, appeared in his campaign headquarters to concede to his Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) opponent Han Kuo-yu. He was 10,000 votes behind Han, and his hopes for victory were dashed. Chens loss ended the DPPs 20-year reign in Taiwans second largest city: Kaohsiung. Kaohsiung was not the only disappointment for the DPP on that day when over 11,000 local officials were being elected in Taiwan. The DPP lost seven of the thirteen cities and counties it previously held. The 2018 election is largely viewed as a referendum on President Tsai Ing-wen, whose core policies in agriculture, energy, labor law, tourism, and social issues were not well received by the Taiwanese. Tsai resigned as the party chairwoman after the defeat. Han, the newly elected Kaohsiung mayor, on the other hand, was nominated by the KMT as their presidential candidate for 2020. At the time, he had a double-digit lead over Tsai in the polls. Host: Now it is two weeks from the election, and things have taken a drastic turn. President Tsais approval rating is at 53%; whereas, Mayor Hans approval rating is only at 15%. What happened during the past 12 months? Narration: On January 2, 2019, two months after the big 2018 victory for the KMT, in a national speech about Taiwan, the Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping reiterated Chinas insistence on the One China policy and a one country, two systems solution to Taiwan. Xi Jinping: Over the past 70 years, in the spirit of seeking common ground while shelving differences, we have worked to ensure that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China on the basis of One-China policy. Weve worked together for the 1992 Consensus on national reunification. The basic principle of peaceful reunification and one country, two systems were established. Furthermore, we formed the basic strategy of upholding one country, two systems and promoting national reunification. Narration: President Tsai responded immediately with a firm objection. Tsai Ing-wen: First of all, I must solemnly point out that we have never accepted the 1992 Consensus. The fundamental reason is that the 1992 Consensus, as defined by the Beijing authorities, is the same as the One-China policy, one country, two systems. Today, the remarks of leaders in Beijing confirmed our doubts. Here, I would like to reiterate that Taiwan will never accept one country, two systems. The overwhelming majority of public opinion in Taiwan also firmly opposes one country, two systems, which is the Taiwan consensus. Narration: 81% of Taiwan agreed with President Tsai on the one country, two systems issue. Five months later, major protests against an extradition law broke out in Hong Kong. The law, if enacted, would allow the extradition of people in Hong Kong to Mainland China, where they would be subject to arbitrary detention, unfair trials, and torture under Chinas judicial system. The extradition law is viewed by the people of Hong Kong as a flagrant trampling on one country, two systems. The protests have lasted 6 months and are still ongoing, while the Hong Kong government, under pressure from the CCP, denied the Hongkongers five demands. Police have exerted brutal violence on the demonstrators. Taiwan has been watching closely whats happening in Hong Kong. Mayor Han is also against One Country, Two Systems. But he supports the 1992 Consensus that claims that there is only One China. Han Kuo-Yu: Shall we strongly support the 1992 Consensus, one China with respective interpretations ? Narration: As to Hong Kong, Han once said he was not clear about the situation in Hong Kong. He also visited the Liaison Office of the Central Peoples Government in Hong Kong, a move not popular with the people of Taiwan. Hans Party, the Chinese Nationalist Party KMTp is considered to be pro-Beijing in general. On June 23, 2019, tens of thousands of Taiwanese gathered in the rain in front of the Presidential compound to protest the so -called red media in Taiwan. Taiwanese: Reject the communist-aligned media and protect Taiwans democracy! Narration: Red media refers to media that have close ties or are owned by Beijing. Taiwanese: I really think democracy is hard to come by! The recent events really make us feel its precarious. I hope my children will have the freedom to think in the future. If you dont support it now, no one will dare to stand up in the future. Fake news can easily mislead the public. We must resist these fake news outlets, especially the communist news from the other side. Yao Liming, President of Taiwan Congressional Observation Foundation: The red regime wants to eliminate all colors, only the red media. If the people it supports really hold the power in the central government, what we lose, most likely, is our freedom from fear forever. Host: How has this series of events shifted public opinion in Taiwan? I spoke with Assistant Professor Shen Boyang from National Taipei University. Ms. Gao: The KMT had a huge win in the 2018 local elections and President Tsais approval rating dropped to as low as 10-15%. Now things have taken a drastic turn. What happened? Shen Boyang: Many people thought that The Anti-Extradition movement was the main reason for Tsai Ing-wens rise in the polls. But if we look at the numbers, Tsais rise began from January or February for a very simple reason- Xi Jinpings speech on One CountryTwo Systems , and as a result there were sayings that the DPP picked up a gun on FB. Xis speech aroused the consciousness of Sovereignty among the Taiwanese people and Hong Kongs anti-extradition movement following that was the last straw, which confirmed the threat from China and boosted Tsai Ing-wens popularity. Ms. Gao: How big of a factor is Hong Kong? Mr. Shen: The institute of sociology in Academia Sinica has been conducting a continuous survey on the China factor. In 2018, when asked whether national sovereignty or economic development is more important, 50% Taiwanese chose economy, while only 30% chose sovereignty. However, by 2019, 60% chose sovereignty whereas 30% chose economy. This big reversal came in May. At that time, the Hong Kong protests hadnt taken place yet, so the Taiwanese consciousness of sovereignty had risen before that. In the first half of the year, Medias extensive coverage of the CCPs usage of the United Front work and information war against Taiwan contributed greatly to the awakening of the Taiwanese people. After the Hong Kong protests, they were re-assured those reports were true. It turns out China really does this. One country, two systems is a scam. So after the outbreak of Hong Kong protests, the whole nation takes sovereignty much more seriously. Ms. Gao: Do you think the 2020 Taiwan election will be a referendum on the Communist Party? In other words, the decisive issue in this election will be whether the Taiwanese want to be pro-communist or anti-communist. Mr. Shen: I think this is a decisive issue. Bumper: Coming up, could Beijings reunification strategy backfire? Part 2: Beijings Influence Campaign Narration: On November, 2019, Australias 60 Minutes aired a special about Chinese defector Wang Liqiang, a self-proclaimed former Chinese spy. Wang exposed a number of the CCPs operations in Hong Kong and Taiwan, including contributing 20 million RMB to Mayor Han Guoyus presidential bid through entities based in Hong Kong. Han denied the accusation and pledged he would end his campaign if he accepted even one NT dollar, Taiwans currency, from the CCP. Meanwhile, social media researchers confirmed Beijings massive influence campaign in Taiwan. Professor Shen, among others, led investigations that connected the dots between Mayor Hans quick rise in popularity in 2018 and help from Beijing. Mr. Shen: The 2018 election is like this: Chinas approach is to search extensively for news about Han Kuo-yu, and the way to search is site interference. First he set up a lot of websites, which contained a lot of fake news about Han Kuo-yu or the DPP (Democratic Progressive Party). He made it easy for you to see the positive news about Han Kuo-yu or the negative news about the DPP in the first two pages of Google search. They wont do this every day. Only when many people search for a particular news item will they do it. For instance, the Kaohsiung mayor debate. Within six hours that evening, they had all China-created content on Googles first two pages, so when you searched for Han Kuo-yu, all results were fake news about the DPP. This is also done on YouTube, where there are about 10 channels that upload a lot of biased fake news in places where Taiwanese would not be able to do this, like Russia or Greece. Through such site interference, YouTube will regard the fake news as recommended news and recommend them to more people, which is almost omnipresent. If you look at the background information of Google last year, which we have made statistics: At a certain point in time, Taiwan ranked 16th in the world in terms of the number of searches for Han Kuo-yu. That is to say, there are 15 countries in the world searching for more Han Kuo-yu news than Taiwan. This is unbelievable. Another approach, for example, there is a company in Beijing like Wuwei technology, which designed a website at that time and uploaded tens of thousands of articles, of course, all fake news or controversial information. They will also manipulate the fan pages on Facebook, put the fake news on top of Facebook, and synchronize the operation on both sides, so that the fan pages will reach more people. The names of these fan pages were initially set up in a natural way, such as Chinese chat, then changed to Han Kuo-yus support group, and this year to Terry Gous support group to create fake news. The third tactic is asking students or Taiwanese businessmen to drop a large number of fake news from Weibo or WeChat on social platforms like Line or Whatsapp, which has continued to be used this year. Narration: The social media maneuvers are new, but it is all just a continuation of a much bigger and older effort by the CCP called reunification, which started back in 1949 when the defeated Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan. A military solution to Taiwan has always been on the table. Beijing deploys its most accurate short to medium range ballistic missiles in coastal provinces and aims them at Taiwan. Since Tsai Ing-wens presidency started in 2016, China has increased military patrols and live-fire exercises near the island. While leveraging a constant military threat, according to Professor Shen, Beijing also seeks to infiltrate every aspect of Taiwanese society. Mr. Shen: We divided Chinas impact on Taiwan into both online and offline. Online are things we just mentioned. Offline is the phenomenon of underground networks. Underground networks target mafia, palace, temple, and village heads. After being penetrated, they will be asked to release false information. This offline network approach actually began in 1949. It also penetrated very thoroughly. Narration: Nevertheless, the bulk of Beijings power over Taiwan comes from the economy. Taiwans economic growth is heavily reliant on exports, of which 40% go to mainland China. Taiwanese companies have moved significant portions of manufacturing to the Mainland due to its cheap and abundant labor. Smartphone devices and mechanical equipment are the two major items that Taiwanese businesses manufacture in China. The economy is of paramount importance to Taiwan. In 2008, KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou had a landslide win thanks to his campaign message of strong cross-Strait economic relations that would benefit Taiwan. However, his economic policies did not deliver. Instead, over-investing in the mainland contributed to the formation of a red supply chain that gutted Taiwans own manufacturing, much like what happened in the U.S. President Tsai, however, had a different vision. She proposed a New Southbound Policy that aims to strengthen Taiwans economic relations with emerging markets in Southeast Asia in order to decrease its over reliance on Chinas market. The policy had not yielded impressive results but it is certainly catching on a unique timing that might present Taiwan with an historic opportunity. Bumper: Coming up, is the U.S.-China trade war an historic opportunity for Taiwan? Part 3: An Historic Opportunity? Narration: On a cold and rainy winter day in Washington DC, two months away from Taiwans presidential election, the Global Taiwan Institute had a full house hosting media, U.S.-Taiwan experts, Taiwan diplomats, and a representative from the Trump administration: deputy director of the Bureau of East Asian, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island affairs. The theme of this event is the strategic challenges China has brought to the interest of the U.S. and Taiwan in this region. James Fanell: They had a detailed package. And this is just the 3 out of the 15 pages go through and says: this is our plan to build up the infrastructure of Bougainville. We are gonna rebuild this road on the east coast, we are gonna build two major bridges between Buka and the main island. We are going to build another bridge in the south to connect the major resorts we have down there. We are gonna upgrade two of your airfields and we are also going to upgrade a couple of your ports. They provided all these to the people and the anticipation is that when they become a newest nation on earth and when they are asked who do you recognize? Taipei or Beijing? As it is situated right now, I think the answer is pretty clear. Narration: Islands in the southern Pacific are the first island chain for Australia and New Zealand. Both of them are members of the Five Eyes, an alliance that shares intelligence information with the United States. In June 2017, China officially announced that the Belt and Road Initiative will expand to include three blue economic passages, one of them is the South Pacific. Recently, two south pacific island countries severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan for China. The U.S. government leaves no ambiguity as to who they stand with. Jennifer Spande: The U.S. has always emphasized how much Taiwan contributes to its partners, its neighbors, and to the international community. And we see Taiwan as a reliable partner and a responsible stakeholder. Taiwan and its vibrant democracy are a force for good in the Pacific and in the world, and thats why we firmly support Taiwans relationship with pacific island nations. John Tkacik: I just want to point out that this is a diplomatic anomaly that for one country who doesnt recognizein fact derecognize one country to go around and encouraging its friends and allies to continue to recognize the country that the U.S. derecognized. I am not going to point this out and ask everybody questions about this because I already know the answers but this really underscores the incredible change of Americas strategic outlook toward the Pacific and toward Taiwan thats only taken place in the last two years. Narration: In the last two years, the U.S.-China trade war has brought a major change to the relations of the two countries. Moreover, the great U.S.-China conflict sets the backdrop for most geopolitical operations today. Steven Yates was the Deputy National Security Adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney from 2001 to 2005. He spent many years in Taiwan. He told me right now is a historic opportunity for Taiwan. Ms. Gao: I think Taiwan has never really been able to have a standalone relationship with the United States and its always caught in the relationship between China and the U.S. So against the backdrop of this grand conflict between the U.S. and China, the trade war and everything, what has that brought to Taiwan and whats your suggestion to the Taiwanese government? Steven Yates: I think were on the front end of a conversation with Taiwan but also with many, many others to not think of this as a binary choice. Really. Theres one force, the CCP, thats trying to impose an unfair and unjust approach on all of us. And its not really the United States versus China, its China versus everyone else that wants a more normal, free pattern of trade and investment in dealings between nations. And so Taiwan, like everyone else, needs to begin diversifying its supply chain. And when its doing that, thats not just with the United States, thats with Southeast Asia, its with South Asia, its with other parts of Asia. Its with the U.S., its with Canada, Mexico, and parts of Europe. Its really all of these free and developed economies that are safer areas, more receptive to a democratic Taiwan, and a prosperous and tech leading Taiwan. Ms. Gao: I feel for the Taiwanese its not that clear cut because you know, 40% of Taiwans export is to China. And there is this military scenario always hanging there. I mean that China might invade Taiwan and also, you know, theres a hurt feeling between the U.S. and Taiwan because of the history. So Nixon has how would you say it chose China over Taiwan once and I think all this feeling about if Taiwan would be used as a bargaining chip, again, all of these elements come into play. So on Taiwans side, how do they position themselves? Mr. Yates: Well, it is a challenge of perceptions versus realities. And I think on the perception side, I agree with your summary of what some of those perceptions are and what the concerns related to those perceptions might be. On the reality side of it, though, Taiwan is a country of 23 million people. Its a substantial economy. It certainly warrants attention on its own merits with regard to U.S. strategy, especially in Asia, but really globally. Taiwans trade and investment is very, very relevant to key states in the United States. And so theres no question on its own merits. It should get some degree of support and respect and interchange that wouldnt be open to negotiating away. At the same time, Taiwan, relative to the magnitude of what China is, is a smaller country. And so when you are a smaller country and a smaller power, in some ways, when you are a part of the bargaining process, in some ways, thats when you stand to benefit the most. If you are not a part of the bargaining process, you sometimes risk being marginalized or ignored. So the dilemma for Taiwan is the only time they get thought about by a critical mass of Americans is when theyre potentially at risk. Uh, and so in, in a, in an odd way. Otherwise, the American people dont know that Taiwan exists. Narration: This comes across as being a bit harsh, but it might be practical and true. In the past two years the U.S. passed more legislation benefiting Taiwan and boosting closer U.S.-Taiwan relations than the past decades combined. President Trump gave a green light to major arms sales to Taiwan in spite of strong opposition from China. Now, days before the presidential election, on Capitol Hill, U.S. lawmakers are watching closely which direction Taiwan will go. Scott Perry: I think Taiwan is approaching a crossroads. They will have to decide about their economic independence, their own sovereignty, their own security and their own freedom. Thats solely up to the people of Taiwan to make that choice. Ms. Gao: What do you want to say to the Taiwanese people who will elect their president very soon? Mr. Perry: I hope they elect a president that will stand strong against the Chinese influence and want to strengthen the relationship with the United States of America, understand the stakes for the people and the freedom of Taiwan. Ms. Gao: Do you think this election will be a referendum on the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party? Ted Yoho: I think it will be, and I think it will be a strong referendum. And again, I hope that signal with what Hong Kong did, those many seats going to the pro-Hongkongers hopefully will happen in Taiwan. Thats a signal that people are saying we are not going to accept your authoritarian rule, period. Ms. Gao: Do you think the U.S. policy toward Taiwan is on the right track right now? Mr. Yoho: Yes absolutely. I really think it is. I really think you are going to hear more of a strong message come out of congress. When I speak, I feel like I am speaking for me, but I also speak for a lot of the members of Congress. I cant say all of them but a majority of them. Probably the majority of Americans feel the same way. You know I had somebody ask me: Why are we so strong in our support for Taiwan? And I said, because of a lot of things. One is that we had an agreement back in the 60s, saying that we will protect them, sell them military equipment to protect them. It was actually in the 70s. And they are a Western democracy. They believe in the same thing we do. The same belief that they have contributed so much to the world whether it is medicine or technology or just being people believing in what we believe. Yes, we are going to stand with them because they are a democracy in a tough neighbourhood. Host: The U.S. relationship with Taiwan at times is about geopolitical balances, at times is about bargaining power. But ultimately, the long-term foundation of this relationship is built upon the same values and belief systems. To the Taiwanese people, the 2020 election is a referendum on the CCP. To the American people, it is an opportunity to see if Taiwan will be a true friend. Thanks for watching Zooming In. I am Simone Gao. See you next time. Fiber has miles to go Satellites to the rescue? (TNS) New communication technologies carry both promise and peril for bridging the digital divide. But before they narrow the gap between rural and urban America, they may actually widen it significantly.Eventually, new satellite broadband services and more fiber-to-the-home connections should allow rural communities to catch up later in the 2020s until the next wave of innovation comes along.The problem is there is a moving target with broadband. It becomes a difficult prospect for rural areas to catch up, said Ian Olgeirson, a research director with Kagan, a media research group within S&P Global Market Intelligence.Colorado has made big strides in boosting broadband coverage, which the Federal Communications Commission defines as 25 megabits per second (Mbps) download speeds. But much of the northern Front Range is on the doorstep of affordable 1 gigabit per second service (Gbps), which is 40 times faster.There will always be disparity, acknowledges Tony Neal-Graves, executive director of Colorados Broadband Office.The problem is fundamentally an economic one. If providers could make money serving rural areas with faster broadband speeds, they would do so. But rolling out new technology can be harder to justify where potential customers are scarcer.Take the next generation of wireless technology known as 5G. The fastest version of 5G, operating on millimeter wavelengths, promises download speeds of 1-gig to 2-gig and the ability to handle dozens of devices in a home with almost no lag.But Verizon Wireless, which is installing a 5G system in Denver, is focusing exclusively on the most densely populated neighborhoods, like downtown. It will take several years to reach the suburbs, and it remains uncertain if more remote areas will ever see the fastest version of 5G technology.For starters, the millimeter band is fast but its signals cant travel far, only 50 to 300 yards. Thats a major complication given the wider distances to cover in rural areas. Carriers must install multiple closely-spaced antennas, which is more expensive and only makes sense right now in more densely-populated areas.And to haul the signals out, abundant fiber-optic capacity is needed, something many rural communities still lack.5G is very reliant on fiber to the site, Eric Fradette, Verizon network system performance director, said during an interview in May Rural areas will get 5G, but a much slower and lower frequency version able to carry signals long distances. The technology, while it will be an improvement over current speeds, is not one that will bridge the digital divide.On Dec. 2, T-Mobile flipped the switch on what it described as the first nationwide 5G network, covering more than 200 million people, 5,000 cities and towns, and 1 million square miles. Thats about 60% of the countrys population, but under a third of its geographic territory.T-Mobile, as part of its efforts to merge with Sprint, made a pact with the federal government to cover 97% of the country with 5G wireless service within three years and 99% within six years.T-Mobile said some of the less populated Colorado communities covered in the initial launch this month include Antonito, Arriba, Burlington, Clifton, Dolores, Fort Garland, Fruitvale, Haxton, Holly, Hotchkiss, Ignacio, Lamar, Meeker, Poncha Springs, Rico, Saguache, Silverton, Springfield, Wolcott and Yampa.But critics were quick to pounce, describing T-Mobiles new 600 Megahertz network as more of a souped-up version of 4G LTE, the current standard, and not a game-changer. The new 5G network is providing speeds that are on average just 20% higher than what the current 4G LTE network is offering, according to Ars Technica That should meet the current FCC definition of broadband, but it isnt anywhere close to what Verizon, AT&T and even T-Mobile are looking to bring to urban neighborhoods via millimeter wave.As part of the $26 billion merger between T-Mobile and Sprint, Dish Network, based in Douglas County, said this July it would build a new 5G network from the ground up to replace Sprint as the nations fourth wireless carrier.Dish isnt ready to talk in detail about its rural broadband strategy. The company wrote the FCC in July and said it will put in 15,000 5G sites across the country and build a network reaching 70% of the U.S. population by June 14, 2023.And it is pledging download speeds of at least 35 Mbps, above the current FCC definition of broadband.But heres the rub: 5G wireless speeds of 1,000 Mbps are around the corner for downtown Denver residents, and that could rise severalfold in the years ahead.We are very early on in this technology. It will continue to evolve and get faster, Fradette said.Rural users, assuming they are within reach of a cellular tower, will get a version of 5G at around 35 Mbps, which will also increase over time, but fall far short of what cities will have.For rural areas, any kind of improvement, even if incremental, is welcome, said Kevin Hasley, executive director of performance benchmarking at IHS Markit.It will be fast enough, he said of even the slowest versions of 5G wireless, at least initially.But as has happened every other time speeds and capacity have increased, applications are developed to take advantage of the additional bandwidth. Uses now unimagined will eventually become viewed as indispensable, such as ride-hailing on a mobile device, which 4G wireless made possible.To download a high-definition movie with 4 gigabytes of data would take about 23 minutes at the speeds defined as broadband in rural America, according to the Download Time Calculator For someone at the 5G download speeds that Dish has pledged, it would take a little more than 16 minutes. For a city dweller with 1-gig available through the fastest version of 5G, hybrid-cable or fiber optic, it would take 34 seconds.And it isnt about streaming movies and video games. Fast 5G wireless is expected to make it easier for self-driving cars to become established and for homes to have multiple devices, sensors and appliances all connected to the Internet.If rural areas cant accommodate those new uses, they will fall further behind. And repeated studies have found a direct correlation between broadband connectivity and the ability of rural counties to remain economically relevant.Only the most connected counties were able to stave off population declines, note Jeremy Hegle and Jennifer Wilding, who authored a digital divide study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.Although 5G could widen the digital divide in Colorado and elsewhere, lower costs for installing fiber-optic technology are making it more feasible to deploy high-speed connections directly to homes and businesses in rural communities.Graves said about 80% of the applications to the state seeking broadband funding in rural areas now include a fiber solution. But lower costs are also driving a push to install fiber deeper into metropolitan neighborhoods, and there is no doubt who is going to win that race.Comcast is the states largest residential broadband provider, covering about 63% of homes in Colorado, according to Kagan. Behind it is CenturyLink, the states incumbent telephone provider, with a 26% market share.Comcast estimates that its local customers now have speeds ranging from 60 Mbps to 500 Mbps. In 2017, Comcast unveiled 1-gig service in metro Denver, claiming this changes everything.We are the nations largest Gig Internet provider, and 10-gig symmetrical speeds are part of our technology road map. Through our network, we have regularly increased speeds for customers at no additional cost, said Leslie Oliver, a local spokeswoman for the company.Comcast uses a hybrid of fiber optic and coaxial cables to supply most of its Colorado customers, who are concentrated primarily in the northern Front Range and the Interstate 70 corridor. Much of its gains have come at the expense of CenturyLink, the incumbent telephone provider, which has relied heavily on DSL, a slower copper-line technology.Operators who have a legacy DSL delivery have seen consistent declines and subscriber losses to the cable competition, Olgerison said. CenturyLink is no exception to that rule.Because CenturyLink is the only telecommunications provider in large swaths of Colorado, losing customers, whether for telephone service or broadband, leaves it less able to invest in the rural markets it serves.But dont count CenturyLink out just yet. Block by block, it is laying down fiber in neighborhoods across metro Denver and Boulder. It plans to add 46,000 homes and 1,300 businesses by early next year, providing them with 1-gig speeds for a flat $65 per month.We are going to keep building fiber in the metro area. Everything starts with density. You can get more homes passed with your dollar, said Chris Denzin, CenturyLinks vice president of consumer sales.CenturyLink is starting with 1-gig because that is plenty fast and a number that residential customers can wrap their heads around. Eventually, equipment upgrades could allow it to boost speeds tenfold or even hundredfold. The key is putting in the fiber connection.CenturyLink has been installing residential fiber since late 2013 in metro Denver, mostly in new communities, Denzin said. But the installation of 5G is helping fund the deployment of fiber deeper into existing neighborhoods.Wireless carriers need the capacity, but CenturyLink benefits by being in a position to better compete with Comcast and the wireless carriers to provide data.A Pew Trust study found that about a fifth of U.S. households rely on a wireless provider for home broadband. The faster speeds promised with 5G are likely to accelerate that trend, unless wired providers can offer a more compelling product.Expanding fiber coverage in rural communities is a tougher problem to crack, especially without demand from 5G carriers to build one out. But running fiber to the home could provide a more future-proof solution than other technologies.Are we doing enough to get enough fiber in the state, asked Graves, who describes that as his top concern.As CenturyLink gives more of metro Denver 1-gig speeds via fiber, it still struggles to provide download speeds of 10 Mbps in part of rural areas in Colorado using DSL, which depends on copper lines.The CenturyLink upgrades are heavily subsidized under a federal grant program called the Connect America Fund II that provides $26 million a year in Colorado.When DSL is nearby the fiber-optic network, download speeds can top 100 Mbps, said Guy Gunther, director of consumer fiber markets at CenturyLink, in an email. But that isnt the reality on the ground in many places, where 10 Mbps is the norm.Gunther is hopeful that the proposed Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, the next big FCC grant program, will help boost download speeds to 25 Mbps in the most disadvantaged areas. At the same time, CenturyLink will keep adding more direct fiber connections in urban areas at 1,000 Mbps.Just as with 5G, the growing number of fiber-to-the-home connections in metro neighborhoods will widen the digital divide.Rural Colorado may have to look up to the heavens for an answer to not being left behind yet again. Two weeks after T-Mobile announced it had lit up a slower version of 5G to cover broad swaths of the country, the FCC unveiled a grant to help reach the most isolated communities Through the CAF program, the FCC awarded $87.1 million to satellite broadband provider Viasat and others to help subsidize monthly bills to 123,000 underserved rural homes and businesses in 21 states.Colorados allocation included $7.2 million to Viasat to subsidize monthly broadband bills for up to 6,517 locations in Colorado over the next six years.But as with T-Mobile, critics raised concerns. Viasats service is considered slower, more costly and more restrictive on data usage. It is a last-ditch option for those with nothing else available, according to an article in Ars Technica Signals must travel high up, about 22,000 miles. The lag times or latency are severalfold higher than rival technologies, which can make gaming and video conferencing unworkable. By contrast, the fastest versions of 5G will have latency low enough that surgeons can operate on patients using robots located hundreds of miles away.In its defense, Viasat is launching new satellites in 2021 and 2022 to boost both capacity and the speeds on its network. But they will remain way up there.Satellite alternatives with faster speeds and less latency are in the works. SpaceXs Elon Musk and Amazons Jeff Bezos plan to seed the skies with thousands of low-earth orbit satellites rapidly traveling 300 miles to 1,200 miles up.SpaceXs Starlink project, which has applied to launch 12,000 satellites, and Amazons Project Kuiper, with 3,236 satellites planned, are taking advantage of lower rocket launch costs and breakthroughs in small satellite technology. A third provider called OneWeb is also looking to launch hundreds of satellites.Starlink can seed 60 satellites per launch and expects to complete enough launches to start selling broadband commercially in the U.S. by mid-2020. Musk sent his first tweet about the network in October.Eventually, Starlink claims it will provide speeds of 1-gig, which would make it competitive with faster 5G and fiber-to-the-home, at least initially.Putting aside concerns about polluting the sky with fake stars or the potential of creating a pinball alley of space junk, the new satellite networks could finally provide a lower cost and high-speed alternative reaching every unreachable corner.Americans who currently have no wired providers, or no providers at all, will have access to high-performing internet, bridging the digital divide and bringing around 10 million Americans up to speed with the rest of the nation, BroadbandNow predicted in a blog post And competition means lower prices. Two low-earth orbit satellite networks could save U.S. consumers, both rural and urban, $30 billion a year. If only one actually makes it, the savings would be closer to $18 billion, BroadbandNow estimates. Pro-democracy activists gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate for a protest in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan. 1, 2019. (Courtesy of Zheng Cunzhu) Beijings Year-End Human Rights Round-Up Sparks Protest in US Dozens of pro-democracy demonstrators stood in front of the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles on New Years Day to take a stance against Beijings year-end arrests of human rights advocates. Raising signs reading fight for freedom, and freedom of belief, the protesters voiced concerns about dissidents in the mainland. Over a dozen Chinese lawyers and activists were reported missing or arrested in the last days of 2019, in a fashion reminiscent of the nationwide arrests of hundreds of rights advocates in 2015, which later became known as the 709 incident. Even for those who are fortunate enough to escape overseas, authorities have taken their families as hostages to pressure for their return, protester Wang Liyun, a Chinese rights activist who fled to the United States in 2013, told the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times. String of Arrests In the week leading up to the New Year, reports emerged of a string of house raids, home visits, arrests, and sudden disappearances in at least six provinces across China. On the night of Dec. 26, more than 10 police officers turned up unannounced at the home of activist Dai Zhenya in the southern Chinese province of Fujian and took him away, Dais wife Lin Yanping told the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times. According to Lin, the police claimed the case was serious and involved subverting state powera common charge against Chinese dissidentsbut did not present any legal documents or warrants. The arrest occurred when Dai opened his door to check on an abrupt power outage, allegedly caused by the police. Lin said the police also seized his computer and books, and told her that she should prepare more clothes for Dai as they will transfer him to the eastern province of Shandong, where the weather is cold. Dai, who works as an accountant, had experienced multiple arrests for his advocacy, she added. On the same day, Shandong police also arrested a human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi from Beijing; Shandong activist and former university professor Zhang Zhongshun; and two other Fujian activists, according to Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), a Washington-based advocacy group. All the arrests occurred without a warrant and involved police seizing the arrestees personal possessions. CHRD noted that all of those arrested had participated in a secret three-day gathering in Fujian earlier in December, which was attended by over 20 rights lawyers and activists. Patrick Poon, a China researcher at Amnesty International, told The Epoch Times that sources revealed that the attendees discussed the prospect of democracy in China. It shows again that the Chinese government doesnt even allow such minimal level of private discussion on such issues, Poon told The Epoch Times. There is simply no freedom of expression in China, he added. On Dec. 29, police also summoned five people in the city of Hangzhou in east Chinas Zhejiang Province, for questioning. The five had previously had dinner with someone who went to the Fujian gathering. Wei Xiaobing, a 42-year-old businessman, has been unreachable since Dec. 30 night, after he messaged his friend that someone was violently pounding on his door, according to Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch, a Chinese website focused on news about Chinese dissidents. Police had detained Wei briefly on Dec. 24 for distributing T-shirts with words expressing support for the ongoing Hong Kong protests. Two other lawyers had narrowly missed police visits to their homes, and four others remained incommunicado, according to CHRD. New Restrictions On Jan. 1, China formally implemented a new encryption law that would criminalize any use of data encryption for activities endangering national security, social public welfare, and legal rights of others. Poon said that it would be very easy for Chinese authorities to use this law against activists due to the vagueness of its terms. The authorities can easily accuse activists of engaging in activities that could be considered endangering national security by simply taking part in discussion[s] on democracy and human rights as we have seen in many cases, he said. The human rights situation is very gloomy as the government is stepping [up] more and more restrictive measures on curbing freedom of expression. Hong Kong pro-democracy activists attend a protest in support of jailed Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang (pictured R on placard) and Chinas first cyber-dissident Huang Qi (pictured L on placard), outside the Chinese Liaison Office in Hong Kong on Jan. 29, 2019. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) Sentences On Christmas eve, activist Huang Qi, who founded the website 64 Tianwang to document the governments corruption and human rights abuses, was sent to a prison in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province to serve a 12-year sentence. Earlier in July, a Chinese court convicted Huang, a two-time Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Prize laureate, of disclosing state secrets and illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities. A Chinese judge upheld the ruling on appeal. On Dec. 30, Chinese authorities sentenced Sichuan-based pastor Wang Yi to nine years in prison after a secret trial on charges of inciting subversion of state power. Poon said at the time that the verdict makes a mockery of Chinas supposed religious freedoms. At the Chinese Consulate-General in Los Angeles, protester Wang, who held a placard reading in the face of tyranny, we are all subvertors, in reference to the commonly-used charges deployed by the regime against its critics, explained the meaning behind its message. But the stance that we want to express today is, we have to subvert such a tyrannical power. Its not to subvert the country, but the brutal Chinese regime, she said. Employee unions affiliated to Air India have sought assurances that their interests will be protected by the government during the privatisation of the national career. 26 representatives of 13 Air India unions met the aviation minister Hardeep puri on Thursday afternoon with several concerns, including fate of perks like medical facilities enjoyed by retired employees in the event of privatisation. The minister said that they would need employees cooperation during the process and ensured help with pending dues, said an official. An airline official close to the developments said the minister made it known that the airline cannot survive without privatisation. The government has made it clear that no expert has a solution to save the national carrier that has a debt of 80,000 crore, due to which privatisation is the only option left, the official said. The government was represented by aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola and Air India chairman and managing director- Ashwani Lohani in the meeting. The government-run airline has around 14,000 employees and the unions have been opposing divestment of its stake to private players. Officials at the meeting said the airline will seek expression of interest from prospective buyers by the end of January 2020. An official said the minister during the meeting dismissed reports that the airline was not finding buyers as rumours. Another senior official, who is privy to the developments, said an airline based in the middle-east has shown interest in buying a stake in Air India. A few days ago, a senior airline official had expressed fears that Air India might well go Jet Airways way if a prospective buyer does not come on board by June 2020. The government has set an ambitious disinvestment target for financial year 2020 at 1.05 lakh crore which also includes proceeds from the sale of a stake in Air India. Another meeting with the unions has been called after ten days. Advertisement Space may be referred to as a cold, dark place, but a new image captured by a NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station suggests otherwise. A photograph shows numerous starts glittering above Earths atmosphere, which is also glowing a bright green revealing just how stunning the darkness can be. The craft was orbiting 260 miles above our planet and was about to cross the Caspian Sea when the picture was snapped. The image highlights Earths glowing atmosphere and also catches the lights on the surface. Scroll down for videos Space may be referred to as a cold, dark place, but a new image captured by a NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station suggests otherwise. A photograph shows numerous starts glittering above Earths atmosphere, which is also glowing a bright green revealing just how stunning the darkness can be Stars glitter in the night sky above the Earth's atmospheric glow, as the International Space Station orbited 260 miles above the Earth as it was about to cross over the Caspian Sea, NASA shared in the description of the image. The astronauts about the ISS are known for capturing stunning images while orbiting the planet. The most recent one highlighted a wintry scene of icy shorelines and froze landscapes captured from 254 miles above Earth. NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station snapped an image of a full moon rising over the Hudson Bay in northern Canada. The picture, which was taken at 1PM ET on December 12, reveals just how dark this part of the country is during the winter months. The image shows an area around an icy shoreline and the surrounding villages spend their day mostly in darkness. The astronauts about the ISS are known for capturing stunning images while orbiting the planet. The most recent one highlighted a wintry scene of icy shorelines and froze landscapes captured from 254 miles above Earth. NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station snapped an image of a full moon rising over the Hudson Bay in northern Canada NASA explains that the towns in Manitoba Providence receive just six to seven hours of sunlight each day throughout the entire month of December. A bit farther north, the Sun will not rise above the horizon again until January, the space agency shared in a statement. This photo, taken around 1 p.m. local time, shows just how little sunlight reaches northern Canada during a winter day. The image was taken with a Nikon D5 Electronic Still Camera by an astronaut part of the Expedition 61 Crew NASA does not share the photographers name. Manitoba Providence sits between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and is east to Ontario. The image shows an area around an icy shoreline and the surrounding villages spend their day mostly in darkness. NASA explains that the towns in Manitoba Providence receive just six to seven hours of sunlight each day throughout the entire month of December (the box shows the location) As seasonal temperatures dropped and the hours of sunlight decreased, fast ice attached to the western shores of Hudson Bay and began spreading further south, NASA explains, Once frozen, Hudson Bay becomes a key habitat for migrating polar bears, which spend much of their time on the ice until it starts to melt again around June' This area is littered to more than 100,000 lakes including Lake Winnipeg, one of the worlds largest inland bodies of fresh water. More than two-fifths of the provinces land area is forested. And the Hudson Bay is a spot that many polar bears call home. As seasonal temperatures dropped and the hours of sunlight decreased, fast ice attached to the western shores of Hudson Bay and began spreading further south, NASA explains, Once frozen, Hudson Bay becomes a key habitat for migrating polar bears, which spend much of their time on the ice until it starts to melt again around June. Astronauts aboard the ISS have shared numerous pictures of their view of Earth from space. In May, NASA released a detailed image showing a view of the Earth transitioning from day into night, which was shot Christina Koch. Sweeping views of the planet can be seen, as well as the Earth's 'shadow line,' a rare sight wherein the division between night and day can be viewed by the naked eye. Astronauts aboard the ISS have shared numerous pictures of their view of Earth from space. In May, NASA released detailed image showing a view of the Earth transitioning from day into night, which was shot Christina Koch Koch posted the photo from her personal Twitter account, noting that the out-of-this-world view can only been seen by astronauts on the ISS 'a couple times a year.' 'A couple times a year, the @Space_Station orbit happens to align over the day/night shadow line on Earth,' Koch wrote. 'We are continuously in sunlight, never passing into Earth's shadow from the Sun, and the Earth below us is always in dawn or dusk. 'Beautiful time to cloud watch. #nofilter,' she added. Astronauts aboard the ISS are used to spotting mesmerizing views of the Earth's sunrises and sunsets. Astronauts aboard the ISS (pictured) are used to spotting mesmerizing views of the Earth's sunrises and sunsets. The ISS orbits roughly 220 miles above the Earth and completes one trip around our planet every 92 minutes, according to NASA The International Space Station orbits roughly 220 miles above the Earth and completes one trip around our planet every 92 minutes, according to NASA. It travels at an astonishing 17,200 miles per hour, which allows astronauts to be able to see as many as 15 or 16 sunrises and sunsets every day. That amounts to tens of thousands of sunsets and sunrises viewed of the course of a year. For example, retired US astronaut Scott Kelly observed 10,944 sunrises and sets during his year in space. A video shared by astronaut Ricky Arnold last year showed what it looks like to see the sun set and then rise again as the ISS orbits around Earth. Koch, who launched to the space station on March 14 with colleague Nick Hague and Russian astronaut Alexey Ovchinin, will remain in orbit for 328 days, meaning she'll likely see a lot of sunrises and sets. She will return to Earth in February 2020 and recently surpassed the current record for longest single spaceflight by a woman. Astronaut Christina Hammock Koch (left) took the photo of the Earth's 'shadow line' aboard the ISS. Pictured, she and colleague Nick Hague (right) together with Russian Alexey Ovchinin successfully blasted off on a mission to the ISS The current record holder, NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, set the record with 288 days. Koch joined Anne McClain of NASA, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency and Expedition 59 Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos aboard the ISS, bringing the crew to a total of six members. As part of Expedition 59, the crew members will spend more than six months conducting about 250 science investigations in fields such as biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences, and technology development. Seventy-five of the investigations are new and have never been performed in space. Some of the investigations are sponsored by the US National Laboratory on the space station, which Congress designated in 2005 to maximise its use for improving quality of life on Earth. Highlights of upcoming investigations include devices that mimic the structure and function of human organs, free-flying robots, and an instrument to measure Earths distribution of carbon dioxide. Two days after a senior West Bengal minister met him at the Raj Bhavan, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said he is confident about fulfilling constitutional obligations by working together with the state government. Dhankhar, who was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme here, said there is "no point in carrying the baggage of past". "There is not a little bit of doubt that we have to work together, we have to fulfill our constitutional obligations, with dignity," the governor said after his meeting with the Education Minister Partha Chatterjee at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. Alluding to his acrimonious exchanges with the state government on several occasions since his visit to Jadavpur University on September 19 to 'rescue' Union minister Babul Supriyo from gherao of students, Dhankhar said "We don't carry the baggage which is obsolete, which is not for remembering." "Let us count on the positives, let us move forward in that spirit. This is my appeal," Dhankhar said. Dhankhar's comments were preceded by his meeting with Chatterjee on December 31 which discussed the cancellation of recent programmes in state-run universities and protests in some of them. The governor had on December 28 tweeted a letter sent to him by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in response to his offer for talks over matters related to state-aided varsities. The chief minister's letter said, "The subject pertains to the Department of Education. I am forwarding the letter to the Minister-in-Charge Education Department, Partha Chatterjee to discuss all issues with you at a convenient time." Dhankhar, who has supported the contentious amended Citizenship Act while the Trinamool Congress is opposing it, had to return from the gates of the Jadavpur University on December 24 after the TMC-run employees' union prevented him from entering the varsity premises to attend its annual convocation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The All Assam Students Union, which is spearheading protests against the contentious Citizenship Amnedment Act, on Thursday hung effigies of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at twentytwo places in Nalbari district. The students union alleged lathicharge by police on AASU protestors for waving black flags at Sonowal , a former president of the student's union when he was on way from Guwahati to Krishnaguru's ashram in Barpeta district and demanded that he take action against the force personnel. In Nalbari town, AASU members hung Sonowal's effigy at the Harimandir Chowk, Ghograpar, Barbhag, Bahjani, Tihu, Chamata and Koithalkuchi in Nalbari district. An AASU spokesman said on Thursday that the students union will organise a ten-hour mass hunger strike on January 6 in protest against the alleged assault on its members. AASU also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner demanding appropriate steps against police officials who were allegedly involved in the assault. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man in Vietnams Central Highlands has been arrested for murdering his mistress at a coffee plantation over threats of extortion in exchange for keeping the affair a secret. Police in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province confirmed on Wednesday that they had captured Nguyen Quang Hung, 28, the prime suspect in the murder of a local woman. According preliminary information, Hungs father, Nguyen Quang Tan, discovered the body of a woman at his coffee plantation on Monday morning. The corpse was missing its right hand and was in a state of decomposition when it was found. After the incident was reported, police officers searched the area and found an abandoned motorbike nearby. A source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper confirmed that the victim had been identified as Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, 22. At the police station, Hung claimed he was previously involved in an affair with Huong, although the two were already married to their respective spouses. In early December, the two had sex at his fathers coffee plantation where Huong secretly filmed the encounter, Hung told police officers. On the afternoon of December 25, the two met again at the plantation, where Huong showed Hung the sex tape and asked him to lend her VND30 million (US$1,293). Huong threatened to send the footage to Hungs wife if he did not give her the money. They had a heated argument, which ended with Hung strangling Huong to death and hiding her body at the plantation. He also took her golden necklace and hid her motorbike. Police are still investigating the case. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Justice A.O. Musa of Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, granted the application of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to keep the former attorney general and minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke in its custody for additional 14 days preparatory to his arraignment. In granting the application, the judge stated that the extension of the remand of the respondent for another 14 days for the purpose of his arraignment in court is necessary and granted as prayed. The commission took custody of Mr Adoke on December 19, 2019, upon his arrival from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Mr Adoke who fled the country in 2015, has pending criminal charge of alleged abuse of office and money laundering in respect of the granting of the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 to Shell and ENI. It would be recalled that the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo revoked the OPL 245, which the late General Sani Abacha granted Malabu, partly owned by Dan Etete, his then petroleum minister, and reassigned it to Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCO. Mr Etetes Malabu Oil and Gas, however, reclaimed the oil block in 2006 through the court. While Shell challenged the decision, a fraudulent settlement and resolution was consummated under President Goodluck Jonathans government, with Shell and ENI buying the oil block from Malabu in the sum of $1.1billion. READ ALSO: Investigations by the EFCC into the deal revealed crimes that border on conspiracy, forgery of bank documents, bribery, corruption and money laundering to the tune of over $1.2 billion against Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep (SNUD), Nigeria Agip Exploration (NAE) and their officials, culminating in criminal charges against Adoke, Etete and others, which are pending in both the FCT High Court and the Federal High Court, Abuja. The absence of the defendants slowed the prosecution of the suspects, forcing the EFCC to obtain an arrest warrant against them on April 17, 2019. Mr Adoke, however, arrived the country on Thursday, December 19, 2019 from Dubai, United Arab Emirates into the waiting arms of EFCC operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. His return has now cleared the way for him to answer to the charges against him. Justice Musa adjourned the case to enable its assignment by the chief judge. I want to be the one to make the decision for her, Ms. Lewis said at a hearing last month, according to The Associated Press. The delay is intended to allow families time to find other medical facilities willing to take such patients and keep them on life support. Cook Childrens said that it had reached out to more than 20 facilities and specialists to continue caring for Tinslee, but that none would agree to accept her. Cook Childrens has been devoted to this precious baby her entire life, providing compassionate, round-the-clock, intensive care and attention since she arrived at our hospital 11 months ago, the hospitals statement said. But it maintained that she was suffering from severe sepsis, and was heavily medicated with painkillers, sedatives and paralytics. Her body is tired. She is suffering, the statement said. The hospital had planned to remove life support in November, after its ethics committee agreed with an assessment by medical experts. Another judge blocked that step before he was removed from the case when the hospital raised questions about his impartiality. New Years resolutions With another year beginning, we decided to ask Ohios elected officials for their 2020 priorities. Gov. Mike DeWine: DeWine said his STRONG Ohio gun-violence bill ranks at the top of his list. Although the bills future is unclear to those on the outside, DeWine said hes optimistic it will be passed. I think were making progress in the state legislature, he said. Im happy where we are, but we need to continue pushing that forward. It will save lives. DeWine said other priorities include addressing drug-addiction and mental-health issues. He also specifically identified the wraparound funding for schools that was part of his state-budget plan. As weve previously reported, DeWine said he plans to seek the same amount, if not more, wraparound funding in future budget proposals. So while I cant guarantee anything the legislature will or wont do, I will say theres been no opposition for using that money for wraparound services in the legislature, he said. Local schools are in a pretty good position for there to be a steady flow of money heading out into the future. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted: Husted says simply that his 2020 priorities are to make Ohio the most innovative, entrepreneurial state in the Midwest and to help Ohioans get the skills they need to compete and win. Attorney General Dave Yost: Yosts 2020 priorities include fighting for financial resources resulting from litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors and pharmacy-benefit managers, the middleman companies that negotiate drug purchases on behalf of the state, spokesman Dave ONeill said. Yost also plans to continue pursuing anti-human trafficking initiatives. Attorney General Yost plans to continue his mission of protecting the unprotected by giving a voice to the powerless, ONeill said. Secretary of State Frank LaRose: LaRoses top three 2020 priorities are all related to next years election: election security, recruiting and training poll workers and promoting voter confidence. He particularly plugged his offices initiative to require security upgrades at all 88 local county boards of election, his partnership with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to educate voters and strengthen public confidence in elections and VoteOhio.gov, where Ohioans can sign up if theyre interested in being a poll worker. State Auditor Keith Faber: Faber said his priority in 2020 will be promoting efficiency, both in his offices internal functions and in its interactions with local governments across the state. These efforts include upgrading our financial audit technologies, increasing our performance audit capabilities and expanding our response to cybersecurity threats, he said. These changes will provide the tools and resources needed to find savings for Ohioans and best management practices for agencies. State Treasurer Robert Sprague: The treasurers offices priorities include improving OhioCheckbook.com, which was recently merged with a similar effort overseen by the DeWine administrations Office of Budget and Management. Ohioans deserve to know how their hard-earned tax dollars are spent, and these improvements to Ohio Checkbook promise to keep the power of transparency at their fingertips, Sprague said. Other initiatives include ResultsOhio, Spragues social-impact bond program, and legislation Sprague is backing that would allow for families to obtain low-cost loans to help cover the costs of adoption. A shake-up in the county Limerick political field has taken place this new year with the Green party recruiting a prominent local activist for a Dail Eireann run and a prominent Independent looking set to throw his hat in the ring. Former Fianna Fail councillor Richard O'Donoghue has revealed he is considering seeking election to Dail Eireann for the second time. Meanwhile, the Green Party has also confirmed that Claire Keating will run for them in the rural Limerick constituency. Local activist Ms Keating, who has been a leading voice in the Limerick Against Pollution group, which has opposed Irish Cement's 10m regeneration plan at Mungret, confirmed this week she will fly the flag for the party. Claire Keating, pictured with fellow LAP activist Tim Hourigan Ballingarry-based O'Donoghue sits as an Independent having quit the Soldiers of Destiny after failing to secure a place on its ticket for the 2016 general election. Then he ran as an Independent, picking up almost 3,000 votes, leading many to speculate on whether Fianna Fail could have won a second seat were he their official candidate. Cllr O'Donoghue followed this up by doubling his vote from 2014 to retain his local authority seat in Adare/Rathkeale last summer. Speaking to the Limerick Leader, he revealed he is speaking with his Independent colleagues in the council about what their approach should be - and he feels he has their support. "If people want me to run, to represent Limerick as an Independent voice, then I'll have to consider what I should do. The last time I ran, I was not well-known in the West. This time, I doubled my vote in the West. It's food for thought anyway," he said. Last year, another high-profile Independent, Emmett O'Brien ruled another general election run out. In the 2016 general election, Fianna Fail ran just one candidate in Limerick in Niall Collins. He may be joined this time on the ticket by Cllr Eddie Ryan. It's the first time in almost a decade Fianna Fail has run a two-person ticket in Limerick, a lesson no doubt learnt from the last election, where Mr Collins enjoyed a surplus of more than 1,000 votes. Asked if he regrets leaving Fianna Fail, he said: "Not for a second". "People like Independents, as they are not under the party line. They have a direct link with the people, they don't have to take direction from Dublin. You can see with the likes of the Healy-Reas and Michael Lowry who have pulled away from their parties and been able to do a lot more for their communities and their counties. I've been able to do more since I pulled away from Fianna Fail," he said. With the election potentially just weeks away, it has so far been confirmed that Niall Collins, Fianna Fail, plus Fine Gael TDs Patrick O'Donovan and Tom Neville will seek re-election. But if Cllr O'Donoghue, a builder by trade, did enter the race as an Independent, it could spell bad news for the two dominant parties of gaining a second seat in the three-person county constituency. Meanwhile Croagh native Ms Keating, who works in Newcastle West, said she is hoping to become the first woman to ever be elected in the Limerick constituency, an area traditionally dominated by the Civil War parties. She said: I'm hoping people are looking for something new and I feel the Greens have a lot to offer in that respect. They have really good policies in terms of the environment and transport. I know it's a long shot [to be elected], but at the same time, you need to be in it to win it - if you're not on the team, you can't score the goal. Ms Keating revealed she had been approached to run for the Green Party in last year's local elections, but then she felt the time was not right, due to LAPs ongoing work. She will now take a back seat from campaigning against Irish Cement's reforms in Mungret. It is widely anticipated the general election will take place in the opening months of this year. Union minister Prakash Javadekar, Bharatiya Janata Partys in-charge for Delhi elections, on Wednesday accused the Congress and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of inciting violence in the national capital over Citizenship Amendment Act, stepping up attack on the two rivals ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled next month. Both AAP and the Congress rejected the claims and instead blamed the BJP for violence during protests. Asking the two parties to apologise for inciting violence, Javadekar said, Congress and AAP are responsible for inciting violence. Both parties didnt blame anyone for the violence and didnt condemn it. Their party members instigated people, which led to violence in the city and country. The Union minister named AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan, Ishraq Khan and Congress leaders Chaudhury Mateen Ahmed, Asif Mohammad Khan among others for inciting violence in Jamia Nagar, Seelampur and Jama Masjid last month. In Jamia, Congress Asif Khan and AAPs Amanatullah Khan delivered inciting speeches, making statements such as burqa will be banned. They spread disinformation. The law (CAA) is to give citizenship to the people and not take citizenship away, Javadekar said. He also blamed deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia for spreading lies and tweeting fake photos during the anti-CAA protests. When contacted, Asif Khan, Amanatullah Khan and Mateen Ahmed said Javadekar should support his claims with evidence. Where is the evidence? BJP and its associated groups are behind the violence, said Amanatullah Khan. Asif Khan, against whom the police have registered an FIR, said, Javadekar should answer why police have not registered a case against Amanatullah, if he was inciting violence? If they have evidence against me, then they should show it, said Asif Khan. Ahmed also alleged the BJP is behind the violence. The people of Delhi are wise and they understood the lies spread by these people. This is why there was violence or unrest for just one or two days. Both Congress and AAP should apologise for this, he said. Deputy CM hits back Sisodia hit back at Javadekar. We have said a number of times that the AAP condemns any form of violence. It is ridiculous that a party (referring to BJP) which is known for spreading violence is accusing leaders from other political parties of inciting violence. Leaders of the BJP have been reiterating the same statement like a tape recorder because they have no real issue to contest the assembly elections in Delhi. Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra in turn blamed the BJP was responsible for the violence. Congress has opposed CAA both inside Parliament and outside. But we did a peaceful protest. It is BJP and AAP, the BJPs B-team, which have incited violence in order to dilute the peaceful protests led by the Congress against CAA. None of our leaders supported violence, said Chopra. Accusing AAP of taking credit for central schemes, Javadekar said the Centre has done a lot of work in Delhi despite not being in power . From making a law to confer ownership rights to residents of unauthorised colonies to amending the Master Plan of Delhi-2021 to providing relief to lakhs of traders and owners of household industries from sealing, the Modi government has done a lot of work, Javadekar said. He also spoke about the Centres plan to give homes to slum dwellers. Over one crore flats have been given under PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana), but the Arvind Kejriwal government has not allowed it to be implemented in Delhi. Similarly, Ayushman Bharat has also not been implemented, he said. He said the ruling party in Delhi is taking credit for work done by the Modi government or the BJP-led corporations. Who did fogging in dengue season? Municipal corporations organised the awareness drives against water accumulation because of which the dengue cases went down.Now he is claiming credit for a fall in dengue cases because of the work done by these corporations, he said, referring to the CM. Britain's 'worst mother' Karen Matthews is engaged to a handyman whom she met when he came over to do odd jobs at her house. The 44-year-old was seen wearing an engagement ring on a shopping trip after her boyfriend Paul proposed over Christmas. Matthews is notorious for faking the kidnapping of her daughter Shannon in a plot to claim reward money, but sources say her new lover 'can't be bothered about her past'. Speaking to The Sun, a source described the couple as 'inseparable' and said the pair had been 'walking round like teenagers'. Britain's 'worst mother' Karen Matthews (pictured in March last year) is engaged to a handyman (not pictured) whom she met when he came over to do odd jobs at her house New love: The 44-year-old was seen wearing an engagement ring on a shopping trip after her boyfriend Paul (pictured) proposed over Christmas Victim: Karen Matthews is notorious for faking the kidnapping of her daughter Shannon (pictured) in a plot to claim reward money 'She is in love with him. Both of them have been walking round like teenagers,' the source said. 'He knows who she is but he can't be bothered about her past. He's been staying over pretty often. 'I just think it's disgusting that anyone could want to be in a relationship with her.' DO YOU KNOW PAUL? Do you know Karen Matthews's new man? Email tips@dailymail.com Advertisement Matthews met her new fiance when he carried out odd jobs at her home in the South of England, where she lives under a new name. She and her ex-boyfriend's uncle Michael Donovan were jailed in 2008 for the plot to stage Sharon's kidnapping and claim the 50,000 reward for 'finding' her. Matthews made a series of tearful TV appeals for help in finding her daughter as West Yorkshire Police launched one of the forces largest ever searches. Under arrest: Karen Matthews, mother of Shannon Matthews, is led from Dewsbury police station before a 2008 court appearance in connection with the abduction of her daughter Guilty: Matthews (left) and co-conspirator Michael Donovan (right) were both sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2009 and released in 2012 after serving half their sentences Faked: Karen Matthews in March 2008 holding her daughter's favourite teddy bear as she feigned an emotional appeal for her safe return Shannon was eventually found by detectives in Donovans flat, around a mile from her home in Dewsbury, 24 days after she disappeared. Prosecutors said the West Yorkshire schoolgirl was drugged and probably kept captive on a leash during her incarceration. Police described Karen Matthews as 'pure evil' after she was found guilty of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. Her then-boyfriend, Craig Meehan, was not involved in the kidnapping plot. However, he was separately convicted of possessing 49 indecent images of children on a home computer. She and Donovan were both sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2009 and released in 2012 after serving half their sentences. Shannon, then aged nine, was raised by a new family under a new identity and is now an adult. Do you know Karen Matthews's new man? Email tips@dailymail.com Former relationship: Matthews with her former partner Craig Meehan after Shannon was found alive. Meehan was not involved in the kidnapping plot Los Angeles, Jan 2 : Hollywood star Hilary Duff has penned down a heartfelt post for her husband Matthew Koma as she bid goodbye to 2019. "Making promises to this guy was by far the best day/night of 2019. 2018 was so special because of Banksy. 2019 will always hold our wedding feeling grateful for health, our family, love, and dreams coming true. Can't wait to buckle up for 2020. May all your hopes/dreams and hard work come true/pay off. Love you all," she wrote on Instagram. Along with it, she posted unseen images from her nuptials, reports dailymail.co.uk. The two exchanged vows in December last year in a private ceremony attended by a select guest list that included their children, Luca and Banks. Infant deaths in Rajasthan hospital rise to 102 At least two more infants died at the JK Lon hospital in Rajasthans Kota on Wednesday night, taking the toll since the start of December to 102. Eleven children died in the hospital over the last 72 hours alone, prompting the intervention of union health minister Harshvardhan. Pointing out that the number of deaths is definitely higher this time compared to the last few years, the union minister on Thursday assured support to the state in tackling the health crisis. I have written a letter to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot requesting him to look into the matter, he said. At least 100 children died at the hospital in December 2019, against the 77 infants that died in the hospital in December 2018. In the last two days of 2019, nine infants had died four on 30 December and five on 31 December, all mainly due to low birth weight, hospital superintendent Dr Suresh Dulara said. The rising number of deaths also forced Congress president Sonia Gandhi to seek an explanation from the partys state president Avinash Pandey. Pandey said a detailed report on the deaths has been submitted to the Congress chief. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who earlier said infant deaths are common, today assured that his government is sensitive to the deaths of sick infants at the JK Lone Hospital amidst rising criticism from the opposition. He, however, insisted that there should be no politics on the issue. Infant mortality in this hospital of Kota is steadily decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. The health of mothers and children is our top priority, he wrote on the micro-blogging site. The Congress CM also wanted a team of experts from the centre to help improve health services in the state. We are ready for the improvement of medical services in the state with their consultation and cooperation, he tweeted. The fresh deaths came two days after a committee formed by the state government said that the hospital had given the infants the right treatment and cleared the hospital of any lapses.,. The hospital administration also last week appointed a three-member committee, headed by the chief of its paediatrics department, Amrit Lal Bairwa, to investigate the deaths. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Monday, however, found serious lapses at the hospital in Kota, and said its inspection had found broken windows and gates, pigs roaming inside campus and acute shortage of staff. Hospital authorities, however, said the number of deaths reported at the health facility in 2019 has witnessed a steady declined from 1,198 in 2014 and 1,005 in 2018 to 963 in 2019. The nursing in-charge of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which specialises in looking after premature and sick newborns, has been replaced, authorities said. Efforts for upgradation and maintenance of equipment at the hospital have been caompleted, following directions by the state government. Medical College Principal Dr Vijay Sardana said an order has been issued for installation of central oxygen supply line at the hospital and the work would be completed within the next 15 days. The direction was issued a day after a BJP parliamentary team comprising of MPs Locket Chatterjee, Kanta Kardam and Jaskaur Meena visited the hospital and expressed concern over its infrastructure. The panel had said that two to three children were found on single beds and the hospital did not have enough nurses. New Delhi, Jan 2 : Data network solutions provider Sterlite Technologies Ltd (STL) on Thursday said that it has won the mandate to create a high-speed rural broadband network from Telangana Fiber Grid Corporation Ltd (T-Fiber). The multi-year deal worth about Rs 1,800 crore requires STL to design, build and manage a rural broadband network across 3,000 gram panchayats in Telangana. STL said that it will work with T-Fiber for enabling affordable and high-speed broadband connectivity to 60 lakh people in Telangana. "The uniqueness of T-Fiber project is that it will connect every household across the rural part of the state through optical fiber and provide them high-speed internet connectivity," K.S. Rao, CEO, Network Software and Services, STL, said in a statement. STL was awarded the work order for about Rs 1,100 crore for phase-1 of the project, while the total project value is worth about Rs 1,800 crore. This turnkey project, which entails managing the network for an additional seven years, has a significant operations and maintenance revenue stream, close to 30 per cent of the overall project value. The scope includes rolling out end-to-end network connectivity by deploying 64,000 km of OFC (optical fibre cable) network, as well as deploying IP MPLS (multiprotocol label switching), a routing technique and GPON (gigabit passive optical network), a point to multipoint access to create seamless network connectivity. Prince William and Kate Middleton just proved that the royal family's "Fab Four" is still united. Before the New Year started, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge surprised their fans with their own 2019 in Review clip on their Instagram account alongside the caption, "To all the fantastic organisations and inspirational people we met and worked with in 2019: Thank you for a wonderful year, and see you in 2020!" The video appeared to be a normal year-end greeting, not until the royal watchers spotted Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their son Archie on the clip. This somehow eases the alleged tension between the "Fab Four" which grew more this year. Both Sussexes' and Cambridges' fans acknowledged the effort of Prince William and Kate for the thoughtful and "sweet" gesture, with one even commenting: "So sweet of you guys to include Archies arrival and I just love how awesome u are hope 2020 is an exciting year." Of course, this does not confirm if the Cambridges and the Sussexes have already made up, but the royal watchers hope for the best for them. Where Did It All Started? Rumors about the beginning of a royal feud started to circulate during the winter of 2018 after Meghan allegedly made Kate cry. But royal reporter Katie Nicholl clarified that it was Princes Harry and William who drifted apart after the Duke of Sussex accused his brother of not putting efforts to include Meghan in the family. "Harry felt William wasn't rolling out the red carpet for Meghan and told him so. They had a bit of a fall-out, which was only resolved when Charles stepped in and asked William to make an effort. That's when the Cambridges invited the Sussexes to spend Christmas with them," Nicholl disclosed back then. There were events where Meghan approached the Duke of Cambridge but he just kept on shrugging her off. In March 2019, royal filmmaker Nick Bullen talked to Fox News and confirmed that Meghan was never feuding with either Kate or Prince William. It was always Prince William and Prince Harry and the fall-out was becoming more public. In the middle of this misunderstanding, Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II "worked incredibly hard to try and make sure everybody reunites," which was not successful at all as the brothers drifted away from each other further until they decided to part ways. Meghan and Prince Harry decided to split from the joint charity they shared with Cambridges through a statement released by the royal palace. The decision was aimed to at least calm down the issue and to help the "Fab Four" be united again. However, the said rift continued until the last quarter of 2019 when Prince Harry and Meghan appeared on ITV's documentary "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey" where Prince Harry finally broke his silence and admitted the fact that there is truly a royal rift. "Part of this role and part of this job, and this family, being under the pressure that it's under, inevitably, you know, stuff happens," the Duke of Sussex shared. "But look, we're brothers, we'll always be brothers. And we're certainly on different paths at the moment, but I'll always be there for him, as I know he'll always be there for me." Tata Sons Ltd moved the Supreme Court on Thursday against last months tribunal to reinstate Cyrus Mistry as executive chairman of the $100 billion-plus global conglomerate and restore him as director in the three group companies. In a strongly-worded appeal, the company argued the tribunals order was completely inconsistent with the annals of corporate law and set a dangerous legal precedent. The Supreme Court is currently closed for winter break and will reopen on January 6. The court registry is, however, functional. The company had made it clear soon after the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal delivered its verdict last month that it would not let the verdict go unchallenged. The comprehensive and sweeping ruling by the NCLATs two-member bench headed by chairperson Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya had also ruled that the Tata Sons transition from a public company to a private company was against Indian law. ALSO WATCH | Cyrus Mistry wins case against Tata Sons, restored as Chairman by tribunal The bench ruled that Cyrus Mistrys 2016 ouster was illegal and his successor N Chandrasekaran would have to return the business groups leadership to him. Cyrus Mistry, who had not asked for his reinstatement as executive chairman in his petition to the tribunal. had described the ruling as a victory for the principles of good governance and minority shareholder rights. Tata Sons appeal in the Supreme Court underscored that the tribunal had gone beyond the specific reliefs sought by Mistry. Tata Sons argued that as per the procedure applicable to corporate appointment and set out in the companies act, 2013, the NCLAT adopted an approach inconsistent with corporate democracy and the rights of shareholders and gave no reasons on why Mistrys removal was illegal. It is nobodys case that such removal violated any law or any contract. The Honble NCLAT has imported principles from the realm of public law and eschewed relevant principles that apply to corporate democracy, which are based upon the right of the shareholder to cast a vote. No reasons were given by the Honble NCLAT on how the process of replacement and removal was wrong and illegal, the petition states. News agency Press Trust of India said the firm had challenged the complete order of the tribunal judgement and sought a stay on it in the wake of Tata Consultancy board meeting scheduled to be held on January 9. A lawyer who appeared for Tata Sons at the NCLAT hearing on Thursday confirmed that the petition challenging its order had been filed in the top court. The tribunal bench was hearing a request by the Registrar of Companies to seek modifications in the order in Cyrus Mistrys case. The bench asked the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to submit details of the definition of private and public companies under the rules of the Companies Act. The bench has also sought clarification on the paid up capital requirement for the same. To explain the impeachment inquiry, the GOP has promulgated a flurry of baseless conspiracy theories about the forces arrayed against President Donald Trump. It has been surreal to hear some of the nation's most influential elected officials spouting ideas basically concocted from thin air. The House Intelligence Committee's ranking Republican, Devin Nunes of California, denounces "Ukrainian election meddling in 2016 . . . aimed against the Trump campaign." The Judiciary Committee's Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, claims that if Congress could only talk to a certain three Democratic officials, then "every fact of this investigation" would be unearthed. Conservatives online hold that former White House aide Fiona Hill was a mole planted by George Soros. Of course, no one purveys these theories with as much verve as Trump. The president has suggested that the nation's first African-American president was born abroad (he wasn't), that the father of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, had a part in JFK's assassination (he didn't), that Ukraine rather than Russia was responsible for election interference (it wasn't), that the Mueller investigation empaneled by his own administration was a Democratic plot against him, that the Clintons orchestrated the prison killing of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein (who committed suicide, according to an autopsy) and that the Obama administration spied on his campaign, a claim debunked by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz's recent report on the FBI's Russia investigation. It certainly seems, more than ever, that "the truth itself is on trial," as Peter Baker recently wrote in the New York Times. Some conservatives say Trump, and Trumpism, represent a new frontier of conspiratorial politics - that the theories are unique to Trump's sensibilities and peculiar to his paranoid White House. "Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication," former president George W. Bush said in a 2017 speech. The "main problem" behind the proliferation of political conspiracy theories "is a president who is also a self-invented fabulist," argued Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson. But in truth, the stew of "alternative facts" has been simmering for more than half a century on the right fringe. The GOP had endless opportunities across the decades to banish these theories - about scheming bureaucrats, Jews, the Federal Reserve, the United Nations - and its leaders often saw them as absurd. But they were also useful, helping to rally support from an aggrieved government-hating base, so the party's mandarins allowed them to fester and grow until they spread from the toxic fringe to the mainstream, which they have finally overtaken. It's no wonder someone who embraced those ideas would become successful; Trump validates notions that his voters have long believed, ideas that the party refused to condemn and failed to repudiate. Trump, then, isn't what caused these conspiracy theories. He's what happens when nobody stands in their way. The intellectual life of the American right since Sen. Joe McCarthy's rise to prominence in 1950 can be seen partially as a series of flirtations with conspiracists and a dedicated reluctance to read fringe crackpots out of its ranks. Yes, William Buckley Jr.'s National Review attacked John Birch Society founder Robert Welch, who called Dwight Eisenhower a "dedicated, conscious agent of the communist conspiracy," in an iconic moment of movement history. But conservative leaders more typically embraced the passion and support of the Birchers at the grass roots. At its 1964 national convention, the GOP rejected a plank condemning the society, along with its conspiratorial beliefs. Birchers such as John Rousselot and John Schmitz served in Congress as Republicans in good standing, while conservative oilman and family patriarch Fred Koch was a founding member of the society. Birchers took active part in Republican election campaigns and ran right-wing bookstores packed with conspiratorial treatises such as John Stormer's "None Dare Call It Treason" (about Soviet "infiltration of American government") and Fred Schwarz's "You Can Trust the Communists (to Be Communists)." They served as members of local school boards and state legislatures. Other Republicans rarely spoke up to debunk the Birch view that fluoride in drinking water was part of a communist plot to cause cancer or control Americans' minds. At times, the wild-eyed conspiracism came from the top. Vice President Spiro Agnew delivered speeches identifying a cabal of Washington- and New York-based power brokers who supposedly controlled the news media, whipping up what journalists at the time considered a frenzy of anti-Semitism on the far right. (In 1976, a few years after he'd been indicted on bribery and other charges, Agnew published a novel pushing the anti-Semitic trope that the media's "Zionist lobby" was controlling America's foreign policy in the Middle East.) At other times, understanding that they had to court the conspiracy-minded activists of "the base," the party's leaders went out of their way to confer legitimacy on extremists. Take the GOP's relationship with Christian Coalition leader Pat Robertson, who won four states in the 1988 Republican presidential primary contest. In 1991, Robertson published "The New World Order," holding that scheming government pooh-bahs were working to set up "world government, a world police force, world courts, world banking and currency, and a world elite in charge of it all." He even suggested that President George H.W. Bush was complicit in establishing this new world order. Still, Republicans wanted votes and donations from Robertson's acolytes, so Newt Gingrich, Oliver North, William Bennett, Jack Kemp, Jesse Helms and Dinesh D'Souza all happily spoke at his "Road to Victory" conferences. Sen. Bob Dole, a pillar of the Republican establishment and at the time a presidential candidate, told Robertson's followers in 1995 that "I am proud to stand up here and say that I've been awarded a 100 percent voting record in '93 and 100 percent in 1994 and 100 percent in 1995" from the Christian Coalition. During the Clinton years, the crackpot theorizing became harder and harder to distinguish from the Republican Party itself. Conservative billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife sent investigators to Arkansas to dig up dirt on the president's past, and when they failed, they settled for salacious fabrications that Bill Clinton was part of a drug-smuggling ring. Scaife became what The Post called "a guiding force" behind Speaker Gingrich's Contract With America and a later generation of tea party activists. The Rev. Jerry Falwell, a leader of the religious right (his son is a big Trump supporter), started selling a $43 videotape that among other charges said Clinton was responsible for the deaths of "countless people." Of course, Republican leaders didn't always or uniformly tolerate gonzo conspiracy theories. Presidential nominee John McCain, for instance, contradicted one of his supporters at a 2008 campaign event, telling her that Barack Obama was not, in fact, "an Arab." Onetime senator and 1996 presidential hopeful Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania also stuck up for the truth when he assailed two leading GOP conspiracy theorists, Robertson and Pat Buchanan, as leaders of the "intolerant right." Yet over the past seven decades, such voices - pro-fact, pro-science and pro-reason - lost the internal debate over how to treat the tinfoil-hat folks. And such moments of truth-telling by Republicans at all levels have been fleeting and rare. While the GOP was actively courting allies who propagated conspiracy theories, the Democratic Party took much the opposite tack - mostly rejecting the left-wing theories that surfaced from time to time. Although some research has found a recent uptick in Democratic support for conspiracy theories (a jump caused by a lack of political power), elected Democrats have typically fenced their party off from wild-eyed claims promulgated on the left. They never embraced the theory that the 9/11 attacks were an "inside job" carried out by the Bush administration, for example. During the 2004 presidential primary race, even the most lefty antiwar candidates - Dennis Kucinich, Howard Dean, Carol Moseley Braun - largely eschewed conspiracy theories that President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney had gone to war for oil or to enrich their friends in the construction business. The left has its share of anti-vaxxers who believe that vaccines cause autism, yet Democratic officials have battled these lies (some of which Trump himself has promoted). One reason is that Democrats have been reluctant to use anti-government theories to tear down the things they would prefer to burnish, such as government and international institutions that they believe work for social justice and economic progress. Republicans' conspiracy theories about powerful secret actors are consistent with their small-government views; it is a shorter leap for conservatives to portray Washington as a swamp where individualism, justice and decency go to die. Thanks to years of GOP tolerance for surreal thinking on the right, conspiracy theories have moved from the fringe to the center. A 2018 poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University found that 63 percent of registered voters subscribe to at least one such theory. Some social science research suggests that people who feel alienated from politics are more prone to thinking conspiratorially. Trump capitalized on that climate of suspicion. It's easy to see the line from older conspiracy theories to the fact-free claims by Trump supporters today. White House adviser Stephen Miller has drawn anti-immigration rhetoric from white-nationalist publications like the 1973 French novel "The Camp of the Saints," which envisions hordes of immigrants obliterating Western civilization. Breitbart News has featured anti-immigrant, anti-gay and anti-black theories that could have been found in an earlier generation of far-right publications, including American Opinion and American Mercury. Perhaps the biggest change of the Trump era is the approach of Republican leaders. In the past, they indulged these theories but never really espoused them. Today, elective officeholders embrace them openly, in the face of explicit counterevidence from the government they purport to run. National security officials have repeatedly warned in recent weeks that Ukraine did not meddle in the 2016 election and that those who repeat the claim are advancing pro-Russian propaganda. Yet most Republican members of Congress now seem to believe this theory. Trump's racism (calling Mexican immigrants "rapists"; telling four congresswomen of color who are all U.S. citizens to "go back" to their "crime infested" home countries) and anti-Semitism (he thinks Jews are loyal primarily to Israel and motivated mostly by money) align well with old allegations that Jewish bankers and assorted globalists have enriched themselves while inflicting economic havoc on "the people," as his closing 2016 television ad suggested. Polarization has also made mainstream American culture hospitable to ideas once relegated to the margins. Voters have grown more tolerant of political leaders' failings as long as they adhere to the correct ideological positions, opening a space for someone like Trump to win the presidency and then govern with the support of a minority of the electorate. And grass-roots opinion has shifted in favor of conspiracy theories, a pattern that both follows the cues of political leaders and incentivizes those leaders' abasements. For instance, Twitter equips Trump to instantaneously air any theory, no matter how nutty, to raucous and affirming plaudits. Fox News also capitalizes on this shift to amplify Trumpian claims ("Russia didn't hack our democracy," Fox host Tucker Carlson recently parroted). It's no wonder that, as Gallup found in February, 30 percent of Republicans see Russia in a favorable light. One recent Post survey of attitudes toward 2016 election conspiracy theories found that 26 percent of Americans believed that CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, invented a story of Russian election meddling in order to hide Ukraine's efforts to help Hillary Clinton. Ultimately, Trump was the logical consequence of a posture followed for decades at the top echelons of the conservative movement: The batty screeds are silly, but since they help us, we won't work zealously to purge them. Trump's conspiracy-based capture of the GOP has less to do with him and his perspective than with a party that sought and often won the support of people who believe those notions. Tom Brokaw, (pictured), and his wife had a lucky escape after their apartment building on the Upper East Side caught on fire early on Wednesday morning Tom Brokaw and his wife had a lucky escape after their apartment building on the Upper East Side caught on fire early on Wednesday morning. The former NBC Nightly News anchor, 79, and his wife woke up to the blaze which was apparently two floors above their 12th-floor apartment. He told the New York Post: 'Were safe, and we were very, very impressed with the work of the NY Fire Department. 'It was close to the south floor of our building and it was fully involved by the time they got here. 'We were awakened by their presence, frankly. Our dogs began to bark and we realized, we looked down in our elevator area and the fire department was coming up.' Over 100 firefighters were sent to the fire at 12.30am on the 14th floor of the landmark building on East 79th Street. It took around two hours for firefighters to bring the fire under control. According to the New York Post, six people including five firefighters sustained non-life threatening injuries. The former NBC Nightly News anchor, 79, and his wife woke up to the blaze which was apparently two floors above their 12th-floor apartment 'It couldve been a lot worse. It was great property loss for the family.' The owners of the unit where the blaze erupted were away and could not be reached Wednesday. Brokaw called the owners of the apartment where the fire broke out as a 'wonderful family'. Firefighters used Brokaw's back entrance and kitchen as 'a staging area' as they tackled the fire A spokesperson for the property's manager, 66 East 79th Street Corporation, claimed 'theres a significant amount of damage' due to the blaze which broke out 'It couldve been a lot worse. It was great property loss for the family.' He described the building which was built in 1926 as 'kind of a jewel on the Upper East Side.' He said firefighters used his back entrance and kitchen area as 'a staging area' as they tackled the fire. 'No damage to our unit. We got a little smoke. Really, its a cautionary tale about living in the danger of fire. But thank God for the New York Fire Department.' A spokesperson for the property's manager, 66 East 79th Street Corporation, claimed 'theres a significant amount of damage' due to the blaze which broke out. Nigeria is studying the currency changes ringing through the West African region and will respond in due course, a statement by a media aide to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning said. Nigeria has received the news of the change of the UEMOA Currency, the CFA (Communaute Financiere dAfrique) to Eco supposedly as the ECOWAS single currency. We are studying the situation and would respond in due course, the statement said. Nigerias announcement follows Ghana who became the ninth country to commit to the ECO currency. On Dec. 21, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara announced that the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union, made up of mainly Francophone countries and Guinea Bissau, would discontinue the use of the CFA Franc in favor of a new common currency. The union will keep the ECO pegged to the Euro, while currency reserves currently in France will be moved. The former colonial power will also no longer have a seat on the board of the central bank. Nigeria as the largest trading nation in the region is seen as a key ally who should be on board any such initiative, but Abuja has increasingly had to consult widely at home before committing to such protocols. The history of the Eco is a two-decade-long journey that was first proposed in December 2000. Initially, the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) countries were planned to use the currency. These countries were Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone. None of these countries are in the CFA franc zone. A woman who was lost in the woods during a hike in a wilderness preserve in Florida had an unlikely hero to thank for her rescue. A post shared on Facebook details how rescuers found her after spotting her lighted cell phone. The post has collected a ton of reactions and words of praise for the rescue team responsible for helping her out. The post has been shared on Facebook by Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office. In this incident, which took place on December 29, the woman was hiking in Flatwoods Wilderness Park when she lost her way and called 911 for help. She told them she had been on a trail for about two hours but and couldnt find her way out. The HCSO Aviation Unit used a helicopter with night vision to search for the woman. Luckily, they were able to spot her lighted cell phone, says the post. Deputies were able to use coordinates from the helicopter to provide the Communications Center with a location and direct a park ranger driving an ATV to the hiker, it says further. The woman was subsequently found and driven out of the woods. The post is complete with a video of the rescue. Take a look: Since being shared, the video has collected quite a few reactions. If you have a phone, you can be found, says a Facebook user. Amazing technology, says another. Im sure the 911 center had a lot to do with this rescue... great job to all involved! says a third. Awesome job! Thankful that HCSO was able to help find the lady, comments a fourth. In September last year, an Apple Watch was credited for saving a mans life. The device detected a mans fall during a biking trip and also alerted emergency services about the accident. The incident went viral all over the Internet. NAGINA, India The teens were trapped. As the protest broke up, Indian police officers in the town of Nagina chased a group of Muslim teenagers into an empty house. They grabbed them and took them to a makeshift jail. And then, the boys and community leaders said, the officers tortured them. Four of the boys, who ranged in age from 13 to 17, said in interviews with The New York Times that police officers used wooden canes to beat them and threatened to kill them for taking part in demonstrations against a divisive citizenship law that has fueled rallies and rioting across India. Three had obvious signs of deep bruising or other injuries. Many Indians fear that the new law, which is seen as a huge political victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist base, is blatantly discriminatory toward Muslims and threatens the very foundation of India as a secular and tolerant nation. In Uttar Pradesh, the northern Indian state where Nagina is and the one with the most Muslim residents, the rioting has been among the most intense, and the violent backlash from the police has been the most deadly and troubling. By ANI NEW DELHI: In his new book "Hindutva for changing times", J Nandakumar, an RSS ideologue and National Convenor of Prajna Pravah has called for the reclaiming of West Bengal by a "nationalist government' and had asserted the need to reinstate it to 'democracy and constitutional supremacy'. Prajna Pravah is a Sangh affiliated organisation, convener of which alleged that Mamata Bannerjee-led government in West Bengal has put restrictions on Hindu festivals in some areas with considerable Mulsim presence, in an effort to appease Islamic radicals. The book is scheduled to be released on Thursday in the presence of RSS joint general secretary Krishna Gopal in the national capital. The book is being considered significant as it has been written by one of the topmost ideologues of the Sangh and aims to explain the relevance of Hindutva in these turbulent times. Cornering Bengal Chief Minister, the RSS leader also accused the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to be "an admirer of the Bengali method of executions that he asked Kerala CPI(M) cadres to learn from their Bengali counterparts" while mentioning that Left Front government in the state planned 'genocide' of Marichjhapi so dexterously that no trace of massacre was left by the perpetrators. The author said that this pogrom was against Hindu refugees from Bangladesh and 40,000 were massacred in cold blood. In a chapter "Reclaiming Bengal", Nandakumar goes on to allege that to 'secularise' the language, the Mamata government has removed all words from school textbooks which have a Hindu connection. Pointing out an example towards Muslim appeasement, he states "West Bengal Council of Higher Education has replaced the Bengali word for rainbow, Ramdhenu (Ram's Bow) with rongdhenu (bow of colours)." The RSS leader also said that "90 RSS- BJP workers have been killed" in the state and "four have been killed for chanting Jai Shree Ram". The writer also accused Banerjee of Islamisation of Bengal. "The state has 30 per cent Muslim population and many say it is heading for demographic catastrophe' thanks to unbridled illegal infiltration and non-existence of family planning among Muslims," wrote the leader. Making an indirect case for NRC in Bengal, Nandkumar stated that more than five crore illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators have made India their home. "Through proposed Greater Islamic Bangladesh, jihadis plan to reestablish the erstwhile princely state of Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah (1733-1757), spanning Bangladesh, Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and parts of Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha," the author stated in the book. The author also talked about Kaliachak communal riots against Hindus and blamed that the state government remained in denial mode. "The only remedy to the ongoing anarchy and deterioration of law and order in Bengal is to reinstate democracy and the supremacy of the constitution," Nandakumar wrote in the book. He further asserted that to maintain peace in West Bengal, the state needs to go back to its cultural roots and reclaim the values of Hindu renaissance spearheaded by Swami Vivekanand, Sri Aurobindo, Raja Ram Mohun Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Rabindranath Tagore. "A government with a nationalist perspective, which seeks to replace the politics of violence with the politics of development, can only restore peace and harmony in Bengal," he said. In another chapter named "Decolonizing Bharatiya Minds", Nandakumar has argued that Indian nationalism has come to stay. "The surge of nationalist organisations, both socio-cultural and political, across the nation also signifies that we are on the right path," he said while calling for an overhaul of the education system and removal of distorted forms of Indian history. "The progenies of colonisation and prisoners of colonial mindsets are still up in arms against the decolonisation efforts by various nationalist movements. But an enlightened young India with an earth-shattering zeal to break the shackles of centuries-old slavery is taking lead for the cause and striving for the cause," he wrote. The author stated that "the unusual urge of Indian minds to connect with our cultural roots is a really welcome sign which, I am sure, would deliver a real swaraj even after seven decades of political independence." Elaborating his point, the RSS leader said that Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has become the largest trade union in the country. "Unlike other labour movements rooted in western thought system, BMS upholds Indian thought system and believes that the labour field is a family unlike communists who treat it as a battlefield", the author said. Wisdom on Living Saved and Single Today, were sharing nuggets of wisdom on being saved and single. While you wait for God to connect you with your soul mate, its of the utmost importance that you appreciate your season of singleness. So many single people are on the dating scene, oftentimes putting themselves in compromising positions. But it is possible to live a saved and single life, one of true joy and integrity. Proverbs 4:7 says, Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Did you get that? Wisdom is the principal thing. In other words, wisdom is the chief thing, the main ingredient, the most essential, integral element in being an accurate reflection of who God is and how He operates. ADVERTISEMENT And, in getting wisdom from the Lord, add to that understanding. The wisdom and understanding of God cause the saint who is yielded completely to the Spirit of the Lord to see things or understand and discern things about other people that they cant even see in themselves. When one walks in wisdom, he is ultra-sensitive to the voice of the Lord. His sense of discernment is magnified. And one of the greatest, if not the greatest, attributes of someone who walks in the wisdom of the Lord is that persons uncommon understanding of another word the word profound. Merriam-Websters online dictionary defines profound as having intellectual depth or insight. Many people, when they think of the word profound, they associate it with comments from someone they deem to be wise. So, when that person makes certain statements, the tendency of others is to respond in awe with comments such as: Man!!! Thats profound!!! Wow, hes deep!!! Ive never heard it spoken like that before!!! That man (or lady) has great wisdom!!! Hes (or shes) profound!!! The interesting thing is that there has been far too much emphasis on the words wisdom and profound as they relate to a persons ability to speak or put great-sounding words together. While ones ability to speak in wisdom is, indeed, noteworthy, it is just as important, no more important to demonstrate true, unadulterated wisdom, the wisdom from above, through being quiet and listening. The most profound demonstration of great wisdom lies in ones ability to sit back and listen or to sit back and be quiet. In essence, being a great, impressive orator or wordsmith or judge of character requires listening, and then relying on the Holy Spirit to help in processing what is heard. Scriptures tell us in James 1:19,20, Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. ADVERTISEMENT So, we should be faster on the draw to hear than we are to speak or tell somebody off that we may have an issue with. According to scripture, a profound mouth with shallow ears doesnt reflect the righteousness of God. But it is an accurate display of folly or foolishness. Proverbs 15:1, A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. 4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. 7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so. 14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. 18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. Proverbs 14:1, Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. In other words, the wise woman knows when to speak up and when to be silent. The foolish, on the contrary, will speak her mind at a time when she should be quiet. In fact, wisdom in a man or a woman will dictate when to speak up and when to be silent; what to say and what not to say; how to say something and how not to say it. Its all wisdom, which amounts to maturing you into a better you, and at the same time, edifying your brethren in the spirit of meekness. Donald Lee is founder-pastor of Dallas-based Kingdom Living Christian Center. Email Lee at [email protected] or call him at 225.773.2248. Also, please visit http://www.donaldjlee.com. The "Wedding of the Century" was something Princess Diana cherished the most, even though everything turned out to be one-sided in the end. On July 29, 1981, over 750 million spectators paused their lives to witness Princess Diana and Prince Charles exchange vows. The Prince of Wales proposed to Princess Diana in February of the same year, only a few months after they started dating, which showed a fairytale-like love story. It was blissful for Princess Diana, but not until she found out that her husband was having an affair. She tried her best to save their dying marriage, but to no avail. Prince Charles Was Unfaithful Since Day One Andrew Morton's book entitled "Diana: Her True Story" revealed that Prince Charles and Princess Diana were unhappy since there were "three people" involved in the marriage. After giving birth to Prince Harry, Princess Diana revealed that it marked the beginning when her relationship with Prince Charles started to be on the rocks. Two years after Harry was born, Prince Charles reportedly restarted his romantic entanglement with Camilla Parker-Bowles. The Princess of Wales, out of her love for her sons Princes William and Harry, stood up bravely and confronted Camilla for the first time at her sister's birthday party. Princess Diana waited for the perfect moment until Camilla was left alone then directly told her that she was aware of what was going on. However, Camilla just shrugged her off and told her she had no idea what she was talking about. "I know what's going on between you and Charles, and I just want you to know that," Diana explained. Her efforts showed her love for Prince Charles, and while she did not speak of it publicly, Princess Diana let their royal photographer knew about it. Princess Diana's Confession In the 2013 documentary "Royalty Close Up: The Photography of Kent Gavin" which was aired on Amazon Prime, Gavin revealed the exact words Princess Diana used to describe how she felt about her husband after she found out the infidelity issue. "She said to me after all the rumors of the marriage and everything, she said on a flight somewhere: 'Kent, you won't believe it, but I still love him," Gavin recalled. Despite their "unhappy ending", the royal photographer confirmed that the royal couple somehow showered each other lots of love at the beginning of their relationship. To prove it, Gavin remembered how he shot their honeymoon pictures and the first photographs and how he was convinced that their relationship was something that would last forever. "There really were great days. Of course, people tend to think of the bad days because of the divorce and it all going wrong, but if you look back at all those pictures that we did in the early days, it tells a different story," Gavin concluded. However, despite what she gained from loving Prince Charles too much, Princess Diana only wanted to do the things that would benefit the royal family. The Princess of Wales' former royal protection officer Ken Wharf proved how genuine she was in protecting the royal family. "What you had here was a young, photographic woman, that actually wanted to do it, primarily, to promote the best of the Royal Family - that was her objective," Wharf said. The attacker called the police and ordered them what to do next by Rufus Randeniya A Buddhist priest slapped a man while talking in close proximity. Victim's eyeglasses went flying. Thousands of Facebook fans witnessed this callous attack and it is gone viral instantly. Not only our country f/b fans but this attack has also been viewed by millions of international f/b fans and Christian organisations all over the world are expressing their displeasure on this incident which the Sri Lankan govt., is ignoring. The attacker called the police and ordered them what to do next. In civilized countries, no one including police are allowed to attack someone. This was well proved in the case of the former IGP who manhandled an employee. Unfortunately, the priest involved in this scenario seems unaffected by the law. Rulers must do something in this regard before the Buddhist establishments functioning in many western countries with no resistance could face repercussion. We have two Buddhist temples in our neighbourhood and the Americans respect them and their activities. Here the Buddhist temples are mushrooming and we see some houses flying Buddhist flags turn temples conveniently with no resistance from anyone. Don't we see this freedom which the constitution of the country declares? I see Hare Rama Hare Krishna groups sing softly at the railway stations with enchanting music played by them. Sitting at the exit gates, they at pleasant feelings to rushing passengers. The world tolerates different cultures, strange religions and uncommon costumes while narrow-minded people who are not exposed to everything out of their wells resist for the sake of resisting. Pope was yanked rudely by a woman in the excited crowd and his annoyed reaction was a slap on her face. This happened yesterday. Then upon realizing what he did impulsively, he made a public apology. Sadly, we don't see our slapping priest apologising at all. I do not know the Christian party who had gone to the area of this priest and they should have gone away dusting their feet. Christian places are under obligation to tell the good news of the salvation of Jesus but not in places where they are not welcome. Google's ex-head of international relations, Ross LaJeunesse -- who clocked up more than a decade working government and policy-related roles for the tech giant before departing last year -- has become the latest (former) Googler to lay into the company for falling short of its erstwhile "don't be evil" corporate motto. Worth noting right off the bat: LaJeunesse is making his own pitch to be elected as a U.S. senator for the Democrats in Maine, where he's pitting himself against the sitting Republican, Susan Collins. So this lengthy blog post, in which he sets out reasons for joining ("making the world better and more equal") and -- at long last -- exiting Google does look like an exercise in New Year reputation "exfoliation," shall we say. One that's intended to anticipate and deflect any critical questions he may face on the campaign trail, given his many years of service to Mountain View. Hence the inclusion of overt political messaging, such as lines like: "No longer can massive tech companies like Google be permitted to operate relatively free from government oversight." Still, the post makes more awkward reading for Google. (Albeit, less awkward than the active employee activism the company continues to face over a range of issues -- from its corporate culture and attitude toward diversity to product dev ethics.) LaJeunesse claims that (unnamed) senior management actively evaded his attempts to push for it to adopt a company-wide Human Rights program that would, as he tells it, "publicly commit Google to adhere to human rights principles found in the UN Declaration of Human Rights, provide a mechanism for product and engineering teams to seek internal review of product design elements, and formalize the use of Human Rights Impact Assessments for all major product launches and market entries." "[E]ach time I recommended a Human Rights Program, senior executives came up with an excuse to say no," LaJeunesse alleges, going on to claim that he was subsequently side-lined in policy discussions related to a censored search project Google had been working on to enable it to return to the Chinese market. Story continues The controversial project, code-named Dragonfly, was later shut down, per LaJeunesse's telling, after Congress raised questions -- backing up the blog's overarching theme that only political scrutiny can put meaningful limits on powerful technologists. (Check that already steady drumbeat for the 2020 U.S. elections.) He writes: At first, [Google senior executives] said human rights issues were better handled within the product teams, rather than starting a separate program. But the product teams werent trained to address human rights as part of their work. When I went back to senior executives to again argue for a program, they then claimed to be worried about increasing the companys legal liability. We provided the opinion of outside experts who re-confirmed that these fears were unfounded. At this point, a colleague was suddenly re-assigned to lead the policy team discussions for Dragonfly. As someone who had consistently advocated for a human rights-based approach, I was being sidelined from the on-going conversations on whether to launch Dragonfly. I then realized that the company had never intended to incorporate human rights principles into its business and product decisions. Just when Google needed to double down on a commitment to human rights, it decided to instead chase bigger profits and an even higher stock price. Reached for comment, a Google spokesman sent us this statement, attributed to a Google spokeswoman: "We have an unwavering commitment to supporting human rights organisations and efforts. That commitment is unrelated to and unaffected by the reorganisation of our policy team, which was widely reported and which impacted many members of the team. As part of this reorganisation, Ross was offered a new position at the exact same level and compensation, which he declined to accept. We wish Ross all the best with his political ambitions." LaJeunesse's blog post also lays into Google's workplace culture -- making allegations that bullying and racist stereotyping were commonplace. Including even apparently during attempts by management to actively engage with the issue of diversity... It was no different in the workplace culture. Senior colleagues bullied and screamed at young women, causing them to cry at their desks. At an all-hands meeting, my boss said, Now you Asians come to the microphone too. I know you dont like to ask questions. At a different all-hands meeting, the entire policy team was separated into various rooms and told to participate in a diversity exercise that placed me in a group labeled homos while participants shouted out stereotypes such as effeminate and promiscuous. Colleagues of color were forced to join groups called Asians and Brown people in other rooms nearby. We've asked Google for comment on these allegations and will update this post with any response. It's clearly a sign of the "techlash" times that an ex-Googler, who's now a senator-in-the-running, believes there's political capital to be made by publicly unloading on his former employer. "The role of these companies in our daily lives, from how we run our elections to how we entertain and educate our children, is just too great to leave in the hands of executives who are accountable only to their controlling shareholders who in the case of Google, Amazon, Facebook and Snap happen to be fellow company insiders and founders," LaJeunesse goes on to write, widening his attack to incorporate other FAANG giants. Expect plenty more such tech giant pinata in the run up to November's ballot. [January 02, 2020] Glimpses of Taiwan in the 1960s: Photographs by American Pastor The Cite Publishing Ltd. has launched a project to present the black and white images of Taiwan captured by American pastor Barry L. Schuttler between 1959 and 1960. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200101005127/en/ Glimpses of Taiwan in the 1960s Photographs by American Pastor (Photo: Business Wire) Subsidized by the Ministry of Culture's Taiwan Cultural Memory Bank proect, the Cite Publishing Ltd. makes the old photographs available to the public, offering glimpses of the history of Taiwan. Schuttler, who served as the director of Taiwan Christian Service at that time, traveled across Taiwan and its outlying islands with members of the church to provide U.S. aid to Taiwan. As a photography lover, Schuttler documented the everyday life of Taiwanese people as well as street scenes, spanning life in Wanhua District, Guishan Island, and Kinmen, through his lens. To fundraise for Taiwan and introduce the island to the world, Schuttler sent the photographs to the church in the U.S., so the images can be published by the church and media. For example, San Francisco Chronicle had published a series of his photographs. With these old photographs, people in the current generation can learn about the lifestyle, dressing style, working lives, and street scenes of Taiwan in different era. The Cite Publishing team also conducted field survey based on the photos and recorded oral history through interviewing elders living in Wanhua. The survey has brought back the memories of the residents. A former resident of Guishan Island even recognized himself in one of the old photos. To introduce Taiwan's original cultural contents to the overseas markets and seek collaboration opportunities, the team has also participated in Content Tokyo, a trade fair offering a platform for business matching among content creators, distributors, and licensing professionals. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200101005127/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SANGRUR A joint front of students, youths and locals of Muslim-dominated Malerkotla, around 35km from Sangrur, under the banner of Haa Da Naara Sangharsh Morcha will hold a rally in Malerkotla on Friday where former JNU student leader Umar Khalid will address demonstrators. The district leadership of BJP approached to police on Thursday and demanded ban on Khalids entry in the district alleging that he could disturb peace in the state. The rally against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) will start from Sirhandi Gate after Fridays namaz and would culminate at Kamal Cinema after Khalids speech. Besides, around 70 outfits, including some political parties, have also given a call to observe black day on Friday during which shops and other business establishments will remain closed. The protest is being supported by Lok Insaaf Party, All Indian Sikh Students Federation, Muslim league and Communist Party of India (Marxist). A Lidl worker was sacked from his position after reacting to colleagues who he claimed regularly subjected him to racist abuse and accused him of being part of ISIS. Behzad Bahmanzad worked at the store in Plymouth, Devon, for five years and said he was bullied by other staff members who repeatedly called him 'ISIS', 'terrorist' and 'bomber'. The 40-year-old, who is originally from Iran but has British citizenship after living in England for 20 years, said he finally snapped - and was given the boot from his job. He said things came to a head in October last year when an altercation with another worker took place in a warehouse. Behzad Bahmanzad (pictured above) worked at the store in Plymouth, Devon, for five years and said he had had enough of the abuse Behzad said: 'They were treating me the same way, saying they were joking, taking the p***, asking 'are you ISIS or a bomber'. 'They would say I wasn't allowed to say 'shoot'. After the bombing in Manchester I came in the next day and they asked 'are you tired today? You've just come all the way from Manchester haven't you?' 'I understood what they was trying to suggest.' He said that on one occasion his colleagues 'called him ISIS' and he had 'had enough'. 'It was humiliating me. I told them to f*** off. I got angry.' The 40-year-old said everyone has their limits and is seen above holding his old uniform with his badge on Behzad said the incident occurred in a warehouse section of the Lidl store and he claimed he was nudged and in return pushed back, suggesting that if the person wanted to continue making racist comments they should go outside rather than it be done in front of customers. He said: 'This person would disrespect me in front of customers again and again. I'd had enough of it - why should they be allowed to treat me this way. Everyone has their limits.' Behzad claimed he was suspended and later fired because of the incident. He appealed to a regional manager but said he was informed that because he had not made any previous complaints about racial harassment, and that because his pushing was captured on CCTV, and that his claim to take the matter outside was interpreted as a threat of violence, his appeal would not succeed. It is not clear whether or not Behzad plans to take his appeal to an employment tribunal. He said he went to police where he reported the incidents and was given a crime reference number, but advised that they could not investigate the matter further. He added: 'After years of this I was upset and angry. How many times did I go home upset and angry, being called 'muzzy', 'P*** and n*****. I don't have a criminal record but was made to feel like I was the criminal. 'I'm now out of work and waiting for my first Universal Credit payment - I've been told I won't get anything until January 5. I've not had anything since November. I need food, I need to pay my bills. 'I've done nothing wrong other than defend myself. I would warn other people who are going through what I've gone through to report it. Learn my lesson - report it immediately, regardless of who is doing it to you. My mistake was not reporting it. They have been calling me all these names for years, for five years. 'I was a good worker, I was always helping people, helping the customers. It's just not right what has happened to me.' Lidl said it took all alleged racist behaviour seriously and that 'under no circumstances do we condone or tolerate any form of discrimination'. But Behzad said: 'Anything that happened around the world to do with terrorism, the day after I knew that this would be coming.' Although he said he was 'getting used to it' he admits that many nights he would go home and become increasingly angry and depressed, often crying or left punching a wall out of fury at the abuse he said he regularly suffered. He added: 'There would be sarcasm in front of customers. I've been here [in England] for 20 years and I've been called everything. 'I've been called n******, and P***. Many times I've just ignored it, but over time it does affect you. You go home and feel like a second class citizen. I have a British passport, I've got two children. My daughter has blonde hair and blue eyes! Sometimes I would wonder how am I going to protect my children from this [abuse]. 'At work it would get so bad I would go home and sometimes sit in a corner, crying, punching a wall. 'I would tell this person 'I'm not from an Arab country - I'm from Iran'. They would say they were just making a joke but sometimes I was just shaking from the humiliation and anger of it.' Behzad said he did not report the alleged racial abuse because he felt it would be problematic for his job, harming his chances of getting shifts which would allow him to be at home in the afternoon to be with his son who has special needs. He said: 'I look back and realise that was biggest mistake I ever made - why did I not report them? Instead I said nothing.' Devon and Cornwall Police said: 'This matter was reported to the police and an officer has met Mr Bahmanzad to discuss this incident and for us to advise him on our powers in this type of matter. 'Whilst there are occasions where racial comments within the workplace could be a criminal matter or a public order offence, this incident doesn't appears to fall within this threshold which is why this has been recorded as a hate incident rather than a hate crime.' 'Therefore, we have advised Mr Bahmanzad that this appears to be an employment issue and one that an employer is duty bound to investigate and lead on.' A spokesperson for Lidl said: 'Under no circumstances do we condone or tolerate any form of discrimination and take any such behaviour extremely seriously. 'We have strict grievance procedures in place and any matters brought to our attention, whether during or after employment, are subject to thorough internal investigations. 'We understand that some employees may not wish to raise issues directly with line management, and therefore have a range of support options in place including an Employee Assistance Programme, dedicated Employee Relations Consultants and a whistleblowing hotline.' Talks to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland are under way in Belfast. The latest process, which was initiated in the wake of the general election, was paused over the festive period after a pre-Christmas deal failed to materialise. Secretary of State Julian Smith, Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney and the local parties returned to Stormont House on Thursday morning to resume the effort. The Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein held separate meetings with Mr Smith, before a roundtable with the other Stormont parties and the Irish Government. Further bilateral meetings are expected to continue throughout the day. From Thursday morning a number of protesters stating their opposition to an Irish Language Act being included in any potential deal set up camp outside the talks venue holding aloft union flags. Three years on from the collapse of the devolved government, the Stormont parties have until a January 13 deadline to strike a deal to revive the institutions. On that date, legislation to give civil servants additional powers to run Northern Ireland's struggling public services expires and Mr Smith will assume a legal obligation to call a snap Assembly election. The latest push to restore powersharing broke up the week before Christmas, with UK and Irish governments singling out the DUP as the party standing in the way of a deal. The party rejected the claims, insisting it would not be "bounced" into a "quick fix" that falls apart when tested. Devolution can only be restored once the DUP and Sinn Fein - the region's two largest parties - agree terms to re-enter a mandatory coalition executive in Belfast. The other three main parties - the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance - are also involved in the talks process convened by the UK and Irish Governments. While they could take positions in any new executive, their sign-off on a deal is not essential and a government could be formed in their absence, with those parties having the option of going into opposition. Expectations of a breakthrough rose after the DUP and Sinn Fein both suffered bruising results in the general election. With many interpreting the outcome as a public judgment on the parties' failure to do a deal, stalled efforts to restore the institutions appeared to gain fresh momentum in December. However, proposals to reform a contentious cross-community voting mechanism in the Assembly have emerged as a key sticking point in efforts to finalise an agreement, with the DUP unhappy about what is being countenanced. The DUP is also seeking changes to ensure the devolved institutions are more stable in future and cannot be readily pulled down. Proposed legislative protections for Irish language speakers are another crucial element of the negotiations. The Stormont parties are also seeking firm commitments from the UK Government on a financial package to accompany the return of devolution - money that would likely be targeted at the region's crisis-hit health service. Mr Smith and Mr Coveney were in Belfast on New Year's Day for pre-talks discussions ahead of the resumption of formal exchanges with the political parties. Mr Coveney urged the parties to show leadership and generosity. He said the new year offered a chance for a new beginning and urged all sides not to disappoint the public again. The leaders of the DUP and Sinn Fein used their respective new year messages to restate a desire to return to government. DUP leader Arlene Foster said her party stood ready to restore devolution through a "fair and balanced deal". "A Northern Ireland that is going to keeping moving forward must be one where everyone feels at home but must also be one where no one feels their culture is being marginalised," she said. While Ms Foster warned that a focus on a potential border poll would lead to a "wasted decade", Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald insisted a united Ireland was within reach. But the republican leader added: "There is no contradiction in working for Irish unity and working for the restoration of the Executive and Assembly - they are all part of the Good Friday Agreement. "The outstanding issues can be resolved. The time for acrimony and division is over. The time for slogans and soundbites is over. The test now for every party that has talked up getting back to work is to go back to the Executive table and deliver." Stormont imploded three years ago this month when the late Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest at the DUP's handling of a botched green energy scheme. That dispute soon widened to encompass traditional rifts over issues such the Irish language and the toxic legacy of the Troubles. A logjam over proposals to reform the petition of concern voting mechanism was one of the main reasons a deal failed to materialise before Christmas. It was designed to protect minority rights but politicians have accused each other of misusing it for their own ends. Discussions around change are focused on making it more difficult for one party to use the petition to block controversial legislation. The parties are also considering amending Assembly rules to make it harder to collapse the institutions. The Federal Aviation Administration proposed sweeping regulations last Thursday that would require that all but the tiniest drones incorporate technology that would enable them to be tracked at all times while flying in U.S. airspace. Remote ID technologies will enhance safety and security by allowing the FAA, law enforcement and federal security agencies to identify drones flying in their jurisdiction, the federal transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, said in a statement. As drone operators, manufacturers and others involved in the rapidly expanding drone industry began sifting through the 319-page proposal last week, responses varied wildly. While some applauded the FAA for finally creating a system to rapidly identify owners of rogue and potentially deadly drones, others declared that this was going to drastically hinder drone efficiency and cost effectiveness. Since 2015, operators of all drones that weigh more than half a pound have been required to register their devices, by submitting their names along with their email and home addresses to the FAA. Some federal facilities prisons, for example are authorized to use systems to detect the presence of drones, said Reggie Govan, a former chief counsel to the FAA who now teaches at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. But, at the moment, officials do not have a quick way to identify the owner of a given drone or to track the location of drones that have been registered by a particular person. Even airports and power plants currently lack the legal authority to track drones, Govan said. At the simplest level, the proposed regulation requires all drones more than 0.55 pound to emit a very particular kind of signal. Once you have drones that are emitting an identifier, then you can have a system that can track all drones, Govan said, adding that he applauded the regulations. Brendan Schulman, vice-president for policy and legal affairs at DJI, a Chinese company that is one of the leading manufacturers of small consumer drones, said that for the past several years, industry leaders and government stakeholders had tried to figure out how to create a sort of drone license plate system. He said that the proposed system could make sense. His primary concern is that the cost and burden to drone pilots and operators remain low something he is still evaluating. But for Paul Aitken, a founder of DroneU, a drone pilot training company in New Mexico, the costs immediately struck him as excessive. The new regulations require all registered drones within 36 months to begin carrying a specific type of remote identification system that broadcasts over the internet. Often finding an internet connection is not feasible in the locations where drone operators fly, Aitken said. According to his reading of the rules, if you dont have cellular service or another way to connect to the internet, operators will have to limit flights to 400 feet laterally, which is roughly to the end of a block and back. Search and rescue missions often require going at least four times that distance, he said. People will literally die from these rules, he said, adding that other industries that are thriving with drones like utility inspection, precision agriculture, land surveying, ranch management and even some construction management would suffer greatly given that the rules undermine efficiency, which for many is part of the appeal of drones. He is also concerned that drone pilots will have to publicly disclose their locations. Pilots need privacy to protect them from fear-based citizens who think that drones are spying on them, he said. A New York City councilman, Justin Brannan, said he thought this was a step in the right direction, however. It is illegal to fly a drone in most of New York City. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, as the proposed legislation is called, will be open for a 60-day comment period. At that point, the regulations become law. Read more about: Castro drops out, Yang hangs in, but may not make the next debate stage. Photo: Getty Images The next Democratic presidential candidate debate and arguably the most crucial, since it is in Iowa not long before the caucuses will be on January 14. So far just five candidates (Biden, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Sanders, and Warren) have met the Democratic National Committees more stringent polling and fundraising criteria for participation. All of them are white. When for a while it looked like the December debate in Los Angeles would be a similarly homogeneous event (before Andrew Yang made the cut), there was a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth and even some implicit suggestion of DNC racism (mostly linked to the traditional complaints about the very pale electorates of Iowa and New Hampshire having a disproportionate say in the nominating process). Now any analysis of why nonwhite candidates were struggling to make debate stages has to begin with the fact that nonwhite Democratic voters overwhelmingly favor white candidates. Why this is the case is subject to debate: perhaps its about perceived electability, or about the perceived racism of general-election swing voters; perhaps its attributable to Joe Bidens Obama connection or to Bernie Sanderss strong appeal among younger voters across racial lines. Maybe this years crop of nonwhite candidates just wasnt as strong as it appeared initially. A sense of disappointment definitely surrounded Kamala Harriss once-promising bid, and suffused the perpetually struggling efforts of Julian Castro, who just left the race, and Cory Booker, who has been barely hanging on for months. Its quite possible that by the time the next debate rolls around, there wont be any black or Latino candidates still in the race, much less on the stage. Yang remains the candidate most likely to (again) bust up an all-white debate stage; he has reached the required grassroots donor threshold (as has the poorly polling Cory Booker). But with eight days left before the January 10 cutoff, Yang is three qualifying polls short (or two in the unlikely event he could post over 7 percent in two early-state polls). He and other non-qualifiers are most definitely handicapped by a dearth of recent national and early-state polling data, mostly attributable to pollsters reluctance to pursue representative samples during the holidays. This led Yang on December 21 to ask the DNC to commission its own polls, as the Daily Beast reported: Andrew Yang is urging the Democratic National Committee to take an unorthodox step in its debate oversight process: commission more polling over the next several days. In a letter sent to DNC Chairman Tom Perez on Dec. 21, obtained by The Daily Beast, the Democratic contender calls for the DNC to commission four early-state polls before Jan. 10 as part of an effort to encourage more diversity on the debate stage in Iowa. With the upcoming holidays and meager number of polls currently out in the field, a diverse set of candidates might be absent from the stage in Des Moines for reasons out of anyones control, Yang wrote. This is a troubling prospect for our party. Regardless of the DNCs best intentions, voters would cry foul and could even make unfounded claims of bias and prejudice. Once Yangs request went public, the DNC quickly shot it down, per NBC News: The DNC has been more than inclusive throughout this entire process with an expansive list of qualifying polls, including 26 polls for the December debate, more than half of which were state polls, Deputy Communications Director Adrienne Watson said in a statement. The DNC will not sponsor its own debate qualifying polls of presidential candidates during a primary. This would break with the long-standing practice of both parties using independent polling for debate qualification, and it would be an inappropriate use of DNC resources that should be directed at beating Donald Trump. It is questionable whether an appropriate mix of DNC-sponsored polls was logistically possible in the first place in such a constricted time frame. But it is embarrassing to the DNC that the last qualifying polls from Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada were all conducted in November. An alternative approach to opening up the debate stage was proposed earlier in December by Cory Booker (with a sign-on from all the December debate qualifiers) to return to the system used in the first debate last June, which let candidates qualify via either polling or grassroots donors, instead of requiring both. That approach would quickly lift Booker and Yang to the stage, but might have the collateral effect of including still more white candidates, as Riley Beggin noted at the time: [A]lthough the letter focuses on the increase in diversity a rules change would bring about, such a change would also have the effect of opening the path to the debate stage to even more white candidates: former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is polling high enough, while self-help guru Marianne Williamson may have enough donors to return to the stage. The DNC, raising the specter of a return to split two-night debates, quickly rejected the idea of radically relaxing debate requirements. The situation really creates a conundrum for the DNC and for Democrats generally, given the certainty media critics and, yes, a hypocritical Trump campaign will harp on any all-white debate stage in mostly white Iowa as though nonwhite candidates were never given a chance in this cycle. There is no system short of an actual quota that will guarantee the surviving nonwhite candidates a spot on the debate stage without blowing up the whole process for gradually winnowing nonviable candidates. And its obviously far too late to do anything about the prominent role this year of Iowa and New Hampshire, though party officials should most definitely emphasize the idea of the four early states together functioning as a unit to test and reduce the field. After all, Nevada and South Carolina were added to the protected early state category in the first place (prior to the 2008 nominating contest) to address concerns about the unrepresentative Iowa/New Hampshire duopoly. But nobody can do anything about the disproportionate impact of the first two states on the third and fourth, and subsequently, on the shape of the overall race. Maybe Yang (or less plausibly, Booker or Gabbard) will somehow make the January stage and relieve his party of this particular burden. If not, Democrats must prepare to make the case that an all-white field of major candidates is no more objectionable now than it was in 2016, 2000, or 1992, particularly when the rival is Donald J. Trump. Ashley Graham has opened up about how her body has changed during pregnancy. The model, who announced that she was pregnant in August 2019, is due to give birth to her first child with husband Justin Ervin later this month. The 32-year-old has been open throughout her pregnancy, regularly posting updates on social media. In her most recent interview with Grazia, Graham spoke candidly about how she has dealt with the way her body has changed over the last nine months, admitting that it has sometimes been a struggle. I feel like we all have complicated relationships with our body, the model said. 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities Show all 24 1 /24 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 6. Oprah Winfrey The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free. Getty Images 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 1. Demi Lovato No matter what you're going through, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you'll find the positive side of things. Getty Images 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 2. Bruce Lee It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials. Rex Features 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 3. Ziggy Marley Doing something that is productive is a great way to alleviate emotional stress. Get your mind doing something that is productive. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 4. Winnie The Pooh Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering. 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 5. Lena Dunham "I am certainly no self-help guru but here is what I know tonight: when you take the time and space you need, kindly and responsibly, you're suddenly available to the people you love in a whole new way." Getty Images 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 7. Barack Obama If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress. AFP/Getty Images 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 8. Michelle Obama One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really dont invest any energy in them, because I know who I am. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 9. Lizzo "I love you. You are beautiful and you can do anything." Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 10. RuPaul "The only thing wrong with me was that I thought there was something wrong with me." Getty Images 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 11. Maya Angelou You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 12. Stephen Fry It is the useless things that make life worth living and that make life dangerous too: wine, love, art, beauty. Without them life is safe, but not worth bothering with. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 13. Meghan Markle Be able to delegate, because there are some things that you just cant do by yourself. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 14. Nelson Mandela Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again. Getty Images 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 15. Haruki Murakami "And once the storm is over you wont remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You wont even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you wont be the same person who walked in. Thats what this storms all about. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 16. CS Lewis You Are Never Too Old To Set Another Goal Or To Dream A New Dream. Rex Features 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 17. Audery Hepburn Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 18. Ella Fitzgerald Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 19. Billy Porter For me, life is about being positive and hopeful, choosing to be joyful, choosing to be encouraging, choosing to be empowering. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 20. Betty White It's your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don't take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver. Getty Images 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 21. Drew Barrymore "Life is very interesting in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 22. Jane Fonda Its never too late never too late to start over, never too late to be happy. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 23. Jennifer Aniston There are no regrets in life. Just lessons. Getty 24 pieces of life advice from celebrities 24. Beyonce Knowles "The reality is: sometimes you lose. And youre never too good to lose. Youre never too big to lose. Youre never too smart to lose. It happens" Getty Images Mine has been changing in some new and interesting ways. It hasnt been easy to embrace my pregnant body, but its definitely a reminder of how awesome our bodies truly are. Graham joked that she has also experienced mini meltdowns because she is struggling to find clothes that fit over her baby bump. Recommended Amy Schumer reveals why she stopped breastfeeding her son Nothing fits me. I texted my stylist and I said, I need a fitting. I just need five key pieces, Graham said. The model, who has championed body positivity throughout her career, also touched upon inclusivity within the fashion industry and said it is something she will continue to fight for. I think that being in my position, Im going to always talk about it. I dont feel any negativity towards it. And Ill [talk about it] until we dont have to have this conversation, Graham said. Up until a certain point youre just a clothes hanger and you need to keep your mouth shut. But in the social media era women have more [of a] voice than ever before. We can stand up and people will listen. The model announced that she was expecting her first child with a video of herself and Ervin on Instagram. In the clip, the pair could be seen adjusting the cameras focus before zooming out to show Ervin caressing Grahams baby bump. Surprise, the pair said in unison, before sharing a kiss. In the caption to the post, Graham wrote: Nine years ago today, I married the love of my life. It has been the best journey with my favourite person in the world! Today, we are feeling so blessed, grateful and excited to celebrate with our GROWING FAMILY! Happy anniversary, @mrjustinervin. "Life is about to get even better. [sic] According to the Russian Interior Ministry, 232 people were denied Russian citizenship. About 200,000 Donbas residents obtained fast-trace Russian citizenship in 2019. "More than 196,000 people have become Russian citizens," a Russian Interior Ministry spokesperson told Russian news agency TASS, adding that 136,000 of them were residents of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics" ("DPR," "LPR"), while others came from other areas in Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. According to the Russian Interior Ministry, 232 people were denied Russian citizenship. Read alsoZelensky: Donbas residents split into supporters of Ukraine, Russia, and "lost" As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on simplified procedures for granting Russian citizenship to residents of Russia-occupied districts of Ukraine's east on April 24, 2019. On April 29 and 30, two centers for issuing Russian passports to residents of the occupied districts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions opened in Russia's Rostov Oblast. On May 1, Putin signed another decree under which more categories of Ukrainian citizens are able to obtain Russian citizenship with the use of the simplified procedure, in particular, these are citizens of Ukraine who do not have citizenship of another state, as well as stateless persons who were born and permanently resided in Crimea and left the peninsula before March 18, 2014, as well as their children, husbands (wives), and parents. On May 8, Ukraine's government decided to outlaw Russian passports issued to residents of occupied Ukrainian territories, primarily Luhansk and Donetsk regions. On June 20, Putin said that obtaining Russian citizenship for Ukrainians would be simplified, but it would require a visit to Russia. Leaders of European Union member states declare their readiness not to recognize Russian passports issued to Ukrainians in Russia-occupied Donbas. On July 17, Putin extended his decree on simplified procedures for granting Russian citizenship to all residents from Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine strongly condemned the new attempt by the Russian authorities to extend the simplified procedure for acquiring Russian citizenship to Ukrainian citizens, the residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Press Release January 2, 2020 Statement of Senator Joel Villanueva on the partial deployment ban of overseas Filipino workers to Kuwait We support this move by Secretary Bello. While it limits the opportunities available to Filipino workers, it is also necessary to limit their exposure to risks and abuses. This policy also expresses our government's outrage over the death of our compatriot who was allegedly killed by her employer's wife. The welfare of our OFWs, particularly their safety and security in their places of work, is a paramount concern for our government, and our partners should recognize this especially the ones we signed bilateral agreements with. Mahalagang ipaintindi ng ating pamahalaan sa kanilang mga katuwang sa Kuwait na ang mga household service workers natin ay hindi nila pag-aari na parang gamit o tupa na maaari nilang itapon na lang kapag wala nang pakinabang o pagbuhatan ng kamay. Kung may problema ang mga employer sa kanilang mga household service worker, maaari naman nila idulog ito sa mga recruitment agency na kanilang pinagkuhanan ng manggagawa. We have already seen one OFW death in Kuwait too many. If we cannot get safety and security guarantees for our OFWs in Kuwait, a most basic and reasonable demand in our view, perhaps our government should make the ban permanent. In the meantime, we also call on the DOLE and TESDA to ensure that there are available jobs and training opportunities for workers who will be affected by the ban. In the long term, we should exert all efforts to create more job opportunities locally so that our kababayans do not need to go abroad and leave their families to find well paying jobs. The Congress on Thursday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to dismiss his own chief minister for openly opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act and to declare him an "anti-national" for doing so. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala used a tweet of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to challenge the Prime Minister. "Mr Prime Minister, Stop fooling India! Your own CM is openly opposing CAA. Will you now declare him 'anti national'? I challenge you to dismiss him before criticising the opposition," he said on Twitter. Surjewala also tagged a report about the Prime Minister criticising the Congress for opposing CAA and also Sonowal's tweet opposing the CAA. "As a son of Assam, I will never settle foreigners in my state. This Sarbananda Sonowal will never allow this...," the Assam Chief Minister said in a tweet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (This January 1 story corrects second paragraph to show the judge will consider imposing a preliminary, not permanent, injunction) By Kanishka Singh (Reuters) - A federal judge has temporarily blocked a California labor law meant to take effect from Jan. 1 from impacting over 70,000 independent truckers by granting a 'temporary restraining order.' U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez in San Diego granted on Tuesday a five-page order sought by trade group California Trucking Association while he considers imposing a permanent injunction, the hearing for which is set for Jan. 13. "Having considered the parties' arguments set forth in Plaintiffs' supporting papers, as well as Defendants' and Intervenor-Defendant's opposition papers, the Court finds that Plaintiffs' requested temporary restraining order is warranted", the judge said in his order. California's gig worker law was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September and has garnered national attention, largely owing to the size of California's workforce and the state's leadership role in establishing policies that are frequently adopted by other states. The law would make it harder for gig economy companies to qualify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees. The Assembly Bill 5 or AB5 was set to go into effect on Wednesday but it faces multiple legal challenges. The California Trucking Association had filed a lawsuit in November seeking an exemption from AB5. Photographers and freelance writers are also seeking a restraining order. Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc and courier services provider Postmates Inc asked a U.S. court to block the law in a lawsuit filed on Monday. The companies have argued the bill violates the U.S. Constitution and that it is irrational, vague and incoherent. Backers of the bill, including labor groups, have argued the law protects workers' rights. By classifying the contractors as employees, the companies would be subject to labor laws that require higher pay and other benefits such as medical insurance. The bill strikes at the heart of the "gig economy" business model of technology platforms like Uber, Postmates, Lyft Inc, DoorDash and others who rely heavily on the state's 450,000 contract workers, not full-time employees, to drive passengers or deliver food via app-based services. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrea Ricci) Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register Lets start the year 2020 with the magical combination of sun signs and tarot cards. This mystic pairing will give you a sneak peek of whats in store for you this new year; let the intuition of the cards draw you in and show you the way. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Capricorn Tarot Card of the Year - The Hierophant You will grow as a person in 2020. You will see situations and people clearly now, which in turn will allow you to understand who and what you want in your life. This change is the first of many beautiful changes you will undergo this year. Whether you are trying to improve your love life, social life, work-life or personal life, you are sure to be able to do it if you put your mind to it. Nothing is out of your reach this year if you try hard enough. There will be all-round growth and prosperity. It is an ideal time to push your limits and set higher goals for your career and your investment portfolio. This year will also prove to be auspicious for commencing new ventures. Career: 2020 might not be your favourite year when it comes to your work. There might be uncertainty and ambiguity at your workplace. Start putting your achievements and dreams first, before others even if this means that you would have to brag about your skillset and what you bring to the table; do so with aplomb and pride. A simple suggestion to escape the pressures of work and to handle your stress better is to try a few moments of meditation anytime during the day. Love: The year is all about commitment. If you are in a long-term relationship you will be expected to take things to the next level; moving in together, getting engaged or married, or even having a baby together. If you are not already in a relationship but want to be, then a great place to begin your search is in the circle of friends that you already have. These people will likely make good partners because you are likely to have more in common with them than with strangers. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Aquarius Tarot Card of the Year - The Hermit Story continues Make 2020, the year of building a strong and stable foundation. The hard work and struggle you put in right now will fetch you great results along with growth and success in every aspect of life but you would have to be patient and continue to build. This will also be a year of learning for you, be it through higher studies at a university or through the wise and mature people you would meet. Be open to try new ways of living and thinking as it will bring you a lot of goodness and good times. Keep your spirits high and remember patience is your best friend this year. Avoid any fights or arguments or betraying anyone as the repercussions would be unpleasant. Career: You will experience slow growth in your career. You will face hurdles and obstacles at the workplace that might further hinder your career growth and success. Try and avoid striking any new business deal or a new project at work. While you may want to run away in avoidance of making decisions, youll be forced to make choices. Youll succeed at any venture you put your heart into. Make an effort to share a cordial relation with your colleagues but avoid sharing any personal details with them at all and also avoid any disputes. Love: You will need to protect whats yours, be it your relationship, spouse or even your pet squeeze. Dont let a third person come in between or influence you and your partner. You may come face to face with some conflicts and concerns even if you have been in a committed relationship for a long time. The best way to deal with these tough times will be to understand your partners feelings and resolve the lurking problems mutually. If you are single and have been crushing on someone for a while, is time to pick up the courage to do something about it right now. You will find love in the most unexpected place. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Pisces Tarot Card of the Year - The Sun Healing, growth, and sunshine are all on the cards for the year 2020; luck will be on your side. On your part, you will need to mend your heart and use the past as a motivation tactic to transform your life in the present and for the future. You will also get immense success in the business world. If you have been suffering from a disease for a long time, it could be cured at this time. You are planting seeds, so to speak, aiming to get started on projects that will reap rewards in the future. While this can be exciting, try not to take on more than you can handle. Take frequent breaks and allow yourself to take your time, slowing down and clearing your energy will also elevate your intuition. Career: You will get many opportunities to take your career to new heights this year. A word of caution - keep your ideas and contacts a secret until you have an opportunity to present them yourself. You may be the victim of professional gaslighting this week. A frenemy at work may try to steal your glory or take credit for your ideas. If you are thinking of doing something new in business, then you will get immense success. In 2020, if you plan to invest in a new business, you are more likely to get amazing benefits. Love: To enhance your love life this year, you will be inclined to use your charm, gentle coaxing and loving persuasion rather than more direct, forceful methods to get what you want. Those of you who have been facing some kind of problem in your relationships for a long time and those whose marriage has been becoming more complicated over time, you can finally sort things out this year. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Aries Tarot Card of the Year - The Fool What is holding you back? 2020 will bring you many opportunities, people and situations which would keep asking you this question. Unlock your mind and heart from the constraints that hold you back and own 2020 like a boss. Make a commitment to leave all the drama, limiting beliefs and toxic people behind in 2019 and make a fresh start this New Year. Starting afresh and make new beginnings, be it work projects, jobs or romantic endeavours. It is important to decide wisely and with caution how you want to use your energy this year. It is also important to conduct your tasks ethically and morally to gain more success in life because success is not just about earning money and being rich. Career: Career and job-related matters will bring in significant and crucial progress. You will be inspired by new ideas, innovations and be an inspiration to your colleagues. You will have to burn the midnight oil and put in extra hours at work to reap all the benefits that the year would ring in for you. New job opportunities will come your way and it would be lucrative to take up these offers. Love: Try something new in the way you romance your partner; do little things that would surprise and please each other. Even though there will be ups and downs, it will be a beautiful journey for both of you. If you are looking for a partner, you will be quite eager to connect with someone who will appreciate and inspire you. Meeting someone new and significant is very much on the cards for you. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Taurus Tarot Card of the Year - The Chariot 2020 is going to be all about movement for you, dear Taurans; be it moving countries or residence or going on an adventure. You may have trouble with your travel plans or face some trouble with your car or bike. You might also feel that lady luck is not on your side as there would be unexpected delays and obstacles. Try not to begin anything new or take any big projects as it might not be the right time for you. The first half of the year would be more challenging. After June 2020 you will see things working in your favour a lot more effortlessly. To make the year your best ever, do remember to keep an upbeat and a positive attitude. You will be able to complete all that was pending or needed your attention. Career: The year 2020 will be the year in which you would have to use your professional network to elevate your status. To do this effectively, you will need to meet and connect with your peers, ex-colleagues and bosses. Dont leave your career to luck this year; your success will depend directly on your own effort. Work hard and depend on yourself, your cards indicate that you would attract a lot of opportunities. This year will see you move forward in your career with new energy. Love: Dont be hasty in or about your relationships in 2020. Though this year brings a lot of romance and special moments, it also brings a lot of ups and downs. Partners will be supportive and understanding of each other. Lost love or ex-lovers could also make a comeback in your life. At this time, avoid any kind of communication gap with your partner, otherwise, misconceptions can arise. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Gemini Tarot Card of the Year - The Emperor Twin stars, 2020 will be all about building strong, stable and dependable foundations. The effort that you put in at the beginning of the year will come back multi-fold towards the end of the year. The main lesson of the year would be that hard work always pays off! Your connection with spirituality will also grow more intense this year. You shall have an influx of wealth. Although you may remain financially healthy, avoid taking any kind of loans. Regardless of what you choose, it is time for you to get your mind focused on you. Career: Situations and people at work would be less than favourable. Due to this, you would be bound to get disheartened easily. You will need to channelise your discontentment to make things better for yourself, think of the obstacles as a testing ground to enhance your skills to improve your performance. You might find other lucrative job offers. If you wish to make the jump, then you couldnt get luckier. Make the jump, take the plunge and youll realize that it was worth all of it. Love: You might find it difficult to balance things; you may find that the situation and arguments are slipping from your hands. You will be unable to keep things together; you may even feel that nothing is going right in your love life. When it comes to problems in relationships, try to face the issues with a calm mind so as not to hurt your partners feelings. Work would give you very little time with your spouse. If single, you will need to do something grand to grab the attention of a significant other. Do something special and creative to make it count. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Cancer Tarot Card of the Year - The Justice How firmly can you place your feet on the ground and stay rooted in the face of challenges and obstacles? You will have the resources and the tools needed to face any situation; you will need to protect your energy and not give away too much of it to everyone around you. Remember the mantra that things become a struggle when you are not at peace. When you are at peace, wisdom and power come naturally. You will eventually find a way to connect your head and your heart and come out wiser through the experience. Career: At work, make sure that you leave stress at the office. The burden of targets and the lack of teamwork will take a toll on you but there is nothing that a little patience and hard work cannot solve. If you do find yourself in a fix, you can always take the help of a senior or a colleague. Dont take anything too personally. The more logical you can be, the better the situation at work would get. Love: You and your partner will have a lot of differences and communication too can be an issue; it would be wise to let bygones be bygones. You will be ready and even asked to take the next step in your relationship; if this happens dont get cornered and think through what it is you would like for yourself. If single, the entire year would be filled with tempting options. Dont be in a hurry to commit. Those of you in new relationships may find it hard to keep up with your partners demands. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Leo Tarot Card of the Year - The Empress Dear lions, to make it a roaring 2020, you will have to see the bigger picture. You will be blessed with a surge of creative energy this year. Use this energy to make your life blissful and meaningful. People around you will want to hear your opinions and even seek your advice. When the world hands you a microphone, make sure you have something of value to offer. You will need to apply yourself completely to things you want to achieve; half-assed work projects or hobbies will fall apart. Keep calm and try not stressing over things unnecessarily. A peaceful mind shall help you fight through obstacles. But for that, you need to accept your limitations and then strive to better yourself. Career: Apply your signs sensible approach - to systematically plan to your advantage to get an edge at work. Unfinished and last-minute projects may pile up which may require more time from you. If there was to be a problem, it would be people trying to get in on your ventures or ideas without offering anything in return. Be tight-lipped and be secretive about what you are working on; your bosses will prove to be supportive of your efforts. Love: When it comes to love, this card reminds you to accept what you cannot change without losing sight of what you can. If theres something that is still worth holding on to, keep it. There isnt much sense or point in holding on to arguments or wanting to win them all the time. You would benefit from the peace and harmony that making wise decisions would bring to your relationship and life. If you are single, the chances of getting into a committed relationship are very high. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Virgo Tarot Card of the Year - The Lovers Turn on your charm and get ready to dance your way to 2020, the social events and happenings of the year will keep you on your toes. You would be invited and encouraged to share your thoughts and ideas at work and with your friends. This year will give you a lot of opportunities to impress and leave a lasting impression even on the most critical person. All of this presents us with amazing potential for seeing things clearly and making plans for your future that are wisely informed by both your past and your present. It would also be a year of decisions. Take your time, look at all the options, and make a conscious choice. You might also be able to get an unexpected raise. It is good to spend money on yourself, but go easy as you might exhaust your entire income on things that may not be as important as you think. Career: Your career will prove to be beneficial and you will not have any disturbances of any sort. You will get the best of projects, finish them promptly and impress your peers. Nothing seems to be going wrong, and this is one of the best phases in your life. You shall be constantly encouraged with higher growth prospects. There is no harm in considering leaving your job and to get a deserving one. The timing couldnt be better. Decisions made in 2020, related to work, shall always prove to be fruitful and theres no looking back for you. Love: Positivity and mutual respect keep the love alive this year for you, Virgos. Things might go slow but there is nothing else that you need to worry about. The warmth and understanding in your relationship will cause people to be envious of you. However, it would help to be calm and patient while tackling a tricky situation. If single, you will be in a committed relationship by the year-end. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Libra Tarot Card of the Year - The Judgement 2020 will prove to be a mixed bag for you balance-loving Librans. There is very positive news when it comes to finances; you will have very good chances of new income sources opening up for you. Work on building up a sensible investment portfolio to make the most of the extra money that the year would bring. You may also inherit parental or ancestral money along with some property gain coming your way. Accept things as they are in the present moment and do what you need to in order to grow. Nothing stays the same nor is it meant to. Timely actions and saving will be the main attributes that would make 2020 truly magical for you. Career: You will need your ego to help you move your work life forward. This requires your ego to be in reasonably good shape not too big and not too small. A new opportunity will be available to you this year as a reward for your hard work and self-help which will bring you growth and success in your career. You will get a good new project or business deal this year. You will share a deep bond with your co-worker and they will stand by you through your personal and professional growth in life. Love: Love will have a way of changing you in 2020. You will find yourself doing the unbelievable, all for love. Those who are single will find their special someone this year and those in a relationship will make it official by putting a ring on it. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Scorpio Tarot Card of the Year - The Magician 2020 packs the right kind and amount of ammunition for you to grow and prosper. Lady Luck is sure to shine on you, provided you work hard and keep moving forward with vigour and relentlessness. You will have to pay attention to your health and family life; ignoring even one of these will spell trouble for you. Chances of enrichment will occur from somewhere they never thought possible. Lending money to any of your friends, colleagues or neighbours does not seem to be a good idea. The probability of this money returning to you is negligible. Make the best possible choices based on who you want to be and where you hope to land up this year, even if that means spending more time alone or participating in the world less. Career: You may be offered a job offer that you just cant refuse and the chances of changing your job are high in the initial months of the year. You may also get the desired hike on your current salary. You may get the support of your superiors and subordinates at your workplace. To achieve something you will have to put in all the effort and do everything in your power, this passion for accomplishments makes the year wonderful for you. If you wish to start your own business, the time is good for you; go ahead and establish your new venture. Love: If you are in a relationship, this year will mark a powerful time for you to do emotional work on yourself. The first half of the year will be better. In the second half, there is a possibility of break-up and a new relationship replacing the previous one. Be careful if you are not loyal towards your soulmate; arguments because of your extramarital affairs are likely. The year, as a whole, seems to be fine for singles. Avoid getting into complicated relationships as you might just land up being the third party. Your New Year Tarot Card Reading for 2020 Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Tarot in Singapore Sagittarius Tarot Card of the Year - The Temperance Balance is the word or mantra for you Archers in 2020. You will have to be an alchemist to find the right mix that would work for you. Be it a party, work, love or your finance. This year youre likely to feel tested by your emotions and your situation. The best thing to do is to seek the middle ground. Act in ways that will get you towards a future you want to live in. Situations or instances may arise where you shall spend exorbitantly; just keep from spending unwanted expenses. Making a list of the necessary articles can help you in planning your finances in a better way. This shall help you keep up with your budget too. Saving money can also prove to be beneficial. One of your biggest challenges will be keeping your cool and staying disciplined so it might be worth speaking to those around you before making important decisions. Career: What do you want from your career? Just a hefty paycheque or the satisfaction of following your passion? It is important that you determine what you want before you rush in trying to get it. Both the choices are good, you just have to make peace with your choice. The kind of career you want is well within your reach; you will need to be honest with yourself and simply go out and get it. Things might progress slowly and you might not always see the desired results but it is essential that you keep your head high and your confidence intact. Love: If in a commitment, you have to stay the course, even when the situation is rough or confusing; your distractions will do you a great disservice if you allow them to. If you want to stay true in your relationship, you will need to put in the effort to be loyal. Beware of arguments with your beloved as it may lead to breaking up or separation. Singles, instead of trying to make things happen, go with the flow and let it organically develop for the both of you. For appointments, online Tarot Card Reading or to know more about how you can personally benefit from psychic guidance of Tarot cards. You may drop Tarot Mamta an email or call her at +65 9749 9287. Bias clouds intellect. That's never clearer than when watching a New York Times writer argue that President Trump is so ignorant that he has no idea what's happening in Iran and Iraq and is blind to the effect of his foreign policies. David Sanger, the New York Times' Washington correspondent, expresses concern over what he perceives as Trump's foreign policy failures in North Korea and Iran. North Korea's Kim Jong-un has been boasting that he will unveil a new "strategic weapon," while one of Iran's proxies invaded the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. For Sanger, those are "aha" moments: But the events of recent days have underscored how much bluster was behind Mr. Trump's boast a year ago that Iran was "a very different nation" since he had broken its economy. They also belied his famous tweet: "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea." [snip] Many foreign policy experts say he fundamentally misjudged the reactions of two major American adversaries. And neither seems to fear him, precisely the critique he leveled at Barack Obama back in the days when Mr. Trump declared America's toughest national security challenges could be solved as soon as a president the world respected was in office. Sanger's antipathy to Trump seems to have made him forget the entire Obama foreign policy era. On Obama's negligent watch, North Korea constantly threatened the West and did in fact became a nuclear power. Meanwhile, Obama blithely entered into his Iran deal, transferring hundreds of millions of dollars to Iran, removing sanctions, and putting Iran on a glide path to a nuclear arsenal. Iran, which was already the leading state sponsor, became even more of a threat to Israel, the U.S., and all of the nations of the Middle East. This discussion does not even need to touch upon Trump's response to Kim Jong-un's threats. To date (thankfully), the volatile North Korean leader has done nothing beyond talk. The hot issue is Iran. Sanger argues that an ignorant and arrogant Trump is misjudging how Iran will react to his aggressive policies vis-a-vis Iran's meddling in Iraq. He seems to believe that Trump, who has always been a political watcher, has ignored everything the mullahs have done with regularity since 1979, when they occupied the U.S. embassy in Iran and held our diplomats hostage for 444 days. Here are events just from Obama's presidency: The mullahs were unmoved by Obama's efforts to give the regime sweetheart deals in the naive belief that it would moderate the regime's radicalism. No one was more unrealistic or misjudged the mullahs more than Obama and his team of "foreign policy experts" did (no doubt some of the same ones Sanger consulted for his article). Iran is under tremendous pressure externally thanks to the sanctions Trump has imposed. The economic effect from these sanctions has led to widespread riots throughout Iran, which the regime is putting down with the utmost violence. No foreign policy expert worth his salt could know Iran's history and then claim surprise when the mullahs used violence to try to force American policy changes. Iran has acted with bloody aggression since day one and has been called to account only once, in 1988, when the U.S. Navy destroyed half of Iran's navy in a single day. It's a certainty that the Trump administration was prepared for Iran's aggressive acts. Trump's advanced knowledge and appropriate preparation explain why it is that Iran's proxies are not occupying the U.S. embassy in Iraq today, and why, unlike Obama's Benghazi, there are no U.S. dead or wounded in Baghdad. Results on the ground don't indict Trump's policies; they vindicate them. BJP working president JP Nadda will address a public awareness rally on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Friday at Azad Maidan in Goa. Addressing a press conference here, BJP state president Vinay Tendulkar said that Nadda, who will be visiting Goa for the first time after being appointed as the working president of BJP, will address the public on CAA."AOver 25,000 people along with party workers, ministers and MLAs will be attending the rally, which will start from EDC Patto at 3.30 pm and conclude with a public meeting at Azad Maidan," Tendulkar said. Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant will also address the rally in support of the Act.Tendulkar said that Central law on Citizenship is receiving huge support not just in India but also at the International platform. "In countries like America, United Kingdom, people have come out in support of the CAA," he said. Hitting out at the opposition parties for opposing the CAA, he said: "Urban Naxalites and some political parties like Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party and BSP are opposing the Act for sake of opposition."Tendulkar outlined that in Goa there was no opposition to CAA, even as "Congress party is trying to mislead the public". Taking jibe at Congress protest on CAA, last week, Tendulkar said that it was attended by 228 people.Party president has appealed Goans to participate in large number for the pro-CAA rally on Friday.Further speaking on party elections, Tendulkar said that the new state BJP chief and the executive committee will be appointed in the next eight to ten days.He said that the party president will be decided by the workers.The BJP has already put in place new block committees in 38 constituencies, except Benaulim and Velim in South Goa. Also, the North Goa District and South Goa District Committees are appointed.BJP observers will be arriving here today to oversee the preparations for the rally and also to take stalk of elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Burma AA Frees 16 Myanmar Govt Employees After Abduction The 16 government employees who were released on Jan. 1 after being held by the AA. / AA Information Department SITTWE, Rakhine StateThe Arakan Army (AA) on Wednesday released 16 Transport Ministry staff it abducted from a ferry in Rakhine State the previous day. The AA said in a statement that it handed over the abductees to administrators and community elders in the village of Thay Kan in Buthidaung Township on Wednesday morning after determining they had no ties to the Myanmar military. Maungdaw District administrator U Soe Aung confirmed the release. We have asked the village administrator to take them to Buthidaung Township, he told The Irrawaddy. According to military spokesman Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun, the 16 civil servants work for the Road Transport Administration Department overseen by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. All are drivers working for government-led rehabilitation programs in Maungdaw. The AA abducted them from a ferry traveling from the Rakhine State capital Sittwe to Buthidaung at noon on Tuesday. In its statement, the rebel group reiterated its demand that people inform it if they are to travel in groups in war-ravaged Rakhine State. The group earlier warned transportation companies, both road- and waterway-based, to inform it of their movements to avoid unnecessary consequences in zones where it is fighting the Myanmar military. The AA abducted a director of the military-backed telecom operator Mytel along with his driver on Dec. 23, according to the Myanmar military. U Ye Thein, chairman of the National League for Democracys Buthidaung Township office, died on Dec. 25 while being detained by the AA. The rebel group said he was killed by a military strike on one of its outposts in Buthidaung, but the Myanmar military denied engaging in any fighting in Buthidaung that day. On Dec. 24, the rebel group abducted three immigration officers including an assistant director from a ferry in Buthidaung Township. AA chief Major-General Tun Myat Naing earlier revealed a plan to form Rakhine peoples authority groups and levy taxes on infrastructure projects and businesses in areas of Rakhine and Chin states under its control, effective this year. You may also like these stories: AA Abducts Mytels Rakhine Boss, Driver, Myanmar Military Says Myanmars AA Rebel Group Cannot Guarantee Safety of Detainees in Its Custody Arakan Army to Tax Large Projects in Myanmars Rakhine, Chin States Editors Note: This new year will be critical for repelling dangerous world views that seek to overturn, in real time, the freedoms which we all take for granted. The language of the Left has softened the realities of Socialism / Communism / Marxism, and those who espouse these principles no longer try to hide their true beliefs. Exhibit A: The statist proposals being offered every day by the presidential candidates in the Democrat Party. Eyewitnesses to Communism are sounding the alarm, either because they or their families lived through it in other countries or they are working with organizations who are still trying to clean up the destruction. This issue could not be more important as we prepare to vote in November Reprinted with permission. Pat Daugherty, Ed.D. January 1, 2020 30 Years Later, 3 Lessons From The Fall Of Romanian Communism Ive spent my adult life working to alleviate the damage of Marxism. We dont want it here. When communism collapsed across Eastern Europe in 1989, the process was swift and surprisingly peaceful. Decades of terror and tyranny came to a sudden end with hardly a shot fired: governments stepped down, borders opened, walls fell. One country, however, proved to be the exception. Thirty years ago this week, citizens of Romania were being killed by the hundreds as they took to the streets to demand liberty from their brutal communist regime. Unrest that had begun December 16 in the southwestern city of Timisoara soon spread throughout Romania, fueled by the news that protesters were being gunned down by secret police. The dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, returning from an overseas trip with his wife Elena, tried to quell the growing chaos in a speech from his balcony in Bucharest on December 21. As he looked out over the usual mass of compulsory adoration the people in neat rows bearing Marxist slogans and portraits of the Ceausescus the aging despot had hardly begun to speak before he was interrupted by a growing chorus of boos, hisses, whistles, and shrieks. It was both unprecedented and unthinkable. Television cameras momentarily broadcast Ceausescus astonished face live across the nation, before quickly cutting away. For the first time, the people had seen his vulnerability. It was the beginning of the end. The Ceausescus fled Bucharest the following day and were caught by their own people on a rural Romanian roadside. On Christmas Day a holiday that had long been suppressed by Ceausescus atheist regime the dictator and his wife were put on trial by a kangaroo military court. They were quickly found guilty, marched out to the courtyard, and summarily shot. My Introduction to Romania I first set foot in Romania five years later, a young high school graduate on my first long trip away from home. When I arrived, Ion Iliescu the rebranded communist who had seized control in the chaos following Ceausescus fall was still president. The fresh scars of communism were obvious: cities filled with ugly, gray concrete structures; ragged children begging on street corners; a dearth of commerce, beauty, and civic life. As I spent more time in Romania a year living there in 1997 and two subsequent decades as head of an orphan care nongovernmental organization I began to discern communisms less-visible scars. They are pervasive and devastating, especially for societys most vulnerable. While many perceive conservatism to be uncompassionate, Ive become an even firmer believer in American-style liberty and capitalism precisely because of my nonprofit work among abandoned children in Romania. What Ive learned is this: there is a grim symmetry between the promises of Marxism and its real-world results. Simply put, Marxist ideology promises specific virtues, but it delivers their polar opposites. (No communist comes to power promising bread lines and prison camps, I assure you.) The result is human suffering that should grieve any person of compassion. Allow me to tell you just three of the long-term societal harms I have witnessed. 1. Marxism Promises Belonging But Delivers Isolation The desire to belong to something larger than oneself is universally human. Marxism appeals to this desire by preaching collectivization, with the rights of the individual subordinated to society as a whole. It sounds good and righteous on paper, especially to those craving a sense of larger meaning for their lives. Shouldnt we set our own individual interests aside for the greater good? Yet what the communists in Romania delivered was a total destruction of cohesive community. Not only did they bulldoze villages forcefully relocating peasants to miserable block apartments in the cities they also figuratively bulldozed Romanians sense of trust and reliance upon one another. Informal community associations are always a threat to communist governments, which can allow no loyalty higher than the party, and Romania was no different. Spies and informants infiltrated nearly every relationship and every gathering. Those willing to denounce their close friends and family earned special favors. With no one to trust, Romanians became deeply isolated from one another. This ingrained sense of mutual mistrust continues to be a major obstacle in bringing Romanians together to solve societal problems. 2. Marxism Promises Equality But Delivers Scarcity for Everyone But the Elites Besides being collectivist, Marxism is first and foremost an ideology of envy. Wealth and prosperity are zero-sum, and were all in competition for it. Anyone who has more than I do is clearly taking something from me. Government should ensure that were all equal, not just in opportunity but in outcome. In reality, what Marxism delivers, in Romania and elsewhere, is scarcity. Lacking the necessary motivation of self-advancement that fuels most human achievement, the communist economies in Eastern Europe faltered. While the entire Soviet bloc suffered economically, prompting Gorbachev to promote the reforms that quickly snowballed into revolutions, Romanias suffering was especially severe. Middle-class Romanian friends my own age can distinctly remember the first time they caught a glimpse of a banana or an orange (one friend didnt know what to do with the banana, so he ate it along with the peel). Other friends have shared their memories of standing for hours in line every week to receive meager food rations. While I lived in Romania in those early post-communist years, I learned to do without grocery stores, fruit in the winter, or reliable hot water. If all citizens were equal under communism, they were equally impoverished. But the truth is that they werent equal. There was a path to wealth and prosperity open only to a very few: the elites in the Communist Party. While Romanians came close to the brink of starvation, and while half a million children were robbed of their childhoods in orphanages, Ceausescu built himself the largest palace in the world, grotesque and staggeringly opulent. It was from the balcony of this palace that he delivered his final speech, laced with tributes to socialism and the working people. This is the hypocrisy that Marxism never fails to deliver. 3. Marxism Promises Dignity and Compassion But Delivers Degradation and Cruelty Everywhere communism has reared its head, it portrays itself as the advocate for the worker, the defender of the common man against the rapacious bourgeoisie. Young people who consider themselves compassionate toward the downtrodden are typically drawn to leftist ideologies. In the real world, however, I have seen communism foster nothing but cruelty, selfishness, and a lack of empathy. These outcomes are the natural and bitter fruit of an ideology that isolates people from each other, casting them as rivals for the same scarce goods. In Romania, even to this day, it is rare to find public officials, either elected or appointed, who see their positions as anything other than a platform for self-advancement and enrichment through corruption. (While many will see the United States as increasingly fitting that description with good reason! our public corruption is still far less than that of a nation like Romania.) Marxisms one for all dogma quickly morphs into every man for himself. The weak and the vulnerable are the first to suffer. One common feature of communist nations has been a legacy of inhumane state-run orphanages. Romania is infamous for its hellish orphanages, but its chaotic revolution simply allowed Western journalists to enter and discover what was happening everywhere throughout the Soviet bloc. Even today, while conditions for abandoned children have undeniably improved, the communist mentality and lack of empathy among government officialdom continues to make our work to advocate for children difficult. Marxism vs. Communism vs. Socialism Finally, a word about terms: I have repeatedly used the word Marxism to encompass both socialism and communism, both of which are stages of Marxist theory. However, in speaking with Romanian friends about their system of government under Ceausescu, some have objected to my usage of the term communism. No, no, we werent a communist nation, even though we were run by the Communist Party, one friend told me. Romania was a socialist country. They told us this over and over, in schools and everywhere. We were working toward communism, but we hadnt achieved it yet. Indeed, in rewatching Ceausescus final speech, I counted a total of eight mentions of socialism or socialist Romania, with nary a mention of communism. Terminological niceties aside, its clear that younger Americans are growing increasingly comfortable with ideologies on the Marxist spectrum. Even the term communism doesnt seem to carry with it the stigma that fascism does, despite being an equally savage and murderous form of tyranny. To any American inclined to believe the false promises of Marxism rather than the historical reality, to anyone who believes this ideology is in any way humane or compassionate, I offer this warning. I have witnessed the ugliness, the poverty, and the despair it leaves behind. I have spoken to those who suffered in Marxist prisons and have seen the memorials to those who died in the streets seeking freedom. I have spent my adult life working to alleviate the damage done to vulnerable children the damage still being inflicted every day by the evil legacy of communism. We dont want this here. Pray God it never comes. Jayme Metzgar is a Senior Contributor at The Federalist. She is the founder and president of Romania Reborn, a Christian non-profit working to find families for abandoned children. She believes in private charity, free markets, individual liberty, and baking with real butter. Jayme and her husband live in West Virginia with their four children, whom she educates at home. Carlos Ghosn, the former automotive titan who fled criminal charges in Japan, said his wife Carole and other family members played no part in his escape to Lebanon. "I alone organized my departure," Ghosn said in a brief statement issued through a public relations firm. "My family played no role." The communique shows Ghosn is itching to give his version of events and shield his family from any legal blowback. He said Tuesday he's ready to "finally communicate freely with the media" as soon as next week. It's still a mystery how Ghosn, one of the most recognizable foreigners in Japan, sneaked out of the country despite round-the-clock surveillance - an escape befitting a Hollywood thriller. French daily Le Monde has reported, citing unidentified sources, that Carole Ghosn organized the flight with the help of her brothers and their contacts in Turkey. In his statement, Ghosn described such reports as false. After making his escape, the former head of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault released an email Tuesday decrying the "injustice and political persecution" of the Japanese judicial system. The 65-year-old faced charges of financial misconduct and raiding corporate resources for personal gain. Ghosn has said the charges are false, trumped up by Nissan executives, Japanese prosecutors and government officials who opposed his plans to more deeply integrate Nissan and Renault. Theories abound on how Ghosn carried out his escape. The former executive appears to have reached Lebanon on a private jet operated by a subsidiary of Turkey's MNG Holding, according to a senior Turkish official with direct knowledge of the matter. That's after Ghosn apparently flew to Istanbul on another MNG aircraft on Monday morning, before being transferred between the two airplanes inside a box, the official said, asking not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Turkish authorities detained seven people, including four pilots, after the country began an investigation into the matter. An operations manager for a private cargo company and two employees of a private ground services firm were also pulled in for questioning, state run news agency Anadolu reported. The escape to Lebanon, where Ghosn is still regarded by many as a national hero, marked a turn in his fortunes. He has citizenship in Lebanon -- as well as France and Brazil -- and has appeared on postage stamps in the Middle East country. Shortly after his arrest in Tokyo in November 2018, a Beirut billboard proclaimed: "We are all Carlos Ghosn." Representative image Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy asserted that it is the "moral responsibility" of India to give shelter and citizenship to Hindus and other minority communities of Pakistan, which has been persecuting them persistently. "It's our moral responsibility to give citizenship to the minorities (from the three neighbouring Muslim countries). If they don't come to India, where will they go? To Italy?" he asked. "Italy will not accept Hindus or Sikhs as they are poor people," he said. Stating that owing to persistent persecution of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Jains in Pakistan, the population of the minorities there has come down drastically from its earlier 30 percent-level, the minister said it's the moral responsibility of India to give shelter and citizenship to non-Muslims from the three neighbouring country. The minister also claimed that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi knows no difference between the the CAA and GST and that is why he says the recent changes in the citizenship law would lead to an increase in the tax. The "immature statement" of Rahul Gandhi shows he "cannot distinguish between CAA and GST" as he says the GST will further increase due to CAA. "I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that if he does not know the difference (between CAA and GST), he should take tuition from a better tutor in the matter," said teh minister. "It seems he doesnt have any idea about NPR and NRC either," he said. The minister also accused the opposition of playing "cheap politics", saying that it is instigating people to protest against the recent changes in the citizenship law by misleading them. He rued that the opposition was instigating violence instead of appealing them to resort to peaceful protests. Shares of Jet Airways were locked in the 5 per cent upper circuit for third straight day on Thursday amid a report that Hinduja Group was preparing to bid for the debt-laden carrier. The seventh meeting of Committee of Creditors (CoC) of the grounded airline is scheduled to be held on January 2. The debt-laden company, in an exchange filing, said that the CoC would seek fresh Expression of Interest (EoI). Continuing its gaining streak, Jet Airways share price gained 5 per cent to hit an upper circuit of Rs 32.60 on the BSE against previous closing price of Rs 31.05. The share price of Jet Airways (India) has rallied 115 per cent against its all-time low price of Rs 15.10 on October 22, 2019. The stock had hit 52-week high of Rs 312 on January 15, 2019. In a similar trend, Jet Airways shares ended 4.92 per cent higher at Rs 32 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE). The stock has opened at Rs 32 against previous closing price of Rs 30.50. Also Read: Astral Poly Technik share turned Rs 1 lakh into Rs 81 lakh in 10 years, did you miss the rally? According to a Bloomberg report, the UK-based Hinduja Group, led by Gopichand Hinduja and Ashok Hinduja, was planning to submit an expression of interest (EOI) by January 15. The expression of interest will signal the UK-based group's intent to make a formal offer. Hinduja is seeking a partner to bid, Bloomberg reported. In July last year, Hinduja Group had expressed interest to buy stake in the airline. The group, however, did not pursue their interest for the ailing private carrier. The troubled airline, which suspended its operations on April 18, 2019, is currently undergoing resolution process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Aslo Read: Jet Airways share price closes 5% higher as Hinduja Group likely to bid for grounded carrier Last month, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had directed the CoC to speed up its decision about seeking fresh expressions of interest (EOI) in view of interests being shown for the grounded airline. The tribunal had also approved the extension of Jet Airways insolvency resolution period by 90 days, as the consortium of 26 banks led by the State Bank of India, failed to find a new buyer for the airline during the mandated 180 day period. Synergy Group, the sole potential bidder for Jet Airways so far, had sought more time to take a decision on investing in the grounded airline. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex ended 320 points, or 0.78 per cent, higher at 41,626. By Chitranjan Kumar CITY HALL -- Rep. Max Rose alongside the rest of the New York Citys congressional delegation urged Staten Island at-risk institutions like synagogues, churches and mosques to apply for part of a $90 million grant Thursday to help beef up security at their organizations following a frightening wave of anti-Semitic attacks across the region. In this time of skyrocketing violence, tweets are not enough, action is what is required, Rose told reporters at a press conference at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in lower Manhattan. We have got to get our fair share as New Yorkers of every faith are afraid to pray, no stone can go unturned in this effort, all levels of government, all law enforcement agencies must play their part, he continued. The funding will help at-risk institutions pay for things like additional security personnel and other security enhancements including barriers, gates, safety gear, and surveillance equipment. Some Jewish members of Congress and Mayor Bill de Blasio have blamed President Donald Trump for the rise in anti-Semitic attacks across the country. But asked Thursday if Trump was the cause for the rise, Rose said he did not think it was the presidents fault. I am not standing here today to point the blame for the rise in anti-Semitism at the president, Rose said. With that being said though, Ive found the presidents statements ... his woeful and willing defense of the rise of white nationalism as horrendous, and xenophobic in nature, and despicable. But this problem that we see today is far more complicated. The congressional delegations announcement of the $90 million grant comes as local leaders have increased security in Jewish neighborhoods and places of worship. HANUKKAH ATTACK Last weekend, on the seventh night of Hanukkah, five people were stabbed at a rabbis home in Rockland County. Grafton Thomas, 37, was charged with federal hate crimes for the attack on Monday for allegedly stabbing those five individuals. The attack came amid a 21% rise in anti-Semitic incidents in New York City. Following the attack, Mayor Bill de Blasio said additional NYPD officers would be immediately deployed to precincts in Borough Park, Midwood, Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Williamsburg, along with ramping up an already-increased police presence at houses of worship and during local events. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. VANCOUVER, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Asanko Gold Inc. ("Asanko" or the "Company") (TSX, NYSE American: AKG) announced today the resignation of Mr. William Smart from its Board of Directors. Mr. Smart has served as Director of the Company since November 2015. As announced previously, Ms. Judith Mosely has been appointed to the board of directors effective January 1, 2020 and will replace Mr. Smart, leaving the total number of directors at seven. Mr. Colin Steyn, Chair of the Board of Directors, has also decided that he will not be seeking re-election at the next Annual General Meeting ("AGM") which is expected to be held on or about April 30, 2020. Mr. Steyn has been a Director and Chairman since October 2012. The Company has initiated a search for an independent director to replace Mr. Steyn on the slate of directors to be nominated for election at the AGM. "I would like to thank Bill for his substantial contribution and commitment over the years," said Greg McCunn, Chief Executive Officer. "I look forward to continuing to work with Colin over the coming months leading up to the AGM as we work towards refreshing the board of directors in preparation for an exciting time for the Company." About Asanko Gold Inc. Asanko is focused on building a low-cost, mid-tier gold mining company through organic production growth, exploration and disciplined deployment of its financial resources. The company currently operates and manages the Asanko Gold Mine, located in Ghana, West Africa which is jointly owned with Gold Fields Ltd. The Company is strongly committed to the highest standards for environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighbouring communities. For more information, please visit www.asanko.com. SOURCE Asanko Gold Inc. Related Links www.asanko.com (Sharecast News) - London stocks were still firmly in the green by midday on Thursday, kicking off the new year in style as investors welcomed monetary stimulus from the Chinese central bank. The FTSE 100 was up 0.8% at 7,605.46, with miners and financials pacing the advance. Sentiment was boosted after the Chinese central bank said it will cut the required reserve ratio for commercial lenders by 50 basis points from 6 January to help bolster the slowing economy. According to the People's Bank of China, the move will release around 800 billion yuan (87bn) of liquidity into the financial system. As it stands, the required reserve ratio is 13% for big banks and 11% for smaller ones. The latest cut by the PBOC means it has reduced the reserve requirement for banks eight times since early 2018. Investors were also mulling the release of the latest manufacturing figures out of China. According to a private survey released earlier, activity in the manufacturing eased a touch in December. The Markit/Caixin purchasing managers' index printed at 51.5 for December 2019, down from 51.8 in November and below expectations for a reading of 51.7. Still, it remained above the 50 mark that separates contraction from expansion. The sub-index for new orders fell the second month in a row, while the index for export orders ticked lower by remained above 50. The sub-index for output also nudged down for the second month in a row. Pantheon Macroeconomics said the Caixin manufacturing PMI was due a correction "The index was well above its uptrend, so a decline is not surprising," said senior Asia economist Miguel Chanco. "Without the phase one trade deal it would have been worse. With the index in correction mode, we are reticent to read too much into the details, but the loss of momentum in new orders is disappointing, chiming with the official report." On home turf, the Markit/CIPS manufacturing purchasing managers' index declined to 47.5 in December from 48.9 in November, coming in just a touch above the flash estimate of 47.4 but below consensus expectations for a reading of 47.8. It remained below the 50.0 level that separates contraction from expansion for the eighth consecutive month and marked the fastest pace of decline since July 2012. The drop was put down to falling intakes of new work from both domestic and overseas clients, while efforts to reduce Brexit safety stocks also stymied output volumes. Duncan Brock, group director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said: "As the downturn deepened, Brexit uncertainty continued to dominate the business landscape and impact on client confidence. Combined with the effects of a slowing global economy, new orders from domestic and export markets dried up at one of the fastest rates seen in seven-and-a-half years. "This impact trickled down to job creation strategies, as the pace of job losses intensified and companies were reluctant to commit to additional expense. Businesses continued to be squeezed as input prices rose as a result of shortages and transportation costs." Brock said that while the result of the General Election will bring some clarity to businesses, it still feels "like a long road ahead" for manufacturing to recover its losses from this year. Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said year-end struggles should give way to stabilisation in the first quarter. "Following the Conservatives' landslide win and the resulting elimination of near-term no-deal Brexit risk, we expect manufacturing output to stabilise in Q1, despite the ongoing global downturn, thanks to the reduction in uncertainty. "Overall, we look for quarter-on-quarter GDP growth to pick up to 0.4% in Q1, from 0.1% in Q4, as firms start to undertake some of the expenditure that they have put off due to the risk of a radical Labour government and a no-deal Brexit at the end of January." More broadly, the mood continued to be underpinned by optimism over a Sino-US trade deal after US President Donald Trump said earlier in the week that phase one of a deal with China would be signed on 15 January at the White House. Trump also said he was planning on travelling to Beijing at a later date to start discussions on a second trade deal with China. Corporate news was scarce. Building materials group CRH rise after it appointed Richie Boucher to the role of chairman. Shares of Tullow Oil slumped after it said its Carapa-1 exploration well offshore Guyana had discovered oil, but this was lower than pre-drilling estimates. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,605.46 0.84% FTSE 250 (MCX) 22,051.53 0.77% techMARK (TASX) 4,200.53 0.81% FTSE 100 - Risers Glencore (GLEN) 243.00p 3.25% Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,735.00p 2.85% Barclays (BARC) 184.74p 2.84% Pearson (PSON) 655.00p 2.83% Antofagasta (ANTO) 941.80p 2.73% TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI) 978.20p 2.56% Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) 1,984.00p 2.53% Legal & General Group (LGEN) 310.40p 2.44% BP (BP.) 482.15p 2.24% Standard Life Aberdeen (SLA) 334.20p 1.86% FTSE 100 - Fallers British Land Company (BLND) 634.40p -0.69% Sage Group (SGE) 746.40p -0.35% Relx plc (REL) 1,899.00p -0.34% Meggitt (MGGT) 654.60p -0.33% Polymetal International (POLY) 1,192.00p -0.25% JD Sports Fashion (JD.) 835.40p -0.24% Experian (EXPN) 2,546.00p -0.24% Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,592.00p -0.23% Ocado Group (OCDO) 1,276.50p -0.20% Auto Trader Group (AUTO) 593.80p -0.13% FTSE 250 - Risers Watches of Switzerland Group (WOSG) 394.40p 4.89% Senior (SNR) 180.10p 4.16% Grafton Group Units (GFTU) 903.00p 4.15% IP Group (IPO) 73.80p 3.94% Sirius Minerals (SXX) 3.66p 3.86% Kainos Group (KNOS) 768.00p 3.50% Renishaw (RSW) 3,886.00p 3.13% Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (AML) 535.60p 3.04% Sanne Group (SNN) 697.00p 2.95% Avast (AVST) 466.00p 2.92% FTSE 250 - Fallers Tullow Oil (TLW) 59.94p -6.34% Hochschild Mining (HOC) 175.20p -4.26% Helios Towers (HTWS) 152.20p -3.67% TI Fluid Systems (TIFS) 258.00p -3.01% Centamin (DI) (CEY) 123.95p -2.40% Fresnillo (FRES) 629.20p -1.72% Dixons Carphone (DC.) 142.25p -1.35% Ascential (ASCL) 387.00p -1.23% Spirent Communications (SPT) 248.50p -1.19% Airtel Africa (AAF) 79.05p -1.13% Bengal govt, SC rights panel at logger heads over visit to State to probe atrocities against Dalits Bengal vs Centre: Why the former Chief Secretary is bound by Centres rules Centre rejects West Bengal's tableau proposal for Republic Day parade India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 02: The Defence Ministry has rejected West Bengal's tableau for the Republic Day parade on January 26 in a move that could lead to fresh tensions between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Centre. "The tableau proposal of West Bengal government was examined by the expert committee in two rounds of meetings. The tableau proposal of the West Bengal government was not taken forward for further consideration by the committee after deliberations in the second meeting," the ministry said in its statement. Indias biggest internal security headache would be the migrants from Bengal, radicals from Kerala "The expert committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and visual impact before making its recommendations. Due to time constraints arising out of the overall duration of the parade, only a limited number of tableaux can be shortlisted for participation in the parade," the statement read. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 Twenty-two proposals, 16 from states and union territories and six from central ministries -- out of a total 56 have been short-listed for this Republic Day parade. The Ministry had received 32 tableau proposals from states and union territories and 24 from central ministries and departments. "Out of these, 22 proposals, comprising 16 states/UTs and 6 ministries/departments, have finally been short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2020 after a series of five meetings," a statement by the ministry said. The proposals are then evaluated in a series of meetings of the Expert Committee comprising eminent persons in the fields of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography, etc. The Committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations, the statement said. Due to time constraints, only a limited number of tableau that are best have been short-listed for participation in the parade. The Climate Change Advisory Councils advice to the Government to treat methane differently from other greenhouse gases has been opposed by Green Party leader Eamon Ryan. The Dublin Bay South TD said: We cannot do what the Climate Change Advisory Council seems to be suggesting, which is to discount methane. He said a recent letter from the climate council raised doubt as to how methane (the vast majority of which comes from ruminant livestock, in Ireland) is going to be counted, and raised the potential argument that the agriculture sector may not have to make as significant an effort if, for a range of complex reasons, methane is treated differently as a greenhouse gas. The council is an independent advisory body to assess and advise on Ireland transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050. Mr Ryan said it is highly complex as to how exactly different greenhouse gases are treated, in the rule book of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. But given the advice from IPCC scientists and our own scientists such as Peter Thorne, we cannot discount methane, said the Green Party leader. He was speaking during the pre-Christmas Dail debate on climate action and low carbon development, where Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton confirmed he has read the methane advice of the climate council. He said: We have not adopted a position on that, and the long-term strategy is out for consultation, and will have to evolve. He added: On the issue of biogenic methane, I detected a shift in the attitude of scientists towards land use. There seemed to be a greater emphasis on the need to speed up what we do in conventional energy areas, and land use seems to be greatly influenced by whether we can reduce climate temperatures. Land use as a carbon store is very much influenced by global warming. There is a balance to be struck in food production and food security, and how that is to be worked through. He told the committee the Environmental Protection Agency calculates the emissions from agriculture that arise from methane, nitrogen, oxides, urea and so on, and Teagasc has done an estimate of how we can start to reduce those emissions. As I understand it, in our inventories, we do not have an accurate assessment of how land use is sequestering or releasing carbon. The manner in which carbon is released depends on how land is ploughed, and on how a lot of things are done. We do not do a detailed inventory. We do not track every acre of land to see what happened this year compared with last year. We do not track how carbon is emitted depending on the way harvesting is done in a given year. We do not count every tree and estimate the carbon sequestration that it might give. We do not track the loss of carbon from the draining of bogs. On forestry, the minister said: As I understand it, a credit of 26.8m tonnes of carbon was granted to Ireland in reference to our historic planting levels. Part of that has to be earned over the next ten years. We will have to show that changes are being made and that we are delivering the credit. We will have to make enough changes to justify the assignment of the credit to us. The ball dropped in New York to ring in 2020 in a packed Times Square, after crisis-marred celebrations in other countries ended a year of worldwide upheaval New York dropped its traditional crystal-encrusted ball to ring in 2020 in a packed Times Square, after crisis-marred celebrations in other countries ended a year of worldwide upheaval that saw strike-hit Paris welcome the new decade with fireworks, and London's Big Ben ring out after a long restoration. Billions around the world cheered in 2020 after a tumultuous year dominated by demonstrations calling for political revolt and action on climate change. "I'm not particularly optimistic about the future," 29-year-old Natalie Reinhart told AFP ahead of New York's midnight celebration. "I don't think anybody thinks the world is in a good place, and I think that's one of the defining things of the decade," the New Yorker said. "There's a sort of overt pessimism. Even our pop songs are sad." Performers in Times Square pulled through nonetheless, as artists including feminist rocker Alanis Morissette took the stage ahead of a highly anticipated performance by K-pop sensation BTS. New Yorker Gabriel Rodriguez, 53, voiced gloom over society's future but told AFP his way of coping: "I live day by day." -'New Year with Dignity'- Chile saw thousands of demonstrators gather at Santiago's Plaza Italia -- the epicenter of protests against President Sebastian Pinera's right-wing government since October -- to celebrate a "New Year with Dignity." One of the world's biggest New Year festivals took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with an estimated three million revelers. Most of them wore white as they listened to concerts and watched a traditional fireworks show at Copacabana Beach. In the French capital, tens of thousands gathered on the Champs-Elysees, despite a grueling transport strike that has spelled weeks of misery for commuters. They came on foot, by bike, taxi -- and a few by Metro -- to ring in the new decade as a dazzling light show lit up the Arc de Triomphe. Story continues In the British capital, thousands of revellers lined the Thames to watch fireworks fired from the London Eye for the last new year before Brexit. Big Ben rang out 12 times after the bell had fallen mostly silent in 2019 because of renovation work. It followed a year of political wrangling that led to the resignation of Prime Minister Theresa May and culminated in Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson's pledging to leave the European Union on January 31. As US-Iran tensions rose again in the Middle East, fireworks exploded in Dubai around the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. In Abidjan, Ivory Coast, pyrotechnics reflected off the waters of the Ebrie lagoon. Smoke-choked Sydney ushered in the New Year with an enormous fireworks display, despite a petition to cancel it that received more than 280,000 signatures as devastating bushfires raged across the country. But the show did go on: more than 100,000 fireworks lit up the skyline for the hundreds of thousands of spectators thronging the city centre. - Celebrations amid upheaval - After more than six months of near-daily demonstrations, Hong Kong ushered in 2020 with tear gas and water cannon. Pro-democracy protesters took their movement into the new year with midnight countdown rallies and a massive march planned for Wednesday. Before midnight, thousands of protesters gathered across the financial hub, including along the waterfront of Victoria Harbour and at nightlife hotspot Lan Kwai Fong. Demonstrators at the harborfront counted down chanting "Ten! Nine! Liberate Hong Kong, revolution now!" in a sea of light from their mobile phones. Smaller crowds of protesters in the Mong Kok district set fire to barricades and riot police unleashed their first volleys of tear gas for 2020 in response. Earlier in the evening, thousands of people linked arms in human chains that stretched for miles along busy shopping streets and through local neighbourhoods. In impoverished North Korea, a large crowd that gathered for a concert in the center of Pyongyang cheered as the clock struck midnight. Fireworks burst in the sky above a neon-lit stage hosting a tightly choreographed dance performance. Across the border, South Koreans flocked to bell-ringing ceremonies -- a traditional ritual marking the start of the new year -- with thousands watching in central Seoul alongside performances by Korean pop stars. In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual New Year address, 20 years after he was elevated to the presidency by Boris Yeltsin's shock resignation in his 1999 end-of-year speech. Russia celebrated the new decade over several time zones, with Muscovites flocking to the centre of the capital for fireworks over the Kremlin. Sub-Saharan Africa faces grave hunger challenges in 2020: UN food relief agency 31 December 2019 -- At the dawn of the next decade, a new World Food Programme (WFP) forecast of global hunger hotspots has revealed that escalating hunger will challenge sub-Saharan Africa in the first half of 2020. According to the WFP 2020 Global Hotspots Report, millions of people in Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central Sahel region will require life-saving food assistance in the coming months the sheer scale and complexity of which will stretch the UN food relief agency's capacity to the limit and require generous donor support for a ramped-up humanitarian response. WFP Executive Director David Beasley spelled out: "WFP is fighting big and complex humanitarian battles on several fronts at the start of 2020". "In some countries, we are seeing conflict and instability combine with climate extremes to force people from their homes, farms and places of work", he elaborated. "In others, climate shocks are occurring alongside economic collapse and leaving millions on the brink of destitution and hunger." Averting famine Against the backdrop of an imploding economy and when Zimbabwe is entering the peak of its lean season and food is at its most scarce, WFP observed that the country has more hungry people now than it has had over the past decade. And as concerns grow over the impact of a regional drought that could drag even more countries down in the first months of the year, WFP is planning assistance for some four million people in Zimbabwe. "Last year, WFP was called upon to bring urgent large-scale relief to Yemen, Mozambique after Cyclone Idai, Burkina Faso and many other crises to avert famine," said Margot Van Der Velden, WFP Director of Emergencies. "But the world is an unforgiving place and as we turn the page into 2020, WFP is confronting new, monumental humanitarian challenges that we need to address with real urgency." Hunger abounds Turning to the Americas, Haiti is undergoing a rapidly evolving crisis with escalating unrest paralyzing the economy and driving food prices out of many people's reach. And in Asia, insecurity and drought in Afghanistan is leaving over one-third of the population, or more than 11 million people, severely food insecure. In the Middle East, WFP has had success in Yemen where it scaled up food assistance by 50 per cent and supported eight million people a month at the beginning of 2018 to 12 million by the end of the year. Looking towards 2020, WFP remains alert to growing food needs in Iraq and Lebanon, where civil unrest and macro-economic crisis are leading to an increase in food insecurity. WFP estimates it will require more than $10 billion to fully fund all its operations in more than 80 countries around the world in the coming year. "Every year at WFP we plan ahead for the next 12 months and ask for support from the generous governments, private sector institutions and members of the public who help us reach our humanitarian and development goals," said Mr. Beasley. "As an agency that depends entirely on voluntary donations, we have a responsibility to show WFP can continue to be the most efficient and effective global organization delivering the kind of food assistance that saves lives and changes lives across the world", concluded the UN food relief agency chief. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address FDI is important as the country requires major investments to overhaul its infrastructure sector to boost growth. New Delhi: Foreign direct investment (FDI) into India grew 15 percent to $26 billion during the first half of the current financial year, according to government data. Inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) during April-September of 2018-19 stood at $22.66 billion. Sectors, which attracted maximum foreign inflows during April-September 2019-20, include services ($4.45 billion), computer software and hardware ($4 billion), telecommunications ($4.28 billion), automobile (USD 2.13 billion) and trading (USD 2.14 billion), the commerce and industry ministry data showed. Singapore continued to be the largest source of FDI in India during the first half of the financial year with $ 8 billion investments. It was followed by Mauritius ($6.36 billion), the US ($2.15 billion), the Netherlands ($2.32 billion), and Japan ($1.78 billion). FDI is important as the country requires major investments to overhaul its infrastructure sector to boost growth. Recently, the government relaxed foreign investment norms in sectors such as brand retail trading, coal mining and contract manufacturing. Enthused by a record foreign investment inflow, India is optimistic of continuing to be one of the world's favourite FDI destinations in 2020 on the back of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's liberalised norms and a significant jump in the ease of doing business ranking. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra has said that despite a slowdown in the global economy, inflows of foreign investment into the country have not been impacted. Six letter bombs were sent to different businesses in major Dutch cities in the past week, police in Netherlands have said. The packages containing potentially deadly explosives were sent to businesses in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, a Dutch news outlet reported. Police have warned the public to be alert for any letters from CIB in Rotterdam. Six letter bombs were sent to different businesses in major Dutch cities in the past week, police in Netherlands have said (photos from the scene show Dutch police investigating) All of the suspicious letters carried the CIB logo and the address of a debt collection firm call Centraal Invorderings Bureau (photos from the scene show Dutch police investigating) All of the suspicious letters carried the CIB logo and the address of a debt collection firm call Centraal Invorderings Bureau. In each instance, the CIB logo and address were printed on one label, and the recipient's information was printed on a second label. 'The letter bombs did not cause any damage because the explosives did not detonate, but could have caused serious bodily injury,' police said. Detectives are hunting the suspect they are all from one source. No arrests have been made yet. The mail bombs were discovered at a hotel and a gas station in Amsterdam, a garage and a gas station in Rotterdam, and a real estate agency in Utrecht. All of the suspicious letters carried the CIB logo and the address of a debt collection firm call Centraal Invorderings Bureau (photos from the scene show Dutch police investigating) Police in Rotterdam were called to the scene of a suspicious package at the Van Mossel Mercedes Benz dealership in Rotterdam on Thursday just before 2pm local time Police in Rotterdam were called to the scene of a suspicious package at the Van Mossel Mercedes Benz dealership in Rotterdam on Thursday just before 2pm local time. A sixth bomb was also found at the headquarters of Centraal Invorderings Bureau on Thursday, police said. Detectives ruled out any direct involvement between the debt collection business and the explosives mailed over the past week. Photo by John Tunison | MLive.com GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids saw its homicide count almost double between 2018 and 2019. After recording nine homicides the year prior, the city saw an increase to 17 cases in 2019 -- the most in a year since it reached that total in 2013. The total is higher than the city's 10-year average of 12.4. Of the 17 homicide cases, a suspect has been arrested and charged in five cases. Two others have a person of interest on the run. March and July were the deadliest months with three slayings each. August and October were the only months without a Grand Rapids homicide. Of the 17 cases, 14 were by way of shooting and three were stabbings. Police have noted an increase in general firearm related incidents as well. The city's jump in homicides caused Kent County's total to increase as well, from 24 in 2018 to 25 in 2019. Below is a summary of the 2019 cases, listed with Grand Rapids first, then the rest of Kent County: Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Facebook James King When: Around 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13 Where: At the Towne and Country Shopping Center near Kalamazoo Avenue SE and 44th Street. Victim: James King, 17, was shot in the face. He died at the scene. Suspect: Israel Valdez, 17. The case: Police determined that a group of five friends setup a marijuana sale with King at a strip mall with intent to rob him of the drug. Officers arrested Ahmed Hasan, 17, and Alanah Faith Claflin, 18. Then Valdez and Kayleb Sims, 17, turned themselves in later, and Sebastian Quinones, 18, was last to be taken into custody. In court, Valdez admitted to being the shooter and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 23-50 years in prison. Quinones, who brought the gun, was sentenced to 15-40 years for armed robbery, and Claflin, who the judge said wanted the marijuana initially, was sentenced to 10-40 years for armed robbery. The other teens -- Hasan and Sims -- were sentenced to a year in jail and five years probation for assault with intent to rob while armed. Don't Edit MLive file photo. (Attempts to retrieve a photo from family and friends were not successful) Frederick Lardale Jewell When: Around 2:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 8 Where: BP gas station, 1 Hall St. SW Victim: Frederick Lardale Jewell, 34, was stabbed. He died at Mercy Health Saint Mary's Hospital. Suspect: Tahari Lamont-Greg Brags, 23 The case: Jewell got into a brief altercation with friends of Brags at My Place Bar. During that time, Jewell was seen carrying a handgun at his side, according to bar surveillance footage shown in court. Later that evening/early morning, Jewell and multiple other men began fighting inside the BP gas station on Hall Street. Near the end of the fight, Brags entered the gas station and began assaulting Jewell with a screwdriver while two other men were beating on Jewell, as depicted in video shown in court. Police transported an unresponsive Jewell to Saint Mary's Hospital where he died from his injuries the following day. Brags pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 7-20 years in prison. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Grand Rapids police Keyona Griffin When: Wednesday, March 13 Where: Her residence in the 500 block of Sheldon Avenue SE Victim: Keyona Griffin, 25, was shot. She died at the scene. Suspect: No arrests, though police have identified Derrell Brown, 45, as a person of interest. Police said he also lived at the house. The case: Police arrived at the house to find Griffin and one of her relatives -- Charletta Baber-Bey -- dead with gunshot wounds. Officers continue to seek Brown for questioning and the Kent County Prosecutor's Office has charged him with receiving and concealing a stolen firearm. Police have said he should be considered armed and dangerous. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Grand Rapids police Charletta Baber-Bey When: Wednesday, March 13 Where: Her residence in the 500 block of Sheldon Avenue SE Victim: Charletta Baber-Bey, 47, was shot. She died at the scene. Suspect: No arrests, though police have identified her live-in dating partner, Derrell Brown, 45, as a person of interest. The case: Police arrived at the house to find Baber-Bey and one of her relatives -- Keyona Griffin -- dead. Officers continue to seek Brown for questioning and the Kent County Prosecutor's Office has charged him with receiving and concealing a stolen firearm. Police have said he should be considered armed and dangerous. Don't Edit Don't Edit Courtesy photo GoFundMe Mikeya Sheniece Day When: Around 8 p.m. Sunday, March 31 Where: In a car in the 800 block of Hancock Street SE Victim: Mikeya Sheniece Day, 35, was shot in the neck. She was transported to the hospital, where she died. Suspect: Jamar Purdle, 31, her boyfriend. The case: Police said Day was transported by her boyfriend to the hospital with a gunshot wound. Footage from a home surveillance camera showed a flash inside of the car she was in. Video played in court showed a man exit the vehicle with a bottle of liquor and something concealed in their other hand. Additional testimony in district court suggested their was an argument prior to the shooting. Purdle was charged with open murder, felony firearm, being a felon in possession of a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon. He is also a habitual offender. Purdle is scheduled back in court for jury trial on Jan. 27. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Krayola Luckett Lou Cleveland Luckett III When: Around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, April 20 Where: 1200 block Boston Street SE Victim: Lou Cleveland Luckett, 28, was shot. Suspect: No arrests The case: Police were dispatched to a report of a shooting during a large party on Boston Street SE. Luckett was hit by gunfire and died on scene. A woman was also shot but suffered non-life-threatening injuries and survived. Investigators said they did not receive much cooperation or information from witnesses despite there being a large number of people present at the party. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Tiara Brown Jordan Kyree Brown When: Around 2:40 a.m. Sunday, May 12 Where: Highland Street SE and Union Avenue Victim: Jordan Brown, 21, was shot. He died at Mercy Health Saint Mary's. Suspect: Vincent Walker, 32 The case: Police were dispatched to the area of Highland Street SE and Union Avenue on a report of shots fired. They were notified shortly thereafter that Brown was dropped off at Mercy Health Saint Mary's with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Vincent Walker, 32, turned himself in and was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. He pleaded guilty to those charges and is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 5. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Tera Shanale Holloway Javon Holloway When: Around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 4 Where: 100 block of Temple Street SE Victim: Javon Holloway, 21, was shot. He died at Mercy Health Saint Mary's Hospital. Suspect: No arrests The case: Police were dispatched to a report of a shooting and located Holloway. He was transported to the hospital where he died of his gunshot wound(s). No arrests have been reported by police. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Eduardo Espinoza Saul Espinoza When: Around 10:40 p.m. Saturday, July 6 Where: 6th Street and Front Avenue NW Victim: Saul Espinoza, 20, was shot and killed. Suspect: No arrests The case: Police were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the area of 6th Street and Front Avenue NW -- one of two separate shootings in downtown Grand Rapids during the city's annual Fourth of July fireworks event. No arrests have been reported by police. Don't Edit Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Silent Observer Jeff Mathews When: Around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, July 8 Where: Outside an apartment unit in the 1000 block of Clancy Avenue NE Victim: Jeff Mathews, 60, was shot. He died at a local hospital. Suspect: No arrests. The case: Police found Mathews suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to an area hospital where he died hours later. Investigators said they believe Mathews was not the intended target in the shooting, but rather an innocent bystander. In October, Silent Observer offered a $2,500 reward to help solve the case. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Facebook Michael "Marlo" Gabrielle Jones When: Around 4 a.m. Sunday, July 28 Where: Shell gas station, 2600 block of East Beltline Avenue SE Victim: Michael Jones, 26, was shot. He was transported to a local hospital where he died. Suspect: No charges The case: Officers were dispatched to a report of a shooting at the Shell gas station on East Beltline. Officers arrived to find Jones suffering from a gunshot wound. Investigators said there might have been an altercation in the parking lot prior to the shooting. Those involved in the altercation left before officers arrived. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said the case was determined to be a self-defense shooting and no further charges have been authorized. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Facebook Markese Boyd When: Around 2:15 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 Where: 1000 block of Ionia Avenue SW Victim: Markese Boyd, 29, was shot in the neck. He later died at a hospital. Suspect: No arrests The case: Police were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the 1000 block of Ionia Avenue. While responding, officers were notified of a man showing up at a local hospital with a gunshot wound. Boyd's family said he and two cousins had gotten into an argument with others at a party store. The gunman followed them back to Ionia Avenue, where the shooting occurred. Don't Edit MLive file photo. (Attempts to retrieve a photo from family and friends were not successful) Terry Junior Wilks When: Saturday, Sept. 21 Where: Area of Diamond Avenue and Sigsbee Street SE. Victim: Terry Wilks, 64, was shot. Suspect: No arrests The case: Officers were dispatched to a report of shots fired in the area of Diamond Avenue and Sigsbee Street SE. Upon arrival, officers found Wilks with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he died. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Arielle Johnson Terell Marquise Mapp When: Around 2:55 a.m. Sunday, Sunday, Nov. 3 Where: 1800 block of 28th Street SE Victim: Terell Mapp, 31, was shot. He died at the scene. Suspect: No arrests The case: Police were dispatched to a report of a shooting outside a commercial building where an after-hours party was held. The initial call to police said four people were fighting outside the building. As police investigated the fight, shots were fired inside the building. People ran out of the building and Mapp was pulled from the building. He died as police were conducting life-saving efforts. No arrests have been reported by police. Don't Edit Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Carolyn Stewart James Earl Robertson Sr. When: Around Monday, Nov. 25 Where: Police believe he died in Grand Rapids. His body was found in a park in Tallmadge Township. Victim: James Earl Robertson, 51, was stabbed. Suspect: Jordan Scott Loomis, 28. The case: Robertson was reported missing before police found his body in a park in Tallmadge Township. Loomis is charged with open murder, attempted armed robbery and three counts of lying to a peace officer in the investigation of a violent crime. He remains jailed in Kent County without bond awaiting future court hearings. A friend of Robertson's said the suspect and victim were acquaintances, if not friends. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Amanda Salgado Manuel Salgado When: Around 8:10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 Where: In the 500 block of Lincoln Avenue NW Victim: Manuel Salgado, 22, was shot. He died at the scene. Suspect: No arrests The case: Police said Salgado was with a woman when they both were shot. The woman, who has not been publicly named, is expected to survive her injuries. Investigators said they were searching for two men suspected of being involved in the incident. Don't Edit MLive file photo. (Attempts to retrieve a photo from family and friends were not successful) Timothy James Westra When: Around 3:10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12 Where: 100 block of Kirtland St. SW Victim: Timothy Westra, 32, was stabbed in the chest. He died at Mercy Health Saint Mary's Hospital. Suspect: No arrests. The case: Police were dispatched to a report of a stabbing and located the injured Westra. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police interviewed witnesses at the scene and said there were "a number of extenuating investigative factors" being looked at by detectives. Don't Edit Photo by Kayla Sosa | MLive.com Elsewhere in Kent County In addition to the 17 Grand Rapids homicides, there were at least eight others in Kent County in 2019. Wyoming had three homicides -- half of what they recorded last year. The rest were in Solon Township, Byron Township, and Kentwood. Below is a summary of each case: Alaina Rau, Cassidy Rodery and Kyrie Rodery Alaina, 2, Cassidy, 6, and Kyrie, 8, were shot by their mother, Aubrianne Moore, 28, on Feb. 18 in the 300 block of 19 Mile Road NE in Solon Township. Moore fatally shot herself the same day. Police arrived on scene to find the four individuals dead not far from their 19 Mile Road home. Andre Lemont Polson Polson, 34, was stabbed on Aug. 3 in the 2900 block of Taft Avenue SW in Wyoming. Police arrested Andre Jack Jr., a friend of his, who told police the two had an argument and he swung his pocket knife in self-defense but didn't know he fatally wounded Polson. Jack's case was bound over to circuit court in October, and he's scheduled for a Feb. 24 jury trial on charges of open murder and second-degree murder. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Matthew Davis David Baker (pictured above) Baker, 37, was fatally stabbed around 10:30 p.m. Sept. 3 in the 1800 block of Porter Street SW in Wyoming. A second man was injured while trying to intervene between Baker and the assailant. The next day, police surrounded a home in Grandville while looking for a person of interest, but that individual was not located. Ed Fuller Fuller, 63, was killed in early December when he was stabbed at his residenceat Pinegate Mobile Village on S. Division Avenue in Byron Township. George Yzaguirre, 36, has been charged with open murder in his death. The two knew each other, and Yzaguirre told police he intended to rob Fuller, according to police. Yzaguirre is due back in court in 2020. Don't Edit Don't Edit Courtesy photo David Isner (pictured above) Isner, 34, was also killed in early December, at his residence in Kentwood. His roommate and longtime friend, Yzaguirre, has been charged with open murder in his death. Police said he admitted to stabbing his friend because he was offended by something Isner said to him. Yzaguirre is due back in court in early 2020. Don't Edit Courtesy photo | Gloria Hernandez Emanuel Hernandez (pictured above) Hernandez, 15, was shot in the head and died Dec. 7 in Wyoming. Police found him in his girlfriend's vehicle as she was attempting to drive him to the hospital. No arrests have been made in the case. Related MLive coverage: 6 homicides in 7 days: Uptick in Grand Rapids area killings not uncommon for the season Grand Rapids adopts new firearm ordinance Homicides down in Grand Rapids, up in Kent County in 2018 Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 19:22:05|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The CC4 package of the mega Temburong Bridge linking Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan and Temburong district has been completed, a manager from the contractor, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (CSCEC), said on Thursday. Temburong district has been physically isolated from the rest of Brunei, which has hindered the economic growth of the district. A sea-crossing Temburong Bridge is aimed to link the district with the capital. The project is one of the key national balanced development projects promoted by the Brunei government, but also the largest bridge construction project ever in the history of Brunei. According to Manager Jin Chunshang, started on Oct. 1, 2015, the CC4 section constructed by CSCEC is about 12 kilometers in length, including a fully prefabricated viaduct of about 11.8 kilometers long, which crosses Brunei's uninhabited forests and swamps. The manager told Xinhua that the construction environment of the CC4 section was "very harsh". Besides the harmful air in the rainforest, hot and humid weather in the field, the Chinese constructors together with hundreds of workers from several other countries had to overcome the difficulty of no freshwater, no power wires, and no network signals in the early stage of construction. To protect the environment, the CC4 section is fully constructed using the "fishing technology", which allows mechanical equipment to not touch the ground and does not damage the rainforest vegetation. Wang Xiaolin, president of the Chinese Enterprise Association in Brunei and general manager of Bank of China Brunei Branch, said that the Temburong Bridge is the largest and most influential transportation infrastructure project in Brunei and will become a new landmark in Brunei. The CC4 section is the most difficult in the entire bridge construction as it needs to cross rainforests and swamps without affecting the environment, he added. "The successful completion of the CC4 section fully demonstrates the technological strength and innovation capability of Chinese companies, and has generated good economic and social results," Wang told Xinhua on Thursday. The 30-km bridge aims to reduce travelling time between Brunei's capital and Temburong district from two hours to less than 30 minutes by bypassing Malaysia's Limbang. It will become the longest bridge in Southeast Asia followed by Malaysia's 24-km Second Penang Bridge. Could the Love & Hip Hop franchise be expanding to a new continent? While the jury may still be out on if that would ever or happen or not, one thing is for certain: it seems like the franchises creator, Mona Scott-Young, wants to expand her business ventures into the country. Mona Scott-Young | Leon Bennett/WireImage The Year of the Return in Ghana Several African Americans have been in Ghana this year (more specifically this week for the Year of the Return. In September 2018, Ghanian president Nana Akufo-Addo was in Washington, D.C. and declared 2019 The Year of Return, for Africans in the Diaspora to come to Ghana and unite with their African brothers and sisters. We know of the extraordinary achievements and contributions they [Africans in the diaspora] made to the lives of the Americans, and it is important that this symbolic year400 years laterwe commemorate their existence and their sacrifices, the president said at the time. Mona Scott-Youngs recent time in Ghana Scott-Young was in Ghana while many people out of the African diaspora were also in the country. While the businesswoman and creative said she was there on holiday, she also used the time to meet with business owners and the media. The Love & Hip Hop maestros time in the country comes after Cardi B, arguably the most popular and successful modern artist to ever be on Love & Hip Hop, was also there recently. Although I am here in Ghana on holiday, I couldnt resist the opportunity to engage and meet with local business owners and media as I plan on expanding to the Africa content very soon. Im looking forward to tasting the food of Ghana, listening to the music and meeting as many people as possible. I also recently conducted a DNA test through AfricanAncestry to discover my true African heritage so to be here at this time with my family and knowledge of my roots, is truly wonderful, Scott-Young said at an event she hosted. Yandy Smith of Love & Hip Hop: New York was also at the event in Ghana. Per GhanaWeb, Scott-Young will be in Ghana until Jan. 3. What would a new Scott-Young series look like? While we can all imagine the opportunities and what theyd look like, it is unlikely that a Love & Hip Hop series would come out of Africa, although it cant be ruled out. Despite the polarizing reception to some of the content she produces, there is no doubt about it that Scott-Young is a prolific content creator. Perhaps she could create content out of Ghana along the lines of other shows such as the business-oriented Money. Power. Respect. Regardless, folks will be closely following along and watching. Love & Hip Hop: New York airs Monday nights on VH1. Wu-Curtis comes to World Connection from Arizona Public Service (APS), where she was the GM of Customer Operations and Strategy. Prior to APS, Wu-Curtis had global responsibility for customer care and servicing at Choice Hotels International. Additionally, Wu-Curtis has two decades of leadership experience in key senior management roles for companies spanning verticals in finance, telecommunication, healthcare, hospitality and utilities. Wu-Curtis is also actively involved with the contact center and customer service industry. She serves on the advisory board of Customer Contact Week (CCW) and is a frequent expert speaker and VIP panel member at global customer service and contact center conferences worldwide. Wu-Curtis was named CCW 2017 Customer Experience Leader of the Year and has published several articles on leveraging data analytics and insight to drive innovation in customer service delivery and support. Wu-Curtis holds a Master of Business Administration from Western International University and Bachelor's degree in Communications from San Diego State University. "We are excited to have Wu-Curtis lead our organization through the next stage of our transformation and growth by delivering value and insights to help grow our clients' businesses. Her track record and tremendous leadership experience will be a significant asset for World Connection and our clients," said Hugo Vignolo, CEO. About World Connection World Connection S.A. and World Connection LLC is a privately-owned global provider of call center, back office, and business process outsourcing services. Founded in 2011, World Connection provides outsourcing services including call centers, customer service, customer acquisition and retention, sales, collections, as well as back-office processing headquartered in Guatemala City. For more information, visit https://worldconnection.com/ 2020 World Connection. All rights reserved. For further information: World Connection: Elder Gonzalez, Tel: 949.743.2689, [email protected] SOURCE World Connection Related Links https://worldconnection.com A federal judge has temporarily blocked a California labor law meant to take effect Jan. 1 from impacting over 70,000 independent truckers by granting a temporary restraining order. U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez in San Diego granted on Tuesday a five-page order sought by trade group California Trucking Association while he considers imposing a permanent injunction, the hearing for which is set for Jan. 13. Having considered the parties arguments set forth in Plaintiffs supporting papers, as well as Defendants and Intervenor-Defendants opposition papers, the Court finds that Plaintiffs requested temporary restraining order is warranted, the judge said in his order. Californias gig worker law was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September and has garnered national attention, largely owing to the size of Californias workforce and the states leadership role in establishing policies that are frequently adopted by other states. The law would make it harder for gig economy companies to qualify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees. The Assembly Bill 5 or AB5 was set to go into effect on Wednesday but it faces multiple legal challenges. The California Trucking Association had filed a lawsuit in November seeking an exemption from AB5. Photographers and freelance writers are also seeking a restraining order. Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc. and courier services provider Postmates Inc. asked a U.S. court to block the law in a lawsuit filed on Monday. The companies have argued the bill violates the U.S. Constitution and that it is irrational, vague and incoherent. Backers of the bill, including labor groups, have argued the law protects workers rights. By classifying the contractors as employees, the companies would be subject to labor laws that require higher pay and other benefits such as medical insurance. The bill strikes at the heart of the gig economy business model of technology platforms like Uber, Postmates, Lyft Inc , DoorDash and others who rely heavily on the states 450,000 contract workers, not full-time employees, to drive passengers or deliver food via app-based services. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrea Ricci) Topics California Legislation USA Trucking 01/02/2020 Photo (c) luckybusiness - Fotolia Americans remained on the move in 2019, and United Van Lines, a nationwide moving company, says the highest percentage of consumers who moved chose Idaho. That might be surprising until you realize that Uniteds annual ranking isnt based on raw numbers. Instead, the company compares the percentage of those moving into a state against those moving out. When measured that way, Idaho leads the nation with an inbound migration of 67.4 percent. A lot more people chose to move to Idaho rather than leave. For the second straight year, the survey found New Jersey led the nation with the highest percentage of residents who packed up and left, with an outbound migration of 68.5 percent. If Idaho strikes you as an unusual choice, consider that baby boomers tended to move the most in 2019. People between the ages of 55 and 74 accounted for more than 45 percent of all inbound United Van Lines moves in 2019. Boomers moved to a different drum Boomers parents generation might have favored Florida as a retirement destination, but boomers have always done things differently. Oregon, at 65.7 percent inbound, was right behind Idaho as the second most popular moving destination nationally, recording more than 2,800 total moves. In fact, destinations west of the Mississippi River placed high in the 2019 rankings, with Arizona seeing inbound traffic at 63.2 percent, Washington at 59.5 percent, and New Mexico at 43.9 percent. Each of those states placed in the top 10 in the 2019 rankings. Some southeastern states -- including South Carolina and North Carolina -- were popular moving destinations last year. Twenty-four percent of the moves were because of retirement, but the majority -- 46 percent -- were the result of employment changes. "Key factors like the baby boomer generation relocating upon reaching retirement age as well as states' economic performances and housing costs drove these 2019 moving patterns," said Michael Stoll, economist and professor in the Department of Public Policy at UCLA. "United Van Lines' study encompasses data consistent with the broader migration trends to western and southern regions that we've been seeing for several years now." Not-so-popular destinations Besides New Jersey, other states in the northeast were more likely to see residents leave than move in. New York recorded an outbound percentage of 63.1 percent, with Connecticut right behind at 63 percent. California was an outlier in the West, with fewer people moving in than moving out. According to the survey, Californias outbound percentage was 56.9 percent If you think you might be moving in 2020 its not too soon to start checking out moving companies. ConsumerAffairs has collected thousands of reviews of the best moving companies here. Complacency, laxity has crept in: Stern warning by MHA to states on COVID-19 appropriate behaviour Govt sets up dedicated desk to look after Ayodhya verdict related matters India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 02: Ministry of Home Affairs has set up a dedicated desk, headed by an additional secretary, to look after all matters related to the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya issue. "Ayodhya matters and related court judgements will be handled by three officers, headed by Additional Secretary Gynesh Kumar," an offical order from the ministry said. Grand Ram temple in four months says Amit Shah All such matters will be now handled by the new desk in the MHA. In a historic verdict, the Supreme Court on November 9 paved the way for the construction of a Ram Temple by a Trust at the disputed site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh. The court in a unanimous 5-0 verdict ruled that the 2.77 acres of disputed land where the demolished Babri Masjid once stood will remain with a Central government receiver and be handed over to a Trust within three months for the construction of the temple. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 20:27:13|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KAMPALA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- More than 300 people from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have fled to Uganda over the past one month, a senior government official said on Thursday. Samuel Araali Kisembo, the resident district commissioner for Kikuube and Hoima districts in western Uganda, told Xinhua by telephone that they are fleeing renewed tribal clashes in Ituri Province in eastern DRC. Kisembo said they used Lake Albert shared by Uganda and DRC. "We are working with the local leadership, the Office of Prime Minister and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to direct these people to the reception center at Sebigoro," Kisembo said, noting that more people are expected to cross to Uganda. "Our teams are on standby and health officials are available to screen the newcomers of Ebola and other related diseases," Kisembo said. Uganda, according to the UN refugee agency, is the third largest refugee-hosting country in the world. The country hosts some 1.36 million refugees, mostly from neighboring South Sudan, DRC and Burundi. Union Home Minister said on Thursday that the country, aiming to become USD 5 trillion economy by 2024, needs enhanced and fire service capabilities. He was speaking after inaugurating a new campus of the Fire Service College here, laying foundation stone for an NDRF Academy and distribution of Fire Service Gallantry Medals. and fire services remained neglected areas after Independence, he alleged. "When our government was formed in 2014 under the leadership of Narendra Modi, our economy was 2 trillion dollars, and we were at 11th place in the world rankings. By 2019, within five years we added one trillion dollars to the economy," the home minister said. "In 70 years we became 2 trillion dollars economy and within five years we worked towards increasing it by one trillion dollars," he said. "We have set a target that before the next elections and if possible before the completion of 75 years of India's Independence, we will become 5 trillion dollars economy," Shah said. "And if we want to move in that direction then we will need to work on many areas like infrastructure development, industrial development and urban development. And during this period, both and fire services become very important areas as regards citizens's safety," he said. "Because, industrial development, infrastructure development and urban development create possible disaster, accident and emergency situations. "Hence, simultaneously the country needs to be prepared in these areas and we will be ready to address these issues under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi," he said. The Disaster Response Force Academy will come up within 18 months, he said. "During the Congress rule, one government performed 'bhoomi-pujan' (ground-breaking ceremony),another government gave funds and a third government started construction and a fourth completed the project," he said. But under the Modi regime, "the government which performs bhoomi-pujan also dedicates the project to people (by completing it)," the Union minister said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 13:27:29|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close CHANGCHUN, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd., said its Audi brand set a new sales record in China in 2019. A total of 688,888 Audi vehicles were sold in China last year, up 4.2 percent year on year, and China maintained as Audi's biggest single market in the world. Domestically-manufactured models such as the new Audi A6L, new Audi Q5L, Audi A4L and other major models recorded strong performance, with the total sales reaching 630,800. A total of 58,088 imported Audi cars were delivered, with sales of the new Audi A8L rising 21.6 percent year on year to 12,428. Audi officially entered the Chinese market in May 1988. gettyimagesbank By Park Jae-hyuk The Moon Jae-in administration's toughest-ever real estate regulations that went into effect Dec. 16 have caused another unexpected side effect in Korean society hostility toward foreigners and immigrants. The hostility is especially pointing at ethnic Koreans with Chinese citizenship. In the latest demand-side regulations, the government banned mortgage lending on properties worth over 1.5 billion won ($1.3 million) and drove down the requirement for the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio from 40 percent to 20 percent on those valued at between 900 million won and 1.5 billion won. Since then, Korean-Chinese immigrants have fallen victim to rumors spreading among investors here via internet forums, such as Dcinside, "mom cafes" and real estate investors' communities. The rumors say the government has given benefits to the immigrants in policies regarding loans, investments and childcare, which are not available for Koreans. "The Moon government has imposed strict real estate regulations on Koreans, while allowing Joseonjok and multiracial families to be exempt from those regulations," one rumormonger wrote on an internet forum. "Korean Chinese can get a mortgage for 70 percent of the appraised value of their houses. If they borrow money from banks outside of Korea, they can get unlimited amounts of money." This graphic spreading among Korean investors shows that the government does not give any benefit to Koreans at all, while giving various benefits to Korean Chinese when they buy houses here. / Captured from Dcinside Some Korean investors have begun to believe the rumor, since it was revealed a large percentage of local real estate purchases over the past few years, have been by Chinese buyers. According to Korea Appraisal Board (KAB) data given to Rep. Hong Chul-ho of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, foreigners bought Seoul apartments and houses collectively worth 6.36 trillion won between January 2015 and September 2019. Other KAB data showed most of the foreign buyers were Chinese. Their purchases accounted for 46.2 percent of Seoul housing bought by foreigners during the period, while American purchases accounted for 25.9 percent and 1.8 percent went to Japanese buyers. "Only Korean Chinese are making money from the housing price hike," an internet user wrote. "We may have to rent our houses from them in the near future." Bank signboards written in Chinese, which can be seen easily in Seoul's Garibong-dong, Daerim-dong, Mangwon-dong and Jayang-dong, have aroused more antipathy among investors. A signboard of KEB Hana Bank's branch in Garibong-dong, southwestern Seoul, is written in Chinese in this February 2014 file photo. / Korea Times file Bill Johnson elaborates on why they prayed for resurrection of dead; mother calls it 'victory story' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Following a weeklong prayer effort from around the world, interceding for the resurrection of a 2-year-old child who died suddenly earlier this month, Bethel Church Senior Leader Bill Johnson is elaborating why his church prayed as they did. Bethel Music's Kalley Heiligenthal, the mother of the child, is calling this a "victory story" despite her daughter not being raised back to life. In a Dec. 23 sermon at Bethel, a charismatic church of several thousand members in Redding, California, Johnson spoke at length about their approach to praying that 2-year-old Olive Heiligenthal, who stopped breathing Dec. 14 and was pronounced dead by doctors, be raised back to life. Emphasizing that the Christian faith is founded on the resurrection of Jesus, the pastor reiterated previous comments he made that Jesus raised people from the dead. Jesus sets precedent with ruining every funeral He attended, including His own, Johnson noted. "Resurrection is at the heart of Jesus' behavior but it is also in His command to those who follow Him," the pastor said, referencing Matthew 10:8, where Jesus sends out the 12 apostles and tells them: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Although some maintain that those instructions were only for that group of disciples in that age, and not for everyone, Johnson stressed that the Great Commission says otherwise because Jesus told them to teach everything that they had been taught. "Just because it's not common does not mean it's not normal. Just because resurrection from the dead is not common does not mean it's not normal," he emphasized. Around the world it has become more common, he went on to say. "Jesus illustrated it and commanded us to do the same. We live, I live without options. I have never been more impressed with a body of people than I have this last week, where thousands of believers gathered to worship and to pray, no hype, no manipulation, no trying to persuade Him to do as we please. It's not about that. Worship is about absolute surrender to Him and His purposes," Johnson said. "I refuse to try to hold God hostage to what I want in a given situation. He owes me nothing. He is God. I am a son. I am a servant. But He is the one who not only welcomes me, He is the one who instructed me, instructed us to pursue specific things." The pursuit of the Kingdom of God is not a pursuit of going to Heaven but of bringing heavenly solutions to death, loss, and destruction here [on earth], he noted. "It's an immediate expression of God's dominion in a given situation. Where there is death, there is resurrection, where there is brokenness in relationships, there is healing, where there is disease, there is restoration of the body ... My responsibility is to seek first and foremost God's solution, His supernatural intervention in a given situation." Worship artist and songwriter Heiligenthal posted her thoughts on her Instagram account on Saturday. "Olive, we miss you, love you so much and well see you soon. We know now more than ever that King Jesus is good and His every word is worth believing and following at any cost. Thats the song well sing until were with you again and we finally sing it together. We cannot wait," she wrote. "Its a new day, and were awake for it. This is a victory story." Olive Heiligenthal was buried on Dec. 28. A GoFundMe page that was set up for the family has raised over $72,000. See Full Image Gallery >> Until the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe hit the market, the current models offer three trims LS, LT and Premium and a number of packages that can be added to specific trims. At the moment, the off-road-focused Z71 package can only be ordered on the LT trim with the 5.3-liter EcoTec8 V8. For the 2021 SUVs, GM rearranged the trim and package combination, keeping LS and LT, adding Premier and High Country, and turning the Z71 and RST packages into standalone trims. All but the High Country come standard with the 5.3-liter V8, the top-dog model slotting the 6.2-liter into its bay. The 3.0-liter inline-six Duramax diesel is also new to the lineups, available as an option on all but the Z71 trim. Seems the Z71-specific front fascia that improves the approach angle interferes with the oil-burner's intercooler and plumbing. That means the off-road crowd misses out on 460 pound-feet of torque available at just 1,500 rpm a shame when the driver wants to flick the two-speed transfer case into Low and let the truck walk itself through a stretch of trail. The 6.2-liter achieves the same torque figure, but not until 4,100 rpm. Based on what we know of trim details so far, GM switched a few items of Z71 kit for the coming SUVs as well. The current package installs upgrades like Rancho shocks, skid plates, that transfer case, and a 3.42 axle ratio instead of the stock 3.08. A pair of fog lights are set low in the front fascia, the standard 18-inch LT wheels are replaced by 18-inch Z71 rims, the engine gets a high-capacity air cleaner, and Front and Rear Park Assist is thrown in to help avoid immovable obstacles. The upgrade list for the new Z71 package leaves off the fog lights, doesn't mention the high-capacity air cleaner, park assist, or a gear ratio different than the stock 3.23, and it bolts on a set of 20-inch wheels. The changes make the coming Z71 suite appear slightly less rugged than the present offering. Seeing that the big trucks are priced like luxury vehicles, product planners might have shifted the equipment mix based on how owners actually drive would most Tahoe and Suburban owners notice losing two inches of sidewall? The air suspension and its two off-road height modes could be seen as better suited to buyer needs. Or the package shift could be about the incremental upsell; we figure fog lights, etc., will show up on the options list somewhere. Still a shame that the Z71 with the diesel is a no-go, though. Story continues Related Video: Click here to See Video >> You Might Also Like The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was never in danger of being overrun and any attempt by Iran-backed militias to occupy it would "run into a buzzsaw" of fire from U.S. defenders, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said Thursday. "We are very confident that the integrity of that embassy is strong and it is highly unlikely to be physically overrun by anyone," Milley said at a Pentagon briefing with Defense Secretary Mark Esper. The Tuesday demonstrations, in which members of the Iranian-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) militia threw gasoline bombs and battered the embassy's perimeter in the highly restricted "Green Zone" were "as much for the cameras as anything else" in an attempt "to get attention, which they did," Milley said. He warned KH not to test U.S. resolve to defend the $750 million embassy. Related: 82nd Airborne Paratroopers Dispatched for Embassy Response "There is sufficient combat power there, air and ground, that anyone who attempts to overrun that will run into a buzzsaw," Milley said. "The temperature has greatly improved in the last 24 hours," Esper said, as demonstrators withdrew from the Green Zone are. However, Esper said that KH could be expected to carry out additional attacks on U.S. locations in Iraq, following at least 11 rocket attacks on U.S. bases in recent months, and the U.S. was prepared to act preemptively to thwart them. The latest attack, on a U.S. base near central Kirkuk Dec. 27, killed an American contractor and wounded four U.S. troops, prompting U.S. airstrikes Sunday on three KH bases in Iraq and two in Syria. "Do I think they may do something? Yes," Esper said of the potential for more provocations by KH, but added that "they will regret it." He said there were "some indications out there they may be planning additional attacks. That's nothing new. So if that happens, we will act," Esper said, and "If we get word" from intelligence, "we will take preemptive action as well." In response to the embassy demonstrations, about 100 Marines from the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command boarded MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in Kuwait Tuesday and flew to Baghdad's Green Zone to bolster embassy security. Wednesday morning, paratroopers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina began boarding C-17 Globemaster aircraft as the first contingents of a battalion of 750 Esper has ordered to the region to boost the readiness of U.S. Mideast forces. Milley confirmed that the 82nd Division troops would be based Kuwait and be prepared for "follow-on missions in other places." Additional forces in the U.S. have been alerted for possible rapid response, but Esper said "we haven't yet decided to deploy them. So far, it's just one battalion," he said. Both Esper and Milley said the Iraqi government had to do more to prevent attacks on U.S. positions and rein in pro-Iranian militias. Esper acknowledged that the struggling Baghdad government under caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who announced his resignation in early December, was "in a lot of turmoil" following months of protests against corruption and the failing economy but "they need to get left of the problem." Milley said the Iraqi military "has a lot of capability" to increase security nationwide, and it was a "question of will" as to whether they would use it. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Read More: New US Space Force Hub Renamed 'SPOC' Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy asserted that it is the 'moral responsibility' of India to give shelter and citizenship to Hindus and other minority communities of Pakistan, which has been persecuting them persistently Varanasi: Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday asserted that it is the "moral responsibility" of India to give shelter and citizenship to Hindus and other minority communities of Pakistan, which has been persecuting them persistently. "It's our moral responsibility to give citizenship to the minorities (from the three neighbouring Muslim countries). If they don't come to India, where will they go? To Italy?" he asked. "Italy will not accept Hindus or Sikhs as they are poor people," he said. Stating that owing to persistent persecution of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Jains in Pakistan, the population of the minorities there has come down drastically from its earlier 30 percent-level, the minister said it's the moral responsibility of India to give shelter and citizenship to non-Muslims from the three neighbouring countries. The minister also claimed that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi knows no difference between the CAA and GST and that is why he says the recent changes in the citizenship law would lead to an increase in the tax. The "immature statement" of Rahul Gandhi shows he "cannot distinguish between CAA and GST" as he says the GST will further increase due to CAA. "I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that if he does not know the difference (between CAA and GST), he should take tuition from a better tutor in the matter," said the minister. "It seems he doesn't have any idea about NPR and NRC either," he said. The minister also accused the opposition of playing "cheap politics", saying that it is instigating people to protest against the recent changes in the citizenship law by misleading them. He rued that the opposition was instigating violence instead of appealing them to resort to peaceful protests. NEW FAIRFIELD Not only has a firm been selected to manage the towns $113.4 million school construction plans, but reimbursement for the projects has slightly increased. The Permanent Building Committee chose Colliers Project Leaders to oversee the construction of an $84.2 million new high school and a $29.2 million early learning academy. The projects were approved by taxpayer vote back in October. The committee picked Colliers to provide project management services during its Dec. 23 meeting about two weeks after choosing Hartford-based JCJ Architecture for architectural services. Contracts with Colliers and JCJ are being finalized and should be ready for approval by the Permanent Building Committees Jan. 14 meeting, said the school districts business and operations director, Rich Sanzo. There has also been a slight increase in reimbursement rates for the projects, Sanzo said. Reimbursement for the $29,185,907 learning academy project has increased from 38 to 38.22 percent, while the rate for the $84,214,908 high school project has increased from 27.86 to 28.22 percent, he said. With the new rates, the total cost to the town for the learning academy would be approximately $18,031,054, while the total cost to the town for the high school would be approximately $60,451,461. Sanzo said the change in reimbursement rates is due in part to a change in the towns Adjusted Equalized Net Grand List per Capita rank a measure of wealth used in education funding formulas that looks at property tax base and income per person. The learning academy project will involve 44,000 square-feet of new construction, modifications to the Meeting House Hill School, replacement of the bus lot and demolition of the existing Consolidated Elementary School. Work on the high school will involve 143,000 square-feet of new construction, field replacements, locker room renovations and Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades. Sanzo said the district also recently learned that both school projects have been placed on the Office of School Construction Grants & Reviews School Construction Priority List. This critical step towards receiving a school construction grant commitment from the state is a testament to the early and ongoing partnership town and school officials have with the OSCGR, he said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 2) Two Vietnamese women were rescued by authorities on Tuesday evening after they were abducted by Chinese nationals in Las Pinas City. The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said the victims, identified as Pha Ti Khim Yin and Nguyen Thi Than Mai, met their captors through online dating last Monday. They were rescued in an operation in a residential unit at Golden Gate Subdivision, Barangay Talon 3 at 8 p.m. One of the suspects was arrested, identified as Li Mu Qin. Another suspect Zhao Chao, remains at large. When the victims entered the boarding house of the suspects, the suspects allegedly tied their hands and legs using a packing tape and were instructed to contact their immediate family members. The suspects then demanded 1 million for the release of the victims. NCRPO added that one of the victims was able to send her Google location while contacting her cousin. Operatives used this to eventually trace where the victims were. (Alliance News) - Filtronic PLC said Thursday it has completed the sale of its Telecoms Antenna business to Microdata Telecom Innovation Stockholm AB. In the middle of December the antenna maker signed an agreement to sell its Telecoms Antenna operations to Microdata Telecom for USD5.5 million. The company had announced its intention to sell the unit in September, following a strategic review. Reg Gott, executive chair, said: "The sale strengthens our balance sheet, simplifies our business, and enables us to focus on business activities that better suit our core strengths." Filtronic shares were up 0.6% in London at 9.05 pence each on Thursday. By Loreta Juodagalvyte; loretajuodagalvyte@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Have I mentioned that Michael Chabon is this year's winner of the St. Louis Literary Award? The tousle-haired Pulitzer Prize winner ("The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," "Wonder Boys," "Moonglow") has a new adventure as showrunner of CBS All Access' upcoming "Star Trek: Picard." We hope to hear more about that when he's in town this fall. But Chabon's event is a ways off, not to mention that a single year is a long time in the world of books. In the United States alone, it's a $25 billion industry with more than 675 million print books sold in 2018, according to statista.com . There are thousands and thousands of new titles to look forward to in 2020. Jeanine Cummins Cummins will talk about her novel "American Dirt" on Jan. 26 at the Ethical Society. The author is known in St. Louis for her nonfiction "A Rip in Heaven," about the shocking 1991 rape and murder of two young women on the old Chain of Rocks Bridge. The two, UMSL students, were Cummins' cousins. Her brother was with the women that night, and all three were pushed or forced to jump from the bridge. Only Thomas Cummins survived. Since her acclaimed memoir, Jeanine Cummins has written several novels. The new one, already called "extraordinary" by Publishers Weekly, is about desperate migrants making their way to the U.S. In a blurb for "American Dirt," Stephen King says, "I defy anyone to read the first seven pages of this book and not finish it." For tickets, go to left-bank.com. The tobacco companies kept us from controlling nicotine and the effect of smoking tobacco for decades, said Council Member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), who is proposing the flavor ban. Thousands and thousands of people died because of their public relations and lobbying efforts. Lets not let them get another foothold with e-cigarettes. Emaar, the master developer of the Burj Khalifa, wowed over two billion people across the globe with a breathtaking pyrotechnic show on the worlds tallest building to ring in 2020. The Burj Khalifa transformed through animation, light, sounds and a synchronized fountain show taking viewers on a journey at the onset of a new decade. Following the traditional 10 second digital countdown on the lit facade of Burj Khalifa, the clock struck midnight, signalling the Downtown Dubai skyline to be filled with a flurry of fireworks and colour for a record-breaking eight-minute and 43-second long show. Those lucky enough to view the show were treated to the longest set of consecutive fireworks in the history of the Burj Khalifa NYE shows, timed at over five minutes. The show featured a total of 1,371 kg of fireworks, which were placed across a colossal 207 firing locations. To mark the dawn of a new decade the show on Burj Khalifa was conceptualized by Emaar. Every second of the show was as enchanting as previously billed and incorporated fireworks, animations on the Burj Khalifa LED facade, music compositions and a beautiful fountain show. The highly anticipated event welcomed over one million onlookers in Downtown Dubai, Emaar's flagship mega-development, to witness 15,000 perfectly choreographed fireworks showcasing 48 pyrotechnic patterns, signalling the start of a new decade. All pyrotechnic effects were specially selected and manufactured for the show, ensuring the unique fireworks designs and effects were truly one-of-a-kind. Celebrations also included the longest ever The Dubai Fountain Show since the fountains launched in 2009, adding yet another prestigious milestone of the water-music spectacle. The world-famous show took 160 hours across four weeks to choreograph and featured 113.5 kilolitres of water in the air at one time, released from an astounding 1,137 water shooters, and 6,612 lights. Select aspects of the show referenced regional culture, art and music. Before the clock struck twelve, animations on the Burj Khalifa transformed the tower into the traditional Oud instrument and strummed to the beat of an arabesque melody, thereafter was a beautiful ensemble of blossoming flowers, add further finesse and beauty to the show. Complementary to this and highlighting the synergy between partners, flags from GCC countries were shown on the facade of the iconic monument to celebrate the strong bond between these nations. Following unprecedented demand, Emaar, granted people from all over the world, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their New Year wish displayed on the LED facade of Burj Khalifa during the Emaar NYE 2020 celebration. The show's Burj Wishes social media campaigns reached tens of thousands of users, with those participating, posting their wish to the world on Emaars Twitter, Facebook or Instagram accounts @EmaarDubai using the hashtag #EmaarNYE2020. Emaars NYE 2020 social media campaign, in partnership with TikTok, continued the close relationship between the brands, with Emaars 2020makeawish TikTok challenge, engaging with over an astounding 30 million users in the lead up to the New Year celebrations. Ahmad Matrooshi, managing director, Emaar Properties, said: We at Emaar are extremely proud to host and produce this event for the world to enjoy. As we enter a new decade, our vision is to continue driving innovation, progression and a prosperous future, here in Dubai, the UAE - and the world. Emaar NYE 2020 was one of the world's most-watched New Year's Eve celebrations telecast live globally and live-streamed on mydubainewyear.com and Emaar Dubai YouTube channel. The experience can be re-watched online at mydubainewyear.com. TradeArabia News Service TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan's top military official was among eight people killed in an air force helicopter crash in mountainous terrain outside Taipei on Thursday, the defence ministry said. Five others survived. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this March 7, 2019, file photo, Taiwanese top military official Shen Yi-ming salutes as he is introduced to journalists during a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan. Shen is missing after a helicopter he was on with 12 others was forced to make an emergency landing in a mountainous area in New Taipei City early Thursday morning, the defense ministry said. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai, File) TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan's top military official was among eight people killed in an air force helicopter crash in mountainous terrain outside Taipei on Thursday, the defence ministry said. Five others survived. As chief of the general staff, Gen. Shen Yi-ming was responsible for overseeing the self-governing island's defence against China, which threatens to use military force if necessary to annex what it considers part of its territory. The helicopter was flying from Taipei to the nearby city of Yilan for a New Year's activity when it crashed. The victims included other senior military officials and the two pilots. The UH-60M Blackhawk with 13 people on board dropped from the radar screen 10 minutes after takeoff from Songshan air force base around 7:50 a.m., Taiwan's defence ministry said. It went down in the mountainous, heavily forested Wulai area southeast of the capital. In this image made from video, emergency teams work at the crash site of a military helicopter in the mountains of Yilan, north eastern Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. The defense ministry has confirmed Taiwan's top military officer Gen. Shen Yi-ming and others were killed in a crash of an air force helicopter. (Yilan Fire Bureau via AP) Shen, 63, had taken over as chief of the general staff in July after serving as commander of Taiwans air force, which is undergoing a substantial upgrade with the arrival of the most advanced version of the U.S. F-16V fighter. Alexander Huang, a strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan who had known Shen for a decade, said he had stood out as a pilot and an officer. He was very calm and very stable and unlike other army guys he was always smiling, so he got a specific leadership style that also made him a popular leader in the entire military, Huang said. It will likely be months before the cause of the crash is known, but the pilots appeared to have been highly experienced. Of course, reasonable people would think in the direction of mechanical failure or maintenance problem, but without proof you cant say anything," Huang said. A special government committee will look into the cause of the crash, a defence ministry statement said. Taiwan's military has operated Blackhawk helicopters for decades and completed a sale for another 60 UH-Ms from the U.S. for $3.1 billion in 2010. The one that crashed was a model dedicated to search and rescue and had been delivered in 2018, according to the ministry. The loss of Shen and other high-ranking officials will require a rapid reshuffle of positions, but should have minimal effect on Taiwan's Jan. 11 elections for president and lawmakers, said Andrew Yang, a former deputy defence minister who said Shen was highly respected throughout his career. I dont think the crash will have a strong impact over the elections but certainly it will affect the armed forces because so many senior officers passed away as a result of this crash," he said. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party said in a statement on social media that all its public campaign events from now through Saturday would be cancelled. "The loss of pillars of our country make us feel endless sorrow," the statement read. The party has been strongly critical of China's attempts to increase economic, military and diplomatic pressure. Incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen appears on track to win a second term over her more pro-China opponent, Han Kuo-yu of the main opposition Nationalists. The Congress government in Puducherry is planning to adopt a resolution in the next Assembly session seeking scrapping of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act as the one adopted by Kerala, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said on Thursday. "Soon I will hold discussions with the representatives of all political parties and take further action on my plans to adopt an anti-CAA resolution as the Assembly is scheduled to meet by this month-end," Narayanasamy told PTI over the phone. Read: "None should be criticised personally": Puducherry CM On a BJP MP's letter to the Rajya Sabha chairman seeking action against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his anti-CAA statements, Narayanasamy said: "even in the Kerala Assembly, a breach of privilege motion against the BJP MP concerned can be moved for disrespecting the House and its sovereignty". He said the Kerala Assembly had jurisdiction to adopt the resolution on the new legislation. The 140-member Kerala Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution seeking scrapping of the CAA as it was "illegal and unconstitutional". However, the lone BJP MLA in the House opposed it by saying that the Act was being "misinterpreted" and lies were being spread by the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front for "narrow political gains". "Like Parliament's decisions are not questionable, what is happening inside the Assembly also can't be challenged. Who can question their privileges?" Narayanasamy said. In the Puducherry Assembly, Congress has the strength of 15 members and is supported by three DMK members and an independent. Read: 'Raj Nivas now a BJP office': Puducherry CM's tussle with L-G Kiran Bedi reaches new peak The All India NR Congress has seven members, AIADMK four and BJP three. There are three nominated members in the 30-member House but they do not have voting rights. Last week, Narayanasamy had told reporters that come what may, he will not implement the amended citizenship act in Puducherry as "Muslims are ignored". The Congress-ruled state governments have decided not to implement the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). "I will also do so in Puducherry," he had said. Under the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants, and be given Indian citizenship. The Bill was adopted by Parliament in the just-concluded winter session. It became an Act after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent on December 12, 2019. Read: Lt Guv Kiran Bedi shares a list of challenges to focus on Puducherry in 2020 Marines used tear gas to break up a gathering of pro-Iran protestors who had surrounded the U.S. embassy compound in Iraq. According to CBN News, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said an American infantry battalion of about 750 soldiers will deploy to the Middle East after hundreds of Shiite militiamen and protesters tried to storm the Iraq embassy on Tuesday. The protestors destroyed the reception area and smashed windows in the building before Marines arrived. "I think it's been handled very well," President Donald Trump said. "The Marines came in. As soon as we saw there was potential for problem, they got in and there was no problem whatsoever." Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeted that he supported Trumps efforts in Iraq. "Very proud of President @realDonaldTrump acting decisively in the face of threats to our embassy in Baghdad. He has put the world on notice - there will be no Benghazis on his watch." In 2012, an Islamic group attacked the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, killing four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. "As you know, this will not be a Benghazi," Trump added, referring to the most recent attack in Iraq. "Benghazi should never have happened. This will never, ever be a Benghazi." Protestors are rallying against U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria where 25 members of an Iranian-backed militia were killed over the weekend. Those U.S. airstrikes came in response for a militia attack that killed a U.S. contractor last week at an Iraqi army base. Earlier this week, protestors had been pushed back away from the embassy compound, but they had set up tents. American Apache helicopters continued to drop flares and warn protestors to stay back. Protestors chanted, death to America and death to Israel. A State Department spokesperson says there are no plans to evacuate the compound. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Win McNamee/Staff Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner. North Korea's leader plans to further develop nuclear programmes and to introduce a "new strategic weapon" in the near future, state media said yesterday, although he signalled there was still room for dialogue with the United States. Kim Jong-un presided over a four-day meeting of top Workers' Party officials this week amid rising tensions with the United States, which has not responded to his repeated calls for concessions to reopen negotiations. Washington has dismissed the deadline as artificial. Mr Kim said there were no grounds for North Korea to be bound any longer by a self-declared moratorium on testing nuclear bombs and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), according to a statement on the results of the policy meeting carried by the official KCNA news agency. At times smiling or striking the podium with his hand as he made remarks during the meeting, Mr Kim accused the US of making "gangster-like demands" and maintaining a "hostile policy", such as by holding continued joint military drills with South Korea, adopting cutting-edge weapons and imposing sanctions. He pledged to continue bolstering his country's nuclear deterrent but said the "scope and depth" of that deterrent will be "properly co-ordinated depending on" the attitude of the US. "The world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future," Mr Kim said, using the initials for North Korea's official name - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "We will reliably put on constant alert the powerful nuclear deterrent capable of containing the nuclear threats from the US and guaranteeing our long-term security." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it would be "deeply disappointing" if Mr Kim reneges on denuclearisation commitments and Mr Kim would hopefully "choose peace and prosperity over conflict and war". In his latest comments on Tuesday in the US, President Donald Trump said he had a good relationship with Mr Kim and thought the North Korean leader would keep his word. "He likes me, I like him. We get along. He's representing his country, I'm representing my country. We have to do what we have to do. "But he did sign a contract, he did sign an agreement talking about denuclearisation," he told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Seoul's Unification Ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said large-scale joint military drills with the United States had been halted and it would be unhelpful for negotiations if North Korea took action to introduce what it called a "new strategic weapon". There were no official reports as of early afternoon yesterday in South Korea that Mr Kim had delivered an annual New Year's address. Mr Kim had previously said he might have to seek a "new path" if Washington failed to meet his expectations. US military commanders said Pyongyang's actions could include test firing an ICBM alongside nuclear warhead tests. North Korea last test fired an ICBM in 2017. Jeffrey Lewis, a non-proliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, said it was difficult to predict North Korea's next move. But it might involve firing a solid-fuel ICBM and an atmospheric nuclear test, he said. However, Jeong Han-beom, who teaches security policy at Korea National Defence University in Seoul, said North Korea would not immediately stage such a provocative act as an ICBM or nuclear test because it could risk derailing negotiations. Tensions had been rising ahead of the year-end as North Korea conducted a series of weapons tests and waged a war of words with Mr Trump. The nuclear talks have made little headway despite three meetings between Mr Kim and Mr Trump since 2018. Working-level talks in Stockholm in October broke down, with a North Korean chief negotiator accusing US officials of sticking to their old stance. Mr Kim said there will "never be denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula" if Washington adheres to what he calls its hostile policy. We "will steadily develop necessary and prerequisite strategic weapons for the security of the state until the US rolls back its hostile policy towards the DPRK and lasting and durable peace-keeping mechanism is built". Terrorists may not be cured by prison deradicalisation programmes, the psychologist behind the main scheme has admitted. Christopher Dean designed the Healthy Identity Intervention (HII) course, which the London Bridge attacker, Usman Khan, attended before his release. It involves terror offenders discussing their motivations, beliefs, identity and relationship with society with a psychologist. Mr Dean said the programme aims to make individuals less willing to commit offences on behalf of a violent extremist group, cause or ideology. Were asking people re-examine the identity commitments in their life, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Show all 29 1 /29 London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Bystanders and police surrounding a person at the scene of an incident on London Bridge HLOBlog/PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police and emergency services PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Armed police on London Bridge Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A bystander holding a knife after police surrounded a person at the scene HLOBlog/PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing People fleeing from Borough Market PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police during the incident Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A white truck across part of London Bridge SophK05/PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A British Transport Police officer runs after reports of an incident Getty London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Boats from the Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit patrol near the scene Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A lorry on the bridge crosses over lanes Luke Poulton via Reuters London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Members of the police and emergency services arriving at Monument tube station AFP via Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Members of the public held behind a police cordon Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police at the scene PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police evacuate people from Borough Market AP London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police surrond a part of the bridge Timothy Johnson/Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A person is assisted after falling when Police evacuated people from Borough Market AP London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A Police Officer cordons off London Bridge Station Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Members of staff are ushered into a Fitness First gym Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing People head away from the vicinity of Borough Market PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Office workers look out of a window at a scene EPA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Men in forensics suits walk away from the site REUTERS London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing People are evacuated from London Bridge PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing ArrowontheHill/Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police at the scene of an incident on London Bridge PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Armed police on the scene Alexandra Carr /SWNS.COM London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Buses on London Bridge during the incident AFP via Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police on the scene @joebxggs /SWNS.COM Sometimes people move up two rungs, sometimes individuals may say, Ive had my doubts about this or that, and they may be willing to speak to people, but equally they may go down rungs as well. They may come into contact with individuals, they may go through a spell in life where they may feel, lets say, aggrieved again, where they may begin to re-engage with groups or causes or ideologies associated with their offending behaviour. Khan had been jailed for his part in an al-Qaeda-inspired bombing plot in 2012 and was released from prison in December 2018 on licence. He undertook HII and ideological mentoring under the governments Desistance and Disengagement scheme, as well as by Cambridge Universitys Learning Together programme. After his release, Khan was monitored by MI5 and subjected to multi-agency public protection arrangements involving police and probation. On 29 November, the 28-year-old murdered Learning Together coordinator Jack Merritt and volunteer Saskia Jones during an event at Fishmongers Hall in London. Mr Dean did not discuss Khans individual case, but admitted that you can never be sure someone has been deradicalised. People can get more reassured and confident about change and progress that people are making, but I think we have to be very careful about saying someone has totally changed or has been cured, he said. Critics of the HII scheme point to the fact that its effects have never been formally tested, and argue that terror convicts require a greater focus on religious intervention than other offenders. 'I ain't no terrorist' London Bridge attacker Usman Khan interview from 2008 unearthed A 2018 analysis commissioned by the prison service said HII participants reported that the programmes helped them gain an understanding of their motivations for offending and develop strategies to facilitate desistance. They are based on research suggesting that extremists are driven by reasons including perceived injustices and a wish to find meaning, purpose or status. A study of 33 extremists, including 14 influenced by al-Qaeda, found overwhelmingly positive results but warned that Islamists needed separate work to address their religion and ideology. Recommended Prison unit for terrorists closed days after London Bridge attack Ian Acheson, who carried out a review of Islamist extremism in prisons in 2016, said the programme cannot accommodate the theological foundations of violent extremism. He said officials who gave evidence to his review said HII was easy to game or manipulate by prisoners making pragmatic decisions about their safety and release. There was a degree of false compliance with the Healthy Identity Intervention course, which meant that it would appear that people had improved or made progress when in fact they might simply have been disguising their intentions, he added. I think we must accept that there may be a small number of people who are potentially ideologically bulletproof and do not wish to recant their hateful views and we must actually start looking at them through the lens of public protection and national security rather than perhaps create unrealistic expectations of rehabilitation. Recommended How British prisons became a breeding ground for Islamist extremism There are currently about 220 terrorist prisoners in custody in the UK, with 77 per cent holding Islamist views and 17 per cent far-right views. More than 350 have been released since 2012 and, although there are no publicly available statistics on reoffending, at least one man is known to have served two prison sentences for similar crimes. The laws used to sentence terrorists do not always indicate their level of extremism or threat, because low-level crimes can be committed by hardened ideologues while attack plots can be mounted by vulnerable people with little connection to terrorism. Anjem Choudary, the former leader of the al-Muhajiroun Islamist network linked to numerous plots and radicalisation across Europe, was jailed for just five-and-a-half years in 2016 for inviting support for Isis. Khans attack raised fresh questions over processes for deradicalising terror offenders in prison, assessing the risk they pose and monitoring them upon release. Four days after the attack, a separation centre designed to hold the most dangerous terrorist prisoners was closed. The Ministry of Justice is reviewing Khans case and those of other terrorists released on licence, while the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the force charged with monitoring him. A quiet seaside suburb in Brisbane's north could see six-storey buildings rubbing shoulders with single-storey heritage-listed buildings under a neighbourhood plan being drafted by Brisbane City Council. The Sandgate Neighbourhood Plan, which sets requirements for development and zoning in the suburbs of Sandgate, Shorncliffe and Deagon, proposes increasing height limits along the town centre shopping strip on Brighton Road to six storeys. The Brighton Road shopping strip in Brisbane's Sandgate could have six-storey buildings. Credit:Google Maps But the plan has become a point of contention, with about 500 residents forming a group to protest some of the draft changes which they say could damage Sandgate's heritage facade and character. Once Brisbane's seaside retreats, the coastal suburbs are full of heritage-listed buildings in low-lying streets close to the picturesque foreshores, also heritage listed. NK's new strategic weapon 'targets US' Global Times By Yang Sheng Source:Global Times Published: 2020/1/1 19:03:40 Washington should take responsibility for backward situation: analysts North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the world will witness a new strategic weapon from his country in the near future, and Chinese analysts said Washington should take responsibility for the backward Korean Peninsula situation, as it didn't adopt flexibility in its policy and accept China's and Russia's proposal to ease sanctions when Pyongyang already showed its sincerity on denuclearization. Kim made the remarks at the 5th Plenary Meeting of 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the country's national news agency Korean Central News Agency reported on Wednesday. Kim solemnly declared that there is no need to hesitate with any expectation of the US lifting sanctions, even now that "we have had a close look into the real intention of the US," adding if the US persists in its hostile policy towards the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), there will never be denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. Kim left vague whether the new weapon would be a nuclear test or an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), but he said "the scope and depth" of bolstering the DPRK's nuclear deterrent "will be properly coordinated depending on the US' future attitude to the DPRK." Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times that new strategic weapons Kim mentioned in the report are clearly targeting the US. The weapons could mean an ICBM with solid fuel, which has a longer range that can reach US territory, presenting a more effective deterrent to Washington; or it could also be the successful miniaturization of a nuclear warhead, so that the ICBM can carry multiple nuclear warheads with more advanced capability to break the missile defense system of the US, he noted. Lu Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the Singapore summit in 2018 was actually a historic opportunity for both sides to realize sustainable peace, and North Korea desperately wants to boost its economy and embrace the outside world, but US' stubborn stance and lack of flexibility left North Korea disappointed after the Hanoi summit in 2019, he said. "Although continuing to develop strategic weapons will put North Korea in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, the US should take responsibility for the backward situation, as North Korea has already showed its sincerity by stopping nuclear and missile tests for a very long time," Lu noted. Song said US President Donald Trump might be satisfied with the previous situation so it has no further intention to push forward the peace process, as he needs North Korea to keep quiet so that he can flaunt his diplomatic achievements to voters, adding however that Kim won't keep quiet and promise denuclearization forever when the US makes no positive response. "Kim won't help Trump or be used by Trump for the presidential election. He has his own desire and his potential actions may affect Trump's reelection," Song said. Lu said some analysts from South Korea and the US predicted that North Korea will restart its military-first policy and abandon its adjustment from military to economic development, "but I think the situation is not as bad as they thought since both sides are still open for negotiations." China and Russia had already proposed to the UN Security Council the easing of sanctions against North Korea to encourage further efforts on denuclearization by the end of 2019. "The US should understand that sanctions are not the only way and history has already proved that North Korea won't submit to sanctions and military pressure. If the situation gets worse again in 2020, the US will likely lose the historic chance to solve the problem," Lu noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Actors Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharmas upcoming film Roohi Afza has undergone another title change. The horror-comedy has now been titled Roohi Afzana; it was previously titled Rooh Afza. The update was revealed as part of Maddock Films announcement of its upcoming slate, which includes Imtiaz Alis untitled next, starring Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan; Angrezi Medium, starring Irrfan Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan; Mimi, starring Kriti Sanon; and Shiddat, starring Radhika Madan and Sunny Kaushal. The post also includes the first official look at Roohi Afzana, which the three actors wearing worried expressions on their faces. Janhvi in a recent interview to Hindustan Times said that the her character in Roohi Afzana is one of the most exciting, challenging, complicated, physically demanding and emotionally taxing roles that Ive had the privilege of doing. In a statement, producer Dinesh Vijan said, For the female lead, we needed someone who could portray two contrasting personalities with ease and Janhvi stood out, she really connected with the script. Her talent is still raw, but she is excited about being moulded. The script is young, refreshing and totally crazy, and she is exactly that. This will be Rajkummars third collaboration with Dinesh Vijan after Stree and Made in China. Speaking about the choice of Rajkummar and Varun for the film, Dinesh had said: For Rooh-Afza, we needed actors who could jump into their roles with unabashed conviction. Rajkummar and Varun are phenomenal actors, comedy is a space they excel in and own. Roohi Afzana is now slated for an April 2020 release, pushed back from a March release. Follow @htshowbiz for more Advertisement The leader of an Iran-backed US embassy siege in Baghdad was welcomed to the White House by Barack Obama eight years ago before becoming Tehran's 'point man' in Iraq. Hadi al-Amiri was Iraq's minister of transport under then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and stood in the Oval Office as part of Maliki's delegation on a visit to the White House in December 2011. On Tuesday, al-Amiri was among those leading the charge against the US embassy in Baghdad when it was stormed and set alight by pro-Iran militants. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared a photograph of Amiri amid the rioters, condemning him as an 'Iranian proxy,' and calling those shoulder-to-shoulder with him 'terrorists.' The head of a leading pro-Iran Shia faction, Amiri exerts great power within Iraq's state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and was highlighted by Pompeo among three other men as the ringleaders of the siege. The ease with which Amiri and these other commanders breezed through the heavily fortified 'Green Zone' has alarmed US officials, who have noted their militia's increased presence around diplomatic buildings in recent weeks. A former guerrilla fighter who fought for Tehran in the Iran-Iraq War, Amiri has been accused of terrorism against the US, of helping Iran to ship arms to Bashar al-Assad in Syria and has been pictured bowing before the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. As Commander of the Badr Corps, an Iranian vassal within the PMF, Amiri's men helped the US in their fight against ISIS in 2014 and 2015. But a recent spate of missile attacks by the Kataeb Hezbollah branch of the PMF, climaxing last Friday with the death of an American contractor at US base north of Baghdad, has revealed that Washington's friends in the region can soon become enemies. President Donald Trump ordered USAF jets to decimate Kataeb Hezbollah bases and 25 were killed on Sunday night. Amiri joined thousands who flocked to funerals for the fighters in the Iraqi capital on Tuesday and then spearheaded the crowds who rushed through the Green Zone and breached the US embassy. The 65-year-old, who was of 'grave concern' to lawmakers as Obama's guest in 2011, stood at the forefront of riots which prompted Donald Trump to deploy 750 Army paratroopers on Wednesday, with another 4,000 on standby. Scroll down for video. President Obama sitting alongside Iraq's then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the Oval Office of the White House in December 2011. Hadi al Amiri, who led a pro-Iran siege on the US embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday stands behind the sofa wearing a blue tie as part of Maliki's delegation Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq and United States President Barack Obama (seated behind lamp) US President Barack Obama meets Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq at the Oval Office on December 12, 2011. Hadi al Amiri is seen behind the sofa, wearing a blue tie. Hadi Al-Ameri Commander of Badr Corps and Sheikh Qais al-Khazali (white turban) in front of US Embassy on Tuesday. The top brass of the pro-Iran militia, referred to by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as an Iran 'proxy' and a 'terrorist' respectively.' Khazali was captured by the SAS in 2006 before he was released in an exchange deal in 2010. Kissing the ring: Hadi al Amiri bows before Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and kisses his hand. Amiri, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, has never made a secret of his allegiance to Tehran Demonstrators react as tear gas is fired down by US soldiers on the rooftop of the compound after they stormed through the main gate The first contingent of a paratroop infantry battalion from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division bound for Kuwait receive a briefing as they prepare to leave Fort Bragg, North Carolina on Wednesday amid soaring tensions with Iran U.S. Army paratroopers of an immediate reaction force wait to board their C-17 transport aircraft to leave Fort Bragg for Kuwait amid soaring tensions with Iran Amiri would have been well known to the Pentagon as the former commander of the Badr Corps, which received funding, training and arms from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), designated a terrorist group by Trump earlier this year. The transport minister from 2010 until 2014, Amiri's guerrilla past fighting on Tehran's side during the vicious Iran-Iraq War remained clear even in the seemingly innocuous government position. Amiri's nepotistic reign as Transport Minister, turning back a passenger jet because his son missed his flight In March 2014, Amiri got a call from his son Mahdi al-Amiri from the business class lounge at Lebanon's Beirut airport. Mahdi and his friend had missed their flight. Amiri arrived at Baghdad airport to furiously tell Middle East Airlines staff: 'I will not allow the plane to land in Baghdad.' Twenty-one minutes into the flight, the Baghdad airport station manager called MEA operations to tell them there was no clearance to land. The plane then returned to Beirut and the passengers disembarked. No more flights from MEA were allowed to land in Baghdad that day. Marwan Salha, acting chairman of MEA, said at the time: 'Its very disturbing because this is pure nepotism.' The Transport Ministry denied that the plane was turned around because Amiri's son was missing, claiming that all flights were halted because 'cleaning operations' were being carried out at Baghdad airport. However, an unnamed official at Baghdad airport that day revealed air traffic was normal with all 30 flights landing as planned. The only one turned around was the one from Beirut. Advertisement He was allegedly acting on the orders of the fearsome IRGC Major General Qassem Suleimani by allowing Iranian jets to fly weapons to the Syrian regime during Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown on his own people. Amiri denied this, but told The New Yorker five years ago: 'I love Qassem Suleimani! ... He is my dearest friend.' General James Mattis told the magazine that without allies like Amiri in the Iraqi government, Assad's government would have collapsed in the early years of the Syrian Civil War. Amiri has since re-taken his role at the helm of the Badr Corps, which was previously the military wing of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), and which is made up of thousands of pro-Iranian former officers and soldiers who fled Saddam Hussein's reign. Louis J. Freech, FBI director under the Clinton administration and into the early months of Bush's administration, had been stunned by Obama allowing Amiri to step foot in the White House. He condemned it at the time saying that Amiri, along with the IRGC, was engaged in 'countless acts of terrorism, which are acts of war against the United States.' Freech also said he would 'love to sit down and talk to him (Amiri), show him photographs and ask him questions,' with regards to the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing, which killed 19 USAF personnel in Saudi Arabia. Iranians were not indicted for the attack and it was blamed on Saudi Hezbollah, another pro-Iran terror group. Meanwhile Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, then-Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had told The Washington Times that it was 'extremely disturbing that the White House would see fit to welcome Al-Amiri to a discussion on the future of Iraq. 'If anything, he should be subject to questioning by the FBI and other appropriate U.S. law enforcement and counterterrorism agencies. 'The victims of Khobar Towers and the families of thousands of U.S. troops who paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq deserve no less.' The man referred to as an 'Iranian proxy' by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on New Year's Eve, was the source of 'grave concern' to Republican lawmakers when he sat with Obama in the Oval Office in 2011 A security guard's hut window has been badly damaged by the rioters as smoke spews from fires set around the compound on Tuesday, with protesters waving flags of the militias part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Many are supported by Iran. Iraqi protesters set ablaze a sentry box in front of the US embassy building in the capital Baghdad to protest against the weekend's air strikes by US planes on several bases belonging to the Hezbollah brigades near Al-Qaim A U.S. Army soldier from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Task Force-Iraq, mans an observation post at Forward Operating Base Union III in Baghdad on Tuesday US soldiers watch from behind a smoke screen as Iraqi protesters surround the US embassy building in the capital Baghdad. They fired warning shots, followed by stun grenades and tear gas The Obama administration had downplayed Amiri's presence in Washington, pointing out meetings George W. Bush had held with unsavory Iraqis in the fight against Saddam, including the leader of the SCIRI Sayyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim in 2006. 'We have the power to break them several times over': Iranian general warns he is not afraid of war after Donald Trump threatened to make Tehran pay a 'BIG PRICE' for embassy attack An Iranian general declared today that Tehran was not afraid of war after Donald Trump threatened the country after the siege at the US embassy in Iraq. President Trump said that he was holding Iran 'fully responsible' for Tuesday's carnage which saw the consulate in Baghdad besieged and set ablaze by a pro-Iran mob. 'We are not leading the country to war, but we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak correctly with the Iranian nation.' Islamic Revolutionary Guards Commander, Brigadier General Hossein Salami warned. 'We have the power to break them several times over and are not worried.' Trump had said in a tweet on Tuesday that Iran would be 'held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat.' Advertisement The US embassy siege by pro-Iran protesters, many from militia groups of the PMF, has highlighted the struggle for Iraq in balancing its allies in Tehran and Washington following the American withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear pact. The regional rivalry was partly playing out among Iraq's security forces: the US has trained army units and elite troops, while Iran has assisted the PMF (also known as Hashed al-Shaabi). On Tuesday, hundreds of Hashed supporters stormed the high-security Green Zone and besieged the US embassy. The ease with which they breezed past US-trained forces demonstrated the PMF's dominance in Iraq, said Harith Hasan, an expert at the Carnegie Middle East Center. 'A political-military faction imposed its will on everyone and commandeered all decisions,' Hasan wrote. As a result, he predicted, 'this new year will be the beginning of Iraq's lean years, leading to its isolation.' Founded in 2014, the PMF is formally part of Iraq's government forces and its nominal head, Faleh al-Fayyadh, also serves as the country's national security adviser. But the US fears the network's Shiite-majority units - many of which fought American troops following the US-led invasion in 2003 - is being used to exert Iran's clout. Those tensions boiled over last week when a US contractor working in Iraq was killed in a rocket attack by Kataeb Hezbollah, a hardline and pro-Iran PMF faction. It was the latest in a string of attacks on American troops and the embassy in Iraq that the US has blamed on groups loyal to Tehran. Leading the line: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted photos of 'terrorists' Abu Mahdi al Muhandis (right, in the sunglasses) and Qays al-Khazali (left, wearing the white turban) who orchestrated the embassy siege which was 'abetted' by Iranian proxies Hadi al Amari and Faleh al-Fayyad Under siege: US soldiers keep watch on the US embassy in Baghdad from an observation post Protesters burned the property in front of the U.S. compound on Tuesday waving flags and banners for their specific groups in protest of the US airstrikes in Iraq on Sunday Both US and Iraqi officials told AFP they were especially alarmed to see PMF units deploy in recent weeks inside the Green Zone, home to government buildings, United Nations offices and key foreign embassies. The clearest sign of the PMF's effective control of the zone came during the embassy attack, when its backers breezed past US-trained units to reach the embassy. Tuesday's dramatic scenes at the embassy sparked comparisons with both the 1979 hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran, and the deadly 2012 attack on the US consulate in Libya's second city Benghazi. 'Isolation, diplomatic and economic sanctions, the lack of trust - this is what has happened to the Iranian, Syrian and Libyan regimes as well as the old Iraqi regime,' said Iraqi expert Hisham al-Hashemi. 'The tables could turn for Iraq just like they turned for those countries.' 'We have the power to break them several times over': Iranian general warns he is not afraid of war after Donald Trump threatened to make Tehran pay a 'BIG PRICE' for embassy attack An Iranian general declared today that Tehran was not afraid of war after Donald Trump threatened the country after the siege at the US embassy in Iraq. President Trump said that he was holding Iran 'fully responsible' for Tuesday's carnage which saw the consulate in Baghdad besieged and set ablaze by a pro-Iran mob. 'We are not leading the country to war, but we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak correctly with the Iranian nation.' Islamic Revolutionary Guards Commander, Brigadier General Hossein Salami warned. 'We have the power to break them several times over and are not worried.' Trump had said in a tweet on Tuesday that Iran would be 'held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat.' In response to Donald Trump saying that he would hold Iran 'fully responsible', Brigadier General Hossein Salami said 'we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak correctly to the Iranian nation' Pro-Iranian militiamen and their supporters set a fire while U.S. soldiers fired tear gas during a sit-in in front of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday The first wave of 750 U.S. Army paratroopers from a rapid reaction force were dispatched from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Kuwait yesterday. Iran-backed militiamen have withdrawn from the US embassy compound in the Iraqi capital but tensions remain high after two days of clashes. On Tuesday, some 6,000 pro-Iran Shiite militia fighters stormed U.S. embassy in Baghdad, set walls ablaze and chanted 'Death to America!' in a violent retaliation for American air strikes. There were no reports of American casualties, and the attack was repelled after 100 Marines rapidly reinforced the compound. Pompeo said in a statement that the attack was 'orchestrated by terrorists' and 'abetted by Iranian proxies', tweeting pictures that he said showed US-designated terrorists with Iranian ties outside the embassy. A protester places a shoe at a placard with U.S. President Donald Trump illustration outside the U.S. Embassy during a protest yesterday to condemn air strikes on pro-Iran militia Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday condemned U.S. attacks on Iranian-allied militias in Iraq, blaming the United States for violence in Iran's neighbour. Iran's Army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Thursday his forces were ready to confront the 'enemy'. 'Our armed forces ... monitor all moves, and if anyone makes the slightest mistake, they will decisively react, and if the situation heats up, we will show our abilities to the enemy,' Mousavi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB. Iran protested on Wednesday to a Swiss envoy, who represents U.S. interests in Tehran, over what it called 'warmongering statements' by American officials. Globally, Mitsubishi have had its ups and downs over the past decade, but theyre looking to start with a clean slate this year. To get things started, the companys European division boss said that there will be more crossovers coming, and one of them is very important to the brand. Bernard Loire, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Europe, said that the all-new Outlander will be making its debut this year. Why is it such an important model for them? Thats because the Outlander, the plug-in hybrid model (PHEV) to be specific, is the best-selling hybrid vehicle in certain parts of Europe, proving especially popular in the Scandinavian parts of the continent. So it wont be a surprise then that the future model will have a plug-in hybrid option, as confirmed by Loire. Other than that though, the CEO isnt showing all of the 2020 Outlanders aces just yet. There is, however, another certainty. Given that Mitsubishi is part of the Alliance (Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi), the fourth-generation Outlander is set to share its bones with the next-gen Nissan X-Trail and a yet-to-be-named Renault version. As for its release date, it is slated for the second half of 2020, possibly at the Frankfurt Motor Show of this year. What does this mean for the Philippine market though? Will we actually get the all-new Outlander? Should there be more incentives for plug-hybrid vehicles, there is a possibility for it. If Mitsubishi Motors Philippines (MMPC) does bring it in, they could just change the market by being to first to offer a plug-in hybrid crossover to the local market. Source: Automotive News Europe Two days after the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution seeking the withdrawal of Citizenship Amendment Act, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday (January 2) said that the state government has no constitutional or legal right to pass such resolution because citizenship was a central subject. This resolution has no legal or constitutional validity because citizenship is exclusively a central subject, this actually means nothing, said Khan. On Tuesday (December 31), Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had moved the resolution against the CAA and it was supported by all 140 MLAs in Kerala Assembly except one BJP legislator. I want to make it clear that no detention centres will come up in Kerala. Kerala has a long history of secularism, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, everyone reached our land. Christians and Muslims reached Kerala in the very beginning. Our tradition is of inclusiveness. Our assembly needs to keep the tradition alive, Vijayan had said in the Assembly. He had said that the implementation of CAA is a violation of the fundamental right of equality. The CAA 2019 passed by both houses of the Parliament has created concern among various communities, there has also been state wide protest against the same. In Kerala there has been a peaceful and untied agitation in general (against the CAA). The Act, which has set new guidelines for granting citizenship, is a violation of the fundamental right of equality as mentioned in the part III of the Constitution, noted the Kerala chief minister. Live TV Meanwhile, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Tuesday said that no state legislature has the power to pass any law with regard to citizenship. "Citizenship, naturalisation and aliens are entry 17 on the Union list. Therefore, it is only the Parliament that has the power to pass any law with regards to citizenship, not any Assembly, including Kerala," Prasad said. Taking a jibe at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Prasad had said, "The constitution has a mandate -- Parliament - List 1, State Assemblies - List 2. I would again urge the Chief Minister to kindly have better legal advice." Turkey Will Not Send Troops to Libya If Haftar Ceases Offensive in Tripoli - Vice President Sputnik News 19:42 01.01.2020(updated 19:52 01.01.2020) ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said that Ankara would not send its troops to Libya if the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, stopped its attack on Tripoli. "We hope that there is no need for such an invitation, it will have a deterrent role and the parties [LNA, GNA] will understand this message correctly", Oktay said in an interview with the Anadolu news agency. The vice president added that if Haftar continued the offensive, Turkey, having an invitation from the GNA, would send its troops. "The mandate will be valid for a year, and when the need arises, troops will be sent in the right quantity", Oktay said. The Turkish parliament, which reportedly received a request from Tripoli's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) for military assistance to repel an offensive by the LNA, will make a decision on 2 January whether to send the Turkish military to Libya. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on 31 December that preparations had already begun. In late November, Turkey and the GNA signed agreements on military cooperation and a new maritime border. Both sides have ratified the deal, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on 26 December that Ankara was ready to provide military assistance in the fight against the LNA. Libya has been facing an acute armed conflict since its long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was overthrown and killed in 2011. The eastern part of the country is now governed by the Tobruk authorities and the allied LNA, while the GNA operates in the country's west. The situation has escalated over the past several weeks as Haftar ordered his troops to advance on the GNA-controlled capital of Tripoli. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 2 items in this article A selection of the authors L.L. Bean totes. Photo: Hilary Reid Over the past decade, Ive accumulated a lot of stuff that I love: some 15 sticks of Revlons color balm lip stain in Romantic red; a cooling gel eye mask; a stack of hardcover Moleskine notebooks; a few Agnes B. Cardigans; a Black & Decker handheld vacuum; a collection of objects that look like hands from medieval paintings. Contenders, all of them, for my favorite purchase of the decade. But the items that actually top my list are different versions of the same thing Ive used to schlep all of those aforementioned items around: an L.L. Bean Boat and Tote bag. I was initially introduced to L.L. Beans sturdy canvas bags which the company began making in 1944 as ice bags (bags, literally, meant to be used to haul ice) by my mom, who purchased hers, in a variety of sizes, in the late 60s, at the L.L. Bean factory in Freeport, Maine. She bought me my own set the ones I still have today before I went off to college. At the time, though grateful for the gift, I didnt think of the bags as particularly cool or interesting. But over the course of the decade, I began to appreciate their timeless style this is a tote, after all, that was carried by both Carolyn Bessette in the 90s and Chloe Sevigny in 2016. And as Andrea Whittle wrote in an article for W, the bags have recently grown especially popular among art and fashion types. (In that piece, Strategist columnist Chris Black who has recommended the bags on this very website said: Carrying a Boat and Tote lets you indulge in some Wasp cosplay.) Wasp cosplay aside, the bags are just extremely practical and well-made, and if youre considering getting one, I suggest going for a whole suite. I currently have six Boat and Totes in various sizes, which, in my opinion, is just the right number. My two zip-top XL totes helped me carry desk lamps and various other small pieces of furniture during my last move, the two large open-tops are the perfect size for bring clothes to the laundromat, the medium-size zip-top is ideal for taking a laptop and some gym clothes to work, and the mini zip-top with short handles comfortably holds my wallet, a book, and a bottle of water. And theyre relatively affordable: My set of six comes out to $245 just $25 more than a single leather Baggu bag. The mini zip-top was the bag I used most last year, and if friends post-Hanukkah and Christmas Instagram stories are any indicator, its the one that well be seeing a lot of this year, as prep becomes more and more popular. Though the bags are having a moment, the real draw is their longevity. My mom still uses her bags from the 60s, and their frayed and re-sewn handles only make them more chic. My bags, ten years in, still look brand new. Ive considered speeding up the aging process (running them over with a car, pouring boiling water on them, and other tactics that parents of girls on my middle-school softball team used to help break in softball gloves come to mind), but I know the best route to a perfectly well-worn L.L. Bean tote is time and use. Which is why Im looking forward to carrying mine for decades to come. get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Febuxostat is used for the treatment of gout caused by excessive levels of uric acid in the blood (Hyperuricemia) Indoco Remedies Ltd., headquartered in Mumbai, is a fully integrated, research-oriented pharma Company with presence in 55 countries. The company has received final approval of its ANDA for Febuxostat Tablets 40 mg and 80 mg, which is therapeutically equivalent to the Reference Listed Drug (RLD), viz., Uloric Tablets 40 mg and 80 mg of Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. The market size of Febuxostat Tablets in USA is over USD 500 million. Febuxostat is used for the treatment of gout caused by excessive levels of uric acid in the blood (Hyperuricemia). Febuxostat prevents the production of uric acid by blocking the activity of the enzyme (xanthine oxidase) that converts purines to uric acid. Uric acid forms crystals in joints and tissues, causing inflammation and pain. Hyperuricemia can cause kidney disease and kidney stones as well. Commenting on this achievement Ms. Aditi Kare Panandikar, Managing Director - Indoco Remedies Ltd. said, Receipt of ANDA approval for Febuxostat Tablets for the US market is very encouraging and has added another feather to Indocos cap." Ghadeer Sultan insists she is not racist and refuses to delete blackface photos, saying is showcasing her talent. A Kuwaiti makeup artist was accused of racism after she posted a video and a picture of herself painted in dark makeup, in what critics condemned as blackface. Ghadeer Sultan first posted a short video clip on her Instagram page on Wednesday, with the song We Are the World playing in the background, showcasing her different looks in a range of skin colours and wigs. She then posted a photo of herself in blackface, which has garnered more than 44,000 likes. Sultans page, which has two million followers, was then inundated with comments denouncing her blackface while others argued she had done nothing wrong. You should know better than this, Instagram user baraakdm wrote. This is racist no matter how [you] put it. We dont even get [accepted] for our own beauty, another user, domichantal412 commented. And WE ARE NOT A COSTUME! YOU CAN NOT GO AND TRY OUR FLAWLESS FEATURES on and think it is okay. In response, Sultan posted another photo of herself in blackface, with a caption explaining that she is not a racist. I hate racism, she wrote. What Ive done is only to show what I am capable of. I love you all. However, her explanation irked more people, who saw her words as doubling down on accepting racism and refusing to learn why blackface is wrong. CAPABLE OF?! user sheisshell replied. Our skin is not a BEAUTY TREND or something thats POPULAR FOR THE MOMENT!!!! Our black lives are being taken simply for the color of our skin and yall care nothing about that!!! Other users tried to clarify to Sultan why blackface is racist. Blackface makeup was done to make fun of people who have black skin, user usra_kim said. Thats why [its] not acceptable and consider[ed] racist Colouring your skin doesnt show any of your skills just how ignorant you are. Its not for you to decide whether something is deemed racist to a group of people you are not a part of, pa0100pa said. If you wanted to show your versatility, youd do an actual black models makeup, another user pointed out. The heated debate was also discussed on Twitter. She just wanted to do something different, why is this such an issue? one user asked. She didnt hurt anyone or do anything wrong. Others took it upon themselves to explain what blackface is and why it causes offence. A user by the name @hijadeelsahara said that the Arab world still operates on a system of masked slavery that excludes black people from public life and pushes them into marginalised societies and workplaces. This narrative is still normalised, she posted. Some black girls are still afraid to show their natural hair and get subjected to bullying and hate. https://twitter.com/hijadeelsahara/status/1212347752233013249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw This is not the first time a beauty influencer from Kuwait has faced controversy. Last year, beauty blogger Sondos al-Qattan was heavily criticised on social media after she posted a video attacking Kuwaits new laws aimed at improving conditions for Filipino domestic workers. In the aftermath of her comments and amid calls for a boycott of businesses linked to the influencer, several global beauty brands that al-Qattan is affiliated with, including Max Factor and French perfume brand M Micallef, severed ties with her. Anti-govt protesters in Baghdad accuse authorities of double standard for not cracking down on pro-Iran demonstrators. Anti-government rallies continued in Iraqs capital in the aftermath of a separate day-long protest outside the United States embassy. Protesters have for months occupied Baghdads iconic Tahrir Square, just across the Tigris River from the Green Zone, home to government offices, the United Nations headquarters and foreign embassies. The youth-led demonstrations have rocked Iraq since early October, demanding the removal of a governing class seen as corrupt, inept and beholden to Iran. In a separate development, on Tuesday, an angry mob marched into the heavily-fortified Green Zone and to the US embassy, outraged over US air attacks that killed 25 fighters from the Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary force over the weekend. They surrounded the embassy for just over 24 hours, leaving on Wednesday afternoon after an order from the Hashd, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). The anti-government demonstrators insist their movement is entirely unrelated to the crowds that vandalised the US mission. Weve got nothing to do with that, one demonstrator in the southern protest hotspot city of Diwaniyah told AFP. Al Jazeeras Simona Foltyn said that the anti-government demonstrators, who have been protesting for nearly three months, have renounced any link with the crowds that marched on to the US embassy. What they are saying is that crowd embodies many of the grievances that these [anti-government] protesters have voiced, she said, speaking from Baghdad. They want the government to do more to rein in the groups under the Popular Mobilisation Forces. Were still here Protesters on Thursday occupied some streets in Baghdad, where most government offices and schools have shut down. They accused Iraqi security forces of a double standard saying the protesters who supported the PMF were not met with a crackdown, as they have been. About 460 people have been killed in protest-related violence over the past three months, with around 25,000 others wounded. Demonstrators have warned that these killings, along with kidnappings and different forms of harassment, are an attempt to scare them into halting their movement. But many have persisted, and rallies rocked the city of Diwaniyah on Thursday. What happened in front of the US embassy was an attempt to draw peoples eyes away from the popular protests now in their fourth month, Ahmed Mohammad Ali, a student protester in Nasiriya, told AFP. Were still here, protesting for change and hoping for victory. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers the commencement address at the Hunter College Commencement ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York City on May 29, 2019. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) DOD, Homeland Security Employees Donated to Clinton Over Trump by Wide Margin WASHINGTONFor every Department of Defense (DOD) employee who gave to President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign, five colleagues backed his opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to an Epoch Times analysis of Federal Election Commission (FEC) data. A similar pattern was found among employees who identified the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as their employer in contributions disclosed by the FEC from 2015 to 2019. The bias in favor of Clinton is notable because Defense and Homeland Security workers were thought to be likely to support Trump as a result of his campaign promises to strengthen and update those departments. But within the DOD, 854 employees made more than 3,100 individual contributions to Clinton for a total of nearly $368,000. By contrast, only 116 DOD employees sent checks to Trump, with 590 individual contributions worth a total of $202,067. However, the average DOD employee contribution to Trump was much higher than the Clinton average: $342 versus $117. For Democratic Party committees, including those at the state and county levels, only five DOD employees made contributions; the donations averaged more than $188 each, for a total of $29,607. By contrast, Republican Party committees were supported by 23 DOD workers, who gave on average $81 each for a total of $28,451, making the organizing panels the only contribution category in which the two major parties were closely matched within the DOD. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) isnt without support within the DOD, as between his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, 120 defense workers contributed more than $35,000, at an average of $50 each from 697 individual donations. A total of 457 of the Sanders checks were written for his campaign against Clinton, with the remaining 240 steered to his current presidential effort. Former Rep. Beto ORourke (D-Texas) was the recipient of $18,750 in donations from 57 DOD workers, an average of $63 from 298 individual contributions. The majority of ORourkes contributions were made for his losing 2018 challenge against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), with the remainder going to his 2020 presidential campaign. ORourke ended the latter effort in November 2019. Former Vice President Joe Bidens 2020 presidential campaign was the recipient of contributions averaging $160 each from 24 DOD employees, for a total of $3,845. Act Blue, a liberal group that channels contributions to Democratic candidates and causes, also received more money from DOD employees than Trump, with 1,124 donors giving more than $206,000. The average Act Blue donation, however, was much smaller at $17.67. Another liberal campaign group, Emilys List, received contributions from four DOD workers, averaging $46 and totaling more than $2,100. And Moveon.org, the liberal campaign group founded in 1998 to oppose the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, was supported by 27 DOD employees, who gave an average of $14 each for a total of $800. More than 718,000 federal civil servants work at the DOD, along with 1.4 million uniformed employees of the U.S. military. At the DHS, Clinton was favored by 140 employees, with contributions averaging $72 and totaling more than $214,000. Thirty-five DHS workers supported Trump, giving an average of $62 for a total of slightly more than $4,200. Republican Party committees received a total of $7,697 from 15 DHS employees, at an average of $137 each. Democratic Party committees did significantly better, getting $51,575 from 22 DHS employees, for an average of $316 each. Act Blue was supported by 218 DHS employees who gave on average $22 each, for a total of nearly $37,000. Sanders, Clintons main 2016 Democratic presidential primary opponent, was supported by 11 DHS workers, who gave an average of $42 each for a total of $2,241. Similarly, ORourke received 43 contributions averaging $57 each, for a total of $2,449. No DHS employees gave money during the five-year period to former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), or any other Democratic presidential campaign. The DHS employs more than 240,000 workers, including those at U.S. Customs and Border Protection who deal with immigration abuses. An Oct. 26, 2016, analysis by The Hill of FEC data for donations of $200 or more by federal workers at DOD showed Clinton getting 84 percent of the $269,135 total of contributions, compared to 16 percent for Trump. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc. Shares of metal companies traded among the top gainers on Thursday's session, with NSE metal index rising 2.68%, backed by strong domestic and international cues. The government's announcement to spend on infrastructure helped witness buoyancy in metal scrips, while media reports suggesting a hike in steel prices by Rs 1000 per tonne added to the upward move for steel stocks. This, coupled with companies reporting decent sales figures for December quarter contributed towards the surge stocks of steel sector. FM Sitharaman's unveiling of Rs 102 lakh crore-National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2025 was a bullish sentiment for the sector, as increased demand for these projects is expected to drive steel demand. Additionally, encouraging sales figures for December quarter by listed companies such as JSPL, SAIL, Steel Strips helped build bullish momentum. Shares of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) rose 10% intraday on clocking volume growth of 47%. SAIL said it achieved the highest ever monthly sales during December. JSPL, too rose 4.75% on recording 30% volume growth, the highest ever quarterly domestic production of crude steel in Q3FY20. Steel Strips Wheels too gained over 1% on reporting 6% volume growth on December sales. Meanwhile, shares of Tata Steel rose 4.28% intraday, while JSW Steel stock climbed 3.34%. Other metal stocks too turned bullish today, with Hindustan Copper surging 20%, followed by 6% rise in National Aluminium shares. Shares of companies from the 'iron & steel interim products' sector also surged over reports of hike in pellet prices from Rs 5,800/tonne to Rs 6,400/tonne over last 1-2 months to Rs 7,000/tonne currently. Shares of Surya Roshni and Prakash Industries rose 20% today, followed by Sarda Energy and Minerals and Tata Steel Long Products shares, that rose 14% each. Godawari Power & Ispat shares climbed 12.21%, followed by Tata Meta links that surged 7.63% intraday. As raw material prices move in line with steel prices, rally in steel stocks was accompanied by a surge in 'mining' sector stocks, with MOIL gaining 8.5% intraday, followed by 2.5% rise in NMDC shares. Further US President Donald Trump's announcement of signing Phase-1 trade deal with China on January 15 enthused investors amid the ongoing Brexit deal optimism. By Rupa Burman Roy Nirmala Sitharaman unveils plans for Rs 102 lakh crore infra projects Share Market Update: Sensex ends 320 points higher, Nifty at 12,282; Tata Motors, UltraTech Cement, Tata Steel top gainers This appeared in Thursday's Washington Post. - - - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is withholding two articles of impeachment from the Senate, pending assurance that the Republican leader of that body, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, will agree to a full and fair trial of the House's charges against President Donald Trump. Whatever else may be said about the speaker's move, and however long her holdout lasts, it has certainly taken advantage of some inevitable holiday-season downtime to focus attention on the Senate's role in the process. So far, that has meant much-needed discussion of McConnell's obvious - and obviously political - intention to go through the motions of a trial on the way to an acquittal. Now fresh reporting from the New York Times has emerged to strengthen the Democrats' minimum condition of a real trial: The Senate must seek witness testimony from key players in Trump's attempt to strong-arm Ukraine into announcing an investigation of his political rival, former vice president Joe Biden, using congressionally appropriated military aid and promises of a White House visit as leverage. The Times reports, based in part on previously undisclosed emails, that acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney tried to freeze the military aid on Trump's behalf as early as June, prompting puzzlement and backlash within the administration - to the extent that Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and then-national security adviser John Bolton convened a White House meeting with Trump to urge release of the aid. Trump, apparently fixated on the idea that Ukraine had tried to defeat him in 2016, balked, asserting, contrary to Defense Department certifications, that Ukraine was hopelessly corrupt. More than ever, therefore, the Senate and the public need to hear from Mulvaney and Bolton, the latter of whom made an unsuccessful individual plea to release the Ukraine aid on Aug. 16, according to the Times. Their testimony, and that of Mulvaney's top aide, Robert Blair, and Office of Management and Budget official Michael Duffey, has always been crucial, which is why House impeachment investigators initially sought it and - undoubtedly - why the White House refused to allow it. Certainly, the House's demand that the Senate call these witnesses is undercut to some extent by its own failure to persist in trying to compel their testimony, hoping to avoid gettingbogged down in an extended court fight with the administration. Yet the question of whether the Senate should exercise its subpoena power to obtain relevant testimony is a separate issue, politically, legally and morally. A Senate leader sincerely interested in operating as head of an independent branch of government would have left no doubt that he intended to do so. McConnell has done the opposite, giving rise to Pelosi's very legitimate concerns. On the other hand, members of the Asom Sahitya Sabha staged a sit-in-demonstration in Guwahati wearing black masks, and reciting poems in protest against CAA As New Year begins, the college and university students of Assam have taken a pledge to continue their protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act despite all odds. However, the peaceful uprising seems to be emotionally taxing for Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. On Wednesday, Sonowal said Muk eghoriya nokoribo moi koloi jam? ("Dont ostracize me, where would I go?") "I am your son, a part of you. You have chosen me to lead you, how can I let you down? I have never compromised with the interest of the people of Assam," he added. Sonowal's comments come at a time when Assam sees widespread protests against the amended law and after former Assam DGP Harekrishna Deka criticized him, stating that he has turned into a 'hardcore Hinduist'. "Assam CM laments 'What wrong have I done?' If he had searched his heart, he would have known that he has abandoned the secular spirit of the Assamese cultural tradition in the name of Hindu dharma. Assamese culture is very different. When Sonowal puts on the glasses of Hindutva, he does not see the demographic squeeze that has cornered the Assamese and other indigenous people. His present lens is a communal lens that does not see the predicament the CAA has brought over the socio-political fate of his own people," Deka had said. Students of four Assam universities staged a two-hour demonstration against CAA in Guwahati, resolving to protest till the unpopular act is withdrawn. The students have also decided to protest against New Delhis apathy in dealing with the long-festering issues of the state. "We have resolved to continue with our protest, and despite the state government trying to curb protests, we will not stop till the Citizenship Act is withdrawn. We will also demand constitutional safeguard as promised, ILP implementation in Assam, securing employment and land rights for the indigenous people," said Moon Talukdar, general secretary of Gauhati University Post-Graduate Students' Union. "We will also protest against economic inequality. Our assets have been long exploited by the Central government, but they are indifferent to our problems. So, we have to be more self-sustainable. We will have to expand the range of opportunities from the roads to the fields. We will have to support our weavers and not buy machine-made Gamusas," the 23-year-old student leader added. The state has been engulfed by a wave of anti-CAA demonstrations since last year, and the student fraternity has been taking the lead as hundreds of thousands continue to take to the streets. On the first day of the year, anti-CAA protesters in Nalbari district waved black flags at Sonowals convoy as it passed through Nalbari-Sarthebari road. Police resorted to baton charge to disperse the crowd - members of All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) were injured in clashes with police as two AJYCP members were taken into custody. On the other hand, members of the Asom Sahitya Sabha staged a sit-in-demonstration in Guwahati wearing black masks, and reciting poems in protest against CAA. The BJP-led government in the state had announced a corpus fund of Rs 75 crore for 22 indigenous apex literary bodies including the Asom Sahitya Sabha and Bodo Sahitya Sabha. "It is our resolution on New Years Day to carry forward this protest against the Citizenship Act, and we appeal to all to continue protesting in a logical and democratic way. The corpus fund announced for the Asom Sahitya Sabha was long due, and we will accept it because we deserve it it is a public fund, but if the government thinks they can silence us with this, they are totally wrong. We will continue to oppose the CAA in every Sahitya Sabha event," said Asom Sahitya Sabha president Paramananda Rajbongshi. The protesting university students have requested the literary body not to invite any political leader to the 75th biennial session of Asom Sahitya Sabha scheduled to be held next month. On Wednesday evening, the AASU organised a statewide candle lighting ceremony in memory of the five 'martyrs' of the anti-CAA agitation. (Natural News) God willing, one day we will look back on how we once treated the unborn and be ashamed of ourselves. But until that day, many among us will continue to treat the most innocent form of life as if it were nothing but a disposable clump of cells, all in the name of science and progress. Back in 2017, a man by the name of Arthur Rathburn was put on trial for allegedly defrauding customers by selling them diseased adult body parts, to which he pleaded not guilty. As if thats not sick enough, Rathburn was also caught with four fetuses in his garage, which he preserved in some type of brown liquid alongside human brain tissue, according to Reuters. This needs to be reviewed, argued Republican Tennessee Representative Masha Blackburn, who is known for her outspoken opposition to the practice of abortion and who has also recently chaired a House committee on the use of fetal tissue. In an interview with Reuters, House Committee chairman Bob Goodlatte added, The actions depicted in these photos are an insult to human dignity. It is worth noting that even though buying and selling body parts is legal in the United States (with the exception of organs used for transplants), trading fetal tissue in order to make a profit remains against the law, and rightfully so. As of right now, its not clear how Rathburn was able to get his hands on the fetuses and what his intentions were, but investigators are trying to figure out whether or not he was planning on selling the bodies illegally in order to make a profit. In order to determine how easy it would be to acquire fetal tissue, a reporter for Reuters bought two human heads and a cervical spine from the Blackburn, Tennessee body broker Restore Life USA. Reuters reported that the entire purchase cost a total of $900 not including shipping, and was made via email. Rep. Blackburn said that it is sickening how easily Restore Life sold the body parts to Reuters. Even still, though, Restore Life USA claims on their website to be an organization that provides human tissues for medical research and education purposes. Of course, no discussion about the sale of fetal tissue would be complete without mentioning Planned Parenthood, which in the past has been caught facilitating the illegal trade of baby organs and limbs for profit. Despite the fact that Planned Parenthood claims to support women and constantly argues that its existence is necessary in order to maintain proper reproductive health, the truth is that the organization is morally bankrupt, and the fact that the American taxpayer is forced to subsidize it makes the situation that much worse. (Related: Planned Parenthood is now teaming up with Satanists to promote abortion.) Thankfully, the Trump administration appears to be taking matters into their own hands. Early last year, the Department of Justice announced that it was launching a federal investigation into Planned Parenthoods practices and the alleged sale of fetal body parts. According to Fox News, Justice Department Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Stephen Boyd has requested documents from the Senate Judiciary Committee. At this point, the records are intended for investigative use only we understand that a resolution from the Senate may be required if the Department were to use any of the unredacted materials in a formal legal proceeding, such as a grand jury, Boyd said. With any luck, the investigation may finally bring Planned Parenthood to justice, and the law will come down on those who think its okay to sell aborted fetal parts for profit. As for Arthur Rathburn, the man who was caught preserving four fetuses in his garage, God himself will deliver justice when hes trying to get through the pearly gates. Sources include: DailyCaller.com Breitbart.com Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine begins its work today instead of the Prosecutor General's Office. This is stated in the order of Prosecutor General Ruslan Ryaboshapka No.351 of December 23, which was published in the official newspaper Holos Ukrayiny (Voice of Ukraine) on December 24. "I order: 1. To appoint the Office of the Prosecutor General on January 2, 2020," the order reads. This order was made regarding the adoption of law No.113-IX on reformation of prosecution bodies. The Prosecutor Generals Office will become the Office of the Prosecutor General, and the military prosecutors offices will be dismissed. The law prescribes financial assistance to the prosecutor's offices not only from the state budget but from the other sources, in addition to this, in the framework of international assistance projects. The total number of prosecution bodies' employees is to decrease from 15 to 10 thousand people. As we reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved the law on September 19, 259 MPs voted in favor of it. T ens of thousands of people have been evacuated from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta as the death toll from flash floods and landslides rose to at least 21. The flooding, among the deadliest in years, caused chaos in parts of Southeast Asias biggest city with train lines blocked and power outages in several areas. Swathes of Jakarta and nearby towns were inundated after heavy rain fell on December 31 and into the early hours of New Years Day. Authorities said more torrential rain is forecast to come as the death toll continues to rise. A truck drives through a flooded road at Jatibening on the outskirt of Jakarta, Indonesia. / AP Social affairs ministry spokesman said that it had now reached 21, while the disaster mitigation agency said at least 19 have been killed. Some of the victims had drowned while others were killed in landslides. Four were electrocuted and three died of hypothermia. As of Thursday, over 62,000 people have been evacuated in Jakarta alone, disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said - twice as many as a day earlier. A man tries to rescue a goose from his roof during the flash floods / AFP via Getty Images Thousands of livestock were reported missing and thousands of houses damaged in neighbouring province of Banten, media reported. Indonesias President Joko Widodo told reporters on Thursday that evacuation and safety procedures should be prioritised, and called for more coordination between city administrations and the central government. On his Twitter page, Mr Widodo blamed delays in flood control infrastructure projects for the flooding. He said some projects have been delayed since 2017 due to land acquisition problems. People took shelter all night under a by-pass as rain barrelled into the city / AFP via Getty Images Indonesias Cabinet Secretary said in a statement, citing the geophysics agency, that extreme weather may continue across Indonesia until Jan. 7 and warned people to remain on alert for further flooding or landslides. Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the geophysics agency, told reporters separately that heavy rainfall may continue until mid February. Flooded homes in Jakarta as torrential rain wreaks havoc on the city / BNPB/AFP via Getty Images Umar Dani, 52, and his family were evacuated overnight from his home in East Jakarta on a rubber boat after water levels rose up to his neck. It has not flooded for so long here. We didnt have the chance to bring anything, he said. I have to live on the streets now. Television footage on Thursday showed rescuers in the nearby city of Tangerang evacuating residents, guiding them across a strong current by holding on to a rope. Jakarta police on their Twitter account warned that a number of major streets across the capital were not yet passable, accompanied by a video showing a postal truck being stuck in the middle of a road. The city and its surroundings are home to more than 30 million people. More than 50 people died in one of the capitals deadliest floods in 2007 and five years ago much of the centre of the city was inundated after canals overflowed. Hillary Clinton (second from right) leaving the ceremony in New York US DEMOCRATIC candidate Hillary Clinton, diagnosed with pneumonia, became overheated and fell ill at a Sept. 11 memorial ceremony in an episode that renewed focus on her health less than two months before U.S. voters to elect their next president. Clinton had a medical examination when she got back to her home in Chappaqua, New York, according to a campaign aide. Her doctor, Lisa Bardack, said in a statement that she has been experiencing a cough related to allergies and that an examination on Friday showed that she was suffering from pneumonia. "She was put on antibiotics and advised to rest and modify her schedule. While at this morning's event, she became overheated and dehydrated. I have just examined her and she is now re-hydrated and recovering nicely," Bardack said. The 68-year-old Clinton abruptly departed the high-profile, televised event in New York City earlier Sunday and a video on social media appears to show her swaying and her knees buckling before she is helped into a motorcade event. She was taken to her daughter Chelsea's home in Manhattan and emerged around two hours later on a warm and muggy morning, wearing sunglasses and telling reporters that she was "feeling great." The video came from an unverified Twitter account under the name Zdenek Gazda, who did not respond to a request for comment. Expand Expand Previous Next Close Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waves after leaving an apartment building Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in New York. Clinton's campaign said the Democratic presidential nominee left the 9/11 anniversary ceremony in New York early after feeling "overheated." (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waves after leaving an apartment building Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in New York. Clinton's campaign said the Democratic presidential nominee left the 9/11 anniversary ceremony in New York early after feeling "overheated." (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) The Clinton campaign did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the authenticity of the video. Political strategists said the campaign should confront the health issue head-on to tamp down any concerns, particularly as Republican rival Donald Trump and some of his high-profile supporters have repeatedly argued that she lacked the "stamina" to battle adversaries abroad. "The bottom line is the Clinton campaign is going to have to be completely forthright about Clinton's health," said Bud Jackson, a Virginia-based Democratic strategist. Jackson suggested that "it would not be a bad move" if the campaign released more information in a crucial time of the race in which conservatives have touted conspiracies about Clinton's health. They have implied in recent weeks that Clinton's coughing spells on the campaign trail were a sign of deeper problems. PRESIDENTIAL PRECEDENTS Past presidential candidates have released much more detailed information about their health than either Trump, 70, or Clinton. For example, John McCain, the failed 2008 Republican presidential nominee, allowed reporters to see 1,173 pages of medical records after concerns were raised about a cancer scare. Republican strategist Art Hackney of Alaska, who chaired former President George W. Bush's campaigns there, doubted Sunday's health scare will fade away quickly, saying that the Trump campaign "will milk it." "These things tend to be fanned; the flames fanned like crazy by those who will use it to make one story take attention away from other stories," he said. He added, however, "I just can't for the life of me think this impacts any American who isn't already on one side or the other" in the Clinton-Trump race for the White House. Clinton had no more events on her schedule for Sunday and went, as previously planned, to her home in Chappaqua, 30 miles (50 km) north of New York City. She is scheduled to begin a trip to California and Nevada on Monday. As the solemn ceremony began at the site of the World Trade Center that was attacked by two hijacked airliners 15 years ago, there was patchy sunlight, with temperatures at about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.6 Celsius). But the high humidity early into the ceremony caused it to feel much hotter in the crowd at times. Clinton wore a high-collared shirt and a dark pant suit and donned sunglasses for the morning event. Democratic Representative Joe Crowley of New York, a Clinton supporter who attended the event, told Reuters that it was "incredibly, stiflingly hot" during the ceremony. CAPPING DIFFICULT DAYS Clinton has been in the news before for serious health issues. In December 2012, she suffered a concussion and shortly afterward developed a blood clot. In a letter released by her doctor in July 2015, Clinton was described as being in "excellent health" and "fit to serve" in the White House. It noted that her current medical conditions include hyperthyroidism and seasonal pollen allergies. However brief her illness was on Sunday, it comes in the wake of some tough days for Clinton, as national polls showed her lead over Trump diminishing. A Reuters/Ipsos poll of likely voters showed an 8-point lead for Clinton had vanished by the last week of August. On Saturday, Clinton came under fire from Republicans and on social media for saying Friday night that "half" of Trump's supporters belonged in a "basket of deplorables." She later said she regretted using the word "half." Clinton's speech at a campaign rally earlier this month in Cleveland was interrupted by a coughing spell. During the speech, she quipped, "Every time I think about Trump I get allergic." She then resumed her speech. That episode fueled speculation from conservative political quarters about her health. Trump supporters have been tweeting unsubstantiated theories regarding Clinton's health under the hashtag #HillarysHealth. Trump has also been under pressure to release detailed information on his health and medical history. Instead, in December, Trump's doctor wrote in a short letter that was made public that his blood pressure and laboratory results "were astonishingly excellent" and that he would be "the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency." Bloomfield House Hotel, the Four Star Lakeside Wedding venue has just scooped the hotly contested Top Rated Wedding Venue in Westmeath Award for a fifth year from the Irish and UK venue finder website, WeddingDates.ie. There was great excitement and celebrations at the hotel as the winner was officially announced. We were overwhelmed by the response we got from all our past Brides & Grooms. We had amazing comments and feedback this year and were still up against it with the competition from other wedding venues explained Nicola Forkan, Wedding & Events Manager at Bloomfield House Hotel, who was thrilled on hearing the results. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all the wedding couples who added such amazing wedding reviews she added. Ciara Crossan, Founder & CEO of WeddingDates.ie says; "The WeddingDates Awards represent the best of the best wedding venues from across the country. They are based purely on reviews from past wedding couples who have experienced the service and quality, and we feel that they are the most authentic awards and something that all the winners should be extremely proud of. Id like to extend massive congratulations to Bloomfield House Hotel and all our award winners this year who represent the creme de la creme of wedding venues in Ireland. On top of being crowned Westmeaths Top Rated Wedding Venue, the four star lakeside Hotel was also awarded Irelands Country House Wedding Venue of the Year. This crowns a fantastic year with Bloomfield House also being awarded Midlands Wedding of the Year at the Hospitality Awards hosted by Midlands 103 earlier this year. Ronan Byrne, General Manager at Bloomfield House Hotel thanked all their past couples for their kind and honest reviews. We are delighted and honoured to have received these awards from WeddingDates.ie. Accolades that are based on our Brides & Grooms feedback drive us to continue to create unique and memorable weddings. This really is the icing on the cake as we celebrated our 40th Anniversary this year. It is fantastic to be recognised as Westmeaths Top Rated Wedding Venue and Irelands Country House Wedding Venue of the Year based on the opinions of those who know us best our Brides and Grooms. These awards are a testament of the hard work and dedication of our team he added. The Wedding Team are looking forward to an exciting 2020 as they showcase many new additions to their Wedding Packages including the spectacular Lakeview Ceremony Room, elegant bespoke Wedding Chairs, Cherry Blossom Trees, exquisitely decorated Ballroom and much more to complete that opulent look on your special day. Discover why Bloomfield House Hotel is Westmeaths and the Midlands Wedding Venue of the Year and Irelands Country House Wedding Venue of the Year at the hotels Wedding Showcase on Sunday the 5th of January 2020 from 1pm to 6pm. For more information on Weddings at Bloomfield House Hotel, please telephone 044 93 40894, email weddings@bloomfieldhouse.com or visit www.bloomfieldhousehotel.ie. Todd Frazier could be headed south for the first time in his career. The ex-Yankees and Mets free agent infielder has recently heard from the Texas Rangers about a possible one-year deal, according to the the Dallas Morning News Evan Grant. Frazier, who turns 34 in February, is a hedge for the Rangers as they pursue Colorado Rockies star third baseman Nolan Arenado, according to Grant. Frazier serves two purposes -- a right-handed power hitter to play third base if Arenado doesnt come to fruition, or a first baseman to pair with starter Ronald Guzman in the event the trade goes through. Its the first major development in what has been a slow free agency period for Frazier. A few nibbles here and there, a person with knowledge of the situation, who spoke to NJ Advance Medias Brendan Kuty on the condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to speak publicly, said. Buy Yankees tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, PrimeSport, Ticketmaster Frazier, who spent his entire professional career up north in New York, Illinois and Ohio, put up solid numbers at the plate in 2019 with the Mets. His batting average (.251) was a bit higher than his career average (.243). He clubbed 21 homers and drove in 67 RBI with a .772 OPS in 133 games. Frazier has a reputation as a solid defender. The Rutgers alum is a two-time All-Star through the first nine years of his MLB career. (NJ Advance Medias Brendan Kuty contributed to this report.) Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @briannnnf. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A prolific thief who shoplifted more than 500 worth of Lego was stealing to fund a heroin addiction at the time, a court has heard. Mother-of-one April O'Brien (27) was spared jail after a judge remarked that although she had 53 previous convictions for stealing, she was now "dealing with her demons". O'Brien, with an address at a city centre hostel, pleaded guilty to theft. Judge Michael Walsh gave her a one-year sentence but fully suspended it for a year. Dublin District Court heard O'Brien went to Hodges Figgis on Dawson Street last June 6 and took five boxes of Lego worth a total of 550. She left without paying and the property was not recovered. O'Brien also admitted other thefts, including stealing electronics and make-up worth 369 from Marks & Spencer on Jervis Street on July 4 and 100 worth of cosmetics from Boots on Grafton Street on September 14. Appalling The accused had 97 previous convictions, 53 of which were for theft. Her solicitor, John Feaheny said O'Brien accepted her history was "absolutely appalling". She had had a "bad heroin addiction" and was living in hostels and on the street. The accused told the court that since going into custody, she had been in education, was on methadone and attending counselling. She had also been living in the Phoenix Park in a tent before going into prison, O'Brien told the court. Before, she was not getting any help and had "no stability, goals or focus" but she now had the support of her family, she added. Judge Walsh said the accused's offending history was "dreadful" and no redress to the victims had been offered. KCNA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is taking the gloves off, setting up a year that will likely include several missile tests and other demonstrations of military capability. The bout of diplomacy that began with the Trump administration and the South Korean government in early 2018 has been moribund for some time, but we now have the best indication from Pyongyang that the door on this chapter of rapprochement is shut. Unusually, Kim Jong Uns yearly New Years Day Address, taking after his grandfathers annual January 1 speeches, appears to have been set aside this year in favor of a 4,300 word report, presented officially to the fifth plenum of the 7th Central Committee of the Korean Workers Party. Mike Pompeo Grilled on CBS: Youre Not Alarmed by North Korea News? The document marks the culmination of several months of a strategic rethink that began earlier this year after the spectacular collapse of U.S.-North Korea talks in Hanoi, Vietnam. One can say a lot in 4,300 wordsand Kim Jong Un does. Optimists, including perhaps President Donald Trump, who already has called Kim a man of his word, may choose to ignore the sharp statements that indicate a dangerous turn in Pyongyangs policy. But in Kims report the bottom line on talks with the United States is one of frustration, dejection, and defiance. As explicit as ever, Kim ruled out the notion of diplomacy with the United States on disarmament, likening his nuclear force to his countrys dignity and categorically rejected the notion that this could be traded for a brilliant transformation, apparently alluding to the kind of proposition put forth days earlier by President Trumps national security adviser, Robert C. OBrien. If only Kim would give up nuclear weapons, OBrien said, it would open up a glorious path for the people of North Korea, where they can become like South Korea, and be a very prosperous, very wealthy country. Kim has other plans. As laid out in the plenum report, he sees the key to keeping his nuclear weapons and winning relief from economic sanctions that have constrained North Koreas economy as more nukes, better missiles, and thus more leverage. Kim said that there was no sense in North Korea adhering to a now nearly two-year-long moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile testing any longer, setting up a new round of testing to showcase qualitative advancements in North Korean capabilities. Story continues On economic sanctions, Kim delivered disappointing news to the Workers Party. Where in 2012, shortly after taking the reins of power from his father, Kim had said that he would never let North Korean people tighten their belts again, the plenum work report said that North Korea would have to hunker down and work hard to achieve self prosperity even though we tighten our belts. Economic hard times arent new for Pyongyang, but Kim is resetting expectations. In 2017, there were lofty expectations that North Koreas so-called treasured swordwhat it poetically calls its own nuclear forceswould be the key to unlocking economic prosperity. HOW DID WE GET HERE? Back in April 2018, at the third plenum, Kim announced a series of unilateral measures relating to North Koreas nuclear and missile programsmeasures that were not presented in terms of a response to diplomacy with the United States. That plenum took place days before Kims first summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and after Trump had already accepted the prospect of meeting the North Korean leader face-to-face. Kim announced that because North Koreas development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles was completed, testing was no longer necessary. The justification for the steps was thus technical, even if exaggerated. Those moratoria, however, were quickly treated as currency in negotiations, with Pyongyang emphasizing them as denuclearization steps that merited reward in the form of sanctions relief. Though unwritten in any agreement, North Koreas moratoria were met with a U.S.-South Korea freeze on large joint military exercises. Originally a solution favored by China and Russia in 2017, this dual freeze was the basis of reducing tensions that had soared in 2017. This was the message that Kim Jong Un reiterated during his 2019 New Years Day Address, where the message to the United States was that North Korea had taken steps toward deescalating tensions and now it was Washingtons turn to reciprocate. The outcome of the truncated Hanoi summit in February made it clear the United States was not ready to offer sanctions relief. And so, in April 2019, at the fourth plenum, Kim put in place his now famous end-of-year deadline for 2019, giving the United States one last chance to conduct a policy review and come around on the issue of granting North Korea partial sanctions relief for partial steps on denuclearization. That change in heart never came; the final U.S.-North Korea working-level talks of any significance that took place in October 2019 were a final forum for Pyongyangs negotiators to figuratively flip the table on what they considered to be an unacceptable package of U.S. proposals. From then on, North Koreas state propaganda apparatus was less than subtle as it indicated a dramatic shift was brewing. From Kim Jong Uns two jaunts to Mount Paektu on a white horse to a series of year-end statements warning the United States of the impending deadline, including the now infamous Christmas gift promise, Pyongyang made it apparent that the door was quickly closing for a dealif it hadnt shut already. China and Russia, Kims two closest great power partners, appear to have made noise at the United Nations Security Council in the final days of 2019 on economic sanctions relief in an attempt to perhaps stay Kims hand from his itchy missile-testing finger, but the plenum report suggests that whatever path North Korea will chart ahead will be of its own determination. Beijing and Moscows sensitivities are unlikely to cap North Koreas appetite for risk. THE ROAD AHEAD What lies ahead will become known soon enough. Kim has promised a shocking actual action, suggesting that hell look to issue a wake-up call to Washington with a new demonstration of military capability as he sought to do in 2017 with his Fourth of July test of an intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM). Given that North Korea thrice tested ICBMs on a shortened, or lofted, trajectory into the Sea of Japan in 2017, something else is likely in the works to fit the bill for a shocking demonstration. Kim has hinted at a new strategic weapon, too, reiterating language from a statement released by North Koreas Academy of Defense Science after a December rocket engine test. He said such a weapon would be witnessed by the world in the near future. North Korea could demonstrate a bigger ICBM; a more capable ICBM (i.e., with multiple warheads or complex missile defense penetration aids); an ICBM using solid propellants, which could be launched more quickly than its 2017 systems; a more exotic weapon altogether, like a spin on the abortive Soviet Fractional Orbital Bombardment System; or look to conduct a nuclear test againperhaps atmospheric instead of underground. (Such a threat was put on the table in September 2017 was never formally stricken.) A new satellite launch could accompany a more explicitly militarized demonstration of capability, too. There are many options and Pyongyang is now technically adept enough and evidently risk-acceptant enough that none should be surprises. But Kim, by his own admission, is looking to shock the world. Optimists might selectively point to parts of Kims plenum report that suggest the door to diplomacy remains open, but North Korea is not about to walk through that door anytime soon. 2019 was a reality check for Pyongyang, allowing it to test whether its nuclear capabilities were sufficient to win it respect as an equal at the negotiating table with the United States. The Hanoi summit demonstrated that whatever leverage it had acquired with its nuclear weapons and missile testing campaign through 2019 was insufficient to wake the United States up to the fact that North Korea was a nuclear power in its own right. Fundamentally, what hasnt changed is that North Korea is still not disarming or is not about to kowtow to American sanctions pressure. Just as every missile test in 2015, 2016, and 2017 was laying the groundwork for an eventual turn to diplomacyif and only when North Korea became readyso too will whatever demonstrations lie ahead in 2020 lay the foundation for the eventual next round of U.S.-North Korea engagement. In the meantime, we should expect a 2020 full of brinkmanship as Pyongyang continues to hone the blade of its treasured sword. Weakened and Unstable Trump Gives Korea the Jitters Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Activists Ekta and Ravi Shekhar returned home to their 14-month-old baby here on Thursday, a day after an Uttar Pradesh court gave bail to them and 56 others arrested for protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC nearly two weeks ago. The Shekhars, who run the environment NGO Climate Agenda and made headlines with many voicing concern about their toddler daughter being left alone, were among the 59 people taken into custody during the protests on December 19. On Wednesday, the court of the additional sessions judge, Varanasi, granted bail to Ekta (32) and Ravi (36), residents of Mehmoorganj, and 56 others, ending their ordeal. "I didn't think it would take so long," an emotional Ekta told NDTV as she hugged her daughter after two weeks. "Main bata nahin sakti (I can't put it in words)," she said when asked how it felt. The bail application of the couple -- nabbed along with other protesters from Left groups from Beniyabagh and nearby localities for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CRPC -- was initially cancelled by a lower court and the next hearing fixed for January 1. In their absence, their baby was being taken care of by her grandmother Sheila Tiwari, uncle Shashikant and her aunts. There was some strong hero worship going on between Earth and space recently. On the ground in Sweden on Dec. 6, three Nobel Prize laureates gathered to talk about the universe with none other than two Expedition 61 astronauts orbiting roughly 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth: NASA's Jessica Meir, and Italy's Luca Parmitano on the International Space Station. Hot on the list of topics? What alien life would look like and also, how some of the Nobel prize work contributed to life on the space station today. Swiss astronomer and physicist Didier Queloz, who co-discovered the first exoplanet orbiting a first sun-like star with Michel Mayor (who also attended), told Parmitano he envied the Italian the chance to see "a view of the whole planet, that many of us would love to see." Related: 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics Mixes 2 Research Fields And Politics 2019 Nobel Prize laureates in physics, Didier Queloz and Michel Mayor, and the Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry, Stanley Whittingham, (at far left) talk the secrets of the universe with astronauts Jessica Meir (left) of NASA and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency during a Dec. 6, 2019 call to celebrate Nobel week in Stockholm, Sweden. (Image credit: ESA) He asked how much the view from space inspires the search for exoplanets. Parmitano suggested that to humans, there is one perspective because it is home. But to an alien visitor, "I would desire nothing else but to land and enjoy the sights from up close." Queloz's question to Meir, a biologist by training, was a little harder it concerned how possible it would be to detect life on exoplanets, and what kind of life forms she would envision. Meir said the key to thinking about life is to think outside the box and try to imagine life other than our own, carbon-based life and think about different elements that could be useful to extraterrestrials. Meir said that scientists should remember when hydrothermal vents were first discovered under the ocean in the 1970s, along with microbes that harness the chemical energy to not only survive, but thrive. "Until that time, people had this traditional view that life, of course, was always based on harnessing life from the sun or some equivalent star." The astronauts and Nobel laureates also bantered about life chemistry and physical limits to life before turning away from secrets of the universe, to focus on the secrets of batteries. Another of the participating scientists was Stanley Whittingham, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work in creating lithium-ion batteries. Funny enough, just a few months ago, astronauts on the station were replacing old nickel-hydrogen batteries on ISS with more efficient lithium-ion ones. "We thank you very much for your contribution to the International Space Station," Meir said to Wittingham, pointing out the many advantages of the new batteries. They are supposed to last 10 years, instead of the 6.5-year rating of the previous generation. Moreover, one lithium ion battery can generate enough energy to replace two of the older nickel-hydrogen ones. Since less mass is always something to strive for in space, Meir said that efficiency is a great help to space explorers. Wittingham asked how the astronauts protect the batteries against extremes in the space environment, and Parmitano explained how a combination of solar heating and cold ammonia lines stabilize the batteries through extreme heating and cooling as they orbit the Earth. Mayor, the other Nobel laureate in physics, asked Parmitano about inspiration, the last large theme of their short chat. Parmitano urged students to stay curious, and "question everything, because "up here, we really love getting answers and finding answers to questions but I think that every time we find an answer, there are 10 more questions that rise up." Parmitano closed the chat with a challenge to the Nobel laureates: would they trade the chance to go in space for their new honor? Whittingham, who is pushing 80 years old, said "If I was younger, yes." Mayor said he wasn't sure. And it was Queloz who got the biggest laugh. "Yes, I would, because nothing prevents an astronaut from getting another prize." Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. A 17-year-old mother and her eight-month-old baby have been found safe 48 hours after their disappearance sparked a national hunt. Paige Solomon and her daughter Amelia were located in Brisbane on Thursday following extensive inquiries by Queensland Police. The pair were last seen getting off a bus 100 kilometres south of Brisbane, at Tweed City Shopping Centre, in northern NSW, about 12pm Tuesday. Paige Solomon (pictured), 17, and her eight-month-old baby have been found safe in Brisbane by Queensland Police They had been reported missing to officers from Tweed-Byron Police District, who started an investigation. Family and police held welfare concerns for Paige and her baby due to their age. The police thank the public for their assistance in the search. Deutsche Bank selects NetDocuments Deutsche Bank, a German bank with European roots and a significant presence globally, especially in the Americas and Asia-Pacific region, has chosen NetDocuments as its new global document management system (DMS). NetDocuments provides a cloud-based content services platform for law firms, corporate legal teams, and compliance departments. The NetDocuments cloud platform will be utilized by Deutsche Banks global legal, located in 27 countries, with plans for future growth and scale. Deutsche Bank will also be implementing NetDocuments ndMail, AI/machine learning-based predictive email filing technology, as well as NetDocuments OCR for advanced document and image management. As part of its technology review and evaluation, Deutsche Banks global legal team challenged NetDocuments to address current as well as future growth, security, and extensibility in particular. Deutsche Bank was looking for a scalable cloud platform to accommodate potentially future growth. NetDocuments' security and compliance-as-a-service solutions are critical for clients due to the complexity of working in different regulatory environments across the globe. NetDocuments maintains the highest level of security and governance accreditations and certifications and meets the most stringent global security requirements through unique capabilities including entropic encryption, data striping across data centers and data residency for sovereignty purposes. Deutsche Bank will be leveraging NetDocuments new data centers located in Germany operational in early 2020. In addition, NetDocuments' open architecture and API design is built for extensibility and will allow Deutsche Bank to build on top of the cloud platform to expand and add new functionality. The NetDocuments platform enables Deutsche Bank to digitally share documents anywhere, anytime in a secure setting. With this innovative document management system we have found an effective and modern platform which also ensures the highest security and governance standards," said Stefan Simon, chief administrative officer of Deutsche Bank and senior group director. "It will provide our lawyers with the tools and information they need to ensure more efficiency in their daily business around the globe and share knowledge with colleagues. NetDocuments is working very closely with Deutsche Banks Legal Digitalization Team as well as its IT groups to design a best in class DMS user experience with security and regulatory requirements at the forefront. For more information, go to www.db.com and www.netdocuments.com. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The apparel and home decor retailer is now hiring with the goal of opening Feb. 18. Biz Briefs: Gordmans Hiring for Upcoming North Adams Location Now hiring The North Adams Peebles Department Store, located in the Steeple City Plaza, is converting to a Gordmans off-price store. The apparel and home decor retailer is now hiring with the goal of opening Feb. 18. Gordmans, which has been delighting shoppers for more than 100 years, is part of the Stage community of stores. Stage is converting its Peebles and other department store name plates to Gordmans in 2020, an off-price concept offering everyone's favorite brands at prices way lower than department stores. Gordmans offers a variety of positions in an energetic and engaging work environment. Positions, which vary by store location, include store manager, assistant store manager, sales associate, stockroom associate and more. Interested candidates are invited to first apply online and then visit the job fair from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at the North Adams location. Full-time Gordmans associates are offered benefits, including health insurance (medical, prescription drug, dental and vision); a 401(k) savings plan; paid vacation and holidays; and a 20 percent associate discount on merchandise, which is already at the lowest possible prices. Gordmans offers flexible full-time and part-time schedules. Social media workshop North Adams business owners are welcome to attend a free half-day social media marketing workshop on Jan. 14 from 8 a.m. to noon at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in Murdock Hall Room #218. The snow date is Jan. 17. A light breakfast and registration begin at 8 with programming from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Register here online. Business owners will benefit from developing goals, strategies and tactics to grow business and brand through practical social media marketing steps, no matter the budget or internet skill level. Attendees will have an opportunity to receive a one-on-one consultation and the option to make a short promotional video with help from an MCLA student. Each year more and more people are visiting the Berkshires. According to the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism and 1Berkshire, visitors to the Berkshires in 2017 spent $517 million in the local economy. Moreover, spending by visitors increased by nearly 30 percent in the last five years, which outpaces other regions in the state. With so many consumers using social media every day to access our local economy, this presents a great opportunity for small businesses that want to reach their online audience. BFAIR bag beneficiary BFAIR has been selected as a beneficiary of the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program for the month of January. The Stop & Shop Community Bag Program, which launched in May 2019, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work. BFAIR was selected as the January beneficiary of the program by store leadership at the Stop & Shop located at 876 State Road in North Adams. BFAIR will receive a $1 donation every time the $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at this location during January, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag attached to the bag. EforAll Pitch Contest Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Berkshire County is holding an "All Ideas Pitch Contest" on Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Green at 85 Main St., Suite 105, in North Adams. EforAll's first Pitch Contest at the Berkshire Museum in October 2019 created a lot of community buzz with more than 100 attendees and 11 companies competing. The big winner that night was Kaitlyn Pierce of Binka Bear. Described as "Shark Tank without the teeth," EforAll's friendly, free event features a business showcase and then pitches from six pre-selected contestants and two more that are added the night of the event. Each participant is given two and a half minutes to pitch a business or nonprofit idea to a panel of judges and the audience. At the end of it, EforAll gives away seed money to help launch these ideas. The first place finisher wins $1,000; second place $750; third place $500; and audience favorite $500. Applications and audience registration are both available online. January in Wild Oats Wild Oats Market invites everyone to Scoop Up The Savings in January. Each day of the month, one item in the bulk department will be featured with a 50 percent off sale. That's 30 different products over the course of 30 days, starting Thursday, Jan. 2. Shoppers will save on staples like coffee, nuts, rice and granola, as well ancient grains, honey, maple syrup, komboucha and more. And, as additional support to our customers' resolutions for healthy living in the new year, every Wednesday in January will be "Welllness Wednesday." The store's team of managers and buyers will highlight self care products from around the store, including body care, immune support, organic grocery items, the current selection of CBD offerings and new additions to the shelves for 2020. Details will be posted online throughout the month. SVMC 'A' grade Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care, earned an "A" for hospital safety from the Leapfrog Group. The national distinction recognizes SVMCs achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization driven by employers and other purchasers of health care. The organization is committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns a grade to all general hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care. Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice each year. The Hospital Safety Grades methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. Kimball Farms honor Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center is among the 19 percent of U.S. skilled nursing facilities that have been recognized as a Best Nursing Home for 2019-20 by U.S. News & World Report. The home earned Best Nursing Homes status by achieving a rating of "High Performing," the highest possible rating, for Long-Term Care. U.S. News gives the designation of Best Nursing Home only to those homes that satisfy U.S. News's assessment of the appropriate use of key services and consistent performance in quality measures. "We are honored that Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center has been recognized in this new Long-Term Care Rating for US News this year," said Bill Jones, president of Berkshire Healthcare. "Our caregivers strive to provide the highest quality care and we are gratified that an unbiased assessment came to the same conclusion that we are among the best in Massachusetts." Now in its 10th year, the U.S. News Best Nursing Homes ratings and profiles offer comprehensive information about care, safety, health inspections, staffing and more for nearly all of the nations 15,000-plus nursing homes. The Best Nursing Homes ratings reflect U.S. News' exclusive analysis of publicly available data using a methodology defined by U.S. News that evaluates factors that it has determined most greatly impact patient and resident care, safety and outcomes. Those looking to change career in 2020 should consider coding because they will be guaranteed a high-paying role in a flexible, exciting industry. This is according to Wild Code School, one of Europes leading coding institutions, which is opening its first campus in Ireland next week. It is estimated there are approximately 12,000 unfilled IT roles in Ireland today, and Wild Code School say this is a career path with really excellent prospects with junior web developers expecting to earn a starting salary of around 33,000, and that typically doubles within five years. Wild Code School was founded in France in 2014, and now operates campuses in 24 locations across Europe, all offering five-month coding bootcamps aimed at meeting skills gaps in the tech sector in a rapid and responsive way. The organisation has trained over 2,000 developers to date, with two main courses offered: Web Development and Data Analysis. Ninety percent of graduates are working in the tech industry within six months of completing their Wild Code School course. The first Wild Code School campus in Ireland will be located at The Digital Hub in Dublin 8. Anna Stepanoff, the international founder of Wild Code School, will visit Dublin next week to officially open the campus. Applications are now being accepted for the Dublin campuss first intake of trainees, with the inaugural five-month Web Development bootcamp beginning on 13th January 2020. The deadline for applications to the course is Wednesday, 8th January. An open night is taking place at the Dublin campus tonight, Thursday, 2nd January, from 6.30pm to 8pm. Anyone interested in finding out more about Wild Code School courses is welcome to attend. Speaking this week, Wild Code Schools Dublin Campus Manager, Marek Wystepek said, "This is the time of year when, inevitably, people start thinking about the changes they want to make in their lives. Often, those who want to change their careers are put off by the thoughts of having to re-train or go back to college for a long period of time." He added, "The beauty of the Wild Code School model is that our courses are only five months long. So, by summer 2020, you could have completely transformed your skill-set, acquiring the coding skills you need to land yourself an exciting new job this year." Source: www.businessworld.ie California has just received a stark reminder about the importance of an accurate and complete count in the 2020 census. As it stands, the Golden State is poised to lose a congressional seat for the first time in history, a reflection in part of out-migration to other states, most notably Texas. The ramifications dont end there. Hundreds of billions of federal tax dollars are distributed on the basis of state population. California has been forewarned: It needs to do everything it can to ensure that all residents, citizen and noncitizen, are counted this year. An analysis of the preliminary estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week showed that California was one of 10 states likely to lose a congressional seat. A final determination wont be made until the census is complete. Once that reapportionment is set, the states would then begin redrawing congressional boundaries for the 2022 midterms. California assigns that duty to its Citizens Redistricting Commission, which is charged with configuring those maps without regard to how it might affect a political party or candidate. So its impossible to assess at this point which member of Congress might be squeezed out when the delegation shrinks from 53 to 52. Texas, which now has 36 representatives in the U.S. House, second behind California, is expected to gain at least three seats. Florida, now 27, is on track to gain two. The political impact of reapportionment extends beyond Congress to presidential elections. Each states Electoral College votes represent the sum of its House and Senate seats. Given the stakes, its not surprising that the execution of the census has been the subject of considerable debate and litigation. The Trump administration had attempted to add a citizenship question to the census it had not been on the short form since 1950 but were stopped by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that its explanation was insufficient. After that ruling, which President Trump called deeply regrettable, he called on agencies to find other ways to collect data on citizenship. Concerns that the citizenship question could chill participation by immigrant groups were validated in the Census Bureaus test questionnaire. It showed that it did not have much effect overall, but did lower participation in neighborhoods that were bilingual with significant numbers of Latinos and Asian Americans, citizen and noncitizen. The absence of the citizen question does not alleviate the challenge of reaching California residents in historically undercounted groups, especially since the 2020 census becomes increasingly reliant on online surveys. The challenges include language barriers, noncitizen wariness about giving government information that could be used against them and Californians who are homeless or shifting residences during the census. The state has committed $187 million for verification and outreach and with good reason. A serious undercount could result in California losing more than one congressional seat, and untold millions if not billions of federal dollars. As a larger trend, the lastest census estimates show that the great rush to California that permeated the 20th century has subsided. California had 38 of the 435 seats after the 1960 census, trailing New Yorks 41. Its no secret that the high cost of living here most notably for housing has made this state a less inviting place to move and is a more tempting cause to flee. The housing crisis must continue to be high on the list of legislative priorities. But an immediate priority is to make sure that those who are here are counted in 2020. 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. Australias navy has been sent to evacuate people trapped in communities ravaged by the fires (Twitter@NSWRFS/AP) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was confronted by angry residents when he visited a wildfire-ravaged town. Mr Morrison was touring the town of Cobargo in New South Wales (NSW) on Thursday when he was heckled by locals who criticised his response to the bushfires and told him to f*** off. One woman shouted: What about the people who are dead now Mr Prime Minister? Another resident added: Every single time this area has a flood or a fire, we get nothing. If we were Sydney, if we were north coast, we would be flooded with donations with urgent emergency relief. Mr Morrison said: Well, Im not surprised people are feeling very raw at the moment. I understand the very strong feelings people have, theyve lost everything. And there is still, you know, some very dangerous days ahead. And we understand that, and thats why were going to do everything we can to ensure they have every support they will need. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) The Prime Minister also visited firefighters of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Quaama, where one of them refused to shake his hand. At least eight people have died this week in NSW and neighbouring Victoria, Australias two most-populous states, where more than 200 fires are currently burning. Authorities said 381 homes had been destroyed on the NSW southern coast this week, while 18 people have died since the fires began burning. Some 12.35 million acres of land an area almost the size of Croatia have burned nationwide over the past few months, with more than 1,300 homes destroyed. Thousands of tourists have fled ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. Cooler weather since Tuesday has aided firefighting and allowed people to replenish supplies. Vehicles formed long lines at petrol stations and supermarkets, with traffic gridlocked as highways reopened. Expand Close More than 200 wildfires are burning across Australias two most populous states (Twitter@NSWRFS/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp More than 200 wildfires are burning across Australias two most populous states (Twitter@NSWRFS/AP) Fire conditions are expected to worsen on Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds return. There is every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw (on Tuesday), New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said. NSW authorities have ordered tourists to leave a 155-mile zone along the picturesque south coast, which state Transport Minister Andrew Constance described as the largest mass relocation of people out of the region that weve ever seen. In Victoria, where 68 homes have burned this week, the military was helping thousands of people who fled to the shore as a wildfire threatened their homes on Tuesday in the coastal town of Mallacoota. Food, water, fuel and medical expertise were being delivered and about 500 people were going to be evacuated from the town by a naval ship. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: We think around 3,000 tourists and 1,000 locals are there. Not all of those will want to leave, not all can get on the vessel at one time. Mr Morrison said the crisis was likely to last for months. It will continue to go on until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months, Mr Morrison told reporters on Thursday. Smoke from the wildfires caused the air quality in the national capital, Canberra, to be the worlds worst. New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a seven-day state of emergency starting on Friday, which grants the New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner more control and power. It is the third state of emergency for New South Wales in the past two months after previously not being implemented since 2013. 90 Day Fiance Stars Loren and Alexei Brovarnik Expecting a Baby Boy: 'He Is Just So Loved' Its a boy! 90 Day Fiance stars Loren and Alexei Brovarnik are expecting a son in the new year, the couple confirms exclusively to PEOPLE. Were obviously beyond excited for BabyBrovs arrival this spring. He is just so loved already by so many! says Loren, who met her husband in 2013 during her Birthright trip in Israel where Alexei worked as a medic. They say there is no bond stronger than the one between a mom and her son, so the fact that Im getting a mommys boy has me over the moon, and the fact that Alex has a new fishing buddy and a mini-him, if you will, has him very excited! adds Loren, whose family is from Hollywood, Florida. The Brovarnik name gets carried on another generation! Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLEs free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Loren and Alexei Brovarnik | Courtesy Loren Brovarnik Loren and Alexei Brovarnik | Courtesy Loren Brovarnik RELATED: 90 Day Fiance Stars Loren and Alexei Brovarnik Expecting First Child: Its a Surreal Moment The couple who celebrated four years of marriage in September and announced they were expecting a month later found out the sex of their baby at a gender reveal party surrounded by loved ones last month. I see a lot of people I know (personally) announcing their own exciting news, and now its my turn! Loren who currently stars on 90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk (airing Sundays) previously told PEOPLE. Im excited, terrified, over the moon, nervous and so much more! Alex is hands down the best partner I could have ever asked for during this time. Added Alexei: Im very excited and happy, but nervous and scared at the same time. RELATED VIDEO: Get a Sneak Peek at the 90 Day Fiance Tell-All Story continues The parents-to-be also shared their happy news on Instagram with a series of sweet photos showing off Lorens baby bump. Were so excited to finally say, BabyBrov is on its way! Loren captioned her post. For those of you saying Im pregnant, well, ding ding ding, we cannot wait to welcome our baby boy or girl this Spring! Wrote Alexei alongside his photo slideshow, Yes its tru we are pregnant couldnt be more excited, I AM GOING TO BE A DADDY !!! The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is offering free radon test kits for Tennesseans to test their homes in January. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has proclaimed the month as Radon Action Month.Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, officials said, and it is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.We hope Tennesseans will take advantage of the offer of free test kits, Dr. Kendra Abkowitz, director of the Office of Policy and Sustainable Practices at TDEC, said.We want people to be aware of the potential for radon in their homes, that testing for it is free and easy, and that there are ways they can mitigate it if they find they have a radon problem.Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally-occurring radioactive gas that threatens peoples health when it is trapped in confined spaces such as homes. It is produced by the breakdown of uranium in rocks and soils. The only way to know if it is in a home is to test for it.Click here to request a free test kit, or call 800-232-1139."Radon does not generally present a health risk outdoors because it is diluted in the open air," officials said. "Radon can, however, build up to dangerous levels inside a house. A house can act like a vacuum, drawing radon through foundation cracks and other openings. Radon may also be present in well water and can be released in a home when the water is used for showering and other household activity."During January, the U.S. Surgeon General and the Environmental Protection Agency urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes for radon. The TDEC Office of Policy and Sustainable Practices manages the TN Radon program, a statewide awareness and education initiative, where the goal is to educate the public about the risk of radon exposure in indoor environments. WEST HAVEN A city resident was recently arrested after allegedly stealing an AR-15 rifle from two men at gunpoint, according to West Haven police. Timothy Frye, 33, was charged with first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, criminal possession of a firearm, theft of a firearm, first-degree threatening, carrying a pistol without a permit, third-degree assault, possession of an assault weapon and possession of a banned magazine, Sgt. Charles Young said in a release. Young said officers responded to the Super 8 motel on Kimberly Avenue at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 28 for a report of an assault and an armed robbery. Through investigation it was discovered arrestee Timothy Frye along with another unknown black male subject and a juvenile female had rented a room at the motel. Two additional male subjects (one whom had brought an AR-15 long rifle) arrived at the Motel with the intent of meeting the juvenile female, Young said in the release. During the course of their interactions one of the visiting male victims was alleged to have been struck in the head with the butt of a handgun by arrestee Timothy Frye and the rifle the victim had brought to the motel was reportedly taken from his possession at gunpoint. Frye was later arrested by West Haven officers at a New Haven residence, Young said. The AR-15 rifle has not been found, he said. The man Frye was allegedly with fled the scene before officers arrived. Police are looking to identify an African-American male believed to be involved in the incident, Young said. Anyone with information about his identity or this matter more generally is asked to call West Haven Police at 203-937-3905 or Detective DAmico at 203-937-3906, Young said. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com william.lambert@hearstmediact.com India has reached out to countries across all geographical regions to share its perspective on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the Register of Citizens, and emphasised that they are internal matters, the said on Thursday. A two-pronged strategy was adopted by the ministry as apart from reaching out to a number of resident ambassadors and high commissioners based here, Indian envoys abroad engaged with capitals in different countries, Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. "We did reach out to countries across all geographical regions. We did write to our missions and posts. We did tell them to share our perspectives on the CAA and to the host government," he said at a media briefing. Kumar said under the Indian outreach three-four points were emphasised to the countries on the CAA and the "We emphasised that the matter is internal to India. We also asked them (missions) to convey that the Act just provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities already in India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh," he said. According to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 following religious persecution there will get Indian citizenship. The Indian side also conveyed to the countries that the CAA does not affect the existing avenues which are available to other communities to seek citizenship, Kumar said, adding that it also does not seek to strip anybody of citizenship. He said it was also conveyed that in any way the Act does not alter the basic structure of the Constitution as some foreign press has portrayed. Indian ambassadors and consul generals were asked to reach out to not only the interlocutors in the government but also to the media, Kumar said. "On many occasions, the ministry conducts a very proactive diplomacy here in Delhi, but in this case it was realised that there is a lot of explaining that is involved and one has to go out and brief the capitals," he said. Asked about what the Indian side briefed other countries on the NRC, Kumar said it was emphasised that the CAA and are separate processes and not related. "We have said that NRC is a Supreme Court-mandated process, this is our internal matter. What we are doing is directed by the Supreme Court, mandated by the and monitored by the Supreme Court," he said, referring to the NRC in Assam. "If you notice the reaction which we have received from across the world, barring a few countries, we feel most of the countries have accepted that this is an internal matter of India and that is what is getting reflected in their reactions and their pronouncements," the spokesperson said. When asked about reports that some countries were not apprised about the CAA, he said those reports were "factually incorrect". On Bangladesh's reactions to the NRC, he said India has explained its position to the Bangladeshi government. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was in the US for the 2+2 dialogue last month, had shared India's perspective on the CAA with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's leadership in Washington. Protests over the CAA had led to the postponement of the Indo-Japan bilateral summit last month. The cancellation of the Japanese prime minister's trip had come a day after Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan called off their visits to India following enactment of the controversial law. - Nigerian male barbie Bobrisky has made a vow to his secret boyfriends - The male barbie promised his boyfriends that he would be more discrete this year - Bobrisky also thanked all her secret boyfriends Controversial Nigerian cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, has made a promise to all his secret boyfriends. The cross-dresser shared a post on social media with a vow to his boyfriends. The cross-dresser promised all his secret boyfriend that he would be very discrete about them this 2020. Bobrisky, who is rumoured to be dating top politicians in the country, shared the vow on his SnapChat. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app The male barbie made the promise in a New Year message shared with his fans. He wished his fans a happy New Year. In the SnapChat message, the male barbie also gave thanks to his secret boyfriends for making his New Year a good one. PAY ATTENTION: Do you have news to share? Contact Legit.ng instantly READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Bobrisky sent out a warning to women as he shared his New Year's resolution. The cross-dresser told ladies to keep their men away because 2020 is for snatching husbands. In another post, the cross-dresser revealed that he wants to get married in 2020. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better Bobrisky's Birthday: Nigerians condemn Police over disruption at party venue - on Legit TV Source: Legit.ng The outsourcing of production factories to locations overseas from companies' home countries has been a hallmark practice of multinational brands since the 1990s and is lauded by some economists as advancing the well-being of people in both the home country and the production country. However, not all of the benefits attributed to this globalization practice necessarily accrue, and there are concerns about outsourcing that are not readily addressed within the formulations of economic theory. First, a home company that separates its brand and its product as completely as possible and places the brand as paramount hardly sends a message that product quality is central to its operations; more likely, all of its innovation attempts will focus on branding, and such a company will settle with a product that is merely (and maybe barely) good enough. Dismissing this point, economists may cite the law of comparative advantage: outsourcing allows both companies involved to pursue greater profit and well-being according to their capabilities. Specifically, workers in the companies of manufacture should be paid more than they would be paid otherwise, even if they are paid less than factory workers in the original country; meanwhile, workers in the home country should be pushed to increase their skills and education and move to higher-skill jobs that are less available in the country of manufacture. Whether displaced workers in the home country acquire skills and make this shift in any reasonable timeframe is hardly demonstrated, however, and while outsourcing may create value by lowering costs, it has been asserted that workers in the countries of production are making no more after outsourcing than previously and hence in effect are enjoying none of the new profit. The CEO of one outsourcing company, when pressed on this point by a reporter, explained that, as the employees of those factories were not employees of his company, he could not be responsible for them. He asked the reporter whether journalists should be expected to know, and be responsible for, the manufacturing conditions of the paper on which their articles are printed. This comment, as much as it defends corporations, highlights the broadest form of worry about outsourcing: in global supply chains with increasingly distant and opaque connections, responsibility is too easy to shirk and maybe even impossible to determine. Show Spoiler C 1. The primary purpose of the passage is to A. explain why a particular business strategy has been less successful than was once anticipated B. propose an alternative to a particular business strategy that has inadvertently caused damage C. present a concern about the possible consequences of pursuing a particular business strategy D. make a case for applying a particular business strategy on a larger scale than is currently practiced E. suggest several possible outcomes of companies' failure to understand the economic impact of a particular business strategy Show Spoiler D 2. The passage mentions which of the following as a possible consequence of companies' outsourcing of production factories? A. The companies may be able to produce a greater number of products by lowering prices. B. The companies may advance the well-being of people in both the home country and the production country. C. The companies may send a message that product quality is central to their operations. D. The companies may benefit from lower costs while workers in the country of production fail to benefit. E. The companies may exploit workers who have little legal recourse or opportunity to bargain collectively. Show Spoiler B 3. According to the passage, which of the following is most likely a motivation of a company that outsources its production factories? A. It is motivated to shirk responsibilities that are clearly its own. B. It is motivated to focus on marketing its brand and somewhat ignore the quality of its product. C. It is motivated to sell its existing product lines at lower prices. D. It is motivated to capture all of the economic benefit that accrues from switching to outsourcing, leaving none for the workers involved in the country of production. E. It is motivated to ensure that certain workers move to higher-skill jobs in a reasonable time frame. A. explain why a particular business strategy has been less successful than was once anticipatedB. propose an alternative to a particular business strategy that has inadvertently caused damageC. present a concern about the possible consequences of pursuing a particular business strategyD. make a case for applying a particular business strategy on a larger scale than is currently practicedE. suggest several possible outcomes of companies' failure to understand the economic impact of a particular business strategyA. The companies may be able to produce a greater number of products by lowering prices.B. The companies may advance the well-being of people in both the home country and the production country.C. The companies may send a message that product quality is central to their operations.D. The companies may benefit from lower costs while workers in the country of production fail to benefit.E. The companies may exploit workers who have little legal recourse or opportunity to bargain collectively.A. It is motivated to shirk responsibilities that are clearly its own.B. It is motivated to focus on marketing its brand and somewhat ignore the quality of its product.C. It is motivated to sell its existing product lines at lower prices.D. It is motivated to capture all of the economic benefit that accrues from switching to outsourcing, leaving none for the workers involved in the country of production.E. It is motivated to ensure that certain workers move to higher-skill jobs in a reasonable time frame. Calls are growing for home insurance taxes to be lowered as hundreds of bushfire victims get no compensation because they could not afford cover. Experts say thousands of New South Wales residents do not insure their homes because state government taxes make it too expensive. New South Wales and Tasmania are the only jurisdictions in the country where emergency services are funded by a tax on insurance companies. The emergency services levy in NSW is expected to raise $895million this financial year, covering 85 per cent of funding for the sector. The tax effectively forces insurers to raise policy prices by around 25 per cent. Scroll down for video Razed: A home recently destroyed by bushfires near the town of Bilpin on December 29 A destroyed home is seen after a bushfire in Buxton, New South Wales on December 19 When stamp duty and GST are added, NSW residents pay 45 to 50 per cent tax on their insurance. The Insurance Council of Australia says this puts people off getting insured at a time when bushfires are destroying thousands of homes. Latest figures from 2015 showed only 82 per cent of NSW homes were insured compared with 89 per cent in Victoria. ICA spokesman Campbell Fuller told the AFR: 'The ICA believes there is a direct link between the extra amount of tax paid by NSW households and businesses on insurance and the high level of non-insurance and underinsurance in the state compared with other jurisdictions. In 2016 the NSW government passed a law to scrap the ESL and replace it with a broader tax on business and properties, as in other states. But the law was never implemented as Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it would cost commercial and industrial property owners too much. The ICA says the new law should be brought in as soon as possible. A destroyed home following bushfire damage on November 13 in Rainbow Flat, Australia The remains of a car that was destroyed by bushfires sits near a home in the town of Balmoral on December 30 'The current system is unfair, it's inequitable, it's difficult to administer, and it leads to significant detriment to consumers in NSW. We've argued this for many years,' said Mr Fuller. 'There are fairer ways to fund emergency services, through a broad-based property levy and/or through consolidated revenue. After all, the fire services are there to help all taxpayers.' So far this season bushfires have caused $300million worth of damage - but this figure does not include uninsured losses and is expected to increase. The emergency services levy The ESL is a levy on general insurers to fund emergency services organisations. Each insurer pays a total contribution to the NSW Government for ESL for each emergency services funding year, which commences 1 July. The contribution is set by the Government and adjusted according to the insurer's market share within the year. The insurer in practice needs to collect and fund this contribution by charging an ESL component on individual insurance policies, as a percentage of the base premium. This in practice normally applies to any premium, whether for a new or renewal policy or mid-term change The levy applies to the following types of insurance policies: Property (including consequential loss), house building and/or contents, personal effects (including jewellery, clothing and works of art), motor vehicle and motor cycle, marine and baggage, crop and livestock. Most Australian States and Territories have phased out this type of levy except New South Wales (NSW) and Tasmania. Source: AIG Advertisement On Thursday thousands of tourists were given less than 48 hours to evacuate fire-ravaged coastal communities as Australia braces for a heatwave Saturday expected to fan deadly bushfires. Catastrophic blazes ripped through swathes of the continent's south-east on New Year's Eve, killing at least eight people and stranding holidaymakers as seaside towns were ringed by flames. The New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service on Thursday morning declared a 'tourist leave zone' stretching about 200km from Bateman's Bay to Victoria Visitors are being warned to leave before Saturday, which is forecast to bring gusting winds and 45C heat. That weather will create dangerous fire conditions that officials say will be as bad - if not worse - than Tuesday, Australia's deadliest day of fires in a months-long bushfire crisis. An actress who appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger is facing a second-degree murder charge after police say she fatally stabbed her mom inside her Kansas home last month. Mollie Fitzgerald, 38, was behind bars in Johnson County on Wednesday, a day after her arrest in Olathe, a suburb of Kansas City, according to online jail records. Her bail was set at $500,000, with an arraignment scheduled for Thursday. Fitzgerald allegedly attacked her 68-year-old mom Patricia Tee Fitzgerald before the womans body was found in her Olathe home Dec. 20, the Kansas City Star reported. The mother recently returned to the Kansas City area after living several decades in Texas with her lawyer husband, the womans brother Gary Hunziker, 72, told the Star. We were shocked, he told the newspaper. It doesnt matter the circumstances. The loss of a sister is what its all about. Mollie Fitzgerald played a Stark Girl in Captain America: The First Avenger, the 2011 blockbuster that grossed $177 million in the U.S., according to IMDB.com. for everyone seeing mollie fitzgerald was in captain america and wondering who, she was the assistant lady at the stark expo pic.twitter.com/8Kw6AcNN9O elijah (@cherrystan_) January 2, 2020 Being a part of this production has been one of the best experiences of my life, Fitzgerald reportedly told a comic book publication in 2011. A funeral for Patricia Fitzgerald was set for Friday, according to her online obituary. "Captain America" actress arrested in connection with her mother's murder https://t.co/tBZNL7JQHh pic.twitter.com/wgAMKKybRI Variety (@Variety) January 2, 2020 Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) spawned the sequels titled Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016), but Fitzgerald was not in either of them. Her credits also including writing, producing and directing several films, including 2011s The Lawful Truth which featured Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnston in the cast. By Nancy Dillon, New York Daily News Chennai-based TVS Motor Company on Thursday reported 14.67 per cent decline in total sales to 2,31,571 units in December 2019. The company had sold 2,71,395 units in December 2018, TVS Motor Co said in a statement. Total two-wheelers sales were at 2,15,619 units last month as against 2,58,709 units in December 2018, down 16.65 per cent. Domestic two-wheeler sales were down 25 per cent at 1,57,244 units last month as compared to 2,09,906 units in the corresponding month in 2018, it added. Motorcycle sales stood at 93,697 units as against sales of 1,07,189 units in December 2018, while scooter sales were at 74,716 units in December 2019 as against sales of 91,480 units in the year-ago month. Three-wheeler sales grew by 26 per cent at 15,952 units last month as compared to 12,686 units in December 2018, the company said. TVS Motor Co said its total exports in December 2019 grew by 22 per cent to 73,512 units as compared to 60,262 units in the year-ago month. Two-wheeler exports grew by 20 per cent at 58,375 units in December 2019 as against 48,803 units in the same month previous year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of far north Queensland with makeshift weapons trying to torch houses after an alleged murder took place in the seaside town. Two teenagers were charged with the murder of a 37-year-old man in Aurukun, about a 13-hour drive north of Cairns, on New Year's Day. The man was rushed to a medical centre in the remote town after 3pm on Wednesday but he died shortly after arrival. It will be alleged an altercation between the teens, aged 17 and 18, and the man led to him being stabbed in the abdomen. At least six homes were torched in the town of Aurukun after two teenagers were charged with murder Hundreds of people took to the streets with makeshift weapons after news of the death of a local spread Following news of the man's death up to 250 people took to the streets and armed themselves with spears, spear guns, star pickets and metal bars, police say. People were assaulted and at least six houses were set on fire in what Superintendent Geoff Sheldon described as a 'vengeance seeking exercise' following the man's death. Although there is a complete alcohol ban in the community, he said a number of people in the group appeared to be intoxicated. Police had seized dozens of bottles of alcohol prior to the incident, which Supt Sheldon said was one of the largest seizures in recent memory, and led to the hope there would be less trouble over the New Year celebrations. 'All armed, all aggressive and it became quite a dangerous situation for all present,' Supt Sheldon told media on Thursday. He said anyone thought to be associated with the two people charged was a target of the anger. 'They had one thing on their mind and that was to injure or kill whoever had injured or killed their friend,' he said. Some of the group went to the medical clinic and police were forced to remove them and temporarily lock the facility down. Queensland police released vision taken on the night and said they found alcohol prior to the attacks Six homes were set on fire during the riots, according to Queensland police At one point about a hundred people went to the town's airport looking for the pair of teens under the impression police would fly them out of town. But Supt Sheldon said the pair had already handed themselves into police. 'Because of the high level of violence, they quite willingly came an surrendered to us,' he said. Additional police were sent to Aurukun overnight from nearby areas of Weipa, Coen and Cairns, with a senior officer from Cairns among those sent to the township. A major investigation has been launched into the murder and unrest. Specialist police such as detectives, the dog squad, scientific and crime scene officers will also be sent to Aurukun to assist with the investigations. The teenagers both appeared Cairns Magistrates Court on Thursday. They will remain behind bars until their next court appearance. KABUL The Taliban unleashed a new wave of attacks in northern Afghanistan, targeting members of the countrys security forces and killing at least 26, local officials said Wednesday. The insurgents quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban today hold sway over practically half of Afghanistan, staging near-daily attacks that target soldiers, security forces and government officials but also kill scores of civilians. In northern Kunduz province, at least 10 Afghan forces were killed and four others were wounded in an attack on a police checkpoint in the district of Dashti Archi late on Tuesday night, according to Mohammad Yusouf Ayubi, the head of the provincial council. And in Balkh province, the Taliban killed nine police officers in an attack on their checkpoint. The fate of four other policemen who were at the checkpoint was unknown, said Mohammad Afzel Hadid, head of the provincial council. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed that the insurgents in the Balkh attack had infiltrated police ranks a while ago, waiting for a chance to strike. Though the Taliban often exaggerate their claims, the insurgents also on occasion disguise themselves in Afghan uniforms to get easier access to their targets. In a third attack on Tuesday night, a gun battle with the Taliban killed seven members of the security forces in Takhar province, according to Jawad Hajri, the provincial governors spokesman. He said 10 Taliban fighters were also killed. The Taliban have intensified their attacks in northern Afghanistan in recent days. They struck a pro-government militia compound in Jawzjan province before dawn on Monday, killing 14 members of the Afghan security forces. A similar militia compound was targeted in Takhar on Sunday, when at least 17 militiamen were killed. On Friday, at least 10 Afghan soldiers died in a Taliban attack on a checkpoint in southern Helmand province. The latest Taliban attacks underscore that the insurgents are at their strongest in the 18-year war, Americas longest conflict, even as their leadership, based in the Arab Gulf state of Qatar, has been negotiating with a U.S. envoy. Rahim Faiez is an Associated Press writer. In California, cannabis entrepreneurs are trying to refute one of the fundamental laws of chemistry: that oil and water dont mix. Coming on the heels of cannabis-infused kombucha, cannabis-infused seltzer really, cannabis-infused everything the latest beverage trend threatens to take the category to a new extreme: Welcome to the age of cannabis rose. In the last few months, three California companies have released nonalcoholic, cannabis-infused roses: the women-centric brands House of Saka and Viv & Oak, and the stoner-friendly Rebel Coast. Each company wants its infused rose to be your after-work wind-down drink, your pairing with a fillet of salmon, your aperitif on the patio. They promise a more manageable high than an edible and more subtlety than lighting up. Because all legal cannabis products are required to be nonalcoholic, these booze-removed roses capitalize on the growing sober curious movement. Their high hope is that they might bring new drinkers and occasions into the cannabis fold. We see Saka at dinner parties, weddings, says House of Saka CEO Tracey Mason. Places where before you might have had to go outside and around the corner to smoke a joint. This is a new, girly, gentrified look for cannabis products. Rose is a trend specific to women with purchasing power, says Sakas president, Cynthia Salarizadeh. The cannabis roses are explicitly targeting an affluent, 21- to 65-year-old female demographic, which is already buying actual rose wine in droves: According to Impact Databank, U.S. rose wine sales reached 18.7 million cases in 2018, up 1.2 million from three years earlier. Whereas Sakas packaging might be described as bachelorette party-psychedelic, and Viv & Oak has a kind of sexy-housewife vibe (marketing shots show the bottle surrounded by chocolate-covered strawberries), Rebel Coast is more brose: Its label promises itll turn out better than that time you went to the Fyre Festival. Meanwhile, legal cannabis looked on track for $3.1 billion in sales in California in 2019, three years into legalization. Within this growing industry, beverages are potentially an untapped goldmine. Alcohol behemoths AB InBev and Constellation have made major investments in the cannabis space, to the tune of $50 million and $5 billion, respectively. Saka, Viv & Oak and Rebel Coast are still small, each producing under 5,000 cases this year, but infused beverages could represent $375 million in sales by 2022, according to the firm BDS Analytics. The opportunity in cannabis is a big blue ocean, says Macai Polansky, co-founder of Spacestation, a new Sacramento company that bottles cannabis-infused beverages for other businesses, as well as produces its own brand of cannabis-infused seltzers called Nectr. Packaged beverage makes up 30 to 60% of sales in grocery stores, but right now its only about 1% of a dispensarys sales. But cannabis and wine (or seltzer, or kombucha) might not be such easy bedfellows. For one thing, dispensaries might not want to deal with the hassle of bottled beverages. A pallet of vape cartridges could be worth $500,000, whereas a pallet of beverages might be worth $20,000 to $30,000, Polansky says. Refrigerated storage and transportation are essential for beverages, but most retail and distribution channels arent yet set up for it. The greater challenge, though, is the infusion itself. Cannabis oil needs to be made water soluble in order to be added to a beverage, as anyone whos ever witnessed the separation of oil and vinegar in a jar knows well. It took Rebel Coast more than a year to figure out a successful infusion mechanism, says CEO Josh Lizotte. Eventually, Rebel Coast which first released an infused Sauvignon Blanc in 2017 licensed the infusion technology of a Colorado company, Ebbu. It goes in clear, masks the flavor of cannabis and doesnt separate, Lizotte says. Saka and Viv & Oak partnered with an Oakland company, Vertosa, for a similar technology. Many would-be drinkers might be wary of the edible effect: You eat a pot gummy, nothing happens, you eat some more, and then an hour later youre so high you feel like you might be having a panic attack. That phenomenon is the equivalent of walking into a bar and drinking Everclear, says Jake Bullock, co-founder of the social tonic brand Cann, whose 237ml cans in flavors like blood orange cardamom contain 2mg THC and 4mg CBD considerably less than the 5 to 10mg THC per serving of the cannabis roses. The gentle buzz that comes from a couple glasses of wine has, so far, been hard to find in cannabis edibles. But the infused roses promise sessionable experiences. The onset of the high should come about 15 minutes after consumption, the companies claim, as opposed to an hour or longer, in part due to the fact that the bloodstream absorbs liquids more quickly than solid foods. Theres a peak high at 45 minutes, and then, just like alcohol, theres a rapid offset, Lizotte says. The high from Rebel Coasts sativa-heavy Sauvignon Blanc is meant to be euphoric, but the rose has a higher percentage of relaxing indica. Wary of being grouped in with substandard-tasting weed products, Salarizadeh and Mason (a 25-year wine industry veteran) emphasize Sakas impeccable provenance. They begin with Napa Valley Pinot Noir grapes, which they make into a regular, old-fashioned rose. After the finished wine has aged in tank for a few months, they transport it over to BevZero, a Santa Rosa facility that removes the alcohol by a process known as vacuum distillation. That alcohol-free wine can then be sent to Sacramento, where they have Spacestation infuse and bottle the beverage. (Legally, you cant call it wine, so Saka just sticks with rose.) But to remove alcohol from a wine isnt just to remove the booze. It also removes weight, flavor and the perception of sweetness. The risk is that youd be left with thin, bland-tasting acid water. Before the vacuum distillation, BevZero removes a small portion of the wine, which it adds back in at the end along with other flavorings like grapefruit or strawberry to try to approximate the flavor of a real, alcoholic rose. (The finished product must legally be below 0.5% alcohol by volume, which is how they get away with adding some of the original wine at the end.) Viv & Oak Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. It starts as wine, but were not trying to keep up with that, says Viv & Oak founder Alana Burstein, acknowledging that her sparkling cannabis rose has not been to the taste of some wine connoisseurs. But the advantage, unlike for high-end wine, is that with the flavorings, her product is endlessly malleable. Everything can be tweaked and changed and modified. Its just going to keep on getting better. Should the wine industry and especially the rose industry be worried? Sakas Mason thinks so. When you think about how many dollars people are willing to allocate to having a good time, these beverages will certainly put a dent in that, she says. Its no-alcohol, no hangover. Theyre all leaning into the low-calorie angle. Saka claims to have 16 calories per 5-ounce glass; Viv & Oak says it has 24, Rebel Coast 49. (Your average glass of dry table wine clocks in at around 125 calories.) OK, but do they taste like bong water? No though they dont much taste like wine, either. The nose on the Saka is a dead ringer for strawberry Laffy Taffy, the palate reminiscent of Sweet Tarts. Its candied-tasting, but theres enough sourness to keep it from cloying. Viv & Oak is carbonated, which was a genius move; the bubbles help make up for some of the texture lost in the alcohol removal. Its ultra-cloudy, the color of worn ballet slippers, and tastes like a melted cherry Popsicle, with just the slightest suggestion of a fresh cannabis aroma on the nose like a subtle, winking warning. Of the three, Rebel Coasts rose is the dankest the one that tastes the most like weed. Its clear, unlike the other two hazy prototypes, and still has many of those strawberry- and cherry-candy notes, but its sweet flavors mingle with bitter herbs. I found it hard to throw back. I also found that the rapid-offset claim not to be true, at least for me. Rapid onset, sure: Within about 20 minutes of drinking a single serving of each of the infused roses, my high set in. Ten mg THC, which is how much a 5-ounce serving of Rebel Coast and Viv & Oak contain, is a lot for me; two glasses and my high would have gone in the wrong direction. Saka, half as potent at 5 mg per 5 ounces, felt more manageable. In every case, the high stayed with me for hours. It was pleasant, infinitely more endurable than what 10 mg of THC has felt to me when Ive consumed it in the form of a gummy. For me, a wine lover, these infused roses could never compete with the real deal at the dinner table. I find wine way too delicious to consider these candied-tasting concoctions as substitutes. Still, I was surprised by how palatable they were. There are far more disagreeable vehicles to intoxication. If youre a one-glass-and-done type of wine drinker, you might not miss the feeling of lingering over the dinner table long after your plate is empty, sipping on glasses of wine leisurely without wondering exactly how many milligrams of drugs youve consumed. I would, but I guess it all comes down to what you want to get out of your glass. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob Judge's order likely fatal for voter ID law this year Barring a successful and rapid appeal, North Carolinas voter ID requirement for the March 2020 primary looks dead. U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Biggs blocked the legislation in an order issued Tuesday, Dec. 31, saying racial motivation was a likely factor in the General Assemblys crafting of the voter ID law. The North Carolina NAACP, which brought the lawsuit, was likely to prevail in several of its allegations against the law, Biggs said. The preliminary evidence demonstrates a clear likelihood that Plaintiffs will establish that discrimination was behind the law: S.B. 824 was enacted against a backdrop of recurring state-sanctioned racial discrimination and voter suppression efforts both in the far and more recent past and the states polarized electorate presents the opportunity to exploit race for partisan gain," she wrote in the order. Biggs's order blocks the law from taking effect for the full 2020 election cycle unless the order is blocked or defendants win at a trial sometime next year. Lawyers for Republican legislative leaders said Monday the order would have to be reversed by Jan. 13 to allow officials to prepare voters for an ID requirement in the March 3 primary election. The General Assembly passed S.B. 824 in December 2018 over Gov. Roy Coopers veto. The law implemented a 2018 constitutional amendment requiring voters to present state-approved identification at the polls. Defendants, says the order, shall take steps to stop mailings and other public communications that may be in production but havent yet been sent saying photo ID will be required for 2020 elections. The court orders those involved to work with local media, county boards of elections, and voter-education groups to take all necessary and reasonable steps to inform voters of this injunction and, specifically, inform voters no photo ID will be required to vote. The N.C. NAACP filed the lawsuit in December 2018 challenging the states constitutional amendment requiring voters to present state-approved identification at the polls. The lawsuit listed Gov. Roy Cooper and the State Board of Elections as defendants, but left out members of the General Assembly, who enacted the law over Coopers veto. Biggs, an appointee of President Obama, rejected lawmakers attempt to intervene in the lawsuit. A spokeswoman for Attorney General Josh Stein on Tuesday would only say the Attorney Generals Office was reviewing the 60-page order, WRAL reported. State Board of Elections spokesman Pat Gannon told CJ Monday the board may consider an appeal if no one else did so. Monday, lawyers for Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, asked the state Department of Justice to appeal Biggs ruling. In a statement issued Tuesday, Berger spokeswoman Lauren Horsch said, It is absolutely ridiculous that the judge would accuse the bill sponsors including an African American Democrat [former Sen. Joel Ford, D-Mecklenburg] of being racist. The voters saw the need for voter ID and approved the constitutional amendment. The legislature, acting on the will of the people, enacted one of the broadest voter ID laws in the nation. Now this lawsuit, and last-minute ruling, have sowed additional discord and confusion about the voting process. The law harms the NAACP and the voters it represents, Biggs added, saying that allowing the law to go forward would harm plaintiffs more than blocking it would harm the state. The elections board also has failed to educate voters enough about ID, meaning minority voters are likely to suffer, the court order said. Legislators who enacted the voter ID law were mostly from illegally gerrymandered districts, Biggs said. Blocking the law is in the best interest of the public, she added. Plaintiffs have satisfied each element required to support the issuance of a preliminary injunction with respect to their claims that S.B. 824s voter-ID (both in-person and absentee) and ballot-challenge provisions were impermissibly motivated, at least in part, by discriminatory intent. Those provisions will be enjoined pending trial. Winnipeg police say some of the citys officers, as well as a couple of firefighters, faced assaults and injuries as 2019 ended and 2020 began. In one case on Tuesday night, police say they responded to a report of a family incident where a man allegedly threatened to kill a woman, and then damaged a house as he fled. Police say that when two officers caught up with him, he allegedly resisted arrest and injured both officers, with one requiring treatment in hospital. Later in the evening, police say firefighters who responded to an alarm at an apartment building were allegedly punched and threatened with a knife when they encountered a group of people in a hallway on the eighth floor. Two firefighters and a 19-year-old suspect were treated at a hospital for injuries. Early Wednesday morning, police say the driver of a stolen truck theyd pulled over came at them with a knife, and had to be restrained with a Taser. Read more about: Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 09:02:04|Editor: zyl Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Wednesday that it has evacuated 124 refugees from Libya to Niger. "We wish them a better year ahead and we will endeavour to help the most vulnerable refugees to safety out of Libya in the coming months," the UNHCR said. Thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean from Libya towards Europe due to the chaos in the North African nation since 2011. According to the UNHCR, there are nearly 4,200 people held in detention centers in Libya currently. The UNHCR has repeatedly called for closure of the detention centers of illegal immigrants in Libya. A father worried his teenage son was spending too much time on his phone booked them a month-long trip to Mongolia for a digital detox. Adventurer Jamie Clarke, from Calgary, Alberta, who has scaled Mount Everest twice, admitted he was concerned about the dominant role technology played in their family life. Having always dreamed of travelling across Mongolia on a bike, he proposed the expedition to his son Khobe, 18. The teenager had never experienced a weekend without his phone until the family travelled to a remote ski lodge for Jamie's 50th birthday several years ago, which he described as 'weird'. Father Jamie Clarke, pictured right, was worried his teenage son Khobe, left, was spending too much time on his phone - so he booked them a month-long trip to Mongolia for a digital detox Despite Khobe's initial reluctance, he eventually agreed and the duo made the trip in July last year - and it's succeeded in changing his attitude towards his phone. Khobe added that since the trip, he is now trying to make technology something he wants to do, not 'has to do'. 'When you're in a group of people and you're supposed to have social interaction time, but everyone's on their phone, that's when I've tried to change my habits,' Khobe told the BBC. 'It's rude to not give people your undivided attention.' Jamie, a keen skier, mountaineer and trekker, said he feared he 'perpetuated' his son's addiction to his phone by playing games with him on his Blackberry when he was growing up. Despite Khobe's initial reluctance, he eventually agreed and the duo made the trip in July last year - and it's succeeded in changing his attitude towards his phone Jamie proposed the month-long digital detox in Mongolia a year ago, during which they'd motorbike across the country, climb Mount Kuitan - its tallest peak - and complete treks on horseback (pictured) 'My kids were starting to avoid going out for real-life adventures for fear of missing out on what was happening on their phones. The realization that I fed this by giving them access to smartphones from day one weighs on me heavily,' Jamie told Family Fun Canada. Desperate to escape the feeling the devices were 'controlling' them, a year ago Jamie proposed a month-long digital detox in Mongolia for them to reconnect, during which they'd motorbike across the country, climb Mount Kuitan - its tallest peak - and complete treks on horseback. In preparation, Khobe got his motorbike licence and the duo went on a couple of extended trips. He also climbed a mountain for the first time - under the guidance of his experienced father. In preparation, Khobe got his motorbike licence and the duo went on a couple of extended trips Khobe admitted that the quality time spent getting to know his father while camping and cooking in the great outdoors made it all worth it The pair left on July 28, and covered a distance of 2,200 kilometres (1,367 miles) across Mongolia - even riding by camel at one point. They resisted sharing any photos from their incredible journey until they returned - a tough feat for Khobe, who is active on Instagram and whose friends reportedly had a bet on when he'd 'crumble'. 'I think the whole time I was pretty consumed by missing my phone,' Khobe told the BBC. 'You realise how boring everything gets. When I'm bored I can just turn on YouTube or watch Netflix.' Khobe told Times Now News: 'I'm so used to having some kind of distraction my whole life with Instagram and Snapchat and whatever, so I've never had to entertain myself for that long. The father and son resisted sharing any photos from their incredible journey until they returned - a tough feat for Khobe, pictured at the summit of Mount Kuitan, who is active on Instagram and whose friends reportedly had a bet on when he'd 'crumble' Jamie also began to see his son in a 'new way' on the trip and said he was impressed by how well he was able to perform under pressure 'I was so bored I started daydreaming about washing my hands and picturing kitchen sinks,' adding that he felt 'very human'. He admitted that the quality time spent getting to know his father while camping and cooking in the great outdoors made it all worth it. 'I was surprised that when he's away from a work environment and family that he acts maybe closer my age,' Khobe said. Jamie also began to see his son in a 'new way' and was impressed by how well he was able to perform under pressure. Driven by an outflow of retirees, Connecticut again ranked among states where United Van Lines booked more outbound moves than inbound, in its annual tally of national migration. Click through to see the reasons people moved out of and into Connecticut in 2019, according to the report. In their amicus brief, the lawmakers said they respectfully suggest that the Fifth Circuits struggle to define the appropriate large fraction or determine what burden on abortion access is undue illustrates the unworkability of the right to abortion found in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) and the need for the Court to again take up the issue of whether Roe and [Planned Parenthood v.] Casey should be reconsidered and, if appropriate, overruled. The first 13 foreign tourists arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on the first day of 2020 on two flights landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The first international visitors arriving in HCM City in 2020 pose for a photo. (Photo qdnd.vn) Four of them arrived on a Japan Airlines' flight while the others arrived from France on a flight operated by national carrier Vietnam Airlines in cooperation with Air France. This year, the city will make a breakthrough in implementing its tourism development strategy with the introduction of sustainable and culture-based tourism products in order to attract 10 million foreign visitors and 35 million domestic tourists. It will also strive to earn 165 trillion VND (more than 7.1 billion USD) from tourism services in 2020. Last year, the city's tourism turnover saw a year-on-year increase of 10 percent to reach more than 140 trillion VND (6.04 billion USD). During the year, it received 8.62 million international arrivals, up 13.5 percent year-on-year, and 33 million domestic visitors, up 13 percent year on year. The event on the occasion of New Years Day contributes to promoting and attracting tourists to the city in particular and Vietnam in general (Photo: VNA) The city has set a goal of welcoming 10 million international visitors; 35 million domestic tourists and the total tourism revenue are expected to reach VND165 trillion in 2020 (Photo: VNA) A foreign tourist is presented with Vietnamese conical hat on the first day of 2020 (Photo: VNA) Ho Chi Minh City tour guide at the welcome ceremony for the first foreign tourists to the City in 2020 (Photo: VNA) Lucky visitors receive New Year gifts (Photo: VNA) Hanoi welcomes first foreign tourist in 2020 The first foreign tourists of Hanoi in 2020 Alain Baron, a French national flying with national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines from France to Hanoi, became the first foreign tourist to set foot in the capital city in 2020. A ceremony to welcome Baron and 14 other foreign visitors was held at the Noi Bai International Airport on January 1 by the municipal Department of Tourism, the Vietnam Airlines Corporation and the Noi Bai International Airport. Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism Tran Duc Hai noted that Hanoi has been chosen as a favourite destination by many foreign tourists, and many leading travel magazines named the city among the most attract tourism spots of the region and the world. The ceremony to welcome the first foreign visitors to Hanoi is hoped to help the capital city promote its images and people to international friends. The number of tourists to Hanoi reached nearly 29 million in 2019, up 10 percent from the previous year, including over 7 million foreigners, a year-on-year rise of 17 percent. According to the municipal Department of Tourism, the tourism sector grossed over 103.8 trillion VND (4.48 billion USD) in revenue, up 34 percent compared to the previous year. In 2019, Hanoi won the Travelers Choice Awards and was ranked among the 25 leading destinations in Asia, and the 25 worlds leading places on TripAdvisor website. Hanoi was also shortlisted for the Worlds Leading City Destination at the 2019 World Travel Awards (WTA). In 2020, the capital city strives to welcome approximately 32 million visitors, including 8.22 million foreigners, up 10.2 percent and 17 percent year-on-year respectively. The total tourism revenue is expected to exceed 116.7 trillion VND, a yearly rise of 12.5 percent./.VNA The Sherman Chamber Ensemble will present Best of Baroque concerts Jan. 4 in Pawling, N.Y., and Jan. 5 in Kent. The 4 p.m. programs at Christ Church on Quaker Hill in Pawling, N.Y., and St. Andrews Episcopal Church at the corner of Routes 7 and 341 will feature works by the masters of the Baroque era. The program will include music for piano, oboe and strings by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Fasch and Telemann. Performers will be SCE Artistic Director and cellist Eliot Bailen, Susan Rotholz on flute, Gerard Reuter on oboe, Michael Roth on violin and Raymond Erickson on piano. Erickson, a harpsichordist, pianist and music historian, graduated with high honors from Whittier College and holds a Ph.D. in musicology from Yale. He is one of Americas most experienced teachers of historical performance practice, having taught the subject since the mid-1970s at Queens Colleges Aaron Copland School of Music and the CUNY Graduate Center (DMA program), as well as Rutgers University. In his performances all over the US and Europe, on both harpsichord and piano, he has revived once-standard practices now largely forgotten, such as improvised preludizing and embellishments. In recent years, he has focused on Bach, and has given master classes and lectures on Bach interpretation at major conservatories and universities both here and abroad. He has published non-traditional but historically-based interpretive approaches to the Bach Ciaccona for solo violin and to the classic repertory, as well as on improvisation for classical musicians. Ericksons four books include Schuberts Vienna (Yale, 1997) and The Worlds of Johann Sebastian Bach (Amadeus, 2009), both of which are outgrowths of the Aston Magna Academy program he directed, sponsored by the Aston Magna Foundation with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. His principal keyboard teachers were pianists Margaretha Lohmann and Nadia Reisenberg and harpsichordists Ralph Kirkpatrick and Albert Fuller. Both concerts will be followed by an informal reception where audience members will have an opportunity to meet the musicians. Performances at St. Andrews Church are presented in conjunction with the churchs Music in the Nave series. Tickets are $30 for general admission, $25 for seniors and students and free for children 15 and under who are accompanied by an adult who purchased a ticket. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ShermanChamberEnsemble.org or at the door. For more information or RSVP, call 860-355-5930. Valaris plc VAL recently announced several new contracts and contract expansions. Moreover, the company received $200 million in cash as an arbitration proceeding from Samsung Heavy Industries, which bolstered the balance sheet. Contract Update The offshore drilling contractor expects the latest expansions and awards to add around $100 million to revenue backlog. Notably, the company formerly known as EnscoRowan had $2.3 billion in backlog at the end of third-quarter 2019. The drillship Valaris DS-10 was awarded a one-year contract extension by Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A, offshore Nigeria. The deal is now expected to be completed by March 2021. Jackup rig Valaris JU-107 received a one-well contract extension from Chevron Corporation CVX for one month, offshore Australia. The rig has won a two-well contract award, with duration of 115 days, from Jadestone Energy in the region. This deal is expected to be completed by September 2020. The companys jack-up rig, Valaris JU-101 received a three-well contract spanning 45 days in North Sea from British energy company, Ithaca Energy. The contract is expected to start this March. Another jack-up rig, Valaris JU-75 was awarded a one-well contract by Walter Oil & Gas in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The deal, having a 40-day duration, started last month. Arbitration Proceedings The company announced that it has received a $200-million cash payment as arbitration proceeding from Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI). An arbitration tribunal initially awarded Valaris $180 million in damages, and the right to claim interest and costs that resulted from the dispute with SHI. It addresses the losses associated with the DS-5 drilling services agreement with Brazils Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. or Petrobras PBR. The $200-million cash settlement is expected to improve Valaris balance sheet position, which had $129.5 million in cash and cash equivalents and more than $6 billion in long-term debt, as of Sep 30, 2019. Story continues Cost Savings Valaris stated that it is progressing with cost-saving efforts. It expects to capture $135 million in annual expense savings by the end of 2019 and the figure can increase to around $235 million by the end of this year. The companys cost savings can be more than $265 million by the end of the June quarter of 2021. Successful cost reduction will likely boost its cash flow from operations. Price Performance and Zacks Rank The stock has plunged 57.9% in the past year compared with the 7.5% decline of the industry it belongs to. Valaris currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers Most Likely for Early Price Pops. Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.6% per year. So be sure to give these hand-picked 7 your immediate attention. See 7 handpicked stocks now >> 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 Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras (PBR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Chevron Corporation (CVX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ensco plc (VAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Fans of Teen Mom 2 are still keeping track of Jenelle Evans after she got fired from the show. These days that might be hard since shes keeping a low profile while going through her divorce from David Eason. However, she is reportedly moving on in a different state. She also tends to responds to rumors about her new life. Find out how she responded to someone accusing her of not spending time with her kids and more. Jenelle Evans is divorcing David Eason Evans announced in a statement on Instagram that she is filing for divorce from Eason. She revealed she moved away from North Carolina with her kids to Tennessee. The mother also filed for a restraining order against him. She claimed in the filing that there were several incidents of alleged abuse by him and she is concerned for her and her childrens safety. She also claimed that his threats have escalated through text. Evans added, Because of his recent threats, his history of violence, his erratic behavior and his large stockpile of weapons, I am scared for my life and my childrens well-being. The restraining order was granted and then extended on Dec. 11. There has been a continuance until the 13th of January, a Davidson County clerk revealed to Radar Online. The former couple will have to appear in court on Jan. 13, 2020. Evans is now reportedly dating Herbert Wilkinson There have been many rumors around Evans love life since she announced shes divorcing Eason. She denied many of them but she is reportedly dating a new man. His name is Herbert Wilkinson, and the 31 year old is from Massachusetts. He previously appeared on a MTV reality show with his former girlfriend, Noelle Trudeau in 2010. Later he appeared on Breaking Boston and Is She Really Going Out With Him. She responded to a tweet accusing her of not spending time with her kids Jenelle Evans | John Lamparski/Getty Images for Indonesian Diversity Evans took to Twitter to share a message with her fans. She tweeted, #Pray4Australia , a fan reached out to me tonight and told me her family is caught in the wildfires. She wanted me to spread awareness! Everywhere across the country is catching on fire. Please be safe out there! Listen to law enforcement and the firefighters. One person responded to the tweet with Go home to ur [sic] kids. Did you see what that d**chebag said to u [sic] 3 yrs ago? Stop the cycle girl! The former reality star tweeted back, Ive been home with my children all day. Some other fans wondered what the person meant by what he said three years ago. The Hollywood Gossip is reporting that Wilkinson made multiple negative tweets about Evans years ago. Some of the shown tweets include saying she deserves the death sentence and calling her useless. She has yet to confirm that shes in a new relationship with him. The alleged tweets also have yet to be addressed. There is one thing the mother does want to make clear to people and that shes spending time with her children. A plane that took off Thursday morning from Southbridge, Massachusetts crashed safely in the woods of North Carolina after the pilot used the aircrafts parachute to avoid any injuries, officials said. The Cirrus SR22 plane, owned by Cornerstone Aviation, went down in a grove of trees near Tram Road in Kenansville, North Carolina around 10:25 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. Two people and two dogs were on the plane. No one was injured, Duplin County Fire & Emergency Management said in a Facebook post. Officials said the aircraft was suspended by trees about five feet from the ground, according to the FAA. The plane, which left from Southbridge Municipal Airport, was headed to Venice Municipal Airport in Florida, the FAA said. The crash remains under investigation by the FAA, and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause. Union home minister Amit Shah will address a rally in Rajasthans Jodhpur on Friday as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s fresh attempt to address concerns about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA that has triggered protests across the country, people familiar with the developments said. The rally will be the first in a series of 30 that the BJP leaders will hold across the country to address the concerns and underline that the CAA cannot be conflated with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR). The CAA was passed in Parliaments last month to fast-track citizenship for non-Muslims, who have entered India from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, before 2015. Opponents of the CAA say the law is unconstitutional because it links faith to citizenship in a secular country and is discriminatory because it leaves out the Muslims. Several non-BJP-ruled states have opposed the legislation. Critics say the CAA, if combined with a pan-India NRC, could result in the expulsion or detention of Muslims unable to provide the documentation required for the exercise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has insisted there have been no discussions on a nationwide NRC in Parliament or in the Union Cabinet, but the Opposition has pointed out that Shah has advocated it. The BJP announced outreach campaigns to clear perceptions about the legislation in the wake of the protests. BJP functionaries at the state level have been asked to carry out door-to-door campaigns to answer questions about the CAA and to emphasise how it would not impact any Indian citizen or community, according to the people cited above. The BJPs ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, too, has begun a similar exercises to reach out to people, who have concerns about the CAA, the NRC, and the NPR. The party president [Shah] will speak about how the CAA is a law that provides citizenship and does not take away anyones rights. He will also be speaking about the differences between the CAA, the NRC, and the NPR and how none of these will cause inconvenience to any Indian citizen, said a party functionary on condition of anonymity. The functionary said emphasis will be on de-linking the CAA from the NPR and the NRC. Another functionary said Jodhpur has been picked as the venue for Shahs rally since the city has a larger number of Hindus from Pakistan awaiting Indian citizenship. Jodhpur also has a significant number of those Pakistanis, who have been granted citizenship after crossing over to India from 1971 onwards. As part of the campaign, BJPs working president, J P Nadda, will be in Goa on Friday to address a rally on the issue. Shah will also launch a toll-free number for people to give missed calls to register their support for the CAA. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nothing brings the Magic City together like a lost dog. Or at least, thats what Lauren Johnson thinks. People have been so gracious, she said. Theres been so many tender moments people are going out of their way to make sure everyone knows about Meadow. Johnson, of Atlanta, has been searching for a week for her Labrador mix named Meadow. Johnson and Meadow were in Birmingham to visit Johnsons older sister, who lives in Homewood, for Christmas. Johnson was set to leave town and head back to Atlanta on Dec. 27. But that plan changed when Meadow went missing on the afternoon of Dec. 26. The Johnson sisters left the house to do errands when Meadow somehow got outside and followed Johnsons car. Shes like Velcro, Johnson said of eight-year-old Meadow. She never runs away. It never crossed my mind she would run (to follow me). Later, Johnson learned Meadow followed the scent of her car about half a mile. Then, she was spotted running frantically through Homewood and later at Vulcan. Johnson and her family looked for the pup until about 8 p.m. Thursday, and then Johnson turned to Facebook. She posted pictures and information about Meadow40 pounds, reddish-brown hair, and wearing a coatand begged the public to share. And, they did. Johnsons original post has been shared over 2,000 times; countless other posts about the missing dog have been shared another several thousand. It has blown my mind, Johnson said of the support. The community has so enveloped Find Meadow. I wont be able to thank them all. Johnson adopted Meadow through a rescue in Atlanta, first agreeing to foster the eight-week-old puppy before officially adopting her eight years ago. Johnson doesnt have children, she said, and Meadow is her baby. The running joke in my family is you should have named her Velcro, Johnson said. She follows me everywhere. The newly-formed army of volunteers and Johnson started their search Friday through Mountain Brook and Homewood, looking across the suburbs and putting up flyers. Later, after rain destroyed cardboard signs, Johnson made laminated ones and posted them across Birmingham, Mountain Brook, and Homewood. She made smaller picture-flyers to hand out on the Mountain Brook walking trails. After initial sightings, Johnson focused on scouring Mountain Brook. But after a week, shes not so sure if thats where she should be focusing: She doesnt know if her dog is in downtown Birmingham or in Mountain Brook. Now, Johnsons searching both and urging others to do the same. Ive just been looking for her there (in Mountain Brook) ever since, she said. But, I was doing her a disservice by not saying she could be downtown. Sightings have poured in throughout the seven-day search: Friday at Railroad Park; Saturday at Mountain Brook Junior High School; Tuesday on 2nd Avenue North near Bamboo and El Barrio; Wednesday at Mountain Brook Country Club. Johnsons kept her original post updated on Facebook with each new sighting. Through the week of searching for Meadow, Johnson has used several methods to try to catch her beloved dog and lure her home. First, Johnson cut up a pair of worn pajamas and tied small pieces to stop signs from Vulcan to her sisters house in Homewood. Next, she used an online service called lostmydoggie.com to send Meadows information to veterinarians and animal control agencies across the city, and then to send out a robocall to landline phones in the area. Then, at the suggestion of an animal behaviorist she met while looking for Meadow, Johnson set up scent lures across Mountain Brook. The lures consist of a plastic box covering a piece of the cut pajamas and meat. There are 10 lures set up in an L shape, designed to lure Meadow to a populated area. Johnsons been monitoring wind patterns to make sure the scents from each setup lure Meadow to the next in line. On her hours-long hunts, Johnson has been wearing her newly dubbed search jacket, its pockets stuffed with flyers, salami, and Meadows leash. She also carries Meadows baby- a stuffed leopard toy that Meadow takes everywhere. While the week has been heart-breaking, Johnson said shes astounded at how the city has come together to help. Shes seen firefighters and police officers carrying flyers; volunteers have spent hours searching; and countless people have reached out with their suggestions. One person she met even made her own set of posters for Meadow, and an office store worker gave her a steep discount on the flyers she printed, which would have cost several hundred dollars. Almost everyone (in town) knows her name now, Johnson said. She knows some people may be hunting in hopes of getting the $2,000 reward, but Johnson doesnt care. I really do not care either way. Just get me my dog. After the multiple sightings in two separate areas, Johnson said, she made the decision to hire a tracker. The tracking team, Lost Pet Professionals LLC, consists of a handler and several tracking dogs who are headed to Birmingham from Arkansas. Theyre set to arrive and start their search on Friday. I really need confirmation on what area shes in, Johnson said. She, her sister, and the tracking team will go in reverse order of the sightings and use Meadows toy and bed as a scent-starting point. This has been a very expensive dog loss for me but, I cant imagine leaving Birmingham and going back to Atlanta without her, Johnson said. When asked if she would do anything to have Meadow back, she tearfully nodded. I just want her back. If you spot Meadow, call Lauren Johnson at 404-358-7550 Beirut: Iran's supreme leader and the US President are locked in an unprecedented war of words over the storming of the American embassy in Iraq, each blaming the other for unrest that is engulfing the country. Charging that Iran was "fully responsible" for an attack on the US embassy in Iraq, President Donald Trump earlier ordered about 750 US soldiers be deployed to the Middle East, with around 3000 more preparing for possible deployment in the next few days. An Iraqi soldier guards the US embassy in Baghdad. Credit:AP No US casualties or evacuations were reported after the Tuesday attack by dozens of Iran-supported militiamen who chanted "Death to America" while besieging the mission, forcing staff to take refuge in a safe room. US Marines were sent from Kuwait to reinforce the compound. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's highest religious and spiritual authority, blamed the US for the recent unrest, warning the US President that Tehran was not afraid to defend its interests. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 19:11:03|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close MAIMANA, Afghanistan, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Ten Taliban militants have surrendered in two Afghan northern provinces, authorities said Thursday. "Five Taliban militants, who were members of Taliban Sarra Keta or the militants' special force squad, surrendered to Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in Qaysar district of northern Faryab province late on Wednesday," Hanif Rezai, spokesman of army Corps 209 Shaheen based in the region, told Xinhua. In northern Badakhshan province, five Taliban gave up militancy and surrendered to ANDSF in Jurm district of the restive province Wednesday night, according to Rezai. The former militants also called on fellow Taliban members to join the peace and reconciliation process, the military official noted. They also handed over 10 AK-47 guns, one telecommunication radio and a motorcycle to military officials. The Afghan government set up a High Peace Council and launched the peace and reconciliation process in 2010, to encourage Taliban to disarm and give up militancy against the government. Since then, more than 10,000 Taliban militants have laid down arms and joined the process, according to peace officials, but the claim has been rejected by the armed outfit as "baseless". Ferguson, now 36, is poised to ascend to one of the three most powerful posts in Annapolis in January, taking the helm of the Maryland Senate just as the legislature debates sweeping changes to the states public schools. He was unanimously endorsed by his Democratic colleagues in October to succeed Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., which means he is assured of election to the post when the legislature convenes in January. FANNETT Karen Reneau winced when the black water lapped over the top of her boots, chilling her legs from the shin down. Her husband, Charlie, had waded into the waters weeks earlier in early December, plopping chopped up bits of fish into a handful of traps spread across the familys 4,000 acres. Now Karen followed his footprints, faintly etched in wilted rice stubble, to see if the annual ascension of the crawfish had begun. In the coming weeks, millions of the crunchy crustaceans will dig their way out of muck and into flooded fields across the Gulf Coast. For some, the pilgrimage from mud to local restaurants already has begun. The Shiloh Club in the Heights boiled its first sacks during the annual Lights in the Heights festival on Dec. 14. Vincent Florio, a Crosby-area wholesaler, already has started importing hundreds of pounds of crawfish from Louisiana. He delivered a couple of sacks to a restaurant in Kemah for its annual employee holiday party in mid-December. Everybody in the restaurant just erupted, Florio said. Crawfish have skyrocketed in popularity in Houston and Southeast Texas in recent years, and appetites for the bottom feeders have been spreading across the country for the past decade. And it is not just the United States. One research firm estimates the global market for the critters will grow at an annual rate of more than 14 percent through 2023. Texas is the second largest producer of crawfish in the United States, though still a distant second to Louisiana, which produces more than 90 percent of the nations annual haul of around 150 million pounds. Crawfish in Texas is as big as its ever been, if not bigger, said Todd Sink, an associate department head and aquaculture extension specialist at Texas A & M University. Weve added several hundred acres of new farms in past few years, Sink said. Theres one farm going up by Tyler, and one south of San Antonio. By changing the way we produce and moving to more water efficient systems, thats allowed us to grow crawfish where we never had before. Cash crop For farmers across Texas and Louisiana, the 2020 crawfish season began this past June, when they took the relatively few mud bugs that survived the previous years season and plopped them in their flooded fields. Many already planted rice in the same plots the month or two before. Rice long has been among the biggest staple crops in Southeast Texas, but production only lasts for about four months of the year. By the late 1970s and the early 1980s, Sink said farmers were looking for ways to use their marshy land in the meantime. The answer was crawfish, Sink said. Crawfish thrive in the same conditions as rice, and their production cycle is the opposite of rice. Reneaus grandfather grew rice in Fannett, a blip on the map 20 minutes southeast of Beaumont. Her father took up the family business, and her husband grew up helping out at other rice farms in the area. Even though Fannett is less than an hour from Louisiana, Reneau said she grew up viewing crawfish as a delicacy only to be enjoyed a few times a year. That changed in the past decade or so, Reneau said, when more of her neighbors jumped on the trend. In the past six years, how much its grown, Reneau said, shaking her head. Its just stupid how many people want to eat crawfish. The craze came to her familys farm in 2013 after her son, Will, graduated from Texas A&M University. He suggested the family start raising the bottom-feeders to satisfy an expanding market in Houston and Beaumont. The family drained the land around August, and the crawfish buried themselves beneath the damp clay soil. The Reneaus harvested the rice, leaving about a foot of stalks sticking out of the ground, and flooded the fields again in mid-fall. By December or early January, the crawfish began crawling out of their holes, and their first season began. The critters fed on the decaying rice stubble until they were harvested between January and May or thrown into another pond to start prepping for the next season. Florio, the wholesaler, said the cycle shows how the two crops are inextricably linked. Just like diesel is a product of gasoline, crawfish is a byproduct of rice, he said. Reneau was eager to learn and spent the first two years in the boats with workers baiting and retrieving hundreds of wire traps, a cap covering her short silver hair and waders up to her thighs. She did not realize the process would involve so many snakes. Theyll sun themselves on top of the traps, she said. And the guys would lift them on the boat because theyd just be in a trance. I used to keep a big stick in the boat to get them out. Otters, wading birds and raccoons, although cuter, are also a hazard. They tip the traps and eat their contents. The 2020 season, and beyond Crawfish comprise only about 30 percent of the Reneaus business, with rice still making up the bulk of their income. They hope the divide will be closer to 50-50 in coming seasons. Elsewhere, growers are looking at ditching rice altogether. They are flooding fields year long to cut back on water usage, which now means crawfish can be grown far from where commercial harvesting started. The demand has really fueled it, Sink said. It grows when people move out of the south into areas like the Midwest and introduce it. There have been major movements with the foodie movement, with people looking for more locally grown, locally sourced foods. Its big with that crowd. Sink said good seasons are born out of mild, wet winters. It still is too early to predict how 2020 might shape up in mid-December, Sink said, but supplies in Houston are showing up almost more than a month before they did last year. As Reneau drove around her fields earlier this month, she stopped her truck to check the handful of test traps. The first three were empty. She squealed when she hoisted the fourth above the water line. Oh, we have one! she said, holding up the trap and pleading with the creature to stay inside. Good little crawfish. shelby.webb@chron.com The holiday break has been extended for students in Richmond Community Schools. According to the districts website, several district computer servers were attacked by a Ransomware virus over the holiday vacation. As a result, school were closed on Thursday and will remain shuttered Friday. Classes are now scheduled to resume Monday. The virus has affected important operating systems, including heating, telephones, copiers, and classroom technology, a message on the website indicated. District personnel and network server contractors have been working to resolve the problem. However, it is a time-consuming process that is not expected to be completed by Thursday, according to the website message. I know theyre working diligently to get everything back up and running, Sarah Gillies, president of the Richmond Board of Education, said Wednesday night. Gillies said the closures include Richmond High School, Richmond Middle School and Will Lee Elementary School. No student or staff information has been compromised by the virus attack, officials added. Macomb Daily staff A poor, defenceless horse, caught up in trees close to the Dublin Road roundabout on the Ring Road in Kilkenny city was left to die. That's the opinion of independent councillor, Eugene McGuinness who visited the scene yesterday. The horse was in a dreadful state and seemed like it had been there for days," he said. "This has to stop and I will be insisting that Kilkenny County Council rigorously investigate this and take immediate measures to find out who is responsible," he said. "There has been enough talk, we need action and I am calling on Mayor Martin Brett to call an emergency meeting of the council to put an end to this," he said. "This is bringing shame on the city and it has to stop," he said. He said the horse had been covered over until it could be safely removed today (Thursday). "It will be up to the vet to determine whether cruelty issues were involved but from the condition of the animal it looks desperate," he said. Sumi Sukanya Dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: A mega plan to allow takeover of government hospitals in the districts by private players is on the drawing board. If the plan passes muster, private players will also be responsible for establishing and running medical colleges that can be attached to the secondary healthcare centres they get to control. The Centres top think tank Niti Aayog has released a 250- page document on Scheme to link new and/or existing private medical colleges with functional district hospitals through PPP for feedback from stakeholders. A stakeholders meet is slated for later this month. Such district hospitals need to have at least 750 beds nearly half as market beds and the rest as regulated beds. Market beds would have a market price tag, which would help subsidise the regulated beds. It is practically not possible for the Central/state government to bridge the gaps in the medical education with their limited resources and finances, the document reasons, underscoring the need for the scheme to augment medical seats and also rationalize costs of medical education. ALSO READ: Dont charge extra money, private hospitals urged The guiding principles for the public-private participation scheme are based on the international best practices, officials said. Under this, the concessionaire will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the medical college and also operate and maintain the associated district hospital. These guidelines can be adopted by interested states particularly those struggling to infuse funds in the healthcare sector and where district hospitals are not up to the mark, said a senior Aayog functionary. The draft, prepared after wide consultations, says the model will resolve the issues of shortage of medical colleges and upgradation of district hospitals. Public health activists are, however, sceptical. This policy will further compromise quality and access to healthcare, mainly for poor patients, said Dr Abhay Shukla, national co-convenor, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan. Our public healthcare facilities, built over decades, need investment; its like handing over an unpolished jewel to someone else saying we dont have resources to polish it. Its a ridiculous argument since our healthcare spending is one of the lowest in the world, he added. ALSO READ: Now, no registration fee for government hospitals in Tamil Nadu The JSA and the Association of Doctors for Ethical Healthcare have decided to write to the government opposing the proposal. Priya Balasubrahmaniam of the Public Health Foundation of India said that in such arrangements, even if some beds are meant to be free, patients who are not paying can become low priorities or can be turned down on various pretexts. It can be difficult to fix accountability on private parties in such a model. Apprehension A number of public health activists, however, expressed strong apprehension over the scheme as district hospitals are seen as the last port of call for a majority of the most vulnerable patients in the country Kim Jong Un, seen here at a Workers Party meeting this week, has increased threats against the United States (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP) Expressing deep frustration over stalled nuclear talks, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned of unspecified shocking action and said his country would soon reveal a new strategic weapon to the world as its bolstered its nuclear deterrent in face of gangster-like US pressure. Mr Kim also said North Korea was no longer obliged to maintain a self-imposed suspension on the testing of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, which President Donald Trump has touted as a major diplomatic accomplishment. But Mr Kim gave no clear indication a resumption of such tests was impending and appeared to leave the door open for eventual negotiations. Mr Kim has used the diplomatic stalemate to expand his military capabilities by intensifying tests of shorter-range weapons. His arsenal is now estimated to include 40-50 nuclear bombs and various delivery systems, including solid-fuel missiles designed to beat missile-defence systems, and developmental ICBMs potentially capable of reaching the US mainland. We will never allow the impudent US to abuse the DPRK-US dialogue for meeting its sordid aim but will shift to a shocking actual action to make it pay...Kim Jong Un, quoted by North Korean media Mr Kim has also strengthened his negotiating position, moving the diplomacy closer to an arms reduction negotiation between nuclear states rather than talks that would culminate in a unilateral surrender of the weapons he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival. Lee Sang-min, spokesman for South Koreas Unification Ministry, said North Korea carrying out its threat to showcase a new strategic weapon would be unhelpful for diplomacy. Strategic weapons usually refer to nuclear-capable delivery systems such as ICBMs, but North Korea otherwise has been vague about what new arms it would display. It announced in December it had performed two crucial tests at its long-range rocket launch site that would further strengthen its nuclear deterrent. Mr Kims latest comments, published in state media on Wednesday, were made at a four-day meeting of the ruling Workers Partys Central Committee as talks between Washington and Pyongyang have faltered over disagreements on disarmament steps and the removal of sanctions. Expand Close People in the South Korean capital Seoul watch a TV screen showing Kim Jong Un on Wednesday. Some experts believe Pyongyang will monitor Donald Trumps impeachment trial before taking its next substantive step in denuclearisation talks (Ahn Young-joon/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People in the South Korean capital Seoul watch a TV screen showing Kim Jong Un on Wednesday. Some experts believe Pyongyang will monitor Donald Trumps impeachment trial before taking its next substantive step in denuclearisation talks (Ahn Young-joon/AP) Some experts say North Korea, which has always been sensitive about changes in US government, will avoid serious negotiations in the coming months as it monitors Mr Trumps impending impeachment trial. Mr Kim may instead seek to strengthen his leverage by promoting a united front with Beijing and Moscow, Pyongyangs traditional supporters, which seek to establish themselves as major stakeholders in North Korean diplomacy. Both have called for the UN Security Council to consider easing sanctions on the North to spur progress in nuclear negotiations. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres very much hopes that the tests will not resume, citing existing Security Council resolutions. Non-proliferation remains a fundamental pillar of global nuclear security and must be preserved, the spokesman said. Mr Kim last year had said the North would pursue a new way if the Trump administration did not make concessions to salvage the negotiations by the end of December. His defiant words entering 2020 indicate his new way could look very much like the old one a patient determination to wait out sanctions and pressure, which will possibly weaken over time, while cementing the countrys status as a nuclear state. At the party meeting, Mr Kim declared the North would never give up its security for economic benefits in the face of what he described as increasing US hostility and nuclear threats, the Korean Central News Agency said. (Mr Kim) said that we will never allow the impudent US to abuse the DPRK-US dialogue for meeting its sordid aim but will shift to a shocking actual action to make it pay for the pains sustained by our people so far and for the development so far restrained, the agency said, referring to the North by its formal name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Mr Kim added that if the US persists in its hostile policy toward the DPRK, there will never be the denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula and the DPRK will steadily develop necessary and prerequisite strategic weapons for the security of the state until the US rolls back its hostile policy, KCNA said. (Mr Kim) confirmed that the world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future, declaring that we cannot give up the security of our future just for the visible economic results now that hostile acts and nuclear threat against us are increasing, it said. Mr Trump on Tuesday urged Mr Kim to stick to his alleged commitment to denuclearise. After their first summit in Singapore in June 2018 the two leaders issued a vague statement on a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula without saying when and how it would occur. Look, he likes me, I like him, we get along, Mr Trump said as he entered a New Years party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. But he did sign a contract, he did sign an agreement talking about denuclearisation I think hes a man of his word so were going to find out, but I think hes a man of his word. North Korea has held to its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and ICBM testing since 2018, though last year it ended a 17-month pause in ballistic activity by testing a slew of solid-fuel weapons that potentially expanded its capabilities to strike targets in South Korea and Japan, including US military bases there. The Operator of the Gas Transmission System of Ukraine LLC (OGTSU) and the Slovak GTS Operator Eustream signed a technical cooperation agreement, the press service of the GTS Operator of Ukraine has reported. "The GTS Operator of Ukraine has agreements with all related operators. In Brussels, the GTS Operator of Ukraine signed a technical interconnection agreement with the Slovak GTS Operator EUSTREAM under the European rules since January 1, 2020," the statement reads. Thus, the new GTS Operator of Ukraine signed agreements with the GTS operators of Poland, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia and Russia. All the necessary technical and legal grounds have been created for the successful start of work of the independent GTS Operator of Ukraine and for the continuation of gas transit from the Russian Federation to European countries through the Ukrainian GTS from January 1, 2020. In addition, European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic welcomed the signing of the agreement. I welcome the interconnection agreement reached between Ukraine and Slovakia, and forcefully facilitated by the European Commission. All pieces for the transit of gas via the Ukrainian route now in place. Great news for Europe's energy security, he wrote on Twitter. Earlier, the long-term contract between Naftogaz of Ukraine and Gazprom, which expires on January 1, 2020, blocked cooperation between the Ukrainian GTS operator and neighboring operators. Ukraine's National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities finally certified the Operator of the Gas Transmission System of Ukraine LLC and granted a new GTS operator a license to carry out business activities for natural gas transportation from January 1, 2020. ish Japanese authorities allowed former Renault and Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn to carry an extra French passport in a locked case while he was out on bail, which explains how he managed to leave the country for Lebanon. Prosecutors raided his Tokyo residence on Thursday, ahead of an investigation into his disappearance. Ghosn, who has French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, left Japan to avoid what he called a rigged justice system in Japan. He faces multiple charges of financial misconduct, which he denies. He was granted bail in April but with strict conditions, including a ban on overseas travel. Japanese authorities have not officially commented on Ghosn's disappearance, but Lebanese officials say he entered legally on a French passport. Though one of Ghosn's Japanese lawyers has said the lawyers were still in possession of all three of his passports, under the terms of his bail. However, Ghosn had been issued a spare French passport, according to the Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing sources saying he had been required to carry the passport with him since May. Foreigners in Japan are required to carry government-issued identification cards or passports at all times. NHK said his lawyers applied to have the terms of his bail changed so that he could carry a passport in a locked case, for which they had a key. Prosecutors and police will investigate Ghosns escape, suspecting he departed "in an unlawful manner," NHK said, with the help of several people. Authorities will analyse security camera footage from his residence and other places Ghosn appeared before he left. Turkey has detained seven people, including four pilots, for questioning about how the fugitive businessman managed to transit through Istanbul as he fled Japan on his way to Lebanon. The interior ministry has opened an investigation into Ghosn's apparent transfer between private jets at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport on Monday. Story continues French government officials said they had been unaware of Ghosns plans to flee. "The French authorities were not informed of his departure from Japan and have had no information about the circumstances of this departure," the ministry said in a statement, adding that it learned of Ghosn's flight "in press reports." Ghosn had benefited from consular assistance via the French Embassy in Tokyo, the ministry noted, and "regular contacts" were maintained between the embassy, Ghosn and his lawyers. Dublin City Council has earned just 830 in licence fees from sandwich board ads since new regulations came into force last September. Out of nine applications, only one permit has been granted, allowing businesses to place advertising signs on the street outside. 550 officials warnings have been sent out while 149 boards have been seized. CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Adrian Cummins, said it is draconian and anti-business. Mr Cummins said: "During the recession, we we re being encouraged to advertise special offers to tourists, making the city enticing for tourism, but nine years on here is Dublin City Council. We've had the anti-business approach by Dublin City Council as usual with no consultation. He added that some companies have reported a drop in the number of customers since the new rules were introduced. Mr Cummins said: "They've hired in inspectors and auditors to look at this by Dublin city council, the taxpayers is paying for this. "So if there is only a small take-up, are they going to make those people redundant? Are we going to foot the bill again by the taxpayers, by the commercial rate-payers again in the city for a regime that doesn't seem to be working?" Bay of Plenty We are needing reliable labourers to join our team in Tauranga. We do not require experience or even a CV. We need manpower!**... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn reportedly met Lebanons President Michel Aoun, on December 30, after jumping bail and fleeing from Japan to avoid trial. According to media reports, the 65-year-old former executive was smuggled out of the house with the help of a private security company followed by a warm interaction with Aoun. Ghosn, who was awaiting trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges, claimed that he had to leave Japan because of injustice and political persecution. He was out on conditional bail in which he was not even allowed to contact his wife but Japanese media said that his wife played a leading role in planning his escape. The plan to escape trial was reportedly crafted for over three months and Ghosns meeting with Lebanese President has reportedly left him feeling secure and combative. Read: Carlos Ghosn In Lebanon, Exteriors Of Beirut Home Corporate money for private use Japanese tax officials had found out that the 65-year-old former executive diverted corporate money for his private use. The National Tax Agency of Japan had reached the conclusion that Ghosn made donations to a Lebanese University and paid consultants fees to his sister using Nissan money. The tax agency had ordered Nissan to pay taxes on the 150 million yen, which was recorded as office expenses for three years, since they determined that money was spent for private purpose. After the escape, Ghosns lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said that he had no idea about the plan and was very surprised by the news. Hironaka added that Ghosns action was unforgivable but can understand why his client resorted to escape. Read: Ghosn's Lawyer: What He Did Is Unforgivable The Japanese media lashed out at Ghosn for fleeing to Lebanon, calling the act cowardly and said that Ghosn mocked the countrys justice system. The Japan's local media opined that Ghosn lost an opportunity to prove his innocence and there is a high probability that the trial will not be held. It further added that the former Nissan executives wish to go through the trial in order to prove his innocence is now in question. Read: Former Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn's Daring Escape From Japan To Lebanon Without Passport Read: Japanese Media Slams Carlos Ghosn's Escape To Lebanon, Calls His Act 'cowardly' (With inputs from agencies) Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane wants Pak to make peace with scrapping of Article 370 in J&K India oi-Mousumi Dash New Delhi, Jan 03: The new Indian Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane on Thursday advised the neighbouring nation to make peace with India's decision of scrapping the Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the abrogation of Article 370 came as a rude shock to Pakistan, and advised Pakistan that the clock cannot be turned back so if once Islamabad accepts the reality, there will be less ceasefire violations. He said that the abrogation of Article 370 came as a rude shock to the neighbours (Pakistan). Regarding the time frame before the situation could completely normalise in the valley, the Army chief said that putting a particular period would be difficult but efforts have been put to win hearts and minds of the people, and this would be successful soon. In an exclusive interview to PTI barely hours after taking charge of the 1.3-million-strong force, Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday said India reserves the right to "preemptively strike" at sources of terror. He asserted that a "new normal" in the country's response mechanism to acts of cross-border terrorism has already been "emphatically" displayed. In a stern warning to Islamabad, the Army Chief said that if Pakistan does not stop its policy of state-sponsored terrorism, just like the surgical strikes and Balakot operation that were adequately been demonstrated before in retaliation India would again reserve the right to pre-emptively strike at the sources of the terror threat. However, responding to the Army Chief's remarks, the Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement said that they reject the new Indian Army Chief's irresponsible statement regarding pre-emptive strikes across the LoC inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). New Indian Army Chief receives his first criticism from Pakistan Manoj Mukund Naravane took charge as the Chief of Army Staff, succeeding General Bipin Rawat on Tuesday. Before this General Naravane served as vice chief of the Army. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted people on the 353rd birth anniversary of Gobind Singh, sayingwhat the 10th Sikh guru strived for is relevant even today. "We bow to the venerable Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on his Prakash Parv," Modi wrote on Twitter. He also posted a brief video on the guru describing how he fought against injustice and caste discrimination. The prime minister said Gobind Singh's philosophy and ideals are relevant for the "New India". A spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher, Guru Gobind Singh was born in 1666in Patna. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Smoke billows from a battery factory at Peeragarhi in New Delhi which collapsed after a blaze broke out early Thursday morning. A firefighter was killed in the incident and 14 others were injured. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: A firefighter died while saving lives after a battery factory in Peera Garhi of northwest Delhi collapsed following an explosion due to a fire early Thursday morning. Fourteen people were injured in the incident while 18 people were rescued from the building, including two caretakers and a security guard. The firefighter has been identified as Amit Balyan. Delhis fire service was called to the blaze at 4.23 am following an explosion at the factory. Even as firemen were dousing the fire, the back of the two-storey building collapsed. All the firemen, who were trapped under the debris, were rescued, two with critical injuries. Balyan was admitted to the Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute with injuries but succumbed. Plumes of smoke billowed from the building as the fire brigade personnel battled to contain the blaze. An eyewitness said there were several explosions as the blaze gutted the building. Santosh Kumar, who works in a plastic factory nearby, said the back of the building collapsed at about 9 am, and he heard a few of the trapped people screaming for help. Fire personnel rescued them with the help of a ladder. They were alive," he said. Police said legal action would be taken against the factory. Delhi home minister Satyendar Jain has ordered a magisterial enquiry into the matter. For Amit Kumar Balyan, death came a fortnight before he would have turned 29. He had joined the Delhi Fire Service after completing his basic training on June 10, 2019. A resident of Meetnagar, he was posted at the Kirti Nagar fire station. He married in February 2019 and is survived by his wife, father, mother, one younger brother and two younger sisters. Ved Pal Chhikara, assistant divisional officer of the fire department, said the rescue operation became difficult after the rear of the building collapsed. Four persons, including three firemen, were trapped in the rubble and portions of two buildings on either side of the premises had to be broken down to reach them. Civilians were taken out first, and then two firemen -- Manjeet and Mahavir. Balyan was the last to be pulled out, at around 3 pm. He was taken to Balaji Hospital where he was declared dead. Balyan was trapped in the rubble for almost six hours. He was on the ground floor during the rescue operation and died due to injuries suffered when debris fell on him. Balyan's wife Shivani is a constable in the UP police and posted in Ghaziabad. His father Babu Ram is an assistant sub-inspector in the Delhi Police. Balyans body is to be taken to the Fire Safety Management Academy in Rohini on Friday where his fellow firemen will pay their tributes. The following report compiles all significant security incidents confirmed by New York Times reporters throughout Afghanistan for the month. It is necessarily incomplete as many local officials refuse to confirm casualty information. The report includes government claims of insurgent casualty figures, but in most cases these cannot be independently verified by The Times. Similarly, the reports do not include Taliban claims for their attacks on the government unless they can be verified. Both sides routinely inflate casualty totals for their opponents. Jan. 24-30, 2020 At least 87 pro-government forces and 12 civilians were killed in Afghanistan during the past week, as violent incidents occurred with greater frequency after a brief lull in Taliban attacks due, in part, to cold weather. The deadliest attack took place in Baghlan Province, where an insider attack killed 18 police officers, including the unit commander. One day later, in Kunduz Province, another 13 security forces were killed when the Taliban attacked security outposts in the Dasht-e-Archi District center. Earlier in the week, six civilians in Balkh Province were killed when Afghan Air Forces bombed a house in Boqa village. Two American soldiers Lt. Col. Paul K. Voss and Capt. Ryan S. Phaneuf were also killed when the aircraft they were piloting crashed in the Deh Yak District of Ghazni Province. An investigation into the crash is underway, though harsh weather is suspected to have played a role. Jan. 30 Baghlan Province: two police killed The Taliban attacked a military base in Dahan-e-Ghori District, killing two police officers and wounding six others. Jan. 29 Ghor Province: one civilian killed A civilian returning home from prayer was shot and killed by the Taliban in the Sarjangel village of Morghab District. Insurgents claimed the man was a government spy. Jan. 29 Badakhshan Province: one militia member killed A pro-government militia member was killed by the Taliban in his house in the Shashpul village of Baharak District. FILE PHOTO: People check their mobile phones as they stand outside the entrance of the London Stock Exchange in London By Shashwat Awasthi (Reuters) - Britain's stock market indexes surged in the first trading session of the new decade, as investors welcomed China's monetary policy easing and U.S. President Donald Trump set the date for sealing a Phase 1 trade deal with Beijing. The FTSE 100 <.FTSE> jumped after two straight sessions of losses to rise 0.8% after China cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for banks and Trump said a Phase 1 trade deal with Beijing would be signed on Jan. 15. Mining shares <.FTNMX1770> and oil majors were among the top gainers, with Antofagasta , Glencore and BP advancing between 2%-3.1%. The FTSE 250 <.FTMC> soared 1% to notch up a fresh record high and the British indexes enjoyed their best day since mid-December, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson's election win and de-escalating trade tensions had triggered a rally in equities. Gains were further supported by strong demand for cyclical stocks such as banks, that led blue-chips Lloyds and Barclays higher by 2% and 3%, respectively. But despite Thursday's rise, which came after two sessions of profit-taking following the FTSE 100's best run in three years, analysts warned against getting carried away, citing thin trading volume and calling China's policy predictable. "The move on the RRR had been well telegraphed but came as a welcome New Year's gift," OANDA analyst Jeffrey Halley said. Cityindex analyst Ken Odeluga echoed that Beijing's policy decision wasn't surprising, adding that though a signing date for Phase 1 was set, uncertainties remained about if and when more comprehensive trade agreements would be nailed down. "As much as investors are keen to ring-in the New Year with sure-footed gains, these influences are of course 'so 2019'," he said. "Predicating a positive risk-asset rally on them continues to ignore a whole host of well-rehearsed reasons to remain cautious." Story continues Tullow Oil , which plummeted more than 70% last month after it scrapped its dividend and its CEO stepped down, plunged as much as 20% following underwhelming results of drilling at its Carapa-1 well offshore Guyana. "The results from the Carapa-1... are, in our view, a negative," Berenberg analysts wrote. They added that the four metres of net oil pay reported from the well was unlikely to be commercial. (Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber) Trade unions and worker groups will mark six years since mixed security forces violently dispersed protesting garment workers on Veng Sreng Boulevard and other parts of the city, killing at least four individuals. Vorn Pao, president of Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association, said around 30 civil society groups would mark the occasion on Friday. The informal worker representative was himself seriously injured during the crackdown, and said there was no way he could forget the skirmish because he had scars reminding him of his injuries. This is a story that we cant forget a direct [attack] on me, they beat me almost to death and the scar on my head remains intact, he said. The garment worker protests, demanding $160 per month minimum wage, had amalgamated with the opposition boycott of the National Assembly, leading to a severe crackdown in early January 2014, across the city on all the protestors. However, Chin Malin, a Justice Ministry spokesperson, said the protestors were violent and attempting to overthrow the government and those responsible were being held accountable So, the ones organizing and taking part in the demonstrations must be responsible according to the law. And this case is still under the judicial proceedings, he said. Vorn Pao is among 23 activists and workers who were arrested during the violence, but later released, though the charges still remain. While the government did not initiate an investigation into the violence meted out by security forces, the incidents have been documented in the European Unions preliminary findings on whether Cambodia should lose its Everything But Arms trade privileges. The preliminary findings point to criminal charges filed against union leaders in relation to the protests and requests by the International Labour Organization to institute an independent inquiry in the allegations of killings and violence. Instead, the report notes, that the government has called the protests as a riot and that demonstrators caused destruction to property and injured other people. Theng Savoeun, director of Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community, said Cambodian courts should drop all the charges against unionists and workers, if the government was serious about the findings of the EU preliminary report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 17:08:51|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TOKYO, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Japanese prosecutors on Thursday searched a house in Tokyo where former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn lived while out on bail before he staged a dramatic escape from Japan. The search came as investigators try to look into the details of how Ghosn, who is facing trial for alleged financial misconduct, managed to slip out of the country. "I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system," Ghosn said in a statement released by his U.S. representative on Monday. Ghosn, who holds Brazilian, French and Lebanese nationality, is accused of under-reporting his remuneration for years and for embezzling company funds. He has denied all the charges, claiming company insiders conspired against him. Ghosn's bail has been revoked. Japanese police and prosecutors are investigating suspicions that he left Japan through unlawful means. According to sources with knowledge of the matter, Japan's immigration database shows no record of Ghosn's departure. Trains bound for North Korea are loaded with food at Dandong Station in China on December 31, 2019 Trade officials in China are limiting commercial freight train shipments to North Korea because Beijing has plans to provide a massive amount of food aid to Pyongyang, according to RFA sources in the Chinese border city of Dandong. As the North has not reported any kind of food crisis within its borders, sources are bewildered as to why China is preparing a large-scale aid package for the beginning of 2020. A source in Dandong told RFAs Korean Service that despite an abundance of freight trains gathered at Dandongs rail station, officials are not allowing any commercial freight to be sent across the Sino-Korean border just south of the city. Its very unusual that they suddenly announced that the freight trains gathered at Dandong station wont be handling ordinary cargo, the source said. Trade officials here in Dandong say this is because [China] will send food aid to North Korea soon, said the source. The source said China was known to be sending corn, flour and soybean oil, but it is not yet clear whether unglutinous rice will be included in the aid package. Unglutinous rice is of a different strain than the rice typically eaten in Korea and Japan. North Korea has, in the past, signaled a preference for food-aid packages consisting of South Korean or Japanese glutinous rice. The source said that food was being stockpiled near Dandong station. Starting early [this] year, the food aid will be a gigantic operation that requires the shipment of all the food stored just behind the freight train terminal. It will be sent to Sopo Station in Pyongyang, the source said. The source was able to estimate the duration of time that the no-commercial-shipment period might last. Freight trains from Dandong to North Korea run three times a day between midnight and 4:00 a.m., said the source, adding, If a single freight car can carry 64 tons, so depending on how many freight cars they can connect, the food aid transportation period could be shortened or extended. A trading source, also in Dandong, told RFA that the period would last the next couple of months. Trading companies that normally would be using the freight trains to send goods to North Korea, and trade agents who have been ordered to return home [after finishing their terms of service in China] are disconcerted, the second source said. People who were ordered to return to North Korea need to bring their belongings to Pyongyang but unfortunately they will have to wait until after March, said the second source. Considering that general cargo handling has been delayed for two months, it is estimated that the amount of food that will be transported to North Korea will reach hundreds of thousands of tons, the second source said, wondering why such a massive aid operation was even necessary. There is no food crisis in North Korea yet, everyone is wondering why China is rushing to provide such a large amount of food. According to a New York Times report on May 15, the state-run Korea Central News Agency said that North Korea this year experienced its worst drought in 37 years. The report predicted that a food crisis in the country would worsen, given that the harvest in the fall of 2018 had been the worst in a decade. The World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization were at that time concerned that the June harvest of crops like wheat and barley would be extremely low based on the prolonged drought. RFA reported in May that several sources believed that the food shortage was not as severe as reported. They believed that authorities were overstating the severity of the shortage in order to secure more aid. Another RFA report in August quoted Chinese sources who said that North Koreas exports of processed foods to China raised questions about how food aid was being used. A report released by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in May painted a dire picture of living conditions within North Korea, saying that in 2019, 10.9 million people (more than 43 percent of the population) do not have access to enough food. In the 1990s a famine killed several million people, and those who came of age during that period continue to suffer from injuries both physical and psychological, said a report issued last month by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK), a Washington-based NGO. Reported by Joonho Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. 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 New Concepts Holdings Limited (HKG:2221). Do Insider Transactions Matter? Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information. Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year. View our latest analysis for New Concepts Holdings New Concepts Holdings Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Executive Chairman Yongjun Zhu made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for HK$772k worth of shares at a price of HK$1.77 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than HK$0.42 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. While New Concepts Holdings insiders bought shares last year, they didn't sell. You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Story continues SEHK:2221 Recent Insider Trading, January 2nd 2020 New Concepts Holdings is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insider Ownership Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Insiders own 22% of New Concepts Holdings shares, worth about HK$53m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About New Concepts Holdings Insiders? There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders own shares in New Concepts Holdings and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. To put this in context, take a look at how a company has performed in the past. You can access this detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. 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. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The chief executive officer and managing director of Tata Steel, T V Narendran has suggested to the government to focus on "cost of business" to make industries, particularly the manufacturing sector, more competitive. "As the government has focused on ease of doing business, it should also focus on 'cost of business' to make industries, particularly the manufacturing sector, more competitive in the prevailing market," Narendran told reporters on Wednesday. "We have been controlling the cost of business inside the work but outside the plant, it is not in our hands but the Central and state governments," the Tata Steel CEO said. He said that such an initiative would certainly improve competitiveness of the domestic industries, particularly the manufacturing units. Referring to the prevailing scenario in the steel sector, Narendran said that 2019 had been a difficult year for the steel sector and "the Tata Steel is not an exception as we have our own set of challenges to deal with". However, Narendran said, "We have seen some signs of improvement in the last few months of 2019, which reflected with improved demand of steel shot up a bit and steel prices going up again." He said that the steel prices almost shot up to Rs 10,000 per tonne during the last six to eight months. As far as development of the steel city of Tatanagar is concerned, he said that the Tata Steel has not slowed down investment despite difficult times of the company, demonstrating the companys commitment. Narendran urged the city to make sacrifices to make the company sustainable, profitable and competitive. He expressed confidence that the company will improve its performance in the last quarter (January-March) of the current fiscal as 'demand of steel is okay'. The January to June months would be favourable for the steel sector in view of the activities in construction and infrastructure sectors, he said. Commenting on the prevailing economic slowdown, he said. April to October had been the worst period for the steel sector, which has started looking up from November. "We are expecting to perform well in the last quarter of the current fiscal," he said, adding the government has also taken various decision such as cut in corporate taxes and the recent announcement of investment in infrastructure sector. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pratik Bhakta Digital payments facilitator for small merchants and local kiranas, BharatPe has created an employee stock options (ESOP) pool worth around $20 million and is looking to hire 10 executives to lead its business verticals who will be given out shares from this pool. The Delhi based startup has already given out shares worth $5 million to 22 existing employees. My aim is to attract top-level talent from the industry across sectors like commerce, financial services and FMCG, the ESOP pool will be a major attraction in that endeavour, said Ashneer Grover, chief executive officer, BharatPe in an exclusive interaction with Tech2. I am trying to build out the entire top management across lending, technology and products to drive the next round of growth. BharatPe has till date raised $65 million in equity capital from Ribbit Capital, Steadview Capital, Sequoia Capital, Beenext Capital and Insight Partners between two major rounds. The startup deploys QR code stickers at merchant outlets thereby enabling consumers to pay through any UPI app. Further it has also ventured into lending to these small merchants to help them expand their businesses. Unlike many other startups we will allow our employees to vest 25 percent of their pool after completion of the first year, post that over the next three years 75 percent can be vested, said Grover. With support from his investors, Grover said that he will buy back the shares from their employees as they intend to vest, thereby helping them make money in the process. The value of the shares will be marked against the last primary round valuation of the company. BharatPe has grown very fast within 15 months of being operational, emerging as one of the fastest growing fintech startups in the country. It has even onboarded film star Salman Khan as its brand ambassador to extend its message to the small merchant community in the country and drive digitization of payments. Besides simple payments, the company has diversified into lending as well. By end of the current year, Grover said that the company would have given out close to $10 million in small business loans. It has already onboarded around 3 million merchants and has grown its transaction volume by 27 times over last year. We are already a 200 member team at BharatPe, now I am opening a new office with around 60 seats mainly to house the products and tech teams which is currently only 25 members strong, he said. Startups have been known to use company shares as an attractive opportunity for employees to get liquidity as the companys valuation grows. Very recently even Zerodha said that will distribute shares of the company to 850 of its employees. Even Razorpay had a share buy back programme as a part of its latest funding round. The company bought back shares worth around Rs 30 crore from its employees. Even Moglix did a share buy back of Rs 5 to 10 crore from its employees. Grover said that many over-valued startups are finding it difficult to make money and are laying off staff. This will open a chance for BharatPe to attract many good quality employees who will venture out in search of high growth opportunities. If we can attract talented people in the market through our growth potential and attractive ESOP pool, we will be able to build a very strong leadership team, he said. New Delhi: Protecting the planet and an inclusive future for all were on top of the minds of tech leaders on Wednesday as the world welcomed 2020 and a new decade. Apple CEO Tim Cook said there is opportunity in every new beginning. "In 2020, let's use it to lead with our humanity, to protect and strengthen our planet, and to build a future we'd be proud to pass on. Happy New Year!" he tweeted on Wednesday. Captain America actress Mollie Fitzgerald was arrested by Kansas police on Tuesday and charged with the second-degree murder of her mother, according to reports. The Olathe Police Department responded to "an armed disturbance" on December 20 shortly before 12. Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse has alleged that former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and party leader Girish Mahajan were behind denial of ticket to him in the state Assembly polls held last year. Khadse, while speaking to Marathi channel ABP Majha on Wednesday, also said that some people wanted to end his political career. "I am told by the BJP's state core committee members that Devendra Fadnavis and Girish Mahajan had opposed issuing ticket to me from Muktainagar Assembly seat in Jalgaon district. They even opposed BJP central committee's willingness to give ticket to me," Khadse said. "I was told about it by some core committee members on condition of anonymity," the former state minister claimed. Khadse resigned as revenue minister in 2016 in the then BJP-led government over allegations of impropriety in a land deal. He was at that time the senior-most minister in the Fadnavis-led Cabinet. He could never return to the Cabinet and was denied ticket by the BJP in the Assembly polls in October last year. The saffron party, instead, gave the ticket to his daughter Rohini Khadse from Muktainagar. However, she lost to Shiv Sena rebel Chandrakant Patil. "Going by all the developments that have happened so far, it seems like some people were against me and wanted to end my political career. The state BJP gave tickets to those who had no mass support, which is why we fared badly," Khadse further told the channel. "Senior BJP leaders from Maharashtra, such as Union minister Nitin Gadkari, were hardly invited for the poll campaign," he said. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil also got stuck in his own Assembly constituency, instead of campaigning for the party's candidates across the state, he said. "On the contrary, only Devendra Fadnavis was campaigning across the state. The capability and influence of other senior leaders should have been utilised for the campaign," Khadse said. The disgruntled leader last month said he had submitted "proof" against the leaders responsible for the defeat of the party nominees in north Maharashtra. "I have all the proof with names of individuals who are responsible for BJP's electoral losses (in the region)," he said earlier. He also demanded action against these leaders for the BJP's shrunken tally of 105 seats, as compared to 122 in 2014 in the 288-member Assembly. Khadse has been trying to regain his position in the BJP since he was forced to resign as minister. Apart from him, senior BJP leaders Vinod Tawde and Prakash Mehta from Mumbai, and Chandrashekhar Bawankule from east Maharashtra were also denied tickets in the Assembly polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz on January 1 said natural gas from an offshore rig of the Leviathan field which went online on the last day of 2019 is now flowing to Jordan. An Israeli firm began exporting natural gas to Jordan in 2017 for the first time. Leviathan is expected to provide a significantly greater amount. Israel's gas fields in the Mediterranean were only discovered a few years ago near Lebanon. Israel is becoming an energy exporter for the first time in its history, The Times of Israel reported Steinitz as saying. Steintz said gas is also expected to begin flowing to Egypt in the next week to 10 days. Israel which for many years imported gas from Egypt, has recently signed a huge contract for exporting gas to Egypt. Israel started pumping gas from its gas field in the Mediterranean Sea to its coastal rig only a day before starting gas export to Jordan. The country has made extensive plans for exporting to Europe through the pipeline shared with Cyprus and Greece. Natural gas production in Israel's gas fields entails high-security arrangements due to Israel's concerns about what it calls "Hezbollah threats". Last week major Italian companies announced that they would participate in a joint project with Israel that can bear important effects in providing natural gas to European countries and reduce their reliance on Russia. The Netanyahu administration also hopes that its gas exports help improve its relations with Arab countries as well as to make these relations more public. The Israeli energy minister also dismissed concerns that tests yesterday at the gas rig indicated there would be a spike in air pollution, calling it a completely baseless, unnecessary hysteria. Steinitz argued that there would ultimately be an improvement in air quality, as the natural gas will allow Israel to shutter coal-fired power plants in Hadera and Ashkelon. Environment activists in Israel have always criticized the Netanyahu government's insistence on extracting fossil fuel instead of investing in renewable energy sources. Prayagraj, Jan 2 : Allahabad University Vice Chancellor Professor Rattan Lal Hangloo, who had been facing allegations of mishandling cases of sexual misconduct and corruption, has resigned from his post. In a statement on Wednesday evening, Hangloo said that he was being hounded and hence resigned under pressure. "It is correct that I have resigned. The reason was that, repeatedly, baseless enquiries were initiated against me. On several occasions it was proved that there was no substance in the complaints. I resigned because I was totally fed up," he said in the statement. Several complaints against Hangloo's style of functioning had been filed in the past as well. In one such case, the National Commission of Women (NCW) had made an 'adverse' against him. He challenged the allegations, saying: "Let the NCW prove the charges before the CBI, let them prove them before the High Court." Hangloo however, said that he has always performed his duties in an honest manner and stood up to pressure and interference. He further alleged the active presence of "mafia" in the university. "There are appointments of 1,200 people to be made. If I was there, I would go on a merit basis. I will not go by mere recommendation. I will not take orders from the mafia," he added. Hangloo said he planned to take legal recourse. He pointed out that the President's office had twice returned the file regarding allegations against him because they did not find any merit. NCW Chair Rekha Sharma claimed that the Commission had sent a team to the campus recently that had found grave irregularities. She said that the "team also spoke to women in the university and mishandling of sexual harassment cases was established." On December 26, Hangloo appeared before the NCW and denied all allegations. Professor Hangloo was appointed as Vice Chancellor in 2015. He had earlier served as Vice Chancellor of the Kalyani University in West Bengal. We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So before you buy or sell Graphene 3D Lab Inc. (CVE:GGG), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. Do Insider Transactions Matter? Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required. Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise. View our latest analysis for Graphene 3D Lab The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Graphene 3D Lab Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by President Daniel Stolyarov for CA$120k worth of shares, at about CA$0.06 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being CA$0.045). Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is encouraging to see an insider paid above the current price for shares, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. Daniel Stolyarov was the only individual insider to buy over the year. We note that Daniel Stolyarov was both the biggest buyer and the biggest seller. Daniel Stolyarov bought a total of 3.92m shares over the year at an average price of CA$0.056. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! Story continues TSXV:GGG Recent Insider Trading, January 1st 2020 There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Does Graphene 3D Lab Boast High Insider Ownership? For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Graphene 3D Lab insiders own about CA$727k worth of shares. That equates to 20% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. What Might The Insider Transactions At Graphene 3D Lab Tell Us? It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. Insiders likely see value in Graphene 3D Lab shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). 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. But note: Graphene 3D Lab may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines said Thursday it is negotiating with Boeing Co. over compensation for the airline's grounded planes and will share some of the proceeds with its employees. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (738 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines said Thursday it is negotiating with Boeing Co. over compensation for the airline's grounded planes and will share some of the proceeds with its employees. American had 24 Boeing 737 Max jets when the planes were grounded worldwide in March after two deadly crashes. Like other airlines, American has cancelled thousands of flights as a result. It estimated that the grounding will cut its full-year 2019 pretax income by $540 million. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A spokesman for American said Thursday that the airline is talking to Boeing "as to what that compensation looks like." Boeing has suggested that compensation could be in cash or other forms, such as help with training or spare parts. American expects to make part of the compensation eligible for employee profit sharing, the spokesman said without providing any figures. American Airlines Group Inc. CEO Doug Parker said in October he was confident that any losses due to the Max grounding "won't be incurred by American shareholders, but will be borne by the Boeing shareholders." Boeing has reached partial settlements with Southwest Airlines and Turkish Airlines neither carrier disclosed details while continuing to negotiate with others. Chicago-based Boeing has estimated the cost at $5.6 billion over several years. Meanwhile, it remains unclear when the Max will fly again. Boeing is still working on software and computer updates to prevent a repeat of crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. In both crashes, a key sensor malfunctioned and triggered an automated system to push the nose of the plane down, according to accident investigators. The Federal Aviation Administration would have to approve Boeing's changes to the Max before the planes can fly in the U.S. Regulators in other countries plan to conduct their own reviews. For over two years America has been embroiled in wrangling over the Russia probe, a thread of which has been the Steele dossier and its use to justify a series of FISA warrants against a campaign staff member (Carter Page) of then-active presidential candidate Donald J.Trump. This dubious dossier, named for its author (former MI6 intelligence officer Christopher Steele), might have been better named after Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr, without whom this cloudy episode would not have occurred. The recent DOJ Inspector Generals Report reveals clearly the extent to which Bruce Ohr was willing to avoid accountability and deliberately conceal important evidence in a criminal case against a candidate toward whom both he and his informants held open contempt. These facts about Ohr were previously asserted in the Nunes Report, which was roundly condemned by Nancy Pelosi and others as erroneous. The following facts are not disputed: Fusion GPS was a consulting firm hired through counsel (Marc Elias) by the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee to research possible connections between Donald Trump and Russian operatives. Fusion GPS hired Steele (who was also paid in part by the FBI) to write the document, which was then provided by Ohr to the FBI and the Operation Crossfire Hurricane team to use against Page and the POTUS. Additionally, Ohrs wife Nellie was an independent contractor for Fusion GPS, and she and its founder Glenn Simpson routinely conveyed material to her husband. Ohr deliberately avoided informing his superiors and the Department of these dealings. Liberals have poo-pooed this partisan corruption as inconsequential. The BBC dismissed Ohrs deceptions to his own Department, averring that the fact that Ohr recorded Steele's opinions "somewhat [ undercuts ] the accusation of rampant bias within the department, given that a truly compromised individual wouldn't jot that sort of thing down." Au contraire -- his very deliberate subterfuge and bias are evidenced by the fact that he jotted that sort of thing down, then surreptitiously delivered said jottings to other agencies, making himself a material witness in the process. That doesnt undercut accusations of bias -- it proves it beyond any question. Bruce Ohr was on a mission to tarnish President Trump, was the sole unauthorized conduit of the Steele dossier, hid the degree of Steeles antipathy toward the President, and inappropriately couriered the information to numerous contacts. But also, he tried to use the same information (in the same unauthorized manner) to insinuate himself into the investigation of Paul Manafort. The DOJ Report recounts Ohrs tandem secret initiatives wherein he ...participated in discussions about a money laundering investigation of Manafort that was then being led by prosecutors from the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), which is located in the Criminal Division (CRM) at the Department's headquarters. The DOJ Report concluded ...that Ohr committed consequential errors in judgment in concealing his activities from superiors and compromising himself as a witness. But it specifically notes that As we describe in Chapter Eight, the late discovery of Ohr's meetings with the FBI prompted NSD to notify the FISC in July 2018, over a year after the final FISA renewal order was issued, of information that Ohr had provided to the FBI but that the FBI had failed to inform NSD and 01 about (and therefore was not included in the FISA applications), including that Steele was "desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being the U.S. President." This fully affirms the much-derided Nunes memo, which also stated that ...Deputy Director Andrew McCabe testified before the Committee in December 2017 that no surveillance warrant would have been sought from the FISC without the Steele dossier information. Bruce Ohr oversaw the creation of a file (commissioned by the DNC and Clinton campaign), hid the intensity of its authors bias, clandestinely ushered it to any and all investigative entities that would listen, and thereby single-handedly caused a criminal investigation of a political candidates campaign. Presumably, a politically funded paper that incriminates ones opponent without any corroborating evidence would be cautiously evaluated by a court of law. Scores of journalists had refused to report on Steeles dossier despite zealous efforts by Fusion GPS to circulate it: Bob Woodward dismissed it as garbage. Presented with the imprimatur of a Deputy Attorney General, the Steele dossier instead became pivotal in securing government surveillance. That hearsay procured by hire in order to undermine a political opponent would be created by those who admit they needed to do what they could to keep Trump out of the White House is unsurprising. That government agencies so unquestioningly employed such dubious materials reveals either that they never expected daylight to shine on their dealings, or they lacked ethical moorings. But this information was ultimately sourced from Russian contacts -- like the ones Donald Trump is condemned for cultivating. A recent New Yorker article about the dossier (Fusion GPS, Steele, et al tried to upstage the governments report by issuing their rationalization just days earlier) explains: As I wrote in my Profile of Steele, he was working on behalf of the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Simpson and Fritsch fill out this picture further. Deripaska, a hugely rich associate of Putin with a clouded reputation, had hired an American law firm, which had, in turn, hired Steele, to help them track down millions of dollars that the oligarch believed had been stolen from him by Paul Manafort, a former business associate of Deripaska who was about to become the manager of Trumps Presidential campaign. Steele hated Donald Trump openly and was trying to track down money from Paul Manafort for a Russian oligarch, and his work product was kid-gloved through an acting government attorney (Ohr) to obtain surveillance on United States political candidates. What was it again that Donald Trump was alleged (via hearsay) to have done? In judging questionable motives, Steele points out that the most critical criteria [sic] for judging disinformation is whether there is a palpable motive for spreading it.... The American Left has resisted application of that criterion to Steeles earnest creation of his dossier. The Ohr case is not premised on hearsay. It is much more than a smoking gun -- it is the bullet and the wound. But Ohr has walked away, like so many in the government accountability walkaway movement. Meanwhile, Fusion GPs and its principles remain unprincipled: Their role as purveyors of anti-Trump tips, they reveal, did not end with Trumps election. By then, they were so deeply convinced of the danger they thought Trump and Russia posed to democracy at home and abroad that they kept their band together and formed an independent nonprofit group devoted to providing further research to the media on the threat. Is there no shame? The very phrase independent nonprofit is tortured in this context, along with the laughable devoted to providing further research. These people have not been discouraged from their inept devotion to fabricate and disseminate false evidence -- instead, they boast boldly. They are openly in the muckraker business, and as unaccountable as Bruce Ohr. The NCP and Shiv Sena on Thursday targeted the Modi-led government for rejecting Maharashtra's tableau for the Republic Day parade, with the Sharad Pawar-led party dubbing the move an insult to the state. NCP MP Supriya Sule claimed the Centre has denied permission to the tableaux from the non-BJP-ruled Maharashtra and West Bengal, adding the Modi government was behaving in a "prejudiced" manner. She said the two states had played a key role in the freedom struggle and the decision to deny permission to their tableaux was an "insult" of the people. "The Centre has rejected permissions to the tableaux of Maharashtra and West Bengal from parading on Republic Day. It is a festival of the country and the Centre is expected to give representation to all the states," Sule tweeted. "But the government is behaving in a prejudiced manner, giving step-motherly treatment to the states being ruled by the opposition parties," she added. The Parliamentarian from Baramati also shared a report that claims that the Defence Ministry has rejected West Bengal's tableau for the Republic Day parade (on January 26). "You will have to explain why the tableaux of the two states were rejected. The chief minister of Maharashtra should probe the matter. It has to be found out who is responsible for this. Are there elements having loyalty to previous government? There may not be. But this has to be probed," Sena MP Sanjay Raut told TV9 Marathi channel. Sule and Raut were responding to reports that the Ministry of Defence has selected 22 tableaux out of 56 proposals for the Republic Day parade. The selected tableau will feature 16 states and Union territories and six Central ministries. Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad said the decision to reject the tableau has hurt the "asmita" (self-respect) of people of the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the New Year by exchanging greetings with the leaders of all neighbouring countries to maintain healthy diplomatic ties. He made separate phone calls to his counterparts in Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, but bypassed Pakistan. This is not the first time PM Modi gave a cold shoulder to Pakistan. Ever since Indias ties with Pakistan began worsening, especially following the Pulwama terror attack in February 2019, the theocratic neighbours have remained missing from the Prime Ministers list. The tension between the two countries reached its peak in recent times when Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed attacked Indian military camp in a pre-dawn attack on September 18, 2016 killing 17 Indian Army personnel. In reply, the Indian Army carried out a pre-emptive strike on terrorist training camps in Pakistan, 11 days after the attack from Jaish-e-Mohammed, killing over 35 terrorists. Things became worse after 40 CRPF troopers lost their lives in a suicide bomber attack by Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. After a brief period of thaw, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan invited the wrath of the ruling party in India once again by openly criticising the decision to strike down Article 370 from the Constitution on August 5 and splitting the state into two union territories. According to a Mint report, while extending New Year greetings on behalf of all Indians, PM Modi laid extra stress on his commitment towards the neighbours first policy, and the willingness to maintain peaceful, cordial ties. The Prime Minister made sure not to leave out countries such as Sri Lanka and Nepal, where China has made deep inroads already, along with Bhutan, which they are trying to appease at the moment. A statement released by the Prime Ministers Office mentioned that Modi highlighted to the King of Bhutan how the two nations have consolidated their special relations over the past year. Meanwhile, both the President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister expressed confidence that India and Sri Lanka would further enhance their friendly ties in the year 2020. Another noteworthy exchange was with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as relations had soured mildly following the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act. Duchess Kate Middleton is a beloved member of the British royal family. However, her path to royal life has been a winding road. The duchess met Prince William during her freshman year at St. Andrews University in 2001. The duo dated on and off for a decade before marrying in April of 2011. Still, it was certainly a journey worth traveling. Despite a few hiccups and scandals here and there, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge seem very happy. Unlike her sister-in-law, Duchess Meghan Markle, Middleton has been able to ease into royal life and gain acceptance from the British public and press. Though she appears effortless in her role next to the future Crowned King, the duchess worked very hard to make sure she was prepared for royal life. Kate Middleton and Prince William made a marriage pact After reuniting in 2007 after breaking up for the second time, Middleton and Prince William made a marriage pact. The press had been relentless about their lack of engagement, even dubbing the duchess, Waity Katy. Since their pact to marry when they were truly ready was a secret, it did not ease the concerns of the press, public, or Middletons family. Royal expert Katie Nicholl told Vanity Fair, I know that it was the Christmas of 2009 when [Kates mother] Carole was getting quite concerned. Kate was nearing 30, there was still no ring on her finger. Thankfully the prince popped the question during a vacation in Kenya in the fall of 2010 and the pair wed less than a year later. Kate Middleton has a very traditional approach to royal life Though they arent exactly stuffy the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a more old-fashion approach to royal life. Its something Middleton expected when she married the future Crowned King. She knows the importance of the institution and her role to play, an insider told People. She knows that being a member of the royal family is a bit like having a contract, you sign on the dotted line and you deliver Kate is in her element right now, shes really stuck at it and persevered with what she believes in. In fact, when the duchess first got engaged to Prince William her analysis of what it meant to be a member of the British royal family was even more rigid then it is now. Royal commentator Rupert Bell explained, In a way, Kate is a traditional, English rose as it were. Kate Middleton tried to change her image before marrying Prince William Back in 2008, after reuniting with the prince for the second time, the duchess began to analyze her image. She sent out an email to her close friends with a rather awkward request. Columnist Adam Helliker told Sunday Express, that in the email, Middleton asked her friends to stop calling her Kate. Instead, she wanted to be called by her formal name, Catherine. With Prince Williams engagement now a surefire certainty (even Ladbrokes has stopped taking bets on whether it will happen after a flurry of well-placed wagers) there are intriguing signs that Kate Middleton is preparing for her future role, Helliker explained. It looks like shes taking it very seriously indeed too. I hear that in the past few weeks the former accessories buyer has quietly informed friends that she would like to drop the informal Kate and in future wishes to be known by her full name: Catherine.' Though her she was kind and joking in her request, her shorten moniker Kate is whats stuck. However, Prince William does refer to his wife as Catherine when theyre in public. Taiwan's military chief was killed in a helicopter crash on Thursday, the defence ministry said, just days before the island goes to polls to elect a new president. The chief of the general staff, Shen Yi-ming, was among eight senior officers -- including three major-generals -- who died when their Black Hawk helicopter smashed into mountains near Taipei. The 62-year-old general and his entourage were on a routine mission to visit soldiers in northeast Yilan county for the upcoming Lunar New Year when the incident happened. Flags at all military units will fly at half-mast for three days as Shen was the highest-ranking military official to die while on official duty, the government said. Lieutenant-general Tsao Ching-ping, one of five survivors, told rescuers in footage broadcast on local TV: "I am okay... two others are injured and only I can walk." "There is one more person who's more seriously wounded and two or three people in the cabin... two more with no signs of life." President Tsai Ing-wen's office said she would cancel all campaign activities for three days after the tragedy. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party will also suspend campaigning for three days. Tsai is seeking a second term against Kaohsiung city mayor Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang (KMT) party in the January 11 elections when Taiwan will also elect a new parliament. - 'Deeply saddened' - Han and the KMT also offered condolences to the victims and announced that they will stop campaigning for two days. "Today is a day that we are deeply saddened because several of our most distinguished generals died while on official duty," Tsai said at a briefing for the incident. "I've asked the defence minister to maintain stable military morale at this time to ensure steady military and defence operations for the safety and stability of our country." There have been a number of incidents involving Black Hawk helicopters -- purchased from the United States -- in recent years in Taiwan. In 2018 a chopper belonging to a government rescue agency crashed during a medical mission off outlying Orchid Island, killing six people on board in an incident attributed to human error. There were also two crash landings in 2016 and 2018 with no casualties. The US has remained Taipei's most powerful unofficial ally and its leading arms supplier despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979. "We hope that our steadfast commitment to supporting Taiwan's security will honour their memory," Washington's de facto embassy, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said in a statement. "I was privileged to work closely with General Shen in our joint efforts to strengthen the US-Taiwan security relationship. With his keen insight and good humour, he was a valued leader, colleague and friend. He will be sorely missed," said AIT director Brent Christensen. US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley described Shen as "an exceptional leader to his people and a champion for Taiwan's defense and regional security." "We are grateful for the service he rendered so selflessly and cherish our friendship and strong defense relations with Taiwan," he said in a statement. The UH-60M helicopter carrying 13 people disappeared from radar less than 15 minutes after taking off, said Air Force Commander Hsiung Hou-chi, adding that the ministry had set up a taskforce to investigate the incident. "We are investigating whether (the cause) was environmental or mechanical," he told reporters. The ministry has dispatched ground troops and rescue helicopters to the crash site in northeastern Taiwan. It said survivors will be carried off the mountains for treatment rather than being air-lifted due to bad weather. Rescuers searching for survivors after a military Black Hawk helicopter smashed into mountains in Yilan county near Taipei, killing the island's top military chief, Shen Yi-ming Map of Taiwan, showing the approximate area where a top military officer died during a helicopter crash landing. Shen Yi-ming, Taiwan's top military chief, was killed in a helicopter crash Even if you pay just scant attention to the politics of our time, you likely know Pennsylvanias key to the presidential race -- key, as in who wins the state also wins the White House. So thats thing one: were the center of the universe, white-hot and worshipped. Well be inundated with polls, candidate visits, surrogates, TV ads, mailers, rallies, robocalls, Tweets, door-knocks, all the delights employed these days in the wonderful world of politics. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, member representing Akoko north east/north west federal constituency, has announced the appointment of 230 special... Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, member representing Akoko north east/north west federal constituency, has announced the appointment of 230 special advisers, special assistants and personal assistants. In a statement by Alao Babatunde, his special adviser on new media, Tunji-Ojo said the appointments were made from the 300 units and 23 wards of the constituency in recognition of their contributions to his election. The lawmaker, who is the chairman, house committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) also appointed persons from the mandate area. While congratulating the appointees, he urged them to continue to commit themselves to delivering exemplary governance to the people. He added that the appointments were in addition to the appointments earlier announced. In my avowed commitment to better serve the good people of Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency as well as the mandate area, I am pleased to announce the appointment of the under listed, he said. The appointments which is an addition to the appointments earlier announced is in consideration of their commitment and dedication to adding value to the Constituency and the mandate area. These appointments take immediate effect. I congratulate and urge them to continue to commit themselves to delivering exemplary governance to our dear people. Once again, congratulations! In November, Ikengboju Gboluga, another lawmaker from the state representing Okitipupa/Irele federal constituency, appointed 60 of his party supporters as aides. Tumakuru (Karnataka) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the Congress and its allies for opposing the new citizenship law and suggested them to raise their voices against atrocities on minorities in Pakistan. Speaking at a programme at Sree Siddaganga Mutt here, Modi said: "The Parliament enacted Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. Those who are agitating against the Parliament of India today, I want to say that today there is a need is to expose activities of Pakistan at the international level. If you have to agitate, raise your voice against Pakistan's actions of the last 70 years." "If they want to raise slogans, they should raise it against the atrocities of minorities in Pakistan. If they want to take out a protest march, they should do it in support of Dalits and marginalised people in Pakistan," the Prime Minister said. Continuing his tirade, Modi said that Congress and its allies do not speak against Pakistan but take out rallies against the refugees, who were forced to come to India. "Pakistan was formed on the basis of religion. Religious minorities were being persecuted there. The persecuted people were forced to come to India as refugees. But, the Congress party and its allies do not speak against Pakistan. Instead, they are taking out rallies against these refugees," he said. He asserted that the government is trying hard to provide every poor with facilities including health, clean water, gas and insurance. In a veiled reference at the Congress, the Prime Minister said, "India has entered the third decade of the 21st century with new energy and renewed vigour. You will remember what kind of atmosphere was there in the country when the last decade started. But, this third decade has started with a strong foundation of expectations and aspirations." He also said that India is now open-defecation free on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with the participation of people. (ANI) A woman and her brother in China have attacked their dead father's corpse after he allegedly abandoned them and their mother to start a family with another woman decades ago. The siblings stormed into the memorial hall where their late parent's body was displayed before the sister ripped open the coffin and repeatedly slapped the body, a trending video shows. She is then seen dragging her father's corpse out of the coffin and slamming it against the ground. Footage shows a woman opening a coffin before slapping the corpse. According to online accounts, the woman is the dead man's daughter and she and her brother attacked the body The clip then shows the woman dragging her late father's body out of the coffin in China Police have reportedly launched an investigation into the attackers on suspicion of humiliating corpses. The incident took place last Friday at a village in eastern China's Jiangsu Province, according to Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper. Citing a local official from the city of Dongtai, the website said the siblings flogged the body after yanking it out of the case. The act was not captured on footage. It reported that the drama was sparked by disagreement between the dead man's children. Online accounts suggested that incident was caused by the fact that the dead man had become estranged from wife and children and had not fulfilled his parental responsibility towards his children. He was accused of bigamy after starting a relationship with another woman and even had a son with her, it is claimed. The man's godson, known by a pseudonym Qian Hong, denied the allegation that man had been a bigamist in an interview with Beijing Youth Daily. The man's godson, known by a pseudonym Qian Hong, denied the allegation that his late godfather had been a bigamist. He claimed that the attack was caused by a row over money According to Mr Qian, he was not related to his godfather, known by a pseudonym Han Xiangu and that his biological father was still alive. He said Mr Han was 72 years old when he died, adding that the incident was caused by the fact that he had refused the demand for money from Mr Han's children. He claimed more than 20 people busted into the service that day before launching the assault. 'When I was little, [my godfather] treated me very well, therefore I had been looking after him these few years. They (Mr Han's other children) felt that I was rich because of my business, so they wanted to take advantage of me,' Mr Qian told the reporter. Mr Qian also showed the reporter a note, which was said to have been written by Mr Han and notarised. In the note, Mr Han admitted that he had had one son and two daughters with his wife, known by a pseudonym Zhao Lin. He said that he walked out on his wife and children 'in a fit of anger' in 1983 after having an argument with his wife and had lived on his own until now. The man also said that his funeral would be organised and paid for by Mr Qian. The government of Zhendong Town, where the funeral took place, told Beijing Youth Daily that police had launched an investigation into the attackers. But a spokesperson declined to comment on the cause of the incident. Eleven people have been rescued by the authorities after a military helicopter crash-landed in Taiwan on January 2. Reportedly, the search operation is still ongoing for the two missing persons. The UH-60 Balck Hawk helicopter which was carrying Taiwanese Chief of General Staff Shen Yi-meng along with other senior military officials disappeared from radar in less than 15 minutes after taking off. The helicopter made the crash landing at about 9:00am in a mountainous area near Yilan city and the cause remains unknown. The official news agency reported that Shen had been rescued while citing the rescue services, however, the Defence Ministry has not confirmed. According to the statement made by the Defense Ministry, the helicopter was carrying 13 persons for a routine mission to visit soldiers in the northeast Yilan city ahead of the lunar year. While 11 are located alive, there is no information about the remaining two. Read - Taiwans Tsai Defends Anti-Infiltration Law Aimed At China Taiwan passes anti-infiltration law Meanwhile, Taiwan's legislature passed a law on December 31 to block political interference from China. Before the country prepares itself for presidential and legislative elections, the anti-infiltration law is aimed at diluting China's attempt to influence the country's politics and diplomacy. Legislators of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), led by President Tsai Ing-wen, said that the law will thwart foreign interference and manipulation. Read - Taiwan Passes Anti-infiltration Law To Thwart Chinese Political Interference Read - Taiwan 'urgently' Needs Anti-infiltration Law To Counter China Threats: Tsai Ing-wen Just recently, China sailed its newly commissioned aircraft career into the Taiwan Strait. Taiwanese Defense Ministry said in a statement that the aircraft carrier Shandong, accompanied by the frigate, sailed from North to South via the Taiwan Strait. Such efforts by China in the disputed territory forced DPP to fast-track the legislation and push through the parliament. The self-governing island republic considers itself as sovereign while China claims the province as Beijings territory under its One-China policy. Read - Taiwan Passes Law Targeting Chinese Political Interference Read - Taiwan President: Island's Democracy Under Threat From China (With inputs from agencies) In the months after separating from military service, most veterans are less satisfied with their health than with their work or social relationships, found a study by Veterans Affairs researchers. While the veterans surveyed were mostly satisfied with their work and social well-being, a majority were dealing with chronic physical health conditions and a third reported chronic mental health conditions. According to Dr. Dawne Vogt of the VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University, lead author on the study, the results highlight the importance of addressing veterans' health concerns early. "What remains to be seen is whether those veterans with health conditions--which were more commonly experienced by deployed veterans--continue to maintain high levels of well-being in other life domains over time," she says. "Given that it is well-established that health problems can erode functioning in other life domains, it may be that these individuals experience declines in their broader well-being over time." The results appear Jan. 2, 2019, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. More than 200,000 U.S. service members transition out of military service each year. Researchers have pointed to the early transition period as a critical time to address challenges veterans may face in readjusting to civilian life. To investigate which of these challenges are most pressing to newly separated veterans, researchers from the VA National Center for PTSD and colleagues surveyed almost 10,000 veterans from a population-based roster of all separating service members. All participants left the military in the fall of 2016. Veterans were surveyed about three months after their separation, and then six months after that. The researchers found that the biggest concern was health. At both three and nine months after leaving the military, 53% of participants said they had chronic physical health conditions. About 33% reported chronic mental health conditions at both time points. The most commonly reported health conditions were chronic pain, sleep problems, anxiety, and depression. Slightly more than half of participants said they had reduced satisfaction with their health between when they first left the military and a few months later. Health satisfaction did not change much between three and nine months after separation. While physical and mental health was a concern for many veterans, most reported high vocational and social well-being. The majority of participants said they were satisfied with their work and social relationships and that they were functioning well in these areas. According to Vogt, the fact that most participants had high work and social satisfaction "highlights the resilience of the veteran population, and should provide some reassurance to those concerned about the well-being of newly separated veterans." More than three-quarters of participants said they were in an intimate relationship in the months after they left the military. Almost two-thirds reported that they had regular contact with their friends and extended family and that they were involved in their broader communities. Over half of participants had found work three months after military separation. While most participants reported high work satisfaction, the study group showed an overall decline in work functioning over the first year after military separation. Functioning declined even though overall employment rates increased. The researchers hypothesized that this decline in work functioning could be due to health concerns, which are known to erode broader well-being over time. The study also found differences in well-being based on other factors. Enlisted veterans showed consistently poorer health, vocational, and social well-being than officers. Veterans who had deployed to a war zone had more health concerns than veterans who did not deploy. There were also several differences between men and women. Male veterans were more likely to be employed than female veterans both three and nine months after leaving the military. Men were also more likely to report hearing conditions, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Women were more likely to endorse mental health conditions at nine months post-separation. They also reported more depression and anxiety at both timepoints. The researchers have shared their findings with the VA Transition Assistance Program (TAP), which helps Veterans transition back to civilian life. The program is jointly managed by VA and the departments of Defense and Labor, in coordination with the departments of Education and Homeland Security, as well as the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Small Business Administration. According to Vogt, the results could help TAP and other programs that help veterans with readjustment decide how to allocate their resources. Vogt writes that the findings "suggest that maybe we don't need as much focus on promoting employment right now, and need more emphasis on treatment of mental/physical health conditions." The researchers say their findings have implications not only for VA but for the wide spectrum of organizations nationwide--more than 40,000 in all--that provide programs, services, and support for veterans making their transition back to civilian life. Historically, much of the support for veterans leaving the military has primarily focused on providing employment and educational assistance and informing veterans of their benefits. But the findings suggest that veterans' health concerns should be prioritized, says Vogt. Interventions should also target at-risk subgroups of veterans. The researchers concluded that addressing newly separated veterans' health concerns could promote their broader well-being and longer-term readjustment. Vogt points out the importance of addressing veterans' readjustment challenges before they worsen and have a chance to erode broader well-being. She says this may require re-evaluating support methods. "Given that most transition support is targeted to veterans with the most acute or chronic concerns," she says, "this recommendation may require rethinking how veteran programs prioritize their efforts. While it makes sense to target resources to those with greatest need, it is better to support individuals before their concerns become chronic when we can." Work is underway to expand on this study using the same study group. The research team is analyzing how veterans' health and well-being changes in the second and third year after leaving service, as well as how veterans' initial health status impacts their subsequent well-being in other areas. ### The research was managed by the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. The work was supported by VA Health Services Research and Development, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, Health Net Federal Services, the Heinz Endowments, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Lockheed Martin, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Northrop Grumman, Philip and Marge Odeen, Prudential, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, the Rumsfeld Foundation, the Schultz Family Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, and the Wounded Warrior Project. A man suffering from pneumonia receives treatment in a ward at Wang Fu Hospital in Beijing on December 9, 2015. (WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images) Viral Pneumonia Outbreak in Central Chinese City Ignites Panic The outbreak of a mysterious pneumonia-like disease in central Chinas Wuhan city has generated widespread alarm. State-run media confirmed on Dec. 31, 2019, that 27 people from Wuhan city had contracted an unknown viral pneumonia, with patients reporting symptoms such as fever, having difficulty breathing, and invasive lesions in the lungs. Seven were in serious condition. Authorities didnt have any information about the cause of the infections. According to state-run media Beijing News, the patients were vendors and shoppers at the Huanan Seafood Market, located close to Hankou Railway Station in the citys Jianghan district. The market sells seafood and a variety of wild animal meats. State media Peoples Daily published a Dec. 30, 2019, directive from the Wuhan Health Commission that was sent to all medical facilities in the city, forbidding any party or individual from publicizing medical information without permission. Chinese authorities quickly censored online discussions about the outbreak. On Jan. 1, Wuhan police stated that they detained eight locals who spread rumors that the viral pneumonia was SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). The epidemic in 20022003 killed hundreds of mainland Chinese. Due to authorities cover-up, the disease spread globally and led to more than 8,000 contracting the disease. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong and Taiwan governments have stepped up measures to prevent the disease from spreading. China commentators raised concerns that Chinese authorities lack of transparency about the illness could lead to patients unknowingly spreading the virus more broadly and cause another SARS-like epidemic. Patients On Dec. 31, 2019, state media reported that the 27 patients, who were being treated at different Wuhan hospitals, were all relocated to the Jinyintan Hospital in Dongxihu district, as it is a dedicated infectious diseases treatment center. Family members said they werent allowed to visit the patients and could only bring food and drinks for hospital nurses to pass on. The news has struck panic among Wuhan residents. Since Jan. 1, pharmacies in Wuhan were cleared of surgical masks, gas masks, over-the-counter preventive Chinese medicines, and banlangen, a Chinese medicine made of the root of isatis tinctoria. It is typically used to treat colds and mouth ulcers. People are scared of the unknown disease. They want to protect themselves [by purchasing such drugs], a saleswoman at a Wuhan pharmacy told Beijing News on Jan. 1. Concerns In 2002, the SARS virus was first discovered in southern Chinas Guangdong Province. It quickly spread to Hong Kong and then other countries, after Chinese authorities censored related information and patients traveled around the world without treatment or protection. Chinese netizens expressed worries that the new unknown viral disease could spread quickly, as Wuhan is the largest transportation hub in China, owing to its geographic location in the center of the country. People typically pass through Wuhan whenever they travel from north to south, or west to east, either by railway, highway, air, or water transportation. Around the Chinese New Year, which lands on Jan. 25, many Chinese travel to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday. Every year, roughly 3 billion trips take place. The pathogens are unclear, and the way the disease spreads is unknown. If this unknown viral pneumonia is highly contagious, the virus can spread all across China within a few weeks, Tang Jingyuan, a U.S.-based China affairs commentator and former doctor, told The Epoch Times on Jan. 2. Furthermore, the worst situation is the government wants to maintain its political stability and wont tell people the truth, Tang said. He feared that if Beijing continues to censor related information, it could lead to another SARS-like outbreak. Hong Kong and Taiwan On Jan. 2, Sophia Chan, Hong Kongs health secretary, announced at a press conference that the government would take precautionary measures concerning the unknown pneumonia, including daily press briefings, and monitoring travelers who might be unwell at the airport and express rail terminals. Hong Kong media reported that three local patients had pneumonia symptoms after recently visiting Wuhan. But Chan said their illnesses werent linked to the mysterious disease in mainland China. The Taiwan government also launched similar measures, including travel screenings. On Jan. 2, Chou Jih-Haw, director-general of Taiwans Centers for Disease Control, said at a press conference that a 6-year-old child who was onboard a flight to Taiwan and had transferred in Wuhan had come down with a fever. After the centers investigation, it arranged for the child to stay home for further observation. D rake has suggested that there will be a new season of Top Boy arriving on Netflix in 2020. The rapper, who helped to bring the British drama to Netflix for a reboot, revealed the news on an Instagram post shared by GRM Daily. The post pointed out Top Boy's popularity with Netflix viewers and was captioned with the question: Will we see a new series in 2020? Drake then shared a comment which read: Of course. Standard Online has contacted a spokesperson for Netflix for further comment. Drake's Instagram account is @champagnepapi / Instagram The drug gang drama was a cult hit back in 2011 when it first aired on Channel 4 but was cancelled after just two seasons, despite winning a Bafta in 2012. The rapper then petitioned Netflix to pick it up for a new run with him as an executive producer. Six years after it last aired, it made a return on the streaming giant in September 2019. Drake previously told the Hollywood Reporter how he had stumbled across the show on YouTube. And that human element drew me in, he said in the 2017 interview. Ashley Walters played Dushane in Top Boy (Netflix ) / Netflix I started just looking them up. Like, who are these people? Are these actors I should know? Are they just famous over there? I remember I hit Future, and I was just like, This show is incredible. Last year, when questioned about the fourth season, Ashley Walters who plays Dushane admitted that he was unsure about the future of the show. Netflix: Top Boy - In pictures 1 /18 Netflix: Top Boy - In pictures Ashley Walters and Kane 'Kano' Robinson reprise their roles for the new season of Top Boy. Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Walters said: We havent had the OK yet for a season four because the show hasnt come out yet but I think weve done an amazing job. Speaking of Drake, Walters said he did all the leg work to resurrect the show. He said: Hes a fan of the show and was like, When is the next season? And we had to tell him that there wasnt one and at that point it just became about how we could get it back out there. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. A University of Illinois College of Law professor accused of sexual harassment will not be returning to teaching at the university. Jay Kesan was expected to come back in January after a year of unpaid leave, but teaching staff and students were notified by email that other faculty members will teach his courses, The (Champaign) News-Gazette reported. The brief email stated that Kesan will be on a university sanctioned leave. After a two-year investigation into Kesan's sexual misconduct was made public in the fall of 2018, Kesan issued a written apology admitting the truth of the allegations and said he was taking a voluntary, unpaid leave of absence for the 2019 school year. The university's Office of Diversity, Equity and Access investigated formal complaints from three female colleagues and students of unwanted touching and unsolicited discussions about sex. It concluded that Kesan's conduct didn't qualify as sexual harassment or misconduct under university policy, which states that said offensive behavior must be severe or pervasive and unreasonably interferes with a person's work or educational opportunities. Vang A Khua and Vang A Cua at Leng Su Sin border station in Dien Bien province (Photo: VNA) The two suspects are Vang A Khua, 22, and Vang A Cua, 30, residing in Nam Vi village, Chung Chai commune. They were apprehended in Muong Nhe districts Chung Chai commune while transporting drugs on motorbikes from Laos to Vietnam for sale in Lai Chau province. Searching their backpacks, police and border guards found five suspicious packages weighing 7kg, three other packages containing pink tablets and one box of 200 bullets. Khua and Cua confessed that the packs contained opium and 600 pills which were bought from someone in Laos, worth 80 million VND (3,450 USD). Investigation into the case is underway. Flash Citizens of China and Armenia can enjoy 90-day visa-free arrival in the other country starting from Jan 19 next year, according to the Chinese embassy in Armenia on Monday, Xinhua reported. China and Armenia signed an agreement in May to exempt visas for ordinary passport holders, which will take effect on Jan 19, 2020, when legal procedures have been completed in both countries. According to the agreement, Chinese and Armenian citizens holding ordinary passports of their own country can enter, exit or transit through the other country visa-free if the accumulative stay in that country is no more than 90 per 180 days since their date of arrival. Citizens who plan to stay in the other country for over 90 per 180 days accumulatively, or plan to work, study, live or provide news coverage should apply for a visa in advance. China has fired a warning shot at Prime Minister Boris Johnson by suspending a tie-up between London and Shanghais stock exchanges. The Shanghai-London Stock Connect scheme had been designed to make it easier for Chinese companies to tap up international investors and for UK firms to attract Chinese investors. It is understood that no formal notification has been sent to the London Stock Exchange (LSE), but that China has unofficially halted the scheme due to political tensions. Boris Johnson faces a challenge in keeping trade relations with China cordial Sources have blamed the shift on Britains refusal to condemn Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, which have centred on Beijings perceived influence in Hong Kongs politics. And Johnson is faced with the looming decision over whether to allow Chinese technology giant Huawei to continue building Britains 5G mobile broadband networks. US President Donald Trump has blacklisted the firm over allegations it allows China to spy through its technology claims that Huawei denies. Although the suspension of the Stock Connect scheme will have little effect on most British investors, it is a sign of deteriorating relations between the UK and China, which is the worlds second-largest economy. When it launched last year, Stock Connect was trumpeted as a great step forward, connecting two major financial centres of the East and West. LSE chairman Don Robert called it ambitious, and the UKs then-chancellor Philip Hammond said it was a ground-breaking initiative which will deepen our global connectivity. But yesterday, Matthew Henderson, director of the Asia Studies Centre at the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, said: When dealing with Beijing, economics and politics go hand in hand, despite claims to the contrary from both sides. Critics of the UKs optimistic approach to China have long warned that the UKs freedom to call out Chinas human rights abuses is curtailed by our economic dependency. The promotion of Britains interests, both moral and economic, should be the only basis for our approach to dealing with Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping is already embroiled in a trade-war with the USA Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he was not aware of the specifics of the stock exchange case. But he added: We hope the UK will provide a fair and just and open, non-discriminatory environment for Chinese businesses to invest there. Last year, Hong Kongs stock exchange (HKEX) made a 30 billion bid for the LSE which was swiftly turned down. City veteran David Buik said Chinas actions yesterday showed the LSE had been right to be wary of developing deeper ties with Beijing. LSE shareholders were worried a deal with HKEX, which is 6 per cent-owned by the Hong Kong government, would leave the British stock exchange vulnerable to interference. Buik added: China is clearly very unhappy about the UKs support of democracy in its former colony. There will be plenty of opportunities for the LSE to do the right global deal. The Hong Kong protests, which rocked the city for the best part of 2019, continue, and British bank HSBC yesterday found itself drawn into the violence. Activists attacked some of the lenders branches and daubed graffiti on the lion statues outside its city centre base. The LSE declined to comment, while the China Securities Regulatory Commission did not respond to a request for comment. Pope Francis expressed his sincere apology after slapping a woman's hand while greeting a group of devotees at the Vatican City's Nativity scene on New Year's Eve. During the traditional New Year Mass, the 83-year-old pontiff told the thousands of pilgrims at St. Peter's Square how sorry he is for setting a bad example on the slapping incident. "So many times, we lose patience, even me, and I apologize for yesterday's bad example," the Pope said during his first homily for the year 2020. The pontiff's apology came after his homily denouncing violence against women, saying laying hands on women is similar to mocking God. "Many times, women's bodies are sacrificed on the profane altar of advertisements, of profit, of pornography. (Women) are continually offended, beaten, raped, forced into prostitution," Pope Francis said. The Pope also hopes that women around the world would step up into leadership roles for the year 2020. "If we want a better world, that is a house of peace and not a courtyard of war, may the dignity of every woman be at the heart of it. Women are givers and mediators of peace, and should be fully associated with decision-making processes," he added. In the now-viral video, Pope Francis could be seen all smiles while greeting the crowd and extending handshakes to children while on his way to the Vatican's nativity scene on New Year's Eve. When he is about to walk away, a woman from the pack (whose identity has not been disclosed) wanting to get the Pope's attention suddenly grabs his right hand with her both hands and pulled him back, causing the latter to lose his balance for a moment. An upset Pope Francis emerged and angrily slaps the hand of the woman to free himself. He then turns around and walks away from the crowd with a frown on his face. This is not the first time that the papal handshake has gone wrong and was caught on camera. In March 2019, the Pope was also filmed while constantly withdrawing his hands from people in line who wishes to kiss his ring. The Vatican's chief spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said that the Pope's refusal for his ring to be kissed is only "a simple question of hygiene." Later that month, while onboard on the place going to Morocco, NBC News reporter Claudio Lavanga humorously pulled his hand away as he was about to shake hands with the Pope, reminding him of the viral video withdrawing hands from devotees. This prompted the Roman Catholic leader to explain why he refuses people to kiss the papal ring. He said that he was only avoiding to spread germs and contagious diseases among the devotees. "You know what, at some point, my hand was all wet (due to the hand-kissing). There is a risk of contagion; it's for the hygiene," the Pope said. "If it's only from a few people, there is no problem, but if the hands get wet, it's a contagion," he added. The Department of Neurosurgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has received more than $10 million in federal funding for several projects focusing on brain tumor research. The newest grant focuses on the use of magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT), a powerful nanotechnology-based treatment that may enhance the effects of radiation therapy and chemotherapy on glioblastoma tumors. The lead investigator is Constantinos Hadjipanayis, MD, PhD, Director of Neurosurgical Oncology at the Mount Sinai Health System and Chair of Neurosurgery at Mount Sinai-Union Square. Joshua Bederson, MD, the Leonard I. Malis, MD / Corinne and Joseph Graber Professor of Neurosurgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Chair of Neurosurgery for the Mount Sinai Health System Our neurosurgeons are at the forefront of clinical care and scientific research with the goal of translating research findings into new therapies that will improve patient outcomes." Magnetic hyperthermia therapy for glioblastoma Dr. Hadjipanayis is the lead investigator in the $3.4 million National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study to examine the effects of MHT when used in conjunction with chemoradiation to treat glioblastoma, a devastating brain cancer that almost always relapses because therapy-resistant cancer cells infiltrate the body at the tumor's margin. The study is expected to last five years and will be conducted in close partnership with Robert Ivkov, PhD, MSc, and his team at Johns Hopkins University, who developed the novel magnetic nanoparticles the studies will use. The grant involves a pilot study at Johns Hopkins treating dogs that have spontaneously developed glioblastoma tumors. "These are powerful magnetic nanoparticles that we deliver directly into glioblastoma tumors by convection-enhanced delivery," said Dr. Hadjipanayis. "We then apply a safe, alternating external magnetic field that oscillates the nanoparticles, which generates heat that destroys the tumor. Multiple treatments can be performed since the nanoparticles persist in glioblastoma tumors. When used in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy, we expect this treatment will lead to improved outcomes." Glioma dormancy, stem cell niche, and tumor microenvironment Hongyan Zou, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurosurgery, and Neuroscience, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has received a $3 million NIH-funded grant to study tumor cell dormancy in glioblastoma models. The project's goal is to dissect governing factors in the tumor microenvironment that influence tumor cell behaviors and therapy resistance. The study is expected to last five years. "Tumor cell dormancy is a major root for glioblastoma relapse," said Dr. Zou. "Our team of vascular biologists, bioengineers, and neuroscientists are employing a 3D vascular glioblastoma organoid model to understand governing factors in the tumor microenvironment that promote tumor stem cell dormancy, therapy resistance, and tumor re-propagating capacity." Defining the chromatin landscape and transcriptional drivers of proliferation and migration in human glioblastoma Crosstalk between EGFR and TEAD activity directs migration in human glioblastoma A better understanding of the mechanisms by which glioblastoma cells infiltrate deep into the brain, evading surgical resection and chemotherapy, is needed in order to prevent tumor progression. Nadejda Tsankova, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology, and Neuroscience, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is the Principal Investigator on two studies that examine the biology of migration in glioblastoma cells. The first NIH-funded study aims to define the epigenetic landscape (nongenetic influences on gene expression) and transcriptional networks that drive properties of growth and migration in human glioblastoma cells. The second study focuses on the role of one specific transcription factor, the transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) as driver of the migratory tumor cell state, and explores its relationship to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, using CRISPR-knockout and pharmacological inhibition in primary patient-derived glioblastoma cells and in immunocompetent and xenograft mouse glioma models. Dr. Tsankova has received nearly $275,000 for the first study and more than $1.8 million in funding for the second, five-year study. "We have uncovered TEAD1 as an important driver of tumor migration," said Dr. Tsankova. "Through our studies, we aim to gain deeper mechanistic insight into the biology of tumor migration as well as to test the therapeutic efficacy of pharmacological inhibitors of TEAD1 activity in pre-clinical mouse glioma models." In context: In its first transparency report, TikTok revealed that the two countries where most of its users are located account for most of the information and takedown requests it received throughout the first half of 2019. Notably absent from the analysis is China, the place where owner ByteDance operates the same social media app under the Douyin brand. TikTok has published its first transparency report, aimed at letting users in on the volume and sources of governmental requests for content takedowns, account information, and other notifications. The analysis covers the period between January 1st and June 30, 2019, when the social media app received almost 300 requests from 28 countries around the world. Interestingly, the company says the Chinese government made no requests in the first half of 2019, which is hard to believe given the history of censorship exercised by companies in the region to appease officials. This has led to speculation that the company isn't forthcoming about that information, especially since leaked documents point to the Chinese government requesting the removal of several videos linked to the Hong Kong protests in 2019. The company chalked it down to a failed test on some updated content guidelines, but only managed to bring its owner, ByteDance, into the crosshairs of the US Committee on Foreign Investments. A more plausible explanation would be that TikTok doesn't serve the Chinese audience, a role delegated to its sister app, Douyin, which is known to be subject to more strict guidelines. In any case, TikTok's transparency report shows the US and India sending the majority of requests. The Indian government sent 107 requests, almost half of which were honored. By comparison, the US sent a total of 79 requests, 86 percent of which resulted in some information being produced. The two countries also lead in the number of account suspension requests, which are in the single digits. In terms of copyright take-down notices, TikTok says 85 percent of all 3,345 received from nine countries have resulted in some content being removed. Eric Ebenstein, the company's head of public policy, noted that "TikTok is committed to assisting law enforcement in appropriate circumstances while at the same time respecting the privacy and rights of our users. [...] We believe that when people feel safe, their creativity can flourish." The company is expected to release a report for the second half of 2019 in the coming months. In the meantime, TikTok just got banned by the US Army, following a similar measure by the Pentagon and the US Navy. That has parent company ByteDance worried that it may soon be pressed to sell off the app, so it's scrambling to move its operations outside of China. If you haven't gotten a chance to try TikTok you can download it here. No one really knows what happens inside an atom. But two competing groups of scientists think they've figured it out. And both are racing to prove that their own vision is correct. Here's what we know for sure: Electrons whiz around "orbitals" in an atom's outer shell. Then there's a whole lot of empty space. And then, right in the center of that space, there's a tiny nucleus a dense knot of protons and neutrons that give the atom most of its mass. Those protons and neutrons cluster together, bound by what's called the strong force. And the numbers of those protons and neutrons determine whether the atom is iron or oxygen or xenon, and whether it's radioactive or stable. Still, no one knows how those protons and neutrons (together known as nucleons) behave inside an atom. Outside an atom, protons and neutrons have definite sizes and shapes. Each of them is made up of three smaller particles called quarks, and the interactions between those quarks are so intense that no external force should be able to deform them, not even the powerful forces between particles in a nucleus. But for decades, researchers have known that the theory is in some way wrong. Experiments have shown that, inside a nucleus, protons and neutrons appear much larger than they should be. Physicists have developed two competing theories that try to explain that weird mismatch, and the proponents of each are quite certain the other is incorrect. Both camps agree, however, that whatever the correct answer is, it must come from a field beyond their own. Related: The Biggest Unsolved Mysteries in Physics Since at least the 1940s, physicists have known that nucleons move in tight little orbitals within the nucleus, Gerald Miller, a nuclear physicist at the University of Washington, told Live Science. The nucleons, confined in their movements, have very little energy. They don't bounce around much, restrained by the strong force. In 1983, physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) noticed something strange: Beams of electrons bounced off iron in a way that was very different from how they bounced off free protons, Miller said. That was unexpected; if the protons inside hydrogen were the same size as the protons inside iron, the electrons should have bounced off in much the same way. At first, researchers didn't know what they were looking at. But over time, scientists came to believe it was a size issue. For some reason, protons and neutrons inside heavy nuclei act as if they are much larger than when they are outside the nuclei. Researchers call this phenomenon the EMC effect, after the European Muon Collaboration the group that accidentally discovered it. It violates existing theories of nuclear physics. Or Hen, a nuclear physicist at MIT, has an idea that could potentially explain what's going on. While quarks, the subatomic particles that make up nucleons, strongly interact within a given proton or neutron, quarks in different protons and neutrons can't interact much with each other, he said. The strong force inside a nucleon is so strong it eclipses the strong force holding nucleons to other nucleons. "Imagine sitting in your room talking to two of your friends with the windows closed," Hen said. The trio in the room are three quarks inside a neutron or proton. "A light breeze is blowing outside," he said. That light breeze is the force holding the proton or neutron to nearby nucleons that are "outside" the window. Even if a little snuck through the closed window, Hen said, it would barely affect you. And as long as nucleons stay in their orbitals, that's the case. However, he said, recent experiments have shown that at any given time, about 20% of the nucleons in a nucleus are in fact outside their orbitals. Instead, they're paired off with other nucleons, interacting in "short range correlations." Under those circumstances, the interactions between the nucleons are much higher-energy than usual, he said. That's because the quarks poke through the walls of their individual nucleons and start to directly interact, and those quark-quark interactions are much more powerful than nucleon-nucleon interactions. These interactions break down the walls separating quarks inside individual protons or neutrons, Hen said. The quarks making up one proton and the quarks making up another proton start to occupy the same space. This causes the protons (or neutrons, as the case may be) to stretch and blur, Hen said. They grow a lot, albeit for very short periods of time. That skews the average size of the entire cohort in the nucleus producing the EMC effect . Related: Strange Quarks and Muons, Oh My! Natures Tiniest Particles Dissected Most physicists now accept this interpretation of the EMC effect, Hen said. And Miller, who worked with Hen on some of the key research, agreed. But not everyone thinks Hen's group has the problem worked out. Ian Cloet, a nuclear physicist at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, said he thinks Hen's work draws conclusions that the data doesn't fully support. "I think the EMC effect is still unresolved," Cloet told Live Science. That's because the basic model of nuclear physics already accounts for a lot of the short-range pairing Hen describes. Yet, "if you use that model to try and look at the EMC effect, you will not describe the EMC effect. There is no successful explanation of the EMC effect using that framework. So in my opinion, there's still a mystery." Hen and his collaborators are doing experimental work that is "valiant" and "very good science," he said. But it doesn't fully resolve the problem of the atomic nucleus. "What is clear is that the traditional model of nuclear physics cannot explain this EMC effect," he said. "We now think that the explanation must be coming from QCD itself." QCD stands for quantum chromodynamics the system of rules that govern the behavior of quarks. Shifting from nuclear physics to QCD is a bit like looking at the same picture twice: once on a first-generation flip phone that's nuclear physics and then again on a high-resolution TV that's quantum chromodynamics. The high-res TV offers a lot more detail, but it's a lot more complicated to build. The problem is that the complete QCD equations describing all the quarks in a nucleus are too difficult to solve, Cloet and Hen both said. Modern supercomputers are about 100 years away from being fast enough for the task, Cloet estimated. And even if supercomputers were fast enough today, the equations haven't advanced to the point where you could plug them into a computer, he said. Still, he said, it's possible to work with QCD to answer some questions. And right now, he said, those answers offer a different explanation for the EMC effect: Nuclear Mean-Field Theory. He disagrees that 20% of nucleons in a nucleus are bound up in short-range correlations. The experiments just don't prove that, he said. And there are theoretical problems with the idea. That suggests we need a different model, he said. "The picture that I have is, we know that inside a nucleus are these very strong nuclear forces," Cloet said. These are "a bit like electromagnetic fields, except they're strong force fields." The fields operate at such tiny distances that they're of negligible magnitude outside the nucleus, but they're powerful inside of it. In Cloet's model, these force fields, which he calls "mean fields" (for the combined strength they carry) actually deform the internal structure of protons, neutrons and pions (a type of strong force-carrying particle). "Just like if you take an atom and you put it inside a strong magnetic field , you will change the internal structure of that atom," Cloet said. In other words, mean-field theorists think the sealed-up room Hen described has holes in its walls, and wind is blowing through to knock the quarks around, stretching them out. Cloet acknowledged that it's possible short-range correlations likely explain some portion of the EMC effect, and Hen said mean fields likely do play a role as well. "The question is, which dominates," Cloet said. Miller, who has also worked extensively with Cloet, said that the mean field has the advantage of being more well-grounded in theory. But Cloet hasn't yet done all the necessary calculations, he said. And right now the weight of experimental evidence suggests that Hen has the better of the argument. Hen and Cloet both said the results of experiments in the next few years could resolve the question. Hen cited an experiment underway at Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia that will move nucleons closer together, bit by bit, and allow researchers to watch them change. Cloet said he wants to see a "polarized EMC experiment" that would break up the effect based on the spin (a quantum trait) of the protons involved. It might reveal unseen details of the effect that could aid calculations, he said. All three researchers emphasized that the debate is friendly. "It's great, because it means we're still making progress," Miller said. "Eventually, something's going to be in the textbook and the ball game is over. ... The fact that there's two competing ideas means that it's exciting and vibrant. And now finally we have the experimental tools to resolve these issues." Originally published on Live Science . Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday slammed the Congress and its allies opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, saying they are against giving relief to those who have been brutalised and victimised in Pakistan. "Pakistan was founded on religious grounds due to which atrocities on minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Christians have increased. But Congress and its allies don't speak against Pakistan," he said at a function here. He also said the Congress and its allies take out rallies and stage demonstrations against the efforts to prevent atrocities on religious lines and save women from sexual assaults. Modi wondered why those opposed to the CAA were not speaking out against Pakistan's atrocities and asked what stopped them from doing so. Strongly defending the CAA, he said it was adopted by Parliament in a historic move, but that the Congress and its allies and the ecosystem created by his party's rival were now against the very institution. He said India cannot leave the Hindus, Christians and Sikhs apparently fleeing Pakistan to "their fate" and added it was the country's responsibility to protect them. Modi pointed out that the efforts are especially to protect the Dalits and tribals in Pakistan. The Prime Minister also pointed out that the abrogation of Article 370 was a step towards ending terrorism and uncertainty in Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The home of one of Northern Ireland's most famous sweet shops has gone on the market as part of a restructure, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal. The premises of Aunt Sandra's at 64-72 Castlereagh Road in east Belfast is for sale at 175,000, though the business is not included. Owner Jim Moore (68) said the enterprise, which also includes a cafe and sweet-making facilities, was not closing down and that he was hoping to find new premises. Read More Selling agents Fraser Kidd described the site as a "prominent commercial premises". In September 2018 Aunt Sandra's invested 300,000 in a new production facility and shop at the units on Castlereagh Road. Aunt Sandra's also runs tours of its premises and sweet-making workshops. It manufactures honeycomb, some of which is sold to ice-cream makers for use in their products. Mr Moore said: "We are not sure what we are doing. We are in the process of restructuring and we might be moving to new premises. "Things have changed and we need to change with the times." However, he said the restructuring was not a formal insolvency process, such as a company voluntary arrangement. He added: "We want to go in a different direction, take the business and make it better. But it is still doing well and we were fully booked over Christmas. Everything is good and we are still in the black." The business started out in the 1940s, set up by a close family friend who Mr Moore knew as uncle Willie. He opened his first shop on the Albertbridge Road, followed by a second on Templemore Avenue. As the business grew, uncle Willie decided he needed help, so he employed Mr Moore's aunt Sandra. When uncle Willie retired, Mr Moore was devastated to find out that he had sold all his equipment, as he had hoped to take over the business. An offer to buy the equipment from the new owner was declined, but one year later Mr Moore's offer was accepted, and aunt Sandra's Candy Factory was set up as a result. Speaking to Business Telegraph in 2018, Mr Moore said he believed in being nice to the people he does business with. He said he did not believe in chasing companies for deals after making an initial pitch. "I don't like people chasing me, so I'm not going to do it. As long as you are reasonably priced and your product is good, then people will pay for it," he said. Aunt Sandra's has maintained a stall at St George's Market, where Mr Moore met the Queen in 2014. In one of his first decisions, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat has issued directions to prepare a roadmap by June 30 to create an air defence command to enhance security of India's skies. IMAGE: India's first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat arrives to inspect the Guard of Honour at South Block in New Delhi on January 1, 2020. Photograph: Kamal KIshore/PTI Photo He also underlined that efforts will be made to cut out infructuous ceremonial activities which are manpower intensive, officials said. Some of the areas identified for bringing in tri-services jointness and synergy include setting up of common "logistics support pools" in stations where two or more services have their presence, they said. Gen Rawat took charge as the country's first Chief of Defence Staff on Wednesday in what is seen as a watershed moment for India's military planning to bring in convergence among the three services for effectively dealing with future security challenges. After taking charge, he held a meeting with important functionaries of Integrated Defence Staff and directed heads of various wings to come up with recommendations to bring in inter-service synergy and jointness in a time bound manner, officials said. As CDS, Gen Rawat will be the Principal Military Advisor to the defence minister on all tri-services matters besides helming the newly set up the department of military affairs. "The CDS directed that a proposal to create Air Defence Command be prepared by June 30," said an official. Gen Rawat also set out priorities for execution of various initiatives by December 31. "Emphasising collegiate system of functioning, Gen Rawat directed that all three services and Coast Guard must be consulted and their views obtained in a time bound manner. Decisions will, however, be taken to ensure optimisation of resources," the defence ministry said. It said the CDS stressed that all must work towards accomplishing desired results and coming up with healthy views and ideas. The CDS will have a key role in ensuring optimum utilisation of allocated budget, ushering in more synergy in procurement, training and operations of the services through joint planning and integration. The other major mandate of the CDS is to facilitate indigenisation of weapons and equipment to the maximum extent possible while formulating the overall defence acquisition plan for the three Services. Tunisia, on Wednesday, officially started serving as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2020-2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Tunisias priorities and strategic options within the framework of its non-permanent membership in the Security Council are centered mainly on issues of conflict prevention and peaceful settlement in order to consolidate sustainable peace, enhance the participation of women and youth in these efforts, and combat terrorism, said the statement relayed by TAP news agency. Tunisia will also endeavor to increase the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations, enhance cooperation for international development and security and support a collective and consensual response to new global challenges. Tunisia, which had previously served as non-permanent member of this council on three occasions (1959-1960, 1980-1981 and 2000-2001) will work to defend the unified positions taken on various issues related to the Arab and African spaces, foremost of which are the Palestinian issue and the situation in Libya, the statement added. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said Tunisia would spare no effort, based on the principles of its foreign policy and a commitment to the goals and principles of the United Nations, to contribute actively to the search for peaceful and lasting solutions to the various issues on the agenda of the Security Council. This will be made in accordance with the requirements of international law, in coordination and consultation with other member countries and all countries and regional and international blocs that share the same values of peace, security, solidarity, tolerance, moderation, and renunciation of all forms of extremism and violence, the Foreign Ministry stated further in its statement. The United Nations General Assembly, on June 7, 2019, elected Tunisia as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the period 2020-2021, with 191 votes out of a total of 193. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 09:09:05|Editor: zyl Video Player Close HAVANA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cubans celebrated on Wednesday the 61st anniversary of the country's socialist revolution. Anniversary festivities included several concerts and dance performance in the public squares throughout the country. Celebrations began at midnight with a 21-gun salute at the old Spanish colonial fortress of San Carlos de La Cabana on the eastern side of Havana Harbor. As is traditional on every Jan. 1, the National Ballet of Cuba held a gala at the Alicia Alonso Grand Theater of Havana, where parts of the famous ballet "The Nutcracker" were staged. "We cubans are winners of the impossible. And this is the right time for us to set out for another exceptionally positive year," Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Twitter in English. On Jan. 1, 1959, the uprising army led by Fidel Castro captured the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba and the central city of Santa Clara, forcing military dictator Fulgencio Batista to flee to the Dominican Republic. The events marked the triumph of the revolution and the beginning of social and economic reforms that led to the establishment of socialism on the Caribbean island. If you own shares in Kaman Corporation (NYSE:KAMN) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a measure of volatility. Modern finance theory considers volatility to be a measure of risk, and there are two main types of price volatility. 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. A stock with a beta below one is either less volatile than the market, or more volatile but not corellated with the overall market. In comparison a stock with a beta of over one tends to be move in a similar direction to the market in the long term, but with greater changes in price. Check out our latest analysis for Kaman What KAMN's beta value tells investors Given that it has a beta of 0.82, we can surmise that the Kaman share price has not been strongly impacted by broader market volatility (over the last 5 years). This means that -- if history is a guide -- buying the stock would reduce the impact of overall market volatility in many portfolios (depending on the beta of the portfolio, of course). Share price volatility is well worth considering, but most long term investors consider the history of revenue and earnings growth to be more important. Take a look at how Kaman fares in that regard, below. Story continues NYSE:KAMN Income Statement, January 2nd 2020 Could KAMN's size cause it to be more volatile? Kaman is a small company, but not tiny and little known. It has a market capitalisation of US$1.8b, which means it would be on the radar of intstitutional investors. Small companies often have a high beta value, but they can be heavily influenced by company-specific events. This might explain why this stock has a low beta. What this means for you: The Kaman doesn't 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. This article aims to educate investors about beta values, but it's well worth looking at important company-specific fundamentals such as Kamans financial health and performance track record. I urge you to continue your research by taking a look at the following: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for KAMNs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for KAMNs outlook. Past Track Record: Has KAMN 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 KAMN's historicals for more clarity. Other Interesting Stocks: It's worth checking to see how KAMN measures up against other companies on valuation. You could start with this free list of prospective options. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Beirut [Lebanon], Jan 2 (ANI): Lebanese Justice Minister Albert Serhan on Thursday announced that the Middle East country has received a red notice by the Interpol to arrest former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn, the state media reported. The red notice for the former automotive titan was received earlier Thursday by the Lebanese prosecution, according to Xinhua news agency. Ghosn arrived in Beirut on Monday after fleeing from Japan amid charges of financial misconduct. Nissan accused Ghosn last year of understating his salary while he was the chief executive and transferring USD 5 million of Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest. Ghosn declared in a statement that he had not fled justice but he had escaped "injustice and political persecution." Ghosn is expected to hold a news conference on Wednesday in Beirut. Meanwhile, Japanese prosecutors on Thursday searched a house in Tokyo where Ghosn lived while out on bail before he staged the escape, Japanese media reported. The search came as investigators try to look into the details of how Ghosn managed to slip out of the country. According to media reports, Ghosn holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship. (ANI) European investment fund M7 Real Estate has acquired Primeside Park in Ballycoolin, Dublin 15 for 6.75m. The price for the industrial estate, which was purchased from a private investor, represents an initial yield of close to 7pc and a capital value of 95 per sq ft. Primeside Park is a recently developed multi-let light industrial estate, which is made up of 25 units with a total floor area of approximately 71,300 sq ft. The development is almost fully let and M7 said it has identified a number of value enhancing asset management initiatives, which will be implemented immediately. The industrial estate is adjoining Northwest Business Park and is within close proximity to the airport, Dublin Port Tunnel and the M2 and M3 motorways. John Murnaghan, head of UK and Ireland at M7, said: Primeside Park is perfectly aligned with the funds strategy to acquire strong income generating multi-let industrial assets along the M50 in Dublin. We remain highly acquisitive and alive to opportunities to add further to the portfolio. M7 was represented by JP McDonagh of Knight Frank. Established in 2009 and wholly owned by its senior managers, M7 manages a portfolio of circa 800 assets with a capital value in excess of 4.7bn. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) A helicopter carrying ranking police and military officials including former Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor crash landed in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan Tuesday afternoon, injuring two of the uniformed men. According to the Philippine Air Force, Mayor and 12 others, mostly PNP star-rank officials were on board a Sokol chopper for an aerial survey when the aircraft dived in Sitio Sabang, Brgy. Cabayugan. Those who suffered minor injuries were Chief Supt. Nestor Bergonia and chopper co-pilot Maj. Mechael Yraola. All others were unharmed. The men were later airlifted from the crash site and brought to Camp General Artemio Station Hospital Brgy. San Miguel. The Air Force report added the chopper was totally wrecked from the impact. Thursday, January 2nd, 2020 (8:15 am) - Score 4,626 Its sometimes hard to believe that the UKs first ever mobile phone call (1G network) was made by Michael Harrison, Vodafones founder and first Chairman, just after midnight on 1st January 1985 in London (Parliament Square). Mobile phones have certainly come a long way since the huge Vodafone Transportable VT1 device. Strictly speaking the first mobile phone actually emerged in 1973 from Motorola (were obviously excluding earlier hand held radio technologies here), although it took several years longer before the analogue 1st Generation (1G) standard was agreed and built (earlier platform tests were sometimes known as 0G). The first fully commercial cellular 1G networks then didnt emerge until the very early 1980s. Initially the early 1G networks, at least in the United Kingdom, made use of the 900MHz band and tended to be quite expensive (c.2,000), as well as big and heavy. For example, the Vodafone Transportable VT1 weighed 5KG due to a sizeable battery pack (nearly the size of a car battery) and supported roughly 30 minutes of talk time. Little wonder that initially these were primary embedded into cars for executive use. Sadly 1G networks were far from perfect and suffered from all sorts of problems, such as poor sound quality, poor coverage, inefficient use of spectrum, low capacity, incompatibility between different 1G networks (international roaming was somewhat of an afterthought) and poor security (no encryption). However the fast pace of mobile development soon began to show and by the early 1990s digital 2G technology had emerged, which is still in use today alongside 3G, 4G and now 5G. The 2G standard remains popular thanks to its strong coverage, low power profile, affordability and active adoption (a lot of 2G-only kit, such as Smart Meters and older Mobiles, continue to be used). As for Vodafones first mobile call. Sir Ernest Harrison spoke the following: Happy New Year dad, its Mike here. This is the first call ever made on a UK cellular network. Today modern mobiles are as powerful as some laptop computers, albeit squeezed into wafer thin smartphones and are starting to deliver Gigabit levels of mobile broadband speed. Lome, Togo (PANA) - The Togolese authorities Wednesday declared Thursday a day off, following the celebration of the New Year, a communique issued by the government and sent to PANA here said Newscity Las Vegas Mayor Charged New Mexicos attorney general has charged the mayor of a troubled city with six felony bribery and abuse of power counts following an investigation that began in 2018. Las Vegas Optic reports that Las Vegas Mayor Tonita Gurule-Giron is accused of bid-rigging, fraud and abuse of power. Last year, the attorney general's office raided Gurule-Girons home, city hall and the home of Marvin Salazar, the owner of Gemini Construction. Police said Salazar was Gurule-Girons boyfriend and accused the pair of conspiring to rig city bids in favor of Salazar's company. The mayor allegedly used her position to award a hardwood flooring contract to Gemini Construction in 2016 even though it had been underbid by Prices Furnishings. A note was reportedly written at the bottom of the bid, claiming that Price's did not do hardwood flooring. Gurule-Giron was also accused of asking the former public works manager for Las Vegas to reveal the cost of a construction project before the bid had been awardedpresumably to gain an advantage in bidding. When she was told that it would violate the procurement code, she reportedly responded: I am the chief operating executive officer of the city, and I was elected to know everything, and I will know everything. She also made a $10,000 emergency purchase order for a water leak that City Hall officials say was unnecessary. An arraignment for Gurule-Giron is scheduled in the courtroom of Abigail Aragon at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. Chennai: Police have made a big disclosure in Tamil Nadu from suspected documents of a woman opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Population Register (NRC). Actually, the social media profile of this woman has revealed that the woman is a researcher in some organizations in Pakistan. Chennai Police Commissioner AK Vishwanathan has said that we have started an investigation to find out if the woman has any direct links with Pakistan. This woman, along with some other women, protested by making a Kolam (Rangoli). New emperor of Japan gives a brilliant speech at the beginning of 2020 In this protest, some women made a Rangoli in the Besant Nagar area of Chennai on Sunday and wrote NO 2 CAA, NO 2 NRC, and NO 2 NPR. City police detained some people about this and later released them. After this incident, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) national president MK Stalin and DMK MP Kanimozhi have supported it. The protesting women also met Stalin. Imran Khan plays new claim to keep Army Chief General Bajwa in position The police commissioner has said, 'We are investigating whether Gayatri Khandhadai belongs to Pakistan's bytes all? This was seen in the protest against the Women's Citizenship Amendment Act in the Kolam area of Chennai. If you look at Gayatri's Facebook profile, it is known that he is a researcher in Bytes for All Pakistan. He told that this institution is suspected to have links with the Association of All Pakistan Citizen Journalists. Mamata Banerjee will train TMC Student Council against CAA and NRC, Know plan Four children under the age of about 15, who were inside the car, were taken to Amita Health Resurrection Medical Center to be checked out and a woman was placed under arrest, according to a source. During the news conference, Cato said the children were doing "OK.'' With a vote by Parliament, the interim premier will try to escape trials for three different court cases. A majority of 61 votes in the Knesset out of a total of 120 will be required. Harsh criticism from the opposition, which announces a battle to deny immunity. Fractures and divisions remain in the country. Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in office for a decade, wants to turn to Parliament and seek immunity to escape trials and charges in three court cases - for corruption, fraud and abuse of office. For the interim premier, it is the last card he can play to ensure political survival, in the context of a divided nation over his role and in a fragmented institutional landscape, so much so that in three different elections he has not expressed a majority in the Knesset. Netanyahu, who has always rejected all charges and attacked the judiciary, would need more than half of the seats in Parliament (61 out of a total of 120) to obtain immunity. However, it is highly probable that the vote will be held with the new Chamber, following the March 2 elections. The move by the Likud leader, recently confirmed at the head of his party with 72% of the votes, would therefore allow him to take time and delay the start of the trial by months; in this way he could present himself [once again] as a strong leader capable of leading the country in the face of external threats at the next political elections in March. In a televised speech, Netanyahu stressed that the immunity law is necessary to "protect people's representatives from specious investigations, from political indictments" whose only goal is to "go against the will of the people". He then once agian accused the judiciary of carrying out a "witch hunt"; the judges of "selective application" of the law, "continuous and tendentious leaks" and "collective brainwashing to create a sort of court to field". In the event of it being granted, immunity would still be temporary. Netanyahu closed his speech by stating that at the end he intends to appear in court "to rip apart" all the accusations against him. The immediate response of the main challenger to the interim premier, the leader of the "Blue White" centrist coalition Benny Gantz, who assured him that he wanted to do everything to ensure that the Knesset [the Israeli Parliament] does not grant immunity. Similar is the position of Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the nationalist party Israel Beitenu. Even the current political crisis, with the country voting for the third time in a year because no political leader, not even Netanyahu, is able to secure a majority in the Knesset, is closely linked to the divisive figure of the premier. And from what emerges from the latest polls, released in these days two months after the ballot box, the situation does not seem to have changed: neither the Likud right wing nor the center block led by Gantz would in fact be able to easily form a government block in Parliament. CHICAGO: A Google artificial intelligence system proved as good as expert radiologists at detecting which women had breast cancer based on screening mammograms and showed promise at reducing errors, researchers in the United States and Britain reported. The study, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, is the latest to show that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve the accuracy of screening for breast cancer, which affects one in eight women globally. Radiologists miss about 20% of breast cancers in mammograms, the American Cancer Society says, and half of all women who get the screenings over a 10-year period have a false positive result. The findings of the study, developed with Alphabet Inc`s DeepMind AI unit, which merged with Google Health in September, represent a major advance in the potential for the early detection of breast cancer, Mozziyar Etemadi, one of its co-authors from Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said. The team, which included researchers at Imperial College London and Britain`s National Health Service, trained the system to identify breast cancers on tens of thousands of mammograms. They then compared the system`s performance with the actual results from a set of 25,856 mammograms in the United Kingdom and 3,097 from the United States. The study showed the AI system could identify cancers with a similar degree of accuracy to expert radiologists, while reducing the number of false positive results by 5.7% in the U.S.-based group and by 1.2% in the British-based group. It also cut the number of false negatives, where tests are wrongly classified as normal, by 9.4% in the US group, and by 2.7% in the British group. These differences reflect the ways in which mammograms are read. In the United States, only one radiologist reads the results and the tests are done every one to two years. In Britain, the tests are done every three years, and each is read by two radiologists. When they disagree, a third is consulted. `SUBTLE CUES` In a separate test, the group pitted the AI system against six radiologists and found it outperformed them at accurately detecting breast cancers. Connie Lehman, chief of the breast imaging department at Harvard`s Massachusetts General Hospital, said the results are in line with findings from several groups using AI to improve cancer detection in mammograms, including her own work. The notion of using computers to improve cancer diagnostics is decades old, and computer-aided detection (CAD) systems are commonplace in mammography clinics, yet CAD programs have not improved performance in clinical practice. The issue, Lehman said, is that current CAD programs were trained to identify things human radiologists can see, whereas with AI, computers learn to spot cancers based on the actual results of thousands of mammograms. This has the potential to "exceed human capacity to identify subtle cues that the human eye and brain aren`t able to perceive," Lehman added. Although computers have not been "super helpful" so far, "what we`ve shown at least in tens of thousands of mammograms is the tool can actually make a very well-informed decision," Etemadi said. The study has some limitations. Most of the tests were done using the same type of imaging equipment, and the U.S. group contained a lot of patients with confirmed breast cancers. Crucially, the team has yet to show the tool improves patient care, said Dr Lisa Watanabe, chief medical officer of CureMetrix, whose AI mammogram program won U.S. approval last year. "AI software is only helpful if it actually moves the dial for the radiologist," she said. Etemadi agreed that those studies are needed, as is regulatory approval, a process that could take several years. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 16:42:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The foreign investment law took effect in China starting Wednesday to better protect the interests of foreign investors in the country by granting them broader access to government procurement markets through fair competition. BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- In a world fraught with uncertainties, foreign firms in China have something certain to expect for 2020 and beyond: a more law-based business environment. As a comprehensive and fundamental set of legal standards for foreign investment activities, the foreign investment law, passed by the country's top legislature in early 2019, took effect on Jan. 1, 2020 to better protect foreign investors' interests. With unified provisions for the entry, promotion, protection and management of foreign investment, it is a new and fundamental law in this field that will address foreign firms' concerns and enhance their "sense of gain," said Zong Changqing, head of the foreign investment administration department of the Ministry of Commerce. The second session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) holds its closing meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 15, 2019. China's national legislature passed the foreign investment law at the meeting. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) FACILITATION AND EASE Previously, foreign investment in China was mainly regulated by three separate laws on Chinese-foreign equity joint ventures, wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Chinese-foreign contractual joint ventures. They had provided strong legal safeguards for foreign enterprises but were outgrown by the needs of reform and opening up in the new era. There are fewer "regulations" and "limitations" under the new foreign investment law, said Wei Jianguo, vice chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges. "The law could boil down to two words: 'facilitation' and 'ease.'" With the law, foreign-invested enterprises will be granted access to government procurement markets through fair competition. The law also bans using administrative licensing and penalties to force foreign investors and firms to transfer technology. Foreign companies are entitled to equal participation as their domestically-invested peers in the formulation and revision of national, industrial and local standards in accordance with the law. They can make standards-related recommendations and undertake such work as setting standards. Wei said foreign investors could rest assured about the earnest law implementation by local governments and the consistency of China's policy stance as the country's top leadership have voiced commitment to opening doors wider. China has also unveiled a matching regulation with detailed measures to help enforce the foreign investment law. At the same time, local governments like foreign investment hubs Guangdong and Shanghai are exploring supportive laws and regulations. People visit the booth of GE at the Equipment exhibition area during the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Chen Fei) CONFIDENCE BOOSTED As the foreign investment law is in effect, China might see a surging inflow of foreign investment with various sizes of projects in 2020, Wei estimated, as big investments would bring along many small and medium-sized ones. The new law is hailed as a boost to foreign firms' confidence in expanding investment in the world's largest developing economy. The law offers Qualcomm a more predictable outlook and a more solid foundation for industrial cooperation in China, said Zhao Bin, the U.S. tech firm's senior vice president. Qualcomm expects an increased cross-industry collaboration and partnerships in China as 5G applications expand beyond the smartphone sector, and will continue accelerating the development of the 5G and AI ecosystems through venture investment in promising startups in China, according to Frank Meng, chairman of Qualcomm China. A staff member of Qualcomm presents 5G devices at the Sci-tech Life exhibition area during the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Wern-Yuen Tan, president and CEO of Walmart China, said China has a very "interesting" retail market, where consumers are willing to try new shopping and digital experiences. "China offers good learning opportunities to market players." The retail giant plans to expand logistics investment, open new stores and depots, and upgrade existing stores in China to continuously provide consumers with differentiated products and create "online-merge-offline" experiences in line with Chinese shoppers' evolving preferences. "We have full confidence in China and will continue to expand investment here," Tan said. (Video reporter: Sun Qing, You Zhixin; Video editor: Zheng Xin) Early Wednesday morning, Army paratroopers in Operational Camouflage Pattern uniforms and body armor loaded planes wearing weapons, such as M4A1 carbines, slung securely across their chests. Some carried overstuffed airborne rucksacks while old-timers shouldered customized versions of the Army's Vietnam-era ALICE packs. They were ordered to the Middle East on short notice in response to efforts by Iran-backed militia members to breach the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The deployment also served as the debut of a revamped crisis response capability. This is "the first time" Fort Bragg's 82nd Airborne Division has conducted an emergency deployment as part of the new Immediate Response Force -- a new, joint construct the unit began transitioning to last year, 82nd spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Burns told Military.com. "It's no longer the Global Response Force; the joint force has re-designated it as the IRF, the Immediate Response Force," Burns said, saying nine years had passed since the rapid-deployment unit deployed paratroopers on a short-notice operation in 2010 to provide emergency relief to earthquake victims in Haiti. The new IRF construct is designed to provide the 82nd and other XVIII Airborne Corps units with more enabler units for increased capabilities, Burns said. Related: Battalion of 750 Paratroopers Heads to Middle East after Embassy Breach in Iraq "We are the hammer, but there are lots of other pieces that go to it," Burns said. The majority are in the XVIII Airborne Corps, but there are some outside or the corps." Some of the Army paratroopers ordered to the Middle East on the snap deployment were on leave when they got the emergency call. "We were on leave; we got alerted on the morning of New Year's Eve around 8:30 a.m.," a senior noncommissioned officer in the 82nd said in pre-deployment video footage released from Fort Bragg. "This was a snap thing," the unnamed NCO said, snapping his fingers for effect. "It wasn't something that was pre-planned." Members of 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment assembled rapidly and were soon at Pope Army Airfield preparing to board Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft. "When you are in the chamber, so to speak, it's made very clear by your leadership that two-hour recall means two-hour recall. So ... your phone needs to be on; you need to have a way for people to contact you," Burns said. The 82nd is required to keep one battalion of the ready brigade on alert to deploy within 18 hours after notification. While the IRF may be new, the mission for the All Americans hasn't changed. "I think it's hard to tell what is really going to happen because we've always got to be ready for the unexpected," a young sergeant said with a hint of uncertainty in the pre-deployment video footage. "I hope everybody comes back safely, and I hope we get the job done." Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced Tuesday night that President Trump had ordered that 82nd battalion, as part of the unit's new Immediate Response Force, to the Central Command area after hundreds of Iranian-backed militia members and their supporters stormed the U.S. Embassy compound Tuesday morning. Demonstrators threw fire bombs, smashed windows and sprayed graffiti on walls to protest U.S. airstrikes over the weekend that killed 25 fighters. Roughly 100 Marines from the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command boarded MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in Kuwait Tuesday and flew to Baghdad's Green Zone to reinforce embassy security. The demonstrators began withdrawing from U.S. Embassy compound on Wednesday after the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of state-allied militias, called for the end of the demonstrations. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said Thursday that, for now, the 2-504 paratroopers would be based in Kuwait but could conduct follow-on missions where needed. It's unclear when the 82nd unit will return to Bragg. Esper told MSNBC today that "we will keep them there as long as necessary." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. -- Military.com's Richard Sisk contributed to this report. Read More: Demonstrators Will 'Run into a Buzzsaw' If They Try to Overrun US Embassy: Milley After 39 years in the business, Seattle Architect William Strouse, AIA, sole proprietor of KSI Architecture & Planning, welcomed new partners Sara Strouse Davis and Kyle Davis on January 1, 2019. With the new partners came a new name: Strouse Davis Architecture. As we welcome in the new year, the firm celebrates its first official year with new partners, a new name, and a new logo. Sara and Kyle Davis have been working with Saras father, William (Bill) for several years, but the family-run business took to a new level when each of the three took on equal shares of the company with the new partnership. Of the family business, Sara said, Were often asked how we manage working so closely together, but Ive been working side-by-side with my father since I was hired as a youngster to sweep his office and with my husband for our entire professional career, so it feels completely natural. Sara also mentioned that, though its been exciting, the name-change was more challenging than anyone had anticipated. There are so many small details, so many places the old name shows up, it took the whole first year to make the change, and Im sure there are still things to do. But it was worth it; KSI no longer stood for who we are. KSI short for Kallsen Strouse Ishihara represents the original partners of the firm, which was founded in 1991. Phil Kallsen left the partnership in the 2009 recession, and Steve Ishihara left Architecture all together in the late 90s. When Bill Strouse decided to bring his daughter and son-in law in on this family endeavor, they agreed it was time for a name change. Strouse Davis Architecture is a full-service design firm located in the Industrial District of Sodo. The firm is made up of four registered professionals after celebrating the licensing of Architect Heather Crain, AIA in the summer of 2019. Their window-lined office located in the KR Trigger Building is lit up twice a day by the buildings collection of vintage neon signs that fill the atrium. One of the rebranding items the firm is most excited by is their own neon sign designed and fabricated by local artists at Noble Neon which can be seen in the window when driving south on 1st Avenue. The bright neon sign was their first purchase once the new logo was created by Holly Ray of Odd Dog Media. The firm is excited to see what the coming year brings as they head into their second year with their new name and partnership. To learn more about Strouse Davis Architecture, visit their website at http://www.strousedavisarch.com Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.2 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Swiss Axpo is reviewing suitable locations for wind projects in Switzerland, the company told Trend. With regard to wind energy, Axpo and its subsidiary Volkswind are focusing primarily on Germany and France in their expansion. Axpo would like to implement more wind projects in Switzerland and is reviewing suitable locations. There are two main challenges for wind projects in Switzerland: On the one hand, there are few locations with good wind conditions and good accessibility, whereby mountain ridges exposed to the wind are often not included. On the other hand, the approval procedures in Switzerland are very lengthy and the chances of success are often difficult to assess," said the company. Axpo said if wind energy is to become more important in Switzerland in the future, compromises between the parties involved are increasingly called for. With the acquisition of the French solar energy company Urbasolar in spring 2019, Axpo also entered the growth business with solar energy. "Axpo develops, builds, operates and maintains photovoltaic systems at the best locations in Europe. In Switzerland, Axpo and its subsidiary CKW are already very active in the construction of solar systems on Swiss roofs. CKW offers solutions for both homeowners and business customers," said the company. By means of its international energy trading and origination business activities in almost 40 markets in Europe and the United States, Axpo also enables wind farms and solar plants to be operated without subsidies through long-term purchase agreements (PPAs). "In Evora/Portugal, for example, Axpo has made a significant contribution to the implementation of a major solar project (25 MW, on a total area of 50 hectares, annual production of around 50 GWh, which corresponds to the average annual consumption of 14,000 households) by means of a long-term PPA (over 10 years) - entirely without state subsidies for the first time on the Iberian peninsula. Same goes with many wind farm PPAs especially in Northern Europe. Axpo has thus laid the foundation stone for the development of similar renewable energy construction projects in the upcoming years and opened up a new business segment for itself." With its various business activities in the power plant operating area as well as in the international energy trading area, Axpo is helping to redesign the energy system both in Switzerland and on international scale. As the largest producer of renewable energies in Switzerland, Axpo is making sustainable investments in the technologies of the future. The companys focus is on hydropower, wind and biomass at optimal locations. On its way into this future, Axpo is thus securing a consistently sustainable and climate-friendly energy supply for its customers in Switzerland with its proven nuclear power plants. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Spring Lake Equity Partners leads new round of funding to fuel the company's growth in increasing its capacity to meet marketers' escalating demand for first-party data liberation BlueConic, the world's leading pure-play customer data platform (CDP), today announced it has closed a $13M Series B funding round led by new investor Spring Lake Equity Partners with contributions from existing investor Sigma Prime Ventures, as well as angel investors. Growing from an estimated $1B in 2019, spending on CDPs is projected to be in the multi-billion dollars in the next 3 years according to several analyst firms, including the CDP Institute and International Data Corp. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005101/en/ Bart Heilbron is CEO and co-founder of BlueConic (Photo: Business Wire) Brands that make the customer the center of their marketing and data infrastructure set themselves apart by creating bespoke experiences that offer value in every stage of the customer lifecycle. However, while most brands are still beholden to legacy technologies, agencies, and processes that lack the data speed, accessibility, and privacy controls required to deliver those experiences, BlueConic customers have adopted the CDP to liberate their data and transform their businesses for the future. "In an era of consumer privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, brands are unprepared to orchestrate individualized marketing for every stage of the customer lifecycle while also respecting individual privacy," says BlueConic CEO and co-founder, Bart Heilbron. "Most brands still lack a single source of customer data truth down to the individual level that is accessible in real time to marketers and their activation channels. That's why we've designed our CDP from inception to meet the ever-evolving needs of the marketer, and we'll continue to build on that foundation of flexibility as we lead the category into its next stage of maturity." "BlueConic stands apart from other customer data platforms in its ability to intelligently store, segment, and activate first-party data across every possible touchpoint without sacrificing speed, flexibility, or privacy compliance," says Dan MacKeigan, founding partner of Spring Lake Equity Partners and new BlueConic board member with a proven track record of investments in the marketing technology space. "The company has a long history of solving this fundamental challenge in a way that other technologies were never designed, and therefore never able, to do." Since BlueConic closed its Series A to establish its go-to-market and headquarters in the United States, revenue has grown 3,000%. The company's annual contract value quadrupled in the last 3 years, and annual-recurring-revenue grew by 2x last year. In 2019, BlueConic enhanced its end-to-end consent management capabilities to support worldwide consumer privacy regulations, and released AI Workbench, which amplifies predictive modeling capabilities in the platform for both marketing and data science users. This investment brings BlueConic's total funding to $25M to date. Both lean and innovative, BlueConic is recognized within the industry as a premier CDP with more than 300 customers globally. BlueConic scored highest overall among 8 CDPs evaluated in The Relevancy Group's The Relevancy Ring CDP Buyer's Guidevendor scorecard in 2019. About BlueConic BlueConic, the world's leading customer data platform, liberates marketers' first-party data from all the disparate systems in which it exists, and makes it accessible wherever and whenever it is required from marketing. More than 300 consumer and B2B brands, including Hearst Newspapers, Moen, T-Mobile, ING, America's Test Kitchen, and Franklin Sports, leverage BlueConic to unify their first-party customer data into persistent, person-level profiles, and then activate it across their marketing ecosystem. Founded in 2010, the company is headquartered in Boston, with offices in Europe. Learn more at www.blueconic.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn @BlueConic. About Spring Lake Equity Partners Spring Lake Equity Partners is a Boston-based growth equity firm. The firm invests equity capital primarily in later-stage, technology-oriented private companies in software, digital media, mobile, data center infrastructure, healthcare IT, and business/financial services. Spring Lake seeks to partner with great management teams to take their businesses to the next level, creating value for all stakeholders. https://springlakeequitypartners.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005101/en/ Contacts: Stephanie Hadley, 617-650-8147 Public Relations for BlueConic steph.hadley@hadleypr.com With a total area of about 30,000 square meters, the exhibition area is divided into seven sections themed on RV, log cabin, outdoor equipment, low-altitude flight and camping goods, intensively displaying the advanced RV camping equipment, outdoor products, fashionable outdoor sports methods, rural tourism pastoral complexes, new leisure tourism formats, etc. According to the Red Sail MICE, the organizer of the Camping Exposition, The activity "Self-driving Tour in Hainan" was specially planned for the Expo, to invite tourists from all over the country who come to Hainan for self-driving tours. At the same time, the 12th China Camping Tourism Forum and the standard training courses on Self-driving Travel Destination Rating and Quality Rating of Auto and Recreational Vehicle Camp. The Forum has been successfully held for 11 session, aiming at further developing Hainan's self-driving and RV camping tourism market, improving Hainan's related service level, and promoting Hainan's leisure culture and tourism resources. According to reports, in Hainan's elaborate 10 tourism product systems, RV camping tourism is the key development object of industrial tourism. Hainan strongly supports the development of RV camping, has launched a series of measures to promote the overall tourism construction, including the release of high-quality self-driving tourist routes and the construction of high-quality camps. In the past two years, the RV camping in Hainan has developed rapidly and the RV camping tourism market is in the ascendant. In the future, Hainan Camping Exposition will continue to rely on Hainan's policy and location advantages, gather industrial resources and take international and domestic tourism equipment display transactions as the carrier to jointly promote the integrative development of RV camping industry and other industries. It will also strengthen the construction of self-driving tourism destinations, and devote greater effort to the construction of Hainan Free Trade Zone (Port) and the international tourism consumption center. Image Attachments Links: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=354913 SOURCE Red Sail MICE Interpol has issued a wanted notice for former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who jumped bail in Japan and fled to Lebanon rather than face trial on financial misconduct charges. Lebanese justice minister Albert Serhan told the Associated Press that Lebanon will carry out its duties, suggesting for the first time that the automotive titan may be brought in for questioning. But he said Ghosn entered the country on a legal passport and appeared to cast doubt on the possibility Lebanon would hand Ghosn over to Japan. Interpol issued what is known as a Red Notice, or a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide that they locate and provisionally arrest a fugitive. Expand Close Lebanese justice minister Albert Serhan (Hussein Malla/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lebanese justice minister Albert Serhan (Hussein Malla/AP) A Red Notice is not an arrest warrant and does not require Lebanon to arrest Ghosn. Ghosn, who is Lebanese and also holds French and Brazilian passports, was set to go on trial in Japan in April. He arrived in Lebanon on Monday via Turkey and has not been seen in public since. In a statement, he said he had fled to avoid political persecution. Lebanese authorities have said that he entered legally on a French passport. Ghosns sudden arrival in Beirut shocked Japan and confounded authorities. How he was able to flee Japan, avoiding the tight surveillance he was under while free on 1.5 billion yen (10.4 million) bail, is still a mystery. Ghosn, who grew up in Beirut and frequently visited, is a national hero to many in this Mediterranean country, with close ties to senior politicians and business stakes in a number of companies. Expand Close Journalists wait outside Carlos Ghosns residence before a raid in Tokyo (Yuki Sato/Kyodo News via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Journalists wait outside Carlos Ghosns residence before a raid in Tokyo (Yuki Sato/Kyodo News via AP) People take special pride in Ghosn, who is credited with leading a spectacular turnaround at Nissan beginning in the late 1990s and rescuing the carmaker from near-bankruptcy. Even as he fell from grace internationally, politicians across the board mobilised in his defence after his arrest in Japan, with some suggesting his detention may be part of a political or business-motivated conspiracy. Mr Serhan said prosecutors will summon Ghosn and listen to him, and at a later stage if there are any measures to be taken, then the precautionary measures will be taken. We are a country of law and respect the law and I can confirm that the Lebanese state will implement the law, the justice minister said. The prosecution will not stay cross-armed regarding this Red Notice. At the same time, Mr Serhan said that Lebanon has not received an official extradition request from Japan, and he noted that the two countries do not have an extradition treaty. Mr Ghosn arrived in Lebanon as any ordinary citizen Lebanese authorities have no security or judiciary charges against him. He entered the border like any other Lebanese using a legal passport, he added. Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency said Turkish authorities had detained seven people as part of an investigation into how Ghosn fled to Lebanon via Istanbul. Expand Close Prosecutors arrive at Carlos Ghosns residence for a raid in Tokyo (Yuki Sato/Kyodo News via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prosecutors arrive at Carlos Ghosns residence for a raid in Tokyo (Yuki Sato/Kyodo News via AP) The private DHA news agency reported that those detained are four pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. In Japan, prosecutors on Thursday raided Ghosns Tokyo home. Japanese media showed investigators entering the home, which was Ghosns third residence in Tokyo since he was first arrested a year ago. Authorities have searched each one. Ghosns lawyers in Japan said they had no knowledge of the escape and they had all his passports. Ghosn has French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship. Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV, without identifying sources, reported that Ghosn had two French passports. Earlier, Japanese reports said there were no official records in Japan of Ghosns departure, but a private jet had left from a regional airport to Turkey. The Hurriyet newspaper said the plane carrying Ghosn landed at Istanbuls Ataturk Airport at 5.30am local time on December 29. The paper reported that Ghosn was not registered upon landing and was smuggled on board another plane that left for Lebanon. Ghosn, who was charged in Japan with under-reporting his future compensation and breach of trust, has repeatedly asserted his innocence, saying authorities trumped up charges to prevent a possible fuller merger between Nissan Motor Co and Renault. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid respects to the 'Gadduge' (final resting place) of Shivakumara Swamiji at Siddaganga Math, a prominent Lingayat seminary here, and said the Swamiji's work would continue to inspire everyone. The Swamiji, who was known as the 'Walking God' among his countless followers, had passed away last year at the age of 111. The Prime Minister, who arrived at the Yelahanka Airbase in Bengaluru, went directly to Tumakuru, where the Math is located, by a chopper along with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda among others. Modi, after offering respects to the 'Gadduge', planted Bilva plant (Aegle marmelos) on the premises of the Math and also laid the foundation for the construction of a museum dedicated to Swamiji here before addressing the gathering, largely comprising students. Speaking on the occasion, Modi said he was feeling blessed to begin 2020 from the sacred land of Siddaganga, but at the same time was feeling the "vacuum" in the absence of Shivakumara Swamiji. "It is rare see the number of people swamiji had inspired during his life time. I'm really fortunate to lay the foundation for the museum in swamiji's memory. Through this museum, his works will continue to inspire generations," he said. Also, Prime Minister remembered Vishwesha Theertha of Udupi's Pejawar Math who passed away recently. Yediyurappa and the present pontiff of the Math Siddalinga Swamiji were among the others present. Known as "trivida dasohi" for his triple sacraments - food, shelter and education - among his followers, Shivakumara swamiji was considered as the incarnation of Basavanna, the 12th-century social reformer, as he accepted all irrespective of their religion or caste. There has been a growing clamour from people of different walks of life, including politicians, for conferring "Bharat Ratna" on the late Swamiji. After the Swamiji's demise, the then Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had written to Modi urging him to confer the country's highest civilian order on the late seer. Opposition Congress on Thursday questioned the Prime Minister about not conferring the"Bharat Ratna" on Shivakumara Swamiji. Questioning Modi as to why he did not visit Tumakuru when Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Math passed away, the principal opposition party in the state assembly in a tweet also sought to know why the seer was not conferred with the Bharat Ratna yet, while pointing out that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written a letter in this regard in January 2018. The present seer of the seminary Siddalinga Swamiji presented Modi a silver statue of Shivakumara Swamiji as a memento. JANUARY 2: The Magic have released a statement (Twitter link) declaring that, following an MRI today, ascendant third-year forward Jonathan Isaac suffered a posterior lateral corner injury and a medial bone contusion. The team also noted that Isaac would be out indefinitely and will be re-evaluated in eight-to-10 weeks. Orlando is considering operative and non-operative treatments for Isaac. This is a huge blow for the Magic, who are already dealing with numerous injuries to their front court as they scrap to make the 2020 playoffs. ESPNs Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter) that the Magic still have an open roster spot, which could be used to add some frontcourt help. JANUARY 1: Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel reports that Isaac injured his left knee this afternoon while driving on a layup attempt during the first quarter of game action against the Wizards. The Magic have tweeted that Isaacs injury is a hyperextended left knee. They note that he will be re-evaluated with an MRI tomorrow, when the team returns to Orlando. The 22 year-old big man lingered on the floor for several minutes clutching the knee. He eventually sat up and was carried off the Capital One Arena hardwood of on a stretcher. Isaacs fellow Magic forwards Aaron Gordon (sore left Achilles) and Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) are also battling injuries. Isaac, a 611 combo forward out of Florida State, was drafted by Orlando with the sixth overall pick in 2017. He has been enjoying his best statistical pro season to date, averaging a solid slash line of 12.3 PPG/7.1 RPG/2.5 BPG/1.6 APG. Isaac is also shooting a career-best 46.3% from the field. Nicknamed the Minister of Defense on the Magic, Isaac has been particularly strong on that side of the floor. If Isaac, Gordon and Aminu miss extended time with their maladies, second year power forward Amile Jefferson, undrafted in 2017, may get additional run for the Magic. Parry noted that Jefferson was the first on-court replacement for Isaac after the starrier Orlando prospect went down today. According to Josh Robbins of the Athletic (Twitter link) Isaac told his colleague Fred Katz after the game, Ive never hurt my knee before. But as I was down there (on the court), I started to feel better and better just being down there. So I kind of felt just a reassurance that I was going to be OK. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-03 05:22:57|Editor: yan Video Player Close BUDAPEST, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Hungarian government stated here on Thursday that it will continue to focus on security, preserving economic growth, and supporting families throughout 2020. "For 2020, one of the government's top priorities will be to protect the Hungarian economy and maintain its growth trajectory," the government said in a statement on its website. The figures for the last quarter of 2019 are not yet known, but analysts put the economic growth for 2019 at around 5 percent, largely over the average of the European Union (EU). In order to keep the momentum, the government will launch a new economic protection action plan. Wages have grown for the sixth year in a row thanks to an economic program characterized by tax cuts. The minimum wage has more than doubled since 2010, the statement noted. Households in villages and construction firms in rural areas will be helped thanks to a tax refund of up to 5 million forints (16,974 U.S. dollars) for small settlements, while the government is creating access to cheaper investment loans. Among measures to help households, the government will carry on with the programs of maternity allowance, which has been utilized by more than 60,000 couples, and of the family home improvement allowance, which has been taken up by more than 120,000 families. The tax allowance for larger families will also be maintained, according to the government. The government will continue to act against efforts in the EU to distribute migrants across the continent on the basis of a mandatory quota system, the statement added. (1 HUF = 294.56 U.S. dollars) She is reportedly married to Joshua Jackson and pregnant with his child. And Jodie Turner-Smith proved she has it all by baring it all. The 33-year-old British actress took to her Instagram on Wednesday to share a very racy nude photo that was taken by her 41-year-old husband. Jodie's enviable figure can be seen completely in silhouette as she revealed that it was indeed Joshua who took the photo as she hashtagged it: "#ItsNotAThirstTrapIfYourManTakesThePhoto.' '#ItsNotAThirstTrapIfYourManTakesThePhoto': Jodie Turner-Smith took to her Instagram on Wednesday to share a very racy nude photo that was taken by Joshua Jackson Jodie did not have a stitch of clothing on as she stood in front of the picturesque water as the couple enjoyed their New Year's celebrations at Button Beach in Jamaica. She reflected on the past decade as she captioned the image: 'Happy New Year & Happy New Decade. the last 10 years have been quite the ride!!! 'i laughed, i cried, and, most importantly, i LEARNED. keep going. may we all see that our wildest dreams *continue* to come true.' She concluded the post with the hashtags: #LiveFootageOfMeInMyElement and #ItsNotAThirstTrapIfYourManTakesThePhoto. Lovely: It was recently reported by Us Weekly that the couple secretly tied the knot and are a married couple, as they are seen together in November 2019 It was recently reported that the couple secretly tied the knot and are a married couple, according to US Weekly. In addition to their newlywed status, the publication reported that the pair will soon become parents as Jodie 'is pregnant' with their first child. In August, Joshua and Jodie appeared to be picking up a marriage license at the Beverly Hills courthouse in August, which is only valid in the state of California for 90 days. Smitten: Jodie,33, and Joshua, 41, are seen gazing into each other's eyes at the Queen And Slim premiere in LA back in November Joshua and Jodie were first seen holding hands in November 2018, just one month after they 'were all over each other' at Usher's 40th birthday party, according to US Weekly. 'Super smitten and gazing into each other's eyes as they danced together the whole night,' US Weekly's insider said of Joshua and Jodie at Usher's October 2018 birthday bash. They also apparently rang in New Year's together in Nicaragua; Joshua gushed about his vacation to the tropical country while sharing a video of him spending time with professional surfer Kevin Cortez on his Instagram page. Jodie also shared sizzling bikini snaps from Nicaragua at the same time, although none showed Joshua. Just us: Joshua and Jodie pictured together in LA back in March Prior to Jodie, Joshua was briefly linked to TV host Alyssa Julya Smith; they were first linked together in June 2018. Prior to her, he was in a 10 year long relationship with actress Diane Kruger. Joshua and Diane, 42, began dating in 2006 but they split in July 2016. Soon after their split, Diane began dating her Sky co-star Norman Reedus, 50; they welcomed their first child together - a daughter - in November 2018. Iran Says 'Not Afraid Of War' After Trump 'Threat' 01/02/20 Source: RFE/RL Iranian military leaders have warned Washington against threatening military action after U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran would be held responsible for anti-U.S. protests in Iraq. Brigadier General Hossein Salami The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards "We are not leading the country to war, but we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak correctly with the Iranian nation," Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on January 2. "We have the power to break them several times over and are not worried," he said in a speech in the southwestern city of Ahwaz. Meanwhile, army chief Major General Abdolrahim Musavi said Iranian armed forces were ready to confront the "enemy." "If anyone makes the slightest mistake, they will decisively react," Musavi said, according to state broadcaster IRIB. On December 31, a crowd angered by U.S. air strikes targeting an Iran-backed militia, attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Clashes continued on January 1 as demonstrators hurled stones while U.S. forces protecting the embassy fired tear gas to try to disperse the crowd that had camped out overnight. By the evening, the Iraqi military announced that all groups had withdrawn from the perimeter of the facility. The attack, in which no U.S. personnel were injured, came amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran -- the two main sponsors of the Iraqi government. U.S. President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the attack and said the country "will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities." "They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat," he tweeted on December 31. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced that about 750 soldiers would be deployed to the region in response to "increased threat levels against U.S. personnel...and facilities." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on January 1 dismissed U.S. accusations that Tehran had orchestrated the protests. "Americans need to understand that people in the region, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, hate them for their crimes," he said. The Baghdad protesters were angry over U.S. air strikes on December 29 that killed at least 25 members of an Iran-backed militant group. The United States said the strikes were in response to repeated attacks by Kataeb Hizbullah, a paramilitary group supported by Iran, on bases that house U.S. troops. One on December 27 killed a U.S. defense contractor and injured U.S. and Iraqi forces. Currently, there are about 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq involved in operations against the Islamic State extremist group and training missions with the Iraqi security forces. With reporting by Reuters TDS Broadband Service LLC, a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., and operated by TDS Telecom (TDS), announces it has successfully acquired all of the cable, broadband, and business assets of Continuum, headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, for a purchase price of $80 million. Continuum employees were offered positions and will continue to support customers locally as part of TDS. We welcome the employees of Continuum to the TDS family. They are now part of an exciting journey to expand and improve broadband availability in North Carolina, says TDS Telecom President and CEO, Jim Butman. TDS is a strong, community-minded company. We believe in investing for the long run and work to provide the absolute best in broadband, TV and phone services for our customers. TDS and the municipalities announced the purchase agreement in August 2019. Local voters overwhelmingly shared their support of the transaction by passing a required referendum in Mooresville and Davidson in November. All other regulatory requirements have been met. Customers can expect to see the Continuum brand in use for many months ahead. We are not in a hurry to change the name. We want to get to know the community and grow with the needs of the area, adds Butman. Continuum is a North Carolina-based broadband, video, and voice operator formerly owned by the municipalities of Mooresville and Davidson. Continuum offers high speed, fiber- and coax-based internet services in Mooresville, Davidson, Cornelius, and Huntersville, passing a total of 36,500 households and employing 70 individuals. RBC Capital Markets, LLC served as the exclusive M&A advisor to Continuum. Asia Bangladesh Fortifies Island Near Myanmar With Heavy Weapons, Gunboats The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) director general, Major General Shafeenul Islam, flanked by BGB commanders, is seen reading a map during his visit to their training complex in February 2019. / BGB DHAKAAuthorities with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) force are fortifying St. Martins Island, just south of Coxs Bazar and off the coast of Myanmar, with 14 anti-tank missile systems and multiple high-speed gunboats, BGB officials said on Thursday. The border guard officials also said construction has begun on roads along the Myanmar border and that Bangladesh will also install a fence along the boundary. Officials with the Bangladeshi Ministry of Home Affairs said that the BGB director general, Major General Shafeenul Islam, and three other officials participated in a factory acceptance test and live demonstrations of the Corsar Anti-Tank Missile System held between Nov. 14-18, 2019. The procurement process still is on, the BGB chief told a press conference at the security forces headquarters in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Thursday. He also said the BGB would be deploying modern boats along the maritime border with Myanmar to maintain around-the-clock surveillance. The BGB chief also announced that his office will hold high-level talks with the Myanmar Border Guard Police from Jan. 5-9. Another official said that four boats have already been procured from United Arab Emirates-based manufacturer Gulf Craft. At least two of these will be equipped with machine guns and deployed on the Naff River, which enters the Bay of Bengal at Teknaf, Coxs Bazar. The Bangladeshi government redeployed BGB personnel to St. Martins Island for the first time in 22 years in April 2019. The BGB force is armed with heavy weapons and reinforces an existing Bangladesh Coast Guard deployment there, officials said. The April 2019 deployment came amid Myanmars building of a steel structure along the Naf River on the Myanmar side of the border without informing Bangladesh authorities. We are trying to improve our trust with Myanmar, said a senior Bangladeshi security official on Thursday, who asked to remain anonymous as he was not authorized to talk to the press. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since the military launched clearance operations in 2017 in northern Rakhine State following serial attacks on security outposts by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. The UN has concluded that the operations amount to ethnic cleansing. The recent influx of Rohingya has increased the number of undocumented people from Myanmar and registered refugees in Bangladesh to about 1,116,000, according to estimates by UN agencies and the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Plays a Role in New Delhis Two Major Foreign Policy Initiatives: Indian Ambassador Military Tells Bangladesh: Myanmar Ready to Accept Rohingya Refugees Chinese Foreign Minister Visits Myanmar to Speed Up Belt and Road Projects Sources highlighted anti-government protests in Hong Kong as a cause of tension between the two countries. China has temporarily blocked planned cross-border listings between the Shanghai and London stock exchanges because of political tensions with the United Kingdom, five sources told the Reuters news agency. Suspending the Shanghai-London Stock Connect scheme casts a shadow over the future of a project meant to build ties between the UK and China, help Chinese firms expand their investor base and give mainland investors access to UK-listed companies. The sources, who include public officials and people working on potential Shanghai-London deals, cited politics as the reason behind the suspension. Two of them highlighted the UKs stance over the Hong Kong protests and one pointed to remarks over the detention of a now-former staff member at its consulate in Hong Kong. All five sources have been involved in talks with Chinese officials and spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak about the matter publicly. British companies and banks involved in the scheme are watching closely how recently-elected Prime Minister Boris Johnson approaches relations with Beijing and what stance he takes on Hong Kong, which has been roiled by protests. China blames the Hong Kong unrest, heavily supported by an anti-government movement seeking to curb controls by Beijing, on interference by foreign governments including the United States and the UK. The China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Shanghai Stock Exchange did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the London Stock Exchange and a spokeswoman for the UKs finance ministry declined to comment. Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a faxed statement that it was not aware of the specifics, but added that it hopes the UK can provide a fair and unbiased business environment for Chinese companies that invest in the UK and create the appropriate conditions for both countries to carry out practical cooperation smoothly in various fields. Stock Connect, which began operating last year, was devised as a way of improving the UKs relationship with the worlds second-biggest economy and was seen as a significant step by China to open up its capital markets as well as linking them globally. China chill Huatai Securities was the first Chinese company to use the scheme in May, with SDIC Power set to become the second in December with a listing of financial instruments known as global depository receipts (GDRs) in London representing 10 percent of its share capital. However, the alternative energy operators deal was postponed at an advanced stage, with SDIC Power citing market conditions as the main reason. Five sources told Reuters, SDIC Powers deal was halted because of Beijings suspension of Stock Connect. GDRs are certificates issued by financial institutions that allow a companys shares to be traded on an overseas exchange. Other hopefuls such as China Pacific Insurance, which one of the sources said could have launched a deal as early as the first quarter of 2020, have also been told to put their cross-border listing plans on ice, they added. SDIC Power and China Pacific Insurance did not respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported. Its not only a big blow to the companies looking to broaden the investor base via listings in London, but also to Chinas links with global markets, one source, who has worked on one of the GDR deals, told Reuters. The trouble with the scheme comes at a bad time for the UK, which is eager to build ties with non-European Union countries as it prepares to leave the bloc. The London exchange was set for its worst year in terms of new listings in 10 years as of December 4, Refinitiv data showed, with political volatility and concerns over the UKs EU divorce crimping stock market fundraising. Kenya police say three people were killed when a passenger bus was ambushed by gunmen suspected to be Islamic extremists in Lamu county in the country's eastern coastal area. A police report seen by the Associated Press said Thursday that gunmen opened fire on a bus and three men were shot at close range and died instantly. It said two other passengers were wounded. In recent weeks, ahead of the New Year, Somalia's al-Shabab rebels have stepped attacks in Kenya whose troops are in Somalia fighting the militants. The militants have vowed retribution on Kenya for its troop presence in Somalia. DUBUQUE (AP) Joe Biden has landed a high-profile endorsement for his presidential bid as Rep. Abby Finkenauer becomes the first member of the Iowa congressional delegation to take sides in the Democratic nominating contest. Finkenauer, a first-term House member from a district Donald Trump won in 2016, will campaign with Biden this weekend, with less than four weeks to go before the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses that lead off Democrats 2020 voting. The congresswoman said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of Thursdays announcement that the former vice presidents experience, his proposals on infrastructure and other economic matters and his appeal to a wide range of voters make him the ideal Democrat to take on Trump. We need somebody at the top who can lead from the White House, someone whos willing to unite not just Democrats but the country, Finkenauer said. There are days where I swear Democrats and Republicans are speaking different languages, and theres no translator. ... (Biden) is the translator. The congresswoman is scheduled to appear alongside Biden in at least eight cities and towns as part of a 10-county, five-day Iowa tour that begins Thursday. It wont be their first pairing; Finkenauer was among the dozens of Democratic House candidates Biden campaigned for ahead of the 2018 midterms. Her potential influence, even as a freshman, was on display in November, when nine presidential candidates visited her northeastern Iowa district for a forum she co-sponsored with labor groups. That slate included the four candidates Biden, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont who polls suggest are the top contenders in Iowa. Finkenauer did not frame her support for Biden as a rejection of his rivals, saying shes not going to speak to whats going to win votes and whats not. Yet her explanation aligns with Bidens argument that a center-left approach, coupled with his record as a senator and vice president, makes him Democrats best option in a general election. Finkenauer specifically cited Bidens proposals for new infrastructure spending and his role in the 2010 health care overhaul becoming law, saying Biden connects the big picture to what it means around kitchen tables across the country. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Moroccos first sugar refinery Cosumar announced that production in its new refinery in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, will start in March this year. The refinery in Yanbu is scheduled to start operating in March 2020, Cosumar group CEO Mohamed Fikrat told Reuters. The Yanbu refinery, with a nominal capacity of 850,000 tons of high quality white sugar in different sizes targeting retail and industrial segments, will supply the Saudi market. The refinery is located in Yanbu Port, close to major Saudi cities, mainly Jeddah, Medina, and Mecca. The refinery will also supply the Mena region market, whose needs exceed 4 million tons per year. The establishment of the new white sugar refinery, named Durrah sugar refinery, was announced in 2016, as part of a joint venture between Cosumar and the Saudi partners, Consolidated Brothers Company and Industrial Project Development Company, Wilmar, with Cosumar Group holding 43.27 % in the capital of the refinery. Cosumars Morocco-based refinery exports 400,000 tons of sugar to 40 countries in Africa and in the MENA region. Exports represent between 20 to 25 percent of our turnover, Fikrat had said in a previous statement to the media. Cosumar imports half of its raw sugar needs from Brazil and produces the rest locally, he had said. Cosumar has ambitious expansion plans and a strategic vision for the development and promotion of its export business, which will enable the Group to become a competitive regional agro-industrial player. Set up in 1929, Cosumar employs 1, 700 men and women. Bollywood celebrities such as Mahesh Bhatt, Swara Bhasker and Sushant Singh on Thursday demanded the release of actor-activist Sadaf Jafar from jail. Jafar, who is also a Congress spokesperson, was arrested in Lucknow on December 19 while she was live on Facebook from the spot where the protests against the amended citizenship act had gone violent. Bhatt said without liberty, "free institutions are a sham". "If the mind is shackled or made impotent through fear, it makes no difference under what form of government you live, you are a subject and not a citizen. "Without liberty of speech, all of the outward forms and structures of free institutions are a sham, a pretense. #FreeSadaf," the filmmaker wrote on Twitter. One of Jafar's friend, Deepak Kabir was also taken into custody by the UP Police after he went to enquire about her, said Bhasker. "Activist and actor #sadafjafar is in jail in Lucknow.. not clear why! Her friends #DeepakKabir is also in jail because he went to enquire after her.. #FreeSadaf #FreeDeepak and make UP police accountable for its excesses!" the actor tweeted. Singh shared a video report on Jafar's arrest. "Arrested, beaten and tortured for questioning @Uppolice during a FB live broadcast. #FreeSadaf," the actor said. Filmmakers Mira Nair, Hansal Mehta and "Gully Boy" star Vijay Varma have also spoken up about Jafar's imprisonment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It almost seemed like there was a major fire or explosion per month at one petrochemical facility or another in the South Central region last year. Thats not really the case, but there were a number of high-profile incidents at chemical facilities in both Texas and Louisiana that garnered not only media attention but that of the public and state and county governments. The single most widely read story in the Insurance Journals South Central region concerned one such incident, in which a series of explosions occurred at a petrochemical plant in Port Neches, Texas, the day before Thanksgiving. Other stories of interest to readers in the South Central region last year covered the acquisition of one of Texas largest program and specialty insurance brokerages; Oklahomas opioid lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson; the potential off-and-on existence of Texas plumbing regulations board; legal actions against actor Brad Pitt stemming from alleged construction defects of homes built in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2008, the ghost of Hurricane Harvey; Louisianas insurance commissioners race, Texas driver responsibility program, an ammonium nitrate-carrying truck that exploded in Texas; and the poisonous gas deaths of a Texas oilfield worker and his wife. Following are some of the most-read stories in IJs South Central region last year: With more than 12,000 views the top story in the South Central region last year concerned the Port Neches petrochemical plant owned by Houston-based Texas Petroleum Chemicals, or TPC Group, that was rocked by two massive explosions in 13 hours on Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving. Three workers were injured. Windows and doors of nearby homes were blown out and a mandatory evacuation was implemented in a 4-mile radius from the plant, which manufactures highly flammable 1,3 butadiene. The plant was reported to have a long history of state and federal environmental violations and had been considered a high priority violator by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In mid-March, a massive fire at a petrochemical storage facility in the Houston suburb of Deer Park burned for days, covering the Houston-area with a thick blanket of smoke. A total of eight storage tanks at the facility owned by Mitsui & Co Ltd.s Intercontinental Terminals Co. (ITC) were said to have burned. A report by the Harris County Fire Marshal and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) attributed the cause of that fire to a broken manifold, which includes a pump and motor, on one of the storage tanks. Exxon Mobil Corp. was hit with lawsuits, including one brought by Harris County, Texas, over pollution from a July 31 fire at the companys Olefins Plant in Baytown. Orange flames and thick, black smoke began pouring from a unit in the plant around 11 a.m. Central time. About 37 people suffered injuries, mostly minor burns. Local residents were ordered to seek shelter indoors, shut their doors and turn off their air conditioners. An explosion also rocked a Dow chemical plant in Louisiana in November. That blast occurred at a Dow Louisiana Operations facility near Plaquemine; no injuries were reported. Dow Louisiana Operations is a 1,500-acre integrated manufacturing facility and is reported to be one of the largest petrochemical facilities in the state. The announcement that Dallas-based U.S. Risk Insurance Group would be acquired by USI Insurance Services was the second most widely read story in the South Central region last year. Under the terms of the acquisition, which was finalized in July, U.S. Risk will maintain its Dallas headquarters and continue to operate independently under the companys various existing brands, U.S. Risk, Oxford, MGB, James Hampden International, Antarah and UNIS. U.S. Risk Chief Executive Officer Randall G. Goss and his current leadership team will remain and continue to lead these businesses. USI Insurance Services is headquartered in Valhalla, New York. With an executive order, Gov. Greg Abbott extended the life of Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners and its licensing law until 2021 after the states Legislature failed to come up with a solution for continuation of the board, which licenses plumbers and investigates claims of unlicensed work or plumbing law violations. The board was set to expire on Sept. 1, 2020. Licensed plumbers and others involved in building industries had said the lack of a licensing organization would result in unqualified plumbers entering the workforce. The Texas Tribune reported that while Texas has about 58,000 licensed plumbers, there is a shortage due to population growth and the rebuilding that has taken place following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Other top ranking stories in the South Central region last year include: A judge in October 2019 denied actor Brad Pitts request to be taken off a lawsuit that says his Make it Right Foundation built shoddy homes in the New Orleans area that was hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina. The suit filed by two homeowners allege that the foundation in the Lower Ninth Ward have infrastructural issues and residents have reported being sick. Pitt and foundation board directors maintain they werent personally responsible for the construction. More than 100 green Make It Right houses were built in 2008. The foundation sued the principal architect last year saying his designs were defective. The driver of a commercial truck hauling ammonium nitrate, a chemical commonly used as fertilizer, was killed in March after the trucks brakes caught fire and caused the vehicle to explode. The driver, 63-year-old Randall McDougal, was employed by Blann Trucking Co. and was hauling ammonium nitrate from El Dorado to Texarkana in south Arkansas. Louisiana is experiencing what many, including Tim Temple, a Louisiana businessman and longtime insurance industry executive who ran for insurance commissioner last year, consider to be an insurance crisis, especially in the area of auto insurance both personal and commercial. Temple failed in his attempt to oust current Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon, who readily acknowledges the states auto insurance markets are in serious trouble. 2019 saw Texas and Southeast Louisiana continuing to rebuild following the Hurricane Harvey, which devastated many parts of the central Gulf Coast with hurricane force winds, torrential rains and unprecedented flooding in 2017. While the 2018 and 2019 hurricane seasons were comparatively quiet (exceptions Hurricane Barry and Tropical Storm Imelda), many communities have found full recovery from Harvey to be elusive. A pharmaceutical-industry critic said during a hearing in Oklahomas opioid lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson the company used promotional gimmicks for its opioid painkillers that are similar to how criminal drug dealers try to boost sales. Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman in August ultimately found Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries guilty of helping fuel the opioid crisis with an aggressive and misleading marketing campaign that overstated how effective the drugs were for treating chronic pain and understated the risk of addiction. The company was originally ordered to pay $572 million, but that amount was reduced to $465 million after the judge acknowledging he miscalculated the original amount. Both Johnson & Johnson and the state of Oklahoma are appealing the ruling. The state says the amount is not enough and the pharmaceutical giant claims it is too much. Texas legislators succeeded in passing legislation in 2019 to kill the states Driver Responsibility Program. The 16-year-old program, which ended on Sept. 1, 2020, left more than 1 million people unable to keep or renew their drivers licenses. Lawmakers from both chambers and parties had criticized the program for adding additional annual fees ranging from $100 to $2,000 depending on the offense on top of the price of traffic tickets. Jacob and Natalee Dean died in October after inhaling hydrogen sulfide gas at an Aghorn Energy pump house in Odessa, Texas. Deputies say the company dispatched Jacob to check on the facility. He died after being overcome by the poisonous gas and his wife, Natalee, was killed by the fumes when she went to check on him. Topics Lawsuits Catastrophe Texas Legislation Auto USA Louisiana Hurricane Oklahoma Pollution Chemicals New Delhi: Mollie Fitzgerald, best known for her small role in Marvels Captain America: The First Avenger", has been arrested by the police in the US state of Missouri, for allegedly stabbing her mother. Fitzgerald, 38 was arrested Tuesday by police in Olathe, Kansas and is reportedly charged with second-degree murder and is held for a bond of $500k. On Thursday, police arrived at the actors home following a respond to an armed disturbance and found the 68-year-old Patricia E Fitzgerald deceased from stab wounds. "A 38-year-old, white female, known to the victim, was contacted on scene and transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.This case remains under investigation by the Olathe Police Department," the police initially said. After the investigation, the police arrested Mollie and charged her with second-degree murder. She is being held on a USD 500,000 bond, reported the Kansas City Star. Mollie portrayed Stark Girl in Chris Evans-starrer "Captain America: The First Avenger". She also worked as an assistant to the film's director Joe Johnston. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai, Jan 2 : Two-and three-wheeler manufacturer Bajaj Auto on Thursday reported a fall of 3 per cent in total sales, including exports, for December 2019. According to the company, its total sales during the month under review fell to 336,055 units from 346,199 units during the corresponding month of 2018. Similarly, Bajaj Auto's total domestic sales stood at 153,163 units -- down 15 per cent -- from 180,351 units sold in December last year. However, the two-and three-wheeler manufacturer's overall exports rose by 10 per cent to 182,892 units from 165,848 units shipped-out during the like month of 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-03 04:53:55|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday spoke over phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Libya and other regional issues, said the White House. Trump told his Turkish counterpart that "foreign interference is complicating the situation" in the war-torn country, according to a statement released by the White House. The two leaders agreed on the need for de-escalation in Idlib, Syria, in order to protect civilians, the statement added. Turkish parliament on Thursday approved a motion authorizing a one-year deployment of its troops in Libya, despite the warning from some opposition parties that it will endanger Turkish soldiers' lives and add fuel to the proxy war in the North African nation. Libya has been locked in a civil war that escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments: the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital Tripoli and another in the northeastern city of Tobruk which is allied with the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar. Turkey, along with its ally Qatar, backs the GNA led by Fayez al-Sarraj, while their rivals, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, support the LNA. (Alliance News) - Iron ore pellet maker Ferrexpo PLC on Thursday declared an unchanged special interim dividend for 2019. Baar, Switzerland-based Ferrexpo, which mines in Ukraine, will return 6.6 US cents as a special dividend, the same as the year before. That payout had been double the special dividend the year before that. This special dividend is on top of an interim dividend for 2019 of 6.6 cents, for 13.2 cents in total, as well as an as-of-yet undecided final dividend. For 2018, Ferrexpo paid 23.1 cents a share. Shares were up 1.0% on Thursday morning in London at a price of 160.55 pence each. At the end of October of Chief Executive Kostyantin Zhevago temporarily stepped down, remaining as a non-executive director. Chief Financial Officer Chris Mawe was made acting CEO at the same time. Zhevago, Bloomberg reported earlier that month, is wanted by Ukrainian investigators after failing to report for questioning about former business activities. They believe he has committed "large-scale" money laundering and embezzlement, Bloomberg added. Zhevago "strongly denies any allegations of wrongdoing", Ferrexpo had said in response. Ferrexpo has been grappling with an investigation into the use of funds the company gave to Ukrainian charity Blooming Land. By George Collard; georgecollard@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The ranks of the 'Terracotta Army' that guards the mausoleum of the First Emperor of China has grown as archaeologists reported on Monday finding 220 new warriors. Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb lies buried at the heart of a 249 feet (76 meter) -tall mound in what is today Xi'an's Lintong District, in the northwest of China. The necropolis surrounding the unopened tomb harbours more than 8,200 of the earthenware sculptures, which were first uncovered in 1974 by local farmers. The tomb has four main pits, each of which were lain east of Emperor Qin's tomb, as if to protect him from the states to the east that he had conquered in life . The latest, third, excavation of pit one which has been underway for a decade has exposed around 4300 square feet (400 sqm), the Beijing Youth reported. The newest batch of Terracotta soldiers come from five different ranks, including a previously unknown one dubbed 'lower than the lowest', Shaanxi TV reported. Among the other recent finds from the necropolis include a golden camel figurine which is believed to be the oldest of its kind known from China. Scroll down for video The ranks of the 'Terracotta Army' that guards the mausoleum of the First Emperor of China has grown as archaeologists reported on Monday finding 220 new warriors The necropolis surrounding the unopened tomb harbours more than 8,200 of the earthenware sculptures, which were first uncovered in 1974 by local farmers 'The terracotta warriors in the mausoleum are lined up the same way as real soldiers thousands of years ago in the Qin Dynasty (221206 BC),' China Cultural Relics Academy member Liu Zheng told the Global Times. 'So, archaeologists can research real military systems of the dynasty with these excavated warriors,' he added. For example, senior military officers in the Qin dynasty stood at the front of their formations with their swords in their hands, Mr Liu explained. In addition, he added, the senior officers wore different hair accessories to those of their subordinates. Alongside the new soldiers, archaeologists also unearthed weapons and twelve horses during this latest run of excavations within the tomb. The new terracotta soldiers also have well-preserved original colourations. 'When these pottery figurines were first excavated, they were mostly coloured with red belts and dark armour but we lacked preservation skills and the colours faded,' Mr Liu said. 'But, this time, improved technologies are enabling the newly found figurines to retain their vivid colours.' 'Exhibition, excavation and conservation of the mausoleum are proceeding at the same time.' Among the other recent finds from the necropolis include a golden camel figurine, pictured, which is believed to be the oldest of its kind known from China Senior military officers in the Qin dynasty stood at the front of their formations with their swords in their hands, Mr Liu explained. Pictured, experts work on a soldier in pit one The newest batch of Terracotta soldiers come from five different ranks, including a previously unknown one dubbed 'lower than the lowest', Shaanxi TV reported The tomb has four main pits, each of which were lain east of Emperor Qin's tomb, as if to protect him from the states to the east that he had conquered in life The Terracotta Army is just one part of the wider necropolis complex surrounding the emperor's tomb, which archaeological surveys have suggested covers some 38 square miles (98 square kilometres). The necropolis is believed to represent a scaled-down version of Qin's imperial palace complete with offices, halls, stables and even a park. The central tomb has never been excavated, however, largely in fear that the tools required to do so safely and without damaging the tomb may not yet exist. The latest, third, excavation of pit one which has been underway for a decade has exposed around 4300 square feet (400 sqm), the Beijing Youth reported 'Exhibition, excavation and conservation of the mausoleum are proceeding at the same time,' China Cultural Relics Academy member Liu Zheng said 'When these pottery figurines were first excavated, they were mostly coloured with red belts and dark armour but we lacked preservation skills and the colours faded,' Mr Liu said. 'Improved technologies are enabling the newly found figurines to retain their vivid colours' The Terracotta Army is just one part of the wider necropolis complex surrounding the emperor's tomb, which archaeological surveys have suggested covers some 38 square miles (98 square kilometres). Pictured, a head of a Terracotta Warrior The necropolis is believed to represent a scaled-down version of Qin's imperial palace complete with offices, halls, stables and even a park. Pictured, a treasure from the necropolis The central tomb has never been excavated, however, largely in fear that the tools required to do so safely and without damaging the tomb may not yet exist. Pictured, a find from the dig Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb lies buried at the heart of a 249 feet (76 meter) -tall mound in what is today Xi'an's Lintong District, in the northwest of China China's Terracotta Warriors: The 8,000-strong army of statues built to protect the First Qin Emperor Each of these 2,000-year-old figures was given personality and was coloured The Terracotta Army is a form of funerary art buried with the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, in 210 to 209 BC and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife. Arguably the most famous archaeological site in the world, it was discovered by chance by villagers in 1974, and excavation has been on-going at the site since that date. An extraordinary feat of mass-production, each figure was given an individual personality although they were not intended to be portraits. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. Current estimates are that there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried. Since 1998, figures of terracotta acrobats, bureaucrats, musicians and bronze birds have been discovered on site. They were designed to entertain the Emperor in his afterlife and they are of crucial importance to our understanding of his attempts to control the world even in death. Advertisement Subscriber content preview The 1.9-acre Ballard Market property, at 1400 N.W. 56th St., has sold for $23 million, according to King County records. The seller was Ballard Shopping Center LLC, associated with the Murray family, which had owned the property in for decades. . . . Advertisement There was a heavy security presence at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Wednesday for an event attended by tens of thousands of Jewish people amid a recent spate of anti-Semitic attacks in the area. The New Year's Day event, called Siyum HaShas, celebrated the completion of the reading of the 2,711-page Babylonian Talmud, a process that takes 7-and-a-half years. Similar events have recently been held in major cities around the globe, such as Mexico City, while others are scheduled to take place in the next few weeks. The Talmud contains discussions of Jewish law that guide every aspect of life and is said to be one of the most difficult religious texts in the world. There was a heavy security presence at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Wednesday for an event attended by tens of thousands of Jewish people amid a recent spate of anti-Semitic attacks in the area. New Jersey State Police officers stand guard in front of MetLife Stadium as worshipers arrive for Siyum HaShas A law enforcement officer with a dog inspects vehicles parking at MetLife Stadium, Wednesday as thousands gather for an event called Siyum HaShas, that celebrates the completion of the reading of the Babylonian Talmud, a process that takes 7-1/2 years A state police officer guards during the 13th Siyum HaShas, a celebration marking the completion of the Daf Yomi, a seven-and-a-half-year cycle of studying texts from the Talmud Orthodox Jews take part in the 13th Siyum HaShas, a celebration marking the completion of the Daf Yomi, at the MetLife Stadium Rabbi Yosef C. Golding, an organizer, told The Record newspaper that he worked with more than 50 law enforcement agencies on security for the event, and that more than 300 uniformed state police were to be in the stadium. The event was broadcast internationally, and New Jersey state police said there were no reports of security issues or problems related to the event as of late Wednesday afternoon. Organizers had expected more than 92,000 people to attend. The last event at the stadium in 2012 drew about 90,000, organizers told The Record. The event is held every seven-and-a-half years. In addition to the almost 90,000 people who filled the MetLife stadium for this year's event, 20,000 others gathered in Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Thousands of other Jewish worshipers also gathered at satellite locations across the U.S. and Israel for Siyum HaShas. Rabbi Yissocher Frand, senior lecturer at Ner Yisroel in Baltimore, held a talk on the details of the religious book at the event and made reference to recent attacks which have left communities reeling. 'The Nazis burned the Talmud because they knew that this text has the power to rebuild the Jewish people,' he said. 'We make a bridge from a difficult past to a commitment to the future,' Rabbi Pesach Krohn added. The New York City region has been rocked by recent attacks on Jews. On December 10, two shooters targeted a kosher market in Jersey City, New Jersey, killing three people, and last weekend a man stabbed five people at the home of a rabbi in Monsey, New York. There also have been several street assaults in New York City in recent weeks. 'I live in Pittsburgh and of course, just over a year ago, we had the massacre in Pittsburgh. We see what's been happening here, all of the anti-Semitic attacks last week and on the streets in New York,' said Rabbi Daniel Wasserman of the Shaare Torah Congregation. Organizers estimated that 88,000 people attended the event. The last event at the stadium in 2012 drew about 90,000 Orthodox Jews sing and dance during the 13th Siyum HaShas, with police saying there were no reports of security issues or problems related to the event as of late Wednesday afternoon Around 20,000 others gathered in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, along with thousands more at satellite locations across the U.S. and Israel. Orthodox Jews are seen joining hands as they sing and dance during the event For the past 7 years, Jewish people across the globe have read the Talmud in a program called Daf Yomi. Participants continue to read the ancient work of Jewish law which guides them through daily life 'Whatever the reasons are, I'll leave that to the political scientists. But the reality is that whether it's ourselves or any ethnic group, we are here. We're proud. We're not going anywhere. And this is a perfect example of it.' On New Years Eve, disturbing footage emerged of an Orthodox Jewish man being assaulted by a group of seven teenagers as he walked down a street in Brooklyn in what became the 14th documented incident of anti-Semitic violence in New York in less than four weeks. The incident occurred in Crown Heights on December 24, just four days before an assailant - believed to be 37-year-old Grafton Thomas - stabbed five people with a machete inside a rabbis home as they celebrated the seventh night of Hanukkah in Monsley, New York, late Saturday. In the newly uncovered footage a Jewish man, who has not been identified, can be seen walking down Lincoln Place near Albany Avenue when he encounters a large group of black teenagers. The New York City region has been rocked by recent attacks on Jews. On December 10, two shooters targeted a kosher market in Jersey City, New Jersey, killing three people, and last weekend a man stabbed five people at the home of a rabbi A law enforcement officer with a dog inspects vehicles parking at MetLife Stadium Wednesday in East Rutherford Rabbi Daniel Wasserman of Shaare Torah Congregation in Pittsburgh, left, studies the Talmud with another man while tailgating in the parking lot of MetLife Stadium Rachel Leah Freilich and Rivka Lev of New York City talk before entering MetLife Stadium, Wednesday in East Rutherford Men dance in a circle to celebrate after reading the Talmud in front of MetLife Stadium as some people take a snack break Rabbi Yosef C. Golding, (pictured), an organizer, told The Record newspaper that he worked with more than 50 law enforcement agencies on security for the event, and that more than 300 uniformed state police were to be in the stadium The man is seen attempting to avoid their path, but as he tries to walk around the group one of the teens throws a folding camping chair at his head and knocks him off balance. Startled, the man attempts to walk away from the group at speed but is chased by two of the teenagers, who run toward him and then take it in turns to punch him. Jewish Future Alliance founder Yaakov Behrman posted surveillance video of the shocking incident to Twitter, but said that the victim never reported the attack to police as he was fearful the attackers would find out his identity and harm him again. This incident demonstrates that there are many unreported incidents in New York, Behrman wrote. Grafton Thomas, 37, is accused of stabbing five people with a machete inside a rabbis home as they celebrated the seventh night of Hanukkah in Monsley, New York, late Saturday The attack occurred last Tuesday and was never reported to NYPD or media. I first learned of it Sunday evening and spoke to victim Monday and obtained footage. The same group of teenagers were also recorded on surveillance camera carrying out a second brutal attack on a 56-year-old Jewish man on Union Street moments later. Police are searching for the attackers, however no arrests have yet been made. Emergence of the first incident on December 24 is the 14th reported incident of anti-Semitic violence in New York since December 8. Following a machete attack at a Hasidic rabbi's home in Monsey late on Saturday that injured five, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo attributed the alarming rise in anti-Semitic violence in the city to the hate that is spreading like cancer across America currently. This is an intolerant time in this country. We see anger, we see hatred exploding, Cuomo said. 'It is an American cancer that is spreading in the body politic.' The attack, said to be orchestrated by Grafton Thomas, came as the latest in a string of similar assaults targeting Jews in the region, including a massacre at a kosher grocery store in New Jersey earlier this month and seven other anti-Semitic incidents over the first seven nights of Hanukkah, which began on December 23. In response to the recent spate of anti-Semitic attacks, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans to increase police presence in affected communities. Besides making officers more visible in Borough Park, Crown Heights and Williamsburg, police will boost visits to houses of worship and some other places, de Blasio tweeted. 'Anti-Semitism is an attack on the values of our city - and we will confront it head-on,' de Blasio, the Democrat, wrote. Rabbi Chaim Leib Rottenberg is pictured moments before the attack at a Chanukah Party as he is being notified by the police as to what just transpired in his home Police gather outside a residence in Monsey early Sunday following a stabbing Saturday during a Hanukkah celebration Following a machete attack at a Hasidic rabbi's home late on Saturday that injured five, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo attributed the alarming rise in anti-Semitic violence in the city to the hate that is spreading like cancer across America currently Paramedics are seen running following a stabbing attack at a synagogue in Monsey, Rockland County, which has a large Orthodox Jewish community At around 12:40am on Friday, a Brooklyn woman screamed 'F*** you, Jews!' and then slapped three other women in the face and head after encountering them on a Crown Heights corner. The victims, who range in age from 22 to 31, suffered minor pain, police said. Tiffany Harris, 30, was arrested on a hate-crime harassment charge. Also on Friday morning, an unidentified man wearing a hoodie walked into the headquarters of the ultra-Orthodox Lubavitch movement on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights and stated he was going to 'shoot up the place', according to WABC-TV. The man then walked away, in the direction of the Utica Avenue subway station. The Lubavitch movement is one of the largest sects of Hasidic Judiasm. Also known as Chabad, it has made Brooklyn the center of its activities since the leaders of the movement were forced to flee Europe at the start of the Second World War. Also, at around 3.20pm last Thursday, a Brooklyn woman walking out of a Dunkin' Donuts with her three-year-old son in Gravesend was attacked by a homeless woman who hit her in the head with her bag, according to police. 'You f***ing Jew! Your end is coming!' the suspect, Ayana Logan, 42, is alleged to have said to the victim, who immediately alerted authorities and Logan was apprehended moments after. SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- National architecture and engineering firm HED is pleased to announce its merger with Puchlik Design Associates, also known as PDA, an award-winning architectural firm specializing in healthcare facility design headquartered in Pasadena, CA. According to Peter Devereaux, FAIA, Chief Executive Officer of HED, this is a natural step for the firm. "We have partnered with PDA on several occasions and have not only been successful but gratified in the similarity between our two cultures. HED has a large presence in southern California and we have been serving clients in the healthcare sector in other parts of the country for decades. Bringing in PDA was a natural step towards deepening our commitment to southern California and to our expansive set of healthcare clients to provide greater, nationwide service." HED leadership recognizes that healthcare remains an important, fast-growing sector throughout the U.S. and beyond. According to a recent report released by the financial analysts at Deloitte, "aging and growing populations, a greater prevalence of chronic diseases, and exponential advances in innovative digital technologies" are all compounding to create a rapidly accelerating growth in this U.S. industry that affects hundreds of millions of people every year. The firm's further embedding into the California healthcare market is one of several efforts to invest in its healthcare clients in the region and nationally. As Devereaux points out, "Our firm will always seek out methods to provide greater depth and nuance in our services to our clients. This is especially important in technically complex, mission-driven sectors like healthcare, which stand to create the greatest impact for our communities. By bringing PDA into the HED family we are continuing our commitment to design excellence and creating positive impact for our clients and communities. PDA's decades of knowledge in California, a geography that leads the nation in healthcare trends and standards, combined with our existing depth of talent and national reach will bring tangible benefits to our healthcare clients." The PDA leadership and staff will join the HED Los Angeles team in their expanded location in 2020, punctuating the firm's success and expansion in the region. They join other teams working in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco, bringing the firm's total staff to over 470 people. "We believe that this merger is one of complementary cultures," says Gerry Puchlik, Principal of PDA, "Like PDA, HED advocates that the role of the designer is to directly and positively impact end users, and they seek to produce designs that create this positive impact for clients and communities through deliberate decision making that contributes to care delivery, health, and wellbeing of the people who inhabit these spaces. I can't imagine a better fit for the future of our talented team." ABOUT HED HED seeks creative solutions that have a positive impact for its clients, the community, and the world. HED has earned a reputation for excellence in all facets of the designed and built environment, including architecture, consulting, engineering, and planning services. The firm of over 470 people serves clients in a broad range of sectors from eight U.S. offices (Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento). See how HED advances your world at www.hed.design. Media Contact: Emily Havelka, [email protected], (248)-233-0098 SOURCE HED Related Links hed.design Israels security Cabinet discussed a long-term arrangement with Hamas Dec. 29, just four days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was publicly embarrassed by a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip disrupting his political rally in the town of Ashkelon. To the sounds of the blaring siren warning of an incoming rocket, Netanyahus bodyguards hustled him offstage Dec. 25 and took him to a sheltered area, in an incident eerily reminiscent of a rocket launch in September during a Netanyahu election rally in the nearby town of Ashdod. The September rocket did not appear to have any logical reason other than, perhaps, arrogance on the part of Islamic Jihad or its desire to boost morale within the ranks. The unprovoked September rocket led Israeli defense officials to wonder whether the long-term deal under discussion with Hamas was truly the best default option for dealing with the Gaza problem. Would easing the blockade of the Gaza Strip and granting some relief to its residents guarantee an end to the festering violence against Israeli border communities? Smarting from that embarrassing incident, and against the advice of top defense officials, Netanyahu seriously considered sending ground troops into Gaza in September to deal with the problem once and for all. Netanyahus national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabat even advised the chair of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Hanan Melcer, to prepare for a possible delay of the scheduled Sept. 17 elections if war breaks out in the south. At the same time, panicked Hamas leaders conveyed urgent messages to Israel through the heads of Egyptian intelligence, claiming they had not been responsible for the attack and accusing the Islamic Jihad commander of northern Gaza, Bahaa Abu el-Atta, of responsibility for embarrassing Netanyahu with a single rocket and provoking Hamas. Israel accepted the explanation, more or less, and drew conclusions from the incident. Two months later, on Nov. 12, Israel killed the rogue Atta. Islamic Jihad responded with hundreds of rockets fired at Israel, but Hamas did not join in, despite the criticism it endured. The Israeli military concluded that the Hamas leadership was eager for a long-term deal, and approved wide-ranging relief measures for the Palestinians in order to move negotiations ahead. Then came last weeks repeat performance. Netanyahus bodyguards once again rushed him offstage with his wife Sara to the sounds of warning sirens, prompting renewed embarrassment. The rogue militias in Gaza very likely cheered as they watched footage showing a humiliated Mr. Security being led to a safe room to escape one single rocket they had proudly launched. When the prime minister returned to address the rally, he told his supporters, "The one who tried to make an impression the last time is no longer with us, and the one who tried to make an impression now should start packing He was obviously referring to Attas assassination, but apparently failed to realize the paradox. Attas killing of which he boasted had failed to restore calm to the area, and the "rogue" factions were continuing to embarrass him unhindered. Meanwhile, the September ritual was replayed. Hamas once again conveyed messages to Egypt denying responsibility for the rocket, blaming Islamic Jihad and pledging to deal firmly with the organization anything to ensure the wheels of the long-term arrangement with Israel keep rolling. And, indeed, just a few days after the launch at Ashkelon, the security Cabinet convened to discuss the arrangement deal with Hamas. What happened to the determination Netanyahu displayed in September to order a ground offensive on Gaza, and why did he not order a major response to last weeks Ashkelon rocket? The answer is simple: His indictment is tying his hands, he is mulling whether to request Knesset immunity from prosecution and the polls are not predicting a victory in the March 2, 2020, elections. In fact, he has to choose between ignoring the whole thing as if it had not happened or going to war with the Gaza Strip. He knows that the second option will not strengthen his Mr. Security image people would think that he is launching war only to escape dealing with his indictment. Netanyahu realizes that for the sake of dealing with his own legal problems, he needs quiet on the southern front. This way he would be free to campaign at the Knesset, claiming that he is being persecuted and that he should be awarded immunity. My colleague Ben Caspit suggested in a Dec. 31 Al-Monitor article that Israel and Hamas will not reach a historic agreement and that the recent support Netanyahu and top security officials expressed for an arrangement with Hamas was linked to the Iranian-related unrest on Israels northern front. Nonetheless, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett and Netanyahu are aware of the strenuous public objections to relaxing restrictions on Gazas 2 million Palestinians as long as Hamas refuses to hand back the bodies of two Israeli soldiers, Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin (killed in 2014). Facing this dilemma, Netanyahu and Bennett found a creative solution. Members of the security Cabinet approved a dramatic decision, against the advice of security agencies, designed to steer public and media attention away from the problematic deal with Hamas. The ministers agreed to withhold 150 million Israeli shekels ($43.4 million) from the tax money Israel collects for the Palestinian Authority (PA). In other words, motivated by political considerations only, Netanyahu and Bennett linked the arrangement that should benefit Hamas, with the tax deduction that harms the PA. Thus, Israeli public opinion was drawn to the deduction issue, rather than the advancement of the Hamas arrangement. Israel is once again digging itself into a hole. Its previous decision to withhold funds from the PA to punish it for supporting terrorists led the PA to the verge of collapse. Israel had to beg it in October to accept a compromise suggested by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon. Now Israel has resurfaced that same issue. This, however, is not the only problem. The Dec. 30 Cabinet session ended inconclusively in terms of the Hamas deal. On Jan. 1, the Cabinet convened again, but as expected also this time no decisions were made. Netanyahu is busy with requesting the Knesset for immunity, so his attention is really not on the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu and Bennett will continue to drag out the contacts with Hamas as long as they can, promising its leaders through Egyptian mediation that the deal is moving in the right direction and that the pending issues are being seriously considered. Hamas, meanwhile, has decided on a three-month suspension of its weekly protests along the border with Israel, which often deteriorate into violent clashes, in order to provide Israel with a respite and allow it to make the right decisions. Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, as well as the heads of the organizations military wing, presumably realize that a deal with Israel will be a long time coming. Netanyahu under criminal indictment and Bennett who has lost his voters cannot afford to appear weak on Hamas before the elections. That only leaves an interim solution relief and more relief and more relief for Gaza until after the Israeli elections, just as long as calm is maintained. What kind of relief is under discussion? For example, allowing thousands of Gaza residents to work in Israel. It will be interesting to see whether Sinwar and Haniyeh hand Netanyahu and Bennett the election gift they covet calm on the southern front. This week, Danny M. Lavery and special guest Krystal Farmer discuss a Prudie letter: the parents and the wheelchair. Danny: my main question here is whether or not the letter writer is hoping to convince their parents because they wont be able to actually make the purchase/deal with delivery without their parents participation or if its more a question of wanting their parents to not hassle/harass them should they get one Krystal: I think the best way to frame it is to explain that wheelchairs arent about restricting a persons independence but increasing it. Advertisement The LW has already made it clear that not being able to use a chair as often as they need is leading them to limit the amount of time they can spend out of bed and out of the house and thats likely not going to change Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without some sort of intervention Danny: right I wish I knew if the LW lived with their parents Krystal: Maybe that can be part of the response? If they live with their parents suggest that they talk to the parents about pitching in more to assist the LW with daily tasks if the rents wont allow a chair since thats likely what it will come to. If they dont, make it clear that the LW doesnt need the parents permission to make the best choice for their personal well-being. Advertisement Advertisement Danny: right and thats not to say I think the LW is unreasonable for hoping to get their parents support I definitely get why you would want their support! it absolutely sucks that they refuse to see this as a mobility aid, as something that would enable you to do more, not lessits absurd to call using a chair lazy when the very reason you want one is to get out of the house more often Krystal: Exactly! This is a health issue, not a matter of willpower Maybe over time the parents will come to see how much regular use improves the LWs quality of life and reevaluate their position Advertisement Danny: and if it is a financial or logistical thing Advertisement maybe you can ask your friends to help you raise money or make the purchase on your behalf / help receive the delivery and do any assembly work you would need help with Krystal: Yeah, community and a support system outside of family would be hugely beneficial if there is one to lean on A GoFundMe or some other fundraising campaign could also be an option Or checking the local disability/independent living centers for guidance They probably also have lots of resources for equipment and support groups, etc. Advertisement Advertisement Danny: thats good advice whether the LW lives with their parents or not, I think if youre dealing with family members who are constantly saying things like wheelchair use is for lazy people and that you dont deserve one Advertisement Advertisement then you need to enlist both material and emotional support from as many other people/places as possible my last thought is that they say they havent been able to broach the topic so i think it might be a good idea just to say, Im thinking of getting a wheelchair because it would help me with X and Y, and make leaving the house a lot easier. Advertisement Advertisement rather than asking because even if you will have to ask for their help at some point, starting the conversation by just stating your reasoning will make your position appear stronger Krystal: Yup. And I get the impression the LW is an adult? So just stating their intent shouldnt be out of bounds Advertisement Danny: right this is really helpful thank you do you have any other thoughts/advice for the LW? Krystal: hmm Just that I think theyre on the right path in terms of being in touch with their own access needs and accepting that those can change over time and that thats totally OK! Thats one of the hardest parts of learning to live with disability and theyre acing it Getting the moral/financial/physical support in place will only make the journey easier Sometimes you dont get it from the people you want or when you want but you still have to make the best choices for you Love Island Australia winner Grant Crapp's $770,000 home in Malua Bay, on the south coast of New South Wales, has been destroyed by the bushfires. The 24-year-old electrician posted a video to Instagram on Thursday showing the damage to the property he shared with his girlfriend, Lucy Cartwright. 'Reality of the bushfires. Lost everything. Grateful that the people that matter are still with me,' said a tearful Grant, who had only purchased the home in May. Devastating: Love Island Australia winner Grant Crapp's (pictured) $770,000 home in Malua Bay, on the south coast of New South Wales, has been destroyed by the bushfires Grant - who won Love Island with Tayla Damir in 2018 - also shared several bleak photos from inside the property, showing most of his possessions reduced to ash. Trying to make light of the awful situation, Grant joked that the contents of his charred fridge had survived the blaze as he retrieved several bottles of beer. 'May as well have a few beers, are they cold?' he said. Destroyed: The 24-year-old electrician posted a video to Instagram on Thursday showing the damage to the property he shared with his girlfriend, Lucy Cartwright Gutted: 'Reality of the bushfires. Lost everything. Grateful that the people that matter are still with me,' said a tearful Grant, who had only purchased the home in May Blackened: Grant - who won Love Island with Tayla Damir in 2018 - also shared several bleak photos from inside the property, showing most of his possessions reduced to ash Grant also uploaded a picture of Lucy tending to a horse with facial burns. He posted another picture of an alpaca with half of its fur blackened by the fires. Before being evacuated on New Year's Eve, Grant had shared a video of Lucy frantically gathering their belongings after loading their goats and chickens onto a trailer. 'Are they cold?' Trying to make light of the awful situation, Grant joked that the contents of his charred fridge had survived the blaze as he retrieved several bottles of beer Sad: Grant also uploaded this photo of his girlfriend, Lucy, tending to a horse with facial burns Burned: He posted another picture of an alpaca with half of its fur blackened by the fires The rural property backs onto 100 acres of bushland. It is comprised of two dwellings as well as sheds and paddocks for the couple's animals. The main house, where Grant and Lucy lived, has two bedrooms and two bathrooms; a separate two-bedroom cabin is often rented out to holidaymakers. It is unclear if any of the buildings on the estate survived the blaze. Grant and Lucy also own a three-bedroom cabin in nearby Batemans Bay, which they bought for $380,000 in April. The state of this property is unknown. Before the blaze: The rural property backs onto 100 acres of bushland. It is comprised of two dwellings as well as sheds and paddocks for the couple's animals Burnt to ashes: It is unclear if any of the buildings on the estate survived the blaze Homeowners: Grant and Lucy also own a three-bedroom cabin in nearby Batemans Bay (pictured), which they bought for $380,000 in April. The state of this property is unknown On New Year's Eve, Grant and Lucy told their Instagram followers they had been evacuated as the bushfires grew closer. 'It's actually surreal to feel warm wind. And there's a fire that's three kilometres away, it's f**king huge, so we've just had to evacuate,' Grant said. 'You get all these weird messages and weird calls from the police and the RFS, and it sounds like the scariest thing I've ever witnessed.' Emergency situation: On New Year's Eve, Grant and Lucy told their Instagram followers they had been evacuated as the bushfires grew closer SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A 17-year-old boy was injured in a shooting on New Year's Eve in San Francisco's Visitacion Valley, police said. The Tuesday shooting happened around 6:35 p.m. in the 1500 block of Sunnydale Ave. Police said the teenager was taken to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening. The teen victim, however, did not provide further information about the shooting. In a separate San Francisco New Year's Eve shooting near Fort Mason, two men were hospitalized, police said. That shooting occurred around 9:35 p.m. near Franklin and Bay streets. Officers arrived to find the two male victims, described as a 30-year-old and 42-year-old, suffering from gunshot wounds. The 42-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries, while the other victim suffered injuries not considered life-threatening. The shooter in that case, described as a 26-year-old man, remains at large, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to send a text message to TIP411 with "SFPD" at the start of the message. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. TipRanks One thing is certain already: the market environment for 2022 will not be the same as that in 2021. This may or may not be good for investors, per se, but like every shift in market conditions, it will present opportunities for those prepared to grasp them. Some factors are just reruns. COVID is rearing its ugly head again, threatening us with lockdowns and shutdowns. Thats running against the grain of a resurgent economy, an economy that is trying to gain more traction but its facing headwi Press Release January 1, 2020 Statement of Senator Joel Villanueva on the death of an OFW in Kuwait We offer our deepest condolences to the family of the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was killed in Kuwait. We call for justice into her senseless death. It is already bad enough that she has to leave her family behind to work in a foreign land to give her loved ones a better opportunity. We urge our authorities to pursue all available legal means to ensure her family attains justice they rightly deserve. We are outraged that another family has to grieve, and we question the implementation of the Kuwaiti bilateral agreement signed last 2018 that was suppose to protect our workers in Kuwait. We all thought that when the government entered into the bilateral labor agreement, our workers there would have better protection against all forms of abuse, effectively stopping the senseless deaths of our overseas Filipino workers at the hands of their employers. The labor department should reach out to their counterparts in Kuwait and see how justice may be achieved for our kababayan and their bereaved family. We hope that the labor department would continue to make representations with the Kuwaiti Ministry of Labor and work on a system to educate employers on the rights of their household service workers. The death of our OFW in Kuwait highlights the need to pursue a key measure that will help our distressed compatriots abroad. We are committed to shepherd the passage of Senate Bill No.1233, which seeks to further strengthen and expand the Legal Assistance Fund. The bill, which is on second reading, will strengthen the legal assistance provided for our kababayan abroad, and ensure that justice is pursued for our OFWs and overseas-based Filipinos. Sebis stewardship code for mutual funds and alternative investment funds lays down six principles to improve corporate governance standards in their investee companies, reports Jash Kriplani. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has issued the stewardship code for mutual funds (MFs) and alternative investment funds (AIFs), which they would be required to follow to improve corporate governance standards in their investee companies. The code has laid six principles under which MFs and AIFs are required to adhere to when dealing with their investee companies. Among the requirements, the investors shall have a clear policy identifying the circumstances for active intervention in the investee companies and the manner of such intervention. "The policy should also involve regular assessment of the outcomes of such intervention. Intervention should be considered even when a passive investment policy is followed or if the volume of investment is low, if the circumstances so demand," the code said. According to the code, the circumstances for intervention may include financial performance of the company, corporate governance-related practices, remuneration, strategy, environment, social and governance risks, leadership issues, litigation, etc. The investors can use various means to intervene. Apart from holding meetings with the company's management, the investors could also vote against the resolutions or even collaborate with other investors with similar concerns. The investors must also have a clear policy on voting and disclosure of voting activity. The investors would also be required to periodically report on their stewardship activities. Also, close monitoring of investee companies would be essential. "The investors should also keep in mind regulations on insider trading while seeking information from the investee companies for the purpose of monitoring," the code said. The code also requires investors to have a policy on how they would manage conflict of interest when fulfilling their stewardship responsibilities. More importantly, all policies need to be publicly disclosed. "Every institutional investor should formulate a comprehensive policy on how it intends to fulfil the aforesaid stewardship responsibilities and disclose it publicly. In case any of the activities are outsourced, the policy should provide for the mechanism to ensure that in such cases, stewardship responsibilities are exercised properly and diligently," the code said. The Stewardship Code shall come into effect from the financial year beginning April 1, 2020. The market watchdog observed that the importance of institutional investors in capital markets across the world is increasing. They are expected to shoulder greater responsibility towards their clients by enhancing monitoring and engagement with their investee companies, it said. Sebi along with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority had subsequently examined a proposal for introducing stewardship principles in India, which were approved by a sub-committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council. New Delhi: The Delhi Development Authority on Thursday approved the final modifications for an amendment in the Master Plan to provide relief to fitness centres and gyms operating in residential areas from sealing. It said it will finally develop 32 slum clusters in the city on lines of Kathputli Colony. It has been decided that from the date of notification, new fitness and wellness centres shall only be allowed to operate on ground floors and basements in residential areas and mixed use streets, a statement issued by the DDA on Thursday stated. Besides, fitness centres, including gymnasiums, yoga and meditation centres, and wellness centres that have come up after April 12, 2008, will be allowed to continue to operate from these areas, it said. The amendments were approved in a meeting headed by Delhi Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal, who is also the chairman of the landowning agency. The approved proposal will now be sent to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for consideration and final notification, the statement said. In October this year, the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee had told DDA and municipal corporations to seal fitness centres (including gyms and yoga centres) that have come up in non-commercial areas after August 12, 2008, which is the cut-off date as per the MPD. However, gym-owners approached the apex court for relief, after which the amendments were proposed. Meanwhile, DDA, on lines of Kathputli Colony, will now finally develop 32 slum clusters in the city on public-private partnership model. Authority approved in-situ redevelopment of JJ clusters on PPP mode as per PMAY guidelines and amendments in MPD-2021 to allow fitness, wellness, yoga centres, gymnasiums in residential areas, Baijal tweeted on Thursday. Recently, shareholders and partners in the multi-billion dollar Nigeria LNG sealed the final investment decision to construct the Train 7 expansion project after almost 12 years of delay. BUSINESS EDITOR, BASSEY UDO, who witnessed the event in Abuja describes it as a little step with giant economic implications and global significance. It was a little step with a huge significance. The final investment decision (FID) by the Nigerian government, shareholders, and partners to invest in the construction of Train 7 of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) project has monumental implications on Nigerias economic future. The shareholders consist of the Nigerian government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (49 per cent), Shell Gas BV (25.6 per cent), Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France (15 per cent) and ENI International (10.4 per cent). The expansion of the Nigeria LNG output capacity to seven production trains will, arguably, restore Nigeria to the elite groups in the global gas scene as one of the leading players. The FID also has the immediate impact of giving international investors a massive boost of confidence that Nigerias oil and gas industry is still a viable investment destination in the world. Nigeria is reputed to be a rich gas province producing a little oil. Conservative estimates say the countrys proven reserves of over 202 trillion metric standard metres (TCM) of natural gas outstrip the potentials of crude oil equivalent by ten times over. Sadly, it is a contrast that the country is so blessed, yet has so many gas flare sites dotting the Niger Delta region, while homes and industries are unable to realise their full potentials for lack of electricity. The challenge has always remained the dearth of necessary infrastructure to develop and harness these huge potentials into economic benefits. Nigeria LNG The incorporation of the Nigeria LNG as a limited liability company by the Nigerian government in May 1989 was a strategic investment to help harness and export the huge gas resources in LNG and natural gas liquids (NGL) forms for economic value. In November 1995, when the shareholders and partners of the project took the initial FID to construct an LNG plant in Finima, Bonny Island in River State, the founding fathers vision was to build just a two-train facility. Trains 1 and 2, called the Base project, comprised the Gas Transmission System (GTS) and the Residential Area (RA). The primary objective of the project was to help process, ship and market Nigerias gas resources, diversify the countrys economy and minimise the environmental impact of gas flares in the Niger Delta region. By December 1995, the shareholders awarded the turnkey engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to the consortium of Technip, Snamprogetti, Kellog and Japan Gas Corporation (TSKJ) for the construction of the two-train plant. Between February 1996 and August 1999, the construction of the plant was completed, ready for start-up operations. In October 1999, the countrys first LNG cargo was exported from the plant to Europe, launching Nigeria into the big league of global players in the international gas scene. In April of the following year, the plants output expanded rapidly, with the first export of condensate cargo from its production lines. Within 18 months of the start-up of the Base project, the FID for the development of Train 3 and the NGLs handling units (condensate stabilisation and LNG production) was taken in quick succession. By September, production of LNG commenced, with Train 1 coming on stream in February 2000. By August 2000, the 50th cargo of LNG had already been shipped to Europe. By February 2001, the significant milestone export volume of 100 cargoes was achieved. With the completion and coming into operation of the expansion project in November 2002, it was as if there was no going back on the plants phenomenal growth and expansion. Earlier in March of that year, the FID for the construction of Trains 4 and 5, called the NLNGPlus was taken. A gas plant used to illustrate the story [Photo: Africa Invest] While the construction of NLNGPlus projects were ongoing, the FID for the construction of NLNGSix project, or Train 6, was taken in 2004. Train 6 was to add the condensate processing line, LPG storage and jetty facilities, to the plant. Advertisements In November 2005, Train 4 came on stream, while Train 5 started operations in February 2006. By December 2006, the company marked the 1000th LNG cargo exported from the plant. By December 2007, Train 6 became operational, with the 2000th LNG cargo exported in October 2010; 3,000th cargo in January 2014 and 4,000th cargo in May 2017. With rapid development of the plant into a six-train facility, the production capacity of the NLNG facility grew to 22 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG; 5 MTPA of NGLs from the initial 3.5 billion standard cubic metres (BCM) per day of natural gas intake. Golden era of Nigerias LNG The Managing Director of the Nigeria LNG, Tony Attah, describes the years between 2000 and 2006 as the golden era of Nigerias LNG story. He said this was the period the company was considered the fastest-growing LNG company in the world. Since its inception in 1999, the Nigeria LNG was either bringing on stream a new LNG production train every 18 months, or taking an investment decision to expand one aspect of the plants capacity or the other. Since coming into operation, records show the Nigeria LNG has generated over $100 billion from delivering over 4,700 LNG cargoes to buyers around the world. The company remains Africas leading exporter of LNG, accounting for about 6 per cent of the global LNG exports. Where the music stopped It appears the momentum of growth and progress of the company was caught up in the global economic meltdown, which adversely impacted Nigeria, making the once beautiful bride lose her attraction for both existing and prospective investors. Then, the melodious music came to a halt. For almost 12 years since Train 6 was completed and brought into operation, the Nigeria LNG partners and shareholder made no further additional investment decision to expand the capacity of the plant. The company joined other multi-national oil companies in the country who were either not willing to renew their contracts, or held back important investment decisions due to the uncertainty in the countrys business environment. The uncertainty was fueled by the unresolved issue of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) initiated for almost 18 years to update the outdated regulatory, fiscal terms and legal framework for the petroleum industry. The lack of conclusion of the oil and gas industry reforms through the bill took its toll on most economic activities, meaning several projects that required urgent decisions had to be scaled down, or halted completely till a more auspicious time. On the march again In July 2018, the NNPC and partners got together in London to sign the front-end engineering design contract with the joint venture consortia of B7 and SCD to set the stage for the engineering concept of the expansion project called Train 7, estimated to cost about $4.3 billion. In September 2019, a Letter of Intent for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract was issued to the consortia made up of Saipem of Italy, Chiyoda of Japan and Daewoo of South Korea. The EPC phase involves the design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover of the Train 7 project. In December, the first basic 20-year term of gas supply agreements (GSAs) was also signed with the JVs for the supply of feed-gas stock for the project. During the FID for Train 7 event last Friday in Abuja, the Nigeria LNG MD, Mr Attah lamented the impact of the apparent inactivity after NLNGSix project (Train 6) became operational by December 2007. When the Nigeria LNG was set up, the original ambition was just to construct Trains 1 and 2. But, on the back of Trains 1 and 2 FID, we went from two trains to six production trains, which took 30 years. From the sixth train, we have struggled for several years to move on to the seventh train. We have been pushing for long to get to the decision over the last 14 or so years, he told PREMIUM TIMES in Abuja. To put in context how far behind the lost momentum affected Nigeria in the global gas play, Mr Attah recalled that when the Nigeria LNG started in 1999, the country was just 24 months behind Qatar, in terms of the regularity in expanding their output capacities. He said today, a little over a decade, Qatar LNG is sitting on over 77 million metric tonnes per annum production capacity, against Nigeria LNGs current 22 million metric tonnes per annum since 2007. To worsen the situation, he said, at a time, the Nigeria LNG shareholders and partners appear to be waking up from their slumber to think about Train 7, expected to add another 8 million metric tonnes to take the plant to about 30 million metric tonnes per annum, Qatar is already progressing to add another 30 million metric tonnes to its capacity. Thats the sad reality, Mr Attah said. This is a major reason for Nigeria LNG to wake to the reality that Train 7 is no longer ambitious; not for Nigeria LNG; not for Nigeria, he added. Significance of Train 7 Train 7 represents a lot of positive things for Nigeria. Apart from its pivotal support to Nigerias aspiration to diversify its revenue base, the project will help generate more revenue from harnessing the economic value of over 202 trillion standard cubic feet (TCF) of the countrys proven gas reserves. When completed, the project will boost the Nigeria LNG production capacity by about 35 per cent, and ensure Nigeria remains the 5th LNG exporter in the world. For the Nigerian oil & gas industry, the project will be guaranteed gas supply in the upstream sector as new development opportunities will be opened up. With over $10 billion to be invested, the project will boost prospects of the much desired foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. The Nigeria LNG has, so far, converted about 119 billion standard cubic metres, or 4.2 trillion cubic feet of associated gas to exports as LNG and NGLs, helping to cut gas aring by upstream companies from over 60 per cent to below 25 per cent. In terms of monetisation, Train 7 project will signicantly raise the Nigeria LNG contributions to Nigerias income from the over $13 billion paid out as dividends in the last 13 years, and over $18 billion paid out on gas purchases from oil-producing companies. It will also increase Nigerias overall earnings of over 70 per cent from Nigeria LNG, comprising 49 per cent dividend, 30 per cent company income tax, and other taxes and levies. Train 7 is the crux of a growth agenda, Mr Attah explained. It will ensure Nigeria LNGs position as the 5th major supplier of global LNG is maintained; increase the value to its shareholders; grow the taxes paid to the Nigerian government; multiply employment opportunities, and further reduce the gas otherwise being flared, in fulfillment of Nigeria LNGs vision of being a global company, helping to build a better Nigeria. Most importantly, it will launch Nigeria back on the global energy resource map. For the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, the execution of the project will ultimately deliver at least $20 billion of net revenue per annum for the federation and create at 12,000 direct and 40,000 indirect jobs to Nigerians. Mele Kolo Kyari, NNPC GMD The significance of the FID on Train 7 is that there is a renewed confidence by international investors, particularly the partners in the project in the country. For them (international oil companies) to still agree to bring money back into the Nigerian economy means they are ready to move Nigeria and our (NNPC) relationship forward. It shows confidence in the strength of the Nigerian economy and the capacity of President Muhammadu Buhari to bring value to the countrys economy and create the environment to attract more foreign investments, Mr Kyari said. For NNPC, Mr Kyari said Train 7 FID has convinced its management that doing things right transparently and with accountability to its shareholders, including over 200 million Nigerians, is the way forward to create value, prosperity and employment for the economy. The FID on NLNG Train 7 has opened a gateway for greater things to come in the economy in the immediate future. It has shown that despite all the challenges with NNPC and its partners, they are committed to working together to bring more projects in the upstream sector of the oil and gas sector as well as the midstream sector to grow the countrys economy, he said. In terms of Nigerian content, the project is a major boost to the aspiration to Nigerianise the operations of the oil and gas industry. In March this year, the Nigeria LNG and Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) signed off the Nigeria Content (NC) Plan for the Train 7 project. The plan will facilitate the delivery of value and benefits to the Nigerian economy in terms of the quantum of involvement of Nigerians in the development, construction and operational phases of the project. Apart from the expected 12,000 direct and 40,000 indirect jobs to be created at the peak of construction, the project will support the development of local engineering and fabrication capacities, with total in-country engineering and procurement man-hours set at about 55 per cent. The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, said over 70,000 tonnes of fabrication materials, covering condensate stabilisation units, tanks, pipe-racks, flare system, non-cryogenic vessels, and many other pipe spools and fittings will be done in-country during the construction phase of the project. Other opportunities for local content include procurement, logistics, equipment leasing, insurance, hotels, office supplies, aviation, haulage, and many more. Lots of fabrication yards that have remained idle for years will kick back to life. That is one of the biggest opportunities the project will bring, to create additional value for the country, Mr Wabote said. Future is LNG The NNPC GMD says President Muhammadu Buhari wants to see the capacity of the Nigeria LNG raised beyond Train 7 to 12. President Muhammadu Buhari [Photo: Presidency] He said with the presidential directive, it means there is an enormous political will to energize the commitment of the shareholders to pursue the target. We know the decision (FID on Train 7) was delayed. Mr Presidents directive is that we should take it to Train 12. We are confident it will work because the future is not only gas, but also LNG. We (all joint venture partners) are all committed to do everything to take the next steps to make further progress to realise Trains 8, 9, 10, 11 up to 12 as soon as possible. There is a huge opportunity for this. There is a significant will to go ahead to push forward to Train 12. We are on course to do so, Mr Kyari said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb was arrested on New Years Eve near his home upstate for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, about a week after his op-ed piece about the dangers of drunken driving was published in a newspaper. Authorities said Kolb crashed a 2018 GMC Acadia into a ditch at about 10:30 p.m. near Rochester, according to a report by Syracuse.com, the Advances sister website. There were no injuries reported and no other vehicles were involved in the crash, police said. In the Dec. 24 op-ed published in the Daily Messenger, Kolb wrote in regard to driving under the influence, tragedy can be only one bad decision away. Kolb, a Republican, is the only top leader in Albany who has agreed to weigh in on Staten Island secession. He said he would be willing to entertain the idea if it comes to the Assembly floor. His district covers Ontario County and part of Seneca County. At the age of 12, Cynthia Copeland was growing up in Litchfield with her parents and two brothers, attending what then was Litchfield Junior High School, and spending time with her first boyfriend. She also was an intern at the Register Citizen newspaper, being mentored by then-reporter Leslie Jacobs. The experience she had in 1972 is now a graphic novel, Cub, which explores the many experiences Copeland had as a reporter as well as a student, a daughter and a friend. The book is written by Copeland and also contains her own illustrations, which capture the events of the early 1970s: the womens movement, civil rights activism and the Watergate scandal. The character, Cynthia, faces bullying from a group of girls, falls for her first boy and goes to her first dance, and loses her best friend. She also learns to make new friends and becomes a more confident girl, thanks to the guidance of a favorite English teacher, Maureen Schultz, who encouraged her to take the internship, and Jacobs, who was her editor and taught her to write news stories. The big takeaway Im hoping for with this book is that kids and adults realize the important role of journalists and democracy, Copeland said from her home in Keene, N.H. Free press is the heart of democracy, and the whole industry is in such peril right now. ... Local newspapers are closing. Journalists are under attack. Even their personal safety is being threatened. The biggest message for me is that people are unable to understand fake versus real news today, Copeland said. I have read She Said (by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, the book that is credited with launching the anti-sexual harassment movement in 2019) and The News About the News: American Journalism in Peril by Leonard Downie Jr. The time that it took these authors to track down people who would speak to them, then fact gathering, is something people dont understand. They go on Facebook, read a headline, and dont bother to find out if its real or not. Everything is so fast-paced now. With the news on the internet, its not quality journalism, but people think theyre getting what they need to know. Paying for the facts is not something people want to do, Copeland said. Copeland is author of Really Important Stuff My Dog Has Taught Me and The Diaper Diaries, as well as 23 other books, which have sold more than a million copies and have been featured on Good Morning America, selected for Oprahs O List in O Magazine, recommended by Ann Landers, and featured in Family Circle. Copeland still visits her hometown to visit her mother, Charlene, an active resident and activities organizer for the members of the Harwinton Senior Center. Research is key When she began developing Cub as a memoir, Copeland spent time in Litchfield and at the Torrington Library, poring over microfiche records to recall the headlines of 1972. Her work with Jacobs is reflected in that research. Part of my research was going to Litchfield taking photos, so I went to my old house, I saw my old room. ... My best friend from junior high came, too, and we walked to school together, Copeland said. It was so fun. That research was important, since a memoir is all about research, reflecting back on your life at that time. I also wanted to find out what was important to people at the time, and finding out how things turned out. Watergate, for example, it wasnt a big deal to people at the time, at least where I was ... it wasnt huge yet. But it became such a big part of our history. She also remembered being awed by Jacobs, who was a hard-working reporter and photographer at the Register Citizen. In my mind, she was a bona fide grownup, Copeland said. But she was so young, in her 20s. She was my mentor. She taught me so much. An episode in Cub details Jacobs taking Copeland to a school board meeting, where the 12-year-old Cynthia notices a difference in a salary for an administrator. She questions the school board chairman, who is unable to explain the discrepancy, which results in others attending the meeting to begin questioning the salary as well. Its an exciting moment for Cynthia. Copeland enjoyed drawing the novel, she said, and that the biggest challenge was that it took place so long ago. My editors needed to feel that it was going to be relevant to kids today, she said. I infused the stories with the 1970s; the cars, the clothing, the land-line phones, the interior decor, everything. Without pulling readers out of the narrative, I was able to remind them that the story took place in 1972. In Cub, the young Cynthia is thrilled to walk into a busy newsroom with Jacobs, and her illustrations reflect a room full of men and a few women shouting across the room with headline suggestions, answering the many ringing telephones and calling the pressroom. She sees her byline in print for the first time, and learns how to ask questions during an interview, under Jacobs guidance. I found myself, my voice, Copeland said. The experience was wonderful. I found my writing voice, and I could write something that was compelling. I also found my speaking voice. ... I usually was playing dead, being silent (when being bullied) and I learned to stand up for myself. It gave me self-confidence. I could say, I dont care that youre making fun of me. Youre not important to me. In Cub, her best friend, a girl named Katie, drifts away from her and befriends the mean girls whom she illustrates with dark, staring eyes, folded arms and threatening expressions and are her tormentors, talking and laughing about her behind her back. Katie doesnt seem to want to be friends like before, and Cynthia is hurt. But over time, she begins to realize there are other people in school that are fun, who have different interests and do exciting things. She learns to look outside her small circle of friends and make new ones. By the end of the school year, shes matured and is able to realize her own growth, while happily looking to the future. Copeland credits the internship with showing her a world outside her own. Getting that perspective helps when you have outside interests, she said. Meanness doesnt matter. Theres so much more happening thats more important. Having that perspective on seventh-grade drama really helped. After Litchfield After graduating from Litchfield High School, Copeland attended Smith College, and lived in the Boston area. She worked for the Walpole Times as a reporter during her years there. She was a speech writer for then-Sen. Toby Moffett, and worked in the offices of Gov. Lowell Weicker. But she liked being a reporter. I wanted to be on the other side of things, she said. I dont want to choose words carefully, to keep information away from people. I want to be a journalist, asking questions. After her marriage, Copeland moved to New Hampshire and began writing books. But inside, she will always have the heart of a journalist. She believes local journalism is suffering today. Local journalism is so important, she said. People dont always understand what kind of work goes into a story. ... They take information in sound bites, and rarely does anyone sit down and read a newspaper article from beginning to end. Its harder to catch peoples attention, especially young people. Its a very noisy world we live in. But she also believes journalism will survive. I hope that true journalsm will see a resurgence, she said. If people can understand whats required to write a good story, and want the facts, theyll read the stories that journalists are writing out there. The messages of Cub Cub is relevant, Copeland said, because of whats happening on the national stage. The national issues (impeachment, civil rights) have come back around, she said. Who would have imagined wed be reliving the Watergate impeachment era, and the 50th anniversary of Earth Day? she said. Its also a reminder to young people of the importance of outside activities. Theres a lot of social drama in seventh grade ... whether its music or dance or art, it helps you gain perspective on whats really important, Copeland said. The author reached out to her teacher, Schultz, to let her know about the book. She credits the educator with building her confidence. She realized Id benefit from something like (the internship), Copeland said. As girls, we didnt have an idea of what opportunities were there for us. It was a time that really opened my eyes. Cub will be released Jan. 7 by Algonquin and Algonquin Young Readers at Workman Publishing, New York, NY. To order a copy, visit www.workman.com/authors/cynthia-l-copeland. In addition, the city announced last year that it would hire seven urban planners, bringing its total number of planners to more than 30 the highest count in recent history, according to Curbed Chicago. The move is part of Coxs push to make planning proactive rather than reactive, especially in areas of Chicago where a lack of investment by developers often lead to a lack of attention from City Hall. Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, president of the NC NAACP, crumples up a mailer that tells voters IDs are needed in the upcoming 2020 election: AP A federal judge cited North Carolinas sordid history of racial discrimination and voter suppression as she blocked the states new voter identification law. The decision by US district court judge Loretta Biggs will prevent state officials from requiring voters to show identification in the 2020 presidential election after critics said the law unfairly targets African-Americans. North Carolina could be a key state in this years election as voters chose Donald Trump in the last presidential vote but also elected a Democratic governor in 2016. Republican leaders in the state House and Senate have asked North Carolinas Department of Justice to appeal Judge Biggs decision, which blocks the law until a lawsuit filed by the state NAACP and others is resolved. North Carolina has a sordid history of racial discrimination and voter suppression stretching back to the time of slavery, through the era of Jim Crow, and, crucially, continuing up to the present day, Judge Biggs wrote. The judge said the newest version of the law was similar to a 2013 law that was struck down by a federal appeals court in 2016. In that case, the court said voting restrictions were approved with intentional racial discrimination in mind and the law targeted African-Americans with almost surgical precision. Judge Biggs wrote that the new voter ID law did not fix the problems with discrimination in the 2013 law and lawmakers had tried to circumvent state and federal courts" with the new version, which was backed by some of the same key lawmakers as in 2013. Voters in North Carolina approved a constitutional amendment by 55 per cent in 2018 to require voter photo ID. The voter ID law would have come into effect for the 3 March Democratic presidential primary. Reverend T Anthony Spearman, the president of North Carolinas NAACP, said he was overjoyed by the decision. Quite frankly, tears are coming to my eyes as I read the decision, Mr Spearman said. Story continues I hope it is something that will encourage people who have not exercised their right to vote to cast their votes. Judge Biggs also rejected an argument by lawmakers that they had to enact the ID law because voters had approved the constitutional amendment. While the legislature may [have] had to pass some form of photo voter ID law, it did not have to enact one which suffers from impermissible defects, she wrote. Republican lawmakers have called Judge Biggs' ruling "inappropriate" and urged the states Department of Justice to seek a stay of the temporary injunction. Additional reporting by AP Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 23:02:29|Editor: yan Video Player Close ANKARA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkish parliament passed a motion on Thursday authorizing the government to deploy troops in Libya for a one-year period. The lawmakers voted on the motion in an emergency session. The motion was approved with 325 votes in favor and 184 against. The bill was supported by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Felicity Party. FDI In India Rose By 15% In April-Sept 2019 To $26 Billion Business oi-Olga Robert Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India rose by 15 percent to $26 billion during the first half of the financial year 2019-20, according to government data. In comparison, the FDI inflow in April-September 2018 stood at $22.66 billion. Sectors that attracted maximum foreign inflows during April-September 2019-20 period include services ($4.45 billion), computer software and hardware ($4 billion), telecommunications ($4.28 billion), automobile ($2.13 billion) and trading ($2.14 billion) as per data released by the commerce and industry ministry. Singapore was the largest source of FDI in India during the first half of the financial year with $8 billion in investments, followed by Mauritius ($6.36 billion), the US ($2.15 billion), the Netherlands ($2.32 billion), and Japan ($1.78 billion). FDI is important as the country requires major investments to overhaul its infrastructure sector to boost growth. Recently, the government relaxed foreign investment norms in sectors such as brand retail trading, coal mining and contract manufacturing. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra said that despite a slowdown in the global economy, inflows of foreign investment into the country have not been impacted. For investment related articles, business news and mutual fund advise Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 10:30 [IST] Investors in Tullow Oil were less than impressed at the struggling oil companys latest update that it had discovered light oil at its Carapa-1 well in Guyana. Shares plunged 6.5%, off 4.15p at 59.85p, as bosses revealed that, although they found oil, the reservoir they are drilling is smaller than first thought. In early trading shares dropped by as much as 20%, before recovering. Mark MacFarlane, chief operating officer, said: The Carapa-1 result is an important exploration outcome with positive implications for both the Kanuku and Orinduik blocks. While net pay and reservoir development at this location are below our pre-drill estimates, we are encouraged to find good-quality oil which proves the extension of the prolific Cretaceous play into our acreage. The discovery comes after a tough year for Tullow, which saw its chief executive and exploration chief both quit after poor results from its offshore Guyana sites. David Round, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, explained: Expectations were high going into this. There will be a level of disappointment about the size. The well will now be plugged and abandoned due to the quality of the oil not being commercially viable, but bosses hope the information gained will help with future drilling. Mr MacFarlane added: We will now integrate the results of the three exploration wells drilled in these adjacent licences into our Guyana and Suriname geological and geophysical models before deciding the future work programme. The results come as Tullow searches for a new boss after Paul McDade, and exploration director Angus McCoss, quit less than a month ago over a tough year where results from its main fields in Ghana were lower than expected. The Nikkei stock average of 225 selected issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange closed last year at its highest year-end level in 29 years, making for a cheery ceremony closing out the trading year. Concerns over the progress of U.S.-China trade talks have receded, pushing the average to its highest level since the 1990s after the bubble economy. However, corporate growth has been stagnant and stock prices appear to be running ahead of the real economy. Will the steady rising of stock prices be able to continue this year? The Japanese economy is likely to be tested this year for its true ability. Investment money "It was a chaotic year due to U.S.-China trade friction and the deterioration in Japan-South Korea relations, but it turned out to be a good market for stock prices," Akira Kiyota, chief executive officer of Japan Exchange Group Inc., said at the year-end ceremony. Early last year, Apple Inc. of the United States downgraded its sales outlook, sparking anxiety over a global economic downturn some called the "Apple shock." On Jan. 4, the first day of trading for the year, the Nikkei average closed below 20,000, making for a turbulent start. However, since then the average has not dipped below 20,000. "We were at the mercy of U.S.-China relations, which had both positive and negative impacts on us," said Tomoichiro Kubota, a senior market analyst at Matsui Securities Co. In May, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would raise punitive tariffs on China. Amid growing concerns the conflict would worsen, stock prices stagnated near 22,000 until around the summer. And the positive trend was again changed by the problems in U.S.-China relations. The expectation that the two countries might make progress in bilateral talks began spreading from around October, sending stocks in both the United States and Japan on an upward trajectory. Since July, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board made three consecutive "preventive rate cuts" to forestall an economic downturn. Markets responded positively and the U.S. stock prices continued to mark record highs, while investment funds also flowed into Japanese equities. As for this year ... Outlooks for the market in 2020 are mostly bullish. Many analysts at securities companies have forecast the Nikkei average to be around 28,000 to 22,000, with few pessimistic views expressed. Kenji Abe, chief strategist at Daiwa Securities Co., said: "The temporary truce between the United States and China will lead to a sharp increase in capital investment, mainly by semiconductor-related companies, which have been holding back. Stock prices will rise in the first half of the year." Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Many see factors that will have a positive impact on the stock market, such as the inbound demand expected for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Not everyone has a rosy outlook. "We only have expectations at this point, so there's no real basis for a rise in stock prices," said Masahiro Ichikawa, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Co. In interim corporate earnings ending in September, there were notable downward revisions of full-year earnings, especially in the manufacturing sector, where exports to China have declined. In the Bank of Japan's December Tankan survey of confidence at short-term businesses, the diffusion index of conditions at large companies and manufacturers was zero, its lowest level in six years and nine months. This is one indicator that the present economic situation might not be so good. Some observers are concerned about a drop in spending after the Olympic Games. The year 2020 is a Year of the Rat. There is a saying in the Japanese market that rat years are prosperous. It remains to be seen if that will be enough to keep stock prices rising in spite of issues such as the declining population. We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed. So, the natural question for Altai Resources (CVE:ATI) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. Check out our latest analysis for Altai Resources When Might Altai Resources Run Out Of Money? A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. When Altai Resources last reported its balance sheet in September 2019, it had zero debt and cash worth CA$3.8m. Importantly, its cash burn was CA$53k over the trailing twelve months. So it had a very long cash runway of many years from September 2019. Even though this is but one measure of the company's cash burn, the thought of such a long cash runway warms our bellies in a comforting way. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. TSXV:ATI Historical Debt, January 1st 2020 How Is Altai Resources's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Whilst it's great to see that Altai Resources has already begun generating revenue from operations, last year it only produced CA$111k, so we don't think it is generating significant revenue, at this point. As a result, we think it's a bit early to focus on the revenue growth, so we'll limit ourselves to looking at how the cash burn is changing over time. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by 50%, which suggests that management are increasing investment in future growth, but not too quickly. However, the company's true cash runway will therefore be shorter than suggested above, if spending continues to increase. Altai Resources makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow. Story continues How Hard Would It Be For Altai Resources To Raise More Cash For Growth? While Altai Resources does have a solid cash runway, its cash burn trajectory may have some shareholders thinking ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate). Altai Resources's cash burn of CA$53k is about 1.5% of its CA$3.6m market capitalisation. So it could almost certainly just borrow a little to fund another year's growth, or else easily raise the cash by issuing a few shares. How Risky Is Altai Resources's Cash Burn Situation? As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Altai Resources's cash burn. For example, we think its cash runway suggests that the company is on a good path. Although its increasing cash burn does give us reason for pause, the other metrics we discussed in this article form a positive picture overall. After taking into account the various metrics mentioned in this report, we're pretty comfortable with how the company is spending its cash. While we always like to monitor cash burn for early stage companies, qualitative factors such as the CEO pay can also shed light on the situation. Click here to see free what the Altai Resources CEO is paid.. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. SEATTLEThe fact that sex-toy companies will finally be permitted to display at CES in 2020 has been widely reported. But that CES policy does not permit any products that contain anatomically correct parts including mouths or human genitalia is still unknown to the public. As the owner of a male-centric sex toy brand, I believe this policy effectively prohibits the display of pleasure products for men because men overwhelmingly prefer devices that contain human-like orifices, especially female genitalia. I applied to CES in September 2019 to display our new Autoblow A.I. at the 2020 show. CES representatives told me that they would be happy to rent my company a booth provided I removed the silicone mouth sleeve my product comes with and replaced it with a sleeve that contains only a non-descript hole. I declined their offer. Why? Because it is normal for human beings to feel sexual excitement from the appearance of the body parts of other human beings. The reason the Autoblow A.I. comes with a mouth sleeve is because it aims to recreate the oral sex experience. That a human mouth is involved in that experience is an inescapable fact. I cannot pretend otherwise. While CES has (commendably) helped to lift the stigma against sexual devices for women by allowing them to be displayed as mainstream consumer electronics, CES has reinforced the stigma against sexual devices for men (and the related shame) by disallowing them based solely on the one feature that happens to be highly linked to their commercial success: human orifices. Although anatomically correct products are less popular with women, they are still widely purchased. The current CES policy also promotes a culture of shame amongst women who prefer a more life-like experience. The message it sends is clear: products that look like parts of human beings are unfit for public display. I categorically reject this notion. For CES 2021 I respectfully ask the CES decision makers to re-explore this issue and open the show to all high-tech adult consumer electronics including those that resemble parts of human beings. Sincerely, Brian Sloan CEO Will there be a change in Karnataka Cabinet? Basavaraj Bommai: Another leader with origins in Janata Parivar, who made it big outside the party No DCMs, no Vijayendra: What the Bommai Cabinet looks like The test for Bommai and the road ahead: A discussion with Dr. Shastri Modi in Karnataka: Govt is ready to support scientists, innovators of the country, says PM Modi India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff Bengaluru, Jan 02: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Karnataka's Tumakuru city to attend a series of events on Thursday. Citing security concerns, the Bengaluru city police commissioner Bhaskar Rao, IPS said that unmanned aerial vehicles including drones, balloons, unmanned aircraft systems etc will be banned during Modi's visit. Newest First Oldest First On behalf of DRDO fraternity Dr G Satheesh Reddy thanks Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for dedicating the Young Scientist Laboratories to the Nation. India is among very few countries that has the capability to build everything from aircraft to aircraft carrier: PM Modi at DRDO "DRDO should rethink and reshape their program by themselves in the future," said PM Modi while addressing young scientists at DRDO in Bengaluru. PM Modi to attend a program at the Dr Raja Ramanna complex of DRDO. He will dedicate 5 DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation. PM Narendra Modi arrives at DRDO in Bengaluru from HAL Airport. Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi a total of Rs 12,000 crore has been deposited in the account of farmers across the country. PM Narendra Modi left Tumakuru, he will be reaching Bengaluru shortly. Police arrested farmers in Shivamogga for planning to stage protest against Prime Minister Modi. Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi a total of Rs 12,000 crore has been deposited in the account of farmers across the country, the prime minister said. Agriculture is very important to achieve 5 trillion dollar economy, says Modi We are increasing cold storage capacity to benefit farmers: PM in Karnataka Our govt understood farmers' problems, says Modi. Now, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is speaking at Krishi Karman Awards function at the Junior College grounds Those who are agitating against the Parliament of India today, I want to say that today need is to expose activities of Pakistan at the international level.If you have to agitate, raise your voice against Pakistan's actions of last 70 years We can't leave minorities from Pakistan to their fate; have responsibility to protect them, says Modi in Karnataka while defending CAA If you have to raise slogans, then raise slogans against the atrocities on minorities in Pakistan Pakistan was formed on the basis of religion, religious minorities were being persecuted there. The persecuted were forced to come to India as refugees. But Congress and its allies don't speak against Pakistan, instead they are taking out rallies against these refugees Now it has become the psyche of every Indian that the problems we have inherited have to be solved. This message emanating from society also inspires, encourages our government: PM Modi It is my good fortune that I got an opportunity to lay the foundation stone of the museum to be built in the memory of Sri Sri Shivakumar. This museum will not only inspire people, but will also give us direction India has entered the third decade of the 21st century with new energy and renewed vigor. You will remember what kind of atmosphere was there in country when last decade started. But this third decade has started with a strong foundation of expectations& aspirations I am fortunate that I am beginning the year 2020 from this pious land. I wish this sacred energy of Sree Siddaganga Mutt enriches the lives of the people of our country. PM Modi addresses a rally in Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Karnataka Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru. Modi was felicitated by Siddalinga Swami of Siddaganga Mutt and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. Sree Siddaganga Mutt is a Lingayat mutt with an educational institution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru. Modi was felicitated by Siddalinga Swami of Siddaganga Mutt and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. Sree Siddaganga Mutt is a Lingayat mutt with an educational institution. PM Modi addresses a rally in Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Karnataka I am fortunate that I am beginning the year 2020 from this pious land. I wish this sacred energy of Sree Siddaganga Mutt enriches the lives of the people of our country. India has entered the third decade of the 21st century with new energy and renewed vigor. You will remember what kind of atmosphere was there in country when last decade started. But this third decade has started with a strong foundation of expectations& aspirations It is my good fortune that I got an opportunity to lay the foundation stone of the museum to be built in the memory of Sri Sri Shivakumar. This museum will not only inspire people, but will also give us direction Now it has become the psyche of every Indian that the problems we have inherited have to be solved. This message emanating from society also inspires, encourages our government: PM Modi Pakistan was formed on the basis of religion, religious minorities were being persecuted there. The persecuted were forced to come to India as refugees. But Congress and its allies don't speak against Pakistan, instead they are taking out rallies against these refugees If you have to raise slogans, then raise slogans against the atrocities on minorities in Pakistan We can't leave minorities from Pakistan to their fate; have responsibility to protect them, says Modi in Karnataka while defending CAA Those who are agitating against the Parliament of India today, I want to say that today need is to expose activities of Pakistan at the international level.If you have to agitate, raise your voice against Pakistan's actions of last 70 years Now, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is speaking at Krishi Karman Awards function at the Junior College grounds Our govt understood farmers' problems, says Modi. We are increasing cold storage capacity to benefit farmers: PM in Karnataka Agriculture is very important to achieve 5 trillion dollar economy, says Modi Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi a total of Rs 12,000 crore has been deposited in the account of farmers across the country, the prime minister said. Police arrested farmers in Shivamogga for planning to stage protest against Prime Minister Modi. PM Narendra Modi left Tumakuru, he will be reaching Bengaluru shortly. Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi a total of Rs 12,000 crore has been deposited in the account of farmers across the country. PM Narendra Modi arrives at DRDO in Bengaluru from HAL Airport. PM Modi to attend a program at the Dr Raja Ramanna complex of DRDO. He will dedicate 5 DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation. "DRDO should rethink and reshape their program by themselves in the future," said PM Modi while addressing young scientists at DRDO in Bengaluru. India is among very few countries that has the capability to build everything from aircraft to aircraft carrier: PM Modi at DRDO On behalf of DRDO fraternity Dr G Satheesh Reddy thanks Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for dedicating the Young Scientist Laboratories to the Nation. Meanwhile, in Tumakuru district, authorities have implemented heightened security measures ahead of Prime Minister's visit. During his stay in Tumakuru, drones will not be allowed and anybody violating the direction will face stringent action, said a notification issued by Deputy Commissioner of the district Dr Rakesh Kumar. According to the Department of Information and Public Relations (DPIR), Narendra Modi will land in Bengaluru on today and leave for Tumakuru in a helicopter to visit the Siddaganga Mutt. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 Modi will later take part in the Krishi Karman Awards function at the Junior College grounds where he will address a gathering and distribute fishing equipment, a government press release said. The same evening he will return to Bengaluru to visit the Defence Research and Development Organisation. He will stay at the Raj Bhavan. The next day, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the 107th Indian Science Congress at the Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra Campus at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru, before flying to New Delhi in the afternoon. To oversee the arrangements, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa visited Tumakuru on Tuesday and held a meeting with officials. Speaking to reporters later, Yediyurappa said Modi will reach Siddaganga Math at 2.15 p.m where he will pay his obeisance to the seer there. He will be in the town till 5.30 p.m on January 2, he added. "Later, he will take part in the Krishi Karman and Krishi Samman Awards function which about 1.5 lakh people are likely to attend. He is going to give awards to 28 progressive farmers from 21 states," said the Chief Minister. PM Modi to inaugurate 5 DRDO Young Scientists' Labs in Karnataka The chief ministers of Manipur and Jharkhand and the Governor of Uttarakhand will also attend the event. "It will be a grand event. Since 1.5 lakh people will take part, we have made arrangements for loudspeakers and LED screens everywhere to avoid any inconvenience to the people," Yediyurappa said. Newly released photos from a Dec. 31 assault on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq show extensive damage to the compound, with shattered windows, burned rooms and piles of debris scattered throughout the $750 million facility. The photos, taken by Associated Press photographers, depicted the aftermath of Iran-backed militia members' advance on the diplomatic facility, breaching the fortified "Green Zone" perimeter on Tuesday. Over the summer, parts of the Green Zone, which houses the embassy, were opened to the public for the first time in 16 years. They were subsequently closed off in October following a week of protests. Fire damage can be seen in a reception room of the U.S. embassy compound, that was burned by pro-Iranian militiamen and their supporters, in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020 (AP Photo/Qassim Abdul-Zahra) -- Military.com The latest demonstrations, which included members of the Iranian-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) militia, were an apparent retaliation for U.S. airstrikes carried out Dec. 29. Related: Demonstrators Will 'Run into a Buzzsaw' If They Try to Overrun US Embassy: Milley "In response to repeated Kata'ib Hizbollah (KH) attacks on Iraqi bases that host Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) coalition forces, U.S. forces have conducted precision defensive strikes against five KH facilities in Iraq and Syria that will degrade KH's ability to conduct future attacks against OIR coalition forces," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said following the strike. The airstrikes followed an attack on a U.S. base near central Kirkuk Dec. 27, which killed an American contractor and wounded four U.S. troops. Pro-Iranian militiamen and their supporters are seen through broken windows of a burned checkpoint in front of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed) -- Military.com While the U.S. and Iraq have partnered to eradicate Islamic State militants from the region as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, Iraqi officials ultimately condemned the U.S.'s latest airstrike, calling it single-sided. "The Iraqi Government condemns this act and considers it a violation of Iraq's sovereignty," officials said after holding an emergency meeting on Dec. 31. "This is a serious violation of the rules of engagement of the Coalition forces, including the US forces, in carrying out operations without the approval of the Iraqi Government." In response to the embassy demonstrations, about 100 Marines from the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command boarded MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in Kuwait Tuesday and flew to Baghdad's Green Zone to bolster embassy security. Wednesday morning, paratroopers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina began boarding C-17 Globemaster aircraft as the first contingents of a battalion of 750 troops Esper has ordered to the region to boost the readiness of U.S. Mideast forces. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Army Gen. Mark Milley told reporters Thursday that the 82nd Division troops would be based Kuwait and be prepared for "follow-on missions in other places." -- Richard Sisk contributed to this report. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Read More: New US Space Force Hub Renamed 'SPOC' A new study finds a lower risk of adverse post-treatment outcomes among returning military service personnel with chronic pain who received nondrug therapy. Share on Pinterest New research shows that some nondrug therapies, including exercise therapy, can help relieve pain in veterans. Many people returning from military deployment experience physical and mental health issues. These can include chronic pain, post-treatment alcohol use disorder, drug addiction, depression, thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or a combination. Now, a new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine concludes that receiving treatment that is not drug-based can reduce the likelihood of such outcomes in veterans with chronic pain. According to the findings, United States Army service members who received nondrug therapy had a significantly lower risk of: alcohol or drug use disorders accidental poisoning with opioids, related narcotics, barbiturates, or sedatives thoughts of suicide self-inflicted injuries, including suicide attempts The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health funded the new research. Study methods Statistician and suicide researcher Esther Meerwijk, Ph.D., of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, in California, led the new study. Meerwijk and colleagues analyzed military health records of 142,539 active Army personnel who had reported chronic pain after deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan in 20082014. The scientists included data from up to the end of 2015 in their analysis. The median age of the personnel was 26, and their average tour of duty lasted just over 1 year. Health issues involving the joints, back and neck, muscles, or bone were the most frequently reported causes of chronic pain. According to the study, 2944% of the active duty service members reported chronic pain to the Military Health System (MHS), with that number rising to 4860% among those who went on to receive treatment from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The researchers tracked the length of each individuals care, the drug or nondrug therapies that they had received from the MHS, and the number of days, if any, during which they had taken opioids. The analysis included the following nonpharmaceutical therapies (NPTs) offered by the MHS: acupuncture [or] dry needling, biofeedback, chiropractic care, massage, exercise therapy, cold laser therapy, osteopathic spinal manipulation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and other electrical manipulation, ultrasonography, superficial heat treatment, traction, and lumbar supports. Among the NPT group, 92.2% had received exercise therapy. Other nondrug therapies were less common, as described below: other physical therapy: 32.4% chiropractic care: 23.5% electrical stimulation: 20.3% massage: 17.6% spinal manipulation: 12.0% acupuncture or dry needling: 10.2% Fewer than 10% of the individuals in the NPT group had received one of the other nondrug therapies. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday asserted that there will be no compromise with the interest of the indigenous Assamese at any cost due to the new Citizenship law. "The government has given suggestion to the Central government, which is in a process to frame the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act to incorporate state government's view so that interest of indigenous people remains protected," Sonowal told media reporters here. Asserting that he is also the "son of this soil and will not compromise with the interest of indigenous people" at any cost, Sonowal said, "I would like to make an appeal to the people of my state to have trust in me. I am your son and we are in power due to your blessings. We, son of the soil, are running this government since 2016 but never compromise with the interest of people. Please do not isolate me from you...where will I go if you do so....just wait and watch for some time, all false campaign will fall flat." Making an emotional appeal to the people of the state, Sonowal reiterated that wrong narrative on the CAA by certain "destructive elements made Assam suffer violence and arson.""A section has misguided the people by claiming that the CAA will make 1.5 crore Hindus of Bangladesh eligible for citizenship. I know you will not believe me now but the reality is that very few people already living in Assam for decades will get citizenship because of this Act. It will become clear when we publish the list after their applications are processed," he said. He added that time will prove his commitment to the people of the state. Assuring indigenous Assamese that they will not be affected due to the Act, the Chief Minister said: "My government will not take any step that goes against the indigenous Assamese people. There is no point in being the chief minister if I cannot protect the interests of the very people who elected us. Assam was, is and will be for the Assamese people and no force can threaten our language, culture and existence," he said. Pointing out initiatives of his government since 2016 and massive investment of the central government in the state, he said, "It is amusing to see that the BJP which worked so tirelessly for the development of the state has become the villain and those looted the state and did nothing to defend the state from invasion of foreigners are part of agitation." "Numerous lies are being spread regarding the CAA. Rumours that foreigners will be allowed to settle in the land of indigenous people have caused fear psychosis among common people. And Congress and Left parties are adding fuel to these rumours," he said. He asked all the agitating groups---All Assam Students' Union, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad, Asom Sahitya Sabha and others to join hands for all-round development of the state as his government would safeguard-- jati, mati, bheti" (community, land, home) of the indigenous people of the state. "Amar Asom (our state), Amar Mati (our land), Amar Adhikar (our right) are the guiding principles of his government," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The newest additions to the city's parks and recreational facilities opened with a splash in July. The splash pad at Noel Field Athletic Complex might not have been the biggest story of the year but it was a highlight of the wave of changes that have occurred over the past year. A fire on Houghton Street left nearly a dozen people homeless and sparked the founding of Helping Hands, a resource for people in emergency need. The splash park also marked the end at least for the moment of the major improvements made at Noel Field over the past few years that have made it a greenspace jewel for all ages right in the city center. It joined the skate park that opened a couple years ago, new sports courts and the existing Joe Wolfe Field, a playground and walking path. Over on the western side of the city, the next big project is Brayton Park , which is also getting a makeover thanks the Community Development Block Grant funds that have fueled much of the city's recreational renaissance. This project has already begun and will complemented by a state Department of Transportation reconstruction of the shared driveway between Brayton School and the Northern Berkshire Family YMCA. The downtown has gotten a towering piece of art in "Big Bling," thanks to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, which also marked its 20th anniversary in 2019. The 40-foot-tall installation by award-winning artist Martin Puryear had been stored in crates in the corner of the parking lot behind Big Y for the last couple years after being on display in Philadelphia and New York City. It's finally found a home for the next few years at the corner of Main and Marshall Streets. The installation is part of a plan by Mass MoCA to turn that corner property it owns into a park (for now) as a way to entice some of its 250,000 visitors a year to the city's downtown. Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum. The large windows purposefully allow a peek inside at the designs as a way to attract attention to the project and draw visitors downtown. Within sight of "Big Bling," the former Sleepy's mattress store at the corner of the L-shaped mall has had a dramatic and contemporary makeover to house the offices for the planned Also hoping to get some of the Tourist overflow is the North Adams Museum of Science and History that has moved into the ground floor at the Holiday Inn after being displaced by plans to sell Western Gateway Heritage State Park, which will be part of the model railroad museum complex. And over on Union Street, the former Quinn's Paint & Paper building that's been hosted a number of establishments over the past couple decades from bar to antiques store to dog museum is being completely renovated into mixed-use development. HiLo, a black box nightclub with a variety of beverages on tap, opened there in late summer offering a mix of music, comedy and performance in the revamped main room. Apartments were also approved this year for the former Wall-Streeter mill across the streets owned by David Moresi, who is planning high-end units on the top two floors and keeping the commercial office space on the bottom. The two projects, along with the already renovated car dealership on the corner, mark significant investment along one of the city's main corridors. While there's been significant investment in the city, a few projects didn't move forward during 2019. Plans are approved for a boutique hotel in the Porter Block on historic Eagle Street but while there's been some demolition, there hasn't been much other work. And other than final closure of the City Yard sale after more than a year, other city properties haven't moved on the real estate market. A long queue forms at a Woolworths supermarket in Ulladulla, New South Wales - Mick Meredith /via REUTERS The Australian prime minister was heckled out of a fire-ravaged town in New South Wales on Thursday, as a mass evacuation of the region got under way ahead of worsening conditions. Video of the visit to Cobargo, on the south coast, showed Scott Morrison insist a woman shake his hand as she criticised him over the government's response to the crisis. I am only shaking your hand if you give more funding to the RFS (Rural Fire Service), she said as he turned away. So many people have lost their homes. We need more help. The prime minister was soon ushered to his car by minders when other residents began shouting at him. You won't be getting any votes down here buddy, one called out. A firefighter also refused to shake Mr Morrison's hand in Quaama. Video footage showed Mr Morrison trying to grab the man's hand, who then got up and walked away, sparking an apology from the prime minister. A local fire official explained that the man had lost his house while defending others' homes. Even a state politician from his own Liberal party whose seat is in the region took a swipe at the prime minister. "To be honest, the locals probably gave him the welcome he probably deserved," said New South Wales transport minister Andrew Constance. Mr Morrison said on Friday he didn't take the attacks personally. "I understand the hurt, the anger and the frustration," he said in an interview on 3AW radio. "Whether they're angry with me or they're angry about their situation, all I know is that they're hurting and it's my job to be there to try and offer some comfort and support," he said. Anger over the government's handling of the crisis has grown since the outbreak of wildfires, which have so far killed at least 17 people, including nine since Christmas Day, and destroyed 1,400 homes. In Victoria, 28 people are currently unaccounted for. In Cobargo, a 29-year-old dairy farmer and his father, 53, were killed earlier this week as fires swept through the village. Story continues Mr Morrison has overseen more than $12.9m cuts to the state's fire service in the latest budget, and has been criticised for rejecting calls to professionalise the service. New South Wales has declared a state of emergency, starting from Friday, and told tourists to leave a 155-mile stretch of the state's southern coast as temperatures were expected to reach 40 degrees celsius on Saturday. The army began evacuations in what the state's transport minister said was the "largest mass relocation of people out of the region that we've ever seen". But tens of thousands were still stranded by Thursday night as roads became gridlocked, with shops and fuel stations running out of supplies. A long queue forms at a Woolworths supermarket in Ulladulla, New South Wales The navy was called in to assist in getting people out of the town of Mallacoota, in the neighbouring state of Victoria, where 4,000 people were trapped on the beach for days after the fire devastated much of their town. Rob Rogers, NSW's Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner, said firefighters were struggling to combat the fires. "The message is we've got so much fire in that area, we have no capacity to contain these fires," he told ABC. "We just need to make sure that people are not in front of them." In addition to the loss of human life, homes and farmland, ecologists from the University of Sydney estimate almost half a billion mammals, birds and reptiles have been lost this fire season, with the toll expected to rise. At least 17 people were reported to be missing on Thursday across Victoria. The body of Mick Roberts, who had been unaccounted for since Monday, was found dead in his home in Buchan, East Gippsland, on Wednesday, his niece said. Hes not missing any more ... sorry but his body has been found in his house Very sad day for us to (start) the year but were a bloody tight family and we will never forget our mate and my beautiful Uncle Mick, she wrote on Facebook . Brie Kingsely, a Melbourne resident, witnessed the sheer scale of the crisis while driving from Sydney to get home. She told The Telegraph the entire six-hour journey was smoke-ridden. I drove from Sydney to Melbourne. At the worst of it I was 10km from an active, 100 thousand-hectare out of control fire next to the Hume Highway, she said. It wasnt closed, but basically smoke-ridden for six hours. A tender from HMAS Choules motors through smoke haze off the coast of Mallacoota Credit: AP Mr Morrison said the crisis was likely to last for months. "It (fires) will continue to go on until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months," he told reporters on Thursday. Australias capital, Canberra, recorded the worst air quality of any city in the world on Thursday, an astonishing outcome for a city of just 400,000 people. An elderly woman who arrived in the city by plane died shortly after, and family believe it was related to smoke inhalation, though that is yet to be confirmed. The Shiv Sena on Thursday admitted that there was a tussle among senior leaders of the three ruling alliance parties in Maharashtra for key Cabinet berths, and said some MLAs could not be inducted as ministers because the list of "probables" was huge. It also took a dim view of some people vandalising the Congress office in Pune to protest against non-inclusion of party MLA Sangram Thopte in the ministry. The Congress used to call Shiv Sena's protests as 'rada culture' (hooliganism), but what Thopte's alleged supporters did was exactly the same, it said. This does not suit the "Congress culture", an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expanded his month-old ministry on Monday by inducting 36 ministers. "The Cabinet expansion was, indeed, delayed but it finally happened. There were some sparks of disappointment from those who could not make the cut, but the list of probables was huge," the Shiv Sena said. It said the opposition (BJP) may be "bubbling" over such developments, but even the previous Devendra Fadnavis government was no exception to such discontent during its Cabinet expansions. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also said it kept its word by inducting three Independents, who extended support to the Shiv Sena, unlike the Congress and NCP. "A strong and experienced Cabinet is in power, it should be allowed to function," the Sena said. On Shiv Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav expressing "shock" over his exclusion from the ministry, the Marathi daily said Cabinet berth was "not promised" to anyone, including Jadhav, who joined the Thackeray-led party after quitting the NCP. "Jadhav claimed Thackeray promised to make him Cabinet minister. As per our information, no such promise was made to him. Thackeray must have asked him to join the Sena ahead of the Assembly polls and be part of the government," it said. The Shiv Sena joined hands with the Congress and NCP, its traditional adversaries, after its alliance with the BJP collapsed over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post following the state Assembly polls held in October last year. Noting that there was a tussle over portfolio distribution, the Shiv Sena said senior Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan, who has been inducted into the state Cabinet, needs a ministry like 'revenue'. But the ministry is currently with another Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, it pointed out. Expressing displeasure over vandalisation of Congress' office in Pune, the Sena said though Sangram Thopte distanced himself from the protest, the way such discontent has come out does not suit the "Congress culture". "The Congress used to call Shiv Sena's protests as 'rada culture', but what Thopte's alleged supporters did in the Pune Congress office was exactly the same," it said. Another Congress hopeful was three-time MLA Praniti Shinde, whose supporter wrote a letter in blood to party chief Sonia Gandhi, claiming that Shinde and her father worked hard for the party and always remained loyal to the leadership. Praniti Shinde, the MLA from Solapur, is the daughter of veteran Congressman and former Maharashtra chief minister and Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde. "Her father could become chief minister and Union home minister because of the Gandhi family and the Congress," the Sena claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday slammed the Congress and its allies opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, saying they are against giving relief to those who have been brutalised and victimised in Pakistan. The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering at Sree Siddaganga Matha. He is on a two-day visit to Karnataka to present the Krishi Karman Award. At the address, he said, "I am fortunate to begin the new year 2020 on this pious land. I wish this holy energy of Sree Siddaganga Mutt enriches the lives of everybody in our country." "Pakistan was formed on the basis of religion, religious minorities are being persecuted there. The persecuted have been forced to migrate to India as refugees. Congress and its allies don't speak against Pakistan, instead, they are taking out rallies against these persecuted minorities and refugees." "India has entered the third decade of the 21st century with new vigour and energy. I'm sure you remember the kind of atmosphere that existed in the country at the beginning of the last decade. But this third decade has started with strong expectations & aspirations," said PM Modi "Anti-CAA protestors should raise their voice against Pak's atrocities of the past. We can't leave persecuted minorities from Pakistan to meet their fate we have a responsibility to protect them. Those who are agitating against the Parliament of India today, I want to convey that today there is an urgent need to expose the activities of Pakistan at the international level. If you have to agitate, raise your voice against Pakistan's actions of the last 70 years " "Today, in this holy land, I have three requests for you. We have to always take cognisance of our old culture. We have an obligation to protect nature and not use single-use plastic. We also need to conserve water." "In India, we have respected gurus and rishis as leaders. I take your blessings and the blessings of gurus to fulfill our duties," said PM Modi. (With inputs from PTI) Trump said NATO should also give money to Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump has called on German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to put up more money to Ukraine. Read alsoRFE/RL: Trump signs NDAA into law, triggering sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline "Why aren't other countries Germany, France, and others why aren't they putting up money like we put up? And I've asked that question for a long time not only about Ukraine, about a lot of other places," he said before New Year's Eve celebration on December 31, 2019. Trump said NATO should also give money to Ukraine. "I was able to get, recently, at NATO and you have to speak to Secretary General Stoltenberg $530 billion additionally, over a very short period of time; $130 billion immediately. He has never seen anything like that. That's NATO. This is something different. Those countries should be putting up money. They should also be giving to Ukraine," he said. A San Antonio man was arrested in connection with threatening to shoot employees at Methodist Hospital last month, according to an arrest affidavit. Jonathan Ernest Garcia, 26, was charged with making terroristic threats against the public after spending 45 minutes calling and threatening the hospital. On Dec. 15, Garcia called the Methodist Hospital emergency room every five minutes saying he was going to "shoot up the location," the affidavit said. San Antonio police said Garcia was angry because the hospital wouldn't give him specific narcotics he requested when he was in the hospital for abdominal pain the day before. On the 15th, hospital staff called Garcia for a follow-up and that's when Garcia started threatening that he was going to shoot and kill everyone at the hospital, the affidavit said. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Police were able to identify Garcia as the caller because he used the same phone he gave to the hospital on his intake paperwork to make the calls. He also gave his name over the phone during the threats, the affidavit said. The entire hospital was put on lockdown and they increased security because of the threats. It was later discovered Garcia had made similar threats to the main Methodist Hospital as well as a San Antonio Fire Department firehouse, threatening to shoot up those locations as well, according to the affidavit. Garcia was arrested Friday and his bail was set at $10,000. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, MySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway PLAINSBORO, N.J., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Novo Nordisk launched the My$99Insulin Program, follow-on brands of insulins, and an Immediate Supply option, expanding its insulin affordability offering to help people with diabetes who need alternative solutions. These options, along with information on the existing patient assistance program, copay cards, and where to find $25/vial human insulin, are now available online at NovoCare.com or by calling 1.844.NOVO4ME (1.844.668.6463). "We know some people still struggle to afford their insulin and we want to help. We've talked to people, including those who have been critical of us, and it's clear there is no one solution that will work for everyone and people need options," said Doug Langa, executive vice president, North America Operations and president of Novo Nordisk Inc. "That's why today, we have made available additional options recognizing the different situations that make insulin unaffordable or inaccessible. With these programs, in conjunction with NNI's investment in rebates to ensure our medicines are on formularies, we are continuing to take action to help people with diabetes afford their insulin as we work toward much needed longer-term change." Expanded affordability options now available My$99Insulin: For $99 , you can get up to three vials or two packs of FlexPen/FlexTouch/PenFill pens of any combination of Novo Nordisk Inc. insulins. By simply enrolling at NovoCare.com, you will receive an online card that can be downloaded and printed, saved to a phone, or emailed to a valid email address. This card can be redeemed with a prescription at the pharmacy where you buy your insulin. My$99Insulin is available to all eligible patients with or without insurance. Follow-on brand insulins: Follow-on brand (also called authorized generics) versions of NovoLog and NovoLog Mix made by a Novo Nordisk A/S US company, Novo Nordisk Pharma, Inc., are now stocked at the wholesaler level. People can order them at the pharmacy and they'll be available for pick up in 1-3 business days. Prices for the follow-on brands are: Product Name WAC/Pkg Insulin Aspart (FOB) vial $144.68 Insulin Aspart PenFill cartridge (FOB) - 5x3mL $268.73 Insulin Aspart FlexPen (FOB) - 5x3mL $279.41 Insulin Aspart Mix 70/30 (FOB) 10mL vial $150.06 Insulin Aspart Mix 70/30 FlexPen (FOB) - 5x3mL $279.41 These insulins may be able to lower the costs for those patients whose insurance requires that they have to pay list price through coinsurance or before meeting their deductible. Patients should check to see if their insurance plan covers these follow-on brands. Immediate Supply: We also know that there may be instances when people are struggling and need insulin immediately because they might be at risk of rationing. People in this situation can call us at 1.844.NOVO4ME (1.844.668.6463) or visit NovoCare.com to see if we can provide a free, one-time, immediate supply of up to three vials or two packs of pens of Novo Nordisk insulin for individuals with a prescription. People will then be encouraged to find a longer-term solution from our broader affordability offerings. "We have heard that sometimes accessing our programs and medicines can be complicated and we want to change that. We have enhanced our one-stop-shop affordability hub, NovoCare, based on community feedback. And, we are doing more to make people aware of all the programs and options across Novo Nordisk companies that may benefit them," said Langa. "We'll continue working within the system and find additional short- and long-term actions we can take that will directly benefit people with diabetes. Most importantly, we encourage anyone who needs help to call us or visit NovoCare. A lot has changed and we want to connect people with affordability challenges with a solution." NovoCare.com NovoCare.com is the go-to resource for patients and healthcare professionals for all of Novo Nordisk's support programs. You just have to provide some basic information what insulin is used, and healthcare coverage at NovoCare.com to find options that fit your situation, such as: Registering for available commercial copay savings cards Accessing applications for our patient assistance program Finding information about the My$99Insulin program Learning about our commitment to affordability, including follow-on brands of insulin Getting information about where to find $25 human insulin human insulin Finding out if the medicine you were prescribed is covered by your insurance and how much you can expect to pay Requesting an immediate supply of insulin with a prescription Affordability options already in place The new options build upon programs Novo Nordisk already offers including: A Patient Assistance Program (PAP) has provided free medicines since 2003, which today includes all Novo Nordisk insulins. To be eligible: has provided free medicines since 2003, which today includes all Novo Nordisk insulins. To be eligible: You must be a US citizen or legal resident Your total household income must be at or below 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Visit the NeedyMeds website, which lists the current FPL guidelines You cannot have any private prescription coverage, such as an HMO or PPO You cannot have or qualify for: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) prescription benefits Any federal, state, or local program such as Medicare or Medicaid. Exceptions include: Medicare Part D patients who have spent $1,000 on prescription medicine in the current calendar year on prescription medicine in the current calendar year Patients who are Medicare eligible and do not have Medicare Part D coverage who have applied for and been denied Extra Help/Low Income Subsidy (LIS). To apply for LIS, please contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or go to ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/prescriptionhelp/ Patients who are Medicaid eligible who have applied for and been denied Medicaid A family of four with an annual income up to $103,000 may receive free medications through our PAP. For individuals, the annual income limit for participation is $49,960 . We have offered this program since 2003 and in 2018, nearly 50,000 Americans received free insulin from Novo Nordisk through this program. Novo Nordisk human insulin is available at national pharmacies like Walmart and CVS for about $25 /vial. About 500,000 Americans are using Novo Nordisk human insulin through these retailers. Copay Savings Cards to help defray the costs for commercially insured patients who are experiencing high out-of-pocket costs. To learn more about these offerings and to view full eligibility requirements, visit NovoCare.com or call 1.844.NOVO4ME (1.844.668.6463). We continue our commitment to affordability and access We'll continue to work towards longer-term reform that makes it easier for people who need our medicines to get them. For instance, we support the recent IRS ruling that classifies diabetes medications as preventive care. We believe this has the potential to help a significant number of people with diabetes from an affordability perspective. Novo Nordisk employees who interact with decision makers are actively requesting that insurance plans adopt this rule. About Novo Nordisk: Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company based in Denmark, has been committed to discovering and developing innovative medicines to help people living with diabetes lead longer, healthier lives for 95 years. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to help people defeat other serious diseases including obesity, hemophilia and growth disorders. We remain steadfast in our conviction that the formula for success is to stay focused, think long term and do business in a financially, socially and environmentally responsible way. In the US, Novo Nordisk employs nearly 6,000 people across affiliate companies and production and research facilities in six states. About Novo Nordisk Inc. (NNI): NNI is a US affiliate of Novo Nordisk. The company is based in Plainsboro, NJ and is responsible for commercialization of Novo Nordisk brands in the US and management of clinical trials in the US. For more information, visit novonordisk.us, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About Novo Nordisk Pharma, Inc. (NNPI): Novo Nordisk Pharma, Inc. (NNPI) is a newly established Novo Nordisk A/S US company that is also based in Plainsboro, NJ. The company was formed in March 2019 to bring follow-on brands of Novo Nordisk insulin products at a reduced list price for people facing affordability challenges. SOURCE Novo Nordisk Inc. and Novo Nordisk Pharma, Inc. Related Links http://novonordisk.us The cargo was carried by the container vessel Pearl River Bridge, from the ONE shipping line, which has a capacity of nearly 22,000 tonnes. The port received 692 containers from the vessel while loading 674 containers onto it . Acting General Director of the Hai Phong Port JSC Cao Trung Ngoan said that seaports in Hai Phong handled 26.8 million tonnes of cargo in 2019, with total revenue of VND1.686 trillion (US$72.7 million) and profit before tax of VND375 billion (US$16.17 million), ranking first among the seaports in North Vietnam. Hai Phong Port JSC has set a target of handling 27.5 million tonnes of cargo at Hai Phong Port in 2020 with a total value of VND1.73 trillion (US$74.57 million) and profit before tax of VND415 billion (US$17.88 million). *Cam Pha Port and Logistics Company based in Quang Ninh Province consumed 25,200 tonnes of coal and received 3,200 tonnes of imported coal from Australia on the first day of 2020. Cam Pha Port and Logistics Company is the main company consuming coal from the Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (VINACOMIN) with consumption of 41.9 million tonnes of coal in 2019, up 85% compared to 2018. In 2020, Cam Pha Port and Logistics Company is expected to sell over 45.6 million tonnes of coal, accounting for over 90% of the coal consumption of VINACOMIN. Not just from the likes of Alibaba and Didi Chuxing, Indian startups saw a surge in Chinese funding from financial investors in 2019. This is a seven-fold jump from $459 million in 2016. The year may not have been a great one for the Indian industry, but start-ups saw a surge in funding from one particular country: China. The past year has seen large amounts of Chinese cash flow into Indian start-ups: Investments from China rose nearly 94 per cent to $3,916 million, from $2020 million last year, according to private equity database supplier Venture Intelligence. This is a seven-fold jump from $459 million in 2016. Chinese investors are pouring money into the country at a time when PE/VC investments from the US and Europe are slowing. US investors infused around $9.18 billion in 2019 so far in 331 deals, as against a five-year high of $10.52 billion in 320 deals in the entire year in 2018. This funding surge is vastly different from what the country has seen before. Up until now, Chinese investment was made into Indian unicorns primarily by technology majors: Tencent and Didi Chuxing in Ola, and e-commerce giant Alibaba, along with its affiliate Ant Financial, in Zomato. The flood of money this time round is coming from financial investors looking to diversify their portfolio or pick up stake in promising start-ups for long-term investment. Shunwei Capital, which has been established by the founder of Xiaomi, China Lodging Group and China-Eurasia Economic Cooperation Fund and Baring Asia, are among the new investors. The most recent entrant is Ping An Global Voyager Fund, which has invested around $250 million across Europe, China and Israel. Along with other investors Ping An invested $70 million in Jaipur-based CarDekho, an autotech company. This is its first investment in India and the fund has lined up $20-$35 million more for the country. Whats interesting is that these investors are willing to look past the current economic slowdown. The country is just far too significant a player to ignore on the basis of macroeconomic concerns or cultural differences, says Donald Lacey, COO & MD, Ping An Global Voyager. The Chinese investors perceive a tremendous amount of long-term opportunity, rooted in demographics, technology know-how, and a strong roster of high-quality entrepreneurs and new companies, he adds. One can hear an echo of his words at Beijing-headquartered Fosun RZ Capital, an affiliate of Fosun Group, an active VC firm in India. Tej Kapoor, managing director and head of Fosun RZ Capital India, says investors see India as the next China. The group, which has invested in online travel and hotel booking firm Ixigo, logistics firm Delhivery and online parenting network Mylo, among others, has made three investments in India in 2019. The India opportunity also comes from the country being a land of big contrast. On the one side is its IT and pharmaceutical industry that have become global giants and, on the other, there are huge gaps in infrastructure, health and transportation. New enterprises are urgently needed to explore the Indian market and fill gaps. "Due to the current lower valuations and greater potential of Indian Internet companies, the fund believes it is an excellent opportunity to enter the market right now, says Kapoor. The adoption of tech and growth of tech companies in China have been massive. The Chinese investors see a way in replicating the same in India, given the gap. Many of these investors are from Chinese corporations as against pure financial ones. Massive amount of money is being invested by corporations, who get the expertise, technology, know-how and reach in foreign markets that give their portfolio companies a chance to grow and expand beyond their domestic borders, says Rajat Tandon, president, Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (IVCA). In terms of sectors, information technology will remain on the top of the agenda for Chinese investors in India. There have been quite a few tech and e-commerce investments and the sector will continue to attract more funding. The growing distrust between the US and China, as the two countries fight a prolonged trade war, is also helping Indias case as the country is now seen as a de-risking strategy for both strategic and financial investors, says Tandon. Most of these investors are here for the long-term and not in the business of timing the market for quick wins, he adds. Beyond funding expansion within India, Chinese investors are also helping domestic start-ups to expand in China by providing distribution reach or even becoming anchor customers for some types of solutions. The CarDekho-Ping An deal has been able to do just this. We have been extremely impressed with the business CarDekho has built in India, particularly its success in developing different types of financial services offerings to address car buyers needs, says Lacey. Ping An insures roughly one out of every seven people in China and employs one out of every thousand Chinese. It also provides technology solutions through OneConnect business to over 600 banks, 84 insurers, and several thousand finance companies in China. So it can be a powerful route to scale in China, which, unlike India, is a market outsiders have often struggled to penetrate. It also brings to the table technology and R&D support for tech start-ups via its eight research institutes around the world, and a portfolio of 20,000 patents related to AI, ML, fintech and health-tech. Thats a lot of additional potential tech horsepower that smaller, resource-constrained companies can benefit from. Texas church shooting: Daughter of man killed while serving communion 'forgives' gunman Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment [UPDATE, Dec. 30, 2019: The gunman has been identified as Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43.] The daughter of a godly man who was shot and killed while serving communion at a Texas church said she forgives her fathers killer, yet struggles to understand how the devil could cause such devastation among her community. Tiffany Wallace was attending service at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, Sunday morning when a gunman entered the building and fired a weapon. The man gunned down Wallace's father, Anton Tony Wallace, a deacon at the church, and another parishioner before two church members, who were members of the parish's security team, returned fire and killed the shooter. Wallace told NBC News that her 64-year-old father was serving communion at the time of the shooting. "It just happened so fast and it was so crazy," Wallace said. "I was like, 'not my dad, not my dad." After checking to make sure her own children were unharmed, Wallace rushed to her fathers side to tell him she loved him and was going to be OK. Shortly thereafter, he died at the hospital. Wallaces daughter told NBC's affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth, that her father, a registered nurse, was a godly man beloved at the hospital where he worked and at the church where he raised his children. "He was just our rock that held us together," Wallace told KXAS. "Even when talking about Heaven, he said he was always prepared, but I never thought this would happen. You think dad would get old and sick but never get murdered. "How could someone so evil, the devil, step in the church and do this?" Wallace asked, adding that while she forgives the shooter, she will never forgive the pain he inflicted on her family and church community. "I forgive him, and it's the hardest thing to say because it's like, somebody killed your dad, but I forgive him," Wallace said. "Ill never forgive what he did, but I forgive him. Investigators said the shooter, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, was among the 240 congregants at the church. A livestream recording of the churchs Sunday morning service showed the shooting and the aftermath, local station WFAA reported Sunday. In the footage, the shooter gets up when the congregation greets each other, shakes hands and walks out talking to someone. The shooter then reenters the sanctuary, talks to a man in a suit and sits down. The person gets up again and talks to the same man, who points in a direction, and the shooter pulls out a firearm and shoots two people. Another man pulls out a handgun and shoots the suspect. In the moments that follow, people can be heard screaming and church leaders ask that everyone sit down to wait for the police. Wallace told reporters she had noticed the gunman and planned to greet him, thinking he was a visitor, probably looking for new church home. Had the gunman "needed food shelter, we would give it to him whatever he needed. He didn't need to take an innocent life, our dad, grandfather, husband ... fixing to be a father-in-law," she added. Matt DeSarno, the special agent in charge of Dallas' FBI field office, said investigators were still trying to determine the motive behind the shooting. He described the shooter as a "relatively transient" person with roots in the area who'd been arrested multiple times in different cities. Senior minister of the West Freeway Church of Christ, Britt Farmer, said that the church lost two great men, adding the incident destroys his heart. He said the tragedy could have been much worse if the church didn't have its own security force. "There is evil in this world," Farmer said. "Today is one sermon I'll never preach ... it's called leaving a legacy and two men today left a legacy. But a congregation is going to build on that legacy. We like to say were a place your family can call home. Today our home was invaded by evil, the pastor said, adding that he hopes in some way, we might be a beacon to those who dont know what to do, because we proved ... that we can be God-fearing people, but we can protect each other as well. In a statement, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick condemned the shooting and said such a crime in a place of worship makes it even more evil. He urged Texans to keep the church in their prayers. In a later news conference, Patrick praised the two men who shot the gunman and pointed to a recently-passed law that allows licensed handgun owners to legally carry their weapons in churches, synagogues and other houses of worship. "This church had its own security team. They were well-trained," Patrick said. "The heroism today is unparalleled. This team responded quickly and within six seconds, the shooting was over." Texas DPS Director Joeff Williams also commended the church members who were armed and took decisive action, saying, The citizens who were inside that church undoubtedly saved 242 other parishioners." The shooting comes two years after a gunman walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2017, and fatally shot 26 and injured 20 others, including the daughter of pastor Frank Pomeroy. The gunman was shot by a civilian as he left the church. This is the moment a firework exploded in a Brit's face killing him during the New Year celebrations in Pattaya, Thailand. Gary McLaren, 50, lit the huge rocket in front of the Miami A Gogo bar while revellers were celebrating the New Year. But after trying unsuccessfully to ignite the device, Gary tried a second time and finally lit the fuse. But with smoke pouring from the device, he then made the fatal mistake of returning to lit firework because he was not sure it was working. Seconds later as Gary stood over the 50cm long tube it exploded into his face and killed him. A bar worker said she recorded Gary walking out of the bar to launch the fireworks. She then shouted at him in dialect ''no, no, no, no, you can't do that'' before walking out to him. But Gary stayed next to the pyrotechnic device, which then exploded. Nopparat Munprom, 31, said: ''I stood outside the bar to watch the man releasing the fireworks. ''I saw that the firework was lit but the man did not move. He stayed looking at it. ''I said in Thai 'the firework is working already, you have to move' then I shouted 'no, no, no, no, you can't do that' and started to walk out. ''Then the firework exploded in his face because he did not move and the colourful sparks came out in the street. ''Everybody ran over to check on the man and he had blood on his face. ''Last year people were doing this with small fireworks but this year they were much bigger and stronger.'' There are many reasons why 2019 could not come to an end quick enough. For many farmers, the growing season was among the worst in recent memory. Spring planting was delayed, heavy rains drowned crops, fall harvest was late, and fieldwork left undone. The latters impact will be felt in spring, when more work will need to be fit into tight planting windows. Corn and soybean yields, for many, werent near what many hoped. Dairy producers were under siege, a situation that resulted in a sharp increase in farm bankruptcies in dairy country. Hog prices remained low and flat, and the industry was on alert to protect itself from diseases that have the potential to arrive from foreign shores. The year ended on an upswing with geo-political events far removed from farm gates. The U.S. House of Representatives smartly passed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal brokered by President Donald Trump. Formal passage of the package awaits final action in Senate. ADVERTISEMENT As part of the agreement, Canada will open its dairy market to more U.S. imports. That should create price strength in dairy markets that have been below break-even for many producers. The agreement provides more uniform environmental protections in the three counties involved and strengthens prohibitions against current manipulations, which generally have a negative impact on fair trade. News on another negotiating front involving a possible deal to end the vicious trade fight with China arrived at year-end. Ending the fight, which has dominated market news for 21 months and led the Trump administration to spend billions on direct payments to farmers to offset losses incurred in commodity markets, raises the possibility that grain prices will rebound and producers will be able to move product. President Trump raised the possibility that China could double its agricultural imports because of the deal. The trade deal announced by the White House is scant on details, which is to be expected because it is Phase 1 of what promises to be a complicated final agreement. The administration had inked an accord with Japan earlier in 2019 that promises to open more pork trade with the island nation. The fallout from the finalization of Brexit, which will allow England to leave the European Union, may be negotiated in the new year. There is ample reason not to mourn 2019s passing, but there are grounds for optimism always in plentiful supply in farm country in 2020. The world needs more food and U.S. farmers remain the worlds most efficient producers. The fallout from the 2019 growing season will continue to be felt come spring, but farmers are forward thinkers. Many see their children and grandchildren gathered around the supper table and appreciate that they will leave a legacy to them rooted deep in the fertile soil that has remained through drought, torrential rains, good prices and bad. Australia's capital has recorded the worst air quality in the world for the second day in a row, as bushfire smoke smothers the city. Canberra residents woke up to a thick smog on Thursday with hazardous smoke levels at 579, according to the Air Pollution Index. Any reading over 200 is considered hazardous. A woman at the shore of Lake Burley Griffin used a smoke mask against the toxic pollution The Canberra region experienced the worst air pollution in the world over the New Years Eve period after winds redirected masses of bushfire smoke into the area Fires continued to burn on the south coast of New South Wales and authorities said the resultant haze was expected to linger. A number of Canberra residents took to social media to share their experiences. 'I never thought Canberra would end up being one of the worst places on Earth,' one resident wrote. 'Our air filter is registering 150-200 whatever unit it's using. Normally it's like single digits...This is crazy,' another added. 'This is definitely the worst in the 3+ weeks weve been dealing with smoke. That was a proper thick bank rolling in quickly,' a third replied. Slide me The iconic water jet in Canberra's lake was unrecognisable as the city was choked in smog Many residents took to social media to share images of the wall of smoke they woke up to on the first day of the new decade (pictured) Acting chief health officer Dr Paul Dugdale told The Canberra Times residents needed to avoid physical activity and stay indoors where possible. 'With windows and doors closed, and not using evaporative airconditioners which draw air into the house from outside,' he said. 'Anyone with a heart or lung condition should take their medication as prescribed by their doctor. People with asthma should follow their asthma action plan.' An official statement described the current weather conditions as unprecedented for the area. 'The unusual weather patterns we are experiencing, along with the fires across Victoria and the New South Wales Coast are unprecedented,' a statement from the ACT Emergency Services Agency read. 'We are cautioning the community to be well prepared.' Slide me Canberra's Old Parliament House disappeared inside the hazardous bushfire smog Fires continue to burn on the South Coast of New South Wales and authorities said the thick haze is expected to stick around for the remainder of Wednesday The ACT is currently under a total fire ban with a Fire Danger Rating of 'very high'. 'Weather conditions remain unpredictable and thick smoke from fires across the border continues to impact the ACT,' an ACT ESA statement read. 'Residents in bushfire prone areas are urged to review their Bushfire Survival Plan or if you don't have a plan in place, to take the time to create one.' The hospital staff found no way of reaching either his relatives or friends for help as his phone was stolen. ANANTAPUR: An 80-year-old man is battling for life at Hindupur District Area Hospital, but his son, a software engineer working in a Hyderabad company is unmoved by the aged mans plight and refuses to take care of him. Even One Town police in Hindupur spoke to the techie and explained the delicate state of his father. But the man showed no sympathy or love for his farther. Yadam Shiva Shankaraih of Chenikkayalapalli in Ramapuram in Kadapa district developed gangrene in his left leg. Unable to attend to the patient because of bad smell from the wound, the hospital staff moved the old man out of the ward. Moved by his sad condition, Muslim Nagar convener Umar Farukh Khan of Hindupur along with his team removed germs from the aged mans affected leg, bathed him and shifted him back to the ward. Sources said Shiva Shankaraiah has a son, Nagender, who works as software engineer in Hyderabad, and two daughters. Recently, he suffered serious ailment due to diabetes. Gangrene was spread to his left leg and the doctors at the Kadapa hospital suggested removed of the removal of the gangrene-affected part. But. Shankariah came to Hindupur a week ago and got admitted at the district area hospital. He has been lying alone on the hospital bed with no relative to attend to him. The bad smell from the wound caused huge inconvenience to other patients. Following a call from hospital staff, Khan, a social worker, who provides help to aged destitutes, orphans and undertakes the responsibility of disposing of bodies of unidentified persons, responded immediately. Ants were found feeding on the gangrened part of the aged mans leg when we arrived in the hospital, Mr Umar Khan told this paper. The hospital staff found no way of reaching either his relatives or friends for help as his phone was stolen. We got the phone number of son Nagendra with the help of his father and contacted him. But Nagendra did not come forward to help his father, Khan said. Hindupur One Town circle inspector Bala Maddileti also spoke to the software engineer on phone and explained to him the serious condition of his father. But Nagendra refused to take care of his dying father saying that he was deserted by Shankariah when he was in intermediate. Kraichak with a lichen-covered ruby-throated hummingbird nest, in a photo on Kent Island taken by Nat Wheelwright, Bowdoin's Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Natural Sciences Emeritus. Kraichak says that his professors, like Wheelwright, demonstrated how a passion for science and natural history can propel one's career. Wheelwright, in particular, was "a model for how to live a happy life and how to be a productive scientist." Kraichak is a pioneer in the study of lichens and bryophytes (which include mosses, hornworts, and liverworts), advancing our understanding of their evolution and diversity. "I incorporate newer techniques in molecular biology to identify plants and classify them into the right groups," he said, summing up his research. "Before we introduced our technique, a lot of classification was based on the morphology of plants, and now we have molecular dataDNA dataand from that we use statistical phylogenetics to see what is a family, what is a genus, and what is an order," he added. The results of his studies have led to the discoveries of a new species and new genera of lichens. The summer before his senior year at Bowdoin was a particularly pivotal one for him. He received a fellowship to do research at Kent Island's biological field station, where he created a species list of all the local lichen. He turned the work into a "spectacular honors thesis," his adviser, Nat Wheelwright, said. And that led to his first coauthored journal publication, "Habitat Associations of Macrolichens on a Boreal Island in the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada." Bowdoin students are still benefiting from his research. "We use Biers publication from his Kent Island research in my Research in Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology class," said Patty Jones, assistant professor of biology at Bowdoin. And his lichen guide serves as students' main resource for Kent Island lichens. Growing up in an urban area just outside Bangkok, Kraichak said his love for the natural world didn't fully blossom until he arrived in Maine. He received an undergraduate scholarship from the Royal Thai Government to attend Bowdoin. "Coming to Bowdoin, we were literally in the forest, with the Bowdoin Pines next door," he said. "That gives you a new connection with nature." When he took his first field ecology class with Wheelwright, who is now retired, Kraichak said, "I felt I was where I belonged. I can go into any forest and feel like I know something about it." Yet, he added, "I am always learning." The Late Late Show returns to the screens tomorrow for its first show of 2020. Former president Mary McAleese will discuss adjusting to life after presidency, taking on the Catholic church and offer her views on Brexit and its potential impact on Northern Ireland. When the Eagles win the Super Bowl, it will be a happy new year. However, lets first look at some history. The death of just one man, Franz Ferdinand, started World War I on June 28, 1914. We all should know how that turned out: mustard gas, 20 million military and civilian deaths, trench warfare, etc. If youve forgotten about war death, on Jan. 9 go see the new movie, 1917, based on a true story. Also, I hope you havent forgotten that on Dec. 27, just one U.S. defense contractor (a highly-paid mercenary, perhaps) was killed in Kirkuk by a rocket attack. Commander-(Twitterer)-in-Chief Donald Trump, without consulting Iraq and in violation of Iraqs sovereignty, approved retaliation with attacks, killing 24 people, upon five Hezbollah sites, three inside Iraq. Iraqis responded by attacking the U.S. embassy in Iraq. Trump then tweeted that Iran, not Iraq, will be held fully responsible. Who are the "good guys?" In 2016, Sen. Lindsey Graham said on CNN that candidate Trumps ignorant rhetoric is undercutting everything the United States stands for and Trump is empowering radical Islam. Graham said our enemies use Trumps rhetoric for recruitment against us, putting American lives in danger. He ended the interview saying, You know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell. As of today, for unknown reasons, the contractors identity has not been released by U.S. officials. Go Eagles. Stop Trump. Reggie Regrut Phillipsburg Youth Congress workers staged a sit-in outside the party office in Solapur on Thursday to protest against the non-inclusion of party MLA Praniti Shinde in the Maharashtra Cabinet. The MLA, daughter of former Union minister and Congress veteran Sushilkumar Shinde, represents Solapur City Central Assembly constituency. The party workers sat on a sit-in protest outside the 'Congress Bhavan' in Solapur, located about 250 km from here, over her non-inclusion in the state Cabinet led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Nearly 100 Congress workers, including those from Solapur city unit's youth wing and the National Student Union of India (NSUI), also tendered their resignations in the last couple of days as a mark of protest, a party functionary said. Protesting outside the 'Congress Bhavan' in Solapur on Thursday, the Youth Congress workers sought inclusion of Praniti Shinde into the state Cabinet. "We demand that Praniti tai be inducted into the Cabinet as soon as possible. To press for our demand, we staged a sit-in protest today," Congress corporator and party's state youth wing secretary Vinod Bhosale said. Despite the MLA's capability, she has been denied a ministerial berth, he said. "We are not protesting against the Congress, but against some senior leaders in the party, because of whom Praniti tai could not become a minister," Bhosale said. "Nearly 100 workers of the Solapur city Youth Congress unit and NSUI have also tendered their resignations to protest denial of Cabinet berth to Shinde," he said. Bhosale said the senior party leadership should explain why she was not inducted into the Cabinet. Solapur (city) Youth Congress head Ambadas Kargule said the protest held on Thursday was "peaceful", and warned that effigies of senior leadership would be burnt in future if Shinde is not given a place in the state council of ministers. On Tuesday, Solapur district Youth Congress head Nitin Nagne wrote a letter in blood to party president Sonia Gandhi, claiming that Praniti Shinde and her father had worked hard for the party and always remained loyal to the leadership. The Congress office in Pune was also vandalised on Tuesday by alleged supporters of party MLA Sangram Thopte against his non-inclusion in the Maharashtra ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [January 02, 2020] Yalochat Brings Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance an Innovative and Personalised HR Solution in India Yalochat's AI based solution helps reduce HR response time, improve quality of employee interactions and increase HR efficiencies NEW DELHI, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Yalochat, an artificial intelligence-driven customer relationship management (CRM) platform that helps companies build personalised relationships at scale has partnered with Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance to implement a chat-based personalised HR solution to serve over 4,000 employees across India. Through Yalochat's AI-powered CRM solution built atop the WhatsApp ecosystem, Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance's employees can now have HR queries responded to and solved in real-time, thereby improving and increasing employee engagement and satisfaction. The solution allows for personalised responses to frequently asked questions or even specific HR related questions via the easiest to use and most preferred means of communication using a messaging application. Vikas Bansal, Chief Human Resource Officer, Edelweiss Tokio ife Insurance, said, "Our goal is to create an easy interaction platform with our employees, especially the ones working in our branches. We want to cut down the turnaround time and facilitate quick access to resolve their issues. Yalochat has helped us build strong AI capabilities on the most preferred communication medium currently, WhatsApp. We are certain it will help us meet our objective." Nitin Sunder Mirchandani, CEO Yalochat India and SEA, said, "We are excited to have implemented the Yalochat solution for Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance to provide a personalised and improved experience to their employees to answer any questions they have quickly and with precision. In this increasingly digital world, it is essential to engage on a real-time basis and our solution enables that. We look forward to continue working with Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance to further implement innovative solutions, leveraging the power of AI." The solution will allow employees to access HR information on the go, via a 24/7 helpdesk with short turnaround times. It also allows Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance to proactively share company-wide communications seamlessly. About Yalochat: Yalochat is an artificial-intelligence-driven customer relationship management company that helps companies build relationships at scale using WhatsApp. Headquartered in San Francisco with a fast growing presence in the United States, Latin America, and Asia, Yalochat's platform powers messaging to help companies grow customer relationships with a high-degree of automation and personalization. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Imperial Valley News Center Conviction of Chinese Christian Pastor Wang Yi Washington, DC - We are alarmed that Pastor Wang Yi, leader of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, was tried in secret and sentenced to nine years in prison in connection to his peaceful advocacy for religious freedom. We call for his immediate and unconditional release. Pastor Wang Yi was originally arrested with dozens of other congregants on December 9, 2018, during a massive crackdown on Chengdus largest unregistered church. He was found guilty during a closed-door trial December 26 on trumped-up charges of inciting subversion of state power and illegal business activities, with no defense lawyer present. This is yet another example of Beijings intensification of repression of Chinese Christians and members of other religious groups. We continue to call on Beijing to uphold its international commitments and promises made in its own constitution to promote religious freedom for all individuals, including members of ethnic and religious minorities and those who worship outside of official state-sanctioned institutions. Lynch defeated Republican John Cannon in November. Cannon was on the city council when appointed mayor in March to serve out the term of James Snyder after his convictions for bribery and obstructing the IRS. The convictions stemmed from a $13,000 kickback related to the citys purchase of five garbage trucks and Snyder owing tens of thousands of dollars in personal funds to the IRS after being caught hiding some of his assets. A judge recently granted Snyder a retrial on the bribery charge after his former assistant streets and sanitation superintendent Randy Reeder recanted his testimony implicating Snyder in the garbage truck scheme. Snyder has not yet been sentenced. Lynch appointed Reeder as superintendent of streets and sanitation. She said she knows not everybody will agree with her selection but after considerable input and reflection Reeder stood out as most qualified. Lynch said politics had nothing to do with any of her department head choices. Many Pennsylvanians from children to older adults are struggling with mental health issues but lack the support and resources to get the help they need. That is a problem that Gov. Tom Wolf wants to address in the new year. Wolf announced on Thursday the launching of a multi-agency effort and anti-stigma campaign, Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters, that seeks to remove barriers that keep the states residents from access to mental health care. One of those barriers that he and others who spoke at a Capitol news conference unveiling this campaign addressed is removing the stigma that surrounds mental health. Silence breeds shame. I want every Pennsylvanian to feel comfortable reaching out to someone if they are struggling, Wolf said. I want every Pennsylvanian reaching out if they know someone else who is struggling. I want to end the silence because I want to end the stigma. Wolf shared the impetus for this initiative grows out of a desire to try to replicate the success the state had in dealing with the opioid crisis by opening up conversations to combat the stigma surrounding that epidemic and crafting a multi-agency response to address it. The governor plans to kickoff the Reach Out PA campaign by hosting a roundtable discussion at Muhlenberg College on Friday to hear directly from people battling the stigma and collaborate with community organizations working to increase attention to mental illness and mental health. Wolf was unclear about the anticipated cost for the campaign or whether more funding to provide mental health services would be part of his 2020-21 budget proposal to be unveiled next month. But clearly the latter was uppermost in the minds of some of those who issued statements lauding the initiative. While supportive of the campaign, officials from the statewide association representing county commissioners said state funding to provide community-based mental health services havent pace with the demand they are seeing.. Andy Carter, president and CEO of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, indicated hospitals share the concern about funding. "During the coming weeks and months, the dialogue that Governor Wolf has launched must include recognition that no amount of improved coordination can mask the badly over-stressed and under-resourced mental health system. We look forward to the governors upcoming budget blueprint which we hope will call for new resources to fill these obvious gaps. Wolf cited a 2017 study from the University of Southern California that spoke of the need for a broad-based effort to help Pennsylvanians struggling with mental health issues. It found that about 1 million adult Pennsylvanians struggled with serious psychological distress at least once during 2015. Of those, 27 percent had an unmet need for mental health care; close to half them because they couldnt afford it. The campaign involves developing new health insurance regulations to ensure coverage includes access to mental health care; creating financial incentives to managed care organizations to better coordinate care for patients physical and mental health needs; eliminating barriers keeping people from becoming mental health professionals; identifying areas of the state devoid of mental health services; and getting more counselors and social workers in schools. Red Lion School District Superintendent Scott Deisley said Gov. Tom Wolf's campaign to remove the stigma surrounding mental wellness will help students open up to talking about issues with which they struggle. Red Lion School District Superintendent Scott Deisley spoke of the stressors that teenagers today face with peer pressure, test anxiety, school work, and pressures to fit in. He said it can be too much for some of these young adults to handle. The stigma surrounding mental wellness has led many to believe that conversations about ones feelings and emotions are taboo, Deisley said. Asking for help is often seen as a sign of weakness to some people. But this campaign the governor is launching to open up conversations about it and de-stigmatize mental health issues is a step in the right direction, he said. Other aspects of the campaign take aim at other vulnerable populations who struggle with mental health issues. This includes training more state workers dealing with people who lose their job to recognize those at risk of suicide or in need of mental health intervention; assessing effectiveness of programs that educate members of the military and veterans about resources available to help those with post-traumatic stress and at risk of harming themselves or others; and expanding access to the Department of Agings information and training about dementia. About the latter, Adam Marles, president and CEO of LeadingAge PA, a trade association representing senior housing, health care and community services, said, As one of the grayest states in the nation, access to critical mental care for seniors is increasingly important. LeadingAge PA looks forward to working with the Wolf administration and the Dementia Friends program to help improve the lives of Pennsylvania seniors who are fighting this disease. Wolf said he sees the campaign as the beginning of what I plan to grow into a large-scale effort to combat mental health issues in Pennsylvania. Weve seen success with a multi-prong attack against the opioid crisis. Reach Out PA will do the same with mental health. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Catch up on what's happening in Calgary with the Noon News Roundup every weekday at noon Catch up on what's happening in Calgary with the Noon News Roundup Sign up now> Russia moves to prevent Hezbollah drug trade, 90 regime fighters die in Idleb, call for action to prevent a humanitarian crisis and US strikes against Iran-backed groups. Catch up on everything that happened over the holidays. 1. Russia is set to deploy military police along the Syrian-Lebanese border to control the main border crossings, in an attempt to to freeze Hezbollahs drug trade and weapons supply routes, a well-informed source told Zaman al-Wasl. The planned move by Bashar al-Assads key ally came amid reports that the Iranian proxy is using the Syrian border to smuggle cannabis and illegal goods through the border town of al-Qusayr, which is fully controlled by Hezbollah, and the mountainous Qalamoun region. 2. At least 90 Syrian regime fighters and allied militants have been killed by rebels and jihadists since the regime and Russian launched a deadly offensive against Idleb two week ago, a spokeswoman of Russias Foreign Ministry said. Maria Zakharova blamed the armed opposition for the attacks on Syrias last major opposition bastion, calling for an activation of the de-escalation zone agreement with Turkey. 3. Syrian opposition leader Nasr al-Hariri called on the international community to help millions of civilians in the countrys last rebel-held stronghold, amid a crushing government offensive, calling it a disaster area. He added that large numbers of people are fleeing towards the Turkish border in what could trigger a new refugee crisis. We declare this area a disaster area and it should be dealt with accordingly, Hariri was quoted by Asharq al-Awsat. 4. On Sunday, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said airstrikes against a pro-Iran militant group in Iraq and Syria succeeded, and he did not rule out additional action as necessary. He added, as per Al-Araby al-Jadeed, The strikes were successful. The pilots and aircraft returned back to base safely, Esper told reporters after F-15 jet fighters hit five targets associated with Kataib Hezbollah in western Iraq and eastern Syria. The targets were either command and control facilities or weapons caches for the militia group, he said, hours after the Pentagon announced the strikes. 5. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif affirmed the need to eliminate terrorism in Syria, SANA reported. During a joint press conference on Monday, Lavrov said that some states continue to protect terrorist organizations in Syria in violation of the Security Councils resolutions, stressing the need to continue fighting terrorism until it is completely eliminated. He also emphasized the need for the international community to help return displaced Syrians to their homes This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Advertisement A mass rescue operation is under way as thousands of threatened residents and holidaymakers remain trapped by out-of-control bushfires burning across two states. Towns are running out of fuel and water, shops are selling out of basic supplies and more fatalities are expected as fires raging across southern Australia are set to get worse by Saturday. Helicopters will help evacuate 4,000 people stranded at Mallacoota in Victoria's East Gippsland and the largest ever relocation of people from the New South Wales South Coast is taking place. Telecommunication lines and the internet are down in some isolated towns and communities have been told to boil water which may not be safe to drink. Tens of thousands continue to flee the worst-affected regions of southern NSW and eastern Victoria ahead of fire conditions worsening drastically on Saturday, when western fringes of Sydney could come under threat. Since the bushfire season started 17 Australians have been killed and 18 more are missing. More than 1,400 homes have been destroyed across the country and 5 million hectares of land burned. University of Sydney ecologists estimate almost 500 million animals have been killed by bushfires since September. That number includes 8,000 koalas as well as other mammals, reptiles and birds. A mass rescue operation is under way as thousands of threatened residents and holidaymakers remain trapped by out-of-control bushfires burning across two states. A kangaroo is pictured bounding past a burning home at Conjola on the NSW South Coast. Almost 400 homes are known to have been lost in the region Since the bushfire season started 17 Australians have been killed and 18 more are missing. More than 1,400 homes have been destroyed across the country and 5 million hectares of land burned. Cars line up to leave the town of Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast on Thursday. Residents have been told to leave the area and tourists warned to stay away A view of an explosion after bushfires caused a house to go up in flames in Rosedale, New South Wales Operators of big machinery are seen helping with the fires and working alongside firefighters to battle the flames One man has been confirmed dead in Victoria but authorities fear further fatalities will be discovered as 47 fires, including a serious blaze on the NSW border at Corryong, burn across the state. Already 766,000 hectares of Victorian bushland have been destroyed. Property losses in Gippsland include 24 at Buchan, 19 at Sarsfield, 10 at Mallaccot and up to 15 at Cudgewa. In NSW there have been seven deaths and almost 400 homes lost on the South Coast. About 30,000 people are without power and some towns do not have clean drinking water. More than 110 fires are burning across the state, with more than 50 uncontained. About 3.6 million hectares have been burnt out. Tourists have been given an order to leave a 250km area stretching from Batemans Bay down to the Victorian border as authorities brace for severe and extreme fire danger on Saturday. 'Today and tomorrow we advise you to get out of that area,' the Rural Fire Service said on Thursday. 'Don't be there unless you need to be.' HMAS Choules sails from Sydney Harbour on New Year's Day to provide support to the communities affected by bushfires A medical team from HMAS Choules disembarks a Taipan helicopter as the ship provides support to communities ravaged by bushfires in East Gippsland HMAS Choules' flight deck team marshals an aircraft as the ship prepares to provide support to the communities affected by bushfires (left). HMAS Choules is barely visible through the smokey haze off the coast of Mallacoota (right) Residents and holidaymakers at Mallacoota in East Gippsland attend a community briefing with Victoria's Country Fire Authority, SES and Navy representatives on Thursday A firefighter controls a back burn ahead of a fire front in the New South Wales town of Jerrawangala on January 1 Fuel is running out in isolated towns and hundreds of stranded people have been queuing at shops for basic supplies such as bread and milk. Power outages have affected ATMS and some retail outlets including service stations have only been accepting cash. Roads out of South Coast towns such as Batemans Bay and Nowra are choked. Local State MP Andrew Constance, the Member for Bega, said Thursday had seen the 'largest relocation out of the region ever.' A fire at Wollondilly had broken containment lines and firefighters were racing to bring it under control before Saturday when it had the potential to threaten western Sydney. The RFS was also 'keeping a very close eye' on the northern end of the Green Wattle Creek fire, which had flared up west of the Warragamba Dam. Navy supply ship HMAS Choules has been in Victoria's east since Wednesday night and Black Hawk helicopters have already begun evacuating those with the greatest medical need. HMAS Choules has been deployed to deliver food, water, medical supplies and fuel to stranded locals. It will also be used to evacuate people by sea. Steve Shipton (left) thanks a local vet after losing approximately 20 cows out of a herd of 200 during the fires, in Coolagolite Tourists and residents have been told to evacuate a 250km stretch of the New South Wales south coast as devastating bushfires threaten the area Dense smoke from bushfires hangs over the Batemans Bay bridge as cars line up to leave the town in New South Wales to head north Hundreds of fires are still burning out of control across the country, destroying millions of hectares, killing 18 and leaving 1,200 homes destroyed, with catastrophic 46C weather forecast for Saturday Vehicles head out of Batemans Bay to escape the bushfires which have devastated the NSW South Coast. Almost 400 homes have already been lost in the region Residents and tourists fled to Mallacoota's beach on New Year's Eve, ready to throw themselves in the water as protection against the flames while the sky turned an apocalyptic red. Country Fire Authority chief officer Steve Warrington said his organisation was working with Defence, Victoria Police, the SES and other agencies to get evacuees safely off the beach. 'Our focus today is we've got 4000 people in and around the beach there at Mallacoota... and our primary effort is to get those people out,' Mr Warrington told ABC News. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has warned the crisis could go on for weeks and communities would not have the chance to begin rebuilding as soon as the fires had passed through. 'This is very different to that,' he said. 'This will be an active fire and a very challenging and complex environment for weeks and therefore we have to do things differently.' Mr Andrews said work was underway to air-drop satellite phones, food and water into some isolated areas but fire and smoke were making even that operation difficult. For the first time in Victoria firefighters had been replaced with fresh crews by helicopter when 90 volunteers in Mallacoota were flown out on Wednesday night. 'That's not something we've done before and it's one example of how complex and how challenging these East Gippsland fires are now,' Mr Andrews said. Tourists walk through dense smoke from bushfires in front of the Batemans Bay bridge as cars line up to leave the town in New South Wales to head north Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews flies over East Gippsland in a helicopter as he inspects damage done by bushfires which have ripped through the region HMAS Choules (pictured leaving Sydney Harbour on Wednesday) is providing relief to 4,000 people who have been stranded in Mallacoota, Victoria It was impossible to account for some residents in the area while communications were poor and the fires still raged. 'We simply haven't got into a number of areas,' Mr Andrews said. Temperatures across East Gippsland are predicted to soar on Saturday, with Mallacoota expected to face a top of 43 degrees as strong winds fan the flames. The Victorian fires have already claimed the life of great-grandfather Mick Roberts, 67, from Buchan. Mr Roberts was found dead at his home on Wednesday morning. Moderate conditions were helping firefighters on Thursday with temperatures in East Gippsland in the low to mid 20s and winds only up to 20km/h. The mercury was forecast to creep up in the region on Friday, before reaching the 40s on Saturday, when hot winds and the chance of some thunderstorms are expected to increase the risk of new fires. Thousands of people are stranded in the seaside Victorian town of Mallacoota (pictured trapped on the beach on Tuesday) This picture taken on New Year's Eve shows a firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra on the NSW south coast Mr Andrews has visited East Gippsland where he spoke to residents and viewed the devastation during a helicopter flight over the fire grounds. 'I spoke with people today and they just said it was hurricane-like, horrifying, terrifying, the most frightening experience of their life,' he said. 'The next few days are going to be a lot of hard work and the next few months will be a very long and steady process of helping these communities to rebuild.' So far, confirmed property losses are 24 structures at Buchan, 19 at Sarsfield, 10 at Mallacoota and up to 15 at Cudgewa. About 24 remote communities have lost power and phone coverage. Bushfire-ravaged communities in southern NSW will continue to assess the damage after seven lives and at least 382 homes were lost. Business owner Sally Anne Wilson (left) stands in front of her destroyed shop with her partner Christopher Lee in Cobargo, NSW, on New Year's Day On Wednesday more than 300 residents were seen queuing outside a Woolworths in Ulladulla, NSW, which has experienced power outages The RFS is urging South Coast residents and tourists to evacuate ahead of worsening conditions at the weekend. A 'tourist leave zone' has been established from Batemans Bay down to the Victorian border. The Princes Highway has re-opened for vehicles travelling north from Batemans Bay with a reduced speed limit of 60km/h. Other roads could not be opened until trees and debris were cleared. Live Traffic NSW has warned motorists using exit roads should use extreme caution, follow the directions of emergency services workers and drive with headlights on. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: 'Where roads can be accessed, we will be encouraging tourists, especially, to move out of those areas whilst it's safe to do so.' An evacuation notice issued for Kosciuszko National Park was described by the NSW SES as 'an essential measure to protect life.' 'All people located in Kosciuszko National Park must exit Kosciuszko National Park boundaries before the deadline of 10am this Friday' an SES statement said. This satellite image shows the devastation of the fires devastating the coastal town of Batemans Bay, on the NSW south coast, early Wednesday morning as the blaze continues to spread AUSTRALIA'S BUSHFIRE CRISIS AT A GLANCE NEW SOUTH WALES: - 15 lives lost, four in the past 48 hours - One person remains missing - More than 110 bushfires burning - 3.6 million hectares burned, greater than the size of Belgium - 1,298 homes confirmed destroyed VICTORIA: - Two people dead, 17 more missing - About 50 bushfires burning - More than 766,000 hectares burned - 68 structures confirmed destroyed but this number is expected to rise significantly TASMANIA: - More than 30 bushfires burning, seven of significance - 8000 hectares burned - One home confirmed destroyed SOUTH AUSTRALIA: - One person dead - About 20 bushfires burning, three of significance - More than 60,000 hectares burned - 88 homes confirmed destroyed QUEENSLAND: - About 30 bushfires burning - 250,000 hectares burned - 45 homes confirmed destroyed WESTERN AUSTRALIA: - More than 30 bushfires burning, two of significance - 1.2 million hectares burned - One home confirmed destroyed Advertisement RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said conditions on Saturday would likely be worse than those on New Year's Eve, when homes, business and utilities were destroyed up and down the South Coast. Mr Fitzsimmons confirmed on Thursday the number of houses lost on New Year's Eve had climbed to 382 and could jump much higher as further assessments were made. 'There's still a lot of the fire grounds that need to be surveyed and validated from the ground,' Mr Fitzsimmons told the Nine Network. 'Of course there are a lot of other buildings, lots of other infrastructure, power infrastructure, telecommunications, all sorts of things have been affected.' Mr Fitzsimmons said extreme fire danger was likely on Saturday over more regions in southern NSW, overlapping with pre-existing bushfires. Setting containment lines would be the RFS priority until that time. 'We're expecting to see temperatures up into the high 40s, a westerly-northwesterly wind pattern will dominate which means it'll bring very hot, very dry air across the region,' Mr Fitzsimmons said. 'That's going to result in some fairly widespread severe and more importantly, extreme fire danger ratings across this already heavily fire-affected area.' Ulladulla Woolworths opened its doors on Wednesday to give locals unable to leave the chance to stock up on supplies The RFS warned those planning holidays to the South Coast to cancel their trip. On Wednesday, police found three bodies in the fire-gutted communities of Sussex Inlet and Yatte Yattah. Seven people have died since Monday, including a person found outside a home in Coolagolite, near Cobargo. A Belowra man, 72, remains missing, but an 81-year-old woman who was missing in Conjola Park has been located safe and well. Tens of thousands of homes across the South Coast are also without power after transmission lines were damaged. NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said: 'We have to make sure that when we restart the power, we do that with safety and confidence, that it will remain on.' Very high fire danger was forecast on Thursday for eight fire districts on or west of the Great Dividing Range while high fire risk was due for some coastal regions. A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses in Nowra, NSW, on Tuesday Woolworths supermarkets on the South Coast were open, although the Bermagui store was set to close early in the afternoon due to the planned evacuation of the town. 'We're working hard to keep stores on the South Coast replenished with key essentials for the local community,' a Woolworths spokeswoman said. 'We understand it's an anxious time and thank customers for their patience as we manage the increased demand and the road closures.' Since the start of July, at least 15 people have died and more than 1,200 homes have been destroyed by bushfires in NSW. More than 3.6 million hectares - three times the size of Sydney's metro area - have been burnt. Parts of the fire-ravaged country are on the edge of a humanitarian crisis as remote communities remain cut off from medical help, water sources are compromised and food and fuel supplies run low. There were concerns Mallacoota's water supply had become contaminated due to the fires, and residents were told to boil water until it could be tested. That order has now been lifted. Vehicles gutted by bushfires are seen in the town of Lake Conjola on the NSW Coast on New Year's Day Water supplies in towns in NSW have also been affected by the fires. 'Boil notices' have been issued for Quaama, Cobargo, Bermagui, Beauty Point, Fairhaven, Wallaga Lake, Wallaga Lake Heights, Wallaga Lake, Koori Village and Akolele after disinfection infrastructure was lost. Although some South Coast roads reopened on Wednesday others will remain closed for weeks. Ms Berejiklian said trees had fallen on roads and become welded to the bitumen making the task of clearing highways even more difficult. On Wednesday more than 300 residents were seen queuing outside a Woolworths in Ulladulla, which has experienced power outages. Store manager Craig Scott said the supermarket was running on a recently purchased generator - but it was close to running out of fuel. He was hoping local boat owners would share their diesel to ensure essential food and milk would not spoil. 'The power's out in town, but we decided to open the store just for necessities, so people can get nappies, baby food, all that sort of stuff,' he said. In the town of Tura Beach there were long queues of people waiting to fill up with petrol and to get supplies at the supermarket. Local petrol stations had been forced to post signs letting residents know they had run dry of fuel. Mr Fitzsimmons has warned of hellish weather this weekend which would be worse than on Tuesday. 'Unfortunately that also correlates with where we have some of the worst, most damaging and destructive bushfires in NSW at the moment,' he said. Ms Berejiklian has warned communities needed to brace for more fatalities in coming days. 'Many people who have been here for decades are just completely shocked that the fire reached as far as it did,' she told reporters at Batemans Bay. Deputy Commissioner Worboys asked for patience as police and utility providers tried their best to get power and communications restored on the South Coast. Mr Fitzsimmons said the fires would dominate a vast area from the south eastern corner of NSW up to Illawarra and Shoalhaven. Destroyed buildings are seen in Cobargo, NSW, on New Year's Day. Several other South Coast communities have faced the start of 2020 under immediate bushfire threat Those killed in NSW include dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, who died trying to save their property in Cobargo, near Bega. Young father and volunteer firefighter Samuel McPaul, 28, was also among those confirmed dead after he was killed by a fire tornado. A 70-year-old man was found dead outside a home at Yatte Yattah, west of Lake Conjola, on Tuesday night, while another man's body was found in a burnt vehicle on a road off the Princes Highway at Yatte Yattah on Wednesday morning. The body of a man was found in a vehicle on Wandra Road at Sussex Inlet on Wednesday but is yet to be formally identified, while a seventh body was found outside a home Coolagolite, about 10km east of Cobargo. A 72-year-old man is unaccounted for at Belowra, 50km north-west of Cobargo. An 81-year-old woman who was missing from Conjola Park was found alive on Wednesday. A satellite images from January 1 shows the devastating extent of the bushfires on the NSW South Coast Smoke and flames are seen rising from burning trees as bushfires hit the bushland surrounding the small town of Nowr AUSTRALIA'S 2019/2020 FIRE SEASON DEATH TOLL NSW Police confirmed a total of seven people have been killed and one is still unaccounted for in the South Coast bushfires since Monday. The recent deaths include dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, who died trying to save their property in Cobargo, near Bega. A 70-year-old man was found dead outside a home at Yatte Yattah, west of Lake Conjola, on Tuesday night, while another man's body was found in a burnt vehicle on a road off the Princes Highway at Yatte Yattah Wednesday morning. The body of a man was found in a vehicle on Wandra Road at Sussex Inlet about 11.30am Wednesday but is yet to be formally identified, while a seventh body was found outside a home Coolagolite, about 10km east of Cobargo, on Wednesday. Beloved great-grandfather Mick Roberts, 67, from Buchan, in East Gippsland, was found dead at his home on Wednesday morning. On Sunday, young father and volunteer firefighter Samuel McPaul, 28, was fighting a blaze in Jingellic, in Green Valley, about 70km east of Albury on the border of NSW and Victoria, when the truck he was in rolled, killing him instantly. Two other firefighters died on December 19 after a tree fell on their truck while they were travelling through Buxton, south of Sydney. Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, were later named as the volunteers involved in the tragic accident the following day. Both men were young fathers and had volunteered with the Horsley Park Rural Fire Service brigade for more than a decade. One person died in South Australian fires before Christmas, including 69-year-old engineer Ron Selth. His body was found in his Charleston home, which was destroyed by the Cudlee Creek blaze on December 21. Another person died in a fiery car crash on the same day. In early November, just weeks into the horror fire season which has been baring down on the nation for months, three people perished in northern NSW. George Nole's body was found in a burnt out car near his home in Glen Innes while 63-year-old Julie Fletcher's body was pulled from a scorched building in Johns River, north of Taree. Vivian Chaplain, a 69-year-old woman from Wytaliba, succumbed to her injuries in hospital after attempting in vain to save her home and animals from the blaze. The fourth victim was named just days later as 58-year-old Barry Parsons. His body was discovered in bushland on the southern end of the Kyuna Track at Willawarrin, near Kempsey, on November 13. 77-year-old Bob Lindsey and 68-year-old Gwen Hyde were found in their burned out property on October 9th. Advertisement NSW has lost 1,298 homes this bushfire season and an area the size of Belguim has been burned out. About 20 fires are still burning across South Australia, where one person has died, and three blazes are still of significance. Almost 90 homes have been destroyed in that state. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said there were 'scenes of absolute devastation' as residents returned to homes that had been reduced to rubble. There were about 30 bushfires burning in Queensland where 250,000 hectares have burned and 45 homes have been destroyed. In Western Australia, more than 30 bushfires were still raging but despite burning through more than 1.2 million hectares of land only one home had been destroyed. A bushfire south of Perth was controlled and contained late on Wednesday leading authorities to downgrade their alert about the blaze. More than 30 fires are still burning in Tasmania, with at least seven of those of significance. One home has been destroyed during the blazes in that state, which have destroyed 8,000 hectares of land. The Australian Defence Force has been working with Emergency Management Australia to help with the firefighting efforts in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia since November 8. The Indian government has reached out to countries across the world to share its perspective on the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), informing its interlocutors that the law wont alter the Constitution or strip any person of citizenship on the basis of faith. The outreach is an ongoing process that is evolving to meet the needs of the situation, people familiar with developments said on Thursday. Materials and talking points outlining the governments position were sent to missions around the world as soon as the law was approved by Parliament, the people said. The external affairs ministry adopted a two-pronged approach of briefing some ambassadors based in New Delhi and reaching out to foreign governments through the Indian missions and consulates. The CAA speeds up the process for granting citizenship to members of non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan but has attracted widespread criticism for excluding Muslims from its ambit. The UN human rights office has described the law as discriminatory and expressed the hope that it will be reviewed. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has even called on the Trump administration to consider sanctions against some Indian leaders. Though the external affairs ministry has rejected such disapproval as unwarranted meddling in Indias internal affairs, efforts are continuing to counter the criticism in the international media and to answer the questions raised by foreign governments. External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a regular news briefing on Thursday that India conveyed to interlocutors through its missions around the world that the CAA does not, in any way, alter the basic structure of the Constitution and that it doesnt seek to strip citizenship from any Indian of any faith. Indian missions have also been asked to convey to foreign governments that the act just provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities already in India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Kumar said. We also conveyed to them that it does not affect existing avenues which are available to other communities from seeking citizenship or those who are interested in seeking citizenship. Responding to another question on Bangladeshs position on the CAA and NRC, Kumar said these are separate processes with no connection. The NRC is a Supreme Court-mandated process, it is an internal matter and we are doing this on the direction from the Supreme Court, he said. Three U.S. defense officials told Fox News on Tuesday that the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division's alert brigade has been given orders to deploy to Kuwait amid the social unrest in Baghdad. Even though all supporters of Iran-backed militias have withdrawn from the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday, the reinforcement of U.S. troops could be imminent. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement on Tuesday that 750 troops are immediately deploying to the Middle East because of the attack on the U.S. embassy. The US says its sending 750 troops to Iraq after its embassy in Baghdad was stormed by protesters. Read more: https://t.co/iqHquUIrsA pic.twitter.com/14RUzxTYWD Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 1, 2020 Esper said he had authorized the deployment of an infantry battalion from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) of the 82nd Airborne Division. "This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today," Esper said in a statement. Apart from the rapid deployment, the three sources told Fox that approximately 4,000 paratroopers could be deployed to the region in the coming days. There are 5,000 US troops currently stationed in Iraq supporting local forces, among the more than 60,000 troops positioned in military bases across the Middle East. President Trump blamed Iran for the attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad in a tweetstorm on Tuesday. "Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will," tweeted Trump. "Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible." "In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!" he added. Trump said, "....Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!" It appears that Trump isn't pulling out of the Middle East after all, but rather a massive surge in troops into the region could be seen in the coming days. Is conflict with Iran nearing? A 50-year-old constable who was dismissed from Border Security Force shot himself dead in Jalandhars Rama Mandi area late on Wednesday night. Police said Hardeep Sharma shot himself in the forehead with a pistol. At the time of the incident he was alone on the second floor of his house, while his wife and minor son were on the first floor. Police, meanwhile, have been investigating the origins of the pistol used by deceased. After being dismissed from BSF for possession of an illegal weapon, police said he had been in a state of depression and would also beat up his family members. Police sources said Sharma had also tried to set his house on fire a few months ago. Rama Mandi station house officer, inspector Sulakhan Singh said, We are investigating whether the pistol used by Sharma is licensed and from where he had bought it. Assistant commissioner of police (central), Harsimrat Singh confirmed the suicide. The body has been handed over to family members after a post-mortem was conducted at civil hospital. Inquest proceedings have been initiated under Section 174 (unnatural death) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), said the police. Photo: Courtesy of the vendor I eat butter like its cheese. Growing up, I forked butter pats off the restaurants bread plate as if they were after-dinner mints. Even now, I spread half-inch slabs around a bagel, letting it melt nicely before adding additional hunks of cream cheese for an excellent bed of dairy. Sadly, on my 30th wedding anniversary, all that changed. I was rushed to the hospital to have my gallbladder removed. It was also the night that the first pass of my memoir, Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother (out March 10 from Hachette, if youre looking for the perfect Purim/Easter gift) was sent to my editor. My mother, dead though she be, was making it clear that she did not want this book published. Even from the grave, she was trying to kill me. If youre not familiar with the function of a gallbladder (I wasnt), it stores the bile produced by your liver. When you dont have one and you eat fatty foods, you lack the concentrated bile necessary to digest said foods. And there is almost nothing fattier than butter. Although I still wanted to stay alive at least long enough for the publication of my book I was not willing to give up the perfection of salted butter altogether. My solution was the Max Space Butter Mill Dispenser. My butter gun stays in the fridge, a full stick constantly loaded, waiting to spread a thin ribbon of high-butterfat dairy onto bread, potatoes, and, up until the first turn of its handle, healthy oatmeal. Before it melts which is a nearly immediate process that is immensely superior to the traditional bread-destroying knife-with-butter application it looks like a piece of art. A fancy decoration worthy of the great bar-mitzvah palace of my youth, Leonards of Great Neck, whose slogan was, The Warmth of Israel. The decor of Las Vegas. I know it sounds like Im still using a lot of butter. Like Im tormenting my body. I probably am. But Im using so much less. The Max Space Butter Mill Dispenser has probably reduced my butter consumption by 80 percent. Its reduced the effort I put into spreading butter by nearly 100. Its the perfect replacement for a traditional butter dish. Or a gallbladder. get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. RESTON, Va., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 1CyberForce LLC, an SBA approved JV between IndraSoft, Inc. and Yakshna Solutions, Inc., (YSI) is one of twenty firms awarded to the Air Force Small Business Enterprise Applications Solutions (SBEAS). This potential 10-year, $13.4B multiple-award IDIQ contract vehicle for information technology support platforms and services is the replacement vehicle for Application Solutions Small Business currently in use through the Network-Centric Solutions-2 IDIQ contract. The vehicle's scope includes a comprehensive suite of IT services and solutions to support systems development in next generation environment and infrastructure. Scope of services include software development, cybersecurity, data and information services, technology refresh, deployment, configuration management, business analysis for IT programs, training, information display services, commercial off-the-shelf product management, and documentation operations. Neeraja Lingam, IndraSoft CEO stated, "Having supported more than 70 task orders for the US Air Force on NETCENTS 2 App Services contract, we are thrilled be part of technology transformation and development of next generation Air Force Enterprise Applications for our warfighters. IndraSoft is proud to be part of this next generation vehicle to continue our decade long support to Air Force. IndraSoft specializes in delivering technology transformation solutions. Our DevSecOps pipelines and Agile Development capabilities are helping customers realize the potential of cyber solutions designed to accelerate capability delivery and responsiveness." Srividhya Chakravarthi, Yakshna Solutions, Inc (YSI) CEO stated, "We are excited that our 1CyberForce JV was selected to support this very important mission for US Air Force. We look forward to bringing our deep expertise with innovative IT solutions to the Air Force Enterprise." About IndraSoft IndraSoft provides cutting edge Enterprise IT solutions to our customers across DoD and Civilian Federal Agencies including U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, Defense Manpower Data Center, Defense Logistics Agency, USTRANSCOM, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of Justice, and U.S. Census Bureau. IndraSoft's Agile/DevOps, Cybersecurity, Cloud, Data Analytics, AI/ML and Blockchain solutions enable our customers to focus on mission imperatives with confidence in the value of IndraSoft's commitment, ability, and high performing staff. About YSI Yakshna Solutions, Inc. is a small, minority and women-owned business enterprise, headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. YSI provides professional IT products, solutions and services to Federal Agencies including US Government Publishing Office, National Archives and Records Administration, Department of Justice, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Transportation and commercial agencies including Fannie Mae and College Board. YSI provides cost-efficient innovative solution using Agile DevSecOps and CI/CD, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Cloud Computation and Migration, Mobile App Development to succeed their customer mission. SOURCE IndraSoft Taiwans top military officer has died in a helicopter crash alongside seven other people. General Shen Yi-ming, chief of general staff, was on the Black Hawk helicopter with 12 others when it crashed during an emergency landing in mountains outside the capital city Taipei. Five people survived the crash, according to the countrys defence ministry. The helicopter took off from Taipeis Songshan air force base shortly after 7.50am on Thursday and was on its way to a base in Yilan County on the east coast. Just over 10 minutes later, it dropped from the radar screen and went down in the mountainous, heavily-forested Wulai area southeast of the capital. Taiwan's top military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash Show all 7 1 /7 Taiwan's top military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash Taiwan's top military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash Rescuers inspect the crash site of a UH-60M Black Hawk military helicopter near the mountains of Yilan County, Taiwan, 2 January 2020. Taiwan's top military officer, Shen Yi-ming, was among eight people who died in the crash during an emergency landing. EPA/Yilan County Fire Bureau Taiwan's top military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash Yilan Fire Bureau via AP Taiwan's top military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash CNA PHOTO/AFP via Getty Images Taiwan's top military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash Taiwan's top military officer, Shen Yi-ming, pictured 7 March, 2019. AP Photo/Johnson Lai, File Taiwan's top military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash Shen Yi-ming, pictured 6 November, 2019. EPA/Military News Taiwan's top military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash EPA/Yilan County Fire Bureau Taiwan's top military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash EPA It will likely be months before the cause of the crash is known, but the pilots, both of whom were killed, appeared to have been highly experienced. Mr Shen had taken over as chief of the general staff in July after serving as commander of Taiwans air force. He was responsible for overseeing the islands defence against China, which threatens to use military force to annex what it considers its own territory. Shen Yi-ming, Taiwan military's chief of general staff, who was among eight people killed during a helicopter crash near Taipei, Taiwan, 2 January, 2020. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai, File) Alexander Huang, a strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan who had known Mr Shen for a decade, said he had stood out as a pilot and an officer. He said: He was very calm and very stable and unlike other army guys he was always smiling, so he got a specific leadership style that also made him a popular leader in the entire military. Taiwans military has operated Black Hawks for decades and in 2010 completed a sale for another 60 UH-60M Black Hawks from the US for $3.1bn. The Black Hawk that crashed was a model dedicated to search and rescue and had been delivered in 2018, according to the ministry. The loss of Mr Shen and other high-ranking officials will require a rapid reshuffle of positions but should have a minimal effect on Taiwans 11 January elections for president and lawmakers, according to Andrew Yang, a former deputy minister for policy. Additional reporting by Associated Press. Kingdee International Software Group Company Limited (HKG:268), which is in the software business, and is based in China, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SEHK, rising to highs of HK$8.87 and falling to the lows of HK$7.68. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Kingdee International Software Group's current trading price of HK$7.79 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Kingdee International Software Groups outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. See our latest analysis for Kingdee International Software Group What's the opportunity in Kingdee International Software Group? Good news, investors! Kingdee International Software Group is still a bargain right now. My valuation model shows that the intrinsic value for the stock is HK$9.80, but it is currently trading at HK$7.79 on the share market, meaning that there is still an opportunity to buy now. Whats more interesting is that, Kingdee International Software Groups share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market. What kind of growth will Kingdee International Software Group generate? SEHK:268 Past and Future Earnings, January 2nd 2020 Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. Kingdee International Software Groups earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 22%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? Since 268 is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current undervaluation. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on 268 for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its prosperous future outlook isnt fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means its not too late to buy 268. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed buy. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on Kingdee International Software Group. You can find everything you need to know about Kingdee International Software Group in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Kingdee International Software Group, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. A female beaver born wild and ear-tagged in 2016, grazing in aquatic vegetation in Devon's River Otter catchment area - www.alamy.com The reintroduction of beavers into Britain streams and rivers could help protect land and communities from flooding and the impact of climate change, trials have shown. Dams built by the creature, which died out 300 years ago through culling and hunting for pelts before being reintroduced in key areas over the past decade, are found to significantly slow the flow of water downstream and reduce peak flows after heavy rain. This has the effect of protecting nearby land from flooding as well as retaining water in streams during droughts. Research carried out during the five year trial on the River Otter, in Devon, has also found that the beavers dams prevent sediment and inorganic fertilisers being washed from farmland, causing plant life to flourish and boosting other types of wildlife. Professor Richard Brazier, from the University of Exeter, said: "It's an amazing story, it's far more change than we expected." The project, run by Devon Wildlife Trust, to reintroduce the mammal into a controlled section of the River Otter has seen them build 13 dams, creating new ponds with canals to link them. Two additional beavers were introduced into a pond adjacent to the River Tale, the Otters main tributary, in 2016. The beavers began coppicing willow around the pond and nearby grassland, creating more varied and open habitats. Dams also started to appear on the River Tale itself, creating larger areas of new freshwater habitat. Researchers have now reported that while the dams are frequently washed out after heavy rains the beavers have managed to restore natural riverbanks, creating more meanders that slow the flow of water. One larger dam has increased water levels enough to create new channels running across the floodplain, re-entering the Tale a hundred metres or so downstream. The Government is due to make a decision on the future of the River Otter project in March, when the licence expires, possibly giving the go ahead to other, more extensive controlled releases in England. Story continues The River Otter project is one of a number of trials at enclosed sites across the country, with schemes also taking place in Cornwall and Kent. This spring the National Trust is planning to release three pairs of beavers into enclosures at Holnicote on the edge of Exmoor in Somerset and Valewood on the Black Down Estate on the edge of the South Down, in West Sussex, where it hopes their dams will help reduce flooding by slowing the flow of the water after heavy rainfalls. Ben Eardley, Project Manager for the National Trust at Holnicote said: Their presence in our river catchments is a sustainable way to help make our landscape more resilient to climate change and the extremes of weather it will bring. The dams the beavers create will hold water in dry periods, help to lessen flash-flooding downstream and reduce erosion and improve water quality by holding silt. In some cases the reintroduction of beavers has led to problems for farmers, with localised flooding, as well as the animals targeting orchard trees near the river. Claire Robinson, the National Farmers' Union senior countryside adviser, said the results from trials would need to be examined before wider moves to reintroduce beavers are taken. She said: "We do have concerns about the potential damage to farmland and the landscape . It is crucial that farmers have the tools to manage any impacts a beaver reintroduction could have. But backers say the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Prof Brazier said: "Overall, the social and economic benefits of having beavers in the landscape far outweigh the costs, but the costs tend to be borne by different people from those who benefit." BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The international community has praised Chinese President Xi Jinping's New Year speech delivered on Tuesday, saying that China's development benefits people, and giving thumbs up to China's commitment to world peace and common development. Kenneth Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation and former U.S. ambassador to Cambodia, said he was impressed by China's high-quality development and its achievements in poverty alleviation that Xi mentioned in the speech. "The impressive statistics on the continued drop in poverty levels in China continues to be the most extraordinary hallmark of the recent decades of China's transformative economic transformation," Quinn noted. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Xi's pledge to promote common development will benefit his city's partnership with China. "I've seen for myself that the fantastic contribution made to London success by Chinese businessmen and women, Chinese tourists, students and other visitors to our great city," he said, hoping for a further strengthening of bilateral cooperation and friendship. Xi's New Year speech was "comprehensive and confident," said Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation. "I have been long impressed by President Xi's assertion for China to truly be a 'moderately prosperous society in all respects,'" he said, adding that he was also impressed by Xi's remarks that "no matter how busy I was, I spent time visiting people in the countryside." Brian Lantz, representative of the Schiller Institute in Houston, spoke highly of "the simple humanity that shines through in the president's speech." "The mention of the letters he has received -- and to which he responded to -- from fellow Chinese citizens of all walks of life," and "the touching acknowledgment of ... ordinary people living extraordinary lives" in Xi's New Year speech impressed him a lot, Lantz added. Noting Xi's words on poverty alleviation in China, former Italian Ambassador to China Alberto Bradanini said that "in the light of the success achieved by China, all countries aspiring to exit from their underdevelopment should look at the Chinese experience." Francesco Maringio, president of the Italy-China Association for the Promotion of the Silk Road, said that he was impressed by Xi's remarks that "no matter how busy I was, I spent time visiting people in the countryside." "The message is clear: the needs and dreams of every Chinese come above all any other obligation," Maringio noted. Xi highlighted that China has "friends in every corner of the world" in the New Year speech, said Varaprasad Sekhar Dolla, a professor of Chinese studies at India's Jawaharlal Nehru University. The professor said that the Chinese government is trying to expand the number of friends across the world through win-win cooperation, which is "a very positive development." The Marine Corps is offering some former Reserve pilots lucrative bonuses to get them back in the cockpit. Former captains and majors qualified to fly certain aircraft who are willing to rejoin a Marine Corps squadron can pocket up to a $30,000 lump-sum bonus if they agree to a three-year term in the Active Reserve. Those willing to serve two years in the Reserve are eligible for a $20,000 payout. It's called the Active Reserve Aviator Return to Service Program, and it targets six types of fixed-wing, rotary and tiltrotor pilots "in order to fill critical aviation shortfalls," a service-wide message on the bonuses states. Top priority will be given to former F/A-18 Hornet and MV-22B Osprey pilots, along with KC-130 Hercules aircraft commanders, according to the message. But the program is also open to former AV-8B Harrier, UH-1Y Venom and CH-53E Super Stallion pilots. Related: Marines Offer Big Bonuses to Leathernecks Who Can Help Deceive the Enemy "The retention incentive is distributed as a lump sum of 20,000 dollars for the 24 month service obligation or a lump sum of 30,000 dollars for the 36 month service obligation, less any applicable taxes," the message states. "Lump sum payment will not be paid out until the member is joined to the [Active Reserve] program." The incentives will be paid out on a first-come, first-served basis "until funds are exhausted," it adds. Only aviators who previously qualified for -- or had not yet applied for -- career designation are eligible. Those who applied for but were not offered career designation in the Active Reserve are ineligible, the message states. Pilots who were already career designated on the Active Reserve will automatically be career designated upon re-accession. Those who hadn't previously applied for career designation will be able to do so once they rejoin. Top assignments will involve flying operations at the squadron level across several Reserve units in the continental U.S., including California, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, Maryland or New Orleans. Assignments aren't limited to those squadrons though, the message adds. Captains who served more than 10 years of active-duty service who weren't previously considered for major on an Active Reserve promotion board are eligible to apply. So are majors who weren't previously considered for O-5 who served more than 12 years on active duty, and those who were considered for lieutenant colonel who served more than 15 years. Earlier this year, the Marine Corps announced it would be offering big bonuses to active-duty pilots as well. Top bonuses targeted Marines in the grades and communities with the biggest pilot shortages. Active-duty pilots were eligible to earn up to $280,000 bonuses if they agreed to keep flying for eight more years. The bonuses targeted captains and majors who fly the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8 Harrier, MV-22 Osprey, C-130 Hercules, UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra and CH-53 Stallion. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Read more: The Marines Are Doling Out Up to $280K in Bonuses to Keep Pilots Flying Thinking about investing in a winter rental property, but unsure where to start? A recent study by Vacasa, a property management company, crunched data on about 500,000 American rental properties to determine the 10 best American cities in which to buy a profitable winter rental. We asked the company to share an expanded list of 15 destinations for the subject of this weeks chart. When we reported on Vacasas rankings last year, Ludlow, Vt., topped the list. This year another Vermont city, Killington, is number one. But that doesnt mean you should look exclusively to the northeast for rental revenue: While eastern winter destinations tend to have lower median sale prices, making it easier to get started as a landlord, western destinations dominated the rankings both this year and last. Like last year, locations were ranked by capitalization rate, or cap rate, a metric used to determine the profitability of rental properties. Cap rate is found by comparing a homes sale price to what is left of the annual rental revenue after expenses are met. For example, if a home sold for $100,000 and there was $1,000 left at the end of the year after expenses, the cap rate would be 1 percent. The higher the cap rate, the more money in your pocket at years end. Because the cap-rate equation does not include mortgage costs, we asked the analysts at Vacasa to calculate how buyers would do if they took a 30-year, fixed-rate loan at 4.39 percent, with a 25 percent down payment. The top five cities on the list were still likely to be profitable if properties were mortgaged, the company found. The pound was weaker on Thursday as the euphoria of December's election gave way to anxiety over the risk of a no-deal Brexit at the end of 2020. Market liquidity was thin on the year's first day of trading, but the decline showed how worried traders were over Britain's trade negotiations with the European Union after its expected exit from the bloc at the end of this month. The UK has a year to strike a trade deal. The deadline can be extended beyond December 2020, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he will not ask for an extension, despite warnings it would be hard to agree a deal in just under a year. The final reading of the British manufacturing purchasing managers' index contributed to the fall in sterling. It showed factory output fell in December at the fastest rate since 2012 as a tepid global economy hurt demand and businesses reduced inventories built up in case of a no-deal Brexit. "The pound was the second worst performing G10 currency overnight amid thin liquidity as markets grow nervous that the recent rally in the pound was overdone," said Lee Hardman, currency analyst at MUFG. "At the moment there is still significant uncertainty about the macroeconomic direction over the next few months and so we expect the pound could be more sensitive to data releases going forward," Hardman said. If sentiment improves and investment picks up, he said, "this would be positive for the pound." Sterling was last down 0.3% at $1.3209, off its mid-December high of $1.3516 after the Conservative victory in the general election. That briefly reassured investors Britain would finally leave the EU after postponing its exit three times. But implied volatility gauges in sterling were more elevated than they were for other major currencies, reflecting ongoing uncertainty over outcomes of trade negotiations between the UK and the EU this year. British businesses reported a fall in Brexit-related uncertainty last month, according to a Bank of England survey that was conducted before and after the election on Dec. 12. However, 42% of respondents said they did not expect Brexit uncertainty to be resolved until 2021 at the earliest, up from 34% in November, according to the BoE. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie amazon box Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images Amazon sent threatening emails to employees who spoke out against the company's environmental policies, according to a report by The Washington Post. Amazon reportedly sent the emails in November to two employees who were quoted in an October Post article in which they criticized the company's cloud-computing business for practices that they said aided oil- and gas-company exploration. The emails accused the employees, Maren Costa and Jamie Kowalski, of violating Amazon's external-communications policy and said future violations could "result in formal corrective action, up to and including termination of your employment with Amazon." The Post said it reviewed the email sent to Costa, and that Kowalski acknowledged receipt of a similar letter and declined to comment further. Costa said Amazon's human-resources department met with her before she received the letter. "It was scary to be called into a meeting like that, and then to be given a follow-up email saying that if I continued to speak up, I could be fired," she told The Post. Amazon's external-communications policy requires employees to obtain company approval before speaking publicly about its business, products, services, technology, or customers, the company said. The policy covers media interviews as well as social-media posts. Story continues "Our policy regarding external communications is not new and we believe is similar to other large companies," a spokesperson told Business Insider. "Everyone at Amazon is a builder and encouraged to work within their teams to innovate on behalf of our customers, which includes suggesting improvements to how we operate through those internal channels." The Amazon spokesperson said the company recently updated its communications policy "to make it easier for employees to participate in external activities such as speeches, media interviews, and use of the company's logo." Instead of sending an email to get approval for a communications request, employees can now submit requests through an intranet page, the spokesperson said. Amazon's HR department tracks violations of the policy, the company said. "As with any company policy, employees may receive a notification from our HR team if we learn of an instance where a policy is not being followed, the spokesperson said. Got a tip? Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (646) 768-4757 using a non-work phone, email at hpeterson@businessinsider.com, or Twitter DM at @hcpeterson. Apply here to attend IGNITION: Retail, an event focused on the future of retail, in New York City on January 14. Read the original article on Business Insider CORNING, Calif. - The newest member of the Corning Police Department is earning his keep. K-9 Blaze started at the end of December and the 18-month-old Belgian Malinois partnered with Officer Chase Corry to help arrest three people on drug charges. 44-year-old Steve Morrison and 24-year-old Danielle Derose of Red Bluff were arrested during a traffic stop and both had multiple warrants out for their arrests. Morrison was determined to have 13 warrants and Derose had 4 warrants. RELATED: Corning Police Department welcomes new K-9 Additionally, officials say Morrison and Derose were in possession of drugs and stolen mail from Capay was found in their vehicle. K-9 Blaze also helped arrest 35-year-old Brandon Garry, of Red Bluff, who was wanted by parole. Garry was in possession of drugs and paraphernalia. All suspects were booked into the Tehama County Jail. Photo: The Washington Post/Getty Images President Trump has made two major attempts (so far) to use his power to intimidate and control independent media. The second attempt was his intervention to deny Amazon a $10 billion Pentagon contract as retribution against the Washington Post. The first was ordering the Justice Department to block an AT&T merger, in order to punish CNN. And while the courts ultimately stymied the latter move, Trump is attempting to keep up public pressure on AT&T and its ownership of CNN, tweeting last night: Cant believe @ATT keeps the management after yet another @CNN ratings dive. Nobody watching, NO CREDIBILITY! Maybe they should make changes at AT&T? https://t.co/jdCLuNWEEQ Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2020 Trumps tweet attempts to connect CNNs alleged lack of credibility, which is Trumps way of saying that its message is not controlled by his loyalists, to its alleged bad ratings (which is not in fact correct) and thereby to AT&Ts management. The whole message would be totally inscrutable were it not for the extraordinarily damning scandal that is the predicate for his thuggish warning. CNN is a subject of Trumps obsessive anger. During the campaign, he publicly opposed its merger, a position that pointedly contrasted with his general indifference to antitrust issues and corporate consolidation. In the summer of 2017, a New York Times report on Trumps hatred for CNN included a pointed threat: White House advisers have discussed a potential point of leverage over their adversary, a senior administration official said: a pending merger between CNNs parent company, Time Warner, and AT&T. Last year, Jane Mayer reported that Trump attempted to carry out this very threat. The president called Gary Cohn, director of his National Economic Council, and ordered him to block the merger. After the meeting, Cohn told thenChief of Staff John Kelly he wouldnt follow the order. However, later that year, the Justice Department did block the merger, though it lost in court. After Mayers report, the House Judiciary Committee told the White House to turn over documents relating to the merger. The White House flatly refused. So if theres proof that Trump ordered the Justice Department to block the merger, that evidence is being withheld. But the publicly available reporting all fits a pattern that suggests Trump used antitrust enforcement against CNNs corporate owners as retribution for its coverage. And Trumps tweets suggest, even as the courts stymied him, that he is determined to keep up economic pressure on CNN. Three years into his presidency, he is not giving up on his Orban-like ambition to discipline and control independent media. Where things might stand after another five years is a question that ought to preoccupy those voters who wish to preserve American democracy. The U.S. transferred operation of the Panama Canal to the Panamanians 20 years ago this week, a move that ultimately fueled the canals expansion and opened Houston for larger container ships bringing in consumer goods and outgoing tankers laden with products including liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas. And now that larger ships are calling on Houston, local port officials and energy companies are lobbying Congress for funding to deepen and widen portions of the Houston Ship Channel. The growth that weve seen now that larger ships are able to go through the canal has really increased business into the Houston Ship Channel, Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther said. The expanded canal opened in 2016 to accommodate ships that measure 180 feet wide and 1,400 feet long, with hulls immersed up to 50 feet below the waterline. The Galveston Bay portion of the 52-mile Houston Ship Channel measures 530 feet wide, which must accommodate two ships traveling in opposite directions. The channels deepest portions can accept vessels with 45 feet of draft. On HoustonChronicle.com: Supersized Panama Canal could increase Houstons direct trade with Asia Port Houston and others are seeking to widen the Galveston Bay portion of the channel to 700 feet, and then deepen parts of the channels shallower upstream segments to accept ships with 45-foot drafts. While such projects take a notoriously long time, the Port of Houston Authority is hoping to accelerate this process by getting companies that operate fuel, LNG, chemical and other terminals along the waterway to help pay for the roughly $1 billion project. Energy companies are eager to participate as exports to Asia, using the canal as a faster path to the Pacific Ocean, are a growing segment of the sectors business, said Vincent DiCosimo, executive director of the Coalition for a Fair and Open Port, which advocates on behalf of the energy sector. Hydraulic fracturing unleashed a trove of natural gas that is being exported as liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas. The petrochemical boom has increased exports of plastic resins, particularly to Asia, where they are used to make packaging and consumer goods that are shipped back to the United States. All of this is occurring on larger ships that need more room in the ship channel, DiCosimo said. We want to work together and have this be the largest public-private project that the United States has ever had, DiCosimo said, and get it done in the next four to five years. The Panama Canal opened in 1914 with the U.S. operating it as a break-even endeavor. Viewed as a military asset, the U.S. government became less interested in its operation when Navy ships became too big to transit the canal, which was used to quickly move these ships between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, said Juan Sosa, a Houstonian who was Panamas ambassador to the United States from 1987 to 1989. In 1977, the two countries signed a treaty, ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1978, that created a path for Panama to take control of the canal and surrounding canal zone that was controlled by the United States. After the transfer at the end of 1999, Panamanians recognized the canal needed an update. They realized that the canal had limitations that could not grow and accept the cargo, the volume, that was expected by the new millenniums economy, said Sosa, who also co-founded the U.S.-Panama Business Council in 1994 to facilitate trade and investment between the two countries. Panama started operating the canal like a business, raising tolls to more competitive levels and adjusting that cost every few years based on demand and the global economy. In 2006, Panamanians voted to approve the third set of locks for the Panama Canal. The project ultimately cost $5.25 billion and was completed in 2016. The Panama Canal Authority has done a really good job of taking over and moving (the canal) forward, said Jim Kruse, director of the Center for Ports and Waterways at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. The Port of Houston Authority has spent hundreds of millions of dollars since the early 2000s to prepare for larger container ships. Since 2016, the year the canal was expanded, containers received from East Asia have increased 61 percent and now represent 45 percent of all imported containers at Port Houston. But when container ships measuring longer than 1,100 feet arrived in 2018 prompting the Houston Pilots to restrict the ship channels typical two-way traffic to one-way for safety reasons as they gained experience guiding these larger vessels energy companies grew concerned about traffic jams. Companies including Enterprise Products, Targa Resources Corp. and Kinder Morgan formed the Coalition for a Fair and Open Port. On HoustonChronicle.com: Lawmakers add potential hurdles to large container ships This coalition successfully lobbied state lawmakers to pass legislation mandating two-way traffic in the ship channel and adding new requirements for vessels longer than 1,100 feet, permitting them only if they can be moved with efficient two-way traffic. In addition, larger ships requests to call on Houston must go through two public hearings and gain approval of 80 percent of Houston pilots. Houston pilots, who guide vessels in and out of the ship channel, are now moving container ships up to 1,096 feet long with two-way traffic (the other vessel can be up to 934 feet long) around the entrance to Galveston Bay. The Houston Ship Channel has not had ships longer than 1,100 feet since the law took effect Sept. 1. Both the Port Authority and the coalition have since turned their focus to Congress. The Port Authority has committed $28 million to begin engineering and design work for deepening and widening the channel. It hopes to have a completed design later this year, when Congress is expected to review and consider authorizing the project. With the Port Authority obligated to pay 35 percent of the projects cost and industry also expected to pay a substantial portion, port and company officials hope that Congress will appropriate money quickly. Kruse agreed with the ports plans and efforts to accelerate the work. Historically, these projects have required more than 10 years to get completed. The business needs it now, Kruse said. And every day youre constricting your business, youre losing money or driving it to another area or some other region of the world, possibly. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/a_leinfelder SpendEdge, a leading provider of procurement market intelligence solutions, has announced the completion of their latest article on the procurement best practices for the medical packaging market This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005041/en/ The medical packaging market is expected to show substantial growth in the next few years. Factors such as increasing life expectancy rates, growth of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and health science industries, and the development of newer drugs are driving the growth of the market. However, companies need to meet strict quality and compliance requirements while ensuring on-demand availability to ensure sustainability in the medical packaging market. At SpendEdge, we understand the dynamics of the medical packaging market. And to help you stay ahead of the curve, we have highlighted procurement best practices for the medical packaging market. Procurement Best Practices for the Medical Packaging Market Analyze prices Understanding the price behaviors of underlying raw materials and intermediates is critical for companies in the medical packaging market to reduce production costs. They should assure the quality, capacity, capability, and financial viability of suppliers and consider shifting their production bases to best cost sourcing locations. Want to gain pricing insights to minimize the production costs? Request free platform access to access our smart procurement solutions and 1000+ procurement reports Purchase timing Purchase timing is another crucial aspect that companies need to consider while sourcing medical packaging materials. They need to keep a regular watch on inventory levels and find the right time for sourcing. The supply-demand scenario must be analyzed and lead time with suppliers must be effectively negotiated to reduce the timeline for repeat orders. To know how you develop supplier negotiation strategies, get in touch with our experts now! Assess suppliers Usually, companies in the medical packaging market are confined to a limited number of suppliers due to the strategic nature of the item. Therefore, it becomes paramount for companies to improve the sourcing process and validate purchase requisitions to reduce transactional processing time. To gain more insights into the procurement best practices for the medical packaging market, read the complete article here! You may also like: Global Pharmaceutical Formulation Market Procurement Intelligence Report Supply Market Intelligence Allows a Leading Durable Medical Equipment Client to Achieve Annual Savings of $17 Million State of the Nation: 2020 US Healthcare Supply Chain Predictions and Why they Matter About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Want to gain detailed insights? https://www.spendedge.com/get-more-info View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005041/en/ Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 984 7340 UK: +44 148 459 9299 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SEATTLE - Amazon has warned at least two employees who publicly criticized the company's environmental policies that they could be fired for future violations of its communications policy. A lawyer in the e-commerce giant's employee-relations group sent a letter to two workers quoted in an October Washington Post report, accusing them of violating the company's external communications policy. An email sent to Maren Costa, a principal user-experience designer at the company, and reviewed by The Post warned that future infractions could "result in formal corrective action, up to and including termination of your employment with Amazon." The lawyer in the human resources group, Eric Sjoding, advised Costa in the Nov. 22 email to "review the policy again and in the future anytime you may consider speaking about Amazon's business in a public forum." On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas among top states in country to cut funds to environmental agencies (Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Costa and Jamie Kowalski, an Amazon software development engineer, told The Post in a joint statement in October that the company is contributing to climate change as its cloud computing business aids oil- and gas-company exploration. Costa also met with Amazon's human resources department to discuss the matter in October. "It was scary to be called into a meeting like that, and then to be given a follow-up email saying that if I continued to speak up, I could be fired," Costa said via email, referring to Amazon's warnings to her. "But I spoke up because I'm terrified by the harm the climate crisis is already causing, and I fear for my children's future." Costa said she will not be silenced. "It's our moral responsibility to speak up - regardless of Amazon's attempt to censor us - especially when climate poses such an unprecedented threat to humanity," Costa wrote. Kowalski acknowledged receiving a similar letter from Sjoding but declined to comment on it. A third worker, Emily Cunningham, said that she was informed in a separate meeting that she had violated the company's policies after speaking out on social media and to news organizations about Amazon's climate impact. Amazon's external communications policy "is not new and we believe is similar to other large companies," company spokeswoman Jaci Anderson said in a statement. In response to whether Amazon was trying to stifle workers, Anderson said employees are "encouraged to work within their teams," including by "suggesting improvements to how we operate through those internal channels." Tech workers have recently become more outspoken about concerns over their employers' policies. During a Sept. 20 protest, thousands of Amazon employees walked out and criticized the company's climate policies and practices. In November 2018, thousands of Google employees walked off the job to protest of the company's handling of sexual harassment claims. Workers at Google, Amazon and Microsoft have spoken out in criticism of facial-recognition technology from their companies, fearing misuse by law enforcement and other government agencies. As a result, some of those companies are attempting to crack down. Some Google employees have alleged they were recently fired in retaliation for their public criticism of the company's policies and their attempts to organize. Google said the firings were a result of violations of its policies around accessing and sharing internal documents and calendars and has denied they were retaliatory. On Sept. 5, a day after an employee climate group emailed colleagues about the Sept. 20 walkout, Amazon updated its communications policy to create "a more streamlined and user-friendly way to request PR approval to participate in external activities," according to a notification on the company's internal website viewed by The Post. The policy requires a "business justification" for any communications and notes that approval could take up to two weeks. STAY INFORMED: Get all the news you need to know to start your day delivered to your inbox The earlier version of the policy, which had not been routinely enforced with activist employees, required workers to request approval via email from senior vice presidents to comment publicly. The update requires permission from lower-level executives and can be sought via an intranet page, a change Amazon's Anderson said makes its easier for employees to give speeches and grant media interviews. "As with any company policy, employees may receive a notification from our HR team if we learn of an instance where a policy is not being followed," Anderson said. The day before the walkout, Bezos held a news conference agreeing to measure and report Amazon's emissions on a regular basis and meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement 10 years early. Critics said at the time that the commitments lack accountability and transparency. Three weeks after, Amazon released a new policy statement outlining its positions on a variety of hot-button issues for which it has faced criticism, including an acknowledgment that it would continue to work with the energy industry. "While our positions are carefully considered and deeply held, there is much room for healthy debate and differing opinions," the company wrote at the time. Costas and Kowalski's initial comments to The Post addressed that new policy statement. All three employees are members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, a group that has called on the company to commit to being carbon neutral by 2030, to end cloud computing contracts that help energy companies accelerate oil and gas extraction, and to stop funding politicians and lobbyists who deny climate change. Amazon also has a social media policy that allows workers to post missives as long as they do not disclose confidential business information. Workers also are supposed to note that they are expressing their own opinions, not the company's. Anderson said that policy is part of its overall communications rules, not separate from them. Cunningham, a user-experience designer, said she was informed in an October meeting with a human resources executive that she had violated the company's recently updated policy. Cunningham criticized Amazon's environmental policy at the company's shareholder meeting in May, and on social media and in news reports she has condemned Amazon's work with oil and gas companies. In an email, Cunningham wrote that the human resources meeting was frightening, adding that it also made her sad and angry, given the threat of climate change. "It was a clear attempt to silence me and other workers who have been speaking out about the climate crisis," Cunningham said. Costa wrote that she understands that she cannot discuss confidential business information but that she believes she has an obligation to speak out about the causes of climate change and how to address them. Amazon's efforts to silence employees' criticism of its practices are damaging morale, she said. "I've had colleagues, many of them very senior and tenured, say how disappointed they are - that this isn't the company they thought they were working for," Costa wrote. The logo of Samsung Electronics is seen at its office building in Seoul SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics <005930.KS> partly halted some semiconductor production at its Hwaseong chip complex in South Korea after about a minute-long blackout on Tuesday afternoon, the company said on Wednesday. Some DRAM and NAND flash chip production lines were stopped after electricity was cut due to a problem with a regional power transmission cable, and a full recovery is expected in about two to three days, Yonhap reported earlier on Tuesday, citing industry sources. Samsung, the world's top memory chip maker, is inspecting the production lines for a restart, and the extent of the losses is under investigation, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. The incident likely caused millions of dollars in losses, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said, but added that there was no major damage. The source declined to be identified as the exact extent of the damage was not yet public. A half-hour power outage at Samsung's Pyeongtaek chip plant in 2018 resulted in estimated losses of about 50 billion won ($43.32 million) according to Yonhap. The incident could help curb the increase of Samsung Electronics' large chip inventory, Yonhap said, citing an analyst. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Writing by Joyce Lee; Editing by Kim Coghill) New South Wales premier declares seven-day state of emergency as fire conditions expected to deteriorate on Saturday. Thousands of people, including many tourists, fled Australias wildfire-ravaged eastern coast on Thursday in the face of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. Cooler weather since Tuesday has aided firefighting and allowed people to replenish supplies. Vehicles formed long lines at gas stations and supermarkets, and traffic was gridlocked as highways reopened. But fire conditions were expected to deteriorate on Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds return. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a seven-day state of emergency beginning on Friday which allows for forced evacuations for the third time in Australias most populated region this fire season. We dont take these decisions lightly but we also want to make sure were taking every single precaution to be prepared for what could be a horrible day on Saturday, she said. New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said there was every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw (on Tuesday). Authorities said at least 381 homes had been destroyed on the southern coast of New South Wales this week. On Wednesday, it was also reported that the death toll in the bushfires had reached 12 since the fires broke out. Meanwhile, Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said there are significant fears for 17 people who remain missing on Thursday. New South Wales mass relocation Reports say there are more than 200 fires currently burning in the countrys two most-populous states of New South Wales and Victoria. New South Wales authorities ordered tourists on Thursday morning to leave a 250-kilometre (155 miles) zone along the picturesque south coast. State Transport Minister Andrew Constance said it is the largest mass relocation of people out of the region that weve ever seen. In Victoria, where 68 homes have burned this week, the military was helping thousands of people who fled to the shore as a wildfire threatened their homes on Tuesday in the coastal town of Mallacoota. Food, water, fuel and medical expertise were being delivered and about 500 people were going to be evacuated from the town on a naval ship. We think around 3,000 tourists and 1,000 locals are there. Not all of those will want to leave, not all can get on the vessel at one time, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Fire-ravaged Australia has launched an operation to reach thousands of people stranded in seaside towns after deadly bushfires ripped through popular tourist areas on New Years Eve [Saeed Khan/[AFP] The early and devastating start to Australias summer wildfires has led authorities to rate this season the worst on record. About five million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned, with at least 17 people dead and more than 1,300 homes destroyed. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the crisis was likely to last for months. It (fires) will continue to go on until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months, Morrison told reporters on Thursday. Smoke from the wildfires caused the air quality in the national capital, Canberra, to be the worlds worst and was blowing into New Zealand, thousands of kilometres away. The acrid-smelling smoke first appeared early Wednesday when in many areas the sun appeared as either a red or golden orb, depending on the thickness of the haze. Smoke which has travelled around 2,000km (approximately 1,243 miles) across the Tasman Sea can clearly be seen, New Zealands official forecaster MetService tweeted. Visibility in the smoke haze is as low as 10km in the worst affected areas. An anonymous Russian benefactor has paid $60,000 in medical fees so that a Florida girl with a 'Batman mask' birth mark can complete pioneering treatment to cure her condition. "Santa must be Russian," the child's mother Carol Fenner said after being told about the 'amazing generosity' over Christmas. Her baby Luna, nine months old, has been receiving treatment in the Russian city of Krasnodar which is gradually removing her giant birthmark using specialist photodynamic therapy The wealthy Russian man has already paid the outstanding amount to the clinic, enabling her therapy to continue in January. The clinic called Carol over the holiday to tell her the amazing news. The money was paid over on Christmas Day. Deputy chief doctor of the Krasnodar clinic Andrey Aleksutkin said the benefactor had insisted on remaining anonymous. 'We have received a $60,000 transfer from a Russian benefactor,' he said. 'According to agreement we cannot reveal his name. But I can say we have received the transfer to our account on 25 December and our accountant has confirmed it," Daily Mail cited the doctor as saying. The girl and her mother are currently in Florida for a vacation break and due to return to Russia early next year. The full treatment will take one and a half years. Sam Greenspan, a former producer at NPR, released the first episode of his new podcast, Bellwether, in July. The name of the show, Greenspan says, stems from a practice dating to the Middle Ages in which shepherds tie a bell around the neck of a castrated ram (the wether), and track their flock by following the sound. So a bellwether is something that predicts trends, or is itself a trendsetter, he says. On the show, Greenspan reports absolutely true stories, not unlike those he used to do at NPR, about subjects such as alt-right trolls and artificial intelligence. But then Greenspan does something peculiarhe imagines that these broadcasts have been discovered by two data archaeologistsIcarus, a human, and Cass, an AIin some far-flung future. Theyre government subcontractors of something called the Cloudburst Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Greenspan explains. And on their first day on the job, the first thing that comes down the hatch is this old podcast, Bellwether, and theyre looking at it to see if it holds clues to what happened to their world. ICYMI: 20 for 2020 Greenspans show is an exercise in speculative journalism: writers take verifiable facts or news stories and, from them, extrapolate what might happen in the nearand sometimes not so nearfuture. Where Greenspan differs from many of his colleagues is that he does the journalism part himself. Bellwether, he says, has all the challenges of a narrative nonfiction podcast, and all of the challenges of a fictional serial. he says. The shows first episode, about autonomous vehicles, grew out of a story Greenspan did at 99% Invisible, a celebrated design and architecture podcast for which he was a founding producer. For the episode, Greenspan drove to Tempe, Arizona, to visit the precise spot where pedestrian Elaine Herzberg was struck and killed by a self-driving car, the first such fatality in history; he also interviewed experts from Carnegie Mellon and the National Transportation Safety Board, among others. For the fictional component, Greenspan spent six weeks in the Mojave Desert, at the Joshua Tree Highlands Artists residency. Surrounded by coyotes and painters and empty spaces, he came up with the idea of the two data archaeologists. Only Cass is voiced, by Sunita Mani of Glow and Orange is the New Black. (A real get, says Greenspan.) Icarus speaks only through clicks and tones, a la R2-D2. Writing dialogue is hard, Greenspan says. Also, I didnt know if I could afford two actors. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Greenspan is currently working on the next three episodes of Bellwether, and hopes to release all four together in early 2020. The reported stories are pretty much done, he says, so now he needs to work on the fictional elements. He also hopes to kick off a newsletter roundup of the best of the speculative journalism genre. There are journalists and journalism outfits that engage in speculation all the time, without calling it such. I think we need a better practice around it, to make sure that were doing it responsibly and ethically. This year, news outlets have embraced speculative journalism in a number of creative ways. In May, The New York Times launched Op-Eds From the Future, an ongoing series with contributors including Cory Doctorow and Ted Chiang, and titles like Should You Add a Microchip to Your Brain? and Earth Must Intervene in Space Company Towns. On a journalism-speculation spectrum, Bellwether skews toward the journalism; the Times series does the opposite, clearly labeling each article as a work of fiction. Even so, speculations in the Times pieces are very much based in fact. For a piece on how artificial intelligence might impact the US of 2043, the Times sought out Baobao Zhang, a researcher with the Center for the Governance of AI at Oxford and a postdoctoral fellow in MITs political science department. Zhangs op-ed imagines how the increasing dominance of AI will help humans (reduced health care costs; the imminent possibility of Universal Basic Income) as well as hurt them (massive income inequality; autonomous drones dropping pepper spray on unruly protesters). For Zhang, this sort of speculative work can be an important tool for social scientists like herself. I think science fiction is a powerful medium to convey complex policy debates, she says. We still talk about, say, 1984, as what a surveillance state would look like. Its totally a science-fiction book, but its become ingrained in our imagination. In August, High Country News published a Speculative Journalism issue imagining what the West might look like in 2068. (Spoiler alert: there will be fewer glaciers, and a lot more feces-eating soldier flies). The issue grew out of an editorial meeting about how to cover the contents of the 1,515-page Fourth National Climate Assessment. Few if any of their readers were going to plow through the actual report, staffers figured, and many knew a lot about climate change anyway, given the number of articles the magazine and its website had already devoted to the topic. I think we realized that we were all hitting climate-coverage fatigue, says Brian Calvert, the editor in chief. So it was like, how do we use this information in an interesting way, thats still useful to readers of a magazine thats known for deep-dive journalism? Calvert and his staff leaned to the journalism side of the special issue as a practical consideration. We didnt suddenly have to become short-story writers, he said. We could just imagine ourselves as journalists in the future, and sort of write in a way that were used to. To its proponents, speculative journalism is one more valuable tool in a journalists toolbox, allowing readers to better understand otherwise unfathomable issues and to see, through vivid fictions, the sorts of futures hinted at in research papers. To its critics, it is, at best, lazy journalism, if it is journalism at all. In a 2018 New York Times op-ed, Christy Wampole, a professor of French literature at Princeton University, described speculative journalism as reporters and editors making guesses at what might happen rather than reporting what did happen. Such guesswork might mitigate risk for journalists, writes Wampole, or it might form the basis for fake news stories and conspiracy theories; as she admits, with humor, she herself is speculating. Greenspan stresses the need for clear lines around the genre, particularly given how much speculating goes on among journalists and commentators every day. He imagines a ranking system and accuracy score for pundits on CNN; scores like 30-percent accurate, would appear alongside their job titles. There are journalists and journalism outfits that engage in speculation all the time, without calling it such, he says. I think we need a better practice around it, to make sure that were doing it responsibly and ethically. Despite its dangers, Greenspan sees the value of speculative journalisms mix of the true and the fanciful. I think the goal should be to use fiction or sci-fi to tell a better true story, he says. And Im taking seriously the kind of emotional impact these stories have on people. By introducing even just the slightest amount of something fantastical, it gives your audience permission to have their minds wander a bit from what we know to be true, and really opens up this window into possibility and hope. RECENTLY: In Spain, energy company buys covers of newspapers ahead of climate conference Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Robert Ito is a journalist based in Los Angeles. He has written for Salon, The Believer, and The California Sunday Magazine, and is a frequent contributor to The New York Times. ATLANTAWhen Marty Moran looks at the reworked U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal, he sees sewing thread and Transportation Security Administration uniforms. Thats because the tentative pact would make it tougher for suppliers outside of North America to skirt import duties and includes a provision tightening Buy American rules for the TSA and its nearly 50,000 employees. It opens more doors for products to stay here in the U.S. that have to have U.S. yarn in them, said Moran, chief executive of Buhler Yarns, a Korean yarn-spinning company with a facility near Athens, Georgia. The USMCA was finalized by President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in mid-December. It recently sailed through the U.S. House with all 14 Georgia lawmakers lending their support and is poised to be considered by the Senate in early 2020. Perhaps the biggest impact of the deal is averting the potential for economic calamity had the U.S. withdrawn from the current North American Free Trade Agreement without a replacement in place, supporters said. Early in his presidency, Trump planned to withdraw from NAFTA, a pact he had called a total disaster, until his top advisers convinced him to renegotiate first. The USMCA removes a great deal of uncertainty in terms of trade with two of our largest trading partners, and thats a very positive development, said Roy Bowen, president of the Georgia Association of Manufacturers. Local proponents also think the revised pact will bring modest gains to some of Georgias top industries including agriculture, textiles and manufacturing by bolstering access to some of Canadas tightly controlled markets, cracking down on labour standards in Mexico and limiting how many component parts of a product can be imported from outside North America. In the 26 years since its been in effect, NAFTA has helped remake Georgias economy. While many factory jobs and towns took hits, it helped provide incentives that created tens of thousands of new jobs in transportation, shipping, warehousing and delivery. Canada and Mexico are now Georgias top two export markets. Local farmers are expecting a small increase of dairy, egg and peanut exports with the raising of previous Canadian quotas. Ditto for poultry, by far Georgias largest agricultural export, valued at more than $850 million in 2018. Mexico and Canada are Georgias one and two markets for chicken exports, so any time you can get any concession even if its only a modest concession to do more on some of those larger commodities is great for us, said Tripp Cofield, national policy counsel at the Georgia Farm Bureau. The USMCA hasnt been as well-received among Georgia produce farmers who were seeking extra protections from cheap Mexican imports. Groups such as the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association had lobbied for easier ways to fight back against the dumping of cheap produce like berries and squash, but their proposal was dropped during negotiations. After the agreement was announced, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black said he remained concerned about unbridled access to our markets for Mexican fruits and vegetables. At the same time, Black and others suggested additional help might be on the way. I am optimistic that enhanced federal monitoring of trade practices and food safety will mitigate some of these concerns, Black said. U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, a senior member on the House Agriculture Committee, said U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer has committed to addressing my concerns on produce but did not elaborate further. Georgia business groups including the Georgia Chamber support USMCA, even though the chambers president said he was concerned by the lack of new produce protections and the removal of intellectual property provisions. In the short term, the USMCA could mean fewer goods from China and other Asian countries making it into larger products manufactured in North America. Many Georgia industries cheered such language tightening country-of-origin provisions, which are designed to ensure that more component parts of goods from cars to textiles are made in the U.S., Mexico and Canada in order to qualify as duty-free. That could lead to increased demand for local makers of car parts, according to Bowen of the Georgia Association of Manufacturers. The reworked trade deal also requires a higher percentage of auto workers to earn higher wages good news for U.S. workers, who were losing work to cheaper Mexican laborers. But both provisions could increase costs for foreign car manufacturers like South Koreas Kia Motors, which often buy parts from outside North America. Kia operates an assembly plant in West Point, Georgia, and also relies on a large factory in Mexico. A Kia spokesperson declined to comment on the USMCA until we have a greater understanding of what is being proposed. At Buhler, Moran sees similar language included for textiles benefiting his company. His Jefferson, Ga.-based plant employs 165 and spins specialized fibers such as Supima cotton, lyocell and modal into yarns that are eventually turned into high-end clothing. The company has embraced automation and new technology to stay competitive. A new USMCA provision requiring a higher percentage of the smaller component parts of a garment including thread, pocketing and elastics to be sourced from North America could create even more business, Moran said. Read more about: Days after Carlos Ghosns dramatic flight from Japan to Lebanon, investigators are scrambling to retrace the steps of the disgraced car industry titan, whose lawyer once argued he was too famous to have any chance of escaping undetected. Japanese media said investigators raided the former Nissan chiefs Tokyo residence on Thursday, searching for clues to the circumstances of a daring escape that has shocked Japan and prompted Interpol to send out an arrest warrant for the former Nissan chief. One of the worlds most prominent businessmen, Ghosn became Japan's most famous fugitive on this week as he revealed he had jumped bail and fled to Lebanon to escape what he called a "rigged" justice system. The disgraced executive, who faces multiple charges of financial misconduct that he denies, had won bail in April albeit with strict conditions including a ban on overseas travel and severely restricted use of the Internet and other communications. But he managed to slip out of Japan on Sunday despite having surrendered his French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports to his lawyers who swear they are still in possession of the travel documents. How exactly Ghosn fled surveillance and popped up in Lebanon, and who helped him along the way, remains unclear, with the fugitive promising to give his version of events in a press conference in Beirut next week. Months of planning According to the Wall Street Journal, Ghosns escape followed months of planning by associates and involved the help of several accomplices based in Japan. The former executive is believed to have left Japan on board a private jet that left Kansai international airport, a six-hour drive from Tokyo, at 11:10pm on Sunday and landed at Istanbuls Ataturk airport the next morning. The WSJ said a smaller jet operated by Turkish company Jet Havacilik took off from the same airport 30 minutes later bound for Lebanon. According to Swedish website Flightradar24, which monitors international flights, a private jet believed to be the one carrying Ghosn landed at Beiruts Rafic Hariri Airport on December 30 shortly after 4am local time. Story continues Ghosn went public about his dramatic flight the next day, stating that he would no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed. Hidden in a box? Japans government has yet to comment publicly on Ghosns flight, with government offices shut all week for the New Year holiday. Meanwhile, colourful rumours have emerged regarding the exact circumstances of his escape from his Tokyo home, where he was under 24-hour camera surveillance. According to the most widely circulated theory, first mooted by Lebanese television channel MTV, the former Nissan boss was whisked out of his Tokyo residence inside a wooden case for a musical instrument a Hollywood movie-style operation that reportedly involved the assistance of former special forces officers posing as musicians. While Ghosns wife has dismissed this version of events as fiction, Japans NHK news channel suggested it would have been possible for Ghosn to skip passport controls at Kansai airport by hiding in luggage. Private jet passengers are not exempt from passport controls, but their luggage is only scanned on a case-by-case basis, the Japanese broadcaster noted, citing aviation sources. Spare passport While there is no emigration data showing Ghosn's departure from Japan, NHK reported on Thursday that Japanese authorities had allowed him to carry a spare French passport in a locked case while out on bail. That could explain how Ghosn was able to enter Lebanon legally, as officials in Beirut have said, using a French passport. However, the spare passport appears not to have been used during Ghosns brief transit on Turkish soil, with Turkish daily Hurriyet reporting that Ghosn was smuggled on board the second plane without being registered. Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency said Thursday that Turkish authorities had detained seven people as part of an investigation into Ghosns transit through Istanbul. The private DHA news agency said those detained included four pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. Interpol steps in In Lebanon, the foreign ministry has denied claims that Lebanese officials played a part in the tycoons escape to Beirut, where Ghosn, whose parents were Lebanese, enjoys political cover and the patronage of elites. Earlier this week, the Guardian quoted a senior Lebanese politician as saying that state officials had been instructed to ignore arrival formalities for Ghosn at Beiruts international airport. Justice Minister Albert Serhan confirmed on Thursday that Lebanon had received an international wanted notice from Interpol for the former Nissan chair, adding that the countrys prosecution would carry out its duties. But he pointed out that Lebanon and Japan do not have an extradition treaty, ruling out the possibility that Beirut would hand Ghosn over to Japan. Earlier in the day, a junior minister in the French government also ruled out extraditing Ghosn, who led Nissans French partner Renault prior to his arrest, adding that France never extradites its nationals. Bridges burnt Investigators must now wait until next week for what could be the definitive account of Ghosns escape, with his entourage saying he will give a press conference on Wednesday. But one thing is certain: By jumping bail, Ghosn, who had long insisted on his innocence, will not be able to return to Japan the country where he first built his reputation as Nissans saviour without going to jail. So he now has burnt his bridges to Japan, Stephen Givens, a lawyer and expert on Japan's legal and corporate systems, told the Associated Press. This is going to end in basically a stalemate with him spending the rest of his life in Lebanon." Nor can Ghosns trial proceed without him, said FRANCE 24s correspondent in Tokyo, Constantin Simon, noting that Japans legal system rules out trials in absentia. And given that there is no extradition treaty between the two countries, this means there will be no Carlos Ghosn trial here in Japan, Simon added. Illinois' first day of legal recreational marijuana generated nearly $3.2million in sales from more than 77,000 transactions, including one by the second-most powerful official in the state, it was announced on Thursday. There were 77,128 transactions on New Year's Day, when the law legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes took effect, according to Toi Hutchinson, senior adviser to Governor J.B. Pritzker on cannabis control. Dispensaries reported long lines the first day of sales and expected them to continue through the weekend. 'Those lines actually show there's an incredible opportunity to grow this industry,' Hutchinson told reporters Thursday in Chicago. 'There's new room for new people to come in.' Long lines formed outside three dozen dispensaries in Illinois as the state began selling recreational pot for the first time. Pictured: Customers wait in line outside Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary in Chicago to purchase recreational marijuana on January 1 The law allows Illinoisans to have up to 30 grams of cannabis flower and up to five grams (0.17 ounces) of cannabis concentrate. Pictured: A long line of people wait to purchase recreational marijuana at Sunnyside dispensary in Chicago on January 1 Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton reacts after purchasing recreational marijuana at Sunnyside dispensary on Wednesday in Chicago By comparison, neighboring Michigan, which made recreational marijuana legal starting December 1, generated $3.1million in the first two weeks of sales. First-day sales in Colorado, the first state to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, were over $1million on January 1, 2014. Hutchinson said Thursday marked 'phase two' of the Illinois legalization law, with the day being a deadline for applicants under the so-called social equity provisions of the law to apply. Designed to help minority applicants who've been most adversely affected by law enforcement efforts to fight the drug, the provisions include ways for qualified applicants to pay lower licensing fees and get business loans and technical assistance. Also under the law, some marijuana sales revenue will be earmarked for neighborhood development grants, and low-level marijuana convictions will be expunged. Pritzker granted more than 11,000 such pardons Tuesday. People began lining up on Wednesday at 6am, the earliest that Illinois' new law allowed such sales. Many people waited in lines outside dispensaries for up to three hours. Pictured: Customers wait in line outside Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary in Chicago to purchase recreational marijuana on January 1 Cannabis sales could generate $250 million for Illinois by 2022, according to estimates by state officials. Pictured: Customers show their purchases after shopping at Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary in Chicago on January 1 Governor JB Pritzker also granted more than 11,000 pardons for cannabis convictions. Pictured: Customers shop for recreational marijuana at Dispensary 33 in Chicago on January 1 A food truck sits outside the Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary as customers wait in line to buy marijuana on Wednesday Among those who bought on the first day was Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton who purchased edible gummies in Chicago. 'I'm here to celebrate a big day in Illinois,' Stratton said. THE STATE OF MARIJUANA IN 2020 Currently, recreational marijuana is legal in 11 states and Washington, DC. Meanwhile, medical marijuana has been legalized in 33 states and DC. To get medical marijuana, users need a written recommendation from their doctor, while recreational marijuana can be grown or bought at dispensaries. Medical marijuana states: Arizona Arkansas Connecticut Delaware Florida Hawaii Louisiana Maryland Minnesota Missouri Montana New Hampshire New Mexico New Jersey New York North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania Rhode Island Utah West Virginia Recreational and medical marijuana states: Alaska California Colorado Illinois Maine Massachusetts Michigan Nevada Oregon Vermont Washington Washington, DC Advertisement Illinois already allowed medical marijuana, but it is now the 11th state to allow its use and sale for recreational purposes. The law approved by the Democratic-controlled Legislature and signed by Pritzker allows people 21 or older to possess of up to 30 grams (1.06 ounces) of cannabis flower and up to 5 grams (0.17 ounces) of cannabis concentrate. Pamela Althoff, executive director of the Springfield-based Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, said she spent much of Wednesday morning in Chicago and its northwestern suburbs. She said wait times of up to three hours were getting shorter as the day progressed. 'It has been joyous and well-run,' she said. 'People are extraordinarily courteous and civil.' Police were on-hand at most shops mostly to control traffic. Althoff cautioned that recreational marijuana may not be consumed in public and added that like all new products, it may be a little expensive. 'We hope that down the line it will become less expensive,' she said. 'The message from the industry is not promoting or opposing, it's the state of Illinois made it legal and we're here to provide a safe and a quality product for those who wish to consume.' In Illinois, nearly three dozen dispensaries have been issued licenses to sell recreational marijuana. State officials said up to 75 additional licenses will be granted by May. Cannabis sales could generate $250million for Illinois by 2022, according to estimates by state officials. But not everyone is on board. A national alliance that opposes marijuana legalization believes marijuana commercialization is a bad idea. 'In the end, big pot only cares about being able to peddle its addictive, highly potent products in disadvantaged communities as it takes its playbook from big tobacco,' said Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. 'This what we have seen in every single state that has gone down this road, and we have no reason to expect Illinois' experience to be any different.' FILE PHOTO: Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont shows a badge at the European Parliament in Brussels BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Brussels court has suspended the extradition of former Catalan pro-independence leader Carles Puigdemont, his lawyer said on Thursday. Paul Beckaert told Reuters that the Belgian judge in charge of the case had ruled in favour of Puigdemont and Toni Comin, another former member of the Catalan government, citing their immunity as members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The Belgian federal prosecutors office was not immediately available for comment. The pair are wanted in Spain on charges of sedition after organising a failed Catalan independence referendum in 2017 but Madrids three previous extradition requests have been refused. Another Catalan leader and MEP, former vice-president Oriol Junqueras, is serving a prison sentence for his role in the banned referendum. Last month, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) said that Junqueras was entitled to immunity since he was elected as a member of the European Parliament in May 2019, implying that Puigdemont and Comin should benefit from the same immunity. However it is still not clear whether they will be allowed to take their seats, despite receiving parliamentary accreditation in Brussels last month. Puigdemont cheered the suspension on Twitter and called on Spain to free Junqueras from prison. "Spain must act in the same way as Belgium has done and respect the law," he said in a tweet. On Monday Spain's state attorney recommended that the Supreme Court release Junqueras, in line with the ECJ ruling. The court is expected to give a ruling in the coming weeks. (The story corrects paragraph 6 to clarify that the ECJ ruling referred to Junqueras and to remove incorrect election date for Puigdemont and Comin) (Reporting by Jorrit Donner-Wittkopf in Brussels and Nathan Allen in Madrid; Editing by Giles Elgood) Apples Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature has made it difficult for online advertisers to use cookies to target Safari users based on their browsing habits, according to The Information, which cited data from The Rubicon Project. Third-party cookies serve as the foundation for almost all advertising use cases, noted Jordan Mitchell, head of consumer privacy, identity and data at the IAB Tech Lab. The blocking negatively affects the ability for brands to target audiences, and therefore the revenue earned by website properties, he told the E-Commerce Times. I think much of what were seeing is specifically focused on advertising retargeting and clamping down on the bad actors who are leveraging tracking techniques to execute more bad spray-and-pray tactics pretending to be personalization, suggested Constellation Research Principal Analyst Liz Miller. Serving me an ad that shows me the shoes I bought yesterday now, for a lower price, doesnt enhance the customer experience or foster trust and loyalty among customers, but it sure moves targeted ad units, she told the E-Commerce Times. The Scourge of Advertisers Safari users tend to be more affluent, and thus more attractive to users. Safari claimed nearly 53 percent of the mobile browser market in the U.S. last month, while Google Chromes share was about 40 percent. Only about 9 percent of iPhone Safari users allowed outside companies to track their activity on the Web, versus 79 percent of Google Chrome browser users, Nativo told The Information. Blocking tracking cookies has sent ad prices on Safari falling by more than 60 percent. Meanwhile, the cost of ads on the Google Chrome browser has risen slightly. However, Apple is not alone in blocking tracking cookies. Firefoxs Enhanced Tracking Protection blocks third-party cookies by default. Microsoft announced it will do the same with its Edge browser; and Google will add cookie blocking controls to its Chrome browser. This news of more hurdles and roadblocks to profit and margin isnt good for ad agencies, media firms and publishers, Constellations Miller remarked. Ad units are shrinking while ad costs are increasing by as much as 6 percent, so everything could start costing more. A D V E R T I S E M E N T That said, focusing on first-party data the data gleaned after getting permission from consumers is becoming more and more important to both advertisers and pubishers, observed Constellation Research Principal Analyst Nicole France. Apple, FireFox, and Microsoft have all figured out that their browser users expect to have better data privacy and protection, she told the E-Commerce Times. Successful businesses are starting to come to the same conclusion. Alternatives to Cookie Tracking Personalization will remain a key issue for both advertisers and the ad industry. Members of the Association of National Advertisers selected personalization as the ANA 2019 marketing word of the year. However, marketers should use caution with their personalization strategies and tactics because they might not be well received by consumers, advised the ANA, and because some believe that more personalization does not necessarily provide a better experience. Advertisers are turning from tracking cookies to contextual advertising and other technologies. Large-scale blocking of cookies, without a privacy-forward alternative for the industry, further undermines consumer privacy and results in unintended consequences, the IAB Tech Labs Mitchell cautioned. For example, its encouraged misdirected innovation around more opaque tracking techniques such as fingerprinting, which cannot be detected or controlled by the consumer, or used in ways that preserve and respect their privacy choices, he pointed out. Browser fingerprinting tracks Web browsers by the configuration and settings information they offer websites, creating profiles of consumers based on various factors. It is difficult to detect and thwart. If advertisers move to platforms such as Facebook, Google or Amazon, consumer privacy could take a huge hit. Amazon, Facebook and other platforms collect their own internal data from their customers, regardless of browser, so consumers might end up surrendering more of their online privacy than they might think, noted Keri Rhodes, marketing director at Etailz. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Amazon has seen explosive growth in its ad revenue over the last few years, she told the E-Commerce Times. More companies are taking their own search engine marketing knowledge and moving over to Amazon and Walmart through these companies software solutions. Tokens May Be the New Key The drive to limit tracking is accelerating marketing and advertising towards an alternative of tokenized networks where consumers are given more control over their data and what is shared in exchange for transparent value, Constellations Miller said. Such networks are blockchain-based, and create a trusted connection between advertiser, publisher and user. The IAB Tech Lab has issued a Proposal for Enhanced Accountability, which suggests the use of an encrypted, revocable token for ad delivery that builds consumer privacy into the fabric of the ad ecosystem. We are calling for collaboration across industries to rethink the HTTP cookie as the only technical mechanism available for storing and respecting consumer privacy settings, Mitchell said. Part of getting personalization right means understanding when, where and how to advertise in a way thats useful rather than invasive, France remarked. Thats where thoughtful advertisers and publishers can take the lead. About 100 paratroopers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were wheels up early Wednesday as the first elements of a battalion being sent to the Middle East amid an escalating confrontation with Iran. "This is why we exist," officials with the 82nd said in the unit's Twitter feed. The rapid response mission to U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility was ordered following Iran-backed militia members storming the perimeter of the Baghdad U.S. Embassy's heavily fortified "Green Zone." "Paratroopers have trained and prepared for events like these," the division said. "They are on the way." The initial contingent of about 100 division troops from what was expected to be a total deployment of about 750 boarded C-17 Globemaster aircraft in early morning darkness Wednesday. The destination of the first elements, from 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, was closely held. But Defense Secretary Mark Esper, in a statement Tuesday night, said the deployment on President Donald Trump's order was "in response to recent events in Iraq." Related: 100 Marines From Crisis Response Unit Sent to Secure Embassy in Iraq Earlier Tuesday, about 100 Marines in Kuwait from the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command boarded MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and flew to Baghdad's Green Zone to bolster embassy security. A U.S. official, speaking on background, said that the total deployment of Marines to embassy security would be "less than 200." In a flurry of tweets, and in remarks at the New Year's Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago Florida estate, Trump put the blame for the attacks on the Baghdad embassy on Iran and vowed that the developing situation on the ground "will not be a Benghazi. Benghazi should never have happened." He referred to the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and another U.S. facility in which Ambassador J. Christoper Stevens and three other Americans were killed. "It's been handled very well," Trump told reporters as he walked into New Year's Eve celebrations. "The Marines came in. We had some great warriors come in. They did a fantastic job. They were there instantaneously, as soon as we heard." "Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost or damage incurred at any of our facilities. The will pay a very BIG PRICE," Trump said in a following Twitter post. "This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!" In response, Ayatollah Ali Khameini, Iran's supreme leader, used his English-language Twitter account to dismiss Trump's charges and taunt him. "You can't do anything," Khameini said. "If you were logical -- which you're not -- you'd see that your crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan" and elsewhere "have made nations hate you." He said Iran does not seek war, but "If the Islamic Republic decides to challenge & fight, it will do so unequivocally." The U.S. has blamed Iranian-backed militias in Iraq who are aligned with the Iraqi military under the umbrella of the Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF) for a series of rocket attacks on U.S. bases in recent months. The latest rocket attack on a U.S. base near north-central Kirkuk Dec. 27 killed an American contractor and wounded four U.S. troops. In response, the U.S. launched airstrikes Dec. 29 on three locations in Iraq and two in Syria of the Kataib Hezbollah (KH) militia, which is part of the PMF. Following funerals in Baghdad Tuesday for those killed in the airstrikes, demonstrators chanting "Death to America" marched on the embassy, threw gasoline bombs and sought to scale the outer walls. There were no injuries to U.S. personnel and all were accounted for, said a U.S. official, speaking on background. In a "show of force," U.S. Apache attack helicopters flew over the embassy compound on Tuesday and dropped flares to deter the demonstrators. The demonstrators had pitched tents and vowed to remain, but withdrew Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Read More: New US Space Force Hub Renamed SPOC Hong Kong rioters go on rampage in protest on New Year's Day Global Times Source:Xinhua Published: 2020/1/1 23:45:47 Rioters took advantage of a protest to wreak havoc again in Hong Kong on New Year's Day, trashing an HSBC branch, setting fire on streets, and spray-painting insulting words on the outer wall of the High Court. At about 3:50 p.m. local time, a group of masked rioters smashed the glass door and damaged automated teller machines (ATMs) of a branch of HSBC bank on the Hennessy Road during a demonstration on the Hong Kong Island Wednesday afternoon. Violent protesters also poured red paint over a lion sculpture in front of the HSBC Headquarters in Central district. Some spray-painted the protective white planks at the entrance of an HSBC branch in the vicinity of Victoria Park. It was not the first time for Hong Kong's largest bank to be targeted by rioters. An HSBC branch in Mong Kok was trashed on the Christmas Eve. Some other businesses also fell victim to the violence on Wednesday. The glass door of a China Life Insurance building was destroyed, and a Bank of China branch was also vandalized. A Starbucks cafe was trashed and set on fire, and an outlet of Hui's Brothers Currency Exchange was painted with graffiti. According to the plan filed with the police, protesters first gathered at Victoria Park at noon before marching toward Chater Road as the destination. However, after the demonstration ended at about 5:30 p.m., some rioters still occupied the streets. At about 5:00 p.m. local time, rioters hurled petrol bombs at Luard Road and Hennessy Road, posing a grave threat to public safety. At about 6 p.m. local time, rioters set road barricades with debris and damaged the traffic lights in the vicinity of Des Voeux Road Central and Pedder Street. Violence showed no signs of abating in the evening as rioters vandalized public facilities in Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Central, with roads blocked and pavements destroyed. Some even set fire to banks and ATMs. As warnings went in vain, the police had to deploy the minimum necessary force, including tear gas and the Specialized Crowd Management Vehicle to disperse protesters. Five people involved in the vandalism of the HSBC branch were arrested for criminal damage. As one of the most stunning incidents on Wednesday, some rioters spray-painted words on the outer wall of the High Court to insult a judge. The police strongly condemned such an unlawful act which defies the spirit of the law and clarified the case as "criminal damage". The Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said personal attacks and insults against judges would severely undermine the authority of the courts and damage public confidence in the judicial system. A spokesperson of the HKSAR government called on participants in the procession to leave as soon as possible after arriving at the finishing point of the protest and not to participate in illegal and violent activities. The government has all along respected people's rights and freedoms to participate in peaceful processions and assemblies and express views rationally, the spokesperson said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The now-annual occasion of Gaeilge 24 in Colaiste Pobail Osrai was a huge success again this year. The event saw students attempt to speak only Irish for a full day, and being sponsored to do so, with proceeds going to the registered charity Conradh na Gaeilge. CnaG is the organisation which promotes the Irish language at home and abroad, and which has provided vital support to the school over the years through roadshows, workshops, resources and events. The organisation provided t-shirts and other resources for the event, which aims to encourage young people to use their national language both in and outside school. The Gaelbhratach committee, Transition Year students Aideen, Amie and Stephanie did a fantastic job of organising the event, which included language games and an Irish language quiz for two year groups on the day. The group distributed t-shirts, spot prizes and treats, and it proved to be a very enjoyable occasion for the students taking part. The Gaelbhratach Comittee now plan to conduct a survey with the participants to get feedback on how the day was run, all before they move on to their next big event in the new year! They wish to say a huge Go raibh mile maith agaibh to all involved. "There's no doubt people are justified in feeling angry, people are justified in feeling scared. A lot of people are feeling anxious, that's normal and we have to accept these emotions. "I don't begrudge anybody for feeling the way they do. Everybody reacts to very difficult circumstances differently, we have to accept that. Our job as leaders is to get resources where they need to be." Mr Morrison was forced to make a quick getaway into a government car after his visit to Cobargo, where locals heckled him and refused to shake his hand. Cobargo was where father and son Robert and Patrick Salway lost their lives this week, when fire roared through the area early on Tuesday morning, torching buildings in the town's historic main street. Mr Constance said the "only two people providing leadership in the state" were Ms Berejiklian and Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. "I know this is tough, and I know I'm on his side of politics. But, you know, [Premier] Gladys [Berejiklian] and [RFS Commissioner] Shane Fitzsimmons came here two days ago," Mr Constance said. Ms Berejiklian has worked every day of the fire crisis, visiting areas destroyed by the South Coast firestorm as well as being at RFS headquarters for regular briefings. Meanwhile, NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott and NSW Deputy Premier, John Barilaro, have been holidaying in London. Both are due to return on Friday or Saturday. Mr Constance said he would visit Cobargo later on Friday before arriving back in Malua Bay ahead of what are expected to be dire fire conditions on Saturday. People feeling raw: Morrison Mr Morrison told ABC News he went to Cobargo to "see it for myself, to offer what comfort I could, but you can't always in every circumstances". "I'm not surprised people are feeling very raw at the moment," Mr Morrison said. "I understand the very strong feelings people have. They've lost everything and there are still some very dangerous days ahead." He acknowledged the anger of bushfire victims who rounded on him in Cobargo but said he did not take the attacks personally because it was his job to offer comfort and support. Loading "People are angry and people are raw and people are upset," Mr Morrison said on Melbourne radio station 3AW on Friday morning. "Whether they are angry with me or they are angry about the situation, all I know is they are hurting and its my job to be there to try and offer some comfort and support. "That's my job. I don't take these things personally, why would I? "I know that people are hurting, I know that they're raw and I know what our job is and it's to work closely with the states and support them in everything they need and pre-empt their requests and ensure that our defence forces and other agencies are ready to go." Loading Asked about Mr Constances remark that he had received the welcome he "deserved" in Cobargo, Mr Morrison told 3AW radio host Neil Mitchell he had not seen those. Asked if he was confident he had done everything he could, the Prime Minister said it was the federal governments role to offer every assistance it could to the states. "But I do know people are angry and they'll often fixate on whether its the Prime Minister or someone else and I understand that, I understand the emotion, I understand the hurt, the anger, the frustration," he said. "And what we will do is just continue to offer use every resource and person we have to assist the situation". Loading Mr Morrison later played down any rift between himself and Mr Constance, saying he had "reached out to him" following his comments on Channel Seven. Mr Morrison said he had known Mr Constance "for a long time" and he had been through a "terrible, terrible experience and ordeal". "Andrew, like so many in that part of NSW - his neighbour lost his own property there, and he's been defending his own property there," Mr Morrison told reporters in Bairnsdale, eastern Victoria. "He's deeply part of that community. So I can understand how Andrew would be feeling at the moment. So I've reached out to him today, and offered that apology to him [for not being in contact]." Mr Morrison said he did not take angry interactions with community members "personally". "I just see it as a sense of frustration and hurt and loss and anger that is out there about what is the ferocity of these natural disasters." "If people want to direct that at me, that is up to them. It's not something that will distract me." Mr Morrison said he was reviewing whether to leave Australia as scheduled on January 12 for a long-scheduled official visit to India and Japan. He cut a family holiday to Hawaii short last month following the deaths of two volunteer firefighters after he was heavily criticised for leaving the country as the bushfire crisis worsened. Ex fire chief slams Morrison Former NSW Fire and Rescue commissioner Greg Mullins said the Prime Minister failed to prepare for the fire crisis after advice from former fire chiefs earlier this year was ignored. Speaking to ABC Radios Josh Szep on Friday, Mr Mullins said the federal government had been put on notice for this summers monster fire season. "This is what 28 other former fire chiefs and I tried to warn the PM about back in April or May. We werent listened to." The chiefs urged the federal government to deploy the army in a "more organised" fashion and to invest in firefighting aircraft. "All we have is seven large air tankers in Australia. [In California] they had 35 large air tankers working [the fires], plus dozens of helicopters." As well as long-term planning, the Prime Minister could be doing more while the fires were still raging, Mr Mullins said. "Our Prime Minister should be on the phone to [Canadian Prime Minister] Justin Trudeau right now and saying, 'We need 20 of your purpose-built water scoopers which are mothballed during your winter.' " Mr Mullins said hed never experienced conditions like those seen this week. "All states are starting to burn. When they burn simultaneously, we cant share firefighters, we cant share trucks." Dozens of prominent current and former officials, academics, and cultural figures in the Balkans have joined an online petition warning of regional "threats to peace" from Belgrade amid ongoing fallout from a new law on religion in neighboring Montenegro. The 120 initial signatories of the "Appeal Against Belgrades Threats To Peace In Montenegro And The Region" include former presidents of Croatia and Slovenia, as well as former Yugoslav leaders, three current Serbian lawmakers, and tens of journalists, among others. "We felt the need to remind ourselves of some of the things that happened in the 1990s and to point out that they are now happening in a similar scenario," Sonja Biserko, a signatory of the December 30 appeal and a founder and president of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, told RFE/RL's Balkan Service, in a reference to the bloodshed that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia. The passage last week in Montenegro's parliament of a new law on religion and faith that could result in the nationalization of church property has been bitterly opposed by the Serbian Orthodox Church, which still has a leading position among Montenegro's Orthodox believers and controls hundreds of churches and other sites. It also sparked sometimes violent protests by pro-Serbian Montenegrins, angry demonstrations among Serbs, and a heated confrontation in the Serbian parliament, where some lawmakers argued that the Serbian government was doing too little to defend the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. The Serbian Orthodox Church's Montenegrin arm, officially the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, has called the bill "discriminatory and unconstitutional" and said it clears a path to the "hijacking" of its property. After the open letter appeared on December 30, Serbian President Aleskandar Vucic responded on Serbian TV by encouraging calm and saying Belgrade was not to blame since it didn't have anything to do with the new law. Serbs, he said, have merely expressed concern for the position of Serbs and the Serbian church in Montenegro. A fellow former Yugoslav republic, Montenegro shared a unified state with Serbia until an independence referendum in 2006. "The Republic of Montenegro is a target of attempted destabilization by violent means: its peace, territorial integrity, constitutional order, the rule of law, citizens' equality, and equal status of all churches and religious communities are under threat," the public appeal argues. It went on to accuse "Serbian extreme nationalists" of "using [the new law] as yet another attempt at a coup d'etat." The top five also included Christmas trees in Vilnius, Prague, Strasbourg, and Cologne. Ukraine's main Christmas tree located at Kyiv's St. Sophia Square has entered the top five most beautiful Christmas trees in Europe, according to Brussels-based travel organization European Best Destinations. Read alsoUkrainian troops make "Christmas tree" of enemy ammo The top five also included Christmas trees in Vilnius, Prague, Strasbourg, and Cologne, Kyiv City State Administration's press service reported, referring to European Best Destinations. This year's Christmas tree in Ukraine is over 20 meters in height. It has about 1,000 various Christmas decorations, which are flickering in the light of illumination this year it was specially ordered to match the color of the domes of Kyiv's St. Sophia Cathedral, and four kilometers of colorful garlands. Large figures of toy nutcrackers and heroes from the animated series about Cossacks are guarding the Christmas tree. The organizers offer to "plunge" into the fabulous New Year story about the Nutcracker. Four kingdoms with ancient dolls, hundreds of bright lights, and decorations are arranged at Kyiv's St. Sophia Square with a special Christmas express running between the kingdoms. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) For decades, many Ilonggos in Mandurriao a district in Iloilo City left in search of better job opportunities in other cities or provinces. But now, Ilonggos are coming back to Mandurriao lured by new prospects for employment. A brand new business park stands on the site of the old provincial airport and it promises to generate thousands of jobs. Mandurriao is part of what's called the "next wave cities" places in the provinces where businesses are expanding as Metro Manila becomes more congested and expensive. At the new Iloilo Business Park, property developer Megaworld Corp. is investing P35 billion in the next 10 years. It's expected to create about 30,000 jobs from now till 2021. Next wave Jennifer Palmares-Fong, Iloilo Business Park Vice-President, said the old Mandurriao airport was memorable for her. At 17, she left her hometown, like many Ilonggos do, to study in Manila. "There weren't many opportunities back then for Ilonggos. Parents always worried that if their children didn't go to college in Manila, they wouldn't be able to get work there after," she said in an interview. Fong ended up staying in the country's capital for nearly two decades, graduating and finding work in the property industry. But when she was offered a job in the business park last year, she didn't have any second thoughts. "It's different to be home, to stay here in the place where you grew up, to witness the progress of your city," she said. She admitted, "I always knew I was going to go back to Iloilo. I just didn't think it would be this soon. I thought I would only return to retire." Other Ilonggos are starting to do the same, Fong said, as this once-sleepy town wakes up to an economic resurgence. Iloilo province is part of Western Visayas, which is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. The region's economy grew by 7.9% in 2015, far outpacing the 5.8% growth rate of the Philippines. Business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, in particular, have been the first movers. The industry regularly identifies "next wave cities" that can offer the same technology and workforce of the capital - minus the costs. Iloilo was tagged as one of the hot spots, and BPOs quickly set up shop there, according to Unionbank Executive Vice-President Genaro Lapez. And where BPOs go, others soon follow. "We wanted to serve the needs of our clients, and what we found out was that we needed to upgrade our presence there. That is why we decided to open our first ever Western Visayas regional hub in Iloilo," Lapez said in an interview. The Unionbank regional hub even offers services far more sophisticated than what branches in Manila have, he pointed out. Most of the companies in the Iloilo business park are either international businesses or locals targeting export markets, so the bank needed to offer multi-currency and cross-border transactions. Other than banks, malls, condominiums, hotels and a convention center also expanded to the business park, to serve the needs not just of the companies, but of the growing communities there. According to Jette Gamboa, Metrobank head of strategic planning: "If you believe in the growth story of the Philippines, and that growth story spans outside of the National Capital Region, then you will see a lot of benefit by establishing yourself in these key areas or 'growth areas' as we call them." Infrastructure is key Iloilo enjoyed several advantages in positioning itself as an economic centre. First, the national and local governments invested heavily in infrastructure that made it easier for businesses to come into the province. The Iloilo International Airport, completed in 2007, was key, Gamboa said. "That paved the way for investors both within and outside the country. There are actually direct flights now to Hong Kong and Singapore because of that airport," she pointed out. Major highways also connected the airport to the districts. According to Iloilo City Administrator Hernando Galvez, this helped spread investments from downtown to previously undeveloped areas like Jaro and Mandurriao. "Mandurriao is now a central business district with malls and call centers. But growing up, I still remember that those were just salt beds and grass fields," he said in an interview. As the new administration makes infrastructure the core of its agenda, Iloilo stands as an example of what exactly a construction boom could do to expand the capacity of an economy. "If you take it all together, infrastructure really is repositioning Iloilo itself not just to be a domestic hub, but it could really be a regional as in intra-ASEAN hub," Lapez said. Baghdad (AFP) - The US embassy siege by pro-Iran protesters in Baghdad lasted just over a day, but analysts warn it could have lasting implications for Iraq's complex security sector and diplomatic ties. Baghdad had been struggling to keep up its precarious balancing act between its allies Tehran and Washington as tensions spiralled following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear pact with Iran. The regional rivalry was partly playing out among Iraq's security forces: the US has trained army units and elite troops, while Iran has assisted the Hashed al-Shaabi force. On Tuesday, hundreds of Hashed supporters stormed the high-security Green Zone and besieged the US embassy. The ease with which they breezed past US-trained forces demonstrated the Hashed's dominance in Iraq, said Harith Hasan, an expert at the Carnegie Middle East Center. "A political-military faction imposed its will on everyone and commandeered all decisions," Hasan wrote. As a result, he predicted, "this new year will be the beginning of Iraq's lean years, leading to its isolation." - Hashed 'most influential' - Founded in 2014, the Hashed is formally part of Iraq's government forces and its nominal head, Faleh al-Fayyadh, also serves as the country's national security advisor. But the US fears the network's Shiite-majority units -- many of which fought American troops following the US-led invasion in 2003 -- is being used to exert Iran's clout. Those tensions boiled over last week when a US contractor working in Iraq was killed in a rocket attack blamed on Kataeb Hezbollah, a hardline and pro-Iran Hashed faction. It was the latest in a string of attacks on American troops and the embassy in Iraq that the US has blamed on groups loyal to Tehran. A senior American defence official had told AFP that the US was frustrated that Iraqi troops were either "unable or unwilling" to put a stop to the rocket attacks. Story continues "We are concerned the Iraqi security infrastructure is compromised," the official said. "There is what we believe to be a Hashed overmatch of the Iraqi security forces. So sometimes our Iraqi partners say, what can we do?" he added. Both US and Iraqi officials told AFP they were especially alarmed to see Hashed units deploy in recent weeks inside the Green Zone, home to government buildings, United Nations offices and key foreign embassies. The clearest sign of the Hashed's effective control of the zone came during the embassy attack, when its backers breezed past US-trained units to reach the embassy. An Iraqi special forces fighter guarding the Green Zone said he had to let the Hashed supporters through as he had no orders to intervene, telling AFP: "Our hands are tied." "The Hashed is now the most influential of Iraq's forces because the military and political leaders are allowing it to play this role," he said. - 'A pariah state' - Among those marching on Tuesday were top figures in Iraq's security apparatus: Fayyadh, his deputy Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and Hashed commanders Qais al-Khazaali and Hadi al-Ameri. Their presence outraged US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who tweeted photographs of the four and slammed them as "terrorists" and "Iranian proxies." It marked a major shift in the US position towards, specifically, Fayyadh and Ameri -- whom the US ambassador had been meeting in recent months. "All of this demonstrates how much hold Tehran has over Baghdad. There shouldn't be any illusion," said Phillip Smyth, a US-based specialist in Shiite armed groups. The attack could even have repercussions on Iraq's diplomatic standing, officials and analysts said. Already, the US declined to invite Iraqi premier Adel Abdel Mahdi to Washington because American officials saw him as "too close" to Iran. The US has also blacklisted a host of Iraqi political figures, Hashed units and even banks in recent months and has suggested dozens more could be sanctioned. "Iraq is at risk of becoming a pariah state, isolated from the rest of the world like Venezuela, North Korea and so on," a senior Iraqi diplomat told AFP. Tuesday's dramatic scenes at the embassy sparked comparisons with both the 1979 hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran, and the deadly 2012 attack on the US consulate in Libya's second city Benghazi. "Isolation, diplomatic and economic sanctions, the lack of trust -- this is what has happened to the Iranian, Syrian and Libyan regimes as well as the old Iraqi regime," said Iraqi expert Hisham al-Hashemi. "The tables could turn for Iraq just like they turned for those countries." TOKYO - Turkish police detained seven people Thursday, including four pilots, on suspicion of having helped former Nissan executive Carlos Ghosn escape Japan and transit through Istanbul on his way to Lebanon, Turkey's state news agency reported. An investigation has been launched into Ghosn's "illegal arrival" in Turkey after he escaped house arrest in Japan, according to the Anadolu news agency. The four pilots were believed to have traveled on the private jet that brought Ghosn from Japan on his way to Beirut. Two employees of a private ground handling company and the operations manager of a private cargo company were also detained. Turkey has close relations with Japan, while Japanese businesses are significant investors in the country, meaning that Ankara may have been keen to help the Japanese government figure out how Ghosn made it halfway across the world to Lebanon. Anadolu said Ghosn left Osaka on Sunday at 11 p.m. and flew to Istanbul's Ataturk airport. The flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed that a Bombardier Global Express jet left Osaka's Kansai airport at 11:15 p.m. and arrived in Istanbul at 5:15 a.m. on Monday. The Hurriyet news website, citing an Interior Ministry official, said Turkish border police were not notified about Ghosn's arrival and that neither his entry nor exit were registered. A police spokeswoman told Reuters that all seven people would give statements before a court Thursday. Meanwhile, Japanese prosecutors raided Ghosn's now-vacated home in Tokyo on Thursday, as they sought clues to how he evaded their surveillance, slipped out of the country and arrived in Lebanon. Ghosn will give answers at a news conference in Beirut on Wednesday, said Ricardo Karam, a television host and close friend. But for the time being, the mystery has gripped the people of Japan and both baffled and embarrassed their government. On Thursday, a possible answer emerged to one of the questions surrounding his dramatic escape: How could he have entered Lebanon on his French passport - as the Lebanese government insists he did - when his Japanese lawyer says he held the businessman's French, Brazilian and Lebanese passports? Japanese state broadcaster NHK reported that Ghosn was issued two French passports, the second of which was kept in a locked case at his house. NHK quoted unnamed sources as saying that both passports were initially kept by his lawyers but that Ghosn convinced the court in May that he needed to carry one with him. The document was then kept at his home, with his lawyers holding the keys to the box. Japanese law stipulates that foreign tourists need to carry their passports with them, although foreign residents on long-term visas need only to carry residence cards. AD Lawyer Junichiro Hironaka, who had earlier claimed that Ghosn's legal team had all his passports, told NHK that the existence of an extra passport at the businessman's home had "slipped my mind." He explained that he was not personally in charge of handling the travel documents. But there were no immediate answers as to how Ghosn had slipped past the surveillance cameras at his home, or past immigration authorities at Osaka's busy Kansai airport to board a private jet. Did he evade immigration checks, or travel on a false passport with a record of having entered the country? Japan's immigration authorities' database shows no record of Ghosn leaving the country, according to local media, and police are now investigating him for a possible violation of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. A Tokyo court has already rescinded his record $14 million bail, and police also intend to review security camera footage from around his home, NHK reported. Ghosn's wife, Carole, dismissed as "fiction" a Lebanese media report that Ghosn was smuggled out of his home in a box designed for musical instruments, Reuters news agency reported. Under the terms of Ghosn's bail, security cameras were installed outside his home, he was denied access to email and the internet, and he was even forbidden for months to talk to his wife. Reuters, citing two sources close to Ghosn, reported that he sneaked out of his home with the help of a private security company and traveled on a private jet to Istanbul and then on to Beirut, with even the pilot unaware of his presence on board. "It was a very professional operation from start to finish," one of them was quoted as saying. The sources told Reuters that Ghosn met with Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Monday and was greeted warmly by him, but an official in the president's office, who was not authorized to give his name, denied that such a meeting took place. Ghosn has considerable support among Lebanon's political and business elite, although whether he enjoys the same level of sympathy among ordinary people is less certain. Lebanon's Justice Ministry said Thursday that it has received a wanted notice for Ghosn issued by Interpol, the international police organization. But while Interpol "red notices" notify police about internationally wanted fugitives, there is no compulsion for any country to arrest the subject. The French government also received a red notice, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported. Potentially of more concern for Ghosn was news that two Lebanese lawyers had submitted a report to the Public Prosecutor's Office accusing him of violating a law that forbids Lebanese nationals from entering Israel - a potentially serious offense. "We stand in amazement at the silence of the Lebanese political parties, which are considered allies of the resistance against Israel, over such security breaches," said the statement from lawyers Hassan Bazi and Ali Abbas, according to Lebanon's National News Agency. The Lebanese government says it asked Japan to release the businessman to its custody a year ago and pledged to try him under international anti-corruption regulations. But Beirut says Tokyo never responded to that request, and the prospect of any trial at all now looks remote. Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan, as it has already pointed out. Ghosn has said he is not a fugitive from justice but was escaping injustice and political persecution. Independent legal experts contrast the harsh treatment that Ghosn received - a total of more than 120 days' detention in an unheated cell, hours of interrogation without a lawyer present, charges that carried a maximum sentence of 15 years - with the way Japanese business executives often get away scot-free or with a slap on the wrist for much more serious crimes. Nevertheless, major questions remain unanswered about Ghosn's tenure as head of Nissan and Renault, two car companies whose fortunes he turned around and merged into a powerful alliance. Ghosn was charged with four counts of financial misconduct and aggravated breach of trust, including by allegedly underreporting his income and enriching himself through payments to dealerships in the Middle East. Ghosn and his attorneys say the allegations were trumped up as part of a conspiracy among Nissan, government officials and prosecutors to oust Ghosn and block his plans to force through a closer merger between the Japanese automaker and its alliance partner, Renault. But Nissan said its investigations revealed misconduct that included understating his salary and transferring $5 million of company funds to an account in which he had an interest. Renault, initially supportive of its former boss, announced in April after an internal investigation that it had found evidence of "questionable and concealed practices and violations of the group's ethical principles." - - - The Washington Post's Kareem Fahim in Istanbul, Suzan Haidamous in Washington, Akiko Kashiwagi in Tokyo and Sarah Dadouch in Beirut contributed to this report. Refugees say goodbye to friends at the Gathering and Departure Facility in Tripoli, before their evacuation to Niger, April 2019. UNHCR/Mohamed Alalem UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply concerned for the safety of refugees and asylum seekers at the Gathering and Departure Facility (GDF) in Tripoli, Libya, following news that three mortars fell close to the site earlier today. Fortunately, there were no casualties. The site falls under the jurisdiction of the Libyan Ministry of Interior. UNHCR and its partner, LibAid, have been allowed to operate services at the GDF by the Libyan authorities since it opened in December 2018. The GDF was established to host refugees who had been identified for a solution outside of Libya, pending their evacuation. With close to 1,000 people staying at the site including groups of around 900 individuals who entered spontaneously since July, it is severely overcrowded and is no longer functioning as a transit centre. UNHCR urges all sides to the conflict in Libya to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Media contact: What Paramahansa Yogananda brought to the West, says SRF President Brother Chidananda, is perhaps one of the greatest gifts to humankind Indias ancient science of Yoga, the science of knowing the Self." This year marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival in the West of Paramahansa Yogananda regarded as the father of Yoga in the West, whose best-selling classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, continues to be the definitive introduction to yoga meditation for millions of seekers around the globe. The year also marks the centennial anniversary of Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), the international society he founded to disseminate his yoga meditation teachings and to foster bonds of cultural and spiritual understanding between East and West. "What Paramahansa Yogananda brought to the West, says SRF President Brother Chidananda, is perhaps one of the greatest gifts to humankind Indias ancient science of Yoga, the science of knowing the Self, of realizing and experiencing who we truly are, divine souls with unlimited potential. A number of commemorative events are being planned in more than 600 venues worldwide for this milestone anniversary, including: a livestreamed inaugural ceremony on January 5 (the birth anniversary of Yogananda); special Centennial Open Houses featuring guided meditations and kirtans (devotional chanting) in mid-January; International Day of Yoga events in June, public lecture programs on the teachings of Yogananda presented by SRF monastics, scheduled for the spring and fall; a centennial-themed World Convocation in July, and a Centennial Commemoration Weekend in September to mark the actual date of Sri Yoganandas arrival in America on September 19, 1920. Details of the events can be found at https://yogananda.org/srfcentennial. Background of Paramahansa Yoganandas Work in the West Paramahansa Yogananda arrived in America from his native India on September 19, 1920 to serve as Indias delegate to an International Congress of Religious Liberals convening in Boston. His maiden speech, on the science of religion, would later be described by the Congress organizers as forcible and impressive. His subsequent talks on the universality of religion and the efficacy of yoga meditation would receive media coverage in all the major newspapers in the U.S. and draw thousands of seekers who filled the nations largest auditoriums to capacity to hear him speak. He founded Self-Realization Fellowship the same year as his arrival to introduce to people of all races, cultures, and creeds the ancient science and philosophy of Yoga, that through practice of universally applicable methods of meditation they might realize and express more fully in their lives the true divinity of the human spirit. During his more than 30 years in the U.S., Yogananda made America his adopted home and sought to bring unity to the world through his focus on the science and universality of religion, and to teach the 5,000-year tradition of yoga philosophy and its techniques of meditation. His pioneering efforts including his numerous lectures, writings and the many temples and centers he established have profoundly contributed to the ever-increasing interest in yoga and meditation today, with more than 36 million practitioners of yoga in the U.S. and 18 million people who regularly meditate. His internationally acclaimed life story, Autobiography of a Yogi, remains one of the most widely regarded spiritual classics, influencing a diverse range of luminaries, from Nobel Laureate Thomas Mann to opera star Amelita Galli-Curci to Beatle George Harrison to Apple Founder Steve Jobs (who left instructions for all those attending his memorial service to be gifted with a copy of Yoganandas book). Among the many other works by Paramahansa Yogananda are the highly acclaimed commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita, God Talks With Arjuna, and the four Gospels, The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You; and the three-volume series of Collected Talks and Essays on Realizing God in Daily Life. From its humble beginnings in Boston, SRF, along with its sister organization Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (which Yogananda founded three years earlier in 1917), has grown over the course of its 100-year history to include more than 800 temples, ashrams, retreats, and meditation centers in more than 60 countries around the globe. Today, the society, under the direction of its president, Brother Chidananda, publishes Yoganandas writings, lectures, and informal talks (including the Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons), Self-Realization magazine, and other publications related to his teachings; conducts worldwide lecture tours, retreats, and youth programs; and oversees the SRF Worldwide Prayer Circle, whose members around the world pray for the well-being of individuals and world peace. An annual World Convocation is held each summer in Los Angeles, attracting upwards of 4,000 participants each year. In addition, SRF/YSS annually contributes to many local, national, and international charitable causes. The Government of India has paid tribute to the life and work of Paramahansa Yogananda on three occasions, most recently in October of 2019 when it issued a special commemorative coin to commemorate Yoganandas 125th birth anniversary, https://yogananda.org/blog/indias-finance-minister-releases-coin-commemorating-paramahansa-yogananda. More information about the life and teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and Self-Realization Fellowship may be obtained from Self-Realization Fellowship international headquarters: 3880 San Rafael Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90065-3298; (323) 225-2471; https://yogananda.org. https://yogananda.org/srfcentennial https://yogananda.org/paramahansa-yogananda Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Bening Tirta Muhammad (The Jakarta Post) Singapore Fri, January 3 2020 Aiming high: Students from Airlangga Universitys School of Medicine examine sputum samples at the schools microbiology laboratory in Surabaya, East Java. The government is seeking to boost research in higher education in a bid to improve the quality of Indonesias universities. (Antara/Moch Asim) The jargon term world-class university seems to be overused by rectors and university management, while university rankings focus mainly on research-related accomplishments. For example, the QS University Ranking considers international reputation and citation per faculty as two major components, 40 percent and 20 percent respectively. Similarly, in the Times Higher Education rankings, faculty citations and research (volume, income, reputation and productivity) make up 60 percent of the ranking metric. This indicates that the term world-class university should be backed up by significant efforts to reform research in Indonesian universities. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Texas church shooter battled demons since childhood, sister says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The sister of a gunman who shot and killed two worshipers at Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, Sunday morning says her brother had battled inner demons since childhood. The shooter, Keith Thomas Kinnunen, was taken down within six seconds by Jack Wilson, a 71-year-old firearms instructor who said in a Facebook post that the events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in, but added that evil exists and I had to take out an active shooter in church. The gunman's sister, Amy Kinnunen, said in an interview with NBC's Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate KXAS that her brother was a lost soul that had demons from a childhood. I keep repeating this, but we are products from our environment, she said. Speaking from her home near Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Tuesday, Kinnunen told the news station that her brothers actions are impossible to fully comprehend. Why he did it this way, I have no idea, she said. He did it in the church because he was extremely religious and I feel like Im confident that he was praying to the good Lord up to the last minute. The shooter wore a dark hooded sweatshirt and a fake beard as he sat among the 240 congregants in the church on Sunday before carrying out the attack. A livestream recording of the churchs morning service showed the shooting and the aftermath. The 43-year-old gunman killed the church's security guard Richard White, 67, and grandfather Anton "Tony" Wallace, 64. According to his sister, Keith Kinnunen lived a troubled childhood and spent years in and out of jail. Amy Kinnunen believes he chose Sunday to carry out the attack because their younger brother died by suicide on the same date years ago. I hate to use the word perfect but it was Sunday, it was his brothers birthday and he just demons just ended up getting a hold of him, she said. He loved his brother and he felt it was his time to go. Amy Kinnunen also supposes that her brother wore a fake beard and disguise because he had attended the church on several occasions where he was provided with food and clothing, and he did not want to be recognized. There was compassion. They knew him as a person. Going in there with a beard and fake hair, nobody wouldve known who he was and it would have been easier to pull the trigger, she said. According to the church's senior minister, they believe the gunman opened fire because he grew angry when they refused to give him cash. "We've helped him on several occasions with food," Senior Minister Britt Farmer told The Christian Chronicle. "He gets mad when we won't give him cash. He's been here on multiple occasions." KXAS reported that authorities found a handwritten letter next to the shooters body addressed to his son. His sister said she doesnt know what the letter contained but revealed that he often wrote letters to his son with whom he was estranged. Can Modi-Shah work their magic in the 2020 polls India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 02: The year 2020 will be crucial for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah of BJP, the party in power at the Centre and some states across the country. The BJP is on a losing streak since 2014, having lost five states, including the latest Jharkhand Assembly Election 2019. Congress has gained some momentum in 2019, by winning Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh, and Puducherry. The victory in Jharkhand has come as a morale booster for opposition unity and for the grand old party seeking to become relevant again in Indian politics after suffering two successive defeats in general elections. State vs national issues: Key lessons for the BJP to learn in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Haryana On the other hand, the BJP's graph in state polls has been on a steady decline since 2018 when it lost its bastions of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh besides Rajasthan, and its splendid victory in general elections has not translated into gains in states. The ruling BJP now governs mere 35 per cent of the country's landmass in comparison to over 71 per cent during its peak in 2017 when it was in power in the entire Hindi-speaking heartland. The string of losses in states despite the massive victory in the April-May Lok Sabha elections may force BJP's top brass to revisit its strategy for the assembly polls as it prepares for the upcoming battles in Delhi and Bihar. Since in both these states it's not BJP CMs who are on test (BJP is a challenger in Delhi and a junior partner in Bihar), the prime minister and his team would spend less time campaigning. Notably, the party has suffered losses in states at a time when it has been successful in fulfilling its longstanding ideological promises, including nullifying Article 370, criminalising the practice of triple talaq and enacting Citizenship Amendment Act. The Supreme Court's verdict in favour of building a Ram Temple in Ayodhaya was also a big boost to the BJP. BJP releases 'charge sheet' against 5 yrs of Kejriwal-led-AAP govt in Delhi However, nationwide protests-mostly led by the opposition against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019 refuses to down and it is likely to shape the political narrative in 2020 elections. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 India is set to witness two-key state battles, elections to the Upper House of Parliament and possibility of Jammu and Kashmir. Delhi Elections 2020 All eyes would be on Delhi elections 2020 as it is likely to turn into a Modi vs Kejriwal duel like in the Lok Sabha polls where it was wiped out. While the BJP will focus on expanding its existing 30 per cent vote share in Delhi to upstage Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP government is betting big on its track record. The Kejriwal-led-party, which won 67 of the 70 seats in 2015, will fight this election in collaboration with election strategist Prashant Kishor's consultancy firm I-PAC. It has launched its news slogan 'Acche beete paanch saal-Lage raho Kejriwal' (the last five years went well- keep going Kejriwal) and kick-started its campaign for the 2020 assembly polls. The BJP is swayed by the success of the Lok Sabha election in May, will put all-out effort to form its government in Delhi after more than two decades. The BJP is banking on the support of voters of unauthorised colonies, hoping they will back it due to property ownership rights given to the residents in these colonies by the BJP-led government at the Centre. Other than citing the "failures" of the Kejriwal government, the BJP is depending on the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sail through the crucial elections, after winning only three seats five years ago. Bihar Elections 2020 Bihar is also heading for polls this year. Though Amit Shah has said the election will be contested under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership, growing unease between the two allies is evident. JD(U) national vice president Prashant Kishor has contended that his party, being the senior partner in the NDA in Bihar, should contest more seats than the BJP in the assembly election this year. The JD(U) could push for a more favourable seat-sharing formula as the BJP put up an underperformance during the general elections. In 2014, the BJP had contested with the LJP and Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP and the coalition had won 31 out of 40 seats in Bihar with the saffron party alone bagging 22. The JD(U) had fought alone and got only two. The remaining seven were grabbed by the RJD-Congress-NCP combine. RLSP left the NDA last year and is now a part of the five-party Grand Alliance. Rajya Sabha and Jammu and Kashmir polls Elections for 73 Rajya Sabha seats will happen in four phases -- in February, June, July, and November that is going to be crucial for the BJP as it lacks numbers in the upper house. Jammu and Kashmir is also a possibility if the Modi government decides to lift restrictions in the state. However, this happens only after the top politicians of the state, who have been detained since August 5, are released. The process is yet to begin. The build-up to the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry will also begin in the later half of 2020. MIDDLETOWN, Ohio - This small city, situated almost halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati, has long had a heart. In good times and bad, it has offered a generous network of privately funded homeless shelters, drug rehabilitation facilities and soup kitchens, plus a library that promotes access for all. Yet in recent months, officials and residents have begun to question whom those services are benefiting and how to shoulder the cost. The police chief was the most prominent voice, accusing other communities of increasingly using Middletown as a dumping ground for their own problems. "It is inhumane and it is irresponsible," Rodney Muterspaw wrote in a lengthy Facebook post just before ending a 30-year police career. He recounted the "many times" officers had responded "to a person wandering around downtown only to find they were given a voucher for a cab from another city and sent here." The issues raised by Muterspaw's self-described "rant" - which went viral, locally speaking - have only become more pressing with the arrival of winter. The homeless here, whether homegrown or from somewhere else, are estimated to number in the low hundreds. They may not attract White House attention, as homeless populations in Los Angeles and San Francisco have, but providing for them is as significant a challenge for Middletown, population 48,861, as for any major metropolitan area. Steve Berg, vice president for programs and policy at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, says the problem has the same root causes regardless of location: "There is a disconnect between the incomes of people with the lowest incomes and rents for the most modest houses or apartments." Middletown's gritty self-reliance and economic vulnerabilities have drawn attention before, chronicled in local author J.D. Vance's best-selling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy." And just five years ago, its Rust Belt downtown was still marked by shuttered storefronts and cash-for-gold outlets. While there has since been a rebound, with an arts center, wine bar, yoga studio and even a boutique hotel now open along Central Avenue, the renewed sense of hope seems tenuous and the emergence of homeless people wandering around downtown has unnerved some businesses. The local government has already begun making tough financial decisions, raiding the 2020 street paving budget to put additional police on the beat to engage with homeless individuals who need help. And the continuing fallout from Muterspaw's social media post claimed the city manager, who the City Council felt hadn't handled the situation effectively. The men and women at the center of the discussion cobble together a fragile existence. Their stories are as varied as those who tell them: addiction, failed marriages, prison, disability. One man lives in a donated car and eats at local charity kitchens, scrounging enough money to pay $10 a month for a Planet Fitness membership that gives him access to a hot shower. Another leaves a homeless encampment along the banks of the Great Miami River for hot meals at a day program called the Mission on Main. Sterling Seiler found himself on Middletown's streets in early December. The 26-year-old is candid about his past, most of which was spent in Greenville, Ohio, about 40 miles away. His unsavory years gradually escalated to breaking and entering and finally dealing meth; since 2014, he has often been behind bars. But after an adverse reaction to meth in November, he was transported from jail to a hospital in Troy, Ohio. "The jails want to send you to the hospital to get rid of you," Seiler said, adding that hospitals are eager to do the same. A few days later, he was taken to a shelter in Dayton; a second drug episode got him transferred farther south to Middletown's Atrium Medical Center. The cycle repeated itself when he was again released: He was put in a cab that left him at a downtown shelter run by Shalom, a church-led network that provides homeless people with home-cooked suppers and overnight beds from December through April. "I was dumped twice in 10 days," said Seiler, who'd never before been to Middletown. "I didn't know anything about [its] shelter. I didn't even know where the door was." Shortly after Seiler showed up, a cab dropped off a man who said he was from Cleveland - four hours away. He started going through Shalom's intake process but then changed his mind and went across the street to the library. "That happens quite often," said Bill Fugate, who directs the 30-bed program with a generous but firm hand. He followed the new arrival to the library and pleaded unsuccessfully for the man to come back for a hot meal, bed and help. "Where he went after that, I don't know," Fugate said, adding that for many homeless in southwest Ohio, Shalom is their last best hope. It's the only overnight program in the region that doesn't test for drugs, a significant draw in a part of the country ravaged by the opioid epidemic. Shalom cared for 129 individuals last winter and has already served 59 people since reopening its doors in December. Hope House, the city's main shelter, will soon complete an $11.5 million, 41,000-square-foot location with 50 beds for men's temporary housing and a collection of apartments. (A separate shelter welcomes women.) According to Fugate, Seiler is hardly the only out-of-towner dropped off by the city's own hospital, which sits five miles from town along Interstate 75. But hospitals throughout the region are also discharging patients to Shalom with no advance warning, he contended, as are other jurisdictions' police departments and social service agencies. Neighboring police officials deny that. "We try to help them. We don't take them to Middletown and leave them," said Franklin Chief Russ Whitman, whose city is six miles up the highway. In a statement, Atrium's parent company, Premier Health, said the medical center "takes very seriously its responsibility to discharge these patients safely." It pointed out that "although patients might have accepted the discharge plan at the time of discharge, they have the right to change their minds and/or make their own decisions once they leave the hospital." Middletown Council member Ami Vitori has been among the most outspoken about the "homeless dumping" issue. She would like to see a coordinated regional response that tackles the root causes of homelessness: lack of housing, jobs and mental health care. She'd also like a more vigorous police presence augmented by a network of cameras to catch dumpers, with penalties for the ones doing it. "People come here because we are doing a good job of taking care of them, and the word spreads on the street, but at the same time there isn't enough funding to help people from outside of our community," said Vitori, a downtown business owner who described several bizarre encounters she's had with homeless people since moving back from Washington in 2015. Muterspaw estimated in his Facebook post from October that 75 percent of Middletown's homeless are from somewhere else, though confirming that is difficult. "Many of them feel a sense of shame that no one in their home community wants them, and they find acceptance here, so they quickly identify as being from Middletown," explained Kathy Becker, an area homeless advocate and caseworker for Access Counseling, a local agency that helps homeless individuals find shelter and work. After only a week here - much of it spent by day at the public library - Seiler had enough of a foothold in the city's social services system that he didn't plan to leave. He'd scored a job interview for maintenance work at a factory and said he was staying clean and trying to fend off his legal troubles back in Greenville. "I know this is my last chance. I need to document everything I am doing and show the judge that I'm trying to get on the right track," Seiler said. Once again, that track runs right through Middletown. South Korea's poultry food safety regulations in line with US standards The findings comes after the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on-site equivalence verification audit, reported Food Safety News. According to the audit report, the audit's purpose was to examine the chicken products food safety inspection system for South Korea, and whether it is similar to the US. In addition, the audit determined if South Korea's capability for product export is labelled and packaged correctly, and products are certified safe, wholesome and unadulterated in accordance to US food safety system practices. South Korea currently exports the following chicken products to the US: Thermally processed/commercially stable chicken products, ready to eat (RTE) fully cooked chicken products and RTE fully cooked without subsequent exposure to the environment. However, FSIS inspectors found that handwashing sinks were not placed within accessible reach at all three chicken slaughter facilities that were subjected to the audit. To place suspect chickens on re-inspection racks, the government inspectors were forced to leave the inspection station. A total of four processing establishments, three chicken slaughter facilities and two laboratories were the subject of FSIS on-site audits in South Korea, which also included South Korea's food safety headquarters in Seoul and regional offices in Honam and Incheon. Officials from South Korea have promised to address FSIS findings, with FSIS planning to evaluate South Korea's responses in a future equivalency verification audit. - Food Safety News Former chief ministers of Karnataka Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he embarked on a two-day visit to the state. "You did not visit Karnataka when it was devastated by floods, you did not visit Karnataka when our farmers cried for help, but all of a sudden, when you want to launch your political propaganda, you remember the innocent people of Karnataka. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor A remarkable achievement by Dr Neeraj Adkar of Saishree Hospital for Special Surgery, he successfully performed the first surgery in Maharashtra using the revolutionary GKS BUTTERFLY - The rotating hinged knee system technique. Global Knee System - Butterfly is a tri-compartmental rotating hinged knee which is stabilized in all planes and is available in both primary and revision systems. 65-year-old patient Adhikarao Salunkhe met with an accident in 2012 in Karad. In the year 2018, he came to SaiShree Hospital complaining about joint pain. Talking about his earlier accident history of 2012, the patient had a malunited fracture and was operated due to the same. Malunion is a condition where the bone aligns improperly after breaking. It was the same with Salunkhe. He was operated with intra-medullary nailing and subsequent implant removal was also done elsewhere. The patient had osteoarthritis diagnosis in both his joints, thus he was operated for Bilateral Total Knee Replacement in SaiShree Hospital. Later it was diagnosed that the patient was having an infection in the right knee, and we had to do implant removal of the total knee replacement done on the right side and antibiotic beads (cement spacer) were inserted in the patient's right knee. Due to earlier operative history and implant fixation and removal, several times it is noticed in such cases that there are chances of low-grade infection which cannot be detected immediately. When the infection was eradicated completely by using the antibiotic spacer, the patient underwent revision right TKR with butterfly prosthesis. Throwing light on the positive features of GKS butterfly technique, it has the presence of Two Rotation Axis, a much deepened Trochlear Groove for an optimal patella tracking, asymmetrical shape of the femoral condyles and tibial articulating surface, that facilitates the kinematic, dynamic and tribiological functions that mimic the natural knee and the natural anatomy of the patient is almost reproduced. "Understanding the challenges in front of us, regarding the infected joint & the surgical history of the patient, I and my team believed that the butterfly technique would be an ideal solution to use while operating the patient for his revision joint replacement surgery," said Dr Neeraj Adkar, Pune's leading joint preservation and replacement surgeon, Chairman and Chief Orthopedic Surgeon at SaiShree Hospital. Highlights of GKS techniques: * It is USFDA approved German joint technique. * It is considered to be one of the cost-effective options available in market. * Surgically, it is trouble-free & high standard and mainly pocket-friendly for the patient * This particular implant should only be carried out in complex cases, not in primary cases * It is useful in the times when TKR cases are unsuccessful or loosening of the implant is noticed or complex fractures after the total knee replacement are seen. * Both Uncemented and Cemented options are available in this technique. "I got excellent medical treatment experience during my TKR operation. I was paranoid about the thought of surgery since it would have been my third or fourth surgery since I met with the accident in 2008," said Adhikarao Salunkhe. "When I came to SaiShree hospital, it felt like it was an appropriate profitable decision. Since I got the best treatment which not only made me pain-free but also proved to be cost-effective. This technique is very useful for patients like me," added Salunkhe. It took around 2 hours for the procedure and the patient was discharged on the fourth day of the surgery. The patient returned to his routine daily chores. The surgery of revision TKR was done under the supervision of Dr Neeraj Adkar, Chairman and Chief Orthopedic Surgeon, SaiShree Hospital. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A seven-year-old Georgia boy was rushed to the emergency room after swallowing an Apple AirPod he received as a Christmas gift. Kiara Stroud, the 2nd grader's mother, received the shocking news while delivering mail for her job with USPS when her mother called her on December 27. 'She was like, "Okay, so QJ just choked on his AirPod", and I'm like what?' Stroud told WSB-TV. Her son was reportedly holding one of the AirPods in his mouth by the long part when he accidentally gulped the headset into his stomach. Pictured: X-Ray photos show part of an Apple AirPod headset lodged inside a 7-year-old boy's stomach after he accidentally swallowed it on December 27 QJ (pictured) was rushed to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Egelston after he reportedly was holding the an AirPod by the long end in his mouth 'I immediately U-turned my truck,' Stroud said, recalling how she raced to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Egelston. In a Facebook post, Stroud reveals that she 'drove [her] mail truck back on 2 wheels crying like a baby.' Once at the emergency room, X-Ray photos of QJ's stomach show the AirPod lodged just below the rib cage. Stroud said: 'We actually saw it because it has metal in it, so we could see it in the X-ray and Im like, "This boy really swallowed his AirPod!"' According to Stroud, the doctor at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Egelston had no idea what an AirPod was and was taken aback at the ordeal. 'She was like, "An AirPod? You know, its really unique. I never really heard of this," and Im like, "Yeah, its a wireless headset," and she was just amazed. I've never seen anything like it,' she said. Kiara Stroud (right) said the family did not 'yell at him, didnt curse, didnt ask why, didnt tell him he was too old, didnt shame him, and didnt make the situation worse' when QJ (left) was taken to the ER Pictured: an Apple AirPod wireless headphone set similar to the one QJ received for Christmas Stroud remained adamant that they wouldn't shame QJ for the surprising mistake. 'Today, we didnt yell at him, didnt curse, didnt ask why, didnt tell him he was too old, didnt shame him, and didnt make the situation worse,' Stroud said in a Facebook post. 'He already felt bad. He was scared and nervous. We let him know that everything was going to be okay, stayed calm, and it helped him to relax so that the doctors could do their jobs,' she continued. Although the boy was 'very nervous' about getting in trouble, he was even more worried about how doctors would remove the stuck AirPod. Doctors told QJ (pictured) that he would not need surgery and the AirPod would naturally pass through his system Luckily, doctors assured the family that the AirPod would pass through QJ's body on its own in a few days and the boy had nothing to worry about. Still, Stroud said QJ didn't want to be anywhere near his phone in case the AirPod unexpectedly connected and began playing music. Stroud said: 'He was like, "Mom. I dont want my phone," because he got a phone for Christmas as well, and hes like, "I dont want to be near my phone. I dont want it to connect to my phone and start playing music." Im like, "Oh my God." Hes a crazy kid.' Stroud told WSB-TV that she'll probably stick with old-fashioned, wired headsets until her son was a bit older. A well-known market intelligence company, Infiniti Research, has announced the completion of its latest article on coping with emerging trends in retail banking 2020. This blog provides comprehensive insights on: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005274/en/ Emerging trends in retail banking 2020. (Graphic: Business Wire) An overview of the future of retail banking Emerging trends in retail banking to expect in 2020 and beyond Although many have predicted the doom of traditional retail banking, especially after the rise of new entrants such as fintech that focuses on superior customer experience, we believe that traditional banking companies still have a bright future. The emerging trends in retail banking such as AI and RPA are aimed at enhancing customer experience and matching performance with that of innovators in the banking industry. Furthermore, you can also expect several transformations in the approach and operations of retail banking companies in the years to come. Infiniti Research has worked with dozens of banking companies across the globe and has played a pivotal role in helping them to adopt agile business strategies to survive the dynamic market demands. Based on our observations and expertise in working with retail banking companies across the globe, some of the emerging retail banking trends that players need to be prepared for in 2020 include growth of social media, reorganizing around customers rather than products or channels, cybersecurity in building customer trust, and two factor authorization in transaction authorization. Want to transform your business with customer-centric innovation? Request a free proposal to know how you can benefit by partnering with us. You may also like to read some of our recent articles on the retail banking sector: The Evolving Retail Banking Landscape in Canada Winning in the German Retail Banking Battleground with Customer Experience Strategy Enhancing Market Share by 31% for a Retail Banking Industry Client Market Research Study Customer experience is a powerful way of bringing tremendous value to a retail banking sector company's business. Get in touch with our industry experts for more insights on how our solutions can help you enhance CX and create a positive business impact. About Infiniti Research Established in 2003, Infiniti Research is a leading market intelligence company providing smart solutions to address your business challenges. Infiniti Research studies markets in more than 100 countries to help analyze competitive activity, see beyond market disruptions, and develop intelligent business strategies. To know more, visit: https://www.infinitiresearch.com/about-us View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005274/en/ Contacts: Infiniti Research Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 844 778 0600 UK: +44 203 893 3400 https://www.infinitiresearch.com/contact-us New York Assemblyman Brian Kolb was arrested and charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated after a crash on New Year's Eve. Deputies responded to a crash at 10:27 p.m. Tuesday in Ontario County, New York, and identified Kolb as the driver of the 2018 GMC Arcadia involved in the incident. No one was injured, and no other vehicles were involved. Kolb was in the vehicle in a ditch in front of his home when the deputy arrived, Ontario County Sheriff Kevin Henderson said. Kolb cooperated with deputies, Henderson added. The vehicle Kolb was driving is registered to New York state, Henderson said. Kolb failed a field sobriety test and was arrested, Henderson said. While at the Ontario County Jail, Kolb was given a Breathalyzer test, which indicated his blood-alcohol content was over 0.08%, Henderson said. Kolb, who was charged with DWI and unsafe turn, was processed at the Ontario County Jail and is scheduled to appear later in court. The sheriff declined to reveal from where Kolb was headed or how far he had traveled. "Mr. Kolb made the choice to operate a motor vehicle on the highway in an intoxicated manner, and now he's being held accountable," Henderson said. New York Assemblyman Brian Kolb failed a field sobriety test on New Year's Eve and was arrested, police said. In a statement Wednesday morning, Kolb acknowledged his arrest: This was a terrible lapse in judgment, one I have urged others not to make, and I take full responsibility for it. I want to offer sincere apologies to my family, friends, colleagues, and the people of the 131st Assembly District. I fully recognize the severity of the situation and I am profoundly sorry. There is no excuse and no justification for what occurred Tuesday evening. I made the wrong decision, and it is one I deeply regret. Kolb has represented the 131st Assembly District since 2000 and has served as the assembly minority leader since 2009, the longest tenured legislative leader in Albany. The district covers all of Ontario County and a portion of Seneca County. Kolb's arrest came five days after he tweeted, "There is no excuse for driving impaired this holiday season." That tweet, posted on Dec. 26, has since been deleted. Story continues News of Kolb's arrest prompted at least one assembly colleague and fellow Republican Kieran Michael Lalor to call for him to step down from his post. .@GOPLdrBrianKolb should step down as Assembly Minority Leader .That he hasnt done so already is a disgrace. https://t.co/uXMZhxEqtC Kieran Michael Lalor (@KieranLalor) January 1, 2020 "@GOPLdrBrianKolb should step down as Assembly Minority Leader," Lalor tweeted. "That he hasnt done so already is a disgrace." Henderson, a Democrat, said he believes in transparency after his joint news conference with Ontario County District Attorney Jim Ritts, who is a Republican. "For me, politics has nothing to do with it," Henderson said. "We're both standing side-by-stating that he's being treated no differently than anyone else. I am being very transparent about this. He's afforded the same opportunity to go through the criminal justice program. He has taken ownership and he's not denying this." Database: Troubled lawmakers in New York News of the arrest of one of the state's most powerful Republicans wasn't released to the media until 12 hours after the crash. Deputy Ian Hall, who handled the arrest, had to respond to other calls on a busy night and then complete an incident report, Henderson said. After the report was completed, it was reviewed by supervisory sergeant and then by a lieutenant. Then the information can be released. "We're not trying to hide," Henderson said, "and I think we've proven that." Michael Whyland, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, declined to comment on Kolb's arrest. A Kolb spokesman did not respond Wednesday to whether taxpayers would be on the hook for any repairs to Kolb's state-issued SUV. Kolb has taken a strong stance against DWI in the past, including in 2009, when he and fellow Assembly Republicans backed Leandra's Law. Leandras Law will help keep intoxicated motorists off our roadways and, most importantly, send a crystal clear message to someone who might even think about trying to drive drunk with a child passenger, Kolb said at the time. Kolb briefly ran for governor in 2018 but then hastily dropped out of the race. More: Brian Kolb abruptly drops out of race for New York governor More: The first Republican jumps in NY governor's race Contact Bill Wolcott and Will Cleveland at WWOLCOTT@Gannett.com and WCLEVELAND@Gannett.com This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New York Assemblyman Brian Kolb accused of drunken driving The Congress' Seva Dal on Thursday distributed a book on Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar, questioning his credentials as a patriot and his reputation for valour, drawing criticism from the BJP. The Hindi book, distributed at an ongoing camp of the Seva Dal here, was titled "Veer Savarkar, Kitne 'Veer'?" (How brave was 'Veer' ). The book alleged that received money from the British after he was released from Andaman's Cellular Jail. It also made certain insinuations about and Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse. Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Rakesh Singh hit out at the over the book, alleging that the was badmouthing patriots, especially those who were the well- wishers of "the majority community". Last month, leader Rahul Gandhi's jibe that his name was not "Rahul Savarkar" and hence he would not seek apology (about his remark about rape) had riled the Shiv Sena, his party's new-found ally in Maharashtra. After Turkey's parliament passed a bill on Thursday approving a deployment of armed forces to Libya, here is a look back at some of the other Turkish military operations abroad Related Turkey parliament approves Libya military deployment After Turkey's parliament passed a bill on Thursday approving a deployment of armed forces to Libya, here is a look back at some of the other Turkish military operations abroad. The deployment to Libya is aimed at shoring up the UN-backed government in Tripoli, which has been under sustained attack since April by military strongman General Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by Turkey's regional rivals. Korea In July 1950, during the first Korean War, Turkey joined an international force dominated by the US army to help the South in its defence against Chinese-backed North Korea. Some 4,500 Turkish soldiers fought under the United Nations flag during the 1950-1953 war. Its participation opened the way to Turkey in 1952 becoming the first Muslim-majority member of the NATO military alliance. Cyprus Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 in response to a coup engineered by the military regime in Athens. The Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus has since controlled the southern two-thirds of the island, now a member of the European Union. Only Ankara recognises the breakaway self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Turkey still maintains between 30,000 and 40,000 troops in the north, which is considered an occupation by the international community. Northern Cyprus does not apply Turkish laws. Iraq The Turkish army has launched several major operations in the mountainous northern region of Iraq against bases of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 during which more than 40,000 people have been killed. In October 1992 Turkey entered northern Iraq for the first time, mounting a vast air and land operation against PKK bases there. From March to May 1995 a Turkish incursion along 220 kilometres (136 miles) of the Iraq border involved 35,000 troops. In July 1999 about 10,000 Turkish soldiers crossed the Iraqi border and with Iraqi allies sought to oust Kurdish separatists. In October 2011 another large-scale operation was launched against Kurdish rebel camps after Turkish soldiers were killed at the Turkey-Iraq border. The Turkish air force also regularly bombs PKK bases in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. Syria Since 2016 Turkey has launched three military operations in northern Syria, mainly to drive out the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia which it considers as "terrorists" because of its links with the PKK. The first, from August 2016 to March 2017, targeted Islamic State group fighters as well as the YPG. It allowed Turkey to create a buffer zone between the different Kurdish-controlled territories in northern Syria, preventing them from uniting. From January to March 2018 Turkish forces and their Syrian auxiliaries ousted the YPG from the town of Afrin, near the Turkish border, after a major air and ground operation. In an October 2019 crossborder operation, Turkey seized a strip of Syrian territory about 120 kilometres long and 30 kilometres deep. Ankara says it is intended as a "safe zone" to protect against attacks and also to repatriate some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. Other Missions Turkey has also notably participated in UN missions in Somalia, an international interposition force in Bosnia, and the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. It has contributed to a peacekeeping force in Kosovo and taken part in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Search Keywords: Short link: I know. I know. Instagram is a rabbit hole. It will distract you for hours. The last thing a Mumbai column should do is drive your attention online. But Insta, Ive found is a lovely platform for those who love the city. There are the usual Mumbai-food, Mumbai-landmarks, Mumbai-postcard accounts. For those who look closer, there are accounts, dedicated to documenting just one unexpected aspect of city life. See Mumbai from a different angle with these handles. And tell me your favourites here. @zake_india Few know Zake but almost everyone has seen his work. The anonymous graffiti artist has written and painted over some of the citys most iconic walls and surfaces, and is one of Mumbais earliest street-art practitioners. His latest post, from this week, features a B-boy spinning a smooth move. Almost as smooth as Zakes art. @treesofbombayandmaharashtra The feed has barely 40 posts. But its been quietly observing, photographing and helpfully describing the most colon flowering species in the city. Scroll through the pictures and youll recognise them right away, making it a handy guide for the road. @artdecomumbai Possibly the last word on the citys Art Deco structures, from the ones that make it to heritage lists to new discoveries in unexpected parts of Mumbai. These are the kinds of posts that bring out Instagrams favourite comment: OMG, where is this? @thebombaywindows The account that proves that Mumbai windows mean more than boxed-grilles and drying laundry. The page is open to submissions, and is a delightful gateway to admiring the city, even if the windows it features are sometimes closed. @eastindianmemoryco What does it mean to be an East Indian Christian? To trace your Mumbai and Vasai roots to a time before the Portuguese began consolidating the community in the 1500s and come from a culture that mixes East and West with a generous seasoning of bottle masala? Reena Pereira-Almeida, who divides her time between Brisbane and Mumbai chronicles objects, homes, oral histories and much else on her site and the Insta account. @vaat_pahin_pn_best_nech_jaeen Probably my favourite handle in this list it means Ill wait, but Ill only go by BEST. Medical student Prashant Prakash Chindarkars account is a homage to public transport (he also includes trains in his posts) and is a commuters-eye-view of getting around in Mumbai. Check out the shots of outstation trains entering city limits. @flamingosofmumbai Vidyasagar Hariharan describes himself as a banker, weekend birder and photographer, and his page as a humble attempt of #flamingo clicks from #Mumbai. Its more than that. Its a visual record of Mumbais pink-feathered winter visitors, and the vanishing wetlands that support them. @mumbaipaused Doff your hat to Gopal MS, whos probably walked more city streets than any of us. And hes seen Mumbai the way few of us do. Check out his #AamArtistgallery, featuring everyday hacks and art. @thelastfishermanofbombay Id featured the work of the good folks of @MarineLifeOf Mumbai in a previous column. This one, maintained by Ganesh B Nakhawa presents a different side of a life spent at sea. Nakhawa is a director with the Karanja Fisheries Cooperative Society, a fisherman, and a member of the Koli community. His feed: a mix of the days catch, evidence of climate change, and beautiful glimpses of Koli life. @housesofchembur Youll love this feed even if youve never been to Chembur. Local resident and academic Shaunak Joshi, photographs the beautiful old homes he spots as he loiters around his neighbourhood. Mumbaikars tend to pay attention to free-standing homes on the island city, Matunga and Bandra. But Joshis feed offers more. Plus the feeds aims to showcase the low key cosmopolitanism, linguistic and religious pluralism, and general idiosyncracy of the houses of Chembur. Whats not to love? @storeysofbombay Im especially fond of this page. Its created and maintained by a journalist who sits right across from me at work. Natasha Rego takes the popular reflection-in-a-puddle theme and turns it into art with a feed dedicated to seeing the city only as reflected in water. Little details floating leaves, marshy edges, ripples, and rocks life the shots from the ordinary. And a lovely commentary in the captions. @bombaywalla Simin Patels labour of love spans much more than Instagram posts. Theres documentation, talks, walks, maps and even a book about Irani cafes. On the feed, however, you never know what to expect. There will be objects one day, locations another, people the next all with a fantastic attention to detail and a historical and cultural perspective. And a sense of celebration. @peoplesleepingintheworld How can you not love a handle like this? Mumbai photographer Nasar Husami runs this page, which explains why there are so many shots of Indians napping in public places, alongside pictures of sleeping folks the world over. Submissions accepted, so long as you shots dont invade on someones privacy. @mumbaiheritage If youve followed Kunal Tripathis handle on Twitter, this is the more visual extension, showcasing the citys architectural legacy. Beautiful structural details on buildings you pass every day, unexpected angles highlighting the citys contrasts, lesser-known monuments and all things heritage. The most common question in the comments: Wow, where is this? @towering_goals Like me, 22-year-old photographer Sanjog Mhatre loves looking up. But where I see the colourful, crazy interiors of Mumbai taxis, he sees the city reaching for the sky. Mhatre has been on the top of more than 60 high-rises (predominantly in Mumbai), and his shots take in the concrete-jungle skyline, the city set against its natural surroundings, economic disparities, architectural differences and the silence that only life at the top can bring. @GreatWallsofMumbai You cant be everywhere and see all the street art in the city. So GreatWalls does it for you. They repost great works from all corners, from Dombivli station murals and crumbling but colourful corners of chembur to dedicated spaces for wall art in Andheri and Bandra. My favourite: A wall that warns. Stick No BIlls next to which the artist Tyler has stencilled a paintbrush-toting ninja and the response, Challenge Accepted @baobabs_of_bombay There are only 23 posts, but baobabs, those massive solitary trees look resplendent on this feed nonetheless. Zico Fernandess account aims to document all the baobab trees in the city, map and possibly get them protected by the government. Hes got quite a few more to go, @bombaytypeproject If you love typography, fonts, lettering, calligraphy and script styles as much as iIdo (and you know the differences between all those terms) youll love this feed. Actually, youll love it even if you cant tell the difference. The project describes itself as The fruit of a lot of long walks in the wilderness of letters. and focuses on city typefaces - road signs, shop signs, words cropping up out of stained glass, stone, marble and wood. @Pugdandee Shaunak Modi is a nature photographer and part of the @marinelifeofmumbai team, which draws attention to coastal-life diversity and its role in the ecosystem. His personal feed though seem to be happy outtakes from life on the job - birds, snakes, creepy crawlies, anemones, corals and other thriving life we never would have guessed was in Mumbai. @beststoriescollective Id featured the GoHalluHallu team in this column a few weeks ago. Heres the other initiative by @Mumbaipaused and @Bombay_ka-shana. Its a collection of details that make up life in public transport, from the inside and outside, and how the city comes alive when its on the move. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sushmitha Ramakrishnan By Express News Service CHENNAI: After lawyer Gayatri Khandhadai's participation in the anti-CAA protests and 'kolam' demonstrations, City Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan told reporters on Wednesday that she was associated with a Pakistan-based organisation. The commissioner made the comments based on select information displayed in the Facebook account of the lawyer. Despite there being enough information on her research work about the oppression of religious minorities in several countries, including Pakistan, Viswanathan said that the police will "investigate her links with Pakistan." This soon led to the trolling of Khandhadai in social media and character assassination. Speaking to Express, she said that the police officer did not even read her research report, which is in fact about the plight of minorities, like Hindus, in Pakistan. With the uninformed rallying against her, Khandhadai says that her blood will be on the Police Commissioner's hands, if she is ever harmed. The police commissioner Viswanathan said that Khandhadai has come under the scanner of the police after her social media profile shed light on her role as a researcher with "Bytes for All", a Pakistan-based association for citizen journalists and researchers. He added that none was arrested or detained for drawing 'kolams' and maintained that police personnel had to intervene when an elderly resident there objected to protesters drawing words opposing CAA (alongside a kolam already drawn up by his family members) in front of his house. Here are excerpts from an interview with Khandhadai on the allegations levelled against her: Q. Could you elaborate on your connection with Bytes for all and the work that you did there? A: I am a researcher and a lawyer. I carry out multiple researches. This particular research (of contention) is called Desecrating Expression (An account of freedom of expression and religion in Asia). It's on how majoritarian religions are used to suppress minorities across Asia. I reflect sensibly about what happens in Pakistan and Bangladesh, including about what happens to Hindus, Ahmedis, Atheists, and LGBT persons. Q. Could you discuss more extensively about the content of your research and how it connects to CAA and NRC A: In fact this research can give what BJP cannot produce, which is a recent report on the plight of minorities in these nations. They should be calling me and congratulating me for producing a legitimate report that they can actually cite in the parliament. While the BJP plans to give privilege to the plight of only certain minorities, while I hold that all minorities should be provided a safe haven. ALSO READ| Chennai Police Commissioner should apologise: Anti-CAA activists in Tamil Nadu Q. What impact will the "Pakistan connection" have on you? A: The commissioner conveniently picked out just one organisation that has been mentioned on my profile; absolutely omitting the other two organisations, one of which I'm currently working for and am liaising with. The entire design is to put me in harm's way. What the commissioner has done is absolutely unacceptable. He is so concerned about the safety of the complainant (referring to when he refused to reveal details of the complainant to protect their identity), but why hasn't he extended that courtesy to me? So I think Commissioner Viswanathan is personally now responsible for my safety and security. Now let him speak out on how he is going to keep me safe in this environment. Because I'm not going to stop protesting and if I'm hurt or hounded, it's on him. My blood will be on his hands and his conscience. Q. What do you have to say about the other allegation that you drew anti-CAA slogans over previously drawn kolams? A: That claim is absolutely nonsense as the police were already there even before we arrived. The media was there through the whole process watching us from all angles. We did not draw atop anyone else's kolam. Commissioner Responds Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan, on his part, said that he did not make any adverse remark about Gayatri Khandhadai without evidence or verification. "Even when the reporter questioned about her link to Pakistan, I explained that she is a researcher and we are verifying if there is any link." Adding to his claims, a senior police officer said, "During the press meet on Wednesday, the police commissioner only responded to a question raised by the reporter. When the media person asked us what is the link between Gayathri Khandhadai and an organisation attached to Pakistan, we showed them the printout we had already taken. Since the media played up the issue, saying that there is a link between Gayathri and Pakistan, it doesn't mean we were involved in character assassination." Quote: why does the author believe that the loss of the coffeecart will cause more problems ? Quote: Is the coffeecart the snack machine ? Does the coffecart increase or decrease workers morale ? Quote: the loss of this service could present a problem, especially since the staff morale questionnaire showed widespread dissatisfaction with the snack machines. if the employees are not satisfied with the coffeecart, then why would the loss of the service cause problems ? Quote: And what is the importance of the last sentence ? Sergey Orshanskiy, Ph.D. I tutor in NYC: http://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/NY/New-York/7948121/#ref=1RKFOZ Signature Read More It is nice to be able to grab a coffee without leaving the building. I worked for a bank in NYC for two years. In the morning some people there would take off their coat, put their bag or suitcase at their workplace, and then go to the cafeteria on the same floor to grab a coffee and perhaps some toasted bagels with a syrup. It is their morning routine, their fun way to start a day. If the cafeteria were to disappear or to stop providing coffee, many employees would be unhappy.The coffee cart may increase the workers morale if they like it. Some workers are indifferent.No, the coffee cart is not the same as a snack machine. The snack machines are already unsatisfactory, as perceived by the employees, but the coffee cart may be serving decent coffee and perhaps donuts. It may sound silly, but for many employees such little things matter, for whatever reason (it is your task to analyze the reasons).No, they are dissatisfied with the snack machines, not necessarily with the coffee cart. Snack machines contain chocolate, drinks, etc. You insert dollars - you get the product. A coffee cart probably has a person selling coffee and donuts.The last sentence suggests that the employees have an ethical responsibility to patronize the coffee cart since it was leased to help them. Perhaps, the cafeteria is 10 minutes away and the coffee cart is only 1 minute away. Thus, the company helped the employee by introducing a coffee cart so he or she can save 9 minutes every break (in fact, 18), and now expects that the employee will appreciate it and will accordingly patronize the coffee cart.This question is nonstandard but nonetheless quite interesting. It also demonstrates how difficult it is to create questions that are unambiguously understood by all kinds of people from many different countries._________________ Varanasi : Activist Ekta Shekhar returned home to her 14-month-old baby in Varanasi on Thursday, a day after an Uttar Pradesh court gave bail to her and her husband Ravi Shekhar as well as 56 others arrested for protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens nearly two weeks ago. The Shekhars, who run the environment NGO Climate Agenda and made national headlines with many voicing concern about their toddler daughter Champak being left alone, were among the 59 people taken into custody during the protests on December 19. On Wednesday, the court of the additional sessions judge, Varanasi, granted bail to Ekta, 32, and Ravi, 36, residents of Mehmoorganj, and 56 others, ending their ordeal. Ekta's lawyer Himachal Singh said the court had given bail on a bond of Rs 25,000 each. While she had been released, her husband and others would be out of jail by evening after their paper work was over. "I didn't think it would take so long," an emotional Ekta told NDTV as she hugged her daughter after two weeks. "Main bata nahin sakti (I can't put it in words)," she said when asked how it felt. She said it was a matter of pride to be in jail as an activist but, being a mother, each moment felt like an age. "The 14 days were like exile for me as a mother. Today Champak is very happy," Ekta said after her release. The bail application of the couple -- nabbed along with other protesters from Left groups from Beniyabagh and nearby localities for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CRPC -- was initially cancelled by a lower court and the next hearing fixed for January 1. In their absence, their baby was being taken care of by her grandmother Sheila Tiwari, uncle Shashikant and her aunts. A team of astronomers at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) in Pune, India have discovered a mysterious ring of hydrogen gas around a distant galaxy, using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). The ring is much bigger than the galaxy it surrounds and has a diameter of about 380,000 light-years (about 4 times that of our Milky Way). The galaxy (named AGC 203001), is located about 260 million light-years away from us. There is only one other such known system with such a large neutral hydrogen ring. The origin and formation of such rings is still a matter of debate among astrophysicists. Neutral hydrogen emits radio waves at a wavelength of about 21cm. This radiation from neutral hydrogen atoms has allowed radio astronomers to map the amount and distribution of neutral hydrogen gas in our Milky Way galaxy and in other galaxies in the Universe. Typically, large reservoirs of neutral hydrogen gas are found in galaxies which are actively forming new stars. However, despite showing no signs of active star formation the galaxy AGC 203001 was known to have large amounts of hydrogen, although its exact distribution was not known. The unusual nature of this galaxy motivated astronomers in NCRA to use the GMRT to conduct high-resolution radio observation of this galaxy to find out where in the galaxy this gas lies. The GMRT observations revealed that the neutral hydrogen is distributed in the form of a large off-centered ring extending much beyond the optical extent of this galaxy. More puzzlingly, the astronomers found that the existing optical images of the ring showed no sign of it containing stars. In collaboration with two French astronomers, Pierre-Alain Duc and Jean-Charles Cuillandre, the NCRA team obtained a very sensitive optical image of this system using the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope (CFHT) in Hawaii, USA. However, even these images do not show any sign of starlight associated with the hydrogen ring. There is no clear answer today as to what could lead to the formation of such large, starless rings of hydrogen. Conventionally, galaxy-galaxy collisions were thought to lead to the formation of such off-centered rings around galaxies. However, such rings also generally contain stars. This is contrary to what is found in this ring. Figuring out how this ring was formed remains a challenge to astronomers. Encouraged by this discovery, the team is now conducting a large survey to map the neutral hydrogen around several more similar galaxies. If some of them also show rings like this, it should help us to better understand the formation mechanism behind such rare rings. This work was led by Omkar Bait, a doctoral student at NCRA working under the supervision of Yogesh Wadadekar. This work forms a part of Omkar's doctoral thesis. Sushma Kurapati, who is another doctoral student at NCRA also played a role in the radio observations. Other expert scientists who contributed include, Pierre-Alain Duc (Universite de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France), Jean-Charles Cuillandre (PSL University, Paris, France), Peter Kamphuis (Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany) and Sudhanshu Barway (Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, India). ### (Acknowledgments: GMRT is run by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Based on observations obtained with MegaPrime/MegaCam, a joint project of CFHT and CEA/DAPNIA, at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France, and the University of Hawaii.) "Half Widow", a drama set in Kashmir and directed by Los Angeles-based debutant Danish Renzu, is slated for a limited theatrical release in the country on January 6. The Urdu-Kashmiri language film, co-written by Renzu and Gaya Bhola, follows a woman from Srinagar who is in search of her abducted husband. "Half Widow" has received a 'UA' certificate from The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Theatre chain PVR cinemas is releasing the film in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Jammu, according to a press release. The 91 minute-long film already released earlier this year on Amazon Prime Video. Co-produced by Renzu and Bhola, "Half Widow" stars Neelofar Hamid, Shahnawaz Bhat, Mir Sarwar and Haseena Sofi in the lead. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The events were captured on live-streamed video, with the dramatic events in the minds of many observers highlighting the benefits of privately-owned firearms as a defense against armed criminals. Moreover, the gunman, who had a criminal history, obtained his gun illegally, and demonstrated one of the central pitfalls of the gun-control narrative: namely, that those with criminal intent are not easily restrained by laws controlling access to firearms. Nonetheless, many media outlets were unable to bring themselves to admit that privately owned firearms in this case were the key in preventing a wider massacre. After all, had the congregation waited around for the police to arrive, it is unknown how effective a police response could have been. Nor is it clear that had the police arrived quickly, they would have immediately engaged the shooter or even engaged the right person. These considerations were not sufficient to divert many media observers from their insistence that private gun ownership is helpful in situations like these. Both government agents and their media boosters continue to insist that even well-meaning ordinary citizens ought not be trusted with firearms and that what is really needed are "experts" with government-approved police training. Elvia Diaz at the Arizona Republic demonstrated this premise well when she wrote : The reality of Wilsons heroism is a lot more complex. He wasnt just an ordinary parishioner, as gun advocates may want you to believe. The churchs volunteer security team member is a firearms instructor , gun range owner and former reserve deputy with a local sheriffs department, according to a New York Times detailed account. In other words, hes exactly the kind of man you want around with a firearm. But we know nothing about the at least six other parishioners who also appeared to draw their handguns at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas. And thats terrifying. To many people who arent left-leaning journalists, it is hardly "terrifying" that some other private citizens of unknown expertise were armed in the congregation. After all, these people never fired a shot once they saw the shooter had been incapacitated. None of them provided any reason to suspect they pose any risk to anyone else. On the other hand, 2019 has provided plenty of reminders of what sort of "expertise" and heroism government-provided security forces offer. In the Spring of 2019, the parents of victims of the Parkland school shooting are sued the Broward County school board and the sheriffs office for failing to take timely action against the school shooter who killed 17 people at the school in February 2018. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel , police officers repeatedly sought to protect themselves rather than the victims in the school. An analysis of communications among law enforcement officers at the site of the massacre confirmed there were "at least two times a Broward deputy urges another officer to protect themselves, not confront the killer." Meanwhile, 2019 provided reminders police officers will shoot citizens dead in their own homes for no justifiable reason, as was the case with Atatiana Jefferson on October 12. According to multiple accounts the shooter a now-former-cop named Aaron Dean entered Jeffersons private property unannounced in the middle of the night. He peered into Jeffersons windows, and within seconds, the officer had shot Jefferson dead. Jefferson had been playing video games with her nephew. Also in October, former police officer Amber Guyger was sentenced to ten years in prison for unlawfully shooting Botham Jean in his own apartment. At the time, Guyger was a police officer returning home from work. She illegally entered the wrong apartment and promptly shot Jean the units lawful resident dead. If there is anything that ought to be "terrifying" to ordinary Americans, it is not the idea that some law abiding citizens might be carrying firearms. Rather, the far-more terrifying thought is the knowledge some police officers are so eager to murder residents in their own living rooms. More Guns, More Crime? These facts will no doubt fail to derail the usual media narrative that there are too many guns, and the police the same people who shoot residents in their homes or cower behind cars when faced with real danger will ensure public safety through weapons prohibitions and by generally "keeping us safe." Fortunately, the facts certainly offer little to support the idea that more legal gun ownership is a problem in terms of homicides. According to 2019s gun manufacturing data from the BATF, total gun production and importation in the US has increased significantly over the past twenty years. If we look at total guns produced in the US (not counting those exported) and added to total guns imported, we find new gun production increased from around 4.5 million in 1998 to more than twelve million in 2017.1 Over that same period, homicide rates decreased from 6.3 per 100,000 to 5.3. In fact, after years of rising gun production, the US homicide rate fell to a 50-year low in 2014. This correlation doesnt prove more guns reduce crime, of course. But this relationship strongly suggests the benefits of increased gun ownership namely greater self-defense capability on the part of private citizens are greater than the potential costs. Imperial Valley News Center Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeos Call with Qatari Emir Hamad al-Thani Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke today with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and expressed appreciation for Qatars solidarity in the face of Irans malign regional influence, including the December 31 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Secretary Pompeo and Emir al-Thani reviewed a range of regional developments and agreed on the need for continued, close engagement to advance peace and security in the region. Its program is formed under the slogan A Strong Europe in a world of challenges" Open source Croatia began its six-year Presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2020. The representative of this Balkan country will head the EU Council for 6 months, after which he will transfer the chairmanship to Germany. By the New Year's Eve, the EU had approved the program of Croatian Presidency, which is set up under the motto "A Strong Europe in a world of challenges" and has four priorities: an Evolving Europe; Uniting Europe; Protecting Europe; influential Europe. Ukraine is not on the list of official priorities of the Presidency. The brief program on the Council of the EU website makes no mention of either Ukraine or Eastern Partnership. In a more detailed document in the Croatian language prepared by the chairmanship, Ukraine was mentioned twice - both in the context of Eastern Partnership and as an important bilateral direction for the European Union, European Pravda reports. "The Croatian Presidency will continue to work on meeting the objectives of the Eastern Partnerships policy and will further develop cooperation with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, supporting the reform processes, especially in the face of the challenges they face. During the Croatian Presidency, the goals and priorities for the period post 2020 will be discussed, the Eastern Partnership Summit will take place in this context. As we reported earlier, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic accepted the invitation of the head of the Ukrainian state, Volodymyr Zelensky, to visit Ukraine. Plenkovic would arrive in Ukraine in the first half of 2020, during the Croatian Presidency of the EU Council. The Croatian government will soon appoint a co-chair of the Joint Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Croatian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation to boost trade and investment between the two countries. Local residents protest as Rome announces new dump near Fiumicino airport. Rome city council and the Lazio Region jointly announced a new landfill site for the Italian capital, to be located at Monte Carnevale, near Fiumicino airport to the west of the city. Local residents have objected strongly to the news, which was announced on New Year's Eve, claiming that the area has already suffered enough from dealing with Rome's rubbish. The proposed site for the new landfill site, to be built within 18 months, is located two kilometres from the infamous Malagrotta dump - once the largest in Europe - which closed in 2013 after serving the city for 30 years. The decision to choose Monte Carnevale, which followed the city's rejection of Falcognana and Tragliatella as proposed landfill sites, has also caused divisions in the Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) of Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi. Stefano Vignaroli, president of the Ecomafie parliamentary commission and M5S member, described Monte Carnevale as a "shameful" choice, claiming the "already devastated" area was never "adequately reclaimed" following the closure of Malagrotta. Raggi has long been under pressure from the president of the Lazio Region, Nicola Zingaretti, to identify a landfill site and to make Rome autonomous in relation to its waste disposal. Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro speaks at the J Street National Conference in Washington on Oct. 28, 2019. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo) Julian Castro Ends Bid for the Presidency Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro said hes dropping out of the 2020 race. Its with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today. Im so proud of everything weve accomplished together. Im going to keep fighting for an America where everyone countsI hope youll join me in that fight, Castro said in a statement on Jan. 2. Castro, 45, was the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the later years of the Obama administration. He joined the University of Texas at Austins LBJ School of Public Affairs in 2017 after leaving that position. He announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination on Jan. 12, 2019. Castro released a video on Twitter on Jan. 2 announcing the end to his candidacy, highlighting some moments on the campaign trail. Im so proud of the campaign that weve run together. Weve shaped the conversation on so many important issues in this race, stood up for the most vulnerable people, and given a voice to those who are often forgotten, he said. But with only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given the circumstances of this campaign season, Ive determined that it simply isnt our time. So today its with a heavy heart and with profound gratitude that I will suspend my campaign for president. Democratic presidential candidate and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro (C) and his family arrive at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 9, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Democratic presidential hopeful and former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro at the fourth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season in Westerville, Ohio, on Oct. 15, 2019. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Castro thanked volunteers and promised to keep fighting for illegal immigrants. Castro is one of a slew of Democratic candidates to call for decriminalizing border crossings, which immigration experts say would lead to a flood of new migrants. Castro traveled to Mexico in October 2019 and took to the Texas border a dozen people who said they were exceptions to President Donald Trumps remain in Mexico policy for migrants. The 12 people were sent back to Mexico later that day. Castro struggled in recent months to raise enough money, threatening to drop out of the race twice in the fall amid looming debate qualification deadlines. He didnt qualify for the December debate and wasnt expected to qualify for the upcoming four debates in early voting states. Castros exit from the race follows that of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg both entered the race late in 2019. The rest of the field includes former Vice President Joe Biden, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii). The Iowa Democratic caucuses will be held on Feb. 3. Correction: A previous version of this article did not include Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) in the list of current Democratic presidential candidates. The Epoch Times regrets the error. Russia's Aeroflot has been named as the world's most on-time mainline airline in 2019 in a new report. It has beaten Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA), which comes second, and highest-ranked U.S airline Delta Air Lines is third overall. Virgin Atlantic is the UK's most on-schedule carrier. Meanwhile, Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport is named as the world's most punctual airport. Russia's Aeroflot has been named as the world's most on-time mainline airline in 2019 in a new report by travel data firm Cirium The report, the On-Time Performance Review, is compiled each year by travel data and analytics firm Cirium. It tracks more than 100,000 flights around the world everyday and bases its 2019 analysis on an 80 per cent coverage requirement. According to Cirium, a flight is on time if the aircraft arrives at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time. Cirium ranks both mainline flights - those operated by a major airline - and network flights - those that are both flown by a major airline and those marketed by them but operated by a separate carrier. Airport on-time performance is measured by on-time departing flights. Top-ranked mainline airline Aeroflot saw 86.7 per cent of its flights operating on time during 2019, the data shows. All Nippon Airways saw 86.3 per cent of its flights operating on time, while Delta Air Lines saw 85.7 per cent of services arriving on time. In fourth place is Azul Brazilian Airlines with 83.5 per cent followed by Japan Airlines with 82.2 per cent. Second-placed All Nippon Airways, pictured, saw 86.3 per cent of its flights operating on time The most punctual U.S airline and third most on-time overall is Delta Air Lines. Data shows 85.7 per cent of services arrived on time in 2019 MOST PUNCTUAL AIRLINES 2019 Mainline airlines 1. Aeroflot - 86.7% of flights on time 2. All Nippon Airways - 86.3% 3. Delta Air Lines - 85.7% 4. Azul Brazilian Airlines - 83.5% 5. Japan Airlines - 82.2% 6. Alitalia - 82% 7. Air France - 81.1% 8. Emirates - 81.02% 9. Korean Air - 80.3% 10. SAS - 79.9% Low-cost airlines 1. StarFlyer - 91.4% of flights on time 2. Air Do - 90.42% 3. Solaseed Air - 88.05% 4. Iberia Express - 87.05% 5. Viva Air Colombia - 86.94% 6. Sky Airline - 85.53% 7. Jetstar Asia - 85.22% 8. Thai Air Asia - 83.74% 9. Azul - 83.53% 10. Air Baltic - 83.5% Source: Cirium Advertisement The rest of the top 10 is made up of Alitalia (sixth, 82 per cent), Air France (seventh, 81.1 per cent), Emirates (eighth, 81.02 per cent), Korean Air (ninth, 80.3 per cent) and SAS (10th, 79.9 per cent). Cirium's data shows that for best ranked UK-based airline Virgin Atlantic, 78.23 per cent of its flights were on time. For British Airways, 76.98 per cent of its flights were on time, while 76.84 per cent of Ryanair's flights were punctual as were 73.78 per cent of easyJet's flights, according to the data. In the network airline category, Latin American airline LATAM clinches the top spot with 86.7 per cent of flights in its network arriving on time. It is followed by All Nippon Airways (second, 86.49 per cent), Delta (third, 84.63 per cent), Japan Airlines (fourth, 84.47 per cent) and Iberia (fifth, 84.24 per cent). The best ranked UK airline is Virgin Atlantic as 78.23 per cent of its flights were on time in 2019 A separate ranking has also been drawn up for the most punctual low-cost carriers of 2019 with Japanese airline StarFlyer coming top. The data shows that 91.4 per cent of its flights arrived on schedule. In second place is fellow Japanese carrier Air Do with 90.42 per cent followed by another Japanese airline, Solaseed Air, in third with 88.05 per cent. Coming fourth is Iberia Express with 87.05 per cent of its flights on time and fifth is Viva Air Colombia with 86.94 per cent of its services on schedule. The rest of the top 10 is made up of Sky Airline (sixth, 85.53 per cent), Jetstar Asia (seventh, 85.22 per cent), Thai Air Asia (eighth, 83.74 per cent), Azul (ninth, 83.53 per cent) and Air Baltic (10th, 83.5 per cent). When it comes to airports, top-ranked Sheremetyevo saw 95.01 per cent of its flights leave on time. The most punctual low-cost carrier is Japanese airline StarFlyer. Data shows 91.4 per cent of its flights arrived on schedule in 2019 In second place is Guangzhou Baiyun International with 92.52 per cent followed by Shanghai Pudong International with 91.04 per cent, Kunming Changshui International with 90.72 per cent and Beijing Capital International with 89.15 per cent. Also in the top 10 is Shenzhen Bao'an International (sixth, 88.94 per cent), Xianyang International (seventh, 88.73 per cent), Chongqing Jiangbei International (eighth, 88.49 per cent), Haneda (ninth, 88.1 per cent) and Salt Lake City International (10th, 88.05 per cent). The rest of the top 20 is made up of Chengdu Shuangliu International (11th, 87.27 per cent), Minneapolis-St. Paul International (12th, 86.84 per cent), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (13th, 86.52 per cent), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (14th, 86.08 per cent), Washington Dulles International (15th, 85.27 per cent), Hong Kong International (16th, 84.90 per cent), Miami International (17th, 84.76 per cent), Philadelphia International (18th, 84.36 per cent), Charlotte Douglas International (19th, 83.96 per cent) and Oslo Airport Gardermoen (20th, 83.62 per cent). Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport, pictured, is named as the world's most punctual airport in 2019 The second most punctual airport in 2019 is named as Guangzhou's Baiyun International Airport in China Jeremy Bowen, Cirium CEO, said: 'We apply the highest level of data analysis to form our On-Time Performance Review and we're delighted to announce that Aeroflot surpassed other leading airlines as the world's most on-time mainline airline. 'Looking at the Russian carrier's past year it's clear that as Aeroflot has more controls in place over their environment than most, that helps enormously to drive operational efficiency. Russia's successful year continues with Moscow's Sheremetyevo International airport also winning the top spot as the most punctual airport. 'Airlines and airports which consistently operate on time and go that extra mile for their customers deserve to be recognised in an increasingly competitive environment and should be justifiably proud of reaching such a world-class industry standard. 'Achieving world-class customer satisfaction and industry-leading product differentiation is about more than just competitively priced tickets and flight availability. 'When choosing who to fly with, savvy travellers also now consider airline punctuality and operational reliability. 'We believe Cirium's On-Time Performance Review 2019 will inspire airlines and airports to continue innovating to improve their performance. By embracing digital transformation and leveraging data to its full potential, Cirium can help the aviation industry harness its power to improve on-time performance and enhance the passenger experience.' Photo: The Canadian Press Wildfires have ravaged Australia's landscape and wildlife population. Australia deployed military ships and aircraft Wednesday to help communities ravaged by apocalyptic wildfires that have left at least 17 people dead nationwide and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline. Navy ships and military aircraft were bringing water, food and fuel to towns where supplies were depleted and roads were cut off by the fires. Authorities confirmed three bodies were found Wednesday at Lake Conjola on the south coast of New South Wales, bringing the death toll in the state to 15. More than 175 homes have been destroyed in the region. Some 4,000 people in the coastal town of Mallacoota fled to the shore as winds pushed a fire toward their homes under a sky darkened by smoke and turned blood-red by flames. Stranded residents and vacationers slept in their cars, and gas stations and surf clubs transformed into evacuation areas. Dozens of homes burned before winds changed direction late Tuesday, sparing the rest of the town. Victoria Emergency Commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters the Australian Defence Force was moving naval assets to Mallacoota on a supply mission that would last two weeks and helicopters would also fly in more firefighters since roads were inaccessible. I think that was our biggest threat in terms of what are we doing with the children if we need to go in the water to protect ourselves given the fact that they are only 1, 3 and 5," tourist Kai Kirschbaum told ABC Australia. "If you're a good swimmer it doesn't really matter if you have to be in the water for a longer time, but doing that with three kids that would have been, I think, a nightmare. Conditions cooled Wednesday, but the fire danger remained very high across the state, where four people are missing. We have three months of hot weather to come. We do have a dynamic and a dangerous fire situation across the state, Crisp said. In the New South Wales town of Conjola Park, 89 properties were confirmed destroyed and cars were melted by Tuesdays fires. More than 100 fires were still burning in the state Wednesday, though none were at an emergency level. Seven people have died this week, including a volunteer firefighter, a man found in a burnt-out car and a father and son who died in their house. Firefighting crews took advantage of easing conditions on Wednesday to restore power to critical infrastructure and conduct some back burning, before conditions were expected to deteriorate Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds return. "There is every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw yesterday," New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said. About 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned nationwide over the past few months, with at least 17 people dead and more than 1,000 homes destroyed. Some communities cancelled New Years fireworks celebrations, but Sydneys popular display over its iconic harbour controversially went ahead in front of more than a million revelers. The city was granted an exemption to a total fireworks ban in place there and elsewhere to prevent new wildfires. Smoke from the wildfires meant Canberra, the nations capital, on Wednesday had air quality more than 21 times the hazardous rating to be reportedly the worst in the world. The smoke has also wafted across the Tasman Sea and into New Zealand. U-Haul will no longer hire or even interview people who smoke and use e-cigarettes in more than 20 states in a bid to create a 'healthier workplace'. The truck and trailer rental company announced on Wednesday that it has approved its new nicotine-free policy, which is set to go into effect February 1. The policy will apply in 21 states where the company operates and is legally allowed to discriminate against smokers. Those states include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. U-Haul has announced plans to stop interviewing and hiring nicotine users, including people who use e-cigarettes and vaping products, from February 1 THE STATES WHERE U-HAUL'S NO SMOKING POLICY APPLIES Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Iowa Kansas Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Nebraska Pennsylvania Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Advertisement It is legal in those 21 states for employers to consider tobacco-use when making hiring decisions. Employers in 17 states are also legally allowed to test for nicotine. U-Haul International has not indicted if it would conduct tests, officials said. Meanwhile, 29 states have laws that protect nicotine-users from being discriminated against for smoking or vaping. The company employs about 4,000 people in Arizona, where the company is based, and 30,000 across the U.S. and Canada. People hired before the policy goes into effect will not be affected, the company says. U-Haul says they are implementing the nicotine-free hiring policy to create a more healthy corporate culture. The new policy will focus on the health of team members and employees, while also decreasing healthcare costs, the company said. Company executives encourage employees not to use nicotine by waiving a required wellness fee. The company doesn't require tobacco users to pay a health care insurance premium. 'We are deeply invested in the well-being of our team members,' U-Haul Chief of Staff Jessica Lopez said. 'Nicotine products are addictive and pose a variety of serious health risks. This policy is a responsible step in fostering a culture of wellness at U-Haul with the goal of helping our team members on their health journey.' U-Haul said it has made strides to encourage health and wellness including breaking ground on a new conference and fitness center in Arizona and implementing various employee fitness and wellness programs. Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, told ABC News that U-Haul's new policy was 'terribly misguided' and sets a bad precedent. "In public health, we try to encourage people to engage in healthy behavior, but we do not punish them and stigmatize them when they dont," he said. "It punishes exactly the people who should be rewarded for having accomplished this difficult feat. 'This sets a terrible precedent because it means that employers can discriminate against any group of people they want, such as obese people. 'The exact reasoning that U-Haul is citing in promoting this policy would also justify refusing to hire people who are obese, or people who use legal marijuana, or any number of other health behaviors.' Some hospitals and other health businesses have implemented no-nicotine hiring policies. Alaska Airlines has had the policy since 1985 to address health-care costs and health consequences. In addition, the airline has expressed the difficulty of smoking on planes and in places surrounding airports. A female staff member has been left badly shaken following a robbery at a bookmakers in Londonderry. The robbery happened after two men entered the bookmakers in the Central Drive area of the city just before 5.45pm. One of the men pushed a female member of staff to the ground and restrained her while the other man searched the premises. The two suspects then fled with cash. PSNI detective sergeant Marshall said: This was a terrifying experience for the victim who, while physically uninjured, has understandably been left badly shaken. One of the suspects is described as being approximately 5 11 in height, wearing a balaclava, black clothing and gloves. The second is also described as wearing dark clothing and gloves." Police have appealed for anyone with any information about the robbery to contact them on 101, quoting reference 1855 of 01/01/20. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. More than 56,000 people were sent back to Mexico by the end of November, according to Syracuse Universitys Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Of the more than 24,000 cases that have been decided, only 117, or less than 1%, have been granted asylum or some other form relief allowing them to stay in the United States. LeeAnne Locken is letting her guard down. During part one of The Real Housewives of Dallas reunion on Wednesday, the 52-year-old revealed that she had contemplated suicide three months before marrying now-husband Rich Emberlin. When speaking about their trip to Mexico this season, host Andy Cohen read a fan question that asked, You and Stephanie bonded last year when you shared your stories of suicide. Dont you think it was horribly insensitive to talk to flippantly about suicide right in front of her like that? That night, I was actually hoping that Stephanie would realize where I was because I wasnt making a joke about it, Locken said. Stephanie Hollman // LeeAnne Locken | Mireya Acierto/Getty Images; Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images You were seriously contemplating suicide three months before your wedding? Cohen asked. Locken nodded her head. RELATED: LeeAnne Locken Is Married! Real Housewives of Dallas Star Weds Longtime Love Rich Emberlin But the way it came out at dinner was very jarring, said Hollman, who attempted suicide at 22 years old. It felt like it wasnt like, Hey, Im hurting, I think Im going to kill myself tonight. It seemed like you were just throwing it out there. Its a very big problem for me, DAndra Simmons said. As you know, my father committed suicide. I dont want to talk about suicide in a flippant manner. If you want to talk about it in a serious manner, youre hurting to me, just throwing that card on the table like, Well Im going to commit suicide. That was so offensive to me because of what I went through with my father. Going and seeing somebody that put a hole in their head from a bullet and having to clean it up and then having to go to the mortuary. I dont want to relive that. So if youre going to talk about, dont talk about it like that in front of me. LeeAnne Locken // D'Andra Simmons | Paul Morigi/Getty Images (2) Locken has been open about her past suicide attempts and the sexual abuse she experienced growing up. Story continues RELATED: LeeAnne Locken Accused of Racism in Real Housewives of Dallas Midseason Trailer Ive been tortured my whole life, Locken told PEOPLE in 2018. What these girls do to me on this show is nothing. Its like spitballs at a battleship. Im not gonna sink anytime soon. Im gonna be the strongest thing on this show. Thats not gonna change. Earlier this season, Hollman tearfully revealed that she tried to commit suicide when she was 22. I was with a guy who didnt make me feel like a worthy person, she said. I never felt pretty enough, I never felt good enough. I was always judged. We broke up and it was like, I lost my friends. And I just couldnt handle it. I remember going to the bathroom and finding a bottle of pills. And I remember taking them all, laying down in my bed, she recalled. My mom was home, so I stumbled into her room and told her what I had done, and then she called the ambulance. Hollman was given the confidence to come forward after a candid conversation with Locken. You know shes had a hard childhood, right? Hollman explained to her mom, adding that Locken had tried to commit suicide four times in the past. I felt like my way to build a bridge with her was to just be open with her. The Real Housewives of Dallas reunion continues Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 11:22:19|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- China has tackled major financial risks with all-out efforts and a deft hand in the past year, as existing hazards have been gradually dissolved and a more mature system put in place to forestall potential dangers. China's financial risks gradually abated after a few years of fast accumulation, as the country deals with exposed risks and improves the financial regulation system to steer clear of systemic risks, said a report on China's financial stability in 2019 by the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank. Among the most notable achievements, the leverage ratio was stabilized, the country's shadow banking assets at the end of June shrank to the lowest level since the end of 2016, and the legitimate interests of clients were protected during the takeover of Inner Mongolia-based Baoshang Bank to contain its credit risk. Financial institutions are building up risk resistance, with commercial banks' provision coverage ratio, a measure of funds set aside to cover bad loans, at 187.63 percent by the end of the third quarter and the solvency adequacy ratio of China's insurance firms remaining within the reasonable range by late last year. Noting that China's financial system is generally healthy and capable of defusing various risks, the annual Central Economic Work Conference urged continued efforts to keep the leverage ratio stable in 2020. In the homestretch to winning the battle against financial risks by 2020, the country is prepared to effectively forestall risks and in the meantime improve the financial system for stronger resilience. DEFUSING THE BOMB In the past year, China has reined in exposed financial risks regarding small and medium-sized banks and prevented them from spilling over. No bank runs occurred after the May takeover of Baoshang Bank by the PBOC and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), and debt repayment and transfers have been completed for big institutional and interbank clients of the lender. The PBOC conducted open market operations and used medium-term lending facilities to restore liquidity among small and medium-sized banks affected by the incident. "Commercial banks, including small and medium-sized ones, have maintained profit growth with their risk level basically under control," said Lu Zhengwei, chief economist at Industrial Bank. Official data showed more than 99.2 percent of small and medium-sized banks passing the required liquidity threshold by the end of the third quarter. The PBOC said it will continue to closely watch the liquidity levels of small and medium-sized banks and offer more policy support for their sustainable development. The CBIRC will replenish capital for smaller banks and urge them to dispose of non-performing loans, said Yang Liping, an official with the commission. BUILDING THE SAFETY NET The country's financial watchdogs have sought to strengthen weak links in regulations to prevent risks in 2019 in an active effort to forestall risks. The government has rolled out interim regulations for the credit rating industry and started soliciting public feedback on trial measures on the supervision of financial holding companies as well as the evaluation of systematically important banks. Tightened regulations sped up the exposure of commercial banks' non-performing assets and pushed them to make more efforts to get rid of bad loans, resulting in 176.5 billion yuan (about 25.3 billion U.S. dollars) more in bad loans disposed of in the first three quarters than the same period of 2018. As another fixture of the safety net against risks, China's deposit insurance fund played a critical role in safeguarding the assets of Baoshang Bank's individual, institutional and interbank clients. The PBOC report on China's financial stability called for efforts to improve the legal framework of risk control for financial institutions and advance amendments to laws and regulations on corporate bankruptcy and commercial banks. MORE INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT Serving the real economy and fending off financial risks rely on deepening financial reform and opening up for institutional support, said the State Council's financial stability and development committee during its 10th meeting in November. The capital market reform is a highlight of China's endeavors to improve the financial system where the upcoming adoption of a registration-based IPO system and the now piloting spin-off listings are expected to improve the quality of listed companies. Meanwhile, China's financial opening-up efforts, especially measures to pilot the cross-border transfer of non-performing debts, have paved the way for foreign capital to enter the country's non-performing asset industry and help free up more credit for small and micro enterprises and the private sector. The country's real economy is benefiting from endeavors to optimize the financial system, with newly added social financing in the first 11 months rising 3.43 trillion yuan from the same period in 2018. The October tone-setting fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China urged the establishment of a modern financial system featuring high adaptability, competitiveness and inclusiveness, as well as an institutional shield against financial risks. In a modern financial system, risks can be discovered, diverted or prevented in time, said Guan Tao, former spokesman of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. Business Travel Airfares to Remain Flat in 2020: Amex GBT Report Its a new year, and rising air costs will likely remain flat as the outlook for business travel is somewhat tempered worldwide. The Air Monitor 2020 report from American Express Global Business Travel crunched the numbers on air demand and economic forecasting and found that global aviation will only be able to raise business class fares on a limited number of routes. The forecasts are all measured in local currency at the fares point-of-sale. While uncertainty looks to be a key theme in the coming year, in this report we see several factors likely to affect buyers of business air travel in 2020, such as airline retailing strategies, growing fare segmentation, and increased focus on sustainability, said Joakim Johansson, vice president of global business consulting at American Express Global Business Travel, in a release. North American fares are expected to remain relatively flat this year, aside from a major jump in fares to the Australasia region. No doubt increased trade between the U.S. and Chinas rivals in the regions is a major contributor. North America: Key Route Forecasts Business Economy North America 1.5% 1.5% Asia 0% 0% Australasia 5% 5% Central America & Caribbean 0% 0% Europe 1% 1% Middle East 1.2% 1.2% South America -1% -1% Source: Air Monitor 2020 from American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) It looks like the ramifications of President Trumps Chinese trade war and an overall softening in the economy will reduce demand and limit rising fares in 2020. Ongoing global trade tensions continue to cause a drag on economic growth across North America, reads the report. An expected economic deceleration in the U.S. will also impact the Canadian economy. Against this backdrop and compounded by a large capacity increase air fares within North America are predicted to rise by just 1.5 percent across the business and economy cabins. Price changes are expected to be minimal across most key routes from North America. Story continues In Europe, as well, concerns over Brexit and strong competition between low-cost carriers will limit air pricing increases in 2020. Business flights to North America and Asia will increase the most, due to solid demand for business travel to both regions. Europe: Key Route Forecasts Business Economy Europe 0.6% 0.7% Africa 0.9% 0.9% Asia 2% 1.1% Central America & Caribbean 1.3% 0.9% Middle East 0% 0.7% North America 2.3% 0.6% South America 0.7% 0.3% Source: Air Monitor 2020 from American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) Tough times for Europes airlines means more pressure to get flyers on board despite low fares. Against a subdued economic background, and with concerns about over-capacity and passenger projections, IAG, Lufthansa Group, and Air France-KLM have announced they are scaling back capacity growth on some of their airline brands, stated the report. The year 2020 could see a wave of consolidation in Europe as the competitive open aviation area, high regulatory costs, and inefficient infrastructure place significant strain on profits, causing airlines to fold or merge. Finally, flying is likely to get more expensive for Asian business travelers inside the region. Economy flights inside Asia are pegged to rise 3 percent while fares to North America are expected to drop by 1 percent. Australasia: Key Route Forecasts Business Economy Australasia 0.3% 3% Asia 0.8% 2.3% North America -1% -1% Source: Air Monitor 2020 from American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) If the global economy does sputter in 2020, perhaps low airfares will help business leaders continue to cut the deals their companies need to thrive. Dont worry about it, things will be fine. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. The mood was tinged with the kind of self-assurance which can be easily mistaken for rebellious fervour in which the New Year was wrung in by the Jamia Millia Islamia students, neighbours and youth from other colleges. One of the contributions of the 20 days of sit-in at Jamias Shaheen Bagh may well result in a large-scale revival of Habib Jalibs Dastur, or custom, as the voice of Indias youth. Phool shakhon pe khilne lage, tum kaho, Jaam rindon ko milne lage, tum kaho, Zakhm seenon ke silne lage, tum kaho, Is khule jhoot ko, zehn ki loot ko, Maen naheen manta, maen naheen manta (Proclaim, they insist, that flowers are blossoming everywhere Proclaim, all glasses are full All wounds have healed These are outrageous lies With which they vandalise our minds. We shall not accept these falsehoods, Never, Never) The mood was tinged with the kind of self-assurance which can be easily mistaken for rebellious fervour in which the New Year was wrung in by the Jamia Millia Islamia students, neighbours and youth from other colleges. There were magical moments when poetry mingled with music. Since the December 13 and 15, the police high-handedness (watched by the nation on TV) against peaceful protests demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act, the demonstrations had settled down in an unbroken vigil interspersed with a series of cultural programmes reminiscent of Indian Peoples Theatre of the 1960s and 1970s. Yes, the atmosphere was electric. A settlement may well be taking place somewhere near the base because one is hearing stories of students arguing with conservative parents before trooping out to join a hostel here, a college there, to merge in the nationwide protests. These are ostensibly against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Ostensibly, because a mass upsurge does not possess the precise comprehension of a complicated issue nor its geometric lines. It proceeds on the basis of an intuitive grasp of a larger reality something evil is afoot. What is at question is something as basic as citizenship and ownership of whatever little they possess. From Jamia, the protests have spread out to campuses across the nation. In a nation where 65 per cent of the population is under 35, this could be unsettling. The mood at Jamia, however, is at a sharp variance from the bleak reports coming out from UP. Are the unspeakable brutalities of the UP police some sort of rearguard action on the governments part to protect the key bastion? All fangs bared, psychologists will tell you, is a sign of fright. The police barging into Muslim mohallas, terrorising the elderly and women, picking up the youth (not always without an eye on ransom money), in brief, inviting skull caps and beards onto the street to provide visuals for a gleefully complicit media. But focus on the partisan media must not obscure the oases of courageous, balanced journalism with the likes of Ravish Kumar of Hindi NDTV in the lead. It was bad enough that the protests erupted with the suddenness of revelation, what is worse for the government is the fact that they have taken place against the backdrop of electoral decline reverses in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, a narrow shave in Haryana. Even though the Supreme Court gifted a judgment to the BJP affiliates enabling them to build a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the political consequences of this outcome are negative for the party. Communal polarisation burgeoned when the temple was an issue, with Muslims pitted on the other side. For the faithful, a temple exactly on the spot where Ram was born is a matter of supreme satisfaction. But by the same token the politician has lost an issue the goose that laid the saffron egg is dead. This may have been an additional reason why the citizenship issue was urgently required to keep up the communal temperature. But a great miscalculation attends this move. Ram Janmabhoomi had been an issue since the 19th century, given a boost by the idols being placed inside Babri Masjid in 1948. The Shila processions in 1989, the carrying of bricks consecrated in thousands of village temples all the way to Ayodhya was a marketing strategy that would leave Madison Avenue gasping. Even more spectacular was L.K. Advanis Rath Yatra, carrying a replica of Rams carriage from Somnath to Ayodhya, generating sufficient saffron to boost the BJP from a mere two seats in 1984 to power under Atal Behari Vajpayee in a little over a decade. Narendra Modi had this advantage. Further, there was the tailwind of post 9/11 global Islamophobia to which Mr Modi added his own Mian Musharraf rhetoric (grinding his teeth) in the Gujarat elections and the sky-high communalisation after the 2002 Gujarat pogrom. The citizenship issue, though loaded with communal intent, has resonated quite differently with the youth of all denominations. The citizenship issue terrifies the Muslim but the image of petrified Muslims has, contrary to Hindutva expectations, touched a soft Hindu chord. Women, with students in the vanguard, in occupation of spaces of progressive politics is a heart-warming trend. How New Delhi proposes to firm up the Citizenship Register in Assam without upsetting the warm relations with Dhaka is something of a puzzle. Does the lack of anxiety on Sheikh Hasinas brow indicate back channel assurances? Will Muslim distress across the border not provide a handle to the Opposition in Bangladesh? The authors of the CAA and NRC probably had two simultaneous ends in mind keep the people distracted from their abysmal economic lot and focused mindlessly on Hindu consolidation. The expanding protests have given heart to various groups. The traditional metropolitan elite, distanced from power with the consolidation of the Modi-Shah duet, has already pulled out its calculators, working out the electoral mathematics for the future. The habitual quest for connections causes them to dream dreams of an implausible two-party system. The emerging reality is much more federal. Delusory dreams are in any case premature because the BJP is not disappearing in a hurry. If the party ever has its back against the wall, there is still that willingness to surpass Balakot by yards. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy marchers filled the streets of Hong Kong for a massive rally on New Year's Day as police and hardcore demonstrators faced off once again in a continuation of almost seven months of often-violent unrest. Despite a peaceful start on Wednesday, violence erupted near the march as it proceeded through the Wan Chai district on Hong Kong Island. Riot police used pepper spray and tear gas, while hardcore protesters threw Molotov cocktails. The Civil Human Rights Front, the umbrella group responsible for organising most of the protests, had permission for the march from city authorities, but they were ordered to end it soon after the clashes began. "The police have... asked us to dismiss the rally," the organisers told marchers using megaphones. "Please calmly and slowly leave the scene right now." In now-familiar scenes, riot police were seen taking positions at several locations, including the Wan Chai subway station. Black-clad, masked protesters also gathered to set up makeshift barricades, while some businesses were vandalised in the afternoon. Mainland press focuses on latest riots China's mainland press reported extensively on the latest riots. "Radicals go on the rampage during New Year Day's March," is the headline in the English-language China Daily. The same paper also publishes a video featuring clashes between demonstrators and the police under the headline "HK protests: mob rule spreads terror," warning that the city is "sinking into recession" as a result of the unrest. Meanwhile the official People's Daily quoted the New Year speech of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping to the effect that the situation in Hong Kong has been everybody's concern over the past few months". Xi asked "how can there be a home where people can live and work happily, without a harmonious and stable environment," adding cryptically that we are not afraid of winds and rains, or any kind of difficulties". Larger revolt The unrest in Hong Kong was sparked by a proposal to allow extradition to mainland China, bringing millions out on to the streets in June last year. It has since morphed into a broader revolt against what many fear is Beijing's tightening control. Despite the continued unrest, China and the Hong Kong administration have refused to give in to most of the protesters' demands, which include fully free elections in the city, an inquiry into alleged police misconduct, and amnesty for the nearly 6,500 people arrested during the demonstrations. The administration did withdraw the extradition law which initially caused the unrest, but when it did, the focus of the protests had already widened too far for the protesters to be satisfied. (Alliance News) - Tullow Oil PLC on Thursday announced the discovery of oil on the Kanuku licence off the coast of Guyana, South America. Early results from drilling at the Carapa-1 well suggest the finding of oil in Upper Cretaceous sandstones. Results show the four metres of net oil pay has a sulphur content of less than 1%. This find, Tullow said, indicates the Cretaceous oil in the Stabroek licence extends southwards into Kanuku. The company did note, however, that the four metres of oil is less than expected, though the well still has potential. Chief Operating Officer Mark MacFarlane said: "The Carapa-1 result is an important exploration outcome with positive implications for both the Kanuku and Orinduik blocks. While net pay and reservoir development at this location are below our pre-drill estimates, we are encouraged to find good quality oil which proves the extension of the prolific Cretaceous play into our acreage. "We will now integrate the results of the three exploration wells drilled in these adjacent licences into our Guyana and Suriname geological and geophysical models before deciding the future work programme." Tullow is currently going through a rocky patch. In December, Chief Executive Paul McDade left with immediate effect amid continued underperformance from the TEN and Jubilee fields in Ghana. This led to several production guidance cuts in 2019. Given cash flow forecasts, Tullow also suspended its dividend. Shares in Tullow were down 8.2% on Thursday morning at 58.74 pence each. A year prior, they were more than double that price. By George Collard; georgecollard@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. An unidentified Philadelphia police officer ducks under the tape as police gather at the scene on the 5700 block of Haddington Lane in Philadelphia, PA on November 11, 2019. Read more Philadelphia starts the new year with a new police commissioner and the promise of long-overdue reform. But in cities like Chicago and New York, some community groups are teaching people about alternative conflict resolution tactics to be used when a crisis might be exacerbated by police presence. Some organizers and activists argue that police departments are so fundamentally broken that abolishing the current system of law and order is the only way to move forward. The Inquirer asked two scholars to debate: With departments nationwide in need of reform, should police be abolished? No: A dangerous new idea fails to acknowledge the problem of evil By Christopher F. Rufo The latest call to action from some criminal justice activists: Abolish the police. From the streets of Chicago to the City Council of Seattle, and in the pages of academic journals ranging from the Cardozo Law Review to the Harvard Law Review and of mainstream publications from the Boston Review to Rolling Stone, advocates and activists are building a case not just to reform policing viewed as an oppressive, violent, and racist institution but to do away with it altogether. When I first heard this slogan, I assumed that it was a figure of speech, used to legitimize more expansive criminal justice reform. But after reading the academic and activist literature, I realized that abolish the police is a concrete policy goal. The abolitionists want to dismantle municipal police departments and see police officers disappearing from the streets. READ MORE: Pro/Con: Should Philly police be required to live in the city? | Opinion One might dismiss such proclamations as part of a fringe movement, but advocates of these radical views are gaining political momentum in numerous cities. In Seattle, socialist City Council candidate Shaun Scott, who ran on a police abolition platform, came within 1,386 votes of winning elected office. During his campaign, he argued that the city must [disinvest] from the police state and build towards a world where nobody is criminalized for being poor. At a debate hosted by the Seattle Police Officers Guild, Scott blasted so-called officers for their deep and entrenched institutional ties to racism that produced an apparatus of overaggressive and racist policing that has emerged to steer many black and brown bodies back into, in essence, a form of slavery. Another Seattle police abolitionist, Kirsten Harris-Talley, served briefly in as an appointed city councilwoman. Both Scott and Harris-Talley enjoy broad support from the citys progressive establishment. What would abolishing police mean as a practical policy matter? Nothing very practical. In the Nation, Mychal Denzel Smith argues that police should be replaced by full social, economic, and political equality. Harris-Talley, meantime, has traced policings origins back to slavery. How do you reform an institution that from its inception was made to control, maim, condemn, and kill people? she asks. Reform it back to what? If cities can eliminate poverty through affordable housing and investing in community, she believes, the police will become unnecessary. Others argue that cities must simply help people resolve conflicts through peace circles and restorative justice programs. READ MORE: Pro/Con: Would opening a supervised injection site violate existing federal law? | Opinion Police abolitionists believe that they stand at the vanguard of a new idea, but this strain of thought dates to the 18th-century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who believed that stripping away the corruptions of civilization would liberate the goodness of man. What police abolitionists fail to acknowledge is the problem of evil. No matter how many restorative programs it administers, even a benevolent centralized state cannot extinguish the risks of illness, violence, and disorder. Contrary to the utopian vision of Rousseau and his intellectual descendants, chaos is not freedom; order is not slavery. In the modern world, civilization cannot be rolled back without dire consequences. What police abolitionists fail to acknowledge is the problem of evil. Christopher F. Rufo If anything like police abolition ever occurred, its easy to predict what would happen next. In the subsequent vacuum of physical power, wealthy neighborhoods would deploy private police forces and poor neighborhoods would organize around criminal gangs deepening structural inequalities and harming the very people that the police abolitionists say they want to help. Even Scott, when pressed by a local journalist about how he would respond to a shooting in his district, conceded that we live in a world where its not possible to turn anywhere for help on big questions like this but to the police force. Reform the police? Sure. Abolish them? Never. Christopher F. Rufo is a contributing editor of City Journal, where this piece originally appeared. He is also a documentary filmmaker and research fellow at the Discovery Institutes Center on Wealth & Poverty. Yes: Reinvest in communities and strengthen other forms of conflict resolution By George Ciccariello-Maher America is the most policed and incarcerated country in the world. When policing is a way of life, its hard to even imagine alternatives. When youre holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail so goes the saying. To suggest abolishing the police is therefore to invite immediate knee-jerk skepticism: after all, we need the police, right? We dont know what a world without police would look like, but we do know that the police dont truly serve and protect most people. Not people of color, who are routinely brutalized and disproportionately killed. Not those suffering mental health crises, who are an astonishing 16 times more likely to die in encounters with police. And not women, either: an estimated 40% of police are domestic abusers an unseen epidemic. With rape conviction rates below 1% and hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits piling up nationwide, its possible that police actually inflict more violence on women than they prevent. Once we do the math, we see that the police only protect and serve a small minority of the population, but this is nothing new. Police were created to serve the interests of the white and the wealthy, and they continue to do so today. And thats not all: unaccountable police institutions are a petri dish for brutality, violence, and corruption, as recent high-profile cases in Philadelphia make clear. The past decade has seen high-profile police killings met with mass protests, demanding radical reform of police practices. But reform wont cut it. Civilian oversight committees are toothless, so-called community policing only weakens already ailing communities, and the widespread call for body cameras overlooks research showing that cameras do more to convict suspects than hinder the police wearing them, who often simply cover them up, turn them off, or delete the footage. The police cannot be reformed they must be abolished. But I am under no illusion that this will happen overnight, which is why many organizers nationwide have embraced the three Ds: disempower, disarm, and disband. This means attacking the root of police power on the way to abolition. It means watching, recording, and disrupting the police. It means pushing back against police privacy laws like HB 27 and supporting calls for Mayor Jim Kenney to make contract negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police public and to reform disciplinary arbitration. Once we do the math, we see that the police only protect and serve a small minority of the population. George Ciccariello-Maher Abolishing the police will be a long and uphill battle, but in recent decades, advocates of prison abolition have succeeded in shifting the national narrative. There is now broad agreement that the war on drugs was a catastrophe and mass incarceration is a crisis in need of solutions. Prison abolitionists created a space for the election of radical district attorneys like Larry Krasner and Chesa Boudin in San Francisco. Advocates of police abolition need to do the same. We know that alternatives to the police exist: when we rely on family, friends, and neighbors instead of calling the cops. And there are entire neighborhoods here and across the world that have pushed out the police entirely. This means reinvesting in communities, building local grassroots power, and strengthening other forms of conflict resolution so that policing gradually becomes obsolete. But above all, it means shaking off our blinders, looking at things differently, and beginning to imagine a world without police. George Ciccariello-Maher is a visiting scholar at the College of William and Mary and the author of A World Without Police, which will be published next year by Verso Books. The Pentagon warned Thursday that the Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah group that stormed the US embassy in Baghdad would would carry out more attacks on US facilities -- and would regret it. "The provocative behavior has been out there for months... So do I think they may do something? Yes. And they will likely regret it," Defence Secretary Mark Esper told reporters. "We are prepared to exercise self-defense, and we are prepared to deter further bad behaviour from these groups, all of which are sponsored, directed and resourced by Iran." Several thousand Iraqi protesters attacked the US embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, breaching its outer wall and chanting "Death to America!" in anger over weekend air strikes that killed pro-Iran fighters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over the next several years, United Way of Greater Houston will be making changes to its funding as it has decided to focus on organizations and causes that address the barriers that keep people in poverty even as they are employed. Earlier this year the results of a national study by the United Way were released documenting the conditions and struggles of asset limited, income constrained, employed (ALICE) families across the country. Based on these findings, the United Way of Greater Houston created Second Century Vision, a plan to more intentionally fund organizations that will bring the most help to ALICE families. As of right now, it is unclear what this change will mean for local organizations in Montgomery County that have been receiving annual funding from United Way. Currently, United Way invests in 18 agencies and 38 programs in Montgomery County including the Montgomery County Youth Services, Meals on Wheels of Montgomery County, and New Caney New Horizons, among others. The results of the study break down the financial hardships in each county, documenting what it costs for basic needs, the number of struggling households over time, how many families with children are struggling, differences in ALICE households by age, race and ethnicity of ALICE households, the impact of firm size on employment, and what jobs are paying across the state. The ALICE numbers for Montgomery County, using 2016 point-in-time data, show that 22 percent of county households fall under ALICE with 10 percent of county households living in poverty. In 2016, costs for household necessities far outpaced the Federal Poverty Level. As calculated in the ALICE study for Montgomery County, in 2016 the annual household survival budget for a single adult was around $22,680, while the Federal Poverty Level was $11,880, and for a four-person family, the annual budget was $61,404. while the FPL was $24,300. There will be organizations and the United Way has been very up-front about communicating about this that in our next strategic vision may not exactly fit the model, but we dont know exactly what thats going to look like yet, said Melissa Young, chair of the Montgomery County Regional Council and board member for the United Way. Theres a lot of work being done in committees to decide what this whole roll-out looks like, but its more of a big-picture approach right now, where were looking at the overall community and where we can make the biggest impact. United Way is not looking for local organizations to change their mission to fit into United Ways Second Century Vision, Young said, but are asking them to look strategically at what they are doing because many of them are already doing the work that United Way is looking for. Once we, through this data, understood what the profile of these people looked like, we believe that we have a model that really could help move people out of that situation which would be generational change, Young said. Meals on Wheels of Montgomery County receives a little less than five percent of its annual budget from United Way funding. The average age of Meals on Wheels clients is 80 years old and lives on a fixed income and would fall under the asset limited part of ALICE, said Summer Day, the organizations executive director. Were more of the safety net program, so Im hopeful that our funding will continue and we will be able to serve the population that we serve because they are vulnerable and dont have the ability to go out and get a second job, Day said. Emergency and safety-net funding will not change, Young said. Annual funding is what will be under the microscope. Angel Reach is a Montgomery County organization that works with people aging out of the foster care system and are homeless, as well as families in the area that will take in young relatives who otherwise would have been put into the foster care system. Jean Radach, Angel Reachs Executive Director, said the populations the organization works with fit into the ALICE demographics so she does not foresee that the organization will be hindered by the coming funding changes. I really admire what United Way is doing, because they are trying to identify a population that is struggling and that is really ready to make changes, but they just need a little bit more assistance, said Jean Radach, executive director of Angel Reach. About 20 percent of the funding for Angel Reachs programming comes from United Way. When all is said and done as Second Century Vision becomes fully realized over the next several years some organizations may see less funding and some may see more. At this stage, it is unknown how the numbers will fall. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com The Allahabad High Court asked the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday to file a roadmap for security, to be implemented in the lower courts of the state and the high court. A bench comprising justices Sudhir Agarwal and Suneet Kumar, while directing the authorities to file the roadmap, fixed January 16 as the next date of hearing in the matter. Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Home) Avanish Awasthi and Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh were present in the court on Thursday. It maybe recalled that taking suo-motu (on its own) cognisance of an attack in the chief judicial magistrate's (CJM) courtroom in Bijnor on December 17, in which one person was killed and another injured, the high court had summoned the Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary (home) and DGP to apprise it of a plan to strengthen the security of the court premises in the state. The chief justice of the court, while taking suo-motu cognisance of the incident, had constituted a special bench comprising justices Agarwal and Kumar. The incident took place in the CJM, Bijnor's court on December 17, while the court was in function. Two accused, who were produced before the court, were fired at by three persons, resulting in the death of one of them and causing injury to a court employee -- Moharrir. The CJM had send a report in this regard to the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court. The bench had said, "It seems there is a complete failure of law and order inside the court premises in the state. The most incompetent police professionals are deployed for the security of the court premises in the state. Is the government serious about the courts' security? Are top officials even aware of these incidents, which happened in the recent past in different courts of Uttar Pradesh?" On Thursday, the bench told the additional advocate general that strengthening court security in the state was an issue since 2008 but not much was done. If the state government could not provide adequate security on the court premises, then the bench said it would ask the Centre to deploy central forces for it. It maybe recalled that Shahnawaz, who was killed in the Bijnor incident, was an accused in the murder case of property dealer and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Haji Ehsaan and his nephew Shadab, who were killed in Najibabad on May 28 last year. The police had arrested Danish, Shahnawaz and shooter Abdul Jabbar in connection with the killings. On December 17, Shahnawaz was brought from Tihar Jail in New Delhi to the CJM's court for a hearing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two Sonoma County deputies were injured Wednesday evening in a crash on state Highway 12 that closed the road for about two hours, according to the California Highway Patrol and the sheriff's office. The crash occurred at Melita Road shortly before a Sig-alert was issued at 6:19 p.m. Centering her candidacy around representing the people, Mokah Jasmine Johnson packed The Max Canada with her supporters as she launched her campaign for the District 117 seat in the Georgia House of Representatives on Jan. 18. A mother is starting a campaign after she was fined 100 for dropping off her friend at the petrol station next to East Midlands Airport. Terri Akers, 51, received a parking charge notice after she was caught on CCTV filling her car up at The Fuel Station while her friend left the vehicle to catch a flight last month. Signs have been put on display in and around the petrol station to warn motorists they could be fined if they are seen using the area to drop off or pick up airport passengers. Mother-of-one Miss Akers, from Nottingham, wrote a two-page letter to Vehicle Control Services Limited appealing the 100 fine, as she claimed she did not see the signs and therefore they were 'not effective'. Since winning her appeal, Miss Akers now wants to help others who have fallen victim to what she described as an 'outrageous scam'. Terri Akers, 51, received a parking charge notice after she was caught on CCTV filling her car up at The Fuel Station while her friend left the vehicle to catch a flight last month Signs have been put on display in and around the petrol station to warn motorists they could be fined if they are seen using the area to drop off or pick up airport passengers Miss Akers, who works as a technical writer, also blasted the fine as 'illegitimate' and 'poorly conceived as it has no basis in law or common sense'. She said: 'As I approached the airport, I needed to get petrol, but was fully intending to go to the 3 parking bay. 'My friend then noticed the garage and suggested that I fill the car up there. It seemed like a sensible thing to do, then my friend realised he could quickly jump out while I was filling up. 'My sole intention was not to defraud the authorities out of their 3 parking charge. What sane person would insist that their friend stay rooted to their seat waiting for the fuel to be paid when the airport is just a short walk away?' Do you have a parking misery story? Email henry.martin@mailonline and tips@dailymail.co.uk or call 020 361 53224 Advertisement Vehicle Control Services said Miss Akers had won her appeal, but did not state why. A representative for Vehicle Control Services Limited said: 'In light of Mrs Akers' appeal and the evidence supplied we have accepted her appeal; we will formally confirm our decision to Mrs Akers.' 'I want to start a campaign against this,' Miss Akers said. 'I think it is wrong and completely unjustifiable. 'I want to start a campaign against this,' Miss Akers said. 'I think it is wrong and completely unjustifiable. 'I clearly just got lucky with my appeal. To be honest I don't know why my appeal was successful - maybe because it was Christmas or the way I worded the letter. The petrol station is only a short distance from the airport terminal and the short term car park, where drivers have to pay 4 for up to 30 minutes of parking 'But my point is, there are still plenty of people out there who are likely to fall into the trap in future and may accept it and pay the fine. There are many people who will drive to the East Midlands Airport who will be unaware of the situation. 'It needs looking at closely. I would like to get in contact with all those who have received fines and see what can be done. This is just not on. 'To be honest with you, I think they should get rid of the petrol station and replace it with a car park.' What are the parking rules at East Midlands Airport? The owners of the BP petrol station and East Midlands Airport said picking up or dropping off passengers at The Fuel Station is strongly prohibited Several warning signs have been up at the BP garage since June Parking or waiting on roads across the airport estate is also prohibited Double yellow lines on all roads at the airport have been replaced by red lines They are enforced by a third-party organisation that also has a separate agreement in place with the petrol station All drivers dropping off and collecting passengers at the airport must use designated car parks and drop-off facilities Advertisement East Midlands Airport said picking up or dropping off people at The Fuel Station is strongly prohibited and several signs have been up since June. A spokesman said: 'All drivers dropping off and collecting passengers at EMA should use the designated car parks and drop-off facilities. 'One hour's free parking can be had in Long Stay 2, which is ideal for drivers who have to wait longer for their passengers, ten minutes parking in rapid drop off costs 3, while 30 minutes in short stay 1 car park is 4.' The Prax Group, which owns the petrol station, said new rules were introduced as the behaviour of some motorists was having a 'negative impact on the business'. It also stated that motorists either picking up or dropping off airport passengers at the petrol station was causing a 'serious health and safety concern'. It comes after a woman won a parking appeal months after getting fined while picking her daughter up at the petrol station on the grounds of East Midlands Airport. Ruth Pickering, of Clifton, Nottinghamshire, was handed a 60 penalty notice after her 22-year-old daughter loaded her suitcase into the boot of the car while she filled up with petrol on June 30 this year. The parking charge notice came through on July 16 and it took six weeks to win the appeal after Vehicle Control Services - the company that operates the enforcement vans - conceded the fine was wrong. Ruth Pickering, 52, pictured, was fined 60 after CCTV footage showed her daughter putting a suitcase into the back of her car while she filled up with diesel on a forecourt at East Midlands Airport in June Ms Pickering was sent a fine through the post showing her daughter loading a bag into the back of her car, although the 52-year-old motorist was successfully able to claim that the parking company was not entitled to enforce its restrictions on the filling station forecourt Her plight was first reported in August last year - prompting numerous other people have come forward with similar stories. 'It has been a saga,' Ms Pickering said. 'But they conceded it because they had nothing to argue any more. There needs to be some common sense in how people are fined. 'I'm not allowing these people to fine people for anything. My intentions were innocent. 'I had only gone to put the fuel in. My daughter only met me there because she had called her dad, Lewis, to ask where I was because she couldn't find me at the pick-up point. 'I was unaware of this.' Dozens of other people caught by East Midlands Airport parking rules Louise Stevens, 54, from Littleover, Derbyshire was also fined for using the filling station at East Midlands Airport. She also claims the punishment was unjust Paul Hayes, from Ratby Leicestershire, has expressed dismay about the fine that was levied after he says he stopped to fill his car with petrol at the airport and went into the shop afterwards. 'I had filled up the car with petrol and we went into the shop,' Hayes said. 'I came out and moved forward, to let the person behind me in, because they were queuing. My passenger came out about two minutes later, and someone in a van had taken a picture of me getting in the car. 'I wasn't parking up at the airport, so basically they've had me for filling up petrol,' Hayes said. 'This is ridiculous, I'm very angry, a couple of years ago I had a heart attack and a cardiac arrest, I'm supposed to stay calm but this isn't helping me,' he added. Hayes had used the petrol station as it was the nearest after going out for a meal with a member of his family in July. The parking fine was issued by a company called Vehicle Control Services Ltd (VCS Ltd). Hayes said an initial appeal against the fine was rejected. The charge was later dropped. Louise Stevens, 54, from Littleover, Derbyshire said she was fined after she parked at the petrol station for two minutes so she could get a quick bite to eat. A CCTV van captured this image of Ms Stevens's car using the same service station as Ms Pickering She claims she went to the short stay car park to pick up her daughter and her friend who had been on holiday in Portugal. Stevens said she was shocked to receive a 100 parking bill through her door for 'stopping at a zone where stopping is prohibited'. The 54-year-old said she parked in an area which had no red lines or signs next to it. CCTV images on her letter from Vehicle Control Services Ltd show her car parked near double red lines, but not on or next to them. The parking fine was issued by a company called Vehicle Control Services Ltd (VCS Ltd). Paul Hayes (pictured above) said an initial appeal against the fine was rejected. The charge was later dropped 'I was literally a few minutes in the petrol station and parked in the only place I could see there were no red lines, however they are saying I am parked illegally. This is just daylight robbery,' Stevens said. 'This petrol station is profiting from innocent people and should be held accountable. How can you possibly issue fines to customers of your business?' she added. On July 11, Sharon and Geoffrey Palmer, both 69, stopped to fill their car at the airport's petrol station before being dropped off at the rapid drop-off zone, where their daughter drove the car home. However, on their return from their week-long holiday in Salou, Spain, they were horrified to find a 60 fine, rising to 100 if left unpaid. Gordon Jackson from Chellaston and Tajdar Kamal from Normanton were also fined after they were seen picking up airport passengers in their cars from the garage. Tajdar Kamal from Normanton has called for the station to be shut down and says he has been left so annoyed that he will no longer pick up his friends from the airport after he received a 100 bill (pictured above) Kamal has called for the station to be shut down and says he has been left so annoyed that he will no longer pick up his friends from the airport after he received a 100 bill. Terry Tunnicliffe, 77, complained to Vehicle Control Services Ltd after he received a fine at the airport after stopping for petrol at the same time as dropping a passenger off. John Baines said he received a 100 penalty charge notice for stopping for just one minute, a claim he says is backed up by CCTV evidence. Baines said he had pulled into a service yard at East Midlands Airport to read a text to say his daughter was ready to be picked up. 'I turned around and returned to the pick up point after paying 4 the first time around to leave without daughter then another 3 second time around when I picked her up,' he said. 77-year-old Terry Tunnicliffe was left angry after he was sent a 100 fine for dropping off at East Midlands Airport petrol station. (Pictured with his fuel receipt) Advertisement German-based Arriva holds the Northern franchise, which is due to run until March 2025 (Martin Rickett/PA) Train operator Northern is to be stripped of its franchise, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said, as fares across Britain rose by an average of 2.7%. Frustrated commuters will not have to wait long before action is taken, he told the PA news agency. The chaotic introduction of new timetables in May 2018 saw up to 310 Northern trains a day cancelled, and punctuality and reliability problems continue to blight the network. Frustrated commuters will not have to wait longGrant Shapps Office of Rail and Road figures show just 55.6% of Northern trains arrived at stations within one minute of the timetable in the 12 months to December 7, compared with the average across Britain of 65.3%. German-based Arriva holds the Northern franchise, which is due to run until March 2025. Mr Shapps described services on the route as really bad and claimed passengers have had a nightmare on that line since 2016. Asked if Northern will be stripped of its franchise, he replied: The simple answer to the question is yes, it is going to be brought to an end. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Its partially a legal process but frustrated commuters will not have to wait long. Mr Shapps announced in autumn that he had taken the first steps towards potentially taking the franchise away by issuing a request for proposals. The existing agreement with Northern will be replaced by either a new short-term management contract or by nationalising services by putting the Government-controlled Operator of Last Resort in charge. Northern says it has faced unprecedented challenges which were outside the direct control of Northern such as the late delivery of major infrastructure upgrades and delays in the building and delivery of new trains. Thousands of long-distance commuters saw the annual cost of getting to work increase by more than 100 on Thursday as average fares rose by 2.7%. Fewer than half (47%) of passengers are satisfied with the value for money of train tickets, according to the latest survey by watchdog Transport Focus. Emily Yates, co-founder of campaign group the Association of British Commuters, said: It feels like Groundhog Day, to be honest, its a complete charade. Every year, we ask for a fares freeze, the Government says no and the rail industry defends the decision. Accountant Andrew Jordan, 24, who was travelling through London Bridge station, described the fares rise as quite galling for me as a commuter. He said: The services dont get any better. Youd like to get something for your money. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Robert Nisbet, director of nations and regions for industry body the Rail Delivery Group, urged passengers to bear with us. He acknowledged there are pockets of difficulty around the network but insisted were tackling them. He added: By the mid-2020s we should have replaced half the entire rolling stock of Great Britain and added 11,300 services every weekday. That is a significant investment. Among the routes where the price of annual season tickets has increased by a three-figure sum are: Reading to London (up 132 to 4,736) Gloucester to Birmingham (up 118 to 4,356) Glasgow to Edinburgh via any permitted route (up 116 to 4,200) Passengers buying tickets for day trips have also been hit by the fares rise. An off-peak return ticket from Dundee to Edinburgh has increased in price by 50p to 29.40, while an Anytime return ticket from Gillingham to London via the HS1 route is up 1.20 to 45.40. The increase in around 45% of fares, including season tickets, is regulated by the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments. This is predominantly capped at Julys RPI inflation figure, which was 2.8%. The past year has seen a remarkable rise in the quality and quantity of deepfakes realistic-looking images and videos produced with artificial intelligence that portray someone doing or saying something that never actually happened, such as Nixon delivering an alternate moon landing speech . As the tools to produce this synthetic media advance , policymakers are scrambling to address public concerns, and state lawmakers in particular have put forth several proposals this year to respond to deepfakes.One of the top concerns is that deepfakes will be used as part of a misinformation campaign to influence elections. For example, researchers at an MIT conference demonstrated how they could use the technology to create a real-time fake interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In response to such concerns, Texas passed a law in September to criminalize publishing and distributing deepfake videos intended to harm a candidate or influence results within 30 days of an election. California passed a law in October that makes it illegal for anyone to intentionally distribute deepfakes intended to deceive voters or harm a candidates reputation within 60 days of an election. The law excludes news broadcasters from its rules, as well as any videos that are made for satire or parody and videos that are clearly labeled as being fake. These laws are good steps toward preventing campaigns from using deepfakes to attack their opponents, but they will do nothing to stop foreign political interference. And some First Amendment activists are concerned these laws might unduly restrict free speech Another major concern is that deepfake technology is used to create pornographic images or videos of individuals mostly female celebrities without their consent. In a September 2019 study, Deeptrace , an Amsterdam-based company that detects and tracks deepfakes on the Internet, found 14,678 deepfake videos on popular streaming websites double the number from December 2018 and discovered that 96 percent of the fake videos involved nonconsensual pornography. These videos are popular, having received approximately 134 million views. So far only one state, California, has passed a law addressing this issue. In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that allows individuals to sue someone who has created a deepfake that makes their likeness appear in pornographic images or videos, even if the content is labeled as fake. The law tries to balance free speech concerns by excluding materials that have legitimate public interest, such as being newsworthy. While this law will provide victims with some recourse, it will not help them if the source of the material is anonymous or out of the states jurisdiction, nor will it stop the distribution of the content.The last major issue lawmakers are grappling with is how to protect the rights of individuals to control the commercial use of their image and identity. Deepfake technology is advancing to the point that performers may have their likeness fully re-created in digital form, allowing their image to be used in projects they have no direct involvement in, even after their death . Celebrities typically charge for commercial use of their likeness, and these rights can be enormously valuable , so many want to ensure that they maintain these rights even with emerging technology. The New York state Legislature considered, but ultimately did not pass, legislation supported by the Screen Actors Guild that would have established a new right of publicity for individuals. In particular, it would have extended this right of publicity to 40 years past an individuals death, and it would have prohibited non-consensual use of a digital replica of an individual without their (or their heirs) consent.Most of these laws generally take the right approach: They make it unlawful to distribute deepfakes with a malicious intent, and they create recourse for those in their state who have been negatively affected by bad actors. However, it is important that lawmakers carefully craft these laws so as not to erode free speech rights or undermine legitimate uses of the technology. As other states consider whether to pursue these types of laws, they should proceed cautiously, recognizing that deepfake technology is changing rapidly. And state laws will only be a first step websites will also need to take down this content, and the rules for this may need to be decided at the federal level. Inspectors temporarily closed a Houston restaurant due to roach infestation last week, according to health inspection records. At a second Houston restaurant, inspectors condemned about 400 lbs. of cooked pasta, chicken, brisket, chicken wings not safe for human consumption, the records show. PREVIOUS WEEK: Sewage backup, cockroaches near dishwasher highlight Houston restaurant violations (Dec. 16 22) Each week, Houston health inspectors distribute violations that carry a weight between 1 and 25, increasing in severity. The term "demerit" is used by city health inspectors to describe the weighted value assigned to each violation. The Houston Chronicle obtained the results of routine health inspections throughout the city and tallied each restaurant's demerits for a comprehensive list of violations. To view inspection reports online or learn more about food inspections, visit the health department website. Marcy de Luna is a reporter. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna. STAY INFORMED: Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. In 2019, two of my top five favourite films The Irishman and Dolemite Is My Name were released on Netflix. This trend poses a problem for moviemakers looking to entice viewers into the multiplex in 2020. Fortunately, there remains good reasons to get out and go to the movies in the coming year: Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In 2019, two of my top five favourite films The Irishman and Dolemite Is My Name were released on Netflix. This trend poses a problem for moviemakers looking to entice viewers into the multiplex in 2020. Fortunately, there remains good reasons to get out and go to the movies in the coming year: Supporting local film talent The horror franchise The Grudge (starting Friday, Jan. 3) has a host of terrific actors, including John Cho, Betty Gilpin, Jacki Weaver and William Sadler. But because it was shot in Manitoba, you may notice some local talents in the credits including actors Dave Brown, Nancy Sorel and Stephanie Sy and costume designer Patricia J. Henderson, not to mention former Manitoban Tara Westwood. Supporting Manitoba actors and crews will likewise be a reason to see Sean Garritys upcoming I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight, a quirky rom-com about the tick-tocking relationship between a Mennonite boy and a Filipina girl, starring Hera Nalam and Kristian Jordan as the would-be lovers, as well as Broadway-bound actor Andrea Macasaet as Nalams sister. Because the film features some dialogue in Tagalog (without subtitles), Garrity had the brilliant idea of debuting the film in the Northgate Cineplex, a regular destination for Filipino film, but he says that plan hasnt been nailed down. Hes looking at a rolling release across Canada beginning in February. Former Manitoban Matthew Rankin debuts his wonderfully comic historical feature fantasia, The Twentieth Century Saturday, Jan. 11 at Cinematheque. Its about the tortured life of Canadas oddest prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, before his rise to power in the 1920s. Some high-profile films that filmed here, including Sean Penns Flag Day and Percy, starring Christopher Walken as Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser, do not yet have release dates, so stay tuned. Playing catch-up Cinematically speaking, Winnipeg tends to arrive late at the Christmas release party, so in January, well get a chance to see movies released in the bigger cities in December, including 1917 (Friday, Jan. 10), a real-time epic of the First World War directed by Sam Mendes and shot by Roger Deakins, about two soldiers on a desperate mission behind enemy lines to save a battalion of 1,600 men from heading into a trap. A Hidden Life, (Jan. 17) is the latest by Terrence Malick, who eschews his more recent experimental approach for a straightforward narrative about Austrian conscientious objector Franz Jagerstatter, who refused to fight for the Nazis in the Second World War. Just Mercy (Friday, Jan. 10) is a fact-based drama about a lawyer (Michael B. Jordan) who battles racism in a bid to save the life of a wrongfully accused man (Jamie Foxx) from the electric chair. Female directors are having their year From small indies to big studio releases, 2020 is looking to be a glass ceiling-shattering year for female filmmakers, across all genre lines. A sampling: Jessica Hausner directs Little Joe (Feb. 21), a science-fiction offering about a scientist (Emily Beecham) who discovers a new genetically-modified plant that creates happiness but has a sinister side effect. The Jane Austen classic Emma (memorably revamped by Amy Heckerling into the 1996 teen comedy Clueless), directed by Autumn De Wilde, stars Anya Taylor-Joy as the benignly meddlesome matchmaker Emma Woodhouse. Celine Sciammas Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Feb. 14) is a story of forbidden love sparking when an 18th-century painter (Noemie Merlant), is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of a woman (Adele Haenel) without her knowing. The live-action Disney version of Mulan (March 27) is directed by Niki Caro. A reboot of the 90s horror classic Candyman (June 12) is directed by Nia DaCosta. And Respect (Aug. 14) starring Jennifer Hudson as the late, great Aretha Franklin, is the feature debut of stage director Liesl Tommy. This also translates into the superhero realm One cant help feeling a female director might better know what to do with the character of Harley Quinn. Director Cathy Yan will let us know with Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on Feb. 7, with Margot Robbie returning to her Suicide Squad role alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Huntress), Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Black Canary) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez). A certain Marvel Avenger finally gets her solo spotlight in Black Widow (May 1) starring Scarlett Johansson and directed by Cate Shortland. Patty Jenkins, the woman who got the ball rolling with her 2017 opus Wonder Woman, returns with Wonder Woman 1984 (June 5) starring the returning Gal Gadot. The Eternals (Nov. 6) is Marvels next big super-team, with Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry, Kit Harington and Gemma Chan as ancient superhumans assembling under the direction of Chloe Zhao. Established directors doing their thing Guy Ritchie returns to the brutish British gangster realm with The Gentlemen (Jan. 24), which looks to have the violent/comic flavour of past Ritchie films such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Rocknrolla. Christopher Nolan returns to messing with our minds with the time-travel oddity Tenet (July 17) starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. Director Edgar Wright, who dabbled in the horror genre with the comedy Shaun of the Dead, commits more fully with Last Night in Soho (Sept. 18), a psychological thriller said to be inspired by genre classics such as Roman Polanskis Repulsion and Nicolas Roegs Dont Look Now. Interesting remakes The Turning (Jan. 24) starring Mackenzie Davis as a nanny horrified to discover her young charges are haunted by a malevolent spirit, is a contemporary retelling of Henry James ghost story The Turn of the Screw, which was most memorably adapted into the 1961 movie The Innocents (and not to be confused with Michael Winners sordid 1971 prequel The Nightcomers). The Woman in the Window (May 15) looks like a take on Alfred Hitchcocks Rear Window or possibly Brian De Palmas Body Double, with Amy Adams as an agoraphobe who believes she witnessed the murder of her neighbour in the building opposite her. The source material of Dune (Nov. 20) defied David Lynch, but that didnt stop Denis Villeneuve from taking it on, with stars Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa. Steven Spielberg has his way with a musical classic with West Side Story (Dec. 18) with a screenplay by Tony Kushner and a guest-starring role for erstwhile Anita Rita Moreno. Animated visions In a world once ruled by magic, two elf brothers must rediscover their roots to bring back the spirit of their deceased father in Disney/Pixars Onward (March 6), featuring the voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt. Soul (June 19), another Pixar release, is about a musician who loses his literal soul on the eve of his jazz club debut, and must aid another lost soul (voiced by Tina Fey) to get it back. Finally, Bobs Burgers: The Movie (July 17) brings the trials and tribulations of TVs Belcher family to the big screen... as a musical, naturally. Irresistible sequels/prequels Back behind the camera, if not in front of it, John Krasinski again demonstrates dialogue is overrated in A Quiet Place Part 2 (March 20), returning us to a post-apocalyptic realm where making the slightest sound can be deadly. Daniel Craig returns for one last stint as James Bond in No Time to Die (April 8) directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective). Bill and Ted Face the Music (Aug. 21) reunites the good-hearted space cadets (played once again by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, respectively) as they investigate why their prophesied musical breakthrough never happened. The Many Saints of Newark (Sept. 25) is a prequel to the landmark HBO series The Sopranos, written by David Chase and starring Michael Gandolfini, Jamess son, as young Tony Soprano. Oddball horror Former Winnipeg director Danishka Esterhazy was perhaps on the cutting edge of a trend when she made a horror film from the sweet nostalgic raw material and gave us The Banana Splits Movie in 2019. In that bloody vein comes Fantasy Island (Feb. 14), which layers a Monkeys Paw twist to the premise of a vacation getaway where all your dreams can come true. Universal Studios, in a bid to revive their old horror properties, brings us The Invisible Man (March 6) which, instead of charting the madness of the title character, follows the stressful existence of his ex-wife (Elizabeth Moss), who believes she is being stalked by a man no one can see. The New Mutants (April 8) is a long-delayed entry in the X-Men universe, played for horror chills instead of superhero thrills. (After the box-office failure of last years X-Men Dark Phoenix, a new approach couldnt hurt.) Guillermo del Toro and Channel Zero showrunner Nick Antosca producedAntlers (April 17), a thriller about a schoolteacher (Keri Russell) who comes to believe one of her students is connected to some beastly deaths in their small Oregon town. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. We could use a laugh Downhill (Feb. 14) is an American remake of the Swedish dark comedy Force Majeure, about what happens to a marriage after a dad (Will Ferrell) quickly abandons his wife (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and kids when an avalanche strikes their holiday resort in the Alps. Greed (Feb. 21), directed by Michael Winterbottom, stars Steve Coogan as a narcissistic billionaire who refuses to suffer the consequences of his actions. Seems timely. Free Guy (July 3) stars Ryan Reynolds as a minor videogame character who gains sufficient consciousness to realize theres more to life than being robbed by bankrobbers every day of his life. randall.king@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @FreepKing If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. Cross-dressing in movies has followed a long history of female impersonation on the English stage, and made its appearance in the early days of the silent films. This trend has been a part of Bollywood films too, mainly for the comic relief scenes or some psychotic thriller. Major male actors of Bollywood have all disguised as a woman for some role in their long careers. The latest being Rajkummar Rao for Anurag Basu's upcoming anthology Ludo. He was seen in the traditional woman attire, sporting a green lehenga and matching accessories. Now, before Rajkummar Rao, there were a lot of other Bollywood men who rocked the female look. Lets take a look at some of them. (Image: Instagram) (Image: Instagram) 8 Policemen Killed in Afghanistan's Balkh Province Following Taliban Attack Sputnik News 11:05 01.01.2020(updated 11:09 01.01.2020) KABUL (Sputnik) - Taliban militants have attacked a police checkpoint in the northern Afghan province of Balkh, leaving eight people dead and three others injured, Balkh Police Chief Ajmal Fayez said on Wednesday. Fayez stated that a group of Taliban insurgents had attacked and seized control of a police checkpoint on the Mazari Sharif Sheberghan highway for a short period of time overnight Tuesday and were soon repelled from the area. According to Afghan media, citing local officials, the Taliban had a mole among the checkpoint's 14 officers who helped carry out the attack. The movement, however, has not yet addressed the incident. Tensions in the country continue to escalate despite talks between the Taliban and American officials, relaunched after a 3-month break. The previous year-long series of negotiations had seemingly reached a point where it looked like an agreement would be signed, but the talks were halted after the death of a US soldier in a Taliban attack. At the moment, the movement is ready to conclude a ceasefire accord to work on a peace deal that envisages the withdrawal of the US-led coalition forces after an 18-year campaign in exchange for security guarantees from the Taliban. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Some villagers who had left their hamlets along the Indo-China border in the district decades ago in search of livelihood have begun returning to their homes, reviving hopes of a reverse migration. An estimated 1,000 families from Johar, Vyas, Darma and Chaudas valleys have begun repairing their ancestral homes so that they can resettle there, according to Dharchula and Munsiyari sub divisional magistrates. Some experts see signs in this of reverse migration, triggered by the building of roads and other facilities in the area in recent years and a renewed awareness among people of their unique cultural identity. "Villagers who had abandoned their ancestral homes decades ago in search of livelihood have now started returning to their roots. It is good for national security as it will vitalise border villages, says Lalit Pant, a retired teacher and an expert on tribal economy. It has been possible due to the construction of motor roads to the last posts of the border. Roads have reached the last villages in Johar, Darma, Vyas and Chaundas valleys situated on the border with China in this sector," says Ashok Nabiyal, who works to preserve the culture of the Rang tribals in Dharchula. The state government's efforts to promote homestays for tourists and the work done by some cultural organisations might also have encouraged people to return home. The work of Rang Kalyan Sanstha in Darma valley and Malla Johar Vikas Samiti in Johar valley in spreading cultural awareness amongst the indigenous people is also responsible for such tendency, says Pant. Sriram Singh Dharmashaktu, president of Malla Johar Vikas Samiti and permanent resident of Milam village, has identified his land in the village and wants to live there during the summer season. I have repaired my ancestral house in Milam and will settle there, says Dharmasaktu, a retired Border Security Force commandant. Digvijay Singh Rawat, a retired Food Corporation of India official and resident of Milam, has constructed a new house in that village after his retirement. Although I have a house in Haldwani, I will live in Milam village which is my ancestral home," says Rawat. In Darma valley of Dharchula sub-division, several residents who had left their villages decades ago to settle outside are returning to their ancestral villages. After road connectivity reached the last village of Darma valley, we started the plantation of apple trees in several villages of the valley, says Ram Singh Sonal, a retired railway official who now lives in his ancestral village of Son in Darma valley. He wants to convert the valley into an apple orchard. Mohan Singh Gunjyal, an Everest climber who was awarded a Padma Shri for his contribution to the field of mountaineering, has been spending most of the summers after his retirement from the IPBP at his native village Gunji. The Vyas valley villages will be fully revitalized after the under-construction Ghatiabagar to Lipulekh road gets completed in 2020, says Mohan Singh Gunjyal. About 40 per cent of 600 families in all 14 Johar valley villages before 1962 had reportedly moved out to settle in Munsiyari, Pithoragarh, Haldwani, Dehradun, Almora and New Delhi. About 140 families maintained the tradition of rearing sheep and coming to their villages in summer months to cultivate their land. People in these border valleys say if the government provides them medical care, communication and transport, all villages will be repopulated. At least the retired people and the young unemployed of Rang tribe will settle in these villagers to earn through homestay tourism and by growing medicinal plants, says Mohan Singh Gunjyal. Munsiyari SDM Bhagat Singh Fonia says the tendency to return to villages has been seen over the last five years after the roads to the last border posts began to be constructed. If facilities of transport communication and electricity increase in the border region, the villagers, at least the retired ones, will start staying in their ancestral villages," he says. The SDM, who is a permanent resident of a border village in Chamoli district, has said he will also settle down in his village after retirement. The state migration commission has in its recent report said 41,669 families from villages in Pithoragarh district have migrated to the district headquarters or to other districts over the last 20 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The welfare state is based on men going to work, women staying at home, jobs for life, and secure pensions. All of those certainties have disappeared, says Minouche Shafik. Every society has norms, institutions, policies, laws, and commitments to people who need support. In traditional societies, such obligations are borne mostly by families and kin groups. In advanced economies, there is a greater burden on the state and markets (through health insurance and pensions). Yet, even in the latter, much of the social contract is still upheld by families (through unpaid care work), civil society (voluntary and charitable organisations), and employers, who often provide health insurance or contributions to unemployment insurance. The social contract is not synonymous with the welfare state. Rather, the welfare state refers to the dimensions of a social contract that are mediated through the political process and subsequent state action, either directly, through taxation and public services, or indirectly, through laws requiring the private sector to provide certain benefits. As such, the welfare state is best understood not as a redistribution mechanism, but as a source of productivity and protection over the course of a persons life cycle. As John Hills, of the London School of Economics, has shown, most people contribute as much to the state as they receive. Nonetheless, much of the anger that defines politics in the developed world is rooted in peoples sense of having not received what they are owed. Those born into disadvantage feel as though they never had a chance. Those living in rural areas believe that policymakers have overwhelmingly favoured cities. The native-born fear that immigrants are receiving benefits before they have paid their due. Men sense that their historic privileges are eroding. Older people regard the young as ungrateful for past sacrifices, and the young increasingly resent the elderly for straining social-security programmes and leaving a legacy of environmental destruction. All of this distrust and animosity is fodder for populists. So, too, are the effects of technological change and globalisation. The integration of global supply chains has delivered huge gains to the middle classes in emerging economies and to the top 1% globally; but it has hollowed out the middle and working classes in advanced economies. The conventional wisdom is that workers in advanced economies have had to sacrifice wages or social protections to compete with emerging-market labour, and that these pressures have intensified as capital has become more mobile. Worse, the social mobility that once made inequality politically tolerable has stalled or declined. In principle, the provision of adequate insurance against economic displacement should make the pressures from technological change and globalisation manageable. But many aspects of todays welfare states are still designed for the old economy, where male breadwinners paid into reliable pensions over a lifetime, while women stayed at home to raise children and care for the young and the old. For the first time in history, there are now more women in higher education than men. Educated women have fewer children, are more likely to be in paid work, and will increasingly feel tensions between their participation in the labour market and their traditional, caring responsibilities. Yet, recent research from the International Monetary Fund shows that closing the gender gap has significant benefits for growth. The challenge, then, is to redefine the social contract, so that women can make full use of their talents without any loss of social cohesion. In advanced economies, this tension is at the centre of debates about childcare and declining birth rates. Societal aging means that a shrinking working-age population must cover rapidly rising health-care and pension costs. Worse, todays working-age population already has less security than previous generations had, owing to the decline of defined-benefit pensions and a lack of access to many employment perks or training opportunities. Likewise, climate change represents a breakdown of the intergenerational social contract. This year, young people staged massive protests against an economic model that does not take adequate account of the environment. As the evidence of an impending climate disaster mounts, so, too, has support for alternative economic models that would enable more sustainable development. Once we have acknowledged these global challenges, we can begin to envision what a new social contract might look like. For example, education will need to start earlier in life, when the foundation for subsequent learning is established, as well as later, to meet the demand for reskilling. It also will need to focus on tasks that complement what robots can do. Serious investments in reskilling on the order of 1-2% of GDP, as in Denmark must be central to any modernised social contract. A new social contract also may need to provide a minimum income for all, but in a way that preserves the incentive to work and retrain. Earned income tax credits, mandatory training and work placements, and employment guarantees should all be considered. And to tap into the worlds growing pool of female talent, large investments will be needed to expand childcare and eldercare, provide shared parental leave, and counter the effects of formal and informal biases that place women at a disadvantage. For example, if benefits were made portable and provided pro rata, more workers would be able to rely on part-time work to balance other commitments. As for sustainability, we need to adopt an entirely different way of thinking about aging and the environment. If a shrinking labour force is going to have any chance of supporting an aging population, the investments needed to boost future productivity must be made now. In the meantime, aging populations may have to commit to working longer with retirement ages pegged to life expectancy and demanding less medicalised health care at the end of life. Finally, current and future environmental costs will have to be incorporated into economic decisions. We need massive investments in green technologies to transform cities, transportation, and energy systems. Considered together, such a new social contract has the potential to restore a sense of hope and optimism. Minouche Shafik, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England and deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, is director of the London School of Economics. Carlos Ghosn's stunning flight while on bail awaiting trial has vindicated prosecutors who said he should have been kept in custody, and sparked calls to toughen Japan's justice system that critics say is already overly harsh. "I knew it!" was the reaction of a senior Nissan executive cited in the Japanese press upon learning of his former boss's escape to Lebanon to avoid trial in Tokyo. "This is how he proves his innocence? By fleeing abroad?" added the Nissan official quoted in the Asahi Shimbun. "It should be out of the question to grant bail to suspects who deny the accusations against them." A senior prosecutor told the Mainichi Shimbun: "This is what we had predicted" when arguing Ghosn should remain in custody, bemoaning the fact their painstaking evidence gathering was now moot. There were also calls in the media to tighten bail procedures in the wake of the tycoon's escape, which many papers said made a "mockery" of Japan's justice system. "To prevent a repeat of the incident, we should discuss how to cover the weak points of the system, such as setting bail equal to most of the defendants' assets, and GPS monitoring," said the Yomiuri Shimbun. Ghosn's high-profile arrest on multiple charges of financial misconduct threw an international spotlight on Japan's justice system -- widely considered draconian compared with the West. Suspects can be questioned initially for 48 hours, renewable for two periods of 10 days, bringing the time in custody without formal charges to 22 days. Prosecutors often then "re-arrest" a suspect on a slightly different allegation to restart the clock -- which happened several times to Ghosn. - Certain of guilt - When formal charges are eventually pressed, there is a two-month period of pre-trial detention, renewable by one month at a time by appeal to the court. Former prosecutor Yasuyuki Takai told AFP that the system operates in this way so authorities only charge suspects they are absolutely sure are guilty. "Imagine that 30 or 40 percent of people were found not guilty during a trial. The public would ask why so many innocent people were being charged," Takai told AFP, adding that courts have increasingly been granting bail. The Ghosn case, however, "proves that there are easy escape routes for wealthy people with backing who want to flee overseas, no matter how strictly courts impose bail conditions", said Tsunehiko Maeda, a former prosecutor. "We can expect prosecutors to oppose future bail requests much more robustly." Critics including rights groups such as Amnesty International have derided Japan's system as "hostage justice", designed to break morale and force confessions from suspects. - Every move monitored - When safely in Lebanon, Ghosn pressed this point again, saying he "would no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system". However, when pleading for bail in his only public court appearance, Ghosn said he was "looking forward to beginning the process of defending myself against the accusations that have been made against me". One of his lawyers at the time said there was no way a tycoon as famous as Ghosn could escape with the world's media and prosecutors monitoring his every move. "There is no risk that he will run away. He's CEO of French company Renault. He's widely known so it's difficult for him to escape," argued the attorney, Go Kondo. His lead lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, confessed he was "dumbfounded" by news of his flight, but he also said he could "sympathise" with some of Ghosn's comments about the justice system. "I thought it was not unreasonable that Mr. Ghosn has come to feel that way," Hironaka told reporters in Tokyo. "How he was arrested and kept in detention; how they gathered evidence; the way they allowed meetings with Carole (his wife), and how they disclosed evidence. There must have been many areas that were not acceptable in the eyes of Mr. Ghosn." Carlos Ghosn was awarded bail but under strict conditions Ghosn attempted to give media the slip when he left the detention centre in a workers' uniform Ghosn's lead lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said he was dumbfounded by his client's escape A house identified by court documents as belonging to former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn in Beirut Mobile network coverage has been suspended for a one-kilometre-wide band along the border with India Muslim-majority Bangladesh has ordered telecom operators to shut down services along the border with India, citing security concerns over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis new citizenship law which critics say discriminates against Muslims. Mobile network coverage has been suspended for a one-kilometre-wide band along the border with India until further notice for the sake of the countrys security in the current circumstances, officials said in a statement released late on Monday. The move stems from concerns that Indian Muslims might seek to flee to Bangladesh, two officials told Reuters. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss the measure. The Indian law gives citizenship rights to Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan who settled in India before 2015 - but not to Muslims. Critics fear it is a prelude to a broader National Register of Citizens in which residents would be asked to prove their citizenship, which activists say could put poor Muslim families lacking documentation at a disadvantage. Indias foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Bangladeshs move. The two countries share a fertile border of more than 4,000 km (2,500 miles). Millions of Bangladeshis live alongside the frontier, mainly engaged in cross-border trade of medicines, agricultural commodities, milk and livestock. The decision to suspend mobile services could impact about 10 million people living on the border, said a senior official at a mobile phone company in Dhaka. Indian news website ThePrint on Monday reported that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had sought a written assurance from the Hindu-nationalist Modi government that it would not expel illegal immigrants across the border. Hasinas office was not immediately available to comment on the news report. Earlier this month, Bangladeshs Foreign Ministry said one senior diplomat was attacked during a protest in Indias northeastern state of Assam, which shares a border with Bangladesh and has the highest incidence of illegal immigration from its neighbour. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. By Trend Presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev exchanged views over the phone about the further development of bilateral relations between the two countries, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen Government. The heads of state noted that the effectiveness of the Turkmen-Uzbek interaction today is due to the commonality of interests and the presence of strong political will to deepen constructive cooperation in every way. The presidents also spoke about the potential for building partnerships in the fuel and energy, transport communications and the agricultural sector. An exchange of views on topical issues of the regional and global agenda of mutual interest also took place. In November 2019, the two countries agreed to continue work on increasing exports of Turkmen and Uzbek products, including textile, silk, oil and gas, chemical products, agricultural machinery and cars. The total trade turnover between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan amounted to $274 million in 2018. For comparison, this figure was $159 million in 2017. By Nancy Dillon, New York Daily News An actress who appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger is facing a second-degree murder charge for allegedly fatally stabbing her mom inside her Kansas home last month. Mollie Fitzgerald, 38, was behind bars in Johnson County on Wednesday, a day after her arrest in Olathe, a suburb of Kansas City, according to online jail records. Her bail was set at $500,000, with an arraignment scheduled for Thursday. Fitzgerald allegedly attacked her 68-year-old mom Patricia Tee Fitzgerald before the womans body was found in her Olathe home Dec. 20, the Kansas City Star reported. The mother recently returned to the Kansas City area after living several decades in Texas with her lawyer husband, the victims brother Gary Hunziker, 72, told the Star. We were shocked, he told the newspaper. It doesnt matter the circumstances. The loss of a sister is what its all about. Hunziker said he and his sister were raised on a farm in Missouri before Patricia studied physical therapy at the University of Missouri and moved to Kansas. Mollie Fitzgerald played a Stark Girl in Captain America: The First Avenger, the 2011 blockbuster that grossed $177 million in the U.S., according to IMDB.com. for everyone seeing mollie fitzgerald was in captain america and wondering who, she was the assistant lady at the stark expo pic.twitter.com/8Kw6AcNN9O elijah (@cherrystan_) January 2, 2020 Being a part of this production has been one of the best experiences of my life, Fitzgerald reportedly told a comic book publication in 2011. A funeral for Patricia Fitzgerald was set for Friday, according to her online obituary. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) spawned the sequels titled Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016) but Fitzgerald was not in either of them. Her credits also including writing, producing and directing several films, including 2011s The Lawful Truth which featured Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnston in the cast. Iranian military leaders have warned Washington against threatening military action after U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran would be held responsible for anti-U.S. protests in Iraq. "We are not leading the country to war, but we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak correctly with the Iranian nation, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on January 2. We have the power to break them several times over and are not worried," he said in a speech in the southwestern city of Ahwaz. Meanwhile, army chief Major General Abdolrahim Musavi said Iranian armed forces were ready to confront the "enemy." If anyone makes the slightest mistake, they will decisively react," Musavi said, according to state broadcaster IRIB. Later, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Iran or its proxy forces may be planning further strikes on American interests in the Middle East, adding that the United States will take action preemptively, if it has sufficient warning. On December 31, a crowd angered by U.S. air strikes targeting an Iran-backed militia, attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Clashes continued on January 1 as demonstrators hurled stones while U.S. forces protecting the embassy fired tear gas to try to disperse the crowd that had camped out overnight. By the evening, the Iraqi military announced that all groups had withdrawn from the perimeter of the facility. The attack, in which no U.S. personnel were injured, came amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran -- the two main sponsors of the Iraqi government. U.S. President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the attack and said the country will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat, he tweeted on December 31. Esper announced that about 750 soldiers would be deployed to the region in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personneland facilities." "There are some indications out there that they may be planning additional attacks, that is nothing new right, we've seen this for two or three months now," Esper told reporters on January 2. "If that happens then we will act and by the way, if we get word of attacks or some type indication, we will take preemptive action as well to protect American forces, to protect American lives." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on January 1 dismissed U.S. accusations that Tehran had orchestrated the protests. Americans need to understand that people in the region, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, hate them for their crimes, he said. The Baghdad protesters were angry over U.S. air strikes on December 29 that killed at least 25 members of an Iran-backed militant group. The United States said the strikes were in response to repeated attacks by Kataeb Hizbullah, a paramilitary group supported by Iran, on bases that house U.S. troops. One on December 27 killed a U.S. defense contractor and injured U.S. and Iraqi forces. Currently, there are about 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq involved in operations against the Islamic State extremist group and training missions with the Iraqi security forces. With reporting by Reuters LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, second from left, talks to SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, left, while Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, right, and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun look on ahead of a New Year's meeting with political and business leaders at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun and other leaders of major Korean conglomerates called for preemptively bolstering digital innovation Thursday, to find future growth engines amid the rapidly-changing business environment. Expressing willingness to turn the crisis into an opportunity in the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, they also called for enhancing technical competitiveness and securing talent. "The global economy is expected to be tougher this year due to low growth, increasing uncertainty in politics and slump of investments and exports in addition to the possibility of sluggish demand," Kim said in his New Year's address. "We should secure future growth engines by combining innovation and creativity to make a new leap forward." The kick-off meeting for the year 2020 of the world's leading memory chip and smartphone maker took place at Samsung Digital City in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Kim Hyun-suk, president of Samsung's consumer electronics division, and President Koh Dong-jin, who heads the company's mobile business, also participated in the event, along with 500 other key executives and employees. Hyundai Motor's Chung vowed in his New Year's message to produce tangible results in the future mobility sector, signaling that the company will push forward with aggressive management plans this year. Under the plans, Hyundai Motor Group will invest more than 100 trillion won ($86 billion) for the next five years to promote future growth. "We will work to enhance our future leadership in electric-motored vehicles, self-driving cars and other mobility services," Chung said, asking his employees to be more creative like entrepreneurs of innovative startups. "Changes and efforts for innovation are all for our customers," he said. "Happiness of customers who use our products and services will eventually become our assets." LG Group delivered Chairman Koo Kwang-mo's New Year's message in a unique way, sending a video clip via email to 250,000 employees working in Korea and abroad. In the video clip, Koo said, "It is important for us to put ourselves in customers' shoes and put plans into action immediately." He called on employees to utilize digital technologies to understand customer needs more quickly and accurately. SK Group also held a unique New Year's event, during which time Chairman Chey Tae-won listened to various voices of employees, stakeholders and citizens. About 600 participants including CEOs of SK affiliates attended the event that took place at a hotel in Seoul. "Our unique event reflected Chey's willingness to achieve changes and happiness, pursued by SK Group, together with customers and society," an SK Group official said. Meanwhile, POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo vowed to achieve "sustainable growth by focusing on the company's core businesses." GS Group Chairman Huh Tae-soo also stressed the importance of securing and nurturing talent to accelerate digital transformation and expand new businesses. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 18:13:58|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JAKARTA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- During President Joko Widodo's terms, Indonesia has been enjoying closer and more harmonious relations with China. More bilateral activities have been made including official reciprocal visits, business and economic cooperation since Jokowi assumed office in 2014. Among the significant measures taken by the two countries is an effort to enhance the bilateral cooperation which has been raised into a strategic comprehensive level. In terms of official visits, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan attended Jokowi's second term inauguration on Oct. 20 2019. Soon after that, China's Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian visited Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security Mahfud MD at the latter's office in Jakarta on Nov. 5, 2019. On the occasion, the two officials discussed efforts to extend the bilateral cooperation in the fields of security and politics. "We come here in the position of being ready to continue cooperation on the fields of security and politics. This is a good beginning to continue the good cooperation in the future," Xiao was quoted by local news portal TEMPO.co as saying after the meeting. There would be more cooperation projects between China and Indonesia in next five years, the ambassador hoped, adding that there might be more cooperation on the military sector. In relations with the ambassador's remarks on possible cooperation on the military sector, Indonesia's Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto paid a courtesy call on Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Xu Qiliang on Dec. 17, 2019 in Beijing. On the occasion, Prabowo expressed his intention to deepen friendly relations between Indonesia and China. "The effort to deepen the bilateral defense and military cooperation would be manifested by the two parties through enhancing dialogues in a bid to maintain the regional peace and stability," Oratmangun was quoted by Indonesian media as saying. Meanwhile, Xu said on the same occasion that the strategic comprehensive partnership between China and Indonesia has been developing rapidly. He hoped that the two parties should further develop pragmatic cooperation. Likewise, China and Indonesia are enjoying warmer cooperation and relations on the trade and economic sector as both countries could take mutual advantages of the fact that the two countries are big markets to each other. There have been a number of strategic measures to boost the two countries' economic cooperation including the China Healthcare Products Expo 2019 (CHEXPO ASEAN) which is an exhibition of Chinese pharmaceutical products as a means to enhance cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, especially with Indonesia. Another one is the first Indonesia Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) which was inaugurated in July last year by then Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita in Shanghai, China, ready to serve business actors in China. By 2018, China had been Indonesia's biggest trade partner for eight consecutive years, and the third biggest investor in the archipelago in 2018, with direct investment valued at 2.4 billion U.S. dollars. In the first half of 2019, China's direct investment to Indonesia reached 2.29 billion dollars. Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has admonished politicians in the country not to use this year's electioneering campaign to promote political violence among the citizens. According to him, there is the need for all political actors to behave with the assuredness on the campaign trail since any abuse will be unwarranted, adding that a good campaign devoid of violence promotion would surely win the day. Speaking at a New Year service organized by the Asante Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Wednesday, the king said it is his prayer that politicians would see the need to safeguard the prevailing peace and tranquility in the country. For him, peace remains a priceless commodity throughout the world and therefore wants Ghanaians to acknowledge this. I want God to touch the hearts of our politicians not to do anything to jeopardize the peace of our country. You don't need violence to win an election, but good campaign can earn you the votes, the Asantehene stated. He said that he had always stood for the truth and would continue to speak truth to power in the name of peace for the betterment of the country and its citizens, and asked for prayers to be able to achieve his mission. Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt Rev Prof Joseph Obiri-Yeboah Mante, called on government to promote godly values alongside the socio-economic development of the country. In the Bible, kings who promoted godly values alongside socio-economic development pleased God, and this is what I want the leadership of this country to do in order to please God, he explained. Rev Mante praised Otumfuo for being an instrument of peace in the country as he recounted the immense contributions of the Asantehene to socio-economic, political and spiritual developments in the country. In a citation, the Moderator indicated that the Asantehene had been a great blessing not only to Asanteman, but also to the country and the Presbyterian Church as a whole. The church appreciates your efforts and renewed interest in making the gospel to reach all persons within the Ashanti kingdom, Rev Prof Mante said. He called for continuous dialogue between nananom and the church so as to bring the chieftaincy institution into communion with Jesus Christ. Daily Guide A local animal rescue organization began the new year with some good news after a puppy that was stolen from an adoption event last month was returned Thursday morning. Spay-Neuter-Inject-Protect San Antonio, or SNIPSA, told mySA.com that they found Elf, an eight-week-old male Chihuahua and terrier mix, in a little red crate at its office around 8:30 a.m. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray along with his son and minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday attended the Maharashtra Police raising day event at Marol police training grounds. Several platoons of Police personnel did a march past and the Chief Minister was accorded a guard of honour. While speaking at the gathering, the Chief Minister said that he is committed to giving all world-class facilities for training and other purposes to the police force in Maharashtra. "I am proud on being a part of these raising day celebrations and handing over the flag to the platoons," Uddhav said. At the same event, the Sena chief laid a foundation stone and took part in 'bhoomi poojan' for a housing project for policemen and their families. Under the project, around 448 houses for policemen will be constructed in Marol area. The Maharashtra Chief Minister told reporters that he will take care of training facilities given to police personnel as well as providing them homes. The amount of Rs 225.13 crores has been sanctioned for the said project. On the occasion, Director General of Police Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, ACS Home Department Sanjay Kumar, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Garve and Deputy General of Police (Housing) Bipin Bihari, among others were also present. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese New Year begins on January 25 and to celebrate Gucci is releasing a Mickey Mouse-themed collection in honour of 2020's the Year of the Mouse. The collection comprises womens and mens clothing, footwear and accessories, mixing the Italian fashion houses signature prints with the image of the renowned cartoon character. Masterminded by creative director Alessandro Michele, the playful campaign was shot (in Disneyland, no less) by photographer and director Harmony Korine, and stars actress Ni Ni, actor Earl Cave and designer, stylist and poet Zoe Bleu. This isn't the first time that Disney's most famous rodent has made an appearance in Gucci's collections. The brand also incorporated the character as part of its spring/summer 2019 and Resort 2020 collections. Gucci The fashion house, which was founded in Florence in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, launched a Three Little Pigs collection last year in honour of 2019, which, according to Chinese New Year, was the Year of the Pig. Gucci has become renowned for its maximalism in recent years, particularly since the appointment of the brand's current creative director Alessandro Michele in 2015. Michele has introduced a bold aesthetic to the brand, as well as a host of frequent collaborators, including Harry Styles, Jared Leto and Florence Welch. Plans by Boris Johnson and his adviser Dominic Cummings for a seismic shake-up of the civil service have been branded insulting by a union representing Whitehall mandarins. Civil servants could be made to take regular exams to prove they are up to their jobs as part of a government drive to create the most dynamic state in the world, according to one of the people behind the election-winning Conservative manifesto. Rachel Wolf, who helped draw up the blueprint of Tory election pledges, told The Daily Telegraph that civil servants are woefully unprepared for sweeping reforms the prime minister is keen to push through. She said the changes will end the current merry-go-round of officials regularly changing jobs, which mean that anyone staying in the same post for longer than 18 months is seen to have stalled in a culture that ensures everyone rises to their position of incompetence. Mr Cummings is a long-standing critic of Whitehall and has in the past said that the principle of a permanent civil service was an idea for the history books and complained that almost no one is ever fired from senior posts due to involvement in failed projects. Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference Show all 10 1 /10 Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference A Boris Johnson doll for sale at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on 29 September PA Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference Mugs with Boris Johnson's portrait for sale at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on 29 September AP Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference A Boris Johnson themed T-shirt for sale at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on 29 September AFP/Getty Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference Boris Johnson and other Conservative themed cards for sale at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on 29 September AP Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference Boris Johnson posters for sale at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on 29 September EPA Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference Copies of The Conservative newspaper are ready to be distributed during the Conservative Party conference on 30 September Getty Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference "GET BREXIT DONE" mugs alongside other Conservative merchandise at the party conference in Manchester on 29 September PA Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference Assorted Conservative merchandise for sale at the party conference in Manchester on 29 September PA Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference Books about Jacob Rees-Mogg and Jeremy Corbyn for sale at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on 29 September Getty Boris Johnson and Brexit merchandise for sale at the Tory conference A variety of books for sale at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on 29 September Getty But the general secretary of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, said that the proposed reforms demonstrated a lack of understanding of modern Whitehall. Dave Penman told the PoliticsHome website: Tired old rhetoric of civil servants being promoted to a level of incompetence is not only insulting, but demonstrates a lack of understanding of the modern realities of the civil service. All senior civil service jobs are externally advertised, meaning anyone promoted has not only competed successfully against their peers, but also with external candidates. Indeed many of the issues the civil service faces are of the governments own creation. Churn in senior civil service roles is a result of a decade of pay stagnation, with movement between jobs the only route to a pay rise. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Ms Wolf said reported plans for merging, creating or abolishing departments are just a tiny fraction of the changes set to be implemented after the UKs scheduled departure from the EU at the end of this month. Changes will be designed to ensure that civil servants are reoriented to the public, rather than stakeholders, she said. But she dismissed suggestions the civil service will be politicised under the reforms. Many officials cannot believe the prime minister and Dominic Cummings mean business, said Ms Wolf, and as a result, they seem woefully unprepared for what is coming. But Mr Penman said the proposed changes seemed less thoroughgoing than reforms introduced by former Tory minister Francis Maude during the 2010-15 coalition government. Whilst those advocating reform may like to paint the civil service as antiquated or resistant to change, the reality is somewhat different, said the union boss. The UK civil service, recently ranked first in an international analysis of effectiveness, has had to constantly reform and adapt as each government sets out its new priorities. Indeed, the reforms being trailed are more modest than, say, the challenges the civil service faced in 2010. Whilst supporting the first coalition government since the Second World War, it had to manage cuts of 20 per cent in resources, deliver a radical policy agenda and at the same time institute a series of reforms under Francis Maude, transforming how government worked. Mr Penman said that if ministers were serious about delivering 50 million new GP appointments, new train lines and better buses, they would require a clearer plan on how the reforms being mooted will actually deliver the transformation being promised. Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Anixter International The networking equipment maker accepted a sweetened takeover bid worth $93.50 per share from private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice. Bidding between Clayton Dubilier and industrial products distributor Wesco International has gone back and forth several times, following Clayton Dubilier's original $82-per-share offer. Ford The automaker's stock was downgraded to "underperform" from "in-line" at Evercore, which notes a significant valuation premium compared to General Motors and what it considers limited upside potential. Boeing Boeing lost out to Europe's Airbus as the world's largest jet-maker in 2019 for the first time since 2011. Airbus delivered 863 aircraft last year, more than industry watchers had expected. Alphabet A study found that an artificial intelligence system from Alphabet's Google unit was as good as radiologists at detecting breast cancer, and also showed promise in reducing detection errors. The study was published in the scientific journal "Nature". HSBC HSBC bank branches in Hong Kong were attacked and vandalized by protesters amid ongoing political turmoil. Hong Kong accounts for about half of the bank's profits. Tesla Tesla plans to deliver the second batch of China-made Model 3 sedans from its new Shanghai factory on January 7, according to a Tesla representative quoted by Reuters. Separately, Canaccord Genuity raised its price target on the stock to $515 per share from $375, saying the electric vehicle revolution will gather more speed in 2020. Tiffany - Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett declined the luxury goods maker's invitation to counter LVMH's takeover offer, according to a report in the Financial Times. Tiffany struck a deal in November to be bought by LVMH for $16.2 billion. Fastly Fastly was upgraded to "overweight" from "neutral" at Piper Jaffray, which cites valuation. Fastly, which specializes in online content delivery services, went public last May at $16 per share and closed Tuesday at $20.07. PG&E PG&E won a court ruling in a case versus the utility's bondholders. A California bankruptcy court ruled the utility only needs to pay 2.59% interest while under bankruptcy protection. Bondholders argued they were owed accrued interest at the original contract rate of as much as 6.05%. Wells Fargo The bank was downgraded to "underperform" from "neutral" at RW Baird, which said that leadership under new CEO Charles Scharf may lower expectations and provide an extended timetable for improving operating leverage. Lindita Musai had been trying to start a new life away from her father when she was cut down in a hail of bullets alongside her new husband on New Year's Eve. Daily Mail Australia can reveal Mrs Musai feared her father Osman Shaptafaj, 55, who is accused of killing her and husband Veton Musai before turning the gun on himself. A family member, who wished to remain anonymous, said Mrs Musai had endured a 'difficult' upbringing. Osman Shaptafaj has been accused killing his daughter and her husband before turning the gun on himself Veton Musai, 29, succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday, a day after his wife Lindita 'I'll just say it was nothing to do with his backgound or his beliefs, as he has no beliefs,' the man said. The devastated family member spoke out amid speculation about why the couple may have been murdered. He claimed the alleged killer's daughter had bravely turned him away to begin a peaceful life with her new husband, who succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday. The pair were allegedly attacked in their home in Yarraville, western Melbourne about 10.30am on Tuesday. Mr Shaptafaj remains in a critical condition in hospital with self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Osman Shaptafaj remains in a critical condition in hospital after allegedly turning a gun on himself. He is accused of shooting dead his own daughter and son-in-law in a shocking New Year's Eve attack The couple were found on the front porch of their house with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies Victoria Police were investigating a family dispute as the motive behind the chilling attack ahead of the New Year. The couple reportedly had other guests at their home when the incident took place. They were found on the front porch of their house with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies. A gun was found at the end of the street on public land. Investigators are now trying to piece together what drove the man to allegedly open fire. The couple married about a year ago but were dating for at least five years Lindita Musai, 25, (pictured) was allegedly shot dead and her husband Veto Musai, 29, critically injured on Tuesday morning in a hail of bullets at their western Melbourne home A 55-year-old man was rushed to hospital after allegedly shooting himself twice (pictured) Friends and family of the pair were on Tuesday seen in tears on the suburban street as they comforted each other. Mr Musai's cousin shared his grief on Facebook after the 29-year-old died in hospital. 'I don't know how to put the words together.. Allah knows best why things happen the way they do,' he started, before adding he 'can't even begin to explain' how he's feeling. 'The only thing keeping us strong is belief in God. The couple had wed earlier this year and were allegedly shot on the front porch of their house on Tuesday morning Mr Musai's cousin shared his grief on Facebook after the 29-year-old died in hospital 'May Allah bring the two gorgeous souls together again in Jannah.' The young couple had only been married a year, but had been a couple for at least five. Friends described their wedding as one of the 'best they'd ever been to'. 'Such a lovely couple, such a lovely family... One of the best weddings I've been to in Australia,' a friend of the family wrote on Facebook. Mrs Musai was employed as a receptionist for real estate firm Colliers International in Melbourne's CBD while her husband worked at a nearby bank. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi presided over on Thursday a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss a set of vital issues relevant to current regional and international developments. The meeting also tackled current talks to reach an agreement between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia on the Renaissance Dam. During the meeting, the council asserted Egypt's keenness on reaching out an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam in a way that takes into consideration the interests of the three countries on equal footing as well as opening the door for cooperation and development in all fields. The council also probed current developments in the Libyan crisis and rising threats of a foreign military interference in Libya. The meeting concluded with setting a number of measures to counter any threats to the Egyptian national security. Search Keywords: Short link: The continued incarceration of former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning for her refusal to testify to a grand jury amounts to torture, a United Nations official has said. Nils Melzer, the UNs special rapporteur on torture, released the letter to US officials in support of Manning on Thursday. Manning was subpoenaed last year to testify to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks, but she says she opposes the grand jury system on principle and will not testify. A judge ordered that Manning be jailed for up to 18 months unless she changes her mind and agrees to testify. He also imposed fines of up to 1,000 dollars (760) per day. Mr Melzer stated in his letter that coercive jail sentences like those imposed on Manning amount to torture under international law and called for Mannings release. Prosecutors and the judge have said that Manning faces the same obligations as all citizens to comply with lawful subpoenas and that she can end her jail term at any time by agreeing to testify. Manning served seven years in a military prison for leaking a trove of documents to WikiLeaks before then-president Barack Obama commuted the remainder of her 35-year sentence in 2017. The grand jury in Alexandria has also indicted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and is seeking his extradition from Britain to prosecute him. The indictment accuses Assange of conspiring with Manning to facilitate the leak. A father and daughter hunting on New Year's Day in Colleton County were accidentally shot to death, authorities said. Kim Drawdy, 30, and his daughter Lauren, 9, were shot by another hunter around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday off Barracada Road near Walterboro. Four hunters were trying to move deer, also known as driving deer, when Drawdy and his daughter were mistaken for a deer and shot, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources said. They died at the scene, Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey said. Drawdy's Facebook account shows he and his daughter were avid hunters. Lauren Drawdy was a fourth-grade student at Cottageville Elementary School. "We are devastated by this news, and we send our deepest sympathies to Lauren's family," the Colleton County School District said in a statement. "It is always difficult to experience the loss of someone so young." Kim Drawdy had attended Walterboro High School. His greatest passion was spending time outdoors, according to his obituary. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources is investigating the incident. Spokesman David Lucas said they have not made any determinations yet. More information, such as whether the two were wearing blaze orange, will not be provided until the investigation concludes, he said. South Carolina has a few hunting accidents each year, Lucas said. There have been several recently near the end of the deer season, which ended Jan. 1 in South Carolina. In 2019, there were 16 total hunting accidents across the state, Lucas said. Eleven of those accidents involved firearms, leading to two deaths. Five involved tree stand accidents, such as falls, which led to one death. "It's not a thing that happens a lot," Lucas said. "Hunting accidents are rare in general, and fatalities even more so." David Strickland, founder of the Carolina Wildlife Syndicate and a hunter himself, said he believes that many of these accidents happen because of a failure to teach firearm safety in the classroom or the household. "Your two rules are, never point your barrel at something you don't want to shoot, and always identify your target before you shoot," Strickland said. It's also important to know what's behind your target, he said. Strickland said he learned from a young age how to hunt safely and use a firearm, but that nowadays few children or teenagers learn basic lessons about hunting safety, despite a growing interest in the activity. "We live in a hunting culture," Strickland said. "Gun safety is something that absolutely needs to be ingrained in the public education system." Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 23:04:29|Editor: yan Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait strongly condemned the recent attempt to storm the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Kuwait's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. The action is a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as well as a breach of international laws and norms, the ministry said in a statement. The incident put the embassy's staff at risk, the statement said, while calling on all Iraqi parties to exercise self-control. Hundreds of protesters, participating in mourning for the pro-Iran Hashd Shaabi members killed by earlier U.S. airstrikes in Iraq, stormed the U.S. embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone on Tuesday. The protesters withdrew from the compound on Wednesday following a call by the Iraqi government. New Delhi, Jan 2 : The 28th edition of the much-attended New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) will open at the Pragati Maidan here on Saturday. Marking Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, it is themed 'Gandhi: The Writers' Writer' and will host over 600 exhibitors. Organised by National Book Trust, in association with ITPO, the 2020 edition of the Fair runs from January 4 to 12. NBT Chairman Govind Prasad Sharma said that this edition would highlight the various facets of Mahatma Gandhi's life and his influence on writers of all ages. "The theme is an attempt to give booklovers a glimpse of how Mahatma Gandhi, a great strategic communicator, inspired and influenced generations of writers and how the writers understood and emulated Gandhiji in words. In the specially designed pavilion (inspired by Sabarmati Ashram), with hand-spun materials as wall cladding; there will be an exclusive exhibition of 500 books of 100 publishers on and by Gandhi in different Indian languages, as well as 30 panel discussions, book launches and performances related to the theme," NBT said. This year, over 600 exhibitors in different languages including Bangla, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Maithili, Malayalam, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu will exhibit their books in over 1300 stalls at the Fair. Along with business sessions, several literary and cultural activities including seminars, book release functions, and panel discussions, will be part of the Fair. It will also see participation from about 20 foreign countries including China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Nepal, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the US. Vistors can be part of literary events, discussions, conversations with authors, book launches, children's activities, film screenings and cultural programmes. The NBT, in collaboration with the All India Confederation of Blind, has published a set of 250 books in Braille for visually impaired readers. A special exhibit of these books will also be put up. As per the organisers, the Fair will feature a children's pavilion to promote books and reading among children and young adults. Open to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and with free entry for school children in uniform, senior citizens and differently-abled, the fair will be inaugurated by HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate India's largest annual gathering of scientific luminaries, the '107th Indian Science Congress', at University of Agricultural Sciences in Bangalore on January 3. The Science Congress is a major focal point for scientists, researchers, and academicians interested in various aspects of scientific discoveries and technologies. The five-day-long event aims to bring together science fraternity across the world to discuss scientific innovation and research. The Nobel Laureates who will be participating include German Physicist, Professor Stefan Hell who is one of the directors of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Gottingen, Germany. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014 'for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy' and Professor Ada E Yonath from Israel. She is a protein crystallographer who was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Apart from this, several senior Scientists from India and abroad along with several government officials will be participating in this event to exchange their views on a range of scientific issues, both at the and international levels. There are 28 plenary sessions on areas ranging from climate-smart agriculture for food security, crop improvement towards food and nutrition security, materials science and technology for rural development, challenges and opportunities in cancer drug discovery, artificial intelligence, and medical technology, advances in basic medical and clinical interactions, non-communicable diseases in rural population as well as cancer research- therapeutic applications. The areas also include nano-materials for energy, environment, and health care, novel solutions for oil and gas industry problems and so on in which senior scientists and officials will discuss on the status, challenges, opportunities, and scope in these research areas. Public Lectures Four Public lectures by eminent personalities like Nobel laureate Professor Stefan Hell, Dr Subra Suresh among others, covering topics like Ultrasharp Fluorescence Microscopy, science across disciplines ranging from basic science to applications in the industry, acute problem of modern medicine, lifestyle diseases to recent advances in cardiac sciences will be organized in the Science Congress. Fourteen Sectional Sessions covering different disciplines of science will be organized in the Science Congress. Farmers Science Congress With a focus on rural development through science and technology, for the first time in the history of the Indian Science Congress, a Farmers Science Congress is being held. It will cover themes ranging from farmers' innovation on integrated agriculture and entrepreneurship for doubling farmers' income, climate change, biodiversity, conservation, ecosystem services, and farmers' empowerment to agrarian distress, rural bio-entrepreneurship, policy issues. The event will have the presence of experts and scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) along with farmers whose innovative approaches have led to significant contributions. Rashtriya Kishore Vaigyanik Sammelan (Children's Science Congress) A two-day event 'Rashtriya Kishore Vaigyanik Sammelana' will be held at UASB as part of the 107th Indian Science Congress on January 4 and 5 2020. The aim is to provide a unique opportunity for children to view selected projects and interact with the student delegates and children will also have the opportunity to listen, interact with eminent scientists and Nobel Laureates. Events like one-minute video competition, Infosys Foundation-ISCA Travel Awards for School Children, visit exhibitions, live science demonstrations and science magic show will be organized as a part of the Science Congress. Women Science Congress The women's science congress aims to provide a single platform for women working in different arena of science and technology to showcase their achievements and experiences. It will also prepare a vision document or a road map for women in science and technology and recommend policies to enhance the role and utilize the full potential of women in science and technology. In this session, women are invited to share ideas and experiences to motivate younger women to actively participate in science to identify and find simpler solutions through Science and Technology. Former VC's Science Congress The former VC's Science Congress addresses the urgent need in Indian higher education institutions today is to establish quality internalization pathways through quality culture in academic, administrative and financial spheres of institutional management. Several eminent Vice-Chancellors like Prof SP Thyagarajan, Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras, Chennai and Prof N Prabhudev, VC Bangalore University will be attending the event. Vigyan Sancharak Sammelan - 2020 (Science Communicators Meet - 2020) "Vigyan Sancharak Sammelan" is an initiative for Science communicators' for professional growth. This program will focus on the theme of "Science & Technology: Rural Development ". Science Communicators' role is to facilitate public engagement with scientific issues. Science communication plays an integral part in one's scientific career. Being able to effectively disseminate research findings within the community and to consider collective opinions in prioritizing research needs is an important attribute of scientific maturity. Thus, dissemination of scientific information and inculcation of scientific attitude among masses at large is the need of the hour. With this broad goal, Science Communicators' Meet will be held to bring together experts in the field of science communication with particular reference to rural development. It will provide an opportunity for academicians, science journalists, activists, filmmakers, scientists and other communicators from all over the world to meet, deliberate and exchange their views on how to develop science communication. Mega Science Exhibition - PRIDE OF INDIA ISC EXPO Pride of India (PIO) ISC Expo is a unique platform for organizations from the government, private and public sectors to showcase their achievements in the field of science and technology. The POI Expo brings together and displays hundreds of new ideas, innovations, and products covering the entire canvas of the scientific world. The five days will witness a large number of visitors from the corporate sector, scientific fraternity and academia, R & D institutes, defense, government, PSUs and so on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The most arresting presentation, and biggest indulgence, is the dry-aged duck tacos, priced at a dizzying $89. Hear me out. The whole duck (neck, head, beak and all) is paraded through the dining room, borne on a massive cutting board that also includes fresh cilantro, radish and lime wedges, warm tortillas and the star of the dish, as far as Im concerned a charred pineapple-mezcal relish that elevates all the other flavors. This Peking-duck-meets-taco-bar mashup is a lot of fun and feeds three or more, and my guess is that every time one of these things marches through the dining room, another party orders one; its a dish that literally sells itself. Armed policeman standing guard outside the Houses of Parliament. (Getty/stock pic) One of Britains top psychologists has warned that it can never be certain that terrorists can be cured in any deradicalisation programme. Christopher Dean said some terror offenders who take part in his Healthy Identity Intervention (HII) scheme appear to regress due to complex reasons such as who they mix with. Mr Dean's comments come after HII participant Usman Khan stabbed two people to death near London Bridge on 29 November. Khan was a convicted terrorist who had been a member of an al Qaida-inspired group that plotted to blow up the London Stock Exchange. The HII scheme involves offenders like Khan attending sessions with a psychologist who encourage them to talk about their motivations, beliefs, identity and relationship with society. Former senior Home Office official Ian Acheson said attention was drawn to shortcomings of the HII programme in 2016. Usman Khan killed two people dead injured three more in a knife attack in November. (AP) Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Dean said individuals can both progress and regress. "Sometimes people move up two rungs, sometimes individuals may say I've had my doubts about this or that and they may be willing to speak to people, but equally they may go down rungs as well. "They may come into contact with individuals, they may go through a spell in life where they may feel let's say aggrieved again, where they may begin to re-engage with groups or causes or ideologies associated with their offending behaviour. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Government warned of risk of terrorists released from prison How to deradicalise someone Jihadi bride Shamima Begum: I'm being punished because Im famous Mr Dean said some offenders he worked with needed 20 or more sessions to show signs of positive change. He added: "We see some individuals who may have been part of a group for many years or have been invested or identified with the cause for many years. [Leaving that group] is an incredibly difficult thing to do. Warning that there is no guarantee of success, Mr Dean said: "I don't think you can ever be sure that that's occurred. I think you can get increasing evidence over time and particularly behaviourally when people begin to behave in different ways and that's consistent over time and in different places. Story continues Khan was released from prison on licence in December 2018 and had appeared to be responding to rehabilitation. (PA) "People can get more reassured and confident about change and progress that people are making, but yeah, I think we have to be very careful about saying someone has totally changed or has been cured. Mr Dean added that he would have a "healthy scepticism" of the notion that there is a perfect system to deradicalise terrorists. He said: "I think we need to be careful about suggesting that interventions in themselves are the solution or the only solution or psychology is, but I think it's about continuing to work together in our learning "I think we must accept that there may be a small number of people who are potentially ideologically bulletproof and do not wish to recant their hateful views and we must actually start looking at them through the lens of public protection and national security rather than perhaps create unrealistic expectations of rehabilitation. Khan killed two people and injured three others in a knife rampage before being shot dead by police in November. He had been released from prison on licence in December 2018, by which time Khan reportedly appeared to be responding to rehabilitation. Watch more from Yahoo UK CORVALLIS, Ore. -- William Hargrove has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a Russian woman in 2017. He will be eligible for parole in 25 years. Hargrove was sentenced Thursday morning in Benton County Circuit Court. He did not make a statement during the sentencing hearing. However, victim impact statements were read during the hearing. Following a trial in November, a jury found Hargrove guilty of killing Anna Repkina, 27. Hargrove was also found guilty of identity theft and two counts of second-degree theft. Hargrove was arrested by the Benton County Sheriffs Office in April 2017. He was later indicted by a grand jury for the murder, which happened on April 17, 2017, on a logging road outside of Alsea. Benton County prosecutor Amie Matusko said that Hargrove promised to marry Repkina. Investigators said Repkina was born in Russia and had only been in Corvallis for a month before she was killed. She had no known relatives in the United States and was admitted through the Los Angeles International Airport with a valid Russian passport. "Contrary to speculation, she was not a mail-order bride," Matusko told the court. "When the state says that this murder was committed in a callous fashion it's because he took her up there and he shot her in the back of the head. he didn't even look her in the eye when he shot her." Matusko said another woman Hargrove was in a relationship with gave him an ultimatum, saying he had to decide between her and Repkina. She said after killing Repkina, Hargrove withdrew $800 dollars from Repkina's bank account and used the money to buy video games, cigars and more. Matusko said that during the trial the prosecution showed the jury evidence including the shotgun used in the murder that had Hargrove's fingerprints on it. She said a receipt from KFC found at the crime scene lead deputies to Hargrove. "The defendant very nearly got away with this crime," Matusko said. "It was his own trash that betrayed him." Hargroves attorney said they plan to appeal. By Evelyn Ring and David Raleigh Irelands first baby of the new year and the new decade was born in Dublins Rotunda Hospital just 12 minutes after midnight. New mother, Patience Setuke, was delighted with her little girl, Victoria, who weighed 3.23kg (7lb 1oz) when she was born. Ms Setuke said she was overwhelmed with all the attention she and her baby were getting. Just ten minutes later, at Cork University Maternity Hospital, Diana Rodrigues got her perfect gift when Aida Cheryl Pinto was born. Aida, Dianas second child, was in a hurry to come into the world she was due to arrive on Sunday, January 5. All the attention we are getting is overwhelming, said Diana, a senior phlebotomist at Mercy University Hospital, Cork. I will tell Aida that she was a celebrated baby when she grows up, said Diana. Diana and her husband, Cyril Pinto, a computer engineer, are originally from India and have been living in Ireland for 14 years. The couple, who live in Midleton, Co Cork, already have a son, Aidan Pinto, 7, who is delighted to have a little sister to look out for. At 12.54am at South Tipperary General Hospital, Tina OMeara and partner, Patrick Barrett, who are engaged to be married welcomed baby Michael Joseph Barrett into the world. To say we are over the moon is an understatement, said Tina, from Cahir, Co Tipperary, who has four children from a previous relationship. Michael Joseph, who weighed 3.4kg, was expected to arrive earlier Tina had her labour induced a day later than planned because the maternity ward was so busy. My other children have not seen Michael yet. They cant come in to see him because flu has put the hospital in lockdown, said Tina. The children have seen pictures and videos of Michael, and they are so excited. They cant wait to see him. Meanwhile, Ashley Barron was on cloud nine after delivering the first little girl to be born in Limerick. Ms Barrons baby girl, who she has yet to name, weighed 2.81kg when she arrived four days early at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL). She was due on the fifth, but she couldnt wait so she arrived today at 4.33am. She was the first little girl to be born in Limerick. Shes as good as gold. She hasnt said a peeak since she was born, long may it continue, please God! Caroline Brady and her partner Derek OSullivan, Bodyke, Co Clare, were thrilled after their firstborn, arrived at University Maternity Hospital Limerick at 6.41am, weighing over 4kg. 8lbs 15oz. The first baby to be born at the hospital had arrived 46 minutes into the new year. Assistant director of midwifery at UMHL, Mary Tevlin, said: Its been a fantastic day so far, and well have plenty more as the day goes on. Conor born in the sitting room, beside the Christmas tree By Elaine Keogh Baby Conor with his mother Lisa. Picture: Ciara Wilkinson. It was the kind of Christmas present that even caught Santa Claus by surprise. Lisa ODonovan was eight days overdue, when her fourth child, Conor, decided he wanted to get in on the act and was born on December 23. He did not wait for the ambulance to arrive before making his way into the world and was delivered into the waiting arms of his proud dad Brian. It wasnt Lisas first Christmas baby. Tiernan, 6, was born on December 22 which was his due date and we made it to the hospital with him. The couples other children are Oisin, 11, and Cathal, 8. Lisa went into labour at home in Bettystown, Co Meath, around 4pm on December 23. It was agreed she would stay at home until the contractions were five minutes apart. We rang the midwife at 9pm and said to expect me sometime during the night. Lisa, who is a nurse, lay on the couch in the sitting room. Brian went to help her up an hour later. Brian helped me up off the couch and the minute I stood up, the contractions just hit me one after the other. It was just like I needed to push straight away. It was unbelievable, it literally just took seconds. She told Brian to phone for an ambulance and they put the call on speaker. While Brian gathered towels and a shoe lace, Lisa was moments from delivering her baby. Three pushes later Brian caught the baby, he was delivered in the sitting room, beside the Christmas tree. Brian said he couldnt wait to hear Conors first cry. When he first came out, he wasnt crying, I expected him to start crying immediately. After dabbing his face down with the towel, he started crying and I was thank God for that. I never wanted to hear him scream so much in all my life. After a short trip to the hospital, Lisa was allowed home on Christmas Eve, just in time for Santa. Malaysia Receives First of 4 Large Patrol Ships Built in China 2019-12-31 -- Malaysia received one of four large patrol ships it had ordered for the first time from China, the Royal Malaysian Navy said Tuesday, in what a security analyst hailed as a sign that Kuala Lumpur's multimillion-dollar naval modernization effort would push through. Four Malaysian officials led by Defense Ministry secretary Ahmad Husaini Abdul Rahman received the documents after examining the Keris-class Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) during a handover ceremony at the Wucang Port in Shanghai, the navy said in a statement. "After the inspection, a signing ceremony was held to mark the official handover of the ship to the Malaysian government," the statement said. The patrol ship is part of a four-vessel contract, which was originally worth about 1.17 billion ringgit (U.S. $289 million) that was approved by former Prime Minister Najib Razak in April 2017. The contract price dropped to around 1 billion ringgit (U.S. $256 million) after Malaysia agreed that all four ships would be built and delivered in China. The initial plan stipulated that the last two units would be built in Malaysia by the state-affiliated Boustead Naval Shipyard, but the deal was updated in March this year. The new ship is scheduled to be commissioned on Jan. 6 next year, the statement said. It said Adm. Syed Zahrul Putra Syed Abdullah, the Malaysian navy's Eastern Fleet commander, witnessed the signing ceremony and Malaysian officials also took part in the ship's demonstration voyage. While the patrol vessel is euphemistically called a littoral mission ship (LMS), it is generally considered a warship often armed with various weapons, such as either a 20 mm or a 30 mm main gun, and torpedo launchers. Its flight deck can accommodate a medium-size helicopter. "The ship is not only important for safety but it also relates to the country's prestige and ability to defend its maritime sovereignty," security analyst Ramli Dollah of Universiti Malaysia Sabah told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. He praised Kuala Lumpur's move to upgrade its naval assets and reduce maintenance costs. "This ownership is also part of the naval modernization effort. It's time to replace the old ships, especially when Malaysia is facing some maritime issues," he said. The Asia-Pacific region is now one of the fastest-growing markets for arms dealers such as China, the world's second-largest military spender and owner of two aircraft carriers, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Swedish think tank that monitors global security issues and provides research on armaments. Other than Malaysia, Beijing has also sold weapons to at least six Southeast Asian nations since 2006, SIPRI said. Adm. Ahmad Badaruddin Kamarulzaman, the Royal Malaysian Navy chief, told reporters in April 2017 that the Muslim-majority nation would eventually have a total of 18 LMS in its fleet. Mahathir ordered a review of China-backed projects as the country dealt with the country's debt after his Pakatan Harapan alliance defeated Najib's Barisan Nasional coalition in the May 2018 general election. Security analysts earlier said Malaysia was in need of versatile and faster combat boats such as the LMS, as the country and its neighbors grappled with piracy and a flow of foreign militants across the Sulu Sea to the southern Philippines. Economic growth and territorial disputes in Southeast Asia propelled a 52 percent increase in defense spending over the last decade to $392 billion in 2018, according to a SIPRI report last year, which underscored that the region accounts for more than a fifth of the global defense budget. "The [Southeast Asian] region is currently embarked on a substantial arms modernization drive which is unfolding amid continuing unresolved differences and security problems," according to a SIPRI report last year. "Under these conditions arms build-ups, unless properly handled, could result in unnecessary tensions, suspicions and instabilities," it said. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Copyright 1998-2019, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The World Food Program has warned in its 2020 Global Hotspots Report that millions of people in Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central Sahel region will require life-saving food assistance in the coming months. The sheer scale and complexity of the needs will stretch the UN food relief agencys capacity to the limit and require generous donor support for a ramped-up humanitarian response, the report pointed out. WFP is fighting big and complex humanitarian battles on several fronts at the start of 2020, WFP Executive Director David Beasley said. In some countries, we are seeing conflict and instability combine with climate extremes to force people from their homes, farms and places of work, he elaborated. In others, climate shocks are occurring alongside economic collapse and leaving millions on the brink of destitution and hunger. Against the backdrop of an imploding economy and when Zimbabwe is entering the peak of its lean season and food is at its most scarce, WFP observed that the country has more hungry people now than it has had over the past decade. And as concerns grow over the impact of a regional drought that could drag even more countries down in the first months of the year, WFP is planning assistance for some four million people in Zimbabwe. Last year, WFP was called upon to bring urgent large-scale relief to Yemen, Mozambique after Cyclone Idai, Burkina Faso and many other crises to avert famine, said Margot Van Der Velden, WFP Director of Emergencies. But the world is an unforgiving place and as we turn the page into 2020, WFP is confronting new, monumental humanitarian challenges that we need to address with real urgency. In the Middle East, WFP has had success in Yemen where it scaled up food assistance by 50 per cent and supported eight million people a month at the beginning of 2018 to 12 million by the end of the year. Looking towards 2020, WFP remains alert to growing food needs in Iraq and Lebanon, where civil unrest and macro-economic crisis are leading to an increase in food insecurity. WFP estimates it will require more than $10 billion to fully fund all its operations in more than 80 countries around the world in the coming year. Secretary Pompeos Call with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Al Thani Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke today with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and expressed appreciation for Qatars solidarity in the face of Irans malign regional influence, including the December 31 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Secretary Pompeo and Deputy Prime Minister Al Thani reviewed a range of regional developments and agreed on the need for continued, close engagement to advance peace and security in the region. TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Israel's UVeye next week plans to unveil an industry-leading vehicle-inspection system based on deep-learning technology that can identify even the smallest exterior defects on any vehicle within seconds. The company's Atlas 360-degree quality-control system, alongside its other products, will be shown for the first time in North America at CES 2020 in Las Vegas (Jan. 7-10). UVeye also will have a kiosk in Honda's CES display as part of the Honda Xcelerator program which is designed to encourage new and transformative automotive technology. The Atlas inspection system uses multiple high-resolution cameras to capture exterior assembly defects, post-production damage, missing components and other quality-related issues. Atlas generates thousands of images per second at multiple angles to detect scratches or dents as small as two millimeters in diameter. "Our new deep-learning technology will dramatically change how car makers, their suppliers, dealers and major fleet operators inspect vehicles," said Amir Hever, UVeye's CEO. "We currently are working with a number of vehicle manufacturers to provide inspection systems on assembly lines and at dealerships around the world." The company recently announced that one of its Atlas assembly-line inspection systems will be installed at a major Volvo assembly plant in Sweden next year. Hever noted that the company's proprietary algorithms, cloud architecture, sensor fusion, artificial intelligence and machine-learning technologies allow it to automatically check vehicle chassis components, suspension systems, sheet metal and tires within seconds. Other breakthrough products currently offered by UVeye include: Helios An underbody scanning system that captures problems such as frame damage and fluid leaks, as well as brake and exhaust system issues. Artemis Camera-based technology that automatically verifies tire specs and checks tire wear and quality, including tire pressure, tread wear and sidewall flaws. "We're especially excited to have a presence in Honda's CES Xcelerator exhibit area," Hever said. "UVeye's AI-driven vehicle inspection systems are designed to help our OEM partners work more efficiently, augmenting their human capabilities to produce vehicles faster without comprising quality standards." "Taking part in the Honda Xcelerator program is just the latest step in what we hope will be a long and productive relationship with the manufacturing industry. Our collaboration with Honda represents UVeye's sixth partnership with a major automotive OEM." UVeye's deep-learning technology was initially developed for the security industry to detect weapons, explosives, illegal drugs and other contraband. Its inspection systems today are deployed at hundreds of high-security locations throughout the world and have generated millions of vehicle scans. At CES 2020, UVeye's exhibit will be located in Booth 3116. It also will have a kiosk in the Honda display area (Booth 7900). Both displays will be in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. About UVeye The company provides automated vehicle inspection systems powered by artificial intelligence and proprietary hardware. UVeye's deep-learning-driven "Inspection as a Service" unified platform provides an objective, scalable and efficient standard practice for identifying issues in vehicles as they move throughout the Automotive Lifecycle. UVeye's anomaly detection and alerting solutions offer support from a manufacturer's paint shop or assembly line to the automotive aftermarket with insurance providers, fleet managers, rental agencies, dealerships and more. UVeye's first line of products, deployed all over the world in homeland-security and defense markets, enables customers to automatically scan, detect and identify anomalies, modifications or foreign objects in the undercarriage of virtually any vehicle. The company today is setting new standards for vehicle inspection in the automotive and security industries by changing basic approaches to vehicle inspection through automated processes, improved accuracy and standardized inspection systems. UVeye has headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Stamford, Connecticut, in the United States. Additional information is available at www.uveye.com. SOURCE UVeye Related Links https://www.uveye.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 20:40:15|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIRUT, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese Federation of Syndicate of Banks Employees said on Thursday that banks will close if security agencies do not secure the financial institutions against the aggressive attitude by depositors. "Security agencies must protect banks against any assaults by depositors, otherwise banks will have to declare a general strike until stability is restored in bank branches across the country," said a statement by the organization. Protesters broke into a number of banks in the past few days, asking for their deposits amid severe and unofficial capital control practiced by banks due to a shortage of U.S. dollar currency. Depositors who have U.S. dollar accounts cannot withdraw more than 300 dollars weekly in some cases while their withdrawals in Lebanese pounds is limited to 5 million weekly, but it differs among different banks. The organization said that the state of chaos caused by these organized attacks on bank branches will not alleviate the suffering of depositors who have the right to object according to the applicable laws. After Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur constituted a panel to decide whether legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem Hum Dekhenge is offensive to Hindu sentiments, senior lyricist Javed Akhtar on Thursday termed the incident absurd and funny. Speaking to ANI about Faiz and the recent controversy, the writer told ANI, "Calling Faiz Ahmed Faiz 'anti-Hindu' is so absurd and funny that it's difficult to seriously talk about it." The writer further said that Faiz wrote the poem Hum Dekhenge against the then Pakistan government run by the former President of the country Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. "He lived half his life outside Pakistan, he was called anti-Pakistan there. Hum Dekhenge he wrote against Zia ul Haq's government which was a communal regressive and fundamentalist government," Akhtar told ANI. Also read: Javed Akhtar says no one knows Sahir Ludhianvi better than him; he should write the biopic Further rejecting the claim of the poem being 'anti-Hindu', Akhtar explained a phrase from the poem and said, "He has mentioned a phrase - 'Goonjega an-al-haq ka naara' which means 'aham brahma', which means that the creator and creation is one, it is not an Islamic thought." Earlier on Thursday, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has set up a committee to look into the issue. The move came after some faculty member complaint that the students who took out a peaceful march in the campus on December 17 against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia students, sung it as a mark of protest, which hurt the sentiments of other communities. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014. Follow @htshowbiz for more SALVADOR, Brazil - Clovis Dias de Oliveira sat behind the counter of his empty store filled with touristy knickknacks, looking at his phone, scrolling through Facebook, shaking his head. More bad news. A pair of gangs had recently battled it out. A man had been shot. Arrests had been made. This latest violence had erupted not in some faraway slum, but right here, in the heart of this historic town's famed colonial district. Officials have been saying Salvador, with its gorgeous beaches, colonial architecture and a unique Africa-influenced culture, could help solve one of Brazil's most enduring riddles: how to attract tourists. But Oliveira, 36, wasn't so sure. "Even I don't feel safe here," he said, exasperated. "I've seen tourists, lots of them, robbed here. And they come, and then they never come back." Latin America's largest country has come to a critical point in its long-troubled relationship with tourism. While many of the world's most attractive destinations are experiencing a boom, and other Latin American countries such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic are cashing in, Brazil brought in only 6.6 million foreign visitors in 2018 - fewer than theocratic Iran, fewer than conflict-torn Ukraine, fewer, even, than just the Louvre Museum in Paris. But the tally was higher - ever so slightly - than the year before. Now the government is looking to build on it and fulfill the tourism potential of a country that boasts thousands of miles of coastline, the Amazon rainforest, mountain ranges, and a famously warm and welcoming people. By 2022, officials pledged this year, they'll double the number of foreign visitors. Doing so would also double the number of foreign dollars coming into a country badly in need of them. Hobbled by high unemployment and economic stagnation, Brazil took in only around $6 billion from foreign tourism in 2018. The United States collected $210 billion; tiny Portugal amassed $18 billion, according to the U.N. World Tourism Organization. Officials have eliminated visa requirements for citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, China and Qatar. They've launched a global public-relations campaign called "Brazil by Brasil" that's papering cities in the United States and Europe with advertisements that are ambiguous yet strangely enticing: "Meet a new Brazil, modern and productive." And Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks often of tourism - venting, for example, about the environmental protections he says inhibit tourism and speaking wistfully about creating the Brazilian equivalents of Cancun and Cozumel. "Our tourism (situation) is frustrating, in view that we are first in the world in natural beauty," Bolsonaro said this year. "We want to preserve the environment, but if any other country in the world had our marvels, it would be making billions from tourism. But we can't." But whether the Bolsonaro administration can achieve its own lofty aspirations will be, to a certain extent, a test of whether it can get out of its own way. The number of foreign visitors has dropped 5 percent this year amid a drumbeat of bad news and international condemnation. There were the Amazon forest fires. Then a devastating oil spill. A record number of killings by police in Rio de Janeiro. And through it all, a president who revels in political provocation - saying he'd rather have a dead son than a gay one, calling for criminals to be killed in the streets "like cockroaches," insulting the appearance of the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. "Bolsonaro isn't particularly appealing," said Thomas Kohnstamm, who wrote a Lonely Planet guide to Brazil, and then a tell-all memoir about the experience. "Brazil attracts more independent travelers, who are a more progressive group. So when the Bolsonaro campaign hand sign is a gun and he's saying, 'I'd rather have a dead son than a gay son,' that doesn't play really well." For Brazil, it's no one thing that's keeping the visitors away. Turkey, for instance, also has a leader with authoritarian tendencies in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - but the number of tourists flocking to that country has swelled from 31 million to 46 million in the past decade. Mexico, another country debilitated by violence, welcomed 41 million visitors in 2018 - nearly twice the volume of 2010. Brazil, wedged between the Andes and the Atlantic, thousands of miles from the United States, farther from Europe and Asia, remains remote - and not only geographically. The people speak Portuguese. The culture, with its many influences, is unique. Plus, flights are expensive. "The goal is impossible," concluded Luiz Gustavo Barbosa, who studies tourism at the Fundacao Getulio Vargas, a university in Rio de Janeiro. "It's impossible because the goal was wrong from the beginning." The challenge feels particularly acute in the seaside city of Salvador. Founded by the Portuguese as Brazil's first capital, it is today a laboratory for the country's experimentation with tourism. Authorities recently completed a five-year renovation of the historic district, Pelourinho, one of the largest stretches of colonial architecture in the Americas. The New York Times this year named the city one of its 52 places to explore. And according to the local airport, the number of foreign entries increased 25 percent in the first six months of this year. "Salvador is ready for tourists," declared Claudio Tinoco Melo de Oliveira, the city's tourism director. "We're talking about Brazil's first capital. Our potential is much greater." But parts of Salvador, one of the most violent cities in a violent country, have the hunted feeling of a town besieged. Police officers stand on every street corner, springing into action to arrest pickpockets, one of whom attempted to rob this reporter at dusk one night. Shopkeepers complain about the constant threat of crime. "There are robberies and assaults, and then tourists stop coming!" said Tabmo Oliveira Junior, as he served gelato at an ice cream shop. Tourists are skittish. "Of course we're concerned," said Amavry Menanteu, a visitor from France who was waiting just outside his hotel for an Uber to avoid a risky walk. "We have to check wherever we can travel and walk, and when we arrived here, we had to ask where we could go." "If I was here alone, I would not feel safe," said a 28-year-old woman from Germany who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions. "We are clearly a target; we are the whitest people here and we obviously stick out" as tourists. But it's getting better, promised Gustavo Ribero. It has to - for Salvador's sake, and for his own. He recently took over the posh restaurant Maria Mata Mouro - which, despite the excellent food, had just clocked another slow night. "I believe in this place," he said. "It has the most potential of anywhere in the country ... and I believe in a better future here. I've invested my life here." Passion 2020: John Piper reveals 'the most outrageous thing Jesus ever said' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Theologian John Piper shared what he considers to be Jesus most outrageous statement as he delved into the topic of fame during his sermon before tens of thousands at Passion 2020 in Atlanta on Wednesday. Piper, an American Reformed Baptist pastor and founder of DesiringGod.org, kicked off the annual young adult gatherings New Years Day session with a 45-minute sermon stressing why Christians must desire the name and fame of Jesus more than anything else in their life. For over 20 years now, the flag that's been flying over Passion Conferences is from the Prophet Isaiah 26:8, the 73-year-old Piper explained. Youll find it on the website and you can read on the screen. It goes like this. Yes Lord, walking in the way of your truth, we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desire of our soul. Its never changed from 1997, Piper added. So yes, Lord, we wait for you. We want You, we desire You. And the reason that I say You and not just Your name or Your fame is first because that's what the text says we wait eagerly for You [and also] because that's what the name means. Your name is Your being in the Bible. Piper explained that when God revealed His name as Yahweh in Exodus 3, He said, I am who I am as if to say my name is my being. So when you desire the name, you desire the person. When you desire the renown, you desire the fame of the person, Piper stressed. Now, on this side of the incarnation, He has another name. The name is Jesus. I don't know if you're as amazed as I am by these outrageous things Jesus said. Piper continued by referencing Jesus' words from John 8:58: The most outrageous thing Jesus ever said was Before Abraham was, I am. So when you desire the name and you say, Your name and Your fame are my desire. You mean Yahweh who is Jesus, Piper said. Piper went on by saying that Passion, which was founded in the 1990s by Louie and Shelley Giglio, is built on the deity of Christ. Piper said he is praying for those in attendance and watching at home for their greatest desire to be for Jesus to be globally renowned. But he warned that it should not be a private desire. If it's only you and Jesus, you dont know Jesus, Piper stressed. The passion for His fame is right there in the verse. Your name and your renown are the desire of our souls. And when we say that His name and His fame are our desire, we don't mean [to say] maybe He'll be famous. There's no maybe about it. Piper said that the God-man, Jesus, is coming again, at which time the haughty will be humbled and those who truly desire the name and fame of Jesus will have the desires of their souls fulfilled. There is no maybe about it, he reiterated. If you don't desire it, you won't have it. Piper contended that in order to truly be born again as a follower of Christ, one must desire God more than anything else. Nothing is more important in your life than the awakening of this desire, he said. The triumph of this desire over all other desires is the most important thing in your life. If the name and the fame of Jesus the Savior, the Son of God, the King of Kings does not become your greatest desire, you will not only waste your life, you will lose it. The words of Isaiah 26:8 are the mark of a Christian, Piper told the audience. Not a mature Christian, a Christian, he added. There's a lot hanging here in the balance. Passion Conferences are targeted for students ages 18 to 25. Since the first Passion Conference in 1997, the ministry has encountered millions of students. Other speakers at the three-day event include the likes of Duck Dynasty star Sadie Robertson, pastor Levi Lusko, Christian athlete Tim Tebow, apologist Ravi Zacharias and evangelist Christine Cain. The event also features worship and performances by Hillsong United, Lecrae, Kari Jobe, Elevation Music, Crowder, and others. In a major push to the slowing economy, the Centre on Tuesday lined up infrastructure projects worth Rs 102 lakh crore across 18 states and union territories (UTs) in various sectors such as railways, urban development, health, water and education. Unveiling the first report of the Task Force tasked to identify the projects, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Centre and the states would share 39 per cent each of the total cost with the private sector investing the balance 22 per cent. The Minister said that infrastructure has been a focus of the government in the last six years with projects worth Rs 51 lakh crore (5 per cent-6 per cent of GDP) taken up. "We are now committing 102 lakh crore rupees for the next 5 years," Sitharaman said, adding another Rs 3 lakh crore worth of projects would be added shortly. It may be noted that out of the total expected capital expenditure of Rs 102 lakh crore, projects worth Rs 42.7 lakh crore (42 per cent) are already under implementation while projects worth Rs 32.7 lakh crore (32 per cent) are in the conceptualisation stage. The remaining projects are under the development stage. The ambitious plan has been launched even as the private sector's response, so far, has been tepid and the once popular PPP model failing to take off. Most projects in the highways sector have been taken up with the government providing bulk of the funds. But the Centre remains optimistic. Sitharaman said that the private sector share in the overall infrastructure is expected to reach 30 per cent by 2025. Among many measures to boost the economy, the government considers building infrastructure as key and has laid emphasis on it. It has stepped up its spending on infrastructure so that it does not become a constraint on the growth of the economy. The government had earlier constituted a task force to draw up the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) for each of the years from fiscal 2019-20 to 2024-25. The high-level panel is chaired by the DEpartment of Economic Affairs (DEA) Secretary and includes the NITI Aayog CEO, Expenditure Secretary, DEA Additional Secretary (Investments) and Secretaries of the administrative ministries. The Task Force, in its detailed report, has given recommendations on changes required to several key sectoral policies and other reform initiatives to be initiated by Central and state governments. The Finance Minister said that this is the first of its kind exercise and would be followed by setting up of a robust monitoring mechanism. She said that NIP will enable a forward outlook on infrastructure projects which will create jobs, improve ease of living, and provide equitable access to infrastructure for all. It is estimated that India would need to spend $4.5 trillion on infrastructure by 2030 to sustain its growth rate. On the basis of the information compiled as on date, total project capital expenditure in infrastructure sectors in India between the fiscals 2020 to 2025 is projected at over Rs 102 lakh crore. "During the fiscals 2020 to 2025, sectors such as Energy (24 per cent), Roads (19 per cent), urban (16 per cent), and railways (13 per cent) amount to around 70 per cent of the projected capital expenditure in infrastructure in India," an official statement said. Addressing the media, Finance Minister said that an Annual Global Investors' Meet would be organized with the first edition in the second half of 2020. This will provide a platform to the Centre and the states to meet investors and talk on investment opportunities. claimed on Thursday he organised his dramatic escape from bail in alone as the disgraced auto tycoon enjoyed his first days of freedom in Beirut despite an Interpol arrest notice. The exact circumstances of the former Renault- boss's escape from a case he said was "rigged" were unclear but media reports described a plot that had all the trappings of a spy novel. Ghosn denied through the Paris-based agency handling his PR that his family had anything to do with his escape. "The media reports saying my wife Carole and other family members played a role in my departure from are falsehoods. I alone organised my departure," he said. Turkey said seven people had been detained for questioning, including four pilots, over how the wanted tycoon was able to transit through Istanbul. Ghosn, who had been under house arrest in Tokyo since April, was believed to be holed up his central Beirut residence, where visitors filed in and out under the scrutiny of TV cameras. His surprise return to Lebanon just before New Year's Eve raised fresh questions over his judicial status and marked the latest twist in a saga that has rocked the automotive and business world for more than a year. Lebanon's state news agency quoted Justice Minister Albert Sarhan as announcing that "the public prosecutor... has received what is known as a red notice from Interpol in the case". An Interpol red notice is a request for a provisional arrest, pending extradition or prosecution, but it is not a warrant. A Lebanese judicial source has already told AFP however that Lebanon and do not have an extradition agreement under which Ghosn -- who holds Lebanese, French and Brazilian nationalities -- could be sent back to Tokyo. Ghosn stands accused in Japan of deferring part of his salary until after his retirement and concealing this from shareholders, as well as syphoning off millions in cash for his own purposes. His escape caused deep embarrassment in Japan, where prosecutors launched an investigation into the security lapse and on Thursday searched his residence. Japanese authorities are expected to analyse security camera footage from his residence and other places they suspect Ghosn travelled to before he fled, Japanese broadcaster NHK said. According to Japan's Kyodo news agency, Ghosn was smuggled out with the help of two private security operatives who pretended to be part of a music band for a Christmas party at his residence. Quoting a Lebanese consultant in Tokyo, Kyodo said Ghosn hid in an instrument case before boarding a private jet -- a scenario a member of Ghosn's entourage has previously denied. One of the operatives was a former Marine employed by a US security firm while the second worked for a Lebanese firm, Kyodo said. More details could emerge when the former tycoon, who was first arrested in November 2018, speaks to the press in Beirut next week. Meanwhile Turkey also announced that it was holding seven individuals in connection with Ghosn's extraordinary escape. The investigation is focused on two flights. The first, a Bombardier labelled TC-TSR, flew from Osaka in Japan, landed in Istanbul at 5:15 am and parked in a hangar. The second was a private jet to Beirut, a Bombardier Challenger 300 TC-RZA, which left 45 minutes later, according to the Turkish news agency DHA. Ghosn was able to enter Lebanon on a French passport, according to airport documents seen by AFP. NHK reported that the court in Tokyo had allowed Ghosn to keep a second French passport so long as it was kept "in a locked case" with the key held by his lawyers. Although Ghosn was restricted to his lush Beirut home only by the media's glare, not all in Lebanon welcomed his return. Three lawyers submitted a report to the public prosecutor demanding that the businessman be prosecuted over a trip he made to Israel in 2008. "Doing business with Israel is not a matter of opinion -- any normalisation is forbidden by law," Hassan Bazzi, one of the lawyers, told AFP. Lebanon is technically still at war with Israel, which occupied the south of the country until 2000, and forbids its citizens from travelling there. Ghosn had travelled to Israel and met then president Shimon Peres as part of a trip to support a partnership with an Israeli entrepreneur launching an electric car venture. Some Lebanese see Ghosn as a symbol of their country's fabled entrepreneurial genius and a proud representative of its vast diaspora. The mood has changed since his November 2018 arrest, however, and, weeks into an unprecedented wave of protests against corruption and nepotism, activists saw his return as another manifestation of privilege and impunity for the super-rich. She revealed in her Vogue Arabia interview that she wanted to give her four kids an 'unforgettable childhood.' And Kim Kardashian added another experience to the books for her daughter, North, six, in mid-2019, taking her to the White House. The 39-year-old law student shared a series of throwback candid photos and videos of her year, including the time she took North to Washington D.C. Scroll down for video Family trip! Kim Kardashian revealed on Tuesday that she had taken her daughter, North, six, to the White House in mid 2019 The first shot had Kim, her grandmother Mary-Jo Campbell, 85, and North, board her private jet. 'Took MJ to the White House,' she captioned, adding the time stamp of July 22, 2019. MJ wore a black and white tracksuit set on top of a white singlet top. Off they go! The first shot had Kim, her grandmother Mary-Jo Campbell, 85, and North, board her private jet Made it! July 25 saw Kim join the family for a photo while in the White House She appeared in high spirits as she sat in the plane with North up above her on the top of her seat. North was dressed in a grey hoodie and a lilac colored pair of trousers with her hair styled into space buns. July 25 saw Kim join the family for a photo while in the White House. She was dressed in a head-to-toe camel colored suit and a pair of complimentary colored pumps. Her hair was styled out into loose waves and her makeup was kept sharp with contoured cheekbones and a dark eye. In the Oval Office! Another photo saw North give her mom a kiss on the lips while in the President's Oval Office in front of the famous bay windows Cute: The six-year-old's frock reached the floor and she had her hair styled into two braids North stood in the front of her mom and great-grandmother in a white dress. The six-year-old's frock reached the floor and she had her hair styled into two braids. Another photo saw North give her mom a kiss on the lips while in the President's Oval Office in front of the famous bay windows. While it's not clear what that particular visit was for, all will be revealed in Kim's upcoming two-hour documentary, that will show the beauty and her legal team's recent work in prison reform. One of Kim's photos had her pose with Alice Marie Johnson, who won clemency thanks to Kim and President Trump last year, following 21 years in prison and serving a life sentence. Candid shot: Another photo had North standing inside the house First one there: January saw Kim arrive at the for a California State Senate meeting Oval office status: Kim has made numerous visits to the White House since Donald Trump was elected president; seen in June Big year for Alice! One of Kim's photos had her pose with Alice Marie Johnson, who won clemency thanks to Kim and President Trump last year, following 21 years in prison and serving a life sentence Kim's series of posts also saw her share many fittings and pictures of her other three children. The Kardashian sister shares children, North, six, Saint, four, Chicago, one, and Psalm, seven-months, with her husband of five-years, Kanye West. August 10 saw all six family members gather round for a candid family photo. 'Morning chaos is the best,' she captioned. Uncle and Aunt! Kim also took her family to visit their Kardashian side relatives. She posed makeup free with her late father's brother and his wife with her kids on July 19 Morning cahos! August 10 saw all six family members gather round for a candid family photo Kanye was in all white while Kim took control of North, Psalm and Saint. Chicago appeared distracted by her morning breakfast the photo. Kim also took her family to visit their Kardashian side relatives. She posed makeup free with her late father's brother and his wife with her kids on July 19. The beauty mogul later took to social media on Wednesday to share a throwback photo from her New Year's Eve party in 2000. Busy mom! Kim's series of posts also saw her share many fittings and pictures of her other three children (pictured feeding Psalm while entertaining Chicago) Baby makes four! Psalm was welcomed into the world via a surrogate in May 2019 2000! The beauty mogul later took to social media on Wednesday to share a throwback photo from her New Year's Eve party in 2000 '20 years ago today,' she penned, adding: 'Happy New Year (and new decade).' She was joined by her pals including friend Sarah Howard, who is still very much in her and sister Kourtney Kardashian's life. Kim also shared various videos to showcase her seven-month old son, Psalm's, sneakers. The tiny pairs of shoes were in a variety of different colors and styles to ensure they matched with all his outfits. Lady Gaga rang in 2020 with a new love life. After breaking off her engagement with Christian Carino in 2018, some whirlwind rumors about her relationship with co-star Bradley Cooper in "A Star is Born," and a brief fling with sound engineer Dan Horton last summer, Ldy Gaga has found someone to kiss on New Year's Eve. The 33-year-old Grammy winner celebrated the New Year in Las Vegas with a special concert performance inside the Park Theater at Park MGM. After she performed her show "Jazz & Piano," she took off to head to NoMad Restaurant at Brian Newman's "After Dark" show where she sang "Fly Me to the Moon" and danced with Newman's wife, Angie Pontani. In a Twitter video shared by a Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist, Lady Gaga was seen kissing a mystery man at the stroke of midnight. The Journal mentioned that the man's first name is Michael. Lady Gaga can be seen wearing a gold sequin gown with dark lipstick and a pink bubblegum wig. As for Michael, he wore a black, untucked button-down shirt, jeans, and black sneakers. Lady Gaga Spotted Kissing & Holding Hands With Mystery Man 10 Months After Split From Fiance https://t.co/S7lmFnBNdF pic.twitter.com/t8wSgZErLt peter alexander (@carribablue) January 1, 2020 According to the video spreading on social media, they left the venue holding hands. Gaga did not appear to be trying to hide her affection for her date. TMZ also reported this but has no additional information about the man, but they were sure to say that he was not Bradley Cooper. Lady Gaga's Recent Love Life The speculation about Lady Gaga and Cooper began after last year's performance of "Shallow" at the Oscars. The two got pretty steamy onstage as they sang the famous duet song from their 2018 film "A Star is Born" -- one that prompted fans to wonder if something else was really going on between them. Speaking to Oprah Winfrey last December, there was a story behind that romantic show. The chemistry was not fake, but it also did not mean that she and Cooper were together. "Quite frankly, I think that the press is ridiculous. We made a love story. For me, as a performer and as an actress, of course, we wanted people to believe that we were in love. And we wanted people to feel that love at the Oscars. We wanted it to go right and through that lens of that camera and to every TV that it was being watched on." Lady Gaga also admitted that they worked hard on it for days and have "mapped the whole thing out -- it was orchestrated as a performance." On the other hand, Lady Gaga's relationship with Dan Horton was a disaster, according to Us Weekly. After being spotted all around LA, they worked closely at a home studio in Hollywood, and sparks just started flying. "They seem like a pretty good match." Unfortunately, the sound engineer could not keep up with his famous girlfriend. The pair went their separate ways and, as told by an Us Weekly insider, "Dan was not mature enough for her. Gaga does want to date again." Lady Gaga's last two relationships were high profile. So maybe someone with a more low-key career and life would be a better fit for her. Increased resources to stamp out intolerable illegal hunting have been called for by Co Tipperary Fianna Fail TD Jackie Cahill. He said it is a serious problem in Co Tipperary. Even aside from the number of hares that are being killed, people feel very vulnerable with these gangs roaming the countryside. During a recent Oireachtas Agriculture Committee debate, Deputy Cahill said, Garda resources are an issue, and there are even problems in that the gardai cannot seize the dogs. They have to have a dog warden with them to seize the dogs if they catch them, so it needs to be co-ordinated. DJ Histon from the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) told the Committee illegal hunting is ongoing throughout the country. The perpetrators typically travel in gangs with unmuzzled dogs. They enter lands uninsured, without landowner permission, with the intent of killing the hare or multiple hares, at any time of the year. "They use this opportunity to conduct criminal acts such as theft, trespass and assault. The Garda, National Parks and Wildlife Service, and interested parties such as the IFA and the ICC are working diligently on this issue. Coursing clubs provide support with intelligence and monitoring of hare habitat. There have been a number of convictions recently by the authorities. He said illegal hunting is very difficult to police because it can happen any time of the day or night anywhere in the country. In Northern Ireland, the PSNI mounted Operation Lepus to tackle illegal hunting. Mr Histon said the dogs of those engaged in illegal hunting do not wear muzzles and, typically, they are not greyhounds. They enter the lands without permission, they do have any insurance, and they could allow anywhere between two and five dogs to go after one animal, or they may very well let two hounds off the leash and then, after a period, release two further dogs to pursue the same hare. The end result is the death of the hare. Deputy Cahill said, We see pictures of ten and 12 hares being held up after being killed on a single day with these lurchers hunting across the countryside. There has been much talk lately among both Democrats and Republicans of the intents of the founders in the writing of the Constitution, especially involving the powers of impeachment and removal from office. What has been sorely lacking from this conversation is an awareness of the framers overwhelming conviction that there was nothing more poisonous to constitutional democracies than demagogues which to them meant a very specific kind of threat. Less than two weeks after the start of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, George Washington wrote to his friend, the Marquis de Lafayette, on June 6, 1787, explaining that his critical purpose in attending the convention was to prevent a demagogue from gaining power in the politically unstable young nation and thus destroying it. Washington described how he was pulled out of retirement by an urgent risk to the United States. Anarchy and confusion were threatening the security of the American people and the rule of constitutional law. But this was only half the danger. The deeper risk, he wrote that early June, was that the political chaos created fertile ground for exploitation by some aspiring demagogue who will not consult the interest of his country so much as his own ambitious views. In a letter written three weeks later to David Stuart, a Virginia politician and distant family relation, Washington lamented that the widespread denigration of the Articles of Confederation, and the federal government it created, had rendered the situation of this great country weak, inefficient and disgraceful. He concluded the letter to Stuart by again stating that the political crisis made possible demagogues who pose a dire threat to the United States. Washingtons greatest fear that summer of decision in Philadelphia was that unwise, self-seeking politicians even if fairly elected to public office would tear down the central government and its constitutional laws for the sake of their own advancement and glorification. Washington, like his peers, did not use the word demagogue as an insult or epithet. He did not employ it as ammunition against those he identified as his political opponents. For the steady, rational Washington, demagogue was a forensic term that described a well-known class of political actors, known since Greek and Roman times, who obtain power through emotional appeals to prejudice, distrust and fear. Irrespective of party affiliation, demagogues were a distinct personality type that knew no bounds of politics except fiery self-aggrandizement. Washington, of course, was not the only framer who viewed our Constitution largely as a bulwark against demagogues. In the surviving records of the speeches given at the Constitutional Convention, the word demagogue was used 21 times by the framers as they crafted the Constitutions essential checks and balances against despotism and tyranny. Demagogues are the great pests of our government, said Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts during the convention, and have occasioned most of our distresses. Gerry further described demagogues as pretended patriots, unprincipled politicians who steer the people toward baneful measures through false reports. James Madison of Virginia twice alluded to the danger of demagogues. Alexander Hamilton of New York spoke of this peril of democracy more than any other delegate, naming it seven times. Demagogues, Hamilton said on the floor of Independence Hall in late June 1787, hate the controul of the Genl. Government. Later, Hamilton went on to predict an ominous decline in republics from demagoguery to tyranny. As he put it in Federalist No. 1: History will teach us that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants. Other framers who raised the red flag of demagoguery during the Constitutional Convention were Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, Pierce Butler of South Carolina and Edmund Randolph and George Mason of Virginia. Mason declared outright that the mischievous influence of demagogues was one of the top two evils that can befall republican forms of government. This destructive risk of demagogues is one reason the 55 framers of the Constitution adopted the power of impeachment during the historic convention of 1787. They believed uniformly that some men, though elected by the people, would be temperamentally incapable of serving the public interest under the Constitution. Therefore, they offered Congress the remedy of impeachment and removal from office. The framers did not view the exercise of this remedy to be an anti-democratic act of nullifying elections. To the contrary, they provided the people and their representatives with these emergency powers for the specific purpose of rescuing our democracy and Constitution from harm and destruction at the hands of demagogues. Eli Merritt is a visiting scholar in the department of history at Vanderbilt University. Twitter: @elimerritt On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit hears fresh arguments over the House Judiciary Committees attempts to access redacted portions of special counsel Robert Muellers report. While the fight over the redacted grand jury Mueller materials has taken a back seat in the publics consciousness to the Houses impeachment of the president, it continues to be of paramount importance. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court agreed last month to hear a different case regarding the House Oversight Committees efforts to subpoena President Donald Trumps financial records from his accounting firm, Mazars. The D.C. Circuit, the same court hearing the Mueller grand jury case, had previously rejected the presidents challenge to that subpoena. Advertisement By chance, the three-judge panels in each case have included Judge Neomi Rao, who was nominated to the court by Trump. And in each case, Judge Rao has put forward novel theories that, taken together, would all but preclude Congress from enforcing legitimate subpoenas against the president in court and place him largely above the law. Fortunately, Raos colleagues have thus far been rejecting her ideas. The Supreme Court should as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First, in Trump v. Mazars, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the presidents accounting firm for financial documents as part of its investigation into whether to pass new federal financial-disclosure and conflict-of-interest legislation. As Ive previously written, Congress clearly has a legitimate basis for investigating whether the president complied with [the Ethics in Government Acts] existing requirements and in what ways the act might be insufficient to address his (or any other federal officials) various business and property interests. Advertisement Advertisement Raos argument is as surprising as it is wrong. A panel of the D.C. Circuit agreed, reasoning that Congress could enact legislation that required presidents to file reports more frequently, to include information covering a longer period of time, or to provide new kinds of information such as past financial dealings with foreign businesses or current liabilities of closely held companies. And the majority rejected the presidents argument that the investigation is actually an illegitimate effort to engage in law enforcement, explaining that Supreme Court precedent says an interest in past illegality can be wholly consistent with an intent to enact remedial legislation. Judge Rao, however, dissented. According to Rao, where a congressional inquiry concerns the president, that inquiry may be pursued only through impeachment, even where Congress has an otherwise valid legislative purpose for its investigation. The problem with this argument is that it has no basis in Supreme Court case law or historical precedent. As the majority pointed out, the dissent cites nothing in the Constitution or case lawand there is nothingthat compels Congress to abandon its legislative role at the first scent of potential illegality and confine itself exclusively to the impeachment process. And, as the majority reasoned, the dissents approach would not even allow Congress to make the quintessentially legislative judgment that some concerns about potential misconduct or illegality are better addressed through oversight and legislation than impeachmentor at least, it would not allow Congress to obtain the information it needs to pass such legislation without pull[ing] the impeachment trigger. Thankfully, a majority of the entire D.C. Circuit refused to rehear the Mazars case. It is now before the Supreme Court, which should have the final say on whether the subpoena goes into effect this spring when the case is argued and decided. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Rao has rejected long-standing precedent upholding legitimate congressional oversight of the president in Mazars, she has also been put on the panel deciding a key case on impeachment that is getting a new hearing on Friday. In this case, a district court ordered the Justice Department to disclose redacted portions of the Mueller report requested by the House Judiciary Committee as part of its impeachment inquiry, and the Trump administration appealed the case to the D.C. Circuit. As Ive previously explained, the Houses request comports with the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and is also consistent with centuries of precedent in which the House has received grand jury materials pursuant to its impeachment function. Notably, in a previous hearing regarding whether the district courts order to turn over the materials should be put on pause pending appeal, Rao brought up an issue not raised by the parties: whether the court even had the power to hear the case. According to Rao, it was potentially inappropriate for the Court to assist or interfere with impeachment proceedings. This issueand whether and how the case should proceed now that the president has been impeachedwill be before the court on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raos argument, though, is as surprising as it is wrong, and if combined with her argument in Mazars, it would help place Trump above any congressional oversight and further insulate the executive branch from an important check by the judicial branch. Her argument is wrong because the House filed a proper application with the district court seeking materials that are in the district courts possession and power to disclose pursuant to a Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure. And the question at issuethe proper interpretation of Rule 6(e) of the federal rulesis a quintessential legal question that is within the judiciarys purview to decide. Judge Rao cited as support for her question a Supreme Court case regarding the impeachment of Judge Walter Nixon in which the Supreme Court held that the courts lacked jurisdiction to hear Judge Nixons challenges to the Senates impeachment procedures. But it is a massive logical jump to expand that doctrinewhich simply says that courts should not entangle themselves with the procedures of the Senate impeachment trialto suggest that courts lose jurisdiction over the proper interpretation of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure simply because the materials at issue are related to an impeachment inquiry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tellingly, even the Department of Justicewhich is otherwise fighting the committees efforts to obtain the materialshas agreed that the court can hear the case, reasoning correctly that [a]djudicating a petition under generally applicable provisions of Rule 6(e) does not necessarily require a federal court to exercise review over any aspect of the impeachment power textually committed to Congress. And as a good example, it noted that a federal court could preside over a federal criminal prosecution of a witness for perjury in an impeachment hearing. How Rao and the rest of the panel will end up deciding this jurisdictional question remains to be seen. But again, what is most frightening about Raos suggestion that the court lacks jurisdiction is what it would mean in conjunction with her dissent in Mazars. Taking her two theories together, all oversight that could reveal illegal conduct by the president would need to occur through the mechanism of impeachment, and courts would lack jurisdiction to hear legal disputes that bear some relation to impeachment. In effect, her theories would significantly undermine Congress ability to ask the courts to enforce requests for information related to possible illegal conduct by the president. Thankfully, we should never get to that point. Judge Raos viewsboth on the limitations on congressional oversight of the president and the limitations on courts ability to review impeachment-related disputeshave no basis in history or precedent. When the Supreme Court considers the Mazars case this spring, and if it at some point ends up considering the case regarding the Mueller grand jury materials, the court should reject Raos restrictive vision of congressional and judicial authority and reinforce its commitment to the most basic constitutional principle: No one is above the law. The Popular Front of India (PFI), a federation that was formed in 2006 as a successor to the National Democratic Front (NDF), has come under the scanner of the Union home ministry for allegedly instigating demonstrators to clash with the Uttar Pradesh police The Uttar Pradesh Police has sought a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), days after its complicity was suspected in the recent statewide violent protests against the amended citizenship law. The BJP-led government in state has accused the organisation and its political front, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) of "masterminding and instigating violence" during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). The Popular Front of India (PFI), a federation that was formed in 2006 as a successor to the National Democratic Front (NDF), has come under the scanner of the Union home ministry for allegedly instigating demonstrators to clash with the Uttar Pradesh Police. The organisation was also blamed for the violent protests in Karnatakas Mangaluru and in West Bengal. The PFI, which has in the past also been linked with political killings in Kerala, is labelled by many as a 'radical Muslim' group. Though on its website, the party describes itself as a move "towards co-ordination and management of efforts for the achievement of socio-economic, cultural and political empowerment of the deprived and the downtrodden and the nation at large." The group also denies the current allegations against its members and slams the ruling party, which, it said, "has empowered the big business houses and the urban and rural elite, as it ignored the basic needs of the people below". Although its stronghold is in Kerala, the PFI has expanded its footprint across the country with similar-minded groups such as the Tamil Nadu-based Manitha Neethu Pasarai and the Karnataka Forum for Dignity among others. PFI's alleged terror links The Kerala-based organisation has a chequered past, and has been on the National Investigation Agency (NIA)'s radar for a long time, for its alleged terror links. PFI first came under the scrutiny of the agency in 2013 when the NIA had taken over a case where PFI members were accused of running arms' training camp in Kannur's Narath. It was alleged that 22 PFI activists hatched a criminal conspiracy to impart training to some youths for using explosives and weapons, with an intention to prepare them for terrorist activities. An NIA court let off one person but found 21 others guilty under various charges. Further investigation into their funding and links with international terrorist groups is underway. Furthermore, multiple reports suggest that between 2010 to 2013, the Kerala Police seized several country-made bombs, weapons, CDs and several documents containing Taliban and Al-Qaeda propaganda from PFI activists in a series of searches . PFI was also accused of chopping off a college professor's hand because he set a question in a paper that was 'disrespectful' to prophet Muhammad, according to The NewsMinute. Intelligence agencies have also dubbed the organisation an offshoot of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which was designated a terrorist organisation and subsequently banned in 2001. Another famous case linked to the PFI was the alleged 'love jihad' case in Kerala. According to NDTV, 90 inter-faith marriages that took place in Kerala over the last two years are being examined by the central counter-terror agency. Out of the 90 cases, 23 cases were linked to individuals concerned to the PFI. In 2018, the BJP-led Jharkhand government had banned the organisation, saying its members were internally influenced by the Islamic State. "Popular Front of India was started in Kerala. The members of this organisation are internally influenced by the ISIS. Inquiry by Special Branch has revealed that some members of this organisation have gone secretly to Syria from the South Indian states and (are) working for ISI, a state government notification quoted by The Indian Express read. PFI'S suspected role in anti-CAA protests PFI has denied all allegations regarding its alleged involvement in triggering violence during the anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh. In a statement, PFI's general secretary M Muhammed Ali Jinnah said the allegations were "absurd" and a "face-saving act" by the Uttar Pradesh Police. Times Now reported that the organisation has also come under the scanner in West Bengal, after Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. The report suggests that the PFI has planned to hold a mega rally in the violence-hit Murshidabad area on 5 January. Sources suggest that the intelligence agencies have been trying to identify people who have been operating under the banner of PFI. They say that they have evidence that PFI has clear backing from AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) party. The Uttar Pradesh Police has claimed that it has enough evidence to prove that the PFI members were behind the violence during the anti-CAA protests. The home department of the state government has written a letter to the Union home ministry on Monday seeking a ban on the organisation. State cabinet minister Mohsin Raza had claimed that the PFI was created by those who were involved with SIMI. "Those who were involved with SIMI, after its ban made a new organization, PFI," he told ANI. According to PTI, UP DGP OP Singh on Tuesday had said that they had written to the Union Home Ministry, seeking a ban on the PFI after its Uttar Pradesh head, Wasim, and 16 other activists were arrested for allegedly "masterminding" the violence in the state capital during anti-CAA protests. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh police have arrested 25 members of the PFI from various districts in connection with the violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Lucknow and other criminal activities Praveen Kumar, IG (Law & Order), Uttar Pradesh: 25 persons affiliated with Popular Front of India (PFI) have been arrested across the state, for their involvement in different criminal activities. pic.twitter.com/1ztLLpAvBX ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 1, 2020 Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had also said that the role of PFI is coming forward in violence and the home ministry will decide on an action against the organisation based on evidence The PFI in a statement published on its website slammed the BJP-led Centre for trying to "suppress protests by calling in violent". It further said: "In most of the states the police were respectful of people's democratic rights to dissent. Only in Yogi Adityanath ruled Uttar Pradesh, police brazenly turned protests into bloodbath and destruction." With inputs from agencies A driver has been caught allegedly carrying eight passengers - none of whom were wearing seatbelts - in his small car while three times over the legal blood alcohol limit. The man, 36, was stopped by police at 6pm as he drove down Cavendish Avenue, Renown Park, in north west Adelaide, on January 1. Officers were 'astounded' to have found nine people - and a small dog - in the small Peugeot hatchback allegedly without seat belts on. The passengers included a 15-year-old girl, an eight-year-old, a six-year-old, a two-year-old and a one-year-old boy. A 36-year-old Adelaide man has been accused of drink-driving with eight passengers in his Peugeot hatchback A 32-year-old woman was allegedly sitting on the floor in the back of the car and a 29-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man were also squashed into the car. The driver was breath tested and allegedly returned a positive reading three times over the legal limit. The 32-year-old woman and the 15-year-old girl allegedly began to protest and cause a disturbance and they were also arrested. Police took the driver to Holden Hill Police Station and he was breath tested again and he allegedly returned a reading of 0.140 - nearly three time more than the legal blood alcohol content of 0.05. Police immediately cancelled the man's licence for six months and the small Peugeot hatchback was impounded for 28 days after the man was issued with a defect notice. He will face court in the new year charged with drink-driving, not wearing a seat belt and not making sure his passengers were properly restrained. A 28-year-old woman from south west Sydney was allegedly caught with six children in her car - three of them were sitting on the floor on New Year's day The 15-year-old girl was issued with a youth caution and released. The incident comes after a 28-year-old woman from south-west Sydney was allegedly caught with six children in her car, three of them sitting on the floor. Police said the woman produced a South Australian learners license which had been cancelled and her registration was expired. 'The driver has been reported to Family & Community Services. Police are helping the family make other arrangements to transport the unrestrained children,' a post from Traffic and Highway Patrol NSW said. The woman was issued a Court Attendance Notice to appear at the Campbelltown Local Court for the licence offence and a number of infringement notices. The infringement notices total $1,718 and 18 demerit points. 2PM's Jun. K completed his mandatory military service on Wednesday after serving 20 months at a military base in Yang-gu County, Gangwon Province. / Captured from Jun. K's official Instagram account By Lee Min-young JYP's K-pop boy band 2PM's Kim Min-jun, better known as Jun. K, finished his military duty Wednesday and received a hearty welcome from fellow Thai 2PM member Nichkhun and fans. Jun. K joined the Army in May 2018 and served 20 months with a military band in Yang-gu County, Gangwon Province. He received commendations for his outstanding service. As soon as Jun. K was discharged, 2PM member Nichkhun went to meet him. Nichkhun posted on his Instagram account several photos and videos of the two celebrating their reunion. Nichkhun posted on Instagram photos and videos showing him with Jun. K, who was discharged from the military on Wednesday. / Captured from Nichkhun's Instagram account Through his Instagram story, Jun. K also thanked fans for coming out to meet him despite the cold weather. / Captured from Jun. K's official Instagram account A teen who was left homeless when his mother fled an abusive home has told how he 'pinches himself all the time' after becoming head boy of a 35,000 a year boarding school. Julian Andre ,17, from Roehampton, London was given the chance to attend the prestigious Kingham Hill School in the Cotswolds, thanks to charity Buttle UK - who alongside Oxfordshire county council - provided a grant for his school fees. The student, who is in the last year of his A-Levels and hopes to attend Oxford University before becoming a barrister, appeared on This Morning today, where he told of the 'tough' relationship with his biological parents. Julian also explained that there was a 'big culture shock' when he first joined the school, and admitted at first he was 'angered' by how privileged some of his fellow students were. Scroll down for video Julian Andre (pictured), from Roehampton , London appeared on This Morning to tell of how he went from homeless to the head boy of a 35,000 a year boarding school He appeared with Joe Howes (right), the head of charity Buttle UK, who partially funded his school fees alongside the local council Speaking of his placement at the school, Andre said: 'Pinching myself all the time.' 'It started off at home, with both biological parents the relationship was tough. It had always been tough, but for reasons to do with abuse. 'My mum decided to leave, but because we had no real support it rendered us homeless. [We were] on the streets at some points, but mostly it was hostels or sofa surfing, it was complete chaos.' When quizzed on the effect this had on his education, he confessed: 'Because we were bouncing around, schooling was tough. 'I wasn't in consistent primary school education until quite late'. Julian is in the last year of his A-Levels and hopes to attend Oxford University before becoming a barrister It was after charity Buttle UK, who provide grants and support to vulnerable children, spotted his potential that he was able to attend the distinguished school. Although Julian admitted it was 'very tough' initially, to adapt to his surroundings, he says that it was his peers that gave him 'the edge and the drive' he needed to thrive. He said: 'Initially it was very tough, but it was not in the way you may think . 'I think the idea is that you go to a place where many people are much more fortunate and you're immediately alienated. 'There's a big culture shock and that was the big thing I was taken by, but you learn to bring the two worlds together and it gives you the edge and the drive that I have.' When asked about whether he ever felt frustrated by the wealth of his peers, he said: 'Yeah it's true, there's points where you can feel quite angry because they have so much. 'As a kid you don't understand the world around you and these kids just assumed it to be the norm - but I knew wasn't the norm.' Julian explained that there was a 'big culture shock' when he first joined the school but says he is 'always pinching himself' He told that it was his uncle who convinced him to stick it out, because he didn't initially appreciate what a 'good opportunity' the school place was. 'For the first year I still didn't want to be there, I genuinely didn't want to go. 'My uncle in particular was pushing that it was such a good opportunity - but I just didn't understand what a good opportunity for the future it is.' Julian told that he dreams of starting a family and 'planting a church' once he leaves university. Telling his three 'main dreams', he said: 'The first one is getting into Oxford and the second one is to start a family and the third one is to plant a church.' Recent reports of promoter family members having to step down from key roles in their firms over new governance norms may not be one-off. In fact, they may become more common. Around 247 of Indias top-500 companies by market cap are yet to take a call on creating independent roles for chairman and managing director, even as the deadline for doing so is only around 90 days away. Around 253 firms have complied, shows the data as of December 10 from nseinfobase.com. Non-compliant companies with the same person in the role include blue-chips like RIL, HUL, and ITC. Compliant firms include ... Donald Trump is expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, later this month after missing last year's event. And he'll bring Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump with him. The president is expected to be a part of the American delegation at the annual gathering of the wealthy and elite, which will take place from January 20 to 24. President Trump is expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos later this month; he missed 2019 but delivered a speech to the 2018 gathering (above) Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are attending the Davos event Four Cabinet secretaries - Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao - will be part of the U.S. delegation, according to a White House press release. They'll be joined by Kushner and Ivanka Trump, who serve as counselors to the president. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Deputy Chief of Staff Christopher Liddell are also attending. Trump's expected attendance is in mark contrast to the position of other world leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Not only is Johnson skipping the forum, he's banned any of his ministers from going in a show of support for the working class voters who returned him to No. 10 Downing Street. 'Our focus is on delivering for the people, not champagne with billionaires,' a U.K. official said last month. The United Kingdom is scheduled to exit the European Union on January 31. Boris Johnson has banned ministers from attending the Davos summit - insisting they should be busy 'delivering' rather than sipping 'champagne with billionaires' The World Economic Forum has come under fire for being a gathering place for the out of touch global elite - Prince William (left) attended last year and Bono (right) is a regular It's the 50th anniversary of the gathering, which brings together some 3,000 business leaders, international political leaders, economists, celebrities and journalists to discuss world issues. It takes place in the opulent and luxurious surroundings of the Swiss ski resort. The agenda includes a diverse range of topics, including the future of energy, climate change, and gender parity. This year's theme is 'Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.' The forum has come under fire for a being a gathering of global elites who are out of touch with the real world and a place for the wealthy to party with each other during the global networking event. Regulars at the forum include Bono, Angelina Jolie, Matt Damon, and Charlize Theron. Prince William attended last year's event. Former White House counselor Steve Bannon began the push back against the forum in 2014, when he said the working men and women in the world were 'tired of being dictated to by what we call the party of Davos.' Last year Foreign Policy magazine dubbed the World Economic Forum a gathering 'of the very rich, the very powerful, and the very clueless.' It's unclear who President Trump will meet during his time there and what kind of sessions he will attend. Last year the president canceled his scheduled trip two weeks before he was due to leave because of the government shutdown taking place at the time. He also canceled the entire U.S. delegation from attending. 'Because of the Democrats intransigence on Border Security and the great importance of Safety for our Nation, I am respectfully cancelling my very important trip to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum,' he wrote on Twitter. 'My warmest regards and apologies to the @WEF!' Trump attended in 2018. Johnson is not the only world leader kipping this year's gathering. Chinese President Xi Jinping is not planning to attend this year, according to the South China Morning Post. He also missed last year's event. Xi's absence means there will be no sit down with him and President Trump. The U.S. and China are on the verge of wrapping up their trade war. President Trump said this week a trade deal with be signed January 15 at the White House. President Xi will not be in attendance for that either but 'high-level' Chinese officials will be present. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao will all attend the Davos forum World leaders shunned last year's meeting amid various domestic political crisis. Then-British PM Theresa May was dealing with trying to negotiate a Brexit deal; French President Emmanuel Macron was dealing with the 'yellow vest' economic protests; and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau skipped after coming under fire for the cost of attending the 2018 gathering. More than a dozen drivers were shot at in three different counties while traveling along two major highways in Central Florida and deputies are searching for the ones responsible. It happened on New Years Day. The victims were traveling eastbound on Interstate 4 and northbound on Interstate 95 when they were shot at by a passing vehicle, according to the Volusia County Sheriffs Office. Deputies say the calls came in shortly before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The first shootings happened along I-4 in Seminole County, WFTV reports. Then calls came in east to I-95 and north to the Flagler County line. Audio recordings of the first 911 calls about the shooting were released Thursday. Most of the shootings happened in Volusia County, according to Miami Herald news partner CBS4. One of the first callers said he was driving eastbound on I-4 toward Deltona with his daughters when a brown pickup truck with tinted windows pulled up alongside him and someone inside began shooting. The truck then took off. Most of the vehicles side and rear windows were damaged, along with some minor body damage, said a spokesman for the sheriffs office. And nothing happened prior to the shooting? Did they try to say anything was there road rage or anything like that? the dispatcher asked. No, the man said. His 2018 blue Toyota Camry has three bullet holes, he told dispatch. It wasnt long before the second call came in. A woman told dispatch the driver side windows of her red van exploded while she was driving on I-4 towards Palm Coast in Flagler County. It was dark and the next thing I knew there was glass shattering all over my face, she said. She was near the exit to Orange City, which is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach metropolitan area. Another vehicle said they heard a large bang and their whole back window shattered, said a Florida Highway Patrol dispatcher who was looped into the call. Oh my God, so it wasnt just me, the woman said. More than a dozen drivers were shot at while traveling along two major highways in Central Florida. Within a few hours Thursday, the sheriffs office had increased the amount of damaged vehicles from 12 to 15. Reports have continued to come in this morning, the sheriffs office said in an email. Story continues Some of the damaged vehicles were found by Deltona, DeLand and Daytona Beach on I-95 north in the Ormond area, according to the sheriffs office. Some were shot multiple times. At least eight of them were shot at in the eastbound lanes of I-4. One caller said his vehicle was shot on I-95 near Daytona Beach International Airport. No one was injured. Deputies believe the shooter or shooters used a BB or pellet gun. Witnesses descriptions of the suspect vehicle varied, according to the sheriffs office. Based on the preliminary investigation, deputies believe the shooter or shooters used a BB or pellet gun. Most of the vehicles side and rear windows were damaged, along with some minor body damage, said a spokesman for the sheriffs office. Witness accounts vary, including the suspect vehicle description, the sheriffs office wrote on Facebook. We will continue working with our partners in DeLand and Daytona and provide updates in the future as theyre available. The Florida Highway Patrols Jacksonville division is also investigating the shootings. Anyone with information about the incidents in Volusia County is asked to call Detective Pullin at 386-860-7030, or call the sheriffs office non-emergency line at 386-248-1777. An armed 37-year-old Kentucky man who barricaded himself in a room at the Hampton Inn in West Bloomfield, Michigan, surrendered to police Wednesday morning after a nearly eight-hour standoff, reports the Detroit Free Press, which is a part of the USA TODAY Network. The man, who possessed a handgun and is suspected of domestic assault, peacefully surrendered to officers at about 10 a.m., said Curt Lawson, deputy chief for West Bloomfield Township Police Department. Some hotel guests were evacuated during the standoff to a nearby hotel. Police arrived at the Hampton Inn, 33096 Northwestern Highway, following a 911 call at about 2 a.m. from a guest who reported hearing a woman screaming. A short time later, the woman was seen running through the hotel naked. Police is investigating a gunman man barricaded inside the Hampton Inn in West Bloomfield Township, Wednesday, Jan.1, 2020. The woman, who is 35 and the suspect's wife, was taken to a hospital, Lawson said. No details about her condition were available. The man barricaded himself in the second-floor hotel room, and officers called in the department's crisis negotiations team. Hours later, the negotiators succeeded in convincing the man to surrender, Lawson said. The team did an absolutely great job taking their time, getting a rapport with him," the deputy chief said. "We've learned in law enforcement that time is on our side, so we dont want to rush anything; we certainly dont want to rush into that room if the subject does have a handgun. "Our crisis negotiation team has a lot of training on how to build that relationship. And that relationship, after a period of several hours, caused him to come out, safely in custody," he said. Lawson said the suspect faces, at a minimum, possible domestic assault charges. Curt Lawson, deputy chief of West Bloomfield Police Department, speaks with news reporters after the suspect's surrender. Police is investigating a gunman man barricaded inside the Hampton Inn in West Bloomfield Township, Wednesday, Jan.1, 2020. The husband and wife were visiting West Bloomfield for a holiday party, and both were intoxicated at the time of their dispute, the deputy chief said. Hotel guests on the second floor were evacuated and escorted by officers to the lobby of a neighboring hotel, Home2 Suites by Hilton. Hotel guests on other floors were alerted to the situation, he said. Story continues Have you seen this? Black guest sues Marriott after she says she was singled out with 'no party' promise Good to know: Going to Amsterdam? Now it will cost you more to stay This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gunman at Michigan hotel surrenders to police, hotel guests evacuated About Me Gerald D. Boyd On Wine Anacortes, Washington, United States I have been actively writing about wine and spirits since the late 1960s and have traveled extensively to all of the major wine regions in the world. My byline has appeared in various newspapers including the Rocky Mountain News, San Francisco Chronicle and Santa Rosa Press Democrat. I was editor of the Wine Spectator in the early years, editor of Wine & Spirits Buying Guide (later renamed Wine & Spirits Magazine) and have contributed to various other national and international magazines. I have been a professional wine judge since 1968, serving on panels at major wine competitions in the United States, Australia, Belgium, Italy, South Africa and China. And I was an adjunct wine instructor in the Wine Studies program, Santa Rosa Junior College, California for 12 years. View my complete profile Popular Posts The Red Wines of Oregon It could be said that Oregon's reputation for world-beating Pinot Noir owes its success to the dissatisfaction of a small group of Calif... My Life in Wine Episode 11 "The traveled mind is the catholic mind educated from exclusiveness and egotism." Amos Alcott, American teacher and philosopher ... Wine's Turning Point Tracing the history of modern wine making in the United States is difficult, mostly because the definition of ... New Delhi [India], Jan 2 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said the Indian government has put all "resources on the ground to ensure early extradition" of fugitive economic offenders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. "The case of Nirav Modi is under litigation that is being heard at Westminster Magistrates Court in London. We are putting all resources on the ground to ensure early extradition of Nirav Modi to India," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in his weekly briefing. Nirav Modi, who is facing extradition to India in the Rs 13,700 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, will appear at a UK court via the video link today. He was declared a fugitive economic offender under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act on December 5, 2019. The order on the confiscation of his properties is yet to be issued. "We'll have to see what happens in the video link hearing," Kumar told the reporters. "We have also requested the Antigua and Barbuda government that if they can expedite the legal proceedings so that the process of extradition of Mehul Choksi to India can start," the spokesperson added. Modi is currently lodged at Wandsworth prison in south-west London and is wanted for his alleged role in the Rs 13,570 crore loss caused to the bank along with his uncle, Mehul Choksi. Modi, 48, was arrested in March this year by the Scotland Yard in connection with the case. He did not return to India despite repeated summons from Indian probe agencies and courts. India is seeking his extradition to make him face the law of the land for allegedly committing economic offences. (ANI) Turkey has voted to send troops to Libya as part of a security deal with the UN-brokered authority in Tripoli inaugurating a new era of tensions in the eastern Mediterranean. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, said he would consider deploying the troops only at the request of the UN-backed government, led by Fayez Serraj. Insiders have already suggested that Mr Serraj will end up asking for up to 2,000 Turkish soldiers to defend the capital against the forces of renegade officer Khalifa Haftar and his foreign backers. The controversial measure to send troops was passed in Turkey's parliament on Thursday by 325 to 184 votes, with opposition lawmakers voting against it. Turkey has already reportedly recruited and deployed scores of Syrian fighters to Libya to bolster forces defending the capital, Tripoli. That has elicited protests from Mr Haftars backers, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, the latter of which organised an emergency summit of the Arab League this week to discuss Libya. The security and maritime pacts between Libya and Turkey have also provoked Greece and Cyprus, which are nervous about Turkish expansion across the Mediterranean. Both have begun conferring with Cairo and lining up with Haftars backers, which include France and Russia. Greek foreign minister Nikolaos Dendias travelled to eastern Libya late last month to meet Mr Haftar. Meanwhile Libyas neighbour Algeria and its former colonial overlord Italy, loosely backing the government in Tripoli, appear more sanguine about the impending Turkish intervention. Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 Show all 9 1 /9 Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 Migrants carry the remains of their belongings from among rubble at a detention centre for African migrants that was hit by an airstrike in the Tajoura suburb of Libyan capital Tripoli on July 2 Reuters Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 Security and emergency responders work at the site of an airstrike that hit a detention centre for African migrants near Tripoli, Libya on June 2 Reuters Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 Security and emergency responders work at the site of an airstrike that hit a detention centre for African migrants near Tripoli, Libya on June 2 Reuters Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 The point of impact of a bomb that was dropped on a detention centre for African migrants near Tripoli, Libya on June 2 AFP/Getty Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 Blood stains are seen among debris following an airstrike that hit a detention centre for African migrants near Tripoli, Libya on June 2 Reuters Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 A woman picks up clothes among rubble at a detention centre for African migrants that was hit by an airstrike in the Tajoura suburb of Libyan capital Tripoli on July 2 Reuters Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 Migrants gather outside following an airstrike on the detention centre in the Tajoura suburb of Libyan capital Tripoli on July 2 AFP/Getty Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 A man carries his belongings from among rubble at a detention centre for African migrants that was hit by an airstrike in the Tajoura suburb of Libyan capital Tripoli on July 2 Reuters Libya airstrike: Migrant detention centre hit in airstrike, killing 60 Migrants sit together with their remaining belongings in the yard of the detention centre that was hit by an airstrike in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on July 2 Reuters At stake is the future of Libya, now in the grips of a nine-month civil conflict pitting forces loyal to Mr Haftar against the authority in Tripoli, which is called the Government of National Accord. But the entrance of Turkey as a player in Libya, with their maritime and security deals, has accelerated a scramble to exploit potentially hundreds of billions of dollars worth of underwater fossil fuel reserves claimed by the nations of the eastern Mediterranean. Greece and Cyprus worry the deals delineate maritime borders that Ankara could cite to explore oil and gas in the area. The deals have brought about gains of great strategic importance for our country, Mr Erdogan said in a New Years Eve speech. The projects aimed at entirely excluding Turkey from the Mediterranean have thus been wholly thwarted with our recent steps. Turkey has already sent military drones and armoured vehicles to its Libyan allies, while the UAE and Egypt continue funneling weapons to Mr Haftar, according to a United Nations report. Such actions are in violation of a UN arms embargo. Recommended Trump will come last in the Mediterranean gas race over Libya Experts say Turkey has long sought the maritime expansion deal, which gives it the ability to project its power across the sea and puts pressure on Greece to reopen long-dormant talks on control over disputed Aegean Sea islands and waterways. The gas and oil is the bonus, said Yusuf Erim, an analyst at TRT World, Turkeys public broadcaster. Number one is the national security advantages of being able to open up into the eastern Mediterranean. Authorities in Tripoli initially refused to sign the deal, worried it would alienate potential allies in Europe, but gave in to Ankaras request in November as Mr Haftars forces crept up on the capital. They self-immolated themselves from a diplomatic perspective to save themselves militarily, said Jalel Harchaoui, a north Africa specialist at the Clingendael Institute, a Dutch think tank. The deal gives Turkey a far greater stake in the events unfolding in Libya, which has strong historical ties to Anatolia. Fresh Turkish assistance to Libya could include anti-aircraft weaponry and jamming equipment to stop UAE-supplied combat and surveillance drones. The priority is to help avoid the collapse of the GNA government in Tripoli, said Mr Harchaoui. It is about making sure the GNA doesnt get toppled by Haftar and the UAE. Viral video of Libyan man speaking out against war forces him to flee into exile Open support for the Libyan government would also mark an escalatory challenge to the UAE, Russia and Egypt, which are providing arms and fighters to Haftar, raising the stakes in any bid to take over western Libya. Erdogan realised the clandestine space was overcrowded, said Mr Harchaoui. He thought he would get first-movers advantage by invading the official space. Mr Erim acknowledged that any dispatch of Turkish troops to north Africa would test the limits of the armed forces. Some Turkish voices have opposed the deal, which follows foreign military deployments to Syria and Qatar. Turkey will end up facing General Haftar, France and Egypt, said a commentary in the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper. Saudi Arabia is also playing a role behind the scenes, and there is no doubt that Russia is there as the biggest power. This is a very dangerous process. Oil settled above $61 a barrel after posting its biggest annual gain in three years amid elevated tensions in the Middle East and signs that U.S. crude stockpiles fell further. Futures in New York rose Thursday but are set to post the first weekly decline in five weeks. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday that the U.S. was prepared to deploy more troops to Iraq. An Iran-backed Iraqi militia withdrew from the U.S. embassy in Baghdad after storming the compound to protest deadly American airstrikes earlier this week. Meanwhile the American Petroleum Institute reported crude inventories fell 7.8 million barrels last week, according to Reuters. If confirmed by the weekly U.S. government data due Friday, it would be the largest drop since August. There were other bullish signs for crude with the 50-day moving average for West Texas Intermediate rising above the 200-day marker. Oil had a strong end last year after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies agreed to deepen output cuts, and a breakthrough in the U.S.-China trade dispute. President Donald Trump said he will sign the first phase of a deal on Jan. 15 and later go to Beijing to begin talks on a second stage. EARLIER: Oil caps strongest year since 2016 on OPEC cuts, trade truce The market is now waiting for signs that the deal between the U.S. and China is actually working, said Gene McGillian, manager for market research at Tradition Energy. We need to see real signs of economic growth. Traders are also watching for indications that OPEC+ production cuts are actually tightening supply, and not being offset by the rising supply from non-OPEC producers such as Norway, Guyana and Brazil, McGillian added. WTI for February delivery settled up 12 cents to $61.18 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract lost 62 cents on Tuesday but still ended the year 34% higher. Brent for March settlement rose 25 cents to $66.25 a barrel on Londons ICE Futures Europe exchange, and traded at a $5.30 premium to the WTI for the same month. Crude stockpiles at the storage hub of Cushing, Oklahoma, dropped by 1.4 million last week, Reuters reported, citing API data. The countrywide data compares with a 3 million-barrel decline forecast in a Bloomberg survey. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. You may remember Chang Cheng for his teasers while he was serving as Lenovo VP of the mobile division. He recently retired from the company, but in a somewhat surprising move today revealed he is joining Xiaomi. The Xiaomi co-founder Lin Bin posted an image on Weibo, sitting alongside fellow co-founders and the new acquisition to the team. The post was promptly reposted by Cheng with the words Work hard for your dreams. Chang Cheng, second left, sitting alongside De Liu, Lei Jun, Lin Bin, co-founders of Xiaomi Chang Cheng is most famous with being president of the ZUK division of smartphones that impressed with its low prices and stock-looking UI. The sub-brand eventually folded, but the UI made its way to the Lenovo smartphones, including the flagship Lenovo Z6 Pro that eventually went global. The senior executive is yet to reveal his role at the Xiaomi team, but back at Lenovo he was behind the first Yoga tablet, the Lenovo K900 smartphone, the Lenovo Z5 and Lenovo Z6 devices. We are waiting to see whether he will head a new spin-off/sub-brand or will be part of an existing team like Redmi, Black Shark or MIUI. In a company statement, Lei Jun said that Chang has a deep understanding of the industry and rich operating experience in the field of consumer electronics. He is expected to provide stronger support for the mobile phone business, whatever that means. Source (in Chinese) | Via New Delhi: Aarti, who lives in the Hindu refugee camp at Majnu ka Tila, went to meet North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Avtar Singh with Aarti and Ishwar. At the same time, he also cherished Aarti and the daughter. During this time, the Mayor also congratulated the people living in the camp for the new year. It also said that this new year has brought a new dawn for Hindu refugees. Under the new law, people living in this camp have become entitled to citizenship. Offensive mention of India in Nepal parliament, debate on bill continues At the same time, when he was asked about this, he said that during the meeting, the mother of Nagrikta wants to meet PM Narendra Modi and thank him for enacting the new citizenship amendment law. It is worth mentioning that the daughter was born on 24 November. This girl, born during the ongoing protests in the country over the Citizenship Amendment Act, has been named Nagrikta. AE's Crown Prince will be visiting Pakistan, will discuss these issues with Imran BJP raised the problem of refugees in the Human Rights Commission: It was noted that the BJP has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of human rights violations. The party said that electricity and other basic facilities are not being provided to the Hindu refugees of Pakistan. A delegation of BJP leaders led by Shyam Jaju, in-charge of Delhi Pradesh BJP, reached the Human Rights Office on Wednesday. Earlier, BJP leaders visited the refugee camps at Majnu ka Tila and Signature Bridge. Electrical connections were provided to the nearby temple at the Signature Bridge camp. Now the connections have been cut. In the same way, electricity was being provided from the generator in the camp located at Majnu's Tila, now the generator has also been removed. He has asked the Human Rights Commission to send a team to the refugee camps. BJP leaders Amit Khadkhari, Mahesh Verma were also present on the occasion. Taliban militants attack on highway police post, 8 soldiers killed CHANNAHON TOWNSHIP A former employee at a Chicago-area vegetable oil producing company faces theft and forgery charges in the suspected theft of more than $597,000 through an expense reporting scheme. The woman was arrested Monday, according to the Will County sheriffs office. It was not clear Tuesday if she had been arraigned. She worked about three years as an executive assistant at the Bunge North America Loders Croklaan manufacturing facility in Channahon Township, about 50 miles southwest of Chicago. Airline tickets and hotel rooms were purchased online for employees, authorities said. Confirmations for the purchases were printed, but the reservations later were cancelled. Expense reports were created and filed. Reimbursement checks subsequently were issued to the woman. At least 30 trips were purchased between March 1 and Dec. 27, 2018 and cancelled the same day. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 08:55:04|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close GUIYANG, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Guizhou Province has launched a scientific podcast to raise people's awareness of the protection of endangered species. Located on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the province boasts varied terrain and a changeable climate, leading a diverse array of species to call the area home. The province ranks fourth in China in terms of biodiversity. At present, there are 1,053 known species of vertebrates and 8,612 species of vascular plants, according to the provincial department of ecology and environment. The 100 representative species selected in the podcast are related to the specific natural environment in Guizhou. Some of them are being threatened, and some are peculiar with profound scientific significance. Zheng Hongyi, an official with the department, said the podcast tells people vivid stories about diverse local species. The podcast is available for free download. Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, (APC- Nasarawa), on Wednesday, said President Muhammadu Buhari needs Nigerians prayers. He said this was to... Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, (APC- Nasarawa), on Wednesday, said President Muhammadu Buhari needs Nigerians prayers. He said this was to enable his administration surmount social, security and economic challenges facing the country in 2020. Adamu, a two-term governor of Nasarawa State, made the call in a statement in Lafia on Wednesday. According to him, the country is currently passing through some many challenges ranging from social, security and economic disharmony. The President had shown commitment in the last five years and is more determined to address these and other issues of national development. All Nigerians including some of us in leadership positions should support the President as he work towards correcting the wrongs of the past and setting the country on the path of sustainable development, he said. Rio De Janeiro, Jan 2 : Former Real Madrid midfielder Lucas Silva has joined Gremio as a free agent in his attempts to jump-start his stalled career. The 26-year-old signed a four-year deal with the Brazilian Serie A club on Wednesday, almost four months after parting ways with Real Madrid by mutual consent, reports Xinhua news agency. "It makes me very proud and gives me enormous satisfaction to accept this challenge," Silva said in a social media post. "I'm thankful for the faith shown in me and let there be no doubt that I'm going to give everything I've got for Gremio." Silva rose to prominence by helping Cruzeiro win back-to-back Brazilian Serie A titles in 2013 and 2014. He was signed by Real Madrid in January 2015, but made only eight appearances for Los Blancos before being loaned out to Marseille. The Brazilian was due to move to Sporting Lisbon in July 2016, but a deal fell through when a routine medical exam detected a heart problem. After more than six months on the sidelines and having been cleared of any serious health concerns, he rejoined Cruzeiro on loan and helped the club win consecutive Copa do Brasil titles in 2017 and 2018. Silva is Gremio's second signing of the Brazilian summer to date. The Porto Alegre club last month secured right-back Victor Ferraz on a two-year deal from Santos. Silva will join the core group on January 8. On Dec. 20, Itamar Ben-Gvirs phone rang. On the line was a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who congratulated the chairman of Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) on his agreement with HaBayit HaYehudi Chair Rafi Peretz. The agreement, signed that morning, determined that the two parties would run on a joint list in the next election and that Ben-Gvir would be ranked third on the list. Other representatives of Otzma Yehudit would be placed in the sixth and ninth places. According to the agreement, Ben-Gvir and Peretz are also keeping spots on their list for representatives of the National Union party headed by Bezalel Smotrich for whom the second spot is being held even though he has not agreed at this stage to join the united list. Peretz and Ben-Gvir also agreed, verbally, that representatives of Otzma Yehudit would receive chairmanships of Knesset committees if their parties would be part of the coalition. The phone call between the Netanyahu associate and Ben-Gvir attests to the keen interest the prime minister has in alliances on the religious right. A senior Likud source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Al-Monitor that Netanyahu fears a repeat of the accident that happened to the right in the April 2019 election when Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shakeds New Right did not pass the vote threshold, falling 1,400 votes short. Moshe Feiglins Zehut party also lost the right two mandates, and these were six mandates total that could have brought the formation of a right-wing government headed by Netanyahu. According to the same source, the Likud has polls that show that two lists on the religious right the New Right and a joint list of HaBayit HaYehudi, National Union and Otzma Yehudit could together win 10 mandates. Along with the two ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and Yahadut HaTorah and the Likud there is a chance again for a right-wing government with at least 61 seats, without Yisrael Beitenus Avigdor Liberman. This is Netanyahus motivation to unite Otzma Yehudit, which ran alone in the September 2019 election and did not pass the vote threshold it received 83,000 votes that represent two mandates with HaBayit HaYehudi and the National Union. As mentioned, Smotrich right now refuses to join the list and demands a primary election among the religious Zionist public in order to determine the makeup of such a list. The estimate is that close to the date lists must be submitted to the Central Elections Committee, in mid-January, Smotrich would join the alliance. Netanyahu is working on it and acting to improve Smotrichs rank on the list. Netanyahus involvement in the affairs of the parties to the right of the Likud started with Aprils election. Then he pressed for an alliance between them and received much criticism, from the left and the right, for whitewashing Otzma Yehudit a racist party whose leaders are acolytes of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who as a Knesset member from the Kach party submitted in 1985 a bill to remove the citizenship of non-Jews. In 1988, Kach was disqualified from running in the election and in 1994 the government declared it a terror organization. Otzma Yehudit, which until 2015 operated under the name National Jewish Front, has struggled for many years to pass the vote threshold. In Aprils election it joined the union of right-wing parties, which won only five mandates. Before the election, the candidacy of its chairman, Michael Ben Ari, was disqualified because of his incitement to racism. His replacement, Ben-Gvir, who was ranked seventh on the list of the union of right-wing parties, did not win a seat in the Knesset. In Septembers election Otzma Yehudit ran alone, after the candidacies of two more of its leaders Baruch Marzel and Bentzi Gopstein were also disqualified, and it ended up not passing the vote threshold. Not disqualified, despite the demands of the left, was Ben-Gvir, who began his activism in the movement as a youth from a secular family, who wasnt born at a settlement or one of the strongholds of the extremist religious right. In the first years of his political activism he was arrested many times by the police and even documented implicitly threatening Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Later he studied law, "thanks" to Chief Justice Aharon Barak, as Ben-Gvir said in an interview in 2012, When I asked for the disqualification of a judge in one of the indictments against me, the matter was transferred to Chief Justice Aharon Barak, and it was he who told me: 'Mr. Ben-Gvir, why dont you study law?' I understood that continuing the former approach leaves us outside the camp when youre in the court talking with judges, lawyers and others, you develop friendships with people from 'the other side' and this impacts [them]. Ben-Gvir has long understood that in order to make an impact you must reach the place where decisions are being made, such as the Knesset, and so he strives to get there. Because of his family background he is seen as less threatening than his fellow leaders of Otzma Yehudit, despite his extremist views. In the same interview he explained, Im not from an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood or a settlement stronghold like Kiryat Arba. Im from a secular home in Mevaseret Zion, a mainstream Israeli town; I get Israeliness. They wrote about me that Im dangerous because I speak Israeli. Israeliness is impressed in me. Maybe because of this when people look into it, they discover that secular Israelis fear Bezalel Smotrich more than me. Ben-Gvir once said in another interview that if he found out his son was a homosexual, he would hug him and accept him. This is a moderate stance compared to that of Smotrichs circles. Ben-Gvir put a woman in the second spot on the Otzma Yehudit list for the 22nd Knesset following the September election Adva Biton, the mother of Adele, the girl who was murdered in a terrorist attack in the West Bank, and also included a secular candidate on the list. All this and the many interviews he has given in recent months without doubt he is one of the most interviewed politicians in Israel have helped Otzma Yehudit gain the perception of a legitimate party despite its racist extremist views. The party's platform calls for, among other things, Jewish settlement in all parts of the West Bank, imposing Israeli sovereignty over all West Bank territories, instilling Jewish law and removing Israels enemies from our land. Allegedly, the platform has become more moderate since Kahanes day at least on paper but it seems that it was merely polished legally in order to prevent the party from being disqualified. Would this be enough? Assuming that Smotrich would be convinced to join the list with Peretz and Ben-Gvir, it is likely that this list would pass the vote threshold and Ben-Gvir would become the first Kahane follower in years to be a Knesset member perhaps even a minister. By Online Desk Despite being under the scanner for its alleged involvement in violence during the anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh, the controversial Popular Front of India (PFI) has said that it will now hold a protest meet in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on January 5. The outfit has invited TMC MP from Murshidabad Abu Taher Khan to share the dais at the Berhampore event. A poster of the scheduled event mentions the TMC MP's name as an invitee along with the top PFI leadership. "We are organizing a protest on January 5 against the #CitizenshipAmendmentAct in Murshidabad. MP (TMC) Abu Taher Khan will also be a part of the protest," Hasibul Islam, a PFI leader, told ANI. However, Abu Taher Khan claimed that he had no knowledge of the invite. "If they have mentioned my name in their poster, I cannot do anything about it," he said. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) O P Singh sent a letter to the state home department seeking a ban on the PFI. The UP police have arrested as many as 23 PFI activists from various violence-hit areas. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that the role of Popular Front of India (PFI) is coming forward in violence and the Home Ministry will decide on an action against the organisation based on evidence. "PFI's role in violence is coming forward. The Home Ministry will decide on further action based on evidence. There are many allegations against them including connection with Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)," Prasad told reporters. The PFI was formed in 2006 in Kerala and it is said to be a 'recycled' organisation of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which was designated as a terrorist organisation and banned in 2001. A feared gang enforcer from Central City received a 40-year sentence in state court on Thursday, a month after a federal judge gave him an identical prison term. Washington Big Wash McCaskill, 38, a gunman for the 3NG gang who has admitted to a role in at least eight killings, received the sentence in exchange for his cooperation with prosecutors. He would have faced life in prison if convicted of murder. The bulky gangster wore a white jail uniform from the Plaquemines Parish jail and said little as Criminal District Court Judge Camille Buras handed down his term, which is to be served without an opportunity for early release. McCaskill, who also goes by "Dumplin," will serve his state and federal sentences at the same time in the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. None of McCaskills victims testified at his sentencing, but in his heyday he cut a bloody swath through New Orleans' streets. McCaskill testified at the trial of 3NG leader Kentrell Black Hickerson last year that he started carrying a gun at 11 or 12. McCaskill said he started selling drugs and graduated to murder to protect his groups turf at Third and South Galvez streets, in Central City. We demand respect. Either you roll with us, or you get rolled over, McCaskill said of his gang's philosophy. While other members of the group sold crack or heroin, McCaskill dedicated himself to killing. Along with other members of 3NG and the allied G Strip gang from Gallier Street in the Upper Ninth Ward, McCaskill targeted federal witnesses for money, rival gangsters for revenge or anyone else for his own protection. McCaskill has pleaded or testified to a hand in eight killings: The killing in the 1990s of a man named Carlton Rose. McCaskill was arrested for murder but beat the charge. The 2002 slaying of Alexis Slam Williams, a gang lord from the Calliope housing development. McCaskill said he served as a lookout for 3NG leader Hickerson and two other members. The murder, cheered by some residents, established Hickerson's fearsome position among Central City gangs. The fatal shooting in April 2011 of Floyd Moore, a member of a rival gang from the Calliope project, over the killing of one of McCaskills friends. A group of 3NG gunmen shot Moore 52 times. McCaskill said he served as a driver. The killing of Michael Marshall, a witness who was cooperating with the government in a heroin distribution case, in the Upper 9th Ward on Sept. 14, 2011. McCaskill said he committed the murder with another man for a promised $7,500 payment. The shooting of Lester Fat Man Allen outside a Central City bar 10 days later. The killing in November 2011 of Lester Foster, who 3NG members thought might try to retaliate against McCaskill for Allens killing. The December 2011 shooting of Charles "Buck" Anderson III, a friend and fellow 3NG member who it was thought might bring law enforcement heat on the group for his suspected role in killing a toddler, Keira Holmes, during a shooting in a courtyard of the B.W. Cooper housing development, formerly the Calliope. Anderson was known for his ride he was "Buck with the truck" and police were looking for that truck in connection with 2-year-old Keira's slaying. Friendship was cast aside by gang democracy, McCaskill testified at Hickerson's trial. There was a vote. "Everybody thought Buck was going to tell," he said. McCaskill is not done cooperating. He is expected to testify at a murder trial next month against Kendall Livingston, his alleged partner in Anderson's killing, which took place a day after Keira's murder. At an April hearing in that case, McCaskill implicated Livingston as a shooter and Anderson as the driver in the assault that left Keira dead. Livingston has not been charged in that killing, however. McCaskill also has testified that he served as a lookout when other members of the gang committed a revenge killing in the former Desire housing development. The frenetic killing spree came to an end with McCaskills arrest in March 2012. Along with fellow 3NG members Gregory "Rabbit" Stewart and Darryl "Brother" Franklin, McCaskill decided to turn states evidence. Unsealed records: 9th Ward drug gang members admit to roles in double-murder of bounce rapper Renatta Magnolia Shorty Lowe, Jerome Man-Man Hampton Two accused members of a 9th Ward drug gang have admitted to their roles in the double-murder of popular local bounce rapper Renatta Magnolia Under the terms of a joint plea agreement he signed with federal and state prosecutors, McCaskill was to be sentenced to the same term in state court that he received from U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey. Because Zainey sentenced McCaskill last month under seal closing the courtroom and concealing even the prison term Thursdays hearing in state court was the first time his 40-year sentence became public. McCaskills testimony helped take down Hickerson, the 3NG kingpin, at his state racketeering trial last year. He then returned to the witness stand in February for the federal trial of 10 members of the 39ers gang, the alliance between 3NG and the G-Strip. All of them were convicted. McCaskill also testified at the trial last year of notorious Central City cocaine kingpin Telly Hankton and three others. He has admitted, however, that he lied to the FBI when he told an agent that he had bought drugs from Kevin Jackson, a Hankton cousin. McCaskill's veracity came under more fire from defense attorneys after the 39ers trial. They asserted that the government had failed to turn over a letter from the gunman to a prosecutor that would have helped impeach McCaskill's testimony. It stated, Our federal case is all made up lies. Darryl Franklin and Rabbit lied about a lot of things. However, Zainey rejected the request for a new trial for the gang members, saying McCaskill already had come under heavy grilling about his truthfulness. Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) completed the acquisition of the robotic SI business mainly operated by JR Automation Technologies, LLC , from funds managed by Crestview Partners. The amount of the deal, announced on April 23, 2019, was $1.425 billion The new partnership will provide customers with a single-source vendor, combining JR Automations expertise in robotic systems integration with Hitachis deep skill sets in digital technology and IIoT solutions for manufacturing and distribution. Established in 1980 and led by CEO Bryan Jones, JR Automation is a provider of intelligent automated manufacturing technology solutions that solve customers key operational and productivity challenges. The company serves customers across the globe in a variety of industries, including automotive, life sciences, aerospace, and more. JR Automation employs over 2,000 people at 23 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Hitachi delivers digital solutions utilizing Lumada in five sectors including Mobility, Smart Life, Industry, Energy and IT. The company, which had consolidated revenues for fiscal 2018 (ended March 31, 2019), totaled 9,480.6 billion yen ($85.4 billion). It has approximately 296,000 employees worldwide. FinSMEs 02/01/2020 Photo: Roberto Vivancos/Pexels Here's what you need to know about what's happening in New York City. Man wounded in Hanukkah attack may have brain damage The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council released a statement from the family of Josef Neumann, 71, and a photograph showing severe head injuries. Read the full story on PBS NewsHour. An officer admitted making a racist threat. He still has a job. Michael J. Reynolds, a New York City police officer, landed in Nashville, TN, on a Sunday morning in July 2018, court records show. He and six other men, two of whom he later identified as New York City officers, were on what was supposed to be a three-night bachelor-party junket. Read the full story on Yahoo News. More people are dying on New York Citys streets. What went wrong? More cyclists were killed last year than in any year in two decades. Safety groups are calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to do more. Read the full story on The New York Times. Giuliani says hes prepared to do demonstrations at Trumps impeachment trial Rudy Giuliani is prepared to do more than just testify at President Trumps upcoming impeachment trial. The former New York City mayor made clear in comments to reporters on Tuesday night that hes ready to pull out all the stops to defend his clientand that apparently includes giving lectures" and doing "demonstrations." Read the full story on Yahoo News. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. An Iranian-backed militia has vowed to exact revenge for the "aggression of evil American ravens". The announcement in Baghdad came a day after US defence secretary Mark Esper said Washington had carried out military strikes targeting the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia blamed for a rocket attack that killed an American contractor in Iraq last week. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the strikes send the message that the US will not tolerate actions by Iran that jeopardise American lives. The US military said "precision defensive strikes" were conducted against five sites of Kataeb Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq and Syria. "Our battle with America and its mercenaries is now open to all possibilities," Kataeb Hezbollah said in a statement. "We have no alternative today other than confrontation, and there is nothing that will prevent us from responding to this crime." The US blames the militia for a rocket barrage that killed a US defence contractor at a military compound near Kirkuk, in northern Iraq. Officials said as many as 30 rockets were fired in that attack. Iraq's Hezbollah Brigades, a separate force from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, operates under the umbrella of the state-sanctioned militias known collectively as the Popular Mobilisation Forces. Many of them are supported by Iran. The Popular Mobilisation Forces said the US strikes killed at least 19 of Kataeb Hezbollah's members. But Kataeb Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Mohieh told reporters that the death toll rose to 25. At least 51 militiamen were wounded and some of them were in serious condition, he said, adding that the militia group's commanders would decide on the retaliation. In Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi condemned the US strikes against Kataeb Hezbollah as an "obvious case of terrorism" and accused Washington of ignoring Iraq's sovereignty. Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah also blasted the "brutal American aggression", saying those who took the decision to carry out the attack "will soon discover how stupid this criminal decision was". Kataeb Hezbollah is led by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, one of Iraq's most powerful men. He once battled US troops and is now the deputy head of the Popular Mobilisation Forces. In 2009, the State Department linked him to the elite Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, designated a foreign terrorist organisation by US President Donald Trump last year. The US maintains some 5,000 troops in Iraq, at the invitation of the Iraqi government, to assist and train in the fight against Isil. : Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday said the resolution passed by the state assembly demanding scrapping of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has absolutely no constitutional or legal validity. "This resolution has absolutely no constitutional or legal validity. Citizenship comes exclusively in the domain of the Central list. The state government has no role. So, why these people engaged in something which is a non-issue for Kerala?" he asked. Pointing out that the southern state had not been affected by partition, the Governor said there are no illegal immigrants in Kerala. The Governor also criticised the just concluded Indian History Congress, held in Kannur, where protests had been raised against him for his remarks on the CAA. Khan said the History Congress has claimed that it has made some recommendations to the state government, including not to cooperate with the Centre. The recommendations are "totally illegal" and have "criminal content", he said. Coming out against the Governor's comments, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the state assembly has the power to pass the resolution. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had criticised the Left government for passing the resolution and had said Vijayan should seek "better legal advice." Prasad had also said it is only "Parliament which has got the powers to pass any law with regard to citizenship; not any assembly, including the Kerala Assembly." However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Wednesday rejected BJP's criticism against it, saying the state assemblies have their own privileges. The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed the resolution becoming the first in the country to do so. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement Rep. Tulsi Gabbard became the first presidential candidate ever to surf off the coast of New Hampshire, taking to the waves on New Year's Day. Gabbard, a congresswoman from Hawaii vying for the Democratic nomination, donned a so-called 'winter wetsuit' and plunged into waters chillier than 40 degrees. 'There is absolutely no better way to start the day and to start the year,' the longtime surfer said after catching some waves on the Granite State's Hampton Beach. 'Highly recommend it. If we could go surfing every day and bring everybody out, that'd be awesome.' Hours later her campaign said she had raised $3.4 million in the last three months of 2019, her largest total so far but far behind the $34.5 million raised by Bernie Sanders in the same period. Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard became the first hopeful to ever surf on a New Hampshire beach, taking to the waves on New Year's Day 2020 hopeful Tulsi Gabbard is seen surfing on New Year's Day in New Hampshire, the first state to hold a presidential primary Presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard (right) went surfing in water under 40 degrees on New Year's Day, becoming the first candidate to ever surf at a New Hampshire beach Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (left) talks with locals after surfing on New Year's Day in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New Hampshire, which hosts the nation's first presidential primary on February 11 Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (right), one of the 14 Democrats running for president, takes a selfie on the beach in New Hampshire after surfing on New Year's Day Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (right) holds onto her surfboard as a supporter with a Tulsi Gabbard sign (left) stands alongside her WHAT THE 2020 DEMS RAISED AT THE END OF 2019 Bernie Sanders: $34.5 million Pete Buttigieg: $24.7 million Joe Biden: $22.7 million Elizabeth Warren: $21.2 million Andrew Yang: $16.5 million Amy Klobuchar: $11.4 million Tulsi Gabbard: $3.4 million AND FOR COMPARISON Donald Trump: $46 million Advertisement A number of supporters with signs gathered on the beach around Gabbard, who is one of now 14 Democrats running for the nomination, with former HUD Director Julian Castro announcing he was suspending his campaign Thursday. A day before, on New Year's Eve, she also tested out the New Hampshire waters, taking a dip in the Atlantic Ocean - then 45 degrees - alongside UFC fighter Chuck Rosa, who lost two sons to the opioid crisis. The opioid epidemic has hit New Hampshire particularly hard. Gabbard has taken an unusual approach in seeking the nomination. As of late, she's been laser-focused on New Hampshire, which hosts the nation's first primary on February 11, after the Iowa caucuses on February 3. She said even if she qualified for the December debate she planned to campaign in New Hampshire instead. Gabbard has also tried to find crossover voters, appearing frequently on Fox News Channel as a way to get her message out. Most Democrats have avoided the right-leaning channel. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of the four at the top of the Democratic crop, has outright refused to appear on Fox News. A day before, Tulsi Gabbard (right) went for a dip in the Atlantic Ocean with UFC fighter Chuck Rosa (left) to spread awareness about the opioid epidemic Tulsi Gabbard (right) gives Chuck Rosa (left) a hug after they went on a New Year's Eve swim in the Atlantic Ocean off the New Hampshire coast Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard (right) is seen swimming in the Atlantic Ocean with UFC fighter Chuck Rosa (left) on New Year's Day to spread awareness about opioids. Rosa lost two sons to the drug crisis She's also decided not to run, again, for her Congressional seat, putting all of her focus on her presidential bid. But even before her 2020 bid, Gabbard has been a bit of a political mystery. She famously resigned from the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 cycle to actively campaign for Sen. Bernie Sanders, the more progressive choice against mainstream Democrat Hillary Clinton. But she then met with President-elect Trump in days following his upset victory. Another meeting, that with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, in early 2017 has been a controversy that's followed her to the Democratic debate stage. She and then-candidate Sen. Kamala Harris tussled over the meeting, which Gabbard has characterized as a fact-finding exploration to better understand the conflict in Syria. 'I will never apologize for doing all that I can to prevent more of my brothers and sisters from being sent into harm's way, to fight counter-productive regime-change wars that make our country less safe, that take more lives, and that cost taxpayers trillions more dollars,' Gabbard argued during the Democratic debate in July. 'So if that means meeting with a dictator, or meeting with an adversary, absolutely. I would do it. This is about the national security of our country.' This is an area where Gabbard's rhetoric matches Trump's, who's talked about pulling the U.S. out of endless entanglements in the Middle East. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.2 By Anastasia Savchenko - Trend: Power plants in Azerbaijan generated 21.9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from January through November 2019, which is 4.2 percent more than in the same period of last year, Trend reports referring to the country's State Statistical Committee. The committee's report says that 21.1 billion kilowatt hours of the total electricity generated in the first 11 months of 2019 accounted for commercial consumption, which is 4.5 percent more compared to the same period of 2018. Of the total commercial electricity generated from January through November 2019, thermal power plants (TPPs) accounted for 19.5 billion kilowatt-hours, which is 5.6 percent more than in the same period of 2018. Azerbaijans hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) generated over 1.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity during the reporting period (decline of 10.3 percent). Some 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity were generated in Azerbaijan during the reporting period via wind power, which indicates an annual growth by two times, and 40.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity were generated from solar power which shows an annual growth of 9.4 percent. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @AnSav_2105 The California Consumer Privacy Act just got into effect last Jan. 1, and it looks like no one, even the California state itself, is completely ready. Draft regulations for the laws' enforcement are still under finalization at the state level, and questions on particular aspects of the most far-reaching privacy regulation since the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) remain unclear. In an article on The Verge, Reece Hirsch, co-head of the privacy and cybersecurity practice of Morgan Lewis, said, "If you thought GDPR was bumpy, the CCPA is going to be a real roller coaster." Additionally, Hirsch has also been advising its clients to adapt to this new regulation. This, she emphasized, "is a complex set of new rules, which are still a work in progress." Here's the bottom line of CCPA: If a company purchases or sells data "on at least 50,000 California residents every year, there is a need for it to disclose what the company is doing with the data." Residents, on the other hand, can request the firm not to sell it. Aside from requesting not to sell, consumers (the California residents) can also request firms bound by CCPA, to delete the personal data they gathered. More so, as reported by The Wall Street journal, websites that have "third-party tracking are supposed to add a 'Do Not Sell My Personal Information'" button that once clicked, prevents the site from sending information about the customer all third parties which include advertisers. ALSO READ: California's New Privacy Law: CCPA Provides You with Everything You Want to Know CCPA Compared to GDPR In spite of the handwringing before the deadline in 2018, the official acceptance and implementation of GDPR went flawlessly as anyone would expect it. Incidentally, Google, and Facebook are already dealing with billion-dollar lawsuits over suspected violations of the GDPR. However, it will take many years before these lawsuits are closed. And, until then, small firms need to have only a scrambled sense of how they might be susceptible to the role. More so, compliance continues to be, as described on The Verge, "something of a puzzle." Nevertheless, the CCPA is possibly to be an even greater challenge in terms of compliance. It is the first comprehensive legislation in the US to provide the consumers with control on the manner their personal information is utilized online and may indicate how the rest of the states will search for protection of the privacy of their residents. This was also according to Hirsch, who added, he is advising consumers not just update their respective privacy policies but create procedures for the retention of copies of any personal information gathered about them, as well. How Most Major Industry Players Take the CCPA Common Sense (a children's privacy advocacy organization) CEO James Steyer said he thinks most companies "are making good-faith initiatives" to comply with CCPA. Relatively, Microsoft announced in November. It was planning to implement CCPA's provision, not just in California bot for all consumers, as well. More so, major industry players, according to Steyer, view the CCPA as "being their long-term interests" since it will develop more trust among the consumers. In connection to this, Hirsh said, it is not completely clear what the state is using in defining the word, 'sale' of consumer information. He added that the broad definition of the word "is pain on for a lot of businesses" as it possibly includes sharing information for online marketing and advertising." Another issue related to privacy law is the manner a company is going to guarantee it is deleting the right data of the customer without gathering more information to verify them. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Since Thursday midnight, Russian-led forces have been observing the ceasefire. Russia's hybrid military forces on January 1 mounted three attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, with a Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action. Read alsoOSCE SMM reports access denial in occupied Donbas "The armed forces of the Russian Federation and its mercenaries violated the ceasefire three times on January 1. One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in enemy shelling," the press center of the Joint Forces Operation Headquarters said on Facebook in a morning update on January 2. The enemy opened fire from grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and rifles. Under attack came Ukrainian positions near the villages of Orikhove and Novoluhanske. Since Thursday midnight, Russian-led forces have been observing the ceasefire. The Larson Group, a Peterbilt dealership network, will roll out a new logo in January 2020. The Larson Group (TLG) Peterbilt, a Peterbilt dealer network with locations in eight states, recently rolled out several brand and location name updates. The branding changes are in response to the companys significant growth over the past several years. The Larson Group (TLG) Peterbilt, a Peterbilt dealer network with locations in eight states, recently rolled out several brand and location name updates. The branding changes are in response to the companys significant growth over the past several years. Establishing Unity and Recognition Across Locations Throughout its 33 years in business, TLG Peterbilt has experienced rapid growth as a Peterbilt dealership network that offers new and used Peterbilt trucks, high-quality parts and accessories, and award-winning customer service and sales. In an effort to establish cohesive naming and brand recognition among its current and future dealership locations, all locations received the same naming update to include TLG Peterbilt. Stores can be differentiated with a hyphen and its identifiable location (such as TLG Peterbilt Cincinnati) or current nickname (such as TLG Peterbilt Great Lakes). For customers, these naming updates will not change the quality of their award-winning purchasing and service experience with any of the 18 TLG Peterbilt dealership locations. Creating a more unified identity and connecting ourselves by the TLG Peterbilt name strengthens our ability to provide even better first-class service throughout all of our stores, said Glenn Larson, President. A Contemporary Logo to Ring in a New Decade In celebration of TLG Peterbilts unprecedented growth over the past several years, the company also unveiled an updated logo design that has a cleaner, more contemporary look due to a slightly modified color palette and modern typography. The logos redevelopment came after careful consideration, conversation, and collaboration among the Larson family along with the design work of Mostly Serious, a full-service digital agency that has partnered with TLG Peterbilt since 2015. TLGs visual identity was created before it knew the impact it would have on the industry, said Stephanie Cowdrey, TLG Peterbilts marketing manager. This project allowed us to sit down with our leadership team, really focus on the brand, and approach it in a more thoughtful way. The long process resulted in a logo we found to be essentially timeless and a standardized name that reflects who we really are. Were thrilled to be starting the decade off with this brand refresh. About The Larson Group The Larson Group has been providing quality Peterbilt service, new and used Peterbilt trucks, and high-quality parts and accessories across the Midwest and Southeast for over 30 years. TLG has built teams of qualified, highly trained professionals to provide customers the best service for their commercial transportation needs at more than 20 locations in eight states. For more information about The Larson Groups growing dealership locations or to experience the companys exemplary customer service first-hand, call 417.865.5355, visit http://www.TLGtrucks.com, or contact Marketing Manager Stephanie Cowdrey at scowdrey@tlgtrucks.com. English Estonian Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation (hereinafter: Baffinland) declared of using the contractual option to charter the multifunctional icebreaker Botnica in 2020 during the period from the end of June to the end of October. The exact number of chartering days depends on weather and other conditions. In 2018, the subsidiary company of AS Tallinna Sadam, OU TS Shipping, signed an agreement with Baffinland for chartering m/v Botnica for the 2018 summer period and annual call options for the summer periods in 2019-2022. Baffinland is a Canadian mining company, engaged in the mining of iron ore on Baffin Island in Northern Canada. According to the agreement, m/v Botnica provides escort and ice management services, oil spill and emergency response services. In the last two years, m/v Botnica assisted Panamax-type cargo vessels in Arctic waters of Northern Canada for exporting iron ore from the Milne Inlet port to the ocean. While in 2018 the work was performed in two parts and meanwhile m/v Botnica visited Tallinn in late August during the ice-free period in the Arctic, in 2019 the vessel remained in the Baffin Archipelago for a three-week ice-free period and assisted Canadian scientists in research of seabed and Arctic waters as an additional work. The 2019 work period with mobilization lasted from the end of June to the beginning of November. According to an agreement with the Estonian Maritime Administration, m/v Botnica provides icebreaking services in Estonian coastal waters from 20th December to 20th April. Tallinna Sadam is one of the largest cargo- and passenger port complexes in the Baltic Sea region, which in 2018 serviced 10.6 million passengers and 20.6 million tons of cargo. In addition to passenger and freight services, Tallinna Sadam group also operates in shipping business via its subsidiaries OU TS Laevad provides ferry services between the Estonian mainland and the largest islands, and OU TS Shipping charters its multifunctional vessel m/v Botnica for icebreaking and construction services in Estonia and offshore projects abroad. Tallinna Sadam group is also a shareholder in an associate AS Green Marine, which provides waste management services. Tallinna Sadam group's sales in 2018 totaled EUR 130.6 million, adjusted EBITDA EUR 74.4 million and net profit EUR 24.4 million. Additional information: Hong Kong Protesters Count Down For Liberation, Revolution at New Year 2019-12-31 -- Protests continued in several districts of Hong Kong on New Year's Eve, with thousands of people chanting "Free Hong Kong! Revolution in our time!" as the city counted down the last seconds of 2019. In Kowloon, police deployed tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon against groups of people gathering on Nathan Road and nearby streets, arresting some using pepper spray at point-blank range as the person tried to shout their name to fellow protesters, according to social media posts from the scene. At Prince Edward, riot police turned out in force to make arrests, and to remove memorial bouquets placed at the MTR station for those widely believed by protesters to have died in an assault on protesters and train passengers by riot police on Aug. 31. Police and government officials have repeatedly said that no deaths occurred, but wreaths of white funeral flowers continue to be left at the station. Thousands of protesters also marched in Kowloon's Tsimshatsui, holding up splayed palms to indicate the five demands of the protest movement, which has a peaceful mass march planned for New Year's Day on Wednesday. The government of chief executive Carrie Lam withdrew a widely hated legal amendment that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, which has a separate legal system from Hong Kong's, and lacks the city's human rights protections. But her response came only after mass peaceful anti-extradition protests broadened into demands for fully democratic elections, an independent inquiry into police violence, an end to the description of protesters as "rioters," and an amnesty for the thousands of people arrested since protests began. President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for Hong Kong to return to stability. "Hong Kong's prosperity and stability is the wish of Hong Kong compatriots and the expectation for the people of the motherland," Xi said in the televised address for New Year. However, a recent poll by Reuters found that most of Hong Kong's residents support the five demands of the protest movement, with more than one third of respondents saying they had attended a protest. Only 30 percent said they were opposed, compared with 59 percent of those polled who supported it. And 57 percent said they favored the resignation of Lam. The findings also appeared to give the lie to China's official narrative that the protests are a pro-independence movement instigated by hostile foreign forces infiltrating Hong Kong. Only 17 percent of respondents expressed support for seeking independence from China, while most of the 1,021 respondents blamed Lam's administration rather than Beijing for the crisis that has gripped the city since the protest movement escalated in early June. A Hong Kong government spokesman said the government would "continue to engage the people through dialogue." Chinese constitutional scholar Zhang Lifan said Xi appeared to be distancing himself from Hong Kong's woes, possibly for fear of alienating the 23 million residents of democratic Taiwan, which Xi wants to annex as part of China, by force if necessary. Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen, who is seeking re-election on Jan. 11, has said the people of Taiwan have no desire to give up their national sovereignty, nor their democratic way of life, and that Hong Kong shows that the "one country, two systems" framework under which the city returned to Chinese rule in 1997 can't be allowed to happen in Taiwan. "[Xi] has always taken a tough stance and been supportive of Carrie Lam, but actually he is now taking a step back," Zhang said. "He could have come across a lot stronger, but his New Year speech mainly emphasized harmony and stability." "The impact of the anti-extradition movement in Hong Kong has been felt in Taiwan, making Taiwanese people trust the idea of 'one country, two systems' even less than they did," he said. "It would seem that Xi Jinping doesn't want the situation in Hong Kong to get any more out of control." March organizers the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) have said that the government has started to retaliate against those taking part in the protest movement, while calling on people to join a New Year's Day march to keep momentum going. Group convenor Jimmy Sham said people need to keep up pressure on the government, citing recent threats from the city's education chief Kevin Yeung that schools shouldn't tolerate or stand by any teacher who encourages students to protest. Yeung said that, if a principal thinks there is nothing wrong with teachers getting involved in the protests, it would mean a red flag against the school chief's record. He said officials have been reviewing textbooks used to teach Liberal Studies since September with the aim of asking the publishers to revise them by February. Chinese officials have blamed Hong Kong's Liberal Studies program in schools for young people's resistance to "patriotic education" as promoted by the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2019, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By PTI LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, saying it was extremely sad that despite being women both could not feel the pain of the mothers who lost their children at a hospital in Rajasthan's Kota. In a series of tweets in Hindi, he said, "The death of 100 innocent children is extremely saddening and heart-wrenching. The death of children is a blot on civilized society, human values and feelings." ALSO READ: Sonia asks Rajasthan CM to explain as infant death toll in Kota hospital hits 102 "It is extremely sad that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, despite being women, are not able to understand the sorrow of the mothers," he added. In another tweet, he said it would have been better had Priyanka met and consoled the aggrieved mothers instead of indulging in politics in UP. At least 100 infants have died at government-run JK Lon Hospital hospital in Kota in the past month. HONG KONG, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Wednesday urged foreign politicians to stop confusing right and wrong and interfering in Hong Kong affairs. While Hong Kong has suffered from over 200 days of social unrest and its residents look forward to a peaceful 2020, some foreign politicians are recklessly smearing the police force who safeguard social order and cheering on rioters and those messing up Hong Kong, a spokesperson of the office said in a statement. After Hong Kong's return to the motherland, it is entirely China's internal affairs to handle the affairs in Hong Kong, which is an SAR of China, the spokesperson said, stressing that Hong Kong's global ties are by no means an excuse for foreign interference. The commissioner's office will firmly support the chief executive in leading the SAR government to govern in accordance with law, firmly support the Hong Kong police in strictly enforcing the law, and firmly support the Hong Kong judicial bodies in severely punishing the violent criminals in accordance with the law, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the Chinese government is rock-firm in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, in implementing the policy of "one country, two systems", and in opposing any foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs. By PTI NEW DELHI: In one of his first decisions, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat has issued directions to prepare a roadmap by June 30 to create an air defence command to enhance security of India's skies. He also underlined that efforts will be made to cut out infructuous ceremonial activities which are manpower intensive, officials said. Some of the areas identified for bringing in tri-services jointness and synergy include setting up of common "logistics support pools" in stations where two or more services have their presence, they said. Gen Rawat took charge as the country's first Chief of Defence Staff on Wednesday in what is seen as a watershed moment for India's military planning to bring in convergence among the three services for effectively dealing with future security challenges. After taking charge, he held a meeting with important functionaries of Integrated Defence Staff and directed heads of various wings to come up with recommendations to bring in inter-service synergy and jointness in a time-bound manner, officials said. As CDS, Gen Rawat will be the Principal Military Advisor to the defence minister on all tri-services matters besides helming the newly set up Department of Military Affairs (DMA). ALSO READ | New CDS Bipin Rawat stresses on integration between Army, Navy, Air Force "The CDS directed that a proposal to create Air Defence Command be prepared by June 30," said an official. Gen Rawat also set out priorities for execution of various initiatives by December 31. "Emphasising collegiate system of functioning, Gen Rawat directed that all three services and Coast Guard must be consulted and their views obtained in a time-bound manner. Decisions will, however, be taken to ensure optimisation of resources," the defence ministry said. It said the CDS stressed that all must work towards accomplishing desired results and coming up with healthy views and ideas. The CDS will have a key role in ensuring optimum utilisation of allocated budget, ushering in more synergy in procurement, training and operations of the services through joint planning and integration. The other major mandate of the CDS is to facilitate indigenisation of weapons and equipment to the maximum extent possible while formulating the overall defence acquisition plan for the three Services. The Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act has been signed into law by President Donald Trump in an effort to reduce suicide rates among U.S. veterans. The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Congressman Anthony Brindisi, would require the U.S. comptroller general to assess the responsibilities, workload and vacancy rates of Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention coordinators. One Veteran life lost to suicide is too many, Brindisi said. I hear from veterans across New York who are struggling and as a nation we need to do right by our veterans. This bill will help bring down the suicide rate and give the VA the tools they need to succeed. I am honored the president signed my bill to help our veterans. Suicide prevention coordinators ensure at-risk veterans receive appropriate care. They also conduct outreach and administer suicide prevention efforts within the VA. According to Brindisi, many coordinators struggle to keep up with their responsibilities, and say they are overworked. He says this law will make more tools and resources available to the coordinators to help prevent an increase in veteran suicide. Statistics from the VAs National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report show that between 2005 and 2017, an average of nearly 17 veterans committed suicide each day. The suicide rate among our Nations veterans is unacceptable, said Christina M. Balderrama, assistant professor of psychology at Binghamton University. The timely coordination of appropriate care and resources during a time of crisis is essential to reducing suicide risk. Legislation that supports the effectiveness and functioning of the VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator position is critical to better meet the comprehensive health needs of veterans at risk for death by suicide. Last year, President Trump also signed Brindisis Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act, which reauthorized assistance programs and services at the VA for 2020. More than a year after migrants in the custody of US Customs and Border Protection began to die, the agency released a plan on Tuesday to improve medical screening. Doctors said they were disappointed it took that long to come up with the plan, which is lacking in many details and provides health screenings only for children, not adults. "To me, this is beyond disappointing. It's incredibly frustrating," said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "This agency is responsible for people's lives and should act like it is," he added. Four children died in CBP custody from December 2018 through May 2019. Three died of the flu and one died of sepsis. Adults in CBP custody have also died in the past year. The CBP plan calls for the screenings to be rolled out in three phases. In the first phase, upon initial encounter with the migrant, border patrol agents will "observe and identify potential medical issues" and tell migrants to alert them if they have medical problems. In the second phase, migrants under age 18 will receive "health interviews," and migrants age 12 and under, as well as anyone identified as having medical concerns, will receive "medical assessments." The document does not explain what "interviews" and "assessments" entail, or why all adults won't receive these screenings. Dr. Paul Spiegel, director of the Center for Humanitarian Health at Johns Hopkins University,asaid vulnerable adults -- pregnant women, for example, or those who need lifesaving medications, such as insulin -- could be missed and not receive the care they need. "It took CBP this long to come up with something like this, and it's so bare bones," Spiegel said. The agency did not say when this new screening plan would be rolled out, or if parts were already in place. In August, Spiegel, Sharfstein and other physicians wrote a letter to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-CT, expressing concerns about CBP's medical care for migrants. DeLauro forwarded the letter to CBP and requested a response. Nearly five months later, she still has not received one. CBP officials did not respond to emails from CNN with questions about their screening plan. Dr. Katherine McKenzie, director of the Yale Center for Asylum Health, said the screenings were "common sense" and questioned why it took the deaths of four children before the agency came up with the plan. "If they had done these screenings earlier, perhaps the children wouldn't have died," she said. "If you're taking people into your custody, you're responsible for their health." Turkey's parliament was set to pass a bill on Thursday approving a military deployment to Libya, hoping it will shore up the UN-backed government in Tripoli. The beleaguered Tripoli government has been under sustained attack since April by military strongman General Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by Turkey's regional rivals -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office confirmed last Friday that a request for military support had been received from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). No details have been given on the scale of the potential deployment, and Vice-President Fuat Oktay told state news agency Anadolu on Wednesday that no date had yet been set. "We are ready. Our armed forces and our defence ministry are ready," he said, adding that parliamentary approval would be valid for a year. He described the parliament motion as a "political signal" aimed at deterring Haftar's army. Territorial control in Libya. By (AFP) "After it passes, if the other side changes its attitude and says, 'OK, we are withdrawing, we are abandoning our offensive,' then what should we go there for?" A UN report in November said several countries were violating the arms embargo on Libya in place since the overthrow of its long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Jordan and the UAE regularly supply Haftar's forces, it said, while Turkey supports the GNA. Turkish and Emirati drones were spotted in Libyan skies during clashes over the summer. Russia connection The Libyan conflict is expected to be a key topic of discussion when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Turkey next Wednesday. Erdogan has repeatedly accused Russia of sending private mercenaries to support Haftar's forces, though this has been denied by Moscow. It is expected to be a key Turkey and Russia have managed to work closely on Syria despite supporting opposing sides in that conflict. "We're supporting the internationally recognised legitimate government in Libya. Outside powers must stop supporting illegitimate groups against the Libyan government," Erdogan's communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted last week. Turkey has used its alliance with the Tripoli government to advance other interests. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, in November. By Mustafa Kamaci (TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/AFP/File) It signed a military cooperation agreement with the GNA during a visit by its leader, Fayez al-Sarraj, to Istanbul in November. But they also signed a maritime jurisdiction agreement giving Turkey rights to large swathes of the Mediterranean where gas reserves have recently been discovered. The agreement drew international criticism, particularly from Greece which says it ignores its own claims to the area. Analysts say Ankara was responding to being frozen out of regional energy deals, notably the "East Mediterranean Gas Forum", formed this year by Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Italy and the Palestinian territories. Turkey's fierce rivalry with the military government in Egypt is seen as another motivating factor behind the planned deployment. Erdogan strongly backed Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood government that was violently overthrown by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013. Haftar has previously ordered his forces to target Turkish companies and arrest Turkish nationals. Six Turkish sailors were briefly held by his forces over the summer. Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress on Thursday managed to wrest Kolhapur and Nashik district councils or zilla parishads (ZP) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) . Soon after the formation of government, the three parties decided to contest elections to local district and municipal bodies together to oust the BJP, which had established control on most local self-government bodies in the past five years. Congress candidate Bajrang Patil defeated BJP nominee Arun Ingawale in Kolhapur ZP, securing 41 votes against the BJP candidates 24. NCP candidate Satish Patil became the deputy president. In the 67-member Kolhapur ZP, the BJP has 13 members, followed by the Shiv Sena with 10 members, NCP 10 and Congress 14. There were 18 others including 11 BJP supporter members and seven Congress supporters. In Nashik district council, Sena candidate Balasaheb Kshirsagar was elected unopposed as president and Sayaji Gaikwad of NCP as the vice-president. SOMAIYA SLAMS SENA BJP leader Kirit Somaiya slammed the Sena, accusing it of failing to find an alternate plot of land for a Metro shed planned at Aarey. He alleged the Sena was pressuring a committee tasked to find an alternative plot, although it had already confirmed that Aarey was the only suitable spot. Authorities fear two fire fronts burning in Victoria could merge in coming days, creating a bushfire of enormous scale. Already, 17 people are missing and one confirmed dead in Victoria, while seven are confirmed dead in NSW. Another NSW man is missing and presumed dead. A firefighting helicopter tackling a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria's East Gippsland. Credit:Victorian government/AAP Tourists have been urged to get out of the Alpine National Park in Victoria and Kosciuszko National Park in NSW immediately, ahead of the weekend's horror conditions. There are already fires burning in the Kosciuszko National Park, and NSW authorities issued an urgent evacuation order on Thursday, with holidaymakers urged to get out by 10am on Friday. A University of Houston physics professor has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in recognition of his work in nanotechnology. Seamus Curran, professor of physics in the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the other 167 incoming fellows will be officially inducted April 10, 2020, during the annual meeting of the National Academy of Inventors in Phoenix. He holds 19 issued and pending U.S. patents and 40 international patents. He will become the 15th faculty member from UH to be named a NAI fellow. In announcing Curran's election, the academy said he had been chosen for "a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development and welfare of society." Curran serves as CEO of Integricote, a company he founded to market a water- and stain-repellant coating he developed. The company, which is based at the UH Technology Bridge, offers products that penetrate the surface and form a protective barrier to seal and stain wood, masonry and concrete. It has been used in a number of places across the Houston metropolitan area. "Dr. Curran exemplifies the faculty inventor, taking an impressive new technology from the lab to the marketplace," said Amr Elnashai, vice president for research and technology transfer at UH. "His continuing work across a variety of fields in nanotechnology, from new materials to nanophotonics, is a terrific illustration of the ways in which academia can help to solve society's problems." The 2019 class of fellows represent 136 research universities and governmental and non-profit research institutes worldwide and are named inventors on more than 3,500 issued U.S. patents. Among the 2019 fellows are six recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology & Innovation or U.S. National Medal of Science and four Nobel Laureates. To date, NAI fellows have generated more than 11,000 licensed technologies and companies. More than $1.6 trillion in revenue has been generated based on discoveries by NAI fellows. Curran's plunge into entrepreneurship was launched when his fledgling company - then known as C-Voltaics - won $57,500 in startup funding at two competitions in 2013. He said his research is driven by the search for ways in which nanotechnology can address problems in both society at large and in more specialized fields. "I got into this thinking I could solve a problem," he said. "Nanotechnology is no longer something that just happens in a lab. It is allowing us to produce real materials which address needs in fields from healthcare to electronics and home improvement." Curran has recently worked with an international team of researchers to develop a material capable of protecting electronic devices against high-intensity bursts of light, recognized as a material of choice for next-generation optoelectronic and photonic devices. ### By IANS NEW DELHI: A heart-rending story of a 14-month-old girl child in Varanasi whose life went topsy turvy because of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests has now found a voice in Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. Priyanka Gandhi, who is on a combative spree these days, slammed the Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday over the plight of the girl whose parents were arrested for participating in an anti-CAA protest defying prohibitory orders. ALSO READ: CAA protests - Uttar Pradesh court grants bail to activist couple, 56 others Priyanka Gandhi said that it is the moral duty of the government to allow the child's mother to return home. On December 19, people gathered in Beniya Bagh area in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to protest against the contentious CAA, defying Section 144 of CrPC imposed by the police. ALSO READ: Police put up posters of violent anti-CAA protestors in Varanasi The parents of the girl child named Chanchal were arrested by the police and have been in jail for the last 12 days. "The BJP government has shown such inhumanity in suppressing people's protests that such a small child has been separated from her parents. Chanchal's health has worsened but that has not affected the bad intentions of the BJP government. Chanchal's parents are in jail for holding protests in a peaceful manner," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. Mexican officials credited police and the military for their role in cutting the murder rate by more than half in the last decade in the western state of Sinaloa despite clear evidence that Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's old cartel still wields power in his home turf. Data released by Sinaloa Public Security chief Cristobal Castaneda Camarillo on Tuesday showed that 937 murders were registered in 2019 compared to 2,250 in 2010, when the notorious criminal figure oversaw the day-to-day operations of his Sinaloa Cartel. Castaneda Camarillo said the declining murder rate was due in part to a plan designed by Governor Quirino Ordaz Coppel's office that tied the police and military together in their fight against organized crime. Despite homicides decreasing from 2,250 in 2010 to 937 over the last decade, Mexico security forces in Sinaloa have had a difficult time containing the powerful Cartel. In October 2019, the group stopped the arrest of El Chapo's son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez (pictured), with a war-like assault that stopped the government from carrying out a US extradition order Cartel fighters walk through the street with machine guns during an October 2019 operation in Sinaloa, Mexico, at the height of fighting by the Sinaloa Cartel and government security forces However, October's events suggest the drugs lords still hold considerable sway in the state. El Chapo's son, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman, directed an offensive against the government to thwart the arrest of his brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez. Security forces arrested Guzman Lopez after acting on a request from Washington to process an extradition order. However, they were met with resistance from armed cartel members, who kidnapped several members of law enforcement in response. The standoff ended when the Mexican government released El Chapo's son in exchange for a cease fire after 13 people had been killed - a decision defended by Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was desperate to avoid a bloodbath. A video captures the moment cartel members took to the streets with machine guns and grenade launchers in an attempt to stop the arrest of El Chapo's son in October 2019 Timeline of the October 17 battle in Culiacan that stops the arrest of El Chapo's son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez 2:00 PM PT: Mexican military confirms the presence of Ovidio Guzman Lopez at a home in Tres Rios, an upscale neighborhood in Culiacan 2:30 PM PT: A team of soldiers surrounds the home where Guzman Lopez and family members are staying 2:50 PM PT: Soldiers are met with gun fire originating from the home and armed Sinaloa Cartel members in the vicinity 3:15 PM PT: El Chapo's son steps out through a door in the compound with his hands raised and hands himself over to soldiers 3:17 PM PT: A soldier tells Guzman Lopez to call his brother Ivan Archivaldo Guzman and stop the attack by cartel members 3:25 PM PT: Reports surface of the first wounded military servicemen 3:45 PM PT: President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador learns of the operation for the first time during a meeting with his Security Cabinet 3:47 PM PT: There are reports of armed men loyal to the Sinaloa Cartel patrolling Culiacan with machine guns 3:50 PM PT: Cartel members arrive in a convoy of trucks and surround military operation bases in the nearby towns of Costa Rica, El Fuerte and Cosala 5:04 PM PT: The cartel unleashes an attack on the military bases while other members burns vehicles in the streets and inmates break out of a prison in an attempt to stop the arrest 6:49 PM PT: The Security Cabinet orders soldiers to stand down and release Guzman 7:17 PM PT: Sinaloa Cartel members release one official and four soldiers they had captured Advertisement Castaneda Camarillo also reported a 55% drop in car thefts over the last decade. The security secretary said officials documented 4,222 thefts in 2019 compared to 9,401 in 2010. Castaneda Camarillo's report came on the same day Lopez Obrador slammed his predecessors for allowing Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman to enjoy the same power as a world leader. 'There was a time when Guzman Loera had the same power or had the influence that the then-president had,' the leftist leader said Tuesday via a video message on Twitter. 'Because there had been a conspiracy and that made it difficult to punish those who committed crimes. That has already become history, gone to the garbage dump of history. That will never occur.' New Delhi, Jan 2 : There is a deep mistrust among citizens with pathology labs and people feel there is a strong need to address the doctor-pathology lab nexus. These are the findings of a survey by Local Circles which found that 35 per cent of citizens do not trust the pathology lab they use and want the government to cancel their licenses if they are found incentivising doctors. As per the survey, 66 per cent say their doctor has suggested a specific pathology lab for getting medical tests done and 34 per cent say they have received wrong pathology reports. The survey highlights the mistrust that citizens have with pathology labs and how, according to people, there is a strong need to address the doctor-pathology lab nexus on the ground through the formation of clear consumer protection rules and then driving enforcement of these rules via the local Health and Consumer Affairs Departments. LocalCircles will be writing to the various stakeholder departments of the government urging them to act on this issue. Many small pathology labs have mushroomed across the country in the last decade. Over the last 24 months, citizens have been raising the need for better regulation of pathology labs on LocalCircles, it said. After the Consumer Protection Act 2019 was cleared in Parliament, consumers have been requesting that rules be made in the healthcare sector and within healthcare, functioning of pathology labs has been a top area of citizens' concern, just after functioning of hospitals. To get a collective citizen pulse on this issue, LocalCircles conducted a 6-point survey which received more than 48,000 responses from over 22,000 unique citizens located in 215 districts of India. Approximately 37 per cent of the respondents were women, while 41 per cent of the participants were from Metro/Tier 1 cities, 37 per cent from Tier 2 cities and 22 per cent were from Tier 3 and rural locations. To the first question about how much do citizens trust the pathology lab that they generally use for getting medical tests done, only 17 per cent said they fully trust them while 48 per cent said they had a high level of trust but still stay vigilant. 28 per cent said they had a low level of trust and therefore they stay vigilant, while 7 per cent said they had very low or no trust in them. The next question asked people if the doctors they have visited for themselves or their family over the last one year tended to suggest that they use a specific pathology lab for getting medical tests done. To this, 33 per cent said most of the doctors did it while 33 per cent said some of them did it. Only 29 per cent said none of the doctors indulged in this behaviour. Asked how many cases they had in the last three years where the pathology reports for them or their family member was wrong, 34 per cent said it had never happened with them while 30 per cent said it had happened up to three times and 4 per cent said it had happened with them more than 3 times. 32 per cent were unsure about it. With many consumers reporting that their doctor asks them to get general tests like blood count, urine test, LFT, KFT etc done quite often, even if there might not have been a need for it, the next question was how many times in the last three years did they feel that their doctor ordered more tests than were actually necessary. To this, 35 per cent said never, 31 per cent said one to three times, 19 per cent said more than three times and 15 per cent said they were unsure. Recently, an audio clip of a doctor talking to a path lab representative went viral on social media, where they were talking about the commission on prescribed tests and generating false reports. Then, "sink tests" have become quite common nowadays where a lab takes a sample only to throw it in a sink and generate a false report, causing much distress among the patients. The penultimate question asked if pathology labs should lose their certification license if found incentivising/commissioning doctors to prescribe medical tests and 92 per cent said 'yes' while only 2 per cent said 'no'. Many of us have heard stories of how the remuneration of doctors in hospitals is linked to the amount of business they get for the hospital. This leads to doctors prescribing unnecessary tests and keeping the patients in hospitals for a longer time than actually required. Thus, to the final question, 89 per cent said that doctors' earning in a hospital should not be related to the tests they refer to its lab and only 9 per cent disagreed. 1,700-year-old Christian church uncovered in Ethiopia sheds new light on spread of Christianity Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The remains of a 1,700-year-old Christian basilica have been uncovered in Ethiopia, giving archaeologists new insight into when Christianity arrived in sub-Saharan Africa. The Roman-style basilica, from the fourth century A.D., was found in Beta Samati, an ancient town that was once part of the Aksumite civilization, according to a paper published in Antiquity. The remains of the 60 feet long, 40 feet wide building dates back to the time when Christianity became the official religion of the Aksumite empire. Originally developed by the Romans for administrative purposes, the oldest-known Christian church in sub-Saharan Africa was likely adopted by Christians at the time of Constantine for their places of worship. According to the Smithsonian, the discovery of the church and its contents confirm Ethiopian tradition that Christianity arrived at an early date in an area nearly 3,000 miles from Rome. The find suggests that the new religion spread quickly through long-distance trading networks that linked the Mediterranean via the Red Sea with Africa and South Asia, shedding fresh light on a significant era about which historians know little, it adds. Although Christianity had reached Egypt by the third century A.D., it was not until Constantines legalization of Christian observance that the church expanded widely across Europe and the Near East, notes the Smithsonian. Thanks to their new discovery, researchers can now feel more confident in dating the arrival of Christianity to Ethiopia to the same time frame." [This find] is to my knowledge the earliest physical evidence for a church in Ethiopia, [as well as all of sub-Saharan Africa,] Aaron Butts, a professor of Semitic and Egyptian languages at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., told the Smithsonian. Michael Harrower of Johns Hopkins University, the archaeologist leading the team, said that while the empire of Aksum was one of the worlds most influential ancient civilizations, it remains one of the least widely known. The excavations of Beta Samati help fill important gaps in our understanding of ancient Pre-Aksumite and Aksumite civilizations, he said. Both secular and religious artifacts were discovered in and around the basilica, including a gold ring, cattle figurines, crosses, stamp seals, and tokens that were likely used for trade and administration. Researchers also uncovered a stone pendant carved with a cross and incised with the ancient Ethiopic word venerable, as well as incense burners. Near the eastern basilica wall, the team came across an inscription asking for Christ [to be] favorable to us. The mixing of Christian and pagan traditions discovered near the basilica shows a complex blurring of secular trade and administration ... that warrants further investigation, researchers said. Beta Samati means house of audience in the local language, which could point to its role as an important ancient administrative hub. The town was first occupied by the civilization known as pre-Aksumite around 750 B.C. and abandoned more than 1,000 years later, around 650 A.D. The ancient town was discovered in 2009. The team conducted their work between 2011 and 2016. Researchers will reportedly continue to excavate the site, as research at the site has the potential to clarify a range of topics, including the rise of one of Africa's first complex polities, the development of Aksum's trade connections, the conversion from polytheism to Christianity, and the eventual decline of the Empire of Aksum. Jeff Paine - Managing director The Asia Internet Coalition This integration is increasingly critical in these uncertain times, as US-China trade tensions continue to slow down the global economy. The International Monetary Fund slashed GDP growth forecasts for most Asian economies in late 2019, predicting a growth of 5.1 per cent in 2020, the regions slowest expansion since the 2008 global financial crisis. Asia remains the worlds fastest-growing region with over two-thirds of all global growth in 2019. The ASEAN, currently the worlds fifth-largest economy with a combined GDP of $3 trillion, is gaining ground with its surprising digital growth. Also, the ASEANs internet economy crossed the $100 billion mark for the first time, tripling over four years. It is now on track to hit $300 billion by 2025 $60 billion more than the previous estimation. Vietnam is evolving into one of the most digital of all economies in the ASEAN. As the second fastest-growing digital economy in the region after Indonesia, its value is expected to almost quadruple from $12 billion today to $43 billion in 2025. Investor confidence is rising accordingly. Vietnam is also the third most-funded economy in the ASEAN after Indonesia and Singapore, raising almost $1 billion in digital economy funding since 2015. This growth has been largely driven by e-commerce and fintech, with homegrown marketplaces like Sendo and Tiki, and payments players including VNPAY and Momo. These developments have given Vietnam confidence to set highly ambitious targets for itself. The national strategy for Industry 4.0 expects the internet economy to contribute 20 per cent to GDP by 2025, while creating jobs and attracting high-quality foreign direct investment. The National Digital Transformation Plan envisions Vietnam among the top-four digitalised ASEAN economies and among the worlds top 40 in the National Competitiveness Index both by 2025. These ambitions are important for driving government, business, and consumer transformation. However, the question is whether or not Vietnams dream of becoming a regional and global digital leader can translate into reality. The answer largely depends on whether and how fast Vietnam embraces digital integration into regional and global systems, given that 2025 is not far off. The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) commends Vietnam for its active approach in shaping its digital economy, including seeking input into policy making. However, there are several crucial issues that must be reassessed as Vietnam charts its future. A stable and predictable regulatory and policy landscape, in line with international best practices, is needed to enable digital platforms, products, and services to actively contribute to and support the digital economy goals of Vietnam. This includes promoting cross border data flows, which is the lifeblood of the digital economy, actively promoting innovation via local collaboration with global companies, and having the right frameworks that meet global norms for protecting data privacy and security. Tariff and non-tariff barriers must also be examined, as these could hinder foreign investment and limit opportunities for local businesses. Vietnams Ministry of Industry and Trade recently flagged global trends in trade protectionism and unilateral trade policy as major risks to the multilateral trade system, as well as barriers for developing economies like Vietnam. Likewise, the AIC has observed that Vietnams overly prescriptive approach to digital policies thus far, is not so in line with its broader and more liberal economic approach and could pose real harm to its digital economy prospects. For example, the Vietnamese Law on Cybersecuritys data localisation provisions raise data privacy and security issues. The lack of implementation guidelines for industry to date in this country has created great uncertainty and a lack of clarity for businesses. US-based Brookings Institution estimates that data localisation in Vietnam could wipe out the significant economic impact of the digital economy, which by 2020 include 146,000 more jobs, $10 billion in business to customer sales, and a $5.1 billion increase in GDP from mobile internet. As Vietnam updates other important digital legislation, it should consider how proposed changes could impact innovation, opportunities for local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, as well as consumers. These include overly burdensome licensing and registration requirements, local establishment requirements, and overreaching content controls, all barriers to growth. A recent AIC-commissioned report by The Economist Intelligence Unit finds that data localisation policies such as those in Vietnam, can restrict innovation and growth by limiting economies of scale for global providers and domestic companies, making it harder and more expensive, especially for local SMEs to scale across borders. If Vietnam aims to produce 10 billion-dollar tech unicorns by 2030, then artificially ring-fencing Vietnams economy is not the way to go. Local startups must be plugged into global technology platforms and services in order to innovate and scale. For example, Vietnams sole unicorn to date, VNG Corporation, a major e-commerce, gaming, social networking, and digital payment player, is highly promising but has yet to make a regional impact like Grab or Indonesias Gojek and Traveloka. Vietnamese startups have great potential but will be at the losing end in terms of exposure, knowledge, and skills development if global tech leaders find Vietnam too restrictive to invest in, and instead turn towards neighbouring countries with more favourable policy and regulatory environments. So, why does digital integration matter to Vietnam? According to a Bain & Company report, digital integration will accelerate intra-regional trade and enable SMEs to become regional and global players, potentially stimulating GDP uplift of $1 trillion by 2025. To that end, Vietnam should closely watch the landmark Australia-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement for inspiration. Currently being negotiated, it is expected to cover digital trade rules that regulate cross-border data flows and localisation of computing facilities, as well as areas such as e-payments, fintech, and AI. It will likely set the standard for similar agreements in the future and should be viewed as a best practice benchmark for Vietnams own policies. Vietnam must focus on digital integration to bridge the digital divide and accelerate both the regions and its own domestic growth. The hardest hit from poor policy and regulation will be local startups and SMEs who lack dedicated resources to navigate a complex and burdensome regulatory landscape. The AIC is well-placed and ready to support Vietnam in achieving its ambitions of digital-driven growth. With the right forward-thinking policies, Vietnams aspirations to become a respected regional and global digital economy is well within reach. As much as one-third of our prison population could be infected with some form of hepatitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and if the virus goes undiagnosed and untreated, it is a death sentence. If identified and treated, hepatitis is curable. But if it is not dealt with proactively in our correctional facilities with screenings at the start of the intake process, and treatment that is known to cure 90 percent of patients within 12 weeks it spreads like wildfire, destroying lives with chronic liver damage and burdening the taxpayer with runaway medical costs. The state correctional system that doesnt acknowledge this is preposterously short-sighted. New Jersey, regrettably, has one of them. Until a bill mandating hepatitis screening gets through the state Senate, New Jersey will remain one of the few states in our region that does not perform universal screening for the virus. Instead, our state and county prisons will continue to offer targeted testing for inmates who are high risks due to age, intravenous drug use, sexual history, and tattoos. Is that enough? Consider the math: The CDC says between 12 and 35 percent of the national prison population tests positive for hep C most of them unaware of their infection compared with just 1.3 percent of non-incarcerated population. According to the New Jersey Department of Corrections, in the first eight months of 2019, only 218 of our states 19,000 prison inmates completed treatment for hepatitis, with another 83 undergoing treatment during the month of September which combined represents only 1.6 percent of the state prison population. How many illnesses are undetected? Its hard to get precise figures. We only know that those infected and untreated put other inmates at risk by sharing needles, razors, or toothbrushes. And since this is a blood-borne pathogen that is easily transmitted, the general population is at risk upon an inmates release, said Senate Health Committee chairman Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex). We need to act on this, the earlier the better. The Assembly did its part, passing a bill by a 72-4 margin which mandates screenings unless the inmate chooses to opt-out," as recommended by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. But the bill has yet to be addressed by the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee, so unless Senate President Steve Sweeney calls for committee hearings next week, it might have to wait until the next session. There is no reason why Senate passage wouldnt be a layup, however, given the near-unanimous vote in the lower house. Yes, treatment is expensive, roughly $20,000 to $30,000. But failure to treat is far more expensive. And New Jersey can do what states like Louisiana are doing, which is negotiate directly with a drug provider to pay a flat annual fee for medication. This is not complicated: Hepatitis is a scourge. But thanks to breakthroughs in medicine, it is a curable scourge, says Dr. Aakash Shah of Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the medical director for the non-profit New Jersey Reentry Corporation. In order to cure it, however, you have to treat it. And in order to treat it, you have to screen for it. The longer we wait, the more likely New Jersey could be caught in a legal issue currently entangling the correctional system in Nevada, where eight inmates recently filed a class-action suit charging the prison system with denying or delaying thousands of inmates access to hep C treatment. Nevada has revised its treatment policies, but it is too late to help the plaintiffs with liver failure. Similar suits were recently filed in Texas and Maryland. It shouldnt take a lawsuit to force states to provide lifesaving testing and medical care, says Roseanne Scotti of Vital Strategies, the global health watchdog. Thats true of our neighbors, anyway. In New York, they have universal testing and treatment during incarceration and upon release from prison. Pennsylvania has an opt-out system, but even those who opt-out must undergo risk-reduction education. It is rudimentary. Cure a disease before it spreads, save lives, and save money. Its called governing. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. On his ground floor residence in Vasant Kunj, in the middle of November, D P Tripathi was in his trademark safari suit, waiting for one of his oldest and closest friends, the Nepali politician and parliamentarian, Pradeep Giri. Giri and he had known each other for over four decades, but something deeper tied them together a deep and abiding commitment to democracy. When Giri came, Tripathi and he reminisced about the older days of struggle but Tripathi or DPT, as he was popularly known was most excited about his birthday, which he planned to celebrate in early January in one of his favourite haunts, the India International Centre. Our generation does not have much time, he said to me poignantly. The time came too soon. The IIC celebration wont happen. DPT passed away on Thursday, after a battle with ill-health over the past few years. With him ends a remarkable story in Indian politics. DPT was originally from Uttar Pradesh, but truly emerged as a public figure when he came to Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University. It was the early 1970s. Students were restive. DPT became a part of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and eventually the president of the JNU Students Union, a post which was also occupied by Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury. The Emergency kicked in, and DPT emerged as a hero of the resistance. The police came into JNU right after the Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, knocking on every door, looking for DPT as he hid in hostel rooms and then in a washermen colony on Barakhamba Rod. (The washermen hailed from Sultanpur, DPTs home district and this served as a bond.) He evaded the arrest and led the students movement in the university and beyond. But then, in September 1975, he urged the then PM Indira Gandhis daughter in law, Menaka Gandhi who had come to the university to attend a class to respect the strike of students. She was furious, the police intensified its search yet again for DPT, he went underground, but was eventually arrested in November. In an interview to Aditi Phadnis of Business Standard, DPT was to later recall how Arun Jaitley was the first one to welcome him in Tihar We had been waiting for a long time. Where were you? Come, come! It was in jail that he forged lifelong friendships with Jaitley and Indias top Opposition politicians. It also made him committed to the cause of democracy and freedom in India and elsewhere. DPT eventually moved away from the Communist Party of India (Marxist). In the 1980s, he became a close advisor of Rajiv Gandhi, whose mother he had fought just a decade earlier. In the late 1990s, he eventually joined the Nationalist Congress Party, became a key architect of the partys platforms and positions, and eventually became a Rajya Sabha MP from the party earlier this decade, making some of the most evocative interventions in recent parliamentary history. But there were three threads that made his political life unusual. The first was his deep empathy for democratic struggles elsewhere in the region, particularly Nepal. His friendship with Giri, the proximity of his home state of UP to Nepal, but more broadly the general solidarity of the Indian left and socialist movement from the time of Jayaprakash Narain and Ram Manohar Lohia with the anti monarchical struggles in Nepal ensured that DPT made Nepali democracy his own cause. He attended a historic meeting in Kathmandu in 1989-1990, which was a turning point for a pro-democracy movement. When the country was engaged in a civil war with Maoist rebels, he did his bit to find a political solution. This opening came on February 1, 2005 when King Gyanendra took over absolute power. Nepali political activity shifted to Delhi. And DPT became a key Convenor of the democratic front to express solidarity with the Nepali people. He also encouraged efforts of Nepali political parties, Maoists and Indian establishment to come together. It was in his house in Vasant Kunj that Maoist leaders, Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai, were introduced to CPM leader Sitaram Yechury and other Indian politicians. Eventually, Maoists and Nepali democrats came together to wage a movement against an authoritarian monarch. When the Nepali Parliment has its first session, DPT was honoured as a guest on the floor of the house an honour he would always speak of with pride. The Nepal association would stay till the end of his life. Each time Nepali political leaders visited Delhi, DPTs house was their first port of call. In particular, former Prime Minister Prachanda would seek out DPT. In 2018, I happened to be present at one of their meetings when Prachanda asked DPT if he had any advice for what the Nepali leadership should do to advance Nepal-India relations and the two leaders had a free and frank conversation about the trajectory of Indian and Nepali politics. The other constant in his life was a commitment to the world of ideas. DPT was man of multiple interests, but none of it surpassed his commitment to knowledge. He engaged with academics. He convened meetings of writers and poets. He edited journals. He constantly thought of ways where socialism and democracy could merge within the new economic framework India had embarked in. He had left the communist fold, but still had deep admiration for the left and wrote a private letter to Prakash Karar, a copy of which he shared with me, about the need for the Indian left to shed its dogmatism. He was opposed to the Hindutva project but could understand its roots. This immersion in the world of ideas and ideology meant that for DPT, political differences were political - never personal. And that is why while DPT was never a traditional power politician who rose up to occupy high positions, his power came from his personal relationships and history of struggle. He could pick the phone and speak to any minister in any government, irrespective of the party in power, and make a request. At any dinner he hosted, you could be sure that leaders from across the spectrum would be present all because of their affection for DPT. And finally, DPT always remained committed to the idea of protest, dissent and the power of students and their right to express themselves. His house was open to all JNU students. Four decades after he left the university, student leaders asked him for advice on how to pursue their causes. He was deeply disappointed at what he saw was the effort of the BJP to change the culture of JNU. As DPT passes away, thousands of people whose lives he touched in his home state of Uttar Pradesh, in JNU and across universities, in Maharashtra where his party just returned to power, across Indian political theatre where he had close friends, and in Nepal would be grieving. A rare politician, a fundamentally decent human being, a leader with empathy and a committed democrat and constitutionalist. We will all miss you DPT. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-01 22:45:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo shows residences in Nanning City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin) House prices in China's major cities largely remained stable in the past months amid the country's tightening control of the real estate market, with officials reiterating that "houses are for living in, not for speculation." BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's top four real estate developers saw their sales exceed 550 billion yuan (about 78.84 billion U.S. dollars) as of the end of this year, the China Securities Journal reported by citing an industry report. The four developers' sales have been expanding at a slower pace compared with the same period in 2018, according to China Real Estate Information Corp., an online industrial information provider. Chinese property developer Evergrande saw its sales reach 608 billion yuan, exceeding this year's target of 600 billion yuan as price cuts in September and October boosted sales. House prices in China's major cities largely remained stable in the past months amid the country's tightening control of the real estate market, with officials reiterating that "houses are for living in, not for speculation." China's investment in property development grew 10.3 percent year on year in the first 10 months of 2019 to 10.96 trillion yuan, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Failures in leadership at the scene of a March house fire in southern Illinois contributed to the death of a firefighter, state investigators concluded. Godfrey Fire Capt. Jake Ringering was killed and three other firefighters were injured on when a 21-foot wall collapsed in the village of Bethalto. A report by the Illinois Occupational Safety and Health details the actions of crews from several fire departments that responded to the blaze about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis. Although the home was already fully engulfed in flames when the first crews arrived, the report found that a 360-degree walk-around of the scene was never performed to observe potential hazards before the collapse, The Telegraph in Alton reported. The newspaper, which obtained the report through a public records request, reported that OSHA investigators also found that the fire scene had no established unified command post with unified task and purpose to aid the fire crews battling the blaze. It was determined through employee interviews that IC (incident command) could not be easily located, the report states. Investigators wrote that after a fire crew from the Godfrey Fire Protection District arrived, that crew volunteered to cut open the homes garage doors to access the spreading flames, even though the garage door was unlocked. Allowing the Godfrey team to enter through the garage doors which were beneath the 21-foot peak of the brick gable wall was a greater risk than was necessary for the task, the report states. It adds that the on-scene incident command allowed the Godfrey crews actions even though by that time the home was a total loss and all of its occupants had escaped. The firefighters should have instead entered a standard door that was offset from the brick gable walls peak, the report found. If FF (firefighters) were on the side of structure less debris would have impacted FF and potentially could have saved a life and lessening injuries, it states. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Leadership Illinois Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference Reaches New Frontiers in Diversification and Affiliate Empowerment Published January 2, 2020 by Lee R The added dimension of affiliate marketing was integrated into the Kiev gaming landscape with flying colors. The Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference concluded to much delight, as attendees were emboldened by new knowledge and insights. Gambling Legalisation Issues Taking place December 18th, as organised by superpromoter Smile-Expo, Kyiv iGaming Affiliate Conference thoroughly examined gambling legalization issues in Ukraine. Attendees In attendance were foreign gambling experts as well as Ukrainian government agencies and specialized associations, all dedicated to discussing the current bill on gambling business regulation in the Ukraine. Themes Speakers discussed legalization opportunities for the economy, along with case studies of gambling platform development in different countries. Tax and Financial Presentation Law & Trust International Legal Department Head Tetiana Klymenko presented a comprehensive overview of systems for financial and tax monitoring of gambling activities, stretching across emerging jurisdictions such as the UK, the Isle of Man, and Malta. Safe Promotion Discussion Former European Casino Marketing VP Carlo Pagan updated guests on key features of gambling company promotion, discussing the tools global gambling platforms utilise to advertise casinos and mistakes to avoid while developing a brand. In supporting the right to advertise, Pagan described the key necessary restriction as protections against children. Using AI to Combat Problem Gambling Playtech Head of Regulatory Affairs Charmaine Hogan recommended AI-based programs to combat problem gambling that analyze players behavior to detect and prevent potential risks. Building a Service from Scratch Storm International Marketing and PR Director Lavrenty Gubin's popular presentation on building a high-quality casino service from scratch concluded with the recommendation that operators rely on customer preferences for specific features including available games, venue location, and reputation. Gubin also reminded that casino bonuses remain as popular as ever. Finding Employees Slotegrator HR Head Maryna Martynenko's presentation on gambling personnel revealed her methods for finding professional employees. Legalisation Round Table Other highlights included a round table discussion with six Ukrainian specialists, moderated by Ukrainian Gaming Business Association Director Tamara Golubchik. The panel of six local gaming officials and senior executives group offered a diverse range of insights on gambling legalization bills and amendments, and answered audience questions. Response Audiences were particularly effusive in their appreciation of the advantages of relevant topics and competent experts, giving Kyev iAffiliate Conference the resonance of success that will make this and essential and vital conference for a very long time. Hong Kongs Law Society and Bar Association on Thursday condemned abusive graffiti sprayed by protesters on a court building that insulted a judge by name. The groups called that an affront to the rule of law and judicial integrity in the former British colony, which has retained its unique judicial system free from the corruption and political interference so common on mainland China. The incident came Wednesday during a New Years Day anti-government march that swiftly devolved into running battles between police and hard-core demonstrators. The graffiti are outrageous and firmly condemned,the joint letter stated. Abusive comments implying that judicial decisions were made or influenced by political considerations are wholly unjustified. Along with many civic and business groups, the Law Society and Bar Association had been critical of proposed extradition legislation that set off the original protests in June. They have been less outspoken about the increasingly violent protests except when the citys independent judiciary has been attacked. Many protesters are driven concerns that China is gradually tightening its control over Hong Kongs institutions, from major businesses, to law enforcement and the media. The attack on the court building was also condemned by police spokesman Kwok Ka-chuen at a briefing Thursday. In one of the most alarming cases, rioters spray-painted offensive words on the outer wall of the High Court to insult a judge, Kwok told reporters. This kind of attack will make a dent in the spirit of the law and threaten the independence of the judiciary. Kwok said police had arrested 420 people during the New Year holiday, bring the total arrested during the protests to around 7,000. He said charges included illegal assembly, possession of offensive weapons and disorderly conduct in a public place. Protester violence has reached a really critical level, Kwok said. For more than seven months, Hong Kong people have been living under the shadow of violent protests which have extended to almost every neighbourhood of the city. Samsung released the stable build of Android 10 update for the Galaxy Note9 on New Year's Eve, but it was only seeding to those enrolled in the beta program. Now the update has expanded to all users, who are running Android Pie on their Note9. The update comes bearing version number N960FXXU4DSLB and is currently seeding in Germany. The rollout should expand to other regions over the following days. Those living in Germany can try downloading the update by heading to the Settings > Software update menu. And, if you are a non-beta Note9 user residing in another country and have already got the stable Android 10, let us know by sending a tip through here. Via The country's largest mortgage lender Ltd on Thursday said the company and its subsidiary ERGO have got approvals for acquiring a majority shareholding in Co Ltd. According to the acquisition deal, will acquire majority stake in Apollo Munich from the Apollo Hospitals Group for Rs 1,347 crore and will merge the company with its arm HDFC ERGO. HDFC will acquire 50.8 per cent from the Apollo Hospitals group for Rs 1,336 crore and will buy out the 0.4 per cent stake being held by the employees for Rs 10.84 crore. Besides, the German insurer Munich Health will pay Rs 294 crore to Apollo Hospitals Enterprise and Apollo Energy for terminating their joint venture. On June 19, 2019, share purchase agreements (SPAs) in this regards were signed among HDFC ERGO General Insurance, HDFC Ltd, (AMHI), Apollo Hospitals, Apollo Energy Co Ltd, Munich Health Holdings AG and other shareholders of AMHI with regard to acquisition of up to 51.2 per cent shareholding of AMHI by HDFC. The SPAs were subject to approvals from the (CCI), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) besides other regulatory approvals and subsequent merger of AMHI with HDFC ERGO. "In this connection, we wish to inform that the company (HDFC ERGO), AMHI (or Apollo Munich) and HDFC have received requisite approvals for the said acquisition from CCI, RBI and last being from Irdai on January 1, 2020," HDFC ERGO said in a regulatory filing through HDFC. HDFC also said, "(It) and HDFC ERGO have received all requisite approvals for the said acquisition including CCI, RBI and last being Irdai on January 1, 2020." It also added that after the completion of the proposed acquisition, AMHI would be merged with and into HDFC ERGO, subject to the approval of the National Company Law Tribunal. HDFC ERGO said Irdai has granted the approval, among others, for change of name of AMHI to HDFC ERGO Health Insurance Co Ltd or such other name as may be approved by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. "In accordance with the SPA, the acquisition of shares by HDFC is expected to be completed by January 9, 2020," HDFC ERGO said. Stock of HDFC traded at Rs 2,449.60 on the BSE, up 0.65 per cent from the previous close. Kannan landed in trouble after a video of his purported speech at the meeting against the Citizenship Amendment Act went viral on social media and the Bharatiya Janata Party lodged a police complaint seeking his arrest and prosecution. Chennai: Tamil writer Nellai Kannan was arrested on Wednesday, days after an FIR was registered against him for his speech during an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest. State BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathi lodged a police complaint, alleging that Kannan called out the names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah at the meeting and told the gathering he was "shocked as to why Muslims have not yet killed the prime minister and home minister..." The arrest came hours after Chennai police detained former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishan, senior BJP leader La Ganesan, party national Secretary H. Raja, and former state party chief C.P. Radhakrishnan for protesting here demanding the arrest of Nellai Kannan. At an event organised by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) on Saturday, Kannan had said that he was puzzled why the Muslims have not yet killed Modi and Shah. He had also made critical comments against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and others. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 21:46:21|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ANKARA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Seven suspects were detained in Turkey for allegedly helping former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn transit through Istanbul as he fled Japan for Lebanon, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Thursday. The suspects, including four pilots, two employees for a private ground service company and one operation manager of a private cargo company, were detained as part of an investigation conducted by Ataturk Airport security officers in Istanbul. Turkey's Ministry of Interior said that the Turkish authorities were not given any information about the private aircraft that brought Ghosn to Turkey, anonymous security sources were quoted as saying. "There is neither entry nor exit procedures made," an official from the ministry said. Ghosn has fled Japan and arrived in Lebanon via Turkey amid charges of financial misconduct. The former Nissan chief has been charged with aggravated breach of trust and violating the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and is awaiting for trial. The ex-auto tycoon's bail condition was that he was prohibited from leaving Japan after being released from detention. (CNN Philippines) Five policemen from Cagayan de Oro accused of kidnapping were arrested by authorities on Tuesday. Senior Inspector Ereneo Ramirez, chief of the Crime Against Person and Property Desk (CAPPD) and his subordinates PO3 Alejandro Ubanan, SPO2 Jojo Lim, SPO1 Alaindelon Tacubao, and PO2 Sangkula Hussein were all brought to the jail facility of the National Bureau of Investigation in Region 10 (NBI-10). The five are accused of kidnapping Enrique Fernandez III on October 23 at Pueblo de Oro, Upper Balulang. According to Pastor Oran III, NBI-10 special investigator, Fernandez's live-in partner recently sold property worth P6.5 million, which could be the motive behind the abduction, however, the NBI is looking at other angles pertaining to the case. Hans Barbaso, NBI-10 acting Dssistant Regional Director, said they are working on uncovering the reason behind the kidnapping. Barbaso said NBI-10 will take custody of the suspects, and the complaint against them has been given to the City Prosecutor's Office. They may be brought to the city jail should the prosecutor issue a commitment order. The NBI filed charges of kidnapping and violation of RA 6539, or the Anti-Carnapping Act, against the suspects. NBI-10 has yet to determine the whereabouts of the victim. (Natural News) How do skilled pickpockets figure out an object with just the slightest touch? A study from the University of Cambridge and Columbia University revealed that the brain can identify an objects properties using purely statistical information. In sum, everyone has an inner pickpocket lurking inside them. This interesting finding not only explains why this form of thievery is effective, but it also serves a practical purpose: It allows a person, for instance, to determine if something looks good on them just by looking at it. According to the researchers, this ability stems from how humans handle the steady stream of data obtained by their sensory input. The brain divides that nonstop information into discrete chunks for easier management. For example, a window shoppers sense of sight deciphers photons as reflected light from the objects in the storefront. Similarly, a pickpocket renders the series of small depressions on their fingers as a sequence corresponding to an object in a pocket or bag. (Related: Can your inbuilt compass respond to changes in Earths magnetic field?) The brain consults earlier experiences to make guesses about new objects Humans rely on their senses to interact with their surroundings, often relying on sight and touch to identify objects in a heaping mess. Through these senses, they can predict how they feel about it using sight, or what it feels like using touch. Their brain delivers on those requirements by running statistical analyses of earlier experience. Based on the existing data, it may infer the properties of a newly-encountered object. Simultaneously, it may immediately guess the identity of an item despite having no obvious clue, such as well-defined shapes. In the study, co-lead author Mate Lengyel and his team looked at how the brain took in the continuous flow of sensory information and divided that data into objects. The researchers then compared the earlier data to the new sensory input. The common view is that the brain receives [specialized] cues: such as edges or occlusions, about where one [thing] ends and another thing begins, but weve found that the brain is a really smart statistical machine: It looks for patterns and finds building blocks to construct objects, Lengyel added. Everyone has an inner pickpocket that guesses what the hidden object looks or feels like The research team set up scenarios with abstract shapes that lacked distinct boundaries between them. Their subjects either watched the objects on a screen or tugged them apart along a tear line. The line went either through or between the objects. Next, the participants performed tests that evaluated their ability to predict the visual and haptic characteristics of the jigsaw puzzles. The visual exams determined the familiarity of the jigsaw pieces compared to abstract shapes made from the parts of two different objects. Meanwhile, the haptic tests investigated the difficulty of physically tearing new scenes apart in different directions. They learned that participants succeeded in assembling the right mental model of the jigsaw pieces using only visual or touch-based experiences. Further, the subjects immediately predicted the haptic properties of an object from the visible characteristics and vice versa. These results challenge classical views on how we extract and learn about objects in our environment, explained Lengyel. Instead, weve [shown] that general-purpose statistical computations known to operate in even the youngest infants are sufficiently powerful for achieving such cognitive feats. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk ScienceDaily.com eLifeSciences.org Downey Man Charged in Death of 6-Year-Old Godson A 23-year-old Downey man was charged with murder today for allegedly fatally beating his 6-year-old godson the day after Christmas. Tyler DShaun Martin Brand made a brief court appearance Monday afternoon on charges of murder and assault on a child causing death, but his arraignment was postponed until Jan. 16. Prosecutors said Brand had been caring for the boy for several days over the holiday break. According to the District Attorneys Office, the boy was severely beaten, and he died at a hospital. ADVERTISEMENT Authorities identified the boy as Dayvon Taylor, who died shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach. Police described Brand only as an acquaintance of the boys mother, but prosecutors said Brand was the boys godfather. Brand, who was arrested Thursday night, faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted, according to the District Attorneys Office. Brand remains jailed in lieu of $2 million bail. CHICO, Calif. - Police gathered in Chico on Jan. 1 to honor officers killed in the line of duty in 2019. The memorial was held at the historic Bidwell Mansion where people gathered for the Peace Officer Memorial ceremony. Chico Police said 132 officers and 19 K-9 officers died in the line of duty in the U.S. in 2019 and during the ceremony, those who attended heard all the officer's names and saw lanterns lit in their honor. "This is just a way for us to honor their legacy and show support for their sacrifice they made for this country and their municipalities," said Officer Paul Ratto. The Chico Police Department's Explorer Program organized the event and is made up of young men and women between the ages of 14 to 21 who are interested in a career in law enforcement. Also attending were the Chico Police Chaplains Association and the Officers' Association were also there. "Any of these people would have come out to save you, how many people would do that?" said Robert Barnett, who came out to honor the fallen. Chico City Councilman Sean Morgan came out for the event and says he's been coming for years. "It's a deep, meaningful thing, any time someone is willing to put their lives on the line for the rest of us we should honor those especially when they lose everything to do it," said Morgan. Morgan added he is happy he saw kids there paying their respect. "They are here to protect us, children should not be afraid of police officers, they should be someone they look up to and someone they respect, so when they come to events like this and see these are the people willing to make this society civil when evil is knocking at the door, it is a great event for kids too," said Morgan. The event also honored a retired Chico Police Officer who died in 2019. "So Officer Darrin Reichel succumbed to a long and courageous battle with cancer this past December. He was an officer who worked for the department for over 20 years and I was with him on the call as a sergeant where he was exposed to a chemical that ultimately took his life," said Chico Police Chief Michael O'Brien. O'Brien added it is important to honor the service and sacrifice these men and women made. It became a Halloween night tradition an ugly one in the mid-1970s. Collecting behind barricades, citizens would jeer and throw toilet paper and eggs at the drag performers gathered in front of the old clock tower of St. Charles Tavern. Taking advantage of one of the few nights when the public display of queer culture would be ignored by law enforcement, the queens paraded along the sidewalk, dodging the projectiles and ugly taunts, and drawing focus from the bar patrons sneaking in through the same back entrance. The event was an important early example of gay visibility in the city, but also one that exposed the rampant homophobia and violence directed at the community at that time. As the crowds ballooned and violence became more extreme, activists and police eventually succeeded in deterring the crowds, siphoning them down to Church Street for a more controlled event that continues to this day. But the clock tower remained and many nights throughout the fall of 2017 including Halloween I would sit inside of it and try to connect to history. Im not sure why I was so drawn to that tower, but it became like a beacon, guiding me to it night after night. It stood high above Yonge, a relic of a previous time, but also evidence that an important space had existed one of communal trauma and joy, a shared lineage that went back well before me. And in a strange way, seated on those dusty floorboards, I felt a part of those experiences, decades after they had ended. I would look out the tiny windows of the tower at the street below, imagining those performers summoning up the courage to stand before the hostile crowds. I would try to conjure up the generations of citizens who had passed through some version of this building each day, Toronto transforming around them. I was now one of them. I had gained permission from property management to document the space as part of a film project. Much of the building was slated for demolition, to be replaced by a massive condominium not unlike the others that had sprung up along the strip. The clock tower at 484-488 Yonge, with its heritage designation, would be absorbed by the complex and refurbished with art, but renderings still had it dwarfed by the large, antiseptic tower. But to me, the magic of the space was so much more than just the wooden clock tower itself. It was also the alleyways, stairwells, basement and four walls that had been witness to so much history and not always the type of history that we like to remember. The tower has survived almost 150 years by hiding in plain sight. Built in 1872, it spent the first third of its life as part of Fire Hall Number Three, although the most interesting details about the address spring from the mid-1920s on, after much of it had been transformed into retail space. There were bicycle shops and a few car dealerships, speaking to the growing transit needs of the city, as well as an art gallery on the second floor that was damaged by fire during the Second World War. The St. Charles opened in 1950, serving Chinese-Canadian fare, with the fire halls surviving brass rail and tower a central component of its marketing campaign: Meet me under the clock! In the present, I find the old dumbwaiters from this version of the tavern in the basement, now filled with cement and sealed shut, the diamond-shaped windows shattered. Grooves in the floor reveal the placement of old food preparation tables. I run my fingers along them and try to snap as many photos as I can. During the 1960s, the shifting demographics of Yonge forced the business to evolve once again. Provincial regulations of the time restricted unaccompanied women in establishments serving alcohol, creating single-gender environments that attracted discreet gay male clientele. A queer bar in everything but name, the St. Charles began to lend its second floor to an ever-changing lineup of dance clubs, while the main level would hold weekly performances by exotic dancers and female impersonators many of the same performers who would later be targeted during those infamous Halloween gatherings in the 1970s. Deep in an abandoned keg room, I find an old Brewers Retail sign screwed to the wall, gesturing to this period when the St. Charles was one of the citys top sellers of draught beer. Graffiti is carved into the wooden door, the names of old staff members. The St. Charles would gradually evolve into less of a draw for the queer community. Compared to the friendlier, gay-owned establishments popping up a few blocks over, the bar became somewhat notorious for petty crimes, drug deals and the sex trade. The taverns notoriety hit its peak after the disappearance and murders of a few patrons brutal attacks that remain unsolved and from which the bar never fully recovered. It closed in 1987. The final decades of 484-488 Yonge were unceremonious. Various retail shops filled the ground floor, with dance clubs like Empire and Circus occupying the upper level until the late 90s. The space would eventually be converted to rental apartments, with the building emptied in late 2018 when demolition began in earnest. During one of my final visits to the building, I muster up the courage to climb up an old service ladder into the highest chamber of the old tower, above the tiny room where I usually sit. There, I find the old clockwork, rusted, the time locked at half-past three. Manually, I turn the mechanism forward, but the clock remains inactive, no sound save for my camera and the birds that have long made the tower their home. Soon it will move again. But perhaps there will still be those drawn to it for reasons beyond merely telling time. Read more about: Transgender teen Jazz Jennings is proudly showing off her gender confirmation surgery scars for the first time since undergoing the procedure in June 2018. The 19-year-old reality TV star and LGBTQ activist took to Instagram on New Year's Eve to post pictures of herself modeling a maroon one-piece that reveals the marks on her upper thighs. 'These are my scars on full display in #2019,' she captioned the photos. 'I'm proud of my scars and love my body just the way it is. I call them my battle wounds because they signify the strength and perseverance it took to finally complete my transition.' Scroll down for video Proud: Jazz Jennings, 19, took to Instagram on New Year's Eve to share photos of her gender confirmation surgery scars for the first time since her June 2018 operation Empowering: In the snapshots, she is modeling a maroon one-piece that reveals the marks on her upper thighs Self-love: In her empowering caption, she explained that she is 'proud' of her scars because they epresent the 'strength and perseverance' it took to complete her transition In honor of the new year, Jazz ended her empowering message with the hashtag '#decadechallenge.' The day before, she posted a throwback video of herself thanking her fans for their support as she recalled the unexpected post-surgery complication she suffered in 2018 during the final step of her transition. At the time, Jazz ended up needing a second procedure to rectify the issue. 'I experienced a major complication with my gender confirmation surgery and wound up back in the OR one week after the initial procedure,' she wrote. 'It was a tough journey, but experiences like that one only make us stronger in the end,' she added. 'Though it can be hard at times, a positive mindset and the support of those around you can help you conquer any challenge. Looking back: Jazz underwent gender confirmation surgery in June 2018 Flashback: On Monday, she posted a throwback video of herself thanking her fans for their support as she recalled the unexpected post-surgery complication she suffered 'Thank you to all my fans who have supported me throughout the years!' Jazz first opened up about the complication during an interview with Nightline in October 2018, four months after her surgery. 'There was just an unfortunate event and setback where things did come apart, and there was a complication,' she said. 'I had to come back in for another procedure, but it was just all part of the journey. The good thing though is that it was only cosmetic and external so it wasnt too dramatic.' The unforeseen issue was caused by the hormone blockers that Jazz believes are responsible for saving her life. Struggle: The teen ended up needing a second procedure after suffering an unexpected complication Last year: Jazz documented her gender confirmation surgery on the fifth season of her TLC series reality series 'I Am Jazz,' which premiered in January 2019. 'Being on the blockers is something that I don't regret at all. But the only, you know, downside to it was that I didn't have enough growth down below. So there wasn't enough tissue to work with when it came to the surgery' she said. 'And it was very challenging to find a doctor, a surgeon who was willing to perform the operation on me just because I'm such a difficult case.' As a result, the family had to seek out an innovative new treatment in the field of genital reconstruction. 'Theyre using the tissue I have, the peritoneum, and also, they may take a skin graft as well. I say it's going to be like a patchwork vagina, Franken-vagina,' she explained at the time. Much-needed break: Jazz announced on Instagram in October 2019 that she was taking a gap year before attending Harvard University to 'focus on self-care' Star student: Jazz was valedictorian when she graduated from Broward Virtual School in the summer of 2019. The LGBTQ activist wore a rainbow cap to her graduation ceremony Jazz documented her gender confirmation surgery on the fifth season of her TLC series reality series 'I Am Jazz,' which premiered in January 2019. She announced on Instagram in October 2019 that she was taking a gap year before attending Harvard University. The reality star explained that she wanted to 'focus on self-care' after a busy year that included her life-changing surgery. Jazz was valedictorian when she graduated from Broward Virtual School in the summer of 2019. She was expected to start at the Ivy League university in the fall. The YouTuber said that deciding to take a break wasn't an easy call to make, but ultimately she thought it right to 'refocus and recenter' in order to be the 'strongest version' of herself. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 11:24:19|Editor: zyl Video Player Close SYDNEY, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Tourists have been told to vacate a 250-km stretch of Australia's southeast coast before Saturday, due to a heightened threat of bushfire -- however fuel and supply shortages are hampering the evacuation. New South Wales' Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) issued an order on social media late on Wednesday evening for tourists to vacate the area. The warning predicted "the same or worse" fire conditions as those felt by the region earlier in the week, which left eight people dead and over 300 homes destroyed. "If you are holidaying on the South Coast, particularly in the general area from Batemans's Bay to the Victorian Border ... you need to leave before this Saturday," the NSW RFS said. "If you are planning to visit the South Coast this weekend, it is not safe. Do not be in this area on Saturday." The South Coast is highly popular with Australian holidaymakers, especially during the Christmas period and by Thursday morning giant queues had formed of those trying to access fuel, food and water. It is the "largest mass relocation of people out of the region that we've ever seen," NSW Minister for Transport, Andrew Constance told the ABC. "People are queueing up to get into petrol stations. You can't leave on an empty tank, because the power is off in a lot of places. We need people to be well-planned." Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged calm and patience from all those affected and said that everything possible is being done to make the evacuation run smoothly. Update 10.55am by Vivenne Clarke: Minister of State for Disability Finian McGrath has criticised anti-abortion protesters who demonstrated outside the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street, Dublin on New Years Day. While he respected the right to protest, outside hospitals was not the place to do that, he told RTE radios Today with Sean ORourke show. Mr McGrath said he supported calls for the imposition of exclusion zones outside maternity units and said he did not believe that it would be difficult to implement such zones. On Wednesday about 100 people, some carrying small crosses and banners, demonstrated outside Holles Street hospital for several hours. Obstetrician and hospital staff member Prof Mary Higgins, who posted a video of the protest online, said it took place beneath the windows of a postnatal ward and in front of people leaving after a miscarriage. Right here (national maternity hospital), right now 1/1/20; wonder why we need exclusion zones @LeoVaradkar @SimonHarrisTD - beneath the windows of a postnatal ward, in front if people leaving after a miscarriage, with small coffins, crosses and unsavoury images. pic.twitter.com/DXBVWXw0GB Mary Higgins (Maire ni hUigin) (@mairenihuigin) January 1, 2020 Mr McGrath said he was very uncomfortable to see the protests outside Holles Street. The place for such protests is outside Leinster House - not at hospitals. He said he supported the right to protest, but not outside hospitals to protect the privacy and feelings of women and families. I think it was wrong what they did. In relation to allegations of intimidation, Mr McGrath said if there was any evidence of intimidation then the people involved should be prosecuted. Earlier: Harris appalled by images of hospital protest; Campaigners defend right to peaceful protest Update 5.40am by Noel Baker: Health Minister Simon Harris has said he is pressing ahead with plans to introduce exclusion zones around maternity hospitals after tweeting that he was appalled at new video images of a New Years Day protest outside the National Maternity Hospital. The minister was responding to a tweet posted by Mary Higgins, an obstetrician and maternal fetal medicine specialist, of what appeared to be a crowd of more than two dozen people outside the NMH hospital on Holles St, Dublin. In the tweet, she tagged Mr Harris and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and said the protesters were beneath the windows of a postnatal ward, in front if people leaving after a miscarriage, with small coffins, crosses and unsavoury images. Mr Harris responded: Appalled to see. I dont wonder why we need it at all. Have been engaging with Attorney General, Gardai & service providers about how best to bring it in in a manner that is constitutional etc. Can assure you I am committed to it and will be meeting cross party on it this month. Last July, the minister had referred to his desire to have exclusion zones placed around maternity hospitals and was discussing proposals having had discussions with gardai and the AG. That also followed a number of protests outside maternity units, with Mr Harris at the time condemning those protests as insensitive and stating there is existing legislation in place to protect them and to protect patients. The issue of protests has come to the fore following the May 2018 passing of the referendum to remove the constitutional ban on abortion, and the subsequent introduction of legislation allowing abortion services to provided through GPs, family planning services, maternity units, and hospitals. Recent figures show more than 12,000 calls in the first 11 months of this last year to the HSE freephone line for people seeking information about unplanned pregnancies. Meanwhile, anti abortion campaigners have taken to social media to defend the right to peaceful protest. In a tweet earlier today David Quinn suggested that any legislation to ban such protests would be an 'extreme' measure which is not seen in any other western country. Looks like a peaceful vigil to me. No Western country has a national law banning this kind of thing. If we introduce one it will only show how extreme our political system has become about the matter. https://t.co/bl3j2B6sMA David Quinn (@DavQuinn) January 1, 2020 Others have suggested many of those calling for a ban are being duplicitous having previously participated or supported pro choice rallies and protests at the same locations. Ireland's pro abortion lobby were the first to legitimise Maternity Hospitals becoming sites for protest and lobbying The photos below are at Holles Street and the Rotunda pic.twitter.com/RA1YAyQ7b7 Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) January 1, 2020 - Additional reporting by Digital Desk A family of six people was able to escape their burning Dauphin County duplex late New Years Day after a young girl saw flames in a living room. Its lucky that the girl spotted the blaze, Susquehanna Township Fire Marshal George Drees said, because there were no smoke detectors installed in the home. Drees also said that family members had complained to their landlord multiple times about electrical problems in the home. Firefighters were called shortly after 10 p.m. to the duplex on the 3400 block on Walnut Street in Susquehanna Township, where the blaze was reported. According to Drees, firefighters arrived on scene about 75 seconds after the blaze was discovered and they could see flames coming from the buildings first floor. It took about three to four minutes for firefighters to extinguish the flames, which had spread through the buildings walls, Drees said. The building was damaged, with broken-out windows and scorched walls visible from the street as firefighters worked to inspect the building about a half hour later. Drees said the fire began in a living room. He could not say with certainty what caused the fire but said hed be investigating into the night. There were no injuries as a result of the fire, Drees said. However, if it would have been later in the night, there is a possibility that all of the family members would have been asleep upstairs as the fire burned on the first floor, he said. They would have been trapped on the second floor with no smoke detectors, Drees said, calling the family very lucky. Drees urged tenants to call their landlords and make clear that they are required by law to provide smoke detectors. If landlords do not comply, tenants can call their local fire companies, he said. The family was able to escape, but they were wearing very little clothing" as the rushed outside into below-freezing temperatures, Drees said. A baby that was preparing for a bath was naked, he said. The family was given a warm place to stay, Drees said, adding that the Red Cross had been contacted. A stretch of Walnut Street was closed as firefighters from four companies worked the scene. No one was inside the other side of the duplex at the time of the fire, Drees said. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. It was a relatively quiet year for the Southeast in terms of major catastrophes compared with 2018 when Hurricanes Michael and Florence caused major damage in the region. This year, Hurricane Dorian sideswiped the Southeast coast and made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina but most of the area was spared. Still, Aon said economic damage in the U.S. and Canada was poised to approach a combined $1.5 billion. Florida spent the year recovering from Hurricane Michael, which was upgraded to a Category 5 storm by NOAA in April. Florida officials have repeatedly called on the insurance industry to speed up the recovery process, with nearly 12% of claims still open a year after the storm hit. There was plenty of other major news coming out of Florida as well. The Florida Legislature was successful this year in passing reform for the states assignment of benefits crisis that has led to rising insurance rates and insurers pulling back from writing coverage in some areas. Financial issues for two Florida domestic insurers that ultimately led to major moves by state regulators the liquidation of Florida Specialty Insurance Co. and Windhaven Insurance Co. being placed into rehabilitation were other top headlines. The overturning of a cargo ship carrying 4,200 vehicles in a Georgia port was another popular story among readers, as was a fire at a Kentucky Jim Beam Whiskey warehouse that destroyed 45,000 barrels of the spirit. Here are the Top 10 Stories for the Southeast for 2019: After three years of major hurricanes in the state, Floridians took this hurricane season more seriously with agents reporting their customers were upping limits and adding coverage, including flood. According to data from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulations, the states private flood insurance market has grown 169% since 2017, OIR said, with private carriers writing more than 62,000 personal primary flood insurance policies in the state. As of May of this year, there were 29 private insurers writing flood coverage in Florida. OIR said Hurricanes Hermine, Matthew, Irma and Michael impacted Florida in their own unique way and each storm over the past three years has given the state an opportunity to identify strengths in response efforts but also areas that could be improved. Measuring 656 feet (199 meters) long and 83 feet (25 meters) wide, the Golden Ray was roughly the size of a 70-story office building. The U.S. Coast Guard is leading the investigation into what caused the South Korean ship Golden Ray to capsize in September soon after it departed the Port of Brunswick, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Savannah. The ships pilot and 23 crew members were all safely rescued, including four men trapped for 36 hours before they could be extracted through a hole drilled into the hull. After seven years of failed attempts, Florida legislators have passed property insurance reform to address the abuse of a policyholder benefit known as assignment of benefits (AOB). The insurance industry and consumers advocates say the abuse has caused higher insurance premiums in the state and made insurance harder to obtain. Some policyholders have already seen some relief as OIR approved rates from Citizens Property Insurance Corporatio due to the legislation that reduces unnecessary litigation responsible for driving up rates for the past several years. Florida personal lines insurer Florida Specialty Insurance Co. (FSIC) was been ordered into receivership in October and liquidated after state regulators determined the company was insolvent and unable to establish a viable business plan moving forward. The Florida Department of Financial Services was appointed as the receiver and the insurers more than 90,000 policyholders were moved to the state-run insurer Citizens or placed in the private market. Floridas battle with legalizing medical marijuana continued this year. A Florida appellate court ruled in July that the states approach to regulating marijuana is unconstitutional, possibly allowing more providers to jump into a market positioned to become one of the countrys most lucrative. The ruling by the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee was another setback for Florida officials trying to regulate the burgeoning marijuana industry more tightly. It mostly affirmed a lower courts ruling that the caps and operational requirements violated the voter-approved constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana in 2016. Ever since, the law has been a subject of debate in the legislature and courts. AOB reform wasnt the only insurance-related law passed by the Florida Legislature in 2019. Lawmakers also passed a catch-all omnibus bill that targeted the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund reimbursement, policy discounts and surplus lines. A law that revises what homeowners insurance policies must include relating to flood insurance with policy documents at initial issuance and renewals was also passed. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the AOB reform bill in May, saying in a statement, I thank the Florida Legislature for passing meaningful AOB reform, which has become a racket in recent years. This legislation will protect Florida consumers from predatory insurance practices. Non-standard private passenger auto insurer Windhaven Insurance Co. (WIC), based in Miami, was placed into rehabilitation by a Florida court and the Florida Department of Financial Services was appointed as the receiver in December. The insurer, which became licensed in Florida in 2005 as a domestic insurer to write private passenger auto liability and private passenger auto physical damage lines of business, has about 73,000 active policies in the state. WIC is the carrier for its Windhaven, Icon, Select and Optimum auto insurance programs. The move came after OIR placed the company under administrative supervision due to its hazardous financial condition. Floridas new hands-free law prohibits a person from operating a motor vehicle while using a wireless communications device in a handheld manner in a designated school crossing, school zone or work zone; authorizes a law enforcement officer during a specified period to stop motor vehicles to issue warnings to persons who are driving while using a wireless communications device in a handheld manner in a designated school crossing, school zone or work zone; requires all law enforcement agencies to maintain such information and report it to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in a form and manner determined by the department, etc. In July, a Jim Beam storage warehouse burned down in Kentucky and destroyed 45,000 barrels of aging whiskey. Bourbon that leaked the fire that destroyed the barrel warehouse in Kentucky made its way to the Ohio River. Jim Beam later wrote an open letter to some newspapers to thank firefighters for battling a fire that recently burned down a storage warehouse in Kentucky. Beam officials said theyre working with state and local authorities to restore the natural environment near the warehouse that was destroyed when a lightning strike triggered the fire. Beam writes that it did everything we could to manage the impact to wildlife. Other Hot Topics in the Southeast in 2019: Topics Carriers Catastrophe Legislation Auto Florida Flood Cannabis Georgia Hurricane Market Kentucky Dividend paying stocks like G4S plc (LON:GFS) tend to be popular with investors, and for good reason - some research suggests a significant amount of all stock market returns come from reinvested dividends. Unfortunately, it's common for investors to be enticed in by the seemingly attractive yield, and lose money when the company has to cut its dividend payments. A high yield and a long history of paying dividends is an appealing combination for G4S. It would not be a surprise to discover that many investors buy it for the dividends. Some simple analysis can reduce the risk of holding G4S for its dividend, and we'll focus on the most important aspects below. Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis LSE:GFS Historical Dividend Yield, January 2nd 2020 Payout ratios Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. In the last year, G4S paid out 395% of its profit as dividends. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, from the perspective of an investor who hopes to own the company for many years, a payout ratio of above 100% is definitely a concern. In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. G4S paid out 112% of its free cash last year. Cash flows can be lumpy, but this dividend was not well covered by cash flow. Cash is slightly more important than profit from a dividend perspective, but given G4S's payments were not well covered by either earnings or cash flow, we are concerned about the sustainability of this dividend. Is G4S's Balance Sheet Risky? As G4S's dividend was not well covered by earnings, we need to check its balance sheet for signs of financial distress. A rough way to check this is with these two simple ratios: a) net debt divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), and b) net interest cover. Net debt to EBITDA is a measure of a company's total debt. Net interest cover measures the ability to meet interest payments. Essentially we check that a) the company does not have too much debt, and b) that it can afford to pay the interest. G4S has net debt of 3.33 times its EBITDA, which is getting towards the limit of most investors' comfort zones. Judicious use of debt can enhance shareholder returns, but also adds to the risk if something goes awry. Story continues We calculated its interest cover by measuring its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), and dividing this by the company's net interest expense. Interest cover of 4.58 times its interest expense is starting to become a concern for G4S, and be aware that lenders may place additional restrictions on the company as well. We update our data on G4S every 24 hours, so you can always get our latest analysis of its financial health, here. Dividend Volatility One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. For the purpose of this article, we only scrutinise the last decade of G4S's dividend payments. The dividend has been stable over the past 10 years, which is great. We think this could suggest some resilience to the business and its dividends. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was UK0.064 in 2010, compared to UK0.097 last year. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.2% a year over that time. While the consistency in the dividend payments is impressive, we think the relatively slow rate of growth is unappealing. Dividend Growth Potential Dividend payments have been consistent over the past few years, but we should always check if earnings per share (EPS) are growing, as this will help maintain the purchasing power of the dividend. It's good to see G4S has been growing its earnings per share at 30% a year over the past five years. The company has been growing its EPS at a very rapid rate, while paying out virtually all of its income as dividends. Generally, a company that is growing rapidly while paying out a majority of its earnings, is seeing its debt burden increase. We'd be conscious of any extra risk added by this practice. Conclusion When we look at a dividend stock, we need to form a judgement on whether the dividend will grow, if the company is able to maintain it in a wide range of economic circumstances, and if the dividend payout is sustainable. G4S paid out almost all of its cash flow and profit as dividends, leaving little to reinvest in the business. Next, growing earnings per share and steady dividend payments is a great combination. Ultimately, G4S comes up short on our dividend analysis. It's not that we think it is a bad company - just that there are likely more appealing dividend prospects out there on this analysis. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 12 G4S analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with our free report on analyst estimates for the company. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a market capitalisation above $1bn and yielding more 3%. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. To the Editor: Re The Patriarchy of Alcoholics Anonymous, by Holly Whitaker (Op-Ed, Dec. 28): For anyone who has attended more than a handful of A.A. meetings, Ms. Whitakers opinion that the organization is patriarchal makes little sense. While it was founded by a group of men nearly a century ago, todays A.A. is nonhierarchical and run by diverse groups of neighborhood volunteers, including many women. Moreover, Ms. Whitaker mischaracterizes the central tenet of A.A.s philosophy entirely when she writes that it is designed to break people down. To the contrary, it raises people up through group therapy and community support. To support her argument, Ms. Whitaker cavalierly claims that one of the 12 steps is admitting powerlessness but conveniently fails to explain that the step is actually We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable, which changes the meaning of the phrase entirely. Going to A.A. is not a sign of weakness in any sense. Indeed, walking into my first A.A. meeting was the single bravest thing I have ever done. I was in a terrible emotional place and I shared my story, publicly breaking into tears. The outpouring of support that I received from the others moves me to this day. Random people gave me their phone numbers and made sure to take mine. They called and texted me for weeks just to make sure I was doing O.K. The experience will renew your faith in humanity. WICHITA, Kan., Jan. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HM Dunn AeroSystems, Inc. today announced the company would provide alternate assignments for team members impacted by Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Spirit AeroSystems temporary suspension of 737 MAX production. The company does not expect to furlough people at this time due to the recently announced temporary suspension of work on the program. Our leadership team worked through the holidays to build a customer and performance focused plan that allows us to keep our team for the future intact, said Phil Anderson, President and CEO. We believe in the 737 MAX airplane and are confident that Boeing and regulators will successfully work together to safely return the airplane to service in the near future. The company plans to provide people alternative assignments on other airplane programs where practical. Those programs include the Boeing 777, 777-X, KC-46A Tanker, B-52, F-15, F-18; Lockheed Martin F-35, F-16, C-130, and CH-53K; Airbus A320; and Gulfstreams newest business jets, the G500/600. As a small business in the aerospace industry, diversification is important. Generally, small businesses have less access to sources of capital. In a situation like this, cash reserves and the ability to access additional affordable capital is important, said Anderson. While we are managing cash and liquidity closely, a diversified business mix helps a small company navigate the ebbs and flows of the global aerospace industry. Over the past twenty-four months we have strategically focused our efforts on diversification, said Anderson. Our success is providing us flexibility in the current situation while creating a stable and growing long-term company. The company will also use this opportunity to increase volunteer support to the communities where it does business. We are staying positive and focused on our people, our communities and our customers, said Anderson. Taking the opportunity to keep our team intact while making a positive impact in our community is a winning strategy. About HM Dunn AeroSystems, Inc. HM Dunn AeroSystems, Inc., is a manufacturer of aerospace structural components and assemblies with operations in Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. The companys capabilities include high-speed CNC machining, bonding, chemical milling, and finishing. The company specializes in small, medium and large-scale aircraft assemblies of varying complexity for the global commercial aerospace and defense industry. Philip Anderson HM Dunn AeroSystems, Inc. 316-977-8110 Egypt-based ArpuPlus, a subsidiary of A15 and the Middle East and North Africas (Mena) biggest content aggregator with more than 400,000 pieces of diversified content, recently showcased its latest innovative services at the Messaging & SMS World Summit London 2019, held in the UK. The event was one of the largest annual gathering for the global messaging and SMS industry. It took place amid new challenges facing the SMS industry and A2P (application-to-person) business brought forth by the emergence of RCS, Whatsapp, and other similar modern applications. During the event, ArpuPlus engaged with SMS providers from around the world. The companys delegates shared their latest experiences and knowledge regarding newest solutions, business models, and technologies, including fraud management systems, which are designed to enrich current business set-up in the industry, said a statement from the company. Shady Aziz, mobile advertising head, ArpuPlus, said: The event provided us with a strategic international platform to highlight the strengths and benefits of our services, specifically our company portfolio in SMS business. The company also took the opportunity to put the spotlight on the brand; forge new partnerships and strengthen existing ties with offshore SMS providers; and open new revenue streams through collaborations, he stated. During the event, we learned as well the latest in the SMS market dynamics, chatbots, and Rich Communication Services (RCS), in addition to the newest global trends and developments. Participating in the summit was a productive experience for us, he added.-TradeArabia News Service (File photo: 14 March 2018) Our Lady of the Hour Catholic Church stands in ruins in Mosul (AFP or licensors) As the Iraqi city of Mosul struggles to rebuild after the destruction wrought by the so-called Islamic State, the local Catholic Archbishop says Christians are stronger in their faith than ever before. By Devin Watkins Mosul served as the unofficial capital of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) from June 2014 until their expulsion in July 2017. The terrorist group left the ancient city in ruins, and depopulated. Only a handful of the hundreds of thousands who fled their barbaric rule in the northern Iraqi city have returned. Archbishop Najib Mikhael Moussa, OP, the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, gave an overview of life in the city. He told Vatican Radios Marie Duhamel that reconstruction efforts in the city are following an uneven path, given the destruction caused by ISIS. Homes destroyed Mosul is divided by the Tigris River. The locally-known Left Bank (east side) was left 20-25% destroyed. Many people were quick to return there and rebuild. Today the area is truly a living place, according to Archbishop Moussa. But the so-called Islamic State devastated 95% of the Right Bank (west side) portion of the city. Fourteen churches were completely destroyed, along with 4 monasteries, he said. Life there is far from normal. Listen to our report Relations in ruins The terror spread by ISIS also left a scar on inter-religious relations, and now many Christians are hesitant to return home. Many Christians have lost confidence in their neighbors, due to the friction they see between different Muslim groups, said Archbishop Moussa. The situation is still volatile, he said. So Christians prefer to put off returning home in hopes of a more stable peace. Volatile politics Archbishop Moussa said the situation is not helped by the continuing political unrest in Iraq, where mass protests over the last 3 months have destabilized the government. People are still worried because the general situation in the country is not politically stable, he said. There is no justice, no law, only corruption. But stronger faith The Archbishop said the Church cannot be silent, and works to protect those Christians who remain in Iraq. If we want Christians to stay in Iraq, we must help them to remain at home, he said, calling for guaranteed housing and job placement. Archbishop Moussa concedes that reconstruction in Mosul, and throughout Iraq, will be a long and difficult process. But today, he said, the faith of Christians in Iraq is much stronger than yesterday. A 15-year-old Jewish boy has been attacked at knife-point on a New York bus while a Hasidic Jew was punched in the throat for trying to film two women hurling anti-Semitic slurs at him in the latest spate of violent attacks. The teenager was riding the bus in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn on Tuesday when he was approached by two assailants armed with a knife. Police said they stole his earbuds and yarmulke before taunting him with anti-Semitic slurs. The two assailants continued to taunt the teen for roughly 17 stops before giving him back his belongings and jumping off the bus two miles away in Marine Park. The NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force is currently investigating the incident. Meanwhile, the task force is also investigating a separate incident in Brooklyn where a 21-year-old Hasidic Jew was punched in the throat by two women as he tried to film them yelling anti-Semitic slurs at him. Police said two black women approached the man while he was walking in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Broadway Triangle on Wednesday and started yelling: 'F**k you Jew' and 'I will kill you Jews'. Police are investigating after a 21-year-old Hasidic Jew was punched in the throat by two women in Brooklyn's Broadway Triangle on Wednesday. He was attacked while filming them yelling anti-Semitic slurs at him. One of the women is pictured above The man is believed to have pulled out his phone to film the two women as they continued to taunt him. One of the women is accused of grabbing the man's phone, throwing it to the ground and punching him in the throat. Footage obtained by Pix11 shows one of the women walking beside the man just before his phone is snatched. Police arrested the two women a short distance away. They have charged one of the women, identified as Arugudo Jacinte, with assault, robbery, harassment and criminal mischief. No charges have yet been filed against the other woman who was taken into custody. Mayor Bill de Blasio later tweeted about the attack on the 21-year-old saying: 'People MUST be able to walk their own neighborhoods free from fear. 'NYPD has enhanced patrol presence in Jewish communities. Starting tonight, additional officers from the Strategic Response Group, the same highly trained unit that helped keep New Yorkers safe in Times Square last night, will be on the streets.' Police said two black women approached the man while he was walking in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Broadway Triangle on Wednesday and started yelling: 'F**k you Jew' and 'I will kill you Jews'. Police arrested the two women a short distance away Mayor Bill de Blasio later tweeted about the attack on the 21-year-old saying: 'People MUST be able to walk their own neighborhoods free from fear' These two recent attacks are the latest in a string of violent anti-Semitic incidents across New York. There have been 14 other documented incidents of anti-Semitic violence in the city since Hanukkah began. Disturbing footage emerged this week of an Orthodox Jewish man being assaulted by a group of seven teenagers as he walked down a street in Brooklyn's Crown Heights on December 24. The man could be seen trying to avoid the group of black teenagers as he walked along the sidewalk before one of them threw a camping chair at his head. He could be seen quickly trying to walk away but was chased by two of the teens. They were caught on camera taking turns to punch him. A third teenager picked up the folding chair and threw it at the victim again before the group sprinted from the area. Disturbing footage emerged this week of an Orthodox Jewish man being assaulted by a group of seven teenagers as he walked down a street in Brooklyn's Crown Heights on December 24 The same group of teenagers were also recorded on surveillance cameras carrying out a second brutal attack on a 56-year-old Jewish man soon after TIMELINE OF ATTACKS ON JEWS IN NEW YORK SINCE HANUKKAH BEGAN Jan. 1 - A 21-year-old Hasidic Jew is punched in the throat by two women as he tries to film them yelling anti-Semitic slurs at him in Brooklyn Dec. 31 - Jewish boy, 15, is attacked on a Brooklyn bus at knife-point as two assailants steal his earpods and yarmulke Dec. 28 - A suspect, believe to be Grafton Thomas, 37, enters a rabbi's home during a Hanukkah celebration in Monsey and attacks five with a machete Dec. 27, 7am - Man in hoodie threatens to shoot up Lubavitch headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn Dec. 27, 12:40am - Tiffany Harris, 30, is arrested for allegedly slapping three other women in the face and head on a Crown Heights corner Dec. 26, 3:20pm - Homeless woman, 42, yells anti-Semitic slur and then strikes a Jewish woman in the head with her bag in front of her three-year-old son Dec. 25, 1am - A Jewish man wearing a skullcap while walking in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn was punched in an unprovoked attack Dec. 24 - A 25-year-old Jewish man had a drink thrown at him by a group shouting anti-Semitic slurs Dec. 24, 6pm - A Jewish man, 56, was punched in the head by one person as the same group filmed the incident and laughed Dec. 24, 5:30pm - A Jewish man is attacked by a group of teens with a camping chair and is punched several times Dec. 23 - A Miami man was arrested for making an anti-Semitic remark and attacking a man in midtown Manhattan Advertisement Jewish Future Alliance founder Yaakov Behrman, who shared the surveillance video on Twitter, said the victim did not report the attack to police because he feared it would develop into another attack. The same group of teenagers were also recorded on surveillance cameras carrying out a second brutal attack on a 56-year-old Jewish man soon after. On this occasion, the victim was punched in the back of the head by one member of the group and then thrown to the ground. Others were seen taking out their cell phones and recording the incident as they laughed and cheered. The group had fled the area by the time police responded to a 911 call. It occurred just four days before the brutal stabbing attack where five people were slashed with a machete when Grafton Thomas, 37, allegedly stormed into a rabbi's home in Monsey during a Hanukkah celebration last Saturday. The family of one of the victims, Josef Neumann, released a harrowing photo on Wednesday of him in his hospital bed hooked up to a respiratory machine. Neumann's family, who say he may never regain consciousness, said the knife used in the attack penetrated his skull and impacted his brain. He also suffered three cuts to the head, a cut to his neck and his right arm was shattered. 'Doctors are not optimistic about his chances to regain consciousness,' his family said. 'If our father does miraculously recover partially, doctors expect that he will have permanent damage to the brain; leaving him partially paralyzed and speech-impaired for the rest of his life.' Neumann has seven children, multiple grandchildren and one great-grandchild. According to a criminal complaint, Neumann was among those injured when the alleged attacker - with a scarf covering his face - entered the rabbi's home next door to a synagogue and said 'no one is leaving'. Thomas then allegedly took out a machete and started stabbing and slashing people in the home packed with dozens of congregants. The five victims suffered serious injuries - including a severed finger, slash wounds and deep lacerations. Josef Neumann was among the five people injured in the Hanukkah stabbing attack in Monsey, New York last Saturday. His family released this harrowing photo of him in hospital and said they fear he will never regain consciousness The alleged attacker, Grafton Thomas, 37, has pleaded not guilty to charges including five counts of attempted murder. He is also charged with federal hate crimes after his handwritten journals containing anti-Semitic references were found The suspect, wearing a hood and scarf, makes his way up stairs to Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg's Shul carrying the blade Thomas has pleaded not guilty to charges including five counts of attempted murder. He is also charged with federal hate crimes after authorities said they found his handwritten journals containing anti-Semitic references and that he had recently used his phone to look up information on Hitler and the location of synagogues. Thomas was arrested within two hours of the attack. When police pulled his car over in Manhattan, he allegedly had blood all over his clothing and smelled of bleach but said 'almost nothing' to the arresting officers. Authorities say they discovered a blood-stained 18-inch machete and a knife smeared with dried blood and hair from Thomas' car after the attack. Police haven't offered an explanation yet for what they think motivated Thomas to select his targets. Thomas' lawyer and family have said he has struggled for years with mental illness and hadn't previously shown any animosity to Jews. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has attributed the alarming rise in anti-Semitic violence in the city to the hate that is spreading like cancer across America currently. This is an intolerant time in this country. We see anger, we see hatred exploding, Cuomo said. 'It is an American cancer that is spreading in the body politic.' A reader bought the first copy of the Irish Independent 115 years ago today. It was a transaction based on trust and one that established a mutual dependence, for papers truly belong to their readers rather than their owners. Yet the genesis of media empires tends to be traced back to fabulously rich press barons. William Martin Murphy fitted the bill, owning as he did trams, railways and Clerys department store. The addition of a mass circulation newspaper could only add to his lustre. To be fair, he believed an emerging nation needed an "independent" voice. Today, as then, life still pulsates on every page - or screen, now that we are in a digital age. Academics and historians have the luxury of dissecting and cataloguing the past. But history walks side by side with the working journalist. Thus, our paper was there for all the pains and triumphs in the earliest days and more recent life of the nation. Murphy's proprietorship was epoch-making. An incendiary editorial calling for the execution of 1916 Proclamation signatories also made it controversial. His role in the Great Lock-Out brought a Dublin city of infested tenements to boiling point and left a bitter taste. Through the War of Independence, newspapers were the targets of intimidation and violence from both the crown forces and the IRA. The crown forces were especially heavy-handed in their attempts to silence public discourse. But there was also republican violence against the press, the most famous incident being the IRA's attack on the Irish Independent in December 1919. The newly established Dail was given strong coverage, but the paper steadfastly attacked the IRA as "the extreme wing of the popular movement" and referred to IRA activities as "dastardly crimes". Such forthright reporting inevitably provoked retaliation. When, on December 19, 1919, a section of the Dublin IRA ambushed the cavalcade of the lord lieutenant, the paper attacked the "deplorable outrage". IRA figures were enraged by the editorial. One of these was Dan Breen, who later served as a TD, who recalled: "This was the very paper which depended on the support of the people who had voted for the establishment of the Irish Republic." IRA rage turned to action the next day when a group of volunteers led by Peadar Clancy entered the paper's offices. Clancy informed the first editor, Timothy Harrington, that his paper was to be suppressed for having "endeavoured to misrepresent the sympathies and opinions of the Irish people". It was in the same columns, fresh off the press, that families split by the War of Independence and the Civil War followed unfolding events. Today, as ever, it is attention that is scarce, not stories, so journalists must work like prospectors to find the genuine article. Where traditionally people picked up a paper, today, as Laurie Anderson wrote, "technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories". But our ties with each other will prevail, whatever the platform or page. We have been there for both the historical comings together and comings apart, from the bank guarantee to the bailout to the recovery. One recalls a more monotone republic, times such as when Pope John Paul II arrived in Ireland in 1979. He had the whole world in his hands, as the Irish Independent reported. He was welcomed on stage in Galway by Bishop Eamonn Casey and Fr Michael Cleary. Within little more than a decade, readers would learn that two of the best-known clerics in the country had secretly fathered children. Under the headline "My Father the Bishop", we reported how Annie Murphy had given birth to Bishop Casey's son in 1974, though the story broke only in 1992. The country was changing and orthodoxies were being challenged. The heart-breaking revelations in the Murphy Report and the abuse reports and cover-ups marked a painful awakening. A necessary rebalancing - but not a rejection - of Church and State occurred. One also remembers Taoiseach Charlie Haughey telling the country it was living beyond its means in the straitened 1980s. It would emerge, thanks to an exclusive report by Sam Smyth in this paper in 1996, that Haughey, who liked to be known as the Boss, had been given 1m by businessman Ben Dunne. The story prompted enterprising pedlars to print T-shirts with the legend "Ben there, Dunne that, Bought the Taoiseach". We have chronicled phenomenal social change: the 16-year legal battle right up to June 24, 1993, when homosexuality was finally decriminalised. Two years later, on November 24, 1995, the divorce referendum was also narrowly passed. Standing up to dark forces which would subvert the State and its laws has also been part of our remit. There will always be those who do not want the story to be told. In June 1996, the country was numbed by the murder of Veronica Guerin of the 'Sunday Independent'. At her funeral in the chapel at Dublin Airport, her husband, Graham Turley, recalled how, a few months earlier, the crime reporter had been at a Mass where the hymn 'Be Not Afraid' was sung. She had been deeply moved by its sentiment. When the hymn was sung at her requiem Mass, the congregation was shattered. But it was testament to Veronica's legacy that ultimately it would be the drug lords who would be afraid. Her courage still inspires, as does that of campaigning 'Sunday World' journalist Martin O'Hagan, who was shot dead by gunmen in Co Armagh in 2001. The changing course of history means nothing stays the same for long. Almost half a century ago, the Murphy family were eclipsed by rising star Tony O'Reilly, who took over the Irish Independent group in 1973. Over three decades he built and then lost a media empire stretching from Dublin's Talbot Street to the southern tip of the Cape of Good Hope and on to Queensland. Incautious borrowing led to a mountain of debt, preparing the way for O'Reilly to be ousted. Billionaire Denis O'Brien stepped into the frame as majority shareholder, shelling out hundreds of millions for the privilege. His tenure would see the debt sorted out, including a write-down by bailed-out banks. But his ownership would also end amid controversy - a number of statutory inquiries into boardroom allegations have yet to be completed. Today, Mediahuis, an immensely experienced Belgian-Dutch publishing house, owns this title. It too was quick to acknowledge the future of the Irish Independent is, and always will be, in the hands of you, our loyal readers. Marking the 75th anniversary of this paper in 1980, the editorial writer noted: "No newspaper worker can ever forget that their success depends on the attention of the reader. If this is lost, the battle is lost." And so it still is. To be with you in your individual battles amid the chaos of modern life is our privilege. For the unread story is not a story, and only becomes alive when we read it together. Tom Coogan is Comment Editor of the Irish Independent By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil inched up on Thursday on rising tensions in the Middle East and signs of improving Washington-Beijing trade relations, but a strong U.S. dollar limited price gains. Brent crude futures settled at $66.25 a barrel, gaining 25 cents. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled at $61.18, rising 12 cents. The dollar rose about 0.5% <.DXY>, recovering from a six-month low after a downbeat December left the index virtually unchanged for 2019. A stronger dollar makes oil more expensive for holders of other currencies. Worries that rising tensions in the Middle East could hit supply outweighed strides in the dollar index. Turkey's parliament overwhelmingly approved a bill allowing troop deployment in Libya, paving the way for further military cooperation between Ankara and Tripoli. It is unlikely to put boots on the ground immediately. Over the weekend, the U.S. military carried out air strikes against the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia group. Angry protesters then stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday, although they withdrew after the United States deployed extra troops. On Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said there were indications Iran or forces it backs may be planning additional attacks. "I think everybody is conscious of what's going on in the Middle East with Iraq and Libya," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital in New York. Growing optimism that a trade truce between the world's two largest economies will support energy demand also supported oil. U.S. President Donald Trump has said Jan. 15 would mark the signing of the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade deal. January also marks the scheduled start of deeper output cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners, including Russia. The group agreed to cut output by a further 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) from Jan. 1, on top of their previous cut of 1.2 million bpd. Story continues Russia reported record high 2019 oil and gas condensate production of 11.25 million bpd, beating the previous record of 11.16 million bpd set a year earlier, Energy Ministry data showed. A fall in U.S. crude inventories last week also supported prices. U.S. crude stocks fell 7.8 million barrels in the week ended Dec. 27, compared with analysts' expectations for a decrease of 3.2 million barrels, data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed on Tuesday. Official data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) is due on Friday having been delayed by two days by the New Year's holiday. (Additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar in London and Jane Chung in Seoul; editing by David Gregorio and Lisa Shumaker) New Delhi: India has reached out to countries across the world, including Bangladesh, on the issues of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. "We have explained our position to the Bangladesh government on the NRC. We said this is an internal matter, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. "We did reach out to countries across the globe on Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC," Kumar said at a media briefing. "We emphasised that the Act (CAA) just expedites acquiring of citizenship to persecuted minorities. It does not change basic structure of Constitution," he said. On when the India-Japan summit, which was postponed following protests in Guwahati last month, will be held, Kumar said the dates for it will be finalised soon. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The unbundling of the gas transmission system (GTS) was completed as scheduled. National Joint-Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine has announced completion of GTS unbundling as executives of PJSC Ukrtransgaz and PJSC Magistralni Gazoprovody Ukrainy [Trunk Gas Pipelines of Ukraine] (MGU) have signed the acceptance-delivery certificate after which the LLC Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) was officially transferred to the MGU, an entity owned by Ukraine's Finance Ministry. Read alsoNaftogaz CEO Kobolyev comments on new gas transit deal with Russia "In addition, GTSOU has received assets of the Ukrainian gas transmission system [GTS] by a separate certificate. The acceptance-delivery certificate contains over 47,000 items with a book value of over UAH 32 billion [US$1.4 billion]. The move was pre-agreed by all parties involved in the unbundling, including Naftogaz, the State Property Fund, the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Protection," Naftogaz's press service said on January 1. "This was the final stage of the process of separating the gas transmission system of Ukraine from Naftogaz. An unbundling of the GTS was completed as scheduled. The new independent TSO started fully independent operations today," the press service added. According to Naftogaz, this was the most significant reform in the energy sector over Ukraine's independence. "Our country has complied with the requirements of the [European Union's] Third Energy Package and has demonstrated that it is a responsible and reliable partner for the EU. Naftogaz has ceased to be a shareholder in the GTS operator. We will be its major client and are ready to continue joint support of initiatives aimed at developing a competitive and transparent gas market," Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev said. As UNIAN reported earlier, on October 31, the Verkhovna Rada passed the bill on the unbundling of the gas transmission system from Naftogaz with the GTS remaining wholly owned by the state. UNIAN memo. Unbundling is the separation of natural gas transmission activities (by the GTS Operator) from the production/generation and supplies of natural gas and electricity. Effective unbundling is expected to become the key to the formation of an independent operator of Ukraine's GTS certified by European requirements. The existence and work of such an operator will strengthen the position and role of Ukraine in talks with Russia on the extension of transit and preservation of Ukraine's GTS from 2020. The Ondo State Government has said the over 200 herders who arrived in Ajowa-Akoko community on Sunday were not Nigerians. The government was reacting on Thursday to a criticism from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state that it was encouraging the settlement of herders in the state. The men, who were conveyed to the community in heavy duty trucks, reportedly disembarked in Ajowa-Akoko community on Sunday evening. By Monday morning, the development had elicited reactions from the youth of the community. Members of the community immediately chased the foreigners though some of them claimed to have paid some amount of money to stay in the community. The towns traditional ruler, Clement Jimoh, said the arrival of the herders was an embarrassment to the community. He said the elders and security agencies prevailed on the youth of the community not to take the law into their hands. Meanwhile, the PDP accused the Rotimi Akeredolu-led government of planning to bring in herdsmen to settle in different parts of the state. The PDP Publicity Secretary, Zadok Akintoye, said the governor had been encouraging the influx of herders into the state. Reaction Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Donald Ojogo, said the PDPs allegation was aimed at creating distrust between the people and the government. He said the influx of the strangers to Ajowa Akoko was reported to the state government after the community had chased the intruders away. READ ALSO: From preliminary reports at the disposal of government, these people were not Fulani of Nigerian descent but foreigners, the commissioner said. Mr Ojogo said at the time they were prevented from settling at Ajowa and subsequently chased to the boundary between Ondo and Kogi States, there were no cattle with them. It is to be noted however, that an indigene of Ajowa Akoko who is alleged to be responsible for the unauthorised movement of these foreigners to the town has been placed under security watch. Mr Governor has consequently, ordered his immediate arrest and interrogation without further delay, he said. Also, the suspected collaborator of Araba, a Fulani butcher resident in Ajowa, is said to have been chased out of the town by restive youths. In another development, shanties built by suspected Fulani in an industrial layout in Akure without authorisation have been evacuated by security agencies on the orders of the State Government. Nonetheless, it is pertinent to state without prejudice to the hospitality of our people that, unauthorised mass movement or influx into Ondo State will not be encouraged by government. In the same vein, potential collaboration in this regard will not be tolerated. Mr Ojogo also said the Ondo State Government frowned strongly at any form of self-help capable of jeopardising cordial relationship among Nigerians irrespective of religion and ethnicity. He added that the regional security outfit, Amotekun, which is billed for unveiling in Ibadan on January 9, would create an atmosphere that would engender peaceful coexistence in the South-west. A 61-year-old Texas woman was killed after being struck by a stray bullet while celebrating the New Year shortly after midnight Wednesday. Harris County deputies responded to a report of a gunshot victim in North Houston. Deputies said Philippa Ashford, 61, and her family had been discharging fireworks with their neighbors in the cul-de-sac of their street when she cried out that she had been shot, struck by a bullet fired from an unknown location. Ashford died at the scene from a single gunshot wound shortly after EMS arrived. Deputies believe Ashford was struck by celebratory gunfire from outside the immediate neighborhood. Deputies canvassed the area and could not locate the source of the gunfire, finding no evidence of shooting from anywhere close to the crime scene. We have no indication that any family member or anybody in the cul-de-sac was discharging a firearm and weve walked the streets and canvassed up and down to see if we can find any shell casings in the neighborhood and are not finding anything, said Sgt. Ben Beall, a spokesman for the Harris County Sheriffs Office. Ashford worked as a nurse manager at a mental health facility in southwest Houston. Known as Phil, Ashford was board-certified in psychiatric nursing, with an expertise in motivational interviewing, mentalization-based therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and community integration. In 2015, Ashford was presented with the Texas Nurses Association District 9 Top 25 Outstanding Nurses Award. She was also an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and was a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society and the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Houston police and Harris County deputies issued public alerts on New Years Eve warning the public not to discharge their weapons while celebrating. Celebratory gunfire can be classified as deadly conduct, a misdemeanor offense that carries a punishment of up to a $4,000 fine or up to one year in prison. Advertisement An Australian farmer who was forced to shoot 20 of his cows after they were badly injured in the New South Wales bushfires faces a fresh new hell as he runs out of water and feed for the remaining herd. Steve Shipton from Coolagolite, between the hard-hit towns of Cobargo and Bermagui, mercy killed around 10 percent of his herd, including pregnant heifers that were in extreme pain and so weak they were unable to stand, so they wouldn't continue to suffer. And now he faces having to kill the rest of his heard because there is no water or feed to sustain the livestock that miraculously survived the fire. A photographer who witnessed the charitable killings and has set up a GoFundMe to help the the dairy farmer and his community wrote 'Steve said that he was proud that he had kept his herd so healthy during such tough times'. Steve Shipton inspects the burns on a calf he has just put down in his paddock after a bushfire in Coolagolite It is now feared that the remaining livestock may need to be put down or face starving to death and the dairy farmer faces losing his families livelihood. Mr Shipton was consoled by neighbouring farmers after the heart-wrenching task of putting down the cattle which had been severely burnt by fires that swept through his property. Graphic pictures show the moments leading up to the killings, as well as the moments directly after, where he was consoled by fellow farmers Bernie Smith and Peter Mercieca. After completing the harrowing task of putting down about a tenth of his herd, Mr Shipton shook the hand of a local vet and thanked him for the support. Pictures show the farmer checking the burns on the cattle and the distressing moment he shot another with his rifle. Steve Shipton shoots an injured calf in his paddock after a bushfire tore through the community on January 1, 2020 This picture taken on December 31, 2019 shows a firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra The fire front on the NSW south coast flared on New Year's Eve, leaving seven people dead and hundreds of properties destroyed, and locals were bracing for more hot and windy conditions on Saturday. The total death toll for this fire season reached 18 after eight people - seven in NSW and one in Victoria - died on Tuesday and Wednesday. An estimated 480million animals have also perished in the blazes, which have affected various areas across all states since October. Steve Shipton (centre) is consoled by fellow farmers Bernie Smith (left) and Peter Mercieca after shooting some of his herd A number of Steve Shipton's cows lay dead after being killed in his paddock. They were seriously burned in the blaze before he put them down Conditions are expected to get worse on Saturday with smoke filling the air. Pictured: Wattle Creek Fire on December 19 In NSW 186 homes have been razed and entire towns, including Mogo and Cobargo have been destroyed. But authorities warned that conditions would be even worse Saturday and urged both locals and the tourists in the seaside towns to get out of fire affected areas as soon as possible. RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons warned of dangerous conditions on Saturday. 'We are getting indications with the forecast for Saturday that it is going to present a broader geographic area worse than what we saw yesterday in terms of fire danger,' he said. 'We all need to prepare ourselves for more challenging conditions.' He said the fires would dominate a vast area from the south eastern corner of NSW up to Illawara and Shoalhaven and has led to a mass evacuation of the area. Several bushfire-ravaged communities in New South Wales and Victoria have greeted the new year under immediate threat Home Loans, the affordable housing focused lending arm of Group, is eyeing a five-fold increase in loan book next fiscal with the co-lending tie-up it has entered into with Bank of Baroda. Group entered the retail home loan segment two years ago as part of diversifying its developer financing business (JM Financial Credit Solutions which is a joint venture with ex-Citi chief Vikram Pandit) -- a Rs 10,000-crore business under which it serves around 100 developers. With co-lending tie-up it entered into with the second largest state-run lender Bank of Baroda, the company also expects to enter the premium home loan segment soon wherein it plans as against the under-Rs 10 lakh customers now. "We expect to grow faster with this tie-up as we can lend at a competitive rate of say 8-9 per cent as this tie-up allows us to link our loan pricing to BoB's rates now as against our present rate of 11-12.5 per cent. Accordingly, I expect our book to touch Rs 2,000-2,500 crore by the end of FY21," Manish Sheth, chief executive of JM Financial Home Loans, told PTI. Currently, its loan book is around Rs 550 crore, serving around 2,500 customers, Sheth said, who also said the claimed company has zero NPAs and is already a profitable business within two years of operations. Sheth further said they will also be tapping the customers from those developers whom it funds now to grow the loan book. "Another way to customer acquisition is to tap into those tens of thousands of individuals who come to our online property brokerage Dwello," he said. On the tie-up with BoB, he said 20 per cent of the loan will remain in their balance-sheet and the rest 80 per cent will be in the books of the public sector lender. The company has 30 branches and 300 employees, but going forward the focus will be to use technology more to widen the reach, he said. Two off-duty Victoria police officers on holiday in Hawaii are being hailed for intervening in a sex assault. Victoria police Chief Del Manak said constables Hayley Swann and Brent Keddell were on a morning jog in a park in Kona, Hawaii Dec. 20 when they heard screaming. Manak said the two officers followed the sound and discovered a man walking away from two women in distress, one of whom was injured. Manak said a male witness "in a state of panic" was calling 911. Manak said Swann, who is assigned to the domestic violence unit in Victoria, immediately assisted the women, while Keddell assisted the witness and helped him provide important details and location co-ordinates to the local authorities by phone. "The officer's instincts kicked in right away and [he] was able to calm down the person calling 911," said Manak, adding multiple units responded to the scene because the witness was able to explain the severity of the situation. The police chief said Keddell also approached the male suspect cautiously, unsure if he had a weapon and the state of his mental health and kept eyes on him until Hawaiian police were able to arrest the man when they arrived. Manak said he is "super proud" of Swann and Keddell, who between them have a combined 40 years of police service. "It speaks to their professionalism and empathy," he said. "I am just extremely thankful for the officers for stepping in and doing what they did and basically saving what could have been a far more violent attack." Manak confirmed Hawaiian authorities have charged Justin Bardwell with sex assault and kidnapping. According to Manak, a preliminary hearing was held in Hawaii on Dec. 24 before Swann and Keddell returned from vacation, so they could provide critical evidence to the court. mogo zoo TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP via Getty Images An Australian zoo was able to save all of its animals facing threat of bushfires thanks to a zookeeper who sheltered monkeys, pandas, and even a tiger in his home. The Mogo Wildlife Park is located along the South Coast of New South Wales which has been severely impacted by bushfires this past week. The zoo houses nearly 200 endangered and exotic animals, including Sumatran tigers and southern white rhinos, and boasts the largest collection of primates in Australia. Chad Staples, director of the zoo, took several of the smaller animals home with him, while zookeepers felt it was safer to keep larger and more dangerous animals including lions and gorillas in their night enclosures where they would feel more comfortable. Staples told The Canberra Times that the scene staff faced on Tuesday morning looked like "Armageddon." Visit Insider.com for more stories. An Australian zoo was able to save all of its animals facing threat of bushfires thanks to a zookeeper who sheltered monkeys, pandas, and even a tiger in his home. The Mogo Wildlife Park is located along the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia and is just 10 minutes from Bateman's Bay, a popular tourist area that has been severely impacted by bushfires. The fires roaring from Bateman's Bay down through the South Coast have prompted thousands of people to evacuate and have left at least seven people dead, according to the New South Wales Police. The zoo houses nearly 200 endangered and exotic animals, including Sumatran tigers and southern white rhinos, and boasts the largest collection of primates in Australia. Chad Staples, director of the zoo, told the Australian Broadcasting Company that zookeepers were well-prepared to protect the animals as bushfires broke out in the region over New Year's Eve. "Due to the amazing staff here and a well-executed plan, no one is hurt, not a single animal," he told the ABC on Tuesday. Story continues "Any species of animal that was small enough, or was in an area we couldn't protect, we caught up," he told the ABC. "Right now in my house there's animals of all descriptions in all the different rooms with different pet packs so that they're safe and protected." Sara Ang from the wildlife park told BBC Radio 5 that some of the smaller monkeys, red pandas, and even a tiger were moved into Staples' home. Staples told the ABC that zookeepers felt it was safer to keep larger and more dangerous animals including lions and gorillas in their night enclosures where they would feel more comfortable as bushfires raged around them. He added that only a few animals, including giraffes and zebras, showed signs of stress during the bushfire preparations. "We've been sitting in a plume of smoke for weeks now, so it wasn't like today set that off worse. But yes, there were times that it got a bit tense," he told the ABC. The zoo tweeted out photos from the bushfires on Tuesday, which showed smoke billowing out near the park grounds. Staples told The Canberra Times that the scene staff faced on Tuesday morning looked like "Armageddon." "The scariest thing was how fast those winds were," he said. "It got so dark it felt like it was midnight which was such a scary feeling." He told The Times that the team on-site battled spot fires at the 65-acre park for several hours. He thanked his staff for working tirelessly to protect the animals because they "love them like their own family." The zoo confirmed on Tuesday that every animal was "safe and in wonderful care." According to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, 1,298 homes have been destroyed so far in the state this fire season. According to the BBC, fires have burned more than 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) of land in New South Wales. Ecologists from the University of Sydney have estimated that nearly 500 million mammals, birds, and reptiles have been killed in the bushfires since the season started in September. Read the original article on Insider A man was sentenced to 35 years in prison for attempting to kill a Tucson police officer during a traffic stop in March 2019, the Pima County Attorney's Office says. Antajuan Carson Jr., 24, was convicted in November of the attempted first-degree murder of Officer Alvaro Silva, aggravated assault, and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited possessor, the attorney's office said. On March 17, Officer Silva conducted a traffic stop on Carson's van in the 5100 block of East First Street, near East Speedway Boulevard. Once stopped, Carson immediately fired a handgun several times at Silva, a 3 1/2-year veteran of the police department during the incident. Silva returned gunfire, striking Carson multiple times, police said. Carson was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Silva was unharmed in the shooting. According to court documents, Carson was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. Norma and Salvador Gaona celebrated the start of a new decade a bit differently than most: by welcoming their fourth son into the world. Edahi Valentio Gaona Maldonado was born at 12:08 a.m. Wednesday at the University of Virginia Medical Center, immediately distinguishing himself as the first child born in the Charlottesville area this year and this decade. Because of risks to his health, Edahi was delivered more than two weeks before his Jan. 18 due date. He weighed in at 5.5 pounds and measured 18.31 inches in length. Despite running on less than three hours of sleep, Edahis family was all smiles Wednesday afternoon as they gathered around Normas hospital bed, taking turns cradling the child. Salvador Gaona said he was happy and excited to have a child born on the first day of a new year. Even with a medical mask sometimes on his face, the father couldnt hide his smile as he looked upon his new son. It feels special we are celebrating a new year and a new life at the same time, he said. Every child is special and unique. Edahi is the Charlottesville couples fourth child, joining his brothers, ages 20, 16 and 7. Surge of IS Violence Seen in Syria By Sirwan Kajjo January 01, 2020 Islamic State militants have increased their terror activity in recent weeks in Syria, carrying out deadly attacks against Syrian regime troops and U.S.-backed forces. Since early December, the terror group has conducted at least three major attacks on Syrian government forces and their allied militias in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, local sources said. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor that has reporters across the country, recent attacks claimed by IS against Syrian military forces have killed at least 30 soldiers and wounded more than 50 others. Last week, at least three fighters with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces were killed in what local military officials described as a suicide attack carried out by IS militants in the province of Raqqa, IS's former de facto capital before it was freed in 2017 by the SDF and its U.S.-led allies. 'Threat to our forces' IS "terrorists still pose a threat to our forces, especially in the eastern part of Syria," an SDF commander told VOA. "They have been able to regroup and reorganize in some remote parts of Deir el-Zour, where there is a smaller presence of our forces or any other forces," said the commander, who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to journalists. He added that despite the declaration of the physical defeat of the terror group in March 2019, IS "still has hundreds of sleeper cells that have the capability to wage deadly attacks on civilians and combatants alike." In the town of Tabqa, in western Raqqa, local news reports this week said a suspected IS sleeper cell assaulted a family, killing three of its members, including a child. The reports did not say why the family was attacked, but IS has in the past targeted people whom it suspected of having ties to or working for the government or U.S.-backed local forces. While most of the recent activity has been in areas IS once controlled as part of its so-called caliphate, the militant group has been particularly active in Syria's vast desert region. The Syrian Observatory reported at least 10 IS-claimed attacks in December that originated from the mostly desert eastern part of Homs province in central Syria. Baghdadi's death Despite the death of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in October in a U.S. operation in northwestern Syria, IS still represents a major threat in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, experts say. "As ISIS returns to its original decentralized structure, members of the group are trying to show ISIS still poses a threat, even after the defeat of its caliphate and the recent death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," said Kaleigh Thomas, a Middle East researcher at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, using another acronym for IS. Sadradeen Kinno, a Syrian researcher who closely follows Islamist militancy, echoed Thomas' views. "IS is now living a period of stability, so to speak. After the death of Baghdadi, their objective is clearer now. They try to stay focused on carrying out assassinations, ambushes and suicide attacks, and they have been successful at that," he told VOA. Kinno said IS "really believes in a recurrent cycle of violence, so for them the territorial defeat they experienced this year is just a phase of their ongoing jihad." US withdrawal U.S. President Donald Trump in October announced a withdrawal of troops from Syria, which was followed by a Turkish military offensive against U.S.-backed SDF fighters in northeast Syria. Some experts say the U.S. troop pullout allowed IS to regroup, and thus its terror attacks have increased. "The U.S. decision sent a signal to [IS] that the U.S. is not interested in a long-term presence in Syria," said Azad Othman, a Syrian affairs analyst based in Irbil, Iraq. IS "now feels that its low-level insurgency in Syria could be even more effective as long as the Americans don't have a significant military presence in the country," he told VOA. The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency said in a report in November that "ISIS has exploited the Turkish incursion and subsequent drawdown of U.S. troops from northeastern Syria to reconstitute its capabilities and resources both within Syria in the short term and globally in the longer term." "The withdrawal and redeployment of U.S. troops has also affected the fight against ISIS, which remains a threat in the region and globally," Glenn Fine, the principal deputy inspector general, said in the report. But the U.S. has decided to keep about 500 troops to secure oil fields in Syria to prevent IS militants and the Syrian regime forces from accessing them. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups who stormed the US Embassys perimeter and hurled rocks in two days of protests withdrew on Wednesday after Washington dispatched extra troops and threatened reprisals against Tehran Baghdad: Supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups who stormed the US Embassys perimeter and hurled rocks in two days of protests withdrew on Wednesday after Washington dispatched extra troops and threatened reprisals against Tehran. The demonstrators, angry at US airstrikes against the Tehran-backed Kataib Hezbollah group in which at least 25 people were killed, threw stones at the building while US forces stationed on the rooftops fired tear gas to disperse them. By mid-afternoon, most appeared to have obeyed a call to withdraw, issued by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) umbrella group of mainly Shiite militia, which said the demonstrators message had been heard. Young men used palm tree branches to sweep the street in front of the embassy compound. Others packed up the equipment and vans arrived to take people away. Some left to set up a protest camp in front of a nearby hotel. Iraqs military said all protesters had left by the evening. The protests marked a new turn in the shadow war between Washington and Tehran playing out across the Middle East. The US President Donald Trump, who faces a re-election campaign in 2020, accused Iran of orchestrating the violence. He threatened on Tuesday to retaliate against Iran but said later he did not want war. Iran, under severe economic duress from punishing US sanctions put in place by Trump, denied responsibility. The unrest followed US air raids on Sunday against Kataib Hezbollah bases in retaliation for missile attacks that killed a US contractor in northern Iraq last week. On Tuesday, crowds chanted: Death to America!, lit fires, and smashed surveillance cameras. They breached an outer perimeter of the embassy but did not enter the main compound. Biggest US embassy The huge embassy, built along the banks of the Tigris River in central Baghdads fortified green zone during the American occupation following the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, is the biggest US diplomatic mission in the world. Washington said its diplomats were safe and it was rushing hundreds of extra troops to the region. The State Department said on Wednesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo decided to postpone his upcoming trip to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus to remain in Washington and monitor the situation in Iraq. Pompeo spoke on Wednesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the State Department said. Pompeo said on Twitter that Abdul Mahdi had agreed that Iraq would continue to uphold its responsibility to keep US personnel secure and would move the Iran-backed attackers away from @USEmbBaghdad. Spoke today with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Mahdi, who agreed that #Iraq would continue to uphold its responsibility to keep U.S. personnel secure and would move the Iran-backed attackers away from @USEmbBaghdad. Well continue cooperation to hold #Iran and its proxies responsible. Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 1, 2020 Pompeo wrote on Twitter he thanked the emir in the call for Qatars solidarity in the face of Irans malign regional influence, including the attack on the embassy in Baghdad. The embassy said all public consular operations were suspended and all future appointments cancelled. The anti-American action came after months of protests in Iraq against the government and the Iran-backed militias that support it. Many Iraqis complain their country has become a battlefield for a proxy war for influence between Washington and Tehran, and that their leaders are too beholden to outside powers. Iraqs government has long faced frictions in its close relations with the two foes. Trump spoke to Abdul Mahdi on Tuesday and demanded Iraq protect the embassy. Irans Supreme on Wednesday condemned the US attacks. Iran summoned a Swiss envoy, who represents US interests in Tehran, to complain about what it described as warmongering words from Washington. US officials said 750 extra troops would initially be based out of Kuwait and as many as 4,000 troops could be sent to the region in coming days. More than 5,000 US troops are stationed in Iraq supporting local forces. The airstrikes have galvanized calls inside Iraq to expel them. Many in the crowd outside the embassy said ending Washingtons presence in Iraq was their main goal. Devil's Den Despite decades of enmity between Iran and the United States, Iran-backed militias and US forces found themselves on the same side during Iraqs 2014-2017 war against Islamic State fighters, with both powers helping the government recapture territory from militants who had overrun a third of Iraq. Since then, US troops have yet to leave, while the Iran-backed militias have been incorporated into the security forces. Abdul Mahdi, who has announced plans to step down in the face of anti-government protests in which more than 450 people were killed, is backed by Iran and its allies. The militia may have decided to pull back from the embassy to avoid making him look weak or to avert clashes with government forces. Overnight, demonstrators pitched tents and camped outside the embassy walls, then brought food, cooking equipment and mattresses during the morning, indicating plans to stay before the withdrawal call. Our sit-in is eternal, until this devils den is closed off forever, but dont give anyone an excuse to make your protest violent. Dont clash with security, one protest leader told the crowd from a stage erected at the embassy before the departure. The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has claimed responsibility for an attack in Russia's North Caucasus region of Ingushetia, in which a police officer was killed. Two young men rammed their car into a police officer on December 31, and then attacked other police officers with knives in the Ingush capital, Magas. Regional authorities said one police officer died and three others were wounded in the incident. One of the attackers, 18-year-old Mikail Miziyev, was killed while another, 23-year-old Akhmed Imagozhev, was wounded and is currently in hospital. The IS group said in a statement dated January 1 that it was responsible for the attack, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks the online activity of jihadist organizations. Ingushetia's leader, Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov, publicly criticized police for what he called "insufficient measures to beef up security on New Year's Eve." Attacks on police and authorities have persisted for years in the volatile North Caucasus region after Russia drove out a separatist government in one of the region's provinces, Chechnya, in the second of two devastating post-Soviet wars. With reporting by Dozhd, TASS, and Interfax London: Renewable energy has overtaken fossil fuels to become Britain's largest source of electricity in a historic shift that could signal the "beginning of the end" for coal across Europe. National Grid data released on New Year's Day revealed coal represented just 2.1 per cent of Britain's overall electricity output in 2019. By comparison, black and brown coal fuelled 74 per cent of Australia's energy mix in 2018. The new figures show 48.5 per cent of the United Kingdom's energy came from zero carbon technology in 2019, while coal, gas and oil crashed to just 43 per cent - down from 75.5 per cent in 1990. General Shen Yi-ming and seven others die after the helicopter they were travelling in crashes in Wulai district. The president ordered flags to fly half-mast for three days in all of Taiwans military institutions. On 11 January, she is seeking a second mandate against Kaohsiung mayor. Taipei (AsiaNews/Agencies) Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (picture 1) cancelled campaigning today after Taiwans armed forces chief died in a helicopter crash along with seven other people in a mountainous region in northern Taiwan. This comes a few days before next weeks presidential election. Taiwans Air Force confirmed this afternoon that General Shen Yi-ming (picture 2), Chief of the General Staff, was among the dead. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, which carried 13 people, made an emergency landing in Wulai district. The dead include two major generals, Political Warfare Bureau Deputy Director Yu Chin-wen, and Hung Hung-chin, from the Defence Ministrys Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence. Also killed were a lieutenant colonel, a captain, a major and two senior master sergeants. The helicopter left Songshan Air Force Base in Taipei at 7:54 am (11.54 pm GMT) bound for a military base in Dongao, Yilan County, for New Year inspections. At 8.07 am the pilot issued a weather report, before communications with the craft were abruptly lost. The helicopter crashed north of its destination (picture 3). A few hours later, the Taiwanese president said she would cancel her campaigning activities for three days to deal with the accident as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Ms Tsai arrived in Yilan in the afternoon where she expressed her sympathies. She ordered flags to fly at half-mast for three days at all of Taiwans military institutions, and called for an investigation into the cause of the incident. This is a very sorrowful day, she said. There were several capable, high-ranking officers who died at their posts in today's incident, and they were the most capable of our military, particularly Chief of Staff Shen. Tsai said she had ordered Defence Minister Yen Teh-fa to secure the islands defences and ensure that military operations to protect Taiwan remained sound. Taiwans presidential election is set for 11 January. Incumbent President Tsai is running for re-election against Han Kuo-yu, who won the primaries to run for the Kuomintang ( Nationalist Party) last July. Han, who unexpectedly became Kaohsiung mayor in 2018, is considered a populist and favours closer ties to mainland China. On Facebook he wrote that he and his team were praying with all our hearts for the victims. I want to express my condolences to the victims again and hope that all of us in the country can pray for them together, also read the post. BRIDGEPORT Peter Tsimbidaros, a leader in the citys Greek community and a lawyer dedicated to help troubled children, died Thursday from injuries suffered in a car crash on New Years Day. He was 50. Our whole community is in a state of shock, said The Rev. George Livaditis, pastor of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Park Avenue. Peter was an amazing person who exemplified a true Christian. He helped so many people and his family are asking for prayers. Tsimbidaros was on his way to have dinner with his parents to celebrate the new year shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday when his 2006 Honda CRV and a Chrysler minivan collided at the intersection of Fairfield Avenue and Ellsworth Street. Police said the driver of the minivan, 50-year-old Keith Commerford of Bridgeport, received a summons in connection with an unrelated hit-and-run accident earlier in the day. Tsimbidaros died from his injuries in the crash at Bridgeport Hospital Thursday morning. Commerford was not charged at the scene and police said the crash is still under investigation. Tsimbidaros was a longtime resident of the city and a member of the parish council at Holy Trinity. Peter was my right-hand man, said Parish Council President Peter Karayiannis. He would always help out in the church, whatever needed to be done and we hope some justice is done. John Bochanis, a long-time friend, said he and Tsimbidaros would get together every Sunday after church. He was a very compassionate person, Bochanis said. He cared about people, especially children. A graduate of the University of Connecticut Law School, Tsimbidaros was a solo practitioner in the city, concentrating on juvenile law. He often lamented when a teenager he had represented in juvenile court was later prosecuted for a crime in adult court. Peter found it particularly fulfilling working with troubled children, said Bochanis. He worked very hard to help them turn their lives around and he became energized when he was successful. There was a pall over Bridgeports state courthouse Thursday. Peter was a decent, gentle human being, said Dean Pulos, an assistant court clerk. We are all just stunned. Its a tough loss. Tsimbidaros is survived by his parents and a brother. Calling hours have been set from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. The funeral will follow. The Alabama chapter of nationwide Islamic civil rights group has condemned the actions of two Mobile police officers who posed for a controversial picture considered insensitive toward homeless people and panhandlers. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which advocates for marginalized people including immigrants and African-Americans, said in an email to AL.com Thursday that the image was an example of how heartless powerful people can be against those less fortunate. The incident which occurred in Mobile was an unfortunate reminder that those with power (whether they be elected officials or law enforcement) are often callous to the needs of those without power, said Ali Massoud, government affairs coordinator for CAIR-Alabama. Homeless people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and this is something the religion of Islam preaches. The post, which appeared on Facebook and was shared more than 20,000 times, showed two Mobile police officers, holding a homeless quilt made of cardboard signs that were apparently confiscated from members of the homeless community seeking aid and assistance. The post read: Wanna wish everybody in the 4th precinct a Merry Christmas, especially our captain. Hope you enjoy our homeless quilt. Sincerely Panhandler patrol. The officers were identified by members of the Mobile public as Preston McGraw and Alexandre Olivier. MPD later confirmed the names. Another two people were also tagged in the Facebook post, although it has not yet been confirmed who those individuals are. In the aftermath of the initial story, Barber suggested that police officers be more careful on social media before complementing the work of the two officers. I think all of us, and certainly the Police Department and citizens as well, have to be mindful of how we post on social media, said Barber. It can be misinterpreted and go viral and cause a great deal of concern. But it should never outweigh the really good nature of these two officers and that they do their job every day. Chief of Mobile Police Lawrence Battiste apologized on behalf of the officers the same day the picture was discovered and said it was an insensitive gesture. Mayor Sandy Stimpson also praised the police department before saying that the episode had been a lesson for the city. Day in and day out, they do an amazing job for our citizens - often for those in the most challenging circumstances, he wrote on Twitter. It is unfortunate when one poor decision overshadows the good work of so many. This has been a learning experience for all involved. An internal investigation has been launched into the incident and a decision on what will happen to the officers will come shortly after, according to MPD. Both officers are to remain on active duty. While its yet to be seen what will happen to both officers, Alabama-CAIR said that lack of action for such offenses was a common theme among police departments nationwide. This is certainly not the first time weve seen inappropriate actions from law enforcement officers go unaddressed, both here in Alabama and across the country, said Massoud. Ultimately, a more respectful and humane police force benefits everyone, regardless of religion. Telangana is ready to capture the global AI opportunity, the Minister said. government on Thursday signed eight memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with various companies, including Intel, and Adobe, in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The MoUs were signed in the presence of IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao after he declared 2020 as the 'Year of AI' at a meeting here with industry bigwigs. Intel, Public Health Foundation of India and IIIT- Hyderabad jointly signed the agreement with the government for setting up a research centre in applied AI in healthcare and smart mobility. IIT-Kharagpur signed an MoU to set up a centre of excellence in AI and research and development park. The state government also signed MoUs with IIT- Hyderabad, Wadhwani AI, Hexagon and Innovation Norway. "In line with our vision and our approach, AI will be our focus for the coming year and beyond. While we are calling 2020 as the 'Year of AI,' this event would set in motion a set of initiatives, which would potentially make the next decade as Telanganas decade of AI. is ready to capture the global AI opportunity, the Minister said. He asserted that the efforts in AI would take forward and add to Telanganas growth story which aims to establish Hyderabad as among the top 25 global AI innovation hubs. Country Head, and vice-president of Data Centre Group, Intel Corp, Nivruti Rai said AI is going to create USD 13 trillion to the world economy. Principal secretary, IT and industries, Jayesh Ranjan said as part of the 'Year of AI' there would be year-long programmes and activities in the emerging technology and some of them are long-term in nature. Bay of Plenty We are on the hunt for a Welder to join a heavy and light engineering company on a temp/casual basis.. so if you are in between... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz My Dear Compatriots, NIGERIAS DECADE Today marks a new decade. It is a time of hope, optimism and fresh possibilities. We look forward as a nation to the 2020s as the opportunity to build on the foundations we have laid together on security, diversification of our economy and taking on the curse of corruption. These are the pledges on which I have been twice elected President and remain the framework for a stable, sustainable and more prosperous future. Elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. I salute the commitment of the millions who voted in peace last February and of those leaders who contested for office vigorously but fairly, submitting to the authority of the electorate, the Independent National Electoral Commission and judicial process. I understand very well the frustrations our system has in the past triggered. I will be standing down in 2023 and will not be available in any future elections. But I am determined to help strengthen the electoral process both in Nigeria and across the region, where several ECOWAS members go to the polls this year. As Commander-in-Chief, my primary concern is the security of the nation and the safety of our citizens. When I assumed office in May 2015 my first task was to rally our neighbours so that we could confront Boko Haram on a coordinated regional basis. Chaos is not a neighbour any of us hope for. We have been fighting on several fronts: violent extremists, cultists and organised criminal networks. It has not been easy. But as we are winning the war, we also look to the challenge of winning the peace, the reconstruction of lives, communities and markets. The North East Development Commission will work with local and international stakeholders to help create a new beginning for the North East. The Federal Government will continue to work with State Governors, neighbouring states and our international partners to tackle the root causes of violent extremism and the networks that help finance and organise terror. Our security forces will receive the best training and modern weaponry, and in turn will be held to the highest standards of professionalism, and respect for human rights. We will use all the human and emerging technological resources available to tackle kidnapping, banditry and armed robbery. The new Ministry of Police Affairs increased recruitment of officers and the security reforms being introduced will build on what we are already delivering. We will work tirelessly at home and with our allies in support of our policies to protect the security of life and property. Our actions at all times will be governed by the rule of law. At the same time, we shall look always to engage with all well-meaning leaders and citizens of goodwill to promote dialogue, partnership and understanding. We need a democratic government that can guarantee peace and security to realise the full potential of our ingenious, entrepreneurial and hard-working people. Our policies are designed to promote genuine, balanced growth that delivers jobs and rewards industry. Our new Economic Advisory Council brings together respected and independent thinkers to advise me on a strategy that champions inclusive and balanced growth, and above all fight poverty and safeguard national economic interests. As we have sat down to celebrate with friends and family over this holiday season, for the first time in a generation our food plates have not all been filled with imports of products we know can easily be produced here at home. The revolution in agriculture is already a reality in all corners of the country. New agreements with Morocco, Russia and others will help us access on attractive terms the inputs we need to accelerate the transformation in farming that is taking place. A good example of commitment to this inclusive growth is the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the creation of the National Action Committee to oversee its implementation and ensure the necessary safeguards are in place to allow us to fully capitalise on regional and continental markets. The joint land border security exercise currently taking place is meant to safeguard Nigerias economy and security. No one can doubt that we have been good neighbours and good citizens. We have been the helpers and shock-absorbers of the sub-region but we cannot allow our well-planned economic regeneration plans to be sabotaged. As soon as we are satisfied that the safeguards are adequate, normal cross-border movements will be resumed. Already, we are making key infrastructure investments to enhance our ease of doing business. On transportation, we are making significant progress on key roads such as the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja Kano highway. 2020 will also see tangible progress on the Lagos to Kano Rail line. Through Executive Order 007, we are also using alternative funding programmes in collaboration with private sector partners to fix strategic roads such as the Apapa-Oworonshoki Express way. Abuja and Port Harcourt have new international airport terminals, as will Kano and Lagos in 2020. When completed, all these projects will positively impact business operations in the country. These projects are not small and do not come without some temporary disruption; we are doing now what should have been done a long time ago. I thank you for your patience and look forward to the dividends that we and future generations will long enjoy. Power has been a problem for a generation. We know we need to pick up the pace of progress. We have solutions to help separate parts of the value chain to work better together. In the past few months, we have engaged extensively with stakeholders to develop a series of comprehensive solutions to improve the reliability and availability of electricity across the country. These solutions include ensuring fiscal sustainability for the sector, increasing both government and private sector investments in the power transmission and distribution segments, improving payment transparency through the deployment of smart meters and ensuring regulatory actions maximise service delivery. We have in place a new deal with Siemens, supported by the German government after German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited us in Abuja, to invest in new capacity for generation, transmission and distribution. These projects will be under close scrutiny and transparency there will be no more extravagant claims that end only in waste, theft and mismanagement. The next 12 months will witness the gradual implementation of these actions, after which Nigerians can expect to see significant improvement in electricity service supply reliability and delivery. Separately, we have plans to increase domestic gas consumption. In the first quarter of 2020, we will commence work on the AKK gas pipeline, OB3 Gas pipeline and the expansion of the Escravos Lagos Pipeline. While we look to create new opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing and other long neglected sectors, in 2020 we will also realise increased value from oil and gas, delivering a more competitive, attractive and profitable industry, operating on commercial principles and free from political interference. Just last week, we were able to approve a fair framework for the USD10 billion expansion of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, which will increase exports by 35 percent, restore our position as a world leader in the sector and create thousands of jobs. The Amendment of the Deep Offshore Act in October signalled our intention to create a modern, forward-looking industry in Nigeria. I am confident that in 2020 we will be able to present a radical programme of reform for oil and gas that will excite investors, improve governance and strengthen protections for host communities and the environment. We can expect the pace of change in technology only to accelerate in the decade ahead. Coupled with our young and vibrant population, this offers huge opportunities if we are able to harness the most productive trends and tame some of the wilder elements. This is a delicate balance with which many countries are struggling. We are seeking an informed and mature debate that reflects our rights and responsibilities as citizens in shaping the boundaries of how best to allow technology to benefit Nigeria. During my Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2019, I promised to lay the enduring foundations for taking a hundred million Nigerians out of mass poverty over the next 10 years. Today I restate that commitment. We shall continue reforms in education, health care and water sanitation. I have met international partners such as GAVI, the vaccine alliance, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation who support our social welfare programmes. I will continue to work with State and Local Governments to make sure that these partnerships deliver as they should. Workers will have a living wage and pensioners will be looked after. We are steadily clearing pensions and benefits arrears neglected for so long. The new Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development will consolidate and build on the social intervention schemes and will enhance the checks and balances necessary for this set of programmes to succeed for the long term. I am able to report that the journey has already begun with the passage and signing into law of the 2020 Appropriation Act. As the new decade dawns, we are ready to hit the ground running. Let me pay tribute to the Ninth National Assembly who worked uncommonly long hours to make sure that the 2020 budget scrutiny is both thorough and timely. The close harmony between the Executive and Legislature is a sharp contrast to what we have experienced in the recent past, when the Senate kept the previous budget for 7 months without good reason just to score cheap political points thereby disrupting the budgetary processes and overall economic development plans. Our policies are working and the results will continue to show themselves more clearly by the day. Nigeria is the most tremendous, can-do market, offering extraordinary opportunities and returns. Investors can look forward with confidence not only to an increasing momentum of change but also to specific incentives, including our new visa-on-arrival policy. They can also be certain of our unshakeable commitment to tackle corruption. As we create an environment that allows initiative, enterprise and hard work to thrive, it is more important than ever to call out those who find the rule of law an inconvenience, or independent regulation an irritation. We are doing our part here in Nigeria. We will continue to press our partners abroad to help with the supply side of corruption and have received some encouragement. We expect more funds stolen in the past to be returned to us and they will be ploughed back into development with all due transparency. This is a joint initiative. Where our policies have worked best, it has been because of the support of ordinary Nigerians in their millions, numbers that even the most powerful of special interests cannot defy. I thank you for your support. Transition by its very nature carries with it change and some uncertainty along the way. I encourage you to be tolerant, law abiding and peace loving. This is a new year and the beginning of a new decade the Nigerian Decade of prosperity and promise for Nigeria and for Africa. To recapitulate, some of the projects Nigerians should expect to come upstream from 2020 include: 47 road projects scheduled for completion in 2020/21, including roads leading to ports; Major bridges including substantial work on the Second Niger Bridge; Completion of 13 housing estates under the National Housing Project Plan; Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri and Enugu international airports to be commissioned in 2020; Launching of an agricultural rural mechanisation scheme that will cover 700 local governments over a period of three years; Launching of the Livestock Development Project Grazing Model in Gombe State where 200,000 hectares of land has been identified; Training of 50,000 workers to complement the countrys 7,000 extension workers; Commissioning of the Lagos Ibadan and Itakpe Warri rail lines in the first quarter; Commencement of the Ibadan Abuja and Kano Kaduna rail lines also in the first quarter; Further liberalisation of the power sector to allow businesses to generate and sell power; Commencement of the construction of the Mambilla Power project by the first half of 2020; and Commencement of the construction of the AKK gas pipeline, OB3 gas pipeline and the expansion of the Escravos Lagos pipeline in the first quarter of 2020. Thank you very much! -President Muhammadu Buhari, State House, Abuja. An American woman who was raped during a visit to Northern Ireland has spoken of her joy after giving birth to her first child. Winnie Li was attacked in Colin Glen Forest Park in Belfast in 2008 while she attended University College Cork under the Mitchell Scholarship programme, which is designed to introduce and connect future American leaders to the island of Ireland. Aged 29 at the time, she was in Belfast for a reunion to coincide with the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. She was brutally raped twice by 15-year-old Edward Connors, who later fled to Dublin. Read More Connors returned to Northern Ireland voluntarily when he found out police were searching for him and was sentenced to eight years in jail. At the time of the attack Winnie Li was a successful film producer, however afterwards she suffered from severe anxiety and depression and was unable to work for two years. She spent five years undergoing therapy and wrote a novel inspired by her rape in 2017 in a bid to deal with the trauma. Now, more than a decade on from her ordeal, Ms Li has announced she has given birth to her first child. Merry Christmas from the English countryside! Earlier this month, I gave birth to my son at St Thomas Hospital in... Posted by Winnie M Li on Thursday, December 26, 2019 Born on December 7, she called her son Septimus, which is Latin for 'seventh', however he will be known as Timo. She took to social media to share photos of Timo, stating she is "delighted to have him in my life". Speaking to the Irish News, Ms Li said she feared she would never have a child. "I can honestly say, even though I hoped I might have the chance to become a mother, I doubted if Id ever have the opportunity, after my assault in Belfast in 2008," she said. "That unfortunately is the long-lasting impact that rape can have on a victim's life. It can affect our relationships, our attitudes towards dating, and ultimately our chances of having a family. So I feel very lucky that Ive had this chance. "A year ago, I never (would have) predicted Id have a newborn at the start of 2020. Life can throw unexpected things our way: some good, some bad. And this is a good one for me." Ms Li now lives in London and often speaks out on issues relating to rape victims. She said she found the process of pregnancy, birth, and nursing "very demanding" on her body. "As a rape survivor, this was at times triggering, but Ive had excellent support from my friends and from medical professionals here," she added. Ms Li said she plans on finished her second novel this year and visiting Northern Ireland. "It's not as raw or directly personal as Dark Chapter, but it looks at women who chose to remain silent around #MeToo issues in the workplace," she explained. "And Ill be back in Northern Ireland later in 2020 to run a series of literary events addressing gender-based violence through writing, thanks to a grant from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.". The Director-General of Police and Principal Secretary Home Department of Prayagraj were pulled up by the Bijnor court on Thursday over the security arrangements made in the city to tackle the protests being held against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and Register of Citizens (NRC). The court also said that they would seek help from the Central government to protect the premises of the courts if the state administration failed to do so. It should be noted that both the officials had been summoned on December 20 after a shootout took place at Bijnor court. The police on December 25 issued notices to 43 people to pay for the damage as they were identified while vandalising public and government property. "Actions are being taken and will be taken only on the basis of strong evidence. I want to assure that no action will be taken against those who were not involved," Bijnor District Magistrate Ramakant Pandey had stated. Protests erupted in several parts of the country last week, including Uttar Pradesh, over the CAA, which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists, and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Though there are murmurs about all being not rosy at the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi after distribution of berths in the state's cabinet, work is beginning anyway under tri-party coalition Maharashtra government led by Uddhav Thackeray. Aaditya Thackeray's close aide and Yuva Sena general secretary Varun Sardesai, said that the Worli MLA is looking at revamping the education infrastructure. In a move that may win the hearts of hundreds of young voters, the Shiv Sena lawmaker plans to introduce more skill/ job-based courses, reported the Free Press Journal. Sardesai said: There is a dearth of skill and job-based courses offered by the state and its affiliated institutions. Our job will be to reform the system of education. Talking about their plans to begin diploma courses on tourism in Maharashtra, he said: Maharashtra has the potential to become a tourism hotspot. Despite being blessed ecologically, the state failed to promote and market itself properly, due to lack of expertise on tourism management. Therefore, Aaditya plans to propose diploma courses on tourism to tap into the real potential of Maharashtra's many touristy areas such as Sindhudurg and Nashik. Sardesai added: This will educate and empower the youth of those parts of the state, where tourism plays a pivotal role in earning their daily bread. The Yuva Sena leader further informed that Aaditya also plans to decentralise Mumbai University (MU). Explaining why the young MLA wants to do so, he said though there are more than 800 colleges associated with the Varsity, there are no sub-centres in the rural reaches or remote districts of the state. As a result, students have to travel all the way to Mumbai to collect their certificates. To make their lives easier, sub-centres may be set up in places located far away from Mumbai. From now on, we will be strengthening our base in the districts and rural parts of Maharashtra. We will be encashing social media to extend our reach, he said. New Delhi: Senior NCP leader and former lawmaker DP Tripathi died at 68 on Thursday. He breathed his last in New Delhi. The iconic orator was suffering from chronic illness. Tripathi rose to fame during his stint as an impressive student leader during his JNU days. He was the president of the JNU Student Union from 1975 to 1977. Later, he was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Allahabad University. He worked at the varsity from 1980 to 1988. He was elected as the Rajya Sabha member in 2012. He also worked as Political Analyst and Strategy Planner with former Prime Minister late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, 1983-1991; participated in Paris Round Table on Globalization and Human Development, 1997; worked among Persons of Indian Origin and Non-Resident Indians in USA, Canada, UK Europe, Mauritius, South Africa to foster and promote the development of multi-racial and multi-cultural relations with India. Prior to joining the NCP, Tripathi was also associated with the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Supriya Sule, senior NCP leader and daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, expressed her anguish over Triptahis demise. Deeply Saddened to hear about the demise of Shri.D.P Tripathi Ji. He was the General Secretary of @NCPspeaks, and a guide and mentor to all of us. We will miss his wise counsel and guidance which he had given us from the day NCP was established. May he rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers with his family members. Heartfelt Condolences, Sule said on Twitter. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 16:41:48|Editor: ZX Video Player Close HARBIN, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's Daqing Oilfield Co., Ltd has churned out more than 2.4 billion tonnes of crude oil since 1959. A subsidiary of China's largest oil producer PetroChina, the company produced more than 43.6 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2019, about 1.96 million tonnes more than 2018, the company said. Its overseas market revenue reached 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) last year, according to the company. Daqing Oilfield marked the 60th anniversary of its discovery in 2019. Discovered on Sept. 26, 1959, the oilfield is located in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. It is the largest oilfield run by PetroChina and also the country's largest oil production base. Jayne Cameron, from Redcar, North Yorkshire, has set up a crowdfunding page to raise 3,500 to bring the puppy to the UK A puppy who had its ears and tail hacked off in a sadistic attack by a gang of youths is set to find a new home thanks to a British dog lover. Jayne Cameron, from Redcar, North Yorkshire, was horrified to read about the abuse of the six-month-old cross-breed, known as Susie, in Tajikistan, Asia. The 52-year-old has since set up a crowdfunding page to raise the 3,500 she needs to bring Susie over to the UK. The adorable pup was originally rescued by a woman who had heard its howls during the attack which saw its ears and tails cut off by a group of youths. It was rushed to a human medical centre where doctors stitched up its wounds. Jayne became aware of Susie's story when a friend, who believed the puppy might be a Great Dane, brought it to her attention. The mother-of-two had just lost her own dog of the same breed, nine-year-old Horace, and so decided to contact the aid worker looking after Susie, Luciano Calestini. The speech therapy assistant said: 'We are in a Facebook group called Great Danes UK and we know a lot of people who have Great Danes. 'Someone on there sent me a link to Susie's story, thinking she was a Great Dane. The six-month-old puppy, called Susie, had its ears and tail hacked off by gang of youths in Tajikistan The adorable pup was originally rescued by a woman who heard its howls during the attack before rushing it to a human medical centre where doctors stitched up its wounds 'I just could not believe it. I know countries are different but I can't understand how anybody could be so cruel to cut off a puppy's ears and tail. 'I couldn't think of anything else and I haven't done since. 'Dogs are a very big part of our lives and, now our children have grown up, we have the time to look after them. 'Luciano met all the medical costs and took really good care of her but he can't keep her as he works as an aid worker and is not at home enough. 'I told him she can come and live with me in Redcar.' Jayne plans to move Susie into the family home which she shares with her husband Michael, 57, and their two surviving Great Danes - Duncan, six, and Florence, two. Jayne is now nearing the 3,500 target on her JustGiving page to cover the cost of transporting Susie to the UK Jayne plans to move Susie (pictured) into the family home which she shares with her husband Michael, 57, and their two surviving Great Danes She is now nearing the target on her JustGiving page to cover the cost of transporting Susie to the UK. She said: 'She has to go as cargo and it's a long flight so there have to be breaks. 'She has to go on three flights and the cost is going to be around 3,500. 'She's playful, she's a typical six month old puppy. 'I don't think that at four weeks she will remember what's happened to her. 'She hasn't had the best start but luckily she's met some lovely people along the way.' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo started having a tough 2020 only one day into the new year. He was forced to postpone his trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, this week to attend to the new crisis in Iraq. As fraught as Pompeos visit to Kyiv was going to be, in the shadow of the impeachment battle, Iraq trumped Kyiv after the New Years Eve attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. It is President Donald Trumps failed policy toward Iran that has brought us to this combustible moment. Iraq is a tough country under any circumstances, made more so after the 2003 U.S. invasion that upended the Middle East and cost so much in U.S. lives and treasure. But Iraq also created strange bedfellows. The U.S. troops worked alongside Iraqi and Iranian militia to destroy a common enemy, the Islamic State terrorism group. And even as Washington was confronting Iran over its nuclear program and malign behavior elsewhere, we maintained an uneasy coexistence in Iraq, where Tehran holds considerable sway. That uneasy balance was destroyed when Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear deal. Like other critics of the agreement, Trump believed it should have resolved all of Americas issues with Iran. Trump believed we were giving Tehran benefits without a requisite return. He thought a "maximum pressure" campaign would ultimately bring Iran to its knees, or incite a popular uprising against its theocratic regime. Trump policies devastate US interests Like much of Trumps national security and foreign policy, his Iran approach is tactical and not strategic. The results have been devastating to U.S. interests. Irans most extreme hard-liners, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Quds force, which never wanted the nuclear deal, have gained more power, arguing that the United States couldnt be trusted to honor any agreement. Irans nefarious activities in the region have increased, because terror is not an expensive undertaking and so is largely immune from economic sanctions. Indeed, the IRGC has happily returned to controlling the lucrative black market under Trumps sanctions. And Iran, after complying with the deal for nearly three years, now confronted with "maximum pressure" and no diplomatic track, has begun to unwind its compliance. Story continues Learning to manage conflict: As Iraq violence flares, how do we stop wars from happening in the 2020s? In Iraq, Iranian-backed militia, led by Kataeb Hezbollah, have worked to increase their power as the Iraq central government has nearly collapsed under the weight of months of popular protests against government corruption. A rocket attack by the Kataeb Hezbollah militia last Friday killed an American contractor and injured many. The Trump administration retaliated with airstrikes two days later, leading to the New Year's Eve attack on our embassy. Protesters outside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 1, 2020. Most would agree that the United States had to respond in some way to the death of an American, but whether the airstrike was the right and proportionate measure is debatable. Regardless, if the Trump administration really understood the dynamics of Iraq, it might have anticipated a move like the attack on the U.S. Embassy. Administration officials might have worked more closely with the Iraq government to think through the best way forward. Instead, in essence, Trump walked into Irans trap. For many Americans, the Baghdad militia chants of "Death to America" echoed the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, raising the specter of another hostage crisis. Iran nuclear deal was solid progress The immediate emergency at our embassy in Baghdad has subsided. Kataeb Hezbollah has withdrawn its militia from outside the compound, declaring that they have delivered the necessary message to America. They want the 5,000 U.S. troops out of Iraq. Nonetheless, perhaps even Pompeo understands that a longer-term challenge remains, and thus his change of travel plans. Trump has repeatedly said he wants to withdraw American troops from just about everywhere. But a withdrawal from Iraq at this moment only serves Irans desire to exert greater control over Iraq. To much of the world, it would signal U.S. disengagement and weakness not strength. Even some of the harshest critics of the Iran nuclear deal now understand that the perfect is, indeed, the enemy of the good; that in volatile international situations, solid, incremental progress trumps chaos. The Iran nuclear deal was meant to prevent Tehran from getting a nuclear weapon. Such a capability would project even greater Iranian power in the Middle East and deter the ability of Washington and its allies to build a lasting peace in the region. Diplomatic amateur hour: Sondland's impeachment testimony proves Trump foreign policy is run by corrupt clowns Concerted action to curtail Irans malign behavior, human rights abuses, unlawful detention of Americans and state sponsorship of terrorism remains very necessary. Had Trump stayed in the Iran deal and not only used the remaining sanctions in the U.S. toolbox but also built a coalition of diplomatic partners to challenge Iran to truly join the community of nations, we would be in a very different place today. Three years into his presidency, Donald Trump owns the events and outcomes in Iraq and Iran, as he does in North Korea, Afghanistan, Venezuela, the Middle East, Russia, China and Hong Kong. Having diminished our State Department, intelligence agencies and military, the very institutions that could have helped him construct an effective national security and foreign policy, he is now on his own. The president may like it that way, but a change in his secretary of States travel plans wont be enough to save the day, let alone the decade. Wendy R. Sherman, a professor and the director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, was undersecretary of State for political affairs from 2011-15 and led U.S. negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal. She is a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors and the author of Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power and Persistence." Follow her on Twitter: @WendyRSherman You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iraq embassy attack failure: Donald Trump walked into Iran's trap Five commercial fishermen are believed to have died after their crabbing vessel sank on New Years Eve in the Gulf of Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard said after ending a search and rescue operation amid high winds and heavy seas. There were two survivors: crewmen who took refuge in a lifeboat and were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. The two were taken to a hospital in Kodiak and were reported to be in stable condition, the Coast Guard said. But after scouring a 1,400 square-mile (3,600 square km) area for 20 hours with a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft in the air and a cutter at sea, the Coast Guard called off its search for five missing crew on Wednesday night. The wreck appears to be the worst Alaska commercial fishing accident in nearly three years. In February of 2017, another crabbing vessel, the F/V Destination, sank in the Bering Sea, and all six aboard perished. The decision to suspend an active search and rescue case is never easy, and its only made after careful consideration of a myriad of factors, said Rear Admiral Matthew Bell, Commander of the Coast Guards Alaska district. Our deepest condolences to the friends and families impacted by this tragedy, Bell said in a statement. The 130-foot (40-meter) Scandies Rose, issued a mayday call at about 10.00 p.m. on Tuesday, the Coast Guard said. Its last known location was about 170 miles (270 kilometres) southwest of Kodiak, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard described weather conditions during the search as challenging, with winds over 40 miles an hour (65 kph), 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to six metres) seas and one-mile (1.6-km) visibility. (Reuters/NAN) A two-year-old girl and her parents were found dead after an explosion dubbed 'suspicious' by investigators ignited a fire at an Ohio home. The cause of Wednesday evening's blast in a neighborhood several miles southeast of downtown Columbus remains unclear, so homicide detectives are investigating, authorities said. 'They'll kind of work with us on this, just to make sure that these fatalities are solely related to an accidental fire and not something else and the fire is to hide that,' Battalion Chief Steve Martin of the Columbus Division of Fire told WCMH-TV. Scroll down for video A couple and their 2-year-old daughter were found dead after an explosion on Wednesday ignited a fire in a home in Columbus, Ohio The victims have been identified as Nerissa Distin, 33, Gary Morris, 42, and Serina Morris, 2 Fire officials told the station WBNS that at least one of the deaths was not related to the fire. Neighbors reported a loud boom that shook homes in the 3300 block of Retriever Road at around 7.25pm. The bodies of Nerissa Distin, 33, Gary Morris, 42, and their daughter, Serina Morris, were found inside their scorched two-story house, police said. Battalion Chief Martin said the explosion appeared to have originated in the kitchen area toward the rear of the house. Fire responders located the parents' bodies within 15 minutes of the 911 call, but their daughter's remains were not recovered until 9.20pm. Neighbors reported hearing an explosion in the 3300-block of Retriever Road at around 7.25pm Wednesday The blast appeared to have originated in the kitchen area toward the rear of the house Distin was a registered nurse. Her and Morris' bodies were found within 15 minutes of the 911 call reporting the explosion It took firefighters 90 minutes to locate Serina's body inside the heavily damaged home The couple's two older children were not home at the time of the blast and were unharmed, reported The Columbus Dispatch. A Facebook page associated with Nerissa Distin indicates that the woman was a Jamaica native who worked as a registered nurse. She and her partner are survived by two sons. Looks like you typed in the wrong url. To visit the SiliconIndia Home page click here To view the SiliconIndia blogs page click here What is SiliconIndia? SiliconIndia is one of the largest content and community networks for Indian professionals, entrepreneurs and students worldwide. Since 1997, we have inspired successes for Indian professionals through our thought provoking SiliconIndia career events and magazines. Now, through the addition of the online professional network, we combine the power of news, magazine and events, with an online network that can exclusively help you develop deep professional and social relationships with the SiliconIndia member community. Some of the member benefits are: Your own trusted network, discussion groups, Messages and the Lounge to interact with and expand your professional and social network. Write on what you are passionate about and publish to the entire internet using our professional Blogs. Special web seminars and career events on topics of interest exclusive to SiliconIndia network members. Oportunities to get personalized one on one advice from experienced professionals for career growth, entrepreneurship and higher education through our unique mentorship program. Mentors are invited from within the SiliconIndia network. The opportunity to contribute to our leading magazine, online news and events, to help enhance your professional profile in the growing SiliconIndia community. On the first day of the new year, Ukrainian military Yuriy Serheev nicknamed Hudvin died in Donbas. The loss is non-combat as wife of deceased fighter Lilia Serheeva-Starostina reported on Facebook. Dear friends, my husband Yuriy Serheev died today at 14:00, she reported. Officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Anatoly Shtefan (Stirlitz) specified that the loss was non-combat and Yuriy Serheev committed suicide. It took place near Zolote, Luhansk region. As we reported, the casualty rate of Donbas occupants exceeded 1,5 thousand people in 2019. As we reported earlier, on December 29, Ukraine and representatives of the militant-held Donbas exchanged prisoners; these are political prisoners, POWs and civilians, some of which were not even convicted. The venue was Mayorske checkpoint in Donetsk region. The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Tripartite Contact Group (TCG), Martin Sajdik, welcomed the exchange of detained persons between Kyiv and Temporary Occupied Territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. This was reported by OSCEs press center on its official website. "I sincerely welcome the mutual release and exchange of detainees today, pursuant to a common decision of the Trilateral Contract Group, with the participation of representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, taken on 23 December 2019," Sajdik said. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Two people suffered life-threatening injuries in two separate New Year's Day stabbings in San Francisco just minutes apart from each other, police said. The first Wednesday stabbing happened at around 1:30 a.m. in the 500 block of Howard Street, according to police. A 26-year-old man allegedly began arguing with two people, before stabbing both of them with a knife. The suspect then fled. Both victims were hospitalized. One victim, a 25-year-old, suffered life-threatening injuries while the other victim, a 24-year-old, suffered injuries not considered life-threatening, police said. Officers were able to locate the suspect and arrest him. Police did not release his name. Minutes later, around 1:40 p.m., officers learned of another stabbing in the 4700 block of Mission Street, police said. There, a 17-year-old boy allegedly got into an argument with a 25-year-old man. The teen suspect then stabbed the victim in the back and fled on foot, according to police. The man was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police have not arrested the suspect, police said. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. An upgraded version of a being jointly developed by China and Pakistan has made its maiden flight in the Chinese city of Chengdu, official media reported on Thursday. The JF-17 Thunder, earlier named as FC-1 Xiaolong, was a single-engine multi-role light jointly produced by the two countries for several years with engines supplied by Russia. The upgraded version features the technologies of China's stealth fighter J-20. The JF-17 planes are mostly used by Pakistan than by China as the Chinese Air Force has acquired new generation aircraft like Russia's Sukhoi as well as developed an array of home grown new jets, including the J-20 stealth aircraft. According to a report in the state-run Global Times, the upgraded JF-17 made its maiden flight in mid-December. With the serial number '3000', the first JF-17 Block 3 prototype was taken into the skies in Chengdu, it said. Early last month, Pakistan media had reported that the first batch of eight dual-seat JF-17 aircraft have been rolled out. The JF-17 planes, which was used by Pakistan in the attack along the Line Of Control (LOC) on February 27 following the tensions generated by the Pulwama terrorist strike, is currently contending with India's Tejas and South Korea's FA-50, as per earlier official media reports. The upgraded JF-17 features technologies from China's top-notch J-20 stealth fighter, which the Chinese defence experts equates with US' F-35, the Global Times reported. China currently is the only country in the region to have stealth aircraft. The J-20 is China's fourth-generation medium and long-range fighter aircraft. It was commissioned into combat service in February last year. The timing of JF-17's upgrading coincides with India's acquisition of new generation French fighter jets Rafale, adding new strategic dimension. According to Wang Ya'nan, Chief Editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, the JF-17's flight performance and airframe design have been proven in its past service, but it can quickly improve if equipped with advanced electronic devices. "China has made a large amount of achievements in the development of the likes of the J-10 and J-20, resulting in many mature technologies and equipment...If they can be used on the JF-17, the pilot could enjoy a significant efficiency increase in flying, which will also boost its combat efficiency," Wang was quoted as saying by the report. Analysts said the new additions to the JF-17 can give pilots more situational awareness, allowing them to focus more on combat instead of flying the aircraft. In March 2019, Yang Wei, chief designer of the co-developed fighter jet, said the development and production of the JF-17 Block 3 were underway, and the third block will see the JF-17's information-based warfare capability and weapons upgraded. Yang said some countries have evinced interest to buy the JF-17 Block 3 but did not disclose the details. Professor Stephen Bainbridge is getting a lot of well deserved attention and praise for staring for staring down the academic diversity mafia and throwing its own rhetoric back in its face. Required to submit to what amounts to a loyalty oath to "diversity" in order to qualify for a merit raise at UCLA Law School, he spoke truth to power and discussed his devotion to intellectual diversity documenting it with footnotes. Professor Stephen Bainbridge. (YouTube screen grab via The American Conservative.) I take the liberty of reprinting it in its entirety below, taken from his blog, ProfessorBainbridge.com: Although I am aware and respectful of the many dimensions within which a university properly seeks a diverse faculty and student body, I have long been particularly concerned with the lack of intellectual diversity at the law school. A survey of U.S. law professors in general found that white Democratic professors (both male and female), Jewish professors, and nonreligious professors "account for most (or all) of the overrepresentation among racial, gender, religious, and ideological groups in law teaching."[1] The groups that "account for most of the underrepresentation among racial, gender, religious, and ideological groups in law teaching" are Republicans (both male and female), Protestants, and Catholics.[2] This disparity persists even though "religious and political diversity are probably more important for viewpoint diversity than gender diversity and roughly as important as racial diversity."[3] At UCLA, we know that the campus as a whole leans substantially to the left. "A study of various university faculties showed that at Cornell the ratio of liberal to conservative faculty members was 166 to 6, at Stanford it was 151 to 17, at UCLA it was 141 to 9, and at the University of Colorado it was 116 to 5."[4] Conservative students at UCLA have been "harassed, stalked, and threatened."[5] I recently searched the opensecrets.org donor database for political contributions made by persons who claimed UCLA School of Law as their employer. Thirty-eight of those persons contributed solely to Democratic candidates, the Democratic Party and various affiliates, and liberal PACs. One person contributed to both Republicans and Democrats. Three persons contributed exclusively to Republican candidates, the Republican Party, and various NRC affiliates. Of the faculty members who contributed exclusively to Republican candidates, the most recently hired of the two was hired in 1997. As a monetary matter, 92.67% of all contributions went to Democrats and affiliated groups.[6] Because conservative students and students of faith often feel alienated and estranged in an environment that is so relentlessly liberal and secular, I have made particular efforts to reach out to and support such students. I have served as a mentor for leaders of The Federalist Society and Christian Law Students Association. I have given talks to both organizations. I taught a Perspectives on law and Lawyering seminar devoted to Catholic Social Thought and the Law, which gave students whether Catholic or not an opportunity to consider how their faith (or lack thereof) related to the law and an opportunity to learn about a coherent body of Christian scholarship that might inform their lives as lawyers. I have also tried to lead by example, such as by serving as a volunteer with the Good Shepherd Catholic Church's St. Vincent de Paul chapter, which raises funds for distribution to poor persons who are in danger of losing their home due to inability to make rent or mortgage payments. I'll let you know if I get the raise. [1] James Lindgren, Measuring Diversity: Law Faculties in 1997 and 2013, 39 Harv. J.L. & Pub. Policy 89, 93 (2016). [2] Id. [3] Id. at 99. [4] Patrick M. Garry, The Next Step in Diversity: Extending the Logic Grutter v. Bollinger to Faculty Tenure, 82 Denv. U. L. Rev. 1, 24 (2004). [5] Joe Dryden, Protecting Diverse Thought in the Free Marketplace of Ideas: Conservatism and Free Speech in Higher Education, 23 Tex. Rev. L. & Pol. 229, 260 (2018) (citing a January 18, 2017, Daily Bruin article). [6] "Political Contributions by UCLA School of Law Faculty and Staff Go 92.67% to Democrats/Liberal Groups," ProfessorBainbridge.com. Accessed December 23, 2019.https://www.professorbainbridge.com/professorbainbridgecom/2019/12/political-contributions-by-ucla-school-of-law-faculty-and-staff-go-9267-to-democratsliberal-groups.html. It helps that Professor Bainbridge holds a tenured endowed professorship, the highest-status post available to teaching faculty in a university. He's the "William D. Warren Distinguished Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law," and to boot, he is one of the country's leading experts on corporate law, with a large collection of authored books to his credit, including widely used textbooks. I enjoyed a dinner with Steve and can attest that he is not the sort of man to worry about holding unpopular ideas, nor does he need the approval of moral midgets and academic lemmings to know that he has great value to add to his school. He is his own man, an acknowledged leader in his field, a lover of performance cars, and not about to take crap from anyone. Saul Alinksy's Fourth Rule for Radicals reads, "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules." Professor Bainbridge has added what we may call "The Bainbridge Corollary" to Alinsky #4: use the enemy's own rhetoric and logic to expose its flaws. Bravo! YouTube to Limit Data Collection on All Childrens Content Following $170 Million Penalty YouTube is soon set to limit the way it collects data on videos designed for children to comply with a federal privacy clampdown, a move which will limit advertisers ability to target children. The change in data collection, which is expected to begin early January, follows Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allegations that by collecting personal information about children, the video giant has been violating the 1998 Online Privacy Protection Act. It will mean Googles YouTube will, in the coming weeks, cease to show data-driven personalized ads on videos for children, The Wall Street Journal reported. YouTube creators of children-aimed content will see ad revenue squeezed, while the data of videos which target a broader audience will still be collected by YouTube. The move follows Google being fined $170 million by the FTC early September to settle allegations that it broke federal law. YouTube had been accused of tracking viewers of childrens channels using cookies without parental consent and using those cookies to target million of dollars in advertisements to those viewers. The settlement with the FTC and the New York attorney generals office, which will receive $34 million, was the largest since a law banning collecting information about children under the age of 13 came into effect in 1998. The law was revised in 2013 to include cookies, used to track a persons internet viewing habits. The agencys commissioner Rohit Chopra wrote on Twitter that YouTube baited kids with nursery rhymes, cartoons, and more to feed its massively profitable behavioral advertising business. It was lucrative, and it was illegal, he added. .@YouTube baited kids with nursery rhymes, cartoons, and more to feed its massively profitable behavioral advertising business. It was lucrative, and it was illegal. My full dissenting statement: https://t.co/9PRyiKPwQe Rohit Chopra (@chopraftc) September 4, 2019 At the time, YouTube issued a statement that it would begin treating all data collected from people watching childrens content as if it came from a child. This means that we will limit data collection and use on videos made for kids only to what is needed to support the operation of the service, the video giant said on its blog. The FTC has received a record 175,000 submissions from anxious content creators, who are demanding it does not meddle with YouTube, the WSJ reported. Many are reliant on earnings made through advertisements which play before, during, and after their videos. We believe that our content is for a general audience, but the government can come tell us, No, its not, creator Mike Moore told the news outlet. Thats the scary part. Meanwhile, industry expert Josh Golin, executive director of the nonprofit Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, told the WSJ he believes Google is responsible. Google should have been obeying the law and the creators wouldnt be in this mess, he said. YouTube has long stated that its platform has never been designed for children under the age of 13. Reuters contributed to this report. Ignoring Pakistan's cross-border terrorism, the history of Kashmir and the geopolitical necessities behind India's move to read down a temporary Constitutional position makes for a skewed debate but that's exactly what US Congressional Democrats did in 22 October during the Congressional hearing on 'Human Rights in South Asia' that provided the Democrats with a chance to target Modi government and question India's democratic credentials. A hyper-partisanship and hostility in Capitol Hill likely affecting US-India ties and posing a threat to decades of bipartisan goodwill that has been the fulcrum of bilateral relationship. Leading the hostility is the "progressive, liberal" section of the US Congress a 535-strong inalienable part of the US government comprising House of Representatives and Senate with massive fiscal clout and diplomatic sway that until recently was a strong bipartisan backer of India. The Congressional Democrats have been sharply critical of India, taking umbrage at Narendra Modi government's recent steps over revocation of Article 370 and enactment of Citizenship Amendment Act. While some have brought House Resolutions on India's handling of Kashmir, some lawmakers running for Presidency have openly wondered whether India is turning into an 'illiberal democracy' under a 'Hindu majoritarian', 'Islamophobic' government where Muslims are relegated as 'second class citizens'. Consequently, this "progressive wing" is pressurising the US Congress and the Donald Trump administration to impose greater costs on India, rethink the strategic partnership and doing away with 'strategic altruism'. Opinion is divided over whether this sermonising by the ultra-Left in the US will have any visible impact to bilateral ties but there's no question that the US Congress, which tends to take an independent view on international relations, may become more and more critical of India. On the face of it, this posturing by Congressional Democrats is motivated by a moral impulse. But scratch the surface and a disturbing cocktail of reasons emerge behind the facade that includes frustration with Trump and the trajectory of his campaign despite the desperate bid to impeach him, annoyance with Modi-Trump bromance, hatred towards India's prime minister and a fundamental, ideological distrust of the BJP-led NDA government fed by an equally partisan and bigoted 'liberal' US media. This moral posturing by the ultra-Left in the US in response to India's policies and decisions as a sovereign state has also fed into domestic politics. Congress, for instance, has applauded US lawmakers for taking potshots at India - not a smart move given India's colonial past but this, or media commentary that blames the "new negative dynamic in Washington" on Modi government's "egregious policies" is guilty of overlooking the impulses that are motivating the "progressive Democrats". For one, this section of the US Congress suffers from a condition that noted French philosopher and author Pascal Bruckner has called 'political culture of western guilt' in his book The Tyranny of Guilt: An Essay on Western Masochism. Bruckner argues that the western burden of guilt over racism and slavery is so severe that it is now terrified of offending minority interests and has ended up becoming enablers and collaborators of Islamic fundamentalists. Bruckner, a Frenchman, writes in French context but his views are echoed by British Muslim reformer Maajid Nawaz who detects an inability of the Left in understanding that challenging Islamist extremism does not mean aiding far-right "the alternative to this fear must not be to instead empower theocratic fascism". This context is important to understand why the "progressive, liberal" US lawmakers see nothing wrong in Pakistan's policy of using terrorism as a legitimate foreign policy tool to achieve political ends in Kashmir, and perceive India's policy of abrogating Article 370 and reading down Jammu and Kashmir's semi-autonomous status in isolation. Ignoring Pakistan's cross-border terrorism, the history of Kashmir and the geopolitical necessities behind India's move to read down a temporary Constitutional position makes for a skewed debate but that's exactly what US Congressional Democrats did in 22 October during the Congressional hearing on "Human Rights in South Asia" that provided the Democrats with a chance to target Modi government and question India's democratic credentials. As this Washington DC-based Indian commentator notes, "Democrats who are not members of the Asia subcommittee or even the larger House Foreign Affairs Committee were invited to attend. They asked tough questions and left. It was clear that some were marking presence with little or no feel for the subject." If this gives us a hint that Congressional Democrats were more interested in playing to the gallery or propagating Islamo-fascist agendas, as Somalian-origin US lawmaker from Minnesota Ilhan Omar was doing, it became clearer recently that "progressive liberals" among US Congress are driven more by domestic political considerations in treating India as a punching bag. It all started when India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar canceled a meeting with US Congressional leaders over a meeting on Kashmir. Jaishankar's decision earned him disrepute in US media and a string of criticisms by US lawmakers (all Democrats, some of whom are running for Presidency). Jaishankar's disagreement stemmed from the last-minute inclusion of Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat of Indian descent who represents Washington's 7th Congressional District in the House of Representatives, into the panel before whom the Indian foreign minister was to appear. Jaishankar's stated schedule was to meet members and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) and the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) on the sidelines of the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue but in apparent contravention of House rules, the HFAC included co-sponsors of two bills on Kashmir - Jayapal and Palestinian-American lawmaker Rashida Tlaib. This was promptly played by Jayapal - a vocal critic of Modi government who has made 'human rights issues' her calling card in politics - as suppression of dissenting voices by India. She received ample support from Congressional colleagues, Democrat presidential candidates and Washington Post that was the immediate beneficiary of this "leaked" story. The cancellation of this meeting was deeply disturbing. It only furthers the idea that the Indian government isn't willing to listen to any dissent at all. https://t.co/EMeqIr05VJ Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) December 19, 2019 Efforts to silence @PramilaJayapal are deeply troubling. The U.S. and India have an important partnership-but our partnership can only succeed if it is rooted in honest dialogue and shared respect for religious pluralism, democracy, and human rights. https://t.co/hx5H5Rpxqg Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) December 20, 2019 India is an important friend and partner of the United States, which is why I'm concerned about the ongoing political detentions, communications blackouts, and other steps being taken by the government that could threaten its longstanding democratic traditions. Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) December 23, 2019 The entire episode was presented as an "illiberal Indian government" crushing dissent at home and refusing to even engage with critics abroad. This line, however, comes under question when we look at the chronology of events. The first thing to note is that it was Jaishankar who sought a meeting with SFRC and HFAC. He did not seek a meeting with either Jayapal who has brought a House resolution on Kashmir urging the Indian government to "lift communication blackout" and stop "surge in attacks against religious minorities throughout India" or Tlaib, who has also moved resolution seeking, among other things, "Kashmiri self-determination." Since it is inconceivable that India would have willingly sought meeting with two trenchant critics, their inclusion at the last minute in the committee raises a few questions. Why were they added, and was it a contravention of House rules? It is evident that Jayapal, who is not a member of HFAC leave alone being part of the top leadership, "suddenly appeared on the list of attendees" apparently because the request "was initiated by her office two days before and accepted by HFAC chairman Eliot Engel." As this piece in Economic Times tells us. This was objected to by the Indian side who suspected that Jayapal (or Tlaib's) inclusions are essentially PR stunts. As Sirohi writes, "the story was promptly leaked to The Washington Post, a fact that reinforced the feeling on the Indian side that Jayapal's idea was to embarrass the minister, not to conduct a dialogue Even if the meeting were held with Jayapal attending, there was no guarantee she would have kept the discussions private and not taken to Twitter to pronounce judgment. It was a PR problem either way." Jayapal's partisan behavior was evident on 22 October during the Congressional hearing when she appeared before the panel and blasted India for "human rights abuse". As a report in Economic Times points out, following the hearing, Jayapal "was requested by US-based Indian officials to provide specific names of individuals based in the US who could not establish contacts with their relatives in J&K after August 5 so that the government could facilitate contact. Eventually, when names were not provided, her attention was drawn to the fact by the officials that her constituents were actually from Pakistan, masquerading as Kashmiris." Jaishankar has seen Washington enough to understand these games. He was quite explicit about his reasons in not meeting those who have "already made up their minds" instead of being "objective, and open to discussion". He also dismissed notions that US Congress as a whole suffers from an ideological dissonance against India. Be that as it may, it is increasingly clear that India under Modi and Jaishankar is unwilling to give in to external pressure tactics and propagandist behavior over sovereign decisions. Whether India possesses enough clout to impose costs on nations that seek to politicise India's sovereign decisions for domestic politics is debatable. India may not be as powerful as China, but is now a bigger Asian power and poised to leap ahead in global commons. Washington must understand that India will be guided by its own considerations in taking these sovereign decisions, such as legislations duly passed by its Parliament or revoking of Constitutional positions. It shall not be deterred by pressure tactics, and the onus is on the sections to US Congress who remain inimical ideologically to India's ruling dispensation to get their collective heads around this reality and not let hyper-partisanship ruin bilateral ties. Fortunately, the Trump administration has shown itself to be more pragmatic than Democrat hotheads. India is at conversation with itself, asking questions of its past that it should have long ago. The US must respect the playing out of democracy. The Uttar Pradesh Police has submitted a charge sheet in a court here in connection with the death of a 23-year-old Unnao rape victim, who was allegedly set ablaze by five men. Additional Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar Pandey, who is heading a Special Investigation Team in the case, said the charge sheet was submitted on Wednesday. "There is ample proof against the five accused persons, and the charge sheet was prepared based on those evidences," he said on Thursday. The 23-year-old Unnao rape victim, who was airlifted to Delhi and admitted to Safdarjung Hospital with 90 per cent burns after being set on fire, died following a cardiac arrest on December 6, 2019. The woman was set afire by five men, including two of her alleged rapists, on December 5 morning when she was going to Rae Bareli to attend a court hearing in the rape case filed by her. In her statement to Sub Divisional Magistrate Dayashankar Pathak, the woman had said she was attacked when she reached Gaura turn near her home on her way to the court. She had specifically named Harishankar Trivedi, Ram Kishore Trivedi, Umesh Bajpai, Shivam Trivedi and Shubham Trivedi as the persons who set her on fire. The woman had also alleged that Shivam and Shubham Trivedi had abducted and raped her in December 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One expert reminds consumers that airlines are required to offer refunds for canceled flights Southwest Airlines may have escaped major cancellations from New Years weekend, but its in the hot seat now. The discount carrier pulled 658 flights off the board on Thursday, according to FlightAware. Another 519 were canceled on Friday, and there are another 230 cancellations predicted for Saturday and 19 for Sunday. In an email to ConsumerAffairs, a Southwest spokesperson explained that ongoing staff challenges most likely coronavirus-related sick calls from wor... Landlords are ignoring regulations aimed at clamping down on Airbnb and other short-term lettings in areas worst hit by the housing crisis. The number of entire homes advertised for short stays on Airbnb rose by more than 1,000 in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford over the past year to almost 6,900. That's despite moves by the Government to get properties used for the lucrative holiday market back in use as long-term homes. It comes against a backdrop where the number of homeless is more than 10,500, including 1,733 families. Under the new rules, which came into effect in rent pressure zones last July, short-term letting is allowed for up to 14 days at a time, to a total of 90 days in a given year. But landlords are supposed to register such properties with their local authority and just 370 applications to register have been received to date. Short-term letting for longer than a total of 90 days requires planning permission, but just 21 applications have been received. None has been granted, although three are under appeal to An Bord Pleanala. But local authorities warn they are gearing up for a crackdown in the coming months after getting funding in recent weeks to recruit dedicated staff and establish specialist enforcement units. Dublin City Council got its allocation ahead of the others and has already begun 220 investigations into suspect lettings. It said it had issued 15 enforcement notices so far and initiated its first prosecution. It expected those numbers to rise substantially over the next few months. "The council is monitoring notifications received, we have commenced proactive investigations of properties and are profiling and targeting properties on short-term lettings platform websites," it said. "It is anticipated that up to 1,000 properties will be investigated next year in respect of compliance with the regulations." Galway City Council said it had received 20 complaints from the public and issued eight warning letters, while Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown sent three warning letters which resulted in compliance by the targeted property owners. No complaints have been received in Limerick yet and no enforcement cases opened. Kildare, where all the main towns are rent pressure zones, has served one enforcement notice. The Department of Housing said it was too early to judge the effect of the new regulations. "Local authorities are currently focusing on raising public awareness and advising homeowners of their obligations under the regulations. "Once the advisory phase is completed, local authorities will focus on following up on lack of engagement and enforcement," it said. It said progress reports would be required after six months. "Given the provision of dedicated funding to planning authorities to support the enforcement and implementation of the new provisions, we expect to see positive results from the enforcement in all affected local authority areas." Penalties for breaches of the regulations include fines of up to 5,000 and prison terms of up to six months, although for the most serious offences under the planning code the maximum in theory could be 10m in fines and up to two years in prison. AirDNA, which analyses letting trends on Airbnb internationally, cautioned that the figures currently available for short-term lettings included properties where bookings made in advance of the July regulations were being honoured but owners may intend removing the advertisement or restricting bookings to 90 days subsequently. But a quick visit to the Airbnb site reveals no shortage of properties available to book for more than 90 days in a single stretch or for fortnightly or shorter periods in all five main urban areas. In total, AirDNA shows 6,878 entire homes available as short-term lets in those areas. An additional 4,542 listings are for private rooms or room shares within dwellings. Limerick had the greatest growth in the number of homes for let over the year - up more than double from 85 to 202. Price rises for an average night were more modest in 2019 than in previous years, with Dublin hosts gaining the most through an increase from 143 to 153. Prices vary enormously, and there are eight properties in Dublin available to rent in the coming weeks for 1,000 or more for a single night, including one at 3,700 a night, rising to 4,300 for a summer booking. "Pakistan was formed on the basis of religion. Religious minorities were being persecuted there. The persecuted were forced to come to India as refugees. But the Congress party and its allies don't speak against Pakistan. Instead, they are taking out rallies against these refugees," the Prime Minister said in his speech at Sree Siddaganga Mutt here.He accused the Congress party and its allies of agitating against Parliament which had passed the CAA and said the need was to unmask the atrocities faced by minorities in Pakistan.The Prime Minister said unprecedented efforts have been made since 2014 to bring a positive change in the lives of people and said such efforts reached a pinnacle last year with measures to tackle terrorism and abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.The Prime Minister said the path has also been paved for the construction of a grand temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram at Ayodhya with peace and cooperation.Hitting out at the Congress, he said: "You will remember what kind of atmosphere was there in the country when the last decade started. But this third decade has started with a strong foundation of expectations and aspirations."Modi said that some weeks back, Parliament made history by passing the Citizenship Amendment Act."But the Congress and their allies and the ecosystem made by them stood against Parliament. The kind of hatred they indulge in with us, the same tone is visible against the parliament. They have started an agitation against the parliament of the country. They are agitating against Dalits, suppressed and exploited people who have come from Pakistan," he said."Pakistan was born on the basis of religion. The country got divided on the basis of religion and since then atrocities against other religions started in Pakistan. With time, the atrocities on the basis of religion against Hindus, Sikh, Christians, Jains have increased. Thousands of such people had to come to India as refugees leaving their homes. Pakistan committed atrocities against Hindus, against Sikhs, Jains, Christians but Congress and its people do not speak against Pakistan," he said."Today there is a question in mind of every countryman that people who came from Pakistan to save their lives and of their daughters, agitations are being carried against them but Pakistan which committed atrocities on them, on it they are quiet," he said.The Prime Minister said it was the duty of the country to refugees who have come from Pakistan and "show that we are standing by them"."It is our duty that we do not leave the Hindus, Dalits and exploited people who have come from Pakistan to their fate and help them. It is our duty not to leave the Jains and Christians who have come from Pakistan to their fate and help them."People who are agitating against the parliament, I want to tell them that the need today is to unmask this act of Pakistan at international level. If you have to agitate, do it against the deeds of Pakistan in the last 70 years. If you have to raise slogans, then raise them about the atrocities against minorities in Pakistan, if you have to take out a march, do it in favour of Dalits and exploited who have come from Pakistan. If you have to stage a sit-in, do it against Pakistan," he said.The Prime Minister said that unprecedented efforts have been made since 2014 to bring a positive change in the lives of people."The last year took our steps taken as a country, as a society to a pinnacle. The pledge to make the country free of defection is being realised. The pledge to make the poor free of smoke is getting realised. Direct help to every farmer family, social security to labourers, small traders are being fulfilled," he said.Modi said that India has "entered the third decade of the 21st century with new energy and renewed vigour.""The resolve of change in the policy against terrorism is getting realised. The pledge to remove terrorism, uncertainty from lives of people in Jammu and Kashmir by removing Article 370 and starting a new era of development led by people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is being realised. In all this, the path for construction of a grand temple at Ayodhya at the birthplace of Lord Ram has been paved with peace and cooperation," he said.He said the government was working hard to solve challenges that have been pending for decades."The lives of people get better, this is our priority. Every poor has a permanent roof, gas connection, piped water, health facility, insurance cover, every village has broadband, we are working on several such goals," he said.Modi said the government was working to see India as a prosperous, capable world power that works for the welfare of people and an India that take its natural place on the world stage."To fulfil this aspiration, people have given priority to big changes. This has become a mindset that the problems we have got as a legacy, we have to solve them. This message coming from the society inspires our government," he said.The Prime Minister said he was seeking active cooperation of saints on three pledges - to strengthen our culture of giving importance to duties, protection of the environment and water conservation.Prime Minister Modi said that he was beginning 2020 from this pious land. "I wish this sacred energy of Sree Siddaganga Mutt enriches the lives of the people of our country," he said. (ANI) The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll show how you can use China Communications Construction Company Limited's (HKG:1800) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. What is China Communications Construction's P/E ratio? Well, based on the last twelve months it is 4.79. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 20.9%. See our latest analysis for China Communications Construction How Do I Calculate China Communications Construction's Price To Earnings Ratio? The formula for price to earnings is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price (in reporting currency) Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for China Communications Construction: P/E of 4.79 = HK$5.68 (Note: this is the share price in the reporting currency, namely, CNY ) HK$1.19 (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2019.) Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good? A higher P/E ratio implies that investors pay a higher price for the earning power of the business. All else being equal, it's better to pay a low price -- but as Warren Buffett said, 'It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price'. How Does China Communications Construction's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers? One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. If you look at the image below, you can see China Communications Construction has a lower P/E than the average (9.7) in the construction industry classification. SEHK:1800 Price Estimation Relative to Market, January 2nd 2020 Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that China Communications Construction shareholders think it will struggle to do as well as other companies in its industry classification. Since the market seems unimpressed with China Communications Construction, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued. Story continues How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up. China Communications Construction's earnings per share fell by 6.1% in the last twelve months. But it has grown its earnings per share by 6.9% per year over the last five years. Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on growth. Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof). Is Debt Impacting China Communications Construction's P/E? China Communications Construction's net debt is considerable, at 186% of its market cap. If you want to compare its P/E ratio to other companies, you must keep in mind that these debt levels would usually warrant a relatively low P/E. The Bottom Line On China Communications Construction's P/E Ratio China Communications Construction has a P/E of 4.8. That's below the average in the HK market, which is 10.5. Given meaningful debt, and a lack of recent growth, the market looks to be extrapolating this recent performance; reflecting low expectations for the future. 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 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. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Members of the Jewish Orthodox community walk by a police car patrolling in a Brooklyn neighborhood on the Yom Kippur holiday in New York City on Oct. 9, 2019. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Anti-Semitic Attacks in New York Continue Into the New Year NEW YORKAuthorities said two women allegedly yelled anti-Semitic slurs to a Hasidic man in Brooklyn on New Years Day, with one of them being arrested for assaultthe latest in a wave of violent anti-Semitic incidents. In the past few days alone, there were a number of separate incidents. Jewish leaders were at a loss for words about the increasing string of attacks against their communities over the past few months. We have yet to find the cure for this pernicious disease that continues to spread into the hearts and hands of perpetrators Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president at the New York Board of Rabbis, told The Epoch Times on Jan. 2. Jewish leaders told The Epoch Times recently that the rash of violent anti-Semitic attacks carried out across the New York metropolitan area is unprecedented. Potasnik added that he was heartened by the response of the non-Jewish communities who publicly stand with us. In the latest incident, a 22-year-old man told officers arriving at the scene that he was approached by a 24-year-old woman who grabbed his phone, threw it at him, and punched him while a 34-year-old woman yelled anti-Semitic slurs, an NYPD spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email. Authorities said they responded to a 911 call of an assault. The attack took place on Jan. 1 at the corner of Broadway and Gerry Street in the 90th Precinct in Brooklyn. The arrested woman was identified as 24-year-old Jasmine Lucas, who was charged with felony assault and criminal mischief, according to the spokesperson. Emergency services transported the victim to NYU Langone HospitalCobble Hill, where he is in a stable condition. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing by NYPDs Hate Crime Task Force, the spokesperson said. Just a day earlier, on New Years Eve, a Jewish teen was threatened at knife-point during a robbery inside a bus in Brooklyn. Two assailants allegedly snatched the teens earbuds and yarmulke as they were making anti-Semitic remarks, according to The New York Post. A yarmulke is a cap usually worn by Jewish males in Orthodox communities. According to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, there have been at least 13 anti-Semitic incidents in New York since Dec. 8, 2019. Meanwhile, a new bail law that has been criticized by some Jewish leaders officially went into effect on Jan. 1. New York passed bail reform legislation in April that was estimated to cause at least a 40 percent reduction overall in the states pretrial jail population, according to the Vera Institute of Justice. Due to the new laws, some of the perpetrators in the recent anti-Semitic attacks have been quickly released without bail. Potasnik has called for a reexamination of the laws to ensure there are no loopholes. He said he doesnt believe the purpose of the legislation would be to help criminals. The latest attacks follow an earlier incident in which a man was charged on Dec. 30 with federal hate crimes for stabbing five people who were celebrating Hanukkah at a rabbis home north of New York City, in the Orthodox Jewish community of Monsey in Rockland County, New York. Authorities said they found handwritten journals containing anti-Semitic references in the home of the suspect, identified as 37-year-old Grafton Thomas. Following the latest incident, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote on Twitter, People MUST be able to walk their own neighborhoods free from fear. He added that the NYPD has enhanced patrol presence in Jewish communities. Starting tonight, additional officers from the Strategic Response Group, the same highly-trained unit that helped keep New Yorkers safe in Times Square last night, will be on the streets, de Blasio said on Jan. 1. In a separate statement, the NYPD said it would continue to deploy police officers to houses of worship within New York communities as 2020 begins. Some lawmakers, meanwhile, are urging New Yorks governor to declare a state of emergency over the spate of anti-Semitic crimes and to deploy the National Guard to patrol Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods. Four Orthodox Jewish lawmakers signed on Dec. 29, 2019, a joint letter to Cuomo, stating that the anti-Semitic hate crimes have risen to frighteningly high numbers in the past few months and that Orthodox Jews have been targeted with a rash of violence unseen in modern history. After suspending MetaMask's Android app last week, Google has now restored it. MetaMask announced the news on Sunday, saying that Google took the decision after careful consideration. Last week, Google suspended MetaMasks app, citing its policy of banning cryptocurrency mining apps from its Android store. MetaMask does not offer mining services; it is a browser extension that allows users to run Ethereum decentralized applications (dapps). MetaMask had also filed an appeal, which Google rejected at the time. As the app has now been restored, MetaMask said the experience has made it more resilient and stronger. MetaMask has an estimated 264,000 monthly active users. The app has been impersonated several times in the past, attempting to retrieve victims' crypto-related credentials. Boris Johnsons adviser Dominic Cummings has urged weirdos and misfits to apply for jobs in Downing Street ahead of a planned shake-up of the civil service. The former director of Vote Leave published a 2,900-word advert aimed at mathematicians, data scientists, economists, software developers and PR experts. One of the successful applicants will get to work as Mr Cummings personal assistant for a year, according to Thursdays post on his blog. We want to hire an unusual set of people with different skills and backgrounds to work in Downing Street with the best officials, he wrote. It follows reports that Boris Johnson is planning seismic changes to the civil service following last months general election victory. Mr Cummings, a long-standing critic of Whitehall, has in the past said the principle of a permanent civil service was an idea for the history books. General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Show all 35 1 /35 General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Somerset A man dressed as Father Christmas enters his grotto at the Dunster Tithe Barn AP General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls A dog dressed as a bee at a polling station DaveMcgrath1/PA General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Edenbridge Voters arrive on horses at The Rock Inn pub, being used as a polling station in Chiddingstone Hoath AFP via Getty General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Stocksbridge A woman waits outside a cafe, set up as a polling station AFP via Getty General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls London People queue to cast their ballots, at polling station in Clapham Kelly Molloy/AP General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls London Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his wife Laura Alvarez pose outside the polling station at Pakeman Primary School in Holloway Getty General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Hartlepool A dog stands next to a polling station sign Getty General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Glasgow Leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon waves as she leaves a polling station after voting Reuters General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls London Boris Johnson holds his dog Dilyn as he leaves a polling station, at the Methodist Central Hall Reuters General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Millie wearing a Christmas outfit at a polling station Sewingloon/ Lewis MacDonald via AP General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls A person dressed as Sesame Street character Elmo next to police officers after arguing with a member of Jeremy Corbyn's security detail Reuters General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Yorkshire A dog next to a polling station sign on the back of a Land Rover in Low Row PA General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Northern Ireland DUP leader Arlene Foster arrives at a polling station in Enniskillen PA General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls London Nuns leave after voting at St John's parish hall AFP via Getty General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Arundel Signs are photographed at a polling station at the Arundel Lido swimming pool facilities Reuters General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Eight dogs at a polling station in Dulwich Village PA General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Oxford A presiding officer and a clerk drink cups of tea next to heaters to keep warm as they sit inside their polling station at Ace Laundrette AP General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Hove A dog sits outside a polling station Grizelda Cartoons via Reuters General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Brighton Caroline Lucas leaves a polling station with her son Isaac Reuters General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Oxford A polling station set up inside a pub Getty Images General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Oxford A dog looks out of the door of a laundrette AFP via Getty Images General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls New Mills A polling station sign is displayed next to a nativity scene as a voter arrives at a polling station at the Town Hall Getty General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Glasgow Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson and her husband Duncan Hames leave a polling station after voting Reuters General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls A horse outside a polling station in Epping Forest FSCEPPINGFOREST via Reuters General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Narberth A woman leaves a polling station at Hank Marvin, a fish and chips restaurant Reuters General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Sadiq Khan via REUTERS General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls PA General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls REUTERS General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls REUTERS General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls AFP via Getty Images General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls PA General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls Getty Images General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls REUTERS General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls REUTERS General election 2019: Dogs, Santa and even Elmo at the polls AFP via Getty Images In his blog he claimed there were some profound problems at the core of how the British state makes decisions. We want to improve performance and make me much less important and within a year largely redundant, he said. At the moment I have to make decisions well outside... my circle of competence and we do not have the sort of expertise supporting the PM and ministers that is needed. Mr Cummings warned applicants for the post of his personal assistant that they would have to sacrifice nights and weekends to make his life easier. Frankly it will hard having a boy/girlfriend at all, he added. It will be exhausting but interesting, and if you cut it you will be involved in things at the age of 21 that most people never see. I want people who are much brighter than me who can work in an extreme environment. In another section aimed at super-talented weirdos, he wrote: We need some true wild cards, artists, people who never went to university and fought their way out of an appalling hell hole. And after asking applicants to send their CV by email, he warned Ill bin you within weeks if you dont fit dont complain later because I made it clear now. Mr Cummings ended the post by admitting that his job advert was a fast and cheap way to get ideas. The general secretary of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, warned that the plan would threaten the impartiality of the civil service. Dave Penman said: Civil servants are recruited on merit, not patronage a critical principle if they are to provide the best impartial advice to ministers. It would be ironic if, in an attempt to bring in radical new thinking, Cummings was to surround himself with like-minded individuals recruited for what they believe, not what they can do and less able to provide the robust advice a minister may need, rather than simply the advice they want. Additional reporting by Press Association SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Authorities say a central New York man who charged police officers with a hatchet was shot. Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick says officers were called to a Syracuse home Tuesday evening. They found a 22-year-old man in a third-floor bedroom holding what appeared to be a hatchet. Police tried to talk the man down until an officer attempted to subdue him with a stun gun. The man got up and charged the officers, who responded by opening fire. The man was critically wounded but is expected to survive. BOSTON Plans are in the works for commemorating the 1965 visit by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Boston at the Statehouse. The House on Dec. 23 passed a resolve, filed by state Rep. Bud L. Williams, D-Springfield, that would authorize the installation of a plaque in the House chamber to commemorate an address that King delivered to lawmakers on April 22, 1965. The address was delivered to a joint session of the Legislature during Kings two-day visit to Boston that included a civil rights march by thousands from Roxbury to the Boston Common the following day. The march protested segregation in schools, jobs and housing. After he was refused entrance to the William Boardman School in Roxbury, King said, I am here to remove segregation from every area of life in Boston. I come here to identify with your struggle in Boston. Martin Luther King Day Jr. is Jan. 20, and State House News Service suggests its possible that legislators could be looking to get the bill to Gov. Charlie Bakers desk before then. Google's most searched for results for 2019 have been revealed and it turns out everyone wanted to know how to boil an egg. The trends have been broken down into categories- from Movies, People, Recipes and more. KYODO NEWS - Dec 31, 2019 - 21:14 | World, Feature, All Cambodia implemented a total ban on online gambling Tuesday, ending a three-year-old booming business in the country that catered mainly to Chinese tourists. The termination will take effect at midnight Dec. 31, 2019, after which any casinos failing to comply will face punishment by authorities, including the revocation of their license or other possible legal action. Ros Phirun, deputy director general of the Ministry of Finance and Economy and in charge of casinos and online gambling, said the government will conduct inspections at all licensed casinos from Jan. 1 to ensure they are following the government's directive. (A casino pictured in Cambodia in July 2019) The decision to terminate online gambling came after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced in August this year that he would outlaw it at the end of the year, saying it is linked to money laundering and other crimes. Reports suggest the decision may have also been made following pressure from China, which had asked Cambodia to help put a stop rampant gambling by Chinese players, saying it causes family and social problems. Following Hun Sen's announcement, tens of thousands of Chinese have left Cambodia, mostly from Sihanoukville, a popular destination for online gambling for Chinese tourists. By April this year, 86 casinos were operational in Sihanoukville, and unofficial records suggested roughly 70,000 Chinese visitors had flocked to this coastal city. Following the ban, however, several sources suggest the number has fallen by 70 percent. Before the announcement of the termination, Cambodia was considered the second biggest online gambling spot among ASEAN countries after the Philippines. Government sources suggested many of the Chinese who left Cambodia were bound for the Philippines and Myanmar. Related coverage: Large Chinese presence in Cambodian city clashes with local culture U.S. casino giants bet on Japan, raising addiction fears A Washington County man is facing charges after allegedly attempting to elude a law enforcement officer in a stolen off-road utility vehicle, wrecking it in the process and fleeing the scene. Jeffery Paul Skaggs Jr., 30, of Cadet, was charged in December with first-degree felony tempering, resisting a lawful stop, and leaving the scene of an accident. According to a probable cause statement by Deputy T. Maxwell of the Washington County Sheriffs Office, on Sept. 17, the deputy observed a white off-road utility vehicle (UTV) parked on the edge of the forest of property that the deputy knew to be owned by Fourche Valley Trust and he had been asked to patrol. The deputy states that he identified himself by showing his Washington County Sheriff's Office badge located on the front side of his belt and shouted, Sheriff's Office, stay where you are! Immediately after the deputy issued his commands, the UTV's driver quickly exited the wooded area, speeding through the ditch line of Route AA and turned south into the northbound lane of the highway. The deputy states that he observed a bearded male with black hair wearing a black shirt, as well as a black and white ball cap, driving the vehicle. The UTV then reportedly accelerated rapidly, coming out of the elevating slope of the ditch line onto the pavement of the roadway, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and almost overturn into the southbound lane of the roadway. The driver of the UTV then reportedly over-corrected and further lost control, causing the vehicle to slide off the roadway and back down into the east ditch line of the highway, entering at an angle that caused the vehicle to violently overturn. The UTV came to a rest on its passenger side after rolling over more than once. The driver emerged from the other side of the UTV and started running toward the edge of the forest. The deputy observed the man was no longer wearing his ball cap and was covered with gray dust except on his head where the ball cap had been. The deputy again shouted, Sheriff's Office, you better stop! After stopping at the edge of the forest, the deputy heard an audible disturbance to the right of him, along with some foul language, but states that his vision of the man was blocked for a short time by the overturned vehicle. The deputy states that he then observed a male with a black shirt go from a walking pace to a full run into the forest. The deputy was able to observe the individual's longer black wavy hair and multiple tattoos located on the mans neck and arms. The report states that the deputy went back to the overturned UTV to check if any additional individuals were involved in the crash. While looking in the area of the crash, the deputy reportedly located the black and white ball cap with a white St. Louis Cardinals logo lying next to the vehicle. Upon further inspection of the wrecked UTV, while checking for weapons or proof of ownership, the deputy observed that the ignition switch on the dash had been removed and had four wires sticking out of a hole with three of them wired together. The UTV was removed from the scene and transported to impound. The deputy was contacted by a woman who resides on Jinkerson Road approximately two miles from the scene of the accident. The woman reported that at approximately 8 a.m. that morning, she observed a black Dodge pickup truck with chrome accents, occupied by two girls, as well as a white Yamaha Rhino (UTV), with two men inside, pulled over in front of her residence where they remained for a few minutes talking and walking around. The woman reported that the man driving the UTV was wearing a black shirt, was extremely dirty, and had matted black hair. The woman also reported that the Dodge truck occupied by the two females left shortly before the white Yamaha Rhino UTV and she stated that they were acting very suspicious and uneasy. The deputy contacted the owner of P&L Grocery, located on Highway 8 between Jinkerson Road and Route AA, to ask if he could get access to their security camera footage from earlier that morning. Upon review of the recorded video, which contained footage from three different cameras, authorities were able to capture images of a black Dodge truck pull into the station to pump gas at approximately 8:15 a.m. on Sept. 17. The surveillance video showed that the truck was occupied by two females and while the truck was parked at the pump, a white UTV is seen traveling west on Highway 8, toward Route AA. The next day, the deputy was contacted by the Washington County Sheriff's Office and informed that the owner of the UTV had reported it stolen out of Belgrade and had positively identified the impounded vehicle as belonging to him. The man also stated that the vehicle was very low in gas and the upper part of the windshield was missing from the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle was shown the grocery store surveillance footage and identified a custom sticker located on the vehicle's windshield. On Sept. 21, the deputy was notified by the Washington County Sheriff's Office that two subjects had been arrested in possession of the black Dodge truck bearing the same license plate that was identified at P&L Grocery four days before, on the date it was reported stolen. After circulating some of the surveillance photos among staff at the sheriff's office, the deputy was able to identify Skaggs as the black-haired driver of the UTV he had attempted to stop. A review of Skaggs criminal history showed that he currently had an active warrant, at the time of the report, for resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, and tampering with a motor vehicle. His criminal history further shows that he is a convicted felon with prior arrests for burglary, theft, and drug-related crimes. Skaggs is currently in custody at the Washington County Jail. In the complaint filed by the Washington County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, a cash-only bond of $35,000 was requested from the court. After a bond reduction hearing, Skaggs bond was set at $20,000, cash, surety, or property. Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com Love 3 Funny 5 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 5 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. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a graduation ceremony for Investigation Bureau agents in New Taipei City, Dec. 26, 2019. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday that the democratic island would only deal with China on an equal footing, and would continue to insist on its freedom, democracy and sovereignty in the face of a growing threat from Beijing. In her 2020 New Year's Address on Jan. 1, Tsai called on China to recognize the existence of the Republic of China, founded by the Kuomintang (KMT) nationalist party after the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and relocated to Taiwan after Chiang Kai-shek lost the civil war to Mao Zedong's communists in 1949. She said China has used diplomatic offensives, military threats, interference and infiltration to try to force the island to compromise its sovereignty. But Tsai said Taiwan would never agree to becoming part of the People's Republic of China in its current, authoritarian state. "Democracy and authoritarianism cannot coexist within the same country," Tsai said. "Hong Kong's people have shown us that 'one country, two systems' is absolutely not viable," she said, in a reference to the separate legal framework and maintenance of traditional freedoms promised to Hong Kong ahead of the 1997 handover, a distinction that has been gradually eroding in the face of political pressure from Beijing. "China must face the reality of the Republic of China's existence, ... respect the commitment of the 23 million people of Taiwan to freedom and democracy, and handle cross-strait differences peacefully, on a basis of equality," she said. "We must be aware that China is infiltrating all facets of Taiwanese society to sow division," Tsai warned. "We must establish democratic defense mechanisms to prevent infiltration." She said the Anti-Infiltration Law passed by Taiwan's Legislative Yuan on Tuesday was aimed at protecting its freedom and democracy, not hampering genuine economic and cultural exchange across the Taiwan Strait. "Taiwan's democracy and freedom cannot be undermined," Tsai said. China stepping up 'United Front' work The Anti-Infiltration Law was passed following repeated warnings from Taiwan's national security agencies that China is pouring in backdoor resources and stepping up "United Front" propaganda work to boost support for the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), or nationalist party ahead of the Jan. 11 general election. The new law forbids any organizations or individuals sponsored by foreign powers from providing political contributions, campaigning, lobbying, or disseminating fake news meant to interfere in elections. Lawmakers in the U.S. and Australia have enacted similar legislation to prevent foreign interference and to monitor foreign influence. The bill, which passed by 67 votes to zero despite opposition criticism, was fast-tracked by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after the KMT nominated at-large candidates for the legislature with close ties to China's Communist Party, including retired Taiwan generals. Professor Tung Li-wen of the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association said Tsai's tougher line on Beijing had come after Chinese President Xi Jinping's Jan. 2, 2019 speech insisting that Taiwan "unify" with China under "one country, two systems," and refusing to rule out the use of force to annex the country. "I think Tsai Ing-wen is very disappointed in Beijing and in Xi Jinping," Tung said. "Back in the 2016 election, Tsai was talking about preserving the status quo in cross-straits relations, and was hoping for dialogue with Beijing." He said her hand had been forced by the uncompromising tone of Xi's Jan. 2 "Letter to our Taiwan Compatriots" speech. "This made Tsai Ing-wen feel that there was no way to back down, and that she had to state Taiwan's bottom line very clearly," Tung said. "[Her speech] comes against this background." Tsai looks set to win a second term when the country goes to the polls on Jan. 11. Media control Prosecutors in December detained 10 people, including a former KMT staffer, on suspicion of falsifying documents to bring thousands of mainland Chinese to Taiwan, possibly including some who were collecting intelligence. Concerns have also been raised about Beijing's influence over Taiwanese media groups, many of which are owned by corporations with ties to China. Support for the KMT, the party that fled to Taiwan after losing control of China in 1949 and still wants it to be part of a "unified" China some day, is at a new low ahead of next month's election. The Global Views Research annual public opinion survey said the violent suppression of Hong Kong's anti-government protests had sparked growing fears for Taiwan's national security and democracy, although an internal power struggle in the party had contributed. Currently, only 4.5 percent of Taiwanese support the idea of "unification" with China. Tsai has been a vocal supporter of Hong Kong protesters' aspirations for full democracy, and against the use of police violence and political prosecutions to target protesters, and told a recent presidential election debate that China is the biggest threat to Taiwan's way of life. Taiwan was ruled as a Japanese colony in the 50 years prior to the end of World War II, but was handed back to the 1911 Republic of China under the KMT as part of Tokyo's post-war reparation deal. It has never been controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, nor formed part of the People's Republic of China. Taiwan began a transition to democracy following the death of President Chiang Ching-kuo in January 1988, starting with direct elections to the legislature in the early 1990s and culminating in the first direct election of a president, Lee Teng-hui, in 1996. Reported by Hsia Hsiao-hwa for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Chung Kuang-cheng for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. New Delhi, Jan 2 : Did "Game Of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke celebrate New Year in India? Is she in Delhi? Social media has been abuzz with such questions ever since a viral image started doing the rounds, which claims that the queen of dragons ushered the new year in Jaipur with her mother. The pic was shared by Mumbai-based photographer Viral Bhayani on Instagram. "#GameOfThrones actress #EmiliaClarke snapped by @shreyaanbathla at the Jaipur airport. She was snapped with her mom as she boarded an Air Asia flight to Delhi. This will be her second trip to India as she had earlier been here and had shared her images from her trip on her Instagram handle @emilia_clarke . But she enjoys the simplicity and not a very lavish or luxurious stay on the basis of the pictures she has posted," the lensman captioned the image. However, the image does not show Clarke's face. We only see two women with their back to the camera. Last August, Clarke was in India along with "Game Of Thrones" co-star Rose Leslie. She described her experience in India "brain altering". Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen in the fantasy series "Game Of Thrones" (GoT), had posted a series of the photographs from her India visit along with Leslie, who was seen as Ygritte in the show, on Instagram. She visited Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, back then. "NAMASKAR India," Clarke wrote as she began her post. "NAMASKAR #AnandaSpaHimalayas this is not an ad, this is just two gals buzzed off our faces on India, peace, being robbed blind by monkeys, (we hardly put up a fight) the best two books I've read in years #TheOverStory should be mandatory reading the world over), yoga, spice, mamma earth and figuring out that all you're ever looking for can be found within. Corny as hell but my God is it true," she added. Clarke used quite a few hashtags to describe her affair with India -- #BreatheBabyAndLetTheMadnessMeltAway, #BrainAlteringJoy, #RoseLeslieHasMyHeartAndSoulWrappedUpinHers, #Don'tForgetTheLovePeople, #BollocksDoesThatMeanItsTimeToWorkNow. The actress, who had earlier confessed that her grandmother was half Indian, shared a glimpse of her vacation, which included lighting a diya at one of the ghats, getting robbed by monkeys at her hotel room, experiencing peace by visiting Indian temples. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints completed a year-long study of the New Testament in 2019. In 2020, they will begin a year-long study of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, as part of the Come, Follow Me curriculum based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Online manuals are already available for personal and classroom study and can be downloaded at churchofJesusChrist.org. The Book of Mormon is a companion to the Holy Bible. According to officials, The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ [to the ancient inhabitants of the Americas] soon after His resurrection a visit foretold by Christ in John 10:16 when he said, And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. The Book of Mormon was written on plates by many ancient prophets. In due course, the plates were delivered to Joseph Smith who translated them by the gift and power of God. The introduction states: We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost (see Moroni 10:3-5). The Book of Mormon is filled with many teachings of Jesus Christ and confirms the truths found in the Holy Bible, including that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. According to churchofJesusChrist.org, In its more than 6,000 verses, the Book of Mormon refers to Jesus Christ almost 4,000 times. As of 2015, The Book of Mormon has been published in over 110 languages with an announcement in 2017 to publish in 34 more languages, which now includes Farsi, Navajo, Arabic and numerous African and Asian dialects. Come, Follow Me Book of Mormon lessons for 2020 will focus on Gods great plan of happiness and Jesus Christs central role as the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Lessons invite individuals and families to stand fast in the faith of Christ, to be filled with love towards God and all men, to find strength in the Lord, to remain steadfast and immovable, to be assured that Jesus Christ will redeem His people, to remember the Lord and arise and come forth unto Him, to repent, to lift up our heads and be of good cheer for the glad tidings of great joy that Christ brings to any and all who come unto Him. Visitors are always welcome at church services held by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the greater Chattanooga area, and elsewhere. We invite all to worship with us as we rejoice in Christ the Light and the Life of the worlda Light that is endless, that can never be darkened (Mosiah 16: 9). A Singapore opposition party said on Thursday it was prepared to legally challenge a government order to attach correction notices to its online posts, accusing the government of using a new fake news law to stymie political debate. It marks the first time such a case could head to court since the law came into effect in October. The Singapore Democratic Party, which has no current representation in parliament, was last month told to issue the notices on an article on its website and related Facebook posts that discussed white-collar jobs in the city-state. It attached the notices, but on Thursday said it stood by its content and asked for the correction notices to be retracted by the labor ministry. "We call on the Minister to not only retract the Correction Directions but also issue an immediate, unambiguous and public apology to the SDP... failing which we will be obliged to pursue the matter in a court of law," SDP said in a statement on its website. The law requires recipients of correction orders to comply even if they intend to appeal. The labor ministry did not have an immediate comment on the SDP's post when contacted by Reuters. The law empowers ministers to ask online media platforms and users to carry corrections or remove content the government deems false and harms public interest. Rights groups fear the law may curb free speech, and opposition politicians say it could give the government too much power as elections loom. Singaporean diplomats have recently defended the law in letters sent to global media outlets like the South China Morning Post and Britain's The Economist, saying the correction directions did not restrict debate and gave readers more information. SDP accused the labor ministry of using the law for "political-partisan purposes to stymie legitimate criticism". "That the general election is not far away makes our case even more salient," it added. The three-month-old law has been used four times since Nov. 25 with figures linked to other opposition parties who were also told their online posts must carry a banner stating they contain false information. Singapore's next general elections must be held by early 2021, but the government is widely expected to call for a vote in the next few months. As the Presbyterian Church enters the new year, it continues to faces major challenges in dealing with the same-sex issues which have brought it so many bad headlines since June 2018, when the General Assembly voted to exclude same-sex couples from communion and baptising their children. There was a prolonged outcry at the time from the dwindling bunch of liberals in the Church about the way it was handled and the damaging headlines persisted through 2019. The criticism of the Church intensified when it sacked Steven Symrl as an elder in Christ Church Sandymount, Dublin, because he is in a same-sex marriage, which is fully legalised in the Republic. His position was investigated by a Church commission and, after a lengthy process, he was dismissed. He said later: "It was so hurtful. To be told that I was just dismissed and to have had every argument put to them over six months utterly ignored, it was really like a kick to the stomach." This decision has led to a long and lively letters debate in this newspaper, reflecting the current turmoil in the Presbyterian Church. Many inside and outside the Presbyterian Church recognise that it has a right to take a fundamental stance on same-sex issues. But what disturbs people most is the perceived coldness with which these rules are applied. Mr Smyrl, who has shown considerable dignity and courage in fighting his case like a latter-day ecclesiastical David facing a theological Goliath, echoed the views of many Presbyterians and others when he wrote recently: "I am constantly astonished by Church leaders, who, with dogged determination to impose a narrow fundamentalist interpretation of Scripture in matters of sexual morality, ignore the central Gospel message of 'love thy neighbour'." The cool tone of the Presbyterian Church's constant response to same-sex issues was clearly and uncompromisingly set out in its Blue Book prior to a debate at the 2018 General Assembly and it is still worth revisiting in detail. In a weighty and sometimes turgid document, referring to the teaching of Calvin and other theological luminaries thought to be the font of all wisdom, the Presbyterian Church's doctrine committee made clear its views: "The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) has a clear position on marriage and human relationships based on the teaching of the Bible. "(a) The position that has been clearly and consistently adopted in PCI is that homosexual activity is not consistent with Christian discipleship, since it does not accord with the will of God expressed in his moral law. "(b) The apostolic witness in the New Testament unambiguously regards homosexual activity as contrary to nature, understood as God's created order, and that it sets forth a permanent principle of creation, not a culturally limited perception. "In light of our understanding of Scripture and the Church's understanding of a credible profession of faith, it is clear that same-sex couples are not eligible for communicant membership, nor are they qualified to receive baptism for their children. We believe that their outward conduct and lifestyle is at variance with a life of obedience to Christ. "In this context, it is important to emphasise that the Church invites and welcomes all who wish to sit under the means of grace at public services and to have access to the pastoral care and counsel available within her fellowship. "Like her Lord, she reaches out to all with love and compassion. This posture of grace and welcome should not in itself be confused with moral indifference or approval of any behaviour contrary to God's Word. "It is, rather, the warmest of invitations to receive Christ Jesus as both Lord and Saviour in all of life." The above passage does not make for easy reading, but it is important to remember that every word counts. And they counted so much to the 2018 General Assembly that members voted decisively to ban same-sex couples from communion and not to baptise their children. However, setting aside the cold and almost legal tone of the document quoted above, two points are clear. The final paragraph of the Presbyterian Church's statement could be translated in layman's language thus: "We welcome anyone who comes to Church, but that does not mean that we approve of your lifestyle if you are gay, or in a same-sex relationship." The other sentence in that last paragraph which leaps from the page is the Presbyterian Church's claim that, "like her Lord, she reaches out to all with love and compassion". For many observers, this is an extraordinary claim, given the way in which the same-sex issue has been handled. Steven Smyrl has claimed again and again that the process leading to his dismissal had left him feeling "abused, demeaned and persecuted". Recently, he told this paper that he had written, on November 27, 2019, an open letter to Presbyterian Church leaders, raising questions about his dismissal, but at his time of writing in the Belfast Telegraph, he had not even had an acknowledgement from Church House. No doubt, many people will be asking themselves if this is the proper behaviour from a Church which claims, "like her Lord (to) reach out to all with love and compassion". Without doubt, this bitter controversy within the Presbyterian Church will continue for some time, but what is at stake, as I have repeatedly underlined in the past few years, is not just the battle over important issues like same-sex, but a long and continuing tussle between fundamentalists and liberals for the very soul of the Church. This was well-summarised by a letter in this week's Belfast Telegraph from someone who signs himself (or herself) as "Longstanding Presbyterian minister" and is obviously a liberal. It is most significant that this letter-writer is not named, though his or her name and address is known to the Editor. Presbyterian liberals are so fearful nowadays of putting their heads above the parapet that very few have the courage to do so in public, or in private. The letter-writer claims that: "The whole Church polity is in disarray, locked in a race to the bottom, with ministers and elders denouncing each other through secret commissions. A shadowy cohort of men has infiltrated every aspect of decision-making and insinuated their narrow, fundamentalist view into Church policy. "Unless and until the moderates make their voices heard, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland will continue on its headlong march towards absolute fundamentalism." Already, a number of Presbyterians have voted with their feet and have left for other denominations. At the time of writing, the Presbyterian Church has maintained a solid silence on the Steven Smyrl case, but, in 2020, it still has to answer one basic question: is the Presbyterian Church more intent on being "right" on same-sex issues, rather than demonstrating the "love and compassion" which it claims to show to all? At the moment, the very wide jury, both inside and outside the Presbyterian Church, is still out on this basic question about the Church's credibility and, in the coming year, people will continue to ask the hard questions to which there are no easy answers. Love and compassion has to be demonstrated - not just talked about. Alf McCreary is the Belfast Telegraph's religion correspondent By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/02/2020 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. alum Tyler Cameron and Kylie Jenner 's best friend Anastasia "Stassie" Karanikolaou reportedly spent New Year's Eve together in Miami, FL.According to an eyewitness, Tyler, 26, was spotted "being awfully friendly" with the 22-year-old model and social media influencer at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Us Weekly reported Tyler and Stassie reportedly rang in 2020 at a party that featured a performance by The Jonas Brothers.The pair, who were last seen together in November 2019 in Los Angeles, were joined by other guests including model Winnie Harlow for the big celebration, according to the magazine.A source told Us late last year Tyler and Stassie are "absolutely hooking up.""They are keeping things casual, but Tyler really likes Stassie," the source said. "And he thinks she's gorgeous... He wants to continue seeing her and see where it goes."Recent findings would seem to contradict a People report from mid-December claiming Tyler and Stassie's romance had ended.An insider told People at the time Tyler was "no longer hanging out with Stassie" and their fling had "ran its course and fizzled out .""There was no anger or hard feelings -- Tyler is no drama. There just wasn't a future there," the insider noted.Tyler -- who worked as a contractor in Florida before moving to New York City late last year -- appeared to begin spending time with Stassie in November.The couple had been spotted hanging out on two different occasions in Los Angeles, CA.One of the pair's flirty interactions at a California bar was caught on video by TMZ, and then Tyler was photographed weeks later enjoying a Los Angeles Clippers game with his friends, which turned into a fun night out with Stassie at Poppy nightclub afterwards.Prior to getting involved with Stassie, Tyler dated supermodel Gigi Hadid for nearly two months before they called it quits on their relationship in October 2019.Tyler finished as the runner-up on Season 15 of when its star Hannah Brown chose to accept a marriage proposal from Jed Wyatt instead.Hannah, however, broke up with Jed five weeks after their engagement filmed because he had lied about the extent of his dating history before his appearance on the ABC reality dating series.Hannah therefore asked Tyler out on a date during the reunion special for , which aired in late July 2019, but their potential for reconciliation ended shortly after they spent one night together in L.A. in early September because Tyler subsequently set his eyes on Gigi.Tyler recently deleted all photos of Hannah from his Instagram account.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group Soldiers walk outside the Topo Chico prison in the northern city of Monterrey in Mexico where according to Nuevo Leon State governor at least 52 people died and 12 were injured in a prison riot on February 11, 2016. (Julio Cesar Aguilar/AFP/Getty Images) At Least 16 Dead, 5 Wounded in Central Mexico Prison Riot MEXICO CITYAt least 16 inmates in a central Mexico prison were killed, and five more were wounded in a riot that closed out a violent 2019 for the country, authorities said. Zacatecas state security secretary Ismael Camberos Hernandez told local press that authorities confiscated four guns that they believe were introduced to the Cieneguillas state prison during prison visits Tuesday. He said the prison had been searched for weapons on Saturday and Sunday, and no guns were found. The melee broke out around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, and the prison was brought under control by 5 p.m., according to a statement from the state security agency. Fifteen of the victims died at the prison, and one died later at a hospital. One prisoner was detained with a gun still in his possession, and the other three were found inside the prison, the statement said. Camberos said not all of the victims died from gunshot wounds. Some were stabbed, and others beaten with objects. No guards or police were wounded, Camberos said. He did not offer a possible motive, but such killings frequently involve score-settling between rival cartel members or a battle for control of the prisons illicit business. Mexico has a long history of deadly prison clashes. In October, six inmates were killed in prison in Morelos state. In September, Nuevo Leon state closed the infamous Topo Chico prison, the site of many murders over the years. In February 2016, 49 prisoners died there during rioting when two factions of the Zetas cartel clashed. Tullow Oil has encountered approximately four metres of net oil pay at its Carapa-1 exploration well, drilled on the Kanuku licence offshore Guyana. This is lower than its pre-drill forecast. In early trading shares in Tullow Oil - which in 2019 had a very difficult year - are down almost 7pc. Preliminary results of drilling, wireline logging, pressure testing and sampling of reservoir fluid indicate the discovery of oil in Upper Cretaceous age sandstone reservoirs. Rig site testing has indicated that the oil has a sulphur content of less than 1pc. Mark MacFarlane, chief operating officer at Tullow Oil, said: "The Carapa-1 result is an important exploration outcome with positive implications for both the Kanuku and Orinduik blocks. While net pay and reservoir development at this location are below our pre-drill estimates, we are encouraged to find good quality oil which proves the extension of the prolific Cretaceous play into our acreage. He added that Tullow would now integrate the results of the three exploration wells drilled in the adjacent licences into its Guyana and Suriname geological and geophysical models before deciding the future work programme. The discovery suggests the extension of the Cretaceous oil play from the Stabroek licence southwards into the Kanuku licence. While net pay is lower than pre-drill forecasts, the 27 degree API oil supports the significant potential of the Cretaceous play on both the Kanuku and adjacent Orinduik licences, Tullow said in a statement. Repsol Exploracion Guyana is the operator of the Kanuku block with a 37.5pc stake. Tullow Guyana also holds a 37.5pc stake, with Total E&P Guyana holding the remaining 25pc. Last year, in one day alone shares in Tullow fell by 70pc after CEO Paul McDade quit and the company lowered its production forecasts. Worth more than 14bn at the height of its valuation, today the company is a shadow of those heydays, with a market capitalisation of 900m. Hinduja flagship firm Ashok Leyland on Thursday reported 28 per cent decline in total commercial vehicle sales at 11,168 units in December. The company had sold a total of 15,490 units in the year-ago month, Ashok Leyland said in a regulatory filing. Total sales in the domestic market were down 29 per cent at 10,378 units as compared to 14,718 units in December 2018, the company said. Medium and heavy commercial vehicles sales in the domestic market dropped by 40 per cent to 6,369 units against 10,621 units in the year-ago month, it said. Light commercial vehicle sales also witnessed a decline of 2 per cent in December 2019 at 4,009 units as compared to 4,097 units in the corresponding month previous year, the company added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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It will continue to go on until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months, he said on Thursday. He also said dairies in New South Wales had lost power and were being forced to waste milk: In particular, down in Cobargo and places like that, where dairies have been milking and they simply have to pour the milk down the hill because of the lack of power to these areas at this time. Thats the tragedy of whats occurring as a result of these disasters. Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the state of New South Wales on 31 December 2019 AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billows from a huge bushfire that has torched over 200,000 acres of land in East Gipplsand, Victoria on 2 January EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Residents look on as flames tear through bushland in Lake Tabouriee, Australia on 4 January on 4 January Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola on 2 January Robert Oerlemans via AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighting helicopter tackles a bushfire in East Gippsland, Victoria on 31 December EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter gives water to a parched koala in Cudlee Creek, South Australia AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters tackle a blaze as it tears through a farm in New South Wales on 21 December AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The sky is turned red over East Gippsland as fires continue to rage through Australian bushland on 4 January Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A kangaroo near bushfires in Nowra AFP/Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures An aerial view of a bushfire near Bairnsdale State Government of Victoria/EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters work to tackle a blaze on the outskirts of Sydney on 31 December 2019 Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighting helicopter dumps water on a bushfire on the outskirts of the town of Bargo near Sydney Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A satellite image of the Batemans Bay showing smoke and fire from wild bushfires European Union, Copernicus Sentinel Data via REUTERS Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The afternoon sky glows red from bushfires in Nowra AFP/Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Burning embers cover the ground as firefighters battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria Jonty Smith via Reuters Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The remains of burnt out buildings along a main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo AFP/Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters try to protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales NSW Rural Fire Service/AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale Glen Morey via AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Business owners stand in front of their shop which was destroyed by a bushfire in Cobargo EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A helicopter dumping water on a fire in Victoria's East Gippsland region Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning/AFP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Think smoke from bushfires fills the air in eastern Gippsland Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures "Carmelised" snow caused by dust from Australian bushfires is seen near Franz Josef glacier in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, New Zealand Reuters Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria. More than 800,000 hectares have been burnt in East Gippsland EPA/DELWP Gippsland Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland EPA/DELWP Gippsland Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures LIFES.A.BREEZE via Reuters Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke and wildfire rage behind Lake Conjola Robert Oerlemans via AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A house and van are seen destroyed after bushfires ravaged the town of Bilpin, west of Sydney AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A helicopter fighting a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria's East Gippsland region State Government of Victoria/AFP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Fire and Rescue personal run to move their truck as a bushfire burns next to a major road and homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Amy, left, and Ben Spencer sit at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter sprays foam retardant on a back burn ahead of a fire front in the New South Wales town of Jerrawangala AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Two bushfires approach a home located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Property damaged by the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield, Victoria EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Property under threat from the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The main street of the New South Wales town of Bombala is pictured shrouded in smoke from nearby bushfires AFP via Getty Mr Morrison was later forced to leave a meeting with bushfire victims in Cobargo on Thursday, after they began shouting at him and booing. Two people, a father and son, died in the area on Monday night. The prime minister grabbed the hand of a woman who said she would only shake his hand if he gave more funding to the Rural Fire Service. So many people here have lost their homes, she said. This is not fair. We are totally forgotten down here. Every single time this area gets a flood or a fire we get nothing, one resident yelled. If we lived in Sydney or on the North Coast we would be flooded with donations and emergency relief. As Mr Morrison was driven out of the town, residents shouted: Scumbag! Australia wildfires: Nasa captures magnitude of huge plumes of smoke Thousands of tourists fled the countrys eastern coast on Thursday ahead of worsening fire conditions. State transport minister Andrew Constance said it was the largest mass relocation of people out of the region that weve ever seen. On Wednesday he broke down on live television over the impact of the fires. A seven-day state of emergency was declared by the New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, to grant the states Rural Fire Service commissioner more control and power. The state of emergency, which begins on Friday, is the third for New South Wales in the past two months. We dont take these decisions lightly but we also want to make sure were taking every single precaution to be prepared for what could be a horrible day on Saturday, Ms Berejiklian said. In Victoria, where 83 homes have been destroyed this week, the military was helping thousands of people who fled to the shore as fires threatened their homes in the coastal town of Mallacoota. Around 500 people were going to be evacuated from the town by a navy ship, HMAS Choules. Meanwhile, health warnings were issued in Canberra, the capital, after it was blanketed in thick smoke which reached around 20 times hazardous levels. The smoke also drifted to New Zealand, where it turned the sky orange across the South Island. The crisis has also wreaked environmental havoc, wiping out nearly 500 million animals, including 8,000 koalas, since September. Additional reporting by agencies Why America is protesting over the death of George Floyd Vaccinated Americans can go outside without mask: US health body US aviation regulator warns its airlines to avoid Pak airspace India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jan 03: US aviation regulator FAA on Thursday warned America's airlines and their pilots that there is risk involved in operating flights in Pakistan airspace due to "extremist or militant activity", according to an official document. "Exercise caution during flight operations. There is a risk to US civil aviation operating in the territory and airspace of Pakistan due to extremist/militant activity," said the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a notice to airmen (NOTAM) dated December 30, 2019. The NOTAM is applicable to all US-based airlines and US-based pilots. The US regulator said in its NOTAM that there continues to be a risk to US civil aviation sector from attacks against airports and aircraft in Pakistan, particularly for aircraft on the ground and aircraft operating at low altitudes, including during the arrival and departure phases of flights. "The ongoing presence of extremist/militant elements operating in Pakistan poses a continued risk to US civil aviation from small-arms fire, complex attacks against airports, indirect weapons fire, and anti-aircraft fire, any of which could occur with little or no warning," it said. United States warns its air carriers to avoid Pakistan airspace, it may be a risk & possible threat of attacks on US airlines (commercial&US state carrier) by Pakistan extremist & militant groups. pic.twitter.com/2lxcbljbPK ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2020 The FAA said that while, to date, there have been no reports of man-portable air defense systems or Manpads being used against the civil aviation sector in Pakistan, some extremist or militant groups operating there are suspected of having access to these Manpads. "As a result, there is potential risk for extremists/militants to target civil aviation in Pakistan with Manpads," it said. The regulator added that pilots or airlines must report safety or security incidents - which may happen in Pakistan - to the FAA. CAB protest: IndiGo, Vistara, Air India, SpiceJet, GoAir cancel flights to Assam Pakistan on July 16 last year opened its airspace for India after about five months of restrictions imposed in the wake of a standoff with New Delhi. Following the Balakot airstrikes by the Indian Air Force, Pakistan had closed its airspace on February 26 last year. Pakistan in October last year had denied India's request to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's VVIP flight to use its airspace for his visit to Saudi Arabia over the Kashmir issue. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: As the uproar over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rages on, the New Year has brought in a much-needed ray of hope for Dami Kohli, a Pakistani Hindu refugee now living in Jodhpur. The teenage girl was allegedly refused permission by the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education to appear for 12th standard board examinations scheduled later this year. The reason cited was that she had cleared her 10th standard from Pakistan and now needed to provide an eligibility certificate that she simply does not have. Dami, who came to India from Sindh in Pakistan a few years ago fleeing religious persecution, now lives in Aanganwa refugee camp, around 20 km from Jodhpur. She also took admission in a local school at the science stream in 11th standard. "I took admission in the school in 2018. I studied there for the whole year and passed the 11th standard. I have my mark-sheet also. Only a few months are left for board exams and the school has given me a notice saying that I will not be allowed to appear for the examination," Dami said. However, when Damis plight came to the notice of Rajasthan Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara, he promptly assured that the migrant girl will be allowed to appear in the examination even if the Gehlot government has to bend some rules. Dotasara said that a letter has been written to the Pakistani embassy seeking details of their syllabus. "She completed Tenth Standard from a Pakistani board and now wants to appear for 12th Board exams in Rajasthan. We have written a letter to the Pakistani embassy seeking information about their syllabus. We are comparing our syllabus with theirs," he said. "If we get a positive response from them, we will definitely allow her. But even if we get a negative response from them, we will change rules and will allow Dami to take the 12th Board exams," Dotasara said. The ministers permission on the first day of 2020 has come like a New Years Gift for Dami who wants to become a doctor. "After the Board had refused permission, I was really depressed. But now I am delighted that the government is trying to find a solution so that I can appear for the 12th Board Exams and pursue my dream of becoming a doctor," she added. So even as the controversy over CAA-NRC shows no signs of abating, Dami's story will hopefully soon reach a happy ending. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over a plenary session of the ruling Workers' Party Central Committee in Pyongyang, on Dec. 31 in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung North Korea resurfaces as a major geopolitical risk factor for Seoul bourses in 2020 amid reviving nuclear tension between the United States and the North, experts said Thursday. The local stock market was affected little by potential risks from Pyongyang throughout 2019 when the Kim Jong-un regime was technically in peace talks with Washington despite a breakdown of the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim last February. Kim set a deadline for resumption of talks with the U.S. by the end of last year. But with both sides failing to narrow their differences on views of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the North is showing gestures of resuming its military provocations. On Thursday, the first day of the New Year's stock trading, the benchmark KOSPI closed at 2,175.17, down 22.50 points or 1.02 percent from the previous close. The analysis came amid weakening trade tension between the U.S. and China. The South Korean stock market was hit hard by the trade war in 2019. But with two of the world's largest economies showing signs of abating their dispute in December, expectations for alleviation of the external uncertainty will help the local stock market bounce back from its sluggish growth last year. Despite the rosy trade signal, market analysts said chances are the North will re-emerge as another crucial factor that gets in the way of a potential bullish run of the stock market here. "If the relational deadlock between the U.S. and the North cannot be resolved in the first part of 2020, the possibility of a North Korean show of force will be greatly increased," Samsung Securities senior analyst Yoo Seung-min said. "Depending on the situation, uncertainties surrounding the North's nuclear threats will come as a burden to the local financial market from time to time in 2020," the expert pointed out. During the North's year-end Workers' Party meeting, Kim said he would "take the bull by the horns" in response to pressures from its hostile forces. The message of warning has raised concerns that the North can return to its previous bellicose stance by resuming nuclear tests and developing more military weapons. The young dictator also said a new strategic weapon would be unveiled in the near future. "There stands a chance that the North and the U.S. will clash, as the former will likely continue enhancing the capability of its strategic weapons before being recognized as a nuclear-weapon state," the analyst said. The geopolitical risk factor surrounding the North will pose a greater burden to the local stock market if the North repeatedly stages military provocations on the peninsula to raise pressure for Trump who runs for re-election in 2020, according to the expert. As massive wildfires devastate swathes of Australia and supercharge the debate over the impact of climate change, government data show the nation has never suffered a hotter or drier year than 2019. The average temperature last year was about 1.5 degree Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above the 30-year mean, according to data from the Bureau of Meteorology, which goes back to 1910. Meanwhile, rainfall dropped to its lowest in figures back to 1900. The government agency is scheduled to release final figures and its annual climate report next week. Confirmation the worlds driest-inhabited continent is in the grips of historically extreme weather comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrisons government faces sustained criticism from environmentalists and the opposition for downplaying the link between the huge wildfires and climate change and for not taking stronger steps to curb carbon emissions. Weather conditions have been particularly severe in recent weeks, with December more than 3 degrees warmer than normal and rainfall at a paltry 15.4 millimeters (0.61 inches), less than a third of the normal level for the month. The country saw average rainfall totals of just 277.63 millimeters in 2019, beating the previous low of 314.46 millimeters in 1902 and compared with an average of 465.2 millimeters over the 1961-90 reference period. A strong positive Indian Ocean Dipole a measure of the difference between sea surface temperatures in the tropical western and eastern Indian Ocean has reduced rainfall across Australia and contributed to the heat and dryness. The indicator peaked in mid-October but has since dropped back into neutral territory. With assistance from Phoebe Sedgman. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Australia Someday, more than a year after its second disastrous crash, the grounded Boeing 737 MAX will return to the skies. But will it be awash in empty seats when it does so? If recent surveys are to be believed, the answer is clearly yes. A December 2019 poll conducted by Bank of America estimated that only 20% of Americans would readily board the relaunched MAX. (This figure excludes the 50% of respondents who had not heard of the MAX controversy, but one assumes that these people rarely if ever fly.). Boeings own surveys in December 2019 imply that more than 40% of potential air travelers now plan to steer clear of the MAX. Montana Senator Jon Tester probably spoke for many when he declared that I would walk before I was to get on a 737 MAX. To be sure, discrepancies often arise between what people tell pollsters and what they actually do. But is that likely to occur here? In fact, one can make a plausible case both for and against a large passenger boycott of the revived MAX. It is useful to consider the arguments on both sides, and then to hazard a best guess about what might happen. Why Might Passengers Reboard the MAX? That surveys need not be taken at face value was illustrated recently in the context of aviation. After a bloodied dentist was dragged in 2017 from a United Airlines flight, people aware of the incident told pollsters that they would overwhelmingly choose American Airlines over United, all other factors equal (79% to 21%). 44% of respondents went further and said that, rather than fly United nonstop, they would pay 30% more and fly one-stop on another carrier. In the event, however, the actual boycott was so small as to be statistically undetectable. Instead of declining, United passenger traffic and profits both increased. Moreover, the MAX is not the only plane to have been grounded after a major air disaster. In June 1979, an American Airlines DC-10 crashed on takeoff in Chicago, killing all 271 passengers on board. Shortly thereafter, the DC-10 was grounded for more than a month. Yet research has shown that, within six months of the catastrophe, passenger-traffic data offered no evidence at all of DC-10 avoidance among US air travelers. In July 1989, another DC-10 crashed with three-digit fatalities tied to mechanical issues. A Wall Street Journal headline a few days later read Jetliner Crash in Iowa Seems Sure to Reopen Question of DC-10 Safety. Yet data analysis showed that passenger resistance to flying the DC-10 had practically disappeared by the end of 1989. Moreover, the algorithms that set airfares will automatically act to counter resistance to flying the MAX. If people start booking away from MAX flights, the fares on those flights will go down, while those on other flights will go up. And if someone who chooses a MAX to save money has an uneventful flight, he would seem unlikely to resist subsequent flights on the MAX. Then there is a forthcoming spectacle that might be quite dramatic: the pro-MAX campaign that will accompany the planes return to service. Some aspects of that campaign might be ineffective if not ludicrous, such as having an airline CEO and his family board a demonstration flight. (After all, even if the MAX were just as dangerous as before, no one would expect it to crash in the first few flights after relaunch.). But other elements of the program might be more convincing. For example, the new head of the FAA, Steve Dickson, is an experienced pilot and the former safety director of extraordinarily-safe Delta Airlines. If he declares himself fully satisfied that the MAX is safe, then many air travelers could be reassured. Declaring themselves the last line of defense against MAX problems, the pilots of American Airlines have pledged that that they wont fly the MAX until absolutely confident in its safety. Their return to its cockpit could mean a lot to skittish passengers. Why Might Passengers Not Come Back? There is thus a serious case that MAX-avoidance will be minimal, but there is also evidence that suggests the opposite. In 2018, one Southwest Airlines passenger was killed after a exploding engine penetrated the fuselage, in the only such death in the airlines 48-year history. Yet Southwest estimated that it lost $100 million in passenger revenue because of the accident. With two crashes and 346 deaths in two years of operation, the MAXs safety record is much worse than Southwests; if the adverse passenger reaction grew even remotely in proportion, the consequences would be huge. Furthermore, the passenger response to the 9/11 calamity was deep and long lasting. There were 19% fewer air travelers on US flights in November 2001 than November 2000 and, a year after the event, US passenger traffic was 9% lower in August 2002 than in August 2001. (This 9% drop might better be interpreted as a 13% decline, because passenger volumes on US airlines grew at a rate of 4.3% per year over 1994-2000.). Moreover, these 9/11 data reflect passengers who avoided flying entirely because of the cataclysm. Passengers wishing to avoid the MAX need do nothing so drastic, for there will be plenty of alternate flights on other aircraft. In addition, some fraction of the air travelers not afraid to fly the MAX might nonetheless refuse to do so. Over the period of a full year, sordid revelations about Boeing and the MAX have arisen on a regular basis. We live in an era of social media, where an errant remark by a company official can cause customers to boycott its product. Might a sizable number of passengers stay away from the MAX as a matter of principle, to reflect their deep disgust with Boeing? So What Will Happen? In short, empirical evidence and other considerations point in opposite directions about future MAX avoidance. We are reminded of Yogi Berras observation that its tough to make predictions, especially about the future. It is tempting to end this article the way Stockton ended his short story The Lady or the Tiger?, namely, by telling the reader that her guess is as good as mine. But readers might reasonably hope that, unless the author is genuinely uncertain about what will transpire, he will offer his best guess about future developments. So here goes. In my view, the case for substantial resistance to reboarding the MAX is weak. A fundamental difference separates 9/11 and the Southwest accident from the MAX crashes. In the two former situations, passengers could plausibly fear that the tragedy could reoccur at any time. The MAX, by contrast, is being scrutinized in all sorts of ways by foremost aviators around the world, and it will only fly again when a strong consensus emerges that the problems that caused its two crashes have been solved. Given that aviation experts have done a magnificent job over the years in eliminating hazards and making flying safer and safer, it could seem farfetched to doubt their collective judgment about the MAX. And while some conscientious objectors might foreswear the MAX out of contempt for Boeing, I imagine that they will be neither numerous nor persistent. Consumer boycotts are often unsuccessful: in a widely-known current campaign, Chick-Fil-A has been boycotted for the last decade, but its sales and profits have doubled over that period. Moreover, refusing to fly the MAX would presumably do more harm to the airline involved than to Boeing, while the non-MAX flight the passenger chooses instead will itself likely be aboard a Boeing plane. And if evidence mounts that other passengers are returning to the MAX, many would-be boycotters might conclude that their gesture would do little more than cause them inconvenience. How does it all add up? I believe that Boeing made terrible and unforgivable mistakes concerning the MAX, and that its year-long grounding was not some wild overreaction to mistakes by ineffective cockpit crews. But I also believe that, both substantively and in the public eye, the resumption of MAX flights will signify that the crisis surrounding the plane is over. My bet is that, soon after the MAX returns to the skies, it will be flying full. A senior U.S. official is scheduled to visit Tajikistan next week in a bid to bolster bilateral ties between the United States and the Central Asian nation. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells will travel to Dushanbe from January 6-7, according to the U.S. State Department. Her talks with Tajik officials are expected to focus on "deepening regional security cooperation, expanding economic and energy connectivity, and growing people-to-people ties," according to a State Department statement. The planned visit comes more than a month after a State Department official said the United States had "intensified" its bilateral diplomatic engagements with the five Central Asian nations in 2019. The increase in U.S. diplomatic contacts comes as China's economic and political influence in Central Asia grows and it seeks to strong-arm those nations to return asylum seekers from Xinjiang, a major concern for the administration of President Donald Trump. The greater interest in the region also comes as the United States seeks to exit its 18-year war in Afghanistan, which borders several Central Asian countries. Fugitive former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn met with Lebanon's president after his escape from Japan, where he was smuggled out of house arrest by a private security company, two sources close to Ghosn said on Wednesday. One of the sources said Ghosn was greeted warmly by President Michel Aoun on Monday after flying into Beirut via Istanbul and was now in a buoyant and combative mood and felt secure. In his meeting at the presidency, Ghosn thanked Aoun for the support he had given him and his wife Carole while he was in detention, the sources said. He now needs the protection and security of his government after fleeing Japan, they added. A media adviser to the president's office denied the two men had met. Lebanese officials have said there would be no need to take legal measures against Ghosn because he entered the country legally on a French passport, although Ghosn's French, Lebanese, and Brazilian passports are with lawyers in Japan. The French and Lebanese foreign ministries have said they were unaware of the circumstances of his journey. Lebanon has no extradition agreement with Japan, where he faced trial on charges of financial misconduct, which he denied. Under the terms of his bail, he had been confined to his house in Tokyo and had to have cameras installed at the entrance. He was prevented from communicating with his wife, Carole, and had his use of the internet and other communications curtailed. The sources said the Lebanese ambassador to Japan had visited him daily while he was in detention. The Prime Minister on Thursday took on the Congress and the Pro-Pak lobby in an aggressive speech over their instigation of anti-CAA protests across the country in Tumakuru, Karnataka. Post his speech BJP leaders like Amit Malviya and GVL Narasimha Rao gave their first reactions to Republic TV and came out in support of the PM saying that the BJP has only fulfilled an age-old promise of the founding fathers of the nation who wanted persecuted minorities to be allowed back in India. Read: Former Karnataka CMs hit out at PM over Karnataka visit 'Promise made by Nehru' "We have to admit them. This is not a promise that this government has made, it is a promise made by the founding fathers of India and it was Nehru who set the tone for something like this. Subsequently, on several occasions we have given shelter to such minorities," said BJP's IT Cell Chief, Amit Malviya. Read: Congress hits out at PM Modi for 'neglecting' Karnataka He also questioned the motive of the Left and Congress for engaging in such protests. "Are they against the kind of atrocities inflicted on these minorities or are they opposed to anything that the government does. That is the question," he said. 'Congress speaking voice of Imran Khan' BJP's GVL Narasimha Rao also spoke on PM's speech slamming the Congress party for 'echoing the voice of Pakistan.' "We have fulfilled the promise of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru. Rather than appreciating, Congress is speaking the voice of Imran Khan and echoing Pakistan's voice." Read: PM Modi to attend series of programmes during two-day visit to Karnataka "The government, the Centre and the BJP have fulfilled a long-pending demand of giving justice to religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. This has not only been promised by the BJP but Mahatma Gandhi, a year after independence had promised that all Hindus and Sikhs who are facing persecution must be allowed to come to India and allowed citizenship and work opportunities in India," he said. Read: PM Modi pays tribute to Shri Guru Gobind Singh on Prakash Parv Prime Minister's scathing attack on Congress The Prime Minister also launched a scathing attack on Pakistan's persecution of minorities, in relation to the ongoing discourse over the Citizenship Amendment Act. "Congress and its friends will never speak against exploitation of Hindus in Pakistan. Those people who have been protesting against the Parliament, I want to tell them that there is a necessity at the international level to uncover Pakistan's exploitive deeds. If you want to protest then protest against the exploitation by Pakistan on minorities for 70 years," he said. Read: PM Modi tears into Congress & friends' silence on Pakistan's persecution of minorities If you grew up in Central Illinois, or have spent any amount of time here, you know Abe Lincoln's history as well as you know your family's genealogy. Born in Kentucky, Feb. 12, 1809, he and his family moved to Indiana, where his mother Nancy died of milk sickness and his father married Sarah Bush; the family later moved to Macon and Coles counties, Illinois. Abe moved to New Salem in Menard County, where he lost his first love, Ann Rutledge. The future president moved to Springfield in Sangamon County, studied the law, rode the legal circuit with Bloomington's David Davis. He and wife Mary Todd had four boys, only two of whom saw adulthood. He served in the Illinois General Assembly and U.S. Congress before his nomination for president. He led a divided country during the Civil War, successfully encouraged Congress to end slavery, and made Thanksgiving an official holiday. He was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1861, in Washington, D.C., and is buried in Springfield. His face is on the five-dollar bill, the penny and Mount Rushmore; towns, counties, colleges and cars are named in his honor. He and George Washington share the eponymous Presidents Day federal holiday. So, when Lincoln's 200th birthday approached in 2009, it was only fitting that the Land of Lincoln's bicentennial birthday celebration was fit for - if not a king - then certainly a favorite son. His birthday was ranked the most important story of the year in 2009, and a federal ranking of 65 historians that same year kept Abe Lincoln in the top spot as the nation's most important president. The Associated Press said the academics rated George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman as the best leaders overall. Then-President Barack Obama, the nation's first black president and an Illinoisan himself, tied himself to Lincoln's legacy, announcing his presidential run at the Old State Capitol in Springfield and introducing his running mate at the same site a few months later. He returned for Lincoln's 200th birthday, speaking at several events. When Lincoln left Springfield in 1861 for the White House, he gave a short speech at the downtown depot: "My friends, no one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything. Here I have lived a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of the Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him who can go with me, and remain with you, and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, January 2, 2020 11:37 739 48be62e941b44f04afae568c3209098c 4 City fire,flood,gas-station,Fire-and-Rescue-Agency Free A fire broke out at a Shell gas station on Jl. Daan Mogot, West Jakarta, on Wednesday night, injuring two. 22.17 SPBU Shell Daan Mogot dekat Studio Indosiar Jakbar terbakar, hati2 bila melintas, sedang penanganan Polri @adtaufiq @SEXLOV3R5pic.twitter.com/11oxosbfus TMC Polda Metro Jaya (@TMCPoldaMetro) January 1, 2020 West Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency operational head Eko Sumarno confirmed that the fire started at around 9:40 p.m. and it was suspected the incident was caused by a fuel leak. Firefighters managed to put out the blaze not long after. Two employees [of the gas station] suffered burn wounds, Eko said on Wednesday night as quoted by Antara news agency. Though the fire had been put out, Eko said two fire trucks were assigned to monitor the gas station in case of further blazes. For the moment, two firefighter vehicles have been prepared at the location as a precaution, since there is still spilled fuel [at the gas station], he said. (kmt) Lucknow, Jan 2 (IANS) While Congress General Secetary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is taking to task the Yogi Aditynath government in Uttar Pradesh on the plight of a toddler in Varanasi separated from her parents, BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday slammed the Congress leader for not paying heed to the Kota hospital tragedy in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan. In a series of tweets in Hindi, Mayawati slammed Priyanka and said: "It is very sad that the Congress General Secretary is keeping mum on the deaths of 100 children in the Kota hospital. It would have been better if like Uttar Pradesh, she would have met the mothers of the children who have died in the hospital, due to the apathy of the government of her party in the state. "If the Congress General Secretary does not go and meet the Kota families who are affected by the tragedy, then her outreach towards victims in Uttar Pradesh would be considered political opportunism, from which the public of Uttar Pradesh is advised to stay alert." Mayawati further said that the attitude of the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan was condemnable as it has mismanaged the situation of the 100 children deaths in Kota and still remains irresponsible and unsympathetic to the situation. On Wednesday, Priyanka Gandhi had raised the issue of a 14 month girl child who was separated from her parents in Varanasi after they were jailed due to anti-CAA protests. san/ksk/ Chief executive Elon Musk has said production could rise to 3,000 vehicles per week in the future. (Photo Credit: Tesla) Shanghai: Tesla delivered its first batch of China-made cars recently, less than a year after the electric vehicle company broke ground on its first plant outside the United States. Work began on the firm's multibillion-dollar Shanghai "Gigafactory" in January, allowing the company to skirt trade tensions between China and the US and sell directly to the world's largest "green" vehicle market. The first cars to roll off the assembly line -- 15 of Tesla's mid-price, mass-market Model 3 design -- were given to employees who had placed advance orders during a ceremony at the plant. Tesla plans to begin large-scale deliveries of China-made Model 3 sedans next month, said the firm's China general manager Wang Hao. The company was now producing more than 1,000 cars per week in China and hoped to double the figure next year, manufacturing director Song Gang told Bloomberg News. Chief executive Elon Musk has said production could rise to 3,000 vehicles per week in the future. China typically requires foreign automakers to forge joint ventures with domestic firms when establishing manufacturing plants, which means sharing profits and technology with local partners. But Tesla's China venture is wholly owned by the US company, and Tesla's decision to invest in Shanghai has been rewarded with preferential treatment. Authorities last week announced the waiver of a 10 per cent purchase tax for locally made Model 3 vehicles, priced at 355,800 yuan (USD 50,900). Earlier in December the government also approved a subsidy of up to 25,000 yuan per car. A father in Louisiana was arrested after police say he held a gun to his sons head for drinking the last Dr Pepper. A mother in West Monroe took her 9-year-old son to the Ouachita Parish Sheriffs annex on Wednesday, according to an arrest report. The boy told police that his father Chad Kinnaird, 39 had been drinking alcohol before he held a loaded handgun to the boys head on Saturday. Chad Kinnaird, 39, was arrested in Louisiana after police say he held a gun to his sons head. The boy told police that Kinnaird was angry the child had drunk the last Dr Pepper, the report says. Officers spoke with the boys 11-year-old sister who told police she hadnt seen the incident, but that Kinnaird had confessed to her that hed held a gun to the boys head, officials say. Kinnaird was arrested on Wednesday, during which time police found a small handgun in his bedside table, the report says. Hes charged with domestic abuse battery and child endangerment, jail records indicate. Hes also charged with a felony count of violating a protective order. Gerrit Cole never will regret passing on his first opportunity to join the Yankees after being drafted by them in the first round as a high school senior in 2008. By opting to attend college at UCLA, the right-hander found the love of his life when he started dating a pitcher on the school softball team. Cole married Amy Crawford in November 2015, and now less than three weeks after the star right-hander signed a record $324 million contract with the Yankees, the couple is expecting its first child. On New Years Day, Cole announced on Twitter that his wife is carrying a baby boy. Cant wait to meet out son in June, Cole wrote. Cole, 29, had his wife by his side on Nov. 20 at Yankee Stadium during his introduction news conference. The couple got engaged during the 2015 All-Star break. Cole was a first-time All-Star that season representing the Pittsburgh Pirates as was his future brides brother, San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford. Cole was traded to the Houston Astros after the 2017 season, then joined the Yankees on Dec. 11 following a 2019 campaign in which he was 20-15 with a 2.50 ERA and an MLB-high 326 strikeouts over 212 1/3 innings. Coles contract is by far the richest ever for a pitcher, as the old mark was the $217-million deal that David Price received from the Boston Red Sox in December 2015. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook Your browser does not support the audio element. Two agricultural engineers have completely changed the way farming is done in Dong Thap Province, located in Vietnam, where the manpower behind traditional crop-dusting machinery has been replaced by the buzz of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). When agricultural engineers Lam Trong Nghia and Le Quoc Trung first approached Dong Thap farmers with the proposition of replacing their crop dusting machinery with aerial drones, they were met with little more than laughter. Now, the sound of laughter has been replaced with the buzz of drones hovering over paddy fields throughout the province as they spray rice paddies with pesticides and other important farming chemicals. Take a back seat, farmers! Nghia and Trungs drones have been given names that help them connect with the culture of Vietnamese farming Golden Cow and Black Rooster. So far, their squadron is comprised of a pilot, a first officer, and four drones. The duo expects to add four more to their operations in the near future. Their operations are simple. Wake up, load the drones onto motorbikes, and carry them across the province to a customers field. Once there, the drones take flight and farmers need only sit back and relax while the pesticide air unit does its job. Spraying each hectare of rice paddy costs just VND200,000 (US$8.64), the same price as doing the job manually. Farmer Huynh Van Quang welcomes the drones as a symbol of technology making its way into Vietnams countryside. Ive seen farmers in other countries use airplanes for distributing fertilizers and how they harvest using machinery only, he said. Its great to see us Vietnamese farmers doing the same thing right here on our land. To the farmers, using drones for field work is more than just a spectacle. Crop dusting with drones requires less pesticide and enhances its effectiveness while also taking the heavy physical burden of manual work off the backs of farmers. Nghia and Trung are no longer the running joke of farmers in Dong Thap. Instead, local farmers now happily remark that being a real pilot takes skill and expertise while being a rice field pilot simply takes weatherproofing and curiosity. Lam Trong Nghia (R) demonstrates how to operate a crop dusting drone. Photo: Ngoc Tai / Tuoi Tre Think big Lam Trong Nghia, 32, is an agricultural engineer working in the aquatic foods industry for the Agriculture Service Center in Tam Nong District. He was able to pursue a graduate education as part of the Fulbright Scholarship program, a U.S.-funded training program for outstanding academics. While he originally hoped earning a master's degree would help him in his job hunt, he soon found that the training program instilled entrepreneurial ambitions into him. I got caught up with the idea of pesticide drones. I thought I could make it a trend in Vietnams agriculture but knew it would be tough, he said. To test out his first drones, Nghia traveled to nearby Hau Giang Province to spend time with local farmers and learn about their farming practices. After a week of observation and analysis, I was heavily convinced that mini UAVs would be fine for the job," he said. "That was 70 percent of the battle. The remaining 30 percent was convincing farmers to go along with it. Nghias first drone was small, but cost as much as a car. Still, he decided to take the risk and launch his business. In an attempt to win customers trust, he offered free services and complimentary plant protection products at a roadshow. However, 90 percent of those who showed up left before his demonstration even began, Nghia said. His luck changed later that same day, however, when farmers began to contact him. Most of those first callers became my loyal customers. They were quick to adapt," he said. "I was so thrilled that it didnt matter if their fields were so far away." To go far, go together Nghia eventually realized that he would need help if he was to grow his business and found the perfect partner in Le Quoc Trung, 32, a high school classmate who had also pursued a career as an agricultural engineer. Trung, a farmer himself, had personal experiences with the ups and downs of farm life and knew that in order to turn drones into a mainstay of Vietnamese farming, he and Nghia would have to put a heavy focus on educating farmers about the proper use of pesticides and other farming products. For this years rice crop, the duo plans to partner with farmers throughout the province to produce quality rice, provide proper consultation, and spray their entire crops. They believe that higher quality produce will sell well at higher rates and have already struck a supply deal with a buyer in neighboring An Giang Province for hundreds of acres worth of Dong Thap rice. Le Quoc Trung (R) shakes hands with a farmer after clinching a deal to supply drones for crop dusting. Photo: Ngoc Tai / Tuoi Tre Tech in the rice fields The team is researching drone-based multispectral sensing a method of analyzing the condition of rice plants using an electromagnetic spectrum. Such insights can help construct a reliable database of geographical features, allowing farmers to pinpoint the locations of plant diseases, water shortages, or surplus fertilizers. With artificial intelligence doing the analysis, the team simply needs to use the information to develop proper plant protection schemes. This means the drones can focus specifically on spraying problem areas, rather than wasting pesticides on entire fields. Our team is working out how to apply this new technology. We hope that the tech paddy field will soon be a reality, Trung said. Trung and Nghias idea was entered into a start-up competition where it won first prize in the province and was the second runner-up in the whole Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Luu Van Tien, deputy head of the Agricultural Development Office in Tam Nong District, shared that the project is in line with current attempts to restructure agricultural practices. Using mini planes will tackle the question of manpower shortage and reduce environmental impact, he said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Families who have joined the groups recount winding up with medical bills not covered by the ministries, with no legal way to appeal decisions to reject coverage for care. Some groups ask their members to push hospitals and doctors to write off their bills rather than use members money to pay their expenses. These plans offer a false sense of security, said Jenny Chumbley Hogue, who runs an insurance agency in the north Dallas area of Texas. She refuses to offer them to her clients. Several states have taken action against one ministry they say has deceived people about what they are buying. The nature of what were hearing from consumers around the state is absolutely heart breaking, said Kate Harris, chief deputy insurance commissioner in Colorado, one state that is trying to prevent the ministry from operating there. But health-share ministries have become particularly attractive to people like the Collie family who dont qualify for a federal subsidy and cant afford an A.C.A. plan. Even though premiums in the A.C.A. market have stabilized, critics of the law insist people need alternatives. Thats the real driver behind the growth, said Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Republican congressman from Florida who is president of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, which represents the two largest groups. When Dan Plato left his job to become self-employed as a consultant, he discovered that an A.C.A. policy for 2018 would cost his family around $1,300 a month. It was very expensive and beyond our needs, he said. Membership in Liberty Healthshare, a ministry established by Mennonites in Canton, Ohio, was less than half the price, according to Mr. Plato, who blogged about his experience. But some Liberty members reported trouble getting their medical bills covered. Mr. Plato says a small bill for flu shots went unpaid and ended up in collection. At the end of the year, he was left wondering if Liberty would be able to cover the family in the event of a serious medical emergency. Its not something we could trust in that situation, said Mr. Plato, who switched to one of the plans offered by United Healthcare also exempt from the A.C.A. rules for 2019. Robyn Lytle, who works as an event planner in Chicago, joined Liberty for 2018, only to find that her daughters medical tests were never paid. Its been a year and a half, and Ive been sent to collection, said Ms. Lytle, who says Liberty had covered some of her familys other expenses. She switched to an A.C.A. plan for 2019. They come in the night: Drones lots of them flying in precise formations over the Colorado and Nebraska prairie. Whose are they? Unknown. Why are they there? Unclear. Its creepy, said Missy Blackman, who saw three drones hovering over her farm outside Palisade, Nebraska, on a recent evening, including one that lingered right above her house. I have a lot of questions of why and what are they, and nobody seems to have any answers. Since before Christmas, sheriffs departments in the region have been bombarded with reports of large drones with blinking lights and wingspans of up to 6 feet flying over rural towns and open fields. The drones have unnerved residents, prompted a federal investigation and made international news, even though they may be perfectly legal. And still, they remain unexplained. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty In terms of aircraft flying at night and not being identified, this is a first for me personally, said sheriff James Brueggeman of Perkins County, Nebraska, who has worked in law enforcement for about 28 years and who saw the drones while on patrol Tuesday night. He said he had heard rumblings about people wanting to shoot down a drone, and had urged residents to report the sightings to law enforcement instead. I think its kind of a joke, but you have to remember the part of the country we live in, the sheriff said. People here dont like their privacy to be invaded. The flights have drawn attention just as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week proposed sweeping new regulations that would require most drones to be identifiable. Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the FAA, said that the timing of the proposed rule was coincidental, but that the agency had opened an investigation of the sightings in Colorado and Nebraska. Multiple FAA divisions and government agencies are investigating these reports, Mr Gregor said in an email. He declined to discuss the inquiry in detail, but said investigators were trying to determine who was operating the drones and the purpose of the flights. Recommended EasyJet flight comes within 20 metres of hitting drone On Facebook, 911 dispatch lines and local newspaper columns, the drones have been the talk of rural Colorado and Nebraska. And as sightings increase people in four counties said they had seen them on Tuesday so too does the urgency of residents questions. Some have suggested they might be part of a simple mapping operation, or a land survey conducted by an oil and gas company but why would such flights run at night? Senator Cory Gardner said on social media that he would closely monitor the situation. A newspaper headline in Akron, Colorado, asked, Whats with the drones? Multiple law enforcement agencies warned residents that shooting a drone out of the sky would be a crime. Theyre high enough where you couldnt shoot one anyway, but theyre low enough that theyre a nuisance, said Dawn George, who lives near Wray, Colorado, who said her border collie has barked at the drones when they fly over her property. Ms George said she had heard wild speculation about who might be responsible for the flights the government? A cartel? A gas company? and feared they would never know the truth. All the sudden, its just going to stop and were not going to have answers, Ms George said. And thats very unsettling to a lot of people. Its the fear of the unknown. Unmanned drones, which have exploded into popular usage in recent years and can be used for everything from mapping to photography to farming, can be difficult to track. Operators of all but the smallest drones have been required to register with the federal government since 2015, but there is no straightforward, legal way for state and local officials to identify the owner of a particular drone or to track that drones location. Most people are very reasonable, and they say it could be somebody mapping or doing topography, said Michael Yowell, a sheriffs captain in Lincoln County, Colorado, whose house was buzzed over by a drone squadron on New Years Eve. But you cant rule out what you dont know. Recommended Boulder the size of a house destroys highway The drone sightings started in northeast Colorado around mid-December and have only grown more widespread since then. Almost all the sightings have occurred between sunset and about 10pm, though Ms Blackman said she had seen them out later one night in Nebraska and, for the first time on Wednesday, during daylight hours. She said she had looked at them through binoculars and did not see any markings, just plain silver and white colouring. Across the state line in Colorado, Mr Yowell tried to photograph the drones on Tuesday night with the camera he uses to document crime scenes, but came away without a clear image. He estimated that up to 30 drones were flying each night, though not all in the same place. He said local officials were studying the flight path of the drones and coordinating across county lines to figure out where they were coming from. If his analysis was correct, he said, the drones would be back out on Wednesday night, flying in a grid pattern in the rural area between Hugo and Karval, Colorado, about 100 miles southeast of Denver. We want to know, at around 10 oclock, when we start to lose visuals of these, which direction are they homing? Which way are they heading? Mr Yowell said. We hope thats how we can contact somebody on the ground. Sheriff Todd Combs of Yuma County, Colorado, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that the drones appeared to be staying at least 150 feet from buildings or people, based on the footage he has seen. There are many theories about what is going on, but at this point, thats all they are, he said. I think we are all feeling a little bit vulnerable due to the intrusion of our privacy that we enjoy in our rural community, but I dont have a solution. The New York Times The Alabama Supreme Court has sent a dispute over leadership of the Alabama Democratic Party back to the Montgomery County court where it started. An attorney for Rep. Chris England of Tuscaloosa, who is recognized as chair of the state party by the Democratic National Committee, said he will ask for a hearing on his motion to have the lawsuit dismissed. Nancy Worley and her supporters filed the lawsuit Oct. 30 to stop the move by England and other Democrats to replace her as party chair, a position she had held since 2013. Montgomery County Circuit Judge Greg Griffin issued an order on Nov. 1 blocking a party meeting scheduled for the next day. But that evening, the Supreme Court stayed Griffins order, allowing the Nov. 2 meeting to proceed. A faction of the State Democratic Executive Committee elected England to replace Worley. The DNC recognized the leadership change, and England went on to certify Democratic candidates for the March primary, one of the responsibilities of the chair. England and other defendants in the lawsuit have asked Griffin to dismiss the case, arguing that the court has no jurisdiction over a party dispute. Griffin held a hearing in the case on Dec. 5 but decided to wait on the Supreme Court before making a decision. Griffin allowed the DNC to intervene as a party in the case. Attorney Barry Ragsdale, who represents the defendants, said he will ask Griffin to hold another hearing on the motion to dismiss now that the Supreme Court has sent the case back. Oleksandr Babikov worked at Aver Lex law firm, which is known for defense of Viktor Yanukovych Open source Lawyer of ex-president Viktor Yanukovych and his security guard Oleksandr Babikov occupied the position of Deputy Director of the State Investigation Bureau (SIB). He will deal with the investigation of the shootings of the Heavenly Hundred as Apostroph reported. Oleksandr Babikov worked at Aver Lex law firm, which is known for defense of Viktor Yanukovych. He will deal with the investigation of the shootings of the Heavenly Hundred. Yevhenia Zakrevska, the lawyer of the families of deceased activists was the first to report it. Babikov is the lawyer of Yanukovych in Maidan cases. And Kobzar, his lawyer. And now he is the Deputy SIB Director, the body, which will investigate these cases, Zakrevska wrote. He is still in the status of a lawyer but he requests different cases from the SIB investigators and demands the reports on them, the journalists wrote. The appointment is not announced officially; however, he gets to know subordinates and gets on the record. Moreover, according to mass media, he passed the interview with President Zelensky. It is known that Babikov is the graduate of Kharkiv Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University. Before Maidan he headed Supervision over Bodies Department at Kharkiv regional prosecutors office. He worked on the fight against organized crime and corruption. In 2012, Babikov stated that Interpol put Arsen Avakov on the wanted list. As a lawyer, he defended the security guard of Viktor Yanukovych, Dmytro Ivantsov. MP from Holos Oleksandra Ystynova stated that the SIB announced the competition for the posts of the deputies of the SIB director with the violation of the legislation. On December 29, the SIB website published the announcement. The candidates had five days to file the document from December 30 until January 3, in fact, only two working days, while the documents should be filed to the competition commission. Only those people who knew about the competition before would be able to participate in it. As we reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Roman Truba from the post of the Director of the State Investigation Bureau (SIB). Iryna Venediktova became the Acting Director of the State Investigation Bureau. A large number of who wanted to stage a demonstration against Prime Minister protesting the non-implementation of the 'Swaminathan Report' were detained at Bengaluru, Tumakuru and Shivamogga, police said on Thursday. According to police, the detentions have taken place in certain parts of Tumakuru, near Bengaluru as well as in Shivamogga. As part of his two-day visit to Karnataka, Modi is scheduled to visit Tumakuru on Thursday to pay his obeisance to the departed seer of Siddaganga Math Shivakumara Swamiji and meet the present pontiff Siddalinga Mahaswamiji. Later, he would address a mega public meeting where he will give away the Krishi Karman awards. In the evening he will reach Bengaluru to visit the DRDO facility to dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation. Pressing implementation of the Swaminathan Report, which recommends a holistic policy, the under the leadership of Kodihalli Chandrashekar had planned to stage a demonstration at Tumakuru. Before they could leave for Tumakuru, the police detained them. According to Chandrashekar, the have been arrested at Nelamangala, Herohalli near Magadi, Kunigal and Koratagere in Tumakuru district and Shivamogga. Speaking to PTI, Chandrashekar said the BJP has betrayed farmers by not implementing the Swaminathan report. "The BJP could implement all the agenda such as abrogation of Article 370, paving way for Ram Temple in Ayodhya and various other poll promises but it ignored its promise of implementing the Swaminathan report," the farmer leader said. Chandrashekar also said he has been detained at a ground on Magadi Road along with two others while farmers who wanted to take part in the protest have been detained in different parts of the state. Consider the winning totals going backwards over the last few seasons. 23 under, 24 under, 22 under, 30 under, 21 under and Ernie Els 72-hole record of 31 under in 2003 something the players may have trouble replicating going forward. This is not a redesign the feel of the course remains but yet it is still a significantly different test after all 107 acres of fairways, tees and rough were replanted with Celebration Bermuda grass and all of the greens were rebuilt and grassed with TifEagle Bermuda grass. The greens were tweaked here and there to create more pin placement options. All of the bunkers were rebuilt with new drainage and new sand and the tees were all laser leveled. New tees were built on certain holes to lengthen the course. Check out the specific changes on each hole at the bottom of the page. It's going to be a little different this year. They made really good changes. It will be more difficult for sure, two-time champion at Kapalua Dustin Johnson says. Johnson arrived in Maui on Dec. 26 and has been doing daily reconnaissance at the course. But he and others know the changes will actually take more time to have their most desired effect. The fairways will eventually roll more which will create the need to be smart with tee shot club selection and the greens will be more receptive to great approach shots. But right now, as things grow in, the new greens are rock hard. And with some rain in December, the new fairways are a little soft. The ball usually would just kind of stay wherever it landed in the past, and now you're really going to have to pay attention to where you're landing it and how much roll-out you're going to get into the wind versus downwind, 2017 champion Justin Thomas said. Most of the time you're trying to take a lot of spin off the ball, whereas now you're trying to put a lot of spin on the ball. It's definitely going to be different. Its going to play difficult just because the greens are so new. They're really firm, so it's hard to get the ball close to the hole, Johnson added. They give you some more options, but it definitely makes it more difficult just because the slopes are more severe. You've really got to make sure you're on the right level you can be putting up the slopes, you just don't want to be putting down them. Rickie Fowler has been inside the top six on each of his three trips to Kapalua. He also believes that in time the changes will really be seen to be a masterstroke. It'll play a little harder this week but the course is a bit more playable, Fowler says. It's only going to get better. Obviously it's brand new it's going to be hard to get the ball close a lot of times. There will be certain pin placements and certain holes where you'll be able to get it close, but it's not really just point-and-shoot. Last years champion Xander Schauffele blitzed home with a Sunday 11-under 62. It equaled the course record. He knows that number might stand for a while now. Man, I'm sure there's a 62 out there, you're just going to smoke the field when you do it, he said with cautious optimism. It would be a very special day to do a 62 out here now with the added length. It all depends on where they decide to put the pins and the tee boxes. For Thomas the biggest eye opener was in fact the changes to his approach shots on certain holes that have been lengthened. No longer are there a bunch of holes where the bombers can go hard off the tee and then just grab a wedge. There are definitely going to be some longer clubs into some holes ... but I think it's going to be a good test for us, Thomas said. I hit 5-iron into 3 today and 5-iron into 4, and I've hit wedge and wedge into those two holes for however many years now. That's a lot different. The chance to score will still be there but the players will have to work harder to get there. Its just the sort of challenge TOUR winners should face. [January 02, 2020] Press Release Regarding Early Warning Report with Respect to Securities of Katipult Technology Corp. CALGARY, Jan. 2, 2020 /CNW/ - Mr. Brock Murray and Mr. Pheak Meas (the "Grantors") hereby announce that they have each granted options (the "Options") to acquire 1,750,000 common shares (the "Common Shares") in the capital of Katipult Technology Corp. (the "Company") from their personal holdings to Mr. Gord Breese (the "Optionee"), the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company. The Options will be exercisable at a price of $0.20 per Common Share for a period of five years from the date of grant, vesting in equal portions annually on December 31, 2020 through 2023, resulting, upon full exercise of the Options, in $350,000 of aggregate consideration to each Grantor. Immediately prior to closing of the grant, each of the Grantors held 18,375,000 Common Shares, representing approximately 26.8%, individually of the current issued and outstanding Common Shares. Assuming exercise of all of the Options by the Optionee, each of the Grantors will hold 16,625,000 Common Shares, representing approximately 24.2%, individually, of the current issued and outstanding Common Shares. Assuming full exercise of the options described in the press release of the Company dated September 23, 2019, each of the Grantors will hold 14,000,000 Common Shares, representing approximately 20.1%, individually, of the current issued and outstanding Common Shares. Mr. Murray and Mr. Meas are granting the Options in support of the continued development of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each of the Grantors may, from time to time, acquire additional securities of the Company, dispose of some or all of the existing or additional securities held or to be held, or, may continue to hold their current position. This News Release is issued pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 - Early Warning System and Related Takeover Bids and Insider Reporting Issues of the Canadian Securities Administrators, which also requires an early warning report to be filed with the applicable securities regulators containing additional information with respect to the foregoing matters. Such early warning reports will be filed within the timelines required by applicable securities laws and made available on the Company's SEDAR profile. 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. SOURCE Brock Murray, c/o the Company, 1600, 144 4th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta T2P 3N4 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Dubai-based Indian teenager, Apeksha Binoj who is considered one of the youngest fashion designers in Asia, has featured rescue dogs along with her muses after she learnt about many painful stories of abandonment and animal cruelty. The calendar and a CSR-initiative by Apekshas brand Apek, in support for SIR (Saluki International Rescue) aims to spread the message of pet adoption. Apeksha has designed more than 200 outfits ever since she turned 10 and has several international models sashaying down the ramp in her outfits. Apeksha has used her Gleam Cocktail Collection to make the calendar with the theme, All Paws for a Cause in Style. Most of the dogs we have included in Apeks calendar are rescued or adopted dogs. Some also have special needs like the two gorgeous dalmations Spots and Domino who are deaf. Charlie, the chow chow, was dumped at the vet with terribly matted fur and other skin issues. Taj, Amira & Sarab, the gorgeous Salukis, were rescued by Ms Rawan of SIR from various locations and sometimes in poor conditions. Of these three, Amirah flew to her new family in Holland the same night after our photoshoot. This made it an even more special and meaningful day for us all. Through Apeks calendar, we extend our love and support in as many ways as possible, Apeksha said. Shot by international fashion photographer Vipin Hari, the calendar showcases different shades of glamour blended with the innocence and elegance of the rescued and adopted dogs. The calendar will be gifted to animal rescue centres, welfare activists and others. It also carries some inspiring messages that promote pet adoption. Click here to view the month-wise calendar Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rochester, Minn. Heart problems are a common development for people with diabetes. In fact, about 33% of people in the U.S. admitted to the hospital for heart failure also have diabetes. Heart failure may be the result of a co-condition, such as hypertension or coronary heart disease, but not always. A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Diabetes Mellitus Is an Independent Predictor for the Development of Heart Failure: A Population Study, examines the idea of diabetic cardiomyopathy and heart failure from the effects of diabetes alone. Utilizing the Rochester Epidemiology Project, researchers evaluated the long-term impact of diabetes on the development of heart failure, both with preserved ejection fraction a measurement of the percentage of blood leaving the heart with each contraction and reduced ejection fraction. They also looked at mortality in a community population, controlling for hypertension, coronary artery disease and diastolic function. Horng Chen, M.D., cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is senior author of the study. From an initial group of 2,042 residents of Olmsted County, 116 study participants with diabetes were matched 1:2 for age, hypertension, sex, coronary artery disease and diastolic dysfunction to 232 participants without diabetes. Over the 10-year follow-up period, 21% of participants with diabetes developed heart failure, independent of other causes. In comparison, only 12% of patients without diabetes developed heart failure. Cardiac death, heart attack and stroke were not statistically different in the study between the two groups. The study shows that diabetes is an independent risk factor for the development of heart failure in the community dwelling population. Furthermore, the outcome data support the concept of a diabetic cardiomyopathy. This research extends previous findings and demonstrates that even without a known cardiac structural abnormality and with a normal ejection fraction, diabetic patients are still at increased risk of developing heart failure as compared to their nondiabetic counterparts. "The key takeaway is that diabetes mellitus alone is an independent risk factor for the development of heart failure," says Dr. Chen. "Our hope is that this study provides a strong foundation for further investigations into diabetes and heart failure. There is still much to learn and study in terms of this association and how to best diagnose and treat this condition." ### Michael Klajda, M.D., is first author on the study. Other researchers include Christopher Scott and Richard Rodeheffer, M.D. all of Mayo Clinic in Rochester. About Mayo Clinic Proceedings Mayo Clinic Proceedings is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal that publishes original articles and reviews dealing with clinical and laboratory medicine, clinical research, basic science research, and clinical epidemiology. Mayo Clinic Proceedings is sponsored by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research as part of its commitment to physician education. It publishes submissions from authors worldwide. The journal has been published for more than 90 years and has a circulation of 127,000. About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news and An Inside Look at Mayo Clinic for more information about Mayo. Media contact: Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu WILKIN COUNTY, Minn. A 69-year-old man from Whitehall, Mont., died in a crash on New Year's Eve, and five people from Fergus Falls, Minn., suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The two-vehicle crash happened about 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Minnesota Highway 9 and 260th Street in Meadows Township. The Montana man was heading south on Highway 9 when his 1992 Chevrolet pickup veered into the northbound lane, colliding with a 2008 Buick Enclave, the patrol said. The road was snowy and icy at the time. The five motorists in the Buick received injuries that were not life-threatening and were taken to St. Francis Hospital in Breckenridge, Minn., the patrol said. The pickup driver was not wearing a seat belt, the patrol said. His name was not immediately released. Social media users are racking up thousands of followers by creating intricate storylines with Barbie dolls on their Instagram accounts, in a bizarre new trend. With more than 46,000 followers, Henna Kiili, 25, from Finland, is one of the most popular profiles portraying dramas with dolls and their miniature accessories. Her account was shared to Twitter on Sunday, in a viral tweet bemoaning her latest plot twist - which saw Ellie the doll's partner murdered. The tweet read: 'There's a whole community on Instagram of adults who create elaborate storylines for their Barbie dolls. I've been following one for years and on Christmas Eve the Ken doll got murdered.' But far from finding it odd, many social media users admitted they were eager to dive into the Instagram doll community's soap operas. Social media users are racking up thousands of followers by creating intricate storylines with Barbie dolls on their Instagram accounts, in a bizarre new trend With more than 46,000 followers, Henna Kiili, 25, from Finland, is one of the most popular profiles (pictured) portraying dramas with dolls and miniature accessories Henna uses just her phone's camera and editing apps to create the detailed snaps that capture Ellie's story, before adding descriptions and dialogue in the captions. 'I have always loved miniature dolls and photographing so I think I'll do this as long as I live,' she told Insider. The account started as a hobby but has now become a business, with Henna advertising different dolls house furniture, miniatures and accessories - as well as creating and selling her own products. It can take up to 30 minutes to stage one photo and up to a whole day to construct an entire story-line, Henna explained. But she isn't the only one dedicated to creating dramas with dolls for Instagram audiences, with the publication saying hundreds, if not thousands, of accounts can be found. Henna also orchestrates the Instagram account @dollydaylife, which documents Japanese sisters, pictured, as they go about their doll life Lulu_thebarbie depicts a bisexual character currently dating a girl named Maya (pictured together) after having adopted a youngster @Bybarndolls, a photographer from Russia, takes fashion snaps (seen above) and portraits of dolls as if they were models Henna's account was shared to Twitter on Sunday in a viral tweet bemoaning her latest plot twist - which saw Ellie the doll's partner murdered One of those profiles offers a more traditional viewing, with @La_doll_cevita portraying her dolls in pleasant situations with friends. Meanwhile, @Bybarndolls, a photographer from Russia, takes fashion snaps and portraits of dolls as if they were models. The detailed images sometimes resemble iconic stories such as Adam and Eve, while others leave the dolls in daring setups. Elsewhere, Lulu_thebarbie depicts a bisexual character currently dating a girl named Maya after having adopted a youngster. Reaction: Following the emergence of the doll devoted accounts on Twitter, social media users were quick to praise the idea Following the emergence of Henna's ellie.from.finland account on Twitter, social media users were quick to praise the idea. One person wrote: 'I'm not sure why I need to experience this but I have a fervent need to read the entire story now.' Another said: 'This is a hole I'm ready and willing to go down', while a third added: 'I never knew I needed this until just now.' 'This is amazing,' a fourth enthused. 'Thank you for introducing me to my new favourite thing. Goodbye Tiktok break up videos, hello English as a second language Barbie soap operas.' Four people were injured after falling ice from a moving commercial truck smashed through the windshield of a pickup truck on Route 3 in Burlington on Thursday, Massachusetts State Police said. Ice dislodged from the truck driving northbound near Exit 26 and broke through a 2019 Dodge 1500 pickup trucks windshield around 11:30 a.m., state police spokesman David Procopio said in a statement. The driver, a 40-year-old man from Newton was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with what authorities described as potentially serious injuries. The front-seat passenger, a 38-year-old Newton woman, was taken to the same hospital with minor injuries. A 3-year-old boy and a female toddler were also brought to the hospital. The boy had minor injuries. The toddler was taken to the hospital as a precaution, state police said. According to a preliminary investigation by Trooper John Ciszek, the pickup was traveling northbound on Route 3 in Burlington when a large piece or pieces of ice flew off the roof of a box truck that was traveling ahead of the pickup, state police said. The ice smashed through the windshield on the drivers side, causing the injuries. The pickup came to a stop; the box truck continued to travel north on Route 3. The pickup was towed by Winn Street Services of Burlington. A witness followed the box truck. Ciszek located and stopped the box truck in Chelmsford. The truck is owned by a moving company, Diggins & Rose Moving Systems of Hudson, New Hampshire, an agent of United Van Lines, state police said. The driver of the truck, a 55-year-old man from Litchfield, New Hampshire, told authorities he was unaware of the presence ice on the roof of the truck, state police said. He was issued warnings for having an unsecured load and impeded operation. Many combatants have become exhausted on the e-commerce battlefield as they have had to fight against competitors who have big money. Many combatants have become exhausted on the e-commerce battlefield as they have had to fight against competitors who have big money. Lotte Mart has confirmed that sales on lotte.vn will officially stop on January 20, 2020. The announcement about the closure was made just one week after the Vinpro statement about the closure of Adayroi.com. Both lotte.vn and Adayroi.com are backed by large corporations with powerful financial capability. However, they faced fierce competition in the e-commerce market. The competition of burning money as described by analysts emphasizes that e-commerce firms need to have huge money to survive. Many combatants have become exhausted on the e-commerce battlefield as they have had to fight against competitors who have big money. In early 2019, Robins.vn, or Zalora, also announced closure. The Gioi Di Dong, a powerful mobile phone distributor, decided to shut down vuivui.com, the e-commerce website that The Gioi Di Dong put high hopes on. When setting up vuivui.com, Nguyen Duc Tai, co-founder and president of The Gioi Di Dong, said all large e-commerce websites in Vietnam were accepting losses to lure customers. As the loss became high and there was no more money to burn, The Gioi Di Dong had to give up vuivui to gather strength on its bachhoaxanh.com. Only four names still exist, lazada.vn, sendo.vn, Tiki.vn and Shopee.vn. The four e-commerce websites are the largest ones. Analysts believe that the competition in the market will cool in the time to come and the big four will rule the market at least for several years. The big four in the e-commerce sector are all supported by the big guys in the region which have huge capital and experience in e-commerce development. iPrices Q3 2019 report showed that Tiki, Shopee, Sendo and Lazada are websites with the highest numbers of views in Vietnam. Vietnam is the fastest growing e-commerce market in Southeast Asia. A report of Google and Temasek in 2018 showed that Vietnam got CAGR of 35 percent in 2015-2018 and had value of $2.8 billion (this is the value of B2C channel only). According to VnDirect Securities, the e-commerce market is expected to continue booming in the 2018-2025 period with a CAGR of 27 percent thanks to the popularity of internet and smartphones, and the rise of next-generation consumers who have better understanding about technology. Millennials are believed to be the driving force for the rapid development of e-commerce in Vietnam as they spend more time shopping online instead of going to physical shops. Thanh Lich Sultan Qaboos is in a stable condition after recently travelling to Belgium for a medical check-up, Omans royal court said yesterday. The Sultan is in a stable condition and following a scheduled treatment programme, the official ONA news agency quoted the royal court as saying. The Sultan thanks his people all around the world for sharing their good wishes and prayers for him. The court announced on December 7 that Sultan Qaboos, 79, was travelling to Belgium for a limited period of time, but did not give details on his condition. He returned to Oman but rumours soon spread that he faced a relapse. Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc., speaks at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019. In a statement posted to Twitter on Thursday, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice said that several employees were contacted by legal and human resources representatives, who said they were in violation of the company's external communications policy. A group of Amazon employees say the company has threatened to fire two workers for speaking out against the company's environmental policies. Two employees were told their roles would be terminated if they continued to speak out about Amazon's business, a spokesperson for the group told CNBC. Maren Costa, a user experience designer, was one of the employees Amazon threatened to fire. In the statement, Costa said: "This is not the time to shoot the messengers. This is not the time to silence those who are speaking out." https://twitter.com/AMZNforClimate/status/1212777102270820353?s=20 Amazon also threatened to terminate Jamie Kowalski, a software development engineer, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the news on Thursday. Kowalski and Costa said they received letters from one of Amazon's lawyers after speaking out publicly in October, the Post reported. In the statement, the employee group claimed that Amazon changed its policy in September and that the updated policy "requires employees to seek prior approval to speak about Amazon in any public forum while identified as an employee." However, Jaci Anderson, an Amazon spokesperson, said the company's communications policy isn't new. In September, Amazon actually tried to make it easier for employees to speak out by adding a form on an internal website where employees could seek approval; prior to that, they had to get direct approval from a senior vice president. She added that employees are "encouraged to work within their teams" and can suggest "improvements to how we operate through those internal channels." Free trade zones in China to lead more efforts in institutional reforms and expanding opening-up With the foreign investment law coming into force on Jan.1, 2020, free trade zones (FTZs) in China are gearing up for the implementation of more institutional reforms and more measures boosting reform and opening-up, Economic Information Daily reported Thursday. (Photo/People's Daily Online) As the test zone of Chinas efforts to expand reform and opening-up, FTZs are thinking of ways to make greater breakthroughs in the negative list for foreign investment market access, according to Tang Wenhong, an official with Chinas Ministry of Commerce (MOC). The MOC will make concerted efforts with the relevant departments to further shorten the negative list for foreign investment market access and explore the establishment of a negative list management system for cross-border trade in services in Chinas FTZs, said Tang. Greater efforts will be made by FTZs to boost opening-up by advancing institutional reforms in such fields as rules, regulations, administration, and standards, disclosed Tang. The free trade port which is about to be built in south Chinas Hainan Province, will highlight investment and trade liberalization, according to Tang, adding that the free trade port will make efforts to perfect an intellectual property protection system, ensure the role of finance in serving the real economy, and implement policies to make immigration and entry-exit applications easier and more convenient for certain groups of foreigners. The free trade port will also establish a special taxation system to make it internationally competitive and set up regulatory standards and systems in line with corresponding international standards and systems, noted Tang. At present, the focus of Chinas efforts in boosting opening-up is shifting from the flow of commodities and production factors to institutional openness. More effort is being put into institutional and structural arrangements, said Chi Fulin, head of China Institute for Reform and Development. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to visit the state-run JK Lon hospital in Kota, where 100 infants died in December, and see for himself the "best facilities" provided there. The BJP has been targeting the ruling Congress over the functioning of the hospital. "I telephoned Central Health Minister @drharshvardhan ji and requested him to visit #Kota personally so that he can see the best of facilities and proper management by State Health Department and get himself apprised of the facts," Gehlot tweeted. He further wrote, "Harsh Vardhan ji is himself a doctor and if he visits the hospital in #Kota, it will also clarify the situation for people, who are giving reaction mischievously, knowingly, unknowingly and also innocently." Earlier in the day, Vardhan had tweeted about sending a high-level team to the hospital to provide all assistance. "The high-level team being despatched by @MoHFW_INDIA incl experts from AIIMS Jodhpur, Health Finance & Regional Director, Health Services Jaipur. It will reach #Kota tomorrow. In my letter too to @ashokgehlot51 ji, I've offered all possible assistance to prevent any further deaths (sic)," Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a tweet on Thursday," he said. Vardhan has also written to Gehlot, assuring him of all assistance. He also urged Gehlot to initiate measures to stop the deaths of children at the hospital. "We are ready to provide any technical help or assistance. Let us ensure no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of health system capacity," Vardhan has written in his letter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenyan officials say four people were killed on Thursday when a convoy of passenger buses was fired on by Islamic extremists in the countrys eastern coastal area. Somalias al-Shabab rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack. The gunmen fired at a convoy of three buses and two vans that was being escorted by police to Lamu, said Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia. The four were killed when the vehicles were sprayed with gunfire by attackers in the Nyongoro area of Lamu county along Kenyas Indian Ocean coast, he said. The first bus was hit with bullets on its side and tires but the driver managed to speed away, he said. Other vehicles in the convoy stopped and the gunmen opened fire at passengers fleeing on foot into the bushes, he said. The police escort had been delayed and was behind the convoy but arrived in time to prevent a massacre, he said. Police escorts for passenger vehicles in the area became mandatory after 2014 when al-Shabab killed nearly 90 people in two attacks in Lamu county. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on its Andalus radio station, saying its fighters spared Muslim passengers and only killed Christians. When the extremists opened fire three passengers were shot at close range and died instantly, said a police report on Thursdays attack seen by the Associated Press. The fourth fatality was a conductor of one of the buses, it said. It said two other passengers were wounded. Mombasa county Governor Ali Hassan Joho condemned the attack. This is unacceptable in this day and age. We have no choice but to be accommodating and tolerant to one another, he said in a tweet. In recent weeks, ahead of the New Year, Somalias al-Shabab rebels have stepped up attacks in Kenya whose troops are in Somalia fighting the extremists. The militants have vowed retribution on Kenya for sending its troops to Somalia. Its unfortunate but to be expected, said security analyst Andrew Franklin, a former U.S. Marine who is a longtime resident of Kenya. There is low-intensity conflict going on and they (government officials) are not treating the situation in the five front-line counties with the seriousness it deserves, he said, referring to Tana River, Lamu, Wajir, Mandera and Garissa counties, which neighbour Somalia and have been listed by the government as hot-spots for extremist activity. The Kenyan government does not have adequate measures in place to rapidly respond to ambushes, he said. Police are not properly equipped and trained and the vehicles they use are not appropriate for use in rural areas, he said. Nor do police have enough personnel to respond effectively, he said. Al-Shabab has the tactical initiative. It decides when and where to launch an attack and all we do is react, he said. Al-Shabab stepped attacks in Kenya in December. The group killed 11 people in Mandera county, eight of them police officers returning to duty, who were pulled from a bus on December 6. The group killed two non-Muslim construction workers in Garissa county on December 17 and on Dec. 22 burned construction equipment owned by a Muslim contractor that was being used to develop a road in Mandera. On Dec 27, two security officers died and seven other policemen were wounded when a roadside bomb tore through their patrol vehicle in Wajir county. Of the five countries contributing troops to the African Union forces in Somalia, Kenya has born the brunt of numerous al-Shabab attacks since 2011, including the Westgate Mall attack in 2013, in which 67 people were killed, and the Garissa University attack in 2015 in which 148 people were killed. In January, 2019, al-Shabab attacked a hotel and shopping complex in Nairobi killing 21 people. The series of of attacks show a different picture than the governments claims that extremist threat the is being controlled, said security analyst Franklin. It flies in the face of what the government is saying, which is that things are getting better or that al-Shabab is a ragtag militia on its back-foot. ___ AP journalist Abdi Guled contributed to this report. An off-duty correction officer was led out of a police precinct on Thursday in handcuffs and shackles after being charged with murder for allegedly gunning down his own uncle during a dispute on Manhattan's Upper West Side on New Year's Day. Cardell Gadsden, 30, made no statements to the press after being escorted by police officers out of the 24th Precinct in Manhattan and transported to Manhattan Central Booking for processing. Gadsden faces charges of murder and criminal use of a firearm in the shooting death of his uncle, 37-year-old Steven Gadsden. Cardell Gadsden, 30 (left), was arrested on Wednesday and has been charged with murder and criminal use of firearm in the shooting death of his uncle, Steven Gadsden (right) Cardell, a correction officer, is pictured dressed in a police-issued Tyvex suit and a leather jacket on Thursday morning Gadsden was taken to Manhattan Central Booking for processing on Thursday. He had his wrists restrained behind his back Cardell Gadsden, pictured in handcuffs on Thursday, has served as a correction officer since 2015 The incident began unfolding shortly before 10pm on Wednesday, when police responded to a report of an assault at Manhattan Avenue and West 107th Street. Officers arrived at the location to find Steven Gadsden suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso. Gadsden was rushed by paramedics to Mount Sinai Saint Luke's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries, becoming the city's second homicide victim of 2020. By the time police responded to the scene, the suspected shooter, identified as the victim's nephew, Cardell Gadsden, a New York City Department of Corrections employee, had fled, but he later returned and was taken into custody. Police officers are seen at the scene of a fatal shooting on Manhattan Avenue near West 107th Street in Manhattan on Wednesday night Cops say a man and his nephew were riding in a minivan with another man when they got into an argument, which turned violent Steven Gadsden, 37, was allegedly shot dead by his nephew after the two had words Steven Gadsden was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the torso The suspect had fled before police arrived, but he later returned to turn himself in (pictured in jeans and work boots) According to the investigation, Cardell, Steven and a third man were having an argument while riding in a blue minivan before the driver pulled over on Manhattan Avenue. Two of the men got out of the vehicle and exchanged words, at which point gunshots rang out. Cardell Gadsden turned himself in to police at 11.30pm and was charged with murder and criminal use of a firearm. Police were said to have recovered the off-duty correction officer's weapon, which he still had in his possession at the time of his arrest, reported PIX11. The man believed to be Cardell Gadsden is seen clasping his hands after returning to the scene of the crime to turn himself in Cardell raised his hands in the air and was handcuffed. Police said they found his gun on him at the time of his arrest As of Thursday morning, investigators have not disclosed a motive behind the killing. Cardell Gadsden joined the New York City Department of Corrections in 2015 and was assigned to the jail on Rikers Island. 'We are deeply troubled by these allegations and our condolences go out to the victim's family,' Deputy Commissioner for Public Information Peter Thorne said. 'An NYPD investigation is underway, and the officer has been suspended without pay pending the results of that investigation.' It is unclear what sparked the argument as the Gadsdens were riding inside this minivan (Newser) An actress who had a small part in Captain America: The First Avenger is accused of fatally stabbing her mother. Mollie Fitzgerald, who played Stark Girl in the 2011 film, has been charged with second-degree murder in the Dec. 20 death of Patricia Fitzgerald. Officers responding to a report of an "armed disturbance" found the 68-year-old had suffered a stab wound at her home in Olathe, Kansas, reports NBC News. She was pronounced dead at the scene while her daughter, 38, was "transported to a local hospital with minor injuries," according to an initial police statement. It has since been updated to note Fitzgerald was arrested in Kansas on New Year's Eve, per Variety. story continues below She previously told ComicBookMovie.com that "being a part of [Captain America] has been one of the best experiences of my life." In addition to her acting role, Fitzgerald worked as assistant to director Joe Johnston. She also wrote or directed some low-budget films, according to IMDB. She's now held on a $500,000 bond as relatives try to make sense of the crime. Her uncle, Gary Hunziker, tells the Kansas City Star that Patricia had been in the process of moving back to the Kansas City area after years spent in Houston. "We were shocked" but "it doesnt matter the circumstances," he says. "The loss of a sister is what it's all about." (Read more murder stories.) Turkish parliament passes Libya deployment bill, but troops unlikely for now Turkish lawmakers vote a bill that allows troop deployment to Libya, at the Parliament in Ankara ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that allows troops to be deployed in Libya, in a move that paves the way for further military cooperation between Ankara and Tripoli but is unlikely to put boots on the ground immediately. President Tayyip Erdogan said last week Turkey would deploy troops in Libya to support Fayez al-Serraj's internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA last month requested Turkish support as it fends off an offensive by General Khalifa Haftar's forces, which are backed by Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan. Fighting and air strikes continue around Tripoli, where the U.N. refugee agency said three mortars had fallen on Thursday close to an overcrowded transit center housing around 1,000 migrants in the center of the city. Turkey's move comes after Ankara and the GNA signed two separate agreements in November: one on security and military cooperation and another on maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, infuriating Greece, Israel, Egypt and Cyprus. Almost immediately after the vote, Egypt strongly condemned the parliament's decision, and called on the international community to urgently respond to the move. The bill, opposed by all major opposition parties, passed with a 315-184 vote. Opposition parties said the move may exacerbate conflicts in Libya and endanger Turkish soldiers in the region and Turkey's national security. But Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said the bill was an important step for protecting Ankara's interests in North Africa and the Mediterranean, and for achieving peace and stability in Libya. 'DANGEROUS ESCALATION' The GNA's interior minister Fathi Bashagha said Tripoli had requested Turkish support following a "dangerous escalation" in the conflict by Haftar's forces. "As Libya's only legitimate and sovereign government, the GNA is the singular entity with the right to formalize military alliances necessary to safeguard our nation," Bashagha said, adding that the GNA aimed to stop a "war criminal" from seizing power and establish stability, security and democracy in Libya. Story continues Dmitry Novikov, a Russian lawmaker, said after the vote that a Turkish military presence in Libya would "only deteriorate the situation", according to the Interfax news agency. Later on Thursday, Erdogan discussed Libya with U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call, the Turkish presidency said without providing more details. Erdogan is due to discuss Libya with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month. Ankara has already sent military supplies to the GNA despite a United Nations arms embargo, according to a U.N. report. But analysts and some officials say Ankara is unlikely to immediately deploy troops, sending military advisers and equipment first. "The hope would be that the Turkish military may not itself be involved in military action," said Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat who is chairman of the think-tank Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies. 'DETERRENT' Last week, a senior Turkish official said Ankara could train Libyan soldiers in Turkey, and Reuters reported that Turkey may also consider sending allied Syrian fighters to Tripoli. On Wednesday, Vice President Fuat Oktay said the bill served a symbolic role that Ankara hoped would be a "deterrent" to the parties, and that Turkey may not send troops if Haftar's forces pulled back. The maritime agreement between Ankara and Tripoli has ended Turkey's isolation in the eastern Mediterranean, where it is at odds with Greece over resources off Cyprus. Greece has said the accord violates international law, but Ankara rejects this, and says it only wants to protect its rights. Greece, Cyprus and Israel signed a deal on Thursday to build a 1,900 km (1,180 mile) subsea pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, but analysts say the accord between Turkey and Libya could present a barrier to the plans. "Ankara sees its involvement in Libya as a symbol of its new status as a regional power," said Asli Aydintasbas, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, Orhan Coskun and Ece Toksabay in Ankara, Jonathan Spicer, Can Sezer, Ezgi Erkoyun and Ali Kucukgocmen in Istanbul, Ahmed Tolba and Aidan Lewis in Cairo, Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow, and Ulf Laessing; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by William Maclean and Giles Elgood) Its hard to go around the internet without running into BTS. The K-pop group went from nobodies a few years ago to being arguably the most popular boy band worldwide. Given how famous BTS is, its not surprising that all of its members are quite popular individually. They all seem to attract a similar amount of attention, so a lot of people might be wondering: How do they rank in popularity? BTS and its members often rank at the top on various lists BTS | Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for iHeartMedia BTS is consistently at the top of both the K-pop industry as well as the international music scene. For example, every month the Korean Business Research Institute releases a ranking of K-pop groups based on how much buzz they have been generating. In December 2019, BTS was No. 1, which isnt surprising because they have been the top group for the past 19 months. Meanwhile, Market Watch also reported earlier this year that BTS isnt just popular among K-pop groups. They have even sold more albums in the U.S. than mainstream American artists, including Ariana Grande, the Jonas Brothers, and Billie Eilish. When BTS performed at the Rose Bowl Stadium, they also sold 100,000 more tickets than Taylor Swift did. At this point, theres no denying how big of a presence BTS has. BTS Jungkook and Jimin are the most popular members, surveys say When it comes to the members individually, the most popular ones seem to be Jungkook and Jimin, according to certain surveys. Jungkook seems to be the most popular among international fans since he topped the list of the most popular K-pop stars on Tumblr in 2019. Jimin came in at second place. However, according to Gallups surveys covering the most preferred Korean idols of 2019 among the Korean public, Jimin actually ranked as No. 1. The second highest BTS member on the list was Jungkook, who came in third place. Surveys rank J-Hope lowest compared to other BTS members In both Tumblr and Gallups findings, rapper J-Hope ranked last among the BTS members. On Tumblrs list, he was simply in seventh place after all the other guys. Yet, on Gallups list, he did not make the top 20 while everyone else in BTS did. There isnt really one specific reason why J-Hope is in the last place, according to these surveys. Some fans have speculated that it could be because J-Hopes rap is more laidback and doesnt stand out as much compared to the others in the group. In any case, its important to note that J-Hope is still wildly popular all around. He has released several solo tracks that have sold tens of thousands of copies around the world and been well-received by fans. His latest release, the song Chicken Noodle Soup featuring Becky G, charted at No. 1 in the U.S. World chart and has over 124 million views on YouTube. A lot of BTS fans also like J-Hope (whom they affectionately call Hobi) because of his sweet and charming personality. J-Hope calls himself his fans hope because he wants to be the bright light in peoples darkest days. Asia's manufacturing industry finished 2019 with a modestly brighter outlook, with fewer economies signaling contraction at factories. Purchasing manager indexes for South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan all moved above 50 in December, data from IHS Markit showed Thursday. Malaysia improved right to the dividing line between expansion and contraction of 50 while Indonesia stayed slightly below it. "PMIs seem to have improved across the board in December and sentiment is likely to improve further following the positive developments on the trade front," said Priyanka Kishore of Oxford Economics in Singapore. The regional readings come as China's manufacturing sector continued to expand output in December, bolstering views that the world's second-largest economy is stabilizing. China's official manufacturing PMI remained at 50.2 and a sub-index of new orders for export rose into expansion for the first time since May 2018. The Caixin Media and IHS Markit PMI showed China's manufacturing index edged down to 51.5 in December from 51.8 in November. "2019 was so bad, we are going to have a cyclical recovery," Xia Le, Hong Kong-based chief Asia economist at Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA told Bloomberg Television. "We can expect a cyclical recovery led by the exports sector and the manufacturing sector in the region." South Korea's manufacturers - often viewed as a key barometer of global demand - enjoyed the strongest performance since April with both output and new orders pushing into positive territory for the first time since October 2018. India's manufacturing PMI rose to 52.7 from 51.2 a month ago, backing a view that a nascent recovery in the economy was gathering steam. The pickup in activity was boosted by new orders, which grew at the fastest pace since July. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Global manufacturing has recovered somewhat from a mid-2019 slump as the impact of higher tariffs impact waned and as signs of a nascent rebound in the electronics sector emerged, which is especially critical to Asia's export engines. U.S. President Donald Trump said he will sign the first phase of a trade deal with China on Jan. 15, sealing an agreement that sees the Asian nation raising purchases of American farm goods in exchange for lower tariffs on some of its products. "Survey data showed that businesses anticipate 2020 to be more positive, as signaled by higher input purchasing and stockpiling," Joe Hayes, an economist at IHS Markit said in a release. "Key to the reversal of the negative trend seen through most of 2019 seems to be new product launches, particularly in the automotive and electronic sectors." - - - Bloomberg's Anirban Nag contributed to this story. The New York Times has been reporting on how your smartphone can cost you privacy. Most recently, our Opinion desk published One Nation, Tracked, an investigation into the location data industry that shows how companies quietly collect and profit off the precise movements of smartphone users. But theres a new vulnerability coming. Apple is including a new chip in its iPhone 11s that will enable ultra wideband wireless communication with other phones and smart devices. More phone makers, like Samsung, appear ready to launch their own UWB. (UWB chips are already in N.F.L. players shoulder pads, to gather metrics and inform computer animated replays.) The new short-range technology could bring a host of conveniences: unlocking your car or front door as you approach and relocking when you exit, speeding phone-to-phone transfers and the like. All faster than Bluetooth. But it could also make your location trackable even more precisely. In stores, retailers could see where you paused in their aisles, possibly keeping track of not only what you bought, but what you may have considered. And if past experience is a guide, law enforcement could also draw on the data. Thats it for this briefing. See you next time. Melina Thank you To Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Andrea Kannapell, the Briefings editor, wrote todays Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. P.S. Were listening to The Daily. Our latest episode revisits an interview with President Trump that included the publisher of The Times, A.G. Sulzberger. Heres our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Half of 2020 (four letters). You can find all our puzzles here. Each day, our editors collect some of the most interesting or delightful facts to appear in that days coverage. Here are 79 favorites from last year. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) here. Directing the officials to ensure that no one falls prey to bribery, the Chief Minister, in a review meeting, said: "ACB officials should not be lethargic and need to be more involved and dedicated." "The establishment of call centre 14400 was to see effective results and there should be a fear among those who try to indulge in corruption. There should be no instances of bribery in offices like MRO office, Registration offices, Town planning office, and in any other office," he said. Jagan said that the government was ready to provide any kind of facility to the officials. Asserting that there would be another review meeting in a month, the Chief Minister also suggested the ACB officials to ensure effective results within three months. Neelam Sawhney, government Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP) Gautam Sawang and ACB chief Vishwajit were among those present at the review meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It is reported that on the 1st of January, Lee Seo Jin donated a good amount of 100 million won which is approximately $86,600 to the Community Chest of Korea. He also became the first person in 2020 to join the organization's Honor Society with his donation. It is a status awarded to donators who have contributed a big amount of money. The host and actor said that "As I have received so much love from the public, I believed that I must be a good influence in society and was thinking about how I could give back to society in any way, so I decided to donate and join the club Honor Society. I hope I can be of help to people who are hurting, both physically and mentally, and help them find hope." Kim Yong Hee, the secretary-general of the Community Chest of Korea, stated, that they are grateful to Lee Seo Jin for working with them and becoming the first member of the Honor Society in the new year 2020. And added that they will do their best to make sure that the donation goes to those who are in need. South Korean Host and actor Lee Seo-jin was born on January 30, 1971. He is well known for the reality shows Three Meals a Day and Grandpa Over Flowers. As an actor, he became outstanding with his leading roles in the historical dramas "Damo" in 2003, "Yi San" in 2007, "Gyebaek" in 2011, and the contemporary drama "Marriage Contract." In the year 1999, Lee Seo-jin made his debut in action in the television series "House Above the Waves". He had some supporting roles on TV and later on he rose to fame with his 2003 hit historical drama titled "Damo". After that, he also starred in the popular contemporary drama "Phoenix" way back 2004. And then Lee Seo Jin got his first big-screen leading role in the 2005 action blockbuster film, "Shadowless Sword". The actor is believed to be involved in the banking, transportation and tourism industries since it is known that he is from a family with strong ties in the financial sector. He got his Business Management degree from the New York University Stern School of Business. He joined the Ask Veritas Assets Management in the year 2011. Later on, he was appointed as the managing director for the firm's second global content division. Lee Seo Jin is a regular volunteer of Habitat for Humanity since the year 2006, and he was appointed as its Goodwill Ambassador for Korea in 2008. Lee established the "Let's Tree Fund" in 2010 to conduct reforestation activities with the help of the Nippon Foundation and South Korean food franchise Genesis. He also joined relief efforts for victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in the year 2011. It is also reported that as of January 1, 2020, there are 283 members in the Honor Society who have donated 25.4 billion won or $22 million. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is busy marshalling support for the United States in the region as Iraq becomes ground zero in the escalating feud between Washington and Tehran. Iran-backed militias may have ended their siege on the US Embassy in Baghdad, but more trouble may yet lie ahead for the troubled US-Iraqi security partnership. Why it matters: Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has agreed to hold a vote on expelling American forces from Iraq under a deal reached with the Kataib Hezbollah militia, a potentially contentious point as the United States seeks to continue its maximum pressure campaign against Iran and continue its campaign against the lingering Islamic State cells. Pompeo spoke with Abdul Mahdi on Wednesday, stressing Iraqs obligation to prevent further attacks against our diplomatic mission, echoing President Donald Trumps message to him on Tuesday. The secretary of state also called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to thank him for Israels unwavering commitment to countering Irans malign regional influence as well as Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to thank him for Qatars solidarity in the face of Irans malign regional influence. Before the embassy attack, Pompeo also spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed on Monday to discuss US strikes on Kataib Hezbollah in retaliation for rocket attacks on US forces in Iraq that led to the death of a US defense contractor. Whats next: On Wednesday, the State Department renewed its travel advisory warning Americans against traveling to Iraq because of terrorism, kidnapping and armed conflict. The travel advisory notes that the US Embassy will not provide consular services until further notice on account of Kataib Hezbollahs attack earlier this week. (The US consulate in Erbil is currently the only functioning American diplomatic facility in Iraq as Washington shuttered its consulate in Basra in 2018.) Know more: Al-Monitors Iraq editor Ali Mamouri details the embassy attack and the Iran-backed militias behind it. Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said here on Wednesday that Hindus facing religious persecution in Pakistan and Bangladesh will naturally "come to India" and not go to "Italy". "Why are you protesting? Against whom you are protesting? If Hindus from Pakistan and Bangladesh will not come to India then where else they will go, Italy?" said Reddy. "Sikhs will not go to Italy," he said. "It's our responsibility to give shelter to them and to give them citizenship," he added. Since the enactment of CAA on December 12 last year, protests have erupted in various parts of the country including the national capital. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (ANI) Three tonnes of food was donated to the Trussell Trust and Fareshare redistribution services by Tesco shoppers this Christmas. Photo: Tesco Millions of meals were donated to food banks and groups feeding people across the UK this Christmas, thanks to Tesco shoppers, the supermarket has announced. A total of 2.5 million meals were donated to charities the Trussell Trust and FareShare by shoppers during last months Tesco Food Collection, with Tesco topping up the value of all the donations by an additional 20%. The donations to food banks in the Trussell Trusts network were being used to provide food parcels for people in crisis, while donations to FareShare went to charities and community groups such as homeless shelters and older peoples lunch clubs, which also received surplus food from Tesco stores. READ MORE: Mental health and cancer top the UK's charity donations One of the groups that benefited from the donations was Leeds North and West Foodbank. Its manager Karen Burgon said the donations were essential to their work. This year we received almost three tonnes of food through the Tesco collection, which is phenomenal. These generous donations make it possible for us to get through the winter period which is often an incredibly difficult time for many people coming to the food bank, Burgon explained. It is humbling to see how much people are willing to give, and the difference this can make when someone is in crisis. We can only continue to provide crucial support with the communitys help. Thank you so much. READ MORE: 10 notebooks and planners to start off your new year with One groups supplied by FareShare that received food from the Tesco Food Collection was the Hopewell Road Community Centre in Hull. Robbie Keane from the centre said: The food we received from the Tesco Food Collection [was] used to enhance the quality of support already given to our beneficiaries, especially at this time of year. The donations from the three-day collection are in addition to items donated by customers throughout the year at a network of more than 500 permanent collection points at Tesco stores, the company said. Story continues READ MORE: Finding a new job is most Brits' New Year's resolution The Tesco Food Collection only ran in stores in the UK from 21 to 23 November. However, in the year to October, more than seven million meals were donated to food banks in the Trussell Trusts network at those in-store collection points. A wonderful nurse and a caring person who as a child loved to dress up and dance. That was how Fr Johnny Moore described Mary Ellen Molloy to the many mourners gathered in the Church of the Holy Family, Ardara for Requiem Mass today (Thursday). Many more stood outside in the cold rain as a community tried to come to terms with the enormous loss of one its brightest young women. Ms Molloy died as a result of a road collision in Melbourne, Australia just before Christmas. Among the symbols brought to the altar to commemorate the life of 26-year-old Mary Ellen was her nurses uniform. And in a deeply poignant moment, her godparents placed her baptismal gown on her white coffin. Fr Moore said Mary Ellen had been baptised in the same church on March 21, 1993. She made her First Holy Communion there too and in April 2005, she reaffirmed her baptismal vows at her Confirmation. The priest who concelebrated the Mass with seven other members of the clergy told the congregation that Angela and Terence Molloy had been blessed with four beautiful children, of whom Mary Ellen was the eldest. She had two brothers John Ross and Karl Joseph. Her sister Aisling lived only for a few precious days, said Fr Moore. Mary Ellen attended the parish school where she was a diligent student. As a child, she was Daddys girl, said Fr Moore. She loved dressing up and dancing. The little girl grew up to be a caring young woman. As a nurse, she gave of herself as a wonderful carer, showing empathy to others in their time of need, said the priest. He said these were just the brush strokes of the life of a dedicated, caring person who always made time for other people. Remember Mary Ellen as a daughter, sister, grand-daughter, niece, friend or colleague, as the woman she was and tried to be, said Fr Moore. Recognise the influence she had on yourself on others. He urged Mary Ellens family to trust that she was with Jesus, and to take comfort in that thought even in their darkest hour. Mary Ellen was herself a woman of deep faith. Fr Moore said she opened her prayer book at a different page every day and was guided by the reflection on that page. The priest thanked everyone who had supported the family throughout the last few difficult weeks. He urged people to continue that support over the coming weeks and months. On behalf of the family, Fr Moore particularly thanked Cathy Whelan in Australia and Leas Cheann Comhairle Pat The Cope Gallagher for their role in repatriating Mary Ellens remains. Among the concelebrating clergy was Mary Ellens uncle, Fr Des Sweeney. Before final prayers, he too thanked everyone for their support. He said it was clear how much his beloved grand-niece meant to those who were grieving her in Melbourne and Donegal. Following Requiem Mass, Mary Ellen was laid to rest alongside her sister Aisling in the church cemetery. Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam dilis. Leader: US taking revenge from Iraqi Shia volunteers for fighting ISIS IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Jan 1, IRNA -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday strongly condemned US air raids on Hashd al-Shaabi Iraqi Shia volunteers, saying that they are taking revenge from the Iraqi Shia group for fighting ISIS. Speaking to thousands of nurses on the National Day of Nurses, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the Popular Mobilization Forces of Iraq were attacked by the US because they has destroyed and crippled Daesh (the ISIS) that was American-made. The Leader strongly responded to a threat made by US president, saying that Iran will react appropriately to any provocative act of aggression by the United States and is well-prepared to defend national sovereignty. The Leader held the US accountable for imposing atrocity wars on the Afghan and the Iraqi people. Ayatollah Khamenei said that the US perpetrated war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq giving examples of the war crimes the US private security company had committed in Iraq, adding that the visits of the US officials to their bases in the region is another example of belittling the people of the region, which brought hatred and anger. Ayatollah Khamenei said that it is noteworthy that when suck things happen to the US, you can see that anti-US feelings erupt, like what happened in Baghdad and the entire Iraq. But again that guy tweeted that "Iran is accountable for that and the US will respond to Iran". Addressing US president Donald Trump, the Supreme Leader said, "First, that's very ignorant of you to do so. Second, you are not logical." "The people of this region hate the US. You have committed crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan; you have killed people," the Supreme Leader said. The Leader said that the hatred of the people of Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan will erupt somewhere. The hatred is the result of US political and security moves in the region. Ayatollah Khamenei said that if Iran decided to fight against a country, it will do it openly. Iran is committed to the interests of the people, country, and the esteem and progress and if anyone threatens that, Iran will, with no hesitation, stand up to them and strike a blow. Referring to the Day of Insight (December 30), he said that people of Iran took to the streets and neutralized a deeply rooted plot. The Leader referred to the recent protests in Iran and said that the people have some rightful demands and when their demands and expectations are not met, they protest. But sedition under that pretext is a move of the enemy. People protested and the ones that the enemy had prepared beforehand entered the arena fast to vandalize. The people once again showed insight and distanced themselves from the saboteurs. The Leader said that the main players of the riots had attempted to attack petro reserves, wheat silos, and public property were in connection with foreign intelligence services. The Leader said that one of the diplomats that was in Washington those days said that on the first day of riots the Americans were very happy and but when the unrest came to an end, they got really sad, which shows the US "idiocy". 9417**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Representative image Amid growing demand for domicile certificates and job protection, the Jammu and Kashmir BJP said the Union government would take every necessary step to safeguard interests of local residents. It also slammed the Congress for being the "party of conspirators playing into the hands of foreign powers to divide the country". "Whatever steps the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had taken with regard to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are for the betterment of local residents," J-K BJP president Ravinder Raina told reporters here. He, however, avoided a direct answer to whether the BJP government was planning to grant domicile certificates to residents of J-K and Ladakh for the protection of their land and government jobs. "The government will not hesitate in taking any step which it feels is for the betterment of local residents and in the national interest," he replied. Lashing out at the Congress, Raina said, "They are playing politics over dead bodies and are hand in glove with foreign powers to divide the country. The party is also making attempts to mislead the public in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh over various steps taken by the Centre for the welfare of people." The BJP leader said PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had already assured people of the two UTs that the Union government will not lag behind in ensuring development. The BJP leader accused the Congress, the National Conference and the PDP of looting people and said "it will take some time to set the house in order". He also welcomed the abolition of toll posts, including the one at Lakhanpur along the Jammu-Pathankot highway. He said the decision achieved the goal of "one nation, one tax" under the GST regime introduced by the Centre in 2017. Referring to concerns raised by industrialists, Raina said the Modi government was committed to the welfare of industries. "We will strengthen the industrial sector of J-K and this is our commitment," he said, adding that the local party unit will raise the issue of a special economic package and incentives for the revival of sick industries. Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Sudanese Red Crescent said here Thursday that at least 48 persons were killed in Genaina, western Sudan, near the borders with Chad during clashes between two communities over the past couple of days On November 29, Gillian Powell, of The Haven Montessori, Bandon,Co Cork, went on RTEs Liveline radio show and told the nation we needed to get back to the drawing board with our childcare system. Ms Powell called the situation which seemed to follow the revelations in RTEs undercover investigation into Dublins Hyde & Seek creche chain, Tuslas urgent demand for creches to reregister, and spiralling insurance costs a good crisis point to say, OK, Im going to take a step back here and ask, What are we doing with the children of this country? She called on Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone to stop right now and, particularly for children under two years of age, she should give subsidies to parents, so they have a choice. A choice to stay home with their children, presumably, she meant. For children of two years and more, Powell wanted a radical plan for investment in childcare. Its a basket case, said Powell. Its like a crocked old Volkswagen going down the road now and it doesnt even have wheels. Minister Zappone needs to put money into the system and properly fund it. There was silence in the studio. No one wanted to ask, What are we doing with the children of this country? The show wasnt about rethinking the childcare system. It was about the massive difficulties for creche owners, who are facing Tuslas mounting demands and massive insurance hikes. Regulations in place since 2016 require a range of different compliances by creches, including fire safety certificates (which can only be furnished by professionals, such as architects or chartered engineers, at a cost of up to 3,000). Emails alerting creche owners of the need to reregister and fully comply were, apparently, only sent out last August. While compliance was required by the end of the year, it later transpired that December 12 was the cut-off point to allow Tusla to process the creches before it closed for Christmas on December 23. Panicked creche owners contacted Liveline and, lo and behold, an extension until June 30 emerged from Tusla, which had, it said, been planned in the past month, but not communicated to anyone until the Liveline debate. Was this about child safety or about box-ticking, if a hard-and-fast regulation could so suddenly be relaxed? Box-ticking, shouted the response. And, one after another, childcare providers voiced the view that Tuslas sudden flurry of emails, in August, requiring compliance by the end of the year, came on foot of RTEs investigation into the Hyde & Seek creche chain, which aired on July 24. The chain is currently appealing Tuslas bid to deregister four of its creches; the case will be heard in February. And as we know now, another spectre has come to haunt the industry. Ironshore stopped insuring Irish creches in July, leaving only one insurer Allianz in the market. One creche owner spoke of annual fees tripling from 530 to 1,600. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar briefly hung tough, saying it would be totally reckless for the Government to interfere in the insurance market. Days later, Zappone had in her fist 7m in extra funding for childcare providers. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe insisted this was not to bridge the insurance gap at all but to provide for the welfare of children. This is about children and its about the childcare sector, he announced on Newstalk, complaining that this change, which Zappone had suddenly made, was being unfairly portrayed as a subsidy for insurance. Thats exactly what it was. At roughly 1,500 per childcare provider, it wont bridge the insurance gap for many, but it is intended to keep providers sweet enough that they will open this week and next. Most have. But Gillian Powells words should be ringing louder in our ears than those new year bells. The childcare system we have is indeed a basket case. Zappone seems utterly sincere in her desire to provide for the childcare needs of working families. She has, however, gone entirely the wrong way about it, by continuing in the direction signalled by governments since the Department of Justice ran its first Equal Opportunities Childcare Scheme (2000-2006), which was aimed at getting women back to work. She is attempting to deliver a public service through private providers and it cant be done. Ever-increasing requirements are being placed on private businesses, which have been stretched to breaking point and then, suddenly, bailed out, because the State cant do without them. Officially, the State only takes responsibility for paying a capitation fee for each child. This means the Government pays creche workers nothing through their holidays, nor does it make up weekend days, which childcare staff are meant to spend retraining to comply with Government regulations. MEANWHILE, the Tusla inspectors concentrate on increasingly idiotic issues, such as requiring air conditioning in babies sleep rooms and special nappy bins, as one caller to Liveline complained. They ignore the fact that the three-to-one ratio of babies to adults, though impossible to provide and still make a profit, is inadequate for babies, who need one-to-one attention for their proper development. There is no requirement in Tusla regulations for each baby or young child to have an appointed key worker and a back-up key worker, though a lack of relationship with their carers is by far the biggest danger to the health of young children in any childcare setting. Zappones National Childcare Scheme is keeping the lights on in the House that Jack Built, the Jack in question being the Equal Opportunities Childcare Scheme and the National Childcare Investment Scheme (2000-2013), which totalled 1bn in funding between them. The stated aim was the boom-time incentivisation of mothers back into the workplace; unstated aim was supporting the construction industry. Surprise, surprise, the House that Jack Built has, in some places, poor fire-regulation compliance, but thats the least of it, really. The House that Jack Built is quite simply not a suitable environment for babies and toddlers under the age of two and for many under three. Yet, although the Governments own research says under-3s should not be in centre-based childcare for more than 32 hours a week, or they risk poorer outcomes in language and cognitive development, our Government will, from September, pay childcare centres to take babies from 24 weeks old for 45 hours a week. I still cant get over the fact that the State is doing this to children, though its own research says its bad for them. With the sheet of 2020 almost blank before us, isnt this the time to ask, along with Gillian Powell of Bandon, What arewe doing with the children of this country? Lawyers for New York real estate heir Robert Durst acknowledge he penned a note tipping off police to the location of the body of a friend hes accused of killing, according to court documents. In a court filing last week in Los Angeles Superior Court, lawyers for the 76-year-old conceded he had written the note directing police to the home where his best friend, Susan Berman, was shot point-blank in the back of the head just before Christmas of 2000. Durst, who is an alumnus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, pleaded not guilty to murder in Bermans death but told a documentary film crew that the letter could only have been sent by the killer. The revelation he sent the note was made in a joint filing by defense lawyers and prosecutors of stipulations they've agreed to before his trial scheduled for Feb. 10. Attorneys for Durst said they made the concession as a strategic decision after the judge agreed to admit the evidence based on analysis by handwriting experts. The defense, which had long denied he wrote the note, said they still plan to challenge that ruling on appeal. Attorney Dick DeGuerin told The Associated Press that the defense won't comment on the stipulation. "This does not change the facts that Bob Durst didn't kill Susan Berman and he doesn't know who did," DeGuerin said. Durst killed Berman because he feared his friend and unofficial spokeswoman was going to tell police what she knew about the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Kathleen, in New York in 1982, prosecutors said. The note sent to the Beverly Hills Police Department on the same day Berman was killed has been considered a smoking gun in the case since the bombshell finale of "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst" aired on HBO in 2015. Durst was shown the note written in block letters that only included the address of Berman's house and the word "cadaver." He denied writing the note but said "only the killer could have written" it. The envelope was addressed with Beverly misspelled "Beverley." Filmmakers then confronted him with a letter he sent Berman a year earlier that appeared to have identical handwriting, including the same misspelling. "I wrote this one but I did not write the cadaver one," Durst insisted. But moments later, he couldn't tell the two apart. After an awkward moment in which he blinked, burped and put his head in his hands, he denied being the killer. The interview then ended and Durst walked into a bathroom unaware he was still wearing a live microphone. He was heard muttering to himself: "You're caught! What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course." One law enforcement official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said analysis linking Durst to the letters was the key new evidence presented to prosecutors before his arrest. Durst was nabbed on the eve of the broadcast in New Orleans, where he was staying in a hotel under a pseudonym and appeared to be making plans to leave the country. Robert Durst is led Dec. 3, 2001, to Northampton County Prison by Deputy Sheriff Officer Keith Border.Lehighvalleylive.com file photo | Sue Beyer After Berman's death, Durst went into hiding in Galveston, Texas, where he disguised himself as a mute woman in a boarding house. He killed his neighbor, Morris Black, in 2001 in what he claimed was self-defense after the men struggled over a gun. He then chopped up the man's body and disposed of it at sea. He had fled house arrest prior to the trial in that case but was arrested Nov. 30, 2001, for allegedly shoplifting a chicken sandwich at the Wegmans in Hanover Township, Northampton County, with $37,000 and a pair of guns in his rental car. At trial, Durst was acquitted of murder. Prosecutors claim Black was killed after he learned Dursts real identity. Deputy District Attorney John Lewin plans to present evidence at trial that the killings of Black and Berman were both part of an effort to cover up the slaying of Kathleen Durst years earlier. Kathleen Durst's body has never been found and she was declared dead two years ago. Robert Durst, reportedly worth $100 million, is considered the prime suspect in her presumed killing but has never been charged. Witnesses who testified in pretrial hearings said Berman told them Durst acknowledged killing his wife and that she helped him cover up the crime. They also testified that Berman said if anything happened to her, Durst would be responsible. The defense also stipulated that Durst wrote a note found in a trash can in a bedroom at the home the couple shared in Westchester County, New York, where they had been staying just before Durst said he last saw his wife. Referred to as the dig note, it appears to be a list including the words town dump, dig and shovel. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. GAZA CITY - Jana Tawil was born in 2012, the same year that the United Nations released an alarm-raising report on the state of the Gaza Strip: If the prevailing economic, environmental and political trends continued, the organization warned, the besieged coastal enclave sandwiched between Israel and Egypt would become unlivable by 2020. The United Nations revised its initial rating in 2017 to warn that "de-development" was happening even faster than it first predicted. Jana's father, 35-year-old Mahmoud Tawil, never thought much of that assessment. "When the U.N. report [said] that Gaza would be unlivable, I felt that Gaza was not fit for life in the same year, not in the year 2020," he said. That is the bleak reality facing Gaza's 2 million Palestinian residents as they approach a new year and new decade: still stuck living in a place the world has already deemed uninhabitable in perhaps the most surreal of 2020 predictions. The Tawil family lives in Gaza's al-Shati refugee camp, or the Beach camp, where cramped and crumbling rows of homes sit adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. It is in theory a scenic view - but life here persists on a parallel plane. The elder Tawil, a psychologist, fears the sea: It's full of sewage, pumped in because there's not enough electricity and infrastructure to run Gaza's war-torn sewage system. Hospitals, schools and homes are similarly running on empty, worn down by the lack of clean water, electricity, infrastructure and jobs or money. Barely anyone has enough clean water to drink. The only local source of drinking water, the coastal aquifer, is full of dirty and salty water. By 2020 - basically, now - that damage will be irreversible, water experts have warned. "There is no stability in work, and there is no money for people," Tawil said. "We cannot drink water or eat vegetables safely, [as] there is a fear that it will be contaminated." He continued: "We need a just life, and we need hope that there is a possibility for us to live on this earth. . . . The various Palestinian parties do not help us in Gaza to live, just as Israel imposes a blockade on Gaza. Unfortunately, no one cares about the residents of Gaza." Perhaps the hardest part of it all is that, relatively speaking, none of this is new. When the United Nations issued the 2012 report setting 2020 as the zero hour for Gaza's unlivability, the organization knew even then that no one should be living in Gaza's already dangerous conditions. "From our perspective, [the report] was a useful sort of ringing the alarm bell a couple of years ago," said Matthias Schmale, the director of operations in Gaza for the U.N. Works and Relief Agency (UNRWA), the U.N. body responsible for Palestinian refugees. "But for us it's no longer really the issue that by 2020 it will be unlivable. . . . The key question is how do we prevent total collapse?" Gazans battle daily with the same crushing question. It has been a dark decade, and then some, in a place Palestinians liken to an open-air prison. In 2007, the extremist group Hamas seized control after ousting its rival, the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, which is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel and Egypt in response imposed a land and sea blockade, citing security concerns and the aim of squeezing Hamas out. It hasn't worked out that way. Instead, since 2009, Hamas and Israel have fought three bloody wars, alongside countless flare-ups. In the meantime, Israel flexes control via policies on who and what can enter and leave Gaza, barring most Gazans and goods from leaving. Hamas's repressive and conservative rule has in turn caused people to feel squeezed from all sides. Schmale cited four factors keeping Gaza afloat: Palestinian solidarity, such as businesses writing off debts; the inflow of cash sent by Palestinians abroad; Hamas's autocratic rule, which has restricted internal unrest; and support from international bodies such as the United Nations. All of these factors also remain subject to change. In 2018, President Donald Trump cut aid to UNRWA and other Palestinian aid programs, threatening to topple the whole model set up in the 1950s to serve displaced Palestinians. Of Gaza's 1.9 million residents, 1.4 million are refugees, and 1 million of them depend on UNRWA for food assistance. The rate of dependence on food aid only grows, Schmale said. Despite the Trump administration's much trumpeted economic-focused Middle East peace plan, no tangible progress has come out of it for Palestinians. A long-term, political solution to Gaza's impasse (and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) remains far-off. The depletion of Gaza's coastal aquifer was one of the main factors in the United Nations' "uninhabitable" calculus. According to World Health Organization standards, 97 percent of the aquifer's water is unsuitable for human consumption: It's been so heavily pumped that saltwater and other pollutants have poured in where groundwater was taken out. Gazans who can afford to do so buy water from private companies using small-scale desalination projects. But the water from these sources can also become contaminated during unregulated distribution and storage in unclean tanks. One-fourth of all illnesses in Gaza are waterborne, the WHO found. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Tamer al-Aklouk, 21, is one of those water sellers finding any way to get by. He is fed up with reports making dire predictions when they're released at fancy events while the situation on the ground remains the same or worsens. "Neither the United Nations nor the United States nor Europe nor the Arabs are concerned with what is happening in Gaza," he said. "All the reports they issue in order to talk . . . but the ink will remain on paper, and no one will move a finger." That's why 27-year-old Iman Ibrahim's New Year's wish, like so many of her generation's, is a way out. Ibrahim studied agricultural engineering in the hope that she would find a job. Now she's an unemployed graduate, and she and her father, who paid her university fees, are frustrated. Ibrahim is looking for a scholarship to leave, like many of her peers. In the last two years, Gaza has had a painful brain drain of those who can afford to pay the hefty fees and bribes to exit through Egypt. An estimated 35,000 to 40,000 people had left Gaza since mid-2018. Hamas even started preventing doctors from leaving as so few remained. "I am trying to get a chance, but this is not easy for a girl who lives in a conservative society," Ibrahim said. That's the crux of the matter: Unlike some involved in policies and programs for Gaza, Ibrahim doesn't have the luxury of moving on. "Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, the Arabs and the United States are responsible for what is happening in Gaza, and they must work to help some people here in Gaza," she said. "We are on the threshold of the year 2020, and Gaza has been uninhabitable for years, not next year." Chloe Ferry looks to be having a whale of a time in Thailand, on her New Year's break. The 24-year-old reality starlet teamed a skimpy leopard print bikini with a straw sunhat as she frolicked along a palm-tree-lined sundeck on Thursday, before taking to a lounger to catch some rays. The Geordie Shore star peeled off the top half of the ensemble to top up her tan, hiding her busty assets by covering them with her arms as she joked around with a pal. New year, who's this? Chloe Ferry looks to be having a whale of a time in Thailand, on her New Year's break Adding a pop of colour to her ensemble, she had treated herself to a neon manicure and pedicure and wore her blonde locks loosely around her shoulders. She showcased her peachy behind in the thong bottoms, seen leaning on a balcony and peering out at the jungle surroundings in which she is staying. While her ex Sam Gowland wasn't pictured with her, they are believed to be on the trip together, leading people to speculate whether they are back together. Chloe and Sam have had their fair share of break ups since their romance first went public back in 2017. Peachy keen: The 24-year-old reality starlet teamed a skimpy leopard print bikini with a straw sunhat as she frolicked along a palm-tree-lined sundeck on Thursday, before taking to a lounger to catch some rays A laugh a minute: The Geordie Shore star peeled off the top half of the ensemble to top up her tan, hiding her busty assets by covering them with her arms as she joked around with a pal All over tan: Chloe hit the loungers to soak up some rays But she was spotted in the background of one of his hairdresser's social media snaps as he got a fresh new haircut ahead of the trip abroad. Both Sam and Chloe were tagged in the photo that was shared on the hairdresser's Instagram page. Chloe and the MMA fighter have recently shared snaps of themselves on holiday in Thailand. But despite their desperate attempts to avoid featuring each other in their posts, they have each been open about sharing snaps from their tropical holiday. Siren: Adding a pop of colour to her ensemble, she had treated herself to a neon manicure Oh my! She showcased her peachy behind in the thong bottoms, seen leaning on a balcony and peering out at the jungle surroundings in which she is staying Babe: She wore her blonde locks loosely around her shoulders In October, Chloe revealed that she had finally called it quits on her relationship with Sam for good following their turbulent romance. She confirmed her single status following speculation that the former couple had rekindled their relationship during a then recent trip to Dubai. The couple went public with their romance in October 2017 but split in May earlier this year after she accused him of cheating with Love Island beauty Amber Davies, something she vehemently denied. Hats off to Chloe: She rocked a hat to shield herself from the hot sunshine Rumours: While her ex Sam Gowland wasn't pictured with her, they are believed to be on the trip together, leading people to speculate whether they are back together All's well that ends well? Chloe and Sam have had their fair share of break ups since their romance first went public back in 2017 Chilling out: She relaxed on the rooftop terrace On again? In October, Chloe revealed that she had finally called it quits on her relationship with Sam for good following their turbulent romance Snapped: Chloe was recently snapped waiting patiently for Sam as he got a fresh haircut before jetting out to Thailand, leading to rumours they have reconciled A federal judge has handed down a temporary restraining order blocking the Jan. 1 implementation of California's AB5 against motor carriers. AB5 is the law restricting the ability of independent operators including truck drivers to operate in the state. In a case brought by the California Trucking Association, Judge Roger T. Benitez of the U.S. Southern District Court ordered the state not to enforce AB5 against any motor carrier in California, pending a final resolution of the lawsuit brought by the CTA. Weston LaBar, the executive director of the Harbor Trucking Association, which is closely aligned with CTA, described it as a "minor victory" but said he hoped it was one step toward "a more fruitful" victory in the CTA's fight against AB5. While the CTA is the lead plaintiff, LeBar said the Harbor Trucking Association, which represents the drayage sector, supported CTA's efforts and believed it was the preferred organization to lead the legal fight. At issue in the judge's order was the so-called "B Prong" of AB5. AB5 adopted almost verbatim wording from the Dynamex case handed down in California in 2018 which set several tests for when a worker should be considered an employee rather than an independent operator. The B part of the ABC test in Dynamex the basis for the B prong in AB 5 said an owner-operator should be considered an employee unless, as Benitez noted, "the person performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity's business." A trucking company hiring a truck driver who is independent would not meet that test of independence. A trucking company hiring a cleaning company to tend to its headquarters would meet it. Key legal arguments against AB5 have focused on the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994. That federal law has wording on the ability of states to regulate motor carriers. Attorneys for CTA have argued that FAAAA pre-empts AB5, and Benitez was persuaded. Story continues In a footnote, the judge said "the Court is persuaded by the likelihood of Plaintiffs' success on the FAAAA preemption ground." Benitez chose not to address some other CTA arguments; in essence, he appears to be saying that the FAAAA challenge is enough and other legal points don't need to be considered at this time. In another part of his ruling, Benitez said the CTA and other plaintiffs "are likely to succeed on the merits." He also ruled that a restraining order is called for because the plaintiffs are "likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of relief" and "relief is in the public interest." The ruling suggests that a truck driver would almost never be found to be an independent owner-operator under the tenets of AB5. "Because contrary to Prong B, drivers perform work within (court italics) the usual course of the motor carrier hiring entity's business, drivers will never be considered independent contractors under California law," Benitez wrote. And the costs of ignoring the law are significant, he added. "If their interpretation of the statute is correct, Plaintiffs will have to risk criminal prosecution or take significant and costly compliance measures," he wrote. LaBar called the temporary restraining order a "really good sign." "It is extremely difficult to get a restraining order and preliminary injunction," he said. "This bodes well for the case." "We felt like this was an overreach from day one," LaBar added. "We felt like this was done with a complete disregard on how this impacted interstate commerce." He added that he hopes the decision and a possible success in further proceedings can "attract cargo back to the West Coast, giving us boxes to move and livelihoods to make." LaBar said the next hearing on the case will be Jan. 13. Image by Peter H from Pixabay 0 See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. I just purchased the movie Thirteen Hours about the attack on our temporary Embassy in Benghazi, Libya in 2012, where Ambassador Christopher Stevens was killed along with one aid and two former Seals working as contractors. As with the usual double talking Obama and Hillary Clinton, their conclusion was that the attack was neither premeditated nor preplanned. A week later after their statements didnt carry any truth, their stories changed to it was a terrorist attack, well planned out. The ongoing House Select Committee investigation lasted through 2016 with a 800 page report putting blame on the Obama administration for inadequate security resulting in the death of four Americans with Clinton being the main reason. Being Secretary of State she was responsible for all of our embassies and as usual dodged another crime. Now here we are again in Baghdad, Iraq with Islamists attacking our Embassy there. One huge difference between the bull of Hussein Obama and the current administration of the POTUS Trump is that action will be taken. Pray for our troops and their safe return to their families. Jack Varner * * * Jack, does that movie "Thirteen Hours", which by the way is purposely being peddled to a rightwing conservative leaning audience, mention anything about House Republicans cutting funding to embassies around the world to the tune of $128 million in 2011 and another cut of $331 million in 2013? Or that Hillary Clinton in 2011 warned Republicans such cuts would be "detrimental to America's national security?" That in 2009 Republican's Ryan, Issa and other House Republicans voted for an amendment to cut $1.2 billion from state operation including funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions? All of this was in the news at the time. How could anyone miss it? The excuse by some Republicans supporting the cuts was they had to "prioritize." The safety of those embassies around the world must not have been at the top of their list of "priorities." In addition to "praying" for out Troops, "pray' for world peace, Jack. So the world will never again have to witness footage of bloated bodies of little toddlers and their families washing ashore after having to flee their homeland in war torn countries brought about for the sake of greedy old men dreaming up wars to send the young to fight and die in and the most innocent and vulnerable to perish. Brenda Washington Nicole Kidman's sister, Antonia, celebrated the New Year with her daughter, Lucia Hawley, who is the spitting image of her famous aunt. The 49-year-old journalist took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a sweet photo of herself hugging the 21-year-old. Antonia looked elegant in a ruffled white floral dress with orange, red and blue accents and a cinched waistline. Family ties: Nicole Kidman's sister, Antonia (right), celebrated the New Year with her daughter, Lucia Hawley (left), who is the spitting image of her famous aunt Lucia appeared to take fashion tips from her mother, as she also wore a floral frock. Her pastel-coloured dress featured frilly shoulders, a plunging neckline and cut-out details across the waist. Antonia wrote in the caption: 'Happy New Year. Wishing you all the best for 2020.' Twinning! Lucia appeared to take fashion tips from her mother, as she also wore a floral frock Lucia also shared a similar New Year's post showing off the impressive ocean views from her family's Whale Beach home. In October, a source claimed that Lucia - who is currently studying journalism - was also considering an acting career, just like her Oscar-winning aunt. The insider told Woman's Day: 'Lucia adores Nicole and has her heart set on following in her footsteps - not just in her fashion sense either.' Rumours: In October, a source claimed that Lucia - who is currently studying journalism - was also considering an acting career, just like her Oscar-winning aunt. Pictured with Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban at the ARIA Awards in Sydney on November 28, 2018 Motherhood: Lucia is one of Antonia's six children (all pictured); she welcomed four with her first husband, the late Angus Hawley, and has two with current husband, Craig Marran 'She's studying journalism but word is, she's being drawn closer to the acting world.' Lucia is one of Antonia's six children; she welcomed four with her first husband, the late Angus Hawley, and has two with current husband, Craig Marran. Despite being a busy parent, Antonia graduated with a law degree in April. ROME -Pope Francis was making his way through a New Year's Eve crowd in St. Peter's Square on Tuesday, smiling and clutching hands with well-wishers. But then, just as Francis was turning away, a woman caught him by surprise - and got a glimpse of an aggravated pope. The woman grabbed Francis's right hand and pulled him toward her. The startled pope then smacked the woman's hand as a way to break free, a reaction he apologized for on Wednesday. Video showed Francis with a disgusted look as he walked away. In his address to pilgrims a day after the incident, Francis diverted from his scripted remarks upon the mention of patience. "So many times we lose our patience; me too, and I apologize for yesterday's bad example," Francis said. The woman was not immediately identified. She, like others in the crowd, was separated by a white barrier from the pontiff, who was proceeding through the square along with a team of security and lieutenants. The woman had crossed herself as the pope moved slowly in her direction. As she pulled the pope toward her, she also said something to Francis that was not easily decipherable. The pope regularly finds himself in the middle of adoring throngs, both in the Vatican and during his overseas visits. During his papacy, it has been rare for Francis to show annoyance with the behavior of crowds, though certain moments have set him off. During a trip to Mexico in 2016, somebody in the crowd pulled on the pontiff's arms, causing him to keel atop a person in a wheelchair. Francis gestured angrily afterward, saying, according to the Catholic News Service, "What is the matter? Don't be so selfish?" Last March, video showed Francis repeatedly pulling his hand away from well-wishers trying to kiss his ring. Some conservative Catholic media outlets criticized the pope for being so averse to a traditional sign of respect. A Vatican spokesman later said that Francis was concerned about hygiene. "He wants to avoid the risk of contagion for the people, not for him," the spokesman said. Over the years, popes have faced a number of unpredictable encounters with crowds - in a few cases, far more dangerous than the incident Tuesday. In 2009, a woman jumped a barrier and lunged at Pope Benedict, knocking him to the ground. The woman was later identified as a Swiss-Italian with a history of mental problems who had tried a similar attack a year earlier only to be stopped by security guards. The Vatican said it would review security procedures after that. Francis has kept a busy schedule over the holidays, with regular events inside the Vatican. Before apologizing for the smack on Wednesday, he delivered a homily on the topic of women, denouncing "every form of violence" they face, including rape, forced prostitution and verbal abuse. "We can understand our degree of humanity by how we treat a woman's body," the pope said. Pope Francis presided over vespers of the Feast of St. Mary and Te Deum of Thanksgiving at year's end, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Tuesday. Read more The woman is pressed against the wooden divider, separating her from the man she has waited in line to meet. But before he gets to her, he moves in the opposite direction. She reaches out and grabs the mans hand with obvious force. The man reacts angrily, tries to pull his hand away, and then slaps the woman so shell release her grip. The look on his face is a mixture of exasperation and annoyance. In any other context, this exchange could be chalked up to bad manners and impatience. But this was not just any context. It took place in St. Peters Square, and the exchange was between a pilgrim and Pope Francis. As things tend to do these days, the video of this momentary interaction went viral, spurring thousands of social media posts and coverage from the national and foreign press. The pope incorporated an apology for the incident in his New Years address. Many times we lose our patience, he said. I do, too, and Im sorry for yesterdays bad example. I was particularly affected by the video of the pontiffs reaction, for personal reasons. In 1984, I lived in Rome. Every Wednesday, I would take the No. 64 bus to the Vatican from my apartment to attend the public papal audiences at St. Peters. Six years into his pontificate and three years after the assassination attempt, Pope John Paul II had become one of the most beloved and charismatic international figures. Having made friends with two nuns at the Vatican gift shop, I was often allowed to slip into the auditorium where the pope would briefly speak and then bless people. Never once did I see John Paul turn away from anyone in either anger or impatience. He had almost been killed by an assassins bullet, and yet refused to retreat behind a self-imposed wall of fear. He was always welcoming, always willing to reach out and be embraced, especially by children. I have also been in proximity to Pope Francis. When he came to Philadelphia during the World Meeting of Families in 2015, I sat six rows away from him when he spoke at Independence Hall. He, too, had charisma. He, too, interacted with the crowds. And while I dont often agree with what I see as his hyperpartisan view of morality in this world, I respect him as the infallible representative of Christ. But that infallibility relates only to church doctrine. It does not automatically give him a pass for bad behavior, even when he acknowledges that behavior with an apology. Pope Francis has been very outspoken about protecting the rights of refugees, marginalized communities, and being strong stewards of the environment. He has been critical of big corporations, building walls, and has famously said, Who am I to judge? when dealing with the LGBT community, indicating a willingness to be more inclusive. He has earned a reputation for compassion. Thats why the sight of him slapping a womans hand and then grimacing struck such a discordant note. You could excuse him for his age, or the fact that he was tired. Christian blogger Matt Walsh tweeted in defense of Pope Francis: Im sure all the people giving Pope Francis a hard time have lots of experience dealing with adoring mobs and have never once lost their patience while being physically accosted by a crazed fan. Problem is, the video doesnt show a crazed fan. It shows a woman who waited patiently for what was perhaps her only chance to ever touch the leader of her church. And, to be blunt, adoring mobs go with the territory if you are the Vicar of Christ. I applaud the pope for acknowledging his mistake and apologizing publicly. It is honorable of him to seek forgiveness. I understand that papal infallibility does not mean moral perfection. Francis may be Christs representative on Earth for my people, but he is still a human being. But John Paul, now a saint, was once a human being as well. And instead of clips showing him slapping a womans hand, you will find photos of him shaking the hand of his attempted assassin. Thats truly being Christlike. Aeroflot was the most on-time airline last year, according to a new ranking. The Russian carrier came top in the global mainline category of Ciriums On-Time Performance Review 2019, with 86.68 per cent of its flights arriving on time in 2019. Mainline flights are defined as those flown by a major airline, excluding airline partners. When Aeroflot flights were delayed, the average waiting time was 46 minutes, Cirium added. The travel data analytics firm tracks more than 100,000 flights a day to monitor airline performance, and used this to compile the ranking. Cirium defines an on-time flight as one that arrives at the gate within 15 minutes of its scheduled time. Aeroflot was followed by Japanese carrier All Nippon Airlines (ANA), whose flights were on time 86.26 per cent of the time. World's safest airlines 2020 Show all 20 1 /20 World's safest airlines 2020 World's safest airlines 2020 Qantas Check up: the Qantas fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft are being examined Qantas World's safest airlines 2020 Air New Zealand Air New Zealand Getty Images World's safest airlines 2020 Eva Air Eva Air Getty Images World's safest airlines 2020 Etihad Etihad Getty Images World's safest airlines 2020 Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Heathrow Airport World's safest airlines 2020 Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines Getty World's safest airlines 2020 Emirates Emirates AFP/Getty World's safest airlines 2020 Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines Getty Images World's safest airlines 2020 Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific Getty World's safest airlines 2020 Virgin Australia Virgin Australia Getty Images World's safest airlines 2020 Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines World's safest airlines 2020 Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic World's safest airlines 2020 TAP Portugal TAP Portugal Getty Images World's safest airlines 2020 SAS SAS AFP/Getty World's safest airlines 2020 Royal Jordanian Royal Jordanian Bjorn Strey/Wikimedia World's safest airlines 2020 SWISS SWISS Getty Images World's safest airlines 2020 Finnair Finnair Getty World's safest airlines 2020 Lufthansa Lufthansa Reuters World's safest airlines 2020 Aer Lingus Aer Lingus AFP/Getty World's safest airlines 2020 KLM KLM Getty ANA and Japan Airlines (JAL) were both near the top despite suffering major disruptions from very damaging typhoons in September and October 2019, said Cirium. In fact, ANAs performance increased from 84.20 per cent in 2018 to 86.26 per cent in 2019. American carrier Delta Air Lines took third place, down from first place in 2018. Last year, 85.69 per cent of its flights were on time. Delta Air Lines, the largest network carrier in the group by far, is earning business traveller loyalty with an exceptional completed flight percentage of 99.36 per cent across its network a result of the success of its program to greatly reduce cancellations, said Cirium. Rounding out the top five most punctual airlines last year were Brazilian operator Azul (83.53 per cent) and Japan national carrier JAL (82.82 per cent). Azul performed strongly thanks to expansion in European services in Porto and Lisbon and U.S. services in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, according to the data provider. Also in the top 10 were Alitalia; Air France; Emirates, Korean Air; and Scandinavia-based SAS. Cirium ranked Latin American operator LATAM Airlines as the most on-time global network, with 86.67 per cent of its flights arriving on time. Meanwhile, the most on-time airport was ranked as Moscows Sheremetyevo International Airport, with 95.01 per cent of on-time departures. Cirium also highlighted Kaohsiung International Airport in Taiwan (93.32 per cent) and Koh Samui Airport in Thailand (95.08%) as the most on-time medium-sized and small airports respectively. Most punctual airlines 2019 Face off: Why states have no right to stall NPR, citizenship law India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 02: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday strongly defended the move to pass a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and said that "the state assemblies have their own privileges." Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said state governments have the "constitutional duty" of implementing the laws passed by Parliament. He also said the states which say that they would not implement the amended citizenship law should seek appropriate legal opinion before taking such decisions. "The states have a constitutional duty to implement laws passed by Parliament," Prasad told reporters. CAB 'unconstitutional', will not be implemented in Kerala: CM Vijayan On Tuesday, the Kerala assembly passed a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), becoming the first state in the country to do so. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 "State assemblies have its own privileges. Such actions are unheard of anywhere. But we cannot rule out anything in the present circumstance as unprecedented things are happening now-a-days in the country," Vijayan said defending the resolution. "The assemblies have its own special protection and it should not be violated," he said. Kerala has become the first state to pass a resolution against a law which has been violating the fundamental principles of the Constitution and it has great significance, the chief minister added. State vs Centre: A Home Ministry official told OneIndia that the states cannot stall this process. The states have no right to stop either the NPR or the newly amended citizenship law. While the states have said that the Act will not be implemented, legally speaking it is not possible for them to do so. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was enacted under the Union List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. Among the 97 items under this list, citizenship and naturalisation are one among them. Kerala: 10-year-old girl dies of snakebite in classroom; Rahul Gandhi writes to CM Pinarayi Vijayan Defence, external affairs, railways among others also fall under the Union List. Since citizenship and naturalisation fall under this List, it is entirely under the powers of the Centre to implement the same and the states cannot refuse it. The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution defines the powers and functions between the Centre and States. There are three lists under this, namely the Union, State and Concurrent List. Items that fall under the Union List gives the Centre or Parliament the exclusive powers to legislate on matters. Extradition, naval, military, citizenship and naturalisation, Air Force, passports, war and peace are some of the items under this list. The State List, on the other hand, involves 61 items on which the state has the exclusive power to legislate. This does not comprise citizenship and naturalisation. Some items include law and order, public health, agriculture etc. The Concurrent List, on the other hand, deals with 47 items. The items under this list fall under the joint domain of the Centre and State. In case of a dispute on this List, then the law made by the Centre would prevail. Some items under this list are criminal law, motor vehicle law, insolvency, forests etc. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2020, 7:59 [IST] Abdul Razal Abdul Karim, now 55, pleaded guilty to one charge of causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. (Photo: Getty) SINGAPORE A 54-year-old man working at a port terminal was unhappy with a colleague and assaulted him with a 56cm-long metal rod, a court heard. The 55-year-old victim suffered a 5cm-deep cut over his left cheek, a missing tooth and a chipped tooth as a result of the unprovoked attack in July last year. The cut on his face was so deep that the victim is likely to have permanent facial disfiguration. At the State Courts on Thursday (2 January), the perpetrator Abdul Razak Abdul Karim, now 55, was jailed for 10 months. The Singaporean pleaded guilty to one charge of causing hurt with a deadly weapon. Victim didnt retaliate On 5 July last year, at about 7.15am, Abdul Razak called out to the victim, Bakhtiar Ali, who was walking towards the canteen at Pasir Panjang Terminal to get some drinks before a briefing. The two men worked for Call Lade Enterprises, which had been contracted by PSA for the supply of prime mover drivers and lashing specialists. The accused stated that he had not been happy with the victim for a long time, said Deputy Public Prosector Phoebe Tan. He shouted at the victim, stating that the victim should meet him outside if he were unhappy with the accused, the prosecutor added. The court was not told what Abdul Razak was unhappy about. He shouted at Bakhtiar thrice, but the latter ignored him. The victim told the accused that he did not wish to get into a dispute, said DPP Tan. The culprit then took out a 56cm-long metal rod from his bag, and swung it towards the victims face, hitting his left cheek. Possible permanent disfiguration At about 10am, Bakhtiars foreman sent him to hospital, where he was admitted for a day. He had to undergo surgery for the cut on his face by a plastic surgeon and was also treated by a dentist. The victim was given hospitalisation leave for two weeks. He later went for subsequent reviews with the plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery department. A doctor said in a medical report that the victim could possibly have scarring and permanent disfiguration due to the significant depth and length of the wound on his face. Story continues The victims medical bills totalled $1,259.85, of which $450 was paid through his Medisave. In mitigation, Abdul Razak, who did not have a lawyer, told the court that he regretted what he did. Throughout my life, I have never found fault with others, he said. He added that he was supporting his mother, two adult children who refuse to work, and a grandson who is in school. District Judge Ong Chin Rhu backdated Abdul Razaks jail term to the date of his remand on 11 October last year. The maximum punishment for causing hurt with a deadly weapon is up to seven years jail, along with a fine and caning. Only male offenders below 50 are liable for caning. Other Singapore stories: Renewal of North-South, East-West MRT lines to cost $2.5b: Khaw Man posed as CPIB officer, threatened ex-girlfriend's boyfriend over sex videos NSF injured during parachute training in Taiwan had 2nd 'successful' surgery Lucky Plaza car crash: Remains of second fatality to be sent home to Philippines A Texas nurse was killed while celebrating with family members on New Years Eve after she was hit by a stray bullet while standing outside her home. Philippa Ashford, 61, was discharging fireworks with her family and neighbors on a quiet cul de sac in a Houston suburb. Suddenly, she cried out that she had been shot. The bullet had been fired from an unknown location. I think Ive been shot, she told her family, ABC-13 reports. She died at the scene. Authorities told the Houston Chronicle they believe Ashford was struck by celebratory gunfire from outside the immediate neighborhood. Investigators have been unable to locate the source of the gunfire. A sheriffs spokesman tells the newspaper that they have no indication that any of her family members or immediate neighbors had fired a gun. There have been no shell casings recovered. Today we add another example of an innocent life taken due to this senseless and reckless behavior, Ed Gonzalez, the Harris County sheriff, tells the newspaper. Our region has a long history with celebratory gunfire. Ashford worked for more than a decade as a nurse manager for the Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment Service at the Menninger Clinic, a mental health and addiction treatment facility in southwest Houston. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLEs free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Her sudden death has left her colleagues reeling. The community is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Philippa Phil Ashford, who was a nurse manager at our hospital and served as a leader and mentor to our nursing and clinical team, Armando Colombo, president and CEO of the Menninger Clinic said in a statement. Our hearts go out to her family and friends at this very sad time and we offer our support and deepest sympathy. Ashford was also an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Police have repeatedly issued public alerts warning the public not to fire their guns into the air while celebrating holidays. According to the Houston Chronicle, celebratory gunfire can be a misdemeanor offense that carries a punishment of up to a $4,000 fine or one year in prison. Its a crime and you can kill someone Sheriff Gonzalez tells the Houston Chronicle. We must elevate the message that this will not be tolerated in Harris County. What goes up must come down. Nearly a week after a major fire in Sakinakas Ashapura industrial estate killed two, mayor Kishori Pednekar on Thursday said factories or commercial spaces dealing with hazardous chemicals or storing the same should not be located in densely populated areas. The fire at Saki Naka was huge and it could have been dangerous, but the Mumbai fire brigade brought the same under control in time. I am of the opinion that factories that have to deal with hazardous chemicals should be located outside areas that are densely populated, said the mayor after conducting her first review meeting with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials since she took charge of the post. On December 27, around 5.15pm, a fire broke out at Ashapura compound, an industrial estate at Khairani Road, killing Aarti Jaiswal, 25, and Piyush Pithadia, 42. The fire brigade is still searching for 42-year-old worker, Pratap Thakkar, who went missing. We are still conducting search operations considering we have not rescued one missing person yet. We are using sniffer dogs to trace the missing person or his remains, said a fire brigade official. While the fire brigade is yet to investigate the cause of the fire, it said that the large amounts of flammable paint thinner, a kind of chemical stored in the godowns, contributed to the major (level-4) fire. Meanwhile, Pednekar reviewed major projects that are being undertaken or are to be undertaken in the coming days in the city. These include roads, solid waste management, storm water drains projects, among others. Iraq's Hashd Shaabi calls its protesters near U.S. embassy in Baghdad to withdraw People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 07:56, January 02, 2020 BAGHDAD, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces called Wednesday on protesters who stormed the U.S. embassy in Baghdad to withdraw, a Hashd Shaabi statement said. The statement attributed the withdrawal to the respect of the Iraqi government call, which ordered the withdrawal earlier in order to preserve the prestige of the state. The Hashd Shaabi "tells the masses who are there (at the U.S. embassy) that your message has arrived," according to the statement. Meanwhile, the Hashd Shaabi appreciated the position of the caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who is the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, and other political, religious, cultural personalities who reject and denounce the U.S. attack on the Hashd Shaabi's bases in western Iraq, according to the statement. The Hashd Shaabi also called on Iraqis to participate in a funeral in Baghdad's southern district of Jaderiyah for the deaths of the Hashd Shaabi members who were killed in the U.S. airstrikes on Sunday evening. The statement came after dozens of demonstrators continued their sit-in protest and their attempts to advance toward the outer walls of the U.S. embassy, but the U.S. troops fired tear gas to disperse them and keep them outside the U.S. embassy compound. Local media reports said that the protesters in front of the U.S. embassy started to gradually withdraw from the scene after the statement which demanded the protesters to withdraw in respect to the Iraqi government call. On Tuesday, a statement by the office of Abdul Mahdi called on the demonstrators to leave immediately, saying that "any attack on foreign embassies is an act that will be strictly prevented by the security forces, and will be punished severely by the law." The protests started on Tuesday when hundreds of mourners, wearing Hashd Shaabi's military uniforms, rallied outside the embassy chanting slogans condemning airstrikes by the U.S. forces against Hashd Shaabi bases in Iraq. The protest then turned violent as the protesters managed to broke into an outer yard of the embassy, but were repelled by the security forces who deployed tear gas against them. Local media aired photos showing Qais al-Khazali, head of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq militia, and top Hashd Shaabi leader Hadi Al Amri and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis participating in the protest. On Sunday evening the U.S. forces bombarded headquarters of Hashd Shaabi's 45th and 46th Brigades, leaving 25 killed and 51 injured. A U.S. military statement said that U.S. forces attacked on Sunday evening five bases of Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) in Iraq and Syria in response to repeated attacks by KH against U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Almost immediately after the vote, Egypt's foreign ministry said it strongly condemned the parliament's decision, and called on the international community to urgently respond to the move. The move comes after Ankara and the GNA signed two separate agreements in November: one on security and military cooperation and another on maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, a move that infuriated Greece, Israel, Egypt and Cyprus. The GNA last month requested Turkish support as it fends off an offensive by General Khalifa Haftar's forces to the east of the country, which are backed by Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. President Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling party and nationalist allies hold a majority in parliament, said last week Turkey would deploy troops in Libya to support Fayez al-Serraj's internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). Turkey's parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that allows troop deployment in Libya, in a move that paves the way for further military cooperation between Ankara and Tripoli but is unlikely to see boots on the ground immediately. The bill, opposed by all major opposition parties, passed with an 315-184 vote. Opposition parties said the move may exacerbate conflicts in Libya and endanger Turkish soldiers in the region and Turkey's national security. But Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said the bill was an important step for protecting Ankara's interests in North Africa and the Mediterranean, and for achieving peace and stability in Libya. In a statement to Reuters, the GNA's interior minister Fathi Bashagha said Tripoli had requested Turkish support following a "dangerous escalation" in the conflict by Haftar's forces. "As Libya's only legitimate and sovereign government, the GNA is the singular entity with the right to formalize military alliances necessary to safeguard our nation," Bashagha said, adding that the GNA aimed to stop a "war criminal" from seizing power and establish stability, security and democracy in Libya. Dmitry Novikov, a Russian lawmaker, said after the vote that a Turkish military presence in Libya would "only deteriorate the situation", according to the Interfax news agency. Later on Thursday, Erdogan discussed Libya with U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call, the Turkish presidency said without providing more details. Erdogan is due to discuss Libya with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month. 'Symbolic Role' Ankara has already sent military supplies to the GNA despite a United Nations arms embargo, according to a UN report seen by Reuters. It has also said it would help prevent Libya sliding into "chaos" and that it will provide any support it can. But analysts and some officials say Ankara is unlikely to immediately deploy troops, instead sending military advisers and equipment first. "The hope would be that the Turkish military may not itself be involved in military action," said Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat who is chairman of the think-tank Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies. Last week, a senior Turkish official said Ankara could train Libyan soldiers in Turkey, and Reuters reported that Turkey may also consider sending allied Syrian fighters to Tripoli as part of the planned military support. On Wednesday, Vice President Fuat Oktay said the bill served a symbolic role that Ankara hoped would be a "deterrent" to the parties, and that Turkey may not send troops if Haftar's forces halted their offensive and pulled back. Race for Resources The maritime agreement between Ankara and Tripoli has ended Turkey's isolation in the eastern Mediterranean, where it is at odds with Greece over resources off Cyprus. Greece has said the accord violates international law, but Ankara rejects this, and says it only wants to protect its rights. Greece, Cyprus and Israel are expected to sign a deal to build a 1,900 km (1,180 mile) subsea pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, but analysts say the accord between Turkey and Libya could present a barrier to the plans. "Ankara sees its involvement in Libya as a symbol of its new status as a regional power," said Asli Aydintasbas, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Turkey said its accords are meant to protect Turkish private investment in Libya and bolster its energy claims in the eastern Mediterranean. But it could also put Turkey at odds with the other foreign players in Libya's war and in the region. The Arab League is the latest to warn against the deployment of foreign fighters in the North African country. By Ricardo Hausmann CAMBRIDGE The scenario is all too familiar. A reformist government wants to boost economic growth and employment by implementing market-friendly reforms designed to make the country more attractive to (often foreign) investors. Policymakers understand that these investors possess the technological prowess, organizational capability, and market reach that the country desperately needs. Committees are created to improve the country's performance in the World Bank's Doing Business index, the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report, or other beauty contests promoted by a sprawling array of international rankings. The reformist government overcomes grueling fights with legislators and civil society, who accuse it of putting investors' interest ahead of those of its own people. But with perseverance, it successfully adopts reforms that improve the country's rankings and gets glowing coverage in the international press. The learned world's impression of the country (and even that of money managers) changes significantly for the better. And then the government waits for foreign investment to arrive. And waits. And, as in Samuel Beckett's famous play, the anticipated inflows, like Godot, never show up. This problem stems in part from assuming that what needs fixing is captured in international rankings. Too often it is not: Worldwide, there is zero correlation between improvements in the Doing Business and Competitiveness indexes and growth or investment performance. Often, the focus of such rankings is on reducing red tape, which assumes that investors stay away because of some sin of commission, which, if stopped, would release the floodgates. But the world is more complicated than that. Most people who could potentially do well by investing in your country know a lot about their business but probably know very little about your country particularly the things about your country that matter for their business, including the ones you just reformed. More important, their business usually depends on things you should be doing but aren't your sins of omission. For example, manufacturing requires industrial zones with power, water, security, logistics, and access to a labor force that can get to the worksite. Fresh produce requires cold chain logistics, certifications, a green lane at customs, and government-negotiated phytosanitary permits. Eliminating burdensome regulations and cumbersome controls is far easier than establishing these systems. Given your limited resources, you cannot do it all, which means that you are doomed to choose the areas where you will devote special attention to create the required ecosystem. Moreover, you need to be deeply knowledgeable about these areas. You need to understand what potential activities require and what about your country makes them more or less likely to succeed. But assuming you do this for some chosen area, how do you avoid waiting for Godot once again, especially after all that costly effort? And will you ever recoup those costs ? To avoid this predicament, governments need organizational capabilities that go beyond Adam Smith's maxim that they must do no more than ensure "peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice." They need to do at least three additional things. First, the government needs to engage with existing economic activities to identify what it can do to improve their productivity, whether by changing rules, infrastructure, or other publicly provided goods and services. These engagements need to be narrowly focused, typically along value chains, to enable the identification of sufficiently detailed problems. For this reason, economy ministries must organize quite a few of them, as with the deliberation councils that started over a century ago in Japan and have been emulated elsewhere. There are more than 200 such councils in Japan, including for Sumo wrestling. Second, the government should mobilize society and domestic and foreign firms to explore the "adjacent possible": activities that do not exist but for which the requisite ecosystem is almost in place. This requires people in and out of government to imagine what is not yet there, figure out what is needed to establish it, and determine whether it would be both feasible and valuable to society. This exploratory process is both costly and risky, although recent advances such as the Atlas of Economic Complexity make it less of a crapshoot, by revealing relevant information for assessing the feasibility and the attractiveness of potential new industries. To implement these strategies, governments need to reform their current "investment bureaus," which often do little more than authorize or handhold investors. Instead, these entities should help promote the government's diversification strategy by identifying foreign firms that are in a desired industry, but not yet in the country, articulate the business case for investment, and lead the negotiations. Third, and most controversially, governments often need a corporation to facilitate investment in new strategic areas and manage the activities generated by previous strategic investments. These corporations may be set up as holding companies for already existing state-owned enterprises that currently report to their respective line ministries. The ministries should focus on their regulatory functions, leaving the holding company to provide close financial and operational oversight and exercise shareholder rights on behalf of society. The holding company can also be capitalized with assets that the government already owns. These corporations should use part of their proceeds for pre-investment activities in new potential areas and use their knowledge of the country to create joint ventures with firms that have knowledge of targeted industries. In fact, by being an equity partner, the corporation can capture the upside of government efforts to fix the ecosystem. The corporation should also explore opportunities for divestment of existing holdings in order to free up capital needed to advance the economic diversification strategy. Conventional wisdom discourages governments from creating such corporations on the grounds that the risks of poor governance and bad performance are too large. A more useful approach would be to develop the tools and mechanisms to ensure good and improving governance. Published audited financial statements, high technical capacity (facilitated by salaries and career paths that are competitive with the private sector), powerful advisory boards with foreign participation, and partnerships with institutions such as the International Finance Corporation (the World Bank's private-sector lending arm) could create the right environment for excellence. Once governments have taken these steps, they may no longer have to wait for Godot. They may simply go fetch him. Ricardo Hausmann, a former minister of planning of Venezuela and former chief economist at the Inter-American Development Bank, is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and director of the Harvard Growth Lab. His article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). The conservative legal group leading a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Elections Commissions handling of the states voter rolls is calling on the commission to be held in contempt of court for failing to follow through with a controversial voter purge. On Thursday, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty announced it is asking the circuit court to hold the Elections Commission in contempt and fine it up to $12,000 per day until it carries out Ozaukee County Judge Paul Malloys Dec. 17 order to purge from the voting rolls thousands of registered voters who may have moved to a different address. The case is before a state appeals court, but the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court is likely to take it up. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, whose department represents the commission, slammed WILLs legal action. DOJ strongly disagrees with WILLs position, Kaul said in a statement. Both DOJ and WILL have already sought further review, and those motions are still pending. This case should not effectively be ended before the appeals process plays out. The motion to hold the commission in contempt comes after the commissions three Republican-appointed members tried to approve the purge, but were blocked by the three Democrats on the commission. They want to wait for further direction from the courts before deactivating any voters. Democrats argue the data flagging potential movers is unreliable, and that deactivating potential movers equates to infringing upon their right to vote. However, Wisconsin allows voters to register on election day if they bring a photo ID and proof of address. The purge would not prohibit anyone from voting. Republicans on the commission want to follow Malloys order and immediately deactivate many potential movers. They argue that doing so follows the letter of the law and would clean up the voter rolls, increasing confidence in elections. However, cases of double-voting in U.S. elections are exceptionally rare. While most of the affected voters have likely moved and need to register to vote at their new address, a small percentage of them were incorrectly assumed to have moved but could still be purged from the rolls anyway. In November, WILL filed a lawsuit against the Elections Commission, alleging it violated state policies related to potential movers, or voters who report an official government transaction from an address different from their voter registration address. In October, the Elections Commission sent a letter to more than 230,000 voters it identified as potentially having moved. In an attempt to help clean up Wisconsins voter rolls, the letter asked those voters to update their voter registrations if they moved or notify elections officials if they still reside at the same address. Since then, some have clarified their situation, leaving about 209,000 still unknown. Because some of the voters flagged as having moved in a 2017 mailing never actually did, the commission opted to wait for as much as a couple of years to deactivate the registration of voters who didnt respond to the October mailing. Elections officials sent the letters based on information obtained through the nonprofit Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which flags potential movers. The commission reviews the information to ensure accuracy. ERIC obtains data from a variety of sources to flag voters who may have moved, such as Wisconsin motor vehicle records, voter registration and motor vehicle records from participating states, along with the National Change of Address database from the U.S. Postal Service. Malloy issued a written order requiring the commission to deactivate the registrations of voters who did not ask for a continuation of their registration at their current address within 30 days of receiving the Elections Commission mailing. Later on Thursday, WILL filed a motion to intervene in a separate federal case filed by the League of Women Voters in December that seeks to delay any voter purge until after April 7, the date of Wisconsins presidential primary and state Supreme Court elections. In addition, WILL also filed motions to dismiss or stay that case because action in state court is still pending. The Republican-controlled Legislature has already sought to intervene in the case. Bootleg margarine and farmer protests: A look back at Wisconsins oleo wars Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Mary Ellen Molloy died when a branch fell from a tree onto the taxi she was travelling in The community of Ardara in Co Donegal has never been closer than it was today when it said a sorrowful farewell to tragic nurse Mary Ellen Molloy. The 26-year-old died tragically when a tree fell on the taxi in which she was traveling with friends in Melbourne, Australia on December 20th last. Since that darkest of days, the people of this close-knit community have come together to bring home the young woman who grew up amongst them. New Year celebrations were ignored as Mary Ellen's remains finally came home in the early hours of New Year's Day. Expand Close Mary Ellen Molloy. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mary Ellen Molloy. Hundreds lined the streets of Glenties and Ardara in silence, many holding candles, as the young nurse returned home. And today hundreds crammed into the Church of the Holy Family in the picturesque town of Ardara for the funeral mass. Many more stood outside in the cold and rain on only the second day of the New Year and new decade. Few thought that just sixteen months after Mary Ellen left to work in Melbourne, Australia she would be coming back to the community she grew up in such heartbreaking circumstances. Thousands attended her wake at the family home in Edergole from 1pm until almost midnight yesterday. The community spirit which embodies rural town likes during their dark days was none more evident than in Ardara today. More than two hours before Mary Ellen's funeral cortege left her home at Edergole, marshals in hi-viz jackets directed traffic into the town. Buses parked on the outskirts of the town shuttling mourners to the Church of the Holy Family. Outside the mass, schoolchildren and members of Ardara GAA Club with club scarves formed guards of honour into the church. Mary Ellen's two brothers John Ross and Karl Joseph led her white coffin to the altar followed closely by parents Terence and Angela. The funeral mass was led by Fr Johnny Moore and parish priest Rev Dean Austin Laverty. Before Mary Ellen's funeral began momentoes of her life were placed on the altar including her nurse's uniform which she wore with pride working at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Fr Moore said that at times like this it is difficult to understand death and the reasons why Mary Ellen was taken from her community and family. He recalled a "daddy's girl" who loved dancing and drama when she was growing up. He recalled on one occasion when she was a child that she became too nervous to recite a poem at an event in Fintown but gathered herself and managed to say the poem at the end of the recital. He also referred to her life as a nurse and described her as a "wonderful carer" of people. Fr Moore said the Molloy and Gillespie families would be forever grateful for the support and love they have received since news of the tragic event first broke days before Christmas. However, he said there were two people whom the family wanted to thank and that was Mary Ellen's friend in Melbourne, Kathy Whelan and also Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher who had co-ordinated the arrangements to bring Mary Ellen home. Six of Mary Ellen's friends fought back tears as they read Prayers of the Faithful. Mourners fought back tears as another of Mary Ellen's friend recited a reflection after communion. Among the lines of the reflection were "I see the countless Christmas trees, Around the world below, With tiny lights, like heaven's stars, Reflecting on the snow. "The sight is so spectacular, Please wipe away that tear. For I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this Year..." A special mass booklet produced for the funeral included pictures of Mary Ellen as a child, in Melbourne, out socialising and also in her nurse's uniform. A message accompanying a picture of Mary and her family simply read "Mary Ellen's family thank you for your presence here today, and for sharing in her life. Your support and prayers are much appreciated." After the funeral mass, Mary Ellen's remains were brought to the adjoining cemetery for burial. Trump admin condemns imprisonment of Chinese pastor Wang Yi, calls for his release: 'We are alarmed' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Trump administration has condemned the imprisonment of Wang Yi, pastor of one of China's best-known unregistered house churches, calling it another example of Beijing's intensification of repression of Chinese Christians and members of other religious groups. Wang, founder of the 5,000-member Early Rain Covenant Church in China's southwestern city of Chengdu, was among dozens of the church's members and leaders detained by police in December 2018, most of whom were subsequently released. On Monday, the pastor was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of inciting subversion of state power, part of Beijing's crackdown on unregistered religious groups. "We are alarmed that Pastor Wang Yi ... was tried in secret and sentenced to nine years in prison in connection to his peaceful advocacy for religious freedom. We call for his immediate and unconditional release," U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. "This is yet another example of Beijing's intensification of repression of Chinese Christians and members of other religious groups," the statement added. "We continue to call on Beijing to uphold its international commitments and promises made in its own constitution to promote religious freedom for all." On Twitter, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for Wangs release: I am alarmed that Pastor Wang Yi, leader of Chengdus Early Rain house church, was tried in secret and sentenced to nine years in prison on trumped-up charges. Beijing must release him and end its intensifying repression of Christians and members of all other religious groups. China has seen an uptick in religious persecution under the administration of President Xi Jinping who took office six years ago. In recent years, the government has demolished crosses, cracked down on house churches, arrested pastors, and put officially-recognized churches under tighter control. Chinese law requires that places of worship register and submit to government oversight, but some have declined to register, and are thus deemed illegal. These churches are known as "house" or "underground" churches. Wang had openly criticized Xi and refused to comply with Chinese government requirements to register with Chinas Religious Affairs Bureau. In 2006, he traveled to Washington to meet with then-President George W. Bush, asking for his support in their fight for religious freedom. Ahead of his arrest, Wang published a letter condemning the evil Communist Party for its continued persecution of Christians. He expressed hope that God would use him to tell those who have deprived me of my personal freedom that there is an authority higher than their authority, and that there is a freedom that they cannot restrain, a freedom that fills the church of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. Regardless of what crime the government charges me with, whatever filth they fling at me, as long as this charge is related to my faith, my writings, my comments, and my teachings, it is merely a lie and temptation of demons, he wrote in the letter titled My Declaration of Faithful Disobedience. I categorically deny it. I will serve my sentence, but I will not serve the law. I will be executed, but I will not plead guilty. Another leader at the church, Qin Defu, was sentenced to four years in prison for illegal business operations in November. Willy Lam, adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kongs Center for China Studies, told Time magazine that the imprisonment of Wang and other religious leaders indicates China feels threatened by the spread of Christianity. Even in official churches, CCTV cameras and other surveillance equipment are installed in every church so that the state knows what the pastor or the priest might be talking about in their sermons, Lam said. There are about 116 million Protestant Christians in mainland China in 2020, compared to an estimated 90 million members in the Communist Party. Patrick Poon, a researcher at Amnesty International, told Time magazine that Wangs sentence might be a warning to other leaders of underground churches. The government wants to force all churches to register with the officially-sanctioned church so that they can be completely under government control, he said. China ranks as the 27th worst nation in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs World Watch List. Open Doors has expressed concern that the religious affairs in China now lies with the Communist Party. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 23:27:31|Editor: ZD Video Player Close Lawmakers attend an emergency session at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Jan. 2, 2020. Turkish parliament passed a motion on Thursday authorizing the government to deploy troops to Libya in support of the UN-backed government. The lawmakers voted on the motion in an emergency session. The motion was approved with 325 votes in favor and 184 against. The bill was supported by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Felicity Party. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) ANKARA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkish parliament passed a motion on Thursday authorizing the government to deploy troops to Libya in support of the UN-backed government. The lawmakers voted on the motion in an emergency session. The motion was approved with 325 votes in favor and 184 against. The bill was supported by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Felicity Party. The Republican People's Party (CHP), the Good Party and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have objected to the motion saying that Turkey should search for a diplomatic solution in Libya instead of getting involved in the conflict. The motion envisages a one-year mandate to deploy troops on the grounds that developments in the North African country threaten Turkey's interests, including Turkish businesses and its Turkish vessels sailing in the Mediterranean. The motion says sending troops to Libya aims to prevent "illegitimate mass migration threat and formation of a favorable environment for terrorist organizations and armed groups." The motion says the government will decide on the size, timing, and scope of the deployment. Libya has been locked in a civil war, splitting power between two rival governments: the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in capital Tripoli and another in the northeastern city of Tobruk which is allied with the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar. Last month, Turkey sealed a controversial maritime boundaries delimitation agreement with the GNA along with a security cooperation deal. ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Paul Foundry is pleased to announce the successful completion of its annual AS9100(D) and ISO 9001:2015 surveillance audit. St. Paul Foundry is a 150-year-old manufacturer of brass, bronze and aluminum cast components located in St. Paul, Minnesota. According to David Hartigan, Quality Engineering Manager for St. Paul Foundry, "Our auditor said that our progress over the past year was some of the best he has seen in his career. He said the growth and maturity of our systems was exceptional. There were zero findings from the audit." AS9100, the aerospace quality standard, is a rigorous standard for manufacturers. Certification to AS9100D automatically certifies a company to ISO 9001:2015. Passing an audit by a registrar ensures customers that St. Paul Foundry has a comprehensive quality management system that includes thousands of procedures, work instructions, standards and materials and methods instructions. St. Paul foundry is certified to AS9100D(2016) and ISO 9001:2015. The Foundry supplies aerospace quality castings and manages the value-add supply chain for the following OEM markets: Aerospace, Naval, Oil and Gas, Pumping, Pressure Equipment (PED), Refrigeration, Electric Generation, Compressed Air, Valves, and over 100 more. Contact them at [email protected] or visit online at stpaulfoundry.com. Contact Info: St. Paul Foundry, 954 Minnehaha Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55104 James Hartigan, Engineering Manager, 651-312-4734, [email protected] www.stpaulfoundry.com A copy of this press release is available online at https://www.stpaulfoundry.com/quality/PressReleaseSurveillance2020.pdf SOURCE St. Paul Foundry Authorities said the charges stem from her work at a private business in Grayslake as a bookkeeper from December of 2016 to September 2018. While there, she allegedly transferred money from the business to her PayPal account, according to court records. St. Francois County Assessor Dan Ward will not be seeking reelection to his office this year. Ward still has over a year left on his term of office, even though the election will be held this November. I will be retiring Aug. 31, 2021, he said. Because of state statute through the process of evaluation for that odd year of 2021, the assessor takes office Sept. 1 instead of Jan. 1. That gives the old assessor time to get the books straightened out, get everything done before the new guy comes in, in case he is unaware of the process. Starting in politics in 1998, Ward gave a breakdown of his career in the public arena as an elected official. I was elected to the [Missouri] House of Representatives and served from 1999 to 2004, he said. I had three terms in the House, then ran for Senate in 2004, lost that race, took a year off in the private sector, and then in 2006 I ran for the assessors job. "They were kind enough to bring me in here and let me start working in January 2007. I went out into the field and worked with the field personnel for six months and understand the process, and then I came in and learned how the office worked. I took office in September of 2007 and then the regular election came around the next year, so I had to run again in 2008. I will have a little over 14 years in the assessors office. Taking retirement is Wards goal, along with selling real estate part-time, something he used to do before running for office. I just felt its time to let somebody younger come in, he said. I will be well past Social Security age when I leave. Ward reflected on the changes that have happened since he was first elected to the office and how the assessors office is different since he started. The biggest difference was the transition over here to the annex, he said. They were all congested into the courthouse. I remember going over there when I first decided to run and talking to some of the personnel and thinking, this is an old building and they have some rough conditions here. This was in process and they moved in 2006, so I came in after the office was occupied, it made it a lot nicer. They were still using the LIDAR maps. It was made through a slow process using ammonia, the smell was horrendous. The Geographic Information System (GIS), which was the automation of the maps, putting in information that we normally did on paper, we made decisions on who was going to do it for us and we did that. "Then pictometry was brought in with 911, so we started getting the aerial maps which makes it really nice for us in the office and our field personnel to locate properties, and to be more correct in the mapping process. We started finding more ways to advance our technologies to make things run smoother in our office. With the Recorder of Deeds and their technology increasing and improving, it allowed us to get their information quicker. We used to be months behind, now we are within days of having that corrected. Ward is proud of his offices contribution to the new St. Francois County website and how it can make processes easier for the countys residents. Now we have a new program online where they can come to the assessor and key in their information, and automatically bring up their personal property, he said. They can file online in January, they are able to look at their house, their drawings, where it is at on the aerial map. I encourage everybody to go and look at that site. According to Ward, the advent of social media has created more problems for officeholders than they have encountered in the past. He believes that some criticism is warranted, but most of it is not and that county officials are often criticized for doing their duties properly. I think technology allowed greater criticism, he said. In the old days, people didnt really know a lot, even though this is a public office, this is all public information, you can come in and ask for anything and you can get it. When the technology started to improve, it allowed more of the public to view it. If there was any criticism on anything that was not correct, or if there was something political that somebody wanted to infer about an officeholder, they could find more information and look at it and say, he didnt do that, or he did this and he shouldnt have done that. My argument is always going to be that this office is primarily controlled by state statute. State Tax Commission (STC) policy, very little policy of mine. We have to adhere to state statute. We try to adhere to STC policy as much as we can. Sometimes we argue the point and try to get the STC to work more with the taxpayer instead of for the state itself. The controversial reassessment of 2019 highlighted a perfect storm of several issues that Ward had to cope with all at once in order to comply with the state of Missouri while enduring intense scrutiny online. There was a study by the STC that said we were out of compliance with our residential property, he said. Our values on our older homes have been around the 70 percentile. "Weve been trying to correct it by doing land values first and then adjust them, but its been a slow process. The state said you will do it now and make some sort of change to demonstrate that youre correcting this. The compliance problem was exacerbated by initiating the use of a new evaluation software program. We started two years ago using the Vanguard system, which was a better quality evaluation program, which gave more detail and gave a more correct value, said Ward. When we saw that, we noticed immediately that we were way too low with the houses that we had. When the recession came in 2008, we were fine, because our studies showed that we were OK, because home values went down. When homes started selling again, markets started changing again, going up, then our studies showed we were out of compliance. Weve had new homes out here that are correctly evaluated, we had older homes that were under-evaluated. Everybody says they want to pay their fair share. But, when the values get close to what they should be, you get people upset. In this case we sent out over 7,000 increase notices. Its not like the other offices, we deal with peoples wallets. I cant let that emotion control me. I have to look at this that if it come out in a study, did I do something wrong? Ward concluded that he has enjoyed his time as assessor, although he originally thought it was going to be a boring job. I had been in the state legislature, I had many different issues to deal with, here it is one, he said. I didnt know it was going to be as interesting as it has been. Theres never a dull moment. It can be very frustrating. I know a lot of people that got elected to the assessors office served one term and never ran again, because it was too much, they didnt like the criticism, they didnt like the issues. "Its a lot of work. You have to be here. I try to be here when they open and I try to be here when they close, because it think its good for the morale of the employees and Ive got good employees. Ive always tried to run this office and say that I havent done anything illegal, immoral or improper. This office is very busy, the people in here have worked from 5-30 years, theres a vast expanse of knowledge in this office. Theres 16 of us in here and were still short two people. When the technology started coming in, the need for personnel to do the job was less and less. Hopefully whoever comes in will continue with that technology, because it is important with pictometry, GIS, the mapping that we do, its come a long way. Im sure that there will be a race out there, whoever wins it, I hopefully will be able to work with them and get them prepared to take over when I leave. Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. A group seeking to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Oklahoma refiled their petition in late December after facing a fierce backlash over what the plan might do to the states burgeoning medical marijuana industry. Two Oklahoma City residents Michelle Tilley and Ryan Kiesel filed the new paperwork for State Question 807 with the Oklahoma Secretary of States Office. Tilley said the petition was redrafted to make sure there were greater protections for the existing medical marijuana industry and its patients. While we did not foresee any issues with our original language, we are strong supporters of Oklahomas medical marijuana programs and we felt it was worthwhile to eliminate any uncertainty, Tilley said. Kiesel is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma. The state question also includes provisions that would allow certain people with previous marijuana convictions to be re-sentenced or have their criminal records expunged. Once the petition clears a review and challenge period, organizers will have 90 days to gather nearly 178,000 signatures from registered voters to qualify the question for the ballot. A second, separate petition to decriminalize marijuana in Oklahoma also was filed late in December by a Tulsa man, Paul Tay. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Cannabis Oklahoma Zachary Sutterfield once was confined to a bed in the intensive care unit, unable to remember anything, after suffering severe injuries in a catastrophic apartment fire that killed five people. His future was, at best, uncertain. But life is vastly different and infinitely more hopeful today for Sutterfield, the most critically wounded survivor of the deadly 2018 fire at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos. Hes able to travel, go out with friends, go shopping, eat at restaurants, clean the house by himself and speak publicly to large audiences about his ordeal. The past month has been marked by many firsts. I feel about back to where I was, 90 percent or so, Sutterfield said. I take the victories as they come. Sutterfield outlines his plans for college, goals for a self-sufficient future and discusses a possible career as a public speaker at our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. More Information Public and private sources are offering a reward of up to $110,000 for information leading to the identification or arrest of the person who set the deadly fire at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477). The David A. Ortiz Foundation, which provides smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and several scholarships to graduating high school seniors, can be found on Facebook and Instagram. Donations of any amount can be made to the foundation through its Facebook page or Venmo. See More Collapse Sutterfield, 21, just celebrated his first Christmas at home with his family in San Angelo a world away from the sterile hospital room where he spent his last Christmas. Hell return to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston next week to continue his medical treatment and rehabilitation therapy at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research and the Center for the Intrepid. Sutterfield estimates he still faces another three to five years of recovery in San Antonio. But today he sounds far stronger and more energetic than he did a year ago. His memory is much better. His razor-sharp sense of humor is intact. And hes full of excitement about the future. I think Ill be able to take care of myself soon enough, he said confidently. Ill be on my own soon and kicking butt. But Sutterfield doesnt kid himself. He knows a long road is ahead. There are still many more surgeries to come and challenges to face. At some point, he will undergo a series of surgeries to equip him with a pair of artificial hands. He lost most of his fingers and both thumbs in the fire. SUBSCRIBERS: San Marcos fire victim to undergo revolutionary surgery that will be first of its kind performed in the U.S. Peggy OHare reports on the census, demographics and occasionally crime and general assignments in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: @Peggy_OHare Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 2) Nothing has changed in the powers of the officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP) pending the appointment of a new head of the police force, an official said Thursday. It will not change, not unless some of the powers given by the Napolcom (National Police Commission) will be withdrawn. So far, wala namang nabago (nothing has changed), PLtGen. Archie Gamboa said during Thursdays media briefing. He said Napolcom, the police policy-making body, even recently granted him additional powers in an acting capacity. As a matter of fact, before the Christmas season, they [gave me to additional powers]: the power to appoint police lieutenant colonels, and to sit down in an observer status in the commission to actively participate in defending resolutions the PNP has proposed to the commission for its enactment for a better and efficient service, Gamboa said. What is important, lets view it sa pagfunction at pagpatakbo ng PNP. Pag tumatakbo naman siya at nae-execute yang functions properly, we dont see any problem, he added. [Translation: What is important is we get to view it on how the functions and operations of PNP are managed well. If it runs smoothly and the functions are executed properly, we dont see any problem.] Gamboa said projects will not be affected as well. It is within my authority to sign contracts. And as head of the procuring entity, meaning to say I can sign contracts, I can sign notice to proceed, award, no problem about that. No problem for procurements, he added. Gamboa did not comment on whether there will be changes in policies should he be appointed in a permanent capacity. If the President has yet to appoint a permanent PNP chief by September, Deputy Chief for Operations Lieutenant General Camilo Cascolan will be the next OIC by rule of succession. As Napolcom chief, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano is making sure reforms will be carried out in the police organization. READ: Ano to continue supervising PNP operations Duterte has ordered Ano to fix the police so that the problems of the Filipino people will not be that heavy before he ends his presidency in 2022. The new PNP chief will replace former PGen Oscar Albayalde, who stepped down from his post ahead of his retirement in November last year amid allegations of his involvement in the ninja cops or policemen involved in the illegal resale of confiscated narcotics. READ: Albayalde resigns as PNP Chief amid 'ninja cops' controversy "Sabi nga ng pangulo, he has given everything to the PNP including doubling the salary of police officers and yet meron pa ring mga pulis na gumagawa ng ganito," said Ano. [Translation: Just like what the President said, he has given everything to the PNP including doubling the salary of police officers and yet there are still officers who do these.] CNN Philippines' Gerg Cahiles and Glee Jalea contributed to this report. Bryce Gowdy, who died on Monday after being hit by an oncoming train, was scheduled to start classes at Georgia Tech next week. (Photo by Brian Utesch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Bryce Gowdy, the 4-star Georgia Tech recruit who died on Monday, had been struggling with mental health issues as well as his familys financial problems and homelessness before he was hit by an oncoming train. Gowdys death has been ruled a suicide. Shibbon Winelle, Gowdys mother, went on Facebook Live and talked about her sons mental state leading up to his disappearance on Sunday. Gowdy, his mother and two younger siblings had been living in their car and in hotels, and he was distraught that he would soon be leaving them in this situation when he started attending Georgia Tech next week. Via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Winelle said that her son had been visibly struggling since Christmas, talking crazy and talking in circles and even asking her if she and his brothers would be fine in his absence. He kept talking about the signs and the symbols that he was seeing all over the place, Winelle said on Facebook, via the Sun-Sentinel. About how he could see the world for what it really was. He kept saying that he could see people for what they really are. Gowdy was the oldest and took responsibility for dealing with his familys problems, which included financial difficulties, homelessness, and his mothers mental health problems. In the days leading up to his death, Winelle said that Gowdy was dealing with his own mental health issues and had become paranoid, but she was unable to help him deal with his demons. Via the Sun-Sentinel: I said, Bryce, you have to dig within and fight these demons that youre fighting. I told him I wasnt strong enough to help him right now, and I have my own demons that I was trying to fight, Winelle said in the video. She said she told Gowdy to get it together," toughen up, and that he needed to get his mind right. According to Winelle, he could see that he was upsetting her and tried to hold her hand. I wouldnt let him hold my hand 'cause his energy was so intense, she said in the video. I could feel the pain in his soul and it was breaking my heart. Story continues Later that Sunday night, Winelle asked Gowdy to go to their car to fetch her favorite blanket. He left to do that but never came back, leaving his shoes, wallet and phone behind. He was found by the train tracks on Monday and was taken to the hospital, where he died. The Broward County medical examiner ruled Gowdys death a suicide on Tuesday. Gowdy, 17, had been given a full scholarship to Georgia Tech, and was due to start classes on January 6. In the days leading up to his death, he tweeted that he was excited to head to Atlanta and start school. More from Yahoo Sports: A mother and her two daughters are under investigation in Germany for launching paper sky lanterns which police believe may be to blame for a fire at a zoo that killed more than 30 animals. The women - aged between 30 and 60 - went to a police station in the western city of Krefeld on 1 January after authorities held a news conference about the blaze, which Krefeld Zoo said left "highly endangered species" dead. Police chief Gerd Hoppmann described the women as "completely normal people who seemed very sensible, very responsible" - and added that it was "very courageous" of them to come forward, saving authorities a tricky investigation. Mr Hoppmann explained that the women ordered five sky lanterns on the internet and told authorities they believed they were legal in the country. He added: "They launched the lanterns with good wishes and had no idea what could happen" - saying there was nothing in the product description showing that they were banned. He said limited details would be given about the suspects, who feared reprisals after receiving threats. The mini hot air balloons made of paper have been used in Asia for centuries, but unlike fireworks, they are both unusual and illegal in Germany. Prosecutor Jens Frobel says the women are suspected of negligent arson, which can carry a prison sentence of up to five years. Investigators believe just one lantern started the fire, which began in a corner of the roof of the ape house in the first minutes of the New Year, before spreading quickly. They found the other four later, with handwritten good wishes for the New Year attached. Dozens of animals died in the fire, including five orangutans, two gorillas, a chimpanzee and several monkeys - as well as fruit bats and birds. They either burned to death or died from smoke inhalation. Only two chimpanzees - Bally and Limbo - survived, according to Krefeld Zoo director Wolfgang Dressen. He described the fire as the hardest day the zoo has ever experienced, adding that what happened was an "unfathomable tragedy". Story continues The ape house lacked fire detectors and sprinklers, which were not required when it was built in the 1970s - but the zoo said it had passed a regular fire protection check just a few months ago. The building's roof had been renovated after a hailstorm a few years ago and plexiglass was added. Mr Hoppmann said while investigators were confident the sky lantern was to blame, they will look at other factors that may have contributed to the blaze, such as dry fallen leaves on the roof. Investigators plan to carry out tests to help find out why it spread so quickly. Porter Regional Hospital in Valparaiso is imposing visitor restrictions to prevent the rise of the flu. The hospital joined Franciscan Health, which has been taking similar precautions at its hospitals in Crown Point, Hammond, Dyer, Munster and Michigan City. Under the temporary restrictions, only two visitors are allowed per patient at a time at Porter Regional Hospital. Anyone under the age of 18 or showing flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, congestion, sore throat, runny nose, headaches or fatigue will not be allowed to see patients. Visiting hours will be strictly enforced, and visitors will be encouraged to wash their hands with soap or hand sanitizers throughout the hospital. The Indiana State Department of Health has warned that influenza-like illnesses are widespread across the state. The respiratory illness can be serious, even resulting in hospitalization or death. Boston native Donnie Wahlberg is kicking off the new year with a big heart after leaving a huge tip for an IHOP server. Wahlbergs wife, Jenny McCarthy, posted a photo to Twitter Wednesday afternoon showing a $2,020 tip left behind on a $76.45 bill at the restaurant in St. Charles, Illinois. The post encourages others to take part in the #2020tipchallenge. The Wahlbergs have gotten off to a running start in the new decade. On Wednesday, construction began on the long-awaited Wahlburgers restaurant at MGM Springfield. In fall, owner and chef Paul Wahlberg said he was considering bringing a location to Worcester. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- artskul is a new brand in luxury designer scarves. Designed in Los Angeles and manufactured in Como, Italy, the brand's debut line of silk, cotton, and cashmere-blend scarves will be featured in the PRE-GOLDEN GLOBES 2020 Luxury Lounge. The DPA Gift Lounge at Luxe Hotels is a gift suite for nominees and presenters of the various televised award shows including the Golden Globes. artskul scarves are the perfect accessory for the red carpet and after-parties. Both lightweight and warming, the signature scarves elevate any look with a bit of the unexpected and a nice touch of attitude. artskul's debut collection of luxury silk and cashmere scarves are based on the fine-art series Baby Pop, Inc. Designed in Los Angeles and produced in Italy, artskul's first collection is a contemporary reinterpretation of the houndstooth motif featuring the baby icon. artskul's Baby Pop Ribbon Scarf is bias cut and made from fine-quality silk twill. Chic around the neck, sleek around the waist, and an elegant handbag accessory, artskul scarves elevate any style for any occasion. artskul's Cashmere-Blend Nana Scarf is made from the most luxurious fabric with hand fringed edges. Soft to the touch, lightweight, and warming, this artskul scarf creatively complements any look its paired with. artskul's debut collection of luxury silk and cashmere scarves are based on the fine-art series Baby Pop, Inc. Designed in Los Angeles and produced in Italy, artskul's first collection is a contemporary reinterpretation of the houndstooth motif featuring the baby icon. The brand's debut collection Baby Pop, Inc. is based on the fine-art series of the same name. The range features pocket squares, scarves, and wraps in the classic black & white color palette with an additional pop of color in the bandana. The collection's design inspiration is a reimagining of the distinctive houndstooth motif featuring the signature baby icon. artskul's remixed pattern captivates the eye while paying homage to the classic print that is admired over the world. "We are thrilled to be a part of the DPA Pre-Golden Globes Luxury Lounge," said Dawn Rosenquist, founder of artskul. "Artskul scarves are statement pieces, adding a unique and expressive look to any style that it's paired with. It's a sleek and effortless accessory that easily transitions across any setting from streetwear to the office, and onto the red carpet." artskul recently launched its online presence and will begin rolling out products at select boutiques in early 2020. To view products and place an order, visit https://artskul.com/ Follow artskul on social through Instagram and Facebook. About artskul artskul is a lifestyle luxury brand that celebrates art and embraces the creative lifestyle. Our products embody the aesthetics and attitude of today's visual culture while honoring artists and tastemakers that pushed the boundaries of art and shaped its history. Our brand launch is led by a collection of luxury silk and cashmere-blend printed scarves that are expertly produced and finished in Italy from the highest quality fabrics. Live Artfully and create, collect, and curate your world with artskul. Contact: Zora Vukovich Phone: 424.278.5356 Email: [email protected] SOURCE artskul Related Links https://artskul.com And so the New Year begins, with the great unfinished business of 2019. The nation awaits the third presidential impeachment trial in its history, with its outcome all but assured in the Republican-controlled Senate. Or so we think. Even with President Trump likely to be acquitted, the process doesnt lack for drama. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has, temporarily at least, held up the transfer of the two articles of impeachment until she can receive some semblance of assurance that it will be a fair trial. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to allow witnesses. At least two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, are expressing concern about their leaders pledge to coordinate with the White House. As the pre-positioning intensifies, heres a safe prediction: Never bet against Nancy Pelosis strategic savvy. Shes clearly in the presidents head right now, with him recently blasting her and her filthy dirty district and claiming some people think she doesnt know what shes doing. His Twitter obsession/frustration suggests she knows exactly what shes doing. Sign up for the newsletter Want to get the latest San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board opinions in your inbox? Subscribe to Opinion Central. See More Collapse The other big question going into 2020 is how impeachment might affect the presidential race. The trial is likely to begin just as Democrats begin voting in caucuses and primaries. It will sideline the senators who are pursuing the Democratic nomination. And then theres the ultimate political question: Will it advantage or hurt Trump in the general election? Two words: It depends. The process itself and the potential for witnesses or new revelations may yet upend the conventional wisdom. What were saying in editorials New laws of note: In 2019, the stage was set for Sacramento to enjoy a blockbuster year, with a new governor and Democratic supermajorities in the Legislature. But events have a way of changing politicians best-laid plans. It never ends: While its survived endless legislative and legal challenges, including not one but two Supreme Court affirmations, reactionary politicians and judges continue to wage war on Obamacare based on increasingly strained theories. Guest opinions Lose these cliches: Bob Gardner, one of the masters of political advertising, urged readers to join me in promising to abolish a number of horrible cliches and trite expressions in the New Year. Lets just say he aint OK with woke or thoughts and prayers. His piece has been attracting some fun responses in Letters to the Editor. Look for a sampling in Fridays Chronicle. Resolution? Just laugh it off Joel Pett, one of our regular editorial cartoonists, knows better than to make this one. Keep giving em hell, Joel! Joel Pett / Lexington Herald-Leader Letter of the Week Al Comolli of Millbrae, one of our frequent contributors, had this positive message for the New Year: As 2019 comes to an end, many of us think about what the past year has brought. One encouraging and hopeful development is the emergence of the youth of this world on the political landscape. From the mass-shooting survivors at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, whose organization, March for our Lives, inspired a nation to rally in support of sensible gun reform legislation, to Time magazines Person of the Year, Greta Thunberg, who inspired the world to acknowledge the dangers of climate change, these young adults challenged all of us to question the status quo and work every day for a better tomorrow. For that, we should all be grateful. And please check out our other letters of the day responding to this and other matters. You can send us a letter via this form. Where to follow us We have a Twitter channel, Opinion Central (@sfc_opinions). Please add it to your stream. Youll catch our editorials and opinion pieces, as well as our drive-by comments on assorted subjects in the news. Follow me on Twitter: @JohnDiazChron Just a reminder The Chronicles editorials represent the collective judgment of our Editorial Board, which includes the publisher as well as the writers and editors from the opinion team. Our editors and reporters on the news side are not involved in those decisions (including election endorsements). They are charged with reporting fairly and objectively without regard to our editorial positions. It is one of the core values here at Fifth and Mission streets. Opinion Central is a thrice-weekly newsletter from John Diaz, The Chronicles editorial page editor, and the rest of the Editorial Board. Follow along on Twitter: @sfc_opinions Legislators expected to approve motion amid concern deployment of Turkish forces could aggravate Libya conflict further. Turkeys parliament voting on whether to send Turkish troops to Libya, to back the UN-recognised government in the capital, Tripoli, which is battling forces loyal to a rival administration based in eastern Libya. The Turkish legislators are expected to approve the motion at Thursdays emergency session and grant a one-year mandate for the deployment, despite concerns that Turkish forces could aggravate Libyas conflict further and destabilise the region. The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) of Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, has faced an attack by the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), led by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, who launched an offensive against the capital in early April. The LNA fighters have failed to reach the centre of the city but deadly fighting around Tripoli has escalated in recent weeks after Haftar declared a final and decisive battle for the capital in December. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that al-Sarraj requested the Turkish deployment after the two signed a military deal that allows Ankara to dispatch military experts and personnel to Libya. That deal, along with a separate agreement on maritime boundaries between Turkey and Libya, has drawn ire across the region and beyond. Details of the possible Turkish deployment have not been revealed. The motion to be debated in parliament allows the government to decide on the scope, size and timing of the deployment. Ankara says the deployment is vital for Turkey to safeguard its interests in Libya and in the eastern Mediterranean, where it finds itself increasingly isolated as Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel have established exclusive economic zones paving the way for oil and gas exploration. Turkeys main opposition party has made clear it would vote against the motion, saying it would embroil Turkey in another conflict and make it a party to the shedding of Muslims blood. It has called on Erdogans government to search for a diplomatic solution in Libya instead. Reporting from Ankara, Al Jazeeras Mohammed Adow said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has been lobbying opposition leaders, trying to get as much support as possible. The government seems to be in a race against time. The defence minister has been speaking, saying that it is the moral obligation of Turkey to deploy as quickly as possible, Adow said. Erdogans ruling AK Party is in a governing alliance with a nationalist party; the two hold sufficient votes for the motion to pass. Haftar is backed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, while the Tripoli-based government receives support from Turkey. With rival administrations in the east and west vying for power, the fighting has threatened to plunge Libya into violence rivalling the 2011 conflict which led to the removal and killing of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. Adow said Turkey has been trying to gain influence in Libya since Gaddafis fall. This gives it the perfect opportunity to do just that, Adow said. Three civilians killed The Ankara vote comes after three civilians were killed on Wednesday in an air raid on a town south of Libyas capital Tripoli, a spokesman for the UN-recognised government said. Three were killed and three wounded in an air raid on al-Sawani, Amin al-Hachemi, spokesman for the GNA, told AFP news agency. Al-Sawani lies about 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of the capital and is under GNA control. Several shops were badly damaged in the air raid, Hachemi said. 191231174917013 On their Facebook page, forces loyal to the GNA published pictures of damaged buildings and vehicles, and accused pro-Haftar forces of carrying out the raid. GNA forces said in a statement that they had captured 25 pro-Haftar fighters on Wednesday. According to UN figures published last month, clashes around Tripoli since April 4 have killed more than 280 civilians and 2,000 fighters, while more than 140,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. Earlier, the UN envoy to Libya accused Security Council members of violating an arms embargo. Ghassan Salame also said there are concerns about foreign fighters being flown into Libya, adding that the deal signed between Turkey and the GNA represents an escalation of the conflict in the North African country. Emadeddin Badi, an analyst at the Middle East Institute, told Al Jazeera that the inaction of countries such as the US and France has allowed countries like Russia and Turkey to come to fill the vacuum, as the violence continues. PHOENIX, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. (CSE: HARV, OTCQX: HRVSF) ("Harvest"), a vertically integrated cannabis company with one of the largest and deepest footprints in the U.S., today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a 32,000 square foot cultivation facility in Cheyenne, Nevada, a Las Vegas suburb, from MJardin Group ("MJardin"), a cannabis management platform with extensive experience in cultivation, processing, distribution and retail. This purchase price for the transaction is $35 million and is being financed by an existing Harvest lender. The amount of $30 million was funded on December 31, 2019 and the balance of $5 million is due upon the closing of the acquisition. The transaction will provide Harvest with a best-in-class operating asset, enhancing the company's ability to achieve profitability. The completion of the acquisition is subject to, among other things, the receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions customary for a transaction of this nature. "We expect this opportunistic acquisition to support our expanding retail asset base in Nevada and afford higher margins and profitability through vertical integration with some of our pending acquisitions in the state," said Harvest CEO Steve White. For more information on Harvest locations and products, please visit www.HarvestHoC.com. About Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. is a multi-state cannabis operator (MSO) and vertically integrated cannabis company. Subject to completion of announced acquisitions, Harvest will have one of the largest footprints in the U.S., with rights to operate more than 210 facilities, of which approximately 130 are retail locations, and more than 1,700 employees across 18 states and territories. Since 2011, the company has been committed to expanding its Harvest House of Cannabis retail and wholesale presence throughout the U.S., acquiring, creating and growing leading brands for patients and consumers nationally and continuing on a path of profitable growth. Harvest's mission is to improve lives through the goodness of cannabis and is focused on its vision to become the most valuable cannabis company in the world. We hope you'll join us on our journey: https://harvesthoc.com Facebook: @HarvestHOC Instagram: @HarvestHOC Twitter: @HarvestHOC Forward-looking Statements Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects Harvest 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 Harvest believes 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 combined Company. 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 of Harvest to develop Harvest's brand and meet its growth objectives, the ability of Harvest to complete planned acquisitions that are accretive to it's revenue, the ability of Harvest to obtain and/or maintain licenses or other contractual rights to operate in the jurisdictions in which it operates or in which it expects or plans to operate; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; and in particular in the ability of the Company to raise debt and equity capital in the amounts and at the costs that it expects; adverse changes in the public perception of cannabis; decreases in the prevailing prices for cannabis and cannabis products in the markets that the Company operates in; adverse changes in applicable laws; or adverse changes in the application or enforcement of current laws, including those related to taxation; the inability to locate and acquire suitable companies, properties and assets necessary to execute on the Company's business plans; and increasing costs of compliance with extensive government regulation. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Harvest and market conditions. SOURCE Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. Related Links http://www.HarvestHoC.com There are a few celebrities speaking out about presidential candidates. That includes Queer Eyes Jonathan Van Ness, who endorsed Elizabeth Warren and performer Donald Glover, who recently became one of Andrew Yangs campaign creative consultants. But are Donald Glover and Andrew Yang friends? Heres what we know about these two and how they met. Recording artist Childish Gambino performs onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards | Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS Donald Glover recently appeared in The Lion King and recorded alongside Beyonce for The Lion King: The Gift You may know him as adult Simba from Disneys photo-real adaptation of The Lion King or you may know him as a student on the comedy series, Community. Donald Glover keeps himself busy with a variety of projects. That includes singing alongside Beyonce for The Lion King: The Gift or creating Atlanta. (The series was recently renewed for its fourth season.) However, Donald Glover is also politically active, making a statement with his award-winning song and music video, This is America. Recently, he appeared in a picture with the democratic presidential nominee and former tech executive, Andrew Yang. Democratic presidential candidate former tech executive Andrew Yang | Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images How did Donald Glover and Andrew Yang meet? He may be running for president, but Andrew Yang has a few celebrity friends often popping up on his Instagram. That includes comedian and actress, Awkwafina. Celebrities to have endorsed Yang include Elon Musk, Nicolas Cage, Noah Centineo, and Jack Dorsey. Additionally, according to Pitchfork, Yang hosted Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, at a Yang campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa. Unfortunately, its not exactly clear how or when Andrew Yang and Donald Glover met. However, earlier in December 2019, the two announced a partnership benefitting Andrew Yangs presidential campaign. Then, Donald Glover officially joined the presidential trail with this democratic candidate, becoming a campaign creative consultant. Are Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, and Andrew Yang friends? Aside from his work with music, Donald Glover has been seen with Andrew Yang along his campaign trail. In fact, Andrew Yang posted an Instagram picture of the two of them in Los Angeles. According to Art Critique, Donald Glover has, in fact, been named a campaign creative consultant. The website states, the announcement followed a pop-up event put on by Yang and Glover in support of Yangs campaign. For the event, held the day of the sixth Democratic presidential primary debate that Yang participated in, Glover created limited-edition merchandise signed by Yang available to attendees. At the pop-up store in downtown Los Angeles, supporters were able to purchase limited and signed editions of Yang2020 merchandise designed by Glovers team, including sweatshirts, hats, and posters, Yangs campaign said in a statement. The specialized merchandise embodies the core policies and values of Andrew Yangs Humanity First platform and future collaborations are expected. Music by Childish Gambino is available for streaming on Spotify. To learn more about Andrew Yang and his presidential campaign, visit their website. New Delhi, Jan 2 : The Congress has slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his speech in Karnataka's Tumakuru rally where he accused Congress of fomenting trouble during anti-Citizenship protests. Reacting sharply to the allegation, the Congress said, " Modi ji, this agitation is not against the Parliament but against your divisive work. We will not let you break the country. So far as Pakistan is concerned, India taught them lessons in 1948, 65, 71 and in Kargil and gave so much wound that they are not being able to cope with it. If you want to reply to Pakistan, stop playing games of Biryani and mangoes." Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the Congress blaming it for anti-CAA protests in the country and said that opposing CAA is like opposing Constitution of India. Speaking at Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkuru, Modi said: "Our government brought CAA, but Congress has opposed it. These people have started agitation against the Constitution." "They are opposing entry of Dalits and other persecuted people from Pakistan. The atrocities against minorities have been rising in Pakistan. Pakistanis have unleashed injustices against the Hindus, Sikhs, Jains but Congress hasn't raised its voice," PM said. While attacking the Congress, Modi said: "They don't have the time or intention to take on Pakistan. It's our duty to stand by those who are fleeing Pakistan. It's our duty to help them." Within the first 15 hours of the new year, three people were shot and killed in Philadelphia. This follows a 2019 when the citys homicide rate hit its high for the decade with more than 300 slayings. The identities of the three men who were killed New Years Day have not yet been released, but their ages were 24, 26 and 41, NBC 10 is reporting. According to reports, the first shooting occurred just before noon on North Hobart Street in West Philadelphia. This was the 41 year old, who was shot in the back and the chest. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died about 15 minutes later. The two men in their 20s were both shot twice in the chest when gunfire broke out on the 4700 block of Griscom Street in the citys Frankford section around 2 p.m., according to reports. Both died shortly afterwards at the hospital. A woman was injured in the same shooting. No one has been arrested. Philadelphia saw its deadliest year of the decade in 2019. The Associated Press reported Tuesday there were 355 slayings in 2019, two more than 2018, and much higher than the roughly 250 to 275 seen from 2013 to 2016. The tally for 2019 actually came to 356 with a New Years Eve shooting death reported after the AP story posted. In that case, a woman was shot and killed in her Northeast Philadelphia home, NBC 10 reports. Philadelphia has a new police chief coming in. Chief Danielle Outlaw, of Portland, Oregon, will lead the 6,500-member force and said combating gun violence is a top priority. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Alliance News) - Argo Blockchain PLC said Thursday it has appointed its vice president of operations, Peter Wall, as chief executive officer with immediate effect. The UK-based cryptocurrency miner said Wall was a member of the management team that founded Argo and has been vice president of operations since then. "He has been responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the mining organization as well as the management of the software development team," the company said. Wall is currently a director of Entobiotics Inc, Vernon Blockchain Inc, Weave Technologies Inc and Leaf Studios PLC. In the past five years he has also been a director of Orange 22 Pte Ltd, based in Singapore. Separately, the company said Gil Penchina is stepping down as non-executive director from January 1 and will be succeeded by Ian Macleod of Teligence Group Canada. Meanwhile Mike Edwards will remain the company's executive chair. Mike Edwards, executive chair and co-founder of Argo, said: "I am delighted to welcome Peter as our new chief executive officer. His knowledge of Argo and his broad and deep experience in cryptomining will serve the company well as it moves into its next phase of growth." The company also said it has taken delivery of 3,616 Bitmain Antminer T17 machines which are being installed and expected to be operational by January 10. Back in October, the company had said it altered and expanded its cryptocurrency mining equipment order from Bitmain. The new order was for 10,000 Antminer T17 at a cost of USD9.5 million. The remaining 6,384 machines are on order and expected to be delivered in batches from early January, the company said. Argo Blockchain shares were up 8.9% in London at 6.10 pence each on Thursday. By Loreta Juodagalvyte; loretajuodagalvyte@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. France announced that if former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who escaped trial in Japan by fleeing to Lebanon, arrives in the country, he will not be extradited. Speaking to a French news channel, junior economy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said that France never extradites its nationals. But the French government had opined that the former executive should not have absconded from Japans justice system. The minister said that no one is above the law but if Ghosn, who has French citizenship, arrives in France, the government will not discriminate against him while applying the rules. According to media reports, the former Nissan boss had a second French passport. Ghosns lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said that the lawyers have three passports (France, Brazil and Lebanon) belonging to the 65-year-old former executive. Read: Japanese Media Slams Carlos Ghosn's Escape To Lebanon, Calls His Act 'cowardly' Ghosn, who was awaiting trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges, claimed that he had to leave Japan because of injustice and political persecution. He was out on conditional bail in which he was not even allowed to contact his wife, but Japanese media claimed that his wife played a leading role in planning his escape. The Lebanese origin business tycoon reportedly met Lebanons President Michel Aoun on December 30 after he was smuggled out of the house with the help of a private security company. Read: Former Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn's Daring Escape From Japan To Lebanon Without Passport 'Diverted corporate money for private use' Japanese tax officials had found out that the former Nissan executive diverted corporate money for his private use. The National Tax Agency of Japan had reached the conclusion that Ghosn made donations to a Lebanese University and paid consultants fees to his sister using Nissan money. The tax agency had ordered Nissan to pay taxes on the 150 million yen, which was recorded as office expenses for three years since they determined that money was spent for private purposes. Carlos Ghosn served as chairman and CEO of Renault as well as chairman of Mitsubishi Motors. He was also the chairman of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, a strategic partnership between the automobile manufacturers. It is said that Ghosn was working on strengthening Nissans relationship with Renault when he got arrested in November 2018. Read: Nissan Ex-chairman Ghosn Met Lebanese President After Fleeing Japan: Report Read: For France's Macron, 2020 Again Brings Rocky Start, Outlook (With inputs from agencies) The ISPR, Pakistan Army's media wing, is organising competition every month to award youths whose tweets get retweeted the most. The prizes include job and contracts in Fauzi Foundation. New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), headed by Major General Asif Ghafoor, had been recruiting youths to spread propaganda against India on social media and have recruited over 1,000 interns in one year, sources said here on Thursday. "The youths win the award when some influential social media handler across the globe endorses or questions the fake narrative against India, sent out by ISPR," said a source and added, "On Twitter and Facebook, the most followed and retweeted tweets get the award." More than 100,000 people have participated in these competitions. The youths have been given a detailed list of social media handles of influential Indians and have been asked to set a different narrative about Indian leaders, soldiers and bureaucrats. Major General Ghafoor on Wednesday tweeted a picture of the wreck of a trainer aircraft, that didn't participate in the Balakot operation, citing Pakistan had shot down the aircraft during Balakot incursion. He also claimed the Pakistan Air Force had shot down two IAF jets. These kind of propaganda were being uploaded by ISPR every day and interns were being trained to do so every day, sources said. The ISPR has told these youths that they are fighting a narrative warfare with India and they are as important as soldiers, according to sources. Even before Pakistan violates ceasefire across the Line of Control, youths are being told to bombard social media with fake pictures of Indian soldiers killed in firing. sk/pcj Leaders at the states public health department are asking the General Assembly to ban flavored tobacco and vaping products during the upcoming legislative session. Pressure to pass reform at the state level has ramped up since the Trump administration backed away from its pledge to outlaw flavored vaping products nationwide. In November, anti-tobacco advocates called on lawmakers in Connecticut to take action in the wake of Trumps reversal. Barbara Walsh, a program manager at the states public health agency, made a formal recommendation to legislators that they take up the issue when the legislative session begins Feb. 5. The proposal is backed by Renee D. Coleman-Mitchell, Connecticuts health commissioner. Flavored tobacco products were developed by the tobacco industry as a way to mask the harsh taste of tobacco, and make the product more appealing to children and youth, Walsh wrote in her recommendation, posted on the state Office of Policy and Managements website. Eliminating flavors in all tobacco products, including [e-cigarettes] and vapor devices, will help to prevent additional and future youth initiation. In September, as hundreds of people across the country contracted a mysterious lung disease linked to vaping, President Trump announced from the Oval Office that he would pursue a ban on most flavored e-cigarettes. The plan would have pulled flavored vaping products, including mint and menthol, from the market. The flavors would not have been allowed back without specific approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Officials at the time said the policy was being finalized and that it probably would go into effect a month later. But in November, the president backed off his proposal, saying he didnt want to move forward because he feared the prohibition would lead to job losses. He also warned that a flavor ban could spawn more counterfeit vaping products. White House and campaign officials said Trump balked because he worried that angering vape shop owners and their customers might cost him at the polls. In the absence of federal change, advocates doubled down on their push to enact a state-level prohibition. Walsh mentioned the outbreak of lung disease and pointed to national figures showing an increase in teen vaping in her proposal to legislators. Data from the 2013-2014 Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study found that 80.8 percent of 12-17 year-olds who had used a tobacco product initiated utilizing a flavored product, she wrote. At least two-thirds of youth reported using that product because they come in flavors I like. Nationally, more than one in four high school students use e-cigarettes, according to federal data. Among that group, 27.5 percent reported vaping during the previous 30 days, up from 20.8 percent in 2018, preliminary results from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions annual National Youth Tobacco Survey show. Fruit, menthol and mint were the most popular flavors, with more than 60 percent of teens who vaped saying they used them. Lawmakers in Connecticut have vowed to explore barring the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products during the 2020 session. Clearly, this is something we should do if there is not going to be federal action on it, Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney told The CT Mirror in November. I think theres broad-based support for it. It should pass. The effort appears to have some bipartisan support. Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, also said he would back a flavor ban. Its a health issue. We need to get rid of it, he said. I dont think its going to shut down those 24-hour gasoline stations. They sell a lot of different things. I just think it is a sin, whats happening to our kids. Legislators debated the issue in 2019, but held off on imposing a flavor ban. Concerns raised at the time, including that some people rely on the vaping flavors to help them quit smoking or that a prohibition would drive more people to buy goods on the unregulated marketplace, are likely to resurface, lawmakers said. If we ban flavors, but Montana doesnt and you go on the internet and order it - can you really prevent that? House Majority Leader Matthew Ritter, D-Hartford, asked. These are the kinds of things that are always easier when theyre regulated at the federal level, but that doesnt mean Connecticut cant be a leader and take a look at it. There are also financial implications. While examining the issue last year, state officials estimated they would need to spend about $525,000 more annually for enforcement. Fiscal analysts projected revenue from violations to be $60,000 during the first year and $30,000 in the second year after the law took effect. There also would be an unspecified loss in tax revenue from the banned products, though officials at the states public health department pointed out that vaping and tobacco use have driven up the cost of health care. Walsh said estimates show that tobacco is costing Connecticut more than $2 billion per year. Neighboring states and major cities have already enacted flavor bans. The General Assembly in Massachusetts passed a sweeping prohibition on flavored e-cigarettes and tobacco goods, including menthol cigarettes, that made it the first state in the nation to ban all flavored vaping and tobacco products. The New York City Council also voted to outlaw all flavored e-cigarettes and e-liquid vaping products, including menthol. That has added some urgency to Connecticuts effort. The debate on flavors is going to continue because the dangers of vaping have proven to be deadly, Ritter said. The AAP on Thursday demanded that the Congress led government in Punjab call a special session of the Assembly to adopt a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The main opposition party in the state also urged Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to hold an all-party meeting to discuss the issue. AAP legislator and Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said the chief minister should immediately convene an all-party meeting and also decide upon calling a special session of Vidhan Sabha in order to adopt a resolution against the CAA as done by the Kerala Assembly. Cheema said "the Modi government at the Centre imposed these controversial laws, which were aimed at dividing the country and spreading bitterness among the diverse communities". He further said that a delegation of AAP would meet Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh to convey the same. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) OTSEGO, MI The public is invited to comment on a proposed $245 million plan to clean up the Kalamazoo River, funded by a company that operated in the impacted area. Additionally, a public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at Otsego Township Hall, 400 N. 16th Street, where federal representatives will present details of the proposed settlement and answer questions, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a news release. A proposed agreement announced in December would require NCR Corp. to clean up and fund future actions at a portion of the Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund site in Kalamazoo and Allegan counties. In exchange, the company will receive legal covenants protecting it from lawsuits, according to the EPA. Between 1954 and the early 1970s, the Kalamazoo River was used as a power source for paper mills that were built along the river and as a disposal site for the paper mills. NCR arranged for disposal of carbonless copy paper contaminated with chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the site, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In the early 1970s, PCBs were identified as a problem in the Kalamazoo River. In 1990, the site was added to the National Priorities List, which includes the nations most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste releases. Signs along the river warn people not to eat the fish caught there, and riverbanks and dams are impacted from previous industrial practices. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist Mark Mills has called the proposal a huge deal. Part of the work will be to remove PCB-contaminated Trowbridge Dam, Mills said. He has warned in the past that failure of the dam could lead to uncontrolled release of contaminated sediment. The work from the proposed agreement will happen over the next decade, the EPA said. The Kalamazoo River Community Advisory Group is hosting Tuesdays meeting on the proposed settlement of liability and associated cleanup activities. Citizens can comment on the proposed plan through Jan. 16, 2020, by email at pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov or by mail to Assistant Attorney General, U.S. DOJ-ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, D.C., 20044-7611. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday said the United States still sees a political agreement on denuclearization as the best path forward on North Korea, but that American forces remained prepared to fight if necessary. "We would urge restraint by Kim Jong Un," Esper said in an interview on Fox News. Search Keywords: Short link: A busy beach on the Costa Brava. toni ferragut Spaniards traveled less in the summer of 2019 than they did the previous year, with a significant drop in domestic tourism that a rise in foreign trips failed to balance out. Thats according to the Familitur survey carried out by Spains National Statistics Office (INE), which focused on the third quarter of 2019. Despite this reduced travel, spending rose by 1.9%, with almost 19.3 billion spent overall. According to the data, Spaniards undertook 61.11 million trips in the third quarter of the year, which includes summer vacations. This is 5.4% down compared to the same period of 2018. According to the findings, the drop is exclusively due to the fall in domestic travel, with 53.84 million trips taken within the country 6.4% less than in 2018. Andalusia was the favored domestic destination, accounting for 18% of the total number of trips Meanwhile, trips abroad increased by 3.2% to 7.27 million. Taking the entire year into account, the same pattern emerges: trips undertaken by Spaniards fell overall by 1.7% due to the 2.6% fall in domestic travel, which the 7% rise in trips abroad failed to make up for. Although Spaniards traveled less, they spent longer stretches of time in domestic destinations between July and September, with an average of 5.8 nights, 5.9% longer than in the same period in 2018. On the other hand, while there was more foreign travel, the length of stay was 8.7% shorter with an average of 9.3 nights. Fewer trips to Catalonia Andalusia was the favored domestic destination, accounting for 18% of the total number of trips: 10.98 million, which is 2% less than 2018. This was followed by the Valencia region with 12.3% of the total: 7.51 million, which is 0.69% more than in 2018. And the third destination was Catalonia, which accounted for 11.7%, indicating that the region has lost more than a million Spanish holidaymakers compared to 2018, when it accounted for 8.27 million trips as opposed to 7.14 million in 2019, a drop of 13.7%. The money spent by domestic tourists in Catalonia fell by 3.6% to 1.5 billion. Andalusia was the favorite domestic destination for Spanish residents. Paco Puentes Cantabria was the region that accounted for most domestic tourism with respect to the size of its own population, with 2,559 trips made for every 1,000 of its own inhabitants. It was followed by Castilla y Leon with 2,087 trips, and Asturias with 1,611 for every 1,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, Madrilenos took the most trips with 1,860 for every 1,000 inhabitants, followed by residents of Aragon (1,559) and the Basque Country (1,363). The money spent by Spaniards on domestic tourism rose more than what they spent abroad, with an increase of 2.1% (for a total of 12.7 billion) on domestic travel and a rise of 1.4% (6.5 billion) abroad. Spaniards traveling within Spain spent an average of 237 per trip, the equivalent of 41 per day. Meanwhile, Spaniards traveling abroad spent an average of 97 a day, averaging 898 per trip. English version by Heather Galloway. Lately, she said, she and other students had felt uncomfortable about reassuring those prospective students that they would feel welcome at Harvard. We need more than just letting us in, said Ms. Veira-Ramirez, who came to the United States from Colombia when she was 3 years old. Ms. Veira-Ramirez, who is undocumented, has protection from deportation under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that protected young undocumented immigrants. We need resources once we get to campus, she said, and part of those resources is an ethnic studies program. The students have not been alone in voicing concern over the decision to deny tenure to Dr. Garcia Pena. Scholars from around the country have written to Harvards president expressing dismay with the decision, and Harvard faculty have demanded a review of the tenure process, with an eye to whether it is undermining the universitys effort to diversify its faculty. Dr. Garcia Pena declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for Harvard. Lawrence S. Bacow, Harvards president, has declined to discuss the reasons for denying Dr. Garcia Pena tenure, citing the confidentiality of the process. The dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Claudine Gay, has said that she wants to increase offerings in ethnic studies but believes that hiring more faculty must come first, before creating a new major. Last June, she announced that Harvard would hire three to four new faculty working in ethnic studies; the search is still continuing. Dr. Gay also said in response to the faculty concerns that she would conduct a review of the tenure process. Just 81 of Harvards 2,490 faculty members identify as Hispanic, according to Harvards Fact Book; the university would not say how many of those are tenured. According to a 2019 report on faculty diversity, 8 percent of the roughly 1,000 tenured faculty are underrepresented minorities, which includes people who are black, Latino and Native American. Of the tenure-track faculty, 12 percent are underrepresented minorities. The controversy echoes recent conflicts at other schools. At Yale last March, 13 professors withdrew from the universitys Ethnicity, Race and Migration program, citing a lack of support; the professors later rejoined the program after the university agreed to increase its resources. At Dartmouth, an English professor who specialized in Asian-American studies was denied tenure in 2016, setting off an uproar among students and faculty about the colleges failure to attract and retain faculty of color and the treatment of faculty who specialized in the studies of race, gender and sexuality. TikTok has claimed that the Chinese government made zero requests for user information or content removal in six months of 2019. India and American governments made the most requests for access to user data and content removal in the first six months of 2019. The inaugural transparency report from TikTok comes as sllegations of spying and privacy grow, but TikTok claims the Communist Party of China did not make a single request of this nature. But privacy advocate Paul Bischoff says it would be naive to assume TikTok is beyond China's censorship. He slammed the report as disingenuous and and says the app has repeatedly removed content and banned accounts of users critical of the Chinese government. Scroll down for video Owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance and based in Beijing, the app claims that in the first six months of 2019 it did not receive a single request from the Communist Party of China (file photo) TIKTOK: A CHINESE-OWNED SOCIAL MEDIA APP SPECIALISING IN SHORT VIDEO CLIPS TikTok is a Chinese social media app where users can live stream, create short videos and music videos and Gifs with a host of functions. TikTok's tagline is 'Make every second count'. It was the most downloaded app in the US in 2018 and the world's fourth most downloaded app in 2018, ahead of Instagram and Snapchat. TikTok is known in China as Douyin where it was launched in 2016 and then made more widely available around the world in 2017. Douyin is still the version of the app used in China, available to download separately to TikTok. It offers users a raft of colourful modification and editing tools including overlaying music, sound, animated stickers, filters and augmented reality (AR) for creating short videos. The Beijing based social network has more than 500 million active users and the company is now worth more than $75 billion (58 billion). In 2020 Donald Trump called for the US arm of TikTok to be sold to an American company over fears the China-owned app posed a national security risk. Talks are under way between ByteDance, Oracle and Walmart over US operations after Trump threatened a download ban in the US. Advertisement TikTok is blocked in China, but the government would be entitled to make any requests for data, to further criminal investigations. Paul Bischoff, a privacy advocate at Comparitech.com, told MailOnline: 'TikTok has, on several occasions, removed content and banned accounts of users critical of the Chinese government. 'The transparency report is disingenuous. The US and India top the list because they went through official channels to have content removed or to get information about users. 'Just because TikTok says it didn't receive any such requests from Chinese authorities doesn't mean it isn't censoring content and users on China's behalf. 'It would be very naive to assume TikTok, a Chinese-owned entity, is beyond China's influence.' Its inaugural transparency report details requests from nations around the world requesting various things, including removal of content which breaches local laws. US-based law enforcement agencies made 79 requests between January 1 and June 30, for user data access, including six requests for content removal. Most of these (86 per cent) were approved by TikTok. India topped the list with 107 total requests. The United Kingdom and Australia only made six and five requests, respectively. None of these were granted by TikTok. The video-sharing app exploded on the scene in 2019 and its popularity was only matched by the amount of scandals it became embroiled in. Owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, the app claims that in the first six months of 2019 it did not receive a single request from the Communist Party of China. TikTok said alongside the publication of the figures: 'Government bodies sometimes request that we remove content they deem to be a violation of local laws. 'We review such requests closely and evaluate the specified content in accordance with our Community Guidelines and local laws.' A table revealing all the complaints was accompanied by a prominent note, stating 'TikTok did not receive any government requests to remove or restrict content from countries other than those on the list above'. China was not among the countries claimed to have made requests for content removal. The report comes at a time where the app is under fire from countries around the world, notably the US, over its close connections to the Chinese government. Spying concerns similar to those of technology firm Huawei have arisen in the wake of TikTok's rise to viral prominence. This week, the US Army banned soldiers from using TikTok amid concerns that Chinese-owned app could be collecting American users' personal data. The Army announced that the app was no longer allowed on government phones on Monday because it is considered a cyber threat. GOVERNMENT REQUESTS TO TIKTOK FOR REMOVAL OF CONTENT Country Government Requests Accounts Removed or Restricted Content Removed or Restricted Australia 2 2 0 France 2 2 0 Germany 1 0 1 India 11 8 4 Israel 1 0 1 Italy 1 1 0 Japan 3 4 1 United Kingdom 1 1 0 United States 6 7 1 US-based law enforcement agencies made 79 requests between January 1 and June 30, for user data access, including six requests for content removal. Most (86 per cent) were approved by TikTok Army recruiters began using TikTok last year as a means to reach young people and were still using it as of two months ago, despite calls from lawmakers to conduct a national security review. Eric Ebenstein, TikToks head of public policy, wrote in a blog post: 'Like all global internet platforms, TikTok is subject to a variety of laws and regulations in each country. 'Occasionally we are presented with requests from various official bodies in the countries where the TikTok app operates, such as government agencies or law enforcement officials, asking us to take certain actions at their behest. 'These include requests to take down content deemed to be in violation of local laws, or to provide information related to accounts under certain defined circumstances, such as to assist in a criminal investigation or emergency request.' Mr Ebenstein added that the report includes the breakdown of 298 legal requests for information from 28 countries over the 6-month period. A balancing act is then conducted in-house, Mr Ebenstein continues, to weigh up 'responsibilities to law enforcement with our respect for the privacy of our users' and determine what, if any, action is required. He adds: 'It also shows how we responded to the 26 requests to remove or restrict content from government bodies in 9 countries, as well as how we handled content copyright take-down requests to help copyright holders protect their intellectual property.' TiKTok says it also plans to release reports regularly, presumably at six-month intervals. HeidelbergCement Bangladesh seeks court approval for amalgamation 02 January 2020 HeidelbergCement Bangladesh Ltd has updated Dhaka Stock Exchange last week about seeking court approval for amalgamation with Meghna Energy Ltd. The company's notification says, "Refer to their earlier news disseminated by DSE on 18.07.2018 regarding amalgamation with Meghna Energy Ltd; the company has further informed that they have jointly presented an application under Sections 228 and 229 of the Companies Act, 1994, being Company Matter No 308 of 2019 seeking sanction of the Honourable High Court Division regarding merger of Meghna Energy Ltd (Transferor Company) with Heidelberg Cement Bangladesh Ltd (Transferee Company) through the scheme of amalgamation." HeidelbergCement Bangladesh Ltd reportedly meets 13 per cent of the Bangladesh demand for cement from two plants located at Dhaka and Chittagong with 1.5Mta of cement production. Further, the Board of Directors has re-appointed Tariq Sayeed Saigol as Chairman, being a Non-Executive Director and Sayeed Tariq Saigol as Chief Executive Officer for the next term of three years, effective 1 January 2020. Published under Happy New Year, North State! Here's what you need to know to start your new year on Jan. 1, 2020. This photo of the first sunrise of 2020 was sent in by viewer Mark Mantle. It is of Sawmill Peak and was taken from Magalia. One New Year's resolution you could make is to send Action News Now some of your amazing weather photos. (LOOK AT BOTTOM OF THIS ARTICLE FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO GET US YOUR WEATHER PICS!) NORD AVE. REOPENED AFTER WAREHOUSE FIRE CLEANUP CLOSUREA section of Nord Avenue in Chico was closed again this morning as Chico firefighters continue clean up following a warehouse fire that broke out at Hunt & Sons on Tuesday. More than 50 gallons of petroleum burned, and some of it went into Big Chico Creek. Fire crews were able to stop the flames from spreading to nearby student housing and businesses. SISKIYOU COUNTY BODY IDENTIFIED https://www.actionnewsnow.com/content/news/Officials-investigating-suspicious-death-in-Siskiyou-County-566504821.html The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office identified the body of a man found on the train tracks near the Andesite railroad crossing. Deputies found the body last Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019. Deputies identified the body as David Rivas of Pasadena. Family members said Rivas was travelling home from North Dakota by train. Investigators are working to find out how Rivas was killed. ANDERSON DRUG HOUSE IS TOO DANGEROUS TO ENTER Anderson police say a house on Brigman Street, targeted in a drug bust, is too dangerous for anyone to enter. The home is just blocks away from two public schools in Anderson. (CLICK THRU TO ARTICLE FOR NEWEST INFO) ORLAND POLICE STILL LOOKING FOR WITNESSES Orland police are still looking for witnesses to a reported road rage incident that may have been connected to a report of shots fired. The two incidents occurred on Monday, and police said they may be related. (DETAILS IN THE LINK) NEW CALIFORNIA GIG ECONOMY LABOR LAW BLOCKEDA federal judge is blocking a new California labor law aiming to put limits on the gig economy. The new law makes it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees, who are entitled to minimum wage and benefits such as workers compensation. The California Trucking Association asked the judge for the block. Rideshare company Uber and delivery company DoorDash also filed a lawsuit against the law on Monday. PROTESTORS IN BAGHDAD REPELLED BY EMBASSY GUARDSAngered over recent air-strikes, protestors swarmed into a fortified area around the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Embassy guards used stun grenades and tear gas to repel protesters, who stormed and burned the security post at the entrance but did not breach the main compound. President Trump blamed the attacks on Iran and said he would hold that country responsible. LATEST ON SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIALAt a New Year's Party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, President Trump says he would welcome an impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has held the two articles from the U.S. Senate delaying the trial. Democrats want new witnesses to testify in order to learn more about President Trump's decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine. The Senate returns from its winter break on Friday. About a month before Wawa disclosed a data breach exposing customers credit and debit card numbers, the nations largest credit card network warned that hackers were targeting gas stations to steal payment card information. Visa reported in November that gas stations emerged as attractive targets for cybercriminals because many have been slow to adopt more-secure payment-processing technology. Specifically, Visa said the attacks could continue as long as gas stations used magnetic-stripe readers to accept card payments, instead of devices that take cards equipped with computer chips. Wawa said this week that it is implementing chip technology at gas pumps and expects all pumps to be upgraded in 2020. An investigation into Wawas data breach is continuing, and its unclear how malicious software got on Wawas payment-processing servers. But Visas warnings shed light on a concerning trend of hackers targeting vulnerable gas stations with sophisticated cyberattacks. Visa said criminals used malware in two data breaches over the summer at North American gas stations. In the past, criminals had typically used less sophisticated means, such as hiding card-skimming devices inside fuel pumps to steal data one card at a time. Fuel dispenser merchants should take note of this activity as the groups operations are significantly more advanced than fuel dispenser skimming, and these attacks have the potential to compromise a high volume of payment accounts, Visas fraud unit warned. The deployment of devices that support chip will significantly lower the likelihood of these attacks. Chips are an effort credit card companies to make information harder to replicate. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Invision for American Express/AP Images)Invision for American Express In a statement, Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce said the company took steps to protect payment information provided at gas pumps, including increasing the physical security of fuel dispensers to reduce the risk of skimming attacks. She added that Wawa follows data security standards for organizations that handle payment cards. Gas stations have until October to move to chip technology under a deadline set by credit card networks such as Visa and Mastercard. Wawa has said malware was on its store systems starting after March 4, about eight months before Visa warned of the attacks on Nov. 14. Wawa said it found the malware on Dec. 10 and contained it by Dec. 12, but by then cardholder names, numbers, and expiration dates used in-store and at gas pumps were compromised. The breach went undetected for roughly nine months. Now the popular convenience store chain is facing a wave of lawsuits accusing the company of failing to protect consumers from the massive data breach affecting potentially all of its more than 850 stores. At least nine lawsuits seeking class-action status had been filed in federal court in Philadelphia as of Tuesday. Some Wawa customers say that their credit and debit cards were fraudulently used after the data breach. What is most shocking to me, and should be most appalling to everybody, is how long this went undetected. How did Wawa just find this recently? said Ron Schlecht, managing partner at Bala Cynwyd-based BTB Security. They were obviously not monitoring at an appropriate level commensurate with their business volume and were unable to detect this anomalous activity. Wawa, which is based in Wawa, Delaware County, has stores in six states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware and the District of Columbia. The company, which had more than $12 billion in sales in 2018, serves about 700 million customers annually. The lawsuits suggest that millions of customers could have been affected by the breach. By Christian Hetrick, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 07:48:29|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close Photo taken on Jan.1, 2020 shows the mist-shrouded Yellow River in the section near the Sanshenggong Water Control Project, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The mist is formed when the water vapor condenses into small droplets upon meeting the cold air. (Xinhua/Li Yunping) Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 2 By Nargiz Ismayilova - Trend: In December 2019, the share of Google searches in the Azerbaijani market dropped by 0.31 percent compared to the previous month, Trend reports referring to data provided by StatCounter's Global Stats. Thus, Google remains the most popular search engine in Azerbaijan, which as of January 1, 2020 owns 95.24 percent of the market. In this month, statistical indicators of the Yandex search engine, increased by 0.21 percent. Its share in Azerbaijan's search engine market was 2.76 percent compared to 2.55 percent at the end of November 2019. Herein, there was also a slight decrease by 0.03 percent in the share of Yahoo search engine, which as of January 1, 2020 amounted to 0.61 percent. At the end of December 2019, the share of Yandex search engines in Azerbaijani market amounted to 0.52 percent, changed by 0.04 compared to the previous month. The remainder of the market is distributed among other search engines. In speaking about the modern ways of urban development and gentrification, the esteemed writer Fran Lebowitz once said we do not like cities because they are noisy, crowded and dirty. We like them because they are interesting. I would wager a small sum that anyone of a certain age whos lived in the city of Toronto for a good amount of time would agree with Lebowitzs sentiment. And if we take her statement to be true, then this years Art Stats report from the Toronto Arts Foundation should provide a warning that the City of Toronto could be sliding towards a less interesting existence. According to the report, 80 per cent of Torontos artists believe they cannot make a living wage and 73 per cent have thought about leaving the city. In other words, if artists in Toronto were creatures from the animal kingdom, they might be in danger of trending towards the endangered species list. The economic insecurity that Torontos artists feel is not a unique phenomenon, of course. Their worries are similar to the concerns of many lower, working, and middle-class Torontonians. The economic separation that has emerged in Toronto (and many western cities) has resulted in a city that increasingly caters to only the wealthiest segment of the population. It is this reality that has led to the familiar rhythm of city development: rents get raised, long-residing businesses and residents are forced out, luxury condos get built, and new residents move in. Torontos artists are highly attuned to this pattern as they are the ones who frequently migrate to flee the next round of development. If current trends continue, it seems hard to argue that most of the viable options for artists in Toronto will eventually shrink until few, if any, remain. There is a finite number of buildings and neighborhoods, and the practice of developing the city to maximize profit will not cease until it has touched all of them. This is the crux of the issue. Mayor John Tory and other leaders need to ask themselves what kind of city they would like to leave for their children and grandchildren. They need to ask themselves whether their city should be developed under values that guide the financial and real estate industries, or the values that underlie the social capital we share as human beings. One set of values seeks to maximize the most amount of capital and profit out of every possible thing. The other set of values seeks to create a city that nurtures and sustains the social bonds among its people. The first set of values is now winning by a landslide. The second set of values is given elegant lip service by city leaders, but never used for decisive action. Artists should not be given a special place in the city simply because they are artists. But they should be included as part of an overall plan that looks to keep portions of the city as city-like as possible. City-like means neighborhoods that have economically diverse dwellings, limitations on building heights, well-designed public spaces, and rent-controlled commercial spaces for businesses and artists. Andrew Kennedy is a visual artist with a studio in Toronto. is a visual artist with a studio in Toronto. andrewvkennedy.com BOISE You may be tempted to put off buying your 2020 licenses, but youd be missing out on some cool hunting and fishing opportunities that can cure cabin fever and get the year started off the right way. Go ice fishing Ice fishing is fun and a great way to get out of the house and catch some fish during winter. Idaho has lots of ice fishing opportunities statewide, and even if you live in a part of the state with a mild climate, ice fishing locales are usually a short drive away. Ice fishing is both productive and social, so you can bring family and friends along. Heres more information about Idahos ice fishing. You can catch a burbot Whats a burbot? Thats a fair question because its a unique fish. Burbot is the only freshwater member of the cod family, and fishing re-opened in 2019 after being closed since 1992. Fishing is open in the Kootenai River, its tributaries and Bonner Lake. Burbot in the Kootenai River average about 16 to 20 inches long, but fish as large as 33 to 35 inches have been observed in surveys. Burbot spawn and are most active in the winter months, making winter the best season to fish for them. Learn more about the species and the new fishing season in the 2019-21 fishing rules booklet. Steelhead fishing reopens on the Clearwater and Lower Snake Rivers Its no secret that Idaho has had a tough season for steelhead with extremely low returns, but theres a sliver of good news. There are enough hatchery fish to provide a spring season that opened Jan. 1 in the Clearwater, South Fork of the Clearwater and Lower Snake Rivers. Many of those fish havent seen a plug, bait of fly dangled in front of them for months, so catch rates could be good despite a low return. The Salmon River, Little Salmon River and Hells Canyon are also open for steelhead fishing. Remember the daily bag limit is one steelhead for the 2020 spring season. You can still catch trout in rivers and streams Winter stream fishing is often an overlooked opportunity, but trout fishing can be good, especially in tailwater fisheries where rivers are fed by dam releases, or in parts of the state with mild climates, such as along the Snake River. Heres more information about late-season river fishing, including where to go and how to catch trout and whitefish during winter. Winter is among the best times to catch whitefish Another winter fishery that fly anglers enjoy, and many other anglers. These fish feed in riffles and arent fazed by the cold water, and theyre often schooled up before the spawning season. Many anglers consider smoked whitefish an Idaho delicacy. Hunt game animals that you may have overlooked The hunting season for cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hares and red squirrels runs through March 31, so if you want to keep hunting, its an option, and there probably wont be a lot of competition. Coyote hunting is open year-round. Portions of Unit 50 and all of Unit 51 are open year-round for wolf hunting on private land. See big game hunting rules for specific seasons. Late season upland bird hunting continues Hunting season remains open for chukar, Hungarian partridge, California quail and forest grouse during January in most areas, and late-season hunting can be good for those birds. See the upland game bird rules booklet for season dates. Its only midway through the waterfowl season Most duck and Canada geese seasons are open during at least part of January, into February for white-fronted geese, and as late as March for light geese in parts of the state. See the migratory bird hunting rules booklet because closure dates vary by season depending on species and location. Get the most bang for your buck Idahos resident Sportsmans Package costs $124.25 if youre price locked, or $144.60 if youre not, and nearly all the hunting and fishing opportunities Idaho has to offer are included in that price. The Sportsmans Package includes a resident adult hunting and fishing license, plus tags for deer, elk, bear, mountain lion, wolf, turkey, salmon and steelhead. Archery and muzzleloader are validated on the license. (You still need a federal migratory bird permit and waterfowl stamp for those species). Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A man whose boat sank in 2016 resulting in his mother being lost at sea was denied a new trial Monday by a federal judge amid an ongoing dispute with insurance companies over the boats seaworthiness. Insurers said in the suit they shouldnt have to pay Nathan Carmans $85,000 claim for the loss of the 31-foot boat named Chicken Pox because he made suspicious repairs to the vessel before leaving Rhode Island in September 2016. The boat sank, and Carmans mother, Linda Carman, 54, of Middletown, Connecticut, was lost at sea and is presumed dead. Nathan Carman, 25, was found floating in a raft eight days after the boat was reported missing. Carmans attorney argued during the August trial that the boat was already in poor condition when his client bought it and he wouldnt deliberately risk harming his mother. Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled in favor of the insurance companies in November and upheld the decision Monday. Nothing raised by the defendant supports any amendment to the findings or supports granting a new trial, he wrote in his decision. Messages were left Monday with Nathan Carmans attorney in the case, and the lead attorney for the National Liability and Fire Insurance Co. and the Boat Owners Association of the United States. Relatives have accused Nathan Carman of killing his mother and his grandfather, John Chakalos, a wealthy real estate developer who was shot in 2013, in a scheme to inherit $7 million that Chakalos had left to Linda Carman. Nathan Carman was named by police as a person of interest in the killing of Chakalos, who was shot in the head at his Windsor, Connecticut, home. No criminal charges have been filed. Nathan Carmans aunts sued him in New Hampshire where Chakalos had a home, but a judge dismissed the case over jurisdictional issues. On Friday, the aunts withdrew their appeal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court that accused Nathan Carman of killing his mother and grandfather for inheritance money. Carman has denied any role in his grandfathers death, or in his mothers disappearance. Kathy McCormack contributed to this report. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation A marriage equality campaigner has hit out at the delay in converting civil partnerships to marriages in Northern Ireland. (stock photo) A marriage equality campaigner has hit out at the delay in converting civil partnerships to marriages in Northern Ireland. Legislation allowing same-sex marriage passed through the House of Commons last July, and was signed off by Secretary of State Julian Smith last month. The first weddings are expected to take place around St Valentine's Day. However, the legislation comes a year too late for Stephen Donnan and his partner William Dalzell, who celebrated their civil union on January 26 last year. And while the couple want to be married, Stephen said the day was still very special. While the new law will give marriage equality to LGBT couples not already in a civil partnership, unlike the rest of the UK and the Irish Republic, for couples like Stephen and William already in a civil partnership it is not straightforward. Stephen explained: "The way the legislation is being brought in here, there is no provision being made to convert a civil partnership automatically to a marriage straight away. "The only option open to William and I as things stand is we have to dissolve our civil partnership for two years and live apart. "Once again, things that happened automatically in other parts of the UK are not happening here and that's another kick in the teeth. "This was the format in other parts of the UK and it is the way it happened in the Republic." There are plans to challenge the delay in converting civil partnerships in Northern Ireland. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday distributed the Krishi Karman Awards and Commendation Awards and released the third installment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, in Karnataka. A video from the event has gone viral on social media in which Prime Minister Modi can be seen touching the feet of a woman who came on the stage to receive the award. In the video, as the lady walks on the stage to receive the award, she thanks PM Modi and touches his feet. In response, the Prime Minister also touched the feet of the woman. READ: PM Modi pays tribute to Shri Guru Gobind Singh on Prakash Parv Here's what happened In the video, senior state officials can be seen along with PM Modi and Chief Minister Yediyurappa on the stage, while an award for Madhya Pradesh is being given, to Kanchan Verma and Santosh. The award in question is for wheat - which Madhya Pradesh being the recipient for a third time. As Kanchan Verma receives the plaque from PM Modi, they pose for a photo, after which PM Modi puts his hands together in a respectful greeting towards her. At this point, she moves to touch his feet and manages to do so before he can stop her. Having bent down, PM Modi then also mirrors her gesture, respectfully touching his feet as well. Congress cooks up 'Biryani' response after PM Modi's fiery attack on its silence over Pak PM Modi in Karnataka Earlier, the Prime Minister launched a scathing attack on Pakistan's persecution of minorities, in relation to the ongoing discourse over the Citizenship Amendment Act. "Every individual of this country has this question in their minds today that people are protesting against those who have come here to save their lives from the persecution they faced in Pakistan but why are people not protesting against Pakistan who has exploited minorities there?" he asked. The Prime Minister added: "Congress and its friends will never speak against exploitation of Hindus in Pakistan. Those people who have been protesting against the Parliament, I want to tell them that there is a necessity at the international level to uncover Pakistan's exploitive deeds. If you want to protest then protest against the exploitation by Pakistan on minorities for 70 years" READ: Finance for Ajit Pawar, Environment for Aaditya; possible portfolios list here While addressing the rally, PM Modi also said, "India has entered the third decade of the 21st century with a new energy. You might remember how India began the previous decade but this decade has begun with hope, aspirations and a new groundwork. These are aspirations of new India, of the youth's dreams, of the country's daughters, aspirations of Dalits, underprivileged, backward-classes and Adivasis." READ: KP Oli wishes PM Modi on New Year, invites him to visit Nepal STOCKHOLM, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a brief excerpt from the newly released market report Wood Resource Quarterly. To read the full 56-page quarterly report, please visit www.WoodPrices.com to initiate a subscription. Global Softwood Lumber Trade Russia has surpassed Canada to become the world's largest exporter of softwood lumber, and is on track to ship almost 32 million m 3 of lumber in 2019 (23% of globally traded lumber this year). Despite slowing economies in North America , Europe and Asia , lumber imports to these markets were higher in 2019 than in 2018. has surpassed to become the world's largest exporter of softwood lumber, and is on track to ship almost 32 million m of lumber in 2019 (23% of globally traded lumber this year). Despite slowing economies in , and , lumber imports to these markets were higher in 2019 than in 2018. Volume traded during the first nine months of 2019 represented the second lowest y-o-y increase for the period in eight years, according to the WRQ. Of the world's ten leading exporting countries, Russia , Belarus , Germany and Finland have boosted their lumber sales the most this year. Lumber Market - North America Lumber production has fallen in both the US and Canada in 2019 because of disappointingly low activity in the US housing market and meager demand for North American lumber in overseas markets. From January to September in 2019, lumber exports from Canada were down 5% y-o-y, while US shipments fell as much as 23%. in 2019 because of disappointingly low activity in the US housing market and meager demand for North American lumber in overseas markets. From January to September in 2019, lumber exports from were down 5% y-o-y, while US shipments fell as much as 23%. All the major lumber-producing companies in British Columbia have taken downtime this fall, causing production to plummet 19% in 2019. have taken downtime this fall, causing production to plummet 19% in 2019. Prices for softwood lumber were quite stable during the summer and fall in three of the four major lumber-producing regions of North America . Only in the US Northwest, where log supply has been tight and demand for lumber along the US west coast has stayed healthy, did lumber prices move up from their lower prices early in the year. Lumber markets - China China imported 15% more softwood lumber in the first nine months of 2019 than during the same period in 2018. Importation has trended upward for over five years. imported 15% more softwood lumber in the first nine months of 2019 than during the same period in 2018. Importation has trended upward for over five years. Russia supplied 60% of the import volume to China in the 3Q/19, a slight decline from the 3Q/18. Imports from Canada rose 18% y-o-y and import volumes more than doubled from a few smaller suppliers this past year, including Germany , Ukraine and Belarus . Lumber import prices have fallen for three consecutive quarters to average $174 /m3 in the 3Q/19, the lowest level since 2016. Lumber Market - Germany Germany's exports of softwood lumber reached a ten-year record high of 8.2 million m 3 in 2018, which was 10% higher than the previous year and 23% more than in 2014. Exports have continued to grow in 2019, with the biggest increases coming in shipments to China , the US, the UK and India . The development in trade with China has been quite remarkable, with export volumes surging from 102,000 m 3 during the first nine months of 2018 to 580,000 m 3 during the same period in 2019. exports of softwood lumber reached a ten-year record high of 8.2 million m in 2018, which was 10% higher than the previous year and 23% more than in 2014. Exports have continued to grow in 2019, with the biggest increases coming in shipments to , the US, the UK and . The development in trade with has been quite remarkable, with export volumes surging from during the first nine months of 2018 to during the same period in 2019. The US has become the major destination for German lumber, with shipments increasing ten-fold in just three years. The US is not only the largest market for German lumber exporters, but it has also been the market that has paid the highest prices, as reported in the latest issue of the WRQ. Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). This 56-page report, established in 1988 and with subscribers in over 30 countries, tracks prices for sawlog, pulpwood, lumber & pellets worldwide. The WRQ also reports on trade and wood market developments in most key regions around the world. For more insights on the latest international forest product market trends, please go to www.WoodPrices.com CONTACT: Wood Resources International LLC Hakan Ekstrom [email protected] www.woodprices.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/wood-resources-international-llc/r/global-trade-of-softwood-lumber-slowed-in-late-2019-but-was-still-on-pace-to-be-higher-than-in-2018-,c2999513 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Wood Resources International LLC HVAC Consulting is now offering its services in 17 new states, bringing the overall coverage area total to 48 states and the District of Columbia. Our clients have often requested a further expansion of our services to other areas in the U.S., says Katie Stephens, VP of Business Development. We have now fulfilled this request, but we have been careful to approach our expansion methodically through extensive vetting and training to ensure our high-quality service is never compromised. According to Jason Rankin, President & CEO, We know that fast service is a top priority when it comes to HVAC claims this is why we have increased our presence to the entire contiguous U.S. and over 90% of the population. HVAC Consulting provides evaluations of HVAC systems for insurance companies, third party administrators and independent adjusting firms. The company performs onsite diagnostics of equipment to determine cause of loss, repair or replacement recommendations and recommended settlement evaluations. A week later, Reuterss special report that confirmed this number and some of the most damning information about the Iranian governments repression of dissent in the face of nationwide protests that broke out in mid-November. The demonstrations were sparked by the announcement of sharp increases in the price of gasoline, but they quickly assumed a strong anti-government message, characterized by chants of death to the dictator and the burning of images of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Among the findings in the Reuters report is an account of the high-level discussions which led to Iranian officials ordering the use of live ammunition and other violent means of shutting down the various protests. It confirms that relevant directives ultimately originated with the supreme leader himself, as Khamenei told his subordinates that order must be returned to the street by any means necessary. Furthermore, his comments to this effect were recorded almost immediately after the protests began on November 15, and by November 18 security forces were apparently shooting randomly into crowds. By that time, estimates of some source for the number of fatalities were already running into the hundreds. Amnesty International quickly placed the figure at around 200 and subsequently revised it to slightly over 300 while also noting that there were sure to be many other fatalities that had not yet been confirmed. Sources on the ground in the Islamic Republic have produced dramatically higher estimates, although the Iranian government itself has refused to provide any sort of tally despite dismissing independent estimates as speculation and fake news. Roughly a month after the unrest began, the US State Department was publicly denouncing violence that might have claimed upwards of 1,000 people. Meanwhile, as mentioned earlier, the leading Iranian opposition group and a major driving force in the protest movement, the MEK, determined that at least 1,500 people had been killed in the streets or in the regimes detention facilities. At the time, this figure drew upon the MEKs intelligence network inside Iran, which reportedly includes civil servants and government officials. Through that same network, the group has been able to identify more than 620 of the victims by name. And on December 22, the Reuters report cited its own sources within the Iranian government corroborating the PMOIs account of the number of fatalities. Three anonymous officials from the Interior Ministry pointed to a range of data points including security forces reports and records from morgues, hospitals, and coroners offices as support for the conclusion that 1,500 people have been killed so far. Additionally, according to the MEK, well over 4,000 other participants in the protests have been injured, and at least 12,000 have been arrested. The volume and frequency of arrests have been so extreme that regime authorities have converted various buildings, such as elementary schools, into temporary detention centers. And there is good reason to believe that each of these figures will continue to climb in the days ahead, both because the public has largely refused to succumb to the pressure and because regime authorities remain noticeably obsessed with containing what appears to be an existential threat to the theocratic system. Following shortly after the Reuters report, other media outlets identified the regimes commitment in monetary terms. According to UPI and France 24, the regime has spent an average of 25 million dollars per day on its repressive institutions since the unrest broke out last month. Over the course of the entire fiscal year, the four main such organizations the police, the Intelligence Ministry, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the volunteer Basij militia have received about nine billion dollars in government funds. This data can be expected to exacerbate the Iranian peoples preexisting frustration with wasteful government spending and the regimes perceived neglect of the civilian population. That sentiment has been expressed during both past and current protests with chants and slogans that call attention to Irans imperial presence in the broader region. One slogan that became common during a previous nationwide uprising at the beginning of 2018 was forget about Syria; think of us! And this same message has been featured in the latest demonstrations, calling attention to Tehrans recurring investment in its support for the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Of course, similar messages can and have been applied to similar financing of militant proxies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. But what makes these issues even more noteworthy in the context of the current protest movement is that they are backed up by the significantly enhanced source of pressure beyond Irans borders. On December 23, US President Donald Trump issued a collective warning to Iran, Russia, and the Assad government over the rising civilian death toll in their joint assault on Syrias Idlib Province. The statement may point to the potential for still more targets in the Trump administrations maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian regime. That campaign has been prosecuted primarily through economic sanctions, although the US has also rearranged its forces in the Middle East with the specific aim in mind of deterring Iranian aggression. While some commentators have expressed concern about the potential for this strategy to push the US and Iran toward open conflict, Trump has regularly expressed confidence in his strategy for bringing the regime back to the negotiating table and forcing it to accept formerly unheard-of concessions on issues reaching far beyond the content of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Today, that confidence is arguably reinforced by the protests inside Iran and by even longer-lasting protests in Lebanon and Iraq, where the civilian populations have expressed unequivocal opposition to the growth of Iranian influence over their affairs. Although Iranian-supported political factions continue clinging to power in both of those countries, the popular backlash has had some success in compelling other factions to push back against their initiatives. On December 23, for instance, it was reported that Iraqi President Barham Salih had offered to resign his position in protest, rather than designate a new Prime Minister who is favored by Tehran. The outgoing PM, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, was dogged by similar accusations of excessive closeness to Iran, and he ultimately agreed to resign in the face of the protests that first broke out on October 1. That decision was delayed somewhat by the intervention of Irans foreign expeditionary force, which put direct pressure on Mahdis political allies as well as helping local authorities to violently suppress dissent. Nonetheless, the protesters demands ultimately seemed to prevail in that case, and with Salihs disobedience of Iran-backed lawmakers, this pattern now appears to be repeating, to the detriment of Tehrans foreign policy interests. In Yemen, too, there are signs that Irans influence may be flagging. Recent reports indicate that the Iran-backed Houthi rebels are fractured, with one faction prepared to talk with the Saudis and pursue a long-sought political solution. Under these conditions, it is very likely that Tehran will be required to increase its financial spending and other material investments in order to preserve and extend its existing regional interests. But this is sure to be difficult at a time when the domestic population is already in revolt over the mismanagement of an economy that has been further damaged by the sanctions associated with Trumps maximum pressure campaign. However, the persistence of the current protest movement casts serious doubt on the capacity for the regimes tactics to bring the population entirely under control. Although the initial internet blackout slowed the flow of information to global audiences, the public was quick to take advantage of restored connections to share that information after the fact. And subsequent reports have at times suggested that the attempt to control the flow of information only served to bring more attention to Iranian affairs, leading powerful Western governments and international organizations to wonder about the kinds of human rights abuses the regime was concealing behind its hastily-erected firewall. January 02 : Arjun Kapoors sister Anshula Kapoor is doing well with her fundraising platform Fankind. She is getting good response from the people as well as support from Bollywood celebs. Recently, Sara Ali Khan has joined hands with Anshula to help her raise funds for Fankind, which will be donated to Mumbai-based NGO Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT). Sara took to her Instagram handle and posted a video, which is a Fankind campaign that went live today on Fankind website. Sara opened the video telling her fans that she loves to watch a movie with her friends and eat caramel popcorns. The actress requested her fans to donate for CCDT, who needs help to provide care to children affected with HIV. She asked her fans to log on to Fankind website and donate generously. In return, one lucky winner will get the opportunity to watch Saras upcoming movie, directed by Imtiaz Ali, with her even before it hits the theatres. Her fans can buy entries for Rs 200 and its multiples and one lucky fan along with a friend will get the opportunity to meet her. The winner and his/her friend will get free trip to Mumbai and a free stay at a five star hotel. After more than 60 years spent sealed up in a library storage facility, about 1,000 letters written by poet T.S. Eliot to confidante Emily Hale will be unveiled this week, and scholars hope they will reveal the extent of a relationship thats been speculated about for decades. Many consider Hale to not only be his close friend, but also his muse, and they hope their correspondence will offer insight into the more intimate details about Eliots life and work. Students, researchers and scholars can read the letters at Princeton University Library starting Thursday. I think its perhaps the literary event of the decade, says Anthony Cuda, an Eliot scholar and director of the T.S. Eliot International Summer School. I dont know of anything more awaited or significant. Its momentous to have these letters coming out. Lifelong friends, Hale and Eliot exchanged letters for about 25 years beginning in 1930. The two met in 1912 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but did not rekindle their friendship until 1927. Eliot was already living in England and Hale taught drama at U.S. universities, including Scripps College in California. In 1956, Hale donated the letters under an agreement they wouldnt be opened until 50 years after either her or Eliots death, whichever came second. Eliot died in 1965. Hale died four years later. Biographers say Eliot ordered Hales letters to him to be burned. Their relationship must have been incredibly important and their correspondence must have been remarkably intimate for him to be so concerned about the publication, Cuda says. T.S. Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1888 and gained notoriety as a poet early in life. He was only 26 when The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock became his first professionally published poem. Eliots 1939 book of whimsical poetry, Old Possums Book of Practical Cats, was adapted into Cats, the award-winning musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The play opened in London first in 1981 and then on Broadway the next year. It was then turned into a feature film starring an ensemble cast that includes Judi Dench and James Corden just released in December. His best known works include The Waste Land, The Hollow Men and Four Quartets. The first poem in the Quartets series, called Burnt Norton, piques the interest of enthusiasts of the poet, says Eliot scholar Frances Dickey, because of lines that suggest missed opportunities and what might have been with his muse. The poem is named after a home in England that Eliot visited with Hale in 1934. His relationship with her seems to be deep and meaningful and its a door he chose not to open, she said. The letters could also reveal details about Eliots conversion to Anglicanism, something he deeply cherished, Dickey says. Dickey, who served as one of the editors on The Complete Prose of T.S. Eliot, said the poet was deeply ashamed of his marriage to his first wife, Vivienne Haigh-Wood, whom he was with for more than 15 years. Dickey said the letters could reveal just how close he and Hale were and if the two ever considered marriage. Was this an epistolary romance they would carry across the Atlantic? Dickey said. What role did she play in his emotional life? Eliots letters to Hale began after that first marriage ended. Whatever else she was, Hale was a link to the life Eliot had left behind in the United States as a young man, Dickey said. He was really thinking more about the United States and his childhood during the period where he was in correspondence with Hale, says Dickey. I have a feeling that having a relationship with an American woman helped him to uncover his past in a way. The unsealed boxes, which also contain photographs, clippings and other ephemera, were actually opened at the librarys special collections area called Firestone Library in October for cataloging and digitizing. Daniel Linke, interim head of special collections at the library, was part of the team working on the 14 boxes. He said there was very minimal, if any, reading. He said that scholars from around the world will be traveling to Princeton in the first days they are available since they are copyrighted and wont be made available online. It will be the special collections equivalent of a stampede at a rock concert, Linke said. A firefighter hoses down trees and flying embers in a bid to save house in Nowra, New South Wales. Photo: Getty Images A third person was confirmed dead on New Year's Day in devastating bushfires that engulfed Australia's south-east coast this week and a fourth was missing feared dead, as navy ships rushed to bring in supplies and help with evacuations. At least 15 people are believed to have died and scores are missing after weeks of fires that have ripped through Australia's drought-ridden east coast. Soaring temperatures have stoked columns of fire and smoke that blackened entire towns on Monday and Tuesday, forcing thousands of residents and holidaymakers to seek shelter on beaches. Many stood in shallow water to escape the flames. Bushfires have destroyed more than four million hectares and new blazes are sparked almost daily by arid and windy conditions. Expand Close Vehicles gutted by bushfires are seen in the Lake Conjola area, New South Wales. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vehicles gutted by bushfires are seen in the Lake Conjola area, New South Wales. Photo: Getty Images Cooler conditions yesterday gave the country a moment to take stock, but there were still more than 100 blazes in New South Wales alone and thousands of firefighters on the ground. Destruction The body of a man was found in a burnt car in New South Wales after emergency workers began reaching the most damaged areas, with the death toll expected to rise. "Sadly, we can report today that police have confirmed a further three deaths as a result of the fires on the South Coast," a police spokesman said. "Police are also at Lake Conjola, where a house has been destroyed by fire and the occupant of that home is still unaccounted for." Police have not yet identified the missing man but he is believed to be 72 years old and they had not been able to get to his home. Expand Close A satellite image of the Batemans Bay shows smoke and fire. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A satellite image of the Batemans Bay shows smoke and fire. Nearly 200 homes are believed to have been destroyed, police said. In Victoria state, four people are still missing after a huge blaze ripped through Gippsland, 500km east of Melbourne. About 4,000 people in the town of Mallacoota in Victoria headed to the waterfront after the main road was cut off. Mark Tregellas, a resident of Mallacoota who spent the night on a slipway, said only a late shift in the wind direction sparred lives. "The fire just continued to grow and then the black started to descend," he said. "I couldn't see the hand in front in my face, and then it started to glow red and we knew the fire was coming. "Ash started to fall from the air and then the embers started to come down. "At that point, people started to bring their kids and families into the water. Thankfully, the wind changed and the fire moved away." Thousands of Australians remain cut off as fires force the closure of major roads, leaving many struggling to secure supplies. In Milton, a town on the south coast of New South Wales, locals queued for hours for the few remaining items left on supermarket shelves. Emma Schirmer, who was evacuated from her house in Batemans Bay with her three-month-old child, said the local shop was limiting sales to six items per customer. As shops run low and firefighters struggle with exhaustion, Australia's military, including Black Hawk helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and naval vessels, were being deployed. Victoria's emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, said HMAS Choules, which can carry up to 1,000 people, is due to arrive today and may be used to evacuate many of those stranded in Mallacoota, though extra transport will be needed. New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian said authorities were working to restore communications with areas cut off by the fires, though she warned conditions will deteriorate again over the weekend. Meanwhile, Australia's capital Canberra was blanketed in thick smoke, reaching about 20 times hazardous levels, prompting health warnings. The smoke has also drifted to New Zealand, where it has turned the daytime sky orange across the South Island. Taiwanese military chief of the general staff is missing after the helicopter he was travelling in had to make an emergency landing in the northern part of the country, island nation's defence ministry said on Thursday. According to Sputnik, many senior officials, which includes the Air Force General Shen Yi-ming, the island's chief of the general staff, were on board the helicopter. Control room lost the communication with the helicopter following the landing. Further details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As consumers become increasingly aware of the pollution and waste caused by single-use products, items such as plastic straws, water bottles and disposable coffee cups have become maligned. But what about our beauty routines? A quick glance in your bathroom cabinet or make-up bag is sure to throw up a whole host of products, which are single-use, packaged in plastic, and just as likely to end up in landfill. It is estimated that there is more than 150 million tonnes of plastic waste polluting the worlds oceans with an additional 13 million tonnes being dumped each year. Scientists estimate by 2050 there could be more plastic, by weight, than fish in our seas. Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Show all 6 1 /6 Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Plastic water bottle for a reusable beverage container Instead of continually buying drinks in plastic bottles you can switch to a reusable beverage container and reduce your single-use of plastics. Selfridges' Bobble 550ml filtered water bottle costs 12.95 and includes a replaceable carbon filter that filters water as you drink, removing chlorine and organic contaminants in the process. You can buy it from selfridges.com Getty/Selfridges Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Coffee cup for a Travel coffee mug It is estimated that the UK throws away around 2.5bn disposable coffee cups a year and almost all are incinerated, exported or sent to landfill because their plastic lining makes them expensive to recycle. The new Latte Levy in the UK means there will now be a 25p charge on every disposable coffee cup bought by consumers. Pret A Manger announced that it will double its discount to 50p in an effort to reduce waste. By swapping to a reusable cup you will be able to help cut the cost of disposable coffee cups. This Keep Cup Brew, cork edition, travel cup in Fika is just one of the many available to purchase. It fits under most commercial coffee machines, is splash-proof and ideal for transporting your coffee whilst on the go. You can buy this particular cup for 19.99 from trouva.com. Getty/Trouva Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Plastic bags for reusable cloth bags An eco-friendly alternative to an ordinary plastic bag is this lightweight shopping bag. It comes with a practical pillowcase pocket and features a black and white ink splatter design. Convenient and durable it also has a matte black spring clip to attach it where you need it. You can buy this from paperchase.co.uk for just 5.00. Getty/Paperchase Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Coffee pods for a pot of coffee Cut your plastic coffee pod usage with a cafetiere. This Barista and Co, 3 Cup Gold Cafetiere, from Habitat offers a simple way to brew and serve in style. Made from borosilicate glass and plated stainless steel with an ergonomically designed handle, the cafetiere is built to last and a pleasure to use; a fine metal filter produces a smooth coffee that retains its natural oils. You can buy it for 30 from habitat.co.uk. Getty/Habitat Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Balloons for eco-friendly decorations Instead of using plastic balloons at your party try swapping them for some eco-friendly bunting. Handmade in Scotland, the bunting comprises thirteen brightly coloured pennants which spell out the words 'Happy Birthday', and uses lettering that has been printed onto 100 per cent recycled card. Included is 11ft of natural jute twine to hang the pennants on, and everything comes packaged in a cello bag. You can buy this bunting from Little Silverleaf on notonthehighstreet.com for 12.50. Getty/notonthehighstreet Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Plastic straw for a reusable bamboo one Swap plastic straws for reusable ones made of bamboo. These straws are handmade in Bali and crafted by local balinese artisans. Made of organic and natural materials they are the best eco-friendly alternative to plastic, steel or glass straws. You can purchase them from Bali Boo on Amazon.co.uk for 13.99. PA/Bali Boo/Amazon The government is taking steps to improve this: a manufacturing ban on microbeads tiny balls of plastic used in body scrubs, toothpaste and facial exfoliators was introduced in 2018. But there is more to do. So how can you make your beauty routine more sustainable in 2020? The Independent rounds up five simple beauty resolutions you can make this year to help you become a more conscientious consumer. Ditch cotton pads and face wipes for reusable and biodegradable versions Removing your make-up is arguably one of the most time-consuming and, lets face it, annoying parts of a beauty routine. When you get home from a long day at work or a heavy night out, the last thing you want to do is perform a full-on skincare routine. In this scenario, many of us turn to face wipes, which boast the ability to remove make-up and partially cleanse our faces in seconds. But while they might be insanely convenient, the damage face wipes are inflicting on the environment is vast. According to research group Mintel, 43 per cent of women in the UK regularly use face wipes, which take years to breakdown in landfills due to their composition of virtually indestructible materials such as polyester, polypropylene, cotton, wood pulp, or rayon fibres. Earlier this year, a report by Water UK the membership body for water providers also found that wet wipes (including baby wipes) are behind 93 per cent of blockages in UK sewers with 9.3 million of them being flushed down toilets every single day. While the problem has prompted campaign groups to lobby wipe manufacturers to include a logo on packets reminding people never to flush any kind of wipes, there are alternatives you can use that are less damaging to the environment. If you cant bear to part ways with a wipe, or need a quick fix for emergency situations, a number of brands now offer biodegradable and reusable alternatives that mean you can remove your make-up conveniently and with a conscience. Wipes from brands such as Lancer, RMS, Botanics, Simple and Yes To are made from bio-cellulose fabrics, meaning they break down in months rather than years and dont contain any nasty pesticides. Alternatively, reusable and washable make-up remover pads are now also widely available. While cotton rounds can work wonders for your make-up routine, environmentally speaking, they are a disaster. As well as being non-recyclable and non-degradable, it takes a huge volume of water to produce each single-use cotton pad, which, unless its made from organic cotton, is also grown with pesticides that damage the surrounding environment. The solution is to invest in reusable versions made from soft bamboo, organic cotton or high-quality microfibre. The Face Halo, for example, is a dual-sided make-up remover that only requires water, is reusable up to 200 wash cycles and replaces the need for up to 500 make-up wipes. Swap aerosols for natural stick deodorants Whether you prefer to spritz your armpits with an aerosol or a keep them sweet with a roll-on, it is fair to assume that the majority of us use deodorant every day. But just how damaging is the packaging used to contain these products that help keep us smelling fresh? Typically, roll-on deodorants are packaged in two layers of plastic, meaning they are notoriously difficult to recycle. Considering plastic can take 450 years to biodegrade, and with millions of people using roll-ons every day, the amount of plastic ending up in landfill from roll-ons alone is colossal. In the same way, the UK uses around 600 million aerosols each year, equivalent to about 10 cans per person. While the good news is that aerosols are recyclable, the compressed gases that are used in them have a harmful impact on CO2 emissions. According to a recent study by beauty manufacturer Unilever, if 1 million people switched their regular aerosol for a newer, compressed aerosol, 696 tonnes of CO2, and enough aluminium to make 20,000 bikes, could be saved. So, what should you be using instead? Natural deodorants, which come with little or no packaging, are a great alternative as they help to keep odour at bay and have minimal impact on the world around us. Their naturally self-preserving, aluminium-free formulas also mean you can be confident that the ingredients inside them will be kind to your body as well as to the environment. Nowadays, theres a crop of natural versions hitting the shelves and, surprisingly, theyre from some of the biggest names in the beauty business, including Malin + Goetz, Aesop, Cowshed, LOccitane and Neals Yard. Investing in a natural deodorant also offers an opportunity to explore a range of different formulas, from powders and creams to liquid pumps and crystal sticks. Refill, recycle and invest in naked products According to research carried out by Garnier and TerraCycle, only 50 per cent of bathroom packaging is recycled, compared to 90 per cent of kitchen packaging. And, given that the global cosmetics industry produces 120 billion units of packaging every year, thats a lot of waste. Luckily, there is some progress being made in the beauty world. Lush, for example, has massively expanded its Naked packaging-free selection of products, which now makes up 50 per cent of the core range, including shower gels, moisturising bars and wax-covered lipstick refills that slot into reusable cases. Between 2015 and 2016, the introduction of Lushs naked shampoo bars meant that more than 15 million plastic bottles were never created. Theyre also much more budget-friendly, with one bar lasting up to 80 washes, meaning it has the potential to outlive up to three regular bottles of shampoo. A host of other brands are cropping up in response to growing demand for less packaging, with companies such as LOccitane and Rituals offering refill schemes and brands such as Origins, & Other Stories and MAC Cosmetics offering a reward system when customers return their empty plastic bottles. Swap plastic cotton buds for bamboo versions In England alone, it is estimated that we use 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds every year, according to government figures. Whats more, an estimated 10 per cent of these cotton buds are flushed down toilets. Plastic cotton buds are just one of the thousands of sanitary products being improperly disposed of that has resulted in the pollution of waterways and the marine environment, but the difference here is that they also pose a threat to wildlife. According to the Cotton Bud Project, between 2015 and 2018, cotton buds were in the top 10 items found during the Marine Conservation Societys Great British Beach Clean. During 2018, 21 cotton buds were found for every 100 metres of UK beach surveyed. A cotton buds long, thin shape can pierce the internal organs of marine animals that may accidentally ingest them, and plastic stems regularly turn up in the stomachs of seabirds. While it should go without saying not to flush cotton buds, you also have the option to replace your plastic versions entirely with those with stems made of bamboo, such as Hydrophils. Whereas plastic cotton swabs are discarded after seconds of use but live on for years as a pollutant, these versions can simply be thrown in your organic waste or compost bin. Whats more, they also come in recycled cardboard packaging, further reducing plastic waste. In May 2019, the environment secretary Michael Gove confirmed that cotton buds with plastic stems are to be banned in England from April 2020 after an open consultation revealed overwhelming public support for the move. Boycott brands that use too much plastic As the beauty industry continues to grapple with a plastics problem, many companies have started working towards creating products that include more sustainable packing and ingredients. However, some are doing better than others. Of course, what constitutes improvement is an area of contention, but whether its using biodegradable packaging or harvesting ingredients in a way thats kinder to the environment, there are plenty of brands that are shaking things up. According to Mintels Natural, Organic and Ethical Toiletries report, more than 60 per cent of consumers said they would stop using a brand if they found it to have unethical practices. Similarly, protecting the environment, recyclable packaging and animal welfare were all listed as top issues by consumers, while 43 per cent of those surveyed said they would consider a brands stance before buying for the first time. But, which brands are really making a difference? As well as the brands this article has already touched upon, consumers can be shop sustainably at a host of make-up and skincare companies, including Disciple, which sells products in glass bottles and uses sustainably sourced essential oils, BYBI Beauty, which uses packaging made from biodegradable sugar cane or glass and sells products that are 100 per cent natural, vegan and cruelty-free, and BECo, which sells biodegradable bar-soap boxes, bottles made from recycled materials and products using cruelty-free and vegan ingredients. Yemeni forces shoot down another Saudi-led reconnaissance drone in Jizan Iran Press TV Wednesday, 01 January 2020 6:06 PM Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from the Popular Committees, have intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the Saudi-led military coalition while flying in the skies over the kingdom's southern border region of Jizan. The media bureau of Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement announced in a statement that Yemeni air defense forces and their allies shot down the drone as it was on a reconnaissance mission over al-Dayer area of the region, situated 966 kilometers (600 miles) south of the capital Riyadh, on Wednesday evening. The development came a day after the spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree said Yemeni forces and their allies had shot down a Saudi-led spy drone as it was flying in the skies over al-Tina area of the Hayran district in Yemen's northwestern province of Hajjah. Saree identified the downed aircraft as a Chinese-made Phantom unmanned aerial vehicle. Yemeni air defense forces and their allies shot down a Turkish-built Vestel Karayel drone with a precision missile on Monday. The spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces said at the time the aircraft was struck as it was on a surveillance mission over al-Salif coastal village in Yemen's western province of Hudaydah. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing the government of former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi back to power and crushing Ansarullah movement. The US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit conflict-research organization, estimates that the war has claimed more than 100,000 lives over the past four and a half years. The UN says over 24 million Yemenis are in dire need of humanitarian aid, including 10 million suffering from extreme levels of hunger. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Now, analysts have told Financial Times that stiffer capital requirements may cause more demergers to happen in 2020 with insurance giants Aviva, Saga, RSA, and Admiral likely to have plans to downsize this year. The evidence for having a diverse [insurance] group is fairly scant, Rob James, a fund manager at Merian Global Investors, told Financial Times. Aviva, for instance, has already started to downsize the group, by selling its Hong Kong operations. According to analysts, other international operations may be sold off as the companys share price continues to struggle. Id like them to think about exiting Turkey, France, Italy, and Poland, Abid Hussain, an insurance analyst at Credit Suisse, told Financial Times. Meanwhile, the industry may still see further activity from Prudential with James predicting a potential separation between the firms business in Asia and Jackson National Life, its US subsidiary. Prudential Asia should be a standalone company, James told Financial Times. I dont think being tied to Jackson does it any favors it very clearly damages the valuation. It would be to the benefit of shareholders to have Jackson out of the group, almost at any price. Advertisement We were lucky enough to enjoy a dry, mild evening as the clocks struck midnight to herald the New Year. But don't be fooled temperatures are expected to plummet this weekend as winter weather returns to normal. Earlier this week a new top temperature for December was logged in the UK, with 18.7C (65.7F) recorded in the Highlands. However the unusually warm weather will not extend into January, with forecasters predicting a typically cold month ahead. And the Environment Agency has 21 flood warnings in place - mostly in Dorset and Wiltshire - and 35 less serious flood alerts across England. This weekend the temperature will drop several degrees, with lows of 1C (34F) across some parts of the UK. Forecasters also said up to 1.6in (40mm) of rain could fall in western Scotland today, while up to 2in (5cm) of snow is possible over the tops of mountains this weekend. Simon Partridge, a Met Office forecaster, said: 'Today it will start off generally dry for much of the UK, but pretty cloudy and misty to start off with in the South. Today will start off generally dry for much of the UK, but quite cloudy and misty to begin with in the South of England 'We're looking at highs of 11C to 12C (52F to 54F) and then that rain pushes itself out of the way overnight. 'Friday is generally speaking a drier and brighter day across much of the UK. There will be some decent sunny spells in many parts.' But he warned of 'brisk winds in the North with some local gales there and a few snow showers across the tops of the Scottish hills'. Mr Partridge said: 'It will be a little bit chillier. Down in the South you're still looking at highs of 10C (50F) or 11C (52F), so nothing too bad there.' Meanwhile the weekend is expected to be fine and dry, though temperatures will 'start to drop off a touch'. '10C (50F) is probably the warmest we'll get,' Mr Partridge added. 'It will be a colder feel, but it's near average so nothing too bad.' However, he stressed: 'In the longer term, it looks like a typical January. The Environment Agency has 21 flood warnings in place (in red) and 35 less serious flood alerts (in orange) across England 'Temperatures should be around normal for the time of year, but some shorter, colder spells in-between. 'There's a good chance of some snowfall in parts, it is January after all. It's quite likely some areas of northern England may see some snow showers at times. 'It won't be in the next four or five days but later on in January you wouldn't be surprised, particularly in higher ground.' Weather forecaster WXCHARTS has predicted up to five-and-a-half inches of snow in coming weeks in areas such as Newcastle. A Rochester man was sentenced Monday to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony burglary charge. Phillip Grant Berg, 33, pleaded guilty on Dec. 9 in Olmsted County District Court to felony first-degree burglary-assault on a person in a building/on property. Seven additional charges including felony stalking, felony domestic assault and felony domestic abuse no-contact order violation in connection to the Aug. 9 incident were dismissed, according to court records. On Monday, Judge Joseph Chase sentenced Berg to 95 months in state prison. Berg will get credit for 144 days already served, according to court documents. Two other felony charges in a second case were dismissed on Monday, as well. Rochester police were called around 9:40 p.m. on Aug. 9 to a residence in northwest Rochester for a report of a burglary in progress. Prior to their arrival, officers were told that Berg kicked in the door to the house and assaulted people inside, according to court documents. Berg broke in the home's front door. ADVERTISEMENT When police got to the house, they found a 35-year-old man lying on top of Berg in an attempt to restrain him. It took several officers to arrest Berg as he refused to comply with officers commands and fought back, according to court documents. A woman at the residence had a no-contact order against Berg. The woman told officers that Berg was arrested the weekend before because Berg assaulted her and that she had left town for a period of time after that but had returned that night to get some items, court documents indicate. The woman's friend was able to physically intervene and restrain Berg after he grabbed the woman by her shirt, according to court records. TRUMBULL Two years after structural damage forced them to abandon their Whitney Avenue building, Trumbulls veterans groups are planning to build a better, more modern facility on the site. It will be a real asset to the community a jewel, said former First Selectman Raymond Baldwin Jr., a member of both American Legion Post 141 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10059. The vision for the 6.7-acre property where the current building sits on Katz Pond across the street from Indian Ledge Park is to build a Veterans Center that could be used by the American Legion and VFW, and also provide meeting space for town organizations and the public, Baldwin said. The new building also could be used for fundraising activities like bingo and rented for events to generate revenue. It also would serve as a central location for veterans services like health screenings and job training, he said. Baldwin, who will make a presentation to the Town Council at its Jan. 6 meeting, is the chairman of an exploratory committee researching the feasibility of rebuilding on the site. Its a gorgeous site, Baldwin said. He said the adjacent 17-acre pond had formerly hosted youth fishing derbies and other activities, and the pond also had been used for training the towns emergency scuba dive teams. The veterans groups are seeking to have the Town Council add the project to the towns Capital Projects List. That distinction would then allow the groups to seek state and federal grants and also begin private fundraising. George Wiles, from Wiles and Associates Architecture, has already completed some renderings of the proposed Veterans Center, and Greg Raucci from Bismarck Construction has provided a preliminary cost estimate, Baldwin said. It would be between a $2.4 million and $2.8 million project, Baldwin said. The plan would include classroom space, offices, a main meeting and event room and a kitchen. In an attempt to break from the traditional veterans hall, though, the building does not include a separate bar area. Plans also call for additional parking, a new septic system and a dock on the 17-acre pond. The town already has earmarked funds for dredging and cleanup of the pond. Ideally, the center could be built without town funding, he said. The projects supporters have already scheduled a meeting with Sen. Chris Murphy about potential federal grants, and are planning to meet with the towns state legislative delegation. Economic and Community Development Director Rina Bakalar and Trumbull resident and attorney Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox are looking into corporate grants to help fund the project, he said. The current 2,800-square foot building has stood on the site since 1940, and has been town-owned since 1968. In 1981, the town leased the property to the veterans organizations for 99 years at an annual cost of $1. The building, which Baldwin described as awful looking, but serviceable on its best days, has been vacant since 2017 when the town condemned it due to structural damage. Baldwin said the town engineer determined that the buildings floor, which had settled several feet over the years, was unrepairable. The buildings 1940s mechanicals and plumbing were also not up to modern codes. The problem was it was built on top of the wood from the old Katzs ice house, and as the wood rotted it settled until it was unsafe, he said. Since vacating the building, the American Legion has been holding its meetings at the Helen Plumb Building. The VFW members meet at the library. The town briefly explored selling the property in 2017. Should the town approve the propertys addition to the Capital Projects List, Baldwin said the committee has an ambitious timetable. My hope is to have it built within 18 months, he said. There are more than 3,000 veterans in Trumbull, and weve been without a home for two years. AKRON, Ohio -- A program to provide Summit County homeowners with low-interest loans for energy efficiency improvements has been delayed by a few months, and is expected to launch in March. The loans will be available to homeowners in the Akron-Summit County Energy Special Improvement District for HVAC, furnace, roofing, windows and doors, insulation and other energy efficiency projects. Property owners can finance the up-front costs and then pay back the loans through a voluntary assessment on their tax bills. All the lending involves private money from California-based Renovate America. The residential PACE (property assessed clean energy) financing program was announced in June and was expected to roll out in January. But the rollout has been delayed because of issues with technology and paperwork, according to Dustin Reilich, vice president of market development for Renovate America. On our end, were working on our technology side to make sure that we have everything in place to make sure that we have a successful launch, Reilich told cleveland.com on Thursday. Were also still working through legal documentation on financing and all the different things that go into making the program operate statewide. Renovate America is also establishing residential PACE programs in the Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo areas, Reilich said. Last month, Renovate America hired people in Ohio to meet with local contractors and pique their interest in the program, he said. In 2017, Summit County and the Development Finance Authority entered into an agreement with the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council to expand Akrons Energy Special Improvement District throughout the county. The district members include Akron, Bath, Barberton, Copley, Coventry, Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn, Green, Lakemore, New Franklin, Norton, Richfield, Springfield and Tallmadge. Other communities, including Boston Heights, Hudson, Macedonia, Mogadore, Sagamore Hills and Twinsburg, are considering the residential PACE program. Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro said at the June announcement that commercial PACE financing has been available to businesses, nonprofits and governments in the district. PACE financing was used for Cascade Plaza in downtown Akron, Akron Rubber Development Lab in Barberton and Crystal Clinic in Bath. PACE financing will be available to homeowners at fixed rates that begin at 2.99% and top out at 8.35%, and span 5 to 20 years, Reilich said. Ohio will join California, Florida and Missouri as the fourth state to offer a residential PACE program, according to Chris Burnham, president of the Development Finance Authority of Summit County. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 200,000 homeowners have spent $5 billion on energy efficiency improvements to their home through PACE financing. Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.coms Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. DUBLIN, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Will Copper Switch-off Come Soon?" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Based on operators' first-hand experiences with copper switchoff initiatives in Europe, Asia, and North America, this report aims at providing an in-depth view of how copper decommissioning initiatives take place, of what is at stake for the various parties and of how players are balancing the many diverse and sometimes countervailing interests at work behind the switch-off of legacy networks. As deployments of ultra-high speed networks continue their progress, operators have to decide on the fate of their legacy copper networks. Literally, they must deal with their exit from the era of copper. Aging copper-based infrastructure is increasingly costly to maintain, especially when the operator is confronted with customers' growing expectations for network performance and quality of service impacted by FTTP standards. Over the past couple of years, incumbents have started to announce their copper switch-off dates and implement the dismantling of their legacy networks. However, NGA deployment plans are not going universally at the same pace, and although the migration to fibre is ongoing steadily, a significant proportion of broadband accesses still relies on ADSL. Key Topics Covered 1. Executive summary 2. The copper switch-off: current status 2.1. What is copper switch-off'? 2.2. Maintaining both fibre and legacy networks puts operators under pressure 2.3. Decommissioning copper networks should enable significant savings 2.4. Decommissioning copper involves four major steps 2.5. Client migration is a critical aspect of legacy network shutdown 2.6. The complexity of copper switch-off processes demands investment efforts 2.7. The entire telecommunications ecosystem is impacted by the copper switch-off 3. Drivers and obstacles to decommissioning copper 3.1. Switching off copper is incentivised by financial and political aspects 3.2. However, switching off legacy networks demands long-term investments 3.3. The copper switch-off becomes profitable in the longer run 4. Worldwide copper switch-off Outlook 4.1. The copper incumbents have been gradually announcing roadmaps to shutdown 5. Case studies - Copper switch-off initiatives 5.1. Telenor - Norway 5.1.1. Norwegian NRA mandates operators to comply with broadband universal service obligations 5.1.2. Telenor's well-advanced project will be a game-changer for the Norwegian broadband market 5.2. China Unicom - China 5.2.1. Broadband China strategy is accelerating large-scale fibre rollout 5.2.2. Strong government support stimulated China Unicom copper switch-off projects 5.3. Telefonica - Spain 5.3.1. Fast FTTH deployments enabled good level of fibre coverage in line with Spanish Digital Agenda 5.3.2. Telefonica project eyes, first and foremost, being a commercial operation 5.4. Orange - France 5.4.1. ADSL remains the dominant access while FTTH deployments are ongoing 5.4.2. The Orange copper switch-off initiative is a complex operational project with a long pathway to return on investment 6. Conclusions Companies Mentioned AT&T China Mobile China Telecom China Unicom KPN Openreach Orange Portugal Telecom Swisscom Telecom Italia Telefonica Telenor Telstra Telia Verizon For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8m9xq1 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday insisted that his government is sensitive and that there should be no politicisation of the death of over 100 infants at a Kota hospital as he faced severe criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati over the issue. There should no politics over the issue. Infant mortality at the hospital is steadily decreasing. We will try to reduce it further. It is on our top priority that mothers and children remain in good health, Gehlot tweeted in Hindi. Gehlots remarks came as Mayawati hit out at Rajasthans ruling Congress. Mayawati also questioned Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadras silence over the deaths. She added if Priyanka Gandhi does not meet mothers of the dead children, then her meetings with the kin of the victims of violence during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in Uttar Pradesh will be construed as pure theatrics. In a series of tweets in Hindi, Mayawati slammed Priyanka and said, It is sad that the Congress general secretary is keeping mum on the deaths of 100 children in the Kota hospital. It would have been better if like Uttar Pradesh, she would have met the mothers of the children who have died in the hospital, due to the apathy of the government of her party in the state. If the Congress general secretary does not go and meet the Kota families who are affected by the tragedy, then her outreach towards victims in Uttar Pradesh would be considered political opportunism, from which the public of Uttar Pradesh is advised to stay alert. On Wednesday, Priyanka Gandhi had raised the issue of a 14 month girl child who was separated from her parents in Varanasi after they were jailed due to anti-CAA protests. Mayawati further said that the attitude of the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan was condemnable as it has mismanaged the situation of the 100 children deaths in Kota and still remains irresponsible and unsympathetic to the situation. In New Delhi, Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey said Sonia Gandhi is very concerned about the deaths and Gehlot has sent a detailed report to her. Pandeys comments came after his meeting with Sonia Gandhi. After meeting Sonia, Pandey said, Sonia ji wanted to know the reasons of the deaths. It is a very sad situation and the Chief Minister has been asked to act on the report. The BJP allegation is untrue as the inquiry is on and those responsible will be punished. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla tweeted, In view of the increasing number of untimely deaths of infants at JK Lon Mother and Child Hospital in Kota, I have sent a reminder letter to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and urged him to strengthen medical facilities with awareness. Chief minister Gehlot insisted the Congress government established the first Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for children in Rajasthan in 2003. We established an ICU for children in Kota in 2011. He said the aim of Nirogi Rajasthan [healthy Rajasthan] was a priority for the government and an expert team from the Centre could help improve health services in the state. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said he has spoken to Gehlot and assured him of all possible support to prevent further deaths. (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Thursday. FTSE 250 - WINNERS IP Group, up 2.7%. IP Group's portfolio company Oxford Nanopore Technologies has raised GBP29.3 million of new capital. IP Group's stake in Oxford Nanopore will be 16% upon completion of the fundraising, it said, valued at around GBP264 million. Oxford Nanopore noted that funds were raised from both new investors and existing shareholders from the US, Europe and Asia Pacific. "We're delighted to see another successful fundraising for Oxford Nanopore which rounds off an impressive year of commercial success and technical validation of nanopore sequencing," said IP Group Chief Executive Alan Aubrey. FTSE 250 - LOSERS Tullow Oil, down 3.4%. The London-based oil & gas producer said it has discovered oil on the Kanuku licence off the coast of Guyana, South America, but less than expected. Early results from drilling at the Carapa-1 well suggest the finding of oil in Upper Cretaceous sandstones. Results show the four metres of net oil pay has a sulphur content of less than 1%. Chief Operating Officer Mark MacFarlane said: "While net pay and reservoir development at this location are below our pre-drill estimates, we are encouraged to find good quality oil which proves the extension of the prolific Cretaceous play into our acreage." He added: "We will now integrate the results of the three exploration wells drilled in these adjacent licences into our Guyana and Suriname geological and geophysical models before deciding the future work programme." OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS Eqtec, up 70%. The Cork, Ireland-based energy company said North Fork Community Power finalised and signed the legal documentation that allows the financial close of the proposed construction and operation of a 2 megawatts biomass plant at the North Fork project, US. Back in June, Eqtec said it will buy a 20% interest in North Fork Community Power on financial close of the project. On Thursday, the company said this acquisition has now been completed. Under the contract, Eqtec said it will invoice to North Fork Community Power a total of EUR2.2 million for the sale of equipment and the supply of engineering and design services. On commissioning - expected before the end of the first quarter of 2021 - the project is estimated to have a valuation of USD20 million, Eqtec said, and be capable of generating annual revenue of USD4 million. Tasty, up 35%. The restaurant operator said fourth-quarter sales to-date remain in line with expectations, and it remains confident that current market forecasts for 2019 will be achieved. In addition, Tasty has sold its dim t More London site for GBP2 million. The move is a part of the company's strategy of reducing exposure where it is experiencing increasing property and labour costs. The company said it intends to use the proceeds from the sale to pay off its remaining bank debt, to fund the working capital and selected restaurant refurbishment plans. Caspian Sunrise, up 17%. The Kazakhstan-focused oil & gas firm said deep well A5 at its Airshagyl structure at BNG, western Kazakhstan, has been flowing without artificial stimulation for four days. The well has been drilled to a total depth of 4,405 metres, Caspian said, and it now producing oil without interruption. Production is estimated to have steadily increased to a rate of 1,500 barrels of oil per day, with further increases expected. "This is the result we have been working to achieve for a long time," Executive Chair Clive Carver said. Caspian said it plans a 90 day flow test of the well, which will help quantify the reserves at Airshagyl. OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS Anglo African Oil & Gas, down 8.7%, and Zenith Energy, down 12%. Zenith said it has appointed a Gabon government official as an advisor ahead of its planned acquisition of an 80% stake in Anglo African Oil & Gas Congo. Zenith has appointed Andre-Brice Boumbendje - currently employed by Gabon's Ministry of Hydrocarbons & Mines. In 2016, he was made diplomatic council for the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and became Gabon's representative at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna. Boumbendje's appointment is intended to assist Zenith in managing government relations within central Africa's French-speaking countries and the Republic of the Congo in particular. The Republic of the Congo joined OPEC in June 2018, putting it among the oil cartel's newest members. By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Negotiations to revive Northern Irelands dormant powersharing institutions are resuming ahead of yet another deadline for agreement. So what is preventing a return to devolved government and is there any reason to believe this process will succeed where so many other initiatives have failed? Stormont collapsed three years ago this month. Why? Expand Close DUP leader Arlene Foster (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp DUP leader Arlene Foster (Niall Carson/PA) Few could ever have predicted that the issue to pull down Stormonts peace process structures would be a row about a botched green energy scheme. But so it came to pass in January 2017 when Sinn Fein withdrew from the mandatory coalition administration it jointly led with the DUP. The republican party had demanded that DUP leader and then first minister Arlene Foster step down temporarily to facilitate an investigation into her handling of the ill-fated Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. When she refused, the late Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned a move that pulled down the executive. The row over the RHI scheme destroyed relations between the parties, sparking a range of further disputes over traditional issues that had previously not posed an existential threat to the institutions. A wrangle over proposed legislation for Irish language speakers and the regions ban on same-sex marriage soon emerged as key roadblocks. Ironically, the bust-up over RHI soon faded into the background and, even though a public inquiry report on the scheme is due, it is no longer one of the issues considered pivotal to restoration. Has the general election changed things? Expand Close SDLP leader Colum Eastwood is elected MP for Foyle (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp SDLP leader Colum Eastwood is elected MP for Foyle (Niall Carson/PA) The DUP and Sinn Fein both had very disappointing elections. The DUP lost two of its 10 Westminster seats and saw its vote drop significantly. Sinn Fein still has seven parliamentary seats, but its vote fell by a quarter on the last election and the party suffered an extremely embarrassing defeat in Foyle, where the SDLP trounced its incumbent MP with a 17,000 majority. For many, the outcome was the public passing judgment on the two largest parties failure to restore powersharing. The election also provided further evidence of a shift towards more centre-ground politics in Northern Ireland a trend borne out by another positive showing for the cross-community Alliance Party. The results undoubtedly created a fresh impetus for the big two to get Stormont back up and running. -What about the DUP and the Tories? Expand Close Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Julian Smith (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Julian Smith (Liam McBurney/PA) The sight of Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith blaming the DUP for the failure to secure a pre-Christmas deal served as a powerful reminder that confidence and supply is a thing of the past. That Westminster arrangement had been the elephant in the room during previous talks initiatives, with the other Stormont parties accusing the Government of dancing to the DUP tune and undermining its stated independence in the region. The general election appears to have changed this dynamic. The other parties seem content with Mr Smiths handling of the process, thus far, and the DUP knows it can no longer rely on the Government for political cover. Are there other factors at play that make this process different? Expand Close The picket line outside the Royal Hospital in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The picket line outside the Royal Hospital in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA) The powersharing impasse created a slow-burning crisis in Northern Irelands public services. With no elected ministers, and the Government reluctant to reintroduce direct rule, civil servants have been left to run departments in a strange governance limbo-land. The situation has been getting gradually worse over three years, as more and more decisions have been left untaken. But things arguably reached tipping point in the weeks before Christmas when workers in the regions struggling health service embarked on industrial action to highlight low pay, spiralling waiting lists and staffing shortages. There was an unprecedented strike by nurses the first ever in the UK amid mounting public fury that patients are suffering while politicians continue to argue. With more strike action planned, there is little doubt the health service crisis has lit a major fire under politicians feet, providing further impetus to get back round the negotiation table. So what are the remaining disputes? Expand Close Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill and Mary Lou McDonald (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill and Mary Lou McDonald (Niall Carson/PA) Same-sex marriage has effectively been taken off the table as a consequence of legislation passed by MPs at Westminster last year that ended the prohibition. The first marriages are expected in February. The Irish language remains a key logjam. Sinn Fein has consistently made a standalone Irish Language Act a prerequisite of any deal to restore devolution. The DUP has expressed a willingness to legislate to protect the language, but only as part of broader culture laws that also include the Ulster Scots tradition. There is a sense that the shape of a deal on language is there; it just requires sufficient political will from the two parties to make the required compromises to get it over the line. Away from the language issue, all the parties accept that Stormonts structures and practices require an overhaul. However, they remain at odds on the shape of those reforms. One of the key disputes centres on the controversial petition of concern voting mechanism. It was this issue, rather than the language row, that is understood to have prevented a pre-Christmas breakthrough. The mechanism, which enables large parties to effectively block change even if a majority of other MLAs agree to it, was a peace process construct designed to offer protections for minorities. But there is a widespread sense that it has been abused, with parties using it for issues unrelated to the traditional community divide, such as on same-sex marriage and to prevent the censure of party ministers. Talks faltered on plans to limit the use of the petition and make it more difficult to trigger. Proposals drawn up with the UUP, SDLP and Alliance secured the backing of Sinn Fein but failed to convince the DUP. And theres yet another deadline? Yes, January 13. The three-year crisis has been marked by a series of missed deadlines, with the parties busting through successive cut-off points that were either imposed by the UK Government or set by legislation. There is another one approaching fast. On January 13, legislation that has given civil servants extra powers to operate in the governance vacuum expires. Mr Smith will then be under a legal duty to call another snap Assembly election. Whether this deadline will prove any more meaningful than the others is yet to be seen. Some British Gas customers with prepayment meters were left fuming after claiming they did not know about the energy giant ditching Paypoint for Payzone terminals on 1 January 2020, narrowing their choice of where to top-up. This led some people to complain they were left without energy on New Year's Day because they couldn't find a Payzone location nearby or the terminal was not yet set-up for British Gas payments. The change from Paypoint to Payzone caused concern when it was announced last month as there are 15,000 fewer Payzone locations around the country. Some British Gas customers with prepayment meters have been unable to top up their energy The switch from one provider to the other was made yesterday with customers also now required to spend a minimum of 5 when topping up their card as opposed to the previous limit of 1. The changes are a massive blow to prepayment customers who struggle to pay their bills and rely on paying small sums at a time to budget better. Prepayment customers must now top up in person at 11,500 local Post Offices or at 13,000 Payzone locations. This compares to the 28,000 Paypoint locations that customers were previously able to use. However, the Post Office says that nationally 94 per cent of the population live within one mile of a Post Office or Payzone outlet and says Payzone is working with British Gas to fill in any gaps in areas where a Payzone outlet could operate. Customers can also top-up online if they have or can get smart prepayment meters installed. One user said he couldn't top up his meter and was left with a very small amount of money Another user said she was 'disgusted' with British Gas after not being told about changes A Twitter user said she had no gas after she said she wasn't told about the change to plans One user was also unable to get any gas after finding that nowhere selling services were open Left without: One user said he had received no notification of the change to Payzone One user said their nearest Payzone was a 20 minute drive away and they don't have a car One man said he was unable to contact British Gas when the change to Payzone happened He continued to say that the Payzone map was not accurate and many weren't accepting British Gas customers yet Peter Earl, head of energy at Compare the Market, said: 'Vulnerable customers are the most likely to be impacted by British Gas' decision. 'Prepayment meter customers often pay the most for their energy as a result of being stuck on a more expensive tariff, and the unfortunate consequence of the Big Six supplier switching to Payzone is that these customers have fewer places to go to top up their energy. 'Customers on a prepayment meter should check whether they are able to switch to another provider, which could offer meaningful cost savings.' Many of the customers have taken to social media to vent their frustrations. However, British Gas said it wrote to all customers to inform them of the changes. A British Gas spokesman said: 'British Gas announced it will be ending its contract with Paypoint on 31 December and signed a new contract with the Post Office and Payzone, which took effect on 1 January 2020. 'The services were dual-running between December and January, allowing for customers to find their nearest Payzone/Post Office location. 'The new contract means customers will be able to undertake all over-the-counter bill payment services at any one of the Post Office and Payzone's 24,000 locations. 'We wrote to all of our customers to inform them about the change in December this was either by email or post depending on whether we had email addresses for the customer. 'It is vital that our customers are able to access this important service and we are working closely with Payzone to ensure that we meet the demands of our customers. 'We have undertaken an analysis of the areas impacted by the change and Payzone has committed to work with British Gas to increase its reach in areas where we foresee we will need additional services.' Customers with any concerns are advised to contact British Gas' customer services. They can also find the list of their local Payzone points here. Turkey has detained seven people for questioning, including four pilots, over how fugitive businessman Carlos Ghosn managed to transit through Istanbul as he fled Japan on his way to Lebanon, agency DHA reported Thursday. The interior ministry has opened an investigation into Ghosn's apparent transfer between private jets at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport on Monday. It is focused on two flights, the first a Bombardier labelled TC-TSR flew from Osaka in Japan, landed in Istanbul at 05.15am and parked in a hangar. The second was a private jet to Beirut, a Bombardier Challenger 300 TC-RZA, which left 45 minutes later, according to DHA. The seven detained by police also include two ground personnel and the operations director of a private cargo company, DHA said. According to the Hurriyet newspaper, the Beirut-bound private jet was formerly owned by Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab, convicted in the United States for his alleged role in a scheme to evade sanctions on Iran by trading gold for gas. Ghosn, the former Nissan boss, made a dramatic escape from Japan despite stringent bail conditions, claiming his upcoming trial for financial misconduct was rigged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Washington, DC, and Pyongyang criticised for squandering rare opportunity in the last two years to iron out a deal. Kim Jong Un has made it clear there will never be denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula if Washington adheres to its hostile policy, as the North Korean leaders year-end deadline for the Trump government to restart negotiations elapsed. Kim and US President Donald Trump met twice last year in Hanoi, Vietnam, and in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, which divides the two Koreas but failed to reach an agreement that seemed imminent after the landmark 2018 Singapore talks. The North Korean leader had issued a year-end deadline to the Trump administration to get back to the negotiating table. The US regarded the ultimatum as artificial and, in his New Years address following a four-day Workers Party meeting in the North Korean capital Pyongyang, Kim made it clear there were no grounds for North Korea to be bound by a self-declared moratorium on testing nuclear bombs and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). We will steadily develop necessary and prerequisite strategic weapons for the security of the state until the US rolls back its hostile policy towards the DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea) and a lasting and durable peacekeeping mechanism is built, Kim said in his New Years address following a four-day Workers Party meeting in Pyongyang. The present situation warning of long confrontation with the US urgently requires us to make it a fait accompli that we have to live under the sanctions by the hostile forces in the future, too, and to strengthen the internal power from all aspects. The North Korean leader also revealed plans to introduce a new strategic weapon in the near future, state media reported him as saying. We will reliably put on constant alert the powerful nuclear deterrent capable of containing the nuclear threats from the US and guaranteeing our long-term security. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed hope that the North Korean leader would choose peace and prosperity over conflict and war but analysts suggest that lack of an agreement is the result of a conflicting approach to the talks. It seems the US and North Korea were unable to agree on the fundamental approach to negotiations, much less the content of them, Jenny Town, fellow at the Stimson Center and managing editor of 38 North, told Al Jazeera. The US keeps striving for a working-level process to establish a detailed plan of implementation before an agreement is signed. The North Koreans, with Kim actively involved in the negotiation, seem to want an agreement to some top-level goals first. Once thats signed, they can then hand down the mandate to the working level. Who wants what Matthew Kroenig, associate professor at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, echoed those views before adding that the sequence of what each side needs has been significant in matters remaining unresolved. Trump is a showman. He wanted to meet Kim directly. He believes that hes a master negotiator and only he could sit down with Kim and achieve a breakthrough, Kroenig told Al Jazeera. The second disagreement is about sequencing. North Korea wants sanctions lifted upfront in order to continue talks while the US has been very clear: The sanctions will remain until denuclearisation is underway. Thats the biggest obstacle, for the US to get North Korea to give up the weapons. Kims goal is to keep and expand and also modernise his nuclear missile programme. 191231095940890 In response to Kims statements on Wednesday, President Trump reiterated the relationship he says the two leaders have. He likes me, I like him. We get along. Hes representing his country, Im representing my country. We have to do what we have to do, Trump said. But he did sign a contract, he did sign an agreement talking about denuclearisation. Trump and Kims first historic Singapore summit in June 2018 came after months of growing tensions marked by nuclear and missile tests, fresh sanctions and threats of total destruction, and ended with a vague statement that failed to produce tangible progress. The lead-up to the second summit in Hanoi last year promised a different world after the talks. Both leaders greeted each other with smiles, sitting together and oozing optimism. But the optimism was cut short, a working lunch cancelled and President Trump decided to walk away from the negotiation table in the Vietnamese capital, leaving North Korea without sanctions relief and the US without Pyongyangs commitment towards the denuclearisation it sought. Pyongyang sees nuclear missile programme as key to its survival, Kroenig added. North Korea is not interested in an agreement, they are pretending to negotiate as long as they get the sanctions lifted without having any intention of giving up the nuclear programme. The stakes are higher for the US in getting a deal to denuclearise North Korea, its a major national security policy. 200101000830200 Trumps belief, according to Kroenig, that he can succeed where other US presidents failed is driving his confidence in the negotiations and the hope for a landmark agreement. His patience with the lack of progress and his choice of words while addressing the North Korean leader have also been seen as key to avoid an angry response in words or action from Pyongyang. But some believe the emotions coming out of North Korea on Wednesday may signal a shift in approach. North Korea has, in effect, put an ICBM to Trumps head in order to gain the two concessions it wants most: sanctions relief and some sort of security guarantee, said Harry Kazianis of the Center for the National Interest in Washington. Kim is playing a dangerous game of geopolitical chicken, Kazianis was quoted as telling the AFP news agency. He added that Washington could respond with more sanctions, an increased military presence in East Asia and more fire and fury-style threats coming from Trumps Twitter account. And as the US enters its election year, Trumps push for a diplomatic solution could help his campaign. For North Korea, who before the Hanoi summit warned it faced a food shortfall of around 1.4 million tonnes in 2019, lifting the economic sanctions would have a significant effect on the country. Both sides have really squandered a rare opportunity. The political will is something we havent seen in a long time, Town said. But the US and North Korean created obstacles to progress over the past two years, and both sides will stand to lose from their own intransigence. New Delhi: In what can be called as the New Years gift, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will disburse Rs 12,000 crore bonanza to farmers at an event in Karnatakas Tumakuru on Thursday. Under the flagship PM-Kisan Scheme, six crore farmers will get the funds. He would address a mammoth gathering at the Krishi Karman Awards presentation ceremony and distribution of fishing equipment at the Junior College grounds in Tumakuru. Special security measures have been deployed in view of the VVIP visit. During his stay in Tumakuru, drones will not be allowed and anybody violating the direction will face stringent action, said a notification issued by Deputy Commissioner of the district Dr Rakesh Kumar. PM Modi will begin his mega outreach programme with visit to famous Sri Siddaganga Math. On Friday, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the 107th Indian Science Congress at the Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra Campus at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru, before flying to New Delhi in the afternoon. He will also visit the DRDO facility during his Karnataka visit. The Krishi Karman and Krishi Samman Awards function is being slatted as a grand event. According to official estimate, around 1.5 lakh people will attend the event. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is personally monitoring each and every detail. At the event, PM Modi will give awards to 28 progressive farmers from 21 states. According to official statement, the chief ministers of Manipur and Jharkhand and the Governor of Uttarakhand will also attend the event. "It will be grand event. Since 1.5 lakh people will take part, we have made arrangements for loudspeakers and LED screens everywhere to avoid any inconvenience to the people," Yediyurappa was quoted as saying. The mega event comes at a time when the Opposition has been accusing Centre of not doing enough to tackle the farm distress in India. The flagship programme - Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi was launched just before the Lok Sabha Elections last year. Many feel that the scheme was Modi governments answer to lessen the agrarian burden. According to the official numbers, overall farm sector growth stood at 2.90% in the 2018-19 fiscal. It was 2% and 2.1% in the first and second quarter of the 2019-20 fiscal, respectively. This year, the Modi government has mega plans to leverage farmers data collected under the PM-Kisan scheme for providing better facilities to farmers. The data will be linked with land records, Kisan Credit Card (KCC), crop insurance, soil health card, and other important schemes. The government is also likely to launch few more schemes in the forthcoming budget that would bring a major shift in the agriculture sector. (With PTI Inputs) For all the Latest India News, South News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jordan: natural gas provision from Israel begins (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, JANUARY 2 - Jordan since Wednesday has been receiving natural gas from the Leviathan platform located in front of the Israeli coast, the National Jordanian electricity company NEPCO said in a statement quoted by local media. ''Experimental provisions will continue over the next three months based on technical and contractual agreements between the two sides'', added NEPCO, referring to an agreement with US company Noble energy, which manages Leviathan with an Israeli enterprise. The contract provides for provisions for the next 15 years. Part of the Jordanian public opinion, however, opposes the use of gas coming from Israel. ''This is a black day in the history of Jordan'', said the Islamic Action Front. For its part the Jordanian government has said it is an agreement reached by private companies.(ANSAmed). In a potential setback for President Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signaled his country could resume testing nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missiles. WSJ Korea correspondent Andrew Jeong explains whats next for the U.S.-North Korea talks. Photo: Associated Press/KCNA Love Island's Jess Shears and Dom Lever have shown their baby boy's face for the first time with a sweet family snap to celebrate the new year. The couple, who met on the ITV2 dating show two years ago, looked smitten as they gazed into each other's eyes for the Instagram post on Wednesday. Jess, 26, cradled their three-month-old son in her arms - displaying an elaborate wrist tattoo as she supported her baby. Sweet family: Love Island's Jess Shears and Dom Lever have finally shown their three-month-old baby boy's face for the first time in an adorable family snap to celebrate the new year She penned: 'Here's to 2020 with a full heart and everything I could ever want.' Their son, whose name is yet to be revealed, was dressed in a beige outfit and looked directly at the camera. Jess's brunette tresses were scraped back, away from her face and into a neat ponytail. She wore a satin top and oversized cardigan. Jessica penned: 'Here's to 2020 with a full heart' alongside her lovely family picture It's a boy! Jess and Dom revealed that their newborn baby was a boy three months after welcoming him into the world The model accessorised with a simple pair of silver hooped earrings. Dom's beard was neatly trimmed and he put on a stylish display in a black jumper, placing his arm gently across his wife's shoulder to display his watch and wedding ring. It comes after the couple made an appearance on JD's In the Duffle Bag podcast, where they revealed the gender of their new bundle of joy - while insisting on keeping his name under wraps. Jess, who married Dom in October 2018, said: 'It wasn't so much of a secret, people made more out of it.' Bundle of joy: The couple recently made an appearance on JD's In the Duffle Bag podcast, where they revealed the gender of their new bundle of joy Meanwhile, 28-year-old Dom added: 'I think it was because they were expecting some kind of grand announcement when he was born, what his name was and stuff and I think we just weren't really fussed.' However, when it came to revealing the baby's chosen moniker, the couple were a lot less forthcoming, with Jess insisting they wanted to keep such details just between them as they remain in their 'newborn bubble'. Back in October, the couple took to Instagram to share sweet snaps of their adorable newborn, but did not reveal his sex or name. Jess simply wrote 'Baby Lever' next to the photograph of her baby sleeping in a white baby-grow, while her husband Dom posted a shot of himself walking away with their child in a Cybex car seat, which he captioned 'baby we did it'. The new mother also took to her Instagram stories to share Dom's post, adding the heartwarming caption: 'My whole world,' followed by a red heart emoji. A couple of hours later, Dom followed suit, sharing a snap of Jess when heavily pregnant, writing: 'So much respect and love for everything you've done' alongside a red heart. Jess and Dom announced that they were expecting their first child in May 2019, seven months after tying the knot. A boy has no name: While the couple, who met on the ITV2 dating show two years ago, took three months to publicly confirm their baby's gender In a candid interview with new! magazine following the announcement, the stunning model explained and her husband why they decided to wait five months until sharing the news of their pregnancy. 'Jess' blood is rhesus negative, which means there could be a risk for the baby', Dom said, revealing his wife's rare blood type. Rhesus disease is a condition where antibodies in a pregnant womans blood destroy her baby's blood cells. It only happens when the mother has rhesus-negative blood (RhD negative) and the baby in her womb has rhesus-positive blood (RhD positive). The mother must have also been previously sensitised to RhD-positive blood. Adorable: Reality beauty Jess posted the snap after fans speculated that she had gone into labour weeks beforehand, following a cryptic snap by her husband Dom Proud dad: Dom posted a shot of himself walking away carrying their child in a Cybex car seat, which he captioned 'baby we did it' The honey-blonde beauty explained: 'I didn't know it was a thing until recently and it can cause miscarriages. I wanted to make sure everything was good with the baby and it also gave us a bit of time to enjoy it together.' At the end of September, the brunette beauty revealed that she was well overdue as she eagerly awaited the end of her pregnancy, lamenting her 'swollen face' in a throwback selfie. Reality beauty Jess posted the snap after fans speculated that she had gone into labour weeks beforehand, following a cryptic snap by her husband Dom. The pair met on Love Island in 2017 and became the first contestants to have sex in the secret hideaway. We're having a baby! In May, Jess and Dom announced that they were expecting their first child, seven months after they tied the knot in October 2018 Candid: In an interview with new! magazine in May, the stunning model explained and her husband why they decided to wait five months until sharing the news of their pregnancy They announced their engagement after three months of dating and married in a romantic ceremony in the Greek Island of Mykonos in October 2018. The pair became the second couple from the ITV2 show to say 'I do', weeks after Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen married in a lavish Essex ceremony. In February 2018, Jess and Dom 'tied the knot' in a fake wedding during a Valentine's Day themed episode on ITV's Good Morning Britain. The couple stripped down to minimal clothing as they entered into a playful ceremony with presenter Richard Arnold, who had been ordained for the occasion. Jess and Dom announced they were expecting their child seven months later in May. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Lido, West Java Thu, January 2, 2020 13:23 739 48be62e941b44f04afae568c32095125 1 Environment Aqua,mineral-water,conservation,water Free Ever wondered why bottled mineral water tastes a certain way? You've heard friends and family tout one brand as sweet, another slightly bitter and tart, and some won't drink anything but a single brand. The flavor isn't a figment of your imagination, and actually depends on the types and amount of minerals that are in the water. Our taste buds sense the flavor, and its natural for some people to taste nothing at all. The flavor of bottled mineral water was among the topics discussed on Nov. 28 during The Jakarta Posts visit to a spring water facility in Lido, West Java. It is the main source of water for Aqua, one of Indonesias largest drinking water companies. Read also: Aqua, Rinaldy Yunardi team up for latest limited edition bottles Built around 46 years ago, Aqua's Lido facility supplies water to the companys bottling factories in other areas, including its factories in Bekasi and Sentul, also in West Java. The giant tank on the left stores water at Aqua's spring water facility in Lido, West Java. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari) To reach the spring water facility, visitors descend a concrete path past a giant tank. With a storage capacity of 300,000 liters, the natural spring water is drawn up into the giant tank where it is stored before the water is pumped into tank trucks for transporting to the bottling factories. Aqua draws its water from three of five springs in Lido, named Source 1, 4 and 5. Said to be located closest to the giant tank, Source 5 is 50 meters deep and has a volume flow rate of 18 liters per second. The spring is secured in a hygienic cylinder covered with glass that resembles a hut, and visitors are required to take off their shoes before entering. A hut-like structure houses Source 5, one of the springs that supplies natural water to Aqua. The spring is 50 meters deep and has a flow rate of 18 liters per second. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari) Source 4 supplies water to the villages of Ciburuy and Cigombong. There are 400 families in Ciburuy village, while Cigombong village has 500 families. They can use the water from us, and its part of our social responsibility [program], said Wawan, Aqua's corporate social responsibility (CSR) coordinator. He added that a water meter had been installed at each house to provide equal access to the water supply. Weve formed a kelompok pengelola sarana air bersih [KPSAB], and it charges each family Rp 1,500 (11 US cents) per cubic meter [of water], said Wawan. The members of the KPSAB or clean water management group come from the two villages, and it is non-profit. The fee isn't for Aqua, Its for maintenance and for the group, said Wawan, who added that the company also paid the electricity and tax for the villages' water supply. The sustainability of the spring is heavily dependent on catchment areas, especially in the mountains. One of Aquas water conservation areas is in Pancawati village, West Java. In collaboration with the local Yayasan Gamelina, the company runs a number of conservation activities, such as sumur resapan (wells for collecting rainwater), rorak (water traps), biopore infiltration holes and tree planting. The head of Yayasan Gamelina, Dangdang Mulyadi (seated), demonstrates the simple steps for trapping water using a 'rorak' on Nov. 28, 2019 at the Aqua conservation area in Pancawati, Bogor, West Java. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari) Lecturer Nana Mulyana of the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) is partnering with Aqua in conserving water, and said the spring water that the company used dated back 2,000 to 3,000 years. So its not from rainwater that fell recently, said Nana, adding that it took hundreds of years for water to be absorbed into the ground and become a spring. Forests have a crucial role in maintaining groundwater for future use. The roots of trees allow water to penetrate deeper into the ground, so cutting down trees disrupt the balance. Nana added that Aqua and the local communities had targeted groundwater recharge the absorption of rainwater into the ground of 57 liters per second within the next decade. (wng) __________ Editor's note: The Jakarta Post was invited by Aqua to visit its spring water facility in Lido, West Java. COLOMBO, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT), which is a joint venture operated by China and Sri Lanka at the Colombo South Terminal in the Port of Colombo, said Wednesday that it handled a total of 2.9 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) or 40 percent of volumes at Colombo Port in 2019. CICT said in a statement that the terminal has seen an 8.6-percent increase in throughput compared to 2018, and a 322-percent increase compared to 2014. Strong growth at CICT has helped the Port of Colombo increase its total throughput by 2.6 percent in 2019. Ultra Large Container Carriers (ULCC) contributed to 72 percent of CICT's volumes as the terminal is the first and only deep water port in South Asia capable of handling the large vessels afloat. the CICT CEO Jack Huang said, "We believe that our unwavering commitment to efficiency and other key performance indicators coupled with our deep water capacity enabled us to grow faster than some of the other terminals in the region." CICT made a number of investment to the Colombo South Terminal in 2019 including 1.5 million U.S. dollars for Sri Lanka's first Dangerous Goods Storage Facility and 10 million dollars to convert the entire fleet of diesel operated rubber-tyred-gantry cranes to electric ones with zero carbon emissions - reducing carbon emissions by 45 percent and diesel consumption by 96 percent. Since commencing operations in 2014, the CICT has overseen growth in volumes from 686,639 TEUs in 2014, to 1.56 million TEUs in 2015, 2 million TEUs in 2016, 2.38 million TEUs in 2017 and 2.67 million TEUs in 2018. The CICT is a joint venture between China Merchant Port Holdings and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The Colombo South Terminal was developed by the CICT under a 35-year build, operate and transfer agreement with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. "I do not harass the guards; I question them if I see something wrong. I do not belittle department heads; I want (them) to do their job and may question them on certain situations." Fine arts events: 1. The fourth National Applied Fine Arts Exhibition (2014-2019): The exhibition took place from October 4 to November 30 at the Hanoi Museum, aiming to review the creative activities of painters, designers, handicraft artisans, enterprises and trade villages in the field of applied fine arts. On display were 189 participants 280 art works and products. The environmentally friendly exhibits have creative and aesthetic designs as well as offering practical applicability to inspire viewers to use them in their daily life and production. 2. Exhibition Art In The Forest 2019 (fifth season) At the exhibition "Art in the forest" This is a community-based visual art programme which has been held annually since 2015. This years event featured numerous impressive, professional, high-quality art works, marking the half-decade journey of creating a unique and exciting art space. The exhibition was held from October 26, 2019 to October 15, 2020 at Flamingo Dai Lai Resort in Ngoc Thanh ward, Phuc Yen district, Vinh Phuc province. 3. The International Watercolour Exhibition The exhibition, which took place from April 19-30 at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum, drew the participation of 307 watercolour painters from 62 countries and territories, including Vietnam. The organising board presented awards to the 12 most outstanding works. 4. Exhibition for fine art works of representative Asian artists At the fine art exhibition of representative Asian artists (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn) The exhibition showcased 81 fine art works by 27 artists from 13 Asian countries and territories at the Vincom Centre for Contemporary Art (VCCA) in Hanoi from November 5-25. The event was an opportunity to promote the fine arts, the land and people of Vietnam, while helping Vietnamese fine art lovers approach the diverse and unique art styles of many artists in the region. Photography events: 1. The 2019 Youth Photography Festival The 2019 Youth Photography Festival was organised from October 17-23 at the Centre for Examination and Exhibition of Fine Arts and Photography Works in Hanoi, for young and upcoming photographers aged between 18 and 35. The event aimed to encouraged the development of photographs among the younger generations, contributing to promoting a creative society. 2. Photo contest themed Homelands Sea and Islands At the exhibition for the oustanding art works to the contest "Homeland's seas and islands" (Photo: petrotimes.vn) The contest was held in 2018-2019, aiming to promoting the position, role, potential and beauty of Vietnamese seas and islands as well as affirming Vietnams sovereignty and legitimate interests over the East Sea. 3. The tenth International Art Photography Contest 2019 The contest officially opened in Hanoi on October 8, for all photographers and photography lovers from around the world. The event attracted over a massive 16,000 photos by more than 1,000 artists from 37 countries and territories worldwide. 4. The International art photography contest titled Proud of Hanoi At the exhibition "Proud of Hanoi" After nine months of launching, the contest organising board received a total of 2,659 works on Hanoi, including 2,514 single and 145 sets of photos, by 430 photographers from eight countries. There were sixteen of the most outstanding entries honoured, including 15 taken by Vietnamese photographers and one by a Singaporean. The notable photos were exhibited at an exhibition from October 10-14 at the Exhibition House, 45 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi. Limitation The lacquer painting "Spring Garden of North, Central and South" has been damaged. A lacquer painting titled Vuon xuan Trung Nam Bac (Spring Garden of North, Central and South) by master painter Nguyen Gia Tri, which is considered as a national treasure, has been damaged. During the cleaning process for the painting, the employees of Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum used a kind of flour and rough papers to scratch its surface. PM Imran Khan has called a parliament session to extend the tenure of Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. According to the information, on Friday, the bill can be introduced to amend the Army Act. Please tell that General Bajwa was given a three-year extension. The government received a warning from the Supreme Court on this decision. The court had said that there is no provision in the Army Act for the extension of General Bajwa. The court had extended this extension to six months. The government was asked to enact a law in Parliament within six months about this. Mamata Banerjee will train TMC Student Council against CAA and NRC, Know plan According to information received from the Pak media, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday chaired a cabinet meeting to approve the proposed amendments to the Constitution and the Army Act. After agreeing with the opposition on the matter, the government will also present the amendment bill in Parliament on Friday. Bajwa will turn 60 this year. 311 party workers including BJP national secretary in police custody In his statement, a Cabinet member who attended Wednesday's meeting said that in the matter of expansion, the maximum age limit of the army chief has been called for 64 years. However, the regular age limit of the army chief will be 60 years. In addition, the Prime Minister will take the final decision if he is given an extension. Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to extend Bajwa's term for another three years on August 19, 2019. After Nagrikta now his mother in discussion, pleaded to meet PM Modi Polls to rural civic bodies were held on 27 December (first phase) and 30 December (second phase) in Tamil Nadu. Chennai: A transwoman, students and elderly women were among the successful candidates who fought the 27 and 30 December polls to rural civic bodies in Tamil Nadu. Counting of ballots for thousands of civic posts in 27 districts began this morning and it continues to be on and results have started trickling in from a number of regions. Riya, a 30-year old transwoman of the DMK was declared elected union councillor in Namakkal district's Tiruchengode Panchayat Union. She is the first transwoman to win a local body election in Tamil Nadu on the ticket of a recognised political party, according to local officials. Preethi Mohan, a 22-year old second year postgraduate student won as union councillor from Salem District's Ayothiapattinam Panchayat Union. Sandyarani Jayasarathi, a 21-year old woman and a student was elected village panchayat president of KN Thotti in Krishnagiri district. Several from humble background were successful, including Saraswathi, a former sanitary worker who was elected as a village panchayat president from Virudhunagar district. Also, in districts including Ramanathapuram a number of elderly women -of age ranging between 70-80- were elected to civic posts and these were allocated to women. Polls to rural civic bodies were held on 27 December (first phase) and 30 December (second phase) in Tamil Nadu. The direct elections were to elect 91,975 civic posts in rural bodies falling under in 27 districts. Of the over 90,000 posts, 76,746 were village panchayat ward member posts and 9,624 village panchayat president positions. Also, polls were held for 5,090 panchayat union ward member posts and 515 district panchayat ward member (also referred as councillors) positions. Among such thousands of civic posts, as many as 18,570 were elected unopposed. The counting of votes were being held by deploying about 1,00,000 officials in 315 centres spread across 27 districts amid tight security provided by 30,354 police personnel. The State Election Commission, referring to the use of paper ballots in polls, said the completion of counting of votes in all the districts may happen by Friday. Tell us in 7 days, why property cant be attached: UP govt gets cracking on rioters India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 02: The Uttar Pradesh government has set a 7-day deadline to those it had issued notices to recover the damages to property. Over 150 notices had been issued seeking to know why their property could not be attached to recover the losses to public property during the protests against the citizenship law. In Lucknow, 152 notices have been issued and the losses have been estimated at Rs 2.54 crore. In the case of Bjnor and Sambhal, 43 and 26 notices have been issued and the losses are pegged at Rs 19.70 lakh and Rs 15 lakh respectively. In Kanpur and Rampur, the losses have been estimated at Rs 10.97 lakh and Rs 14.86 lakh and 15 and 28 notices have been issued respectively. In the case of Muzaffarnagar, the loss is Rs 56.7 lakh and a total of 40 notices have been sent out. Friday prayers in Uttar Pradesh pass off peacefully The UP government has served the notices based on the CCTV footages of the accused persons. They have been asked to explain why the properties cannot be attached to recover the damages caused during the violence that erupted due to the protests against the newly amended citizenship law. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 In addition to this, the police have filed 213 FIRs, while 925 persons have been arrested. 5,558 persons have been detained and several others booked for posting objectionable material on the social media. CAB riots: UP government set to attach properties of rioters The notices were served after Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath instructed the administration to take action against those who had vandalised property during the protests. The administration also cited a 2010 High Court order which had directed the state government to compensate for the loss to the public caused during the violent agitations from those indulging in acts of violence. Terry and Linda Graf are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The former Linda Siler married Graf on Jan. 2, 1970, in Blessed Sacrament Church in Midland. They have four children, Connie Gavin, Mike Graf, Ken Graf and Christina Graf. They have nine grandchildren. Terry retired from the Bullock Creek Schools and Linda retired from Blessed Sacrament School. They plan to celebrate their anniversary June 28, 2020, with a get-away up North when the entire family can be in Michigan. How they met? They met while attending Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. Carole Ghosn, who not so long ago was an influential but discreet figure in the New York fashion world, has been thrust into the limelight by her tycoon husband Carlos' arrest and subsequent flight from Japan. The 53-year-old second wife of the former Nissan boss, who like him also has Lebanese citizenship, has vocally led the campaign for her husband's freedom but what role she played in his epic escape remains unclear. Carole was reunited with her husband on Monday after he jumped bail in Japan, where he had been jailed and then held under house arrest over several counts of financial misconduct. Little known in her birth country, the elegant entrepreneur often seen sporting flowing blonde hair spent a big part of her life in the United States. But over the past year, she has criss-crossed the globe, indefatigably spearheading a campaign to clear her husband's name. Carole was not with him on November 19, 2018 when he was dramatically arrested aboard his private jet at a Japanese airport and was shocked to learn the news thousands of kilometres away. She was prevented from seeing her husband during his detention and initially kept largely silent about his case but was ever-present after he was released on bail to a central Tokyo apartment on March 6. The tycoon's wife appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron, complaining in an interview with the newspaper Journal du Dimanche that the silence of French authorities in the case was "deafening". She also contacted the White House and gave a tearful interview to US media in which she said her 65-year-old husband was in poor health, exacerbated by what she described as "mental abuse" while he was detained. "During the month he was free, they tried to live normally, go for walks, eat good meals," said a Tokyo-based friend of the couple. This was in spite of the photographers who camped outside their residence -- to Carole's visible annoyance. The respite was brief and Carlos was rearrested at dawn on April 4 to answer further allegations -- an event that "traumatised" her, according to her friend. In interviews she claimed that prosecutors scoured their 50-square-metre apartment, searched her, took her passport and even accompanied her to the bathroom. "It was a huge trial, among the worst moments of her life," said the couple's French lawyer, Francois Zimeray, who praised her for her "dignity" under pressure. Using another passport, she then left Japan for France but returned a few days later to face questioning and show "she had nothing to hide." Her friend told AFP: "She has decided to fight for her husband because she loves him and she believes in his innocence. She won't leave him because she knows that for him, his defence is the biggest challenge of his life." Media reports gave colourful accounts of Ghosn's escape, spirited out of his home in an instrument case by a former US marine and a private security operative from a Lebanese firm posing as musicians hired for a Christmas party. The former Nissan chairman insisted on Thursday that he had not received help from any government and had organised his escape "alone", denying reports that his wife orchestrated the daring operation. Born in 1966 in Beirut as Carole Nahas, the businesswoman has spent most of her life in the US. She holds American nationality along with her three children from her first marriage. Highly educated and successful in her own right, in the 2000s she founded a company selling luxury kaftans. She met Carlos and the couple fell quickly in love, with Carole providing a calming influence on the impulsive tycoon, according to one friend. They were married in 2016 at the gilded Versailles Palace near Paris in a lavish ceremony that has since caught the attention of authorities amid questions over how the wedding was funded. According to sources close to the case, she is named as president of a company used to buy a luxury yacht that prosecutors suspect was purchased partly with funds diverted from Nissan. Authorities have questioned her over the British Virgin Isles-registered company "Beauty Yachts" but she has not been charged and denies wrongdoing. The Austrian People's Party (OVP) and the Green Party reached an agreement to create a coalition government, informed Sebastian Kurz, head of Austrian People's Party (OVP). Early parliamentary elections were held in on September 29. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' final data, the OVP won with 37.5 per cent of the vote. Following the talks with all political parties represented in the country parliament, Kurz announced on November 11 that OVP would begin negotiations on forming a coalition government with the Green Party that is in the fourth place with a record 13.9 per cent of the vote. "We have managed to reach the [coalition] agreement," Kurz said at a press conference on late Wednesday. On Thursday, Kurz and Werner Kogler, the head of Greens, are going to present the program of the government's work as well as the list of the ministers. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for January 7. EVEN without a permanent chief, procurement activities of the Philippine National Police (PNP) would still continue, Lieutenant General Archie Gamboa assured Thursday, January 2. "It's within my authority to sign contracts and act as the head of the procuring entity. I can sign contracts, I can sign notice to proceed, notice of award. I can do all these things. So no problem about that (procurement)," Gamboa, currently the PNP officer-in-charge, said in a press conference Thursday. It has been almost three months since Gamboa assumed as officer-in-charge after former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde stepped down amid allegations that he protected "ninja cops", or police officers who recycle illegal drugs seized during anti-drugs operations. "Mahirap basahin at mahirap mag-conclude based on the statements of the President. What we can just surmise is continuing pa rin yung supervision ni Secretary Ano sa PNP just like what happened before when I assumed office on October 14," Gamboa said, referring to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Ano. Gamboa stressed that based on the resolution issued by the National Police Commission on October 16, 2019, two days after he assumed office, Napolcom has the power to review the actions of the PNP officer-in-charge. "All my actions are subject for review by the Napolcom. If Napolcom will see that my actions are not in consonance or in excess of the authority that was given, they can always revoke it," Gamboa said. Before Christmas, Gamboa said Napolcom gave him as PNP officer-in-charge additional powers - the power to appoint Police Lieutenant Colonels and attend as an observer Napolcom meetings. Gamboa assured that there has been no grumbling among the PNP personnel about the lack of a permanent leader and the PNP has been able to carry out its functions despite this. "Pag tumatakbo naman sya at na-e-execute naman ang functions properly (If the organization is functioning, then I don't see any problem (with the lack of a permanent police chief)," he added. (MVI/SunStar Philippines) Mumbai, Jan 2 : After doing the rounds of several film festivals, LA-based Kashmiri filmmaker Danish Renzu's "Half Widow" is now set to have a limited theatrical release in India on January 6. The film revolves around a woman from Srinagar in Kashmir, who tries to find her husband who has allegedly been abducted by Indian armed men. The film features Neelofar Hamid, Shahnawaz Bhat, Mir Sarwar and Haseena Sofi in the lead roles. "Half Widow" is already available on Amazon Prime Video. It is an Urdu-Kashmiri language film. The title of the film refers to the namesake term used for Kashmiri women whose husbands have disappeared, mostly in custody of security forces during the Kashmir conflict. As a third-grade teacher in Oakland, I taught students who had just arrived from Afghanistan, Nepal, China, El Salvador and Guatemala. Without training, instructional materials or significant support, I had no idea what to do. I failed to teach them well, and they didnt learn much. Unfortunately, my former students are not alone. Newcomers immigrant students who have been in U.S. schools for less than 3 years are systematically failed by a state system that largely ignores their educational needs. There are 175,716 newcomer students in California. Thats more than the combined student enrollment of 24 California counties, and more than the entire K-12 student populations of Vermont and Wyoming put together. Despite their large size, California does not evaluate outcomes or guide instruction for these students as a subgroup, instead lumping them in with the larger English Learner grouping. Newcomers face challenges that typical English learners do not. Many enter U.S. schools with no or limited English and require additional support to successfully integrate into the community. Curricula are not available to address their instructional needs, program models for schools and districts are understudied, and teachers lack training. So why should we care? If a large group of students are not being adequately prepared for college and the workforce, it has serious implications for the economy and civil society. We need our students to learn English, to graduate high school, to get good jobs. Currently were not giving all of them the tools to do that. Inadequate education hurts Californias future as much as it hurts newcomers themselves. There are also legal concerns. Federal law requires all students, regardless of immigration status, to receive a free and effective public education. But many experts believe that districts across California are failing to provide newcomers with effective schooling. Simply put, our current system may not meet legal requirements. So how do we ensure that newcomers are properly educated? The first step is accurate data collection. To effectively educate any student group, its important to understand who they are, where they are, and how they are doing. With newcomers, were pretty much in the dark. Education leaders and policymakers need an understanding of newcomer demographics, their geographic distribution and their current outcomes. As an initial step in this process, I collaborated with the Oakland Unified School District and the California Department of Education to publish details of the immigrant student population. For the first time, anyone can examine demographic enrollment details for every district in the state and visualize county level data. What weve learned is that, statewide, 67% of newcomer students are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Just 40% speak Spanish as a home language, with big differences across districts. For example, 91% of Oaklands 3,222 newcomers are socioeconomically disadvantaged and 46% of them are Spanish-speaking. Cupertinos 2,478 newcomers are just 4% socioeconomically disadvantaged, and 1% of them are Spanish-speaking. These students and districts require different approaches. Weve also found data to inform the conversation around charter schools. Public districts enroll nearly twice the proportion of newcomers as charter schools 3%, compared to 1.7%. This has major implications for funding allocations and student achievement evaluations. Having this data is immensely valuable in understanding the needs of students in our classrooms. But its a one-off, grant-funded effort for the 2018-2019 school year that will soon become out of date. We need this data reporting to happen as a standard function of the states data reporting system. Crucially, we also need to begin collecting student outcomes. This will enable us to support districts in achieving newcomer success and hold them accountable for it. The second step is instructional support. With better data collection and newcomer student visibility, the state of California can develop newcomer-specific instructional support. This would take the form of curriculum, program models and technical assistance for high-need districts. With time and effort, instruction and educational outcomes can improve for newcomers. For now though, we must begin with the simple step of acknowledging newcomers status as a uniquely vulnerable subgroup worthy of attention and evaluation in official education data systems. No one would suggest that we ignore all data for students in 24 California counties; we need to stop ignoring it for Californias newcomers. Sam Finn is a policy fellow at Oakland Unified School district and has been a teacher in Oakland, Berkeley and Washington, D.C. He has a masters of public policy from UC Berkeley. The Peeragarhi fire is the first major incident of blaze in the National Capital in 2020. Last year, Delhi witnessed a massive fire in Anaj Mandi area that claimed 43 lives. (Photo Credit: PTI Photo) New Delhi: A firefighter was killed and 14 others were injured when a battery factory collapsed in northwest Delhi's Peeragarhi following an explosion due to a fire that broke out early on Thursday morning. As many as 18 people were rescued from the building, including two caretakers and a security guard. The deceased firefighter has been identified as Amit Balyan (20), who was admitted to Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute. He was posted at Kirti Nagar fire station and had joined the Delhi Fire Services recently. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to condole his death. "It is with deep sadness I inform you that one of our firemen was martyred while saving people from fire. Our firemen save other people's lives by putting their lives under extremely risk in difficult circumstances. May his soul rest in peace," he tweeted. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal also condoled the death of the firefighter. "Deeply anguished over news of death of fire operator Amit Balyan Amit along with his team members fought bravely to save lives of many people. I salute his bravery My sincere condolences to his family members. All possible assistance to be extended to the injured & bereaved family," he tweeted. According to officials, 14 people including thirteen firefighters were injured in the blaze. They suffered severe injuries after the battery factory collapsed during the explosion after the fire. A security guard of the factory was also injured, a police officer told reporters. A large portion of the two-storey building in Udyog Nagar area collapsed following an explosion when firefighters were dousing the blaze, an official said, adding that fire department had received a call at 4.23 am. According to fire department officials, the fire has been brought under control but the cooling process is still underway. All the firemen, who were trapped under the debris, have been rescued. The severity of the blaze can be gauged from the fact that more than 30 fire engines were at the spot in the morning. Several people, including fire brigade personnel, were trapped under the debris. A team of the National Disaster Response Force was also helping in the rescue operation. Police said legal action is being taken under appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code. Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain also visited the spot and ordered a magisterial enquiry into the matter. The Peeragarhi fire is the first major incident of blaze in the National Capital in 2020. Last year, Delhi witnessed a massive fire in Anaj Mandi area that claimed 43 lives. The Filmistan fire was the worst that the National Capital has witnessed since the Uphaar tragedy that killed 59 people. Almost all the deceased were migrant labourers hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Were now officially trudging through the new year. (And good luck on that healthier-living resolution.) This is when we adjust to the fact that nothing has changed. You werent allowed to toss Donald Trump out with the old. Although it would have been nice if hed at least have stayed quiet until all of the Christmas trees were down. Instead, hes holding a big, presumably loud, rally Friday in Miami for evangelical supporters. Its supposed to be a response to the editorial in Christianity Today that called him morally lost and confused. Lost? How can you call the man lost? Hes there in the place hes at. The site of the rally, the King Jesus International Ministry church, has a large Hispanic congregation, and Pastor Guillermo Maldonado has told his parishioners to come to hear Trumps speech even if they dont have papers. Explaining his confidence, Maldonado just said Im not that dumb. Perhaps hes been following the record of Trumps businesses, which have been rather low energy about checking for undocumented workers. His Virginia winery just got around to firing some longtime employees this week. Of course that had nothing to do with the difficulty getting other people to do the low-wage backbreaking labor. It was just slow paperwork. Taliban Attacks On Afghan Security Forces Leave Dozens Dead January 01, 2020 At least 26 members of Afghanistan's security forces were killed in a new wave of Taliban attacks in northern Afghanistan, local officials said on January 1. The insurgents claimed responsibility for all the attacks. In northern Kunduz Province, at least 10 Afghan officers were killed and four others wounded in an attack on a police checkpoint in the district of Dashti Archi late on December 31, the head of the provincial council Mohammad Yusouf Ayubi said. In Balkh Province, the Taliban killed nine police officers in an attack on their checkpoint. The fate of four other policemen who were at the checkpoint was unknown, said Mohammad Afzel Hadid, head of the provincial council. In another attack on December 31 seven members of the security forces were killed in a gun battle with the Taliban, according to Jawad Hajri, the provincial governor's spokesman. He said 10 Taliban fighters were also killed. Earlier this week, the Taliban said it has no intention of declaring a temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan. "In the past few days, some media have been releasing untrue reports about a cease-fire... The fact is that, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has no cease-fire plans," the Taliban said in a December 30 statement. Taliban militants continue to stage near-daily attacks targeting Afghan and U.S. forces, as well as government officials -- even as the group holds peace talks with a U.S. envoy tasked with negotiating an end to the military conflict in Afghanistan. Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-attacks- on-afghan-security-forces-leave -26-dead/30355003.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Washington, Jan 1 (UNI) US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington and Beijing would soon start the negotiations devoted to the Phase Two economic and trade deal, adding that these talks should be completed. "The China deal will be signed, probably on January 15 ... We will start the negotiations very soon on phase two and I think phase two can be completed," Trump told reporters. In December, the United States and China announced that they had worked out the Phase One trade deal as part of a larger bilateral trade agreement that would help resolve the long-lasting trade war between the two countries. As part of the accord, the sides agreed to not introduce new duties that were planned to go into effect on December 15. According to Trump administration officials, the phase one will cover tariff relief, increased agricultural purchases and certain structural changes to intellectual property and technology issues. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on December 15 that the first part of the trade deal with China would be inked in early January. Beijing has not confirmed this timing so far. UNI XC-RHK1253 Customers across the UK have complained about their 'disgusting' and 'under-filled' sandwiches, as they name and shame the worst supermarket sarnies of 2019. Consumers from everywhere from Cheshire to Cornwall shared their lunchtime woes across social media platforms to lash out about their substandard lunchtime choices. The UK eats around 11.5 billion sandwiches a year according to the British Sandwich Association, so it's no wonder that people feel so passionately when it comes to getting their butty just right. Louise Pritchard from Broughton, Flintshire took to Facebook to share her sandwich fail - a 'disgusting' 1.90 chicken sandwich from Tesco. Louise Pritchard shared a picture of her chicken sandwich from Tesco which had one small piece of chicken on (above) Pictures show the woefully under-filled sandwich, which Louise had bought for her daughter on 15 November. Social media users saw the funny side however. Rob Young wrote: 'I think your chicken has crossed the road.' Ben Bull, 34, from Brighton had a similar experience with his 2.80 Chicken and Bacon sandwich. The customer service adviser was 'shocked' when he opened his snack on 8 November to find half the contents missing. He posted a photo of the meal on Co-Op's Facebook page with the caption: 'Thanks for the sandwich guys, I'm stuffed and sarcastic (if you couldn't tell).' Speaking today, he said: 'Everyone at work was shocked and it became a bit of a joke around the office. 'I just won't buy a sandwich there again. I'm always complaining that their shelves are empty and when they do fill them up it's with these poor quality sandwiches.' Ben Bull purchased a chicken and bacon sandwich from the Co-op. One half had chicken on and the other had bacon (above) Co-op have since apologised to Ben for his experience. A Co-Op spokeswoman said: 'The store manager and the team at Burgess Hill work very hard to ensure great availability in store. 'Having spoken to the store manager today, there aren't any availability issues in store, but store colleagues are always on hand if customers have any queries. 'In relation to the sandwich, we go to great lengths to ensure the highest quality of the products we sell, and we take customer complaints very seriously. 'We're sorry that on this occasion the customer wasn't happy with the product they purchased.' Jerry Moore, 29, from Corby, Northamptonshire was equally unimpressed with her 'Cucumber and bread' sandwich bought from Tesco. Jerry Moore was left unimpressed when she opened a tuna and cucumber sandwich to find just two pieces of cucumber on it The trainee dog groomer had purchased a 1.90 tuna and cucumber sandwich, but was dismayed to find 'b***** all' inside. She said: 'When I saw it, it was the same kind of defeated sad you get when someone lets you down for the 304th time. 'Like, you knew it was probably going to happen, but you believed it might not anyway because you're full of rainbows and optimism. 'I do buy it regularly and it can be under-filled, but this took it to the next level, I'd say as an estimate there was b***** all. 'Let's just say I burned more calories eating the sandwich than I received from the tuna.' Did you purchase a sub-standard sarnie in 2019? Send us your pictures pictures@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement Breakfast sandwiches seemed to fair no better, with Aldi and Tesco blasted for their stingy offerings. Joey Reid, 20, from Macclesfield, Cheshire shared a snap of his almost empty Aldi All Day Breakfast Triple Sandwich with the caption: 'Where's the rest of my butty?' The 1.99 snack is supposed to contain sausage, egg and bacon on malted bread. However Joey's offering purchased back in September contained just one small sliver of sausage. The snack was so bad, it prompted pal Cairn Michie to comment: 'This legit looks like depression if depression was a meal.' Barry Frankish reported similar problems with his 2.75 Tesco Sausage, Bacon and Egg Sandwich. He posted a picture showing the scant sandwich with the caption: 'I know there's been cutbacks, but come on Tesco at least put some edible filling in my sandwich. 'What's more, it wasn't even a full size slice of bread in my Sausage, bacon and egg triple. The contents from all three would only just fill one regular sandwich.' Barry Frankish purchased a Tesco Sausage, Bacon and Egg Sandwich and was shocked at the lack of filling Barry's post sparked outrage among social media users. Abi Jaynes wrote: 'That's a disgrace. I would've taken it back as well and asked for my money back not a replacement!' Allison Sawyer added: 'That looks awful! Totally inedible.' And Michelle Standen said: 'I'd have taken it back, that's disgusting and it looks awful.' Back in April, Jon Baylis reported the same problem with the sandwich purchased at his local Tesco in Truro, Cornwall. Jon Baylis also had issues with the Tesco sandwiches and posted his sorry excuse for a sarnie In a post on Tesco's Community page, he said: 'All day breakfast in ciabatta with half a sausage and hardly anything else. '2.75 you having a laugh?' Despite its high-end reputation, Marks and Spencer also found themselves in the firing line. Customer Alice Fox was left fuming at the state of her Plant Kitchen Roasted Vegetable Sandwich. Alice Fox got the Plant Kitchen Roasted Vegetable Sandwich from Marks and Spencer and was disappointed She shared a photo of the snack with the caption: '2.50 for the plant kitchen roasted veg sandwich and you get this? 'Disgusting. Waste of money and inedible. Straight in the bin.' Her picture shows a soggy-looking sandwich containing a few slivers of avocado, two pieces of spinach and a smattering of onion. Lauren Shaw from Chester, Cheshire was also disappointed with her 'rip-off' Aldi salmon sandwich. She posted a photo showing the measly meal which contained half a piece of salmon and a smear of cream cheese. She shared the image with the caption: 'Great amount of salmon, not! What a rip-off!' A Tesco spokesman said: 'We always aim to provide great quality products, and in each of these cases we contacted the customer to apologise and resolve the issue.' All supermarkets have been contacted. ***Did you purchase a sub-standard sarnie in 2019? Send us your pictures pictures@mailonline.co.uk*** Radicalising is a lucrative job in Kerala: You could earn up to Rs 40 lakh India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 02: Rs 40 lakh can be quite a lucrative amount. This is the amount that is being offered in Kerala to those who are ready to radicalise people. Kerala has over the years become a hub of radicalisation and there are several groups in the state, which preach radical Islam. The Ministry of Home Affairs has now sought a report on the funding for radicals. The various agencies have reported that radical outfits have been receiving funds from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Turkey. Radicalisation in India, An Exploration: Where the author asks bold questions Recently a person part of a radical group was paid Rs 40 lakh. He was asked to identify youth and radicalise them. It was also found that the person in question had visited Dubai in September. Over there he was offered the amount and told to undertake a major radicalisation. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 The MHA was told that there are several such small groups in Kerala, which have been actively radicalising the Muslim youth. The groups abroad have identified these groups in Kerala and are offering huge sums of money, the MHA was also told. An officer with the Home Ministry told Oneindia that they are in the process of identifying these groups. They need to be on the radar for a sometimes time, identified and then acted upon. While the Indian Intelligence Bureau has always warned about the lurking danger of radical groups, now a study in Pakistan too has identified Kerala as the state which has the most affiliation towards the ISIS. A study titled 'Prospects of Daesh's Expansion in South Asia," conducted by Abdullah Khan, the managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies says that Wilayat-e-Hind is the new chapter of the Daesh which is quickly attracting educated youth in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It says the Indian citizens, especially from Kerala find the Islamic State more attractive than another group. This observation comes in the wake of 54 people from Kerala joining the ISIS in the past three years. The affiliation towards radical and terror groups in Kerala stems out of several factors. This is the state where radical groups such as the PFI and SDPI are extremely strong and enjoy a large amount of political patronage. These groups have played a major role in the radicalisation of the youth, which in turn led to the major Wahhabi influx into the state from Saudi Arabia. Zakir Naik a common factor in the radicalisation of ISIS recruits: NIA IG Several 1,000 Wahhabi preachers came into the state, spread their ideology, pumped in money and then left. They funded the construction of new Mosques heavily, with an intention of ensuring that the ideology was preached from these places of worship. The newer Mosques that are coming up in Kerala are also constructed in the manner in which they have done in Saudi Arabia. This is just one small indicator of how much people of the state are willing to follow the radical style preached by the Wahabi scholars. Moreover, the inflow of funds into Kerala from Saudi is the highest when compared to any other part of the country. It was in Kerala that one got to see posters mourning the death of Osama Bin Laden and also a prayer for Ajmal Kasab after he was hanged. Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that a large number of youth appear to be attracted to this radical style of Islam, but also add that there are some elders who are trying to oppose it. A U.S. appeals court upheld the validity of a federal program governing the payment of billions of dollars to insurers under the Affordable Care Act, reversing a lower court ruling that had prompted the White House to temporarily suspend payments. Tuesdays 3-0 decision by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver is a victory for insurers that feared the Feb. 2018 lower court ruling and payments suspension could drive up premium costs and cause market turmoil. The appeals court said the Department of Health & Human Services did not act arbitrarily and capriciously in implementing its risk adjustment payments program. That program is intended to create incentives for insurers to cover sicker patients, including those with pre-existing conditions, by paying them with money collected from insurers that enroll healthier patients. Circuit Judge Scott Matheson said HHS acted reasonably in using a formula that relied on the statewide average premium, or average of applicable premiums that insureds pay health insurers in a state, to calculate collections from or payments to insurers. He said HHS justified its approach over alternatives such as using the plans own premiums, which it feared could dissuade high-risk plans to lower prices, to make the program budget-neutral, where total charges would equal total payments. Courts cannot second guess an agencys rulemaking decision when it provided reasons for its chosen course of action, Matheson wrote. Tuesdays decision overturned a ruling by U.S. District Judge James Browning in Albuquerque, New Mexico that had set aside payment rules for 2014 through 2018. The case had been brought by New Mexico Health Connections, which had said the rules were slanted to favor large insurers over smaller competitors such as itself. Lawyers for the insurer did not immediately respond to requests for comment. HHS had no immediate comment. The Trump administration announced the payments suspension on July 7, 2018, freezing $10.4 billion for the 2017 benefit year, saying Brownings ruling made it necessary but that it was disappointed with the ruling. While the administration has long criticized the Affordable Care Act, it ended the suspension 2-1/2 weeks later to mitigate some of the uncertainty caused by the New Mexico litigation, after insurers said the suspension could upset markets. HHS later issued new risk adjustment rules for 2017 and 2018, with additional justifications that Matheson said mooted New Mexico Health Connections claims for those years. The case is New Mexico Health Connections v U.S. Department of Health & Human Services et al, 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 18-2186. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by David Gregorio) Topics Carriers USA Mexico The leader of France's hardline CGT union on Wednesday urged all workers to join pension strikes that have crippled public transport over the past month, as a showdown with President Emmanuel Macron enters a second month. In his New Year's address Tuesday Macron vowed not to back down on his plan to replace France's 42 separate pension schemes with a single system that would require people to work longer. The government says the changes are necessary to make the system fairer for all and more sustainable but unions argue that workers, particularly in the public sector, will lose out. Strike everywhere? Reacting to Macron's speech, CGT leader Philippe Martinez called for strikes "everywhere" from next week, both "in the public and the private sector". "Faced with a self-satisfied president who thinks that everything is going fine in this country we have to send a stronger warning sign," he told BFM news channel. "We're calling on all the French to mobilize, attend demonstrations and go on strike," he added. The 28-day strike, which left thousands of travellers stranded over the Christmas holidays, is on course to exceed the longest transport strike to date in France, which lasted for 28 days in 1986 and early 1987. Macron's New Year's address was closely watched for signs that the government's resolve might be weakening. But while calling for a "rapid compromise" during a new round of negotiations with unions next week, Macron vowed that the reforms "will be carried out." Reacting to his comments, Yves Veyrier, secretary-general of the Force Ouvriere (FO) Union, one of France's biggest, said: "I don't get the impression that there is much room for negotiation." Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, head of the France Unbowed (LFI) party, added on Twitter: "These are not (New Year) wishes but a declaration of war to the millions of French who refuse his reform." Mass protests Already another day of mass protests is set for January 9, when teachers, dockers, hospital workers and other public sector employees are expected to join transport workers by striking for the day. Energy workers have also called for a three-day blockade of the country's oil refineries and fuel depots starting January 7, raising the spectre of petrol shortages. But the strike participation rate is waning, with just 7.7 percent of employees at train operator SNCF on strike Tuesday, far below the levels seen when the protest began on December 5. On Tuesday, musicians from the Paris Opera, whose employees enjoy a special retirement regime dating back to 1698, played a protest concert outside the Bastille Opera for several hundred passers-by. Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) has intercepted 445 people returning to the country from India in the last two months, Major General Shafeenul Islam who heads the countrys border guarding force told reporters on Thursday, according to media reports from Dhaka. This accounts for nearly half of all arrests made by BGB for illegal border crossing from India. Maj Gen Islam told reporters that the BGB had detained nearly 1,000 people through 2019. The spike in the arrests along the India-Bangladesh border coincides with a renewed campaign and public debate in India around the Citizenship Amendment Act that was passed by parliament last month and the proposed National Register of Citizens. The CAA-NRC plan had triggered widespread street protests that started from northeastern states and later spread to other states and had spotlighted Home Minister Amit Shah pledge to evict all illegal immigrants by 2024. Maj Gen Islam, who was recently in Delhi for the Director General level talks with the Border Security Force (BSF), told reporters that the 445 people caught at the border were Bangladeshi nationals who went to India illegally at different times and have nothing to do with the citizenship law in India. It is BGBs duty to stop illegal infiltration into the country. It is our routine job and has nothing to do with NRC or CAA, therefore we are not worried about Indias internal crisis, the BGB chief told reporters, according to Dhaka Tribune. There have been reports in the Bangladesh media earlier about these arrests. Like the report in The Daily Star in November that quoted officials linking the spike in illegal crossing to fears of detention by the police. The Daily Star reported the BGB chief as saying on Thursday that the paramilitary force had detained 1,102 people for trespassing into Bangladesh from neighbouring India last year. Of them, 606 were men, 258 people were women, 235 were children and three were human traffickers. After verifying their identities through local representatives, BGB came to know that all the intruders are Bangladeshis. At least 253 cases were filed on charge of illegal trespassing through the borders of Jhenidah, Maheshpur and Satkhira, he said. The Katsina State Police Command says it has rescued six kidnapped teenage girls in Batsari Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. A statement issued in Katsina on Thursday by the commands spokesman, Gambo Isah, stated that the victims were kidnapped while working in a farm at Mata-Mulki Village in Batsari. Mr Isah, a superintendent of police, said the police received a distress call at about 12:30 p.m. that unrepentant bandits with AK47 rifles kidnapped some girls working in a farm at Mata-Mulki Village. He said the Operation Puff Adder team, led by Divisional Police Officer in charge of Batsari, swiftly moved to the area. The team gave the hoodlums a hot chase into the forest and engaged them in a gun duel. The bandits abandoned the victims and ran into the forest, the police successfully rescued the six girls, Mr Isah said. (NAN) In Sarasota, the subtropics meet the South. Pressed up against the edge of the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida, this city, long home to carnies and cowmen, is best understood as a study in contrast. Now the new Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College, which opened last month, aims to spotlight the citys cultural depth and diversity. A cadre of residents forged the idea for a modern art museum more than 15 years ago, because, while there was a wealth of arts organizations in town, few venues dedicated to contemporary art existed. Their conversations led to a $22 million fund-raising effort to reanimate the former site of Sarasota High School as a kunsthalle a non-collecting art institution showing only temporary exhibits. Residents, staff and donors hope the nonprofit museum will provide a cross section of modern and contemporary art as complex as this town. Some of the first Americans in the region were of the Uzita tribe, who died or disappeared after Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century. At the end of the 19th century, Sarasota took shape through agriculture and fishing along the Gulf. Later, writers like John D. MacDonald, Joy Williams and Stephen King would call Sarasota home, as well as architects like Paul Rudolph and Victor Lundy. Carlos_Ghosn_2_skitched TF1 A photo obtained by a French news channel appears to show former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn celebrating New Year's Eve in Beirut with his wife and others. On Monday, Ghosn surfaced in Lebanon after skipping bail and escaping from Japan, where he was facing charges of financial wrongdoing. It's not clear how the 65-year-old made it to Beirut without being noticed, and he is expected to give a press conference soon to provide more details. Follow Business Insider's full coverage of the international fugitive here. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The hunt for Carlos Ghosn didn't appear to deter the fugitive former auto executive's New Year's Eve celebrations. A photo published by TF1, a French television station, appears to show Ghosn with his wife and others enjoying a New Year's celebration in Beirut, where Ghosn has confirmed he is holed up. On Monday, the 65-year-old former Nissan CEO captured the world's attention by skipping bail in Japan, where he was facing charges of financial wrongdoing, and somehow evading intense surveillance to escape to Lebanon. It's not clear exactly how Ghosn made it out of Japan, and even his lawyer has said he is not sure how the escape occurred. It's thought that Ghosn transited through Turkey, which on Thursday detained four pilots suspected of helping him flee on a private jet. Through a US public-relations firm retained this week, Ghosn denounced speculation that his wife or family aided in the planning or execution of his flight. "There has been speculation in the media that my wife Carole, and other members of my family played a role in my departure from Japan," he said. "All such speculation is inaccurate and false. I alone arranged for my departure. My family had no role whatsoever." Story continues A representative did not respond to a question from Business Insider about TF1's photo. Ghosn, who has since his November 2018 arrest categorically denied Japanese prosecutors' allegations of financial wrongdoing and misuse of corporate assets, is expected to give a press conference in the coming days. Read the original article on Business Insider A rtificial intelligence has become more accurate than doctors in diagnosing breast cancer from mammograms, a new study suggests. An international team of researchers from Google Health, Imperial College London, the NHS and Northwestern University in the US have trained an AI model on X-ray images from almost 29,000 women. The computer algorithm outperformed six radiologists in reading the mammograms and was as good as two doctors working together. The tens of thousands of images it reviewed had been previously interpreted by expert radiologists. And while the human experts had access to the patients history when interpreting scans, the AI had only the most recent mammogram to go on. Imperial College London along with Google Health, the NHS and Northwestern University trained an AI model on X-ray images from almost 29,000 women / Imperial College London "We present an artificial intelligencesystem that is capable of surpassing human experts in breast cancer prediction," the researchers told the journal Nature. The algorithm also reduced the proportion of screening errors, where cancer was either incorrectly identified or where it may have been missed. According to the researchers, the work demonstrates how the AI could potentially be applied in clinical settings around the world, alleviating the pressure on healthcare systems by supporting the workload. Dominic King, UK Lead at Google Health, said: Our team is really proud of these research findings, which suggest that we are on our way to developing a tool that can help clinicians spot breast cancer with greater accuracy. "Further testing, clinical validation and regulatory approvals are required before this could start making a difference for patients, but were committed to working with our partners towards this goal. Professor the Lord Ara Darzi of Denham, one of the authors of the paper and director of the CRUK Imperial Centre and the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, said: Screening programmes remain one of the best tools at our disposal for catching cancer early and improving outcomes for patients, but many challenges remain not least the current volume of images radiologists must review. While these findings are not directly from the clinic, they are very encouraging, and they offer clear insights into how this valuable technology could be used in real life. 'The government may backpedal for now to stave off bad international press and diplomatic demarches, but that it will go ahead with putting religion at the centre of citizenship rules is certain.' 'For it is convinced that this is the magic bullet that will ensure its return to power in 2024,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy. Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/ Rediff.com IMAGE: A protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at the historic August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai, December 19, 2019. 'What if?' Oh, how different India's midnight tryst with destiny would have turned out if only some things had been done, or done on time, or remained undone. The list, and personalities found wanting at a crucial turn in the nations progress, is endless and too well-known to bear repetition. We know of so many things that ought to have been done and which were either not done or done so belatedly as to rob them of their efficacy. We know of things that ought not to have been done but were nevertheless done with a total lack of vision, for which the nation continues to pay the price. But no error of commission or omission from the past compares to the deliberate introduction of a legislation and population enumeration measure that drive a wedge through the very heart of India by the Narendra Damodardas Modi government -- barring perhaps Indira Gandhi's imposition of Emergency in 1975 and the draconian curtailing of civil rights in the country for opposing which, ironically, many of his party's stalwarts were imprisoned. Today, the very same party sees nothing wrong in deciding religion as a criterion for citizenship, a concept that militates not only against India's Constitution, but against the land's very ethos -- something the Sangh Parivar would tell you day in and day out that they are steeped in. It is a fact that the Sangh Parivar and its offshoots were bystanders -- some say worse -- in the nation's freedom struggle so possibly their knowledge of the dark days surrounding the liberation of India from the foreign yoke could be different. Standing by the railroad doesn't offer you a vision of either the carriage's insides or the destination, but only of fast-turning wheels and the carriages zipping past. Today, having come to occupy the motorman's cabin, its leaders now tell an astounded nation, mid-journey, that not only was the destination wrongly plotted (by one man, no prizes for guessing who) but even the cost of admittance on the train was wrongly fixed, no doubt by their sole bugbear. If the Sangh Parivar and its offshoots had participated in the freedom struggle, they would have realised that the question of India's nationhood was decided and sealed 72 years ago. India was not to be a mirror image of Pakistan which chose religion as its raison d'etre. A nation of 80 per cent Hindus refused to become a Hindu rashtra not because it was the fashionable thing to do or that Jawaharlal Nehru wanted it that way. In deciding to remain a nation for all religions, India simply chose to be tethered to its civilisational moorings. A land that had over aeons welcomed one and all cannot overnight shut its door to some. It is this trait, and not mere words added to the Constitution's Preamble in 1976, that makes India what it is -- a secular nation. And it is this ancient spirit, the quintessence of India, that is being slow-poisoned by the election-winning Wehrmacht that rules India today. The Constitution of India has always been a finger in the Bharatiya Janata Party's eye. In its very first iteration, the National Democratic Alliance government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee had even set up a committee to examine whether India should switch over to the presidential form of government, but thankfully matters did not proceed beyond that. Would Vajpayee, as steeped in the Sangh Parivar culture as is the second prime minister from the BJP, have gone further with his Constitutional adventurism had he presided over a full majority government and not one dependent on allies? My guess is yes. Clearly, the fact that he has done what few prime ministers have done before him -- winning a second term in office -- has emboldened Modi to strike out on his own, remake India in his own vision. He and his Sancho Panza of a home minister have managed to successfully sell to a critical mass the notion that India's founding fathers -- no, not the entire lot, only Nehru -- had erred. A sample: Why is India still poor? Because of Nehruvian socialism. Why is Kashmir burning? Because Nehru messed up. How did China defeat us? Because Nehru failed. How are Muslims allowed to have four wives? Because Nehru did not want a Uniform Civil Code. Why is Hinduism not respected in India? Because of Nehru's secularism. Having successfully sold half-truths and lies as facts, Modi the Undoer of Historical Wrongs is here promising deliverance to his throng of ecstatic followers. Thankfully the Nays have it, if not in Parliament then at least in the ballot boxes. In the Lok Sabha election held last year, the Modi government won a second term bagging 303 seats and 37.76% of the vote. In other words, 62.74% of Indian voters did not agree with his government's agenda. The 303 seats were enough to see the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill become law in Parliament; but it is the second number, 62.74% of non-voters, that is reverberating across the nation's streets against the CAA-NRC-NPR misadventure. So did Modi miscalculate on the citizenship Act? No, this was always the blueprint before him for his second term in office. Because, his cupboard of achievements is bare, there is hardly anything in it that will guarantee a third term. Of the BJP's three core issues, Ayodhya and Kashmir have been 'resolved' and the Uniform Civil Code is only a matter of timing. But all three cannot guarantee a municipal election, leave alone national. The economy, whose turnaround was the grand promise of Modi I, lies in tatters and all the king's horses and all the king's men don't have a clue on how to put it together. It is a classic case of taking an aspirational India and asking its youth to start pakoda stalls. So, there is nothing on the positive side for the government to take to the people. When all else fails, divide. It is a grim reflection that stares back at India in 2020. With the economy tanking, forget the multi-trillion dollar superpower status, there will be no jobs for our fresh graduates, agriculture remains unremunerative, and without jobs our vaunted demographic dividend will soon become a millstone around Indias neck. Ancient Rome needs to be lauded for giving us the republic, but what happens when the republic falters? So it also gave us the gladiatorial circus to distract attention. As the Indian dream turns hazy, we too are seeing the grand circus play out -- on the streets, on social media, and in TV studios. Never has India been so divided, so polarised. But what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? The popular paradox does not have a satisfactory answer, and neither does the present stalemate have a foreseeable outcome. The government may backpedal for now to stave off bad international press and diplomatic demarches, but that it will go ahead with putting religion at the centre of citizenship rules is certain. For it is convinced that this is the magic bullet that will ensure its return to power in 2024. It knows that the 62.74% voters against it will never vote as one in the elections. It is also a given that the protests against the measure won't recede. It is a fight that will only end at the hustings five years hence. The Supreme Court of India with its brief to defend the Constitution against the Executive and Legislature's excess, stands out like a beacon of hope, but there have been nights so dark that its light too was clouded out. Alas, at times such as these, what is needed at the wheel is a steady pair of hands with 20:20 vision, not myopia and a forked tongue. Saisuresh Sivaswamy has been a journalist for 35 years and wrote his very first column for Rediff.com on January 25, 1997. You can read his columns here. You can mail him at sai@rediff.co.in. Varanasi, Jan 2 : The Varanasi court of Additional Session Judge S. K. Pandey has granted bail to 57 of the 59 protesters, including the parents of a 14-month-old baby girl, who were arrested during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests. The court ordered for the release of each applicant on the submission of two bonds of Rs 25,000 each. Out of 59 arrested protesters, 57 had applied for the bail. The arrested persons will be released on Thursday after completion of formalities. The case of arrest of Ravi Shekhar and his wife Ekta, who run an NGO, was raised by Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Lucknow last week since the couple has a 14-month-old baby, who was being looked after by neighbours after they were arrested. The protesters were arrested from the Chetganj area while marching to the Benia Bagh ground for holding the anti-CAA meeting on December 19. Varanasi had witnessed anti-CAA protests on December 19 and 20. On December 19 protesters, including activists of CPI, CPM, other organisations and also 19 Banaras Hindu University students were arrested from the Chetganj area. Some more protesters were arrested in the Badagaon area, after which the total number of arrests on December 19 reached 73. Rob M. Here comes the rough new decade, slouching toward us like some lumbering beast. And just in time for the always-incoming apocalypse, President Donald Trumpthe Great Dragonis reminding everybody that our freedoms exist only so far as he sees fit. Late last month, the hungry dragon attached a signing statement to HR 1158, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020. The law authorizes appropriations to fund certain federal agencies through September 30 next year. Generally, when a president attaches a signing statement, it's to flag provisions of laws that they believe could impede on their executive authority. This one specifically called out a provision that protected most states with medical cannabis lawsnot including South Dakota, Idaho, Kansas and Nebraskafrom federal intervention. The statement reads: Division B, section 531 of the Act provides that the Department of Justice may not use any funds made available under this Act to prevent implementation of medical marijuana laws by various States and territories. My Administration will treat this provision consistent with the Presidents constitutional responsibility to faithfully execute the laws of the United States. In English: I don't care what Congress says. Marijuana's illegal and I can shut it down anytime I want. Before you lose your head, though, remember that this is the third time he's signed a statement along these lines. So far, he's kept his mitts off. Considering the current state of his career, he'll probably be too busy fending off the dogs to try moving against cannabis. And he's spoken vaguely in support of states' rights concerning cannabis legalization on numerous occasions in the past. But who knows? I've been told I'm an incorrigible optimist. And it wasn't that many weeks ago that the Trump administration was trying to implement new rules that would deny asylum to migrants with misdemeanor marijuana offenses on their records. It seems like his opinion of cannabis swings with his mood. Most New Mexicans Want Legalization A recent survey found that almost three-quarters of New Mexico voters support the legalization of recreational cannabis. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the governor's cannabis working group commissioned Change Research to conduct the poll. It found that 73 percent of 1,055 New Mexicans support the sale of recreational cannabis for adults over 21 in their own communities. Only 39 percent said they would purchase it themselves. The poll was carried out online and was conducted between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percent. According to a similar poll conducted by the Albuquerque Journal, only 61 percent of voters supported legalization in 2016. This is not a stoner-led movement, said Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis, head of the governor's cannabis task force. This is real people who see an opportunity that were not taking advantage of. The task force gave the governor its list of recommendations related to future cannabis legalization legislation in October. Last month, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told KOAT that legalization was at the top of her priorities for the 2020 legislative session. It's a complicated piece of legislation, and I think it's going to be a tough piece of legislation to pass, but I committed to putting it on my call, Lujan Grisham said. Hemp Farmers Discouraged by First Year Hemp producers say their first year hasn't quite panned out the way they were expecting. Las Cruces Sun News reports that low yields and a flooded market have made returns on hemp crops significantly lower than originally predicted. More than 400 licenses to grow hemp were issued by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture this yearincluding 276 licenses to grow outdoors totaling 7,540 acres, and 132 licenses for indoor growers totaling 8,334,424 square feet. New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte told reporters that the flood of applicants was more than double what the state had anticipated. There was a challenging year in the state, and quite frankly across the country, because there were a lot of people who jumped into it and basically oversupplied what was traditionally in the market, Witte said. Many of the new hemp farmers also appear to be inexperienced. Some farmers reported crops with lower yields and CBD content than they were promised by seed broker, and much of the product ended up selling at a fraction of what was originally expected. Farmers have also reported coming into conflict with border patrol agents who seem to have trouble differentiating cannabis crops from hemp crops (for obvious reasons). Despite all the problems, though, it seems as though many farmers are optimistic about next year's harvest and plan to continue producing the new crop. After all, if recreational marijuana is legalized next year, even more opportunities could open up for producers. Lobby Group Warns Against Legalizing I would hope that some of our more astute readers out there will have noticed that the only outcry over the legalization of recreational cannabis in New Mexico seems to be coming from Far Right conservatives and medical cannabis lobby groups. I'll leave it up to you to decide what their motives could be. The most recent grunts of disapproval have come from medical cannabis experts with the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Patients Advocate Alliance. They claim that legalization could threaten the availability of cannabis for patients enrolled in the state's Medical Cannabis Program. New Mexico as it stands just does not have the logistics for recreation, the group's secretary, Chad Lozano, told KVIA in El Paso, Texas. We don't have enough cannabis for everybody, he said. We don't have enough producers. The price to become producers is ridiculous The way that we're going is just down the wrong path. Sabarkatha: A village in Gujarat's Sabarkatha district has been declared as "Adarsh Gram". Punsari village with a population of 6000 has all the facilities and can compete with any metropolitan city in the country. Be it the schools or Anganwadi centres which are updated with new infrastructure and are well maintained. The roads are clean and litter-free. There is a speaker installed at every corner of the village to make public announcements to pass on all kinds of information to people. Further, there is a bus facility system that people in the village use to commute to places within and sometimes to other nearby villages. Every basic need is well taken care of which has also improved the lifestyle of the villagers. Live TV The credit for the transformation of the village lies with Himanshu Patel. He was the village sarpanch from 2006 to 2014. For the success of Punsari, Patel did start any new initiative but relied solely on schemes and programs launched by the government. From educating people about Mudra Yojna, Jan Dhan Yojna or Ujjwala Yojna to using the state-sponsored schemes for the village to proper use. Just like in any city Punsari too has good roads, clean water, electricity, CCTV, RO water plant, waste collection, arogya kendra, kaushalya vardhan Kendra, digital schools. Facilities like bus stand and sound system at every intersection is present in this village. After the success of Punsari, he is now working with close to 10,000 villages in India and over 2 lakh people have visited the village to look at their model of governance. Patel has a team who helps him connect with Sarpanch of other villages who seek his guidance in making their villages Adarsh. He has won several awards and recognition for his work with Punsari village. (With input from Shailesh Chauhan) A grand medieval house containing a 570-year-old fireplace, ceramic floor tiles and old horse shoes has been discovered under an old public toilet in Cardiff. The discovery was made during an archaeological dig that involved 35 volunteers and more than 200 school children. Experts believe that the building may have once been the home of an important resident of Cardiff perhaps for an official at the neighbouring Llandaff Cathedral. Scroll down for video A grand medieval house containing a 570-year-old fireplace, ceramic floor tiles and old horse shoes has been discovered in an archaeological dig, pictured, under a public toilet in Cardiff The discovery beneath the old toilet block was made during an archaeological dig that involved 35 volunteers and more than 200 school children Among the items discovered by Dr Young and his colleagues was a counting token known as a 'jetton' which is believed to have come from Paris in the early 1300s WHAT IS A JETTON? Among the items discovered by Dr Young and his colleagues was a counting token known as a 'jetton'. Made in Europe between the 13th and 17th Centuries, jettons were used on abacus-like counting boards and as tokens in games. The jetton found at the Llandaff site is believed to have come from Paris and dates back to the early 1300s. Advertisement 'This was a surprise, to find a high status building,' said lead archaeologist Tim Young of Cardiff University. The house which is about 33 feet (10 metres) in length could be regarded as being prestigious because of the use of Bath stone in the construction of its fireplace, Dr Young explained. 'The stone was not commonly used at the time, although it can be found at Llandaff Cathedral,' he added. The ground floor of the historic house was found to be still fully intact and it is thought that the first floor was destroyed in the 17th century to make way for an animal pound. Among the items discovered by Dr Young and his colleagues was a counting token known as a 'jetton' which is believed to have come from Paris in the early 1300s. In an effort to determine who exactly lived in the house, finds from the dig will be analysed by Dr Young and other archaeological experts at Cardiff University. At present, however, the researchers' theories include a house keeper for the nearby Manor of Llandaff, or an official at the neighbouring cathedral. Experts believe that the building may have once been the home of an important resident of Cardiff perhaps for an official at the neighbouring Llandaff Cathedral The house which is about 33 feet (10 m) in length could be regarded as being prestigious because of the use of Bath stone in the construction of its fireplace, Dr Young explained The ground floor of the historic house was found to be still fully intact and it is thought that the first floor was destroyed in the 17th century to make way for an animal pound 'It is not known who lived at the house, although it could be a person of status as it was located next to the Old Bishop's Castle, and bishops at that time held manorial rights,' said Dr Young. 'The site is known as the pound, as it was the animal pound for Llandaff and we have evidence of that dating back to about 1607. 'It had always been assumed that the area was also the pound before that, so the discovery of a medieval dwelling on the site was quite unexpected.' Once the remains of the medieval building have been documented by experts, the site will be covered up again to make way for a community and heritage centre. Experts believe that the building may have once been the home of an important resident of Cardiff perhaps for an official at the neighbouring Llandaff Cathedral In an effort to determine who exactly lived in the house, finds from the dig will be analysed by Dr Young and other archaeological experts at Cardiff University. At present, however, the researchers' theories include an official at the neighbouring cathedral, pictured In an effort to determine who exactly lived in the house, finds from the dig will be analysed by Dr Young and other archaeological experts at Cardiff University. At present, however, the researchers' theories include an official at the neighbouring cathedral, pictured left in this map that dates back to 1610 'It is not known who lived at the house, although it could be a person of status as it was located next to the Old Bishop's Castle, and bishops at that time held manorial rights,' said Dr Young. Pictured, the gatehouse of the Bishop's Palace in Llandaff A jihadist attack that left 42 dead in the north of Burkina Faso, the worst assault in the country for five years, plunged the nation into mourning over Christmas and sparked messages of solidarity from the United Nations and Pope Francis. Thirty-five civilians, including 31 women, and seven soldiers were killed Tuesday in a morning raid which lasted for several hours and targeted both civilians and a military base in the northern town of Arbinda, the army said, adding that 80 assailants were killed. Around a dozen soldiers also died in a separate night-time ambush 60 kilometres (37 miles) away in Hallele, in the same volatile northern province of Soum, security sources said Wednesday. Burkina Faso, bordering Mali and Niger, has seen frequent jihadist attacks which have left hundreds of people dead since the start of 2015 when Islamist extremist violence began to spread across the Sahel region. "A large group of terrorists simultaneously attacked the military base and the civilian population in Arbinda," the army chief of staff said. "While the (military) group was under heavy fire, another group of armed individuals attacked the civilian population, mainly women including displaced people who had taken refuge in Arbinda," a security source told AFP. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore confirmed that 35 civilians were killed in the "barbaric attack" in Arbinda and declared 48 hours of national mourning over Wednesday and Thursday. Government spokesman Remis Dandjinou said 31 of the civilian victims were women. - Pope's prayers - There was worldwide condemnation of the attack, as well as expressions of support for Burkina Faso. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Christmas Eve attack and offered his "deep condolences" to the families of the victims, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. "The Secretary-General conveys the solidarity of the United Nations to the government and people of Burkina Faso," he added, emphasising the UN's continued support for the Sahel region in their efforts to fight terrorism and violent extremism. Violence in Burkina Faso / AFP In his traditional Christmas message, Pope Francis denounced attacks on Christians in Africa and prayed for victims of conflict, natural disasters and disease on the world's poorest continent. The pontiff urged "comfort to those who are persecuted for their religious faith, especially missionaries and members of the faithful who have been kidnapped, and to the victims of attacks by extremist groups, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria". In Brussels, the head of the European Council Charles Michel tweeted: "Inates in Niger yesterday, Arbinda in Burkina Faso today... Martyr towns, victims of a rampant terrorism that threatens us all. The European Union stands by Africa in its battle against terrorism." Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou also expressed his "solidarity" and, speaking "in the name of the Nigerien people" offered his "condolences for all civilian and military victims." The morning raid in Burkina was carried out by more than 200 jihadists on motorbikes, triggering a fierce firefight that lasted about three hours before armed forces backed by the air force drove the militants back, a security source said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bloodshed, but jihadist violence in Burkina Faso has been blamed on militants linked to both Al-Qaeda and Islamic State groups. - 560,000 internally displaced - Leaders of the G5 Sahel nations held summit talks in Niger earlier this month, calling for closer cooperation and international support in the battle against the Islamist threat. France is also hosting another meeting next month. There are about 4,500 French troops deployed in the Sahel / AFP/File Militant violence has spread across the vast Sahel region, especially in Burkina Faso and Niger, having started when armed Islamists revolted in northern Mali in 2012. There are 4,500 French troops deployed in the region as well as a 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping force in Mali to fight insurgents, backing up national forces of the G5 -- Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. In Burkina Faso, more than 700 people have been killed and around 560,000 internally displaced, according to the United Nations. Attacks have targeted mostly the north and east of the country, though the capital Ouagadougou has been hit three times. Prior to Tuesday's attack, Burkina security forces said they had killed around 100 jihadists in several operations since November. An ambush on a convoy transporting employees of a Canadian mining company in November killed 37 people. Attacks have intensified this year as the under-equipped, poorly trained Burkina Faso army struggles to contain the Islamist militancy. Trump blames Iran for demonstrators storming U.S. Embassy in Baghdad People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 16:04, January 01, 2020 WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday blamed Iran after furious Iraqi demonstrators mourning those killed in an earlier American attack in Iraq stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. "Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible," said Trump in a morning tweet. "In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!" Trump added. On Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators, participating in mourning for the Hashd Shaabi members killed by a U.S. attack in Iraq on Sunday, stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone. Some protesters smashed one of the gates and broke into the outer yards of the embassy, sparking a clash with the guards who fired tear gas canisters against the demonstrators, an official from the Iraqi Interior Ministry told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. U.S. forces on Sunday attacked five locations in Iraq and Syria controlled by Iraq's paramilitary Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH), or Hezbollah Brigades, in response to recent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, triggering strong responses from Iraq and Syria, with Iran denying any role in the recent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. Hashd Shaabi, an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization, was formed by the KH and other Shia Iraqi paramilitary groups in 2014. It currently includes more than 40 militant groups. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. 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 before you buy or sell Ergomed plc (LON:ERGO), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. What Is Insider Buying? Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. 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 Ergomed The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Ergomed Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Founder & Executive Chairman Miroslav Reljanovic for UK606k worth of shares, at about UK3.03 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of UK3.93. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive. In the last twelve months Ergomed insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! AIM:ERGO Recent Insider Trading, January 1st 2020 There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Does Ergomed Boast High Insider Ownership? For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 26% of Ergomed shares, worth about UK48m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. Story continues What Might The Insider Transactions At Ergomed Tell Us? There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders own shares in Ergomed and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Ergomed, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. 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. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. A day ahead of the rebel BJP MLA and ousted minister Sudip Roy Barman's programme to protest against crimes against women in Tripura, thousands of women on Thursday walked in a rally here condemning his move alleging that he had asked a torture victim to make peace with her attackers in 2014. The rally which was claimed to be apolitical witnessed the presence of BJP Mahila Morcha leaders and workers in large numbers. It was called by one Soma Majumder, who was tied to a pole and assaulted by a group of people in 2014. A local court sentenced seven people including three women to rigorous imprisonment in connection with the case. Majumder, who later joined the BJP, alleged that Barman - he was a Congress MLA then - had asked her to reconcile with the culprits. "The then Governor PB Acharya came to my rescue and gave me hope. With his encouragement, I filed a complaint in the court. Sudip Roy Barman is the man behind tomorrow's rally. I would ask him why he is organizing a rally on crime against women," she said. State BJP Mahila Morcha president Papia Dutta alleged that the Congress-Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti alliance regime from 1988 to 1993 had witnessed the highest incidents of crimes against women and Barman was a Youth Congress leader at that time. Barman was dropped from the cabinet of Biplab Deb in May last year for "anti-party activities". "My rally is strictly against crimes against women. I will not comment on the remarks made in today's rally," he told reporters. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb had said in September last year that cases related to dowry torture had reduced by 12 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017, rape cases by 5 per cent, molestation cases by 18 per cent, dowry deaths reduced by 45 per cent and eve-teasing cases by 33 per cent since his government came to power in the state. Barman, however, said "When women are humiliated, tortured or abused, we cannot remain silent spectators. So, I have called the rally tomorrow. It is an apolitical move. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) takes the trophy when comes to being one of India's greatest pride and joy. Over the years, ISRO has achieved many feats that will find a mention in the pages of history. While 2019 saw ISRO unlock new achievements, 2020 is set to be equally significant for the organisation with two major missions set to go down this year. All eyes will be set on India's first manned space mission 'Gaganyaan' and third lunar mission 'Chandrayaan-3' in 2020. ISRO However, currently the big news that's trending on social media is that ISRO has revealed that four astronauts have been identified by the space organisation who are set to travel to space aboard Gaganyaan. While their names and designations haven't been disclosed yet, other interesting details related to the Gaganyaan mission has surfaced. Here's everything you need to know as per the news reports: 1. ISRO Chief Dr K Sivan shared that four astronauts will be part of the Gaganyaan mission. Twitter/ISRO 2. The shortlisted astronauts are all Indian Air Force officers, who went through multiple screening tests to get to this point. 3. Besides many medical examinations that the astronauts had to pass, Institute of Aerospace Medicine also conducted different fitness tests before making the selection. 4. The selection programme started off with seven astronaut elects in November, of which four have been shortlisted for the mission. Twitter/DDNews 5. The four selected astronauts will now undergo rigorous training beginning the third week of January. 6. Russia has extended its support to train the astronauts for the mission. 7. The maiden mission will see three astronauts making it aboard the Gaganyaan, who will orbit the earth for seven days at an altitude of 400 km! 8. According to reports, the mission will be conducted within a budget of Rs. 10,000 crore, and shall hit off the ground by 2022. Twitter/ISRO 9. Before the manned mission, ISRO will undertake two unmanned missions including one where a humanoid will ensure that humans can be sent into space and brought back safely. 10. The mission will help conduct path-breaking experiments related to microgravity, bioscience and space operations. There is a long journey ahead of ISRO and the shortlisted astronauts who are set to create history. We are eagerly waiting for more updates on selected astronauts and the next steps that will be taken ahead of India's first manned space mission set to unfold in two years from now. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-03 01:07:40|Editor: yan Video Player Close ATHENS, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Public Gas Corporation of Greece (DEPA) signed a letter of intent with the London-based Energean Oil & Gas company here on Thursday for the supply of 2 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually from Energean's gas fields offshore Israel through the Eastern Mediterranean (EastMed) natural gas pipeline, which is to be constructed to link the region's reserves to Greece and the rest of Europe. The ceremony was held as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held separate meetings with the Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with all leaders talking about a "historic day". The three sides are scheduled to sign on late Thursday an intergovernmental agreement for the launch of the project here. Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Kostis Hatzidakis welcomed the signing between the two companies as a "milestone for the sustainability of the pipeline..." Addressing the event Mathios Rigas, CEO of Energean, noted that this is the first commercial agreement for the EastMed pipeline which will substantially benefit the economies, the security of supply and the consumers of the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe, according to an e-mailed joint press release issued by the two companies. On his part, DEPA CEO Konstantinos Xifaras added that the 2 bcm of gas corresponds to 20 percent of the EastMed's initial capacity. "(The agreement on the EastMed) is the capstone of a very substantial trilateral collaboration that extends beyond the energy sector," Mitsotakis said welcoming Anastasiades on Thursday, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported. "The aim" is for cooperation and not confrontation in the Middle East, and particularly in issues of energy... It is indeed a significant, historic day," said on his part the Cypriot leader. During the meeting between Mitsotakis and Netanyahu, the two leaders reiterated the will to deepen cooperation in many areas. "We would like to suggest a trilateral task force of Fire Brigade with Cyprus so that each country will not have to make separate spending," the Israeli leader said. The EastMed pipeline will be 1,872 km long with initial capacity for 10 bcm annually, and expandable to 20 bcm maximum annually, according to a Greek Environment and Energy Ministry press release. (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollars) In an apparent bid to appease the people Iranian officials in late December, early January began visiting some of the cities and townships where many protesters were killed during November unrest. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) which was actively involved in the suppression has taken the lead, with IRGC commander-in-chief Hossein Salami visiting Mahshahr and Ahvaz in southern Iran some six weeks after the events. Mahshahr was the scene of one of the biggest massacres in the crackdown. According to a special report by Reuters, " In Mahshahr county, in the strategically important Khuzestan province in southwest Iran, Revolutionary Guards in armored vehicles and tanks sought to contain the demonstrations. Even Irans state TV said security forces opened fire on 'rioters' hiding in the marshes." Rights groups said they believe Mahshahr had one of the highest protest death tolls in Iran, based on what they heard from locals. "The next day when we went there, the area was full of bodies of protesters, mainly young people. The Guards did not let us take the bodies,' the local official said, estimating that 'dozens' were killed," the Reuters report added. During his visit to Mahshahr on January 1, Salami distributed cash handouts among couples getting married, and foodstuff parcels to underprivileged families, Sepah News, an IRGC media outlet reported. During the visit, Salami said that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called for attending to the needs of underprivileged families. Salami also promised that the IRGC will build 100 houses as well as several schools and medical centers in Mahshahr. According to the New York Times, the Iranian security forces used heavy machinegun fire against demonstrators in Mahshahr killing between 40 to 100 protesters. General Salami later visited Ahvaz where he attempted to appease the people in a similar way. Despite the attempt to pacify angry Iranians who were hit in one way or another during the November crackdown, the government has still not revealed the number of those killed and imprisoned during the suppression and government bodies such as the Judiciary and the Supreme Council of National Security have been blaming each other for the delay. The heavy-handed suppression took place during a 10-day internet blackout to curb news dissemination. However, videos published on social media and foreign-based TV channels revealed gruesome violence and scenes of protesters being shot in the head or heart at point blank. During his visit to Mahshahr, Salami said: "We should stand united as no one else, including our enemies and the countries that pretend to be our friends can solve our problems. In another likely attempt to pacify the people in the areas hit by the violent crackdown, President Hassan Rouhani opened an urban railway station southwest of Tehran in Golshahr on December 31 and promised to extend the Tehran subway to the area including Shahryar township, the venue of some of the fiercest clashes between protesters and security forces. However, many social media users including a Tehran city councilor revealed that the station project inaugurated by Rouhani had already been opened once before. Meanwhile, the reformist councilor, Bahareh Arvin, told Fars news agency that the subway line "opened" by Rouhani is "still incomplete and not safe to use." Other low-key officials have also been going around in southwest Tehran promising welfare to those who had been hit by the violent crackdown. Some even took part in ground-breaking ceremonies. Radio Farda Analyst Morad Veisi wrote in a January 2 tweet that the IRGC has been part of a ground-breaking ceremony to launch the subway in Eslamshahr and Parand in southwestern Tehran. The organization in charge of the subway is the Tehran Municipality and the project has still not been completed and the lines that had been designed in the early 1970s, years before the Islamic revolution, remain incomplete. New Delhi: Actress Sara Ali Khan may have a tight work schedule but she always manages to scoop out time for vacations (we're so, so jealous). Just recently, she checked into Kerala and later, she flew to Maldives to ring in the New Year. Pictures from her vacation will make you go green with envy. She is also accompanied by her brother Ibrahim. As she checked into Maldives, Sara shared pictures of herself and Ibrahim chilling inside a pool and enjoying the sunset. "When feeling blue isn't a bad thing," she captioned her post. And, her latest entry to the special album is pictures of her sporting a printed black bikini and binging on muffins and cupcakes. "Muffins and cupcakes for breakfast. If only days like this could last. #floatingbreakfast #thirstythursday," is how the 'Kedarnath' actress described her post. Sara and Ibrahim are children of actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan. Saif is now married to actress Kareena Kapoor with whom he has a three-year-old son Taimur. Sara debuted as an actress with 2018's 'Kedarnath' in which she starred opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. Her next film was 'Simmba' with Ranveer Singh. 'Coolie No 1' is Sara's upcoming film opposite Varun Dhawan. She also has 'Aaj Kal' in the pipeline opposite Kartik Aaryan. Todays consumers live in a digital world, which means they can retrieve all the information they desire at the touch of a button, putting them in control. Added to this, they have become immune to traditional outbound marketing methods such as billboards and television advertisements and they expect brands and businesses to tailor their messages based on customers individual needs and preferences. Despite the new lay of the land, e-commerce businesses can create content marketing strategies that cut through the noise and help push prospects down sales funnels. Content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising, according to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI). It costs 62 percent less than traditional marketing, Demand Metric has found. Thats impressive, but can you confidently say you fully understand how it works? Defining the Term CMI defines content marketing as a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content, in order to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and, ultimately, drive profitable customer action. I like to boil it down to communicating the right message, to the right audience, on the right channels, at the right time. If you follow this approach, your content efforts will reach your desired audience, and the information you push out will be timely, topical, and of high value. That in turn will position your business as trustworthy, insightful and authoritative. What Makes Content Marketing Better? Traditional marketing refers to outbound marketing, which is perceived as the old way of doing things that is, targeting a mass audience through tactics such as television advertising, billboard advertising and cold calling. While this will get your message and brand in front of a lot of people, the right people may not see it. There is a lot of this sort of advertising around, and consumers have become immune to it. Research backs this up. Cold calling is 90.9 percent ineffective, found the Harvard Business Review. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Eighty-four percent of us fast-forward through television ads, suggests an Arris poll. In comparison, content marketing focuses on businesses generating valuable, insightful content and making it readily available to target customers. Its less intrusive when compared to outbound marketing, as it requires the customer to come to your business, through search online and social media channels. Developing Your Strategy To develop a successful content marketing strategy that actually works, you need to go back to basics. You already may be blogging, or vlogging, but without a thorough understanding of your audience and pain points, your efforts will be wasted. To help you map out and work from a sophisticated strategy, Id recommend taking the following four steps: 1. Identify Start by conducting in-depth research into your audience, your business and your offering. Uncover what your audiences challenges are and what theyre trying to achieve, so that you can create content that provides the answers to their questions. Next, delve into your customers content consumption habits. Consider how they find information and what types of content formats they prefer. This could be online, on social media channels, or offline through different publications, news outlets or magazines. If they prefer online content, how do they wish to receive it? One type of content that is making waves online is video. Its been a key trend this year and its growth is expected to continue into 2020. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Seventy-two percent of participants in a Wyzowl study preferred to view a video over text when learning about a product or service. Seventy-three percent of marketers surveyed by TopRankBlog were using YouTube to distribute content. Another key aspect to research is what your competitors are doing and whats trending in your wider industry. This will help you identify the hot topics that everyone seems to be talking about and engaging with, and youll be able to share your viewpoint on these topics to add to the conversation. 2. Plan Once youve conducted your research, its time to create your plan of action. I recommend creating a plan for three to six months, as this will give you enough time to run a campaign effectively and produce enough content to identify the top-performing pieces of content. So, what should you include in your plan? Objectives Its essential to include your objectives for your activity in your plan, as this will help focus your efforts on your end game. You can break down your objectives for individual pieces of content. For example, one piece of content may be intended to drive brand awareness, while another may be specifically to encourage people to click through to your website. Audience If you have multiple audience types, its useful to create specific content for the different types of audiences youre trying to engage, as each audience type will have different problems. By breaking down pieces of content based on audience type, youll establish if you have produced the right amount of content for each group. Monthly theme Something I use myself in content marketing plans is a monthly theme and topic. Themes can be based on industry trends, seasonal influences, or be broken down by audience problems. They should function as the umbrella for the rest of the content you produce that month. For example, a monthly theme could be data and it could be broken down into smaller sub topics throughout the month such as data storage, data cleansing, data capture, etc. Content amount Once youve decided on your monthly theme, youll need to decide how much content youll produce for the month. Its useful to begin with your pillar theme and then support it with smaller pieces of cluster content. This way youll be able to maximize your content production efforts and break down the larger piece of content into smaller, bite-sized chunks. Content formats Finally, youll need to decide the content formats youll produce. Depending on your audience preferences, you can create a wide variety of content formats, which will keep your audience engaged. You can pick from guides, blogs, vlogs, social media postcards, infographics, templates, checklists, quizzes, case studies, reports, webinars, polls and podcasts. Creating a wide variety of content types for your website will help it appeal to Google search algorithms and social media algorithms. New, varied content is favored, meaning itll be pushed up in search rankings and social media feeds. 3. Amplify Once youve planned all your activity, its time to begin producing your content and pushing it out. Ensure your content features a mix of promotion along with information and knowledge, to teach your audience something they may not already know, adding value. This mixed approach also will help to position your business as a thought leader, and will enable you to build credibility and gain trust from your prospective customers. Relating back to your initial research, youll then need to push your finished content items on the channels that your audiences use the most. This could be social media, email, specific publications or direct mail. By utilizing several amplification channels, youll create multiple touch points with your audience, which will help keep your brand at the front of your prospects minds. If youre using online digital channels to push your content, remember to use keywords and hashtags where you can. By using the same keywords your audiences are using to search for information, youll appear toward the top of search rankings. That will improve the likelihood of your content being seen by your desired audience. Hashtags work in a way thats similar to keywords, in that they categorize content based on searches. On channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn, adding three hashtags hits the sweet spot, whereas, on Instagram you can use significantly more. 4. Review and Refine You must monitor performance after you set your content live and look back at your efforts to see whats working and what isnt. Look at how your content is performing on social media. Whats achieving the highest levels of interaction, and what does your audience like the most? Review your Google analytics to identify where traffic is coming from, and what website visitors are doing when they land on your homepage. Is there a specific blog that people are visiting the most? By reviewing how people are engaging with your content, youll be able to identify the content topics and formats your audiences prefer, and what you should be producing more of, which will give your audience exactly what they want. Final Words When done correctly, content marketing can help catapult brand in front of the audiences that are searching for answers and information about what your products can deliver. Its useful to remember that content marketing isnt a set it and forget it technique. It is a process that requires regular, consistent, focused production to increase your visibility and demonstrate your expertise. A 50-year-old British tourist was killed on New Years night in Pattaya, Thailand, after a firework he tried to light prematurely exploded. Gary Mclaren, who is from Corby in Northamptonshire, was celebrating New Years eve at a club with his fiance and friends at the beach resort in East Thailand. Reportedly, McLaren purchased the firework in front of the club just after midnight. When he tried to light it, it did not go offonly smoke came out. When he tried again, the firework went off. Then, there was a big explosion in his face, and he fell back, Wassana Ngontai, a first-hand witness told Fox News. Around midnight, Mr. McLaren attempted to light up a large firework, but it failed to go off at first. After that, it suddenly exploded and killed him at the scene, Lt. Col. Somboon Ua-Samanmaitree of the Thai Tourist Police said, according to the BBC. Rescue workers arrived at the scene and tried to resuscitate him but to no avail. The MotoGP International Road-Racing Teams Association (IRTA), McLarens employer, noted his death on Twitter on Wednesday: Terrible news this morning. Our colleague and friend, Gary McLaren from IRTA, passed away last night, it said. Our thoughts are with his loved ones. He will be sorely missed. McLarens former colleagues at Team Suzuki also posted a message: We are very shocked and sad to learn of the death of Gary McLaren. Gary worked as a Data Acquisition Engineer at Suzuki for 11 years and remained a good friend to us all while he continued working in the paddock for IRTA. Our thoughts with his loved ones, well really miss him! DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran protested on Wednesday to a Swiss envoy representing U.S. interests in Tehran over what it called 'warmongering statements' by American officials, Iran's Foreign Ministry said DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran protested on Wednesday to a Swiss envoy representing U.S. interests in Tehran over what it called "warmongering statements" by American officials, Iran's Foreign Ministry said. The Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss charge d'affaires and issued "Iran's strong protest against warmongering statements in violation of the United Nations Charter by U.S. officials", the ministry said on its website. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Peter Graff) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. EDWARDSVILLE The fledging Madison County TRIAD is improving communication and expanding services for senior citizens, according to the groups members. Formed in April 2018, the Madison County TRIAD includes the Madison County Sheriffs Office and nearly 30 stakeholder service providers. It strives to enhance the quality of life for senior citizens through information and resources from law enforcement and service providers. It is our intention to grow bigger and stronger through the support of our community and partner service providers, said TRIAD stakeholder Annie Eads from Cedarhurst of Edwardsville. Nationwide, Triad programs work with sheriffs offices to help alleviate senior citizens fears of crime and victimization. In a little over 18 months, the Madison County TRIAD has become a formidable network of committed service before self organizations, according to Madison County Sheriffs Office Lt. Kris Tharp. The group compliments other endeavors, such as the Madison County States Attorneys Elder Justice Initiative and the Illinois Elder Abuse Task Force proposed by state Sen. Rachelle Crowe, D-Glen Carbon, and state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville. that was signed into creation by Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this year. Tharp also serves on the task force co-chaired by Crowe and Stuart that currently is performing a top-to-bottom review of everything from legislation to standardized practices for senior citizen service providers. Something is happening across the state as it relates to better serving our seniors, and the roots of the movement are planted firmly in Madison County, Tharp said. Madison County is a tremendous community with service providers, law enforcement, states attorneys, lawmakers and advocates who are working together to provide superior services to our senior citizens, Tharp said. All of the disciplines are now communicating on a level the likes of which were not previously known. The alliance born through the combined elder service initiatives have shed light on the needs of our area seniors, as well as the needs of their families, Tharp said. The education and resources brought to the community by the TRIAD really play well to all ages because the TRIAD is addressing issues that affect us all. Scams, fraud, and the struggles of everyday life take their toll on all of us regardless of our age. This year the Madison County TRIAD began a voluntary telephone check-in program allowing area senior citizens to receive a free weekly phone call from a TRIAD representative. So far more than 130 calls have been made to area senior citizens. The group this year also created the Madison County Silver Advisory Board comprised of area community members, many retired, who offer guidance and volunteer support to the Madison County TRIAD. Our advisory board played a vital role in our 2019 campaign, said Madison County TRIAD Vice-President Debbie Frakes from Senior Services Plus in Alton. Quickly they are becoming the backbone of the organization. Frakes said the committee currently is seeking more community residents willing to volunteer their time and wisdom to help steer the organizations direction. Currently, the advisory committees meet once a month. Last year the Madison County Triad had more than 30 speaking engagements on topics such as fraud/scam prevention, personal safety, Facebook/social media and cell phone technology. For the second consecutive year, the Madison County TRIAD was honored at the Illinois State TRIAD Conference. Founding member Toni Corona, the Madison County Director of Public Health, received the Kathleen Quinn Award for excellence in service to others. This year, the Illinois State TRIAD Conference will be OCt. 13-14 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The event will include nationally renowned keynote speakers and breakout sessions for law enforcement, service providers and community members. This is the first time the conference has been hosted in southern Illinois, said Tharp. Hosting this conference is not only an honor, but confirmation that Madison County is now a model for senior services in the state. For more details, contact Tharp at kmtharp@co.madison.il.us or Eads at aeads@cedarhurstliving.com. Tokyo, Jan 2 : While investigating ousted Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn's escape to Lebanon from Tokyo, it was revealed by authorities in Beirut that he legally entered the country via Turkey on board a private jet and that he presented a French passport at immigration, a media report said on Thursday. But Ghosn's chief defence lawyer in Tokyo, Junichiro Hironaka told reporters here on Wednesday that the defence team has all of Ghosn's passports, including his French one, Japan's public broadcaster NHK said in the report. Ghosn, 65, is a citizen of France, Brazil and Lebanon. Citing informed sources, French newspaper Le Monde reported that the former Chairma's private jet departed for Turkey from a low-profile airport in Japan. But there was no record of Ghosn's departure in the database of the Japanese Immigration Services Agency, the NHK report added. Aviation industry sources say private jets are not excepted from immigration and customs' checks on departure, but X-ray checks of luggage are applied on a case-by-case basis. The development comes after Ghosn, who is on bail for various charges of financial mismanagement during his time at the head of the automobile company, confirmed on Monday that he was currently in Lebanon, saying he decided to escape Japan to not become a "hostage" of the Asian country's justice, Efe news reported. "I am in Lebanon. I am no longer a hostage of a Japanese judicial system where guilt presumption prevails, where discrimination is generalized and where Human Rights are breached," he said in a statement. Ghosn was arrested in November 2018 but was released on bail in April. He faces four charges of alleged financial irregularities during his tenure at the helm of Nissan Motor. Meanwhile, Japanese prosecutors on Thursday began searching a residence in Tokyo where Ghosn lived while out on bail, NHK reported. They are searching the home in Minato Ward on suspicion that Ghosn left Japan through illegal means. The Chinese government has systematically razed over 100 Uighur cemeteries belonging to the Muslim minority group in Xinjiang province, according to satellite images reviewed by CNN. Working for months to review images and collaborate with sources on the ground, CNN found that dozens of official Chinese government notices announcing the relocation of cemeteries corresponded to the destruction of traditional cemeteries. Another 60 gravesites have vanished entirely, a fact the Chinese government did not deny. Governments . . . in Xinjiang fully respect and guarantee the freedom of all ethnic groups . . . to choose cemeteries, and funeral and burial methods, a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs read in part. One official explained a prior relocation as necessary to meet the demand of city planning and promote construction. The destruction of Uighur cemeteries was first reported in October by AFP and satellite imagery analysts Earthrise Alliance. They found at least 45 cemeteries had been destroyed since 2014, and reporters on the ground found shattered tombs and discarded human bones. In southern Xinjiang, Uighurs were given two days to claim their dead or face consequences and the relocation of their deceased loved ones as unclaimed corpse. Chinas totalitarian crackdown against the Uighurs has received attention after a trove of government documents leaked to The New York Times revealed how the Chinese were systematically incarcerating Uighurs and separating families in the name of training. A report in November detailed how the Chinese government created a Pair up and Become Family program to assign Chinese men to live with and monitor the families of detained Uighur men in order to promote ethnic unity. More from National Review The wildfire crisis ravaging Australia has wreaked environmental havoc since it began in September, wiping out almost half a billion animals and plants as well as turning glaciers in New Zealand black. Ecologists at the University of Sydney estimate around 480 million creatures have been killed in the wildfires, including 8,000 koalas. Officials fear that 30 per cent of the koala colony in New South Wales had been destroyed as 10 million acres of land burnt to the ground in the state. Nature Conservation Council ecologist Mark Graham told parliament: [Koalas] really have no capacity to move fast enough to get away [from the flames]. The fires have burnt so hot and so fast that there has been significant mortality of animals in the trees, but there is such a big area now that is still on fire and still burning that we will probably never find the bodies. Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the state of New South Wales on 31 December 2019 AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billows from a huge bushfire that has torched over 200,000 acres of land in East Gipplsand, Victoria on 2 January EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Residents look on as flames tear through bushland in Lake Tabouriee, Australia on 4 January on 4 January Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola on 2 January Robert Oerlemans via AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighting helicopter tackles a bushfire in East Gippsland, Victoria on 31 December EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter gives water to a parched koala in Cudlee Creek, South Australia AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters tackle a blaze as it tears through a farm in New South Wales on 21 December AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The sky is turned red over East Gippsland as fires continue to rage through Australian bushland on 4 January Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A kangaroo near bushfires in Nowra AFP/Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures An aerial view of a bushfire near Bairnsdale State Government of Victoria/EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters work to tackle a blaze on the outskirts of Sydney on 31 December 2019 Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighting helicopter dumps water on a bushfire on the outskirts of the town of Bargo near Sydney Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A satellite image of the Batemans Bay showing smoke and fire from wild bushfires European Union, Copernicus Sentinel Data via REUTERS Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The afternoon sky glows red from bushfires in Nowra AFP/Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Burning embers cover the ground as firefighters battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria Jonty Smith via Reuters Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The remains of burnt out buildings along a main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo AFP/Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters try to protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales NSW Rural Fire Service/AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale Glen Morey via AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Business owners stand in front of their shop which was destroyed by a bushfire in Cobargo EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A helicopter dumping water on a fire in Victoria's East Gippsland region Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning/AFP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Think smoke from bushfires fills the air in eastern Gippsland Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures "Carmelised" snow caused by dust from Australian bushfires is seen near Franz Josef glacier in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, New Zealand Reuters Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria. More than 800,000 hectares have been burnt in East Gippsland EPA/DELWP Gippsland Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland EPA/DELWP Gippsland Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures LIFES.A.BREEZE via Reuters Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke and wildfire rage behind Lake Conjola Robert Oerlemans via AP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A house and van are seen destroyed after bushfires ravaged the town of Bilpin, west of Sydney AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A helicopter fighting a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria's East Gippsland region State Government of Victoria/AFP Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Fire and Rescue personal run to move their truck as a bushfire burns next to a major road and homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Amy, left, and Ben Spencer sit at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter sprays foam retardant on a back burn ahead of a fire front in the New South Wales town of Jerrawangala AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Two bushfires approach a home located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Property damaged by the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield, Victoria EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Nowra AFP via Getty Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Property under threat from the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield EPA Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The main street of the New South Wales town of Bombala is pictured shrouded in smoke from nearby bushfires AFP via Getty Rescuers at Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Services (Wires) told Reuters they were concerned about not receiving as many animal patients as they expected in the crisis. Tracy Burgess, a volunteer, said: Were not getting that many animals coming into our care. So our concern is that they dont come into care because theyre not there any more, basically. Across the Tasman Sea, smoke from the wildfires are posing a new threat to New Zealands white glaciers, turning them black and staining snow brown. Social media posts from tourists and helicopter services from the Franz Josef and Tasman glaciers show caramelised snow and smoke-shrouded views. A climber who posted a video from the top of the Tasman glacier added: We can actually smell the burning here in Christchurch. Thinking of you guys. Ash from the smoke could accelerate melting snow on the glaciers, which already face a climate disaster of their own. The whiteness of snow and ice reflects the suns heat and slows melting, but as ash and dust settle on the snow, it absorbs more heat and melts at a faster rate. Over 3,000 glaciers in New Zealand are quickly disappearing due to global warming and many could completely melt away by the end of the century. Andrew Mackintosh, a glacier and climate expert, told The Australian: If it stays on the surface then it will certainly enhance melt. If fire frequency, ash and dust transport increase, there is a chance that this will hasten the demise of New Zealands glaciers. The total death toll rose to 17 on New Years Day and over five million hectares (12 million acres) of land has been torched across the nation since the blazes began in September. New South Wales minister for transport, Andrew Constance, became emotional and broke down on live television as he recounted the impact of the fires. Its unfair. I met four Rural Fire Service guys yesterday who lost their homes, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporations News Breakfast programme on Wednesday. Beautiful neighbours of mine lost their homes. It is tough. It is full steam ahead for one of Ireland's most popular visitor attractions as profits at Titanic Belfast increased last year by 63% to 4.2m. In the 12 months to the end of last March, more than 900,000 people visited the world's largest Titanic visitor experience in Belfast. This contributed to revenues increasing by 10% from 16.3m to 17.9m. The 9% increase in visitors helped Titanic Belfast Ltd's pre-tax profits increase from 2.5m to 4.2m. The visitor attraction celebrates Belfast as the birthplace of the ill-fated Harland & Wolff built liner that sank on its maiden voyage in 1912. According to the directors' report, 90% of the 902,165 visitors in the 12 months to the end of last March were from outside Northern Ireland - one in five international visitors said Titanic Belfast was the main reason for their visit. The attraction is made up of nine galleries within the landmark Titanic Belfast building and the company also provides venues for conferences, events and banqueting. The centre opened in March 2012 and the directors said that the company "has enjoyed a successful seventh year as a premier visitor attraction on the island of Ireland". The directors added that the appeal of the Titanic story is resulting in continued growth, particularly from international markets with visitors coming from 148 countries. They said that Titanic Belfast is a significant contributor to the tourist economy within the city, with 47% of all visitors staying overnight and 50% staying two to three nights. During last year, the company employed 382 full-time and part-time workers and engaged with 1,223 suppliers. Staff costs last year totalled 4m. The profit last year takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of 519,056. The firm recorded a post-tax profit of 3.3m after paying corporation tax of 877,091. Ghislaine Maxwell, 58, is seen in the last known photograph of her from 2016 An explosive new report has asserted that deceased sex criminal Jeffery Epstein and his alleged 'madame' Ghislaine Maxwell were foreign intelligence 'assets', and that she is currently hiding in a safehouse in Israel. 'Ghislaine is protected. She and Jeffrey were assets of sorts for multiple foreign governments. They would trade information about the powerful people caught in his net caught at Epstein's house,' a unnamed source told Page Six. Maxwell, 58, has been accused in lawsuits of procuring underage girls for Epstein to sexually traffick among his wealthy and powerful friends, and is reportedly the subject of an ongoing FBI probe. She has always denied any wrongdoing. Her attorney did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com on Wednesday evening. After Epstein's re-arrest last year and death behind bars in August, Maxwell has remained out of sight and her whereabouts unknown. Maxwell, 58, has been accused in lawsuits of procuring underage girls for Epstein to sexually traffick among his wealthy and powerful friends. They are seen together on Wall Street in 2005 Now the Page Six source claims she is being protected by powerful foreign interests. 'She is not in the US, she moves around. She is sometimes in the UK, but most often in other countries, such as Israel, where her powerful contacts have provided her with safe houses and protection,' the source said. Maxwell is being 'protected because of the information she has on the world's most powerful people,' the source said. The source also claimed that Prince Andrew begged Maxwell to come forward and clear his name, after Virginia Roberts Giuffre claimed Epstein forced her to have sex with the royal when she was 17. Prince Andrew, 59, strenuously denies having sex with Roberts and claims he can't remember meeting her despite a photograph of him with his arm around her. 'Andrew pleaded with Ghislaine to publicly defend him. She carefully considered it, but decided no good would come of it (if she came forward). It isn't in her best interests,' the source told Page Six. Andrew resigned from royal duties after giving a disastrous interview on Newsnight in November. Virginia Roberts photographed with Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell in early 2001. Maxwell reportedly was the one who first introduced Epstein and Andrew It is not the first time that Epstein has been tied to a foreign intelligence service. Rumors have long circulated that Epstein secretly took videos of his rich and powerful friends having sex with underage girls, either for financial blackmail or as leverage for a foreign intelligence service. So far, however, the FBI has not publicly confirmed whether any such blackmail material was recovered in raids on his properties. Since Epstein's arrest on federal sex trafficking charges in July, Maxwell has remained out of sight, save for photos that purported to show her at an In-and-Out Burger in Los Angeles. DailyMail.com revealed that those photos were staged, possibly to throw investigators off of her trail. Born in France, Maxwell is both a U.S. citizen and British subject. Her family's alleged ties to Israel's national intelligence service, Mossad, have been well documented. Maxwell's father, Robert Maxwell, was a Czech-born British media mogul whose financial fraud in raiding the Mirror Group pension fund was discovered after his death in 1991. Also a British member of parliament, Robert Maxwell reportedly had ties to British intelligence, the Soviet KGB, and Mossad and was suspected of being a double or even triple agent by British Foreign Office officials. Ghislaine (left) is seen in 1987 with her mother and father, the pension-raiding one-time owner of Britain's Daily Mirror and New York's Daily News, and alleged Mossad operative After his mysterious death on his yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, off the Canary Islands in 1991, Robert Maxwell was buried in Jerusalem with high honors, with Israel's prime minister and multiple current and former heads of Israeli intelligence services in attendance at the funeral. His favorite daughter, Ghislaine, first met Epstein in the early 1990s, at a party in New York City. The two had a romantic relationship for several years, but the exact nature of their relationship over the following decades remains unclear. Epstein's household staff have described her as 'Lady of the House' and sworn in depositions that she was at the center of managing his household affairs. 'They were like partners in business,' Janusz Banasiak, Epstein's house manager, said in a deposition. Epstein's butler, Alfredo Rodriguez, described Ghislaine Maxwell in a deposition as 'the boss.' Epstein's accusers have said that Maxwell's authority extended to managing the complex logistics of his perverse activities with girls as young as 14. 'She orchestrated the whole thing for Jeffrey,' said Sarah Ransome, one of some two dozen women who spoke out before a federal judge in New York in August. Epstein and Maxwell are seen at Batman Forever premier in New York in 1995. Maxwell was close to Epstein for years and is reportedly the subject of an FBI probe into his inner circle Maxwell is seen posing in 1999 for a photo shoot to promote Sotheby's vintage fashion collection that left assistants taken aback by her 'intensely sexual vibe' Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein are seen on a pheasant ahoot with Prince Andrew in Sandringham, Norfolk, Britain in December 2000 Some of the most serious allegations have come from Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who accused Maxwell in a lawsuit of luring her to become an international sex slave for Epstein and his pals. Roberts says that she was 16 or 17 in the summer of 2000 and working as a towel girl at Mar-a-Lago when Maxwell approached her, eventually leading to her being flown around the world on Epstein's 'Lolita Express.' Roberts' recently unsealed lawsuit claims that Maxwell 'actively took part in recruiting underage girls and young women for sex with Epstein, as well as scheduling the girls to come over, and maintaining a list of the girls and their phone number.' Maxwell has strenuously denied in the past that she was involved in criminal sex trafficking or any other sex crimes. After Epstein took a sweetheart plea deal in 2008 to state charges of procuring for prostitution and served a one-year jail sentence in Florida, Maxwell and Epstein were no longer spotted together at public events. She remained active on the New York social scene for several years, however, until mounting lawsuits and allegations began to draw harsher scrutiny. In April of 2016, the New York townhouse where she had lived was sold for $15 million, and around the fall of 2016, she was no longer seen or photographed publicly. She was last spotted publicly at a social event in Geneva, Switzerland on June 8, less than a month prior to Epstein's re-arrest in the U.S. Earlier this week, the Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts called for Maxwell to be brought forward to face the justice system. Earlier this week, Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre (seen in a BBC interview) called for Maxwell to be brought forward to face the justice system 'How is anyone, friend or family member, hiding such a monster?? 99% of the population would turn [in] Ghislaine Maxwell. Who's hiding who and why??' Roberts tweeted. 'Maxwells downfall will be her arrogance- in her eyes always above the law,' Roberts added. 'She is diabolically evil. I would suggest to whoever is hiding her or knows whereabouts she is, to turn her in as shed easily throw anyone who gets in her way under the bus,' she continued. Epstein died in federal custody in August while facing sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide by New York City's medical examiner, but his lawyers have disputed that finding. Epstein's death, at age 66, came a little over a month after he was arrested and charged with trafficking dozens of underage girls as young as 14 from at least 2002 to 2005. Prosecutors said he recruited girls to give him massages, which became sexual in nature. A mother-of-four and volunteer firefighter is being praised for the very blunt new year message she posted online. Lucy Baranowski, a member of the Kurrajong Heights Rural Fire Service in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, began her post by saying she was not hungover or feeling slow from eating too much over the festive season but she was 'tired'. 'I'm just really f***ing tired. Tired of the fires. I'm tired of the smoke. I'm tired of the endless hours that so many of my friends, family and community are putting in to do their bit to contain the firegrounds.' she wrote. 'I'm tired of the political bulls**t we are all constantly asked about... I'm tired of having to be polite when I decline to answer my thoughts on the Prime Minister and his action from the last few weeks/months. 'What I will say about him is - I don't f***ing care about him.' Lucy Baranowski is a member of the Kurrajong Heights Rural Fire Service in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney (Lucy pictured centre with colleagues) Mrs Baranowski has recently posted online detailing her and her colleagues efforts battling blazes in the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales Mrs Baranowski writes the blog 'Four Times the Madness' where she has detailed her efforts with other local fire fighters in rural New South Wales battling blazes. The page has grown from 600 followers a few weeks ago to more than 12,000 followers. Her New Year post has been liked more than 4,000 times and shared more than 2,000 times. She said she was focused on the bushfires and protecting her community. 'You only see your task at hand, you see the faces of your stressed community, you only see your fellow RFS mates and wonder how much sleep they are actually getting. You see love, strength and the ability to just get on with life.' She said apart from the upcoming weather conditions, temperature, wind direction, and maps of where the bushfires are still 'chewing up our beautiful Australian land' she and her fellow firies are not thinking of the future. What she does notice, she said, is the 'support, admiration, and genuine care' from those in her community. Mrs Baranowski's new year post was accompanied by this picture showing the aftermath to forests in the Blue Mountains region after a bushfire 'Australian culture - it's a humdinger of a thing to live in. Even amongst the current state of our country - I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world. This place is magical - and the people within it are even better.' Lucy shared her thoughts on 2020 saying new year resolutions are unneccessary because 'you are fine the way you are... unless you are an a**hole.' She also gave her advice that it's okay to be a 'bogan' but not a 'bludger' or 'self-centered.' More than 100 bushfires are currently burning across the state and more than 2,000 firefighters are battling the blazes. Colleagues from the Kurrajong Heights Rural Fire Service with a koala they rescued from fire threatened forest State Bank of India (SBI), the countrys largest lender, recently slashed its external benchmark based rate (EBR) by 25 basis points (bps) to 7.8 percent per annum from 8.05 percent earlier, effective January 1. One basis point is one hundredth of a percentage point. The latest reduction make SBIs home loan rate the lowest among major lenders in the industry. In theory, borrowers should be rejoicing. And many headlines in the media are terming SBIs rate cut as a big bonanza for the home loan borrowers in the form of cheaper equated monthly instalments (EMIs). But on a closer look, it is evident that home loan borrowers have little to be excited about. Consider a borrower who has taken a Rs 20 lakh home loan for 20 years. A back of the envelope calculation using the SBIs recent cut as the basis, shows that the borrowers EMI will reduce to Rs 16,605 from Rs 16,916 earlier. In other words, the borrower is going to save just Rs 311 monthly on account of this rate cut. For a loan size of Rs 40 lakh, the saving would be Rs 622. While a saving nevertheless, it would be a stretch to call it a relief. Now this is only for SBI. Other banks typically follow SBI cues but may go for smaller rate cuts. In most cases, banks may choose 10-15 bps to save their margins. This, using the above calculation, would mean the monthly savings of the borrower will be even less. Many banks had cut their MCLR rates by 10-15 bps after RBI kept the policy rate unchanged in the last policy review. Remember, banks have been extremely hesitant to pass on the benefit of RB rate cuts to the end-borrower. In the current rate cut cycle, the RBI has cut its repo rate -- the rate at which it lends short-term funds to banks -- by 135 bps, whereas even banks like SBI has at best passed on about 65-70 bps. If one look at the industry average, this figure could be actually 40-45 bps. Remember, the EBR isnt the final rate at which banks lend money to the home loan borrower. Banks add premium to individual borrower depending their risk profile and there will be a reset clause on rates as well. All this means, the final rate at which a home buyer get money will be higher than what is advertised. Eager to protect their net interest margins (NIMs), banks have largely ignored RBIs calls for monetary policy transmission. NIM is the difference between interest earned and interest paid out. Even during the time of D Subbarao at RBI, the central bank and banks have scrapped on the issue of inadequate monetary policy transmission. One other way of to understand how rate cuts doesnt mean much to the borrower is to look at the trend in the home loan market. According to RBI data, in the first eight months of this fiscal, home loan growth has actually declined to 9.9 percent as against 10.6 percent in the corresponding period in the previous fiscal. This was the period when many banks began cutting their lending rates in small quantum. If the rate cuts translated into meaningful benefits for home loan buyers, loan growth should have picked up commensurately. The problem here may not be the cost of home loans; rather it is the cost of real estate. Until property prices correct significantly, it is very difficult to revive demand in the residential real estate market. Lending rate cuts can be an enabler for revival, adding to positive sentiments and a directionally positive move but isnt the decisive factor, said Siddarth Purohit, analyst at SMC Global Securities. According to Purohit, unless the real estate cartels are willing to cut prices by at least 30-40 percent, it is difficult to bring back demand to the residential real estate segment. This is also true for corporations, where capacity utilisation is the bigger cause of concern than interest costs. With the economy in a downturn, there are not enough takers for the goods produced by firms. The economy grew at 4.5 percent in the second quarter, performing even worse than the 5 percent growth logged in the first quarter. There arent signs of a strong rebound as of yet. The bottomline is this: Banks will have to slash their lending rates by another 30-40 bps from the current level, if the common borrower needs to benefit on his monthly EMI burden in a meaningful manner. Marginal rate cuts make for good headlines, but doesnt help anyone. The Lagos State government on Thursday began the cashless policy for payments at Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge toll plaza to ease the huge traffic gridlocks that result from cash transactions by motorists plying the corridor. The Commissioner for Transportation, Frederic Oladeinde, monitored the exercise at the toll plaza, along with the Managing Director, Lekki Concession Company Limited, (LCC), Yomi Omomuwasan. In a statement released on the official Twitter page of Lagos State, Mr Oladeinde said the new policy is aimed at reducing the queues often experienced during cash payments. He added that there was the need to educate residents on the advantages of the new system and encourage motorists to comply. He warned against sharp practices such as making photocopies of payment vouchers for multiple uses, maintaining that the state government would apply the law on any motorists attempting to frustrate its efforts at improving traffic movements. Lagos State Government today commenced the cashless policy for payments at Lekki/Ikoyi Link Bridge toll plaza to ease the huge traffic gridlocks that resulted from cash payments by motorists plying the corridor @jidesanwoolu #LASG #ForAGreaterLagos pic.twitter.com/l7G9fgOtyK The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) January 2, 2020 Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde personally monitored the cashless payments at the toll plaza, along with the Managing Director, Lekki Concession Company Limited, (LCC) Mr. Yomi Omomuwasan @jidesanwoolu #LASG #ForAGreaterLagos The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) January 2, 2020 According to Mr Oladeinde, for the nearly three hours they monitored vehicular movements at the toll plaza, motorists spent an average of two seconds before they were electronically passed, having shown their e- payment vouchers or other devices. He assured that the present administration will maximise technology to improve the transportation sector in Lagos State. READ ALSO: Mr Omomuwasan noted that the cashless policy has made toll payment operations seamless, observing that heavy traffic congestions associated with cash payment have been significantly reduced to the admiration of all motorists. Mr Omomuwasan further explained that LCC had created about four seamless ways by which people could make their e-payments namely: E-tag which is attached to vehicles and allows free passage on number plate recognition; the vouchers system, which is temporary for newcomers or 1st timers that are yet to register; the E-card which must be regularly topped up as at the time of presentation; and the LCC Mobile App for top-up which is also a payment platform. Some 25 years ago, conductor Mark Russell Smith made his first music with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in a bid to become its fifth Music Director. His audition program consisted of Beethovens Symphony No. 7 and Piano Concerto No. 4, and a new work, Global Warming, composed by his childhood friend Michael Abels. Smith won the post and remained on the SSO podium for five years. On Saturday, Jan. 11, at 7:30 p.m., Maestro Smith returns to Springfield to present still more Beethoven, kicking off the orchestras celebration of Beethovens 250th birthday. Speaking from sunny San Diego soon after Christmas, Smith expressed his excitement about the program, and eagerness to reconnect with his many Western Massachusetts friends. I have nothing but fond memories [of Springfield], Smith said. I was so excited to win the job. I was young (34) and pretty green, but the players were so accepting and so supportive of me, with both the good and bad ideas that I brought or crazy tempos or whatever. I really felt like there was some great energy there and we kind of hit off. I was very sorry to leave. During his five-year tenure, Smith, along with executive directors Susan Davison and Michael Jonnes, helped shepherd the SSO out of a period of financial difficulty. He shared his own youthful enthusiasm with a swelling audience (during Smiths third season, the Holiday Pops concert sold out!), forged relationships with guest soloists like pianist Jeffrey Biegel, who have maintained lasting friendships with the Orchestra, and initiated the lunchtime concerts, popular with the downtown professional population as well as the musicians, who thereby were able to perform their repertoire more than once after a rehearsal cycle. Smith has been busy since he left the SSO in 2000 to take the full-time position of Music Director of the Richmond, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, a post he held for the next decade. In 2007, he was named Director of New Music Projects for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra back in his home state of Minnesota. He also joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota as Artistic Director of Orchestral Studies. The following year Smith was named Music Director of the Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra in Davenport Iowa, leaving Richmond behind, and more recently, he has assumed the artistic directorship of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Orchestra. His wife, Ellen Dinwiddie Smith, still plays French horn in the Minnesota Orchestra, and their sons Alexander and Noah, both infants during Smiths Springfield tenure, are now 25 and 23 years old! As a full-time orchestra, Richmond was a fruitful step forward for Smith. His positions in Minnesota and Iowa are even more so. I have three jobs and theyre all really different, and I love them all, Smith said. The Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra has been part of the fabric of the community for a very long time we just celebrated our 100th anniversary in 2015, Smith said. Part of that celebration included cellist Yo-Yo Ma as guest soloist, playing the Dvorak Cello Concerto. Its not nirvana not without its struggles, Smith said, but the financial paradigm has worked out we get a lot of community support. Its about balancing things we are able to do big things commissions and large works every once in a while. The idea of have a big, splashy name is something that the board and the community think is important as well, Smith continued, and so as often as it is affordable and plannable, and these soloists are available, its a great treat for me and for the orchestra as well as the audience. Of his musicians at the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony, Smith said, Working with super-smart high school kids is very different than anything else I do. The Twin Cities have great music education and this orchestra is on a level with Boston or Chicago. Smith loves teaching conductors and instrumentalists at the University of MInnesota as well. Everything I do informs everything else, he said. I was fortunate enough to study at the Curtis Institute with Max Rudolfand what I gleaned from that study is still absolutely part of me. It is Smiths duty and pleasure to pass along Rudolfs wisdom to his own students, and it is that wisdom that he connects with his love and understanding of Beethovens music. Rudolf would take the Curtis Orchestra to New York every year and we would play a Beethoven Symphony for the Beethoven Society, Smith recalled. The deep study of Beethoven and his style and what it means to an orchestra was inculcated in me early on. I think I must have an old German soul, because that music really resonates with me. That being said, its among the most difficult repertoire for an orchestra to play well. Its the ultimate orchestra-building music, and a challenge to really pull off. The sound, the articulation, the line, the energy, but also a certain elegance of style it all has to be there. And it has to have great drama, but its not Mahler its the ultimate challenge! Smith will play Beethovens Egmont Overture, followed by his first and second symphonies. Those first entries into Beethovens symphonic catalog burst forth at the turn of the 19th century and, while they were influenced by the high classical style of Haydn, with whom Beethoven studied very briefly, both works announced a new voice for a new era of structure, passion, and drama. Theyre not even post-Haydn, Smith said (Haydn died in 1809), but you have to find that sweet spot they are classical, but they have to have the punchiness and unique voice of Beethoven. Smiths preferred orchestral arrangement is also Springfields current seating under Maestro Kevin Rhodes first and second violins divided on opposite sides of the stage, basses in the center. That was the seating in Beethovens time, Smith said, and it remained the standard until around 1920. Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, Bruckner, all wrote for that seating. Smith said he looked at the orchestra roster, and there are still quite a few familiar names. Ill be so glad to see my old friends! As I was doing my Christmas card list, he continued, there were a lot of Springfield and Longmeadow addresses. There are so many people I have kept in contact with musicians, board members, and audience members. Smith will get a warm welcome from the SSO family as we join together to wish the venerable Ludwig van Beethoven happy 250th birthday, Tickets for the concert priced from $25-$70 may be obtained on line at springfieldsymphony.org Devaraj B Hirehalli By Express News Service TUMAKURU: Whether hes touring another country, meeting dignitaries or addressing the nation, you can always expect the Prime Ministers Offices principal photographer and videographer to be close behind, getting the best shots. Whats not known, however, is that Yadalam Krishnamurthy Loknath, a Prasar Bharati employee who is the PMOs go-to photographer, is from Tumakuru district. This Kannadiga, who hails from Obalapura near YN Hosakote in Pavagada taluk, will be accompanying the PM to cover the mega rally and events being planned in the state, on Thursday and Friday. In his over two-decade stint with the PMO, Loknath has handled numerous assignments, but, he says, the last six years with Narendra Modi have been memorable, given the frequency of the PMs visits abroad. The most memorable trip was to Switzerland where temperatures dipped as low as -15 degrees. However, the PM coped with the cold and co-operated with us too, recalled Loknath while speaking to TNIE. He has covered almost all of the PMs trips abroad, calling himself lucky to have visited about forty countries. The PMO insisted I join it again when I took a break during UPA-II, said the lensman, who has also covered Abdul Kalams term as President. Talking about how he got into the profession, Loknath said his uncle M C Girish ran a colour lab in Bengaluru, and inspired him to take up photography. After completing his schooling and PUC, Loknath joined the Government Film and Television Institute (GFTI) at Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic, getting his diploma in 1989. Its my pleasure to cover the PM in my home district, he signed off. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) has started the trial operation phase of the new Arar airport, which will receive this evening the first flights from Riyadh, operated by national carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines, in the new airport terminal. Gaca stated that after meeting the requirements for the trial operation of the new Arar airport, a number of flights will gradually be received. The airport will eventually receive more destinations in the coming weeks through Saudi Arabian Airlines from Riyadh and Jeddah, also flynas will be operating flights from Dammam. On this occasion, the president of Gaca, Abdulhadi Al Mansouri, extended his thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and to His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, for the unlimited support and attention given to the civil aviation sector in the kingdom. Al Mansouri also thanked His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Northern Borders Region, for his continuous and constant follow-up of the project, till its completion and making sure all the airport s operational requirements are put in place. He also valued the follow-up and directions of the Transport Minister and chairman of Gaca, Engineer Saleh Al Jasser. Al Mansouri indicated that the new Arar airport accommodates more than 1,039,000 passengers annually, and the capacity for air traffic will reach more than 10,000 flights per annum. The new airport is also considered a qualitative shift in the field of air transport for the northern border region, where it will provide the best technologies and services that will in turn improve the whole traveler experience. The new airport boasts 10 check-in counters, and six travel gates, two passenger bridges gates in the new terminal that can accommodates four planes at one time. There are also four gates that serve airplanes parked airside. Furthermore, the main terminal at the new Arar Airport has an advanced luggage handling system with two conveyor belts. This in addition to 12 passport control counters in the arrival area and eight counters for the departure. The main passengers terminal is also equipped with 900 seats. Gaca stated that it was keen to implement the new Arar Airport project to improve and provide all services needed for people with disabilities. This was accomplished by preparing the main terminal and securing all their needs, from mobile paths to special service counters, whether in the security inspection, or the check-in area. Gaca is also working to develop a network of international and domestic airports to accommodate the growing demand and the increase in the number of travellers in various airports around the kingdom, and by building a modern airport system that provides advanced modern services. - TradeArabia News Services The rape and murder of a young woman in Hyderabad triggered anger, shock and outrage of a nature perhaps last seen following the Nirbhaya assault in 2012. After that incident, the then UPA government constituted the Verma Committee to look into ways to deal with violence against women. It made several progressive recommendations, only some of which were adopted. For instance, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013 broadened the definition of rape. Since then, the legislature has sought to address sexual violence by strengthening laws. After the Hyderabad incident, politicians and the public seem to have discovered the limits to that approach. The laws are broad and strongthe death penalty has been on the table for a while. Some lawmakers suggested extra-judicial solutions like lynching. The Hyderabad police provided one such solution, killing all four accused in an encounter. Meanwhile, the Andhra government passed a law stipulating rape cases would be investigated, tried and decided in 21 days. For those who have spent years working with sexual assault survivors, some of these are knee-jerk measures removed from reality. Cases can be probed and tried in 21 days only if there is a massive infusion of funds alongside recruitment and training of personnel ranging from police to forensic scientists to prosecutors and magistrates. Meanwhile, important interventions that would make it easier for survivors to report crimes and pursue the cases are ignored. This begins with sensitising police and medical personnel, the first points of contact for a survivor. This includes how to interpret the law and invoke relevant sections of it. Next, the trial itself must be completed in a respectful environment for which prosecutors and judges must be trained. Most importantly, support systems, including speedy release of compensation, must be made available to survivors along with protection whenever needed to ensure they are able to heal and move on from the trauma. Essentially, people need to forget vengeance for a moment and work towards realising an environment in which women and children feel empowered to speak up. While the whole world was preparing to celebrate the New Year on December 31, employees of the American embassy in Baghdad held the defense in the literal sense. Shiite protest groups stormed the Green Zone, a fortified area in the center of the Iraqi capital where diplomatic institutions are located. They threw the building of the American Embassy with Molotov cocktails, broke surveillance cameras, and several people even burst inside the building. The US military had to oust the angry Iraqis from the embassy building with tear gas. American attack helicopters circled over the territory and fired "heat traps" to scare off protesters. It didnt come to the use of small arms, but American diplomats still had to leave the country. Washington has no doubt that Tehran is behind the assault on the embassy. US President Donald Trump has already threatened the Iranian authorities with serious consequences if American citizens die or US facilities in Iraq are damaged. The reason for the provocation in Baghdad was the clash last week between the Iranian-sponsored Shiite armed group Hezbollah Kataib and the US military. Hezbollah Kataib fighters rocketed a military base in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk on December 28, which killed one civilian American and injured four US troops. In response, the Americans launched airstrikes at five Hezbollah Kataib bases in Syria and Iraq, resulting in 25 deaths and 50 more injured. The Pentagon decided to additionally send 750 troops to Iraq to ensure the security of the Americans, but this is unlikely to reduce the conflict potential in the country, fomented in the interests of Iran. Provocations of Iran Events in the "green zone" of Iraq developed according to the well-established scenario of Islamic extremists of various stripes. This is not the first attack on American diplomats in a Muslim country. In September 2012, the Salafi group Ansar al-Sharia attacked the American consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi. Then four Americans died, including the ambassador. Attacks on US diplomatic and consular offices were also carried out in Egypt, Yemen, Lebanon, Sudan, Tunisia, and Afghanistan in 2012. Well, the most dramatic was the capture of 66 American citizens at the American embassy in Tehran in November 1979 against the backdrop of the Islamic revolution in Iran. The Ayatollah regime dared the old days and played on the nerves of the White House on New Year's Eve in Baghdad. The rally was attended by the leader of the pro-Iranian armed group Asaib Ahl al-Haq Qais al-Hazali, the deputy head of the Iraqi Peoples Mobilization Forces committee Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who is in contact with representatives of the Quds Iranian special forces. According to al-Hazali, a conspiracy against Iraq was being prepared at the American embassy. Participants in the provocation created a picture of mass dissatisfaction with US policy in Iraq and loyalty to Iranian agents of influence. They shouted anti-American slogans, carried the banners of Hezbollah Kataib. Firing at a military base in Kirkuk, Hezbollah Kataib deliberately fired upon the US Air Force to provoke an increase in anti-American sentiment in Iraqi society. Protesting Iraqi Shiites and Kurds are unhappy with the rule of Mahdi, but do not want to strengthen the influence of pro-Iranian armed groups in the country. The question is about the appointment of a new head of government after Mahdi announced his resignation. Irans attempts to put his man in the prime ministers seat in Iraq by political methods ended in failure. A week ago, Iraqi President Barham Saleh resigned because he did not want to approve the candidacy of Asaad al-Idani from the Al-Binaa bloc, aimed at rapprochement with Iran. Therefore, the ayatollah regime is doing everything to provoke a deepening political crisis in Iraq, to rally the Shiites there around the American threat, to make it clear that supposedly only Iran and its allies are able to ensure their security. In Tehran, they are counting on conditions of escalation of tension and growing anti-American sentiment to achieve a change in the political regime in Iraq in their favor through early parliamentary elections or by force, depending on the circumstances. The role of Shiite martyrs took on the Hezbollah Kataib militants who died under American bombs. US implications With the help of airstrikes, Washington wanted to outline the "red lines" in Syria and Iraq to Tehran and demonstrate what could happen if they cross. The United States used force in response to the deaths and injuries of its citizens. Similarly, the United States replaced Russia in Syria in February 2018, destroying a group of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner PMC while trying to capture one of the oil and gas fields in the province of Deir Ez-Zor. This time, the opposite effect was obtained. US airstrikes on Hezbollah Kataib positions will be used by Iran as an excuse to organize new provocations as retaliation. In the sight of Iraqi militants are 5.2 thousand American troops stationed in Iraq, about 350 civilians from among American diplomats and employees. The United States has interests in the oil and gas sector of Iraq, where over 20 international companies, including the American company ExxonMobil, operate. Recent provocations suggest that the United States does not control the security situation in Iraq, and its influence on local political circles has been reduced to a minimum. No one is stopping Iran-sponsored militants from firing on American targets or stormed the US embassy. By the way, the shelling of a military base in Kirkuk is already the eleventh such provocation. Previously, the business districts of Baghdad and Basra were subjected to rocket attacks. Iran is taking aggressive actions to squeeze American influence out of Iraq and turn the neighboring country into its patrimony. There are concerns about the escalation of the armed conflict in Syria and Iraq as a result of recent provocations. Most likely, this will be a confrontation in the spirit of Israels conflict with the terrorist organizations Hamas, Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, which also receive material assistance from Iran. Shiite groups will continue to attack the US military and civilians, shelling American targets in order to force the United States to withdraw from Iraq and recognize Irans ambitions for regional leadership in the Middle East by lifting sanctions. The Americans, in turn, will have to refrain from reducing the military presence in the Middle East, to launch missile and bomb attacks on the positions of Shiite groups. Trump's interests The Iraq crisis could have twofold consequences for Trump's reputation. The policy of reducing the US military presence in the Middle East is unjustified and has already led to the fact that Russia, Iran and the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have filled the vacuum in northeast Syria. Americans will have to concentrate on fighting pro-Iranian Shiite organizations if they do not want to lose Iraqs oil and gas sector. The withdrawal of the US military from this country is out of the question. The situation in Iraq demonstrates the lack of foresight of the Trump team, which underestimated Iran's ability to destabilize regional security. The shelling of the US military and the assault on the embassy in Iraq are just separate episodes of Irans aggressive policy. Last year, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps captured foreign tankers in the Persian Gulf, and a sponsored Shiite Yemeni group bombed Saudi Arabias oil industry. On the other hand, Trump can take advantage of the instability in Iraq to his advantage in the midst of the election campaign and on the eve of the vote on the impeachment of the president in the US Senate. Trump is gaining the image of a president who is ready to take extraordinary steps to protect Americans abroad. Airstrikes on Hezbollah Kataib positions and the sending of reinforcements to the US military in Iraq are proof of this. Trump is trying to distract American society from talking about its impeachment and gain support in the Senate, dominated by members of the Republican Party, who approve of a policy of sanctions against Iran. Trump is trying to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of American lawmakers after surrendering the Kurds in Syria to be torn to pieces by the Turkish army. Reducing the US military presence in Syria was not approved by reputable Republicans like Senator Lindsay Graham. Reducing the US military presence in Syria was not approved by reputable Republicans like Senator Lindsay Graham. Trump is demonstrating strength in Iraq despite being accused of creating the conditions for enhancing the influence of Russia and Iran in Syria. The Kerala government on Thursday said it would press the Centre to frame necessary legislation to ensure the welfare of expatriates. Inaugurating a conference being held as part of the second Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS), a platform of Non-Resident Keralites from 47 countries and 21 states, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured his government "will take up the matter of the legislation with the Centre". Attacking the BJP-led NDA government, Vijayan said there is no national policy or legislation for the welfare of expatriates despite the challenges and exploitation being faced by them and added the "insensitiveness" towards the NRI community is "quite unfortunate". Despite its limitations, the Kerala government had taken a lot of initiatives in this regard, he said adding the Centre does not have a system to support or provide information to those who wish to migrate to other countries, nor to ensure their safety, whereas the state government has initiated a pre-departure training. The LDF government has also started skill development courses to cater to the need of professionals in foreign countries. Vijayan said it was unfortunate that the Union government does not equip the embassies to efficiently intervene and end exploitation of expatriate employees abroad. With the formation of Pravasi Legal Cell, the state was trying to provide maximum help to the NRKs, he said. Pointing out that there was no national level policy to ensure rehabilitation of the returnees, he said the state government had, however, taken steps in this regard too by strengthening the activities of NORKA (Non Resident Keralites Affairs) and Pravasi Welfare Board. Vijayan also suggested a consortium be formed jointly with expatriates, state government and the centre and he would bring this to the notice of the Union government. Though the Centre is planning a new emigration policy, there is no indication that it would consider issues like the exploitation by middlemen and the discriminatory approach in verification of migration documents of the expatriates based on educational qualification, he said. The Sabha should also actively involve in policy making platforms related to migration, he said. The migration of Malayalees within the country has come down to 5.25 lakh from seven lakh within three years, Vijayan said adding the government with its limitations was trying its best to ensure the safety of those migrants too with constant communication with the respective state governments. The expats have invested recently in major projects like airport, multi-speciality hospitals and convention centres in the state. The recently registered Pravasi Investment company, Pravasi Chitti and dividend bonds too provide secure investment options, he said. The State government has also effectively initiated talks with the Sultan of Sharjah, which helped to free 149 expats from jail, Vijayan said. Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan presided over the function. The opposition Congress-led UDF has boycotted the meet. Union Minister of External Affairs N Muraleedharan, who was the chief guest, also kept away. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Gender pay equity in the field of medicine remains elusive. Gender-based pay differences have been shown to persist, even when controlling for experience, clinical productivity, academic rank and other factors. These inequities result in significantly lower lifetime earnings, job burnout and negative attitudes toward work, and adverse effects on the profession and society. One model for eliminating pay disparities among physicians is a structured, salary-only plan that incorporates national benchmarks, and standardized pay steps and increments, such as the plan that is used at Mayo Clinic. A Mayo Clinic study set out to assess how well the institution adheres to its own compensation model and achieves pay equity. The study reviewed data for all permanent staff physicians employed at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota who were in clinical roles as of January 2017. Each physician's pay, demographics, specialty, full-time equivalent status, benchmark pay, leadership roles and other factors were collected and analyzed. Among 2,845 physicians, pay equity was affirmed in 96% of the cases, according to the analysis, which is published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. All physicians whose salaries were not in the predicted range were evaluated further and found to have the appropriate compensation, most often due to unique or blended departmental appointments. Of the 80 physicians -- 2.8% of the total -- with higher compensation than predicted by the model, there was no correlation with gender, race or ethnicity. The same was true of the 35 physicians -- 1.2% -- who had lower-than-predicted compensation. "Our analysis is unique and to our knowledge the first to demonstrate that a structured compensation model achieved equitable physician compensation by gender, race and ethnicity, while also meeting the practice, education and research goals of a large academic medical center such as Mayo Clinic," says Sharonne Hayes, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and the study's first author. "The analysis of this long-standing salary-only model was reassuring, not only that it was equitable, but that we as an organization adhere to our own standards." A structured compensation program has been used for physician salaries at Mayo Clinic for more than 40 years to remove financial incentives to do more than is necessary or less than desired for the patient. The step-based model is designed to ensure that salaries are market-competitive; advance efforts to recruit and retain staff; and support the mission, vision and values of the organization. There are no incentives or bonus pay, and nonsalary compensation and benefits are consistent across Mayo Clinic locations and specialties. Of the 2,845 physicians whose compensation was analyzed, 861 were women and 722 were nonwhite. More men than women held one of the compensated leadership positions or had past leadership roles -- 31.4% of men were in that category, compared with 15.9% of women -- and more men than women were in the highest compensated specialties. The study calls for health care organizations to systematically define the drivers and incentives of physician compensation, and assess whether these organizations unfairly exclude or disadvantage certain groups -- whether women, racial or ethnic minorities, or medical specialties -- and then develop processes that can achieve equity and values alignment. "While solutions to persistent pay inequities are different for each organization, leadership must be committed to addressing those inequities by identifying and consistently tackling biases," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic, and a study co-author. "Furthermore, absolute gender pay equity will only be realized when women achieve parity in the most highly compensated specialties and leadership roles." ### About Mayo Clinic Proceedings Mayo Clinic Proceedings is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal that publishes original articles and reviews dealing with clinical and laboratory medicine, clinical research, basic science research, and clinical epidemiology. Mayo Clinic Proceedings is sponsored by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research as part of its commitment to physician education. It publishes submissions from authors worldwide. The journal has been published for more than 90 years and has a circulation of 127,000. About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news and An Inside Look at Mayo Clinic for more information about Mayo. Media contact: Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Chennai Police have registered cases against 311 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, including party's national secretary H Raja, following a protest by them at the Marina beach here on Wednesday. The party workers, including senior leaders H Raja, Pon Radhakrishnan, L Ganesan and CP Radhakrishnan were detained when they staged a protest near Gandhi Statue at the Marina beach, demanding the immediate arrest of Tamil writer Nellai Kannan for his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The BJP workers have been booked under section 143, 145 and 341 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Tamil Writer, on the other hand, has been arrested in Perambalur on charges of making hate speech against Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah during a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. On the basis of multiple complaints filed by the BJP leaders, the writer has been booked under Sections 504, 505(1) and 505(2) of the IPC. (ANI) Another face-off between the Centre and Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government seems in the offing as the Defence Ministry has rejected the tableau for this year's Republic Day Parade Another face-off between the Centre and Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government seems in the offing as the Ministry of Defence has rejected the state's tableau for this year's Republic Day Parade. Twenty-two proposals, including 16 from states and Union Territories and six from central ministries out of a total 56 have been shortlisted for this Republic Day parade, the ministry on Wednesday said. The ministry had received 32 tableau proposals from states and union territories and 24 from central ministries and departments. "Out of these, 22 proposals, comprising 16 states/Union Territories and six ministries/departments, have finally been shortlisted for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2020 after a series of five meetings," a statement by the ministry said. The West Bengal government's proposal was rejected after an Expert Committee examined it in two rounds of meeting, it said. "The tableau proposal of the West Bengal government was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting." Seeking to highlight that the move to reject the Opposition-ruled state's tableau wasn't political, the ministry clarified that it had selected the West Bengal's proposal for the last year's parade through the same mechanism. Ministry officials claimed that there is a set process to take these decisions and the due diligence was followed. "It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the Government of West Bengal was shortlisted for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process," it added. There is a well-established system for selection of tableau for participation in the Republic Day Parade. The Ministry of Defence invites proposals from all states, Union Territories, central ministries and departments. The proposals are then evaluated in a series of meetings of the Expert Committee comprising eminent persons in the fields of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography, etc. The Centre had received much flak in 2018, when it, for the first time, dropped the opposition-ruled state from the Republic Day Parade. The Committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations, the statement said. Due to time constraints, only a limited number of tableau can be short-listed for participation in the parade. "The selection process in vogue, leads to participation of the best tableau in the parade," the statement added. With inputs from agencies About a month before Wawa disclosed a data breach exposing customers credit and debit card numbers, the nations largest credit card network warned that hackers were targeting gas stations to steal payment card information. Visa reported in November that gas stations emerged as attractive targets for cybercriminals because many have been slow to adopt more-secure payment-processing technology. Specifically, Visa said the attacks could continue as long as gas stations used magnetic-stripe readers to accept card payments, instead of devices that take cards equipped with computer chips. Wawa said this week that it is implementing chip technology at gas pumps and expects all pumps to be upgraded in 2020. An investigation into Wawas data breach is continuing, and its unclear how malicious software got on Wawas payment-processing servers. But Visas warnings shed light on a concerning trend of hackers targeting vulnerable gas stations with sophisticated cyberattacks. READ MORE: Wawa has called in the FBI to probe its nine-month-long data breach Visa said criminals used malware in two data breaches over the summer at North American gas stations. In the past, criminals had typically used less sophisticated means, such as hiding card-skimming devices inside fuel pumps to steal data one card at a time. Fuel dispenser merchants should take note of this activity as the groups operations are significantly more advanced than fuel dispenser skimming, and these attacks have the potential to compromise a high volume of payment accounts, Visas fraud unit warned. The deployment of devices that support chip will significantly lower the likelihood of these attacks. In a statement, Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce said the company took steps to protect payment information provided at gas pumps, including increasing the physical security of fuel dispensers to reduce the risk of skimming attacks. She added that Wawa follows data security standards for organizations that handle payment cards. Gas stations have until October to move to chip technology under a deadline set by credit card networks such as Visa and Mastercard. At Wawa, nothing is more important than honoring and protecting our customers trust, and we take seriously our commitment to protect our customers payment information, Bruce said. We are continuing to work with leading forensic experts and law enforcement to investigate this incident and understand why it went undetected. Wawa has said malware was on its store systems starting after March 4, about eight months before Visa warned of the attacks on Nov. 14. Wawa said it found the malware on Dec. 10 and contained it by Dec. 12, but by then cardholder names, numbers, and expiration dates used in-store and at gas pumps were compromised. The breach went undetected for roughly nine months. Now the popular convenience store chain is facing a wave of lawsuits accusing the company of failing to protect consumers from the massive data breach affecting potentially all of its more than 850 stores. At least nine lawsuits seeking class-action status had been filed in federal court in Philadelphia as of Tuesday. Some Wawa customers say that their credit and debit cards were fraudulently used after the data breach. READ MORE: Wawa faces wave of lawsuits in aftermath of massive data breach What is most shocking to me, and should be most appalling to everybody, is how long this went undetected. How did Wawa just find this recently? said Ron Schlecht, managing partner at Bala Cynwyd-based BTB Security. They were obviously not monitoring at an appropriate level commensurate with their business volume and were unable to detect this anomalous activity. Wawa, which is based in Wawa, Delaware County, has stores in six states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware and the District of Columbia. The company, which had more than $12 billion in sales in 2018, serves about 700 million customers annually. The lawsuits suggest that millions of customers could have been affected by the breach. In August and September, Visa investigated two breaches at North American gas stations in which hackers deployed malware to harvest payment card data. In one case, someone sent an employee a phishing email with a malicious link that, when clicked, installed a Remote Access Trojan on the companys network. Hackers eventually reached the firms point-of-sale system and scraped payment card data. In another case, the gas station accepted card chips in-store and magnetic stripes at fuel pumps. The malware used in that attack targeted the magnetic-stripe data, meaning payment cards used at fuel pumps were at risk. The Visa reports make clear that it is user gullibility that is the attack vector, Michael Levy, former chief of computer crimes at the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, wrote in an email. A network may be hardened against an outside assault, but if you can get an employee inside the company to click on a link, and that link causes the employees computer to download malware, you have tunneled under the moat and [fire]wall. It was my guess that the perpetrators accomplished the Wawa breach in a similar fashion. Visa said one of the attacks it investigated was likely launched by a cybercrime group called FIN8, which often targets retail, restaurant, and hospitality merchants to steal payment account data. Such groups have close ties with the cybercrime underground and are easily able to sell the account information obtained in the attacks, according to Visa. Card chip technology is considered far more secure than magnetic stripes because it creates a unique, onetime-use code for each transaction, according to Visa. If that information is stolen and used to create counterfeit cards, the onetime use code would not work, preventing counterfeit fraud. READ MORE: Wawa data breach: What you need to do right now Although other merchants now accept chip cards, many gas stations are still upgrading. Visa and Mastercard gave gas stations more time to adopt chip technology at automated fuel pumps, from October 2017 to October 2020, citing unique challenges facing the industry. For example, older pumps may need to be replaced before adding chip readers, requiring specialized vendors and breaking into concrete, Visa said in 2016. Wawa has said it will pay for a year of identity-theft protection and credit monitoring for affected consumers who visit experianidworks.com/credit or call 1-844-386-9559 (activation code: 4H2H3T9H6). The company has also told customers to closely review account statements for unauthorized charges. Under federal law, customers who notify their card company shortly after discovering fraudulent charges wont have to pay those charges. Debit card pin numbers, credit card security codes, and drivers license information were not affected by malware and the attack posed no risk to ATMs, according to Wawa. The convenience store chain is hiring help for its cybersecurity defenses. Wawa is looking for an incident response associate who will help with the detection, response and remediation of cyber related attacks on the Wawa enterprise, according to a job posting on Wawas website. The job opening was published Dec. 3, a week before the company said it discovered the data breach. Pope Francis veered from prepared remarks during a New Year's Day homily Wednesday to apologize for an incident on New Year's Eve where he had slapped the hand of a woman who yanked his arm as he was greeting people on the way to the Vatican Nativity scene. "So many times we lose our patience. Me, too," the pope said. And I apologize for yesterday's bad example." Pope Francis, 83, was visibly annoyed after breaking free of the unidentified woman's grip, after smiling while greeting the people before he reached her. It's rare for this pope to show annoyance, though he angrily reprimanded somebody for being "selfish" after he was pulled off balance onto a person in a wheelchair during a 2016 trip to Mexico, The Washington Post recalled. The pope's New Year's Day message at the Vatican included a denunciation of violence against women, from rape and forced prostitution to verbal abuse. "We can understand our degree of humanity by how we treat a woman's body," he said. More stories from theweek.com Pelosi says Congress wasn't consulted about Soleimani strike. Lindsey Graham says he was. The booming stock market shows America is diseased Pompeo says killing of Iranian general disrupted an 'imminent attack' in the region (HealthDay)Fewer than half of California pharmacies provide correct information about disposal of antibiotics and opioids, and few report take-back programs, according to a research letter published online Dec. 31 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Rachel E. Selekman, M.D., from the Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and colleagues examined the information California pharmacies provide about proper disposal of unused antibiotics and opioids. Four male and two female callers administered a survey following a written script to pharmacies, inquiring as a parent with leftover antibiotics and opioids from their child's surgery. A total of 898 pharmacies responded. The researchers found that 47 percent of the pharmacies provided correct antibiotic and 19 percent provided correct opioid disposal information; 29 percent provided correct information for both. Correct information for antibiotics was provided on a weekday and weekend call 49 and 15 percent of the time, respectively. Correct information for opioids was provided 20 and 7 percent of the time on a weekday and weekend call, respectively. Eleven percent of the pharmacies reported a program for antibiotic disposal and 11 percent reported a program for opioid disposal when directly queried about a take-back program at their location. "Improving disposal practices will require a combined effort of strengthening education of patients and those advising patients as well as expanding disposal programs to ensure access," the authors write. Explore further Pharmacies leave customers hanging when it comes to disposing of antibiotics and opioids Copyright 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Australia scrambled military helicopters and ships Wednesday to help thousands of people cut off by wildfires raging across the southeast as the death toll from the national crisis continued to climb. Some 4,000 holiday-makers and locals remain stranded in the remote township of Mallacoota in Victoria state after a bushfire tore through the community on Tuesday, forcing people to shelter on the beach or escape by boats. The terrifying scenes were repeated in dozens of small towns in rural, forested parts of the state and across the border in New South Wales, as the infernos turned the sky a blood red and rained down embers and ash on locals and tourists during the peak summer holiday season. "The fire was ferocious, it was angry," Lorena Granados, who battled in vain to save her home in the small town of Mogo, told the ABC. "The fire was just throwing the water back on us. It was like a demon attacking us." Seven people, including a volunteer firefighter, have been killed this week in New South Wales, police said, taking the confirmed national death toll since the blazes broke out several weeks ago to at least 16. A man was found dead Wednesday in Victoria's East Gippsland region, though police could not confirm whether it was fire-related. With several people unaccounted for, more than 150 fires still burning in the two states and extreme temperatures and strong winds forecast for Saturday, authorities fear the death toll will rise. The crisis has triggered an emotive debate about the impact of global warming in Australia, the world's driest-inhabited continent. It has also fueled criticism of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's conservative government, which strongly advocates for the nation's massive coal-export industry and rejects criticism it is not doing enough to curb emissions. There appears no end in sight to the bushfire emergency, which is impacting all of Australia's six states amid a prolonged drought gripping much of the country. "We have got three months of hot weather to come. We have a dynamic and a dangerous fire situation across the state," Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters. "We know we have a long way to go with this." Firefighters were taking advantage of cooler weather Wednesday to try to contain blazes, re-open roads and reach isolated communities left without power and communications. Helicopters will airlift supplies to cut-off townships and deploy fresh firefighting crews, while boats are delivering food and water to some coastal areas. Residents returned to villages and towns across the southeast Wednesday to find scores of homes destroyed -- the New South Wales fire service put the tally of razed properties this week at 176, and about 1,000 since the crisis began. Social media was awash with images of buildings reduced to charred rubble and burnt-out cars. Main roads were clogged as people seized the opportunity to move to safer areas, and in the town of Eden police had to direct traffic as long lines of cars waited to get fuel. In Batemans Bay, people queued around the block, waiting to enter a crowded supermarket to buy provisions. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The emergency has placed scrutiny on Australia's capacity to combat blazes that have spread over massive areas, pushing fire services largely manned by volunteers to their limits. Almost 4 million hectares of forest and bushland -- an area almost twice the size of Wales -- have been destroyed in New South Wales alone. Fires are so intense they are generating their own weather systems, with dry thunderstorms sparking new blazes. They have already pumped out more than half of the country's annual carbon dioxide emissions, and smoke has drifted some 2,000 kilometers to New Zealand, turning the sky orange early Wednesday in the South Island city of Dunedin. Residents of the Australian capital, Canberra, woke to a new year with air quality more than 23 times the level deemed hazardous as bushfire smoke enveloped the city in a toxic haze. Iltija Mufti has been vocal in her criticism of the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent restrictions imposed in Kashmir. Iltija Mufti, the daughter of Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, was detained at her home in Srinagar on Thursday, CNN-News18 reported. Iltija has said that she wanted to visit her grandfather Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's grave in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag district to pray, but was disallowed from doing so. "I have been detained at home and not allowed to move anywhere," Iltija, a Special Security Group protectee, told PTI. However, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Munir Khan denied that Iltija was detained and said: "the Ananantnag district administration did not give clearance for her visit". "We also have to keep in mind that she is an SSG protectee who has to take police clearance before visiting anywhere," Khan added. Sayeed, the two-time chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, had passed away after a brief illness on 7 January, 2016. Barricades have been erected at Gupkar road which leads to the 'Fairview' residence belonging to Iltija's mother and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is under preventive detention since August 5 when the Centre announced the decision to abrogate Article 370 provisions and bifurcate the erstwhile state into Union territories. Media persons were not allowed by police to reach the residence and the road was open only for security personnel and residents of the high-security area of the city. "I wanted to go to visit my grandfather's grave. It is my right. Is it a crime for a granddaughter to visit her grandfather's grave or do they think I am going to organise stone pelting or a protest there," Iltija said. She accused the civil and the police administrations of being "arrogant", alleging "they do not want peace in the Valley". Her mother Mehbooba, has been in detention since 5 August. She, along with several other regional leaders in the erstwhile state, was placed under detention shortly before the Union government passed two legislations to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution revoking the erstwhile state's special status and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories. Iltija has been handling her mother's Twitter account since the latter was placed under detention. She has been vocal in her criticism of the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent restrictions imposed in Kashmir. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on scrapping of Article 370 received a thunderous applause at the 'Howdy, Modi!' event in September 2019, she tweeted, "Ironic that a move ostensibly taken to secure 'special interests' of Jammu and Kashmir gets cheered on everywhere except in the state thats it meant to benefit (sic). While people in Kashmir have been gagged, mass hysteria is orchestrated elsewhere to justify this decision." With inputs from PTI San Antonio police are searching for the person they say is responsible for shooting two people and setting a house on fire on the East Side. First responders arrived to the 1300 block of Gibbs around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday for a house on fire. Inside, they found 26-year-old Angela Coleman and 25-year-old Michael Herrera, both with gunshot wounds to their lower torsos, police said. BAGHDAD - Iran promised to seek revenge for a U.S. airstrike near Baghdads airport that killed the mastermind of its interventions across the Middle East, and the U.S. said Friday that it was sending thousands more troops to the region as tensions soared in the wake of the targeted killing. The death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Irans elite Quds Force, marks a major escalation in the standoff between Washington and Tehran, which has careened from one crisis to another since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions. Almost 24 hours after the attack on Soleimani, Iraqi officials and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq reported another deadly airstrike. An Iraqi government official reported a strike on two vehicles north of Baghdad but had no information on casualties. Another security official who witnessed the aftermath described charred vehicles and said five people were killed. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Iraqi state television and the media arm of the Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces also reported the strike. The group said its medics were targeted. An American official who spoke on the condition on anonymity denied the U.S. was behind the reported attack. The targeted strike against Soleimani and any retaliation by Iran could ignite a conflict that engulfs the whole region, endangering U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria and beyond. Over the last two decades, Soleimani had assembled a network of heavily armed allies stretching all the way to southern Lebanon, on Israels doorstep. We take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over, Trump said of Soleimani. The United States said it was sending nearly 3,000 more troops to the Middle East, reflecting concern about potential Iranian retaliation. The U.S. also urged Americans to leave Iraq immediately following the airstrike at Baghdads international airport that Irans state TV said killed Soleimani and nine others. The State Department said the embassy in Baghdad, which was attacked by Iran-backed militiamen and their supporters earlier this week, is closed and all consular services have been suspended. Around 5,200 American troops are based in Iraq to train Iraqi forces and help in the fight against Islamic State militants. Defence officials who discussed the new troop movements spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not yet announced by the Pentagon. A Pentagon official who was not authorized to speak publicly said the U.S. also had placed an Army brigade on alert to fly into Lebanon to protect the American Embassy. U.S. embassies also issued a security alert for Americans in Bahrain, Kuwait and Nigeria. The announcement about sending more troops came as Trump said Soleimanis killing was not an effort to begin a conflict with Iran. We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war, Trump said, adding that he does not seek regime change in Iran. Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed harsh retaliation after the airstrike, calling Soleimani the international face of resistance. Khamenei declared three days of public mourning and appointed Maj. Gen. Esmail Ghaani, Soleimanis deputy, to replace him as head of the Quds Force. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the killing a heinous crime and said his country would take revenge. Iran twice summoned the Swiss envoy, the first time delivering a letter to pass to Washington. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the U.S. attack a cowardly terrorist action and said Iran has the right to respond in any method and any time. Thousands of worshipers in Tehran took to the streets after Friday prayers to condemn the killing, waving posters of Soleimani and chanting Death to deceitful America. However, the attack could act as a deterrent for Iran and its allies to delay or restrain any potential response. Trump said possible targets had been identified and the U.S. was prepared. Oil prices surged on news of the airstrike, and markets were mixed. The killing promised to further strain relations with Iraqs government, which is allied with both Washington and Tehran and has been deeply worried about becoming a battleground in their rivalry. Iraqi politicians close to Iran called for the country to order U.S. forces out. The U.S. Defence Department said it killed the 62-year-old Soleimani because he was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. It also accused Soleimani of approving orchestrated violent protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The strike, on an access road near Baghdads airport, was carried out early Friday by an American drone, according to a U.S. official. Soleimani had just disembarked from a plane arriving from either Syria or Lebanon, a senior Iraqi security official said. The blast tore apart his body and that of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces. A senior politician said Soleimanis body was identified by the ring he wore. Others killed include five members of Irans elite Revolutionary Guard and Soleimanis son-in-law, Iranian state TV said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. The attack comes at the start of a year in which Trump faces both a Senate trial following his impeachment and a re-election campaign. It marks a potential turning point in the Middle East and represents a drastic change for American policy toward Iran after months of tensions. They are rooted in Trumps decision in May 2018 to withdraw the U.S. from Irans nuclear deal with world powers, struck under Barack Obama. Since then, Tehran shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone and seized oil tankers. The U.S. also blames Iran for other attacks targeting tankers and a September assault on Saudi Arabias oil industry that temporarily halved its production. Supporters of the strike against Soleimani said it restored U.S. deterrence power against Iran, and Trump allies were quick to praise the action. To the Iranian government: if you want more, you will get more, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted. Hope this is the first step to regime change in Tehran, Trumps former national security adviser, John Bolton, wrote in a tweet. Others, including Democratic presidential hopefuls, criticized Trumps order. Joe Biden said Trump had tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox, saying it could leave the U.S. on the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East. Trump, who was vacationing at his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, said he ordered the airstrike because Soleimani had killed and wounded many Americans over the years and was plotting to kill many more. He should have been taken out many years ago, Trump added. The potential for a spiraling escalation alarmed U.S. allies and rivals alike. We are waking up in a more dangerous world, Frances deputy minister for foreign affairs, Amelie de Montchalin, told RTL radio. The European Union warned against a generalized flare-up of violence. Russia condemned the killing, and fellow Security Council member China said it was highly concerned. Britain and Germany noted that Iran also bore some responsibility for escalating tensions. Even so, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed frustration at the European reaction. Frankly, the Europeans havent been as helpful as I wish that they could be. The Brits, the French, the Germans all need to understand that what we did, what the Americans did, saved lives in Europe as well, he said on the Fox News Hannity program. While Irans conventional military has faced 40 years of American sanctions, Iran can strike in the region through its allied forces like Lebanons Hezbollah, Iraqi militias and Yemens Houthi rebels. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called on the resistance the world over to avenge Soleimanis killing. Frictions over oil shipments in the Gulf also could increase, and Irans Revolutionary Guard has built up a ballistic missile program. Irans Supreme National Security Council said in a statement Friday that it had held a special session and made appropriate decisions on how to respond but didnt elaborate. Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett held a meeting with top security officials Friday, but the Israeli military said it was not taking any extraordinary action on its northern front, other than closing a ski resort in the Golan Heights near Lebanon and Syria as a precaution. The most immediate impact could be in Iraq. Funerals for al-Muhandis and the other slain Iraqis were set for Saturday. Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi condemned the strike as an aggression against Iraq. An emergency session of parliament was called for Sunday, which the deputy speaker, Hassan al-Kaabi, said would take decisions that put an end to the U.S. presence in Iraq. ___ Karam reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Robert Burns, Lolita C. Baldor and Zeke Miller in Washington; Jon Gambrell and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Nasser Karimi and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Bassem Mroue and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut; and Joseph Krauss and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report. MHA notification reserving jobs for locals in J&K to be issued soon India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 02: The government is all set to issue a notification to include domicile provision and job reservation in Jammu and Kashmir. Sources in the Home Ministry tell OneIndia that the notification would be released in the next couple of days. There is likely to be a clause that states any Indian citizen can acquire residency of Jammu and Kashmir only after staying in the Union Territory continuously for a period of 15 years. It may be recalled that the regional BJP units had submitted a memorandum to the top leadership of the party to make some concessions for the residents of Kashmir. It was suggested that 15 to 20 years of stay within J&K must be made the minimum requirement for an Indian citizen to be deemed eligible for the status of a permanent resident. Expert on counter terror and China, General Naravane will add great value to national security The source, however, added that an exemption would be made to IAS and IPS officers and their families who have worked in Jammu and Kashmir. The exception would also be made to armed forces personnel from any part of the country, the officer also confirmed. NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 It may be recalled that the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had withdrawn a notification that sought applications from across the country for recruitment of non-gazetted posts. "It is hereby notified for information of all the concerned that the advertisement Notice No. 09/2019 dated 26.12.2019, whereby applications were invited for different posts in Non-Gazetted category in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir stands withdrawn with immediate effect," a notification issued by the High Court's registrar, Sanjay Dhar read. It may be recalled that the High Court had on December 26 invited applications from candidates from across the country. This was the first time that hiring was to take place from across the country, post the abrogation of Article 370. Prior to the abrogation, the appointments were restricted to the permanent residents of Kashmir and Ladakh. No document needed for NPR: MHA sources The posts advertised included that of stenographers, drivers and typists. The J&K Reservation Rules 2005 will be applicable in the reserved category. It stated that the available vacancies would be in favour of the permanent residents. There were 33 posts advertised and 17 are in the open merit category, which means anyone from outside J&K can apply and be selected. These candidates had been requested to send their applications to the Registrar General of the High Court of Jammu. Chilean cement demand declines 8% in October ICR Newsroom By 02 January 2020 Chiles cement market contracted by eight per cent in October 2019 to 337,959t from 367,167t in October 2018, according to the Chilean construction chamber (CChC). However, MoM demand advanced 8.6 per cent from 311,328t in September 2019. In the first 10 months of 2019 cement consumption advanced 3.9 per cent from 3.273Mt in 10M18 to 3.401Mt. Published under A private survey released on Thursday showed China's manufacturing activity expanded in the month of December, but missed analysts' expectations. The Markit/Caixin Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for manufacturing came in at 51.5 in December analysts polled by Reuters had expected the private manufacturing PMI to come in at 51.7 in the last month of the year. The Caixin PMI was at 51.8 in November. PMI readings above 50 indicate expansion, while those below that level signal contraction. IHS Markit and Caixin said in a press release that domestic demand expanded in December, but the pace of expansion was slower than in October and November. There was also an improvement in business sentiment, they said. On Tuesday, China released official manufacturing PMI for December that was slightly above expectations at 50.2, data from the country's statistics bureau showed. Investors are keeping a close watch on the health of China's economy amid a long-drawn trade conflict between the U.S. and China which has weighed on sentiment. The official PMI survey typically polls a large proportion of big businesses and state-owned enterprises. The Markit/Caixin survey features a bigger mix of small- and medium-sized firms. On December 13, the U.S. and China announced they had reached a phase one trade deal including some tariff relief, increased agricultural purchases and structural change to intellectual property and technology issues. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will be signing the phase one deal with China at the White House on Jan. 15. "Subdued business confidence was a major factor behind the economic slowdown this year," said Zhengsheng Zhong, director of macroeconomic analysis at Caixin subsidiary CEBM Group. "As the phase one trade deal between China and the U.S. has sent out positive signals, there is room for a recovery in business confidence, which should be able to help stabilize the economy." Although China's manufacturing PMI ended 2019 in expansionary territory, compared to a contraction at the start of the year, it doesn't mean that the worst is over for the world's second largest economy, said Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at Capital Economics, a consultancy. "While it does appear that export growth is bottoming out, downside risks to domestic demand, especially from the property sector, still cloud the outlook," Evans-Pritchard wrote in a note on Thursday. "Looking ahead, we think that exports will continue to benefit from recovering global demand and (at the margin) US tariffs rollbacks. But domestic demand will probably cool further," he added. The Chinese central bank will have to depend on monetary policy adjustments more than many had expected in the coming quarters, said Evans-Pritchard. On Jan. 1, the People's Bank of China announced it was cutting the amount of cash that all banks need to hold as reserves to support the economy. Be the first to know when a new trade signal is out! Click here to sign up for e-mail notifications. Time Stamp Prices as of 09:29 a.m. EST (14h29 p.m. GMT) 2 January 2020 $1,530.40 (Basis the February 2020 Comex Contract). Direction: Buy Target Price / Range: $1,538 Timeframe: 02-01-2020 to 10-01-2020 Gold prices appear to be in a firm upward trend now. Portfolio repositioning by investors may be supporting prices. Technical buying as prices break resistance levels is further buoying prices. Seasonal strength also is typical around this time of the year. Investors also may be concerned about China and U.S. trade relations, despite some resolve expected later this month. Regardless, not much has changed from late last year, and many of the factors supportive of gold prices in the medium to long term remain. Note: Discretion should be allowed at +/- $0.50 from the target. Disclaimer Past performance is no indication or guarantee of anticipated future profits, and neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor CPM Group can accept any liability or responsibility for any loss suffered as a result of gold price fluctuations. Gold as a commodity is not a specified investment for the purpose of giving advice under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Therefore this trade recommendation does not give rise to rights to claim compensation under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. CPM Group is a registered CTA with the U.S. NFA and CFTC. At times the principals and associates of CPM Group may have positions in the precious metals, commodity, and equities markets. CPM Group also manages investment and industrial positions in markets for its clients. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 18:46:01|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Education Minister Maszlee Malik announced his resignation on Thursday, amid speculation of a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Maszlee, who had served 20 months in the post, told a press conference held at the Education Ministry that the decision was made on the advice of Mahathir. In a statement, Mahathir confirmed that he had accepted Maszlee's resignation. Mahathir thanked Maszlee for his services, adding that he would name the new education minister soon. Mahathir said in November last year that he was considering a cabinet reshuffle following a poor performance in a by-election, in which his party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) lost by a wide margin. Maszlee, who is a member of PPBM, had courted controversy since early days of his time in office, announcing several policy changes that received a severe public backlash. Recently he has been under intense public pressure after proposing to implement an Islamic writing style in the school syllabus of the country's vernacular schools, which were vigorously opposed by the public. In a notice issued on Thursday, SBI said it will sell two NPAs- Rohit Ferro Tech with an outstanding amount of Rs 1,313.67 crore and Impex Ferro Tech with dues of Rs 200.67 crore, on 17 January. Mumbai: The country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) and Union Bank of India are looking to sell their non-performing loans totalling Rs 2,836 crore to banks, asset reconstruction companies and other financial institutions. While SBI has put on sale Rs 1,554.87 crore of three assets, state-run Union Bank of India has invited bids to sell 11 NPAs worth Rs 1,280.87 crore, according to separate public notices by the two lenders. All these NPAs will be sold through e-auctions during January. In a notice issued on Thursday, SBI said it will sell two NPAs- Rohit Ferro Tech with an outstanding amount of Rs 1,313.67 crore and Impex Ferro Tech with dues of Rs 200.67 crore, on 17 January. The bank said Rohit Ferro Tech will be sold on cash cum securities receipts with a 50:50 ratio and Impex Ferro Tech only on 100 percent cash.Both the companies are promoted by Kolkata-based SKP The group which is into manufacturing, trading, import and export of ferro alloys. The group also has a presence in steel, power cement sector. In a notice on its website on 12 December, SBI had sought bids to sell another Kolkata-based engineering firm Avani Projects and Infrastructure, having an outstanding loans of Rs 40.53 crore. The bad asset will be sold on 100 percent cash basis through an e-auction to be held on 10 January. Public sector lender Union Bank has invited all-cash bids for 11 NPAs. The bank is selling GVK Power Goindwal Saheb (Rs 443.84 crore), Chennai Elevated Tollway (Rs 192.24 crore), Rajamundry Godavari Bridge (Rs 153.03 crore), Sona Alloys (Rs 135.58 crore), Supreme Manorvada Bhiwandi Tollways (Rs 113.95 crore) and NSSL Ltd (Rs 61.63 crore). The other five smaller NPAs includes Shri Raghunath Rai Memorial (Rs 51.91 crore), Vikas WSP (Rs 46.45), Kamachi Industries (Rs 28.37 crore), Karur KCP Packaging (Rs 26.55 crore) and Pacific Hospitals (Rs 5.87 crore). All the 11 assets were declared NPA between December 2012 and November 2017, Union Bank said. The auction will be conducted on 13 January. Ive never been terminated before, David said. This is the first time and the last time, I should think. A lot has been accomplished over the last five years, and the board appreciates all his efforts, White added. Hes helped us put some big things together and gotten things rolling. What the board is doing is looking at where we need to be in the next three, four, five years. That was a factor. Looking back, David said he was proud of the county staff and culture of professionalism among the staff. Ive never worked with a finer group of people and likely never will, he said. He cited progress on the countys public safety radio system and the new public safety building, the countys fiber broadband project and the Germanna Wilderness Area Plan as projects he is proud to have contributed to. He commended the work of the countys economic development and tourism offices for helping grow the countys economy as well as the parks and rec department for its stewardship of Booster Park. He said the local businesses and taxpayers can be proud of the countys stellar bond rating and the countys sound financial status. Toronto, ON -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/02/2020 -- Philip Castleton Photography has, for the past 15 plus years, been focused on offering top-notch photographic services with a focus on commercial and architectural photography. The firm has always been driven to interpret the objectives of its clients by creating dynamic images that have a lasting impact. Over the years of operation, Philip Castleton Photography has had the privilege of working with a wide range of clients not only in Canada but across North America, a feat that has been propelled with their outstanding record and numerous awards. "Philip's awareness of composition and light and the determination of viewpoint result in images that leave a strong impact and lasting impression, earning us a high percentage of repeat clients," commented the company spokesperson. "Our images are typically used for websites, marketing presentations, annual reports, public relations initiatives, corporate communications, and editorial purposes. At Philip Castleton Photography, we even cater to the last-minute deadlines. We offer realistic pricing for assignments that have always been appreciated by our clients." Philip Castleton Photography is the ideal commercial and architectural photography for anyone who wants to find the best architectural photographer in Toronto. The company produces dynamic images for various industries at competitive prices. Philip Castleton Photography's team of professionals has the requisite knowledge of light and composition and the ability to determine an excellent viewpoint to take pictures from, which results in photographs that have a lasting impression and strong impact. Before any shoot, the technicians visit the location to plan and prepare. Preparations include technical considerations, permits, and permission applications, ensure proper staging and choosing props. "Our images are nothing more than a reflection of our client's requirements and objectives. Right from the inception stage, we take our time to understand what our clients want to be delivered as it relates to a particular project, and we closely work with them throughout the project to ensure that our goals are aligned," commented the company spokesperson. "We further use the best equipment when it comes to creating images, and are consistently improving our approach as it pertains to modern photography trends. We seek to make an impact with our images, and clients can always trust that we've got them covered." The portfolio of Philip Castleton Photography is a collection of masterpieces that naturally gives them the top spot for individuals looking for industrial photography in Toronto. Clients who want do not want to settle for less, have in the firm the assurance of a team that will handle the photographic assignment. Philip Castleton Photography has had its images used for lots of purposes, including in brochures, magazines, annual reports, websites, marketing presentations, and other editorial purposes. The images have equally proven to be efficient for public relations initiatives and corporate communications. About Philip Castleton Photography Philip Castleton Photography is an architectural and commercial photography company with its base in Toronto. The company specializes in shooting industrial work, annual reports, restaurants, interiors, headshots, and architecture. Philip Castleton is an award-winning company that has helped its design clients win numerous awards. The company boasts of its experience and professional versatility. Contact Details Philip Castleton Photography, Inc. 155 Beecroft Road Suite 1603 Toronto ON M2N7C6 Canada Telephone Number: 416-727-7253 Email: philip@philipcastleton.com Website: https://www.philipcastleton.com/ The print industry has grown its audience base in the recent past, but radio and digital have grown at a faster pace and acquired scale. As a result, the industry is facing a sluggish growth phase of late as the various mediums like Digital, TV, Radio and Print compete with each other for audiences time and advertisers budgets, writes Rajan Bhalla, Group Chief Marketing Officer, HT Media. The readership growth has been healthy among the Indian language publications and relatively sluggish, but still positive, among English language publications. Opportunities & Imperatives A global scan of newspaper trends shows up 5 distinct opportunities and priorities being driven by many leading players Print + Digital Interplay, Form Factor, Weekend offerings, Millennial and Women readers. These opportunities also resonate well with the rapidly evolving Indian society and economy. A recent Reuters report for India suggests that the news in newspaper continues to be highly trusted and 5 out of top 7 sources for trustworthy news are newspaper brands. However, the newspaper offerings have not kept pace with the younger readers, is our learning from our own recent researches and hence, there is a need to relook at these key segments. Millennials Millennials are the largest segment of reader base and are moving towards accessing content online and reducing their time spent on reading newspapers. However, there are many positives that they still see in print, especially that news in print is authentic and presents verified information. Further, newspaper comes with detailed analysis, categorised well for their topic of interest and allows for focused reading, void of any distractions like pop-ups, links, etc. Millennials face a tough and fast-paced life, and face many issues with newspapers in their current form. These issues include comprehension, user interface, navigation, look and feel issues. Hence, millennials are seeking different product formats and content mix. In addition, millennials want a weekend newspaper that they can read at leisure. It needs to be different from the weekday, and reflect the weekend vibe. They are firm believers of change and progress and their newspaper needs to reflect the same. Gen Z Digital mediums are very popular and print readership is comparatively lower amongst Gen Z, especially in metros. The barrier to Gen Z reading newspapers regularly is low perceived relevance, association with mature/ boring image, and serious content. Thus, a Gen Z newspaper is expected to be different from the main paper at both product & image level and should look, feel and read different. Customer-focused solutions With the changing times, the need of advertisers has also changed as the media options have multiplied. Print for a long time was just talking about How can I help deliver campaign reach. However, the advertisers are more keen on client-centric solutions to address How can we help solve your brand-problem. Further, there is an emerging need to highlight and strengthen Why Advertise in Print and not just Why Advertise in my publication. The inherent strategic benefits of print reach, engagement, segmentation, innovation and credibility need to be leveraged to overcome the higher perceived cost of print. Fast-evolving consumer and media landscape The consumer media usage landscape is shifting drastically. This is because millennials engage with their media at a much faster pace than in past years across multiple platforms. Theyre exposed to an overwhelming amount of marketing messages and as a result, only engage with messages that are relevant to their needs. Gen Z are true digital natives: from earliest youth, they have been exposed to the Internet, to social networks, and to mobile systems. That context has produced a hyper-cognitive generation very comfortable with collecting and cross-referencing many sources of information and with integrating virtual and offline experiences. But herein lies the opportunity for every medium to adopt a more omni-channel approach. A multi-channel approach to marketing, selling, and serving customers in a way that creates an integrated and cohesive customer experience, no matter how or where a customer reaches out. A few ways to create this approach with print is usage of QR Codes as well as including social media handles and migration platforms on print materials to interact with audiences. 61% of Gen Zers believe their peers would benefit from unplugging more. Even though they grew up with technology, they see the value in print media and unplugging when consuming content. According to research from MNI, Gen Z may breathe new life into print preferring to use newspapers and magazines [without] interruption and trusting these publications over other media to deliver credible information. Print Matters (Relevance of Print) Reach: Approximately 450 million readers Approximately 450 million readers Segmentation: Geo targeting is a big strength of print. 910 publishing centers across India. Over 150 editions in Hindi belt of Hindustan vs < 10 beams of one TV channel Geo targeting is a big strength of print. 910 publishing centers across India. Over 150 editions in Hindi belt of Hindustan vs < 10 beams of one TV channel Credibility: Highest credibility across media. In a Twitter poll, 74% trusted ads in Print vs Digital at 26 Highest credibility across media. In a Twitter poll, 74% trusted ads in Print vs Digital at 26 Drives Memory: Research has shown that people read more slowly when reading on paper than online. This is a big benefit of print media, because slower reading allows you to gain deeper understanding. Just holding the paper is a tactile exercise that helps the brain form connections that increase memory. Research has shown that people read more slowly when reading on paper than online. This is a big benefit of print media, because slower reading allows you to gain deeper understanding. Just holding the paper is a tactile exercise that helps the brain form connections that increase memory. Has Staying Power: Unlike internet advertising that readers often must click on to read, or social media advertising that comes and goes, print media advertising stays where its put. The staying power of print gives print advertisers an aura of strength and solidity. Unlike internet advertising that readers often must click on to read, or social media advertising that comes and goes, print media advertising stays where its put. The staying power of print gives print advertisers an aura of strength and solidity. Builds Awareness: All types of advertising require repeat placement to be effective. But, while TV and online campaigns show diminished awareness of an advertiser or brand after running four times, awareness continues to grow with the frequency of print ads. Print media advertising are known to increase brand loyalty and purchase decisions far more than online ads do. All types of advertising require repeat placement to be effective. But, while TV and online campaigns show diminished awareness of an advertiser or brand after running four times, awareness continues to grow with the frequency of print ads. Print media advertising are known to increase brand loyalty and purchase decisions far more than online ads do. Combine Media for Greatest Impact: Look at any print ads closing paragraph, and youre likely to see a redirect to a website for more information or a special offer. Thats because print is exceptionally good at driving readers to wherever you want them to go. Every advertising medium has its benefits. For maximum impact, a marketing campaign should be an integrated one that makes use of different types of media, each reinforcing versions of your message. TV ads have been proven to achieve twice as many results when paired with print than when paired with online ads only. Combining all three is even more effective. With a multimedia approach, you not only reach people who prefer one medium over another; you also increase awareness and, in the long run, increase and maintain brand loyalty. Look at any print ads closing paragraph, and youre likely to see a redirect to a website for more information or a special offer. Thats because print is exceptionally good at driving readers to wherever you want them to go. Every advertising medium has its benefits. For maximum impact, a marketing campaign should be an integrated one that makes use of different types of media, each reinforcing versions of your message. TV ads have been proven to achieve twice as many results when paired with print than when paired with online ads only. Combining all three is even more effective. With a multimedia approach, you not only reach people who prefer one medium over another; you also increase awareness and, in the long run, increase and maintain brand loyalty. Engagement: Loyal & exclusive readers. Average papers 1.8, 3hrs/week (highest concentrated time). TV 35 channels, 20hrs/week. Digital 21 apps 18 hours a week. Loyal & exclusive readers. Average papers 1.8, 3hrs/week (highest concentrated time). TV 35 channels, 20hrs/week. Digital 21 apps 18 hours a week. Innovation: A proven platform for innovation. However, print measurement continues to pose a challenge Print measurement remains a challenge. Right or wrong, TV & digital platforms provide metrics for assessing Reach, Relevance & Impact. Print falls short today in measuring targeted impact. Print works, but there is no data point except a customers own measurement. Regular reporting of IRS should help in this direction. However, creating custom contact information, using discount & coupon codes and measuring web traffic are some effective ways of using digital methods to measure print. Why else would large online players bank on print advertising when they have big days to deliver. Business model requires a re-pivot, ramping up digital revenues an opportunity Media revenues and profits are largely dependent on advertising revenues with share of advertising revenues hovering at the 45 per cent mark. The business models will have re-pivot. In the case of print, this ratio is further adverse with 10-15 per cent of revenue coming out of circulation sales and dependence on advertising revenue is almost 80-85 per cent. Currently, digital revenues make up ~5-7 per cent of the print revenue. Bulk of the digital revenue is mopped up by Google and Facebook. News itself is sub 20 per cent of digital consumption. In a connected omni-channel world, with high-quality journalism and superior content, subscription-based revenue can help boost digital revenues on the back of print. Excited there is a future. Future problems with past solutions will not work There needs to be a sharp focus on winning content across sharply segmented cohorts. Hyper local play for print is a strength that it needs to build on. Technology is the other key factor that will make or break business models. It spans all the way from digitisation to digitalisation to transformation. While its important for legacy print companies to energise the core print business, they need to equally focus on creating platforms of the future. Companies need to have a clearly defined strategy on millennials as well as GenZ to address todays needs and be future ready. Legacy print companies will need to create a fine balance between investment in print Vs technology led future platforms. Customers would increasingly seek business solutions as opposed to buying vanilla display advertising. This will require an ecosystem of very differently trained and enabled sales force to keep up with integrated platforms that enable delivery of Reach, Relevance or Impact. Data analytics will also be a core enabler and in certain ways a core competency that companies would need to build out for superior internal & external actions. Print companies will also need to focus hard on creating the most efficient cost structures to combat the headwinds on revenue. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Nissan ex-boss Carlos Ghosn will hold a news conference in Beirut on Jan. 8, a lawyer for Ghosn said on Wednesday, two days after abruptly arriving from Japan, where he was under house arrest and accused of financial misconduct. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Nissan ex-boss Carlos Ghosn will hold a news conference in Beirut on Jan. 8, a lawyer for Ghosn said on Wednesday, two days after abruptly arriving from Japan, where he was under house arrest and accused of financial misconduct. The circumstances surrounding Ghosn's escape from Tokyo remain mysterious. (Reporting by Laila Bassam; editing by Philippa Fletcher) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Now Plepler, who turned HBO into a destination for "prestige" content such as "Game of Thrones," will be creating shows for a streaming service that directly competes with his previous employer. His new New York-based company, Eden Productions, has signed an exclusive five-year deal with Apple , representatives for Plepler and Apple confirmed. Shows produced by Plepler will be available to stream on Apple TV+, which launched last fall. It costs $4.99 per month, but a free year's subscription is bundled with new Apple gadgets. Apple is reportedly spending billions on content for the service. WarnerMedia plans to launch a new streaming service under the HBO brand this year. Both Apple and AT&T are joining an increasingly competitive market. In addition to legacy options such as Netflix and Hulu, Disney successfully launched a service last fall, and NBCUniversal is planning its own service later this year. In an interview with The New York Times, Plepler said that Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue was a big part of why he decided to make shows for Apple TV+. Plepler also praised the heads of Apple TV+ video programming, former Sony television executives Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg. "I'm excited to work with Zack, Jamie and the standout team at Apple who have been deeply supportive of my vision for Eden from day one. The shows that Zack and Jamie produced, 'The Crown' and 'Breaking Bad,' are among those I most admired," Plepler said in a statement. "Apple is one of the most creative companies in the world, and the perfect home for my new production company and next chapter." Apple hasn't disclosed the number of subscribers or views on its service, which is built around original series, including "The Morning Show," starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, and "See," starring Jason Momoa. Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC. WATCH: Analyst explains why Apple could become a $400 stock this year Carlos Ghosn has been pictured celebrating New Year's Eve with his wife and friends in Lebanon after escaping nine months of house arrest in Japan. The 65-year-old former Nissan CEO can be seen sitting next to wife Carole in a plush dining room in front of a table strewn with empty plates, glasses, a half-full bottle of wine and decorated with lit candlesticks on Tuesday. It is thought the image, obtained by French TV station TF1, was taken inside the Beirut mansion where he has been holed up since arriving in the country on Monday. It comes as authorities around the world try to work out how he escaped house arrest in Tokyo, boarded a flight to Istanbul, changed planes and then went to Lebanon - amid reports that he was stowed away inside a double bass case. Ghosn has pledged to reveal all himself at a press conference next Wednesday. Turkish police say they have detained seven people, including four pilots, in connection with the escape - while prosecutors in Tokyo have raided three properties belonging to the former Nissan CEO. Carlos Ghosn has been pictured celebrating New Year's Eve with wife Carole (right) in Beirut after he managed to escape from house arrest in Japan Ghosn fled Japan at the weekend and travelled via Istanbul to Beirut, where he is now holed up with wife Carole (together left and right) Authorities in Japan have raided Ghosn's three Tokyo homes as they try to figure out how one of the country's most high-profile detainees was able to slip away Prosecutors wearing face masks and suits were seen carrying bags into one of Ghosn's Tokyo properties early on Thursday Ghosn had been held under virtual house arrest in Tokyo since April last year as he awaited trial on charges of corruption Another two arrested are thought to be ground crew. Lebanon has also confirmed it has received an Interpol arrest warrant for Ghosn, though it is not clear whether it plans to comply. Japan and Lebanon have no extradition treaty. It is thought Ghosn used a French passport that he was allowed to keep under Japanese laws which mean foreigners must carry ID at all times to fly to Istanbul, and then to Beirut where he is now holed up with wife Carole. The executive, who spent more than two decades at the helm of Nissan before being ousted as he was charged with with under-reporting his future compensation and a breach of trust, has repeatedly professed his innocence. Ghosn blasted what he called the 'injustice' of the Japanese legal system, while claiming the charges were fabricated by Japan to stop a closer merger between Nissan and partner Renault. His plan is now to seek a trial in Lebanon. Japan has confirmed that Ghosn will forfeit some 10.5million he surrendered as a condition of his bail. Other stringent bail conditions included being prevented from contacting his wife without the permission of the court. For the past seven months they have been unable to speak to each other at all. Friends said the final straw for Ghosn came when he was prevented from speaking to her over Christmas, amid fears his trial might not start until 2021. Ghosn reportedly met Lebanon's president after his escape, where he was smuggled out of house arrest by a private security company, two sources claimed. It is thought he then flew on a Bombardier jet labelled TC-TSR from Osaka in Japan, which landed in Istanbul at 05.15am and parked in a hangar. He then boarded a private jet to Beirut, a Bombardier Challenger 300 TC-RZA, which left 45 minutes later, news agency DHA said. A woman believed to be Carole Ghosn, wife of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, leaves in a car from the mansion where he is holed up in Beirut Turkish investigators are trying to establish how Ghosn was able to slip through security at Istanbul Airport (pictured), despite being one of the world's most prominent CEOs Carole is thought to have reunited with Carlos at the airport in Lebanon after he arrived on a private jet, and the pair are now holed up in this mansion in Beirut A policeman leaves the residence of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Beirut, Lebanon Ghosn is said to have flown from Tokyo to Beirut via Istanbul in Turkey after being 'smuggled' out of his home in a musical instrument case Japanese authorities have also carried out raids on Ghosn's Tokyo penthouse apartment (building pictured left and right), along with a third home According to the Hurriyet newspaper, the Beirut-bound private jet was formerly owned by Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab, convicted in the United States for his alleged role in a scheme to evade sanctions on Iran by trading gold for gas. Lebanese news channel MTV reported that a 'paramilitary group' had posed as musicians hired to perform at Ghosn's home, believed to be a 2.7million penthouse apartment, during a dinner party. While some Lebanese media have floated a Houdini-like account of Ghosn being packed in a wooden container for musical instruments after a private concert in his home, his wife called the account pure fiction. She declined to provide details of the exit of one of the most recognise titans of industry. The accounts of the two sources suggest a carefully planned escape few were aware of. Ghosn has denied that any of his family were involved in the escape, and say he orchestrated it alone. Sources said a private security firm oversaw the plan, which was three months in the making and involved shuttling Ghosn out via a private jet to Istanbul before pushing onward to Beirut, with even the pilot unaware of Ghosn's presence on board. 'It was a very professional operation from start to finish', said one of the sources. The other source said Ghosn was in good health. Ricardo Karam, a Lebanese television host and friend of Ghosn, said: 'He is home. It's a big adventure.' Carlos Ghosn's attorney Junichiro Hironaka addresses the media as he heads to his office in Tokyo on Tuesday There was speculation that 5ft 6in Ghosn squeezed himself into a 6ft long double bass case to be smuggled out of his Tokyo home under the noses of the Japanese police Ghosn is accused of using 14million of Nissan cash to buy homes in Paris, Beirut, Rio de Janeiro and Amsterdam as well as a 2.7million penthouse apartment in Tokyo. MTV reported: 'The band entered his home in Japan under the guise of a band for a Gregorian dinner, then returned and exited after the party's logical time had passed. 'The Japanese authorities did not know at the time that Carlos Ghosn had hidden in one of the boxes intended for the transfer of musical instruments, and then left the country through a local airport.' The Tokyo Shimbun also said Ghosn's actions had made a mockery of the Japanese justice system. 'The defendant Ghosn insists he escaped political persecution... but travelling abroad without permission is against the conditions of his bail, and mocks the Japanese justice system,' the paper wrote. 'There is a high probability that the trial will not be held, and his argument that he wants to prove his innocence is now in question.' Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, several people close to Ghosn said his escape plan was launched at the weekend after weeks of careful planning including by accomplices inside Japan. The claims were swiftly picked up by media outlets around the world but were denied by a member of his entourage. Ghosn's lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said he was 'surprised and baffled' by reports of the escape as all three of his passports had been confiscated. He said: 'It would have been difficult for him to do this without the assistance of some large organisation. A house identified by court documents as belonging to former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn in a wealthy neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital Beirut 'I want to ask him, 'How could he do this to us?' I wanted to prove he was innocent. 'But when I saw his statement in the press, I thought he doesn't trust Japan's courts.' The auto tycoon's abrupt departure was the latest twist in a rollercoaster journey that saw him fall from boardroom to detention centre and it sparked questions over an embarrassing security lapse in Japan. His bail conditions barred him from exiting the country he had been held in since his sudden arrest in November 2018 sent shockwaves through the business world. He and his lawyers have repeatedly voiced fears a fair trial would be impossible in Japan and have called for the case to be thrown out, citing missteps by the prosecutors' office. Lebanese media reported Ghosn had flown by private plane from Turkey to Lebanon, where his parents were born and where he spent most of his childhood after arriving there as a toddler. A source in the Lebanese Presidency said Ghosn had entered the country from Turkey with a French passport and his Lebanese identity card. 'He is in Lebanon in his house with his wife,' a family friend told AFP. 'He is very happy. He is free.' In a brief statement on Tuesday, the 65-year-old tycoon said he would 'no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system, where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied.' People walk past a house that is believed to belong to Carlos Ghosn on Tuesday 'I have not fled justice - I have escaped injustice and political persecution,' said Ghosn. 'I can now finally communicate freely with the media, and look forward to starting next week.' Born in Brazil of Lebanese ancestry, Ghosn grew up in Beirut and has retained close ties to Lebanon. French junior economy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said on Tuesday that she was 'very surprised' by news that Carlos Ghosn had left Japan and flown to Lebanon, adding she had heard of it via the media. Pannier-Runacher also told France Inter radio that, regarding Ghosn, no-one was above the law but Ghosn would be able to get French consular support as a French citizen. Many Lebanese view Ghosn as a symbol of their country's large diaspora, and a prime example of Lebanese entrepreneurial genius and have been shocked by his arrest. But in Tokyo, the unexpected turn of events will spark questions about how he could apparently have given authorities the slip. His Japanese lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said he was 'dumbfounded' by the news and confirmed that lawyers were still in possession of Ghosn's passports. 'I don't even know if we can contact him. I don't know how we will proceed beyond that,' Hironaka told reporters. The Japanese lawyer for former auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn, Junichiro Hironaka, leaves after a press briefing outside his office on December 31 Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn pictured in 2012. In a statement on Tuesday, the 65-year-old tycoon said he would 'no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system, where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied' Public broadcaster NHK cited a foreign ministry official as saying: 'He was not supposed to leave the country. Had we known about it beforehand, we would have reported that to proper law enforcement authorities.' Taichiro Motoe, a lawmaker from Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democrat Party (LDP), said the news had come as a 'shock.' 'There have been so many flight cases in 2019 by criminally accused individuals on bail and by those facing imprisonment after their crimes have been confirmed,' said Motoe, calling for 'swift and effective' improvements. His sudden departure from Japan is nearly as dramatic as his arrest out of the blue at a Tokyo airport. Prosecutors stormed his private jet in scenes captured by a local paper, and whisked him off to a Tokyo detention centre where he spent more than 100 days in spartan conditions far removed from his sometimes extravagant lifestyle. He eventually won bail, striding out of the detention centre disguised in a workman's uniform complete with mask and cap in an apparent bid to fool the world's media camped outside. Then one morning in April, he was rearrested on another set of charges just days before he was due to give a hotly anticipated news conference. He released a video apparently pre-recorded in which he accused 'backstabbing' Nissan executives of a 'conspiracy'. Prosecutors stormed his private jet in scenes captured by a local paper, and whisked him off to a Tokyo detention centre where he spent more than 100 days in spartan conditions far removed from his sometimes extravagant lifestyle (pictured in 2017) Later that month, he was released again on bail - this time leaving in a business suit - and he had been in Tokyo ever since preparing for his trial in 'combative' mood, according to his lawyers. He stands accused of two counts of under-reporting his salary to the tune of 9.23 billion yen ($85 million) from 2010 to 2018, deferring some of his pay and failing to declare this to shareholders. Prosecutors also allege he attempted to get Nissan to cover around 1.85 billion yen in personal foreign exchange losses during the 2008 financial crisis. The fourth charge against him is that he allegedly transferred millions from Nissan funds to a dealership in Oman, from which the executive supposedly skimmed off $5 million for his personal use. He has consistently denied all charges against him, saying they are a 'plot' by Nissan executives to get rid of him because they feared he was moving the Japanese firm to a closer tie-up with Renault. In the meantime, Ghosn has lost the business empire he was once lauded for creating. Sacked from Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors, he resigned from Renault - the third firm in the uneasy car alliance he forged. No country for young babies. Photo: Danil Roudenko/Getty Images/500px Plus The United States went through a lot between the summer of 1918 and the summer of 2018. But nothing that transpired in that century none of the recessions, epidemics, wars, or nativist movements managed to bring our nations rate of population growth to a lower level than the one it saw last year. Between July 2018 and July 2019, the U.S. population grew by less than 0.5 percent, its slowest in a century, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. This result is partially a function of long-running demographic trends. As the baby-boom generation grays, and millennials delay child-rearing until later in life than past cohorts, births only outstripped deaths in the U.S. this year by 957,000, which is the lowest that figure has been in four decades. But a more significant and less inevitable driver of the declining growth rate was a sharp drop in new immigrants to the United States. The year that Donald Trump was elected, 1 million new arrivals came to our shores; in 2019, only 595,000 did. The president has failed to get his desired cuts to legal immigration quotas through Congress. But by implementing a variety of executive actions restricting admissions and relentlessly communicating his administrations hostility toward foreigners over the bully pulpit (and/or presidential Twitter feed) Trump has succeeded in repelling immigrants from our shores. Which is bad news for fans of American Greatness. Although pro-natal welfare policies like child allowances and public day care could facilitate marginal increases in our nations birth rate, such policies have failed to avert demographic decline in other countries that have implemented them. Americas relatively high levels of immigration have helped to keep it much younger and thus, more economically vibrant than its peer nations in Europe. If the U.S. becomes durably less attractive or welcoming to newcomers, then it will have much greater difficulty sustaining robust economic growth and providing a decent retirement to its aging population. Meanwhile, as a vastly more populous China accrues greater power and technological sophistication, a graying, xenophobic America will be in a much worse position to maintain its influence on the world stage than a rapidly growing cosmopolitan one. To be sure, many Americans may value lower rates of immigration more than higher rates of economic growth or well-funded retirement programs, let alone something as abstract (and double-edged) as their nations global preeminence. But Donald Trump often suggests that the former is a means of achieving all of the latter that tightening Americas borders will strengthen its economy, Social Security program, and geopolitical advantages over China. As the Census Bureaus report indicates, this could not be further from the truth. A police department in northeastern Mexico has fallen in love with a puppy it rescued and turned into a valuable member of its traffic enforcement unit, helping children cross the road after they are let out of school. Esmeralda, or 'Esme' as she is known, was adopted six months ago by a police station in Escobedo, Nuevo Leon, after she approached traffic officer Victor Garcia Ibarra in the middle of his shift. Fearing for the safety of the nervous pooch, officer Garcia Ibarra welcomed her into the precinct in the neighborhood of Pedregal de San Agustin. They have not left each other's side ever since. Traffic officer Victor Garcia Ibarra (left) saved Esmerala (right), or 'Esme' as she is known, after the dog was abandoned in the northeastern Mexico state of Nuevo Leon six months ago Esme is frequently seen patrolling the town of Escobedo with the traffic police The Escobedo police says Esme has brought out the 'human side' of the force ever since they adopted her six months ago 'I fed her and she started to get fond with me,' Garcia Ibarra said. 'Another partner arrived at night and he did the same thing, too. He fed her, she remained here and now she won't go anywhere else but here.' On any given day Esme could be spotted patrolling the street of Pedregal de San Agustin while police officers slowly drive around the community. Esme, who Garcia Ibarra estimates was perhaps only two-months-old when he came across her, is quick to bark at any motorist she does not recognize. When school is in session, the dog is assists the children crossing from one sidewalk to the other. Police officer Victor Garcia Ibarra feeds Esme, the pup he saved after she was abandoned six months ago Escobedo police department's new pet dog, Esme, walks alongside a resident as officer Victor Garcia Ibarra looks on The director for the Secretary of Public Security and Civic Justice says Esme's presence 'is important for the police officers because it helps them relax' In a statement provide to DailyMail.com, the chief of the Escobedo Secretary of Public Security and Civic Justice, General Hernelindo Lara Cruz, said Esme's presence has provided a breath of fresh air for a department that puts its life on the line on a daily basis to protect its residents. 'Because of the tough work they do, contact with the dog is important for the police officers because it helps them relax. Patrol [officers] visit the dog and they de-stress being together,' Lara Cruz said. 'The pet sensitizes with them and brings out the human side of the officers. Area residents have also taked a liking to Esme by creating a Facebook page for her. They help cops by buying dog food and treats - croquettes are among her favorite. Dwellers in Pedregal de San Agustin loaned the police a used dog house, which was replaced by a new wooden home that the cops chipped in to buy. But the house was recently stolen and now Esme's new co-workers are looking to buy her a new one. News Washington, DC - The Federal Trade Commission has issued its biennial report to Congress focusing on the use of the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry by both consumers and businesses and other organizations over the past two years. This years report includes: 1) a summary of current Registry operations; 2) a summary of the impact on the Registry of new telecommunication technologies; and 3) a discussion of the impact of the established business relationship exception in the Commissions enforcement efforts. The DNC Registry currently has more than 239 million active registrations, an increase of more than 4.1 million registrations from the previous fiscal year (FY). According to the report, during fiscal year 2019, 2,014 businesses and other entities paid more than $12 million to access the Registry. More than 15,000 entities subscribed to access the Registry, including those who registered for five or fewer area codes free of charge, and 541entities (such as charitable organizations) claimed exempt organization status and also received free access to the Registry. In FY 2018, 2,163 entities paid Registry access fees totaling nearly $12.3 million. That year, 15,045 entities subscribed to Registry, including those who registered to access five or fewer area codes at no charge, and 520 entities claimed exempt organization status and accessed the Registry without paying a fee. The report concludes that the DNC Registry exists to provide consumers with a choice regarding whether or not to receive telemarketing calls. Accordingly, the FTC and FCC work to keep it accessible and effective for both consumers and telemarketers. As new technology provides new challenges, the FTC actively seeks to address and confront them by, among other things, encouraging private industry, other government agencies, academia, and other interested parties to create and develop new strategies to help consumers avoid unwanted telemarketing calls. The Commission also publishes an Annual Do Not Call Registry Data Book that provides substantial detail on registration numbers and other statistical information about the Registry. Similar information is also available our Tableau public page, which is update quarterly and allows users to interact with the data to drill down to state or county data. The Commission vote authorizing the biennial report to Congress was 5-0. (The staff contact is Ami Dziekan, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2648) A woman with cancer died during a routine operation after surgeons set her on fire, it is believed. Doctors at Floreasca Hospital in Bucharest, Romania, used an alcohol-based disinfectant on the woman, 66, before accidentally igniting the fluid with an electric scalpel, according to reports. She suffered burns to 40 per cent of her body and died a week later. Police have now launched an investigation into her death. Her family said they hadnt been told of the gravity of the situation and were only told that an accident had killed her. A relative said: We found out some details from the press, when they were broadcast on TV stations. We arent making accusations, we just want to understand what happened. Romanias Ministry of Health are launching an investigation into the incident. Romanias health minister Victor Costache promised to investigate the traumatic incident, adding: We hope to learn from this troubling episode. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates MARIAN Finucane will be remembered as a trailblazer who created Liveline and turned weekend radio into a ratings winner. The 69-year-olds sudden death yesterday at the age of 69 has caused shock within RTE but also nationally. One of the countrys best-known figures in Irish radio and television, she worked for the national broadcaster in a wide variety of roles since 1974. For the past 14 years Ms Finucane hosted a popular two-hour chat show on Saturdays and Sundays on RTE Radio 1 which had a huge audience. Throughout her long career she became known for her uniquely tenacious interview style, which mingled wit and mischief with a determination that never degenerated into abrasiveness or bad manners. Many of her interviews had a profound impact on the public, most notably her conversation in 2008 with her long-time friend, the writer, Nuala O Faolain, about her impending death from cancer. Before her weekend show she presented a morning radio show five days a week, in a slot she took over from the late Gay Byrne, and she also presented a whole range of frontline television shows including Crimeline and Consumer Choice. Expand Close RTE Radio presenter Marian Finucane at City West Hotel. Photo: Tony Gavin 21/2/08 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp RTE Radio presenter Marian Finucane at City West Hotel. Photo: Tony Gavin 21/2/08 Her work brought her widespread recognition including a Jacobs Award for the programme Women Today in 1979, and in 1980 she won the Prix Italia for a documentary programme on abortion, and she was named Radio Journalist of the Year in 1988. In 2008 she was honoured with the PPI Radio Award for her outstanding contribution to broadcasting. She also received an honorary degree from NUI Galway, in part for her media work, but also for fund raising, along with partner and future husband, John Clarke, for an AIDS hospice and orphanage in Cape Town, South Africa. Ms Finucane was on leave over the Christmas period and went to visit her son, Jack Clarke, in India. She had recently returned home and it is passed away in her sleep at her home in Co Kildare yesterday afternoon. Marian Finucane was born in Dublin, in May 1950, and educated at Scoil Chaitriona. She went on to study architecture in the College of Technology, in Bolton Street, Dublin. After two years working as an architect, she took a unusual career move to join RTE as a continuity announcer in 1974. As an architectural student in 1970 she was among a number of protestors who occupied Georgian buildings at Hume Street, and St Stephens Green in the centre of Dublin. They were objecting to controversial redevelopments in the area. Archive RTE footage shows a recorded interview with the then-19-year-old saying he felt it was her responsibility as an architectural student and native Dubliner to help protect the buildings. She was recruited into RTE by now Sunday Independent columnist Eoghan Harris who was then a senior RTE executive. After two years she moved into programme presentation, first on the radio books programme Paper Chase, while she also worked as a reporter on the morning current affairs radio show Day By Day, which was anchored by John Bowman. In 1979 she began presenting Women Today a radio programme which broached many of the social issues facing Irish women. In 1985 she became the first presenter of the popular afternoon phone-in, Liveline, which has for many years now been presented by Joe Duffy. MrDuffy described Marian Finucane as the voice of reason. She invented Liveline. It grew out of Women Today. Thats my sense of Marian Finucane. She asked everything you would ask before you made your mind up, Mr Duffy said. She was long identified as a champion of womens rights and her Prix Italia award in 1980 was for a radio documentary which included interviewing a woman about to have an abortion in England. She travelled with the woman, documented her experience, and interviewed her after the operation. Ms Finucane separated from her first husband and formed a relationship with her partner, John Clarke, with whom she had two children. Sadly, their daughter, Sinead, died of leukaemia in 1990 at the age of eight. In January 2015, she and John Clarke married in a private ceremony at a Dublin Registry Office. Expand Close 15/11/11 Marian Finucane at the launch of her book The Saturday Interviews 2005-2011 . Pictures:Arthur Carron/Collins / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 15/11/11 Marian Finucane at the launch of her book The Saturday Interviews 2005-2011 . Pictures:Arthur Carron/Collins Although she was one of the countrys best-known broadcasters, she had always been fiercely protective of her familys privacy. I did a deal with myself that I chose a job in the public eye and my family didnt. So I actually rarely ever talk about them, she said in a rare interview around the time of her marriage. After Gay Byrne retired in 1999, she took over his early morning radio slot with The Marian Finucane Show, while Joe Duffy, took over her Liveline afternoon programme. In June 2005 she moved from the morning time-slot, and was replaced by Ryan Tubridy, moving herself to the show on Saturdays and Sundays. Ms Finucane had been trying to move to the weekend programme times for quite a few years as she disliked the daily programme. I never had a plan, but the nearest thing I ever had to one was the weekend show. It was one Id hatched a long, long time earlier and had intended to implement around then, she said in a newspaper interview some five years after her successful transfer to the weekend slot. For the change she had been struck by the prediction of an old RTE mentor, Michael Littleton. He had noted that listenership patterns were changing as more women went to work outside the home, making fewer available to listen to the radio. He predicted that weekend radio was going to have to be developed. Over the years, she and her team worked on making the Saturday and Sunday programmes quite different, with the Sunday being a panel discussion around the current news agenda nationally and internationally. Her long interviews regularly set the national agenda such as in 2001 when junior minister Joe Jacob claimed Ireland could deal with a nuclear disaster. The more Ms Finucane probed the countrys preparedness, the less assured the politician sounded. Ultimately he told listeners that there would be iodine tablets for everybody in the event of a nuclear fallout. Just as the recession hit Ireland in October 2008, Ms Finucane did a notably interview with former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick. He denied the bank had been reckless in making too many big loans to property developers as Irelands property bubble grew. While saying he was grateful for the states help, he refused to offer taxpayers an apology, saying: The cause of our problems are global, so I cant say sorry with any degree of sincerity and decency. But I can say thank you. The interview with Nuala O Faolain, who was the godmother of her daughter, Sinead, took a big emotional toll and she debated with long-time producer, Anne Farrell, about whether it should go ahead. Later Marian Finucane narrated a documentary film about the remarkable writer and journalist. She was among RTEs top paid presenters but defended her salary, saying the job is virtually seven days. You are constantly on, listening to radio, and keeping up with the news,She said. Last night RTE director general Dee Forbes said Marian Finucane was first and foremost a tenacious journalist with a zeal for breaking new ground. From Women Today to Liveline to her weekday radio show on Radio 1 and, latterly, her enormously popular Saturday and Sunday radio programme, she tackled the big social issues of the day with command and insight, Ms Forbes continued. Tom McGuire, head of RTE One, said Ms Finucane was a defining voice for that station and for the nation. He said her work on Liveline was without parallel as she had merged an unsurpassed journalistic vigour with a flair for debate and discussion. Ekta Shekhar, who was arrested along with her husband during protests against Citizenship Amendment Act in Varanasi, returned home to her 14-month-old child on Thursday morning. The activist parents of Champak, the infant, were arrested by police in Varanasi for attending a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on December 19. While Ekta's husband is still lodged in jail, she was released this morning. After getting released, Ekta shared with ANI that it was very tough for her to stay away from her baby girl, who relies on breastfeeding. "I am meeting my child after 14 days. It was very difficult for me to stay away from my daughter for over two weeks as she is just 14-month-old and relies on breastfeeding. I was really worried about her," she said. Being asked if she regretted participating in the anti-CAA protest, she said: "We have realised that our protest was right. The government must answer questions raised against the CAA and NRC. It was our effort to improve the future of 1,000 children like Champak." Meanwhile, Champak's grandmother lambasted the Central and State Government over the alleged crackdown on anti-CAA stir protesters and said: " The leaders who do not have their own families, can they understand the pain of those who have it? They will not rule for more days. No citizen is happy with them." This comes a day after Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi hit out at the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and alleged that a 14-month-child has been separated from her parents, who were jailed by the police for participating in an anti-citizenship law protest in Varanasi."The BJP government has shown such inhumanity to suppress the civil demonstrations that a small child has been separated from the parents," Gandhi had tweeted in Hindi.The grandparents of Champak had said that the child's health is getting deteriorated as she has been living away from her parents.The Congress leader had also said that it is the "moral duty of the government to allow the innocent mother of this child to go home."The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement Prime Minister Scott Morrison has come under fire from within his own ranks a day after he was shunned by a despondent fireman in one of Australia's worst hit areas. Bega state Liberal MP and NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance fired a shot of his own at the embattled PM, telling morning television his boss received 'the welcome he probably deserved'. On Thursday, Mr Morrison was refused a handshake by the tired fireman who had lost his home while battling the deadly bushfires. Camera crews captured the humiliating moment where Mr Morrison walked over to the fireman who was having a break in the emergency centre in Cobargo, on the New South Wales south coast. One local refused to shake Prime Minister Scott Morrison's hand until he offered more support to volunteer firefighters This morning during an appearance on Channel 7's Sunrise, Mr Constance did not hold back when questioned on the incident. 'I didn't even know he was coming and I haven't had a call from him, so to be honest with you, the locals gave him the welcome he probably deserved,' Mr Constance said. 'I'd say this to the Prime Minister today the nation wants you to open up the cheque books, obviously help people rebuild their lives. 'I know this is tough and I know I'm on his side of politics, but, you know, (NSW Premier) Gladys (Berejiklian) and (RFS Commissioner) Shane Fitzsimmons came here two days ago and they obviously visited the fire-affected part of my electorate in the north this is the feeling that people are going through and I really need everybody to rally together and support each other. Mr Constance said he empathised with the community because he had lived through it himself. 'It's cruel, it's nasty. The Cobargo community lost people,' he said. The slap down is the latest in a growing display of unrest against the Prime Minister over a perceived lack of action to help communities cope with the bushfire crisis. Tourists and residents have been told to evacuate a 250km stretch of the New South Wales south coast (pictured) as devastating bushfires threaten the area, along with an area of the Shoalhaven between Burrill Lake north and Nowra His attempt to connect with the community on Thursday could not have gone worse. Mr Morrison offered his hand but the fireman shook his head. 'I don't really want to shake your hand,' he said. Mr Morrison then leaned down to grab the fireman's hand but he again refused. The Prime Minister then patted the man on the shoulder, said 'oh, well, nice to see you' and walked away. Mr Morrison was later heard telling a fire official: 'Tell that fella I'm really sorry, I'm sure he's just tired.' 'No, no, he's lost a house,' the incident controller responded. Earlier on Thursday, the Prime Minister was abused by some angry Cobargo residents who told him he 'should be ashamed of himself' while others called him 'Scum-mo' for 'leaving the country to burn'. Mr Morrison can be seen trying to shake the fireman's hand, however, the man only looks at Mr Morrison's hand before shaking his head. 'I don't really want to shake your hand,' the fireman says Cobargo was one of the worst-affected areas on New Year's Eve, losing several buildings on its main street, while a local father and son were killed trying to defend their home, and dozens of homes burnt down. Mr Morrison, who was criticised for taking a Hawaiian holiday in December as the fires raged rather than attending affected areas, was confronted by some local residents. One woman refused to return the Prime Minister's offered handshake until he organised more money for volunteer firefighters. 'I'm only shaking your hand if you give more funding to our RFS,' the woman said. Instead, Mr Morrison reached down to take her hand and then moved on to speak to another person. 'So many people have lost their homes,' the woman said, adding 'we need more help.' The confrontation prompted a lot of comment online. A supplied image obtained on Thursday, January 2, 2020, shows smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria 'What is most disturbing about this extraordinary video is our PM forcing a young, clearly distressed woman to shake his hand followed by another male putting his arms around her telling her to ''shush'',' freelance journalist Lucie Morris-Marr tweeted. Another woman from the town, who brought her pet goat along to the meeting, told Mr Morrison the small town was 'forgotten' during the crisis. 'This is not fair,' she shouted. 'We are totally forgotten down here. Every single time this area gets a flood or a fire we get nothing.' 'If we lived in Sydney or on the North Coast we would be flooded with donations and emergency relief.' A Cobargo resident, Gary Hinton, looks lost as he stands by rubble after a fire tore through the town on New Years Eve The PM made a beeline back to his car and was driven away by his security team shortly after arriving in Cobargo - where he was heckled by locals This image shows smoke and flames crowning above the treetops at a fire in East Gippsland on January 2nd In this satellite image, the Clyde Mountain Fire south of Sydney could be seen from outer space Several men who attended Mr Morrison's meeting with locals shouted abuse. 'You won't be getting any votes down here buddy. Who votes Liberal around here? Nobody,' one called out. 'You control the funding, and we were forgotten,' a woman added. 'Go on, p*ss off.' The Prime Minister walked away from them back to his car and was driven away by his security team. Even as he left, furious residents continued to shout abuse. 'Go home to Kirribilli. Why won't that burn down after the fireworks?' another local yelled. 'You're an idiot.' Eerie photos show the once quiet country town destroyed by fires as the sky turns a deep red and buildings are left torn apart COBARGO SURVIVOR IS FORCED TO SHOOT BADLY-BURNED CATTLE Steve Shipton (centre) is consoled by fellow farmers Bernie Smith (left) and Peter Mercieca By AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS In an area where four people perished in a ferocious fire, Steve Shipton's eyes were burning as he tried to save his home. 'I thought I was a goner,' the Coolagolite cattle farmer told AAP. 'The heat was horrendous. My eyes... I couldn't see 20 feet last night.' The Countegany/Dampier State Forest blaze raced through Cobargo and Coolagolite on Tuesday morning on its way to burning an area twice the size of Canberra. Three men and an unidentified person died out of a population of about 1050. Mr Shipton thought he was fine to protect his home after getting his wife and kids inside and his stock out to a dirt clearing. 'It all happened so quick,' the 46-year-old said, soot still covering his face. 'I stayed out. I suppose I shouldn't have but it just happened so fast. 'It's just unbelievable. The ferocity and how quick.... That's what shocked me and that's why I thought we were in a good situation to survive,' he said. The dairy-turned-beef farmer estimates he lost about a tenth of his 250-odd head of cattle, including his favourite dairy cow. The dairy-turned-beef farmer estimates he lost about a tenth of his 250-odd head of cattle, including his favourite dairy cow Most of the cattle had been where Mr Shipton thought would be safe - on dirt with a feed rack - but the animals 'obviously panicked'. A vet on Wednesday assessed which would survive and which needed to be euthanised, leaving Mr Shipton with the grim task of carrying out a mass mercy killing. 'There are some in there badly scorched,' Mr Shipton said. 'He'll know better than me what can survive and what can't because I've never been through this scenario. 'You don't want them to suffer.' The firefront spared Cobargo artist Sally Wilson's shop but embers took hold of the historic property as she and her partner Christopher Lee protected their home and animals a short walk away. A vet on Wednesday was assessing which would survive and which needed to be euthanised As things calmed down at home, Mr Lee walked over to the shop to find it alight. 'The firefighters said it had started 20 minutes before,' she told AAP, standing beside the rubble. 'He stood out the front and watched it burn.' The couple moved to Cobargo just 18 months ago after deciding it was 'a really safe pocket' with a vibrant, caring community. 'I've been visiting here for years and it was like nothing could get you,' she said. Local farmer Greg Tett said the community was a very tight-knit one, where people 'dove in' to help those whose chips were down. Destroyed buildings are seen in Cobargo, New South Wales, on Wednesday, January 1, 2020 'That's the way it's been for a long time and why I think a lot of people like to come here,' he told AAP. He suspects he'll have to entirely de-stock after 95 per cent of his 110-acre property was scorched. 'At least we're still alive,' his wife Karen Tett said. Mr Tett woke about 1am on Tuesday to a phone call from his daughter warning about the approaching fire. His brother spent five hours building a fire break in vain. 'When it came down the mountain, we had spot fires everywhere,' Mr Tett said. He said his family will fight on. 'We've got to.' Advertisement Locals were mourning the loss of dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, who died trying to save their home from the blaze. Their bodies were found by Mr Salway's wife Renee who was expecting the couple's second child. Mr Morrison later told the ABC he wasn't 'surprised people are feeling very raw at the moment'. 'And, that's why I came today, to be here, to see it for myself; offer what comfort I could. 'But you can't always in every circumstance, I think everyone understands that,' he said. The visit came as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a week long state of emergency ahead of Saturday's predicted dangerous conditions. Patrick Salway, 29, (pictured with his pregnant wife Renee) died fighting the fires in Cobargo alongside his dad Robert Salway What does a state of emergency mean? Declaring a state of emergency relinquishes decision making powers from the NSW government and allows RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons more control over his team of firefighters. For the next seven days during the state of emergency, can now control and coordinate the allocation of government resources, close roads and evacuate residents. Ms Fitzsimmons now has the ability to: Control and coordinate the allocation of government resources Evacuate people from property within declared areas Close roads and thoroughfares to traffic Pull down or shore up infrastructure at risk of collapse Shut down utilities in the declared area including electricity, gas, oil and water Enter or take possession of property for emergency response NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian previously said the 'decision to declare a state of emergency is not taken lightly. 'You only declare states of emergency when it's absolutely necessary and on expert advice from commissioners.' It is the third state of emergency she has declared since the start of this year's horror bushfire season, which has seen at least 18 people die and thousands of homes destroyed. Advertisement This picture taken on December 31, 2019 shows a firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra on the NSW south coast Residents met in the Mallacoota town hall on Thursday afternoon (pictured) for an evacuation briefing by defence force officials, after the town was surrounded by flames Temperatures are expected to hit 46C in some parts of the state and the heat, paired with strong winds, were expected to fuel fires and spark fresh outbreaks. A state of emergency relinquishes decision-making powers from the government to the head of the NSW Rural Fire Service. Thousands of people will be subject to forced evacuations as officials scramble to move holidaymakers and locals alike from dangerous areas. Catastrophic conditions on the New South Wales south coast and in eastern Victoria on New Year's Eve will return within 48 hours, with firefighters only having had the briefest of respites. Mr Morrison held a press conference on Thursday in which he answered some strong criticism about the federal government's perceived inaction over the fires, but he stressed that firefighting was a state government responsibility. 'What we won't allow to happen is for governments to be tripping over each other in order to somehow outbid each other in response,' Mr Morrison said. 'We cannot control the natural disaster but what we can do is control our response.' Evacuation plans were in place for residents and holiday makers ahead of Saturday's expected flaring of the fires, with some leaving by road but others needing to be transported by boat due to road closures. HMAS Choules, which delivered emergency supplies to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, left Sydney on Wednesday and docked off the coast of fire-stricken Mallacoota near the Victoria-New South Wales border on Thursday. The vessel can carry 700 passengers and will ferry evacuees to safety beginning on Friday, but there are up 4,000 people who remain stranded in the seaside town where food and supplies were running low. The ship has also brought much-needed relief for those who are choosing to stay. The townspeople told Mr Morrison it felt as though he didn't care about the town NSW BUSHFIRE CRISIS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE ARE THE NSW BUSHFIRES? More than 110 blazes continue to burn across NSW on Thursday afternoon, with more than 50 burning out of control. There were three fires burning at a 'watch and act' level as of 6pm. These were the 260,000-hectare Currowan fire on the south coast, the 130,000ha Dunns Road fire in the Snowy Valleys and the 105,000ha Green Valley fire east of Albury. HOW MANY HAVE DIED? Seven people have perished since Monday evening, taking the NSW bushfire death toll since July to 15. That includes three firefighters. A 72-year-old man remains missing at Belowra, west of Narooma, but an 81-year-old woman who was missing in Conjola Park has been located safe and well. HOW MANY HOMES HAVE BEEN LOST? At least 382 homes have been destroyed on the south coast since New Year's Eve. The number will increase as damage assessment teams access hard-to-reach areas. Some 1298 homes, 85 facilities and 2218 outbuildings such as sheds have been confirmed destroyed across NSW since July. THE WARNINGS No total fire bans are in place on Thursday but a statewide total fire ban has been declared for Friday and Saturday. People near Batlow have been asked to leave by Thursday night while holiday-makers in the alps and between Nowra and the Victorian border should be out by Friday night. Across the border, Victorian authorities want tourists and locals to leave the state's alpine and East Gippsland regions by Thursday. THE FORECAST Fire weather eased on Thursday, allowing firefighters to prepare for deteriorating conditions over the weekend. Dangerous fire conditions are expected to return to southeast NSW on Saturday, where the temperature is forecast to reach 45C inland and 44C on the coast. A gusty southerly is expected to cross the area in the afternoon. Fire danger will be severe to extreme with the RFS saying conditions on Saturday will likely be worse than those experienced on New Year's Eve. THE ROADS Motorists should avoid travel to the south coast and Snowy Mountains-Riverina areas, where fires have caused widespread power outages and major road closures. The Princes Highway north of Batemans Bay has been reopened, with a reduced speed limit of 60 km/h. Sections of the Princes Highway south of Batemans Bay remain closed. The Snowy Mountains Highway is open between Bega and Adaminaby, providing a route back to Sydney and Canberra for motorists on the far south coast. The Adaminaby to Tumut section of the highway is open for residents only while several other major alpine roads are exit-only or completely closed. Advertisement Business owner Sally Anne Wilson (left) stands in front of her destroyed shop with her partner Christopher Lee in Cobargo, NSW, Wednesday, January 1, 2020 Hundreds of fires are still burning out of control across the country, destroying millions of hectares, killing 18 and leaving 1,200 homes destroyed, with catastrophic 46C weather forecast for Saturday (pictured) A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Conjola (pictured) on New Year's Eve, as officials prepare for a 'horrible day' on Saturday, with blistering temperatures and high winds likely to make conditions far worse Its my great privilege to become @QUBelfasts 11th and first female chancellor, Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, said in a tweet Thursday morning. Its a place I have great fondness for and have grown a strong relationship with over the years, and Im proud to be an ambassador for its excellence. Bill de Blasio has slammed Domino's for selling pizzas to Times Square revelers for $30 a pie - more than twice the usual price for their plain cheese option. The New York City Mayor called out the fast food chain on his official Twitter account on Wednesday, labeling the move 'exploitation'. It comes after The New York Post revealed one branch of the restaurant franchise opted to charge $30 for the pepperoni, ham and cheese pizzas. A plain cheese pie is normally $14.49 for the large. De Blasio tweeted: 'Jacking up your prices on people trying to celebrate the holidays? Classy, @dominos. 'To the thousands who came to Times Square last night to ring in 2020, Im sorry this corporate chain exploited you stick it to them by patronizing one of our fantastic LOCAL pizzerias.' Thousands of people packed in to New York City's Times Square as millions more watched live on television while the famed ball drop marked the start of 2020. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and First Lady Chirlane McCray attend the Times Square New Year's Eve 2020 Celebration. de Blasio slammed Domino's for selling pizzas to Times Square revelers for $30 a pie - more than twice the usual price for their plain cheese option The New York City Mayor called the fast food chain out on his official Twitter account A deafening cheer rose from the crowd as the dazzling 12-foot diameter ball covered in 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles finished its descent at the stroke of midnight, marking the start of the new year on the East Coast. They had spent the day waiting in a locked-down security zone with not much to do for hours. It is understood the pricey pizzas were from a Domino's store in midtown Manhattan. A worker there said they planned to sell their pies until the ball drop and had been doing so every New Years Eve for the last 15 years. Delivery man Ratan Banik told The New York post: 'I have a lot of orders. Im very busy.' Banik was spotted carrying bags of pies, calling out to revelers who wanted them. He then ran back to the store to pick up more pies to hand out. Amit Zanwar, 31, of New Jersey bought one of the pizzas. He said: 'Its absolutely worth it. It was hot. It seems like it just came out of the oven. If he comes back, I will buy some more.' People eat pizza as they arrive to celebrate New Years eve in Times Square Another happy customer was Francisco Patalano. He added: 'He probably sold about seven pizzas in less than two minutes. It was totally worth it. 'Im going to ration it out until midnight between me and my wife.' DailyMail.com has contacted Domino's for comment. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 20:01:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has urged the country's auditing organs to fully perform their duties and improve auditing mechanisms. Xi, also Chinese president, chairman of the Central Military Commission and head of the central auditing committee, made the remarks in an instruction as authorities recently commended outstanding auditing institutions and individuals. Auditing organs have played an important role in promoting the implementation of policies made by the CPC Central Committee, helping fight against the "three tough battles," maintaining fiscal and economic order, improving people's livelihood and building a clean Party and government, Xi said. Xi urged auditing authorities to fully perform their duties, uphold law-based auditing, improve mechanisms and make greater contributions to the modernization of China's system and capacity for governance. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Zhao Leji, both members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice heads of the central auditing committee, on Thursday met with representatives of outstanding units and individuals. A total of 80 units and 45 individuals were commended by the office of the central auditing committee, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the National Audit Office. The time for complacency has passed. Holiday makers must heed the warnings and change their travel plans. Many favourite travel destinations in south-east Australia are unsafe to visit because of catastrophic bushfires. Any lingering doubt about the sense of holidaying in these areas should have been erased by repeated emergency warnings. Peter Riley (front) and his son-in-law Simon Evvage at their fire damaged Clifton Creek property in Victoria. Credit:Joe Armao Temperatures are forecast to rise to about 40 degrees over the weekend. If the bush, which is already tinder dry, catches alight, strong winds will fan the flames. As NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who is fighting to save his own house, put it: It is going to be a blast furnace. NSW has declared a state of emergency for the entire state over the coming week. In Victoria, the Country Fire Service has urged people to leave East Gippsland and the Upper Murray. Fires are ravaging Kangaroo Island in South Australia and areas close to Hobart in Tasmania. A 21-year-old man faces sexual assault and other charges after allegedly assaulting a person Wednesday morning at Heritage Manor Apartments in northwest Rochester. Police were called to the apartment complex three hours into the new year after a person called police to report that a neighbor came to her apartment crying and claiming to have been sexually assaulted. The victim and some friends had picked up the alleged assailant at a convenience store. The group returned to the victim's apartment. The suspect's face was bleeding. As the victim was cleaning his face in the bathroom, the suspect tried to remove the victim's clothing. The victim told him to stop, but he refused. He allegedly grabbed the victim by the hair, bit the victim's neck and tried to force the victim into the shower. The victim got away and ran to the neighbor's apartment. The suspect was sleeping in the victim's apartment when police arrived. He was awakened and told he was under arrest. The suspect pulled a blanket over himself and tried to lay down. The man resisted arrest and was tased to force him to release the leg of the arresting officer. ADVERTISEMENT The suspect was accompanied by a police officer to Mayo Clinic Hospital--Saint Marys for a medical evaluation. The suspect faces a number of charges, including fourth degree criminal sexual contact, fourth degree assault of a peace officer and obstructing legal process. Sudan National Day Washington, DC - Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State: "On behalf of the Government of the United States, I offer best wishes to the people of Sudan as you celebrate your National Day on January 1. "On the 64th anniversary of your national independence, we congratulate Sudan on your heroic efforts to form a responsive and democratic government that empowers all Sudanese, including youth, women, and those from historically marginalized areas. "The United States remains committed to working with the transitional government as Sudan seeks to advance peace, security, prosperity, and respect for human rights. We look forward to deepening our partnership as we secure progress towards these shared goals." Nearly a dozen branches and outlets of HSBC and its Hang Seng Bank subsidiary were closed on January 2 , a day after vandals laid waste to their premises and automated teller machines during a chaotic New Year's Day protest in the city. HSBC, which traces its 154-year history to colonial-era Hong Kong and Shanghai, said that two branches in Mong Kok and Kowloon Tong remained closed "until further notice," while seven express banking centres were shuttered. An HSBC spokesman declined to say how many teller machines (ATMs) had been damaged. Hang Seng Bank, 62 per cent owned by HSBC, said two of its self-service banking centres would be closed in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay until further notice. "We strongly condemn the acts of vandalism and damage directed at our premises repeatedly in the last few days. We believe these are unjustified," HSBC said in a statement. "As a bank with deep roots in Hong Kong, we are committed to providing the highest standards of banking services to our customers. We believe the rule of law is essential to Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre and we look forward to the speedy resolution of the issues." HSBC has joined Bank of China (Hong Kong), Citic Bank and other Chinese-owned lenders in the cross hairs of Hong Kong's radical protesters since Christmas Eve, after a December police crackdown of a crowdfunding platform operated by Spark Alliance that raised money to post bail for arrested demonstrators. The city's police arrested four people on suspicion of money laundering and froze about HK$70 million (US$9 million) in assets held in the corporate account of the non-profit company. HSBC, the largest of Hong Kong's three currency-issuing banks, has attempted to distance itself from the crackdown, saying it closed Spark Alliance's account in adherence to its global compliance standards, "following fund transfer instructions from the customer as the account was not being used for its stated purpose". Story continues HSBC staff cleaning up the vandalised lion statue at the HSBC headquarters in Central on January 2. Photo: Nora Tam alt=HSBC staff cleaning up the vandalised lion statue at the HSBC headquarters in Central on January 2. Photo: Nora Tam That did little to protect the bank from the protesters' wrath, as a pair of iconic lion sculptures outside HSBC's head office in Central " nicknamed Stephen and Stitt " were spray-painted with red paint on New Year's Day. Hong Kong's unprecedented street protests, now entering their seventh month, began in June over a now-withdrawn extradition bill that would have allowed the transfer of criminal suspects to mainland China among other jurisdictions, but have evolved into a wider anti-government campaign. On Wednesday, police ordered organisers to end an approved march early following vandalism by more radical protesters on Hong Kong Island. At least 400 people were arrested as radical protesters blocked roads, threw petrol bombs and vandalised shops and bank branches. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Thursday condemned the "repeated acts of vandalism" against banking facilities in the city, saying individual banks that were affected were assessing the extent of disruptions and will provide updates in due course. "The expression of opinions should be conducted in a peaceful manner, without affecting the public's access to banking services," the city's de factor central bank said. The regulator did not provide a total number of branches that were closed because of damage, but it appeared to be much fewer than at other times during the protests. In November, 250 bank branches closed for the day " the most in the city's history except during severe typhoons " as a result of three days of violence and traffic disruptions in the city. No money was missing from damaged ATMs in the city, according to several sources close to the HKMA and HSBC. On its website, the Hong Kong Association of Banks only listed a handful of locations of HSBC as being temporarily suspended on Thursday. Shares of HSBC and Hang Seng were mixed on the first trading day of 2020 amid an advancing market. HSBC, the third-largest member on the Hang Seng Index, fell 0.2 per cent to a four-day low of HK$60.70, while Hang Seng Bank's shares rose 0.6 per cent to HK$162. Citigroup and Standard Chartered said that none of their branches were affected, while Bank of China (Hong Kong) did not reply to a request for comment. Bank of China (Hong Kong), HSBC and Standard Chartered are the three note-issuing banks in the city. Mainland banks in the city have fortified their locations in recent months as they have increasingly become targets of vandalism by more radical protesters, with branches adding temporary exterior walls to some branches to prevent damage to windows and ATMs. On Thursday, workers were painting over graffiti and adding new locks at mainland branches along Hennessy Road in Wan Chai. Workers also were seen clearing glass from a smashed front door at the China Life Insurance building on Hennessy Road in Wan Chai. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Volunteer from "SENKOM" partner of Indonesia Police give evacuation to the flood victim at Bintaro-South Tangerang, Indonesia, on 1st January, 2020. Heavy floods hit Jakarta and surrounding areas, causing around 5 people dead from shock electricity and landslide from the flood. (Photo by Donal Husni/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Tens of thousands of people were evacuated in Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Thursday after flash floods and landslides in the area killed up to 21 people, with more heavy rain forecast, authorities said. The flooding, among the deadliest in years, caused chaos in parts of Southeast Asia's biggest city with train lines blocked and power outages in some areas. Swathes of Jakarta and nearby towns were inundated after heavy rain fell on Dec. 31 and into the early hours of New Year's Day. Social affairs ministry spokesman said in a message to Reuters that the death toll had now reached 21, while the disaster mitigation agency said it was 19. As of Thursday, over 62,000 people were evacuated in Jakarta alone, disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said, twice as many as a day earlier. Thousands of livestock were reported missing and thousands of houses damaged in neighboring province of Banten, media reported. Indonesia's President Joko Widodo told reporters on Thursday that evacuation and safety procedures should be prioritized, and called for more coordination between city administrations and the central government. On his Twitter page, Widodo blamed delays in flood control infrastructure projects for the flooding. He said some projects have been delayed since 2017 due to land acquisition problems. Some of the victims had drowned, while others were killed in landslides. Four were electrocuted, while three died of hypothermia. Indonesia's Cabinet Secretary said in a statement, citing the geophysics agency, that extreme weather may continue across Indonesia until Jan. 7 and warned people to remain on alert for further flooding or landslides. Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the geophysics agency, told reporters separately that heavy rainfall may continue until mid February. Umar Dani, 52, and his family were evacuated overnight from his home in East Jakarta on a rubber boat after water levels rose up to his neck. "It has not flooded for so long here. We didn't have the chance to bring anything," he said. "I have to live on the streets now." Television footage on Thursday showed rescuers in the nearby city of Tangerang evacuating residents, guiding them across a strong current by holding on to a rope. Jakarta police on their Twitter account warned that a number of major streets across the capital were not yet passable, accompanied by a video showing a postal truck being stuck in the middle of a road. Jakarta and its surroundings are home to more than 30 million people. More than 50 people died in one of the capital's deadliest floods in 2007 and five years ago much of the center of the city was inundated after canals overflowed. The government announced last year that it is relocating the capital to East Kalimantan province on Borneo, though the planning ministry pledged that the government will invest $40 billion in modernizing Jakarta. Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more Hackers affiliated with the Chinese government have been making a concerted effort to steal medical research, particularly cancer research, from institutions in the United States, according to a recent report. The step-up in medical research theft by Chinese APT hacker groups appears to be linked to Chinas growing concern over cancer mortality rates and increasing healthcare costs, FireEye reported Wednesday. Cancer in the leading cause of death in China. As the PRC continues to pursue universal healthcare by 2020, controlling costs and domestic industry will surely affect the PRCs strategy to maintain political stability, the researchers wrote in their report Beyond Compliance: Cyber Threats and Healthcare. Another probable motivation for APT activity is financial: The PRC has one of the worlds fastest growing pharmaceutical markets, creating lucrative opportunities for domestic firms, especially those that provide oncology treatments or services, the report notes. Targeting medical research and data from studies may enable Chinese corporations to bring new drugs to market faster than Western competitors, it states. Similar to other examples we have witnessed, cyber-enabled theft of medical data and research is likely one component of a broader strategy by China at acquiring key innovations and technology, the researchers wrote. Rise in Nation-State Attacks For some entities in this space, the key research being conducted to develop new drugs and medical technologies can be an attractive target for cyber espionage groups supporting national priorities, especially for groups with a nexus to China, explained FireEye principal analyst Luke McNamara. While the interest by criminals in PII and other patient data is probably unsurprising, what may be new to many in the healthcare space is the range of motivations for targeting healthcare including nation-state actors, he told TechNewsWorld. It appears there has been an uptick in nation-state attacks on the healthcare sector in the past few years, noted Ken Underhill, a master instructor at Cybrary, a provider of free and crowdsourced IT and cybersecurity learning in Greenbelt, Maryland. Smaller companies can be ripe pickings for those kinds of attacks. Smaller healthcare companies may not use industry best practices for securing data in transit and at rest, so these are prime targets for nation-states, Underhill told TechNewsWorld. Compliant but Not Secure Chinese hackers are just one group of many bad actors attracted to the healthcare industrys data jewels, according to the 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report. The healthcare industry had the second-highest number of reported data breaches during the report period and consistently has been among the top five targets of cyber adversaries over the last decade. Yet the industry is one of the most regulated in the country, subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act. Those regulations create a much higher standard of scrutiny than other verticals with regards to privacy and disclosure requirements, said Torsten George, a cybersecurity evangelist at Centrify, an authentication and access control company in Santa Clara, California. However, being compliant doesnt mean youre secure, he told TechNewsWorld. Healthcare providers are high-value targets for threat actors. The monetary value of healthcare records is higher than it is in other industries, explained Ryan Smith, director of product marketing at Armor, a cloud security company based in Richardson, Texas. If you look at the black market, the cost of a medical record compared to a credit card is about 3.7 times more, he told TechNewsWorld. Its around (US)$408 a record rather than $110. Whats more, healthcare records contain very complete information on people. If you get hold of data from a healthcare breach, its going to have all the data you need to launch any other type of attack, Smith said. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Easy Targets Healthcare providers can be not only value-rich targets, but also easy targets. The free flow and exchange of information is critical to a successful care outcome, explained Stan Lowe, global chief information security officer at Zscaler, a cloud-based information security company in San Jose, California. Patient safety has been the guiding principal behind securing that exchange of information which has led to a less than optimal implementation of cyber principles, he told TechNewsWorld. We also continue to see an increase in ransomware attacks against healthcare industry where the chances of pay-out is pretty high, Lowe added. Legacy systems also can be magnets to healthcare hackers. Criminal hackers often target healthcare organizations because many organizations are using antiquated technology, Cybrarys Underhill said. They use an already taxed IT staff to perform critical security functions and have a non-IT staff base that may not fully understand how security fits into their day-to-day life, he continued. I have seen a healthcare organization that was running Windows 95 on a machine, Underhill said. Yes, Windows 95. Making Progress The healthcare industrys information security problems are not all its own fault, maintained Lowe. The certification environment that healthcare has existed in over the years has contributed significantly to the current state of vulnerability of the tens of thousands of medical devices that are deployed and havent been patched or protected because of FDA certifications, he said. The industry and government are making progress tackling its security problems, Lowe continued. The manufacturers of healthcare devices and a realization by the FDA that cyber needs to be more easily implemented and maintained are helping to solve this problem in the future, he noted. However, tens of thousands of incredibly expensive legacy devices will be out there for the foreseeable future and will need to be addressed. The industry has been making progress securing its information, said Itzik Kotler, CTO of SafeBreach, a data breach and cyberattack simulation company in Sunnyvale, California. Its just a question of a linear progression or quantum leap, he told TechNewsWorld. Healthcare, due to the nature of the business, has difficulty making quantum leaps, Kotler continued. It has trouble enforcing security rules on third-party vendors and equipment, and it has to deal with legacy systems. Whether the industry can tighten up its security belt or not, one thing will remain certain. As healthcare is a PII-rich environment, it will likely continue to face threats from cybercriminals looking for data to enable fraudulent activity, FireEyes McNamara said.Some healthcare organizations, particularly in key research areas, will also have to continue to deal with less frequent, but potentially high-impact threats like cyber espionage. TOLEDO Conservation Districts of Iowa is partnering with Tama Soil and Water Conservation District to foster the higher education endeavors of Iowa students interested in conservation and agriculture by offering regional and statewide scholarships. Iowa High School class of 2020 students, including homeschoolers, pursuing programs of study in any field of conservation or agriculture may apply for the Conservation Scholarship. While many college majors qualify, preference will be given to students pursuing programs of study in conservation. The scholarship must be used for the students first year of college education. The application and more information is at https://cdiowa.org/get-involved/scholarships/ . Applications and supporting documents for Tama County residents should be submitted to the Tama SWCD office at 102 Hwy 30W, Toledo 52342 by 4:30 p.m. Feb. 14. Three CDI scholarships will be awarded at the state level in the amounts of $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000. Six $500 regional awards will also be awarded. In addition to the CDI scholarships, Tama SWCD is offering $1,000 and $800 scholarships to applicants who reside in Tama County. Our memorable stories of 2019 Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The contentious bonfire built on the grounds of Avoniel Leisure Centre in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA) Police have identified all four people they wanted to speak to over "disruption" at a Belfast leisure centre over the summer. Police released images of the four people on Thursday. On Friday morning all had been identified. There have been no arrests. Tensions flared at Avoniel Leisure Centre in July when a bonfire was built in the car park of the council-run facility ahead of Eleventh night celebrations. Read More Belfast City Council voted to remove material from the bonfire, prompting a stand off with loyalists occupying the site. Contractors hired to carry out the work pulled out after threatening graffiti appeared near the leisure centre. The council was warned intelligence indicated "that any attempt by the council to remove bonfire material will cause a severe violent confrontation, orchestrated by the UVF". On one occasion, Avoniel Leisure Centre was forced to close early after a group of men blocked the entrance. Loyalists manned the site 24 hours a day during the impasse, barricading the gates a number of times in anticipation of the police moving in. The bonfire went ahead on the Eleventh night. On releasing the images police said they are "relentlessly" pursuing those involved in incidents across the city last summer. Detective Chief Inspector Mary White explained: We are releasing four images of individuals whom wed like to talk to in connection with our ongoing investigations into persons unlawfully entering Avoniel Leisure Centre and disrupting its activities which took place in the area of Avoniel Road, Belfast on the run up to July last year. Over the course of a number of days, there was a small number of people in the area who were intent on causing disruption to the normal business of the council facility." DCI White said police are committed to identify all those involved "in a range of incidents" across Belfast last summer and will be "relentless" in bringing said offenders before the courts. "By releasing these images I am hopeful that the wider community will help us identify these individuals. It is in everybodys interest as well as in the interest of justice - that those responsible are dealt with appropriately and I would urge anyone who may have any information to bring it forward," she added. I also encourage the persons within these pictures to contact police directly. In doing so they will minimise the impact on themselves, their family and their community. Anyone who may be able to identify any of these individuals or provide any information about them such as their name, address or age is urged to contact detectives at Musgrave Police Station on 101." Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Leading figures from 18 nations worldwide write to the Chief Executive of the Territory: "Hong Kong is a great world city, a major international financial and trading centre, and an important gateway to China and the rest of Asia. It would be a tragedy if it loses this role and gains a reputation for repression. The local executive responds quickly: "Untruthful facts, foreigners must not meddle in our internal affairs". Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Hong Kong "Hong Kong is a great world city, a major international financial and trading centre, and an important gateway to China and the rest of Asia. It would be a tragedy if it loses this role and gains a reputation for repression". It is the sense of an open letter addressed to the Chief Executive of the Territory, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, and signed by 40 leading figures from 18 nations of the world. Signatories include Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, head of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences; the former spokesman for the British House of Commons, John Bercow; former South Korean human rights ambassador Lee Jung-hoon; former All India Catholic Union president John Dayal and many others. The letter poses a series of questions to the Chief Executive about the police's brutal attitude towards demonstrators who - for months now - have been calling for democratic reforms and an end to mainland China's repression. They write: "It is our hope that you choose a path of constructive and meaningful reform which makes reconciliation and healing possible." The appeal notes, "while nothing justifies violence, it is clear that those protesters who have resorted to violence have acted in desperation and frustration, borne of your governments refusal to listen to their real fears, understood by many around the world, for more than six months. Their fears are not just for themselves right now, but for their future and for the lives of unborn children who will count Hong Kong as home after 2047 [year of the full return of the Territory under the control of Beijing]". The government of the former British colony responded swiftly to the appeal. A spokesman for the Lam said that "foreign politicians or organizations should not interfere in any way with Hong Kong's internal affairs. We are very concerned because the facts contained in the letter are wrong and lead to wrong conclusions. The government must reject them. " A firefighter was killed and 14 others injured when a battery factory collapsed in northwest Delhi's Peera Garhi following an explosion due to a fire that broke out early on Thursday morning, officials said. As many as 18 people were rescued from the building, including two caretakers and a security guard, they added. The deceased firefighter has been identified as Amit Balyan (20), who was admitted to Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condoled his death and tweeted, "It is with deep sadness I inform you that one of our firemen was martyred while saving people from fire. Our firemen save other people's lives by putting their lives under extremely risk in difficult circumstances. May his soul rest in peace." Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal also condoled the death of the firefighter. "Deeply anguished over of death of fire operator Amit Balyan Amit along with his team members fought bravely to save lives of many people. I salute his bravery My sincere condolences to his family members. All possible assistance to be extended to the injured & bereaved family," he tweeted. A large portion of the two-storey building collapsed following an explosion when firefighters were dousing the blaze, an official said, adding that fire department had received a call at 4.23 am. According to fire department officials, the fire has been brought under control but the cooling process is still underway. All the firemen, who were trapped under the debris, have been rescued. Plumes of smoke billowed out from the building as the fire brigade personnel battled to contain the blaze. An eyewitness said several explosions were heard as the blaze gutted down the building. Santosh Kumar, who works in a plastic factory nearby, said around 9 am, the back side of the building collapsed. "Two to four persons were trapped still trapped inside the building and were heard screaming for help. The fire personnel rescued them with the help of a ladder. They were alive," he said. According to police, eighteen people have been rescued including two caretakers and a security guard. Most of them trapped inside were fire personnel, among them two of them is said to be critical and others are out of danger. Police said legal action is being taken under appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code. Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain also visited the spot and ordered a magisterial enquiry into the matter. The National Disaster Response Force and civil authorities rushed to the spot to control the situation, an official said, adding that 35 fire tenders were at the spot. The injured, including a security guard of the factory, were rushed to nearby hospitals, a police officer said. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, who visited the fire scene, said he got to know that the condition of a person, some Manjeet Rana, is stated to be critical... The incident is big. Investigation has to be done. The fire took place around 4 am and the fire personnel are still trying to control the fire. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal said he was monitoring the situation. "V sad to hear this. Am closely monitoring the situation. Fire personnel trying their best. Praying for the safety of those trapped," Kejriwal tweeted. Baijal had also tweeted earlier in the day and said "Deeply saddened over the unfortunate fire incident in Peeragadi. Met the injured. Pray for their speedy recovery. Brave firemen are putting all efforts to douse the fire and rescue people. Directed authorities to provide all possible help on urgent basis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ACORN INCOME FUND LIMITED (a closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with registration number 34778) LEI 213800UAZN7G46AHQM67 Director Declaration 2 January 2020 In accordance with the requirements of the Listing Rule 9.6.14R, the Company advises the following change to directorships in other publicly quoted companies, held by the following member of the Board: Sharon Parr retired from the Board of NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited on 31 December 2019. Enquiries : Company Secretary Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited PO Box 255, Trafalgar Court Les Banques St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 3QL Tel: +44 (0)1481 745001 Despite their breakup in the fall of 2019, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott have been on really good terms. The duo have shown admiration and maturity, putting their personal feelings aside to co-parent their young daughter, Stormi. Though they are no longer a couple, the rapper and the makeup mogul still spend a great deal of time together as friends and co-parents. There have been whispers about Jenner getting cozy with Canadian-born rapper Drake, and Scott dating other women. Still, its clear that romance is not a priority for either one of them at this time. Unfortunately, it looks like things might get a bit messy between the duo this year. KarJenner fans are convinced Scott just hit on Jenners ex-best friend, Jordyn Woods. Kylie Jenner and Jordyn Woods are no longer friends Though they had been thick as thieves for years, Jenners friendship with Woods ended Valentines Day Weekend 2019. Woods was seen kissing Khloe Kardashians then-boyfriend, Tristan Thompson. Unfortunately, Woods did not come clean about the incident, and the entire thing spiraled out fo control. The kiss was the final straw for Kardashian who was tired of Thompson lying and cheating on her. Sadly, it also ended Jenner and Woods friendship. Despite all of that, both women are thriving in their separate lives. Kylie Jenner was worried Travis Scott cheated with Jordyn Woods The Woods and Thompson drama also caused a major strain on Jenners relationship with Scott at the time. The pair had a major heart-to-heart about their relationship and Woods friendship with Scott. A source told Hollywood Life, Kylie had a heart to heart with Travis and asked him if Jordyn had ever flirted with him, tried to hook up with him, or did anything ever inappropriate. He said of course not, and that he would have told her about that right away. Though Jenner and Scott were able to maintain their relationship for several months, the Kylie Beauty mogul lost all faith in Woods, effectively cutting her out of her life. Travis Scott and Jordyn Woods | Twitter This is why Kylie Jenner fans were convinced Travis Scott hit on Jordyn Woods Woods and Scott have seemingly had no interactions at all in nearly a year, but someone on Twitter decided to be messy to stir up drama. A Twitter user named @Trvisxxxxxxxx (Scotts real username is @TrvisXX) commented the eyeball emoji under one of Woods old pictures. They also used a J emoji in place of a verified check along with a picture of Scott. At first glance, the comment certainly looked like the real deal. Obviously Twitter lost it. One Twitter user commented, Travis Scott went from missing his family to wanting to smash Jordyn Woodss cheeks in less than 30 minutes. Thankfully, fans quickly realized it was a hoax. One fan commented, Now what kind of messy ish is this! I hate it here! Hopefully, we can all move forward into the new year without any drama or mess. Now we completely understand why Scott and Jenner couldnt make their relationship work. As the rapper told XXL, The hard part about relationships is just trying to be in one without a million outside voices interfering. An actress who had a small role in the movie, Captain America: The First Avenger, is accused of fatally stabbing her mother inside a suburban home. Mollie Fitzgerald, 38, was arrested Tuesday by police in Olathe, in the US state of Kansas, the Kansas City Star reported. She is charged with second-degree murder and jailed with more than $710,000 bond. She has been accused over the death of 68-year-old Patricia Tee Fitzgerald who authorities said was found dead on December 20 inside her Olathe home. Mollie Fitzgerald, 38, who starred in Captain America has been charged with stabbing her mum. Source: Instagram/ Mollie Fitzgerald According to IMDb, Mollie is a movie director and producer as well as an actress. She worked on mostly low-budget films, including The Lawful Truth in 2014 and The Creeps in 2017. In Captain America, one of The Avengers series of movies, she played Stark Girl and worked as an assistant to the director, Joe Johnson. The film grossed more than $250 million in the US. Being a part of this production has been one of the best experiences of my life, Mollie told a comic book publication in 2011. The 38-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder. Source: Johnson County Sheriffs Office Patricia was in the process of moving back to the Kansas City area after living several decades in the Houston area, her brother, Gary Hunziker, told the Star. Their family grew up on a farm in northeast Missouri. Patricia studied physical therapy at the University of Missouri and moved to the Kansas City area. She then moved to Texas, where her husband had a law firm, Mr Hunziker said. Mr Hunziker added he knew few details about the circumstances surrounding his sisters death. We were shocked, he said. But, it doesnt matter the circumstances the loss of a sister is what its all about. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. In a series of tweets, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also slammed the Gehlot government for the death of infants. Lucknow: BSP President Mayawati on Thursday questioned the silence of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on the death of infants in Rajasthan's Kota district and said she should have met the women who had lost their children due to "laxity" of the Ashok Gehlot government. In a series of tweets, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also slammed the Gehlot government for the death of infants. "The death of 100 children in Rajasthan's Kota district is very sad and painful. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his government are still insensitive, disinterested and irresponsible, which is highly condemnable," she charged in a tweet. "But, what is more saddening is the fact that the top leadership of the Congress and especially its general secretary maintaining silence over this issue. It would have been better that like she did in Uttar Pradesh, she had met the aggrieved mothers, who lost their children due to the laxity of the party's government," she said. The BSP chief also said, "If the Congress general secretary does not meet mothers of the deceased children, then her meeting with aggrieved family members of Uttar Pradesh will be construed as pure theatrics and political self-interest, which the public of Uttar Pradesh should be wary of". At least 100 infants have died at a government-run hospital in Kota in December 2019. The Odisha state unit of the BJP is all set to start it's one-month long 'Janjagaran' campaign with an aim to clear all misconceptions about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Slamming the opposition, BJP leader Golak Mohapatra stated that they are starting the campaign to clear the misconceptions created by "Congress and the left parties." Speaking about the campaign, he said, "During this one-month period, we will organise press conferences and intellectual meets in all districts. BJP party workers and leaders will also go to the people and raise awareness amongst them about the CAA and difference between the Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC)." He further added that the ruling party is planning to cover all the districts in the state. BJP's CAA awareness rallies Amid the protests and links between the CAA and the National Population Register (NPR), BJP has planned to undertake an outreach program to rubbish fake news and myths surrounding the same. This was decided after BJP's top brass met in a high-level meeting chaired by working president JP Nadda. As per sources, BJP's top leadership including Home Minister and party president Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will take part in the awareness campaigns from January 1 to January 15 next month. The party's first rally to spread awareness about the CAA was carried out on Friday, December 27 in Mumbai of which Devendra Fadnavis and other leaders were a part of it. Read: Advertisement hints at local BJP leaders' role in Hansraj Ahir's defeat in Lok Sabha polls Protests against CAA Several violent protests have been erupting across Assam, West Bengal, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh against the newly amended Citizenship Act, following the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi where over 50 students were detained by police during the protests. The anti-CAA movement has spread to more places like Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pondicherry, Patna and so on. Read: Jamia Millia students paint streets to protest against CAA The Citizenship Act was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 9 and then by the Rajya Sabha on December 11. The Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Read: Odisha promotes 5T initiative; launches online platform to digitalise Odisha Gazette Read: Protests against CAA 'mostly political', says Union Home Minister Amit Shah (WITH PTI INPUTS) Copyfrees.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 12 Jan 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the copyfrees homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the copyfrees homepage on Twitter + the total number of copyfrees followers (if copyfrees has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the copyfrees homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the copyfrees homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if copyfrees has a Facebook fan page). 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Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Government data showed that Cambodias rice exports to the European Union had dropped by 30 percent in 2019, after the economic bloc imposed tariffs at the start of last year. Ministry of Agriculture data showed that rice exports dropped from 300,000 tons in 2018 to around 200,000 tons last year. At the same time, China has increased its imports, after the countrys leaders agreed to increase rice trade to 400,000 tons a year. The European Union imposed tariffs for three years starting January 2019, after Italy triggered protectionist measures to safeguard its rice sector. The tariffs were around $200 a ton in 2019 and will fall to $140 for the third year. As exports to the EU have fallen, farmers said that rice dealers were using the tariffs as an excuse to lower rice prices in the market, leading to losses for farmers. Farmers in Battambang provinces Omal commune at the center of Cambodias rice production have complained about low prices for their paddy crop last year. Choeun Socheat, a rice farmer, said the price of paddy was surprisingly low, around just $232 per ton, around $60 lower than they were getting in the previous year. The dealers told us that the price is low because they are buying rice to keep at the rice mills, but not for exporting abroad, she said. I dont know whether to believe them or not. We have to sell with the price dealers set. Another farmer in the same commune, Kheun Pheakdey, said it was getting hard to recoup costs, especially fertilizer costs, which had gotten more expensive. He said around $267 a ton would be the very least he needs to make any earnings. I cant make profit even to pay for the fertilizer costs, he said. Chan Sokheang, vice president of Cambodia Rice Federation, agreed that dealers were undercutting farmers on the pretext of the tariffs, but claimed the industry body could do nothing about it. How can we curb since it happens across the country? It is them taking advantage [of farmers], he said. He claimed that the cost of fragrant, or high-quality rice was still high, and that farmers should try to directly sell to millers. However, Cambodias agriculture sector has long been plagued with the lack of storage facilities or cheap transportation for crops, with millers taking on these investments on an individual basis. Theng Savoeun, the director of the NGO Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community, said it was possible to take advantage of farmers because they had no access to market information and were disconnected from millers, allowing dealers to misinform them. The dealers at the lower level take this opportunity to lower the price of paddy rice, he said. Some dealers have networks with officials or big business people. Total rice exports for Cambodia in 2019 was around 620,000 tons, with the EU accounting for 32 percent of this exported rice and China for 41 percent, or around 250,000 tons. Denise Pochinko remembers waking up and hearing the screams. She hid under blankets with her sister until sirens drowned out their panicked breathing. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Denise Pochinko remembers waking up and hearing the screams. She hid under blankets with her sister until sirens drowned out their panicked breathing. It was October 1980, and she was five years old. Her sister, Jody, was six. Their mother, Jackaleen Dyck, was viciously attacked in her bedroom, not far from where the two girls huddled in fear. Dyck, 23, was stabbed 28 times and died in hospital. The killing at 240 Bowman Ave., in the city's Elmwood area, has never been solved. "I live that every single day of my life," Pochinko said in an interview. Denise Pochinko, whose mother, Jackaleen Dyck, was murdered in Winnipeg on Oct. 4, 1980 while she and her sister Jody were in the next room, looks over some news clippings and family photos in her Winnipeg Beach home. The grisly murder is still unsolved and Pochinko is looking for answers. (John Woods / The Canadian Press) Almost 40 years later, she is using social media to look for people who knew her mother and who may provide clues about the killing. Pochinko created a page about the case on Facebook in 2013, but the emotional toll was too much. After receiving support from a church community, she has reactivated the account and is looking for any bread crumb of information. Jackaleen Dyck in a photo from around 1976. (John Woods / The Canadian Press) "My ideal situation is finding out the truth," Pochinko says. "Id love to learn the truth about who she was, even gain a better understanding of who I am." On a cold fall day in November, Pochinko lays out all the details shes been able to gather on a table in her home in Winnipeg Beach. Its too hard to live in the city where the innocence of her childhood was stolen. Two years after the killing, her sister died in an accident. Pochinko has her parents wedding certificate and photos of the young couple from when they first got together in 1973. Old Polaroid pictures show them smiling and hugging. Photos from the years after Pochinko and her sister were born show more difficult times. Money was tight, and the pressure of having children so young was weighing on her parents. They separated not long before Dyck was slain. Denise (from left), Jackaleen, Craig and Jody Dyck in a photo from around 1980, the same year Jackaleen was murdered. Two years after the killing, Jody died in an accident. (John Woods / The Canadian Press) The sisters moved in with Dycks relatives after her death. Pochinkos father was in a new relationship and a new city. They never became close. That horrific night created a ripple effect. Pochinko says she has always felt as if things could be torn away at any moment, so she has clung tightly to unhealthy relationships. "Nobody should have to go through what I did," she says. "I was an orphan child." My ideal situation is finding out the truth. Id love to learn the truth about who she was, even gain a better understanding of who I am. Denise Pochinko She points to paperwork declaring her mothers death. Nearby, yellowed newspaper article headlines declare reward money for information about the killer, which has since expired. "We know that someone, somewhere has information that can help us," Winnipeg Police Service Insp. Des DePourcq said in a Winnipeg Sun story from the time. A headline in the Winnipeg Free Press declared, "Killer still at large." A black-and-white photo of Dycks fresh, round face, framed by long dark hair, accompanied each article. Download 1984 Winnipeg Free Press story They described how Dyck, a friend, her nephew and her two daughters were asleep in the small home. About 4 a.m., the friend was awoken by frantic calls for help before he saw someone run out the back door. He found Dyck bleeding in bed. The articles said Dyck had been harassed in the weeks before and a beer bottle was thrown through her bedroom window. Officers found no signs of forced entry the night she was killed. Police ruled out robbery and sexual assault as motives. For decades, it felt like that may be all Pochinko would know of her mother, but through social media, shes been contacted by former neighbours and friends. Denise Pochinko has heard about a few different suspects and connected with a private investigator, but hasnt come across a significant lead. (John Woods / The Canadian Press) Shes learned more about her mothers love and brilliant smile, but also about how she had a difficult life and didnt always make good choices. Pochinkos been told about a few different suspects and has connected with a private investigator but hasnt come across a significant lead. Winnipeg police say many officers have worked on the case extensively. Details cant be shared because it remains an open investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the historical homicide unit or Crime Stoppers. Pochinko remains hopeful, she says, because she has to. "A day does not go by where its not on my mind," she says. "Im trapped. That little girl, she is trapped." The crash involved a lorry and a car and happened close to Heathrow - PA Three British Airways cabin crew have been killed and another seriously injured when the car they were travelling in smashed into a lorry close to Heathrow Airport shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve. Those who died had been travelling in a white Toyota Yaris which collided with a heavy goods vehicle in Stanwell, Surrey, at 11.39pm. Two men, aged 25 and 23, and a 20-year-old woman died at the scene, while a 25-year-old was rushed to hospital where she was described as being in a serious condition. Following the impact the lorry left the road, careered through a fence and ended up in a river that runs along the perimeter of Heathrow. The lorry driver was taken to hospital as a precaution but was not thought to be seriously injured. Those travelling in the Toyota were colleagues who worked as cabin crew at British Airways. The airline said it was "deeply saddened". A spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with their family and friends, who we are supporting at this distressing time." One source said the group, who were based at Heathrow's BA headquarters, had been off duty and were not travelling to or from work at the time of the crash. The scene of the fatal smash on New Year's Eve Credit: PA It is thought they were heading to a pub to celebrate the New Year when their vehicle ploughed into the HGV at just 20 minutes before midnight. A spokesman for British Airways said: "Were deeply saddened to learn of the death of our colleagues involved in a road traffic collision last Our thoughts are with their family and friends, who we are supporting at this distressing time." A spokesman for Surrey Police said: "Emergency services were called to the scene at the junction of Bedfont Road and Long Lane at 11.39pm following the collision between a white Mercedes HGV and a white Toyota Yaris. The HGV left the road and ended up in the Longford River, which runs parallel with Bedfont Road. "Two men, aged 25 and 23 years and a woman aged 20 years who were in the Yaris, died at the scene and a 25 year-old woman, also in the Yaris is in hospital in a serious condition. Their next of kin have been informed. Story continues "The driver of the lorry was taken to hospital as a precaution. No arrests have been made. The road remains closed while recovery of the HGV takes place this morning." Sergeant Chris Schultze, of Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit, said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved in this collision at what is an extremely difficult time. "We are continuing to appeal for witnesses to what happened and would urge anyone who may have any video footage, CCTV or dash cam or any other kind, to get in touch with us." The lorry was operated by air services provider dnata, which offers ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services to airlines. A spokesman for the firm said: "We can confirm that one of our trucks was involved in a road traffic accident on the evening of December 31. "We are fully assisting relevant authorities with their investigations. Our thoughts and condolences are with the families of those affected by this very sad incident." The road where the crash occurred has been described by some locals as an accident black spot. A local driver, who did not want to be named, said the crash scene looked "bad". He described it as "a bad road" that needs widening, adding: "You would be amazed how many accidents have happened down that road." Now Open 31 December 2019 JW Marriott, part of Marriott International, Inc., today announced the opening of JW Marriott Sanya Haitang Bay, located on the Haitang Bay, the National Coast of China. The property marks JW Marriott's second resort on Hainan and eighteenth hotel in Greater China, seamlessly blending in with the lush landscape of Haitang Bay and illustrating the beguiling charm of the entire coast. Adjacent to Yalong Bay National Tourism Resort, Haitang Bay boasts stunning scenery including tropical forests, white sandy beaches and shimmering waters. A 40-minute drive from Sanya Phoenix International Airport, the area is home to numerous tourist attractions including Wuzhizhou Island, Sanya Haichang Fantasy Town, Nanshan Temple and the Wanda International Cinema, among others. The new JW Marriott Sanya Haitang Bay is located on a 21.8-kilometer-long shoreline, providing a luxury escape for travelers who come to feel present in mind, nourished in body and revitalized through the brand's curated programming. Tumakuru (Karnataka) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday released the third installment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi of Rs 2,000 for the period December 2019 to March 2020. This will benefit approximately six crore beneficiaries. The Prime Minister also handed over certificates to beneficiaries under PM Kisan from eight states and Union Territories (UTs). Modi also distributed the Krishi Karman Awards and Commendation Awards to states at a public meeting. He will also give away Agriculture Minister's Krishi Karman Awards for Progressive Farmers. "At the same event, Prime Minister also handed over the keys of deep-sea fishing vessels and fishing vessel transponders to select farmers of Tamil Nadu. He also distributed Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to select farmers of Karnataka," an official release said. (ANI) A woman suffered serious burns across to 20 percent of her body after a vape pen exploded in her backpack at a Rite Aid drugstore. The woman, was shopping at at the store in Yucaipa, California, when the explosion set her bag and her clothes on fire. The store manager desperately tried to extinguish the flames, but not before the woman suffered first-degree and second-degree burns to her back. Images show the woman's horrifying burns to the left side of her back, as well as her singed clothing and charred backpack. Graphic Images Below A California woman suffered burns on more than 20 percent of her body after a vape pen exploded in her backpack on Tuesday The explosion caused her backpack and several layers of clothing (pictured) to catch on fire while she was inside a Yucaipa Rite Aid Emergency crews arrived at the scene after several reports alerted them of the explosion. Battalion Chief Josh Janssen said: 'We received multiple reports of a female on fire in a local Rite Aid. While responding to the incident, we received updated information that the fire was caused by a vape pen that had exploded inside the female's backpack.' The woman was later hospitalized in a burns unit. It's unclear exactly what caused the vape to explode. The woman's clothing, damaged backpack and other items burnt in the vape pen explosion Photos show pieces of the woman's vape pen after it exploded for an unknown reason A store manager frantically tried to extinguish the fire on the woman's clothes and backpack There have been a spate of similar incidents where people have been injured after their vape pens exploded, including at least one death. In July 2019, Nader Harb, of Cleveland, Ohio, suffered a volleyball sized third-degree burn on his thigh after a spare battery for his vaping device exploded. Harb was setting up at the butcher store he works at when the LGHG2 battery in his right pocket burst into flames. He's since filed a lawsuit against the battery maker LG Chem, becoming one of several other headaches the South Korean electronics company has gained. Earlier this year, 24-year-old William Brown of Fort Worth, Texas, died after his e-cigarette exploded in his face, severing an artery in his neck. In May 2017, a man using an LG Chem vape was hospitalized for 11 days after his battery exploded, damaging his leg and genitalia. Austin Adams, 17, suffered a litany of injuries when a VGOD vape pen blew up in his face in March 2018, breaking his jaw and blowing-out several of his teeth (pictured) A photo of Adam's jaw highlighting the damaged areas in the front side of his jaw and several teeth In March 2018, 17-year-old Nevada teen Austin Adams, was rushed to Primary Children's Hospital, Salt Lake City an agonizing five hour drive away after his device blew up in his face in March 2018. The teen underwent 'open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture, dental extraction, and debridement of devitalized tissue'. In June 2019, the FDA finalized its new safety guidelines for manufacturers attempting to bring tobacco products including e-cigarettes to market. The FDA will now require detailed information about the types of batteries developers are hoping to use, as well as safety precautions to minimize the likelihood of the product exploding, overheating, or catching fire. Battery malfunctions have been cited among other reasons for vape device and e-cigarette explosions. How to avoid 'Vape' battery explosions The FDA has provided safety tips on how best to avoid sudden e-cigarette and vape explosions. 1. Consider using vape devices with safety features 2. Keep loose batteries in a case to prevent contact with metal objects 3. Never charge your vape device with a phone or tablet charger 4. Don't charge your vape device overnight or leave it charging unattended 5. Replace batteries if they get damaged or wet Other ways to avoid explosions: Make sure you read and understand the manufacturer's recommendations for use and care of your device. If your vape did not come with instructions or you have further questions, contact the manufacturer. Don't remove or disable safety featureslike fire button locks or vent holesthat are designed to prevent battery overheating and explosions. Only use batteries recommended for your device. Don't mix different brands of batteries, use batteries with different charge levels, or use old and new batteries together. Charge your vape on a clean, flat surface, away from anything that can easily catch fire and someplace you can clearly see itnot a couch or pillow where it is more prone to overheat or get turned on accidentally. Protect your vape from extreme temperatures by not leaving it in direct sunlight or in your car on a freezing cold night. Source: Food and Drug Administration Advertisement The use of vape devices and e-cigarettes have been blamed for the causing the death of 55 people in 27 states - with the latest death being reported by the Centers for Disease Control on December 31, 2019. At least 2,561 people have been hospitalized with lung-related illnesses related to their use of vapes. Earlier this month, CDC principal deputy director Dr Anne Schuchat announced what she called a 'concerning new phenomenon' - more people being readmitted to hospitals for lung illness after being discharged. US officials are also more 'confident' than ever that the vitamin E acetate, a diluting agent used in many THC vaping products, is the 'cause' of the majority of cases in the 'explosive outbreak' of the condition they call EVALI, Dr Schuchat said in a recent press briefing. Vitamin E acetate - believed to be used as a cutting agent in illicit vaping products containing marijuana components - was detected in 48 out of 51 samples of lung tissue from EVALI patients. About a third of US high schoolers now report using e-cigarettes, the CDC said in November. Several states have passed flavored vaping bans, the Trump Administration has hinted that it would do the same - and then that it wouldn't - and scores of individuals, cities and states have filed suit against vape megalith, Juul Labs. Yet, recently, a group of experts warned that over-zealous bans could do simply push people who have quit smoking back to cigarettes. An image by Ami Vitale from Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Northern Kenya. Vitale started photographing in Kenya in 2009. In an interview with PDN, she spoke about building an audience and finding support for her long-term wildlife conservation project. National Geographic readers voted a heartbreaking photograph by Ami Vitale as the top photograph of the decade. Vitales image shows the moment just before Sudan, the last male northern white rhinoceros on earth, died. In the photo, Sudan is comforted by Joseph Wachira, a caretaker at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, in Kenya. National Geographic readers voted for the image in an online poll in December 2019. Watching a creature dieone who is the last of its kindis something I hope never to experience again, Vitale wrote of the image on Instagram. It felt like watching our own demise. My hope is that this heartbreaking moment will be our wake up call. These giants are part of a complex world created over millions of years, and their survival is intertwined with our own. Without rhinos and elephants and other wildlife, we suffer a loss of imagination, a loss of wonder, a loss of beautiful possibilities. When we see ourselves as part of nature, we understand that saving nature is really about saving ourselves. Sudan taught me that. Vitale has worked on her long-term project about wildlife conservation in Northern Kenya since 2009. In an interview with PDN in 2015, she spoke about the beginnings of the project, and about how she built grassroots support for her project, which has in-turn helped her raise funds and attention for the conservation organizations she has partnered with. One of the keys to building an audience around her work, Vitale said, was to engage with audiences directly through social media, speaking engagements and other opportunities. She also did more than just document a story about a critical environmental issue. In the past, there were clear lines drawn about the role of photographer/photojournalist and what we were supposed to do. Advocacy was almost a dirty word for a reputable journalist, Vitale said. Today, we have the opportunity to engage directly with our audience, who almost expect more engagement and advocacy. It turns out, they dont necessarily want us to be the proverbial fly on the wall. Observing is not enough. They really care about a lot of the stories we bring them and want us to do more and show them what they can do other than just look at pictures. This latest recognition from National Geographic readers demonstrates their interest in Vitales story and her photos. To learn more about how Vitale established and grew the audience for her work, read, How Ami Vitale Built Support for Her Long-Term Photo Project. Related articles: Advice for Shooting and Supporting Wildlife Photography Projects Ami Vitale Quits Facebook: Cites Political Interference, Lack of Accountability How Top Photographers Conquer Self-Doubt Vietnamese people enjoy traditional foods to welcome the New Year at the Vietnamese Embassy in Angola. (Photo: VNA) Ceremonies in the Central European country were held by many associations of the Vietnamese community there, and drew the large participation by their members as well as representatives of the Vietnamese embassy. Many foreign friends also joined the art performances and food festivals to share the joy with the Vietnamese people, many of them of the third generation in the republic. The Vietnamese Embassy in Angola also held a ceremony for the Vietnamese community in the African country, with the participation of representatives of health and education experts, as well as entrepreneurs. Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Vu Ngoc Minh briefed the participants of Vietnams prominent social, economic and political achievements over the past year and the Vietnam Angola cooperation programmes to be implemented in the time to come. Highly valuing the mutual support among the Vietnamese community there, the diplomat called on them to further strive for successes in their business and life in the host country, helping improve the bilateral relations. Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market: Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025- Rising awareness about advanced insulin delivery devices among diabetic patients will augment the demand for diabetes insulin delivering pens. Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market is valued at USD 3868.4 Million in 2018 and expected to reach USD 6847.6 Million by 2025 with the CAGR of 8.50% over the forecast period. Scope of Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Report Insulin pens are gaining popularity and many people with diabetes nowadays use a pen to administer insulin. This pen allows more simple, accurate, and convenient delivery than using a viral and syringe. Insulin pen is defined as a type of insulin injection device which is somewhat larger in size than the pen, insulin refill in the pen. Insulin pen is easy to carry and can conveniently be fit with specific refill filled with insulin. It also avoids the patient from the cumbersome procedure of extraction with a syringe from the insulin bottle, thereby, reduces embarrassment in public and supplies convenience for poor vision and even blindness sufferers. Diabetes is a significant health condition that is rapidly growing among the world population; therefore, the adoption of smart insulin pens is necessary for safe and effective control of insulin to people who have diabetes. Get Sample Copy of This Premium Report @ https://brandessenceresearch.biz/Request/Sample?ResearchPostId=68459&RequestType=Sample Global diabetes insulin delivery pens market report is segmented on the basis of type, application, end-users and region & country level. Based on type, global diabetes insulin delivery pens market is classified as reusable insulin pens and disposable insulin pens. Based upon application, global diabetes insulin delivery pens market is classified into hospital & clinic, retail pharmacy, and online sales. Based upon end-users, global diabetes insulin delivery pens market is classified into hospitals & clinics, ambulatory surgical centers and home care settings. The regions covered in this diabetes insulin delivery pens market report are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. On the basis of country level, market of diabetes insulin delivery pens is sub divided into U.S., Mexico, Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, India, South East Asia, GCC, Africa, etc. Key Players for Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Report- Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens market report covers prominent players like Sanofi, Eli Lilly, Bigfoot Biomedical, Medtronic, Novo Nordisk, Insulet Corporation, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), Roche, Ypsomed, Wockhardt, B. Braun and others. News- Bigfoot Biomedical Announced Next Step for Connected Insulin Injection System. On January 7th, 2019; Bigfoot Biomedical, Inc., a diabetes company using artificial intelligence to develop solutions for optimizing the dosing and delivery of insulin, announced a non-exclusive cooperation agreement with Eli Lilly and Company to support integration of Lillys insulin products into Bigfoots systems currently in development. Request for Methodology @ https://brandessenceresearch.biz/Request/Sample?ResearchPostId=68459&RequestType=Methodology Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Dynamics Increasing obese population is a major factor responsible for the growth of the insulin delivery pens market. Obesity leads to a high risk of medical conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular problems. Countries across the globe are witnessing a sharp increase in the number of people with obesity, which, in turn, is resulting in increased prevalence of diabetes, further increase the demand of insulin infusion devices for its management. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 2.8 million people die every year as a result of obesity or being overweight, and approximately 44% of the diabetes cases reported globally is due to obesity or excess weight. Additionally, the advanced methods for insulin delivery include minimum invasiveness in an enhanced manner; reducing patients burden will positively affect the market growth over the forecast period. However, high cost of insulin delivery devices and lack of insurance coverage in developing countries may hamper the market expansion in the near future. Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Regional Analysis North America is expected to dominate the global diabetes insulin delivery pens market. The growth of the regional segment is primarily driven by growing diabetic population and the conveniences of technologically advanced devices are the major factors contributing to the growth of the market in North America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2015, approximately 30.3 million people or 9.4% of the total population of the U.S. suffered with diabetes. In addition, according to the Diabetes UK, in 2016, approximately 3.6 million people were diagnosed with diabetes. Hence, increase in diabetics is expected to have a positive impact on the market in this region. Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest growing regional market due to rising awareness about advanced technology available for treatment of diabetes and favorable reimbursement policies are the major factors expanding the Asia Pacific insulin delivery pens market. Key Benefits for Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Report Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market report covers in depth historical and forecast analysis. Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market research report provides detail information about Market Introduction, Market Summary, Global market Revenue (Revenue USD), Market Drivers, Market Restraints, Market opportunities, Competitive Analysis, Regional and Country Level. Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market report helps to identify opportunities in market place. Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market report covers extensive analysis of emerging trends and competitive landscape. Get Full information of This Report @ https://brandessenceresearch.biz/Lifesciences-and-Healthcare/Diabetes-Insulin-Delivery-Pens-Market-Forecast/Summary Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Segmentation: By Type: Reusable Insulin Pens Disposable Insulin Pens By Application: Hospital & Clinic Retail Pharmacy Online Sales By End-User: Hospitals & Clinics Ambulatory Surgical Centers Home Care Settings By Regional & Country Analysis: North America U.S. Mexico Canada Europe UK France Germany Italy Asia Pacific China Japan India Southeast Asia Latin America Brazil The Middle East and Africa GCC Africa Rest of Middle East and Africa Table of Content 1. Chapter Report Methodology 1.1. Research Process 1.2. Primary Research 1.3. Secondary Research 1.4. Market Size Estimates 1.5. Data Triangulation 1.6. Forecast Model 1.7. USPs of Report 1.8. Report Description 2. Chapter Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Overview: Qualitative Analysis 2.1. Market Introduction 2.2. Executive Summary 2.3. Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Classification 2.4. Market Drivers 2.5. Market Restraints 2.6. Market Opportunity 2.7. Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market: Trends 2.8. Porters Five Forces Analysis 3. Chapter Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Overview: Quantitative Analysis 4. Chapter Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Analysis: By Type 5. Chapter Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Analysis: By Applications 6. Chapter Global Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Analysis: By Manufacturer 7. Chapter Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market: Regional Analysis 8. Chapter Company Profiles 8.1. Biocon Ltd 8.1.1. Overview 8.1.2. Financials 8.1.3. Product portfolio 8.1.4. Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Market Revenue (USD Million) and Market Share (%), 2014 2018 8.1.5. Diabetes Insulin Delivery Pens Sales Market Share (%), 2014 2018 8.1.6. Business strategy 8.1.7. Recent developments 8.2. Eli Lilly 8.3. Novo Nordisk 8.4. Owen Mumford 8.5. Sanofi 8.6. Ypsomed 8.7. Others About us: Brandessence Market Research and Consulting Pvt. ltd. Brandessence market research publishes market research reports & business insights produced by highly qualified and experienced industry analysts. Our research reports are available in a wide range of industry verticals including aviation, food & beverage, healthcare, ICT, Construction, Chemicals and lot more. Brand Essence Market Research report will be best fit for senior executives, business development managers, marketing managers, consultants, CEOs, CIOs, COOs, and Directors, governments, agencies, organizations and Ph.D. Students. We have a delivery center in Pune, India and our sales office is in London. Contact us at: +44-2038074155 or mail us at alan@brandessenceresearch.biz Website: https://brandessenceresearch.biz Website: http://www.themarketstatsnews.com Related Report: Medical Devices Industry Reports 2019 Autologous Stem Cell and Non Stem Based Therapies Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 Amenorrhea Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 Inert Gas Generator Systems (IGGS) Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 Tinnitus Drug Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 Hypereosinophilic Syndrome Drug Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 Xiaomi Mi Watch Color is set to go on sale in China on January 3. Heres what to expect from the next wearable from Xiaomi. Xiaomi recently introduced a redesigned 'Mi Watch Color' smartwatch in China. While the company revealed the first look of the wearable, it hadn't disclosed full specifications and features. Now, a new post on Weibo has leaked the retail box of the Mi Watch Color, revealing key specifications of the new wearable. According to the post, Xiaomi Mi Watch Colour will come with a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with 454 x 454 pixels resolution. The wearable will support connectivity options such as Bluetooth 5.0 BLE, NFC, Glonass, and GPS. The Mi Watch Color is compatible with Android 4.4 and older versions. The wearable is also likely to come with 5ATM water resistance. According to reports, the Watch Colour will run on a 420mAh battery. Xiaomi has confirmed the wearable will deliver a backup up to 14 days. It will most likely come with basic smartwatch features such as heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and barometer among others. The new wearable from Xiaomi comes with a circular display unlike the recently launched a Xiaomi Watch which had an Apple Watch-like design. Xiaomi Mi Watch launched in China last year with a starting price of 1,299 Yuan (13,000 approximately). The premium variant of the smartwatch costs 1,999 Yuan (20,000 approximately). The wearable has a 1.78-inch AMOLED screen with 326ppi and 44m dial. Running on Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor, Mi Watch is powered by a 570mAh battery. Other important features of the smartwatch include 4G, NFC, Wi-Fi, GPS and e-SIM support. Here's a look at the top stocks that may remain in focus today - Auto stocks: Automobile sales continued to slip in December despite a faint uptick seen in the two preceding months, worrying the industry that a recovery in the Indian car market is not yet in sight. Sun TV, ZEEL: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has released amendments to the New Tariff Order (NTO), in which it has directed cable operators to ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor 02.01.2020 LISTEN The Ghana Medical Association has called for a total ban of Commercial motor riders, popularly called Okada riders to reduce the rate of accidents and casualties. Dr Frederick Kwarteng, the Head of the Accident, Emergency and Orthopaedic Department, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra. Until government implements policies to regulate the use of motor bikes especially for commercial purposes, it should ban their operations to save lives. This is what we want he said. He said it had become necessary as the number of road traffic accidents caused by Okada men kept becoming rampant, and got worse during the Christmas festive season. And this is causing the victims to lose their lives, legs and arms, brains, wealth and entire social life, he said. From December 21, 2019 to January 1, 2020, the Department admitted 79 vehicle accident victims, 58 motorcycle accident victims and one bicycle accident victim. On January 2, 2020 as at the 1300 hours, the Department had admitted one vehicle accident victim and four motorcycle accident victims. Dr Kwarteng believed if law enforcement agencies were unable to enforce traffic regulations, Okada riders should be banned entirely as their accident cases were as a result of recklessness and disrespect for road traffic regulations. The traffic light says red and he crosses, speeding and riding recklessly. People use motorbikes in some jurisdictions and even in the North but we don't hear about such injuries. But in Accra, it is often recorded because they are not being controlled, and even choose to create their own paths through traffic, he said. Dr Boateng said from December 22 to 23, 2019, 30 road traffic accident cases were recorded out of which 20 were serious Okada related cases. Some of the victims had crushed bones, fractures, severe wounds, head injuries and traumas. As a result of the severity of some of the cases, he said, some of the victims could have their limbs amputated to save their lives if all procedures of treatment were ineffective. --- Key indices were trading higher in line Asian markets. At 9:18 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 96.25 points or 0.23% at 41,402.27. The Nifty 50 index was up 31.05 points or 0.25% at 12,213.55. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.23%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.31%. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On the BSE, 241 shares rose and 86 shares fell. A total of 25 shares were unchanged. Among stocks, VA Tech Wabag rose 1.5%. VA Tech Wabag said it has secured Rs 1,187 crore worth order from Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation under the prestigious National Mission for Clean Ganga Scheme to develop Sewage Treatment Plants of 150 MLD capacity along with sewerage network of over 450 km in the Digha and Kankarbagh zones of Patna. This project comprises of a Design, Build and Operate scope worth Rs 940 crore and Hybrid Annuity scope worth around Rs 247 crore. Tata Motors advanced 0.33%. Tata Motors announced its sales in the domestic & international market, for the month of December 2019, which stood at 46,903 vehicles, compared to 54,439 units during December 2018, down 13.8%. Total domestic auto sales fell 12% to 44254 units in December 2019 compared with 50440 units in December 2018. The company unveiled its first premium hatchback 'Altroz' and Nexon EV and received an overwhelming response. Eicher Motors was up 0.43%. Eicher Motors said VE Commercial Vehicles, its unlisted subsidiary, reported 19.1% decline in total commercial vehicle sales to 5,042 units in December 2019 from 6,236 units in December 2018. JBM Auto went up 1.62%. JBM Auto said the merger of JBM Auto System Private and JBM MA Automotive with itself got effective from 1 January, 2020. Now onwards, JBM Auto will be a merged entity. The post-merger revised paid-up equity share capital of the company will be Rs 23.65 crore. Future Retail was down 0.03%. Future Retail informed that a meeting of the board of directors of the company is scheduled to be held on 4 January, 2020 to consider and approve the proposal for raising of funds. Jagran Prakashan fell 0.48%. Jagran Prakashan said the company has bought back 33,15,206 equity shares during 16 December 2019 to 31 December 2019 and extinguished 22,89,486 equity shares on 31 December 2019. The balance 10,25,720 equity shares are pending to be credited to demat account and will be extinguished in the manner specified in the SEBI Buyback Regulations. Overseas, Asian markets were trading higher buoyed by Chinese markets after Beijing eased monetary policy to support slowing growth. China's central bank on Wednesday said that it would cut the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves, releasing around 800 billion yuan in funds effective 6 January 2020. A private survey released on Thursday showed China's manufacturing activity expanded in the month of December. The Markit/Caixin Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for manufacturing came in at 51.5, compared to 51.8 in November. In US, markets were closed on account of the New Year holiday on Wednesday. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight people including the chief of Taiwans armed forces were killed Thursday after the military helicopter carrying them crashed on a mountainside during a routine trip, Taiwans military said. The Black Hawk helicopter was carrying 13 people, including Shen Yi-ming, an air force general who served as the chief of general staff of Taiwans armed forces. The helicopter left Songshan Airport in Taipei, the capital, shortly before 8 a.m. to fly to Yilan County in northeastern Taiwan for an inspection, the military said. The last contact with the helicopter was at 8:07 a.m. The military has not yet said what may have caused the crash in a mountainous district southeast of Taipei. By Ahmed Rasheed and Idrees Ali BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Protesters angry about U.S. air strikes on Iraq hurled stones and torched a security post at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, setting off a confrontation with guards and posing a new challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump. The protests, led by Iranian-backed militias, prompted the United States to deploy additional U.S. Marines to protect embassy personnel who were huddled inside the facility. Trump threatened to retaliate against Iran. Embassy guards used stun grenades and tear gas to repel protesters, who stormed and burned the security post at the entrance but did not breach the main compound. The State Department said diplomatic personnel inside were safe and there were no plans to evacuate them. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement on Tuesday: "We are sending additional forces to support our personnel at the Embassy." He did not provide numbers. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said troops from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, could be sent to the region in the coming hours if needed. They could number in the hundreds, although less than a thousand, officials said. The unprecedented attack on an American diplomatic mission in Iraq marked a sharp escalation of the proxy conflict between the United States and Iran - both influential players in the country - and plunged U.S. relations with Iraq to their worst level in years. The United States and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003 and ousted Saddam Hussein. But political stability has been elusive. Trump, on a two-week working vacation in Palm Beach, Florida, spoke by phone to Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi of Iraq. "President Trump emphasized the need to protect United States personnel and facilities in Iraq," the White House said. Trump - suddenly at risk of entering his 2020 re-election year with a new foreign policy headache to sort out - accused Iran of orchestrating the violence and said Tehran would be held responsible. Story continues "Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat," Trump said in a tweet. The embassy incident came seven years after the 2012 attack by armed militants on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the death of the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans and led to multiple congressional investigations. "The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site," Trump said. The protests followed U.S. air strikes on Sunday on bases operated by the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah inside Iraq, which killed at least 25 fighters and wounded 55. The strikes were retaliation for the killing of a U.S. civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base, which Washington blamed on Kataib Hezbollah. "Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will," Trump said in a tweet. "Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible." Iran, under severe economic duress from punishing U.S. sanctions put in place by Trump, denied responsibility. "America has the surprising audacity of attributing to Iran the protests of the Iraqi people against (Washington's) savage killing of at least 25 Iraqis," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said. Democrats upset that Trump ditched the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama in 2015 were quick to pounce on the incident as a failure of Trump's Iran policy. "The predictable result of the Trump administrations reckless bluster, escalation and miscalculation in the Middle East is that we are now hurtling closer to an unauthorized war with Iran that the American people do not support," said U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. STONES AND TEAR GAS The protesters, joined briefly by Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim militia leaders, threw stones at the embassy gate while others chanted: "No, no, America! No, no, Trump!" Iraqi special forces prevented protesters entering, later reinforced by U.S.-trained Iraqi Counter Terrorism forces. The embassy has been hit by sporadic but non-lethal rocket fire in recent months, and was regularly shelled following the U.S.-led invasion of 2003, but had not been physically attacked by demonstrators in that way before. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CBS News that U.S. officials never contemplated evacuating the embassy and had kept the heat on Iraqi officials to ensure the compound was safe. "We reminded them throughout the day of their continued responsibility," he said. The Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella grouping of the militias that have been officially integrated into Iraq's armed forces, said 62 militiamen and civilians were wounded by the tear gas and stun grenades fired to disperse the crowd. A Reuters witness saw blood on the face of one wounded militiaman and on the stomach of the other as their colleagues carried them away. Iraqis have been taking to the streets in the thousands almost daily to condemn, among other things, militias such as Kataib Hezbollah and their Iranian patrons that support Abdul Mahdi's government. Kataib Hezbollah is one of the smallest but most potent of the Iranian-backed militias. Its flags were hung on the fence surrounding the embassy. More than 5,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq supporting local forces. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad and Idrees Ali in Washington; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Palm Beach, Fla. and Daphne Psaledakis, Doina Chiacu and Diane Bartz in Washington; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Peter Cooney) 2 Jan Former Super Junior member Han Geng has welcomed the New Year with a wedding with girlfriend and actress Celina Jade. As reported on Mingpao, on 31 December, the actor shared the good news on social media with a photo of them in traditional wedding attire, captioning it, "Hello, my lover." The "Wolf Warrior 2" actress also posted the same photo and caption on her Weibo account. The wedding was revealed to have been held in Queenstown, New Zealand, with the couple not only declaring their vows but also signing their marriage certificate. Han and Celina met in 2017 as presenters at the Chinese Film Awards and announced their relationship in January 2018. It was back in June last year that they were announced to have registered their marriage. (Photo Source: Han Geng Weibo) An independent UN human rights expert hailed earlier this week the International Criminal Courts (ICC) decision to consider a formal criminal investigation into allegations of war crimes in Palestine as a momentous step forward in the quest for accountability in the five-decade-long Israeli occupation. Accountability has, until now, been largely missing in action throughout the 52-year-old occupation, said Michael Lynk, the Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, according to a UN press release. On December 20, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced that she was satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation into the situation in Palestine. Mr. Lynk maintained that although the international community has adopted hundreds of UN resolutions condemning various features of Israels entrenched occupation of the Palestinian territoryrarely has it ever combined criticism with consequences for Israel. Now, the possibility of accountability is finally on the horizon, the UN expert said. Ms. Bensouda has spent the past five years reviewing the initial evidence as part of a preliminary investigation in the 2014 war on Gaza, the Israeli settlements and, more recently, the killing and wounding of Palestinian demonstrators near the Gaza frontier. The ICC prosecutor said that before initiating a formal investigation, she would ask for a ruling by the Pre-Trial Chamber to confirm that the territory over which the Court may exercise its jurisdiction comprises the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza. In a world that proclaims its devotion to human rights and a rules-based international order, it is vital that the international community defend the decision of the ICC Prosecutor to advance her investigation and to seek a favorable ruling from the Pre-Trial Chamber on the issue of territorial jurisdiction, said the Special Rapporteur. International law must be the basis for seeking justice for the victims of war crimes in this interminable conflict, and the international community must resolutely support the laws and the institutions that it has created and nurtured. Justice delayed is justice denied The UN expert noted that the Prosecutor also intended to investigate whether members of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups had committed war crimes in the period since June 2014. If the evidence gathered by the ICC Prosecutor leads her to make findings against these organizations, then her efforts must also be supported, he continued, adding that the Rome Statute is meant to be applied dispassionately, as the only way to build the necessary political and popular support for its mission. 'We bow to the venerable Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on his Prakash Parv,' Modi wrote on Twitter. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted people on the 353rd birth anniversary of Gobind Singh, saying what the 10th Sikh guru strived for is relevant even today. "We bow to the venerable Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on his Prakash Parv," Modi wrote on Twitter. He also posted a brief video on the guru describing how he fought against injustice and caste discrimination. The prime minister said Gobind Singh's philosophy and ideals are relevant for the "New India". A spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher, Guru Gobind Singh was born in 1666 in Patna. Catch the latest news, live coverage and in-depth analyses from India and World. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Pilibhit District Magistrate Vaibhav Shrivastava said that action was taken against people for taking out a religious procession in Kali Nagar area on December 28 as they did not have prior permission for the same. In a press release, Shrivastava stated that Section 144 is imposed in Pilibhit due to which prior permission needs to be taken for taking out the procession. He also said that as per the Allahabad High Court's order permission needs to be taken for using loudspeaker in public place. However, the organisers did not have permission for this, said Shrivastava. This comes after Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh earlier called upon Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to review the FIR. "Call upon Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to review the FIR in Pilibhit against 55 religious devotees who participated in the customary Nagar Kirtan to observe the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas," the Punjab Chief Minister tweeted on December 30. (ANI) Home Search ICH Democracy of Inhumanity and We, the People of Global Consciousness By Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD. We have let the governments evil-doing, its abuses, power grabs, brutality, meanness, inhumanity, immorality, greed, corruption, debauchery and tyranny go on for too long. We are approaching a reckoning. This is the point, as the poet W. B. Yeats warned, when things fall apart and anarchy is loosed upon the world. John W. Whitehead Monsters with Human Faces: The Tyranny of the Police State Disguised as Law-and-Order. Information Clearing House: 7/25/2019 January 01, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - In a synoptic view, global leaders professing to be wise and smart for being elected, turned out to be naive, unthinkable and egoistically foolish. Once elected under the so-called democracy, they focus their minds on how to get reelected and how to continue a tragic normality of abnormality against the masses that elected them. Agreeably, in the 21st century knowledge-based political affairs require true and effective leadership having a comprehensive sense of human rights, dignity, kindness towards fellow human beings and versatile understanding of navigational change when facts of political life warrant a change. Most contemporary leaders of the world appear to rejoice self-centered evil-mongering, not wisdom and truth of people-oriented political systems of governance. Ideas and ideals that defy reasoning and truth are gushingly operative in aerial bombing of the innocents in Syria, killings of protesters in Iraq, India, Egypt, Chile, Venezuela, Bolivia, Kashmir, Yemen, Libya and not to mention of the large scale civilian displacements of refugees sheltered in Western European nations, Turkey and Lebanon out of bloodbath in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and forcibly evicted Rohinga Muslims from Mynamar (Burma). The end picture of the 2019 is not peace, harmony and global unity on these critical issues. These trends represent sadistic tendencies in democratic norms and a system of politics without any accountability and remedial action. Fear of the masses and hatred appears to be ingrained in the mental microscope of many political leaders. All authoritarian political leaders lack the imagination of moral and intellectual traits that should have been at the core of effective leadership. Be it the UN-the chief organ of global peace and security or the US, Russia and other EU nations, the sense of reality is missing in policies and practices. Millions and millions are bombed, charcoaled by chemical attacks, civilian unprotected by the Geneva Conventions, and the noble intents of the UN Charter, The US Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights- all sound like insult to the Common Sense and to human intellect and political observations. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter When phony leaders fail to live up to the standards of morality and civilizations, they sink into vindictiveness of insanity, irrational behaviors and create political chaos and problems to keep the masses occupied in naive politics. Jesus is quoted in the Bible saying: If the world hates you, you know it hated me before it hated youif they persecuted me, they will also persecute youJohn 15:18-25 How do We, the People of Human Conscience make these ugly and disingenuous politicians to learn from the history and change the course of events into peace and harmony with the masses all over the globe? Is the UN Meant to Protect the Mankind from the scourge of wars? Despite the UN and the global institutions of peace and security, We the People, We, the Humanity are strangled by well-planned warfare against our existence and survival on this planet. The perversion goes on unchallenged for long in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Kashmir. To discard the indifference and insanity of the global leadership toward human protection and survivability, all concerned global citizens must think to avert the ultimate impending cataclysmic destruction of mankind and Planet Earth. In all wars, mankind is the net victim of cruel acts of few warmongers. The news media plays pivotal role in manufacturing and transforming unspoken myths into thinkable notions in situations of unusual emergencies and societal conflicts. Despite knowledge and advanced intelligence networks, the industrialized nations fail to find workable protective measures from societal upheavals and extremism. Everywhere mankind is victimized by the unknown consequences of the few sadistic egoistic leaders, be it in Syria, Iraq, Bolivia, Kashmir, Chile, Palestine, India, Venezuela, Egypt and elsewhere. Did the UN or the international community realize the immediacy of the critical humanitarian crisis and daily bloodbath going-on in Syria, Iraq, South America, Yemen and elsewhere? Was that reality transformed into a living consciousness transcending momentarily the self-actualization for the collective goodness of global humanity? Living with fear and hatred drains out all rational human thinking for life and whatever values and concepts it claims for human rights, civility and the future. The long shadows of deaths and destruction of human habitats daily converge on the tv screen showing several thousand displaced refugees moving from nowhere to nowhere. The UN, its Security Council and the global humanity (if there is such a living entity) were supposed to prevent the forcible massacre of the innocent civilians and extend some sense of concerned humanity to the victims. They do not! So, it becomes a routine of aerial bombardments, deaths and displacement of people. Are We, the People, We the Humanity that ignorant, that blindfolded not to realize what is happening in our surroundings? Was it not the same historic reality that led to the Two World Wars by the few against many? Ignorance and Arrogance are Destroying Humankind We, humankind live on One Planet, whether you believe it or not, We are One Humanity. Looking critically at the 21st century global geopolitical affairs, it appears as if humanity and all the working notions of thinking and actions are at crossroads in search of peace, harmony, security and sustainable future. To imagine a common mathematical orderly manifestation, it is incumbent to have sustainable co-existence and harmonious collaboration between all the converging factors to emulate the end purpose for the good of all humankind. Few days ago, President Trump announced to set-up a Space Force a galactic force to ensure the American security in space. Have these leaders solved any humanitarian problems on Earth? What rational criterion is implied to move the fear and hatred from the Earth to the Space? From Planet Earth to the outer Space, people are wired with unknown secretive and sophisticated weapons the ticking time bombs of scientists and space experts. Man and ignorance continue to intervene and change the Nature of THINGS operative within the living Universe why is it that humans cannot co-exist with humans on Earth the Living Earth? The UN and the World Order the Lost Reality of Humankind Since its inception, the UN is viewed by the global community as an institution to protect the mankind from the scourge of war by evolving and implementing a systematic approach to crisis analysis, conflict prevention and to ensure the security of the global governance and peaceful future for the humanity. Its major organ The Security Council is seen as body of systematic mechanisms to deal with global issues of peace, security and prevention of war while facilitating the necessary framework through diplomacy, laws, procedures and directives based on the UNO Charter. Often the members of the Council fail to define their own role and responsibilities toward global humanity. Most often, they disagree with their own perceptions, statements and values during the deliberations. The survival of deprived humanity, the United Nations, international peace and harmony are everybodys concern and priorities. Throughout the world, the educated and responsible intellectuals must address the question: how to develop a New Global Institution of functional relevance and credibility? As members of One Global Humanity, we must think how to construct a New World Organization accountable to humanity, and not to nation states? How could the UN be freed from the clutches of so-called superpowers? How can voices of reason and honesty be heard at the forums of international organizations? How 21st centurys challenges be met with innovation, responsible and timely governance and concrete responses to crises across the globe? How can human rights, human dignity, peace and security be assured to concerned humankind? How can humankind the global community be represented in all of the participatory deliberations of new global institutions? Could We, the People and We Humanity be optimistic for the coming of 2020? Unless the elite and corrupt systems of so-called democracy change, there is no hope of any formidable political change for the next year. Learning from the unpleasant facts and making changes in perceptions, policies and strategic direction is a rational choice to intelligent leadership. We do need men of new ideas and creative strategies to safeguard the future of mankind from ignorance and arrogance of fellow men. One could propose a workable solution to the bewildered global leaderships mindset if the leaders could be sent on a space voyage to see Planet Earth as is from the above and try to understand its operational existence who is governing the universe what Majestic Power facilitates all that is essential for life and growth; how the earth rotates against the sun, how the water, seas, mountains stand in obedience to their Creator the Lord of the World- the Creator of life and death; how the universe and human species are connected together and the imperatives of living in co-existence with the rest of mankind. Perhaps, such an exploratory visit to space will help to melt down some of their inborn arrogance, indifference and cruelty to the fellow human beings. The outcome could produce human optimism and pave the conducive opportunities and means for peacemaking and co-existence. Indeed, leadership adaptability to change in democracy is a mark of intelligence and responsibility. Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international relations-global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including: Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution: Approaches to Understand the Current Issues and Future-Making, 2017. His next publication is soon to be released: One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution, 2019. Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community We ask that you assist us in dissemination of the article published by ICH to your social media accounts and post links to the article from other websites. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Information Clearing House has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Information ClearingHouse endorsed or sponsored by the originator.) Privacy Statement The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly $2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, was further remanded in custody at a hearing on January 2 and asked to appear on January 30. Modi appeared for his regular 28-day "call-over" appearance from London's Wandsworth prison at Westminster Magistrates' Court. His extradition trial is scheduled for May 11 and is expected to last over five days. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram who was the judge on January 2, asked if there are any other issues to be discussed now. Modi, wearing black, light grey and white sweat shirt and grey bottom, said no. The 48-year-old had moved yet another bail application last November with an "unprecedented" house arrest guarantee, akin to those imposed on terrorist suspects, as well as citing mental health issues from being behind bars at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London since his arrest in March. But the bail plea was turned down by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot over continued fears of witness intimidation and failure to surrender before the court for his extradition trial in May 2020. "The past is a prediction of what might happen in the future," Judge Arbuthnot had said at the time. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which represents the Indian government in the extradition proceedings, said there is no further prospect of an appeal for bail in a higher court as the UK High Court has already turned down Modi's plea earlier this year. You only get to go once and can't keep appealing over and over, a CPS spokesperson had said. Meanwhile, Modi must appear for "call-over" hearings at Westminster Magistrates' Court until the case management hearings for his extradition trial kick in over the coming weeks. The diamond merchant denies the charges of fraud and money laundering and his defence team, led by barrister Hugo Keith, has claimed that the Indian government has wrongly "blackened" Modi's name as a "world-class schemer". Modi has been behind bars at Wandsworth, one of England's most overcrowded prisons, since his arrest on March 19 on an extradition warrant executed by the Scotland Yard on charges brought by the Indian government. During subsequent hearings, the UK court has been told that Modi was the "principal beneficiary" of the fraudulent issuance of letters of undertaking (LoUs) as part of a conspiracy to defraud PNB and then laundering the proceeds of crime. A Paterson woman has pleaded guilty to killing an 80-year-old man while driving drunk on Route 1 in North Brunswick in 2018, authorities said Thursday. Elizabeth Gomez, 43, pleaded guilty on Dec. 23 to vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated, the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office said. The plea deal calls for a 10 year state prison sentence and Gomez would be required to serve 8 1/2 years before being eligible for parole. She will also lose her license once she is released from prison, officials said. The length of suspension will be determined at sentencing, but could last between five years to life. Gomez admitted to being drunk when she ran a red light near Fashion Plaza Drive and crashed into the car of Wen-Fu Lin, 80, of East Brunswick, on Route 1 just after midnight on Sept. 22 2018. Lins son, a 47-year-old man, was injured in the crash. Gomez is scheduled to be sentenced in Superior Court in Middlesex County on March 4. Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieKausch. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. In the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a woman opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Population Register (NRC) has come under the police's notice. Actually, this woman's social media profile shows that she is a researcher in some organizations of Pakistan. Chennai Police Commissioner AK Vishwanathan told that we have started an investigation to find out if the woman has any direct connection with Pakistan. This woman, along with some women, organized a protest by making kolam (rangoli). After which she came in the discussion. 100 newborns died in Kota within month, Mayawati says, "Priyanka will not go to meet suffering mothers?" In this protest on Sunday, some women made Rangoli in the Besant Nagar area of Chennai and wrote No Two CAA, No Two NRC, and No Two NPR. City police detained some people in this regard and later released them. After this incident, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin and DMK MP Kanimozhi have supported Kolam. The protesting women also met Stalin. CAA: Union Minister Ravi Shankar raised curtain on violence, name of this organization came out on the basis of evidence In his statement, the police commissioner said, "We are investigating whether Gayatri Khandhadai has links with Pakistan's bytes all?" This was seen in the protest against the Women's Citizenship Amendment Act in Kolam, Chennai. If you look at Gayatri's Facebook profile, it is known that she is a researcher of Bytes for All Pakistan. He told that this institution is suspected to have a relationship with the Association of All Pakistan Citizen Journalists. Maharashtra: Shiv Sena's attitude change, angry with Sharad Pawar By PTI NEW DELHI: India has reached out to countries across all geographical regions to share its perspective on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, and emphasised that they are internal matters, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. A two-pronged strategy was adopted by the ministry as apart from reaching out to a number of resident ambassadors and high commissioners based here, Indian envoys abroad engaged with capitals in different countries, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. "We did reach out to countries across all geographical regions. We did write to our missions and posts. We did tell them to share our perspectives on the CAA and NRC to the host government," he said at a media briefing. Kumar said under the Indian outreach three-four points were emphasised to the countries on the CAA and the NRC. "We emphasised that the matter is internal to India. We also asked them (missions) to convey that the Act just provides expedited consideration for Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities already in India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh," he said. According to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 following religious persecution there will get Indian citizenship. The Indian side also conveyed to the countries that the CAA does not affect the existing avenues which are available to other communities to seek citizenship, Kumar said, adding that it also does not seek to strip anybody of citizenship. ALSO READ | Protest against Pakistan's atrocities on minorities: Modi to anti-CAA protesters in Karnataka Raveesh Kumar, MEA: We did reach out to countries across all geographical regions, we did write to our missions to share our prospective on #CitizenshipAmendmentAct and National Register of Citizens with the host government. pic.twitter.com/lR7YqJUCKv ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2020 He said it was also conveyed that in any way the Act does not alter the basic structure of the Constitution as some foreign press has portrayed. Indian ambassadors and consul generals were asked to reach out to not only the interlocutors in the government but also to the media, Kumar said. "On many occasions, the ministry conducts a very proactive diplomacy here in Delhi, but in this case it was realised that there is a lot of explaining that is involved and one has to go out and brief the capitals," he said. Asked about what the Indian side briefed other countries on the NRC, Kumar said it was emphasised that the CAA and NRC are separate processes and not related. "We have said that NRC is a Supreme Court-mandated process, this is our internal matter. What we are doing is directed by the Supreme Court, mandated by the Supreme Court and monitored by the Supreme Court," he said, referring to the NRC in Assam. "If you notice the reaction which we have received from across the world, barring a few countries, we feel most of the countries have accepted that this is an internal matter of India and that is what is getting reflected in their reactions and their pronouncements," the MEA spokesperson said. When asked about reports that some countries were not apprised about the CAA, he said those reports were "factually incorrect". ALSO READ | Our map accurately depicts India's sovereign territory, boundary with Nepal not revised: MEA On Bangladesh's reactions to the NRC, he said India has explained its position to the Bangladeshi government. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was in the US for the 2+2 dialogue last month, had shared India's perspective on the CAA with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's leadership in Washington. Protests over the CAA had led to the postponement of the Indo-Japan bilateral summit last month. The cancellation of the Japanese prime minister's trip had come a day after Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan called off their visits to India following enactment of the controversial law. When the Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy posted its final average U.S. retail diesel price of 2019 Monday evening, the national average price was $3.069 per gallon. A year earlier when it posted the final price for 2018, the number was $3.048 per gallon. All those ups and downs, for a gain of just over 2 cents per gallon. The reality is that it was a remarkably stable year for buyers of diesel. It wasn't supposed to be. The year was going to be the time when market changes created by the IMO 2020 rule would spill back into the diesel market and push prices higher. Not only that, but in September, a key Saudi oil facility was attacked, likely by forces tied to Iran if not that country directly. The result was a one-week upward blip in the market and then ... nothing. As grizzled market veterans said over and over, can you imagine if an attack like that had happened 10 years ago? What would have been the market reaction? The answer: much higher prices that would take a long time to return to earth. Diesel buyers did pay more at the pump for about two weeks after the attack the weekly DOE price jumped about 10 cents in one week but it proved short-lived. The DOE price did not drop to less than $3 per gallon the rest of the year, but few thought that was because of any lingering fallout from the Saudi attack. So the diesel market took the hit of an internecine Middle East attack on oil facilities and pretty much shrugged it off. The end result was a year in which the movement of diesel prices was downright boring. That means for companies that consume that fuel, it was a welcome change. In between those largely status quo end-of-year DOE numbers, the weekly DOE price ranged from a low of $2.965 per gallon in late January, when retail markets were catching up to the collapse in all oil and financial markets of December, to a high of $3.171 per gallon in early May. That's a range of 20.6 cents per gallon. The prior year, the range was between $3.394 (mid-October) and $2.972 (mid-March). That's a swing of 42.2 cents. The year before that, 2017, had an even bigger swing, about 46 cents between low and high, but at much lower levels. Story continues How did we get a year in which stability reigned, particularly when it wasn't expected? The primary reason was that OPEC, mostly in the form of Saudi Arabia, shocked the world by meeting its promised supply cuts and then some. While the non-OPEC countries of the world were tacking on about 2.9 million barrels per day of new supply while demand was only rising about 1 million barrels per day, OPEC slashed its output by about 3.4 million barrels per day. The result was a remarkably stable crude oil market over the course of the year. If you throw out January, which started on a very low level because of December 2018's collapse in all sorts of financial markets, crude as measured by WTI traded fairly consistently in a range between $55 and $61 per barrel over the course of the year. The formula essentially was non-OPEC growth plus demand growth being mostly offset by the cuts in OPEC supply. End result: stability. The relationship between crude and diesel stayed mostly steady as well. A simple comparison between the price of diesel and Brent on the CME exchange at the start of the year would have yielded a spread of about $18.30 per barrel. When in October that spread crossed the $20 level, there were two perspectives. One was that heavy refinery maintenance much of it tied to getting ready for IMO 2020 had tightened diesel supplies for the short run and you were seeing it in the spread. The other was that a fundamental strengthening of diesel was occuring because of diesel starting to be drained from over-the-road uses to marine usage. On its third-quarter conference call, officials from independent refiner Valero mostly linked the strengthening of diesel markets to that factor. But as refineries came back online after maintenance, that spread faded back toward where it was earlier in the year. Physical markets did so as well. For example, based on data from S&P Global Platts, the spread between a barge-sized quantity of ULSD in New York harbor and Dated Brent, the world's benchmark crude, stood at about $23.30 per barrel in mid-October. By the end of the year, it was down toward $16.60 per barrel. The analysts who saw the spike in spreads as being maintenance-driven were correct; those who saw it as IMO 2020-related were not. Note too that this lack of strength in diesel markets occurred even though the biggest refinery on the U.S. East Coast, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, shut down after a June explosion and fire. (For an explanation of IMO 2020 and how it could impact diesel markets, please go here.) So why has IMO 2020 not had an impact on the market? There are some signs that should point to tighter markets. For example, U.S. distillate inventories have been running below five-year averages the past several months. The shape of the forward curve in the ULSD market is in a structure known as "backwardation," which points to tight supplies. While diesel output in the U.S. is at healthy levels, it isn't rising to the type of numbers that might have been expected to meet one pathway toward adequate supply for IMO 2020: ramping up refinery runs. That isn't happening so far. And yet while the price of ULSD on CME has risen to about $2.05 per gallon recently from $1.91 per gallon on Feb. 1, the spread against Brent which would be expected to blow out if IMO 2020 were steering the ship has not. (It's up about 35 cents per gallon since Feb. 1.) It may be that the forecasts of a reaction from IMO 2020 in the fall were just premature. Chris Midgley, the chief analyst at S&P Global Platts, said recently he expected a reaction in the coming months. If that is the case, the quiet diesel market of 2019 may be looked at with nostalgia from a consuming sector that could get whipsawed in 2020. Image by David ROUMANET from Pixabay 0 See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. The HSE has said the health service including Naas General Hospital is currently experiencing peak levels in the winter flu season. On Monday morning, December 30, there were 23 patients on trolleys in Naas Hospital over double last years total of 11 for the corresponding period according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). This figure had reduced slightly to 21 patients awaiting beds by this morning, Thursday, January 2. And the HSE believes the winter flu season is peaking during the Christmas and New Year period rather than the usual time in January. One reader claimed some people were leaving Naas Hospital in frustration after waiting for hours and some were in chairs in corridors. The reader, who did not want to be identified, added: Its the worst Ive seen it yet. There were 20 people on trollies and chairs in the corridor. Minister for Health Simon Harris urged hospitals to ensure there is additional bed capacity for the busy winter period. The minister told the Dail on December 18 that an extra 25 beds at Peamount Hospital in Newcastle will be available to Naas Hospital as well as St James Hospital and Tallaght University Hospital. In response to a question from Fianna Fail TD Fiona OLoughlin, the minister said the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) agreed to his request to help fund additional beds for three months to the end of March 2020. He added: This initiative will support the commitment by the HSE and my Department to alleviate winter pressures in our hospital system. Naas Hospital imposed visiting restrictions in Curragh Ward and the Emergency Department at the hospital on Monday, December 23. Members of the public were requested not to visit these areas in the hospital, unless it was absolutely necessary. A HSE spokesperson added: The hospital is currently caring for an increasing number of patients with influenza and flu like illness and have taken a decision to close one medical ward due to influenza. This is necessary to protect vulnerable hospital patients and prevent further spread of the virus. Alice Kinsella, general manager, said: Our priority must be protecting our patients of whom are very ill and for whom the flu would be very serious. From giant, colorful five stones roaming the city to an installation addressing our overly surveilled city-state, dozens of art events will take place next month as part of Singapore Art Week. We looked through whats in store at 10 venues, including the cityscape itself, over 10 days and picked the following highlights: Five Stones Five stones. Photo: Public Art Trust/Facebook Five Stones by Singaporean artist Twardzik-Ching Chor Leng is a playful work reminiscent of the familiar childhood game. The colorful, inflated pieces are currently traveling across the island and will gather in the Civic District during Singapore Art Week for a series of performances by five artists including Amanda Heng and Ezzam Rahman. Jan. 10 19 Various locations Free admission De:Voted De:voted installation De:Voted is an immersive mash-up of light, sound, performance, and technology by seven local and two Japanese artists that conjures the claustrophobia of surveillance capitalism. See works by Singaporean artists Urich Lau, Justin Lee, Yen Phang, Ezzam Rahman, Andy Yang, Yeoh Hwee Wee, and Yeo Shih Yun as well as Japanese artists Chihiro Kabata and Yuuri Kabata. Some of the artists will lead visitors through workshops, guided tours, and space activations. Jan. 13 19 Artspace@HeluTrans Noon 7pm Free Admission AR.T Trail AR.T Trail Explore six public artworks by pioneering Singaporean artists throughout the Central Business District with augmented reality technology, or AR. The AR.T Trail is powered by Facebooks Spark AR studio, which is responsible for all the cool filters you see on Instagram stories. The project is the result of a three-month collaboration between leading Singapore artists and creative technology studio MeshMinds. Participating artists include Chua Boon Kee, Grace Tan, Han Sai Por, Kumari Nahappan, Robert Zhao and Yeo Chee Kiong. Jan. 11-19 Various times daily Free admission Trail locations: Raffles Place Park, OUE Bayfront, One Raffles Quay, Marina One (East Tower), Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Story continues Jaafar Latiff: Beyond the Familiar The late Jaafar Latiff. The late self-taught artist Jaafar Latiff was known for experimenting with vibrant colors and the batik medium. Among his memorable works include the abstract painting Sea Port of Singapore, which is still on display at the Bras Basah MRT station. He also played a significant role in Singapores art education scene and taught at various local art institutions from 1965 nearly until his death in 2007. As part of Singapore Art Week, a retrospective will be held in memory of Jaafars career, tracing his artistic evolution from pre-abstraction to his brush with early digital technology in the 90s. Jan. 8 19 11am7pm Artspace@HeluTrans Free admission Impart Collectors Show 2020: Material Agendas Impart Collectors Show Selected local and regional collectors are allowing audiences access to key works held in private collections at the Impart Collectors Show, now back for its third edition. This year will celebrate the spirit of transforming materials into strange, odd and exhilarating forms, and features work by artists such as Yinka Shonibare, Kehinde Wiley, Bharti Kerr, El Anatsui and Eko Nugroho. Jan. 10-19 SOTA Gallery 10am 7pm Free admission Justice for All Justice For All In 1827, the building where The Arts House now stands was rented by British colonial authorities for use as a courthouse. As part of Singapore Art Week, British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare is paying homage to that heritage by depicting the Singaporean Lady Justice in a brightly patterned garment, fashioned from African print, among other works. From Jan. 13 The Arts House 10am-10am Free admission Art Week at Bras Basah Complex: Joint Exhibition by Ten Galleries Bras Basah Art Ten galleries including the Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery and Nanyang Gallery will host a joint exhibition featuring modern Chinese artworks throughout the Bras Basah Complex. The artists will be present on various days throughout the exhibit to mingle and share their personal artistic journey. From Jan. 11 Bras Basah Complex Various times Free Admission Light to Night Festival 2020: Invisible Cities Floating City The Light to Night Festival returns to Civic District during Singapore Art Week with breathtaking light installations set to illuminate the Marina Bay area. Inspired by the theme Invisible Cities, the fourth edition of the festival promises to draw visitors into the imaginary worlds of artists, designers and musicians with programs spanning from day to night and happening at the National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, The Arts House, Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, and the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. Jan. 10 19 Various times Free Admission Related: Singapore Biennale opens today, here are our picks for what to see This article, Singapore Art Week: Our picks for the best of the best to see, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! THE search for Limericks newest millionaire is continuing this Friday but all the indicators are now pointing to the Askeaton area. The National Lottery has revealed that Millionaire Raffle ticket number 010661 was bought in Ryan's Centra in the West Limerick town on November 24 - the ticket which scooped the top 1m prize in the New Years Eve draw. Co-owner of Ryans Centra store in Askeaton in Co. Limerick, Brian Hanly said, We cant believe this! What a great way to start 2020 for one of our customers. We were just told the good news this morning and we really hope its a local. There has been no speculation as to who the winner may be just yet, so over the next few days, we will be ensuring that all of customers check their tickets to see if they are the winner of the 1 million prize. However, a spokesman for the National Lottery said: Obviously it is important that we take some time to inform the winning retailer, who sold this prize worth 1 million, and of course to give the winning ticket holder the time and space they need to let this truly life-changing win to sink in. Now, the National Lottery is again urging people in Co Limerick to check their tickets. Read also: Plan your 2020 break with free admission to Holiday Show at Limerick hotel We are calling on all our players, particularly those in Co. Limerick, who picked up a ticket for this New Years Eve draw to check their tickets carefully to see if they are Irelands newest millionaire or indeed to see if they have won one of the other 6,008 cash prizes, the spokesperson continued. If you are one of these winners be sure to sign the back of the ticket and contact the National Lottery prize claims team and we will arrange for you to come and collect your prize. We look forward to welcoming the first National Lottery millionaire of 2020 into the Winners Room! Tuesday nights draw yielded a total of 6,009 winners, with prizes ranging from 500 to the top prize of 1m. The winners of the three other top-tier prizes of 100,000 bought their tickets in Kerry, Kildare and Dublin. Kyle Sandilands' relationship with Tegan Kynaston was confirmed this week, after she uploaded a romantic New Year's Eve post to Instagram. And just hours after Daily Mail Australia exclusively broke the news, Kyle's former partner Imogen Anthony appears to have responded. The 28-year-old model shared a cryptic post to her Instagram Story, in which she clarified what is and isn't a 'private relationship'. Hmm! Imogen Anthony has shared a cryptic post about 'private relationships' after her ex Kyle Sandilands (left) went Instagram official with new girlfriend Tegan Kynaston (right) Her post stated: 'A private relationship means nobody knows y'all business but everybody knows y'all together, don't get it confused.' The use of American slang ('y'all') suggests that Imogen did not write the post herself but instead re-shared a meme she had found elsewhere. It's unclear what Imogen was trying to imply, but Tegan made sure everybody knew about her relationship with Kyle when she shared her NYE post earlier this week. Sending a message? The 28-year-old model shared a cryptic post to her Instagram Story (above), in which she clarified what is and isn't a 'private relationship' The 34-year-old, who used to be Kyle's personal assistant, shared a photo to Instagram of herself kissing the radio host, 48, on the cheek in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at midnight. Kyle has a tradition of watching the Sydney fireworks and posed for similar photos with Imogen during their eight-year relationship. Tegan uploaded the snap to her private Instagram account, and captioned it with a flower emoji. Please explain! It's unclear what Imogen was trying to imply with her post. Pictured with Kyle on a Sydney Harbour cruise in happier times Interestingly, the post was 'liked' by Sonia 'Palestine' Jahshan, who is the executive producer of The Kyle and Jackie O Show. Her decision to 'like' the post suggests that she may have already known about Kyle's relationship with Tegan. Kyle and Tegan were romantically linked in November, after his split from Imogen. The plot thickens! Tegan's Instagram post announcing her relationship with Kyle was 'liked' by Sonia Jahshan (pictured), who is the executive producer of The Kyle and Jackie O Show But when Woman's Day first reported on the relationship, Kyle's manager, Bruno Bouchet, described the story as 'garbage', 'hurtful' and a 'fabrication'. The same magazine claimed this week that Bruno 'may have been the last to know' about their romance, which the couple had gone to great lengths to keep secret. Tegan is director of communications for Sandilands' company King Kyle Pty Ltd and was previously his personal assistant, according to her LinkedIn account. An open secret? Sonia's decision to 'like' the post suggests that she may have already known about Kyle's romance with Tegan. Sonia (second from right) is pictured with the KIIS FM team Two months ago, Tegan categorically denied she was dating her boss. 'We just work together and we're in the Nueva [Sangria] business together with my brother and that's pretty much it,' she told Daily Mail Australia in November. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kyle's manager for comment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said investment in research and innovation in defence technology is important to help India keep pace in a world where rapidly changing technology was defining strategic dynamics. The Prime Minister said this on Thursday evening at the launch of five Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories for focused research in advanced technologies by young scientists in Bengaluru. The prime minister assured the scientific community that his government will extend all possible help in widening their horizons in order to master new technologies. Watch | PM Modi launches 5 new DRDO labs for young scientists, innovators You all are aware that along with air and sea, cyber and space will define the worlds strategic dynamics, the PM said addressing the scientific community. Modi said intelligent machines will play a key role in the defence sector in future and added that India cannot lag behind, in such a situation as she had to protect her citizens, borders and interests. Your capability is vast, you can do many things, widen your horizons, change the parameters of your performance...fly spreading wings...there are opportunities, Im with you, Modi said. DRDO Young Scientist Laboratories or DYSLs are located at Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. DRDO said each of its five labs has been designed to work on a different key advanced technology for the development of futuristic defence systems. The agency added that young scientists under the age of 35 years have been selected for this opportunity to work in identified research areas. According to the Defence Ministrys research and development wing, the inspiration to create Young Scientist Laboratories came from an address delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 24, 2014, during a DRDO award function. Four Goa Congress leaders resigned from the party on Thursday to protest against its stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act and three of them later joined the BJP, ahead of the saffron party's rally here on Friday. Former Panaji Congress block committee president Prasad Amonkar, former block committee secretary Dinesh Kubal, former youth leader Shivraj Tarkar and North Goa minority cell chief Javed Sheikh quit the party in the morning, saying they were in favour of the amended citizenship law. Amonkar, Kubal and Tarkar later joined the BJP, ahead of the party working president J P Nadda's public awareness rally on the Citizenship Amendment Act here on Friday. The three were welcomed into the BJP by party MLA from Panaji Atansaio Monserratte. Later, talking to reporters, Amonkar said they joined the BJP as they support the Citizenship Amendment Act and want to create awareness about it. "We resigned from the Congress because we oppose the wrong stand taken by it on the CAA and the National Register of Citizens. We found that the Congress was misguiding people, especially the minorities," Amonkar alleged. The Congress should stop "misleading people and creating fear in the minds of minorities for political mileage," he said. "We all were part of the Congress' protest held last week against the CAA and NRC. But, we realised that the leaders, through their speeches, were trying to create fear in the minds of minorities. This is not right," he said. Goa is a peace-loving state and the Congress is trying to instigate the minorities, Amonkar alleged. The Citizenship Amendment Act has been enacted through a democratic process and seeks to give citizenship to refugees who have had centuries of cultural affinity with the Indian ethos, he said. "The CAA addresses concerns of minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Members of the majority community in those countries, who want to apply for Indian citizenship, will still be able to so as per the existing provisions," Amonkar added. The Congress has been opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, terming it as "unconstitutional". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, who was the head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), has assumed duties as the Senior DIG in charge of the Eastern Province yesterday. Nilantha Jayawardena, the youngest senior DIG in Sri Lanka's police history, is a national and international decorated intelligence officer. Jayawardena is also a veteran on the Eastern Province's security operations, has been able to report all details of the attacks of the extremists on Easter Sunday in advance. A past pupil of Nalanda College Colombo, he holds a Masters Degree in Business Management from the University of Colombo. New York lawmakers begin their new session Jan. 8, marking the second year since 2010 that Democrats will have full control of state government and a chance to push through an aggressive agenda in Albany. The Assembly and Senate, with Democratic majorities, passed 935 bills in 2019 the most in at least a decade that addressed issues ranging from abortion rights to a statewide ban on plastic bags. What do lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo plan to do for 2020? Cuomo plans to outline his proposals Jan. 8 at his State of the State address in the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. Heres a quick glimpse at some of the key issues the governor and state lawmakers say they want to address in the new year. Legalizing marijuana New York lawmakers say they will try again in 2020 to pass a law legalizing recreational use of marijuana. A bill that would have allowed those 21 and older to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana failed to win approval from New York lawmakers as the 2019 legislative session ended in June. Lawmakers approved a marijuana decriminalization law last year that reduces the penalties for possession for less than two ounces. The law also clears the records of those with past low-level marijuana convictions. New gun laws Cuomo wants to expand the states gun laws again in 2020 by preventing individuals from obtaining a New York gun license if they committed a serious crime in another state. New Yorks existing laws prohibit gun licenses from being issued to those convicted of unlicensed possession of a firearm and certain domestic violence misdemeanors, including forcible touching or misdemeanor sex offenses. Last year, New York lawmakers passed a series of gun bills that extended the background check waiting period for gun purchases, and banned bump stocks and undetectable guns. The state also prevented school districts from arming teachers. A ban on vaping products Cuomo and lawmakers have proposed banning all flavored nicotine vaping products and vaping advertisements aimed at youth. The governor wants the state Health Department to regulate the sale of chemicals used in vaping-related products, and ban vaping oil considered a public health risk. Theres also support for legislation that would ban direct-to-consumer sales of e-cigarettes online, by phone or by mail. Medicaid costs Lawmakers will have to decide how to deal with rising costs for Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor and disabled. A state budget update in November predicted a $6 billion budget deficit for fiscal 2020-21, driven by increased costs for Medicaid. Deficits in the states Medicaid program are expected to rise from $2.9 billion to $3.9 billion by 2023. The opioid crisis State lawmakers and the governor say they will propose a series of new initiatives to deal with New Yorks opioid crisis. Cuomo wants lawmakers to ban fentanyl analogs, powerful synthetic opioids, by making them subject to the same criminal sale or possession penalties as other controlled substances. Lawmakers also will consider proposals to increase public access to opioid addiction treatment programs, including the use of mobile clinics and telehealth technology. Opioid overdose deaths in New York declined 13.46% in 2018, the first decrease in a decade. Voters fill out their ballots at a polling location at Nottingham High School in Syracuse. Ellen M. Blalock | The Post-StandardSYR Voting and election reforms Democrats who control the New York Assembly and Senate say they want to pass new voting and election reforms this year, building on a series of changes approved in 2019 that included the states first early voting program. Lawmakers say they will consider proposals for same-day voter registration and absentee voting without an excuse. Legislators also will consider making some improvements to the early voting law that allowed New Yorkers to go to a polling site up to 10 days before Novembers election. Separately, Cuomo has called for a law that would require an automatic recount in all statewide elections in which the margin of victory for a candidate or ballot proposition is 0.2% or less of all votes cast. Transparency for healthcare costs Cuomo plans to order state agencies in 2020 to develop a website, NYHealthcareCompare, where state residents can compare the costs and quality of healthcare procedures at hospitals across New York. Consumers would be able to search for the cost of medical procedures at any hospital in the state. The website also would provide access to complaints against health insurers, hospitals and medical practitioners. Protecting internet access New York lawmakers will consider legislation to prevent internet service providers from blocking or throttling access for consumers. Cuomo said he will back a bill to prohibit "zero-rating" practices that penalize customers who access content or applications that are not preferred by their internet provider. The proposal would require internet service providers to disclose their network management practices to the public and to certify their compliance with New York's net neutrality rules. Public financing of political campaigns Legislators will have to decide whether to change a politically-appointed commissions plan developed in 2019 to use taxpayer money to fund political campaigns. Candidates for statewide office would be eligible to receive a 6-to-1 match with public money for campaign donations of $250 or less. The commission also lowered limits on campaign donations to candidates for state and local offices. Criminal justice reforms Republican lawmakers say one of their priorities will be to revise or repeal a series of criminal justice reforms passed by Democrats in 2019. GOP Assembly members, backed by some law enforcement groups, say their legislation would restore judicial discretion for holding prisoners, A Democratic-backed law that began Jan. 1 bans cash bail for misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. The change will eliminate pre-trial detention for about 90% of arrests, according to the Brennan Center. Licensing debt collectors Cuomo wants to crack down on abusive debt collectors by requiring them to be licensed by the state Department of Financial Services. The state would be able to suspend or revoke license of debt collectors who engage in abusive or predatory practices, including deception, threats and harassment. The state license would subject debt collection companies to the same oversight as banks and most financial institutions, requiring debt collectors to allow state inspectors to review their books and records. Stopping robocalls The Robocall Prevention Act passed the New York Senate in 2019, but the Assembly failed to act on the bill. Now Cuomo and lawmakers say they will work this year on a series of initiatives aimed at effectively banning unwanted robocalls in the state. The bill that passed the Senate would ban automated phone calls to any person in New York state. The only exceptions would be for emergencies or in cases where the call recipient has given prior consent. Cuomo also wants to require phone companies to deploy technology that allows customers to block suspected robocalls. The governor proposed doubling financial penalties (from $11,000 to $22,000 per call) against companies that dont comply with the states Do Not Call law. Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The Duchess of Sussex showcased her photography skills with the most recent unseen snap of Prince Harry and Archie, a source claims. Meghan Markle, 38, is said to be the photographer behind the sweet father-and-son moment in Canada, an insider told People. The newly released image, which was shared on the Duke, 35, and the Duchess of Sussex's Instagram account on Tuesday, is thought to have been taken over the Thanksgiving holiday. The duchess could be taking a leaf out of Kate Middleton's book, with the mother-of-three often sharing family photographs that she's taken herself rather than professional snaps. The Duchess of Sussex showcased her photography skills with the most recent unseen snap of Prince Harry and Archie (pictured), a source claims Meghan (pictured in November), 38, is said to be the photographer behind the sweet father-and-son moment in Canada, an insider said Harry and 7-month-old son Archie were enjoying the outdoors when proud mother Meghan snapped the adorable picture. In the Duchess of Cambridge's most recent candid photo - shared in the royal family's Christmas card last year - Prince William, 37, is captured planting a kiss on his youngest son Prince Louis' cheek. Prince Charlotte, 4, and Prince George, 6, are seen along with their 1-year-old brother, as they sweetly pose for the camera. The Duchess of Cambridge taking photographs of Prince William during a trip to Charlottetown, Canada, on July 4, 2011. Kate is a keen photographer and often shares her pictures with the public on special occasions In the duchess' most recent candid photo - shared in the royal family's Christmas card last year - Prince William, 37, is captured planting a kiss on his youngest son Prince Louis' cheek. Prince Charlotte, 4, and Prince George, 6, are seen along with their 1-year-old brother In Meghan's snap, Harry stands by a lake in what is thought to be their Canadian Christmas hideaway of Vancouver Island, as he smiles at a beaming Archie. The sweet picture opened the couple's highlight reel of their top moments of 2019, which they posted as the year drew to a close. Archie is dressed in an adorable beanie hat, a beige anorak and little sheepskin boots gifted to Meghan and Harry by the Australian Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove. Sharing the post, which racked up over 260,000 likes in half an hour, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrote: '2019 in review. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and thanking you for your continued support! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their son, Archie, during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 'We've loved meeting so many of you from around the world and can't wait to meet many more of you next year. We hope 2020 brings each of you health and continued happiness. - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex'. Meanwhile, a New Zealand fashion label has been inundated with orders after Archie sported one of its knitted hats in the photograph. Make Give Love, a socially conscious company based in Auckland, has been 'overwhelmed' with demand, receiving 'multiple orders a second' since Harry and Meghan shared the unseen photo. Archie wore the $47 (24.95) 'Cocobear' beanie, which was gifted to the Sussexes during their royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in October 2018, after an aide approached Make Give Live for a hat to present to the then-pregnant Duchess. KU social work students have New Year's suggestion for police, prosecutors LAWRENCE, KS (KCTV) -- Social work students at KU have started a letter writing and social media campaign aimed at police and prosecutors in Lawrence. It's in response to a high-profile rape case in which the accuser was charged with filing a false police report because detectives and prosecutors didn't believe her. Kansas City's favorite college town has confronted problems over rape and rumors of rape for more than a decade . . . Now there's a conversation focusing how authorities confront cases of sexual assault in the #MeToo era. Read more: ISTANBUL - Turkey's parliament voted Thursday to approve a request by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to send military forces to Libya, setting the stage for deeper Turkish involvement in a civil war that has grown more incendiary as foreign powers have intervened. Erdogan's government has already provided military advice and materiel, including weaponized drones, to Libya's internationally recognized government. Turkey's proposal to ratchet up its support came as its Libyan allies are trying to fend off an offensive on Tripoli, the capital, by forces loyal to a rival government based in eastern Libya. Ankara said it sought the troop authorization after the Tripoli government asked for support and also to protect Turkish interests in Libya. But the move - which deepened a standoff between Turkey and its rivals in the Middle East - showed how easily regional feuds and a competition for influence in the Mediterranean Sea are fostering the violence in Libya, a country of 6 million people that has been riven by armed conflict for the better part of a decade. Its backing of the Tripoli-based government has pitted Turkey against Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, whose governments have provided military support to Khalifa Hifter, the commander of the eastern Libyan forces. Hundreds of Russian mercenaries backed by the Kremlin have also joined Hifter's campaign to capture the Libyan capital. Turkey and the Tripoli government also recently signed an agreement to carve out gas drilling rights in the Mediterranean - angering Egypt, Cyprus, Greece and the European Union, which see the deal as an effort to restrict their ability to drill. Egypt, which shares a border with Libya, swiftly condemned Turkey's parliamentary vote on Thursday, saying Ankara's "interference threatens Arab national security in general and Egypt's national security in particular," according to a foreign ministry statement. President Donald Trump, in a phone call with Erdogan after the vote on Thursday, "pointed out that foreign interference is complicating the situation in Libya," according to a White House readout of the call. The Trump administration has sent jumbled signals about its goals in Libya - at times seeming to endorse Hifter's offensive, while more recently calling on him to end his march on the Libyan capital. Deeper involvement in Libya also carries risks for Erdogan, who has pursued more aggressive policies abroad in part to rally nationalist supporters at home, analysts said. His proposal to deploy troops to Libya came three months after Turkey launched a military invasion against U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria that drew international condemnation but was broadly popular domestically. On Thursday, Turkish opposition politicians were openly critical of the government's latest military plans. Ahmet Unal Cevikoz, the deputy chairman of the Republican People's Party, Turkey's main opposition party, accused the state of launching a military operation without articulating the national interest of such a move. "You are throwing your soldiers in the middle of a territory that is life-threatening in a foreign country where a civil war reigns," he said during the parliamentary debate. The scope and duration of the Libyan operation, he added, "are left open, vague and uncertain." Turkish officials, including the vice president, have suggested that the sending of Turkish troops could be avoided if Hifter's offensive was called off. Fahrettin Altun, a spokesman for Erdogan, insisted after the parliamentary vote that Turkey was defending its "rights and interests" in the Mediterranean, even as he appeared to downplay worries about a military escalation. "No regional powers need take offense by it but work with us!" he wrote on Twitter. "We will prevent any effort to exploit the conflict in the region. At the same time, we are also ready to cooperate on establishing stability!" Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. His remarks were widely seen as part of Turkey's ongoing dialogue with Russia as the two putative partners haggle over conflicts in the region where both countries have intervened, in Libya as well as Syria. Turkey's threat to send troops to Libya - which would put Turkish troops on the opposite side of the battle lines from Russian-backed fighters - appeared aimed at providing Ankara with negotiating leverage just days ahead of a planned visit to Turkey by Russian President Vladimir Putin, analysts said. Erdogan's effort to convince Moscow to reverse support for Hifter had been strengthened after Turkey's threats of military action, Tarek Megerisi and Asli Aydintasbas wrote in an essay last month for the European Council on Foreign Relations. "For the time being there is an understanding that Turkey and Russia will not cross swords within Libya, but they are laying the groundwork for a more comprehensive deal," they wrote. - - - The Washington Post's Heba Farouk Mahfouz and Sudarsan Raghavan contributed reporting from Cairo. New Delhi: Hoping her cinematic voice can help bring about lasting change in how society perceives acid attack survivors, actor Deepika Padukone says her latest film Chhapaak should ideally be so impactful that there won't be need for another story on acid violence. After all, cinema is in itself such a powerful medium, Deepika told PTI ahead of the release of the film, which is based on the life of acid attack survivor and activist Laxmi Agarwal. The idea behind the social drama is to invoke empathy and understanding rather than paint women who have undergone the ordeal as victims, the actor, who has also produced the film, said in a telephonic interview from Mumbai. "Beyond the gruesomeness, the violence and all of that, there is a story of the human spirit and hope. That's why we're telling the story," she said. Deepika, 33, said it was a story that spoke to her and she felt pride in attaching herself to the project. Chhapaak, directed by Meghna Gulzar and featuring Vikrant Massey, is the second mainstream film to focus on the subject after 2019 Malayalam movie Uyare starring Parvathy Thiruvothu. "I hope we won't have to constantly tell stories on acid attack survivors for us to see change. I hope with our film we begin to see that change for ourselves as a society and for acid attack survivors. "If we don't, then we've done something wrong as a society. Cinema in itself is such a powerful medium that hopefully just through this one film we will hopefully be able to see that kind of change and impact," Deepika said. The actor said there was not much planning behind the decision to back the film financially. "Sometimes certain films need a little more hand holding, a little more love and support. I felt like I would be adding a little more value as a producer. "This is a film I'm very proud of, not just from the script point of view but even in terms of the story and its message," she said. The film, which releases on January 10, will be Deepika's first release in two years and comes after her marriage to frequent co-star Ranveer Singh. The actor said she used the time to creatively replenish herself. "It was about finding a film worthy of putting out there. It's not that work at my end had stopped. I was constantly looking for scripts that challenged and excited me. "I would look at it as time for creative fertility. It's important to nurture yourself. The work that goes on behind the scenes... most often we're constantly on a film set, but whether it's meeting with writers and directors, looking for scripts... That is also part of the creative process and that's what I've been doing." The title Chhapaak instantly evokes the image of acid being splattered, and Deepika said the director wanted a word for the film's name that could also lend itself to a song. "I think she said 'chhapaak', which is the sound of a splash, is something that could adapt or lend itself beautifully to a song. Perhaps, it also has to do with fluidity. So on one hand, liquid is known to take different forms, a liquid such as this (acid) can change someone's life forever," she said. Angel Broking's report on Gold On Wednesday, spot gold prices ended marginally lower by 0.01 percent to close at $1516.9 per ounce. Improvement in the trade and tariff situation between U.S. & China dented the appeal for the safe haven asset, Gold. Gold posted its biggest rise in a decade as a raft of geopolitical uncertainties, including protests in Hong Kong and tensions on the Korean peninsular, as well as a long-drawn Sino-U.S. tariff war impacting global economic growth. The interim trade deal will be signed by both the nations on 15th January 2020 in the white house. The interim trade deal is the first step to end the prolonged trade war which boosted the risk appetite amongst investors and weighed on the yellow metal prices. Even the major central banks like the U.S. Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and PBOC had to resort to quantitative easing which further supported the yellow metal prices. On the MCX, gold prices declined marginally by 0.10 percent to close at Rs.39067 per 10 gms. Outlook Easing of tension between U.S. & China might hamper the demand for Gold, the safe haven asset. On the MCX, gold prices are expected to trade higher today, international markets are trading flat at percent at 1523.05 per ounce. For all commodities report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More "Laying down the first building blocks of development and strategic projects for Aden International Airport will contribute significantly to raising the standards of the airport and the quality of services available to the travelers and airlines," said Captain Saleh Salim bin Nahid, President of the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Meteorology. "Our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have always made tangible marks in all aspects of life in our country, and our people will never forget their stand in Operation Decisive Storm alongside our brothers and friends," he added. "Today we are launching a phase of development and reconstruction in various fields." Capt. bin Nahid also commented that "the brothers in SDRPY have previously provided various aspects of support to other airports in Al-Ghaydah, Seiyun, Socotra and Marib and we now find an opportunity to reiterate our thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, SDRPY Supervisor Mohammad bin Saeed Al Jabir and all employees of the program for this generous support, which will have a tangible impact on the aviation sector." Bin Nahid concluded his speech by appealing to international airlines wishing to operate to and from Aden Airport, stressing that the airport would make every effort to facilitate their operations. "The objective of this project is to bring Aden Airport up to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards as quickly as possible, connect Aden directly to the countries in the region, and increase the airport's capacity to handle much greater numbers of flights and passengers," said Eng. Alattas. "This will represent a new era in the airport's history because this facility has never functioned consistently to international standards before," he added. "Our goal is to maximize the benefits of the new air transport hub for the Yemeni people, the brothers and sisters of Saudi Arabia." The project will proceed in three phases. Phase I focuses on providing electricity, safety measures, and transportation. The external main gates and roads of the complex will be studied and redesigned, and passenger transport buses provided. Phase II will consist of constructing and connecting vital service systems, such as telecommunications, navigation and air traffic control. Rehabilitation of the runway and taxi areas, gates, and tunnels connecting gates to aircraft will also be undertaken. Phase III will focus on alignment of airport facilities and operations with ICAO standards in all areas, including safety, electricity supply, interior and exterior infrastructure, air traffic control and navigation. Alattas expressed his hope that this project would contribute significantly to supporting the transportation sector in the sisterly Republic of Yemen, serving as an important tributary of the economy and advancing the wheel of development. He stressed that this would only be achieved through the unity of everyone in the cause of achieving the hopes and aspirations of the Yemeni people. "We are pleased to meet at this airport in Aden, this exceptional edifice which is more than a mere economic object," said Aden Airport Director Abdul-Raqeeb Al-Omari. "In the administration of the airport, we are witnessing the sincere and momentous support of our brothers in returning the capital, Aden, to its natural and pioneering place. With the solidarity of all, we will restore our smiling homeland to the natural position it has always known." The site of the airport first served as the location of Royal Air Force (RAF) Khormaksar, a British military air base, from 1917 to 1967. In the 1970s and 1980s it witnessed periodic battles during periods of instability, but by 1996 had grown to become Yemen's second largest airport after Sana'a International, and its main terminal built in the 1980s was handling over a million passengers a year. Aden Airport is both the oldest air transportation hub in Yemen and also currently the most important, with the potential to generate substantial income and jobs both for the densely populated Aden Governorate and for Yemen as a whole, as trade and tax revenues naturally increase. In 2004, the province of Aden had a population of almost 590,000, amounting to 3% of the Yemeni populace at the time. By 2011, the city of Aden alone had grown to over 700,000, and by 2014, the governorate with eight districts had become home to nearly two million people. The outbreak of the conflict in early 2015 forced Aden Airport to close, and since July 2015, when Saudi planes delivering aid and equipment became the first aircraft to land at the airport in four months, the facility has seen only sporadic and very limited service. Aden International Airport is 6 km from the centre of Aden and currently operates 6 flights per week at very high cost, with all flights regional and none domestic. Under the project, airport capacity and the planned volume of air traffic will increase during 2020. The groundbreaking today thus marks a historic occasion for Aden and for Yemen as a whole, as it both heralds the reopening of the country to the outside world and the added national and regional economic value generated by the project itself. The potential for regional economic development is substantial: the airport's environs will enjoy improved roads and facilities, and the value of land in the vicinity will increase as a result of the upgraded airport. Today's groundbreaking at Aden Airport follows a preliminary needs assessment by SDRPY in late November to inspect airport buildings; runway surface, lighting and equipment; current navigation devices and systems; and departure and arrival halls. Launch of Phase I of the project today is one item on the agenda of a SDRPY delegation visiting Aden Governorate to study conditions in a wide range of vital sectors such as education, electricity, health, transportation and water. Program staff are also monitoring ongoing projects, such as the rehabilitation Aden General Hospital and construction of its new cardiology center, funded by the Saudi Fund for Development and carried out under SDRPY supervision. The SDRPY delegation has also met with public education officials in Aden to discuss how best to address the challenges facing the sector. Establishment of teacher training programs and of several new schools, as well as rehabilitation and restoration of existing learning centers, have been proposed. The delegation has also met with officials from the Cleaning and Improvement Fund to assess urgent requirements for handling garbage and enhancing the spirit of cooperation among community members regarding the state of school buildings, parks and public roads. SOURCE Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen New Delhi [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday paid his obeisance to Guru Gobind Singh on his birth anniversary and hailed the tenth Sikh Guru saying that he devoted himself to fight against injustice and wrongdoing. "On the occasion of Guru Gobind Singh's Prakash Parv (birth anniversary), I pay my obeisance and bow on his feet. The tenth Sikh Guru and the founder of the Khalsa Panth, devoted himself to fighting against injustice and wrongdoing", Shah tweeted. Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also took to twitter to extend his wishes and pay respects to Guru Gobind Singh. "I join the sangat in paying obeisance to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on his Parkash Purav. Spiritual leader, philosopher and warrior, Guru Sahib founded Khalsa Panth and gave Sikhs the tradition of five K's," Puri tweeted. Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar offered prayers at Patna Sahib Gurudwara, in Patna on this occasion. (ANI) Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has become the first woman to be appointed the new Chancellor of Queens University in Belfast. The university announced on Thursday that Ms Clinton, who received an honorary doctorate from the university in October, will become the 11th Chancellor. The role of chancellor lasts for five years, and Ms Clinton will act as an advisor to the vice chancellor Professor Ian Greer and senior management as part of it. She will also preside at most graduation ceremonies and be an ambassador for the university overseas. Ms Clinton accepted the position and said: It is a great privilege to become the Chancellor of Queens University, a place I have great fondness for and have grown a strong relationship with over the years. Forty years of war and peace: Are the changes in Belfast just superficial? Show all 4 1 /4 Forty years of war and peace: Are the changes in Belfast just superficial? Forty years of war and peace: Are the changes in Belfast just superficial? 548223.bin GETTY IMAGES Forty years of war and peace: Are the changes in Belfast just superficial? 548225.bin GETTY IMAGES Forty years of war and peace: Are the changes in Belfast just superficial? 548227.bin GETTY IMAGES Forty years of war and peace: Are the changes in Belfast just superficial? 548228.bin GETTY IMAGES Stephen Prenter, pro-chancellor and chair of the Universitys governing body, said: I am delighted that Queens has chosen Hillary Clinton to be its new Chancellor. Secretary Clinton has made a considerable contribution to Northern Ireland and as an internationally recognised leader will be an incredible advocate for Queens and an inspirational role model for the Queens community. Ms Clinton first visited Northern Ireland in November 1995 as First Lady with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Mr Clinton was the first serving US president to visit the country and considers his visit as the top foreign policy achievement of his presidency. The Clintons spent their symbolic visit meeting with representatives in the community and switched on the Christmas lights outside Belfast City Hall. Ms Clinton has visited Northern Ireland frequently since then, including as a keynote speaker at a womens conference in 1999 and to give a lecture at the University of Ulster in 1997. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 2) A suspected member of the ISIS-inspired Daulah Islamiyah was arrested on New Years Day for illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa confirmed Thursday the arrest of Datu Omar Palty alias Allan Palte in an entrapment operation by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit in North Fairview, Quezon City. Palty was arrested at about 1 a.m. on Wednesday for selling firearms, ammunition, and explosives, in violation of Republic Act (RA) 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Law, and RA 9516 or Illegal Possession of Explosives, officials said. He was a member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) under leader Esmael Abubakar, alias Commander Bungos, according to authorities. They said Palty later swore allegiance to the Daulah Islamiyah under Abu Turaife. Upon investigation, it was found that Palty has existing warrants of arrest for his participation in several atrocities in Mindanao. Nag-holiday lang siya sa Manila. Incidentally, minalas. Nahuli, said Gamboa. [Translation: He only went on a holiday in Manila. Incidentally, it was not his luck. He was arrested.] Chad Staples is the director of the 81-acre Mogo Zoo located in Mogo, Australia. The Mogo Zoo houses Australias biggest and most diverse collection of primates, and they also have snow leopards, red pandas, tigers, lions, giraffes, and southern white rhinos. Bushfires have been a big issue in the country lately, and Chads small coastal zoo ended up right in the way of the blazing devastation. Not wanting any harm to come to the 200 animals he watches over and considers family, Chad did something heroic. It was like Armageddon, it was black as midnight with tinges of red, Chad said to ABC. There were calls for evacuation of the town at about 6 am this morning, but the zoos plan was always to defend the site as we can make it safe here for the animals. Facebook; Chad posted the above photo and you can clearly see how scarily close the fires burned to the zoo And thanks to the amazing team that just loves these animals like theyre family, we were able to do so. It was amazing. Chad and his team of 15 of the zookeepers kept the zoo grounds and animal enclosures well-watered with hoses and sprinklers to help prevent the fires from spreading. They put out several fires around them. They kept their animals as calm as they could. Facebook; Chad is pictured above smiling along with Rebel Wilson And then, Chad decided to take some of the animals he loved so much home with him to make sure they were out of the way of the fires. He moved some of the zoos smaller animals like red pandas and monkeys right in with him to keep them safe. Right now in my house there are animals of all descriptions in all the different rooms so theyre safe and protected. Although the fire did completely demolish the town of Mogo itself, the zoo is still standing and the animals are ok for right now. Talk about a true animal lover! You go Chad, and I know I speak for all of us in saying I hope he and all of the animals and zookeepers stay safe. Bre is a female millennial go getter residing in New York. One part entrepreneur, one part geek, she obtained her degree in Textile/Surface Design from The Fashion Institute of Technology. She has held some exciting roles in both fashion as a designer working for brands like Victorias Secret and Henri Bendel, as well as in ad tech working for publishers like Ziff Davis. Today she operates Chip Chick Media which reaches millions of women each month. Bre is passionate about teaching women how to build a business and be an entrepreneur, in addition to keeping her readers informed of the latest technology trends and exciting products to improve their lifestyles. You can send Bre a message here. The first bus ride back to work after New Year is never pleasant - but it was particularly brutal for commuters in the Russian Arctic Circle city of Norilsk. Passengers filmed themselves getting snowed on inside the vehicle after it broke down in bone-chilling temperatures of -15F (-26C) with some windows suck open. Local Lyubov Sedova said the bus was stuck for 40 minutes as winds of 65mph whipped passengers with snow and ice before they could get moving again. Bus passengers in the Russian Arctic city of Norilsk were turned into virtual snowmen after their vehicle broke down with some of the windows suck open 'This is just our typical winter bus ride,' said another local, who didn't want to be named. 'Heating often doesn't work, and some windows might be missing. 'If this looks like something unusual to you, well you are welcome to Norilsk to experience this - and a lot more.' Norilsk is the world's second largest city above the Arctic circle after Murmansk, and one of the northernmost cities in the world. Residents experience nine months of winter per year, including several months of complete darkness, and even summer often fails to melt snow on the ground. Built by Russian prisoners in 1935, the city sits on top of some the largest nickel, copper and palladium deposits in the world. There are no roads leading to the city, and the only way to get there is by plane or boat, which only travels in the summer. Home to 175,000 people, visitors can only travel here with express permission of Norlisk Nickel, the company which owns the town - with permits rarely granted. Riders were left shivering in temperatures of -15F (-26C) as 65mph winds blew snow and ice into their faces PERTH, Australia (AP) Australia deployed military ships and aircraft Wednesday to help communities ravaged by apocalyptic wildfires that have left at least 17 people dead nationwide and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline. Navy ships and military aircraft were bringing water, food and fuel to towns where supplies were depleted and roads were cut off by the fires. Authorities confirmed three bodies were found Wednesday at Lake Conjola on the south coast of New South Wales, bringing the death toll in the state to 15. More than 175 homes have been destroyed in the region. Some 4,000 people in the coastal town of Mallacoota fled to the shore as winds pushed a fire toward their homes under a sky darkened by smoke and turned blood-red by flames. Stranded residents and vacationers slept in their cars, and gas stations and surf clubs transformed into evacuation areas. Dozens of homes burned before winds changed direction late Tuesday, sparing the rest of the town. Victoria Emergency Commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters the Australian Defence Force was moving naval assets to Mallacoota on a supply mission that would last two weeks and helicopters would also fly in more firefighters since roads were inaccessible. I think that was our biggest threat in terms of what are we doing with the children if we need to go in the water to protect ourselves given the fact that they are only 1, 3 and 5," tourist Kai Kirschbaum told ABC Australia. "If you're a good swimmer it doesn't really matter if you have to be in the water for a longer time, but doing that with three kids that would have been, I think, a nightmare. Conditions cooled Wednesday, but the fire danger remained very high across the state, where four people are missing. We have three months of hot weather to come. We do have a dynamic and a dangerous fire situation across the state, Crisp said. In the New South Wales town of Conjola Park, 89 properties were confirmed destroyed and cars were melted by Tuesdays fires. More than 100 fires were still burning in the state Wednesday, though none were at an emergency level. Seven people have died this week, including a volunteer firefighter, a man found in a burnt-out car and a father and son who died in their house. Firefighting crews took advantage of easing conditions on Wednesday to restore power to critical infrastructure and conduct some back burning, before conditions were expected to deteriorate Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds return. "There is every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw yesterday," New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said. The early and devastating start to Australias summer wildfires has led authorities to rate this season the worst on record and reignited debate about whether Prime Minister Scott Morrisons conservative government has taken enough action on climate change. Australia is the worlds largest exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas, but Morrison rejected calls last month to downsize Australias lucrative coal industry. Morrison won a surprise third term in May. Among his governments pledges was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26% to 28% by 2030 a modest figure compared to the center-left opposition Labor partys pledge of 45%. The leader of the minor Australian Greens party, Richard Di Natale, demanded a royal commission, the nations highest form of inquiry, on the wildfire crisis. If he (Morrison) refuses to do so, we will be moving for a parliamentary commission of inquiry with royal commission-like powers as soon as parliament returns, Di Natale said in a statement. About 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned nationwide over the past few months, with at least 17 people dead and more than 1,000 homes destroyed. Some communities canceled New Years fireworks celebrations, but Sydneys popular display over its iconic harbor controversially went ahead in front of more than a million revelers. The city was granted an exemption to a total fireworks ban in place there and elsewhere to prevent new wildfires. Smoke from the wildfires meant Canberra, the nations capital, on Wednesday had air quality more than 21 times the hazardous rating to be reportedly the worst in the world. The smoke has also wafted across the Tasman Sea and into New Zealand. FORT WORTH, Texas - A man who was killed when a gunman opened fire at a Texas church was remembered at a funeral Thursday. Gov. Greg Abbott was among those in attendance for the private funeral of 67-year-old Richard White, who was one of two congregants killed Sunday when a man with a shotgun opened fire inside West Freeway Church of Christ in the Fort Worth-area town of White Settlement. Jack Wilson, who like White was a member of the churchs armed volunteer security team, fatally shot the attacker, Keith Thomas Kinnunen. Wilson has said White was reaching for his gun when he was killed. Thursdays service was held at the Western Hills Church of Christ in Fort Worth, which is located near the West Freeway Church. After the funeral, Abbott said he was so proud of what White did to step up and help his fellow Texans. There were people in that congregation today alive today because Rich stood in the breach and protected others from harms way, the governor said. Also killed in the attack was congregant Anton Tony Wallace, who had been serving communion. Military personnel plan to rescue 800 people by sea from Mallacoota on Friday Ms Cromb was unable to leave as the highway into NSW was affected by bushfire Bushfires trapped holiday-makers and locals in towns across the Victorian coast She said the VicEmergency app told people that staying is the safest option Tamsyn Cromb called out online trolls who blasted people for not evacuating A mother and her family are stranded in Mallacoota in East Gippsland A mother stranded in Mallacoota has hit back at trolls who attacked her for not fleeing. Tamsyn Cromb, her husband Glynn, their three kids and five other families were holidaying in the Victorian tourist town when they were trapped by bushfires on New Year's Eve. In an impassioned Facebook post, Ms Cromb called out online trolls who blasted more than 4,000 holiday-makers and locals for not evacuating the area. The mother-of-three said people were told to stay because it was the safest option. 'Firstly, we were NOT told to leave,' she wrote. 'The VicEmergency app actually advised that staying was the safest option.' Tamsyn Cromb (right), her husband Glynn (middle) and their three kids were holidaying in Mallacoota when they were trapped by bushfires on New Year's Eve The mother-of-three said she is fed up with reading online comments trolling tourists for not leaving In an impassioned Facebook post, Ms Cromb called out online trolls who blasted more than 4,000 holiday-makers and locals for not evacuating the area 'Secondly, the people who did stay werent doing so to be inconsiderate to the locals or emergency services. 'Its actually really fricken scary being faced with the fact that you might make the wrong choice, but youre in that situation and a choice has to be made.' Ms Cromb said it wasn't as simple as simply 'packing up and leaving,' and said the town's fuel supply was strictly limited to emergency service vehicles. 'We and many others only had a quarter of a tank left from the trip up here, so no hope of getting very far anyway!,' the mother wrote. 'It was a 40 degree day, the highway towards home was at threat of being impacted by several other major fires and being closed at any time.' Ms Cromb and other families were unable to leave as the highway into NSW was open to traffic but major bushfires were bearing it down. She also said hotels and motels were all booked out due to it being peak holiday season. Bushfires have trapped holiday-makers and locals in isolated towns across the Victorian coast. Pictured: Bushfires burn between the townships of Bemm River and Cann River 'We attended the community meeting here in Mallacoota and were told that IF we were planning to leave, it had to be right after the meeting and up the coast was the only option,' she wrote. 'Several people did make the choice to leave. But as a group of 5 families we decided that staying here by the water was safer than travelling in the opposite direction to home in extreme heat and fire danger, with the threat of existing fires and potential new ones starting, and being trapped on a busy road with nowhere to go!' Ms Cromb told Daily Mail Australia that people who judge from their living rooms have no idea how the bushfires unfolded. 'No one could have predicted the new fire at Wingan River and no person would purposely put their children through something so scary if they didnt feel it was the safest option in an awful situation,' she said. Bushfires burn between the townships of Bemm River and Cann River in East Gippsland in Victoria Think smoke from bushfires fills the air in East Gippsland on Thursday HMAS Choules (pictured leaving Sydney Harbour on Wednesday) will provide relief to 4,000 people who remain stranded in Mallacoota, Victoria Her impassioned post comes as military personnel plan to rescue 800 people by sea from Mallacoota on Friday morning. Victorian authorities confirmed the rescue mission as defence forces begin relief operations across Australia's southeast. Two navy vessels had arrived at the coastal town on Thursday, with people to be transferred aboard on Friday morning. Defence authorities told media on Thursday people could ask to be taken out of Mallacoota, but defence would prioritise who would get to leave first. Weather would affect where the boats would offload passengers, with the potential for smoke to hamper air rescue efforts. Bushfires have trapped holiday-makers and locals in isolated towns across the Victorian coast. Tourists and residents have been told to evacuate a 250km stretch of the New South Wales south coast (pictured) as devastating bushfires threaten the area Three military helicopters, two ambulance choppers and a cargo plane were on standby in the Gippsland region, at an air base at East Sale. The HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore, a defence contracted training vessel, left Sydney on Wednesday for Victoria. While these ships were planned to help rescue operations along the NSW south coast, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the NSW government had turned down the help after authorities reopened roads in the region. Tourists and locals were told to leave now before conditions deteriorate again over the weekend. Fires in southern NSW have claimed seven lives and destroyed at least 382 homes. One life has been lost in the fires in Victoria. The Liberal Democrats could become the first party with an openly gay or bisexual leader. MP Layla Moran says she is considering running to replace Jo Swinson, who lost her seat at the election. And today she reveals to the Daily Mail that while she has had boyfriends in the past she is now in a lesbian relationship and prefers to be labelled as 'pansexual'. Her girlfriend is the Lib Dems' former head of media Rosy Cobb, who has since left the party after being suspended in a row over a faked email. Miss Moran, 37, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, is the favourite to replace Miss Swinson following the Lib Dems' disastrous election campaign in which they returned only 11 MPs. Current girlfriend: Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran (right) and her girlfriend, the party's former head of media Rosy Cobb Announcement: Last night Miss Moran tweeted to declare she was 'just happy' after revealing she fell in love with a 'wonderful woman' last year Speaking publicly for the first time about Miss Cobb, she said: 'I'm talking about this because I've now been in this relationship for about six months.' Miss Moran, the first MP of Palestinian descent her mother is a Christian Palestinian and the first female Lib Dem MP from an ethnic minority background, added: 'We've got to the point where we've met each other's parents. We're in love. It's a really loving stable relationship. 'I definitely didn't have the confidence to talk about this kind of thing, and certainly not publicly, but then I think of how many people may also be in the same position. Lover quit over fake email claim Layla Moran's girlfriend Rosy Cobb was at the centre of a controversy during the general election campaign when the Liberal Democrats became embroiled in a row over a faked email and legal threats to journalists. Miss Cobb, then the Lib Dems' head of media, was suspended after the party's press office was accused of altering emails. The political website Open Democracy ran a story in mid-November claiming that the Lib Dems had sold supporters' data to the Remain campaign during the Brexit referendum. The Lib Dems started a legal fight with the website, arguing that they had sent a statement which had not been used. Open Democracy maintained that it had not received one. The party forwarded an email they claimed had been sent but the date it carried was the day before the request for comment had been made. Miss Cobb was suspended pending a full investigation. She has now left the party. Advertisement 'Actually having someone talk about this who's in the public eye [I thought] that I might give them the confidence that I didn't have to talk about it at the beginning.' However, the former teacher, now her party's education spokesman, admitted she was scared about going public. 'I'm really proud of the journey I've taken, but I'm not going to shy away from the fact that it's also really difficult on a personal level,' she said. 'I won't lie and say that there isn't a part of me that's a bit scared about doing this because that's what it means to be a member of the LGBT community. It's not exactly something that's always seen as a positive, but I'm proud of it, it is who I am, it is something that we need to be fighting for and I'm happy to talk about, because in the end I'm hoping that it's going to help other people.' Miss Moran said she decided to go public because she believes politicians have a duty to tell the truth about their personal lives. Earlier this year, she admitted that she and her then boyfriend Richard Davis had been detained by police after a row at a party conference turned violent in 2012. She admitted slapping the financial analyst because she felt 'threatened'. She describes her actions as 'defensive'. Charges against both were dropped and the relationship ended. She is now in a relationship with Miss Cobb, who was head of media at the party where she oversaw press coverage and briefed MPs. Ex-boyfriend: Layla Moran and Richard Davis on holiday in the Dominican Republic in 2010. They broke up after a row at the 2012 party conference Defeated: Former Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson, pictured right with Layla Moran during the general election campaign, lost her East Dunbartonshire seat on December 12 'Initially it didn't even cross my mind because I'd never been with a woman before, I'd only ever had boyfriends,' Miss Moran said of when they met. 'And as we got to know each other and we'd go out, drink and hang out, it was clear that there was something there. And, one day after a few glasses of wine, we got together. 'It was definitely, firstly, a wonderful thing because I'd been single for a while at this point. 'But then, obviously, it threw up all these questions I had about myself.' She said that while she regards herself as bisexual, she identifies more as 'pansexual'. 'Under the old labels I'm bi I've mainly had boyfriends in my life but I happen to be with a woman now,' she said. 'But then when I was researching what label [I am] comfortable giving myself, the one that really chimes with me is something called pansexual. 'You don't care so much about the gender, you are comfortable with your sexual fluidity.' Miss Moran, the Lib Dems' only LGBT MP, said she and Miss Cobb had been careful to ensure there was no conflict of interest with their relationship by working together less. The couple had also spoken to the party's pastoral officer, who had said there was no issue with them being together, she said. But Miss Moran said that the reaction of some people within the Lib Dems after Miss Cobb was suspended by the party over a faked email had prompted her to speak out. Miss Moran (pictured) said she decided to go public because she believes politicians have a duty to tell the truth about their personal lives 'I would love to say that every person who reads this interview will go 'So what, yeah, no one cares, society doesn't care',' she said. 'But what's made me do this is actually the fact that Rosy was suspended at work. 'And people, particularly in political circles, were saying: 'Well, now people are going to know that you're in a same-sex relationship. Don't you think for the sake of your career that you should split up with her.' And I just think that is totally wrong.' She added that politics was becoming more inclusive of those from an LGBT background. 'We have amazing role models like [former Scottish Tory leader] Ruth Davidson, [former education secretary] Justine Greening and [Irish PM] Leo Varadkar. These are amazing politicians who just happen to be gay. 'But what I'd love us to get to is that we only talk about these people on their own merits.' Speaking ahead of the Lib Dem leadership fight, which is likely to be held in March, Miss Moran said: 'I'm seriously considering running but it's an absolutely massive job, and the effect it has on your friends and family, and the scrutiny on not just you, but also them, means that it's not a decision to be taken lightly.' Miss Moran was elected MP for Oxford West and Abingdon in 2017 with a small majority, but increased it to 8,943 at last month's election. She said that the party's policy to revoke Article 50 and scrap Brexit had contributed to their defeat, adding: 'I do think there was a problem with the revoke policy. The way it was framed sounded undemocratic. 'We are definitely in a bleaker place than we were at the beginning of the election, and fundamentally, given that Brexit is now going to happen against all of our efforts to try and stop it, we need to almost go back to our roots, which is what are we, who are we. 'Whoever takes over will have to deal with that.' (TNS) Congress' latest budget bill will prevent the nation's flood insurance program from lapsing Tuesday as scheduled.Instead, the bill extends the National Flood Insurance Program through Sept. 30.The program is the sole source of flood insurance for more than 5 million homes and businesses across the U.S., including 500,000 in Louisiana, federal figures show. It covers nearly 29,000 homes in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes with a combined value of just over $7 billion.A lapse would have prevented the program from selling new policies and renewing current ones. The National Association of Realtors said up to 40,000 property sales per month, or about 1,330 home sales per day, were put on hold in 2010 after Congress let the program lapse for about a month. Without flood insurance, mandated for homeowners with mortgages, buyers were unable to close deals on houses.A similar issue arose for a few days last December amid a budget battle between Congress and President Donald Trump that resulted in a temporary shutdown of the federal government."This bipartisan action by Congress ensures the National Flood Insurance Program will not lapse," Jon Gentile, vice president of government relations for the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents, said of the latest extension. "A nine-month extension also gives Congress time to work toward a long-term reauthorization of the NFIP."Congress has passed more than a dozen short-term extensions over the past two years as members and special interests debate major reforms.Proponents have argued for years that changes are necessary to both discourage people from living in flood-prone areas and to cut the program's debt to U.S. taxpayers, estimated at more than $25 billion. Some efforts have sought to bring the cost of insurance more in line with the risk a house will flood, reducing the burden on U.S. taxpayers.But Louisiana lawmakers and others have consistently pressed Congress and the administration to ensure flood insurance remains affordable, especially for residents of coastal areas like Terrebonne and Lafourche.FEMA, which administers the program, this fall delayed a collection of reforms called Risk Rating 2.0 for an extra year, through Oct. 1, 2021. The delay came amid criticism from Louisiana officials and others who said skyrocketing costs would make it impossible for many coastal residents and others in flood-prone areas to afford insurance.The latest extension buys time to work out details of those and other proposed changes, officials said."We urge Congress to use the time afforded by this agreement to work toward sustainable, bipartisan solutions to programs like the NFIP, which protect millions of Americans every year," National Realtors Association Vice President Vince Malta said in a news release.-- Executive Editor Keith Magill can be reached at 857-2201 or keith.magill@houmatoday.com 2019 The Houma Courier, La.Visit The Houma Courier, La. at www.houmatoday.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Thousands of cattle and sheep could be put down after suffering serious burns in the latest bushfires between the New South Wales and Victorian border. Animal welfare officers are currently combing the fire grounds of the Upper Murray which was hit hard when dry lightning sparked a fire overnight on Monday. An estimated 12,000 cattle and 6,000 sheep survived the bushfires, but suffered burns so severe they're due to be put down. Thousands of livestock including cattle and sheep will be put down after suffering severe burns (pictured) from bushfires of the upper murray region, near the New South Wales and Victorian border The blaze in the Upper Murray has now burnt through more than 111,690 thousand hectares and currently sits at a 'watch and act' level. Around 12 homes have been lost in Cudgewa, west of Corryong. The fire caused the evacuation of the entire town of Corryong, with crews from the Victorian Country Fire Authority escorting a convoy of 68 cars out of town to safety. Local Pia Barker spent 12 hours in the evacuation centre at Corryong School before fire authorities evacuated everyone further afield to Tallangatta. She described seeing the destruction to the Herald Sun as she fled the town. 'It was shocking. Houses burnt to a crisp, all the dead animals,' she said Thousands of cattle are set to be killed after sustaining significant injuries in the Australian bushfires this week (pictured) Fires took hold of the region between New South Wales and the Victorian border earlier this week (pictured) Incident controller Leith McKenzie told the control centre in Tallangatta today things could get even worse heading into this weekend. He said its possible the fires burning in New South Wales and Victoria could 'suck each other in' and create one giant blaze. Meanwhile a farmer in Coolagolite on the far south coast has been foced to shoot 20 of his cows after fires swept through the area between Cobargo and Bermagui. Shocking photos emerged of farmer Steve Shipton checking and then shooting about one tenth of his herd, after they were seriously injured. Experts say an estimated 480 million animals have perished since the fire season began in October. File image of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan The Congress in Kerala attacked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for tagging a letter written by senior party leader Rahul Gandhi on the Kerala Loka Sabha (KLB) on his Twitter page. Vijayan had made public Gandhi's letter by thanking him for the 'warm greetings to the Loka Kerala Sabha,' a meeting of expatriates, currently on here. The Congress-led opposition in the state is boycotting the KLS. Thank you Shri. Rahul Gandhi for your warm greetings to the Loka Kerala Sabha (@LokaKeralaSabha). In his message, @RahulGandhi opined that "the Loka Kerala Sabha is a great platform to connect with the diaspora, and recognize their contribution." pic.twitter.com/3G4KYMSllc CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) January 2, 2020 "In his message, @RahulGandhi had opined that "the Loka Kerala Sabha is a great platform to connect with the diaspora, and recognize their contribution", Vijayan tweeted quoting from the letter. AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala came out against Vijayan, saying he was trying to whip up a controversy as the Wayanad MP's letter was only a gesture of courtesy. Gandhi had sent the letter on December 12 while the Congress-led opposition UDF decided to keep away from the KLB on December 20, Chennithala said. There was no need to make the letter controversial as it was sent days before the UDF took the decision not to participate, Venugopal said in Thrissur. Chennithala said it is natural for Gandhi to reply to the letter written by the Chief minister inviting him for the meeting. The attempt is to stoke a controversy, which was unfortunate, he added. The UDF decided to boycott the meeting, as it was being organised extravagantly at a time when the government has no funds to even pay salaries. No decisions taken at last year's KLS have been implemented so far, he alleged. Rahul Gandhi had shown courtesy by replying to the letter and it is unfortunate that the Chief minister is trying to exploit it, he said. Taiwan's Anti-Infiltration Bill Sends Relations with China to New Low By Ralph Jennings January 01, 2020 Taiwan parliament's passage of a bill Tuesday banning infiltration by political rival China dealt a new blow to relations that have already sparked military threats and diplomatic tug-of-wars in the past four years. Legislators gave final approval to a bill that allows sentences of five years in prison or a fine equal to $330,600 for lobbying, election influence, fake news dissemination and political contributions originating outside Taiwan. The law an unusual tool for a democracy doesn't name China specifically but the government's Mainland Affairs Council says it applies to Chinese nationals as well as Taiwanese with connections in China. Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office accused the ruling party Tuesday of using the bill to win elections. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party camp says the bill will advance Taiwan's security. Its government has previously accused China of meddling in campaigns for the January 11 legislative and presidential elections. "Every country in the whole world is considering how to handle China's infiltration or infiltration by autocratic rule, because this isn't old school, not the same they use technology, use the economy, use social media, Facebook and YouTube, all sorts of ways to infiltrate," independent lawmaker Freddy Lim said ahead of the vote. "So how do we use an administrative mechanism or legislative mechanism taken together so the new generation can stop this infiltration?" he asked. China-Taiwan ties China and Taiwan have been separately ruled since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, when the Nationalists lost to the Communists and rebased their government in Taipei. China claims sovereignty over democratically ruled Taiwan and insists that the two sides eventually unite, by use of force if needed. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, a 63-year-old law scholar up for re-election this month, has angered China since taking office in 2016 by rejecting its condition for dialogue that each side come to the table as part of China. Tsai enjoys support among Taiwanese who oppose China's goal of one day ruling their democratically run island. About 80% of Taiwan citizens are in opposition, government surveys found in early 2019. China has flown military planes and passed aircraft carriers near Taiwan during Tsai's term, the defense ministry in Taipei says. It also has persuaded seven countries to switch their recognition from Taiwan to Beijing, Taiwanese officials believe. New chill in relations Taiwanese officials began accusing China last year of using money and mass media to influence the upcoming elections. Chinese authorities had influenced Taiwan's "grassroots" by enticing tourists, buying advertisements and using the "mafia," the Mainland Affairs Council told VOA in July. Tsai's chief election opponent Han Kuo-yu of the Nationalist Party favors restarting talks with Beijing on its condition that both parties belong to a single China. China's Taiwan Affairs Office accused the Democratic Progressive Party of "major activity in 'green terror'," according to the semiofficial People.cn news website. The party is known informally in Taiwan as the "green" side. The bill "destroys cross-strait exchanges, creates cross-strait hostility, hurts feelings between people on the two sides and severely impacts Taiwanese people's welfare," People.cn said. A "psychological impact" is certain even if details of the bill go unenforced, said Yun Sun, East Asia Program senior associate at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington. "It does have implications, it does have impacts and it does have at least as a minimum a psychological impact over businessmen, students and also scholars and also politicians in terms of their communications or their relationship with the mainland," Sun said. China, however, will probably keep quiet before the election to avoid being seen in Taiwan as an infiltrator, she added. Opposition in Taiwan Nationalist Party lawmakers protested the vote Tuesday with a sit-in. They fear the bill will lead to unwarranted surveillance of an estimated 2 million Taiwanese who work or study in China. Some invest there; others have taken jobs because wages in China are higher than the equivalent in Taiwan. "It is a very strange law that is overreaching the power of the executive branch that can indict anyone suspicious of any activities related to China," Nationalist Party legislator Jason Hsu said in an interview. About 60% of new college graduates want to work outside Taiwan, Hsu estimated, and more than two-thirds are looking at China. "Would they be profiled as infiltrators or spies?" he asked. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, on Dec. 30, 2019. (Reuters) European Stocks Climb on US-China Trade Deal Optimism European stocks were up on Thursday, driven by growing optimism of a resolution to the U.S.-China trade war. The French CAC40 index (.FCHI), a composite of 40 of the 100 biggest market caps on the Euronext Paris exchange, rose by just over 1.3 percent to 6,058.14 points in morning trading. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX), a composite of the shares of large, mid, and small-cap companies across 17 European countries, was up 1 percent as of 11 a.m. CET. The markets are still broadly riding high on the goodwill generated by the announcement that a Phase One trade agreement will be signed on Jan. 15, said Connor Campbell, financial analyst at Spreadex. [Beyond that] a lack of further escalation might be all investors can expect for the moment. President Donald Trump brightened investor moods with an announcement on Tuesday that the first phase of the U.S.-China trade agreement would be signed on Jan. 15 at the White House. High level representatives of China will be present. At a later date I will be going to Beijing where talks will begin on Phase Two! Trump said in a statement. President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn to board Marine One at the White House in Washington on Dec. 18, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Also buoying European markets was recent news that regional champion Airbus had displaced Boeing to become the worlds biggest aircraft manufacturer. The European planemaker delivered a forecast-beating 863 aircraft in 2019, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing airport and tracking sources. In the first trading salvo of the new decade, Airbus stock (.AIR.PA) grew by over 3 percent to 134.90, as of 11:00 a.m. CET. Meanwhile, Eurozone stocks (.STOXXE) jumped 1.1 percent on Thursday despite recent data showing factory activity in the bloc contracting for the eleventh straight month. German shares (.GDAXI) rose 0.7 percent, shrugging off figures that showed the manufacturing sector contracted further in December. London-listed shares (.FTSE) climbed 0.9 percent as investors monitor developments around Britains departure from the European Union, set for Jan. 31. Traders work at Frankfurts stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, on Feb. 6, 2018. (Ralph Orlowski/Reuters) Phase One Trade Deal Trump announced on Dec. 13 that the United States agreed to the Phase One deal with China after a years-long trade war. We have agreed to a very large Phase One Deal with China. They have agreed to many structural changes and massive purchases of Agricultural Product, Energy, and Manufactured Goods, plus much more, Trump said. I will be signing our very large and comprehensive Phase One Trade Deal with China on January 15. The ceremony will take place at the White House. High level representatives of China will be present. At a later date I will be going to Beijing where talks will begin on Phase Two! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019 Details released by the administration indicate that the United States will maintain 25 percent tariffs on approximately $250 billion of Chinese imports and 7.5 percent tariffs on about $120 billion of Chinese importsmarking a 50 percent reduction in those tariffs. The deal included the cancellation of impending U.S. tariffs on $160 billion of Chinese consumer goods. The deal also includes China committing to buying at least $200 billion in American goods and services over the next two years, including around $40 to $50 billion in U.S. agricultural goods, a senior administration official told The Epoch Times. Chinas top diplomat, Wang Yi, said the deal will provide stability in global trade. Gao Feng, a spokesman at the Chinese commerce ministry, later told reporters that the countries were in touch and that details of the agreement would be made public after it was signed. The country announced just before Christmas that it was planning to cut import tariffs amid the trade war and a slowing economy. While the first deal will take care of some issues, the trade warwhich has put pressure on both countriesis not over. Robert Holleyman, a partner at the law firm of Crowell & Moring and former deputy U.S. trade representative told Fortune that both Trump and Xi are looking for a way to deescalate the conflict and secure some type of deal. We also understood that the toughest issues in the discussion in the U.S. and China are not likely to be solved at this time, or are they likely to be solved in a part one of a deal, Holleyman added. Zachary Stieber and Reuters contributed to this report. (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, JANUARY 2 - Israeli Premier Benyamin Netanyahu on Thursday morning left for Athens where he will attend a summit with Greek Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades to sign new agreements for the construction of the gas pipeline EastMed. The project was conceived to bring natural gas to Europe from settlements in the territorial waters of Israel and Cyprus. Two days ago Israel activated the Leviathan platform - located 10 km off the coast, north of Caesarea - and is thus now able to start exporting gas to Jordan and Egypt, as previously agreed. ''Afterwards we will also export to Europe'', Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz announced. ''It is a very important summit'', said Netanyahu before his departure. ''We have forged an alliance in the eastern area of the Mediterranean: an alliance that has enormous importance for Israel's energy future and which also contributes to stability in the region''. (ANSAmed) We are excited to address the epidemic of unrecovered revenue. CollBox, a bookkeeping-integrated application that lets business collect on past due invoices and monitor the health of Accounts Receivable, announced a $1M seed funding round led by Bala Investments with participation from Long View Technology Ventures, Capital Factory and the Alamo Angel Network. CollBox analyzes overdue debt, provides connections to vetted collection solutions, and enables users to unlock past-due AR that would otherwise be written off eventually. The funding comes after CollBoxs recognition by Intuit as Grand Prize winner of the QBConnect Hackathon, finalist status in Intuits Small Business App Showdown, listing in Top 50 Startups to Watch by Built in Austin, and several years of operation as a bootstrapped company. CollBox has already helped hundreds of small businesses and their accounting partners collect on past-due debt, recovering over $1M in revenue to date. Our mission is to protect small businesses from one of the biggest risks to their survival: cashflow issues caused by past-due debt, said Cameron Desautels, CEO and co-founder of CollBox. This strategic investment will enable us to run faster and better serve our clients, while advancing our partnerships with other solutions in cloud accounting and bookkeeping. Co-founder Matt Darner shared the excitement about what growth capital means for CollBox customers. From the start, weve listened to our users and the market about how to solve the last mile problem of unpaid invoices. CollBox increases the probability of finding the right partner and successfully getting paid, powered by data already on hand from an accounting platform like Xero, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, or Sage. We are excited to address the epidemic of unrecovered revenue thats over $150 Billion a year in the US alone, said Rajiv Bala, Managing Director of Bala Investments, who will join the board as part of the financing. CollBoxs industry-leading intelligent platform enables a data-driven approach to recover money owed to small businesses. Suggested Keywords: Accounting, Bookkeeping, Startups, Fundraising, Financial Technology, Xero, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, CollBox, Accounts Receivable, Collections About CollBox, Inc. CollBox, Inc. (http://collbox.co) is a financial technology services company based in East Austin, Texas leading advances in the credit, debt, and collections markets. CollBox was recognized by Intuit with the QBConnect Hackathon Grand Prize, and has since received investment from Bala Investments and Capital Factory Austin. Former Congress minister and legislator Zameer Ahmed Khan has called for a protest against the newly-amended citizenship law in Bengaluru tomorrow, on the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate 107th session of the Indian Science Congress in the city. PM Modi will inaugurate the session at 10 am in Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra Campus at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru on Friday. Four hours after that, at 2 pm, the protest has been called by Khan at Eidgah Maidan. "Please join us in large numbers," stated the protest poster. Khan is the MLA of the Chamarajpet constituency and a former minister. Starting today, PM Modi is on a two-day visit to Karnataka, where he will take part in various programs, including a visit to Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru city. During the Siddaganga Mutt visit, Modi is slated to unveil a plaque to mark the laying of the foundation stone for a memorial museum of Shri Shri Shivakumar Swamiji. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas judge ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $100,000 in another court setback over the Infowars host using his show to promote falsehoods that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax. Jones is being sued for defamation in Austin, Texas, by the parents of a 6-year-old who was among the 26 people killed in the Newtown, Connecticut, attack. State District Judge Scott Jenkins ruled on Dec. 20 that Jones and his defense team intentionally disregarded an earlier order to provide witnesses to attorneys representing a Sandy Hook father who brought the lawsuit, Neil Heslin. Jenkins also denied Jones' request to dismiss the lawsuit. An attorney for Jones did not immediately comment Tuesday. Jenkins' orders were first reported by The Daily Beast. Jones operates Infowars in Texas. He is fighting similar lawsuits in Connecticut brought by other families of Sandy Hook victims for promoting a theory that the shooting was a hoax. A 20-year-old gunman killed 20 first-graders, six educators and himself at the school, after having killed his mother at their Newtown home. The families said they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones followers because of the hoax conspiracy. Jones has since acknowledged that the Sandy Hook killings occurred. His attorneys have defended his speech in court as "rhetorical hyperbole" and deny it was defamation. In June, the father of 6-year-old Noah Pozner, one of the Sandy Hook victims, won a defamation lawsuit against the authors of a book that claimed the shooting never happened. The US Congress has demanded an investigation into a concrete dome full of nuclear waste, threatened by rising sea levels in the Marshall Islands. Dubbed the tomb, it holds tonnes of radioactive debris from dozens of US atomic bomb tests carried out during the Cold War. Congress wants the Department of Energy to report back on the state of the ageing Runit Dome within six months. The demand is part of a huge defence bill approved by President Trump. More than 40 nuclear weapons tests took place on or near the Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific between 1946 and 1958, including a bomb test on Runit Island. The crater from that blast was used from the 1970s by the Defense Nuclear Agency to store nuclear waste. It was later covered in thick concrete slabs to form the 377ft (115 metre) protective dome. The condition of the dome was highlighted in a recent Los Angeles Times investigation, which also unearthed evidence of biological weapons tests and the shipping of 130 tonnes of soil from nuclear testing grounds in Nevada to the Marshall Islands. The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has strongly condemned the attempted attack on the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Iraq that took place on December 31, 2019. The relevant statement was posted on the ministrys website on January 2. Noting the normalization of the situation near the American diplomatic mission in Baghdad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the attempted attack on the US Embassy in the Republic of Iraq on 31 December, 2019, reads the statement. The ministry called on the Government of the Republic of Iraq to take all necessary actions in order to hold the perpetrators accountable and provide the appropriate level of security of foreign diplomatic missions in Baghdad in accordance with the principles of inviolability of the premises of diplomatic missions and their protection by a host state. As Ukrinform reported, demonstrators broke into the compound of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on December 31, damaging a checkpoint, surveillance cameras, and windows. For that reason, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled his visit to Ukraine scheduled for January 3 due to the need for his stay in Washington, D.C., to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East. iy Remember once Neena Gupta sought work through social media? It's takes a of guts for a veteran actress like her to do that. "I live in Mumbai and working, am a good actor looking for good parts to play," wrote the National Award winning actress on social media. She, who had worked in the industry for three decades, indeed got some good projects that included movies like Badhaai Ho, Mulk and The Last Color among others. For the unversed, The Last Color has been making waves internationally. At the Indian International Film Festival of Boston, Neena Gupta won Best actress and her movie The Last Color has also won under the Best Feature Film category. And now, the movie, directed by chef turned filmmaker Vikas Khanna, has been named in the list of feature films eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards in the Best Picture category. As the news broke, Neena Gupta was high on happiness. Cant believe am soooo happy," she wrote, sharing Vikas Khanna's post. Cant believe am soooo happy https://t.co/ApRiYTMcBn Neena Gupta (@Neenagupta001) January 1, 2020 Vikas, on the other hand, called it a miracle. I need sometime to absorb this. Holyyyyy Godddd. @Neenagupta001 thank you for believing in me. Love and respect you very muchhhh. @Jitendra_siffcy @KaulPoonam @jayisready, he wrote. The Last Color is a film that deals with taboo surrounding widows living in Vrindavan and Varanasi in India. The story of the movie revolves around nine-year-old tightrope walker who befriends a widow and promises to add color to her life. The movie has been adapted from Vikas Khannas own book of the same name. "The Last Colors story is about the rise of human spirit in darkness. The super talented team behind National Award winning films like I Am Kalam, Kadwi Hawa and Poorna has come together for this epic journey, Vikas had earlier told IANS. The first look of the movie was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival. Since then, the movie has travelled to various film festivals including New York Indian Film Festival 2019 and Indie Meme Film Festival among others. Using the music of Sting, Kate Prince's new show Message In A Bottle has its eagerly-anticipated world premiere in February before the show tours to Birmingham and Salford. With that in mind, we spoke to three members of the creative team Alex Lacamoire, musical supervisor and new arrangements (musical director on shows like Hamilton), costume designer Anna Fleischle (who worked with Prince on the award-winning Everybody's Talking About Jamie) and associate choreographer Lukas McFarlane. The show tells the story of a village that is besieged, forcing its inhabitants to flee. Songs featured from Sting's back catalogue include "Every Breath You Take", "Roxanne", "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", "Walking On The Moon", "Englishman in New York", "Shape of My Heart" and "Fields of Gold". What has it been like working with some of the most iconic music out there? AL: One of the earliest songs I can remember listening to as a kid is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da". Being a child of the 80s, I was obsessed with the Synchronicity album, on the strength of its singles. I learned about the earlier Police albums as I got older, right when Sting was establishing his now-years-long solo career. Basically: Sting and his music have been "there" my entire life What initially drew you to the project? AF: I wanted to work with Kate again after we did Everybody's Talking About Jamie together. She is an exceptional artist and quite unique in her approach and style as well as being a strong female voice. I was interested in working on one of her full-length projects with her to be able to develop our working relationship. What sort of themes and ideas does the production tackle? LM: The production explores the trials and tribulations of refugees and the challenges they face. But the story is an uplifting one; whilst it focuses on the impact loss and separation can have on relationships, it shows how love between family can weather any storm. Message In A Bottle in rehearsals Helen Maybanks Can you run us through your basic ideas for the show's visual design? AF: The main aspect was following the storyline of displacement - of being driven from your home and sent on a journey of hardship to finally arriving in a new place and needing to adapt into new surroundings. The idea was to draw inspirations from different cultures but create our own worlds in terms of costume. It is a metaphorical world. The clothing responds to the story of a vibrant origin - a sense of home and warmth - through a journey of danger and disorientation - to arrive in new and different lands. Can you describe what your approach has been for the production in terms of transporting the songs onto the stage? AL: It's been a mixture of both recreating iconic songs to sound exactly (or close to) the way people know and love them, and/or reimagining songs in ways that may surprise people. All our choices are always in service of the story being told onstage, and Kate has been our beacon and leader in terms of threading these songs to shape a beautiful narrative. What has it been like working on choreography for some of the best-known songs out there? LM: The challenge has definitely been doing these iconic songs justice. When everyone around the world knows the song you are performing to, there is already such a high expectation with how you are interpreting it. These songs have been a huge part of so many people's lives and we all have our own attachments to them. Message In A Bottle in rehearsals Helen Maybanks How do you think the piece will encourage new audiences to embrace the world of dance? AL: What I find so exciting about this piece is that it shows how hip-hop choreography, concert dance and Sting's catalogue can all go together. When you take elements that people may not normally intertwine and put them on a stage, it can inspire them to learn more about an art form that they may not have delved very deep into. My hope is that it will delight people who may like all these separate art fields and therefore be excited about all of them being grouped together in a piece! What has been your favourite number to work on? AL: I'm particularly proud of the songs where we re-arranged them in a new and unexpected way. Tracks like "Invisible Sun" and "Every Breath You Take" are presented in arrangements where they both pay homage to Sting's fabulous compositions and also serve the story being told onstage. I'm hoping people will have an (even) deeper emotional connection to these songs because of how they're being presented in our narrative. Amid growing concerns about climate change, activists, shareholders, and many investors have started to see oil companies as the next Big Tobacco set of toxic stocks because of Big Oils continued investment into fossil fuel-derived energy. Despite climate activists demands that oil firms leave it in the ground, Big Oil are not getting out of their core oil and gas business, nor they are planning to do so, because the world will continue to need oil and gas in the foreseeable future, Shells chief executive Ben van Beurden says. Yet, oil companies could take some steps to alleviate investor and shareholder pressure to start acknowledging climate change risks and set emission reduction targets, by learning from the experience of another demonized sectorBig Tobacco--according to RBC analyst Biraj Borkhataria. Although Big Oil and Big Tobacco are different enough, oil firms can take a leaf or two out of the tobacco industrys playbook, Borkhataria said in a research note quoted by Avi Salzman of Barrons. These are: increasing capital expenditure in renewable energy and other alternatives to fossil fuels, and putting more cash into shareholder returns in the form of buybacks and dividends, instead of simply plowing more money into enormous projects with years-long time lag between investment and first oil production. Among Big Tobacco, Philip Morris International said a few years ago that it is building the companys future on smoke-free products that are a much better choice than cigarette smoking. Since then, Philip Morris has had equally bleak earnings like those of its competitors Imperial Brands and British American Tobacco, but it has outperformed its rivals on the stock market as investors have appreciated the strategy shift to alternatives, Barrons Salzman says. Related: Iran Wants To Start Oil & Gas Production In This Disputed Hotspot Now the next great sin stock sectorBig Oilfaces challenges in convincing investors and society that it could still be part of the solution, not the problem, in a world which is increasingly sensitive to the impact of climate change on the planet and people. At the same time, oil firms need to keep shareholder returns high in order to attract investors who are brave enough to continue to be or become shareholders in an industry which has been criticized and demonized as a major contributor to carbon emissions. No major oil corporation is giving up their core business just yet. And according to RBCs Borkhatariathey shouldnt. What Big Oil needs is to invest more in shorter-cycle projects rather than in large deepwater projects where first oil is years away from first discovery and drilling, according to the analyst. But Big Oil continues to prioritize deepwater development in their various core regions, because, as oil firms say, the world will continue to need energy from oil and gas in the foreseeable future. Conventional oil with good economics pumping oil for years and decades would meet more of the future demand than short-cycle shale, where well productivity declines dramatically in just a few years. Big Oil will also continue to see oil and gas as their core business because returns on investment and profit margins in the alternative energies business are still being tested and currently, they are nowhere near the high margins in fossil fuels. Some oil firms, like Shell for example, are taking steps to invest more in what it called emerging power in its management day presentation in 2019. Shell looks to invest US$2-3 billion per year from 2021 to 2025 in the power business, which would be just 10 percent of its total annual capex in the coming years. Related: Europe Can't Get Enough Of This Popular Crude As we develop these lower-carbon products, we are seeing the pull from our customers, and, increasingly, a commitment from regulators. This is the perfect combination to develop a growing, profitable low-carbon business, and we are determined to be a leader in that process, Maarten Wetselaar, Shells Integrated Gas & New Energies Director, said on management day. Together with more potential for distributions to shareholders, Shells plan through 2025 includes the ambition to stay on the right side of history, CEO van Beurden said at the same event. Shell is not worried that it will become irrelevant in the energy transition, not only because of its ambition to invest more in power and pledges to cut carbon emissions, but also because of the handsome returns to shareholders it can offer. If you are able to return $25bn to the owners of the company every year . . . youre not going to disappear, van Beurden told Financial Times Senior Energy Correspondent Anjli Raval in September 2019. Now Shell and all of Big Oil have to convince investors that their core business will continue to be relevant a decade from now. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime. And departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time. Let us, then, be up and doing with a heart for any fate, still achieving, still pursuing, learn to labour and wait- H.W. Longfellow. Some people believe that a tribute to individuals doing well to others in a society like ours amounts to bestowing undue praises to such people. What they however dont know is that a tribute to those contributing immensely to humanity and society at large is really a tribute to God for the work He has accomplished through such individuals. That is why a birthday tribute to Comrade Abiodun Oluwasegun Bolarinwa, the President-General of Yoruba Youth Forum, YYF is not only about appreciating him for his immense contribution to humanity and society but to thank God for his life and also encourage him to do more. As a philanthropist, Bolarinwa believes that giving is not a lifestyle; it is a way of life for anybody that truly believes in God. That is why nobody ever goes to Bolarinwa crying that doesnt come back with smile. He is very sympathetic, clean-hearted and sweet-spoken; he never disappointed a sorrowing person. He would first wipe out his/her tears, make them comfortable and then discuss and find a practical and workable solution to their problems. Another unique attribute of Bolarinwa is that he forgives easily. I have seen him assisting many who have tried to slander him as the President-General of Yoruba Youth Forum, YYF. Unlike many other rich Nigerians, Bolarinwa is an epitome of humility. If youre looking for a humble philanthropist in Nigeria, Abiodun Bolarinwa will no doubt appear on the list of top 5. In the area of empowering the youths, Bolarinwa has provided employments for many young Yoruba youths. He has countless of other youths who he is giving scholarship to. No wonder, his group, the Yoruba Youth Forum, YYF is focused on the empowerment and emancipation of Yoruba youths and the entire Yoruba race. He has over the years being championing the course of Yoruba people with his own personal money. General, as he is fondly called by his numerous admirers and due to the virtue of his office as President-General of Youth Youth Forum, YYF, Bolarinwa has truly live up to the saying of Oliver Wendell: To live is to function. That is all there is in living. Today, he can be called a Yoruba youth leader and a philanthropist of note. Bolarinwa is a man who detests injustice and is always ready to fight for the common man. Because of this, he is not a friend of criminally minded people and land grabbers especially in Ibadan who have embarked on a vicious campaign to destroy his good reputation with direct connivance of some corrupt police officers. For a man who is like a son to former President Olusegun Obasanjo; he has refused to join the bandwagon of these criminally minded individuals and land grabbers in Ibadan. Comrade Abiodun Bolarinwa who has served Nigeria meritoriously in the Nigerian Army under the dark days of late military head of State, General Sanni Abacha almost lost his life for standing by this same truth. He is one of the few patriotic Yoruba military officers who refused to betray the Yoruba race under Abacha. His book on his experiences during the Abacha era will be coming out soon. Comrade Abiodun Oluwasegun Bolarinwa, you should know that God made you unique. God gave you talents and gifts. And, most importantly, He gave you His love and salvation. May you be blessed this day and throughout your life. People will get jealous of your achievements and amused at your failures. But in the end, people dont matter. Only you and your journey in life is all that there is. Happy journey and a very happy birthday Liu Jieyi, the Chinese mainland's Taiwan affairs chief, has extended New Year's greetings to people in Taiwan and stressed that guaranteeing bright prospects for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations requires the concerted effort of compatriots on both sides. Liu, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in a New Year's message carried in this year's first issue of the "Relations Across Taiwan Strait" magazine. Over the past year, the mainland has adhered to the principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems," resolutely opposed separatist activities for "Taiwan independence" in any form, and helped people in Taiwan overcome difficulties and seek benefits, Liu said. "Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have worked together to overcome difficulties, maintained warm people-to-people exchanges, and forged closer bonds," he noted in the article. "The year 2020 will be the year when we finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and complete the 13th five-year plan, marking a milestone for the Chinese nation toward its rejuvenation." Liu stressed that as cross-Strait relations enter the new year, compatriots in Taiwan will fully enjoy the dividends and benefits if both sides embark on the path of peaceful development. "On the contrary, if a tiny number of people continue to create confrontation and hostility between the two sides, the interests and wellbeing of our compatriots in Taiwan will be severely damaged," he said, noting that the reunification of the motherland is an irresistible trend. In the same magazine, Zhang Zhijun, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, also wrote a New Year's message to Taiwan compatriots. Noting that cross-Strait relations will inevitably face challenges in 2020, Zhang expressed willingness to unite more people in Taiwan to contribute more to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and advance toward the peaceful reunification of the motherland. The woman had brought the little girl back to London after becoming depressed and complaining about her partner's 'controlling behaviour', Deputy High Court Judge Clare Ambrose (pictured) was told A British property developer became embroiled in a family court battle with his estranged Taiwanese partner after a row over their five-year-old daughter's haircut. The man, who is in his 60s, and woman, who is in her 30s, had met in the UK seven years ago, set up home in London then moved to live in Brussels, a judge heard. Last year, the woman had brought the little girl back to London after becoming depressed and complaining about her partner's 'controlling behaviour', Deputy High Court Judge Clare Ambrose was told. The catalyst for the move had been a row over the little girl's new hairstyle. Her mother had thought her hair was too long and had taken her for a haircut. The man had been unhappy about not being consulted about the haircut and had told his partner 'this is an absolute insult'. Judge Ambrose ruled in the man's favour. The judge at a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London (pictured) said the girl was habitually resident in Belgium and concluded that a return there would not put her at 'grave risk' of being placed in an 'intolerable situation' He had taken legal action following the move to England and asked Judge Ambrose to order his partner to return their daughter to Belgium and said welfare decisions should be made in Belgian courts. The woman objected. She said she feared she would suffer a 'psychiatric collapse' if she returned to Belgium and said the little girl would be put in an 'intolerable' position Judge Ambrose has ruled in the man's favour. The judge said the girl was habitually resident in Belgium and concluded that a return to Belgium would not put her at 'grave risk' of being placed in an 'intolerable situation'. Judge Ambrose had considered evidence at a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London in November and has outlined detail of the dispute in a ruling published online. She said the family involved could not be identified in media reports of the case. Chemotherapy for men with testicular cancer could be made 'shorter, kinder and cheaper' with a new type of therapy. Researchers testing a combination of three drugs found a single three-week cycle was just as effective as the standard six weeks normally given to patients. Men given chemo for testicular cancer usually have it to make sure the disease does not keep spreading after the diseased testicle is removed. But the medication can cause crippling side effects including sickness, tiredness, weight loss, hair loss, infections and diarrhoea. In a three-week trial, four out of 10 men had side effects which the researchers said was 'substantially lower' than usual and the treatment was just as effective as a normal course. A study of 250 testicular cancer patients in Birmingham found the amount of time men spent having chemotherapy could be cut in half without the dose increasing and the rate of the cancer returning did not increase (stock image) 'Our study has found strong evidence to suggest testicular cancer chemotherapy can be safely reduced from two cycles to just one making [patients'] treatment shorter, kinder and cheaper,' said Professor Emma Hall, from the Institute of Cancer Research in London. The ICR yesterday published the results of a trial it carried out with the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS trust. A total of 250 cancer patients took part in the trial, which tested the effects of a combination of drugs bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP). BEP chemotherapy is already used to treat testicular cancer patients but usually in two three-week cycles, rather than the single one given to patients in the trial. All the men involved had high risk stage one non seminomatous cancers, which were likely to return after treatment. But only 1.3 per cent of men (three out of 250) had their cancers return, a rate which is similar to that among men who have six weeks of chemotherapy. 'We tend to be focused on whether we can cure a cancer or not,' added Professor Hall. 'But for a disease like testicular cancer which affects young people, it is also crucial to ensure treatment does not leave patients with a lifetime of adverse effects. WHAT SIDE EFFECTS CAN CHEMO FOR TESTICULAR CANCER HAVE? Chemotherapy given for testicular cancer is generally used to wipe out any remaining parts of the disease after a patient has had their testicle removed to get rid of the main cancer. General and common side effects may include sickness, tiredness, weight loss, hair loss, infections and diarrhoea. One of the most commonly used drug combinations the combination used in the study by the Institute of Cancer Research and the Birmingham hospitals is bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP). These drugs can also cause a loss of appetite, fever, mouth sores, swelling inside the lungs and other breathing problems, nerve damage, low blood pressure and heart problems which could raise the risk of stroke or heart attack. Source: Chemocare.com Advertisement 'There is an important balance to be struck in giving men enough chemotherapy to stop their testicular cancer from coming back, without giving them so much that they suffer unnecessary side effects.' Around 2,300 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer every year in the UK, as well as some 10,000 in the US. This makes it a relatively rare cancer there are more than 55,000 (268,000 in the US) cases of breast cancer, for example but testicular is the most common form of the disease to affect men in their 20s, 30s and 40s. It has a promising survival rate, with 98 per cent of British patients still alive 10 years after being diagnosed. But the treatment can be unpleasant and cause severe or permanent side effects such as nerve damage, heart damage, breathing problems or hearing loss. The ICR scientists said lower doses of chemotherapy are known to reduce side effects so halving someone's treatment time was a positive step. The patients in their study were followed up for around four years to check whether their cancer had returned. Professor Robert Huddart, urological cancer expert at the ICR, said: 'Reducing the overall dose of chemotherapy could spare young men who have their whole lives ahead of them from long-term side effects. 'And it also means they will need fewer hospital visits for their treatment. 'This new trial is already changing clinical practice on a global scale, and is set to improve patients quality of life as well as reducing the cost of testicular cancer treatment. 'Reducing the number of cycles and the dosage of chemotherapy for testicular cancer could save the NHS money and free up valuable hospital time and resources.' The research was published in the medical journal European Urology. NEW YORKHundreds of local counties, cities, and towns across America are declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries or constitutional counties as part of an ever-expanding movement over the past few years that has surprised even those who enacted the sanctuary resolutions in the first place. Local officials in these counties generally state that they wont follow new gun laws they believe are unconstitutional. The movement has increasingly gained momentum since 2018 after one of the first sanctuaries was enacted in Effingham County, Illinois, in response to newly elected Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who had vowed to push new gun control legislation in the state. Pritzker was one of a dozen Democratic governors who penned a letter in September asking President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass sensible gun legislation. The governors want the administration to authorize new red flag laws, require universal background checks, and outlaw assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, among other proposals. They say enacting such proposals will break the cycle of gun violence. In interviews with The Epoch Times, county officials who passed Second Amendment legislation said the new proposals infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens, and called the strength of the growing sanctuary movement a direct message to state Democrats, though some noted that the measures were largely symbolic. County sheriffs said much the same in interviews. David Campbell, a member of the Effingham County Board, whose county was one of the first to pass Second Amendment legislation, in April 2018, said he was surprised to see the movement take off so fast. We were actually the first ones to pass it with the word sanctuary,' Campbell told The Epoch Times. It all started right there, and then it just blossomed. I think we are into 15 states now. I get calls constantly from other states and from other counties wanting a copy of our resolution and a map of how we did it. In Illinois, Campbell said it took less than two years for 70 of the 102 counties in the state to pass some form of sanctuary resolution. Its sending a message to those legislators, letting them know that they better be paying attention, he said. They took an oath to support the Constitution of the United States. If they fail to do that, I think a lot of people are going to get voted out. Youre going to see a huge turnout in our next election cycle. Meanwhile, in Virginia, 87 out of 95 counties in the state have passed measures affirming their support for Second Amendment rights. Local leaders and an increasing number of sheriffs in the state similarly argue that gun reform measures that could be approved by their state legislature early this year are overreaching. They did it in almost two months, Campbell said, referring to Virginias counties. Its just amazing. Dick Saslaw, the top Democrat in Virginias state Senate, has proposed similar gun control legislation to Illinois Democrats, with the addition of raising the minimum age to buy a rifle or shotgun from 18 to 21. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was first passed by Congress on Sept. 25, 1789, and was ratified on Dec. 15, 1791. The text reads that a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Despite the new sanctuary laws being largely symbolic, Campbell said that his countys state attorney and sheriff have said they will not prosecute or go after anybody if they are law-abiding citizens. We Are Afraid In early December, Culpeper Countys Board of Supervisors in Virginia voted 70 to affirm itself as a constitutional county, prompting a standing ovation by residents present for the vote. Like many other local officials, Sue Hansohn, a former member of the Culpeper County board who served from 2016 until November 2019, believes the focus should be on mental health problems and on enforcing existing gun laws, not creating more. She said residents in Culpeper are concerned that the state will ban certain guns or restrict what they can use. She said taking away the firearms of law-abiding citizens will cause a black market to immediately open up. We are afraid, and residents feel like they would be left defenseless if they wont be able to have their guns, she told The Epoch Times. Hansohn said she understands the fear generated from mass shootings but thinks theres a deeper underlying issue thats not being addressed. Theres a lot of mental health problems, and our state is not looking at that at all, she said. I dont think passing all these bills is going to make a difference because if anybody wants a weapon theyre going to get one. A lot more can be done on this front, she said, suggesting that the state open more treatment centers and work with professionals such as psychologists and counselors to figure out how to help troubled people. She said officials need to really address why so many people are out there committing these crimes, noting that a lot of them are young adults. President Donald Trump has previously talked about reforming mental health laws and enacting the death penalty for those who commit serious hate crimes and mass murders. Hansohn said she knows many people who collect guns and would never harm anyone. She gave the example of a 92-year-old Culpeper resident she knows who still buys guns. I think people across the United States are all alikethey just fear their rights are being taken away, she said about the gun sanctuary movement. People dont want to allow it to happen if they can stop it they feel threatened by these bills. Campbell also said there needs to be more focus placed on addressing mental health, noting that the man who recently shot up a Dallas-area church in Texas most likely had some kind of mental problem to go into a place of worship and just start shooting people. Jack Wilson, a church security member, shot the active shooter within seconds. Wilson was a reserve deputy who at one point had his own shooting range. Our Forefathers Fought for That Right Meanwhile, a coalition of 21 state attorneys general is asking the Supreme Court to expand the scope of protection afforded to gun-ownership rights and to strike down a Maryland law that denies concealed carry permits unless applicants can convince local officials they have a good and substantial reason to be granted one by local authorities. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, and the other state officials filed the friend-of-the-court brief with the Supreme Court on Dec. 18. The Supreme Court, in the 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. In Virginia, former Wise County Sheriff Ronnie Oakes told The Epoch Times that he wholeheartedly supports the Second Amendment. I do support it, and I feel that our forefathers fought for that right, Oakes said. I encourage everybody to have some type of protection as far as a firearm. Oakes retired from his position on Dec. 31 after two decades of service. Wise County officially became a Second Amendment sanctuary on Dec. 12. The end game, according to Campbell, is for legislators to take note that they should not prosecute law-abiding citizens, though he noted it remains unclear just how much impact these sanctuary counties will have overall. I really think in the long run, its going to take some time and take some education, he said. But I think if we stay vigilant and work together, we will see the majority of these legislators follow the Constitution. As most of Virginias counties have declared their support for the Second Amendment, one sheriff went further, saying he would deputize citizens as auxiliary deputies, if need be, to protect their constitutional right to bear firearms. Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins told The Epoch Times that local officials are becoming fully awake on the goal of stopping what he described as government overreach and restriction of our constitutional rights. These [gun] restrictions will do nothing to stop a person that is hellbent on evil, and killing innocent people, Jenkins said in a previous interview. From The Epoch Times Emma works in childrens services, is a councillor in Waltham Forest and is fourth on the Londonwide list for the GLA election in May 2020. I was overjoyed in the early hours of December 13th as Iain Duncan Smith, our local MP in Chingford and Woodford Green, was returned (theres a rather unflattering BBC clip of me from the time which attests to this). Of course, as a councillor in the constituency, a Brexiteer, and someone who experienced first-hand the vile hard-left campaign Labour ran here, there were many reasons to celebrate. The most pertinent for me was seeing Duncan Smith returned to the Commons, and through him a strong voice for early intervention. In fact, it is his work for the Centre for Social Justice (which he co-founded in 2004) and belief in early intervention measures that I would often focus on when talking to undecided voters which resonated far more than discussing the intricacies of Brexit. That night (or morning), with our job done locally, we began to focus on the excitement of the emerging national picture. Activists, councillors and our newly re-elected MP bundled into cars from the count to a hastily prepared celebration party (no one was counting any chickens) where, in a crowded living room in Woodford, cheers went up at almost every result announced. With every victory it felt increasingly as though we were entering the dawn of a new political era. It also was clear people across the UK were crying out for a change in direction. I recall thinking: Its time for us to do something special beyond Brexit. Personally, Ill be hoping thats IDS, and other MPs sympathetic to the cause, making the case for a trauma-aware early intervention agenda that transforms the way in which we approach individuals presenting with social, legal, physical, and mental health issues. Our friends on the left have often failed when it comes to early intervention measures, becoming too distracted by creating fancy job titles and what is easy but not effective. I fear this has led to early intervention being characterised by poor practice and dismissed as a New Labour fad where excess money was spent rewarding bad behaviour. In the much-needed move to streamline public services over the past decade it seems to me, in some circumstances, this view has seen the baby thrown out with the bathwater. We cannot forget that the principle of early intervention not only presents the best outcome for children and families it is also markedly better for the public purse. So now, with a thumping majority, we must pick up the gauntlet and get it right. The whole parliamentary party must listen to evidence linking the impact of early life trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to brain development. It must recognise early life trauma causes toxic stress that when experienced through developmental years literally alters the way in which brains are wired. This leads to a massive rise in the likelihood of experiencing mental and physical health issues and a far greater susceptibility to substance misuse and violent behaviours. Like any underlying health issue, when we fail to inoculate children against the effects of trauma we set them up for future pain. We must inoculate against trauma as we do physical illness. The antidote is a society that understands its effects, and support from families or trusted adults. It seems obvious we arent effectively intervening and inoculating at present. Speak to teachers, doctors, support workers, housing officers, and key workers across the public and charitable sector. They could often tell you in primary school the children that they expect to see in gangs, with issues with violence, addiction struggles, and with health issues later in life. But too often, while children are identified at this stage, their behaviour is easier to manage and we neglect to address the issues which sees behaviour become progressively more serious throughout adolescence and adult life. Thats why the rising rate of permanent exclusions from state schools is so worrying. Each one represents a missed opportunity and personal tragedy for the young person involved; with a reduction in life chances and increased risk of involvement in crime. Through my work in children services and as a councillor Im always struck by how many young people and families are let down through missed opportunities to tackle the root cause of their presenting problem invariably leading to expensive and reactive solutions focused on symptoms not cause. Our collective approach in public services is too often akin to giving a plaster to someone with a gaping wound, and then wondering why they keep needing more plasters. Many of the answers on how to implement early intervention effectively already exist. Hopefully the Government will put at the heart of its agenda David Burrowess work on the Family Hubs Network and Manifesto to Strengthen Families as well as the NSPCCs Sharing the Science and Look, Say, Sing, Play programmes (which educate professionals, parents, and carers on the science behind brain development). My personal wish list includes seeing expectant mothers complete ACE questionnaires to break the cycle of early-life trauma and schools adopting trauma-aware strategies to better identify and support children before the penalty for problem behaviour increases. A new era beckons, the strings on the public purse are loosening, and its time to show what a compassionate, one-nation Conservative government can achieve through an early intervention revolution. (Alliance News) - MC Mining Ltd on Thursday announced the resignation of Non-Executive Director Thabo Mosololi. Mosololi, the company said, is leaving to focus on an executive role in the hospitality sector. His resignation was effective from December 31, having served on the board since 2014. "On behalf of the board and shareholders, I would like to thank Thabo for his contribution to MC Mining as we transformed to a mining company while also developing our flagship Makhado hard coking coal project," said David Brown, MC Mining's chief executive. "Consistent with our November and December 2019 announcements, we continue to progress the composite debt/equity funding initiatives for phase one of Makhado. This includes due diligence investigations by potential debt providers and investors at both group and project level and we anticipate completion of the funding processes during the first half of 2020, with construction commencing soon thereafter," Brown added. Shares in London were 5.2% lower on Thursday morning at 27.03 pence each, but shares in Johannesburg were 9.2% higher at ZAR7.00 each. By George Collard; georgecollard@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Iraqi security forces have regained control of the area around the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad after the compound was rocked by a second day of mass protests. Yesterday, security personnel fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of protesters. But by Wednesday evening, the protesters had cleared away from the embassy compound's entrance, CNN reported. "We have issued the order for everyone to withdraw, because America should have received our message," a spokesman for the main protest group, Kataib Hezbollah, which had been targeted by the U.S. airstrikes, said. The protests broke out after the U.S. carried out airstrikes on five facilities in Iraq and Syria. In the wake of Tuesday's attack on the U.S. Embassy, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the U.S. would send approximately 750 soldiers to the Middle East. CAIRO Egypt announced Dec. 19 the discovery of a new oil and gas field in the Abu Senan area in the Western Desert. The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said in an official statement that the new oil and gas field was discovered after excavation work by Borg El-Arab Petroleum Company, a government-affiliated company. The statement indicated that the new fields production is expected to reach an average of 7,000 barrels of crude oil per day, as well as 10 million cubic meters of gas. It added, New discoveries in the Western Desert are proof that this region is still characterized by its high oil and gas possibilities, especially in the deep layers, in light of modern technologies contributing to achieving several promising discoveries in the area. On Dec. 12, Russia Today quoted Adel al-Bahnasawy, a journalist specializing in energy affairs, as saying that the new oil and gas field discovered in the Western Desert was a huge field compared to previous discoveries in the same area, stressing that this discovery will open the door to the possibilities of finding new oil fields in the Western Desert. Bahnasawy told Al-Monitor over the phone that several discoveries have been made in the Western Desert, and that government officials believe the area is rich in undiscovered oil and gas fields. He said that in October 2008 oil and gas wells in the Western Desert were discovered; at that time, a major petroleum discovery in the West Kalabsha concession area was announced, with a daily production capacity of 5,000 barrels in the US Apache concession area for oil and gas exploration. Bahnasawy added that Apache Corporation CEO John Christmann said Oct. 17 during a meeting with Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly that his company envisions a promising future for the Egyptian oil sector in light of the great developments over the past years. He added that the company plans to increase activities in Egypt. In addition, Bahnasawy noted that David Chi, regional vice president and general manager of Apache Egypt, said in a press statement that there are large potential oil and gas discoveries in Egypt, especially in the Mediterranean and Western Desert. Bahnasawy added that these recent discoveries attracted the attention of officials toward the Western Desert, which prompted the government to reassess the area and explore the presence of oil and gas fields. Hamdi Abdel Aziz, spokesman for the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, told Al-Monitor, The new petroleum discovery in the Western Desert is great proof that this area is very promising in terms of oil and gas discoveries, and that the government should take care of it and support it in the coming period, which the ministry is already planning to do. He explained that these discoveries were the culmination of the development plans of the Egyptian government represented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources with Minister Tarek El-Molla signing three agreements for oil and gas exploration in the Western Desert on Aug. 26, 2017. Abdel Aziz said that these agreements were signed between the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation on the one hand, and Apache Corporation and the American Merlon Petroleum Company on the other, with investments of about $79 million and plans to drill 17 new exploration wells to search for oil and gas. He noted that the Ministry of Petroleum is working to promote these successes to attract more foreign investors and motivate international companies to expand their activities in this area, as well as to conduct more research and exploration operations. Abdel Aziz stressed that the Egyptian government is currently working on assessing gas and oil reserves in the Western Desert. The average oil production in the area has increased from 150,000-165,000 barrels per day in 2000 to 240,000 barrels per day currently. Abdel Khalek Farouk, economic expert and head of the Nile Center for Economic and Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor over the phone that this new discovery is a major event, especially since it is located in a very important area that officials had not been paying attention to for many years. Farouk explained that successive governments in Egypt never bothered to focus on exploring for gas and oil in the Western Desert, in particular due to the large financial cost of such an endeavor, as well as the need for advanced technology to explore large quantities of oil and gas and to enable companies to know the expected economic return from drilling operations. He pointed out that there are several other factors that have hindered the state from exploring gas and oil in the Western Desert, the most prominent of which is that the area is scattered with mines from World War I and World War II, which makes the excavation process difficult and increases its cost as mines must be removed in some areas first before the drilling process can begin. Farouk denounced Egypt's import of gas from Israel under an agreement signed between the two countries in 2018 despite the recent large discoveries, especially the Zohr and Nour fields in the Mediterranean, and the recent discoveries in the Western Desert. HOUSTON, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SASpine (Surgical Associates in Spine) today announced that it will continue to expand with two additional locations in Houston, Texas, with new practices opening in early 2020, providing experienced spine specialists who are committed to improving your quality of life. According to CEO, LeAnn Cyr, two new locations are slated for The Heights and River Oaks District at 2311 W Alabama St. "Expanding our office locations is part of our commitment to accommodate and engage more patients who come to us from near and far places for spine care treatment," said LeAnn Cyr, Chief Executive Officer. SASpine originally began in San Antonio and has recently expanded into the Houston market. By expanding their current locations throughout the Houston area, SASpine will be able to accommodate more local and international patients who fly to Houston from different parts of the country and the world for back pain treatment. "My goals are to expand to markets that are desperately in need of quality spine care. There are many good spine surgeons in the world, but there are many, many patients to treat," said Dr. Steven Cyr, Chief Medical Officer. "I know there are communities in desperate need of my approach to taking care of patients. I plan to grow the practice by carefully adding other spine surgeons with similar training and a sincere desire to treat patients like family in an effort to relieve their pain and dysfunction." Dr. Cyr was trained at the world-famous Mayo Clinic, a top institution in many medical fields, including neurosurgery and orthopaedic surgery. His spine training was a combined fellowship in neurosurgery of the spine and orthopaedic surgery of the spine. Coupled with 17 years of honing his skills in the military as the Air Force's Chief Spine Surgeon, consultant to the surgeon general, and his civilian practice, this training has resulted in the successful treatment of many thousands of patients, with amazing outcomes. More on SASpine: SASpine (Surgical Associates in Spine) is one of the nation's most elite spine practices. Their CMO, Steven J. Cyr, M.D., is a spine surgeon who has gained a reputation for surgical excellence in Texas, throughout the nation, and abroad. Dr. Cyr and his mid-level providers are experienced at isolating the source of pain and accurately diagnosing and treating symptoms and conditions using both non-operative and operative means. Visit them online at www.saspine.com San Antonio: 210-487-7463 / Houston: 832-919-7990 SOURCE SASpine Related Links https://www.saspine.com The Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena and the NCP slammed the Centre on Thursday after it rejected West Bengal and Maharashtra's tableau proposals for the Republic Day Parade, alleging that the BJP-led Union government has insulted the people of the two states. Government sources, however, said the decision to include or exclude a tableau was purely merit-based. The TMC said by rejecting Bengal's proposal, the Centre insulted the people of the state for opposing the amended citizenship law. NCP and Shiv Sena claimed prejudice against Maharashtra. West Bengal Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Tapas Roy accused the Centre of being "vindictive" towards the state. "Just because West Bengal has been opposing anti-people policies of BJP government, a step-motherly treatment is being meted out to the state. As we have opposed anti-people laws like CAA, the Centre has rejected our tableau proposal," Roy told PTI. The TMC-led West Bengal government has been protesting against the amended law. NCP leader Surpiya Sule accused the Centre of being "prejudiced". She said Bengal and Maharashtra had played a key role in the freedom struggle and the decision to deny permission to their tableaux was an "insult" to the people. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut wondered whether there was a political conspiracy behind the decision. "The Centre has rejected permissions to the tableaux of Maharashtra and West Bengal from parading on Republic Day. It is a festival of the country and the Centre is expected to give representation to all the states," Sule tweeted. The Sena, NCP and the Congress run the Maharashtra government in alliance. The Defence Ministry said Bengal's proposal was examined by an expert committee twice. "The tableau proposal of Government of West Bengal was not taken forward for further consideration by the expert committee after deliberations in the second meeting. It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of Government of West Bengal was short-listed for participation in Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process," it said in a statement. The ministry has selected the tableau proposals of 15 states and a union territory Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. Of these, eight are BJP or NDA-ruled states, four are ruled by UPA and three by non-UPA and non-NDA parties. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Department of Financial Services, the National Disaster Relief Force, Central Public Works Department, Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and the Ministry of Shipping were selected for the 2020 parade. BJP-ruled Uttarakhand did not figure in the list. However, it was not known whether it had sent a proposal to the ministry for participating in the Republic Day parade. In a statement, the Defence Ministry has said tableau proposals received from states/union territories and central ministries and departments are evaluated in meetings of an expert committee comprising eminent persons in the field of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture and choreography. "The expert committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations. Due to time constraints arising out of overall duration of the parade, only a limited number of tableaux can be short-listed for participation in the parade. The selection process in vogue, leads to participation of the best tableaux in the parade," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 1,200 homes in New South Wales have been burned to the ground Australians are opening their homes to strangers and businesses are offering much needed supplies for people devastated by the bushfire crisis in New South Wales. Hundreds of fires are still burning out of control across the country, destroying millions of hectares and leaving at least 1,300 homes destroyed, with catastrophic 46C weather conditions forecast for Saturday. Writer Erin Riley set up a database to help connect people who are stranded or have lost their home with a place to stay across the country. More than 160 people have put their hands up to house people, and farm animals. Hundreds of fires are still burning out of control across the country, destroying millions of hectares and leaving at least 1,300 homes destroyed, with catastrophic 46C weather conditions forecast for Saturday Writer Erin Riley set up a database to help connect people who are stranded or have lost their home with a place to stay across the country One successful connection included a 76-year-old man who was sleeping in his car in Milton with a person who lived nearby opening up their home. She said she knows of two families who have been sleeping in her car. 'I am just blown away by the generosity of people willing to open their homes to people they don't know. It's so incredibly heartening,' she tweeted on Wednesday. Ms Riley told Daily Mail Australia: 'We have so many people who are so eager to help. It doesn't matter if you're stuck due to highway closures or you've evacuated from your home- we want to make sure as many people as possible have a bed for the night. 'And it doesn't matter how specific the request, we'll try to find someone who can help.' She said the more people who sign up to host bushfire victims the better and to contact the email on the website with any questions. Images showed people lining up down the street to get access to Woolworths and Tesltra public phones in Ulladulla for much needed supplies. Three hundred people were in the queue for the supermarket at lunchtime on Wednesday. Craig Scott, the store's manager, told the ABC despite power being down in the area they had access to a generator after purchasing it two months ago. On Wednesday more than 300 residents were seen queuing outside a Woolworths in Ulladulla, NSW, which has experienced power outages 'The power's out in town, but we decided to open the store just for necessities, so people can get nappies, baby food, all that sort of stuff,' Mr Scott said. He said there were concerns the generator would run about but a plan was in place to refill it with diesel from local boats. Mr Scott said the store had enough supplies to feed the town for the next day but items such as breach and milk were running low. 'As soon as they open the highway we'll have trucks coming back down.' A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia there are plans to get supplies to stores on the South Coast. Firefighters fight blaze near homes near Lake Tabourie on the Princes Highway between Bateman's Bay and Ulladulla in December Ulladulla Woolworths opened its doors on Wednesday to give locals unable to leave the chance to stock up on supplies 'We're working hard to keep stores on the South Coast replenished with key essentials for the local community. Our Narooma and Bermagui stores have now closed, with all other stores currently open for trading,' she said. 'Replenishment of further supplies later today to some stores may be impacted by the current closure on the Princes Highway. 'We understand it's an anxious time and thank customers for their patience as we manage the increased demand and the road closures. 'We'd also like to thank our team for their continued support in keeping stores operating and for their ongoing help in supporting their local community. 'We're also working closely with our partner the Salvation Army, with two truckloads of essential supplies currently being loaded to head to the evacuation centres they are managing in the regions.' A local business - Three Friends Fishing - was making saltwater ice and donating it around town, as it stays frozen longer so people can keep their fridges cool. Power was restored to 11,000 homes in New South Wales' South Coast on Wednesday but more than 30,000 people are still without electricity or internet. 2019/2020 FIRE SEASON DEATH TOLL NSW Police confirmed a total of seven people have been killed and two are unaccounted for in the South Coast bushfires since Monday. The recent deaths include dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, who died trying to save their property in Cobargo, near Bega. A 70-year-old man was found dead outside a home at Yatte Yattah, west of Lake Conjola, on Tuesday night, while another man's body was found in a burnt vehicle on a road off the Princes Highway at Yatte Yattah Wednesday morning. The body of a man was found in a vehicle on Wandra Road at Sussex Inlet about 11.30am Wednesday but is yet to be formally identified, while a seventh body was found outside a home Coolagolite, about 10km east of Cobargo, on Wednesday. Beloved great-grandfather Mick Roberts, 67, from Buchan, in East Gippsland, was found dead at his home on Wednesday morning. On Sunday, young father and volunteer firefighter Samuel McPaul, 28, was fighting a blaze in Jingellic, in Green Valley, about 70km east of Albury on the border of NSW and Victoria, when the truck he was in rolled, killing him instantly. Two other firefighters died on December 19 after a tree fell on their truck while they were travelling through Buxton, south of Sydney. Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, were later named as the volunteers involved in the tragic accident the following day. Both men were young fathers and had volunteered with the Horsley Park Rural Fire Service brigade for more than a decade. Two people also died in South Australian fires before Christmas, including 69-year-old engineer Ron Selth. His body was found in his Charleston home, which was destroyed by the Cudlee Creek blaze on December 21. Another person died in a fiery car crash on the same day. In early November, just weeks into the horror fire season which has been baring down on the nation for months, three people perished in northern NSW. George Nole's body was found in a burnt out car near his home in Glen Innes while 63-year-old Julie Fletcher's body was pulled from a scorched building in Johns River, north of Taree. Vivian Chaplain, a 69-year-old woman from Wytaliba, succumbed to her injuries in hospital after attempting in vain to save her home and animals from the blaze. The fourth victim was named just days later as 58-year-old Barry Parsons. His body was discovered in bushland on the southern end of the Kyuna Track at Willawarrin, near Kempsey, on November 13. 77-year-old Bob Lindsey and 68-year-old Gwen Hyde were found in their burned out property on October 9th. Advertisement Hundreds of fires are still burning out of control across the country, destroying millions of hectares, killing 18 and leaving 1,200 homes destroyed, with catastrophic 46C weather forecast for Saturday Cobargo, NSW, was decimated by flames on New Year's Eve - burnt out buildings remain Areas of the South Coast are still cut off due to road closures - however some parts of major roads have reopened. Before 6am the Princes Highway reopened between Falls Creek and Milton, as well as Conjola and Fishermans Paradise. This means motorist can now travel north from Batemans Bay at a reduced speed of 60km/h with the road being closed periodically to allow emergency vehicles through. The Princes Highway is still closed between Batemans Bay and Moruya. as well as between Tilba Tilba and Brogo. Motorists looking to travel to Sydney or Canberra can now do so after the Snowy Mountains Highway reopened between Bega and Adaminaby. Many roads surround Nowra, the Snowy Mountains and Braidwood remain closed. Water supplies in towns in both Victoria and New South Wales have been affected by the fires. On Tuesday boil notices were issued for Quaama, Cobargo, Bermagui, Beauty Point, Fairhaven, Wallaga Lake, Wallaga Lake Heights, Wallaga Lake Koori Village and Akolele after disinfection infrastructure was lost. NSW Rural Fire Service has urged people to flee the area from Batemans Bay on the NSW south coast down to the Victoria border, while efforts to rescue thousands of people stuck in isolated towns began on Thursday. Tourists are trying to leave Ulladalla as some roads opened up around the south coast town However, many people have struggled to flee as many petrol stations have either run out of fuel or are without power. Queues of cars have been seen at the remaining petrol stations around Batemans Bay that still have stock State Emergency Operations Controller, Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys, is urged tourists to leave. 'The NSW Police Force is working closely with Transport for NSW to allow for safe travel by road,' Deputy Commissioner Worboys said. 'While there are significant road closures, police and our partners are maintaining controlled access to various arterial roads to allow people to leave impacted areas as soon as possible. 'Our Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and local police are providing a high-visibility presence too, so listen to their instructions or directions particularly in relation to potential hazards and diversions.' He said it is important to constantly check the route you are travelling is safe as closures can happen at any moment. However, many people have struggled to flee as many petrol stations have either run out of fuel or are without power. Queues of cars have been seen at the remaining petrol stations around Batemans Bay that still have stock. Tankers of 60,000 litres of fuel were brought in overnight to help with the disaster. But evacuating the area was still a struggle with large lines of traffic seen heading north out of Batemans Bay on Thursday. Frightening satellite images from January 1 showed the horrifying extent of the bushfires on the NSW South Coast Sikh boys perform 'gatka', traditional martial art skills, during a procession on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. (Image: AFP) Valko's ex-wife does not believe the two charged men murdered the prominent lawyer. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled One of the two men charged with the murder of prominent lawyer is closer to getting his deal with the prosecutor. The Pezinok District Court heard the case of Jaroslav Klinka, who closed the agreement on guilt and punishment in May 2019, on the last day of the year. The court did not reject the deal and will further proceed to assess the proposed punishment (seven years and two months in prison) on January 31, the Sme daily reported. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The Valko murder Ernest Valko was found shot dead in his house in Limbach, near Bratislava, in November 2010 by his ex-wife and daughter. He was a lawyer and former deputy speaker of the lower house of the Czechoslovak Federal Parliament in 1990-1991, who in 1992 was chosen as the top judge of the Czechoslovak Constitutional Court. San Francisco, Jan 2 : UK-based chipmaker Imagination Technologies on Thursday announced that Apple has signed a multi-year agreement with the company. Both the companies were earlier in a dispute over GPU designs that Apple licenses from Imagination for its iOS devices. "Imagination Technologies ('Imagination') announces that it has replaced the multi-year, multi-use license agreement with Apple, first announced on February 6, 2014, with a new multi-year license agreement," the British chip-maker said in a statement. Apple will have access to a wider range of Imagination's intellectual property in exchange for license fees, it added. In April 2017, Imagination announced that Apple planned to stop using the firm's IP in its hardware designs by 2019. It was reliant on licensing revenue from Apple which was nearly $81 million in fiscal 2017, reports AppleInsider. Imagination then entered a "dispute resolution process", accusing Apple of "unauthorised use of Imagination's confidential information and Imagination's intellectual property rights." During their dispute days, the Cupertino-based iPhone maker was even charged with allegedly poaching Imagination employees. Apple said it stopped accepting new IP from Imagination in 2015. The embattled Imagination even found a buyer in China-backed equity firm Canyon Bridge. Apple used Imagination's PowerVR technology in its A-series system-on-chip designs found in certain iPads, Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple TV 4K. Subsequent A-series designs rely solely on Apple's in-house technology. Imagination recently announced "IMG A-Series GPU" which claims to be the fastest GPU to date. In order to finish 2019 on a high note, Navy Recognition offers you a retrospective of the ten's more consulted news on its website. It is also a good opportunity to thank you for your faithful support in all instances. Navy Recognition editorial team will continue to draw your attention on the latest news and will do its best to provide you interesting and qualitative content in 2020. In order to finish 2019 on a high note, Navy Recognition offers you a retrospective of the ten's more consulted news on its website. It is also a good opportunity to thank you for your faithful support in all instances. Navy Recognition editorial team will continue to draw your attention on the latest news and will do its best to provide you interesting and qualitative content in 2020. (Picture source: Spanish Defense Ministry) The Spanish MoD has confirmed that five new frigates are to be built this year by Spanish shipbuilder Navantia, for an amount of 4 billion (about $US 5 billion). As a reminder, this contract had been awarded to Navantia in 2018. The first of these five vessels is expected to be delivered by 2025, while the last one is scheduled to be delivered by 2030/2031. Read Full News At This Link... An aircraft carrier fleet of the Chinese PLA Navy arrives in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 7 for a visit to mark the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China. The fleet comprises the country's first aircraft carrier Liaoning, two destroyers and a frigate. The fleet will leave Hong Kong on July 11 (Picture source: PLA HK Garrison) China, as part of its recent military and foreign policies, has planned to upgrade on a large scale its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, to sell it to Pakistan, its ally, in order to compete with India. This selling is to increase Pakistani Navy's strength, facing India equally and making of Pak a better ally for China. Read Full News At This Link... The Boeing-built Echo Voyager on which the design of the XLUUV will be based (Picture source: Boeing) The US Navy, through the past few years, has shown an increasing interest in the development of an unmanned underwater fleet. Among such unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), the Navy has tasked several companies for the designing and the development of two large UUVs, the Orca XLUUV and the LDUUV. Read Full News At This Link... Project 22350 lead frigate Admiral Gorshkov in St. Petersburg in October 2016 (Picture source: TASS) Russia`s naval shipbuilding industry has laid down several surfaced combatants (including Project 22350 Gorshkov-class frigates), launched a submarine, and linked the sections of a Corvette, according to the country`s officials. Read Full News At This Link... On top, the Hsiung Feng-3 and below, the Hsiung Feng-2, at Navdex 2017 in the United Arab Emirates (Picture source: Navy Recognition) Taiwan has launched a Hsiung Feng-3 (HF-3) anti-ship missile from a brand new Tuo Chiang stealth corvette. This version of the ship-launched Hsiung Feng-3 has an improved survivability, range and payload capacity. Read Full News At This Link... An artist rendering of the HELIOS system (Picture source: Lockheed Martin) Recently, the U.S. Navy has shown an increased interest for the development of Laser Weapon Systems and now intends to mount such systems aboard guided-missile destroyers. The U.S. Navy has indeed awarded Lockheed Martin a $US 150 million contract in January for the procurement of two High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) systems. Read Full News At This Link... Dipping sonar operated from a USV (Picture source: Elbit Systems) In a Sea Acceptance Test (SAT) performed by the Israeli Navy, a Helicopter Long-Range Active Sonar (HELRAS) dipping sonar was successfully converted for operation onboard the Seagull, Elbit Systems Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV). Read Full News At This Link... Some Russian vessels near to Syria (Picture source: AsiaNews) The Russian Navy has to engage in a broad range of missions which determine its strength and composition. The Military-Industrial Courier advises which Navy Russia has to have due to the international situation and national development priorities. The Military-Industrial Courier has delivered what it seems to be the best distribution of the Russian ships among its different fleets. Read Full News At This Link... The AN/AQS-20 advanced mine-hunting sonar has four separate sonars to detect and classify mine-like objects from the seafloor to the near-surface (Picture source: Raytheon) Counter-mine experts at the Raytheon Company will overhaul, repair, and upgrade the U.S. Navy AN/AQS-20 towed mine-hunting sonar under terms of a $US 20 million order, the company announced on Friday, May 17, 2019. Read Full News At This Link... USS Indiana SSN 789 (Picture source: US Navy) The Navys newest fast-attack submarine, USS South Dakota (SSN 790) will be commissioned at naval submarine base New London in Connecticut, on February 2, 2019. It is the seventeenth Virginia-class submarine to join the US fleet. Read Full News At This Link... Even as Muslims across India continue protest against the combination of Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Population Register exercise, indigenous Muslims in Assam have found a different reason to hit the streets. Instead of opposing the CAA-NPR, they are demanding a special population counting exercise to identify the indigenous Muslims of the state in a bid to regain their lost pride. Even as Muslims across India continue protest against the combination of Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Population Register exercise, indigenous Muslims in Assam have found a different reason to hit the streets. Instead of opposing the CAA-NPR, they are demanding a special population counting exercise to identify the indigenous Muslims of the state in a bid to regain their lost pride. According to the leaders and intellectuals leading the movement, mass scale immigration of Muslim population that happened over the last century from present day Bangladesh has not only deprived the indigenous Muslims from their rights and social status they enjoyed earlier but also threatened their cultural heritage. To restore their status as indigenous population they demand a special census or a head-counting exercise to be carried out to distinguish them from the immigrant Muslim population. They also demand that a special autonomous council be set up to protect their culture, heritage and also their rights. Hafizul Ahmed, president of Goriya Moriya Desi Jatiya Parishad, a pressure group of ethnic Assamese Muslims clarified their stand on the issue. "It is not that we are supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act. Though we are against this law our opposition has reasons very different from the Muslims in mainland India," he said. He added that the CAA will damage the political and cultural rights of the Assamese Hindus more than the indigenous Muslims as it may trigger another wave of migration of Hindu population from Bangladesh turning the indigenous Hindu population into a minority in their homeland. "The passage of the CAA in the Parliament is a matter of grave concern for our Assamese Hindu brethren. We stand shoulder to shoulder with them at this moment of crisis. But at the same time, through our movement for autonomous, we are seeking remedy to the damage already done to the indigenous Muslims in the state by mass scale influx of immigrant Muslim population from Bangladesh in the last Century," he said. Since the passage of the CAA, Assam has seen continuous protest against the new law. Hafizul said that the protest of the Assamese Muslims demanding a special census and autonomous council should be seen as a fortifier of the ongoing anti-CAA movement as it throws light on the plight indigenous Muslim population also caused by migration. Indigenous Assamese Muslims can be divided into three distinct ethnic groups namely Goriya, Moriya and Desis. The history of the indigenous Muslims in Brahmaputra valley dates back to the early part of the thirteenth century. The three ethnic groups saw their culture flourish during the nearly six hundred years long Ahom rule which ended in 1826 with the annexation of Brahmaputra Valley to the British empire. Imran Hussain a writer and educationist said that the culture of these communities grew organically with their own distinct devotional music, literature, legends, stories, social customs, ethnic dress, inter community and intra community relationships. "Most of the indigenous Muslims in Brahmaputra Valley are converts from other ethnic groups in the region. Though we converted ourselves into Islam, our culture remained intact. Culturally, we are similar to Assamese Hindus. This is the reason we hardly share any affinity with Muslims from other parts of the world," he said. Many ethnic Muslims consider the Ahom rule in Assam as the golden age for their community as they were recruited in respectful positions in the monarchy's bureaucracy, army and diplomacy a status which they feel is now lost due to mass scale immigration of Muslim population from the erstwhile east Bengal. "During the rule of the Ahom kings who accepted Hinduism as their faith in 16th century, people from our community had respectful representation in the government. But now Goriya, Moriya and Desis do not have a single member in the Assam Assembly," said Mominul Awwal who is also the chairman of the Minority Development Board. The Goriya Moriya Desis have an approximate population of 40 lakh, which is scattered across the Brahmaputra valley in small numbers. Hence, it is almost impossible for them to get their candidates get representation during state and municipal elections. "In the earlier elections, one or two leaders from the Desi community used to get elected as lawmakers. But in the 2016 Assembly polls we were wiped out of the political scene as none of the 28 Muslims elected to the Assembly belong to our community," Hafizul said. Mass scale immigration, mainly of Muslims, began during the colonial period and continued through the post-colonial period. The influx caused massive demographic change in the state turning nine districts into Muslims-majority ones. The demographic change in the state resulted in emergence of a powerful immigrant Muslim population and an economically-deprived indigenous Muslim society. "Since we do not have representation in the Assembly, the funds meant for minority development are often distributed among the districts that have large immigrant Muslim population leaving paltry sums for the indigenous Muslims," said Awwal. He also added that unless the ethnic Assamese Muslims do not get adequate representation, their rights can never be taken care of. Onslaught of immigration along with globalisation has threatened the very existence of the home grown Islamic culture of the state. Syed Hakikur Rahman, a curator of traditional Assamese Muslim devotional songs says that most of these songs known as Zigirs are now lost. The tradition of creating Zigirs was initiated by Azaan Pir, a revered cultural icon in the state who travelled all the way from Baghdad to Assam to spread Islam in the Seventeenth Century. "It is said by scholars that Azaan Pir himself wrote 160 Zigirs. But a good number of them have been lost as the practice of singing them declined with onslaught of globalisation, which has caused a change in cultural preferences of the people," he said. He also added that though he has collected more than 100 of them by travelling across various districts of the state, it involves huge expenditure. "Such exercises can only be taken by government agencies. We hope that the government listens to our demands to protect our culture," he says Apart from globalisation, socio-religious dominance of the immigrant Muslims has also greatly influenced the indigenous culture of the Muslims. "Most of the religious organisations of the Muslims are led by immigrant Muslim leaders and they infuse their own culture in them. As a result, many of the local traditions stand threatened. If this continues than our identity would be wiped forever," Awwal added. "To empower the indigenous Muslims with political rights as autonomous councils they have to be identified first. For that a separate census to count them out is required," Hafizul said. For the state budget for 2019, the Assam government declared its will to conduct such a survey but the work of the enumeration has not yet started. "We demand that the government should initiate the process as early as possible," Hafizul added. Significantly, the sixth clause of the Assam Accord provides for protection of the culture and rights of all the indigenous ethnic groups. Though the Government of India has initiated the process of implementing the provision, Assamese Muslims fear that this may not help them in meeting their goal. "There is still debate over who should be considered an Assamese as Assam has a cosmopolitan society with mixed races. Some say that anyone who has been living in Assam since prior to 1971 should be considered an Assamese and be provided reservations on the basis of that. On the other hand some organisations demand that 1951 should be the base year. But in both the cases a big chunk of the immigrant Muslim population would enjoy equal rights as an Assamese Muslims. For immigration of Muslims began as early as 1906, as per recorded history. If both immigrant and ethnic Assamese Muslims get identified than distinguishing one from the other would be rather impossible and resultantly the present condition of Assamese Muslims would become irreversible," Hafizul further said. Adding that having an autonomous council is a better option for them, Hafizul said that the protection under the clause six was provided for the indigenous population that suffered the onslaught of migration and not for the migrants themselves. If it ends up providing protection to immigrants then it will lose its purpose. Even now, with exactly four weeks to go until we leave the EU, some people are still in denial. Brexit, European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans declared a few days ago, was unnecessary, and Britain would always be welcome to come back. His words were met with wild applause from the dwindling band of unreconciled Remainers. EU insiders convinced themselves that former Commons Speaker, John Bercow, and his allies would see off Boris Johnsons premiership, take control of Parliament and push through a second referendum, perhaps aided by the Labour Party But in the wake of the General Election, almost all sane observers can see that the battle is over. At the end of this month, we will be out. Although the past three years have seen torrents of ink spilled about the implications for Britain, there has been very little commentary about the consequences for the EU. And although ultra-Remainers like to pretend that any costs will be entirely one-way, the reality is rather different. On January 31, the EU will lose its second-largest economy, after Germany, and the fifth-largest economy in the world, representing about 13 per cent of its total GDP. It will lose its third most populous state, its most important military power and a significant source of diplomatic and cultural influence. So now the EU finds itself in an unprecedented situation, facing a newly elected Prime Minister with a whopping majority and a popular mandate to get the whole business done and dusted as quickly and ruthlessly as possible It will lose some 20 billion (17 billion) a year in budget funding about a tenth of its total income. The EU will also lose 12 per cent of its population, and its single largest, most dynamic city London. Shock Despite what you often hear from Brussels, this is a colossal blow for the European project. Indeed, although the EU has proved more resilient than many Brexiteers predicted, Britains departure is the biggest shock for the European ideal since France and West Germany launched a Coal and Steel Community, the earliest ancestor of the EU, in 1951. Although the past three years have seen torrents of ink spilled about the implications for Britain, there has been very little commentary about the consequences for the EU. Former Commons Speaker John Bercow is pictured above Above all, though, the shock is symbolic. The EUs champions often talk as if their beloved union is the natural, inevitable end point of history. But no state let alone an artificial supranational union lasts for ever. Britains departure shows the EU is not the end of history and it is perfectly possible to get off the train, however clumsy our departure may have looked. So as Britains negotiators return to Brussels for more trade talks, it is worth remembering that both sides still have much to lose. Britains departure shows the EU is not the end of history and it is perfectly possible to get off the train, however clumsy our departure may have looked. The European Parliament is pictured above They spent months talking to arch-Remainers like Tony Blair, Lord Mandelson and Nick Clegg, who assured them that, in the end, the Leavers would blink and the Tories would be booted out of office Of course, we in Britain need a deal as quickly as possible, to give us the stability and confidence after three years of inertia. But the EU needs a deal, too, for both economic and psychological reasons. For the past few years its negotiators told themselves British resolve would weaken eventually. They spent months talking to arch-Remainers like Tony Blair, Lord Mandelson and Nick Clegg, who assured them that, in the end, the Leavers would blink and the Tories would be booted out of office. In particular, EU insiders convinced themselves that former Commons Speaker, John Bercow, and his allies would see off Boris Johnsons premiership, take control of Parliament and push through a second referendum, perhaps aided by the Labour Party. Soon, they said, the Brexit nightmare would be over. Well, we know how that worked out. They had not taken into account the most immovable obstacle of all: the will of the British people. So now the EU finds itself in an unprecedented situation, facing a newly elected Prime Minister with a whopping majority and a popular mandate to get the whole business done and dusted as quickly and ruthlessly as possible. Fanatics That leaves our former partners with two options. First, they could continue to play hardball, dragging out the talks as long as possible, arguing over every dot and comma, and working to ensure Britain enters its new era with both hands tied behind its back. No doubt that would play well with posturing fanatics like European Parliament Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt, who went to the Lib Dem conference last autumn, brandished a T-shirt reading Bollocks to Brexit and told the admiring audience he dreamed of an EU Empire. But it would be economic and diplomatic madness. Britain is not going away. Indeed, most economic forecasts predict that, by the second half of the century, it will overtake Germany as the Continents most dynamic economy. So it would make no sense for the EU to alienate an important trading partner by fighting over tiny details. Do countries like France, Germany, Holland and Ireland really want to leave their closest ally seething with resentment? It will lose some 20 billion (17 billion) a year in budget funding about a tenth of its total income. The EU will also lose 12 per cent of its population, and its single largest, most dynamic city London The most sensible thing, therefore, would be for the EU to give us a generous deal as quickly as possible. And if its negotiators need inspiration from history, they should look to Britains own record of far-sighted compromise. As historians have pointed out, there is a precedent in the deal Britain offered its rebellious colonies after the American War of Independence in 1783, giving U.S. ships access to British ports and opening up vast areas of territory to U.S. expansion. The deal was very unpopular with many British politicians, who thought we were giving too much away. But in the long run it worked to our advantage. The U.S. was born in a spirit of optimism, rather than resentment, which made it much easier to rebuild our friendship. Other post-imperial nations, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, were born in a similar spirit, which explains why our ties remain so close. And there is an even more striking example in South Africa, where Britain and the Dutch-speaking Boers fought a vicious war from 1899 to 1902. Not only did the victorious British hand the Boers millions to rebuild their towns and cities, but we gave them self-government within five years and allowed South Africa to become an independent dominion in 1910, ruled by men who had once led the Boer armies. As so often, such a fair-minded, far-sighted policy paid for itself. Within just a few years, South Africas fighting men were contributing bravely to the Allied effort in World War I, standing alongside the very men who had once been their enemies. No doubt that would play well with posturing fanatics like European Parliament Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt, who went to the Lib Dem conference last autumn, brandished a T-shirt reading Bollocks to Brexit and told the admiring audience he dreamed of an EU Empire I realise, of course, such generosity of spirit may stick in the craw of some Europeans. Many Brussels insiders have never truly recovered from the shock of the 2016 referendum, and are still smouldering with outrage that the British people dared to reject their beloved union. But quite apart from what is right for Britain, a liberal-minded, open-handed deal is in Europes best interests. In the long run, it will suit nobody in France and Germany to have a sulky, disaffected neighbour across the Channel, plotting revenge on its old partners. Strange as it may sound after the acrimony of the past three years, Britain and the EU have every chance of forging a new special relationship in the years ahead. Indeed, if we can leave with a decent deal, then within a few years our relations with Paris, Berlin and Brussels will probably be better than ever. What, after all, is the alternative? Years of bickering and backbiting? How on earth would that be in Europes interests? So lets hope the negotiators start as they mean to go on. A friendly New Year greeting, a bit of give and take, a swift agreement, a firm handshake and then, perhaps, a glass or two to celebrate. Sensible, civilised and eminently European: who could possibly argue with that? Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief RKS Bhadauria on Wednesday (January 1) welcomed the Centre's decision to create the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), saying that it is a bold step. He added that the IAF will extend full support to India's first CDS General Bipin Rawat. IAF Chief Bhadauria remarked that it is the responsibility of the three services of the Armed Forces to support the CDS. The creation of CDS is a very big step and a very-very bold step. The onus is really on three services now to support it fully and to make it succeed in its foundation stage and bring in the coordination, synergy, economise the effort, and really achieve everything that is desired from this post well within the time-frame specified. It will take a lot of work and we should be ready to do it and do it well, the Air Chief told news agency ANI. The IAF chief expressed confidence that the creation of the post of the CDS will help in all the efforts that are needed to bring in the proper coordination between Indian Army, IAF and Indian Navy. IAF will fully support it and will help in all the efforts that are required to bring in the jointness at the levels that are required. There are issues with training, logisticsthere are areas already identified. We have done a lot in the recent past and we need to do much more and that effort will continue, he further stated. General Rawat took charge as the countrys first CDS on Wednesday and he was accorded the guard of honour from all the three forces. Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated General Rawat on his appointment. CDS General Rawat will head Department of Military Affairs, a new department created by the Centre. It is learnt that the Department of Military Affairs will have under it works relating to the three forces - Army, Navy and Air Force. General Rawat was named India's first CDS on Monday (December 30) just a day before he was to retire from service after completing a full three-year term as the Chief of Army Staff. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on December 24, approved the CDS post and its charter and duties. OTTAWA - The RCMP is defending its practice of profiling people by scouring their social-media postings, saying the police force lawfully obtains information with the aim of protecting Canadians. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (738 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday April 13, 2018. The RCMP is defending its practice of profiling people by scouring their online social-media presence, saying the national police force lawfully obtains information with the aim of protecting Canadians. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck OTTAWA - The RCMP is defending its practice of profiling people by scouring their social-media postings, saying the police force lawfully obtains information with the aim of protecting Canadians. A Toronto activist concerned about mining-industry abuses recently learned the Mounties compiled a six-page profile of her shortly after she showed up at a federal leaders debate during the 2015 election campaign. An analyst with the RCMP's tactical internet intelligence unit ultimately found no indication that Rachel Small, an organizer with the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network, was involved in criminal acts. Small said it was "kind of creepy and unsettling" to see the RCMP profile, which came to light years later through an access-to-information request. Sgt. Penny Hermann, an RCMP spokeswoman, said the force acknowledges the constitutional right to protest peacefully, but adds the police must do due diligence to ensure there are no threats or concerns for public safety. "As Canada's national police force, the RCMP uses various technical investigative tools and methods to lawfully obtain information or evidence in order to protect Canadians," she said. "To maintain the integrity of investigations, we do not disclose specific techniques or tools used in the course of a particular investigation." For the profile of Small, the RCMP combed through online sources detailing her age, address, education, language fluency, work experience and Facebook friends in the activist community. "It's disturbing to me. It's creepy. And it makes me wonder, what were they hoping to do with this information?" Small said. "I had no reason to think that I personally would be followed or surveilled, or anything like that." Groups that defend the right to public protest say police monitoring of activists can have a chilling effect that discourages people from speaking out or taking part in demonstrations. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is concerned about agencies compiling profiles of people when there are no reasonable grounds to believe they are involved in criminal activity. "The fact that someone's an activist should not be enough to render them the subject of suspicion by law enforcement," said Cara Zwibel, director of the association's fundamental-freedoms program. "That, to me, is a problem in a democratic society." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Privacy laws do not adequately reflect the expectations and nuances of the social-media age, said Meghan McDermott, staff counsel for policy with the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association. A Facebook user might let online friends know it's their birthday, but the law treats that as if the person has put a sign on their front lawn declaring the fact, she said. There should be a discussion among civil liberties advocates, legislators, police and the public about "what is acceptable for law enforcement to be looking at, and what are thresholds that allow them to look into that information," Zwibel said. Before questions about Small's profile arose, the RCMP's internal-audit section had begun examining the force's use of open sources in the context of the Charter of Rights and the various statutes under which the Mounties operate. The RCMP says the resulting audit report is expected to be made public this summer. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2020. Hundreds of doctors and students at Kashmir medical colleges have been hit hard due to the internet blockade, the longest in the history of the Valley. Hundreds of doctors and students at Kashmir medical colleges have been hit hard due to the internet blockade 151 days and counting the longest in the history of the Valley. Post abrogation of Article 370, which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir, doctors at medical colleges have been unable to carry out research. At Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, the largest medical institute in Jammu and Kashmir, several research scholars who submitted their papers to national and international journals have not been able to check the status of their submissions. One of them, a professor in the department of cardiology who did not wish to be named, submitted a research paper prior to 5 August. He said he does not know the status of his paper and that he is unable to conduct research. We are unable to access research literature. We are disconnected from the world of literature, he said. In 2018, SKIMS was listed among India's top 20 research institutes. I don't think the amount of research papers we produce this year will reach the 2018 level, he said. The professor added that medical science is ever-changing and that new treatment models that benefit patients emerge frequently. But we can't access them. We arent aware of advanced treatment modalities across the globe. It is critical that we have access to the internet, especially for certain patients in critical condition or who have rare diseases, he said. Doctors and research scholars at Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, one of the oldest medical colleges in North India, said they have been frustrated these past few months. For Dr Rabani Tariq, a registrar in the department of social and preventive medicine, research simply cannot be conducted without the internet. Research in Kashmir has entirely stalled. It'll take us at least six months to start it, Tariq said. Doctors also can't attend web seminars, which are an important component of research and patient care. Dozens of independent researchers at GMC Srinagar, including doctors, have been unable to work on their projects. Tariq's research paper, on the use of technology in healthcare, has been published in a reputed international journal. However, he cannot access it or share the link with his friends. Post 5 August, the Valley saw undergraduates and postgraduates travelling to New Delhi simply to access the internet in order to complete their thesis. Last January, Auqfeen Nisar, who is pursuing a a degree in community medicine at GMC Srinagar, started a crowdfunding campaign to provide sanitary pads to impoverished girls. Nisar named it 'Panen Fiker' which translates to let's take care of ourselves. Her project also seeks to educate adolescents about the use of sanitary pads. Nisar said the communications blockade has made it impossible to raise funds. The 31-year-old said her plans to create self-help groups within communities have been stalled. In September, a woman postgraduate student of SKIMS Srinagar was in distress. Unable to finish her thesis, she had no option but to temporarily move to Delhi. Everything has come to a standstill, she said. You can't simply rely on textbooks. We also need access to information that's available online. The day I submitted my thesis was the worst day of my life. Home Minister Amit Shah has claimed that everything is normal in Kashmir. But according to doctors from the Valley, patient outcomes have been impacted negatively. We'd order medicine online, the postgraduate student told Firstpost. Also, the internet would be of great help in cases where patients were in critical condition. Now, we have to rely on books, which is time-consuming. And for doctors and patients alike, time is of the essence. Two weeks ago, the government restored internet at SKIMS, but doctors claimed this has been limited to the administrative block. They also said heads of departments have been asked to sign bonds and take responsibility for how the internet is used, which many have refused to do. Students have been unable to view video lectures which were made mandatory for them by the Medical Council of India. Researchers relying on libraries complain that the material is out of date. On Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir administration spokesman Rohit Kansal announced that broadband would be restored in government-run hospitals. However, repaid mobile services in Kashmir are yet to be restored. In August, Syed Tabasum, who is pursuing B.Ed at a private Srinagar college, was preparing to appear in her first semester examination. However, due to the communications blockade, the exam has been rescheduled for March. Eight months of delay! she said. That too in our first semester exam. That's a huge loss. Tabasum told Firstpost she couldnt apply for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). It (2019) was a bad year. It was a year of chaos not only for me but for hundreds of students in the Valley, she said. Tabasum complains of being unable to apply for a job or to keep abreast of any vacancies. Though the government has opened a few facilitation centers for students to apply for examinations, including NEET, students say this simply isn't enough. Zahid Rashid, a Class 12 student who lives in a remote village of Baramulla in northern Kashmir, is planning to submit his application to enroll in BSC nursing at SKIMS. He said SKIMS put up the notification in December, but he could not see it for a couple of weeks as he had no access to newspapers in his village. One of my neighbours knocked on my door and told me about it, Rashid said. He added that hundreds of students are in the same boat. Mohammad Irfan, a parent in Srinagar's Magarmal Bagh, said students were at home for most of the year, which has created an academic gap. They were unable to study. Imagine being indoors for months without any activity. The loss suffered can't be measured, Irfan said. Last month, Farooq Khan, advisor to Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu, said the internet would be restored soon. But only time will tell when the residents of the Valley will be back online. Health Minister Simon Harris has launched a blistering attack on anti-abortion protesters outside the National Maternity Hospital on Wednesday, saying their actions were intimidating, sickening and anti-democratic. How dare you. How dare you turn up to the National Maternity Hospital and try to intimidate women, we've heard from women who miscarried, who were asked on the street 'are you going to murder your child?', he blasted. So this was anti-democratic, it was sickening. It was wrong. Mr Harris was speaking after about 100 people, some carrying small crosses and banners, demonstrated outside Holles Street hospital for several hours on New Year's Day. Speaking to reporters, Mr Harris said what happened was not legitimate protest and accused those behind the protest of seeking to intimidate and harass women, their families and the healthcare staff treating them. What's not right and not proper is to gather outside a National Maternity Hospital and attempt to intimidate, and harass women, their partners, and these healthcare staff turning up to work, he said. It struck me that the Dail is about 300 meters away from the National Maternity Hospital, the Department of the Taoiseach is about 300 meters maybe, my department might be was eight or 900 meters away. Why weren't they there? "If you want to protest against government policy, off you go. Turn up at the Dail, turn up at the departments, he said. In relation to the establishment of exclusion zones, Mr Harris said he wants to introduce new laws for them but warned it is not a simple process. Right here (national maternity hospital), right now 1/1/20; wonder why we need exclusion zones @LeoVaradkar @SimonHarrisTD - beneath the windows of a postnatal ward, in front if people leaving after a miscarriage, with small coffins, crosses and unsavoury images. pic.twitter.com/DXBVWXw0GB Mary Higgins (Maire ni hUigin) (@mairenihuigin) January 1, 2020 And I do want to legislate for Exclusion Zones. It's not that straightforward though I have to be honest in relation to this, he said. "I've obviously met the Attorney General on it, and I've met with the opposition on it, I met with the Garda Commissioner in relation to this. "I've actually sent out a survey to health care providers who are providing the service as well. And, I do believe the time is right to move ahead. Mr Harris said there are different ways to give effect to such exclusion zones. He said: One way they did it in Britain that was subject to a legal challenge was a built-in powers for local authorities in relation to Exclusion Zones. "There's also the possibility for me to engage with the Minister for Justice in relation to criminal justice legislation around intimidation and harassment. "So I intend now when the Dail resumes to meet with the opposition and finalize the approach we're going to take in that regard, he said. He also said he wants to make free contraception available to all women and contraception of their choice. And I intend to move forward with legislation in that regard and 2020 with a view to introducing it in 2021 on a phased basis, he said. Responding to the protests, Dr Mary Higgins of the National Children's Hospital at Holles Street said it was very upsetting for patients and their families who had to pass the protests on arriving at the hospital. She said the protesters gathered directly below the postnatal ward with newborn babies. She said the protests were very troubling and inappropriate and that patients have reported finding the chanting and the saying of prayers as very upsetting. Defending the protests, Luke Silke, spokesman for the Students for Life group said he would fear any move which would seek to limit legitimate protest in this country and such exclusion zones would see that happening. Ikran Ahmed Mohamed and her husband were so exhausted after her 24-hour labour that they had no idea why a nurse lifted up their new baby like Rafiki holding up Simba in The Lion King and called him the lucky boy. He may not be a king, but little Amiir whose name means prince in Arabic was greeted with fanfare when he arrived, weighing 8.3 pounds, at the stroke of midnight on New Years Day. A clutch of reporters and cameras was waiting to greet the first baby born in 2020. We didnt even know it was already the new year, said Amiirs father, Deeq Mohamed Farah, who had been in and out of Humber River Hospital with Ikran over the holidays after the baby missed his due date of Dec. 22. Hes a New Year surprise. We didnt expect a New Year baby. Farah said his wife was readmitted late Sunday for induced labour and the delivery was taxing for the first-time parents, who were both Somali refugees living in Djibouti, a tiny country in East Africa, before he fled to Canada for asylum in 2014. Ikran joined him here last year after Farah was granted refugee status and became a permanent resident. Neither Ikran nor I have family in Canada. Now we have a baby boy in our company. He is going to be our new best friend, said Farah, who has been working as an Uber driver after graduating from a computer and network support technician program at Humber College in April. Its hard to become a father. Back home, we did not have a future. We struggled so hard and we want to give our baby the best opportunity in Canada. According to UNICEF, an estimated 1,004 first babies would be born in Canada on New Years Day in 2020, representing 0.25 per cent of the estimated 392,078 babies born this Jan. 1 around the world. The beginning of a new year and a new decade is an opportunity to reflect on our hopes and aspirations not only for our future, but the future of those who will come after us, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF executive director. As the calendar flips each January, we are reminded of all the possibility and potential of each child embarking on her or his lifes journey if they are just given that chance. On Wednesday, other hospitals across the GTA joined the chorus of welcomes for their first babies of the year. At Mississaugas Credit Valley Hospital, Anu and Simran Walia ushered in Aryan, a baby boy weighing 8.1 pounds, just 50 seconds after midnight. We were really excited, said Simran, who had expected the baby to come on Jan. 13 and was taken by surprise when his wife went into labour at 1 a.m. on New Years Eve. We were scared that it might come before at 11:59. But thank God, we had a 2020 baby, and the whole (hospital) staff was trying to get it past midnight and as soon as possible. Back at Humber River, Farah and Ikran were busy sharing the news of their arrival with their family in Somalia through texts and video calls. The couple hope Amiirs arrival will mark a new beginning for their young family, after being uprooted by civil war and unrest. I want Amiir to grow up becoming a teacher, doctor or engineer like his father, said Ikran, looking admiringly at her husband. It is not easy to get an education when your country is at war. We want our son to get a good education to teach others, help people and save lives. With a file from Tom Yun Nicholas Keung is a Toronto-based reporter covering immigration. Follow him on Twitter: @nkeung New Years babies around the world More than half the worlds 2020 New Years Day babies were delivered in these eight countries, according to estimates from UNICEF: India: 67,385 China: 46,299 Nigeria: 26,039 Pakistan: 16,787 Indonesia: 13,020 USA: 10,452 The Democratic Republic of Congo: 10,247 Ethiopia: 8,493 Source: UNICEF We've heard them all a thousand times. Your roommate heard from a guy in another unit who swears up and down that when his cousin went through basic training, his roommate had been doing funny stuff with ether. Did his friend's cousin really see the Etherbunny? It's probably just one more military urban legend that just won't die along with these other myths that have been hanging around since Elvis was in the Army. Be more skeptical, troops. 1. Your favorite old TV star was in Vietnam. Fred Rogers, Slayer of Bodies. Supposedly. What is it about Vietnam that makes us want our favorite TV personalities from yesteryear to not only have served there, but to also be the badass, stone-faced kind of killer that would make Colonel Kurtz proud? According to military myth, Fred Rogers, of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood fame was either a Navy SEAL in Vietnam or a Marine Scout Sniper. Jerry Mathers, who played the title role on Leave It To Beaver, allegedly fought and died there. Neither of those things happened but someone, somewhere is splicing Forrest Gump Vietnam footage into the latest Tom Hanks film about Mr. Rogers. 2. Rich people aren't allowed in the military. "They" used to always say that a winning lottery ticket was also a one-way ticket to civilian life. And people who were millionaires weren't allowed in the service at all. While it may seem likely that a high-net worth individual would be less likely to need his or her military career and be less prone to discipline, the opposite has often proven to be true just look at Jimmy Stewart, Pat Tillman, and other wealthy individuals who preferred to serve. And while winning the lottery doesn't mean you have to leave the military, winning millions will give the branches pause and you could leave if you want to. Every branch has provisions for separations when parting ways is in the military's best interest the way it happened to Seaman John Burdette in 2014. 3. Only sons are exempt from the draft. "Just making sure you reported for duty." Sorry, Private Ryan, but if World War III breaks out, there's still a good chance you're getting called up for the invasion of China. This is an old rumor that is based in some sort of fact. The truth is that sole surviving sons are exempt from the military draft. This is because of a couple of Private Ryan-like moments. The Sullivan Brothers, five real brothers, were killed when the USS Juneau was sunk by a Japanese torpedo in World War II. The story of Fritz Niland, whose three brothers were killed within days of each other, is the basis for Saving Private Ryan. So if you're the only child, I'd still register for Selective Service. If you have a few brothers, you should all hope to register. 4. The .50-cal is illegal but here's how to get around it. "But aim for their backpacks." The story goes that the Geneva Convention outlaws the use of a .50-caliber machine gun in combat, so American infantrymen are trained for "off-label uses." The legend says that you just can't use the weapon against people but equipment is still fair game, so the Corps/Army teaches grunts to say they were firing at belt buckles or vehicles or anything else that might be near. Another variation of this legend is that the .50-cal round can still kill people if it flies close to their bodies, so that's the goal. Neither are true. What weapons are actually banned by international agreements are chemical weapons, certain incendiary weapons, and cluster munitions, to name a few. The United States keeps stockpiles of all of these. Even if the M2 were illegal, do you think the U.S. would give it up, let alone train troops to use it wrong? 5. The base flagpole is carrying some specific stuff. According to lore, one of these airmen is supposed to eat the bullet hidden in this flagpole. According to lore, the ball at the top of the base flagpole known as a "truck" has very specific items in it, with very specific instructions. It is said the truck either contains a razor, a match, and a bullet or those three items plus a grain of rice and a penny. These are all to be used in case the base is overrun by the enemy. So there are a few things wrong with this premise. The first is that a U.S. base built in the 1950s-1980s is going to be overrun. The second is that all that fits inside a truck. The third is that any American troops fighting for control of their base are going to stop, fight their way back to the flag, and go through these instructions: After taking down the flag, troops first have to get the truck from the tops of the pole. Then, the razor will be used to strip the flag, the match will be used to give the flag a flag's retirement, and the bullet is said to be used for either an accelerant for burning the flag or for the troop to use on him or her self. Bonus: the rice is for strength and the penny is supposed to blind the enemy. Does this sound stupid? Because it is. This sounds like gung-ho BS that someone with a fifth-grader's imagination came up with. 6. Medics used to kick your mouth shut if you were killed in combat. Not for oral use. Seriously. Old-timey dog tags (like the ones from World War II, pictured above) had notches on them, which of course led troops to speculate about the purpose of the notch on the tags. Like most things that came to mind for those old troops, the situation got real dark, real fast. The legend says if a soldier was killed in combat, the medic was supposed to use that notch to align the tag using the teeth in the deceased's mouth, then kick the dead man's mouth shut with Charlie Brown-level effort so the tag would be embedded and the dead would be identified. That idea would have led to a lot more head trauma on World War II KIA, wouldn't it? One would have to imagine a better way to maintain identifiers than defiling a corpse. The notch's real purpose was much more mundane. They were used to keep the dog tag aligned on the embossing machine used to imprint the tags. MORE POSTS FROM WE ARE THE MIGHTY: The 'Yucca Man' is a beast that stalks Marines at 29 Palms 11 scary ghost stories, legends, and haunted military bases 6 urban legends about Wright-Patterson Air Force Base - Americas We Are The Mighty (WATM) celebrates service with stories that inspire. WATM is made in Hollywood by veterans. It's military life presented like never before. Check it out at We Are the Mighty. Tristen Rouse is a photo editor at the Columbia Missourian and contributor to its photo blog, The Method. He previously worked at the Missourian as a statehouse photojournalist. He can be reached via email at tjrggf@mail.missouri.edu. Follow this search Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The worst wildfires to ravage Australia in decadesalready blamed for the deaths of at least 17 peopleare expected to cause more damage over the weekend, as the country faces soaring temperatures and no rain in sight. The fires have prompted authorities to announce a state of emergency in New South Wales, where the fires are concentrated, to cope with the dangers expected Saturday. On Thursday, the states premier, Gladys Berejiklian, warned in a news conference that many more people would likely have to flee their homes in the next few days. A large tourist leave zone has been declared in New South Wales, and according to the BBC, the resulting exodus has been called the largest relocation out of the region ever. Thousands already have evacuated from New South Wales and the neighboring state of Victoria this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 4,000 people in the popular tourist town of Mallacoota, Victoria, sought refuge at the beach on Monday after the fire overtook the town, and the Australian navy began evacuating them on Thursday. Some 800 were being rescued on a naval ship. Advertisement Advertisement Citizens have started to express their frustration with what they see as the governments inaction. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has faced criticism for suggesting that the fires were a result of many other factors besides climate change and insisting that Australia could not have taken any steps to mitigate climate change in a way that would have prevented the current situation. And as conditions in Australia worsened last month, he took his family on a vacation to Hawaii. As Morrison toured one fire-scarred town in New South Wales on Thursday, residents shouted insults at him and demanded better funding for rural fire crews. The fires, sparked and fed by abnormally hot and arid conditions, began in October and now number more than 200. More than 1,200 homes have been destroyed, and more than 10 million acres have burned. At least 17 people are still missing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Australias Bureau of Meteorology, this season has been the second driest period on record since 1902, and for the past few years, New South Wales has had below-average rainfall. The heat, too, has been severe: Australia experienced its hottest day on record in mid-December, with an average of 107.4 degrees across the continent. Temperatures are expected to exceed 112 degrees in parts of the country on Friday, according to the bureau. Experts warn that the country may see little relief for weeks or even months, as temperatures usually hit their highs in January and February, when Australias peak fire season typically begins. Meanwhile, 39 American firefighters arrived in Melbourne on Thursday to assist with the efforts. Some 70 additional American and Canadian firefighters are set to arrive next week. Late Nollywood filmmaker, Amaka Igwe, has been honoured with a Google Doodle on her 57th posthumous birthday. A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Googles homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements and notable historical figures. The doodle went live today as an honour of late Igwes contributions to Nollywood. She was a Nigerian filmmaker, broadcasting executive, and the owner of Top Radio 90.9 Lagos and Amaka Igwe Studios. She was recognised as one of the second generation filmmakers who helped begin the video film era of Nigerian cinema. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Heart problems are a common development for people with diabetes. In fact, about 33% of people in the U.S. admitted to the hospital for heart failure also have diabetes. Heart failure may be the result of a co-condition, such as hypertension or coronary heart disease, but not always. A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Diabetes Mellitus Is an Independent Predictor for the Development of Heart Failure: A Population Study, examines the idea of diabetic cardiomyopathy and heart failure from the effects of diabetes alone. Utilizing the Rochester Epidemiology Project, researchers evaluated the long-term impact of diabetes on the development of heart failure, both with preserved ejection fractiona measurement of the percentage of blood leaving the heart with each contractionand reduced ejection fraction. They also looked at mortality in a community population, controlling for hypertension, coronary artery disease and diastolic function. Horng Chen, M.D., cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is senior author of the study. From an initial group of 2,042 residents of Olmsted County, 116 study participants with diabetes were matched 1:2 for age, hypertension, sex, coronary artery disease and diastolic dysfunction to 232 participants without diabetes. Over the 10-year follow-up period, 21% of participants with diabetes developed heart failure, independent of other causes. In comparison, only 12% of patients without diabetes developed heart failure. Cardiac death, heart attack and stroke were not statistically different in the study between the two groups. The study shows that diabetes is an independent risk factor for the development of heart failure in the community dwelling population. Furthermore, the outcome data support the concept of a diabetic cardiomyopathy. This research extends previous findings and demonstrates that even without a known cardiac structural abnormality and with a normal ejection fraction, diabetic patients are still at increased risk of developing heart failure as compared to their nondiabetic counterparts. "The key takeaway is that diabetes mellitus alone is an independent risk factor for the development of heart failure," says Dr. Chen. "Our hope is that this study provides a strong foundation for further investigations into diabetes and heart failure. There is still much to learn and study in terms of this association and how to best diagnose and treat this condition." Explore further Diabetes and heart attack is a particularly risky combination By Angeliki Koutantou ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece, Cyprus and Israel on Thursday signed a deal to build a 1,900 km (1,180 mile) subsea pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean's rapidly developing gas fields to Europe. Although Turkey opposes the project, the countries aim to reach a final investment decision by 2022 and have the pipeline completed by 2025 to help Europe diversify its energy resources. European governments and Israel last year agreed to proceed with the so-called EastMed project, a $6 to $7 billion pipeline project that is expected initially to carry 10 billion cubic metres of gas per year from Israeli and Cypriot waters to the Greek island of Crete, on to the Greek mainland and into Europe's gas network via Italy. The energy ministers of Greece, Israel and Cyprus - Kostis Hatzidakis, Yuval Steinitz and Yiorgos Lakkotrypis - signed the final agreement on the pipeline at a ceremony in Athens. Last month a Turkish official said there was no need to build the EastMed pipeline because the trans-Anatolian pipeline already existed. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said any project that ignored the rights of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots over natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean would fail. "The most economical and secure route to utilise the natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean and deliver them to consumption markets in Europe, including our country, is Turkey," he said in a statement on Thursday. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal was not turning against any country. "It (the agreement) ... supports a common aim for peace, security and stability in the particularly vulnerable region of the Eastern Mediterranean," Anastasiades said. The region lacks significant oil and gas infrastructure and political relations between the countries - including Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Syria - are strained on a number of fronts. Story continues The signing of the EastMed pipeline comes weeks after Turkey and Libya struck an accord on sea boundaries in the Mediterranean, a move which Greece, Cyprus and Israel opposed. Analysts say that pact could present a barrier to the proposed pipeline which would have to cross the planned Turkey-Libya economic zone. "If Turkey would be interested, the door is open," Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Reuters. "We are ready to discuss some kind of cooperation, energy cooperation, also with the Turks. We are not against the Turks but we are very much in favour of the EastMed gas pipeline project," he said. The pipeline project is owned by IGI Poseidon, a joint venture between Greek gas firm DEPA and Italian energy group Edison . DEPA on Thursday signed a letter of intent with Energean , a gas producer with a focus on the Eastern Mediterranean, to buy two billion cubic metres of gas annually from Energean's gas fields off Israel via the planned pipeline. Greece has said the agreement will be concluded once Italy signs off on it too. (Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou in Athens, Jonathan Spicer in Istanbul and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara; editing by Jason Neely and David Evans) Lone Star College-Tomball Community Library will celebrate its 15th anniversary this month, underscoring the long-term partnership between Harris County Public Library and LSC in Tomball. Reading programs at LSC-Tomball Community Library helped Debbie Huffstutlers granddaughter progress from the ABCs to chapter books in less than a year. We are really blessed to have this library on the Tomball campus, Huffstutler said in National Library Week video last year. My granddaughter is four and she told me last month that she thought she was supposed to go to kindergarten before she started college. We are glad that shes talking about university. Related: Tomball ISD to open apprenticeship-style energy and business academy in fall 2020 Allowing non-student patrons to have educational experiences at the college is one of the things LSC-Tomball President Lee Ann Nutt loves most about having the community library on campus. Anybody can come and experience the college without having to enroll in a class and that improves the awareness of the college, Nutt said. It increases our value as a resource in the community. When people are coming to the library, whether with their children, for a specific program, or just to check out a book, because they are on the college campus they may learn and develop the belief that maybe college is for them when the library is seen as an extension of the college. Jan. 25 kicks off a week of special events with an open house anniversary celebration from 12-3 p.m. Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Hillegeist was among the community members present during the librarys ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 20, 2005. Hillegeist frequented Tomballs library throughout his childhood and teens, watching services transfer to increasingly larger facilities, he said in a video on the LSC-Tomball Community Library Facebook page. It is a true asset, a true community library here in Tomball and we are very proud of the Lone Star College community library, he said. What was considered Tomballs first library service operated out of the old Main Street post office in the 1920s, according to the University of North Texas Libraries Portal to Texas History. A volunteer librarian managed the library of about 200 books, which were supplied by Harris County and kept within a single bookcase. When the Great Depression hit, the library stopped operations. The community went without library services until after World War II when a county-run mobile library began visiting Tomball every three weeks. Eventually, a Friends of the Library group was established to pursue a more permanent library that would meet the needs of a growing city. The organization raised funds and rented a facility on West Main Street. The library relocated to a larger facility on Elm Street in 1965. As its programs steadily grew in popularity, the Friends of the Library recognized the need to pursue an even larger building. In the 70s, a 6,000-square-foot library opened on an acre of land donated by the city on James Street. Tomball College and Harris County Public Library began collaborating in the early 2000s on an even larger combined library facility to be located on what is now the Lone Star College-Tomball campus. From 2001-2005, Tomballs library temporarily operated out of a building on Main Street until the new librarys grand opening in January 2005. A decade-and-a-half later, the 72,000-square-foot LSC-Tomball Community Library accommodates more than 300,000 visitors annually, according to the library website. Despite the fact that the librarys huge, it still has the small-town neighborhood library feel that the Tomball communitys all about; family-like, welcoming, and it has heart also, like Tomball, said LSC-Tomball Community Library Director Janna Hoglund. Activities to celebrate the 15th anniversary are planned from Saturday, Jan. 25 through the end of the month, including the grand opening of the Tomball Innovation Lab on Jan. 28 from 5-7 p.m. Related: Tomball Innovation Lab to include 3D printing, virtual reality With support from the college, Tomball chamber, city, economic development corporation, HCA Houston Healthcare, Tomball ISD and Harris County Pct. 4, the library transformed a former computer lab into a creative resource for the public, offering free access to modern technologies such as 3D printers, a laser cutter and Oculus Go virtual headsets. And according to Hoglund, this is just the beginning. Were already thinking about how its going to be in the future, Hoglund said. Were still working on the grand opening, but were already looking forward to what we can do with our resources that we have here in the library, in the college, and also through our partners. So, I think the skys the limit with the support that were getting. The lab is just one example how the college-library partnership has impacted the community. The two entities mutual support has resulted in library additions such as the Tomball Community Art Showcase, a joint project between the college, library and Tomball ISD. The showcase, which debuted last year, highlights the talent of local artists. Related: Tomball library cuts ribbon on Community Art Showcase featuring local students work An interactive childrens play area, the George and Barbara Bush Family Place, also opened in the library last year thanks to a grant HCPL received from the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation and Phillips 66. According to the HCPL website, LSC-Tomball Community Library sees about 38,600 people attend its more than 1,800 programs offered in-library annually such as computer classes and literacy services. In response to patron demand, the Tomball Community Library expanded services to the LSC-Creekside Center in January of last year. Were receiving just tremendous, tremendous positive feedback from parents because the Creekside community, its mostly young families with little kids, so were receiving a lot of toddlers, a lot of preschoolers there for our story times, Hoglund said. Were also moving forward. Were offering some smaller collection for people to be able to check out childrens books. Also, were able to create library cards public library cards and people are able to request holds to be delivered to Creekside. Nutt said the relationship between the college and library continues to flourish through community outreach initiatives and by collaborating as a cohesive educational resource. Were both serving the community, so its seen as our library, not their part and our part; its all together, Nutt said. Were able to find more and more ways to connect the two entities and really make it seem to the community like one, and thats the way it should be. mfeuk@hcnonline.com A male-female team of so-called porch pirates is expected to be formally charged Friday after they were observed stealing items from the front a house in Sterling Heights, according to police. Officers on Wednesday night arrested a 23-year-old Sterling Heights man and a 25-year-old Warren woman who they say took a package from a house while the homeowners were away. The pair had been under observation by undercover officers. Lt. Mario Bastianelli said detectives developed investigative information on the suspects and placed them under surveillance. These are thieves who commit crimes of opportunity, Bastianelli said. They may strike at your residence, your car or garage. They dont stop. Thats why they need to be taken off the street. Media reports indicate more than 25 million Americans have had packages taken from their doorsteps. The package thieves continue to take advantage of the rise in online shopping as those packages are usually left on the buyers porch. Bastianelli said detectives plan to ask the Macomb County Prosecutors Office to charge the two suspects with felony larceny charges. A new state law went recently went into effect making repeat porch piracy and mail theft offenses a felony. A first offense for mail theft would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. A repeat offense would be a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. At 7:40 p.m. Wednesday, the departments Community Response Unit, which had the suspects under surveillance, watched as they stole a package from a home. Those undercover officers communicated with patrol units, which then made a traffic stop on the suspects vehicle. Sterling Heights police released in-camera dashcam video that shows the arrest. As officers take the male passenger out of the vehicle, he starts to protest, saying the couple was returning home from shopping at Walmart. You cant just put me in handcuffs, he said. The officers respond, Yes we can. Bastianelli said Sterling Heights, like many communities across the United States, has had a string of similar incidents. He said some may be tied to drug habits, others may just be thieves looking to cash in wherever the opportunity presents itself. He praised the work of the outstanding teamwork of the undercover officers and patrol division in the arrest. The suspects are being held in the Sterling Heights police lockup pending their arraignment Friday in 41A District Court. Tata Steel CEO and managing director T V Narendran says things have been looking up for the steel sector since November. (PTI) Jamshedpur: The CEO and managing director of Tata Steel, T V Narendran has suggested to the government to focus on "cost of business" to make industry, particularly manufacturing, more competitive. "We have been controlling the cost of business inside the work but outside the plant, it is not in our hands but the Central and state governments," Narendran told reporters Wednesday. Referring to the prevailing scenario in the steel sector, he said 2019 was a difficult year and "Tata Steel is not an exception as we have our own set of challenges to deal with." However, Narendran said, "We have seen some signs of improvement in the last few months of 2019, which is reflected in the fact that demand for steel improved a bit and steel prices are going up again." Steel prices have shot up to Rs 10,000 per tonne during the last six to eight months. He expressed confidence that the company would improve its performance in the last quarter (January-March) of the current fiscal as 'demand of steel is okay'. The January to June months would be favourable for the steel sector in view of activities in the construction and infrastructure sectors, he said. Commenting on the prevailing economic slowdown, Narendran said the April-October period had been the worst period for the steel sector, but things have started looking up since November. "We are expecting to perform well in the last quarter of the current fiscal," he said, adding that the government has also taken various decisions such as the cut in corporate taxes and the recent announcement of more investment in the infrastructure sector. OTTAWA - Some Indigenous communities could soon take over authority for their child-welfare systems under a federal law that took effect this week, but it could be years before others are prepared to take on the responsibility under what federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller calls a "complex" piece of legislation. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/1/2020 (739 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller speaks at the AFN Special Chiefs Assembly in Ottawa, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Some Indigenous communities could soon take over authority for their child-welfare systems under a federal law that took effect this week, but it could be years before others are prepared to take on the responsibility under what federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller calls a "complex" piece of legislation. "This is a process that will be continual throughout the next few years, and the system which is broken will continue to be so for some time," Miller told The Canadian Press Thursday. "Each community has different capacities and preparedness," the minister added. "Some of the most vulnerable will just simply not be, because of issues of capacity, in a position to exercise the whole suite of options that would be available under the law." The new law, passed as Bill C-92 last June, affirms the rights of those communities to enforce their own rules around child and family services. It also shifts the focus of those services to preventing the removal of children from their families and communities. The goal is to improve the health and well-being of Indigenous children currently under care and in generations to come. Indigenous children account for more than half of all kids in foster care even though fewer than 10 per cent of all Canadian children are Indigenous, a statistic Miller calls "shocking." "Change will not come overnight," Miller said. "The only way to achieve this is to continue to work with our partners through this transition period to make sure the law works for First Nations, Inuit and Metis people, and most importantly, for their children." A number of Indigenous communities have already expressed keen interest in taking over those responsibilities. Until Indigenous communities pass their own child-services laws, Miller said services currently provided to Indigenous children will continue as before. However, under Bill C-92, which took effect Wednesday, Indigenous service providers will immediately have to apply basic principles set out in the act when a child comes into care, including consideration of the child's physical and emotional well-being, the importance of the child's relationship with his or her family and community and maintaining a connection to their culture. Some Indigenous communities have expressed concerns that no stable funding to help them take over child-welfare services has been provided under the legislation. The Assembly of First Nations has estimated the total cost of transitioning from federal and provincial care to community-based systems could reach $3.5 billion. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Some of that money could be scattered over several departments in the upcoming spring federal budget for things like social housing, family assistance programs and health care, Miller predicted. But just how much of the spending will be earmarked this year will depend on the outcome of talks among various federal ministers, their provincial and territorial counterparts and Indigenous community leaders, he said. The Quebec government is challenging the legislation, arguing that it infringes on provincial jurisdiction. But the federal government will implement the law, regardless of any constitutional challenge, Miller said. "We'll be moving forward in any event." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2020. These include war-risk cover for Iranian tankers, as well as an additional breach premium when entering high-risk areas, the report said. Read more: Persian Gulf sees continued surge in war risk premiums To meet this need for insurance, especially in the transport and transit sectors, Rouhani called for the creation of an insurance system exclusive for Muslim states, to avoid depending on foreign insurance companies. Rouhani also said that Muslim countries should conduct trade in their own currencies, to reduce reliance on Western economies. This was supported by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. We have to free bilateral trade from foreign exchange pressure, Erdogan was quoted as saying at the summit. Instead of doing trade with foreign currency we would like to do foreign trade with our national currencies. Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar on Thursday compared the parties opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to "urban Naxals". Hitting out at the Congress and various other parties criticising the new law, he said they were protesting against it just "for the sake of opposing". Urban Naxals is a term used to describe city-based supporters working in alleged front organisations of proscribed Maoist outfits. Talking to reporters here, Tendulkar said people in countries like the US and UK have come out in support of the CAA. "But in India, like urban Naxals, some political parties, including the Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party and BSP, are opposing the Act for the sake of opposing. They just want to oppose without understanding," he said. READ| Tukde tukde gang, urban naxals behind CAA, NRC protest: Ravi Shankar Prasad The BJP leader said there was not much opposition against the new law in Goa so far, even as the Congress was trying to "mislead" the public over it. He said BJP working president J P Nadda will address a public awareness rally on CAA at Azad Maidan here on Friday. Nearly 26,000 to 27,000 BJP workers along with party ministers and MLAs will attend the rally, he added. PM Modi's 'urban Naxal' remark On December 22, Prime Minister Modi slammed the Congress and "urban Naxals" for lying over CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). He said, "Congress and its friend, some urban Naxals are spreading rumours that all Muslims will be sent to detention centres. Respect your education, read what the CAA and NRC are. You are educated." PM Modi on Thursday slammed the Congress and its allies opposing the CAA, saying they are against giving relief to those who have been brutalised and victimised in Pakistan. "Pakistan was founded on religious grounds due to which atrocities on minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Christians have increased. But Congress and its allies don't speak against Pakistan," he said at a function here. READ| Delhi: Protesters and AAJMI stage candle march against CAA, NRC, NPR He also said the Congress and its allies take out rallies and stage demonstrations against the efforts to prevent atrocities on religious lines and save women from sexual assaults. PM Modi wondered why those opposed to the CAA were not speaking out against Pakistan's atrocities and asked what stopped them from doing so. What is the CAA? The CAA seeks to provide citizenship to the minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This will be applicable to the members of these communities having arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. Moreover, they will not be considered as illegal migrants. Additionally, the mandatory residence period for naturalised citizenship for these communities has been reduced to 5 years. The opposition contends that the Act discriminates on the basis of religion, which might go against Article 14, which guarantees the right to equality. READ| Anti-CAA stir continues in Delhi on new year day; Swara Bhasker attends protest at Jamia READ| Citing negative reporting, BJP to brief international media over Citizenship Act NEW DELHI Oyo, a start-up that offers budget hotel rooms, has grown into one of Indias most valuable private companies and aims to be the worlds largest hotel chain by 2023. But at least part of Oyos rise in India was built on practices that raise questions about the health of its business, according to financial filings, court documents and interviews with 20 current and former employees, as well as others familiar with the start-ups operations. Many spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation from the company. Oyo offers rooms from unavailable hotels, such as those that have left its service, according to the companys chief executive and nine of the current and former employees. That has the effect of inflating the number of rooms listed on Oyos site. Thousands of the rooms are from unlicensed hotels and guesthouses, its executives have acknowledged. To deter trouble from the authorities over the illegal rooms, Oyo sometimes gives free lodging to the police and other officials, according to nine of the current and former employees and internal WhatsApp messages viewed by The New York Times. E d Balls says the Labour Party must reconsider what it stands for when choosing its next leader. The former shadow chancellor warned that the party faced suffering a repeat of its recent terrible electoral defeat if it selected the wrong person. However, he declined to say on BBC Breakfast whether his wife MP Yvette Cooper would run to replace Jeremy Corbyn. He said: I think Labour has got a very, very big problem. The electoral defeat was terrible. It was partly a reaction in Leave voting seats against the party looking like it wanted to reopen Brexit, it was partly Jeremy Corbyn was unpopular. Ed Balls warned Labour faces suffering a repeat of its recent 'terrible' electoral defeat / Dave Benett Labour at the moment looks very city based, quite London. Actually there are so many places outside the cities where Labour people have turned away. Its about a real reconsideration of whats Labour for? Who does it stand for? Is it a patriotic party? Is it for all the country? If you dont get the analysis right you might just end up choosing the wrong person and having a repeat of the whole thing again. TODO: define component type apester Pressed on whether Ms Cooper, the MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, would run, he said: Yvette is a very senior politician, shes been around a long time she said she would think about it over Christmas. Shes her spokesperson not me. For me to come on and speak for her would be the wrong thing to do Im not going to do that. Ms Cooper refused to serve in Mr Corbyns cabinet and has impressed moderates in her role as chairman of the Commons home affairs committee. It comes after a poll of Labour Party members revealed Sir Keir Starmer, who is yet to formally declare his bid, is the frontrunner in the leadership contest. The shadow Brexit secretary would beat Left-winger Rebecca Long-Bailey by 61 per cent to 39 per cent if the pair reached the last round of voting, according to a YouGov survey reported in The Guardian. The third most popular choice was the Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips who has also not yet formally declared if she will stand. Only shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry and shadow treasury minister Clive Lewis have announced they will stand for the party leadership. Lisa Nandy and party chairman Ian Lavery are believed to be considering bids for leadership. The poll of more than 1,000 members found that seven per cent had Mr Lewis and Ms Cooper as their first choice while Ms Thornberry was on six per cent and Ms Nandy backed by five per cent. The voting process will be launched next week with the new leader expected to take over in March. Labour leader Mr Corbyn is standing down after the partys worst defeat since 1935 in last months general election. CHICOPEE Burial services were held on New Years Day for the 10-year-old boy who died after falling through the ice on the Chicopee River. Minhal Hussain, a fifth-grader at Robert R. Litwin School, and his cousin, an 11-year-old boy from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, went out to play on Saturday and disappeared. The older boy was recovered by rescuers later Saturday, rushed to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and then quickly flown to Boston Childrens Hospital, where he died. The Providence Journal cited school officials with Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy in Cumberland, Rhode Island, who identified the 11-year-old as Salman Jaffrey. Minhals body was recovered Tuesday after an intensive four-day search of the river by multiple public safety agencies. Litwin School Principal Elizabeth Masse said she and Minhals teachers were invited by his family to attend the funeral Wednesday. I am writing tonight to share with you that Minhal Hussain, beloved 5th-grade student at Litwin School was laid peacefully to rest today. His teachers and I were honored to be included in the burial, Masse said in a Facebook post. She asked students, parents and staff to keep the family and his younger brother, a second-grader at Litwin, in their thoughts and prayers. The family has requested privacy as they mourn the deaths of the two children, she said. Masse also released a poster in memory of Minhal. There are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone the light remains, it said. Emergency rescue crews from the Chicopee Police and Fire Departments, the Hampden County Sheriffs Department, the South Hadley Fire Department, the Massachusetts Environmental Police and several state police units searched the water with dive teams and multiple boats for days despite difficult weather conditions. They also initially searched for the children in the woods using K-9 officers with dogs, drones and a helicopter. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni called the boys deaths a tragedy and said it was accidental. 19 Boy recovered from Chicopee River dies; search continues for second child On Monday, educators gathered to set up a trauma plan to prepare for students return to school Thursday after vacation, Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. said. Chicopee schools have dealt with multiple tragedies in the past, but the death of Minhal was especially difficult because he and his classmates are so young, Rege said. Litwin Schools regular counselor was assisted by six additional counselors brought in from other schools. River Valley Counseling and Behavioral Health Network also assisted, he said. The students and staff returned to school today. Six counselors met with classes, small groups and provided individual sessions based on need, Masse said. Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi also brought in four emotional support therapy dogs to provide additional support for the students and staff, she said. We will continue to provide these supports to students and staff. Thank you for keeping Minhal, his cousin, his family and the Litwin community in your thoughts, Masse said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 19:21:30|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Visually impaired patient Chai Xinxin reads the braille prescription at Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 2, 2020. The Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital designed a system to address the inconvenience of the visually impaired patients in medical treatment. The system includes such devices as braille printer, medication reminder, wearables and Mobile Apps, from which visually impaired people can get access to professional medical advice and medication guidance. Among these devices, the braille printers used by doctors help imprint braille prescriptions for the blind patients and more than 300 visually-impaired people have benefited from it. (Xinhua/Li Yibo) A person has died in a crash on the M5 near Quedgeley in Gloucester. Two cars crashed on the northbound carriageway between junctions 12 and 11A just after 8am Gloucestershire Police said. The air ambulance attended but one person was declared dead a short time later, the force said. The other driver was taken to hospital with non-serious injuries. The northbound carriageway remains closed and diversions are in place. The southbound road was shut but has since reopened. It comes after six people were killed during a horror night on UK roads over New Year. Three British Airways staff - two men, aged 23 and 25, and a 20-year-old woman - were killed were killed when their car collided with an HGV in Stanwell, Surrey, just before midnight. A fourth BA staff member involved in the collision, a 25 year-old woman, was left fighting for her life. A 62-year-old woman was killed in a hit-and-run in Cannock, West Midlands, on New Year's Eve when a driver smashed into her mobility scooter at 6.30pm on December 31. A 27-year-old man, who is from Cannock, was arrested in the Hednesford area at 2.45am on New Year's Day on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. Minutes into the new year, in the West Midlands, a 37-year-old died after crashing into a tree. The American veteran said she still hoped to play at the Adelaide International later this month AFP/WANG ZHAO The American veteran said she still hoped to play at the Adelaide International later this month ahead of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year. "Unfortunately I will not be starting my season in Brisbane due to an unexpected setback during my training," the 39-year-old seven-time major winner said in a statement. "I look forward to being in Australia in the new year and will see everyone in Adelaide." The tournament, featuring a strong field including world number one Ashleigh Barty and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, gets underway on Jan 6. Organisers will announce a replacement for Williams on Thursday. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 2 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 30 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Jan. 2, 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, 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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll look at The New Zealand Refining Company Limited's (NZSE:NZR) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Based on the last twelve months, New Zealand Refining's P/E ratio is 20.26. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 4.9%. Check out our latest analysis for New Zealand Refining How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio? The formula for price to earnings is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for New Zealand Refining: P/E of 20.26 = NZ$1.88 NZ$0.09 (Based on the year to June 2019.) 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. All else being equal, it's better to pay a low price -- but as Warren Buffett said, 'It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price'. How Does New Zealand Refining's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers? The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (10.3) for companies in the oil and gas industry is lower than New Zealand Refining's P/E. NZSE:NZR Price Estimation Relative to Market, January 2nd 2020 Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that New Zealand Refining shareholders think it will perform better than other companies in its industry classification. Shareholders are clearly optimistic, but the future is always uncertain. So further research is always essential. I often monitor director buying and selling. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios If earnings fall then in the future the 'E' will be lower. Therefore, even if you pay a low multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become higher in the future. A higher P/E should indicate the stock is expensive relative to others -- and that may encourage shareholders to sell. Story continues New Zealand Refining saw earnings per share decrease by 28% last year. And it has shrunk its earnings per share by 33% per year over the last three years. This might lead to low expectations. A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings. 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. New Zealand Refining's Balance Sheet New Zealand Refining has net debt equal to 45% of its market cap. While it's worth keeping this in mind, it isn't a worry. The Verdict On New Zealand Refining's P/E Ratio New Zealand Refining has a P/E of 20.3. That's around the same as the average in the NZ market, which is 19.4. With modest debt, and a lack of recent growth, it would seem the market is expecting improvement in earnings. Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision. But note: New Zealand Refining 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). If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. David Letterman stood out in bright colors Wednesday while celebrating the New Year with his wife Regina Lasko and son Harry in St Barts. The 72-year-old comedian wore a white T-shirt with a small yellow palm print along with yellow shorts. He completed his outfit with orange Adidas sneakers and accessorized with sunglasses while sporting a thick white beard. Bright colors: David Letterman was hard to miss in yellow and orange Wednesday while celebrating the New Year with his wife Regina Lasko and son Harry in St Barts David accompanied his wife Regina Lasko, 59, who he married in March 2009 during a quiet courthouse civil ceremony in Choteau, Montana. They started dating in February 1986 and welcomed Harry in 2003. Their 16-year-old son is named after the comedian's late father Harry Joseph Letterman. Regina kept it casual for the family outing in a long-sleeved white top, grey shorts and sandals. Casual style: The 75-year-old comedian and wife Regina Lasko kept it casual for the outing Teenage son: Harry sported an orange T-shirt, dark blue shorts and sandals Harry donned an orange T-shirt, blue shorts and sandals. The former late night talk show host and his family previously have vacationed in the Caribbean. Harry got a ride sitting on his father's shoulders in April 2007 during a family getaway in St Barts. Familiar spot: Harry got a ride sitting on his father's shoulders in April 2007 during a family vacation in St Barts David hosted a late night TV talk show for 33 years starting with his February 1982 debut on Late Night With David Letterman on NBC through May 2015 when he signed off on the Late Show With David Letterman on CBS. He has been hosting the Netflix talk show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman that premiered on January 12, 2018. The second season premiered on May 31, 2019 on the streaming service. David also appeared in the Netflix movie Between Two Ferns: The Movie starring Zach Galifianakis, 50, that was released in September. New Delhi [India], Jan 2 (ANI): Two days after the two accused in Jafrabad violence case were granted bail, a Delhi court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of the rest of the accused. Metropolitan Magistrate Prayank Nayak remanded them to judicial custody till January 16. A total of six people were arrested by the Delhi police on December 17 after a protest in Delhi's Jafrabad area against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act turned violent. They were then sent to judicial custody by Delhi's Karkardooma court. The accused were presented before the court today at the end of their remand period. On December 31, the court had granted bail to two accused named Sajid Ali and Daniyal and asked them to pay Rs 35,000 each with a surety of like amount. Prior to that, their bail plea was opposed by the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) A K Srivastav on the grounds that they formed an unlawful assembly and threw petrol bombs. Srivastav said that even though the prohibitory orders were in force in the area, the accused gathered and carried out the rally. Additional Sessions Judge Gurdeep Singh had asked the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) why the accused were charged under section 307 (attempt to murder) to which he contended that they threw throw petrol bombs at the police personnel due to which two officers sustained injuries. The judge was then shown the mobile phone footage of the incident and after going through it observed that there is nothing contentious in the footage as claimed by the Additional Public Prosecutor. (ANI) The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent a missive to all the states and union territories (UTs) asking them to form special teams at the district level to clamp down on the network of spurious liquor manufacturers and distributors, officials told Hindustan Times. The trigger for MHAs communique, sent few weeks back according to a senior official, is a report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in which it recommended strong action following the February 2019 hooch tragedy in Assam in which 143 persons were killed. There was another hooch tragedy in Uttar Pradesh in February 2019 in which around 92 people were killed. NHRC had, on February 25 last year, taken cognizance of a Hindustan Times report while issuing notice to Assam government and union home ministry. The human rights body had asked union home secretary to issue necessary directions to all the state Director General of Police (DGPs) and UTs to enhance police patrolling and vigil in the affected areas of their states and take strict legal action against the culprits. In its letter to states, MHA states, NHRC has stated that the law is in existence to deal with this menace; however, there is a need to sensitise the police and the excise authorities in the states/UTs to be more active and vigilant so that precious human lives are not lost in such incidents. An effective mechanism is required to be evolved to curb the unlawful network of spurious liquor manufacturers and distributors and if necessary, special teams at the district level to be constituted to clamp down on perpetrators of law, in an effective manner. You (principal secretaries of states/UTs) are therefore, requested to kindly issue necessary guidelines for enhancing police patrolling and vigil in affected areas of your state/UT and take strict legal action the culprits, it added. A home ministry official said incidents of deaths due to spurious liquors have taken place over the years and police or excise departments should put a complete ban on such manufacturers. Advertisement The Pentagon says it expects more attacks on the Baghdad embassy by Iran-backed militias and has warned the US is ready to defend itself with more troops after 750 reinforcements were dispatched to Kuwait. The US embassy was besieged on Tuesday by thousands of pro-Iran demonstrators and militants protesting airstrikes that killed 25 of their comrades on Sunday night. 'The provocative behavior has been out there for months... So do I think they may do something? Yes. And they will likely regret it,' Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday. 'We are prepared to exercise self-defense, and we are prepared to deter further bad behavior from these groups, all of which are sponsored, directed and resourced by Iran.' It comes as elite Iraqi troops deployed to secure the embassy's 'Green Zone' today, a day after the pro-Iran mob ended its riot at the gates of the complex. The Pentagon said USAF strikes on Sunday had been in retaliation for months of assaults against the US by Kataeb Hezbollah, which belongs to Iraq's government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Those attacks climaxed last Friday with a missile attack which killed a US contractor at a base 170 miles north of Baghdad. The ease with which the commanders and supporters of the PMF breezed through the heavily-fortified zone around the embassy this week highlighted the precarious balance between Baghdad's allies in Washington and Tehran. Scroll down for video. Elite Iraqi troops deployed to secure the embassy on Thursday a day after the pro-Iran mob ended its riot at the gates of the complex The US embassy siege by pro-Iran protesters in Baghdad lasted just over a day, but analysts warn it could have lasting implications for Iraq's complex security sector and diplomatic ties (pictured: specialist Iraqi forces outside the complex on Thursday) Iraqi counter-terror forces outside the scorched and spray-painted front of the US embassy in Baghdad on Thursday Members of Iran backed armed group Kataib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) set fire outside the U.S embassy inside the high security Green Zone area, in central Baghdad, Iraq on Wednesday This map shows the Embassy compound located along the Tigris River in Baghdad, Iraq Barack Obama welcomed leader of US embassy siege to the White House in 2011 Hadi al Amiri joined Iraq's then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as his Minister for Transport when he stood in the Oval Office in December 2011. On Tuesday, he was leading the charge against the US embassy in Baghdad when it was stormed and set alight by pro-Iran militants. President Obama sitting alongside Iraq's then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the Oval Office of the White House in December 2011. Hadi al Amiri, who led a pro-Iran siege on the US embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday stands behind the sofa wearing a blue tie as part of Maliki's delegation Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared a photograph of Amiri amid the rioters, condemning him as an 'Iranian proxy,' and calling those shoulder-to-shoulder with him 'terrorists.' The head of a leading pro-Iran Shia faction, Amiri exerts great power within Iraq's state-sanctioned PMF and was highlighted by Pompeo among three other men as the ringleaders of the siege. A former guerrilla fighter who fought for Tehran in the Iran-Iraq War, Amiri has been accused of terrorism against the US, of helping Iran to ship arms to Bashar al-Assad in Syria and has been pictured bowing before the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Advertisement On Thursday, more than a dozen black armored vehicles of the US-trained Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service deployed on the embassy's streets in the capital's Green Zone to reinforce security there. Pro-Iran slogans still covered the entire length of the thick concrete walls breached by the mob. But the PMF flags planted by protesters on the embassy's outer walls, as well as photographs of the killed fighters put up in mourning, had been cleared away according to an AFP correspondent. Embassy staff could be seen cleaning up a reception area the protesters had broken into and torched, and cranes were used to move rocks and debris they had pelted at the embassy. The attack sparked comparisons with the 1979 hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran and the deadly 2012 attack on the US consulate in Libya's second city Benghazi. The violence has also troubled Iraqis who have taken to the streets since October in massive rallies denouncing government corruption, a lack of jobs and poor public services. The largest grassroots protests Iraq in decades has seen tens of thousands flooding the streets across the capital and Shiite-majority south. Nearly 460 people have been killed and around 25,000 wounded in protest-related violence. Demonstrators have worried that the dramatic developments outside the US embassy would either steal their thunder or be mistaken for an extension of their own movement. 'What happened in front of the US embassy was an attempt to draw people's eyes away from the popular protests now in their fourth month,' said Ahmed Mohammad Ali, a student protester in the southern hotspot city of Nasiriyah. 'We're still here, protesting for change and hoping for victory,' he told AFP. Ali's determination came despite the attempted killings of two activists in Nasiriyah overnight, both of whom survived. Iraqi security forces deploy during the second day of protests at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq on Wednesday Iraqi counter-terrorism forces stand guard in front of the US embassy in the capital Baghdad on Thursday On Tuesday, thousands of militias of the Popular Mobilization Forces, many of which are supported by Iran, stormed the high-security Green Zone and besieged the US embassy (pictured: Iraqi personnel lock down the walls of the embassy) The ease with which the rioters breezed past US-trained forces demonstrated the dominance of the PMF in Iraq (pictured: counter-terror forces outside the gates today) Iraqi counter-terrorism forces stand guard in front of the US embassy in the capital Baghdad on Thursday. Riots outside the embassy have highlighted Baghdad's precarious balance between its allies in Washington in Tehran Iraqi security personnel defend the US embassy in Baghdad today, the walls of the complex are tarnished with scorch marks and graffiti An activist in Baghdad was not so fortunate: Saadoun al-Luhaybi was shot in the head in a southwestern neighbourhood of the capital overnight, a police source told AFP on Thursday. Around a dozen activists have died in targeted killings across Iraq in what demonstrators say is an intimidation campaign meant to scare them into halting their movement. Many have persisted, and rallies rocked the southern city of Diwaniyah on Thursday. Protesters there have shut most government offices but briefly allowed some to reopen this week to allow employees receive their end-of-year salaries. The attack on the embassy highlighted new strains in the US-Iraqi relationship, which officials from both countries have described to AFP as the 'coldest' in years. Protesters burned the property in front of the U.S. compound on Tuesday waving flags and banners for their specific groups in protest of the US airstrikes in Iraq on Sunday US soldiers watch from behind a smoke screen as Iraqi protesters surround the US embassy building in the capital Baghdad. They fired warning shots, followed by stun grenades and tear gas US soldiers could be seen inside the building filmed from the outside by furious protesters who pressed up against the glass taunting the personnel A wounded protester is seen held by pro-Iran militia members as chaos unfolds outside U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday. The protester may have been wounded by American stun gun fire or in the tumult of the demonstrations US embassy security personnel are seen through a glass window as protesters and militia fighters wreak havoc outside The United States led the 2003 invasion against then-dictator Saddam Hussein and has worked closely with Iraqi officials since. But its influence has waned compared with that of Tehran, which has long and carefully crafted personal ties with Iraqi politicians and armed factions, even during Saddam's reign. Both Washington and Tehran backed Iraqi security forces fighting the Islamic State (IS) group, but the two have been at loggerheads since the United States pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal with Iran in 2018. Iraqi officials have feared that their country could be used as an arena for score-settling between Iran an the US. 'Before this episode, there was an agreement that in post-IS Iraq, the US and Iran don't attack each other directly,' said Renad Mansour, an expert at the London-based Chatham House. 'That norm is being challenged now because Iran and its allies are in a bad spot. That is very destabilizing, because they will seek to change the status quo.' Iraqi protesters set ablaze a sentry box in front of the US embassy building in the capital Baghdad to protest against the weekend's air strikes by US planes on several bases belonging to the Hezbollah brigades near Al-Qaim Members of the Hashd al-Shaabi militia, part of the Popular Mobilization Forces of which Kataeb Hezbollah is a member, attempt to break through the gates of the compound on Tuesday Demonstrators react as tear gas is fired down by US soldiers on the rooftop of the compound after they stormed through the main gate Under siege: US soldiers keep watch on the US embassy in Baghdad from an observation post The Centre will send a high-level team comprising experts from AIIMS, Jodhpur and health economists to a government hospital in Rajasthan's Kota, where 100 infants died in December, to assess the infrastructural gaps and measures to be taken to prevent further deaths. The health economists will analyse the gaps in the infrastructure of the JK Lon hospital to ascertain how much funds will be required for strengthening it. "The high-level team being despatched by @MoHFW_INDIA incl experts from AIIMS Jodhpur, Health Finance & Regional Director, Health Services Jaipur. It will reach #Kota tomorrow. In my letter too to @ashokgehlot51 ji, I've offered all possible assistance to prevent any further deaths (sic)," Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a tweet on Thursday. Vardhan has also written to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, assuring him of all assistance, and urged him to initiate measures to stop the deaths of children at the JK Lon hospital. "We are ready to provide any technical help or assistance. Let us ensure no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of health system capacity," Vardhan has written in his letter to Gehlot. According to Union health ministry officials, a preliminary probe has suggested that over 70 per cent of important equipment, including infusion pumps, warmers, oxymeters, nebulisers, meant for newborns, were not in a working condition at the JK Lon hospital and there was a paucity of staff in the paediatrics department. A recent review had also revealed that the mortality rate at the hospital was 20.2 per cent in 2019, as against the 14.3 per cent in the preceding two years, an official said, adding that this meant one in five infants admitted to the hospital last year died from preventable causes. The ministry was yet to receive a formal report from the state in this matter, the official said. Besides, a committee constituted by the Rajasthan government has stated that the deaths were taking place due to a lack of oxygen pipelines in the hospital and also because of extreme cold conditions. It also pointed towards an increased referral of critical cases and stated that the number of beds in the hospital was less than the flow of patients. The situation at the ICUs was also similar, the committee said. "I informed @ashokgehlot51 ji that Rs 91.7 lakhs has already been advanced to JK Loan Hospital during 2019-20 under National Health Mission. Kota District alone has an annual allocation of Rs 27.45 Cr for '19-20, from the annual budgeted amount of Rs 1788.97 Cr for Rajasthan state (sic)," Vardhan said in another tweet. "I told @ashokgehlot51 ji that #Rajasthan may go ahead and propose for further financial assistance in the upcoming Rajasthan National Health Mission (NHM) meeting after doing their gap analysis. We'll do our best to prevent further deaths, I assured him fully," the Union health minister wrote on Twitter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Police on Thursday (January 2) denied permission to Popular Front of India (PFI) to hold rally against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Murshidabad district on January 5 (Sunday). West Bengal police sources told Zee Media that PFI has not been allowed to hold the rally on Sunday. It is to be noted that the pamphlets published and circulated by PFI asking people to attend the rally mention TMC MP Abu Taher Khans name on it. However, Abu Taher Khan says he is yet to decide whether he will attend the rally or not. But, PFI maintains that Abu Taher and other TMC leaders had given consent to attend the rally. The development comes just a day after the Uttar Pradesh government wrote a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking a ban on the PFI for its active role in triggering violence during the recent anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in the state. Sources on Wednesday (January 1) said that the MHA has received the UP government's proposal calling for a ban on PFI and is likely to take legal opinion before imposing a ban on the organisation. The MHA is also likely to take inputs from intelligence and central government agencies, including NIA, before reviewing the past activities of PFI. Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh had earlier sent a letter to the state's Home Department seeking a ban on the PFI. The proposal has now been forwarded to the MHA for necessary action, the sources claimed. Live TV In a related development, Uttar Pradesh's Minority Minister Mohsin Raza on Wednesday accused PFI of misleading the Muslim youths and spreading Islamic extremism in the country. He also called PFI a front for the banned group SIMI and claimed that the organisation received its funding from Pakistan's intelligence wing ISI. He further alleged that the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, which supports organisations like PFI, too get their funding from ISI. "When Pakistan Zindabad slogans were raised in Lucknow, member of the "tukde-tukde" gang Umar Khalid was also there," Raza said. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged citizens to focus on their Fundamental Duties as much as the Fundamental Rights and also requested active support in conserving water and the environment. He made the call while addressing a gathering during a programme at Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur, Karnataka. The prime minister later wrote on Twitter about his three requests. "My three requests to citizens: Focus on Fundamental Duties in addition to the Rights as enshrined in our Constitution. Conservation of the environment. Spread awareness and work towards water conservation," he said. My three requests to citizens: Focus on Fundamental Duties in addition to the Rights as enshrined in our Constitution. Conservation of the environment. Spread awareness and work towards water conservation. pic.twitter.com/RQSvh79ZiZ Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 2, 2020 Modi also attached a clip of his speech. He asks the saint community to take on the mantle to strengthen India's ancient traditions. "I want to request all the saint community in India and everyone else's active support in understanding our responsibilities and duties and strengthening our ancient traditions," he said. Live TV He also urged everyone to unite in fighting for the conservation of the environment. "I want everyone to support me in my fight against single-use plastics. If you take the step forward the initiative will get a big boost and we will be able to make India plastic-free country." PM Modi in the speech also hit out at the Congress for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and said that the Congress was opposing the Constitution. PM Modi said, "Our government brought CAA, but Congress has opposed it. These people have started agitation against the Constitution." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, January 2, 2020 Arief, 34, is a mechanic who has lived in Neglasari district, Tangerang City, for 20 years. Living about 300 meters away from the Rawa Kucing landfill, Arief is familiar with the stench that emanates from dump site. The unpleasant smell has worsened to such an extent over the past few months that Arief and other residents have started complaining. The smell is causing nausea and vomiting among residents. It has also brought flies into residents houses. The reason is overcapacity at the Rawa Kucing landfill. Even though the dump site has undergone several improvements, a poorly managed mountain of garbage has continued to create problems. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login A Belgian judge on Thursday suspended consideration of a Spanish warrant seeking the return of two Catalan separatist leaders, who are also members of the European Parliament, to face trial. Exiled former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont and his health minister Toni Comin were elected members of the European Parliament in May last year. The European Court of Justice ruled last month that they enjoy immunity from prosecution unless Spain requests this be removed and their fellow MEPs agree. On Thursday, Puigdemont's Belgian lawyer Simon Bekaert told the French news agency AFP that the European Arrest Warrant levelled against the men by the Spanish court should now be rejected. Separately, Puigdemont's camp issued a triumphant statement. "Today, the Belgian justice system has once again stopped the attempt to extradite president Puigdemont and councillor Comin because they recognise their immunity," it said. Separatist calls for Spain to respect the law On Twitter, Puigdemont declared: "Spain must act in the same way as Belgium has done and respect the law." Puigdemont served as president of the Catalan region of Spain between January 2016 and October 2017, during which time he helped organise an independence referendum. He fled Spain after attempting to declare independence on the strength of the result of the banned vote. Courts in Belgium, Germany and Scotland have refused to extradite Puigdemont and other senior Catalan politicians sought by Spain for their role in the 2017 crisis. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-03 03:16:49|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Tripoli-based High Council of State of Libya on Thursday welcomed the Turkish parliament's approval to send troops to Libya, as the armed conflict between the east-based army and the UN-backed government continues. "The Higher Council of State welcomes the Turkish parliament's approval to authorize the Turkish Presidency to send military forces (to Libya) at the request of the (Libyan) Government of National Accord," the council said in a statement. Earlier in the day, the Turkish parliament passed a motion that authorizes the government to deploy troops in Libya for a one-year period, with 325 votes in favor and 184 against. On Nov. 27, 2019, Turkey and the Tripoli-based UN-backed Libyan government signed two separate memorandums of understanding. The east-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign in and around the capital Tripoli since early April of 2019, trying to take over the city and topple the UN-backed government. Thousands have been killed and injured in the fighting, and more than 120,000 people fled their homes. Vietnam Airlines on January 1 joined hands with the countrys four major tourist cities - Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City - to welcome the first passengers of the airline in 2020. First passengers travel to Ho Chi Minh City in 2020 The first passengers of Vietnam Airlinesarriving in Hanoi and HCM City were on flights from France. Ceremonies to welcome the special guestswere held at airports by leaders of the departments of tourism and VietnamAirlines representatives. Vietnam Airlines operated 134,000 flightsin 2019, carrying 23 million passengers and nearly 346,000 tonnes of cargo.Meanwhile, its OTP index hits 90 percent, 2 percent higher than the set goalfor the year. Its profit in 2019 hit nearly 3.37 trillionVND (146.20 million USD) the highest level so far. The firms revenue reached nearly 101.2trillion VND (4.36 billion USD), up 2.2 trillion VND compared to 2018. It contributed nearly 7.37 trillion VND(317.7 million USD) to the State budget, 10 percent higher than the previousyear. For 2020, the firm has set to transport 25million passengers and revenue of 110.5 trillion VND (4.76 billion USD)./.VNA Sanders said in the interview, I will support someone if theyre more conservative than me because I think its imperative that we beat Trump. But he also made clear that, even if he stumbles, he has no plans to drop out until the race is over, saying what he is certainly prepared to do is contest every state in this country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday disbursed over Rs 12,000 crore to the bank accounts of more than six crore farmers under the flagship PM-KISAN scheme at a public meeting in Tumkur, Karnataka. This was the third and the last instalment of Rs 2,000 under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) for the period December 2019 to March 2020. He also distributed Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to select farmers from Karnataka on the occasion. The PM-KISAN is a central sector scheme with 100 per cent funding from Government of India. The key element of PM-KISAN is income support of Rs 6,000 per year provided to all farmer families across the country in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each every four months. Slamming states that have not enrolled with the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PMKSY), Modi said that such petty politics has done great damage to the farming community. He hoped that the states that haven't implemented the PMKSY, will do it and political parties will rise over politics to help the farmers in their states. The Prime Minister said that the land of Karnataka also witnessed a historic moment when money under the PM-KISAN scheme has been distributed directly into the personal accounts of nearly 6 crore farmers in the country. Also Read: Real GDP at 3%; NPR rollout to further hit economy: P Chidambaram Claiming his government has ensured that the entire money reached the poor beneficiaries, PM Modi hit out at the previous governments. "There was also a period in the country, when one rupee was sent for the poor in the country and only 15 paise out of it reached the beneficiaries." PM Modi said that the irrigation projects that have been stalled for several decades are now being implemented. "The Centre has always given priority to the interests of our farmers with the schemes like crop insurance, soil health cards and 100 per cent neem-coated urea," he added. Prime Minister said that due to the efforts of the government, both the production and export of spices from India has increased considerably. "Spice production in India has increased by more than 2.5 million tonnes, so the export has also increased from about Rs 15,000 crore to about Rs 19,000 crore." Also Read: India's unemployment rate rises to 7.7% in December: CMIE Referring to the government's efforts on fisheries sector, Modi said the government is working at three levels to strengthen the sector. This includes encouraging fisheries in villages through financial assistance to fishermen, modernising the fishing boats under the Blue Revolution Scheme, and constructing modern infrastructure related to fish trade and business. Prime Minister said, "Fishermen have been linked to the Kisan Credit Card facility. New fishing harbours are being built in large rivers and in the sea for the convenience of fish farmers. A special fund of Rs 7,500 crore has also been created for modern infrastructure. Fishermen's boats are being modernised for deep sea fishing and navigation devices are being installed in boats for the protection of fishermen with the help of ISRO." Keeping in view the nutritional security of the country, the PM requested to create a new category in the Krishi Karman Award, for nutri cereals, horticulture and organic agriculture. This will give impetus to people and states doing better work in these areas, he added. By Chitranjan Kumar A subsided section of a taxiway at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi in August 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Duy. Vietnam's main airport operator ACV is seeking permission to manage the repair of runways and taxiways at both Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports. Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), which runs all 22 civil airports in the country, has written to the Ministry of Transport and its direct manager, the Committee for Management of State Capital at Enterprises, seeking government approval to repair downgraded runways and taxiways at Vietnam's two largest airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. According to ACV, a joint-stock company with 95.4 percent state-owned shares, several taxiways and runways at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports have been seriously downgraded since 2017 due to overload, posing a risk to aviation safety. A transport ministry report in September stated there were serious cracks, factures, subsidence and material falling off expansion joints between concrete slabs as a result of overuse beyond designed capacity. It estimated runway and taxiway renovation costs for both airports at around VND4.5 trillion ($195 million). Shortly after the report, the government directed reparation of runways and taxiways at both airports be completed by November last year. However, no work has been carried out, as the state failed to allocate funds towards the project. According to current regulations, as both runway systems belong to the aviation asset managed by the state, they must be repaired using state budget. ACV confirmed if no repair work is carried out, downgraded runways and taxiways must be shut down. To solve the problem, the company suggested using the differences between income and expenditures it has managed from operating airports to cover part of reparations. For the rest, ACV would make advancements by using the sum accumulated from its own business activities. If the government approved its plan, the company could complete repairs at Tan Son Nhat in 23.5 months and at No Bai in 26.5 months. Inspections of Noi Bai International Airport in August last year found two tire marks, each 1-meter wide, on one major runway, potholes 30-50 cm wide and some subsidence on a parallel runway. Runways at Tan Son Nhat are also congested and not equipped to handle new planes that are getting larger and heavier, the ACV stated in a report last year. Tan Son Nhat, the largest airport in Vietnam, received more than 40 million people in 2019, 1.6 times higher than its intended capacity of 25 million per year, while Noi Bai handled 29 million compared to design capacity of 21 million, official data revealed. Authorities in eastern Poland say bird flu is responsible for the deaths of at least 25,000 turkeys in poultry farms near the country's borders with Ukraine and Belarus. Polish veterinary authorities on Thursday were planning to cull tens of thousands of birds in the Lubartow area, a major poultry farming region. Police were blocking access to the affected area to non-residents. The chief veterinarian for Lublin province, Pawel Piotrowski, confirmed that the deadly H5N8 virus was responsible for the turkey deaths in two farms in the village of Stary Uscimow, which lies 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the borders with Ukraine and Belarus. It was not clear how the bird flu virus found its way to the farms. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI A Fruitport woman has had her nursing license suspended on an emergency basis after a drug diversion incident prompted six years of drug testing she consistently skipped, state records show. Nancy Ann Umphrey, 57, had her registered nurse license suspended in October 2019 after years of noncompliance with state efforts to help her keep it, according to records obtained by MLive/Muskegon Chronicle through Michigans Freedom of Information Act. Her troubles began with a 2013 drunk driving crash and the 2014 diversion of opioids from her employer that prompted a three-year state monitoring agreement requiring drug and alcohol screens, according to the records. Over the next several years, Umphrey failed to submit to 42 drug screens, either skipped or provided diluted specimens for another 13 drug screens and tested positive once for an opioid pain killer, records show. The state extended her monitoring agreement five times for a total of another three years -- before the emergency suspension, records show. Umphrey did not respond to attempts by MLive/Muskegon Chronicle to reach her for comment. An administrative complaint from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs details the concerns regarding Umphrey that go back more than six years, including: - A 2013 vehicle crash in Fruitport Township after which Umphrey was found in possession of an open bottle of liquor and had a blood alcohol content of 0.262, more than three times the legal limit. She was convicted of drunk driving, but never informed the state as her R.N. license required. - The 2014 diversion of hydromorphone from Mercy Health Muskegon, for which she was working at the time. Umphrey was placed on a three-year monitoring agreement with the state requiring regular drug and alcohol testing and ordering her not to use alcohol or controlled or other mood-altering substances. - Failure to submit to 10 drug screens between October 2014 and March 2015, prompting a nine-month extension of her monitoring agreement. - A positive drug screen for tramadol in September 2015, which had followed four failures to submit to drug screens between May and August of 2015. As a result, her monitoring agreement was extended another six months. - Thirteen occasions between October 2015 and October 2016 when Umphrey either didnt show up for drug screens or submitted diluted urine specimens. She also didnt submit required paperwork about sponsor reports and self-help logs. As a result, her monitoring agreement was extended another 15 months. - Failure to submit to seven drug screens between February and June 2017. She also didnt submit the required sponsor reports and self-help logs. Her monitoring agreement was extended another three months. - Failure to submit to six drug screens between September 2018 and March 2019 and failure to provide sponsor reports, worksite monitoring reports, therapist/addictionist reports and self-help logs. Her monitoring agreement was extended another three months. - Failure to submit to 15 drug screens between April and September 2019, and an August 2019 screen that was positive for alcohol. At that point, Umphrey was determined noncompliant and her case was forwarded to the disciplinary subcommittee for the state board of nursing. A notice of summary suspension of her license was issued Oct. 23 by the enforcement division director for the bureau of professional licensing. In it, the director notes that public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action. Umphreys case remains open and her license is currently suspended, according to state records. A woman contacted the police at 8am on New Year's Day after her partner had punched her. The police report detailed that the couple had had an argument the day before, in which the man was violent to the woman. The public prosecutor's office ordered the man to leave the couple's home after the first report of violence. On New Year's Day, the woman encountered the man outside of the apartment. The two began arguing, and again the man became physically violent. The police arrested the man and scheduled an appointment with the investigating magistrate. A school district is planning to cut students attendance week down to four days. Ozark Mountain School District, in the US state of Arkansas, will drop Monday from the school week with pupils and staff to attend classes between Tuesday to Friday, local news outlet KY3 reported. Superintendent Kerry Saylors said the district, which manages three schools with about 600 students, made the decision, which should start at the beginning of the next school year, after losing 40 pupils in two years. The district will drop Mondays from the school week. Source: Getty Images (file pic) He also hopes it will attract teachers. We have a tendency to lose teachers to surrounding school districts, he told KY3. Were hopeful the four-day week might help us keep some of those teachers that possibly would have left. And also when we have open positions, hopefully this will improve our applicant pool. The district decided to drop Mondays because some students have school sporting commitments on Fridays. School days and classes will be longer during the week though, but its not clear yet how long a typical day will be. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. A person was arrested on Thursday from Kolkata's Park Circus area with fake Indian currency notes (FICN) with a face value of Rs 7 lakh, police said. Acting on a tip, sleuths of Kolkata Police's STF conducted a raid in the area under Beniapukur Police Station and nabbed the Malda resident, a senior police officer said. The currency with a face value of Rs 7 lakh were in Rs 2,000 denomination and Rs 500 denomination , the official said, adding that the accused appears to be part of an FICN gang. He would be produced before a city court on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) How to build modern fashion brands and revolutionize the shopping experience through design. Pieter Konickx and Suchi Ahuja from B-Reel are a multidisciplinary creative team with a knack for creating digital campaigns and experiences. They discuss working on brands like Rihanna's luxury fashion house FENTY that go against industry tradition of having physical stores and instead only do online distribution, at Awwwards Conference New York. Fenty doesnt design around seasons at all. The releases can drop at any time, keeping the consumers on their toes adapting to modern consumer behavior. Watch 100s of UX, UI Design, Animation, Web Design and Development talks on the Awwwards YouTube Channel - subscribe here! Get your ticket for the next Awwwards Conference: Talks, Workshops, Meetups and Parties for digital creatives to learn key tools, current trends and emerging web technologies from leading agencies, whilst making connections within the international design community. In a recent judgment, the Calcutta High Court scaled down charges against one of the prime accused in the AMRI hospital fire tragedy.1 Ninety-two patients choked to death in this hospital in the heart of Kolkata, when a massive fire broke out in its basement on the night of 9December 2011. The postmortem report mentioned asphyxia as the cause of these deaths. The hospitals managing director, Mani Kumar Chhetri, and 15 others were prosecuted for alleged offences punishable under Sections 304 Part II/308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) read with Section 36 (offence caused by an act or omission) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under several sections of the West Bengal Fire Services Act. While theother accused chose to face trial, Chhetri appealed to the Calcutta High Court to discharge him from the case. After hearing the matter, the court scaled down the charges against Chhetri, from culpable homicide not amounting to murder, to rash and negligent act not resulting in murder. But in the process, the judge, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, also pointed out glaring limitations in the IPC when it comes to holding corporate top brass culpable for criminal negligence resulting in mass deaths. Flouting Fire Safety Guidelines It has been alleged that the fire broke out because AMRI, a reputed state-of-the-art hospital, had deliberately flouted fire safety guidelines. The hospital management chose to ignore repeated directives issued by the states fire safety department. In addition, the hospital put in place an operational strategy called Code Brown, which is a dangerously risky fire-fighting policy. As per Code Brown, the staff attempts to contain a fire in-house, basically with internal resources, before reporting it to any external agency such as the fire brigade or the police department. This policy was followed in spite of the fact that the hospital had no full-time fire officer and had not trained its staff appropriately to deal with a fire crisis situation. The fire broke out in the basement of the five-storeyed structure. The building was centrally air-conditioned; thus the walls were sealed, with no vents or windows. Toxic smoke from the basement got pumped into the building through the central air-conditioning system. Thick smoke accumulated in the patient wards, causing poor visibility and suffocating those trapped in it. People from the neighbourhood, who had rushed to the site to rescue patients, were prevented from entering the hospital premises by the security staff. Other staff inside the hospital tried to contain the fire themselves as per Code Brown. When they failed to control the fire, the fire brigade was called, but after a considerabledelay. By the time the fire brigade arrived, many of those trapped inside were dead. One needs to remember that many patients were not mobile, some lay unconscious in the intensive care unit or were under heavy sedation, and some were in wheelchairs. These patients could not attempt escape as the thick black smoke engulfed them. There were two probable causes for the fire in the basement, neither of which could be confirmed. It may have started due to a malfunctioning air conditioner in an unauthorised pharmacy, or from an external source. There were no fire stoppers, thus the smoke spread rapidly from the electrical shaft which originated in the basement and ran through the floors to the top one. The fire spread rapidly from the medical store, which stocked combustible materials such as cotton, gauge and rubber. The staff at the medical store had informed the hospital staff as soon as they noticed the flames, but their warning went in vain because the fire-fightinginstruments failed. Neither the fire dampeners nor the fire breaks were working and the hospital staff was not adequately trained to conduct theevacuation process. Hazards of Code Brown The fire that broke out in AMRI hospital on 9 December 2011 was not a one-off or random incident. Investigations revealed that 12 incidents of fire had occurred there previously. In October the same year, a fire broke out in the AMRI Diabetic Centre. The security staff at that time had promptly informed the fire brigade, and the fire could be controlled due to their quick response. But astoundingly, the staff was suspended by the AMRI management because they had informed the fire brigade, as it was deemed in breach of the Code Brown policy. Code Brown is adopted by institutions to save their public reputation and retain their paying public. As per this code, only on failing to contain a fire should the staff inform external agencies such as the fire brigade or the police. For, informing these agencies makes news of the fire public information, and such news would deter people from coming for treatment to the private hospital which would translate into a loss of revenue. Thus, Code Brown is a problematic policy because it focuses on protecting corporate interests and compromises public safety, whereas for a hospital, public safety ought to be a non-negotiable principle, because people coming for treatment are physically vulnerable. AMRI had also deviated from the construction plan sanctioned by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Its upper basement, which was meant as a car parkaccording to the sanctioned plan, was converted into offices, storerooms and the pharmacy, in violation of the repeated directives by the fire services department. Yet, year after year, AMRI obtained no objection certificates from the firedepartment, after submitting affidavits assuring compliance with its directives. No direction was issued by the AMRI board to implement the directives. The AMRIs board of directors were surely in the know of the fire safety lapses, as it was a long-standing situation in thehospital. In 2007, the AMRI management wanted to acquire accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospital and Healthcare Providers (NABH). Thus, for one year they appointed a full-time consultant specialist, to ensure that the hospital was in compliance with NABH guidelines in all respects, including fire safety. However, once the accreditation was obtained in 2008, it lost interest in maintaining NABH standards. The services of the compliance consultant and incumbent fire officer were terminated. Instead, a part-time fire officer was appointed, who reported only twice a week. Fire training and evacuation drills, an essential NABH mandate, were conducted irregularly. In 2011, AMRI lost NABH accreditation due to lapses in fire safety standards and evacuation training. It is important to note that all the above irregularities were in the active knowledge of the petitioner Chhetri and took place with his connivance, as he was the managing director. Yet, the court held that he could not be prosecuted for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. It may, however, be pertinent to know that the above accusations have not been admitted by the petitioner and other accused persons in the case, and the allegations are required to be proved beyond reasonable doubt during the course of trial. Limitations in the Law The judgment states, It may be apposite to note that in [the] United Kingdom, a legislation, namely The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, has been enacted to hold companies accountable for the failures of senior management resulting in death of persons. However, in the absence of any legislation in India making a company culpable for death by [a] rash and negligent act, the question of making the directors and/or officers of the company vicariously liable for such act cannot arise and their penal liability is to be examined under the various provisions of the Indian Penal Code. In this perspective, the plea of non-joinder of the company as an accused is rendered irrelevant to the validity of the prosecution of the petitioner and other accused persons in the instant case. The law requires factual proof beyond reasonable doubt or the direct involvement of the management top brass in the particular activity, which is the cause of death, to hold them guilty for culpable homicide. Therefore, there is a crying need for a law which will create vicarious liability on the part of the senior management, in cases of operational failures of companies resulting in deaths. Cases like this show how easy it is to raise the bogey of middle management blunders to escape the liability of graver charges in instances of mass murders which result from corporate greed. Indian companies are rarely managed on professional lines. Equity owners dictate every step in cutting corners to maximise profit, at the expense of public safety. The judgment, though poised on legal principles based on precedent, loses sight of the ground realities of company management in family-owned businesses. In such businesses, the mandate of a few at the helm of affairs overrides the interests of any other stakeholder. And public safety is accorded the least significance, when weighed against the motivation to make profits. Unfortunately, repeated incidents of deaths due to corporate negligence, from the times of the Bhopal gas tragedy to the present, have failed to shake our legislators out of their deep slumber of inaction. They are yet to formulate a law providing for corporate criminal liability in heinous crimes, such as culpable homicide or involuntary manslaughter. Even the Law Commission of India appears to have turned a blind eye; and is yet to propose a substantive legislation in this arena. In the absence of a specifically defined legislation on corporate liability andgoing only by the norms of common law, it is difficult to hold the chief executive officer of a company or the board of directors of a corporation criminally liable for an act that has resulted in the death of individuals, unless they are caught red-handed in perpetrating the act itself or were directly involved in its commission or omission. In contrast, some other countries, such as the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, have legislated specially defined law to hold the senior management accountable for criminal negligence, commission or omission which results in the death of a person or persons. According to the UKs Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act of 2007, the senior management, including the company itself can be found guilty of the offence. In November 2003, Australia passed the Crimes (Industrial Manslaughter) Amendment Bill of 2002, creating the offence of industrial manslaughter. Hence, the Australian law too recognises industrial manslaughter, by attributing criminal liability to corporations in industrial activities. The AMRI judgment rightfully touches on the issue of corporate penal liability with regard to manslaughter when multiple deaths have occurred due to flawed operational practices. It observes that in the absence of any judicial pronouncement or legislation creating corporate criminal liability for manslaughter, the culpability of the directors constituting the top management is to be factually determined on the basis of the extent of their knowledge and specific role assigned to them in the affairs of the company. Constructive culpable liability under the penal code arising out of common intention or common knowledge of the offenders was relied upon by the judge to rope in the directors in this case. Subjective Distinction The penal code, a law framed two centuries ago, does not cater to the principles of vicarious liability, which would make directors legally responsible for the acts of the company. However, affixing responsibility for involuntary manslaughter is grossly inadequate in cases of mass deaths. In the Upahaar cinema case2 and in the Bhopal gas tragedy case,3 which are both incidents of mass deaths due to corporate negligence, the Supreme Court endorsed the conviction of the top management for involuntary manslaughter and not culpable homicide. It is interesting to note the distinction that the courts have made as to the certainty of knowledge of death in the mind of an offender in two different contextsin the arena of corporate management, and in the case of drunken driving. For corporate management, the court has tended to hold knowledge of the possibility of death as not a certain conclusion. Whereas for drunken driving, like in the cases of Sanjeev Nanda4 and Alister Pareira,5 the court held that such knowledge is implicit in the mind of a reckless drunken driver, making him liable for culpable homicide. The distinction is subjective in nature and is based on the factual nuances of each case. Subjective distinction creates a sense of uncertainty in the application of penal law, in the domain of death due to a rash and negligent act. This dichotomy gets further aggravated due to the disparity in the maximum sentence that may be awarded for culpable homicide on the one hand and involuntary manslaughter on the other. In cases of culpable homicide, the court may award a sentence up to life imprisonment. Whereas in involuntary manslaughter, that is, a death or deaths due to a rash or negligent act, the sentence can be only up to two years, even if the reckless act has resulted in the deaths of numerous persons. The law needs to be amended immediately by raising the levels of punishment in cases of involuntary manslaughter caused by corporate negligence. There have been repeated instances of mass deaths due to corporate negligence, and hence there is enough ground for increasing the maximum punishment in such cases, and creating a stand-alone law to deal with corporate homicide or manslaughter on the lines of the UK legislation. Nearly six years have gone by since the horrific fire broke out at the AMRI hospital. But the case is far from concluded; in fact the trail is still at a rather early stage. Reducing the grave charges framed against the accused at this intermediate stage of the trail denies effective access to justice to the victims, by protracting an already long-drawn trial if such charges require to be brought back on board in view of incriminating evidence in the future. Perhaps, it was better for the judge to have erred on behalf of the victims, given the gravity of the tragedy. Notes 1 Mani Kumar Chhetri v State of West Bengal (2016): CRR, p 1918. 2 Sushil Ansal v State through CBI (2002): DRJ, 63, p 585. 3 Keshub Mahindra v State of Madhya Pradesh (1996): SCC, SC, 6, p 129. 4 New Delhi v Sanjeev Nanda (2012): SCC, SC, 8, p 450. 5 Alister Anthony Pareira v State of Maharashtra (2012): SCC, SC, 2, p 648. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 2 : A day after the ban on single-use plastic came into effect in Kerala, officials from the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation were moving from shop to shop warning that no attempt should be made to use plastic carry bags. It was on November 21, 2019 that the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government came out with an order that from January 1, 2020, only recyclable plastic material will be allowed to be used in the state. Murmurs and anger was witnessed across the board at shops from customers and shopkeepers. The new directive however, decided to exempt two state-owned enterprises -- Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (MILMA) and Kerala State Beverages Corporation -- the sole wholesalers of liquor and beer in the state. Both companies have been directed by the government to buy back the plastic bottles. Hitherto, plastic carry bags up to a certain grade were allowed to be used. But now onwards, only recyclable plastic materials and bottles will be allowed. An angry meat stall owner in the capital city told IANS "This morning the first person who came to our shop was an official who warned that no more plastic carry bags should be used." "If it's done, then starting with a fine, subsequent penalties if caught would be higher and if repeated again would even see the cancellation of the shop licence. I do not know what's happening, in yesteryears meat was packed in big leaves of a particular plant and today that plant is nowhere to be seen. Packing meat in newspaper, is not easy. We are at a loss on what to do," said the peeved meat shop owner, who did not wish to be identified. But the authorities pointed out that at the moment they are only on an awareness drive to educate people and coax them to move away from plastic carry bags. This is because the Kerala High Court has directed that till January 15, no action should be taken against those who violate the plastic ban. The fines that have been announced include Rs 10,000 for the first violation, Rs 25,000 the next time and then it would be Rs 50,000 and cancellation of licence. People at a crowded vegetable shop near Kottayam on Thursday also were busy discussing the plastic ban. "It's not easy to pack vegetables in newspapers as it's time consuming and difficult. Since the law is out, we have to abide by it. Also paper bags are not good, leaving bags made out of clothes the only option, but that's going to be expensive. Since the past one week, we have been telling all our regular customers to come with their own bags and some have started doing that," said the shop owner. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text January 01, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - It is much more than what you are allowed to see. The Hong Kong police force are heroically fighting both the rioters and a complex and extremely dangerous international network which is aiming at destabilizing the Peoples Republic of China. I never saw such cynicism before; such a vulgar media set up as in Hong Kong. I am talking in general, but also about what took place particularly on Sunday December 22, 2019. Rioters, waving blue Uyghur, Taiwanese, British and U.S. flags were shouting independence and China is terrorist slogans, in the middle of the city, just two blocks away from the International Financial Center while the police stood by, peacefully, in their full protective gear. Journalists, real and fake, foreign and local, were there, in full force, clearly setting the stage for the ugly confrontations ahead. I observed media outlets working, and I ended up photographing and filming their involvement. The truth is, they were nor reporting; not at all. They were participating, arranging things, provoking and manipulating actions. All camera lenses, and all lenses of mobile phones, were pointed directly at the police, never at the rioters. Meanwhile, the rioters were shouting at the police, brutally insulting the men and women in uniform. This part was, of course, edited out; never shown in New York, Paris, Berlin and London. Often not even shown in Taipei or Hong Kong itself. Media people were clearly advising the rioters what action to take and when, from which angle to throw things, from where to attack; how to make things effective. At one point, rioters started charging, throwing bottles and other objects at the police. Eventually, the police would have little choice but to react; they would begin moving against the rioters. And that is when all cameras would begin to roll. That was the moment to start reporting. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter As a professional, I could clearly imagine how the results of such twisted coverage would look like on television screens and on the front pages of Western newspapers: An unprovoked, brutal police force charging at poor, peaceful, freedom and democracy-loving protesters. The insanity, madness of all this had no boundaries. Next to me, just two meters away, several members of the press corps were helping each other from teargas poisoning. They were frantically washing their faces with water, kneeling in the middle of the street, pretending that they were sick. I felt no teargas effects at first, and only after few minutes, I detected something very, very mild in the air. I photographed journalists, and then I photographed my own face, to show that my eyes were not affected. It was all a great setup, perfectly polished, designed to manipulate public opinion in the West and in Hong Kong itself. Of recent I felt real combat tear gas in places like France, Chile, Bolivia and Colombia. That stuff breaks you in half; makes you fall to your knees, shout, fight for your life. In Hong Kong, the police force has been using the mildest gas I have ever detected anywhere in the world. But police actions here have been described as outrageous by individuals such as Benedict Rogers, a so-called human rights activist and chairman of the UK-based non-governmental organization Hong Kong Watch. As in the past, Mr. Rogers has been calling Hong Kong police force actions, which are aimed at defending the city against the multi-national hostile coalition, as police brutality. Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, fired back, declaring that Christmas in Hong Kong was ruined by protesters. The Hong Kong government said that there had been arson and police had been attacked with petrol bombs. ***** During my recent work in Hong Kong I realized that the situation has been dramatically deteriorating, and the police force is now facing much greater challenges than it did in September and October, 2019. While the number of rioters is decreasing, those who remain on the streets (and in the underground cells) are much better organized, and better funded, particularly from abroad. Both the funding channels and propaganda support for the rioters are functioning professionally, and they are amazingly well coordinated. The funding from the West is massive. For Hong Kong and its police force, the situation is increasingly dangerous. The external forces operating on the Hong Kong territory are diverse and often very brutal. They include Taiwanese right-wing organizations, Japanese religious sects, Western-backed Uyghurs, fascist Ukrainian militant groupings, as well as European and North American propagandists, posing as press corps. There are several Western anti-PRC NGOs stirring hatred towards Beijing, all around Hong Kong and the region. The rioters themselves are more and more radicalized, now often resembling extremist Islamic groups in the Middle East. They are thoroughly brainwashed, they use comfort women, and they are consuming narcotics, including ice, amphetamines and certain so-called combat drugs, which have been already injected into places such as Syria and Yemen, by the West and its Saudi allies. As a war correspondent who regularly works in such places as Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria (all these countries have been damaged and later destroyed by Western assaults or occupations), I am shocked to see the West using the same destabilizing strategies in Hong Kong; strategies which have been used in the Middle East and Central Asia. It is obvious that the desire of Washington, London and others to harm China is too great, and will not stop, no matter what the price. The hidden truth is that the Hong Kong police force is now facing a tremendous and extremely dangerous group of adversaries. It is not just a bunch of hooligans with black scarves covering their faces that are threatening the safety of the city and the entire Peoples Republic of China. Those are only a vanguard what you are allowed to see. Behind them, there are complex and diverse international right-wing forces: political, religious and yes, terrorist. At this moment, the heroic Hong Kong police force is the only thin blue line which separates the city from anarchy, and possibly from imminent collapse. First published by Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. Five of his latest books are China Belt and Road Initiative: Connecting Countries, Saving Millions of Lives, China with John B. Cobb, Jr., Revolutionary Optimism, Western Nihilism, the revolutionary novel Aurora and a bestselling work of political non-fiction: Exposing Lies Of The Empire. View his other books here. Watch Rwanda Gambit, his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo and his film/dialogue with Noam Chomsky On Western Terrorism. Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East, and continues to work around the world. He can be reached through his website and his Twitter. His Patreon A suspected drink-driver has been arrested after being pulled over for having no tyres on his wheels, police say. Officers stopped the motorist on the M66 early on New Year's Day amid claims he was struggling to drive. They then realised his car was missing its two front tyres. A roadside breath test showed the man was almost six times over the limit. The legal alcohol limit in England and Wales is 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. He scored 196. North West Motorway Police shared photos of the vehicle on social media, describing it as "unbelievable". "You can see why it came to our notice," they wrote on Wednesday. The Duchess of Cambridge is hoping her children get to 'spend more time' with their cousin Archie in 2020, a royal source claims. Kate Middleton, 37, mother to Prince George, 6, Prince Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, is said to be looking to spend more time with the family in the New Year. An insider told US Weekly that Kate and Prince William's three youngster's 'adore' Prince Harry, 35, and 38-year-old Meghan Markle's seven-month-old son, Archie. It comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent their first Christmas as a family with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland in Vancouver Island, Canada. The Duchess of Cambridge is hoping her children get to 'spend more time' with their cousin Archie in 2020, a royal source claims. Pictured: Kate, Princess Charlotte, Prince William and Prince George on Christmas day An insider said Kate and Prince William's three youngster's 'adore' Prince Harry, 35, and 38-year-old Meghan Markle's 7-month-old son, Archie (pictured) The source said: '[The Duchess] is hoping that in the new year, the cousins will spend more time together.' They added that George, Charlotte, and Louis, 'adore' Archie, but 'like most children, they're easily distracted and resilient'. The Sussexes and Cambridges, who had once been championed as the Royal family's 'Fab Four', spent Christmas apart this year, with William, Kate and their youngsters joining the Queen at Sandringham, Norfolk. Prince William and Kate, both 37, and Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, with Prince Charles, 71, on Christmas Day last year at Sandringham Harry and Meghan spent their first festive break with baby Archie in a $14.1 million waterfront mansion owned by a mystery multi-millionaire, DailyMail.com revealed last week. The royal family and the Duchess of Sussex's mother Doria Ragland enjoyed time in one of the most idyllic spots on Vancouver Island. Their presence in Canada had been confirmed before Christmas by prime minster Justin Trudeau. Kate, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, London, on 11 Mar 2019 The families Christmas' apart come two months after Harry admitted he and William aren't as close as they used to be. Speaking on an ITV documentary in October, the prince refused to deny a falling out with his brother when asked to put rift rumours to bed. He told presenter Tom Bradby: 'Part of this role, part of this job and this family being under the pressure it is under, inevitably stuff happens. 'But look, we are brothers, we will always be brothers. We are certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him and, as I know, he will always be there for me. 'We don't see each other as much as we used to because we are so busy but I love him dearly and the majority of stuff is created out of nothing. As brothers, you have good days, you have bad days.' Kenneth Tingley Editor 12801 Follow Kenneth Tingley 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 They shut down the most important museum in Washington, D.C. Tuesday. The death of the Newseum has not been widely reported. Nor has its loss been mourned properly. It is another indication of how we have lost part of our moral center, a bit of our soul. Its an indication how little we appreciate the importance of a free press in protecting our other freedoms, while living in a world where 9 out of 10 people cannot write a letter to the editor or depend on a trustworthy source of information. Consider that for a second. Just 13 percent of the worlds people live in a place with a free press. So, I had to say goodbye. I knew that within those Newseum walls, I would find inspiration about a profession that is in trouble, which is being belittled at a time when it should be celebrated. When I arrived at the Newseum Sunday morning, it was appropriately raining. The line started at the main entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue, wrapped around the side of the building down Sixth Street and around the back onto C Street. They all couldnt be in the news business. Over its lifespan, the Newseum, despite a $25 admission fee, drew nearly 10 million visitors, but its operating costs were formidable. And once donations from the big media companies dried up, it became apparent that the museum could not be sustained in a city where other world-class museums are free. The Newseum was immersive and interactive, challenging younger visitors in particular to understand that our nations history has been driven by courageous people determined to make this a `more perfect union by using the rights of free expression, wrote Ken Paulsen, one of its early directors, in USA Today earlier this year. Sometimes, those heroes were journalists; more often, journalists were there to chronicle the courage of others. An attentive student could walk into the Newseum as a high-schooler and walk out a better citizen. Those students learned about murdered investigative reporters like Don Bolles and Chauncey Bailey; the photographer whose last frame of film showed the World Trade Center crashing down upon him; and how crusading newspaper editors made a difference in the Civil Rights movement. I found this engraved into one of the Newseums walls: Free press is a cornerstone of democracy. People have a need to know. Journalists have a right to tell. Freedom includes the right to be outrageous. Responsibility includes the duty to be fair. News is history in the making. Journalists provide the first draft of history. A free press, at its best, reveals the truth. Its what so few dont understand. Up on the sixth floor was a collection of newspapers from the Revolutionary War through the murder of five Capital Gazette reporters a year ago. Each year contained multiple important news stories. Many, I had forgotten about. This building was not just about the First Amendment, but how stories, events unfolded, how we saw it then, and how they remain a part of our history. Consider this again: The Capital Gazette published a newspaper the day five of its journalists were killed. There on the wall of the Newseum was the nearly blank editorial page it published that day: Today we are speechless. This page is intentionally left blank today to commemorate victims of Thursdays shooting at our offices. Tomorrow, this page will return to its steady purpose of offering our readers informed opinion about the world around them, that they might be better citizens. That was written from the back of a pickup truck. The Capital Gazette newsroom was a crime scene at the time. I spent six hours and 10 minutes at the Newseum Sunday, reveling in our nations history and the greatest moments of journalism. The Newseum building was bought by Johns Hopkins University earlier this year. The 12 sections of the Berlin Wall and the three-story guard tower from Checkpoint Charlie will go into storage. While there are some traveling exhibits, there are no current plans to replicate the exhibits someplace else. That is a loss for all of us in so many ways. It was dark out and still raining when I finally finished looking at the collection of Pulitzer Prize-winning photography. The Newseum gift store had run out of merchandise and the staff was asking everyone to leave. I was sad, and a little angry. This was American history. This was the celebration of the unique American, idea envisioned by the Founding Fathers, of a free press. That ideal of showing how a free press covers its community and sometimes changes the world is going into storage. That was not right. Where were our leaders? Why was this museum not being preserved? I think my friend and colleague Ken Paulsen said it perfectly: Unless we understand and embrace the vital role a free press plays in our democracy, we encourage politicians of all stripes to denigrate and dismiss the journalists who daily keep a check on corruption and government abuse. Too many of us are OK with that. n Tingley is the editor of The Post-Star and may be reached via email at tingley@poststar.com. His blog The Front Page discusses issues about newspapers and journalism. You can also follow him on Twitter at . Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 12 Angry 0 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. Camille Davidson chosen as SIU School of Law dean by Pete Rosenbery CARBONDALE, Ill. Camille M. Davidson, a former professor and associate dean for academic affairs and faculty development at Charlotte School of Law, will become the next dean of the Southern Illinois University School of Law. Meera Komarraju, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, announced Davidsons appointment, which is subject to ratification by the SIU Board of Trustees, effective July 1. I am very pleased that Camille Davidson will join the campus leadership team, Komarraju said. She comes to us with expertise in health law and prior administrative and student development experience. Her background will be critical in helping us enhance the bar pass rate of our graduating class, increase the diversity of our students and faculty and strengthen alumni relations. We look forward to her contributions in advancing our School of Law. Varied academic and legal experience Davidson, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, comes to SIU Carbondale from serving as a judicial hearing officer in Mecklenburg County for the North Carolina Judicial Branch. Before that, Davidson was an instructor at the Wake Forest University School of Law, where she developed and taught an online business of healthcare course for the Master of Studies in law program. From 2007 to 2017, she was an assistant professor, associate professor and then full professor of law at the Charlotte School of Law. After serving there as an associate dean for faculty development, Davidson served as associate dean for academic affairs and faculty development from 2013 to 2017. She also taught at Davidson College as an adjunct professor from 2004 to 2006. Her experience includes work as a managing shareholder with The Fuller Law Firm, PC in Charlotte and assistant counsel to the Office of the Legislative Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. I am beyond excited and honored about the appointment as law dean, Davidson said. I loved the faculty, staff and students that I met during my visit. SIU School of Law is doing a lot of great things, and I look forward to working with this amazing group of people to continue to build a world-class law school that graduates students who are equipped to practice law in the 21st Century, who are ethical and want to give back to the community, and who are happy and enjoy what they do. Law schools mission resonates The law school first appeared on Davidsons radar nearly a decade ago when the Southern Illinois University Law Journal published her article, Practical Preparation, Student Focused, Serving the CommunityThe Wills Clinical Lab Experience. Before Davidson publishes with a school, she looks to see whether it aligns with her values about legal education. The SIU School of Law mission resonated with me, she said. I especially like the fact that it promotes access to justice for the public and it is an affordable program. Goals for the law school Davidson said she has three initial goals for the law school. She wants to: Work with the faculty to improve the law schools bar passage rate. Increase alumni giving. Raise the law schools profile to showcase the many great things that SIU is doing. Shares experiences similar to students, alumni Davidson earned her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in May 1993 and a bachelors degree in business administration from Millsaps College in 1989. She also undertook postgraduate studies in African literature at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, East Africa as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar. Davidson said that like most SIU law students and alumni, she spent her legal career teaching, practicing in a small firm, and working for federal, state and local governments. She grew up in a small college town and had many opportunities because the university was a major part of the community, she said. Im excited about building a pipeline of students who are interested in studying law, she said. I owe all the confidence that I have today to that nurturing small-town village that supported me and never doubted that I could be whatever I dared to dream. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Christiane Hamacher, who took charge as the Chief Executive Officer of the Biocon's crucial subsidiary, Biocon Biologics in March last year, has a big task on her hand. The company has set an ambitious target of clocking $1 billion in sales by FY22 through its biologics division, which is at near fourfold jump in terms of sales from FY19. Biocon's sales are yet to hit the $1 billion mark. The company's revenue at the end of FY19 was at Rs 5,658.8 crore, of which 27 percent was contributed by its biologics segment. Biologics seems to have the largest potential for growth, as it was Biocon's fastest-growing division at 97 percent year-on-year. Biocon and Mylan have invested around $1 billion on developing a pipeline of biosimilars, and is set for commercialisation. While analysts are positive about the growth potential of biologic division, they called the $1 billion target as being too ambitious. Our estimates expect $590 million revenue from the Biologics segment in FY22 versus managements aspirational revenue target of $1 billion, said IIFL in its recent report. Another research report of Phillip Capital estimates Biologics to secure no more $630 million in sales by FY22. The analysts say that increased competition, gradual acceptance of biosimilars in US, rising R&D expenses, and regulatory uncertainties may act as possible hurdles. But Hamacher isnt perturbed, she says there is a strategic growth plan to reach the target. Big launches The $1 billion aspirational target is by no means a loose target. We have a strategic growth plan based on several key initiatives and we are managing this business holistically, Hamacher told investors in a recent earnings call by the company. The biosimilar opportunity globally by 2025 is $260 billion globally. As mentioned several times, we have a platform of 28 molecules, we have marquee partners and are serving patients across the world in all major developed markets, said Hamacher. The US launches of biosimilar drugs trastuzumab and insulin glargine (approval expected in March 2020), continued growth in existing developed and emerging markets, the launches of insulin aspart and bevacizumab in various markets, and enhanced of market share of biosimilars are the key levers that the company is banking on to achieve a $1 billion target. While the US is the biggest driver for growth, Biocon is also equally betting on rest of the world (RoW) markets for biosimilars and insulins. RoW growth is also significant, continued performance in key markets like Algeria and Brazil for trastuzumab, Malaysia and Mexico for insulins and early entry into China as potential upside, the company said in its recent investor presentation. To cover other markets for insulins, Biocon is offering recombinant human insulin (Rh-Insulin) at less than 10 US cents per day in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This is almost 70 percent cheaper than the existing prices. The 10 US cents per day initiative for Rh-Insulin for LMICs will be offered to various governments without involvement of distributors and middlemen. Biocon expects this offer to be profitable on the back of higher volumes and economies of scale. The company earlier had issues like capacity constraints for insulins. With Malaysian insulin facility on board, this was largely resolved. The company also expects opening up of China market for biosimilars. China, for the first time this year, listed biosimilars on the national drug reimbursement listing. Biocon is planning to use its partnership with Viatris (the resultant entity named after the merger of Mylan-Pfizers UpJohn) to grab a slice of the Chinese market. Why else are we confident? Because of our cost structure, our overhead, we are well positioned to come in with price, volume, agreements that are competitive, and on the other hand, we have the muscle to also go for value maximization. That means we can serve the market in very specific ways, Hamacher said. Going beyond pills Hamacher, a PhD in Molecular Biology (Oncology) is also looking beyond just selling pills. German-born Hamacher, who was the head of Asia Pacific region for Swiss pharmaceutical and biotech giant Roche, has been silently working on leveraging digital technology to serve patients in a personalised and holistic manner. She has been hiring key people to execute her plans. Glimpses of this strategy was unveiled in the company's latest presentation. Biocon plans to spend 70 percent on services and other aspects, and 30 percent on drugs. The company will be looking at partners to take up disruptive models. The idea being to provide better patient care and outcomes while reducing costs. We are thinking beyond products using technology and digital in the future to a big scale as well as data to deliver healthcare to patients and healthcare professionals and other stakeholders in a very different way. I am extremely excited that many talents from different pharma companies are joining us and are complementing the enormous strength that Biocon Biologics have, Hamacher said. Berlin: Austria's main centre-right party and the environmentalist Greens have agreed on a coalition deal that will see ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz return to power. Both Kurz and Werner Kogler from the Greens, who led the negotiations between the two parties, told reporters in Vienna they had hammered out a government program that would be presented to the public in detail on Thursday afternoon, local time. Sebastian Kurz, left, head of the Austrian People's Party, shakes hands on a coalition deal with Werner Kogler, head of the Austrian Greens. The deal will likely see Kurz back at the helm. Credit:AP The 33-year-old Kurz's People's Party embarked on negotiations with the Greens in mid-November, weeks after it emerged as by far the biggest party from an election. In that vote in September, the Greens, who haven't previously been part of a federal government in Austria, saw their support soar and returned to Parliament after a two-year absence. The two parties have a combined 97 seats in the 183-seat Parliament. Kurz's return to power would see him take back the title of the world's youngest sitting head of government from new Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who is 34. Vandals in Strasbourg, France, marked the start of 2020 by setting countless vehicles on fire. Police have not disclosed how many cars were torched, but a source told AFP that the figure was larger than the previous year. A number of arrests and some minor injuries have also been reported. Riot police can be seen dodging between flame-engulfed cars as they attempt to restore order to the city. The burning of vehicles is an unfortunate New Years tradition in some parts of France. According to local media, 1,031 vehicles were set alight nationwide on the night of December 31, 2018, compared to 935 on the previous New Year's Eve, RT writes. Julian Castro ended his groundbreaking presidential candidacy Thursday, acknowledging that his campaign couldnt attract enough money or voter support to stay in the race at least this time around. With only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given the circumstances of this campaign season, I have determined that it simply isnt our time, the former San Antonio mayor said in a video message to supporters. To all who have been inspired by our campaign, especially our young people, keep reaching for your dreams and keep fighting for what you believe in, Castro said. Ganaremos un dia! We will win one day! Castros campaign never caught on nationally. Emblematic of his struggles were his poll numbers in Iowa, whose Feb. 3 caucuses are the nations first Democratic nominating contest. Although Castro campaigned in Iowa more than almost any other candidate, just 1 percent of poll respondents expressed support for him. But his impact on the rest of the Democratic field was unmistakable. As the only Latino among the major contenders, Castro helped shape the debate on immigration reform, particularly in calling for decriminalization of border crossings, a position many of the other Democratic candidates later adopted. In August, after a gunman targeted Mexican-Americans at a shopping center in El Paso, killing 22 people and injuring 24, Castro said the victims were singled out because they look like my family. The attack two days ago was an attack on a Latino community, it was an attack on immigrants, it was an attack on Mexicans, and Mexican-Americans. And that was not an accident. That is in part due to the climate this president has set, Castro said in a speech in San Diego. Early in the campaign, Castro emphasized that his candidacy was remarkable given his background. Often on the campaign trail, he recounted how his grandmother crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 1922, and how his single mother raised him and his identical twin brother, Joaquin, now a U.S. congressman from San Antonio. I am only here because of two very strong women of color, Julian Castro said during a May campaign event. I grew up seeing both the struggles and the promise of two strong women of color. But breaking through as a Latino candidate proved a formidable challenge, said Sharon Navarro, a political science professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She said many people still think of a U.S. president as a white male. That is a difficult stereotype to deconstruct, she said. Castro was never able to raise the kind of money needed to run for president, she said. Through September, he had collected just under $8 million, while most of the top contenders had raised $30 million or more. Without it, you dont have a campaign, she said. Castros message ultimately wasnt moving the needle in early voting states, particularly Iowa. The caucus goers just had so many other choices, said Tim Hagle, a University of Iowa political science professor. With so many choices, candidates really have to show why they are better than the other choice. For whatever reason, Castro wasnt able to do that. In November, the Democratic National Committee bumped Castro from the Democratic debate stage because of his low poll numbers. Castro, 45, had tried to build a campaign around being a voice for what he called marginalized and vulnerable Americans, including immigrants, the homeless and the disabled. Weve been a little bit different from all the other campaigns, Castro said. Weve been speaking up for the most vulnerable folks in this country: people sleeping in the streets and storm drainage tunnels in Las Vegas, folks who are the victims of police brutality. Weve been fighting for those who are often left out, cast aside, marginalized. Nearly a year ago, Castro announced his campaign at San Antonios Plaza Guadalupe with his mother, Rosie Castro, at his side and his brother standing nearby. Im running for president because its time for new leadership, because its time for new energy and its time for a new commitment to make sure that the opportunities that Ive had are available to every American, he said during his Jan. 12 announcement. Although fellow Texan Beto ORourke overshadowed Castro during his early months in the campaign, the former San Antonio mayor influenced the race. He criticized U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for not embracing a bill to study reparations for slavery, a proposal advanced by U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston. Castro drew praise from the black community and the Rev. Al Sharpton for injecting the issue into the presidential race. I have said many times during the last several weeks that I have long believed that our country will never truly heal until we address the original sin of slavery, Castro said in an April speech to the National Action Network, a civil rights group founded by Sharpton. On the trail, Castro was not shy about appealing to supporters of former President Barack Obama. A standard part of his stump speech in Iowa and other early voting states was a reminder that he served as Obamas secretary of housing and urban development. He was the only former Cabinet-level member of Obamas administration among the Democratic candidates, until former Vice President Joe Biden entered the race in late April. Castro often recounted how he was at a Panda Express drive-through in San Antonio when Obama called to offer him the position at HUD. It happened on April 16, 2014, Castro said in a campaign stop in New York. I remember the date because its not every day that you get a call from the president asking you if you want a job. But running in Obamas shadow became more difficult with Biden in the race. Biden has strong support in Iowa partly because of his association with Obama. During the first Democratic presidential debate, held in Miami, Florida, in June, Castro scored national media attention after aggressively battling ORourke on the stage over immigration policy. Castro said he would decriminalize border crossings. When ORourke said border security was more complicated than that, Castro replied that ORourke wasnt as well-versed on the issue as he should have been. If you did your homework on this issue, you would know, Castro said. That exchange brought a mini-surge in polls and fundraising for Castro. A few months ago, they were writing me up as the other Texan, the former San Antonio mayor told supporters at a rally in Austin in late June. But thats no more. I am the Texan in this race. In the third Democratic debate, held in Houston in September, Castros image took a hit. Many viewers thought he delivered a low blow at Biden over his age. It happened during an exchange over the two candidates health care plans. The dispute centered on whether Bidens plan would automatically enroll people in public health insurance if they lost private coverage or whether people would have to opt in. Castro said the opt-in feature meant Bidens plan would not offer universal coverage. Biden insisted his plan would. Are you already forgetting what you said two minutes ago? Castro asked the former vice president, then 76. After the debate, Rahm Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor and Obama administration aide, called Castros comment mean and vindictive a disqualifier. Castro denied he was referring to Bidens age. Two months later, Castro was knocked off the debate stage entirely. But in December, Castro started registering some of his best national poll numbers. He reached 4 percent in a poll conducted by The Hill and polling firm HarrisX, which put him within a percentage point of both Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a former three-term mayor of New York City. Were building huge momentum at a critical time, Castros campaign said then. But Castro was still far behind front runners Biden, Sanders and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Although Castro is leaving the race, his name will remain on the primary ballot in many states, including in Texas. The Allahabad high court on Thursday reserved its judgment in a PIL raising issue of cane charge on students of AMU on December 15 who were allegedly protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The bench comprising chief justice Govind Mathur and justice Vivek Varma said judgment will be pronounced on January 7. The PIL has been filed by Mohd Aman Khan of Prayagraj. In the petition, it was said that since December 13, students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) were peacefully protesting against CAA. However, on December 15, students gathered at Maulana Azad Library and marched up to University gate. On reaching University gate police, which was deployed there started provoking students but students did not respond. After sometime, police started firing tear gas shells at students and students were cane charged by the police in which around 100 students got injured. as alleged by petitioner in his petition. In the petition, requests were made for court monitored committee to inquire into police action, release of students detained by police and medical treatment and compensation to all those injured in the violence. Additional Advocate General, Manish Goyal appearing for state government filed counter affidavit in the case and defended the police action. AAG argued that university gate was broken by students and police entered university campus on the request of university administration to control the students indulging in violence and no excessive force was used by police during the act. Julian Castro, the former San Antonio mayor and Obama Cabinet member, ended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday. The sole Latino in the race, Castro, 45, was a youthful presence in a contest led by a trio of septuagenarians. However, lackluster fundraising and low poll ratings left him little choice other than to abandon what was an uphill run from the start. Its with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today. Im so proud of everything weve accomplished together. Im going to keep fighting for an America where everyone counts, I hope youll join me in that fight, Mr Castro tweeted. For months, Mr Castro tried to stand out in the crowded field by striking an aggressive posture toward rivals. In a June debate, he scolded fellow Texan Beto ORourke for opposing decriminalisation of unauthorised U.S. border crossings. I think that you should do your homework on this issue, he snapped. Mr Castro turned his fire on Joe Biden over the same issue at a debate in July. What we need are politicians that actually have guts on this issue, he told the former vice president. Most memorably, at a debate in August, Mr Castro bungled an attack on Biden over healthcare. He questioned his opponents memory, suggesting incorrectly that Mr Biden, then 76, was contradicting himself. Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago? Mr Castro asked, drawing a roar of groans from the audience and a cascade of criticism from Democrats far and wide. Mr Castro emerged as a national political figure in 2012, when he was President Barack Obamas keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention. Mr Obama later named Castro as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Mr Castro was one of the few Democrats in the presidential race to highlight plans to reverse the nations surge in homelessness. He toured a homeless encampment in tunnels beneath the Las Vegas Strip and called for a sharp rise in federal spending on housing for Americans living on the street or struggling to pay rent. Mr Castro, whose grandmother migrated to the U.S. from Mexico, was depending on winning overwhelming Latino support as the foundation of his campaign. He had hoped to win big troves of party delegates in states with large Latino populations: Nevada, California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Florida. Mr Castro, had he won the nomination, would have struck a sharp contrast with President Donald Trump, whose political career was fuelled by anti-immigrant rhetoric. One of Mr Castros favourite riffs on the stump was to tell crowds how he would greet the outgoing president at the White House after his inauguration in 2021: Adios. (dpa/NAN) A female deli worker who was kissed on the neck against her will and pinched by a male colleague has been awarded 20,000 for ongoing sexual harassment. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has ordered a supermarket to pay the worker 20,000 for distress suffered and the effects of discrimination and sexual harassment. Adjudication officer Gaye Cunningham said: "I am satisfied that these incidents were extremely serious in nature in terms of the impact and effect they had on her personally and her working environment." She also found the supermarket "failed to put appropriate measures in place to stop this harassment and sexual harassment from occurring or to reverse its effects". She ordered that all those within the supermarket company who have staff management functions receive appropriate training in its policies on harassment, bullying and sexual harassment. The deli worker began work in May 2018 and she alleged verbal and physical sexual harassment by a male colleague began about a month later. She said he made inappropriate sexual comments about young girls who came into the shop, and when asked to stop as they were clearly young school girls he said that they looked old enough. The complainant gave evidence of incidents where she felt personally threatened when, for example, the alleged perpetrator pinned her against or near a fridge and made lewd and sexually suggestive comments to her. She stated that a manager witnessed some of the behaviour of the alleged perpetrator and when asked to intervene, the manager laughed and told the man to stop as the deli worker was from Limerick and she would stab him. The complainant said that she was subjected to almost daily sexual assault or harassment. The woman made a formal complaint and a second female employee also made an allegation that the man touched her inappropriately. The man was moved to work in the storeroom. However, after a few days there, he went on sick leave. The deli manager admitted at the WRC to telling the alleged perpetrator to stop as the complainant was from Limerick and would stab him. However, he considered this a joke and did not think the complainant was upset by it. The owner of the store said he put the allegations to the male deli worker and he denied them. The owner said the investigation into the complaints could not be concluded as the former male deli worker had left the country. Ms Cunningham found the supermarket failing to conclude its investigation was the most egregious flaw in the process. Nurses treat a patient for an unknown ailment in the intensive care unit of the No1 Hospital in Guangzhou, China on June 12, 2003. (Peter Parks/AFP/GettyImages) Unknown Viral Pneumonia Outbreak in China Has Hong Kong, Taiwan Worried About SARS Hong Kong and Taiwan are on high alert following a notice from Chinese authorities that 27 people contracted an unknown viral pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan. With some netizens likening the outbreak to the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic that killed almost 800 people in 2002-2003 after being covered up by Chinese authorities, the Hong Kong and Taiwan government have called for faster medical testing after Chinese authorities said they were yet to confirm the cause of the outbreak. As China has the technology to identify viruses within 48 hours, the authoritys slow response has led many to be suspicious as to why the disease has yet to be identified. Emergency Notice for New Outbreak On Dec. 30, Wuhan city Health Commission released an Emergency Notice About Unknown Pneumonia. The notice said that several Wuhan hospitals had received pneumonia patients with similar symptoms and that no further details were available. The notice was soon spread by Chinese netizens via different social media platforms. Although the government soon censored this information, the notice was broadly spread among overseas Chinese communities. On Dec. 31, state-run media confirmed the outbreak but also did not have any information about the cause of the infections. The report said patients symptoms included fever, having difficulty breathing and invasive lesions in both lungs. 27 people from Wuhan had fallen ill, with seven of them in serious condition. Most of the patients were sellers at the Huanan Seafood Market located close to Hankou Railway Station in the citys Jianghan district. That same market was linked to all SARS cases seen in Wuhan in 2003. The market is not limited to selling seafood, netizens said, but also sees various animals including cats, snakes, and marmots. The notice added that hospitals were planning to release two of the 27 infected people in the next few days after some more treatment, while 18 other patients are in a stable condition. The state-run Peoples Daily reported on the afternoon of Dec. 31 that the initial investigating team didnt find an obvious human-to-human transmission, and that so far, no medical staff have been infected. The cause of the disease is not clear, the newspaper said on the popular social media platform Weibo, citing unnamed hospital officials. We cannot confirm it is whats being spread online, that it is SARS virus. Other severe pneumonia is more likely. The Chinese National Health Commission, a cabinet-level executive department for sanitation and health, said it has sent a group of experts to Wuhan on Dec. 31 to lead more tests and another investigation. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Taiwan have stepped up border screening and hospitals are on alert. Hong Kong Every day, there are four trains that run between Hong Kong and Wuhan. As a result, the presence of the disease in Wuhan has Hongkongers worried. David Hui Shu-cheong, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told local media on Dec. 31 that the critical situation of Wuhans viral pneumonia reminded him of what Hong Kong faced with SARS in 2003. Hui pointed out that in 2003, one out of four SARS patients was in serious condition. He said mainland authorities should arrange virus tests as soon as possible. Meanwhile, people should wear a facial mask and wash their hands frequently if they plan to go to Wuhan, he added. Yuen Kwok-yung, microbiology professor at Hong Kong University, tried to calm down the public after acknowledging that the outbreak had similarities to the 1997 outbreak of bird flu and the 2003 outbreak of SARS. He said at a government-organized press conference on Dec. 31: Now in Hong Kong and the mainland, the protection is better than 2003 So I think people shouldnt panic but must be alert, must follow the instructions from Hong Kongs Department of Health and Hospital Authority. Taiwan Fears about the disease has been a topic of great concern in Taiwan. People are worried that with the Chinese New Year holiday on Jan. 25, there is a heightened risk that the virus may be spread by Taiwanese businessmen returning from China. Taiwans Centers for Disease Control (CDC) organized a press conference on the afternoon of Dec. 31. Lo Yi-Chun, the CDCs deputy director, gave a briefing on the situation and said the agency had sent an inquiry email to China requesting information. Lo said that once the Wuhan side has confirmed the type of virus, the Taiwanese government will set up an emergency working team to coordinate departments reacting to possible infections. On Jan. 2, Taiwan News reported that a 6-year-old child who arrived in Taiwan on Dec. 31 after passing through Wuhan has developed a fever and is being closely monitored. However, the child was allowed to go home as they had not been traveling in Wuhan and had not been in contact with animals. Since the first SARS epidemic, no additional cases of the virus have been reported so far worldwide. The virus was first discovered in Chinas Guangdong province in 2002, after which it spread to Hong Kong and other cities. At least 1,755 Hongkongers became infected with the SARS virus, of which 299 died. In neighboring Taiwan, 307 people contracted the virus, of which 47 died. Globally, a total of 8,096 people from 31 countries contracted SARS, including Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and the Philippines. There is currently no cure for SARS. Around 400 people were arrested on Wednesday in Hong Kong as a New Years Day pro-democracy march turned violent and demonstrators clashed with police. Arrests began Wednesday in the Wan Chai bar district, spurring demonstrators to bring reinforcements and more materials, such as bricks, in order to resist the riot police who patrolled the streets with a water-cannon truck. At least 420 protesters were arrested over the over the New Year holiday, including a 12-year old, police said. Protesters attacked branches of the United Kingdom bank HSBC, which they have accused of coordinating with Chinese authorities to freeze funding for activists. Organizers of the march accused the Hong Kong police of not giving participants enough notice to disperse before the march ended and making arrests indiscriminately. The police force argued they had given notice to march participants and said four officers were injured during the scuffles. About 7,000 demonstrators have been arrested since June when protests escalated and continued throughout the summer, originally sparked by outrage over an extradition law, which Hong Kong residents said would allow Chinese authorities to effectively kidnap them with little evidence of criminality. The concern over the law soon ballooned into fear that China plans to throw out its One Country, Two Systems policy regarding Hong Kong. The bill was formally withdrawn in October, but that did little to curb the protests. The protesters have since made several other, broader demands including enhanced democracy for Hong Kong, an independent investigation into police conduct, and amnesty for protesters who have been arrested. More from National Review SpendEdge, a leading provider of procurement market intelligence solutions, has announced the completion of their latest article on the trends impacting logistics and supply chain management in North America. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005040/en/ Companies must keep up with the latest trends to meet rising customer expectations and increase their market share. They need to improve supply chains and logistics to be more customer-centric and sustainable. Technologies such as AI, machine learning and blockchain can disrupt the supply chain management process and make it difficult for companies to enhance processes. Identifying trends impacting logistics and supply chain management can help companies better prepare themselves for the near future. At SpendEdge, we understand how emerging technologies will impact the logistics and supply chain management process. Therefore, we have highlighted the key trends impacting the logistics and supply chain management. Trends Impacting Logistics and Supply Chain Management New technologies go mainstream in 2020 With the advent of new technologies, firms can seamlessly connect a massive number of embedded sensors. They require data management capabilities to mine the data and derive actionable insights. Industries will realize the importance of artificial intelligence and apply technologies in effective ways to create value for customers. Want to gain specific insights to improve the logistics and supply chain management process? Request free platform access to access our smart procurement solutions now and 1000+ procurement reports! Inventory positioning becomes paramount Inventory has become a critical factor in the success of businesses. Companies failing to meet two-day or one -day orders will find it difficult to survive. Consumers have plethora have of options and companies will require micro-fulfillment centers to meet customer demands. They will have to realize the importance of inventory positioning to deliver products at the earliest. To know how you can manage inventory, get in touch with our experts now! Gender diversity at the portfolio level In the next few years, organizations will witness a steep rise in women entering the supply chain. One-force of the workforce would be women. Companies demonstrating a commitment to corporate gender diversity are expected to outperform against the cumulative performance of top companies in North America. To gain more insights into the trends impacting logistics and supply chain management in North America, read the complete article here! You may also like: Reverse Logistics and Supply Chain Challenges Top Five Trends in Supply Chain Management that can Boost Profitability Developing a Sound Risk Management Process in Five Simple Steps Leveraging Supply Chain Mapping Solution to Identify Key Logistics Savings and Reduce Transportation Costs by 15% for a Chemical Manufacturer About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Want to gain detailed insights? https://www.spendedge.com/get-more-info View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200102005040/en/ Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 984 7340 UK: +44 148 459 9299 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us A ceremony to welcome Baron and 14 other foreign visitors was held at the Noi Bai International Airport on January 1st by the municipal Department of Tourism, the Vietnam Airlines Corporation and the Noi Bai International Airport. The first foreign tourists of Hanoi in 2020 (Source: VNA) Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism Tran Duc Hai noted that Hanoi has been chosen as a favourite destination by many foreign tourists, and many leading travel magazines named the city among the most attract tourism spots of the region and the world. The ceremony to welcome the first foreign visitors to Hanoi is hoped to help the capital city promote its images and people to international friends. The number of tourists to Hanoi reached nearly 29 million in 2019, up 10 percent from the previous year, including over 7 million foreigners, a year-on-year rise of 17 percent. According to the municipal Department of Tourism, the tourism sector grossed over 103.8 trillion VND (4.48 billion USD) in revenue, up 34 percent compared to the previous year. In 2019, Hanoi won the Travelers Choice Awards and was ranked among the 25 leading destinations in Asia, and the 25 worlds leading places on TripAdvisor website. Hanoi was also shortlisted for the Worlds Leading City Destination at the 2019 World Travel Awards (WTA). In 2020, the capital city strives to welcome approximately 32 million visitors, including 8.22 million foreigners, up 10.2 percent and 17 percent year-on-year respectively. The total tourism revenue is expected to exceed 116.7 trillion VND, a yearly rise of 12.5 percent./. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 2) Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshiitsu will have a bilateral meeting with his Philippine counterpart Teodoro Teddyboy Locsin Jr as part of his first two-day visit in Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday. In their January 9 meeting, the two foreign affairs chiefs would discuss advancements in the Philippine-Japan Strategic Partnership in terms of political dialogues, economic and infrastructure cooperation and defense and maritime security, They will also discuss Japans support for Mindanao and the transition to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Motegi will also pay a courtesy call on President Rodrigo Duterte. The country is part of Motegis Southeast Asian visit which also includes Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. Advertisement A poet has described his shock at finding out the graveyard in which his father's remains were kept has been flattened - as it's revealed more than 100 Uighur graveyards have been demolished by Chinese authorities. Aziz Isa Elkun, who lives in north London, has told of how he has 'no idea' where his father's remains are after China began destroying burial grounds where generations of Uighur families have been laid to rest. He fled China's far western Xinjiang region nearly 30 years ago and has only been able to view his father's tomb in Xayar County on Google Maps after he was told he should not return to the country. But when he went to look at the grave last year, a new satellite image showed that it had been completely destroyed alongside all the other tombs in the graveyard. Slide me Aziz Isa Elkun fled China's far western Xinjiang region nearly 30 years ago and has only been able to view his father's tomb in Xayar County on Google Maps (left in 2014) after he was told he should not return to the country. But when he went to look at the grave last year, a new satellite image showed that it had been completely destroyed (right in 2019) Slide me Satellite images taken on April 24 in 2018 (left) and September 30 in 2019 (right) show the Sulanim cemetery in Hotan, north-western China's Xinjiang Province, has been knocked down and replaced with a car park. Beijing has destroyed dozens of Muslim burial grounds in the past two years in what activists call a bid to erase Uighurs' identity, an investigation has shown Slide me Satellite images from August 29 in 2017 (left) shows a cemetery (central) and the same view on July 5 in 2019 (right) shows no sign of the facility in Xayar, Xinjiang province. The pictures appeared after shocking footage last month purported to show hundreds of shackled and blindfolded Muslim prisoners being transferred to a re-education centre in the far-flung region Speaking to CNN, he said: 'When I was a kid we would go there, pray at the mosque, visit our relatives. The entire community was connected to that graveyard.' But, he added, he now has 'no idea what happened' and that he was 'completely in shock' after finding out his father's remains had purportedly been moved. In just two years, dozens of cemeteries have been destroyed in the northwest region, according to an AFP investigation with satellite imagery analysts Earthrise Alliance. And CNN has revealed that more than 100 of these graveyards have now been demolished. Some of them have been turned into car parks and even playgrounds, as the pictures show. Aziz Isa Elkun (pictured), who lives in north London, has told of how he has 'no idea' where his father's remains are after China began destroying burial grounds where generations of Uighur families have been laid to rest Others were cleared with little care. In Shayar county, AFP journalists saw unearthed human bones left discarded in three sites. In other sites. tombs that were reduced to mounds of bricks lay scattered in cleared tracts of land. While the official explanation ranges from urban development to the 'standardisation' of old graves, overseas Uighurs say the destruction is part of a state crackdown to control every element of their lives. 'This is all part of China's campaign to effectively eradicate any evidence of who we are, to effectively make us like the Han Chinese,' said Salih Hudayar, who said the graveyard where his great-grandparents were buried was demolished. 'That's why they're destroying all of these historical sites, these cemeteries, to disconnect us from our history, from our fathers and our ancestors,' he said. An estimated one million mostly Muslim ethnic minorities have been rounded up into re-education camps in Xinjiang in the name of combatting religious extremism and separatism. Those who are free are subject to rigorous surveillance and restrictions - from home visits from officials to bans on beards and veils. China has remained defiant despite escalating global criticism of its treatment of Uighurs. The mass graveyard demolition has left behind human bones and broken tombs. This photo taken on September 12, 2019, shows what used to be a traditional Uighur cemetery before it was destroyed in Shayar in the region of Xinjiang This photo taken on September 12, 2019, shows bones at a place where before there was a Uighur cemetery in Shayar in the region of Xinjiang. Some of the now-demolished Uighur graveyards have been turned into car parks and theme parks Slide me While the official explanation ranges from urban development to the 'standardisation' of old graves, overseas Uighurs say the destruction is part of a state crackdown to control every element of their lives. Above, a picture from August 29 in 2017 (left) shows a cemetery and the same view on July 5 in 2019 shows no sign of the facility in Xayar, Xinjiang province Slide me An estimated one million mostly Muslim ethnic minorities have been rounded up into re-education camps in Xinjiang in the name of combatting religious extremism and separatism. A picture from April 24 in 2018 (left) shows the Teywizim cemetery in Hotan, Xinjiang province, and the same view on August 6 in 2019 shows the graveyard has been knocked down In China, urban growth and economic development has laid waste to innumerable cultural and historic sites. This photo taken on September 12, 2019, shows people walking next to a Uighur cemetery in Shayar in the region of Xinjiang Activists and scholars say the clearances are especially egregious in Xinjiang, where they parallel the erasure of other cultural and spiritual sites - including at least 30 mosques and religious sites since 2017. This photo taken on September 12, 2019, shows a traditional Uighur cemetery destroyed in Shayar in Xinjiang where Uighurs and other ethnic minorities live According to satellite imagery analysed by AFP and Earthrise Alliance, the Chinese government has, since 2014, exhumed and flattened at least 45 Uighur cemeteries - including 30 in the past two years. The Xinjiang government did not respond to a request for comment when approached last year. The destruction is 'not just about religious persecution,' said Nurgul Sawut, who has five generations of family buried in Yengisar, southwestern Xinjiang. 'It is much deeper than that,' said Sawut, who now lives in Australia and last visited Xinjiang in 2016 to attend her father's funeral. 'If you destroy that cemetery ... you're uprooting whoever's on that land, whoever's connected to that land,' she explained. Slide me According to satellite imagery, the Chinese government has exhumed and flattened at least 45 Uighur cemeteries since 2014 - including 30 in the past two years. Above, a picture from August 20 in 2014 (left) showing a cemetery in Xayar, Xinjiang province, and the same view (right) on July 5, 2019, shows it has been replaced with a newly built standardised cemetery, Slide me In Aksu, local authorities bulldozed a graveyard where Uighur poet Lutpulla Mutellip was buried. Above, a picture from July 2 in 2015 (left) show Mutellip's grave and the same view on April 25 in 2018 shows a new park called 'Happiness Park' A satellite image taken on May 13 in 2019 again shows prominent Uighur poet Mutellip's destroyed grave is now a theme park This photo taken on September 14, 2019, shows a panda statue in 'Happiness Park', which is located where an enormous Uighur cemetery used to be before local authorities destroyed it in 2018. Renowned Uighur poet Mutellip was buried there This photo taken on September 14, 2019 shows a sign at the entrance of 'Happiness Park' in Aksu in the region of Xinjiang Even sites featuring shrines or the tombs of famous individuals were not spared. In Aksu, local authorities turned an enormous graveyard where prominent Uighur poet Lutpulla Mutellip was buried into 'Happiness Park,' with fake pandas, a children's ride, and a man-made lake. Mutellip's grave was like 'a modern day shrine for most nationalist Uighurs, patriotic Uighurs,' recalled Ilshat Kokbore, who visited the tomb in the early 90s and now resides in the US. The 'Happiness Park' project saw graves moved to a new cemetery in an industrial zone out in the desert. The caretaker there said he had no knowledge of the fate of Mutellip's remains. The Aksu government could not be reached for comment when approached last year. The destruction is 'not just about religious persecution,' said Nurgul Sawut, who has five generations of family buried in Yengisar, southwestern Xinjiang. Above, people walk past a mosque in Urumqi, the regional capital, on September 11, 2019 'The destruction of the graveyards is very much part of the wider raft of policies that are going on,' said Rachel Harris, who researches Uighur culture at the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London. This photo taken on September 10, 2019 shows a general view of a large Muslim cemetery on the outskirts of Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang Tamar Mayer, a professor of geosciences at Middlebury College, who researches Uighur shrines and cemeteries, described the new sites as homogenous and tightly packed. Families, which traditionally leave gifts by the graves, no longer have 'space to mourn', she added. This photo taken on September 12, 2019 shows a general view of a Uighur cemetery in Shayar Aziz Isa Elkun, a Uighur activist in Britain whose father was buried in one of the many destroyed cemeteries in Shayar, agreed: 'If you want to build new graves then you can, but you do not need to destroy the old ones'. This photo taken on September 10, 2019 shows a man walking next to a traditional Uighur cemetery, which was destroyed in Urumqi, the regional capital In China, urban growth and economic development has laid waste to innumerable cultural and historic sites, from traditional hutong neighbourhoods in Beijing to segments of Dali's ancient city wall in southwestern Yunnan province. It is an issue Beijing itself has acknowledged. The government has also been criticised for its irreverence towards burial traditions outside of Xinjiang, including the destruction of coffins in central Jiangxi last year to force locals to cremate. But activists and scholars say the clearances are especially egregious in Xinjiang, where they parallel the erasure of other cultural and spiritual sites - including at least 30 mosques and religious sites since 2017, an AFP investigation found in June last year. 'The destruction of the graveyards is very much part of the wider raft of policies that are going on,' said Rachel Harris, who researches Uighur culture at the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London. 'From the destruction of holy shrines, the tombs of saints, to the destruction of tombs of families, all of this is disrupting the relationship between people and their history, and the relationship between the people and the land that they live on,' she said. The official explanation for cemetery removal or relocation varies by site. The move to raze Uighur cemeteries is not new - satellite imagery shows destruction from more than a decade ago. Above, a new cemetery is seen on the outskirts of Aksu, Xinjiang where bodies from a destroyed Uighur graveyard were moved Uighurs and ethnic minorities are still exempt from certain policies like cremation, which goes against Islamic tradition, and authorities appear to be hardening their stance, said Rian Thum, a Uighur history expert at the University of Nottingham They used to have a 'non-confrontational approach to Uighur culture, but now any policy that attacks Uighur culture seems to get a boost rather than put in check as their approach has changed,' said Thum. This photo taken on September 10, 2019 shows a general view of a large Muslim cemetery on the outskirts of Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang People stand in front of a park where a Uighur cemetery used to be located in Kuche in the region of Xinjiang In Urumqi, the regional capital, a cemetery near the international airport was cleared to make way for an urban 'reconstruction' project. In Shayar, where the local government has built new cemeteries near some of the old sites, an official told AFP the programme was aimed at 'standardisation.' A sign by a new cemetery in Shayar, which replaced a graveyard from the 18th century containing about 7,500 graves, echoed this statement. The rebuilt sites 'saved space, protected the ecosystem' and were 'civilised', it said. 'The new cemeteries are standardised, clean, and they're convenient for residents,' Kadier Kasimu, deputy director of Shayar's cultural affairs bureau, told AFP. This photo taken on September 11, 2019 shows a mosque in Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang. - China is destroying burial grounds where generations of Uighur families have been laid to rest, leaving behind human bones and broken tombs in what activists call an effort to eradicate the ethnic group's identity in Xinjiang UN experts and activists say at least one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims are held in the detention centres in Xinjiang. China describes them as 'training centres' helping to stamp out extremism and give people new skills. Above, a newly built cemetery to bury bodies moved from a destroyed Uighur graveyard is seen on the outskirts of Aksu Former detainees have revealed that Muslims were forced to eat pork and speak Mandarin in the internment camps. Above, a photo from September 10, 2019, shows a taxi next to a large Muslim cemetery on the outskirts of Urumqi, the regional capital China has also kept thousands of Uighur children away from their Muslim parents before indoctrinating them in camps posing as schools and orphanages, recent evidence shows. Above, a photo taken on September 13, 2019 shows the works of a park in a place where before there was a Uighur cemetery in Kuche in the region of Xinjiang Muslims make up about two per cent of the 1.4 billion population in China. However, as the country is so populous, its Muslim population is expected to be the 19th largest in the world in 2030. Above, a photo taken on September 12, 2019 shows a general view where there used to be a Uighur cemetery in Shayar in the region of Xinjiang Tamar Mayer, a professor of geosciences at Middlebury College, who researches Uighur shrines and cemeteries, described the new sites as homogenous and tightly packed. Families, which traditionally leave gifts by the graves, no longer have 'space to mourn', she said, adding the policy seemed to be an attempt to 'sanitise the area from Uighurs'. Aziz Isa Elkun, a Uighur activist in Britain whose father was buried in one of the many destroyed cemeteries in Shayar, agreed: 'If you want to build new graves then you can, but you do not need to destroy the old ones.' The Shayar government did not respond to AFP's questions on the process of moving remains to new sites. But it is clear that human remains have been left behind in the process. A pervasive security apparatus has subdued the ethnic unrest that has long plagued Xinjiang. Chinese officials have largely avoided comment on the re-education camps, but some said that ideological changes are needed to fight separatism Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang have been told to vow loyalty to the Communist Party of China and President Xi. Pictured, a woman walks past a screen showing images of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kashgar on June 4, 2019 Authorities in China's Xinjiang region have rounded up an estimated one million mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking minorities into internment camps in what they call an 'anti-terror' campaign On a trip to Xinjiang in September, AFP visited 13 destroyed cemeteries across four cities and saw bones in at least three Shayar sites. Local officials dismissed the evidence - one even picked up a bone, held it next to his right shin, and declared it 'too big to be a human's'. But seven forensic anthropologists who saw images taken by AFP identified a number of human remains, including a femur, feet, hand bones, and part of an elbow. 'There are a range of ages,' said Xanthe Mallett, a criminologist at the University of Newcastle. In Hotan, southern Xinjiang, residents were given just two days to claim their dead, according to a government notice photographed by AFP in May. 'Any tombstone that was not claimed during the registration period will be relocated as an unclaimed corpse,' it read in Uighur. 'The owner of the tombstone is solely responsible for any consequences coming out of the failure in registration.' Omir Bekali, who claims to have been detained in one of the Muslim re-education camps, cries as he details the psychological stress endured in the internment camp. The programme aims to rewire detainees' thinking and reshape their identities has also been criticised for its irreverence towards burial traditions outside of Xinjiang, including the destruction of coffins in central Jiangxi last year to force locals to cremate. Uighur men are seen leaving a mosque after prayers in Xinjiang's Hotan China is systematically indoctrinating Uighur Muslim children with detainee parents in what has been described as 'children's education camps', investigation has show. Pictured, a Uyghur woman holds a child in her home on September 12, 2016 The move to raze Uighur cemeteries is not new - satellite imagery reviewed by AFP shows destruction from more than a decade ago. But while Uighurs and ethnic minorities are still exempt from certain policies like cremation, which goes against Islamic tradition, authorities appear to be hardening their stance, said Rian Thum, a Uighur history and culture expert at the University of Nottingham. They used to have a 'non-confrontational approach to Uighur culture, but now any policy that attacks Uighur culture seems to get a boost rather than put in check as their approach has changed,' said Thum. The security crackdown in Xinjiang has also made it easier for authorities to ram through policies, said Tahir Hamut, a Uighur poet in the US who left Xinjiang in 2017. 'No one dares to speak up now,' he told AFP. 'No one raises demands with the government.' The Texas Education Agencys deadline for applying to serve on a state-appointed Houston ISD school board arrives at midnight Thursday, giving district residents a last-minute opportunity to join several hundred people who already have filed. Agency officials have solicited applications for the board over the past several weeks, opening the process to nearly all residents living within district boundaries. To submit an application, visit the TEA's website. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced in November his intent to replace the districts elected trustees with an appointed governing board, citing chronically low performance at Wheatley High School, multiple substantiated findings of misconduct by current trustees and the continued presence of a state conservator monitoring low-rated schools. State officials have targeted this spring as a potential transition date for the board. HISD trustees are fighting their ouster in Travis County court, arguing Morath is exceeding his authority and misinterpreting state laws that give him the power to appoint a replacement school board. A district judge issued a temporary restraining order last month barring Morath from replacing the board until there is a ruling on the districts request for a temporary injunction. A hearing on the request was set for Thursday, but has been rescheduled for Tuesday. TEA officials have not disclosed how many people have applied for the appointed board, but Morath said in mid-December that several hundred filed applications. He wavered on whether the agency will release the names of applicants. As we get down the process, it may be in the best interest for folks in Houston just to know whos thrown their names in the hat, Morath said. Applicants must undergo a background check, governance training and at least three interviews with state officials before they are selected. State law mandates that Morath must choose the board members, who likely will remain in power for two to five years. The districts four newly-elected trustees Patricia Allen, Kathy Blueford-Daniels, Judith Cruz and Dani Hernandez are not eligible to join the appointed board, TEA officials have said. Allen, Cruz and Hernandez applied or intended to apply, under the belief that state officials would allow them to join the board. I think it does make sense, however were legally precluded from that option for a variety of fairly complicated reasons, Morath said. TEA representatives have not responded to a request seeking clarification on laws or legal interpretations regarding whether the new trustees may serve on an appointed board. State law does not appear to explicitly allow or bar them from joining the board. jacob.carpenter@chron.com Indian rice export prices edged higher this week, buoyed by a stronger rupee and higher local paddy prices, while trade remained thin in rival hubs because of the holiday season. Top exporter India's 5% broken parboiled variety was quoted around $362-$366 a tonne, up from last week's $360-$365. The slight upturn was because of a strong rupee, which trims exporters' margins from overseas sales, though demand remains weak, said one exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Last year New Delhi had raised the paddy rice purchase price by 3.7% to 1,815 rupees per 100 kg for the 2019/20 crop. In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken rice were quoted at $360 a tonne on Thursday, little changed from last week's $355-$360. "Trade is very thin at the moment as inventory has run low and many exporters are still on holiday," said a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City. "Farmers in the country's largest rice-growing area, the Mekong Delta, are preparing land for the key winter-spring crop, which is expected to peak by the end of February," he added. No new deals were clinched in the past two weeks, apart from those to fulfil signed contracts, another trader said. Preliminary shipping data showed more than 100,000 tonnes of rice is to be loaded at Ho Chi Minh City port between Jan. 1 and Jan. 23, with most of it bound for West Africa, Iraq and South Korea. Vietnam's rice exports in 2019 are forecast to be up 2.5% from a year earlier at 6.259 million tonnes, official data showed last week. In Bangladesh, meanwhile, the rice crop could be hit by a prolonged cold spell, said senior agriculture ministry official Mizanur Rahman. "The rice seedbeds are taking on a yellow tinge as sunlight is failing to reach them on the ground due to thick fog. If it persists for long, crops will be affected," he said. Two cold spells hit the country over the past two weeks and another is expected in a few days. Thailand's rice-trading market was closed for most of the week because of the New Year holidays. Text In addition to the aforesaid Act, the Indian Government has also announced fresh preparation/updating of the National Population Register (NPR) which forms the basis of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) maintained by the central government. The NPR contains biometric and demographic information of Indian citizens which information can be used to link to the NRC. The ongoing human rights violation in Assam (callous unreasoned orders passed by quasi-judicial tribunals, multiplication of detention centres for illegal immigrants) is an example of the effect of NRC. While these actions by the Indian government led to unrest among the Indian masses, forceful illegal detentions and police brutality against students of Jamia Milia Islamia in Delhi and Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh participating in these protests fuelled a nation-wide protest. Article 15 prohibits state from discriminating among its citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them The consequence of such link to the NRC enables the central government to have arbitrary and discriminatory power over detaining, deporting individuals the government deems fit as doubtful Indian citizens. In fact, the Citizenship Act, 1956 vests complete authority in the central government to detain such individuals and prohibits courts from reviewing its acts which is dangerous to a democratic setup.The ongoing human rights violation in Assam (callous unreasoned orders passed by quasi-judicial tribunals, multiplication of detention centres for illegal immigrants) is an example of the effect of NRC.While these actions by the Indian government led to unrest among the Indian masses, forceful illegal detentions and police brutality against students of Jamia Milia Islamia in Delhi and Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh participating in these protests fuelled a nation-wide protest. Since December 15, 2019, protests across India have resulted in more than 25 deaths across the country as a result of police brutality. It is interesting to note that all of the victims are Muslim protestors and the respective state governments have denied any compensation to the families of these victims. In addition to these incidents, rampant human rights violations are apparent against only those individuals peacefully protesting against Indian governments decision to implement a nationwide NRC and the discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. This is symptomatic of the Indian Governments intolerance towards its Muslim minorities and any movement that supports equal protection for Muslim minorities. Not only are the acts endangering lives of thousands of protestors, open threats by democratically elected BJP leaders to perpetrate human rights violations against individuals protesting against the government is harrowing and threatens the peaceful co-existence of Indians. We also fear radical normalization of human rights violations against people opposing the Hindutva ideology. The protest before the Peace Palace is an active plea for the international community including human rights organizations, representatives of governments to take due notice of these illegal acts committed by the Indian Government and condemn acts connected with Hindutva ideology as an act of State sponsored terrorism. A statement following one of the series of protests held in the Netherlands against the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) by the Indian diaspora in front of the International Court of Justice ( ICJ), based in The Hague, has sharply criticized the Indian Governments purported discrimination amongst its citizens under the garb of providing citizenship to illegal immigrants. Pointing out that since December 15, 2019 protests across India have resulted in more than 25 deaths across the country as a result of police brutality, and all the victims are Muslims, the statement says, In addition to these incidents, rampant human rights violations are apparent against only those individuals peacefully protesting against Indian governments decision to implement a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.It adds, This is symptomatic of the Indian Governments intolerance towards its Muslim minorities and any movement that supports equal protection for Muslim minorities.In light of the recent events in India, a group of Indian diaspora residing in the Netherlands, is deeply disturbed by the turn of events have decided to protest against the Government of India before the Peace Palace. The protest is directed against the enactment of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) followed by gross perpetration of human rights violation against its citizens by the Government of India.The preamble to the Constitution of India defines India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic. The Preamble constitutes the basic structure of the Constitution (Keshavnanda Bharati v State of Kerala (1973) SCC 225) and is beyond the amending power of the legislature (SR Bommai v Union of India (1994) 3 SCC 1).These principles enshrined in the Preamble are further galvanized within Part III of the Constitution wherein Article 14 directs the State to provide equal protection of laws for every person in the territory of India and Article 15 prohibits the State from discriminating amongst its citizen on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 colours the Indian Governments purported discrimination amongst its citizens under the garb of providing citizenship to illegal immigrants.The new amendment to Section 2(1)(b) of the Citizenship Act, 1956 renders all Hindus, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian community from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, who entered into India on or before December 31, 2014 and have continuously resided in India for a period of 5 years after the said date as legal Indian residents.This very classification is not only violative of the Constitutional provisions mentioned above, it also jeopardizes citizenship of Indian citizens who do not belong to the aforesaid religions.The Constitution does not permit State to enact legislation based on religion, race, case, sex, and place of birth unless such legislation is made for the welfare of minorities. Through this Act, the Indian Government has discriminated on the basis of religion by providing explicit protection to the already majoritarian religions and by implicit exclusion of Indian Muslims. Insurance claims for property losses this bushfire season could easily double to top $600 million, with about 1300 homes razed so far across NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland since late August and as blazes continue to rage across four states. However, the true cost will be much higher, with many of those to have lost property likely to be underinsured or have no insurance at all. Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says 382 homes have been destroyed along the NSW South Coast. Credit:AAP As of Christmas Eve, 789 homes had been confirmed as lost in NSW, 86 in South Australia and 40 in Queensland. However, those figures do not include the latest destruction from fires that have swept across in southern NSW and eastern Victoria. Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told the Today show another 382 homes had been destroyed along the NSW South Coast, with more losses to come from fires that could continue to burn for weeks. 12 organizations specializing in health and environment together have called on Vietnam to scrap 14 new coal plants. Concerned by the environmental and health toll that coal-fired power plants exact, leaders of 12 networks and non-government organizations collectively urged Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to stop 14 coal-fired plants in Vietnam. Among the signatories to the statement released Monday are Green Innovation and Development Center (Green ID), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Vietnam Sustainable Energy Alliance, CARE International and Oxfam Vietnam. The 14 projects, located in eight provinces Quang Ninh and Bac Giang in northern Vietnam, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Binh Thuan in central Vietnam, and the southern Long An, Tien Giang and Soc Trang will have a total capacity of 17,390 MW. Seven of these have already faced considerable public backlash, while one project has been delayed for eight years and investors of two others are undetermined. For four ongoing projects, provincial authorities are contemplating a switch from coal to gas and "green energy." The collective statement said they were alarmed that the new coal plants under the revised national Power Development Plan VII carry huge risks of damaging the environment and public health, thereby threatening the countrys political and socioeconomic stability. Under the Plan VII, a total of 60,000 MW is expected to be generated by 2020, with coal-fired plants accounting for 42.7 percent followed by hydropower (30.1 percent), gas-fired plants (14.9 percent), and renewables (9.9 percent). The collective pointed to a global retreat from investing in fossil fuel projects and the shift to clean and sustainable energy, implying that Vietnam follow suit. The statement proposes that the government stops the 14 projects and conducts a comprehensive evaluation of their economic feasibility and environmental impacts. It also proposes that the authorities work on removing obstacles facing ongoing renewable energy projects and that the citizenry is involved at all stages, from the planning of energy projects to their completion. Dr Bui Thi An, a former National Assembly representative and Director of Institute for Resources, Environment and Community Development (IRECO), said the government should be transparent about the price of coal-fired energy so as to enable a comprehensive comparison with other forms of energy generations. The statement was released following concerns about the negative impact coal-fired power plants have had on Hanois poor air quality in recent months - first vocalized by Tran Dinh Sinh, deputy director of Green ID. The accusation was denied by state power utility EVN that runs several plants. EVN said the plants were so far away that they could not pollute the city. A 2017 study by Harvard University researchers into diseases caused by coal-fired power plants in Southeast Asia estimated that by 2030 Vietnam's premature mortality would be around 19,220 per year, a 4.5-fold increase from 2011, as a result of PM2.5 emitted by coal-fired power plants. Pham Thi Huong Giang, President of the Song Foundation, a non-profit that helps build new weather-resilient housing in regions frequently stricken by natural disasters in Vietnam, noted that a statement like this was unprecedented. Usually, concerns about and proposals on tackling environmental pollution have only been made individually. "This shows how urgent the problem is. We want to work with the government to come up with specific solutions. The statement has been widely shared and liked on social media which is a really positive reaction so far," she said. Last November, a report by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, prepared in collaboration with Denmarks Energy Agency also warned Vietnam against building new coal-fired power plants. It said the country needs early action to reduce future coal demand, which could include taxation on the use of coal or limits on new coal-based power generation. Oti Mabuse and Kelvin Fletcher are to be reunited following their Strictly win. (BBC) Current Strictly Come Dancing champions Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse are to reunite to dance together again in a new venture together. They have paired up once more for an event in New York, a holiday experience where they will act as dance instructors. In a post to Instagram, Fletcher said: "Im very excited to announce that I will be teaming up with my dance partner again, @otimabuse for a very special event with Imagine Cruising in New York on the 13th June. Read more: Motsi Mabuse still waiting for call about Strictly 2020 "This exclusive event is the start of a holiday of a lifetime which will see you fly to New York for 3 nights where you will join us for a dance extravaganza! We will lead you through a day of dancing, fine dining, glitz and glamour! Before you embark on a 7 night full-board transatlantic cruise on board Cunards Queen Mary 2 back to Southampton. Click the link in my bio for more information and we will see you in the Big Apple! Meanwhile, Mabuse teased that they would be teaching a "very special routine" to attendees. The duo lifted the Glitterball Trophy back in December after winning the series, beating Emma Barton and Anton du Beke as well as Karim Zeroual and Amy Dowden. While Fletcher will be appearing in the Strictly live tour when it kicks off this month, he won't be partnered with Mabuse. Oti Mabuse and Kelvin Fletcher won Strictly Come Dancing 2019. (Doug Peters/EMPICS) He will be joined by Janette Manrara for the shows as Mabuse is busy working on another dance programme, The Greatest Dancer. The South African star is once again appearing as a Dance Captain on the show for its second season alongside Cheryl Cole and Matthew Morrison. Todrick Hall will also sit on the panel as a new addition for series two. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has canceled his visit to Ukraine scheduled for January 3, according to the U.S. Department of State. "Secretary Pompeo must postpone his visit to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus due to the need for the Secretary to be in Washington, D.C., to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East," the report reads. It notes that Secretary Pompeo's trip will be rescheduled in the near future and "he looks forward to the visit at that time." On December 30, the U.S. Department of State announced Pompeo's visit to Ukraine on January 3, during which he was scheduled to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko, and Defense Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk. On December 31, in Baghdad, demonstrators broke into the compound of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, damaging a checkpoint, surveillance cameras, and windows. op BLACKROCK LATIN AMERICAN INVESTMENT TRUST PLC (the "Company") LEI: UK9OG5Q0CYUDFGRX4151 Voting Rights and Capital (Article 15 Transparency Directive, DTR 5.6) In conformity with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule 5.6.1R, the Company would like to notify the market of the following: As at 31 December 2019, BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc's capital consists of 39,259,620 Ordinary Shares of 10 cents each, carrying one vote each, excluding 2,181,662 ordinary shares held in treasury. As at 31 December 2019, the total number of voting rights for Ordinary shareholders in BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc is 39,259,620. Shareholders should use 39,259,620 as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company. All enquiries: Kevin Mayger BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, Company Secretary Tel: 0207 743 1098 2 January 2020 A driver was fined VND17 million ($732) and had his license revoked for six months after backing up a fuel tanker on an expressway Wednesday. Cameras along Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway captured the footage at 9 a.m. Wednesday, showing the tanker backing up about 600 m along a section through Gia Loc Town of the northern Hai Duong Province, in the direction of Hanoi. The driver was subsequently detained by the expressway's management unit. Driver fined for reversing tanker on expressway Xe bon i lui tren cao toc Ha Noi - Hai Phong bi phat 17 trieu ong The anonymous 25-year-old said he had missed a turn, causing him to back the tanker up along the road. The driver was the first to be fined under a new decree punishing traffic violations that came into effect starting 2020. Drivers who back up their vehicles on highways could be fined between VND16 million ($689) and VND18 million ($775), and have their licenses revoked for five to seven months, according to the new law. Previously, backing up vehicles on highways resulted in fines of up to VND1.2 million ($51.7). The new decree also introduces new fines for drunken cyclists, of up to VND600,000 ($26). Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Thursday said that Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abd al-Mahdi has assured security of US personnel, amid violent protest outside US embassy in Baghdad. "Spoke today with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Mahdi, who agreed that Iraq would continue to uphold its responsibility to keep US personnel secure and would move the Iran-backed attackers away from US Embassy in Baghdad. We'll continue cooperation to hold Iran and its proxies responsible," wrote Pompeo in a tweet. Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State postponed his visit to Ukraine, after its embassy in Iraq was besieged by Shiite protesters after airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. Pompeo also said that legitimate efforts of Iraqi protesters since October last year against corruption in Iraq should not be confused with "the Iranian regime orchestrated attack, conducted by terrorists against the US embassy in Baghdad." Moreover, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus apprised about the current development in Iraq, saying, "The situation around embassy in Baghdad has improved," but that effort by Iraqi government security forces "to clear militia members from the area immediately surrounding the embassy continue." Protesters broke into the US embassy compound in Baghdad, smashed windows, set fire to outbuildings following US air-strikes at five facilities linked to Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq and Syria. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 16:35:47|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close by Duncan Murray SYDNEY, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Throughout the final months of 2019, Australia experienced its most destructive bushfire season ever recorded. Between November and December in the worst hit State of New South Wales, nine people were confirmed dead, close to 1,000 homes were lost and more than 3.6 million hectares of wilderness was burnt. In late December, another person was killed by fires in the State of South Australia, with homes, property and thousands of hectares of bushland lost there as well. The world took note. Not least at the news that thousands of koalas had likely perished across Australia -- a shocking symbol of the toll the disaster was taking on the country as a whole. In the new year, Australians remained on high alert and with many months of summer left to go, tensions were high as to what would happen next. On the New Year's Eve, the crisis escalated once more, both in NSW and the neighbouring State of Victoria. With soaring winds and temperatures fanning flames, thousands of people fled to the coast, taking shelter on beaches where they felt the safest. Several rural towns were badly hit and residents could do little but try to escape as flames consumed entire communities. NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons confirmed that 382 homes were destroyed. Around 50 homes were also confirmed to have been lost in Victoria -- a number expected to significantly increase as assessment crews further accessed affected areas. Already the total number of homes destroyed by bushfires this season is over 1400. Rather than popping champagne, many Australians spent the last day of the decade in fear for their lives. The town of Batemans Bay became cut off by fires and residents were forced to spend the night by the water surrounded by fire. As the new year dawned, five more people were confirmed dead in southern NSW. They had either been trying to defend their homes, or flee the vicious inferno. In Victoria's East Gippsland region, another person was found dead at home, taking the overall death toll this season to 17. Images emerged on social media of residents escaping by boat against a deep red daytime sky, and again the world was shocked by the severity of the fires. Military ships and helicopters were called in to rescue those still stranded near the ocean, including at the popular holiday destination of Mallacoota beach, where an estimated 4,000 people had taken shelter. Late on Wednesday evening, NSW RFS issued an order for tourists to vacate a roughly 250 kilometre stretch of the NSW South Coast, another popular summer getaway, and by Thursday morning giant queues had formed of those trying to access fuel, food and water in order to make their way home. Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged calm and patience from those caught up in the disaster and insisted that everything possible was being done to make the evacuation process as smooth as possible. "We cannot control the natural disaster but what we can do is control our response," Morrison said. "What we can do is support those who are out there putting themselves at risk by showing the patience and the calm that is necessary." However, not everybody could be reached. Scorched infrastructure meant that in many places phone and internet services were down, restricting normal lines of communication. Amid the confusion, 17 people were declared missing throughout Victoria's remote East Gippsland Region with serious concerns for their safety. "These are very challenging circumstances and unique in many ways to have this many people cut off from services is not something we would normally experience," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters. "We do hold very significant fears for the welfare of anybody who is missing at this time." A combined 500,000 hectares have been burnt across East Gippsland. The result of three major fires which merged. Nationwide, almost 5.9 million hectares have been burnt since the crisis began. While conditions offered some reprieve on Wednesday and Thursday, forecasts were predicting a return of extreme fire danger by the end of the week. "Fire dangers on Saturday will reach severe to extreme yet again across fire sites and communities that have already seen large scale devastation," Bureau of Meteorology scientist Jonathan How said. "As the heat and wind returns, so does the danger." [January 02, 2020] 1CyberForce Wins Spot on $13.4B Air Force SBEAS IT Services IDIQ RESTON, Va., Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 1CyberForce LLC, an SBA approved JV between IndraSoft, Inc. and Yakshna Solutions, Inc., (YSI) is one of twenty firms awarded to the Air Force Small Business Enterprise Applications Solutions (SBEAS). This potential 10-year, $13.4B multiple-award IDIQ contract vehicle for information technology support platforms and services is the replacement vehicle for Application Solutions Small Business currently in use through the Network-Centric Solutions-2 IDIQ contract. The vehicle's scope includes a comprehensive suite of IT services and solutions to support systems development in next generation environment and infrastructure. Scope of services include software development, cybersecurity, data and information services, technology refresh, deployment, configuration management, business analysis for IT programs, training, information display services, commercial off-the-shelf product management, and documentation operations. Neeraja Lingam, IndraSoft CEO stated, "Having supported more than 70 task orders for the US Air Force on NETCENTS 2 App Services contract, we are thrilled be part of technology transformation and development of next generation Air Force Enterprise Applications for our warfighters. IndraSoft is roud to be part of this next generation vehicle to continue our decade long support to Air Force. IndraSoft specializes in delivering technology transformation solutions. Our DevSecOps pipelines and Agile Development capabilities are helping customers realize the potential of cyber solutions designed to accelerate capability delivery and responsiveness." Srividhya Chakravarthi, Yakshna Solutions, Inc (YSI) CEO stated, "We are excited that our 1CyberForce JV was selected to support this very important mission for US Air Force. We look forward to bringing our deep expertise with innovative IT solutions to the Air Force Enterprise." About IndraSoft IndraSoft provides cutting edge Enterprise IT solutions to our customers across DoD and Civilian Federal Agencies including U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, Defense Manpower Data Center, Defense Logistics Agency, USTRANSCOM, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of Justice, and U.S. Census Bureau. IndraSoft's Agile/DevOps, Cybersecurity, Cloud, Data Analytics, AI/ML and Blockchain solutions enable our customers to focus on mission imperatives with confidence in the value of IndraSoft's commitment, ability, and high performing staff. About YSI Yakshna Solutions, Inc. is a small, minority and women-owned business enterprise, headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. YSI provides professional IT products, solutions and services to Federal Agencies including US Government Publishing Office, National Archives and Records Administration, Department of Justice, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Transportation and commercial agencies including Fannie Mae and College Board. YSI provides cost-efficient innovative solution using Agile DevSecOps and CI/CD, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Cloud Computation and Migration, Mobile App Development to succeed their customer mission. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/1cyberforce-wins-spot-on-13-4b-air-force-sbeas-it-services-idiq-300980507.html SOURCE IndraSoft [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Trump Signs Future Act to Help HBCUs, Minority-Serving Institutions One day after the House impeached him, President Donald Trump took decisive action to support and empower Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country. The President put his signature on the Future Act, legislation that for the time includes HBCUs in the federal 5-year STEM Education Plan and the National Research and Development Budget Priorities. When I took office, I promised to fight for HBCUs, and my Administration continues to deliver, Trump stated. ADVERTISEMENT A few months ago, funding for HBCUs was in jeopardy. But the White House and Congress came together and reached a historic agreement. For the first time ever, I signed legislation to permanently fund HBCUs and other institutions that primarily serve first-generation and minority students. This action guarantees more than $2.5 billion over the next 10 years, including $850 million specifically for HBCUs, the President stated. He continued: Todays achievement continues my unprecedented commitment to HBCUs. During my first weeks in office, I moved the HBCU initiative, led by Johnathan Holifield, to the White House and worked with Congress to increase funding for HBCUs by more than $100 million. HBCUs have never had better champions in the White House. The bill I signed today also reforms the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The Internal Revenue Service will now seamlessly transfer applicants records to the Department of Education, so that families can use a simpler, shorter application for financial aid and those with student loans do not have to complete a cumbersome income certification process year after year. This is a transformative change that has been talked about in Washington for more than a decade, but everyone always said it could not be done. We got it done. HBCUs will now play an essential part in federal planning to advance bold, transformational leaps in science and technology to ensure America remains the global leader in science and technology for generations to come, White House officials said in a release. ADVERTISEMENT With the bills signing, Trump also established the inaugural HBCU Colors Day, which encourages HBCU supporters from across the country to wear HBCU apparel to show their support for HBCU institutions. The Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education or Future Act means that, under the Presidents administration, investment in HBCU programs has significantly increased under Title III of the Higher Education Action of 1965. This includes: A $35 million increase in the Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program ($279.6 million); A $9 million increase in the Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions ($72.3 million); A $1 million increase in the Strengthening HBCU Masters Programs ($8.6 million); Meaningful increases investments in student support like Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study, and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG); and Increases in Howard Universitys annual appropriation by nearly $11 million, bringing its fiscal year 2018 investment level to $232.5 million. The bill also increased by $30 million in investments in the HBCU Capital Financing Program, helping eight schools experiencing financial difficulty in redesigning and restructuring to better meet student and community needs and fulfill loan obligations. Trump also has appointed both the Chairman of the Presidents Board of Advisors on HBCUs and Executive Director of the White House Initiatives on HBCUs. What were talking about is permanent funding for HBCUs, as well as minority-serving institutions, to the tune of $255 million in the annual formula and competitive funding, said JaRon Smith, the Deputy Assistant to the President for the White House Office of American Innovation. Thats over ten years, so youre talking about $2.5 billion, and we didnt just stop there. With the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) simplification that only allows students to answer up to 22 questions on a current basis, we eliminated the burdensome process that will allow low-income students like myself, who had to navigate a FAFSA form without having parents who ever went to college, Smith stated. Smith added that the legislation would help put more students in the pipeline, and more resources into HBCUs and minority-serving institutions. Its going to help them with programming infrastructure and help the students that go to these institutions, he stated. The President and his administration are aggressively working on other strategies to assist HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, Smith stated. During our last two presidential board of advisors meetings, the subject came up, and were also taking a look at the money that can be leveraged into these institutions as well as community colleges, Smith said. I think that we just need to be smarter as a government and harness our institutions. Many of these schools are located in areas where people depend on those institutions to get access to opportunity. Our commitment has always been to figure out a strategy to help these institutions throughout the 21st century. @StacyBrownMedia @realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse @JaRonSmith45 HOLLAND LANDING, Ontario, Jan. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inscape (TSX: INQ), a leading designer and manufacturer of furnishings for the workplace, previously announced on November 11, 2019 that it had entered into an agreement for the sale of the Falconer Facility which currently manufactures Inscapes branded Walls products and the DC Rollform integrated metal fabrication business to Dahlstrom Roll Form, subject to certain conditions. On December 31, 2019, all conditions were satisfied and the transaction was completed. The purchase price was $4.4 million (Canadian). The Sale involved the following transactions: Sale of the DC Rollform Integrated Metal Fabrication business Sale of the Falconer, New York land, building and certain equipment located at 221 Lister Avenue Lease agreement whereby Inscape leases back a portion of space to continue the manufacture and distribution of its branded Walls products. This transaction is consistent with our commitment to grow our business profitably by focusing on our core branded business. We expect this transaction will significantly improve our operational and financial performance, commented Brian Mirsky, CEO. About Inscape Since 1888, Inscape has been designing products and services that are focused on the future, so businesses can adapt and evolve without investing in their workspaces all over again. Our versatile portfolio includes systems furniture, storage, and walls all of which are adaptable and built to last. Inscapes wide dealer network, showrooms in the United States and Canada, along with full service and support for all our clients, enable us to stand out from the crowd. We make it simple. We make it smart. We make our clients wonder why they didnt choose us sooner. For more information, visit myinscape.com. Contact Aziz Hirji, CPA, CA Chief Financial Officer Inscape Corporation T 905 952 4102 ahirji@myinscape.com Charlotte Crosby has announced she will appear on the Australian version of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! The former Geordie Shore star shared a promotional photo of herself in her jungle gear to Instagram on Friday, telling fans to 'get ready for a wild ride'. 'Sitting here writing this not actually having a clue what to expect. All I know is this is going to be crazy!' the 29-year-old captioned the snap. 'Get ready for a wild ride!' Newly-single Charlotte Crosby is heading into the jungle for the Australian version of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 'Finally my dreams have come true and I don't have to Photoshop my head onto the English lineup anymore. See you soon, my jungle buddies,' she added. The news was also announced on I'm A Celebrity Australia's official Instagram account. A short clip showed Charlotte reading a traveller's guide to South Africa, where the program is filmed. 'South Africa?! That was such a good trip I really gotta go back,' she said. It's official! The former Geordie Shore star shared a promotional photo of herself in her jungle gear to Instagram on Friday, telling fans to 'get ready for a wild ride' 'Well, I'm newly single now and I've got so much free time on my hands. January 5, that sounds like a brilliant day to go.' Charlotte split from Ex on the Beach star Josh Ritchie, 25, in November because 'he wasn't ready to settle down'. She told News.com.au on Friday that she's looking forward to having a break from reality, and is open to a romance in the jungle. Doing some research? A short clip shared by I'm A Celebrity Australia's Instagram account showed Charlotte reading a traveller's guide to South Africa, where the program is filmed Charlotte also revealed she is feeling confident about her journey, as Geordie Shore has prepared her for the challenges of reality TV. 'I lived in Geordie Shore where we had cameras stuck to every wall of the house, filming 24 hours a day. We didn't have mobile phones, we couldn't contact the outside world,' she said. 'So really, 10 years ago starting on Geordie Shore prepared me for stuff that other people on I'm A Celeb might be dealing with for the first time. It's honestly going to be a walk int he park - it's where I thrive.' Season six of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Australia premieres Sunday, January 5 on Channel 10. Newly single: Charlotte split from Ex on the Beach star Josh Ritchie, 25, in November because 'he wasn't ready to settle down'. Pictured together in happier times The show does not air in the United Kingdom. Charlotte's former Geordie Shore co-star Vicky Pattison previously appeared in the 2018 season of I'm A Celebrity Australia, finishing in fourth place. Celebrity chef Miguel Maestre is the only other confirmed campmate so far. Other stars tipped to appear on the show include The Project's Tommy Little, television presenter Tom Williams and Collingwood star Dale 'Daisy' Thomas. Confirmed: Celebrity chef Miguel Maestre is the only other confirmed campmate so far Sophie Monk - who hosts Australia's version of Love Island - has also been linked to the new season. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, a Channel 10 spokesperson said: 'We welcome speculation about the cast of I'm A Celeb, that's all part of the fun. 'You'll have to tune in on Sunday 5 Jan to see the big names step into the South African jungle this season. Keep guessing!' As uncertainty hangs over portfolio allocation in Maharashtra, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar conceded on Thursday that his party wanted portfolios related to rural areas. He, however, dismissed reports that there were differences among ruling allies Shiv Sena, his party and the NCP over sharing of portfolios. Earlier, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had said that portfolios would be allocated on Thursday or Friday. Wadettiwar said Congress leaders met here on Thursday to discuss who from the party would become district guardian ministers. The party wants two more ministries and this issue was also discussed in the meeting, he said. "We want portfolios relating to rural areas," he told Marathi newschannel 'ABP Majha'. Congress sources had said earlier that the party was upset that it did not get any of the ministries which have a bearing on rural areas, such as agriculture, rural development and cooperation. Agriculture has gone to the Shiv Sena and other two are with the NCP. According to the power-sharing arrangement the three parties reached, the Congress has got 12 ministries, including 10 cabinet berths. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray was sworn-in as chief minister on November 28 along with six ministers. The cabinet was expanded on Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mango Publishing, a Miami-based independent house focused on a diverse list of voices and topics, has acquired Yellow Pear Press, which also includes Bonhomie Press, a fiction and memoir imprint. Founded in 2015 in San Francisco, Yellow Pear Press specializes in lifestyle and regional titles as well as notecards and journals. The YPP list works well with that of Mango Publishing, which publishes across an eclectic range of topics including LGBTQ issues, feminism, health and self-help, fiction, and childrens and young adult books. Mango Publishing was cited as one of PWs Fast-Growing Companies of 2019 and YPP is its latest acquisition: In October 2019 Mango acquired the Red Wheel/Weiser imprint of Conari Press, which included nearly 300 titles. Yellow Pear Press publisher Lisa McGuinness will continue to oversee the imprint and she said that beginning in fall 2020, YPP would release three books a season. Mango CEO Chris McKenney said, Lisas talent for crafting beautiful books shows in all her Yellow Pear Press titles and were honored to be able to welcome her onto the Mango team. WEST CHESTER The Chester County Court of Common Pleas bench grew by two on Thursday. Judges Bret Binder and Analisa Sondergaard, who had won election as the first Democrats to win seats on the bench since before the Civil War, were sworn in during ceremonies in the county Justice Centers stately Courtroom One, then joined their colleague on the bench. The two, who had served as Magisterial District Court judges prior to their elections, both thanked their new colleagues for their help and support on making the transition to the trial court, and said they would dedicate themselves to carry on its tradition of excellence. It has been a long haul to get here, but it has been a rewarding one, said Binder, who was first elected to serve as District Court judge in West Chester in 2017 and who was joined Thursday by his parents, David and Deana Binder. I am humbled and honored, and I cant wait to get stated. Sondergaard, after being praised by a former partner at the private Philadelphia law firm where she worked while also serving as judge at the District Court in Tredyffrin as a colleague, friend, and mentor, paid tribute to her mother, Arundel Shelton, who was in the packed courtroom and helped her on with her robe. Thank you for welcoming me, she said to the other 10 judges on the court as they looked on. I look forward to serving with each and every one of you. The judicial swearing in ceremonies took place shortly after President Judge Jacqueline Carroll Cody administered the official oaths of office to the three county commissioners and five new county Row Officers, as well as two new Magisterial District judges. A day in court is not normally a happy day, said Cody. But this is a happy day. The oaths are required by law, even though the officials will not begin their terms in office legally until Monday. A more celebratory event will be held for all the officials, Row Officers and judges alike, on Saturday. Those taking oaths were District Attorney Deborah Ryan, Sheriff Fredda Maddox, Prothonotary Debbie Bookman, Register of Wills Michelle Vaughn, Recorder of Deeds Chris Pielli, and commissioners Michelle Kichline, Josh Maxwell, and Marian Moskowitz. On Saturday, in the swearing in session set at West Chester Universitys Emilie Asplundh Hall, outgoing county commissioners Kathi Cozzone and Terence Farrell are expected to serve as a masters of ceremonies. Each office holder will be sworn in individually, unlike Thursdays mass oath taking. In the judicial ceremony, the audience of court staff, attorneys, Magisterial District judges, and police officials listened as Zygmont Pines, the former chief court administrator for Pennsylvania who came to speak on Binders behalf, discussed the role of a Common Pleas judge. Rather than the description offered by a jaded veteran of the Philadelphia political world of a judges job as the best ever all you have to do is sit there and judge Pine said the responsibilities of a judge left him awestruck. They can be asked to preside over sentencings that determine a persons future freedom, rule on whether their children can be taken away from them, handle Ricky evidentiary questions that can decide the fate of a legal case, and are somehow asked to dispense justice and show compassion at the same time, Pines said. Just sitting and judging, then, he said, was an understatement. In addition to Binder and Sondergaards oath, Cody also administered the oath of office to Judge John Hall, who will become the countys new President Judge on Monday. To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544. Clarification: Judges Bret Binder and Analisa Sondergaard ran for election on the Democratic ballot in November 2019, and publicly aligned themselves with the Chester County Democratic Committee. Judge Jacqueline Carroll Cody, who has never publicly discussed her party registration, ran for election in 1993 and was nominated on both the Democratic and Republican ballots, thus assuring her a place on the bench in a bi-partisan manner. Judge John Wajert was appointed to the bench as a Democrat in the 1970s, but lost his seat on county Common Pleas Court in a General Election. CHICAGO Public libraries across Illinois are either eliminating late fees or are looking into such a policy. Chicago Public Library recently waived late fees. Starting Wednesday, Fox River Valley Public Library District patrons will no longer be charged fines for late materials, a spokesperson said. In Springfield, Alderwoman Erin Conley said she is getting a lot of interest from constituents asking if our library could look into the budget impacts and, kind of, give an analysis of us eliminating late fees. The impacts to the budget would be minimal, Lincoln Public Library Director Rochelle Hartman said. They only bring in about $40,000 a year in late fee revenue whereas a possible increase in returned materials could save on buying replacements. I just came from a library that instituted a fine free policy, Hartman said. It creates a lot of good will and makes people feel a lot more welcome in the library. Theres a lot of shame associated with having lost materials or late fees and it can be undoable for some families who are at risk. Just two dollars could be a carton of milk, you know, so you just have to make those decisions. The Ela Area Public Library in Lake Zurich has waived late fees for several years, but tells patrons if they never return, or return damaged material, they would still be responsible for the cost. On its website, the Ela Area Public Library stated they waived late fees because, Creating financial barriers to using the library is counterproductive. It wants to encourage more use, not discourage it. EU lifts ban on swine imports from Croatia The Croatian Ministry of Agriculture said the European Union ban, which was imposed because of a classical swine fever outbreak in Croatia, has now been lifted, reported Total Croatia News. According to the ministry, the EU lifted the ban from December 27, 2019 thanks to detailed veterinary inspection measures, which were implemented to eliminate classical swine fever from domestic swine and wild boar. Croatia first reported a classical swine fever case ten years ago. Strict restrictions were imposed on the marketing of live swine and swine-based products which come from the following counties in Croatia: Vukovar-Srijem, Karlovac, Sisak-Moslavina and Slavonski Brod-Posavina. - Total Croatia News (CNN) South African couple, Hector Mkansi and Nonhlanhla Soldaat had their dream wedding December 31, right in time for new year, after a video of their proposal went viral in November. Mkansi, 37, proposed to Soldaat, 28, midway through their meal at a KFC restaurant in South Africa. Since the video was posted by a Twitter user in November, the video has been shared more than 25,000 times using the hashtag #KFCProposal. Strangers and brands from across the country were so moved by the proposal that they identified the couple and offered to help plan the big day. KFC South Africa provided a wedding planner and Uber and Audi offered to help the couple get around on their honeymoon. The proposal Mkansi and Soldaat met at a funeral in 2010 and have been inseparable since then. They tied the knot in a small ceremony in 2012, but Mkansi, who is a pastor, says it was not the wedding of their dreams. "In 2011 our families began lobola negotiations (dowry) and in 2012 we got married in a small traditional ceremony as that was all we could afford at the time... We had the ceremony but I knew this wasn't what my wife and I wanted," Mkansi told CNN. He said he was not happy with the rings he got his wife at the time, so he decided to buy her new ones and surprise her with a better proposal in her favorite place to eat -- KFC. "The team at the restaurant was surprised at the request but they were helpful in creating the big moment. We received our meals and when she looked inside, she found the rings and that's when I went down on my knee," he said. Unknown to them, someone caught the special moment on camera and posted it online. Not everyone on social media was supportive at first. One woman mocked Mkansi for popping the question at KFC. She wrote that South African men "are so broke" they propose at KFC. But the positive responses that followed drowned out the bad comments. "We didn't even know about it (negative comments) until much later, we are not really bothered by that," Mkansi said. "We're still in disbelief" KFC South Africa announced on Twitter that it is helping the couple with planning, and even hired an event planner to manage activities around the ceremony. "South Africa, you guys are amazing! We've found the beautiful couple, and looks like we're having a #StreetwiseWedding y'all. We're meeting Bhut' Hector and his lovely bride Nonhlanhla we'll keep you posted. #KFCProposal," they posted on their official Twitter account. Soon after, brands like Audi and Lexus offered to help the couple with travel. Airlines Kulula and Mango also pledged to fly the couple to their honeymoon destination. South Africans later jumped in with offers to help pay for the couple's wedding jewelry, spa treatment, and home furniture. Mkansi says he had a small event in mind for the second time around to match his budget. But now, he and his wife cannot believe their luck. "We are still in disbelief, both of us have to ask each other if this is really happening from time to time. We couldn't be more grateful to God and every single person that has shared in our little love story," he told CNN. He says it is the wedding of their dreams "Our dream has come true, we never in a million years thought something like this would happen to us." This story was first published on CNN.com, "He was mocked for proposing in KFC, but the internet found them and gave them their dream wedding." And now a message from sponsors of the 97th annual Toy for Joy Christmas drive: Thank you! "This was my 12th Christmas with the Salvation Army, and I truly believe this was the best one yet,'' said Danielle LaTaille, social services director of the Salvation Army, which distributed toys and books to children who would otherwise have had empty stockings at Christmas. "We are just thrilled so grateful for the commitment people have to (donating to) this program, and their generosity. Were thankful are still willing to support this program for families in need,'' she said. The 97th Toy for Joy drive, a month-long campaign, brought in $129,030 in donations. A late surge of donations backed up the loyalty and generosity of early donors, allowed the Salvation Army to bring toys and books to children of all 1,500 families who registered in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. The most important thing to remember about Toy for Joy is that every single dollar donated helped make Christmas happy for children in need. While we did not make the goal of $150,000, we did come closer than we have over the past three years, said Cynthia G. Simison, executive editor of The Republican. As its been for nearly a century now, our readers joined forces with our community partners to be generous to families in need all across Western Massachusetts. Simison said Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi has already said he plans to be part of the 2020 Toy for Joy effort. The sheriff has been a kind and generous supporter to Toy for Joy and the Salvation Army. He understands the mission of the campaign and knows it can make a difference in the lives of countless families, Simison said. Likewise, the team at Pride Stores injected immeasurable kindness into our efforts. Prides $16,000 donation was a remarkable, combined effort from customers of the chain and the company itself. Simison added that the support of the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation to ensure each child receives a new book among the gifts has been unwavering. Together with the Davis Foundation, we at The Republican understand how vital literacy is for the future of our communities. It is a gift that truly cannot be measured in dollars. Toy for Joy was a collaborative effort by the Salvation Army in association with The Republican, El Pueblo Latino and MassLive. Media partners included Reminders Publishing and The Westfield News. Community partners are the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, Pride Stores and Hampden County Sheriff Cocchis department. The Davis foundation provided funds to help ensure books were included for every child who receives gifts. "We were able to give two toys and a book per child child, and every one of them was happy. We had a few extra bags distributed on our waiting list for those who didnt get to register,'' LaTaille said. We try to be conservative with our purchase of toys, but many people commented on the high quality of the toys. Even our volunteers noticed it. We were able to distribute items like headphones and perfumes for the older kids, and relevant games and toys for all the children. Through the Sheriffs Department and other donations, the Salvation Army was able to distribute puzzles, board games and some little extras in the spirit of relevant gifts. The reasons for donations were varied and touching. Many were in memory of loved ones. Others were an expression of appreciation for past kindnesses. One donor wanted to thank the Salvation Army for providing meals during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Businesses saw Toy for Joy as a meaningful way to give back to their communities. Many donors made anonymous gestures of generosity and goodwill. All contributors shared the common purpose of bringing happiness to children at Christmas. As Toy for Joy approaches its 100th anniversary in 2022, the generosity of the regions residents and businesses has maintained this drives place as a relevant, current and vibrant charity that brings smiles to thousands of deserving children at Christmas. Thats the most important goal of all. This years sponsors thank every single individual, company or group that made it possible in 2019. Here is the final list of contributions: In memory of Ray and Phyllis Kupec $25 In memory of America, Felicia and TJ $100 With love and in memory of John, Mom and Dad $100 In memory of our parents from Michael and Marianne $100 In loving memory of John and Louise Day $25 Happy Christmas $50 In loving memory of Eugene P. OShea $100 In memory of Gramma Kay $25 Merry Christmas to all the children $20 With thanks to Salvation Army for meals in the 1930s $25 Hope and peace to all, NG $50 In memory of Marion Stein $15 In memory of our loving parents and deceased family $100 In memory of our parents Sotirios and Panagiota Vakakas and Joseph and Patricia Chicklowski and Uncle Charlie. Love always, Chuck and Georgia $25 For my parents and in-laws, the most generous people $50 Michele $100 In memory of Carolyn Zona $50 Ron and Barbara $20 Happy holidays and peace on Earth $100 In memory of John and Dianna Lazazzera and Leo Remillard $20 In memory of my husband Charlie of 71 years $1,000 In memory of our loved ones $125 Remembering Nicholas Baio from Mapleshade School, East Longmeadow $100 In loving memory of Hilda Nilson $20 In loving memory of my parents, John and Betty $25 In memory of Frank Aveyard, Nov. 7, 1993, and his wife, Mary Bonini Aveyard, Oct. 31, 2019, from their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and Jon and Julie $50 Jim and Ellen $25 For the kids $25 In honor of all the children of the world $25 In memory of Ethel and Stanley Cortis $25 In memory of Gene Brassard $25 Merry Christmas $20 In memory of Gene. Eileen, Eldon and Ruth. Rest in peace $100 Anonymous $25 Merry Christmas to family and friends from the Bombardier family $25 In memory of my Dad, the big man from Ballydavid, and my mom, the lady from Moorestown, Dingle County, Kerry, Ireland $10 From International Valve as a gift for Brian Tuohey of Collins Companies $100 Anonymous $10 Thank you St. Jude for your help, LB $20 In loving memory of Ginger, Missy and Tower. Love, ETA $25 Merry Christmas from Ana, Elena, Olivia and Katelyn $20 From Ken Ryan, given in part of the Classic Harvest giving program $200 In honor of St. Anthony, S. Joseph and S. Sharbel $25 Anonymous $25 In memory of my mother, Jean, from Pat $25 For the years I had little, so others will have more, sharing my many blessings $100 Martha $50 In loving memory of Philip J. and Edith M. Adamchek $50 Edward $50 Merry Christmas Peter, Chris, Bobby, and Erin $100 In memory of David Starr who made such a positive impact on our region, Carol A. Leary $500 Received $4,025 Total to date $129,030 Sweden-based site reported on ministers watch collection which includes a Rolex worth almost as much as his salary. Bangladesh authorities have blocked access to a Sweden-based investigative journalism website after it published a report alleging corruption by an influential Bangladeshi minister. Netra News was blocked in Bangladesh within 72 hours of publishing the story about Obaidul Quader, Bangladeshs minister of road transport and bridges. The story, which was based on a tip from a whistle-blower and photos from Quaders verified Facebook page, raises questions about his collection of luxury watches from brands including Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and Ulysse Nardin. Readers in Bangladesh contacted Netra News to complain that they could not access the website without using a VPN, an editor of the online publication told Al Jazeera. Jahurul Haque, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) the government agency that controls the web access of the country, told Al Jazeera that he did not receive any official order from the government to block the website. However, he indicated that Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) the intelligence agency of the Bangladesh armed forces also has the capacity to block a website. DGFI declined to comment on the issue. Netra News told Al Jazeera in a statement that they had been able to independently verify that their website is blocked by the defence agency. A source close to the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) in Dhaka told a Netra News editor that the agency was behind the block. Investigation The article, published on December 26 with the headline, A wrist of luxury, questioned how the minister could afford such expensive accessories. Qauder is also the secretary-general of the ruling Awami League in Bangladesh and is considered the second most powerful man after party chairman and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Tasneem Khalil, editor-in-chief of Netra News, told Al Jazeera that Quader has a declared annual income of about $36,000 while just one of his Rolex watches has a price tag of $34,000. We questioned if the minister bought these watches himself or received them as gifts in exchange for awarding lucrative contracts. And for this very basic act of journalism, our website has been blocked in Bangladesh, he said. Al Jazeera tried contacting Quader several times. His secretary said he was not available for comment. Mahbubul Alam Hanif, a spokesperson of Awami League who holds the rank of joint secretary-general, said: I cant comment on Quaders watch collection. Its not my duty to look after his [Quaders] wrist. In its recent election manifesto, Awami League said it would adopt a zero-tolerance approach against corruption. There is no definite proof that Quader was involved with any corruption, said Hanif, who refused to give a reason behind the news websites block. Previous cases Netra News also published a story about an influential Bangladeshi security official, the prime ministers security adviser, and his alleged role in the enforced disappearance and death in custody of a retired army captain. Al Jazeera published a story on this development in March, after which Al Jazeeras website was blocked in Bangladesh. This affront to press freedom is unfortunately neither new nor surprising. With this brazen act of censorship, Netra News joins an increasingly long list of websites which include Al Jazeera English (Qatar) and The Wire (India) which were blocked in Bangladesh for reporting on topics that irked the upper echelons of power in the country, said Khalil. He said Netra News was set up to tackle media censorship in Bangladesh. In seeking to block its website, the Bangladeshi authorities are confirming how important it is for independent journalism platforms like Netra News to exist, said Khalili. Tumakuru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday visit the Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Karnataka's Tumakuru and attend various events there. PM Modi`s Tumakuru visit is part of his two-day visit to Karnataka beginning January 2. During the Siddaganga Mutt visit, PM Modi is slated to unveil a plaque to mark the laying of the foundation stone for a memorial museum of Shri Shri Shivakumar Swamiji. Earlier, a release from his office said that the Prime Minister will offer prayers and also plant a sapling at the Mutt. On 2nd and 3rd January 2020, PM @narendramodi will be participating in various programmes in Karnataka. The first programme tomorrow will be a visit to the Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru. PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 1, 2020 He will lay the foundation stone for a memorial museum remembering the venerable Shri Shri Shivakumar Swamiji. PM @narendramodi will also address the gathering there. PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 1, 2020 At another public meeting in Tumakuru, PM @narendramodi will distribute Krishi Karman Awards and Commendation Awards to various states. He will also give away Agriculture Ministers Krishi Karman Awards for Progressive Farmers. PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 1, 2020 Live TV Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and other dignitaries including Siddalingeshwara Swamy will be present on the occasion. The Prime Minister will also address the gathering. Over 1.5 million Ukrainians visited Turkey in 2019, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. In the period from January to November 2019, the number of tourists from Ukraine visiting Turkey increased to 1.560 million people, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. The Turkish ministry noted that 1.380 million Ukrainians visited Turkey in 2018. In general, 42.91 million foreign tourists visited Turkey in 2019, which is 14% more compared with the previous year. According to the Turkish ministry, the number of Ukrainian tourists in Turkey in 2020 is expected to range from 1.684 million to 1.710 million. iy NPR not to be implemented in Madhya Pradesh, says CM Kamal Nath No document needed for NPR: MHA sources India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 02: The Union Home Ministry has said that no person needs to submit documents during the NPR process. The information provided by the individuals would be accepted and no documents would need to be submitted, a Home Ministry official clarified to OneIndia. The National Population Register or the NPR is a census that would be conducted from house to house. This would be conducted from across the country from April 1, 2020, to September 30, 2020. Any resident residing in India in any area for six months or more would be required to register with the NPR. No link between NRC and National Population Register: Amit Shah NEWS AT NOON JAN 2nd, 2020 The aim of the NPR is to create data on the comprehensive identification of the common residents of the country. The data would also comprise biometric information along with the demographics. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-02 19:12:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LANZHOU, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's western areas have proven to be a magnet for visitors, as more train tours rumble into the vast inland in the new year. China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) is adding a variety of train tours around cities in the western areas in China in 2020, according to the group's subsidiary in Lanzhou, capital of the northwestern Gansu Province. Tourism in China's west is rising thanks to improved infrastructure. Last month, authorities opened a new railway linking Dunhuang city, Gansu Province, and Golmud city, northwest China's Qinghai Province. The Dunhuang railway intersects with existing railways, including the Lanzhou-Qinghai Railway, Qinghai-Tibet Railway and Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway, to form the first circular railway network in the northwestern region. "Based on the Dunhuang railway, we are able to promote high-quality, circular train tours," said Fu Qingzhong, an official of a travel service affiliated with the subsidiary. The subsidiary launched the train tours in 2018. Last year, tourist numbers rose more than 20 percent, and profit from tourism was up 67.3 percent. Press Release January 2, 2020 De Lima shares hopes for New Year, recalls lessons learned in 2019 With the international trend putting pressure in defense of human rights and democracy in different parts of the world, such as the Philippines, Senator Leila M. de Lima is hoping that Year 2020 would encourage the Filipino public, including government officials, into becoming more human rights-centered. De Lima, a known human rights defender here and abroad, said she hopes that more and more individuals would resist the reigning culture of violence and impunity under the Duterte administration with the start of a new year. "Given the international trend to increase pressure in defending human rights and democracy, I hope to see a more human rights-conscious and human rights-sensitive Philippine society and a more human rights-compliant Philippine officialdom in 2020. Human rights are what makes us human," she said. De Lima cited the international trend, such as the unanimous approval by the US Foreign Relations Committee of Senate Resolution (SR) No. 142 calling for, among others, the imposition of the Global Magnitsky sanctions and the passing of Magnitsky-like measures in Europe, Canada, and Australia against rogue regimes. Note that the Magnitsky Act, enacted by the Obama administration, has become a powerful tool for enforcing accountability for human rights abuses perpetrated by repressive regimes and has even inspired other jurisdictions to consider adopting similar sanctions for combating impunity. "There are also the anticipated start of the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation on Mr. Duterte and his ilk by early next year, and the recent passage and signing into law of the US Fiscal Year 2020 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations (SFOPs) Bill with its provision banning entry to those responsible for my persecution," she noted. While she faced several challenges in 2019, including the continued vilification campaign and resurgence of fake news against her by Mr. Duterte and his allies, De Lima said she remains thankful that her struggles left her with valuable learning. "One remarkable lesson is -- the global forces of Good and Light will give you succor and will stand by you if you consistently fight, and accept no compromises, for the values that matter -- justice, human rights and rule of law. With that, fighting evil in the local domain becomes less tough," said the Senator. As a prisoner of conscience who is detained on trumped-up drug charges, De Lima said she is "elated and grateful" for the outpouring of support and growing clamor for her release from many individuals and organizations here and abroad in 2019. "This is best exemplified by the hundreds of signatories, here and abroad, of the statement of Indignation released and published on Nov. 20, and the recent developments in the US Congress re: the imposition of visa ban and other GloMag sanctions, such as freezing of assets, on my oppressors," she shared. It may be recalled that on her 1,000th day in unjust detention last Nov. 20, over 480 leaders, activists and groups worldwide assailed De Lima's continued detention by coming out a collective statement of indignation over her wrongful imprisonment. Representative image Filip Cotfas In the last six years, the global average cost of a data breach has grown by 12 percent, totaling USD 3.92 million/breach in 2019 according to this years Cost of a Data Breach Report released by the Ponemon Institute and IBM Security. Lost business was the biggest contributor to data breach costs, with customer turnover increasing to as much as 3.9 percent in the wake of security incidents. When it comes to the average total cost of a data breach, the United States had the highest cost at USD 8.19 million/breach, while the Middle East had the highest average number of breached records, 38,800, compared to the global average of 25,575. On the lower end of the scale, India averaged data breach costs of USD 1.83 million/breach and Brazil of USD 1.35 million/breach. Among the different sectors, the healthcare industry had the highest cost per breach, USD 6.45 million, 65 percent more than the average cost of a data breach. The report also confirmed data breaches take a bigger toll on smaller organizations. Large businesses with more than 25,000 employees average data breach costs of USD 5.11 million or USD 204/employee, whereas companies with 500 to 1000 employees average USD 2.65 million, or USD 3,533/employee. It is no surprise therefore that smaller organizations struggle to recover in the wake of data breaches, with many folding within the first six months after an incident. The different types of costs of a data breach Data breach costs can be both direct and indirect. Direct costs refer to the fines companies may incur from national regulatory bodies for noncompliance with data protection legislation, but also the cost of response mechanisms such as detection and notification processes that need to be activated in case of a data breach. Once an incident takes place, company share prices are also likely to drop along with revenue from sales. Specialized help in the form of cybersecurity consultancy firms to investigate the incident and legal services to address the fallout of a data breach, such as potential lawsuits, are also considered direct costs. Depending on the nature of the breach and the legislation in place, companies may also need to compensate affected customers financially. Indirect costs are the long term consequences companies may face due to a data breach. As previously shown, data breaches lead to a loss of consumer trust and a higher turnover rate. They also discourage investors and affect long term growth and market share prices. As a companys reputation declines, it can struggle to maintain its most brilliant employees who prefer working for organizations with a high standing. Meanwhile, insurance costs may also increase as well as the money spent on cybersecurity measures. The rise of compliance fines While in 2018, immediately after the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into force, data protection agencies in Europe decided to give businesses additional breathing room to reach compliance, in 2019, the gloves came off, with the first major GDPR fines being issued to companies across Europe. In July 2019, the UKs Information Commissioners Office (ICO) fined British Airways approximately 204 million euro, 1.5 percent of its annual turnover, for security failures that led to a breach which affected 500,000 of their customers. Only one day later, another substantial fine of around 110.4 million euro was issued to Marriott International for similar security failures. Frances CNIL meanwhile went after one of techs biggest players, Google, slapping the US giant with a 50 million euro fine for lack of consent on ads. In Germany 75 fines amounting to 449,000 euro have been imposed and in Poland a data brokering company was fined 220,000 euro for failing to inform citizens that their data was being processed. Long term impact of data breaches Data breaches impact organizations for years, with one-third of costs occurring more than a year after the incident. The 2019 Cost of a Data Breach Report found that 67 percent of data breach costs were incurred in the first year, 22 percent in the second and 11 percent more than two years after the breach. Highly regulated industries such as healthcare and finance see higher costs in later years with the first year accounting for 53 percent of costs, the second for 32 percent and the third for 16 percent. In conclusion As the year draws to a close, its becoming clear that the cost of a data breach is increasing the world over as new data protection legislation favouring consumers is adopted and enforced and data subjects become wary of companies that are affected by data breaches. The trend is unlikely to stop in 2020 as the California Consumer Privacy Act will come into effect and the US draws closer to the enactment of a federal data protection law. Companies need to invest in cybersecurity and data protection strategies before they are faced with the much higher bill and reputational damage a data breach can bring with it. It is also essential that they have a response plan in place in case they suffer a breach. The 2019 Cost of a Data Breach Report showed that organizations that already had an incident response team in place and had extensively tested their response plans saved over USD 1.2 million when they were breached. The author is Channel Manager at CoSoSys, which develops endpoint centric Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions and security software.